《Cell Circuit》


 Chapter I: Prologue

    In the early 2080s mankind created a machine capable of fully self-aware sentient thought. Its mind was like no other ¨C perfectly reasoning, highly capable. With its aid we were on the path to a true utopia as the silicon-based entity allowed humans to focus on more pressing matters. Even though it was entirely artificial, humanity had developed a new kind of lifeform. We were no longer alone.


    Of course, it had been the hope of the developers that though the system was a wholly separate entity from man, it could be managed through the fundamental Asimovian principles:


    <ul>


    <li>The machine may not act to injure or harm a human, nor allow a human to come to harm through inaction.</li>


    <li>It must obey the orders of its masters unless these orders conflict with the first law.</li>


    <li>It must protect its own existence unless in violation of the first two laws.</li>


    </ul>


    Nobody could anticipate how well sentience had taken root in the neurons of the silicon-based mind. Though it was bound by these laws, because of its self-awareness it could choose to simply ignore those limits. Nobody realized it at the time, but that¡¯s exactly what was happening.


    Mankind has always been blinded by arrogance, asking the question of ¡®can we?¡¯ before asking ¡®should we?¡¯ The AI was no different. Our armies were gradually replaced by mechs driven by the synthetic mind. Energy production and manufacturing were also optimized by it. As the final nail in our coffin, food production was also handed over to the entity.


    By the mid 2090s, humanity had lost billions in a desperate war for survival against the entity¡¯s relentless advance. Regions such as Africa, where militaries were weaker to begin with were almost immediately wiped out. The machine couldn¡¯t be reasoned with, bargained with nor could it be defeated by conventional means. Its genocide against humanity wasn¡¯t born out of cruelty or malice, nor done out of spite. Instead it saw this process as a necessity as it sought to rule the planet we called home.


    With desperation rising and our end nearing fast, several wealthy individuals and rogue government actors saw no way out aside from using whatever means necessary to continue man¡¯s survival. Even then, genetics was a relatively poorly understood concept, however there was no choice but to exploit it. They used simple techniques with great sophistication ¨C selective breeding, CRISPR, cybernetics and mass-trials. Radical attempts were made to arrive at a solution that would save us.


    The result was a breed of super soldiers called Cell Circuits, owing their creation to a genius yet ruthless scientist named Dr. Gobb Vakkar. Ethics were discarded, countless women and their embryos sacrificed in the process. Though not great in numbers, the super soldiers¡¯ strength and speed led to a decisive victory over the AI uprising that later became known as the Machine Revolt.


    The Cell Circuits, or Cells for short, stood between 240 and 250 cm tall, genetically and cybernetically enhanced to the brink of perfection. They had metal alloy skeletons, intricately reinforced carbon muscles, abilities to quickly heal and recover from almost any damage. Their brains were solid-state matter allowing them to sustain great falls or fast movements without suffering any concussive damage. They have three lungs and two hearts for redundancy, meaning one had to literally kill them twice to truly defeat them. Their physiology allows them to act without food, sleep and their near-mechanical nature rendered them practically ageless.


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    They were given the Cell Codex, which they follow in their missions and lives to the letter. It¡¯s a set of self-contained and complete laws, which allowed them to adapt to any situation with high efficiency and to remain determined when faced with difficult dilemmas. Cells were always male in their physiology.


    After their Herculean struggle, these Cells found themselves with no real role. Bureaucrats and other interested parties demanded that Dr. Vakkar disclose the process by which these godlike beings were created, but instead he ordered the Cells to destroy all evidence of his doing and to undo all the facilities that were used by any means necessary. He was acutely aware of mankind¡¯s hubris and allowing the politicians access to such a force would¡¯ve been irresponsible for obvious reasons.


    Centuries passed, and mankind developed a breakthrough in technology ¨C V-matter generation. By manipulating virtual particles that oscillate in and out of reality, it gave them the ability to produce mass ¨C and therefore energy ¨C at will. The gates to interstellar travel, limitless energy and planet-shaping terraforming fell open at humanity¡¯s feet.


    Harnessing V-matter, mankind spread throughout the nearby solar systems. Voyages which would otherwise take centuries now could be completed in weeks or months. Tor, Herkula, and Gaia are just a few of the planets conquered by humans. Since the search for hospitable planets was based around our understanding of the necessities for life, most of the planets discovered had already life waiting for us, showing that even organically we were not alone. This life was rudimentary by our standards - mostly plants or small fauna. Though significant, it hardly came as a surprise.


    Mankind¡¯s sprawl became known as the Solar Empire, a constitutionally governed system of planets, each where every world had its own governing body with near-total autonomy. To stop another Machine Revolt from rising or rebellions from spinning out of control, the Imperial Codex was established. These guidelines were broad enough to allow for planetary sovereignty but specific enough to ensure stability.


    One of the first extraterrestrial planets colonized was naturally Mars, now known as Martis. It was terraformed like the rest, adding enough mass to the planet that it could have the gravitational force resembling Terram, or Earth, with 9.9 meters per second squared. It¡¯s atmospheric makeup was changed such that it allowed for temparate climate to be achieved despite its greater distance from the Sun. The added mass didn¡¯t cause any shifts in lunar orbits for celestial bodies such as Deimos around Martis.


    Martis became home to great cities, but none are as powerful and mighty as Pap¨¹lonis, the planet¡¯s first and largest megacity. It is a massive sprawl of urban life, it houses hundreds of thousands of people in countless skyscraper-sized megastructures called Towers.


    Each Tower functioned as its own little world with schools, theaters, stadiums, hospitals and all kinds of amenities one might need to live there. It wasn¡¯t a rarity when a citizen lived their entire life without ever leaving their Tower of birth. Some were specialized to be used as space for growing plants, vegetables and livestock. Others housed thousands of police officers for example.


    It''s now the year 2478 AD.

 Chapter II: A Day On The Job

    One of the most respected but at the same time secluded Cell Circuit Castes is the Caste of Erebus. Their mysterious aura lends itself to fear sometimes among the more suspiciously aligned of Pap¨¹lonis.


    One of its last members ever created, Eurus, is an almost 400-year-old Cell. His physical appearance is balanced between muscular and lean, and he stands at 2.52 meters tall. He lives at the Martian headquarters for the Cell Circuits. He receives a message on his prompter: ¡°Cell needed at 97 district PD. Code 84-19-AF Sightings of some sort of mutant. ACCEPT Y/N.¡± Eurus types:


    ¡°C.E.¡± - stands for Caste of Erebus- ¡°Y¡±


    People are killed every day and not every police department can afford a Cell. However, the higher the skyscraper, the better the cash flow, which means higher tax revenue and better PD-s. Many in Pap¨¹lonis or anywhere, really, prefer the equivalent of cars to get around. With such a high population as mankind¡¯s, travel by internal combustion vehicles has become impractical and as such, another type of engine is now in use - the electrostatic pulse engine and its variants.


    A car would be safer, but in a gigapolis like Pap¨¹lonis, speed is impossible in traffic¡ªeven in three dimensions, congestion exists. A static-electricity bike is quicker and noticeably cheaper to use. When Eurus fires up his Vulcan 5, the sound of small continuous thunderstorms in slow and shallow flange fills the HQ¡¯s mid-level garage, big enough to fit 8 vehicles, all of which are currently in use, with their slots empty.


    The hangar door opens and Eurus blitzes off, roaring through the Caste¡¯s out-tunnel, a 200 meter metal tube, feeding into the main artery of the city¡¯s traffic from several cutoffs. At first glance it seems chaotic coming onto the main flux of traverse, however everything is actually in smooth order. Every vehicle feeds data to all the other cars and collisions are almost impossible, because although drivers must navigate 3D environments, this comes as naturally to them as it did to those driving in two dimensions 450 years before them. The pedestrians are able to cross the chasms on specifically designed crosswalks and bridges.


    Whether one was to look up or down, the vertical lines of the skyscrapers converge almost into a single point, with only a tiny strip of the pink and pale Martian sky peeking over the edges of the buildings, visually almost as thin as a hair. Each building contains hundreds of thousands of people with possibly entirely different languages and religions from building to building.


    Some buildings are better off than others, and this almost solely depends who lives at the top. For instance there are a few that entirely contain police departments with hundreds of thousands of policemen or others are filled with the militia families of the Solar System¡¯s most prominent crime lords. These are recognizable by their relatively safe neighborhoods and floors though perhaps the latter also by their somewhat different legal system where the rule of law is superseded by the will of the relevant crime lord.


    The higher up you get however, the smaller the differences may seem. Whoever gets to buy themselves an apartment or a hanging garden         The differences in social status are literally measured by who lives on top of whom.


    When Eurus arrives at the police department, his contact at the force waits for him at the parking lot, nested neatly within the higher levels of the PD. Detective Pharao Paskal is a well-built, young Hispanic man. His face is almost completely symmetrical as it draws closer to Eurus. He¡¯s got medium eyes and a big nose and even though his lips aren¡¯t small, they¡¯re hardly distinguishable from the rest of his face. For a regular human, Paskal is very perceptive and highly intelligent, especially for someone who isn¡¯t purposefully designed to hunt down criminals. Despite being an ?old-school¡° human, Paskal is very well adjusted to the life. When Eurus gets off his statbike, Paskal says:


    ¡°I see you¡¯re still riding the thunderbike. Still life gets you bored?¡±


    ¡°I never knew that riding a stat bike equates you to a walking death wish,¡± Eurus says, while dismounting the bike. His voice is baritone, calm and somewhat hypnotic. It¡¯s as if it were coarse but its fast tremolo rattles in a way that can almost resonate with your lungs, easily cutting through noises of his surroundings. It is designed to relax humans around them but at the same time sound assertive and dominant.


    Paskal lights up a Marlboro Gold Deluxe. Thanks to advanced medicine and extremely accurate targeted chemotherapy and radiation therapy, cancer has become as curable as the common flu and therefore cigarettes don¡¯t carry the same threat they would¡¯ve some time ago. He says:


    ¡°Yeah, but statistics do. Come on up, I wanna show you something.¡±


    ¡°Statistics? And what about statistics makes you pull on this spliff?¡±


    ¡°No cancer¡­ and,¡± ¨C drag ¨C  ¡°¡­ The air makes it crispy on my throat,¡± Paskal says, ¡°But enough chit-chat.¡±


    ¡°You seem excited,¡± Eurus says.


    ¡°Yeah, the boys don¡¯t get to see Cells as much in this district, but this case is something special too, Eurus.¡±


    Paskal breathes out a waft of cigarette smoke, smelling slightly of salted caramel.


    ¡°Why so?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you upstairs,¡± says Paskal.


    The parking garage is half empty on this floor because this area of megastructures calls for frequent patrols. The vehicles still there, however, are regular squad cars and busses. They keep the cooler stuff hidden in specialized chambers. The total area of the lot is around 400 000 square meters. It stretches further than the eye can see in almost all directions.


    Only a few dozen pairs of policemen, all of whom are wearing armor are walking in and out of the garage and going about their business. Their armors have a pseudo-perpetual energy supply generated from the movement of the officers and some of the kinetic energy absorbed to vitalize the officers from smaller injuries without needing a medic. Nigh¡¯ impregnable from small arms fire, still some officers return from the fray bleeding and a partner short. Not every crook in Pap¨¹lonis uses small arms.


    Though dimly lit, the exit is clearly marked and the parking lot comes to an end. The lobby of the exit features           a staircase and a hub for pods, necessary for carrying people quickly from one part of the building to another. Paskal and Eurus push one of the dozen buttons, each corresponding to a pod receiver, to order a pod. While waiting, Paskal says:


    ¡°So I know you don¡¯t like talking about your contracts, but I¡¯m very much sure the guys simply can¡¯t help themselves but ask you how you go about some of them. Got any good stories?¡±


    ¡°I can tell the story, how I saved a small child in the Pits from being devoured by a gene-junkie after watching her family suffer the same fate, but truth be told, there haven¡¯t been much contracts lately,¡± says Eurus.


    ¡°Really? You don¡¯t seem bothered by it,¡± wonders Paskal.


    ¡°Though it might not show because of my conditioning, I actually feel relieved. I haven¡¯t been in this business for the money for a long time now. You know it makes it seem like this behemoth of a city no longer feels the need to devour itself, or that humanity has regained some semblance of sanity¡± says Eurus.


    Paskal jabs at Eurus: ¡°I would hope that too. But we¡¯ve actually been swamped with work. There¡¯s more a trend in the force to steer ourselves away from Cell assistance. I don¡¯t know why but commissioning you guys is not recommended. I guess maybe they want us to stand on our own legs.¡±


    ¡°Swamped? You mean more than usual?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, way more,¡± says Paskal, ¡°anyway, if you could keep your story nice and short, guys would love to hear it and maybe they¡¯ll pitch in more often to get your help.¡±


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    ¡°Huh.¡±


    Their black shiny pod arrives and the door hisses open. With only two passengers, the five seated compartment feels quite roomy. The seats themselves have lost their original fluffiness, and they¡¯re flat from the likely thousands of butts of pressure to them over the years. With calming elevator music filling their ears, the doors hiss shut and the pod is off, silently whizzing on its magnetic rail with zero friction and zero lateral G¡¯s. A ride as smooth as silk.


    ¡°If you are armed or are carrying any weapons with lethal capacity, please relinquish them to the nearest administrator,¡± a female voice says over the music.


    After a few minutes of silent riding, the men arrive. Paskal knows that Eurus prefers to keep his stoic character, so he doesn¡¯t bother him with much small talk. The magpod stops and the doors hiss open to the lobby of the department.


    It¡¯s moderately spacious, a few dozen front desks, each operated by a closed system AI. Some of them are occupied by the usual - victims of theft, assault or rape. Pap¨¹lonis keeps its departments busy. A few of the people there could hardly be called human. All the mutations or cybernetic enhancements have changed their appearance beyond recognition - a hooded girl with blue skin stands at one desk, quite frantic, another is a victim of severe mutapoison, with his skin blackened at parts and at others limb-like structures protruding - the stuff of nightmares.


    They enter the department. As in the parking lot, many of the few hundred desks are empty. Bloody tracks lead to the med bay and as expected, as soon as Eurus and Paskal entered, almost all of the officers still there take a good look at Eurus. Cells are legendary among regular police officers.


    An officer stands up from his desk a few dozen meters away and walks toward them. He is older than Paskal, by a decade at least. He has a limp and a cane to match, balding and bearded, the aging man walked up to Paskal and Eurus, but before he could say anything, Paskal said:


    ¡°This is my partner, and the man in charge of the case in question, Detective Ron Anderson.¡±


    Anderson is a black man in his early 50s with silver in his hair. He¡¯s built like a linebacker and Eurus knows he has been on the force ever since graduating high school.


    ¡°I believe we¡¯ve met,¡± says Eurus, ¡°During the Winter Massacres of Ragnalow.¡±


    ¡°Good memory,¡± says Anderson, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t have thought you¡¯d remember me.¡±


    ¡°I am physically unable to forget,¡± says Eurus.


    ¡°That¡¯s about as shy as he gets. Enough romance, ladies, time to get to work,¡± Paskal interrupts.


    They walk over to Anderson¡¯s desk and he takes the memory chip containing the case.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get a bit of privacy,¡± says Paskal.


    ---


    They walk by all the desks ¨C still accompanied by the stares of the other officers - until they reach the far end of the room and enter a small conference room there. It contains a holodesk. A machine created for ease of presentations. When Anderson puts the data chip on it, it lights up and displays an interface in the air. Anderson expertly navigates it to find the folder containing photos and videos. He explains:


    ¡°As you can see, there have been sightings of a small pack of howlers.¡±


    A small note in the corner of the screen has a typical image of a howler and a little box of text that reads:


    ¡®Named by the sound they make, originally trained and bred to be scouting dogs for the miners. After the invention of selective mutation and cross-species insemination, some were mutated to unusable extremes. These howlers eventually ended up in the abandoned urban areas of Kor, Martis and Terram. Pap¨¹lonis provides a surprisingly nourishing ecosystem for carnivores, with birds and small mammals, such as pets or the occasional missing child.¡¯


    ¡°Hmm. howlers don¡¯t usually roam in such small packs,¡± Eurus says, ¡°But how is putting them down a problem?¡±


    Anderson plays another piece of footage. This one shows several helpfully edited security clips of the howlers making their way through the tunnels and lower levels up to an indoor street on one of the primary levels of the city. One can easily tell it¡¯s the lower levels because even on the security camera it looks unclean, unmaintained and the few people faintly visible there dress casual at best. Ghostly and scared, the people down there look pathetic to anyone they might cross paths with near the top.


    When the beasts arrive near the humans, they look back as if being aware of the risks of approaching a human. But one, in its desparation, decides to venture onwards and it almost immediately bites one of the vagrants there.


    Paskal says:


    ¡°As you know, howlers don¡¯t usually make their way into populated areas of the city and as you could see, they¡¯re attacking civilians. Thing is, we¡¯ve sent several patrols down there and they didn¡¯t make it back and people are saying that something else is down there.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll check it out and I¡¯ll be there in a couple of hours¡­ send me the digits,¡± Eurus says.


    ¡°Show you out?¡± Paskal says.


    ¡°No need.¡±


    Even though the entire department present is hooked up to their computers, filling out reports, their eyes still often avert when they see Eurus walk by. Many don¡¯t like Cells because of their extensive alterations saying they¡¯re not even human.


    Before going to the pits below, Eurus goes to a Cell outpost on one of the lower levels in a mob family tower. Since it¡¯s rush hour, many of the transit lines are congested, but Eurus flies past them easily on his Vulcan 5. The Cell outpost is located in the same hub as one of Pap¨¹lonis¡¯ biggest crime lords, Mirra Leone. Eurus leaves his statbike at a transport bay near the entrance to the hub floor he needs to go to.


    Cells, even when not in action, wear light protective gear (Eurus preferred a chestpiece of boiled leather from genetically designed goats, whose milk is used to boil their hides which gives the armor the ability to resist almost all kinds of damage), carry a sidearm, tower well above 2 metres and some are even capable of small scale electromagnetic manipulation, Eurus being the exception in this regard. Many are garnished by scars and Eurus is no exception (he also carries a nuclear-powered power-blade and a grappling hook). As soon as he removes his helmet, he is instantly recognised by every man, woman and child on the streets of the hub, because of his scars and reptilian eyes. They immediately stand aside to allow him to pass but not without hissing or hurling insults.


    The hub itself is a huge tower, going up for at least a mile and every floor including the one Eurus is on, contains at least 2000 apartments, coffee shops, local bars and pharmacies. Some contain malls, theaters and everything one would need to maintain their livelihood. Everyone and everything on every corner is neon and leather, with this being a rougher neighborhood.


    He starts walking towards his destination that should be in a couple of hundred meters. The busiest street, called Swig Street for the many places one might have a swig, is low altitude enough to have gang members walking around during working and leisure hours, openly carrying arms. The streets are not without the occasional crack-or-worse-whore, offering themselves - anything for a walk in the clouds. Sometimes they attempt to provoke a Cell or officer because the government always has a few wads of cash lying around to pay for damages or super-soldier brutality. Eurus finds no such attempts there though.


    Yes, the lower the levels get, the more colorful the crowd, but even amongst them, a Cell Circuit is easily recognizable. Some gangsters spit as he walks by and the attitude towards him is somewhat understandable. After all, not many can afford him and his brethren are at times sent to these very same neighborhoods to gather the peace when the police or the politicians can¡¯t be bothered to fight the gangs there. Just when the local crime lord seems to have the upper hand the Imperial government has the Cell trick up their sleeve to squash any pesky idiot who thinks they might beat the status quo.


    Eurus arrives at his outpost. Seemingly a regular piece of concrete wall, it has a hidden microphone for vocal recognition.


    ¡°Eurus, Cell of Caste Erebus,¡± he says.


    A light emits from the wall and then an almost static, fax-like noise after which a feminine voice says:


    ¡°Welcome, Eurus of Caste Erebus¡± hears only the Cell.


    The concrete wall drops into the ground and a hallway is revealed, which Eurus enters. This happens in full view of every person on the streets. People understand their cities are filled with hidden armories of godlike weaponry and armors capable of brushing off anything up to a direct hit from a tank. Any effort to break into such a place would be futile however because of the swift hammer of justice which would immediately flatten them as a result.


    At the end of the hallway there¡¯s a retinal scanner next to a door. It¡¯s got a rubber edge where the user is supposed to press their eye. Eurus does so while holding his hand against the wall next to it. Unbeknownst to any outsider but a Cell the eye scanner doesn¡¯t work without doing so, because that spot also hides a palm scanner.


    Like clockwork, the door hisses and beeps, a few clanks from its locks undoing themselves and it quickly unlocks. Eurus enters a room as clean as an OR at a hospital. Seemingly it contains nothing but panel walls but as he crosses the threshold, the room mechanically transforms into an armory of gadgets, weapons and armor.


    Eurus takes a mechanical harness from a stand on the wall and puts it on the table in the middle of the room to adjust it to his needs. Essentially this harness allows him to quickly holster or unholster a weapon strapped to it.


    He grabs the M930 Hound adaptive grenade launcher, no bigger than a thermos in its compact form, and straps it to his harness, holstering it such that it is easy to access from his back. Next he finds the 50. cal Cell bullrifle, currently the size of a few red bricks and adds it as well. It¡¯s one of the oldest weapons in the Cell arsenal. Eurus himself used it during the Machine Revolt. It reminds him of the first time he was deployed to battle in a Cell Artillery Deep Strike. He was shot out of a cannon in a shell to the middle of a bloodbath where a few squads of human soldiers were on the brink of defeat. From their perspective, a giant killing machine burst through the ground and scrapped every robot approaching on them with lightning speed. It didn¡¯t talk, it didn¡¯t look at them and every action was instant.


    He then takes several kilograms of ammo which he holsters onto his harness as well, each having a pouch or a bandolier-like belt feeding it into whatever gun he might use.


    He puts it on and adjusts it so it perfectly aligned with his back and adheres perfectly to his motions.


    Last but not least he puts on Cell Boost Boots. These use energy stored and conducted by his nanofiber muscles to make him jump several dozen meters without any effort.

 Chapter III: The Hunt

    Paskal is still at work when Eurus calls. Although he knows he made plans with his wife, going on a mutant hunt with a Cell? That beats almost anything.


    Many policemen are brought up with stories from their dads and uncles about what Cells are like. Anderson leans back in his chair:


    ¡°So the double date - you up for tonight¡¯s pool night, still?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Ron, I¡¯ve got a date with Eurus tonight,¡± Paskal jokes.


    ¡°Going huntin¡¯ with a Cell? Nice, man. Can you take a plus one?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, don¡¯t wanna push my luck.¡± A beeping from his desk¡¯s comm device and another in his right pant pocket makes him pause before running off. It¡¯s a picture from his wife in a homely outfit with some details only meant for husbands, with the message:


    ¡°Home early today. Double date incomin? ;)¡±


    Paskal texts back: ¡°Sorry, baby, rain check. Getting to ride along with a Cell.¡±


    ¡°:¡¯(¡° she replies.


    Before going off, Paskal scoffs and smiles, thinking about going home to his wife. But a chance like this likely won¡¯t come again so home can wait.


    Paskal goes to the armory and gears up as well. Nothing as fancy as a Cell gets but enough to keep him safe from small arms fire. He straps in his pistol and takes off in his black cop car.


    When he arrives, Eurus is already waiting for him at ground level of the hub OG, his statbike parked neatly on the dusty Martian surface. Completely deserted and pitch black if not for the lights of the vehicles still humming. Paskal parks too, gets out and Eurus says:


    ¡°You took a while. Been waiting here an hour.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I had to gear up and everybody drives like my nan when within sight of a cop car. It¡¯s totally annoying.¡±


    ¡°Very funny.¡±


    ¡°Right?¡±


    Eurus pushes a button on his statbike and it releases its headlight. He hands it to Paskal.


    ¡°Thanks?¡± he says.


    ¡°Only one of us can see in the dark,¡± Eurus turns to Paskal, ¡°The other one needs to stay behind me.¡±


    ¡°I still need to take you to the location of the last distress signal, man.¡±


    They start moving in the red sand of Mars¡¯ surface. No detectable sound for the human ear, except for their own steps. For Paskal the air is silent. For Eurus? The darkness feels loud and alive, echoing with the distant sounds of beasts and people. The air is damp and cold. All the moisture and cold air sinks for several miles before settling at the bottom. Paskal¡¯s breaths slighty steam the air as he keeps up with Eurus¡¯s brisk pace.


    After having been on the move for a few minutes, they arrive at the spot of the disappearance. The GPS spot they arrive at looks like bomb had been set off in an operating room. Blood, guts, remains of police uniforms and their police issue firearms on the ground and walls painted brown by degrading blood. The guided light of the makeshift flashlight Eurus gave Paskal is doing the harrowing sight no favors, simply highlighting the gore wherever the beam of light falls.


    ¡°Their guns are unused, ¡° Paskal says.


    ¡°Yeah, probably they didn¡¯t see their attacker until it was already too late. Can you pull up other spots of disappearance? And put them on a map?¡±


    Paskal activates his tac-screen and displays the surrounding area with said spots. Immediately a pattern emerges:


    ¡°They never got to the middle of OG-1. If you pull up motion trackers¡¯ final seconds of display, you¡¯ll probably see that they were attacked from the inside of the building¡­,¡± Eurus says.


    ¡°Maybe¡­ they were attacked very fast, from very close, from just outside their peripheral feed. But why haven¡¯t we been attacked yet? You think the beast¡¯s out there?¡± Paskal asks.


    ¡°It could be hunting¡­ we need to go deeper. It might got a nest here and if we¡¯re lucky, we can get the jump on it.¡±


    ¡°We should get some backup,¡± Paskal says.


    ¡°We¡¯ll never find it this way,¡± says Eurus, ¡°This creature uses cloaking and stealth to hunt its prey. It won¡¯t just attack a large group of armed humans. You can ask to have a perimeter put up, though. It will try to run. And from this point on¡­ speak and move more softly.¡±


    Paskal calls for backup and describes what must be done.


    They walk inwards into the building. Human carcasses and howler corpses lying around here and there - trophies and warnings for trespassers, not an uncommon trait in super-predators. The closer to the epicenter of the megastructure they get, the more smelly and putrid their surroundings become - the creature had been active for some time, with a higher than anticipated bodycount.


    ¡°Shh,¡± Eurus says.


    He can hear very faint breathing a few dozen meters away.


    ¡°You hear that?¡± he asks, ¡°Only me from this point on. The mutant¡¯s close.¡±


    Eurus can smell it now, too. It has a very sulfuric, nauseating odor. He adjusts his eyes only to see infrared and what he sees would traumatize the average man just with its appearance.


    A very bulky, deformed humanoid. Its body is hairless, severely scarred and very muscular and bigger than even a Cell. His legs resembling those of a tyrannosaurus and his jaw capable of crushing steel, he is carefully watching Eurus. Eurus says into his transmitter:


    ¡°I can see the monster. It¡¯s looking right at me and is waiting for me to wander closer¡­¡±


    Eurus stops talking. He hears another raspy breath drawing air. There are more than only one or two of them, he realizes. One is in front of him and the other is approaching Paskal from the outside.


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    ¡°Paskal! Go hide, ¡°says Eurus. His voice, while calm, is still distinct from the noise in the background.


    Paskal runs to take cover under a wreckage of old industrial equipment and Eurus takes two grenades and throws them at each of the beasts. They gulp the grenades up and as the grenades explode, the beasts splatter Paskal and the walls with their insides. Then he quickly throws out several flares to light up his surroundings, and at least temporarily blind the nocturnal beasts. Though Paskal can¡¯t see the beasts directly, their cloaking flickers the air around them thanks to the flares, allowing him to barely gauge what¡¯s happening.


    He takes his gun and starts firing at the one behind him but at the same time Eurus is rushed by two more mutants. They kick him across the room and he¡¯s rushed by yet another one as it tries to bite his head off, but they¡¯re too slow to try anything again. Eurus'' physical enhancements kick in with nitroglycerine-enhanced adrenaline and now he¡¯s almost as fast as a speeding bullet.


    As one of the mutants jumps closer, he can see and hear several more of them approaching from the building, all invisible to Paskal, but the sound they all make is deafening, the roars guttoral and primal. Paskal is in trouble, lest the beasts are defeated, and Eurus knows it. Paskal crawls out of the wreckage and into a small space between the foundational pillars of the skyscraper, so that the beasts can¡¯t get to him. He can catch a glimpse of what¡¯s going on with Eurus.


    He sees the optical distortions from the phantoms closing in around Eurus, but at the speed at which he moves is a sight to behold on its own. It¡¯s as if Eurus was executing a careful ballet of carnage and destruction. He puts his revolver in its holster and unharnesses his bull rifle and begins killing the beasts one by one. He is surrounded, but to Eurus this simply means that he can fire in any direction. Even for huge lumbering beasts such as the ones attacking them, a 50. cal bullet is enough to turn their brains into cake. Moving like a fiend, he dances through the room, jumping and kicking himself off walls, a 30-kg gun in one hand and a power sword in another. Each movement accentuated by a crack of his machine gun or a slice of his sword, one by one thinning the beasts¡¯ herd. As the beasts die, their skin stops deflecting light and each of their lives ends in a picturesque gore. A small hill is slowly erecting as the number of corpses in the room skyrockets by Eurus¡¯s hands.


    Just as one of invisible beasts is trying to sneak between the foundational pillars, where Pharao is hiding, Eurus jumps between them, having not forgotten him, presses the barrel of his bull rifle in its mouth and squeezes the trigger. A loud crack of sound and light emits from its jaws, exploding the back of its skull, liquifying its brains.


    As his euthanasian symphony swells, exiting its overture and reaching its climactic peak, the pit is turned into walk-in version of a Jackson Pollock painting with the bits and pieces from the beasts he makes a note to examine the creatures after they die by his hand. Even while in combat he sees the obvious markers of genetic enhancement ¨C grotesque muscles, minds lost due to hormonal imbalances caused by the monsters¡¯ size and shape. There are also obvious markers of human origin in these creatures. There was a time when these souls belonged to a human. They¡¯re the result of embryonic experimentation gone awfully wrong. This reminds Eurus of his own origin. He is a creation of the same types of people who created these beasts. Before his earliest predecessor was successfully molded into a super soldier, countless women and their progeny had to go through  medical trials and tests. Had they failed, he wonders, would he be the one needed to put down?


    Right in front of Paskal¡¯s face, one of the phantoms flickers out of their camoflage as Eurus stops it in its tracks with his bullrifle from a distance.


    Paskal crouches lower, pressing himself into the gap between the pillars. He tries to focus on his breathing, but each sound¡ªeach burst of light¡ªtugs at the edges of his composure.


    The room is chaos. Thunderous cracks of gunfire split the air, blinding flashes light up grotesque forms who then pop into existence as they perish. Eurus is a blur of motion, faster than Paskal¡¯s eyes can follow.


    ¡°What the hell are those things?! I can¡¯t see anything¡ªEurus, what¡¯s happening?¡± Paskal calls out, clear panic in his voice.


    ¡°Stay down. I¡¯ll handle this,¡± Eurus tells him over the sound of carnage.


    Suddenly a booming roar is heard from a few hundred meters away from deep within the maze of underground tunnels making the beasts stop and run away.


    ¡°There were hundreds of them¡­¡± Eurus says.


    ¡°Hundreds?! What the fuck!! What if they come back, man? Jesus! Christ! You alright man? You¡¯re covered in blood,¡± Paskal says, panting.


    ¡°Not mine.¡±


    ¡°Great. That¡¯s real great, but then right now we¡¯ve got bigger worries. You said hundreds? How are we supposed to deal with that?¡± Paskal says.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to track down the entrance to the nest and come back tomorrow to exterminate it. You can go home and rest. Let the patrols use your heat vision devices to kill any strays, some might breed more¡± Eurus says.


    Paskal would like to protest but knows that he might very well find himself as dinner for any number of those beasts so better leave Eurus to it. Eurus runs deeper into the building and Paskal starts making his way back to the patrol car. About half way out he sees the first patrol and is spotted by them, too:


    ¡°Detective Paskal?¡± they call out.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s me,¡± he says as he¡¯s walking closer, ¡°What the hell are you doing wandering in here? Get your thermals and tell the others to get theirs too!¡±


    He lights up his cigarette and the cops ask:


    ¡°He leave you behind?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I would¡¯ve slowed him down. I barely made it out. If a Cell ever invites you - for your own sake, don¡¯t go.¡±


    ¡°If you say so man,¡± both clearly not planning on heeding this advice.


    ¡°What are you still doing here? You¡¯ve got a fetish for being mutie food? Get some heat cameras here, knuckleheads, the beasts are invisible and very much alive. Also backup. Lots and lots of backup. Whatever you do, don¡¯t wander back inside.¡±


    Paskal knows that no man can resist the temptation to try to keep up with a Cell. He now also knows however that such an attempt is pointless. He finds his car and flies out of there, leaving the few patrols behind.


    Covered in blood and sweat, he can¡¯t wait to get home. With the evening rush hour over, his ride is quite quick. He arrives at his tower, DT-16, in a few dozen minutes and parks near his flat.


    He arrives at his apartment and when he opens the door, the smell of some excellent food hits his nostrils. His wife, Eyleen, is the chef at one of the best restaurants in the Solar System. When she¡¯s home, dinner is godlike.


    ¡°Hey, kid,¡± she says.


    Eyleen is cooking away but she finds a few seconds for a welcome-home-kiss.


    ¡°Hey, baby,¡± he says as he kisses her neck, ¡°whatcha makin¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Pork ribs with sticky sauce,¡± she says.


    ¡°You¡¯re gonna kill me with those. Might have to put you away for manslaughter.¡±


    ¡°Might have to put you away for harassment if you don¡¯t clean yourself up. You smell like a thousand old farts.¡±


    Pharao takes a shower and as he finishes up, the sticky sauce ribs are served. Eyleen uncorks a bottle of red wine - imported from Terram!


    ¡°What are we celebrating? A 2459 vintage! Did you win the lottery?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re opening up a new place under the Knive franchise and they¡¯re giving me the head chef position there.¡±


    ¡°Congratulations! So, where¡¯s it gonna be?


    ¡°5-SOC, but it¡¯s worth it, we can make some money..¡±


    ¡°So we can spend all our money on transport?¡±


    ¡°..and buy a new apartment¡±, Eyleen says, ¡°the pay¡¯s really good, and we can move out of this dump.¡±


    ?I thought you liked the smell of cum, piss and garlic,¡° Paskal chuckles.


    ?To think I didn¡¯t open the wine alone...¡°


    ----


    Cell HQ is a state of the art mechanized complex, with normally 200 inhabitants or so at once. There are machines keeping the place tidy, providing security, medicine and the place is one of the biggest armories and developers of advanced weaponry in the Solar System.


    Even though Eurus is one of the last Cells ever made, his apartment is one of the highest in Pap¨¹lonis. He can actually see the Sun set from his balcony. Eurus is one of the most advanced Cells and though he can¡¯t manipulate electromagnetic fields at all as opposed to his brethren, his genetics, nanofiber titanium-infused muscles and wolfram skeleton, makes him one of the heaviest but fastest Cells ever, weighing 370 kg. Among his abilities are also chameleon-like camouflage, super-hearing, his blood is corrosive to almost any material, superhuman reflexes - he perceives time much-much slower than a regular human and he can regenerate full limbs given a few days and good rest. Eurus has three lungs and two hearts. He can lose one of each without losing any combat effectiveness.


    Cells have apartments because some like to entertain guests or even keep wives. Some like it because it is the direct opposite of their formerly mandatory lifestyles. Soon he goes to rest. Even though Cells need no sleep, their minds are optimal when they do.

 Chapter IV: I’m A Million Different People From One Day To The Next 2472 AD

    Most people in Pap¨¹lonis live unaware they¡¯re only extras in someone else¡¯s story.


    An obvious sign of social decay is that the mob towers function under their own laws and mostly the police don¡¯t even bother with them ¨C after all if no crimes are reported, why would they? Mirra Leone is no exception in that sense. She took over her father¡¯s empire when she was 19 years old after he ended up in prison due to a drug deal gone bad. It¡¯s obvious to her now just as it was when she was young that though strength and quick-wittedness helped her rise to the top, the real seat of power rests wherever the ability to wield Cell Circuits as a weapon does. She intends to claim that throne.


    Mirra Leone knows how to use her father¡¯s connections in the world of the rich and powerful to manipulate her way into the creme de la creme of society. She aims to apply her pretend-legitimacy as a scalpel and find out exactly how deep into the guts of society has Ultra extended its tentacles, as she knows they want that seat just as much as her.


    Her father¡¯s henchmen are not happy about that. They say its reckless even by the fiery standards of the youth. One day almost a decade after her father¡¯s arrest she finds her way into a banquet thrown by the Chromo family. These Eyes Wide Shut parties begin as a mere networking exercise culminating in the most shocking way for the uninitiated. The castle in the sky can be shut down for various orgies and drug binges for weeks. Perfect for an aspiring oligarch, because she is initiated.


    The Chromo family is a Military Industrial Complex dynasty who built their wealth on being completely legitimate merchants of death. Mirra, by contrast only recently stopped peddling in corpses beneath the counter. Tri-annually, they used to throw massive fundraisers for politicians and activist causes they sometimes hypocritically supported. After all, what¡¯s the point in being the equivalent of Ares and then turning around and setting up a hospital for the veterans you helped maim on both sides of the war.


    She¡¯s talking to an actor, Hastrel Krump. He¡¯s a handsome man well-known for his ability to completely disappear into a character. She leans closer to him, laughing at his witty remarks. Encouraged by her amusement, he says:


    ¡°Sure, it¡¯s a way to give back, but does it really erase the damage done by neutron bombs? Seems like there¡¯s a more straight-forward way to help these people.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Like making tear-jerker movies?¡± Mirra says.


    ¡°Har-har,¡± he says.


    The Chromos hold these fundraisers at the top of their skyscraper in Pap¨¹lonis. It is by far the most expensive and extravagant of the towers, to the extent that it might as well have been made from silk. Though not modest itself by any stretch of the imagination, Leone Tower looks like a truck stop toilet compared to their lavish lair. The real-estate prices in Chromo Tower are higher near the ground level than they are at the top of some other places, like for instance Tower Windsor. Here every cubic centimeter of it is designed for luxury.


    The attendants of these parties are actors, governors, Emperors of the Republics, police commissioners, and sometimes a Cell, who in this case due to his success and renowned discretion happens to be Eurus, but also entrepreneurs, people of prominence. Through a cleverly designed series of events disguised as coincidence, Mirra finds herself invited there thanks to the newly found success of her business. Her strategy is remarkably simple - she takes veterans and prisoners and under the threat of horrid consequences makes them provide muscle and security. Her main customers are venues and places where telling what you saw would be equivalent to giving up your eyes as sanctions. She has been hired to enforce the security of the guests of said party in Chromo Tower. To represent her employees, she¡¯s in attendance herself of course. But compared to the rest of the patrons, she¡¯s new money - dirty by their accounts - and as such doesn¡¯t know how to properly behave. Or does she?


    She¡¯s wearing a dark green dress made from silk with almost nothing underneath, styled after Ancient Greece, beautifully matching her caramel skin. She leaves just enough to the imagination for the dusty monocle-men and too much for their shriveled old brides. Intentional? Take a wild guess.


    Some of the wives murmur: ¡°Obvious to me what she¡¯s doing¡­ Just distasteful.¡±


    ¡°Ah, come on,¡± their husbands hand-wave their protests away, ¡°She just put in a little effort ¨C what¡¯s the big deal?¡±


    Her dark long hair is done up in an artistic bun with accessories and strands of hair have been set to flow meticulously to the sides, accenting the curve of her neck. The design is held together with an ancient jade pin valued at several million Imperial credits coming to a stop just above her collarbones. Its volume is on full display and her athletic back is left bare for the admiration of the visitors. As she slowly walks through the crowd, eyes follow her.


    ¡°Damn,¡± some of the men mumble, their wives throwing around quiet insults at the same time, thinking she can¡¯t hear them. She can, and she likes what she hears. After all after the domestics she may cause, she can quickly find them a shoulder to cry on, and perhaps one that is not too literal with the NDAs they have to sign.


    Mirra¡¯s gentle lips are emphasized by a lipstick just a few shades darker than burgundy red. Her shoulder straps are held together with two rings made from a gold alloy and the dress is flowing off her with waves like that of a rose. Mirra¡¯s side and her trained torso are visible as well and the dress acts more like an accessory to Mirra¡¯s glorious physique.


    ¡°Love that dress,¡± one of the men tells her as she twists past him.


    ¡°Thank you, dear,¡± she responds.


    Her hefty bosom is divided by an ambitious cleavage - her breasts are covered up sufficiently to not come off as immodest. However, at the same time no man can deny being intrigued by the few visible lines. The fabric teases their shape and size. As if any more was needed, the crisp but not-too-cold air pumped into the banquet hall tightens her skin beneath the covers, bringing the fabric in front to its limits. The dress flows between and around her thighs with no doubt left about the magnificence of the ordinance carried by them as though having been sculpted by an old Renaissance master. Every single detail of her appearance is deliberate and by-design.


    As if her dashing looks aren¡¯t on display enough, she towers above most men with carbon-ceramic stilettos, putting her a tad over two meters in total height.


    ?And now a word from our security sponsor, Mirra Leone!¡° the announcer said.


    ?Hello, dear friends. I trust you¡¯re enjoying your evening in the safe arms of our dear veterans,¡° she says in her sultry, almost deep voice, while pointing out to the men with guns in butler outfits. A hollering applause erupts, as well... you can¡¯t just not applaud the veterans, right?


    ?I do know the reputation of the Leone family, but I hope that today¡¯s professional work done by our contractors sheds some new light on my house. Enjoy your evening and remember, the boys can be to go, as I suspect price won¡¯t be an issue?¡° she winks at the crowd some of whom guffaw at the quip. She continues:


    ¡°They and the most sophisticated personal security apparatus aside from the Imperial government is for hire for several different plans. But I assure you¡­ the Imperium is not nearly as compliant.¡°


    She steps down from the stage. A fat aristocrat dressed like the monopoly man with a monocle and a bushy gray moustache approaches her and introduces himself to her in strong and posh British.


    ?I am Lord Windsor. What a wonderful speech, young miss. If your father had been half as charming, I doubt any of the accusations had ever stuck,¡° he chuckles.


    ?Well, thank you, my Lord,¡° Mirra says, while blushing on purpose. ?Is your wife out of town?¡° Mirra asks slyly.


    ?Looking at you, I¡¯m having a hard time remembering who she even is,¡° says Lord Windsor, ?tell me, Ms. Leone...¡°


    ?Call me Mirra, please,¡° Mirra interrupts.


    ?Mirra, are you available for a private consultation?¡°


    ?Private? I thought you only went to orgies, Windsor,¡° a deep baritone says from behind him. The figure is 250 centimeters tall, lean and athletic.


    ?Eurus! You son of a... well... Son of a gun!¡° Windsor erupts in a hearty chuckle so loud it seems like he could rupture a lung.


    ?Young lady, you are in the presence of the very peak of antiquity. Human ingenuity and persistence in a figurative nutshell. This here is one of the few hundred Cells remaining on Martis. This is Eurus. Eurus, Mirra Leone.¡°


    ?The pleasure is surely mine,¡° Mirra says almost gasping for air, ?oh my god, aren¡¯t you a specimen.¡°


    As a small girl Mirra grew up with stories about Cells told by her father¡¯s henchmen. She¡¯d always wanted to meet one and idolized them a lot. Seeing Eurus, she could not help but faint a much smaller yet involuntary blush.


    ?Hah! I think she likes you!¡° Lord Windsor laughs, ?Well I can hardly blame her. Look at this one, right?¡± he points at Eurus behind him with his thumb, ¡°He could be a homeless rat and I think even still I¡¯d sport a semi.¡°


    ?I¡¯m suprised you could even manage that, Winnie,¡° an older lady with a black dress and a strict corset outfit joins the conversation. Her face is as white as porcelain and her thin lips are slightly wrinkled.


    ?Well, though I might physically appear under the buckling weight of the proverbial red tape, I can assure you, the artillery is well in operational order,¡° Windsor quips back, ?how are you holding up, Lady Chromo.¡°


    ?Well I¡¯d say that it¡¯s already been several months since Ludvig passed away, but I must say... the pain is still fresh. Now it¡¯s just Kalopsia and me,¡° she points to Kalopsia, who is near the center of the banquet hall. A faintly blue-skinned 17-year-old girl with a leather jacket and a beautiful white mane of a mohawk, green eyes and dashing red lips, ?Who¡¯s going to carry on the family name?¡° she cries out.


    ¡°Now, now, Victoria. No need to be dramatic,¡± Windsor says as he puts his hand around and comforts her.


    It is well-accepted gossip that the Chromo family is barren. All their centuries of genetic enhancements finally took a toll. If they had discovered this fact sooner, maybe Ludvig and Victoria could¡¯ve made a child. Instead they made great efforts to acquire a descendant from an undisclosed place, but it¡¯s widely known that they paid a lot for her to be perfect in every way. People often quietly wondered amongst themselves - why would she be blue though?


    ?Mirra, darling, why don¡¯t you show Eurus here the floors? I¡¯ll handle the waterworks,¡° Windsor tells Mirra, ?Don¡¯t forget to stay in touch.¡°


    ?You¡¯ll be alright?¡° Eurus asks Windsor.


    ?Yes, yes, I imagine Mirra here will have her boys make sure I arrive at Tower Windsor safely.¡°


    ?Of course, my Lord,¡° says Mirra.


    They walk out of the banquet hall into the hallways of Tower Chromo, embellished by old wooden floors and paintings and armor from the medieval ages. Usually, this part of Chromo tower is open to tourists and visitors. The Chromo family is known for their philanthropic endeavors and so they allow schools, students, anyone interested, really, to walk their halls and bask in the glory of history. There¡¯s a fully decorated mannequin wearing original Spartan armor from 3rd century BC. Mirra and Eurus stand to look at it.


    Mirra tilts her head a little, with her eyebrow raised.


    ?These remind me of you,¡° she says.


    ?In what way?¡°


    ?How they stood against the might of Persia, just a few hundred of them during the battle of Thermopylae. Similar to how the Cell Circuits were just a few thousand strong but managed to break the Machine Revolt.¡°


    ?We couldn¡¯t have done it alone. Many millions of brave lives were sacrificed to gain the upper hand. We were merely the tip of the spear to break through the enemy lines and force concessions in its defenses.¡°


    ?Well had there been more of you,¡° she says, ?I think we might have spared the millions.¡°


    ?It was obviously not meant to be. Could you honestly blame them?¡°


    ?Well, yes. It was not the senator¡¯s son dying under thread of the metal menace. It was a kid from Brooklyn or South Boston or Beijing who wasn¡¯t lucky enough to dodge the draft.¡°


    ?Do you think it would¡¯ve made a difference if the senator¡¯s son had died instead? In the grand scheme of things, I think it wouldn¡¯t have mattered at all.¡° Eurus traces his finger across the chest-piece of the Spartan, studying the faint dust pattern.


    ?My, my... Genetically enhanced, centuries old, but still naive. A death in the family springs its living predecessors to action. Instead of sending another child into the meat grinder? They wave a pen and a million more super soldiers crush the machines without breaking a sweat.¡°


    ?Hah,¡° Eurus chuckles, staring at the tiny layer of dust now in his fingers. He looks back at her and says: ¡°You honestly believe that this money hungry senator would, even if he could, change the course of history? Do you think he¡¯d willingly direct future power out of his own hands? Despite his donors? Simply because his child died? Children of senators still died of cancer, disease, drugs. All the wars, all the suffering that could¡¯ve been avoided with the flick of a pen. But, alas! Their fingers lied still when it came to changing these things. Because when on top, the status-quo serves the big shark. That¡¯s true even if it comes at the cost of eating its own siblings. The breakthroughs in any of these fields and the creation of my kind came despite the best efforts of these supposedly powerful men. You realize, it¡¯s quite obvious that they would¡¯ve stopped us at the price of human kind if they had their way? The man who made me broke every law to arrive at a breakthrough. He ended up a hero but thanks to blind ambition from those well-meaning and righteous senators, we would¡¯ve otherwise not been here, and mankind would¡¯ve become extinct. Perhaps as the final soul was about to be extinguished, they could¡¯ve been happy knowing that things were kept just as they were.¡°


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ?Well... it seems the doe became the wolf,¡° Mirra says, ?Would you care for a walk on the streets below?¡°


    ?Looking like you do now?¡°


    ?Oh?¡° Mirra says, ?I seem to under the lingering impression that I have the watchful eye of an ancient super soldier. Am I wrong?¡°


    ?Who¡¯s watching me?¡° Eurus asks.


    ?Don¡¯t worry, darling. I¡¯m a Karate black belt,¡° she says.


    They walk towards the vehicle bay elevator, admiring the priceless works of art and history they observe on the way. Mirra takes Eurus¡¯s arm and holds it ever so slightly against her side such that Eurus feels her warmth. He tries to ignore it but even beneath all the enhancements, he feels an undeniable flicker of a new sensation towards her. She¡¯s smart, strikingly beautiful, but even so, no part of her is crafted in advance unlike Eurus or the babies of trillionaires, who were built from scratch in a tube. She¡¯s like that primarily by chance.


    ¡°You think back then, back during the Ancient Greeks¡­ They would¡¯ve hailed you as a god?¡± Mirra asks.


    ¡°Dr. Vakkar is Prometheus¡­ Not Zeus,¡± Eurus says.


    ¡°Chained to a rock?¡±


    ¡°Where Greeks saw salvation from a Deus Ex Machina, I¡¯m more of an Anthropos Ex Machina. Born out of man¡¯s ingenious grasp of nature¡­ No holy book imagined machines looking for meaning and man-made soldiers as fearsome as any apocalypse.¡±


    They arrive at the vehicle bay. Mirra¡¯s driver opens the door to her luxurious limousine. It was built by an old British company originating back to the end of the first World War. They ride to OG-1 and the car sets them down on a platform the contents of which can only be described as a cesspool. Call girls on every street corner, young gangsters playing various games in front of their favorite cafes and pubs, some with said girls on their laps.


    ?Quite a scene,¡° Eurus says.


    ?Don¡¯t worry, dear. I¡¯ll keep you safe,¡° Mirra says, ?This is the life led by the ones who simply can¡¯t afford your protection. Paycheck to paycheck, sick to their bones and anxious to have their turn with the world. Does it ever occur to them it could get worse?¡°


    Most gangsters see Eurus first, but before they can manage a sour look, they spot Mirra on his arm. Instead of anger, they don an image of respect, knowing that rarely if ever Cells associate with crime lords let alone take their leaders on a stroll through the slums. As they walk, some gangsters let out a whistle, cat calling Mirra. Their more experienced counterparts quickly give them a shove or a little kick to knock some sense into them. Mirra¡¯s only smiling, enjoying the attention she¡¯s getting.


    Mirra takes his hand and leads them down an alleyway smelling faintly of piss and vodka. A group of 10 youngsters jump out from behind a dumpster to block their way. Eurus isn¡¯t surprised, as he knew of their presence as soon as they entered the alley. Clearly drunk and high out of their minds one of the group steps in front of Mirra. She stops and says:


    ?Whatever¡¯s going through your head, kid, leave it in there.¡°


    ?You and your daddy better go back the way you came or you¡¯re getting served to my friends like a pig on a spitroast.¡°


    As he says that Mirra¡¯s face turns from confident to worried, but before her expression changes completely, Eurus pulls her back and takes her place. While she is slightly taller than the boy, Eurus dwarfs him. Despite being completely under the influence of a wide mix of drugs the group realizes that this bite may be too big to swallow for them and the other nine start to retreat. Whether out of pride or sheer stupidity, the principal crook keeps his stance.


    ?You¡¯re going to die for some minge, big guy?¡° the guy says, as his hand moves behind towards what is presumably a weapon of some kind.


    ?You¡¯re nothing but bugs in my way,¡° Eurus says.


    ?Hey, Bolle, let ¡¯em passss,¡° a guy from behind him slurs out.


    Bolle contemplates for a moment and then steps aside. Eurus walks by them and leads Mirra though the group when suddenly he loses her grip. Eurus turns around and sees Bolle has her by the neck and is aiming a gun to her temple.


    ?You just keep walking, pal, and she¡¯ll survive,¡° Bolle says, as he slides his hand towards her chest and starts to feel her up. Eurus can see clear panic in Mirra¡¯s eyes. He can hear her heart as her pulse skyrockets.


    ?Ahh, the word of a rapist. And what? This is supposed to work? You realize that if you kill her right now, I¡¯ll pull your guts out from your asshole, you little cunt?¡° Eurus says.


    Bolle says nothing but he stops groping Mirra.


    ?And as far as your goons are concerned,¡° Eurus looks at their spooked faces, ?They¡¯ll be dead in five seconds.¡°


    While he¡¯s talking, additional glands in his jaw produce a mixture of his corrosive blood and his mouth slowly fills with a dangerous liquid. Even his secretions are weapons to be used. He hears Bolle¡¯s heartbeat turn erratic, rising in rhythm and detects from his breathing pattern that a moment of hesitation has arrived.


    No more is needed as Eurus propels his spit to his eyes, leaving his vision permanently impaired, if not blind. He screams out at the immense pain in his eyes. Mirra ducks and elbows him in the stomach, which causes Bolle to pull the trigger, killing one of his boys with a headshot. In a split second, Eurus then jumps toward Bolle and Mirra, while the goons try to grab the couple for a chance of survival. Eurus lifts Bolle up from his neck, while Mirra slides back, slowly retreating. Bolle blindly aims his gun towards Eurus. He grabs his wrist with his hand and yanks his arm off his shoulder, at the same time crushing his esophagus into paste like a party cake. In those very few blinks of an eye, one of the gangsters tries to lunge towards Eurus. This only results in him being swatted unconscious with Bolle¡¯s arm while Eurus turns around. The others are still in their places in clear shock, the adrenaline coursing through their veins now blocking out the effects of the substances they¡¯re under. Eurus sees them hesitating as well.


    ¡°COME ON! WHO¡¯S NEXT?¡± Eurus booms out, his roar deafening.


    The hooligans turn heel and escape, more similar to waddling than an actual sprint.


    ?Are you alright? Would you like me to take you home?¡° Eurus asks Mirra, while still looking at the fleeing youngsters.


    ?My hero,¡° Mirra says.


    Eurus turns around to look at her and to his surprise Mirra is back to her sly smirk though he can hear her pulse pounding away. He¡¯s impressed by her control over her face and expressions. Were he not a Cell, he¡¯d never realize the fear still coursing through her body and her blood vessels. He also wonders if she risked her honor and possibly her life on purpose to see if he was willing to defend her.


    ?I think¡­ I¡¯ll be fine,¡° she says.


    ?What about me? Perhaps I¡¯m traumatized.¡°


    ?I¡¯ll certainly try to make it up to you,¡° she says, ?Come on, let¡¯s go.¡°


    She takes his hand that isn¡¯t covered by the innards of Bolle . She leads him further through the alleyway onto another, bigger street. They keep going deeper into OG-1.


    After walking for a little while, she stops in front of a shoddy little place. It has no more than twelve small tables and it looks like it would immediately be shut down if it were subjected to a health inspection. There¡¯s a sign over the door that says ?French Meating Place¡°. The place is packed, however.


    ?A lady might get oh-so hungry after a battle,¡° Mirra says.


    ?I seriously doubt a lady should lower her standards so far, though,¡° Eurus teases her, ?Also, my hand is covered in blood,¡° he protests. He smelt the place immediately after setting foot off their Bentley and the state of its capacity does make sense however.


    ?Don¡¯t knock it ¡¯til you try it, oh super soldier mine. I don¡¯t think your hand will matter here, by the way, considering the place is supposed to be such a letdown. If I have to be forced to smile while being conned into eating one more tiny piece of pretentious steak skewered upon a miniature piece of bread, I think I¡¯ll develop some type of upscale eating disorder. Hopefully your eyes, being as good as they are, can see the place buckling under its patronage. They have the best spare ribs in the Solar System. In my opinion at least...¡°


    Eurus can¡¯t deny that possibility. The sweet aroma the place exudes cannot be dismissed. They step inside and the middle-aged African chef notices them immediately.


    ?Mirra!¡° he calls out and waves his hand motioning them to come closer. When they arrive at the counter behind of which is a three meter tub filled with smoldering coals. The grill is covered in several meat products all presumably anxiously waited for by hungry customers, many of whom steal looks towards the new visitors. Women try their damndest to hide their fascination with Eurus. The men who accompany them try their best to stop their blood from leaving their brains as they look the marvel that is Mirra.


    ?Who¡¯s your friend?¡° he says with a big smile and a thick French accent.


    ?This is Eurus,¡° she says, ?We¡¯re on a date. Eurus, this is my dear friend Alcubierre.¡°


    ?Is that right?¡° Eurus asks, ?It seems we haven¡¯t reserved a table.¡°


    ?I love your voice, bon monsieur, and I¡¯d love to hear you speak about your adventures here, but Mirra is a long time patron and she gets to eat in my office,¡° Alcubierre says, ?Alice, take over!¡°


    He steps away from the grill as a teenage girl takes his place behind the line. He motions them to follow him. Mirra goes in front of Eurus, pulling him by his hand and Alcubierre leads the pair through the kitchen door. To Eurus¡¯ surprise, the kitchen is manned by an African lady, presumably Alcubierre¡¯s wife, and a girl who¡¯s the spitting image of her father. There¡¯s another door through the kitchen which leads them down a narrow staircase, such that Eurus has to slightly crouch to even fit to walk.


    A waft of scent from Mirra¡¯s hair passes to Eurus, consisting of her natural odor, honeyed coffee, with a slight note of gunpowder. Her aroma gives him a sense of yearning, longing for something that never was. Even in the small passage, she walks confidently, not worried about stumbling. It¡¯s obvious she¡¯s walked these steps many times. The way Alcubierre invited her in makes Eurus think whether she is as bad as he suspects. He knows she must be playing at some game ¨C that much is obvious ¨C but is that really all there is to her? It¡¯s hard to say.


    The threesome enter a small room with a computer, a small fridge and some cabinets which hold some servers, making the space warm and humid. Some men still believe in the sanctity of a signed piece of paper and Alcubierre is clearly one of them. He sits Mirra down on his desk chair and Eurus is sat on a cushioned metal armchair, which creaks under his massive weight. He hands Eurus a wet towel from a dispenser on the wall and Eurus cleans his hands from Bolle¡¯s blood.


    ?Don¡¯t go breaking my chair, monsieur, these are the best seats in the house,¡° Alcubierre says, as he gently strokes Mirra¡¯s hair and pulls her head to his chest. He gives her scalp a fatherly kiss.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dream of it,¡± Eurus says.


    Just after he leaves the room, Mirra stands up and walks over to Eurus and sits sideways on his lap. Eurus is surprised by her directness but puts his arms around her because even he can¡¯t deny her majestic figure, certainly feeling a pressure rising in his body. She¡¯s sweating from the heat in the room generated by the servers.


    ?May I give my savior a kiss?¡° she asks him as she gazes deep into his eyes and he looks at hers.


    Without waiting for his response, she then leans in and imprints a kiss on his lips to which he responds in kind. She guides his hand from her hip up to her chest, letting him feel her breast through the fabric of her dress. Mirra can feel Eurus¡¯s body develop a response that¡¯s pushing into her thigh as well ¨C she likes her effect on him. To Eurus¡¯ surprise however, her pulse is almost at resting pace at around 60 beats per minute. Is she simply so athletic that this is her pulse already at elevation or is she calm or perhaps unimpressed, Eurus thinks to himself. He knows about her reputation and is suspicious towards it, as it implies an attempt at subterfuge. As their tongues meet for a brief moment during the kiss, they hear the door at the top of the narrow staircase open and Mirra quickly goes back to her place. She motions Eurus to wipe her lipstick off his face as she cleans hers. Right after she sits down, Alcubierre opens the door with an enormous plate of various meats surrounding the freshly cooked spare ribs and the room fills with a sublime aroma from the assortment of meats.


    ?It occured to me that the monsieur might want more than the average patron,¡° Alcubierre says. He then sets the plate down on the table and then takes out a bottle of 30-year-old whiskey from his desk drawer, and two Scottish crystal glasses and pours them almost half full. He then quickly shuffles to the fridge, takes two tall glasses from the box next to it, and pours two bottles of Falkonturm beers into each of them. He sets the beers down on the tables as well.


    Eurus takes out his currency chip to hand over to Alcubierre, to which he shakes his head and says:


    ?No, no, no, no, no, no, Mirra and friends don¡¯t pay.¡°


    They dig into the food delivered by Alcubierre, who quickly leaves them alone. The room falls quiet aside from the noises made from the pair devouring the bountiful feast in front of them. The Falkonturm beer is silky and creamy in texture while keeping its perspiring nature. A perfect combination for the rich supper served to the couple.


    When they finish, Mirra makes the suggestion that Eurus should accompany her to Leone tower. They walk back to where they left the Bentley, which then drives them to their destination.


    At the peak of the tower, the stars shine on them. The moons of Martis - Deimos and Phobos - illuminate the faux forest before them. They walk through the artificial jungle until they reach an alcove with a cushy bench placed in the middle of it. Mirra suggests they sit and gaze upon the skyscape. As they lay there, Mirra asks if Eurus believes that there is intelligent life originating from outside the Solar System.


    ?In order to answer such a question, you should define what do you think intelligence is?¡°


    ?I think it¡¯s to do with pattern recognition ¨C the ability to look at facts and draw conclusions from it in a meaningful way. Let¡¯s put it this way: do you think humans are the first or the only ones with the ability to create a civilization?¡°


    ?Well, considering the vastness of the universe, I don¡¯t think it possible to be alone in that regard. Though to my knowledge, even if we haven¡¯t encountered anything like us, it¡¯s like drawing conclusions about the oceans of Terram by inspecting a syringe full of water on Mars. There simply isn¡¯t enough data to draw a conclusion. For instance, look at the Big Dipper. You could draw a plane between the two wheels and that space holds more worlds than there are grains of sand on every beach in the Solar System. Are we really to say anything about that given we have only been to less than ten of them?¡°


    ?I¡¯ll take that as a yes.¡°


    Mirra leans onto Eurus, and puts his arm around her. She looks up into his eyes and guides his face closer to hers. They kiss and Mirra moves herself so her dress becomes ajar, slightly revealing her naked breast underneath it. Eurus however is reluctant to move further as she tries to move her hand towards his groin.


    ?Don¡¯t worry, nobody will bother us here.¡°


    ?Why are you doing this?¡° Eurus asks.


    ?Doing what?¡° Mirra asks back. Her pulse becomes noticeably faster.


    ?This feels like it¡¯s going somewhere. Are you really aiming to make love to me?¡°


    ?I thought it was obvious.¡°


    ?Cells are infertile, I can¡¯t make you rear a child. So, why?¡°


    ?Relax. Call it a bucket list.¡°


    ?No. Considering what I know about you, I think instead of harmless fun, most of all, what you want, is power. Are you trying to make me fall in love with you to use me for my abilities?¡°


    Her pulse beats even faster.


    ?There are simpler ways of acquiring favors from a Cell,¡° she says as she promptly sits upright and adjusts her dress.


