The Last Heroes

[Macavity116]

Thank you for Williamsburg and the York!

You're most welcome. I think this is the second time your home state has been blown to bits in this series. Someone had to get wrecked once I showed mercy to Michigan and Hawaii. (Don't worry, Montana and Oregon are next on my hit-list )

Loved the snapshot of Pascal's closest allies (and wannabe puppet masters)!

Cool trivia, most if not all of the characters seen in Sec-Gen Etienne's inner circle have either appeared in previous parts of the series or are connected to a character from earlier on:

1. Ingrid Tsiajotso: Last seen in All Our Sins Remembered, she was kidnapped alongside Akira Robinson by EXALT. She was Gifted.
2. Rafi Bakir: Last seen in All Our Sins Remembered, he was one of Akira's kidnappers. She fell in love with him and had a short lived affair with Rafi.
3. Klaus Eberhardt: All Our Sins Remembered, he was one of Akira's kidnappers, fell victim to the same airborne psychotropic drugs as Akira.
4. David Sepulveda: All Our Sins Remembered, kidnapped alongside Akira and Ingrid. Was Gifted and demonstrated Psionic powers.
5. Inez Vasquez: All Our Sins, she worked for XCOM and was an ally of Blake Robinson and his family. Good friend to the young Akira.
6. Marcus Robinson and Sophie Murphy are both decedents of Blake Robinson, who is one of the core characters of the series.
7. Indy Hutch is the only child of Chelsea Daniels, a friend of Blake Robinson who was last seen in My Father's War. Daniels was loyal to the ADVENT Coalition during the Second Hyperspace War and she was executed by the UN after the war ended.

Something I am quite curious about is what Scarlet told her daughter during that month that made Inez not only come to terms with how she treated her during her childhood, overlook her father's overt hostility to the ISO and even enlist in the agency that used such heavy handed methods to capture Cassandra. Is it all so she can see Cassandra?

I don't know how you got your hands on a copy of Chapter 15 so early... but I need you to give it back now.

I'm also interested in why Marcus split with the main Robinson clan. Mere political schism or something more?

It's definitely the something more category. What's the oldest cause of a family schism in history? Why a contentious marriage of course!

Remember, Pascal Etienne's administration is hostile towards alien "interference" on Earth and generally caters to the xenophobic crowd. So Marcus would have good reason to join up after his older sister married... *gasp*... A Partogan! The scandal!

Oh, and don't worry dear readers. We'll actually be meeting all of Himawari's current and former husbands as the story goes on. We've already seen George, but Randall and Amako should be popping up before the end of Act One. (Chapter 15)

 

[Macavity116]

Special thanks to Reddit user u/bsleonardo for this killer fanart of Enutanga! (As seen in Faith in Chaos - A Stellaris Story - - Chapter 2.7: The Paradox)

 

[Macavity116]

Hello everyone! I've got a quick announcement for you, then we can get started with this week's chapter:

First: I'm quite happy to announce that today's chapter will contain the first (of hopefully several) direct references to one of my favorite AAR's on the site, Songs of the Saiiban by @Chilango2. It's an incredible AAR that definitely deserves your attention. (once you're done here of course ) The Saiiban Confederacy will be making a few more appearances in The Last Heroes as we go, and I am seriously considering letting the Saiiban take a few shots at the enemy during the Destruction of Orlando and the Rescue at Cape Canaveral, the final battles of this story.

Of course, Chilango2's musical avians won't be alone. As The Last Heroes goes on keep your eyes pealed for characters from other AARs to make cameos, such as a certain beleaguered Advisor brought to life by @Nikolai and the ambitious Eerabik, originally made (in)famous by @Arithmetician.

Oh, and Chris "History Dude" Wright will be making a guest appearance in Chapter 15: The Divine Atelier after he was last seen in My Father's War and All Our Sins Remembered. It's my way of paying homage to a legendary user who left approximately 350 comments on various entries of the Stormbreaker Universe over the past few years. Thanks @HistoryDude!

<=== Chapter 11: The Inner Circle

Chapter 13: Subject Two ===>​

Chapter 12
We’re Hunting Monsters Tonight

​

April 6, 2086
Alpena, Michigan


The end of winter brought a wet and muddy spring to the region. To the west of Alpena, the Thunder Bay River burst its banks, swollen by snowmelt. None of the trees had leaves yet, but a smattering of green buds could be seen. Birds sang while newborn animals made their first furtive journeys away from their homes.

Even further to the west, there was a strange collection of buildings. The complex was connected to the city by a single paved road. There was a mixture of old and new buildings here. Most of the newer structures were white ultramodern designs, and had the blue insignia of the United Nations across their facades. But there were also half a dozen buildings that were built in a sinister-looking utilitarian design. These black and red structures were unnamed and unlabeled, but each structure had a mark on its side, showing the exact spot where the insignia of the old ADVENT Coalition used to be.

Fifty years ago, this place had been a top-secret Blacksite for the ADVENT Coalition. The government denied its existence and whatever happened inside these walls was a closely guarded secret.

Now in the present day, this place was a top-secret Blacksite for the United Nations. The government denied its existence and whatever happened inside these walls was a closely guarded secret.

A mixed force of soldiers and armed androids was guarding the UN Blacksite. Men armed with laser rifles occupied watchtowers and sentry posts, while bright red androids patrolled the perimeter in groups of three. The facility was completely secure…

…At least… that’s what everyone inside of it believed.

Over the previous five days, the Blacksite was very slowly surrounded. So slowly, in fact, that the people inside had no idea that a hostile force was preparing to attack. Deep in the surrounding wilderness, twelve attackers were hidden well. Wearing brown and grey camouflage, they flitted through the forest floor like wraiths. When they reached the southern tip of Lake Winyah, the group split up.

Two smaller teams were formed. Each group consisted of six members.

Two Stormbreakers.

Two Wolverines.

Two Chippewas.

Like the Wolverines, the Chippewas were a team of guerilla fighters loyal to the old United States of America. Their leader was Emerson Deering, a grizzled outdoorsman who had not set foot in a major city for the past fifty years. With a hunting rifle slung across his shoulder, Emerson led the first team, consisting of Varian Robinson, Cetla Shu’naan, Lawrence Ridge, Cera Roberts, and a member of the Chippewas named Austin Hilliker.

There was Dakota Walter, a Chippewa fighter who was so old the rest of the team was worried he might just lay down and rejoin the earth at any moment. He was leading the second team. Piper Russell, Corder Leang, Jay Lansing, Kingi, and a Chippewa called Bradley Marrah brought up the rear.

The two teams parted ways and slowly encircled the Blacksite. They took their time, camping out deep in the forest and living off the land. By the morning of the fifth day, the Stormbreakers and Americans had the Blacksite at their mercy. Every weakness in the defenses was found, each of the guards were accounted for. The schedule of the starport was known, and traffic on the main road was understood.

Just after eight o’clock in the morning, a starship lifted off from the Blacksite. Supply trucks left the depot and the gates were closed. No one else would enter of leave for the next forty-five minutes. It was now or never.

With a soft humming noise four metal objects, each roughly the size of a football, flew out of the forest towards the android patrols. The androids did not have enough time to realize that these were Gremlin drones, a fully autonomous combat robot. A series of loud cracks, like bolts of lightning, sent birds flying as all of the android defenders collapsed to the ground, inert. One of the guard towers tried to raise an alarm, but it was too late. There was a flash of crimson light, and two sentries fell without ever knowing they had been hit.

From the top of a nearby hill, Kingi wielded a laser sniper rifle, picking off targets rhythmically, pausing only for the occasional breath. Each time he dropped a UN soldier, Kingi whispered into the radio:

“North tower, sharpshooter down. You’re clear to move up.”

Varian and Emerson led their team along the fence line until they reached the main gate. Two UN soldiers were talking into their radios, calling for backup.

“I’ve got this.” Kingi spoke through the radio.

Neither of the two men at the gate realized they were being shot at until they were both on the ground. Then Cetla turned his attention to the metal gate blocking their path. Austin Hilliker looked at Cetla and asked.

“What’s he gonna do?”

“Use your head.” Varian replied. “How else would a four-hundred-pound Micore open a gate?”

Cetla reared up to his full height and roared. Then he charged forward and simply smashed through the metal gate as though it was a shrub. Stormbreakers, Wolverines, and Chippewas surged into the Blacksite.

The attack had barely begun when Lawrence called out:

“We’ve got people coming out of the buildings.”

Men and women emerged from the surrounding buildings, their hands raised above their heads. One of them, a scientist carrying a clipboard, yelled at the Stormbreakers:

“Don’t shoot! We’re unarmed!”

In a matter of about five minutes, the entire population of the Blacksite had surrendered. Some seventy people emerged from the facility and were soon lined up in rows in the central courtyard, where they were being frisked for Intel by Dakota Walter’s team.

“Fan out!” Varian told the others. “Search everywhere!”

Corder summoned the Gremlin drones back to her and downloaded their reports onto her tablet computer.

“All of the anti-aircraft weapons are disabled.” She informed Varian. “We can bring Niagara in now.

Varian nodded and spoke into his (or her) radio:

“Mockingbird and Uplink, the skies are blue.”

A loud roar of engines told everyone on the ground the spaceplane was now flying in circle above the Blacksite, looking for a place to land. The voice of Maui Ririnui replied over the radio.

“Intel, folks! I want Intel! Scan the computers, go through the pockets of anyone you drop, and for the love of Jericho don’t burn anything!”

Dakota took the other three Chippewas started going through the pockets of surrendered UN scientists. Very quickly, a pile of flash drives, data cores, and scraps of paper appeared in the courtyard. Meanwhile, the Wolverines started to ransack the surrounding buildings. Cetla carried an armful of laptop computers to the landing pad just as the Niagara touched down.

As the boarding ramp descended, Robert Lansing, George Farshtey, and Emanuel Espinosa disembarked, followed closely by Ninu and Maui. The two Stormbreakers carried a computer terminal and an extension cable with them.

“The Hyperwave is already linked to the Shadow Man.” Maui reported. “Just start plugging stuff into the terminal and Ninu will upload it to his server.”

Standing on the edge of the landing pad, Emanuel folded his arms and let out an impressed whistle, watching as the Blacksite was systematically looted.

