The Deadman

Robert was not so smart with money. The bonus he got from the case got used to buying computer parts. The thing was that although he liked watching Tom and Jerry play around or relax around watching a documentary channel for hours.

He found out that something was missing.

He could have improved the state of his apartment. Fill his fridge with food and drinks that’ll make him live well. But unfortunately, he found it disturbing. It’s like a missing part of him. That it won't just do.

His soul won’t have it if he didn’t have his personal computer.

So he decided to spend his money on building one.

He bought the casing first. It’s an odd casing with a three-and-a-half-inch bay at the top next to the power button. Below it was five and a quarter-inch bays with the reset button next to it.

He was lucky to get this casing. The City of Saint Lucius seemed to be one of the crossroads of the world and had a large circulation of items and goods because of its port. So new products were circulating and were always available. He didn’t have hopes at first, but he found a P2L97 slot 1 board with a 430tx shuttle chipset and a Pentium II 300MHz processor. He also bought 3 x 128-Pin 64MB DIMMs memory. And found a voodoo rush video card and an ESS1868F ISA sound card as a bargain.

He also bought a CRT monitor and a speaker for his personal computer. The rest of the accessories he just procured from the headquarters. He placed the computer set in his bedroom to keep it away from unworthy eyes. He had been browsing this world's internet.

But the year and era however made browsing the internet hell. The 56Kbps dial-up speed was doing more damage to his souls than whatever hell he saw in the sewer system below the city. He might be broke and financially crippled for the next few weeks. But Robert had no regrets about building it. Although it was smarter to wait out and get something newer later. He could excuse himself by telling himself that he’s still young and reckless.

He’s seven years younger here so he thought of using this line of thought to justify his purchase.

As for what he was doing with the computer.

Most of the time he was researching indexed sites and installing software. The 95’ Operating System of his computer came with IDE’s pre-installed so he didn't have to worry about finding a copy. He thought of creating programs with the IDEA. Though he had to burn them into CDs if he wants to use the programs he made on other computers.

Since the tools are available. He couldn’t help but create a read-and-write system that allowed a program to enter the data in his excel spreadsheet without relying too much on his personal input. It was a read-and-write system that automated some of his work.
He used the SWING toolkit following an MVC pattern to create this small system. Though it’s not fully automated since he still needed to fill up the forms generated by the system.

The SWING toolkit was the easiest to use since it had two-hundred fifty classes and eighty interfaces in its libraries. He did have to adjust to it being automated and the documentation not being overly simplified so that even dumbasses like him could understand how to make x and y work together. The creation of this system was also the reason why in the last few days he was free to read up information and test out retro games made in this era as well.

One thing that he found interesting was that IRC networks were established earlier here in this world. He already found IRC networks established that he had indexed and bookmarked. The Commission itself seems fond of the IRC network and had been implementing the system for those who could access it to have secure lines. Though they are not reliant on it since it’s early technology. Not to mention the people in the Commission are using instant messaging software that was publicly available more than they are using IRC. Not that he’d use it other than wanting to be extra careful. Most of the time he just texts Roger or Simone about their activities.

He felt odd using AIM in the Commission's office. The GUI hurt his eyes.

Speaking of Roger, when he went to Algeria, he barely escaped with his life after armed guerillas started firing on the civilians in the hamlet he was visiting. Many were dead after the attack. The massacre’s labeled to be political while Roger believed that it’s part of something else. He had no proof so he dropped his suspicions and returned to Saint Lucius City to make a full report of what had happened during his time in that village in Algeria.

As for Simone Wyllt, he held no interest in contacting Robert other than occasionally telling Robert that he was still in his apartment doing his own training. Robert honestly couldn't give a single shit what he was doing so he left him mostly alone. He wasn’t truly obligated to check on him unless the Wunderkind needed help.

The Lieutenant did told him to check after him because he looked like a nosy guy who gets involved in some other people’s business and was obsessed with practicing magic. He doubted that he’d be called by a guy like that unless he really was in a pickle or needed something to be done that required his assistance. Besides, there wasn't a contractually binding reason for him to watch the back of that Wunderkind. He shoots people and takes care of anomalies. He wasn’t working for the Commission to take care of prodigies and wipe their asses for them.

Besides, prodigies like Simone were people that needed to learn responsibility on their own.

Then again who was Robert to talk about responsibility when he just spent most of his salary and bonus to make such a purchase?
So in some way, their relationship was neutral.

And he liked annoying the guy with SMS.

As for if there was any deeper reason for the Lieutenant to assign him to Simone? Robert doubted that there was. He just probably wanted someone to check on him. If anything he can praise the Lieutenant for his understanding of how these geniuses work and how it'd hurt their ego if you try to baby them and have someone always watching their movements.

Robert had been spending his time in his home watching documentaries and playing with his newly built computer. If anything, he was thankful that there wasn’t always a bunch of psychopaths who were eager to sacrifice hundreds of people to do some fuckup ritual. The last few days have been enough for him to fully merge himself into being Robert Oswald.

But his peace was disturbed as his phone rang.

He fished his flip phone out and read the message:

“All Enforcers are to gather in headquarters for an urgent briefing.”