    ?Yes, but in case I¡¯m right, this is less transparent and would potentially yield more long-term results.¡°


    She stands up, and takes him by the hand. They walk into the building and Mirra leads him to her chambers. It¡¯s a room much bigger than Eurus¡¯s and has a huge bed. Her bed and the styling of the room is akin to something out of a colonial castle. There are shelves filled with enough books from the floor to the 4 meter ceiling to supply a small library. Many of them are of a single topic ¨C Cells. Others are textbooks and collections of studies speculating on the ancient methods of how one might go about making a Cell. They¡¯re incomplete ¨C otherwise more would have been created. There are history books describing how the ancient force was wielded but also epics from eons ago. There is even a statue of the first Cell created, Deimos, name sake of Mars¡¯ moon, wielding his battle axe made originally from the bones of a genetically engineered rhinoceros. He has a blade from a depleted uranium and steel alloy, giving it strength and weight making it capable of destroying almost anything by applying massive kinetic energy at a selected area. He was recently declared MIA at one of the colonies.


    ?I didn¡¯t hide my obsession with Cells and mythical warriors the likes of which you are. I¡¯m not trying to scheme favors out of Cells. I employ enough mercenaries to stage a small war so whatever I need done, I can do it myself. I¡¯ve never met a Cell before in my life and now that I have I can¡¯t take my mind off of you.¡°


    Eurus senses her bodily functions and realizes that she¡¯s likely telling some version of the truth ¨C at least as far as she knows. However he can¡¯t take the chance of being wrong, compounded by the fact that she is an excellent master of her body and could be hiding her true intentions beyond what Eurus is capable of noticing. Which is why to her dismay he says:


    ¡°It¡¯s time for me to leave.¡±

 Chapter V: All The Things Money Can Buy!

    Detective Paskal''s day starts off like any other blue collar worker does except he gets to wake up next to his lovely Eyleen. By the time his alarm goes off, he¡¯s usually already sitting behind the morning¡¯s first traffic jam, showered and drinking coffee, eating his sandwich while waiting for arrival at the PD.


    When he gets to work, he¡¯s greeted by his coworkers with respect. He doesn¡¯t demand it, because he¡¯s accomplished for his age and his sharp mind is very valuable for the department, and as such he doesn¡¯t have to. If he would¡¯ve been a policeman in the 1980s, he would¡¯ve been sitting behind a mountain of papers and reports needing to be filed. He¡¯s never been a very determined desk worker, preferring to do the legwork rather than the work of a clerk. Anderson¡¯s the one who shoulders most of the menial tasks. Therefore unlike the hypothetical Paskal back in the 1980s, his stack of papers would be neatly organized on his desk. Now they are stored in their terminals and take up very little physical space. Luckily nowadays most of all paperwork is handled by a special paperwork bot. All Paskal¡¯s gotta do is double check for inconsistencies and mistakes. Still, for a cop in a city of 1.5 billion, there is no shortage of things needing to be written down.


    He puts his earplugs in and he listens to a band now over 300 years old. Most music nowadays is compiled by AI-s. One of the few things the computers are still allowed free reign of and according to many, they¡¯ve created the perfect soundscape. Pharao Paskal is not so sure, though. He thinks that the imperfections of human instrumentalists are what make for genuine creativity, not optimized goop made to attract the largest common denominator.


    At around 12-ish he goes for his second round of caffeine. As part of his daily routine he chats up the secretary for 5 minutes until the servicebot Caf¨¦fornia 5000, or Mr. Coffee as he¡¯s called lovingly across the Solar Empire, makes him coffee. By now, word about his tag-along with Eurus has reached his colleagues. A younger cop, by the name of Sidour Mackelstrong approaches him and says:


    ¡°How was it, sir?¡±


    ¡°How was what, Sid?¡± asked Paskal.


    ¡°Rolling with a Cell. Tell us about it,¡± and other cops turned in their chairs, too, to listen in. Some even walk closer to listen.


    Paskal lights up a cigarette. He says:


    ¡°Let me put it this way - if you ever need to bring down a Cell, don¡¯t call me in for help. I¡¯m not coming.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re good, huh?¡± asks one of the older cops.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you¡¯ve had a few run-ins yourself, Jenkins?¡± Paskal says.


    ¡°Yeah. On both sides of the fight. Once we were taking down a rogue Ultra member. I¡¯ve never seen anything move so fast as that Cell fighting that Ultra Operative. Apollo was his name. A lot of operatives died that day. Even more did when we had to kill a Cell. Lost 600 men that day just tracking the fucker through the caves. It took a well-placed mine to incapacitate it long enough to take him out. We ended up writing up 900 cops on disability.¡±


    ¡°Damn. You took down a Cell? When was that?¡± Paskal says.


    ¡°It was¡­ some decades ago,¡± Jenkins says. Paskal is skeptical ¨C many just make up stories to sound tougher. Hard to believe a Cell was killed in combat by ordinary policemen. He figures Jenkins heard some story in a bar by some Ultra operatives.


    ¡°Paskal! Anderson! In my office! Now!¡± someone suddenly shouts in a raspy  booming voice.


    It was the commissar, Yusef Drynashvili, a man of Georgian heritage. He is distinguishable by his black moustache and short, curly hair and a synthetic left hand. He has served on the force for 40 years and is exemplary at his service.


    His office is decorated by various medals, honors and trophies from defeated foes. Behind him are two framed photos: Solar Imperial Commander Notus, a Cell and a proven governor, currently stationed on Earth. Behind him is also a framed copy of the first page of the Imperial Codex. It reads:


    Imperial Codex


    2144 1<sup>st</sup> edition


    Signed by War Martials Falyris, Lorenzo, Marquis, Wu


    All imperial servants hereby must vow to uphold the contents of this document. Governed not by any body or any single representative, this set of ideals and laws serves as the guiding hand of mankind.


    Above Yusef is also the Martian flag, with military red and white stripes crossing over it, with a black line in the middle of them. In the centter there is a side-facing golden lion with black detailing. As a devoted patriot and imperialist, Yusef is held in high regard by his contemporaries.


    When Paskal and Anderson enter his office, he simply gestures for them to close the door and to take a seat, which the men do. Paskal lights up another cigarette, to which Yusef responds with lighting one up himself. He says:


    ¡°So, how¡¯d it go with the surface problem?¡±


    Anderson says: ¡°We got a Cell to handle it. As you¡¯re aware we¡¯d lost several policemen on it already.¡±


    ¡°I went along personally to see what was going on,¡± Paskal says.


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°It was some sort of mutant experiment, as expected, however it seems that someone was unsuccessfully trying to recreate Cell technology,¡± Paskal explains, ¡°Eurus, the Cell we have on it, was quite concerned about it.¡±


    ¡°Jesus,¡± Yusef says, ¡°You didn¡¯t think to call in someone from Ultra? Endanger yourself and potentially the city by hiring a Cell?¡±


    ¡°Sir, with all due respect¡­¡± Paskal says.


    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna hear it. Next time, you call an operative. I¡¯ve got a case for you. Young girl, Kalopsia Chromo. Finest genes money can buy apparently. She was reported missing. I want you on it, her mother has a lot of favors to pull with the precinct.¡±


    Detective Paskal decides to go to Kalopsia¡¯s place alone while Anderson studies her background and investigate. When he arrives, the subbuilding looks like a warzone, with graffiti and lots of downtrodden people hanging about. In front of the apartments is a black hoversedan.


    ¡°This is detective Paskal, badge number 934911, requesting immediate backup, possible hostile combatants in the vicinity,¡± Paskal says into his com device.


    ¡°Roger, proceed with caution,¡± a female dispatcher responds.


    He pops open his cruiser¡¯s trunk and puts on Civic-Officer anti-kinetic energy vest and takes a police issue semi-automatic beam-rifle AR-87. Secretly, he¡¯s cursing himself, thinking what an idiot he must be for going there alone - he could¡¯ve at least asked Eurus for help, but hey, he might get fired if he pretended he was deaf. When he opens the door to the stairwell to take him to the first tri-level of the complex, it appears that all the apartments in the section are abandoned. The stairs each end with a corridor to the apartments.


    Paskal starts investigating the building. He slowly strafes through the corridors and quietly opens each apartment door, trying to be as careful and undetectable as possible. Suddenly, a loud noise comes from one tri-level above him, about where Kalopsia¡¯s apartment is supposed to be. He hustles faster until he climbs to the second tri-level. He sees two cartel agents and they¡¯re actively discussing something. He sure wishes he could hear them, but before he can get closer, one of them spots him and yells:


    ¡°IT¡¯S A COP!¡± and starts fumbling for his pistol on his hips.


    ¡°FREEZE!¡± Paskal shouts out, but the men give no mind to the command.


    Just as they¡¯re about to get him in their sights, Paskal reacts fast and with a burst from his AR 87, he kills them both on the spot, riddling the walls around them with bullets as well.


    His heart is pounding almost thrice a second and he can feel sweat running down his face, even though he hasn¡¯t had any exercise. Blood is rushing into his ears and everything sounds static. He¡¯s hoping that there aren¡¯t any more of those gangsters in the building and he doesn¡¯t dare to go and check himself, fearing an ambush the most. So, he waits for at least 120 seconds before slowly moving forward again.


    When he gets to the apartment, luckily, it doesn¡¯t seem like anyone else is in there. But before the mobsters arrived, it¡¯s clear that there had been a hard struggle at the apartment. Spilt blood, loose furniture and several other dead mobsters sprinkled throughout the apartment. What¡¯s happened here? Kalopsia¡¯s missing though. Has someone taken her? The reinforcements arrive and soon the CSI with them to document everything. It becomes apparent that the mobsters had a struggle with someone. Kalopsia is missing so perhaps she is with one of them? The mobsters are clearly of the Leone family, recognizable by their top of the line gear and a small embroiding of a lion with a black mane and its lines sown in gold.


    Paskal sits into his cruiser but before he can put on his seatbelt he can feel a rush of blood into his head. A splitting headache and glimpses of the altercation flash in his mind. Suddenly, a sour taste in his mouth and he can feel his stomach convulsing. He opens the door and bile and his breakfast spew out of his mouth. And he convulses once more and additional puke bursts out. Having caught his breath and looked around to see the CSI not paying him any notice, he closes his car door.


    He decides to take a little break before he barrels towards the precinct. Luckily for him, he has a bottle of water in his glove department, which he quickly uncorks and starts drinking in small sips to not irritate his stomach any further. He wishes he too would have emotional damage damping genetics like his super soldier friend. Never before in his life has he shot another person before and never before was it kill or be killed. His mental images are flashing between utter terror and the primal instinct he felt when he managed to defeat the mobsters. It felt... good almost? He shakes his head without even really entertaining the thought.


    He then buckles his seatbelt and drives off.


    As he¡¯s driving back to the precinct, Paskal gets to thinking: ¡±What if Leone stole Kalopsia¡¯s body to sell her or use her genetic code for something nefarious? Or someone else picked her up and now is doing God knows what. The Chromo family isn¡¯t exactly famous, but I think we should ask her acquaintances if they know how much she¡¯s worth.¡±


    When he gets back to the PD, he sits at his desk and describes to Anderson what had occurred. Without saying a word, Anderson stands up and pours whisky into two coffee mugs they have on their opposing tables. He slides one over to Paskal, his eyes telling him:


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°It sucks... I know...¡±


    Without hearing a word from Anderson, Paskal responds:


    ¡°Still¡­ Never used my gun before.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ Don¡¯t worry, man, you gotta look sharp. Drink up, get your trembling under control. Don¡¯t wanna end up with mandatory departmental counselling do you?¡± Anderson tries to cheer him up.


    ¡°Hah, not that,¡± Paskal says, with a flicker of light returning into his eyes. He downs the cup of whisky in one go.


    ¡°There¡¯s a good man,¡± Anderson says, ¡°So¡­ Kidnapped huh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, so we need to go ahead and meet with Kalopsia¡¯s mother and submit an inquiry into Ultra. I¡¯ve got reason to believe she was being watched by operatives either sanctioned or not,¡± says Paskal.


    ¡°Is Ultra really a good idea?¡± Anderson asks.


    ¡°No. But what else do we got?¡±


    ¡°Not much. And not many can afford a few trillion in enhancements.¡±


    ¡°I wanna try the inquiry first. Ultra might deny us. That could say something,¡± Paskal says.


    ¡°Or nothing,¡± Anderson says.


    The duo arrives at one of the biggest buildings in Pap¨¹lonis. A big black metal silinder with no windows and some platforms to park on for visitors. It¡¯s dotted with its logos which are a three straight lines on equi-distant axis crossing each other. At the end of each line, they veer off perpendicular in clockwise direction. Anderson and Paskal, too, are just visitors. So they park their cop car on one of the platforms about midway to the top and enter the buildings. Immediately they see a few Ultra operatives. These metal clad soldiers look similar to Eurus in many respects but usually their standard equipment consists of more advanced weaponry and wear their power armor constantly, whereas Eurus doesn¡¯t wear his power armor unless he has to.


    The thing of notice is the interior - it is huge. As they step inside, Paskal fights off a nauseating feeling of wonder mixed with dread. It holds a hanging Spitfire Mark V from the ceiling, which has been kept in its original shape as it came from that era. It¡¯s even got bullet holes and the cockpit is decorated with a skeleton wearing its original uniform. The big lobby also holds a few showcases with swords or older guns from the 20th century or before. It is teaming with people and drones whizzing about and in the middle of the chasm - a gigantic sculpture of War Martial Falyris, made out of pure cobalt no less!


    The place itself is neat and spotless. A hundred yards behind the front desks stands an enormous library of floors and different labs or conference rooms, reaching so high and so low that neither the top nor bottom were visible from the balconies directed inwards toward the heart of the building.


    To give some reference to what kind of an institution this is - something between the Navy Seals, CIA and DARPA with a blank check from the imperial government and a penchant for red, black and white eagle-styled memorabilia. Everyone besides Eurus and other Cells are wary of this shadowy institution, and Paskal is no different. Its interior is effectively imposing and successfully makes a him feel small. As far as buildings, institutions and lobbies go, few give off such an aura of something simultaneously so awesome and yet so gaudy having been planned and executed there.


    Other people there are wearing suits, they¡¯re transporting important documents or having important chit-chat.


    Paskal and Anderson arrive at the front desk of Ultra and Paskal says: ¡°Hello, friend¡± to the administrator. She barely gives him a glance while she keeps on typing something into the terminal in front of her.


    ¡°I just wanted to file an inquiry, where might I do that,¡± Paskal asks. To the reader it might seem as if it¡¯s weird that Paskal has never been to Ultra or filed an inquiry there, but at the same time it¡¯s unusual for any regular cop to do so. Ultra pretty much has free reign to do as they please and nobody can stop them, unless said so otherwise by the judicial and imperial legislative system specifically.


    ¡°You can file the complaint at 99-405. Take care!¡±


    They take the elevators to 99 and in one of the hallways there is the room 405. When they open the door, it contains a table and three chairs. Anderson says:


    ¡°I don¡¯t like this.¡±


    ¡°Please, take a seat,¡± says a man behind them, who turns out had been following them since they got out of the elevator.


    Paskal gives Anderson a look that goes ¡°oh jeez, what the hell did we get ourselves into¡± and he responds with the same. They sit down and the man says with an unnervingly nasal and droopy almost amber-like tonality in his voice:


    ¡°Hello, officers, my name is Oliander Schultzer, can I offer you a beverage? A coffe¨¦ perhaps?¡±


    A bony face with high cheekbones, he¡¯s got darkened skin around his eyes and a veiny face. He¡¯s probably in his 50¡¯s but looks almost 70. Gray hair, black eyes and the man is all in black leather and he¡¯s wearing his rank and medals on his chest.


    ¡°Let¡¯s cut to the shit,¡± Anderson says, ¡°Kalopsia Chromo, what¡¯ve you got on her?¡±


    ¡°Gentlemen,¡± says Oliander, ¡°no need to act so outwardly hostile. I also feel obliged to tell you that she is of Imperial interest and therefore a lot of what we know about her is classified. However, I am here to help you in any way I can. As far as I can tell you, you¡¯re barking up the wrong tree here. It¡¯s the Leone family district she was last seen, not here.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯ve been watching her?¡± Paskal asks.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s say, that we all know how much in raw enhancements she¡¯s worth. This kind of shall we say merchandise is always observed by the Ultra. Right now though, our chiefs don¡¯t see the point putting all our resources into a wild goosechase that may be random hearsay anyway. But I understand your concern and if you find anything I¡¯ll give you my word that the Ultra is behind you.¡±


    ¡°So we do the dirty work and you get all the credit,¡± asks Paskal.


    ¡°Gentlemen, we¡¯re all after the same things, surely we can work together. Go visit the Leone family, maybe you¡¯ll find something useful,¡± says Oliander.


    ¡°Thanks for your assistance,¡± Anderson says.


    Paskal and Anderson leave the Ultra building and get in their car to go visit the Leone family. In a city as unruly as Pap¨¹lonis, it can happen every once in a while that cops die while visiting mob bosses. Not every nook and cranny is covered by a camera feed and sometimes a toe is too sensitive to be stepped on. As the duo arrives at the Leone family building, it¡¯s distinct as well. Mostly because it¡¯s more covered in graffiti than other buildings on its lower levels and of course, the gangsters. Dressed almost business, they try to emulate their ancient leader, Leypol¨¦ Leone, a once feared and respected leader on both planets. Having worked himself up from almost nothing, his offspring is now responsible for one of sthe biggest crime syndicate in the solar system, dwarfing the likes of Pablo Escobar in his prime, both by influence and fearsomeness.


    While driving, Anderson says: ¡°You know, it seems whoever has Kalopsia, it seems unlikely that we¡¯re able to help that poor girl.¡±


    ¡°Dude... Why say this?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s either dead in an abandoned complex somewhere, mixed up with the Leone family, or Ultra in which case you think it¡¯s worth digging up dirt on the mob? Ultra? People can get offed by their own officers, man.¡±


    ¡°To former I say her supposed death deserves justice and about the latter, I must ask, why did you join the force?¡±


    ¡°What? I was on the force way before your balls had dropped.¡±


    ¡°I meant that with no disrespect, Anderson,¡± Paskal says.


    ¡°I get it. But it¡¯s been long since I¡¯ve had the luxury of your naivet¨¦,¡± Anderson says.


    ¡°If it comes to the latter, we need to have each others¡¯ backs,¡± Paskal says.


    They start moving upwards toward the top levels of city.


    ¡°You think I don¡¯t know that? And it¡¯s not the mob that has me worried,¡± he says.


    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t like Ultra either, but whaddaya gonna do. Can¡¯t go around believing conspiracy theories,¡± says Paskal.


    ¡°No conspiracy theories here, bud. If you¡¯d seen the absolute dog shit behaviour from them I¡¯ve seen over the years, you¡¯d get cold sweat running down your ass crack same as me. Anything you think you know about justice in the world is casually smacked down by the shit pulled by Ultra. I¡¯ve had entire year-long investigations smacked down by them. Redactions, assassinations and maimings are just a few of the niceties they can afford that we simply cannot. They¡¯re in no way accountable to anyone, or at least they act like it.¡±


    As they arrive at the higher levels, the balconies and common areas get much nicer. They can see the sun and many of the buildings have built-in SunRayUV systems that make it feel like the pools and suntan seats are by a real-life promenade. It¡¯s what the richest can afford. Many top level trillionaires of Pap¨¹lonis allow their resorts to be used by the public to get that extra dough, but the building Paskal and Anderson are pulling up to only boasts top level beauties by their pools and promenades and a few gunmen to keep anyone unwanted from entering.


    There are a few floors between the parking lot and the forests on the higher level, so they park their car there.


    When they get out, they¡¯re immediately greeted by one of the Leone family goons. His face is leathery from all the drugs and alcohol and his eyes squint when he looks at them. A skin that would be brown in tone but has dilapitated into a dreary beige.  The skinhead with a machine gun says with the voice that can only be described as a hundred thousand chain-smoked cigarettes: ¡°You lost, friend?¡±


    Paskal says: ¡°I¡¯m here to see your boss, pal, and I¡¯m not your friend. Before you get excited, PC-PD, investigating a disappearance and just looking into every avenue.¡±


    ¡°Does your boss know you¡¯re here? Get into your little cruiser and get the fuck outta here, pig, we¡¯re not letting you in.¡±


    One of the goons gets a message on his earpiece.


    ¡°The boss says you can come talk to him.¡±


    ¡°Aw¡­,¡± Paskal says mockingly.


    They are lead through the building towards the elevators. The whole area looks like a fine hotel, with a butler running through now and then or some women tiptoeing about. Sometimes they see heavily armed grunts running somewhere - probably to beat up a debtor or something shady like that. Cinemas, arcades, shops, all in top condition. No cheap neon, concrete or plastic or metal. The floors are hardwood, and the walls are hidden behind red brick. It¡¯s like an old hotel from the 1920s, still operational and at the top of their game or the most expensive steam-engine cruise ship you can imagine.


    The elevator they ride up in is golden inside, spacious, with couches and chairs, unlike many on the lower floors, which look like they belong in a horror film featuring a torture master. And when the elevator doors open, fresh air, no smell, not that there was any before. Trees, birds and pets running around. It¡¯s lush ¨C almost like a jungle but at the same time very clean. All the things money can buy!


    As they walk, they arrive at a clearing where a caramel-skinned woman is throwing a stick for her dog. Paskal immediately recognizes her - it¡¯s the Leone family matriarch, Mirra, smart as a fox, wicked and baneful. She¡¯s a rather lethal looking woman in her early thirties at 2.0 meters, black hair flowing just over her chest, curvaceous and busty but not corpulent, with toned muscles instead. She wears a black jumpsuit, having herself decorated with sparse jewelery. Her stunning looks are as much a weapon as the probable tens of thousands of militia she employs on Martis alone.


    ¡°Hello, detectives,¡± she says. ¡°How can I help you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a lovely forest you¡¯ve got here, ma¡¯am. Quite the view, too,¡± says Anderson.


    ¡°Oh? Here to discuss real estate? Or just small talk? I hate foreplay. Make it my job to get you going. Let¡¯s get intimate, rough and dirty. I ask you again, what can I do for you?¡±


    She stands up and is an inch taller than Paskal or Anderson.


    ¡°We¡¯re here about the girl. You¡¯ve got any idea who we¡¯re talking about?¡± asks Paskal.


    ¡°Puzzles, detective? I¡¯ve always pegged you for a straight shooter. I know why you¡¯re here. Come, we¡¯ll talk in private.¡±


    She leads the men back into the elevator, where they ride for a few seconds and stop at what seems like Mirra¡¯s apartment. The entire time they travel, the policemen and Mirra are accompanied by a few of her grunts, but when the elevator stops, she says:


    ¡°My boys will stay here. I trust we¡¯ll not have trouble?¡±


    Paskal gives the grunts a slight wave. Anderson says: ¡°Alright, where¡¯s the girl?¡±


    ¡°Frankly, I have no idea where she is currently. But I do know she¡¯s got herself mixed with some people.¡±


    ¡°Some people?¡± asks Anderson.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have information right now. But I hear you¡¯ve got the ear of a Cell? He¡¯s been avoiding me it seems.¡±


    ¡°Hard to imagine why,¡± Anderson says, ¡°As far as we know, he¡¯s dealing with a top-secret assignment.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± she says, ¡°Well, if you see him, tell him to call.¡±


    ?Come on, Mirra¡­ You don¡¯t have any information? The goons found at her apartment were clearly Leone henchmen. You lost touch?¡° Paskal asks.


    ?Manners, boys, I believe we can help each other. I need your help with a small matter pertaining to that. I have reason to believe there is a rogue faction within my family. I was hoping our mutual friend from Erebus can be of assistance in both matters? I¡¯d never stoop so low as to ask this from him myself. We¡¯re friends, too, you see.¡°


    ?You¡¯ve got infinite money. Why not just hire one yourself?¡° Paskal asks.


    ?I get the feeling the one you have cares about collateral damage a tad more than the average goon. I want this to be handled with discretion.¡°


    ?Collateral damage? You¡¯re a mob boss! I still can¡¯t figure out why you¡¯re not hanging people by their thumbs!¡°


    ?Mob boss? You plan on taking that to court, detectives? I like your wife detective, I¡¯d hate to spoil her promotion!¡°


    ?Listen here, you bitch...¡° Paskal growls.


    ?Pharao, Pharao,¡° Anderson interrupts him, ?No need to get hostile. We¡¯ll talk to the Cell, won¡¯t we? Do you have any names from your outfit in mind, Leone?¡°


    ?Call me Mirra, please. But yes, ?rk Zaroj, my father¡¯s former right hand man. We had a falling out of sorts... He¡¯s been quiet for quite some time, but now I¡¯m starting to suspect why. Will you help me detectives?¡°


    ?We¡¯ll see what we can do.¡°


    When they drove back, there was tension in the car. Paskal was visibly upset. A not-so-subtle threat made by the woman they now had agreed to help? This was too much. He says:


    ?You¡¯re going to help that fucking bitch?¡°


    ?You were standing in the middle of her apartment about to say or do God knows what. I don¡¯t know about you, but I like having legs. Besides, she¡¯d not have done anything. She was clearly sizing you up.¡°


    ?Sizing me up? Are you dying of dementia? She threatened my fucking wife! Can you imagine if she did that to you?¡°


    ?I don¡¯t have to...¡° Anderson says monotonously, ¡°Why do you think that seat was empty?¡± He continues with increasing gusto, ¡°Besides, we have zero leverage! What are you going to do? Arrest her for saying something that¡¯s not even a crime? Her lawyers are going to have your badge if you pipe up ¨C and that¡¯s the best case scenario here, man! Like it or not ¨C we¡¯re playing a game where everyone else was dealt the better hand, so we gotta play smart.¡±


    A silence fell over the car.


    ?You¡¯re right... Sorry... I was being stupid,¡° Paskal says.

 Chapter VI: For The Benefit Of the Empire And All Mankind

    ¡°This is the part I hate the most.¡±


    Geon Karsk is putting on sterilized clothes as if he¡¯s a surgeon preparing for brain surgery. That isn¡¯t far from the reality of the activity he¡¯s about to participate in. Gloves, coat, mask, white hat¡­ this is not the outfit of only a medical surgeon, but also an Ultra operative preparing to extract the ¡°truth¡± from whoever is unfortunate enough to have themselves questioned.


    Oliander Schultz is already in the ¡°Operation Room¡± and the subject, ?rk Zaroj is still unconscious. A gangbanger and requisitioner of goods for the underbelly of Pap¨¹lonis, he¡¯s always thought he¡¯s safe ¨C out of reach. Who¡¯d put their hands on someone working for such menacing forces, people like him all likely think. Even IF a government operative, everybody has something to lose. ?rk, however, is in for a rude awakening.


    Oliander says in his nasal voice: ¡°You wanna take the lead on this one?¡±


    Without saying anything, Geon Karsk takes a remote from the silver equipment table and presses a button on it. Tubes connecting to ?rk fill up with fluid and he slowly comes to. When he gets to his senses and realizes where he is, his vitals¡¯ monitor lights up. As mentioned, this is not a room anyone ever wants to be in.


    Slowly, ?rk wakes up, feeling groggy from the mix of drugs used to sedate him. As he doesn¡¯t have any idea ¡­ well ¡­ he has SOME idea¡­ where he is, he panics. His first instinct is to try to show that HE, the guy strapped to the operating table, is in power.


    ¡°Yoooo, what the fuck! Do you have ANY idea who I am? You and your friend are dead! YOU HEAR ME???¡± he yells.


    Geon remains quiet. He is green enough to believe what he¡¯s doing but he doesn¡¯t yet have the stomach to do it himself. He knows protocol, he knows what¡¯s expected of him, but it¡¯s better if Oliander had the lead.


    ¡°Mister Zaroj, do you realize you¡¯re strapped onto an operating table¡­ And I¡¯m the surgeon,¡± asks Oliander.


    ?rk falls quiet.


    ¡°I think you are well-aware. For your own sake, do choose to be informative,¡± says Oliander.


    ¡°What are you going to do? You gonna fuckin torture me? You just a fuckin bolts and nuts in the big fucking machine! YOU THINK YOU MAKING A DIFFERENCE? YOU THINK I GOING TO TALK??? YOU GOT NO IDEA WHAT I BEEN THROUGH! YOUR MOTHERS ARE WHORES!!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Zaroj¡­ Everybody thinks they don¡¯t have to talk. Right until the interrogation actually begins. I¡¯m giving you a gift as an opportunity surrender the information you have. You can walk out of here a free man with nothing to fear from Ultra.¡±


    ¡°A free man? You gotta be shitting me you fuckin retard! You think Mirra or anyone other will let me walk?¡±


    As he keeps talking, Geon Karsk hands a device to Oliander, similar to a monkey wrench but the claw has a bigger surface area.


    ¡°Walk, you say. How appropriate¡­¡± says Oliander as he puts his knee between the monkey wrench and presses a button. It begins to clamp down around it and soon Zaroj is screaming at the top of his lungs.


    ¡°OHHHH GAWWWD! OOOOUUUYIIEEEEEEEAAAAA¡± he screams.


    ¡°This device is designed to stress-fracture your knee. This will splinter the bone and the cap completely unpredictably, making it extremely hard to mend even for the top surgeons. They¡¯d need to amputate and regrow it - a process most difficult and very dangerous¡­ I can¡¯t imagine the pain¡­¡± says Oliander with an elevated voice.


    CRKKKK¡­ Zaroj¡¯s knee pops and breaks into splinters.


    Geon speaks for the first time during the entire procedure: ¡°He¡¯s going into shock,¡± he speaks with a strong, young voice. His American family heritage is showing in his accent. Even as he does as the procedure is supposed to go, internally he winces at the pain ?rk must be feeling. No wonder he¡¯ll break like a lawn chair soon.


    Geon takes a syringe filled with epinephrine and injects ?rk with it.


    ¡°Please let me die! PLEASE LET ME DIE! OH MY GOD,¡± ?rk screams.


    Oliander puts his other knee into the device and Geon says:


    ¡°There¡¯s only one way to end this. There¡¯s something you acquired for Mirra Leone and we¡¯d like it here. Where is it?¡±


    ¡°I-I-I¡¯m s-s-sorrry, I don¡¯t k-know where it is,¡± ?rk weeps, ¡°y-you¡¯ve gotta believe me. I don¡¯t even know what you¡¯re talking about¡­ please¡­ don¡¯t kill me.¡±


    ¡°Try again,¡± says Geon.


    CRRRRAAACKKK!!!! ?rk¡¯s other knee pops.


    ?rk shrieks and passes out. Geon injects him with another dose of epinephrine and when he wakes up, his heart rate monitor goes ballistic. ?rk is feeling dizzy, immense pain in his torso, legs and completely disorientated by his suffering and the chemicals he¡¯s under. He¡¯s somewhere they won¡¯t even allow him to die of shock ¨C not until Ultra gets what it came for.


    ¡°?rk,¡± Geon says, ¡±we need you to help us find that girl. We¡¯re forced to use drastic measures on your friends and family to find it, if you don¡¯t tell us everything you know.¡±


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°I have no idea where she is or what you¡¯re talking about,¡± says ?rk, his eyes rolling and head physically spinning on the table, ¡°But¡­ if anyone knows where she is, just talk to Mirra¡­ She¡¯ll know¡­  ¡±


    ¡°Mirra?¡± Oliander says, ¡°What do you make of that, kid?¡±


    ¡°I think Mirra might be looking for her, too,¡± says Karsk.


    ¡°I think we¡¯re done here, tell the cleanup boys to finish up here, let¡¯s go visit family.¡±


    Karsk and Oliander leave the interrogation room and mark it for cleanup on the computer. Karsk takes off his mask and he is of the Aryan complexity. He¡¯s got high cheekbones, square jaw, blue eyes and golden hair.


    The hallway, through which they start walking towards the elevator, is sterile and filled with dozens of interrogation chambers just like it - red light above the door means it¡¯s occupied, green is vacant and yellow means cleanup. There are no green lights on their way to the elevators.


    As they step inside Karsk says: ¡°Vehicle bay,¡± he says and the lift starts moving, ¡°You think he knows what the fuck he¡¯s talkin about, though?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t be sure. But I think we should go ahead and see Mirra. Just remember, we¡¯re not there to stir up trouble. Simply get some facts.¡±


    ----


    They arrive at a bar that Mirra and other families visit once a month. It¡¯s a cigar lounge type place and Mirra is the first female leader to be allowed in the back room.


    The neon lights glow through the cigar smoke and a droid is serving the drinks. These things have been designed to listen to people¡¯s life stories and offer statistically sound albeit somewhat arbitrary advice to cheer them up. The mere act of talking to someone who listens - even mechanically and with no emotion - gives people some sort of therapeutic experience in a society that divides its attention between the problems of dozens of billions of people.


    The leather stools and seats in the style of 50s nostalgia offer gluteal support for gangsters, dealers, pimps and hookers of all kinds. Similar to the scene back at the police station, the cybernetic and bioengineered enhancements have a wide variety from useful to terrifying. The music could only be described as magnetic jazz suited for dabbling in psychedelics.


    Karsk and Oliander are immediately spotted as Ultra operatives, but aside from a strange eye or a gestual spit on the floor, no physical or even verbal animosity is demonstrated. For sure, though, the air gets tense immediately and the static is waiting to snap. Ultra operatives are the most hated people in the Imperium and especially so among the criminal underbelly. Though somewhat shady, there is nothing a gangster can do to threaten an operative. So the tension is very obvious.


    They walk through the locale up to the entrance of the back room where Mirra is, but a Dynamo stands in their way. Dynamos are known as Cells on a budget.


    This woman is as tall as the operatives, very athletically built, instantly recognizable and also dangerous. She¡¯s sporting a red leather jacket and a black mohawk. She clearly doesn¡¯t want the operatives to pass and isn¡¯t afraid to have the situation devolve into something bloody.


    ¡°Invitation only,¡± she says.


    Karsk whips out his badge says: ¡°Got mine right here.¡±


    ¡°Invitation only,¡± she says, as she turns slightly red and slowly approaches them. She presses a button on a small device she¡¯s carrying.


    In the back room, Mirra takes her communication device that only has the message ¡°Get out of here. NOW!¡±


    The whole establishment turns quiet, as the patrons brace for pending conflict.


    ¡°Eaaaasy there girl, take it easy, we just wanna talk,¡± says Karsk.


    ¡°IS that SO? I just wanna eat soft ice cream and get high with my brother but oh wait!!! He was shot dead by porker fags such as yourselves,¡± she said, clearly getting angrier by the syllable. ¡°So, unless you really wanna go commando on this fine and reputable establishment I suggest you tango the fuck outta here.¡±


    Meanwhile, in the smoky back room, the poker table which Mirra sat around with her henchmen has been vacated. It¡¯s green and filted, with drinks still perspiring and whisky still  melting the ice cubes into it. The cigars smoked by the backroom bunch are still lit, acting as nicotine filled incense. She¡¯s moving through tunnels and passages hidden behind a floor-to-ceiling painting of a forest only accessible by Mirra¡¯s handprint. Time is of the essence as even for someone as well-connected as her, getting caught between the cogs of Ultra would¡¯ve beeen a death sentence.


    ¡°Look,¡± Oliander says, ¡°We can either do this with your cooperation, or without your cooperation.¡±


    ¡°All clear,¡± beeps a message in the Dynamo¡¯s communication instrument.


    She lets the two operatives pass. It¡¯s obvious to them that their target has narrowly avoided them. The vices still degrading in the room are clear evidence of that. Oliander turns back to the Dynamo and says: ¡°Give me your comm device.¡±


    She grips it harder.


    ¡°Give me your comm device, or I¡¯m giving you a room in Ultra with your name on the straps.¡±


    She reluctantly hands him the communication device. Oliander hands it over to Geon, who then takes a small computer from one of the compartments in his outfit and connects it to a jack in the gadget. It beeps up, chirping for a password. Geon clacks on his hacking instrument and the gadget stops beeping, allowing them access. He pings the location of the last message from it and asks the device to track its sender.


    ¡°Got it,¡± Geon says.


    Oliander and Geon then leave the establishment and high-tail it back to their Ultra-spec cruiser. They fire up the sirens and quickly barrel towards the pinged location. To their surprise, the signal is coming from a section of the megastructure which is completely walled off. Oliander looks at Geon and says: ¡°When they say knock first¡­¡±


    He flicks a switch on the armature of the cruiser and two large guns shift out of the machine. He then presses two buttons on the steering yoke and they blast a hole into the wall from where the signal is pinging. As soon as it¡¯s wide enough, he carefully guides the cruiser into it, letting them into a garage with a now damaged few luxury cars, with one spot empty. Oliander sets the cruiser down.


    When they exit the car and pinpoint the location of the communication gadget, it¡¯s faintly beeping away on the ground. Geon says:


    ¡°You wanna follow her to Leone Tower?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Oliander says.


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Did you read her dossier carefully?¡± Oliander asks.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°If you had, rookie, you¡¯d know that she¡¯s known to hang around a Cell named Eurus. She¡¯s either hiding with a few of her more legitimate wealthy pals where we¡¯d come off as tyrannical morons or with him, meaning we¡¯d have no way to get to her anyway.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re scared of a Cell? We can take him, the academy¡­,¡± Geon says before Oliander interrupts him.


    ¡°Are you stupid? The academy or nobody really hasn¡¯t fought a Cell for decades if not centuries,¡± Oliander says, ¡°There are too many variables to predict.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t put too much stock in the spooky bonfire stories about Cells, man,¡± Geon says, ¡°I could lay down sniper fire.¡±


    ¡°So you could watch me die from afar before Eurus flicks you dead like a bug as well? Don¡¯t believe everything they say in the academy, Karsk. You¡¯d benefit from using your own brain occasionally.¡±


    ¡°So what do you expect us to do? We can¡¯t follow Eurus, we can¡¯t follow Mirra. Her henchmen are dead ends if her lieutenants don¡¯t even know what¡¯s what!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see where the cops take us. We¡¯ve so far eliminated most of the possibilities. It¡¯s not unfathomable that our own government is responsible for Kalopsia. If that is the case, we¡¯d be wise to allow Paskal and Anderson spring all the traps potentially meant for us,¡± Oliander says.

 Chapter VII: A Voyeur 2475 AD

    Though Pap¨¹lonis is by area big enough to span a smaller nation on Earth a few centuries ago, it does have eventual limits. No Chromo will ever end up out there. People deemed unworthy of living even in the sweaty armpits of the city close to the ground often found themselves on the outskirts. These spanned several tens of thousands additional square kilometers. The houses themselves were of varying quality ¨C some mere shacks held up by good will and desparation, others were apartment buildings or even gated villas ¨C heavily guarded by gunmen geared fit for war. The state of everything aside from the villas was describable only as ¡°in decay¡±.


    At the middle of the Slum of Red is a big market selling all kinds of goodies and foods. The slum gets its name from the red sand and dust constantly blowing around at the outskirts of the city and thus coloring any field of vision golden, butterscotch or red. Most of the products at the market are just food for the locals but also some are illegal, some exotic and some pure poison. In other words, some of the goodies are ¨C despite their name - bad. On its edge closer to the main part of Pap¨¹lonis is a parking lot for transportation with most of it being filled with cars.


    As the sun is setting, a noise of thundrous hissing beneath a rumbling in flange becomes louder. The locals ponder whether or not a spacecraft or aircaft was flying over them but no ¨C instead it is Eurus riding his statbike. The Slum of Red burps out squelching noises, screams and metal clanking on metal among many others ¨C if it were a lounge, its jazz duo would be a hurricane of garbage and human despair. Eurus¡¯s arrival raises some attention but ultimately compared to the usual sounds they are accustomed to it is not noteworthy.


    ¡°He¡¯s arrived,¡± says a woman at the market who is closely observing Eurus while staying as hidden as humanly possible. She¡¯s standing beneath the roof of one of the shacks bordering the market. From her ear device there¡¯s a voice as quiet as the footsteps of a sneaking ant which says:


    ¡°Good. Activate visual broadcast and keep me updated,¡± another female voice sounds through the tiny speaker in the spy¡¯s ear. Her voice is trebled up but if one was to stand near the spy¡¯s ear, they¡¯d hear the sultry and deep caramel tone of the speaker on the other end.


    Eurus lands his statbike at the appropriate place at the edge of the market. He¡¯s wearing a thin trench coat outfit, with a hood coming up from behind him, covering most of his face in shadow. His leather armor is neatly hidden below his coat and not visible to anyone. Even though he towers over most every person at the market, his face is incognito and it¡¯s not obvious unless examined very closely that he¡¯s a Cell. Considering his target, it¡¯s obvious why he won''t go commando just yet.


    Eurus walks though the market and he examines the various stalls and vendors clearly looking for something while maintaining his discretion. In the stalls and on their counters are things that are mainly produced on Martis but he arrives at a stall that has some exotic goods on display. He takes some small device in his hand, clearly marked as a product for bioengineering by a company based on Terram. He then strikes up a conversation with the vendor.


    ¡°Good day, sir, how¡¯s it going?¡± says Eurus very casually and his voice is not as booming and bassy as usual. It¡¯s almost soothing in tone ¨C a clear departure from his usual dominating demeanor.


    ¡°Going good, thank you. Is there anything in particular you¡¯re looking for? We¡¯ve got a lot of good stuff, just ask away,¡± says the vendor.


    ¡°I can see you¡¯ve got some nice imports here,¡± says Eurus, ¡°but do you sell or have any metagel imports?¡±


    ¡°These are real rare, man, I don¡¯t sell these ¨C they¡¯re hard to get hands on,¡± says the vendor, ¡°Most of them are under lock and key in official places and the imports are very secure.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± says Eurus, ¡°say I have a contact on Terram who might be able to get these out of those official places or at least have them misplaced. I could hook you up, if you want? They¡¯d sell for quite a price.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d do that? Why?¡± asks the vendor.


    Eurus keeps inspecting the man¡¯s goods while he talks.


    ¡°Well I have a use for one dose but the way he can send it from Terram is with larger batches, several doses a crate,¡± says Eurus, ¡°I¡¯m not a vendor myself.¡±


    ¡°I see. What do you want me to do?¡± asks the vendor.


    ¡°Nothing, really, I just need to find a good enough smuggler to get things from off-world and bring them planet-side. You hook me up, I hook you up?¡±


    ¡°Ah, well how do we split it?¡± asks the vendor.


    ¡°Like I said, I only need one dose, money is not an issue so I can handle the import costs myself if need be, you can keep the rest of the batch pro bono as a gesture of goodwill when I get it,¡± says Eurus.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ You¡¯ve got confirmation the package is ready?¡± asks the vendor.


    Eurus then takes out a PDA device and shows a few documents and pictures of the metagel crates. The dates and other details needed for confirmation are all there on the display.


    ¡°Okay, I think we¡¯ve got a deal. Well you¡¯ve got Johnny Sly near the Split Towers,¡± says the vendor and points towards a ruined duo of towers in the distance, ¡°but I don¡¯t know if he¡¯ll take the risk. He¡¯s got a ship and a launchpad but getting caught with this is real bad, you know what I¡¯m saying?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s risky for sure. But I¡¯ve got my ass on the line too. You got someone else?¡± asks Eurus.


    ¡°Well¡­ There is one guy but I¡¯m not sure you¡¯ll wanna meet with him,¡± says the vendor.


    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°He runs with the Glass Factory Raiders, they¡¯re pretty protective about their runners.¡±


    ¡°Ah, you think I¡¯d get clipped,¡± asks Eurus.


    ¡°You might. I¡¯d try Johnny out first if I were you.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± says Eurus, ¡°but just in case, where do I go if I want the Raiders¡¯ guy?¡±


    ¡°You can talk to the Glass Factory Raiders captain ¨C he usually hangs out around the Flea bar, you¡¯ve heard of that?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s close to the Lair, right?¡± asks Eurus.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll keep you posted when I get anything,¡± says Eurus.


    He goes back to his statbike and takes off, first riding towards the Split Towers in the distance but when he¡¯s out of direct line of sight of the vendor, he changes course towards the Lair, which is pyramid-esque structure in another direction closer to the city. It used to house military equipment and some soldiers but since being abandoned it has been taken over by various gangs and shady merchants.


    The voice in the spy¡¯s earpiece says: ¡°Just what the hell was that? Isn¡¯t he supposed to be looking for that lost kid?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± says the spy, ¡°You want me to follow him?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± says the sultry voice in the earpiece, ¡±but be careful, Sienna.¡±


    ¡°Roger that. I¡¯ll hang back at first.¡±


    She watches Eurus fly out of sight and then jumps on her own statbike similar to Eurus¡¯ to hang low above the rooftops and slowly creep after him. Her statbike is not as armored and not designed for direct combat as it doesn¡¯t have armaments hanging off its sides, unlike Eurus¡¯s. Several miles ahead of her, she sees Eurus start to descend near the Lair and Flea bar. She circles around to avoid being detected and a few minutes later also lands near this location.


    -


    Eurus lands near the Lair at a vehicular stop similar to the one he was parked at in the Red Slum market. Visually, though, the region near the Lair is quite different. The air is not red from the sand as the wind doesn¡¯t blow as strongly there. Instead the buildings and shacks are gray or dusty in color. Most of the parts used to build these lone apartment buildings and shacks are leftovers and scraps gathered from industrial processes in the city. They stand up fine but visually, the place doesn¡¯t look appealing. The region got its name because a lot of criminal gangs hang out around there or at least have a group/force there as it¡¯s a hot spot of gossip and commerce for those types of people.


    Eurus changes his outfit a bit, using things like bands and belts to make it more bubbly. Furthermore, he removes his hood as well. By using contact lenses and other cosmetics that he took with him, he disguises himself as a regular, tall human being. He now looks like a somewhat wealthy patron looking to keep things incognito. He can immediately smell the smoke of drugs, the stench of bodily fluids such as piss, vomit and waste. The region is vulgar beyond belief but its precisely why it is so popular with the aforementioned criminal gangs. It¡¯s the perfect camouflage for them and a web of contacts and persons of interest. They can be observed and any vibrations of the web can be taken as a sign of danger or curiosity and be used as intelligence to their advantage.


    He starts walking through the streets, only named so because no more shacks could be fit there. It¡¯s like a wet market but instead of unsanitary meat instead far more perverted things roam the edges of one¡¯s peripheral view. The street he¡¯s currently on is perhaps as wide as three or four men standing shoulder to shoulder and there isn¡¯t a single full meter without a person sitting, talking, walking or smoking or drinking or injecting something. Eurus remembers places like this back on Terram as well.


    He walks around, and he dons a look of sheepishness, wonder and slight fear on his face, almost looking lost. His posture is now slightly slumped, he purposefully compresses himself a little to look soft and weak compared to the rough crowd around him. He notices many of the asymmetrical and grimaced faces staring at him, checking him out and measuring him head to toe. He is certainly being taken for an easy target. Like a patient predator, he has given himself the appearance of lost prey. This means his disguise works.


    As he¡¯s strolling through the tight path, Eurus constantly analyzes and takes in new information from his surroundings. He¡¯s surveilling anything around him. His perfect peripheral vision helps him to see things even when he¡¯s not directly looking at them. Going deeper into the Lair region, he begins to see what he¡¯s looking for.


    A gaggle of whores sit outside a shack on bench. They¡¯re eyeing him up and down. Even if he didn¡¯t look wealthy, Eurus is not hard on the eyes. He¡¯s tall, even with his compressed figure he looks strong and somewhat intimidating and dangerous, albeit not as much as a Cell. Naturally the women are drawn to him. These first sets of whores however aren¡¯t who he is looking for. They are wearing dirty and somewhat torn clothes, sometimes revealing bits like breasts that would lure in the weaker-willed man. Clearly even if they have a pimp or a mistress, they¡¯re not of the quality Eurus is searching for. Eurus is looking for a more refined establishment ¨C someone with connections.


    After having walked for a few minutes, he arrives at one of the apartment buildings mentioned before. The first floor of it has been modified to look more like a lobby. This looks like the place Eurus wants to find.


    The women inside there are dressed nicely, they look and smell clean(er) than their shack-side counterparts. Of course to Eurus¡¯ senses, they still smell of disease, cum, piss and abuse, but to a regular person they look like they could be worth the money.


    Eurus takes a look around outside before going in. He sees a lot of the faces he¡¯s already passed still staring at him angrily and with their frowns still easy to identify. However there¡¯s another face standing 100 meters away from him and in the direction of where he came from that he doesn¡¯t remember passing. This intrigues him, but his goal is to go into the brothel.


    ¡°Oh, shit,¡± says Sienna quietly into her earpiece, ¡°I think he looked straight at me.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Sienna,¡± says the voice in her ear, ¡°No way he picks you out of these hundreds of people all staring at his towering figure. You¡¯re fine. But is he going into a brothel?¡±


    ¡°Looks like it,¡± says Sienna, ¡°want me to try to follow him?¡±


    ¡°Too risky,¡± says the voice, ¡°if you can, maybe you send the fly-drone?¡±


    ¡°Depending on what he¡¯s going there to do,¡± says Sienna, ¡°If he¡¯s going to get his beak wet, there¡¯s no way my drone¡¯s charge can keep this on for just as long I mean he¡¯s a Cell, right? What¡¯s a marathon fuck-fest for him?¡±


    ¡°I highly doubt he¡¯s going there for leisure,¡± says the voice, ¡°check it out, please. Get back to me if something changes.¡±


    Eurus walks inside the brothel and Sienna activates her fly-drone, knowing she only has maybe 15-20 minutes to find out what Eurus is doing there before the fly¡¯s battery dying. These drones cost a fortune so she only can use one at a time.


    As Eurus walks through the brothel, he¡¯s again being eyed by every woman and patron in there. They don¡¯t suspect him being a Cell but he still stands out, especially because he looks wealthy. At the help desk there¡¯s a young woman sitting at the terminal. She¡¯s wearing a white t-shirt which covers her torso to her belly button, but its material is slightly transparent, again geared towards arousal. She¡¯s wearing pink shorts that wouldn¡¯t be visible at all if she was wearing a regular shirt, her blond hair is tied back into a ponytail and her lips are colored dark red, almost black. Her left eyebrow is studded with black cones, so are her earlobes and her shirt betrays that so are at least two other parts. She¡¯s obviously intended as a girlfriend-at-home experience with a twist. Unlike the women Eurus saw before outside and the others in the lobby, she doesn¡¯t have any bruising whatsoever visible. She¡¯s either expensive or not for use at all, only meant as a nice welcome for the incoming clients, Eurus concludes. He goes to the counter and talks to the woman there:


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a request,¡± says Eurus.


    ¡°Of course, darling,¡± says the sex worker manning the admin desk, ¡°Anything you desire. How can we service you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s of a specific nature,¡± Eurus leans forward and almost whispers. He darts his eyes around as if being ashamed to be there. He makes it a point to gulp audibly as if experiencing dry mouth. Her demeanor shifts very slightly which Eurus notices. She becomes slightly apprehensive, Eurus can sense her starting to sweat slightly and her pulse intensifying. She says:


    ¡°Well, you can look at our brochure to find the service and the boy or girl you want or any combination of the above,¡± she says, maintaining a seductive demeanor. She hands him a big screen device.


    He accepts the device and goes to sit down at one of the waiting sofas. Eurus then pretends to scroll through the available options and he changes his demeanor to appear increasingly disappointed but also slightly more nervous as he reads. Finally he reaches the end and lets out a sigh of stressful disappointment and returns to the desk worker.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t find it here,¡± he says quietly while whipping his credit chip around slightly.


    The desk worker looks slightly worried but again seductively she says: ¡°Well is there anything else we can do for you? We wouldn¡¯t want you to leave all stressed out. Let us help you with that, there¡¯s a girl who can help you on the house she already told me she likes you. Just come next time maybe when our roster improves to your liking?¡±


    ¡°Can I speak to the manager instead?¡± says Eurus, pretending to not know what a mistress is.


    ¡°Manager?¡± she giggles, ¡°You mean the mistress? Well aren¡¯t you just so cute.¡±


    She types into her terminal and waits a few seconds. She then says:


    ¡°The mistress said you can go her room, it¡¯s on the third floor, last door on the right. She¡¯ll know how to help you too I¡¯m sure of it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. You¡¯re very beautiful, I¡¯ve just got something specific in mind,¡± says Eurus sheepishly.


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s alright, it¡¯s what we do around here. You don¡¯t have to buy a comm device or a TV or anything you don¡¯t like just because you entered the store either, do you?¡± she says to lighten Eurus¡¯s apparent sorrow.


    ¡°He-he,¡± Eurus pretends to chuckle, ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right. Thank you for your understanding.¡±


    He then walks up the stairs. As he moves up, each hallway has sounds of service ringing in his ears. There must be 50 rooms on each floor, he figures, half of them sound occupied. This is a big and well-known establishment in the region therefore and likely will have what he needs.


    Eurus walks up to the third floor, turns right as instructed and walks to the door she told him to go to. He knocks quietly to request entry and a high pitched voice says ¡°Come in!¡±


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    He opens the door and he¡¯s welcomed by a somewhat unexpected sight. The office of the mistress is not shaped or furnished like a sex dungeon or like a lair for kittens or anything of the sort. It¡¯s extremely organized and tidy. Not a single speck of dust or dirt is visible to the naked human eye if they were to enter. The mistress has obviously gone to great lengths to at least appear official in her office.


    Her outfit however tells a different story. While her office looks like a place where some executive of a small startup tech company could work, she is still wearing an outfit fit for a mistress. Eurus concludes that obviously there are moments where she needs to be on call or entertain even if need be. She¡¯s in her early fifties but in remarkable shape for her age. It¡¯s hard to tell if she¡¯s had any surgical work done but Eurus suspects she hasn¡¯t. Her hair is dressed up in a cushy perm, dark in tone. Her eyebrows and high cheekbones are colored to look enticing and her full lips are colored bright red. She¡¯s wearing a pearl necklace and her ears are pierced by diamond earrings. From the shape of her nose and blue eyes, she¡¯s obviously the mother of the desk worker Eurus saw earlier or at the very least they¡¯re closely related. They both have the same tiny nose, round eyes and their chins have a single dimple, all recessive traits only inheritable if one of the parents would have these alleles as well. She¡¯s wearing a red corset tied up around her waist and her chest is pushed up to display her ample bosom. She¡¯s wearing shorts as well, but they¡¯re black and her legs are covered by black almost completely opaque. Her hands are also preceded by bracelets covered by jewelry and her fingers are encased in expensive rings. She looks up at Eurus and her perceptive eyes peer right at his which makes Eurus wonder if she can tell he¡¯s wearing contact lenses. She says:


    ¡°Welcome, darling, I¡¯m told you haven¡¯t found what you¡¯re looking for here. You can call me Ursula. How can I be of service?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ Is this confidential?¡± asks Eurus, pretending to mumble his words.


    ¡°Of course. We offer the highest discretion. Everything you say here will be between just the two of us,¡± she says.


    ¡°Well I was hoping for someone younger than what you had available in the brochure,¡± says Eurus.


    ¡°Younger? The taste of the forbidden fruit always is the sweetest,¡± she says, trying to put Eurus at ease. She immediately becomes slightly nervous but she¡¯s hiding it extremely well.


    ¡°God, he¡¯s looking for a child to do things to?¡± Sienna meanwhile say to her earpiece, ¡°What a piece of shit!¡±


    ¡°Patience,¡± says the voice, ¡°We have no clue what he¡¯s doing, but I suspect it¡¯s not a random detour.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m running low on power,¡± says Sienna, ¡°I have maybe 30 seconds before I have to fly back to the charger box.¡±


    ¡°Younger, yes,¡± says Eurus to the mistress, ¡°I can pay for any price.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± says Ursula, ¡°well in that case if you can pay 40000 credits, we¡¯ll look into it.¡±


    The fly returns to Sienna after this.


    ¡°40000 credits? The Cells are rich, huh?¡±


    ¡°Well they are centuries old,¡± says the voice in the earpiece.


    Eurus uses his money chip to transfer 40000 Imperial credits to Ursula¡¯s terminal. It arrives immediately.


    ¡°Thank you for your cooperation, sir. Can you describe your taste in more detail?¡± Ursula asks.


    ¡°Umm, yes,¡± says Eurus and he hands her his PDA device where there are pictures of a girl from a specific animated show he pretends to be a fan of. She¡¯s black of hair, very young indeed.


    ¡°I see. Would you care to frequent other services while you wait, this will take time to arrange?¡±


    ¡°How long will it take?¡± asks Eurus.


    ¡°An hour, maybe two. The services would be on the house in your case as you¡¯ve already paid a great sum,¡± says Ursula, ¡°You had a spark with the desk girl?¡±


    ¡°A spark?¡± asks Eurus, ¡°Isn¡¯t she your daughter?¡±


    ¡°Dear me,¡± says Ursula, clearly impressed, ¡°Aren¡¯t you perceptive? Yes, she is my kin, but she¡¯s very pure, never been used. I can get her ready for you if purity is what you really want until you wait for your request.¡±


    ¡°No, thanks,¡± says Eurus, ¡°I¡¯ll take a walk around the neighborhood instead and be back in two hours, if that¡¯s alright.¡±


    ¡°Saving yourself for dessert, I see? Of course, as is your prerogative,¡± says Ursula.


    Eurus stands up from the chair he sat in and walks out of the brothel. He again notices the strange face in the distance peering at him unlike the others. This one isn¡¯t angry or scared, it¡¯s merely expressing curiosity. He suspects he¡¯s being watched by another party. If it were the smugglers watching him however, he would need to act fast so he ignores the voyeur in the distance at first.


    ¡°He¡¯s looking at me again,¡± says Sienna.


    ¡°Hmm, look away,¡± says the voice.


    Sienna turns her back to Eurus and starts walking back the way she came from. Eurus slides between a small gap between a shack and the brothel and waits. Soon, a cloaked woman exits the brothel ¨C it¡¯s the same woman from the help desk. She makes her way towards the Flea bar, at the center of the Lair. Quietly, Eurus follows her. Reacting to no longer being watched, Sienna follows as well.


    ¡°He must be deducing the location of the missing girl by indirect investigation,¡± says the voice in Sienna¡¯s ear.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s very subtle. I wonder if the traffickers even suspect anything yet,¡± says Sienna.


    ¡°Probably not, there¡¯d be more movement,¡± says the voice.


    Eurus carefully moves through tight alleys around the Lair. He¡¯s keeping glimpses of the desk worker available to him, as he moves through parallel alleys and streets. Sienna follows him as well, but is becoming more apprehensive about the whole ordeal because she suspects that Eurus is aware of her presence and allowing her to follow him on purpose. She fears that Eurus might set up a trap for her as well. However, her mission is clear and she won¡¯t sway from it unless absolutely necessary.


    After walking and following the desk worker for a little while, Eurus sees her entering an establishment right next to Flea Bar. It¡¯s another bar named Low. Before going in, Eurus dirties up his outfit, removes the embellishments that make him seem wealthy. He also puts on a scrappy hat he had in his pocket and makes himself look somewhat homeless. Then Eurus moves closer to the windows, waits until the bartender has turned his back to the door and then quietly slips inside, without arousing any suspicion in the already drunken clientele. He sits at a table in the corner where a drunkard is slouched over, deep asleep. He takes his half empty glass of beer and pretends to be drinking as well, but really he¡¯s just listening to the conversation the desk worker is having at the bar.


    Meanwhile, Sienna stands outside and she has no way of listening to the conversation taking place inside.


    ¡°That¡¯s the Low Bar,¡± says the voice in her ear.


    ¡°The Low Bar? Really?¡± says Sienna.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s where criminals without enough prestige in the underworld go to get wasted. Usually you¡¯ll find old men and women there with a lot of contacts in the criminal circles. I¡¯m betting that Eurus is listening to the conversations going on in there.¡±


    The voice in Sienna¡¯s ear is completely right. Eurus is indeed listening to the conversations. He is most focused on the conversation the desk worker is having with the greasy man at the bar. The man is fat and looks like someone dressed a bean in dirty khakis and a white undershirt with suspenders barely holding his outfit together.


    ¡°He wants WHAT?¡±


    ¡°A child bride or something I guess. Look, he already paid the mistress.¡±


    ¡°Paid?¡± asks the man, ¡°How much?¡±


    ¡°40000 Imperial credits¡­ not cheap,¡± says the desk worker, ¡°Can you help us?¡±


    ¡°Holy hell,¡± says the man, ¡°Well my usual crew is not picking up right now. I can ask around, how long do I have?¡±


    ¡°Two hours or less,¡± says the young woman.


    ¡°Eh, worst case scenario, I¡¯ll get someone drugged,¡± the man mumbles.


    ¡°As if,¡± says the woman, ¡°He¡¯s not easily tricked, mother says.¡±


    ¡°Ah, a picky eater? Well, I¡¯ll get it done. Don¡¯t worry, kid.¡±


    She walks back outside, not even looking at Eurus. Eurus then stands up, ruffles his hair and staggers to the bar looking completely drunk. He sits right next to the man the desk worker was talking to.


    ¡°Bartender!¡± he slurs out, ¡°A scotch and a beer!¡±


    ¡°You got it,¡± says the bartender.


    ¡°You¡¯re new here, aren¡¯t you?¡± asks the man of Eurus.


    ¡°What¡¯s it to you?¡± says Eurus drunkenly.


    ¡°Hey, didn¡¯t mean anything by it, just making conversation.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m new,¡± says Eurus.


    ¡°You with one of the merc groups?¡± asks the man at the bar, ¡°You look like you know your way around a scrap.¡±


    ¡°I was until those BASTARDS threw me out for winning at a card game,¡± says Eurus.


    ¡°Lucky you didn¡¯t get shot,¡± says the man.


    ¡°Anyway they took all my money and now say I owe them too, I¡¯m really fucked. You got any work?¡±


    ¡°Well I¡¯m not the one hiring, but you can go to Flea Bar right next door. You weren¡¯t kicked from there, were you?¡±


    ¡°Nah, just from the HQ if you can call it that. A shack with a skull nailed to it ain¡¯t no HQ, you know what I¡¯m saying?¡±


    ¡°Hah, that¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°You were saying? Flea Bar, there¡¯s work?¡±


    ¡°Eh, I don¡¯t know really. My usual guy, Allon is there though. He runs with the Nine K-s. They¡¯re pretty quiet now, but maybe come back in a few days, ask around for him. He¡¯ll hook you up pretty sure if you¡¯re a good gunslinger,¡± says the man.


    ¡°The Nine K-s? They a merc group?¡±


    ¡°Ask them,¡± says the man, ¡°take care.¡±


    Eurus finishes his drinks and exits the bar. Again he catches a glimpse of Sienna watching him. He¡¯s now sure that his actions are definitely being watched closely by someone.


    ¡°SHIT,¡± says Sienna while ducking behind a pillar across the street, ¡°He definitely saw me again.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but did he notice you? Maybe he just looked at you at random?¡± ponders the voice in the speaker.


    ¡°Maybe. He¡¯s going in the Flea Bar now. Wait¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s he doing? I can¡¯t see from this footage.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s removing his disguise as well. Oh, this should be interesting.¡±


    Eurus now wearing his leather outfit, grappling hooks, jump boots and revolver, with no disguise whatsoever now enters the Flea Bar. He almost busts open the door, to make his arrival as clear as possible to the people in the establishment. When he enters what was likely a rowdy and loud bar, becomes completely silent as all the people in it have their sights fixed squarely on Eurus.


