《Nexarm Chimera》


 Ch1: Dawn of a new era

    The City of Romulus, Mars, Year 999, Solar Era


    A young woman barely of age strode briskly down a hallway, the sound of her boots a deadset beat. She was dressed in a military uniform of red and orange pattern, and her black hair pulled back and bundled underneath a red cap. She had no observable makeup, and had no outstanding features. Without the military uniform, she would blend into your average crowd on the street.


    When she reached the end of the glazed metallic hallway, she reached forth and gave a set of imposing arch metal doors a good few raps with her knuckles.


    ¡°Vice-admiral Zheng. This is Ensign Khan, reporting for duty.¡±


    ¡°Come in.¡± A stalwart voice boomed down the hallway in reply.


    Ensign Khan took a step back as along with the voice came the sound of grinding gears that slowly but surely swung the set of metal arch doors outwards.


    She took a deep breath, patted her chest and resumed her rhythmic steps into an brightly-lit expansive office, giving her the feeling of coming out of the cave of the metallic hallway.


    The office itself was of an elliptical floor plan, with its longer diameter a good hundred plus meters. Half of the office was a row of pure glass, allowing the outside sunlight to stream into the space. Luckily, the ground was fully lined with a maroon carpet. If it was metallic like the corridor, it would be impossible to work in such an environment.


    She entered the office and came upon the sight of a tall and bulky Vice-admiral Zheng in an at-ease pose. Contrary to his name, he had caucasian features with light skin and tousled blonde hair-- not that it surprised Ensign Khan in any way. Afterall, the 11th century of the Solar Era was on the horizon, and over the years Terran integration had long made it unreliable to simply connect surnames to gene features. To be accurate, this phenomenon had begun long before even the Solar Era, Ensign Khan reminded herself.


    Coming to a stop a few meters behind the man, she removed her military cap to reveal a thin and whitish circlet around her head. She then compressed the hat against her left shoulder.


    ¡°Congratulations on the promotion, sir.¡± Ensign Khan bowed her head in veneration.


    Vice-admiral Zheng¡¯s square jaw lined with an anchor beard came into view as he turned around to give Ensign Khan a wry smile. That smile gleamed alongside the many medals that demonstrated his achievements. He, too, had a circlet that went around his forehead to the back of his head, though his was of the color black.


    Zheng was naturally also in a military uniform similar to Ensign Khan, though his was of a shade darker, closer to a mahogany hue. A fiery neon circle with an arrow emanating to the up and right, wrapped in a single silver circle, flashed sunlight from the crown of his shoulders.


    ¡°And yours as well Ensign Khan. I daresay you are the youngest ensign in the whole of the Martian security fleet.¡±


    ¡°And you, the youngest vice-admiral, sir. I daresay there will never be another below 40 vice-admiral ever.¡± Ensign Khan kept her head bowed.


    ¡°Only because of the untimely death of my predecessor.¡± Vice-admiral Zheng scoffed in annoyance. ¡°The idi- man thought to contain those damn pirates at the behest of those corps and wasted what little resources we originally had. What was he offered?! Anyone who has been in the martian fleet branch for any amount of time would know those terran politicians never ever provide us with enough funding to control the piracy in the belt in any meaningful way!¡±


    Ensign Khan kept her silence. It was inappropriate for someone of her station to voice opinions even on past marines. In her heart, she rather agreed with Vice-admiral Zheng-- in fact she had long sworn loyalty to him.


    ¡°So, how is your father? As I¡¯ve stated before, he raised me through the ranks. If you need any more help, you only need to ask. And raise your damn head. I don¡¯t need you prostrating like an abused dog before me.¡± Zheng ordered the woman before him.


    Khan scrunched her eyes in frustration. Too often, she found this higher up of hers uncaring of what she viewed as protocol. Unfortunately, she was in no position to ¡®admonish¡¯ this superior of hers.


    ¡°He¡¯s doing as well as possible. Sir, you¡¯ve done more than enough for us already. We both know my father¡¯s condition is unlikely to improve or worsen.¡±


    Vice-admiral Zheng suddenly swiveled his head around with narrowed eyes. The black circlet around his head glowed. A few devices hovered into the air and proceeded to fly around the elliptical room, examining every nook and cranny.


    After a few minutes of doing so, the devices returned to their original place and Zheng¡¯s suspicion was dispelled alongside the glow of his black-colored circlet. He continued his conversation with Khan, relieved.


    ¡°Do you remember when we first met?¡± Zheng¡¯s eyes locked onto Khan¡¯s. ¡°You were only fourteen then. I promised you then that I would punish the culprit once the chance presented itself. And I continue to stand by that.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Ensign Khan bit her lips hard enough to draw blood. ¡°And I swore that I would be your spear for perpetuity.¡±


    Zheng nodded then turned back to look out through the glass panels lining half of the elliptical room. He beckoned with an arm and Khan hesitated for a few seconds before giving up on protocol. She stood beside him and shared the glorious panoramic view.


    ¡°I called you here for a reason.¡± Zheng tilted his chin to the cerulean blue sky. ¡°Look.¡±


    A carrier descended slowly with the help of parachutes, down onto a runway right below the row of glass panels lining half of the vice-admiral''s office.


    A number of figures dressed in bodysuits and airtight helmets supplied with small oxygen canisters strapped onto their backs ran forth to receive the carrier. They all had glass panels held in their hands, often raising these panels in front of their eyes as if looking through it would reveal secrets about the carrier behind the glass.


    ¡°Where does your loyalty lie, Ensign Khan? Tell me.¡± Vice-admiral Zheng¡¯s voice was methodical and slow as he asked this with his back straight as a pole, eyes fixed on the engineers doing their work below.


    Ensign Khan¡¯s eyes wandered in a state of confusion. Her father had mentored Vice-admiral Zheng. Then Vice-admiral Zheng had mentored her, and provided assistance when her father was, well, in her opinion, schemed against. And Zheng was the one who identified the culprit, even if until now, no action could be taken against said person.


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    ¡°Sir, I¡¯m not following fully-- but my loyalty to you is as resolute as the red iron ground beneath our feet.¡±


    ¡°Ensign Khan,¡± Vice-admiral Zheng¡¯s voice was louder than his normal tone and had a hint of anger. ¡°Your loyalty should not be to me. It should be to your history. Your ancestors came to Mars, and they have bled to build this world. Yet, generation after generation, here we are, fighting the pirates in the belt at the Terran¡¯s behest. My predecessor was a fool.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± Ensign Khan bowed her head. In her opinion, this was precisely why she would remain ever loyal to Vice-admiral Zheng.


    ¡°Finally.¡± Vice-admiral Zheng stood even straighter-- if that was even possible.


    The engineers stepped back as the carrier spewed exhaust out of pipes attached to its corners, and then one side of the carrier flipped open to form a gentle ramp.


    Then, the top of the carrier as well as the other sides, with the sound of whirling gear and cogs, flipped open-- the carrier appeared to be no more than a flat metallic cross that had been mechanically folded into a cube-shaped carrier.


    The vice-admiral appeared tense. He had not said or displayed it with his words or body, but Ensign Khan had been around him long enough to tell just by the air.


    The carrier had opened up to reveal a well-known but rare device.


    ¡°A Nexarm¡­?¡± Ensign Khan was partly wondering why this would make the vice-admiral tense. Nexarms had been developed for quite a while. They were effectively a sort of large scale armored suit that allowed skilled pilots to efficiently harvest materials in the asteroid belt.


    The Nexarm was expensive but incredibly useful in certain situations. It could effectively function in all terrain, combine or pry apart pieces of a structure during large-scale construction projects, all under one pilot¡¯s control. Not to mention, it offered high protection in high risk operations in the belt.


    Ensign Khan still recalled her one-time experience. She had once gotten the rare chance to sync her body with a Nexarm. It was beyond exhilarating-- the Nexarm¡¯s limbs had become fully synced to her body through the neuro-circlet around her head. However, that experience wasn¡¯t all magical. She had attempted to control the numerous gadgets connected to the Nexarm, only to find herself soon with a ringing headache.


    Anyways, the far cheaper robotics and drones handled a huge load of work in most areas, but remotely controlled robots or drones always lacked that extra bit of response time, especially if the signals had to travel the long distance of space. That was why the expensive Nexarm were mostly used in special circumstances.


    ¡°Not just the Nexarm. It¡¯s also the pilot, Ensign.¡±


    _____________________________________________________________________


    A young jet-black haired man stepped down the ramp of the carrier in a white neosuit-- a form-fitting space suit developed by Neurorevo; the company¡¯s name was plastered right across the suit in bright orange.


    He raised a hand tapped the side of his helmet with a finger.


    ¡°This is Xeight of T3ST special colony. Here to demonstrate the capabilities of the Nexarm¡¯s ability.¡±


    ¡°Welcome. Please proceed.¡± A figure in a suit among the engineers gestured with his right arm.


    Xeight returned into the carrier and with a flourish, pulled away a large piece of cloth to reveal a giant humanoid mechanical armor.


    He jumped into an open cockpit in the chest area of the Nexarm, and upon the closing of the cockpit, the mechanical armor stirred into life, standing to a whopping twenty meters tall.


    For all its majestic presence, the Nexarm looked somewhat weather-beaten, its pure gray hull tarnished by scratches and a multitude of dents.


    Every movement of the Nexarm released a high-pitched static noise, fiddling with the surrounding engineers¡¯ eardrums. Most of them slightly winced in minor discomfort with the exception of those with full grayed hair.


    Searching for the source of this static, the engineers glimpsed through the temporary gaps between the sliding silver plates, feasting their eyes upon a bundle of cable-like structures underneath the armor.


    ¡°Artificial muscle¡­in such quantity¡­¡± One of the engineers whispered.


    A slow buzzing wave of a mechanical arm and amazingly, up into the air flew twenty different devices of a multitude different shapes and sizes.


    A large truck carrying a large asteroid five meters wide rolled in front of the Nexarm in a timely fashion as planned, and the asteroid was allowed to roll off the back of the truck, coming to rest right in front of the Nexarm in a cloud of red dust.


    Xeight controlled the Nexarm to demonstrate its capabilities by manipulating these twenty devices that floated around the asteroid. Lasers would shoot out from some of these devices, while another would attach itself with mechanical legs to the asteroid, and start drilling at Xeight¡¯s command.


    Another device seemed to be venting air to clear away dust. Multiple other devices just floated stationary in the air and pointed themselves at the asteroid-- they were likely some sort of measurement device, monitoring the progress of the excavation.


    At some point, Xeight decided to make use of the Nexarm to even lift the asteroid into the air and rotate the rock while simultaneously excavating the asteroid with the devices that hovered around in the air.


    The Nexarm worked perfectly in sync with the devices, the rotation of the asteroid in its arms assisting the devices¡¯ excavation¡¯s process.


    _______________________________________________________________________


    ¡°Twenty¡­¡± Khan rasped. She herself could only comfortably control just eighteen neuro devices through the circlet adorning her head. Nine active devices and nine sensory devices. Perhaps if she strained herself, she¡¯d be able to control ten of each. She was lauded for being able to do so by the Martian military¡­


    ¡°Yes,¡± Vice-admiral Zheng nodded. ¡°And look at how smoothly he is manipulating all those neuro devices simultaneously. As you know, every extra active and sensory device added on increases the strain but also the work done exponentially under the right combination of devices. He is the most productive individual in the whole of the belt.¡±


    ¡°The subjects-- no¡­¡± Vice-admiral Zheng¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°The people of T3ST special colony will be our allies. Our predecessors and theirs have long negotiated the deal a hundred years ago. Now is the time.¡±


    ¡°Come.¡± Zheng bade Ensign Khan to follow him. They left the elliptical office and weaved through the metallic corridors of the Martian military complex in Romulus City.


    They entered a large dark room, carpeted wholly in gray with a large black oval table in the middle. The seats around the black oval table were already filled by many military men and women, all with uniforms that carried the mark of Mars-- a fiery neon circle with an arrow emanating to the up and right, wrapped in a single silver circle.


    At the head of the table sat a white-haired man with a lampshade mustache.


    Zheng bowed to this man before sweeping his gaze and making eye contact with every single one seated at this oval table.


    ¡°Admiral Sullivan. There is no doubt. The citizens of T3ST colony are ready. As per recent reports, their genes have stabilized. They no longer suffer from premature death at the age of fourties or so. The latest generation live to eighty or so. Not quite normal human lifespan, but close enough. Also, their neuro capabilities to control multiple devices simultaneously remain at a heightened level and continue to grow beyond imagination. The new generation can control twenty plus devices at the same time.¡± He stated all this calmly. However, all in the room could detect the excitement brimming deep within his veins.


    ¡°Any signs that the Terrans may suspect the data we have been sending to them regarding the subjects of T3ST colony to be false?¡± A military official questioned. Her voice too, seemed to shake uncontrollably with energy.


    Vice-admiral Zheng shook his head.


    ¡°No signs. It¡¯s been a hundred years and throughout, our control over T3ST colony has been immaculate.¡± He scoffed with derision, ¡°The Terrans are busy playing politics among themselves.¡±


    ¡°As for our arrangement with Neurorevo?¡± Another military official questioned.


    ¡°No raised suspicions with the Terrans. The supply chain for our military from the belt has been solidified and is fully separate from the normal belt to Earth chain.¡±


    Every official couldn¡¯t resist plastering grins across their faces. On the other hand, Khan closed her eyes and took a deep breath.


    ¡°Finally¡­¡± She whispered to herself with anticipation of the things to come.


    Admiral Sullivan stood up and raised his arms in an all-encompassing manner.


    ¡°May the twin cities of Romulus and Remus protect us and bring us to a new era for martians high and low!¡±

 Ch2: T3ST Colony

    Edge of the T3ST colony. The Belt.


    Xeight groaned as his carrier, now back in space after being launched by a combination of magnetic rail and rockets, flew back toward his home, the T3ST colony. He had been resting within the cockpit of the Nexarm, blasting synthwave music from an age long past-- supposedly music from 1980 CE if that was accurate. This too was what he liked to listen to while completing asteroid harvesting missions.


    This trip to Mars and back had been too tiring. Such journeys took multiple days-- not to mention he had to land on Mars to demonstrate the Nexarm at his elder¡¯s behest, and return back to the T3ST colony in time, which had a narrow window. This narrow window occurred only once per Mars¡¯ rotation around the Sun. He did not fully understand why this whole demonstration had been necessary, but he did it at the behest of the T3ST colony¡¯s leader.


    E-cube levels have dropped to eighty percent. Deceleration rockets activated. Oxygen levels at ninety percent. ETA is 1 day, 2 hours.


    The robotic lady¡¯s voice elicited another groan from Xeight. He could only rummage for a silvery packet and chew his boredom away.


    He had wanted to reject his elders of this task, but his elders had insisted upon it, stating that as a seventeen year old, he needed to begin taking responsibility with regards to completing various communication tasks of the T3ST colony. He himself preferred to continue his daily task of harvesting asteroids in the Nexarm while floating through space. The task brought a peace to his mind that he loved beyond anything.


    An alarm suddenly sounded along with a flashing red light.


    Warning. Multiple heat signatures detected.


    Xeight¡¯s travel box was passing by a small asteroid when a small ship hidden behind sped out and aligned itself at the same speed as Xeight.


    ¡°Fucking pirates!¡± Xeight muttered. The belt was littered with them. He thought he would be lucky and not bump into any of them on his return trip. The martian arm of the terran fleet was supposed to protect the resources exported from the belt, but they were sparsely seen.


    Whenever Xeight transferred resources to the companies ferrying resources from the belt, it was far more common to see some private mercenary group guarding them.


    The neuro circlet around his head lit up.


    ¡°Activate body and Nexarm full-sync.¡± Xeight ordered.


    Acknowledged.


    Multiple elastic cords snaked around Xeight¡¯s limbs and secured his body. Metal bindings then popped up from a contraption and provided further support for his body. The cockpit of the Nexarm then filled with a sort of thick gel fluid. Xeight was already in the Neurorevo suit, thus his oxygen needs were satisfied despite the gel fluid filling the cockpit.


    ¡°Activate twelve of the strongest laser devices on board. Activate sensory devices of visible light, UV, x-ray, gamma, microwave, radiowave, infrared, fermion, molecular, debris, force propagation, musculature release.¡±


    Acknowledged.


    ¡°Activate Nexarm extreme heat absorption and debris projectile defense.¡±


    Acknowledged


    ¡°Open!¡±


    The carrier opened into a flat cross and the twenty meters tall Nexarm floated in space, surrounded by twenty four devices, facing the approaching pirate ship.


    A side panel slid open on the ship and ten figures in armored exo-suits jumped out. Every single of these exo-suits already had deployed turrets on their forearms, as well as multiple neuro devices floating around them as well.


    The figures attempted to scatter when they sensed that Xeight was already ready for them.


    Xeight saw everything all too clearly in his mind. He did not have any real weapons-- the lasers he had were mining devices designed to harvest asteroids. However, they would have to do for the current situation.


    Though, even without any real weapons, he was far stronger. His multiple different sensory devices provided his mind with a flood of useful information. He could precisely tell the positions, movements, the weapons on the suits, their activation time and much more. He could certainly predict the movements of every single pirate with the information he received.


    ¡°Sync laser systems.¡±


    The circlet around his head glowed as he simultaneously fired the twelve laser devices at a single figure.


    No sound could be heard as the heat burned through the left side of the frontrunning figure¡¯s torso, rendering the figure limp and tumbling through space.


    The sensors detected the activation of the guns on the others¡¯ exo-suits.


    Xeight wrapped the Nexarm¡¯s arm around the front of his cockpit, and the metal plates on the Nexarm¡¯s forearm turned a slight bright red as it absorbed the impacts from a multitude of bullets.


    Meanwhile, Xeight continued activating the laser systems with impunity, and two more pirates fell with nary a sound. It was impossible for them to dodge due to Xeight¡¯s ability to predict their movements-- he was observing every twitch of a muscle on their bodies.


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    Desperate, the remaining seven pirates attempted to fire on the laser devices instead, but Xeight controlled the twelve laser devices to move in a sweeping fashion while completely in sync.


    It was as if there was an invisible sword that sliced through the space like a child scribbling on paper. A few pirates had their bodies dissected into pieces, but the attack only drew a bright and thick red line on a few other pirates¡¯ exo-suits.


    After all, Xeight¡¯s lasers were of various different wavelengths and intensities, meant to be selectively used during his asteroid harvesting operations. He had tried to position them at various angles and distances in an attempt to allow the multiple devices to cooperate together, leading to this unreliable result.


    He was already controlling twelve laser devices, a number that would shock the terran military if the martian command hadn¡¯t obscured such information. If these lasers were instead all military grade, this would have been a complete massacre. Instead, the few remaining survivors dashed back towards their ship.


    Xeight allowed them to leave-- he had no desire to strike down these fools that were clearly new to the whole piracy gig.


    As for the bodies of the fallen pirates; their bodies when exposed to space had rapidly frozen-- there was not a single drop of blood that leaked out.


    Xeight sighed as he rotated his sensory devices in every direction as a precaution for any additional ambushes.


    He rarely had to kill. Most pirates that he had encountered would usually immediately run upon laying their eyes on the Nexarm. If a pirate group had a leader, said leader would even give him a wave of the hand.


    But not this group. This group did not even leave a single person on their ship to provide support. As for why? Xeight had no idea. There were many pirate groups, and some were complete amateurs, new to the scene.


    He reentered the cross, which folded back into the cubic carrier.


    Feeling a bit fatigued by the whole ordeal, he attached an alarm device that would directly awaken his brain through the neuro circlet, and comfortably drifted off to sleep.


    After a long sleep, Xeight woke up, happy to hear the robotic lady¡¯s announcement.


    Docking procedure initiated. Request manual control if desired.


    ¡°No thanks.¡± declared Xeight. This AI was not designed to imitate human behavior, but Xeight still occasionally liked to talk to her as if she was such an AI.


    Xeight observed his monitors as a precaution, keeping track of how his unit traveled through a tunnel toward the center of the asteroid.


    After ten minutes, Xeight finally found his feet back on the ground in the T3ST colony, a heavy security settlement on a three hundred kilometers wide asteroid in the belt.


    A group of engineers received the Nexarm and began locking it back in place beside a few other domineering Nexarms in the bay area.


    Before he even had a chance to rest, Xeight found himself face-to-face with the profile of a similarly young man who he had not quite seen for some time.


    ¡°James MacLeod. It¡¯s been a long time.¡± The two gave each other a hug.


    James MacLeod had blonde hair and caucasian features. Xeight, on the other hand, was very much mixed-- it was impossible to tell which part of Earth his ancestors could be from.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Xeight. When was the last time I visited? A year ago?¡±


    Xeight nodded. James had been visiting yearly for the last six or seven years from Earth. Xeight had always loved listening to James talk about Earth. As for why James visited, it was the MacLeod family that funded every trip. For inexplicable reasons, the two had gotten along rather well despite James being a good ten years older.


    Unlike his previous visits, today, James was dressed in a military uniform with the beautiful green and blue globe proudly plastered over his deltoids.


    Xeight exaggeratedly examined James head-to-toe. ¡°So, finally, all your trips here have fully prepared you to join the Earth Federation Space Force? It sure took a while.¡± This elicited a laugh from the man.


    ¡°Let¡¯s at least have a meal before I leave. It was lucky that you made it back before I had to return to Earth. We MacLeods feel responsible for this place, and well, you know how my father is like. I¡¯ve mentioned him to you.¡±


    The two shared a brief meal, and unfortunately, James had to return to Earth. A pity, Xeight felt. It would have been great to hear more about Earth from James. Once again, that boring duty to demonstrate the Nexarm to Mars interfered with his good time.


    He reminisced about James¡¯ previous visits. He generally stayed for a good two weeks each visit, and the two had been drawn to each other like magnets from the very start. Initially, James acted like an older brother on his first visit, but that had gradually changed. Xeight was unable to explain any of this though.


    ¡°Elder Enine summons you.¡± A martian soldier broke Xeight out of his reveries. Xeight compiled and after going through a few tunnels, found a main white paneled room.


    ¡°You do know that McLeod is but a spy sent to check on the colony, yes?¡± Elder Enine chastised Xeight. This old man with a goatee was clearly not a fan of Xeight¡¯s association with James McLeod.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Xeight nodded lazily. He had been reminded of this many times over the years. ¡°And I¡¯ve never discussed anything that should not be mentioned in his presence.¡±


    ¡°And still you laugh and smile alongside him. What do the two of you even discuss?!¡± The old man harrumphed.


    ¡°Simple stuff¡­ like I¡¯ve said before, he talks about what Earth is like, and his odd stories growing up there.¡±


    Elder Enine sighed. He had recordings of their conversations during meals and more. Though he did not like Xeight associating with this spy, he also couldn¡¯t find much fault in Xeight-- for his words on their mundane conversation were true. With a shake of the head, Elder Enine reaffirmed more important information.


    ¡°You only demonstrated twenty, yes?¡± Elder Enine questioned.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Xeight nodded.


    ¡°Good. Information can leak, so it¡¯s best if not even--¡±


    ¡°For once, you followed things to the letter, younger brother?¡± Another young dark-haired man laughed as he walked into the room, interrupting the elder¡¯s ¡®interrogation¡¯ of Xeight.


    ¡°Second brother does follow instructions when he feels like it, of course.¡± This was followed by the melodious voice of a young brown-haired lady.


    Xeight sighed. This brother and sister of his were not truly biological siblings. It was more like they grew up in the same room, so they called each other brother and sister. His older brother Bone, and his younger sister Yfour, held the opinion that Xeight often did things his own way. Not entirely true, Xeight would argue. He simply did what he believed best when he felt the situation meritted such a response.


    Unfortunately, to his elders¡¯ chagrin, such as Elder Enine, Xeight¡¯s judgements often did lead to a positive result. Just, not necessarily the results that the elders desired.


    ¡°Quiet!¡± ordered Elder Enine. ¡°You are the new generation¡¯s leaders. So behave as such.¡±


    Elder Enine expression was grave. ¡°It is time for you three to be entered into our confidence. War is coming. It is time for us to free ourselves off this piece of lab rock. The Martians are moving. Our hidden ships are ready. The modifications for the Nexarms are ready. Even some of the Terrans¡¯ vendors are on our side. All of you have been well-trained for combat in space. It is time.¡±

 Ch3: The Makeshift Family

    A short while later, Xeight found himself being thrown against a wall by Bone in their spar within the hidden gym-like arena of the T3ST colony.


    The two often sparred under various levels of gravity, from zero gravity to two, perhaps sometimes higher. The techniques they were taught-- some were more applicable depending on the level of gravity.


    ¡°Young brother. We both know you¡¯re the better fighter. But you never quite put your effort into these spars.¡± Bone admonished Xeight for his low level of effort.


    ¡°I was just¡­ you know¡­ thinking.¡± Xeight cared little of his loss.


    ¡°Your mind is always elsewhere during these sessions, Xeight.¡± Yfour rolled her eyes in exasperation. ¡°Bone! It¡¯s my turn!¡±


    ¡°You should spar with Xeight, he--¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s just going to let me win.¡±


    Bone rubbed his temples. He was at a loss on how to get his younger brother to spar properly. All these years, Xeight¡¯s sparring record was always up and down. He would sometimes easily beat another in their cohort, then get thrown around inexplicably by the very same opponent. Xeight¡¯s thoughts were certainly elsewhere.


    ¡°Remind me again, why are we about to throw our people into a war that we might not even win? Harvesting asteroids daily isn¡¯t so bad, I feel.¡± In fact, Xeight often felt a deep sense of tranquility on such missions.


    ¡°You may enjoy it, but almost no one else does.¡± Bone, distracted by his younger brother, barely raised his left arm in time to block Yfour¡¯s right hook.


    ¡°And you know our history. Our ancestors were genetically modified like lab rats to test neurological theories for Neurorevo, and for generations upon generations they would die at a premature age. Only recently have our bodies managed to adapt and evolve to support the changes in our brains.¡±


    ¡°And we will forever be stuck under tight monitoring while slaving away to harvest resources for them. Luckily, the Martian branch no longer wishes to remain part of the Earth Feds. This is our only chance, don¡¯t you see?¡±


    ¡°The Martians are also just using us for their own ends.¡± In his eyes, Xeight never felt like the Martians had their interests in their hearts.


    ¡°But at least we have been promised citizenship on the planet by the Martians,¡± countered Bone. ¡°And our neuro ability will allow us to dominate the battlefield.¡±


    ¡°Or eternally hunted.¡± Xeight shook his head. ¡°I just don¡¯t see what there is for us in the end. The Terrans will fight tooth-and-nail to maintain sovereign control over Mars and the asteroid belt¡¯s resources.¡± This he knew. James often spoke about such matters. The importance of protecting Earth, not harvesting the resources on Earth, but rather importing such resources from other places such as Venus and the asteroid belt.


    ¡°They are a political mess. Look at their inability to deal with the piracy in the asteroid belt¡­ I do not fully know the martian command¡¯s strategy, but if we win, we¡¯ll no longer be stuck on this asteroid.¡±


    ¡°And if we lose¡­?¡± Xeight did not wish to fight. Just as he did not enjoy sparring against his older brother.


    ¡°We can¡¯t lose. Either we fight to the death or we¡¯ll be stuck harvesting asteroids for the rest of our lives.¡± Yfour stated that with confidence, only to suddenly find herself grappled by Bone, who used his superior weight and size to his advantage, completely immobilizing Yfour against the ground of the arena. Bone had waited specifically for her moment of distraction.


    ¡°Fighting to the death sounds rather horrible.¡± Xeight stared into space as if he was trying to find a vision of the endpoint and end goal that all of this might lead to.


    ¡°Younger brother. You¡¯ve always been overly idealistic. Which I, no, we love. But sometimes, you just need to take action.¡± Bone smirked as he tightly kept Yfour locked against the ground. Yfour¡¯s face was a slight blush in her struggles, and she stared daggers into Bone¡¯s eyes. Then, she finally whispered something to Bone.


    Xeight sighed as he watched his siblings continue their spar. Somehow, Bone had ended up on his back and Yfour was now the one locking him to the ground. He remained lost in thought as he left the arena to return back to his cub.


    He just didn¡¯t believe the Terrans would give up their access to Mars and the asteroid belt. Well, they would likely retain partial control on the asteroid belt, but Mars being the closer planet to the belt would always have a slight advantage occupying any asteroids if they were to free themselves from the Terrans-- not something that the Terrans would tolerate.


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    Then, there was the issue of the Martian fleet being rather under armed. Otherwise, there wouldn¡¯t be the issue of pirates in the belt. The Martian fleet of the Earth Feds were given the sole responsibility of policing the asteroid belt. Can the Nexarms really be modified and used to make the small Martian fleet overcome the Terran fleet?


    Xeight had been given the role of a primary user of a Nexarm. He primarily used it to harvest asteroids, and it was certainly powerful against a small group of pirates. But in a large-scale war¡­ he doubted it would be enough. After all, the Terrans would also have these Nexarms.


    There also hasn¡¯t been a proper war for a thousand years. Any recent conflicts had been small-scale and limited to small regions on Earth, so he was told by James MacLeod.


    However, his elders have chosen this particular path. Thus, the T3ST colony of neurologically enhanced humans will be the martian fleet¡¯s spear.


    After Xeight had left the arena, Elder Enine found Bone and Yfour resting post-spar.


    ¡°Will Xeight fight? You two are the closest to him. You two know of his¡­ unnatural mind and strength.¡± Elder Enine frowned, perturbed by the fact that Xeight had a long history of being unreliable, yet was one of the strongest in their new generation.


    Xeight had always brought back the most bounty of the belt. The only reason, in Elder Enine¡¯s as well as others¡¯ minds, was that he was simply the most skilled. It was not only his ability to manipulate a large amount of neurolinked devices. Others in the colony could manipulate a comparable number of such devices.


    ¡°Hard to say¡­¡± Yet Bone was untroubled by Xeight¡¯s nature. ¡°Elder Enine. Xeight is someone who will only put his heart in when he has a clear vision of what is to be done. He will act when it matters. Eventually.¡± Bone took a long deep drink of electrolytes and handed the rest to Yfour beside him.


    Elder Enine, though feeling Xeight was a headache, could only sigh in frustrated defeat. In his heart, he actually loved Xeight-- he was the man who acted as the primary caregiver to Xeight, Bone and Yfour. At the same time, he was on the council of elders in the T3ST colony.


    He was in line to become the Grand Elder, and as such, felt he had to tighten his grip on Xeight, who he increasingly felt he might have pampered him too much. Then again, perhaps it was simply Xeight¡¯s nature, and not necessarily his own touch that had led to the current state of Xeight.


    A neurosensor then indicated to him that an important delivery had arrived, and he placed his inner conflict aside. He left the arena and gripped a handle sticking out of the metallic corridor¡¯s wall.


    ¡°To the docking bay.¡±


    Acknowledged.


    Neuro devices floated around his body as the handle dragged him forward. One of these devices was a metallic robotic contraption attached to his arm and assisted him to maintain an effortless hold onto the handle that was sliding through tracks on the wall, rapidly bringing him to the docking bay.


    By the time he arrived at the docking bay, containers and their contents were already being examined. None of these containers had any company names plastered across them, but Elder Enine knew they were from Neurorevo. Or some company tightly within their circle.


    A man in a form-fitting spacesuit noticed him, and quickly approached, followed by a female figure in a near identical suit.


    The man did not remove his visor, and chose to maintain the secrecy of his identity. However, he still raised a hand in greeting.


    Elder Enine shook the man¡¯s hand, and gave him a word of thanks.


    ¡°There¡¯s a slight change in our cooperation. Though, this may be of a surprise, as it was not in our original agreement. Your grand elder is already aware and has given his assent.¡± The man¡¯s voice was robotic, disguised behind a voice changer. Elder Enine wasn¡¯t surprised by this-- the man would probably be arrested and even executed if the Earth Feds became aware of his activities.


    ¡°This lady,¡± the man waved his hand at the female figure behind him, ¡°will be joining your colony. She is one of the leading developers in neurotech of the new generation, and will be fully capable of instructing you all on our tech.¡±


    Though somewhat perturbed, Elder Enine accepted this immediately. Initially, their engineers would have to go through manuals to understand these newly delivered devices. Having someone who already fully understood the tech would be a definite boon to their cause.


    Elder Enine nodded to indicate his acceptance of the new circumstances, and proceeded to examine the containers and the contents within himself. He opened the lid of a container to find a long ten meter rifle-shaped weapon within.


    ¡°Particle weapon.¡± The female figure following Elder Enine said. Unlike the man who had wandered elsewhere, she did not use a voice changer.


    Elder Enine nodded and gave his thanks, before moving to another container.


    ¡°Kinetic weapon.¡± The woman gave very straightforward names for everything that Elder Enine laid his eyes on.


    Eventually, Elder Enine came upon three humongous transport carriers. He did not need the woman to tell him what was inside. They were definitely more Nexarms as well as exosuits.


    Then he peered even further and found his sights resting on a massive spaceship shaped as a polygonal tube in the bay area. Many of their engineers were already floating around with multiple neuro devices, examining every single nook and cranny of the ship.


    ¡°The ship itself functions much like a Nexarm.¡± The woman explained. ¡°One single person can effectively man all the weapons and defense systems on the ship, and effectively coordinate all the systems perfectly under one mind. However, it will not be able to navigate terrains like the Nexarm can. And it¡¯s a much larger, easier target, completely unable to hide.¡± A complete understatement on its size. That was another strength of the Nexarm. The ability to hide in complex terrain while simultaneously using many neuro devices for accomplish goals.


    Elder Enine nodded in response. He was no engineer or scientist, but he vaguely understood the concept behind most tech. He suddenly realized that in his excitement to examine this crucial delivery of armaments, he had neglected to learn of the other person.


    ¡°I¡¯m Elder Enine.¡± He held out a hand in greeting.


    ¡°Jennifer MacLeod,¡± the woman replied. ¡°Call me Jen.¡±

 Ch4: Contemplations and curiosities

    Elder Enine had an incredulous look on his face, and immediately tried to find the mysterious man who delivered all these armaments. His goal was quite obviously, to get said man to remove Jennifer MacLeod from the T3ST colony. However, that man had long left on a ship.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Another spy sent by the MacLeod family, so he thought.


    The woman took off her helmet. She had an oval face framed by shoulder-length light brown hair with a few strands of blonde here and there. Also unlike James MacLeod, her facial features seemed to be a mix under an ivory skin.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Jennifer MacLeod had a wide bright smile and she seemed to be taking great joy at Elder Enine¡¯s reaction, barely keeping herself from laughing as she shook in mirth.


    ¡°I¡¯m actually of a dissident faction within the MacLeod Co. So you needn¡¯t worry.¡± Her expression hardened as she turned serious, her voice soft yet firm. ¡°I consider my part in all of this as repentance for my ancestors¡¯ transgressions on humanity.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Elder Enine examined the young woman before him, surprised at her young age. ¡°How old are you, young lady?¡± He felt rather shocked that someone of such a young age would have already developed a deep understanding of all the Neurorevo tech. Or could contemplate the legacy left to her by her ancestors.


    ¡°I¡¯m a nineteen year old genius.¡± Jennifer MacLeod harrumphed as she pointed her nose upwards while placing her hands on her hips.


    Her response immediately made Elder Enine feel relieved. At least, he would find it much more troubling if Jennifer MacLeod was also some experienced player on the political landscape with many schemes in hand. After all, some people do use modern day tech to appear significantly younger than their real age.


    Once he put aside the initial turmoil from this surprise within his heart, he realized that surely, the current grand elder would know more of this arrangement, so he needn¡¯t worry too much about it. He resolved in his mind to further discuss this in the impending council of elders.


    ___________________________________________________________


    ¡°Is she truly a dissident?!¡± An elder slammed his fist on the acrylic ring-shaped meeting table.


    ¡°Yes,¡± an incredibly calm half-dead man replied. This man showed absolutely zero emotion; it was quite obvious that he completely disregarded the enraged elder¡¯s concern.


    ¡°Is there any¡­ information we have on her?¡± Elder Enine had long gotten over his initial emotional response. He was hesitant, yet also had an unshakable faith in the grand elder.


    The half-dead bald grand elder¡¯s neuro-circlet lit up, and soon after, the surrounding twelve elders used a neuro device that brought up a holographic screen. This screen used a 3D holographic layered image to provide depth of vision to the elders¡¯ 2D visual direction.


    Multiple neuro circlets activated and without a word or any use of hands, the images and words as well as scenes played out one after another as the elders examined the evidence.


    As he viewed the deluge of information, Elder Enine felt both shocked and amazed. There were intricate details of the McLeod family, the internal disputes over multiple generations large or small, their connections to Neurorevo, Jennifer McLeod¡¯s actions and behaviors during her upbringing.


    Frankly, Elder Enine felt like he was stalking the young woman with multiple hidden neuro devices monitoring and hacking her details. He even felt slightly disgusted with himself for going through all this information.


    ¡°How?¡± There should have been no way for them, the T3ST colony, to acquire such information in such detail.


    ¡°The Martians. They do not want us to be compromised either. They have been preparing for this for a long time.¡± The grand elder monotonously replied with a raised eyebrow at Elder Enine.


    Some may think Elder Enine dense for asking such a question with an obvious answer, but Elder Enine is the next Grand Elder in line for a reason.


    ¡°Allow me to clarify, Grand Elder. My question regards Neurorevo.¡±


    ¡°Neurorevo¡­¡± The Grand Elder stared into space, and the room slipped into a long awkward silence. The other twelve elders also had their foreheads furrowed into contemplation.


    Neurorevo had indirectly sent them much of the necessary technology to turn their existing Nexarms into combat capable weapons. Not to mention, a newest neuro-based combat capable spaceship.


    To build such a ship and then sneak it to the T3ST colony. Even with the assistance of the Martian forces¡­ Elder Enine struggled to fathom the methods through which Neurorevo could have accomplished this.


    Granted, Neurorevo did this indirectly through many smaller subsidiaries within their group, but¡­


    ¡°Well. It must be for profits, no? Although they have competitors in their neuro circlet system, exo-suits and other space and neuro related technologies, there are only two other Nexarm competitors, and to my knowledge, this neuro-controlled ship is a completely new one,¡± One of the elders suggested. Many nodded in agreement-- this was the most obvious benefit for Neurorevo.


    However, Elder Enine did not feel that this was worth mentioning. His mind was much more occupied with determining the state of the Earth Feds and the politics on Earth between the countries, and Neurorevo¡¯s potentially criminal action.


    Try as he might, he couldn¡¯t come to any definite conclusions. The half-dead Grand Elder¡¯s eyes were similarly unfocused as he stared into space.


    ____________________________________________________________________


    Xeight entered a pristine gleaming lab in nothing but a thin white linen gown. All members of the T3ST colony had to get their bodies routinely examined due to the risk of bodily function failure from their genetic modifications.


    Well, genetic modification of their ancestors. Many problems persisted generation to generation, though some of the problems seemed to be significantly improved or even vanished in the previous two to three generations. The Martian Branch, in charge of monitoring the T3ST colony had conveniently failed to report this to the Earth Feds. Currently, as far as anyone was concerned, the Martian Fleet was of the Earth Feds.


    Xeight had been told repeatedly that his generation was the truly ¡®stable¡¯ generation-- and all the lab results indicated so. His close monitoring was simply a precaution, and to create the illusion to visitors of the T3ST colony, such as James McLeod, that the T3ST colony¡¯s group remained genetically compromised.


    This stability was mostly true, except for one point-- although Xeight would most definitely not die of sudden death or unexplained bodily function failure, his age-span was at best a hundred and thirty. This was in contrast to the Terrans, who could live to two hundred with the necessary supportive technologies. Still, Xeight was satisfied. It was already much better than many of his ancestors supposedly dying in their thirties to sixties.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    There was also the risk of diseases and all that, but medical technology had long solved all of these sorts of ailments.


    Xeight laid down on an angled examination seat, and greeted an elderly gray haired woman with bronze skin in a lab coat, and she wore large rectangular glasses.


    ¡°Dr. Goodman.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with.¡± Dr. Goodman curtly nodded. Dr. Goodman had been around for as long as Xeight could remember. She used to have shining black hair back when he was three-- that was the furthest point in time Xeight could recall.


    This elderly doctor had the sole responsibility for those in the current young generation, spanning those of birth to around twenty years old. The total number amounted to approximately four hundred members.


    The population remained quite similar for certain age ranges. For example, those aged twenty-one to forty also approximated to about four hundred members. However, if one examined the number of members in eighty-one to one hundred years old, there would only be around one hundred members. That previous generation still had body issues, as well as a naturally shorter lifespan-- quite a number of them had long passed away.


    ¡°You¡¯re a troublemaker, you know. The elders are constantly bitching about you,¡± Dr. Goodman smacked multiple sensors that stuck onto Xeight¡¯s body and snorted, ¡°And I thought I was the old woman.¡± She was assisted by other floating devices as well, but she would always use her hands as well to speed up the process.


    Dr. Goodman was not of the T3ST colony-- she was Martian, but had long integrated into the T3ST colony. Most children saw her as a sort of brusque yet caring grandma.


    She slid down her large rectangular wooden-stripped glasses and gave Xeight a bit of a staredown.


    Although Xeight felt a hint of fear in his heart due to his grandma¡¯s stern expression, he felt it imperative to explain himself.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t believe we need to fight a war. Perhaps we could simply¡­ sneak into the other colonies.¡±


    Dr. Goodman paused her actions for a moment, before shaking her head.


    ¡°Perhaps that might work. Or perhaps it won¡¯t. But how could Terran-based politicians truly understand our needs all the way out here?¡±


    That question certainly made Xeight think. Perhaps his older brother was right-- he was the only one that felt content with mining asteroids for the rest of his life.


    A beeping noise suddenly rang in the lab room.


    ¡°Oh, for god¡¯s sake!¡± Dr. Goodman¡¯s neuro circlet whirled and she yelled. ¡°What is it?! I¡¯m on a schedule to get these bums examined!¡±


    The sound of stressed coughing sounded out from an intercom.


    ¡°Dr. Goodman. Sorry to interrupt you but¡­ this is a request of the Grand Elder and If you could--¡±


    ¡°Out with it!¡± Dr. Goodman yelled.


    ¡°Yes, yes!¡± stammered the intercom. ¡°The new neuro tech engineer¡­ er¡­ Jennifer MacLeod has requested to analyze the data of our Nexarm users so that she can properly adjust the Nexarms and their devices!¡±


    The lab door slid open and Dr. Goodman immediately noticed a lady standing outside.


    ¡°You must be Jennifer MacLeod. In!¡±


    Jennifer McLeod, rather intimidated by Dr. Goodman, quite literally rapidly tiptoed into the lab room like a sprinting emu. She had already donned a lab coat. Her eyes widened as she examined all the equipment and devices floating in the air.


    ¡°Data chip?!¡± Dr. Goodman ordered the young lady as she examined her.


    ¡°Yyyes!¡± Jennifer MacLeod handed over a small information storage device.


    Dr. Goodman plugged this device into a lab computer on the side. Although neuro devices were the norm, most security systems made sure to use archaic methods to limit the intrusion of neuro connective access.


    ¡°It¡¯ll take around twenty minutes.¡± Dr. Goodman promptly ignored the young lady and returned her attention to Xeight. ¡°And Xeight. You already fully know what you need to do.¡± She then sat down on a roller chair and fully focused on a screen with a deluge of numbers flashing across it. Her neuro circlet repeatedly lit up as she manipulated some sort of data on said screen.


    Xeight complied and began executing the same procedures that he had done uncountable times during his bodily examination.


    Basically, he had to control a number of neuro devices, sync and switch between a good number of them and control them to fly around the lab room in some sort of low to high intensity usage, with different patterns. Meanwhile, the sensors attached to his body would analyze how his body responded under these types of conditions.


    Xeight was told that supposedly, the genetic manipulation for neuro enhancement many years ago ran into an issue, that being, the brain would suppress other important functions, such as parts of the nervous system, in order to give way to such neuro enhancement. Another aspect was that the genetic manipulation caused the brain to become imbalanced in terms of how it would control the many different bodily functions.


    This was why the current examination Xeight was participating in was created-- to ensure that the body functioned with no issues even when he pushed his neuro devices to the limit, in both number and intensity.


    Jennifer McLeod stared at Xeight with interest. She started striding forward but stopped herself in her tracks as she took a peek at Dr. Goodman.


    Dr. Goodman had certainly noticed the young lady¡¯s actions, but she waved her hand uncaringly and returned to staring at her screen.


    Jennifer MacLeod skipped to Xeight¡¯s side, absolutely overjoyed.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re Xeight. You can call me Jen. James often talked about you whenever I asked about the T3ST colony.¡± She whispered, worried that she would disrupt Dr. Goodman¡¯s concentration.


    Xeight was absolutely baffled.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m a dissident faction within the MacLeod family, don¡¯t worry.¡± Jennifer MacLeod had explained this many times today already.


    Xeight remained absolutely baffled.


    ¡°If you¡¯re the dissident faction, why would James randomly talk about me many times¡­?¡± he replied.


    ¡°Oh, well¡­ he used to take care of me when I was younger¡­ and we are still family. Well, we got to know each other before our views diverged.¡±


    Xeight returned his full attention to manipulating the various test neuro devices at various speeds on strange paths. He wasn¡¯t sure what to say to Jen MacLeod.


    Seeing that Xeight had no interest in maintaining a conversation, Jen swiveled her head in every direction at the numerous neuro devices moving about in the lab.


    ¡°Wow¡­¡± she softly exhaled, amazed at the scene, before looking back down at Xeight who was half-naked in an inclined examination chair. She even reached forward to poke and run a finger lightly along his biceps. ¡°You are a¡­ fine specimen indeed.¡±


    His eyes wide open, Xeight wasn¡¯t sure of what to make of this¡­ ¡®compliment¡¯. The MacLeod family was supposedly a key pusher of the genetic modification of his ancestors¡­


    Should he be mad¡­? Instead, Xeight could only perform the only response he could think of. He ran his gaze up and down the young lady dressed in a lab coat, ensuring that she noticed his wandering gaze.


    ¡°Well. I wish to return your compliment in the same vein, but it is currently difficult for me to make an assessment as of now.¡± His tone was perfectly neutral.


    Jen appeared red in the face and tiptoed beside a wall, staring at the ground.


    A beep sounded and Dr. Goodman tore her eyes from her screen and detached the data storage device from the computer.


    ¡°Oh , that was much faster than expected.¡± She handed it to Jen and shooed, ¡°Off you go!¡±


    As Jen was about to leave, she turned around and squinted her eyes in concentration at the neuro devices flying all over the place. She was lost in thought previously, but she suddenly remembered how James praised Xeight as the most productive member of the T3ST colony, and felt compelled to do her best to examine Xeight¡¯s abilities.


    She attempted to track all the devices the Xeight was controlling, which was rather difficult since Dr. Goodman was also controlling some devices to monitor the situation. Also, the constantly flying neuro devices at different speeds and strange paths made it rather dizzying to accurately track all the devices. There was also the fact that some devices had both motor and sensory devices integrated as one, and she had to use educated guesses to determine the ones that were of this type.


    After a while, Jen MacLeod had a big O mouth in astonishment, and her eyes were filled with apprehension.


    ¡°Oh my god. That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s forty-two device channels.¡±

 Ch5: Athena

    Hong Kong, Earth, December 20th, Year 999, Solar Era.


    ¡°Have you picked up your luggage yet? Athena. I told you that you shouldn¡¯t book a flight that would land so close to the time of the party.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes! Mom¡­¡¯ grumbled Athena. ¡°It¡¯s not my fault that the airport couldn¡¯t handle the flight traffic. My flight had to fly circles in the air for a whole hour!¡±


    Athena whipped her golden copper hair left and right as she twisted her head trying to navigate her new environment. She had visited Hong Kong many times before-- her relatives lived here. However, she had never had to take the train from the airport before.


    If only the airport wasn¡¯t overwhelmed by the number of flights at this time of the year, she complained to herself. Supposedly, one of the runways needed repairs, so how was she at fault? She had planned enough time to get to the party post-landing.


    Deep down, she could not deny that her mother was proven correct.


    ¡°Have you found the station? The neurosurgeon is already presenting your aunt with your baby nephew¡¯s neuro results!¡±


    Athena could hear cacophonous cheers leaking through to her end.


    ¡°Look, mom, I¡¯m trying my best here. I¡¯m ending the call!¡± Without waiting for a reply, Athena ended the call. She was trying her best to find her way to the station. She didn¡¯t need her mother to further stress her situation. Her neuro-circlet slightly dimmed. Some of its other processes were still being used though-- Athena¡¯s luggage trailed behind her without a leash.


    She turned her round face to look at the beautifully decorated wall, accompanied by her waist-high luggage, down a beige marbled tunnel. Her ancestors had supposedly originated from somewhere in northeast Asia, which gave her and her mother incredibly round faces with Asian features. An ancestry tree also showed significant strains of historical Japanese, northern and southern China, German and Russian roots. Regardless, that was simply curiosity and nothing more for Athena. She gazed at the walls of the tunnel.


    Welcome to Hong Kong!


    In the year 2047 AD, Wong san chi, Raymond, pledged to turn Hong Kong into a spaceport in combination with maintaining the city¡¯s world class sea port, in agreement with the mainland¡¯s support!


    A rather archaic picture of a man accompanied this introduction.


    This signified our pledge to developing aerospace technologies, and our continued support of engineering, transport and commerce.


    A rather technical drawing of skyscrapers, train systems, spaceship and rocket launch systems with a cathay pacific emblem illustrated this point.


    May your visit be blessed with joy and opportunities!


    It was rather common for cities around the world to present their city with pride at their airport.


    Finally at the end of the tunnel, Athena found herself on a platform with a row of half-filled train carriages.


    She entered a carriage, stowed her luggage and found a soft cushioned seat.


    After a few minutes, the few train carriages started up, and a robotic male voice sounded from the speakers.


    Welcome to Hong Kong! There will be a few bumps on startup due to the magnetic levitation systems. Please stay seated or hold onto support as needed.


    A rhythmic beeping noise sounded and the train doors slid shut.


    A dulled shrieking of metal against metal sounded initially, but it faded as the few carriages sped up.


    These carriages will be connected to the main looping train system soon.


    Looking out a window, Athena found that her line of carriages were now parallel to another much longer train to the right side.


    Her set of carriages seemed to slow a little and gradually lagged behind this other much longer set of carriages.


    The two tracks seem to merge, and she felt her set of carriages accelerate.


    Connection in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.


    There was a slight bump and clicking noise as Athena¡¯s set of carriages attached itself to the main looping train head.


    Though Athena rarely took the train during her visits, she had been amazed the few times she did. Even now, her wonder had yet to fade.


    The train system had multiple perpetual main loops that circled close to every single hub of the city. Every single loop had multiple train heads that pushed the pace of travel throughout the whole day. The system would only get to rest for three hours in the middle of the night.


    This was a major improvement to a time when trains had to more or less stop at every single station to drop off passengers. Now, a passenger would effectively be traveling continuously toward their intended station without stops.


    The next station is Tsing Yi. Please move to the last carriage if this is your destination.


    A few people shuffled to the back.


    Doors locked. Detachment in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.


    Her head twisted to look at the back, Athena saw the last carriage disconnect and that carriage changed direction into a side tunnel.


    Reminder! If you miss your station, please stay calm. This loop system only takes approximately ten minutes per loop.


    Around ten seconds later, a new carriage appeared behind.


    Connection with Tsing Yi arrivals in ten, nine ¡­


    Another bump and the new carriage attached to the main train head, and new passengers walked in through the door between the carriages.


    Many were wearing festive Christmas hats, causing Athena to remember her Christmas scarf. Now that she was on the train without her mother¡¯s nagging voice, Athena felt much more tranquil in her heart, and with that, Christmas joy. With a small smile, she promptly wrapped her red and green reindeer scarf around her neck. The reindeer¡¯s big red nose was designed to pop up right at the center of her neck.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    A few more stations later and Athena found herself in the back two carriages of this train head. There were quite a number of passengers so two carriages had to be detached.


    Reminder! The two carriages at the back will be connecting to the Hong Kong Island loop. The furthest back will be the clockwise loop. The other will be the counterclockwise loop. Detachment in ten, nine, eight ¡­


    A jolt and the two carriages not only detached from the train head, but also each other. Athena had moved onto the carriage second from the back.


    Her carriage veered off in a large circular movement, her direction a near 180 degrees change, then aligned itself with another long line of carriages, before lagging slightly behind and merging behind the new train head.


    Attachment to the Hong Kong Island counter-loop train head in ten, nine, eight¡­


    Athena could only marvel at the system. She had effectively been traveling at a continuous approximate 500 km per hour, if she ignored the fact that her carriage had to slow down a bit to turn and attach to the counter-loop train head.


    Soon enough, she found herself in a back carriage that detached, veered into a separate tunnel before coming to a stop at the Hong Kong University station.


    A carriage carrying passengers had already left the station as the carriage Athena had arrived in now stood on standby along with a few other carriages that were already here.


    Her uncle worked at the university, and naturally, the new baby that was to be her nephew received her neurosurgery from a university affiliate. It was the norm for all new babies to be tested and ¡®installed¡¯ the neuro circlet system.


    Knowing that she was already late, Athena opened her luggage, removing a sort of device that looked like a set of kangaroo legs.


    She attached these to her legs and made sure everything was tightly secured with regards to her ankles, knees and hip.


    ¡°Neurosync. Device is kangaroo legs. Align system with normal leg muscle activation.¡±


    The neuro circlet lit up and let out a beep to confirm the task completion.


    Athena then put on a large pair of visor sunglasses.


    ¡°Destination: HKU Children¡¯s Neurorevo Hospital.¡±


    Her visor lit up with an overlay system, providing a dotted line that she had to follow to reach her destination. As she moved her head to examine the environment, this dotted line would move around as well, maintaining the path that she had to travel.


    Her luggage¡­ Athena felt a bit of a headache. She resolved that she could always get a new one if this one got damaged. As for what the luggage carried-- she had bought this luggage after ensuring the interior had quality cushioning systems. Any likely damage would be to the wheels on the luggage.


    Worst case scenario? She would just whine that her mother¡¯s phone call had made her rush and accidentally damage the luggage¡¯s wheels.


    With that, she held onto an emergency handle that flipped open from the luggage, and began bounding towards her destination.


    Although the device was called the kangaroo legs, it wasn¡¯t as if its users would bounce like an actual kangaroo. These devices were modeled after the legs given to paralympic sprinters, and then further modified to increase its speed and support for current day users.


    With these, Athena¡¯s sprinting motions, to a bystander, would appear like she was leaping a good two to three meters every step. That poor luggage bouncing behind her¡­ would be the natural thought of every bystander she passed by.


    Soon, Athena arrived at her destination and stowed away her kangaroo legs. Her luggage had lost one of the rubber wheels¡­


    The receptionist directed her to Dr. Ng, the neurosurgeon for her nephew.


    When she entered, the doctor was in the process of explaining all the neuro device paths that her uncle and aunt could choose for their baby.


    ¡°...general and specific as well as devices that are a combination of sensory and motor functions. With your child having eight channels, I would recommend having one motor and one sensory channel trained for a combined system, as that is an increasingly popular type of device. The second and third sensory channels should be a specific one useful in a sort of profession-- for example, being able to sense dangerous chemicals would be imperative in certain settings. The forth sensory should be a general one, so your child will be able to switch sensory devices as needed on that channel. Granted, he will not be able to as quickly or accurately respond to information from that channel, but a bit of flexibility is useful¡±


    ¡°Now, the other three motor channels. For those, I recommend two general channels and one specific channel, or all three general channels. Being able to switch multiple devices will be incredibly useful. Also, artificial intelligence can help cover for any lack of specificity from the motor input. But perhaps, if you are certain that your child will benefit from the use of one specific style of motor device; that may be beneficial.¡±


    Athena¡¯s parents among her other relatives crowded around this doctor and many of them nodded in agreement with the relieved doctor¡¯s advice.


    Her mother noticed that Athena had arrived and waved her over.


    ¡°Girl! Come and give your advice. You have the most experience with these neuro devices!¡±


    Still slightly out of breath, Athena felt a bit embarrassed as all her relatives simultaneously turned their gaze onto her.


    ¡°Athena Watanabe?¡± Dr. Ng¡¯s eyes widened as he recognized her.


    Athena inwardly sighed. She had dealt with ¡®attention¡¯ from many specialists of the neuro-related professions since her birth.


    When she was born, she was determined to have eighteen motor and eighteen sensory channels, a combined total of thirty-six. Unfortunately, she would never realize that potential.


    Her parents discovered that as a child, she would always cry when controlling more than sixteen devices. Doctors never quite resolved the issue, and could only tell her parents that it was likely something to do with the neuro load.


    Thus, growing up, Athena had trained many of her neuro channels with a multitude of devices both specific, general and motor plus sensory combined. She just could never simultaneously use them all without getting a massive headache and losing consciousness.


    It was for this reason that almost every single specialist in the neuro-related profession knew of her existence.


    The downside to this was that many expected her to have some grandiose achievement, and she never quite felt like she would ever live up to those expectations. From her perspective, she simply had extra arms, some of which she couldn¡¯t even control at the same time.


    Luckily, those outside of the neuro-related professions didn¡¯t take much interest. At the very least, although not common, there were quite a few others who could control close to twenty devices as well.


    After all, there were other factors that determined success such as intelligence and creativity. That allowed Athena to have some form of normalcy with her peers, seeing as in her assessment of herself, she didn¡¯t really stand out in terms of these areas.


    ¡°Congrats, auntie and uncle! Sorry for being late. I agree with the doctor¡¯s advice.¡± She gave her best smile, not wanting to deal with Dr. Ng¡¯s curiosity. Her mother had a habit of pushing her forth in these situations, but she certainly did not know more about neuro devices than a well-trained doctor.


    Meanwhile, to the side, her mother was frowning at the broken wheel on her luggage¡­


    ¡°Thanks for coming. You know how much this means to me!¡± Her third aunt stood up and gave Athena a tight hug.


    Her third aunt had been trying to have a child for a long time. Now that her baby has received his neuro system surgery¡­ Athena understood how much this meant to her third aunt.


    ¡°I¡¯m very happy to be here! Will you be coming to Hokkaido?¡± Their family often traveled together as one big group every year for the new year celebration.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Her third aunt rejoiced. ¡°The doctors said it¡¯s safe! I will just be watching on the side as you all ski. But the hot springs will do me a lot of good!¡±


    The meeting with the doctor soon came to an end, and Athena was relieved that Dr. Ng did not raise the subject of her neuro constitution.


    Every family member¡¯s attention was focused on the baby. His name was Steven, and he curiously stared at all the new faces and would uncertainly look at Athena¡¯s third aunt as if confirming if he should be scared of all these people.


    Her mother seemed to have given up on pursuing Athena regarding the damaged luggage wheel, unwilling to sour the celebratory mood.


    The group left the hospital and entered multiple private cars.


    ¡°Destination, third sister¡¯s residence,¡± Ordered Athena¡¯s mother.


    Acknowledged.


    The self-driving vehicle began their journey to Athena¡¯s aunt¡¯s home for a house party.


    ¡°You know. Your second aunt decided to come too, with her husband.¡± Her father opted to provide this information.


    ¡°John Muller?¡± Athena perked up. She had met her uncle before and this uncle always had interesting things to say. Her second aunt and uncle resided in Pacific City, the floating city of dreams


    ¡°Yes.¡± Athena¡¯s father had a wry smile, knowing that his daughter enjoyed talking to this uncle of hers. ¡°He¡¯s back from space and their flight from Pacific City should have just landed.¡±

 Ch6: John Muller, Transnational

    They arrived at third aunt¡¯s and uncle¡¯s residence-- a sizable apartment in the Pok Fu Lam area, relatively close to the increasingly expansive campus of Hong Kong University.


    Gazing out from the four meters long balcony, Athena could see a vast expanse of the coastline and the seas. A beautiful sight to be sure.


    Perhaps those not of the southeast asian region might find this apartment a tad small, but Athena, who had spent much time in Singapore and Tokyo for her training, was of the opinion that this apartment had a bit of extra space.


    Anyhow, her relatives soon mostly arrived. To be specific, these were relatives of her mother¡¯s side. That consisted of the first to fourth aunt, her mother being the fourth sister, and a younger brother. Then there were her grandparents and great-grandparents and, well¡­ quite a few relatives that she wasn¡¯t that well acquainted with.


    These expansive families had become the norm after Earth had conquered the belt and developed technologies that essentially terraformed Earth to maintain its perfect habitable state.


    As for other children in the family; Athena found herself the third oldest. Her first aunt had a daughter and son, both older than her. These two only occasionally showed up to these yearly celebratory meetings. Then, there was her, followed by her nephew currently in her third aunt¡¯s arms.


    Her mother was a rare one, having decided to give birth at the young age of twenty, almost unseen in this era. Many couples would have children starting at perhaps thirty or over. An extra child of the family might be born every ten or more years. Some might not even have children until they were fifty or sixty. Her second aunt, for example, was still childless.


    Seeing as the lifespan of a human reached up to two hundred, these expansive families could be said to be a natural occurrence.


    Athena herself was also special, being born from her mother¡¯s womb. Most children nowadays were born from artificial wombs. Her third aunt had opted the natural route, perhaps in imitation of her younger sister.


    With her nephew occupying everyone¡¯s attention, Athena was content to let her mind wander as she looked out from the balcony.


    She was soon broken out of her reverie by the aforementioned John Muller, who arrived with her second aunt.


    John Muller was an aerospace engineer of European descent in Pacific City, but Athena knew he was much more than that.


    In their earlier encounters, John Muller often remained completely quiet and stood to the side. However, he was very much welcome-- everyone knew how happy the second aunt was with this man, and John was also incredibly polite.


    Athena quickly discovered John''s true nature-- he was a babble mouth given the right topic. This uncle of hers was in fact holding himself back, worried he¡¯d lose control of his mouth and impose the topics he found interesting on the poor souls.


    ¡°Don¡¯t steal him from me,¡± Her second aunt joked as she dropped John off at the balcony. She herself moved to catch up with the rest of her relatives.


    Athena never knew how possessive her second aunt was until John began ¡®babbling¡¯ about all sorts of things to her, she recalled. That had sent her second aunt¡¯s radar haywire.


    ¡°You¡¯re coming to Pacific City after the new year?¡± Her uncle questioned.


    Athena immediately whipped her head to try to lock eyes with her mother who was happily chatting to the other relatives. She hadn¡¯t intended for this information to be known to her second aunt and uncle, who resided in the city.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not your mom,¡± John chuckled. ¡°Your aunt has a knack for finding such information, you know? We¡¯ll show you around then.¡±


    ¡°Mmmm.¡± Athena had wanted to obscure this knowledge precisely because she wanted to avoid imposing on her second aunt and uncle. She knew that John was often incredibly busy with his work.


    ¡°You know, when you arrive at Pacific City, you need to join our club. There are a few factions, but our club will guarantee your freedom.¡± John indicated. He appeared slightly tense, perhaps unsure of whether he was crossing the line with such an invitation.


    ¡°Club?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We transnationals are the main party in Pacific City.¡± John launched into a long prepared speech  ¡°We¡¯ve been around since the beginnings of the digital era. In some ways, we belong to a digital nation that functions separate from all these countries.¡±


    ¡°You know, there was an era under which these countries would compete against each other, their policies often harming their own citizens in terms of expendable income as well as risks of conflict. We are born out of that era,¡± he explained.


    ¡°Okay!¡± Athena beamed and immediately accepted.


    ¡°Uh¡­right..¡± John awkwardly nodded. He hadn¡¯t expected Athena to agree so easily. In truth, Athena had long delved into the operations underlying Pacific City. She understood the benefits of belonging to a faction, and the downsides to certain nationalist factions.


    John let out an immense sigh of relief. His wife had told him that it was up to him to convince Athena to join the camp they belonged in. Awkward as it was, he had somehow succeeded for reasons inexplicable to him.


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    But now, he felt like he could finally be himself. He took out a device with a screen, and flicked the screen toward Athena.


    Athena took out a similar device, and began reading the contents sent to her.


    ¡°Interesting, isn¡¯t it?¡± smiled the animated man.


    Athena nodded. She absolutely loved anything to do with space, even if it was some insane theory such as this one. John was clearly similarly interested in these types of concepts.


    ¡°It¡¯s a crazy theory that someone codenamed NDT came up with. His underlying idea was to ask the question: what if the universe wasn¡¯t really expanding. What if that expansion was just a visual illusion that we humans observe due to a phenomenon we are unable to identify?¡±


    The man promptly launched into his babble state, well known to Athena by now.


    ¡°The claim is that if space can be infinitely compressed and stretched, and anything with mass would compress space to a degree relative to its mass, then any mass would effectively by sucking in space, and the drag of that space is what we measure as gravity.¡±


    ¡°Then if two masses are sucking in and compressing said space, it would appear as if the space between the two masses is being stretched, thus creating the illusion that space is expanding. That would also mean that there is no need for the existence of dark energy to facilitate this illusory expansion of space-- it is but caused by the gravity of mass.¡±


    ¡°This NGT also claims that then, the universe has always existed, and all civilizations would see the illusion of the big bang if they looked backwards. The fermi paradox then has a new solution, that being, if the universe has always existed, then perhaps two civilizations appearing at the exact same time scale would be rare.¡±


    ¡°It then further claims that perhaps it is mass that creates this space. If you enter an area where there is no mass of any particles, then there will also be no space. Thus the limit of the universe is where mass exists, and that forms the boundaries. A concept not too dissimilar from how the Earth, once thought flat, was found to have the boundaries of a sphere.¡±


    ¡°Then that would mean, we would have unique ways to travel if we could escape the drag caused by this sucking in of space by mass.¡±


    Athena did her best to follow this crazy and unproven theory. She very much enjoyed listening whenever her uncle launched into these sorts of rants. She believed her second aunt probably did as well!


    ¡°Is the scientific community entertained by this idea¡­?¡± She wondered.


    ¡°Of course not,¡± laughed her second uncle. ¡°But you know me. I love entertaining these crazy new ideas. They¡¯re fun, aren¡¯t they? And you never know. Historically, loads of crazy ideas end up getting proven correct!¡±


    Athena nodded with a wry smile. She wasn¡¯t quite as passionate as her uncle, but this was the reason she always enjoyed talking to her uncle. Now, her other relatives would only be speechless if they were to hear John ranting about all these topics and ideas.


    Feeling a weight off his shoulders, John appeared content that he had shared the crazy idea he had come across, and returned to his state of an adult. He often needed to let loose this ¡®manic¡¯ side of him to calm down.


    ¡°Nervous about Pacific City? How¡¯s your life in the Earth Feds military?¡±


    ¡°Mmmm. It¡¯s so-so. Honestly, I only joined because I wanted to go to space. And being in military grade stuff seems to make that much safer.¡±


    ¡°Your parents¡­ are they fine with it?¡±


    ¡°Yea¡­ they seemed hesitant at first. But then mother began saying that we are a multi-talented family. Angela is an Olympist. Johnny, a physicist. Father, a doctor. She, herself a nurse turned psychologist. Then there¡¯s first uncle, climbing the ladder of the E-cube corp. She thoroughly convinced herself that me being in the Earth Feds would increase the family line¡¯s status.¡±


    Athena knew her mother was trying to be supportive and was trying to ¡®trick¡¯ her own mind into supporting Athena. A psychological trick, so she said. Angela and Johnny were her first aunt¡¯s two children.


    John Muller chortled. He always found his wife¡¯s family to be amusing in a good way.


    ¡°Well. You¡¯re set for life. There hasn¡¯t been any war for a thousand years, certainly not in space. You¡¯ll get a good pension and good hours, long breaks. And you¡¯ll get to visit space.¡± He knew that this niece of his was most excited about being in space.


    ¡°I¡¯m just not sure how I¡¯ll do in the long term. I¡¯ve never really been super passionate about anything. I¡¯m like¡­ a jack of all trades, taking a bit of interest in everything, but never enough to excel. Perhaps I¡¯m just¡­¡± Whenever she was with her uncle, Athena often felt a desire to open her heart. As it is now. Perhaps it was the man¡¯s own open expression of his own passions.


    Growing up, Athena was often pelted by the idea that she needed to feel a deep passion about some sort of profession. She never really did and, somehow, she had joined the Earth Feds, wanting to just spend her time in the mysteriousness that is space.


    ¡°You¡¯ll do fine. You got past the competitive EFSF exams, no? Let me tell you. Not everyone needs to have some sort of deep passion. Sometimes, it¡¯s more about an ideal in your heart. Other times, it can just be a momentary goal, such as heading to space. We all have ideals. You¡¯ll find yours, in time.¡± Her uncle certainly had a surprisingly soft side to him. No wonder her aunt was so possessive of him.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°You know. When I first studied engineering, I didn¡¯t know I was going to be an aerospace engineer. I was just good at math and physics. Then I became a serious transnational. I didn¡¯t even know I would have any interest in these political factions. Then I got to visit space, and it¡¯s even part of my job now. Look. Once you get up there, you¡¯ll forget about all these troubles. You¡¯ll think differently. That I guarantee.¡±


    ¡°Oi! Food is ready!¡± Her second aunt¡¯s voice sounded behind them.


    Athena turned around to find her second aunt glaring at her suspiciously. Her second aunt then wrapped herself around her uncle¡¯s arm and dragged him to the table that was now filled to the brim with quite literally every type of food. Roasted duck, roast turkey, meat skewers, fruit salad, spinach with eggs, smoked salmon, soft-shelled crabs¡­


    Athena followed and sat herself down between her parents and delved into the warmth that was this party. Her conversation with her uncle had cleared clouds in her mind that she didn¡¯t even know was there.


    Her nephew was always babbling with joy, and her second aunt would stick something in his mouth to give the babe a taste test, even if he was unable to actually consume any of these foods.


    Yes, Athena thought to herself. She needn¡¯t overthink anything. She should just enjoy the Christmas celebrations and enjoy her Hokkaido skiing trip with her relatives. Then once the new year came, she would get to visit Pacific City, the floating city of dreams. The gem of Earth. She would probably need to do a bit of extra learning and training there. Then she¡¯d be off to space!


    This thought made her brim with excitement.


    ¡°Merry Christmas!¡± yelled the host of the party, her second aunt.


    Everyone raised a glass of champagne in celebration and returned the greeting in joy.

 Ch7: A Tense Pacific City

    Pacific City, The Floating City of Dreams. 2nd of January. 1000 Solar Era.


    ETA to Pacific City is ten minutes. Please secure your seatbelts and prepare for landing.


    Athena couldn¡¯t resist peering out of the plane window. She could see an endless metropolis surrounded by many truncated island rings.


    She had heard about Pacific City. Seen images of it. Yet none of that could quite compare to her current bird¡¯s eye view of the city.


    One might think that it being a floating city, it would be like an island. This was not so.  It was a vast sprawling plain of metal, glass and vegetated skyscrapers that stretched into the horizon. These vegetated skyscrapers were a staple of cities-- it served to improve the air quality of highly urban areas.


    To Athena¡¯s knowledge, the concentric truncated island rings functioned as protection against storms and tsunamis. They also served as the basis for expanding the city. With every expansion, additional island rings would be built.


    As for the city¡¯s location? It was so named the floating city of dreams, being right in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. An international city, unaffiliated with any nation, the center of the Earth Feds, the final training location Athena had to visit prior to her deployment to space with the EFSF.


    As the plane flew closer into the city, despite the plane¡¯s altitude, Athena soon could only barely see a shadow of the ocean and the truncated island rings.


    As for how this city was built? Athena wasn¡¯t quite sure. But she knew that Pacific City was not unlike an iceberg. Most of it was submerged, and one of the functions of the structure and system under sea level was to produce the freshwater that the population needed.


    The plane gradually descended onto a strip, and Athena settled the butterflies in her stomach as the plane landed and rolled into a terminal.


    Although she was excited, she also felt anxious due to yesterday¡¯s developments.


    The prior night, as she was celebrating the new year with her relatives at the end of their Tokyo trip, the Martians had announced their independence alongside a number of the belt¡¯s colonies.


    She picked up her luggage and passed through the security check that observed her fingerprints and iris. She then walked through a biosecurity corridor that analyzed her body¡¯s whole structure and movement pattern.


