Civilized Secrets Chp. 4 Science and Secrecy
“Finally!” Saladin exclaimed, knocking over several empty coffee mugs and the bags under his eyes now much more apparent. “Got one of the larger data caches cracked. I'm sending the pieces to the rest of you right now.”
After a few clicks, the files appeared on their computer screens, brimming with secrets of all stripes. It all comes down to this, Catherine thought to herself. May the Lord favor me.
Moments pass, though they feel like an eternity. Clicks from the keyboards fill the room as they dig for any scrap of information that could turn the tide. Catherine begins to pace back and forth, awaiting for anything that could save her.
“Any of ye got anythin' that isn't family garbage? It's more o'the same on my end,” groaned the Scotsman as he rubbed his temples.
The Sultan yawned and cradled his face in his hands, no longer able to contain the exhaustion. Seondeok clicked mindlessly, seeing more of the same nothing as before. “I've got some records of backroom deals but nothing they wouldn't already know about.”
“Wait, think I have something. Transferrin' it back to ye, Saladin.”
Mon deiu, please let it be something.
“Project Jihye. Looks like some scientific research by Sejong, but it initial logs are vague. Let's see...Something about...Artificial Intelligence?” Saladin said, unsure of what to think. “That can't be right.”
“What else is there?” asked the French queen. AI research by itself wouldn't be enough, but maybe if the found enough dirt?
“At a glance, it looks like the whole thing was kept hidden from the others—Even for some of the highest ranking members of his research team,” stated Saladin. “Most of the available logs read like someone trying to be more poetic than scientific, there's more still missing, but the last log is...”
“Is...? What?” poked Catherine.
“Ominous,” he finished. “Like he's done something and now it's just a waiting game for something fall apart. 'I await the plague of my conscious to befall my people...” Does he normally write like this?” Saladin finished as he turned to Seondeok. She nodded as she scanned the available logs, looking for something that could help them. The Scotsman let out a disgruntled snort and looked to the Catherine.
“Hope ye' didn't get your hopes up, Catherine. Scary lookin' diary entries aren't the greatest espionage to use. Another dead end,” Robert growled, kicking over a nearby chair, “Just like everything else we've found.” While the others couldn't help but agree with him, Seondeok had a creeping far-flung hope.
“What if I spoke to him? He has always been an honorabl--”
“'Ave you lost your mind?” he fired back. “'Oh, I know we're in th'middle of a war, but could you please tell me what'ya meant in ya diary so that we can use it against the lot of ya?' Yeah, that'll go over swell.”
“Do you have another plan?”
“Yeah, lass, I do,” he replied as he cut his eyes to Catherine. The French queen straightened up slightly, her glare sharper than any dagger.
“We're all in this together, Robert,” the Sultan remarked, fighting back a yawn.
“Look, just...Give me a chance to talk to him. He's reasonable, I can talk to him.”
“Sure, it'll be that easy too! Barring the fact he's leading a civil war against you and lives in a heavily fortified palace.”
“Never did I say that it would be easy,” Seondeok snapped back. “But I have to try. Someone has to.”
Saladin looked back to Seondeok, eyes widen. This is a mistake.
“Have you seen their patrols? Do you honestly think he'll let you just walk into his palace?”
“Do not be foolish. I know that I will have to sneak in some how, I just need--”
“Do it your damn self then,” Robert shot back angrily, nearly flipping over another chair in the process. The Scottish king stormed out in a fury, stopping on to glare at Catherine. “I've already had to waste enough resources as it is.”
Saladin shook his head, but felt more sympathy than anything. Seondeok returned to him, hoping for anything, but knowing better. “I know there's no stopping you,” he began, “but as far as I'm concerned? You'll be going in alone. I can't help you, and good luck getting anyone else to do so. It's-It's not personal, please understand.”
She nodded and silently left the room, leaving Catherine and Saladin to themselves. While he returned to his work, a familiar ping went off in Catherine's pocket. Now who could that be?
An unfortunate bargain that had to be made. But, alas, a sacrifice that Catherine had to make.
“No, but that knowing the type of security he's bound to have, that doesn't mean much. Honestly, I'm glad Pericles had a stealth boat to spare. My ships are made for war, not sneaking within enemy waters,” Gitarja replied as she took the binoculars away from her eyes. She gazed out to the sea behind them, lost in thought as she watched the waves crash into the shore. “Have you...? Nevermind.”
“Have I what?” Seondeok asked. Odd, Gitarja never hesitates when it came to, well, anything.
All lies, of course. Seondeok shifted uncomfortably a little, already knowing what Gitarja wanted to ask about.
“If it makes you feel any better, you aren't the first to ask.”
Gitarja turned around in surprise. “Then who was?”
“Pericles, actually. The Oracle was one of the first places to get hit, and it's barely recognizable now.”
The Korean Queen tilted her head back and forth, trying to remember, “Something about the fire being quelled by the rain, and the Parthenon still standing.” Gitarja raised an eyebrow.
Seondeok rubbed a hand against her neck, the shame of her actions weighing on her mind. “I-I couldn't—I knew what he was trying to do: assure his people that this war would pass. That life will go on. I can't fault him for that, Gitarja.”
Gitarja sighed, knowing all too well that sometimes the lie might be better for someone than the truth.