“You guys have done this before, huh?” He said.

“The UN had a Deep Space Blacksite near Wolf 359.” Maui explained. “This place is so much easier than that one, though.”

“How come?”

“The Shadow Man is on Earth.” Maui replied. “Transmitting the data to him is easier since we’re on the same planet.”

“Shadow Man?” Emanuel repeated. “Who is that?”

“Our boss.” Maui said. “He never shows himself. We don’t even know his name, and he covers his tracks better than Scarlett Freeman did.”

“Sounds like he and my wife would have gotten along.” Emanuel grumbled. “I’m sure glad I don’t have to meet him.”

“Don’t count your Husi just yet.” Maui replied, referencing a bird native to his Homeworld. “The last time we spoke to the Shadow Man, he was really interested in you. I don’t think you’re off the hook.”

…

Around the same time, two starships from the United States reached the Blacksite and dropped off nearly a hundred American soldiers. Unlike the UN military, aliens still made up a sizable portion of the American army. Partogans, Levakians, Hiigarans, Taiidan, Scyldari and Blorg disembarked and started helping to process the prisoners.

An American warlord also disembarked, introducing herself as “General Andrea Jackson.” She gave the Stormbreakers a curt greeting, sticking around just long enough to confirm that she was loyal to the Old American government before going off to ensure the UN Blacksite was placed under her personal control.

“She’s not one for talking, is she?” Varian asked.

“Actually, it’s because of us.” Cera said. “General Jackson used to be with the Cheyanne government. Last time we met, Lawrence murdered Jackson’s brother.”

“The bastard had it coming.” Lawrence grumbled as he watched General Jackson walk away. “Especially after what he did to your sister, Cera.”

…

Varian, Corder, Ninu, Cetla, and Kingi followed the Americans back to their starship. Meanwhile, Maui struck off on his own. The young Partogan was still interested in scanning the captured Blacksite with his smart glasses. Out of curiosity, Piper Russell and Emanuel Espinosa followed him. While Maui analyzed everything around him, he leaned towards Emanuel and asked:

“Professor, before you left the UN, didn’t you say they were working on some kind of secret weapon program?”

“I did.” Emanuel answered. “It’s called the ‘Prometheus Project’ or ‘Prometheus Program’ depending on who you ask. But the whole project was segmented and compartmentalized. I only knew bits and pieces of it. I can’t even tell you what it’s supposed to be, honestly.”

“But it is a weapon?” Piper said. “You’re sure of that part?”

“I am.” Emanuel sounded confident. “It’s definitely a weapon of some kind. The scale of the project, and the level of secrecy around it is reminiscent of the Manhattan Project from the Old World.”

Piper scratched her head,

“I uh… I’ve never heard of it.”

“About a century before Jericho, the United States invented nuclear weapons.” Emanuel explained. “They called it the Manhattan Project, and it was equally as secret as Prometheus. Nobody knows the full story, only the little pieces of the whole they’re supposed to be working on.”

Maui scanned a nearby building and detected something of interest. As he started walking towards the entrance, he called back to the others:

“Maybe we’re about to find a couple of those pieces for ourselves.”

Maui was staring hard at the digital display on his smart glasses. He followed the pulsing signal through the dark facility, moving slowly and deliberately, constantly turning his head to make sure he was still locked onto the signal. Behind him, Piper asked:

“Hey, Partogan. What are we looking for?”

“My name is Maui.” He replied sternly. “And we’re looking for a Hyperwave Relay. I just picked up its signal. Someone is transmitting a message, I think.”

Maui slowly moved up a staircase and onto the second floor. Behind him, Piper ducked into a security office and came out a moment later, carrying a plasma rifle.

“Just in case.” She said.

Emanuel brought up the rear, unarmed and apprehensive. Maui and Piper had only moved a few feet down the hallway when Maui held up a hand and signaled everyone to stop.

“Second door on my left.” He whispered. “There’s an enemy soldier with a rifle.”

Maui could see him through the wall. The man’s body was generating enough heat to be detected by the smart glasses. Maui lifted his finger and pointed to the exact spot on the wall where the soldier was hidden. Slowly and quietly, Piper raised her rifle and took aim. Maui watched the soldier’s heat signature. He was getting ready to fight, loading his own weapon and preparing to shoot through the wall. Maui nodded at Piper.

Piper’s plasma rifle went off with a cannon blast, shaking the whole building! A ten-foot stretch of wall collapsed, burying the bloody and mangled body of a UN soldier in plaster and metal. As the cavity opened up, Maui, Emanuel, and Piper could get a good view of the object in the next room.

A spherical device, roughly ten feet in diameter, was nestled in metal cradle. As it span counter-clockwise, the device made a humming noise and emitted yellow light. This was a Hyperwave Relay: a wondrous device that made real-time interstellar communication possible.

And it was transmitting.

“Shut it down!” Maui barked.

Piper ran into the room and smashed the butt of her rifle against the power supply box. With a loud clunking sound, the Hyperwave Relay stopped spinning, and the yellow lights went out. Emanuel found a computer terminal and pulled a portable hard drive from an external slot. He examined the drive and said:

“Damn, this thing was jammed in there hard. He must have been desperate to get the data away from us. I’ll bet he was ordered to destroy the drive as soon as the transmission finished.”

Maui snatched the hard drive from Emanuel.

“I’ll take a closer look at this. Maybe the Shadow Man will be interested.”

…

Maui stepped back outside and returned to the Niagara, where Robert Lansing and George Farshtey were still using laptop computers to analyze all of the Intel captured from the Blacksite. Maui asked for Robert to step away from his laptop, and before he started, Maui made sure to disconnect the computer from the Niagara’s radio transmitter. Maui didn’t want to send this data to the Shadow Man until he was sure it was valuable.

Maui plugged the drive into the laptop and found…

Well, he only found three data files. He was expecting far more. They were labelled:

• UNN 13th Fleet ORBAT (Planned)
• Memo – Doctor Spark
• Requested Weapon Test Results

Maui opened the first file. Inside, he found a military document:

United Nations Navy 13th Star Fleet
Order of Battle (ORBAT)
Pending approval from Secretary-General Pascal Etienne​

• Flagship (Scharnhorst-class Dreadnaught)
  • UNS Kurt Waldheim
• Super-Capital Ship (Charlemagne-class Battlecruiser)
  • UNS Charlemagne
• Capital Ship (Korea-class Destroyer)
  • UNS Incheon
• Production Ship (Jeanne d'Arc-class Fleet Carrier)
  • UNS Jeanne d'Arc
• Frigate (Mexico-class Frigate)
  • UNS Tenochtitlan
  • UNS Hidalgo
  • UNS Independencia
  • UNS Revolución
• Special Weapon Delivery Platform (Prophet-Class Command Cruiser)
  • UNS Akhenaten
  • UNS Confucius
  • UNS Zoroaster

Maui frowned as he read the list. Now, he was a Partogan, born and raised halfway across the Galaxy, which meant he did not know the exact details of the Human military. But Maui was fairly certain of one thing: There was no such thing as the 13th Fleet. As far as he knew, the Human race had only ever fielded ten starfleets. Plus, Humans are very superstitious. For reasons Maui did not understand, Humans were simply terrified of the number thirteen. There was no way they would ever append that number to one of their fleets.

Confused, Maui decided to open up the second folder. Inside was an interdepartmental memo, and it said this:


From: Bakir, Rafi
To: Shen, Feng Cai
Re: Special Delivery

We found one! Our deep space probes found a starship with a planet-killing weapon adrift in the Cirban Star System, near the Galactic Core. It is deep inside the territory of the old Kingdom of Partoga. Our shipbreakers confirm the vessel is a Partogan warship.

Scans show this is the Riri Nui-class Planet Killer Crast. The Crast was built in 1925 and saw action during the Levakian Uprising of 1928, where she was attacked and disabled by enemy forces. As best we can tell, the Crast has been drifting and derelict ever since 1928. Nobody has touched this thing in the past 150 years.

The planet-killing weapon is intact. Partogan records indicate this thing was called a “wrath cannon” back in the 1920’s. Etienne dispatched the French Carrier Jeanne d'Arc to salvage the weapon. Sec-Gen told them to deliver the planet-killer straight to the Divine Atelier, so that’s where the planet-killer is going.

I know you’re eager to get started with reverse-engineering the wrath cannon and getting it ready for miniaturization, but you need to know this thing is in bad shape. Whoever attacked the Crast blew away the entire stern of the ship. We can’t find the drive section, bridge, or cannon control room. You’ll have the gun, but we can’t give you the trigger. You’ll have to build a new one.

Also, we carried out the weapon test you requested. The Space Rangers describe your platform as being “high risk, high reward.” The phrase “glass cannon” was also used. See the attached file for a full breakdown.

Best of luck,

Rafi Bakir, United Nations Space Ranger Corps


Okay, now this was interesting. Maui knew all about the Levakian Uprising, it was a crucial event in the history of his own people. He quickly copied all of the data to his own computer. But before he could start transmitting data to the Shadow Man, Maui heard a shout.

Corder and Piper had just emerged from one of the former ADVENT buildings and were screaming for the rest of their teammates to “come here, quick!”

“You’ve gotta see this!” Corder shouted.

Dakota and the Chippewas agreed to guard the prisoners while all six of the Stormbreakers, plus Piper, re-entered the building. Emanuel, George, and Robert followed behind them nervously.

…

Inside, the Stormbreakers and their companions needed only seconds to understand why this place was a Blacksite. Once he was past the lobby, Maui used his smart glasses to scan each room.

“Guys, these are medical operating theatres… I see… surgical beds, and blood on the floor.”

On those words, weapons were drawn. Even tiny little Ninu, riding atop Cetla’s shoulders, gripped a laser pistol tightly in his hands. Maui craned his neck around, scanning the rest of the building. His smart glasses were working so hard that the frame was getting hot on his face. Piper and Corder pushed open a door and pointed inside. Just as Maui predicted, the group found an operating table and surgical tools.

“You can’t see all the blood, it dried out.” Maui reported. “But people died in this room. A lot of people… and none of them were Human.”

“We found this too.” Corder said.

She pointed to a tall an imposing door.

