The Hand of the Absolute
2107 Words
The bomb shelter in Montana was a tomb of rust and silence.
Michael stood at the entrance, staring out at the snow-covered mountains. The sun was rising, painting the peaks in shades of gold and amber. It was beautiful. Peaceful. But Michael felt anything but peaceful. His mind was churning, the Keeper's disappearance gnawing at him like a festering wound.
Three days had passed since the attack on the Absolute's headquarters. Three days since they'd destroyed the Pacific facility. Three days since the Keeper had vanished from the temple in the Himalayas. Three days of searching, analyzing, waiting. And still, nothing.
Clarice appeared beside him, her face pale, her eyes red-rimmed. She'd been working non-stop, analyzing the data from the Absolute's systems, trying to find any trace of their next move. "I've found something," she said, her voice tight. "Something you need to see."
Michael turned from the entrance. "What is it?"
"A signal. A communication from the Absolute's network. It's still active. It's been transmitting data to a location in the Pacific."
Michael felt his blood run cold. "The Pacific? We destroyed the Pacific facility."
"We destroyed the main facility. But there's another one. A backup. A secondary hub that we didn't know about."
"Where is it?"
"I don't know exactly. But I've traced the signal to a location near the Mariana Trench. It's deep underwater. A submerged facility."
A submerged facility. Deep underwater. Another impossible fight.
"Then we go there," Michael said. "We find this facility. We shut it down. We end this."
"How? We don't even have the right equipment. We don't have submarines. We don't have diving suits. We're running out of resources."
"Then we find a way. We always find a way."
---
The team assembled in the command center.
Michael stood at the head of the table, his face grim. "The Absolute is still active. They have a secondary facility in the Pacific. We need to destroy it."
"How?" Freddy asked. "We don't have the resources for an underwater operation."
"Then we get the resources. We find allies. We find a way."
Regan stepped forward. "I might be able to help. Before I left the Foundation, I heard rumors about a facility in the Pacific. A secret base, hidden beneath the waves. It's supposed to be the Absolute's last resort. The place where they go when everything else fails."
"Do you know where it is?"
"I don't know the exact location. But I know someone who might. A former Foundation operative named Maria. She helped design the facility. She knows it inside and out."
"Where is she?"
"She's been in hiding for years. But I know how to find her. She's been using a false identity in a small town in Chile."
"Then we go to Chile. We find Maria. We get the location."
---
The journey to Chile took four days.
Michael sat in the back of the transport plane, his mind focused on the mission ahead. The team was with him—Clarice, Freddy, Victor, Lilian, Norman, and Regan. They were all there, ready to fight. They were tired. They were broken. But they were still fighting.
The town was small, remote, hidden in the mountains. It was the perfect place to hide. The kind of place where no one would notice if something went wrong.
"We're approaching the drop zone," the pilot announced. "Get ready."
Michael stood and checked his gear. "Everyone ready?"
A chorus of affirmatives.
"Then let's move."
---
The drop zone was a clearing in the forest, surrounded by tall trees.
Michael landed softly, his knees absorbing the impact. The others followed, their movements silent and controlled. The town was a mile away, hidden by the trees.
They moved through the forest, their footsteps muffled by the fallen leaves. The air was cold, the sky overcast. It felt like a scene from a horror movie.
The town appeared ahead—a small cluster of stone buildings, nestled in a valley. It was ancient, the architecture simple and functional. It looked like something out of a different time.
"This is it," Regan said. "The town."
Michael studied the town. "Where do we find Maria?"
"She's living in a house on the edge of town. I'll show you."
---
They approached the house, moving through the shadows.
The house was small, old, and weathered. The windows were dark, the door closed. It looked abandoned.
But Michael knew better. There was activity inside. He could feel it.
"Regan," he said. "Knock on the door."
She stepped forward and knocked. The door opened a crack. A woman's face peered out, her eyes sharp and suspicious.
"Regan?" the woman said. "Is that you?"
"It's me, Maria. I need your help."
Maria opened the door fully. She was a woman in her sixties, with gray hair and tired eyes. But there was a sharpness to her gaze that belied her age.
"Come inside," she said. "Quickly."
---
The house was small, cluttered with books and papers.
Maria sat at a worn wooden table, her hands wrapped around a cup of tea. Michael sat across from her, his eyes fixed on her face.
"The submerged facility," he said. "Tell me everything."
Maria was silent for a moment. Then she began to speak.
"The facility is called the Abyss. It's located in the Mariana Trench, the deepest part of the ocean. It's a massive structure, built into the side of the trench. It's protected by layers of security, both physical and digital."
"How do we get in?"
"There's a service entrance on the north side. It's not heavily guarded. If you can get past the cameras, you can get inside."
"What about the pressure? The depth is immense. How do we survive?"
"The facility is designed to withstand the pressure. There are airlocks, pressure chambers, everything you need. But you'll need specialized equipment. Diving suits. Submersibles. The kind of equipment that's hard to find."
"Can you help us get it?"
Maria hesitated. "I might be able to. I have contacts in the region. People who owe me favors. They can get you what you need."
"Do it. We don't have much time."
---
The next two weeks were spent preparing.
Maria worked tirelessly, contacting her network, arranging for the equipment. Freddy coordinated logistics, ensuring everything was in place. Clarice analyzed the data, finding a way to breach the facility's digital defenses.
