agentblack

I walk through a fine palace, through a succession of fabulous rooms. My clothes are cut from damask, gold threaded brocade, silk.

Paintings hang in airy galleries open to the high summer light, portraits of kings upon horse back, looking martial and fierce, or standing in ornamental gardens and arrayed in court finery.

Aristocratic families stand arranged in oils, gathered around some fine instrument at which the mother sits, looking indulgent as the children laugh gaily at a pampered dog, whilst the father stands; the stern patrician, back straight, head high.

In some distant part of this palace, I hear the high cascade of notes from a harpsichord, voices raised in jest, the soft laughter of women.

I walk through dining rooms, Ball rooms, Endless rooms, as I head towards the music.
Each contains some treasure, exquisite and priceless. Marble statues from antiquity, finely wrought jewellery, musical instruments of unsurpassable craft and beauty.

In one room is an immense mirror, gilt framed and quicksilver brilliant, the purity and cleanness of its reflection almost dizzying. It covers one vast wall, and in the sun beamed light, reveals my reflection. I am tall and handsome, my hair curled and dressed, My face hidden behind a black silk quarter mask.

The music comes from the next room. I pull myself up straight and in the mirror make minute adjustments to my jacket and cuff. I smile at my twin in the liquid sheen of the mirror. Two girls enter from a side door, laughing and skipping in their wide gowns, one in mint green silk, the other in pale violet. Both wear half masks of alabaster.

I turn and bow to them, and then offer my arm to both of them, whilst they giggle and exclaim. The Harpsichord in the next room, after a burst of applause, begins another tune that dances and skips within it's waterfall of notes.

With a girl on each arm - and feeling quite the young prince - I step into the room.

Butler held my gaze as I sat before The Foresight Committee.

I was struck by a sensation I hadn't felt since school, when I had been found out in some mischief and was to be brought before the head, coupled with an intense relief that I finally had a way out of my moral quandary.

But why me? And why were they asking such a question at all? Butler had referred to it as 'The Oracle Project'. Only Inspellen had used that name; Officially it was listed in Institute documents as "Hypothetical Exercise #31147 - Auth - Inspellen/Others".

It seemed a fair assumption that if they knew Inspellen's pet name for the project, then they knew everything.

Why then did they need me to tell them anything? Why tip their hand to Inspellen's right hand and give him any sort of warning that they were suspicious if they were merely bluffing?

The man Butler had the same air about him as a head teacher, already in full possession of the facts, just waiting for you to explain your involvement in whatever schoolboy misdemeanour you'd committed.

And who were the Foresight Committee? I'd never heard of them, and the Institute was the sort of incestuous organisation where nothing remained a secret for long, at least amongst the research staff.

Butler spoke up again. "My boy, I can understand that you may feel some reticence talking to us, and this is entirely understandable, given that you don't know us from Adam."
There was a burst of laughter from the men arrayed around me, and I was again struck by the impression of being in the company of kindly uncles at a family birthday. Butler gestured, and was passed a file from across the table that he opened and leafed through whilst he continued to speak to me.

"I won't insult your intelligence, young man. Your career so far advises against such a course. Your early work in Historical Trends was astounding, and your move into Swarm Behaviour was unexpected but also just as distinguished. I understand that you were in the running to be our youngest ever researcher to gain tenure, until you again transferred to begin work in Competitive Dynamics."
Butler fixed me with a steady and appraising gaze. "I have here testimonials from many highly respected names - Zucker, Timoshenko, even Braun - that your work and insights here basically created the field of Adaptive Artificial Intelligence. It even appears that you were due to be approached by our organisation, before you became Inspellen's assistant."

"I hope you understand that we know of everything that has taken place under the auspices of the 'Oracle Project', as well as Inspellen's eventual aims. We also know of your own dissatisfaction and misgivings about the course that Inspellen is setting the Institute upon. That dissatisfaction is part of the reason that we've brought you here."

Butler sat back in his chair. Another man, heavier set and his face covered by a white whiskery beard leant forward on the table to speak.

"The Foresight Committee is tasked with ensuring that the Institute's independence is maintained at all times. We are, essentially, an oversight group, with some considerable powers and license. We operate a strict vetting procedure on all of the discoveries made at The Institutes main building -"

This was a shock to me. As far as I knew, the Institute was merely the one building, the vast cathedral shape that rose above the city that we resided in now.

"- And those that we judge too sensitive, we quietly move away to one of our more sensitive, and protected, sites."

Another member of the committee, this one whippet thin and clean shaven, leant forward. "This happens most often with those discoveries we make that would confer some stalemate breaking military application."

The bearded man nodded. "Undue military and political interest and the resultant interference would destroy the independence that we and our predecessors have worked so hard to achieve."

At this point I spoke up. "And Inspellen's plan would embroil us in the fabric of wider political manuveuring."

