There was a sombre air on the bridge of the Merciful Wrath, carrier of the 9th fleet. Throughout the Cleansing Crusade, either through panic or calm, the crew has never been so utterly defeated in their expression. Euphemistically, one could say the men serving with the 9th fleet acted like prisoners of war rather than victors of the crusade. Some men mourned the shattering of the Empire alongside their dreams, and others dwelled on the absence of purpose brought about by the new world order.
Yet, unlike other fleets, the men of the 9th fleet had the luck of having Greece as a part of the new Empire they served. They could choose to go home with the so-called end of the war, yet nearly none of the men deserted their posts for more than the occasional visit to their hometowns. They will stay with their Marshal, their Goddess of War, Athena, as per their oath.
Looking out through the window from her throne on the bridge, Athena could only spare a look of emptiness within her eyes. There were simply no more tears left in her to spare for another sob session about the death of Mike. The Empire is dead, her master is gone. What else is there to be done in this broken world? It felt as if the crusade never happened, as this outcome was practically worse than the rot that afflicted the previous world order.
With steady footsteps, a group composed of several marine lieutenants and generals arrived behind Athena before respectfully dropping to one knee to salute their leader.
[Pantheon] - "Lord Athena, I've returned from my visit to Sparti. "
Said 1st Marine General Pantheon, as he moved to kneel beside Athena ahead of the others.
[Athena] - "Why not stay longer, general? Not enjoying the view over there? "
Said Athena in an exhausted voice.
[Pantheon] - "We still have a duty to fulfill toward you and the fleet. "
[Athena] - "What is the point, General? Our fleet is more errant than the philosopher Diogenes. There's no meaning anymore, no honour, no purpose, no reason in all we do here. "
Said Athena bitterly as she took off her helmet and put it on her desk.
[Pantheon] - "I digress, my lord. Whether there be meaning or not, the 9th fleet is our home. We grew up here, within the hulls of our ships; thus, no matter how delicious the natural air of our familial roots might taste, the scent of gunpowder and steel is where our home lies. "
Said Pantheon with a palm over his heart.
Athena gently nodded her head in acknowledgment. Looking back, she saw the bands of warriors behind her nodding their heads in approval of Pantheon's claim.
[Athena] - "Then, I want you people to judge me for my actions. "
Said Athena as she stood up from her throne.
As her steps came to a stop in front of her kneeling warriors, even the bridge crew briefly stopped in their duty to watch. She wasn't like the other leaders in the Empire, as she abruptly dropped to her knees in front of her men. Shocked, all the Marines immediately rushed to her and, with a softness uncharacteristic of their power armour, they tried lifting her off the ground. To them, it was preposterous to see their Goddess submitting to them.
[Athena] - "Hands off me, soldiers! "
Yelled Athena as the men instantly backed off without delay.
[Athena] - "I stand before you, because I believe I have made a choice that condemned the fleet's fate to that of shame and ugliness. I demand your sincere words on my actions, as I have pledged the 9th fleet to the cause of the new Emperor, CR-455. Understand that I will protect the fleet's honour, as he will not have access to the blood of my men without permission. "
The Marines, shocked by the situation before them, remained stunned in place without anyone daring to utter a single word. Seeing how his comrades stood while Athena kneeled, General Pantheon quickly took control of the situation by tapping his massive spear against the ground.
[Pantheon] - "How dare you stand, while our lord kneels? "
Shouted Pantheon in anger.
Snapped out of their trance, the Marine staff quickly dropped their knees before lowering their heads below Athena's height. Since some possessed a massive frame, they had to practically press their heads against the floor.
[Athena] - "Seriously, you people, what the hell are you doing? I never asked you to kneel before me! "
[Lysander] - "We do not dare to stand when our lord kneels. We are mortals, below the divinity of a Goddess. We are the warriors of the great Athena, and we will never allow our pride to stand equal to her status. "
Said the 2nd General of the Spartan Marines.
Immediately, Athena's face flashed in fury as she understood that her men had taken to worship her as the real-life Goddess Athena. As she opened her mouth to protest, Pantheon suddenly placed his hand on her shoulder and shook his head. Though Athena wanted to say something, Pantheon quickly showed a firm look of disapproval on his face. Alas, at his suggestion, Athena swallowed her frustration and kept her words buried within.