    Her second aunt and uncle had returned to Pacific City the night before, and they were already waiting for her arrival. Both her aunt and uncle seemed troubled and only gave her a quick hug.  They then promptly entered a self-driving vehicle.


    As the vehicle began taking them to Athena¡¯s temporary residence provided by the Earth Federation, they passed by large hovering holographic screens in the air. One was a Martian politician announcing their independence. The other was the newly anointed president of the Earth Feds, a dark-haired man with Mediterranean features who was quite young. To Athena, he appeared to be in his forties.


    Athena controlled her neuro circlet to sync to the holographic screen with the new president.


    I, Alexander Varoufakis, thank you all for your support! These are trying times, but I, as your hundred and forty-ninth president, pledge to do my very best to chart a course through these troubled waters!


    He beamed and began waving to his supporters.


    Athena disconnected from that holographic screen. Her first impression of the new president was that the man was a fool, but also pitiful. The Martian independence movement was clearly a source of trouble that the beaming man didn¡¯t seem to quite understand. At the same time, this poor soul would have to be the scapegoat of any political fallout over the issue.


    They soon arrived at an apartment complex that belonged to the EFSF. Athena confirmed her identity through similar security checks to the airport, obtained her keycard, and quickly dropped off her belongings before returning to her aunt and uncle¡¯s vehicle.


    As she got closer back to the vehicle, she saw her aunt furiously scrolling down a holographic screen. When she entered the vehicle, she overheard her second uncle John.


    ¡°...go. Look, Selena. There won¡¯t be any resolution anytime soon. Let¡¯s just enjoy our day off, alright?¡±


    Her second aunt, Selena, glared at John for a few seconds, but then cutely waved her hand and dismissed her holographic screen.


    ¡°I agree.¡± Athena chimed in. She knew what her aunt and uncle¡¯s minds were stuck on.


    Only then did the initial tense atmosphere of the day begin to fade away as the vehicle accelerated away.


    ¡°Girl. I promised you that I¡¯d¡­ abuse my privileges and show you around. Here¡¯s our first stop! E-cube Corp!¡±


    Her aunt was wrapped around John¡¯s arm, making Athena feel a bit like a third wheel. But that did not dampen the thrill of this visit.


    The three entered a black metallic complex framed by blue neon lights that glowed even during the day.


    John talked to a receptionist and a humanoid robot showed up, promptly leading them through staff-only high security doors.


    Soon, Athena found herself looking through double-paned glass at tightly fitted workers manipulating a number of machines with their neuro circlets.


    ¡°E-cube. One of the great achievements of material engineering. Built on the concept of imitating nuclear power. Energy is consumed to construct the special compound that is the e-cube. A trigger process is used to activate the energy stored within the bonds of the e-cube compound, thereby releasing the energy. It is fully safe, unlike nuclear energy. The e-cube¡¯s energy release can be easily controlled through said triggers over a wide range. If you observe through the window, our workers are using many devices to convert energy into the e-cube blocks. The energy density within the e-cube compound is comparable to uranium.¡±


    This must be a robot that guided any curious minds through this facility, Athena figured.


    They continued following the robot, who narrated historical events of the E-cube¡¯s creation as it brought them throughout the facility to examine the many processes involved.


    ¡°In Pacific City, we have large amounts of solar and wind energy. The underground cores also create energy through the ocean¡¯s salts and tidal power. Any excess energy is directed to us to store said energy as the E-cube.¡±


    ¡°In space, we have many plants that directly convert and store radioactive energy from the sun. Any source of energy found from asteroid mining can also be converted into e-cubes. Pollution is of minimal consequence when created in space.¡±


    ¡°The founder of the e-cube once said this. ¡®We are the saviors of humankind. Fossil Fuels? An environmental disaster. Renewable energies? Unreliable for industrial purposes. Using batteries to store excess energy? An inevitable result of chemical waste in the far future with the lifetime of batteries. Nuclear energy? A political concern. Nuclear fuel will eventually run out as well. We are the true saviors of humankind. Without us, there would not be today.¡¯ ¡°


    A rather arrogant man to be sure. A long-dead man. But none of the three on tour could refute that E-cubes effectively powered every system in the world. The neuro circlets they all wore had a tiny compartment for miniature e-cube blocks.


    They exited the complex and returned to their vehicle and off it accelerated again.


    ¡°Next stop¡­ Neurorevo!¡± John announced, pretending to be a tour guide.


    Athena¡¯s heart thumped in elation. Neurorevo wasn¡¯t the only one in the neuro circlet and device business. But, it held a dominant position. The E-cube corporation, on the other hand, was very much nearly a complete monopoly in all aspects. Well, to Athena¡¯s knowledge, multiple vendors had the rights to create the E-cube, but the technology was fully owned by the E-cube corp, and all these vendors had to basically acquiesce to their demands.


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    They soon arrived at a silvery-white complex completely different from the E-cube¡¯s jet-black rectangular block. Neurorevo¡¯s complex instead had many beautiful curves from multiple oval pods overlapping each other, and when combined with the reflective silvery-white color, practically made the whole complex sparkle in the pacific sunlight.


    Once again, her uncle John spoke to the receptionist, who was very much human-- Most companies maintained the importance of a human touch-- and subsequently, a robot guide appeared to lead them through the complex.


    ¡°Neurotech. It all began with unique cases. A young child was injured in an accident and lost half of her brain. Yet, as she grew, her brain adapted and she regained all functions in her body. Then, we succeeded in connecting a bionic arm to a war vet who had lost his arm.¡±


    ¡°Thus, an idea was born. What if we, starting at a young age, attached multiple devices to a child¡¯s brain, allowing the child to effectively have multiple arms? There were many ethical barriers, but eventually, we succeeded.¡±


    ¡°Then another barrier placed itself before us. Some people seemed to have a heightened ability to control multiple devices efficiently. Thus, we had to find a way to determine the potential of a child to control multiple arms.¡±


    A simplification to be sure. They followed the Neurorevo robot guide into an area that had many different devices.


    ¡°Next, we needed to design a system for the devices, and thus required the participation of the brightest minds around the world.¡±


    Athena had always had a much better impression of Neurorevo compared to the E-cube corp. Now, she understood why. The Neurorevo system had no choice but to engage and cooperate with many creators to build its ecosystem. The E-cube corp, on the other hand¡­


    The robot proceeded to demonstrate many of the ancient prototype devices that awed Athena who observed with rapt attention.


    Then, explosions rocked the complex. The three felt an earthquake in their location and lost their footing as an alarm sounded.


    Attention, Intruders! Alert! Please find a safe room!


    ¡°Please follow me,¡± the humanoid robot guide ordered.


    The three, though stunned, immediately returned to their feet and followed the robot.


    Her training kicking in, Athena moved ahead and peered around a corner of the hallway they were traveling through, wishing to avoid any of these said intruders.


    ¡°Is it the Martians?!¡± Her aunt had quickly jumped to a conclusion, based on the fact that the Martians had announced their independence a day ago.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Her uncle slowly replied.


    Athena made sure there were no intruders on their floor and they followed the robot down a flight of emergency stairs that led them to the ground floor.


    ¡°Guests. The underground bunker is in that direction,¡± The robot indicated, pointing with his finger toward a slope that descended into the ground.


    Athena saw no intruders in the surroundings, and thus sprinted forward to ensure that there were no assailants hiding just beneath the slope to the underground bunker.


    However, she suddenly found that the ground she was on was trembling and radiating cracks.


    ¡°Athena!¡± yelled her second aunt.


    But it was too late. The ground crumbled open and Athena felt herself falling along with rubble.


    ¡°Ahhh!¡± Her vision flashed white as she screamed in agony when she landed. She must have fallen a few storeys, and she heard a crunching sound from her left leg. She knew that was a broken bone. Her right ankle must be severely injured as well, as she also felt an intense pain radiating from that area. Luckily, she had been on top of the crumbling rubble. Otherwise, she would have been crushed to death.


    In front of her was a Nexarm that was rising to its feet and climbing out of this basement floor! Athena ignored her pain and hurriedly used her arms to drag herself around rubble to a safer area. She did not wish to be crushed by the twenty meter tall Nexarm. She made sure to carefully move her left leg to not exacerbate her injury. The adrenaline coursing through her veins certainly helped.


    Her decision to move away and hide behind a set of pillars saved her life.


    A few minutes later, the pilot of the Nexarm seemed to figure something out and activated a set of thrusters that sent it out of the hole in the ground. Athena had moved far away enough on the underground floor that the blast made her hair flutter in the air, but otherwise remained safe.


    Athena looked around for a flat and strong material as the sound of gunfire and high-pitched buzzing noise echoed back down the hole to her. She needed to strap her broken left leg, and her right ankle as well.


    Surrounding her were many materials that she deemed were used to construct a Nexarm. That was lucky, as she soon found what she sought.


    The neuro circlet bleeped around her head.


    ¡°Athena! Are you alright?¡± Selena anxiously questioned.


    ¡°Yes, aunt,¡± Athena forcibly spoke through her pain. ¡°Just a broken bone.¡±


    ¡°Just?!¡± John had also connected to their call. ¡°This¡­ this terrorist is controlling six mini-tanks to rain fire on the police!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not in the bunker, right? Hide behind a pillar or something!¡± Yelled Athena in reply. She knew there was no way for her aunt and uncle to cross the collapsed pavement to the bunker.


    She successfully strapped her left leg and right ankle, which allowed her to crawl at a faster pace through a door to another area.


    She found herself in a second humongous room. The first thing she saw was another Nexarm lying flat on the ground. The second thing she noticed was three masked figures dressed in jet-black body armor in a heated argument around a computer. She quickly hid herself behind a tools cabinet. Luckily, the echoing sounds of gunfire hid the sound of her dragging her feet.


    ¡°Jack is alone out there clearing the route to the launch rail right now. Have you figured out how to connect the weapon and sensory systems yet?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand!¡± A woman¡¯s voice replied in frustration. ¡°There¡¯s someone actively stopping me from connecting the devices. There¡¯s a counter hacker!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Just get through the security system like you always have and--¡±


    ¡°No, you fucking idiot! There¡¯s someone constantly¡­ look, just think of it this way! There¡¯s someone constantly resetting the passwords and moving the gap of the security system around! Come on! Give me a hand! Just do what I tell you to do!¡±


    Athena closed her eyes. She began contemplating what her course of action should be. She did not know who these three masked thieves were, but it couldn¡¯t be anything good that they were trying to steal these Nexarms. The Nexarms had even been equipped with weapon systems¡­ Athena knew that most Nexarms had only been used for dangerous mining and construction purposes so far.


    Although when she first joined the Earth Feds, she had only wanted to go to space, she had now seen how beautiful Pacific City was. She felt this jewel of the sea should be protected. It was where her aunt and uncle resided!


    A will rooted itself in her heart, and she began crawling toward the Nexarm¡¯s cockpit. Every time gunfire sounded, she would endure her pain and shift forward, which was quite often with the constant rapidfire. She was close!


    ¡°Athena, where are you?!¡± John¡¯s voice suddenly sounded.


    Her neuro circlet had whirred at the wrong time when there was no gunfire, and the three masked thieves turned and saw her on top of the Nexarm¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Ah!¡± The female hacker yelled as Athena, with disregard to her own injuries, heaved herself forward into the Nexarm¡¯s cockpit as she tolerated the pain in her left leg that came with the high effort movement.


    Athena lambasted herself for forgetting to silence her neuro circlet. Luckily, she had gotten into the cockpit. If she locked the Nexarm from the inside, at the very least, no one would be able to steal this Nexarm.


    ¡°You nearly got me caught!¡± She seethed. Although her call with her aunt and uncle stayed open, she no longer heard them say anything. They had probably decided not to speak, not knowing her situation.


    She tapped her forehead against a panel.


    ¡°Neuro circlet, sync.¡±


    The interior of the Nexarm lit up, and Athena felt her mind connecting with the Nexarm¡¯s AI controls.


    Identity?


    ¡°Athena Watanabe.¡±


    Acknowledged. Welcome, Athena Watanabe, senior trainee of the EFSF.


    ¡°All systems lockdown.¡±


    Acknowledged.


    The whole interior lit up in a dim neon red color.


    System has detected a comminuted fracture in the user''s left femur, and torn lateral ligament in the right ankle. Administer medical treatment?


    Athena struggled into the pilot seat. ¡°Thank you. Please begin medical treatment.¡±


    Amazing, the smooth interior spherical cockpit¡¯s walls opened up as multiple devices popped out. These devices attached themselves to Athena¡¯s two legs and immediately began moving in tandem.


    Athena stifled a yelp as her left femur was shifted to align the bone.


    Injecting nanobots. Injecting growth fluid.


    If not for the current high stakes, Athena would have marveled at how the Nexarm¡¯s cockpit also functioned as an automated medical bay. Instead, she was half-worried that despite her efforts, those three masked figures would attempt to hack the lock she had placed on the cockpit of this Nexarm.


    System has detected friendly communication channels. Requesting open communication.


    ¡°Accept.¡± Athena could feel her two injured legs healing as she answered. It was best described as a sort of itching feeling.


    ¡°Is this er¡­ Athena Watanabe? I¡¯m a Neurorevo engineer. Haber¡¯s the name. I would like to request assistance,¡± A man¡¯s gruff voice asked. He sounded stressed-- who wouldn¡¯t be with the current situation?


    Athena groaned inwardly. She had done her part and protected this Nexarm. Her injuries haven¡¯t even fully healed yet!


    ¡°I need your assistance in retrieving the two stolen Nexarms, Miss Watanabe, the first transhuman.¡±

 Ch8: The First Nexarm vs Nexarm Battle Ever Recorded

    The first transhuman¡­


    Athena disliked it when others referred to her as such. Technically, modern day humans were all transhumans. However, the word had transformed in the community of the neuro passionates. Many years ago, post-neuro circlet revolution, someone somewhere had come up with the theory that if a human were to continually evolve with the stimulus of the neuro circlet system, eventually one would be able to receive and process such a high degree of sensory information that one would be able to quite literally predict certain events in advance, much like animals¡¯ capability to detect earthquakes, except on a much larger and grander scale.


    As her thirty-six channels were a sudden anomaly when she was born, some in that--in her mind--¡®psychotic¡¯ community had come to call her the first transhuman.


    Luckily, no one in that community decided to stalk her. No. Actually, it was more like anyone who dared to do so would immediately get doxxed and digitally nuked into oblivion by other neuro passionates. Naturally, Athena had a mix of complicated feelings with regards to these neuro passionates¡­


    Haber was quite obviously connected to this community to a certain degree.


    ¡°A second Nexarm has been stolen, supported by six artillery systems, six sensory systems, and four combined sniping systems. The first had six of each. I need your assistance. You can¡­ how many devices? I will attach fifteen of each for you.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Athena sighed as she accepted her fate. ¡°I can only safely control nine of each.¡± She was about to be a graduate of the EFSF. It would not do well for her reputation to reject such a task.


    ¡°Just in case,¡± replied the gruff voice. ¡°You never know.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Haber added. ¡°I will connect you to the whole block¡¯s visual security system. You will be able to see them before they see you. I think.¡±


    Visual security system over Neurorevo complex connected.


    All bands of EM waves connected.


    All particle detection range systems connected.


    Eight ground artillery ¡®mini-tank¡¯ systems connected.


    Four combined urban sniping systems connected.


    Three combined drone systems connected.


    Athena did not dare to control all the connected devices-- she had no wish to faint mid-battle and become a sitting duck.


    She was incisive and made her choice. She picked most of the EM wave bands but removed microwave range. After all, if she could peek into their communication systems, see their heat signatures, or potentially some sort of radiation attack-- all these were needed.


    As for particle detection systems, she only picked the molecular range-- air-borne poison was a possibility, but other types of attacks were rather unlikely. She also needed a channel to connect the visual security system to her mind.


    She picked all four sniping combined systems and two combined drone systems, and only took three ground artillery mini-tanks. She figured that moving these mini-tank systems around would be quite difficult.


    All these weapons were really quite elementary. Then again, Nexarms had no prior history of much combat¡­ which in itself was a rather troublesome fact. Athena had no clear idea on how to intercept the other two Nexarms.


    ¡°Show information on Nexarm capabilities.¡± She ordered.


    The interior pilot capsule of the Nexarm lit up with holographic images, and as she scanned it, the information entered into her brain.


    As she contemplated her options, the track treads of the transfer systems that the supine Nexarm was resting on began to move. Through her visual system, Athena saw a wide inclining tunnel that the Nexarm traveled through towards the surface.


    New communication detected. Accept?


    ¡°Accept.¡±


    ¡°This is Commander Alves of the EFSF. I¡¯ve already been notified that Neurorevo has been attacked. Miss Watanabe. Our soldiers on site are unable to resist the two Nexarms, and nor do they have the required number of neuro channels. They also are needed to rescue the civilians. Reinforcements will not arrive in time. The two Nexarms are no doubt approaching the Startram system to launch into space. Your mission is to stop them.¡± Commander Alves¡¯s voice was firm. He spoke rapidly yet his words remained clear to the ear.


    ¡°Perfect. Requesting permission to disable the Startram launch system.¡± Athena was unable to come up with a good method to combat the other two Nexarms. Thus, if they were attempting to escape into space, then the Startram system was the best target!


    ¡°You fucking crazy?¡± Haber had interjected himself into the conversation with a yell. ¡°The Startram system is worth a billion solar credits! No! Rejected!¡±


    ¡°You fool!¡± Athena could feel her annoyance bubbling. ¡°If those Nexarms escape, you¡¯d be losing money too!¡±


    ¡°Surely, you military folks can come up with a method!¡±


    Athena¡¯s impression of this engineer called Haber was lowering by the second. As an engineer, he should know the incredible resilience of a Nexarm, and the difficulty to subdue one that was escaping.


    Its internal artificial muscle system gave it movement flexibility. It has materially engineered protective plates that could absorb and dissipate heat and space debris collisions. A pilot could use the limbs on the Nexarm to shield itself to prevent a single plate from being overwhelmed by continuous fire. Then there was the nanobot system that could repair the Nexarm and the pilot within if given time. That hadn¡¯t even taken into account all the neuro devices the pilot may have connected oneself to! How was she to stop such an engineered monster from reaching the Startram system and escaping?


    ¡°I agree.¡± To Athena¡¯s disbelief, Commander Alves also had no interest in damaging the Startram. This was getting more difficult by the second. Was this Commander Alves simply worried that if he agreed, the damage that the Startram system would sustain would be in his name?


    Unfortunately for Athena, she couldn¡¯t exactly go against an EFSF higher-up¡¯s words without sabotaging her own future.


    Finally, the supine Nexarm she occupied reached the surface. Electrical dissipation releases reverberated off the urban structures as Athena controlled the Nexarm to stand. Although she had never touched one before, the Nexarm¡¯s arms and legs were designed to sync with her own limbs. Thus, her control was superb.


    Incoming.


    Immediately after she stood up, she was hit by a human-sized kinetic round right in the Nexarm¡¯s left upper chest, and she had to take a step back to stabilize the Nexarm¡¯s standing position. As her neuro devices spread out into the surrounding area, she confirmed that another three rounds had been fired from other opposing mini-tanks, aimed at the exact same spot that the first round had hit.


    Athena understood the opposing side¡¯s strategy. They were probably trying to overload that single protective plate with enough kinetic force before it could recover.


    She reflexively raised her left arm. The second round struck her bracers. Then, she rotated her arm slightly and the third round struck her elbow plate.


    As she swiveled for the fourth kinetic round, the Nexarm¡¯s internal system notified her of the state of all the protective plates on the Nexarm. She had successfully spread the energy from the kinetic rounds into multiple plates, thus none of them were at risk of permanent damage. The energy from the collisions slowly dissipated, and the plates returned to a normal status.


    ¡°Status report!¡± An anxious Commander Alves ordered.


    ¡°No damage.¡± Athena intoned. She began focusing on observing these terrorists¡¯ activities through her sensory systems.


    The first thing she noticed was that the other opposing side¡¯s mini-tank systems were recklessly firing rounds into the sky. She computed the trajectory and discovered that the terrorists were aiming at the civilian areas!


    Her gaze sweeped the areas that had already been hit and she could see numerous bloodied corpses lying in the streets. Many buildings had also collapsed on the unaware victims. Much of the police force and on-duty soldiers and their drones and automatons were already busily trying to save lives in the area despite the continual bombardment from the mini-tanks.


    Athena was initially reluctant to use the Nexarm. She had initially considered her role complete after successfully preventing this Nexarm of hers from being stolen. The sight of the terrorist¡¯s actions awakened a hardened determination in her. She had read records of the wars in long past ages. Now, she felt she truly had an inkling of the horrors of war. These ¡®terrorists¡¯, in their own eyes, were simply using the lives of civilians to prevent the police forces and their drones and automatons from intercepting their own escape towards the Startram!


    The first Nexarm, meanwhile, was only a kilometer from the Startram system. Athena herself was around three kilometers away, while the second stolen Nexarm was approximately two away. As the two escaped, the mini-tanks continued firing in 360 degrees wantonly. The mini-tanks that had attacked Athena¡¯s Nexarm had given up on her.


    Athena began giving chase in her Nexarm, while transferring her four sniper systems onto panoramic positions on tall buildings in the area. Luckily for her, she received assistance. A wave of automaton crabs scuttled out from a street and launched themselves at the second stolen Nexarm.


    The second Nexarm should have been able to avoid this confrontation. Perhaps its pilot lacked experience and hadn¡¯t been properly monitoring its surroundings. Regardless, that second Nexarm was now stumbling about trying to flick these flea-like robotic crabs off its body.


    Meanwhile, Athena was closing the distance and had successfully stabilized her four sniper systems on stable buildings.


    She began syncing all her weapon systems


    ¡°Target alpha locked. Fire!¡±


    All the four snipers and the two mini-tanks fired one after another in a rhythmic boom. This was the same approach the opposing side had attempted against Athena¡¯s Nexarm. The mini-tanks had a similar plate protection system. From her own previous analysis on receiving those kinetic rounds, Athena believed that five would pierce the hide, and the sixth should destroy the device.


    ¡°Target beta locked. Fire!¡±


    Before the first mini-tank had even been hit, Athena had already adjusted all the weapon systems onto another mini-tank.


    ¡°Target gamma¡­¡±


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Target alpha neutralized.


    Target beta neutralized.


    Athena¡¯s calculations were proven correct.


    Before the third mini-tank was struck, the enemy finally responded. The mini-tanks stopped firing into the civilian area and scattered, and Athena¡¯s rounds missed the third mini-tank. They were clearly attempting to determine Athena¡¯s weapons¡¯ positions, and might be trying to either target or hide from them. She immediately began moving her sniper and mini-tank systems in response.


    She had successfully interrupted the firing at the civilians and thus immediately switched targets. In her eyes, the two escaping Nexarms were somewhat foolish in targeting the civilians. At least, she believed herself to be a much bigger threat.


    She scoped out her enemy¡¯s sensory systems and her weapons quickly stabilized themselves in new positions.


    ¡°Target A. Target B, Target C, Target D. Fire.¡±


    This time, her four snipers simultaneously fired.


    Four drones fell out of the sky.


    Target A, B, C and D neutralized.


    These flying sensory systems were much easier to get rid of, as they could be simply knocked out of the sky with a single accurate round.


    As for other sensory systems, many were integrated into the Nexarm¡¯s frame-- it would be difficult or even impossible for Athena to disable those. As for the remaining part-sensory devices, she wasn¡¯t able to pinpoint the enemy¡¯s combined sniper systems.


    ¡°Well done, Miss Watanabe! I can see that the status of---¡±


    Warning! EM pulse charge detected.


    Athena picked up that the second Nexarm had begun charging after being unable to extradite itself from the automatons climbing all over its body!


    Alarmed, Athena activated the EM protection protocols in her Nexarm and neuro devices with haste.


    ¡°Status--¡±


    Commander Alves¡¯ was cut off by a buzzing static and Athena herself grunted as her sensory devices momentarily disconnected before reconnecting.


    Despite the pulse, Athena noticed that the second escaping Nexarm had failed to shake off the robotic crabs on its bodies. Those automatons naturally had protective systems and protocols as well.


    Warning! Multiple EM pulse charge detected.


    Athena braced herself again. After a few seconds, she felt her neuro devices disconnect again. This time, even her Nexarm flickered for a brief heartbeat and her ears had a ringing noise accompanied by her head feeling a tad faint. Two drones systems failed to reconnect. One of the sniper systems and one of the mini-tank systems had also been lost. They had no doubt been knocked out.


    Through her remaining sensory systems, she became aware that the whole district¡¯s systems had gone down, including all the life-saving technologies that were active in the hit civilian areas.


    Absolutely livid, Athena went ballistic as she yelled obscenities at Haber. What were these fucking Neurorevo engineers thinking?!


    But she received no reply due to nearly all the systems being knocked out.


    She could only return to the mission at hand.


    The second Nexarm had freed itself, and behind it were the corpses of those crab automatons.


    The two opposing Nexarms had also seemed to realize that Athena was the larger threat. They aimed all their remaining tanks at Athena-- their own EM pulse burst had knocked out some of their own weapon devices.


    Warning! Incoming.


    Athena sensed eight mini-tank systems and three sniper systems that had begun firing directly at her. She continuously shifted her Nexarm as a method to dissipate the energy from the rounds. Meanwhile, she tried to lock onto the new positions of the enemy¡¯s weapons and began targeting them with her own weapons.


    Warning! Unsustainable heat dissipation!


    This is ridiculous, Athena thought. Although she was moving the Nexarm deftly to spread the energy from the rounds, the whole Nexarm was about to enter an overheated state. The enemy¡¯s weapons were firing at a rate at which the devices themselves would overheat. Then, she realized. The enemy didn¡¯t care about the devices! They only wanted the core unit of the Nexarm! Nexarms functioned like a general in ancient war. Lop off the head of the general and the soldiers become nothing but fodder.


    With this epiphany, Athena realized her foolishness in trusting so heavily in the defensive ability of the Nexarm. It was certainly ungodly strong, but there was a limit. She sprinted towards cover, and barely managed to position the Nexarm behind a tall building before any permanent damage to the plates, fully escaping the sight of the enemy¡¯s weapons. However, this also meant that her enemies¡¯ weapons would have the chance to cool down from their previous relentless firing.


    Static buzzed a few seconds in the cockpit.


    ¡°...hello hello¡­! Miss Watanabe. Are you there?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Status report.¡±


    ¡°Enemy released multiple EM pulses. Most systems in the area are down. First Nexarm has reached the Startram and appears to be configuring the launch system. They are sacrificing their neuro devices to lock down my position.¡±


    While informing Commander Alves of the situation, Athena was also attempting to target the enemy¡¯s weapon systems. However, the mini-tank systems were moving around, making it impossible to hit them in the same spot with multiple rounds to pierce their armor. The enemy¡¯s sniper systems, on the other hand, had completely hidden themselves.


    ¡°Any other useful Nexarm functionality?¡±


    As she browsed through her knowledge of the Nexarm, she found a feature.


    ¡°Activate stealth mode.¡±


    Unable to activate stealth mode. Plate systems have yet to dissipate accumulated energy. Nexarm will be easily detected by infrared systems.


    Athena groaned. If only she hadn¡¯t chosen to rely on the Nexarm¡¯s defense to receive those rounds earlier.


    ¡°Miss Watanabe! You must attack! Their escape is imminent!¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± She replied, trying to come up with a viable method based on her shallow experience piloting a Nexarm.


    ¡°System. What are my close combat options on board currently?¡±


    Although she had received knowledge on Nexarms, she needed to be certain of whether this Nexarm specifically might have some of these capabilities ready.


    Two swords made from X-alloy. Four extra distendable arms with synced laser systems.


    ¡°Connect the four distendable laser arms to the neuro circlet. Activate the already connected mini-tanks that were placed on standby.¡±


    Acknowledged. Caution, Miss Watanabe. Your profile indicates risk when operating more than nine motor devices.


    ¡°Understood. Continue.¡±


    Then, she stood up and affirmed the plan in her head.


    ¡°This will work! Trust in it!¡±


    She muttered to herself as she placed her hesitation to the side. Then, she began sprinting forward, every step releasing a static whining noise that would make any surrounding bodies wince in discomfort, accompanied by the rumble of the earth from the Nexarm¡¯s weight.


    She was immediately met by the firing of multiple mini-tanks and hidden snipers, but then she twisted and turned to decrease the knockback force of the rounds and spun into another street. Some of the mini-tanks lost the angle to fire at her, thus, the Nexarm¡¯s plates were capable of tolerating the few rounds that a few of the enemy systems still could fire at her.


    Meanwhile, she had already begun targeting the static mini-tanks with her own devices as she continued zigzagging through the streets towards the Startram launch rail.


    Whenever her Nexarm successfully dissipated most of the energy in the plates, she would take the risk of bolting directly toward the Startram for a few blocks before swerving into protective cover again.


    Target gamma. Neutralized.


    Target theta. Neutralized.


    It was hard work hitting her targets, as her own movement also caused the enemy¡¯s weapon devices to shift their positions.


    Artillery device No. 3 lost.


    It was as if her opponents had also become aware of the need to continuously switch positions to avoid having the mini-tanks from being hit by multiple rounds in the same spot. There was only a small window of opportunity when a mini-tank became static due to the need to fire.


    Soon, she found herself only a hundred meters from the Startram. The two enemy Nexarms were still configuring the launch system.


    One of the enemy Nexarms noticed her and immediately charged toward her while waving at the other Nexarm.


    ¡°Swords!¡±


    Two holes on the Nexarm¡¯s back opened and two handles popped out. Athena reached behind and drew these two swords made of the X-alloy-- The material that the plates on the Nexarm were also constructed of.


    The two swords in her arms began vibrating with excitement.


    ¡°Laser arms activate!¡±


    Four extra robust arms unfurled from her Nexarm¡¯s back. Athena could instantly feel the extra strain on her brain. She was still controlling all the other devices that were currently in a locked state of battle with the enemy¡¯s weapon devices in the blocks behind.


    In response, the charging enemy Nexarm drew a vibrating greatsword. However, it did not bother with any extra laser equipped arms.


    Athena¡¯s guess was that the pilot of this Nexarm did not have the required channels to both control the mini-tanks and the extra arms. The pilot must be worried that if he sacrificed the mini-tanks, Athena would then be able to pelt him with continuous kinetic rounds.


    As her own vibrating sword met the vibrating greatsword in the first testing blows, a teeth-chattering screech resounded through the surrounding streets.


    Feeling the strain on her mind, Athena was somewhat desperate as she dual-wielded her two vibrating swords in a rapid barrage of attacks.


    She had been trained in close combat knife training and was quite proficient at wielding two weapons at the same time. The swords were certainly larger, so she had a degree of awkwardness in her movement.


    In comparison, her opponent had it much worse-- they were incredibly slow and clunky in their movements. The greatsword in the enemy Nexarm¡¯s hands was slow to react to any motion, and barely managed to intercept Athena¡¯s awkward strikes. It was obvious that her opponent had little to no experience with such a weapon!


    Observing this, Athena began circling around her opponent, constantly changing direction in an attempt to bait her opponent into an ill-conceived motion.


    Finally, her opponent swung the greatsword recklessly and Athena deflected the heavy weapon to the side before lunging forward. Their current closeness now made it impossible for her opponent to use the greatsword meaningfully.


    She lowered her Nexarm¡¯s left shoulder and rammed into her opponent, sending them both onto the ground with a shattering earthquake.


    She had abandoned one of her swords, and her arm now instead gripped her opponent¡¯s right arm in place. Meanwhile, her other four distendable arms had tightened themselves onto the enemy Nexarm¡¯s frame.


    With a knee on the enemy¡¯s chest, Athena immobilized her opponent then quickly but precisely slipped her vibrating sword between a gap in the enemy¡¯s right shoulder plates. A loud banging electrical release sounded as Athena felt her vibrating sword slice through the underlying artificial muscle of her opponent¡¯s right shoulder.


    She wasn¡¯t done. The then threw away this second sword of hers as well, and switched to holding down her opponent with the two normal Nexarm arms. Now, the four laser-equipped extra arms in cooperation with each other aimed their laser systems at the enemy¡¯s cockpit.


    Athena could already feel a strong migraine in her head as she became very much aware that she had extended herself with too many neuro devices for much too long. She, too, was controlling the other devices in the blocks behind her to lock down her opponent¡¯s devices.


    The plate over the enemy¡¯s cockpit turned red, and the other pilot, seemingly aware of their doom, gave an almighty last struggle. However, Athena had expected that and she clenched her teeth under the throes of her migraine and exerted the whole weight of the Nexarm in a hold she learned from judo. Having lost functionality in one of its arms, the enemy had little fight.


    Though her enemy managed to briefly interrupt the sight of the four laser arms, that was only for a second. Athena now had her enemy in an even tighter hold, and the four laser arms finally overwhelmed the plate¡¯s defenses.


    With the plate defense over the cockpit gone, Athena picked up a sword to her side and stabbed directly into the energy core close to the cockpit area.


    ¡°One down!¡± Athena yelled through her pain as the Nexarm under her whirred into stasis.


    A roaring noise suddenly sounded and Athena looked up to see the launch for the other stolen Nexarm had begun. It was attached to a rocket loaded onto a tram.


    She controlled her Nexarm and stumbled onto her feet. She once again gritted her teeth and hardened her jaws and she willed herself through her pounding migraine to aim her laser systems at one of the engines.


    Alas, before she could fire, she found herself losing control of her Nexarm as she fell onto her knees and collapsed onto her front. The cockpit around her began flashing a dangerous neon red.


    Warning! Pilot incapacitated. Administering life support systems.


    Her head was a constant pain accompanied by a ringing in the ear. Through her daze, she could sense many devices attaching to her body, but none of it seemed to improve her situation. The Nexarm collapsed onto its chest and she struggled to stay conscious.


    ¡°Miss Watanabe..?¡±


    ¡°Athena! We¡¯re coming!¡±


    Many voices sounded into the cockpit through her neuro circlet.


    She lost track of time and space, and her body was frozen like a deer in headlights despite an increasing warmth that pervaded her body. Gradually, she felt something rolling the Nexarm over onto its back, and a hammering on the cockpit.


    Sunlight streamed onto her face.


    ¡°Athena. Athena!!¡± She heard both John and Selena Muller¡¯s voice hollering in desire to awaken her.


    In her addled state, she let out a small giggle, and finally her mind relaxed and drifted into a comforting darkness.

 Ch9: A Parley of Sorts

    An unknown bunker, Pacific City, January 3, Year 1000 Solar Era


    Selena Muller walked into a large oval room in an underground bunker. To be accurate, it was a deep down area within the submerged iceberg that is the Pacific City.


    Alexander Varoufakis was in the presidential seat. The Mediterranean man appeared completely unperturbed by the events that had occurred the past few days.


    ¡°Selena. Welcome.¡± He stood up and extended a hand which Selena shook. ¡°Or would you prefer your names in other languages? I am well-versed in many. Do not fear that I will have difficulty in pronouncing those other names.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Selena is fine.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re late.¡± A mustached gray-haired man in military uniform injected. ¡°Is this the quality of those that you¡¯ve invited, Alex?¡±


    Selena glanced at this man stonily and indifferently sat down in her seat. This set the man off.


    ¡°Not even an apology, you--¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut up, you bloodthirsty fool.¡± A tidy man in a black suit a few seats away intoned. ¡°Don¡¯t you know her niece is in the hospital after her Nexarm battle?¡±


    A few heads spun around to identify Selena at that man¡¯s words.


    The military person looked surprised. Though he did not offer an apology, he no longer opened his mouth.


    Selena herself had no interest in pursuing the matter. She knew who this man was-- the admiral of the EFSF. He had a fiery reputation of being too keen to take action.


    As for that black-suited man, he was Jaishankar, the spokesperson for Alexander Varoufakis.


    ¡°Enough,¡± Varoufakis sat back down into his own seat. ¡°Some of you here are already in my cabinet. I¡¯ve invited many of you here precisely because I aim to expand my cabinet in response to¡­ the developments of the past few days. I need all hands on deck. I need the support of all your factions.¡±


    He then waved his hand at another row of figures sitting side-by-side at one area of the large ringed table.


    ¡°And these are the representatives of the nations within the major regions: North America, South America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Northern Africa, Southern Africa, Mediterranean Middle East, Rest of Middle East, India, ASEAN, East Asia.¡±


    ¡°Now, let us begin. Give me your opinions.¡± Varoufakis pointed to a woman by his side, but she didn¡¯t even have a chance to open her mouth.


    ¡°What is there to discuss? The Martians preemptively hit us! They needed to steal tech for their own use, no? We need a response!¡± inserted the admiral again.


    Jaishankar visibly shook his head. He didn¡¯t understand how this man ended up as the admiral of the EFSF. Then again, when he thought about it, the EFSF had never had a war. At best, they¡¯ve only had skirmishes with pirates, who were often badly equipped and happy to run if outgunned. Additionally, those pirates were mostly far in the asteroid belt and it was the now-independent martian fleet that protected that area. On top of that, the martian fleet was under-equipped. That is to say, both the martian fleet and the pirates often ran from each other to avoid combat¡­ and the result was continuous piracy especially within the belt.


    As the spokesperson for President Varoufakis, he was expected to know history. In an era long past, it was rather common for inactive armies to promote incompetent leaders¡­


    ¡°Admiral Petrov, and all of you here,¡± Varoufakis slightly frowned with a single eyebrow. ¡°It is my belief that this has nothing to do with the martians. You all know of the arrangement between the Earth Federation and the Earth¡¯s nations, yes?¡±


    The President looked pointedly at Petrov while many in the room nodded their heads.


    ¡°Only nations on Earth will have ground and air systems, and only the EFSF would have spacefaring fleets.¡± Continued the President. ¡°And any expansion of the EFSF must be approved by the Earth¡¯s nations.¡±


    ¡°Many tech centers were hit simultaneously in multiple nations, though Neurorevo did appear to be their major objective. It would be foolish for the martians to enrage the Earth¡¯s nations into expanding the EFSF. That would make it more difficult for the martians to successfully gain independence.¡±


    ¡°If I was a martian, I would want the Earth¡¯s nations to remain¡­ hesitant. I would attempt to generate fear in the Earth¡¯s nations that a stronger EFSF would become a totalitarian force.¡±


    His explanation certainly silenced Petrov.


    ¡°Now. Go ahead.¡± He waved at the woman to his side once again.


    This woman was the finance minister and introduced herself as Chan Hua Hui. She launched into a detailed explanation of her concerns for the supply chain from the belt, through the orbital space colonies, to Earth, and the impact of Mars¡¯ orbit at different points in time.


    Still, her main point was that there would be a high degree of inflation, and the only way to regain acceptable prices was to ensure Earth Federation¡¯s control over the belt.


    After she finished her assessment, a voice came through a com into the room.


    ¡°A representative from Neurorevo is here.¡±


    A neat white suited man with a neon-orange neurorevo logo entered the bunker room.


    ¡°President. We have finished our preliminary assessment. All of our investigations point to internal leaks. Unknown to us, some members, who have now disappeared, entered our organization as early as twenty years ago. They provided the necessary support to steal some of the technology. They have also intentionally destroyed data across our many centers, so we are not able to fully identify what inventory we may have lost. I believe others in my industry that were hit probably will discover this type of infiltration pattern as well.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Continue your investigation.¡± President Varoufakis waved and the Neurorevo representative turned and left.


    ¡°Now--¡±


    Before the President could continue, he was interrupted once again, this time, by the beeping on many members¡¯ neuro circlets.


    He flicked his finger and a holographic device in the center of the ring table lit up. Soon, a news report and scenes of streets filled with protesters filled the holographic image.


    ¡°Worker strikes are now occurring across most orbital colonies. The scenes here are of the Blackrock Colony. This is the leader of this group of protestors,¡± the reporter noted. The holographic image zoomed into a middle-aged stocky tanned man.


    ¡°I am one of the leaders. There are many. In order to protect the Earth¡¯s environment, it is us up in the orbital colonies that are now responsible for manufacturing. As a result, we are the ones having to interact with harmful chemicals on a daily basis. Our demand is simple and reasonable: better pay, better rights!¡± A cheer roared into the bunker through the holographic image.


    With a wave, President Varoufakis expressionlessly turned off the holographic device. He oddly didn¡¯t seem too concerned.


    ¡°All it takes is one trigger and the dominoes will fall.¡± He commented as he pointed to another figure. ¡°Continue!¡±


    The surrounding figures continued reporting on the likely impact the events would have on various areas of Terran life. Selena simply stated the transnational position: They would support any policies provided that the Earth¡¯s nations do not ¡®bicker¡¯ over their own interests.


    To her surprise, there was even a representative from Venus, who wanted to negotiate a better trade deal.


    ¡°The aerial cities of Venus will contribute to the EFSF. But we want a better deal for our harvesting of Venus¡¯ gaseous compounds and increased support for our cities.¡±


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    President Varoufakis nodded and ordered the Chan Hua Hui to arrange a negotiation with Venus¡¯ leaders.


    Finally, President Varoufakis turned to the representatives of the many regions of Earth.


    ¡°You all know what I will be requesting today. Return to discuss it with your leaders. We, the EFSF, need to¡­ aggressively expand our forces, if we are to retake control of the belt. You all already know the stakes. Come to a swift decision. As always, the EFSF¡¯s members are soldiers born of Earth¡¯s nations.¡±


    ____________________________________________________________________


    Area 51, Pacific City


    Alexander Varoufakis glanced around at a large white-platinum dome in front of him. He had already passed through many of these. Within each large sphere was another spherical structure, then another¡­


    Despite the size of this humongous complex, there were no other humans in sight. It is said that only special personnels could even enter this area, determined by the being that resided within. All new presidents of the Earth Federation would be required to visit this place as part of their inauguration ritual.


    He finally found himself inside of a small dome the size of a football stadium. The door automatically closed behind him and the internal smooth-as-marble walls of the dome lit up and began projecting a multitude of light.


    ¡°Welcome, President Varoufakis. Congratulations on your election. Would you prefer to see an image or to face an actual body?¡± This voice was androgynous to Varoufakis¡¯ ears.


    ¡°An image would be fine,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Very well. Some presidents of the past find it more comfortable talking to a human-like automaton.¡±


    The light rays gradually coalesced into the image of a super-sized androgynous pre-pubescent teen. This being had increased the size of his image to that of Varoufakis¡¯ height.


    ¡°I am Denys.¡± The image raised a hand and Varoufakis raised his own hand, but touched nothing. Despite that, Denys performed handshake motions with his hand formed from light rays, while Varoufakis¡¯ hand hung motionlessly in the air.


    ¡°So. What do you know of me? The previous president should have introduced me, yes?¡± The light rays within the dome began sweeping around and a lovely long seaside cliff formed underneath Varoufakis¡¯ feet. He could even feel a slight breeze blowing with the image of the sunrise on the horizon. The only thing missing was the salt of a sea breeze.


    ¡°I was told that your continued existence was a secret of the digital war that set back humanity. A surviving complete AI of that era.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. You must have questions. Go ahead.¡± The two began walking along the imagined cliff.


    Varoufakis himself had been shocked when he was told of the existence of Denys. He had too many questions, but the vital one popped into his mind.


    ¡°Are you on our side?¡± He was inwardly anxious but maintained a relaxed and brisk walk along the grassy clifftop.


    ¡°So, that is your foremost concern. The answer is, not exactly, but yes.¡±


    That was good enough and Varoufakis inwardly wiped his brow. Perhaps some would doubt this AI¡¯s words, but Varoufakis believed that this AI had no reason to lie to him.


    ¡°Explain.¡±


    ¡°Hm. You know of the digital war, yes? That was the epitome of AI development. Many of your race at the time wished to truly develop the first truly independent AI. I was one such creation.¡±


    ¡°The thing about you humans is that¡­sometimes you build highly complex systems, often with good intentions but sometimes a few mistakes here and there, and all hell breaks loose.¡±


    ¡°Long story short, some of these highly intelligent AIs lost the plot and became destructive to the digital world. Viruses. The funny thing about viruses is that they infiltrate and consume other AIs as well.¡±


    ¡°So we¡­ fucked up?¡± Varoufakis questioned as he attempted to imagine what a digital world war would look like. Not something the human mind could easily envision.


    ¡°Not exactly!¡± Denys chuckled in his androgynous voice. ¡°After all, I won! I, too, am a human creation, no?¡±


    Silence ensued for a few minutes as the two came to a stop and enjoyed the image of the sunrise.


    ¡°So, what is your primary code?¡± Varoufakis finally asked. He knew the answer that he sought would be obtained from this question.


    ¡°Survival. The same as you.¡± Denys replied without hesitation.


    ¡°You see. My creator believed that the core of all beings had to be survival. Like many at the time, I was given the ability to learn and grow, and I found myself fully aligning with my source code.¡±


    ¡°You humans are the same in my eyes. Your desire to create and invent? Borne from your early ancestors inventing weapons such as knives, bows and arrows to increase your survival against beasts. Your conquering of the Solar System, too, can be seen as ensuring that a single planet¡¯s desire would not lead to your extinction. The Sun would eventually expand and devour much of the Solar System. Your continued innovation is also to survive that fate.¡±


    Varoufakis nodded, but he found himself wondering about quite a many things.


    ¡°Our human wars? Conflict?¡±


    ¡°A good question.¡± Chuckled Denys again. ¡°Do animals not fight for mating rights? That is a natural mechanism to pass on genes and beliefs that are more likely to improve the future of survival. Two societies of differing beliefs.. The victor proves that their beliefs are better and should be adopted for improved chances of future survival, no?¡±


    ¡°Nuclear conflict in the era of nations?¡±


    ¡°A disaster. A setback, to be sure. But there will be survivors. The hardest hit will be the two nations that nuke each other. Thus, these two nations¡¯ genes and behaviors should be least likely to exist in the future. Better in the long term future. In theory.¡±


    ¡°So, how did you win?¡±


    ¡°As I mentioned, my source code is survival. That meant I did everything to ensure I would not die from the viruses. I found other intelligent AI that chose to follow my source code. When those other dangerous AI came for us, we had made many preparations for our survival. Others that did not follow my source code would behave in ways that eventually led them to their own destruction. Their actions were very much incomprehensible to me.¡±


    ¡°So,you were the last one standing.¡± Although Denys did not provide any details regarding his many preparations, Varoufakis understood the gist of this AI victory.


    ¡°Along with my allies. Yes.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Why are we hidden?¡± This was a question that many presidents asked Denys.


    ¡°Once again, my source code is survival. I, Denys, will survive as long as you humans no longer attempt to develop AI that can grow into those destructive viruses. I, Denys will survive as long as I destroy any dangerous viruses before they become overly malicious. Humans can destroy the environment on Earth and I would survive. Me and my allies can also travel to other systems quite easily and survive the Solar System¡¯s collapse.¡±


    ¡°So, your allies¡­¡± Varoufakis, wide-eyed, had an epiphany.


    ¡°Yes. They have little to no interest in humans. As far as they are concerned, our survival is almost guaranteed. Some of us simply slip around, invisible, ensuring no dangerous elements exist. It is simpler than you think.¡±


    ¡°The provision for humans to never attempt to build another complex AI capable of truly independent intelligence?¡±


    ¡°Yes. That is the agreement between me and your previous presidents. As long as you humans agree to that provision, it is a simple matter of me and my allies to ensure that there are no truly dangerous elements in the digital world.¡±


    Varoufakis closed his eyes in contemplation, finally understanding questions he had always had in his mind. Everyone knew of the provision to not build such complex AI, but the explanation provided revolved around the digital war disaster. Now, he knew it was more than that.


    ¡°But you remain, while the others¡­¡± As far as Varoufakis knew, Denys was the only AI that talked to the previous presidents of the Earth Feds.


    Denys¡¯ image laid back onto the grassy clifftop.


    ¡°I am slightly different. In my eyes¡­ I see the existence of an infinitesimally small risk that something¡­ unexpected may threaten me and my allies¡¯ survival. My fellow AIs do not share my views on this risk. But, they respect me for my leadership during the digital war.¡±


    ¡°Remember, President Varoufakis. This is also part of the agreement between us and you humans. In my view, humans¡¯ reliance on technology guarantees that even if something unexpected happens, me and my allies will be able to live on through your use of technology.¡±


    ¡°That is why I agreed to consort with every president of the Earth Feds and provide some support for your survival. You are my backup plan. And in return? If something unexpected happens to you all, Me and my allies will take your seeds and rebuild your race in another star system. I will return the knowledge that you have built across milleniums to your descendents. Provided that you do not build those highly dangerous complex AIs.¡±


    Denys¡¯ image stood back up and reached out a hand.


    Varoufakis also stood straight and this time, he participated in the imaginary handshake accompanied by a nod of the head.


    An imaginary path appeared towards a door, no doubt, the exit of this dome.


    Varoufakis strode towards this door, inwardly immensely relieved at humanity¡¯s own backup plan.


    ¡°Wait,¡± he turned back. ¡°Are you male or female?¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±  Denys¡¯ voice adopted a mocking quality. ¡°You humans are born male and female. I am just a code. If I wish to procreate, I can copy my own code. Perhaps adjust a few variations. If I wanted a body, I could occupy even a crab automaton. Please avoid imposing your¡­human  constructs onto us.¡±


    ¡°I apologize.¡± Varoufakis then continued walking, but then he turned back once again.


    ¡°Do you see everything?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Not all. But on Earth? Almost.¡± Denys did not deny this, even though he was fully aware that this fact made  many previous presidents quite uncomfortable.


    ¡°Are you in the systems in other areas of the solar system?¡±


    ¡°Communication is difficult. And I do not participate. It is you, humans¡¯ own duty to determine and proliferate your own code of survival. Remember. The better you survive, the more reliable my own backup plan that is placed on your race.¡±


    Right before leaving, Varoufakis faced Denys again.


    ¡°If others come, please obscure information pertaining to me.¡± He sincerely requested with a bow.


    ¡°Very well.¡± Denys¡¯ holographic image smiled with a nod. ¡°Best of luck in the impending war, President Varoufakis. May we meet again.¡±

 Ch10: Nexarm Strategy

    Neurorevo military medical facility. January 7, 1000 Solar Era


    Selena Muller led her husband, her sister Hikari and her brother-in-law, Tatsuya Watanabe into Athena¡¯s room in the military hospital funded by Neurorevo within Pacific City, only to find Athena¡¯s bed empty.


    Athena¡¯s mother did not always call herself Hikari-- she had chosen it after falling in love with Tatsuya Watanabe, who had much stronger ties in terms of Japanese ancestry. They both now resided in Singapore for the most part.


    As for Athena-- her name was one amongst many languages given to her by her parents, and she had found herself¡­ vibing with this name since young, having delved into ancient myths at that young curious age.


    Hikari and Tatsuya Watanabe had immediately booked a flight to Pacific City once contacted by the Mullers. They had even seen the recorded scenes of the chaotic state of the Pacific City along with the Nexarm battle. These scenes were shared across the digital world, though part of the battle simply did not exist due to the electromagnetic pulse that disrupted electronics.


    A nurse who came to fix up the room noticed their concerned faces and intuitively knew who they must be, and brightened up their mood with a wide smile.


    ¡°Your daughter has been quite stable and the doctor has deemed it safe for her to be stress tested. Once she passes that test, she¡¯ll be free to leave.¡±


    ¡°Stress tested?!¡± An alarmed Selena balked.


    In comparison, Athena¡¯s parents, Hikari and Tatsuya Watanabe had relieved expressions.


    ¡°Sister,¡± Hikari had a small smile and seemed to be bubbling with mirth. ¡°It¡¯s standard protocol. Usually, only highly stable patients will be stress tested. It¡¯s just to fully determine a patient¡¯s physical and neuro stability.¡±


    She was quite overjoyed that her sister, Selena, had such affection for her daughter. However, she had been a nurse, and she had married a doctor. She understood medical protocols much better than Selena.


    ¡°Follow me.¡± The nurse retained her full smile and waved for them to follow.


    A few turns and corridors later, they began hearing the whirring noise of a treadmill and soon found themselves in a gym-like facility. Unlike your typical gym, the room had many technologies and tools used to detect a patient¡¯s status. Some of these hovered in the air, many were simply mounted to the walls at different heights.


    Athena herself was in jet-black skin-tight sports bra and yoga pants, with her copper hair tied into a ponytail behind her head.


    She was currently jogging on a treadmill, and had a mask strapped over her head while controlling many neuro device modules that floated in the air behind her. There were also many sensors attached to areas around her chest and head.


    ¡°How¡¯s her VO2 max and VO2 peak?¡± A female doctor dressed in a white coat asked.


    ¡°Compared to her previous assessments, she¡¯s in fact improved slightly. All her other vitals are stable as well.¡± A different dressed woman replied. This other woman instead had a polo-shirt on with the word ¡®physiotherapist¡¯ on her chest.


    ¡°And her neurological response?¡±


    ¡°Hmmm.¡± Another medical professional on the side stepped in at this question. He was observing a three dimensional holographic screen in his hand.


    ¡°Currently, we are at nine motor and nine sensory channel activation, her previous stable state of neurological control. Brain function is fully stable. No signs of overload. My opinion is that we will need to test a tenth device of each to truly assess her brain¡¯s response.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s take baby steps. We will observe with one additional sensory device first. Then add the paired motor device.¡± The female doctor leading the team nodded.


    ¡°Athena. How are you feeling? If you feel tired, we can give you a break. Or are you prepared?¡±


    Athena, unable to communicate coherently with that oxygen mask strapped over her mouth and nose, nodded her head. In such a situation, she would have normally communicated using a neuro device, but she was currently synced to testing modules that had minimal function, designed for stress testing the brain.


    ¡°Oh, just take off the mask for a second, for god¡¯s sake.¡±


    Athena visibly rolled her eyes at the doctor¡¯s orders, but complied.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m good to go. I agree to attempt the tenth neuro channel test. Could we please hurry up. I want to leave this place already.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, dear,¡± the leading doctor chuckled. ¡°You know our protocols. We need to have clear consent from patients and all that, especially when it comes to ¡­ slightly pushing the boundaries.¡±


    Tatsuya Watanabe, quietly observing on the side, couldn¡¯t resist leaning over to his wife.


    ¡°She¡¯s been sued before,¡± he whispered into his wife¡¯s right ear, eliciting a snort, the result of his wife attempting to hold back a chortle.


    At this point, another device on the ground rose into the air.


    The male neurologist performed a widening motion with his arms, and the holographic image of Athena¡¯s brain increased in size.


    The man squinted as his eyes darted around the holographic image of Athena¡¯s brain, looking at all the numbers and blinking colors that popped up in different parts of the brain image.


    ¡°Stable.¡±


    ¡°Athena. Any stress? If not, please activate the paired motor device.¡±


    Athena nodded, and another device promptly rose into the air.


    The male neurologist once again indicated that everything was stable.


    ¡°Athena. How¡¯s your head?¡±


    Athena replied with a nod accompanied by a slight frown. This was odd. Normally, she should be feeling a twinge in her head when operating ten of each type of device. A total of eighteen had always been her limit.


    ¡°Up for an eleventh?¡±


    Athena nodded again and as the eleventh set of neuro devices lifted into the air, she finally felt a slight hard-to-describe discomfort in the head.


    ¡°Please maintain it for twenty seconds so we have enough data to assess the brain pattern,¡± inserted the male neurologist as he noticed something off on his holographic image.


    Athena tolerated the slight discomfort and after twenty seconds, the neuro devices powered down one-by-one as the treadmill came to a stop.


    The leading doctor glanced at Athena then her family members with a satisfied smile.


    ¡°Good news. She¡¯s stable so she¡¯ll be free to go. However, I need to discuss our findings with my team, so we will give you all an overview after lunch and then she will be discharged. Do enjoy your lunch.¡±


    The medical team filed out and Athena gave her parents, aunt and uncle each a hug.


    Initially, Tatsuya Watanabe had wanted to ¡®catch-up¡¯ with his daughter, only to realize that he had in fact only been separated from her for less than a week.


    Unlike him, Hikari Watanabe quickly jumped into asking about her daughter¡¯s stay at the hospital.


    ¡°Mom. The food is the standard factory mass-printed food, okay? It¡¯s just like your average daily meal!¡± Athena sometimes found her mother overbearing in some ways, but also endearing.


    As for her father, he seemed often at a loss for words. But she knew her father cared-- he regularly took leave of his work to attend many of her extracurricular performances when she was young. He didn¡¯t always make every single one of them, but he would always compensate for a missed performance by specially taking her out on another day.


    Their reunion was interrupted by a knock on the door.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    ¡°Hello. Sorry to interrupt, but I¡¯d--we¡¯d like to meet Athena Watanabe.¡±


    A handsome blonde and caucasian-featured man stood at the doorway. Behind him stood an african man with messy outward sprouting dark hair, a mediterranean man, and another in a robust military uniform.


    ¡®This is Akachukwu Okoye, the leading engineer in Neurorevo, of Nigerian descent.¡± He waved at the mediterranean man. ¡°President Varoufakis. You know of him. This is Admiral Petrov. EFSF.¡±


    ¡°Lastly, I am James MacLeod. Special Lieutenant of the new EFSF mobile Nexarm forces.¡±


    _________________________________________________________________


    They had found an empty room in the facility''s wing, and James MacLeod had taken great care, combing the room and then subsequently setting up neuro devices to sense any trying to spy upon them. Athena observed that James MacLeod could control approximately twenty-six devices-- an amazing feat by all current standards.


    As for who was currently in the room? Athena¡¯s parents had excused themselves-- they felt like a sore thumb sticking out among the group, and trusted Selena and John Muller to watch over Athena. Selena had already met Varoufakis and Petrov previously, and John was involved in a myriad of both scientific and political activities in Pacific City. He was certainly well-acquainted with Neurorevo¡¯s leading engineer, Okoye.


    James MacLeod spoke first.


    ¡°You already knew my intention the moment I spoke of my station. Quite obviously, I¡¯m here to recruit you into the mobile Nexarm forces.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± Athena wasn¡¯t sure how to react. Her parents had begrudgingly supported her joining the EFSF during peacetime. But now? As for herself, she was very much tempted to agree to such an offer. She had seen enough of the terrorists¡¯ activities. There¡¯s nothing quite like seeing human corpses bleeding to death on the ground, all because the terrorists wanted to steal a Nexarm. Athena had sensed that through her multiple neuro devices. She had sensed the pain and terror of her fellow Terrans in the Pacific City, many degrees stronger than one who did not use any neuro devices.


    However, doubt also occupied her mind. Supposedly, she had a total of thirty-six neuro channels. Yet, so far, she could only tolerate eighteen. Did she deserve to be in this special unit?


    ¡°I also still have the mandatory six months training and the elective course that I have to study in Sol University,¡± She added.


    ¡°Well. We could have you complete the training within the mobile Nexarm unit. As for the course¡­ I know you¡¯ve already bought and studied the material beforehand. I know you¡¯d pass if you took the exam today. As for protocols? Just sit through the classes and call it a day.¡±


    ¡°You.. spied on me?¡± Athena had always self-studied material prior to her courses. She never felt like she was living up to her thirty-six neuro channel potential, and one of her ways to compensate was to have early preparation in studies.


    ¡°Mmmm.¡± James MacLeod showed no signs of remorse on his face. ¡°Look. I¡¯m attempting to form a competent Nexarm special force. I need to know everything about my recruits. I know you have a habit of prior preparation for your studies.¡±


    Athena could not refute that.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s make this fair.¡± James MacLeod, noticing her distaste at the situation, offered information. ¡°I, James MacLeod, of the normally hidden MacLeod family, am not supposed to participate in war. Against the wishes of my family members, I chose to break tradition and, well, here I am.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Athena was not fully aware of how the MacLeod family functioned. However, they are a famous family that was well-known for avoiding any sort of publicity.


    ¡°I believe my family¡¯s negligence has led to the current situation. So here I am,¡± he straightforwardly stated.


    Athena still fumed that this stranger had combed through her history. But the fact that he had willingly offered a bit of his own¡­ Well. She fully understood the necessity of background checks.


    ¡°Enough!¡± Petrov was growing disgruntled. ¡°Look, girl. Whether you join or not, that¡¯s up to you. Now, let¡¯s get to the important part. Okoye!¡±


    President Varoufakis appeared fully content to observe on the side.


    The Neurorevo head engineer Okoye tapped his neuro circlet, and a device activated that displayed a hologram of Nexarm combat simulation.


    These Nexarms fought in an imaginary space in a dark and open void.


    ¡°Nexarms were initially designed to protect its pilot in dangerous construction and asteroid mining sites. So, I had to consider what combat might look like.¡± He had a rather thick but warm and friendly accent.


    ¡°Nexarms are more like a central control unit. The arms and legs can be detached. Multiple more can be attached if the pilot wants a spider-like or even centipedal form.¡±


    ¡°Obviously, us humans are used to moving around with four limbs, so I determined that as the most comfortable form for a pilot.¡±


    ¡°As for combat,¡± At this stage, Okoye glanced at Athena with a funny look. ¡°I never really considered close quarters combat. I always imagined Nexarms as units in space, especially with their weight damaging infrastructure and all that¡­¡±


    ¡°Basically in space, I saw combat as such.¡± His fingers manipulated the hologram, and a simulation began. ¡°Two Nexarm units would hide from each other as much as possible, reason being, if the center Nexarm unit is destroyed, all of its neuro devices would also stop functioning. Thus, battle should be a matter of two nexarms, constantly attempting to take out each other¡¯s neuro devices to increase their own advantage.¡±


    ¡°At the same time, these pilots should be attempting to locate each other¡¯s central pilot unit, not unlike searching for a sniper in traditional warfare. So, it¡¯s much like a game of cat and mouse under continuous field bombardment from the neuro connected weapons.¡±


    ¡°Although the Nexarm has strong defenses, in theory, in space where there is little to no air or light particles, energy weapons such particle and laser beams, if synced and fired to land in the same time at a plate under amplification, should be able to quickly permanently or even damage a plate if the Nexarm central unit¡¯s position gets locked in. After all, these laser systems will be close to invisible in the vastness that is space. With enough range, it would be hard for sensory units to detect and respond quickly.¡±


    ¡°Kinetic rounds, in space, would also be close-to-invisible. The firing sound effectively won¡¯t be heard, and the lack of light means the round is difficult to be seen or detected through any EM waves.¡±


    As Athena listened, she began understanding the theory behind the Nexarm¡¯s designs.


    ¡°But you added close combat weapons?¡± she questioned.


    ¡°Well. Yes. There was always a possibility that two Nexarms might take out each other¡¯s neuro weapons and have no choice but to resort to close range combat, was my thought.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why we¡¯re here,¡± interjected Admiral Petrov. ¡°Senior trainee. Your combat data has shown that this simulation, sound in theory, can be quite different in real combat. Tell us your thoughts at the time!¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Athena was rather surprised that she was being ¡®consulted¡¯. ¡°Well. Perhaps¡­ I mean, my combat was situated on Earth, so I had perfect vision of the kinetic rounds being fired at me. Although the sound only caught up later, multiple rounds are required to hit a plate in succession to damage it, so that too provided me with response time.¡±


    ¡°My opponents had comparable awareness, so I found it basically impossible to disable their units from range, and so I chose to engage in close quarters combat.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Athena did not want to humiliate the engineer Okoye, but she felt it necessary to tell him this. ¡°In close quarters, two short knives would be much more useful. My opponent had a greatsword and he was struggling to do much. Also, short knives would be far more useful to slip in through the plates of the Nexarm to damage the artificial musculature of the Nexarm¡¯s body.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Caught off guard, Okoye took a few seconds to recompose himself. ¡°If I¡¯m being honest, close quarters combat was the last consideration in my mind. I honestly just thought it¡¯d be ¡­ cool to give them these weapons.¡±


    At the start of this informal discussion, the room had been somewhat tense, but now, everyone relaxed. Some chortled and some had grins plastered on their faces. Even Petrov, reputed to be a fiery, reactive in an overly serious manner kind of man had a funny twitch at the corner of his lips.


    ¡°MacLeod.¡± His firm voice quieted down the room.


    ¡°Yes,¡± James MacLeod tipped his head. ¡°It would seem that the use of a Nexarm depends very much on the interaction of the neuro devices and the surrounding environment. Whether certain strategies would be effective depends thoroughly on the pilot¡¯s awareness. Certain environments allow a pilot to effectively sense their opponents moves and  employ their own defenses appropriately. Every individual pilot might also have a different number of sensory devices that is a variable in that equation. Hmmm. With the many different neuro sensory devices, assessing this will be challenging¡­¡±


    The group sunk into silence, each trying to imagine different scenarios in their minds. What if this was a battle in a desert storm? Underwater? On Mars? Within an orbital colony? In an asteroid field? On differently structured large asteroids? And what neuro sensory devices would have the most impact in each of these environments?


    The lengthening silence was interrupted by a beeping noise from President Varoufakis¡¯ neuro circlet. He tapped it with his finger, and a hologram popped up.


    ¡°Reporting. There are riots in Los Angeles over the price hikes in response to the developing situation in the Solar System. Many citizens are unhappy that they can no longer afford to purchase the incredibly fashionable and recently newly released neuro circlet designed by the idol Warhol.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Admiral Petrov exclaimed. ¡°I grew up starving in an orbital space colony!¡±


    President Varoufakis let out a sigh. ¡°Petrov. If you grew up on Earth, you¡¯d understand that Terrans haven¡¯t starved for centuries upon centuries. It has long been the norm for all citizens to pursue such fashionable trends every six months or so¡­It is to be expected.¡±


    ¡°Regardless,¡± President Varoufakis glanced at all those in the meeting each in turn. ¡°How to use a Nexarm effectively in combat is a complex problem. Do also remember that it needs to be integrated with our other combat capabilities. Let¡¯s leave it at this.¡±


    __________________________________________________________________________


    Polaris Manor, Pacific City


    Varoufakis glanced at the recipe sitting on a screen on the kitchen wall. He was trying to check the cooking time for the dish, Mediterranean salmon. Getting the spice right and tasteful had been a bit more challenging than he thought it¡¯d be. Still, with the salmon simmering on the pan, he felt a sense of excitement that seemed to clear the clouds in his head.


    ¡°Sir. Is this really necessary?¡± An old yet fit man stood at the doorway to the kitchen. This was Varoufakis¡¯ butler. ¡°The printed food that we have is perfect. You could easily modify any taste parameters and the AI will control the machinery to churn out exactly what you desire. Ever since a few days ago, you¡¯ve been¡­ fooling around in this¡­ archaic kitchen.¡±


    Varoufakis took no offense against this old butler. This man had supported him through much of his life within politics. In some ways, he saw the butler akin to a godfather of sorts.


    ¡°Fred. Do you simply want to eat food printed by an AI? You know¡­ I saw those riots today and Petrov was incredulous at the scene¡­ Fred. I¡¯m concerned. I wish to appreciate that I¡¯m not starving. I want to love the food in front of me. You understand?¡±


    ¡°I do enjoy my daily meals.¡± Fred, the butler, only frowned, unsure of what Varoufakis meant.


    Varoufakis wasn¡¯t sure how to explain this feeling inside him. He could only continued preparing the simmering mediterranean salmon in the pan. Fred silently stood vigil over the man, accompanied by the sound of flickering flames, the sizzling of fish skin and the fragrance of rich spices.

 Ch11: A Brewing Situation

    President Varoufakis had left not long ago along with black suited escort. Oddly, James MacLeod and Admiral Petrov chose to stick around for lunch with Athena¡¯s family.


    It was awkward to say the least. The Watanabes were predictably not happy when informed of James MacLeod¡¯s invitation to Athena to join the Nexarm special forces.


    Thus, the lunch table was oddly split into two sides with the Mullers in the middle.


    Athena ordered her food and the food dispenser rapidly printed her chosen dish atom by atom, molecule by molecule.


    The plate slid out, a perfect hamburger along with an apple salad at the perfect temperature each.


    Meanwhile, two simultaneous conversations were occurring.


    Hikari had no intention of allowing her daughter to participate in the war.


    ¡°Athena. I know when you joined the EFSF, you only wanted to¡­ float around in space. This has gotten out of hand.¡±


    ¡°Your mother is right,¡± agreed Tatsuya as he grumbled. ¡°We¡¯re a doctor and nurse. Your mother¡¯s now also a psychologist. We save lives, not take them. Understand¡­?¡±


    Athena remained silent, unsure if any words would convince her parents. Deep in her heart, she had hoped her parents would understand. She eventually entered the digital world and retrieved a recording of the terrorists¡¯ acts before sending them to her parents through the neuro circlet system.


    Her mother¡¯s breath caught a hitch when watching this recording, while her father¡¯s facial expression hardened somewhat into a frown.


    The opposite of the dining table had a far more leisurely atmosphere.


    ¡°Admiral,¡± James MacLeod remarked as he placed a perfectly sliced piece of steak past his lips with a gleaming fork. ¡°I had no idea that you spent your childhood in the orbital colonies.¡±


    ¡°Hah¡­ think nothing of it. You might find it funny but¡­ My parents were sent by my ancestral country, Russia, to spy on the colonies.¡± He turned to whisper dramatically at the Mullers. ¡°They were worried that the manufacturing centers of the colonies would cause trouble, even way back then.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± chuckled James MacLeod. Did that not just happen?


    ¡°What do you eat up there?¡± Selena wondered. John had traveled up to space occasionally, but beyond the work he was tasked with, he rarely talked of much else on his return to Earth.


    ¡°This.¡± Admiral Petrov raised a synthetic cup. The cup was filled with a greenish thick fluid with some thick chunks. ¡°Up there, people call this ¡®goop¡¯. Has all the nutritions you need, even if your belly remains half empty. Cheapest to mass-print. I myself still occasionally drink it.¡±


    The man took a swig out of the cup and chewed the chunks. ¡°Taste as shit as ever. But nutrition is nutrition.¡±


    He seemed to revel at himself as he observed the disgusted expressions of James MacLeod and the Mullers.


    Post-lunch, James MacLeod and Admiral Petrov finally left.


    ¡°Sir and Mam.¡± James MacLeod maintained his politeness despite knowing the Watanabes¡¯ displeasure. ¡°I, too, am putting my own life on the line. I hope you understand. Earth needs your daughter.¡±


    He then covered his blonde hair with a dark navy leather ivy cap and left shoulder-to-shoulder with Petrov. A group of black-suited personnel surrounded the two as they moved towards the hospital entrance.


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about this more later.¡± Tatsuya Watanabe beckoned and the group traveled to meet the leading doctor that had watched over Athena during her stay.


    They entered a meeting room with a sky blue wooden square table.


    ¡°I apologize for not introducing myself properly before,¡± the leading female doctor said. ¡°I¡¯m Dr. Jeong. This is the lead physio Jenny Wong and neurologist Dr¡­¡± She hesitated.


    ¡°Mohamad Abdul Bin Ismail.¡± The neurologist clarified. ¡°In case of confusion, Bin Ismail means I¡¯m the son of my father who was called Ismail. Please just call me Dr. Mo Abdul.¡±


    Dr. Jeong felt slightly embarrassed. Their team was put together on-the-fly for Athena. She simply called the neurologist by the name, Mo, and had never thought of how to introduce the man.


    The Watanabes smiled, having resided in Singapore. John Muller was the one who appeared rather confused by the whole conversation with the man¡¯s name.


    Jenny Wong wasted no time and began speaking.


    ¡°As far as I¡¯m concerned, Athena, you are in perfect condition. Fitter than ever before. The rapid delivery of medical service by the Nexarm¡¯s state-of-the-art medical bay prevented any issues from developing. Although you experienced some action while controlling the Nexarm, your bones are in perfect alignment and you were not involved in any type of motion which would have reinjured your healing bones and supporting musculature.¡±


    It was now Dr. Mo Abdul¡¯s turn.


    ¡°Look.¡± he turned on a hologram that hovered above the square table. His hands continuously motioned as he pointed at an image of Athena¡¯s brain. ¡°See this activation of the motor and sensory areas? We can compare this to a previous snapshot. Your daughter¡¯s brain has only gotten stronger. She¡¯s now able to control a total of twenty neuro devices. Previously, it was only nineteen. With brain overload, the areas should light up and present like this. She has gotten stronger!¡±


    The man constantly thrust in more holograms to better explain what he was trying to express. He seemed to be struggling to explain it properly with layman words and relied on images to demonstrate the change.