“It’s locked.” Piper said. “I tried to force it, but I think the door is reinforced or something. Your half-Levakian friend says she smells something bad on the other side.”

“Death.” Corder said. “I smell death.”

Maui scanned the door.

“Cetla, Varian, Kingi. Put your shoulders to the door.” Maui ordered. “It’s not as strong as it looks.”

Against the strength of three Stormbreakers, the locked door gave way and crashed off its hinges. The team poured into the next room and gasped.

“What is this?” Ninu breathed. “Some kind of prison?”

That was what it felt like. The Stormbreakers had come upon a long hallway, lined with heavy doors. The team fanned out and were horrified by what they found. The hallway contained thirty prison cells, and each cell door had a small window to look through.

Children.

Alien children.

No fewer than twenty alien children were imprisoned here.

Cetla and Ninu found a Levakian cub, barely alive on the brink of starvation.

Varian discovered a Partogan child, naked and terrified.

Emanuel found a Vanian fledgling, plucked of its feathers.

Piper ran to the far end of the hallway and threw up, unable to handle the horror. Similarly overwhelmed, George Farshtey fell to his knees and started praying to Jericho.

“Open the cells!” Ninu cried out. “We’ve got to save them!”

“Quickly!” Maui added. “Some of these youngsters are dying!”

One by one, Cetla stomped down the hallway, tearing each cell door off its hinges and liberating the occupant. Piper opened the hallway door and guided the alien kids outside.

There were four Partogans, two Amadii, seven Vanians, one Saiiban, one Assurian, two Kelt, two Levakians, and one Hiigaran. All of them were their species’ equivalent of young children. The Vanian, Saiiban, and Assurian captives were bird-like avians, but they were too young to fly. The Kelt were hatchlings, unable to fend for themselves. And finally, the Partogan children were old enough to walk and run, but their jailors were keeping them weak by depriving them of food and clothing.

Once everyone was outside in the sunlight again, Ninu sat down with the alien children and started to talk to them, asking about what was going on. George Farshtey tapped Varian on the shoulder.

“That’s a good decision.” He said. “Ninu is the smallest and least threatening. He’s perfect for interviewing these poor kids.”

“That’s not the reason we let Ninu do the talking.” Varian replied, “He’s is a polyglot. He can speak lots of languages.”

Ninu was in his element. He transitioned between languages flawlessly and without mistakes. He listened to the Levakian cubs intently before he turned his head to let out a series of deep growls in the Assurian tongue. The alien children kept their eyes on Ninu, and he encouraged them to speak one at a time. There was also one particular moment that made Varian feel warm and cozy inside:

Amongst the alien children was a lone member of the Saiiban species. Just like Vanians and Amadii, the Saiiban were an avian race, resembling very large and colorful birds. The Saiiban fledgling rescued from the Blacksite was too young to fly on its own, but it was able to fluently speak its native language, which was very different from the other languages being spoken in the group.

The little Saiiban opened its beak and started to make a fast trilling sound, followed up with a melodic series of whistles. Ninu tapped his foot in rhythm with the young Saiiban, and then he started to make similar noises. After a few moments, Ninu and the fledging were harmonizing with each other, trading bird calls back and forth as though they were singing a duet.

While Ninu interviewed the alien children, Lawrence and Piper ran back to where the Blacksite staff were being held. As soon as the Wolverines and Chippewas learned about the kidnapped alien children, things got unpleasant. Jay, Dakota, Bradley, and Cera all got violent. Striking and cuffing the UN scientists as hard as they could, the Americans demanded to know the full story of what was happening to the young aliens.

Meanwhile, Ninu made some headway with a Partogan child. The boy was five or six years old, but he was able to tell Ninu something very important.

“There are more!” Ninu shouted to his fellow Stormbreakers. “There are more children in the Blacksite!”

“Everyone spread out!” Varian yelled. “Start searching!”

Ninu turned back to the alien child and spoke in near-fluent Partogan:

“Kei hea era atu?” Where are the others?

The boy pointed to the far side of the Blacksite.

“Whakaaturia mai.” Ninu said. Show me.

It was a strange sight, a two-foot tall lizard being led by the hand by a similarly sized child. Ninu followed the boy across the courtyard, between two buildings, and finally to an open field next to the landing pad where the Niagara was idling.

“Kei konei ratou.” Said the boy. They are here.

Ninu looked around. There was nothing here. It was just a field.

For just a moment, Ninu was confused, but his unspoken question was answered a moment later when the Partogan boy knelt down and started scooping dirt in his hands, as though searching for something beneath the surface. Ninu was already cold-blooded, but when he realized the truth, it felt like he fell into an icy pool and sank.

Very few of the enemy survived interrogation.

<=== Chapter 11: The Inner Circle

Chapter 13: Subject Two ===>​

 

[Midnite Duke]

Reminds me of a WW2 concentration camp liberation. Surviving interrogation lucky or unlucky? With an atrocity like Camp Alpena, the UN must win, or the high command will face extreme retribution. Thank you for the update

 

[Von Acturus]

This chapter had some dark stuff. Like @Midnite Duke said, the UN blacksite strikes me as a Nazi-style death camp, one of those where Mengele and his ilk made their inhuman experiments.

Also, I'm curious: Pascal and his cronies seem to engage in quite a bit of historical revisionism and posthumous admiration in regards to the ADVENT regime. How does that rehabilitation of a collaborationist state that bowed to aliens tie with their xenophobic platform?

And, is re-using ADVENT infrastructure a long running UN policy or was it Scarlet's idea?

As for a more cheerful note, the Saaiban appeared! So nice to see this amazing AAR referenced in The Last Heroes!

 

[Macavity116]

Reminds me of a WW2 concentration camp liberation. Surviving interrogation lucky or unlucky? With an atrocity like Camp Alpena, the UN must win, or the high command will face extreme retribution.

When the UN took over from the ADVENT Coalition in 2035, there were war crimes trials at the Global Truth and Reconciliation Commission. At the end of this crisis, there might be a need to dust off the old courtrooms.

I'm curious: Pascal and his cronies seem to engage in quite a bit of historical revisionism and posthumous admiration in regards to the ADVENT regime. How does that rehabilitation of a collaborationist state that bowed to aliens tie with their xenophobic platform?

Pascal and his allies admire the heavy-handed authoritarian nature of the old ADVENT Coalition. Using a large and powerful military to maintain a police state was how ADVENT stayed in power from 2015 to 2035.

Furthermore, Pascal Etienne doesn't believe the Human Resistance is what brought down the Coalition, but rather the armed intervention by the Galactic Community during the Second Hyperspace War. Pascal considers the ADVENT way of governing to be a path to success.

And, is re-using ADVENT infrastructure a long running UN policy or was it Scarlet's idea?

Believe it or not, the UN has been making use of ADVENT-era infrastructure, technology, and equipment ever since the Earth was liberated in 2035. It's mostly because the UN very abruptly replaced ADVENT as the world government and quite literally stepped into their shoes. The UN military almost exclusively uses ADVENT weapons and equipment, this includes robotic combat units such as MEC Troopers, Spectres, Codices, and Sectopods.

 

[Macavity116]

Dear readers, I'm proud to report that after three days of working and stressing over the finer details, I have finished planning out the events of Act Two and started writing Chapters 16 through 29. Unless the National Guard pulls me away for something, the story will continue on schedule. The final chapter of Act One will be posted on March 19th, then I'll take a week off and Act Two will start on April 2. Here's a teaser of what's to come

The Last Heroes - Act Two: Fallen Savior

Chapter 16: The War of the Paradox
Chapter 17: Erin Hyatt
Chapter 18: Shadow Broker
Chapter 19: Grey Phoenix
Chapter 20: Party in Berlin Tonight!
Chapter 21: The Enemy of My Enemy
Chapter 22: The Woes of Queen Marka
Chapter 23: One Last Training Mission
Chapter 24: Inferno
Chapter 25: The Battle of Polaris
Chapter 26: The Many Deaths of Scarlett Freeman
Chapter 27: Faith Enforced
Chapter 28: The Crystal Palace
Chapter 29: Fallen Savior

Oh, by the way. There is not going to be any kind of mini-story playing out during the act breaks this time around, so I've got a free Saturday in the gap between Act One and Act Two. I'm thinking of making another gameplay music video (GMV). I've already made one for The Stormbreakers a year and a half ago. (see below) Would anybody be interested in seeing another one?

 

[Von Acturus]

13 chapter planned out? Amazing! I can't even stick to my plans for four chapters, how much 13! And the chapter titles promise great fun (as always! ), I'm especially curious about this one: "The Many Deaths of Scarlett Freeman". A great many questions will be answered, and a great many new questions posed I fear, in that chapter.

As for the video, go for it I say! The Stormbreakers one was very nice. What music was it that you used in the beginning, by the way?

 

[Macavity116]

I'm especially curious about this one: "The Many Deaths of Scarlett Freeman". A great many questions will be answered, and a great many new questions posed I fear, in that chapter.

That's why I like revealing the chapter names ahead of time. Encouraging the readers to engage in speculation and theorycraft is quite fun. And there have been a few occasions now where someone guessed correctly.

What music was it that you used in the beginning, by the way?

The Resiste et mords video used an EDM remix of "aLIEz" by Amalee. I used the original version of the song in my first (and kinda bad) attempt at a music video, History Forgets the Details. (below)

 

[Midnite Duke]

I LOVE the video. There are professionals with years of experience who would be ecstatic to make something half as good. Thank you for sharing.

 

[Macavity116]

Happy Friday folks! this chapter is being released a day early because the National Guard continues to be the eternally unpunished thief of my free time.

You all have no idea how much trouble this chapter gave me! It's been re-written four times and I radically changed the ending just one hour before recording the voiceover. Chapter 13 was an absolute nightmare to write and integrate into the rest of the story, but I am so... so happy to finally release this thing and put it behind me.

In other news, there are a few Easter Eggs hidden away in this week's update:


A new character will be appearing this week. "Polly Spark" is a callback to a story I told in the One Million Word Special back in All Our Sins Remembered. If you weren't present for that moment, here's a refresher: Akira "Paradox" Robinson, the main villain of the Stormbreaker Universe, is very heavily based on Polly Spark, (pictured below) a character from the 1997 children's computer game JumpStart Adventures 3rd Grade: Mystery Mountain. It was inevitable that Polly herself would somehow appear in the story.