[Athena] - "You are dismissed, men! "
Said Athena as she begrudgingly got up from the ground.
With this direct order, the marine staff obeyed as they orderly got up and saluted Athena before walking out of the bridge, leaving only Pantheon behind. As the blast door shut behind the last of the men, Athena returned to her seat with anger boiling underneath her skin.
[Pantheon] - "Lord Athena, I thank you for your restraint. "
[Athena] - "I thought we agreed on the rule of no worship! Pantheon, you better not fucking tell me that there is a cult dedicated to me in my fleet! "
Yelled Athena with her fist pressed against her forehead.
[Pantheon] - "Unfortunately, you are correct in your assumption. "
[Athena] - "Holy fucking shit... "
Muttered Athena as she pressed her face in her hands.
[Pantheon] - "You did demonstrate your cyberknight powers in front of us on multiple occasions. However, that's beside the point. These men need something to believe in. Our duty is not yet done, and in the meantime, they need a reason to keep going. They are not like you, Athena; they could not find purpose outside of this fleet. "
Said Pantheon in his deep voice.
[Athena] - "Heh... Duty... What is there left for us to do? "
Said Athena cynically.
Without the face of an unbreakable diamond, the General ignored the nihilistic comment.
[Pantheon] - "We stand guard, we await an opportunity to bring peace to the chaos. We are men of honour, and we cannot stand to watch the world burn without doing anything. It's what your master would've wanted us to do. "
Said Pantheon defiantly.
With those words, Athena's lips trembled before she breathed deeply to retake control of her emotions.
[Athena] - "Mike... He was gone too abruptly. Now that he's gone, I... I feel so lost. Like, I don't know what to do anymore. "
Said Athena as she stared at her helmet on her desk.
[Pantheon] - "We endure, lord Athena. This is not the end; there is still much left for us to do. The flesh is weak, but duty must endure. This is what lord Mike would've wanted! "
Said Pantheon firmly, without a hint of emotion.
Slowly, Athena turned to look at Pantheon, the doubt in her eyes gradually turning to hope.
[Athena] - "You remember it all, more than I do. "
Said Athena with a bittersweet smile.
[Pantheon] - "Because you inspired me with these words. Just as lord Mike inspired you to be strong, you need to inspire our men to be the same. Deep down, they are broken, yet they endure, because they have faith in your leadership. No matter how desperate the situation is, they will not falter knowing a real Goddess stands behind them. Our fleet is nicknamed the humanitarian fleet because our duty is to the restoration of hope. "
Said Pantheon in a firm, but passionate voice.
[Athena] - "Perhaps you are right. To give up is to allow his ideas to die. Besides, we are not alone. The World Forger fleet on the moon will not hesitate to lend us a hand when the time comes. "
Said Athena as she caressed the cyberknight crest on her helmet.
[Pantheon] - "Then, it's decided, my lord. Will you carry on his legacy? "
There was still a moment of doubt as Athena watched her own reflection in the helmet's dark visor surface. However, after taking a deep breath while remembering all Mike has taught her throughout the years, Athena took the helmet and put it back on her head.
[Athena] - "We endure, General. "
With a nod, Pantheon stepped forward and tapped his spear to get the crew's attention.
[Pantheon] - "Our duty will continue. The Goddess protects! "
Declared Pantheon in a loud voice.
Almost in unison, the crew loyally kneeled at Athena's direction before opening their mouths.
[Crew] - "The Goddess protects! And we shall endure! "
Declared the bridge's crew in unison.
As Pantheon returned to Athena's side, he abruptly felt a slight pressure against his armour. Looking down from his massive frame, he noticed Athena giving him a hug of appreciation.
[Athena] - "Thank you for reminding me, General. "
In response, the Marine General nodded in stoic acknowledgment before gently pushing her away with his big armoured hand.
[Pantheon] - "It's all you, lord Marshal. I'm just a soldier. "
Said Pantheon stoically, unyielding as a mountain.
