Kaius stepped off his ship and into the cold winter winds of a frozen wasteland, far away from civilization. A gust of wind blew around him as his feet sunk into the powdered snow. The biting chill had him glad he was dressed for the occasion.

  He stared at the large white building before him in excitement as he trudged towards the two men waiting for him at the entrance. One was a soldier, kitted in full black combat armour, helmet included. The other wore no armour and had no weapon, dressed in a thick, warm, dark blue jacket with its hood up, holding a data slate instead.

  Kaius’ pilot ensured that the ship was stealthed so that prying eyes wouldn’t catch wind of what he was up to. With sure, steady steps despite the shifting snow, he made his way towards his escorts, who bowed deferentially as he approached. He stopped before them and waited a moment before speaking. “You may rise,” he intoned, his breath visible. Both men raised their heads.

  “Most Honourable Elder,” the one wearing the blue jacket said deferentially, “thank you for gracing us with your presence. I am the head researcher, Roke, and I will be your guide during your stay.”

  “Is everything ready?” Kaius asked.

  “Yes, sir. We have stored the payload in the most secure safe on-site, without opening it to access its contents. It caused quite the stir when the guards brought it there, fully armed and ready to shoot even the scientists here should they approach.”

  “As it should be,” Kaius said. “Such a dangerous thing should be treated with the utmost caution.”

  The researcher and soldier shared a quick glance. “Is it truly so dangerous that you would kill the personnel assigned to work with it?” Roke asked.

  Kaius leveled them a hard, heavy look. “Yes,” was all he said on the subject. “Now lead the way so that we may begin our operations. Gather the entirety of the soldiers and researchers so that I may speak to them.”

  The soldier called in the meeting, his position as head of security granting him the authority to do so without needing to explain the Elder’s orders. He coordinated with the rest of the soldiers under him while trailing behind Roke and Kaius as they entered the building, never letting his guard down as he personally protected their VIP guest.

  Kaius stepped from one white wonderland into another as a gust of warm air escaped into the frigid wasteland behind him from inside. The thick, white, metallic walls were but one layer of the security measures he had designed for the facility. Behind them were blast resistant stone walls, further adding to the defences of the facility. Weapons might damage the surface layer of the walls, but they would do no harm to the protective stone.

  It pleased him to see that things were as they should be as he continued along the slate-grey stone floor behind Roke. They toured the facility while waiting for the staff to gather, not encountering a single soul as they made their way closer to their destination.

  Roke was busy showing off some of the equipment in one of labs when Enne, the guard, received confirmation that everyone in the facility gathered and accounted for. He relayed the information to Roke and Kaius, who immediately wanted to address the crowd.

  They did not scurry to the meeting room, as Kaius still had questions for Roke and Enne regarding other security measures. Enne found it strange that the Elder was so focused on security details. His orders when receiving and storing the payload had seemed absurd and downright paranoid. Unease crept up on him at the thought.

  They arrived safely at their destination and Roke entered first. Kaius followed and Enne brought up the rear, scanning the hall behind him for threats before entering. A spot had been cleared at the front of the large room before the throng of people, whose eyes widened when they saw the Arbiter in person.

  Every head in the room inclined into a brief, respectful bow that was quickly dismissed by Kaius. He took up position in the center, flanked by Enne and Roke. They took a step back, for they were not worthy to stand as equals to the Arbiter.

  Kaius’ eyes scanned the crowd, taking in the nervous expressions of the personnel before him. “Thank you all for gathering on such short notice,” his voice boomed, ensuring that everybody present heard his edict. He wouldn’t tolerate any excuses for not obeying the orders he was about to personally give. “You’re all here because you were deemed trustworthy enough to carry out the mission I’m about to assign you. By virtue of being present today, you will all become persons of interest to the faction due to your involvement in the research that will be carried out here.” The people gathered remained silent, unwilling to be the person that interrupted the Arbiter as he spoke. “We have discovered a substance so dangerous that it warrants this level of secrecy and protection,” Kaius continued. “Your orders are to research this chemical compound with the utmost care and protect it with your lives. We must not let it fall into the wrong hands.”

  “Guards,” he said, prompting half of the room to stand straighter, “you are to kill any who do not comply with your orders while safeguarding it. Fellow soldiers and researchers alike. We are working with one of the most dangerous substances ever discovered. I will allow nothing to happen to it and neither will you.

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  “Under no circumstance is anybody permitted to use this substance on another being, in any form,” he said gravely. “I care not the reason you’ll have had to do so should you do. To ignore this order is to commit high treason to the utmost degree. You’ll have committed what the Tribunal now considers to be the worst crime possible. I hope this is clear to you.”

  A collective shudder passed through everyone in the room as they envisioned the consequences. There was no doubt in their minds that the Elder before them could make them disappear without a trace to be subject to whatever punishment he had in mind.

