Imperium

Chapter 26: Defend Every Value

"You're nothing without power. Nothing to the world, nothing to society, nothing to me. Either pull yourself together and make me proud for once, or just accept that you're apparently destined to be a failure."

"...I'm not a failure."

"Prove it."

"I will. I'll make you proud, Father. I promise."

Step by step, hearing the echo of each time Jane's boot lands on the polished stone floor, making her way through the bright halls of the Bastion towards her destination; The Director's "office". If it could even be called that. It's her lab. Her torture chamber.

She hears the crackling of electricity coming from the closed door at the top of the narrow stairway. The lights flicker through the small glass window, and she can hear his screaming, followed by the sound of his fanatic laughter.

The flickering stops and the lights return to normal, and she then can hear heavy panting, joined by a complacent sigh that she recognizes as Corbin. The Director.

Jane steps up to the door and peeks through the circular window, seeing the tall woman dressed in admiral's garbs, and the patch covering her eye. On the ground, kneeling before her and trembling is Fritz.

The Director is smiling down at him, and slowly, she reaches down and grabs his chin, turning his face up to look at her.

"Excellent work, Covett. The new Augmentation is ready for distribution," her soothing, yet patronizing voice sounds muffled through the door, but it raises the hairs on the back of Jane's neck.

Fritz giggles painfully and sits on his knees, looking up at his mistress with a wild yet tortured glint in his eyes.

"Thank you, my lady. Thank you! So, am I to fulfil my next assignment now?"

The Director cocks a brow, but smirks in satisfaction.

"Do you not wish to... rest first?"

"NO," Fritz replies frantically, and with another hysterical laugh. The pain in his eyes shows how his head is pounding as he has yet again had his neural patterns ripped apart and put back together. "I live to serve you, my grace. My pain is your passion. My will is your vision. My life is at your expense."

The Director smiles with a satisfied hum. She pets his head before taking a step back and crossing her hands behind her back.

"Good boy, Covett. Yes. You may go now. And do not return empty handed."

"I would sooner die than fail you, my goddess."

"I would expect nothing less from you. Keep this up, and perhaps your place on the top will be restored."

Fritz stands up excitedly and claps with a pleased giggle. "It will be done, your grace." He gives her a delighted bow before hurrying to the door.

Jane steps back and to the side, lowering her head and holding her hands behind her back as the door opens and Fritz happily skips through, showing her a snarky smirk and scowl before carrying on his way, out of sight.

Jane takes a deep breath, mentally preparing herself as best she can.

"You may enter, Harvey." Hearing The Director's voice address her in that condescending tone makes her heart pulse faster after nearly skipping a beat.

She enters the room, keeping her head down as she swiftly drops to one knee before her. She waits for her to say something, but when she doesn't, Jane decides to take matters into her own hands.