Opus Veda

September arrived, sweeping England's blistering summer away. The English, after months complaining of unbearable heat, now had to contend with the flooding, the mould, and the misery of Autumn's rainy season.

It struck as Kasia left for work. She hurried along, swearing at cruel fate, begging her umbrella to work. It obeyed, but uppercuts of wind kept turning it inside out. She took the downpour's full force.

The trains surrendered fast, cancelling everywhere. Kasia seethed online at TFL, who had no money for network upgrades but plenty for shareholders. She sprinted from Monument Station to Sylvan Point, twice shoved into puddles by commuters, yelping as a squall of rain skimmed the skyscraper and lashed her face.

Her agent portal's screen read 'LATE: 21 Minutes Overdue'. Kasia sat down, faint and hungry, and rushed to take a call before management caught her.

Ollie was prepared. The alert popped up on Kasia's screen. A lump formed in her throat. She dragged herself off to fight fate a second time.

"I think you know why you're here Kasia."

"Because I was late? Yea because the train was delayed and..." Kasia pointed upwards. Ollie searched the ceiling as if she saw something he couldn't. Natasha typed the exchange on her tablet, stacking evidence against Kasia.

"Everything outside of work is your concern Kasia; you are accountable for how you get here," Ollie sighed smugly, "I expect all staff to prepare for such an eventuality, myself included."

"But it rained as I left!"

He steepled his hands, "I think you'll find today's rain was forecast last night."

"I… wha… am I supposed to check the forecast every day before bed!?"

"Yes Kasia. It's September. Everyone does."

"A lot of people were late today-"

"And I'm talking to you."

"Why only me?"

"I'm sorry?" Ollie's head reared, "do I need to explain myself to someone beneath my station!?"

Kasia had no response. Natasha typed 'no response' down. Ollie continued.

"You won't be getting a bonus this month, to say the least. Do you understand why?"

On any other day Kasia would have taken her punishment. But not now. Too much had happened. She met his gaze.

"You what?"

Ollie stiffened. Natasha typed excitedly. Kasia pressed.

"Why would you cancel my bonus?"

"I do not need to explain myself to you! You-"

"You took it off last month! Tell me why I should bother hitting my targets!?"

"Because perhaps you'll end up with something more serious!?" Ollie huffed, "fancy going back to scrabbling for gig work? If I were a more threatening man, you'd be out already."

Kasia held her stare. Her face twitched.

"If."

Ollie froze. Natasha looked to him with a bewildered face.

Something changed in his expression. Kasia recognised the fixed anger of a challenged man about to show his colours.

He waved his hand at Natasha's tablet. She stopped typing. He moved forward.

"You seem to think you have more power in this room than you do."

Kasia gripped her chair and gulped. Her eyes felt wet, but she refused to cry.

"Go on… try telling me."

"Do I even need to?" he cocked his head side to side, "you've been here a long time Kasia, yet somehow you always avoided it."

Kasia's grip trembled, but the weaker she felt the angrier she became with herself. So many years of frustration yet she never imagined being here, turning on her employer.

It was about to pour out in a blizzard of resentment. Whatever happened, she would not be giving this man what he wanted.

"Another man tried this on with me recently. He lost. I won't tell you what I did but I was pretty horrified with myself - at first. But recently, I dunno…" Kasia stopped shaking, "I've found myself missing it."

"Excuse me!?" Ollie's eyes widened, "what is it exactly you've been missing!?"

"What is it you always say to the staff you blackmail? 'Everything is about sex except sex, sex is about power'?" Kasia snorted, "only a man could think that up. There's plenty I'd do to you Ollie, there'd be no sex in it for either of us."

"Jesus Christ!" Ollie laughed, but Kasia heard its insecurity, "are you seriously threatening me!? Are you alright in the head!? Do you need to up your dosage woman!?"

Natasha chortled. She shouldn't have. Kasia's head craned towards her.

"You. Stuck to this rapist like a rash. How does it feel knowing however hard you work for him you're the one woman he won't fuck?"

