Phoenix Inferno

This is my little sister's work, so this isn't mine and I take no credit for it.

I rolled up the sleeve of my black jumpsuit, revealing the tattoo of the phoenix, frozen in the act of bursting into flames. There was DNA strand mixed into the dye.

I held up my arm to the scanner, a toilet paper dispenser.I stuck my other hand on the white stall wall.

A red light scanned both of them. The computer hesitated a moment then displayed my name “Phoenix Inferno” on the front of the dispenser. It considered it a moment further, and then went dark.

The toilet emitted a quiet purring noise and sunk into the ground and locked out of the way. In its place a small rod rose to just above my waist.

The rod was small, hardly any bigger than my wrist.It looked like a miniature elevator pole, with the trends going down the side, but instead of an elevator there was a harness.On the top of the rod was a control pad, with a small red button.

I stepped inside of the harness and lifted it off the ground. I fastened it on, cinching it tightly around my waist. I braced myself, with my feet spread wide apart on the floor, one hand grasping the front part of the harness.

With my free hand I reached out and swatted the remote. For a moment nothing happened. Then the floor came out from under me.

For a moment everything blurred, I could see nothing. Not that there was much to see, just the gray concrete of the shafts walls.

After a little while the fall began to slow until it came to a dead stop at the bottom of the shaft.I unfastened the harness and slipped my feet out of it.

The harness lifted back up heading toward the top of the chute and a concrete slab closed off the shaft, leaving me in a narrow room.

Before the quiet click from the concrete had faded away, a red light filled the room. It swept up and down, checking me for weapons or explosives. If it found any, they would just gas the chamber.

“Identify.” Nyx’s voice came over the speakers, his harsh tone unmistakable.

I spread my arms out, and stood with my feet far apart, letting the red light travel up and down my body. “Phoenix Inferno.” I said loud and clear.

The light flicker off and the wall on the left slid up. I stepped through and headed down the spotless white hall.

I stopped at my little work area, just a small cubical with an old worn desk and leather chair, slipped through the door and flopped down onto the seat. I switched my computer on and flipped through my work assignments for the day.

Five minutes later I was back on my feet and on my way to the welcome center.

The “welcome” center was a small room made entirely of flexi-glass. It was for people they had brought off the streets that had shone talent for this kind of work. I had been one of those people.

I used to be a hacker. That’s what I did for a living. I found evidence of a major government operation. Chimera got wind of it.They were sent to kill me. They decided to recruit me instead.

I had to give up everything, my entire way of life. In some ways, I’m better off for it. As a computer hacker I had worked only for myself. Now I had a goal in life.

In some ways I’m worse. Some of my targets are only there because someone up top got nervous.In this job you have to leave morals behind. They have no place here.

Today there was young man on it.The computer said that his name had been Eric. It didn’t display his last name, it never does.

He was twenty-eight years of age, which was two years older than me. He came from Chicago.

They had picked him off the street after one of our agents witnessed him fighting off an attacker. If it had been enough to impress an agent, then it must have been pretty impressive.

The computer registered the password as I keyed it in and opened a door. I slipped through it a moment before it closed. A kit enclosed in a plastic slid in through a slit in the wall. A flexi-glass slab immediately slid back into place, sealing me in a see-through box.

I quickly retrieved the kit and tore a hole in the plastic. From the contents I removed a small bottle containing a drug to wake him up and a syringe to administer it with and a pair of medical gloves.

I slipped my hands into the gloves and picking up the syringe, walked towards where he lay at the far side of the room. I quickly slid the syringe into his arm and slowly pressed down on the lever, forcing the drug into his bloodstream.

I removed the syringe and placed it back in the slot with the rest of the kit, they would dispose of it later. Turning back towards him, I leaned against the wall and studied him.

His air was black as a raven and rather long. His skin was darker than most. He looked kind of like an Indian.

He was lean, mean and very normal. He was a man who wouldn’t stand out in a crowd. The perfect material for a field agent.I smirked in approval. He’d make a good partner.

As I watched his eyelids began to flicker open. I took a step toward him and placing my hand on his forearm, leaned over him.

His brown eyes flickered around for a moment then focused on me. Some of the fog cleared. He seemed to relax slightly.

“Where am I?” He murmured.I smiled reassuringly. I decided to ease into it with this one.

“It alright, Eric.” I said gently. “You’re safe.” His eyes sharpened.

“I was drugged.” His voice was clearer and there was a hint of anger. The haze was already clearing. So much for easing into it. This one was strong. Both in body and mind.

“It was necessary.” I kept my tone neutral, neither condoning nor condemning.“Eric, you are now part of the government’s killing squad.You kill who they say to when they say to or you die.”

I swallowed nervously and continued. “We come in groups of three. Two on the computer and one in the field. You’re the field. I’m computer.”

He was fidgeting. “If we have to work together, what do I call you?”

“Phoenix Inferno.” I studied him. He seemed to be taking it rather calmly.

He glanced at my face. “It fits you.”

I ran a hand through my shoulder length red hair. “I suppose it does.” I admitted.

“We all get a new name when we join.” I explained. “Python gave it to me.”

“And Python is who exactly?” he asked curiously. “Is he a friend of yours?”

“Not anymore.” I told him curtly. “He’s the agent you’re going to be replacing. He was killed in the middle of an assassination attempt. And you don’t have friends in this line of work. You have associates.”

I cocked my head to the side. “Do you have any more questions?”

He nodded. “What are you all called?”

“Chimera.” I tossed my hair over my shoulder. “A three pronged attack. The chimera was a Greek monster with the head of a goat and a lion. It tail was a serpents head. ”

“Before you can go out into the field they are going to have to tear you down and then build you the way they want you. It’s a painful, but necessary process.”

“What’s my name now?” dread was written plain all over his face.

I looked him up and down, searching for weakness. “You are no longer a man. You are now a resource and will be known as Asset Maven. Now come. Your training waits.”

Without waiting for a reply I moved to the wall and placed my hand on the scanner. The wall slid up and I moved down the corridor with Asset in pursuit.

I sent him to the train facilities and then went back to my work area. I collapsed onto the chair. Switching on my computer, I got to work.

I had a mission to plan.Watch out. It might be you.