The rhythmic chirping of the Harmonic Cicada had long since been silenced, replaced by the creaking of the wood from the shriveled trees dotting the landscape. There was, however, a new sound that was quickly becoming common across the planet. A sharp crack caused Manuel to jump, but not as much as most of the crowd that he was guiding, some of them children smaller than his own.

"They're gaining on us... we need to pick up the pace!" Manuel shouted. He could see the fear in the faces of his flock. He was afraid too, but it was a fear that he had honed into a skill over the past several years since the Stellar Dynamics corporation hired the Orion's Blade company to provide "peacekeeping duties" on Harmonix. For Manuel, the sound of gunfire and screams were nearly a lullaby to him, and the constant threat of death for himself and his family were like a blanket coddling him to sleep. He let the horrific sights and sounds inform him of danger, and it was thanks to his body's learned reaction to fear that he was able to keep himself, and more importantly, his wife and son alive.

"Mommy!" A girl cried as her mother picked her up and hurried to follow Manuel's directions. He saw the worry-racked expression on the mother's face. Despite his calm, practiced demeanor, Manuel wasn't a monster. He gave the refugees running through the dying forest positive reinforcement and hope.

"It's okay, we've only got about a kilometer to go. The ship is just over the next hill," said Manuel. "We'll be there in minutes!"

The sound of automatic weapons fire erupted into the dusk with several different weapons being discharged. Again, they were closer than it had been over the past hours. Manuel kept his mind focused on intuiting the situation by sound instead of dwelling on the decision of his two closest friends to stay behind to slow the advancement of Orion's Blade. When the gunfire ended, Manuel was all but certain that they were both dead. He tried not to let it affect him and continued at pace.

One thing that was catching his attention was one of the group he was guiding. It was a young woman. She was very attractive to him, and were he 15 years younger and not already hitched, Manuel would have been laying on the charm hours ago with an exaggerated accent. Perhaps it was that she was off limits that he was able to notice that despite her rough, tattered clothing, the woman's skin, hair, and makeup was immaculate. She also always smiled when she saw Manuel looking at her. It was a smile that said, "I'm interested in getting to know you," instead of "If we don't hurry, we are going to die."

Manuel was puzzled. He kept looking at the woman. There was something about her that seemed familiar to him. He kept his eye on the rest of the group, but he hovered around this woman, making sure he was there to help her climb over boulders and navigate the bush.

"I'm not sure I caught your name," Manuel said as he skillfully clambered to the top of a jagged rock.

"Oh... uhh..." The woman was having trouble following Manuel and could see that they were starting to lag behind the others, but Manuel was determined to make sure all the refugees made it. The woman grabbed Manuel's hand as she continued. "My name is Valeria. Morales, uh Val Morales."

"Oh, yes, thank you." Manuel said as he gripped her hand tightly and hoisted the woman up. He felt a momentary sense of relief as he recognized her name. Val was a woman that he had met on a few occasions when smuggling supplies out of the city. She was a nice woman that owned a small food cart serving some flavorful, if awfully undercooked noodles. His sense of relief dissipated when he remembered that Valeria was even older than he was.

With millions of people on Harmonix, it was possible that there were other women with that name, but as he followed behind her, he caught a glimpse of the back of her neck and saw the unmistakable lines of a Brainstem Interface hub. Very few Harmonixians that weren't under the employ of Stellar Dynamics had one. It was considered gauche to partake in the comforts of the occupying force, and the only refugees who believed in the cause that had BSI's were highly trained hackers and spies, and all of whom were already known to Manuel. When it finally came to him, Manuel stopped moving forward completely. The woman noticed and turned back. The rest of the refugees were cresting the hill above already, leaving Manuel and Val together, alone.

"Is something wrong?" The woman asked. Manuel's face was no longer as friendly and inviting, and the more he considered this puzzle, the angrier he became.

"I know you aren't Valeria," Manuel said. "Who are you, really?"

The woman didn't speak, but donned a new kind of smile, one filled with sinister intentions. It was this smile that helped Manuel to realize what was happening, and who this woman was. She began approaching him just as he started raising his weapon toward her.