"He has fucked me actually!" Natasha flinched the moment her poorly chosen words escaped. Kasia's lip crumbled in an attempt to stop smiling. Ollie made a scoffing sound halfway between arrogance and embarrassment.

Natasha shot him a pleading face.

"Mr Welch I'm so sorry but can you please call security, I think Kasia-"

"Mr Welch!?" Kasia choked with laughter, "climb out of his arsehole you histrionic cow."

"I do no appreciate-"

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

"Natasha…" Ollie shushed her, mildly amused, "don't bite. Shall we prepare Kasia's exit survey, or is she going to make a plea to remain?"

Kasia returned to him, "what are you expecting me to be mate?"

"I expect you to be what you've always been: a predictable mule earning her keep and once in a while taking a fucking lashing!"

"Well I ain't," Kasia stood up and exhaled deep, "I quit."

"Is that clever? What can you possibly offer outside of Riese Elektronik?"

"Everything outside of work is my concern."

"You little child…" Ollie sneered, "Natasha please prepare Ms Szymanska's exit quiz."

"Oh what a shame! Well good luck out there hey?" Natasha made a face Kasia couldn't name, but decided to remember. She squared up, refusing to move.

"I'm not filling in your fucking exit quiz. I'll give you the feedback now: the manager's a cunt, HR's a narcissist, and the least depressing thing about this backwater corporation is the weather outside."

Ollie called security. Kasia blazed through the main office, past rows of intrigued colleagues. Her portal was locked, her desk photo blacked out, her name badge distorted with pixels.

Before security could catch her she had one place to go.

She slipped into the fire escape.

"Kashi!? Ach du meine Güte what are you doing up here!?" Leah removed her headset and looked aghast, "Jesus you look like you've had a fight! Or is it… what I think it is!?"

"Das Stimmt Leah!" Kasia broke into German for what she imagined was the last time, "I am promoted and travelling upstairs!"

"Is it so!? Are you serious!?"

Kasia breathed with a dramatic pause.

"No not really."

"Oh…"

"I quit. And with my chastity intact. At least… I wanted to say goodbye in person, before I go."

Leah held her hand to her mouth, "mon dieu… I'm so sorry to hear that… Why didn't you just tell me online though? You'll get us both in trouble!"

"Got an Ollie up here too? Fuck 'em, I wanted to see you in person."

"That's so sweet of you Kashi… will you be okay?"

Kasia had nothing to lose, and she was beyond politeness. She needed any closure she could get.

"Do you fancy meeting up one evening?"

Leah made a confused and apologetic face.

"I mean meet up," said Kasia, "like for a social event."

"Like a video call?"

"In person! As friends…"

"We're already friends silly!"

"No no not like that… like actual mates, old style, having a drink in a pub - god I sound stupid," Kasia staggered away.

"No! Wait! It's fine, yes…" Leah nodded vigorously, her eyes glinted, her smile warmed Kasia's heart, "let's do it, lesss 'ave a pint sistaah!"

Kasia beamed back, "seriously!?"

"Yes! Why don't I find a venue and you can tell me about your future plans!"

"I wouldn't count on hearing my plans if I were you, but alright! See you soon!" Kasia offered her an awkward handshake and, because it was easier to be intimate in a foreign language, returned to German, "it's been a pleasure Leah."

Leah giggled and took a call. Kasia inspected the upper office for the first and last time. It looked no better than the one below it.

Rain continued falling when security kicked her out. She held her ground against the sky, and looked back at the tower that took so much.

She walked away, and never looked at it again.

* * *

Varma charged about the palace, demanding answers from those who knew no more than he. His regiment was in disarray. Revolution Britannia's flimsy intelligence 'unit' - really a platoon - could only offer apologies. The forward bases in London could only to lock down and wait.

Varma's adjutant, Lieutenant Pardo, approached. She saluted and braced to deliver bad news.

"Captain. Our sources in the Met made contact. Thanks to the weather the police had already grounded their drone fleet and withdrawn human personnel off the street. As such, they saw nothing."

"They've surrounded us since we arrived. It rains a bit and they rush indoors…" Varma grit his teeth, "sometimes you have to hate being fucking English."