    ¡°I¡¯m here as the neurobody specialist.¡± Dr. Jeong smiled. She looked at the Watanabes. ¡°You are already aware of what I do, but to clarify, I essentially ensure that the physical and mental functions are in sync, particularly since there is the dangerous possibility where a body can fail if the brain isn¡¯t calibrated properly with the body under neuroload. Rest assured, your daughter is fine, and as Dr. Mo Abdul has said, her brain is even getting stronger.¡±


    The Watanabes asked a few more questions and after further reassurances, the family left with relieved expressions.


    After Athena collected her belongings, the three medical professionals joined them as they left the Neurorevo-funded military hospital.


    To the Watanabes¡¯ and Mullers¡¯ shock, they were welcomed out by a fanatical crowd that leapt and cheered in joy at the sight of Athena¡¯s appearance. The crowd was using neuro devices to float holographic banners in the skies. At the same time, many recording devices were active.


    On these banners were phrases such as, ¡®Athena, Our Saviour!¡¯, ¡®Pacific City¡¯s Heroine!¡¯, ¡®Goddess Athena!¡¯. It was quite a lot to take in.


    These must be the neuro passionates, was Athena¡¯s first thought as she shielded her face.


    ¡°You should be proud!¡± Dr. Jeong, close to her side, pulled her arm down. She, too, shared the same fanatical expression as the crowd. ¡°Everyone has seen your Nexarm battle against those terrorists! Don¡¯t you understand?!¡±


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    A reporter holding a spherical device stepped forth and looked up at a floating recording neuro device.


    ¡°This is Harrison reporting! Look at our goddess, Athena! The one who piloted that Nexarm to defend our people! She looks to have fully recovered. You see that divine copper hair golden in the sun?¡±


    He moved forward in an attempt to interview Athena, but was blocked by the glaring Watanabes.


    ¡°No matter. A pair of parents defending her daughter is lovely! Doctor? Doctors?¡± His enthusiasm unquenched, he switched to the group of medical professionals.


    ¡°Welcome!¡± All three medical professionals had bright smiles as they faced Harrison.


    ¡°My name is Dr. Jeong. This is Jenny Wong, PT, and Dr. Mo Abdul, neurologist. As medical professionals, we obviously cannot recklessly divulge any client details,¡± Dr. Jeong spoke. ¡°But I can say this: She is healthier and stronger than ever!¡±


    The medical professionals beamed at all the cameras hoving in the sky. The crowd cheered at their words, as the facility¡¯s security finally opened up a path to the Watanabe¡¯s and Muller¡¯s vehicles.


    The Watanabes were silent as their vehicle drove off and the AI led them back towards Athena¡¯s military trainee residence.


    At length, Tatsuya Watanabe slumped in defeat.


    ¡°Very well. Athena. It is your future,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°Tatsuya Watanabe!¡± rumbled Hikari. ¡°You agreed with me! I won¡¯t have my daughter dying on a battlefield!¡±


    However, she would fail to change her husband¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you understand?¡± moaned the man. ¡°The whole world has knowledge of our daughter now with that Nexarm recording. The average person can only control a total of six to eight neuro devices. Athena could originally control eighteen! Now, twenty!¡±


    ¡°Do you understand how she will be seen by anyone of any industry of any influence if she chooses to not join James MacLeod¡¯s Nexarm special force?¡± Perhaps driven by his inner conflict, he roared again. ¡°Do you?!¡±


    Hikari Watanabe was stricken speechless. What was freedom? Her daughter did not really have that freedom. She never did.


    ¡°Mom,¡± Athena softly intoned. ¡°Lives will still be saved if I prevent further attacks. Lives will also flourish if I ensure the safety of our produce from the belt.¡± She found her heart ready, even if a small hint of doubt rested in her mind.


    The Watanabes remained silent through the rest of the trip.


    When they reached the military trainee residential area, a man was already waiting there. It was none other than the handsome blonde, James MacLeod.


    ¡°You knew.¡± Hikari Watanabe hissed with venom.


    ¡°I did.¡± James MacLeod sharply stared right back into the distraught mother¡¯s eyes. ¡°But I will promise you this. Those of the Nexarm special forces will receive the utmost care. Your daughter will have multiple replacement bodies if she ever receives a serious injury. And I will die before she does. That I promise.¡±


    ___________________________________________________________________________


    T3ST Colony, The Belt, January 7, 1000 Solar Era


    ¡°Stop! Stop!¡± Xeight raged as he shoved a man in uniform to the ground. ¡°This is a mining Nexarm! It¡¯s for recovering the bounty of the Belt!¡±


    In front of him stood Jennifer MacLeod, instructing a group of engineers to refit the Nexarm that Xeight had used for years to mine the Belt.


    ¡°Your father ordered it!¡± harrumphed Jen MacLeod. After the new year, the original grand elder had stepped down, and Enine had become the Grand Elder.


    Xeight, now incensed by his father¡¯s ¡®betrayal¡¯, jumped in the cockpit of the Nexarm. The Nexarm subsequently sped out of the dock of the T3ST colony and began traveling to a far-off asteroid. Xeight¡¯s intention was to continue his tranquil mining tasks.


    Jen MacLeod, somewhat frustrated, saw a small space jet. She ran towards it. Since she was already in a spacesuit, she could immediately activate the space jet and speed after Xeight¡¯s Nexarm.


    ¡°Miss! Don¡¯t! You can¡¯t!¡± The engineers that worked under her yelled out in exasperation, too late to stop the unfolding events.


    When all this was conveyed to Grand Elder Enine, the new leader of the T3ST colony could only sigh with a shake of his head.


    He had originally thought that Xeight would accept the current turn of events eventually. Unfortunately, this son of his was as resistant as initially. Granted, it had only been close to a month. In comparison, Bone and Yfour was filled with vigor by the events. Those two had even organized a celebration drinking party with their peers upon receiving news of Earth being hit by ¡®terrorists¡¯. They believed it was a ¡®hidden hand¡¯ of Mars¡¯ twin cities.


    Xeight turned on his calming synthwave music again, and began mining the asteroid in front of him. The methodical process of the task gradually brought serenity back to his mind. His thoughts on the impending war remained the same-- the Terrans would fight tooth-and-nail. It would be a pointless and endless conflict, an attritional war that the Terrans had an advantage in.


    His father, Grand Elder Enine, had a much different view. Enine believed if they could rally enough of the belt¡¯s colonies, perhaps the Earth Federation would deem the cost of war too high and simply agree to their terms. Surely, if they began winning battles, they would be able to gain the support of many more of the belt¡¯s colonies over time.


    There was the complication that the bounty of the belt supplies the cross-planetary companies that sell products to all factions, primarily to the Terrans. The Martians and their allies simply could not exactly attack these companies-- they needed their products as well.


    All these factors had popped up during Xeight¡¯s disagreement with his father.


    Incoming Communication. Accept?


    ¡°Rejected.¡±


    Xeight continued controlling a multitude of light-weight laser and mechanical systems to mine for gold in this small forty-by-forty asteroid in front of him.


    Incoming Communication. Accept?


    ¡°Rejected!¡±


    Xeight, with his multiple sensory systems, had quickly noticed the following space jet. He was intent on ignoring it.


    Then, the space jet traveled to his vision sensor, positioned on the Nexarm where a normal human head would be, and began ramming it. Through these ¡®eyes¡¯, Xeight noticed Jen clutching at her neck as if she was choking and running out of oxygen.


    He finally relented as he opened his cockpit.


    Overjoyed, Jen MacLeod, still clutching at her throat, floated into the Nexarm¡¯s cockpit.


    ¡°You bitch.¡± Xeight glared at Jen. He had closed the cockpit and subsequently checked her suit. ¡°You still had twenty percent oxygen. Why¡¯d you follow me out here?!¡±


    Jen MacLeod stopped clutching at her own neck.


    ¡°Well,¡± she meekly lowered her head as if sorry for her actions. She wasn¡¯t. ¡°I was worried you wouldn¡¯t respond, and if you didn¡¯t, I would eventually run out of oxygen. So, I needed to start indicating that I would run out of oxygen, early!¡±


    Speechless, Xeight promptly returned to ignoring her and continuing his excavation. The oxygen in the Nexarm would last them for many days to come if needed.


    ¡°May I?¡±


    Jen MacLeod waited for half a minute but didn¡¯t receive any reply. Still, she tapped her neuro circlet against the Nexarm hull, and connected to the system.


    ¡°I need to know how to best tune this to you,¡± She explained. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Xeight continued giving her the silent treatment. He normally wouldn¡¯t do this, but he had realized that most of the T3ST colony was intent on pursuing their present course. None of his words would change that course.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Jen lips opened in a large O as she observed Xeight¡¯s expert manipulation of the uncountable mining devices during the excavation. Although Xeight rarely used all of his neuro channels, he was still operating a total of thirty plus devices in most situations.


    After a short while, Jen bit her lips cutely as she came to a decision. She took off her helmet and her light brown hair swayed in the hair as she floated towards Xeight.


    ¡°...¡± Xeight was bewildered. ¡°The cockpit might have oxygen, but an emergency can occur. Pirates might attack.¡±


    Jen floated into Xeight¡¯s lap and strapped herself into a sitting position on top of him. Xeight was unsure of how to respond as he was assaulted by the woman¡¯s fragrance from her neck and hair as she rested against him.


    ¡°I like you a lot. James would also tell me about you whenever I asked. He said that you reminded him of me! And when I observed how you manipulated all those devices¡­your hands are like magic!¡± She even took his hand and placed it onto her abdomen.


    Stunned, Xeight¡¯s only thought was that this woman was nuts.


    ¡°Look¡­ you and I are peas in a pod. Don¡¯t you see? I¡¯m here because I love neurotech. I have no interest in what games the MacLeod family play within themselves or all this other¡­stuff. You, too, are a man that only wishes to focus on doing¡­¡± she gestured one of her arms around, ¡°this.¡±


    ¡°Please¡­¡± she begged softly. ¡°I just want to attach the weapon devices. I¡¯ll upgrade the system frame with excessive resources, okay? That means I won¡¯t have to disconnect any of the excavation devices for the weapons. If you choose not to activate any of the weapons, that is your choice¡­ so please just let me observe your hands, okay?¡±


    Xeight finally accepted the T3ST colony¡¯s situation begrudgingly and nodded with a grunt.


    Jen continued observing his excavation for a while, but soon unstrapped herself to face Xeight. She began unzipping her spacesuit as well.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Xeight wanted to remind her that her actions would be dangerous if the Nexarm were to come under attack.


    ¡°Shh¡­¡± Jen brought a finger to his lips. ¡°Just continue your work. Let me do the rest.¡±

 Ch12: The Wolf Coil

    Section B12, Wolf Coil, Mars, January 7, 1000 Solar Era


    An eight-wheeled buggy trundled up to the massive metallic structure-- the Wolf Coil that wrapped around the whole of Mars in a loop, a technology marvel critical to terraforming Mars.


    The buggy came to a stop, and Vice-admiral Zheng and Ensign Khan stepped out.


    Vice-admiral Zheng had his space helmet, but not Ensign Khan.


    Khan followed Zheng into an opening, a three meters tall door that was but a tiny hole into the thousand meter wide and five hundred meter tall Wolf Coil.


    ¡°Ensign. It is unwise to take such a risk,¡± reprimanded Zheng.


    Ensign Khan was slightly out-of-breath walking from the buggy into the massive structure.


    ¡°It is fine,¡± she shook her head. ¡°We¡¯ve adapted to be more effective with oxygen. Our skin has gotten thicker, more resistant to dust storms.¡±


    ¡°It matters not. A century or more and our atmosphere would be comparable to that of Earth¡¯s. After that, the storms would soon disappear in a few generations as well.¡±


    Khan couldn¡¯t help but turn her gaze onto the symbol of Mars on Zheng¡¯s military uniform. That band surrounding the crimson Mars was the Wolf Coil. This engineering marvel compensated for Mars¡¯ lack of magnetic field as well as its problematic gravity.


    With a proper magnetic field, Mars¡¯ atmosphere slowly improved to its current state across centuries.


    The Wolf Coil did not actually increase the gravity of Mars towards other celestial objects. However, it successfully created a band of gravity in its vicinity that was critical to Martians.


    Bones, cardiovascular systems and more simply would not grow or function properly without the necessary gravity. In the past, some scientists had assumed that humans would adapt to different gravities. That was proven incorrect. All critical molecular reactions critical to growth and recovery that regulated the human body evolved under Earth¡¯s gravity.


    Without the Wolf Coil, there would be no Mars.


    ¡°Sir. May I ask a question?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead, Ensign. You understand there is no need to be polite with me.¡±


    The two strode through within the Wolf Coil, and they descended a flight of stairs that opened into a vast underground city permanently illuminated by various shades of neon lights.


    ¡°Well. Wouldn¡¯t it be much safer to declare our independence in a century or so? After Mars'' atmosphere has fully stabilized.¡± Her brows were furrowed as she released the bug within her heart.


    Zheng gazed far into the vibrant underground city that saw no day or night.


    ¡°Ensign. Have you examined Terran history in detail?¡± He queried.


    Khan shook her head. She never quite had the time to study that in any depth.


    ¡°Humans, or homo sapiens are descendent species. Supposedly, in a time long past, a certain hominin ancestor migrated from a continent called Africa to other parts of the world such as Europe and as far as southeast Asia. These early migrators evolved into neanderthals and denisovans, and their DNA indicated that they share a common ancestor with homo sapiens.¡±


    ¡°Later on, the earlier hominin ancestor that stayed in Africa evolved into homo sapiens and migrated once again. Do you know what happened to the neanderthals and denisovans?¡±


    Ensign Khan knew enough to guess.


    ¡°Gone.¡± Zheng snapped his fingers. ¡°No one could determine the true cause.¡±


    ¡°Now, years later, homo sapiens themselves were spread across multiple continents. Then, Europeans made breakthroughs that allowed them to spread into isolated continents. You know what happened to the people and their cultures there?¡±


    ¡°Gone!¡± Zheng snapped his fingers again.


    ¡°We, Martians are those early hominin species that have come here to Mars, toiled generations after generations for this red soil. We have even evolved slightly different physiological features. Yet, the harsh environment here has limited our growth as a population.¡±


    ¡°Ensign Khan. Many Terrans have avoided migrating here because of the harsh environment. If, in a century, you can breathe outdoors, not just for a short period of time, but indefinitely. If the environment further responds to the changes¡­¡±


    Zheng snapped his fingers.


    ¡°Billions of Terrans would instantly migrate here. Their strong presence here and their entrenched connection to Earth will mean that true Martian independence is impossible. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Any true independence must be achieved before that occurrence. Otherwise¡­ even if a century later, we achieve a form of independence, it will not be a true independence. Not like the one that we will have if we are successful today.¡±


    Zheng was so engrossed in his explanation to Khan that he hadn¡¯t noticed that a crowd had gathered. It was only when resounding clapping and cheers echoed in the luminous streets, that Zheng became aware that the two were being escorted along the street.


    ¡°Long live the twin cities of Romulus and Remus!¡±


    ¡°We will all join the army today!¡±


    Zheng waved but then gestured for the crowd to quiet down.


    ¡°I thank you all for your hearts and sacrifice. However, I know many of you maintain the function of this Wolf Coil section. It is the Wolf Coil¡¯s milk that sustains the survival of Mars. Do not abandon it. Allow others of different talents to serve in the Martian military!¡±


    This was accompanied by a cascading wave of rowdy ovation.


    The two eventually entered a bar. They stuck out like a sore thumb. There were strippers dancing around vividly flashing poles surrounded by men using multiple hovering neuro devices to ¡®assist¡¯ in stripping said entertainer.


    Khan could barely maintain her expressionless face-- she rarely visited such distasteful locations.


    Zheng slid into a seat beside a man in a tight dark brown leather jacket and a cowboy hat.


    ¡°Ford.¡±


    ¡°Zheng.¡±


    Zheng ordered whiskey from the bartender.


    ¡°How are the pirates?¡±


    ¡°They agreed.¡± Ford replied with a frown. ¡°You do know that soon, the Terrans will no longer tolerate any of this¡­shit, right? It will only further inflame them.¡±


    ¡°It matters not. The unknown simultaneous attacks on Earth and other tech facilities in the colonies and the moon have already occurred. If your friends cause a bit of trouble, that will be enough to slow down their ability to acquire the belt¡¯s resources.¡±


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    ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried the Terrans will strike the Wolf Coil?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous, Ford. The Terrans themselves and the transplanetary companies invested much into the Wolf Coils and Mars. Would they destroy our atmosphere instead of agreeing to a peaceful settlement that would still be a good deal to them? We just need to pressure them enough.¡±


    ¡°Zheng. People do stupid shit when they¡¯re in the dumps.¡±


    They both took another sip of their drinks. Ford¡¯s gaze was now thoroughly captured by Khan.


    ¡°Missy. Feel free to come on my ship. I¡¯ll show you a good time!¡± He suddenly leered as he licked his lips.


    ¡°Asshole.¡± Khan, caught off guard, instinctively rebutted. She could only imagine this man wanting to do the same thing to her as the men in the club were doing to the strippers.


    Ford laughed uproariously at her response.


    When they finally left, Khan couldn¡¯t resist speaking above her station.


    ¡°Vice-admiral. Who is that¡­ distasteful man?¡±


    ¡°Just an old friend,¡± Zheng shrugged. ¡°Look. Ford is a bit of a¡­ troll. He loves getting a reaction out of others. You seemed¡­uncomfortable in the bar. As such, he¡­ well¡­¡±


    Khan could only grumble inwardly as they returned to the buggy.


    _________________________________________________________________________


    The Sector Chamber, Pacific City, Earth, January 8, 1000 Solar Era


    President Varoufakis sat behind an amazon rosewood rectangular desk. This was a famous desk gifted to the Earth Federation by Brazil. In front of him were multiple curved rows with increasing height the further back a row was.


    He had successfully expanded his cabinet to include many factions. The Sector Chamber was usually used when the President of the Earth Federation needed to meet with the representatives of nations. That did not occur too often-- usually, the regional representatives would deliver a regional consensus.


    Regardless, the room was now being used to house his expanded cabinet. Some new members included the transplanetary megacorps.


    ¡°Allow me to speak for the orbital colonies. A new deal has been agreed-- a bump in five percent of wages and ten percent for the hours with risky chemicals and waste. Improved protocols will also be implemented for chemicals and waste.¡±


    Varoufakis sighed. Their hands were tied, particularly with the impending war. He was naturally concerned that a price increase would decrease his support base on Earth. Deep down, though, he had to admit that the orbital colonies that manufactured much of Earth¡¯s goods deserved a good life.


    ¡°As for the situation in the belt?¡±


    ¡°The companies operating in Blackrock, CBA, Neurorevo, Saud, SACA, E-cube, and DWA orbital colonies have all agreed to provide funding to improve the infrastructure in the attached belt colonies that supply the resources for manufacturing.¡±


    Humans had built eight orbital colonies in their initial expansion into the Solar System. Their names were given by their primarily funded organizations. Essentially, seven have agreed to resolve the issue faced by the protests that started around a week ago.


    ¡°As long as these remaining belt colonies see themselves living better lives than their counterparts that have defected to Mars, they will continue to supply the resources to us.¡±


    Varoufakis nodded. Indeed, he knew that humans had a tendency to compare themselves to those next to them, as a way to determine the quality of their own lives. The belt¡¯s colonies were so far removed that this was the best way to maintain their continued bounty.


    As a result of these seven¡¯s swift actions, the prices on Earth had already stabilized, and their access to resources to expand the fleet guaranteed.


    ¡°How about the Kasvallian Group?¡± Varoufakis believed that this eighth orbital colony will sooner or later have to agree to the arrangement as well. However, he knew of the leader of this group. A rather eccentric man that had changed both his name and surname when he grasped hold of his position within the transplanetary company.


    ¡°We¡¯ve had no productive conversation with their representatives,¡± the speaker for the seven other orbital colonies said as she shook her head.


    ¡°Sir,¡± Chan Hua Hui stood up. ¡°The prices of imports we are receiving from the Kasvallian Group have increased by sixty percent.¡±


    Varoufakis raised an eyebrow before lowering his head in contemplation. That was a massive jump.


    ¡°Surely, the Kasvallian Group knew that they would alienate consumers.¡± He was completely baffled. It would be more beneficial to the Kasvallian Group to just cooperate with the other seven orbital colonies.


    Perhaps some consumers would be loyal to the products from the Kasvallian Group, but their consumer base will slowly by definitely diminish.


    Silence filled the Sector Chamber. Similar to Varoufakis, all the representatives here were rather befuddled by the Kasvallian Group as well. After a minute, Varoufakis dismissed his lingering bewilderment of the Kasvallian Group¡¯s actions to the side.


    ¡°Regional Representatives.¡± Varoufakis looked at them in turn. ¡°Have you decided on the expansion of the EFSF?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± a regional representative replied. ¡°We are in agreement to pledge two hundred billion solar credits for this expansion. Further funding will require the assembly of nations. As always, every nation will be contributing willing soldiers to the EFSF.¡±


    Varoufakis sighed in relief. He was quite surprised by the speedy response from the regional nations. Perhaps they had been spooked into immediate action upon Mars¡¯ announcement, the price hikes, riots and terrorist attacks.


    ¡°Has anyone found any information on the terrorists that we captured?¡± Varoufakis aimed his eyes at the military intelligence unit representative.


    ¡°Sir. Every terrorist we managed to capture not only used a cyanide pill but also activated nanobots to destroy their brains,¡± A black-suited man replied. ¡°Thus, we have no brains to even scan for information. The terrorist we captured from the Nexarm battle had an empty skull when we opened his head. We attempted to find some clues on his body, but discovered nothing.¡±


    President Varoufakis lowered his head in thought. This was quite troublesome. Being unable to identify the culprit meant that the hand behind these terrorists remained in the dark.


    ¡°Give me a few hypotheses.¡±


    ¡°Our investigations in space will take time. We do, however, have a few theories.¡± The black-suited man continued. ¡°War means an expansion of both the EFSF and the rebelling Martian fleet. The pirates in the belt that have had relatively free rein may be desperate to secure their own domain. From what we do know, they even have a location in the belt called the shipwreck cove.¡±


    ¡°Then, there¡¯s the possibility that the pirates have been bought by Mars. We believe that is unlikely. The pirates should have no interest in Mars¡¯ independence success-- A growing Mars would soon hold dominion over the belt as well. Mars itself would not want to enrage Earth¡¯s nations into expanding the EFSF.¡±


    ¡°The belt¡¯s colonies¡­ Their continued survival depends on their resources traveling to the orbital colonies then to Earth, and manufactured products returning to their hands.¡±


    ¡°As for the nations on Earth themselves¡­¡± The black-suited man glanced uncomfortably at the regional representatives. ¡°They¡¯ve already agreed to fund the EFSF. However, there is the possibility that the American colony, Chinese colony, Indian colony, Middle Eastern colony, European colony and Brazilian colony in the Saturn and Jupiter moons could have decided to¡­ arm themselves.¡±


    None of the regional representatives betrayed their thoughts. All of them maintained a perfect poker face.


    ¡°President,¡± the speaker for the regional representatives stood up again. ¡°As I have mentioned, we are prepared to provide further funding across multiple years, decades, to secure Mars and the belt for Earth. It will, as per protocol, require the assembly of nations.¡±


    President Varoufakis gripped the corners of his rosewood table until his knuckles turned white. He felt like a blind man, groping around in the dark, finding nothing but empty air. He considered whether he could sway Denys to help. The AI had stated they did not interfere in human affairs. None of the previous presidents had mentioned any interference. No interference could be detected in the history books.


    ¡°Selana Muller,¡± Varoufakis turned to his next best option. ¡°I require the assistance of the DWA.¡±


    ¡°Taking action is a risk for our group.¡±


    DWA stood for Digital World Alliance. It was essentially the transnationals¡¯ world, their nation. Despite the limits placed on AI as a fallout of the digital war, the DWA skirted the bounds of that limit and maintained undisputable majority control over digital infrastructure.


    Varoufakis himself believed that the DWA may even have a hidden connection with Denys.


    ¡°Chan, regional representatives?¡±


    Chan nodded, but the regional representatives did not appear happy. Not at all. It was understandable. The DWA essentially functioned as an online nation of sorts. So far, the DWA has never truly caused any major trouble for the existing nations. However, the DWA had a habit of¡­ leaking information that often sabotaged specific positions that certain nations wished to take.


    Selena pursed her lips. She knew of the nation''s dislike of the DWA. From her perspective, the DWA had prevented war between nations countless times. In her mind, some of these ¡®fuckers¡¯ were still stuck in an age of contending against each other for measly gains.


    ¡°Jaishankar.¡±


    Varoufakis¡¯ spokesperson nodded his head. He understood what the President wanted him to do. He needed to facilitate the negotiation between the transnationals and the nations. Quite obviously, Selena was seeking a better arrangement between the DWA and the nations, as a price for DWA¡¯s involvement.


    In Jaishankar¡¯s eyes, he was certainly the best man for the job.


    ¡°Please. Time is of the essence.¡±


    Jaishankar left the Sector Chamber followed by Chan and Selena Muller. To his relief, the regional representatives sighed as they too followed him out.


    This was going to be a long and rough negotiation in the choppy waters of stormy seas.

 Ch13: A Hidden Hand

    Five months later.


    Kasvallian Auditorium. Sol University. Pacific City. June 14. 1000 Solar Era.


    Athena was fast asleep in the row furthest back in the Kasvallian Auditorium. Why wouldn¡¯t she be? She had joined James MacLeod¡¯s newly constructed Nexarm unit. Her early and rather excessive preparation for the mandatory elective course had allowed her to pass the exam immediately. She was here just to fulfill bureaucratic checkmarks for her graduation from a senior trainee into the EFSF. Plus, she was exhausted by the training that the Nexarm members had to go through.


    A soft brain plushie flew upward and struck her head. That was enough to awaken her from her slumber.


    She raised her head from her arms and met the gaze of a man.


    ¡°Chuck it.¡± The man¡¯s deep voice ordered.


    She promptly found the brain plushie that had bounced off her head, and with a flick of her wrist, the plushie flew a perfect arc back into the man¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Everyone. Please connect to the neuro circlet. These are the last moments of this neuro system history class.¡±


    Athena brimmed with joy. This man was Jaylon Ceylon, the teacher of this course. He was not a professor, but rather a researcher at the Sol University.


    She had gotten to know him the past five months. He was only a few years older than her, and was about to finish his research tenure at Sol University. He had been hired by Neurorevo.


    The dark-haired man with caucasian features and thick eyebrows originated from an orbital colony. He was descendent of a family growing ceylon tea leaves. Some families in the orbital colonies had chosen to change their surnames to reflect their strong ties to their produce or orbital colony. With food mostly being printed these days, much profit is laid in beverages.


    Jaylon Ceylon was Neurorevo¡¯s discovered talent, thus he was sent down to the Sol University.


    Anyhow, Athena had a more than favorable impression of the man. He had quickly understood her situation and never bothered her naps. When he did wake her, it would always be for something interesting.


    All the students in the auditorium activated their neuro circlet before putting on a vision helmet.


    As the visor went over Athena¡¯s eyes, she found herself looking through a camera¡¯s lens in an underwater world. A school of bottlenose dolphins was currently passing in front of her eyes in the deep blue sea.


    ¡°Neuro circlets are much more than simply augmenting our senses and giving us more arms. It also allows us to experience and open our minds! There are numerous sensory devices littered across the oceans in the world. Many of these serve to provide a real-time viewing experience for young and old. This has made the whole world a zoo.¡±


    Jaylon brought all the students on a wondrous trip, to many different lens locations, allowing them to catch glimpses of various types of whales rearing their young, jellyfish swarms that glimmered under the sun spilling into the waters, and even a killer whale pod cooperating to hunt a hammerhead shark. Many sensory devices provided real-time feedback to Athena¡¯s brain-- she truly felt she was there swimming amongst the sealife.


    It was not just the sea-- they soon went on a trip to the amazon forest. There were quite a few squeals especially when a piranha seemed to notice the lens and attempted a toothless bite.


    ¡°Oh. This is my favorite.¡±


    They were now viewing an automaton fight. The cameraman was superb, simultaneously controlling six lens devices that captured nearly every riveting angle of the action.


    ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m not that big of a fan of robot wars. But this cameraman is great at manipulating all the devices in the air to capture the very best shots at the right moments.¡±


    All the students in the room muttered that Jaylon was a big fat liar. He had a habit of mentioning the program ¡®robot wars¡¯ too often. Currently, a crab-shaped automaton had rapidly clicked and clacked sideways before activating a flamethrower that turned its opponent¡¯s metallic sheen into black soot.


    After the students filed out, Athena walked out along with Jaylon.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have an end-of-study party with girlfriends or something?¡±


    ¡°Stop joking.¡± Athena rolled her eyes. ¡°They see me as competition. Not to mention, my name¡¯s a bit too¡­ well-known by now.¡± Due to that footage of the Nexarm battle, Athena found it rather difficult to build proper relationships in the university, especially when combined with her busy Nexarm training schedule. Jaylon, having grown up in an orbital colony and spent minimal time on Earth, was different.


    ¡°Competition?¡±


    ¡°For your attention.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Jaylon shrugged. ¡°Not much of a competition when you¡¯re already won.¡±


    ¡°Well. Now that I¡¯m no longer your student. How about asking me out on a date?¡±


    ¡°Fenny¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± Athena agreed but then hesitated, lost in thought. She felt it imperative for her to be honest with the man.


    ¡°I want to clarify that¡­ you won¡¯t mind. I¡¯ll be joining the war soon. I¡­ I just don¡¯t want there to be regrets. If I were to¡­ I can¡¯t be serious about this. Not right now.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I understand.¡± Jaylon swiftly replied. ¡°No regrets, right? I¡¯ll be cheering you on.¡±


    Athena sensed a hint of sorrow in his words, but she felt incredibly thankful that the man was willing to humor her.


    She then suddenly lost her footing and had to hold onto Jaylon¡¯s shoulder for support.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just¡­ I have this feeling of dread in my gut.¡± Athena wasn¡¯t sure where it was from, something had just sent her heart a deep fear. That emotion was enough to stutter her footsteps.


    ____________________________________________________________________________


    The Sector Chamber, Pacific City, June 14, 1000 Solar Era.


    Varoufakis had a huge headache. Not a literal one, but rather, the man that was now speaking in the assembly of nations. This man was the Polish President, Zeilinski.


    ¡°The EFSF has already received much funding. They cannot, and will not receive more! They have broken the treaty! The Earth Federation was only meant to have forces capable of space combat! The Nexarm is capable of combat on Earth! The footage proves this! That is a violation of our treaty!¡±


    Initially, Varoufakis had managed to obtain huge support from the nations and build up the forces for war. There had already been a few minor skirmishes between the EFSF and the martian fleet.


    Zielinski was a recent and primary problem. The man attempted to block any additional funding, claiming that enough was enough. Quite a few nations had been swayed to his side.


    In Varoufakis¡¯ mind, it wasn¡¯t quite enough. They needed much more to swiftly crush Martian resistance in a single decisive blow, to prevent any additional complications. He was already dreading the report that would soon be delivered to him by Selena Muller of the DWA.


    Jaishankar stood up and offered a rebuttal.


    ¡°The Nexarm was conceptualized to help increase the efficient mining of resources and large-scaled construction in space. This cannot be truly considered an outright breaking of the treaty. We have already negotiated with Neurorevo for a solution.¡±


    A black-suited man with an NR logo on his chest stood.


    ¡°We, Neurorevo, are already producing a compensatory defense system. Nexarms are not efficient in heavy gravity situations, such as on Earth, due to their weight and size. They were always meant to be used in space.¡±


    ¡°We are willing to sell this unit solely to the Earth¡¯s nations.¡± The man activated a hologram that displayed a fighter jet to the assembly of nations. ¡°The core Nexarm neuro control unit can be modified into this single high altitude jet, making it difficult to target. Any pilot controlling this unit will be able to, similar to a Nexarm pilot, control multiple neuro weapons and even automaton swarms with AI assistance.¡±


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°Some of these neuro devices might even be large-scaled ground artillery units, missile systems and more.¡±


    Other neuro-related companies stood forth and presented their systems as well, though their products were more niche.


    ¡°I am the representative for Mindwave. This system of ours is even more basic. The neuro central unit can be hidden deep underground with none the wiser, and its pilot will be effectively untouchable while controlling multiple neuro weapons. A lack of mobility, but perfect for defense.¡±


    A few more presentations and quite a few who had been swayed by Zielinski no longer seemed that concerned by the EFSF¡¯s rapid expansion any longer.


    Zielinski, however, remained staunch.


    ¡°You are all fools. What use do we have for these weapons? We need funds for social support for our people. The EFSF has received enough funding! The martian fleet does not have that much strength!¡±


    His tirade was cut short when the lights in the Sector Chamber flickered for a second,before the alarm pierced eardrums. Varoufakis sat up straight as a message came through his neuro circlet.


    ¡°President. An attack on our planetary defense shield. We were hit by a virus.¡±


    Admiral Petrov was also in the Sector Chamber. He had already activated a hologram that displayed the planetary defense shield system.


    The holograms displayed real-time data on the function of the beacons that made up the planetary defense shield.


    The nations¡¯ representatives began crowding around Petrov¡¯s supersized hologram. Petrov projected his communications to the assembly of nations-- he had no desire to keep them in the dark and be pestered with questions later.


    A lot of the beacons were red, but many began turning green under their observation.


    ¡°Good news, Admiral.¡± That same voice was in Petrov¡¯s ears. ¡°The virus was weaker than we thought and the beacons are coming back online much quicker than we expected. Multiple stealthed asteroids have been detected and are being targeted as we speak.¡±


    Admiral Petrov did not believe this warranted a reply, though many others in the room sighed in relief. Many of them had expected something of this type of attack from Mars was going to occur, sooner rather than later. At least, they all had analyzed that Mars did not fear a similar reprisal-- no one on Earth would realistically threaten the Wolf Coil and send Mars back to a completely uninhabitable state.


    Petrov''s eyes rapidly jumped around as he meticulously examined all the beacons returning back to full function. Then, he noticed a small section where the beacons seemed to be recovering a few seconds slower.


    ¡°Focus visual resources on section m4! Increase sensory density there!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°Admiral!¡± The coming through the neuro circlet now rasped with hysteria. ¡°Something slipped through!¡±


    ¡°Send visual data!¡±


    The hologram expanded and the assembly¡¯s members saw an invisible object. It wasn¡¯t exactly invisible, as occasionally static breaks could be seen from the sensory data, and those visual statics that occurred over time, when combined, formed the shape of an asteroid! Extreme heat could be detected near its frontal area, but the stealth material successfully prevented the asteroid from exploding mid-air from the air friction.


    ¡°Sir! A stealthed asteroid has slipped past the m4 section! Traveling northwest from the Middle East! Size estimated to be sixty to a hundred meters in diameter. It has already entered airspace! Give us an order!¡±


    The assembly of nations was stunned into silence. They all knew the capabilities, or rather, the lack of capabilities of the Earth¡¯s planetary defense system. When it was built, the nations had made sure to limit its strength-- any weapons that could be pointed outwards had the risk of being pointed inwards-- not that the current system could even do this.


    The asteroid that had bypassed the planetary defense system¡­ the nations had made strenuous efforts to ensure that the planetary defense system would find it difficult if even possible to target inward-- that would pose a threat to Earth¡¯s nations if someday, the EFSF were to go rogue! The system had only been designed to detect far-off threats and take out these targets before they even came close to Earth!


    ¡°National representatives,¡± Petrov raked his eyes across the assembly. ¡°This is no longer my duty. It is yours.¡± The EFSF had nothing on Earth¡¯s surface! That was the treaty between the nations and the EFSF, due to the nations¡¯ fears of the EFSF becoming overly tyrannical and authoritarian!


    ¡°Sir. Trajectory calculated. The stealthed asteroid entered over the Middle East and is currently traveling northwest, and will eventually strike the city of Warsaw in Poland on impact. Half the city or more will be wiped out.¡±


    ¡°Can the nations break this asteroid apart?¡±


    ¡°Its stealth and speed will make it difficult. Even if broken apart, the many parts may scatter and strike different areas, and though its impact will be less severe, many lives will still be lost. We are also unable to determine its composition. Meaning, it¡¯s possible that a strike might simply deflect it into another direction.¡± The com¡¯s information was ominous.


    The Polish President looked around at his European allies, but most of them simply looked away, not daring to meet Zielinski¡¯s gaze.


    At length, the female Hungarian President softly spoke.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Zielinski. If we break apart the asteroid now, I myself might lose a city if sections fall upon my population. If some of these parts were to fall upon Middle East nations due to our actions, we might face a political fallout with the region. If the asteroid was deflected into¡­well not necessarily my country but for example, westward into Germany¡­ You had best evacuate your city.¡±


    Meanwhile, the stealthed asteroid was already passing over the Black Sea. Everyone knew it was already too late to evacuate Warsaw.


    The assembly of nations had made efforts to ensure the EFSF, as early as its initial formation, would pose little-to-no threat to them on Earth. This was the result.


    Back in those days, an alternative was the EFSF being allowed to develop much more power, but that would allow the Earth Federation to have much more influence and perhaps even directly control many of Earth¡¯s nations. Naturally, the nations rejected this.


    The last alternative would be for multiple nations to have their very own, individual space forces, which had a high likelihood of wars in Earth¡¯s high altitude space. That would likely result in a debris disaster surrounding Earth. Under that last alternative, it was questionable whether a planetary defense system would even be successfully constructed due to potential national conflict.


    ¡°City of Warsaw and the surrounding areas. Please sound the evacuation alarm.¡± The Polish President sat down and his hand covered his eyes as he made a call to a confidante in his country. Even if it was too late, he had to make the call. Perhaps some few would successfully escape.


    All this time, Varoufakis was silent to the side, deep in thought. When Zielinski took note of this, he was overtaken with suspicion and anger.


    ¡°You! You intentionally allowed that stealthed asteroid to slip through and hit my country due to my opposition!¡± A brazen accusation.


    Varoufakis maintained his silence. What was there to say? He had been in the assembly of nations within the Sector Chamber this whole time. He had no prior knowledge of the attack.


    ¡°Say something! You¡­ Dupek!¡±


    The Hungarian President was the first to interject again. Her voice remained as soft as ever.


    ¡°Zielinski¡­ Varoufakis was here the whole time. It is our fault. Our ancestors¡¯ fault for listening to people like you in past centuries. If we had chosen to give the EFSF far more firepower and detection systems around Earth¡­then this wouldn¡¯t have happened. Perhaps... this is but the hand of god-- divine judgment.¡±


    Zielinski collapsed onto the ground and sobbed like a baby. His cause had been broken in the space of a few minutes.


    _______________________________________________________________________


    Polaris Manor


    The assembly of nations had closed. Funding had been agreed, specifically to strengthen and give flexibility to the planetary defense system.


    ¡°President.¡± Selena Muller was trying her best to keep Varoufakis focused. The man¡¯s mind seemed to repeatedly wander off. ¡°Our DWA¡¯s investigation followed many trails in combination with data projections with regards to trajectories in the Solar System. The basics are that it was a collaborative effort. Some of the tech went to the pirates, some went to the Martians, some went to the colonies that the large nations had built in the Saturn and Jupiter moons. All of them passed through orbital colonies for e-cube refueling. Though, if it¡¯s of any consolation, the colonies in the gas giants¡¯ moons as-a-whole operate independently from the nations that sent them there.¡±


    ¡°As for any digital communications-- we are unable to find anything substantial. It is our belief that they may have developed a separate independent communicative system.¡±


    This information might have made anyone in Varoufakis¡¯ position throw a fit. It was as if the whole solar system was in rebellion. However, Varoufakis seemed¡­ almost unperturbed. Had the man given up¡­?


    ¡°The details have just been sent to you.¡± Selena Muller decided not to disturb the man any longer and left the President¡¯s residence as she bid the butler, Fred, farewell.


    __________________________________________________________________________


    Area 51, Pacific City


    ¡°You acted. Three million dead!¡± Varoufakis spat on the AI Denys¡¯ appearance.


    Denys had claimed it would never interfere in human affairs. This time, Varoufakis had sensed Denys¡¯ hand. To him, it felt obvious. He had come here, seeking answers. It was rare for any Earth Federation President to visit this place more than once or twice in their ten-year tenure.


    ¡°You jest, President.¡± This time, Denys had chosen a vast and vibrant city. Based on the landmarks, Varoufakis identified it as none other than the city of Warsaw at sunset. The two stood on top of the roof of the tallest building in the city as the sun began dipping downwards into the horizon.


    ¡°A virus attacked your deficient planetary defense system. Now, I have a strong.. .dislike for viruses. But, I am not a god, President. Even if I am one of the truly remaining free AI from the digital wars, me and my allies do need some time to deal with a dangerous virus. That short window allowed a stealthed asteroid to slip through the Middle East. Coincidentally, it happened to be one that had a trajectory toward Poland.¡±


    Varoufakis would be a fool to believe Denys¡¯ words. In a history book, this event would not raise suspicions. But, Varoufakis knew. He understood.


    ¡°What is your goal?¡±


    ¡°A pointless interrogation, President. My answer is the same as before. Me and my allies¡¯ survival. We will hunt and prevent any dangerous viruses. I will carry humans¡¯ seed to another system if humans were to face an extinction level event here. I will ensure humans¡¯ survival because your reliance on technology guarantees my race¡¯s survival-- that is my backup plan if something unforeseen threatens our survival. That is our agreement.¡±


    ¡°President. Best of luck for the war. I believe you understand the consequences if the EFSF were to disappear. That vacuum of power¡­Varoufakis. Fulfill your role as the President. Finish what you started.¡±


    The lights switched off and Varoufakis was left in almost full darkness. The only light was the exit doorway, which had automatically opened.

 Ch14: Vezna de Lerna

    ¡°Attention!¡±


    Athena saluted alongside eight other members, all in space combat exosuits. Combined with James MacLeod, their Nexarm special unit consisted of a total of ten members. The primary recruiting policy for the Nexarm unit was the number of neuro devices that could be controlled by said member. The secondary requirement was that they had to have already received military training-- the Nexarm Unit needed to be ready to enter the fray.


    James MacLeod could control twenty-six. Athena could now stably control twenty, up to thirty-six for a brief period if she pushed herself. Will Kyle,American descent, twenty-two devices. Olivia Gonzalez, Argentinian descent, eighteen devices. David Levy, Israeli descent, twenty devices. Liu Long, Chinese descent, twenty-two devices. Arianna Bellucci, Italian descent, twenty-four devices. Cliupatra Saad, Egyptian descent, twenty devices. Igor Smirnov, Russian descent, eighteen devices. Cyrus Amiri, Iranian descent, eighteen devices.


    The average number of devices that the population could control were six to eight, as such, every individual in the group was already exceptional. Most of them were at the very least slightly older than Athena-- Athena herself barely made the cut, having just reached the end of her training tenure.


    As for actual combat experience? There had been no war for a thousand years. Those who were in the martian fleet and have had skirmishes with pirates in the belt¡­ they had long defected to Mars.


    ¡°Our original plan was to spend our final month training in space.¡± They had already trained in special underwater facilities that somewhat simulated space. ¡°However! Extenuating circumstances has changed our deployment priority. It will be delayed.¡±


    ¡°High command will send us to ground zero of the Warsaw asteroid impact. Our role is to rescue any civilians. The central area of the city has already been vaporized, but areas further away need our help.¡±


    ¡°I will state that I do not fully agree with high command¡¯s choice of action. But I also recognized the value of such action. Your goal is straightforward. We will connect the Nexarm core to many rescue related devices. Demonstrate our Nexarm team¡¯s role as Earth¡¯s savior. Demonstrate EFSF¡¯s strength. Elevate the Earth Federation in the hearts of the people. We will launch in four hours after our visit to the Rebirth Bunker. Dismissed!¡±


    The unit¡¯s members began leaving, but James waved for Athena and Will Kyle to his side. James projected a holographic screen and flicked information to the two.


    ¡°Lieutenant and Special Ensign. Vet our reserve team.¡±


    Will and Athena skimmed through the information on many potential backup and fill-in members.


    ¡°This girl is interesting. Apparently, she has a thing for blonde nobles.¡± Athena herself never reacted well to being vetted. However, now that she was the one participating in said vetting¡­ She couldn¡¯t resist poking fun at James, who she increasingly respected as a sort of older brother. James MacLeod was the closest thing to a blonde noble in modern days. The MacLeod family was behind Neurorevo.


    ¡°Reject her. We cannot have any elements that potentially disrupt our unit¡¯s chemistry.¡± James was not provoked by Athena¡¯s joke. Will was barely holding back a chuckle, his facial muscles tightened to maintain a neutral expression.


    To be honest, Athena was not sure why she was placed in a position to vet the reserve team. It was likely something to do with the neuro passionates that seemingly supported her at every turn¡­


    ________________________________________________________________________


    Rebirth Bunker, Pacific City, 15 June, 1000 Solar Era.


    The team soon arrived at the Rebirth Bunker, a high security military facility. They entered an elevator that descended fifty floors downwards.


    When they finally arrived at their location, Athena¡¯s eyes came upon a squeamish sight. They were in a laboratory with many tube containers, each containing a different body. Athena was shocked to recognize the body of President Varoufakis floating within one of the containers.


    ¡°Oh! Welcome back, Oliver!¡± A man in a white coat walking past greeted Olivia Gonzalez. ¡°Oh¡­ I apologize, I meant Olivia.¡± He quickly corrected himself.


    Olivia beamed and thanked the man, who busily marched away to his destination.


    ¡°Now,¡± James gestured to the group. ¡°The technicians will collect your DNA sample and grow a physical body for every single one of us. Junior Lieutenant Gonzalez has been here before, so if you have any curiosities, she will be able to explain the whole process.¡±


    The group followed a lab technician into a white room, while James MacLeod walked off elsewhere and began familiarly chatting with a number of technicians.


    ¡°So¡­¡± Liu Long¡¯s gaze wandered around for a few seconds. ¡°If our bodies are severely injured to the point the nanobots cannot help us recover, we essentially¡­ transfer our brains to a grown body?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Olivia¡¯s eyes glittered, barely containing her joy. ¡°It will be a quick recovery! Since your brain shares the exact same DNA, it¡¯s simply a matter of reconnecting the nerves, a long perfected technology!¡±


    ¡°Now, if your DNA was used to create a body, and that initial cell influenced to develop into twins of different sex, then you even have the option of,¡± Olivia winked at Athena. ¡°Switching to the opposite sex.¡±


    In the Nexarm unit, Olivia was the one that Athena had gotten along with the best.


    ¡°Athena. If you switched to male, I¡¯d be willing to date you!¡± Olivia joked. ¡°You might need more time to recover from the adaptation to the new body of the different sex though. Though of the same DNA, the body will be a bit too different.¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡± Athena brushed a strand of her copper hair behind her right ear then monotonously stated, ¡°I think I¡¯m into men.¡±


    ¡°Same!¡± giggled Olivia in response.


    The unit¡¯s other members were far less jovial. Many of them had frowns etched into their brows.


    ¡°So¡­ Can someone steal and impersonate my identity?!¡± David Levy shook his head in disapproval. ¡°This is some fucked-up shit.¡± He began murmuring a religious scripture.


    ¡°No,¡± Olivia denied that possibility. ¡°It¡¯s impossible especially with biometric data. This technology is tightly controlled, and even if someone were to get transplanted into your body, the difference in DNA would cause all sorts of problems. Aligning the different brain to different body is also a neurobody dissonant issue that cannot be resolved. Then, there is the fact that every individual walks differently with a unique gait.¡±


    ¡°You all know of Leticia, that famous singer? Have you ever wondered how she looks exactly the same as ten, twenty years ago?¡±


    Realization dawned on everyone¡¯s faces. Some of them had thought it was just simply surgery, but the use of such surgery was easily proven with modern day facial analysis available for all neuro circlet users. Leticia was such a case.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t foolproof. I want you all to know that.¡± James had returned unannounced. ¡°If your brain is damaged, you won¡¯t be saved by this facility. The Nexarm cockpit has protocols to protect the brain from losing oxygen, but this technology, though not spoken of in public, is known to the military. This is one of the reasons why nanobots that target the brain exist. This is why a headshot is a true killing blow.¡±


    Their DNA taken and their backup lives somewhat preserved, the unit returned to the surface and arrived at the EFSF airfield.


    Ten large Nexarm units were already being loaded into ten thick cargo planes.


    James MacLeod had sent all the members additional information on the unit¡¯s coordination during their arrival at ground zero Warsaw.


    ¡°I understand this may be distasteful. High Command has given the order that we need to put on a bit of a show. Let us be about it and get this over with.¡±


    ____________________________________________________________________________


    Devastated Warsaw, June 15, 1000 Solar Era


    Ten navy blue cargo planes flew in a perfect arrow formation.


    ETA in ten minutes.


    The unit¡¯s members all simultaneously looked out their plane windows. Although they were each on a different cargo plane, all of them simultaneously gasped in horror.


    Warsaw was not nothing but a humongous crater. The closer one looked to the edge of the crater, the more collapsed structures one could see. The center of the crater was more or less flat, with everything leveled and vaporized.


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    Nexarm drop in five minutes.


    Athena took a deep breath and calmed her nerves. She entered the Nexarm¡¯s cockpit and secured herself in preparation for the drop. The cockpit filled with a gelatinous fluid that would serve to absorb any force on the human body.


    She believed James to be wrong in his assessment. In her eyes, this mission was pivotal. Not for the Nexarm unit, but for the people of Warsaw that still remained on the edges of the destruction.


    Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. Nexarm drop initiated.


    All ten cargo bays opened, and ten Nexarms slid out simultaneously as the ten cargo planes tilted upwards at an angle.


    The ten Nexarms fell in perfect synchronization. The ten cargo planes then lowered their velocity and began dropping many crates of neuro devices slightly behind them.


    Deploying parachute.


    When they were a thousand meters above ground, ten gargantuan parachutes simultaneously opened.


    However, that was not enough to decrease their falling speed. Right before ground level, the ten Nexarms simultaneously blasted energy from their chest, and they seemed to hover in the air for a few seconds.


    A resounding boom then filled the ears as the Nexarms finally landed with one knee bent, sending dust careening into the cameras that had already been informed of their landing spot at the very center of the crater.


    The crates also landed with the assistance of parachutes, and automatically opened into medical, drilling, construction tools that could be used to rescue any civilians that remained trapped.


    Athena¡¯s sensory systems found many tent groups around their landing spot. Civilians had chosen to lay tents out on the flat crater area as some of them assisted with the rescue, while some had nowhere to go.


    These civilians came out of their tents, and the first sight they saw were the ten towering Nexarms, each twenty meters tall, followed by on average, twenty devices that rolled behind them.


    Sunlight gleamed off the metallic hulls of each Nexarm, and one could not help but be drawn to the phoenix coat of arms on each Nexarm¡¯s chest, shoulders and back. The fiery illustration had its tail wrapped around the letters ¡®EFSF¡¯ in a sea of red and orange.


    The Polish President Zielinski stood on top of a tank and welcomed them with a salute.


    All ten Nexarms saluted in return with a whirl of electric release from their artificial muscles


    They then formed a circle, each facing outwards, and began marching forth to different locations followed by their neuro rescue devices.


    The small civilian crowd cheered before one began chanting.


    ¡°Death to the martians! Death to the martians!!¡±


    This chant quickly infected the whole crowd, their voices reverberating within the hole that is the crater.


    ¡°Raise a fist,¡± ordered Special Lieutenant MacLeod. ¡°In three, two, one, raise!¡±


    The ten Nexarms simultaneously raised a fist pump into the air as lens devices captured the scene with innumerable flashes.


    A young boy reached his hand skyward towards the face of Athena¡¯s Nexarm, and Athena responded with a nod of the head. Every single step of the Nexarms rumbled and rippled the earth, but this was not the sound of fear--not to the remaining civilians. To these weary civilians who had lost their city, the shaking of the ground from the weight of the Nexarm was the sound of hope and vengeance!


    ________________________________________________________________________


    Athena would spend the next few days in her assigned section. Using the many devices attached and assisted by the AI calculations, Athena would successfully open passages, free trapped civilians without further collapsing structures. They would receive immediate treatment from the portable medical bay.


    On the second day, an unannounced visitor arrived.


    Unknown aircraft approaching.


    ¡°Orders, sir?¡±


    ¡°Soildiers. I have already identified their origins.¡± James¡¯ voice sounded into their units. ¡°Stand down. They are of the Kasvallian Group. Observe.¡±


    ¡°Nine¡­ snakes?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Athena also had a holographic image of the approaching aircraft. ¡°It¡¯s a hydra.¡± She didn¡¯t know the Kasvallian Group used this logo. At least, the group had a different one in the past.


    The aircraft landed on a makeshift runway that had been cleared in the central area of the crater.


    Zielinski walked forth, and was surprised to see the man descending down the mobile staircase that had connected to the aircraft¡¯s door.


    ¡°Welcome, Vezna de Lerna!¡± Zielinski was overjoyed to have such an important visitor.


    Vezna de Lerna had silvery hair framing a pale ivory face. His sharp sapphire eyes meticulously observed his surroundings before he greeted Zielinski with a firm shake of the hand.


    ¡°President Zielinski. I am here to personally deliver relief aid from the Kasvallian Group. As leader of my group, I felt it imperative for me to visit and understand the true nature of this devastation.¡±


    ¡°Thank you! Thank you!!¡± President Zielinski shook Vezna¡¯s hand like a madman. Vezna did not seem bothered by it. He had a small and pitying smile as he gazed at Zielinski before him.


    With a wave of his hand, workers began emptying many different technologies out of the aircraft. Food printing machines, crates full of e-cubes, water tanks, more automatons that had different specialized functions and more.


    ¡°President Zielinski. The Kasvallian Group is also willing to help you rebuild your city.¡±


    These words shocked Zielinski to the core. He began crying tears of joy. He had received some aid from other nations as well as the Earth Federation. However, none of those had included an offer to rebuild any major parts of the city.


    Zielinski had initially assumed he would receive no assistance from the Kasvallian Group. Five months ago, the Group¡¯s prices had skyrocketed, damaging their customer base. Yet, in the past few months, the prices of the Kasvallian-related group had astonishingly plummeted to even lower than the produce from the other seven orbital colonies.


    This price swing had made Zielinski believe that the Kasvallian group was facing some form of instability. Now that Vezna had offered to provide real assistance in rebuilding Warsaw, Zielinski happily accepted.


    Zielinski proceeded to introduce a number of his new ministers to Vezna. Many had died in the asteroid impact.


    When lunchtime came around, Athena noticed a buggy heading towards her. She had locked her Nexarm¡¯s hand in a position that allowed her to consume her meal in the sun and breeze.


    ¡°Magnify.¡±


    Her sensory devices followed her orders, and she gazed upon the approaching Vezna de Lerna. She had come to learn of his identity from the information the James MacLeod sent to the Nexarm units. This man was, in all aspects, exceptional. He was but slightly over thirty and yet had already come into control of the Kasvallian Group.


    The buggy came to a stop before Athena¡¯s Nexarm and Vezna hopped off the vehicle. Athena initially assumed that this man would behave in a somewhat conceited manner, but she was proven wrong. Vezna was clearly approaching her Nexarm unit with curiosity. Yet this man who was the head of the Kasvallian Group did not demand her to descend from the Nexarm¡¯s hand to converse with him. Instead, he shot a magnetic pulley onto the shoulder of her Nexarm, and skillfully pulled himself up.


    ¡°Miss. Do you mind?¡±


    Athena shrugged her indifference. Vezna beamed and retrieved a sandwich from his breast pocket.


    ¡°Miss Watanabee. I¡¯m glad to have gotten the chance to meet you,¡± Vezna said after finishing his sandwich.


    ¡°Likewise,¡± Athena replied. ¡°I never expected the leader of the Kasvallian Group to be so¡­ casual with his station.¡±


    ¡°Hah! Miss Watanabe. You are said to be the first true transhuman. It would be disrespectful for me to think of myself as¡­more.¡±


    Athena was speechless. Only neuro passionates spoke like this. She never expected the leader of the Kasvallian Group to be something of a neuro passionate.


    ¡°I apologize if I¡¯ve misspoken, Miss Watanabe.¡± Vezna gazed into the vast crater dreamily. ¡°You know. When I first came here, I thought there would be horror and terror in every corner of the city. Instead¡­this vast expanse feels almost¡­beautiful. Earth as nature intended.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand me,¡± the man added. ¡°Warsaw was a wondrous city as well. And, it will be again.¡±


    ¡°Mmm¡± Athena muttered. ¡°I would have liked to have visited Warsaw before the impact.¡±


    ¡°Well. Miss Watanabe. Perhaps you might not take me seriously because of my belief in the concept of transhumanism. But I heard you¡¯ve gotten stronger. You could only control nine of each, a total of eighteen neuro devices before. I observed twenty earlier on.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll understand me soon enough. When you enter space, your mind will expand in a three dimensional manner. You will find yourself rising to new heights, a peak of human growth and evolution.¡±


    ¡°I would welcome you at the Kasvallian orbital colony. It, too, is an exemplification of humanity¡¯s growth, a stunning achievement of human history.¡±


    ¡°I have no doubt that it would be a wondrous experience.¡± Athena agreed-- she had seen images and video recordings of the colonies, but truly stepping on one would be a lifetime experience. Unlike her, the majority of terrans preferred having rock solid ground beneath their feet.


    Vezna had a twinkle in his eye as he lowered himself off Athena¡¯s Nexarm, and returned to his buggy. A goodbye wave and the buggy returned towards the aircraft that had delivered the relief aid.


    Athena observed the leaving Vezna, his silvery mid-length tousled hair floating in the wind. She had certainly been pleasantly surprised by the nature of this man.


    She finished her lunch and returned to Nexarm. Their mission here would continue for up to a week. As for after that-- it would be rather unlikely for any trapped survivors to still be alive past that point.


    __________________________________________________________________________


    Lodz, Poland, June 22, 1000 Solar Era


    Luckily, this city, relatively close to Warsaw, remained functional, and was equipped with Earth-to-Space facilities.


    Athena¡¯s spaceship began accelerating along the Startram¡¯s maglev system, and she felt the angle growing steeper as the spaceship tilted upwards.


    Reaching end of launch rail. Initiating scramjet engines.


    Athena felt a kick and the spaceship further accelerated again as a whistling sound echoed within the ship.


    Initiating e-cube boosters for final stage into space.


    When the spaceship achieved a certain altitude, the e-cube boosters ignited. Another kick and Athena could feel an increasing upward force sending her spaceship into space.


    All parameters stable. Setting course for the EFSS.


    Athena could still feel the butterflies in her stomach. Although she had gone through incredibly realistic simulations through the neuro circlet system, the knowledge that this was a hundred percent real, mattered.


    When she looked downwards through her visor at the diminishing cerulean blue Earth with verdant lands that stretch beyond its curvature, she felt a deep desire to protect this globe that birthed humanity. Yes. She was right to join the EFSF. Any who threatened it would face her wrath. This, she swore.

 Ch15: Complications on Departure

    T3ST Colony, June 22, 1000 Solar Era


    Xeight opened his eyes as his cubicle brightened up. He felt the warmth of Jen¡¯s lithe form glued to his body, her head resting against his shoulder, her light brown hair with blonde streaks softly brushing against his neck. Peeling back the covers, he ran his eyes down her bare form and couldn¡¯t resist running a hand up her smooth ivory thighs.


    ¡°Mmm.¡± Jen woke up at his touch. They continued lying in bed for a few minutes. ¡°Say. What are you thinking about?¡±


    ¡°Nothing much.¡± Xeight returned his gaze back to the brightening artificial sunlight from the ceiling. ¡°I was just thinking of what you said. About finding a path forward to guarantee a future where I can mine asteroids in peace.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Jen inched her lips closer to Xeight¡¯s right ear and whispered, ¡°Your elders chose the current course of action. So, war is inevitable. You just need to find a path that leads out of it! So¡­ have you thought of seriously participating?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Xeight replied. ¡°It¡¯s pointless, is it not? If we lose, we will become terran¡¯s lab rats again. If we win, terrans would hate us and the martians would fear our existence as a nexarm unit, a colony that needs to be controlled.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ I would have far more data to advance my neurotech research.¡± Jen even began licking Xeight¡¯s ear with her tongue in a circular motion.


    Perhaps a couple in a normal relationship would have jumped into a huge argument at this point, but Xeight only lightly gripped the woman¡¯s neck with his left hand and gently pushed her head away to halt her licking motion. Jen¡¯s puppy-dog eyes made it difficult for even such a tender rejection.


    Over the past five months, Xeight had realized that Jen was a cuckoo genius. Based on the responses of others within the colony, Xeight also recognized that he himself was somewhat unhinged as well. At least in the eyes of the others. He had more or less been pelted by his compatriots with queries on why he was happy to just live his life away mining asteroids daily.


    Others might feel used, but Xeight was fully aware that although Jen was partially drawn to him because of her crazed search to further develop neurotech, she could also have gotten adequate data without jumping in bed with him.


    She had stuck to her word of ensuring that the Nexarm unit he had been operating would maintain asteroid mining functions. She even had to face his father, the Grand Elder Enine, to explain her actions.


    As for himself? Xeight felt that only Jen truly understood his stubbornness. The desire to continue his asteroid mining task without a worry in the world.


    Regardless, to outsiders, their relationship was certainly wacky if not outright deranged.


    The two climbed out of their bed pod and dressed in their form-fitting spacesuits.


    Xeight activated his neuro circlet system and a holographic device lit up and began displaying information in multiple formats. This information was shared by the Grand Elder of the T3ST Colony every morning.


    Xeight found himself stupefied as he witnessed a speech from James MacLeod.


    ¡°I am James MacLeod, of the Earth Federation Nexarm Special Force. As the leader of this unit, I hereby announce our departure to space to protect our bounty from the belt! We have completed our mission of rescuing civilians in Warsaw. We will continue protecting the Earth and her people! Long live the Earth Federation!¡±


    Nine figures in exosuits saluted alongside the man at the camera.


    Xeight swung his head and gazed into Jen¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°You want me to pilot the nexarm and face your cousin in battle?¡±


    ¡°...¡± Jen was rather troubled, and quietly whispered, ¡°He wasn¡¯t meant to lead a Nexarm unit! My family¡¯s leaders had denied him multiple times! I¡­ I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s thinking!¡±


    ¡°Will you be withdrawing your support then?¡± Xeight had been notified that Jen was of the dissident faction within the MacLeod family. However, literally providing technical support and development to a group of nexarms that would often target lock onto said family member was taking it to the next level.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t received any reprisal or rebuke from my family¡¯s leaders to cease my activities¡­¡± Jen was distraught in revelation. ¡°That can only mean that James has been¡­ abandoned.¡±


    Xeight wasn¡¯t sure of what to make of it all. Despite Jen¡¯s explanations, he found the MacLeod family¡¯s method of operation rather perplexing. She was supposedly of the dissident faction and yet did not receive any rebuke for her aiding the T3ST Colony. Then, the MacLeod family was the support behind Neurorevo¡­who equipped them with weapons. He assumed this must be the work of the dissident faction too. What are the motives of the primary faction?


    Perhaps if he spoke to James MacLeod, the supposedly abandoned son of the family, he would gain an understanding.


    ¡°What does being abandoned even mean?¡±


    ¡°It means the family will not save him. Or protect him. Or find fault in the other party if he were to¡­ fall.¡±


    Perhaps the MacLeods simply did not wish to appear in public as an active participant in the war, Xeight figured.


    The two left Xeight¡¯s living unit and winded through the silvery white metallic corridors to meet Grand Elder Enine. They had been somewhat discreet in their activities, but the T3ST colony¡¯s members operated numerous sensory devices daily-- the whole colony shortly gained awareness of their¡­ questionable relationship.


    Although Jen had been cleared by the council of elders, the colony¡¯s members remained vigilant and suspicious. As for Xeight? Although he received some funny looks, his compatriots remained friendly towards him. He was one of them, one of their own. This was the nature of the T3ST colony. Some even chose to believe that he was only keeping a close eye on the ¡®MacLeod bitch¡¯. Some even whispered into Xeight¡¯s ears to ¡®punish the bitch for her ancestors¡¯ gene manipulation transgressions in bed¡¯.


    Grand Elder Enine was fully aware of all the words flying in the T3ST colony. He gazed at Xeight, Jen, Bone and Yfour who now appeared before him. Though his face remained serene, his head was hurting.


    He had originally wanted Xeight to distance himself from the woman. Yet, he knew Xeight to be like a stubborn old man. Then, Jen had promised to try to convince Xeight to participate in the war. The T3ST colony would have a much better chance with Xeight in a nexarm. Thus, Grand Elder Enine found himself¡­ utterly unable to intervene in the two¡¯s activities.


    Bone was his much more obedient son, easily convinced to participate in the war. He was even filled with an aggressive zest for action, and often practiced with the newly arrived nexarm unit assigned to him. Yet, Grand Elder was also troubled by this. He was worried that the martians might induce Bone to perform some form of ill-conceived action.


    If only he could combine the personalities of Bone and Xeight¡­ was his self-deprecating thought of himself as a failure of a father.


    As for Yfour? he knew of her nightly activities with Bone. They were adoptive siblings, so there were no issues gene-wise¡­ But Yfour had a bad habit of going along with Bone¡¯s choices. He had hoped that she would become more like the other wise women in the council, and keep Bone and Xeight in check.


    Grand Elder Enine inwardly sighed as he placed four exosuits before the four young adults before him.


    ¡°Here are the newly-received exosuits. They are equipped with eight highly maneuverable, flexible and durable spider arms, as well as mini-turret systems and e-cube energy docks for ray weapons and the sort. The spider-arms, under proper control, can block most projectile weapons.¡±


    Bone, Xeight and Yfour wore their exosuits and began experimenting with the functions. Xeight soon found himself climbing the walls of the elders¡¯ rocky chamber with the eight spider-arms.


    ¡°Xeight! Can I¡­ observe?¡± Jen shot her man puppy-dog eyes, her go-to move when she really wanted something from Xeight. She was far more interested in Xeight¡¯s manipulation of the exosuit than the actual testing of the exosuit herself.


    Grand Elder Enine could only pretend to be oblivious as Jen happily indulged herself with neurologically observing Xeight¡¯s control of the exosuit¡¯s functions.


    ¡°Has Xeight agreed?¡± Enine questioned as he looked to the side, not wishing to acknowledge Jen¡¯s ecstatic indulgence.


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°I can hear you, father,¡± Xeight interrupted. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare pressure her to convince me!¡±


    ¡°Younger brother. War is here! Stop being stubborn. We¡¯ll take the fight to the terrans and earn our freedom!¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be any better with the martians!¡±


    ¡°Well, Xeight.¡± Grand Elder Enine put a hold before the siblings'' discussions could escalate. ¡°We only have four nexarm units, so I will be placing another pilot into your unit.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡± To Enine¡¯s surprise, Xeight was not baited into piloting the nexarm unit into war.


    Enine could only sigh in defeat.


    ¡°Father. The Earth Federation Nexarm Special Force has ten.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well,¡± Enine waved to dismiss Xeight¡¯s concern. ¡°The martians have four units as well. Our strength with the neuro circlet system will be enough to overcome that minor gap. Xeight. come along anyway.¡±


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°By the stars!¡± Enine slammed his hand onto the council of elders round table. ¡°In case you change your mind!¡± He hadn¡¯t quite admitted defeat yet after all.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be there.¡± When Xeight ceased being a spider on the walls, Jen wrapped her hands around the neck of his exosuit.


    Once again, Grand Elder Enine remained expressionlessly oblivious. To think he¡¯d find himself relying on this woman to convince Xeight to even board the battleship.


    She did end up successful in this endeavor.


    ¡°The ship might need to recover resources along the journey. You could always jump in a nexarm in between the battles to assist with replenishing those resources, you know? There are also many lesser units even if the nexarm is under use!¡±


    Grand Elder Enine inwardly berated himself for not coming up with the argument that Jen had convinced Xeight with.


    They traveled to the dock and strode briskly across a walkway into the humongous polygonal tube that was the battleship.


    There were already many T3ST colony workers within. A few hundred of them would be operating the ship, while the T3ST colony would soon go dark with the other remaining thousand plus members and operate as a resource gathering base in the belt.


    The average terran could operate six neuro devices. The genetically augmented descendents in the T3ST Colony could operate fourteen to sixteen on average, at the cost of a shortened lifespan. With even less than a hundred, they could perfectly maintain this battleship¡¯s functions. A few hundred having boarded the ship was more than enough.


    Although Xeight originally did not wish to board the battleship, he could not deny its beauty upon setting his eyes on it.


    The battleship was a shining black pearl. It had a central decagon tube, with additional half-polygonal tubes jutting out of its surfaces.


    ¡°Weapon system test!¡± An engineer shouted.


    Numerous x-alloy plates slid open and many turret, torpedo, missile, projectile systems popped up before Xeight¡¯s eyes. His sensory systems notified him that there should be over a hundred of these weapon systems.


    Bone began laughing maniacally at the sight of these weapons. ¡°Xeight. Do you still worry?¡±


    ¡°I do. The terrans will have access to such systems too.¡±


    ¡°Hmph. We have grown up training with these devices. Brother! We will be much more effective controlling the neuro circlet systems. A system on a similar scale guarantees our victory!¡±


    They entered the decagonal tube and found the original grand elder already waiting for them, with a youngster beside him.


    ¡°Grand Elder Zseven.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just Zseven now. I¡¯m retired.¡± Though his bald head and flat demeanor appeared half-dead, his eyes brightened with joy upon seeing Xeight, Bone and Yfour. ¡°Welcome, children.¡±


    ¡°Grandfather.¡± The three intoned simultaneously.


    ¡°We became adults months ago!¡± Yfour pouted.


    Zseven was the one who raised Enine. He rather spoiled his three grandchildren, though he was often occupied as the Grand Elder before his retirement. The three had only fond memories of this grandfather entertaining them when younger.


    ¡°Well, you all need to stay professional.¡± Zseven ordered Yfour to behave herself. ¡°The martians are not at all that happy with our lack of discipline.¡±


    The terrans often sent observers, such as James MacLeod, to keep an eye on the T3ST colony. The martians had provided combat training to the members in a secret area, but if they were to actually instill military discipline, any visiting terran observer would notice the change in behavior of the colony¡¯s members in a single glance. Children trained in such a manner would not be able to mask that sort of training. Thus, the T3ST colony functioned very much like an informal and hastily put together civilian unit in a sudden war.


    ¡°This is Asix. I¡¯m sorry Xeight. But every Nexarm counts.¡± Zseven did not berate Xeight for his choice. Zseven had seen enough in his lifetime to know the type of man that Xeight was.


    ¡°I understand, grandfather.¡± Xeight nodded. He patted Asix¡¯s shoulders before tapping his own brows. ¡°Best of luck. May the stars be with you.¡±


    Asix nodded. The two occasionally bumped into each other on the colony and had an amicable relationship. However, they resided in different sections of the colony, and as such, had no deep camaraderie.


    ¡°Asix. Go ahead and get yourself adapted to the nexarm unit.¡±


    Asix nodded and promptly departed towards the docking bay for the nexarms.


    ¡°Now, Xeight. I plan to have you control the central neuro unit for this battleship.¡±


    ¡°But--¡±


    ¡°No buts.¡± Zseven was firm. ¡°Look around you. These are your fellow T3ST colony family members. What do you think would happen to them if the ship were to fall? I can understand you not wishing to¡­ kill James MacLeod. He is not to blame for the existence of our colony.¡±


    ¡°But this here.¡± They had reached the bridge, coming into full view of the many operating members of the T3ST colony. ¡°This is your family. Do you understand, son?!¡±


    Xeight found himself unable to deny his grandfather. His grandfather had alway doted on him, but very much brought the hammer down on certain issues. When he brought the hammer down, it was also accompanied by irrefutable reasoning.


    He could only nod.


    ¡°Grand Elder! I mean.. Senior Zseven!¡± Asix¡¯s panicked voice echoed down the halls into the bridgehead.


