City of Spies

Link to article: City of Spies.

:root {
  --logo-image:url(https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/scp-db/images/d/d6/Intelligence_Agency.png);
  --header-subtitle: "In Umbris Surgimus";
  --gradient-header: linear-gradient(to top, rgb(25,31,34) 0%, rgb(22 17 17) 90%, rgb(var(--header-gradient-color-top)) 100%);
  --diagonal-stripes: repeating-linear-gradient(45deg, rgba(255, 255, 255, 0), rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) .25vh, rgba(88, 88, 88, .1) .35vh, rgba(88, 88, 88, .2) .5vh);
}

/* ====== Dialogue Styling System ====== */

/* Universal base style */
.voice1, .voice2, .voice2a, .voice3, .voice3b, .voice4, .voice5, .voice-unknown {
  font-family: "Source Sans Pro", "Helvetica", "Arial", sans-serif;
  padding: 0.65em 1em;
  margin: 0.5em 0;
  border-left-width: 4px;
  border-left-style: solid;
  border-radius: 4px;
  transition: background-color 0.3s ease;
}

/* Voice 1 (Protagonist / Professor) */
.voice1 {
  border-left-color: #4A90E2;
  background: rgba(74,144,226,0.08);
  font-style: italic;
}

/* Voice 2 (Priest / Church member / Ally) */
.voice2 {
  border-left-color: #E94E77;
  background: rgba(233,78,119,0.08);
}

/* Voice 2a (Theo the guard) */
.voice2a {
  border-left-color: #C75C5C;
  background: rgba(199,92,92,0.08);
  font-style: italic;
}

/* Voice 3 (Woman in White / Antagonist) */
.voice3 {
  border-left-color: #50E3C2;
  background: rgba(80,227,194,0.08);
}

/* Voice 3b (The Guard / subordinate of Voice 3) */
.voice3b {
  border-left-color: #33BFA5;
  background: rgba(51,191,165,0.08);
  font-style: italic;
}

/* Voice 4 (Agent / Operative) */
.voice4 {
  border-left-color: #FFD166;
  background: rgba(255,209,102,0.08);
  font-weight: bold;
}

/* Voice 5 (Handler / Director / Supervisor) */
.voice5 {
  border-left-color: #A682FF;
  background: rgba(166,130,255,0.08);
}

/* Collective or Unknown voices */
.voice-unknown {
  border-left: 4px dashed #999;
  background: rgba(153,153,153,0.05);
  font-size: 0.95em;
}

/* Hover highlight */
.voice1:hover,
.voice2:hover,
.voice2a:hover,
.voice3:hover,
.voice3b:hover,
.voice4:hover,
.voice5:hover,
.voice-unknown:hover {
  background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0.1);
}

(none)

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voice2a
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voice3
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[[module Rate]]

[[include :scp-wiki:theme:black-highlighter-theme]]

[[module CSS]]
:root {
  --logo-image:url(https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/scp-db/images/d/d6/Intelligence_Agency.png);
  --header-subtitle: "In Umbris Surgimus";
  --gradient-header: linear-gradient(to top, rgb(25,31,34) 0%, rgb(22 17 17) 90%, rgb(var(--header-gradient-color-top)) 100%);
  --diagonal-stripes: repeating-linear-gradient(45deg, rgba(255, 255, 255, 0), rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) .25vh, rgba(88, 88, 88, .1) .35vh, rgba(88, 88, 88, .2) .5vh);
}

/* ====== Dialogue Styling System ====== */

/* Universal base style */
.voice1, .voice2, .voice2a, .voice3, .voice3b, .voice4, .voice5, .voice-unknown {
  font-family: "Source Sans Pro", "Helvetica", "Arial", sans-serif;
  padding: 0.65em 1em;
  margin: 0.5em 0;
  border-left-width: 4px;
  border-left-style: solid;
  border-radius: 4px;
  transition: background-color 0.3s ease;
}

/* Voice 1 (Protagonist / Professor) */
.voice1 {
  border-left-color: #4A90E2;
  background: rgba(74,144,226,0.08);
  font-style: italic;
}

/* Voice 2 (Priest / Church member / Ally) */
.voice2 {
  border-left-color: #E94E77;
  background: rgba(233,78,119,0.08);
}

/* Voice 2a (Theo the guard) */
.voice2a {
  border-left-color: #C75C5C;
  background: rgba(199,92,92,0.08);
  font-style: italic;
}

/* Voice 3 (Woman in White / Antagonist) */
.voice3 {
  border-left-color: #50E3C2;
  background: rgba(80,227,194,0.08);
}

/* Voice 3b (The Guard / subordinate of Voice 3) */
.voice3b {
  border-left-color: #33BFA5;
  background: rgba(51,191,165,0.08);
  font-style: italic;
}

/* Voice 4 (Agent / Operative) */
.voice4 {
  border-left-color: #FFD166;
  background: rgba(255,209,102,0.08);
  font-weight: bold;
}

/* Voice 5 (Handler / Director / Supervisor) */
.voice5 {
  border-left-color: #A682FF;
  background: rgba(166,130,255,0.08);
}

/* Collective or Unknown voices */
.voice-unknown {
  border-left: 4px dashed #999;
  background: rgba(153,153,153,0.05);
  font-size: 0.95em;
}

/* Hover highlight */
.voice1:hover,
.voice2:hover,
.voice2a:hover,
.voice3:hover,
.voice3b:hover,
.voice4:hover,
.voice5:hover,
.voice-unknown:hover {
  background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0.1);
}
[[/module]]



**Wieden District — Vienna, Austria**

When does a day begin to feel too long?  
When does the breath of sunset feel forced?  
The mind has many questions; today, he listens.