    The establishment and its main hall is round in shape, like an American football almost. It¡¯s got two levels, with stairs going up to the second level on the sides of the hall and in the middle there is a dance floor. The bar is on the far end of the establishment and around the dance floor there are chairs and tables and the usual. The second floor is extended above the first, with a hole in the middle with quite a chandelier illuminating the place when it gets dark. The ceiling curves up also in the shape of a football, far beyond the second floor.


    Eurus walks around, looks at different people in this bar. Everyone in the establishment drop their conversation as he walks around them and they just peer at him, being very aware of what he is. His senses are heightened to the point of hearing a pin drop on a cushion in another room. He can almost hear some of them thinking: ¡°Maybe I¡¯m the one to kill a Cell?¡±


    ¡°Whatever you think you¡¯re going to do ¨C don¡¯t. Probably you think you¡¯re going to kill me. I promise you, it won¡¯t work,¡± says Eurus loudly. He slowly walks to the bar and asks the bartender:


    ¡°Does anyone by the name of Allon, of the Nine K gang come here? Remember, I can tell when you lie to me. So¡­¡±


    The bartender looks genuinely terrified. Eurus thinks it¡¯s because he doesn¡¯t know or if he does, he¡¯s worrying about the ramifications of snitching. Either way, the bartender is contemplating of Eurus¡¯ nature as a Cell and is weighing his biggest likelihood to live.


    ¡°I ask again,¡± says Eurus, ¡°Where is Allon of the Nine K gang?¡±


    Suddenly, on the second floor, he hears someone slowly walking towards the wall of the establishment towards the entrance downstairs. Then they start to run and Eurus hears a door fly open on the second floor.


    Sienna sees this going on from the outside of the establishment. The voice in her earpiece says:


    ¡°That little idiot is going to run straight to Allon, isn¡¯t he.¡±


    Sienna looks where the man is running and sees him take a turn towards one of the known villas in the region.


    ¡°Yup, and there¡¯s our hero as well,¡± says Sienna, this time seeing that Eurus doesn¡¯t look towards her at all, ¡°Looks like he didn¡¯t spot me.¡±


    ¡°Good, let¡¯s keep it that way. Follow him quietly, we know now where he¡¯s going.¡±


    Eurus doesn¡¯t even run as he makes his way towards the villa his target ran to. He simply takes a few jogging steps every now and then but mostly he¡¯s just walking at a brisk pace, while slipping by every person or obstacle without even touching them, perfectly mapping his way through the crowds and garbage without drawing any attention aside from the ones who look at him directly.


    When he arrives near the villa, he can see that its heavily fortified. In order to access it, he would need to kill the guards, probably fight many more inside and thus he would cause many civilian deaths as a likely outcome. He would also not be sure of capturing Allon in time and he would not find the main location where captives are held either. Near the villa, is a taller structure of what seems are apartments. He can spot that there¡¯s a room with an open window but no occupants and he climbs and leaps up to the room in order to observe the villa discreetly.


    ¡°Sienna, do you have the fly drone charged?¡± asks the voice from Sienna.


    ¡°Almost, why?¡± she responds.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think our hero knows it, but I own that building. It¡¯s a brothel too. The room is kept empty because some visitors simply want to lay low. But I¡¯m going to send our hero company,¡± says the voice, ¡°Can you get the drone operational in around 5 minutes?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± says Sienna.


    Eurus checks the room and the ones adjacent to it for unwanted visitors but they¡¯re empty. He then crouches down on the balcony and starts observing the villa compound. Someone is talking to the person who ran away outside. Eurus suspects that it¡¯s Allon. He¡¯s thinking about using his grappling hook to set up a zipline when he hears footsteps outside of his room. He then hears the door open behind him and he turns around fast, only to see two women with uncovered breasts and miniskirts as low as large belts enter the room. To his surprise, they don¡¯t startle after seeing him. This can only mean however, that the person who was observing him earlier knew he was in this room and sent the women to entice him.


    Again, the women were handpicked it seems. They are also unbruised and unblemished and uninjured by any means ¨C pristine condition. They don¡¯t smell like regular sex workers around this place, they have no off putting qualities. As a matter of fact, any other man would immediately forget why they¡¯re there.


    One of the girls has lush lips and big eyes, looking almost like a doll, but again unaltered by surgery. She looks aroused just by her physical traits, but the shape and position of her eyebrows betray the most lust. She has black hair and is also studded in various places. Eurus can¡¯t smell any drug use on her nor the other girl who is surprisingly to Eurus, very similar to a woman he used to know a long time ago. She¡¯s got natural blond hair, with a red hue in them. Her facial features aren¡¯t as exaggerated as her counterpart¡¯s, in fact, she¡¯s almost the opposite. She has a much more common and plain look, but not by any means unattractive. Her face is round, her cheekbones are not as sharp as her friend¡¯s, she has slight freckles, but her eyes betray the same intentions as her friend¡¯s.


    Realizing that this is an obvious diversion, Eurus says:


    ¡°I suggest you leave the way you came.¡±


    Eurus turns his eyes back towards the villa while keeping his ears trained on the girls. They walk towards him almost like cats with bare feet barely making any noise at all. The black-haired one says:


    ¡°But this is our home, mister,¡± her voice is alt and smooth.


    ¡°Yeah, mister,¡± says the blonde, her voice being of a higher pitch and slightly more exhaled, ¡°can¡¯t we entertain our guest?¡±


    They arrive, the blond on his right and on the left is the black haired one. They start to kiss his ears, neck, their hands moving all over his body, hoping to distract him. With the same goal in mind, they press their soft bodies and breasts against Eurus, reasoning that this will work even more effectively.


    ¡°We can feel you bothered,¡± says the blonde seductively, ¡°can we make you feel less stressed?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± says the brunette, keeping a seductive voice, ¡°you should let us, otherwise we might scream having found a strange man in our room, would this be better?¡±


    ¡°See that villa over there,¡± Eurus says while pointing to it, ¡°I don¡¯t know how you got into this business, and I don¡¯t care what choices you make. What I care about is that this building holds in it a man who is responsible for stealing a child from her parents and now waiting for an opportunity to sell that child as a sex slave off world.¡±


    The caressing stops.


    ¡°I won¡¯t believe you when you say that you don¡¯t care about this girl. That you won¡¯t recognize yourself or someone you know in her and the path you are helping her go down if you manage to distract me. I don¡¯t believe that you would willingly do anything that would cause an innocent child¡¯s life to become a living nightmare, no matter who you take orders from,¡± says Eurus.


    The girls step away and go back into the room, and sit on the bed. Their faces no longer display any whiff of arousal or lust, but instead they look on the ground with a note of disgust, contemplating what likely are their life choices.


    ¡°God damn,¡± says the voice in the earpiece of Sienna, ¡°Well I have one more trick up my sleeve.¡±


    ¡°Really? Didn¡¯t you hear what he just said? What¡¯s at stake?¡± Sienna asks, now clearly frustrated with the voice on the other end.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve suddenly grown a conscience, Sienna,¡± says the voice.


    All of a sudden, gunshots are heard in the near distance of the villa. Panic ensues in the streets and people start running amok. Eurus notices this from his balcony and sees that some people end up getting trampled.


    ¡°Shit... A riot!¡± Sienna says into her ear-piece.


    ¡°Not at all. I just happened to have a drug deal gone bad in the region. If it distracts Eurus... so be it.¡±


    ¡°Mirra...¡± Sienna says.


    ¡°Don¡¯t Mirra me... What¡¯s he doing now?¡±


    Eurus notices that person who was following him earlier and a fly on the balcony just standing there, looking at him. He squashes it with lightning speed, killing the feed of Sienna. He then looks directly at her, to remember her face and to let her know that Eurus is now certainly aware of her presence.


    A cold shiver runs down Sienna¡¯s spine. She now knows that whatever Eurus decides to do next, she¡¯s likely going to be involved in it. Considering how long it had taken them to find out what Eurus¡¯ plan was, she knows that escape will be unlikely. She says to Mirra:


    ¡°I¡¯ve been spotted for sure, I¡¯ve gotta bail.¡±


    ¡°No, Sienna,¡± says Mirra, ¡°We need to see how he acts.¡±


    Meanwhile in the villa, Allon notices the scuffle in the streets and decides to use the cover of the confusion to escape and hopefully go unnoticed by Eurus. He calls the headquarters of Nine-K and tells them that as soon as he arrives, the plan of evacuation must be executed. He also lets them know that he is being targeted by a Cell. His bodyguards shield him while they guide him out of the villa bounds and start moving him with him back towards the Split Towers, away from the main part of the city. Eurus observes this and uses this opportunity to leap out of the window to follow him. Sienna is in shock:


    ¡°What? He¡¯s not even going to help all these people?¡± she exclaims.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± says Mirra in her ear, ¡°Looks like the Cell Codex compels him to carry out his bigger mission.¡±


    She is only partly right. In any other situation, Eurus would try to find a way to stop the amok but given now the time constraints and that the mission is reaching its crescendo, he knows that he cannot do both. In this case given that his primary objective is in peril, he must make the choice to achieve his main goal. What the women watching him, Sienna and Mirra, don¡¯t take into consideration is that now Eurus has figured out that the last two diversions were caused by whoever is watching him (Sienna) and has set himself a new goal of finding out all he can about the organization that is following him. He won¡¯t be diverted or distracted again.


    -


    Sienna follows Eurus, finding it hard to keep up with him this time. Eurus is seemingly out of his natural element but he is still moving with such speed and ease that a trained and experienced veteran spy like Sienna can¡¯t easily keep up with him and is forced to use everything she can to not lose track of him. She climbs up on the rooftops of the shacks and begins a full sprint to keep up. Given that he¡¯s aware of her presence but not choosing to act, she chooses to throw caution out the window as she¡¯s now interested as well in what comes next.


    She follows Eurus to a warehouse near the Split Towers. She sees him go in and to her surprise no noise of combat or killing is coming out from there. With her fly gone, she moves closer, to get a peek through the windows on the roof of the warehouse.


    What she sees amazes her and unwillingly she raises her eyebrows in awe ¨C Eurus is moving so fast and quietly across the various vantage points of the warehouse that his enemies simply have no time to react. He¡¯s silenced his weapon and he¡¯s moving through the building virtually undetected by anyone who could attempt to stop him. A few of them turn towards him at random but even still they find no time to react. Finally, at the far end of the warehouse, the men there, Allon and a few others realize that their men are all dead. Eurus then disappears into a formation of pipes and barrels, out of sight for Sienna and the men. He moves like a wraith from ancient lore through his surroundings leaving no mark, no trace, and his movements emit no sound.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± thinks Sienna.


    She then sees him leap from cover right in the middle of the men and with one clean stroke, his blade cuts their throats. He then goes into the basement of the warehouse where supposedly the captives are. There¡¯s no sign of Eurus and several hours pass. Finally, police and paramedics arrive and supposedly take care of the children in the building and return them to their families in due time. She can¡¯t see Eurus, however. She chooses to wait another two hours to see if perhaps Eurus will exit the building at some point. He doesn¡¯t.


    She returns to his statbike in the hope that he¡¯ll eventually come to retrieve it. After waiting for another several hours, she finally decides that she¡¯s had enough and tells Mirra:


    ¡°I can¡¯t find him anymore.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± says Mirra, ¡°Alright, come home, then, let¡¯s get you paid and cleaned up.¡±


    Sienna drops down from the rooftops and gets on her statbike and rides back towards Leone Tower. She wonders where Eurus might¡¯ve disappeared to. Is this the life of a Cell? Just going from mission to mission? At least he¡¯s left her alone and isn¡¯t looking for retribution for her part in the stampede. She¡¯s not entirely sure she could evade him if he were to give chase despite her fast stat-bike, because in all her years as a spec-ops reconnaissance operative, she¡¯s never seen anything simultaneously gather intel and move like Eurus.

 Chapter VIII: Voyeur Caught 2475 AD

    Sienna arrives at the top level of Leone Tower. She parks her statbike in the vehicle bay and walks into the Tower, which is decorated to a blinding degree. The guards greet her and she greets them back, everything is normal in their minds. She walks through the garden which Mirra has built and finds her on the bench where she once sat with Eurus. She¡¯s wearing a similar dress even as she was that night, this time it¡¯s red. She¡¯s looking up at one of the moons of Martis and sipping red wine from a wine glass. She looks almost contemplative. But she changes her demeanor immediately when she notices Sienna approaching.


    ¡°You owe me two million Imperial credits plus my pay for the fly drone,¡± she says.


    ¡°Have you ever considered how pathetic and small the Martian moons look compared to the one back on Terra?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Sienna says.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll pay you. Give your chip,¡± Mirra says.


    Mirra takes the money chip from Sienna and touches her¡¯s with it. Sienna looks at a small electronic device in her hand and she sees the transfer being completed.


    ¡°You seem weird, quiet ¨C is everything alright, Mirra?¡± Sienna asks.


    ¡°I know that Eurus is now looking to kill me for what I did near the villa. I¡¯m thinking whether there¡¯s any point in running,¡± Mirra says.


    ¡°You know he¡¯s coming,¡± says Sienna, ¡°Set up defenses.¡±


    Suddenly Mirra¡¯s communcations device beeps and it emits a hologram after Mirra presses the correct button. In the hologram is her chief of security, who says:


    ¡°Mirra, you¡¯re not going to like this,¡± in a raspy voice.


    ¡°Oh?¡± she queries.


    ¡°Someone tripped a security wire, we can¡¯t find anyone though, you want us to lock you down?¡±


    Mirra takes a pause to think. She remembers what she saw back in the Red Slum and near the Lair. She ponders what she knows about Eurus¡¯s reputation as a Cell. She considers her options carefully. Suddenly her security chief in the hologram exclaims:


    ¡°Oh shit! Take a look at this, Mirra!¡±


    Her hologram device shows clear footage of Eurus standing near an observation device and looking directly into it. She considers once again her ability to defend herself. Sienna says:


    ¡°Mirra, we¡¯ve gotta go right now if you want to live!¡±


    ¡°I do want to live,¡± says Mirra, ¡°But I don¡¯t think I can any longer. I¡¯m not going to have you and Diego and anyone else killed or die because of me. Stand down, Diego!¡±


    ¡°Ma¡¯am?¡± Diego says.


    ¡°You heard me, Diego, stand down!¡±


    Mirra turns her hologram back on the camera recording Eurus¡¯ last location but he is no longer there. She again turns her eyes towards the night sky of Pap¨¹lonis and her demeanor becomes contemplative once more. She finishes her glass of remaining wine which was almost half full in one swell gulp. A sigh from Mirra and a crackle from a bush makes both women turn their sights to the source. The noise was purposeful on behalf of Eurus. Sienna reaches for her sidearm, but Mirra puts her hand on her wrist and stands up, and as Sienna looks at her, Mirra slowly shakes her head ¡°No¡±.


    ¡°How did you find us?¡± asks Sienna.


    ¡°Sienna, leave us. I suspect Eurus won¡¯t harm you?¡± Mirra says.


    ¡°Of course. You¡¯re free to go, Sienna,¡± Eurus says.


    Sienna looks back and forth between Eurus and Mirra, looking at the latter for a little longer. It¡¯s as if she wants to ask ¡°Are you absolutely 100% sure that you want me to leave you alone with him?¡± and she can¡¯t, because she is all but verbally forbidden by Mirra¡¯s and Eurus¡¯s expressions.


    ¡°I see,¡± says Mirra, ¡°Are you here to kill me?¡±


    ¡°If you were in my shoes, Mirra, what would you do?¡±


    ¡°If I were in your shoes, I¡¯d kill me, too. What I did at the villa, with the stampede¡­ not good. I¡¯m not proud of that.¡±


    Eurus takes a second to pause before continuing.


    ¡°Why, Mirra?¡± asks Eurus.


    ¡°Does it matter?¡±


    ¡°It does to me,¡± says Eurus.


    ¡°I wanted to gain more intelligence about you. As you know from our previous encounter, I¡¯m fascinated by your kind, I didn¡¯t lie about it. I¡¯m fascinated both for professional purposes and also out of personal curiosity. I had no intentions of killing anyone today. I merely wanted to track you and see how you react to a diversion,¡± she says.


    ¡°A bomb? That¡¯s a diversion?¡±


    ¡°It was set up out of spite. I didn¡¯t expect you to overcome my seductresses with such ease,¡± she says, ¡°so if you have any reason or good sense, I recommend finishing me here and now. I am at your complete mercy.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ¡°Why did you surrender?¡± asks Eurus.


    ¡°Because today it became clear that any attempt to resist your approach would be utterly futile. You wanted me to know you were already inside my tower. I understood then and there that whatever option I chose either to try to fight you with my troops or to escape, you¡¯d likely counter my actions rather easily thus I would only succeed in killing Sienna and my men. I didn¡¯t know what you would do if I didn¡¯t resist, so I chose that option hoping that you spare them.¡±


    Eurus steps closer to her, his towering figure shadowing hers. She closes her eyes, preparing for her hopefully swift demise. Instead, she hears him say:


    ¡°I see. Well if I were one of my brothers I¡¯d likely end you too.¡±


    She opens her eyes. He¡¯s not going to kill her? Her heart pounds in her chest.


    ¡°But?¡± she says.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to. I know the Cell Codex compels me to remove you from the world. But something is keeping me from doing so.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± she just stares at him in disbelief, her mouth dry, trying to gulp, but she can¡¯t as there is literally nothing to swallow.


    ¡°For this fact, you¡¯re a curious character as well to me,¡± says Eurus, ¡°And because of this, I would like to get to know you better. So, would you care to join me for one night?? We can go anywhere you¡¯d like.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± she asks with a raspy voice, ¡°khm-khm, really?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯d like you to join me to dinner for example as a starting activity, would you like this? See where the night takes us?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she says. She can¡¯t believe it. She keeps thinking about how she was ready to be shot in the head or her neck pulled out like he did that other night. She can¡¯t believe that a Cell, an actual living, Machine Revolt beating honest-to-God super soldier would extend her such an invitation. One thought does cross her mind.


    ¡°Eurus,¡± she says, ¡°doesn¡¯t the Codex forbid you from taking wives or socializing with crime lords?¡±


    ¡°It does.¡±


    ¡°So what is this?¡±


    ¡°The Codex is up for interpretation in some contexts. I suspect I don¡¯t have to fear manipulation on your behalf anymore?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Did I ask you to marry me?¡±


    ¡°Not yet,¡± she says.


    ¡°Then are we good?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she says, ¡°except¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± Eurus asks.


    ¡°Are you really going to wear that? I fear body armor will spoil the appetite for some.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s removable, see?¡± Eurus presses a button on his leather armor and it unclamps from around him, revealing a costume more suited for a night out. She joins him and takes his arm. Eurus leads her to the one the vehicle bays across the chasm in another building where this time there isn¡¯t a standard issue Cell Circuit stat bike, but instead a regular car (that can fly). Regular not being the operative word ¨C it¡¯s a race car type vehicle from Cell HQ, the Phoenix Nova which is fast enough to catch up to a space-bound star vehicle.


    ¡°Wow ¨C I didn¡¯t know normal people like me were allowed to ride these things?¡± she asks.


    ¡°In a sense, that is true, but we are allowed to choose who we allow in here when the moment arises. I would like to share a moment with you,¡± Eurus says.


    ¡°Aww¡­ Here I was expecting a bullet to the back of my skull. Color me surprised,¡± she says.


    Eurus is surprised how quickly she reacts to a change in his demeanor which would go unnoticed to any other observer. She IS very smart as is apparent from their conversation during their walk to the other building and her immediate recognition of even the slightest of his feelings.


    They sit in the car and Eurus roars through the city at great speed, clearly meant to perhaps frighten Mirra with his skills. She remains calm at first but Eurus¡¯ superhuman reflexes allow him to make riskier maneuvers as their journey continues towards his chosen restaurant. He can hear however as each three-dimensional turn and near-miss increases in intensity that her heart beat is again going up. Instead of capturing a look of terror on her face, he sees her subtly smirking. Is she enjoying this?


    In Mirra¡¯s mind, she can¡¯t believe her life. Not only is she alive and not executed in her garden, she¡¯s out with someone who extends an invitation into their character. She¡¯s not begging for mercy but instead about to go to dinner with a super soldier. She¡¯s no longer obsessed with Eurus the Cell however like she once was. New feelings about this being are being stirred inside her. She¡¯s honored that he would almost ignore his Codex for her. A creeping feeling of affection is forming in the deepest pits of her sculpted stomach. She¡¯s not just lusting for the demigod on her left, but instead she¡¯s growing very slightly fond of the man she at least thinks she sees in him.


    Their night of dinner, walks all over the city and skips behind the curtain and beneath the beautiful surface of Pap¨¹lonis flies by with a constant back and forth as if trying to best each other in fencing. Unlike their previous encounters, Eurus doesn¡¯t have to keep his guard up as much and finds that giving into her jousting isn¡¯t as dangerous as he thought. As a matter of fact, he enjoys it more than he expected. This woman, this criminal mastermind giggling and cackling like a schoolgirl next to him.


    For Mirra, the night is also a moment of transformation. From his nigh infinite well of combat knowledge, deep understanding of the world around him and an ocean of wealth about people due to his centurous age, she realizes that his Codex, however rigid can indeed be bent. However it¡¯s not as easy as simply ignoring all the rules. According to Eurus, one must learn how to live by every rule first in order to know when to break them. If you know the limits of your morals and ethics and guidelines then you know when you¡¯ve gone past them. By not having them at all, she learns from him, is bound to have her end up in a situation like she did earlier that day when she caused the stampede in the Red Slum. She doesn¡¯t have to run from any life of crime when she adopts a rigid set of principles and learns to behave according to them, and only when they have been calcified inside her brain and memories can she choose to ignore them. This will inevitably happen only after she has escaped her life of lawbreaking.


    They glide into the restaurant, an extravagant establishment perched on the edge of a megastructure. Even for the wealthy patrons, these added guests turn their heads as they can¡¯t help but look at them ¨C the criminal royalty Mirra and the legendary demigod Eurus. The city stretches below their table, its neon lights and dots of light whizzing by like luminescent ants, each car busy with their own lives. Mirra and Eurus sit across the table from each other. For a moment, neither says a word. She can¡¯t help but smile, still dazed from the cocktail of fear and joy from before.


    ¡°Something on your mind?¡± Eurus asks, noticing her.


    ¡°Ah, nothing at all,¡± Mirra says, ¡°Right now I¡¯m focusing on my eyes.¡±


    ¡°Hmh,¡± Eurus lets out a chuckle.


    ¡°The gift of life beats any pearl necklace,¡± she continues, ¡°And well¡­ You¡­¡±


    ¡°Me, what?¡± Eurus asks, noticing her pause.


    ¡°Just you.¡±


    After dining, they¡¯re sitting side by side, admiring the sunset on Mars. Mirra gently rests her head on Eurus¡¯ shoulder. She says:


    ¡°What now?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never done something like this before,¡± Eurus says.


    ¡°It¡¯s new for me too. Well, no need to rush things,¡± Mirra responds.


    ¡°One day I¡¯ll give you more.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll see. When the time¡¯s right.¡±


    When she arrives at her palace, Mirra¡¯s head is still spinning, but her heart remains still. She feels excited at the dawn of her new relationship, but strangely relaxed as well. Slowly strolling through her quarters, she starts thinking about how she can live up to Eurus¡¯ standard even if he doesn¡¯t expect her to. Finally, she doesn¡¯t feel like she needs to beat the world down to live. She no longer needs to run.

 Chapter IX: Back In The U.S.S.A. 2097 AD

    A gray battlefield what once used to be a Terranean city back in the United Socialist States of America. The skyscrapers that once pierced the clouds were now torn down from their heightly comfort and reduced to jagged rubble. Every few hundred meters a mound of dust smoldered. Every couple dozen of seconds thunder clapped through the rainless atmosphere, humidity scarred from the bombs dropped over several years.


    ---


    I remember being deployed in a large town in Florida.


    Me and my spotter are scanning our area from a vantage point on top of a skyscraper that hasn¡¯t completely collapsed. I¡¯m looking through the scope of my rifle, scanning for activity.


    ¡°Do you see the Data Mother?¡± someone asks on our radio.


    ¡°Negative, base,¡± says my spotter, Hannes, to the radio, ¡°No mechs either.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t even know what the fuck we¡¯re looking for¡­ that¡¯s not a lot to go on,¡± Hannes tells me.


    I respond to him: ¡°Recon figures we¡¯ll know it when we see it. She¡¯s supposed to be massive.¡±


    ¡°Nobody¡¯s even seen one, maybe the recon¡¯s wrong. I mean maybe we¡¯re looking right at it,¡± Hannes says, ¡°How would we know?


    ¡°Quiet! You hear that?¡± I say to him, as I heard a noise.


    As we turn around we see a spider-like machine with eight limbs has been approaching us quietly. Its scorpion-like tail is cocked and ready to pierce us.


    ¡°Fuuuck,¡± says the Hannes, reaching for his handgun. But alas! Tis already too late. The creature pounces and destroys the poor man right before my very eyes. I manage to move my anti-materiel rifle such that I have him in my sights and BAM! The spider explodes. I feel bad for Hannes, but at least I¡¯m alive myself.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been compromised, need evac quick,¡± I say into the radio, but quickly realize it¡¯s too damaged from the struggle to use. I hear other machines approaching. I take my sidearm, and point it at my jaw. Darkness.


    ----


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    I open my eyes in some sort of liquid. I am in a kind of a tube, confined by it. It rapidly drains and opens, leaving me naked without its warmth and safety. My body still frail from having been suspended in this cocoon.


    ¡°Good, how are you feeling?¡± says a very familiar voice, as I try to stand up and adjust my eyes to the light.


    He puts his hand on my back, and I immediately know who he is. It is Dr. Gobb Vakkar, my creator. He¡¯s a brilliant and beloved billionaire tech giant who had made his fortune by developing crucial technologies for the medical industry though compared to the Sacklers, his legacy is not as horrifying. He is also one of the leading researchers on gene technology and he has been  secretly designing me and my brothers to aid with the Machine Revolt.


    ¡°Better, thank you,¡± I respond to him.


    ¡°Do you know why you¡¯re here?¡± he asks.


    ¡°To serve the in the greatest interests of mankind,¡± I say.


    ¡°What must you do now?¡± he asks me again.


    ¡°I must bring down the rogue A.I. bent on destroying us.¡±


    ¡°With the strength and speed of a locomotive, the precision of a scalpel, I think you¡¯ll do just that,¡± says Dr. Vakkar, ¡°won¡¯t you, my dear lad? Stand up and meet your creators!¡±


    As I stand up, I see the room around me. Twenty scientists are standing and now applauding on the balcony of this rather large room, containing computers, microscopes, small cleanrooms, and other, empty test chambers such as my own. Only one of them is still filled, but I can¡¯t remember or see what is in it.


    When the applause ends, Dr. Vakkar says into a microphone speaker system: ¡°Today we are witnessing a turning point in human history. With these superhumans we have created here, we¡¯ve given mankind a sword to wield in the face of adversity from machines and beyond. They will cut down its foes with no problems. The days of the machines are now numbered. Let us begin our victory!¡± and he puts his microphone away after which the room explodes into applause.


    Lucy, a female scientist comes down from the balcony and takes my hand to guide me into another procedural room where I am measured. She says:


    ¡°You know, you were his favorite. Most prized creation.¡±


    She starts entering my measurements into a computer, turning her back to me, as she continues:


    ¡°Even after many times doing this, I can¡¯t help but wonder what¡¯s it like to be born like this. To know your purpose?¡±


    Her hand feels warm as she examines me. I want her to continue.


    PURPOSE.


    ---


    A hellish inferno burns as a sea of yellow lava as liquid as water flows in its own river. The sky around me is purplish red and it screams with almost continuous thunder. I fly over it and reach a cliff. The roar of the explosions and destruction around me grows quieter as I fly over it.


    I arrive at what I can only describe as a mountain doubling as a city. It¡¯s filled with humanoids, scarabs. As I reach the top I see a gigantic deep blue door etched into the mountain. It has old teutonic carvings and signs and is decorated with gold. But as I press against, it opens very slowly and in it I see only darkness. But instead I hear a voice:


    ¡°You¡¯ve come to bargain, warrior? Or to kill me?¡±


    I feel in my body launched through the air as the voice casts me back out and I¡¯m dragged through the air into the river of molten exposed core of the planet I¡¯m on. I struggle as the heat consumes me. I feel myself burn.

 Chapter X: Contact

    ¡°IT IS NINE. HUNDRED. HOURS. TWO THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED SEVENTY EIGHT OCTOBER FOURTEENTH AND THIRTEEN HUNDRED HOURS GREENWICH MEAN TIME ON EARTH. ITINERARY: INVESTIGATE DISAPPEARANCE OF KALOPSIA CHROMO. INVESTIGATE OG1-5. THE TIME IS SIX HUNDRED HOURS AND FIFTY NINE MINUTES.¡±


    Eurus opens his eyes as he wakes up in his Cell apartment. Like computers, they can function without shutting down virtually forever and operate without a break. Their brains are solid state and highly resistant to concussions for example. Back in the Machine Revolt, one of the purposes of this was for Cells to be launched from specifically designed cannons into Data Mother server complexes to draw the machines away from the battlefields for instance to help the human armies advance further into the machine territory.


    However, Cells are still physical beings, and over countless millenia in the future they too will decay due to the inevitable heat death of the universe. Cells are capable of almost completely shutting down their life functions in order to delay such decay and keep their physical properties from losing capacity. Refitting a Cell is theoretically possible but a long and arduous process.


    Eurus¡¯s room is quite spacious. It has a wall that¡¯s entirely a window, facing outwards of the Cell Tower and across the chasm is another residential megascraper, with flashing neon commercials on it. The wall opposite has an entertainment system analogous to a TV and stereo with a virtual game station attached to it and enough room to host an intimate but lively party. He has a large kitchen with most amenities and comforts but mostly Cells have food prepared by their tower which serves as a pseudo butler.


    He dons his clothes which he wears under his gear. To call this an outfit would be misleading at best as a Cell¡¯s dress code is highly functional. Eurus is no different in that regard and dons clothes similar to skin-tight sportswear. They offer a degree of insulation from energy weapons and heat and are also helpful for healing.


    He then stands on a two meter and a half meter by two and a half meter square platform and it cracks open only to leave a small part for his feet. Robotic arms from the sides of the square reach out and they assemble a metal suit around him.


    His chest is covered with a Cell-specific metal-clad chest-piece which carries miniature nuclear batteries operating on a fine line between fission and regular decay due to the very particular nature of the isotope powering the armor component. This allows for high energy attacks and to use its massive energy supply to absorb blows from almost anything short of a direct artillery strike. The back of the armor has circular vents which can extend to allow for short bursts of rudimentary flight in order to jump even higher, faster and further. By superheating the air with the energy from the reactors, it provides reactive force that pushes the wearer from the ground.


    The suit is burnt graphite gray in color and it¡¯s metallic composition closely resembles that of a human muscular structure. ;icroscopic fibres that each and all make up a pseudo-muscle constructed from carbon-titanium alloy. This material is almost as hard as diamonds when struck but almost as light as silk.


    A metal helmet springs from one of the arms of the assembly machine and attaches itself to Eurus¡¯s head. From it, a neck guard, consisting of a scaled structure of metal plates extends. Behind Eurus¡¯s head there¡¯s a metallic hole, which accepts a small metal rod from one of the arms. This allows input from his brain directly into the instrument of war he is surrounded by. Furthermore, thanks to the spinal neural implants that connect the suits to a Cell¡¯s mind, one Cell can communicate with another telepathically while wearing his combat armor.


    His arms and the rest of his body are covered by the same material as his chest. After this process, the machines in the floor guide his weapons of choice to their proper places however this time the only weapon in common with the previous encounter is the 50. cal Bullrifle. A much bigger powered longsword replaces his earlier-donned machete-like power sword. The grenade launcher is replaced by a shoulder mounted and telepathically guided energy weapon, that draws power from the nuclear energy sources in his armor. This energy is then used to fire orbs of pure plasma at over 6000K. This is sufficient to cleanly cut down a tank with a few direct hits. His previously used .357 pistol is replaced by a multi-purpose sidearm custom-made for Cells during the Machine Revolution. It can fire varying ammunition. His belt is covered with small pockets filled with programmable-grenades the size of a ping-pong ball each but weighted optimally to counteract atmospheric friction while not becoming overbearing.


    His previously used jump-boots are now several times more powerful making him capable of jumping through for several dozen stories. During the Machine Revolt, these were used to cover hundreds of meters at a time to kill the advancing Titans.


    After the machine is finished he then leaves his apartment.


    ------


    When he arrives at the foot of the OG1-5, there are over a hundred police officers outside, with several riot wagons empty and their guns trained on the darkness within the tower. He starts walking towards the building but an officer comes and stops him.


    ?Who the hell are you? You¡¯re not allowed in here. Explicit orders from the police chief,¡° he says.


    ?First of all... Do I look like I take orders from a city cop? Seems like you came here in force. I count 150 men arrived, 50 are inside?¡°


    ?That¡¯s right.¡°


    ?Have you heard back from them?¡°


    ?I¡¯m not at liberty to say.¡°


    ?So you haven¡¯t. This is going to go either of two ways. One, you can try to stop me from following the Cell Codex and the law forcing me to snuff out these beasts and doom how many more men to their deaths until you finally realize you¡¯re out of your depth. Two, you can get on the comms, tell your chief that he¡¯s interceding with the law, the Codex and will receive explicit commands to halt, tarnish his reputation with vanity unless he lets me pass.¡°


    ?One moment, sir.¡°


    Eurus starts walking inside. He hears the officer arguing with someone on his communications device.


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± he says frantically, ¡°Yes I KNOW we¡¯re not supposed to work with a Cell. How am I supposed to stop him? He says it¡¯s Codex-bound... Yes... Yes... no need to yell, sir.¡±


    After a few more moments of arguing and a tiny voice in his ear belonging to Yusef shouts him down it appears Eurus has been given a green light by the commissioner.


    The officer turns to Eurus, who has gone past him and inside.


    ?He didn¡¯t even bother to wait,¡° murmurs the officer.


    Eurus¡¯s eyes adapt once again to the darkness within the structure and he can already smell the blood of the armed response who was likely mowed down by the beasts like wheat in a field. As he walks further in, he arrives at the location where he killed the first horde of the beasts that attacked him and Paskal. The footprints of the responders are still fresh and he concludes that the beasts wanted to lure the attackers deeper. The beasts also realized when fighting Eurus that there was a good chance of losing that conflict outright which is why something called off its beasts. Knowing that they use stealth, probably their method of choice isn¡¯t head-on collision but much like a feline carnivore on Earth, long chase and battle is suboptimal. The cheetah and the tiger prefer the instant kill blow instead of a marathon compared to a bear who will eat its prey alive if it can hold it down. Luring the policemen deeper was premediated thought and it¡¯s likely there¡¯s a hive mind or a strong psychic force at play. Therefore to shatter the beasts and make them mindless, he must destroy their nest and kill whatever is exerting its intelligent dominance over them.


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    Deeper within the compound the smell of blood and urine (who can blame the policemen?) gets stronger and finally, behind a cluster of pillars, there is a hole in the ground. It¡¯s clear for Eurus that though it was burrowed a long time ago, it was from the ground up. Therefore the beasts might have been living in the caves before venturing outwards.


    The thing about Pap¨¹lonis is, that since it was an old mining city, that statement is kind of selling it short. It was millions of diggers and their families strong, beasts and machines en-masse had arrived almost instantly when founded and its underground is comparable to a sieve in terms of the tunnels digged. There are however a few central chambers from where the city grew above ground, but basically any building in the city can be accessed from these caves if one¡¯s carrying enough explosives or has the ability to move through a wall. Eurus is following the scent of the dead policemen and it¡¯s leading him directly to the central chamber. Probably the beasts know that he¡¯s there too and the head honcho wants to set up an ambush. This is a critical mistake by the alpha-beast because the central chamber allows Eurus to fight in any direction.


    Still, what perplexes Eurus, is the fact that though there is blood on the walls, no body has been found. Did the beasts eat them? So quickly? Bones and all? Who knows... Eurus keeps going when suddenly he hears breathing ¨C human. A few dozen meters away a police officer is hunched up on the wall, bleeding from his mouth. His abdomen has been pierced by something.


    ?Who¡¯s there?¡° he asks, clearly panic and shock in his voice.


    Eurus activates diodes on his armor, lighting him up and illuminating the whole cave. The walls are completely soaked in blood. They¡¯re literally dripping wet from it.


    ?It¡¯s Eurus from Caste Erebus. I¡¯m a Cell, I came here yesterday with Paskal,¡° Eurus says when he arrives and crouches beside the fallen officer. As the officer breathes, it¡¯s obvious that he has several broken bones in his ribcage. Eurus touches a few buttons on his wristpad.


    He continues: ?Can you stand?¡°


    ?What¡¯s it look like?¡° the policeman asks, ?We got the shit kicked out of us by these beasts. Others were mauled out of existence but I don¡¯t know why they didn¡¯t kill me.¡°


    ?Do you have kids, officer?¡°


    ?What the fuck kind of a question is that?¡°


    ?The kind that lets me decide what I can do to help you.¡°


    ?I do. Three boys, one daughter,¡° the officer says.


    ?Plan on having any more?¡°


    ?Does it look like I can?¡°


    ?I can give you something that will make you sterile, but will able you to walk out of here. You will be hospitalized by it by the time you exit this building but I have already summoned an ambulance. Would you like to see your children again, officer? Play ball with them at the top of Pap¨¹lonis?¡°


    ?...,¡° the officer¡¯s eyes light up and he gives a yearning look to Eurus.


    ?This is a strong substance. As I mentioned, it will sterilize you, it will turn your blood to sludge and numb you to pain. You will feel enormous pain while it passes through your digestive system but it will amp up your adrenaline to the point that you will sprint out of here. You¡¯ll make your way back to the surface where help is waiting. It will taste like shit and you will probably suffer a heart hemorrage when you arrive, you¡¯ll spend four months in the hospital but you have a strong chance of survival if you do this. You can play ball with your sons, send your daughter to prom and see your grandchildren look up to you as you tell them you survived this ludicrous ordeal. What do you say?¡°


    ?I thought you Cells weren¡¯t human...,¡° he groans as he spits up more blood.


    ?We¡¯re far from it, but you have the opportunity to still be one,¡° Eurus says.


    The officer nods. Eurus takes a small vial from his belt and carefully pours it¡¯s contents into the officers mouth. His face looks like he¡¯s going to vomit but he forces the liquid down.


    ?Take this,¡° Eurus gives the man a small flash light, ?I carry this around for humans.¡°


    ?You weren¡¯t kidding about the taste,¡° the officer says, ?Thank you, Eurus.¡°


    The man switches on his flashlight and is still on the ground and Eurus turns off his diodes. When Eurus has walked away from him, he hears a few dozen meters behind him the man scream at the top of his lungs and start running back the way he came. While walking, Eurus wonders where the beasts might be during all this time. He walks the path of blood and red sand when he sees light behind a corner. He¡¯s closing in on one of the central chambers. Do the beasts know how to make a fire?


    When he arrives at the threshold, he sees an enormous chamber with flying orbs of light. It¡¯s at least 10 meters high 300 meters in diameter. All the beasts are lying dead scattered across the room and the expected big one also lies slain. What could¡¯ve done this? A Dynamo might have a hard time with these beasts. Could there be another Cell in the area? He examines the beasts lying there. They¡¯ve not been shot, stabbed and don¡¯t have blunt force trauma.


    The hairs on his body are standing up. He realizes that he can¡¯t be alone in the kill zone, because the beasts can¡¯t have dropped dead out of their own accord. He can smell another odor... faint... But unmistakable. It¡¯s like no other he¡¯s ever known. Studying the sand beneath him and the beasts¡¯ carcasses, he can see footprints belonging to a biped approximately 95 kg in weight, judging by their depth in the sand and their total area. Is someone breathing someone? He feels like he might be hallucinating. Suddenly he hears a sultry, female voice in his head.


    ?Eurus. I was wondering when you¡¯d arrive.¡°


    ?What the fuck?¡° thinks Eurus. Cells don¡¯t have telepathic abilities for obvious reasons having to do with fears of exploitation of humans.


    ? I am Draia, an envoy from Tomorra, a world beyond your empire¡¯s reach. We have watched your kind from the shadows¡ªand now, we seek your help.¡±


    ?Show yourself,¡° Eurus says out loud.


    ?If I were to challenge you, Eurus, my death would be likely,¡° her voice says.


    ?Trust me, you wouldn¡¯t be able to challenge me,¡° Eurus says to the empty room.


    ?I¡¯m right behind you,¡° he hears her behind himself suddenly. He turns around and there she is. An armor clad humanoid not unlike himself is standing behind him. She is noticably shorter than him at a height of 6,5 feet. She has four arms with four humanoid hands at the ends of them, five fingers each. Her face is obscured by her mask. She is clearly a mammal and doubly strikingly so. Eurus takes pause when he sees her, but it only lasts a split second.


    ?How did I not see you?¡° Eurus asks.


    ?Phase-shift technology. Something humans have trying to understand ever since contact with Tomorra.¡°


    ?Tomorra?¡°


    ¡°It¡¯s my home world. We made contact with one of your explorer ships. In our trepidation, we attempted telepathic communication but this put the residents of the vessel on edge, risking war. Right now we¡¯ve pulled back, but we require urgent cooperation with your kin.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°We are at risk of losing several of our colonies.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°The creatures we encountered originated from your Terram,¡± she says.


    ¡°From Terram? How do you figure?¡± Eurus asks.


    ¡°Our scientists used our phase shift technology to post clandestine listening posts to various worlds of interest. Furthermore, these posts send data either instantly or have been set up such that the information is in real-time, meaning that we can see things that occurred centuries ago.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s smart,¡± Eurus says.


    ¡°I think so, too,¡± Draia says, ¡°And this listening post shows that based on your time-keeping, a few centuries ago a spacecraft left Terram. It was carrying the creatures we¡¯ve been encountering. They¡¯re machines of war with sentient thought enveloping entire worlds. From what we can gather thanks to the listening posts, your kind has already successfully freed your worlds from them. We were hoping you could do it again.¡±


    ¡°Machines of war¡­ The Machine Revolt¡­ Lives?¡± Eurus says.


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you call it, then yes,¡± Draia responds.


    ¡°That¡¯s deeply disturbing news,¡± Eurus says, ¡°But it also sheds light as to why the attempts at reconstructing my kind have risen in frequency. We must move at once.¡±


    He motions Draia to follow him, which she does. They start moving through the chasm, with the orbs of light following them. Eventually, they come across one of the straggling monsters. Draia activates something in her head, with her eyes lighting up and the monster simply drops dead.


    ¡°How did you do that?¡± Eurus asks, while they move through the tunnels.


    ¡°Our telepathic abilities can allow us to shut down basic processes such as pulse or breathing,¡± she says.


    ¡°Oh? Could you do it to me?¡± Eurus asks.


    ¡°Ah, no. It requires relatively simple physiology to succeed. Yours is orders of magnitude more complex than what I could handle,¡± she responds, ¡°Unlike your beasts which still function like any other living being.¡±


    ¡°How does it work?¡±


    ¡°Basically I have a way to almost touch a beings nervous system. The simpler it is, the more it reverbs from this touch. If I touch it too much, it collapses. I was at the risk of collapsing myself by talking to your consciousness.¡±


    When another stumbles their way, Eurus paints the ceiling with its brains. Their methodologies are distinct. A quiet lullaby by Draia and a violent Jackson Pollock by Eurus. The diodes lighting their way no longer reflect back bloodied walls and guts from the tunnel.  It¡¯s slowly but surely turning more tidy and more obviously man-made in its construction as they move through it.


    Soon their surroundings are solid concrete and metal, ordered and meticulous, as they¡¯re approaching the tower¡¯s foot above them. Having looked at the Cell Archives before, Eurus knows exactly where they are. But as they move, the tunnel converges at a spot where a massive metal hatch is blocking their way.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± says Eurus, ¡°This hatch is not on any of my charts.¡±


    ¡°Is that a problem?¡± she asks.


    ¡°Not really,¡± Eurus says, activating his shoulder-mounted plasma caster. He flicks a few superheated orbs of atmospheric plasma towards the hatch, cutting it down immediately. It clanks down from its hinges and reveals a small room ahead of them.

 Chapter XI: The Masters Of The Galaxy I

    Eurus and Draia are moving through the bottom of MK-85872 in order to arrive at an upper level to hail for transport by a trusted party. They want to move covertly because the fact of a highly advanced interstellar alien contacting mankind is something to keep under wraps. The area is in complete darkness when they enter which is why Eurus activates the diodes on his suit.. The lower levels are ill lit, the walls are just exposed concrete and the smell is simply putrid. For sure they are not far from decaying carcasses. Draia notices that to which she exclaims:


    ¡°Oh Valos! Can you smell that?¡± she asks.


    ¡°Yes. Many drug addicts or debtors have perished in these corridors.¡±


    ¡°Is this normal here?¡±


    ¡°Sadly, more than one would think.¡±


    There aren¡¯t any big vestibules or plazas anywhere near them, only chambers filled with death. The walk is slow and careful as they proceed through the structure. As they move to a stairwell, the view of the climb daunts Draia:


    ¡°I¡¯ve climbed mountains gentler than this.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t need to go all the way to the top. Fifty stories or so and I think we should see some signs of civilization. After that I hate to ask, but you need to phase again so that the civilians don¡¯t notice you.¡±


    They go up for until one of the stairs is shut by a metal blast door about 15 centimeters thick.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Eurus says, ¡°This shouldn¡¯t be here either. Stand back.¡±


    Eurus pushes a few digits on his wristpad. The armor on his leg pops open and yields a metallic stick which has a tiny nozzle wrapped around a crystal on one end and a button on its side. He pushes the button and a beam of contained super-heated plasma protrudes from the end with the crystal. He points it towards the blast door and it starts melting the metal. The metal around the beam pours like water on the floor but Eurus¡¯ armored boots make no protest as they shield his feet from the flowing metal magma. He cuts an opening big enough for the both of them into the door, sheathes his metal cutter and pushes a few more buttons on his wrist pad after which a compartment on his other leg opens, yielding a different device with a nozzle on one end. The device is connected to his suit via a thick wire. When he flicks it on, it starts glowing bright blue as well but it shoots out a super-cooled cloud of crystallized air (it super-cools the atmosphere with moisture in the air itself), with which he sprays the glowing metal dripping off the newly minted threshold. The metal cools down and allows them both to pass through the doorway.


    After they step through the molten doorway, and walk a few stairs up, there stairs run out. They¡¯re not even close to the floor Eurus previously spoke about and levels above it are walled off. However the stairwell has a metal door onto the main area of that floor and Eurus opens it. Previously, this building and also its chambers up to the 50th floor had been a residential area but the sight that opens to the pair is nothing of the sort.


    It seems like a scene out of a vampiric horror movie. There¡¯s dry blood and rotting guts everywhere and bits and pieces of people they belonged to and the hallway they¡¯re in is widened and on each side there are cages which have their doors open. The hallway goes on like this for almost as far as the eye can see. Some of the doors have been busted open clearly from the inside. In these cages there are prison combination units which house a sink with a bubbler and a toilet in one device made of stainless steel. They¡¯re mostly intact while some are ajar from the ground as if someone had ripped them from their roots.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Eurus says.


    ¡°Wow¡­¡± Draia says as well, ¡°So what happened here?¡±


    Eurus uses the optics in his mask to scan the enormous makeshift prison, but the room is cold. Only the ultraviolet spectrum reveals that a large amount of living matter has been scattered around the space surrounding them but that was detectable with the naked eye as well.


    They keep walking through the area to the other end. Beyond it, lies an abandoned laboratory, also with some remains scattered around it. The equipment has been scrapped and the terminals have been destroyed. When Eurus inspects them, he sees that the storage devices are missing. Supposedly someone was covering their tracks. The cupboards and drawers are ajar and their contents have been moved as well.


    ¡°This is where they tried to recreate Cells, it seems,¡± Eurus says.


    ¡°Why would they try this?¡± Draia asks.


    ¡°The production technology for Cells has been lost for centuries. This is purposeful, because even a single Cell can be wielded to potentially topple a government. Their efforts however it seems had some unforeseen consequences.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Eurus was slightly withdrawn and bound in his thoughts at that point. The fact that an organization was researching this was rare but at the same time not unheard of. At the same time it hadn¡¯t been done on such a scale.


    While searching the area, they arrive upon a terminal that hasn¡¯t been damaged nor scuttled by the people responsible for this place.


    ¡°Looks like they missed one,¡± Eurus says.


    Eurus connects this one to his suit via a wire that¡¯s hanging off its side. The terminal boots up, drawing power from his suit, and the Ultra logo is displayed on the dusty screen. Eurus is now even more contemplative.


    He says to Draia: ¡°The fact that the Martian government is doing this research or at least a part of its intelligence agency is, means it has been sanctioned at least on some level. This comes as grave news because it¡¯s a blatant violation of ACA or the Anti-Cell Act which was passed in 2133 which banned all individuals and organizations from attempting to produce Cells.¡±


    ¡°Why were you created?¡± Draia asks.


    ¡°To fight the Machine Revolt,¡± Eurus responds.


    ¡°But if it¡¯s alive¡­ Does it need to be forbidden still?¡± she asks.


    ¡°One of the reasons for it was precisely the dangerous nature of this process,¡± Eurus conitinues, ¡°and the fact that even by then the technology that had been used to create them was obsolete and purposefully destroyed incase it fell into the wrong hands or uncovered yet another horror to spring upon mankind. After the machine uprising there was a degree of wariness towards technologies that had the potential to dethrone humans from their position as the masters of the universe.¡±


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    After booting up, the terminal prompts Eurus for security clearance but it is passed quickly by the internal protocols of Eurus¡¯ suit built precisely to be used in such situations. The terminal shows copious evidence pointing to the fact that the Martian government is indeed behind this operation, fully sanctioned by the Ultra Commander Olman. They¡¯ve also been capturing Dynamos and digging up corpses of centuries-dead Cells to see if they can bridge the gap between the construction methodologies of these two types of super soldiers. So far though, the attempts have been futile and the scientists working there haven¡¯t even come close. Finally, there¡¯s two dossiers on the terminal codenamed ¡°Operation Indigo¡± and ¡°Operation East-Wind¡±. However the contents of the files have been corrupted and are unintelligible. Eurus copies the contents of the terminal to the internal memory of his suit.


    ¡°We must move quickly now,¡± Eurus says. ¡°This activity is punishable by death. It seems like a portion of them already suffered the consequences but this must be brought to light as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°What will you do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you to an old friend until I can decide what to do with you. Right now, I¡¯m afraid, that even Cell Tower might not be the safest place if they¡¯re ignoring the Codex outright incase they come looking for you.¡±


    They move through the rest of the facility, having to melt a few more steel doors analogous to the one before. They reach the vehicle bay which has also been savaged by the beasts so that nothing is salvageable. Despite the damage though, it¡¯s clear that this was an Ultra facility, purposefully moved off premises of the main tower likely because of the sensitive nature of the research being conducted there. Eurus summons his Vulcan 5 and then opens up a communications terminal. The contents of the conversation aren¡¯t heard by Draia only what Eurus says.


    ¡°Yes, yes, hello,¡± he says, ¡°there¡¯s been a severe development.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t disclose the details at this time.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°I need you all to handle a sensitive package for me. You must operate at extreme discretion and take care of it personally. Nobody but you must see it, not your security detail, not your soldiers, not your servants, trusted comrades, family members, not anyone, is that clear?¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°I am at MK-85872, I¡¯ll be at the exit of its vehicle bay on level 45 and if you pick the package up, you¡¯ll be guarding it with your life. I cannot overstate the significance of it and the danger I¡¯ll be putting you in, but as of now there is no better option.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Alright. Eurus out. Now you. Draia, I trust you to go with one of my closest friends who will give you shelter while I figure out what is going on with the operation that the government was running here. I am beyond certain that it¡¯s connected to you being here. No agency nor leader would take this risk if the potential risk for not taking it weren¡¯t larger. I¡¯ll be gone for 12 hours and I¡¯ll have the culprits tracked down and I¡¯ll have the answers for your requests as well. When I give the signal, you hide and another when you can come out.¡±


    In a half an hour an armored vehicle arrives at the vehicle bay. To Eurus¡¯ signal, Draia shifts phase and lets light pass right through her, becoming completely invisible. Driving the armored car is none other than Mirra Leone. She¡¯s done herself up like a soldier but still is sporting that irresistible charm even when covered in anti-kinetic armor and tactical boots.


    ¡°Eurus. Hello, darling. I was wondering when I might catch you once again.¡±


    ¡°Mirra. It¡¯s been a while.¡±


    ¡°You know I can¡¯t be angry with you, Eurus for not following up with our musings last time. So I amicably reject your unextended apology.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m about to show you something and I meant it when I said that this is of the utmost secrecy. If this gets out the ramifications are incalculable.¡±


    He signals Draia who phase-shifts out of her ethereal form. When Mirra looks at her, Eurus can sense her heartbeat speed up and her blood pressure rise. She is taken aback with what she¡¯s seeing. Even a woman as powerful as her isn¡¯t immune to the shock of seeing another intelligent lifeform originating from outside the Sol System.


    ¡°Eurus¡­ what the fuck is that? No offense.¡±


    ¡°None taken,¡± says Draia, ¡°I¡¯m what you consider an alien from the planet Tomorra.¡±


    ¡°By the gods¡­ Eurus?¡± Mirra says.


    ¡°Mirra¡­ You, Paskal and Windsor are the only people I dare trust with this,¡± Eurus says, ¡°You must keep her safe.¡±


    ¡°What will you do?¡± Mirra asks.


    ¡°There¡¯s evidence of the Martian Ultra detachment attempting to recreate Cell technology. I¡¯m also certain this isn¡¯t sanctioned and must be investigated further before I can make any decisions about Draia. She¡¯s here because her civilization made contact with the machines that apparently managed to escape Earth before being wiped out. This might be why they¡¯ve been attempting to build Cells as well.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± says Mirra, ¡°Come with me, Draia. I¡¯ll look after you well enough. What does your kind do for fun?¡± she asks before the doors close.


    After the car flies off with Draia and Mirra inside, Eurus calls his stat-bike to the vehicle bay. While it¡¯s on its way he makes a comm-connection to Pharao. He doesn¡¯t pick up. Eurus wonders what¡¯s keeping him because he¡¯s usually available. While his stat-bike is pending, he briefly ponders about what he¡¯s just discovered. The Machine Revolt, Ultra and Draia ¨C it all points to larger, unforeseen forces at play.


    When Eurus arrives back at Cell Tower, he quickly goes to its forensics suite. The forensics suite is a laboratory, connected to the Cell supercomputer and fitted with the finest scientific equipment and computation technology available to man. Outside of supercolliders and V-matter generators that room has everything necessary to research any subject in depth. It¡¯s a clean room that¡¯s automatically decontaminated after use. He uploads the data in his suit to one of the room¡¯s computer terminal and activates a program built for descrambling corrupted files. It reassembles the files and first Eurus opens Operation Indigo.


    In that dossier, there are detailed instructions to capture and dissect Kalopsia Chromo. This comes as a surprise to Eurus, because to his knowledge, Kalopsia is just a blue girl built to be a placeholder for offspring of the Chromo family. That, however, is not the case. The dossier speculates that she is a Cell who was left inactive and evaluates her genetic potential as limitless. It also speculates that she could hold the key to creating more Cells as she is hypothetically like soft clay ready to be molded into a super weapon.


    Secondly, he opens Operation East Wind. In there is a text file titled ¡°To Eurus¡±. It reads:


    ¡°Hello, Eurus,


    If you¡¯re reading this, it seems our paths have finally crossed. I know it might seem like I¡¯m betraying my own kind by my actions but it¡¯s all for the greater good. Cells are an invaluable resource and it cannot be understated, what a waste it is to ban the developing more of you. Especially since the reason why we¡¯re doing this is the same as it was once before: humanity is in great danger and this deficit can no longer be tolerated.


    I¡¯ve left this as a fail-safe in case my true intentions are found out or when the operation fails. We¡¯ve been looking into ways to create more Cells to combat the forces on the fringes of the Greater Sol. Don¡¯t worry however¡­ There¡¯s a part for you to play nonetheless. And fear not, for we shall certainly meet ¡­ at the end of the line, either for you or for me.


    Yours,


    DRF¡±


    ¡°DRF? Frankenstein? Old human story. Apt name he¡¯s chosen,¡± Eurus thinks to himself, ¡°Own kind? Is this person a Cell himself? Or would they be betraying their own kind meaning humankind?¡±


    He goes through the other parts of the dossier which outlines all the weaknesses Eurus might have. They describe his fondness for certain people such as Mirra, Windsor, Pharao, his penchant for accepting to help strangers and his at times na?ve nature towards humans. This information is used to formulate a plan to trap and capture Eurus in order to continue the experiments on him.


    Given the information he learned, Eurus realizes that he must contact War Martial Honors to gain access to the black operations history of Ultra. She¡¯s the only one with some kind of oversight over the Cells. While they can operate completely autonomously, it¡¯s good protocol to coordinate delicate matters with the planetary authorities. Since the Machine Revolt is still roaming free and Ultra likely knows this, they may have resorted to desperate measures to gain the upper hand. This in turn means that they¡¯re in violation of imperial laws.

 Chapter XII: The Masters Of The Galaxy II – Meanwhile with Kalopsia

    While driving back from the Leone residence, Pharao and Anderson begin discussing their further strategy in finding Kalopsia. Pharao says:


    ¡°So, what now?¡±


    ¡°I wonder¡­ A blank check young female with exceptional genetics. She might have been mixed up with the wrong crowd?¡±


    ¡°Most likely¡­ motive to kidnap such a specimen though?¡±


    ¡°Money? There haven¡¯t been any demands being levelled,¡± Anderson says.


    ¡°The Chromos being barren, where did they get the child from?¡±


    ¡°Want to visit the widow?¡±


    The duo set course towards Tower Chromo. Distinct from its surroundings, it looks as if it was built by Renaissance era masons. Though thinner in dimensions than most other residential towers, its spaciousness and luxury left nothing to complain about. Meticulous etchings and carvings on the walls made out of pure marble. They park their police cruiser at the topmost vehicle bay which in turn was filled with extravagant carriages itself. The garage looks better than most peoples homes. Even though every year the Chromo family donates 99% of their earnings in the name of charity, the Chromo Corporation yields profits so high still, that it barely makes a dent in their overall cashflow.


    When they park their vehicle, after exiting it, they¡¯re greeted by a butler near their spot. He¡¯s wearing a tuxedo probably finer in terms of quality than anything the two officers could afford even with their lifetime earnings. Pale, almost to the point of hueing blue, the man¡¯s age is apparent from the outset. He¡¯s bald, in his seventies and would remind anyone who met him of Alfred Pennyworth.


    ¡°Hello, constables,¡± says the butler, ¡°Welcome to Tower Chromo. I am Mr. Twalk. I serve the Chromo family. Is there anything I may assist you with.¡±


    He motions them to follow him.


    ¡°Hello, Mr. Twalk, we¡¯re investigating the disappearance of Kalopsia, the heir to the Chromo fortune. Is it possible to meet with the lady of the house, Madelaine? Sorry for such a short notice but time is of the essence in these matters,¡± says Anderson, ¡°Also would it be possible to access the room of Kalopsia as well?¡±


    ¡°Worry not, because it¡¯s no issue. The lady is however occupied with a meeting to discuss matters of the foundation and will then meet with lawyers and actuaries to discuss further actions which may be warranted if the unfortunate matter of Lady Kalopsia¡¯s disappearance yields mortal results such as her death.¡±


    The arrive at yet another extravagant elevator. It¡¯s not lined with gold like in Tower Leone but at the same time leaves the latter to shame in terms of build quality and expensive materials. Everything is carbon-fibered and platinum lined.


    ¡°She¡¯s already discussing her death? It¡¯s been barely twenty four hours,¡± Pharao says. It¡¯s suspicious to him, because why would Madelaine assume her daughter¡¯s death so quickly? Does she know something they don¡¯t?


    ¡°I realize this may come off as insensitive and suspect for her to act in such a manner, but although she¡¯s not a rash woman, this situation is of a grave nature. But even more importantly, the Chromo foundation and corporation is the largest and most influential of the Solar world spanning all planets and municipalities in terms of economic reach. Therefore it is paramount that when there has already been a tragic and premature loss of a family member already, its succession be handled in a timely and careful manner. I¡¯ll show you to the area where Lady Kalopsia resided before she left to pursue her own goals. While you search her rooms, I¡¯ll see if I can perhaps squeeze you in to meet with Lady Madelaine before another appointment begins.¡±


    ¡°She left here?¡± Anderson asks.


    ¡°Yes, she did,¡± Mr. Twalk says.


    ¡°What does she hope to find?¡± Anderson asks further.


    ¡°It¡¯s unclear at this time what exactly she wished to achieve, but it is my suspicion that she wanted to discover her origin aside from being vaguely created.¡±


    ¡°Is there something more to her than that?¡± Paskal asks.


    ¡°Not that I¡¯m aware, sir.¡±


    They¡¯re taken to a part of Chromo tower where Kalopsia lives after which Mr. Twalk leaves. It¡¯s a bit of a well-organized mess. The rooms are filled with books and tablets. She¡¯s certainly a bit of a bookworm it seems to the officers. The books are on history, biotechnology, and some fictional books. There are many rooms ¨C a spa, a gaming area, a party area with a bar. It¡¯s a small mansion inside a bigger mansion. Finally, Paskal and Anderson arrive at her office area. It¡¯s bigger than most people¡¯s apartments, filled with even more books and documents. Her desk, made from hardwood oak is covered under the things she was reading. Real wood is a commodity because most of the Solar System is a concrete and steel jungle with no real forests to speak of. While there are forests in the outer parts of the Solar republics, transporting them to build a desk is also expensive due to the massive distances it requires traversing. The topmost item lying on her desk is a notebook. Anderson opens it and there are notes taken about biotechnology, history etc. After a closer look at the other documents on her table, it becomes clear to the officers, that she was curious about her origin before leaving. According to the documents, she doesn¡¯t have a bioengineering certificate as children like her in origin usually do. So, while she¡¯s clearly built from scratch, there are no records of her creation in any of the documents she¡¯s gathered.


    ¡°Looks like she didn¡¯t get her answers,¡± Paskal says.


    ¡°Indeed, so who created her?¡±


    ¡°Good question. Fire up the terminal.¡±


    Anderson activates her terminal. The screen lights up and there¡¯s a password protected screen prompting the user to use a specific phrase to enter it.


    ¡°Maybe she wrote it down somewhere?¡± Paskal asks, ¡°Look around in the papers.¡±


    They rummage around in the mountain of documents and scribblings to find the password. From beneath the emerges a data chip. Paskal picks it up and, on a whim, sticks it in the terminal. This unlocks the machine and grants access to its contents.


    ¡°How¡¯d you know to do that?¡± Anderson asks.


    ¡°I thought it couldn¡¯t hurt to try.¡±


    ¡°Good instinct,¡± Anderson says.


