Levi pours a colourless liquid from an unlabelled plastic bottle into the open hatch. His eyes water slightly at the acrid fumes. Ideally, he’d be wearing a respirator and goggles, but someone might notice if some equipment from storage went missing. No one will notice Levi is missing for the next few hours.

Through squinting eyes, he watches the already rusty cog corrode further. When the head engineer tries to start up the tank tomorrow, it will not turn on. There will be no flashy explosion or dramatic disassembly. The boring, forgettable failure will only dissuade investors from funding this prototype’s development any further. Another inconvenience, another delay, another diversion.

A few months back, Terra Indomita claimed responsibility for a massive explosion at a luxury hotel resort. The company had razed acres of rainforest to build it. The news had, of course, branded the perpetrators as terrorists, but it got people talking. More and more people were becoming sympathetic to the cause. That was what it took, it seemed. Big, shocking schemes that caught the public’s eye. Hadn’t that been what drew Levi in, back when he was a miserable college student? But Levi’s current mission was subtler. He was too valuable, embedded deep with the US military. Loyal soldier Levi Albright. The one who causes small acts of disruption, ever so carefully. Watching, waiting.

Levi was alone, for the most part. He had contacts with a few other Terra Indomita operatives in the US, but apart from the occasional message via burner phone, he operated independently. He only heard whispers. Rumours like Vittoria Rinaldi going missing, or that Petrogon was onto their command chain. Still, it didn’t bother Levi. If they wanted to stop him, they could come and try.

Laughter and music floats from the barracks. Levi, standing outside, takes a long drag on his cigarette. He doesn’t care for any of them. And this performance of separation, of the soldier who knuckled down and paid no mind to the antics of his fellow men, will make what comes next easier. By the time the bomb he’s planted goes off, he’ll have already been transferred to a station several states over. Really, it’s just meant to damage the power grid. It should disrupt a conference, set some imperialist plans to expand the base into the surrounding woodland back a few months. God, he hopes someone’s in the room when it goes off.

“You know, I’m real proud of you. You had me and your ma worried back in college, with all your talk about saving the planet. It comes from a good place, I know, but you’ve got to grow up eventually. And you did! I truly believe you’re doing good for our country, my boy.”

“I hope so too.”

It’s been months since his communicator has buzzed. Terra Indomita’s roots grow deep. If Vittoria really has disappeared, as papers are starting to claim, it shouldn’t matter. The cause, their cause, won’t die. He’s already hearing murmurs of a big display planned at Kerry Payne’s upcoming Petrogon-sponsored concert. But he has received no further orders. He’s been at this base for months, working dutifully. The picture of a loyal sailor. Levi’s even heard he might he getting a promotion. The world has forgotten him. He’s becoming indistinguishable from any other cog in this all consuming machine. Levi is becoming nothing at all.

He hacks and coughs, trying to force the thick black smoke out of his lungs. Hopefully, there’ll be no permanent damage. It’s not his finest work. The improvised explosive’s parts could easily be traced back to online orders he’s made a few months back. He’s not even sure if all the CCTV cameras have been destroyed in the blast, or if anyone’s left alive to confirm he’d missed a few meetings earlier today.

But as he’s pulled in by the emergency firefighters and medics on the scene, he knows. He just knows. He’ll never be caught, at least not any time soon. Work hasn’t finished for loyal soldier Levi Albright. There’s still more to do.

“What more can I do?”

Written by Freya M.

Sailor Levi Albright is sitting idle in a nondescript, dusty office on a US military base in Alaska.

He's supposed to be doing paperwork but, like usual, there is no more paperwork to do. But he's paid to sit here until 5pm, so sit here until 5pm he will.

It's 3:22.

Tick.

Tick.

Tick.

He pulls himself away from distant daydreams of the military fantasy of heroism, and logs onto the US armed forces' intranet. He ought to at least make himself look busy, lest his commander make an appearance.

Among the dry circulars and notices, and the sanitised, cookie-cutter 'features' about other military branches, he spots an advert.

The United States Antarctica Command (ANCOM) seeks motivated, resilient and resourceful members of all ranks for an upcoming mission. The mission is in response to reports of scientific irregularities at a newly constructed, multi-organisation Antarctic base, which we believe may be the result of sabotage. Four to six appropriately qualified members will depart in early November for approximately three months. A commensurate level of hazard pay will be available.

Most people—too exhausted from their existing relentless, unforgiving work to want to visit such a hostile continent for such a long time—will keep scrolling and not think on the opportunity again.

Not Levi Albright, though.

Levi Albright works for Terra Indomita. He understands that Antarctica is the Earth's final frontier, and that it is to be protected at all costs.

That if anything unusual was to be going on there, ANCOM would seek to harness it for its own interests, and that Terra Indomita are the one thing standing in their way.

That after years of sitting in offices, quietly making observations and hiding his beliefs while the Earth is slowly destroyed, this is his chance to finally take action.

He applies. It's not difficult for him to get a place—the mission is unpopular, and Sailor Albright is uniquely well qualified. His superiors in Alaska are happy enough to let him go. “Rather you than me.” His parents begrudgingly accept it, while wondering why his dedication to the military extends to this. He wishes they could know.

Less than a month later, the plane touches down at Sky Blu airstrip.

And all of a sudden, Levi Albright remembers.