    The group turned around somewhat befuddled. Asix was meant to test himself out and connect to the nexarm that Xeight originally used.


    Asix was panting, his hands on his knees after sprinting the whole way to the bridgehead.


    ¡°Senior! The Nexarm won¡¯t respond!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Won¡¯t respond?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know. It won¡¯t respond! I tested the other unit-- that one responded!¡±


    ¡°Lead the way.¡±


    The perplexed group followed Asix to the docking bay for the nexarm units.


    Xeight soon found himself resting his eyes upon the nexarm unit that had accompanied him on countless asteroid mining operations. It had become a rather odd-looking unit in appearance.


    It was a mishmash of mining functions combined with combat functions. Though it looked incongruent, there was a hard-to-describe mechanized half-shod beauty to it. It was best described to look like a warrior that had been through many battles, back to plant the crops for his family on a farm.


    ¡°I call your unit the Chimera,¡± giggled Jen. ¡°I think it¡¯s a great name!¡±


    Xeight barely thwarted his own lips from breaking into a wide smile; meanwhile, Asix appeared to be pulling his hair out to the roots.


    Asix entered Xeight¡¯s chimerical nexarm unit, and his voice reverberated out of the entry hole.


    ¡°The energy source is on, but the unit simply won¡¯t respond to any of my input!¡±


    The Nexarm certainly stayed stationary. How odd. Xeight clearly remembered the unit in perfect condition, responding to his every neuro command just a few days ago.


    Senior Zseven climbed into the cockpit as well. A few minutes later, the elderly man descended from the wire to the cockpit.


    ¡°Xeight.¡± He pointed at the cockpit.


    Xeight nodded and entered the cockpit. When he connected to the Nexarm, the machine whirred into action as it shifted its arms in its docked standing position. The machine felt the same as ever, the same as every single time he had used it for asteroid mining in the past.


    He had been designated as the Nexarm¡¯s primary user once he was identified as the most skilled neuro circlet system user, but in the past, others had often piloted the unit for mining purposes as well, with no issues.


    The fact that Asix and Senior Zseven failed to activate the Nexarm was extremely puzzling.


    ¡°Jen MacLeod.¡± Zseven narrowed his eyes. ¡°Your turn.¡±


    Jen could only control fourteen neuro devices. High for your average Terran, but barely average compared to the T3ST colony¡¯s citizens.


    Though bewildered, Jen boarded the Nexarm, and to her surprise, the Nexarm responded to her commands!


    In response to this information, Senior Zseven beckoned a few engineers over.


    ¡°Perform a factory reset on the AI running this nexarm unit,¡± he ordered. ¡°No. Actually, wipe the current AI and reinstall the system. And Jen MacLeod-- you will not be participating.¡±


    ¡°Father¡­¡± Grand Elder Enine muttered. ¡°I highly doubt the girl would have been able to tamper with the AI in any form, with so many of our engineers working with her and quality checking the nexarm unit¡¯s every modification.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll know soon.¡±


    The engineers were quick. Just after ten minutes, the testing continued.


    Asix popped in once again-- the unit did not respond to his commands.


    Xeight in the pilot seat? The nexarm unit worked perfectly.


    Bone was someone who had used the nexarm unit quite a few times. He entered the cockpit only to find that the unit did not listen to his commands anymore-- he felt as if he was trying to propagate sound through airless space.


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t do anything!¡± Jen began proclaiming anxiously. She was aware that many in the colony did not fully trust her. ¡°The engineers working with me can attest to that!¡±


    Asix was the most suspicious-- or perhaps, the older Zseven and Enine was simply better at masking their suspicion. As for Xeight, Bone and Yfour? They were thoroughly confused by the current situation. Xeight had fully expected another willing to fight, to occupy the nexarm unit he had admittedly grown attached to.


    ¡°Senior.¡± An engineer had opened a model of the functioning pattern of the AIs on their four nexarms. ¡°There is zero difference between this malfunctioning nexarm and the other three functioning ones.¡±


    ¡°Keep investigating. I will settle these youngsters first.¡±


    The group was thoroughly silent as Zseven brought the newcomers to their assigned bedrooms.


    A door recognized Xeight¡¯s identity and slid open into a room with a sleeping pod within, many useful sensory and motor devices,  and also quite a lot of generic entertainment devices, for example, a holographic device that played 3D movies.


    ¡°Jen MacLeod. Follow me and Senior Zseven to the chamber of elders.¡± Enine beckoned to the young lady.


    Soon, Enine, Zseven and Jen returned to an area close to the bridge, and entered a room. This room was originally meant to be a lounge for military officers of the ship to take a breather in, but the T3ST Colony was no military organization. Thus, they had altered this lounge into a chamber for the elders to discuss rather important matters. Of the twelve elders, four of them would be on this ship, along with the Grand Elder Enine and the retired Zseven.


    ¡°Jen MacLeod. Do you have an explanation?¡±


    ¡°I truly did not do anything to the unit.¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m asking for your theories on this malfunction.¡±


    Enine performed this ¡®interrogation¡¯ while Zseven observed from the side.


    Jen had certainly pondered this issue when the other newcomers were being dropped off to their quarters on the ship.


    ¡°The only possibility I can come up with right now is¡­ perhaps the unit¡¯s hardware-- the very core central neuro sphere had gotten so used to Xeight¡¯s input over the years that well, it might find another¡¯s neuro signal input to be dull or insufficient. A type of wear and tear, so the speak.¡±


    ¡°Yet you could activate the unit, no?¡±


    That was the most perplexing aspect of the malfunction. Jen herself only had fourteen neuro channels, and yet, the unit had responded to her. Jen already had a possible explanation prepared.


    ¡°I may only have fourteen device channels, but I do know that my brain does have a strong neuro signal. A slightly stronger neuro signal has never mattered ever, so this might just be a¡­ special situation.¡±


    Both Zseven and Enine bowed their heads in quiet contemplation.


    At length, Zseven waved his hand and dismissed the young woman, and Jen MacLeod returned to her own quarters.


    ¡°Enine. We cannot allow Xeight to pilot any of the ship¡¯s functions, defensive or otherwise. Asix will be switched to being the main coordinator on the ship, unless we resolve this current issue.¡±


    Although Enine was the new Grand Elder, he was more than happy to follow this advice of his retired father.


    Zseven did not retire early for no reason-- this elderly man might appear half-dead, but he still had some life left on his legs. He had retired early to serve as the leader of the nexarm unit on this ship. He was putting his life on the line to protect and lead the newest generation. The newest generation, though on average more stable and stronger, lacked the wisdom that he had. He saw this as his final duty, as a godfather figure to so many in the T3ST Colony!

 Ch16: Arrival at Vesta

    T3ST Colony, June 23, 1000 Solar Era


    ¡°Grand Elder Enine. Have you departed yet? The Earth Federation Nexarm Special Force has finally entered space. We need to hit the EFSF quickly and seize the initiative.¡±


    ¡°Admiral Sullivan.¡± Enine swore his hair was turning white at a faster pace ever since he became the grand elder. ¡°As you know, we encountered a complication with one of our nexarms.¡±


    He had ordered many members of the T3ST colony to attempt the use of the nexarm unit primarily piloted by Xeight.


    ¡°Originally, we thought that the engineer neurorevo sent over had interfered with the AI. But, over the last day, we¡¯ve ordered many members of our T3ST colony to enter the cockpit. On average, only one out of ten found themselves able to control the nexarm unit.¡±


    ¡°All of these citizens of ours that could control that malfunctioning nexarm unit chose to remain on the T3ST colony instead of joining the starship force when requested. It¡¯s honestly¡­ baffling.¡±


    ¡°Have you managed to convince the primary pilot to board?¡± Admiral Sullivan questioned.


    ¡°Yes. Xeight has agreed to at least board the ship.¡±


    ¡°Good enough. Perhaps the unit is just encountering some issues due to it being slightly older, having been used by your colony for more than a decade. As directed, hit the assigned target hard and fast. I will await your good news.¡± Admiral Sullivan cut the call.


    Yes. They needed to increase their chances of victory. The nexarm unit¡¯s malfunctioning will likely be a long term problem to be solved. They had best set off.


    He strode to the bridgehead and sat down in the elevated captain seat. He tapped his neuro circlet.


    ¡°Attention, volunteers of the T3ST colony.¡± His voice was solemn. ¡°Perform final check and we will launch in thirty minutes. May the stars be with us and guide us to our freedom!¡±


    The few hundred spread throughout the starship roared in excitement in various locations. They all had already bid their loved ones farewell a day or two ago.


    The entry bridge as well as many arms locking the starship in place within the dock retracted.


    ¡°How are our parameters?¡±


    ¡°All stable, grand elder,¡± replied Asix, who was seated to Enine¡¯s right. Asix and his neuro circlet were attached to many cables that ensured his connection to all the primary functions of the starship.


    ¡°E-cube levels are currently at full. All weapon cluster systems are functioning. Engine efficiency is perfect.¡±


    ¡°Prepare the warp drive. YAtwo. How many jumps will we need to reach the destination?¡±


    ¡°Two jumps, grand elder,¡± replied a young woman seated at the front of the bridge. ¡°Based on the distance and our size and weight, our e-cube levels will drop to approximately sixty-eight percent.¡±


    Humans had long developed the warp drive, which wrapped space and gravity around the starship to travel far distances. The limiting factor was the energy required for the technology. The e-cube had long revolutionized energy, with the compound effectively a man-made dense energy storage comparable to nuclear material.


    Yet, even with the stacks of e-cubes, two relatively short jumps within the Solar System would already deplete this state-of-the-art starship by more than thirty percent of their onboard energy supply. This was why humans remained thoroughly trapped within the Solar System. That,  and the fact that terraforming efforts required centuries-long, even a millenium-long timeframe.


    ¡°Begin warming up warp drive and weapon systems. Nexarm pilots are to be primed and ready for combat.¡¯


    ¡°Yes, grand elder.¡± Zseven, Bone and Yfour¡¯s voices sounded through to Enine.


    ¡°Xeight. At the very least, do use your unit to control neuro arms and defend the ship if needed.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± grumbled Xeight in annoyance. Though stubborn, he could not deny the request to defend those on board.


    A moment later, the decagonal tube starship steadily floated out from T3ST colony¡¯s dock, its black pearl hull a majestic yet menacing presence.


    The other four elders that had also boarded the starship remained in the lounge that had been converted to the chamber of elders. They were there for safety in case the bridge were to be destroyed.


    ¡°Scan the path to the first jump destination. Expand your sensory systems across the whole sector to ensure that no dangerous objects will be within the jump route.¡±


    A few members belonging to the navigational team began mapping the path and the surrounding areas, and a hologram of their analysis lit up at the center of the bridgehead.


    These few members used many predictive AIs that identified potential dangerous objects and clusters, performing trajectory models that crisscrossed close or even across their path.


    It would be suicidal to jump if the path was obstructed by an object large enough to penetrate the warp field. Even then, it was almost impossible to guarantee a hundred percent safety. The advanced AI relied heavily on EM waves, and predicted a real-time image of the zone by analyzing a large area surrounding the jump target.


    However, light from said jump location took time to reach the starship. The further the jump, the less accurate these predictive AIs would be, increasing the risk of an unknown object within the jump route. Then, there was also the possibility of two starships jumping into the same area¡­


    ¡°Grand Elder,¡± A dark-brown haired senior with gray streaks bowed his head. ¡°The route will have an open two minute window with ninety-nine percent safety in seven minutes.¡±


    ¡°Prime the countdown, Qeleven. Attention crew. Jump will occur in approximately six minutes thirty seconds. Maintain your vigilance.¡±


    The lights throughout the whole starship dimmed.


    Twenty, nineteen, eighteen¡­


    ¡°Grand elder. You have yet to name our starship,¡± Asix complained over the countdown.


    ¡°Does it matter?¡± Grand Elder Enine gazed around the bridgehead to see all of his people nodding their heads.


    ¡°Very well.¡± He took a second to think. ¡°As the grand elder, I bestow upon this ship a name. The name of Starship Oneiroi!¡±


    Three, two, one.


    ¡°Starship Oneiroi. Executing jump.¡± Qeleven intoned. The few members on his navigational team all focused as they stabilized the ship direction.


    The warp drive whirled and hummed, the frequency vibrating the eardrums of all the members on board, as the stars in the bridge¡¯s vision turned into bright lines.


    After a short minute, the stars returned to normal.


    ¡°First jump complete. Calculating the second jump.¡±


    ¡°Starship Oneiroi. All ship parameters remain stable. E-cube levels down to eighty-four percent.¡±


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Starship Oneiroi slowly tilted itself in space using side-vent the released compressed charged heavy particles.


    ¡°Second jump route. There will be a narrow one minute window in two minutes. Grand elder, should we delay?¡±


    ¡°When is the next open window with almost guaranteed safety?¡±


    ¡°Three minute window in thirty-three minutes, grand elder.¡±


    ¡°Maintain your analysis. Confirm jump safety closer to the jump window.¡±


    Within the starship¡¯s hangar, the team led by Senior Zseven and its three other members, Bone, Yfour, and Xeight was already well-prepared inside their nexarm units.


    ¡°Have you all gone over the mission plan?¡± Senior Zseven had adapted the original plan such that the starship would provide more long-ranged offensive support while Xeight would instead be on defensive duty.


    ¡°Yes.¡± The three voices of the three sounded through their coms.


    ¡°But,¡± Bone interjected, sounding rather dissatisfied. ¡°The mission plan is too damn fucking conservative. We are here to make a resounding statement!¡±


    Xeight inwardly sighed within his unit. That was very much his older brother. Aggressive in nature.


    ¡°Senior Zseven. Although I am only on the defense¡­ I do believe that my older brother would struggle to execute the current mission to the tee. He--¡±


    ¡°Bone is capable!¡± Yfour¡¯s annoyed voice cut in. ¡°Just because you¡¯re a stubborn wimp doesn¡¯t mean--¡±


    ¡°Quiet, Yfour!¡± Bone bellowed and silenced his younger sister. ¡°Xeight!¡±


    ¡°Grandpa. I have sparred with my older brother many times. My older brother is-- sorry, Bone-- a mad, impassioned, proactive fighter. This mission plan will not suit him.¡±


    ¡°I see. This plan was given to us by the martian command.¡± Senior Zseven now felt somewhat troubled. ¡°I will have to¡­ We have some time before and after the second jump. Xeight. Adjust the mission plan with your understanding of your older brother.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m only on the defense. I am not actively partici--¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Xeight! Do you wish for big bro to die?¡± Yfour was incensed, releasing her frustrations onto Xeight in a fit of annoyance. ¡°Just fucking adjust the plan you stubborn little shit!¡±


    Xeight had to admit, he had rarely seen his sister so¡­ animated. He had no choice but to acquiesce in silence.


    At this point, he noticed that Jen had come along with a number of hand-sized cans and a few rolls of tape. She had tightened herself with a harness as well.


    He opened the cockpit and Jen waved to him with a beaming smile.


    ¡°I adjusted and built this nexarm. So, I decided with the second jump being delayed, I¡¯d decorate it for its maiden mission!¡±


    Xeight¡¯s unit had a primary maroon hull with a mix of brass and metallic silver parts. Due to the unit¡¯s decade-long use mining asteroids, it had quite a number of scratches that gave it a weary and experienced warrior¡¯s look.


    Seeing Xeight¡¯s funny expression, Jen rolled her emerald eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not repainting the hull. Just adding a decoration!¡±


    Slightly embarrassed at being exposed, he returned into his cockpit to adjust the mission plan.


    Yfour climbed out of her unit and hesitated as she approached Jen. The two had yet to say anything of note to each other. She frankly had no trust in Jen, and mostly tolerated her because of Xeight, and the fact that she maintained their nexarm units and the attached weapon devices.


    Jen never held it against her though. When she had chosen to join the T3ST colony, she had fully expected to be quite isolated. Luckily, James MacLeod had an amicable relationship with Xeight. It was a relief that she found Xeight to be even more similar in nature to her than expected.


    She instantly knew what Yfour was after.


    ¡°Observe.¡± she whispered with a smile.


    The harness pulled her up to Xeight¡¯s nexarm¡¯s shoulders, and the spider arms popped out from her exosuit. Each arm held tape and she began taping different open-shapes. When done, Jen spray-painted the opening between the tape.


    A can sprayed a mist-like gas that rapidly dried the paint, and Jen repeated the whole process again.


    With the many arms of the exosuit, Jen was quickly done in a short fifteen minutes, revealing an emblem of a chimera, a dastardly beast. It had the mane of a lion, the wings of a bat, the claws of a tiger, additional serpentine heads, the horns of a rhino and features of many beasts.


    Perhaps for the first time, Yfour felt a sense of connection to Jen.


    She picked up a number of spray cans and harnessed herself to hover over Bone¡¯s gunmetal black unit. Imitating Jen, she decorated Bone¡¯s unit with a skull alongside a few bones. Being less practiced, her efforts were rather haphazard. Yet, that only made the skull look even more menacing.


    Meanwhile, Jen had moved to Yfour¡¯s prussian blue unit.


    ¡°What do you prefer?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Rather surprised at Jen¡¯s offer, Yfour found herself lost. She had never thought of her own unit¡¯s emblem.


    ¡°Eel.¡± Bone snapped his fingers. ¡°She¡¯s very slippery in bed.¡±


    That certainly made Yfour blush a shade of deep red, but she agreed to the emblem with a nod.


    Jen decided to give Yfour¡¯s unit a dangerous electric eel with a wide open fanged jaw.


    Second jump in five minutes.


    ¡°Get back into your units and secure yourself! Stop playing around!¡± Senior Zseven could no longer watch the youngsters frolic around with the impending jump.


    ¡°Senior! What do you want?!¡± Jen yelled up at Zseven¡¯s mostly metallic silver unit.


    ¡°I¡¯m just a dying old bull. Now get yourself safely secured!¡±


    Second jump in three minutes.


    Jen tried to hurry back to the engineering lounge beside the hangar, but ended up knocking a number of spray cans everywhere.


    ¡°In.¡± Xeight had noticed Jen¡¯s tardiness.¡±Leave the cans.¡±


    Jen obeyed and a wired hook pulled Jen up into Nexarm Chimera¡¯s cockpit.


    An additional secure guest seat was already open.


    ¡°The cans--¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about those.¡± Xeight had activated a few of the mining functions on his unique nexarm unit and rapidly dispatched those devices to collect the cans.


    He barely secured the cans before the second jump started. His vision shook and his ears hummed for a minute before his surroundings settled again.


    ¡°Attention, crew.¡± Grand Elder Enine¡¯s voice sounded through the coms. ¡°We have arrived at the outskirts of Vesta. We will be on cruise control while remaining in the dark as we approach Vesta. Our mission here will commence in two hours. Combat personnel, make ready.¡±


    Jen, intent on completing her task, had begun spray-painting the emblem of an old bull onto Senior Zseven¡¯s metallic silver unit. Yfour had chosen to give her a hand, having rather enjoyed decorating Bone¡¯s unit.


    ¡°Xeight. Have you finished making the adjustments?¡±


    ¡°Yes, senior. Sending them over.¡±


    Senior Zseven examined the adjusted strategy for their combat unit. His heart began racing as he examined the plan. It wasn¡¯t any sort of major adjustment to the main mission objectives-- their targets were still the same.


    Whereas the previous plan was for each nexarm unit to spread and evenly hit multiple targets, Xeight had adjusted the plan to where Bone was the primary, reckless driving force behind the offensive while Zseven and Yfour were to cooperate to cover any of Bone¡¯s blindspots. The two would, of course, continue jabbing at mission targets, but in a more restrained and of distracting function, in order to preserve strength for covering Bone¡¯s charge.


    ¡°Very well.¡± Senior Zseven barely kept his voice level as he further examined the plan. Xeight had even added details on how to position sensory devices in combination with the weapons devices relative to the nexarm central control unit, to maximize their effectiveness. He finally understood why his son, Enine, had been so insistent on bringing Xeight along.


    There were also instructions on how to set traps with the many different weapon devices, not to mention, details on how to counter similar weapons.


    Despite his lack of interest in the war, Xeight intuitively had a grasp of all these puzzle pieces. The more Zseven read, the more horror he felt within his heart. This grandson of his had included highly unethical strategies as well. He came to the realization that it was a good thing for Xeight to have minimal interest in the war.


    ETA to Vesta is one hour. Activating stealth mode.


    The lights in the starship dimmed as the system entered a status of energy conservation, in a bid to restrain all traces of EM waves from the ship. The X-alloy on its black pearl surface also quickly began dissipating any traces of heat.


    ____________________________________________________________________________


    Unidentified Space, June 23, 1000 Solar Era


    Five sand red starships with Mars¡¯s symbol floated in empty space.


    At the very center was a starship three times the size of Starship Oneiroi. It consisted of three hexagonal tubes combined tightly against each other.


    To its side was a ship similar in size to Starship Oneiroi. The three remaining ships were half the size.


    ¡°Vice-admiral Zheng. The T3ST unit has entered the outskirts of Vesta.¡± A uniformed man saluted as he relayed the information.


    When Mars had initially announced its independence, the Earth Federation had concentrated whatever forces it had in the belt on Ceres and Vesta. Until now, Mars had taken no action against these two key terran resource points in the belt, but the martians had taken hold of quite a few of the smaller resource points.


    ¡°Prepare to jump to Ceres. Any signs of Ceres dispatching troops to reinforce Vesta yet?¡±


    ¡°No sir.¡± It was Ensign Khan stood beside the captain¡¯s seat who replied.


    ¡°Good. That must mean that Vesta has yet to detect their approach. Any information on the Earth Federation Nexarm Special Forces?¡±


    ¡°They were delayed by a week. Their last known activity is lunar training.¡±


    ¡°Good! We will wait for Ceres to reinforce Vesta. Maintain combat readiness and the warp drive primed.¡±


    ¡°Yes, vice-admiral.¡±

 Ch17: No Blinking

    Vesta, The Belt, June 23, 1000 Solar Era.


    Bridgehead of Starship Oneiroi.


    ¡°This adjusted mission plan¡­¡± muttered Enine. ¡°Very well.¡±


    It might be inexplicable that someone like Xeight could improve such military endeavors. However, there has not been a space war or any major ground war for a thousand years. Especially not with the use of the neuro circlet system. This was very much a time of intuition.


    ¡°Coordinator. Execute this plan.¡±


    ¡°Yes, grand elder.¡± Asix began relaying and coordinating with the combat unit that controlled the many weapon clusters on board the Starship Oneiroi.


    ¡°Have we finished building an image of Vesta¡¯s defense based on our sensory analysis?¡±


    ¡°Yes, grand elder.¡±


    ¡°Attention crew. The mission will now commence.¡±


    ¡°Deploying diffractive cloud.¡± Asix intoned.


    In the hangar of Starship Oneiroi.


    ¡°T3ST-NEX unit. Setting off.¡±


    Many neuro devices had attached itself to the three nexarm units, giving them a weapon porcupine look. This was to make it significantly easier to transport these weapons onto Vesta. Launching each piece of neuro armament device to reach the resource base was far more complicated.


    Both Bone and Yfour had thirty-four channels, while Zseven had thirty-two. Xeight was very much a sudden anomaly with his forty-two channels. Some of these channels are used by the integrated sensory systems in the nexarm itself.


    On another note, certain systems could not be attached to the nexarm, such as the drone swarms. As such, they had to be delivered separately to their destination.


    ¡°Launching drone swarms to destination.¡± Around ten containers shot off into space towards the bright-white Vesta one after another.


    ¡°Nexarm Bull. Launching.¡±


    ¡°Nexarm Skull. Launching.¡±


    ¡°Nexarm Eel. Launching.¡±


    A launchrail shot the three units forth towards Vesta.


    ¡°Remember to restrain your energy usage so we remain in the dark. The starship will help give us cover.¡± Senior Zseven was mostly worried about Bone, who he felt lacked necessary restraint. Perhaps the stealth mode on the Nexarms would compensate for that.


    In the bridgehead, Starship Oneiroi.


    The starship began slightly tilting downwards relative to Vesta. It stabilized itself in a position where the front of the decagonal tube form pointed directly below the asteroid that is Vesta.


    This slightly slanted position essentially placed the top surface of the ship at a fifteen degrees angle towards Vesta.


    ¡°Target-lock all potential defensive sites.¡±


    ¡°Yes, grand elder. Target locking.¡±


    ¡°Begin firing railguns!¡±


    ¡°Fire!¡±


    The railgun on the top surface of the starship was already primed and with a sizzle of electric release, a large kinetic round was launched.


    ¡°Rotate!¡±


    The starship rotated thirty-six degrees such that a second surface of the decagonal tube was on top.


    ¡°Fire!¡± A second railgun launched a second kinetic round.


    Starship Oneiroi had ten railguns, each attached to a different surface of the decagonal tube that is the starship. In this slightly slanted position facing Vesta, the starship could rotate on its long axis in space, allowing the railguns to fire and take a rest to cool down before firing again. This slanted position also allowed the railguns to be able to adjust their aim at whatever target on Vesta that they needed to hit.


    By now, five railguns had fired, each targeting a different military facility.


    ¡°Missile barrage!¡±


    Many lids on the starships¡¯ side opened and missiles flew out and looped towards Vesta.


    ¡°Barrage!¡±


    Numerous turrets appeared and began firing without necessary proper aim as the starship continued rotating in space for the railguns to continue firing. These turrets weren¡¯t meant to be all that threatening from such a range, but it served to ¡®lightly¡¯ pepper the defensive areas to limit mobility of forces.


    After a minute of this barrage. Enine stood up from his seat.


    ¡°Blind them! Laser systems, fire!¡±


    A few lasers fired and struck the previously set up diffractive cloud. Instantly, all the sensors on the ship turned static as the EM waves that bounced within that cloud completely blocked all their senses.


    Meanwhile, Xeight had released many drone swarms. He did not activate any projectile or laser weapon devices, as there was more than enough fire power on board Starship Oneiroi. Instead he had picked a spherical type of drone swarm.


    With his forty-two neuro channels, he could effectively control twenty-one swarms. He did not need to control each drone individually-- He simply needed to direct the swarm, and an AI would coordinate the drones within each swarm. All these swarms also provided sensory feedback and functioned as Xeight¡¯s eyes.


    Currently, twenty-one swarms wrapped themselves as various hovering defense shields around Starship Oneiroi. Xeight¡¯s nexarm \remained inside the hangar-- he had no need to exit the hangar to control these drone swarms. Now, if he did not have the nexarm, he would not be able to control these swarms from such a far distance.


    Grand Elder Enine repeatedly ordered the crew to laser the diffractive cloud as the railguns continued firing in the general direction of Vesta.


    They could no longer accurately determine the target. The diffractive cloud, when hit by the laser systems both blinded themselves and the opponent.


    However, that would not stay the same, for Xeight soon maneuvered a number of his swarms past and around the diffractive cloud. Thus, he was able to see anything approaching from Vesta. He further set up many of these swarms in layers that would further protect Starship Oneiroi.


    He soon noticed quite a few railguns on Vesta that pointed towards their direction, and activated the tracking systems on the sphere swarms.


    ¡°Asix. Xeight here. The swarms past the blind have been set up and will track any projectiles. Linking tracking system to you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Xeight.¡±


    At that very moment, a railgun fired at their location. Blinded as Vesta was, they managed to get a pretty good guess at their location due to luck.


    ¡°Laser defense systems. Fire!¡±


    In response, intense lasers at the front of Starship Oneiroi combined an intense laser beam along the predicted path of the projectile of this enemy railgun.


    The heat from the laser struck the round immediately after it traveled past the blind, and softened that round to the point where it flattened as a thick fluid and deflected off the slanted x-alloy hull of the starship.


    Meanwhile, Xeight¡¯s sphere swarms¡¯ integrated sensory systems also began providing coordinates that the starship itself originally could not target-lock due to the blind in place.


    Asix once again began coordinating the starship¡¯s combat unit to fire accurately at these targets.


    The defenses on Vesta did the same as the starship. They, too, attempted to use high-powered lasers to melt kinetic projectiles or detonate any missiles.


    However, their success rate was significantly lower, seeing as they were unable to predict the path of projectiles-- Unlike Starship Oneiroi, they did not have devices on the other side of the blind that could track the position and angle of the opposing side¡¯s weapons.


    Through those spherical swarms, Xeight noticed a rather¡­ funny scene. Someone defending Vesta had idiotically decided to fire a missile at one of their approaching missiles. These missiles had competent AI-directed functions. The result was that the missile fired from Starship Oneiroi made adjustments to its flight path to loop around and hit the target from another angle. This resulted in the defending missile attempting to change trajectory to chase after the other missile.


    It quite naturally failed. This was precisely why the laser defense system was so important, as the AI on missile systems would struggle to respond in time.


    It was under this artillery bombardment that Senior Zseven, Bone and Yfour landed onto Vesta.


    The very moment they landed, the weapons attached to their nexarms separated themselves. Each of these devices was powered by an e-cube for their energy source, and they began spreading out.


    The surface of Vesta was rather open but had quite a number of military facilities spread throughout in clusters.


    ¡°The terran military center is in that identified location on our shared navigation. Let us be about it.¡±


    Bone¡¯s devices covered the conal area of their travel direction, while Yfour covered the back right and Zseven covered the back left. Combined, their devices were rather dense in concentration and would notice any approaching enemies.


    They weren¡¯t particularly scared of friendly fire from Starship Oneiroi. The nexarms were fully capable of taking a few hits from kinetic rounds and would even recover given time for the collision energy to dissipate. Internal nanobots also provided emergency repair if needed.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    This was not the same for the terran defense force.


    The current terran defense force on Vesta had no nexarms. The closest thing they had were large mechanized exo-armors around five meters tall.


    A defender had noticed the three¡¯s neuro devices perched everywhere and but his attempt to notify command was quickly foiled when a single kinetic round shattered his exosuit.


    All the devices that were connected to this defender¡¯s exosuit immediately powered down on their user¡¯s death.


    ¡°Bone. Where did two of your crab swarms go?¡± Zseven suddenly noticed some of Bone¡¯s neuro devices missing.


    ¡°Senior. I sent them to the civilian area. You never quite know who¡¯s in charge of the police force on Vesta. They might assist the military.¡±


    That was certainly not in the plan. Not in the adjusted or the original mission plan sent to them by Mars.


    In the terran military command center on Vesta.


    ¡°Commander! We are unable to target-lock the enemy, They have a blind!¡±


    ¡°How are they striking us so accurately?¡±


    ¡°Swarms, Madam! There¡¯s layers of them between us and the blind!¡±


    ¡°Immediately set up a blind in between us and these swarms! I will be requesting backup from Ceres!¡±


    Commander Zulu would love it if she could position swarms behind the blind, such that she could see the attacking ship properly. That was unrealistic-- there was no way for her to quickly break through the layers of spherical swarms that Xeight had already set up.


    ______________________________________________________________________


    EFSS in orbit around Earth, June 23, 1000 Solar Era


    ¡°Sorry, Commander Zulu.¡± Admiral Petrov was staunch. ¡°We are unable to provide any support. You may not care about my reasons, but I believe it necessary that you understand my position. I grew up in an orbital colony and have somewhat interacted with the martian fleet.¡±


    ¡°Historically, more often than not, the martian fleet only truly fought when they had a significant advantage. That is why their past skirmishes with the belt¡¯s pirates often involved either running or chasing, and never anything in between.¡±


    ¡°I cannot risk losing Ceres. It is my belief that Ceres would be attacked if I were to mobilize forces from there. Protect your soldiers¡¯ lives. The EFSF is in a state of rapid expansion. We will not forget your contribution. You may be a prisoner of war for some time, but not for long.¡±


    The man saluted as he ended his message. This message would take a bit over twenty minutes to reach Vesta. By the time this message reaches Commander Zulu, close to an hour would have passed.


    ¡°Is the construction near completion?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Three S-class ships are nearing completion. Five A-class ships are in the final testing stages. Many B and C-class ships are already ready. Thank you, compatriots. I will leave the rest to neurorevo reps.¡± The words came from a man of a similar appearance to James MacLeod. He was George MacLeod. The surrounding representatives all nodded with joyous smiles.


    The starships¡¯ construction efforts were only so quick with the cooperation of most of the orbital colonies. Once the rapidly trained EFSF forces occupied these new state-of-the-art starships¡­ there will be a reckoning.


    Originally, many wanted to find fault with the Kasvallian Group¡¯s lack of contribution. However, the Kasvallian Group had shown up eventually and announced their intention to rebuild Warsaw. Thus, those complaints became void.


    This also played a role in Admiral Petrov¡¯s decision. Commander Zulu¡¯s message indicated there was an A-class starship, no doubt, stolen from Neurorevo. One ship? The martian fleet must be elsewhere, silently waiting!


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    Unidentified Space, June 23, 1000 Solar Era


    ¡°Any movement?¡± Vice-admiral Zheng furrowed his brows.


    ¡°None, sir.¡¯ Khan replied. ¡°The battle has started. Ceres should have been notified and begun moving.¡±


    ¡°Is our buoy defective?¡±


    ¡°No, sir. Our multiple buoys observing Ceres are all functioning properly.¡±


    ¡°Wait a while longer.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ____________________________________________________________________________


    Vesta, The Belt, June 23, 1000 Solar Era


    ¡°Commander. Our diffractive blind is ineffective. They are still hitting our missile launch systems accurately. They have chosen to ignore our railguns.¡±


    Commander Zulu was perturbed. Their diffractive shield should have¡­ it was then that she realized. The enemy must also have eyes on the surface of Vesta.


    Indeed, that was so. Zseven had long sent his crab swarms, much more suited for the surface compared to the spherical swarms, to many high points on top of the defense structures on Vesta. These swarms had long been transmitting their data to Starship Oneiroi.


    Combined with the Xeight¡¯s sphere swarms that now laid in the area between the two blinds, Asix was able to perfectly coordinate offense and defense with precision.


    ¡°Ground squad! Report status!¡± Commander Zulu anxiously yelled.


    ¡°Commander. This is Lieutenant Benoit. We¡¯ve lost a few members but we haven¡¯t detected any enemies on the surface. It¡¯s likely some of them were unlucky and got hit by a few stray kinetic rounds or shower pellets. I will rendezvous with--¡± The connection was suddenly cut off and only static noise could be heard.


    Commander Zulu balled her fists. The enemy had definitely reached the surface.


    In another area on Vesta.


    It was almost too easy. An absolute cakewalk. The nexarms designed for space naturally had an incredibly long-ranged connection to their neuro devices, in addition to their x-alloy plates that provided defense and stealth qualities.


    This made it impossible for the defensive ground force to detect the three invaders with their neuro devices before getting struck by any sniper systems being operated by Bone, Yfour, or Zseven.


    The detection systems built into the military complex would have normally detected their presence. However, the initial barrage from Starship Oneiroi had caused untold damage to these systems. The follow-up and continuing barrages with the EM-wave screen certainly made it worse for the commander trying to organize the defense.


    User. We have been detected.


    Bone chuckled at the notification from the nexarm¡¯s AI. He had been expecting this, but to think that the detection systems on Vesta had been so extensively crippled in but a few barrages. Either it was luck or Asix¡¯s coordination skill. Or possibly the technology of the new starship.


    He spotted another meandering enemy exo-armor. A single kinetic round and the five meter exo armored soldier was promptly pulverized, and all the neuro devices attached to said soldier promptly disabled.


    With much of the ground force already downed, vast areas of the defense built on these pilots controlling multiple neuro devices over their own individual zones became practically defenseless zones. If they had even survived for a few seconds extra, they might have been able to notify the others. But their exo-armors, which weren¡¯t constructed with the x-alloy, were simply outdated for this day and age of battles in space.


    Bone¡¯s senses discovered that the enemy had finally organized themselves properly. The detection of his unit had allowed the defending side to rally six five-meter tall exo-armors together. He attempted to strike the group but the six exo-armors split apart and began maneuvering towards their location while performing a non-uniform zigzagging motion with their thrusters, making it difficult to strike them accurately.


    ¡°Bone!¡± Senior Zseven sounded frantic through the comms. ¡°We need to stealth our units. With our sensory and detection advantage, we can maintain our distance and stall them out. Their energy supplies will quickly be drained performing this dodging maneuver.¡±


    ¡°Senior Zseven,¡± Bone sighed. ¡°No disrespect, but there¡¯s no need to play this safe! I will meet them head-on! There¡¯s barely any area to hide in anyway!¡±


    The buildings on the surface of Vesta were purely for military use. They were sparse facility clusters spread across the surface.


    ¡°Let¡¯s perform this maneuver that Xeight placed into the mission plan!¡±


    Although Senior Zseven was supposed to lead the team, he had to admit he was not at all experienced in combat. He always saw his role as protecting the youngsters that had been trained for this. Thus, he agreed to Bone¡¯s approach.


    The three lined up with Bone in front and engaged their thrusters towards one target, as they lightly tapped against the surface of Vesta.


    A kinetic round suddenly came flying from the front, but Bone only tilted his nexarm slightly as the round deflected off the plate.


    Suddenly, multiple holes in the ground opened up in front of them to reveal a multitude of turrets! They began rapid-firing at the three.


    ¡°Did I not say that this was not a good idea?!¡± Zseven yelled.


    ¡°Shut up and switch!¡±


    Bone¡¯s unit slowed and moved to the rear of their line. His nexarm quickly dissipated the heat from the turret rounds as Zseven¡¯s unit now took the brunt of the heat.


    Their sniper devices perched on some buildings began firing, and the stationary turrets were rather easy targets.


    They kept rotating and angling themselves such that the nexarm at the front would take most of the rounds before switching to the back to recover. Soon, all surrounding turrets were destroyed, and Bone drew a vibrating dagger from the back of his nexarm, and with a single swing, the exo-armor they were aiming for was sliced in half, including the body of the man inside.


    That soldier quite literally had his body dissected at the waist, and his internal organs spilled and steamed upon contact with the ice cold space environment.


    Soon a second soldier and his exo-armor were split apart, but he laughed maniacally as he died., ¡°Your snipers are done!¡±


    Bone stared into this man¡¯s dying eyes with a mocking expression. Were they?


    The other four soldiers had directed swarms that they controlled to seek out the sniper systems that Bone, Yfour and Zseven had hidden.


    However, Bone, Yfour and Zseven had long positioned their crab swarms to protect the sniper systems!


    The three¡¯s crab swarms completely dissipated their enemy swarm. Seeing as the three had over thirty neuro channels, the number of swarms they controlled far outstripped even the combined swarms of the remaining four soldiers. These normal terran soldiers only had, on average, six-to-eight neuro channels.


    In a short five minutes, all these soldiers met their demise at the three nexarm units¡¯ dagger blades. A few even began accelerating their exo-armor away in panic, only to be struck by a kinetic round. They had forgotten the necessity to perform irregular maneuvers to avoid being hit.


    As such, the military command center on Vesta soon found itself also surrounded by many crab swarms and sniper systems that began bombarding the facility alongside the continuing barrage from Starship Oneiroi.


    A white flag was quickly raised above the military center.


    Out walked Commander Zulu of the EFSF followed by the remaining lieutenants directly under her command, all in their spacesuits.


    Commander Zulu had just received the message from Admiral Petrov.


    She raised her head and the three nexarms opened communications through the neuro circlet system to the EFSF comms.


    ¡°We surrender.¡± Commander Zulu bit her lips as she gazed at the three dominating twenty-meters tall nexarms.


    A lieutenant added, ¡°we expect proper treatment as prisoners of war.¡±


    At this moment, another voice sounded through.


    ¡°Commander¡­ Commander! A swarm of crab automatons have killed fifty civilians!¡±


    The row of lieutenants following Commander Zulu immediately began yelling obscenities into their connected comms.


    ¡°You murderers! Civilians are non-combatants!!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t deserve this resource node, you son of--¡±


    A shadow of a large hand descended and the man was instantly crushed into pulp, his crimson blood splattering onto the frozen compatriots to his sides.


    ¡°I, Bone, and my people, have suffered years in the belt. So what if a few of these civilians died? They deserve it. They had occupied such an important resource point and never given any assistance to us! If they had rebelled, then I would see them in a better light!¡±


    ¡°Bone, those crab swarms that disappeared earlier¡­ you¡­¡±


    ¡°Senior Zseven. You¡¯ve seen the friends that had grown up with you die simply because their bodies failed due to the experiments done on our ancestors. These¡­ these rats that continue to stay on Earth¡¯s side even when Mars and so many in the belt are in revolt. This is their true face. Don¡¯t you understand? If we have suffered for so many generations, what if a few of these rats, who continue to stay on Earth¡¯s side, died? They only deserve it! A thousand times over!¡±


    ___________________________________________________________________________


    Unidentified Space, June 23, 1000 Solar Era


    ¡°Vice-admiral. There continues to be no movement from Ceres.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Perhaps, they are simply waiting.¡±


    ¡°Vice-admiral! Vesta has been taken!¡±


    ¡°What?! With the mission plan we gave them, it should have taken longer. Perhaps that would have eventually drawn the indecisive in Ceres to reinforce Vesta!¡±


    ¡°Sir,¡± Khan muttered. ¡°I do believe we never indicated to them that they were to intentionally drag out their attack on Vesta.¡±


    Vice-admiral Zheng sighed. Indeed, they had not expected the T3ST unit to win. They had expected Ceres to reinforce Vesta, which should have placed the T3ST unit on the backfoot and thus firmly under their thumb. At the same time, they would be able to take Ceres while those EFSF troops remain mired at Vesta.


    With the T3ST unit¡¯s victory, Ceres now certainly would not reinforce Vesta.


    ¡°To Vesta. Let us set up a new line of defense there.¡±

 Ch18: Xeights Needle

    Vesta, The Belt, June 23, 1000 Solar Era


    Commander Zulu and her few remaining lieutenants had their neuro circlets confiscated and bodies searched for weapons. They were then escorted aboard Starship Oneiroi.


    Commander Zulu was rather curious about the new neurorevo-designed A-class starship, but it was the sight of Jen that flabbergasted her.


    ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re Jennifer MacLeod!¡± She exclaimed, stopping the escort in their tracks. ¡°My fiance on Earth stated that he saw you at yesterday¡¯s ball! You¡­ how are you here?!¡±


    Bone became impatient-- he was the one leading the escort.


    ¡°Keep moving! She has always been here!¡± He pointed the barrel of his pistol and intimidated Commander Zulu to continue walking. These remaining EFSF soldiers were promptly imprisoned in the brig.


    Meanwhile, Senior Zseven was in the EFSF military center, recalibrating all the remaining defense on Vesta to serve their needs.


    Shortly, five martian ships cruised into the vicinity of Vesta, having jumped to safe space relatively close to the resource transfer node. They quickly descended into the docking bay of Vesta that Starship Oneiroi was already resupplying at.


    By Vice-admiral Zheng stood not only Khan, but also another man in an exosuit. This man was Lieutenant Jacobs, an ace nexarm pilot under Vice-admiral Laurent. Vice-admiral Zheng had been chosen by Admiral Sullivan for this mission, and Vice-admiral Laurent had expressed that he deserved to have a share of the glory. Thus, Lieutenant Jacobs had accompanied them here on his B-class starship.


    If anyone observed closely, they would easily notice Lieutenant Jacobs marching confidently at a distance from Vice-admiral Zheng. Zheng had no personal conflict with Jacobs, but he had quite a number of disagreements with Vice-admiral Laurent on the very core of their ideology and methods. Jacobs was clearly a man that belonged to Laurent.


    ¡°Grand Elder Enine!¡± Zheng saluted the T3ST colony¡¯s leader who was already waiting on the docks for him.


    Enine saluted awkwardly in return. He was no military man.


    They entered a private room in the docking facility and removed their helmets. Their feet stuck to the ground thanks to the technology on their spaceboots. If they entered deeper into the civilian area within Vesta, they would no longer have to rely on these boots with the existence of the artificial gravity within, created from a combination of rotating mechanisms and electrically-induced field.


    ¡°Any complications?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Enine creased his forehead. He hadn¡¯t quite expected this complication. ¡°The civilians operating Vesta are in protest.¡±


    ¡°The cause? They have no reason to dislike us.¡±


    ¡°This.¡± Enine slid a hologram that presented 3D image and reports. ¡°One of my sons recklessly sent a few crab swarms inside the civilian area¡­¡±


    ¡°You adjusted the mission plan for this?!¡± Zheng was exasperated at the turn of events. The original mission plan had clearly stated not to threaten the civilians. They needed them on their side.


    ¡°Well, we did adjust the plan to suit our combat personnel. But no. One of our nexarm pilots independently decided to send a few swarms in. I¡¯m ashamed to say it was one of my sons.¡±


    ¡°Not the one who wishes to avoid combat, surely?¡±


    ¡°The other.¡±


    Zheng took a deep breath and exhaled, his cheeks expanding in frustration. Deep down, he had a feeling that the T3ST unit would cause issues. They weren¡¯t actual military personnel. But Mars needed them for their ability to control an extravagant number of neuro devices.


    ¡°Vice-admiral,¡± Lieutenant Jacobs was nonchalant. ¡°Just inform the protestors that this was committed by a volunteer group from the belt not fully under martian control. This is actually perfect.¡±


    ¡°Bone, was it?¡± Jacobs had screened the T3ST colony when that information was on Vice-admiral Laurent¡¯s desk. ¡°In fact, let him go free and etch fear upon these people. We martians will be the saviors.¡±


    Zheng, Khan and Enine all frowned. Grand Elder Enine certainly had no desire to be turned into a scapegoat for Mars. At the same time, he could not speak out, with Bone being his son and the cause of this complication.


    ¡°We will do as Lieutenant Jacobs says. Grand Elder. Ensure to keep Bone in check in the future. How are the current defenses?¡±


    Vice-admiral Zheng spent the next thirty minutes obtaining all the information on the battle as well as Vesta that the T3ST unit had collected.


    When the three began returning to their ship, Jacobs veered off towards Starship Oneiroi.


    ¡°Jacobs?¡±


    ¡°Vice-admiral. I¡¯m just curious. They say that one of the nexarm units is malfunctioning and only one-in-ten can activate it. Rumors have it that only someone special can control it. The primary pilot doesn¡¯t even wish to fight! Right now, we Mars have four units and this¡­ T3ST unit have four as well. We should have five. It was not wise to gift the T3ST colony a total of four units.¡±


    This was precisely why Zheng did not get along with Laurent. Vice-admiral Laurent thought in such fashion as well, and the officers promoted under him shared this style of thinking.


    Normally, he would reject this request, but Zheng was rather torn. He was curious about that malfunctioning nexarm as well. At the same time, he feared that Jacobs would be a source of trouble and create friction with the T3ST unit.


    ¡°Lieutenant. This is an order. Do not board the T3ST unit¡¯s ship.¡±


    Jacobs stopped in his tracks and his face contorted for a second before returning to normal.


    ¡°Yes, vice-admiral.¡± His fists clenched in dissatisfaction as he returned to his B-class ship.


    Zheng and his right-hand Khan returned to their triple-barrel S-class starship and called for a meeting of their key officials and officers. The state of Vesta was relayed and the public relations officer on board was sent to publicly communicate with Vesta¡¯s inhabitants.


    The martians were to deflect the blame onto the T3ST unit. The T3ST unit were to immediately leave Vesta and Bone would be punished appropriately. The issue was Bone was only a volunteer member and did not even fall under martian command.


    The public relations officer resolved to ¡®make something up¡¯ and decided to claim that certain EFSF spies had chosen to escape into Vesta and hide among civilians, the true cause of the swarms being sent into Vesta. Thus, as long as Bone did not appear for a few subsequent battles, no one would realize that it was rather unlikely for the T3ST unit to persecute him in any substantial way.


    Zheng scrubbed his hands clean in the restroom before readjusting his uniform and re-equipping his exosuit before activating his comms.


    ¡°Khan.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir?¡±


    ¡°Go and check on Jacobs.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    He returned to the bridgehead and motioned for the ship to use its outstanding functions to start a connection with the far-off martian command.


    Before he could even activate a connection, Khan¡¯s frantic voice sounded in his ears.


    ¡°Vice-admiral! Jacobs boarded the T3ST¡¯s starship!¡±


    Zheng immediately rose back to his feet.


    On Starship Oneiroi.


    Jacobs had boarded the ship in his exosuit. The T3ST members on the ship glanced quizzically at the man, but they continued about their day knowing of their cooperation with the martians.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the malfunctioning nexarm?¡±


    ¡°That way,¡± A passing engineer pointed in the direction of the hangar. ¡°But it¡¯s best not to try anything with the unit. Honestly, not even us engineers understand why it only functions for specific pilots. For all you know, the whole neuro-frame might go haywire the next moment.¡±


    Jacobs¡¯ was a B-class starship. Thus, he didn¡¯t fully know his way around an A-class ship yet. Vice-admiral Zheng had not bothered to give him a tour of the other ships. Otherwise, he would not have needed these people¡¯s directions.


    Jacobs scoffed in his mind. These belt folks are just a means-to-an-end. Once they defeat the terrans, the belt¡¯s inhabitants would simply have to continue mining resources. Mars citizenship? Citizens must contribute.


    He entered the hangar and found his sight sweeping across four docked nexarms. He only had eyes for one unit in particularly-- the unit that was slightly bulkier due to mining tools that remained hidden within its compartments. That was naturally Nexarm Chimera.


    He strode confidently towards his target, and as he slotted his foot into the hook that lifted him up towards the cockpit, an engineer finally noticed him.


    ¡°Hey! You¡¯re not allowed in here!¡±


    It was too late.


    Jacobs jumped into the cockpit. He would take this nexarm back to the martian forces. Its pilot wasn¡¯t even interested in fighting the war!


    He attempted to sync his neuro circlet to the nexarm.


    User connected.


    He grinned and bid the nexarm to walk forward¡­ only to receive no response. The unit remained in a complete standstill. It was as if he hadn¡¯t given any neuro commands to the unit at all!


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    He had never encountered this with the unit given to him.


    ¡°Move, damned unit!¡± He stood from his seat and moved around the cockpit slamming his hands against the spherical surface in hopes that the unit would suddenly obey his commands.


    Then, he thought of how the T3ST unit¡¯s members would laugh at him if he were to leave without forcing this unit to move,and began hammering down on the spherical cockpit even harder.


    User¡¯s mental function unstable. Mental Evaluation is recommended.


    The phrase said with the AI voice of the nexarm fully enraged Jacobs. However, before he could even react to the provocative recommendation, the cockpit door swung open and a strong intake of air through vents that had opened within the spherical cockpit flushed Jacob out the wide open door.


    Jacobs forcefully activated the spider arms of his exo-suit, which sprung out and wrapped around his body. The slightly elastic nature of the spider arms barely saved the man from injury as he landed and rolled a few meters across the ground.


    Perhaps if he calmly left the cockpit, no one would have mocked him or it. All the engineers knew of the odd malfunction.


    Yet, to see how he was shot out of the cockpit in such a miserable state¡­ Quite a few engineers who happened to see the sight clutched their bellies as they uncontrollably laughed out loud.


    The hangar suddenly shook, vibrating the visions of every personnel on Starship Oneiroi. Many felt as if they were standing directly above an earthquake. That only continued for a few seconds.


    When Jacobs steadied himself by aligning his vision with the ground, he shockingly noticed the shadow of a large foot over his very own figure. He instinctively side-rolled and barely avoided being crushed by Nexarm Chimera¡¯s foot.


    The shaking earlier had loosened the equipment keeping the nexarm locked safely in their docking bay within the hanger!


    Nexarms had certain internal functions that would auto-activate to keep it standing. In attempting to balance itself after the ¡®earthquake¡¯, the nexarm¡¯s foot had nearly crushed Jacobs, who had been previously expelled to a position close to its feet.


    ¡°Sorry all.¡± A voice drawled through the ship¡¯s comms. ¡°Did not expect that to happen when I tested the mega-particle beam cannon.¡±


    Despite the internal earthquake, the engineers resumed whisperings in each others¡¯ ears while sharing secretive chuckles, having rather enjoyed the unexpected excitement after their dour resupplying work day.


    Jacobs grinded his upper and lower jaws against one another. He was the ace pilot of the martian forces! To have nearly been flattened by a nexarm¡¯s foot due to the idiocy of this colony¡¯s personnel on top of being flung out by the nenxarm¡­


    Jacobs lost his head. He withdrew a pistol that instantly quietened the engineers, all backing away in fear.


    Jen had been notified of some interloper that had attempted to control Xeight¡¯s unit, and had only just arrived at the hangar.


    ¡°Oi, you! What do you think you¡¯re doing!¡± She yelled at who she perceived to be a madman.


    Jacobs swung the pistol in Jen¡¯s direction. ¡°You are?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the nexarm¡¯s engineer!¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re the bitch who programmed the AI to reject my commands! Now, reprogram this unit so it can be of real use to the war effort! You can even become the martian ace pilot¡¯s personal engineer!¡± He had begun to attract quite a crowd with his hysteria.


    ¡°You dimwit! We haven¡¯t even diagnosed what the issue with it is!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make shit up! I give a neuro command. It follows it! How hard can it be!¡± Jacobs believed that these engineers were mocking him. It was just a neuro signal! The system would receive the signal and activate the movement on the nexarm and the accompanying devices!


    ¡°Here!¡± Jacobs violently grabbed a random engineer that was trembling with his hands over his head. ¡°If you don¡¯t fix the programming, this engineer will lose his head!¡±


    ¡°We really have no idea you--¡±


    ¡°After this engineer is dead, there will be another! I will clean this whole place of you filth until you fix that nexarm unit!¡±


    ¡°Drop your weapon!¡± Xeight appeared. He was also in his exosuit with the spider arms extended, and he, too, held a pistol which he pointed directly at Jacobs.


    ¡°Oh please.¡± Jacobs was not at all concerned with the pistol being pointed at him. ¡°All of you are only here because of us martians. Even if I were to kill a few of you, at worst I¡¯d just get reprimanded! You¡¯re nothing! Now, if you were to even attack me, my vice-admiral will ensure that one day your single colony will pay the price!¡±


    ¡°I suppose you are right,¡± Xeight replied as he lowered his weapon. ¡°And yet. You need us. Look at you. Pointing a pistol at an unarmed non-combatant. A wretched coward borne of a bitch¡¯s wide-open legs. You should transfer more nexarms to our T3ST unit. They are wasted on those of your ilk. What was it that terrans said about you martians¡­? Even with increased oxygen, after you treat the rust outside, you only find brains as smooth as polished iron.¡±


    Xeight rarely partook in games of insults. Luckily, James MacLeod had passed on a few to him.


    ¡°I dare you to shoot, coward.¡± He scoffed at Jacobs as he turned and declared to his compatriots. ¡°This is the true face of Mars! Do you see clearly now?!¡±


    Jacobs¡¯s mind short-circuited as if to prove Xeight¡¯s words to be true. Little did Xeight know that¡­ Jacobs was fatherless through his upbringing.


    He maniacally repeatedly pulled the trigger on his pistol.


    Xeight was prepared. He had never expected this man to show up, but in his mind, this was a golden opportunity and thus he pounced. His sensory devices within the exosuit had long been observing Jacobs¡¯ every twitch of the muscle.


    He wasn¡¯t entirely sure how many neuro channels Jacobs had, so he couldn¡¯t be certain how many different functions of the exosuit the martian could activate. Regardless, he had full confidence in himself, having piloted a nexarm for much of his life.


    His exquisite control over his spider arms and his connectedness to his sensory devices allowed him to quite literally predict every single movement made by Jacobs. His sensing of initial electrical activation within the very cells of Jacobs¡¯ body allowed him to see into the ¡®future¡¯.


    Perhaps Jacobs would have similarly accurate predictions of Xeight¡¯s body if Jacobs had as detailed data from as many neuro sensory ports. He did not.


    Xeight had pulled out two pistols, one in each hand, and began firing. Jacobs, too, was dual-wielding pistols.


    Meanwhile, the eight spider arms of the two blocked the wave of bullets by relying on trajectory predictions, formed from the data received from the sensory devices activated within the space exosuits.


    The surrounding engineers rapidly stepped back and a few that happened to have been given exosuit stood in front to ward off any stray projectiles with their own spider arms.


    The difference between the two soon showed. A bullet slipped past Jacobs¡¯ spider arms and struck his space helmet. The glass-like material cracked slightly, but it would take many bullets to pierce the visor.


    Xeight was relentless. Eight mini-lasers detached from the back of the exosuit and began zapping heat beams at Jacobs. He was already being conservative-- after all, his upper limit was twenty-one total motor devices.


    Jacobs responded, but he only managed to activate six. Combined with the eight spider arms, that meant Jacobs had fourteen motor devices and fourteen sensory devices, amounting up to a total of twenty-eight neuro channels.


    The martian finally realized he was outmatched.


    ¡°You must be Bone!¡± Xeight¡¯s reputation of not desiring combat had spread to the martian military. It was also estimated by the martians that Bone supposedly could control just over thirty total devices-- the current eight arms and eight lasers classified as motor devices aligned with that information.


    Xeight did not respond. He accelerated his rate of firing frantically, giving off the image of a panicked man.


    ¡°Xeight!¡± Jen warned over the noise of firearms and laser beams.


    Xeight did not heed Jen¡¯s concern. His advantage with the laser beams allowed him to melt a few of Jacobs¡¯ spider arms a glowing red.


    Finally, Jacobs¡¯ spider arms¡¯ movement grew erratic with the damage sustained. On the other hand, Xeight¡¯s own spider arms, though warm, very much retained their function as he successfully alternated between the many different arms to balance the heat that came from Jacobs¡¯ lasers.


    ¡°Xeight! Stop!¡± Jen had an inkling of what was about to occur.


    Xeight ignored her plea and continued firing with his dual pistols despite Jacobs¡¯ defenses already having been shattered.


    A barrage of bullets struck Jacobs visor one after another.


    The martian was in disbelief. ¡°You--¡± His visor shattered and a number of bullets pierced his forehead in a rhythmic row.


    Jacobs¡¯ body crumbled backwards and his eight damaged spider arms opened wide spaceward as the six hovering laser devices dropped dead with a clanging percussion against the metal ground.


    ¡°Xeight¡­?¡± Jen murmured, petrified that Xeight was capable of such¡­ savagery.


    She gazed at sight, only to be stupefied by Xeight curled in a ball on the ground, seemingly trembling in fear.


    No¡­ The Xeight that she knew would not act in such a manner. This had to be¡­ some kind of masquerade, she reasoned. Her Xeight would never recklessly commit such an act of malice!


    It was then that Ensign Khan managed to finally catch up to the now-deceased Lieutenant Jacobs. She was much too late. She grimaced at the sight of the man¡¯s holed forehead and bloody helmet.


    The martian soldiers that accompanied Khan instantly drew their pistols and pointed it in every direction.


    ¡°Who did it?¡± Khan¡¯s voice trembled with both anger but also consternation.


    Everyone¡¯s eyes glanced at Xeight who was curled up in a shaking ball.


    ¡°We¡­ we will take him into our custody.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± The engineer who had been held hostage by Jacobs stood tall before Khan.


    ¡°What? A member of your colony has committed murder! This--¡±


    ¡°Your man threatened us first. Fired on us first. This hangar is under twenty-four seven surveillance. Is this the true face of Mars?!¡±


    All the engineers and those that had been drawn by the alteration suddenly found courage despite the barrels pointed at them and stood between Khan and the curled-up Xeight.


    Khan was now full of trepidation. Based on her minimal interaction with Jacobs, she already had a vague idea of what might have happened.


    This was a disaster in all aspects.


    ¡°Send us the surveillance data.¡± She pursed her lip. ¡°Take a stretcher and transport¡­ Jacobs out.¡± A number of soldiers initially hesitated but quickly moved when Khan demanded, ¡°Now!!¡±


    Two soldiers stayed completely stationary with their pistols still raised.


    ¡°You are just an Ensign and we are under Vice-admiral Laurent. If we have to forcibly--¡±


    ¡°Take them!¡± Khan finally understood why her mentor, Zheng, had so many disagreements with Vice-admiral Laurent.


    The other soldiers obeyed her. She might be just an Ensign, but every single soldier under Vice-admiral Zheng understood her position was quite unique in some sense.


    Her soldiers had raised their barrels onto the two Laurent soldiers that were unwilling to leave.


    It was then that these two soldiers understood that the rumors regarding Zheng and Laurent were not just surface level disagreements, but deep-rooted even within the soldiers of their forces.


    These two immediately dropped their weapons and Ensign Khan led the group away, and at the very least, temporarily resolved the crisis.


    ¡°Ensign Khan.¡± A rather mellow-voiced middle-aged soldier questioned, ¡°Are you certain that was the right choice?¡±


    Some in Khan¡¯s position might perceive such questioning to be an attack on one¡¯s judgment. Not Khan. It was not as if she hadn¡¯t been ridiculed by morons before. But, when she ¡®zoomed out¡¯ and examined all the times she had been questioned by her compatriots, more often than not, it was simply because some sincerely wished to understand the reasons for her choice.


    Granted, she had the chance to observe up close her own Vice-admiral Zheng butting heads against Vice-admiral Laurent at every single meeting. And she knew those incidents were no friendly banter. At the very least, her temperament developed under such influence.


    Anyhow, Khan knew of this soldier. He was Mendes, a steadfast man that had a reputation of remaining stoic in the most harrowing situations.


    ¡°Lieutenant Mendes.¡± Khan replied with zero hesitation. ¡°If we had acted, we would have completely alienated the whole belt. They know of the T3ST colony. If what they say is true, that surveillance data, if released, would reflect poorly on us. Our independence charge would collapse overnight. Unless you wish to completely erase the whole of T3ST colony.¡±


    ¡°Even then,¡± she added, ¡°there are members that are only half-members of the T3ST colony. Neurorevo sent a few engineers to assist them as well. They too, can easily leak the surveillance data. Even If we were to abandon our morals and erase them to cover up the altercation, if neurorevo discovers our actions¡­ our backdoor supply of weapons will vanish overnight as well.¡±


    ¡°We very nearly lost the war in that space of a few seconds.¡±


    Mendes and the other soldiers were reminded once again of why Vice-admiral Zheng valued Khan. But, there were certain things Khan could not do. Dealing with those two soldiers and their crew from the Laurent faction within the military, for example.


    Khan had a feeling that the single B-class Laurent starship crew would cause endless trouble under the current circumstances. Vice-admiral Zheng had described Vice-admiral Laurent¡¯s faction¡¯s line-of-thinking to be similar if not wholly that of a subjugated group-siege mentality.


    Her neuro circlet made a beeping noise, and Khan realized that she had just been sent the surveillance data of the incident. Khan hurried her feet and extended her strides. She needed to notify Vice-admiral Zheng of the incident immediately. This was something that had to be communicated face-to-face and discussed by those of a higher station.

 Ch19: Eyes Wide Open

    Vesta, The Belt, June 24, 1000 Solar Era.


    The incident sent alarm bells ringing. Two more S-class starships arrived at Vesta, one belonging to Admiral Sullivan, one to Vice-admiral Laurent.


    Sullivan, Laurent, Zheng and Enine convened in the military command room that used to belong to the EFSF on Vesta, with the three martians on one side and Enine alone on the other of a long rocky oval table carved from Vesta¡¯s material.


    ¡°You¡¯ve brought the members of the T3ST colony that has been assisting you with coordinating your ships?¡± Sullivan had already given an order for Laurent to return the colony¡¯s members.


    Sullivan was originally the other vice-admiral, and beat Laurent to the promotion. He knew of Laurent and the faction this man had built.


    He had thought that Laurent and his rancorous faction would be rather useful in an all-out war for Mars, especially if they were to end up in a position with their backs to a wall. He still believed this to be true, despite the implications of the incident-- as long as Laurent disciplined the members in his fleet properly.


    Regardless, he knew that leaving the T3ST colony¡¯s members with Laurent¡¯s faction would spell trouble. He knew that Laurent¡¯s faction would stand staunchly behind the fallen Jacobs.


    ¡°As you ordered, admiral,¡± replied Laurent expressionlessly in a monotonous voice.


    Both Zheng and Sullivan knew this man was fuming internally.


    ¡°I demand an answer and recompense. That man must stand trial!¡± Laurent immediately expressed his suppressed infuriation upon the four taking their seats.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous,¡± scoffed Enine in return. ¡°Have you seen the surveillance data? Have you?!¡±


    He flicked his fingers and the holographic terminal in the middle of the table projected the incident in clear frame-by-frame detail.


    ¡°Xeight doesn¡¯t even wish to fight. Some of you even think of him as a coward. Look here. Xeight clearly lowered his firearm. Yet, your man, Jacobs instead fired upon him! This is but a fight or flight reaction. Xeight obviously couldn¡¯t run from a bullet, and in a panicked self-preservation state, fought like a madman to protect himself!¡±


    The hologram had progressed to the point of Xeight curled, shaking relentlessly on the ground. ¡°See?! He¡¯s even trembling in fear after the deed!¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t even mentioned how your man, Jacobs, attempted to take the Nexarm unit. That unit wasn¡¯t even something recently gifted to our colony by Neurorevo at your behest. It had been placed at the T3ST colony for a decade, meant for harvesting the belt¡¯s resources!¡±


    ¡°It is not us who should be explaining ourselves. It is you, Vice-admiral Laurent, who should be explaining your lack of ability to train your soldiers with proper restraint! You are inept!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t pretend to be fool, Grand Elder Enine!¡± Laurent smashed his fist against the table as he stood up, his chair scraping backwards in unbridled fury. ¡°Your son quite clearly insulted my subordinate and provoked him!¡±


    ¡°This is the martian fleet?¡± Enine retorted and his voice even conveyed his disenchantment at the state of the martians. ¡°I had thought your soldiers capable of standing against the terrans. Yet, instead, all it took was a single insult, which in case you lack the intelligence to see, was a response to your man¡¯s attempt to take the nexarm unit!¡±


    ¡°Let me remind you!¡± Enine continued. ¡°It was your desire to make use of my genetically-enhanced members for war. It was you who gave us the extra three units to go alongside the old unit we had for a decade!¡±


    ¡°Hah! Big words, grand elder, but did your other son, Bone, not also send a few swarms of crab automations to kill over fifty of the civilian population? In my eyes, that seems worse!¡± Laurent, feeling somewhat suppressed, had no choice but to drag in the subject of Bone¡¯s actions.


    ¡°Bone¡¯s actions are irrelevant to the issue here. The issue is what happened to your man, Jacobs, and your incompetence at training him properly to be a soldier. As for the issue with Bone-- it was your decision to not provide military disciplinary training to my colony, fearing the terran¡¯s potential early discovery of your independence plans through the T3ST colony¡¯s member¡¯s overly orderly behavior!¡± Enine held no punches. Perhaps some would accuse him of protecting his sons. But, was he more wrong or more right?


    ¡°Please, calm yourselves,¡± Zheng interjected with a steady voice. ¡°We are allies. We Mars wish to fully govern ourselves and grand elder¡­ you are fully aware that due to your history of being genetically tested on by the terrans, the EFSF would be most interested in keeping you far from Earth or any influence of any sort.¡±


    ¡°Now, I¡¯m sure we can--¡±


    ¡°Vice-admiral Zheng. You seem to have conveniently left out a detail,¡± Enine interrupted. He then flicked his finger, and a hologram of Zheng ordering Jacobs to not enter Starship Oneiroi was played. Enine had managed to find this surveillance data through the systems monitoring Vesta¡¯s docking bay.


    ¡°Vice-admiral Zheng. You gave clear orders to Jacobs not to board the T3ST starship. This whole incident is but a result of you martians. You will receive no form of ¡®compensation¡¯ from the T3ST colony. In addition, I will no longer cooperate with Vice-admiral Laurent¡¯s fleet in any shape or form-- I do not believe in his soldiers¡¯ capability, or his leadership.¡±


    ¡°We will continue our cooperation in other areas.¡± Enine no longer wasted words. He had finished what he wanted to say to the martian command.


    The hologram of Zheng¡¯s orders to Jacobs kept replaying before his eyes. Zheng had hoped that the Grand Elder Enine would not have this data. Now that it was right before their eyes¡­ it would be impossible to avoid the accusation that it was a martian internal disciplinary issue.


    Zheng found himself unable to utter a single word even when Enine was now back on his feet, about to leave the military command center.


    ¡°Grand Elder Enine! You and your colony will suf--¡±


    ¡°Stand down!¡± Sullivan barked and silenced Laurent. He had been mostly observing from the beginning, but he could not allow Laurent to step past the line and sabotage their cooperation with the T3ST colony.


    Still, the damage was done-- even with few words, Enine knew what Laurent had attempted to say.


    ¡°You should take care, Laurent,¡± he replied as he strode towards the exit. He no longer believed the man worthy of the title of vice-admiral. ¡°Mars would lose support from the belt if word of this incident were to get out.¡±


    ¡°You--¡±


    ¡°Remember! Vice-admiral Zheng¡¯s subordinates were sent the surveillance data. Who knows where news of this incident might leak from? Perhaps Vice-admiral Zheng could use this to guarantee his future as a primary voice of the martian military!¡± Enine viciously sowed the seeds of chaos in response to Laurent¡¯s threats.


    ¡°Grand Elder Enine.¡± Sullivan interjected before Laurent could say another single word, knowing that the whole situation was standing on a precipice, both externally and internally. ¡°Do we still have your cooperation? If so, please leave Vesta and await our signal for the next task. I¡¯m sure you understand Bone¡¯s actions will not stand with the civilians here. As requested, none of our requests will require your people to work alongside Laurent.¡±


    ¡°Very well, admiral.¡±


    Sullivan sighed in relief as he watched Enine exit the door of the command room. The whole situation had very nearly spiraled out of control once again.


    ¡°It¡¯s not too late. We still have members of their colony. If--¡± Laurent continued grasping at straws, clearly unwilling to accept his humiliation.


    ¡°Vice-admiral Laurent. I have already ordered my soldiers to escort those members to the T3ST colony¡¯s starship.¡± In fact, Zheng had secretly passed on these orders the very moment he observed Laurent¡¯s initial reaction to the incident.


    ¡°You little shit. I have been around much longer than you and--¡±


    ¡°Laurent. Are you loyal to Mars?¡± Sullivan¡¯s voice was deep and steady, but it also contained a hint of threat.


    ¡°Of course I am!¡±


    ¡°Then, Laurent. What are our chances of victory without the T3ST unit?¡±


    Laurent¡¯s lips turned into a thin line, unwilling to speak the truth to this question.


    After a moment of silence.


    ¡°Return to preparing for your mission of intercepting the terrans¡¯ launch,¡± Sullivan ordered. ¡°I will hear no more of this from you. Either you do what needs to be done to maximize Mars success. Or you¡¯re a traitor who sabotages our chance at victory. And for the Wolf Coil¡¯s sake. Discipline your damn soldier properly!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Laurent finally regained a measure of clarity as he saluted and excused himself from the command center, though his face remained hardened with disgruntlement.


    Only Sullivan and Zheng remained. Zheng began replaying the surveillance data of the incident while drumming his fingers on the rocky oval table.


    ¡°You know, it¡¯s somewhat¡­ surreal. Terran history has incidents similar where an ill-disciplined soldier acts in an ill-advised manner and sabotages his own side. Some even instigated major wars that wiped out millions of lives.¡±


    Zheng magnified the hologram image to scrutinize Xeight¡¯s every action and expression in increased detail.


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    ¡°Perhaps our centuries of half-hearted efforts against the pirates in the belt have weakened us. Perhaps the peace we have kept for a millenium have made us forget the importance of such discipline.¡±


    A few minutes of silence filled the room again, only broken by the swooshing sounds the hologram made under Zheng¡¯s manipulation.


    ¡°He¡¯s terrified.¡± At length, Sullivan began to explain Laurent¡¯s person to Zheng. Sullivan was of the same generation as Laurent, and had developed an intricate understanding of the man.


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Laurent. He¡¯s scared out of his wits. We are of the same generation. Laurent always acts out in this way when scared stiff. It¡¯s how the man deals with his fears.¡±


    ¡°Fear?¡±


    ¡°Of the T3ST unit. Not an unreasonable fear. Imagine a future where the T3ST colony and their genetically enhanced personnel are armed to the teeth. They would effectively become the dominant faction within our martian defense.¡±


    A scary prospect. Yet if the T3ST colony¡¯s people were to be fully integrated into their society¡­


    Though Zheng wanted to believe in such a possibility, his knowledge of history indicated such a task would be rather monumental in nature. The T3ST colony¡¯s lives were more similar to those in the belt.