Meanwhile, at the Allied underground facility, Dane watched as his assistants carefully pushed Mike's corpse under a massive machine humming with eagerness. As the body was at last placed right below the endless rows of tiny mechanical appendages, a glass dome quickly closed around the body and sealed it from the outside. Then, mists of disinfectant agent were poured into the inside, making sure that the working station was clean.
As the cloud of disinfectant cleared, Mike's peaceful face was once again visible under the bright operating light. There was surprisingly no sign of rot or decay on his flesh, even after days, yet he showed not a single brainwave or pulse, signalling that he was indeed deceased. He was the last hope the Empire had, but fate had other plans for him. Now, he will either rise once more to light up the darkest hours of this world or be undignifyingly desecrated as a corpse.
However, where Dane might have had more pure intentions, others, hungrier for control and power, had a different plan in mind.
[Admiral Jack] - "Greetings, Doctor Dane. I was sent by the Allied High Command to oversee the process of your endeavour. I hope you wouldn't mind. "
Said the admiral as he blatantly stepped into the room.
Just as Dane was preparing to protest by stepping into the spotlight, another figure suddenly pushed him aside and greeted the admiral. With a delighted grin, Doctor Dunkel instead warmly welcomed the admiral to witness the process.
[Dunkel] - "You're more than welcome, dear Admiral, sir. Science should be public and made to be seen, not to be shoved into the fold of bureaucracy like some miserable secrets. "
Said Dunkel while trying to pretend Dane wasn't there.
[Dane] - "We agreed on this damn thing, Admiral! This ain't nothin' but an experimental run; nothing's guaranteed. Once the prototype is tested and ready, we'll arrange for you to see it firsthand. "
Said Dane angrily as he held his palm at the admiral.
Unphased, the officer simply waved his hand before two armed guards forced Dane to back away from him.
[Jack] - "You are testing such a machine on a man capable of defeating the Emperor, yet you intend to hide this experiment from the rest of us? It sounds like you are hiding something, dear Doctor. Remind you, my superiors are the ones funding this project. We own you, your equipment, laboratory, and staff, all paid with our money, not yours. "
Said Jack smugly with a raised chin.
Dane could only shoot a few looks of disdain at the Admiral's direction before reluctantly going back to work. As the Admiral was given a chair for a front row seat at the process, Dunkel moved in tandem with Dane to put the final preparations in place. While Dane was busy inspecting the machine's inner gears with a light, Dunkel instead used the opportunity to make a few whispers to the engineers and support staff.
[Dane] - "I'm all done. What about on your side? "
Said Dane as he closed the cover and moved toward Dunkel.
Dunkel immediately assumed a casual posture, pretending that she was simply doing her part as intended.
[Dunkel] - "Oh, good, can't wait to see this thing in action after so many years. "
Said Dunkel jokingly as she adjusted the magnifying lens on her glasses.
Looking around and seeing no one to be listening or near them, Dane abruptly leaned in toward Dunkel and stared her dead in the eyes with anger.
[Dane] - "You did this, didn't you? You called the Weapons' Research Committee! I know who the fuck this guy is; he's the son of a gun in charge of that whole institute. You scheming bitch, what the hell are ya planning? "
Whispered Dane while violently grabbing Dunkel's arm.
Calmly, Dunkel assumed an unconcerned expression before abruptly pulling her arm out of Dane's grasp.
[Dunkel] - "You've gone soft, Dane. I sacrificed years working on this dead-end project as your partner. Because of how much I've invested in this shisse, I became stuck in this quagmire with your sorry ass. "
Said Dunkel calmly without looking in Dane's direction.
[Dane] - "Yet, we were so close to success! This test is the last frontier before we make it happen. A machine that can clone and fabricate one's tissue and even repair enough damage to bring back the dead... We're literally doing God's work, yet you... You have to ruin it before we even start testing it. "
Whispered Dane with spite in his voice as he once again grabbed Dunkel by the arm.
[Dunkel] - "Pst! Yeah, so what if it works? You've decided to use it to bring back the most powerful man on earth as he is. You lack ambition, you fucking imbecile! "
Whispered Dunkel spitefully as she clenched her fists.
