Kepa and Latxe were back at the baserri, sitting at a table with Olatz/Marina and a few other of her acolytes. To be honest, Kepa wasn’t quite sure how to think about Olatz’s followers. They seemed to blindly follow her direction, but he had to admit that their cause seemed just, at least as far as he understood it. Is a demogauge ok if they are pointing people in a good direction?

Kepa decided to table that thought for the moment. It would prove a fruitful and interesting discussion point with Maite sometime when they were bored, sitting in some bar somewhere waiting for the next mission to chase a zatia. For the moment, he was focused on making that a reality, to find Maite and the zatia and escape this bubble.

Looking across the table at Marina (he could tell she was in control because of the slight distance in her eyes), he asked “How do we free Maite?”

Marina looked back at Kepa and he could tell that she was supressing a sigh. It seemed to him that she would be happy enough letting Maite rot with de Lancre if she could win her revolution. He wasn’t so sure that Marina cared to pop this bubble. 

“Well,” began Marina, speaking in Olatz’s voice, “we need to get into that tower. I’m sure Salazar is holding Maite there.”

“How can you be so sure?” asked Kepa.

One of Olatz’s eyebrows raised. “Let’s just say that he has a fondness for a certain type of young women. He’ll keep her close.”

Kepa grimmaced. He couldn’t image de Lancre’s hands touching Maite, not that he thought she would ever allow it. 

“Fine. How do we get into the tower?”

Olatz/Marina looked at the others around the table. Some shook their heads, others simply looked down at the table. No one offered any ideas.

“Well,” started Latxe after an agonizing silence. “We could use the nanobots.”

“Go on,” said Olatz after Latxe had paused.

“Just like we do here. We can use the nanobots to create temporary doors into the tower and stairs between floors. We can also use them to disguise us from any monitoring equipment.”

“Excellent!” exclaimed Kepa, smacking his hands on the table as he stood up. “Goazen. Let’s go!”

“Hold your horses,” said Olatz in a stern voice. She turned to Latxe. “But…?” she asked.

Latxe smiled weakly. “But,” she said, “we only have the ability to hijack a relatively small number of nanobots. Only enough for one, maybe two, people.”

“What?” exclaimed Jorge. “Two people to storm Salazar’s tower? Are you insane?”

“We aren’t storming it, exactly…” began Latxe as her voice trailed off.

“It’s suicide!” continued Jorge. “Even with the nanobots covering your tracks, it would only be a matter of time before they failed or you ran into humans that couldn’t be deceived.” He turned to Olatz. “Tell them, Olatz!”

“What else can we do?” asked Olatz.

Jorge threw up his hands. “If they get caught, and reveal our ability to hijack the nanobots, we are all screwed.”

“Do you have another idea?” asked Latxe, defiantly.

Jorge stuttered, looking first at Olatz, and then Latxe. He then looked at Kepa and saw the hope on his face. His own face fell.

“No,” he said, glumly.

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