  Kaius gave them a moment to let the severity of their situation sink in. Once satisfied that everyone understood, he continued. “The mission you will be performing is classified to highest degree. You are to report directly, and only, to me. You are to tell no one of this operation nor of your involvement in it.”

  He continued to give orders to his soldiers, ensuring they fully understood. Once finished, he called for the pair escorting him and left the room. He missed the stunned silence that trailed in his wake as the doors slid shut behind him.

  “Researcher Roke,” Kaius said as the walked down the hall, “take me to our payload. I need to confirm it myself before leaving it in your hands.”

  “By your will, Most Honourable Elder,” Roke bowed. He motioned for his guard to follow and brought the party through the halls and deep into the research facility. They passed through heavily guarded security checkpoints, those guards the only personnel that hadn’t been permitted to leave their posts. They had heard the orders through their comms and stood to attention the moment they saw Kaius. They arrived before an inconspicuous metal door at the end of the hallway after the last checkpoint. Kaius inspected his surroundings, eyeing the walls.

  “The walls here are heavily reinforced,” Roke explained. “Standard weapons won’t be able to harm them nor will anything but the most powerful of explosives. The vault itself is even more protected. The measures taken to keep the payload safe are beyond extensive and downright paranoid.”

  “I’m aware,” Kaius replied before walking up to the control panel outside the vault’s door. He input the passcode and waited as the multitude of locks undid themselves and the door slid open with a hiss. “Let’s see what we’ve got,” he said, striding through without waiting for a response. The other two filed in after him.

  Kaius entered into a small, bare room whose only adornment was yet another safe embedded into the far wall. The lights turned on automatically when he passed the threshold. He walked up to the safe and once again entered the code to open it, his excitement growing.

  Inside was a small, silver case. Kaius input the access code and the final restriction impeding him lifted, granting him access to its contents. A lone vial sat within, filled with several drops of an orange liquid. He withdrew the small vial and showed it to the others. “This,” he said, “is to be treated as the most dangerous substance you have ever come across. Give it every precaution you can when handling it.”

  “What is it?” Roke asked. “Where did you find it?”

  “That’s classified, even to you,” Kaius replied. “Your job will be to study this chemical compound. We do not know how to safely dispose of it, so treat every sample you take as permanent.”

  Roke eyed the tiny vial dubiously. “There’s hardly anything to take a sample of. What do you expect us to do with so little? Is there more?” he asked.

  “You won’t get any more,” Kaius said sternly. “Your experiments will be for you to organize. Make do with what you have.”

  “What are you hoping to learn?” Roke asked.

  “Insight into what it is and how it works. I do not want anybody — and I mean anybody — to research a way to synthesize it. Let there be no more of this vile thing brought into existence. You are to kill anybody attempting to do so and destroy all their research notes,” Kaius ordered.

  Roke exchanged a glance with the soldier. “I’ll make sure to pass on the message,” he said. He didn’t like how high the stakes were becoming. When he was first recruited for this mission, he hoped it would be for something important. Now, he wasn’t so sure he wanted the responsibility for something made out to be so dangerous.

  Kaius returned the sample to its case and closed the safe, satisfied with what he’d seen. He wasn’t foolish enough to uncap the vial and expose himself to the chemical. He had people to take that risk for him. He would take no chances of experiencing what Reya had gone through after being injected. “Time to leave,” he said as he spun around. “Remember what I said earlier, this chemical must not fall into the wrong hands. Be very careful when handling it.”

  “What does the chemical do?” Roke tentatively asked, unsure whether he should voice his question. As head researcher of the facility, he needed to know what he was dealing with.

  Kaius flashed a sharp smile. “That’s classified. Yes, even to you.”

  Roke swallowed hard. “With all due respect, most Honourable Elder, how can I work with something supposedly so dangerous that using it is high treason when I know nothing about it?” Kaius levelled him a dark look and he squirmed under the pressure.

  “We’re studying this chemical for the betterment of our kind,” Kaius said harshly. “That’s all you need to know. Now come.” Without waiting, he strode out of the vault. Roke and Enne scrambled to follow his wake. Enne flashed Roke a worried look that Kaius didn’t see.

  Roke took the lead and brought Kaius back to the entrance of the facility once he realized the Elder’s destination. When they reached their destination, Kaius spoke once again. “I’m placing an immense amount of trust in the both of you. Don’t let me down. I look forward to your discoveries.” He then left the facility, leaving Roke and Enne behind.

  Boarding his ship, Kaius gave the order to his pilot to bring him back home. He was in for a long ride but that didn’t bother him in the slightest. Settling into the lavish chair at the desk in his personal quarters, he reached for the bottle of pale-yellow liquid atop it. Opening a drawer, he withdrew a glass and poured himself a generous amount of the drink. The strong scent of alcohol permeated the air.

  He took his first sip, envisioning the future. He finally had part of what he wanted. It would only be a matter of time until he got the rest. He smiled as the ship sped off towards civilization with another secret to keep.

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