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Authors: Joshua Roots
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quickly the information about the attack got out, especially considering the Council’s obsession with privacy. “I’m surprised that the media has word on this already.”
The Elder ran a hand over his face. “One of the survivors, or someone close to them, leaked the story. Unfortunately, that forces the Council to comment before we’ve had a chance to figure out what happened. I wanted more time, but that’s no longer an option.” He sighed with an air of resignation. “The Normal Ambassador was almost killed within our walls. There will undoubtedly be an uproar from both the Normals and the Skilled about safety. Relations have been a little strained since the incident with Simeon Fawkes—”
I tensed when he mentioned Quinn’s father. No one was supposed to know I was trying to dig up clues on a twenty-year-old conspiracy. Especially not the Elders.
“—and this will only add fuel to the fire,” he continued. “The sooner we get our facts together, or at least get everyone on the same page, the sooner we can all go home. So, please. What’s your analysis of the incident?”
I relaxed, but only slightly.
“The Mimics attacked after normal business hours when foot traffic would be the lightest,” I said. “And since everyone knows we employ Normal security guards, they must have assumed that HQ would be vulnerable. I don’t think they expected Elsa Klein to be such a bad-ass. She knocked down a handful of Mimics and activated an emergency defensive barrier, all on her own. That woman deserves a medal or something.”
“Already in the works. Please, proceed.”
“Honestly, there’s not much else to it. You had a clandestine meeting with the Normal Ambassador and the Mimics went directly for you all. If I was a betting man, I’d say the evidence screams of an assassination attempt.”
Devon peered at me. “I agree.”
“The use of Mimics was interesting, though.”
“How so?” the Elder asked, his face unreadable.
“They’re solitary by nature, yet they attacked as a group. Granted, they were sloppy and unable to coordinate, but it was a unified effort. Not to mention, at least one was armed.”
He squinted in thought, as if trying to dredge up information long-since buried in a mental filing cabinet. “It’s rare, but not unheard of. They’ve been known to use ‘modern’ conveniences. Weapons and vehicles for example.”
“Yes, but for protection. You were a Master Summoner in your day, so you know better than anyone that their sense of self-preservation drives those usages. It’s also the reason why they copy other life-forms. During this attack, however, they used both in an aggressive manner.”
“I’ll admit, I was surprised by that myself. All my years of studying Mimics and I’ve never heard of this happening before. It may require more research on my end.”
I couldn’t help but feel a little validated. Even if you didn’t like them, getting a compliment from an Elder was a big deal.
“Anyway,” I said, trying to conceal my pleasure at hearing something other than accusations from the old man, “my theory is that they planned to copy the Normal guards which would allow them to hunt down the Ambassador and kill her before anyone knew what was going on.”
“Then why so many Mimics?”
I shrugged. “Maybe it was their Plan B or maybe it was simply safety in numbers. Either way, they definitely gave up trying to copy us when things went south. Instead, they focused on finding and killing their targets.”
Devon’s beard twitched downward as he mulled over my theory. “I don’t care for the implications of all this.”
“Neither do I. Because if this was a coordinated strike, then someone close to us or the Ambassador is the one responsible.”
The Elder grimaced as he processed the thought. Then he stood. “I appreciate your time, Marcus. This was very informative. And before I forget, thank you for saving my life as well as the life of Ambassador
The Elder ran a hand over his face. “One of the survivors, or someone close to them, leaked the story. Unfortunately, that forces the Council to comment before we’ve had a chance to figure out what happened. I wanted more time, but that’s no longer an option.” He sighed with an air of resignation. “The Normal Ambassador was almost killed within our walls. There will undoubtedly be an uproar from both the Normals and the Skilled about safety. Relations have been a little strained since the incident with Simeon Fawkes—”
I tensed when he mentioned Quinn’s father. No one was supposed to know I was trying to dig up clues on a twenty-year-old conspiracy. Especially not the Elders.
“—and this will only add fuel to the fire,” he continued. “The sooner we get our facts together, or at least get everyone on the same page, the sooner we can all go home. So, please. What’s your analysis of the incident?”
I relaxed, but only slightly.
“The Mimics attacked after normal business hours when foot traffic would be the lightest,” I said. “And since everyone knows we employ Normal security guards, they must have assumed that HQ would be vulnerable. I don’t think they expected Elsa Klein to be such a bad-ass. She knocked down a handful of Mimics and activated an emergency defensive barrier, all on her own. That woman deserves a medal or something.”
“Already in the works. Please, proceed.”
“Honestly, there’s not much else to it. You had a clandestine meeting with the Normal Ambassador and the Mimics went directly for you all. If I was a betting man, I’d say the evidence screams of an assassination attempt.”
Devon peered at me. “I agree.”
“The use of Mimics was interesting, though.”
“How so?” the Elder asked, his face unreadable.
“They’re solitary by nature, yet they attacked as a group. Granted, they were sloppy and unable to coordinate, but it was a unified effort. Not to mention, at least one was armed.”
He squinted in thought, as if trying to dredge up information long-since buried in a mental filing cabinet. “It’s rare, but not unheard of. They’ve been known to use ‘modern’ conveniences. Weapons and vehicles for example.”
“Yes, but for protection. You were a Master Summoner in your day, so you know better than anyone that their sense of self-preservation drives those usages. It’s also the reason why they copy other life-forms. During this attack, however, they used both in an aggressive manner.”
“I’ll admit, I was surprised by that myself. All my years of studying Mimics and I’ve never heard of this happening before. It may require more research on my end.”
I couldn’t help but feel a little validated. Even if you didn’t like them, getting a compliment from an Elder was a big deal.
“Anyway,” I said, trying to conceal my pleasure at hearing something other than accusations from the old man, “my theory is that they planned to copy the Normal guards which would allow them to hunt down the Ambassador and kill her before anyone knew what was going on.”
“Then why so many Mimics?”
I shrugged. “Maybe it was their Plan B or maybe it was simply safety in numbers. Either way, they definitely gave up trying to copy us when things went south. Instead, they focused on finding and killing their targets.”
Devon’s beard twitched downward as he mulled over my theory. “I don’t care for the implications of all this.”
“Neither do I. Because if this was a coordinated strike, then someone close to us or the Ambassador is the one responsible.”
The Elder grimaced as he processed the thought. Then he stood. “I appreciate your time, Marcus. This was very informative. And before I forget, thank you for saving my life as well as the life of Ambassador
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