Mask of Humanity

Nicolai grinned at Karl through the shimmering disc of energy, staring down the man’s gunbarrel. Naturally, he’d charged his shield in readiness of something like this.

He crouched down so the shield covered his whole body. The shield was visible, rippling the air, and Karl was smart enough to shoot for his legs. His rapier slipped out of its sheath to hover beside him while he tugged his pistol from its holster with his free hand.

He wasn’t worried because his Soul Sense told him all he needed to know. The others weren’t going to raise their guns because they felt nothing of Karl’s decisiveness. Though things were tense at the moment, Nicolai sensed that his speech had been quite successful. John was looking tough but inside the man was an absolute mess.

Karl was acting alone, and with the shield between them and Nicolai’s Soul Sense pervading the man, Karl could do nothing to him. This was good. Karl was a problem, one Nicolai had wanted to remove for some time now. The moment he fired a shot Nicolai would have carte blanche to execute him.

‘Put it down, Karl!’ snapped John.

‘No,’ hissed Karl. ‘That’s one thing he’s right about. You’re too weak to lead.’ Karl’s eyes bored into Nicolai’s own, and Nicolai felt the moment approaching, the man’s aggression peaking, his finger squeezing tighter on the trigger. That would be all the justification Nicolai would ever need, delivered to him gift wrapped.

He saw someone moving toward Karl. ‘Lower your weapon,’ said Cait from beside the man, shotgun aimed at his head.

Karl turned his head slightly, seeing her beside him, his eyes crossing as he stared down the barrel of her shotgun. He sneered and spat disgustedly at the ground, but he lowered his SMG. Nicolai wanted to sneer and spit with disgust, too. If she’d stayed out just a few seconds longer, he’d have solved the Karl problem for free! The sudden frustration boiling through him made his Soul Sense writhe, and he was quick to calm himself when Beth looked his way.

Nicolai checked Karl was still watching him then lowered his shield in an exaggerated manner, exposing himself once more. He Kept his Soul Sense tendril on the man, hoping that Karl would seize the “opportunity” and attempt to murder him. Unfortunately, the emotions he felt from Karl told him it was unlikely. The aggression had been replaced with angry determination and calculation.

Nicolai restrained a sigh, a large part of him feeling that he should have just shot the moment Karl aimed at him. The others would have flipped out, and—based on his understanding of them—this would almost definitely have ruined his push for leadership and led to it all falling apart. It might almost have been worth it.

Karl was staring at him with eyes full of hate and he stared back. Nicolai didn’t hate Karl, because he tried not to hate anything. It was an unproductive emotion. But he wanted him dead. He imagined himself throttling the man, imagined Karl bucking and thrashing, eyes bulging, face turning blue. The vision calmed him, and he refocused.

He turned to face John. ‘What’s it going to be, John?’

John was chewing at his lip, looking worried and a hint embarrassed, feeling perhaps a little emasculated. Nicolai had the impression Karl’s harsh words were bouncing around in his mind. You’re too weak to lead… in that regard, the man might have actually helped Nicolai out. His eyes and his Soul Sense focused on John, feeling him out, and he drew on the understanding of his Mask, which was assisting because it worried what he’d do if this failed.

He doesn’t want to just give up, not in front of them all, not like this. He’s too proud. That was fine. Nicolai was happy to soften the blow—happy to give whatever assurances and respectful words were necessary—so long as it made John hand over control of the group to him.

‘Of course, you would be my second in command,’ Nicolai assured him. ‘We would discuss any important decisions together, before deciding on a course of action.’ But I have final say, which is all that really matters. ‘I respect your opinions highly,’ he added earnestly. ‘You are a very competent individual. Whatever thoughts you had on any matters, I would consider seriously. And Cait, too, of course,’ he added, nodding to the woman. From what he’d observed, she was just as much the leader as John; he’d never seen the man make a decision without speaking to her first.

John and Cait stared at him. John’s frown had softened, just a little, and he looked to be thinking things over. Nicolai saw the pair glance at another. They were talking over Local, now, he could see it, and in the past he would have been forced to try to read the faint, unconscious movements of their lips and their faces. But things were different, now. Cyberwarfare crept into the connections between them, and their voices sounded in Nicolai’s ears.

‘He’s right,’ John was saying to Cait. ‘I’m tired of this. I’m not suited to it. He’s done us well so far, and he says he’ll listen to us. We need the things he can buy us from the Trade Link, and—‘

‘He’s dangerous and he’s sneaky,’ Cait said. ‘It might be he has our interests at heart… but we can’t know for sure.’

‘But what can we do?’ asked John. ‘We need the Trade Link.’

Nicolai saw Cait shake her head, looking very uncertain.

‘I know,’ she said to John. ‘To be fair, everything he’s done has only benefited us, and he’s done a lot. All of that, normally, would make me trust him. But I don’t because… well, look at him. He’s reptilian. “I respect your opinions highly,”’ she quoted, and now she was glaring at Nicolai, who blinked innocently back. Her eyes narrowed. ‘What a load of shit. I hope he doesn’t think we bought that.’