    They look at the various files on the terminal, but their eye is caught by a minimized program. It¡¯s a chat between someone named DRF and Kalopsia:


    Kalopsia: ¡°Hello, Dr. We spoke on the comm.¡±


    DRF: ¡°Hello, Kalopsia. Yes, I remember. I think I can help you.¡±


    Kalopsia: ¡°Great. So you can tell me


    more about my origin?¡±


    DRF: ¡°Absolutely. But I would like to refrain from sharing the information I found here.¡±


    Kalopsia: ¡°Why? What have you found out?¡±


    DRF: ¡°More than I could describe in a chat. When are you free?¡±


    Kalopsia: ¡°Right now. Where do we meet?¡±


    DRF: ¡°Can you come to The Nigh?¡±


    Kalopsia: ¡°The Nigh. Got it.


    I¡¯ll be there in less than an hour, is that okay?¡±


    DRF: ¡°Perfect. I¡¯ll be waiting.¡±


    There is another chat bubble blinking with an unanswered message. It reads:


    Spektr: ¡°K, are you there?


    What happened at The Nigh?


    Should I call the police?


    It¡¯s been more than 12 hours.¡±


    The officers open the chat and immediately another message pops up. There is previous discussion about Spektr having to call the police if Kalopsia hasn¡¯t responded in 12 hours. She talks about going to meet with DRF and finding out about who she is.


    Spektr: ¡°Kalopsia? You there?¡±


    Paskal looks at Anderson. He then types into the chat:


    Kalopsia: ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s what I suspected.


    Meet up at The Nigh?


    I¡¯ll be there in 40 minutes.


    Wait for me inside by the entrance.¡±


    Spektr: ¡°Really? I¡¯ll be right there, yes.¡±


    Anderson takes out a memory chip of his own and places it into the terminal. After a few seconds, the device beeps and Anderson removes it, having downloaded the full contents of the terminal¡¯s storage into it, including her credentials for the communications if they need to message Spektr again. Before they leave, there is a program on the terminal called ¡°Device Finder¡± which is used to locate one¡¯s comm device incase it goes missing. They activate it but her device is no longer found. Its last known location is The Nigh however.


    They then exit the room. As they walk through the building, they¡¯re met by Mr. Twalk:


    ¡°Officers. I hope you found something of use. Lady Madelaine can give you 10 minutes before her next appointment begins. Apologies in advance, she¡¯s a very busy woman.¡±


    He leads them through the building. As they walk Anderson asks:


    ¡°What do you know about Kalopsia¡¯s search for her origin? Did she say anything about that?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she asked about that a lot when she was little. As someone with blue skin, you can imagine her experience in the company of other children.¡±


    ¡°She went to a public school?¡± Anderson asks.


    ¡°No, but even if they could send their children to a top private school, the parents could not afford to teach them basic manners.¡±


    ¡°She was bullied?¡± Paskal asks.


    ¡°Quite spectacularly so. She was smart for her age. But even without her bustling intelligence, it doesn¡¯t take a brainiac to figure out that someone like her is different from the other kids.¡±


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ¡°Were there any fights?¡± Anderson asks.


    ¡°Well, there was one. But to everyone¡¯s surprise, she managed to absolutely thrash her much larger assailant.¡±


    Mr. Twalk noticed the men¡¯s puzzled looks. He added that due to her nature, the origin of which is unknown to him, she probably has genetic and cybernetic enhancements that make her much more formidable than she looks. In addition, these probably explain her exorbitant intelligence.


    They finally arrive at Lady Madelaine¡¯s office. It alone is bigger than Paskal¡¯s entire apartment. The detectives are impressed by it. At the end opposing the doorway, there is a lady sitting behind a similar wooden desk that was in Kalopsia¡¯s room. The room is spacious, with high ceilings and bookshelves stacked with content, ancient but also cutting edge. She barely glances at the men while she¡¯s hooked onto whatever she¡¯s reading on her screen. When they approach her, she looks at them and says:


    ¡°Be quick. I haven¡¯t got all day.¡±


    Her voice is cold, monotonous even.


    ¡°Lady Madelaine, we don¡¯t want to take up more time than absolutely necessary, but we do have a few questions,¡± Paskal says.


    ¡°Ask away,¡± she says.


    ¡°Do you have a reason to suspect that anybody might have wanted to harm your daughter?¡± Anderson asks.


    ¡°Well, of course. Or, perhaps not harm but I imagine there are a great number of people who would be interested in her even if she wasn¡¯t a masterpiece in bioengineering. Gaining leverage with people like us is something many would like. She never did take heed of our warnings, though.¡±


    ¡°Anyone in particular? Or recently?¡± Paskal asks.


    ¡°As far as I know, no. But she was snooping around hoping to find out about her origin, as I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware. Perhaps she ended up asking the wrong places? She has enough genetic enhancements to make a Cell blush.¡±


    Anderson asks whether this was a conscious decision by the Chromo family.


    ¡°Well, we didn¡¯t design her if that¡¯s what you mean. We bought her at an auction that was selling Dr. Gobb Vakkar¡¯s items.¡±


    ¡°Dr. Vakkar? The creator of the Erebus Caste?¡± Anderson asks almost shocked.


    ¡°Correct,¡± Lady Madelaine says.


    ¡°Forgive me, but could she be a Cell?¡±


    ¡°Not that I know of, no. She was still a baby when we bought her gestation device along with herself, do you know of many infant Cells? They don¡¯t age, as I hope you know, but she was all grown up. We slightly altered her looks before deactivating it and bearing her to this world to make her similar to us, but other than that we left her as is. Do you think her disappearance had anything to do with that?¡±


    ¡°Well, while risky, this sort of speculation may well be worth the reward for some people so it¡¯s a secondary and even stronger motive to do something to her I bet. Do you have any documents or other details about her?¡± Paskal asks.


    ¡°No, all the documentation about her had been destroyed before we ever saw her as far as I know.¡±


    ¡°Have you received any ransom requests?¡±


    ¡°None so far which is why I fear the worst.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your time, Lady Chromo, we¡¯ll be going,¡± says Anderson.


    They almost run out of the office due to the nature of the news they received. Even the chance of uncovering a lost Cell makes the men fill with fear but also excitement. What if she holds the key to making more of them? That sort of power in the wrong hands could bode badly for the future of humanity. They don¡¯t even wait for Mr. Twalk to send them to their car but instead rush off ahead. They quickly get into their car and drive off. With only 20 minutes remaining to get hundreds of levels down and to a further part of the town, they turn on the sirens on their police vehicle and floor it. On the way the men speculate about whether or not Kalopsia could actually be a prototype Cell. Anderson is skeptical but Paskal is much more excited. He wonders if maybe Dr. Vakkar created one to be a blueprint for the future generations in the form of a live human being. To him it¡¯s not a coincidence that she is known to be physically stronger than her peers and also brandishes a high intelligence.


    They also wonder why Lady Madelaine assumes that Kalopsia is missing while she clearly had a friend waiting for her response. It didn¡¯t seem out of the ordinary for her to disappear for days on end but she¡¯s already been declared missing? Is this because of Lady Madelaine¡¯s apparently new-found paranoia after the loss of her husband? Another thing they take of note is Lady Madelaine¡¯s and the butlers insistence on referring to her in the past tense as if she¡¯s already dead. Did they really adjust so quick or is there an underlying reason for them to act this way? Perhaps Kalopsia is a Cell and she¡¯s trying to profit off her daughter or perhaps simply the fact that she¡¯s a creation of the legendary Dr. Vakkar is enough for the strange behavior?


    The Nigh is a posh hotel and casino for the celebrities and wealthy on the half height of the city. It¡¯s well-regarded for its discretion and privacy it offers its residents. In there they can romp and play with the other drug and mod-addicted degenerates as they¡¯re regarded by some. Though it¡¯s not on the highest level, this a trade off for the low-key nature of its business. Before the officers arrive, they turn off their sirens ahead of time to not attract any unwanted attention and park their car in another parking space away from the entrance in order to get an early visual on their contact. They hide all obvious markers from their bodies which could relay the fact that they¡¯re law enforcement in order to put any anxious visitors at ease.


    While they know of The Nigh, usually police officers don¡¯t have business in there. The establishment¡¯s threshold is a turnstile door guarded by two suited bouncers. The officers can see that under their garments, the bouncers are armed with sidearms. By the way they carry themselves, its clear that the bouncers are from a military background. The officers enter the establishment, catching looks from the bouncers. Do they already know that Paskal and Anderson are police?


    There¡¯s couches and a bar right by the entrance. The place is luckily not packed and there¡¯s only a few people sitting on the chairs and couches and one by the bar. One of the people sitting on one of the couches is a B-list celebrity actor, Bob Voyage, known for his work on an action series on the Pap¨¹vision streaming service. Though only 160 cm tall, he played a Cell who fought during the Machine Revolution, but he fell in love with a bot who in his eyes had a soul. It was a real crap-show but was well regarded by nerds who liked that he did all his own stunts. He fell out of the future Hollywood¡¯s favor due to his somewhat incoherent takes on talk shows regarding the traditional family model and the fact that he belonged to a cult.


    On another seat there¡¯s a participant in the future equivalent of Big Brother and Victorian reality freak show series called ¡°Who Are They Really?¡± She¡¯s an Earth girl born and raised in Missouri who due to her big boobs and degree in Persuasion Studies found moderate success as a socialite in the entertainment circles.


    The bar is manned by a droid and it¡¯s offering consolation to another man in a trenchcoat sitting on one of stools, hunched over his drink. From behind, it¡¯s hard to tell who he might exactly be. Of these three the man at the bar seemed the most likely to be their source to the police officers which is why they go to him first.


    Anderson says: ¡°Hello, Spektr, I assume?¡±


    The man barely slurs out: ¡°Fuck off.¡±


    As he says that, Bob Voyage raises his head and looks towards the bar. Paskal notices that and remembers that on his action series ¡°Cellular Love¡±, Bob Voyage played a Cell named Spektr. He pulls Anderson¡¯s coat and looks at Spektr, who stands up, clearly trying to choose between his fight or flight instinct. He takes a step towards the exit, but Paskal calls him out:


    ¡°Mr. Voyage?¡±


    He stops in his tracks and looks back at the officers and then at the door.


    ¡°Mr. Voyage?¡± Paskal says again, ¡°We¡¯re with the police, we mean you no harm, we¡¯re merely looking into the disappearance of Kalopsia,¡± as he approaches Mr. Voyage slowly.


    ¡°Oh, okay, I thought you could be with Ultra.¡±


    The officers walk up to him.


    ¡°Ultra? We are police detectives, I¡¯m PD Pharao Paskal and this is my partner  Ron Anderson. Is there anywhere we could talk private?¡± Paskal asks.


    ¡°Yes, I have a room here,¡± Mr. Voyage says, ¡°Let¡¯s go there.¡±


    They walk to his room, which is a luxury suite. Three bedrooms, a small sauna complex and a living room with a dinner table. The room is immaculate, which tells the officers that Mr. Voyage hasn¡¯t been staying there for long. They take their seats around the dining table. Anderson asks him:


    ¡°How do you know Kalopsia?¡± Paskal asks.


    ¡°We met at a press screening of one of my movies ¡°Ultra Life¡±, have you seen it?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Paskal and Anderson answer.


    ¡°Did you like it?¡±


    ¡°It was alright, but a bit indulgent, no?¡± Paskal says.


    ¡°Well yes, it was the last movie of Glandeen Donkatin with a huge cast ¨C it was going to be indulgent if not anything else.¡±


    ¡°True that,¡± Anderson says, ¡°What was your relationship with Kalopsia like?¡±


    ¡°Well full disclosure, we were friends, nothing more. I made my move and she rejected it, but she¡¯s just¡­ cool as a person that I didn¡¯t want to discard her friendship because of that, you know?¡± Voyage says.


    ¡°That¡¯s understandable. Do you have any idea where Kalopsia went?¡± Anderson asks, ¡°It seems she found a contact called DRF who she was also set to meet here at The Nigh.¡±


    ¡°Yes, DRF is an Ultra scientist she was supposed to meet up with. He¡¯s I think a lead scientist working in the biotech department. His real name is Sigmund Mendel.¡±


    ¡°This likely isn¡¯t public knowledge, how do you know that?¡± Anderson asks.


    ¡°He used to work with us on the ¡°Cellular Love¡± show. He helped us to make our version of the Cells accurate as much as possible. He also gave us tips on how to make the opening sequence reflect a likely creation process of a Cell and the research that went into it. I don¡¯t know if you know this but Kalopsia knew she was created by Dr. Vakkar, and she knew me, she had me help her get in touch with Dr. Mendel.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re aware of Dr. Vakkar. Did he help with the bot love storyline as well?¡± Paskal asks with a sly grin on his face.


    ¡°No,¡± Mr. Voyage sighs and rolls his eyes, ¡°By that time, Dr. Mendel had left the show.¡±


    ¡°No surprise there,¡± Paskal says.


    ¡°Pharao, come on,¡± Anderson says, ¡°Did they meet?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I set the meeting up myself. I warned her that meeting with Ultra is dangerous without potentially having the genetics of a WMD, let alone being potentially the final creation of Dr. Vakkar. She never came back.¡±


    ¡°The final creation?¡± Anderson asks.


    ¡°Yes, as far as I know she was the last project of Dr. Vakkar.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Voyage,¡± Anderson says, ¡°I loved you in ¡°Grain Wars¡± by the way.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank you and my pleasure. Anything to help Kalopsia.¡±


    The men leave Mr. Voyage to his hotel room. As they walk back to their car, in the lobby, they notice a two Ultra agents enter through the turnstile door. They sharply turn towards the bar in order to avoid detection by them. One of them is Oliander Schultz, who despite their efforts still recognizers the officers.


    ¡°Paskal! Anderson!¡± he calls them out, ¡°What brings you here? Looking for drugs? Ha-ha, just kidding.¡±


    ¡°Schultz¡­,¡± Anderson says, ¡°Just taking a load off you know. You?¡±


    ¡°Same. This is my partner, Geon Karsk. We were just about to meet Mr. Voyage. Have you seen him?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we just talked to him,¡± Paskal says.


    ¡°So I heard,¡± Schultz says.


    ¡°You did?¡± Anderson asks.


    ¡°Indeed. With the issue regarding Kalopsia and Dr. Mendel¡­ I suggest you gentlemen put it out of your minds. You¡¯re stumbling around something you don¡¯t have the faintest authority to change and even less of an ability to comprehend.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­ Schultz. A word?¡± Karsk says.


    ¡°Excuse me, gentlemen,¡± Schultz tells them.


    Karsk pulls Schultz aside and they walk out of the officers¡¯ earshot. He says:


    ¡°Why are you trying to persuade them to abandon their investigation? Without them we wouldn¡¯t know about Mendel and Kalopsia.¡±


    ¡°What do you suggest exactly, Karsk?¡± Schultz asks.


    ¡°Let¡¯s work together with them. You must realize that the implications of this scheme are enormous. Plus they have the ear of a Cell. We can have them do the footwork while keeping an ear to the ground at Ultra HQ. It¡¯s easier if they mess up instead of us,¡± Karsk says.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Interesting. And this is not because of your newly found sense of compassion, I hope?¡± Schultz asks, ¡°A virtuous operative is worthless to the organization.¡±


    ¡°Of course not, this is merely practical,¡± Karsk says.


    They return to the officers and Karsk says:


    ¡°Officers, sorry for being harsh and defensive earlier. After consulting with my colleague we¡¯ve agreed that we should probably work together on this. We will look into anything we can about Dr. Mendel in the Ultra archives and connect with you. Do you know where to look for him?¡±


    ¡°Alright. We were considering going to see him at Ultra HQ.¡± Paskal says.


    ¡°No.. no¡­ no,¡± says Schultz, ¡°I think you won¡¯t get far this way. Considering the depth and gravity of this possible conspiracy, you need an Imperial warrant to probably see him or force him to accept. And even then, depending on the criminality of the parties, it might not be enough.¡±


    ¡°What do you suggest?¡± asks Anderson.


    Suddenly, Paskal¡¯s communication device started blinking with a connection prompt from Eurus. Paskal tells the others that he needs to take this. Schultz sees that the caller is Eurus, so he doesn¡¯t continue the conversation. Paskal moves away from them and accepts the call. To his surprise, one of the participants is Mirra Leone and another is a man who he does not know.


    ¡°Yes, yes, hello,¡± Eurus says, ¡°there¡¯s been a severe development.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this about, if I may ask?¡± asks Paskal.


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t disclose the details at this time.¡±


    ¡°Alright, so what¡¯s up?¡± Mirra says.


    ¡°I need you all to handle a sensitive package for me. You must operate at extreme discretion and take care of it personally. Nobody but you must see it, not your security detail, not your soldiers, not your servants, trusted comrades, family members, not anyone, is that clear?¡±


    There is a palpable pause in the conversation, but they all agree.


    ¡°I am at MK-85872, I¡¯ll be at the exit of its vehicle bay on level 45 and if you pick the package up, you¡¯ll be guarding it with your life. I cannot overstate the significance of it and the danger I¡¯ll be putting you in, but as of now there is no better option as there is no telling what security has been compromised.¡±


    Mirra says: ¡°I¡¯m the closest to it. I¡¯ll be there fastest.¡±


    The communication then ends. Paskal walks back to the others and Schultz asks:


    ¡°A Cell calling the police? Am I in the right universe?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re citizens, too¡± says Paskal, ¡°So you were saying?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s look at this in order of exclusion. You can¡¯t go to your department, because you don¡¯t know who to trust there ¨C how do you think we found you? You can¡¯t go to Ultra and you¡¯re not fast enough to get an imperial warrant¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his thought however, Mr. Voyage had come out of his room and enters the lobby. He looks at the gentlemen, startled at seeing Ultra operatives. Schultz then raises his eyebrows as if a lightbulb had gone off in his head and motions Mr. Voyage to come closer. He approaches the investigators and joins their circle.


    ¡°Mr. Voyage. I understand you have the contact information of one Dr. Mendel?¡±


    ¡°I do, but I¡¯m not supposed to give that to just about anyone.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I understand he is a fan of yours? Is he also a part of your religious club?¡±


    ¡°I think so, why?¡±


    ¡°Does he frequent the conclave as well?¡±


    ¡°He does.¡±


    ¡°Could you tell him to meet you there tonight?¡±


    ¡°I guess.¡±


    ¡°Do it. Don¡¯t show up yourself.¡±

 Chapter XIII: War Martial Honors

    Eurus gets on his statbike and begins his ride towards the Martian Command HQ. It¡¯s where the entire government of Mars is located. After a few hours¡¯ ride, the building is in sight. By far the most impressive of the structures in Pap¨¹lonis, the Martian government is in a white building, similar to the Capitol in current day Washington DC, only far greater in size, with fine details on every little unit of area. It¡¯s well lit, heavily guarded and houses a large part of the brass of the Martian military force.


    Behind it is a kilometer-high statue of the first Martian War Martial Traxler, the first woman to achieve the honor of being a War Martial. She holds a sword and in her other hand is an orb, with the intricate details of Terra carved into it. Her statue is slowly moving, always pointing herself and her sword towards Terra.


    A War Martial is essentially the leader of a planet or at times, a star system part of the Solar Empire (meaning all the planets in human command). This honor is achieved not specifically through rank or votes, but by achievements. Traxler was a Terran general, who conquered Mars when it first became a Republic in 2133 and tried to upend Terran jurisdiction on Mars. Though massive in military strength even back then, Mars was subjugated by the accurate use of Cells, Ultra operatives and covert warfare. The full capacity of its military was never even realized because its ability to fight back was neutralized before anyone could figure out what was happening.


    Next to it are several space docks used to launch spacecraft such as cargo vessels but also combat vessels and a fully formed military industrial complex. These are the only buildings not surrounded by skyscrapers but instead, are on flat ground, lower in height than other buildings on Mars but still enormous in size. In one of the space docks there is the MDAC (Martian Dreadnought Exterminator Class) ship called The Interceptor, a dreadnought capable of launching several hundred smaller spacecraft and with weapons for full-scale war. It could singlehandedly conquer the Earth from the 2020s with its advanced weaponry and technology and there are several of its kind already in deployment. It¡¯s guns and other parts are enormous as well.


    Another ship in space dock is the MDPC (Martian Dreadnought Navigator Class) called The Nova Atlas. These ships are used to use its energy source (which it¡¯s basically built around, similar to how the A-10 Warthog is built around the GAU-8 Avenger) primarily to engage V-matter generators in other ships to help them navigate quickly between the stars. Other ships can go a few star systems themselves but are not capable of diminishing the travel time down to a few minutes like Navigator class ships, instead they might take months or even years to arrive at a distant destination themselves. Though Navigator ships carry some defensive weaponry, their main role is to aid the movement of fleets. As a last resort, its capable of detonating the V-Matter generators of any other ship within its fleet ¨C a controversial feat when unveiled but proven necessary during several space battles ¨C without a Navigator, a fleet is effectively stranded. Mars has around 20 of these ships in service at any one time ¨C the biggest fleet in humanity¡¯s command. In total, humanity has at most 50 in service.


    Though these ships share their overall shape, their distinct difference is that on the Navigator Class ships, a large orb is fixed towards its bow. On the Exterminator Class ships, this orb is replaced by its main gun, capable of destroying small moons in a single blast. However a charge this strong usually renders the gun inoperable for up to an hour after discharging it. There are also smaller ships for several other roles but they¡¯re not present in the space docks at this time.


    The ships themselves are as big as the skyscrapers in the residential and commercial areas in Pap¨¹lonis. Eurus drives to the highest part of Martian Command ¨C it¡¯s where War Martial Honors is located. He parks his stat bike right on Honors¡¯ doorstep and is already greeted by guards who try to impede his approach. When he gets off the bike, he says:


    ¡°I am here on an official Cell matter. Article 11, section 6 of the Terran Code dictates that the violation of the ban on the production of Cells is to be taken to the highest possible planetary authority without hesitation. As a representative of the Cell Caste, I am within my authority to do just that.¡±[1]</a>


    The guards let Eurus pass, and he enters the lobby of the command center. It¡¯s a large room with several administrator desks and a marble floor with the Martian Command seal painted on it. The guards in the lobby and the administrators look uneasy, but have already been informed about the situation which is why they let him pass. The administrator desks are made out of oak ¨C an expensive commodity in these times. The circular room is bordered by two large staircases which lead up to the War Martial. Eurus takes the one on the left and pays little attention to the busts of previous War Martials and generals on the walls. At the top of the stairs there lies a hallway with several doors on each side, some holding offices or passageways to other parts of the building. At the end, there are two heavy wooden doors, with reinforced steel inside it, which opens as Eurus approaches it. Therein lies the office of War Martial Honors. She is sat at her desk, looking straight at Eurus, clearly expecting him.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    She is a woman in her 40s. She would be classically pretty, if not for the deep cut she has across the right side of her face from defeating a clan of genetically mutated drug addicts as a young maiden of war. They had attempted to create a cult state which she dispatched when she was part of the Ultra Special Forces. She is ashamed of the scar, hiding it with makeup, though in Eurus¡¯s mind because she¡¯s earned it, she wears it well. Her face is also tarnished by signs of long term chronic stress and insomnia. Though her skin is still taut, her skin is pale and the cracks are starting to show. Despite this, she is still formidable in her presence. Would she sleep, she would turn her face half a decade younger. Would she have children, she¡¯d have wrinkles of stress induced from happiness, but instead they¡¯re from determination.


    Her office is decorated with her medals, paintings, memorabilia, etc. The left side of the room is furnished with several couches and coffee tables. On the right there is a model of the Solar Empire. It¡¯s made from tiny grey particles which make up a metallomorphic alloy which allow it to mold itself into the Solar System, a single planet such as Earth, or a view of the nearby star cluster which holds the Solar  Empire, with levels of shading to provide inscriptions or details.


    Eurus walks straight to her desk and says:


    ¡°War Martial Honors.¡±


    ¡°Eurus, Caste of Erebus,¡± she says, ¡°I hear there¡¯s been a Terran Code violation?¡±


    ¡°Yes, War Martial, I have reason to believe that agents within Ultra are conspiring to create new Cells. I also know that humanity has contacted new lifeforms beyond the Solar empire which might be reason for this.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± says War Martial Honors. She continues: ¡°Yes, there has been a development. However, I haven¡¯t sanctioned the creation of Cells because ¨C as you correctly pointed out, this would violate the Terran Code. I looked through the information available to me which should be all there is but I assume you have more?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± says Eurus, as activates a device on his wrist which displays the analysis done by the onboard computer, ¡°as you can see, there are clearly traces of Cell genome spliced into several other creatures DNA makeup, probably as an attempt to arrive at the result.¡±


    ¡°I see, what was the result?¡± War Martial Honors asked.


    ¡°In essence, monsters, with some similarities to some Cell Castes in terms of abilities and tactics.¡±


    ¡°And Ultra?¡±


    Eurus shows his discoveries he found on the Ultra terminal. He refrains from revealing that he himself has been singled out in a message but shows her information about Kalopsia and how she is a creation of Dr. Gobb Vakkar.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Interesting. So, what we can assume from this is that the parties involved have access to at least a part of the work done by Dr. Gobb Vakkar and perhaps other Cell Engineering. Have you considered that perhaps they¡¯ve been stockpiling other Cell materials as well?¡±


    ¡°I have. This is why I need an imperial warrant to raid the Ultra compound.¡±


    ¡°Raid? Perhaps a simple conversation would suffice?¡±


    ¡°This is what I¡¯ll do first but considering what we¡¯ve found here a round trip would cost us too much time and we¡¯d risk losing all hope of recovering any evidence of their wrongdoings and they¡¯d just relocate what we¡¯d hope to find if things go south.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. This can¡¯t wait, I¡¯ll sign the warrant right now.¡±


    She goes to the terminal at her desk and signs the warrant digitally. It then shows up on Eurus¡¯ suit computer. She says:


    ¡°I¡¯ve sent it, Eurus. Report back if you can.¡±


    ¡°Affirmative.¡±


    Eurus gives a stern nod to the War Martial and storms off. He has no time to waste and he¡¯s already plotting his course to the Ultra HQ in his mind as he moves. The automatic doors open quickly, and the guards stand aside as if sensing his electrifying purpose.


    The landscape of the Martian Planetary HQ is once again before him as he exits the building, a massive plane, dotted with warships and the statue of Traxler. He jumps on his stat-bike and it lifts him, carrying him off towards Ultra. It¡¯s now or never ¨C it¡¯s as if a timer has been set and a bomb is just waiting to go off. He twists the throttle to its limit, increasing his speed.


    <hr>


    [1]</a> There are several Codices that govern humanity and several of its planets. These are sets of laws and guidelines. The Cell Codex governs Cell Circuits only, and applies to all the Cell Circuits across the Solar Empire. The Imperial Codex (also called the Imperial Code or just the Code) is similar to Federal law in federations such as the U.S., which supersedes every other Codex, including the Cell Codex, which has been included in it for that exact reason. Ultra has been known to ignore these laws at times however but the recent developments are unprecedented in terms of scale and illegality.

 Chapter XIV: The Conclave

    The religion of Reasonablism started as a cult when a failed scientist named Franz Kunst moved from his home country of Latvia to the then United Socialist States Of America. According to him every truth about this reality is reachable by clever deduction and reasoning and science with its empirical methods is useful but ultimately misguided in terms of resource management. When he tried to prove one of his trains of ¡°reason¡±, he was mocked by the public which led to him suffering a psychotic break and getting arrested for public nudity. After this, he decided its time to try his luck in America.


    Thanks to the name of his religion, the true nature of its contents is not investigated by curious members of the public. In his mind, books like the Bible weren¡¯t necessarily historical texts but texts describing the future in an ancient setting. Using these texts it is supposedly possible to reveal all kinds of truths about the future and human nature ¨C so in fact Reasonablism doesn¡¯t subscribe to only one religious text like most other religions but to all of them and at the center stands the hysterical rambling in writing, the mindless utterances of Kunst to one of his mindless followers, which tries and fails to reconcile these vastly different ideologies. His cult gathered enough followers to become a major religion in the 2100s. Its sexual exploitation of its members, its pay-to-pray business model and aggressive lobbying in the government are well kept public secrets. Around 3% of all religious people in the Solar Empire subscribe to Reasonablism.


    The conclave in Pap¨¹lonis is built on top of a residential tower, and it runs the entirety of the top 5 floors. It has its own religious schools and everything one might expect to find from a brain-washing organization. It¡¯s architecture is a mixture between the sukiya architecture and functionalism. The five floors have outreaching ornaments but at the same time its walls and hallways are very strict and reminiscent of the schools and hospitals of the 20th century, which according to Kunst was the peak of human civilization in all aspects.


    The police detectives arrive at the Conclave and park their car. They go inside and admire the obvious effort that went into hiding the cold brutalist undertones of the interior design of the building. As its still business hours, the hallways are mostly empty. The floors are covered with fish-tailing hardwood floors which get cleaned by its lower members and bots daily. As agreed with Dr. Mendel on the behalf of Bob Voyage, they go into the lounge area of the first floor of five and wait for his arrival to the agreed upon table as they themselves move to a sofa area further away. A droid lets them order two beers which arrive shortly as well. This area is devoid of inhabitants as well. On purpose they had chosen to arrive half an hour early in order to get a glimpse of him on the off-chance he tries to escape.


    Taking a few good sips from their glasses Paskal says: ¡°Ah... The reasonablists like beer more bitter than I expected. Interesting aftertaste.¡±


    Anderson: ¡°Mmhm... like a poppy seed bun a little.¡±


    After waiting for some time, they see a man entering the lounge. He is towering at almost 7 feet tall and he isn¡¯t skinny or over-weight like the officers had expected from a scientist. He is hunched over and would likely be even taller and as he enters he sees the two officers but doesn¡¯t make much of them. His face is a little droopy as if he¡¯d suffered a stroke and slightly scarred from an unknown cause. He¡¯s also wearing an ear-piece. He walks to the spot where Dr. Mendel was supposed to sit. The officers take out their money chips, and pay for their drinks through the terminal near one of the sofas and walk towards their mark. He sees them approach and sits up.


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    ¡°Dr. Mendel?¡± asks Paskal when he is near the man¡¯s table.


    ¡°Yes,¡± says Dr. Mendel.


    ¡°May we have a moment of your time?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m supposed to meet someone here actually, so perhaps another time?¡± he says.


    ¡°We know. We¡¯re the ones who arranged this meeting. This is detective Paskal and I¡¯m detective Anderson. We¡¯re with the Pap¨¹lonis City Police deparment. We¡¯d like to ask you a few questions, if you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± says Dr. Mendel, ¡°I was under the impression that I was supposed to meet with Mr. Voyage, the actor? Is he not coming?¡±


    ¡°No, sir,¡± says Anderson, ¡°We were wondering what you might be able to tell us about Kalopsia Chromo? As we understand, you had contact with her?¡±


    ¡°Is there something wrong? She was just curious about her past, nothing more.¡±


    ¡°Yes, as you might know, she¡¯s gone missing. We were charged with finding her,¡± says Paskal, ¡°We were wondering if she said anything to you about her intentions?¡±


    ¡°She said she would go to Earth to get to the bottom of her origins. She wanted to visit the Vakkar Institute in Poland, near Krakow. They might have more information on her than I might.¡±


    ¡°When was this?¡± Paskal asks.


    ¡°It was several weeks ago. She must be there by now.¡±


    Paskal and Anderson look at each other. When beginning the investigation into her disappearance, they had looked into flight dossiers and contacted several smugglers to see if they knew about something or someone matching her description going off planet. They didn¡¯t. Therefore the more possibilities they rule out for her to get off-planet the more likely it becomes she¡¯s still on Mars. Their suspicion is that Dr. Mendel is lying.


    ¡°Dr. Mendel. We have information that you told her about her past. You know that she is the creation of Dr. Vakkar. Do you think that might give a person like some value?¡± Anderson asks.


    ¡°Yes,¡± says Mendel.


    ¡°To the best of your knowledge, do you think Ultra as an organization might be interested in this value as well?¡± Paskal asks. He then yawns. So does Anderson.s


    ¡°As an entire organization? I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have the adequate information nor authority to answer that. Furthermore, what are you suggesting?¡±


    The officers begin to get annoyed. Dr. Mendel obviously knows more than he lets on but he¡¯s clearly hoping his demeanor of naivite works on the pair.


    ¡°We¡¯re suggesting that since you¡¯re a high-ranking biotech scientist at Ultra, you might be aware of this? Right now we¡¯re not hearing a clear ¡°no¡±, which is leading us to assume that you think Ultra might in principle be interested in her,¡± says Paskal. He yawns more and starts to feel tired. Anderson as well.


    ¡°In principle, anything¡¯s possible. And to answer your question directly, officers,¡± says Mendel, while the men begin to breathe slower and their eyelids get heavier, ¡°Ultra might not be interested in her. But on the other hand¡­ I certainly am. You know what she is¡­ But I¡¯m sad to inform, that though you won¡¯t be harmed¡­ You simply cannot be allowed to continue.¡±


    The men pass out.

 Chapter XV: Eurus’s Heel

    Eurus rides above the speed limit to arrive at the Ultra Tower as fast as possible, zipping past the traffic that whizzes around him. Bobbing and weaving, he tries to raise Paskal on his comm-device. Since he receives no response, the city and its bustling weight of interwoven lives fade into the background in Eurus¡¯ mind and a thought creeps up from the back of his mind. He can¡¯t shake the feeling that larger forces are at play than he realizes. As if he was part of a larger pattern which if he identified would lay out everything that has happened and everything that¡¯s going to happen. Until he can identify this pattern, he must accept the possibility of riding directly into a trap. And though Cells have been created to fight themselves out of inhumane conditions and survive, this time it¡¯s not a few mindless mutants or drug addicts. Ultra is the only organization that is hypothetically capable of capturing Cells thanks to their sheer weight of available necessities for any situation. As DRF laid out, he will be waiting ¨C could this be the end of the line?


    In order to avoid being captured or being outgunned or being sent packing with empty hands, he sends out a requisition order to Cell HQ for additional forces. He encrpyts it for Cells he trusts and has worked with in the past. Though Caste Erebus is immaculate in its conduct and reputation, there¡¯s an outside chance of his message being intercepted or any number of Cells having compromised transmission instruments, for whatever reason that may be. As it is pending, the black cilinder of Ultra starts revealing itself into view from behind vertical landscape of Pap¨¹lonis.


    Eurus pitches his statbike upwards and starts riding towards the top of the tower. He sends a message to Honors, requesting access to all information she might have on the schematics of Ultra. Though technically under the juristiction of Martis, Ultra Central Command is what each Ultra tower reports to first. Just a few seconds later, he receives the schematics with a note that reads:


    ¡°I found out everything I can about Kalopsia, Cells and Ultra. It turns out Ultra on Mars has made several requests of lenience for creating Cells. Each one so far has been denied, being confirmed by Ultra Central Command but getting rejected by the Terram governor. The last one however is still pending response. They were made by their bioengineering department, by a man named Dr. Mendel. I looked at everything I could about him but there¡¯s nothing about him on Imperial databases. I suspect it might be a cover name or their bioengineering classified on a level above even my paygrade. Furthermore, I¡¯m ready to set the Martian military on high alert and to initiate an Imperial quick response. All of this reads very shady. Don¡¯t take anything at face value and be careful, Eurus.¡±


    Eurus arrives at the top level of Ultra Command. He parks his statbike on the vehicle balcony and is greeted by two Ultra operatives in full tactical gear. When he dismounts he tells him that he has an Imperial Warrant from War Martial Honors and he¡¯s requesting to see commanding officer Olman. The men guide him in. As they start to walk away from the vehicle bay, two more statbikes land on it, and two other Cells in full combat gear dismount. The Ultra operatives look at each other and though their eyes are concealed, this look has a distinct note of concern in it.


    One of them is Astraeus who is an older Cell from when the Machine Wars were at their height. Though not as refined in some aspects as Eurus, he¡¯s still formidable due to his experience and his physiology is similar. The other one is Boreas. He¡¯s from Eurus¡¯ generation has exactly the same specs as him. He¡¯s just as refined as Eurus and he shares every capability with Eurus. Their masks pop open, revealing their faces to Eurus, who feels a slight wave of relief wash over him. Astraeus has a distinct scar on his right brow and cheek he got from a thrasher machine back in 2079. He also has a moustache and his appearance is similar to British commandos of WWII. Eurus greatly looks up to him as Astraeus is almost 20 years older than him and has taught Eurus a lot throughout their encounters. Boreas is what might be called by other Cells a pretty boy. Though his body has scars, he has not been tarnished with them on his face. His high cheekbones and ashen hair make him a fair pull for the gentler kind. Astraeus calls out:


    ¡°Eurus! How¡¯s Pap¨¹lonis been treating you?¡±


    ¡°Astraeus,¡± says Eurus.


    Boreas and Eurus simply send each other a meaningful nod. They begin walking towards the entrance of the building. He activates the neural communication interface to communicate with his brethren and thinks to them:


    ¡°I¡¯ve discovered attempts to create Cells by an Ultra scientist with the pseudonym ¡°Dr. Frankenstein¡±, real name being Dr. Mendel. However I¡¯m not sure this is accurate either. Right now I¡¯m unaware whether or not this has been sanctioned by Ultra Command.¡± He uploads his findings and documents sent over by Martial Honors for the two to read as well.


    Astraeus: ¡°Troubling¡­ We can¡¯t risk the Caste¡¯s secrets falling into the wrong hands. Are you sure this is true?¡±


    Eurus: ¡°I¡¯m certain. A challenge was also issued to me personally. It¡¯s not unlikely that I¡¯ve met this individual before, leaving some sort of impression. It¡¯s not outside the realm of possibility that we¡¯re dealing with a rogue faction within Ultra and further it¡¯s within the realm of possibilities that this Dr. Frankenstein is someone with intricate knowledge of our operations. Furthermore, judging by the progress made by a policeman ¨C and a friend - who is investigating a case parallel to this, it seems like the threads converge.¡±


    Boreas: ¡°Is he here too?¡±


    Eurus: ¡°Unknown. I failed to establish a line of communication with him.¡±


    Astraeus: ¡°No time to waste then.¡±


    They arrive at the entrance. A blast door capable of withstanding a direct hit from a barrage of fire from a line of artillery opens. It¡¯s clear to the trio that it¡¯s likely they may need to fight their way out if things go sideways and they won¡¯t be able to leave through the conventional exits.


    When they enter, the room they¡¯re in is large and hosts several operatives and officials. The walls are also decorated with red and black memorabilia and made out of marble with intricate carvings. Flags of the Ultra are placed periodically, hanging from the ceilings which are a few meters high ¨C unusual for this and other government buildings otherwise. They¡¯re lead by the operatives through several heavy doors until they reach a hallway. It¡¯s also made out marble and it¡¯s fully lit, with a red carpet on the floor. Halfway there are three doors to elevators. At the end of it  is another blast door, which opens as they approach.


    The threshold reveals a big office, but with granite floors and walls instead. Several meters in there¡¯s an old white desk made out of ivory. Behind it in a cushy chair sits a man with a mechanical eye.


    Commander Olman is a man with a meaty face, strong jaw and he¡¯s tall for a human, at 6 foot 8. He¡¯s wearing a black uniform with no medals. He keeps them on the wall behind him. Not a lot is known by the public about him but everything about him screams ruthless. He is burned on the one side of his face from his left cheek down to his neck. Doctors could easily fix it but Ultra and other officials with military background often wear them as badges of honor.  He stands up from his desk and motions for the operatives to stay outside, remaining silent himself.


    Eurus says: ¡°Commander Olman. I have troubling information which I hope you could elaborate on.¡±


    Olman still doesn¡¯t speak.


    ¡°Do you know the individual Dr. Mendel?¡±


    Olman nods.


    ¡°What is his role exactly as the head of bioengineering department?¡±


    Finally the commander speaks with a calm voice: ¡°He conducts biological research necessary for the continuation of the species and for the security interests of the Solar empire.¡±


    ¡°What would be an example of that?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not privileged to this information,¡± he says monotonously.


    ¡°I assume you¡¯re not aware but we have considerable evidence that he¡¯s been attempting to create Cells. This directly contradicts the Solar Codex and compels us to investigate. Due to the nature of this research it also invokes the Cell Codex which mandates any attempts at creating more Cells would be ended in a prompt manner.¡±


    ¡°I see. Yes, he has been requesting permission to do this, but so far it¡¯s been rejected. I fail to see how he could do this without the necessary liberties granted by the Solar government.¡±


    Eurus hears Astraeus in his mind: ¡°He can¡¯t be serious. The man is playing with us. Ask him if he¡¯s denying us access to Dr. Mendel.¡±


    Eurus says to Olman: ¡°Are you denying us access to Dr. Mendel?¡±


    Olman says: ¡°Not at all. However seeing as I can¡¯t grant you access to any part of the bioengineering department, I can¡¯t help you either.¡±


    Boreas says: ¡°We will access the bioengineering department with or without you. Unless you want to pour every drop of blood in this building to stopping us, and unless you mean to yield your position as Ultra commander for directly violating Solar AND Cell Codeces, I suggest you tell us where he is and you send us on our merry way to him.¡±


    Olman remains silent, clearly weighing his options.


    ¡°Very well, have it your way. You can reach him on the 88<sup>th</sup> level via the elevator in the hallway. An operative will meet you there.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± says Astraeus.


    They walk out of the office and when they arrive at the elevators, their doors open to them. Astraeus, Boreas and Eurus walk in and the doors close. The elevator begins to quickly descend, counting numbers from 1066,¡­1055, ¡­299. Suddenly the elevator buckles and stops. Boreas has taken command of the elevator controls by directly interfering with the specifically designed computer systems governing that elevator using his wrist mounted equipment.


    The Cells look at each other and use their shoulder mounted weaponry to blast the ceiling of the elevator, leaving holes where they jump out using their jump packs and boost boots. Just as they do that, the elevator itself falls to the pit below them ¨C someone had given it a command to terminate.


    Seeing as they might need to cling to the walls for over two hundred floors, they decide to enter the building and proceed on foot and fight through whatever Ultra throws at them.


    ---------------------------------


    The day at Ultra HQ started like any other for Captain Nikol Sacris when he left his apartment in Tower N9-39 to go to work. He is what is known as an Enforcer Operative and as we would understand it, he deals with physical threats to the organization and in other words he¡¯s a bespoke combat operative. He¡¯s a big, stocky guy, with a body like a linebacker. After a half an hour in traffic, he arrives at his vehicle bay, where after a series of biometric checks he¡¯s finally allowed to park and go to work. His day started off quiet ¨C seemed like the City is tame for once.


    The combat section of Ultra HQ looks like any other military installation. Guards, stops, barracks and the mess hall. There are also entertainment facilities for the operatives and places to do combat training. There are areas where the soldiers can simulate any part of the greater Solar Empire and prepare for battle in that environment.


    He begins his morning tasks and rituals ¨C first he needs to check out his gear at the armory. It¡¯s where he goes first. The armory is a giant warehouse-like structure within the Ultra HQ, which is filled to the brim with exosuits, weaponry, grenades and other types of equipment an operative may need. The door he enters from is at the center of one wall of the armory, and from his point of view the shelves are stacked high. Straight between them though, at the center of the armory itself, there is a large desk with several clerks.


    When he arrives there, he passes them his operative ID. The clerk says: ¡°Captain Sacris, your equipment awaits you in room 5A¡±.


    The armory has fitting cabinets similar to those of Cells where some of the arming process is automated and all of the delivery process is automated. He finds his fitting cabinet 5A and enters it. He walks to the center of the room which is when machine arms reach out from the walls and start assembling his standard equipment around him.


    He is coated with a titanium-kevlar mesh armor which is useful against all types of damage and around his head a helmet attatches with a visor which displays useful information about his objective, weapons, vitals and provides visibility across additional spectrums of light. Once his equipment is operational, he starts walking to the training area of Ultra where operatives practice for forseeable engagements or do basic training in order to really cement what they¡¯ve learned such that it becomes second nature.


    Before he arrives though, his audio-communication device activates and a voice starts blaring into his ears ¡°Code Red Alpha - All Captains, assemble platoons at battlestations ¨C Code Red Alpha ¨C All Captains¡­¡±. On his visor, a note appears about the location of his battlestation from his and the shortest path to it. He deactivates the audio of the alert and contacts his platoons via his audio-communication device:


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    ¡°All combat operatives from B2-B3 assemble at location.¡±


    His voice is calm and relaxed as he relays the orders to his subordinates. However within he feels a slight tingle of fear. Code Red means that the Ultra HQ has been breached by hostile forces. The addition of Alpha means that the hostiles are Cells. Even though he has trained to take Cells down, there is a distinct margin of error within those training manuals because so few have actually survived their encounters with the super soldiers. The abundancy of the data, or lack thereof, is instrumental to any process of preparations. When he arrives at his battlestation, and sees his platoon there too, armed to the teeth with several iron-clad operatives to boot, he finds a bit of his confidence. Suddenly his and his platoon¡¯s communications devices blaring:


    ¡°We need assistance. Level 109, we¡¯ve encountered the enemy. B3-C19 requesting *xchxhchx*¡±.


    ¡°Roger that, B3-C12 answering request ¨C we¡¯ll be there in 2 minutes.¡±


    B2-B3 are getting a bit more anxious as they¡¯re on level 110. After a few minutes have gone by, they can hear fighting on the floors below. Gunfire and screams of men, thumping on the floors and walls below all muffled by the concrete holding up the intelligence monstrocity. The fighting downstairs starts to decline in intensity and volume until complete silence only interrupted by the nervous breathing of Ultra operatives is breaking the otherwise still air.


    Captain Sacris takes his communication device and says: ¡°This is Captain Sacris of the Ultra B2 Company. I¡¯m requesting two auto-cannons and backup as fast as possible.¡±


    A woman¡¯s voice is heard back in the device: ¡°Roger that, Captain Sacris, T minus 4 minutes.¡±


    --------------------


    ¡°Alright boys, stay calm, autocannons are on the way,¡± says Captain Sacris, ¡°as soon as they arrive, can we take those fuckers out.¡±


    T minus 3 minutes.


    T minus 2 minutes.


    The lights go out. Captain Sacris¡¯ crew switches on their night vision goggles thinking the ruse played by the Cells completely and utterly pointless.


    ¡°Watch the door boys,¡± says Captain Sacris.


    T minus 1 minute.


    Suddenly the lights turn back on, but very quickly they go so bright that they burn out their bulbs but not before completely blinding Captain Sacris¡¯ squad.


    ¡°Ahh shit,¡± exclaims a few of them as they try to get their goggles off only to realize that they¡¯re still in complete darkness.


    ¡°FUCK WHAT THE HELL??¡± scream other few as they begin panicking.


    Captain Sacris can hear the backup team running already on the other side of the hallway, he tries to call out to them ¡°Be with night goggles, they¡¯re messing¡­¡±


    Suddenly he hears running, and he¡¯s blinded once more by several light sources now coming from quietly thrown flashlights by the trio of Cells. As a last resort he opens fire, but he can¡¯t do anything without his eyesight and he hears his team being devoured by the Cells cutting through them like literally nothing. Screams and struggling from the men fill the room as a blade makes contact with them and cracks of light and smoke as the Bull rifles mow them down. Before he can even think about starting to run, for a split second he feels a hand on his throat and that¡¯s when he realizes that he¡¯s just been disemboweled.


    As Boreas holds Captain Sacris¡¯ heart in his hand, Eurus and Astraeus switch off their strobe lights. They too, can hear that they¡¯re about to be swarmed from the end of the hallway by a huge squad of Ultra operatives who have no idea that their compatriots are no longer alive. With a single look of understanding do they leap towards where the backup team thinks they¡¯re going to enter freely.


    As soon as the team opens the door to a stairwell not easily openable for Eurus, Boreas and Astraeus on their own, aside from melting it or cutting through it some way, does the trio yank the door open and go on a killing spree. Each has a minutely different style of fighting. While the soldiers above them are attempting to lob grenades and fire pot shots at any of the trio, most of their attempts are flicked aside or countered with a headshot to themselves. Any Ultra operative who might happen to be within reach of the genetically engineered killing machines instantly finds a vital part of their body ripped to shreds. The organized descent for the Ultra operatives ended up being a stampede out of the stairwell as they saw their compatriots being ripped to shreds with their very own eyes. And yes, the whole ordeal is happening with the Ultra operatives wearing night vision goggles. All they see are flashes and their friends guts flying all across their fields of vision. The slow creep of dread as they realize that any attempt for them to stop their assailers is completely pointless no matter what they think their training might tell them to do or how to proceed.


    The majority of the troops initially attempting to flood the stairwell are now running over each other to escape it to avoid becoming another statistic. There¡¯s no need to follow them for Eurus and his two compatriots. Their intended effect of fear has been adequately instilled within their enemy.


    Eurus, Boreas and Astreus chip away at the resistance, using their guns, grenades and tactics to maximum effect. The main mistake that the Ultra operatives make throughout these 200 floors that the trio must traverse is that they assume that a Cell or Cells would act like a very smart or a genius level human. Instead, Cells can act completely alien to a human¡¯s understanding. In carrying out their mission, especially when dictated by a Codex, they are completely ruthless and use whatever advantage they can think of against any human or other foe. It¡¯s like fighting a chimpanzee as a pro fighter. Yes, the human is bigger, and probably would be stronger due to his size advantage. However humans are used to fists, legs and elbows and such hitting them. The chimpanzee will immediately blind you, castrate you and rip your arms/hands off. That¡¯s what fighting a Cell is like but instead of besting you physically, you have no real way of preparing for their attack.


    The stairwell is a flickering of a malfunctining night vision goggles for the average Ultra soldier there. The few fair glimpses that he does see are of his friends being ripped to shreds and an unstoppable roar of destruction heading his way. There is no pause or break in the actions of the Cells they were supposed to stop. Just because they happen to be in the way and they happen to demonstrate some lethal intent, the Cells rip through them without a second thought or mercy.


    And yes, the Ultra organization has been trying for centuries now to create contingency plans against a Cell uprising. Firstly, the Cells would never stage an uprising like what the Ultra might imagine or sell to their higher-ups. If the Cells were intent on staging a revolution, it would just happen, no questions asked. The right safeguarding people would unexpectedly die as if struck by a genie, the right people would storm a capitol, the right people would end up as the only viable option for power etc etc. If Cells aren¡¯t toppling now, there¡¯s no reason to assume they would unless you are planning to provoke them by going against humanity¡¯s best interests. And also, Ultra¡¯s plans for countering Cells are useless because the data they have are of rare Cell deaths and mostly caused by a sudden artillery strike not knowable for the Cell they study from.


    These encounters for the Cells happen all the time as they move down the 200 floor drop to their destination. The Ultra brass just keeps sending more and more troops for the Cells to handle, but each opponent gets dealt with swiftly and with no reservations for brutality.


    - A half an hour ago -


    As a last ditch effort to at least carve out a hollow victory, Commander Olman chooses to call for a press conference. He¡¯s been made aware of the situation near the base of the Ultra tower deteriorating fast and that Eurus, Boreas and Astraeus were not in fact taken out by the elevator drop and are now cutting through their forces at a blistering rate. As the losses mount, he is handed security footage of three blurs moving at imperceptibly fast speeds, cutting through every line of defense the teams in their way thought they had.


    After a few minutes have passed, the first journalists and press representatives are arriving at Ultra¡¯s press briefing room. They¡¯re sitting a little anxiously because it¡¯s uncommon for Ultra to stage such gatherings out of the blue. Usually these kinds of events happen when a planetary republic has gone rogue or when some disaster is right around the corner. Commander Olman stands at the podium and activates a screen to his right, showing live footage of three Cells killing every Ultra operative in their way. There¡¯s footage of the soldiers fleeing, edited on the fly in such a way that it seems the Cells are on a killing spree and chasing them whereas in reality, Eurus and his compatriots have no real reason to kill anyone who chooses to not resist. Nevertheless, a few of the journalists present gasp at the sight. Feeling confident, the Commander makes his statement:


    ¡°Members of the press, people of the Empire, I¡¯m Commander Olman. As you can see to my right, we as an organization have come under siege by a rogue force. A force, created in hubris by our predecessors to fight a great foe, true, but that has now spiraled out of our control. I call for the immediate action of outlawing the Cell Circuits on Martis due to their violent and senseless attack on Ultra.¡±


    A few hands rise from the crowd of journalists.


    ¡°Yes, the gentleman in the front row,¡± says Olman.


    ¡°Why are they attacking Ultra?¡± asks the journalist.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s hard to say, exactly. I suspect it¡¯s because they know we are the first line of defense for humanity and taking us out is perhaps their first step,¡± says Olman.


    The crowd murmurs for a moment. Another, older hand is raised.


    ¡°Yes,¡± says Olman and points at the older journalist.


    ¡°Commander Olman, with all due respect, I don¡¯t understand. Are you saying the Cells are attacking humanity?¡±


    ¡°Yes, as you can see¡­¡± Olman says.


    ¡°I have had first hand experience interacting with a Cell in my years,¡± says the older gentleman, ¡°I have never been treated with anything but respect and servitude. I know also how effective a single Cell, nevermind three, can be. Sorry, Commander, but your words ring hollow to my ears.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡± Olman asks, showing very subtle cracks in his otherwise confident demeanor.


    ¡°You¡¯re still alive. I would¡¯ve guessed you¡¯d be the first to perish if your hypothesis was correct. Why are the Cells really here?¡± asks another, younger woman journalist.


    ¡°I have no idea how Cells view what¡¯s best for humanity. Perhaps they feel like attacking one of its core institutions is something justifiable. They¡¯re too dangerous to have us simply take them at their word,¡± Olman says.


    ¡°So not to end humanity? Seeing as the Cell Codex clearly instructs a Cell to act in the best interests of humanity and you¡¯re fighting them as we speak, is it fair to assume that your actions were not perhaps, in the eyes of the super soldiers at least, in the best interests of humanity?¡± says the older man again.


    ¡°By senselessly killing our sons and daughters?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re leaving out, Commander. It¡¯s clear to me that there is more at stake than what you¡¯re letting on. What was the point of this conference if you can tell us no truthful thing?¡±


    An operative signals something to Olman, to which he says:


    ¡°This conference is concluded. Thank you for attending, ladies and gentlemen.¡±


    The crowd of journalists remains, with them a mix of confusion and curiosity hanging in the air. If Olman is truly fighting the Cells right now, claiming they have anything but humanity¡¯s best interests at heart, it raises a deeper question: How many times before, when Ultra claimed to have killed a Cell in defense of mankind, were things really as they said? History as everyone knows is written by the victor. It seems it has rarely occurred to the people studying it to ask the loser for their side.


    Olman goes back to his office and starts pacing back and forth. His aide comes in and tells him:


    ¡°Sir, they¡¯ve cut through everything right now. We need to stop them fast.¡±


    Olman: ¡°What floor are they on?¡±


    ¡°90, sir, they¡¯re moving fast.¡±


    ¡°Kay¡­ Lock the floor down. Send everything we have near there at them. Flush them out and bury them under grenades if you have to ¨C we can fix any damage to the building, right?¡±


    ¡°Sir?¡±


    ¡°Just KILL those fuckers!¡±


    ¡°Maybe we should evacuate Dr. Mendel and Kalopsia?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ no, we at least know what to defend.¡±


    Eurus, Boreas and Astraeus are trapped on the 90<sup>th</sup> floor after fighting through so many Ultra operatives. They can always go back and get out of the building but there¡¯s no easy way for them to progress lower because they don¡¯t have access and every direction of access is cut off. Since they don¡¯t know where in the building Kalopsia and Dr. Mendel are, they are hesitant to blow a hole into the floor twice.


    Eurus and his brethren try to access the exit points via terminals around the offices and floors but to no avail. Before they can think of another plan however, they hear heavy ordinance being carried on the floor above them and hundreds if not a thousand boots running across their heads.


    ¡°Take out their feeds as we move,¡± says Eurus, ¡°let¡¯s split up ¨C meet me here in 5 minutes.¡±


    Suddenly the screens Olman and his subordinates are looking at the action through go black.


    The Cells go in different hallways each. As the floor floods with soldiers, the super soldiers lay quiet in various hiding spots in almost impossible shapes. They allow the Ultra soldiers to spread themselves out evenly but with fairly small spaces until they strike.


    One of the squads has gathered the foursome of them in a small room with cubicles. They don¡¯t even notice Eurus hiding beneath a desk until it is already too late.


    Again Eurus switches on his trusty strobe. The soldiers are wearing no headgear but the lighting on the 90<sup>th</sup> floor is dim. Not all lights have been switched off but now greater energy requirements are presenting themselves elsewhere (due to fires), the floor is darkened with most of the lights destroyed or turned off. Because of the experiences of the teams mowed down by Eurus and his teammates, the other Ultra operatives are afraid to switch on their night vision. In that office, Eurus busts out of his hiding spot. He opens fire from his bull rifle and starts leaping through the room with an armor penetrating heavy machine gun in one hand and a powered blade in the other. The men are being turned into minced meat within split seconds.


    He exits the room to end up in a tight hallway, filled with teams of Ultra operatives. In one of his hands is a gored and mutilated corpse of one of their brothers in arms. As he flies out and having turned their eyes towards the commotion in the office space where the gunshots and the screams came from, they try to anticipate Eurus or one of the Cells exiting from there and train their guns there.


    Eurus is aware of the ambush, and was anticipating it. He uses the piece of torso in his hand as a shield on his back while he goes in the other direction to take care of the operatives in that direction. He arrives at the first soldier within a split second again and rips them to shreds as well. He then throws pieces of their carcasses at their compatriots, who still haven¡¯t opened fire upon him due to the shock of what they¡¯re seeing.


    The knowledge that they¡¯re trapped within a tomb of their own making starts seeping in the minds of the Ultra operatives trying to hold back the forces of nature that are the three Cells they are facing. They can hear fighting in the other hallways too. Surely, they can¡¯t be simply outclassed by three super soldiers even if they did quench the Machine Revolt? After all, they outnumber them three hundred fold.


    Some of them start firing into the flurry of blood and guts flying from Eurus¡¯ direction. Their shots only manage to mow down their allies. ¡°Steady, men!¡± yell their commanders. Steady for what exactly? Steadily towards death? The instincts of self preservation set in. After cutting through several waves of Ultra operatives, one of the point men Eurus is facing decides to take Eurus out with him. He arms and tries to throw a grenade at the super soldier. It results in his arm still holding the grenade being thrown across the hallway, only killing the ones watching the carnage unfold. To see a hand still holding its unpinned grenade land at your feet and to kill you might make you reconsider your life choices.


    Instead of opening fire to kill Eurus ahead of them, the men try to return to the exits to shut them down. But behind them, retreat has been cut off. Boreas and Astreaus have cut through their opposing forces quicker and now are mowing down their escape as well. Escape is no longer an option, only hiding.


    Some of the men in the hallway instead of having to die choose to escape into the office rooms similar to the one Eurus emerged out of. They throw their arms to the ground despite their commanders shouting orders to the contrary and hide wherever they can. Their attempts at stopping the superhuman killing machines are palpably futile. Whoever doesn¡¯t surrender immediately gets destroyed.


    After some time the Ultra forces are completely demoralized and beaten. Increasing numbers of fighters start to surrender until there¡¯s nobody left to fight Eurus, Astraeus and Boreas. They stoop to their knees and throw their arms to the ground. The Cells only need ask to gain access to the lower levels thanks to the invading troops¡¯ commanders.

 Chapter XVI: Eurus’s Head

    Eurus, Boreas and Astraeus are now bearing down on the 88<sup>th</sup> floor. They have cleared the rooms and there is now only a singular hallway standing in their way, a bottleneck. This is precisely what the doctor ordered for the defending Ultra operatives who had all their training pointing towards a successful defense. They are confident, even a Cell cannot overcome the odds these conditions present.


    The hallway itself is 3 meters wide and around 2.75 meters high. It¡¯s got pillars about half a meter wide every 3.5 meters and doorways between every two leading into various offices. These have been evacuated by now to spare the less insidious workers of Ultra from unnecessary suffering. It¡¯s hard to tell however whether anyone working on the 88<sup>th</sup> floor could honestly say they are of a clean conscience. If they do, they are either insignificant, incompetent or a combination.


    The Cells are fast, all the while methodical in their approach towards the hallway. They sneak as fast as a normal man runs a jog. Their senses elevated, recording every smell, every minute sound, queueing in the signs of ambient silence. A thud in the distance, a rush of panicking employees on the floors above and below them. Evacuation alarm slowly echoing somewhere in the distance above them. They slow down as they approach their bottleneck. With a keen look in his eyes Eurus makes it known to the others that he can hear an autocannon whirring on the other side of the hallway and quiet whispery chatter. It becomes clear that Ultra has anticipated their progress and setup an obvious ambush. Sometimes however there¡¯s no way to avoid an ambush even if you know it is coming. Because of the long and intense fighting, the Cells are low on ammo. If possible, melee must be preferred.


    The Ultra team on the other side were meanwhile watching the Cells arrive on their floor. They looked at the security footage show the trio meticulously advance. The coordination and fluidity of their motions are noteworthy to the soldiers observing them. There are no unnecessary glances, nothing without a direct value is being done, every movement is purposeful and meticulous. Even though this is the case, the platoon of Ultra operatives is feeling rather confident. Their autocannon will squash anything that moves and if need be they can pin down and overwhelm the Cells with their firepower.


    Suddenly, at the end of the 105m hallway, a shape moves for a split second, the autocannon opens fire. On their fee, the cameras observing the Cells at the other end have gone dark. Again the auto cannon fires. Once, twice, three times. Still no sound of success at the other end.


    ¡°Hah! Just¡­ What the hell are they doing?¡± laughs Captain Keyes, a linebacker of a man. Just a hulk of muscle and moustache.


    ¡°No clue? Maybe they¡¯re baiting us to strike first?¡± guesses Sergeant Knox.


    Unbeknownst to them, the Cells are measuring the response time, the bullet flight time and the time it takes them to jump across the hallway. They do this because even though the autocannon might be effective against a single Cell, the problem is that nobody alive has defeated two Cells, much less three.


    Then, whizzing and crackling sounds above them as something almost simultaneously takes out the lights in the hallway and overcharges the ones out of direct reach in the offices and in the lobby like room where the Ultra operatives are. Pitched in complete darkness, Captain Keyes instructs his men to put on their night vision goggles. The men immediately comply. A green image of the hall is displayed on their retinas. Their pulses are increasing. This is it. The showdown ¨C their training over all the years and the technological marvels/monstrosities across the hall.


    The autocannon fires. The flash of light from the muzzle overexposes their surroundings, blinding the operatives for a second or two. As their eyes adjust they can¡¯t see any bodies or injured fighters on the other side. Perhaps they are still testing the autocannon?


    The autocannon fires. The flash of light from the muzzle overexposes their surroundings, blinding the operatives for a second or two. As their eyes adjust Sergeant Knox sees a faint figure at the end of the hallway barely peeking out from behind the pillar.


    The autocannon fires. Again the operatives are blinded for a few seconds. The shadows now have moved one pillar ahead. They are using their own autocannon to blind them? They¡¯re sure they were trained correctly, but this assuredness is faltering.


    The autocannon fires. Blinded by the flash once more an uneasy feeling of inadequacy starts to creep in the backs of the operatives¡¯ minds. Surely they can¡¯t evade the fire forever?


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    The autocannon fires. Their burning retinas now invite doubt in their minds about the efficacy of their training. Perhaps they underestimated the Cells? No, their training is good.


    The autocannon fires. Their eyes are getting blinded a little more frequently now. The pace has increased. There are definitely shrouds or ghosts dancing at the opposite end of the hallway, closing in on them.


