Sydney, Behind the Glittering City

The Glitter of a Betrayal

Richardson stood on the edge of Circular Quay, cold sweat running down his back despite the cool Sydney night air. Behind him, the Opera House shone like a giant shell made of pearls, mocking the darkness slowly engulfing the city.

“They've started the cleanup protocol,” he spoke into his hidden earpiece. “The first team has already entered the building through the service doors.”

“How many?” Katherine's voice sounded calm, too calm.

“Twelve. All elite subjects.” Richardson looked at his Rolex watch. “And Marcus has just arrived in his private helicopter.”

Across the line, he could hear the sound of a keyboard being typed rapidly. “What about the VIPs?”

“Starting to arrive. Rolls-Royces and Bentleys are filling the valet area. Everyone's acting like there's nothing wrong with a power outage in half the city.”

“Of course,” Katherine snorted. “They're too busy imagining the returns on their investment in Project Rebirth.”

Richardson rubbed his tired face. Twenty-seven years of keeping Charlotte's secret had eaten away at his soul like a slow but steady cancer. “Katherine... are you sure about this? If Marcus wins...”

“He won't win,” Leo's voice cut through the same channel. “Not this time.”

Richardson closed his eyes for a moment, remembering the night he'd steered his partner away from Charlotte's lab. A direct order from Marcus: “Keep Leo busy. Let us finish this.” He had no idea that “finishing” meant blowing up the lab with Charlotte in it - or at least, that's what he thought all along.

“Fifteen minutes until the gala starts,” Amara reported from her position inside the building. Her voice sounded different - more formal, more regal - as she assumed the role of one of the VIP guests. “The shareholders can't wait.”

“Perfect,” Katherine says. “Gabriel?”

“The team is in position,” Gabriel's heavy voice replied. “Serena and her unit are ready on the roof of the neighboring building. As soon as the signal is given...”

“No one moves until I give the order,” Katherine warned. “Timing is everything.”

Richardson turned away from the harbor view, walking towards the Opera House. A platinum fake ID gleamed beneath his Armani suit - a parting gift from Marcus for his loyalty over the years. Ironic that the same card would give him access to destroy everything.

Inside the building, giant crystal chandeliers create a sea of golden light. Guests gathered with glasses of Dom Perignon champagne, whispering in anticipation. Chamber orchestra music played softly, masking the sound of Marcus' assassination team's footsteps beating in every corner.

“Target identified,” Amara whispered into her hidden microphone, her eyes following Marcus' figure as he walked into the room. “He's carrying a titanium briefcase. It likely contains Project Rebirth data.”

“The original flash drive is still with him,” Katherine confirmed. “All the evidence we need.”

Richardson took a glass of champagne from a passing waiter, noticing how Marcus greeted each important guest with the perfect smile of a predator. The man looked older than he remembered - his white hair neatly styled, his Tom Ford suit impeccable - but his eyes were still the same. The eyes of a man who believed he was a god.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Marcus' voice echoed through the sound system. “Thank you for coming to this historic evening.”

The lights begin to dim, focusing on the podium where Marcus stands. Behind him, a giant screen lit up displaying the Project Rebirth logo - a DNA helix forming wings.

“For three decades,” Marcus continued, ”we have worked in the shadows. Developing solutions to humanity's biggest problem: our own limitations.”

Video begins to play on the screen - a montage of Project Rebirth's sanitized research results. There were no images of failed subjects. No screaming babies in tubes. No corpses dumped into the ocean.

“Jesus,” Leo swore under his breath on the comm channel. “He's really going for it.”

“Wait,” Katherine ordered. “It's not time yet.”

Marcus opened his titanium briefcase, pulling out a flash drive. “Inside this small device lies our future. Thirty-seven success subjects. Thirty-seven steps towards perfect evolution.”

Richardson saw shadows moving on the upper balcony - Serena's team taking position. In the corner of the room, Gabriel and his unit mingled with the crowd, waiting for the signal.

“And tonight,” Marcus smiled broadly, ”you will witness the birth of a new era of humanity.”

He inserted a flash drive into the laptop port connected to the screen. His finger moved to press enter...

“Or perhaps,” a new voice broke the silence, ”we could show you the uncensored version?”

The whole room froze. Marcus looked up, his face paled.

Katherine stood on the main staircase, her black Valentino dress sparkling under the chandeliers. Beside her, Leo - wearing the exact same suit he'd worn the night Charlotte “died”.

“Hello, Grandpa,” Katherine smiled coldly. “Miss me?”

In an instant, the room turned into a war zone. Marcus' team moved to protect her, while Gabriel's unit appeared with weapons drawn. The guests screamed in panic, some trying to escape only to find the exits had been locked.

“Katherine,” Marcus said quietly, his eyes flashing dangerously. “You've always been the most... stubborn.”

“Well, it's genetics,” Katherine stepped down gracefully. “And speaking of genetics...”

She pulled out a small remote, pressing a button. The screen behind Marcus flickered, then displayed a new image. Video from the secret lab in the Blue Mountains.

Charlotte, still alive, still beautiful though older, working under close supervision. And beside her...

“Oh God,” one of the shareholders gasped. “That's...”

“Yes,” Katherine confirmed. “That's me. And my thirty-six other brothers and sisters. Welcome to the family reunion, everyone.”

