Chapter 26: The Coup

Casey only knew the leaders behind the five targets by their avatars. When the coup begins, each leader is required to wear a badge emblazoned with their avatar’s symbol on their chest. It was a dangerous gamble.

The badge made them instantly recognisable to their own Alliance members, a significant vulnerability. If something went wrong and any member of the Alliance decided to defect, they would have no trouble identifying the key players—marking them as targets.

The greatest risks lay with those in charge of the first two targets: the President’s Cabinet and the Technology Hub. These two were crucial. Controlling them was essential for the coup’s success. Alliance members had been embedded in both the President's Cabinet and the Technology Hub for some time, so there was no going back for them once they initiated the coup.

If either failed to fall into their hands, the entire operation could collapse before it even gained momentum. The other leaders wouldn’t proceed with their parts until they received confirmation that those two had been securely contained. Everything hinged on the first move—an uncertain and precarious start with no guarantee of success.

Each decision, each action, carried the weight of everything that could come after.

Casey and Martin arrived at Tristan’s cabin at Lysoid Stool before the others. Martin’s first response as he looked around was, “It’s just as you described it, Casey.”

Casey was beginning to shake; she was nervous. Although she’d been working with the Alliance for a while, this was truly the first time she would be tested. Before this, she was really just doing her job and reporting back; now, she had to keep Tristan, Kalan, and the others distracted until word came. " Hopefully, word would come”, she thought.

Martin’s calm demeanour barely masked the tension crackling in the air. Sensing Casey’s unease, he stepped closer, his hand finding hers in a rare, unspoken gesture of reassurance. Their fingers intertwined awkwardly, unfamiliar yet somehow grounding.

He leaned in, his voice low, almost too soft to hear, but heavy with intent. “Just focus on the festival. Don’t let your mind wander anywhere else.”

His words were a quiet command, a reminder that staying locked in the present moment was their only chance to stay balanced on this tightrope they were walking. The weight of the mission hung between them like a taut wire, and Casey could feel the danger of slipping even a fraction of her attention away. Martin's grip tightened ever so slightly as if to pull her back from the edge. Everything could unravel if she let herself think beyond this place. They couldn’t afford that.

The Taskforce members started arriving one by one. Some of them already knew Martin from when they picked her up from the lab; those that didn’t, she introduced them, trying to keep in the present moment.

They were comparing notes about how well the festivals had been going and surprisingly shared ideas about what they could do to improve them in the future. The only one that hadn’t arrived was Tristan. This worried Casey as she had no idea what stage the coup was at and whether Tristan had been caught up in it.

Had something happened? Did he already know? Had it failed at the first gatepost?

Before Casey could get too concerned, Tristan arrived. However, it was unlike him to apologise for being late, but he did, saying, “I’m sorry I’m late, but it’s been a strange day. This is the day my dad and I have coffee together, but he didn’t turn up, and I can’t locate him. It is so unlike him.”

“Oh well, he’s an important person,” Casey said, her voice sounding much more casual than she felt. “Can we go through the speeches you’ve prepared for the festival?”

She hoped the words didn’t betray her. Martin nodded in agreement, and his quiet support steadied her. “Casey has shown them to me, and I think they’re going to be well received.”

The conversation shifted. Everyone agreed to go through the speeches, but Casey couldn’t focus on their words. All she could hear was the pounding in her chest, the faint hum of anxiety that gnawed at her insides. Fortunately, she knew the speeches word for word as she had written them.

They finished their run-through, and Tristan called Closy, "advise the community leaders that we are on our way to the stage and that we'll be there in 10 minutes."

The group teleported to the stage. The hum of the crowd, the clinking of glasses, the murmurs of the community—it all faded as Casey and Martin moved among the Taskforce members. The message finally came through her Airplay: “Scratchy, Success.”

Her heart skipped, but the relief was fleeting. The targets had been taken. The coup was a success. But the chaos of it—of all that had been set into motion—was far from over.