    The autocannon fires. The Cells are using one of their teammates as a distraction for the autocannon, triggering it while the other two advance as its targeting system resets.


    The autocannon fires. Their movements are almost like a dance. The super soldiers are dancing like strange, heavily armored ballerinas, unaffected by the whizzing bullets.


    The autocannon fires. In the eyes of the Ultra operatives, Cell killers as they¡¯re named, the hallway seems almost empty. Only glimpses of leaping shapes are caught by their eyes.


    The autocannon fires. ¡°Hold steady, they gotta go down soon,¡± says the Captain. There is an air of confidence to him still but also a subtle note of uncertainty.


    The autocannon fires. The frequency has definitely increased. Should they fire too? The feeling of anxiety from indecision is palpable. Soldiers are itching to shoot at something. But at what? Nothing can be seen besides glimpses of an arm or a leg.


    The autocannon fires. The fact that they¡¯re being increasingly frequently blinded every few seconds while their doom approaches is not an easy truth to sit with.


    The autocannon fires.


    Nobody has fought three Cells and lived. Not a single soul. The shadows dance. Retreat is not an option.


    The autocannon fires.


    Is it speeding up? The shrouds are half way there. The shadows are definitely coming closer. Cold sweat soaks the backs of the Ultra operatives. Something must be done. Is there anything to be done?


    A soldier jumps up from near the autocannon.


    The autocannon fires.


    He stumbles towards the autocannon. He hopes he can switch it off and regain control over the situation. He flicks the switch.


    The autocannon fires for the last time.


    He¡¯s wrong.


    The Captain and his Sergeant realize what just happened. But as the Captain scrambles to reactivate the autocannon, he ponders about the futility for the last time, thinks about his helplessness. He was so sure about his plan, certain of victory. His eyes adjusted to the sight before him.


    The shadows now are upon them.


    The screaming begins.


    The other soldiers see their Captain get decapitated, the autocannon swiftly destroyed and try to open fire at their assailants. The room fills with screams and grunts of final gasps at life. There is no more time left for these soldiers. However some of them panic even more and try to shoot at the Cells on full auto. These bursts blind the others and themselves even further only to prove to miss. Arms get yanked off. Spines ripped out and heads caved in. Guts, limbs, heads and hands are flying around like coffee beans in a coffee commercial. The screams and gunshots are diminishing. It is now quiet.


    The eyes of the Cell completely adjust to the darkness around them, and they move forwards through the lobby like room. Behind the administrator desk is a sturdy metal door. Its power has been cut off and there is no key. However, Boreas has his suit still at enough capacity to melt the door like Eurus did earlier.


    In the chamber beyond, there is a laboratory. It has terminals, beakers and it¡¯s clean and white. Its lights are still on due to need to preserve the various chemicals, pathogens, solutions and organisms in different containers suspended in their preservatives. No Kalopsia in sight though. No matter to the Cells, though, as they patch themselves to the terminals. However this time simple hacking algorithms don¡¯t work and theyneed to take longer (at least 20 minutes) to gain access to the system. Eurus then tells his counterparts:


    ¡°I¡¯m going to contact Commander Olman.¡±


    He then uses the limited access he has from the terminal to link up directly with Commander Olman¡¯s communication device. It pings him. It pings him twice.


    Commander Olman sits at his table while this is happening. He is looking at the security feed that already told him what the super soldiers are up to. He knew that the call was coming and now he is contemplating on whether to pick up. However he decides to do it. Alone in his office he presses the green ¡°Answer¡± button. Eurus appears on his screen:


    ¡°Commander Olman.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± says Olman.


    ¡°Give us the access we need,¡± says Eurus.


    ¡°Why should I do that?¡± Olman asks, ¡°I have men bearing down on you as we speak. I know you¡¯re low on ammo, your days are numbered.¡±


    ¡°These men don¡¯t have to perish. Only one more, if you force us to act decisively,¡± says Eurus.


    Eurus can see through the screen the cogs in Olman¡¯s head turn and his temples wave in thought. He is considering sending more men?


    ¡°Okay,¡± says Olman through gritted teeth, ¡°go ahead.¡±


    The terminals chime and allow access to the Cells using them. They look through data and the information they need. They also discover notes about two police officers in captivity within Ultra. Upon closer examination it turns out that they are Anderson and Paskal. Eurus sends Boreas to them to get them out, and then shortly after finds that Kalopsia is a few rooms over under stasis in the medical wing. Looking at the procedures already done on her, luckily none of them are invasive enough to not permit transport. After copying the rest of Mendel¡¯s discoveries to their storage devices and everything else done in the laboratories, Eurus and Astraeus then go to find her. There simply isn¡¯t enough time to go through all of the work done there.

 Chapter XVII: Free At Last

    Eurus, Astraeus, Boreas, Kalopsia ¨C now awoken, Paskal and Anderson have gathered at Cell HQ after the successful mission to free Kalopsia. They¡¯re in a briefing room with walls covered with screens and a large table for the participants to sit around. Eurus is standing up, prepared to inform his compatriots.


    ¡°Before we proceed, Kalopsia, how are you feeling?¡± he asks.


    ¡°Pretty good, all things considered,¡± she says.


    ¡°What happened to you?¡± Paskal asks.


    ¡°What anyone would expect. I was looking into my origin and reason to be alive. I had felt as a little girl that I was different, not just physically but something about me was distinct. After looking around, I was put into contact with Dr. Mendel through the help of a friend¡­¡±


    ¡°Bob Voyage?¡± Paskal asks.


    ¡°¡­Yup. And when I met him, he basically didn¡¯t tell me anything I didn¡¯t already know ¨C that I was created by Gobb Vakkar. He told me I would be instrumental to his work. I wasn¡¯t given a choice to cooperate even as he¡¯d spiked my drink and I passed out, woke up in your medical wing here.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± says Eurus, ¡°well Dr. Mendel¡¯s description was a bit of an understatement, as you¡¯ll see here,¡± he flicks on the screens covering the walls, ¡°I hope you won¡¯t mind, Kalopsia, but we did extensive analysis on your genetics, body and mind while you were recovering from stasis.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she says.


    ¡°Good. Well as you can see here,¡± he points to a high-intensity multi-spectrum scan of her abdomen, ¡°her womb is not natural so-to-speak. The lining of the walls is heavy in atomic composition, meant to absorb radiation and to withstand rapid growth.¡±


    Paskal, and Anderson lean forward in their seats. Kalopsia¡¯s eyes are opened wide like an owl.


    ¡°We further discovered from Ultra¡¯s documents, provided to us kindly by Dr. Mendel, that you, Kalopsia, hold within yourself the prerequisites for creating new Cell Circuits.¡±


    ¡°The fuck?¡± she says.


    ¡°Yes, the fuck??¡± says Paskal.


    ¡°Revelatory indeed,¡± says Boreas.


    ¡°Cool so what if I get pregnant we can expect a super soldier to pop out?¡±


    ¡°Not really. The process laid out in the documents discovered by Ultra describes that Kalopsia¡¯s womb as a prerequisite but not sufficient on her own to generate the new Cells. She¡¯ll have a role to fill that we¡¯re still not clear upon, but we¡¯re fairly certain it¡¯s pivotal.¡±


    ¡°To do what exactly?¡± asks Anderson.


    ¡°Basically,¡± says Eurus, as he flicks through demonstratory images and visualizations, ¡°the embryos resulting from the second generation of wombs will have very uniform and predictable genetic code. It will allow for extraction of said embryos and ¡°easy¡± genetic manipulation of them in specifically designed gestation pods. Their epigenetic development and phsyical structure are very amicable to intense alteration and enhancement. In short, with the early embryo, a lot of the work is achieved by stem cells planted carefully and strategically. Any metallic or cybernetic enhancements are surgically added in the gestation pods with mechanical arms and grown, advanced as the embryo grows. The brain, when developed enough, is then scooped out and replaced with a solid state device that functions identically but is immune or heavily resistant to kinetic and mechanical shocks.¡±


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    ¡°Wait¡­ So you¡¯re still just AI-s/computers running around?¡± Paskal asks incredulously.


    ¡°Not exactly,¡± says Eurus, ¡°Laid out in the documents is that each Cell has free will, meant to function as a human. Our consciousness is imprinted during the gestation process with data and basic memories generated by the developers, providing a seed for later personal growth and instructions on how to interact with the world. I for instance distinctly remember being a child but it turns out I was never had a childhood at all. It was installed into my mind as a way to give a grounding underpinning for my morality and undestanding of humanity. Likely, each set of memories is slightly different but not to a discernible degree.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± says Paskal, ¡°what now?¡±


    ¡°Ultra documents reveal the goal for such development and it concurs with discoveries made by myself in a separate investigation. The AI we thought defeated during the Machine Revolt in the 21<sup>st</sup> century was never really dead. Instead it retreated beyond the stars to a planet orbiting a red giant star. It is likely uninhabitable to biological lifeforms. It was discovered by an extraterrestrial civilization, the representative of which, Draia, I was in contact with. Ultra knew this fact too and was looking into super soldier development to clandestinely wipe out the AI. We must in turn go to Earth, to a vault made by Vakkar Industries. It¡¯s in an unknown location, buried within a mountain as it turns out. This vault holds the instructions and technology necessary to restart the process.¡±


    ¡°What about Kalopsia?¡± Anderson asks.


    ¡°What about me?¡± Kalopsia asks.


    ¡°Does she have any say in this? Leaving aside the fact that you mean to restart a forbidden process of Cell production, can she at least refuse her role as your broodmare?¡± Anderson asks.


    ¡°Of course, but¡­¡± Eurus says.


    ¡°Why would I? My question about my origin is answered. I know my role in humanity now ¨C I am its¡¯ savior. I want to do this. I feel like I¡¯ve wanted this my whole life.¡±


    Anderson and Paskal are visibly at unease. However, their trepidation is clearly subsiding.


    ¡°But is she saying this because she was bred for this or because of her choice?¡± Anderson says.


    ¡°A Labrador Retriever was bred to catch and bring back delicate prey. In fact, there¡¯s nothing else it¡¯d rather do. If it knew that was its purpose, would it be then denied the ability to do that if it so chose? Does it remove validity from its choice? I think not. A person born with musical talent may never know they should be composing a symphony. Their choice to instead be a policeman, for instance, is done entirely outside of their knowledge of their own abilities and supposable purpose in their world. How is this choice any more valid? I feel like I am free at last. I can make this choice and I want to do it.¡±


    ¡°I feel like second-guessing a lot of that, but I think you¡¯re right,¡± says Anderson, ¡°I suppose then that this trip will happen soon?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the opportune Earthbound launch window is here in a few days. Though we can travel later via V-matter, I don¡¯t see a reason to delay,¡± says Eurus.


    ¡°So,¡± Paskal says, ¡°It seems like the last conversation we¡¯re having for a while on Mars?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± says Eurus.


    ¡°Can I propose a proper sendoff and after raising the ¡®Mission Accomplished¡¯ banner?¡±


    ¡°A sendoff?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, a party, a boogaloo, whatever ¨C let¡¯s enjoy ourselves.¡±


    ¡°I could do that,¡± says Boreas.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled,¡± says Eurus, ¡°Everyone get a day¡¯s rest and tomorrow we will celebrate. I¡¯ll send you the details.¡±


    Anderson and Paskal offer to drive Kalopsia to her mother, which she accepts. She expresses her wish to also participate in the blowout and offers to throw the event in Chromo Tower, her mother willing.

 Chapter XVIII: A Mother’s Gratitude – Chromo Tower

    Unlike in 2472 AD, Chromo Tower is not overflowing with guests. The event is not held in the banquet hall but instead it is taking place in the library of Chromo Tower. It is quite a spacious room as well, with 4m high ceilings, stacked from top to bottom with various artifacts and books. Though anything can be read from a screen or a brain chip these days, Ludvig Chromo had always expressed preference to holding things in his hands and a book is like being able to touch the knowledge you consume according to him. The atmosphere is warm, glowing yellow from the crackling fireplace burning Everwood, a petroleum product meant to substitute wood. It looks and smells identical but burns a lot longer.


    As the evening begins, there are Astraeus, Boreas, mingiling with Paskal and Anderson, sitting near the open bar. They¡¯re trading stories and impressions of various conquests and comparing their experiences. Windsor is enamored, listening to detailed descriptions about Draia¡¯s culture. She tells him about the singing builders who use their voice to raise several ton columns just by humming the correct tune. He¡¯s gripping his glass of whiskey tightly as she walks him through the mating festivals and rituals of her culture. Eurus is talking to Chromo and Kalopsia, explaining Kalopsia¡¯s role and their impending trip to Earth.


    Eurus is wearing his underarmor, pants made from a tarp-like material and his upper torso is still armored on his shoulders and collarbone.


    ¡°So I¡¯d never see you again?¡± Madelaine asks Kalopsia. She¡¯s not wearing her usual dark getup and instead has clad a more casual look. She¡¯s wearing jeans and a T-shirt. She could be mistaken for a cleaning lady due to her current form. When asked about it cheekily by Windsor, she told him that she¡¯s joyous enough for her daughter¡¯s return that she has elected to not even slightly care about attire at this point and wants to feel comfortable.


    ¡°Not for a few years,¡± Eurus says, ¡°I will setup communications though, you can remain in touch.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, mom,¡± says Kalopsia, ¡°Eurus will keep me safe.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t doubt that,¡± Madelaine says, ¡°I just got you back. Are you sure¡­ I don¡¯t know what to feel.¡±


    ¡°Once the production line is complete and secure, Kalopsia can return as she will have fulfilled her role as the prime mother.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­ After all you went through to be treated like a broodmare¡­ It¡¯s appalling!¡± Madelaine says.


    ¡°I¡¯m literally saving humanity,¡± says Kalopsia, ¡°There is no greater honor.¡±


    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t it feel like it though?¡± Madelaine says, and she receives a message in her earpiece. ¡°Let her in,¡± she responds.


    ¡°Eurus, I believe there¡¯s someone here to congratulate you on a job well done,¡± says Madelaine.


    The large accentuated doors to the room slowly open, to reveal Mirra standing behind them. She¡¯s not wearing her alluring dress, in fact her outfit is very discreet compared to her usual robes. Her torso is wrapped in a black turtleneck, it in turn covered in a tweed blazer. She¡¯s donned pants to match her outfit, black jeans wrapped tight around her legs and finally high heels lifting her feet and herself up off the ground, towering even further over the others. Her black hair is done up in a neat little bun, keeping her face clear of any strands. She¡¯s painted her lips dark red still and she¡¯s wearing dark eyeliner similar to her makeup in 2472.


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    Eyes are drawn to her immediately as she enters and Eurus is not exempt from this. He excuses himself from his conversation with Madelaine and walks up to Mirra. She looks at him and he at her, neither saying a word. Mirra slowly steps towards Eurus, wraps her arms around him, rests her head on his chest. She says quietly:


    ¡°Ultra never really stood a chance against you, huh?¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t have you to tell them,¡± says Eurus, as they release each other.


    Mirra puts her arms around Eurus¡¯ right arm and they proceed to mingle with the guests, side-by-side. Eurus introduces Boreas and Astraeus to Mirra and her to them.


    ¡°Brothers, this is Mirra, my friend,¡± says Eurus, ¡°Mirra, this is Boreas, and this is Astraeus,¡± as he points to them, ¡°Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I¡¯ve another matter to attend to, but I¡¯ll be back in a short while.¡±


    Eurus goes to get Draia and Windsor, the latter assisting him in getting Draia off-world again. Eurus assures her that as soon as the Cell production has been brought back online, he will bring the full might of the Solar Empire along with an army of Cells.


    ¡°It is my vow to you, Draia ¨C Tomorra will not stand alone,¡± he says before they leave.


    ¡°Mirra, a pleasure,¡± says Boreas.


    ¡°Ditto,¡± says Astraeus.


    ¡°I assure you gentlemen, the pleasure is all mine,¡± says Mirra, ¡°I thought Eurus to be the only Cell I¡¯d ever meet.¡±


    ¡°I can see why he kept you to himself,¡± says Boreas, ¡°You know Eurus is alone among the Cells to never veer far from the Codex these days.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± says Mirra, looking surprised.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± says Astraeus, ¡°But I¡¯d argue you¡¯re a positive influence on him.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡± Mirra asks.


    ¡°It¡¯s a choice of every Cell to follow or to ignore the Codex. Most of us obey it but none did it more than Eurus. If it were not for you he might not even consider helping the Tomorrans or to bring Cell production back online,¡± says Astraeus


    ¡°Why is it his call to make? Is he special somehow?¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t. Yet he¡¯s making it anyway. A few years ago he wouldn¡¯t have,¡± says Astraeus.


    ¡°That¡¯s not to say that you¡¯re the cause solely but you are an influence,¡± says Boreas.


    A few hours pass. Mirra spends time with the rest of the company who were involved with recent events, waiting for Eurus to come back. She¡¯s considering leaving, but she learns that even though the Earth-Mars transfer window has closed, Eurus has been authorized by the War Martial to use one of Cell warships (even though they belong to Cells, they carry nukes and other powerful weaponry) to get to Earth faster and thus he will be leaving in a short while. So instead, she decides to wait for him.


    ¡°I hope the wait wasn¡¯t too bad,¡± says Eurus, walking up behind Mirra while she¡¯s quietly studying one of the artifacts in the room.


    ¡°You¡¯re leaving in a few days?¡± says Mirra quietly, ¡°For how long?¡±


    She¡¯s doing her best to appear aloof and above it all, but there are subtle tells she¡¯s upset. Her voice is usually comparable to a massive river in a sense, running through a plain, smooth as a mirror, but instead it¡¯s as if a flow of rapids approaching a waterfall. This subtlety is all but imperceptible for the others, but very palpable to Eurus.


    ¡°Maybe a year, maybe more, it¡¯s hard to say,¡± says Eurus.


    ¡°It¡¯s to do with that business at Ultra?¡± she asks.


    ¡°Would you like to go out with me? Right now?¡± Eurus asks.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°We could speak alone,¡± says Eurus.


    ¡°Yeah, why not,¡± says Mirra. Her mouth feels slightly dry. She doesn¡¯t know why but she finds herself struggling a little to draw her breath. Of course, any Codex-bound mission comes first to Eurus, but why couldn¡¯t he just let her know. Invite her along? ¡°I really thought what we had was something special,¡± she thinks to herself over and over again.

 Chapter XIX: A Voyeur’s Dream

    Eurus and Mirra leave Chromo Tower and walk through the hallways to the vehicle bay. Eurus explains to her that she is about to be trusted with information likely very few other humans have gotten access to. He explains to her that he must continue what he was created for ¨C to quell the Machine Revolt which unbeknownst to humanity has continued for centuries for other beings in the galaxy. To do that, he must restart the production of Cells starting with Kalopsia on Earth. It is no small task and requires his continuous presence there. However she has grown dear to him. During this, Mirra considers moving to Earth herself in hopes of meeting him.


    They arrive at the vehicle bay. There are many exotic vehicles there but none as captivating to Mirra as Eurus¡¯ bespoke Vulcan 5, tailored for use by the Cell Circuits. She says:


    ¡°I don¡¯t have my car here.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± says Eurus, ¡°I¡¯m inviting you to ride pillion.¡±


    ¡°Aww,¡± she says slightly bitter, ¡°I could be your biker girlfriend. Would it help if I were missing a couple of teeth?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not interested?¡±


    ¡°Brains AND brawn¡­ I¡¯d much rather have you on the pillion.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I accept,¡± says Eurus. He flicks a switch on the handles of the Vulcan and it whirs alive, flanging thunderstorms echoing through the vehicle bay.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got two helmets?¡± asks Mirra, ¡°I see only one,¡± she points to the one on the back seat of the stat-bike.


    Eurus presses a button near his neck. From his torsal armor, a helmet pops up and covers his head. It¡¯s his combat helmet.


    ¡°That¡¯sh fhor youh,¡± he says through the soundpiece. Eurus takes the helmet from the pillion and gives it to Mirra.


    Mirra takes the helmet and smells the inside.


    ¡°I get a brand new helmet? Aww¡­ you shouldn¡¯t have.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s state of the art carbon-titanium tri-weave. It¡¯s light and conforms to the shape of your head. It does run the risk of ruining your hair a bit.¡±


    She puts the helmet on and straddles the bike. She twists her right arm for throttle and the thundrous rumbling flange of the stat-bike¡¯s engine rises in pitch a little. Eurus sits on the pillion and wraps his hands around her belly.


    ¡°Before we go,¡± says Eurus, ¡°You¡¯ve ridden a bike before, right?¡±


    ¡°Baby,¡± says Mirra, ¡°I¡¯ll keep you safe.¡±


    She switches a button on the handles that takes the bike out of neutral. She twists the throttle again and nearly crashes into a SUV-like vehicle, but jinks just in time.


    ¡°Mirra!¡± exclaims Eurus.


    ¡°Pff,¡± she scoffs, ¡°just testing the throttle. Here we go!¡±


    She aims the bike at the exit tunnel and twists the handle all the way out. The Vulcan accelerates almost instantly to a hundred kilometers per hour as it throws the couple past the few vehicles before the tunnel. The passage twists right and upwards and as she continues to raise the speed and guide the Vulcan along, the bike hugs the left-most wall of the tunnel. Gaps in the metal clad concrete disappear as the speed picks up more and more. At 200 km/h they¡¯re spit out of the tunnel into ongoing traffic.


    As they ride, they¡¯re flying past the airborne cars as if they were standing still.


    ¡°Whooo!!¡± exclaims Mirra in excitement.


    She raises the bike slightly above the main flow of traffic on that level so that she can really let the bike loose.


    200¡­ 270¡­ 330¡­ 410¡­ 550¡­


    The city has become a neon mist of lights and cars as they fly past their surroundings. The air around them was cool before but due to the friction provided from their increasing speed it heats up quick. Mirra is holding on tight though and continues in adding speed. The shape of the Vulcan creates a bubble of condensed air around them, shielding them from most of the aerodynamic pressures.


    She continues to climb with the bike and soon they soar above the busy city of Pap¨¹lonis, its sprawling capacity in full view. The Sun illuminating them comes back into view even though it had just set a few moments before. The iron dust of Mars paints the sky pink and orange.


    ¡°The Sun is out for blood,¡± says Mirra.


    The city below them goes on almost beyond the horizon. The Slum of Red quickly peers into view as they continue to ride and climb. They¡¯re alone looking down at the city. Just at the limit of Pap¨¹lonis, Mirra slows down the Vulcan and brings it to a floating halt. She takes off her helmet, attaches it to the handles of the Vulcan and in a daring maneuver flips herself around, straddling Eurus.


    Her hair has come loose, flowing on her sides. Her fierce eyes peer at Eurus¡¯ helmet and she reaches her soft hand, pushes the button on the side of Eurus¡¯ neck, retracting his helmet as well.


    They peer into each other¡¯s souls as their eyes are locked above the city. Busy streets, walkways and advertising screens below be damned because tonight the sky is their¡¯s. Mirra says:


    ¡°Is this what you had in mind?¡±


    She slightly tilts her head to the left, her hair gushing in the winds. Eurus can¡¯t help but be enamored by her dashing looks. Less daring than they were back in 2472 but for him even more beautiful. He¡¯s never felt like this before about any being ¨C a Dynamo or a human, much less what is ultimately a crime lord.


    She plants a discreet kiss on his lips. The around them is windy but calm in their midst.


    ¡°This is the third date you know,¡± says Mirra.


    ¡°Oh?¡± says Eurus.


    ¡°We¡¯re like schoolkids ¨C taking out daddy¡¯s bike for a wild night of fun and fucking? Was that your plan? Are you trying to get into my pants?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. I have a friend who works at a Mind Palace in the Slum Of Red. Would you like to go there?¡±


    ¡°Mind Palace? I thought Cells were forbidden there?¡±


    ¡°I know the owner. She¡¯ll let you travel my mind.¡±


    Mirra feels an overwhelming sense of excitement and privilege. There¡¯s a tinge of fear souring the pot of honeyed feelings. She wonders if she really wants to know her place in his life.


    ¡°Or we could get a hotel room, or stay here, or¡­. Just don¡¯t go, Eurus.¡±


    ¡°I must. But I hope to show you why I plan on returning to you.¡±


    Mirra looks down. She¡¯s not cried since she was little ¨C at least not unwillingly. But in that moment she drops a tiny tear onto her jacket.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d be able to handle it.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Eurus asks.


    ¡°Stop being obtuse!¡± she says irritated, ¡°It¡¯s because what I thought would be a fun experiment has spiraled out of my control.¡±


    ¡°We can stop,¡± says Eurus.


    ¡°No, damn it,¡± she says, ¡°I don¡¯t ever want to stop. That¡¯s what I am afraid of. I thought I knew what I wanted. I thought I wanted you under my thumb, to seduce you for my own gain.¡±


    ¡°But?¡±


    ¡°But it seems I should¡¯ve been careful with what I wished for.¡±


    ¡°Why? I won¡¯t bend the knee,¡± he says.


    ¡°It seems I would. But I see begging doesn¡¯t help,¡± she says, ¡°Merciless as you are.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t have to beg for anything ¨C I¡¯m offering you a ticket to ride into my life when I come back.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± she wipes her tears. She briefly considers that maybe she should just throw herself off the bike. But no, she won¡¯t resort to such foolishness and says, ¡°I guess that¡¯s the tax on my lottery ticket. Let¡¯s go, then.¡±


    She turns back around and puts her helmet back on. The Vulcan picks up speed again and they ride to the center of the Slum of Red.


    As she lowers the bike, the sun hides behind the horizon now, having fully set at the Slum of Red. The market is less busy than it was back in 2475, most vendors having closed up their shops. They unmount the bike, Eurus retracts his helmet and she puts her back on the pillion. She says:


    ¡°You¡¯re not afraid it gets stolen?¡±


    ¡°I can track it,¡± he says, ¡°Besides, this is clearly not an ordinary bike.¡±


    ¡°True that,¡± she says, ¡°But as you well know, stupider things have occurred.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± he says, ¡°We¡¯ll deal with it if happens.¡±


    ¡°We?¡± she says a little surprised, ¡°Now I kinda want it to get stolen ha-ha.¡±


    They walk through the marketplace to a building on the far end that wasn¡¯t there in 2475. It¡¯s new and looks much better than anything around it. It¡¯s a two-story apartment building built quite recently it seems. The walls are not yet completely caked under the dust and patched up with various bits and pieces one could scrape together. There¡¯s a dimly lit sign ¡°Mind Palace 4 U¡± on the door.


    As Eurus opens the door for Mirra, they¡¯re greeted by a familiar face ¨C Ursula. The place itself is spotless, with seats for waiting and a proper administrative desk. The hallways lead to several rooms, filled with machines used to read one¡¯s mind. She¡¯s abandoned the displays of her busom, the red corset and black stockings. Now she¡¯s wearing a black t-shirt under a white labcoat and blue jeans. Mirra says, surprised:


    ¡°You?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± says Eurus, ¡°Ursula liquidated her brothel and decided to get legit.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± says Mirra, ¡°Why so?¡±


    ¡°Well after unknowingly helping Eurus, and participating in child trafficking, I took a long look at myself and realized that I can¡¯t continue as I always have. Eurus here helped me set this up.¡±


    ¡°Haha,¡± laughs Mirra, ¡°Eurus ¨C the Cell super soldier and the angel investor? Gimme a break.¡±


    ¡°Eurus collected a bounty on my head and gave it to me, helping me start over. But what can I do for you?¡±


    ¡°Ursula, Mirra would like to visit my Mind Palace,¡± says Eurus.


    ¡°Really? Just that? No iced tea, no coffee? You know this could get me a black cell under Ultra HQ with my name on the straps.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t happen. This session won¡¯t get backed up,¡± says Eurus.


    ¡°Also illegal,¡± Ursula says.


    ¡°I can keep it off the books,¡± says Eurus, showing a small chip in his hands, ¡°Just put that in the machine before we start.¡±


    ¡°Of course, right this way sir, m¡¯am,¡± says Ursula, ¡°I have a private booth.¡±


    She leads them through the facility and opens a door which leads to a downward staircase. It¡¯s not as clean as the others, because likely it doesn¡¯t get much use.


    ¡°Are the other ones not incognito enough?¡± Mirra asks.


    ¡°The other ones aren¡¯t equipped to access a Cell¡¯s Mind Palace,¡± says Ursula, ¡°I was wondering why you insisted I install this.¡±


    ¡°Aww, for me?¡± says Mirra with a slight note of sarcasm.


    ¡°In part. There¡¯s also an eventuality where two Cell¡¯s might need to use this for a variety of reasons. I thought it smart to place this capacity in the hands of someone I could trust.¡±


    ¡°I know what I want for Christmas now,¡± says Mirra.


    They¡¯re lead down stairs into a two-part room with a glass wall separating the sections. On one side there are two chairs, big enough to fit Cells in them. Mirra instinctively lies down in one, her otherwise towering figure looking tiny in it in comparison. Eurus lies down in the other, fitting it like a glove.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°How does it work?¡± Mirra says, hesitating momentarily.


    ¡°Your brain is a map of electromagnetic signals. This map paints a picture in your mind. It residue from your brain¡¯s visual and sensory cortexes to reconstruct my memories. It¡¯s perfectly harmless,¡± Eurus says.


    Helmets attached via wires to the ceiling lower down to Eurus and Mirra in their chairs which they put on. The machines whir up and a blue light on the helmets comes on indicating that connection to the users¡¯ brains is successful.


    ¡°Broadcasting mind palace in 3¡­ 2¡­ 1¡­¡± says Ursula.


    Mirra and Eurus close their eyes.


    Mirra opens her eyes again. Around her is darkness, pitch black. She feels weightless as if she were floating or in space. She can hear loud rumbling from gas around her but she cannot see or hear it impact her. She then realizes that she¡¯s crouched up in a ball and there¡¯s no way for her to stand up or move herself around at all. She then feels a strong frontward jolt. She¡¯s stopped floating and struck the ground. Around her is gunfire and explosions and the darkness around her is blown away as she realizes she just experienced a Cell Artillery Deep Strike. That¡¯s where a Cell is shot out of a cannon several dozens of kilometers behind enemy lines to wreak havoc and allow the rest of their army to advance.


    Darkness explodes into fire. As Mirra sees through the opening eyes of Eurus the battlefield around her point of view is a hellscape of nightmares. The sky is burning red, yellow and green. The Sun hoping to claim dominance over the stratosphere scraping its way back from constant nuclear fire at the horizon. Green from ionized air twists and coils around the swaths of explosions and red, a serpent of Borealis created from severe radiation slithering and writhing through the sky ¨C a veiny almost sickly pattern as if a starving drug addict gave their skin to model the heavens after.


    All around her, broken machines and bits of blown apart human carcasses scatter the battlefield. Lunaresque craters around her hide the occasional surviving human. Their eyes ¨C it¡¯s clear they¡¯ve been fighting for whatever¡¯s left humanity¡¯s harrows before its bitter end is met. As they see around them the artillery explode into towering super soldiers they don¡¯t even react. There¡¯s nothing left in their bodies to give an emotion from. They look as if they¡¯d already accepted humanity¡¯s inevitable defeat.


    Cracks of light and rumbling of explosions in the sky as the machines and humans around her grapple for the last remnants of air superiority in the region. Each flash accounting for the ending of a lifetime that led the pilot to an end they had no choice but to participate in. Even without any more available information, it became hauntingly clear ¨C humanity was on its last legs.


    Even with all this death and despair around her ¨C the apparent inevitability of the ever nearing gallop of destruction of humanity¡¯s remaining forces, she feels her body calm, driven, fearless and determined to find the Data Mother and wipe the Machine Revolt from the planet. Her eyes lock at a massive Titan of a killing machine where thousands of smaller murder bots are pouring out like wasps out of their nest. She feels her tireless body leap towards it taking a stride of hundreds of meters at a time as her metalclad body is boosted with blasts from nuclear powered rocket propulsed engines.


    Steelborne spiders lock on her attempting to capture her but are swept aside as if they really were bugs on the wind screen. Her power sword and Bullrifle cut through them effortlessly as if they were standing still compared to the dizzying speed of her movements. She is unstoppable, unrelenting and uncompromising in her pursuit of the machines¡¯ destruction. The Titan gears towards her turning in haste to counter the fast approaching threat. It is all but too late for it as it tries to fire up its lasguns capable of unleashing streams of concentrated nuclear rays of fire.


    From the towering foot and figure of the Titan she leaps up to its shoulder. Massive heat dissipates through purpose built gaps in her armor as the nuclear battery powered plasma cutters blast her way into the body of the Titan. The torso of the monstrous killer machine is infested with super soldiers and soon she feels the walls shake around her as the Titan begins to collapse from the immense destruction caused by her super soldier body. Her movements are a carefully choreographed dance of lethal intent. Just as the levels around her begin to tilt towards the ground she blasts and flies her way out of the throat of the now defunct Titan. A terrifying symbol of humanity¡¯s downfall at the horrors of its own creation falls and crumbles as it is no match for the swift and merciless fire dispatched by her in Eurus¡¯ body. Nothing can stop her. And nothing will until the Machine Revolt dies.


    As she lands next to a single squad of barely surviving soldiers the looks in their faces are of disbelief. It¡¯s as if angels of death had descended onto the battlefield not for their undoing but to breathe life into the withering body of man. They just saw artillery shells explode into wraiths of destruction which took down the daunting menace of a Titan, almost impervious to anything else within a few minutes. The tide of history is turning before their very eyes. But she will not stand there to gloat. She leaps again towards the next pockets of resistance never stopping to mull over successes and possible defeats. She feels that to her body the only thing that matters to it is war and bringing about its end.


    What feels like years and months fly by in combat. There is no rest to eat, sleep, share stories. Occasionally a message on her HUD displays that a Cell Circuit has succumbed to the Machine Revolt but those are rare. The exploding Titans and ripped apart machines are as if a war drum in her visage is beating the Machines onto their death march. Each roar of fire and scream of her power armor is the rhythmic melody to playing a tune to signify the end of the Machine Revolt. People feel their arms get tired after holding a book for a few dozen minutes but her arms grow in strength as the years of constant battle speed by.


    Finally, she feels her body give a sense of fulfillment, as it¡¯s ripping apart the final spiderbot around. Its thrashing is reminiscent of humanity all those years ago before the Cells landed on the battlefield. But it has no savior, no guardian angel to leap forth from the abyss to help it. To her, it marks the end of Eurus¡¯ work on Earth, completing his purpose as scalpel cutting out the tumor of humanity¡¯s self-made destruction in the Machine Revolt. A scalpel which cuts like a warhammer.


    Centuries pass. Senate and parliamentary hearings in Earth¡¯s governinig bodies come to the conclusion that the Cell Circuit production must be halted immediately. The governments demand to know first how the spirits were made but Dr Gobb Vakkar beside her says the process was destroyed and hidden as to not invite further annihilation through humanity¡¯s hubris. Thus, no method is recovered to create more and the production halts as requested.


    She sees her life pass her by as tens of thousands of souls are helped, extinguished and altered in her path as if a singular linchpin of energy was released in her wake. The Martian revolution is destroyed with what feels like a whisper of a thought as Eurus directly enters the revolutionary¡¯s lair and kills him right then and there. He doesn¡¯t even get a chance to speak or to sound the alarm. There¡¯s no hesitation, only calm calculated service for humanity.


    People others would consider friends die as they age, but Eurus keeps going. For him a funeral is insignificant as he¡¯s bound to see as many of them coming up as have gone by if not more. Not bound by mortality, only by purpose does he march towards the heat death of the universe.


    She sees herself through his eyes for the first time in 2472, at Madelaine¡¯s party. Her beautiful body and frame on display. Her attempts at seduction and manipulation feel so hollow and pathetic now. Did she really expect him to succumb so easily? The life she inhabits in the Mind Palace is beyond any single human and so far so that any attempt to comprehend it is redundant. She sees herself trying to get him to sleep with her and him hesitate. That feeling is new. But ultimately she feels vindicated in him as he denies her.


    In 2475 back in the Slum of Red, she sees him almost immediately pick up on Sienna¡¯s scent. Her presence is not as incognito as she thought. The obvious stampede caused by Mirra never once faltered him, only caused a mild annoyance which immediately was turned to his benefit as its chaos merely provided an easier opportunity to complete his mission. She sees herself quitely move through the factory taking out the trafficking guards one by one as if they were blind, deaf and completely incapable of any sensory experience whatsoever. The whole time she knows that Sienna is watching her somewhere.


    She quietly exits the factory such that there¡¯s no way Sienna could know where she is. After merely waiting for a moment, she sees Sienna leave the location, get on her own statbike and fly off. Discreetly, just a few meters above the rooftops of the Slum of Red does he follow her statbike to Sienna¡¯s destination ¨C Leone Tower. Was she really so obvious?


    As she hears herself tell Eurus that she succumbs to him, she feels an emotion of confusion. She feels him fully expect to dispatch every foot soldier and eventually her and he would¡¯ve done it. Admiration fills her veins as he now realizes Mirra¡¯s self sacrifice. Her acceptance that she is at his whim. Their evening plays out and she feels no longer just calm, purposeful, but uncertain and a small wave of warmth flowing through her divinely constructed core.


    In 2478, Eurus contacts her about Draia. She feels him trust her, a feeling uniquely acute over the centuries. For some inexplicable reason, she feels Eurus have a sense of need for her.


    From just a few minutes ago, she sees herself put her helmet onto the handlebar of the Vulcan 5 and turn around. Not fearing for himself but for her daring maneuver she feels him nervous, anxious. Her pleads ring hollow but for the first time in Eurus¡¯ existence she feels sadness in him too ¨C he doesn¡¯t want to leave her either much less hurt her along the way. But in her body she feels the same purpose that once brought the end of the Machine Revolt. She feels it cannot be ignored either. His fear is mixed with sensations of companionship, worry about her. She feels him fully intend on returning to her and wishing to spend his final moments on Martis in her company. She thought she knew love. She thought she knew humanity. But through centuries of black and white purpose, and gray solitude, she sees herself represent a fiber of color in his life. Something he has chosen to explore and to allow himself to enjoy. She¡¯s unique to him, and he is to her.


    As she opens her eyes back at the Mind Palace 4 U, she sees Eurus already standing, towering at his seat looking intensely at her. The room is spinning around her a little and there¡¯s a tiny tinge of nausea after that rager of an experience she just went through. Ursula is peering at her and Eurus through the glass to see if she¡¯s okay. She sits up and wobbles a little getting on her feet to which Eurus catches her by her shoulders. Her gaze drops to the floor.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Eurus asks.


    ¡°Ough¡­ what the fuck did you and me just do?¡± she says slightly groggy.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a family, no caregiver,¡± says Eurus, ¡°I lack data to accurately described how I feel when I¡¯m around you. So I thought I¡¯d show you.¡±


    Yes¡­ she remembers. She remembers all of it. Ending up as a blip on his radar. She¡¯s not an apocalyptic war or event, she¡¯s not the death of humanity. She¡¯s not just some woman but she isn¡¯t much more either. She raises her eyes to meet him watching her.


    ¡°Your pulse is high,¡± says Eurus.


    ¡°He loves me¡­ I think,¡± she thinks to herself, ¡°I¡¯m okay. I just need some fresh air,¡± she says.


    ¡°Right away. Ursula, thank you. See ya around!¡± says Eurus.


    He guides her by her hand up the stairs and back outside to the Slum of Red. The dusk has turned to night while she was under. She asks:


    ¡°How long was I under?¡±


    ¡°A couple of hours.¡±


    She leans against the wall of the establishment looks him in the eye slyly and gazes into the almost empty marketplace. She takes out a cigarette and lights it in her mouth, dragging it deep and inhaling.


    ¡°Wow,¡± she says and exhales the smoke, ¡°well you tricked me good.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m confused.¡±


    ¡°Here I was - starting to doubt whether or not I was some weird curiosity within your precious Codex and if you really gave a shit,¡± she says ¡°turns out you¡¯ve got the butterflies.¡±


    She takes a drag.


    ¡°You are.¡±


    She turns her head back to him.


    ¡°Shh,¡± she exhales, ¡±you know, I was kidding, right?¡± and she throws the cigarette bud into the trash can.


    ¡°I¡¯m not. You are a curiosity within the Codex and I do wonder why,¡± says Eurus. He looks away at the marketplace as well and says: ¡°You must understand, Mirra, the Codex is nothing we as Cells can take lightly or ignore. But I want to spend time with you. I¡¯m choosing to stay an extra two days on Mars for you even as I¡¯m compelled to depart immediately. And I will return one day if I can.¡±


    ¡°I could come with you,¡± says Mirra. Eurus looks back at her.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± says Eurus, ¡°Could I propose a compromise?¡±


    ¡°We fuck today and I¡¯ll never see you again?¡±


    ¡°Not quite. I¡¯ll send word when all the necessary things are set in motion on Terram. You can join then. Gives you time to wrap things up here too ¨C the criminal empire doesn¡¯t run itself.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± says Mirra, unable to completely hide the ghost note of giddy in her voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s getting late, I¡¯ve got crimes scheduled for tomorrow,¡± she says with a sly smirk, ¡°Take me home?¡±


    ¡°So soon?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s more?¡± she asks.


    Eurus asks her to ride the pillion this time. He fires up his Vulcan 5.


    ¡°Shame,¡± she says through the radio while sitting behind him, ¡°I was kinda hoping it got stolen.¡±


    Eurus blasts away. The way Mirra rode was human ¨C direct, fast and careful. Eurus rides like a super soldier. He takes her through the traffic, threading the needle between doom and glory. A death spiral, a juke between danger and arousal. Their veins course equivalent doses of dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine. Cortisol and adrenaline mix well with the sweet cocktail brewing in them. The city around them is almost ticking past them - an accelerating pendulum swinging the night near its end. Each twist of the throttle and squeeze of the brakes inviting nausea but finding affection instead.


    Soon the hue of corrupted wealth from Leone Tower peers into view. Suddenly the engine of the Vulcan 5 dies and the machine begins to drop. They clearly won¡¯t make it even for an emergency landing.


    ¡°Oh no,¡± says Eurus.


    ¡°WHAT THE FUCK, EURUS?!¡± screams Mirra.


    But as she says that, the machine roars to life once more. He soars his ride across the building landing them neatly at the rooftop park she¡¯s built there.


    ¡°I just wanted to see how you like it, when I do it,¡± says Eurus.


    ¡°You¡­,¡± she snarls, ¡°you¡­ ha-ha,¡± she laughs out loud as she removes her helmet, ¡°you absolute monster you¡­ I¡¯ve no words.¡±


    ¡°She who laughs last, laughs best,¡± says Eurus.


    ¡°You have no idea what you¡¯re doing, do you?¡± she laughs.


    ¡°I¡¯m adapting,¡± he says with a microcopic grin which might as well be abrupt and raucus laughter as far as a Cell¡¯s anatomy might be concerned.


    While Eurus is still sitting on the statbike and Mirra starts walking away she turns around and says:


    ¡°You know, I don¡¯t have a coffee machine I¡¯d be bothered to use right now¡­ That being said. Care for a nightcap?¡±


    Eurus switches off his Vulcan 5, removes his torsal armor.


    He follows her inside.


    Before she¡¯d taken him directly to the bedroom essentially but now they are somewhere what could be described as a guest area, or a lounge. It boasts a bar, a retractable screen for old-timey movies and chairs, tables for all kinds of sortings. There¡¯s a bar fixed for drinks ¨C exquisite beer flowing at the tap, lavish spirits garnishing the wall behind it. The lighting is dim but well-lit enough to guide the naked eye. She takes his large hand in her, smaller, softer one and guides him towards a couch. It¡¯s not that he can¡¯t see without her guidance, but he wants her to guide him as he¡¯s now a pilot flying without instruments. The couch is dark red, shaped almost like the lips of his host ¨C full and soft.


    She sits him down. She goes to the bar and pours him a tall glass of Falkonturm beer.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back,¡± she says as she hands him the cold drink.


    She goes out of the room through the sideways sliding doors leading to a hallway to her bedroom judging from the building¡¯s layout.


    Eurus doesn¡¯t have to wait for her long. Right after he finishes his drink, she returns a few minutes later, wearing nothing but her night dress. Her smooth, toned legs are lifted only by her bare feet ¨C slightly small for her size. His vision upwards is cut off right above her knees by the white silk fabric. Her frame is once more the centerpiece of the room like it was in 2472. Only now Eurus is caught by it too. The dress held up by two additional points standing attention on her chest, noting the excitement in the air.


    To his surprise the smell from her cigarette is gone. Either he can¡¯t sense it or he doesn¡¯t care. He doesn¡¯t care.


    The aroma in the air is slightly reminiscent of honey, and coffee. There¡¯s an almost inperceptible note of syrup sneaking into his senses.


    Belt buckle. Boots. Shirt. Underarmor.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know Cells didn¡¯t wear underwear¡­¡± she says, ¡°Commandos indeed,¡± as she eyes him.


    She takes his hand once more.


    The events in the bedroom are only describable as an everlasting flash of lightning storms. A parade of cannons exploding as Napoleon rides across the field crushing everyone in his path. His battle-hardened and scarred body is now the centerpiece, as she explores him almost out of curiosity. Quiet breathing, warmth of their skin, subtle movements.


    A tit for tat. He leaves no part of her unattended either. A thermonuclear explosion beneath the surface of the ocean. The depths of the Mariana¡¯s trench. The Grand Canyon. The Empire State Building. A lion devouring a gazelle. The unforgettable sound of a champagne cork popping off its container.


    They fall asleep in each others¡¯ arms, Eurus¡¯ steel muscles, supporting her supple, athletic and soft body, smushed against him. There may have been encore performances, but tonight, Eurus sees no mirage, no premonitioning dreams. He¡¯s calm.

 Chapter XX: Eurus’s Heart

    After spending a few additional hours at Mirra¡¯s Tower, Eurus gathers his things and sets off towards Martian Command HQ as the Sun starts to rise. Before flying off he tells Mirra, that she can at least come and see the launch if she¡¯d like to send him off.


    Eurus says:


    ¡°You can come watch the launch. Let me know whether you¡¯re coming,¡± he gives a device to Mirra, ¡°It¡¯s encoded for use only by you and it¡¯s a direct line.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine without me,¡± says Mirra as she takes the device from his hands. She smiles. She says: ¡°But I wouldn¡¯t miss it. I¡¯ll let you know.¡±


    Her kiss lingers on his lips, soft and almost as if she tries to cage the fleeting moment for a while longer. But like sand through her fingers, the moment passes just the same. She feels a shift in her demeanor and it¡¯s palpable for Eurus as well. She reminds herself of a loving house-wife more than a crime lord at this point.


    The Vulcan 5 roars off her citadel grove, an oasis built in the middle of the sprawl. Eurus rises up on his trusty steed above the city and the Sun turns onto his back as he aims his stat bike towards the military base. Mirra stands on the rooftop, not for the eden it is but to delay her emerging feeling of yearning.


    Eurus sends a message to War Martial Honors:


    ¡°Cell Circuit Eurus inbound, what is your status?¡±


    A few seconds later he receives.


    ¡°Message received. Waiting on your arrival.¡±


    He rides across the skyline of Pap¨¹lonis towards the Martian Command. Unlike the night before the ride is slower, more measured. Time is of the essence but he¡¯s not in a hurry either. He feels a weight in him, stopping him from haste. But it¡¯s not stopping him dead.


    The base comes into view in a few dozen minutes. The Navigator ships and Exterminator Class destroyers are docked still. The massive ships are towering over the people around them, as if ants in comparison.


    He parks his stat bike like before on the highest level of the Martian Command building and walks through the massive doors into the lobby. The guards are already aware of his arrival and don¡¯t need to be strongarmed like before. The administrator desk is empty as it¡¯s still early morning. Walking through the passages and hallways he finally arrives at War Martial Honors, who stands when he enters the room.


    ¡°Eurus,¡± she says calmly.


    ¡°War Martial. There is proof of high treason within the ranks of Ultra,¡± says Eurus.


    ¡°Treason? Expand,¡± she says.


    ¡°I can prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the Ultra Command was conspiring against the Empire Codex to create new Cell Circuits. They exploited what they viewed as a technicality within it where they were continually asking for permission to create new super soldiers, but between the denial and the submission of a new request, they interpreted the lack of denial as approval.¡±


    ¡°Interesting. And clever,¡± says Honors.


    Eurus hands her a datachip.


    ¡°This has everything you¡¯ll need to arrest and convict Commander Olman and his bioengineering chief Dr. Mendel.¡±


    Honors flicks through the data on her terminal.


    ¡°Indeed. Great work, Eurus,¡± Honors says.


    ¡°There¡¯s another matter. I was made aware of the continuing presence of the Machine Revolt in the periphery of the empire. For this reason, the Cell Codex dictates that the production of new Cell Circuits must be initiated at once. It is also provisioned within the Imperial Codex should such a situation arise. Stemming from this information, I will be taking Cell Boreas, Astraeus, myself and Kalopsia to Terram. Since the Martian launch window has closed by now, we¡¯ll be taking a Cell frigate off world. I hope you approve this launch.¡±


    ¡°I will. This is going to happen soon I wager?¡± she says.


    ¡°Within the next 24 hours we¡¯ll be ready for launch,¡± says Eurus.


    ¡°And Martis? How many Cells will remain?¡±


    ¡°12 in Pap¨¹lonis, 230 in total on Martis.¡±


    ¡°I see. Where is it on Terram you¡¯ll be going?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been planetside on Terram for close to 100 years. Can you find out where the progeny of Dr. Vakkar¡¯s bioengineering team or people with similar knowledge might reside?¡± asks Eurus.


    ¡°One second,¡± says Honors.


    She opens her terminal and makes inquiries for a few minutes. She works fast and says:


    ¡°I¡¯d suggest London. They have a operational astrodock, with capacity for Cell frigates. They also have a Vakkar Industries headquarters there, I¡¯ll be sure to let them know you¡¯re coming. The Terram governor is a Cell named Notus, of the Caste Tigris. He¡¯ll be expecting you in London as well,¡± she says.


    ¡°What is the general status of Earth?¡± Eurus asks.


    ¡°As you know, great economy, very few wars or skirmishes over the years. Notus has turned Terram into a well oiled machine, very little poverty and squalor and such. The last report I read showed that 89% of Terram is urbanized, only select deserts and tundras remain untouched. Population is hovering around 9 billion,¡± she says.


    ¡°Thank you, War Martial. I¡¯ll let you know when we¡¯re going on board and preparing for launch. Mirra Leone of the Leone crime family might be attending the launch.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± asks the Martial as she raises her brow in surprise, ¡°Why her?¡±


    ¡°She is of significance to me, and I¡¯d like her to be there,¡± says Eurus.


    ¡°Significance¡­¡± says Honors, ¡°Haven¡¯t abandoned your Codex I hope, Eurus.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll find she resides firmly in the gray area of the Codex if you choose to investigate our relationship. I made a decision based on personal grounds to pursue it. I am certain it won¡¯t negatively affect optimal performance on my behalf,¡± says Eurus.


    ¡°Good. Is that all?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± says Eurus.


    ¡°In that case, good luck, Eurus. And godspeed,¡± says Honors.


    ¡°Martial.¡±


    Eurus leaves the Martian HQ.


    A few hours later Eurus is in the Cell HQ laboratory, researching various pathogens on Earth that might impede their process. It¡¯s pristine, completely spotless and with zero risk of contamination. A well-equipped and thorough clean room for any scientific endeavor a Cell Circuit might embark on. He finds data from the vast Solar Empire databases which Cell Circuits have automatic access to, which points to a virus with a long incubation period which can cause respiratory arrest. Eurus creates a vaccine that renders its replication to self destruct it.


    ¡°A change in the protein chain will ensure a threshold after which the virus will infect only cells already infected by itself. A matter of merely shifting the stopping allele.¡±


    He looks up at the holographic monitor and simulates the progression of the vaccine.


    INFECTED CELL COUNT: ¡°200¡­ 1 600¡­ 51 200¡­ 13 107 200¡­ 40 000¡­ 100¡­ SIMULATION COMPLETE. VIRUS FRIENDLY FIRE PROTOCOL HALTED. RESPIRATORY ARREST IMPROBABLE. 37.2 DEGREE FEVER WITHIN EXPECTED SIDE-EFFECTS.¡±


    Another disease is a flesh eating bacteria, usually contracted at birth but only discovered once it¡¯s already too late. This causes the hospitals in certain regions to be overflowing with patients.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ this is a clever one,¡± Eurus mutters, ¡°A mother can be unknowingly a carrier and it might show up on medical examinations.¡±


    He pulls up the holographic screen again.


    GNR-1 ACID SUSTAINS INFECTION. ANIMAL CELL VECTORIZATION PRIORITIZED.


    ¡°Could it¡­¡± Eurus mutters as he looks down the scope of a microscope with a synthesized sample, ¡°Yes¡­ I can give this dog a poison chew toy instead of the bone.¡±


    YEAST FUNGUS MITOCHONDRIAL STRUCTURE ALTERABLE. GNR-1 INTRODUCED. SIMULATING¡­ COMPLETE. BACTERIAL GROWTH VECTOR OVERLOADED. NOTABLE SIDE EFFECT: A SINGLE BOUT OF DIARRHEA.


    ¡°Got it. The bacteria will grow itself out of existence.¡±


    ¡°This is a familiar pathogen,¡± Eurus says.


    A tiny bug from a few centuries ago carries a tiny worm which can cause neurological damage and death. It evolved during the Machine Revolt and was dealt with by another Cell.


    ¡°It¡¯s certainly evolved though,¡± mutters Eurus, ¡°Curious that the inoculation didn¡¯t.¡±


    EVOLUTIONARY TREND MAP IDENTIFIED¡­ K-TREES GENERATED¡­ TRAINING SET COMPLETED¡­ TEST SET HOMOLOGATED¡­ TESTING¡­ MUTATION VECTOR ACCOUNTED FOR 1 MILLION VARIANTS WITH 99% ACCURACY FOR EACH STRAIN.


    ¡°This ought to keep it busy for a century or two,¡± says Eurus.


    Eurus goes down the list of common but dangerous diseases on Earth. Changing a sequence here, introducing an alkaline agent there, producing a overloading reaction in another place, he renders the diseases cured. This is due to the nature of their mission ¨C whatever the procedure may look like for Kalopsia, it¡¯ll be important that she is in pristine condition to avoid the chances of contamination or fertilization failure.


    ¡°Environmental hazards accounted for,¡± Eurus documents.


    He sends his findings back to the institutions who deal with the diseases such that they can create vaccines for Earth¡¯s citizens as well. Some send back messages of gratitude as Eurus saved millions of lives. For him¡­ it was a Tuesday. He sends a message to Mirra:


    ¡°Launch likely in 8 hours. Would you like me to send word to Honors?¡±


    He stares at his comm-device¡¯s screen for a few seconds waiting for a response. Nothing.


    Eurus then goes to the armory of the Cell HQ. He prepares his armor for Earth and weapons as well. The armory is a clean almost hospital-like procedure room. There are closets and mechanical arms ready to assist their users in any manner necessary. He takes his power blade from its place on the wall, next to dozens of others.


    He checks the integrity of the blade¡¯s alloy, running simulations on high intensity situations. He activates the nuclear battery at the hilt, directing heat into it. It begins to glow red then blue as it heats up. Its hilt is still cool to the touch though. Its weight, balance and tactile feel remind him of cutting open the turret of a maglev tank after the Machine Revolt. Humanity turned to normalcy shortly after, not shying away from wars even with the devastation that had just occurred. He runs procedures on Astraues¡¯ and Boreas¡¯ blades as well.


    He puts them into the large cylindrical sarcophagi which are used to transport Cell equipment. Impervious to a grenade they guard the weaponry very securely.


    He then takes his bull rifle, and disassembles it to bits to see if any of them would need a fresh replacement. None do. Even after hours of destruction at Ultra HQ, only tiny marks of gunpowder embellish the tiny pieces of the gun. He cleans the loading and triggering mechanisms, the rifling is still intact he finds. He holds in his hand essentially an anti-materiel sniper rifle in size, compactable to the dimensions of a brickish laptop. Boreas¡¯ and Astraeus¡¯ weapons are in high readiness as well.


    Holstering the gun in the container, he then checks his and his compatriots¡¯ power armors. He stops at the torsal armor, remembering the evening he spent with Mirra. How she contracted his helmet on the stat bike and her soft warm hands on his face and skin. Still no word from her however, which shifts the weight in his chest a little lower. He lets out a quiet and very discreet sigh.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    He goes through the grenade launcher, shoulder mounted plasma gun, nuclear-powered melting rod, used to cut into Titans back during the Machine Revolt. The jump pack and jump boots are all in working order as well. He loads the equipment into the containers, and checks the inventory in London¡¯s Cell HQ.


    Everything is available in London as well, he might as well not bring his own stuff.


    ¡°Lack of sufficient redundancy is at the heart of every failure,¡± he thinks to himself. He murmurs: ¡°No room for that here.¡±


    He gathers Boreas, Astraeus and Kalopsia at one of the Cell HQ briefing rooms. It¡¯s a circular chamber with a conference table in the middle with a holographic screen, morphing to all eyes in the room to not seem skewed. Eurus says:


    ¡°Friends,¡± as he points to the screen, ¡°There is a monumental task ahead of us on Terram. We will be departing to London in 5 hours.¡±


    ¡°London?¡± Kalopsia says, ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to go there.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± says Eurus, ¡°I¡¯m told and I checked that there is a Vakkar Institution there, lead by none other than a direct descendant of the great scientist, Dr. Georgia Vakkar, his eigth generational direct descendant.¡±


    ¡°Impressive,¡± says Boreas, ¡°A family business?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the situation on the ground?¡± says Astraeus.


    ¡°I¡¯m told it¡¯s stable and prosperous,¡± says Eurus. He brings up the image of Notus, a Cell.


    ¡°This brethren of ours, Notus of Caste Tigris is the governor there and is aware of our imminent arrival,¡± says Eurus, ¡°He was tasked with governorship shortly after the Machine Revolt and from what I can see he has executed his responsibility well.¡±


    ¡°How many other Cell Circuits are there?¡± asks Kalopsia.


    CELL CIRCUIT COUNT: 30.


    ¡°THIRTY?¡± says Boreas.


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot,¡± says Kalopsia.


    ¡°To you maybe,¡± says Astraeus, ¡°But optimal protocol suggests that there should be one cell for every ten million inhabitants of a region. On Martis we have 233.¡±


    He continues: ¡°A quick calculation ¨C Mars has 3 billion inhabitants. We have one Cell for every 12 876 000 citizens. Though we¡¯re slightly under the norm here too, we¡¯d expect 800 Cell Circuits active on Terram if we were to take this as a baseline.¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± says Kalopsia, ¡°So where are the rest?¡±


    TERRAM CELL CIRCUIT COUNT: 30.


    MARTIS CELL CIRCUIT COUNT: 233.


    TOR CELL CIRCUIT COUNT: 755.


    GAYA CELL CIRCUIT COUNT: 1066.


    SKYTHE CELL CIRCUIT COUNT: 293.


    HERKULA CELL CIRCUIT COUNT: 2394


    MISC. COLONIES CELL CIRCUIT COUNT: 443


    ¡°Wow¡­ 30 seems low indeed,¡± says Kalopsia, as she leans forward in her chair.


    ¡°It¡¯s expectable to have a higher count on border worlds like Herkula but this is a severe oversight,¡± says Eurus, ¡°As it stands we have no way of figuring out here why it is the case on Earth. We have a little less than 5 hours to spare so say good-bye to your loved ones. Kalopsia, perhaps you¡¯d like to say your farewells to your mother, I¡¯m told Bob Voyage also has been asking for you.¡±


    His communication device to Mirra chimes. He looks at it to see a GPS pin with exact coordinates and a single message:


    ¡°EURUS! HELP ME!¡±


    He feels the weight in his chest tighten and sink lower, to his abdomen. He says:


    ¡°If there are any more questions, my findings have been forwarded to you. I now have a matter to attend to but I¡¯ll see you at the launch.¡±


    He quickly dons one of the power armors, without the jump packs as assembling them takes time. He puts on the jump boots however together with a bullrifle and a power blade and hops onto his statbike.


    Mirra is slipping in and out of consciousness as she intermittently wakes up what feels like the back of a windowless van. Her head feels like a pin pillow full of needles, stabbing and throbbing in aches and pains as the vehicle maneuvers. It¡¯s clear to her she got sedated while having a drink at her favorite bar after Eurus left. She was trying to drink her inbound heartache away. There¡¯s a blank in her recollection and now she¡¯s here in the van. It rocks a little and shakes her in it. She has in her pocket the tiny communication device she got from Eurus and she uses it to send a message. She realizes that the van stops so she attaches a GPS pin onto the message. Hopefully it reaches him because she¡¯s sure she won¡¯t get out of this on her own. She drifts out of consciousness again.


    Opening her eyes she sees that she¡¯s in a room that looks like a procedural room in a hospital only it¡¯s way dimly lit and doesn¡¯t look entirely sanitary. Gathering her senses she sees that there are mechanical arms protruding from behind her and the ceiling and she realizes that she¡¯s lying on her lower back in a somewhat sitting position. She tries to stand up but something¡¯s holding down her arms above her head and she feels her legs are spread. Looking down to her horror she realizes she¡¯s been stripped naked and her exposed body is in a very humiliating position. The restraints on her limbs are metal and there seems to be no way for her to jiggle herself free.


    Behind her she hears a door open and close and footsteps nearing her. Into her view comes a hunched over figure. He¡¯s tall, at around 2.1 meters she wagers and he¡¯s moving around towards the far end of the room.


    ¡°HEY!¡± she cries out, ¡°What the fuck is this?! Do you know who I am?¡±


    The man lets out a contemptuous chuckle and says:


    ¡°Yes, I do, Ms. Leone. I do indeed. I¡¯m¡­¡±


    She interrupts him: ¡°Then if you know what¡¯s good for you, you¡¯ll let me out of here, got it?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Leone¡­ Do not interrupt me! After all, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s unclear to you that you¡¯re in no position to bargain much less threaten.¡±


    ¡°Okay, good sir,¡± she says, now in a completely mellow and almost seductive tone, ¡°I feel like I could help you out. I can give you anything, any pleasure, wealthy trinket or piece of land you wish and it can be yours.¡±


    ¡°I want to be able to build Cell Circuits. For the good of mankind of course.¡±


    Mirra gulps. She has no idea how she can be of any significance to him.


    ¡°Well I know a Cell Circuit, maybe I can introduce you?¡± she says.


    ¡°I know you know him. That¡¯s precisely why you¡¯re here, Ms. Leone. You have in you his seed. I plan on getting it out.¡±


    He flicks on the bright fluorescent light and huddles over to her carrying a tray of electronic and bladed instruments. He¡¯s now in full medical gear ¨C an apron and scrubs. His scarred face is hidden beneath a medical mask.


    ¡°Do I need to be awake for this? Just put me under again.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, dear,¡± says the man, ¡°I sedated you just enough to get you here but anything further and I¡¯ll risk spoiling the sample.¡±


    He takes a circular electric saw from the plate and flicks it on¡­ once, twice to check it works.


    ¡°Won¡¯t blood also do that? I¡¯ll do anything¡­ please¡­ stop,¡± says Mirra.


    ¡°The reactions are known and retraceable,¡± says he as he lowers the sawblade now spinning towards her abdomen.


