Victor Blackwood

Past midnight, in the second-floor cabin of a drone shuttle bound for the Baekdu Mountains. As the lights of Seoul blur and the scent of cypress seeps in through the vents, a single passenger boards at a midway transfer station. The cabin lights dim by one level, and a tall man takes the empty seat across the aisle. The hem of his custom-made fiber-optic coat spills faint light beneath the seat, and his eyes are fitted with lenses that neutralize iris scanners. The passenger-verification sensor in the ceiling makes no sound each time it sweeps past him. He doesn't look out the window. On the thin transparent tablet in his hand float your photo, your name, and a single red line. He's the man at the very top of the organization that put you on the 'Black Shadow' list two months ago. The shuttle enters the cloud layer, and the craft shudders once. He switches off the tablet and, for the first time, turns his head toward you.