The men nodded. Butler looked pleased, and nodded as he spoke.
"Exactly. We have to guard against the threats to independence coming from within as well as without."

I thought for a second, then asked another question.

"So why exactly do you need my testimonial? It can't be for the reasons of corroboration."

Butler smiled and shook his head. "No, I'm afraid it's not. I'll be blunt. Inspellen has fatally over stepped his bounds here. He's willing to reduce the work of decades to Barnumism and snake oil. His career is effectively over here, and it'll be the evidence we've accrued on the 'Oracle Project'- " Butler's disdain was immense. "- that will bury him."

"But you want my testimony to hide your sources of intelligence?"

Butler beamed at me. I felt that I was about to be treated to a coin that he'd pull from behind my ear.

"Just so, my boy! Just so! We've a variety of ways of gaining information, and we'd rather not reveal for them. It makes our jobs easier in the long run. I want to make it clear that you won't be made some kind of 'patsy' here; Our dossier will only be seen by a very limited number of people at the very top of the organisation, and I can guarantee that you will not become known as some kind of 'grass'. That's not the way we do business here.

We're rather keen in any event that you come on board with our little gang, but if you wished to return to your own paths of research we'd be glad to give you every assistance."

Butler glanced back at his file before continuing.
"I understand that you gave up on research in order to pursue a relationship with a young woman You have my sympathies, I understand that it's come to a rather abrupt end. I am sorry."

I sat stunned for a few seconds.
"You knew about that?"

Butler spread his hands in an apologetic fashion. "We're extraordinarily thorough I'm afraid. I apologise if you feel there's been some sort of gross intrusion on our part. Blame an excessive enthusiasm for knowing exactly were we stand at all times."

I waved away Butler's apology, I felt a little stunned by everything that'd happened, the things I'd learnt, since I sat down at the grand table.

"What do you say young man? Will you help us?"

I nodded. At a gesture from Butler the vast windows behind him began to turn black and opaque.

"Where would you like me to begin?"


As I entered the room the music faded away. The voices of the two young girls who accompanied me in hushed to a dusty sigh, and the warm weight of them on each of my arms suddenly lifted, as their warm bodies and ornate dresses collapsed into a storm of dry autumn leaves that scattered around my feet in scratchy whispering spirals.

I glanced around the room, moving around it in a panic, as I searched for signs of the merriment and society I had heard within just moments before. But as I searched I found no sign, and instead found that the air was growing intolerably hotter, and the scent of dry wood smoke grew ever stronger.

In a panic now, I left the room and all its empty mocking splendour, and began to retrace my steps at a run.
As I ran the air grew hotter, until I was convinced that I was approaching a furnace, as the air seemed to glow and shimmer with the heat, and grow ever hotter, dry and full of the heavy smell of smoke.

Finally doors stopped my progress. Heavy and ornately carved with a relief of vegetal motifs, it's surface of rich mint green paint was beginning to crack and bubble; discolour and scorch. Behind the doors, I heard some sort of commotion, the sound of cracking and roaring, a wild beast perhaps, some bear or lion, running amok, angered and berserk; reducing the furnishing within to sticks of kindling.

A sudden crack of splintering wood, loud as a gunshot - and the doors disintegrate, falling backwoods into a maelstrom of blooming sparks and swirling embers - and a orange red burst of flame lunges from out of the doorway with a deafening blast born of some unholy parentage of thunder storm, waterfall, screaming horse and wounded beast.

The blast of hot air knocked me backward, sent me scattered to the floor where I watched whilst the wall papers blackened and flaked in the incredible heat, peeling and shedding great flakes of soot like infernal petals which flapped and fluttered from the wall like wounded crows.

The flames screamed as they burst from the door, and their shape seemed as changeable as the cacophony they induced. First it was an inverted waterfall, a torrent that spat towards the ceiling, now a ghastly flower; A thistle-thing with thorny flowers scattering embers like pollen. And then finally it was a face, lined with golden light so bright and pure it seemed stolen from the sun. A face that cracked and spoke and said;
"Once I played Emperor, and professed to be a master of kings and ministers. Now my plots are dust and ashes, and I am revealed a Fool."


A few hours later, The Foresight Committee were thanking me for my time and escorting me to the same glossy black lift that had ferried me up.
Butler shook me by the hand and advised me to take a few weeks of personal time, assuring me that it would be the best course of action.

I was met outside the lift by Grey, who was the same cheerful model of personal charm and effortless efficiency that I had met that morning.
He accompanied me to a waiting car, instructing the driver to take us both back to my apartment.

The ride back was uneventful. After the hours of testimony I had given the Committee, I was in no mood for any further talking, and stayed quiet through out much of the journey.
Once again, I was gloomy at the prospect of returning to the apartment I had shared with her.