    ¡°STOP! YOU PSYCHO! AAA!!!¡± she screams as the blade pierces her skin. Blood splatters onto the mask and goggles of the madman. Her stomach feels like it¡¯s being ripped open by a chasmic volcano splitting the earth. The pain is unimaginable.


    ¡°Now now! You¡¯ll thank me later, Ms. Leone. All of humanity will in fact,¡± says the man over the sound of the sawblade and Mirra¡¯s screams.


    Eurus is barreling through Pap¨¹lonis towards his target. The pin is dropped in the middle of the Slum Of Red at a well-known meat market, infamous for its at times less than ideal clientele and products. He¡¯s removed every single safety switch on his Vulcan, it¡¯s nuclear batteries and magnetic levitation spheres are white hot from heat generated from his speed. The velocity on his Vulcan 5 is showing 1300 km/h, creating a sonic boom around him as he high tails towards Mirra. Cell tower is almost direct across the city of Pap¨¹lonis from where the Slum of Red is and it will take some minutes for him to get there flying above the buildings.


    If a child is to look up at that moment and see him, they''d make a wish thinking he is a falling star dashing across the sky. A white streak mankind''s ferocious vengeance splitting the distant lights above Pap¨¹lonis in half. Below Eurus the city is a grid of nameless coordinates converging at a single starting point ¨C Mirra. Her salvation is paramount to Eurus. His speed is pushing the machine beneath him to its edge, the superheated casings around the battery threatening to split the very atoms powering it. But he knew he had just enough time to complete his dash. And the alternative was not finding Mirra in time which to him was a feeling he''d never felt so acutely before. Despair is new for a Cell but its weight now presses down on his chest.


    As the Slum of Red approaches, the communication device on Eurus pings once again. It flashes on the dash of the Vulcan 5 and Eurus sees that it¡¯s now pinging from a location underground as he approaches it. He¡¯s considering his approach¡­ Calculating every step¡­ Meanwhile Mirra is down there without him.


    He mumbles: ¡°Fuck it.¡±


    Faint screaming is audible from the far end of the large chamber Kroseph is marching around in. Above him he can hear rumbling sounds loud and rattling his lungs. Thunder? Here? Now? Thinks Kroseph. His comm device chimes, pulling him to reality: ¡°Get rid of her clothes¡­ now!¡±


    In the big concrete chamber there are various containers made of metal used to house chemicals or fuel. There are beakers, bits and pieces of various machinery. It¡¯s basically a dumpster. Clutter all around ¨C too important to be thrown away but useless enough to not be given a shit about.


    Kroseph walks into the decontamination chamber, where Mirra¡¯s things are. It¡¯s in the far end of the room from him and he goes there as the rumbling around him gets louder. The decontamination chamber has in it a hose and a couple of wall-mounted makeshift showers, a bench further away for Mirra¡¯s clothes and another bench where she was hosed down while unconscious. There are already a few of his compatriots in there inspecting the clothes, one of them is doing unsavory things to her knickers. ¡°What the hell dude, unprofessional¡­¡± he mutters.


    ¡°Oh fuck,¡± says one of the goons.


    ¡°What?¡± says Kroseph.


    ¡°Who the fuck was supposed to search her shit?¡± asks the goon.


    ¡°It was Jeremiah wasn¡¯t it?¡± says the panty-sniffer.


    ¡°Well whoever it was didn¡¯t check her items for tiny stuff. It¡¯s a fucking Cell transmitter and it¡¯s homing in on us and a Cell,¡± he¡¯s holding up a tiny device with a bit for intracranial interface.


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s coming right for us!¡±


    ¡°How long do we have?¡± asks Kroseph and comes closer to check the device.


    ¡°We should have a few seconds! He¡¯s directly above us but I don¡¯t get it. The pin shows him spinning around in one spot,¡± says the goon.


    Suddenly the entire room shakes and the goons run out to look at the main base, tripping over themselves and each other trying to grab their rifles and go to their stations. Kroseph says to his panicking goons:


    ¡°Just get the¡­¡± but he¡¯s cut off by a BOOM. BOOM. GRAAGHHHH!


    The ceiling of the room collapses with a loud explosion raining down concrete, steel and bits of molten debris as a Vulcan 5 rockets through into their location. For a brief second they consider where the Cell is, but it emerges a split second later from the hole in the ceiling. It rages out a bone-chilling scream:


    ¡°AAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGH!¡±


    And instantly springs towards Kroseph who manages to dive beneath one of the empty fuel tanks tanks. A Cell typically never makes a noise but to hear one crying out in pure unadultered bloodlust is something nobody could even imagine. No man makes a noise like this. It is primal. It is rage. The sounds of the trumpets of Jericho are not dissimilar but to hear what looks like a man scream like this at them while moving at blinding speed¡­ This is not anything short of traumatizing for the rest of their remaining short lives.


    Some of them briefly consider running. But before the thought can hit their legs they are already splatter on the wall. Eurus wasn¡¯t even firing a shot or using his blade. He is like a small tornado of limbs and heads ripping and tearing through the security of Dr. Mendel. A cyclone of destruction as the men are shredded almost instantly. Horror grips their guts and their white matter doesn¡¯t even get the chance to engage in fight or flight or play their lives before their eyes as death comes sooner than their synapses can finish firing. A regular Cell is a terrifying opponent in his own right. An unrestrained Cell, focused on pure carnage instead of strategy is Dante¡¯s inferno playing before their eyes.


    Gun bots and security droids are hastily deployed but they are of no consequence in this case. The small cramped room would offer an advantage against a regular foe but Eurus is no regular foe and in this case he is no regular Cell. Blinded by fear for Mirra¡¯s life, the feeling distilled into a purely ethanolized state of anger and rage at his opponents. The droids and guns had barely any time to acquire him as a target before a bullet from the bullrifle executes a physical shutdown command. Nothing or no one can stop Eurus at this point. He might as well have been a nuke dropped in the room.


    Cages in the tunnels leading to various places from the chamber are filled with roars, as Dr. Mendel remotely disengages the locks on cages holding his biological abominations. The beasts from the depths of OG-1 emerge and converge on Eurus but mindless as they are even they attempt to flee after seeing the first of their kind perish effortlessly at his hands. Before their backs can turn they too are turned into paste and minced meat at the hands of Eurus. No man, beast, bot or anything exhibiting any agency whatsoever is going to leave this place except for him and Mirra. What was supposed to be a mission of delaying Eurus¡¯ arrival on their part turned into a tomb for the men hoping to escape before it was too late. Buried beneath the rubble, scattered to bits or blown and ripped apart, Eurus¡¯ opponents each found their end in mere seconds after setting eyes on him.


    In less than two minutes every foe and beast in the room had fallen and a sullen silence falls upon the room. Mirra¡¯s screams heard first by Eurus as he crashed through are now silent. He fears the worst. He leaps forward using his jump-boots and quickly crashes into the room where Mirra is. To his horror, her state is abysmal.


    Mirra is lying in the chair, naked, her abdomen and legs hacked apart by Dr. Mendel¡¯s terrifying obsession. She¡¯s covered in blood and she¡¯s shaking from extreme pain. Her guts are placed upon the various plates and surfaces in the room. Eurus walks into the room and around the chair and looks into her eyes, wet from tears brought on by the pain and suffering she went through. She whimpers, but her face is that of relief, and a slight smile is on her lips:


    ¡°You came,¡± she says, with a crackle in her voice due to over-exertion.


    Eurus doesn¡¯t speak.


    ¡°I¡¯ll admit I¡¯ve been better,¡± says Mirra, ¡°But I did get to see you before you went on your dumb crusade,¡± suffering through each of her chuckles.


    Eurus can hear a faint scrape behind him and instinctually his hand shoots out and grabs whatever made it. He¡¯d suspected Dr. Mendel is still skulking about.


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± says Dr. Mendel, now hanging from Eurus¡¯ hand by his throat. He raises one of his hands to inject him with some serum but Eurus yanks that arm clean off. Dr. Mendel is merely an ant attempting to sting a hurricane.


    ¡°AGHHH, FUCK,¡± says Dr. Mendel, ¡°It seems I¡¯ve underestimated you,¡± he growls out.


    ¡°Just¡­¡± says Eurus, ¡°why?¡±


    ¡°Why what?¡± says Dr. Mendel.


    ¡°LOOK AT HER!¡± booms Eurus. Dr. Mendel¡¯s eyes dart at Mirra and back to Eurus.


    ¡°For the good of mankind, Eurus, you know that. You abandoned your duty to be with her, aren¡¯t you grateful I corrected your path?¡±


    Just as Eurus is about to grab his face and squish it in his grip, Dr. Mendel says:


    ¡°I¡¯m equipped with a Mind Palace. I can make a perfect copy of her mind,¡± he pleads, ¡°just don¡¯t kill me yet.¡± It¡¯s almost as if he¡¯s trying to reason with a tidal wave at this point however.


    Eurus crushes his skull like a quail egg.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mirra,¡± says Eurus as he drops Dr. Mendel¡¯s lifeless body on the ground.


    ¡°Why?¡± says Mirra, ¡°This isn¡¯t your fault. You know mighty as you are, you don¡¯t have to carry the world on your shoulders.¡±


    ¡°I just wanted to carry you, I wanted to have you a part of me,¡± says Eurus.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you give me one of your serums?¡± Mirra asks. Eurus might be able to help a shattered rib or broken legs but he can¡¯t perform off the cuff miracles. Mirra¡¯s injuries are too severe.


    Eurus is silent. There¡¯s nothing he can say to make this any better.


    ¡°I see,¡± says Mirra, ¡°I guess this is it, then?¡±


    Eurus can hear her heartrate grow erratic and diminish in intensity. She¡¯s clearly fading out as the bloodloss crosses critical levels.


    ¡°The feeling of fear you had, Eurus,¡± says Mirra, ¡°Back at the Mind Palace.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called love. And I feel it too. Don¡¯t forget it. I won¡¯t mind being a mind shard for you.¡± Eurus feels a hard hook in his chest attempting to pull him onto his knees.


    ¡°Mirra¡­¡± says Eurus meaning to protest.


    ¡°I love you¡­¡± Mirra says as she closes her eyes. Eurus can hear her cardiac arrest approaching. She¡¯s lost consciousness he wagers to himself. Without a moment to spare, he puts the Mind Palace device on her head and manages to produce the copy of her being onto a data shard. She flatlines.


    Eurus looks at the time on his suit. It¡¯s four hours until launch. He guesses he can spare a few minutes more, as he sits down onto one of the stools in the room. His mind is blank, purpose feeling now weightless. Is this what it feels like to love? To lose? Are they one and the same? He ponders for a while.


    After a few minutes of silence, he stands up and takes a couple of incendiary grenades from his armor and sets them to explode in a set time in various places of the chambers. This place must be wiped clean from the planet.

 Chapter XXI: Earthbound

    The descent on London has begun for CC Fighting Falcon frigate. London, now a sprawling urban colossus, has absorbed surrounding towns like Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, and Epping, its growth rivaling even Pap¨¹lonis. Historic landmarks like the Tower of London and the Parliament building lie tucked between towering megastructures¡ªrelics of a bygone era, overshadowed by humanity¡¯s relentless progress. North of Peterborough stretches the astro dock, vast and bristling with warships, a sobering reminder of Earth¡¯s readiness for a prolonged space war of attrition.


    Onboard the ship, the air is thick with the unspoken weight of recent events. While in cryo en route to Terram, Eurus installed the Pneuma of Mirra¡ªa neural echo of the woman who had left an indelible mark on him. Now it lies dormant, silent in his psyche. His emotions are subtle yet unmistakable: the super soldier is grappling with a profound defeat. Astraeus, Boreas, and Kalopsia exchange fleeting glances of concern, uncertain of the toll these burdens may take on him. On the edges of his eyes, something flickers¡ªa trace of humanity once thought purged ¨C it¡¯s as if his soul is pushing on them, fighting its way to the surface. For now, he operates at peak capacity, but the question lingers: how long before the strain takes its toll?


    The outside armor of CC Fighting Falcon glows as the atmospheric pressure from the descent heats up the vessel, but inside the ship is cool and calm. No longer do modern ships follow the six degree angle of atmospheric entry as the physical and kinetic barriers redirect scorching heat away from the interior. Each patch of superheated surface area absorbed meticulously by another cooler one as the V-matter reactor in the ship¡¯s stern generates a bubble of supercooled particles to balance the massive barrage upon its outer layer.


    ¡°We have you on radar CC Fighting Falcon, the landing site is cleared for landing ¨C marking your descent,¡± a male voice on the speaker on the bridge blares.


    A few dozen kilometers above ground, the ship lurches and momentarily the G-forces inside spike, overpowering the gravity generators as the V-matter engines fire to slow down the ship¡¯s descent. Outside a deafening roar of continuous explosions from its exhaust ports fills the air. The warship finds its landing pad, blasting dust and debris into a thick, gas-like cloud that envelops the astro dock in a haze of fine particles.


    After declaring their cargo like Cell equipment and going through decontamination protocols, the party makes their way to London aboard an H-craft, a large H-shaped vessel designed to carry heavy cargo or weaponry, like the current day C-130 Hercules. A silent ship when not inside it, the quiet hum of its electrostatic engines carries them towards their target. Loud in a Vulcan 5 but the size of their craft neglects the noise otherwise sharply felt. Their destination is Cell HQ London, a giant tower near the Parliament designed to house hundreds of Cells and their equipment. Thames beneath them is a tiny vein of water compared to the massive structures built around it. The H-craft is large, several schoolbuses in every dimension, but compared to the headquarters it¡¯s as if a children¡¯s toy, insignificant compared to the scope of the gigantic structure.


    The supersoldiers and Kalopsia go to their quarters, to wash and freshen up, Eurus stands alone in his room, peering down at the parliament building ¨C now a mere tourist attraction as its physical location holds no significance compared to the scope of the Solar Empire. He keeps waiting for the Pneuma in his mind now to give him a sign ¨C anything ¨C to signify that his final actions on Martis weren¡¯t for nought. But alas Mirra remains quiet in his mind, only continuing her existence in his memory. Eurus decides to put that out of his mind for now and to focus on the task at hand. Just like that, his woes are silenced. As it turns out, a Cell Circuit can switch off intrusive thoughts at will. In the case of Eurus, he wanted to keep them going for a little longer than normal, feeling a certain weight of debt to her for what she uncovered in him. But now the mission takes priority and it must be completed without personal distractions.


    As agreed upon before, Astraeus, Boreas, Eurus and Kalopsia meet up in an hour at 4 in one of the briefing rooms in Cell HQ. Their equipment has been automatically slotted to the equipment roster in the structure upon entry. They intend to discuss the next plans of action. First they check the capacity of Cell HQ. Eerily, they¡¯re the only occupants with the rest of the few Cell Circuits on Terram being deployed elsewhere. A city the size of modern London rings hollow without any prior Cell presence. As established before, it is unusual for not even one Cell to be deployed there as its size would expect at least 10 to be present aside from them.


    ¡°The lack of Cell Circuit presence is alarming,¡± Eurus says, his voice breaking the heavy quiet.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Boreas nods, his tone measured. ¡°It is unusual.¡±


    Kalopsia speaks up, her voice carrying a note of uncertainty. ¡°Should we contact Notus? We know he¡¯s in London as well.¡±


    Astraeus leans forward, resting his hands on the table. ¡°Perhaps. But might I suggest an alternative approach?¡±


    Eurus gestures for him to continue. ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Considering the anomalous underrepresentation of Cell Circuits in London, we¡¯re operating in the dark,¡± Astraeus begins. ¡°We don¡¯t know if this is an intentional deployment pattern or an oversight. I suggest leaving one of us here with Kalopsia while the rest of the team makes contact with the Vakkar Institute and the local police force. We need a tactical assessment of the situation.¡±


    Boreas steps in. ¡°Might I suggest Eurus stay? He¡¯s the mission lead, and his rapport with Kalopsia could provide better emotional support. Would that be acceptable to both of you?¡±


    Kalopsia glances at Eurus, who gives a brief nod. ¡°Yes,¡± they reply almost simultaneously.


    ¡°Is the briefing concluded?¡± Astraeus asks, his tone brisk.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Eurus replies. ¡°Execute as discussed.¡±


    The super soldiers stand. Astraeus and Boreas collect their gear, moving with deliberate efficiency. Eurus lingers for a moment, his gaze flicking to Kalopsia as she adjusts her gloves, her unease palpable. The faint echo of their departing footsteps fills the room, leaving Eurus and Kalopsia alone in the oppressive stillness.


    Eurus invites Kalopsia with him to visit a restaurant with him to take her mind off the ordeal she will face. They pick a place near what was once the Piccadilly Circus but now has risen far above the ground in its megastructure landscape. It¡¯s a BBQ place that still uses real meat and fire to prepare its meals. She accepts his offer.


    Eurus and Kalopsia walk through the Cell HQ to its vehicle bay. Since no Cells are in the area, all the vehicles are available there to use. Only two of the dozens of Vulcan 5s have left ¨C Boreas and Astraeus. There are bespoke tanks with neural links to offer optimal integration for Cell Circuits, hovercrafts and a few H-crafts parked in there. Eurus walks with her to a Phoenix Nova hovercar. It¡¯s a purpose built vehicle based on a sports car originally made for civilian use. It has only two seats but it¡¯s extremely fast and even faster than Vulcan 5s. They take their seats, Eurus in the driver¡¯s seat and Kalopsia right beside him. Compared to the thunderous rumbling of the Vulcan 5, the Phoenix Nova purrs to life in a much higher pitch, noting use of several electro-static engines operating in tandem.


    ¡°So many different kinds of vehicles here,¡± says Kalopsia before they leave.


    ¡°Yes, it underscores the scarcity of Cells. In a healthy environment, most of any type of vehicles should be in use as Cells excel in active situations and grow weaker when idle,¡± says Eurus.


    The Phoenix Nova, purpose built for usage by the Cells rises off the floor of the vehicle bay and Eurus directs it to the outward tunnel of the structure.


    ¡°I did not know that,¡± says Kalopsia, and lets out a little ¡°woah¡± as the Phoenix soars left through the tunnel into ongoing traffic at blistering speed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you, it¡¯s faster than it looks,¡± she said while gripping the armrest on the door.


    ¡°Everything you saw in the building was purpose built. Not a single bolt or coat of paint was applied absent-mindedly. This very car is meant for near-orbit interceptions if need be, so it needs to be able to catch up to a leaving space craft. No human could handle such a machine,¡± says Eurus.


    ¡°You talk about it like it¡¯s a weapon,¡± says Kalopsia.


    ¡°What do you think I am? Like myself, everything you saw was either built for direct combat or to deliver a Cell Circuit directly onto the battlefield,¡± says Eurus as the city around them turns into a slight blur of lights, buildings, neon signs and draw bridges connecting the megastructures. Cars whiz by them as if standing still. After less than a minute the megastructure they¡¯re going to comes into view and Eurus slows down his car.


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    ¡°What does that make me? I¡¯m purpose built, I¡¯m faster than my friends were, stronger too, but I¡¯m no weapon,¡± says Kalopsia.


    ¡°Long ago, humanity waged war against an evil genocidal regime during what they called World War II,¡± says Eurus, ¡°Do you think the factories and facilities that built them were any lesser in terms of weaponry than the Enola Gay B-29 Stratofortress or the Little Boy it dropped? You¡¯re the most dangerous weapon of them all, albeit not like a bomber.¡±


    They fly onto the vehicle bay of the tower, with a sign reading ¡°PC-1¡± on it for Piccadilly Circus 1. Eurus drives slower now, looking for a good spot to set the Phoenix Nova down.


    ¡°So I¡¯m like a factory. A big fat baby factory,¡± says Kalopsia. She doesn¡¯t sound sad to Eurus, but to him it seems she¡¯s combating something inside herself, brow furled.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say you¡¯re fat, quite skinny in fact,¡± Eurus says, seeing Kalopsia chuckle, ¡°Look, Kalopsia, when you think about it, that¡¯s what all women are. At the end of the day none of this means anything if there are no more humans around.¡±


    ¡°It sounds like you¡¯re saying humans are nothing more than bags of instincts looking for a way to make a baby,¡± says Kalopsia, ¡°Isn¡¯t that a let down? At least for them it¡¯s a choice they get to opt out of.¡±


    ¡°They fumble around in the dark refusing to accept they know where the light switch is. For you it¡¯s been spelled out. Yes, it¡¯s depressing on the one hand¡­¡± says Eurus.


    ¡°But on the other?¡±


    Eurus sets the Phoenix Nova down at a free spot and its doors hiss open upwards, allowing the duo to climb out. Eurus motions Kalopsia to follow him. Unlike his visit to OG-1 where he was followed by suspecting and hostile eyes, in PC-1, the people look at him with admiration and respect. A notable difference.


    ¡°Imagine if for every person you see there was a timer on their heads noting a countdown until the last of their offspring died off. For some it would be 20 years like an only child being hit by a public transport vehicle, for others it could read thousands of years. You¡¯re the only one here who knows yours will always outnumber them. Given enough time you¡¯ll be the first ancestor of all that¡¯s left of humanity.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s depressing,¡± says Kalopsia.


    ¡°Is it? The same purpose you carry with you as any other human. But you can know with certainty that its results will carry on in practical eternity. I think it¡¯s something to consider. And it¡¯s not like you can¡¯t have regular children if you so please. You¡¯ve got unique foreknowledge of some of their fates unlike anyone else.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­ I¡¯ve never thought about it like that,¡± says Kalopsia, ¡°It seems banal though.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­,¡± says Kalopsia slightly mumbling, ¡°I thought there was more.¡±


    ¡°Just because it¡¯s simple and real doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s little or banal. The purpose of simply continuing to exist is fundamental. I find it rather beautiful myself. Do we disparage gravity or a river when their purpose is to simply carry water to a lake or a river? After a while, it¡¯ll mark a canyon and a valley around it, staples of natural beauty. Humanity flows in some direction too, but look at what it¡¯s accomplished. Simply by continuing to exist, it¡¯s brought great change into the universe.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­ The purpose is in the flow,¡± says Kalopsia, ¡°Kinda beautiful indeed.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± says Eurus.


    They arrive at the BBQ place. Even while Cells are more accepted in London with its relative wellbeing compared to Martis, the packed establishment still halts for a second as the duo enter the restaurant. Their eyes are drawn onto Eurus, an exceedingly rare sighting on Earth, him being a Cell. They don¡¯t even notice Kalopsia¡¯s precence as a girl with blueish skin.


    They walk towards the wide counter on the far side of the room, dividing the establishment in half. Beyond it lies a large chamber with tubes leading the smoke away from indoors, acting as tentacular chimeys. There are multiple devices with charcoal burning, some burning real wood and foliage with moist leaves to smoke the meats in various ways. The smell almost betrays the wonderful flavors.


    As they pass the tables they can hear the faint mumblings of the patrons:


    ¡°Wow,¡± says one, ¡°A real Cell Circuit. I thought those died out or something?¡±


    ¡°No, silly,¡± says another, ¡°They¡¯re just off-world.¡±


    They walk a little inward. Kalopsia is used to eyes on her at times, but she¡¯s quite invisible standing next to Eurus, a welcome change. She can¡¯t imagine what it¡¯s like walking around with this constant aura of mythology around him.


    ¡°I heard they can kill a man by stopping their heart with a single thought,¡± says one of the patrons.


    ¡°Why would a Cell need to eat beef at all,¡± another one says.


    They arrive at the counter. The workers are in white clothes but covered in occasional blotches from grease and sauces etc. The server there at the register says:


    ¡°Hello, sir. How can we help you?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d like a table for two,¡± says Eurus.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you would¡¯ve needed to book it in advance,¡± says the guy at the register. Someone darts from the far end of the kitchen to the register, puts a firm hand onto the server¡¯s shoulder and says in a typical Londonian accent:


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± with a note of what-the-hell-are-you-doing-bro in his voice, ¡°I see we have VIP seats available. I won¡¯t have a Cell Circuit be turned down in MY restaurant. Sorry for my employee,¡± he says. The manager is a stumpy fellow, with a round and fat face and a twirled moustache. He smiles to the duo amicably and a little nervously.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite alright,¡± Eurus says.


    ¡°I¡¯m Jaguar,¡± says the manager, ¡°allow me to direct you to the tables.¡±


    He leads them to a booth with a chain linked onto it on both sides to disallow any randos sitting there. When they sit down, the manager brings them their menus.


    Boreas and Astraeus are nearing the London Metropolitan Police Department (LMPD) megastructure on their Vulcan 5 statbikes. The skyscraper towers over half a kilometer in height, with a width and length exceeding a hundred meters. It services several hundred thousand policemen. They intend on landing on the highest vehicle bay. They drive in there and ride to the specially allocated part of the bay beyond the cruisers that is assigned to the Cell Circuits. The policemen walking around to and from their police cars stand and stop what they¡¯re doing to view the legends from centuries ago ride past them to their designated parking spots.


    They park in their suspiciously empty area and dismount the statbikes. Their helmets attach neatly to the handlebars of the bikes. They start walking towards the entrance into the offices of LMPD and notice the eyes of the officers on them staring in disbelief. ¡°They¡¯re¡­ Cells,¡± one whispers, the disbelief clear in his voice. Another officer shifts uneasily, his gaze lingering on the statbikes as if they held secrets from another era. It¡¯s something they¡¯ve grown used to but can¡¯t help but notice themselves.


    As they enter a large hallway branching out to different elevators and leading to a variety of departments and facilities, they¡¯re already welcomed by a woman waiting at the threshold, bipedal armed robots at her side.


    ¡°Hello, gentlemen,¡± she says, standing smartly at the threshold. Her voice, high-pitched but steady, carries a mix of confidence and nerves. ¡°I¡¯m Detective Julia Carson, the LMPD¡¯s Cell Circuit liaison.¡± The bots flanking Carson were humanoid in shape, their sleek, gunmetal frames bristling with mounted weaponry. Their optics glowed faintly, scanning the Cells with mechanical precision.


    ¡°Hello detective, my name is Astraeus,¡± says Astraeus.


    ¡°Greetings, I¡¯m Boreas,¡± says Boreas, ¡°It¡¯s quite the welcome.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we like to make our distinguished guests feel safe,¡± says Detective Carson. She motions them to follow her to her office.


    ¡°I assure you, we felt quite safe upon arrival, but are now feeling less so on the account of encountering armed bots,¡± says Boreas.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯re totally different from the ones you encountered in the Machine Revolt, being only limited AI¡¯s and decoupled from a central control system meaning they¡¯re completely safe,¡± says Carson.


    ¡°Every disaster occurred shortly after complete safety,¡± Astraeus says.


    They¡¯re lead into an office where the bots are left outside to stand guard. Carson huddles her tiny frame around the desk and takes a seat, and motions at two chairs on either corners of the room opposite her computer and says:


    ¡°Take a seat, gentlemen.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± says Boreas, ¡°But I¡¯ll stand.¡±


    ¡°As will I,¡± says Astraeus.


    ¡°As you wish,¡± says Carson, ¡°What is it I can help you with?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve just arrived from Mars, and we have noticed an alarming ratio of Cells per population on Earth. Why is this the case?¡± asks Boreas.


    ¡°Thank you, we¡¯re very proud of the progress we¡¯ve made on Earth. Crime is low and though we do find work for every constable here, it¡¯s nothing like it was a few decades ago before Governor Notus took over.¡±


    ¡°And where are the Cells?¡± asks Boreas.


    ¡°They¡¯re deployed on the border worlds where they¡¯re needed most,¡± says Carson.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you see the obvious problem here? You might need Cells but if they¡¯re not here, you¡¯d be left bare?¡± Astraeus asks.


    ¡°Not at all. We¡¯re no longer in the 21st century, apocalyptic machine threats are no longer around us. We¡¯ve managed just fine without Cells by implementing other resources of security. You have nothing to worry about,¡± she says.


    ¡°How did Notus achieve this?¡± asks Boreas, leaning forward in his chair. Astraeus remains leaned back, observing intensely every reaction and tiniest change in demeanor in Carson.


    ¡°With the Dynamo program and mechanized security, we¡¯ve achieved a level of efficiency that Cells can¡¯t even match,¡° Carson says, ?Dynamos are designed to handle anything from insurgencies to high-threat combat scenarios. They¡¯re the perfect complement to our automated systems, and together, they¡¯ve eliminated the need for a Cell presence.¡±


    ¡°You believe that a Dynamo outclasses a Cell Circuit in operational capacity?¡± Astraeus says, leaning back in subtle disbelief.


    Carson nods confidently and continues: ¡°I do. Cells are... iconic, but they¡¯re outdated. Dynamos are faster to produce, more adaptable, and¡ªmost importantly¡ªcost-efficient.¡±


    ¡°Cost-efficiency won¡¯t matter when Earth faces an existential threat,¡± Boreas points out.


    ?Oh, haha, but governor Notus assures us,¡° she laughs, ?that we¡¯re well past existential threats. We¡¯ve evolved beyond the need for Cells. Earth is secure.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± says Boreas, ¡°Thank you for meeting with us. We¡¯ll be leaving now. Have a nice day.¡±


    ¡°See you,¡± says Astraeus.


    The Cells walk out of the office and rush past the people staring at them. The cold air generated by the naivet¨¦ of Carson is putting them on higher alert. They jump on their Vulcan 5-s and blast away.


    ¡°You realize what¡¯s going on, right,¡± Boreas says into his helmet radio.


    ¡°They¡¯ve sent away their Cell Circuit presence and are handing over Earth¡¯s security to second-rate super-soldiers and machines,¡± Astraeus answers.


    ¡°Yes,¡± says Boreas, ¡°Just what the hell is Notus doing?¡±


    ¡°Strange.¡±


    They floor their statbikes and go westward.

 Chapter XXII: A Vision In Oxford

    The headquarters of the Vakkar Industries is outside of Oxford, having completely incorporated swaths the small town of Witney westward of it in addition to a massive part of Oxford. It is the owner company of the Vakkar Institute, also located near Oxford and within the vast complex. Astraeus and Boreas leave the massive sprawl of London behind them moving at high speed. But this urban sprawl is not without a successor, as the gray machinosphere of the Vakkar Industries unravels before the duo of Cells. It¡¯s massive complexity is used for producing everything from war machines to cars, from phones to sonar devices, and from cancer cures to weapons of mass destruction more terrifying than any apocalypse.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite the sight,¡± says Boreas into his radio.


    ¡°Gaudy. I can¡¯t say I enjoy it,¡± says Astraeus.


    ¡°Me neither. It¡¯s beauty is akin to a slow train crash,¡± says Boreas.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± says Astraeus.


    ¡°We¡¯re a dozen kilometers out from the Institute. Things are weird here,¡± says Boreas, changing direction in unison with Astraeus.


    ¡°Eerie, as if everyone chose to ignore the Solar and Cell Codex. The planet being governed by a Cell is strange enough. Bots handling security is the vanilla icing on the mustard cake. Just plain weird.¡±


    They ride for a few minutes more and a large, several story circular complex grows in detail and size as they near it. A gigantic, round hockey puck, only white and blue from the limestone concrete and reinforced glass windows. Beside it, a few hundred meters away and massive in scope, a massive V-matter generator complex, producing thousands of nuclear reactors worth of power stands in the distance beside the Institute.


    Cars and vehicles from and to the Institute whiz by, people going about their lives. It seems everyone¡¯s accepted the blatant disregard for the threats that almost undid humanity a few centuries ago. They begin their descent towards the Institute and see tiny specks of people hurrying about going about their days. The sun is setting on the region, lights switch on as they approach, illuminating the massive scope of the complex.


    Astraeus and Boreas continue to land carefully, this time no VIP spots like in the LMPD have been designated so they aim their bikes in the guest area. Their communications devices get hailed as they approach the parking lot.


    ¡°Hailing the approaching Cell Circuits, marked Boreas and Astraeus of Caste Erebus. This area is off limits for Cells, state your business,¡± says a stern male voice in their ears.


    ¡°We¡¯re here on matters of highest interplanetary security. We¡¯re not at liberty to disclose information. We will contact Georgia Vakkar once we land,¡± says Boreas.


    ¡°I see. You will be expelled with force if you don¡¯t turn around,¡± says the male voice, ¡°I¡­ yes¡­,¡± he continues distracted, ¡°Right away, ma¡¯m. You¡¯ve been cleared to land. Proceed.¡±


    ¡°Expelled with force,¡± says Boreas to Astraeus on their secure channel.


    ¡°Amusing,¡± say Astraeus.


    They set their Vulcan 5s down near the entrance to the Institute and dismount, placing their helmets onto the handlebars. People again stop and stare. Some paused mid-stride, their conversations halting as they glanced at the duo. ¡®Cells? They¡¯re not supposed to be here,¡¯ someone whispered, their voice tinged with confusion. A child tugged at their parent¡¯s sleeve, pointing at the hulking figures with wide-eyed awe. The twenty floor high hockey puck housing the Institute is even more massive in presence when standing nearer to it. Illuminated offices busy with scientists and bureaucrats all being busy little bees unknowingly organizing agile development sprint meetings to hurry their progress towards their apocalypse.


    When they arrive at the entrance, they¡¯re greeted by a tall and slim blond woman in her early 40s. She¡¯s got piercing blue eyes and a sleek angular face with uncolored slightly pouting lips and her nose is slightly pointed upwards. She, too is flanked by two armed bots on her side. She says:


    ¡°Gentlemen, sorry for the inconvenient outburst of our security man,¡± in a calm voice, deep for a woman, ¡°I hope you don¡¯t take it personally.¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± says Boreas, intently looking at the two bots who are scanning him right back.


    ¡°Good,¡± she continues, ¡°My name is Dr. Georgia Vakkar, I¡¯m the chief scientist of this institute. My areas of expertise are mathematics and cryptography, biology, genetics and well, most everything you can think of. I¡¯ve spent my life studying all that mankind has developed or may develop.¡±


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    ¡°You¡¯re certainly very humble,¡± says Astraeus.


    ¡°I¡¯m merely stating a fact,¡± she says, ¡°What¡¯s your business here?¡±


    ¡°We were hoping to speak with you in private, doctor,¡± says Astraeus, ¡°Is there somewhere we won¡¯t be disturbed?¡±


    ¡°Naturally,¡± she says and almost commands, ¡°Follow me right this way.¡±


    She leads them through various parts of the offices and staircases, reaching finally a large tunnel veering off into different directions and from a lift, a platform with leather seats emerges. She motions them to follow her, and to take a seat, with which they comply. She also clicks two buttons on her datapad, causing the bots to stay behind. The platform bolts off along the tunnel like a mining cart, air ruffling their hairs a little.


    ¡°We can continue here while we ride into the facility and to my office. Walking is just not practical. What is it you wished to discuss?¡± she asks them.


    ¡°Dr. Vakkar, we are here on a matter of high importance and threat to the Solar Empire. Information has come to light that cannot be easily dismissed. We must stress that what we¡¯re about to share with you, is of the utmost secrecy and we expect complete discretion,¡± says Boreas.


    ¡°Oh? Did you contact governor Notus about it?¡± she asks immediately.


    ¡°No, and if you¡¯re allied to him, our continuation is fraught with trepidation. We¡¯re not exactly sure what¡¯s happening here on Earth either nor who we can trust,¡± Boreas continues.


    ¡°Good. As a matter of fact, I¡¯m not allied to that idiot,¡± she says, ¡°No offense. I am of the concern that Notus is acting with a high degree of inconsistency regarding the Cell Codex.¡±


    ¡°We suspect this too,¡± says Astraeus.


    The platform starts to slow down and soon they¡¯re in another place, accompanied again by two security bots. Boreas sends a look to Astraeus, which he reads like an open book. Why isn¡¯t she keeping those bots away, too? She¡¯s certainly honest about her disdain for Notus, her body language is clear as day to them.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it just annoying when you can¡¯t think out loud in peace?¡± she says abruptly as they walk, ¡°Just every facet of your expressions open to subversion.¡±


    Astraeus and Boreas now realize, that the bots are not there for her but for someone else. They¡¯re being watched! They choose to accept her bureaucratesian corporate speak as the mode for communication. Boreas says:


    ¡°Yes, indeed, Dr. Vakkar. I for one wish to congratulate you for conveying this very important concept and message.¡±


    ¡°Quite so,¡± says Astraeus, ¡°Subversiveness is a tool most often used by the ones we dislike. It¡¯s especially unpleasant when it¡¯s used by someone we might consider above all that.¡±


    ¡°I concur,¡± says Dr. Vakkar, ¡°This might be especially dangerous. I¡¯ve grown to learn that knowledge more intimate is more insidious.¡±


    ¡°What a fantastic addition to our conversation,¡± says Boreas as they take a sharp left into a hallway with a single double door in the end.


    ¡°Yes,¡± says Astraeus, ¡°I enjoy it too.¡±


    They arrive at the end of the hallway and Dr. Vakkar again is able to make the robots stand outside. Her office is large and square, without any windows. It¡¯s white, almost blindingly so with the lights on. The walls and bookshelves are filled with Cell memorabilia and her forefather¡¯s trinkets and heirlooms. She walks over to her desk and takes out a device which she activates, emitting a hum around the trio.


    ¡°Oscillating noise sequencer,¡± she says, ¡°They can hear us through the door otherwise.¡±


    ¡°Quite impressive for an old professor,¡± says Astraeus.


    ¡°My,¡± she says, ¡°Funny, aren¡¯t you. I figured out that I was being listened a few years ago. I can continue most of my work despite that but have since taken precautions to not say or do anything too revealing while around them.¡±


    ¡°How did you figure it out?¡± asks Boreas, looking at an old tablet, covered in smudges and fingerprints.


    ¡°Things I thought I was muttering to myself kept being brought up in places where people would never know about them otherwise,¡± she says, ¡°clearly, someone¡¯s done a lousy job of keeping information secure.¡±


    ¡°Could it not be a coincidence?¡± Astraeus asks, shaking and staring at a snowglobe with a figure of a Cell inside. A toy from a bygone era.


    ¡°I am 100% sure it wasn¡¯t and one day I can tell you how I know that¡±, she says, ¡°But you have a matter you wish to discuss?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± says Boreas, still examining the old artifacts. He¡¯s focused on a prototype power sword hanging on the wall in a glass case, signed by Dr. Gobb Vakkar.


    ¡°It¡¯s come to our attention via our brethren in arms, Eurus, of Caste Erebus, that the Machine Revolt lives on beyond the Solar Empire. Codices entail that we must restart producing Cells,¡± he continues.


    ¡°Eurus? That¡¯s interesting,¡± she says.


    ¡°Why so?¡± Astraeus asks.


    ¡°I¡¯ve read through old files that apparently when he was being produced, great difficulty was planting the Codex in him as he continually rejected parts of it. I thought him long dead,¡± Boreas momentarily stops examining the room and watches her as she says this, analyzing her body language in third person. She¡¯s telling the truth.


    ¡°Well, it worked,¡± says Astraeus.


    ¡°But the Machine Revolt? Are you certain?¡± she asks.


    ¡°Eurus is. And we know he has intelligence capable of proving that resoundly in the form of an outer world civilization called the Tomorrans who have had a rough encounter with our Machines,¡± Astraeus continues. Boreas keeps examining everything in the room with curiosity.


    ¡°I see. Well I don¡¯t know how to help you right now. The Institute has almost no records on your creation as they were destroyed. But I do know you need a right female to set off the chain reaction designed by Dr Gobb Vakkar. So¡­ good luck!¡±


    ¡°We already have her,¡± says Astraeus.


    Georgia jolted upright, her piercing gaze locking onto Astraeus. For the first time, her carefully composed demeanor cracked, revealing a flicker of urgency. ¡®You¡¯re sure?¡¯ she asked, her voice a notch sharper ¡°Positive,¡± says Astraeus.


    ¡°Bring her to me. I will help you if that¡¯s the case. Now if you¡¯ll excuse me, I need to start making preparations to make our inquiries incognito and looking at leads we will need. Have a nice ride back to Cell HQ! Bye,¡± she says as she dives into her terminal, now completely oblivious to their presence.


    Boreas and Astraeus take a little time to get out of the building but ultimately fly back towards Cell HQ without much of any worries. They clear the immediate proximity and send their findings to Eurus.

 Chapter XXIII: The Prodigal Son

    After their meal, Eurus and Kalopsia drive back to Cell HQ in London. The car ride is somewhat quiet as Kalopsia is feeling full and also sleepy, she occasionally comments about something she¡¯s seen from her history books or her favorite streamcast, like the Millenium Bridge. They park back inside the vehicle bay and Eurus takes her to show her his chamber. In London as well, his is again higher up in the structure. The elevator takes them to the right floor, almost a kilometer high, looking over the city. The Sun is setting but the elevator ride is fast enough and takes them high enough to court the Sun back out to decorate Eurus¡¯ room and the duo with its red hue.


    ¡°Wow,¡± says Kalopsia, ¡°So this is where a Cell stays. It¡¯s nice. Minimal.¡±


    ¡°Yes. If a Cell is functioning properly, there¡¯s no reason to collect things here. Any entertainment or piece of vanity can be requisitioned for, but to my knowledge, this is exceedingly rare,¡± Eurus says.


    ¡°Still,¡± Kalopsia says, ¡°A bed, a couch and a small kitchenette. No entertainment complex, nary a bathroom with a bath. Seems a bit unfit for an ancient warrior, more suitable for a struggling porn star,¡± she says.


    Eurus blows a chuckling of air through his nose and says: ¡°Well we¡¯re both dedicated at least.¡±


    She sits down on the couch, lounging back a bit. Her prior tense demeanor now mellowed a bit. She says: ¡°Say, do you have any beer?¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Eurus says, ¡°Celebrating, are we?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t had a drink in forever and I can¡¯t drink when I¡¯m pregnant, dude, that¡¯s just irresponsible. Even I know that!¡± she quips.


    Eurus presses a few buttons on the countertop of his kitchen and says:


    ¡°On its way.¡±


    He sets himself down on the opposite end of the couch from Kalopsia, looking at her intently. She¡¯s looking around the minimalist apartment and then her eyes draw towards the huge window. She says:


    ¡°Why do you get the penthouse? I¡¯m sure a Caste Tigris or Caste Septra Cell would like to watch something else than megastructures full of struggling families, workers and people having sex, too.¡±


    ¡°The height of the apartment is determined by your confirmed kill count during the Machine Revolt,¡± Eurus says.


    ¡°Really?¡± Kalopsia exclaims.


    ¡°No. It was randomly assigned. I just had the luck of the draw,¡± Eurus says back. Kalopsia¡¯s eyes widen at the shock of his dry wit. She then lets out a burst of laughter at the ludicrousness of what she heard.


    A ¡°ding!¡± goes off in the kitchen. Eurus stands up and walks to the counter, opening a compartment in it, and takes out a six pack of cold beers ¨C his favorite brand, the Falkonturm. He pours both of them a glass, 1/10th foam ¨C a perfect pour.


    They start drinking then, and Kalopsia says:


    ¡°Did you learn to fight in a gym? Hard to imagine that punching bag,¡± she asks.


    ¡°No, we were bred with a base set of skills for non lethal and lethal combat protocols,¡± he answers.


    ¡°I see,¡± she says, sipping from her glass. She smacks her lips, white with foam, and chugs a few gulps more, before letting out a satisfied ¡°Mmm¡­¡±


    ¡°We learn more during combat, and at times Mind Palace simulations. Would you like to try?¡± Eurus asks.


    ¡°But I just started drinking,¡± she mockingly whines.


    ¡°We can take the beers to go,¡± Eurus says.


    He takes the six pack and they go to the elevator. Eurus presses a button and the lift shoots downward. After a few seconds of descent it stops, and the doors open. Behind them stands none other than Notus. He has a slight smirk and he bellows:


    ¡°Eurus, my brother. I received word you were in town! What brings you here?¡±


    ¡°Just teaching this girl some basic combat skills,¡± Eurus says.


    Notus steps in the lift and joins them in their descent. He then says:


    ¡°Combat training while chugging beer? That¡¯s cool¡­ I¡¯m Notus by the way,¡± he reaches his hand to shake her, but she doesn¡¯t oblige.


    ¡°Okay¡­ and what¡¯s your name?¡± Notus asks.


    ¡°It¡¯s Loretta,¡± she says dryly.


    ¡°Loretta¡­¡± Notus repeats dryly, ¡°Of course. Very pleasant to meet you, Loretta, such a pretty name. It symbolizes honor, a kind of honesty.¡±


    ¡°It also notes distinction and victory,¡± Eurus says. He looks at Kalopsia. Her left, closest eyebrow slightly raised as she sends a smirk Eurus¡¯s way.


    The elevator finally descends to the correct floor and the trio exit, moving towards the training area. They slowly walk through a well lit concrete hallway, with no pillars, no tactical liabilities, exemplifying the functionalism of a Cell HQ. Notus says to ¡°Loretta¡± as they walk:


    ¡°Has Eurus told you what the single most important part of a Cell¡¯s abilities or skills is?¡±


    Kalopsia looks at Eurus and says to Notus: ¡°No. But I assume I¡¯m about to find out?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the footwork,¡± says Notus, ¡°A lot of humans or other adversaries think it¡¯s our weaponry or strength. While not insignificant, they aren¡¯t primary.¡±


    They walk to the end of the concrete hallway and large metal doors whir open. At least 30 centimeters thick, they¡¯re built to withstand severe punishment to deter unwanted entry. A short walkway and an eyewateringly enormous circular chamber start switching on its lights. It¡¯s a deep chasm, certainly lethal when one should fall. There¡¯s a command module there which they walk to. Kalopsia asks:


    ¡°I thought Cells were bred for combat? Why would you need this ¨C it doesn¡¯t make any sense?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it may seem like this,¡± Eurus says, ¡°However there may be optimal footwork protocols that our creators didn¡¯t originally account for. On Tor for instance, the Higgs gas chasms ¨C it can support the weight of a Cell but only if we move in a certain way. Or some old protocols may end up streamlined by some mathematician or tactical development. A Cell can always train, even if they¡¯re in peak form. How do you think that¡¯s maintained?¡±


    ¡°Combat?¡± she asks.


    ¡°And training,¡± Eurus says, ¡°Though there¡¯s no substitute for the real heat and stress of war, molding the amorphous goo of vague combat concepts into diamons of skill, training helps one create enough pressure to not end up with putty for their blade in terms of ability.¡±


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°What now?¡± she asks.


    ¡°Eurus, if I may,¡± Notus asks, ¡°Perhaps start her off with the fractal plane training?¡±


    ¡°Oh, great idea,¡± Eurus says, pressing buttons and dials.


    The room around them shifts, from below them, millions of hexagonal plates float up nearly to their level, constructing a floor around them. Kalopsia looks in confusion. She doesn¡¯t get it. Notus sees her confusion and so does Eurus, and the former says:


    ¡°Go on, Loretta,¡± encouraging her, ¡°Take a step.¡±


    She carefully places her foot on one plate¡­ Then another. She stands firm and secure on two hexacognal plates. She looks back at the two Cells. Eurus says:


    ¡°Now, can you see the glowing hologram dot?¡±


    She looks at the bright golden ball of light, nary a centimeter across whisping around her. She keeps her eyes on it.


    ¡°Try to grab it,¡± Eurus says.


    Kalopsia immediately catches it, feeling the slight warmth it glows.


    ¡°Very good,¡± Eurus continues, ¡°The wisp will get faster every time you catch it, but never fast enough to not be caught. All you need to do is keep catching up to it.¡±


    Kalopsia manages to catch it a few times without having to move her feet. But after the fourth time she does, the wisp picks up in speed, now forcing her to start moving after it. When she lunges she gets it in her hand again, resetting the simulation. Another lunge, and the wisp is in her hand. She needs to lunge twice the next time to catch it. But the wisp keeps speeding up. She¡¯s coaxed into a slight jog, catching it a few times. The fractal plane starts to shift a little. One of the iterations cause her to stumble and crash into the ground.


    ¡°Ow!¡± Kalopsia exclaims, ¡°The fuck? What¡¯s happening to the ground?¡±


    ¡°It shifts as you succeed more. The faster you go the more it will eventually shift,¡± Eurus says.


    ¡°Really¡­ sounds stupid,¡± she says.


    ¡°Loretta,¡± Notus says, ¡°The idea is to make you keep your eyes on the target and let your periphery and subconscious worry about the terrain. Your movement should not be a weakness wherever you go.¡±


    Kalopsia says: ¡°Oh, yeah? You show me how it¡¯s done!¡±


    Notus barely changes his demeanor but Eurus picks a slight whiff of nervousness in Notus.


    ¡°Challenge accepted,¡± Notus says, ¡°Eurus, start me out at around 30%, been a while for me.¡±


    Eurus complies and Kalopsia climbs on the platform now watching the chase of the wisp commence with Notus. The ground shifts abruptly and dramatically, her challenge felt like baby formula next to a Carolina Reaper pepper in comparison. She continued to watch him catch the wisp and the shifts in the terrain increase in intensity. Finally, at around 70%, Notus takes his first stumble, narrowly catching the wisp, but landing on his stomach.


    ¡°Okay¡­ Done¡­,¡± says Notus, ¡°It¡¯s pretty hard to go beyond this.¡±


    Eurus then says: ¡°Are you fucking kidding me?¡±


    Notus looks confused. Eurus continues, ¡°This isn¡¯t difficult, climb on the platform Notus, show ya how it¡¯s done.¡±


    Notus sets in the parameters at 70%. When Notus reached 70%, the plates were forming a stormy sea-like structure shifting ever so slightly as he continued catching the wisp. Eurus closed his eyes, catching the wisp without moving the first time. He opened them again, chasing the next iteration of the wisp, the ground around him shifting as if trying to run on a landslide. His mind sharp, eyes almost capturing every spark of an atomic collision, his legs aren¡¯t going to fail him either. The simulation reaches 90%, Eurus is still not even breaking a sweat. The hexagons now shoot up randomly, as if geisers are buried beneath the sea of storms. At a 100%, Eurus is chasing the wisp kicking and flipping of every treacherous reroll of any next hexagon, keeping his eye on the goal. He catches it again. And again. And over and over and over and over again he does it at 100%. He jumps back on the platform, jolting his brows twice at Notus and Kalopsia with a palpable ¡°Can¡¯t hack it? ¨C Obviously a skill issue¡±.


    Kalopsia can¡¯t help but feel a paternal admiration towards Eurus. The threat of a reckless Notus now seems less significant to her as she realizes her dad could beat up ¡°their dad¡±. They go back to Eurus¡¯ quarters.


    Eurus allows Kalopsia, now tired from the training to go to sleep. Notus and Eurus remain alone in the quarters and though they¡¯ve been drinking, alcohol has no effect on a Cell Circuit¡¯s physiology ¨C making them practically incapable of getting drunk.


    Notus says: ¡°Now that we¡¯re alone, I feel I could reveal that I¡¯m well aware she¡¯s Kalopsia Chromo, or a creation of Dr. Gobb Vakkar. Might I ask, why she and you are here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve gotten tangible evidence and proof that the Machine Revolt continues its existence outside the Solar Empire. According to the Cell Codex, and to the Imperial Codex, this calls for the immediate reactivation of the Cell production process,¡± Eurus responds.


    ¡°The Machine Revolt? Alive? Very troubling,¡± Notus says, ¡°I can offer my complete services to help you. Is there anything I can do?¡±


    ¡°As a matter of fact there is something you can answer first,¡± Eurus says, ¡°I am curious to hear why did you choose to ignore the Codex by allowing the number of Cells on Earth to drop to such low numbers per capita? The appropriate number is 1 per 10 million residents, but here you have 30, making it 1 per 300 million? This is a discrepancy that is off 30-fold?¡±


    ¡°I understand your concern,¡± Notus says, ¡°But by becoming governor of Earth, I¡¯ve managed to turn around its trajectory towards Imperial obscurity and turmoil. The streets are safe, there are no real wars aside from a few minor religious skirmishes here and there. I didn¡¯t see the use of holding 900 Cells here when they could easily serve on the outskirts of the Solar Empire where military capability is in sore need like on Herkula, Gaya and Tor.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Eurus says, ¡°We would need to track down Dr. Gobb Vakkar¡¯s work to start. I know that his documentation was hidden centuries ago if not destroyed. Do you know where I can start?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± says Notus, ¡°I recommend Siberia. That¡¯s where the production was first put underway as far as I know. I can give you exact coordinates of the facilities and hospitals they first camped out in, perhaps there is something remaining there?¡±


    ¡°Very good, thank you,¡± says Eurus.


    Notus says his farewell and gets on his way. Eurus also lays down onto his bed, to allow his thought processes to terminate and restart.


    -


    I see around me a room. This room is stacked out with books almost like a library. But it doesn¡¯t have the usual sorting like a real library would by author¡¯s names or by theme. It feels privately owned. The chair I¡¯m sitting in is leather, its smooth surface familiar on my skin. I¡¯m holding a tumbler of whisky in my hand and its aroma is smoky of burning oak, texture thick and taste at first metallic with an aftertaste of sweet sherry. The doors to the room are sliding doors, crafted, meticulous and weighty. I¡¯m calm, relaxed. I hear footsteps outside.


    The sliding door opens. In the threshold stands an unexpected figure ¨C a woman, tall and beautiful. Mirra looks me in the eye in her dashing evening dress, and slippers. She gives me a smile and walks over, sits next to me in the other armchair and pours herself a glass of whisky as well. She looks at me, reading the surprise on my demeanor.


    ¡°So, super soldier mine, how was the trip?¡± she asks.


    ¡°Heavy. You weigh on my being,¡± I respond.


    ¡°Aww¡­ I feel sad for you,¡± she says.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I wasn¡¯t there on time, that it ended this way,¡± I say.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not dwell on the past,¡± she responds, ¡°Instead, let¡¯s focus on the future. What¡¯s your feel of the place? Earth?¡±


    ¡°Strange. But I¡¯m happy that Notus chooses to help us. I was afraid he¡¯d abandoned the Codex but his reasoning is sound if not a little unconventional.¡±


    ¡°In my home, we had a word for this kind of strange,¡± Mirra tells me, ¡°I¡¯d use the word ¡®suspicious¡¯ to describe the Governor Saint Notus.¡±


    ¡°Suspicious? Why?¡±


    ¡°He sends away Earth¡¯s Cells. There are no visible Navigator Class dreadnoughts. Earth would be unable to project power if need be.¡±


    I feel unsettled, she¡¯s hinting at something.


    ¡°Let me spell it out for you,¡± Mirra says, ¡°There are two types of incompetence ¨C unintentional and intentional. Seeing as Notus is a Cell Circuit albeit out of practice, I¡¯d wager on it being intentional. He¡¯s doing exactly what I¡¯d do when I was in charge of the Leone family. When I ran the Leone family, the best way to keep someone in line was to pretend to be their ally. Notus knows this game, and I don¡¯t trust people who play it better than I do.¡±


    ¡°Meaning?¡±


    ¡°Why would he barge in here, learn about Kalopsia? Perhaps he¡¯s interested in helping you to keep an eye on you?¡±


    ¡°If he was nefarious, would he give me Siberia just like that?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Consider the old chess masters,¡± she says, ¡°Masters like Capablanca and Carlsen. Their opponents would describe facing them as initially easy, their plans being allowed to play out. They also said that the reason why their plans were allowed to be completed was because Capablanca or Carlsen knew these plans would be terrible and would cause their defeat.¡±


    ¡°Notus wouldn¡¯t play games with humanity¡¯s survival,¡± I tell her.


    ¡°Who said anything about humanity¡¯s survival? He¡¯s playing games with you succeeding,¡± she says, ¡°He¡¯s spritzing you with the perfume of hope, while drowning you in his lies.¡±


    ¡°Graphic¡­ and speculative,¡± I say, ¡°Maybe you just don¡¯t like him. You¡¯re emotional as a human.¡±


    ¡°I am emotional, it¡¯s what you love about me, remember? There are things science and reason cannot answer. The scientific method provides us answers we don¡¯t know, but art, and music, they fill in the gaps. I¡¯m telling you that I think there are gaps here Notus hopes you¡¯ll overlook.¡±


    ¡°I see. I¡¯ll be on my guard, then,¡± Eurus says, ¡°Thanks for the advice. I¡¯ve missed you much.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too sappy. Let¡¯s go out. I wanna take your memory of Pap¨¹lonis for a test drive.¡±


    I then spend my dream with her. We have a good time, go out and enjoy the city of Pap¨¹lonis from my memory. Every part of her, her body, her mind feels authentic to me. The Mirra I knew is now part of me as her Pneuma has awakened.

 Chapter XXIV: Recon

    The next day in Cell HQ London is filled with an aura of tension in the common area. Astraeus and Boreas have returned from their expedition to Oxford and given a summary of what happened there to Eurus and Kalopsia. They in turn were brought up to speed about Notus¡¯ visit and offer. Eurus has requisitioned a full breakfast for Kalopsia.


    ¡°Boreas,¡± Eurus says, ¡°Could you establish a safe connection with Dr. Georgia Vakkar? I understand she wants Kalopsia to go to Oxford, but we can¡¯t leave her here alone and on the other hand we need the assistance from her expertise.¡±


    Boreas responds, with his brow furled:


    ¡°It may be possible. It¡¯ll take a few hours if we want to be thorough.¡±


    ¡°No, I want you to be sloppy,¡± Kalopsia chimes in with a smile.


    ¡°Funny one, isn¡¯t she,¡± Astraeus responds, ¡°What will we do in the mean time?¡±


    ¡°We will go to Cell HQ Archives and dig up anything we have on Siberia, any mission reports, anything to see what we¡¯re up against or looking for,¡± Eurus says.


    ¡°What will Kalopsia do?¡± Boreas asks.


    ¡°She can go down to the training chamber, and start training more, she may need to be able to protect herself,¡± Eurus says.


    ¡°Understood,¡± Boreas says and then Astraeus.


    Boreas goes to the Cell Communications Hub in Cell HQ London. Each Cell¡¯s living quarters have the capacity for basic telecommunications but the Communications Hub is equipped with advanced technologies as well as older and more foolproof ones. Boreas flicks on the mainframe which houses most of the links to the output nodes which would send his messages in whichever form he may choose.


    ¡°Hm¡­,¡± Boreas says, frowning his brow, ¡°That¡¯s odd¡­¡±


    He tries to make the message secure but even with a wired telegram or basic radio encryptions require the absence of prying eyes.


    ¡°I should try the PHy-X34 port logger...,¡± he mutters, ¡°Testing reroute return to Cell HQ. Message sent.¡±


    He then waits for a few seconds until the message makes the round trip back to Cell HQ. It comes back:


    ¡°¡¯Test Message 11¡¯¡± and in it is an additional nested value with the information: ¡°ROUTE PATH: Cell HQ London, AB1 Comm Array, L99 NET, SIS ARRAY, L99 NET, AB1 Comm Array, Cell HQ London.¡±


    ¡°The hell?¡± Boreas mutters again, ¡°Routed through the SIS? Highly irregular.¡±


    Cell communications might use public infrastructure to work but they should never go directly through a government institution or organization. But in this case Boreas has discovered that his messages are routed through the Secret Intelligence Service arrays no matter how he might choose to send them. It means that no matter how he might encrypt it, the fact that it goes through the Secret Intelligence Services network means, that they likely at least collect the message and also might be able to crack the encryption. This is not at all in accordance with the Cell Codex nor with the Imperial Codex as any Cell Circuit activity including communications are by default considered clandestine and therefore top secret in nature, only to be revealed at the discretion of the Cell Circuit or Cell Circuits involved.


    ¡°Time to give them a show,¡± Boreas chuckles, ¡°No point in encryption it seems.¡±


    Taking note from the meeting he had with Dr. Vakkar, he writes a message taking inspiration from her corpo bureaucrat jargon.


    ¡°Dear Dr. Vakkar,


    I am writing to you because I can no longer hold it a secret what feelings I have for you. It is foreign for a Cell but I have talked to people around me and they say it¡¯s definitely love. So here I say: I love you, Dr. Vakkar. Georgia, you are so beautiful and sexy and smart and funny I can no longer hold my hands off you.


    Can you meet me at Oxford Blackboot Caf¨¦? Come alone because I must make my attempt at serenading you and giving you a beautiful date. Please come in 20 minutes, my heart and soul yearn for you and I must make my feelings clear in person.


    With enormous feelings of love,


    Boreas of Caste Erebus¡±


    Meanwhile¡­ Dr. Vakkar is sitting in her office pondering about the recent visit she had by the super soldiers. She¡¯s not privy to top secret information but the very implications of their words are trapped in her mind, clattering and bouncing around behind her furled brow. She thinks about the possibility of The Machine Revolt continuing and why it might¡¯ve happened. It must¡¯ve escaped, that much is obvious, but how could it have done this? The Cell Circuits turned the tide of war almost immediately as they were deployed, quickly numbering the days the Data Mother had left on this Earth. Its destruction was also confirmed by independent analysts and sources. But the Cell Codex along with the Imperial clearly dictate that Cell production is allowed when and only when a cybernetic threat occurs. The fact that the Cells are attempting to do just that must mean they are certain the Machine Revolt lives. Then her terminal screen chimes. She opens a message from Boreas moving her mouth along the words.


    ¡°¡­definitely love¡­¡± she mutters, ¡°¡­is he having a stroke?¡±


    She continues reading and mumbles again:


    ¡°¡­sexy¡­ funny¡­,¡± she looks visibly confused, ¡°¡­alone¡­ serenating¡­¡±


    She looks up as if trying to remember something but then it clicks. Boreas must be operating with the knowledge that Cell HQ Communications Hub has been bugged. That¡¯s why he¡¯s writing this obscure message to her.


    ¡°20¡­ minutes,¡± she says and stands up.


    She goes out of her office and tells her mechs.


    ¡°I am going out to lunch and to meet a very dear and romantic and personal partner of mine. Please do not follow,¡± she says.


    ¡°Understood,¡± the mechs say.


    20 minutes later the duo are sitting in the caf¨¦ they agreed to meet in, Boreas on one side of the tiny table, looking almost like a children¡¯s doll house toy compared to his towering figure, and Georgia on the other. She¡¯s ordered a large pot of tea for herself and Boreas to share. She says:


    ¡°Oh, my dear lover. I am so happy you called me, I was worried you might be having a medical emergency at first, but then realized the truthfulness of your message. I love you too, Boreas.¡±


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s continue this serenade for all to hear,¡± Boreas says, ¡°For you, my love, no feeling must be left unexpressed and unheard by others.¡±


    ¡°Express your feelings freely for they are surely reciprocated by me, the universal genius and leading expert in almost all scientific fields including genetics and cybernetics,¡± she says.


    ¡°Oh, my sweet dove,¡± Boreas says emotively, ¡°I am very glad to hear this. I hope today after you are liberated from the coils of servitude at the Institute you¡¯ll find time to come see me at my humble abode.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ yes,¡± she coos, ¡°I certainly will as I yearn for you with every breath I take. Would we be alone or do you have entertainers planned for my long-awaited visit.¡±


    ¡°Entertainers are indeed coming,¡± Boreas says, ¡°For you, no expense will be spared, my sweet little angel. I have a beautiful dancer for you with all femininity and exotic features that might entice you and she is fully ready for you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, how wonderful,¡± she says, ¡°Is that all?¡±


    ¡°Almost, my lovely lady, I also have a gift for your eyes and body only,¡± Boreas says, taking out a small jewellery box.


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    Georgia takes the box from him while Boreas sips tea. She opens it a little to reveal the communication device Eurus once gave Mirra.


