FORWARD

The world which we live in is different in many aspects from the world that Lancelot

and Elaine has lived in. Some values remained the same: such as the fact that in both worlds

people strived to uphold national security, loyalty and dignity. The knights have been replaced

to intelligence agents regarding the change in the landscape of warfare, but the two jobs have

the same purpose of protecting the national security. Also, this story’s Lancelot keeps his loyalty

to Guinevere and Elaine keeps her loyalty to Lancelot although unrequited at times, just as the

two characters did in the Malory and T.H. White’s versions of their story. Lastly, Elaine of

both stories choose death to keep her dignity. A new theme introduced in our story is freedom,

more specifically represented as the freedom of speech. Introduction of democracy led to more

movements toward freedom. In our story, you will witness the struggle between those who fight

for freedom, and the government who fights for national security.

The Spy who Loved the Enemy

The director’s office had quite a distinctive interior design: the room only contained

a table at the center of the room and two chairs at the opposite sides of the table, and the only

decoration in the room was a big flag of the United Kingdom which almost covered an entire

wall. It well reflected the fundamental functions of the organization which was protecting the

national security of the United Kingdom through intelligence service. The room was darker than

usual, a mood which the director sets when she’s a private conversation. On the other side of the

table was agent Lancelot, by far the most competent agent in the history of the Royal Intelligence

Agency, sitting in a comfortable position facing Guinevere, a determined director.

“... but again, you have distrusted my skills,” Lancelot said not particularly angrily.

“I apologize, but you make radical decisions! From your past history, I do understand

that you are capable of accomplishing whichever mission assigned to you, but I can’t help myself

worrying for you. You are doubtlessly the most prized agent that I have, and regardless, think

of all the years we’ve worked together!” Guinevere replied, fully aware that Lancelot simply

doesn’t want her to worry. Her answer was truthful and honest as her answers always are, thus

Lancelot could trust her.

“Now go back to work! Those who threaten our United Kingdom don’t rest!” Guinevere

said, to which Lancelot responded by standing up and sauntering out of the room.

“Agent Lancelot. Can we talk for a while?” a man called Lancelot, as soon as he came

out from the director’s office.

“Minister,” Lancelot recognized the man, and showed courtesy.

“Due to the time constraints, I’ll cut to the point. I need you to accomplish a mission,

and I want you to directly report to me without going through RIA while you’re on the mission,”

Minister of the Ministry of Defence went on, “There’s a hacktivist group called Anonymous.

They strive to uphold the freedom of speech, but it has gotten to an extent of undermining the

national security. I need you to penetrate into that organization to gather evidence and the list of

members so that we can apprehend the members and demolish that terrorist organization”.

“May I ask why I can’t report to RIA, sir?” Lancelot asked.

“The reason is because you will be fighting RIA while you’re in that organization, agent

Lancelot. If RIA is aware of your mission, their response against your attacks will be unnatural

and feel scripted. We can’t afford the Anonymous to realize your identity while you’re in it.

To deceive the Anonymous, you will have to deceive RIA first. Now can you do that, agent

Lancelot?” Minister asked.

“Count on me," Lancelot accepted his quest.

Lancelot has already waited a full week since he has been assigned the mission, and

finally the day to start his plan has come. He checked his smartphone to check that he was

walking into the right building, and walked down the stairs to find a secret, compellingly large

room filled with desktop computers, chairs, and passionate hackers from all over the England.

"Thank you for coming to the 5th annual Hackathon hosted by the Anonymous! As

always, the winner of the Hackathon will be granted magnificent prizes as well as an offer to join

us in changing the world!" Elaine, the leader of the famous hacktivist group Anonymous made

a speech, officially opening the 5th Hackathon of the history, "the rules are simple. You may

choose whichever target you want to hack, and whichever device and method you want to use,

and whichever method you want to use. Freely express how great you are as a hacker!".

So it began, the hacking competition. The only difference this year's Hackathon had when

compared to the past ones, was that within 20 minutes, the winner was decided.

"I can't believe this. Who is he? How come I've never heard of him before?" The crowd

murmured.

"Thank you everyone, for participating in this year's Hackathon. Now, please leave so

that we can give appropriate gifts to the winner of this year's Hackathon, Mr. Lancelot!" Elaine

dismissed the participants. Once the crowd has left, she approached Lancelot.

"I'm impressed, Lancelot. I didn't think that anyone in the Hackathon would hack into

the mainframe computer of the RIA. You might be the best hacker in England!" Elaine praised

Lancelot.

