Meeting Fabio

Hugo whipped around to see a short, well-dressed man in flashy attire. He was confused as to whether he should justify his nosy-ness, or confront this vertically-challenged stranger on his ettiquite.

But before he could make a move, the man smiled and said: "Don't worry, I'm not here to judge. Just curious as to what you're looking for down here. Most people don't wander into this part of the compound."

Hugo shrugged, still unsure of who this man was and why he was here. He noticed a few other people around him - muscular bodyguards with no visible weapons or tech equipment.

The man gestured for Hugo to enter the room, and he obliged. Inside were several pieces of high-tech equipment - computers, displays, robotics arms - all connected together in some kind of network.

"This is where we do our research" the man explained. "We're trying to find ways to use technology to fight back against the Council and their oppressive regime." He looked at Hugo thoughtfully. "I'm sure your expertise would be valuable here."

Hugo felt his heart race - this was an opportunity he hadn't expected. He nodded eagerly and stepped further into the room as the man began explaining all the projects they had going on there. From bio-engineering drones that could hack into Council systems remotely, to AI algorithms designed to predict where their forces would move next - it was clear that this group was serious about making a difference efficiently and effectively.

"You made all of this?" Hugo asked the short man, incredulous.

"Me? Heavens no, I'm the one who stole half the supplies and funded the rest." The man grinned, and before Hugo's very eyes, he grew taller and his face changed shape - from angular to wide.

"How did you do that?" Hugo was amazed, did he just witness magic?

"I'm Fabio, the Sanctuary's very own thief, and what you just witnessed was a result of a piece of tech I stole - a holoform"

Hugo scanned him, and sure enough, he was perfectly ordinarily sized, not short like he'd thought, but not as tall as how he appeared. Around him seemed to be refracted light and a field of low electricity.

Fabio smiled, and it was unnerving. "This tech is a little too advanced for the Council, which is why I'm helping out here. Now if you're interested in staying with us, I suggest you get to work - we have a lot of ideas but not enough manpower to make them happen."