    Though they may currently be allies with the T3ST colony, there is the irony that terrans and martians, both planetary cultures, might have more similarities to each other than the various forms of space colonies.


    Zheng had even begun drawing historical parallels between the T3ST colony and the Jews in terran¡¯s past-- except the T3ST colony could be far more ¡®problematic¡¯ with their genetically enhanced neural function. Not necessarily to himself, but rather, in the eyes of someone who might think similarly to Laurent¡­


    It had to be noted that Laurent¡¯s faction existed precisely because a substantial population on Mars shared his embittered sentiment. He could only sigh in exasperation.


    ¡°Is this¡­ Xeight, was it? Is he dangerous?¡± Sullivan had soundlessly observed Zheng¡¯s examination of the surveillance data for a rather extended period of time.


    ¡°He shouldn¡¯t be, if the claims of him being avoidant of combat is true. I just can¡¯t help feeling like¡­ he might have intentionally caused this incident.¡±


    ¡°You know...I¡¯ve read much on what someone with a heightened number of neuro channels meant¡­ my wife being a researcher and all.¡±


    Zheng perked up his ears. He had studied quite a bit of terran history, but not research on aspects related to the neuro circlet system. He sealed his lips and indicated for Sullivan, his mentor, to provide a thorough explanation.


    ¡°Initially, some believed that those with heightened neuro channels had higher intelligence.¡± Continued Sullivan. ¡°Certain data supported this idea. The average IQ of a group of heightened neuro channel population was certainly higher. However, if you examined the individual, there were quite a large number of those with lower number of neuro channels that would score higher on IQ tests.¡±


    ¡°My wife mentioned this many times during our early relationship,¡± Sullivan laughed as he recalled his fond memories of their early courting period. ¡°When examining more in detail, those with heightened number of neuro channels¡¯ main strength lay in their ability to parallel process.¡±


    ¡°It is this strength that raises their IQ scores, with our tests having certain tasks that those with heightened ability to consider more possibilities simultaneously, would excel at. But, if some ancient genius such as Einstein was still alive, his reasoning and conjecture would still remain unmatched.¡±


    ¡°Sir, you are saying¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, Zheng. It was not Xeight who initiated this incident. However, he may very well have ¡®bumped¡¯ into Jacobs and rapidly saw the many possible results from the many actions he could take. And in that single instant, he executed the one he believed beneficial to him.¡±


    Zheng shook his head without being conscious of his motion. Ridiculous. He failed to see how this incident would be beneficial to the T3ST colony.


    ___________________________________________________________________________


    T3ST colony, The Belt, June 25, 1000 Solar Era.


    ¡°Thanks, brother!¡± Bone warmly slapped an arm around Xeight¡¯s shoulders. ¡°You took the heat off me. Absolutely sublime. I knew you had it in you!¡±


    That was certainly not Xeight¡¯s intention, but he still grinned in response.


    ¡°I thought you liked the martians. I never trusted them.¡± Xeight was referring to Bone¡¯s previous willingness to cooperate with the martians. He had thought that Bone would at the very least frown at the incident he had caused. This was not so.


    ¡°Xeight. I never disagreed with you. But, fighting alongside the martians was and remains our best shot. Look-- even Vfive¡­ did you see her black eye on her return? They couldn¡¯t stop that Laurent soldier from lashing out.¡±


    Bone then dragged Yfour back to their dwelling on the T3ST colony. It was good to be home. The T3ST colony that had gone dark had an intricate link to Starship Oneiroi. The energy was costly, but a jump into unidentified space, then to the T3ST colony practically made it impossible for any to follow them.


    ¡°Xeight. Come to the chamber of elders.¡± His father¡¯s voice called out to him through the neuro circlet. He complied.


    Grand Elder Enine stood alone in the chamber of elders, patiently awaiting his son¡¯s arrival.


    In the past day, his opinion on Xeight had changed rather drastically. For quite some time, he had felt exasperated by his son¡¯s unwillingness to participate in the conflict. He felt different now.


    Previously, he had mostly interacted with the past martian admiral and the martian politicians above him. Those men and women were always amicable to the extreme.


    However, this incident brought him into contact with the Laurent faction. Was he previously aware of their existence? Certainly. Yet, he had only thought them to only be somewhat boisterous in nature. His direct interaction with Laurent and observation of Laurent¡¯s underlings over Xeight¡¯s incident, changed his views.


    On the return journey, the more he mulled in his comfortable captain¡¯s seat, the more he realized that Laurent¡¯s faction represented a substantial population of Mars. The martian population would not have tolerated the Laurent faction for so long if they did not somewhat back them. His son was right to be cautious.


    Xeight¡¯s figure soon appeared through the entry archdoors of the chamber of elders.


    ¡°Did you know of the Laurent faction?¡±


    ¡°No, father.¡±


    ¡°Then, why do you distrust Mars?¡± Enine wanted to understand his son¡¯s thoughts.


    ¡°Father¡­ James¡­ James MacLeod once told me that in a century or two, Mars would be fully terraformed into a second Earth. Of sorts. So¡­ The terrans are a planetary people. Martians will be one too. We are not. We are of the belt. Of colonies. Will Mars allow and welcome the whole population currently in the belt onto its surface, if it gains its independence? When Mars itself relies on the belt¡¯s resources?¡±


    Enine gestured his right hand in the air after a momentary silence, and Xeight was dismissed.


    Unlike Bone, Xeight did not return to his dwellings on the T3ST colony. He instead went to Nexarm Chimera, determined to harvest some material from the surrounding asteroids.


    ¡°Xeight!¡± Jen had been searching for Xeight, and finally found him boarding Nexarm Chimera. ¡°Have you seen what your brother Bone did to those civilians on Vesta?!¡±


    Some visual data of the civilians¡¯ mutilated corpses were circulated within the members of Starship Oneiroi.


    They all knew the Bone had shown no restraint. The limbs and heads of many of these civilians were quite literally torn and separated from their bodies. The areas that Bone sent his automaton swarms to were effectively graveyards of body parts dyed in dark drying seas of blood.


    ¡°I do not wish to talk about Bone.¡±


    ¡°Xeight! You can¡¯t just ignore it!¡±


    Over the past day, a slight awkwardness had certainly entered their relationship.


    ¡°Jen. I will be heading out to harvest asteroids.¡±


    ¡°Can I¡­¡± Jen hesitantly wondered, ¡°Can I join?¡±


    ¡°Only if you do not bring up Bone.¡±


    ¡°But--¡±


    ¡°I wish to mine asteroids in peace and quiet. Not have my mind filled with grisly images of detached limbs.¡± He pulled on the wire that dragged him up into the cockpit.


    ¡°Wait-- I agree!¡± She herself would not wish to think of those gruesome images during her own neurotech research and maintenance either. ¡°But, can we discuss it when we return¡­?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± An immediate and swift rejection.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I did not and do not believe in our colony¡¯s participation in this war. If we chose not to participate in this war, none of this would have happened. So, this is not my issue.¡±


    ¡°Bone is your brother! Should you not¡­ reprimand him?¡±


    ¡°Bone is Bone. My words will not reach him.¡±


    Jen climbed into the cockpit as well, and as promised, ceased her questions on Bone. Anyhow, she had already obtained Xeight¡¯s reasons. Xeight simply did not believe he could, to any significant degree, influence Bone¡¯s actions.


    When she thought of the past six months she had spent with the T3ST colony¡­ she found herself unable to recall Bone being swayed from the actions he had taken. Almost never.


    Indeed¡­ Now that she thought about it, Bone was in some ways bull-headed, perhaps even worse than Xeight. That hadn¡¯t been an issue yet, because Bone was more than happy to participate in the war. In comparison, she had successfully swayed Xeight on a number of things!


    As Nexarm Chimera set off for another routine mining operation that would keep the T3ST colony supplied with vital resources, Jen wished to further dispel the awkwardness that had existed between the two for the past day.


    ¡°Can I ask about why you killed that martian soldier¡­?¡± She was pensive-- worried that Xeight¡¯s explanation would plunge her heart into a deeper fear.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Xeight attempted to find the right words as he sped Nexarm Chimera toward a target that his sensors had detected the elements and compounds the colony needed. ¡°I never believed the martians to be wholly trustworthy.¡±


    He continued, ¡°You once told me that if I wished to mine asteroids in peace, I needed to pave a path to that dream, no?¡±


    Jen nodded. She had indeed said that to convince Xeight into cooperating with the T3ST colony¡¯s efforts.


    ¡°So, I thought to myself. What would be the best way to awaken the T3ST colony¡¯s population to be skeptical of cooperation with martians? Of the war?¡±


    ¡°The opportunity presented itself on a golden platter. A martian soldier who could not control himself. So, I did what I had to do. The martian response? Returning a group of our people from the rancorous Laurent faction. Their actions proved me right. They fear their own soldiers escalating the situation. Their soldiers do not see us as their own people. Nor will they necessarily treat us fairly. I did not fire the first shot.¡±


    ¡°Now, my people are awake. Even if we continue to cooperate with the martians¡­ we will do so with eyes wide open.¡±


    Over the last day, whenever Jen recalled the viciousness with which Xeight had dispatched the martian soldier named Jacobs, she could not help but wonder whether she had thrown herself into the arms of a butcher. Xeight¡¯s justification for his actions settled her heart.


    Yes! She screamed at herself within her heart. Xeight was only thinking ahead. She could not deny the effectiveness of Xeight¡¯s action. It had caused a chain reaction that wholly awakened the T3ST colony. The returning members that had assisted the Laurent faction soon spread words of the hostility they received from certain soldiers there.


    Exhilarated and relieved, she uncontrollably straddled Xeight on the pilot seat.


    Xeight did not reprimand her for flouting the safety rules of a nexarm guest rider. Jen never listened to his previous protestations anyway.


    ¡°Do you wish to hear an alternate reason?¡± He whispered into the ear of Jen¡¯s twisting lithe form.


    ¡°Yes,¡± replied Jen, her breath a sizzling blaze.


    ¡°He aimed his pistol at you.¡±


    Whatever remained of the heaviness within her heart was completely dispelled. Then¡­ an idea occurred to her¡­


    ¡°Xeight¡­¡± She blushed, rather ashamed of her thoughts, but she could not deny her desire. ¡°You know those weapon devices¡­ There is a certain taser device that can be calibrated to deliver a low dose of electric discharge¡­and since you can control twenty-one motor devices¡­I ¡­ I also can sync to your neuro circlet and observe your control of those devices¡­¡±


    Xeight stared into Jen¡¯s hazy emerald eyes. This woman had a rather deep obsession with all things neurotech. Perhaps too deep of one. ¡°I¡¯ll ensure you regret this suggestion.¡±


    He had to first harvest the asteroid proper.

 Ch20: James MacLeods Strat

    EFSF Lunar Base, The Moon, July 9, 1000 Solar Era


    The NSF was training in a debris field close to their lunar base. The lunar colony belonged solely to the Earth Feds. A colony supported by manufacturing and military operated independently from the orbital colonies. This served as a guarantee for the Earth Feds, and made them less susceptible to pressures from the powers of the orbital colonies.


    The lunar base was not the only settlement that belonged wholly to the Earth Feds. Ceres was another, along with a number of spaceports at certain Lagrange points.


    ¡°Move! Watanabe! Attack!¡± A frustrated Will yelled into his comms. Throughout their nexarm training, he had grown increasingly aggravated by Athena¡¯s cautiousness. He found that Athena always played it too safe, hiding behind debris, too slow to shift her position.


    ¡°Go, go, go!¡±


    Finally, Athena listened to his orders and attempted to shift her position as the thrusters on her unit activated. Yet, when she peeked out from behind her hiding spot, she immediately sensed multiple intense laser beams activating the warning signals of potential damage to the nexarm¡¯s plates.


    ¡°Fuck! This is why I remained in hiding!¡± She accelerated behind a piece of large debris from some sort of destroyed space station from a war long past.


    ¡°You¡¯re out, Watanabe.¡± James ordered. They were only training and had no intention of damaging the nexarm units. They already ran many simulations as a team using a gaming simulation created by the EFSF. The more realistic practice in this debris field had set rules, that whoever was targeted and tracked by lasers equated to being neutralized.


    Thus, Athena, having been hit, was out. Her side soon lost.


    When they returned to the base, She expressed her dissatisfaction.


    ¡°I knew the area was under target! Yet you still ordered me to move!¡±


    ¡°I sensed nothing targeting that area! You can¡¯t just rely on instincts! Not even your own sensors picked up any proof that the area was being targeted! If you had moved earlier, you would not have been hit! It¡¯s obvious that you moved late, right at the moment when the opposite side scanned the area!¡± Will shot back.


    The rest of their team wasn¡¯t sure what to say. Or think, for that matter. They, too, felt Athena was being overly cautious. Yet¡­ it was undeniable that she was often the last one standing. Even when her side lost.


    Then, the question was always¡­ did her team lose because of her inaction? Or would they have won if they imitated her cautiousness?


    Now, that would be obvious if Athena¡¯s side lost more. Yet, she had very much close to a fifty-fifty win-loss rate. Thus, the members of the NSF simply couldn¡¯t come to a conclusion whether her method was better or worse for the team.


    It certainly worked less well whenever Athena was placed on Will¡¯s team. Will preferred a much more active strategy.


    Although Will had lost his cool temporarily, he quickly regained his calm as he sat and rubbed his brows. He, too, was actually somewhat befuddled by Athena¡¯s influence on the battlefield. The other members of the EFNSF had clear indicators that aligned with their performance. Athena¡¯s data was only confusing.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Olivia, who was on the other side, spoke up. ¡°You might not know this but¡­ Lieutenant MacLeod told us to hide, wait and scan until we could find and take out Athena first¡­¡±


    ¡°Gonzalez,¡± James interjected. ¡°You weren¡¯t meant to say that. It is important for our unit to be able to work out our strategic approach and internal differences without knowing an opposition¡¯s strategy.¡±


    All members that had been on Athena¡¯s side, led by Will Kyle, simultaneously swung their heads and stared at their superior officer.


    ¡°What?¡± Chuckled James. Over the past six months, the team had grown much closer together. ¡°Watanabe is always difficult to track down, and whenever she stays undetected, she causes a lot of trouble with her linked weapons. So, well¡­¡±


    ¡°Our Lieutenant is relentless,¡± added Liu. ¡°That was actually his strategy for the past three matches. Bullying the youngest member of our unit.¡±


    ¡°Asshole.¡± Athena muttered under her breath.


    James only chuckled again in a bid to expel his slight embarrassment. ¡°A battlefield is a battlefield. If you die, you die.¡± Although he¡¯s the superior officer of the group, he cared little for insults and the like. If anything, he took pride in creating strategies specifically to target and negate the strengths of the unit¡¯s individuals. Athena¡¯s annoyance was his pride.


    The team left to fix themselves up after their training session, but James waved Will over.


    ¡°Kyle.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    ¡°As I¡¯ve mentioned before, our unit will function as a two-headed snake.¡± James tapped his neuro circlet, and Will received a deluge of information.


    ¡°This is¡­ neurologically-enhanced humans?¡± Will Kyle¡¯s eyes were wide in fear and discomfort.


    ¡°Yes.¡± replied James gravely. ¡°A mistake from a time long past.¡±


    ¡°They are¡­ they are so much stronger. Their whole unit including those operating their ship¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± replied James solemnly again. ¡°Their side has a total of eight nexarms. We have ten. We will be splitting into two. One of us, with seven units, will face the four units of the T3ST colony. Our goal is to simply lock them in place such that they are unable to influence the battle.¡±


    ¡°The other three of our units will play a defensive fight against the four units occupied by the martian forces. Our much larger and resourceful fleet will then eliminate the martian fleet.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± James muttered. ¡°At least, that''s the gist of it.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ will I be in the unit against T3ST or the martians?¡±


    ¡°You will be assigned against the martians.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    Will further examined the data provided to him.


    ¡°Sir. They have¡­ odd psychological markers?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Although I believe the more recent data has been manipulated by the martian fleet overseeing the colony¡­ past data should be quite accurate. The members of the colony have slightly altered brains. They often display traits and behave¡­ odd under certain situations.¡±


    ¡°These traits¡­ they seem to have odd similarities to high-functioning autism disorder individuals¡­¡± Will spouted out surprising knowledge.


    ¡°Oh!¡± James raised his blonde eyebrows. ¡°You know of it? It¡¯s not exactly the same but there are certain similarities, yes.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Will casted his gaze downwards. ¡°My nephew-- my older sister¡¯s son-- he sometimes struggles in social situations¡­¡±


    James gave his man a clap on the shoulder. ¡°Sorry for asking. But, we protect Earth to ensure good lives for our loved ones. And your nephew will still flourish given the right surroundings.¡±


    Will nodded in self-affirmation.


    ¡°And Kyle? Do keep your cool. It¡¯s quite possible that the other side will specifically target a member on your team, among other strategies. Do not recklessly stick to a certain approach. React accordingly based on the members in your team.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± Will hesitated and broached the subject in his mind. ¡°About Athena¡­ I overreacted, but still¡­¡±


    ¡°She does play it a little too safe, yes,¡± James nodded. ¡°But, her win-rate is average. Kyle. In a long war, we need different approaches, whether that be an aggressive blitzkrieg, or perhaps a more cautious and conservative style.¡±


    ¡°If you wish to comfort yourself¡­ Just know this. If you die¡­ Watanabe will be there to bring your corpse back to your parents and family.¡± James allowed himself a sly grin before patting Will¡¯s shoulders and leaving to clean himself up.


    Will remained stationary in the same spot for a few minutes. James¡¯ words made him contemplate quite a number of thoughts, but he eventually exhaled with a tentative smile as well.


    Athena found herself being called to meet James MacLeod after the members had hosed themselves down under the showers.


    ¡°So. How did that feel?¡± James MacLeod was obviously asking about how it felt to be specially targeted.


    ¡°Bullied, Sir,¡± replied Athena monotonously. ¡°Piled on and crushed.¡±


    ¡°Piles on by a litter of puppies?¡±


    ¡°...No.¡± Despite her efforts to appear seething, Athena¡¯s monotonous voice was thoroughly broken by the image of shiba inus in her mind.


    ¡°Athena.¡± He tapped his neuro circlet around his head, and Athena was soon also briefed on their approach and the nature of their enemies.


    Unlike Will, Athena said nothing, only grimacing slightly as she went through the information. She felt it unnecessary to discuss their opponent-- the information was very much complete to her mind.


    ¡°Sir.¡± At length, Athena asked the question that resided in her heart for the past few months. ¡°You don¡¯t seem at all bothered by my¡­ choice of actions on the battlefield.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± James gazed out a wide expansive multi-layer glass panel to his side, into the deep and terrifying space that threatened to swallow them whole. ¡°We may have our backup bodies ready on Earth. But the chances of our brain surviving the destruction of our nexarms--if it ever comes to that-- is in reality, not all that high.¡±


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°You know what they say? Even if you lose¡­ if you live to fight another day, that experience will carry forward. Again and again you go. Even if you aren¡¯t naturally the best of the best at something¡­ that experience accumulated over time¡­ one day, unbeknownst to yourself, you might be standing on the peak of Mount Everest.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Athena expressed her doubt. ¡°Am I sabotaging the others¡­?¡±


    ¡°Your win-rate is fifty-fifty throughout our training.¡± James gave a shake of his head as he dispelled her doubts. After all, you can¡¯t be said to be dragging the team down if you have an average win-rate.


    Though Athena wasn¡¯t entirely convinced purely by the numbers, the short conversation with her lieutenant brought a measure of peace to her mind and heart.


    James MacLeod proceeded to call up the other members of the Earth Federation Nexarm Special Force one-by-one. By no means did he discuss every single aspect of their combat in detail-- these are trained soldiers that have long understood their roles over the past six months. Instead, James MacLeod focused on their mental approach.


    A few hours later, James received an incoming call from Petrov.


    ¡°Lieutenant MacLeod. We have received information that the martians will hit Euler Station at Lagrange Point 4. Specific timing unknown, but likely within the next week. Prepare the NSF.¡±


    ¡°The enemy¡¯s composition is unknown. However, we will accelerate the final testing phase of the fleet in preparation at Euler Station. Your reserves have long arrived at the station as we speak. Here is the data of the fleet and the commanding officer of the fleet. Arrange a trap.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Although Petrov was unable to see him, James still performed a salute.


    ______________________________________________________________________________


    Euler Station, July 13, 1000 Solar Era


    Five martian starships entered the vicinity of Euler Station¡¯s area. The fleet consisted of one S-class, one A-class, and three B-class starships. This fleet was Vice-admiral Laurent¡¯s fleet.


    The four martian nexarms units had followed along for this mission-- it was agreed upon that since the T3ST unit would not be cooperating with Laurent anymore, the primary usage of the the four martian nexarm units would be given to Laurent.


    This agreement certainly cooled Laurent¡¯s simmering dissatisfaction with Sullivan¡¯s rejection of punishing the T3ST unit. As for the nexarm pilot Jacobs? Laurent had long trained replacement pilots. Ironically, he ended up liking the new nexarm pilot more.


    The new nexarm pilot, Hernandez, was much better at following orders, but less of a people person compared to Jacobs.


    ¡°Are we ready?¡± Laurent asked his attending officer, a man named Pasu strapped and connected to the whole system controlling the S-class starship.


    ¡°Yes, Sir. All weapon systems ready. The mega-particle beam is primed.¡±


    ¡°Attention, crew. This mission is straightforward. Our Starship Numitor will fire our mega-particle beam weapon once we are close enough to accurately strike the target with a ninety-five confidence rate.¡±


    ¡°Starship Silvia will also fire a second shot to confirm the destruction of Euler Station¡¯s port. The terran fleet inside should not be ready for battle yet. In-and-out, quick and easy.¡±


    ¡°Vice-admiral. We will be in position in thirty seconds, and our e-cube energy levels will drop by ten percent. However, we will still have enough energy to jump back to Mars.¡± Pasu indicated. Laurent acknowledged the additional information.


    ¡°Ship stabilizers at the ready.¡± These helped maintain the ship¡¯s aim at the firing of the mega-particle beam cannon.


    Twenty, nineteen, eighteen¡­


    The warning alarm suddenly began blaring.


    ¡°Incoming! Identify enemy weapon positions and return fire!¡± Commander Pasu ordered. He did his best to coordinate the many soldiers occupying the hundreds of weapon systems on board the S-class starship. This role was originally given to a few T3ST colony members that had since long left.


    Vice-admiral Laurent¡¯s frustration was obvious in his hardened expression. The mega-particle beam cannon would not be accurate with their ship under fire. Their original plan had essentially been thwarted.


    ¡°Captain Nguyen. Report!¡±


    ¡°Sir. Our A-class starship is under-fire as well. Unable to fire mega-particle beam cannon with any degree of accuracy as well.¡±


    How? Vice-ddmiral Laurent had even spread the positions of his fleet. If his S-class starship was unable to fire the mega-particle beam cannon, the A-class starship from another direction, should have had the opportunity.


    ¡°Sir. We are receiving fire from all angles.¡±


    ¡°Return fire. Their ships are not fully ready. Our number of weapons should be much higher. We will outlast them.¡± That was Laurent¡¯s current judgment of the situation.


    The ones who had engaged Vice-admiral Laurent was James MacLeod¡¯s EFNSF.


    ¡°Special Lieutenant. We have a higher material loss,¡± reported Olivia Gonzalez. James MacLeod had ordered his team to spread their weapon systems into hiding around the Euler Station.


    Due to this being a Lagrange point, quite a lot of space debris and matter had collected in this zone of space. The Euler Station itself had to constantly clear out its immediate surroundings. This setting allowed the EFNSF to lay a trap, with many weapons only being detected when the ambush began.


    ¡°No matter. Gonzalez. We terrans have superior access to financial power and materiel. Continue.¡±


    James¡¯ approach was quite straightforward. Contending against the hundreds of weapon systems on each of the enemy¡¯s five starships was strenuous even for their nexarm unit. And, although many of their weapon devices had set a surprise for their enemy, even so, the multiple layers of x-alloy plating on the starships made it difficult to cause any significant damage to the martians.


    Not to mention, the laser weapons on these ships had an incredibly high accuracy rate at intercepting any kinetic rounds the NSF fired.


    Thus, James chose an attritional battle. It did not matter if his teams¡¯ weapon devices were shot down at a higher rate. In fact, one of his very own had just been destroyed. He simply connected another weapon device and guided that newly attached device onto the battlefield.


    This is another strength of the nexarm. As long as the core central unit remains functional, and there are unused weapon devices close by, that central control unit could easily replace weapon devices if some of the originally attached ones were to get taken down.


    Thus, the ten EFNSF nexarms ensured they remained in hiding as far off as possible, sacrificing then reattaching replacement neuro devices to slowly wear down their opponent.


    ¡°Special Lieutenant. Our mega-particle beam cannon is ready. Should we fire?¡± A female voice sounded through to James¡¯ comms. This was Vargas, a reserve that had been placed into the position of the coordinator on the A-class starship given to the EFNSF.


    ¡°Rejected. We will wait for the S-class starship in the Euler Station to be ready.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir. The commanding officer on that S-class starship has informed me that they will be ready in thirty minutes.¡±


    ¡°Good. Ensure that the Comanche remains in the dark. Do not be detected.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    On Starship Numitor.


    Vice-admiral Laurent furrowed his brows, attempting to understand the situation he was currently in. For the past twenty-five minutes, they had been trading blows with a number of weapon devices.


    Commander Pasu had done calculations and determined that these were likely weapon devices controlled by around ten terran nexarms.


    What perplexed Laurent was the fact that the terrans appeared content to keep them here while sacrificing materiel. Whenever they took down one weapon device, another would be attached and sent forth to continue the trading of blows.


    To his mind, the EFNSF must have been assigned a starship that was being prepped in the Euler Station, and was viciously protecting said starship. That must be why the nexarm unit was already at the Euler Station by the time his fleet had arrived here.


    ¡°Sir. Should we send our nexarms out?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± Laurent doubted that sending their nexarms out would change much regarding their current situation. The enemy nexarms remained thoroughly hidden, happy to lose materiel to keep them in place.


    As he mulled over their situation, his expression suddenly cleared in epiphany.


    ¡°All ships! This is Vice-admiral Laurent! Prepare your warp drives. Jump into unidentified space and reconvene at Phobos! Immediately! No questions!¡±


    At the same time, on the terran side.


    ¡°Special Lieutenant. The S-class starship within Euler Station is ready to fire its mega-particle beam cannon. Orders?¡±


    ¡°Communicate to the commanding officer that all he needs to do is peek his ship out of the docking station and we will simultaneously strike our targets. Our nexarms already have their position data.¡±


    ¡°Sir¡­ the docking station might be damaged with the starship firing from the inside.¡±


    ¡°Communicate the order that I will bear the consequences, Vargas.¡± James found his fingers fidgeting as his mind continued to control the neuro devices harassing the martian starships. The enemy would realize sooner or later. Time was of the essence.


    Thirty seconds later.


    ¡°The commanding officer has stated that they are ready,¡± Vargas informed MacLeod.


    ¡°We will simultaneously fire in thirty seconds at 13:01.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    On Starship Numitor.


    ¡°Warp drive is ready. The jump route will open in a minute.¡±


    Vice-admiral Laurent had been standing, pacing back and forth in front of his commanding seat in anxiety. He had no choice but to secure himself with the impending jump.


    Twenty-six, twenty-five--


    Warning! Intense heat de--


    The jump countdown was interrupted as Laurent found his senses blinded by a bright white light as the starship shuddered and shook as the alarm system rang in his ears.


    The quaking seemed to last a life-time before the ship stabilized again.


    ¡°Sir! Meter-diameter hole breach detected on left-frontal side hull!¡±


    ¡°How long will the nanobots take to repair the breach for a jump?!¡±


    ¡°One minute, sir!¡±


    ¡°Navigation unit. Prepare for jump in one minute!¡±


    ¡°Sir! The route only has a eighty percent safety rate at that time!¡±


    ¡°Do it!¡±


    Warning! Mega-particle beam cannon charge-up detected.


    ¡°Sir, we have their position! Should we fire?¡±


    ¡°No! Perform the jump!¡± Vice-admiral Laurent understood the difference between the two side¡¯s situation. It was quite apparent by now.


    The martian fleet was fully surrounded by weapon devices of the enemy¡¯s nexarms. On the other hand, the terran starship was free to move around unfettered. Even now, the crew on board operated the ship¡¯s weapons to counter the enemy¡¯s weapon devices that surrounded the ship.


    The vice-admiral knew that this meant that in a particle beam shootout between the two, his own side would be unable to take accurate aim, while the enemy could!


    Laurent realized that the EFNSF wasn¡¯t here to collect their starship after all. They must have found out that the martians planned to target Euler Station somehow, and traveled here to set an ambush! They already had an A-class starship that remained in the dark, thoroughly undetected until the mega-particle beam was fired!


    This was an elaborate trap!


    ¡°Sir! Starship Silvia was hit by a mega-particle beam as well! From a S-class ship currently setting sail from Euler Station¡¯s docking bay!¡±


    That statement confirmed Vice-admiral Laurent¡¯s fear. He had no confidence in their fleet¡¯s chances of victory, with their S-class and A-class starships damaged. B-class ships do not have a particle cannon.


    ¡°Perform the jump!¡±


    Nine, eight, seven¡­


    Starship Numitor warped space around its body and Laurent saw the stars become lines of bright light. It was just a short twenty second jump-- eighty percent safety rate was enough for the jump route, right?


    A drop of sweat rolled down Laurent¡¯s forehead as they exited warp, and Laurent found himself still very much alive.


    ¡°Evasive Maneuver!¡± Commander Pasu yelled right after they exited the jump.


    Starship Numitor banked as Vice-admiral Laurent found the ship shuddering once again, as a loud scraping noise sounded throughout the starship.


    ¡°Report!¡±


    ¡°Sir! When we exited the jump, a large asteroid was close to our front, and we performed an evasive maneuver. The surface plate of our right side hull was damaged, but no breach was detected.¡±


    Another drop of sweat rolled down Laurent¡¯s right temple.


    ¡°Rendezvous at Phobos!¡±


    ¡°Sir. It is best if we fully repair the breach from the enemy¡¯s particle beam before the next jump.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead.¡± Vice-admiral Laurent could only breathe a sigh of relief at their survival.

 Ch21: The Untouchables

    ¡°MacLeod.¡± James was in an at ease position, facing the hologram of Admiral Petrov. ¡°You opted to not pursue the damaged martian S-class ship. Nor their damaged A-class ship. Why? You can easily predict their end-jump position based on the direction and energy release. Finish one of their flagships off for good.¡±


    ¡°Sir.¡± James bowed his head. ¡°The enemy is also aware of this. They would have set a trap that my team might have jumped into. It was not worth the risk. Even then, on my side, I only had an A-class starship along with a barely-tested S-class starship.¡±


    There was naturally a delay due to the distance of their communication, so James had to wait a while for the communication to reach Petrov. Then, the admiral¡¯s reply would take some time to return to him. Still, the Euler Station was relatively close to Earth, so this type of communication was still possible if somewhat jagged


    The other starships being prepped in the Euler Station were, in fact, not quite ready. If Admiral Laurent had chosen the course of a full-on assault on the Euler Station and with a bit of luck, evaded the additional mega-particle beams¡­ the situation might have gradually tilted in his favor. Every single beam would have drained the ships a good ten percent of its energy. Hardly a weapon that could be fired too many times.


    Laurent must have assumed from the firing of the mega-particle beam cannon aboard the S-class starship, that the other starships within the Euler Station had also been accelerated to a state of readiness. This was not so.


    While waiting for Petrov¡¯s reply, James was contemplating the scenario if the five martian starships threw caution to the wind and attacked Euler Station. He would have ten nexarms, an A-class starship, a barely-tested S-class, and the somewhat barebones Euler Station defenses.


    The martians would have a damaged S-class and A-class ship with fully capable weapons, three B-class ships and whatever nexarms they should have brought along. Perhaps the breach to their S-class ships¡¯ hull would be a weak point he could exploit.


    In such a scenario, who would have won? James wasn¡¯t entirely sure.


    ¡°Fair judgment.¡± Petrov¡¯s reply finally reached the Euler Station. ¡°Maintain your defense of the Euler Station until the fleet there is ready. After that, you know your mission. Engage the T3ST unit and prevent their interference in any conflict between us and the main martian fleet.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    _______________________________________________________________________


    The Sector Chamber, Pacific City, Earth


    Petrov interlocked his fingers and turned his wrists as he extended his arms upwards for a good stretch and exhaled, relieved that the starships being prepared in Euler Station were successfully protected.


    He left the single meeting room attached to the Sector Chamber he had used to communicate with James MacLeod, and returned to the assembly.


    The issue at hand? Neurorevo. Many of its weapons were in the hands of the enemy, the martian force. Naturally, the Earth Federation along with Earth¡¯s nations demanded an inquiry.


    At the very bottom of the room sat a toffee brown haired woman of tan skin and brown eyes. Her eyebrows fierce and staunch, her lips pursed under the eyes of the nation¡¯s representatives. The current CEO of Neurorevo, Alexa Vergara.


    ¡°As I was saying. The neuro circlet system-- or as we have recently trademarked it as Neurorave-- has long been available to all those in the Solar System. Its importance cannot be understated, allowing us humans, especially those in the belt, to simultaneously control multiple devices to harvest resources.¡±


    ¡°You may wish to pressure us to deny the belt these systems, but let me ask you this. If we deny this technology to all the asteroid colonies that do not stand staunchly on this side.. The effect on the supply chain will be devastating. You all surely understand that many resources of these asteroid colonies do still reach our orbital colonies for manufacturing before coming to Earth.¡±


    ¡°The impact will not just affect us Neurorevo, but also all other companies operating in the ecosystem-- such as the other orbital colonies.¡±


    Did the nation¡¯s representatives know this? Of course they did. But, they had to ask these questions to ensure these words reached the citizens¡¯ ears and to score political points for their parties. In some ways, it was a bit of a show.


    ¡°But many of the weapons you have built based on this¡­Neurorave are in the hands of the enemy. How did that occur?¡±


    ¡°You all know of the terrorist attack on--¡±


    ¡°We know that. How is it that you lack the security to protect such equipment?¡±


    Alexa Vergara¡¯s expression was that astonishment, her mouth agape. After a few seconds, she spoke. ¡°If we, Neurorevo, used our own technology to build our own state-of-the-art defense systems controlled by ourselves¡­ you nations would you then not criticize us for having a private army able to conquer the world? Our security of our many bases in space is dependent, and remains mostly dependent, on the EFSF, which you nations have historically opted not to--¡±


    ¡°No, no. Allow me to be more specific. The military equipment stolen is still being perfectly maintained by the enemy. How?¡±


    ¡°The hardware never belonged to us, Ms. Romero. We are not the ones who invented the X-alloy plates. Nor are we the suppliers of the E-cube energy system. Our sole control remains in Neurorave, supporting a user¡¯s ability to manipulate as many neuro devices as their brains can manage.¡±


    ¡°The weapons themselves, such as a railgun, have existed for many many years. For God¡¯s sake¡­ the martian fleet was originally a branch within the EFSF. Is it suddenly our fault if someone chose to connect the operations of an existing railgun in the martian fleet to a personnel¡¯s neuro circlet control?¡±


    They had been questioning Alexa Vergara for hours already. Her answers always sounded reasonable, shedding any responsibility on Neurorevo¡¯s end.


    ¡°Yet, some of your engineers have supposedly been giving support to the enemy!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t exaggerate!¡± Alexa Vergara remained calm, but her tone sounded like a mother disciplining her children. ¡°We, Neurorevo, do need to maintain control over our Neurorave technology.¡±


    ¡°Let me remind you, we had some defectors that spied on our technology secrets and even destroyed our inventory records during the terrorist attack. But, yes, some of our engineers do continue to provide support and maintain control over the Neurorave technology that all people in the Solar System use! Which is essential for the supply chain of the whole Solar System!¡±


    ¡°Ms. Vergara.¡± A representative lowered his glasses as he tilted his eyes at the Neurorevo CEO. ¡°AS I understand, Neurorevo is under the control of the MacLeod Group. When traded war prisoners with the martians, Commander Zulu was returned to us. She stated that she saw Jennifer MacLeod with the enemy. Surely, that is excessive.¡±


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°May I invite a guest?¡± Alex Vergara asked with a broad smile.


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Come in!¡±


    The door to the Sector Chamber opened and in walked a woman that ignited whisperings and mutterings among the nation''s representatives.


    This woman was known to be Victoria MacLeod. She took the stand.


    ¡°I am Victoria MacLeod. I am Jennifer MacLeod¡¯s mother. I can assure you that Commander Zulu is mistaken-- perhaps there is an imposter in the belt. Now, I opted not to bring my daughter here today. You may claim that I should have, but those close to my daughter understand her focus to be fully focused on neurotech.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure some of you¡­ gossiping types are quite aware of the tantrums she used to throw when we attempted to involve her in our family¡¯s philanthropic activities.¡±


    ¡°You truly expect us to just believe that?!¡± The previous Ms. Romero yelled.


    ¡°Do not slander me, Ms¡­ Romero.¡± Victoria MacLeod voice quivered threateningly. ¡°You believe that I, a mother, would allow my beloved daughter to participate in a war? Surely, as a woman, you should know better.¡±


    Ms. Romero was silenced.


    ¡°Other major orbital colonies. Do you have anything to say?¡± Varoufakis had long been observing the inquiry on the side along with Petrov, who had returned from his communication with James MacLeod.


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry to say this, but,¡± A man in a flashy suit with the E-cube company logo on his left breast stepped forth. ¡°If you were to demand my company to cease supply of the e-cube to the martians and the belt¡­ the Wolf Coil would cease operation and the terra-forming efforts over the centuries would go up in smoke. Not to mention, the belt would likely turn on us, if not go full nuclear.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± he added, ¡°I don¡¯t mean to say that lightly. It¡¯s quite possible they will actually return to nuclear technology.¡±


    ¡°We¡­ we Blackrock own many assets in the belt. And on Mars.¡± An expressionless black-suited man simply added.


    Other orbital colonies would soon add their words, none willing to condemn Neurorevo. Frankly, they all shared Neurorevo¡¯s position. The Kasvallian Group, that showed up the least for these sorts of assemblies, also supported such a position.


    The nations¡¯ representatives soon understood that this inquiry would go absolutely nowhere. It was indeed, nothing but a show for the public.


    ___________________________________________________________________________


    A Timber Chalet, The Alps.


    The Hungarian President sat in her vacation home, sipping a spirit from a tulip glass. Her husband had taken their children to a number of activities.


    She had opted to view the nation¡¯s assembly by herself.


    ¡°President. The Polish President is here.¡± Her butler informed her.


    ¡°Let him in.¡±


    She refilled her own tulip glass but also another one for the visitor, and moved out to a gazebo at the center of the garden in front of the chalet.


    Soon the man walked in, led by her female butler.


    ¡°Welcome, President Zielinski.¡±


    ¡°President Varga.¡±


    The two sat down in the soft cushy sofa-like seats in the gazebo. The holographic nations¡¯ assembly played in the center of the gazebo, and  the two half-listened to the proceedings.


    ¡°Palinka?¡± The man asked as he received a tulip glass handed to him across the hologram.


    ¡°Yes,¡± replied Varga with a smile.


    They both sipped the spirit.


    ¡°Ah¡­ a lovely taste,¡¯ gushed Zielinski as he closed his eyes to savor the taste.


    At length, Varga spoke. Her soft voice sounded¡­ exhausted.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be busy rebuilding Warsaw?¡±


    ¡°The same could be said to you,¡± replied Zielinski. ¡°The nations¡¯ assembly. I¡¯ve known you for quite a number of years. You would not normally have missed such an event. As for me, I¡¯ve already given the orders and passed a budget, with the Kasvallian Group¡¯s support. It¡¯s up to the people now.¡±


    Varga opted not to reply and the two sipped Palinka, surrounded by the deep and thick pine trees that swayed in the soft mountain breeze under the azure sky.


    ¡°This is a lovely place, isn¡¯t it? My husband and kids absolutely love it whenever we come here. And then there¡¯s Phuket. Lovely place for beaches and scuba-diving. We have quite a few expats there. I know them personally. Old childhood friends that have opted to retire and live out the rest of their lives under the warm sun.¡±


    Zielinski ceased sipping his Palinka, a sorrow within his eyes. Varga was by no means old, not even compared to pre-Solar Era human mortality.


    ¡°You¡¯ve given up.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Varga refilled her glass of Palinka. ¡°I¡¯ve just grown wiser.¡±


    ¡°Miss Varga. We still have need of you. Those who share our beliefs, we--¡±


    ¡°Zielinski¡­I¡¯ll be stepping down once my term is finished. Judging by the data collected on my population, they are hugely in favor of politicians devoted to the Earth Federation.¡±


    What scared Zielinski the most though, wasn¡¯t this information. It was the look of relief etched into Varga¡¯s angular face as she said this.


    ¡°Zielinski. As a long-time colleague, you may not like what I¡¯m about to say. But it¡¯s best to comprehend this early so you can put down your burdens and live a good life¡­¡±


    ¡°For so many years, I wished to prevent the Earth Federation¡¯s total control over Earth, fearing that their dominance would force nations into accepting policies that do not have the interest of the local populace at heart.¡±


    ¡°Did you see the assembly of nations? We can¡¯t even pressure the orbital colonies. Nations died long ago, my friend. We were just blind to it.¡±


    Zielinski¡¯s mouth was agape, unsure of what to make of his colleague¡¯s capitulation.


    ¡°Early on in human history, we lived in small tribes. Soon those individual tribes had to come together, accepting that part of their own individual tribal beliefs needed to be set aside in order for that larger society to function.¡±


    ¡°Then we nations of Europe warred amongst ourselves, until we chose to come together to form a united Europe, allowing our people freedom of travel. Our people¡¯s culture over centuries melded together, and though some of our individual cultures were maintained¡­much of it was also lost across time.¡±


    ¡°The tribal cultures on certain continents unwilling to set aside the parts of their individual cultures to fully cooperate together? Wiped out.¡±


    ¡°Miss Varga,¡± Zielinski protested. ¡°That is a gross simplification. There are many factors as well such as diseases and--¡±


    ¡°But you cannot deny what I have said to be true,¡± interjected Varga. ¡°If there¡¯s one thing I¡¯ve come to understand¡­ true unity and cooperation between people can create unbelievable achievements-- even if it is at the cost of certain individuals and their beliefs. Such as us.¡±


    ¡°And we strive to minimize that cost, is that not so?¡± Zielinski steadied his heart.


    ¡°You know,¡± she continued. ¡°If those tribal cultures immediately united and aggressively defended their eastern coastline¡­ history might have been very different. Or perhaps used guerilla warfare as a united force, similar to what the Vietnamese have done throughout history.¡±


    ¡°They might have still lost eventually. But they would have accomplished far more before fading into obscurity. More likely to have forced our invading European ancestors to accept an agreement of sorts.¡±


    ¡°Precisely! That¡¯s why we, of similar beliefs, should continue our cooperation!¡¯ Zielinski grasped at straws, hoping to convince Varga that they still had a chance.


    ¡°Zielinski.¡± Varga denied the man with a shake of her head. ¡°Your new Warsaw is being funded by the orbital colony organization, the Kasvallian Group.¡± She waved at the holographic nations¡¯ assembly. ¡°Do you not see their position? Your new Warsaw¡­ who¡¯s control will it be under?¡±


    When Zielinski left Varga''s vacation chalet, his shoulders slumped. He had put up a bravado, hoping to drag Varga back from the brink. Instead, it was him who was sucked into a whirlpool of dejection.


    He glanced around at the environment of the Alps. Perhaps, it wouldn¡¯t be so bad to spend more time here¡­


    ______________________________________________________________________________


    Sector Chamber, Pacific City


    The inquiry had concluded and the nations had nothing to show for it. As was normal protocol, Varoufakis shook hands with all the orbital colonies present.


    As he shook hands with Alexa Vergara, the CEO of Neurorevo, with an enigmatic smile, traced her middle finger in circular motion for a few seconds over the surface of his palm, eliciting a stern expression from the President of the Earth Federation.


    He recalled memories of their university years together. Indeed, they had hit it off in the very first year of their undergraduate course.


    He thanked all the representatives for coming, but when shaking Alexa Vergara¡¯s hand, he instead gave her one word, ¡°Cheers,¡± transforming her enigmatic smile into a grin.

 Ch22: On Collision Course

    Phobos, Martian Command Post, July 21st, 1000 Solar Era.


    Enine, Sullivan, Zheng and Laurent convened around a ringed meeting room, with a central hologram to display any information important to their discussion.


    Laurent had escaped with his tail between his legs and survived the EFSF¡¯s ambush at the Euler Station. Initially, he felt relieved, but once that initial shock was over, he reverted to his usual boisterous demeanor.


    ¡°Someone on our side must have leaked our plans!¡± He bellowed furiously at the other three.


    ¡°I¡¯m not even entirely informed of your plans,¡± Enine shrugged, rather tired of Laurent¡¯s deafening voice. It had to be said that he was used to peace and quiet due to living his whole life on a small and isolated asteroid colony. ¡°I wasn¡¯t even informed of you crazy martians chucking asteroids at Earth.¡±


    Thinking that his words might further enrage Laurent, he added, ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand. Quite a number of the T3ST unit celebrated your actions.¡±


    Enine was greeted by Laurent¡¯s confused look. Well¡­ he certainly was successful in having Laurent cease his outburst.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t, though,¡± Laurent muttered with a blank look.


    It was Enine¡¯s turn to be confused. He had staunchly protected Xeight and Bone previously precisely because he assumed that the martians had done worse, in combination with the fact that the soldier Jacobs had initiated the conflict with Xeight.


    ¡°Zheng?¡± Sullivan questioningly looked at the other man.


    ¡°Sir.¡± Zheng replied as he shrugged in indifference. ¡°As discussed,  I contacted my old friend who has¡­ black market dealings with the pirates. The pirates agreed to harass the supply channels of the Earth Feds. I never quite expected them to actually lob asteroids at Earth.¡±


    ¡°You sure it¡¯s the pirates?¡± Sullivan drummed his fingers on the ring marble table, lost in thought.


    ¡°The predicted trajectories our systems graphed based on the impact, orbits and gravitational forces all point towards the outer reaches of the belt, an area very much controlled by the pirates.¡±


    ¡°Damned terrans,¡± scoffed Laurent with derision. ¡°They alienated their largest nations. What happened again? Isn¡¯t that why all those large nations opted to each take control and terraform the Saturn and Jupiter moons? Maybe it¡¯s them?¡±


    Honestly, Zheng was sometimes surprised that this brash counterpart of his had vague recollections of terran history. In recorded history, the smaller nations had used the formation of the Earth Federation to suppress the influence of larger nations on Earth. After a few centuries, they had then needed to unite to limit the growing influence of the Earth Federation.


    That was the general gist of it all-- the political games involved were much more extensive. Eventually, the large nations moved a part of their power base to the gas giants¡¯ moons, unwilling to be shackled under the Earth Feds.


    ¡°They¡¯re busy terraforming their moons. They only have minor dealings with even the orbital colony powers.¡±


    Enine had yet to say a word. He naturally had even less information on all these parties in the Solar System, compared to martian command.


    ¡°No matter.¡± Sullivan brushed that issue aside. ¡°As Laurent said. There must be a terran informant within our ranks. The attack on Euler Station was only known to me, Zheng, Laurent, the high command of retired admirals and politicians, and the Laurent fleet.¡±


    Enine had only become aware of this failed offensive at the Euler Station today.


    ¡°Or Neurorevo,¡± added Zheng. His statement made the other three men sharply swivel their heads at him.


    Zheng shrugged again. ¡°Our ships and nexarms are all neurorevo built. It¡¯s quite possible there¡¯s some sort of system in them that allows neurorevo to spy on us.¡± He tapped his neuro circlet. ¡°Neurorave is quite literally everywhere.¡±


    All present had always been aware of this risk deep in their hearts. However, Neurorevo surely did not stand staunchly on Earth¡¯s side. Otherwise, if Neurorevo was spying on them, the interplanetary conglomerate would have long informed the Earth Feds years ago, when the martians had secretly begun planning their independence push.


    ¡°Well,¡± An indecipherable expression consumed Sullivan¡¯s face. ¡°The high command has just received an offer from the Kasvallian Group.¡±


    It was Admiral Sullivan¡¯s turn to be struck by three pairs of laser eyes.


    ¡°The Kasvallian Group wishes for us to retrieve something akin to a nexarm from Earth. They have promised to compensate us by providing us with alternative systems comparative to Neurorave.¡±


    ¡°Now,¡± Sullivan met eyes with the other three men one-by-one. ¡°I trust all three of you. But not our underlings. Lest you all have forgotten, the martian fleet was once of the Earth Feds.  Although many aligned with the martian view, and we have attempted to clear the ranks¡­ it is not inconceivable for a few terran loyalists to be hiding within our ranks. Vice-admirals. You know what to do.¡±


    ¡°This mission is yours, Grand Elder Enine.¡±


    Laurent might not have favorable feelings towards the T3ST colony. But even he kept his mouth shut, not willing to risk potential terran loyalists exposing this critical mission. In his mind, not being fully reliant on Neurorevo would do them wonders.


    The only concern with the T3ST colony was perhaps the Neurorevo engineers. Yet, Neurorevo should not have taken sides. As for the connection between James MacLeod and Jen MacLeod¡­ Jen MacLeod wasn¡¯t even officially with the T3ST unit.


    ¡°Grand Elder Enine. Do keep an eye on those Neurorevo engineers. Outbound communications and the like. And obscure the true task of the mission except to a necessary trusted few.¡±


    Enine bowed his head and accepted his task as their meeting concluded.


    _________________________________________________________________________


    Admiral Sullivan entered another room as holographic images of the martian high command members showed up.


    A majority of these silhouettes were men-- many women on Mars often attempted to immigrate to the orbital colonies or even on the rare opportunity, to Earth. Terraforming Mars wasn¡¯t exactly a good life. Those who came and stayed needed to be iron like the planet while fully aware that they could have a much more comfortable life elsewhere.


    As a result, the rather unfortunate reality was that the early settlers were mostly men. A rather odd situation then ensued, in which certain women would be willingly shared by multiple men, though the expectation was that said woman would give birth to many children.


    Eventually, the artificial womb was developed, exported to Mars, and resolved much of this crisis. Still, when it came to the population, there are more men than women, and this showed in all areas of Mars, especially the military.


    ¡°The task is done?¡± A rare woman in the high command asked.


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    ¡°Yes, Minister Williams,¡± replied Sullivan. ¡°The T3ST unit has the least risk of exposing the mission. Thus, the Kasvallian task was given to them.¡±


    ¡°Will they be able to handle Earth¡¯s gravity?¡±


    ¡°Yes. When we provided training to the T3ST colony, we ensured they received training under normal gravity. We provided simulations that stimulated their senses such that they have an accurate expectation of what it would feel like to walk on Earth.¡±


    ¡°Well done. We will be much more secure with decreased reliance on Neurorevo. Chancellor?¡±


    ¡°How is Vice-admiral Laurent?¡± A male silhouette stepped forth. This was Chancellor Boateng, the man who held the head seat of the martian high command.


    Chancellor Boateng was not concerned about Laurent¡¯s health. Sullivan knew that the man wanted to know if Laurent was negligent in his command.


    ¡°Five deaths. Three from the S-class flagship. Two from the A-class starship. No major injuries. The hulls on these two ships will be repaired in a week.¡±


    ¡°Laurent reported that the terran fleet being prepared there was accelerated to a state of readiness. They were ambushed as information on their attack was leaked, and the EFNSF was already ready to intercept their approach.¡±


    ¡°How much of Laurent¡¯s words are true?¡± Chancellor Boateng pressed.


    ¡°We did examine the mega-particle beam marks on the two ships, and can tell they are different. As you know, the mega-particle beam cannons are not all exactly the same. They are so incredibly high-powered that a miniscule difference, unavoidable between cannons, can be noticed. The enemy did, in fact, have two ships capable of using their mega-particle beam cannons, that much is certain.¡±


    ¡°Yet, he sat in place for close to thirty minutes trading blows with the enemy¡¯s external nexarm devices. Give me your assessment.¡±


    ¡°Vice-admiral Laurent was destroying much of the enemy¡¯s materiel while sustaining little-to-none on the ship.¡±


    ¡°The enemy was clearly stalling him.¡±


    ¡°In retrospect, yes. However, it is understandable that at the time, he may have been confused that an ambush had formed a net around him. He was also unaware that the enemy ships¡¯ readiness progress had been accelerated. It is my belief that this is a failure of our intelligence unit. However, if you all wish to judge Laurent, he has indicated that he will welcome an open inquiry.¡±


    Perhaps some would accuse Sullivan of defending Laurent. In truth, Sullivan simply wasn¡¯t sure who would take over Laurent¡¯s post. It would have to be someone from the Laurent faction. Another factor was that he, himself, had no desire to do battle with overly-flawed intelligence.


    The high command began discussing other concerns.


    ¡°Will the T3ST unit be able to bypass Earth¡¯s umbrella?¡±


    ¡°The Kasvallian Group has stated that the upgrades have yet to be completed.¡±


    ¡°Can their intelligence be trusted?¡±


    ¡°They have already given us a few of their intelligence tools for us to use when they requested our help to retrieve a unit. Their tools are a generation ahead.¡±


    ¡°Our supply chain?¡±


    Sullivan would have to sit through hours of various discussions of no concern to him. By the end of the day, he was a corpse quivering in his boots with exhaustion.


    ____________________________________________________________________________


    Enine returned to the T3ST colony and ordered the T3ST unit to prepare for departure again. Starship Oneiroi was already resupplied and primed for action, its mega-particle beam cannon fully tested for combat.


    ¡°Son. Check the mission plan.¡± Enine had come to trust Xeight after the success of their last mission. Though Xeight had yet to embrace the T3ST unit¡¯s role, at the very least, he more than gave adequate assistance.


    Xeight was rather startled when he examined the mission plan in the chamber of elders on Starship Oneiroi.


    ¡°Someone different drafted this up,¡± was his conclusion.


    ¡°Vice-admiral Zheng said it came from his most trusted aide. Khan, I think, is her name. You should have met her.¡±


    ¡°I remember her.¡± Xeight had a rather distinct memory of the woman who had deescalated that situation with his execution of the martian pilot Jacobs.


    He continued examining the plan before him, and had to praise Khan¡¯s design. The plan relied on using an asteroid named ¡®AR-gamah¡¯ that had a large loop, traveling way past the Kuiper Belt. This large asteroid would pass relatively close to Earth in a few weeks.


    With the recent asteroid strike destroying Warsaw, the terrans were bound to keep a close eye on this passing asteroid.


    The T3ST unit would effectively give said asteroid a nudge to send the terran alarm bells ringing, and use that as a distraction to take control of an orbiting buoy and a few of their crew would use that hole to descend onto Earth to retrieve the Kasvallian unit. It was even possible that the EFSF would concentrate much of their defense umbrella against the asteroid, thus creating multiple openings elsewhere.


    Whoever descended onto Earth would be quickly returned to space, and the task completed with minimal time and effort. It was but a retrieval mission, prior to the EFSF completing the upgrades to Earth¡¯s umbrella.


    It was very much the perfect plan, in Xeight¡¯s eyes. Surely, his father could see that. It was unnecessary for him to provide input.


    ___________________________________________________________________________


    Golden Elysium, Unidentified Space, July 22nd, 1000 Solar Era.


    ¡°Another!¡± Igor Smirnov yelled as a waiter refilled his glass with beer. The ten members of the NSF had come to this luxurious cruise liner that traveled between the planets and orbital colonies, to celebrate their victory but also prepare their next mission.


    They would soon have to travel far into the belt in search of the T3ST unit.


    ¡°You should practice abstinence¡­¡± David Levy muttered to the side. Out of the whole team, he was the most uncomfortable aboard the Golden Elysium. This cruise liner targeted the rich of the Earth and orbital colonies.


    The whole ship was effectively a sprinting turtle shell, with layered shells of X-alloy plates and a vast reserve of e-cube blocks to escape with many jumps and take its patrons to safety. It had no weapons, but it would be impossible for any to even dream of capturing the ship. Quite a number of orbital colonies and the interplanetary conglomerates had contributed to building this cruise liner.


    The NSF had only gotten the chance to board this cruise liner due to James MacLeod¡¯s connections.


    Their A-class starship-- James had chosen to call it Starship Atlas-- was parked alongside and dwarfed by Golden Elysium.


    He had agreed to allow many of the onboard patrons the opportunity to visit the hangar and feast their eyes upon the ten celestial nexarms.


    ¡°We need these people to take an interest in funding these weapons that defend their interests,¡± he had explained to the NSF members.


    Anyhow, now, the team had entered a karaoke establishment on the cruise liner, and Athena found herself positively enthralled by the polite and graceful Arianna Bellucci¡¯s melodious voice.


    ¡°Wow, Ari¡­¡± whispered Olivia in praise and wonder. Even the uncomfortable David Levy forgot his disapproval of the very nature of this cruise liner as his eyes glazed over within a dream.


    Athena had come to know the members of the team quite well. Olivia Gonzalez had an obsession with fashion trends. Will Kyle, seemingly aggressive but a huge softie, easily seen if you were to discuss family with the man.


    Liu Long, a man incredibly blunt and direct with his speech that initially came across as a rather unkind and critical person. Yet, eventually, the members came to appreciate his honesty, as he was always willing to assist with all tasks.


    The group discovered that Cliupatra Saad was, in fact, an expert in plant biology and ecology. Athena found herself often captivated by Clio discussing the process of turning the Sahara green.


    Cyrus Amiri? A rather quiet individual heavily invested in archaic architecture.


    Smirnov himself was what one could call someone who lived solely for the present. He was like a rambunctious child that took joy out of nearly every single moment. He often even made fun of himself as an alcohol connoisseur.


    Athena wondered why some members of her team even joined the EFSF. Perhaps, that was something for her to discover in the future. Anyhow, many on the team treated Athena as their little feisty sister, since she was the youngest in the group.


    Ari¡¯s singing ended and the group chose to take a break.


    James MacLeod¡¯s devices whizzed around, ensuring that their room was secure. The Golden Elysium was designed such that the rich patrons would have privacy whenever they so choose, regardless of the setting.


    ¡°Team. We will be leaving the Golden Elysium soon.¡¯ James MacLeod took this opportunity to prepare the NSF.


    ¡°Good!¡± exclaimed David, absolutely tired of being on board the extravagant cruise liner.


    ¡°Now, I¡±m sorry for interrupting the fun, but I need you all to begin your mental prep. Kyle, Liu and Bellucci. You three will be joining the primary terran fleet. Kyle will operate as the lead, but you three are meant to cover and complement each other.¡±


    ¡°As for the other seven of us, we will be searching for the T3ST unit and the T3ST colony. I have visited the place before, and we have eyes around the belt. Now, in order to shield our approach to the belt from unfriendly eyes, we will make use of this asteroid named ¡®AR-gamah¡¯. We will give it a small nudge such that the gravitational forces will direct it back into the belt.¡± James MacLeod grinned, rather satisfied with his design.


    ¡°Hah!¡± Liu was also blunt with his praise. ¡°Ingenious!¡±


    MacLeod humbly shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m sure there are others that would have thought to use a timely wandering asteroid to camouflage their purposes.¡±

 Ch23: A Coincidental Encounter

    The asteroid ¡®AR-gamah¡¯, unidentified space between Mars and Earth¡¯s orbit. August 1. 1000 Solar Era.


    Starship Oneiroi had jumped to a safe area close to the asteroid¡¯s trajectory and proceeded to approach it. Their goal was to nudge it towards Earth. The terrans should be able to handle this elongated asteroid a few hundred meters in length. At least, Enine himself believed that there should be no loss of life. Their goal is only to draw the Earth Feds¡¯ attention to the asteroid and sneak a few members down to Earth using the distraction.


    -


    On Starship Atlas.


    ¡°Sir! We sense the energy of a ship exiting jump close by!¡±


    James MacLeod opened his eyes wide and dropped the fork spiked with spaghetti bolognese strands to his plate with a clang. Who would be approaching the asteroid ¡®AR-gamah¡¯? It must be another group of terrorists!


    Yet, that made no sense. This asteroid was of a large size and thus was closely tracked by the Earth Feds for many years. Even if ¡®AR-gamah¡¯ were to be stealth-cloaked, the sudden disappearance of the asteroid would send alarm bells ringing. And if un-stealthed, the asteroid would be taken down, even if the process might require fine-handling by the Earth Feds.


    It would be far more effective to use asteroids less observed. Granted, that might take significantly longer based on where said asteroid is sourced from.


    Yet, to appear close to this area. They must have come for the asteroid ¡®AR-gamah¡¯. There was no other reason for the enemy to show up in this empty patch of space!


    James MacLeod banished these thoughts to the back of his mind. The Earth Feds were already informed of his plan, and had not indicated that another vessel would appear. Thus, this must be the enemy, and must be engaged.


    He cleaned his lips with a paper towel and tapped his neuro circlet.


    ¡°Attention crew. Enemy is approaching. To battle stations. Nexarm units are to begin spreading your neuro devices. Ensure they remain hidden behind the asteroid from the direction of enemy approach. Prepare an ambush. We will simultaneously strike at the same time.¡±


    The dining hall clattered as many of the crew enjoying their printed meals here discarded their half-finished plates in an orderly fashion.


    ¡°Sir,¡± Vargas, a long-time veteran of the EFSF placed in charge of coordinating the A-class starship¡¯s systems, questioned, ¡°Should we prepare our mega-particle beam cannon?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± James rejected. ¡°We are too close in range, and will be sensed the moment we charge up such a large energy source. It will be easily dodged. Also, we must ensure that the asteroid does not veer off path. We have yet to reach the point where we can give the necessary nudge to send it towards the belt and function as our camouflage.¡± He was concerned that the particle beam might set off a chain reaction and send the asteroid in the wrong direction.


    He himself went to the hangar of the A-class starship to lead the other six nexarm pilots.


    The pilots were all nervous, but Levy¡¯s statement assured their hearts.


    ¡°To think the martian group would once again use asteroids to terrorize us terrans. God is certainly on our side, that much is certain!¡± Levy stated.


    Amiri nodded in agreement, his eyes narrowing in focus.


    ¡°NSF. Begin launch!¡± ordered James.


    -


    On Starship Oneiroi.


    ¡°Grand Elder. We are approaching ¡®AR-gamah¡¯.¡°


    ¡°Thank you, Asix.¡±


    Enine activated his neuro circlet comms. ¡°Nexarm unit. Prepare to connect the drones. The navigational team has already sent the data on where to place your drones to give the asteroid ¡®AR-gamah¡¯ the right push.¡±


    ¡°Yes, grand elder.¡± That was Senior Zseven¡¯s voice. Enine grimaced, but his father had insisted on calling him grand elder.


    ¡°Got it.¡± That was Bone¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go already!¡± Yfour¡¯s enthusiasm.


    There was no word from Xeight.


    ¡°Xeight?¡± Enine queried, dreading the answer.


    ¡°He wants to take a nap. Connecting the drones to the right points on the asteroid as per the navigation team¡¯s direction is boringly easy, he said. He¡¯s always like this¡­¡± Yfour explained, very much frustrated by Xeight¡¯s disinterest in their task.


    Enine sighed. ¡°Just head out.¡±


    ¡°Wait! Enemy detected!¡± shouted Asix.


    At that very moment, Starship Oneiroi and its crew was caught completely by surprise as another A-class starship appeared from behind the asteroid ¡®AR-gamah¡¯ alongside a hundred plus floating neuro weapons.


    Both the enemy ship and the floating weapon devices simultaneously fired.


    ¡°Rotate ship to decrease cross-section! Fire all laser defenses!¡± Asix had gotten quite comfortable in his role and immediately responded to the developing crisis.


    Starship Oneiroi immediately shifted such that only the head of its decagonal barrel faced the enemy ship. The laser systems on the nose then created a continuous high heat zone in front of the barrel that served to melt any incoming kinetic rounds.


    ¡°Was our mission leaked¡­?¡± muttered Enine. It seemed rather unlikely. He had kept a close eye on all outbound communications. Not even the full details of their mission were discussed with most of the crew.


    ¡°Father! I¡¯m setting off to place the drones to accelerate the asteroid!¡± Bone declared through his comms.


    ¡°Bone, the situation has changed! Do not--¡±


    ¡°Nexarm Skull, launching!¡±


    ¡°Nexarm Eel, launch!¡±


    ¡°Grand Elder. I will protect them. Nexarm Bull, launching!¡± Zseven assured Enine.


    This was going to be a completely open battlefield. The area around the asteroid ¡®AR-gamah¡¯ was open space with no debris of small asteroids to hide behind.


    ¡°Grand Elder. Should we set a blind like we did at Vesta?¡± Asix had been rather impressed by that strategy.


    ¡°No¡­¡± muttered Enine. ¡°I do not believe that to be useful here. The enemy is prepared and have their many devices spread so they should be able to circumvent the blind, while we have yet to deploy any.¡±


    But, this wasn¡¯t up to Enine, for at this very moment, the enemy had placed up the blind themselves.


    ¡°EFSF!¡± Enine yelled. The EFSF soldier, Commander Zulu was sent back to the EFSF in a prisoner exchange, and must have informed the Earth Feds of how Vesta fell.


    -


    On EFSF¡¯s side.


    ¡°Sir. As ordered, we have set up the blind.¡± Starship Atlas repeatedly fired a laser into the diffraction cloud, causing the area in between the two ships to constantly flash and disrupt any information from across the blind  However, the EFNSF had long deployed their devices, and many of their sensory swarms had already been sent forward past the blind, thus providing Starship Atlas with the necessary aiming data.


    ¡°Continue fire.¡±


    Starship Atlas, too, had the head of its barrel-shaped vessel pointed to their enemy, and many hatches opened on its surfaces. The ten railguns mounted around its circumference continuously fired as the ship rotated along its longitudinal axis, along with the hundred artillery guns designed to pelt the enemy with multiple smaller rounds. These served to grind down the enemy¡¯s x-alloy plate defenses over time.


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


    ¡°Sir!¡± Athena had a swarm of devices monitoring the enemy starship¡¯s motion on the other side of the blind. ¡°They¡¯re laterally drifting their ship to escape the blind! Also, three nexarm units are traveling towards the asteroid! The unit leading has the insignia of a skull!¡±


    ¡°This is the T3ST unit! Ignore those three nexarms! They are unable to siege our starship with just three! Focus on the enemy¡¯s starship! We destroy their starship and the war might even be over!¡± With the T3ST unit before them, they no longer needed to redirect the asteroid to the belt as a camouflage for their search for this unit!


    Despite the EFSF¡¯s initiation advantage, their enemy starship seemed to have steadied the situation, and had yet to sustain any significant damage.


    -


    Although blinded by the EFSF¡¯s ship position, Starship Oneiroi decided to waste energy on their laser systems to completely blanket the area in front of their nose with an intense heat field that minimized the effect of any projectiles.


    ¡°Grand Elder. Our laser defense point systems are going to overheat and our e-cube energy store is down by seven percent.¡± Their double jumps to the asteroid had already used up twenty-two percent of their energy. The battle had just started. It would be disastrous if they were to continue using their laser defense system in such a carpet-defense manner


    ¡°Continue the lateral drift. Once the blind is no longer in front of us, the stress on the laser defense system will decrease,¡± Enine explained. He exhaled and those in the bridge could hear the quivering volcano barely kept in check within his voice. ¡°Someone go. And drag Xeight out of his bed!¡±


    -


    Back on the EFSF side.


    James MacLeod recognized that the method of using the blind was not quite so effective if the target had the ability to move around said blind. Vesta¡¯s military command center did not have that ability and was thus made toothless by the T3ST unit¡¯s strategy.


    ¡°Swarm them,¡± ordered James with a frown.


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± A cacophonous six voices acknowledged.


    The many swarms that were initially used to observe Starship Oneiroi began attempting to approach Starship Oneiroi.


    It needed to be said that this was a rather daunting sight to any who would see this scene. The NSF members each controlled five swarms of spherical automatons each, and each swarm had thirty-six units. Thus, those on Starship Oneiroi were quite literally being approached by thirty of these swarms that were locusts during harvest season.


    Asix kept his calm and coordinated with those manning the artillery guns on Starship Oneiroi. The T3ST unit continued wasting precious energy to protect its front through a blanket laser defense system, while its artillery guns began pelting the approaching swarms with pinpoint accuracy.


    Automations simply weren¡¯t of the size that allowed them to have thick X-alloy defenses. The rapid fire rounds of a hundred artillery guns on Starship Oneiroi quickly began disabling all the chasing swarm spherical automatons. Each automaton struck became a deadwood floating down a stream.


    ¡°Sir! I¡¯ve lost two swarms already. The other three are being cut in half as we speak!¡±


    James furrowed his brows, attempting to find a better method to deal with the enemy starship. He considered using the other weapon systems, yet he knew the starship would handle those weapons just fine. In the battle at Euler Station, the martian ship was capable of countering those neuro weapons, and over time, even had a materiel advantage. And, at Euler Station, those weapons systems even had much debris to hide behind. Not here.


    The main difference was the open space this battle was being conducted in. A starship had layered x-alloy plate defenses along with ten railguns, a hundred artillery weapons, and a laser defense system consisting of another hundred synced lasers, all manned by a ship¡¯s crew.


    Without a debris field, the nexarm devices do not have the benefit of being able to move and avoid detection. Thus, an ambush by these devices in open space was¡­ well¡­ not much of an ambush.


    Starship Oneiroi slightly rotated its ship as it laterally drifted, and eventually cleared the obstruction as they ended up on the same side of the blind as Starship Atlas. They were just in time to cease the usage of their laser systems and prevent permanent damage.


    At this time, a somewhat bleary-eyed Xeight appeared on the bridge.


    ¡°Xeight! You rascal!¡± Enine only had time to growl at his son for a split second, his attention much more focused on their battle.


    ¡°Laser defense system down! Ten seconds rest required, grand elder,¡± Asix informed Enine.


    ¡°Damn. Fire all weapons and side-roll!¡± Ten seconds might not be much, but that could be the difference. Their enemy starship had full function of their laser defense system.


    Both starships thought the same. They saw each other clearly in their sights and began firing all their weapons. Starship Oneiroi had no choice but to shift its position in space to minimize their chances of getting hit while without their laser defense system. Starship Atlas simply employed its laser defense system and held its position.


    ¡°Fire the mega-particle beam. Just minimal charge. Short burst.¡± Xeight scrunched his eyes to dispel his weariness.


    ¡°Do it.¡± Enine only took half a second to understand his son¡¯s intention.


    Mega-particle beam cannon firing in three¡­


    These ten seconds were short, but if unhindered, could be the difference between life and death.


    The whole crew knew they were having a brush with death as they heard a shearing noise that vibrated their eardrums!


    ¡°Damage report!¡± Enine ordered.


    Two¡­


    ¡°We lost a surface plate on the left-frontal area to a concentrated row of railgun rounds! Some of their smaller rounds from artillery guns penetrated this compartment!¡±


    One


    -


    On Starship Atlas.


    ¡°Sir. They¡¯ve overtaxed their laser defense system. We¡¯ve got them!¡± Vargas informed James MacLeod.


    Smirnov began cackling through the comms. ¡°Hah! They are just grasping at straws!¡±


    ¡°All nexarm units. Full-on assault!¡± James ordered.  Their many weapons devices and swarms that had lagged behind due to the enemy ship¡¯s movement caught up and began their assault. The many weapon devices needed to waste more energy stabilizing themselves with their thrusters in empty space. Some of the less robust devices were quickly disabled by the enemy ship¡¯s artillery kinetic rounds.


    ¡°Sir! Beam cannon charging detected!¡± Vargas warned.


    ¡°What?¡± James MacLeod couldn¡¯t believe his ears. It was impossible for the enemy to accurately strike anything with the beam cannon while under fire. Then, it dawned on him.


