“I don’t believe we need a biology class now,” said Michael King. “It is not entirely impossible for the Architect to have fathered a child around twenty years ago, considering when he was arrested... Plus, if he had a family, it would make sense that it was a well-kept secret.”
“I never met my father,” explained Eden. “My mother and I were kept a secret for as long as I lived in the Core. When my... dad supposedly betrayed the Core, Pan guided me and my mother to flee here, to the Suburbs.”
“Did I miss something,” sighed Thao, “or did you say the Architect... wanted to destroy the Core? We’re talking about the guy who created them, right?”
“The Architect was behind that technology, yes,” said Pan with a solemn expression, “however, he failed to control what it would become and be used for. Which is why he turned against the Core’s rulers and tried to destroy it instead, by creating the organization of hackers called the Edge.”
“That is also when the Architect shared his plan with me,” explained the Dragon. “That man knew it would be difficult for him to fight back against the Core from where he was. Those people were already much too powerful... so he reached out to their other enemies.”
“The Zodiac,” scoffed Michael King.
“Exactly. Of course, not everyone was ready to cooperate with a man like the Architect. What I am talking about occurred twenty years ago, before the Architect himself disappeared. The man shared with us some of the Core’s secrets, including the existence of the Edge, young and promising hackers to whom he taught how to use the Dark Reality to fight back. I doubt he knew his own child would end up a hacker herself, but he did bring up the fact that he had a daughter, and that her survival would be his condition for this plan to perdure.”
“I... I don’t understand,” muttered Eden. “My father promised... what to the Zodiac?”
“In exchange for your survival in the Suburbs, we would be given access to the Edge,” said A. “Pan only reached out to us because you’re alive and under the Tiger’s protection.”
Eden and Dante exchanged a glance. It was their relationship that had convinced Pan to reveal himself to the Edge now and all of the Zodiacs too? If they hadn’t been together, would the Zodiacs have been left to face the Core without the Edge’s support?
“But I wasn’t... with Dante until recently,” she muttered.
“No,” said the Dragon. “However, thanks to Prometheus, we knew you were still alive, and hiding in the Suburbs like the rest of our citizens. That was all that was needed; as long as you were alive and well, our deal with the Architect was valid.”
Eden was in shock.
So she had been monitored by Pan all this time, and the Dragon knew of her existence and real identity all thanks to him? She glanced at her master with furious eyes. She felt like she had been observed all of her life, like the center of an experiment, and she absolutely hated that. All this time, she had struggled to survive in this terrible place, yet she had no idea how important her own existence was. She had no idea the Edge she had admired was initiated by her father for her own protection, and she had no idea someone like the Dragon was aware of the existence of a nobody like her!
“...You’re telling us everyone’s future depends on that chick?” muttered Thao. “Are you kidding? Since when?!”
“Since the first Zodiac,” calmly said A., the Hare. “Not every member of the original Zodiac was onboard with the Architect’s plan either, but it didn’t matter as long as Eden was alive. My predecessor was one of those who had agreed to it. We were in touch with the Edge all this time too, although Pan is the one with the means to reach out to all of them. He’s the main holder of the Architect’s will...”
All eyes went to Pan, who was smiling politely, although many of the Zodiacs were still doubtful. In fact, a lot of it made sense now. The Zodiacs had changed several times since the first members, and if their predecessors had refused the Architect’s plan, there was no reason they would have passed it along to their successors either. Moreover, not all of those people had gotten to their current spot through a clean and bloodless succession... like Dante. Eden was still in shock. She had known her father being the Architect would always make her a target for the Core, but she had no idea her own existence was also that important for the Suburbs. She was shocked and completely at a loss. All of a sudden, she, who had tried to make herself so small in this world, felt like she was brutally being put in the spotlight, and in front of all the Mafia Lords, to boot.
This was really too much. If he hadn’t been a hologram, maybe she would have thrown a fork at Pan or something. She was just furious that so much had been prepared behind her back. She was mad at both him and her father. She didn’t care much for the Zodiac anymore, she just felt like some idiot who had been manipulated all along.
“We knew a day like this might arrive,” calmly said the Dragon, looking at all of the Zodiacs present. “The Architect had created this plan so the Suburbs would survive even if the Core got stronger. ...No, the aim of this plan is to do what the Architect wanted: to destroy the Core’s System from within.”
“...This is insane,” muttered Sanyam. “I was half onboard until we talked about attacking the Core! There is a huge difference between defending our territories and going head-to-head against the Core!”
“And what do you think will happen if we simply riposte?” sighed Michael King. “They will apologize and not do it again? Let’s be real, Sanyam. The Core will not let an insult like this pass; they will retaliate. What we need isn’t a mere riposte, we need to strike back and make sure they have no choice but to forget about attacking the Suburbs ever again. We do not want to lead a war that will have to be repeated every ten years. ...Dragon, count me in. The Zebra will participate in this plan of yours and agree to cooperate.”
“Oh, so now we’re already voting?” scoffed Tanya. “...Really?”
“The door is open for anyone to walk out,” said the Dragon. “We will not hold back those who refuse to partake in the fight.”
“Well, I–”
“But,” the Dragon said, interrupting Sanyam, “know that if you walk out of this fight, there might not be another. Not only that, but we cannot guarantee what will happen after.”
“...What do you mean by that?”
“He means we might all die, you stupid cow,” scoffed Thao. “If there is no one else alive, guess who will be attacked by the Core next? You. It’s either you stand up now, or you face the consequences later if we lose. Good luck explaining to your people why the Ox was the coward of the bunch!”
“Who are you calling a coward?! I am merely expressing concerns!”
“Yeah, sure. Coward cow.”
“Oh, that’s funny!” giggled Loir.