The song lyrics you see in the second half of the chapter are from the indie song "Sail Away" by Koethe. A personal favorite of mine.

Near the end of the chapter, Polly is unable to pronounce the name of a small town in Michigan, specifically the town our heroes visited in Chapter 7: Emerald Avatar. The town in question is actually my hometown, and the mispronunciation is a local running joke here. Has been ever since that day when a US President misspelled the town's name in an official statement, leading to news agencies mispronouncing it. It was a whole thing.

<=== Chapter 12: We're Hunting Monsters Tonight

Chapter 14: The Man in the Shadows ===>​

Chapter 13
Subject Two

​

“It’s okay. You can say it.”

“No… that would be rude.”

“But you want to say it. Just get it over with.”

“Uh… fine. Your glasses… are… HUGE!”

Doctor Polly Spark leaned back in her chair and laughed.

“Like’em? Vasquez built them especially for me.”

Inez was sitting across from Doctor Polly Spark in her office. It was similar to the way Inez had left it five years ago, when Polly was her tutor. The only real difference was the addition of a graduation certificate from Yutaka Yamamoto University, framed on the wall above Polly’s head.

Polly took off her oversized round glasses and showed them to Inez. Concealed within the thick rims and arms was the tiniest computer Inez had ever seen, and a digital heads-up-display could be seen in the lenses. Polly returned her smart glasses to her face and rested her chin in her hands. The glasses were so large they seemed to cover the upper half of her face.

“Nezzie, you really have not changed a bit.” Polly said. “Ever thought about trying to tame that tangle you call your hair?”

“Don’t call me Nezzie. And aren’t you a bit old for pigtails?” Inez shot back, pointing at Polly’s hair. “Last time we met, you were my tutor, and I was too young to drive.”

“Who said I’m not your tutor anymore?” Polly said. “Director wants me to bring you into Prometheus, and that means I’ve gotta teach you about a lot of new stuff.”

“I just wanted to see Cassandra.” Inez replied. “I’m still really worried about her.”

Polly stood up and grabbed a tablet computer from her desk.

“We’ll get to that, newbie.” Polly told her. “But first, there’s a lot I’ve gotta show you before I can take you to see Subject Two.”

…

April 11, 2086
Bannack, Montana


Polly and Inez made their way to the central elevator and started the trip down to the lower levels of Bannack Base.

“Project Prometheus is a very large operation with a lot of moving parts.” Polly explained. “Director Freeman showed you the prototype engine, but there’s so much more than that.”

“Mom said we could regenerate Psionic energy with the engine.” Inez said.

“That’s the ultimate goal.” Polly replied. “But the prototype engine here in Bannack is too small to get the job done. The full-sized engine at the Divine Atelier should be able to do it, though.”

“Where is-” Inez started to ask, but before she could finish, the elevator doors opened and a third person stepped inside.

David Sepulveda reached out to push one of the buttons, but stopped when he realized Polly and Inez were going to the same place he was. So instead he turned to talk to them as the elevator door slid shut.

“Good to see you, Doctor.” David said. “You too, Inez. I look forward to working with you.”

Inez felt a chill run up her spine. She could tell that David was looking her up and down, and that he, like Inez, was thinking about their encounter at the Victory Day Dance five years ago. Her mind filling with bad memories, Inez shrank away from David. She kept her eyes on Polly, trying to signal that she was feeling uncomfortable. Polly missed the signal completely, instead trying to introduce David as though Inez had never met him before:

“This is Central Officer Sepulveda.” Polly said, “He’s from a branch of the UN military called XCOM. He’s taking the lead on the weaponization aspects of Prometheus.”

“It’s okay, Doctor Spark.” David said. “We’ve met before.”

At that moment, the elevator doors opened. They had arrived on Level Seven, near the bottom of Bannack Base. As the trio stepped off the elevator, Inez tried to put as much distance between herself and David as possible, but he tapped her on the shoulder and asked her to wait for just a moment.

Terrified, Inez kept her arms close and she hunched over a little, preparing to run. But she was completely caught off-guard by what David said next:

“Agent Espinosa… I owe you an apology.”

David kept his face relaxed and his eyes locked on Inez, and gestured with an open palm as he spoke.

“That night at the Victory Day Dance, I mistreated you, badly. I hurt you because I was selfish, and that is no excuse. You have every right to be angry with me. I regret what I did to you every day, and I’m sorry. I will never do that again, to anyone, including you.”

Inez said nothing. She was stunned and a little shocked by the sudden apology. Polly just stared at the two of them, slowly realizing that she was missing some important context. Finally, the bespectacled scientist reached out and grabbed Inez by the shoulder.

“Whenever you’re ready, Agent Espinosa.”

Rattled back into action, Inez gave David an awkward nod and moved to follow Polly deeper into the facility. David followed them for a short distance, but when the hallway branched into three separate paths, he vanished down a different corridor and was gone.

“Alright, Agent.” Polly said. “Tell me, what do you know about the AVATAR Project?”

Inez was not expecting the question, and she stumbled over her words while trying to look at the many closed doors on either side of the hallway.

“Well, uh, I know it was a secret project by the old ADVENT Regime.” She said. “The aliens wanted to find Humans who were sensitive to Psionic energy, and they used the sensitive folks to build a new life-form, the Avatar. Tens of thousands of people died just to make one.”

Polly waived a hand dismissively and opened a set of double doors.

“What matters is that you understand the concept of Psionic Sensitivity. That is the starting point for what we are doing down here. Take a look.”

Inez and Polly had arrived at what must be the central hub of whatever was happening down here. Quickly, Inez realized that she had walked through an underground office complex that was situated between the elevator and this place.

A cafeteria, even bigger than the one Inez dined at five stories up, was carved out of an underground cavern. Long tables stood in six rows, while an opening in the rock wall led to the kitchens. Doorways and archways provided an extra seven entrances and exits to the place, but it was not the curious layout that caught Inez’s attention; rather it was the people eating breakfast at the long tables.

Aliens.

About five hundred aliens were all eating or drinking various things Inez did not recognize. Inez was shocked to see that nearly every spacefaring species in the Galaxy was represented here, from the Humanlike Hiigarans, Taiidani, and Partogans to the slightly more recognizable species like Kelt, Vanians, and Assurians. Inez could see freakishly strange aliens like the rocky Praku, amphibious Vaygr, and nigh-incomprehensible silacoid life forms. Finally. Inez spotted a table populated by aliens who came from the same cabal of species that carried out the 2015 Invasion of Earth: Sectoids, Mutons, Vipers, and even a small Faceless were all shoveling food into their mouths.

Wait a minute…

A small Faceless?

Inez did a double take. She looked at the Faceless on the far side of the room. She knew these slime-covered bipeds could stand nearly twelve feet tall, yet when this particular Faceless was seated, Inez found herself at its eye level. That could not be right.

Polly was standing by the cafeteria door, looking at Inez as though gauging her reaction. Inez looked around the hall again and her mouth fell open.

“Polly…” Inez gasped. “Are these… are they all…”

Polly did not answer, and that was confirmation enough. Inez could work out the truth for herself. At the table closest to her was a group of avians. These birdlike aliens hailed from three different species: the Vanians, Amadii, and Saiiban. All of the birds squawked and honked at each other as they pecked away at their breakfast, and there was one thing they all had in common: they still had the fluffy, downy feathers of a bird that hatched only a short time ago. The Saiiban fledglings were singing in very high-pitched voices, and their feathers were soft and downy. These aliens were juveniles.

Inez looked from Levakian cubs to Kelt hatchlings before gazing, open-mouthed at Polly. A Neonate Viper, no more than three feet long, slithered along the floor between Polly’s feet before curling up underneath a space heater on the far side of the room. The young Viper, like every other alien in the room, was dressed in a grey jumpsuit that looked like the sort of things a person would wear in a maximum security prison. Each alien had a four-digit number sewn onto the right sleeve of his or her uniform, or on the front of whatever passed for the chest.

“They’re all children!” Inez said. “Alien kids!”

“Yes, they are.” Polly replied coolly.

“But… where are they coming from!?” Inez pressed.

“We have ways.” Polly replied in a noncommittal tone. “If there’s one thing the other species of the Galaxy can do right, its keeping us well supplied with new subjects to test. Quite a few of them have demonstrated Psionic potential, but so far no one has been able to surpass the performance of Subject Two.”

Polly pointed towards the furthest, most distant corner of the room. Here, Inez saw about fifty alien children all gathered in a group. They were cheering and clapping at something they clearly found wonderful. Polly signaled Inez to follow.

Pushing on little heads and shoulders, Inez waded into the group of children, craning her neck to see what had drawn their attention. In the center of the semicircle, Inez spotted a familiar face.

It was Cassandra! Like the others, she was wearing the same prisoner’s garb as everyone else, with the number “0002” embroidered on her sleeve. Compared with the last time Inez had seen her, Cassandra looked noticeably different. Cassandra had lost some of her color. She looked pale and skinny, even more so than previously. Also, Cassandra’s hair, once long enough to touch her waist, had been cut short. Now Cassandra’s black hair barely reached her shoulders, and she had one bald spot on the right side of her head, covered up with a thick bandage that could only be explained by recent brain surgery.

Yet, Cassandra was clearly having fun. A very young Saiiban with colorful plumage was sitting on her shoulder, singing a cheerful tune. Humming in time with her avian companion, Cassandra was dancing along with the music. Cassandra twirled in place and shot green sparks from her hands, which flew into the air and snapped like tiny fireworks, showering the space around her with twinkling green lights. Levakian cubs swatted at the falling sparks while Amadii and Vanians were transfixed by the light show. A Partogan boy was dancing as well, pretending to do the same thing as Cassandra.

Lost in the joyful oblivion, Cassandra stood up on her tip-toes and twirled like an Old World ballerina. A constellation of emerald sparks spun away from her waist like the folds of a skirt before settling gently to the ground. A group of juvenile Vaygr reached out to catch the flickering green lights in their slimy graspers before they went out.