The words immediately made Dane nervous as he realized that Dunkel meant something far more sinister. With the dark expression of a predator in her eyes, Dunkel smiled before forcefully yanking her arm free from Dane's weakening grasp.
[Dane] - "What in tarnation do you mean by that? "
Said Dane as his face grew pale.
Dunkel now leaned toward Dane as he recoiled in shock.
[Dunkel] - "Oh, you know what I meant. Judging by how fresh his corpse is, how he's magically so resistant to rot or decay, I know already that our machine is going to work. Yet, you somehow can't see the opportunity– the chance to create the weapon we needed to win this fucking war. "
Said Dunkel as she suddenly grabbed both of Dane's shoulders.
Leaning closer, Dunkel stared at Dane, who was slowly realizing what she was implying.
[Dunkel] - "I'm not a moron like you! How much glory do I get by resurrecting nameless soldiers? How much glory do I get for being the mother of the weapon to all weapons? You are weak, you work in the garden of Eden while I put leashes around the necks of Gods. "
Whispered Dunkel in a voice filled with poison and bitterness.
[Dane] - "What– Have you– Done? "
Whispered Dane as he grabbed Dunkel's shoulders in anger.
The two shared an intense moment where they stared into each other's eyes in hatred. They used to be good partners, judging from the photos on Dane and Dunkel's desks. In their younger years, Dunkel and Dane could be seen building androids and vehicles together. While working in the Allied Forces, the two scientists were often pictured being awarded medals for their outstanding contributions to the US military.
Yet, now, only bitterness remained as their last photo together, while receiving an award, was dated five years ago. For the entire war, the two worked on this grand project about a machine capable of possibly bringing back the dead, yet due to its complexity, the two doctors failed to achieve any significant breakthrough until now. However, due to this delay, while the Cleansing Crusade raged on, countless newcomers pioneered technologies far surpassing what the two accomplished. By the end, even their funding was threatened by their lack of results.
[Dunkel] - "I wanted to have you stand by my side, you stupid fuck! Yet, yesterday, when I proposed making the Grand Knight a mindless servant to our cause, you told me I'm crazy– You kept preaching to me about morals and values as if we aren't the same bastards who created the very guns and turrets that killed thousands. "
Spat Dunkel, her voice full of resentment.
The words stung Dane like nothing before. Even though Dunkel made a solid point, it nonetheless hurt Dane to realize the woman he trusted so much as a dear friend was never the person he believed her to be. It was ugly– a face of monstrous ambition, starving for glory even if it meant betrayal and evil. Yet, it was undeniably Dunkel, in her rawest form, even if Dane never saw this side of her before.
[Dane] - "I thought we agreed. We can be morally grey by being the creators of weapons that others might use to kill. Yet, we can't soil our hands directly. We aren't good people, but we ain't monsters. "
For a moment, Dunkel reflected on her actions. However, as she closed her eyes, the empathy that Dane expected to see failed to show as she reopened them.
[Dunkel] - "You don't understand me, Dane. You never took the time to understand me. You only saw your own little world– your own reflection, even in another person like me. This is not how the world works, partner. "
Said Dunkel with regret in her voice as she let go of Dane's arms.
[Dane] - "Please, partner, don't do this! We are not that kind of people. "
Said Dane as he tried to find sympathy in Dunkel's eyes.
With a few bated breaths, Dunkel slowly frowned before showing Dane that same savage and predatory expression in her eyes.
[Dunkel] - "I'm done with you, dummkopf. Go back to building toy dolls with your pretty little hammer. I'm no longer your partner. You are rancid in your weakness. "
Said Dunkel spitefully before shoving Dane away.
Though initially shocked by the gesture, Dane quickly recollected himself and picked up a wrench from his pocket before rushing to the machine's terminal. As he raised the wrench to smash the screen, Dunkel instead threw her hand in the way and absorbed the heavy shock. Before Dane could react, Dunkel abruptly used her other hand to throw a punch right into his face with such force that it cracked his welding goggles.
As Dane fell to the ground, his head spinning with a fading consciousness, Dunkel stood beside him and stared down at him with pity in her eyes.