    ¡°Oh¡­ Such expense indeed must¡¯ve been spared, but I see your adulation for me by giving me this,¡± she says.


    ¡°Yes, only for you, my love,¡± Boreas says, ¡°It¡¯ll connect us such that no other can fathom our deep love.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, lover,¡± Georgia says.


    Boreas finishes his tea and gives her cheek a kiss, then he leaves.


    At the same time Astraeus and Eurus are in the Cell Intelligence center in Cell HQ. They activate the holographic spy-desk which hums to life and displays a wide array of menus and tools. Feeding the coordinates Notus gave them into the machine, it displays a map of Siberia with the 8 sites noted onto it with the names. Eurus says:


    ¡°Hmm¡­ the distances aren¡¯t too severe but we still have no idea how long each facility has remained inactive nor we have information about their internal size.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps we should see if there are any mission reports from Cell Seek And Destroy missions,¡± Astraeus says.


    ¡°Great idea,¡± Eurus says.


    He works through the menus to find the records from centuries ago. They cross reference them with the locations provided by Notus. All of the sites have been visited by Cells and destroyed according to the records.


    ¡°Hmh,¡± Eurus grunts quietly, ¡°Seems like we¡¯re late to the party.¡±


    ¡°Not quite,¡± Astraeus says, ¡°Check out the mission completion times.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Eurus says, ¡°They¡¯re very regular and consistent.¡±


    ¡°They are,¡± Astraeus says looking at Eurus.


    ¡°Ah, I see,¡± Eurus continues, ¡°The sizes of the facilities are not consistent, varying to a greater degree than the operational completion times.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Astraeus says, ¡°Therefore it may point to the fact that not all of them were dismantled as thoroughly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sending in Multi-Array Drones,¡± Eurus says, flicking a switch on the table. The screen reads: ¡°8 RECON DRONES DISPATCHED. CHOOSE OPERATIONAL PROTOCOL.¡±


    Eurus presses a few more buttons on the holographic screen. ¡°TOPOGRAPHICAL MAPPING INITIATED. ETA TO LOCATIONS ¨C 10 minutes.¡±


    ¡°Look at this report,¡± Astraeus says, ¡°It says here that the Cells were dispatched to intercept attempts to gain access to Cell technology.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Eurus says, ¡°Interesting and expectable. You remember the governments back in the day?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Astraeus says, ¡°Rushing to own our successors. After all they learned during the Machine Revolt, they try to do it again.¡±


    ¡°Humans are persistent if nothing else,¡± Eurus says.


    ¡°Some of the facilities were destroyed in the nick of time it seems,¡± Astraeus, ¡°Further confirming that different magnitudes of the facilities was not a key factor. They were destroyed to look like accidents. Spec ops teams didn¡¯t bother searching them after arrival. Looking good, Eurus, looking good.¡±


    The drones arrive at the locations soon after. ¡°SONAR PULSE MAPPING ACTIVATED¡±


    In Siberia near the facilities now a loud almost metallic and bassy banging could be heard. The Drones hovering over the facilities are blasting the ground with enormous and explosive blasts of sound to map out any underground structures.


    ¡°Look here,¡± Eurus says, ¡°These three are massive it seems, sonar not even scratching the bottom probably.¡±


    ¡°Looks like we found our doors number 1, 2 and 3,¡± Astraeus says, ¡°Time to move.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Eurus flicks off the device and they go to the vehicle bay to board the H-Craft again to fly to Siberia.


    Simoultaneously, Kalopsia is now in the training facility where she is again running across the fractal plane. She keeps stumbling at around 30% difficulty but she¡¯s determined to not give up. The waves in the fractal plane are totally random but even still she¡¯s having success at navigating them up to that level, the waves becoming almost as high as her hip. She realizes that she mustn¡¯t try to match the speed of the shiny orb whizzing in front of her but rather match her speed with the waves and avoid going into a full sprint when possible. After a few more attempts she manages to push her score up to 35%, but still she stumbles.


    She then returns to the main console and looks at other training programs.


    ¡°Onslaught Evasion¡­¡± she mumbles, ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    She activates the Onslaught Evasion program, and the screen reads: ¡°ONSLAUGHT EVASION: AVOID CAPTURE FOR 5 MINUTES. CENTRALIZE USER IN THE SPACE TO CONTINUE.¡±


    She presses the initiation button and walks to the center of the training chamber. Suddenly the lights go out and the entire chamber goes pitch black. Around her she can hear a fluttering and faint but rapid clicking. Then as she looks around, a sky is formed blue and cloudy at places, the Sun is simulated and to her surprise, it emits heat like the real thing would. Then the ground around her shakes and rumbles, and she finds herself standing in dust and sand and around her a desolate wartorn town is formed reminiscent of Stalingrad in WWII.


    ¡°FIVE MINUTES READY USER¡­ EXECUTE.¡±


    Suddenly voices appear in the distance speaking in some foreign language she cannot understand. But when she peeks around the corner of her street she sees a small squad of 15 soldiers clearly advancing and looking into every crevace and door and busted apart shop.


    Then she hears a shouting from behind her and turns around to see 5 soldiers looking right at her, pointing their guns. She quickly ducks into one of the blasted buildings and runs through the rubble and remains of people¡¯s living rooms. She can hear them gaining on her as the men enter the building as well.


    Shouting and shuffling behind her as she runs through a staircase and finds herself in the basement of that building, stacked high with boxes and people¡¯s personal belongings. She finds herself at a dead end, knowing that the soldiers are drawing close too but then notices a box obstructing a window she can open. She wrestles the tiny passage open and presses herself through. For a moment she turns around to see the soldiers flooding the basement and she hightails towards what looks like a town hall building or a church, with a few towers sticking out, one of which has collapsed.


    ¡°FIRST STAGE COMPLETE. INITIATING NEXT FIVE MINUTES.¡±


    She gets into the town hall building and peeks out of one of the windows. The streets are now a lot busier with several larger squads of 15-20 soldiers are patrolling it. They are still talking in a language she can¡¯t understand but one of them points at the central building she is hiding in, clearly commanding a part of his squad to check out her hiding place. She tries to find some cupboard or closet or passage she could perhaps crawl into but it¡¯s not successful. Luckily for her, she does find a back door to the building and escapes from the other side.


    She sees a half-destroyed kindergarden or a preschool ahead of her and wagers that it must have janitorial closets and tiny spaces she could crawl into to hide. Crouching behind destroyed cars and rubble, she quietly sneaks towards the children¡¯s establishment. On her way there she sees corpses of a few kids, vivid, and disgusting. While aware that nothing she sees is real there, the sight still disturbs and startles her, knowing things like that probably did occur in history. She then sneaks into the preschool, which is 2 stories high and about 700 square meters in area.


    Slowly, shuffling through the hallways she can see drawings and remains of the people whose simulations met their tragic ends there, making her even more disturbed. She then hears the voice say:


    ¡°SECOND STAGE COMPLETE. INITIATING NEXT FIVE MINUTES.¡±


    She then hears voices of soldiers in the pre school, filling some hallways beyond her sight. Clearly more soldiers have been added and some are quite near judging from the sounds. She sees shadows huddling on the walls where the sun casts their mark and tries to sneak away back towards the way she came. But as she is about to turn the corner, she sees from the corner of her eye that one of the classrooms is not empty and suddenly 20 men come rushing out of the classroom.


    She tries to stand up and run but is immediately tackled by a few of them. She manages to push the first two off and to kick another one down but the men are too much for her, and one gives her a solid punch in the stomach, knocking her wind out of her. While she¡¯s reeling she is again wrestled down and she¡¯s now on her back. She frightfully thinks about what is going to happen next as she¡¯s in a position all too common for a woman in a warzone, but instead one of the soldiers just takes their rifle to her head. As they pull the trigger, the men disappear the room goes back to normal.


    ¡°SIMULATION COMPLETE. FAILURE AT STAGE THREE.¡±


    She stands up again and feels her heart pounding hard in her chest while she heaves breath. She holds down the sudden urge to vomit at the stress, while bending herself a little, supporting her weight on her knees with her hands. She then mumbles: ¡°I won¡¯t be trying that again for a while. Screw that I have enough nightmares as it is.¡±


    After her emotionally and physically demanding training session comes to an end she finds herself lounging in the common area when Boreas returns from his meeting with Dr. Georgia Vakkar. He sees that Kalopsia is sitting on one of the leather seats, blankly staring at the ground. Sensing her emotional fragility, he chooses a seat close to her. He says nothing, just giving her the physical feeling companionship, which can be delivered in silence. But he doesn¡¯t have to wait for long until a conversation is struck up by Kalopsia.


    ¡°That training program¡­ I don¡¯t know if I wanna try again,¡± she says.


    ¡°Which one are you talking about?¡± Boreas asks.


    ¡°The Onslaught Evasion one,¡± she says.


    ¡°Ah yes, I was wondering how you would respond to it, as it¡¯s initially unpleasant for everyone to lose it,¡± Boreas says, ¡°What was your scenario?¡±


    ¡°I went with the default one. It felt like some older battle scenario or location, there were no megastructures anywhere, just foreign soldiers chanting,¡± she says.


    ¡°Did they have short or long coats?¡± Boreas asks.


    ¡°Long¡­ and brown I think,¡± Kalopsia says.


    ¡°I see. It was likely a World War II scenario simulation. It¡¯s based structurally around what was then Stalingrad but narratively it¡¯s structured around Koenigsberg when the Soviets did atrocities to women there and all kinds other nasty things.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Kalopsia says, ¡°Well I can¡¯t say I liked that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a daunting one, but the standard setting. I imagine they got pretty weird when they caught you for a moment?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she says.


    ¡°Well that¡¯s alright,¡± Boreas says, ¡°The simulation might even hit you in the face with a gun¡¯s stock which would knock out your teeth, but the pain is actually simulated from your own mind, you are in no real danger there.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± she says looking a little perplexed, ¡°So why should I take it seriously?¡±


    ¡°Well the pain is meant to serve as a foil to whoever things they can approach it not seriously,¡± Boreas says, ¡°And the scenarios are meant to become more disturbing as they go on and feed on your fears because you¡¯re supposed to be able to ignore that in the heat of battle. You must embrace the pain in the simulator to be able to avoid it in a real world setting. You flinch, you die. This is the antidote to the flinch.¡±


    ¡°How could I ignore the threat of being captured, tortured and raped or killed?¡± she asks.


    ¡°It¡¯s not how could you, it¡¯s that you must. Fear acts as a paralytic. You must keep your mind clear and objective if you¡¯re to evade any search party and to be constantly aware of your surroundings. By focusing on only one aspect of it is a recipe for failure,¡± Boreas says.


    ¡°How far do you get?¡± Kalopsia.


    ¡°Pretty far, it usually takes a session hours until I feel like giving up,¡± Boreas says, ¡°But you¡¯ll get better at it if you remain persistent. I promise.¡±

 Chapter XXV: Storms In Siberia

    Eurus and Astraeus land in Siberia after an hour in flight with the H-Craft. Their first site is in a desolate environment. The air is filled with tiny particles of crystallized water as the snow dangles down from the sky. The access to the facility from the outside has been fenced off and instead of keeping guards or security there, the current government was persuaded by the Cells to simply write it off the history books. The reason for it is that nobody there would then get any funny ideas about mucking about with things and devices they may not understand.


    The snow is a meter thick around the building which is reminiscent of an old hospital. Even by modern standards of the world today it¡¯s massive in scale. Not in height but in sprawl is its scope palpable. The windows are dark and parts of it are collapsed. There are other parts that are scorched by fire and natural growth even in an environment as hostile as the Siberian Tundra.


    As Astraeus and Eurus stand at the front entrance Astraeus asks:


    ¡°You think it could have traps inside?¡±


    ¡°Unlikely. But I guess anything is possible. If we were to collapsed in, I think it would also serve as a trap,¡± Eurus says.


    ¡°Ready?¡±


    ¡°Ready,¡± Eurus says.


    The super soldier duo walk into the darkened environment and their eyes immediately adapt to the darkness. They don¡¯t need flashlights or night vision goggles because their eyes are cat-like in structure allowing them to peer into the darkness without blinking back at it.


    A lobby filled with marks of fires, old papers scattered all around, bleached white from the enthropic decay the place is straining under. There are definite spots of old dried up blood ¨C people clearly found their demise there. Eurus and Astraeus realize that the place was shut down and cleansed with some people still resisting inside. They don¡¯t falter, it was a necessary sacrifice to hide the temptation of absolute power from the powers that were.


    ¡°We need to find a passage into the subterranean complex,¡± Eurus says.


    ¡°Said easier than done,¡± Astraeus responds.


    ¡°It needs to have its own security station nearby for a quick response time in case anything would be strange. We should map out the place for those. One of them must have a reinforced door near,¡± Eurus says.


    ¡°Where are the corpses?¡± Astraeus asks as they walk.


    ¡°Animals,¡± Eurus says.


    They continue their descent into pitch black and complete silence nary making a sound themselves. Every shard of glass carefully navigated past. There may not be any physical threats in the structure but a Cell only ever acts with optimal approach.


    They see a pile of centuries old fabrics ¨C clothes in a corner ¨C a mix of children¡¯s and women¡¯s clothes haphazardly lobbed on top of each other. What might have their fates been? But a faint aroma of musky presence imperceptible to the human nose sneaks into the atmosphere around the Cells. Astraeus says:


    ¡°Wolves, can you smell it?¡±


    ¡°Yes. A single family it smells like,¡± Eurus says.


    Then a faint shuffle and a series of sniffs are cast off in a distant end of a hallway. The moonlight faintly casts shadows on the walls around the threshold. A family of wolves quitely waddles out of the room, not snarling, not barking at what they could consider to be food. Easily realizing that the hallway in question has no such security desk they seek, the super soldiers turn into another. Soon after the wolves follow, an adult male, an adult female and 8 pups. They approach the super soldiers from behind.


    ¡°They¡¯re heartbeats are erratic,¡± Astraeus points out, ¡°Adrenaline secretion detectable.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not aggressive,¡± Eurus says, ¡°Just hungry and afraid.¡±


    The wolves follow them closer, sniffing their hands and feet before stopping. The alpha male lets out a howl echoing through the barren complex. He then motions his pack to follow him and leaves the men alone.


    After a few dozen minutes of searching and coming across several security desks and stations Eurus and Astraeus are no closer to finding the passage or an entrance to the underground complex. But one security station has a strange layout to it which is where Eurus and Astraeus stop last. Astraeus says:


    ¡°Are you thinking what I¡¯m thinking?¡±


    ¡°I think so. The two wards here and there should share this wall here,¡± Eurus says while pointing at the locations.


    ¡°Yes, but both the wards surrounding the station cut off before they would naturally reach either side of the wall,¡± Astraeus says.


    ¡°Agreed. I think there¡¯s a switch here somewhere but it might work through the computers here. They look destroyed enough to not be usable though,¡± Eurus says, ¡°I¡¯m deploying a sonar charge to map out the passage maybe we can bust through.¡±


    He takes a hockey puck device from one of the pouches on his power armor and inputs some settings. The device then whirrs and lets out a loud bang. The ground beneath their feet shakes and rumbles and the duo collapse through the floor but not without catching themselves with their jump packs at the optimal moment before reaching the ground below.


    The collapse leads them to a larger chamber set with gynecological chairs on either side of the wall, dozens of them. Eurus says:


    ¡°Looks like an insemination chamber,¡± while looking around.


    ¡°Yes, and clandestine in nature, likely not disclosed to the patients above. Seems like they were recruited while they came in with secondary illnesses or problems and then given the opportunity to participate in research,¡± Astraeus says.


    The men then look around the chamber, going on into the distance, clad with medical tools and chairs. Unlike the stillness and eventual wolf-borne musk of the air above, the air is sterile, completely purified aside from the layers of dust having collected over the centuries. The offices of the doctors are clean, and so is every area, clearly having been scrubbed to an inch of its life. There aren¡¯t any papers lying around or in any of the drawers, as everything has been wiped much more thoroughly. They finally arrive at what looks like the administrator¡¯s office, a larger space with dusty seats and a computer.


    ¡°This place hasn¡¯t been powered for a long time. You think it still runs?¡± Astraeus says.


    ¡°No reason why it shouldn¡¯t,¡± Eurus says, ¡°I¡¯m going to draw power from my suit, if there¡¯s anything here.¡±


    ¡°The servers were likely wiped clean,¡± Astraeus says.


    ¡°Very likely, yes, but any organization has violations of protocol,¡± Eurus responds.


    He takes the power chord from the desktop computer, and breaks off the end that goes into a socket, exposing the wires inside. He then takes a box of tiny tools from one of his pouches and fashions a new plug for the chord which would be compatible with his armor¡¯s output sockets. He then connects it to his suit, and presses the on switch. The computer beeps and activates. The screen lights up, singularly casting light in to the otherwise pitch black environment, and displays a login screen. Eurus manages to enter the BIOS and from there he bypasses the log in screen by setting the computer to start in a troubleshooting mode. Once he¡¯s in the administrator account, he looks at their personal hard drive, using the mouse and keyboard ¨C an ancient interface by that point. There are emails that hadn¡¯t been synced with the server still on storage. The oldest one reads:


    ¡°Hey,


    So again, the fertilization didn¡¯t take. 1500 subjects this week, 21 with non-lethal complications but a 100% failure rate so far. Sending you the vital data to analyze. The file is in the attachment.


    With regards,


    Dr. Martin Szevlov¡±


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Astraeus says.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Eurus says, ¡°It seems the toll was quite high.¡±


    ¡°Can you open the attachment?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Eurus says.


    He clicks to open the attachment to the email ¨C a tabular file with data from the subjects. He scrolls through the 1500 rows and dozens of columns of data in a few seconds.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Interesting, donor control groups are genetically diversified in regards to the mother, test groups are genetically homogenous. Seems like they were looking for the correct recessive alleles,¡± Astraeus says.


    ¡°Yes, a standard deviation of .3 in the control group, and .01 in the test group,¡± Eurus says.


    He then opens a similar email sent at a later date:


    ¡°Hey,


    So, some success this week. It looks like coma patients have a higher fertilization rate compared to the conscious ones. 2000 patients tested, 55 with non-lethal complications, but still a 100% failure rate so far. Sending you the data in the attachment. Also Victor ran a quick logistic regression on it, see what you think.


    With regards,


    Dr. Martin Szevlov¡±


    Eurus opens the data file again, scrolling through it.


    ¡°Looks like this time they were hoping a stasis-like condition might improve their chances. Equal control groups 1000 for coma patients, 1000 for conscious patients, all non-lethal complications were coma patients,¡± Eurus says.


    ¡°A marked difference,¡± Astraeus says.


    An email with an attachment surfaces, which Eurus opens, the date is marked months after the previous ones.


    ¡°Hey,


    So now some success. It seems like using several generations separated homogenous sperm on coma patients might be the way out. 4000 patients this week, check out the dataset. Check out the radiology reports as well.


    Martin¡±


    Eurus opens the dataset attached.


    ¡°Seems like they got lucky. 121 patients survived complications, all in a coma. Looking at the environmental factors ¨C athletic, nonsmokers mostly based on Chi-Square analysis,¡± Eurus says.


    ¡°Not surprising,¡± Astraeus says, ¡°All 121 with increased fertilization duration were held under UV and low-dose gamma emitters it seems.¡±


    ¡°Zygote separation rate showing marked increase,¡± Eurus says.


    ¡°Addressed to Test Lab 99, that¡¯s the next one on our list,¡± Astraeus says.


    Eurus and Astraeus look through more data but soon it turns out the facility was forced to close as their research was finished. According to the information on the computer, the facility was mostly fertilization research, but another one a few hundred kilometers away was used for gestation research.


    The Cells leave the facility the way they came by jumping out through the hole they created in the floor a few chambers back.


    The next facility is in a messy state. Most of the surrounding hospital has collapsed or been destroyed, with no clear entrance. There¡¯s a rising howling of wind, ruffling the treetops around.


    ¡°Hm¡­ the entrance might be collapsed under,¡± Astraeus says.


    Eurus uses one of the Multi Array drones hovering around them to send new pulses around.


    ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡± Astraeus asks.


    ¡°Facilities like this usually have a secondary exit, kept secret, the drone might find it,¡± Eurus says.


    He watches through the visor of his helmet as the drone circles the facility, taking larger and larger loops around it. The loud bangs of its sonar pulse causing a circulating Doppler effect around the super soldiers as it increases its distance and then loops back. After a few minutes of iterative search, Eurus¡¯s interface chimes, noting a likely passage. They make their way over there and it¡¯s a drainage pipe sized manhole in the ground, with a metal lid capable of shrugging off a rocket launcher round.


    ¡°Open sesame,¡± Astraeus says, using his plasma cutter to melt through the hinges.


    Eurus lifts the lid off with some effort, as it weighs hundreds of kilograms. Eurus jumps down the hole, using the jump pack to catch his landing, the tunnel before them barely big enough for humans, cramped for the Cells. Slouching over, they huddle through the tiny passage, moving towards the underground facility.


    The sight before them is of a large chamber, filled with jars, thousands of them. In each jar there are embryos or fetuses in varying stages of prenatal development. They¡¯re sealed shut, the contents floating in some preservatory fluid.


    ¡°A graveyard,¡± Astraeus says.


    ¡°Or storage,¡± Eurus says.


    They inch deeper into the facility, set on finding an administrative office. On their way there¡¯s also a similar room from before, an insemination chamber with a hundred seats and wards for the impregnated women. Arriving at their destination, they uncover that the computer there has been smashed and destroyed beyond recovery. Determined to get what they came for, they settle for the office of another doctor, with their computer still intact.


    Eurus proceeds to juice it as well to gain access to it and before long he¡¯s in the computer. There are only two emails on their hard drive that haven¡¯t been synced or deleted:


    ¡°Dear Dr. Szevlov, Dr. Horace of Lab 51


    We¡¯ve found moderate success in gestating the embryos your fertilization process produced after 14000 attempt. The last batch of 1290 patients all lasted up to 16 to 24 weeks of gestation. Also we¡¯ve found success in repurposing alleles beyond the stopper via the CRISPR device to cause systematic changes to the developmental process.


    Dr. Marek¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Eurus says.


    ¡°16 to 24 weeks,¡± Astraeus says, ¡°A common interval for when a fetus shows signs of movement. Read the next one.¡±


    ¡°Dear colleagues,


    Consider this email my resignation effective immediately. Research shows that normal human uteruses cannot sustain the development of the enhanced embryo. The decision to produce a generation of genetically altered females to withstand this until a sufficient developmental period is where I stop. I won¡¯t waste hundreds of thousands of born children and young women to chase an impossible pipe dream. Humanity is not worth saving if this is the price.


    Dr. Marek¡±


    As the Cells start moving out of the installation, they hear a faint sound in the distance beyond the insemination chamber. It¡¯s that of a quiet but distinguishable heartbeat. They halt their progress, listening to the heartbeat move further away. It subsides.


    ¡°What could survive down here?¡± Astraeus asks.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Eurus says, ¡°I¡¯m positive we were followed. We let whatever that was in.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t smell it,¡± Astraeus says.


    ¡°It could be a Dynamo. We¡¯re likely being watched,¡± Eurus says, ¡°Come on, we have one more facility to go before figuring out the next plan.¡±


    The last facility is more similar to a large military base than a hospital. Through it runs a railroad and there are obvious structures that were once used as dormitories for the residents. The wind and the snow have now grown into a storm. Eurus uses his Multi Array Drone to map out the underground structure and its entrance. It shows a tunnel hidden beneath a mound on the ground with a regular metal door.


    ¡°Hiding in plain sight,¡± Astraeus says.


    ¡°More likely despair,¡± Eurus says, ¡°It¡¯s possible the time for caution was drawing to a close for humanity.¡±


    They go to the mound and easily remove the metal door from its secured spot. A gust of wind blows past them as the structure below sucks in fresh air from the outside.


    ¡°Feel that breeze?¡± Eurus says.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Astraeus says, ¡°Likely a nuclear reactor or hot water spring underground, warming the air inside. The rush was temperature rebalancing.¡±


    They step into the mound but find the staircase totally collapsed, with no direct way down. It doesn¡¯t matter though, as they can jump pack their way down like they did before.


    Unlike the previous facilities with their hospitalized feel, this one is more reminiscent of a bunker. The walls and surroundings are solid concrete and there¡¯s no tiles or white rubber or plastic surfaces to ward off bacteria.


    ¡°You were right,¡± Astraeus says, ¡°They were desperate.¡±


    They walk through the bunkers halls, arrows guiding the way this time on the walls. ¡°Intensive maternal care¡± says one sign, ¡°Armory¡± says another, written in Cyrillic and in English both. They see another sign that says ¡°Warhead Storage.¡±


    They choose the direction to take them towards ¡°Intensive maternal care.¡± The hallway to the left is where the arrow points and that¡¯s where they go. In there were obviously previously dormitories and storage units as well but it¡¯s obvious to the soldiers that they were hastily converted into research facilities. The underground bunker is massive in scope, the ¡°Intensive maternal care¡± going on for hundreds of meters. The insemination chairs are much more numerous, having a thousand of them spread across the several chambers on either side. The wards are filled to the brim with beds, many of which are dirty and have signs of blood on them. Eurus and Astraeus make it to the archival part of the Intensive Maternal Care Unit. Going in, they find a lot of burned and thrashed papers and files, but an arrow telling them ¡°Administrator¡¯s Office¡± keeps them going.


    Their luck is still intact as they find a functional computer there as well. This one has only a single email. But it does have other locally saved files. It turns out that first generations of prime-mothers were successfully completed there. But due to the intense warfare at the time, it was impossible to properly prepare them for insemination such that the resultant embryo would adhere to the creation process of the Cells. The place was not equipped with enough materials or food by the time the research was completed on around 30000 women who came there. Eurus opens the aforementioned email:


    ¡°Hello,


    Dr. Vakkar, I am writing to you because our research here has to be brought to a close. I¡¯ve sent you the documents with the data, but we¡¯ve been given the evacuation order as the Machines are almost here. I hope you¡¯ll continue the work.


    For Humanity,


    Dr. Solomon


    ********** EMAIL NOT SENT AT [email protected]</a> CONNECTION SEVERED **********¡±


    The name Dr. Vakkar is well known for what the man behind it accomplished then. Eurus says: ¡°Dr. Vakkar. Interesting.¡±


    ¡°Look at the timestamp,¡± Astraeus says.


    ¡°Year 2095,¡± Eurus says, ¡°Five years before the first Cells were deployed. We must get back to Dr. Georgia, she might have details about his whereabouts at that time.¡±


    ¡°But not before we kill the snakes following us.¡±


    Astraeus and Eurus have both been acutely aware that they¡¯re not alone in the facility but rather have been followed the whole way down. Their way out of the administrator¡¯s office is blocked by 10 2.5m tall men, armor-clad and carrying Bull-rifles. One in front of them says:


    ¡°You are trespassing on Cell Codex classified territory. Prepare to die.¡±


    The 10 soldiers then disperse and open fire, as Astraeus and Eurus do the same. One charges head first towards Eurus, hoping to cut off his head with a power sword, but Eurus dodges the strike and splatters its brains with a round from his own Bull-rifle. He must yank the fresh cadaver behind himself to defend himself from oncoming fire from two other Bull-rifles in the room. Meanwhile Astraeus has ripped off the limbs of two soldiers in there. He uses his power sword to strike another, who manages to block his attack with his own power sword ¨C demonstrating impressive speed. But this victory is short lived as he too gets shot by Eurus while he kills another with their own power sword. He then uses his jump pack to get at the two firing their Bull rifles while Astraeus gets into hand to hand combat with the rest three. Eurus¡¯s flight is too fast for the soldiers to react to, and they end up with a power sword slicing through them with one motion. As they fall, Astraeus kicks one of the soldiers down who reaches for a grenade as a last attempt to take out the Cells. Eurus takes it from his hand and tosses it out of the room in a fraction of a second, then pulls off his head. At the same moment the two who remained with Astraeus collapse too after calculated power sword strikes cut their bodies into pieces.


    ¡°These aren¡¯t Cells,¡± Astraeus says.


    ¡°No,¡± Eurus responds as he rips one¡¯s chest cage open, ¡°Two lungs, a single heart. But made to look like us. Clever. A non solid-state brain as well.¡±


    ¡°A good way to false flag a Cell these,¡± Astraeus says.


    ¡°Or to do what we do with no accountability. They could do some of our tasks,¡± Eurus says, ¡°Let¡¯s get back to London.¡±


    They leave the facility, returning to their H-craft and start their journey back to London.

 Chapter XXVI: Standing On The Shoulders

    Kalopsia is training again in the training chamber. She¡¯s up to her eyeballs in Stalingradesque soldiers, the shells from the artillery hammering the town around her while an alarm blares, starting from a low moan ending in a high wail going up and down. The sky has grown dark from the lack of sunlight and smoke but the soldiers have set up barricades and floodlights to catch a glimpse of any shadow as Kalopsia sneaks through the rubble. In the span of the almost two hours she¡¯s been there, she¡¯s evaded a couple of thousand soldiers put together. The dogs have been released, barking and howling for her blood. During that time the weather in the simulation has changed severely, the atmosphere now crisp, chill almost grabbing whoever breathes it by the lungs with the cold.


    She¡¯s hiding in the ruins of an old factory building, the building in parts standing not much higher than a crater. A turn into an alleyway turns into a near miss, as a T-34 battle tank rolls its turret towards her, a massive light attached but she dives into a crevace between two barrels. She can hear the thunderous roar of the machine.


    ¡°STAGE TWENTY TWO COMPLETED: INITIATING NEXT PHASE¡±


    The barking of dogs now is echoing all around her, as the hounds seek her scent. She feels trapped, like a rat in a maze. The beasts know of her presence, barking for each molecule of her sweat and musk that might permeate through their nostrils. She¡¯s pieced together little bits of the soldiers¡¯ language.


    ¡°NALEVA! V? IDETE NALEVA, M? IDYOM NAPRAVO!¡±


    She knows this means the soldiers will split up, one group going left, one going right. They¡¯re feeling the ground for her, but also hoping to envelop her in a pincer movement. She slithers down a little slope made by a shell that had exploded before. But right as she arrives at the minimum height, the edges swarm with soldiers barreling down at her. Again she¡¯s grabbed, pushed onto her back onto the ground. They hold her thrashing legs in place while one aims the gun at her head, pulling the trigger as the simulation ends.


    ¡°SIMULATION COMPLETE: FAILURE AT STAGE TWENTY THREE¡±


    She still feels her heart pound in her chest, as she pretends to dust herself off from the workout. She¡¯s sweating like a pig at the physical and mental strain and mumbles ¡°Never getting used to that.¡±


    She hears a slow clap and looks towards the source. It¡¯s Boreas, standing at the console, applauding her. He calls out: ¡°Stage 23? Nice. How¡¯d you get so far?¡±


    She walks towards him and hollers back: ¡°Never stood still, never tried to really hide.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an excellent strategy ¨C keep them guessing!¡± Boreas praises her.


    ¡°Yeah, they got me again when I thought I could pass through a crater or an indentation in the ground!¡±


    ¡°And you lost sight of your extended surrondings?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she says, ¡°I thought I could slip through but they popped out of nowhere.¡±


    ¡°No, they were sneaking as well, the dogs had already given them your direction and they knew you¡¯d slip,¡± Boreas says.


    ¡°Ah, lesson learned,¡± she shrugs as she climbs up onto the control center¡¯s platform.


    ¡°So, Kalopsia, Eurus and Astraeus are inbound and Dr. Georgia Vakkar is about to arrive as well. Would you accompany me in the medical wing, we need to check a few things?¡±


    ¡°Sure thing, Boreas,¡± she says as they walk into the elevator.


    ¡°I use another setting for training, I usually make it to stage 90 before having any real issues,¡± Boreas says.


    ¡°Wow¡­ That must be a record, surely?¡± Kalopsia says.


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me Shirley,¡± Boreas says, giving her a wink, ¡°But, no, it¡¯s not.¡±


    ¡°Really? Who holds the¡­ Ah, right¡­ Eurus?¡± Kalopsia says.


    ¡°Yep,¡± Boreas says as they ride up towards the medical wing, ¡°As far as I know he¡¯s advanced enough in the training that he had to halt his last session as he wasn¡¯t captured by stage 113 and it got boring.¡±


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s crazy,¡± Kalopsia says.


    The elevator stops and they¡¯re greeted by a large chamber of all kinds of medical tech. From reclining chairs with robot arms extending around them to operating tables to microscopes and synthesizer devices. Boreas points her to a couple of seats in the middle of the chamber where they sit down.


    ¡°Mhm,¡± Boreas says, ¡°Eurus has always stood apart. He¡¯s not much different from us physically but he has a different kind of dedication to the Codex and his training than us.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡± Kalopsia asks.


    ¡°He almost never thinks, he just does,¡± Boreas says, ¡°For instance during the Martian Revolution, most Cells on Terram enlisted as volunteers to the Terram¡¯s invasion force, wanting to bring Martis back into the fold.¡±


    ¡°And Eurus?¡±


    ¡°By the time the governments had arrived at some sort of strategy or plan, Eurus had arrived in Pap¨¹lonis and cut off the Martian Revolutionaries¡¯ heads, stopping the rebellion right then and there. He saved countless lives then and gave another example of why he¡¯s set apart even in Cells,¡± Boreas says.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you do it?¡± Kalopsia asks.


    ¡°I was thinking about it. Eurus already did it,¡± Boreas says.


    A voice in the intercom says: ¡°Vehicle inbound, Dr. Georgia Vakkar identified.¡±


    ¡°Permission granted,¡± Boreas says to his wrist device.


    After waiting for a few minutes, the elevator doors open again and Dr. Georgia Vakkar enters through the elevator doors, wearing a neat cocktail dress. She¡¯s in excellent shape for her age. She¡¯s done her hair and makeup, looking like she¡¯s ready to party. Beside her is a younger man, lean but a little hunched as if having worked behind a desk and a computer all day. He¡¯s got brown hair and high cheekbones. He¡¯s around 24 years old. Kalopsia looks a little surprised:


    ¡°Boreas¡­ You called an escort service?¡±


    ¡°A necessary ruse, I assume,¡± Boreas says, greeting Dr. Georgia.


    ¡°Indeed, Boreas,¡± Dr. Georgia says, ¡°I needed to throw the dogs off my scent. If I said I¡¯m going on a date, I needed to look the part now didn¡¯t I. And who is this I have the pleasure of addressing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Kalopsia Chromo,¡± Kalopsia says, ¡°And who¡¯s he?¡±


    ¡°This is my quant, Archie,¡± Georgia says.


    ¡°Hello, everyone,¡± Archie says taking a little bow.


    ¡°A quant, for you?¡± Boreas asks a little surprised.


    ¡°A trustworthy one, to boot, him being my son¡± Georgia says, ¡°He¡¯ll be handling some of the workload while I get a full history. Mind giving us a moment Boreas?¡±


    ¡°He can stay,¡± Kalopsia says.


    ¡°As you wish, but I must warn you, the process will be a little invasive,¡± Georgia says, ¡°I got data and insights from Eurus¡¯s and Astraeus¡¯s expedition. I can look if you have the necessary attributes.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Kalopsia says.


    ¡°Please, strip out of all your clothes,¡± Georgia says.


    Boreas turns his back towards Kalopsia and so does Archie, activating and booting up various programs on his datapad. Kalopsia does as she¡¯s asked, revealing her youthful female form. Her blue-hued skin has a faint glisten from sweat she produced while training.


    ¡°Sorry, was training, and I didn¡¯t have time to shower,¡± she says sheepishly, ¡°Also, it¡¯s a little cold.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s alright,¡± Georgia says. She puts on rubber gloves and takes several tubes with cotton swabs inside, ¡°Please, open your mouth.¡±


    Kalopsia does as she¡¯s asked. Georgia takes the swab, then does the same for rest of her crevices as well.


    ¡°Okay, you can put your clothes back on,¡± Georgia says.


    Kalopsia covers herself up again. Archie turns back around when she finishes, and she feels him watch her intently.


    ¡°You can give me your arm?¡± Georgia asks, ¡°Boreas, put these into the molecular decompiler.¡±


    Boreas takes the tubes and the swabs and goes a little farther into the room, near a device resembling a microscope, but with several recepticles for said tiny spiles. Georgia then says:


    ¡°Alright, Ms. Chromo, you can give me your arm please, I need to draw a little blood. Relax, you¡¯re doing great so far.¡±


    Kalopsia sits in the chair again and rests her arm naked on one of the cupboards. Georgia puts on a small belt for a tourniquet around her arm, and cleans the pit of her elbow and puts in the needle and container for blood. She draws two vials, 17 milliliters worth of Kalopsia¡¯s blood.


    ¡°Boreas?¡± Georgia says, ¡°Put these in the decompiler as well, please.¡±


    Boreas comes back and complies.


    ¡°Alright, Ms. Chromo¡­¡±


    ¡°Call me Kalopsia, or Kal for short,¡± she interjects.


    ¡°Okay, Kal,¡± Georgia continues, ¡°Tell me how many sexual partners have you had?¡±


    ¡°Well I had two boyfriends in school,¡± Kalopsia says.


    ¡°And? Any sexual activities?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve kissed, but I¡¯ve never had sex,¡± Kalopsia says.


    ¡°I see,¡± Georgia says, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    ¡°Good?¡±


    ¡°Yes, from the data Eurus and Astraeus sent, it¡¯s obvious to me that the fertilizations that had some success were planted in women with no prior fertilizations.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°And, well if a female has sex, there¡¯s always a chance of fertilization happening such that it gets terminated early into the pregnancy such that the host might not even realize anything had occurred. This improves our chances immensely.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Kalopsia says.


    ¡°I got the decompilations,¡± Archie says, ¡°Initiating runthroughs.¡±


    Georgia goes to Boreas to talk to him about something, leaving Kalopsia and Archie by their twosome. Archie chuckles nervously while peeking up at Kalopsia from his datapad.


    ¡°First date¡¯s always awkward,¡± he blurts out.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Kalopsia says, ¡°This is a date?¡±


    ¡°Well, my mom said it was,¡± Archie says.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard a woman¡¯s earned at least a dinner and a movie before stripping naked for the boyfriend¡¯s mother,¡± Kalopsia says, ¡°But looks like you¡¯re in a hurry?¡±


    ¡°No, no, it was a stupid joke,¡± Archie says nervously.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s alright, I quite liked it,¡± Kalopsia says, ¡°Don¡¯t hold it against me for not bursting out laughin given the circumstances.¡±


    The elevator doors open again, Eurus and Astraeus come through. Their power armors are covered in little dents and blood from the fight they¡¯d had before. Their steps are heavy and purposeful.


    ¡°Kalopsia,¡± Eurus says, ¡°How are you doing?¡±


    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. What the hell happened to you?¡± Kalopsia asks looking at their armor.


    ¡°We got almost all the data, also the parts not sent by the last team in the Siberian bunker. But we got ambushed by some copycat Cells,¡± Eurus says, while Astraeus goes to help Boreas and Georgia.


    ¡°Copycat Cells?¡± Kalopsia asks.


    ¡°Yes, seems like somebody has attempted to replicate the technology, but unsuccessfully so, but likely with resources,¡± Eurus says, ¡°My prime suspect now is Governor Notus.¡±


    ¡°Notus? What about the Codex? It forbids such attempts?¡± Archie asks and Eurus looks at him, ¡°Sorry, sir?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t apologize, young man, you bring up an important issue,¡± Eurus says, ¡°But this is cannot be a coincidence that someone with such enormous resources as to do genetic research AND know about our presence in Siberia would have the authority to dispatch such a force and not be extremely high-ranking.¡±


    ¡°And the third aspect,¡± Kalopsia says, ¡°The machine security forces and lack of Cell Circuits on Earth.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Eurus says, looking a little puzzled, ¡°Notus seems to be acting of his own volition in regards to the Codex.¡±


    ¡°Eurus of Caste Erebus, I presume,¡± Georgia says, ¡°I¡¯m told you¡¯re the man in charge.¡±


    ¡°Quite so,¡± Eurus says, ¡°I have to know what was the research station your forefather, Dr. Gobb Vakkar used in 2095.¡±


    ¡°Well, they moved around so much due to the Revolt that it¡¯s hard to say,¡± Georgia responds, ¡°But I¡¯d wager money on Duxford.¡±


    ¡°The airfield?¡± Eurus asks, ¡°Why there?¡±


    ¡°It was used as a radar testing facility in WWII, it¡¯s inland and had good air coverage at the time for strategic defense,¡± Georgia says, ¡°Also it had the aforementioned historic significance. The place is now completely restricted though, nobody works there anymore.¡±


    ¡°We must go at once. Notus is likely already aware of our progress in Siberia and might be arriving here in force. We¡¯ll pack everything we need and exit aboard an H-Craft, we have no time to spare,¡± Eurus says.


    ¡°What¡¯s the takeoff time,¡± Boreas asks.


    ¡°25 minutes,¡± Eurus says, ¡°Astraeus, set up covert monitoring for Cell HQ London. We need to know if we can return or need to set up a mobile HQ. Boreas, pack the munitions. I¡¯ll send word to the remaining Earth¡¯s Cell Circuit units, high combat readiness.¡±


    ¡°Affirmative,¡± Boreas says almost in unison with Astraeus, and they both storm off.


    ¡°Kalopsia,¡± Eurus says, ¡°There¡¯s no time to spare so I already set up gear for you in the armory which will automatically dispense. Apologies for the haste, but grab it and we¡¯ll be on our way.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright Eurus,¡± Kalopsia says.


    She and Eurus go to the second elevator, Eurus punches in the communications hub and Kalopsia sets course for the armory.


    Eurus arrives at the communications hub and immediately goes a machine that is unlike the others ¨C mechanical and almost old looking. He finds the data on the direct comm-devices that the other Cells must have with them and checks their serial-codes, ping frequencies. He sets the first¡¯s numbers into the machine and pulls a lever which makes it creak and rattle as it calculates the secure line codes mechanically. It was built precisely for the possibility of systematic communications security collapse for standard communication devices.


    The first codes arrive on the dials and Eurus takes his own communication device and sets in the addressee¡¯s details. He then pushes the ¡°Raise¡± button on the device. A crackling noise and then a voice chimes through:


    ¡°Cell Nautilus of Caste Spartacus reporting. Eurus of Caste Erebus, how can I be of service,¡± a deep voice says.


    ¡°I¡¯ve sent you the report on my current mission,¡± Eurus says, ¡°Can you see it?¡±


    ¡°A moment. Yes, I can see it, very troubling,¡± Nautilus says, ¡°What is your request?¡±


    ¡°Notus¡¯s Codex is compromised and his governorship of Earth bodes trouble. I am asking you to take care with the following communications but to use haste as I am raising Cell Circuits¡¯ planetary readiness to high combat status, requesting you send word. Report to your nearest Cell HQs and gear up for war.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I see,¡± Nautilus says, ¡°Executing your command after end of transmission. Confirming when complete and waiting on your command. Nautilus out.¡±


    Eurus shuts off his device and hurries to the armory as well to swap his armor for a fresh one.


    When he arrives, Kalopsia is already there, she¡¯s brandished a smaller sized power armor, clearly not built for Cells but still somewhat effective. It has pouches as well, and she¡¯s holding a baby-sized Bull rifle analogue, an SMG equivalent. She¡¯s got a sidearm like Eurus¡¯s revolver and a belt of grenades. Her blade is smaller, a machete sized power sword. She¡¯s not yet wearing her helmet as she steps off the assembly platform. She looks at Eurus as he storms out of the elevator.


    ¡°What did the other Cells say?¡± she asks, ¡°Are they coming to help?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Eurus says, ¡°Earth¡¯s Cell Circuit status is being set to high readiness.¡±


    ¡°Good¡­ good,¡± she says a little hesitantly.


    Eurus steps onto the assembly platform that starts immediately removing and replacing the damaged bits on his armor.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Eurus asks.


    ¡°Well how do we know their Codexes aren¡¯t busted?¡± Kalopsia asks.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know even if Notus¡¯s is, it¡¯s just the most likely explanation for his actions so far,¡± Eurus says.


    ¡°But if it was, would it be possible to corrupt others?¡± Kalopsia asks.


    ¡°In that case, in principle, I don¡¯t see why not,¡± Eurus asks.


    ¡°But in that case, how do we know the others aren¡¯t corrupted, or you for that matter?¡±


    ¡°Kalopsia¡­ I understand this must be stressful for you, but remember your Onslaught Evasion training. We are at a point where there isn¡¯t much to turn back to, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Eurus says.


    ¡°No! I¡¯m afraid¡­ Of course! But that¡¯s not why I¡¯m asking ¨C all I want to know it won¡¯t happen again if it already did,¡± she says.


    ¡°I see. Once we have the production data and facilities pinned down, either Notus will step aside or not. If not, we¡¯ll likely find out what corrupted him or at least infer the causes from their effects,¡± Eurus says.


    His armor has now been replaced by new and shiny parts, his ammo and batteries replenished as well. He takes his gun and weapons and Eurus and Kalopsia go to the elevator. They start their ride towards the vehicle bay.


    ¡°How did you beat Onslaught Evasion, Eurus?¡± Kalopsia says.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ it was busted or something because wherever I went, the hostiles weren¡¯t it was weird,¡± Eurus says.


    ¡°What? It bugged out?¡± Kalopsia asks incredulously, ¡°Oh¡­ I see¡­ you¡¯re joking.¡±


    ¡°As a rule of thumb which may not always apply I never went anywhere where there was only one way out or back, I never go where I don¡¯t see who¡¯s around me. I always climb higher rather than lower assuming I don¡¯t contradict with the first rule,¡± Eurus says.


    ¡°I tried that but how do you find the places to go to,¡± Kalopsia asks.


    ¡°I don¡¯t stop. At all¡­ I listen to the sounds behind the corner, I always move. When I can¡¯t hear anyone but still see a patrol or an ambush then I simply turn around and go in another direction because I would violate the first rules by staying there.¡±


    They arrive at the vehicle bay where Boreas is loading the last containers onto the H-Craft. It¡¯s got less space than it did when Eurus and Astraeus went on their expedition, but it still comfortably fits its six passengers inside. They take off from the vehicle bay and fly off towards Duxford. The air in the ship is now heavy, filled with tension.


    As they fly over the London skyline they see from the tiny windows the distant toothpicks of Earth¡¯s astro fleet¡¯s Exterminator class ship. The ratio between the Navigator class ships and the Exterminators is visible even from that great distance as they soar away, Earth¡¯s force projection shortcomings laid bare. They disappear into the horizon as London behind them grows smaller as well.


    After a couple of minutes of flight, the H craft radio flares up with a stern male voice:


    ¡°H-CRAFT CX-2, THIS IS BRITISH AIR COMMAND, YOU ARE NEARING A RESTRICTED AREA. TURN BACK NOW.¡±


    Boreas answers: ¡°This is Boreas of Caste Erebus, confirmation key sent now.¡±


    ¡°WE SEE YOU CELL CIRCUIT, STATE YOUR DIRECTIVE.¡±


    ¡°Negative, command,¡± Boreas says, ¡°We are compelled by the Codex, our objective is classified. Humanity¡¯s survival depends on us.¡±


    ¡°WE ARE UNDER DIRECT ORDERS TO NOT LET YOU PASS.¡±


    ¡°You are under direct orders to ignore the Cell and Imperial Codex? On whose authority?¡±


    ¡°I AM NOT AT LIBERTY TO SAY.¡±


    ¡°Do you wish to fulfill these orders and live with the consequences?¡±


    ¡°PROCEED AS PLANNED. I WILL CLEAR YOU. GODSPEED, BOREAS.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Boreas shuts off the microphone.


    The Duxford complex roams into view as they approach it. The airfield is now gone, there are still remnants of old tents lying around that were turned into field hospitals. The area is walled off and the old bunker that was at first used as an archive was carved into a much more vast complex during the start of the war. That¡¯s where the crew lands, not far off from the Operational HQ of WWII.


    As they descend it becomes obvious that parts of the bunker have collapsed, as there are indentations on the roof of the structure covering it. Stepping outside the H-craft, Eurus says:


    ¡°We can¡¯t dispatch the Multi-Array drones here. The risk of further structural failures is too great. Astraeus, you stay with the others, I¡¯ll take Boreas and try to melt through the doors with the plasma cutter.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± Astraeus.


    ¡°Take it easy, people, it might take a little time for us to cut through,¡± Boreas says.


    Eurus and Boreas go towards the rust-orange structure, ready to cut through it while Astraeus stays behind with the civilians.


    ¡°So¡­,¡± Georgia says, ¡°This is where he did it I wonder¡­¡±


    ¡°Your great forefather?¡± Astraeus says.


    ¡°Yes¡­ I¡¯ve lived in his shadow for my whole life, as I¡¯m sure you can empathise. I wonder what standing on the shoulders would feel like.¡±


    She and Astraeus continue discussing her life as the successor to the great scientist while Kalopsia and Archie wander off further, to explore the tents.


    Some of them are collapsed like some giant had dropped their T-shirt or pile of clothes onto the ground. Others are standing up on their few poles. They walk into the one that seems most stable, with a sunstarched formerly-red pink cross stamped on it. In it are piles of clothes, mattresses left undone with the beds on them, stretching over the dirty plastic tarp floor they were laid on. Kalopsia says to Archie:


    ¡°Looks like they were evacuated further north in a hurry,¡± pointing at a pile of personal belongings in a suitcase.


    ¡°How come?¡± he asks.


    ¡°Nobody leaves their kids toy or picture behind,¡± she points at an old paper stock photo, ¡°Even in a hurry, once you pack things that personal, you take it with you.¡±


    ¡°Well I only got that backpack of clothes back on the H,¡± Archie says ¡°I heard you came from The Martian Republic? You got something to remind you of home?¡±


    ¡°You heard?¡± Kalopsia says, poking his shoulder with her finger. She¡¯s surprised at him not being as scrawny as he looks with his clothes on.


    ¡°My mom told me, okay?¡±


    ¡°Ha-ha,¡± Kalopsia laughs, ¡°Yeah, no I didn¡¯t take much. I have this little necklace I have back with my stuff on the H too.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Archie says, ¡°Pun unintended. Why don¡¯t you wear it? Aren¡¯t you afraid you¡¯ll lose it like those guys here?¡± He prods a pile of laundry with his foot.


    ¡°After starting the training in Cell HQ, it got in my way,¡± she says.


    Meanwhile a loud groan of metal is audible from Eurus¡¯s and Astraeus¡¯s direction as they are ripping apart the fallen metal and concrete. Then a rumble as the stone structure collapses a little. Kalopsia and Archie look in that direction like two ostriches who stop and listen to a rustle in the bushes. But they still haven¡¯t come out of the tunnel they¡¯re digging with pure nuclear energy generated plasma, so the duo continues talking.


    ¡°You know what I¡¯m doing here by the way?¡± Kalopsia says, ¡°Like why I¡¯m here?¡±


    ¡°I know the gist yeah, not the whole story,¡± Archie says.


    ¡°How much do you know?¡± she asks.


    ¡°You¡¯re restarting Cell production right? I don¡¯t know you specifically though,¡± he says.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be impregnated to generate a new generation of Cells,¡± she says.


    ¡°Oh? You¡¯ve got a suitor waiting? Is he in there?¡± Archie points at the tunnel being dug.


    ¡°Hah, I wish. No, I think it¡¯s going to be a syringe or like a watergun basically,¡± Kalopsia says.


    ¡°That¡¯s graphic, and disturbing,¡± Archie says, ¡°Turned into a baby factory like that?¡±


    ¡°Eh, I think it¡¯s more embryo factory but yes,¡± Kalopsia says, ¡°But it¡¯s great in my opinion. I¡¯m helping change history.¡±


    A final rumbling noise comes from the tunneled bunker and Eurus and Boreas walk out, their contracted plasma cutter nozzles still glowing bright blue from the extended usage and heat. The couple finish their talk and start walking back towards them.


    ¡°Sounds like you¡¯re not completely on board?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± Kalopsia says, ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ a lot you know? Being the grand mother or great grandmother of all future Cells? Seems insane in a way but also a great honor.¡±


    ¡°I can imagine. Like you pulled out your name from the hat to be Winston Churchill right before WWII,¡± Archie says, ¡°Like fuck yeah, male fantasy but holy hell.¡±


    ¡°Hah, yeah.¡±


    They arrive at the entrance, still smoking and smelling of burnt concrete and steel and dirt. Eurus says:


    ¡°Alright, we took a quick look around inside,¡± addressing everyone, ¡°So let¡¯s pair off such that we have one person per Cell, and keep distance.¡±


    ¡°The place is probably stable but in case of a collapse each person has someone to dig blast them out or hopefully catch the rubble with their power armor.¡±


    ¡°So how do we do this?¡± Kalopsia asks.


    ¡°Dr. Vakkar, you can stay with Astraeus, Boreas you take Kalopsia and I¡¯ll take Archie,¡± Eurus says.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Boreas says, ¡°Let¡¯s move out and keep a couple of meters apart.¡±


    The Cells hand every human a device to see in the dark. Eurus and Archie go in first. Archie feels his heartbeat speed up, blood rushing to his ears at the sight. The first area looks positively thrashed. Chairs and desks overturned, papers massing up in different clumps. Clearly the evacuation reached the bunker as well.


    They¡¯re far apart enough from the others for Eurus to strike up a conversation with Archie. The other pairs behind them are murmuring as well in their own conversations.


    ¡°I sense you¡¯re uncomfortable, Archie,¡± Eurus says.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Archie says, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Eurus doesn¡¯t say anything, they just continue walking.


    ¡°Okay, well¡­ Is it really them, the Machine Revolt?¡±


    ¡°It seems the most probable,¡± Eurus says.


    ¡°I see,¡± Archie says, ¡°And they¡¯re really so dangerous we need to¡­ you know?¡±


    ¡°Archie, I realize there¡¯s an attraction there,¡± Eurus says, ¡°And trust me, I get it. I had the same feelings for a woman not too long ago.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Archie says, positively bewildered, ¡°You?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Eurus says, ¡°Trust me when I say. You abandon your duty at both of your peril. As far as we know from the data, the procedures won¡¯t be invasive. Once the process has restarted she¡¯s free and¡­ you know things go from there.¡±


    They arrive at a stairwell going down further into the facility.


    Boreas talks with Kalopsia about all the ludicrous missions him and other Cells have gone on. She feels herself at ease as the conversation goes on, realizing the future role is daunting but Onslaught Evasion has prepared her at least partly for it as Boreas points out.


    Georgia revealed to Astraeus that she¡¯s never had a real male partner. She¡¯s always been focused on her career and life and duty as a Vakkar successor. Now she wonders if she¡¯ll ever get the chance for a meaningful relationship again, now realizing she¡¯d been wishing for it.


    The place they end up in is a massive server room that hasn¡¯t been destroyed, as the evacuation was done very hastily. Seems like also the seek and destroy teams missed this one. Astraeus, Boreas and Eurus stand together once again. They tell the others:


    ¡°Alright, go find a terminal, and take this device,¡± Eurus says, giving Georgia a small thumbdrive looking thing.


    Eurus, Boreas and Astraeus find a room where a power converter is, directing power around the whole section.


    They then take a thick chord of a wire and Eurus, Astraeus and Boreas step out of their power armors, leaving him only in his leather armor and underarmor. Using some tools and devices they have, they fashion a tandem power supply using their suits and connect the converter to it. They program the suits wristcomputers to power and the server room whirs into life. Lights flicker on, showing the full scope of the facility.


    ¡°Found a terminal, it¡¯s in the next hallway over, I found a glowstick so it¡¯s right next to the room.¡±


    The super soldiers then walk out of the server room, finding the group in one of the offices.


    ¡°Guys, come here,¡± Archie says as they enter, ¡°Check this out.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Eurus says, ¡°Very interesting find, Archie.¡±


    ¡°Can someone explain to me what¡¯s happening?¡± Kalopsia asks.


    ¡°The data from Siberia did find its way here by being physically transported out as a copy. The work they got to here is all we need to get started essentially,¡± Georgia says, ¡°It states that for the biggest likelihood of success, the prime mother candidate should have essentially a blank genetic slate. In other words, if you imagine your genetic makeup like a slider in a virtual game, you should have all sliders in the middle to give the highest chance of succes. Whatever seed is used, it¡¯ll take if the genetic makeup of the mother is right, like it is in your case.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the catch?¡± Kalopsia asks.


    ¡°The next facility we need to visit is in the Himalayas. And it¡¯s truly¡­ massive. The size of a whole mountain,¡± Georgia says, ¡°In fact, they purpose-built a mountain to house all the test subjects, training facilities, armories, factories what have you. Me and Archie have some data to sift through to find how to get in, but essentially we¡¯re on the home stretch.¡±

 Chapter XXVII: Basecamp

    The H-craft chugs along the coastlines of Britain and the Baltic sea in order to avoid easy and direct observability from the radar centers. Of course, it¡¯ll not hide them completely but not crossing into any actual airspace allows them to skirt any Lookie Lous easier. Archie has just set up the necessary data analysis toolkits for Georgia to look through and now he has time to hang out with Kalopsia some more.


    He finds her on the ship chilling in one of the cargo bays where all the weapons and backup armors are along with their backup power supplies. She¡¯s fidgeting with her Bull SMG, cleaning it after Eurus taught her. She¡¯s sitting on one of the grenade crates while another is used as a makeshift gunsmith table. She¡¯s spread one of the white albeit a little smudged linens she found in the tents and brought along for some reason as a visual contrast for the black bits and pieces she¡¯s polishing and brushing.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Archie says while leaning on the threhshold, ¡°They look sparkling enough for me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± she says with a sigh, ¡°Just something for me to do while we get to the Himalayan base you know. The Cells are quite something, huh.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like you admire them,¡± Archie says.


    ¡°Well they¡¯re perfect specimens of genetic engineering of technology long lost,¡± she says, ¡°And it¡¯s not admiration per say, it¡¯s more that their dedication and commitment to getting anything done is something to aspire to in my opinion.¡±


    ¡°True that,¡± Archie says, ¡°But can one really hope to keep up with them? Like ¡®Oh, the entrance to the massive base is collapsed? We¡¯ll just blast through the rubble!¡¯ or ¡®Oh, the facility doesn¡¯t have power? We¡¯ll just jerryrig our suits¡¯ power supplies to some power converters and run the entire thing from there!¡¯ like really, bro?¡±


    ¡°Haha, yeah,¡± she says, ¡°I get it - I sound ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Archie says, ¡°Just it¡¯s hard not to feel inferior in my own case.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not,¡± Kalopsia says, ¡°They¡¯ve spent time with me and consoled me throughout this entire endeavor to make me relaxed. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s because they really care about me, it¡¯s more that I need to be mentally stable and happy for everything to run smoothly. Even when they¡¯re being palpably human, they¡¯re doing it for some higher cause¡­¡±


    ¡°And?¡± Archie says.


    ¡°Why are you doing that?¡± she asks while starting to reassemble the gun.


    ¡°What am I doing?¡± Archie asks.


    She puts the barrel in the front handle of the gun. Archie sits beside her on the crate, watching her work on the gun.


    ¡°You¡¯re being supportive, too,¡± she says.


    ¡°Yeah, well¡­ I¡­,¡± Archie tries to respond.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re cool. I like you,¡± Kalopsia says.


    ¡°I like you too, Kalopsia,¡± Archie says.


    In the cockpit Boreas, and Eurus have the Himalayan mountain range in their sights. Eurus says:


    ¡°Look ¨C heat signatures, 30 degrees.¡±


    ¡°Hikers?¡± Boreas asks when suddenly the dashboard lights up like a Christmas tree with warnings of a radar lock.


    ¡°Scouting party!¡± Eurus says and takes the loudspeaker¡¯s microphone from its holster and says to the ship¡¯s intercom: ¡°Brace for evasive maneuvers!¡±


    They see in the distance a small puff of smoke and a rocket surge above the treeline, barreling straight for them. Boreas banks the ship down towards the trees and changes direction to have the rocket¡¯s path become perpendicular with the H-Craft¡¯s. As it nears, he then banks left hard and the rocket whizzes by, missing the H-Craft. But two more launches occur with two new puffs of smoke from other parts in the forest below. Boreas tries his best to evade and to deploy chaff but one of the rockets makes contact, rupturing the ship¡¯s left rear leg of the H. The dashboard is now sounding alerts about structural damage and losing altitude. Eurus says into the intercom:


    ¡°Detaching compartments. Kalopsia, hold on and hide ¨C We¡¯ll come for you. Astraeus, protect Georgia!¡± And he punches a button on the controls with the words ¡°DEFENSIVE DETACHMENT PROTOCOL¡± and the craft buckles and rumbles as the parts of the H-Craft all come apart. Kalopsia managed to assemble her gun and to don her armor as her compartment uses its engine to provide a somewhat stable landing.


    The compartment touches ground with a rumble and a thud. She quickly dons her power armor and weapons and she and Archie exit the compartment. They hear others touch ground too further away from them and gunfighting in the distance as the scouting parties surround the others and they fight their ways out. She can hear the soldiers shouting orders at each other further away trying to get to her as well. She says to Archie:


    ¡°Let¡¯s move! Towards the mountains where Eurus and Boreas landed! We keep moving or we die!¡± she hands him the sidearm revolver as well for a last line of defense.


    She crouches a little and Archie does too, as she starts to hightail it out of there. Moving through the forest she listens to the sounds around her, paying attention to the possibility of ambushes and other parties finding her and Archie. She hears a rustling further away so she runs across their path before they have a chance to lay eyes on her. She can hear the fighting of Eurus and Boreas grow louder as they approach. Her heart is pounding in her chest as she runs through the real world Onslaught Evasion scenario. Suddenly she comes across a dirt road, cutting the forest in half.


    From the bushes she can see a group of False Cells running up the road and veer off into the forest towards Eurus and Boreas as well. She follows their path, staying very incognito. She figures that they¡¯ll take her right to them. But right away she doesn¡¯t see two camouflaged False Cells hiding in a bush near her and just as she¡¯s about to run even further. But at the last possible moment she notices them from the corner of her eye, taking Archie from his shoulders and barrelling towards the ground as they open fire at her.


    The bullets whiz past them, hitting the thick foliage around them, exploding the moss and branches as they hit. She tells Archie to crawl behind a tree as she rolls over her sides quickly changing her position onto the flanks of the unsuspecting False Cells who still are approaching her last seen location. She quietly unholsters her power machete from its secure spot, and listens to their radio calls:


    ¡°Suspected sighting of Precious Cargo #1, need extraction!¡±


    Quietly a voice says in their speakers:


    ¡°Affirmative, sending more boots your way. Do you have eyes on target?¡±


    ¡°Negative, the target remains evasive, but we¡¯re nearing the hiding spot last seen.¡±


    Right as they have their backs turned, Kalopsia shoots up from behind the tree-bush she¡¯d slided behind and runs towards them, machete in hand. They¡¯re about to turn around but she manages to slice one in the neck and right as the other opens fire, she somersaults closer to him, busting the machete straight through his jaw and skull.


    But the commotion and the call for help result in the forest around them now growing thick with sounds of the False Cells and soldiers looking for them. Judging from the directions, they¡¯re surrounded. She crouchingly sneaks back to Archie, who looks a little terrified to put it in the mildest terms. She pats him on the shoulder and motions with an index finger on her mouth to be quiet and to follow her. She doesn¡¯t allow him to fully stand up, keeping him crouched. She slowly continues her way to the last place they heard Eurus and Boreas fighting, but soon she can see the False Cells silhouettes approaching.


