– What did you do on the Key-Deli-Ô-Scope, Aksel? Why did you log on?
– I wanted… I wanted to verify whether what they told me about the safeverseens was true. Obviously I didn’t find anything.
– No! How could you dare search on the Ô’Key? After everything they’ve done…?
– Listen, as a surveillance agent, I was well aware that all my entries into the search engine would pass through the analysis of Scrutatorium. I simply scheduled an appointment with an Ô-Doctor, and asked for a full-body check-up. Clearly it came back that I was in good health.
– You… you went through a body scanner. You gave ALL of your biometric information to an Ô-Doctor? But why? That’s insane!
– I wanted to know if it was true. Anyway, there are body scanners in all the airports, and since I’ve travelled a lot they already have all my information.
– But not for your internal organs!
– You underestimate biometric progress…
– Maybe.
After that, I went took off all my gear. I had seen in passing that I had twenty-four voice messages, ten of which were from my boss. I winced, thinking about my friends, my girlfriend. If I helped the safeverseens, I would have to give up everything. Never see them again. Although I’d only ever known them through the Key-Deli-Ô-Scope, never face to face. I was devastated. I swallowed some capsules to calm down. But when I got hungry, I didn’t have the strength to do anything about it. To get a preprepared meal delivered by a commercial drone, see it at my window, have to give another biometric identification, and above all to eat, was all beyond my energy. How was I going to do it? I could no longer feed myself. Not after what I’d learned. I was doomed to die from hunger in an automaton apartment, where everything was made for my comfort. It was sad, but that’s how it was. I knew that I had to get in my alveolus and go to work, in the Alveolus Nest. More than anything I dreaded coming face to face with my boss, who would no doubt call me into his upper alveolus. Instead of that, I would obliterate myself with every drug I had in my medicine cabinet, lose myself in a horrible cocktail: Paxificate, Anxillirium, cherry Breathrise, Amorescence, iXcitel35, Ôxidaxcism, Fraktal++,… I would cry myself to sleep, crushed by fear, tormented by guilt.
I woke up the next day with a splitting headache. I had scratches all over my body, in particular on my right arm. Most likely due to my psychadelic rage from the night before. With an empty stomach, I left my apartment. Once again in the rain I had the sensation of being naked as a newborn, beaten down by the icy deluge. Hurrying along, I arrived at the safeverseens’ hideout. It was deserted. Nothing. No one. I was about to leave, when suddenly I heard a cough. Odd. Nothing here indicated a human presence, and yet my ears did not deceive me: the coughing started up again. « Safeverseens! » I screamed. « It’s Aksel, Key-Secure-Ô-Log and Key-Avatarist, ex Key-Deli-Ô-Scope agent. I’ve come to tell you that I’m giving up my enhanced life. I have nothing with me, not my ôSes, not my daily-S, not my keyscopian lenses. » Silence. « Show yourselves! I’ve come in peace, I… I’ve come to apologize. I changed my mind. I’m going to help you! »
« Fucking Ô-plug, » I heard. It was Cyriaque’s voice. I would have bet my life on it. The lasers activated, and soon filled up the room with their blinding light. A stinging, violet light inspected me from top to bottom. « Cî’s zokay, hi doesnat hovany Ô-apparatus onim. » What I saw next stopped my breath: like a wave breaking, a hoarde of people in blue suits materialized before my eyes. Cid approached me. « Listen, » he said, « if you betray us a second time, I swear to you that you will be banned from your alveolus and your old buddies will hunt you down. It’s in your interests not to do anything stupid. Now come with me. » He gave me a suit, which I put on, and ordered me into the small, square room. « We’re going to go see Yannos. He’ll explain to you how to do your work. But before that, you need to be brought up to speed on a few things… There is — » I cut him off: « What did you do to me the last time? What was that… that mass? » He looked sad, then said, « Humming Birds. » « What…? » « Humming Birds. The nano-drones that the Intelligence Agency use to spy on us. You’ve never heard of them? » I shook my head. « Imagine Vs in nanometric format, sorts of autonomous sensors that communicate by fluid links, and that send loads of information to the inquisitors of the Intelligence Agency. The data is collected with the help of the small cameras and microphones that they tuck into the hollows of the V. And that’s not all they can hide in the Vs, but anyway… » « The lasers… » « Yes, the lasers allow us to detect them. » « But how is that possible, if they move at nanometric levels? » I asked. « We had to develop some… surprising technology, in order to survive. » I was speechless. I had never heard of Humming Birds. « And invisibility? How do you do that? » « You’re pretty curious, Aksel. As long as we’re not sure about where you stand… » « I understand, you can’t tell me everything. I’ll stop. » We stayed silent for a moment. In the room next door, the Knock! Knock! Knock! had started up again. « Listen, Aksel. If you want to become a safeverseen you’re going to have to pass some tests. And for that, you need to come with me to another location. I’m going to blindfold you, okay? » « Okay. »
– How could he have trusted you again, after what you had done?
– He needed me. I let him blindfold me for what was to come. I felt something laid upon my suit, like a shawl. Then the double doors closed behind us. After what seemed like an eternity, we entered a new place. He opened my visor and took off the blindfold. The same lasers combed the spot where we were. The people there were busy around groups of tables. Some had black tubes linking up their mouths and ears. Cid presented me to a big guy with light, chestnut brown hair. « Here’s Yannos. He’s the one who’s going to give you the tests. » I set myself up at a table with Yannos, who inspected me from multipe angles with strange machines. After this, he asked me a long series of questions, also strange, about my blood type, my psychological characteristics and my food preferences. « Carbon, » he concluded mysteriously. « It’s carbon. Like Diane. It’s not possible… it’s not possible… carbon! » He repeated to Cid the results of the test. Astounded, Cid retorted, « Whatore wi going to da ? Wehove zero diamas. » « Yes, we have one, » Yannos replied, « But it’s being used. We’re going to have to double up. » Cid suddenly became agitated. « We can’t double up! We’re not sure about him! » He turned to address me. « My man, if you try any tricks, we’re going to — » I stopped him, « I’m not going to betray you. With what you’ve told me… I can’t go back. » « Yannos, go get Ezil. But fuck, this is history repeating itself, this guy, same diffuser as Diane. Seriously! » Surprised, I asked, « A diffuser? What’s that? And who is Diane? » « Shut it, and come with me. » He then quickly turned around: « Your diffuser is what’s going to save your skin. »