"I wish to use my hacking skills for good deeds," Lancelot told her as he has practiced

before coming.

"Then you are at the right place! Let's go to the headquarters now!" Elaine led the way,

and so they left.

At the time, the entire RIA was in a panic.

"How did anyone breach the most secure firewall in England?" Guinevere yelled,

throwing a stack of papers at the firewall manager, Gawaine.

"I... have another bad news that you might need to know," Gawaine confessed, "we

traced the hacker and found a key file that indicates the hacker... and, well..."

"Get to the point!" Guinevere said curtly.

"It was agent Lancelot who hacked us using a device in the Anonymous," Gawaine said.

"What? You must have mistaken. Lancelot isn't a guy who would betray us. He's the last

person that I would suspect," Guinevere refuted the idea.

"We thought so, and that's why we have analyzed the hacking in 16 different methods.

The speed of typing and the style of hacking all matches those of Lancelot. I'm sorry to tell you,

but the probability of the hacker being agent Lancelot is more than 99%," Gawaine said, unable

to look Guinevere in the eyes. Guinevere was silent for a while.

"Agent Bors!" She called, "you have a new mission. Go assassinate agent Lancelot

immediately. We can't allow him, who has the access to and knowledge of the RIA, to roam

around the enemies of national security. Go! Now!”

“Welcome to the Anonymous!” Lavaine welcomed Lancelot.

“This is Lavaine. He has been with me since the very establishment of the Anonymous. I

hope you two would get along!” Elaine introduced Lavaine to Lancelot.

“Haha, thank you,” Lancelot showed appreciation, and began carrying out his

mission, “How does the Anonymous continue existing? Will I be safe? What happens if the RIA

storms into this place?”

“No worries, fish. Only I have the entire list of our members. They won’t find out that

you’re part of us. Moreover, we have many different bases, so even if RIA capture this base, they

will not be able to take down the entire Anonymous,” Elaine explained.

“Let me summarize. Unless the RIA gets the entire list of the members and the locations

of all the bases, the Anonymous will not be stopped. Right?” Lancelot asked again, thinking of

plans to attain the list.

“That’s right!” Elaine said, just as a member of the Anonymous ran into the room in a

hurry.

“Evacuate! The security gate is broken! An intruder is inside!” He yelled.

“Hurry, take the computers. Run to the back!” Lavaine yelled, running. Just then, Agent

Bors barged into the room. Elaine shrieked as she saw him holding a gun, and he saw her too.

‘Oh no. Why did he come here now? RIA won’t be able to take down the Anonymous if

he kills her now,’ Lancelot thought, and he immediately darted toward Bors to stop him. After

sighting his target, Bors pulled the trigger of his gun. The bullet pierced through Lancelot body,

and Lancelot was forced back.

“Elaine! Run!” Lancelot cried out the words, as his conscious was fading. He felt his

body being towed towards the backdoor away from Bors with a robust momentum, and he

completely fainted as he saw Bors, who has accomplished his mission, retreating.

Lancelot saw a sudden wave of aura, somehow not bright nor dark, flashing in a spatially

unrestricted atmosphere. Several indescribable colors flashed and changed, along with the sound

of a long sigh and the noise of a constant beeping that echoed from his left. Lancelot slowly

opened his eyes, and saw nothing but a colorful blur of movements like a moving version of the

mosaic windows he saw when he traveled to the church of St. Katharine in Rhine. Although he

felt diminutive aches around his cranium, he sensed no pain in his stomach nor in his limbs. His

sight returned as he steadily rubbed his eyes with his right hand. He saw a young woman holding

his hand, praying.

Elaine jumped in an astonishment as Lancelot awoke from his week-long loss of

consciousness.

“Lancelot,” she called, “you are finally back! Can you hear me?”

Lancelot nodded his head, showing a sign of a slight confusion.

Elaine spoke again, “Oh god, I was so afraid that you were never going to wake up. Don’t

worry about the Anonymous just now. Although we had to amend several security measures

since that incident, no other problems transpired. We were worried that you might be dead, that’s

all”.

Lancelot looked around the room with a deep concern. He noticed that he was in a large

white room, likely someone’s house, with the sunlight shining on his face through a large

window. The sunlight was constantly interfered by branches of a great tree, swaying back and

forth as the wind blew. It explained the constant color changes he experienced during his

unconsciousness.

“You’re in my house Lancelot, no need to be alert,” Elaine said in an attempt to comfort

him.

“I did no wrongdoing,” Lancelot finally opened his mouth.

“What?” Elaine questioned.