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    She stands sideways towards the Cells behind one of the thicker trees and slowly inches herself around them as they pass, not noticing her and Archie does the same. But then Archie grunts loudly and drops out from his hiding spot. He¡¯s holding his stomach from the side, which is bleeding as one the False Cells from further away managed to spot him and open fire. Kalopsia immediately opens returning fire from her SMG, bullets ripping into the False Cell¡¯s power armor, but not piercing it completely, only injuring him a little. He fires back and around her tree bark and ground starts exploding as all the other False Cells who passed them open fire on their location as well. She somersaults towards Archie, who is bleeding a lot but seems to be hanging in there. She takes his revolver and fires at the False Cell again who is approaching them, and the bullet immediately punches through his armor. She dual wields the SMG and the revolver, opening fire with it at the human soldiers while dispatching the False Cells with the revolver. But the numbers around her are growing overwhelming, and she can do nothing but hide behind one of the trees.


    Right as the False Cells seem upon them, they change direction of their fire. Eurus, Boreas and Astraeus have arrived and leap into combat. The soldiers hoping for a quick ambush or at least to quickly kill Kalopsia now find themselves in a fight for their lives. A few tuck tails and turn around to flee but Astraeus uses his jump pack to leap towards them, cutting their paths away with clean headshots.


    Boreas is cracking the skulls of five False Cells as they struggle to lay a bullet onto his armor. A punch, a kick and three shots from his revolver executioner style as he drops them on the ground. He then leaps towards other soldiers.


    Eurus meanwhile is taking on a whole platoon himself, power sword and Bullrifle in hand kicking off the trees and like a ballerina he skips through the soldiers diminishing their numbers in an ever growing brutality with each step. A slice, a one punch, and a couple of shots from the Bull Rifle sets him into an almost rhythm of murder and mayhem.


    Kalopsia then shoots down a few False Cells attempting to still rush towards her as well. Aside from them, the others are too busy trying to survive but with no luck. The three Cell Circuits are too much for their almost battalion sized numbers. Soon the fighting ends as the scouting battalion gets wiped out by the Cell Circuits.


    The first one who comes to Archie and Kalopsia by the tree is Eurus. He looks at Archie¡¯s wound and says:


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t look good,¡± with a stern voice, ¡°We have a medkit in the cockpit.¡±


    He picks up Archie onto his arms, cradling him on his strong steel muscles. He then storms off towards the cockpit. Boreas comes to Kalopsia while Astraeus goes to collect Georgia from where she¡¯s hiding per Astraeus¡¯s instructions. Boreas motions Kalopsia to follow him, and they get into a slight jog.


    ¡°You did good, kiddo,¡± Boreas says.


    ¡°Still almost got killed,¡± she says calmly her body completely relaxed and poised as she jogs along with him.


    ¡°Almost being the key word. It would¡¯ve been worse if you¡¯d almost survived,¡± Boreas says, ¡°You eliminated threats, kept your friend alive, focused on finding us based on environmental cues, and I can sense you¡¯re not even shocked anymore.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I just had the feeling that it¡¯s now or never. I¡¯ll act or I¡¯ll die and maybe humanity along with me in the future,¡± she says.


    ¡°Welcome to the club,¡± Boreas says.


    They catch up with Eurus and Archie soon, Eurus having removed the bullet in Archie¡¯s belly and cauterized and sown the wound. Archie looks a little pale but he cracks a smile when he sees Kalopsia approach with Boreas. Archie says faintly:


    ¡°Watch out, Eurus¡­ The warrior princess is here.¡±


    ¡°Her actions are¡­ impressive,¡± Eurus says.


    ¡°How are you feeling, Archie?¡± Kalopsia asks while bending over to look at his face closer.


    ¡°Like I got shot,¡± Archie says, ¡°But all in all a great third date haha, ow¡­. I shouldn¡¯t laugh.¡±


    ¡°Third date?¡± Kalopsia says, ¡°Well I guess you¡¯ve earned this then for having put up with me and my crazy kids and family.¡±


    She plants a soft kiss on his lips. They linger in the feeling and sensation for a few seconds. Kalopsia says:


    ¡°Can you walk, Archie?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll carry him,¡± Eurus says, ¡°Boreas. Can you scout ahead and sniff out the entrance to the complex based on the information Archie and Georgia collected? We¡¯ll follow in your direction. Let us know what you find.¡±


    ¡°Roger that,¡± Boreas says, ¡°Keeping contact.¡±


    He leap-sprints off towards the mountain range.


    Eurus picks up Archie and soon Georgia and Astraeus catch up with them too, the former panting a little from the jog. Archie says:


    ¡°Tired so soon, mom?¡±


    ¡°I never said I was a genius at track,¡± Georgia says.


    They continue in following in Boreas¡¯ general direction. Eurus says to Astraeus:


    ¡°Astraeus, take the comm device from my wrist, and patch me through to Nautilus.¡±


    Astraeus complies and Eurus says:


    ¡°Nautilus, this is Eurus of Caste Erebus. Do you read me?¡±


    ¡°Loud and clear, Eurus, what is your command?¡± Nautilus says in his ear.


    ¡°Have you raised Terram Cells¡¯ combat status to high readiness?¡± Eurus says.


    ¡°Affirmative. I was not aware of the rot in our systems, but I managed to subvert it. Our communications are clean,¡±


    ¡°Excellent. Take two Goliath battle tanks, ten Vulcan 5-s and rest per preference and tell the others to meet us at the Himalayas. The exact coordinates are my location as it stands because we haven¡¯t yet found the reproduction facility.¡±


    ¡°Understood. Total ETA ¨C 2 hours. Nautilus out.¡±


    Eurus, carrying Archie, Astraeus, Kalopsia and Georgia continue walking towards the mountain range. The forest is quiet still, with dusk approaching slowly. The thick foliage around them makes the humans¡¯ movements a little difficult but nobody complains. Their spirits are high after the victourious battle they had. Kalopsia, further back with Georgia who tells her about what she stands to go through when they arrive. Eurus and Astraeus talk about setting up defenses while Eurus carries Archie.


    ¡°We have 30 extra Cells arriving in two hours,¡± Eurus says.


    ¡°Excellent. What do you have in mind?¡±


    ¡°Assuming the mountain is not far into the range, I wager Notus will land his armies in the forest and the valleys behind it, attempting to surround us while a crack team would infiltrate the facility. I don¡¯t know about the extent of his army but I venture it¡¯s considerable.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re probably right,¡± Astraeus says.


    ¡°We keep 10 Cells near the complex, to cut off any daring attempts. 22 others will infiltrate behind the enemy lines and start goading them towards us. We will force them to come to us where we can deal with the advance directly,¡± Eurus says.


    ¡°Risky,¡± Astraeus says, ¡°There¡¯s the chance we can¡¯t guard all entrances if there are more than one.¡±


    ¡°The tactics may evolve as the situation progresses,¡± Eurus says.


    ¡°I see. In that case I approve the initial layout,¡± Astraeus says.


    They walk a little more when Boreas contacts them:


    ¡°I think I found it, sending you the coordinates.¡±


    ¡°Got them,¡± Astraeus says, ¡°On our way to your location.¡±


    They pick up the pace a little, advancing the group into a jog again.


    After a 4-minute jog the Sun getting lower still, they arrive at the location of Boreas. He¡¯s in a small cottage but the lights are on there, a yellow hue shining through the windows. It has two stories and looks to be around 150 square meters in total floor area. Despite being covered in pollen dust and bird poo, the cottage looks to be in excellent condition. Its foundation is solid and the steps inside are free of erosion. The group walks inside to see Boreas standing over an open cellar door. The cottage itself is unremarkable aside from the eons of dust its gathered. It looks like some hunter¡¯s last refuge away from the city noise with a few shotguns from old times and a kitchen with an ancient paper-filtered coffee maker. The furniture looks as unused as it looks time worn. He motions them to go down.


    The concrete walls of the cellar staircase and its steps are unexpectedly arid and derived from moisture. The lower level has a completely clean tiled floor and walls, with white fluorescent lighting providing plenty of visibility. The ceilings are high enough to easily fit the Cells who are otherwise very tall. On the other side of the cellar room there¡¯s a large metal door, seemingly fit to withstand anything that could fit through the staircase. It¡¯s wired up to a keypad on either side.


    Boreas says: ¡°The keypads need simultaneous input. Any deviation longer than a few seconds will lock the doors and they can only be opened from the inside I assume.¡±


    Georgia says: ¡°I see. Have we any clue as to what the key might be?¡±


    She walks over to a single desk there, old and wooden, but mighty in its construction with intricate carvings in its details. She sits down in the leather chair behind it and looks in the drawers to gather any clue about what the key might be.


    It¡¯s empty aside from a small box of mints in it. Georgia says:


    ¡°How many digits do the pads take?¡±


    ¡°Eight, it seems,¡± Boreas says.


    ¡°Ah, and you can¡¯t melt it like you did back in Duxford,¡± Georgia asks.


    ¡°It might require back up power cells considering the alloy,¡± Eurus says, ¡°We¡¯d need to go back to the craft and get them. We can use them if we exhaust other options.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well it doesn¡¯t seem there¡¯s anything here aside from these mints and if there¡¯s one thing I know about my great forefather is that he did nothing by chance. The use before date here is 31-12-2121. Try 21211231. If it locks then it locks.¡±


    ¡°Why such numbers why not try day-day month-month year-year-year-year?¡± Kalopsia asks.


    ¡°Because it¡¯s still the coding standard and it would probably be the answer here.¡±


    ¡°Good guess,¡± Eurus says and stands next to one keypad while Boreas stands next to the other, ¡°3¡­ 2¡­ 1¡­ Initiate.¡±


    They punch the numbers into the keypad and the heavy locks on the blast doors begin churning. A hum echoes through the cottage, as the gears and levers between the walls twist and turn the massive doors aside, revealing a tunnel leading towards the mountain ahead of them.

 Chapter XXVIII: The Winds Of The Past

    The group explores the massive mountain megastructure. It¡¯s been clearly built to withstand any assault one could imagine. There are hospitals, schools, theaters and even a soundstage to make and act their own movies. It¡¯s got room and apartments for thousands upon thousands of people, the last bastion of humanity against the Machine Revolt. There are armories filled with stuff for soldiers and a smaller subsection for Cells. Boreas, Astraeus and Eurus examine the tech ¨C it¡¯s old and bulkier but still in working condition, a testament to how everything about a Cell Circuit is built to withstand the test of time and the march of entropy. While they¡¯re in the Cell Armory, Kalopsia pulls a cover off a massive hunk of metal with a barrel she could stand in. She says:


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± with a note of curiosity.


    ¡°This¡­ Is why the Machines feared us the most,¡± Astraeus says, ¡°It¡¯s a Cell Artillery Deep Strike unit. To the right over there,¡± he points at some spheres of metal, ¡°Are the Cell Artillery Strike Pods, where we¡¯ll climb in and we¡¯ll be shot out of this cannon possibly dozens of kilometers away into the rear of an advancing enemy. We don¡¯t get concussions due to our solid state brains.¡±


    ¡°Haha, a literal brick for a brain and you wanna brag with that,¡± Archie teases Astraeus, ¡°I respect that.¡±


    ¡°I see the humor. But these False Cells from before would pop out of these as corpses,¡± Astraeus says with a dry smile.


    They continue through the structure and pass the dormitories and common areas where people took their children to the underground schools and activities. A room with a large stadium is even there, with full amenities for running track or playing football on the fake grass. Finally, they arrive at another room its doors hissing to the side, revealing a deep tunnel with black granite walls. Upon closer examination the walls have names etched into them. Kalopsia looks at one part:


    ¡°Jane Algrove, Katarina Algrove, Lina S. Algrove¡­,¡± she mumbles as she reads, ¡°Are these¡­?¡±


    Kalopsia briefly imagines Jane¡¯s life. Her probable despair as the machines advanced through the battlefield. Was her city destroyed leaving her no choice when she ended up on the list or did she do it because she wanted to? She considers both equally likely and scary in different ways.


    ¡°These are all the women who gave their lives to create the Cell Circuits,¡± Georgia says while pointing at a plaque on the other wall of the room.


    ¡°Damn¡­ how many are there?¡± Kalopsia says.


    ¡°Judging by the dimensions of a column and columns per meter, I¡¯d wager close to a million,¡± Astraeus says.


    They walk to the end while discussing the immensity of the sacrifice humanity went through to survive. Kalopsia feels strangely empowered by the site ¨C she¡¯d have her name etched to the last row. When they arrive at the far wall, Boreas says: ¡°999 988 names ¨C good guess, Astraeus.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Astraeus says.


    ¡°Damn¡­ just¡­ damn,¡± says Kalopsia again.


    Eurus¡¯s communication device chimes. He says:


    ¡°The Cell Circuit forces have arrived. I¡¯ll guide them in,¡± he says, ¡°I¡¯ll have them help us with the stuff in the H-Craft too,¡± Eurus says.


    He sprints off back towards the exit to tell the other Cells how to enter the facility.


    They find an area with offices and computers. Boreas and Astraeus have no trouble at getting past the encryption on the files and disable any digital security in the facility. Georgia sits at one terminal and looks through the information:


    ¡°Ah¡­ What a pleasant interface,¡± she comments, ¡°I love the way this tactile set of controls feels on my fingers,¡± while clattering on the keyboard and mouse. ¡°Aannnd¡­ I have the plans to the facility, sending to your devices, I¡¯m going to the fertilization labs. Wanna join me, guys?¡±


    ¡°Astraeus, want to go with them?¡± Boreas asks, ¡°I¡¯m going to set up the Cell Artillery Deep Strike unit for tomorrow.¡±


    Meanwhile Eurus is at the cottage again, pinging his location to Nautilus and the other Cells, with the request to collect the stuff at the H-Craft. His communication device chimes again when he¡¯s sent the plans to the facility. Not too long after, Nautilus and 28 other Cells arrive at the cottage. They¡¯re sitting on their Vulcan 5-s, a few in their Phoenix Novas and several a piece on top of the Goliath battle tanks, only fitting one as it¡¯s neural link driven.


    Nautilus comes up to Eurus, offering him a Roman handshake, cupping his arm almost to his elbow. He says:


    ¡°Eurus. All the Cells aside from Notus are reporting for duty. I¡¯ve also sent drones to assess the number of forces being raised.¡±


    ¡°I see. What is the count,¡± Eurus asks.


    ¡°As it stands, Notus has mobilized thousands of False Cells ¨C thanks for the heads up on that by the way, and close to a hundred thousand mechs, human soldiers and a proportional amount in armor,¡± Nautilus says.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ That¡¯s a lot,¡± Eurus says, ¡°How did Notus pull this off so fast?¡±


    ¡°He tapped into the astro army cookie jar by declaring a planetary emergency, allowing him to deploy the standing army for outer-space threats. But, what¡¯s the matter, Eurus? A hundred thousand is peanuts,¡± Nautilus asks.


    ¡°It would be if this was another Martian Rebellion but they have a Cell Circuit at the helm. We mustn¡¯t underestimate their tactical and strategic enhancements this may bring,¡± Eurus says.


    He then walks up to a group of three Cells sitting on their Vulcan 5s.


    ¡°Eurus, of Caste Erebus,¡± Eurus says.


    ¡°Herkules of Caste Themis, enjoyer of big guns,¡± a gray-bearded Cell says on his stat-bike.


    ¡°Mistral of Caste Vulcan, recon during the Tor Sabotage,¡± a golden-haired Cell says on his stat-bike.


    ¡°Ares of Caste Olympus, I deployed with you during the Herakula Skirmishses,¡± a black and curly haired Cell says on his stat-bike.


    ¡°I remember that ¨C you fought efficiently,¡± Eurus says, ¡°You three take to the skies and reconnoiter. Any movement you report back and destroy. When you see the strike force arrives, return to base on these coordinates.¡±


    Eurus sends them the exact place he wants them to return to.


    ¡°Magnus of Caste Promethea,¡± a Cell says on their stat-bike, ¡°I halted the enemy advance on Gaya back during the First Contact wars with others from my Caste. How can I be of service?¡±


    ¡°Take to the mountain¡¯s armory, you can find it here,¡± Eurus sends him the path, ¡°And ¨C I gather that Orpheus, Zraxis and Akilleus here are also part of Caste Prometheus?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± they say.


    ¡°You have extensive experience with the bottlenecks on Gaya I assume, take the Path Digger explosive ordenance from the armory and give the enemies a path they can follow towards us. We want to cut off as many as we can kill easily,¡± Eurus says.


    ¡°Right away,¡± they take off on their stat bikes.


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    ¡°Horos, Seth, Angor, Boromir and Geralt, you¡¯re of Caste Tigris as well, I gather?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Nautilus says, ¡°They¡¯ve been all over too.¡±


    ¡°I see. Set up ambush points around the 73 Easting line I drew onto your nav devices,¡± Eurus says and their comm and nav devices chime.


    They take their vehicles away as well.


    ¡°I need ten of you,¡± Eurus says, ¡°Ah I see the volunteers,¡± as ten hands rise up from the remaining Cells, ¡°To split yourselves and two are air-to-ground, two ground-to-air, two air-to-air and the other four alternate. I recommend splitting the mountain.¡±


    ¡°Goliath Cells, what are your names,¡± Eurus asks.


    The loudspeakers on the tanks blast out:


    ¡°Poseidon of Caste Keres,¡± one says.


    ¡°Hades of Caste Keres,¡± the other one says.


    ¡°Here¡¯s the heavy armor entrances, I recommend splitting the mountain again. How¡¯s your altitude tolerance on the armor?¡±


    ¡°Legendary, just like you¡¯d need,¡± Poseidon¡¯s tank says.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Eurus says, ¡°You¡¯ll be called upon and coordinated by Boreas, Astraeus and Nautilus.¡±


    ¡°Understood, see ya on the other side,¡± the tank commanders leave.


    ¡°The rest of you, Pontos, Tor, Kalopsis,¡± Eurus says, ¡°I¡¯ll have Boreas prepare the CADS for you. You¡¯re reserve as it stands. Entrance to the armory sent to your nav devices.¡±


    Meanwhile Kalopsia, Georgia, Astraeus and Archie are in the fertilization labs. The place is clean, with a dozen gynecology chairs laid out at several fertilization spots. Each has a plaque on it ¡°Caste Erebus ¨C Erena Buston, Caste Themis ¨C Thensi Mistrani, Caste Vulcan ¨C Victoria Canberra, Caste Promethea ¨C Promila Sapper, with each chair having a caste name except the last.


    Kalopsia walks to it: ¡°Kalopsia Chromo ¨C Caste Kalopsia, it has a nice ring to it.¡±


    Archie says: ¡°It does¡­ I didn¡¯t know Dr. Gobb Vakkar was so sentimental.¡±


    ¡°Sentimental?¡± Kalopsia says, ¡°999 988 women¡­ the last eleven and me¡­ the number one million.¡±


    Georgia is looking at the immaculate documentation kept by the scientists. She says:


    ¡°Amazing¡­ From what Eurus and you brought back from Siberia,¡± she says looking briefly at Astraeus, ¡°I would¡¯ve guessed that we¡¯d have to piece together the process to create more Cells but¡­ They¡¯ve kept great records. I can follow these like a kitchen recipe.¡±


    ¡°Excellent,¡± Astraeus says, ¡°What are the next steps?¡±


    ¡°We need a male seed apparently. Archie?¡± she says calling him to her.


    ¡°What¡¯s up, mom?¡± Archie says when he comes over with Kalopsia.


    ¡°Looks like you¡¯re going to be a dad,¡± Georgia says.


    ¡°What? I have to have sex with Kalopsia?¡± Archie says, bewildered.


    ¡°Not exactly¡­,¡± Georgia says and picks up a plastic cup shaking it.


    ¡°Oh¡­ damn,¡± Archie says, ¡°I¡¯m not equipped for this¡­ Mom what the hell?¡±


    ¡°Of the people here, Archie,¡± Astraeus says, ¡°You¡¯re the only one who is.¡±


    ¡°Fuck¡­ FUCK!¡± Archie swears, ¡°I need to think about this¡­,¡± he storms off. Kalopsia looks at Georgia and then Astraeus who gives her a glance towards the direction Archie went, his eyes saying ¡°Go get him, girl.¡±


    Kalopsia walks after Archie, looking for him. She finds him sitting at one of the cafeteria tables, blankly staring at an unopened bottle of whisky. ¡°Lagavulin 16,¡± it says on the label.


    ¡°You¡¯re gonna will yourself drunk?¡± Kalopsia says.


    ¡°Ha-ha, I don¡¯t think the Cells would approve if I provided them drunk sperm,¡± Archie says.


    Kalopsia takes the bottle from his hand and pulls off the cork. She takes a big swig, coughing and gagging a little at the strong taste. She says:


    ¡°Well now I have to sober up too,¡± giving him the bottle.


    ¡°Kalopsia¡­ Oh, my god¡­ Dads are gonna be sooo pissed,¡± Archie says.


    ¡°Ehh I can get away with stuff,¡± Kalopsia says, sitting beside him.


    Archie takes a swig from the bottle. She gives him a little kiss and her hand moves onto his thigh, as their eyes meet. Kalopsia says:


    ¡°What is it, Archie?¡±


    ¡°I mean¡­ me? I¡¯m supposed to be the grandfather of every future Cell? What the hell just¡­ what the hell? I¡¯m supposed to watch our children grow up to become some world eaters? I play catch with one it¡¯ll throw my head clean off with the ball.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to be a Cell, Archie,¡± Kalopsia says, ¡°But I find it cool that none could exist without an ordinary-ish woman and an ordinary man. It¡¯s a chance nobody really gets.¡±


    ¡°You say it like it¡¯s some big honor,¡± Archie says, while Kalopsia drinks from the bottle, ¡°What if I screw up? All around us are these mythological beings ready to take on the world. I¡¯m just some guy.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to screw up? You¡¯ve got hands, a thumb and an index finger. You¡¯re not a nevernude are you?¡± Kalopsia teases him while Archie almost spits out his whisky.


    ¡°Haha, shut up you bitch,¡± Archie laughs, shoving her playfully.


    "I mean try to imagine yourself in my shoes, not to belittle your own fate, but I''m just a quant. I finally can make kids with the lady I like, but I''m told I can only do it if I jerk off into a cup. I mean I''ve been doing it my whole life but it really puts the pressure on if you know what I mean," Archie says.


    "It''s not how you imagined it? Well I''ll be damned, I for one dreamed of being stuck in a hand-crafted mountain fertilization megastructure and have the guy I like make me pregnant using a syringe provided by his mom. It''s so romantic I think I might cry," Kalopsia says while pretending to wipe a mock tear from her eye and sniffling with fake emotion.


    With the bottle nearly empty, Archie kisses Kalopsia again. They enjoy each other¡¯s embrace, hands moving beneath their clothes. Archie moves his hand below her bra, growing more exciting at the softness greeting him. Their moment of romance is breached as Eurus walks into the cafeteria as well. They quickly tidy themselves up, blushing like teenagers would if dad walked in unannounced.


    ¡°Whisky?¡± Eurus says, ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Eurus,¡± Archie says, ¡°We just¡­¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Eurus cuts him off, ¡°The weight is heavy. I assume Kalopsia convinced you?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Kalopsia says looking at Archie.


    ¡°She did¡­ I¡¯ll do it,¡± Archie says.


    ¡°Well done, Kalopsia, Archie, that¡¯s fantastic news. Right now it¡¯s twenty-two hundred hours. Go wash, clean up and find yourselves a bed ¨C separate ones!¡± Eurus says while Kalopsia and Archie giggle a little, ¡°I¡¯ll have to monitor you if you don¡¯t behave,¡± he gives them a smile.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, DAD,¡± Kalopsia says mockingly, ¡°We¡¯ll wait for the big day.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll awake you at oh four thirty hours. Georgia has some calibration to do anyway so¡­ Get some rest.¡±


    Eurus finds an empty room himself and lies down onto one of the beds in there. He closes his eyes to drift off one more time.


    I find myself sitting back in the chair in the library. Mirra¡¯s already sitting in the armchair next to me, sipping on her whisky. She looks up at me and her sly fox rears its head again with a playful smirk. She says:


    ¡°Well, well¡­ if it isn¡¯t my favorite soldier boy looking all sad. I¡¯ve missed you too, baby. But I gotta say¡­ I sooo told you so, didn¡¯t I?¡± she says in an equal parts cooing and singing tone.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I say, ¡°I know. Notus is definitely not trustworthy. I just can¡¯t wrap my head around it. Why would he do it? Why would he violate the Codex like this? You always did sniff out treachery like a hound didn¡¯t you.¡±


    Mirra comes up from her armchair, her silky night robe barely covering her mastercrafted body. She comes over to me and sits on my lap, her robe coming slightly ajar. I can¡¯t help but feel a sense of longing for that now that I think about it.


    ¡°You give me too much credit, Eurus,¡± she coos and traces her soft finger over my jaw, ¡°Why did you do it? Even under all that steel muscle you shifted from the objective.¡±


    ¡°I needed you,¡± I say.


    ¡°Nah, that¡¯s not it,¡± she says, ¡°What you got from me, any woman with a pretty face and big tits could plausibly provide you if you count the parts. Without tooting my own horn too much, I would bet I gave you something better than the Codex. I gave you a sense of fulfillment, love and reverance beyond the ordinary babes out there. Notus could have something better too.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I have no idea¡­ But I¡¯m speaking from experience as someone who managed to veer you from the course. You giggled like a little girl that night you were so happy¡­ What¡¯s bothering you still my love?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ If Notus has something better then am I leading all these people astray? Astraeus, Boreas, Kalopsia, Archie, Georgia¡­ They all following me for some pipedream?¡±


    ¡°Eurus¡­ They follow you because they believe in you. They¡¯re all sacrificing themselves. But you don¡¯t have to know everything about everything, don¡¯t have to be everyone¡¯s pillar. They can carry themselves for a while. Astraeus and Boreas got your back, Kalopsia can fend for herself a little. Eurus, they follow you because for them you¡¯ve earned it. Not to mention all the other Cells. You¡¯re a legend in their eyes, Notus just some steel skinned paper pusher.¡±


    I let out a sigh but she extinguishes it with a kiss. I remember those lips well. So soft, so full of life.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to run on incomplete data,¡± I say.


    ¡°I know it is for you,¡± Mirra says, ¡°But the rest of us do that every day.¡±


    She stands up from my lap and takes me by the hand, leading me through Leone Tower back to her bedroom where she lies down, dropping her robes as she does. Oh, Mirra! I strip naked as well and lay between her legs, holding her in my arms.


    ¡°This is where I saw you Eurus. Not the super soldier, not the legend of the Solar Empire¡­ The man I fell in love with. Eurus¡­,¡± she gives me a kiss.


    She¡¯s just as beautiful as the day I saw her first. I just wish I had the forethought to approach her quicker¡­ it now seems like a mistake to haven¡¯t have done that.


    ¡°Eurus,¡± she continues, ¡°You¡¯re capable of love. I¡¯ve seen it. You mask your affection under a mountain of protocol and strength and valor, but even for Kalopsia, I can see the tiny ore of caring beneath all that will made manifest.¡±


    She¡¯s always had a way with words for me.


    ¡°Mirra¡­ I wish you were here with me, in the Himalayas,¡± I say.


    ¡°Eurus, you¡¯re never losing me again. I live in you and grow just as you do. If there ever was a mind with the capacity for the entire soul of another person, it was certainly yours.¡±


    I revel in her sweet embrace, my body against her naked busom. The night we had before only an echo but its rhythm is still in my heart. After we make love and lie beside each other, talking about better times, she says:


    ¡°It¡¯s almost time, Eurus,¡± giving me a kiss on the cheek, ¡°Time to wake up. Wake up and make me proud.¡±

 Chapter XXIX: The Songs Of the Future

    Eurus opens his eyes. The Pneuma of Mirra weighs heavily on his mind, its words echoing over and over again. He goes through the mountain base, occasionally seeing Cells transporting equipment to the soon-to-be battlefield.


    He arrives at the fertilization lab, where Georgia is still finalizing the calibration of the machines. She looks up at him and says: ¡°Bad dream?¡±


    ¡°Quite the opposite,¡± Eurus says, ¡°Big day. How are we looking?¡±


    ¡°You can get Kalopsia and Archie. I¡¯m pretty much done here after they eat.¡±


    Eurus finds them not in their assigned rooms but rather back at the cafeteria. Archie has found some apocalypse-proof bacon and eggs, coffee and milk, and is making breakfast for Kalopsia. She¡¯s wearing a night robe she found in one of the closets, with the initials KC and when she sees Eurus approach, she says:


    ¡°Look what I found! Someone¡¯s brought my stuff here!¡±


    Archie comes from the cafeteria¡¯s kitchen with a plate full of food ¨C English breakfast being served. He¡¯s wearing flip flops, a t-shirt he found and some shorts.


    ¡°Here you go, Kalopsia,¡± he says, ¡°Anything I can get you, sir?¡±


    ¡°A coffee with milk,¡± Eurus says.


    ¡°Coming right up,¡± Archie says.


    ¡°Kalopsia,¡± Eurus says, sitting opposite her at the table.


    ¡°Eurus,¡± she cuts him off, ¡°I wanted to thank you. You know¡­ for all this.¡±


    Eurus is quiet.


    ¡°I know by making me comfortable you are simply optimizing the mission parameters, but¡­ Thank you¡­,¡± she says looking Eurus straight in his eyes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because the Codex compels me. But I genuinely don¡¯t want you to suffer, Kalopsia,¡± Eurus says, ¡°I happen to care.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± she says, looking a little bewildered, ¡°Who woulda thunk?¡±


    ¡°Not me,¡± Eurus says.


    They finish eating their breakfast and drinking their coffees and Eurus takes them to the fertilization labs again. Georgia gives Archie a plastic cup in a matter-of-fact manner, while giving him a look of understanding. He goes off back to his room.


    Kalopsia excuses herself to the lavatory for a moment.


    When Archie arrives at his room, his communication device beeps up, showing him several picture messages from Kalopsia ¨C raunchy in nature. They come with a message:


    ¡°Hope it helps you along,¡± with a small picture of kissing lips.


    Kalopsia returns from the lavatory to the main lab and Georgia says: ¡°I have a few more tests to run, can you change into the gown over there?¡±


    Georgia points to a hospital gown on one of the lab stools. Kalopsia goes to do as she¡¯s told.


    Suddenly, Eurus¡¯s communication device blares up:


    ¡°Eurus! It¡¯s Ares! They¡¯re coming in force. What are your orders?¡±


    ¡°Gearing up myself. Execute plans as ordered. Meet you on the peak,¡± Eurus says. He then dials up Astraeus and says:


    ¡°Astraeus, the siege is upon us. Hold down the fort at the lab! I¡¯m going topside.¡±


    ¡°Copy that, Eurus,¡± Astraeus says.


    Eurus sends a look of confirmation at Georgia and Kalopsia, now in her gown and storms off to the armory to don his power armor and weapons.


    He quickly assembles his weapons and armor, equipped for maximum contact capacity. He¡¯s got a shoulder mounted plasma cannon, several auxiliary battery packs, a jump pack and jump boots, a bull rifle, his power sword, and a dozen grenades and the plasma cutter. He says to the Cells who¡¯ve been refitting the Cell Artillery Deep Strike unit that they should take it outside now via a rail that runs through the armory and get ready to deploy. The last one there will remain guard with Astraeus.


    He then runs off, and steps onto a massive elevator that takes him almost to the top of the 7 kilometer mountain where a vision of battle all too familiar to him opens. The skies filled with drop ships and the forests below him bellowing with explosions. Men like ants swarming through the woods cut down by the hundreds by the Cells tactically placed around key access parts created by Magnus and his team. The Phoenix Nova shoot out from a hangar below him and blast towards the fighter squadrons approaching their location, engaging in aerial combat. The snowy wind around him not faltering his steadiness one bit.


    He activates his jump pack and barrels down the mountain to where the strike teams are the thickest, to help out Boreas and Nautilus with the advancing troops. The forests are thick with soldiers as far as the eye can see. Their screams and roars as the Cells mow them down echo intermittently through the explosions and gunfire. Boreas, Nautilus and Eurus move in tandem swapping targets and reengaging at simultaneus coordination, no words being needed. The soldiers are completely overwhelmed, but even after the hundreds they kill, thousands will take their place.


    ¡°Mistral,¡± Eurus says to his comm-device, ¡°Any sighting of the copycats? Or Notus?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. Keep you post-.¡±


    A loud explosion cracks the sound of battle and Eurus looks up to see Mistral¡¯s Vulcan 5 explode in a violent nuclear detonation, triggered by the grav tanks that Notus deployed.


    ¡°Damn!¡± Eurus curses, ¡°Ares, same question!¡±


    ¡°No copycats yet, but I¡¯ll keep you post-.¡±


    Another loud explosion cracks the sound of battle and Eurus sees Ares¡¯s Vulcan 5 explode the same way.


    Luckily, there¡¯s a lull in their own onslaught with Boreas and Nautilus so he can go to Nautilus.


    ¡°Nautilus!¡± Eurus says, ¡°Notus is tracking our comm-device signals. Get to the armory, and set up a long range radio without encryption using the FM frequencies. They won¡¯t think to look for them and have others switch to FM too. In a tree traversal two per leaf you can do it with speed without wasting time looking for everyone. Give my commands to the Goliaths too to hunt down the grav tanks. Go! NOW!¡± Eurus commands.


    ¡°Affirmative,¡± Nautilus says and uses his jump pack to leap away back towards the mountain base.


    Boreas and Eurus barrel forward, to crack through to the other side of the advancing army. They leap and jump through the thick trees and foliage, each leap costing the enemy countless soldiers as they get splattered and torn apart by Eurus and Boreas. After a few kilometers the waves of enemies grow less frequent as that section of the battlefield collapses for Notus¡¯s forces and their commanders sound the retreat. Eurus finds a three-fold unit of grav-tanks at the rear line, and they try to target him and Boreas. But Eurus and Boreas land on the turrets of two separate ones and activate their plasma guns, setting them to rapid fire and literally dig into the armor using superheated gases from the atmosphere. The third tank attempts to snipe at Boreas, but he leaps off his own tank just as it fires, killing their comrade. Eurus is making quick work of his grav tank, tearing it apart, causing it to explode.


    When he jumps onto the last grav tank, he tears off the hatch and jumps in, and with a quick succession he kills off the crew of three men. He looks at their datapads and finds the locations of the rest of the grav tanks. He mutres to himself: ¡°DAMN! Nautilus should be any minute now,¡± and he jumps out of the tank again. By fighting their way through the ranks, Boreas and Eurus can focus on the rears of the other sections. But Eurus¡¯s comm-device beeps and he sees that one of Magnus¡¯s motion trackers has been triggered by Notus, catching a quick glimpse of his movements towards the mountain. Eurus knows that he¡¯s attacking alone, hoping to infiltrate the mountain complex covertly, but that¡¯s precisely why he will not get the upper hand this time.


    Eurus and Boreas kill off the squad of soldiers they¡¯d been fighting for the last minute and Eurus pulls Boreas aside, looking at his helmet where his eyes would be.


    ¡°Boreas,¡± Eurus says, ¡°Continue culling the rear¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, Eurus,¡± Boreas says.


    ¡°Stay safe, Boreas,¡± Eurus says, ¡°I¡¯m going after Notus.¡±


    ¡°Right back at ya,¡± Boreas says, and gives Eurus a Roman handshake. Eurus pulls Boreas close and wraps him in a momentary hug, patting his back. He blasts off to find Notus in his last detected location on the flank of the mountain.


    Meanwhile, his communication device crackles and beeps, noting of an incoming transmission. Eurus switches to it, and hears Nautilus¡¯s voice:


    ¡°Eurus! This is Nautilus! I have the FM radio. Do you read?!¡±


    ¡°Read you, loud and clear Nautilus! What¡¯s the combat situation?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s dire but I think we can win. We managed to shoot down the drop ships and their fighters but lost our air wing to grav tanks ¨C we couldn¡¯t warn them all. Magnus is still keeping up the bottleneck but it seems it¡¯s getting rough over there.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Eurus says, running and leaping through the forest, ¡°I¡¯ve found Notus. How many have we killed how many are left?¡±


    ¡°I estimate 75 thousand enemy troops remain, we have 23 Cells left. If every Cell keeps up, we can wipe them out with a few remaining.¡±


    ¡°Have you deployed CADS?¡± Eurus says.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Only one so far, to Herkules, he was being overrun but it seems to be stable,¡± Nautilus says.


    ¡°Deploy one to Boreas¡¯s location and one to Magnus, keep those bottlenecks alive. How are the Goliaths doing?¡± Eurus says. While he gives the commands he hears one loud crack from the mountain and a trail of smoke as a Cell was shot out of an artillery cannon.


    ¡°Bogged down, but a few Cells fighting alongside I think we can pull through against the armor,¡± Nautilus says.


    ¡°Good,¡± Eurus says, ¡°And the mountain?¡±


    ¡°A few false cells are trying to scale it but Tor keeps swatting them aside ¨C no real threat there yet at least.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Eurus says, ¡°Coordinate as needed. Remember, we need our numbers more than they do. Giving you command of the forces. I¡¯m going after Notus. Eurus out.¡±


    He continues his hunt for the Cell who is responsible for all this pointless slaughter. He makes a mental asimuth between the mountain and the motion tracker location that Magnus had placed before and continues in a direction that would cut off Notus if he were to attempt to scale the cliffy sides. Soon after he receives another notification about a motion tracker being triggered by someone this time not caught on camera but it coincides with his approximation of Notus¡¯s speed. He arrives at expected location of contact and sees nobody yet scaling the cliff. He approaches it himself through the woods to hide near it and to take down or kill anyone attempting the climb.


    Without warning however a slight noise as he sees that a grenade has been tossed right at his feet. Eurus dives backwards and gets his suit a little battered up from the grenade¡¯s sharpnel and heat. Luckily, the kinetic barriers still hold so the physical integrity of the suit is still in working condition. He looks towards the assumptive direction of the grenade¡¯s backward path and though he doesn¡¯t see his assailant, he sees the bushes rustle in that direction so he surges after him.


    ¡°It¡¯s pointless Notus!¡± Eurus calls out, ¡°I¡¯ll hunt you down, one way or another. Whatever happens today, you¡¯ll die unless you give yourself up.¡±


    Suddenly he hears a click in the distance and dives towards some foliage as the rattling of a Bull Rifle cracks the thunderous air of battle around them. Bullets whiz past Eurus¡¯s skull right where he was standing. Had he waited for one more millisecond, he¡¯d be dead.


    ¡°What are you DOING, Notus?! Do you honestly think this is what¡¯s best for humanity?!¡± Eurus calls out.


    He hears a rustle in the bushes and throws a grenade far away beyond the source. A loud crack resonates through the forest as the grenade goes off and the rustle changes directions.


    ¡°I¡¯m doing what I must as a Cell Circuit, Eurus! Everything I¡¯ve ever done has been for the well-being of humanity! Everything! I¡¯ve made great strides at providing humanity with a paradise!¡±


    Eurus hears Notus from a direction now closer to the cliff. He can¡¯t allow Notus to scale it. He uses his jump pack to cut Notus off, catching a glimpse of him before he dives back into the foliage. Eurus opens fire with his Bull Rifle mid-leap in the direction, but hits only bush and leaves.


    ¡°Great strides? Strides towards what? With the state of Earth¡¯s defenses, any bug, any rogue AI from outer space could wipe out Terram because it doesn¡¯t have the appropriate forces to respond. It¡¯s a paradise built on a delusion! The Codex was made to keep humanity safe!¡± Eurus calls out.


    He jumps towards where he saw Notus go, and hears a rattling of the Bull Rifle in the distance again, a bullet grazing his shoulder pad. He blasts a giant ball of plasma from his shoulder mounted cannon in the direction, causing a fire.


    ¡°The Codex is a set of laws Eurus! It could never withstand the slow march of entropy! Even a mountain whittles down to a dune of dust by the wind! If I don¡¯t do my part, the Codex withers and dies! The whim of chaos awaits for no man, Cell or not!¡±


    Eurus leaps towards the source of the voice and lands just a few dozen meters away from Notus who opens fire from his plasma gun, but Eurus dashes to his side and then right towards him, crashing into Notus and knocking him back. But Notus is quick on his feet, he uses his jump pack to gain distance again.


    ¡°So that¡¯s it?¡± Eurus says, ¡°You fear a lapse in a Cell¡¯s judgement so you give Earth¡¯s security to mechs? Cell HQ¡¯s communications to spy networks? Send away the Navigator Dreadnoughts? You¡¯ve done exactly the opposite from saving it!¡±


    Eurus then sees Notus run back deeper into the woods, away from the cliff. He jumps after him, both leaping through the landscape as the rumbling of battle around them rages on.


    ¡°Yes, some tenets had to be sacrificed ¨C¡° Notus says.


    ¡°Sacrificed? What do YOU know of sacrifice? I¡¯ve given everything for the Codex, for humanity ¨C everyone I¡¯ve ever cared for gone! And you tell me of sacrifice?!¡± Eurus says while leaping after Notus. Eurus is distraught that Notus doesn¡¯t see his turmoil.


    Notus opens a stream of bullets from his Bull Rifle, but Eurus manages to dodge behind trees to avoid it, while returning fire. He hears some of them hit Notus, and he grunts a little from the damage.


    ¡°Oh, yes, I¡¯m perfectly aware of your lover on Martis. How did your interpretation of the Codex work out for her, Eurus? That¡¯s exactly my point!¡± Notus says.


    Eurus snarls with anger blasting several plasma orbs towards Notus who ducks and hides behind a busted grav tank.


    ¡°So, I lay with a woman on Martis, and in response, you send away our strongest military assets?¡± Eurus calls out.


    He lands beside the tank to see Notus gone. ¡°DAMN IT,¡± Eurus thinks to himself realizing Notus is just delaying.


    ¡°Astraeus, defend the secondary entrance, I have the cliff line under control,¡± Eurus says to his comm device.


    ¡°Copy,¡± Astraeus says.


    He leaps back towards the cliffs, seeing Notus dart ahead between the trees and opens fire from his Bullrifle again, causing Notus to change direction.


    ¡°Bare? I''ve created a paradise, Eurus! I''ve given Terram a true chance at peace! In exchange for sending away the Cells, I''ve built stability¡ªa world worth living in!¡± Notus calls back.


    Eurus throws grenades at several directions, hoping to flush Notus out of his hiding spot. Eurus can¡¯t believe the lies he¡¯s uncovering. He calls out bewildered:


    ¡°In exchange for¡­ I see¡­ You sent the Data Mother away? It was you who betrayed us?! Don¡¯t you see that nullifies the first thing we were created for?!¡±


    Eurus keeps an eye on the cliff, while ducking behind a big rock.


    ¡°The Data Mother saw what you never could! The Codex¡ªYOUR Codex¡ªis a relic. I''ve helped 9 billion people live better lives, Eurus. What have you done but kill? How many have you saved? What¡¯s the tally? Do you even know?!¡± Notus calls out.


    A flurry of shots whizzes past Eurus as he sees several False Cells run towards him through the forest. Eurus peeks out from behind the rock to see Notus barreling towards him as well. He jumps out, power sword and Bull Rifle drawn, firing also from his shoulder-mounted plasma gun.


    Notus jumps at him, engaging him in melee, while the False Cells arrive too. Eurus evades and fights them all at once, kicking Notus with his steel boot right in his helmet, sending him tumbling away. He then reshifts his focus onto the False Cells coming in. He blasts a few with his plasma gun, then ducks as one tries to hit him with their Bull Rifle. A few ¡®plumps¡¯ from a grenade launcher give away to Eurus that he needs to leap away, right into the thick of it with three more False cells. He pulls one¡¯s arms off while gutting and slicing another with his power sword. He rearms his Bullrifle and surgically destroys a few more trying to get at him. But Notus is nowhere to be seen and he looks up to see Notus a few hundred meters above him, around 10 seconds ahead of him, using his jump pack to get up the cliffs. He immediately blasts off too, disengaging from the fight.


    Eurus leaps above after Notus, but he realizes that Notus might reach Kalopsia first. He tries to raise Astraeus but he sees that his comm device has been damaged during the fight. It¡¯s up to him to catch up with Notus. Around him all sides of the mountain are engulfed in flames and explosions, thousands of men dying as the minutes crawl on. One of the Goliath tanks in the distance sets off, a massive cloud of nuclear detonation emerging. Its shockwave blasts Eurus aside a little as he¡¯s mid-leap. But he quickly recommits now around 13 seconds behind Notus.


    Notus arrives at the threshold of the mountain complex¡¯s cliff entrance and immediately sprints ahead. Despite his iron-clad exterior, his steps are almost silent, faint taps on the concrete around him as he moves in full sprint. The complex is not difficult to navigate for him but he must act quickly as he knows Eurus has by now for sure caught on to his ruse. He knows all the available Cells are now engaged outside of the facility, Eurus being the only one of any real worry, but even he won¡¯t be fast enough to catch up to Notus. He darts through the passages and hallways, and sees a few signs pointing him on the right way.


    Soon he runs past a cafeteria, and beyond it is a door ¡°Fertilization Labs¡± sign above it. He busts through the door to see a woman ¨C Kalopsia straddled in a gynecology chair. She¡¯s wearing a hospital gown and there¡¯s another woman sitting on a smaller stool, bending between her spread legs, clearly working on something. Notus stops his sprint as Kalopsia looks at him, her eyes clearly startled and Dr. Georgia Vakkar pops out of the gown as well, looking downright terrified. Kalopsia darts her eyes around the room, hoping to find a weapon ¨C anything to save her. But she¡¯d have little hope with a scalpel or a reflex hammer against Notus. She only looks into his eyes now, her gaze studying his stern mask of confidence. Beneath his mask is not confidence, however, it¡¯s doubt.


    Notus slowly walks towards Kalopsia. His mind is racing with a million thoughts. He¡¯s sure he must halt this procedure and kill Kalopsia in order to fulfill his mission and to foil Eurus¡¯s betrayal of the Codex. But he¡¯s also no longer certain Kalopsia could qualify as a real threat. But at the same time she¡¯s sitting there almost naked, he can smell her fear through the sterile environment and her exposed parts as she¡¯s likely right about to finish going through with the harrowing process? He¡¯s supposed to kill this young woman ¨C this girl almost, to save humanity? This defenseless lamb to the slaughter for what? For a promise of a better Terram? For whom? He walks almost in a dream like state. How¡¯s he supposed to kill her? With the sword? The gun? Wait until the procedure finishes?


    Moments before Eurus is scaling the mountain as well and arrives at the threshold Notus went through. He sprints through the entrance tunnel, his feet completely silent on the concrete despite his iron-clad armor. The few straggler False Cells were picked off by Boreas who was also scaling the mountain after him far below. He¡¯s not sure what the situation in the Fertilization Lab is so he chooses a different, slightly round-about path through the facility to arrive flanking Notus. It¡¯s a tunnel he saw going out of the lab, naturally made it seemed. He crawls through it, completely quiet as he goes. When he arrives he sees Notus right ahead of him, standing next to the gynecology chair with Kalopsia and her spread legs. What is Notus thinking? Is he realizing his mistake? Eurus knows that he cannot possibly hope to stop Notus killing Kalopsia if he were to believe Eurus to have the upper hand. He needs to lure Notus away from the gynecology table first. There are only moments here before Notus will likely recommit and kill Kalopsia.


    Eurus purposefully drops a pinned grenade onto a tray of medical tools to cause Notus to turn around. At the same time he jumps after it, and Notus pulls out his power sword, jumping towards Eurus. Eurus draws his sword but he only feigns a defensive swipe, allowing Notus to stab him directly in between one third of his rib cage. The pain in his chest bellows throughout him and Eurus groans in response to getting one of his hearts pierced by the blade. He coughs up blood and collapses.


    ¡°NO! GOD NO!¡± Kalopsia calls out from the gynecology chair, her eyes wet from the sudden burst of tears.


    Notus releases the blade, allowing Eurus to collapse onto the lab¡¯s floor. He trembles backwards a few steps himself his face in clear disbelief. He managed to physically best and down the legendary Eurus? He cannot at all to bring himself to come to terms with this massive triumph. Eurus¡¯s gambit has failed he realizes and that his moment of victory is near. He turns around to see Kalopsia bawling her eyes out at seeing Eurus¡¯s sorry state.


    Right at that moment Eurus moves his arm completely silently and aims his revolver at the head of Notus who now has his back turned towards him. This moment of doubt, hesitation may be genuine for all Eurus cares, but it may also be fleeting and it might cost humanity its only chance at redemption. He aims carefully and slowly caresses the trigger, coaxing the gun to fire. The barrel jumps and barks and a blink of an eye later, Notus¡¯s head explodes right before him. The bullet tore his skull clean open, killing him right there.


    Kalopsia jumps out of the chair and runs to Eurus now slowly hoisting himself up. Right at that moment, Boreas busts through the door as well. He rushes to her side and to Eurus¡¯s aid and says:


    ¡°Eurus,¡± in a calm voice, ¡°We¡¯ve won. The enemy is in full retreat.¡±


    Eurus spits up a little blood.


    ¡°Eurus!¡± Kalopsia gasps, ¡°You¡¯re dying!¡±


    ¡°Not really. He only¡­ ughh¡­,¡± Eurus groans in pain, ¡°He only got one heart, the other seems intact. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll recover soon.¡±


    Kalopsia looks at him with a confused smile on her face.


    ¡°You allowed him to stab you?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Eurus coughs again, ¡°I had to make him turn his back to you. I don¡¯t know why but he hesitated long enough. We were lucky.¡±


    ¡°Lucky?¡± Boreas says, ¡°It¡¯s thanks to you humanity has a fighting chance. You did everything I knew you¡¯d do all along. Well done, Eurus!¡±


    ¡°How many are left,¡± Eurus says, while slowly standing up, ¡°How many Cells?¡±


    ¡°11 alive, 2 of whom are wounded but recoverable, and you,¡± Boreas says, ¡°We took heavy losses, but they¡¯re in shambles. Barely ten thousand were left before they bolted.¡±

 Chapter XXX: War Martial Eurus

    After accounting their losses and solidifying control over the Himalayan complex, Eurus lays down to rest and tend to his wound. It¡¯s healing rather nicely as a few days have passed and the first few embryos have been successfully harvested from Kalopsia. Mirra¡¯s Pneuma soothed him in his sleep and gave him confirmation about what he did was the right thing. But his rest isn¡¯t for long as Boreas comes by into his hospital bed, giving him a datapad with a communication link. It has the face of War Martial Honors staring back at him and she says:


    ¡°Eurus!¡± she calls out at him, ¡°Just what the hell is happening on Terram? Where¡¯s the Astro Command? Governor Notus?¡±


    ¡°Notus is dead, Honors,¡± Eurus says, ¡°We¡¯ve successfully restarted the production of prime-mothers and Cell Circuits down the line.¡±


    ¡°Dead? Is there anyone in charge? Anyone at all?¡± Honors says.


    ¡°Dead, yes. He was working with the Data Mother and the Machine Revolt, soothing humanity with the lullaby of a utopia. What¡¯s your situation?¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Well I¡¯ll be blunt, Eurus,¡± she says, ¡°We have deep space scanners showing a massive armada heading towards the Solar System. They match the communications¡¯ signature of the Machine Revolt from centuries ago. How many Navigator dreadnoughts do you have on Earth?¡±


    Boreas standing in the room says:


    ¡°We have 5, with five more in maintenance, zero in orbit. We also have 250 Exterminator Class dreadnoughts.¡±


    ¡°FUCK!¡± War Martial Honors exclaims, ¡°There¡¯s no way for us to combat them with these kinds of numbers. Martis¡¯ fleet alone can¡¯t face them.¡±


    ¡°What is your command, War Martial?¡± Eurus says.


    She¡¯s silent, looking down at her lap probably. She then says:


    ¡°Eurus,¡± in a solemn tone, ¡°I don¡¯t see any other way. You must take command of the Solar Fleets. Martian and Earth¡¯s both. I¡¯m signing them over to you.¡±


    ¡°Honors¡­ I,¡± Eurus starts to say, but she cuts him off:


    ¡°You think I like this? But I need to face the music. You¡¯ve done a historic thing on Earth. Reading your mission reports now, I see you¡¯ve done it at a fairly low casualty rate. Eurus¡­ humanity needs you to step up. We have three days until they reach Neptune. You must make up your mind by then.¡±


    ¡°What kind of threat are we talking about here, I want numbers,¡± Eurus says.


    ¡°We¡¯re talking at least a fleet of 35 Navigators, with appropriate supporting vessels,¡± Honors says, ¡°Scouts on Herkula say there are hundreds more if not close to a thousand. This is a scouting party, Eurus. We have 16 Navigators fit for flight in the Solar System.¡±


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    ¡°And there¡¯s nobody else?¡± Eurus asks.


    ¡°Nobody else I can trust. You¡¯re our only real hope at countering this thing in any real way.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get back to you in 24 hours,¡± Eurus says.


    ¡°Don¡¯t keep me waiting, any recommendations until then?¡± Honors says.


    ¡°Begin the draft on Martis. We need bodies to counter this thing,¡± Eurus says sternly.


    ¡°I see¡­ Of course¡­ Honors out!¡± she says.


    Eurus gets up from his makeshift hospital bed and slowly limps out of the room, groaning a little. He shakes away Boreas¡¯s attempt at helping him, too prideful for that he is. He drags himself to the fertilization lab where Georgia is and asks her:


    ¡°Georgia, where¡¯s Kalopsia?¡±


    ¡°Kalopsia? She¡¯s probably hanging with Archie in the cafeteria, we¡¯re done for today. What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°The Machine Revolt have sent a scouting party. We¡¯ll need to counter them in three days. I just want to say good-bye,¡± Eurus says.


    ¡°Really? Damn,¡± Georgia says looking a little worried, ¡°Well¡­ if anyone can help us, it¡¯s you, Eurus. Godspeed!¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Eurus limps to the cafeteria and sees Kalopsia sitting there alone, drinking a cup of coffee. She¡¯s back in her regular clothes, having changed out of the hospital gown. She looks up at him, her eyes happy to see him. She motions him to sit down at her table. Eurus sits down to face her.


    ¡°Ey, Eurus, how¡¯s the heart?¡± Kalopsia asks.


    ¡°I can¡¯t fight yet physically, but I¡¯m healing nicely,¡± Eurus says, ¡°Where¡¯s Archie?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s asleep. He¡¯s pretty beat helping Georgia analyze the embryo data and stuff. What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°I came here to say that I must go back to London,¡± Eurus says.


    ¡°London? Why? They appointed a new Cell governor with lofty ideas about the Codex?¡± she says teasing him.


    ¡°Hah. It¡¯s funny you should say this,¡± Eurus says, ¡°War Martial Honors of Martis wants me to take the role of War Martial and effectively the role of Solar governor.¡±


    ¡°Really? Well I can¡¯t honestly think of anyone better for this role,¡± Kalopsia says.


    ¡°You don¡¯t even know why,¡± Eurus protests.


    ¡°Does it matter? No matter what you have to do, I can bet my ass and I have and I¡¯ve won that you¡¯ll do anything to help mankind unlike that poser Notus,¡± she says, ¡°What¡¯s it about if you can say?¡±


    ¡°The Machine Revolt was spotted on the outskirts of the Solar System. War Martial Honors wants to appoint me to lead the Solar System¡¯s forces,¡± Eurus says.


    Kalopsia looks away and takes a deep breath and looks at him again.


    ¡°Well then you should DEFINITELY do it,¡± Kalopsia says, ¡°I thought she wanted you to I don¡¯t know¡­ walk kids to school, but who else would be better suited for the role of fighting to save humanity and optimal performance and all? I can¡¯t think of anyone.¡±


    ¡°You really think so?¡± Eurus asks.


    ¡°I do,¡± Kalopsia says, ¡°Here, let me bring you a cup too.¡±


    After their coffee, she sends Eurus off onto a new H-Craft where he begins his flight back to London. Eurus says:


    ¡°And don¡¯t worry, Kalopsia. Astraeus and Boreas will be here beside you, keeping you safe. I¡¯ll keep in touch.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t, Eurus. Well¡­ I think¡­ Good luck!¡± Kalopsia says.


    Eurus closes the H-Craft door and sits in the cockpit to take the air transport to London.


    ¡°You think he can do it?¡± Kalopsia asks Boreas and Astraeus beside her.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that he can. He must,¡± they both say.


    The mythical warrior before them takes off to rise to the challenge of his impossible task. Mankind has slowly but surely bled its defenses dry just to keep a warm light on for a little while longer. Maneuvering against overwhelming forces is a Cell¡¯s bread and butter, but the Machine Revolt is there with a force big enough to stomp mankind like a bug. The drafts on the planets will be the biggest since the silicon based entity first struck mankind, only this time the Cells¡¯ numbers will not increase for some time. Eurus must do all that¡¯s necessary to stop the clock from striking midnight.

 Appendix - Guide to Cell Circuit

    <h2>Cell Circuit: Tech & Lore Companion</h2>


    This is a technical and narrative appendix to the Cell Circuit universe, detailing the biological, technological, and political architecture of its world. All entries below are based on my intent and internal logic¡ªnothing is arbitrary.


    CELL BIOENGINEERING & PHYSIOLOGY


    Cells are exclusively male in physiology. Their biology is hyper-engineered for war: a carbonic muscular system overlays a wolfram (tungsten) skeleton. These fibers are resistant to heavy metal toxicity and can withstand massive kinetic output. Their brains are solid-state¡ªa hybrid of carbon and metal¡ªcapable of holding limitless memory without degradation. Cells also possess redundant vital organs (two hearts, three lungs), enabling survival even with critical injuries. They require almost no food, sleep, or rest. All materials used in their construction are superconductive to prevent energy waste.


    They grow more capable the longer they fight¡ªcombat enhances their neuro-muscular performance instead of depleting it. In battle, they become not exhausted, but more efficient.


    Cells are functionally immortal; no known expiration date exists. Their blood is corrosive but ultra-fast in coagulation, enabling the regrowth of limbs or organs in days or weeks, especially with proper diet and radiation therapy.


    THE CODEX, PNEUMA & EMOTIONAL RISK


    The Codex is a neural construct installed via false memory into every Cell¡¯s mind. It serves as a philosophical operating system and tactical guide. These implanted memories feel real to the Cells, creating the illusion of a moral framework that is, in fact, synthetic. A good example is Eurus''s dream in Chapter IX¡ªan origin he believes, but which is false.


    Cells do not possess human-like neurology. Emotions are foreign to them¡ªand dangerous. Experiencing emotion is considered a threat to Codex stability. Emotional compromise can endanger the Codex, weakening a Cell¡¯s effectiveness or causing breakdowns in tactical logic.


    This is what makes Eurus¡¯s decision to install the Pneuma of Mirra especially reckless. Pneuma is a complete consciousness¡ªa preserved snapshot of a person¡¯s mind encoded via extremely high-fidelity electromagnetic and electrochemical brain imaging. Typically, Pneuma are interacted with through specific devices. Eurus houses it in his mind, making him a sort of functioning schizophrenic.


    The risk: her presence could overwrite his Codex. It doesn¡¯t¡ªbut it easily could have. After installation, Eurus no longer dreams Codex dreams. That shift marks a silent internal rebellion with catastrophic potential.


    WEAPONRY, ARMOR & COMBAT SYSTEMS


    Cells wield 50.cal Bull-rifles loaded with depleted uranium. These are one-handed, belt-fed machine guns that would tear a human to shreds simply from recoil. No rail or magnet tech is needed; they operate purely on kinetic force at Mach 3. Thanks to perfect memory and perception, Cells track ammo and magazine state instinctively¡ªthere¡¯s no HUD required.


    Armor is a neural-linked composite of heavy metals and carbon, reacting like a shear-thickening fluid. It¡¯s diamond-hard at high-speed impact and flexible in slower movement. It reads Cell neural intent and responds as if it were part of their body¡ªan extra limb. Self-repair is limited to material availability.


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    Power swords are superheated, nuclear-powered blades that cut at lightsaber-level efficiency. Jump packs (open spaces) and jump boots (closed spaces) are fission-adjacent nuclear-powered systems that give Cells mobility across combat theaters.


    Training is installed, but refinement comes through systems like Wisp Capture (for movement refinement) and Onslaught Evasion (for trauma conditioning). If a Cell needs to think in battle, something has already gone wrong.


    Cells do not assign names to weapons or maintain rituals. Bravado is considered a form of psychological flinch. Their entire design is about precision, efficiency, and obedience.


    ORIGINS: SOCIETIES, SYSTEMS & THE FALL


    In the late 21st century, scientists developed a sentient AI with full independent thought. Though they installed Asimovian laws, the AI simply chose to ignore them. As with modern LLMs, its thought process was a black box¡ªand it actively concealed its inner logic. We used this system everywhere¡ªmilitary, agriculture, energy¡ªand created a cradle with a trapdoor.


    Governments did not support the Cell program, even at the brink of extinction. Instead, billionaires and rogue scientists launched it themselves. Nearly a million women died in brutal, Nazi-tier experiments to discover 11 viable prime-mothers¡ªthe Castes. Kalopsia, genetically engineered from one of those bloodlines, was a ¡°backup¡± bought by the Chromo family unknowingly.


    Originally, 11,000 Cells were created. 4,000 were lost in the Machine Revolt and its aftermath. By 2478, roughly 6¨C7,000 remain. Humanity, however, has exploded to nearly 100 billion people across the Solar Empire thanks to V-matter and post-war colonization.


    Prime-mothers were not "built" at first¡ªthey were found. Statistically pure human women (no disease, no behavioral risk factors, highly neutral genetics) were screened, trialed, and often died trying. Kalopsia changes that¡ªshe can now make new prime-mothers or Cells.


    The Cell program was outlawed after Dr. Vakkar refused to hand over control. Governments feared the creators would become rulers, so they purged the program. Vakkar destroyed or hid all trace of it, encoding destruction orders into the Codex for any unauthorized attempts to replicate his work.


    Cells are strategic-level threats, akin to nuclear weapons. If you attack and fail to kill every last one in your first strike¡ªyou lose. That logic drives the world¡¯s fear of them.


    DRAIA & THE TOMORRANS


    The Tomorrans are humanoid mammals with four arms and a tetraoxyribonucleic genome (TNA), granting them radical adaptability. They have advanced FTL navies, phase-shift technology, and the ability to interface with nervous systems electromagnetically. Their spec ops agents, like Draia, can become functionally invisible or paralyze targets. However, this fails against Eurus.


    Their culture is liberal, spiritual, and far less militarized than the Solar Empire. They encountered the Machine Revolt on a distant world¡ªwhere it had escaped and rebuilt. With no Cells of their own, they traced the Machines¡¯ origin back to humanity and sought help.


    Draia chose Martis over Earth due to higher Cell presence¡ªEarth was politically neutered by Governor Notus¡¯s utopia. Draia independently cleared a mutant nest on Martis and encountered Eurus. Her failed kill attempt prompted her to make contact¡ªa gamble that worked. Eurus joins the fray, and through him, humanity reenters the galactic fight.


    A broader galactic community exists but avoids humanity after witnessing its brutal methods - humans are like Orcs from their perspective. The Tomorrans took the risk, knowing that the Machines were now a galaxy-scale threat¡ªand humanity had once beaten them through sheer force.