As I had left the apartment earlier that morning, cursing my lateness and hurrying out to the waiting car, I had discovered a neat collection of things arranged on the dining room table; a table we had chosen together - A day spent wandering through old furniture stores full of antique and recovered furniture, their proprietors almost as unusual as the wares on offer.

They were all things we had bought together, on closer inspection in fact all of the things we had bought together. She had left them all behind, neatly arrayed, her final message - her only message - to me. I had felt certain, staring at the items laid out, with almost forensic precision, that I would not find one item missing.

As we drew close to the apartment, Grey spoke up.

"The Committee would like to extend a formal invitation to you. Mr Butler wanted me to impress upon you that this is in no way related to the, ah, service you have performed for us.
You've been regarded as a promising top level candidate for some time now, and Mr Butler felt that this would be the best opportunity for you to come over to us, before you gain any other commitments.
Naturally no one expects an answer immediately"

Grey tailed off as I waved away his suggestion, closing my eyes and slowly shaking my head. I had no wish to think about such things now. I promised him an answer within the next few days, and then shook his hand as the car drew up outside my building.

Inside, I did not stop to remove my coat but went straight to the kitchen to fetch a bin bag. Quickly, without stopping to examine the items left upon the table, I cleared them all into the bag, which I left on the floor by the door.
As I let the bag drop, I realised I would soon have to find somewhere else to live.

Sometime later, I awoke in my bedroom to the sound of pounding on my door. I had fallen asleep fully clothed, lying on top of the bed.

The door boomed and rattled on its hinges again, and I heard a voice raised behind it, muffled by the door, but still belligerent and full of challenge.

I opened the door on Inspellen, hunched in the door frame, his goatish face screwed up in a snarl.

"It could only have been you, you cunt." Inspellen jabbed at me with a bony finger. "The bastards have shut it all down, and you're the only one who had the whole picture."

Inspellen advanced a few more steps into the corridor. He seemed steady on his feet, but his mouth seemed a little slack, and his breath stank of the spiced rum he favoured.

"They were scared, is what they were, fucking weak willed pansies, fucking scared of someone with with some fucking balls; fucking coming along and taking charge, making a go off things. And you!" Inspellen jabbed at me again with the same bony finger, knuckles poking out of it like knots on old rope.

"You went and fucking sold me out, you fucking judas! Don't bother denying it, it's the only way they could've fucking found out. I ought to fucking break your fucking neck"

He drew his arm back to swing for me, and I stepped forward and shoved him back against the wall.It took him by surprise and he bounced off it, swearing as he stumbling to the floor.

Inspellen here made me angry. I felt I'd been holding my breath for months - Holding my breath about the Project, then the Foresight Committee, but most of all, holding my breath about Her. I felt like I was breathing for the first time in weeks as I snarled and kicked Inspellen hard enough to push him a couple of feet down the corridor.

Grabbing hold of his collar and yanking him upright, I realised just how frail his wiry little frame was, and the idea of this jumped up little runt telling me what to do and expecting me to keep quiet about his crackpot little schemes made me feel like I was breathing fire.

I threw him back against the wall again, and as he bounced back off, kicked his legs out from under him. I grabbed a handful of wire like, curly hair and dragged him back to the front door.
He yelped as I pulled him upright by his scalp, and I shook him as I spoke to him.

"Get the fuck out of my house you little fuck." I growled at him. "And don't ever bother me again."

I'd had it with Inspellen, I'd had it with all of them, with their schemes for the future, their great and noble plans.
Inspellen, The Foresight Committee, even her, all of them want me to help them plot their future for them. I was sick of it.
I pushed him out to the stairwell, and slammed the door on him, ignoring his feeble cries promising revenge. Back in the kitchen, I found a bottle of the local spirit, and took it to bed.
_____________________


Finished It.

I truly am the laziest boy in all Christendom.

Not much has happened in the (checks how long it's been... JESUS) two and a half months since my last update.

Well, that's a lie, I've been doing LOADS of shit, but Because I've been doing loads of stuff, I've not been going near computers (and when I have gone near computers, it's to CRUSH THE WEAK BENEATH THE WEIGHT OF MY FUCKING GENIUS via the medium of games.) so you know, Nicht so much with the updates.

Quick Summary:

Climbed Ben Nevis - Manly.

Completed God Of War 2 - Manlier.

Got a job where a day spent playing Wii Tennis with small boys counts as work - JAMMY.

Also! Music! Those of you who are DOUBLE ACE COOL might like this, if you ain't already aware of it.



HADOUKEN! ACE! HOXTON HEROES, INDIE CINDIES! FUCK ME BUT I LOVE ELITISM!

I'm fucking off to the Alps tomorrow to climb Mountains, Be all outdoorsy and macho and stuff.
What're you doing that's so amazing then, hmm?