The Network
1707 Words
The message on James's phone glowed in the dark.
The compound in Switzerland was just one of many. Your father wasn't the only victim. There are facilities in Russia, China, Brazil. The network is still active. And they know who stopped them. They're coming for you.
James read it three times. Then he walked downstairs to find David.
David was in the kitchen, making coffee. His hands were steady, but his eyes were tired.
"We have a problem," James said, showing him the phone.
David read the message. His jaw tightened.
"Who sent it?"
"Unknown number. Burner. Probably untraceable."
"Or someone who wants us to be afraid."
"Someone who wants us to be ready."
David set down his coffee. "Then we get ready."
---
They gathered everyone in the main room.
Harper. Steven. Evelyn. Sarah. The clones who had chosen to stay and fight. Twenty-three people in total, plus the children.
James read the message aloud.
Silence.
Then Harper spoke. "If there are other facilities, other clones, other Subjects—we need to find them before they find us."
"Agreed," Steven said. "But we can't be everywhere. We need allies."
"Who?"
"Governments. Intelligence agencies. Anyone who has a stake in stopping the protocol."
"Governments were funding the protocol," David said. "Charles Morrison had friends in high places."
"Not anymore. The files we released exposed everyone. Those who aren't in prison are trying to save their careers. They'll help us to save themselves."
James nodded. "Make the calls."
---
The next week was a blur of meetings, negotiations, and threats.
Steven established secure lines with the CIA, MI6, and the BND. All three agencies had been tracking the Parallax Protocol for years but lacked the evidence to act. Now they had it.
"We need locations," James told them. "Every facility. Every Subject. Every clone."
The CIA delivered first.
Facility 2: Siberia, Russia. Abandoned military base. Currently active. Estimated 500 clones in storage.
Facility 3: Hainan, China. Underground laboratory. Active. Estimated 300 clones.
Facility 4: Manaus, Brazil. Jungle compound. Active. Estimated 200 clones.
Facility 5: Johannesburg, South Africa. Former mining complex. Active. Estimated 400 clones.
Facility 6: Tehran, Iran. Secret medical center. Active. Estimated 150 clones.
Six facilities. Over 1,500 clones. Thousands more Subjects whose memories had been suppressed.
"How do we stop them all?" Evelyn asked.
"One at a time."
---
The first target was Siberia.
James, David, and Harper flew to Russia with a team of CIA operatives. The facility was buried in permafrost, accessible only by a single road.
They approached at night, using thermal drones to map the layout.
"Twenty guards," the CIA lead reported. "Heavily armed. They know we're coming."
"Then we give them something to fear."
The assault was swift and brutal.
David took out the perimeter guards with a silenced rifle. Harper disabled the communications tower. James led the breach team through the main entrance.
Inside, the facility was a maze of corridors and laboratories.
They found the clones in the lowest level—rows of pods, each one containing a human being in suspended animation.
"Administer the antidote," James ordered.
The CIA team moved quickly, injecting each pod.
The clones woke up confused, frightened, but alive.
"Where are we?" one of them asked.
"You're free," James said. "We're taking you home."
---
Home was a processing center in Germany, set up by the UN.
Medical staff. Counselors. Social workers.
The clones were given new identities, new documents, new lives. Some chose to stay together. Others went out on their own.
James watched them leave, one by one.
"You can't save them all," David said.
"I can try."
---
The next target was China.
More difficult. The facility was in a populated area, buried beneath a hospital.
James and his team infiltrated as medical staff, using fake credentials.
They moved through the hospital, past patients and nurses, toward the basement.
The entrance was hidden behind a bookshelf.
Behind the bookshelf, a staircase. Below the staircase, a laboratory.
And in the laboratory, rows of pods.
But these pods were different. The clones inside were awake. Watching.
"Intruders," a voice said.
A woman stepped out of the shadows. Chinese. Mid-forties. Sharp eyes.
"Dr. Li," Steven said through the earpiece. "She runs this facility. She's been with the protocol since the beginning."
"Dr. Li," James said. "We're here to free your Subjects."
"They're not Subjects. They're my children."
"They're prisoners."
"They're volunteers. Every person in this facility chose to be here."
"Did they choose to have their memories erased?"
Dr. Li's expression flickered.
"The world is broken. I'm giving them a chance to start over."
"You're giving them a prison."
Dr. Li raised a hand. Guards emerged from the shadows.
"Kill them."
---
The firefight was brutal.
James took cover behind a pod. Bullets ricocheted off the glass.
David returned fire, taking down two guards.
Harper threw a flashbang.
The guards stumbled.
James ran for Dr. Li.
She was faster. She pulled a syringe and plunged it into his arm.
Darkness.
---
He woke in a chair.
Straps held his arms and legs. A helmet hung above his head.
"Welcome to your new life," Dr. Li said.
"You can't break me."
"I don't need to break you. I need to reprogram you."
The helmet descended.
Electricity.
Pain.