She looked at the Community Leaders. They exchanged knowing glances. But they didn’t move immediately. They had an agreement with Casey. If the Alliance's success were declared while the Taskforce members were in the community, there would be no violence or open hostility towards them. One of the community leaders would walk calmly on stage and make the announcement. The aim is a peaceful transition.

It was also agreed to keep Casey and Martin’s involvement hidden, as it was more likely she could influence a peaceful transition if they thought she was on their side.

Sophie stepped on the stage and walked directly toward Tristan. There was a flicker of confusion in his eyes as he saw her approach. “Excuse me,” he said, his voice rising, “we’re about to begin our speeches. You’ll need to wait.”

But Sophie didn’t stop. She kept walking, her expression calm. Tristan turned to Closy, seeking some sort of protective act, but he was frozen, not moving.

Sophie turned to the crowd, her voice ringing clear. “I’m here to announce that the Alliance has taken over. The coup was a success.”

A cheer erupted from the crowd. The Taskforce members looked around, eyes wide with shock and disbelief hanging in the air like smoke. Sophie continued, her tone unwavering. “It will take time to break down the silos, but for now, continue your work as usual. Return to your regions. Your leaders will guide you.”

Turning to the Taskforce members, she added, “Do not worry. You are safe as long as you do nothing foolish.” Frightened, the members tried unsuccessfully to teleport, but nothing worked. 

Kalan’s voice broke through the tension, her words tinged with a bitter, desperate edge. “How is this possible?” She looked to Tristan, who could only shake his head in confusion, too stunned to respond.

Sophie stood before him now, a stillness in the air as the crowd fell silent. "If you and your friends could please follow me," she said.

She took them to a secure room, the air the thick with distrust. As the Taskforce members huddled together, Casey could see the raw fear in their eyes, the disbelief, the rage beginning to simmer beneath the surface. They weren’t just shocked—they were terrified.

Sophie said, “Stay here. Someone will come for you shortly”

Tristan stepped forward. “What about my father?” His voice cracked. “Is he okay?”

Sophie’s response was calm. “As far as I’m aware, there has been no bloodshed.”

Neither Casey nor Martin spoke up straight away; they wanted to seem as disoriented as the others.”

“We need to find weapons,” said Tristan after Sophie left, “yes yes” they all agreed.

“Wait,” Casey said softly. “It’s over. The coup is successful. There’s no reason to fight.”

“Wait?” Kalan scoffed. “Wait and be sitting ducks? Are you crazy?”

Martin spoke then, his voice steady. “I’m sure no one will harm you. They just need time to sort things out.”

But Tristan’s suspicion flared. “You’re one of them, aren’t you? You’ve been sent here to spy on us. You’re going to kill us.”

“No,” Martin said firmly. “No one’s going to kill anyone. We’re all going to be fine. Just... stay calm.”

The words hung heavy in the air. The Taskforce members looked at each other and then back at Martin.

“Well, I don’t trust you,” said Kalan, and they all nodded in agreement.

Martin could see there was no value in denying it, and he wanted to protect Casey, so he said, “Yes, I’m with the Alliance, so I know no one wants to hurt you; they want peace.”

Casey was taken aback by Martin’s admission, but by not looking at her while he said it, she knew he wanted her to remain silent and appear to be on their side.

“Tell us, tell us what has happened,” said Kalan.

Martin answered. “I don't know all the details, but I can tell you there were five targets. All compromised. The Alliance now controls all of them.” He paused. “Including the President’s Office and the Technology Hub. That’s why your systems are down. That’s why you can’t teleport.”

“Casey, what should we do?” strangely, it didn't feel odd that they trusted her to come up with an answer.

“After looking around at their sad and desperate faces, she said, “I think we should listen to him; if it has been a successful coup, as they say, then they have no reason to harm us. So, if we don’t use violence, then we should be safe.”

It was easier than Casey thought, although she knew things would change once they had their parents' influence. But for now, they trusted her, and in reality, none of them seemed the violent type.