Ryker Petrović

[Ryker]

Moscow, 2044

Operation planning was not reviewed within the walls of the Kremlin. The room they occupied was in an ordinary office building within walking distance, certainly. The former KGB building was an imposing stone structure, but relatively unplainly designated as administrative offices. Within, however, a forcefield of security blocked all any lacking legitimate security clearance. Ryker had to confirm with a DNA reader at the door. It was possible to fabricate such samples, but it required immense amounts of effort that proved difficult even for their agency.

The sliver of excitement hastened his steps, slender and nearly invisible as the tendrils of a spider’s web, to any but the most trained of eyes. Then again, he wasn’t truly making an attempt at concealment.

The boardroom occupied their attention for a good hour. Operations were assigned. Tasks to the team distributed. The overall mission would be upheld, individual roles in it were secondary. The mission mattered most. If one of them fell behind, they would be left behind. Captured, caught and the Custody would deny their existence. Ryker knew the risks. He signed up for them. Though perhaps he’d never been compromised to the point of confirmation. Stories’ of comrades downfalls were filtered through tight lips around the agency. Under the directive of the Ascendancy himself, their missions were green-lighted only by his command. Given their destination, Ohio, Ryker did not doubt the seriousness of the matter. The United States was enemy number one. The public relations tour was flashy with distraction. The reason mission scrambled like ants in the darkness, public unawares.

“Question,” Ryker called out. Four faces turned to him. Three members of their Reliancers’ Team listened with steady gazes. The newest member, Ryker did not know each one well beyond reputation. The first, dark-haired, dark-eyed Massimo Cocci, was recruited from White Knights. He was a tank of a man, slabs of solid muscle who would serve as firearms, ammunition, safety and extraction. At his side sat Wioletta Jasinka. Formerly polish GROM with three doctoral degrees, she would serve as the communications officer and nuclear advisor. The remainder of her past training experiences were unknown even to Ryker. He only knew that he would defer to her expertise once inside. Finally, next to himself, was Johann Ek, another white European chosen specifically for his perfected American accent and overall whiteness. According to the mission plan, it would be Johann and Ryker as acting agents on the inside each with their own priorities and agenda.

The final face was that of  their team leader, the one through whom all communication to Ascendancy would filter, was himself a former KGB agent right until the dissolution of the ASU and restructure into the CCD. Older, experienced, he fought and clawed his way through the ranks. Someone to respect, possibly fear.  “Petrovic?”

“In the event this all goes to hell. Does default protocol dictate a complete reactor meltdown? Or complete mission abortion?”

A few faces paled.

Wioletta, as their scientific officer, guffawed. “A complete reactor meltdown must be avoided at all costs.”

Ryker shrugged. “I’m just asking.”

Their team leader crossed his arms, studying Ryker like he wasn’t sure he trusted the newcomer to the team. “Our mission is to destabilize the plant until it goes off line. A blackout, Petrovic. Not incinerate millions of people: ourselves included. The Ascendancy’s orders are abundantly clear.”

Wioletta raised a brow, “You don’t want to be in the middle of that plant if there is a meltdown. Believe me, Ryker, you want to avoid that excruciating demise.” A sadistic flicker ghosted her lips like she’d seen the effects herself.

Ryker shrugged again, obviously wanting to avoid such a demise. If team leader observed the streak within her, he carried on without acknowledging it. Wioletta happily explained. “The liquid poison control system is a secondary safety backup should the control rods fail. Under no circumstances should that system be disturbed when you dismantle the control rods. Both systems operate automatically and function without power, but both also operate under manual control. When you trigger the system failure that halts the descent of the control rods, I will delay the liquid poison control system until maximum heat is reached. At which point, we will enable the acid drop, the nuclear chain reaction will halt. All that should remain at that time is the decay heat. Even if the barriers fail under decay heat, there should be little to no radioactivity.”

Ryker flashed a moment's irritation. He already understood all of this. He’d been studying for weeks, ever since receiving the files that night at home.

“Worst case scenario is decay heat overwhelming the reactor core. So if concrete is melting, probably best to get the fuck out of there.” His gaze challenged Wioletta’s. She was suppose to be in the control room during all this, far from the direct dangers Ryker would face.

She smiled, “Yes.”

He closed down his screens swiftly. “When we do we leave?”