The side doors opened. Thirty-seven figures stepped inside - men and women of various ages, all dressed in impeccable formal attire. The subjects of Project Rebirth.

“Impossible,” Marcus took a step back. “They're loyal to me. I created them!”

“You're wrong, Marcus,” a soft voice said from the balcony.

All eyes lifted. Charlotte stood there, beautiful in a white dress, with Serena beside her.

“You didn't create them,” Charlotte continued, her voice shaking with years of pent-up emotion. “You took them. From mothers who never knew their children were alive. From the families you destroyed. From...”

“From your own daughter,” Leo finished, stepping forward. “You took everything from us, Marcus. And now... now it's time to pay.”

Richardson saw a flash of panic in Marcus' eyes - something he'd never seen before. The man reached into his coat pocket...

“I wouldn't do that,” Katherine warned, pulling something out of her clutch. The flash drive was identical to Marcus'. “Because in five seconds, the whole world will see the truth about Project Rebirth. Complete with the names of all involved.”

She threw the flash drive into the air. Marcus, with amazing reflexes for his age, caught it... just as Katherine pressed another button on her remote.

The entire wall of the Opera House turned into a giant projection screen. Project Rebirth's data began to flow - not only from the flash drive in Marcus' hand, but from the backup server Katherine had set up.

“Live streaming to the world,” Katherine smiled. “Breaking news on every channel. Trending topic across social media. Game over, Grandpa.”

Marcus stared at the screens in horror, seeing his lifelong dream destroyed in a matter of seconds. But then, something strange happened.

He laughed.

“Oh, Katherine,” he shook his head, still laughing. “You really are my granddaughter. Just as smart... just as naive.”

She snapped her fingers. Suddenly, the chamber orchestra music changed - to a series of notes that made the Project Rebirth subjects stiffen.

“You think loyalty can be reprogrammed?” Marcus smiled cruelly. “Protocol Genesis, activate.”

The subjects began to move with stiff movements, their eyes blank. Katherine included.

“No,” Leo whispered in horror. “Katherine!”

But his daughter did not answer. She, like the others, had become Marcus' puppet once again.

“See?” Marcus raised his hands dramatically. “This is true evolution. Absolute control.”

Charlotte screamed from the balcony, “Stop it! You're going to kill them!”

“They can't die,” Marcus replied calmly. “They are perfect. And now...” he turned to Katherine who stood stiffly, ”kill your father.”

Katherine began to move towards Leo, her eyes blank but deadly.

Richardson raised his pistol, took aim... but couldn't pull the trigger. Not in the direction of his partner's daughter.

“Katherine,” Leo stared at his daughter, not moving from his spot. “This isn't you. You're stronger than this.”

“Useless,” Marcus laughed. “Protocol Genesis cannot be resisted. It's the result of twenty-seven years of research. It's perfect. Absolute.”

Katherine drew closer, her hand extended towards Leo's neck...

“Remember who you are,” Leo whispered. “Remember Charlotte. Remember... everything they took from us.”

For a split second, there was a glint in Katherine's eyes. Her hand stopped inches from Leo's neck.

“Impossible,” Marcus growled. “PROTOCOL GENESIS, EXECUTE!”

Katherine shook, struggling against the orders inside her head. Blood began to drip from her nose.

“That's it,” Leo encouraged. “Fight it. Fight him.”

“I...” Katherine stammered, “I... am... not... your... weapon!”

Suddenly, the music changed again. But this time it wasn't from the orchestra. It was from Katherine's pearl necklace - emitting a frequency that sent the Project Rebirth subjects reeling.

“Counter signal,” Amara smiled from her position near the orchestra. “Courtesy of Charlotte's latest research.”

One by one, the subjects began to awaken. Their eyes came back to life, filled with years of pent-up anger.

“No,” Marcus retreated, finally losing his control. “NO!”

“Yes,” Katherine straightened herself, wiping the blood from her nose. “Like I said... game over.”

Within seconds, Marcus was surrounded - not only by Gabriel and Serena's team, but by the thirty-seven subjects he had been controlling all along.

“You know what's more powerful than your genetic program?” Katherine stepped forward, her eyes flashing dangerously. “Grudges. And we all have tons of grudges to avenge.”

Marcus looked around him - at Charlotte coming down from the balcony, at Leo standing protectively near his daughter, at Richardson finally lowering his weapon, and at all the subjects he had come to regard as his perfect pawns.

“I created you,” he whispered, his voice breaking. “I made you perfect.”

“No, Marcus,” Charlotte stood before him, shaking her head sadly. “You made us monsters. But we chose to be human.”

Police sirens began to sound in the distance. On the giant screens, Project Rebirth data continued to flow, revealing every sin Marcus had committed.

“It's over,” Leo placed his hand on Katherine's shoulder. “We won.”

Katherine nodded, but her eyes were still glued to Marcus. “Almost.” He stepped forward once more. “There's one more thing you should know, Grandpa.”

“What?” Marcus asked weakly.

“Protocol Genesis?” Katherine smiled coldly. “I created it. For this moment. To prove that we are not your weapons.” She pulled out a pistol from her clutch. “We are family. And family... always retaliates.”

Outside the Opera House, Sydney began to brighten sector by sector. But inside, in the opulent rooms that now bear silent witness, a dynasty is crumbling in the darkness he himself has created.

And at the center of it all, stands a princess who has gone missing