Michael focused on the plan. The Abyss was heavily fortified. They'd be outnumbered and outgunned. But they had no other choice.
"We're going to need a lot of firepower," Freddy said. "The facility is guarded by a small army."
"Then we bring a small army."
"How? We're just a handful of people."
"We're not alone anymore. We've been building a network. People who want to fight the Absolute. It's time to call them in."
---
The team assembled for the final briefing.
Michael stood at the head of the table, his voice steady and clear. "We're going to the Abyss. We're going to find the Absolute. And we're going to stop them."
He went over the plan one final time. The approach, the breach, the extraction. Every detail was covered.
"Any questions?" Michael asked.
Silence.
"Then let's move."
---
The journey to the Mariana Trench took six days.
Michael sat in the back of the submersible, his mind focused on the mission ahead. The team was with him—Clarice, Freddy, Victor, Lilian, Norman, and Regan. They were all there, ready to fight.
The submersible descended slowly, the water growing darker with each passing meter. The pressure was immense, the hull groaning under the weight. Michael could feel it in his bones, the weight of the ocean pressing down on them.
"We're approaching the facility," the pilot announced. "Get ready."
Michael stood and checked his gear. "Everyone ready?"
A chorus of affirmatives.
"Then let's move."
---
The facility appeared ahead—a massive structure of concrete and steel, built into the side of the trench. It was vast, sprawling, like something out of a nightmare. The lights were dim, the windows dark. It looked abandoned.
But Michael knew better. There was activity inside. He could feel it.
"Maria," he said. "Can you get us in?"
She studied the facility. "There's a service entrance on the north side. It's not heavily guarded. If we can get past the cameras, we can get inside."
"Then we go through the service entrance."
---
They approached the service entrance, moving through the shadows.
The door was steel, the lock electronic. Maria stepped forward and keyed in a code. The lock clicked open.
"Inside," she whispered. "Quickly."
They slipped through the door, into the darkness beyond.
The corridor was narrow, the walls cold and damp. Michael moved forward, his weapon raised. The facility was silent, the only sound the drip of water from the ceiling. It was oppressive, suffocating.
They reached a junction. The corridor split in two directions. Michael paused, listening.
"Left," Maria said. "The main server room is that way."
They moved left, their footsteps echoing off the walls. The corridor grew wider, the lights brighter. They were entering the heart of the facility.
Michael heard voices ahead. Guards. He signaled for the team to stop.
He crept forward, peering around the corner. Two guards stood in the corridor, their backs to him. They were talking, their voices low and casual.
Michael moved quickly. He was on them before they could react, his knife finding its mark. The first guard dropped silently. The second followed a moment later.
He dragged the bodies into a side room, then signaled for the team to continue.
---
The main server room was vast, filled with rows of gleaming machines.
The Absolute was there, its processors humming with power. The room was brightly lit, the air cold and sterile. It looked like something out of a science fiction film.
Clarice approached the central console, her fingers flying across the keyboard. "I'm in. I'm accessing the Absolute's core."
"How long will it take?" Michael asked.
"Minutes. Maybe less. But I need to bypass the security protocols. They're advanced. Very advanced."
Michael watched the door, his heart pounding. They were exposed. Vulnerable.
"Michael," Freddy whispered. "I'm picking up movement. Multiple contacts. They're heading this way."
"How many?"
"Dozens. They're everywhere."
Michael turned to Clarice. "How much longer?"
"Almost there. Just... a little... more."
The door burst open. Guards poured into the room, their weapons raised. Michael opened fire, dropping two of them before they could react. Freddy was beside him, his weapon blazing.
The room filled with the roar of gunfire, the smell of cordite. Michael moved through the chaos, taking down one guard after another. But more were coming. Always more.
"I've got it!" Clarice shouted. "The Absolute is shutting down!"
"Then let's get out of here!" Michael shouted.
They ran toward the exit, the guards pursuing them. Michael fired over his shoulder, dropping two more. The team burst into the corridor, running for their lives.
They reached the service entrance just as the alarms started.
Red lights flashed. Sirens blared. The sound of boots echoed from every direction.
"Go!" Michael shouted. "Get to the extraction point!"
They ran through the darkness, the guards closing in. Michael could hear bullets whizzing past his head, could feel the heat of their passage. He ran faster, pushing his body to its limit.
They burst out of the facility and into the water. The submersible was waiting.
"Get in!" Freddy shouted.
Michael jumped into the submersible, his heart pounding. Clarice was beside him, her face pale. Regan was in the back, her hands shaking.
"Go! Go! Go!"
The submersible rose into the water, the facility disappearing below. Michael looked down, watching it shrink into the distance.
They'd done it. They'd shut down the Absolute.
But the war was far from over.
---
The flight back to Montana was silent.
Michael sat in the back of the plane, his mind racing. They'd destroyed the Abyss. They'd shut down the Absolute. But something still didn't feel right.
"We need to be sure," Michael said. "We need to verify that the Absolute is completely destroyed. No fragments. No backups. Nothing."
"How do we do that?" Clarice asked.
"We find the Keeper. We make him tell us everything."
---
The temple in the Himalayas was empty.
Michael stood in the center of the room, staring at the empty chair where the Keeper had sat. He was gone. Vanished. As if he'd never existed.
"He's gone," Clarice said. "He knew we were coming."
"Then we find him. We track him down. We make him tell us the truth."
- Writer