Nicolai struggled not to wince, and wondered if she might be somehow aware he was listening in. That last had felt quite personal, and also led to him admitting to himself he might’ve gone a little overboard with the “kind assurances,” at the end there. Still, from John’s expression, those words had had more effect on him than on her.

Cait let out a sigh—an actual sigh—while continuing over Local in their “private” conversation. ‘I think… I don’t know.’ She shook her head. ‘It’s up to you.’

John sighed, his face undergoing an interesting little shift. After a moment, he looked to Nicolai, and gave a nod. ‘Alright. You lead. I’m second. Plus Cait.’

They all looked faintly shocked, and Karl furious.

Nicolai clapped John on the shoulder and gave him a firm nod. ‘You’ve made the right decision. A brave choice.’

John brushed Nicolai’s hand from his shoulder, stewing silently.

Ah well. They’d come around. Nicolai managed not to grin. He’d been planning to usurp John’s leadership for some time, and now at long last, he’d done it. This would come in quite useful. The goods he intended to sell—mostly guns and ammo—were heavy and bulky, and a too-small group would invite attacks of opportunity. It would have been difficult to sell at a high volume by himself.

However, the job was not quite done. He’d wrestled John into submission, but being leader required a kind of recognisance. If one killed a king, and took his crown, and proclaimed: “I am king now”… well, it was not so simple. Certain symbolic moments were required. Humans, Nicolai believed, put a great deal of stock in symbolism.

‘Before we can move on, I need something from all of you. You must raise your hand, to show you accept me as leader.’ He gazed sternly at the group, his words giving no room for any escape. ‘As I said, if you stick with me, you will do well. But if you all truly want me gone, then simply keep your hands down.’

‘If you accept me, and the Trade Link, then raise your hand.’

The group stirred, exchanging looks, frowns.

###

Perro watched Nicolai. His mind was full of the image of that killbot, an image that had stirred a fear in him which he’d recognised, which had called him back to a time before.

The second time he’d met Nicolai. When the man had advanced on him after killing Tom, when he’d taken Perro’s Rejuvenating Orb.

There had been something in his manner that had made Perro feel as though he stood before an actual killbot. The way the man had moved, how he’d stood, it had seemed oddly… machine like. Thinking on it now, Nicolai quite often moved in such a way. Like something… something not quite human. He’d never have connected the dots if not for what he’d seen in the painting.

There was something very strange going on here, but the others seemed blind to it. Looking around he saw that all they cared about was the Trade Link, they’d already moved past what they’d all seen in the painting, accepting Nicolai’s explanation. It wasn’t that the explanation didn’t make sense. It did, the head had said it was a world of imagination, after all, and they’d seen the other thing transforming, too. But even so…

He remembered how he’d felt as he saw the killbot boiling up and filling the painting. He’d felt just the same as back then, when Nicolai had come toward him with death in his eyes.

Now, Nicolai stood there expectantly, his eyes moving slowly between them. They settled on Perro, who tried hard to keep a blank face. If what he suspected was true… then it would be very dangerous to upset Nicolai.

What would a rogue killbot, somehow in human form, do if it didn’t get its way? What would a killbot no longer bound by the laws and rules of Earth do? Could they trust it—trust Nicolai?

He was about to reach out to Azure, speak with her over Link as he always did, about anything that worried him. But he stopped himself. It was well known that when it came to hacking, no human stood any chance against any sentient bot, not to mention a killbot.

He wasn’t sure if he was right. He didn’t know how to test it. He was terrified that Nicolai might work out what he knew. He needed to… he needed to work out the truth. He needed to work out if Nicolai was really on their side. He’d tell Azure first, she’d believe him. Maybe. Hopefully.

He raised his hand, and tried to smile like he imagined someone happy and loyal would smile.

###

Nicolai watched as Perro’s hand went up. The boy gave him an absurdly fake smile. Nicolai gave him his excessively practised friendly smile in response, nodding with warm approval. There was something odd going on with the boy. His emotions were a mess of fear and confusion. Still, Perro was doing what he’d wanted so Nicolai wouldn’t complain. That first raised hand acted as a domino, and the rest began to fall.

Next was Elena, who glanced at Perro, shrugged, and raised her own. John and Cait exchanged looks, and he knew they were talking over local, but didn’t bother to tune in. He knew which way they’d swing. Afterall, they’d already made their decision.

John sighed, and raised his hand, and then Cait followed. Azure had been watching her father, and only when he raised his hand did she do the same. Sara, seeing how things were going, made a disgruntled expression but raised hers. Nicolai was a little surprised by this, he’d expected her to be a sticking point. Katie, grinning, waved her hand; Nicolai was pretty sure just because she wanted to join in.

Only Karl and old Ben were left.

Old Ben shook his head, frowning. ‘I don’t like this. This isn’t how it should work. I was never really comfortable with the idea of a leader, anyway. I believe in democracy, and dispersed leadership. That’s the kind of thing humanity needs; no more rulers!’ The man’s voice rose at the end, and Nicolai saw that same passion as always within him. He’d always known the old man would be the biggest issue.