“Please, I just want to leave!” Lancelot was frightened. He ripped out the IV tube that

was linked to his left arm.

“What’s going on! I don’t understand you” Elaine said in an utter confusion. Lancelot

jumped out of the bed and opened the window, the noise from a construction site tumbled in and

filled the room.

“Who are you? Why am I here? I’m being investigated, right? Please don’t arrest me!”

Lancelot shouted, once again, at Elaine, while enduring the slight pain that struck his head.

“Lancelot! It’s me, Elaine, please stop this nonsense!” Elaine cried out. A doctor entered

the room.

“Sir, leave now,” Lancelot shot a glare at the doctor, then at Elaine. He slowly close the

window and stood in the corner of the room.

“I know of no Elaine,” Lancelot spoke in a bold voice.

“I’ll take care of this, please give me a moment,” The doctor exited the room in response

to Elaine’s order. She spoke again,

“My name is Elaine. You joined me in the hacktivist organization, Anonymous. We were

attacked by an agent from RIA a week ago, who shot you in the stomach, which led to your

concussion from the shock,” Elaine explained.

Lancelot strived to recall his memory, but couldn’t.

“How old am I?” Lancelot questioned in all seriousness.

“I don’t know if the information you gave me was the truth, but of what I know you are

in your late-20s. It seems that you lost a portion of your memory from the concussion,” Elaine

said calmly.

“I work for the Anonymous? Wow. Okay. I can only remember back to when I was a

college student. I used to be investigated by the local police for hacking small companies, which

I did for some significant amount of money in deals with famous hackers who needed my skills.

I usually got away because I was still a student in college,” Lancelot explained his

misunderstanding.

“I understand. Lancelot, you got shot in the stomach while you were rescuing me during

the assault. You saved my life and I don’t know how thankful I feel right now,” Elaine said with

a deep affection as she gazed at Lancelot.

Despite the confusion, Lancelot tried hard to recall the bits and pieces of his memory. He

knew himself well enough that he wouldn’t have saved this woman unless she was really special

to him. Lancelot questioned that he might’ve had feelings for her.

“Were we of any special relationship, Elaine?” Lancelot tested her.

“Although we are only linked through the organization of Anonymous, I have feelings

for you, Lancelot,” Elaine spoke the truth.

Based on Elaine’s reaction, Lancelot came to a conclusion that they were true lovers

before his amnesia. Lancelot felt a sudden attraction for Elaine.

The magical night passed as the two slept holding hands. The next day, Lancelot made

his way out of the house and walked down the street when he saw a somewhat familiar man who

he couldn’t exactly recall from his past. The man’s bodyguards blindfolded Lancelot and carried

him to a dark place.

Lancelot once again awoke from the darkness to find himself in an unfamiliar setting,

under the pressure of a charismatic man.

“Lancelot, do you recognize me?” The Minister said.

“No. I apologize. I do not,” Lancelot spoke in a formal manner due to the magnetism in

the Minister’s words.

The Minister of Defence picked up a file from the surface of a large glass table. A stamp

on the front side of the file showed, ‘RIA - TOP SECRET.’ He pulled out a piece of paper and

threw it on the desk in front of Lancelot. Lancelot examined the paper, presumably a profile of

an agent. The title read, ‘Agent: LANCELOT.’ Just as Lancelot picked up his head, the Minister

slapped Lancelot in the face. He shot at him,

“Do you recognize me? Lancelot?”

“I apologize,” Lancelot weakly spoke. The Minister slapped him once more, even harder.

The pain spread throughout his face, from his left cheek to his forehead. Oddly, Lancelot did not

feel that he was being slapped causelessly, but understood the man had intentions.

“Do you...”

Just as the Minister was about speak, Lancelot’s face began to contort. He began to recall

a scene in his head. A line repeated in his head.

“You are doubtlessly the most prized agent that I have, and regardless, think of all the

years we’ve worked together!” A woman’s voice echoed.

“Now can you do that, agent Lancelot?” A familiar man’s voice also echoed in

Lancelot’s head. It became so familiar, he began to remember the man’s face.

“Count on me,” Lancelot recalled his own voice.

“Minister Sir!” Lancelot shouted.

“You are the Minister of the Ministry of Defence. I work under Guinevere and the RIA.

I... I work for the United Kingdom,” Lancelot said in a calm voice as he soon recalled his

memory.

“Good,” The Minister said calmly.

“We’re running out of time. Get back to work. I want you to get the job done by tonight.

I said tonight,” The Minister emphasized.

“Okay. I will do so,” Lancelot said.