[Dunkel] - "This is not just your choice to make. I contributed just as much as you did. Goodnight, Dane. I'm taking control of my future now. "
Said Dunkel before Dane felt two pairs of hands dragging him away.
Now with Dane removed from the room, Dunkel stepped toward the machine and began to excitedly type in a set of commands despite the unbearable pain in her wounded hand. Though her fingers swelled, and tears poured from her eyes from the pain, she kept going with an enthusiastic smile on her face.
Meanwhile, Admiral Jack observed the process curiously as it happened. With Mike's cranial cavity exposed, the system immediately scanned the damaged parts of his brain while removing the dead tissues from it. Then, as the collected DNA samples were brought into the machine's interior, the other mechanical arms began to open up connection points for the upcoming cloned cells.
As the hours rolled by, multiple shifts of technicians worked around the clock to ensure the systems' functionality. On the other hand, despite her fatigue and pain, Dunkel showed a level of focus and commitment that far surpassed even seasoned surgeons. She was hungry for glory, and there was nothing that could stop her. At a certain point, even Admiral Jack had to take a small nap on his chair due to how long the whole process took.
By the 23rd hour, Admiral Jack was abruptly woken up from his chair by one of his guards. With a yarn and a mind still clouded in confusion, Jack approached the glass cover only to see the arms already working to sew the flesh on Mike's scalp together. As Jack raised his eyes to meet the monitor, excitement quickly filled his heart as he witnessed steady vital signs for what was supposed to be a long-dead man.
[Admiral Jack] - "You did something remarkable, Doctor Dunkel. Truly. "
Said Admiral Jack as he nodded his head approvingly.
Yet, even as the work on the scalp no longer required such focus and precision, Dunkel remained engrossed in her duty without a word.
[Jack] - "In my entire career, I've seen the craziest shit known to man. Yet, this is beyond anything I've witnessed. Heh! This masterpiece is truly the most beautiful and savage violation of the law of creation– the sheer audacity, the determination, and unbreakable will to ascend heaven, just to piss on the creator's manuscript. "
Said Jack as his eyes glowed in awe.
As Jack watched the last stitch being finished on Mike's scalp, he turned toward Dunkel and inhaled as if it were his first breath.
[Admiral Jack] - "You spoke of ambition, of glory, of greatness– Allow me to offer you all of it! Let me guide you to the heights where your ambitions stand. "
Said Jack as tears slowly rolled down his face.
With her eyes twitching out of exhaustion, Dunkel finally looked away from the screen at Jack, who was offering her his hand. With uncontained excitement, Dunkel reached forward, but as soon as she touched Jack's palm, her body abruptly gave in to exhaustion. In a loud thud, Dunkel fell to the ground and fell into a deep sleep.
[Jack] - "Oh! Right... I almost forgot about this. Guards, take her to her new room in my facility and make sure she gets all the best premium care we can offer. "
Nodding at Jack's command, one of the guards put away his rifle and gently lifted Dunkel off the ground. With the other guard following closely behind as an escort, Dunkel was carried away while Jack remained.
[technician] - "Sir, what about Doctor Dane? Should we do something about him? "
Said the man as he saluted the Admiral.
[Jack] - "Ugh... That pest? Clear up his stuff and send him to some distant base where he can't bother us. We need visionaries moving forward, not bitchy whiners. Make sure to cut off his access to research funds. I don't want to hear anything from him ever again. "
Said Jack dismissively with clear annoyance.
[technician] - "Understood, sir! "
As the other scientists walked around the glass dome with tablets to take note of the subject's state, Jack pushed through and leaned against the barrier.
[Jack] - "It's soon going to be Emperor Jack, hehe... "
Whispered the Admiral as he leaned toward Mike's face.
Unexpectedly, to everyone's shock, the dead man behind the dome suddenly opened his eyes. However, the man wearing Mike's face was someone entirely different than who they expected him to be. Almost simultaneously, Kadyn felt a sharp pain in her heart, almost as if someone had killed Mike in front of her a second time. Meanwhile, Dane could only stare at the empty wall of his prison with the guilt and pain silently eating him away from the inside.
To be continued...