Inez found herself feeling very conflicted. On the one hand, she was filled with immense joy for Cassandra. Seeing the little girl happy after everything that happened earlier took a huge load off Inez’s shoulders. She had been worried about Cassandra ever since that night in Michigan…

But…

She still could not forget the other side of Cassandra, the terrifying specter of violence and flame, which emerged at the very moment Cassandra realized she was being abducted. Instinctively, Inez reached up to feel the sore patches of skin on her face and neck. The burns were gone, thanks to a little in-house Gene Therapy, but Inez could still feel a twinge of pain as she thought back to that night.

To her left, Polly began to applaud loudly.

“Beautiful, Subject Two, so beautiful.” Polly said to Cassandra. “Your talents are the pride and joy of Bannack!”

The show ended abruptly. All of the sparkling lights around Cassandra went out as though someone had thrown a blanket over the whole scene. Cassandra looked at Polly, and Inez saw the little girl shrink backwards. Cassandra was clearly frightened of Polly. But then, Cassandra spotted Inez.

Like a bullet from a gun, Cassandra shot through the crowd of children towards Inez and wrapped around her in the biggest hug such a small child can possibly give.

“Nezzie!” Cassandra cried out. “It’s you! You came back!”

Inez opened her mouth to voice her usual complaint, but thought better of it. Instead, she returned Cassandra’s hug and said:

“I’m so happy to see you. I was worried after you… well; I didn’t know what happened to you.”

“The good news is,” Polly interrupted. “Subject Two is fine now. Isn’t that right? You have been taking your medicine?”

Cassandra nodded obediently.

“Two pills with breakfast, just like you said.” She replied.

“Good.” Polly said. “We can get started then. Subject Two, Agent Espinosa, follow me please.”

…

Inez was back to feeling nervous. She followed along behind Cassandra as Polly escorted them to a complex of rooms built right next door to the children’s quarters.

“This is a pediatric Gene Therapy Clinic.” Polly explained.

“I come here all the time.” Cassandra said energetically. “Did you ever come here, Nezzie?”

“No.” Inez replied. “I didn’t.”

Cassandra was holding onto Inez’s hand as the trio entered the clinic. Nobody at reception said anything to Polly. They saw her and pushed a button to unlock the doors. Polly led the pair into a small waiting room, filled with children’s toys.

Cassandra let go of Inez and set about brushing the fur of a very large stuffed animal in the corner. Meanwhile, Polly pushed a button on the intercom by the door.

“Subject Two is here early today. Agent Espinosa will be joining us for today’s test.”

A voice replied through the speaker.

“Go to the observation deck. We’ll get everything ready in here.”

Inez was alarmed at being made to separate from Cassandra so soon after reuniting with her, but Polly gave Inez one of those stern looks she’d never been able to resist as a child. Cassandra whimpered when she saw Inez and Polly leaving, but Inez quickly said to her:

“I’m not going far. I’ll be back.”

…

The observation deck’s name betrayed its true nature. Looking around, Inez realized Polly had brought her to a reinforced underground bunker. One far wall was made entirely out of bulletproof glass, allowing the people in the observation deck to look down at a small nondescript chamber that contained nothing except a single metal chair, which was bolted to the floor. Computers and tables strewn with paperwork told Inez that this was the place she’d heard so much about during her childhood.

“I heard about this room when I was a kid.” She said aloud.

Polly shrugged as though this was not supposed to be a secret.

“Not surprised.” She said. “We conducted some of our more dangerous experiments in this pit. I’m sure you were shaken awake by the work we do down here more than once. Your moth- I mean, the Director has given us permission to let you into the work now, since you’ve developed something of a relationship with Subject Two.”

Inez was starting to feel sick. She regretted leaving Cassandra alone in that room.

“And what work, exactly, are you talking about?” She asked.

The doors to the observation deck opened again and a group of scientists came in. A few of them greeted Polly before setting up at the workstations around the deck. One of the scientists stared down into the chamber below, then snatched a quick glance at Inez. With a lurch of the stomach, she realized this man was yet another one of her former clients from Binary Fusion.

Just how many people in Bannack Base had paid Inez for a roll in the hay?

A voice spoke over the intercom.

“This is Doctor Shen, calling observation team. Central Officer Sepulveda is ready to begin. Subject Two will enter the chamber from the south door.”

Inez felt a sinking feeling in her gut. She knew what was going on now. She was going to witness one of the many tests and experiments Cassandra was being subjected to.

Down below, in full view of the people in the observation deck, a door opened and two people entered. Cassandra was pushed into the chamber by a tall man dressed from head to foot in a suit made of fireproof materiel. Keeping the visor down, the man guided Cassandra to the simple metal chair in the middle of the room. He must have been wired up with a microphone, because his voice was being piped into the observation deck for everyone to hear:

“Now you sit in this chair, and we’ll get started.” Doctor Shen said.

“No!” Cassandra protested. “Every time I sit in that thing, bad stuff happens! I don’t wanna!”

Cassandra started pulling away from Doctor Shen, trying to escape. The man grabbed Cassandra by the wrist and started strong-arming her toward the chair. Inez whimpered.

“Hey, Polly.” She whispered. “Is all this necessary? We’re scaring her.”

Polly narrowed her eyes at the scene playing out below, then she said:

“Espinosa’s right.”

Polly keyed the intercom and spoke, her voice piped into the test chamber.

“Shen, hold on for just a moment, okay?”

Doctor Shen stopped trying to force Cassandra into the chair, both he and the girl looked up at the glass windows of the observation deck. Inez breathed a sigh of relief. She did not want to watch Cassandra be tormented. She started to think that she might be able to convince Polly and the others to treat Cassandra and the other children more gently.

Yeah! Now that Inez thought about it, this might just be the reason why her father had fallen out with Scarlett. In her mind, Inez thought this made sense. Cassandra was being treated badly, and maybe Inez could find a way to change that.

This fantasy flourished in Inez’s mind for about two seconds, and then Polly swiftly destroyed it:

“Nezzie, Cassandra listens to you. Tell her to get in the chair.”

Inez was struck dumb by this demand. She just stared at Polly. Around her, nearly two dozen scientists were staring at Inez and gesturing at her as if to say, “Hurry up already.”

“Subject Two always gives us trouble at the start of these procedures.” Polly complained. “But we know she trusts you, so tell her she’s going to be fine, but first she needs to get in the chair and let Shen wire her up.”

“But…” Inez stammered. “But…”

She was trying to think of a way to get out of doing this, but her will was being worn down by the intense stares of everybody around her.

“Get on with it already.” A scientist grumbled. “We’re on a tight schedule!”

“The boys in the radiology lab get to have Subject Two later tonight.” Complained another researcher. “Can we move this along while we’ve actually got her to ourselves?”

“Do it!” Polly growled.

It was an order, not a suggestion.

Giving in to the pressure from everyone around her, Inez leaned forward and spoke into the microphone:

“Cassandra… hey. It’s Inez. We just want to do some simple tests, okay? You’re going to be fine, but we’ve gotta get this over with, understand. Please sit in the chair and let the good doctor wire you up, alright? It’s gonna be okay, I’m right here on the other side of the glass. You’ll be just fine.”

Through the glass, Inez watched Cassandra for a moment. The little girl nodded and finally stopped resisting. She held still as Doctor Shen used leather straps to bind Cassandra, pinning her hands to the armrests and tying her legs to the chair itself. To her left, Inez noticed out the corner of her eye that she was being stared at. Under her breath, Polly mumbled:

“Incredible, Director Freeman was right about her.”

Finally, Doctor Shen left the room. The last words he said on his way out the door was:

“We’re set up. She’s all yours.”

Polly turned her head towards the other scientists in the room and said:

“Central Officer Sepulveda has entered the test chamber. First test will commence at 10:30 in the morning, mountain standard time.”

Polly pushed a chair over to Inez.

“Take a seat.” Polly’s voice was now filled with excitement, as though she had been waiting for this day to come. “I’ll have your next instructions in a minute. Just sit here and wait.”

Inez did not sit down. She was wrestling with several impulses. She wanted to smash her way through the glass and wrench Cassandra out of whatever terror Inez had unwittingly sentenced her to. But before she could decide what to do, the door opened and someone else entered the observation deck.

“Shame on you Polly for starting without us.” Scarlett Freeman said. “You know how much the three of us wanted to see a full demonstration.”

Scarlett entered the room with two other people by her side. UN Admiral Ingrid Tsiajotso was leading Secretary-General Pascal Etienne by the arm. The Admiral talked in Pascal’s ear, giving him a detailed description of the room and the people in it. The UN leader himself was holding a cane in one hand, and was using it to feel his surroundings.

“Your daughter is acclimating well.” Polly said. “She helped us get the experiment off the ground.”

As Scarlett took the open chair, she looked at Inez and said:

“Excellent, Inez! Thank you. We were in quite a rut thanks to your father, but we now have a path forward again.”

Then Scarlett turned to speak to the UN Secretary-General.

“Director Freeman, are you confident that you will be able to do this safely?” Pascal asked. “We cannot replace the girl quickly, you know.”

“We’ve accounted for that.” Scarlett replied. “Inez, dear. I think Doctor Spark is ready for you.”

Polly addressed Inez:

“Subject Two clearly trusts you. She’s spoken about you a few times already. All we need you to do is keep her calm and docile. Just keep talking to her.”

Inez was frozen in fear. She knew exactly what was going to happen, and so… apparently… did everyone else. Scarlett, Pascal, and Ingrid were all staring at her expectantly.

Inside the testing chamber, David Sepulveda, similarly dressed in flame-retardant clothing, was approaching the now-restrained Cassandra.

In his right hand, David was carrying the end of a long plastic tube that coiled like a snake behind him. Cassandra saw this and started to squirm uncomfortably in her restraints.

“Is there any danger to us?” Pascal Etienne asked. “I’ve been told about what happens if this girl looses control.”

“No sir.” Scarlett replied. “No danger at all. These bunkers were designed to withstand nuclear explosions.”

Polly passed a microphone to Inez.

“Sepulveda’s about to get started.” Polly said. Just keep the girl calm.”

Inez opened her mouth to speak, and at first, her voice cracked.

“Cass, it’s Nezzie. Can you hear me?”

Cassandra stopped struggling and looked around, trying to see where Inez’s voice was coming from.

“David’s not gonna hurt you.” Inez said. “You’re going to be just fine, okay. Listen to my voice, just listen to me.”