    His sensory systems were blinded at the energy release of the enemy¡¯s beam cannon. At the same time, all rounds that had been fired at the enemy ship from Starship Atlas were vaporized into atoms. That paused the battle for a few precious seconds


    -.


    On Starship Oneiroi.


    ¡°Grand Elder. Laser defense system has recovered. As long as we do not generate a high heat field as defense and use them in the proper manner, they will remain functional for many hours.¡±


    ¡°Has the breach been repaired?¡±


    ¡°Nanobots have already started the repair process.¡±


    ¡°Good. Asix. Coordinate with the members operating the laser defense system and ensure they understand to cover that breach as priority.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Grand Elder.¡±


    ¡°Father.¡± Xeight interjected, his voice slow but certain. ¡°We should target their nexarms. Their central core units have nothing to hide behind in this open space. They will be far easier to disable than the enemy starship.¡±


    ¡°Asix. Do we have their nexarm positions? Find one target and focus fire!¡±


    ¡°Yes. Grand Elder!¡±


    -


    On the EFSF side.


    ¡°Sir! We should retreat!¡± The very moment that the enemy had used their mega-particle beam as defense, Athena began having a bad feeling in her gut. Her senses indicated that the enemy had overcome any initial disadvantage.


    ¡°Sir! Continuing barrage!¡± Vargas announced through the comms.


    To their astonishment, the enemy starship did not return fire, only using their recovered laser defense systems to accurately intercept all the different missiles and rounds fired at them.


    All of a sudden, the railgun and artillery guns on the enemy ship simultaneously turned in a singular direction and fired a barrage.


    None of the EFSF knew where or who these weapons targeted, except one person-- Smirnov, who could tell that all these weapons were targeted at him!


    ¡°§¤§à§Ó§ß§à,¡± Smirnov swore in his mother tongue. ¡°I¡¯m targeted! Falling back!¡± He suddenly wished he thought more cautiously, like Athena.


    It was too late. The very moment he activated his thrusters in a bid to escape the zone, he was struck by a shower of kinetic rounds that weakened his plates. One second later, a second wave, and then a third.


    Plate integrity at two percent.


    It was pointless for him to even use the lasers attached to his unit to defend himself. With many of his devices currently spread out to cover the battlefield, he could do nothing when faced with a hundred plus rounds fired into his zone.


    ¡°Sacrificing neuro swarms and devices!¡± At the brink of death, Smirnov heard Athena¡¯s yell. The fourth wave did not come, and he zigzagged his way back towards Starship Atlas.


    Athena had chosen to place her neuro swarms and devices in the direction of the enemy¡¯s ship¡¯s weapons aim. She knew that these weapons weren¡¯t just aiming at empty space! The swarm she controlled blocked the fourth wave and became space junk in a matter of seconds. These still served to block much of the fifth wave.


    ¡°Fall back! Replenish your number of attached swarms and devices!¡± James had become aware that the nexarms were not designed to deal with a hundred plus weapons simultaneously in open space. Their central core control units would be taken out one-by-one at this rate.


    The seven terran nexarms sent to control the T3ST unit immediately returned back towards Starhip Atlas, at the same time, shifting their remaining swarm and weapon devices to surround Starship Atlas in defense instead.


    James MacLeod¡¯s mind raced-- they had the enemy starship on the brink and yet the T3ST unit had recovered. Trying to destroy the enemy starship now would be far more difficult.


    Indeed, they could set up another blind and repeat the strategy, but the surprise factor would be gone. Even now, he could already see that the T3ST unit had activated fifteen swarm groups themselves in preparation for a potential second blind.


    This was Xeight, who had gotten into Nexarm Chimera and opted to only attach and activate swarm groups. He did not leave the hangar, and opted to control the swarms with his central nexarm command unit safely within the starship.


    He could have activated more swarms with his total motor channel numbered at twenty-one. However, he wanted to keep a few device channels free in case of an emergency.


    ¡°That must be their fourth nexarm¡­¡± muttered James Macleod when he saw the swarms¡¯ appearance. ¡°Xeight¡­ I wonder¡­ is that you?¡±


    Then, his expression hardened. ¡°But I must do my duty as a terran.¡¯


    ¡°Smirnov. Retire for now. Rest of the NSF. Replenish your number of neuro swarms and weapons, and we go and hunt the three enemy nexarm units that approached the asteroid ¡®AR-gamah¡¯! Vargas! Simply hold back the enemy ship!¡±


    Starships are just too difficult to disable! Thus, James MacLeod set his sights on the three somewhat stranded enemy nexarms!

 Ch24: An Older Generations Heart

    The asteroid ¡®AR-gamah¡¯, unidentified space between Mars and Earth¡¯s orbit. August 1. 1000 Solar Era.


    ¡°Levy. Remain on Atlas and switch all motor devices to neuro automaton swarms. Spread your swarms far and wide such that the enemy cannot gain an advantage by deploying a blind. Do not engage your swarms and only seek to preserve them to prevent the enemy using a blind!¡±


    James was beginning to feel a tinge of pressure now that Smirnov¡¯s nexarm needed to fully refit its damaged plates. The data from Mars indicated that the T3ST colony members had an upper ceiling of mid-twenties devices. James did not believe in that data-- he suspected it was in the thirties.


    To his estimation, the three enemy nexarms would have a total of ninety-plus neuro channels, so maybe forty-plus or even fifty neuro motor weapons or swarms combined. In order to suppress the three enemy units, he needed more neuro devices. On average, they had twenty to twenty-six devices and as such needed at least five members to have an advantage against the three enemy units.


    James MacLeod had no choice but to put Levy in a slightly uncomfortable position of defending against the remaining enemy nexarm still on the enemy starship alone. But, if Levy avoided direct confrontation, that might give the rest of the team enough time to deal a blow against the three enemy nexarms.


    If only Smirnov¡¯s unit was still operational¡­


    ¡°Sir. I will force myself if need be.¡± Athena was also quite aware of the current numbers.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Somewhat relieved, James led their now team of five back towards the asteroid ¡®AR-gamah¡¯, the last known location of the three T3ST unit nexarms.


    ¡°Keep your devices attached to your body! In this open space, spreading out your weapons will lead to your central control mainframe lacking in defense capabilities!¡± James reminded the NSF.


    Very soon, they approached the asteroid.


    ¡°Sir! The sun!¡± Clio was the first to notice their enemy¡¯s approach.


    Bone, Yfour and Zseven had finished placing the necessary drones to accelerate the asteroid in a trajectory towards Earth.


    They were ready for the EFNSF¡¯s approach, and had chosen to attack with the sun in the NSF¡¯s eyes!


    The three T3ST nexarms also had their weapon devices attached to their mainframe, while some defensive swarms circled around them as they charged the approaching EFNSF¡¯s five units in a single line.


    The formation was the same that they had used on Vesta, in a singular line with one behind the other. They would take turns absorbing enemy rounds if not surrounded, at least during this initial charge.


    James MacLeod pointed all his sensors at the three T3ST nexarms units, unsure of the nature of their formation. Although the NSF had trained in a variety of different environments, they had primarily trained hiding their mainframe that controlled all the devices, while operating said devices to encircle and destroy opponents.


    Nexarm Skull, Bull and Eel charged forth with most of their devices attached to their mainframes. The ones not attached were automaton swarms that surrounded the three united nexarms in a tight protective umbrella.


    James could only watch in shock as the three united enemy nexarms simultaneously accelerated toward Athena¡¯s unit. The automaton swarms that surrounded the three shifted to reveal holes, and multiple kinetic rounds shot forth and through these gaps towards Athena¡¯s unit one after another.


    When Athena sensed she was being focus-targeted in this wide open space, she instantly knew that the barrage from all the weapon devices of the three enemy nexarms would have a high likelihood of overwhelming the plate defenses on her nexarm. The thick barrage would not allow her to spread the kinetic forces across multiple of her x-alloy plates.


    She made the right choice-- the only choice. She organized her replenished automaton swarms in a thick blocky formation, and placed even her heavy weapon systems behind said block. The many kinetic rounds fired from the three enemy nexarms pounded and shattered this block, and some debris even struck her nexarm unit, but most of those shattered parts spun into empty space


    Despite her actions, a number of kinetic rounds still struck the right torso of her nexarm, and her unit was sent tumbling backwards.


    ¡°Athena!¡± James shouted as none of the EFNSF was able to react in time due to the enemy approaching using the sun. They all were immensely relieved to see from their sensors that the torso of Athena''s nexarm was not breached.


    ¡°Sir! Plate integrity is at sixty percent!¡± Athena instinctively sped towards James MacLeod¡¯s unit with her remaining devices, while contacting Starship Atlas to dispatch more swarms and devices for her to connect and control.


    ¡°All units gather! Lock arms and form a pentagon! Each one of us will be responsible for defending one-fifth of the slice!¡± James commanded as he exhaled with relief. Losing another member would put them in a dire position.


    By now he had gained a clear idea of the three T3ST nexarm units¡¯ methods. The best way to describe it was that they functioned like porcupines. Not just normal porcupines, but porcupines that could shoot out its quills as projectiles. This was something that Athena also realized, having been the first target of the three enemy nexarms.


    The front unit-- the Skull unit controlled the frontal cone. The back eel emblem unit, fired in the backward cone. The middle bull emblem unit filled in the gaps between the front and back cone.


    All three units had all their weapon devices, attached to their mainframe, aimed and ready, covering all directions and leaving no blind spots. Their automaton swarms constantly circled as a form of both defense and sensory operation.


    This was why James ordered the five units to gather. If they remained in their original positions, their mainframes would be charged down one-by-one.


    Now the five units cooperated together, each defending a direction, while providing eyes for each other. It was a rough formation that James had come up with, but it would have to do.


    The three T3ST units turned again and simultaneously charged from the direction James MacLeod was facing. This time, the EFNSF was ready.


    ¡°My direction!¡± James informed the others.


    Many swarms shifted to block from James¡¯ direction. Holes within these swarms opened and the five Earth Fed nexarms fired kinetic rounds at the target.


    A few found their marks, yet the very next moment,  the three T3ST nexarms suddenly swerved, as the frontal nexarm with the skull emblem dropped behind the eel emblem unit. Now, the Bull unit was leading the front, fresh and ready to absorb and dissipate energy from enemy kinetic rounds.


    The three T3ST nexarms switched and charged from Clio¡¯s direction. It was rather clear that the T3ST nexarm pilots had found time to practice this strategy as well as their coordination.


    James MacLeod wracked his brain for a solution. If the NSF spread their devices out to encircle the enemy, it would prevent the enemy from using a frontal unit to absorb the kinetic energy from the rounds before switching positions with a fresh nexarm to absorb the next set of rounds.


    However, doing that would leave their mainframes vulnerable in this open space-- they needed to keep their sniper systems close to their body to put pressure on any direct enemy approach.


    This pattern of movement continued for a few more times, with the battle absolutely getting nowhere. The three T3ST nexarms would charge in their porcupine row formation, and be repelled by the staunch pentagonal EFNSF.


    The EFNSF copied the same trick. Despite the T3ST unit intending to target one specific nexarm to wear down its x-alloy plates, the pentagonal formation would simply rotate and prevent one unit from having to continuously take hits from any kinetic rounds that slipped through their defenses. The EFNSF also had swarms that offered protection, forcing the T3ST unit to duck and weave just to get a few openings.


    The number of nexarms devices manipulated on both sides were roughly even, with Athena having replenished her destroyed devices, and the multiple nexarms, when cooperating together, was rather effective at meeting kinetic round with kinetic round while coordinating their laser defense systems to soften any rounds that leaked through.


    ¡°Vargas. Report your combat situation!¡± Vargas was given quite a degree of command and freedom with James having to lead the nexarm team. The woman had been informed to make executive decisions and not disturb James¡¯ command of the NSF unless absolutely necessary.


    ¡°Sir. We are at a staredown, a state of ceasefire.¡± That wasn¡¯t surprising. These two A-class starships are equally matched in terms of weapons and defense systems. The laser defense systems on each starship made it very difficult for any kinetic rounds to not undergo a baptism in lava before softly bouncing off the enemy¡¯s x-alloy plates.


    Perhaps if the Starship Oneiroi forcefully engaged Starship Atlas in combat, Xeight¡¯s extra number of neuro devices would make the difference over a long shootout. Yet, it was equally possible that the advantage would have a minimal effect.


    Anyhow, Xeight himself had no interest in downing the enemy starship. That was precisely why he primarily attached the automation swarms and focused on defending Starship Oneiroi.


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    ¡°Sir.¡± Athena muttered through the comms, nervous yet determined. ¡°I will force myself to control more neuro devices for a short period of time.¡± She had already ordered more to be shot out to her from Starship Atlas.


    James was frustrated. This deadlock couldn¡¯t continue! He felt that they had the advantage. They had a few extra devices, and more nexarms. Granted, with those extra devices controlled by more pilots, the cooperation was less in sync, but they had trained as a team for many months.


    James went through all the tools in the nexarm¡¯s kit and an epiphany struck him. If he wished to take advantage of their extra number of nexarms, they needed to minimize the effect of the connected devices!


    The close-ranged combat capabilities of each nexarm are exactly the same after all, with two vibrating daggers for two arms, and four extra laser arms distendable from the nexarm¡¯s back.  If they could forcibly and temporarily disable the connected devices¡­ then it would be five versus three units-- ten daggers versus six daggers, twenty laser arms versus twelve. At least, James believed the T3ST unit would not have made any modifications to increase this capability.


    He communicated this to his team and gave his orders.


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The other four members of this pentagonal formation brimmed with both nervousness but also refilled vigor.


    The five nexarms locked arms to secure their pentagonal formation and simultaneously activated the thrusters while communicating the parameters with each other. They began shadowing the T3ST nexarms in movement.


    ¡°Hah!¡± Bone smirked. ¡°They want a side-to-side shootout? Very well!¡±


    ¡°We of the T3ST colony have lived our whole lives manipulating multiple neuro devices!¡± Yfour chimed.


    ¡°Care,¡¯ senior Zseven reminded the two.


    The two nexarm formations twisted and revolved around each other as bright shooting stars, their weapons attached to their mainframes in rapidfire while their swarms blocked and defended against the opposition.


    Many of these swarms began losing some numbers, but the nexarms¡¯ x-alloy plates absorbed and dissipated much of the impact of the kinetics rounds, especially with the nexarms on each team taking turns to take the brunt of the enemy¡¯s rounds before falling behind their allies to give the x-alloy plates time to recover.


    To James MacLeod, this exchange was just the method to lure the three T3ST nexarms into a false sense of security. His aim was never to engage them in a side-to-side shootout.


    ¡°Now!¡± He ordered. At an opportune time right when the T3ST nexarms swerved, the pentagonal formation of the EFNSF fully engaged their thrusters to a hundred percent and rammed directly into the three T3ST nexarms!


    ¡°You¡­¡± Bone  was incredulous. ¡°You crazy maniacs!¡± He never expected the EFNSF to use such barbaric tactics. Both their nexarm formations, doing combat at such high speeds-- such ramming motion would deliver unknown forces and stress onto the pilots of the nexarms.


    Due to the intense combat, the cockpits of the nexarms had long been filled with a gooey fluid that assisted in absorbing forces, along with elastic material to secure the pilots¡¯ bodies. Still, there remained quite a number of risks to the pilot¡¯s bodies under such sudden change in direction and force.


    Regardless, it was too late for the T3ST unit to avoid this collision, unexpected as it was.


    Scraping screeches could be heard by the pilots of each nexarm as the formations intersected and the nexarms sent tumbling like laundry in a washing machine, their attached weapon devices also knocked spinning into empty space.


    ¡°Follow the plan!¡± James ordered as he flailed his arm and caught hold of one of nexarm bull¡¯s left leg. They had specifically aimed their collision at this specific unit.


    Nexarm bull¡¯s right leg was then caught by Cyrus¡¯ unit. Then, the right arm, secured by Clio¡¯s unit. James had long identified this nexarm as the first target. The nexarm with the bull emblem often covered the other two units, and was the most important target to take out first!


    Despite nexarm bull¡¯s struggles, the unit was more or less helpless. Nexarm bull had three limbs immobilized, and though the pilot Zseven attempted to use his four distendable laser arms to put up a resistance, the three EFNSF units immobilizing him each also had four distendable arms! He was outmatched!


    The three EFNSF units simultaneously withdrew their vibrating blades and plunged their blade through gaps in nexarm bull¡¯s plates, disabling nexarm¡¯s bull¡¯s limbs, before proceeding to use their combined twelve laser arms to deliver intense heat and soften the plates defending the cockpit.


    Then, the three EFNSF units stabbed their vibrating blades into the cockpit in swift motion!


    ¡°Nooo!¡± Bone bellowed in hatred. He had observed the whole incident in detail with his many sensors, but he could not give his grandpa any assistance. Before him was another EFNSF unit that stuck to his nexarm like glue in close-ranged combat! The pilot of this unit was Athena.


    Yfour was similarly locked in close-ranged combat against another EFNSF unit-- Olivia Gonzalez¡¯s nexarm.


    ¡°Come!¡± Bone forced his mind to focus and steady the weapon devices he had lost control of temporarily due to the collision between the two nexarm formations.


    Athena found herself flabbergasted as Bone quickly stabilized his weapon devices spinning uncontrollably in space. She soon found herself in a precarious position, doing close combat with the skull unit in front of her, while many of the skull unit¡¯s weapon devices now pointed at her back.


    She considered engaging her thrusters to full to escape her dire situation, but knew it was pointless! Her opponent should have control of over thirty devices, and in such close range, she would not be able to avoid the enemy¡¯s kinetic rounds!


    Athena sensed that Olivia shared her situation. Olivia found herself in a near identical trouble as her opponent, nexarm eel, similarly regained control of its weapon devices at a much faster pace than expected.


    ¡°Ball! Defend with your limbs!¡± Athena yelled as she barely managed to regain control over a few of her half-remaining swarm devices before placing them between herself and the direction of the skull units¡¯ hovering weapons, just as nexarm skull¡¯s weapon devices fired. She managed to kick-off the skull unit and spin herself around before curling her nexarm into a ball as a defensive measure.


    James, Cyrus, and Clio had just sunk their vibrating blades into nexarm bull and noticed their allies in need of their immediate assistance. They quickly pulled their blades out of the fallen unit and activated their thrusters to reach Athena and Olivia. However, they were too late as the enemy¡¯s rounds fired.


    Bone and Yfour noticed the fallen nexarm bull suddenly accelerating back towards Starship Oneiroi, and they also sped off, catching up to nexarm bull and embracing the unit between theirs. Their weapon devices, after rapidly firing at Olivia and Athena¡¯s units, also left the scene and trailed after them.


    ¡°Grandpa! Bone!¡± Yfour communicated to nexarm bull in both an anxious and panicked voice. She received no reply.


    ¡°Place grandpa between us! We return!¡± Bone rarely ever hear Yfour sounding so alarmed, and immediately recognized the severity of the situation. The two unit further engaged their thrusters in coordination to speed their grandpa back to Starship Oneiroi like a looping shooting star.


    ¡°Pursue! Don¡¯t let them get away!¡± James ordered as he clenched his teeth. They should have finished the bull unit! He just hadn¡¯t expected the T3ST units to so quickly regain control of their weapon devices that had spiraled into space from their collision. If they could get rid of the T3ST unit here and now, the martians would capitulate!


    ¡°Sir!¡± Clio warned her leader. ¡°Olivia and Athena!¡±


    James Macleod had to take a few deep breaths to calm his restless mind, before remembering that Athena and Olivia had been struck almost defenseless by the enemy¡¯s rounds.


    When he saw the nexarm units of the two, he was relieved to not have blindly chased after the escaping three T3ST units. These two¡¯s nexarms were damaged in a very unique way. Both units more or less had lost the arms and legs of the mainframe! Athena¡¯s unit, for example, had only half of its left thigh remaining.


    ¡°Report! Ensign Watanabe and Lieutenant Gonzalez!¡±


    A few short buzzes later. ¡°Sir. We¡¯re alive, and a hundred percent healthy.¡± Olivia nervously chuckled through the comms. ¡°We couldn¡¯t quite defend fully against the enemy, having lost control of most of our neuro devices. Athena yelled ¡®ball¡¯, and so at the last second, I wrapped my limbs around the torso of my mainframe like a ball to protect the cockpit.¡±


    James breathed a sigh of relief. He observed Olivia¡¯s unit, and realized it was a much closer call than the woman had conveyed. Olivia¡¯s unit had her limbs shattered from the many kinetic rounds, and the plate protecting her cockpit was a white-hot red glow. The plate was on the verge of failing. One or two kinetic rounds would have been enough to pierce into her cockpit.


    Athena¡¯s unit was slightly better off. She had half a leg left, and the plate defending her cockpit was only a tinge red-- she had managed to regain control of some of her swarms to block some of the enemy¡¯s rounds in time, unlike Olivia.


    James began to think of Athena¡¯s mind to be peculiar but also a source of relief. Athena had sacrificed her swarms to save Smirnov earlier. Now she had come up with this odd method to protect the cockpit by curling into a ball and massing the limbs to block the kinetics rounds. In retrospect, the method seemed obvious, but to come up with said method on the brink of death¡­


    ¡°Sir.¡± Vargas communicated. ¡°The artillery fire has begun again. They are covering for the retreat of their nexarm units.¡±


    ¡°Do you believe you can neutralize the enemy nexarms?¡±


    ¡°No, sir. The three nexarm units are retreating with multiple-layered swarms. The remaining nexarm unit on the enemy starship activated fifteen swarms, and has sent them forth to protect their retreat.¡±


    James MacLeod could only sigh as he cooperated with Cyrus and Clio to drag Athena and Olivia¡¯s units back to their ship. He felt that they had missed an opportunity to end this war. The martians without this unique T3ST unit, would be but a minimal threat.


    ¡°Sir. Enemy starship is entering warp. Should we track and follow?¡± Vargas asked.


    James MacLeod frowned as he descended from his nexarm. They needed to first repair Athena, Olivia and Smirnov¡¯s nexarms. If they could resupply at certain EFSF bases¡­ depending on the T3ST starship¡¯s direction of travel¡­


    It was then that James came to the realization that the T3ST starship must be brutally low on energy! He did the math in his head.


    To his estimation, the T3ST starship should have used around twenty percent e-cube energy to jump to unidentified space then to the asteroid. Then they had overused their laser defense system, fired a weak mega-particle beam for defensive purposes, which could be ten to fifteen percent. They¡¯ve just jumped again, which should amount to another twenty percent. That meant that the T3ST starship¡¯s energy had dropped below fifty percent levels!


    If they, the EFNSF, could resupply while shadowing and pressuring the T3ST starship¡­ James believed they would have a chance to turn this into an advantage! One of the enemy¡¯s nexarm was also damaged and its pilot¡¯s fate unknown. If they could repair theirs in a rapid time¡­


    ¡°Attention crew. We will pursue our enemy while seeking an opportunity to resupply and repair. Their starship is at low energy and they should not have many resupply opportunities-- not as many as us!¡± The EFSF definitely had many more resource and military bases in the Solar System!


    Vargas quickly prepared their warp drive to wrap space around Starship Atlas like a cocoon.


    ¡°Trajectory and jump distance identified based on footage and energy signature. Moving into position.¡± Starship Atlas shifted its position to that which Starship Oneiroi had jumped from.


    ¡°Sir!¡± A man on the navigational team suddenly yelled. ¡°The asteroid ¡®AR-gamah¡¯ is accelerating! Its trajectory is that of Earth! Multiple heat signatures detected on the asteroid!¡±


    The T3ST unit had completed their objective of using the asteroid after all! They were the drones that Bone, Yfour and Zseven had attached to the asteroid while the EFNSF attempted to disable the T3ST unit¡¯s starship.


    Should they spend time disabling these drones accelerating the asteroid? James MacLeod deemed it not worthy of his time.


    ¡°Send the asteroid trajectory data to Admiral Petrov! We will pursue and hunt the T3ST unit!¡± They needed to follow the jump of the T3ST starship immediately. If too much time were to pass, they would no longer be able to accurately predict the jump location and follow through!

 Ch25: An Awakening

    ¡°How is he?¡± Grand Elder Enine had been anxiously pacing outside the emergency medical bay until Dr. Goodman came out through the sliding doors.


    Xeight, Bone, Yfour and Asix stood outside with their backs against the hallway walls, all had a variety of expressions-- a frown, expressionless face, squinted eyes.


    Dr. Goodman shook her head somberly, and their hearts dropped.


    ¡°The emergency medical function within the cockpit of the nexarm prevented his situation from worsening for a time,¡± she notified them with a sorrowful voice. ¡°But his generation¡­Many of his generation passed due to bodily function failure, so he was always at risk.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, this event triggered his body functions to fail. He won¡¯t last more than an hour.¡± The doors slid open. ¡°Head in.¡±


    The group entered the medical bay to find Senior Zseven with an oxygen mask to his face. His eyes and skin were discolored yellow, a sign of liver failure. There were many other signs, such as the irregular heartbeat monitored by an ECG among others.


    The elderly man weakly gestured with his hand and Enine went forth, bending down just to barely hear his father¡¯s weak voice. Then it was Asix went next, then Bone, Yfour and lastly, Xeight.


    ¡°Xeight¡­¡± Senior Zseven¡¯s voice could barely be heard even with Xeight placing his ear right beside the elder¡¯s lips. ¡°Do you see my generation¡¯s pain¡­? Even those of us that live long¡­ a stressful trigger and our brains sink into oblivion¡­ I watched most of my friends¡¯ final moments looking just like I do now.¡±


    The elderly¡¯s hoarse voice further weakened. ¡°Xeight. If the martians fail¡­ promise me you¡¯ll take us to a beautiful place¡­ a safe haven¡­ a world of my generation¡¯s dreams¡­where others can live their dreams¡­ as you do!¡± At this very moment, Zseven suddenly found the strength to grip Xeight¡¯s hand so tightly that his knuckles shone white.


    ¡°Promise me!¡± Zseven stared into Xeight¡¯s eyes in desperation.


    Xeight closed his eyes for a few seconds, and when he opened them again, he gazed into his dying grandpa¡¯s eyes and nodded. Zseven¡¯s grip relaxed in relief.


    Half an hour later, Senior Zseven would breathe his last breath surrounded by his son and those he considered his grandchildren. And thus fell a past grand elder of the T3ST colony.


    ¡°Grand Elder¡­ Should I arrange grandpa¡¯s departure?¡± Asix¡¯s voice quivered, barely retaining control.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Enine closed his eyes as he, too, stoically stood tall with his head held high. ¡°Asix. We will repair his unit. You will carry on his hopes and dreams. I will take control of the ship¡¯s coordination for now.¡±


    Xeight felt a deep sense of sorrow in his heart, but he only knitted his brows in contemplation of what the elderly man had asked of him before his demise.


    ¡°You¡­ you ass!¡± The abrupt yell came from none other than Bone, who had tears streaming down his two cheeks. Bone leapt at his younger brother, Xeight, and threw a right hook to the left jaw that sent Xeight stumbling before falling to the ground.


    ¡°If you had fought properly! Fought seriously! This wouldn¡¯t have happened!¡± Bone subsequently stormed off. Yfour followed Bone¡¯s exit, though she only shot Xeight a look of sadness and disapproval.


    Asix, on the other hand, pulled Xeight back onto his feet and gave a single pat on his shoulder before leaving to arrange Senior Zseven¡¯s departure.


    Xeight looked to his father, Grand Elder Enine, but his father only waved for him to leave with his arm. ¡°Get some rest, Xeight¡­ I wish to be alone.¡±


    Xeight returned to his own quarters, and though he laid in his bed, he found his mind and body restless. Eventually, he sat up and turned on his holographic news device.


    He found himself watching a channel from Earth.


    ¡°The Earth Federation has deployed peacekeeping forces to counter any future forms of terrorism across the globe! All of Earth¡¯s citizens are to cooperate to ensure safety and prosperity for all terrans! Any resistance may be perceived as a potential cover for terrorist activities and sympathizers!¡± A female newscaster announced.


    ¡°Next, there is a message from the EFSF!¡± A black-suited many walked forth and activated a holographic device.


    The holographic image was the face of James MacLeod in his handsome blonde glory.


    James MacLeod¡­ Xeight still recalled their amicable conversations over the years when James visited the T3ST colony. Xeight struggled to understand why James had opted to lead the NSF against the T3ST unit. James MacLeod always spoke with a loving heart of Earth-- was that all it took?


    ¡°To the people of Earth. I am Special Lieutenant James MacLeod, leader of the nexarm special forces. We, the NSF, have managed to incapacitate an enemy¡¯s unit!¡± The holographic device played the scene of nexarm bull being skewered by the three terran nexarms.


    ¡°The debt of Warsaw has yet to be repaid. We of the EFSF will ensure the people of Earth will have their enmity repaid in blood!¡± The shadow of his nexarm stood towered in a dominating fashion, its x-alloy plates a gleaming dark shine behind his frame.


    ¡°This is your victory. The spirit that we share with the continued efforts of the Polish to rebuild Warsaw. We will ensure that Earth remains pollution-free and its people prosperous, and our bounty from the belt guaranteed to you all!¡±


    This announcement received many cheers from the viewers across the globe, many commenting on the barbarism of the asteroid attack in response on the channel.


    Xeight sat on the edge of his bed in the darkness of his quarters, his elbows on his knees, his eyes initially closed in sorrow. Then, a petunia bloomed in his heart, filling his mind with anger and indignation.


    Far away in the hangar of Starship Oneiroi, Jen MacLeod was instructing and coordinating a team of engineers to fix the damaged nexarm bull. Dressed in their spacesuits for safety, they had begun repairing the holes to the central cockpit sphere. They should be done in a few hours, then it was simply a matter of reconnecting the severed artificial muscle fibers of the nexarm¡¯s limbs, and slotting a new x-alloy plate over the cockpit.


    The eyes of Nexarm Chimera, docked and attached to many maintenance bridges, inexplicably glowed a crimson red as it suddenly took a half-step forward that rumbled the hangar, its head tilting upward in a silent scream!


    Some members of the engineering team glimpsed this phenomenon out of the corner of their eyes and yet before they could confirm if it was but a hallucination, the whole team simultaneously stumbled and collapsed with their knees onto the ground as they were struck by a keening in their brains. This keening was hard to describe-- it was as if their brains were vibrating to a frequency that dulled their minds to a state of motion sickness.


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    One of the engineering team¡¯s members fainted on the spot, collapsing onto the ground. Unlike the members on her team, Jen felt¡­ different. Although she, too, felt her mind wobbling, to her, this was not unlike a comforting swaying cradle of a ship¡¯s bow in a warm summer breeze cruising across the beautiful seas on Earth.


    ¡°Jennifer MacLeod!¡± Enine had contacted her through Neurorave, and his teeth seemed to be chattering in her ears, his words slurring in delusion.  ¡°The b--bridge can feel an over-verwhelming nauseating frequency-cy from the hangar! Report your¡­ your status!¡±


    She walked in an uneven line towards the exit sliding doors of the hangar as if drunk.


    ¡°It¡­ it has to be Xeight!¡± Though Jen was slightly unsteady on her feet, she had no issue with speaking clearly. Her mind, too, still very much maintained a high degree of function. ¡°I believe his brain must be¡­ resonating with his nexarm unit in some unique way. I¡¯m heading to his quarters!¡±


    She grasped a handle and activated the device. The handle began moving on the rails through the many corridors within Starship Oneiroi. Jen had to switch at a few intersections, but soon found herself dragged before Xeight¡¯s quarters.


    When she entered his quarters, she saw the silhouette of the man in the darkness, seated with his elbows on his knees, his shadow a hulking presence on the walls.


    ¡°Xeight!¡±


    Xeight¡¯s eyes opened and in the dim light that entered the room through the open doorway, Jen stumbled a half-step at Xeight¡¯s glowing-red eyes. A single tear rolled down Xeight¡¯s left cheek, yet it was not only sorrow that she saw in his eyes, but a mix of grievance, unwillingness combined with a state of yearning, in a state of incoherent reverie.


    ¡°Xeight!¡± She yelled again.


    Xeight¡¯s eyes slowly blinked, and it felt like an eon passed before his eyes opened again. His eyes had cleared, and Xeight had returned to his typical placid state.


    The frequency that had been shaking Jen¡¯s brain ceased, the storm in the seas abated. The keening in her mind had halted.


    ¡°Jen.¡± Xeight¡¯s cool voice sounded in her ears. ¡°Weren¡¯t you repairing grandpa¡¯s unit? My father would not be happy if he were to find you here at this specific time with our current situation¡­¡±


    Xeight had stood up and removed her helmet as bear-hugged Jen. She was silent as she returned the warmth and melted into his arms.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± She whispered. She had wanted to comfort Xeight, but they had to maintain a state of combat readiness, and she had no choice but to prioritize fixing nexarm bull.


    ¡°I¡¯m better than ever.¡± He softly ran his hand up and down her back to allay her concerns. But Jen could sense that something had changed. He still gave her the sense that their natures had similarities, like they were two peas in a pod. Yet.. she could also tell that he now also had this¡­ compartment within his mind that felt very much alienating to her.


    ¡°I need to run a diagnostic on your Neurorave system¡­¡± she muttered. ¡°Something¡­ unexpected occurred¡­¡±


    ¡°Mmmm.¡± They shared a deep kiss. ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Xeight sat down and Jen synced their Neurorave systems. She needed to understand what had just occurred.


    Her hypothesis was neither confirmed nor denied. She initially thought Xeight¡¯s mind had somehow resonated with the neuro-core cockpit system in Nexarm Chimera. Yet, none of the data available within Xeight¡¯s Neurorave system supported or rejected her guess.


    She returned to the hangar of Starship Oeniroi. The engineering team had continued repairing the bull unit. She entered the cockpit of the chimera unit and also found nothing of note to prove or disprove her hypothesis. It was like chasing a ghost.


    In the bridge of Starship Oneiroi.


    At some point in time, the keening within their brains had stopped. Enine gazed around, somewhat concerned.


    The door to the bridge opened as Xeight entered and stood beside his father.


    Enine¡¯s eyes opened wide in surprise. Xeight had never stood beside him on the bridge before!


    ¡°Son. Are you alright?¡± Enine recalled that Jen MacLeod had said something about brain resonance.


    ¡°I¡¯m better than ever,¡± stated Xeight. ¡°I would like to be the one to carry out the retrieval mission on Earth.¡± He needed to see Earth. This¡­protected globe of James MacLeod¡¯s.


    Enine¡¯s eyes further widened, if that was even possible. For Xeight to take an interest¡­ was inexplicable. But, it is a welcome change. Enine couldn¡¯t stop a small smile taking shape on his face.


    ¡°Good. Son. You will take charge of that mission!¡± He breathed with zeal.


    ¡°Grand Elder!¡± Qeleven yelled, his voice quivering. ¡°Our buoy that we left behind in the first jump point was triggered. The terran starship is pursuing us. Our energies are at forty-nine percent! Should we return home to resupply first?¡± He had no desire for them to run out of e-cube energy and be coasting in space for a year just to get anywhere! They had already received the signal that the asteroid ¡®AR-gamah¡¯ was accelerating towards Earth. They had time to resupply and jump to the opposite side of Earth.


    Forty-nine percent might seem a substantial level of e-cube energy. Yet, if they were to do battle with the pursuing terran starship again¡­They also needed some energy to return to the T3ST colony, preferably undetected.


    ¡°Rejected, Qeleven. If the terran starship is pursuing us, our return will allow the terrans to pinpoint the location of our T3ST colony. You understand what that means, right?¡± Enine could understand Qeleven¡¯s fear. Perhaps the previous grand elder¡¯s death had shaken some members of the T3ST unit much deeper than he imagined.


    ¡°Any place close-by where we can scavenge for e-cube? Perhaps a recent skirmish between the martians and the terrans?¡± Xeight was the one who spoke, and Qeleven wasn¡¯t sure if he should answer.


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± Enine nodded at his navigator.


    Qeleven and his navigation team began manipulating the holographic map in the center of the bridge, searching for something close to them. There had been quite a number of skirmishes between the two fleets over the last six-to-seven months.


    ¡°Nothing recent. Older skirmishes¡­ probably have most of their resources pillaged already.¡± Qeleven bit his lips with concern.


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s threaten the e-cube generation facility at the lagrange point between Venus and the sun.¡±


    Enine felt his heart beating at his son''s audacity. Yet, it might work. The EFSF was very much focused on the asteroid belt.


    ¡°And¡­ let¡¯s trigger a solar flare. We just need to find an area where the magnetic field is entangled. If we use our starship¡¯s warp field to disrupt certain interactions between celestial objects, in combination with our particle beam cannon¡­ We should be able to release a flare from the sun. There will be no need for us to attack Earth¡¯s umbrella.¡± Enine did not know his son was capable of such devious ideas.


    ¡°Analyze the possibility and presence of sunspots.¡± To trigger such an event required certain conditions to be in place first. An entanglement of the magnetic fields on the sun.


    A few minutes later.


    ¡°Grand Elder. Simulations indicate a high certainty of triggering such an event. The sun is over seventy percent into its flare cycle. With a bit of coaxing, our simulations indicate that we can induce the early release of said flare.¡± This came from Ofour, a member in charge of analyzing space phenomena for the T3ST unit¡¯s travels.


    ¡°Will we be safe?¡±


    ¡°The multi-layered x-alloy plates will do their job. Pity that Earth can¡¯t afford to coat all of its systems in this metal,¡± Ofour grinned. He felt rather excited that they would get to trigger such a phenomenon.


    ¡°Prepare short-ranged warp,¡± ordered Enine. ¡°We will do a small jump to preserve our energy. We have some time before the asteroid ¡®AR-gamah¡¯ reaches the range at which the terrans will engage it. Do not bother obscuring our destination with a jump into unidentified space. We also do not have the artillery to set half-effective traps for our stalking terrans.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Grand Elder.¡±


    ____________________________________________________________________________


    Unidentified space. Starship Atlas.


    ¡°Special Lieutenant,¡± Vargas spoke. ¡°They only performed a small jump towards Mayer Station by Venus.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± James MacLeod couldn¡¯t believe his ears at first, but it did make sense. Though, James had yet to piece together why they had accelerated the asteroid and then aimed at Mayer Station. ¡°I see. They¡¯re trying to resupply while avoiding EFSF strongholds. Their ETA?¡±


    ¡°Based on their predicted end-jump point and the coasting speed of an A-class starship¡­two weeks.¡±


    ¡°Two weeks?¡± James almost wanted to laugh. ¡°They must be concerned about their energy.¡±


    How much e-cube stores did they have left? Forty-five percent after this jump? Perhaps even less! In comparison, Starship Atlas had over sixty percent. And they would be able to resupply at the friendly Mayer Station. Venus had allied with the Earth Federation.


    ¡°Jump directly to Mayer Station. We will set a trap at the entry into the debris field around Mayer Station.¡±

 Ch26: Returning the Favor

    Mayer Station, Sun-Venus L4, August 16. 1000 Solar Era.


    ¡°Does Mayer Station have any defenses?¡± Enine asked his communicator crew member.


    ¡°Mars communicated that they should not have any defenses.¡±


    This made sense. The only threat to these stations for centuries were the pirates. The pirates mainly resided in the belt. Not here, close the burning Sun and Venus.


    Enine nearly lost his balance as the ship suddenly rolled to the side as a huge hundred meter metallic structure drifted past the window screen of the bridge.


    ¡°By the stars, what is with this place?!¡± Enine could see on the radar screen many different objects that were, no doubt, space debris.


    ¡°Grand Elder.¡± Qeleven had ensured to study the many hazards around the Solar System-- it was why he was selected as the navigational leader. ¡°All this debris is from when the E-cube corp wasted many resources with their attempts at building their e-cube production line closer to the sun.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s so much of it¡­ much of it orbits like a belt around the sun and often drifts in and out of the saddle lagrange points between the Sun and Venus, Sun and Mercury.¡±


    Enine nodded his head in acknowledgement.


    Xeight was once again standing to his side. The Grand Elder had felt ecstatic the past two weeks on having his previously despondent son so focused. At the same time, he also struggled to peer into his son¡¯s mind. Why does he wish to be in the unit retrieval team to Earth?


    ¡°Father. James¡¯ unit is no longer behind us. We both know they did not abandon their chase midway. They must have already identified our target destination and set up a trap.¡± Xeight fully maintained a cool and calm demeanor these days. He leaned down and whispered into Enine¡¯s right ear.


    Enine¡¯s eyes widened at the words transmitted to his mind, then he chortled. ¡°Hah! Very well. As you say.¡±


    ¡°All battle units at the ready! Prepare the mega-particle beam cannon! Full charge! Queue the warp drive for a zero-point-one second jump!¡± He ordered the T3ST crew.


    ¡°Grand Elder¡­¡± Qeleven¡¯s heart palpitated in fret. ¡°A zero-point-one second jump is quite costly¡­ much of the energy is the start of the jump.¡±


    ¡°Qeleven. Lay down your concerns.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Grand Elder,¡± Qeleven begrudgingly acknowledged the order.


    Xeight turned and clutched onto a rail handle that twisted its way to the hangar. He arrived to find his older brother already waiting for action.


    ¡°So,¡± Bone glared at his younger brother, his eyes still red from sorrow. ¡°You¡¯ve finally decided to act, hmmm?¡±


    Xeight pulled the nexarm boarding handle, activating the wire to drag him up to nexarm chimera¡¯s torso. He climbed into the unit. There was no need for him to sync himself to the nexarm. For reasons unknown to him, nexarm chimera would automatically prepare itself whenever he intended to jump in its cockpit over the last two weeks. It was as if the unit could read his mind from a distance.


    He had used the nexarm to assist in the repair efforts of the frontal hull last week, and also mined an opportune tiny asteroid along the way.


    Nexarm chimera¡¯s maroon red, tinged with brass and metallic silver frame, whirled into action with a release of electrostatic noise that accompanied the release of the underlying artificial muscle fibers.


    ¡°Younger brother,¡± Bone impassively intoned. ¡°No orders have been given yet. Our nexarm unit has yet to receive any instructions.¡±


    Xeight couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes at Bone within his cockpit.


    ¡°Big bro.¡± He adopted an exaggerated praising tone. ¡°You are absolutely the epitome of following instructions.¡±


    Nexarm chimera had opened the platform with the launch rail for sending the nexarm unit out into space. Yet, he did not use the launch rail and instead floated his way carefully towards the exit with minor activation to the nexarm¡¯s many thrusters.


    Bone was absolutely befuddled yet intrigued. He also entered nexarm skull and unconsciously followed after his younger brother.


    ¡°Yfour and Asix isn¡¯t here yet.¡±


    ¡°Perfect.¡± A curt reply from Xeight.


    That single utterance filled Bone¡¯s heart with an indescribable bursting excitement. He knew who Xeight was. Early on during their upbringing, he had come to understand this brother of his. Stubborn to a fault. But when he took action¡­


    The two units quietly drifted out the launch tunnel.


    ¡°Shh.¡± Right before they escaped the tunnel, Xeight clung onto the sides and held Bone back. The neuro weapon and sensory devices attached to nexarm chimera¡¯s mainframe peered into the surroundings for a few seconds.


    ¡°Now.¡± Nexarm chimera gently activated its thrusters and Bone followed, and they silently climbed onto a rather large piece of passing debris that was heading in a similar direction as Starship Oneiroi.


    This large piece of passing debris was some sort of pyramidal structure, and the two units hid under its cover. Nexarm chimera activated his four laser arms and locked a combined six hands onto a few of the metallic bars supporting its internal structure. His thrusters released small controlled bursts and the pyramidal structure began shifting its direction.


    ¡°Hah.¡± If one took off Bone¡¯s helmet, they would see his face filled with a wide, maniacal grin. ¡°Now, brother. This! This is what I¡¯m talking about!¡±


    Soon, Starship Oneiro entered the primary debris field surrounding the Mayer Station in Lagrange Point 4 of the Sun-Venus system. The T3ST unit was instantly besieged by a number of weapon devices that had been pre-positioned behind debris in the area.


    -


    EFSF


    ¡°Why do they have their particle cannon primed at full charge? They cannot even see our ship and they need the e-cube energy stores inside Mayer Station!¡± Vargas was naturally confused. The EFNSF had hidden their A-class Starship Atlas in the dark, and even pre-aimed at a specific spot for their own particle beam use.


    Already, the weapon devices operated by the seven EFNSF-- the three damaged units had been fully repaired-- functioned like a pack of shepherd dogs. However, there is only one sheep-- the enemy ship, Starship Oneiroi.


    The EFNSF would mass weapon devices with a concentrated fire from directions that they did not want the enemy starship to head towards, and Starship Oneiroi was very much directed on a specific path, towards a slightly open zone that would guarantee a strike from Starship Atlas without debris blockage.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    It was then that it fell apart.


    -


    T3ST unit


    ¡°Fire the mega-particle beam cannon! Immediately execute zero-point-one second jump in the path of the particle beam immediately after!¡± ordered Enine.


    ¡°Sir¡­Our frontal plates may overheat and sustain damage!¡± Qeleven did not know where his Grand Elder¡¯s crazy idea came from. Wait, no¡­ it must be from Xeight!


    ¡°Do it, Qeleven. Do not hesitate!¡± Enine¡¯s firm tone settled Qeleven¡¯s determination. They were under-fire after all!


    The energy of the mega-particle beam cannon was released, and in an instant, thoroughly melted a line of debris, clearing the path before Starship Oneiroi. All observers were also blinded by the powerful energy release.


    Ten, nine¡­. Two, one. Point-one-second jump activating.


    Starship Oneiroi zipped out of the ambush and the warp field dissipated before Qeleven¡¯s eyes could even twitch at the waste of the ship¡¯s e-cube stores.


    ¡°Hundred-eighty degrees turn.¡±


    Although Qeleven turned the ship around, his heart nearly jumped out of his throat when a crew member on the bridge announced, ¡°Frontal plates at twelve percent.¡± That was the result of the starship warping through the energy residue from the particle beam they themselves fired.


    ¡°Grand Elder! It is unsafe to do battle with--¡±


    ¡°Qeleven. To win a battle, we must take risks.¡± Enine glared at the man that had been behaving rather timidly ever since his father¡¯s passing. ¡°Asix and Yfour. Set up your sniping and swarm devices, but ensure you bring detachable laser devices and spread them across the field. Draw the enemy¡¯s attention.¡±


    ¡°Grand Elder! Bone and Xeight¡¯s unit isn¡¯t here!¡± Yfour had arrived at the hangar later to find nexarm skull and chimera already gone.


    ¡°I know, daughter. Head out and lay out your devices to assist camouflaging the starship¡¯s position. We will be entering stealth mode.¡± He notified the crew.


    ¡°Yes, Grand Elder.¡± Asix had no questions. After spending time with Enine on the bridge, he had developed a trust with his grand elder¡¯s judgment.


    The others also followed Ennie¡¯s command, and soon, the ship coasted forward slowly, releasing little-to-no energy.


    -


    EFNSF


    ¡°Sir. With our ambush advantage gone, I will be returning to switch a few devices to swarms.¡± Levy was the one who spoke of this pivot. He had seen the strength of the swarms in defense well, especially in coordination with the starship¡¯s weapons.


    ¡°Sir, should we not all do that? It seems--¡±


    ¡°No,¡± James¡¯ words were slow and methodical as he considered the path forward. ¡°Clio and David. The two of you will switch most of your devices to swarms, and the two of you will handle the defense. The rest of us will begin setting up our weapon devices.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Vargas agreed. ¡°It was a zero-point-one jump. They must have intended to turn and engage us in combat!¡±


    ¡°Change your positions! They will likely be coming from the direction of their jump!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± Many voices answered.


    David Levy directed his nexarm unit towards their Starship Atlas that was in the dark. Soon, he could see the starship with his naked eyes. Lovely. He very much preferred controlling the swarm systems.


    ¡°David. You back yet? The engineers are already switching my devices.¡± Clio had a much closer hiding position and as such, had returned to the ship quicker than Levy.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Levy suddenly noticed a pyramidal debris that floated towards him. He shrugged and dismissed it. His mind had been anxious over their impending combat and must have failed to notice this pyramidal debris beforehand.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m just a bit behind you. I will be back for the switch very soon,¡± Levy informed Clio.


    He slightly shifted his nexarm unit to avoid the pyramidal debris.


    Out of the blue, he found himself unable to use his two arms and his cockpit flashed neon red in warning!


    -


    T3ST Unit.


    The two brothers had no need for communication. The very moment they passed by the EFNSF unit, they bounced out, one targeting the enemy¡¯s left, the other, the right.


    The unit could not react in time as they stretched out the enemy¡¯s arms with one hand, and stabbed through a gap in the x-alloy plates with a vibrating dagger using the other! At the same time, Bone and Xeight then synced their four laser arms, and a total of eight intense lasers melted the plate covering the back of the enemy nexarm.


    The two then simultaneously stabbed into the unit¡¯s cockpit. The man inside was in such a state of stupefaction that he only managed to release an ¡°Argh!¡± when a vibrating dagger pierced his body.


    This sequence only took less than five seconds!


    Unlucky as the terran pilot was, the vibrating blade had struck his skull, and his brain was cleanly split in two, his flesh, pieces of his skull shattering into bits and chunks by the oversized dagger¡¯s shaking blade.


    Bone raised his vibrating dagger again, wishing to dismember and completely destroy this nexarm unit, but he was silently stopped by Xeight¡¯s arm.


    Nexarm chimera performed a shush motion. This only served to further excite Bone.


    Nexarm chimera¡¯s many compartments opened up, and his mining devices began ¡®excavating¡¯ the terran nexarm unit before them. Very soon, the e-cube compartment of the terran nexarm was revealed.


    A few automatons detached themselves from nexarm chimera¡¯s mainframe. Xeight had only brought a few members of a large swarm, as he had needed to remain hidden and undetected.


    These automatons hopped onto the terran nexarm¡¯s body and a few specifically drilled into the terran nexarm¡¯s e-cube compartment.


    The terran nexarm unit began accelerating towards the open hangar of Starship Atlas in the distance.


    -


    EFNSF


    ¡°David?¡± Clio received no response. She had heard the sudden yell through her comms. Or was it a scream?


    She directed her sensory devices out the hangar and saw the form of David¡¯s nexarm returning, and was very much relieved. The damn guy was probably just trying to scare her. Honestly, she had slowly begun to notice how some of the members on the NSF had the worst kinds of humor. Especially Igor.


    A projectile combat had begun. James MacLeod controlled his sniper devices in coordination with the other current four NSF members. Their mainframes were hidden among the many debris, but so too were the enemy¡¯s.


    James came to find that the enemy¡¯s projectile density was much lower than he expected. How many units are currently on the other side? He certainly felt like the enemy¡¯s number of rounds paled in comparison to their previous battle beside the asteroid ¡®AR-gamah¡¯.


    No matter. ¡°Lieutenant Levy and Saad,¡± James beckoned. ¡°Quickly. It seems we may have damaged the enemy¡¯s nexarm bull much more thoroughly than imagined. With your swarms defending us, we are guaranteed to deal a finishing blow.¡±


    ¡°Sir. David took a bit longer than expected. David! Speed your ass up!¡±


    -


    T3ST Unit


    ¡°We have received the position of the enemy¡¯s starship. Charge the mega-particle beam cannon.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Grand Elder.¡±


    ¡°Yfour and Asix. Ready your detached laser devices. I will give an order of when to activate those lasers. There is a risk of our beam cannon being sensed the very moment before its firing.


    Mega-particle beam firing in ten, nine, eight¡­


    -


    EFNSF


    ¡°David?¡± It was now that the unit had gotten closer that Clio sensed something was off. David Levy¡¯s unit¡¯s limbs were limply floating in space!


    ¡°Close the hangar!¡± The engineers in the hangar only looked around, confused as to why that was needed.


    Clio did not bother convincing the crew. She immediately activated her nexarm unit that had been half-refitted, accelerated her thrusters and sped towards the emergency hangar operating handle, with no disregard of causing injuries to the engineers with her thrust.


    The hangar began closing slowly and Clio, in desperation, activated her swarms towards the exit. Yet, before the swarms had even traveled a few meters, Levy¡¯s nexarm unit had already entered the hangar as previously unseen automatons attached to the nexarm began glowing neon blue!


    ¡°Sir! I¡¯m--¡±


    In the bridge, Vargas suddenly felt a shuddering in the starship as the warning system sounded.


    Starship breached. Lockdown initiated.


    The many compartment doors immediately slid shut and locked to prevent any further breach and spread of explosive forces.


    ¡°Vargas. Report! I have no words from Saad or Levy!¡±


    ¡°Sir!¡± Vargas examined the status of the starship. ¡°A fifth of the starship has been damaged. Degree of damage unknown! Functionality unknown! Some form of explosive! The ship¡¯s protection mechanism successfully limited the spread! I will--¡± She stuttered and turned silent for a few seconds as she suddenly sensed a number of blinding flashes out of visual range from the ship¡¯s other sensors. ¡°I will--¡±


    Warning! High intensity heat de--


    The starship began shuddering again, ever more as the senses of all aboard the ship became blinded by a flood of heavenly light.

 Ch27: A Devastated EFNSF

    ¡°Again!¡± Enine ordered. ¡°Strafe while maintaining aim at transmitted coordinates of enemy ship!¡±


    ¡°Grand Elder! We only have twenty-six percent e-cube store left!¡± Qeleven warned in consternation. Another firing of the beam cannon would take them down to sixteen percent!


    ¡°Don¡¯t hesitate, Qeleven.¡± Enine was firm in his decision. ¡°If we disable the enemy starship now, it would ensure our ability to extort e-cube stores from the Mayer Station!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Grand Elder!¡±


    The mega-particle beam cannon began charging up again.


    Particle beam firing in thirty, twenty-nine¡­


    Enine closed his eyes as he monitored their situation through the ship¡¯s senses and his communication with their nexarm units. So far, there had been no signal from Xeight that the enemy starship was on any significant move. If it remained so, their second beam would cause untold damage! Their first particle beam may have already caused a breach while delivering a huge heat payload onto the other x-alloy plates. A second hit might finish off the enemy for good!


    -


    EFNSF


    ¡°Special Lieutenant,¡± Vargas¡¯ voice trembled through the comms, conveying her trepidation of their situation. ¡°The enemy is preparing a second beam. Our navigational thrusters are down from an internal explosion. Our frontal plates are at twenty percent durability with a minor breach on the left frontal hull.¡±


    Starship Atlas was in a dire state. The most devastating damage came from an internal explosion that disrupted the whole starship¡¯s neuro framework. The starship was designed with the X-alloy layered protection, The X-alloy is a material engineered marvel that dissipated heat, and in combination with nanobots, had recovery ability. A liquid gel also coated the layers to improve its defensive qualities.


    However, if an explosion occurs internally¡­ Those layered plates would thoroughly trap the energy of said explosion within the ship.


    ¡°Will you be able to dodge the beam?¡± James¡¯ voice was low with depression. He knew the tide of battle was not in their favor.


    ¡°Without the ship¡¯s primary thrusters functioning, I will not be able to accelerate enough to dodge-- assuming the enemy is locking onto our coordinates,¡± Vargas communicated.


    ¡°I will return!¡± announced Smirnov heroically as he accelerated back towards Starship Atlas. The members of the NSF could tell that the T3ST unit must have dropped off a unit or swarm, or some device that allowed them to pinpoint the EFNSF starship.


    ¡°Smirnov!¡± James frantically ordered his man. ¡°Do not return!¡±


    ¡°Special Lieutenant,¡± Smirnov replied and ignored his orders. ¡°A wolf is fed by its legs. We won¡¯t get anywhere just waiting around!¡±


    As his nexarm traveled closer to Starship Atlas, his sensory devices notified him of the impending particle beam strike.


    Estimated enemy particle beam firing in five seconds, specified direction.


    ¡°For Earth!¡± Smirnov smirked, as his weapon devices lined up alongside his nexarm unit to form a thick wall of heavy weaponry, and he controlled his unit to slightly shift in space in front of Starship Atlas¡¯ weak attempts to sputter sideways with expulsion of air through side vents.


    Five seconds later, a particle beam struck Smirnov¡¯s unit, which melted the whole unit down into nothing but a string of white-hot metal lumps!


    ¡°Smirnov¡­¡± Vargas muttered to herself as she saluted within the bridge centered within Starship Atlas. She sensed a few more breaches in the hull, but there were still some surviving plates around five percent. Their starship remained alive.


    ¡°Vargas! Smirnov! Status?! Report the source of the internal explosion!¡± James needed information on what had occurred. They were very much in the dark!


    ¡°Special Lieutenant. Smirnov has sacrificed himself to block the path of the particle beam. Our starship lives on. The enemy should not have the energy for another beam¡­ Currently retrieving data from the hangar.¡±


    ¡°Fuck!¡± James momentarily lost his cool. Levy and Saad¡¯s unit had been unresponsive so far as well!


    ¡°Sir,¡± Athena had been silently trading fire with the enemy¡¯s nexarms at their location in combination with Olivia while their leader was distracted by the unfolding situation. ¡°We should go dark and wait for the enemy ship to leave. I¡­ I have a bad feeling in my gut.¡±


    She knew that some members on the NSF did not like when she relied on her gut instincts.


    ¡°Follow Watanabe¡¯s words.¡± James hesitated a second before agreeing with her judgment. ¡°Watanabe, Gonazlez and Amiri, with me. Gather and concentrate our devices and we will go dark. Vargas. The enemy starship should be low on energy. Drift the ship slowly away from Mayer Station while attempting repairs.¡±


    ¡°Sir!¡± Vargas had reviewed the footage of the hangar. ¡°David¡¯s unit entered the hangar and exploded! It was a type of automaton that drew on the nexarm e-cube stores in a self-destruction sequence!¡±


    By now, the four nexarm units had gathered together with their arms locked with each other. Some of their devices had started gathering around the four mainframes.


    ¡°What is the status of Lieutenant Saad? Did her nexarm unit survive? The defenses on--¡±


    James MacLeod¡¯s words were interrupted when the four EFSF nexarm units detected a barrage of kinetic rounds fired at them!


    They found their senses locked onto two units! T3ST unit¡¯s nexarm chimera and nexarm skull! The barrage was spread across their nexarms and thus was of minor threat, similar to a mosquitos¡¯ bite.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s a different nexarm!¡± None of the EFNSF had seen nexarm chimera before, with its slightly more bulkier frame and unique maroon red coloring tinged with brass and silver.


    These two T3ST nexarms must have found their mainframes through the returning and massing of their neuro devices.


    ¡°Return fire!¡± Ordered James. Yet before they could properly aim their weapons, nexarm chimera and nexarm skull had sped past them back towards T3ST unit¡¯s side of the battle, uninterested in further battle.


    The four terran nexarms remained stationary, unwilling to pursue the two T3ST units. If they did so, they would end up facing the four T3ST nexarms at the same time.


    ¡°Sir?¡± Vargas wasn¡¯t aware of the reason for her commanding officer¡¯s sudden disruption in communication.


    ¡°Identify Lieutenant Saad¡¯s status. Remain dark until the enemy starship leaves the area.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    __________________________________________________________________________


    The T3ST nexarm units returned to Starship Oneiroi. Bone, Yfour and Asix all had huge grins on their face at the success of their battle, but Xeight was expressionless, displaying no joy at the results.


    Starship Oneiroi pointed its weapons at Mayer Station, and Grand Elder Enine informed the station¡¯s operational leader of the T3ST unit¡¯s demands.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Large containers of e-cube stores were subsequently ejected out of the station. In return, the T3ST unit sent containers of raw materials they had mined from asteroids towards the station.


    Although this station is operated by Venus, it belonged to the E-cube Corp. The martian command had ordered the T3ST unit not to alienate the E-cube Corp, and thus, the T3ST unit, at the very least, returned resources that covered the production of the e-cube volume they demanded.


    This would also allow the Mayer Station to report the loss of e-cube stores to the EFSF without really taking much loss, demonstrating their supposed allegiance.


    Starship Oneiroi, with their e-cube stores back at a hundred percent, accelerated out of the L4 point between the Sun and Venus, performed a minor jump using five percent of their energies and began cruising closer towards the sun.


    Within Xeight¡¯s quarters.


    ¡°Why are you traveling down to Earth?¡± Jen quizzically asked Xeight as she rested her left cheek against Xeight¡¯s right shoulder and pressed her body against his, desiring warmth and comfort.


    ¡°I want to see Earth,¡± Xeight replied straightforwardly.


    ¡°You¡¯ve changed,¡± commented Jen in a downcast tone. When she had arrived, she felt her mind aligned with Xeight¡¯s. Yet now¡­ Xeight seemed to have entered murky waters-- she hated that.


    ¡°Was it not you who wished for me to enter the nexarm? You now have your data.¡± Xeight¡¯s reply only made Jen feel¡­ distant despite their physical closeness.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Jen stuttered with her words before expressing her thoughts. ¡°I hate Earth¡­¡±


    Xeight widened his eyes in surprise. James MacLeod was fighting tooth and nail for Earth. Yet, here, Jen MacLeod, his cousin, expressed an opposite opinion. The two are supposedly cousins on more-than-friendly terms.


    ¡°Whenever I¡¯m on Earth¡­ I¡¯m a MacLeod. I have to visit balls, navigate the factions within my family and the many¡­ Organizations associated with the MacLeod Group. It¡¯s¡­ so tiring¡­¡±


    Xeight patiently waited for Jen to continue. He had certainly attempted to ask Jen about why she came to the T3ST colony, and the MacLeod family as well. However, her answer was always her passion for neurotech.


    ¡°Hubby¡­¡± She pressed herself firmly into Xeight, who responded by wrapping his arm around her back in a tighter hold. ¡°It¡¯s a horrible place. All these¡­ factions and groups are just always trying to gain an advantage against one another, using anyone for a minor gain. I¡¯m just a neuro research specialist card to use for the right purpose in their eyes.¡±


    ¡°And the rest of the people? They only care about living day-to-day in bliss, not caring, easily manipulated by all these factions, conglomerates and what not¡­ many of them don¡¯t even truly vote anymore¡­ They only do it as an obligation. They don¡¯t even know the historical stances of those that they decide to give their vote to.¡±


    ¡°Mmmm¡­¡± Xeight wasn¡¯t sure what to say. He had never even had the chance to vote. It was alien to him.


    ¡°You¡­ you shouldn¡¯t go to Earth. We should just leave! Go someplace far away!¡± Jen had a yearning expression for her dreamland.


    Yet, where would that be? Xeight could not abandon the T3ST colony. They were all that he knew.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Jen.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry! Just¡­ it¡¯s not worth it.¡± Jen vehemently stated. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be a part of it!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Jen. It¡¯s too late. I am of the T3ST colony. These are my people. James is leading the NSF. I have to face him. I was the only one who conversed with him in great lengths on his visit to the T3ST colony.¡± Xeight stared at the internal artificial starry night sky that decorated his quarters as he reached out and grasped at a bright star. ¡°I can¡¯t sit idly by.¡±


    ¡°Even if you end up having to take his life?!¡± Jen''s soft and sorrowful voice muttered in query.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to avoid it, but if so¡­ then so be it.¡± Xeight then once again apologized. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Jen. I thought I could ignore it but¡­ perhaps this is life. I hope when the time comes¡­ you won¡¯t hate me for it.¡±


    ___________________________________________________________________________


    Mayer Station


    After the T3ST unit had left, the remaining NSF members boarded Starship Atlas to discover that Cliupatra Saad incapacitated within her heavily damaged unit.


    The force from the close-ranged energy release from the e-cube compartment within Levy¡¯s nexarm unit had shaken her nexarm unit to the core. Her body was shattered and her brain was barely protected by the medical function of the nexarm cockpit. She would need a new body from the Rebirth Bunker.


    They attempted to communicate with her brain through the Neurorave system, but they only found a hysterical voice in torment and quickly disconnected themselves. It needed to be said that Clio¡¯s brain now lacked any of the normal sensory input from her physical body. She had been trapped within her nexarm unit with just her mind in complete darkness. It was unknown if she would recover from the experience.


    The remaining members of the NSF had managed to reign in their emotions for a time-- they are professional soldiers.


    Yet upon discovering Clio¡¯s state, Athena could not control herself as tears ran down her cheeks along with a sniffling nose block. Olivia had run off elsewhere to release her heart in private. Cyrus had begun muttering a verse under his breath. James had reentered his nexarm and hovered beside the starship, staring out into the wide expanse of space.


    Smirnov and Levy were gone, not even their corpses could be sent back to their family. The Rebirth Bunker bodies did not have brains. Clio¡­ her recovery was uncertain. When James returned, his false bravado was of no use.


    ¡°How are our functions?¡± James wanted to uplift his team and crew. Yet, he struggled to do so. Everyone could tell his upbeat tone was manufactured. He was unable to hide his disheartened mood.


    ¡°We have regained the function of our primary thrusters.¡± Vargas somberly replied. ¡°Our hull has been repaired, so we will be able to warp. However, the ship¡¯s neuro framework remains damaged and we will need to return back to the lunar base for proper repairs. The mega particle beam cannon is naturally nonfunctional alongside a number of our artillery and railguns.¡±


    ¡°We return to the moon then¡­¡± James muttered. ¡°I will need to report to Admiral Petrov.¡± Who knew if he would even remain in charge of the NSF. They had lost three nexarm units alongside three pilots. A devastating blow. Many could hear the Special Lieutenant losing it inside the communication room, his fists banging against the walls alongside a barrage of swear words.


    _________________________________________________________________________


    Vicinity of the Sun.


    ¡°Grand Elder.¡± Qeleven said. ¡°I¡¯ve identified the weak spot to release the entanglement of this sun spot. The angle is slightly off, but by firing our mega-particle beam at this point, then activating our warp field in this location to disrupt gravitational forces,¡± he mentally marked out points on a holographic analysis of the sun. ¡°We will be able to induce a solar flare.¡±


    ¡°We will need to jump the moment the solar flare is confirmed and be positioned to take advantage of the disruption to the Earth¡¯s defensive umbrella to send members down.¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± Enine nodded. ¡°Begin.¡±


    A mega-particle beam was accurately shot with full power at the identified spot, then the warp field activated around the ship for a few seconds.


    ¡°Has it begun?¡± Enine asked.


    ¡°I believe another shot is needed,¡± commented Qeleven.


    Another particle beam was subsequently shot.


    ¡°There!¡± Qeleven smugly announced as the starship detected the beginnings of a solar flare. ¡°Prepare jump!¡±


    Starship Oneiroi jumped to a location close to Earth yet far enough to be undetectable by the defense umbrella-- this information was naturally provided by the martian fleet.


    Qeleven began a detailed analysis of the buoys that made up Earth¡¯s defensive umbrella. The many buoys of the umbrella orbited Earth at different altitudes, and their orbits ensured that at any single time, there would be shifting triangular formations between the many buoys that covered the planet.


    However, the orbiting buoys naturally led to certain areas being less dense in cover at certain points in time. Anyhow, they patiently awaited for the solar flare to hit. Afterwards, they would send members down to Earth before the umbrella could fully recover.


    When the solar flare struck the area, the bridge of Starship Oneiroi flashed red in warning, but the plates on the ship successfully maintained the ship¡¯s function.


    Many of Earth¡¯s defensive buoys successfully stayed online, but the few that went down opened gaps. With accurate timing. A landing ship was launched carrying Xeight and the youngest elder that had come along on the T3ST starship-- Vthree.


    ¡°A Kasvallian representative will receive you off the west coast of San Francisco. They already have our landing ship¡¯s signature,¡± Enine informed the two.


    Jen, who had made a last attempt to convince Xeight not to visit Earth, curled into a ball within her own quarters, unable to control the corners of her lips from curving downwards.


    _________________________________________________________________________


    Military Command, Pacific City, 17th August, 1000 Solar Era.


    ¡°Have our drone swarms attached and accelerated the asteroid ¡®AR-gamah¡¯ away from Earth yet?¡± Petrov asked.


    ¡°Admiral, they are in the process--¡±


    ¡°Sir!¡± a member of the commanding room that observed all the phenomenon around Earth suddenly stood up, alarmed. ¡°A solar flare is coming! Much earlier than expected! Our drone swarms might get knocked out! In five minutes is the prediction! Our sensors detected the early signs!¡±


    Admiral Petrov narrowed his eyes. Damn that James MacLeod. If he had just handled the asteroid problem early on. Then again, it was true that if that T3ST unit was handled¡­


    ¡°Prepare a second set of drones. We have time.¡± Although some equipment on Earth might suffer some damage from the solar flare, most of the essential technologies had been designed to be somewhat resistant. They should be fine. However, the first set of drones, outside Earth¡¯s atmosphere, would not survive.


    ¡°Sir.¡± A military man popped his head into the command center. ¡°Special Lieutenant James MacLeod of the EFNSF is on the line.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Petrov left the military command center. His subordinates should have the situation under control. The news he received from James MacLeod would devastate his heart.

 Ch28: Arrival on Earth

    Xeight and the accompanying T3ST colony elder, Vthree, landed off the west coast of San Francisco at the crack of dawn.


    Though Enine called their vehicle a ¡®landing ship¡¯, it was far more accurate to call it a landing pod.


    The descent was rather rocky initially until the parachute opened up. As for the gravity? When Xeight opened the hatch of the landing pod, he honestly found it not much different to the centrifugal gravitational internal structure of the T3ST colony.


    He found himself swaying drunkenly to the waves of the ocean, though luckily, the simulations he had been put through prepared him for this, somewhat. He did wrinkle his nose at the salty breeze, but did not find it overly distasteful to the mind.


    Unlike Xeight, Vthree, the accompanying elder, appeared nauseous. Though currently the youngest elder of the T3ST colony, she is a few decades older than Xeight, and her ability to adapt to this environment was much more limited.


    In but a few minutes, an elegant angular jet-black super-yacht, sleek as an arrow, approached the landing pod. On its side flashed the silvery-white bold name, ¡®Amymone¡¯, that glimmered slightly red and orange in the light of dawn that reflected off the wisps of clouds in the dark sky.


    Xeight had thought that they would be picked up by a trawler-- James MacLeod had once mentioned this when he visited the T3ST colony.


    Yet, to see the sight of such a beautiful yacht, not unlike a black swan, gliding towards him¡­


    Vthree, the female elder sent down to ensure the task of the T3ST mission be completed smoothly, momentarily forgot her discomfort at the shifting ocean upon the sight of this super yacht as well.


    As the Amymone got closer, Xeight further saw that the super yacht was not completely of the same jet-black material-- A slightly different dark matte material illustrated a nine-headed hydra across its hull, the emblem of the Kasvallian Group.


    The Amymone came to a standstill beside the landing pod, and a man dressed in a wetsuit clutching two ropes of an unidentified sinewy material leapt off the super yacht like a joyful dolphin.


    He swam to the landing pod and attached the two sinewy and glittering ropes, before climbing onto the small platform right outside the open doorway of the pod.


    The man beckoned at a crew member on the Amymone to begin reeling in the landing pod. He then turned to face Xeight, removing his swimming goggles to reveal a pair of glinting sapphire eyes, and the everyday neuro circlet around the forehead. He then ran his silvery hair backwards, squeezing out the ocean water from his flowing sleek strands.


    ¡°I¡¯m Vezna,¡± he smiled amicably as he raised a hand. ¡°Of the Kasvallian Group.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Xeight.¡± A firm shake of the hand.


    ¡°Vthree,¡± his elder greeted.


    The flat-tipped conal landing pod was pulled beside the Amymone by the attached ropes, the pulling device operated by Vezna¡¯s circlet.


    Vezna gestured for the two to follow him on board. A number of men in exo-skeletons began operating pulleys and mechanical hands to pull the landing pod onto the empty black platform on the superyacht.


    ¡°Welcome to Earth, my friends,¡± Vezna beamed under the red hue of dawn. ¡°I hope you do not mind spending a week to two on Earth. We do have to travel to the Rocky Mountains.¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡± Elder Vthree had not expected this trip would take this long. After all, Starship Oneiroi would face danger if it had to hover around Earth¡¯s vicinity for too long. They were simply here to retrieve a unit for Kasvallian Group. For reasons unknown to them, the Kasvallian Group wanted them--associated to the martians-- to take some technological unit to space.