The way back is far too crowded for his liking—an irony, considering his workplace. How long can one man reiterate the same garbage before vomit burns through his throat completely?

He felt the brush of a shoulder against him as he passed through the crowd. He could hear the clockwork now, emanating from deep inside him, growing louder. It knew where he was going.

//Home//

He glanced at his watch in a hurry.

[[div class="voice1"]]
"Come on, I can't be late. Not again," he whispered to himself.
[[/div]]

-----

//Tick//  
//Tock//  
//Tick//

A miracle from Mekhane itself that he not only greeted the church on time but arrived ten minutes early.

[[div class="voice2"]]
"Good evening, Professor."
[[/div]]

His internal organs nearly groaned now.

[[div class="voice1"]]
"Hello, my dear Theo. How have you been holding up?"
[[/div]]

[[div class="voice2a"]]
"The same as you."
[[/div]]

A moment passes in silence.

[[div class="voice1"]]
"How does the clock tick?"
[[/div]]

[[div class="voice2a"]]
"Weaker every day. May His broken touch heal us all."
[[/div]]

[[div class="voice1"]]
"Amen."
[[/div]]

With quiet reverence, he was let through. The days when the church felt like a home were slipping past, and his body was failing to feel it.

[[div class="voice2"]]
"How are you on this fine day?"
[[/div]]

He looks up to see Priest Konstantin. In days past, he would carry a wave of energy strong enough to lift people out of their seats. Today, it doesn't even reach his eyes.

[[div class="voice1"]]
"Good enough I suppose. Are all of us here?"
[[/div]]

[[div class="voice2"]]
"Yes, Ms. Kienzl arrived only a few minutes before you."
[[/div]]

[[div class="voice1"]]
"And our guests?"
[[/div]]

[[div class="voice2"]]
"They will arrive shortly."
[[/div]]

[[div class="voice1"]]
"Then should we assemble?"
[[/div]]

The remaining eight weary souls gather around the clockwork center.
-----

Each voice booms over the other, all vying to be heard.

[[div class="voice-unknown"]]
"Are they trustworthy?"
  
"How can they be? Do they follow **him**? I say it is foolish to bring them in such a sanctimonious space."  

"I agree, not even those among our ranks have had the pleasure to walk these halls. To bring outsiders is madness."  

"Yet they follow the coin, do they not? Their loyalty can be bought and sold. Our coffers offer much." 
 
"And what if it is not enough? When they want more, we will be forced to offer our lives."  

"Priest, what say you?"
[[/div]]

//A pause descends upon the table.//

[[div class="voice2"]]
"This feeble is unnecessary now. Already had we reached out to them. Already had we given them a taste of what is coming to them. Already they have acted. And already have they completed what is to be done. Now we will finish this."
[[/div]]

//Each member remains in silence.//
//Theo enters quietly.//

[[div class="voice2a"]]
"Your holiness, they have arrived."
[[/div]]

[[div class="voice2"]]
"Then let's meet them. Ms. Kienzl, fetch their reward."
[[/div]]

----

//Eight men clad in black combat gear emerge. They quickly spread, each holding post on the edges of the room.//

//A single woman dressed in white appears flanked by two more men by her side.//

[[div class="voice3"]]
"Good evening your holiness."
[[/div]]

[[div class="voice2"]]
"And may the blessings of **him** be upon you."
[[/div]]

[[div class="voice3"]]
"I love what you've done with the place. Makes it really pop."  
[[/div]]

[[div class="voice2"]]
"Do you have what we seek?"
[[/div]]

//The woman snaps her finger. One man next to her reveals a suitcase.//

[[div class="voice3"]]
"And do you have what we want?"
[[/div]]

//Ms. Kienzl reveals a suitcase of her own.//

[[div class="voice3"]]
"Open it, we want to see for ourselves. You understand, yes?"
[[/div]]

//Ms. Kienzl opens her suitcase. Small diamonds are filled to the brim.//

[[div class="voice3"]]
"Then we are done here. Here is your equipment to cut down Area-21."
[[/div]]

//Ms. Kienzl and the man exchange suitcases.//
//The woman suddenly makes a gesture.//
//Each of the posted men open fire on each of the table members including the Priest.//
//The woman turns around and faces her men.//

[[div class="voice3"]]
"Do we have the data?"
[[/div]]

[[div class="voice3b"]]
"Already locked and loaded."
[[/div]]

[[div class="voice3"]]
"Good, have them wire the money in exchange. We all just got a whole lot richer."
[[/div]]

----

//Later, in another room...//

[[div class="voice4"]]
"Mission complete."
[[/div]]

[[div class="voice5"]]
"Good work agent. How much did it cost us?"
[[/div]]

[[div class="voice4"]]
"Around fifty thousand. Pennies in the bucket compared to the rest."
[[/div]]

[[div class="voice5"]]
"Good, you are dismissed."
[[/div]]

[[div class="voice4"]]
"Yes M'am."
[[/div]]

//The door locks shut. The woman turns on her computer. A face appears on screen.//

[[div class="voice5"]]
"Relations have really outdone themselves as usual."
[[/div]]

//She pulls out a cigarette.//

[[div class="voice5"]]
"They believe themselves to have free will. To be in control."
[[/div]]

//She lights it. She breathes in and lets the smoke curl.//

[[div class="voice5"]]
"But they never were."
[[/div]]


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City of Spies

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