Inez knew she needed to keep talking, but she was drawing a complete blank on what to say. Inside the test chamber, Cassandra was looking back at David, and she, like Inez, had just realized the long tube had a syringe at the end. Cassandra took one look at the needle and started to moan and squirm.

“No, no no!” Inez said into the microphone. She was thinking fast, desperately trying to find something to say. “Listen to me, Cassandra. I… I’m gonna sing you a song.”

Inez remembered how Cassandra had danced along to the Saiiban’s music earlier and she clutched onto that thought. She desperately wished she had her guitar, but it was probably collecting dust in her old Detroit apartment. Instead, Inez started to sing off the cuff, reciting a very old tune that came from the Old World:

“Sail on after me love
Will you sail on after me?
Will you fight the waves of oceans?
Will you still believe?”

The effect was immediate. Cassandra stopped squirming, she was focused on the music coming from above. Moving as slowly as he could, David started to insert the syringe into Cassandra’s forearm. Inez distracted her by continuing to sing:

“When I say hold up now
Will you stand against the breeze?
Will you stand tall and surrender none to me?”

On the floor, the entire plastic tube lit up as though it was a neon light fixture, glowing with a brilliant shade of bright green light. David waved to the observation deck. Cassandra was tapping her foot in time with the music, and Polly gave Inez a hand signal that said: “Keep going!”

All of the scientists in the observation deck were frantically taking readings and making notes. Scarlett looked at a series of computer screens and gasped:

“The power!”

At Polly’s request, Inez continued to sing. She launched into the chorus, picking up the tempo a little to hold Cassandra’s interest:

“You say I’ll never fall from grace
You know I’ll never call your bluff
You know I’ll never see your face
And say it's not enough
You know that its a long way down
You know I may not come around
You know that we're a far way now
To where were coming from
What have we become?”

“Director!” Polly called out. “I think we’ve seen enough!”

Inez stopped singing right away. She couldn’t help but notice that everybody in the room seemed to have been effected by her singing. A few noses sniffled, and there were tears running down Pascal Etienne’s face. Everybody in the room except for Scarlett had been moved on some level.

“Quite right.” Scarlett spoke in an unnaturally calm voice. “It’s time to stop.”

Inez heard a clatter of noise. Two XCOM soldiers stepped into the test chamber below. Inez could see they were armed with Arc Throwers, a non-lethal energy pistol that was normally carried by police officers. From somewhere deep in the base, there was a loud clunking sound. At once, the glowing green light in the tube faded away. Once it was out, David removed the syringe from Cassandra’s arm.

“This has got to be the easiest test we’ve ever had.” David said aloud. “Director, we really should have paired Espinosa and Subject Two a lot sooner.

“I agree.” Scarlett said. “Take S2 back to her cell… oh, and just to be safe… knock her out.”

“Yes ma’am!” Replied a soldier. “Setting Arc Thrower to 1.21 gigawatts.”

“What!?” Inez screamed, but it was too late. One of the XCOM soldiers raised his Arc Thrower, aiming directly at Cassandra’s chest. There was a blinding white light and a painfully loud crack, as though a bolt of lightning had just struck the room. Inez blinked furiously until her eyesight returned a moment later.

Cassandra was slumped over in her chair, unconscious.

For a moment, there was silence. Well, Inez could not be sure that it was actual silence, since her ears were ringing. But after a moment, Inez regained her senses and heard this conversation between Scarlett and Polly:

“Wow. Look at these numbers.” Scarlett was saying. “Just… wow!”

“You can say that twice.” Polly laughed. “How about we do the next test above ground, Director. Just in case Subject Two pops off again like she did in… oh, what was that town called again? Oh-sow-wow? Oh-wah-suh? Oh-woah-soo? Whatever, that little backwater in Michigan.”

“Are you kidding!?” Scarlett sounded like a kid on her own birthday. “Package Subject Two for transport, right now. She’s going to the Divine Atelier tonight!”

<=== Chapter 12: We're Hunting Monsters Tonight

Chapter 14: The Man in the Shadows ===>​

 

[Midnite Duke]

The UN and Scarlett are not exactly nice people. One has to wonder how many of UN has free will and how many are bending like Inez. Thank you for the update. The reading is tough, I have no idea how draining the writing is only how provoking.

 

[Von Acturus]

Something's very very wrong with Scarlett if, even when the murderous secretary general and the men doing horrendous experiments on children are moved by her daughter's song, she remains stoic. I gather Emmanuel Espinoza was unwittingly (?) truthful. Scarlett Freeman is dead, what is left is just an empty shell (probably with someone else on the commands).

 

[Macavity116]

One has to wonder how many of UN has free will and how many are bending like Inez.

More frighteningly, does this attitude and behavior extend beyond Bannack Base? How many other members of the UN government and AFUNE are like this? We'll get to see more in Act Two.

Something's very very wrong with Scarlett if, even when the murderous secretary general and the men doing horrendous experiments on children are moved by her daughter's song, she remains stoic.

It's really starting to seem that way, huh?

I gather Emmanuel Espinoza was unwittingly (?) truthful. Scarlett Freeman is dead, what is left is just an empty shell (probably with someone else on the commands).

I don't know why, but I read this in Obi-Wan Kenobi's voice. It's just a profound observation.

 

[HistoryDude]

Well, the UN and ADVENT aren't so different.

And the UN now has the prototype of a Death Star.

This UN attempt to remake the Gift... I think it will succeed, but they didn't think all the consequences through. After all, if psionic return... what says that the Shroud won't be remade? It likely won't be the same Shroud, but that means nothing.

I think it would be really karmic if Paradox restores psionic... and isn't psionic herself. That would be the ultimate insult to her.

 

[Macavity116]

And the UN now has the prototype of a Death Star.

I love the hell out of Star Wars, but in hindsight, I'm kinda glad nobody (besides the First Order) salvaged the Death Star wreck and copied its weapon during the long gap between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens. Planet-killing weapons seem to be the game-ending trump card in sci fi. Once they're in play, the story can only go so many directions. At least, that's how I feel.

And longtime readers, don't forget: I've already had a planetary destruction scene in this series. Two if you count Partoga getting snuffed out between chapters. I am planning a fun twist with this Planet-Killer plotline, and I do hope you all enjoy the reveal when it comes.

I think it would be really karmic if Paradox restores psionic... and isn't psionic herself. That would be the ultimate insult to her.

Oh, this is a fun idea. The irony would be so thick you could cut it with a knife.

 

[Macavity116]

<=== Chapter 13: Subject Two

Chapter 15: The Divine Atelier ===>​

Chapter 14
The Man in the Shadows

​

April 11, 2086
Bozeman, Montana


The Stormbreakers were waiting. Varian, Corder, Cetla, and Kingi looked down on a lonely mountain road from their vantage points atop rocky hills. High above, the Niagara circled like a hawk. Ninu and Maui sat in the cockpit while in the crew compartment; a heated discussion carried on.

George Farshtey and Robert Lansing were trying to convince the four Wolverines to join in their upcoming escapade. So far, Lawrence and Cera were on board, while Piper and Jay were holding out.

“This isn’t like two years ago!” Jay was saying. “I’ve got a family now! My husband damn near flipped his lid when I vanished for a week only to come home with a bunch of new scars. And what about Milo? The kid’s only two, I need to be there for him!”

Robert paced up and down the fuselage, struggling to find the most convincing argument.

“Look, Jay.” He said. “I’m not asking you to go to war again. You’ve paid those dues already. But the Professor’s daughter needs help right now. Jericho only knows what’s happened to her since we lost her.”

Robert folded his arms and gave his son a look.

“When was the last time you went home, Jay?”

“About three days ago.” Jay replied.

“And did you see the people I paid to guard your house?” Robert asked.

“The mercenaries? Yeah I did.”

“Well, those mercenaries are from the same group Varian is meeting today. You can trust me, son. Anthony and Milo are going to be perfectly safe if you come with us for another couple of days.”

At this, Piper scoffed.

“Shrike? Really?”

Everyone looked at her. Lawrence raised an eyebrow.

“You, uh… you know these guys?”

“Yeah.” Piper said, her arms folded. “Shrike is bad news. You’ve seen them before Jay, when the fighting was hot.”

When nobody spoke, she went on.

“Shrike is a splinter group. They were founded by a bunch of XCOM soldiers who hated the UN’s decision to make peace and alliances with alien races instead of conquering them. They ran wild all over the Earth for a few years after the Second Hyperspace War, but in the last ten years or so... they’ve kinda taken a turn. They started hoarding weapons and ammo, and building tunnel networks around their bases. Also, they destroyed all of their androids and hired people to replace them.”

“That must have been expensive.” George grumbled.

“They’ve been offering their services to just about everyone to pay for it all.” Piper explained. “Lawrence, I know you remember fighting Shrike before. Remember Mount Pleasant? Those guys who rolled up our flanks and killed Abby? They were Shrike. General Jackson paid them off.”

Cera winced. Lawrence looked over at her in concern. Two years ago, Lawrence had personally murdered the warlord Jackson after learning he was involved in the death of Cera’s younger sister. To this day, Lawrence and Cera still had trouble looking one another in the eye.

“Cera… are you okay?” Lawrence started to ask.

“What does it matter?” Cera cut him off. “Shrike didn’t kill Abby. Jackson did.”

Piper pressed on.

“About four months later, I hired Shrike.” She confessed. “That’s why they brought a hijacked supply train to your base and left it there.”

“Huh.” Jay said. “So these guys aren’t too attached to whoever hires them?”

“They’re mercenaries.” Piper said. “They’ll fight for whoever’s got Credits. After that, they don’t really do loyalties.”

…

Down below on the ground, Corder saw movement. Her lion-like reflexes took over, and she hunched to the ground. Her eyes and ears focused on a distant point, over the crest of the next hill. Gazing through her rifle-scope, Corder spotted an armored vehicle snaking its way through a valley. She checked her watch and then spoke into her radio.

“Coming straight to you, Aeneas. And they’re right on schedule.”

The lone vehicle traveled for another mile through the valley before coming to a stop in front of a fork in the road. The doors swung open and four men got out. They were all wearing plated armor, with hoods and masks that obscured their faces. Each man carried a magnetic rifle. The apparent leader of the group stepped towards a copse of trees, just to one side of the road.