He stared at the text message. He sighed and quitted playing quake. He turned his computer off. He too a bath, dressed himself up, and armed himself with his pistols. Robert checked his apartment for one last time before heading downstairs and hailing a cab to take him to headquarters.

They were all in the conference room where most of the Enforcers have gathered. Robert stood on the side since the seats are taken. There are about twenty-five enforcers in the conference room, he countered.

Lieutenant Richardson entered the room.

He raised a hand to silence the Enforcers.

And everyone went silent.

He had this presence that commanded them to shut up and listen.

“Most can’t come. That’s fine. We’ll share the details later with them. Got a problem. Remember the OTS members in Switzerland? Yeah, now they moved in and our host country was asking us to watch their movements.”

The projector showed a picture of the cult that had moved in. Robert had read about these guys and yet none of those pictures and documentaries made them look as dangerous in those old articles he saw in past life.

The Order of the Solar Temple. The picture showed them armed to the teeth and wearing business suits wearing their Templar symbolism proudly as necklaces. There was something eerie about them in this world. They were unlike the ones in his world where they were nothing more than delusional individuals who did murders and mass suicides.

Robert took the document handed to them. He looked at his printed copy.

“What you see right now was the structure of the Solar Temple. We’ve severely underestimated the Temple. Their structure was much more rigid and well-organized than we thought after further investigation.”

The projector changed to a picture of a middle-aged man and what seemed to be an elderly man. The middle-aged man was holding the forearm of elderly man with respect.

The middle-aged man had a Templar's necklace around his neck.

“This was Michel Angelo and the Unknown Leader of the Cosa Nostra. It seems that recently Michel had made an allegiance with the Cosa Nostra and now was freely operating in the Old Country and had opened a route in Switzerland.”

Lt. Richardson tapped the table.

“You may ask why we are involving ourselves with the underworld and many of you are familiar with the inner workings. We’ve made Pacts, concessions, and compromises all over the years. We will not involve ourselves with the business of the Mafia unless there was a need to involve ourselves.

“However these recent developments suggest that they are peddling slaves in the Trans-Saharan route and are importing them in various channels. A British Consul currently stationed in the Italian Libyan Colony had informed us that there was a massive trade and we found that most of these slaves are being sold in bulk through containers and are transported secretly through the Strait of Gibraltar.”
The whole room turns to the next page of their document.

“We also suspect that there was a form of bribery within the Suez Canal, allowing these massive transits of slaves to enter the Mediterranean Sea. How they can do this? We still have no idea. However, we suspect that they are using other methods to draw the perception of people around them.”

The whole room became silent.

Lt. Richardson looked everyone in the eye as if refocusing everything that they stood for.

The purpose of the Commission and what they are fighting.

Yes, this was not their fight.

But it was now their fight after they made use of the supernatural.

“We do not interfere with this trade. However, what we want to know was what they are doing to these slaves. How are they connected to what happened here in Saint Lucius?”

The projector showed a picture of the blessed and the scorned. Robert could identify the pictures because one of them had been taken by him personally.

The one in the pictures he took.

The symbols on their bodies were similar to the slaves being taken here.

The marks, the curvature, and the lines are so similar that Robert wonders what’s the purpose of this other than markings to differentiate.

But slave trade?

Robert had seen these things all the time.

He had disassociated himself with it.

And yet there was this part of him that said this shouldn’t be happening. They could be wild and rude. But never truly so evil that they would do this to people who they recognized as humans and lock them like pets ready for sale.

Humans were not born evil.

It’s the environment and the people around them that turns even the kindest men into a fool who hates the color of others.

Turning them into mind-broken and obedient slaves or worse.

Lt. Richardson diverted the attention of the Enforcers to their problem.

A connection was made because of the same markings that they found below the City of Saint Lucius.

This was the excuse that they needed to go after these people.

“It was our duty to find these people. These monsters have violated the Nonmagi Pact against the common people. I want every Enforcer here to find a clue. You will receive your assignments. We suspect that this was only happening in Europa and had not reached the other continents yet and we’d like to keep it that way. Further details shall be included in your copies. Dismiss. Enforcer Oswald, please remain.”

Robert unfolded his arms and was about to leave when the Lieutenant called him out. He approached Lieutenant Richardson with slow and careful steps.

“This was your copy. As much as I like to send you to Switzerland to help with Roger. I’m hoping to make use of your talents to find the people that have recently made their home in our city.”

“So they were only a minor group in the sewers?”

“I’m afraid so. They have managed to infest our city. Our Enforcers are spread thin and I’d like you to work personally in finding these people.”

“What are my orders?”

“Capture and Kill. Contact our informant around the area. You will be acquainted with William Wilson. He’s an Interpol Agent who had been tasked to cooperate with us in the matters of Occult.”

The Lieutenant handed over the documents. Robert checked the documents and frowned.

He kept it in his messenger bag.

“Mr. Oswald. This will be your first official task as a high-grade Enforcer. You have made a great impression upon us and the Commission. I hope that your competence in handling this task remains the same way you handled the Cultists in the sewer system.”

Robert did not reply to that. He nodded his head quietly and left the room while making a mental note of the first district that he had to meet this William Wilson

“Trade Plaza, huh.”

Robert opened his wallet outside of the headquarters.

He found it empty and without a single cent left.