‘This is a democratic vote, isn’t it?’ asked Nicolai, smiling.

‘No.’ The old man narrowed his eyes. ‘You’re leveraging other factors. The Trade Link. Protection.’

Nicolai shrugged, putting a frustrated expression on his face. ‘And why shouldn’t I? I have been protecting you all, haven’t I? But I have things to do. I have aims and goals, and I seek to fulfil them. If you all work with me, you will be part of that. You will benefit from that. But if you refuse to work with me, to follow my well thought out instructions? Then it is a waste of my time and resources to nanny you.’ Nicolai sighed, and threw up his hands in frustration that wasn’t quite as fake as he’d have liked. ‘You want to know the truth, Ben? The reason some people are in charge, and others are not, is because some people put more effort in. Do you think I’m incompetent?’

‘No,’ said old Ben, glaring at him. ‘Obviously not.’

‘So what’s the problem? Hey, here’s another fact: if you want to change anything, if any of these lofty ideals you believe in are going to become reality, you have be realistic. Do you think it’s going to be easy to turn this new world from a chaotic mess into the beautiful utopia you envision? No. It will be hard. It will take time, and effort, and difficult decisions. This is one such. Choose.’

The old man stewed, silent.

‘You must raise your hand,’ said Nicolai, his tone turning gentle. ‘Otherwise, all this falls through and I will be leaving.’ These words were not spoken just to old Ben. In fact, his target with them was the others. These words embodied the primary method he intended to use to force old Ben to capitulate.

Peer pressure. All those hands in the air…

Cait sighed, and Nicolai hid his grin. ‘Come on, Ben,’ she said. ‘Just put it up. Lets get this over with.’

Old Ben rolled his eyes, then, grudgingly, looking like he hated every moment of it, he raised his hand in a brief jerk before lowering it.

Nicolai smiled. That was all he’d needed. His eyes turned to Karl.

Karl snorted. ‘Fuck off.’

‘I didn’t think you’d be raising your hand,’ said Nicolai easily. His eyes skimmed over the others. He was considering using this to oust Karl, banish the man, as it were. He could say… we are all a group now and you clearly don’t want to be a part of it. So, goodbye. The issue was that Karl still had some surprisingly deep ties to the others, he could feel that much. He imagined that in the past, before he’d met them, Karl had fought and bled beside them, saved lives. He could predict how things would go if he tried to remove Karl.

Old Ben would be happy to spin back up into gear, and Elena would probably join in (he wasn’t completely sure, their relationship seemed a flighty thing). Likely Cait would speak up, too, maybe John. He looked to Threat Analysis hopefully, wondering if it might have some odds of success and failure to share, but it just shrugged at him and said he needed psychology for that. In truth, Nicolai didn’t need the Module. He understand humans well enough, at least in his own estimation. He suspected such a push would likely fail, which would leave his new standing as a leader weakened, or ruin it entirely.

It was fine. He would engineer an event that would see Karl dead soon enough.

‘So, you’re leaving, right?’ said Karl, scowling at him. ‘That’s what you said. It’s not unanimous, is it?’

Nicolai waved a dismissive hand. ‘It is unanimous. You don’t count because you are obviously biased.’ He knew that Karl, who had been standing there with his hands firmly down, a smile on his face, and satisfaction rolling out of him, had expected things to end here and now. That Nicolai would respect his lowered hand and leave.

The pulse of utter fury he felt from Karl, the way the man’s face whitened and his hands clenched tight around his SMG, as Nicolai simply waved the issue away almost caused him to break out in delighted laughter. ‘But don’t worry.’ He gave the man a winning smile. ‘I’ll win you over in time, Karl.’

Karl’s teeth grit and a vein pulsed on his reddened forehead, and Nicolai could sense the furious words brewing within the man, felt him wrestling with whether to speak them.

Nicolai cared nothing about Karl’s views. The main, most important moment had already occurred. The hand raising was an integral piece of all this. It meant that each of them had given their assent, they had made Nicolai leader, regardless of Karl. This meant that he was leader, truly, without a shadow of a doubt. Moments like that were very important to humans, and now it had occurred his position was unshakeable. As soon as possible he would dispatch his first group of Oma crystal collectors, as well as instate the new roles, rules and procedures the others would be made to follow. It was time to get organised.

He looked to the painting. It was just one big red stain now, and it was decaying at a noticeable rate. Whatever the spirit in there had done after he’d killed it, it appeared to have destroyed the painted world.

At that moment his thoughts were interrupted.

A tremble ran through the ground. Everyone yelled and stumbled as the floor shook and the walls creaked.

Through his Soul Sense Nicolai felt something, a ripple through the Aura of the world, something hungry and demanding… something dangerous. For a moment it gripped onto him, and the dark stirred, then it was gone.

Dust fell from the ceiling. From somewhere he heard the cracking and booming of falling masonry, and he eyed the stone above him, readying himself to move if necessary.

It stopped. Everyone stared with worry around them, unsure what had just happened.

Huh. Something was up, but he had no idea what.