“Well? You called for Sovereign, and I have come.” The man shouted. “Show yourself!”

With a soft rustle, Varian stepped out of the foliage. He (or she) kept their plasma rifle at the low ready.

“Stormbreaker.” Sovereign said. “How I hoped we would have the chance to meet. You see, you and I are alike. We both know of a greater threat, that the conflicts around us are part of a deeper whole.”

“How would you like to strike a blow against that greater threat?” Varian asked. “We’ve got a situation in Bannack that requires some serious muscle.”

“Bannack, the place where Pascal Etienne does research forbidden by UN law.” Sovereign mused. “Their work is an affront to Human decency, and actively contributes to the disaster we have seen coming. But…”

Sovereign held up a hand to stop Varian interrupting.

“Bannack is no soft target. We will require great compensation.”

Varian hung their rifle from a shoulder strap and produced a tablet computer. Sovereign reached out to one of his bodyguards and traded his own weapon for a tablet.

“Large transactions of money can be traced.” Varian said. “Do you have any contacts with Pactical Industries? We can use them as a go-between since they’re on another planet.”

“I have such contacts.” Sovereign confirmed. “I demand seven million UN Credits, all in advance.”

Varian narrowed her (or his) eyes at Sovereign.

“Two million Credits up front” Varian offered. “Plus you’ll get fifteen million when I confirm our target has been rescued from Bannack.”

Sovereign and Varian stared at one another for almost a full minute. It was a very tense minute, too. Finally, just before Varian started to sweat, Sovereign said:

“Very well. You’ve bought yourself a battle.”

…

April 12, 2086
Twin Bridges, Montana


With a great deal of rumbling and thundering, a convoy of armored vehicles rolled down the battered track that used to be a highway. Infantry fighting vehicles, bristling with weapons, took the lead while trucks laden with soldiers followed behind. One vehicle, an armored truck, had two flags flying proudly on top of it. The first flag was a large banner with thirteen red and white stripes running from left to right, while the upper left corner was adorned with a blue field that contained fifty-one white stars. The second flag was a blood red banner with a blue and yellow coat of arms in the center, while the words “Salish” and “Kootenai” adorned the flag in black letters.

This was a mechanized company of American soldiers.

The convoy pressed on until the road curved up, following the contour of a hill. Coming to a stop just before the hilltop, an officer with a large bushy beard disembarked from his truck and walked toward the group of people waiting for him.

Varian, Corder, Kingi, and Cetla were already here, waiting for the Americans alongside some twenty members of Shrike, including Sovereign himself. The American warlord shook hands with Varian and introduced himself.

“General Osmer, United States Army. I guess you’re going to be our dancing partner today?”

“Yes, sir.” Varian replied. “We need to take Bannack by storm; can your men get it done?”

“Honestly, we were hoping we could just burn that place to the ground.” General Osmer replied. “I had to leave most of my men in Virginia just to get here.”

“How many soldiers did you bring?” Sovereign asked. “And can they take that base?”

“I had to leave the bulk of my forces in Virginia.” General Osmer reiterated. “But I did bring along a trusted ally, and he was able to fish up some firepower.”

An American officer stepped forward and rendered a crisp salute. Just like General Osmer, this man was one of the many warlords who operated semi-independently from the rival American governments.

“Colonel Mason Sharp, Salish and Kootenai Tribal Confederation.”

The Colonel took a deep breath.

“Phew, that’s a mouthful.”

“I know you.” Varian said. “You’re the Warlord who raided Missoula a few weeks ago. Did you really chase Commander Fontes and his men all the way to Idaho?”

Colonel Sharp rolled his eyes.

“I prefer the title “Representative. The Tribal Confederation elected me to talk for them, after all.” He said. “And for the record, we chased the Boise Boys right into the jaws of the Progeny, all the way over in Hell’s Canyon.”

Varian raised her (or his) eyes at the Colonel.

“So you and your people are Ancient Americans?” Varian asked. “I thought they were extinct.”

“We might as well be.” Colonel Sharp admitted. “Nearly all of the old tribes were wiped out by ADVENT, and the rest have since died out. Niitsitapi, Apsaalooke, Nakoda Dakota, the Little Shell… they’re all gone. What you see here represents all that’s left of the Salish-Kootenai Confederacy.”

Varian and the Stormbreakers looked at the military convoy again. Corder whimpered when she realized less than a quarter of the gathered American soldiers were fully-grown men. The majority of the tribal soldiers were women and teenagers, while a few elderly men and women sat in the back of a truck. It was plainly obvious that every living member of this ancient tribe was right here on this lonely mountain road.

Behind Varian, Ninu sighed.

“I feel so sorry for those people.” Ninu said to Maui. “On my planet, the government has many programs in place to prevent the extinction of ethno-social groups. I’ve heard of this sort of thing happening on other worlds, but never imagined I’d have to witness it.”

“On Aoraki, we call it ‘going the way of the Snowskin.’” Maui added. “That’s what’s happening to my family, the old Ririnui clan. Not that many of us left, either. Probably the same number as these Americans.”

The Salish-Kootenai tribe added forty rifles to the group, in addition to twenty members of Shrike, six Stormbreakers, and four Wolverines. Seventy people would participate in the assault on Bannack Base.

…

Varian met with Sovereign, General Osmer and Colonel Sharp to plan the attack. Emanuel Espinosa joined them, as he had spent time inside the base and knew its layout very well.

“Bannack Base extends eight levels below ground.” Emanuel said. “And at any moment, there are about twenty members of the UN military inside, plus about a hundred military androids.”

“We won’t have the advantage of numbers today.” General Osmer said. “How do we storm this place?”

“We don’t have to. They’ll come out to us.” Emanuel replied. “Look here.”

Emanuel knelt down and started to draw a map in the dirt with his finger.

“Bannack Base is entirely underground, and we can use that to our advantage.” Emanuel began. “There are only two entrances: there’s an industrial elevator concealed inside of Meade’s Hotel, next to Hangman’s Gulch. There’s also a pedestrian entrance right here where Grasshopper Creek curves to the North. It’s going to look like the entrance to an ancient gold mine, but you can just walk into the base through there.”

“My people will dynamite the mine entrance.” Colonel Sharp said. “That will force the defenders up through the elevator.”

“You need to post some shooters on this hilltop.” Emanuel added. “There are ventilation shafts up here. That’s how the base gets its air supply, and the shafts have emergency ladders in case of an evacuation.”

“You mentioned androids.” Varian said. “What kind?”

Emanuel looked at Varian with a raised eyebrow and the Stormbreaker replied:

“The UN inherited a whole army of robotic combat units from the ADVENT Coalition. Dozens of different types of robots, and some of them are more intelligent than others, depending on their specialization. Trust me; a fight against a MEC Trooper is completely different than a fight against something like a Cyberdisk or a Sectopod or a Codex.”

Emanuel shuddered.

“Well I can guarantee they have MEC Troopers down there. At least a hundred.”

Varian nodded.

“Good. Those things are definitely not sentient. We can hack them. I’ll talk to Maui when we’re done here.”

General Osmer scratched his beard in thought.

“Now what exactly is the plan here? We don’t have enough fighters to hold the ground once we take it. And if the Cheyanne faction finds out what we’re doing here…”

“General, with all due respect,” Colonel Sharp interrupted. “Cheyanne definitely knows we’re here. They have their own recons in the mountains, just like us. If they weren’t mauled by the Progeny, then Fontes and the Boise Boys will be back in these mountains soon, if they aren’t already. A spaceplane and a military convoy will not go unnoticed. Is there any way Columbus can send reinforcements this way?”

“No.” Osmer replied. “We’re too deep inside of Cheyanne’s territory. Plus, the UN Seventh Army is on the other side of the Cascades, just waiting for us to pull Cheyanne’s troops away. This attack needs to be a hit-and-run. As for our objective, our Stormbreaker friend has that answer.”

Varian nodded and pulled two photographs out of their pocket. He (or she) passed them around the group and began to speak.

“These two girls are named Inez Espinosa and Cassandra. No last name for her. They’re being held inside of Bannack Base and rescuing them is our top priority right now. Honestly, this should have been done earlier, but we’ve got our asses in gear now. The plan is simple. We get in, grab the girls, get out. Everyone clear?”

“How do you know the girls are inside the base?” Colonel Sharp asked.

Varian produced a tablet computer and showed the screen to the others. On display was a map of the Bannack Base, complete with a blinking red light, showing Inez Espinosa’s exact location within the base.

“Inez has a tracking chip in her body, courtesy of a Gene Therapy Clinic in Michigan. We compromised the signal, so we can track her location at will.”

“Has she left the base at all?” General Osmer asked.

“Yes.” Varian said with a nod. “She went out on a military gunship, did few a few laps around Virginia, then returned. We can’t take a chance on her flying away and never coming back, because the trackers don’t work when the person is in space. If Nezzie leaves the planet, we’ll never find her again, so we need to rescue her right now, and if we can… we need to rescue Cassandra as well.”

The assembled leaders nodded grimly.

…

April 14, 2086
Bannack, Montana


Everything was set. Just like the Blacksite in Alpena, Bannack Base was slowly and quietly surrounded during the dead of night. Varian personally selected a hilltop for the Stormbreakers to occupy, while General Osmer and the American soldiers took all of the remaining high ground. Colonel Sharp's forces brought a surprise with them, taking the shape of a heavy rail gun, no doubt pulled off a former starship. Towed into position behind a truck, the railgun was pointed directly at the entrance to Bannack Base.

About an hour before sunrise, one of the Ancient Americans, dressed in camouflage fatigues, emerged from the shadows and climbed to meet the Stormbreakers on the high ground. He delivered the following report:

“Something is happening at Bannack. Starships are coming and going from the site in great numbers. Each vessel stays on the landing pad for only a few minutes, where it takes on passengers and cargo before lifting off again.”

Corder flattened her ears.

“Damnit, the jig is up. They must know we're here.”

Varian shook his (or her) head.

“No, hold on a second.” Varian said. “Was the base on alert?”

“No, sir.” The scout replied. “Guards are at a minimum, and most of the base staff are helping load passengers and crew onto their ships.”