Pardo offered a sympathetic smile, "could they have received their orders from elsewhere Sir? Manipulated comms of the Vedic variety."

"It's as likely they saw the clouds and took the chance to pull back. Don't assume Opus Veda orchestrate everything Leftenant, it plays into their narrative."

"Very good Sir."

Guardsmen hustled past. Varma lowered his voice, "did we find the hospital?"

"We think so Sir; the corporal's team report they took him to Great Ormond Street. We believe we can trust them."

"Thank you Pardo."

"Sir."

Varma cocked his head up. Pardo took her cue to salute and stand aside.

He was in the palace's enormous entrance. Sappers were inspecting the doors for tampering, without success. Soldiers and support staff stampeded in and out of adjoining rooms. Some waited stoically on the grand staircase wrapped above and around them.

Luca Rossi's body lay in their midst, right where Opus Veda had left him. No one could understand how they got in. It was as if they'd summoned the rains themselves.

Varma peeled the sheet back. Guilt gnawed at him for what this corporal endured. The words etched into the boy's chest rang painfully true.

'Young men should choose safer roads. Good Samaritans are hard to find.'

Someone heavy stepped behind him. Varma replaced the sheet and stood up. Pierce had arrived, stern and quietly angry. He saluted and stood at ease.

"We found the lad's family, captain. In Sicilia."

Varma nodded, "lovely country."

"Indeed Sir," Pierce watched him, expecting more specific instruction.

"I suspect he tried to leave like so many his age," Varma winced, "dare I suggest it's a tragedy he never made it out?"

"As it happens Sir, Corporal Rossi did make it overseas. He decided later to return and join our cause."

Varma rubbed his eyes. Despite the danger Revolution Britannia demanded, he denied nobody in his ranks the chance for a future anywhere that wasn't here.

But these rare acts of selflessness gave him strength. They took him back to day he lost his own future; kept him fighting on the thankless front lines.

It had been a while since he'd seen that front. Something welled within. Pierce coughed.

"Shall I get to informing his family Sir?"

"No. I'll do it."

Pierce squinted, "if I may say Sir, you have a look in your eyes that suggests you're planning something."

The captain looked to his regiment; armoured sergeants hungering for results, untested soldiers trying their best, lieutenants in pressed khaki fatigues overseeing each unsolvable problem.

And Pierce, the greatest soldier amongst them.

"Sergeant major; if you were the enemy right now, what would you expect us to do?"

"I'd expect us to double down on security Sir, and waste time trying to figure out how the Blacks got in," Pierce looked around with mild scorn, "as we appear to be doing."

"Leftenant Pardo!"

Pardo zoomed beside them, saluting the captain and pipping her head at Pierce. Varma took her tablet and scanned a live map of Hyde Park. Rains had flooded the Serpentine, turning the area into a shallow bog, but they could still get their convoy out.

Crucially, the police had yet to return.

Pierce gave him a confident smirk. Pardo raised her head to say she was prepared.

Varma drew his sabre and raised it.

"Infantry! Assemble on me!"

All activity stopped. Soldiers filed from all corners and formed ranks around their leader. Varma pulled the sheet from Luca's body, scarred and drained of colour.

"You will look at this man. Our first fatality in London, reminding us of what we knew signing up. We did not put this regiment together to sit in a palace, and I did not take this job to stay on defence as terrorists pick us apart. We vowed make this republic great again! As long as Opus Veda hide among us, it never will be.

But I know where they are. And we're going to get them. You will prove to me you're worth the uniform you wear. Opus Veda are weaker than us. If they didn't need their tricks they wouldn't be using them. Follow me and fight them on our terms!"

The hall filled with the sound of cheers and drawn weapons. The revolution guard swore revenge and marched to their posts, leaving Luca's body alone in the cavernous reception hall.

The captain arrayed his soldiers from the control room. One screen caught his eye: the image of the beaked terrorist; the doctor who took Varma's corporal and goaded him with what remained.

Varma looked into his rival's obsidian eyes and saw his own in them - bleak, but determined.

They would meet at last.