An Ultimatum

Mac nodded, and to Hugo's surprise, didn't seem smug about getting his way.

"I'm glad you're on board, but I'm not going to lie to you - this is going to be dangerous. We're going to be up against the might of the Council, and we're going to need every advantage we can get. Are you sure you're up for this?"

"I hardly have anything else, do I?"

"No, I suppose you don't. But I want to make sure you're doing this because you believe in what we're fighting for, not because you feel like you have to."

Hugo looked around at the space he was in, no bigger than a small apartment but well-kept, with chrome panelling along the top and sides and smooth lighting.

"Where are we?"

"This is a Ring Pod, used by the Council for transportation and storage. This one was mistakenly labelled as defunct, and abandoned. I may or may not have had something to do with that."

"So, we're in the middle of enemy territory?"

"Not exactly. We're on the outskirts of their territory. We have a few safehouses like this one, but we can't stay in any one place for too long."

"How many people are in your group?"

"Right now, there are 4 of us, but we're always looking for more people to join us. People who want to make a difference."

"And you think I can make a difference?"

"I know you can. I've seen your work, and I know what you're capable of. With you on our team, we have a real chance at making real positive change and improving life within the Structure."

Hugo thought on this, he wanted to believe in what Mac spoke of, but he couldn't shake the plain and simple fact that Mac had drugged and kidnapped him. Sure his home was gone, but how could he be sure it wasn't Mac's doing - hell, he even said he could cause the most powerful organization in the universe to lose one of their very expensive transport pods, rigging a bomb can't be too hard comparatively.

"Where are we going, and how long until we get there?"

"I'll tell you when we get there. And it'll be a while, we have to take the long way around to avoid detection."

"How do you expect me to trust you if you won't tell me anything"

"I know it's hard to trust me, especially after what I've done. But I promise you, I have your best interests at heart. You'll see in time."

Hugo rolled his eyes, this was a little too secret-agent-y. He was already growing impatient of all the secrecy and obnoxious poetry. If Mac didn't start spewing answers, Hugo may just take his chances with the council, or early retirement.

A thought struck him, and he wondered for the first time about something Mac had said.

"You spoke about your family, what happened?"

Mac's face turned hard, and he looked away.

"My wife and son were killed in a secret raid by the Council. They were innocent, they didn't deserve to die."

"I'm sorry." Hugo didn't know what to say, the records hadn't included any mention of a son, and he thought Mac was divorced. He thought about mentioning this, but he didn't want to give away that he was tracking Mac. He filed this latest interaction under "annoyingly vague" and "frustratingly shallow", but at least he was getting an idea of what working with Mac was going to be like.

Feeling annoyed and awkward, Hugo chose to do some more research on his workshop. He looked at the news coverage of the explosion, and like Mac had said, it was chalked up to a gas line burst. But something about the way the debris was spread looked off to him, and he started to piece together that it was too controlled to be an accident. If Mac didn't do it, he was right - the Council had destroyed his life's work as a warning. He was going to have to be more careful from now on, he couldn't risk them finding out he was still alive.

He sighed, and leaned back in his chair, spying a model of the Structure on the table. It was an impressive piece of work, and he couldn't help but be impressed by the level of detail. He traced his finger along the intricate network of lines that made up the different levels and sectors. His eyes fell on the Supreme Council's level, and he wondered what it would be like to see it in person.

"What are you thinking about?" Mac's voice interrupted his thoughts, and he looked up to see him watching him intently.

"Just... wondering what it would be like to see the Supreme Council's level."

Mac smiled, and Hugo was surprised to see a warmth in his eyes.

"You'll get your chance."