Ninu cradled his laser pistol, looking concerned. Finally, he spoke:

“Wait a moment. These passengers being put on the ships. Can you describe them?”

The scout nodded, his eyes gleaming in the darkness.

“Children.” He said. “Alien children. I saw Taiidani, Assurian, Partogan and Hiigarans, boys and girls alike, marching with guns at their backs, chained together by the wrists and ankles. Levakian cubs in cages, Kelt hatchlings in boxes, and so on.”

Cetla spoke in a low rumble:

“Did you see any Human girls? Black hair, pale skin, a little skinny, perhaps malnourished?”

The scout leaned forward and whispered:

“Yes. A small twig of a girl, no older than ten. Short black hair. She was handcuffed, shackled at the ankles, and gagged. She was so restrained you would think she was the most dangerous killer in the whole base.”

“Cassandra.” Kingi breathed. “That’s definitely her.”

“What happened to her?” Ninu asked the scout.

“She was placed aboard a UN starship. It flew Southeast.”

All six of the Stormbreakers forgot to breathe. Finally, Maui said:

“Son of a Kinloka! She’s gone!”

Kingi turned to Varian.

“Quick, check the tracker! Is Nezzie still in the base!?”

Varian quickly whipped out her (or his) tablet computer and fired up the tracking program.

“Shit!” Varian cursed. “She just left the base and she’s walking towards the starship port! She’s gonna leave!”

Varian pointed to the scout.

“Tell the Americans to start the attack right now, we can’t wait any longer.” Then they spoke to the rest of the Stormbreakers. “We’re going in now and we’re gonna raise hell. We have to stop all takeoffs and landings! Ninu, keep the radio close and co-ordinate with the Americans.”

“Yes ma’am! Right away!” the scout said before he ran off to rejoin his comrades.

The team rose to their feet and gathered their weapons.

It was too late to rescue Cassandra, but perhaps they could still save Inez. As the seconds ticked by, all six Stormbreakers readied their weapons for battle. Even little Ninu was ready, gripping a full-sized laser pistol as though it was a rifle.

Just before the first shots were fired, Maui let out a very loud gasp that caused everyone to jump with surprise.

“What!?” Ninu cried out. “What is it!?”

Maui reached up and tapped his smart glasses.

“The Shadow Man is calling. He’s lighting up the Niagara’s Hyperwave Relay.”

“Are you kidding me!?” Varian grumbled. “Didn’t we tell him that we were doing this attack tonight!?”

“Yeah.” Corder replied. “He definitely knows already.”

Maui grimaced. His smart glasses were flickering as the digital screens showed one message after another. Then, Maui actually shouted! He tore off his smart glasses and uttered the single most offensive, mother-of-all-swear words in the Partogan language.

“What is it!?” demanded the other five Stormbreakers.

“Shadow Man just sent a text message to my freaking glasses!” Maui growled. “How the fuck did he figure out how to do that!?”

Corder grabbed Maui and shook him vigorously.

“What did he say, Uplink!?” She demanded.

Maui looked at his teammates.

“The Shadow Man says that we need to call off the assault.”

Without hesitation, Corder turned and loped away toward the American soldiers, yowling at the top her lungs.

“Stop! Call it off! Stop the attack!”

But it was too late.

BOOM!

With a mighty crash, the American railgun opened fire on Bannack Base! The assault had begun. Varian, Cetla, Kingi, and Ninu all looked around frantically. American fighters were advancing toward Bannack, firing laser and plasma weapons toward the UN soldiers in the distance. Maui shook his head.

“Sorry guys… but he’s waiting on us. Espinosa’s already in the Niagara.”

…

With extreme reluctance, the Stormbreakers disengaged from the fight they so desperately wanted to join. All six members of the team withdrew from the scene, falling back to the old Bannack Cemetery, where the Niagara was idling. Professor Espinosa was standing at the bottom of the boarding ramp and waving at the Stormbreakers to approach. Even though all seven people were relatively close to one another, they had to yell because the nearby sounds of gunfire and cannon blasts were overpowering.

“What the hell, Espinosa?” Varian shouted. “We don’t have time for this!”

“Tell that to your boss!” Emanuel answered. “When you guys didn’t answer the Hyperwave, he called one of the American’s phones. Then he called another, then he found Maui’s techno-goggles. Just… just get in the ship already.”

The Stormbreakers, plus Emanuel, boarded the Niagara and closed the boarding hatch, shutting out the noise of the battle outside. Moving quickly, Maui moved to the Hyperwave Terminal in the crew compartment and took the Shadow Man’s call.

“Let’s get this done and over with already.” Corder growled. “We’re gonna lose Nezzie!”

Around the crew compartment, a series of hologram emitters blinked and flickered to life. A dark image, vaguely shaped like a human, materialized in the center of the room. Even though this was a hologram, the person it was supposed to depict was very poorly lit. It was downright impossible to discern what this person looked like, beyond the fact that they were an adult humanoid male.

Emanuel Espinosa had no idea who this person was, so he hung near the back of the group and watched the following discussion play out:

“This is a really bad time, sir!” Cetla began. “This delay is going to cost us dearly.”

“We might lose Espinosa’s daughter because of this.” Corder added.

The Shadow Man shook his head.

“I think that may be for the best.” The Shadow Man said. “The report you submitted from the UN Blacksite in Alpena was very alarming. So much so that I cannot permit you to retrieve the Professor’s daughter at this time.”

“Now hold on a moment!” Varian cut in. “The Professor is right here! Surely he wants his kid back, sir!”

Everyone looked around at Professor Espinosa. He gave the Shadow Man a very nervous look.

“I guess this means you spoke with Mister Ririnui about my… uh… suspicions.”

The Shadow Man nodded. Maui scratched his head.

“Sir… I told you we had no proof. Is this really worth scrubbing the assault?” Maui insisted.

Before the Shadow Man could answer, Ninu interrupted:

“Ririnui, are you keeping a secret from us!?”

The team started talking out of turn. Some wanted to resume the attack on Bannack, others were demanding Maui and Emanuel reveal whatever they were keeping hidden. In the middle of it all, Varian narrowed his (or her) eyes at Emanuel. When Varian spoke, their voice was so stern that everyone fell silent.

“Professor Espinosa, you clearly know more than you’re letting on.” Varian rounded on the hologram of the Shadow Man. “And you have obviously figured something out. So spill.”

There was a moment of relative silence. The dull muted sounds of gunfire could be heard through the Niagara’s fuselage. Kingi stepped toward the boarding hatch and chambered a round in his rotary plasma cannon.

“This had better be good, boss.” Kingi said. “Or I’m gonna go back and help out the Americans.”

The Shadow Man’s face was impossible to see, but his reluctance to speak was palpable. Finally, he spoke:

“When Professor Espinosa joined you in Alpena, he told his story to Maui Ririnui, and Maui relayed the story to me. I cross-referenced his story with the information you gathered over the past two years, and I came to a conclusion.”

“No proof.” Emanuel grumbled. “Even I don’t have proof. Just a sneaking suspicion.”

“Professor, your evidence is circumstantial… but the timing checks out.” Replied the Shadow Man. “I am convinced, and so are my associates. Stormbreakers, you must understand that what I’m about to tell you does not go outside of this starship. This secret has the potential to be very destructive.”

“I’m on my way out the door!” Kingi called out. “Tell us why we should let Espinosa’s daughter stay with the UN!”

“Because it is too late to save her!” The Shadow Man actually raised his voice. “It is beyond too late!”

And then the Shadow Man revealed Emanuel’s secret.

At once, the atmosphere inside the vessel shifted from one of nervous apprehension to one of revulsion and horror. It was as though all six Stormbreakers had been dipped into the vile substance nightmares are made from and then deposited back into the Niagara. Everyone felt nauseous, disgusted, and violated. The knowledge itself was evil, a heinous crime against the sanctity of life, the universe, and everything.

Varian dropped their weapon on the floor. Maui felt a cold sweat running down his face. Ninu pressed the barrel of his laser pistol against his own body, realized his arms were too short to reach the trigger, and then burst into tears. Cetla felt sick and had to sit down, while Corder actually hunched over and vomited, heaving repeatedly until her stomach was empty. Kingi stumbled from shock and had to lean against the wall. Emanuel looked pale.

While he had his suspicions, the thing Emanuel was dreading was finally confirmed.

Then, Kingi rounded on Emanuel.

“You… you!”

“I didn’t know!” Emanuel shouted back. “I swear I didn’t know!”

“Bullshit!” Varian shrieked, their eyes filling with tears. “If there’s really two of them out there, it means you fucked her least twice you sick freak! You knew what you were doing, don’t lie!”

“What were you thinking!?” Corder screamed. “Anything at all!?”

“I didn’t know!” Emanuel insisted. “I swear on my life I didn’t know it was her!”

“Well when did you find out?” Ninu demanded.

“Six months ago.” Emanuel choked. He was starting to cry now. “I thought about… about killing m-… about ending it all.”

“You selfish prick!” Corder snarled. “At least slit the hellspawn’s throats first!”

“DO NOT TALK ABOUT MY DAUGHTERS LIKE THAT!” Emanuel shouted.

…

The screaming and arguing within the Niagara lasted long after the gunfire around Bannack fell silent. Once the confrontation was over, and everybody had lost their voices, the Stormbreakers and Emanuel came to an agreement on three fronts:

First, Inez Espinosa was a lost cause and rescuing her was no longer worth the effort. She would be on her own until the time came when contacting her was actually worth the risk.

Second: Professor Espinosa was much closer to the true purpose of the Prometheus Project than even he realized.

Last, and most importantly: The Stormbreakers were going to need help. It was time to leave Earth and visit a certain ally.

<=== Chapter 13: Subject Two

Chapter 15: The Divine Atelier ===>​

 

[Midnite Duke]

Emanuel, are you the father of complete evil? Cassandra, Keep Faith. Thank you for the update

 

[volksmarschall]

Better late than never to join!

 

[Macavity116]

Emanuel, are you the father of complete evil?

Talk about a weight on the poor man's shoulders! This news is going to be a game-changer once it reaching Inez.

Better late than never to join!

Welcome back! And you're not very late. By my count, we have 33 chapters left in this story before it's over.