A black van dropped Lancelot onto the sidewalk near Elaine’s house.

“6 o’clock,” Lancelot said to himself as he checked the time.

He walked back to the house.

After remembering his duty, he immediately got back on his task. The period of amnesia

has worked in his favor, since now he has attained Elaine’s full trust and the access to her laptop.

Within half an hour, he gathered more than enough evidence and data needed to apprehend all

the members of the Anonymous, and shut it down once and for all. He has transferred all the

information to his computer in the RIA headquarters, which transferred the received information

directly to the Minister of the Ministry of Defense.

“Honey, what are you working on?” Elaine entered the room. Then Lancelot remembered

the problem that he had to solve: Elaine doubtlessly was loving him, and the humane part of

him that has resurrected for the first time since he has become an intelligence agent couldn’t

watch Elaine fall into despair. However, his compassions have emerged from his generosity and

kindness, not love.

“Elaine, listen. I have to tell you something,” Lancelot began seriously.

“Actually Lancelot, I have something to tell you first,” Elaine interrupted, “I want you to

help me lead the Anonymous”.

“Elaine, I can’t,” Lancelot refused.

“Then at least you could lead the hackers for me,” Elaine pleaded which slashed

Lancelot’s heart who had to tell her something horrible.

“Listen Elaine. I got my memory back, and I’m an agent from RIA,” Lancelot confessed,

and Elaine froze, “the only reason that I’ve joined the Anonymous was to bring it down. In fact,

the RIA will seize all Anonymous bases at any moment, and the members will be arrested”.

Elaine was having a hard time processing everything. The truth was so painful. It hurt

Lancelot, who had to watch her suffer, too.

“However, I want you to know that I never meant to lie to you. I didn’t know any of this

while I was in amnesia. You still have the time to escape, if you use the backdoor. Elaine, this is

the last thing I can do for you!” Lancelot urged.

“Lancelot, I trusted you! You can’t do this to me!” Elaine cried, “I thought you loved

me”

“I’m sorry, Elaine. I thought I loved you when I was in amnesia, but that person wasn’t

me. To an agent of the RIA, his duties and the national security is more important than his

personal emotions,” Lancelot looked away.

“If so, guaranteeing the freedom of speech for all is more important than my life. I’m

going to walk out there, and convey a message,” Elaine announced and walked out to the

frontdoor.

“Elaine, we know you’re there. Drop your weapons, and raise both of your hands so that

we can see them!” Agent Bors, leading the RIA armed force shouted through a megaphone. As

the leader of the largest hacktivist organization globally was about to be apprehended, news

agency’s helicopters, vans, and reporters fiercely tried to capture the moment.

“Dear citizens of the world who are watching me!” Elaine shouted, “I’m Elaine, and I’m

in charge of the Anonymous”.

Lancelot walked outside to witness the scene. He also could see Guinevere on the other

side of the road.

“and I’ve been fighting against the government of the United Kingdom for freedom. I

believe that we were born with natural rights to freedom! I also believe that those rights to be

free are guaranteed in the constitution of this democratic government! I most firmly believe that

we have the duty to make speeches freely to ensure the government’s transparency,” Elaine

announced to the broadcasters, “but today, my faith in what I’ve been fighting for stirs. My

beliefs made the man I trusted, the man I loved, to turn away from me”.

Lancelot trudged down the doorsteps of her house.

“Well, RIA. I condemn you for taking him away from me! I curse you! You have taken

him away from me; you have seized all of the bases of the Anonymous; you have arrested all of

the hackers of the Anonymous, but you know what? You will not be able to prevent the second

Anonymous replica and the third Anonymous replica from transpiring. More importantly, you

will not be able to stop me from making free expressions!” Elaine yelled, pulling out a gun from

her back-pocket.

“Drop the gun, or we’ll shoot! I repeat. Drop the gun!” Agent Bors shouted through the

megaphone again. Elaine raised the gun to her head, and before anyone could stop her, she

conveyed her message to the whole world through her death.

Prologue

“Seriously? You sent agent Bors to kill me?” Lancelot asked laughing.

“I’m terribly sorry, agent Lancelot, but you understand me, don’t you? I have to suppose

all possibilities, and make the best decision that would protect the greatest number of people,”

apologized Guinevere.

“I totally understand, and I believe in the principle of Utilitarianism too. Anyway, this is

not the first time you’ve distrusted my skills and loyalty. However, I once again proved them to

be superlative,” Lancelot boasted, and they both smiled. The two looked at each other, and they

both knew that as long as they had each other, they would be able to protect the security of the

United Kingdom.