Memories flooding, then fading.
Chloe. Evelyn. David. Harper.
All dissolving.
James screamed.
---
Then silence.
The helmet lifted.
Dr. Li frowned.
"Your mind is... resistant."
"I told you. You can't break me."
"Perhaps not. But I can keep you here. Forever."
She walked away.
James struggled against the straps.
They held.
---
Hours passed. Maybe days.
David's voice, through the earpiece. "James. Can you hear me?"
"David. Where are you?"
"Dungeon level. Two floors down. Harper is with me. We're working on an escape."
"Dr. Li is trying to reprogram me."
"Hold on. We're coming."
---
The escape was messy.
David and Harper fought their way through the facility, freeing clones as they went.
The clones, confused and frightened, followed them.
They reached the laboratory.
James was still in the chair.
David cut the straps.
"Let's go."
They ran.
Behind them, alarms blared.
Dr. Li's voice echoed through the facility. "Stop them!"
The clones they had freed turned on the guards, fighting with desperate strength.
James, David, and Harper reached the exit.
Outside, helicopters waited.
They climbed aboard and flew away.
---
The facility in Brazil was different.
No guards. No alarms. No resistance.
Just rows of empty pods.
"They're gone," Steven said. "Someone moved them."
"Who?"
"I don't know. But the power logs show activity up until yesterday."
James walked through the facility, searching for clues.
A desk. A computer. A photograph.
The photograph showed Dr. Li, shaking hands with a man James didn't recognize.
"Steven, run facial recognition on this."
A moment later: "That's Viktor Volkov. Russian oligarch. He's been on our watch list for years. He's connected to the Kremlin."
"Volkov bought the clones?"
"Maybe. Or he's working with Dr. Li."
"We need to find him."
---
The search for Volkov took them to Moscow.
He was hosting a gala at his estate—rich, powerful, untouchable.
James and Evelyn attended as guests, wearing borrowed tuxedos and gowns.
Volkov held court in the ballroom, surrounded by admirers.
"Mr. Volkov," James said, approaching. "I'm a fan of your work."
Volkov smiled. "And you are?"
"Someone who knows about your investment in the Parallax Protocol."
Volkov's smile faded.
"Let's talk in private."
---
They walked to a study, lined with books and trophies.
"What do you want?" Volkov asked.
"The clones. Where did you take them?"
"Safe. Hidden. Out of reach."
"They're not safe. They're prisoners."
"They're assets. And assets need protection."
Volkov poured himself a drink.
"You're fighting a losing battle, Mr. Cole. The protocol is bigger than one man. Bigger than one country. It's a global enterprise. You can't stop it."
"I can try."
"Trying will get you killed."
Volkov pressed a button.
Guards entered the study.
"Take him to the basement."
---
The basement was cold, dark, and damp.
James was chained to a wall.
Volkov stood before him, holding a syringe.
"This is the Eclipse Variant. One dose, and you'll forget everything. Your family. Your friends. Your mission."
"Do it."
Volkov hesitated.
"You're not afraid?"
"I've been erased before. I always remember."
Volkov lowered the syringe.
"You're either very brave or very stupid."
"Maybe both."
Volkov laughed. "I like you, Mr. Cole. That's why I'm going to give you a choice."
"What choice?"
"Work for me. Help me expand the protocol. And I'll let your family live."
"Threats won't work."
"Not threats. Promises."
Volkov pulled out his phone. A video showed the safe house in Utah. Evelyn, pregnant, playing with the children.
"I have people everywhere. If you refuse, they die."
James felt cold.
"You're a monster."
"I'm a businessman. Monsters are emotional. I'm not."
Volkov held out the syringe.
"One dose. Work for me. And everyone lives."
James looked at the syringe. At the video. At his family.
"Okay."
---
He took the syringe.
Volkov smiled. "Good choice."
James plunged the needle into Volkov's neck.
Volkov stumbled back, eyes wide.
"What—"
"The Eclipse Variant. One dose, and you'll forget everything. Your empire. Your plans. Your life."
Volkov's knees buckled.
He fell.
Guards rushed forward.
James fought them off, grabbed Volkov's phone, and ran.
---
He found Evelyn in the ballroom.
"We need to go."
"What happened?"
"I'll explain on the way."
They ran.
Behind them, alarms blared.
The guards chased them through the estate, through the gardens, to the waiting car.
David floored the accelerator.
They sped away.
---
The safe house in Utah was intact.
Evelyn ran to the children, hugging them.
James watched, relieved.
"You did it," Harper said.
"We did it. Together."
"But Volkov is still alive. His network is still active."
"One battle at a time."
James sat down heavily.
The phone in his pocket buzzed.
A message from an unknown number.
You've destroyed six facilities. But there are more. And we're not going to wait for you to find them.
We're coming to you.
—The Network
James read the message.
Then he deleted it.
"Steven," he said. "We need to prepare."
"For what?"
"War."
- Writer