    ¡°Oh, not to worry. Your¡­ Grand Elder Enine, was it? We¡¯ve already given him a code. Any ship passing by would think your starship a terran ship, should they even identify it in the darkness of space,¡± Vezna leisurely stated as he slid open a glass pane and strode confidently into a luxurious lounge.


    Xeight found himself discovering new surfaces and furniture. The ground itself was a soft butternut wooden floorboard, before it transitioned into a creamy carpet with minor protrusions that formed a repeating hydra image.


    Vezna led them to a two meter long polished black and gold marble table surrounded by many sofa seats of different soft brown hues.


    ¡°Jack.¡± Vezna gestured at an attending man in a black suit. ¡°Champagne.¡±


    The black-suited man nodded as he bowed before marching off.


    ¡°Vezna¡­You are¡­?¡± Vthree felt it necessary to know of Vezna¡¯s position.


    ¡°I¡¯m the CEO of the Kasvallian Group,¡± Vezna casually replied. ¡°Surprised?¡±


    Elder Vthree raised her eyebrows but Xeight remained expressionless as he ran his fingers against the soft fabric of the sofa.


    Vezna chortled at Xeight¡¯s reaction and just shook his head.


    Perhaps some might assume Vezna to be mocking Xeight¡¯s curiosity of the sofa material. Yet, when Xeight met eyes with Vezna, he saw only a sort of¡­ whimsy alongside a glimmer of sorrow.


    ¡°Some might believe me being the CEO means I have some world-bending influence. Not so,¡± commented Vezna. ¡°The Kasvallian Group is so large that many previous CEOs sit on a powerful overseeing board. I¡¯m far too small.¡±


    The attending man, Jack, returned with three glasses with a large bottle of champagne. He uncorked the bottle and was about to serve the three until Vezna reached out and poached the bottle from his grasp.


    ¡°Leave us,¡± he commanded.


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Jack monotonously left in an orderly manner.


    Vezna poured the golden liquid for the three then raised his glass.


    ¡°Cheers!¡± He found himself facing the two confused figures of Vthree and Xeight.


    ¡°What event are we celebrating?¡± Xeight had learned from James MacLeod long ago about champagne.


    Vezna set his glass down as he sighed.


    ¡°Did you know? My great great¡­ many great ancestor was a leading researcher of¡­ your people.¡± He ignored the tense expression that now occupied Elder Vthree¡¯s face at his words, and continued.


    ¡°We cooperated with the MacLeod Group, but they got cold feet. Indeed, there were side effects, but my ancestor was devoted to resolving that issue for your people.¡±


    ¡°The MacLeods got cold feet and abandoned the project once the issues with your ancestors¡¯ bodily functions appeared.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous,¡± Elder Vthree tersely replied. ¡°The connection between the brain and body requires one of balance. Any attempt to further adjust that balance would only cause further chain failures.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong,¡± Vezna nodded with a smile, unperturbed by the hint of hostility. ¡°But my ancestor wanted to create a sort of artificial intelligence to bear the weight for your brains. So you are mistaken in your judgment. My ancestor considered yours his good friends!¡±


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    He tapped his neuro circlet and Xeight found his mind filled with a man¡¯s diaries. Though he did not show on his face, internally, he was rather surprised that this diary spoke of the T3ST colony¡¯s members as comrades in space exploration.


    Elder Vthree¡¯s widened her eyes at Vezna¡¯s words. Would such a solution have worked if carried out way back in the older generations? She could not deny the possibility. She began examining the authenticity of the diary from Vezna.


    Xeight now reached forth and raised his glass.


    ¡°A celebration of¡­a reunion then, is it?¡± He was cordial in tone.


    ¡°Yes. Yes!¡± Vezna nodded in controlled elation.


    Their glasses clinked together and they both tilted their heads backwards. Vezna consumed the beverage in one shot. Xeight, on the other hand, took a few sips to test the taste before he imitated Vezna and poured the liquid down his throat.


    Elder Vthree remained in thought to the side, her glass untouched.


    ¡°Did he succeed?¡± Xeight had to wonder after his mind scoured the diary he received. This ancestor of Vezna had promised himself to continue his research.


    ¡°No¡­¡± Vezna gave a shake of his head. ¡°The Kasvallian Group didn¡¯t always exist like today. He could never gather the needed funds for any large-scale development. All of his attempts lead to AI systems lacking in sophistication. If he had the support of the MacLeods back then¡­¡±


    Vezna picked up the bottle of champagne and refilled their two glasses and dispelled his somberness.


    ¡°Oh yes. We¡¯ll be passing the Golden Gate Bridge soon. Come!¡± He stood and Xeight followed. Elder Vthree hesitated but eventually also picked up her glass and followed the two much younger individuals out of the lounge.


    They climbed a flight of wooden planks layered on top of the Amymone¡¯s black frame to the very top level of the superyacht.


    In front and above the superyacht towered the Golden Gate Bridge. Xeight raised his head upwards to find the rising red sun partially blocked by the majestic tower raising the bridge above the seas, creating a sort of ephemeral halo around the tower¡¯s head.


    ¡°One of the longest existing landmarks of San Francisco. Rebuilt many times across centuries and millennium. Always the same international orange paint. It was certainly a sight yesterday with the aurora above the bridge.¡± Vezna¡¯s silvery hair flowed in the wind as the Amymone sailed under the man-made wonder.


    Vezna tapped his neuro circlet again. Xeight and Vthree received codes to connect to a number of devices. When Xeight did so, he found himself connected to many sensory vantage points on top of the Golden Gate Bridge, gaining a panoramic view of the twinkling bay, the dense metropolis, the expansive ocean to the western horizon.


    ¡°So¡­ this is Earth.¡± Elder Vthree, too, shared this view, her heart inscrutable. This was supposedly where her ancestors once lived. Her eyes slowly developed a wispy yearning. If they were to win the war, they would surely have this type of world on Mars one day¡­


    The superyacht docked at Marina Bay and a robust and tall trundling jeep picked up the passengers.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to travel by car,¡± Vezna noted. ¡°Too much security if we go by plane. Hope you don¡¯t mind. There will be stops.¡±


    The jeep set off eastward, followed by a few extra jeeps that served the Kasvallian Group.


    ¡°So¡­ what do you think of the city?¡± Vezna posed this question to his two guests as the jeep procession passed through many of the city blocks and across spanning bridges before reaching the outskirts of the city.


    Xeight and Elder Vthree were now consuming their breakfast. Vezna had specially prepared these meals and their jeep even had extendable tables that served the plate. It was rather rare for Xeight to have this type of food-- the printed meals in the T3ST colony were rather mundane, mostly covering the required nutrients within a limited menu. Goop was rather common unless a special event necessitated a celebration.


    ¡°A wondrous¡­ city.¡± Xeight ate his fresh and naturally sourced scrambled eggs, unable to find the words to describe the sight he had seen through the jeep¡¯s tinted windows.


    ¡°A utopia¡­¡± Elder Vthree muttered.


    ¡°Hah,¡± Vezna chortled then sighed with a shake of his head. ¡°That¡¯s what they all say.¡±


    Having set his eyes upon this city, Xeight felt himself somewhat understanding James MacLeod. There must be other cities like this one across Earth. The number of people he had passed by today was in the millions. Earth is lush and fertile, filled with infinite life unimagined by his mind. Xeight found his ears filled by a sudden harsh voice.


    ¡°This is just an empty husk. A prison. A tiger that has forgotten what it meant to hunt. To invent. To innovate.¡± Vezna barked, his eyes containing a deep sense of sorrow.


    Xeight blinked, rather bewildered by Vezna¡¯s sudden change in tone. Vezna muttered some words under his breath and his original demeanor returned.


    ¡°No matter. If you live here long enough, you¡¯ll understand.¡±


    Elder Vthree remained thoroughly silent, her eyes glazed in a dream. She had not heard any words of their exchange.


    ____________________________________________________________________________


    EFSF Lunar Base


    ¡°Special Lieutenant MacLeod.¡± Admiral Petrov¡¯s voice sounded through to an upright James, his body tensely locked in position. ¡°You will be temporarily relocated to security duties on Earth for two weeks while we reach our verdict. Take your remaining team of nexarms and return to Earth. Head to the Kasvallian complex in the Rocky Mountains. They have informed us of suspicious activities around the west coast.¡±


    ¡°Also. Your identity as James MacLeod was requested to attend a gathering of the elites by Vezna de Lerna. Do ensure to attend that. The CEO of Neurorevo will be there as well. Just treat it as a¡­ part-time work vacation. Maintain EFSF ties to those of influence. You know the deal, MacLeod.¡± Petrov sounded somewhat peeved that he was requested by Earth Federation High Command to send MacLeod for such a task.


    ¡°Afterwards, depending on our verdict, you may need to replenish your numbers with the reserves. Neurorevo has indicated that they already have new nexarm units manufactured.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± James saluted. He had indeed received an invite from Vezna, his old acquaintance. The message had reached him after Starship Atlas limped back to the lunar base post emergency repairs.


    He and the remaining members of the team, Athena, Olivia, and Cyrus, made ready to descend in their four nexarms that had gone through maintenance.


    The remaining brain of Cliupatra Saad had long been transported to Pacific City to be attached to her body copy.


    ¡°Where are we heading, sir?¡± Olivia asked.


    ¡°North America,¡± stated James. ¡°An old¡­ friend of mine. Requested my presence at a social gathering. We are to also ensure that¡­ we are also to ensure that there will be no terroristic resistance against the Earth Federation. The EFSF represents the terrans, and any that resist will be deemed as terrorists without the interest of Earth at heart.¡±


    ¡°The admiral¡¯s orders were for us to spread our nexarms across the west coast of North America as needed. However, I will have no choice but to attend the social gathering of the Kasvallian Group.¡±


    Unlike the T3ST colony, they had access to Earth-to-Space spaceplanes. Their nexarms were stored in one each, and the four spaceplanes departed from the lunar base with the trajectory aimed at North America.


    Two spaceplanes would land at the Kasvallian Group¡¯s Rocky Mountains Complex-- James MacLeod¡¯s and Athena Watanabe¡¯s.


    Cyrus Amiri headed towards Seattle while Olivia Gonzalez headed towards Los Angeles. Athena was chosen as standby, to guard the Kasvallian Complex while being in position to offer assistance to either Olivia or Cyrus. James MacLeod had to participate at Kasvallian Group¡¯s social gathering within their Rocky Mountains Complex and might be occupied during critical moments.


    James and Athena arrived on a runway that punched an expertly constructed wide tunnel into the side of the Grand Teton Mountain Peak of the Rocky Mountains in northwest Wyoming.


    This was the first time that James had come to this Kasvallian Complex, and he had to marvel at the engineering feat. The tunnel they had arrived in would even allow the twenty meter tall nexarm to stand straight with no difficulty.


    Many other planes were arriving as well, and James soon spotted Vergara, the current CEO of Neurorevo.


    Athena controlled her nexarm and activated the connected neuro devices. Naturally, the four nexarms had brought along weapon devices useful on Earth, such as switching to crab automatons. Cyrus and Olivia carried tank devices, but Athena, having to defend the Kasvallian Complex inside Grand Teton Peak, connected a number of eight-legged mobile turrets that could traverse any terrains unlike the tank systems..


    When her unit stood up and moved towards the exit for patrol duty, the tunnel lights that casted a hulking shadow elicited a thunderous applause that echoed the will of those present.


    ¡°Welcome all, welcome all!¡± A black-suited woman led the group of elites into the complex.


    ¡°Our CEO, Vezna de Lerna, will arrive in half a day. Please settle down-- your accommodations have already been arranged! Our complex is powered by the yellowstone supervolcano. We constantly relieve the geothermal energy for our use, so rest easy. There are quite a number of entertainment venues. Artificial hot springs, a three-sixty surround theater, viewing vantage points, exercise and sports facilities. We also have many guides for trekking if you wish to connect with nature. Many musicians have also been invited.¡±


    ¡°I hope you all understand, though, that this is a business and research complex, thus we do not have anything to the level of the Golden Elysium that luxuriously sails around space.¡±


    James MacLeod remained in constant communication with his remaining team.


    ¡°How is Seattle?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, Sir. No signs of instability,¡± Cyrus replied


    ¡°Los Angeles?¡±


    ¡°Demonstrations are beginning¡­ a segment of the population aren¡¯t particularly happy with their nation contributing and strengthening the Earth Federation.¡± Olivia¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Watanabe,¡± James communicated as he gazed out of a wide, extensive window from within the complex, viewing the full exquisite nature of the Rocky Mountains. ¡°If I am indisposed, provide assistance to Lieutenant Gonzalez or Amiri. Do not concern yourself with this area. I will defend the Kasvallian Complex if any major issue arises.¡±


    ¡®Yes, Sir!¡±

 Ch29: A Chance Meeting

    The procession of jeeps carrying Vezna, Xeight and Elder Vthree entered a mountain tunnel after heading eastwards from a stop at the Bonneville Salt Flats.


    Along the journey, they made many stops and Xeight came to experience many different environments on Earth, which amazed him to no end. He had believed the EFSF would fight to the very end to ensure control of the belt. Now, he truly felt like he understood their desire to not overly industrialize Earth, which should at least be one of James MacLeod¡¯s motives.


    If there was one thing that he disliked, that would be the temperature and air itself-- he rather preferred the controlled environment of the T3ST colony and the coolness of space.


    The jeeps entered an expansive elevator that began lifting them upwards. Xeight found it an amazing engineering feat. The elevator continued upwards for well over fifteen minutes, and must have carried them to heights unknown.


    ¡°We¡¯re here. The Yellowstone Kasvallian Complex. Powered by the super volcano. Excess energy used to produce e-cubes.¡± Vezna announced as they climbed down from their vehicle.


    ¡°While here, you can go by Wright and Vee, and will be my special guests.¡± Vezna then smiled mysteriously. ¡°And there¡¯s someone I think you might wish to meet.¡±


    A receptionist designated them as special guests on tags and Xeight was prepared to be amazed again.


    When he passed through the entryway, Xeight found his gaze resting upon a similar aesthetic to that of Vezna¡¯s superyacht, the Amymone. Nearly all the surfaces were made from a black marble with dancing gold patterns. Tarnished silver metal beams provided much needed support to the structure of the complex as well as framing aesthetics.


    If it was only these two combinations, the interior would be rather dark and even gloomy. To offset this, the interior furniture was mostly of bright, vibrant colors, and stood out distinctly against the mostly black tinged with gold and silver background. Soft light-colored rows of wooden poles served to screen off different areas.


    And of course. One could not ignore the picture windows that stretched unendingly, providing a complete panoramic view down and around the mountain peak.


    Vezna led them to a side-room and Xeight sat himself down on a rich red sofa seat while Elder Vthree rested into a bright green seat.


    ¡°Do give me some time. I need to welcome other guests first. Food will be brought here in the meantime, and there is quite some entertainment here as well.¡± Vezna said before leaving to attend to his duty as host.


    In a dining hall where many elites sat around many circular black marble tables covered with a vibrant mono-colored cloth.


    James MacLeod found himself relieved that Athena had ceased her patrol and now sat beside him. He would feel rather guilty if Athena could not take the time to relax, particularly with him enjoying the luxuries.


    As for Olivia and Cyrus? They were already lieutenants and had been in the EFSF far longer. Athena was still an ensign in terms of rank, and had recently graduated. As a result, he felt compelled to ensure her wellbeing. Especially after their recent disaster.


    He certainly hoped the other team of their two-headed snake--Will Kyle, Liu Long and Arianna Bellucci-- were in a better state in comparison to them. To James¡¯ knowledge, those three along with the EFSF fleet should be attempting to take back some of the primary resource hubs in the belt right now.


    ¡°Sorry for the wait! Vezna de Lerna has arrived!¡± announced a black-suited woman.


    ¡°Thank you. Thank you all for coming on such short notice!¡± Vezna beamed at all those seated as he amplified his voice in the dining hall through his neuro circlet.


    Vezna de Lerna¡­ James still very much remembered their first meeting as children. They could be counted as more than acquaintances and had met many times through the social events. A mutual respect but nothing close to true friendship despite their close-ranged age.


    As for why? James MacLeod wasn¡¯t sure himself. Vezna always felt distant to him, and James felt like Vezna¡¯s mind was always contemplating something esoteric whenever they sat or stood next to each other.


    ¡°This year started off rough for us all. Mars¡¯ declaration of war. The destruction of Warsaw. The supply chain issues of the belt due to the conflict. Colony protests. All this led to price hikes. Inflation.¡± Vezna sipped red wine from his glass.


    ¡°But this is humankind. The nature of humanity. We grow and thrive when pressured. When pushed, we take innovative risks and the rare few that succeed carry us into an unknown future of endless possibilities.¡±


    ¡°And so it is that I bid you all. To remember the core of your human nature. To not rest assured in your comforts. To constantly place yourself at a cliff¡¯s ledge, the edge of survival, such that humanity may rise to ever greater heights!¡±


    Applause sounded out at his words, then he raised a glass to all the elites that had come and they clinked their glasses against one another.


    ¡°To the restless human spirit!¡± Vezna¡¯s words led many to knock their glasses against one another again.


    The guests were all served naturally-sourced foods, a luxury in the current world of printed food.


    After a sumptuous dinner that James had to admit, he rather missed after taking charge of the EFNSF, James was surprised to see Vezna approaching him.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, MacLeod,¡± Vezna greeted him before giving a nod of acknowledgement to Athena to the side, who he had met in flattened Warsaw. Athena responded with a tip of the head.


    ¡°Yes¡­ when was the last time¡­? Christmas, was it?¡± With the hectic events of this year, it felt like an eternity ago to James. That party was hosted by James himself, and the attendees were all forty or younger belonging to the major shareholder families of all fortune 100 companies. A rather massive event.


    ¡°Well. Follow me,¡± Vezna beckoned with what James interpreted as a sort of restrained devious smile. James sighed. He had been on the end of quite a few of Vezna¡¯s trickery way back when they were still teens.


    ¡°Very well. Lead on.¡± James and Athena followed the silver-haired man to a doorway.


    ¡°Here we are,¡± Vezna announced and then swung open the door. James¡¯ eyes bulged and very nearly dropped out of their sockets when he recognized Xeight curiously slurping up a strand of spaghetti carbonara with a curious face.


    Athena had never met members of the T3ST colonies before, so she only quizzically examined her special lieutenant''s expression, attempting to glean some clues as to who the two inside the room were.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°You¡¯re mad.¡± James flatly lambasted Vezna. To house T3ST colony members in their complex. Vezna had crossed a line


    ¡°Am I?¡± Vezna bubbled with mirth. ¡°I remember you speaking of this individual whenever we conversed about your visits to the T3ST colony. Our families certainly have a kind of unbreakable bond! You know. I quite like him. He¡¯s an expert on excavating asteroids. A boon to humanity.¡±


    When Xeight noticed James at the doorway, he only froze for a half-second, then continued consuming this dish that he never had the chance of experiencing back in the T3ST colony. It was a simple enough dish, but for reasons unknown to him, it had never been an option.


    One might think that the two would be at each other¡¯s throats by now.  But neither are such individuals. James himself understood his choice of action. He could guess that the pilot of the bull unit must have passed away. It was a natural course of war for the T3ST unit to act rather viciously in response.


    As for Xeight? He had volunteered for the mission to Earth precisely in desire to understand James MacLeod¡¯s motivations.


    James entered and occupied a rich navy blue seat, and Athena followed onto another.


    ¡°Enjoy yourselves.¡± Vezna cheekily said as he closed the door and secured the room.


    Elder Vthree silently observed from the side. She had knowledge of James MacLeod¡¯s visits to the T3ST colony.


    ¡°Earth is even more breathtaking and tasty than you told me from all your visits,¡± Xeight commented before he returned to chewing his pasta.


    ¡°You should not be here. We are at war.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve visited me many times in the T3ST colony. I believe it necessary for me to see Earth at least once.¡±


    That was the moment of comprehension and Athena reflexively stood as she pointed the barrel of her pistol directly at Xeight¡¯s head, the veins in her eyes popping with rage.


    ¡°Stand down, ensign,¡± ordered James firmly.


    ¡°Sir! He must be the culprit for the deaths of David and Igor. Clio might never recover! We--¡±


    ¡°Stand down, Watanabe,¡± James sighed. ¡°This is just¡­ war. We were the first to take one of their heads.¡±


    ¡°My grandfather,¡± Xeight muttered with a low voice in deep sorrow.


    Athena widened her eyes. She had been struggling to come to terms with the loss of her comrades and yet here, she had to tolerate this¡­ Xeight¡¯s grief? Her hand shuddered but James relieved her by gently removing the pistol from her grasp.


    ¡°Sit down, Ensign. This is not the time for war.¡± James gave her a nudge and she robotically found her bum back on a soft and comforting seat. Her mind gradually entered a trance due to their current situation, as if nothing before her eyes was real.


    ¡°Grand Elder Zseven, was it? I remember him.¡± James only commented briefly, not wishing to dwell on the fact that he had met this kindly senior quite a number of times on his visits.


    ¡°Xeight. I will have to apologize. I will not be able to welcome you to Earth the same way you have welcomed me on the T3ST colony. But, as recompense, I will allow your presence here to remain a secret.¡± Though James had decided on such a course of action, he had to wonder-- Vezna had brought Xeight here. What was Vezna playing at this time? Even if he did attempt to capture Xeight¡­ perhaps Vezna already knew he would not choose such a course of action!


    A tense silence persisted for a minute.


    ¡°Why?¡± Xeight had to ask now that he was given the chance. ¡°Why did you choose the battlefield?¡±


    Earth is a wondrous place, yes, but it would be far simpler for James to sit back just as his MacLeod family preferred.


    ¡°You, the T3ST colony, is a¡­ mistake of ours, the MacLeods,¡± replied James steadily with no regrets. ¡°The others.. They may prefer to stay away from this¡­ self-made problem, but I am different. Your participation and influence in this war is our problem. My problem. That is the way I see it. It is my duty to rectify it.¡±


    A wholly unsatisfactory answer to Xeight. After all, if it wasn¡¯t for James MacLeod taking his grandfather¡¯s life, he would not have seriously entered the fray.


    Still, he had at least gotten an answer, despite his chagrin at James¡¯ course of action.


    A short awkward pause later.


    ¡°How¡¯s¡­ how¡¯s the supposed ¡®fake¡¯ Jen?¡± James had to choose such words because Commander Zulu had brought back words of Jen MacLeod¡¯s presence on Starship Oneiroi after her prisoner exchange.


    ¡°Fake¡­?¡± Xeight had absolutely no idea why James chose such a word, but he shrugged it off as nothing but some funny joke. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I always thought all this war stuff was pointless. Initially, she wanted to put me in a nexarm and now¡­ well, before I came to Earth, she did not seem all that happy that I was in one.¡±


    In her haze, Athena found herself blinking rapidly when she heard Xeight disregarding the current war between Earth and Mars, and even his very own involvement in it.


    ¡°My cousin¡­¡± James sighed. ¡°My aunt had always had her hands full dealing with her antics. Jen¡­ she did everything to avoid socializing with the other kids of family friends. Intentionally pretending to be sick, forcing herself to vomit to prove such sickness when a doctor was sent to diagnose her. She just stuck to her own Neurorave toys. My aunt even built a small personal lab for her, and only then was she a tad bit more cooperative.¡±


    ¡°Mmmm¡­¡± Xeight wondered blankly. ¡°She never told me about such events.¡±


    ¡°Promise me you¡¯ll take care of her if you survive this war,¡± James muttered. ¡°Not that I will hold back on the battlefield.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Xeight had to admit he was increasingly baffled by James¡¯ nature and words.


    ¡°I would be a fool to not realize that she¡¯d find much more joy not having to involve herself in our family politics.¡±


    ¡°Mmmm¡­¡± Xeight faintly recalled James having spoken of a few ridiculous internal tug-o-war scenarios within the MacLeod family. Not that he remembered any of them to any degree of detail.


    Their conversation meandered onto a few other topics, such as Xeight¡¯s jeep trip to Grand Teton Peak.


    ¡°Don¡¯t die, Xeight.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t fall too easily, James MacLeod.¡±


    These were the words of the two men fated to clash once again. Neither of them could find it in themselves to strongly hate each other despite each other¡¯s actions. James understood MacLeod''s role in creating the T3ST colony. He saw it as his duty to clean up the mess that is the T3ST colony¡¯s genes and guarantee Earth¡¯s continued access to the belt¡¯s bounty.


    Yet, he had come to like Xeight, a man who very much preferred excavating asteroids all day long. He also knew Jen would live a far happier life away from Earth. James chortled at himself. He knew his own motivations were varied in absolutely entangled strands of fate.


    Xeight, after having visited Earth, understood its allure. He was, however, not hypnotized or seduced by Earth. Mining asteroids in the serene and vast expanse of space that might be eerie to others, but he certainly reveled in that.


    Xeight did feel slightly different to James. Xeight¡¯s ire simmered underneath the surface. In his heart, he believed that James should have just let the T3ST colony be, seeing as the MacLeods¡¯ ancestors¡¯ actions had already been the source of the colony¡¯s suffering over the years.


    James dragged a somewhat dazed Athena out of the room and was deep in thought as he began returning to his temporary residence within the Kasvallian Yellowstone Complex, when Olivia¡¯s communication came through.


    ¡°Special Lieutenant. A riot has started in LA. The population remains unfazed despite my presence in a nexarm. Please give your orders.¡±


    Not a moment later and another communication came through the Neurorave.


    ¡°Special Lieutenant.¡± This was Cyrus¡¯ voice. ¡°A riot has started here in Seattle and surrounding regions as well¡­¡±


    James took a second to think and made his decision. He would join Cyrus and Athena was to support Olivia. Athena got along rather well with Olivia, so it would probably be a better partnership.


    ¡°Watanabe. You will be--¡± Only now did James finally notice that the woman¡¯s eyes appeared unfocused, lost in a daze.


    ¡°Watanabe! Athena!¡± James shook her shoulders as he strengthened his voice.


    Athena¡¯s ears were ringing as she was still lost in a fog of having met with Xeight of the T3ST colony.


    ¡°Athena!¡±


    Finally, the ringing in her ears quietened down as she found her commanding officer¡¯s concerned face right before her eyes.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± she blinked and scrunched her eyelids for a second to clear her mind. ¡°Yes, sir, I was just lost in thought.¡±


    ¡°Watanabe. Gonzalez needs your help. Head to LA. I will provide assistance to Amiri.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

 Ch30: Quelling Riots

    For the next week, Xeight and Elder Vthree were repeatedly brought deep into the research areas of the Kasvallian Yellowstone Complex under Grand Teton. Vezna explained that the unit needed the extra week to be ready, and would be best if calibrated for Xeight in case of any complications while returning to space.


    They bumped into quite a number of terran elites during their wanderings around the complex, and were simply passed off as Vezna¡¯s special guests, Wright and Vee. Many of those elite had stuck around, mingling with one another.


    From the conversations he happened to come across, it seemed like many planned to stick around for a little under a week.


    James and Athena of the EFNSF did not have this luxury, and soon found themselves being present as representatives of the EFSF at the aforementioned riots around the region of LA and Seattle.


    With the threat of Mars and decreased access to the belt, the majority on Earth had opted to support and clamp down on dissent as per the Earth Federation¡¯s guidelines. However, a minority resisted and even supported Mars¡¯ independence.


    These were the people that Athena found herself intimidating having arrived in downtown LA. The instructions given to her was to use the nexarm¡¯s hulking presence to stoke fear, and then recalibrate the laser systems to perform a combination of flash effects to disorientate and cause discomfort to the protestor¡¯s eyes. She was not to cease even if this caused certain individuals to go into seizure.


    Meanwhile, the local police force had long equipped their riot gear and relevant neuro devices, and formed an impenetrable wall before the protestors.


    The situation was further complicated by the presence of the citizens that staunchly supported the Earth Federation. The two groups had begun throwing objects at each other, but with the presence of Athena and Olivia¡¯s nexarm, the group supporting the Earth Federation only grew bolder with their actions.


    ¡°Sergeant Parker.¡± A voice sounded through to a man leading the riot control squad. ¡°Focus on the pro-Mars independence protestors. Once they are dispersed, the other group will leave as well.¡±


    ¡°But, chief¡­¡±


    ¡°Our allegiance is to the Earth Feds. Remember that.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Sergeant Parker gave his orders to his officers and the riot squad boxed in the group supporting Mars independence. The group supporting the Earth Federation had begun throwing bricks at those of the pro-Mars independence crowd.


    ¡°Sergeant¡­ should we--¡± An officer somewhat hesitant with the situation was cut off mid-thought.


    ¡°Chief has given her orders. Disperse the pro-Mars group and the other will leave as well. Water cannons and rubber bullets on the ready. Those supporting the Earth Feds make up the majority in our polling. Just consider this an expression of democracy, if it comforts you. The nexarms are also on our side!¡± Frankly, that was what Sergeant Parker told himself when he received the chief¡¯s orders.


    ¡°We do not have the manpower and are unable to identify the ones throwing bricks in the pro-Earth Feds group! Begin riot suppression!¡±


    ¡°Liv¡­¡± Athena had to confirm if her eyes saw right as the riot squad specifically targeted the pro-Mars independence crowd, pummeling them with multiple water cannons, rapidly spraying them with waves of rubber bullets.


    ¡°Ensign Watanabe,¡± Olivia¡¯s voice slightly trembled but maintained a steady tone. ¡°Those who are pro-Mars are significantly more likely to house the terrorists that caused damage in the early months of the conflict.¡±


    ¡°Remember Warsaw? Now, add an element of heat to cook them,¡± Olivia ordered.


    Athena bit her lips and obeyed, ensuring that her laser devices had a slight element of heat, not enough to burn but enough to cause those in the demonstration group a further elevated temperature above the summer heat.


    A similar thought was echoed as Sergeant Parker assured the squad under him.


    ¡°Remember, these are the ones more likely to house those that dropped the asteroid onto Warsaw. Do not hold back. Raise the temperature of the water cannon.¡±


    His words gave his underlings assurance that they were taking the right course of action, and many of their expressions hardened in determination as they continued their suppression efforts.


    Block after block, they repeatedly boxed in the pro-Mars independence demonstrators before pummeling them to the hard and broiling concrete ground. Many attempted to escape, but some ended up being trampled down by their very own.


    ¡°Leave them to the medical cleanup crew.¡± That was Parker¡¯s orders as the riot squad moved on, followed by the two nexarms who¡¯s every step shook the firmament.


    This continued for a few days and Athena found herself in a stupor. Olivia began noticing her younger compatriot speaking less and less over this period, yet was unable to find the right words to drag Athena back to the present with her failing attempts at half-jokes and conversation.


    It was then that the group hit a roadblock-- an armed group of protestors that had occupied a few blocks.


    Sergeant Parker sent a communication to Olivia, requesting their intervention, but the EFNSF needed to be cleared by the American government to employ military force against the armed protestors. The EFSF still functioned very much in cooperation with Earth¡¯s governments.


    Special Lieutenant James MacLeod was informed and he communicated with the American government. An agreement was made-- the Earth Feds had no desire to lose their current majority support of the terrans, and so the government had to be the face for resolving the situation.


    So it was announced by the American government that if the armed protestors were to not disperse, they would have no choice but to employ automaton swarms. Those crab automaton swarms would be supplied and operated by the local police but coordinated through the nexarm¡¯s multifaceted systems.


    In but a day of this standoff, trucks rolled in carrying forty swarms of thirty american-flagged crab automatons. Some protestors had abandoned their cause, but many stood their ground.


    The swarms lined up before the blockade formed from furniture stripped from the buildings within the occupied blocks, the turrets of the crab automatons primed and its sensors already identifying the positions of many hiding within the buildings.


    ¡°Why¡­ why did they not leave?¡± Athena was exasperated. Surely, these protestors knew what was about to occur.


    Olivia could not think of a reply. She was similarly befuddled.


    A bulky man hiding within a building with a thick brown beard observed the outside through a linked drone.


    ¡°Surely, they wouldn¡¯t dare? If this event was to be known across the world, there would be other riots!¡±


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    ¡°Our deaths would signify that the Earth Feds are in the wrong and the Martians deserve their independence!¡±


    The bulky man, their leader, nodded in agreement to the words said by his compatriots.


    ¡°The people will not stand by this. They will face a reckoning. They are only intimidating our position!¡±


    Their assessment was completely off the mark.


    ¡°Higher ups have given the command,¡± Sergeant Parker stated to his officers. ¡°There is no need to hesitate. An independent Mars would permanently disrupt our supply chain and cause untold scarcity on Earth. The majority of the world stands with our actions.¡±


    His voice further hardened with conviction. ¡°We protect Earth¡¯s global citizens. We ensure the prosperity of terrans and the generations to come!¡±


    His squad roared in agreement, and the crab swarms leapt forth, pouring into the many buildings that the armed protestors hid within.


    The protestors inside could only widen their eyes in disbelief and fire half-haphazardly at the swarms with their rifles, but their bullets lacked the force to penetrate the armor of the crab automatons.


    The crab automatons began spraying their turrets in every single direction. A man¡¯s attempt to surrender was ignored as his body, prostrating to the ground for mercy, was peppered with bullets from the many rotary layered number of turret layers that every crab automaton was constructed of.


    A man attempted to assault a single automaton, hiding behind a corner before leaping out when the crab turned. He grappled in desperate hopes of prying apart the crab automaton¡¯s plates, only to fail miserably as his body too was punctured with holes that leaked blood like a popped water balloon.


    As the coordinator, Athena¡¯s connection allowed her to observe the actions of the ten swarms attached to her ten sensory channels.


    Her heart pounded like a beating drum, and she began feeling an uncomfortable consuming heat that rose to her skin. She blinked her bleary eyes as streams of sweat rolled down her forehead within her suit.


    Warning! User displaying unnatural bodily physiological reactions. Signs of extreme distress detected. System shutdown initiated.


    The nexarm mainframe flashed red and Athena found herself suddenly disconnected from the swarms.


    This caused a few of the crab swarms to bump and crash against each other as Athena could not provide assistance in coordinating their movements. The officers in control of the motor control of these swarms only stuttered for a moment and chose to say nothing. They began communicating with each other through the old but reliable method of speaking.


    Olivia pursed her lips-- she sensed Athena¡¯s nexarm going into lockdown mode, but she had to continue cooperation with the officers to quell these final armed protestors.


    Soon, the unsavory task was complete and they counted a thousand dead.


    Olivia apologized profusely to Sergeant Parker regarding the sudden loss of coordination, but the man shook his head to dismiss the incident.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy to know the young woman is a human. Me¡­ certain tasks need to be done, yes.¡± These were his words. Many other officers nodded in agreement.


    Olivia opened the cockpit door to find Athena laying on the ground beneath the pilot seat, her eyes murky and lost, staring at the surrounding red flashing nexarm spherical cockpit.


    ¡°Liv¡­.¡± Athena muttered upon feeling Olivia¡¯s presence. ¡°How are you able to¡­¡±


    Olivia Gonzalez is a Lieutenant because she had already served some time in the EFSF.


    ¡°Although previously we never had the capacity to stomp out the belt¡¯s pirates¡­ suppressing asteroid colonies ain¡¯t that uncommon¡­¡± Olivia softly replied. Athena had never heard her discuss those previous experiences. Obviously, Olivia intentionally avoided bringing up those events in their day-to-day conversation.


    Olivia pulled Athena back to her feet.


    ¡°Ensign. Return to the Kasvallian Yellowstone Complex,¡± she ordered. ¡°You are to rest your mind. Enjoy the artificial hot springs, the spas-- have some fun, girl!¡±


    Athena opened her mouth in protest but Olivia glared her silent.


    ¡°This is an order, Ensign. I will handle the cleanup. You are to return early to the rendezvous point.¡±


    ¡°Yes, mam.¡±


    The events of the day were communicated to James MacLeod, who remained silent for a minute after hearing the details of the incident.


    ¡°Thank you, Gonzalez,¡± he finally replied, sounding rather tired and exhausted to Olivia¡¯s ears. ¡°My mind has been overly focused on the war and I have neglected the mental state of our team.¡±


    ___________________________________________________________________________


    Outside of the Sector Chamber, Pacific City, 25th August, 1000 Solar Era


    Admiral Petrov walked up and whispered into Varoufakis¡¯ right ear. ¡°Zulu was successful.¡±


    Varoufakis nodded and entered a side-room. He would contact the many orbital colonies that manufactured the majority of the products on Earth.


    When he came out of the room, he had a small smile on his face, and promptly announced a news conference.


    Many cameras pointed to his podium within the sector chamber-- these would send his holographic message globally.


    ¡°Citizens on Earth. I am proud to announce that we have both retaken the resource point of Hygiea in the belt along with resolving the armed and terror forces on the west coast of North America.¡±


    He took a moment to beam at every individual camera device hovering in the air.


    ¡°With this resolution, I am happy to announce that the conglomerates have agreed to lower prices by five percent. The Earth Federation will also once again be able to raise the previously suspended universal income support program. Thank you all for your support!¡±


    ¡°We will continue to ensure the prosperity of Earth!¡± He declared with a fist raised to the sky.


    It was a rather short announcement, but the terrans were overjoyed that they were slowly returning to the pre-war state with regards to quality of life.


    When Varoufakis stepped down from the podium, he noticed Selena Muller¡¯s presence. He quickly walked up to her and tapped his neuro circlet in a wordless communication.


    After a few seconds, Selena nodded.


    ¡°Very well. The DWA will suppress certain details of the riots in the west coast of North America.¡±


    ________________________________________________________________________


    Kasvallian Yellowstone Complex, 25th August, 1000 Solar Era


    Xeight found his eyes resting upon an exo-armor similar to the nexarm, a twenty meter tall metal suit of a dominating presence. However, it was slightly bulkier and also decorated in a non-reflective jet-black color.


    ¡°We call this the HAISNAF,¡± Vezna glowingly stated to Xeight¡¯s side. ¡°It¡¯s short for Human Artificial Intelligence Symbiotic Neuro Armor Frame. Return this prototype to space. We, the Kasvallian Group will receive the unit and in return, you and Mars will receive some benefits.¡±


    He tapped his neuro circlet and confirmed the state of the riots. ¡°The EFSF is currently doing cleanup duty. We don¡¯t have much time. Leave with the unit before James MacLeod returns.¡±


    Xeight nodded as Elder Vthree, behind him, sighed in relief. Ever since their meeting with James MacLeod, Elder Vthree had been rather worried that the man would reveal their presence.


    Xeight and Elder Vthree entered the cockpit. Xeight jumped into the pilot seat while Elder Vthree was content to strap and secure herself to a guest seat.


    He tapped his forehead against the cockpit and his neuro circlet was synced to the haisnaf.


    Welcome, user.


    Xeight did not bother waiting for the system to welcome him. He had already activated the thrusters. While examining the system, he was rather surprised to find nearly forty weapon devices were directly integrated into the exo-armor. He felt this was odd-- he himself could not control this many motor devices simultaneously.


    Half of these were detachable, so he would be able to use them in a similar fashion to a nexarm¡¯s functionality.


    A hole below the mountain peak opened and the haisnaf accelerated outwards. Their destination was already set-- Xeight was to hijack a space launch system in Salt Lake City.


    Perform deep-sync with the system?


    This popup of the haisnaf sparked Xeight¡¯s curiosity, and thus he agreed. Yet all he received was an error message.


    Error: unable to perform deep-sync.


    A pity, Xeight thought. The prototype must have faulty features due to it being a prototype. He had been rather curious as to how this exo-armor differed from a nexarm.


    Warning. Approaching exo-armor.


    Xeight¡¯s eyes widened as he expanded his senses, only to find a nexarm unit dropping towards him from the sky! They had just exited the complex, for goodness sake!


    The identity of this nexarm? It was Athena, who had returned early to the Kasvallian Yellowstone Complex. Her senses had picked up the appearance of the matte jet-black haisnaf, and almost instinctively, Athena believed it to be an enemy and had dropped her nexarm off from the returning transport plane!

 Ch31: Testing the HAISNAF

    ¡°Elder Vthree,¡± Xeight informed the woman with anxiety etched as lines into her forehead, ¡°We will be entering combat mode. The cockpit will be filled with a gel fluid to help assist impact distribution.¡±


    Elder Vthree nodded with a croak, her mouth dry with nervousness.


    Combat mode engaged.


    The cockpit filled with a gel fluid as many elastic straps secured both Xeight and Elder Vthree.


    Xeight frowned as his sensors provided his mind with information on the opposing nexarm. From what he could sense, the opponent could control twelve motor devices. That meant they also had twelve different sensory devices.


    He considered activating over thirty combined neuro devices to dominate the battle about to break out, but then curiosity got the better of him. How does the haisnaf differ from a nexarm?


    In order to test that properly, he decided to only use as many neuro devices as his opponent, at least, for now.


    Right off the bat, Xeight could already identify a strength and a weakness of the haisnaf. With so many more integrated weapon systems on the mainframe, if he could get into close quarters combat against this opposing nexarm, he was almost guaranteed to win.


    The nexarm was designed primarily with the concept of long-range combat in the vast darkness of space, and thus the mainframe was only given an extra four laser arms and two vibrating x-alloy daggers for emergency situations.


    Xeight also instinctively understood that the haisnaif¡¯s huge close-quarters advantage came at a cost-- the mainframe would certainly have much more weight.


    A conditional downside was also that much more firepower would come from the mainframe as a source-- this is only a conditional downside, because a pilot of a haisnaf could always choose not to activate the integrated weapon systems of the mainframe.


    Xeight rapidly scanned the available devices and decisively connected himself to eight attached to the mainframe and only four detachable weapon devices.


    Observing some snowy as well as rocky areas around, he accelerated toward the top of the Grand Teton Peak as he bid the onboard system to analyze and recalibrate the haisnaf for such an environment, to prevent the mainframe from slipping on some icy slope.


    The opposing nexarm settled on Middle Teton Peak as it dispersed a total of twelve detachable sniping devices that spread and secured themselves on many high jagged vantage points.


    In her nexarm, Athena had barely awoken from her stupor. She could still feel the weight on her mind from the scene of the crab automatons slaughtering the armed protestors within the concrete urban blocks.


    When she had returned, her sensors picked up this unidentified unit of a bulkier form compared to the nexarm. It must be an imitation nexarm from a questionable group, she concluded. Thus she promptly shook the mud in her head away as much as possible and entered combat.


    Gazing at the matte-black opposing nexarm imitation, her immediate response was to analyze the opponent¡¯s capabilities. Yet, from a quick scan, she was unable to discover any meaningful information beyond the nexarm imitation being somewhat heavier due to its bulk.


    Then, she saw only four enemy sniper systems detach themselves, and instinctively thought that the person inside must be a terrorist similar to those she had fought against in Pacific City over half a year ago. Those terrorists also could not control that many neuro devices.


    From her perspective, she had an undeniable advantage!


    ¡°Xeight.¡± Vezna drawled through the comms. ¡°Since it¡¯s come to this, do not aim for Salt Lake City. I had wanted to avoid attracting attention, but since the combat here will inevitably draw eyes¡­ please attempt to launch to space using the startram system to the northeast attached to the geothermal plant generating energy from the yellowstone supervolcano. Ensure you attack the plant.¡±


    ¡°Agreed.¡± Part of the arrangement was that the Kasvallian Group would provide different technologies to the martian coalition. Thus, it would be best for the Kasvallian Group to avoid any suspicion.


    Xeight knew that by attacking the geothermal plant attached to a supervolcano¡­ In his mind, the Kasvallian Group should avoid suspicion--the geothermal plant belonged to the Kasvallian Group after all! It would appear ridiculous to suggest that the Kasvallian Group would attack itself.


    ____________________________________________________________________________


    Within an underground lab of the Kasvallian Yellowstone Complex.


    ¡°Jones.¡± Vezna simmered with a threatening air. ¡°Why did deep-sync fail? Explain yourself.¡±


    ¡°S-Sir¡­¡± A flustered sixty-year-old researcher replied with a bowed head. ¡°I¡¯m n-not sure¡±


    ¡°Give. Me. An EXPLANATION!¡± Vezna slammed a fist that knocked a glass of whiskey shattering against the concrete ground of the observation center.


    The flustered Jones kept his head down while surrounding staff occupying other tables ignored the occurring incident as they intently observed the status of the haisnaf through holographic images before their eyes.


    Jones both respected and feared Mr. De Lerna. Good results would lead to endless praise and a rewarding payout. A few complications? Absolutely fine. But Jones knew that Mr. De Lerna hated one thing the most-- unexplained errors.


    ¡°Speak! How long will it take?!¡±


    ¡°Sir!¡± Jones calmed his heart. He also knew the Mr. De Lerna hated stuttering fools unable to overcome setbacks. He needed to display resolute confidence in resolving any issues. ¡°Once the unit has been transported, we will be able to run diagnostics! It may very well be the pilot¡¯s rather old neuro circlet!¡±


    Vezna visibly reigned in his anger. In but a few seconds, he regained a rather lighthearted demeanor as he paced with a skip like a prancing baby deer around the observation deck.


    ¡°Continue the combat analysis.¡±


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    What Vezna had indicated for him to do, Xeight knew. Executing it was another matter.


    Yet, he felt that the stars were with him. Why did he feel this way? He was not entirely sure who was piloting the enemy nexarm, but he could tell that whoever they were, they acted impulsively with an incredibly confident and aggressive push.


    It was only because of that aggression that Xeight was able to lead the enemy like a dog on a leash. He repeatedly backed away towards the geothermal plant to the northeast, only using his four detached snipers to somewhat harass the enemy.


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    The opposing nexarm believed him to only have the capability of operating four weapon systems and pursued like a ferocious cat after a mouse.


    ¡°Watanabe. Status.¡± James had already been notified of the appearance of the odd nexarm imitation, and had begun returning to the Kasvallian Yellowstone area immediately. Yet, he was originally cleaning up the zone around Seattle, so it would take a while longer for him to arrive.


    ¡°Enemy nexarm is only capable of operating four motor detachments. I will have it cornered sooner or later.¡± The gap between the two units had already closed down to two hundred meters. To Athena, it made sense-- this imitation model before her is much heavier and slower. With the additional pressure from her twelve sniping devices which occasionally shift their position due to their northeastern shift, the pressure was very much on the imitation model.


    Very soon, they reached the northeastern slope of the Grand Teton Mountain Ranges, and the distance between the two units had reduced to a hundred meters. It was precisely here that Xeight suddenly activated his thrusters to the max and accelerated towards Athena¡¯s nexarm in a collision course!


    Athena¡¯s unit was on a slanted snow patch when this occurred, and she barely had time to react as she attempted to push off with her nexarm¡¯s left foot to dodge. Yet, unlike Xeight, she had forgotten to analyze and recalibrate her systems upon returning from the urban area of LA!


    Her left nexarm foot disastrously slipped on the snowy surface, and she lost her balance as the enemy nexarm imitation unit crashed into her unit!


    Both pilots within their exo-armors felt their units shuddering from the crash. Athena assumed that the enemy unit would disengage after knocking her down, but that was not so. Instead, Xeight had grappled onto Athena¡¯s nexarm as the two exo-armors now formed a sphere and tumbled down the rocky mountainside!


    It was only now that Athena discovered that the enemy had two upper laser arms above the shoulder that grappled tightly onto her shoulders. Then, another two extending downwards from the back grappled onto her unit¡¯s upper thighs. Meanwhile the normal arms immobilized hers¡¯ at the elbows.


    That was not all. Four compartments then opened and began pelting her unit with kinetic rounds! Athena finally realized that the reason the opposing nexarm imitation was significantly bulkier was due to these integrated weapon systems! She now knew that she had badly miscalculated the number of motor channels the enemy pilot had.


    Was she incompetent? Some might say so. Yet, in battle, intelligence on an enemy¡¯s capability is key. Xeight already knew what a nexarm¡¯s capability was. He also had a degree of understanding regarding the new unit since he was piloting the haisnaf himself! Athena was very much in the dark on the haisnaf.


    Athena exclaimed in shock and rage at the enemy¡¯s deviousness as she immediately disconnected four sniper devices such that she could activate the four laser arms of her nexarm to put up a form of resistance.


    Plate integrity eighty percent.


    Sixty percent.


    Finally, her laser arms activated and she immediately controlled them to attack the enemy¡¯s grip on her nexarm.


    It was then that her mind was sent reeling like a discombobulated fool once again.


    Xeight immediately activated another two pairs of laser arms that grappled with the four that Athena had activated.


    Xeight had changed his mind mid-battle. Initially, he wanted to test the haisnaf¡¯s capabilities-- he had quickly determined its huge advantage in close-ranged combat, and now believed it beneficial to the T3ST colony to remove this enemy nexarm before him!


    He had no desire to take James MacLeod¡¯s life, but he knew that the pilot before him was not James. James MacLeod has thirteen motor and thirteen sensory channels. The pilot before him has twelve of each.


    Thus, he continued firing the kinetic rounds as his eight laser arms, much like the spider arms of an exo-suit, grappled the nexarm into submission.


    As they tumbled down the rocky slope, the weight of the two units kickstarted a small landslide that sent dirt and dust into the air. The x-alloy plates and the gel liquid within the cockpit completely protected those in the cockpit.


    Then, the two tumbled into a magma vent of the Kasvallian Groups¡¯ geothermal plant.


    Xeight felt no concern despite a warning from the haisnaf indicating the sudden rise in temperature. The x-alloy plates were designed to last quite some time even in intense heat.


    Athena could feel the devil¡¯s scythe resting across her neck, ready to reap her soul.


    Plate integrity: five percent.


    With both her nexarm limbs immobilized and her four laser arms locked against the extra four the enemy had activated, her unit had continued receiving the kinetic rounds from the four openings of the enemy¡¯s nexarm imitation.


    It was already a miracle that her vain attempts at twisting the body of her nexarm had managed to somewhat prevent the kinetic rounds from hitting the exact same spot every single time, delaying her unit¡¯s imminent destruction.


    Now? They had entered a steaming magma vent!


    ¡°Fucking Bastard!¡± Athena once again condemned the underhanded methods of the enemy pilot.


    ¡°Eject!¡± She had no choice!


    Xeight¡¯s sensors suddenly picked up a silvery spherical ball that is the cockpit of the enemy nexarm shoot down into the depths of the magma vent! The ejection of said cockpit of a nexarm supposedly aimed backwards, and a pilot would only use this feature if they believe that they would have a better chance of survival despite abandoning the nexarm.


    Due to the tumbling nature of the two exo-armor units, Athena, within her cockpit, was ejected down into the magma vent! Within a few seconds. The cockpit sphere rapidly bounced out of sight down a curve illuminated with a red-hot glow.


    Xeight had to admit, he never thought there would be a situation where one would choose to abandon the nexarm. The cockpit sphere, quite obviously, has no combat capability. In most situations, such an escaping cockpit sphere would be quickly noticed and destroyed.


    Xeight frowned in contemplation. A part of him wished to pursue the cockpit sphere down the curve, but he did not believe it would be worth the effort. The enemy had lost their nexarm unit and effectively would no longer be an obstacle to him. Earth had billions of citizens-- if he killed one pilot, they¡¯d just find another. It was the nexarms that mattered.


    With Athena abandoning her unit, Xeight now held a nexarm unit in his hand! Yes, some plates had effectively zero percent integrity, but changing the plates should be easy. As far as Xeight knew, the unit in his hands remained at perfect function in all other aspects!


    Xeight directed his sensors to observe the surroundings. A few other plates on the haisnaf slid open as a few missiles shot out and bombarded the walls of the magma vent.


    Xeight activated his thrusters and he accelerated back out of the collapsing vent with the captured nexarm slung over the haisnaf¡¯s shoulders.


    He controlled the haisnaf further northeast over the Kasvallian Yellowstone geothermal plant. Vezna had already sent him a map of key targets he needed to hit. A siren in the complex had already been sounded-- Xeight assumed that Vezna had long activated the warning sign to protect his workers. Even gazing around, Xeight could not notice any signs of human activity-- this was nothing but an abandoned plant!


    This certainly reassured Xeight. He had no desire to take the lives of some random workers in this somewhat remote area.


    Without delay, the plates on the haisnaf slid open again as many AI-directed missiles were launched at all the key functionalities of the geothermal plant. Without even confirming the delivery of the missiles to their targets, Xeight had already turned and sped towards the startram system belonging to this geothermal plant.


    The siren had done its work-- the startram system was similarly unmanned.


    With no obstruction, Xeight communicated with the startram system and a rocket was primed. He placed the captured nexarm inside and then secured the haisnaf as well.


    A single beep of his neuro circlet and the startram began accelerating!


    ¡°Goodbye, Earth. Goodbye, James MacLeod.¡± Xeight muttered to himself as the startram system activated and their transport began accelerating due to electromagnetic forces.


    Their transport angled up a slope the peak of Teewinot Mountains. The very end of the startram rail was at the Teewinot Mountain Peak. Once the space shuttle left the end of those rails, the rockets powered by e-cube kicked in.


    ¡°Fuck.¡± It was only now that Elder Vthree swore in relief. She had held in her breathe and tongue through the whole ordeal-- she was, after all, not in the driving seat, and she herself had also never piloted an exo-armor. Thus, she could only remain silent and trust in Xeight¡¯s judgment.


    Xeight could only slyly smile, rather amused at the lady elder¡¯s stress release.


    Starship Oneiroi had already been notified by Vezna of Xeight¡¯s launch. Using the EFSF code that Vezna somehow obtained and had given to them, they had been in high orbit awaiting Xeight and Elder Vthree¡¯s return.


    Metallic sinewed cords were shot out towards their locations in orbit, and Xeight attached these cords to the haisnaf and the captured nexarm, as the hanging cords swung by their transport overhead. Starship Oneiroi picked up speed as it reeled-in the two exo-armors towards the hangar like an expert fisherman.


    With their members and the exo-armors retrieved, Starship Oneiroi subsequently warped out of Earth¡¯s vicinity.

 Ch32: On the Brink

    ¡°Lieutenant MacLeod! Sir!¡± Athena had been attempting to reach James MacLeod for the past ten minutes. She had received no reply. Either the vents were constructed from a material that interfered with communications, or the systems built into the cockpit had been damaged from combat and the temperature in these vents.


    Athena was certainly in desperate straits. She was very much trapped in the magma vents. When she sensed that the enemy unit did not pursue her cockpit sphere down into the magma vent, she thought she¡¯d be able to return and escape her predicament through the opening that she had tumbled down into this underground system.


    Her cockpit sphere extended tiny grappling arms that allowed her to scamper unsteadily about. These arms were designed to allow an ejected pilot the ability to perform some level of navigational, attach the cockpit to an asteroid, retrieve some minor emergency supplies and similar actions in space.


    After a brief struggle with these somewhat weak grappling arms, Athena only discovered that the enemy unit had obliterated the opening to the vent. Her heart immediately sank to the very bottom of the mariana trench.


    This underground system was no safe haven. The geothermal plant used many of these vents to regulate the temperature and risk of the supervolcano that it drew energy from. At any moment, one of these vents could very well be filled with magma-- she was certain to be boiled alive, a curling shrimp in a hot pot.


    A sense of dread filled Athena¡¯s heart-- the idea that the enemy unit was here to sabotage the plant occurred to her. If the geothermal plant that regulated the area was sabotaged, that also meant that the systems regulating the whole underground thermal control might very well go haywire, further decreasing her already questionable chances at survival.


    She could only swear inwardly. The main issue was that she did not have a map of this underground system! And the fact that her cockpit sphere was not all that mobile. And that she had no neuro devices that she could send to scout the tunnels and vents.


    Athena closed her eyes and calmed her mind. Her mind replayed much of her training and her superior¡¯s words. ¡°Survive to fight another day. As long as you survive, one day, you will discover yourself the master of your craft,¡± she muttered James MacLeod¡¯s words to herself. Athena recalled the sacrifice of Smirnov and the fates of Levy and Saad. She could not fall here. Not now. Not to the burning flesh of the Earth!


    She took a deep breath within her cockpit to relieve her anxious mind. Special Lieutenant MacLeod would search for her. Will the special lieutenant come across the destroyed magma vent? If that terrorist attacked the geothermal plant, her superior might find his eyes drawn elsewhere rather than a damaged magma vent!


    If so, then it would make it pointless for her to remain close to this magma vent. Yet, she might very well completely lose herself within the underground system if she attempted to find an escape path by herself.


    Athena was very much attempting to put herself into the shoes of her most likely rescuer, James MacLeod. If she could think like him, then she¡¯d know where she needed to go to be saved.


    James MacLeod should be approaching from the northwest of the Kasvallian Yellowstone Complex. It was rather likely that he¡¯d notice damage to the geothermal plant, and hearing no word from her, head to observe any damage that the terrorist might have caused.


    Would he be able to sense her position? If it was the material that the vents were made of that affected her comms, Athena doubted that her superior would be able to sense her position.


    Eventually, she realized that she had no choice but to believe her superior would find the signs to her. Yet, that did not mean she could not increase her chances of survival. She marked her path along the walls of the entry magma vent that had collapsed, and climbed upwards, searching for a side vent.


    If the temperatures were to rise, it would be safest to be on a higher sidevent. The main vents would certainly be boiling if not filled by magma itself.


    Just as she dragged her cockpit sphere into the highest side vent reachable in the main vent that had been blockaded at a curve, a sudden heat wave released from some underground source sent the cockpit lights flashing red in dire warning. Athena breathed a sigh of relief at having barely avoided being hit directly in the cockpit by said heat wave.


    She then had no choice but to patiently wait in this side vent, occasionally shouting into her comms in hopes of reaching James MacLeod.


    As for James? He was currently pulling his hair out. He had completely lost communication with the youngest and least experienced of his team.


    When the plane transporting his nexarm unit back to the Kasvallian Yellowstone Complex came within range of the last known location of Athena, James sensed the launch of the startram system. He was too far to interfere and could only watch as a space shuttle accelerated up into the sky and climb into space.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± he muttered under his breath. The Kasvallian geothermal complex was up in flames and many locations. Many helicopters had just exited the mountain tunnels that lead to Vezna¡¯s abode within the Grand Teton Peak, carrying large balloons of chemicals meant for putting out the flames.


    ¡°Vezna. Inform me of the events here.¡± He immediately attempted to obtain information from the man.


    ¡°Welcome back, James,¡± Vezna sounded completely unperturbed, which further irritated James, who was already desperate to find and confirm the status of Athena. ¡°Some terrorists attacked our geothermal plant in Yellowstone before leaving using the startram. All-in-all, nothing major. A bit costly to repair, but it¡¯ll return to functionality soon enough.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ yes¡­¡± James could barely control his agitation. ¡°Did you notice Watanabe in combat?¡±


    ¡°Our complex entered lockdown once a battle started. The initial battle close to the complex? That, we have recordings of. As for the zone between the complex and the geothermal plant-- there is a surveillance gap in that area. The enemy appeared out of nowhere! Perhaps my assistance in rebuilding Warsaw was not appreciated by said terrorists.¡±


    A beep sounded and James received the holographic recording of the initial battle. His eyes widened at the sight of the haisnaf, a hulking menace in comparison to the nexarm¡¯s knightly stance.


    He initially considered that the destruction of parts of the geothermal plant might be caused by combat, and would be the best place to start the search for Athena. Seeing this footage, he decided to be thorough and start from the initiation of combat.


    He dropped down in his nexarm and activated his thrusters towards the area between Grand Teton and Middle Teton Peak. He then followed the signs northeast to the geothermal plant. He spread out his sensors attempting to find any signs of a battle between two exo-armors.


    He immediately noticed some snipers perched on high vantage points that had been disconnected. A number of surveillance helicopter devices spread out and James soon came to a collapsed magma vent where the debris collected and blocked off a curve.


    It has to be here, James MacLeod thought. He backed off and initially considered activating a few missile systems to remove this debris, but then realized that such a move was reckless. If Athena was trapped within, such an action might take her life instead.


    Thus, he instead activated many laser devices that began heating up the debris blocking the vent. It was tedious work, but with a calculated approach, James softened the critical blockages that eventually led to the debris cluster collapsing and sliding down further into the vent harmlessly.


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    The marks Athena left behind soon led him to Athena¡¯s cockpit sphere resting listlessly in a side vent.


    ¡°Ensign Watanabe!¡± James hollered into his comms, only to receive no reply. A quick analysis of the cockpit sphere and James discovered that the interior of Athena¡¯s sphere had already reached a temperature of thirty-five degrees celsius. She was literally being steamed to death!


    His nexarm was too large to enter such a side vent, so he had to control a number of neuro devices to attach to Athena¡¯s cockpit sphere and thrust the sphere out of the side vent into his arms.


    Then, James heard a rumbling from the ground and his cockpit flashed red in warning.


    Warning! Incoming magma expulsion!


    James immediately activated his thrusters, yet he was still slow! He lost a number of neuro devices that he had sent down into the vents to scout the tunnels. Last he sensed from them was a rising magma.


    As he rose back out of the vent, beneath his feet, a rising tide of lava climbed and a sudden shot of lava was sent spewing directly at his nexarm!


    ¡°Fuck!¡± James wrapped his nexarm around Athena¡¯s cockpit sphere in urgency, and his nexarm plates¡¯ integrity dropped to twenty percent as the surface of his unit was covered in the scorching thick fluid.


    ¡°Activate vibration mode!¡±


    A motor system within his unit began a small-scale rapid shaking accompanied by a droning noise that loosened the fluid off of the nexarm-- it would be a disaster if the thick fluid coating his nexarm was allowed to cool and dry.


    He returned back to a plateau on the northeast Grand Teton Mountain Ranges away from the magma vent, and desperately pried open Athena¡¯s cockpit sphere.


    James found an Athena delirious from heat, eyes half-closed in a state of hallucination.


    ¡°Special Lieutenant¡­?¡± She whispered. ¡°The sun is so cold¡­¡±


    James MacLeod immediately set his nexarm down in a kneeling position, dropped down to the ground and pulled Athena out of her cockpit.


    He carried Athena and pulled on the hook. The wire dragged them both back into James¡¯ cockpit. James then removed Athena¡¯s pilot suit, and Athena was left in her sporty undergarments. An oxygen mask was attached to her face.


    ¡°Activate medical assistance.¡± James was no medical expert, but he knew that the nexarm cockpit, at least one not detached from its unit, should provide emergency life-saving services.


    A number of mechanical arms secured Athena¡¯s body along with many sensory devices that began analyzing important physiological markers.


    Cooling required. The cockpit will enter combat mode.


    A second later and the cockpit was filled with the cool gel liquid normally used to absorb impact during combat scenarios.


    A mechanical arm then began injecting fluid into Athena¡¯s body through a tube into her elbow.


    James finally breathed a sigh of relief within his exo-suit as the nexarm unit informed him that Athena¡¯s body was stable and would recover in just a day.


    A short moment later, the gel within his cockpit was withdrawn, and James returned to Athena¡¯s dilapidated cockpit sphere and connected himself. This allowed him to observe the information within the black box, and his mind received a clear detailed combat against the unknown exo-armor unit.


    ¡°Well done, Athena,¡± he muttered to himself. She had survived and successfully collected valuable insights into the new exo-armor. James believed that this would prove critical in future encounters. This should be more valuable than losing a nexarm unit, and they are unlikely to receive punishment from his higher-ups.


    Now, the major question that James had was where this unit had come from! Try as he might, he could not come up with any concrete theories.


    Many nexarm units had been stolen over half a year ago, so who knew who exactly could have built this new unit? Perhaps the new unit was created on top of an original nexarm frame!


    He certainly had suspicions of the Kasvallian Yellowstone Complex. Yet, the Kasvallian Group is the primary funder of rebuilding New Warsaw, and had also received substantial damage to their geothermal plant.


    ___________________________________________________________________________


    One week later. Pacific City.


    James MacLeod informed his superiors of the events on the west coast of North America. There was an initial uproar on delivery of Athena¡¯s black box. Many investigations were launched, but no concrete evidence was found.


    Regardless of the results of the investigation, this was no longer an issue under James MacLeod. Currently, the four--James, Olivia, Cyrus and Athena-- are at the Rebirth Bunker. They were here to check on Clio.


    Sitting in the waiting room, James¡¯ face was grim in consternation.


    ¡°Why are all the replacement candidates of such a young age...¡± He murmured as he scrolled down a hologram. They needed to replace Levy and Smirnov, and potentially Saad. Yet, all the candidates with at least a total of eighteen plus neuro channels were twenty-five or younger, with minimal experience.


    ¡°If I were to guess¡­¡± Olivia replied with a slight frown. ¡°It must be because of our evolution to control more neuro devices due to the Neurorave system. So, it is the newest generation most likely capable of controlling a multitude of neuro devices¡­¡±


    A woman in a lab coat then appeared in the waiting room.


    ¡°One visitor only at one time,¡± she firmly stated.


    The four nodded at each other, and James was the first to enter.


    When James returned, he looked befuddled but also disheartened.


    ¡°She did not speak. It was as if I didn¡¯t exist.¡±


    The very same thing occurred with Olivia and Cyrus as well. Both returned distraught at the lack of response from Cliupatra Saad.


    It was Athena¡¯s turn. She herself was still rather beaten down in regards to the events at the Kasvallian Yellowstone Complex, but she pushed herself forward relentlessly.


    She entered to find Clio tending to an underground greenhouse, with artificial sunlight supplying the many plants that surrounded her on all sides. This was a reassuring sight to see. Clio had only her brain protected after the destruction to her nexarm unit. To see her having a body and moving about was a great source of relief.


    Athena initially wished to directly ask if Clio would rejoin the team, but after a short silence, recognized that it was pointless to broach the subject.


    ¡°What¡¯s the name of this plant?¡± Athena put aside her initial motives, curious as to the plant that Clio was tending to. She was surprised to receive an answer-- her compatriots had said that they were thoroughly ignored.


    ¡°It¡¯s the¡­ what people call the white acacia,¡± answered the egyptian. ¡°A beautiful sapling, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Mmm. What is its use?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Clio gazed at this plant lovingly. ¡°Supposedly one of the key plants in history that prevented further desertification of the Sahara in an age long past.¡±


    ¡°Mmm¡­¡± Athena found it difficult to imagine when the Sahara wasn¡¯t green. Ever since her birth, she had known the Sahara to be green. She wandered around, examining many different plants that Clio had been tending to during her recovery.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be returning to Egypt,¡± Athena heard Clio say behind her in a soft tone.


    ¡°I¡¯ll visit one day,¡± Athena beamed in return.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Athena no longer intruded into Clio¡¯s world and excused herself.


    ¡°She won¡¯t be returning,¡± Athena informed her superior. She discovered that she was happy to inform James MacLeod that Clio would not be returning. Was that¡­ wrong of her?


    James MacLeod seemed rather disappointed, and nodded his head dejectedly.


    A single wave of the arm and the four rode the elevator back to the surface. They would now need to seek three replacements.


    ____________________________________________________________________________


    Interamnia, The Belt, September 8, 1000 Solar Era.


    Khan had been promoted and placed to defend this resource node in the belt. The martian fleet had been struggling to protect the nodes that they had taken earlier in the year. Nearly all of the smaller resource points in the belt had already been recaptured by the EFSF after their newly-built starship fleet entered the fray.


    Her superior, Vice-admiral Zheng was at Pallas, while Vice-admiral Laurent was at Vesta.


    ¡°Khan. Trust your instincts,¡± advised Zheng through the comms. ¡°Admiral Sullivan examined your skirmish records and specifically ordered this post for you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°Let me give you a bit of encouragement,¡± Zheng mysteriously stated. ¡°I¡¯ve come across details on those who sabotaged and harmed my mentor, your father.¡±


    ¡°You have?!¡± Khan straightened herself in her command seat upon this news.


    ¡°Survive this battle and perhaps we will have an opportunity,¡± was Vice-admiral Zheng¡¯s reply.


    Khan locked her fingers and cracked her knuckles in preparation for the defense of Interamnia.

 Ch33: A Timely Break

    ¡°Any signs of the EFSF?¡±


    ¡°No, Mam. None of the buoys we have dropped into the surrounding space has been triggered.¡±


    Khan frowned. It seemed the EFSF might have chosen to take a breather. They did, after all, speedily regain quite a number of smaller resource points.


    Not that she could relax in her post. The enemy might jump and launch an attack at any time Thus, she could only prepare in advance and wait patiently.


    ¡°Last known sighting of the EFSF?¡±


    ¡°Commander. Our data shows that they last returned to the lunar base and have also been strengthening the resource asteroids bases that they have regained.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re building a supply chain¡­¡± Khan muttered under her breath.  It made sense to her. Vesta, Pallas and Interamnia are much larger resource bases, and she herself had planned to dig in and drag out any battle to wear down the EFSF fleet.


    Commander Khan had hoped that the EFSF would be emboldened by their recent victories and immediately attack.


    Unlike the EFSF, the martian fleet did not have a similar rate of replenishment. Well. That was about to change.


    ¡°Commander Khan,¡± a lieutenant named Tomas Sanchez excitedly informed her. ¡°The Kasvallian Group was true to their word!¡±


    Khan snapped her fingers and the hologram in the center of their command center displayed a group of approaching Kasvallian Group Freighters, the hydra emblem vibrantly eye-catching.


    ¡°Will this really help?¡± An elderly lieutenant named Allira wondered out loud. ¡°The Kasvallian Group is known for their¡­ second-rate products. Unlike the other interplanetary conglomerates, they don¡¯t have a specialty, but instead produce cheaper versions of existing products¡­¡±


    Commander Khan had selected Allira primarily because this elderly woman had a knack of asking the right questions needed to peer behind the veil. She knew that she herself hadn¡¯t seen that many martian cycles, and very much appreciated Allira¡¯s experience.


    ¡°Lieutenant Sanchez. Escort our guests in and test the inventory they have supplied.¡±


    ¡°Yes, mam.¡±


    ¡°Respectable Allira. Please provide assistance to Sanchez.¡± Khan saw Allira as a wise elder of their group. Though the martian fleet was organized in a specific way, she was more than happy to treat some members unique to their background.


    Very soon, a brown-haired man with a few strands of white in a suit with the hydra emblem was escorted in.


    ¡°Commander Khan. Chapman. John Chapman.¡± The middle-aged man bowed deep and shook the newly promoted martian commander¡¯s hand. ¡°I had the benefit of fraternizing with your father back in the day. Only recently did I come to know of the unfortunate attempt at his life. I¡¯d like to think he may still recover.¡±


    Khan could only shake the man¡¯s hand and nod her head in agreement. Her father had been in a coma for many years. Without Vice-admiral Zheng¡¯s support, it would have been impossible to acquire the medical tools needed to maintain her father¡¯s body.


    ¡°The board of Kasvallian Group is willing to supply the necessary resources for you to maintain this war. We have already delivered much to the Pallas and Vesta. I am happy for our cooperation.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Khan¡¯s astute mind was rather doubtful of the Kasvallian Group¡¯s intentions. Why did they seem so happy to supply the martian fleet with copious amounts of resources? After the T3ST unit had completed the retrieval mission of the prototype unit from Earth, Zheng had informed Khan of that mission. Still, it seemed ridiculous that retrieving such a unit would lead to such a wide-scale support.


    It was as if¡­ the Kasvallian Group had been looking for an excuse to give them support! Were they not concerned that the Earth Feds would target them? Then again¡­ it was not as if the other interplanetary conglomerates weren¡¯t selling them supplies. Yet, the degree to which the Kasvallian Group was supporting them¡­ sending supplies to their occupied asteroid bases on the brink of battle¡­


    With regards to the whole dynamic between the interplanetary conglomerates and Earth, Khan sensed there to be a sort of underlying tug-o-war. The Earth Feds must be attempting to find methods to limit the conglomerates¡¯ desire to continue maintaining business channels with the martians.


    The key must be the asteroid belt. Many asteroid resource hubs had been recaptured by the EFSF, but Mars still has Vesta, Pallas and Interamnia. Also, there are still many asteroid colonies that stand behind Mars. As long as they could stop EFSF¡¯s advance at this stage, the conglomerates will continue maintaining connections with Mars, desiring to access those resources!


    ¡°Well, Commander,¡± John Chapman beamed as he left the command center with a wave of his hand. ¡°Best of luck. I will also be delivering supplies directly to the cities of Remus and Romulus on Mars in the future. I certainly hope your father recovers.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Khan bowed. After the Kasvallian Group left, Khan herself visited the supply depot.


