Meera's fame had skyrocketed. Since Bryce's endorsement, her livestreams were all over the planet. People tuned in for the unfiltered truth.
Today, that truth felt like a live wire in her hands.
The UBI had contacted her. They provided evidence, pleaded with her to frame Bryce's release in a way that would placate the public even if it meant lying or withholding any information.
She wouldn't. But she would try to be lenient.
"Good evening, everyone." The camera light glowed red. "The investigation into the virus is complete. General Sanguis, known as 'The General,' and every single individual stationed at Barracks Fifty-Nine were responsible."
She let the statement hang in the air.
"The device used to create the virus was hidden in a secret store within the barracks. Every worker was complicit. They confessed that a Caliph sponsored them, though only The General knew the sponsor's identity."
She played the unedited interrogation videos. The UBI had begged her to cut out some part of it. She ignored them.
"You can see their guilt. The Captains will be executed. They are supposed to be executed by electrocution, their cooperation commutes this to lethal injection." She took a steadying breath. "Minister Park of the Five Eyes stated that any other surviving workers would have faced the same fate. It is a shame how our protectors became our executioners."
She leaned forward, her face grave.
"Now, the verdict for another protector, Bryce Onyx, has been finalized." She let the tension build. "Given that every individual at the barracks was guilty and sentenced to death, Bryce's actions are viewed in a different light. His position as a Supreme Chancellor grants him the authority to handle catastrophic threats like genocide. He also saved us by creating the cure."
She played the footage of Bryce developing the hunter-virus.
"With all this considered, he has been released without bail. That is the official verdict."
The moment she cut the stream, she grabbed fistfuls of her hair. "Shit. Shit."
The public's reaction was a wildfire.
It started in the comments, a digital murmur that became a roar.
Am I the only one that expected a Caliph to be involved?
They know who the Caliph is. They're covering it up.
He bombed a barracks! How is he free?
He's lost all respect for human life since his breakdown.
#Brycemuststepdown
Many people expected Bryce to be released easily, so they were prepared to start a riot. Within hours, the digital fury spilled into the streets.
They couldn't breach Silicon Canyon's heightened security. They didn't need to.
Bryce lived in Sapphire Canyon.
A massive, organized crowd descended on his Estate. They carried holographic signs and launched drones that hovered like angry hornets, all displaying the same message: #BRYCEMUSTSTEPDOWN
Bryce stepped out of his home to this sea of hatred. Soundproof machines hummed along his street, muting the roar, but he could feel the vibration through the permacrete. Cadets formed a solid wall, blocking the transparent gate.
"Sir, they look organized, but they're very rough," a Cadet warned, straining to drag a power cell for the gate. "They'll turn violent if you go out."
"Clear the way," Bryce commanded, his voice ice.
The Cadets moved. Helmets sealed. They activated ports on their uniforms, releasing a cloud of tear gas and sedative aerosol. The gate slid open.
The crowd didn't break. They tore cloth for masks, but the gases seared skin and eyes. They fell back, hurling rocks, bottles, then drew weapons.
Gunfire cracked.
Bullets sparked against Bryce's armored Rover. They didn't pierce the bodyguards' vests, but the impact transferred through, shattering bones, bursting blood vessels. Cadets groaned, in agony.
A bullet shattered the Rover's turbine shuttle. The vehicle slammed to the ground, dead.
Bryce watched his guards fall.
He stepped out of the wrecked Rover.
His teeth were gritted. A muscle in his jaw twitched.