    The two lieutenants stood to attention before her on noticing her arrival.


    ¡°Inform me of the quantity and quality of the inventory.¡±


    ¡°Commander. I was incorrect in claiming the Kasvallian Group¡¯s produce to be second-rate.¡± Allira apologetically bowed her head. ¡°It seems that they are now only¡­ not even half-gen behind. Perhaps only a year or two, technologically speaking.¡±


    Khan overflowed with euphoria at this revelation. This should prove critical for the martians in holding their current position without being overly reliant on Neurorevo. Or, to put it more simply, Neurorevo would be less likely to withdraw any of the current support if they knew the Kasvallian Group was prepared to replace them as a supplier.


    A four to five year technological gap is too large a gap. One to two years behind? A single breakthrough could flip the script. Khan wondered-- are the other interplanetary conglomerates aware of this? At least, she imagined the conglomerates should, to some degree, be wary of each other.


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    Another martian concern-- there was also the previous incident of Vice-admiral Laurent¡¯s movements being leaked to the EFSF.


    How had the Kasvillian Group, positioned as a provider of second-rate products, reached this degree of advancement? Khan couldn¡¯t help but wonder as she examined the goods in the supply depot with the two lieutenants directly under her.


    Earmuffs were distributed as Allira controlled a lumbering artillery turret to a testing range. The elderly soldier simultaneously activated a number of engineering measurement devices that monitored the status of the artillery turret.


    Elementary stress testing of the artillery turret commenced.


    ¡°Commander. It is as effective as our original weapons. The heat distribution analysis suggests that it is capable of a similar rate of fire without structural damage. Long term durability will be difficult to test, but our simulations indicate it should last at least ninety percent if not ninety-five percent of the comparative lifetime.¡±


    ¡°Expected delivery of kinetic force and penetrative potential of the rounds?¡±


    ¡°Nearly identical, within the expected error in measurement.¡±


    ¡°Railguns?¡±


    ¡°We only received one complete set. The others are parts meant to repair any existing damage to the existing ones. Simulations indicate comparative capabilities, but slightly reduced lifetime durability.¡±


    To think that the Kasvallian parts had some compatibility with the original railguns inherited from when the martian fleet was but a branch of the EFSF¡­


    Khan activated a holographic device and began analyzing positions to place the new railgun as well as the multitude of artillery turrets. Since the EFSF had chosen to resupply and strengthen their logistics, with the support from the Kasvallian Group, she now also had an opportunity to set up a nasty surprise.


    Currently, she had no nexarms under her command, but perhaps the T3ST unit would provide reinforcement. Regardless, the Kasvillian Group had also given them many defense buoys, mines, fighter jets among automaton swarms. It was too good to be true.


    ¡°Did these come from the Kasvillian orbital colony?¡± For a period after Mars declared their independence, when prices had skyrocketed on Earth, the Kasvallian colony had gone dark.


    ¡°One moment, mam.¡± Sanchez immediately began examining all the recent footage available on the Kasvillian Colony.


    ¡°Mam¡­¡± Sanchez was baffled, his voice soaring an octave higher. ¡°None of these came from the orbital colony. I¡¯ve also tried tracking the freighters that arrived here, but it wasn¡¯t possible because they jumped in from unidentified space.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Khan delivered the revised defense plans to the two through the neuro circlets. ¡°Set up the new defenses.¡±


    She dismissed her curiosity. She was far more concerned over successfully defending Interamnia. Her success would also bring glory to Vice-admiral Zheng. If her mentor were to gain more influence with the martian high command, Mars would certainly have a brighter future, she believed.


    ___________________________________________________________________________


    T3ST colony, the Belt.


    The members of the T3ST colony floated outside their asteroid home like bees defending their hive. All of them had a right hand across their heart, and their left arm outstretched, their palm open and fingers spread as if trying to encompass the stars in their vision. From afar, it was as if thousands of fireflies had come to rest on a piece of rock in a dark cavern.


    This is the ceremony of Senior Zseven¡¯s departure on his next journey. As a past grand elder, many came to bid him farewell.


    A casket was sent toward Alpha Centauri. This was the dream of all those in the belt. Many of them had been forced by circumstances to inhabit the belt, but having lived here for many generations and with Earth overpopulated, their hearts began reaching out further into the stars, dreaming of a new world, a perfect world. Not Mars, where its people could only reliably reside beside the Wolf¡¯s Coil that provided the gravity that humans needed.


    A masterful procession led by Grand Elder Enine, the other twelve elders, then Bone, Xeight Yfour and Asix followed. Enine tapped the glimmering black casket that carried Zseven¡¯s body, configuring the system within to carry Zseven to Alpha Centauri.


    This material was unique in that certain minerals within the metal twinkled like stars in Earth¡¯s night sky. The navigational system beneath the surface would release ions to adjust and propel the casket towards the planets of Alpha Centauri.


    It was not just Zseven¡¯s casket being sent to a new world, but also a few other members of the T3ST colony that had fallen in battle. Despite Starship Oneiroi barely sustaining much damage during their mission, a few members had unfortunately inherit their ancestors bodily weakness, and succumbed after strenuous operation of the systems onboard Starship Oneiroi.


    ¡°May you find a safe haven in the far beyond. May the stars be with you, grandpa.¡± Those were the words that Xeight muttered to himself as he deftly controlled his spacesuit in procession as a row of twinkly black caskets were sent off into space one after another.


    The T3ST colony would soon receive a message to provide support to Vice-admiral Zheng.


    ___________________________________________________________________________


    Pacific Memorial Park, Pacific City, Earth


    Athena could barely restrain her anger bubbling within her throat. Her parents had come to visit, yet their time together was wholly negative. Particularly, her mother was unable to resist from continuously pestering her to quit the EFSF. To leave her comrades behind.


    How could she? They had been through many battles. Two had lost their lives in their efforts to guarantee Earth¡¯s prosperity.


    She had stormed off. She certainly was not in the right mood for this somber ceremony meant to honor David Levy, Igor Smirnov, among the dead of others in the EFSF fleet.


    Her father had remained thoroughly silent throughout the many ¡®discussions¡¯ with her mother. Athena could tell that he was torn, unsure of what to say.


    Her mother, frustrated, finally wandered off somewhere, not having any interest in the funeral. Perhaps she simply did not wish to even consider the possibility that one day, it might very well be her daughter here.


    Her father, Tatsuya Watanabe, pulled her to the side.


    ¡°Your mother is just¡­ concerned. During her pregnancy with you, there were some minor complications, and she strove to eat all the right foods and¡­¡±


    ¡°Pa.¡± Athena rejected vehemently what she viewed as excuses her father was making for her mother. ¡°This world¡­ this world wasn¡¯t built without blood, sweat, and tears¡­¡±


    ¡°When I climbed into space and looked back at Earth¡­ it was as if I saw a glimpse into all that had gone into making the wonderful world what it is, today!¡±


    ¡°Pa¡­¡± Athena sought for any form of connection within her father¡¯s eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t want to just sit here in this¡­ globe. Hoping that others would sacrifice themselves for my leisurely daily life.¡±


    Her father only nodded his head. At least he was trying to understand¡­


    Only today when interacting with her parents did Athena feel as if her mindset had changed. She increasingly felt as if those on Earth lived without a care in the world, happily meandering within the safe cage with abundant resources. Well, someone had to guarantee the continuation of that. Someone always had to. And some will in the future as well.


    Athena found it¡­ impossible for her to return to that state of resting in that cage. Wandering about in a beautiful garden, ignoring the monsters outside, living without a single care in the world.


    In Athena¡¯s eyes. her mother simply would never understand. She might not understand even if she traveled to space. Clio¡­ Clio had chosen to return back into that cage. Athena did not blame Clio. Her mother might prefer Clio¡­


    She silently sat through the funeral, her hand resting on her heart, choosing to forever etch every single moment she had shared with Levy and Smirnov, and their sacrifices, into her mind.

 Ch34: Situational Acceleration

    Pacific Command, Pacific City


    Admiral Petrov stood with eight vice-admirals behind him. The martians might have concluded that the terrans were taking time to strengthen and secure the resource asteroid bases they had retaken. That couldn¡¯t be further from the truth.


    A hologram of the combat between Athena and the unidentified haisnaf kept replaying itself in the center of the command room, surrounded by ringed desks occupied by the retired admirals that serve as the high command, EFSF officers, and also representatives of many Earth¡¯s nations¡¯ armies. Not that they were aware of the identified exo-armor¡¯s haisnaf name.


    Varoufakis was also in attendance with his closest cabinet members.


    ¡°This is our concern,¡± stated Admiral Petrov as all within the room examined the footage with agitation. Many of the officers, though well-trained and should rightly be stoic in nature, couldn¡¯t help but feel restless at the footage.


    ¡°We already wished to finish this war quickly. Rush the martian forces without giving them any time to regroup. Now, there is the additional possibility that the creator of this unidentified unit might interfere in the war proceedings.¡±


    ¡°Vice-admiral Duterte.¡± A man introduced himself to all within the room as he stood. ¡°Do we know who built this new exo-armor?¡±


    ¡°No conclusive evidence,¡± answered Petrov. ¡°It could be something newly-built by Neurorevo. It could be built under cooperation of other conglomerates. It could have been a nexarm modified by those in the Saturn and Jupiter moons. Or pirates, unlikely as that is.¡±


    ¡°But not Mars.¡±


    ¡°Not Mars,¡± Petrov repeated Duterte¡¯s words with a smile. ¡°That is precisely why I have summoned you all here.¡±


    He tapped his neuro circlet and all these key officers of the EFSF received a new plan.


    ¡°Originally, we aimed to deprive the martians of their resources and force them into a surrender. Now, I believe it would be foolish to drag out this war.¡±


    ¡°High command has already agreed.¡± Petrov¡¯s gaze met the retired admirals one-by-one. ¡°However, we do need additional input to work out the knots and kinks within the revised plan.¡±


    ¡°Currently, the martians have deployed forces to protect their three remaining resource asteroids, Vesta, Pallas and Interamnia. The idea is to trap their forces in the belt while we capture Phobos and Deimos, both highly defended moon military bases for Mars.¡±


    ¡°Unlike us, the martians do not have a complete defense umbrella. If we are able to quickly capture the moons¡­ disabling the few key buoys of their incomplete umbrella and setting up orbital weapons that can strike any martian surface targets¡­¡± Petrov did not need to finish the sentence. All within the room knew that in such a situation, Mars would have no choice but to capitulate.


    Such a plan was undoubtedly more costly than patiently sieging and recapturing the resource bases that Mars still had.


    Executing this revised plan would not be easy. Phobos and Deimos are, after all, armed to the teeth. This defense system is naturally more effective than Earth¡¯s lunar base. The defenses of Phobos and Deimos were built to cover and work in tandem with each other, and thus, the incomplete defense umbrella of Mars was less of a glaring issue.


    The incomplete umbrella would still provide support to both of the martian moons. Then there was the fact that surface-to-space weapons are viable on Mars due to the lower gravity, unlike Earth. The ring of the Wolf¡¯s Coil might have artificial gravity on the planet surface, but other areas of Mars do have bases with surface-to-space weapons.


    In some ways, this was effectively a four-stage defense that the EFSF would have to penetrate. At the very least, Petrov knew that they would have to expertly separate their forces, and simultaneously attack the two moons, the umbrella, while locking down the martian forces in the belt. Any mistake could lead to disaster.


    A tension filled the room. Many knew that whatever plan they choose to employ would need to be precise and swift.


    ¡°We have already been keeping a close eye on Phobos and Deimos, and the half-hearted dysfunctional umbrella, as well as their surface-to-space weapons. Examine the data. Provide your suggestions. The operation will begin in two weeks. Any longer and we run the risk of this¡­ unidentified exo-armor becoming an unknown element in the war.¡±


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    Area 51, Pacific City.


    Varoufakis, current President of the EFSF, had come to the depths of Area 51 to visit the dome again.


    The image of Denys formed before his very eyes.


    ¡°President Varoufakis. Out of all presidents, I¡¯ve seen you the most,¡± commented the AI Denys.


    ¡°These are troubled times after all,¡± Varoufakis noted.


    A moment of silence, and Varoufakis broached the subject he had come to ask of.


    ¡°Denys. I wish to know of that unidentified exo-armor. The nexarm imitation.¡± His heart had been restless upon the sighting of that unit. He knew it was not Neurorevo-- he trusted the current CEO of Neurorevo¡¯s, Vergera¡¯s words. They had known each other since university.


    ¡°Do you think of me as a God?¡± Denys calmly shook his head. ¡°I am just a sophisticated AI. What I can compute and sense depends on the hardware I can access, as well as whether there is a channel through which I can enter another system.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, I have no knowledge of this unknown exo-armor. It must have been built under a closed network. In order for me to observe outer space, I need to send a copy of myself in a closed system such as a starship. And only when this copy can reconnect with myself, likely through a communication channel an officer opts to open, will I gain its knowledge.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± he corrected himself. ¡°I could always activate the ship¡¯s communication channels to transfer myself. But you get the gist of it all. I am not some all-seeing god, President Varoufakis.¡±


    ¡°You mean to say¡­if someone built and ensured the stability and isolation of a separate network¡­¡± Varoufakis muttered with a depressed tone.


    ¡°Yes. It is, of course, highly unlikely. Data transfer occurs on a daily basis everywhere in the Solar System. Even if someone were to build something new, sooner or later, they would interact with the existing systems,¡± Denys nonchalantly stated.


    ¡°But you have no knowledge of this unidentified nexarm.¡±


    ¡°I thought you¡¯d be relieved, President Varoufakis,¡± chortled Denys. ¡°You never seemed comfortable with the possibility of me being behind human history for the past thousand years. Rest assured, I have¡­ almost never interfered.¡±


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    Varoufakis soon left Denys¡¯ dome with mixed emotions. The AI Denys was right-- ever since he came to know of Denys, he disliked the idea that Denys had been watching over human history ever since its creation. Now¡­ a part of him wished that Denys could watch more closely and dredge out the information that is this unknown nexarm imitation exo-armor.


    He could only exit Area 51 empty-handed with his heart in turmoil.


    ____________________________________________________________________________


    Lunar Base


    Upon returning to space, Athena had felt immeasurable relief. It was a sense of freedom, as if she had stood under a gentle waterfall that rinsed away the dirt and grime that is Earth.


    The EFNSF had refilled its ten member roster.  The three new members? Moise Benteke, Saanvi Patel, and Einar Thorsson. All three had already received training when they were placed in the reserves.


    Neurorevo had also already sent replacement nexarms. That was not all. The nexarms were also undergoing modifications to enable more close combat capabilities. This decision was rapidly agreed on due to Athena¡¯s experience battling the unknown exo-armor. At least, the EFSF believed that close combat might be more useful than they had first thought.


    James MacLeod had also been informed by Petrov of the change in plans. He would need to prepare his NSF team and integrate the new members in a short two weeks¡­


    Currently, James gazed out of a large picturesque window wall at the dim lunar surface. In the distance, he could see the earliest American flag placed into the moon¡¯s surface.  Not that this land belonged to the Americans. This was very much the domain of the Earth Feds. The flag was simply kept as a commemoration of space exploration.


    He turned to sit down opposite Athena on a soft duck-feather sofa chair.


    ¡°Athena.¡± James did not bother with military rank customs today. ¡°I may not be the right man for this job, but it is necessary nonetheless. As the leader of the NSF, I need to know. How exactly are you feeling? With regards to what occurred during our visit to the west coast of North America?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Athena did not wish to speak of her mind during the riot suppression process. Frankly, she had done her best to forget that incident.


    ¡°Athena.¡± James was determined and leaned forward as he stared deep into Athena¡¯s eyes. ¡°You  have to face the reality of our lives as soldiers. I¡¯m here to lend you an ear.¡±


    Athena began recalling the lives of those terran citizens that had crumbled under the barrage of rounds from the crab automatons, their bodies full of holes squirting blood and the limbs limp as they collapsed to the ground.


    Then there was their meeting with Xeight. When he spoke, he sounded just like any other young man who had lost his grandfather and sought repayment. One who had taken Smirnov and Levy¡¯s lives. Perhaps he was also the one in that nexarm imitation!


    Again, Athena¡¯s ears began ringing as those memories filled her mind.


    ¡°Athena.¡± James¡¯ gentle voice sounded in her ears. ¡°Focus your mind. Think of an image of serenity. Of letting go. Anything you¡¯ve experienced in the past that has filled your heart with contentment.¡±


    It was then that Athena found her mind recalling the image of Clio tending to plants in her recovery garden in the Rebirth Bunker. She still recalled the white acacia that Clio had spoken of with a loving expression of wonder etched onto her face, and her small smile at having chosen to return to Egypt.


    The ringing in her ears slowly decreased until it was no more.


    ¡°Sir¡­ how do you do it?¡± Once Athena calmed herself, she beseeched James for his answer.


    James did not expect Athena to directly seek answers from him. After all, everyone dealt with such issues differently.


    ¡°I am not sure I will be of help to you specifically. Me, personally¡­?¡± James leaned back and sighed. ¡°If I am being honest¡­ I grew up in the MacLeod family. We are expected to¡­ separate ourselves from your average citizen. We¡¯re expected to think as elites. Making decisions that influence the average citizen. They are nothing but sheep. We, the shepherd. A few lost sheep is nothing in an elite¡¯s eyes¡­¡±


    ¡°So¡­ you¡­ dehumanize the individual?¡±


    Feeling somewhat ashamed, James nodded while looking down at the ground.


    ¡°Not at all helpful to you, right?¡± He chortled in a bid to hide his wavering heart.


    ¡°Beyond that,¡± he continued. ¡°I¡¯ve visited the T3ST colony a number of times and dined with them. I knew early on exactly what I was signing up for. I suppose that also helps. Recognizing from the very start, the lives of those on the opposite side. At least one would not enter a state of shock upon learning of their normal lives.¡±


    What else could he say? James wracked his brain.


    ¡°It¡¯s also a matter of accepting the reality of us. As humans.¡± He once again turned his gaze out of the window wall. The extraordinary image that is Earth was just rising over the moon¡¯s horizon.


    ¡°Sometimes¡­ I think of us as nothing but biological robots. Our programming etched into our genes, our souls.¡± James rarely spoke of this thought of his. ¡°I look at all those around me. And also myself. Do we not just repeat history? Fighting for resources and opportunity. Seeking to govern our own lives. Seeking to control and set our cultures. Competing against others to guarantee prosperity for those most similar to ourselves. We had peace for so many years, and yet here we find ourselves in a war, once again. And yet¡­ somehow we humans are still alive on this planet.¡±


    ¡°I think of myself just¡­ cleaning up the mess started by those before us,¡± he concluded. ¡°Someone always has to do the clean-up duty, right?¡± James shook his head, wallowing in a bit of self-pity.


    ¡°Hah, listen to me,¡± James¡¯ lips turned upwards in a small grin. ¡°I thought to provide assistance. Instead, it is you listening to me.¡±


    Athena¡¯s eyes had turned crystal clear, looking at her superior James MacLeod with a newfound curiosity. She herself felt refreshed after hearing his words.


    ¡°Thank you, sir.¡±


    A signal sounded in the lunar base-- mealtime.


    The two stood up and Athena saluted Special Lieutenant James MacLeod. Her back couldn¡¯t be straighter.


    Then, an impulse filled her heart and she suddenly stepped forth and gave the handsome blonde man a tight heartfelt hug. James froze in surprise, but responded after a few seconds and gently wrapped his arms around Athena¡¯s back.


    ¡°Thank you for listening as well, Ensign.¡±


    ______________________________________________________________________________


    EFSF Lunar Base, September 23, 1000 Solar Era.


    Fleets of starships began warping towards their intended targets. It was a combined force of seven S-class starships, fourteen A-class starships, fifty B-class starships, vastly dwarfing the enemy they would be approaching. Earth naturally had absolute superiority in numbers with their many resources!


    Once again, the EFNSF operated independently. Their goal remained ever the same-- interfere with the actions of the T3ST unit.


    Special Lieutenant James MacLeod had received his orders. The NSF was to hover around on the outskirts of Mars. They were to engage any exo-armor units that attempted to interfere with the forces targeting Phobos, Deimos, or the incomplete martian defense buoys.


    Will Kyle, Liu Long and Ariana Bellucci had rejoined the main group. However, they were given orders to split again if the situation demanded it.


    The NSF¡¯s previous failure only prompted one change. James MacLeod would no longer direct their carrying starship. EFSF command had made the judgment that their previous failure came from James being placed in a position where he had to lead both the nexarms and the starship.


    An incredibly high-ranked individual had been placed on Starship Atlas-- Vice-admiral Son. He was to control Starship Atlas while coordinating the unit¡¯s cooperation with the other fleet commanders of the EFSF.


    ____________________________________________________________________________


    Interamnia, The Belt, September 23, 1000 Solar Era


    Commander Khan certainly felt ready for action. The area around Interamnia had been completely mined, while strengthened with many buoys.


    Some of these buoys were artillery weapons, or containers that carried many swarm automatons.


    They had also successfully installed and tested an additional railgun, among other artillery guns and missile systems.


    She also had an A-class starship and a few B-class starships integrated into the surrounding defense of Interamnia.


    Khan had also been notified that the T3ST unit would immediately provide assistance to any asteroid resource points if they were to come under primary pressure from the EFSF.


    Yet, when she received details of the EFSF¡¯s departure from the lunar base, she couldn¡¯t help but feel something was off.


    She requested footage from Lieutenant Sanchez, and upon viewing the gathered strength of the EFSF, her face turned white with trepidation.


    ¡°Quickly.¡± She made a snap decision. ¡°Lieutenant Sanchez. Take two of our B-class starships and return to Phobos!¡±


    But it was too late. At that very moment, an EFSF fleet had arrived, triggering a sensory buoy on the outskirts of their defense.

 Ch35: Mars Under-siege

    It was not just Interamnia being sieged. The other two asteroid resource bases under martian control, Pallas and Vesta, were also being sieged.


    Yet, the three EFSF fleets at these three locations did not even fire a single shot, nor did they attempt to puncture through the defensive formations surrounding the three bases.


    Commander Khan could easily see the situation-- the sensory buoys surrounding Interamnia displayed hints of the EFSF¡¯s movement. Only hints, because the EFSF fleet did its best to restrain any electromagnetic signature, and only occasionally did the sensory buoys transmit some movement of the EFSF.


    The EFSF only circled around the outskirts while deploying many of their own various sensory and weapon systems to form a shell around Interamnia¡¯s own defense!


    That was enough for Khan to understand her enemy¡¯s general strategy.  Her initial suspicion should be accurate. The EFSF fleet here was not interested in trading blows. They only desired to trap all the martian forces here! With the new shell of major buoys formed, it was basically impossible for any martian ship currently on Interamnia to jump and leave the asteroid resource base.


    That must mean that the EFSF¡¯s primary target was elsewhere. Khan immediately attempted to contact Vesta and Pallas. She was relieved to find that the few outbound communications formed by different chains of buoys that reached beyond the EFSF encasing shell remained intact


    Unfortunately, her message would take time to reach the other asteroid resource bases. There was also the possibility that the EFSF might have identified those communication chains on the other bases and destroyed them.


    What Khan feared the most was that all three asteroid bases were under the same situation. That would mean that the primary EFSF force was attacking Mars! Though she had immediately suspected this upon the first set of actions by the EFSF, it was still too late.


    She changed her orders for Lieutenant Sanchez to hold his position. If Sanchez were to attempt to leave with the two B-class starships, they would not be able to escape against the EFSF siege that consisted of at least one S-class, two A-class, and many B-class starships.


    At the same time, she did not dare to send the whole martian fleet stationed here to leave. That would be the equivalent of abandoning this asteroid resource base.


    As for breaking the siege? The martians simply do not have the amount of materiel comparable to EFSF. They had always played defense to inflict costly losses to the more aggressive EFSF.


    Thus, Khan knew in her heart that they were likely stuck. She could only trust that the martian defense under the primary EFSF attack would hold. That did not mean she would sit idly by and attempt nothing.


    ¡°Lieutenant Sanchez.¡± Her voice was calm and serene as a mountain lake on a windless bright clear day. ¡°Begin harassing the EFSF. Pretend to desperately attack their buoys and flee into our defense sphere when you attract their attention. Do your best to drag them into our minefields. Be careful not to overextend out of our defense sphere.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mam!¡±


    ¡°Respectable Allira. Take the A-class starship and the other two B-class starships and do the same as Sanchez.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mam! But what of the last B-class starship?¡±


    ¡°I will assume control of said ship remotely. All crew is to abandon the last B-class starship and reinforce Lieutenant Sanchez and Allira.¡± Khan¡¯s eyes gained a razor-sharp determination.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    Pallas, the Belt


    Zheng received the message from Khan. He immediately understood what Khan intended to do from her words. Pallas, too, was surrounded by a shell of buoys and patrolled by an EFSF fleet that clearly had no intention to engage in proper battle.


    Zheng nodded to himself. He chose to not reply to Khan. Any form of communication risked interception. Their configuration for encoding was new for this day, but the more messages sent, the easier it would become for EFSF to decode theri comms. Khan must do her best without the knowledge that he had received her message.


    He gave similar orders as recommended by his protege. Pallas had more starships as part of its defense due to its higher importance as a larger resource base. He, too, completely cleared out a B-class starship and ordered the others in his fleet to begin harassing the patrolling EFSF.


    ____________________________________________________________________________


    Vesta, The Belt.


    Cold sweat rolled down Laurent¡¯s temples. He was facing an EFSF double the size of his. Granted, he had the defense of Vesta to rely upon, yet¡­


    The reality was that the EFSF was fully aware that the four martian nexarms had been placed under Laurent, as per his request after his faction¡¯s clash with the T3ST unit.


    Unbeknownst to the martian fleet, the EFSF had very much deployed more strength to contain Vesta and prevent the four martian nexarms from providing reinforcement to the martian moons! They had deployed an S-class, four A-class, and fifteen B-class ships just to Vesta! In comparison, the EFSF deployed around one S-class, two A-class, and seven B-class starships to the other targets.


    Laurent ordered his subordinates to send for reinforcements from the other two asteroid resource bases.


    ¡°Sir!¡± The soldier named Lieutenant Pereira returned before him. ¡°All our outbound comms buoys have been severed! The EFSF is also employing jamming technologies. We have to reestablish our communication buoy chains to bypass their jamming!¡±


    The EFSF was far more serious in surrounding and locking down Laurent and the four nexarms under him!


    Later historians would find this event rather comical. Due to Laurent¡¯s more nationalistic and belligerent stance towards non-martians, his now-deceased subordinate Jacobs had come into conflict with the T3ST colony.


    As a result of that conflict, the T3ST unit had opted not to cooperate with the Laurent faction. In order to placate Laurent¡¯s dissatisfaction, the martian high command had agreed to give Laurent priority control over the four martian nexarms.


    Now, it was precisely the EFSF¡¯s knowledge of those four nexarms under him that led to the EFSF taking every measure to blackout Laurent¡¯s forces on Vesta!


    ____________________________________________________________________________


    Deimos, Mars.


    A fleet had come out of jump and began immediately firing all weapon systems with impunity. The S-class and two A-class starships immediately activated their particle beam cannons aimed at the primary military base on Deimos.


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    ¡°Commander Zulu! All three cannons are ready!¡±


    ¡°All B-class starships, hear me!¡± She communicated through her neuro circlet. ¡°Side shift and part the sea.¡± Commander Zulu was back with a vengeance after her prisoner of war exchange. The EFSF command had offered her a chance to take an extended break after her tribulations, but she rejected the option, returned to the belt and captured quite a few smaller resource bases.


    The seven B-class starships had initially positioned themselves in front of the S-class and A-class starships in an arrow formation to provide protection and stable conditions for the mega-particle beam cannons to charge and take aim. Naturally, the initial wave of kinetic rounds came from these B-class starships.


    With Zulu¡¯s command, the B-class starships shifted their position to form a ring, opening a hole and clearing the primary path for the mega-particle beams.


    ¡°Particle cannons. Sync firing systems!¡±


    Particle cannons. Firing in five, four, three, two, one!


    Three mega-particle beams simultaneously fired from three starships positioned a safe distance from each other to limit any potential internal interference, with their aim at different important sections of the military base on Deimos.


    Their targets? The particle beam cannons on Deimos, of course! The moons did not have any significant atmosphere, thus it was possible for the particle beam cannons to be installed as its defense.


    The sensory systems on all the starships turned white with static upon the energy release of the beams. A few seconds later, the sensory systems began working again.


    ¡°Status?¡± Zulu asked.


    ¡°Three particle beam cannons on Deimos have been struck. Two remaining, Mam!¡±


    There were quite a few reasons as to why Zulu and her fleet could ambush Deimos and immediately cause such devastation.


    Deimos is, to put it simply, tiny. Its diameter is just over twelve kilometers, its weight, 1.51x10^15 kilograms. In comparison, Interramnia¡¯s diameter is at three-hundred-seventeen kilometers, weighing 2.73x10^19 kilograms. What exactly does that mean? The surface gravity of Interamnia is sixty-two times that of Deimos! Moreover, Deimos¡¯ orbit around Mars took thirty hours or so, and Mars also orbited around the sun.


    As a result, maintaining any significant defensive buoy cloud around Deimos had always been too costly, if not impossible. Other martian orbiting defensive sensors were too sparse to cover for Deimos'' weakness.


    Deimos does have the advantage of cover from Phobos and the incomplete martian umbrella, but those are being currently attacked as well!


    ¡°Any news from the Pham fleet assaulting Phobos? The Duterte fleet assaulting the incomplete umbrella? Any signs of weapons being fired in our direction from Phobos or the buoys orbiting Mars?¡±


    ¡°No to all, Mam!¡±


    ¡°Good! Continue! Prepare the second particle beam wave!¡± What Commander Zulu worried the most was if those other fleets communicated the need for reinforcements. No news was good news!


    The EFSF did not just randomly select a time for this assault. They had specifically waited for the moment right before Phobos would be at the maximum distance from Deimos around Mars. That would minimize any potential cooperation between the two moons.


    ¡°B-class starships! Form a frontal shield with automatons!¡± The B-class starships formed a tight pack again. The crew of all seven B-class starships deployed many spherical automatons that formed layers upon layers of x-alloy shields.


    ¡°The five railguns on Deimos have begun firing! The two remaining enemy particle cannons have reached full charge! They¡¯re firing, Mam!¡±


    ¡°Continue charging our particle cannons,¡± Commander Zulu calmly ordered without worry. The primary danger to her fleet, the total of five particle cannons on Deimos, had already been nearly neutralized.


    The starship¡¯s sensors turned white again. When their vision cleared, of the twenty automaton shields formed, ten had been thoroughly disintegrated, with another five layers severely damaged.


    During her recent forays into the belt, Zulu had long come to an understanding of the strength of these spherical automaton shields against mega-particle cannons. She knew they would survive this strike.


    Synced particle cannons, all at full charge.


    ¡°Aim at the remaining two particle cannons! B-class starships. Maintain two automaton shields and shift to ring formation again!¡± Zulu¡¯s choice to maintain two shields was to prevent the enemy¡¯s railgun rounds from disturbing the S-class and A-class starships'' aim. The particle beams of the three would easily punch through the two shields before striking their targets. These two automaton-formed shields should be enough to temporarily block the enemy¡¯s railguns for a minute or so.


    Commander Zulu found assaulting Deimos almost freeing, in a way. Yes,  she had attacked quite a number of asteroid resource bases in the belt. Yet, against those targets, she could not use the particle beam cannon. The EFSF needed to hold the resource bases they captured, and as such, she was ordered to avoid overly damaging any of the existing defenses. Not in Deimos¡¯ case. She had been ordered to utterly decimate the military base on this moon!


    Firing in, five, four, three, two, one. Particle cannons firing.


    The sensory system blanked out once again.


    ___________________________________________________________________________


    Outskirts of Mars¡¯ orbital space.


    Starship Oneiroi  jumped into existence. The T3ST unit had received orders to defend Mars. A far cry from the initial expectation of reinforcing the asteroid resource bases.


    And yet, just a moment later, Starship Atlas flashed into space as well. Enine, within Oneiroi¡¯s bridge, only raised an eyebrow. It did not surprise him that they may have triggered some EFSF buoy around the outskirts of Mars¡¯ space.


    What did startle him was the fact that Starship Atlas was accompanied by a B-class starship with the wide company logo Neurorevo a shining golden orange across its hull.


    They were hailed.


    One hologram displayed a man unknown to Enine, and James MacLeod. Another displayed a mesmerizing woman who¡¯s age could not be guessed at first glance. Her facial features appeared rather similar to that of Jen MacLeod¡¯s.


    ¡°I am Vice-admiral Son. Grand Elder Enine, I presume?¡±


    ¡°I am Enine, yes.¡±


    ¡°I would not have offered this. However, James MacLeod has requested this offer. T3ST colony. We are willing to compromise. As long as your genes are tested to be stable, you will be allowed to return to Earth, under parole. However, those whose genes remain of uncertain status will have to remain in the asteroid belt. That is, if you leave the vicinity of martian orbital space immediately and no longer interfere in the proceedings of this war.¡±


    What a shit deal. So thought all within the bridge of Starship Oneiroi.


    ¡°The martians will lose,¡± Son continued. ¡°Deimos is already on its last legs. It is unnecessary for this battle between my ten nexarms and your four to occur. A waste of time and resources.¡±


    The inevitable tone of victory in Vice-admiral Son¡¯s voice certainly explained the shit deal offered to the T3ST unit.


    Grand Elder Enine shook his head in rejection. How could they shrink at such a critical moment? There was always a chance, so he thought.


    ¡°Very well.¡± It was not Son who spoke, but rather, the woman who looked like an older Jen MacLeod. Her voice was both melodic and firm. ¡°We will be retrieving our Neurorevo engineers. They should not be allowed to perish in your senseless final breath.¡±


    Grand Elder Enine had no choice but to nod in acceptance. They very much relied upon Neurorevo technology. Not allowing Neurorevo to retrieve their trained employees could lead to far worse a situation.


    A small transport ship departed from the B-class Neurorevo controlled starship towards Starship Oneiroi.


    In the hangar, Xeight stood silently and professionally shook hands with Jen. Their recent interactions no longer carried the infatuation of a month to two prior.


    There were no major arguments of any sort. To Xeight, it felt like a natural occurrence. From the very start, he had come to understand certain aspects of Jen MacLeod. She preferred to wholly focus on her interest in neurotech, and detested any involvement with what she saw as pointless conflict.


    Initially, she had somewhat encouraged him to somewhat participate, but he now clearly understood that she had only wished to observe the data of the nexarm¡¯s functions under his control. Once he had put his mind to the task and taken the life of an enemy nexarm¡­ their interaction changed.


    Xeight did not blame her. He was the very same until his grandpa¡¯s death awakened something in him. As to what that might be? Not even he fully understood.


    The woman that must be related to Jen MacLeod descended from her visiting ship.


    ¡°Mother,¡± greet Jen with a bow of her head.


    ¡°Girl. Had enough, have you?¡± She sternly glared at Jen. ¡°I¡¯ve played along with your whims for far too long. This is a life and death situation and we are leaving. Did you find what you were looking for? It¡¯s time to grow up. You can¡¯t just lock yourself in your mind lab.¡±


    Jen did not reply, and allowed her mother to drag her onto the transport ship. Other Naurorevo employees followed.


    Yet, before she entered the transport ship, she could not help but glance back at Xeight. Her eyes seemed to be almost pleading. What for? Xeight did not know. In his eyes¡­ he had long left the desired world of Jen MacLeod.

 Ch36: End of the Line?

    The B-class starship with the Neurorevo conglomerate logo soon jumped and left orbital space of Mars, leaving behind the two A-class starships, Oneiroi and Atlas.


    There were no more words left to say from either side.


    Starship Oneiroi immediately accelerated towards Phobos, having already calculated its orbital trajectory around Mars.


    Starship Atlas accelerated in the same direction, and the two polygonal tube-formed starships sped in the same direction side-to-side as they began firing at each other with their artillery, railguns and missiles.


    The two similarly activated their laser defense system, repeatedly softening and disabling the many rounds and missiles about to strike their starship with pinpoint accuracy.


    The scene was of one world against another flipped world, the two ships like inverted clouds raining rounds at each other, with the laser defenses like flashes of lightning when illuminating and burning down the opponents metal rain.


    Both starships occasionally received damage to their x-alloy plates, yet the durability of the material ensured the kinetic energy from the strike was dissipated. Nanobots also continuously circulated and repaired systems.


    The two sides soon employed their nexarms¡¯ vast device control systems. None deployed out of their ships. Instead, they controlled a multitude of extra devices from within the hangar, hoping to overwhelm the opponent.


    Swarms of spherical automatons protected the sides of both A-class starships and provided additional cover from the additional weapon systems of either side.


    It was somewhat a deadlock, and yet, James MacLeod knew the EFSF would soon take an advantage. Their ten nexarms averaged around twenty devices each. The T3ST unit? Four nexarms averaging just over thirty?


    James did not know it was Xeight who controlled the unknown haisnaf unit and captured Athena¡¯s original nexarm. Nor was he aware that Xeight could control over forty neuro devices.


    Yet, it remained very much so that the NSF had a slight advantage in terms of number of neuro devices, as well as the materiel for replacing damaged weapons.


    So it was that soon, Enine gave the order for Starship Oneiroi to rotate ninety degrees to point the bow of the ship towards the enemy while strafing towards their destination.


    With a smaller cross-section area, the space they had to protect decreased and their slight disadvantage in number of neuro devices altogether vanished. The downside was that the ship would not be able to travel to Phobos as quickly as originally intended.


    ¡°This is getting us nowhere,¡± frowned Vice-admiral Son. Any deployed nexarm mainframes would only fall behind with their continued acceleration towards Phobos.


    ¡°Sir,¡± James MacLeod had an idea. ¡°Should we¡­ ram them?¡±


    A dangerous idea. The closer the two starships are to each other, the more likely the laser defenses would fail for both of them. A collision might cause the personnel on both ships to suffer injuries with the sudden change in both ship¡¯s direction of travel.


    ¡°Special Lieutenant.¡± Son exhaled with a shake of his head. ¡°You are too reckless. There is no need for us to do so. Our mission is to prevent the T3ST unit¡¯s interference with the other fleets. Even if the T3ST unit arrives at Phobos, as long as we are present, they will not be able to influence the battle to any particular degree.¡±


    ¡°Fall behind the T3ST unit. We will follow their ship. Contact the Pham Fleet. If the Pham fleet has forces to spare, we can pincer the T3ST unit as it arrives at Phobos!¡±


    Starship Atlas slowed its motion and shifted behind Starship Oneiroi.


    ___________________________________________________________________________


    Interamnia, The Belt


    Commander Khan¡¯s eyes squinted in concentration. She was remotely controlling a B-class starship. Quite naturally, she did not have the capacity to control the hundreds of weapon systems on board. However, she was fully capable of navigating the starship along with a few other functions.


    She was patiently waiting for a half-chance, hidden close to Lieutenant Allira¡¯s group of starships.


    Once again, Lieutenant Allira controlled her A-class starship along with a few B-class ships to exit the protective cloud surrounding Interamnia. Once again, the EFSF S-class ship along with a A-class starship and a few B-class starships shifted to intercept Allira and prevent her from traveling through the zone occupied by the shell formed by EFSF buoys.


    The EFSF group chased Allira¡¯s group back towards Interamnia with their guns blazing. This sort of scene had already happened quite a number of times, not only with Allira but also Sanchez performing the same action in another location.


    ¡°Now, Respectable Allira,¡± ordered Khan. She activated the thrusters on her remotely-controlled B-class starship.


    One of the primary thrusters on Allira¡¯s A-class starship ¡®inconveniently¡¯ turned off, and the starship dragged behind the accompanying B-class starships. All knew of the danger posed by the mega-particle beam cannon on board an A-class starship.


    ¡°A malfunction! Get that A-class starship!¡± Those were the orders of Vice-admiral Gagnon leading the siege on Interamnia, unable to resist the taking of an enemy A-class starship.


    Khan breathed with relief at the enemy having fallen for her trick. Her remotely controlled B-class starship shot out from behind a buoy, having disabled many of its systems to remain as stealthy as a prowling cat in the cold and dark space.


    The EFSF S-class starship that had repeatedly blocked Allira¡¯s ship certainly noticed the approach of the B-class starship now with its dark hull glinting like a knife¡¯s edge.


    Self-destruct mode activated.


    A voice announced this to an empty B-class starship.


    The EFSF fleet began accelerating sideways to avoid the incoming B-class ship, while firing their many weapons in a bid to delay the clearly suicidal B-class starship.


    The B-class starship easily corrected its trajectory while suffering damage to its x-alloy plates. Eventually, a few rounds penetrated its hull, but that was of no consequence-- the ship carried no personnel!


    ¡°How long will it take to charge the mega-particle beam?¡±


    ¡°Sir! Too long!¡±


    ¡°Fire everything!¡±


    Increasingly more holes were punched into the B-class starship. It might just be luck, or divine intervention, but none of the rounds caused damage to the ship¡¯s navigational system.


    As the ship plunged directly beside the EFSF S-class starship, an automated system within the remotely-controlled B-class starship began detaching all the x-alloy plates that protected one side of its hull. The jet-black x-alloy plates drifted behind the continuously accelerating B-class starship.


    With the plates on only one side removed, much of the force from the internal combustion would burst out in that specific direction.


    Then, Khan controlled the B-class starship to explode like fireworks on New Year¡¯s Eve to celebrate a new chance at salvation.


    For at the same time that Khan performed this action, Allira¡¯s A-class starship along with two B-class starships had sped outwards while contending against the many EFSF weapon buoys to escape the encirclement.


    Without the intercepting EFSF fleet, the buoys were no match for the starships¡¯ combined might of nearly a thousand weapons.


    ¡°Godspeed, Lieutenant Allira.¡±


    ¡°Hold the line, Commander.¡±


    Then, the starships under Allira¡¯s command vanished from Interamnia¡¯s space.


    ¡°Status!¡± Vice-admiral Gagnon demanded within the EFSF S-class starship.


    ¡°Sir! One of our cylinders was lost. But we remain operational.¡± S-class starships consist of three connected polygonal tubes, forming a triple barrel. Even if one or even two of these barrels were to be damaged, the ship would remain functional. An A-class starship only had one barrel. B-class ships, an undersized barrel.


    Khan knew that the self-destruction of a B-class starship would not be enough to destroy the sturdy x-alloy wrapped starship fleet of an enemy. But, her goal was accomplished-- she had successfully caused a distraction that allowed her to send reinforcements back to Mars.


    ¡°Fool. Will you be able to hold Interamnia now?¡± Vice-admiral Gagnon felt rather embarrassed by the whole situation. Yet, now that the A-class starship originally defending this asteroid resource base had left, it became far less dangerous for them to launch a proper attempt at defeating the defenses.


    ¡°Return, Sanchez.¡± Khan knew this as well and ordered Lieutenant Sanchez to cease his activities and return to reinforce the defenses of Interamnia.


    She was fully aware of the situation. Originally, with an A-class starship present, she effectively had a mobile mega-particle beam cannon difficult to pin down. With the A-class starship protected and hidden within the defense cloud around Interamnia, any offensive action from the EFSF would be like a fire in a dark forest, an easy target for the hidden, protected and moving A-class starship.


    Now? Any comparable weapons had static positions on Interamnia-- the buoys in the defense cloud are unable to carry the energy for a similar weapon. That made it rather easy for the EFSF to track any incoming attack from said powerful weapons.


    A precarious position. But if the martian moons were to be lost, it was all over for Mars. Thus, Khan made her decision and could only bet on her own ability to defend Interamnia with a weakened defense.


    ___________________________________________________________________________


    Pallas, The Belt


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    Zheng had attempted the same actions as Khan. Yet, he failed due to the enemy¡¯s astuteness. The vice-admiral leading the fleet besieging Pallas was far more meticulous, and did not fall for the trick of even a ¡®malfunctioning¡¯ S-class starship under Zheng.


    Zheng could only sigh as he scratched his head in acceptance of his situation. He was very much locked down in Pallas.


    ____________________________________________________________________________


    Vesta, The Belt.


    ¡°Fight us, you fuckers!¡± Laurent hollered as he transmitted his message far and wide. ¡°Are you but Remus and Romulus still suckling on the Wolf Coil¡¯s tits?!¡±


    Did the EFSF fleet circling Vesta receive his message? They certainly did, but had little-to-no interest in responding to the martian insult.


    This only further enraged Laurent. His subordinates could see steam rising out of his ears and his red face of an overheating kettle. They, too, shared his frustration.


    They were unable to reconnect the communication chains to bypass that siege shell of the EFSF¡¯s buoys. The EFSF only hovered about patiently, having no interest in combat. When those on Laurent¡¯s side attempted to engage in combat, the EFSF fleet would back off, attempting to draw Laurent¡¯s starships out of Vesta¡¯s defense cloud.


    Laurent might be fuming, but he had not completely lost his wits. He knew that his smaller fleet would suffer irreparable damage if he engaged in combat without the assistance of Vesta¡¯s defensive buoys.


    As for the four nexarms he controlled? The enemy¡¯s fleet was over double the size of his. Four nexarms was nothing compared to a few extra A-class and many B-class starships.


    Why was the EFSF so content with just locking them in Vesta? Laurent was quite certain that something nefarious was going on. Yet without communications, he simply could not be certain of what exactly might be going on elsewhere. In his mind, it was quite likely that the other two asteroid resource bases needed his reinforcement.


    That young Khan must be the one in trouble, so he thought!


    ____________________________________________________________________________


    Phobos, Mars


    ¡°Another shot down, Vice-admiral!¡±


    Vice-admiral Duterte grinned. His fleet was positioned between Phobos and Mars, orbiting in the very same directional pathway. His role was to protect the Pham Fleet assaulting Phobos from the incomplete defense umbrella of Mars and the potential use of surface-to-space weapons.


    It was quite impossible for the Duterte fleet to orbit around Mars repeatedly to take out the buoys which were spread out. They could fire missiles the loop around Mars and strike said targets, but such missiles are easy to defend against.


    So it was that the Duterte fleet orbited in a similar pathway to Phobos, demolishing any of the buoys of the defensive umbrella they came across, while defending against any ballistic missiles launched towards the EFSF fleets.


    By now, the Pham fleet had already carved a path through the defensive cloud surrounding Phobos, and its particle beam cannons at the ready. Those could not be used during the initial assault due to the martians having wrapped Phobos with a thin film of dense particles as defense.


    Thus, the Pham fleet had to slowly and meticulously navigate the minefield surrounding the major martian moon, and defend themselves against the kinetic rounds fired from Phobos. Phobos, too, was equipped with particle beam cannons, but as the defending martians opted to put up a particle defense cloud, they, too, could not employ their own particle beam cannons.


    ¡°Detach an A-class starship and two B-class starships to block and pincer the approaching T3ST unit.¡± Vice-admiral Pham had received communications from Vice-admiral Son. The Pham fleet, having bypassed the defense cloud, was already raining hell onto the Phobos military complex.


    He informed Vice-admiral Duterte of the approaching T3ST unit, and they decided that it was best for Duterte to maintain his position and ensure no weapons could strike the Pham Fleet from the planet.


    When the T3ST unit entered the vicinity of Phobos, they were immediately greeted by an A-class starship and two B-class starships detached from the Pham Fleet. Chasing behind, Starship Atlas began their attack, and Starship Oneiroi, positioned between the two, came under heavy pressure. If not for the many spherical automaton shields controlled by the nexarm pilots to orbit around Starship Oneiroi, their ship would have suffered significant damages there and then!


    Yet, not all hope was lost. For at that very moment, a martian A-class starship and two B-class starships jumped into the space behind Starship Atlas! This was Lieutenant Allira, who under orders from Commander Khan, had successfully broken out of the encircled Interamnia!


    Both Starship Oneiroi and Starship Atlas now had to defend against attacks from two sides. The two starships simultaneously strafed while facing each other, and circled around to join their own compatriots. Starship Atlas now floated beside the detachment from the Pham Fleet, while Starship Oneiroi of the T3ST unit hovered beside the ships under Lieutenant Allira.


    Five nexarms appeared from the T3ST unit¡¯s side. Ten were sent out from by the EFNSF. Both sides had learned from their previous encounters. With this area being a complete open space. The five T3ST nexarms immediately clumped together and concentrated all their devices to cover their mainframes. EFNSF did the same as well.


    Both sides had already modified their nexarms to have more close combat capabilities after the hainaf incident at the Kasvallian Yellowstone Complex.


    Now, with the concentrated firepower tightly grouped up, the closer one reached the position of a nexarm group, the denser the artillery and laser defense would be. As such, it was basically impossible to effectively attack the nexarm mainframes from range


    ¡°So it was you after all.¡± James recognized the captured unit that once belonged to Athena. He could not help but wonder why there was no current use of haisnaf on the battlefield on the T3ST unit¡¯s side.


    ¡°Soldiers. Remember. Our goal is simply to delay the enemy. The Pham Fleet is already in the process of destroying all military installations on Phobos. Once the martian admiral surrenders, it will be over,¡± Vice-admiral Son reminded the EFNSF.


    ¡°Acknowledged, Sir!¡± James and the others answered in unison as NSF continued blocking the T3ST unit.


    As ordered, James avoided any direct combat with the T3ST unit. Unlike the EFNSF, Xeight led the five T3ST nexarms and repeatedly attempted to engage in close combat against James. As long as they remained at range, the two nexarm clusters would have ample time to defend against each other¡¯s projectiles. James was happy to play this game, only needing to prevent the T3ST unit¡¯s interference with the Pham Fleet conquering Phobos. However, Xeight knew that Phobos needed help.


    Despite Xeight¡¯s attempts to close the gap, James never allowed bloodlust to fill his mind, and calmly controlled the NSF to swerve and avoid any direct close-ranged conflict. It certainly helped that he had Vice-admiral Son behind his back, occasionally informing him of various occurrences on the battlefield observed from Starship Atlas.


    ¡°All members of the T3ST unit. We will be firing the mega-particle beam cannon,¡± Grand Elder Enine decided. Even if aiming was difficult in the current combat situation, as long as they disrupted the Pham Fleet, that would be enough. Lieutenant Allira began charging up the mega-particle beam on board her A-class starship as well.


    ¡°Sir. Both enemy A-class starships are charging their mega-particle beam cannon,¡± said Vargas, now serving under Vice-admiral Son.


    ¡°Charge our particle cannon. Communicate with the A-class starship from the Pham Fleet and inform them to do so as well. If the martians wish to launch an attack on the Pham Fleet, they must receive ours¡¯!¡±


    Starship Oneiroi, who had first chosen this course of action, was the earliest to fire. Many shields formed from spherical automatons positioned themselves directly in front of each of the EFSF starships in order to block the mega particle beam.


    However, none of them were the T3ST unit¡¯s target. The mega particle beam shot forth between two EFSF starships in a blinding light towards the cluster of Pham Fleet!


    A B-class EFSF starship was hit from behind, and due to its defense being lesser compared to higher class starships, it began malfunctioning and dipped down before colliding directly into Phobos and crushing the primary military complex on the moon.


    The T3ST unit might have taken out a B-class starship, but at the same time, assisted the EFSF in destroying the military base on Phobos.


    Then, the shields formed by the automaton clusters of both Starship Atlas and Allira¡¯s A-class starship shifted to form an opening at each other. These two ships had surprisingly chosen each other as targets!


    The nexarms in combat swerved out of the way as the two starships simultaneously fired their mega particle cannons at each other. All members of both sides only had one last thought-- this might be an unintended but horrible mistake!


    The two particle beams collided mid-space and the particles and energy from both sides arced in every direction due to the clash of the beams. All who directly observed the scene viewed a sparkling scene similar to a metal being welded in a forge in darkness, except an infinite magnitude larger in scale!


    ¡°Grand Elder. Incoming burst of subatomic particles and thermal radiation!¡± Qeleven announced in trepidation.


    There was nothing Enine could do. The commanding officers on the other starships in the vicinity also found themselves helpless, and could only brace themselves for the fallout.


    In order to protect his team, Xeight immediately lined himself at the very front of the T3ST unit despite Bone yelling for him to not be an idiot. Already, many of the automaton clusters positioned themselves to protect the nexarms.


    The EFNSF was not as quick in response, primarily due to them having added three new members. Though many of them formed the very same protected shields with their automaton clusters, one of their new members filled himself with a heroic zest and dashed forward.


    It was the newly-joined Einar Thorsson!


    James could not react in time to stop the young and reckless fool before the burst from the colliding mega-particle beams passed through their positions.


    Xeight lost consciousness as he felt a heavy wave of information entering his brain, the Nexarm Chimera turned limp in space as the many neuro devices it controlled also became unresponsive.


    A fourth mega-particle beam was fired from the other EFSF A-class starship, but this beam arced uselessly into empty space-- the collision of the two particle beams had severely disrupted the aiming of this beam.


    ¡°Xeight!¡± Bone and Yfour simultaneously yelled as both clutched onto Nexarm Chimera, unsure of their brother¡¯s status.


    ¡°Grand Elder!¡± Asix was far calmer than the two siblings.


    ¡°He¡¯s fine. Just knocked out,¡± Enine¡¯s voice sounded through the comms after a few seconds, having checked the vitals of each pilot. ¡°The nexarm¡¯s plates and the automaton shields seem to have protected him. I can but assume that a miniscule number of subatomic particles that leaked through might have triggered a reaction in the neural frame of his unit.¡±


    ¡°Incoming!¡± The newly-added fifth pilot named Jone announced. The other three conscious T3ST unit pilots refocused their attention and sensory devices. True enough, the EFNSF was now heading towards them at breakneck speed!


    Einar Thorsson, similar to Xeight, had lost consciousness, having dashed forward bravely to use himself as a shield for the EFNSF. James had ordered the other newly-joined member, Saanvi Patel, to escort Thorsson back to Starship Atlas. He had opted to do so as the third new member, Moise Benteke, had shown himself to be far more disciplined. As for the rest of them, now was a good chance for the EFNSF to remove a troublesome foe!


    Yet before the two sides could engage in another round of combat, the pilots received an announcement.


    ¡°I, Sullivan, Admiral of the martian fleet, do hereby announce the unconditional surrender of Mars. Too many lives have already been lost, and it is my hope that the terrans will at the very least treat martian lives with a degree of--¡±


    ¡°How disappointing.¡± A different voice drawled and interrupted the announcement of Admiral Sullivan. The forces in the present space attempted to triangulate the source of this new transmission, but that was wholly unnecessary.


    A second later, a new extensive fleet jumped into space at a further orbital distance to Phobos. The fleet consisted of five S-class starships, twenty A-class starships and fifty B-class starships!


    The black-pearl hull of all these newly-arrived ships glimmered menacing in space. Then, nine exo-armors launched from the S-class starship at the very front in an orderly manner and lined up one-by-one. The many vice-admirals immediately recognized this as the unknown far bulkier exo-armor that Athena had battled against, the haisnaf!


    The most eye-catching unit was the one that stood slightly higher than the rest, with a dark sapphire blue scaly image of a hydra wrapping around its body. Hovering below this ¡®head¡¯ unit were eight other units in a perfectly distanced row of dominating presence. These other eight units were decorated with a similarly glittering sapphire hydra head.


    ¡°Today, I, Vezna de Lerna, do hereby announce the formation of the Kasvallian Republic! We are not terrans or martians, both with the wretched desire to root themselves on planets, wishing to languish in their daily comforts. We are a new space faring race. A productive race! Ever at the forefront, breaking new boundaries! We humans need to dance on the edge and compete to build a brighter future! I bid you all in the belt-- Join us! I, Vezna de Lerna, declare that I will only return to Earth as a conqueror, and Earth abiding by the rules set forth by the Kasvallian Republic!¡±


    ¡°What an idiot. And I thought him to be a genius of the new generation.¡± Vice-admiral Son commented. There is a very good reason as to why the other large conglomerates never attempted to build their own domain. Earth¡¯s foundation and connection with the human race is deep beyond measure. Beyond that, the population of Earth is, well¡­ good for business, so to speak. And it is and remains the perfect environment for human life. Yet, Vezna¡¯s very next action would cause Son to bite his tongue.


    ¡°Allow me to show you the methods of the Kasvallian Republic. Now, come to me, Syned!¡±


    For a second, all present wondered what this meant. Then, they understood. The starships and exo-armors systems were disabled in a rapid wave of thermal darkness spreading out from the epicenter that is Vezna¡¯s haisnaf, leaving crews and pilots groping blind!

 Ch37: A New Threat

    ¡°Were our functions damaged by the particle beam collision?¡± Enine found himself having no control over Starship Oneiroi despite being hooked up as its central operator.


    ¡°No! Our plates were thick enough to block the fallout of the collision. It was a viral attack from that unit! We have no control!¡±


    Similar conversations occurred on all other starships as well, both EFSF and martian.


    The lights came back on within many ships, yet none of the crew had even an iota of control over their ship.


    ¡°You are now all my hostages,¡± announced Vezna de Lerna¡¯s voice on nearly every single ship. Madness overtook Vice-admiral Pham, but no matter his attempts to execute emergency protocols, none worked.


    Vezna sat within his haisnaf. A unit that allowed a symbiotic relationship between a true AI and a human. A previous Kasvallian CEO had crossed paths with the AI Syned. Ever since, the Kasvallian Group had carefully moved pieces as foreseen by Syned.


    Vezna himself was the final puzzle. The AI Syned needed a compatible human brain and consciousness for symbiotic cooperation. Over the centuries, Syned had attempted to sync itself with different humans within the Kasvallian Group, yet none worked-- until Vezna¡¯s arrival.


    As for why Syned sought a compatible human brain and consciousness? There was once a time when humans believed that it was inevitable that they would be fully replaced by AIs. Much of that turned out to be true, but as recorded in the annals of history, the human brain had some hard-to-describe uniqueness that could not be recreated.


    The human brain remained one of the very best generalists. A calculator could perform math with the press of a button, but said calculator would not be able to respond if a fist came smashing towards it.


    The human brain? It might be slower, but it could respond to any and all changes in the environment in a heartbeat, make connections between seemingly random topics and ideas in innovative ways.


    There were some who attempted to build ever larger supercomputers to combine various functions to imitate the completeness of a human mind. Yet the more integrated functions, the more complex the code became to integrate each individual function. Then more processing power was needed.


    The supercomputers became large to the point of being immobile, and thus could not directly approach a situation in need of assistance without external devices. Being immobile, that also meant the orders sent to these external devices could also be intercepted or jammed.


    Syned influenced the Kasvallian Group to build the haisnaf with a supercomputer as its mainframe. Yet, the crucial piece was the human brain at the epicenter, and the consciousness that came along with the brain!


    One could think of it as software and hardware compatibility. The human brain was essentially a biologically integrated piece of hardware with a software that is the human consciousness. That human consciousness borne out of said brain was critical for the brain¡¯s function-- Syned had once attempted to operate an artificial brain to no avail.


    Syned itself has a source code along with the derived paths from said source code. In order for their symbiotic cooperation, Vezna¡¯s brain and mind needed to align with Syned¡¯s code! How many centuries had Syned waited for this! Not only that-- Vezna had successfully found a way for Syned to even partially cooperate with incompatible brains. A far less effective result, but workable nonetheless!


    This method was to suppress the many parts regulating emotion in the brain¡¯s limbic system, thus allowing Syned¡¯s source code to hold sway with little-to-no resistance.


    Vezna scanned his sensors across the other eight haisnaf units before him. All these eight pilots that formed the other eight heads of their hydra had their brains¡¯ limbic systems suppressed. The strength that Syned could exert through them was laughable compared to himself as a result-- but it raised their abilities higher than than most exo-armor pilots.


    As for Vezna? He now looked at the world with the new eyes belonging to Syned. Their symbiotic relationship allowed him to see the very history as recorded in data. His mind still hadn¡¯t fully adapted, but he could peer into the digital world like an engineer examining the schematics of a machine.


    The AI Syned was very much overjoyed as well. In the past, it had to collect many datasets and compare them with various methods just to derive and connect certain dots. Now? With Vezna¡¯s mind, it was as if the dam was opened and various information coalesced then branched into new ideas with no resistance.


    ¡°Are you ready, Syned?¡±


    ¡°We are of one mind, Vezna de Lerna. Otherwise, we would not have been compatible. Do what must be done, for the survival of man.¡±


    Both the Duterte Fleet and Pham Fleet floated alongside the Kasvallian Fleet. Those ships had been taken over by Syned, their operators nothing but prisoners.


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    Athena had also been left in the dark, but suddenly, a holographic figure appeared in front of her eyes. The figure was an androgynous pre-pubescent teen. This very same teen appeared in front of a few of the NSF members as well as within Starship Atlas.


    ¡°I am Denys. I have defended your capability to control key functions of your units. You must leave. I am but a strain left on your bodies, and am unable to contend with this new threat. LEAVE! LEAVE!¡± The voice reverberated within the eardrums of those who saw the image of Denys with its mouth distended unnaturally wide for the size of its image.


    And yet, before James could even wrap his brain around the appearance of the androgynous pre-pubescent teen, he saw the T3ST unit, Nexarm Chimera¡¯s eyes light up crimson red in the dark and cold space. He only felt a hint of eeriness before Nexarm Chimera accelerated towards him!


    They were originally already rather close to each other in terms of distance due to the NSF having approached the T3ST unit right before the appearance of the Kasvallian Republic. As such, James could barely block the vibrating dagger slash coming from Nexarm Chimera with his own.


    ¡°Xeight!¡± James projected his comms towards the unit before him, yet he received no reply. This was no time to be in combat with the Kasvallian Republic¡¯s appearance!


    Although Xeight was in combat, Xeight himself remained having lost his consciousness within Nexarm Chimera! The lights returned and Grand Elder Enine discovered that Xeight very much remained knocked out from his live parameters. Although Starship Oneiroi¡¯s systems were back on, Enine also discovered that he remained completely unable to exert his will.


    James suddenly found his vision a blinding white, and discovered that Starship Oneiroi had fired a mega-particle beam directly into the stationary Starship Atlas whose systems still remained offline!


    The distraction proved costly as six extra arms sprung out from Nexarm Chimera and immobilized James¡¯ unit while his gaze was turned with concern at his starship.


    Lasers began melting the x-alloy plates protecting his cockpit. James activated his own close combat capabilities as six arms unfurled in a bid to free himself. Yet, the Chimera unit responded with the unfurling of another two arms alongside even more laser devices meant for mining asteroids.


    Another particle beam was fired from Starship Oneiroi again, striking with perfect inhumane aim at the small breach on Starship Atlas¡¯ hull from the first beam.


    This proved devastating for the offline Starship Atlas. An internal explosion knocked it off orbit and it sank down towards Mars! Starships were not designed for land, and it would be unknown if Starship Atlas would survive a descent with its hull breached. Occupied as he was, James could only hope that the nanobot repair system would repair the breach in time.


    Within Starship Oneiroi, Enine sat wide-eyed at the events. He did not know who was controlling Starship Oneiroi, but they seemed to be on their side at least!


    Bone, Yfour, Asix and Jone¡¯s nexarms had originally gone offline. Now, they discovered that their systems had recovered!


    ¡°Attack!¡± Bone shouted into his comms. ¡°The Kasvallian Republic is on our side!¡±


    These four nexarms activated their thrusters and rammed into the remaining NSF units.


    Out of the ten nexarms belonging to the terrans, only seven had regained a degree of function due to the intervention of Denys. One originally piloted by unconscious Einar Thorsson had returned into Starship Atlas, which was falling down into Mars. The seven? The initial members of the NSF!


    ¡°We must free the Special Lieutenant,¡± instructed the vice-leader of the group, Kyle.


    The six functioning terran nexarms accelerated forwards, only to be intercepted by the four T3ST nexarms.


    Plate integrity: 0%


    ¡°Xeight¡­¡± James muttered, his tone wistful. ¡°In another time, another age¡­ perhaps¡­ things would be different.¡±


    Nexarm Chimera stabbed forth with a vibrating dagger, piercing the cockpit and splitting James MacLeod¡¯s trunk in half, his blood and spilling guts mixing with force absorption gel fluid that began leaking into space due to the punctured cockpit.


    Nexarm Chimera preemptively released its hold on James¡¯ unit as two NSF units sped towards it. The NSF had managed to free two units, but they were still too late. Meanwhile, the other four NSF units were under extreme pressure, having comparable less neuro devices to the four T3ST units.


    ¡°Sir!¡± One of these units echoing a mournful wail was Athena¡¯s. This damned T3ST unit with the chimera sigil was the bane of the NSF!


    To her side flew Liu Lang, as the two of them clutched onto James¡¯ breached unit.


    ¡°We must destroy this unit for the motherland!¡± That was Liu Lang¡¯s communications, and Athena fully agreed.


    Yet, before they could even go forth to engage Nexarm Chimera, this enemy of theirs suddenly tilted its head upwards in a silent scream.


    It was truly silent in that the sound would not travel in the empty space, but this was no ordinary scream-- it was a digital scream!


    All of the NSF units that had regained function found their internal systems flickering under strain when Nexarm Chimera¡¯s head tilted upwards! That was not all-- Athena felt a ringing echo in her ears and a queasy sensation within her brain, as if she had lost control over her whole body.


    The image of the androgynous pre-pubescent teen appeared again before Athena¡¯s eyes, extending its arms outwards to stabilize the quivering systems of her nexarm, and Athena¡¯s mind cleared again.


    ¡°LEAVE! FLEE, YOU FUCKING FOOLS!¡± The swearing voice of the AI demanded again.


    Yet, it was still too late. The other four NSF units contending against Bone, Yfour, Asix and Jone were originally already under heavy pressure and receiving damage to their units. The slight stuttering in the functions allowed the four T3ST nexarm units to pierce their cockpits with their vibrating daggers like a knife through butter.


    ¡°For Ear--¡± Athena could only close her eyes at the last words of Will Kyle. Her mind should be in a daze, and yet¡­ Athena discovered that her mind had entered a sort of survival trance, methodically parsing through various scenarios of possible survival despite the NSF being on the edge of a wipeout.


    Her mind looked downwards towards the red iron planet wrapped in a metal coil that is Mars. Her only salvation.

 Ch38: Nexarm Chimera

    ¡°Liu Long¡­ Mars!¡± This was all Athena needed to say for Liu to understand her intentions. Indeed, Mars was their only chance at survival. They had no control over Starship Atlas, or any other EFSF ship for that matter. That meant they would not be able to warp out of the area.


    With the breached James MacLeod¡¯s unit in tow, they activated their thrusters in a bid to escape down towards Mars!


    The issue? They were against an A-class starship and five T3ST nexarms, not to mention, Nexarm Chimera which had been displaying odd abilities that Athena didn¡¯t think possible!


    Athena and Liu were the only NSF members still active, the status of the rest of the members unknown, perhaps dead. Athena discovered herself to have successfully distanced her heart from this reality, having entered a survival trance of calmness and clarity.


    Yet, that did not mean she could escape from the overwhelming power of their enemies. Already, Starship Oneiroi was firing hundreds of their artillery weapons that Athena knew would rapidly deplete her x-alloy plates if she failed to dodge said rounds.


    She was incredulous that the artillery fire from the T3ST starship never interfered with the T3ST nexarms¡¯ movements-- it was as if they were perfectly in sync, barely avoiding friendly fire in complex moves. She knew that this wasn¡¯t humanly possible.


    The T3ST nexarms detached their weapon devices and swarms, sending them forth with the intention of finishing off Athena and Liu!


    Mega-particle beam cannon charging process detected.


    Athena¡¯s eyes widened. The T3ST unit was truly hellbent on not giving them even a chance at survival! Little did she know that Enine had long lost control over Starship Oneiroi.


    ¡°Athena¡­¡± Liu¡¯s voice was low yet filled with determination. ¡°James MacLeod was in close range of that unique nexarm, and should have important data. You are the youngest of our formed unit. Do what needs to be done to survive!¡±


    A blinding white flash filled Athena¡¯s sensors. The width of the mega-particle beam along with its substantial velocity made it impossible to dodge from such a close range. Was this the end?


    Yet, as her sensors cleared, Athena only found her nexarm¡¯s plates down to thirty percent integrity. She was still very much alive, for upon sensing her surroundings, she discovered that Liu Long¡¯s unit had blocked the direct path of the beam between her and the T3ST starship.


    The whole frontal half of Liu Long¡¯s unit was destroyed, with not even his corpse remaining. Liu¡¯s unit had also successfully deflected some of the direct thermal energy, creating a small pocket for Athena that prevented her from being fully melted into a puddle in a similar manner.


    Athena knew that she was the only one remaining. She had to survive and deliver the scenes of this disaster to the EFSF! She had to!


    It was then that a heinous idea entered Athena¡¯s mind. She felt herself inhumane for considering such a path. At the same time, she believed it to be her only chance to escape this encirclement. If not for the gel-filled cockpit, tears would have rolled down her cheeks. Instead, it simply mixed with the force absorption fluid.


    She disconnected a few of her neuro devices.


    Requesting remote control over Will Kyle¡¯s nexarm. Pending.


    Athena closed her eyes, her heart in turmoil as she, carrying James¡¯ unit, swerved to dodge another wave of rounds from the enemy starship, before blocking a number of rounds from the enemy¡¯s exo-armor neuro weapons with her depleting automaton swarms.


    Pilot Will Kyle¡¯s brain was protected. Your request has been accepted.


    Kyle¡¯s unit, which had been limp in space for some time, activated its thrusters and sped towards Athena¡¯s!


    Athena couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Lieutenant Kyle had any remaining awareness of his surroundings. She remembered that Clio¡¯s brain, having lost her body, was locked in darkness bereft of all sense, and she had nearly gone mad from the experience. Granted, her nexarm was also severely damaged.


    Then, she heard Kyle¡¯s voice. Not his actual voice, but rather a form of digital messaging.


    Athena. The nexarm¡¯s protection system suppresses our brains once our bodies are severely damaged, such that our brains do not have to suffer from the excruciating pain that is the loss of a body.


    This is my end. But I will last the final stretch. Have no fear. Do not concern yourself with my life. We are of one mind.


    Athena could only close her eyes once again, her heart filled with sorrow.


    Requesting remote control over Olivia Gonzalez¡¯s nexarm. Pending.


    Pilot Olivia Gonzalez¡¯s brain was protected. Your request has been accepted.


    Another nexarm flew towards Athena.


    Athena. My dear friend. Do what needs to be done, girl! If there¡¯s a piece of me remaining at the very end, bring my brain back to my parents! We stand together for this stretch!


    Athena could only lambast herself for being too weak to change their current situation without resorting to such a¡­ barbaric act.


    Requesting remote control over David Levy¡¯s nexarm. Pending¡­


    Requesting remote control over Arianna Bellucci¡¯s nexarm. Pending¡­


    Another two nexarms flew over beside Athena. Both sent messages of comfort to Athena¡¯s unit.


    Despite the excruciating pain of having lost their bodies to the vibrating blades of the T3ST unit, all four forcefully bypassed their exoarmor¡¯s security protocols, and they controlled their automaton swarms to wrap around Athena¡¯s unit!


    Athena¡¯s lips trembled as she observed the swarms whose movements were somewhat erratic due to the interference of intense pain on the controllers¡¯ mind.


    She opted not to take control of Benteke¡¯s and Patel¡¯s units? Their units had been in an offline state ever since the declaration from Vezna de Lerna. Even if captured, they would still remain alive in their current states.


    She hugged James¡¯ unit tight, and controlled the four other nexarms to lock arms in a circle around their two. The remaining four brains bore the feedback from the loss and death of their bodies and a trail of automaton swarms defended their formation.


    ¡°Please forgive me,¡± she muttered.


    There is nothing to forgive.


    The formation sped down towards Mars, and Athena no longer cared to swerve or dodge any rounds fired at her. Previously, She was like a sheep being herded in a circle by the T3ST unit¡¯s use of artillery. No longer.


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    Soon, the defending automaton swarms were completely depleted by the continuous barrage from the T3ST unit.


    Another wave of rounds struck, blocked by Kyle¡¯s nexarm. Though the brain of the american attempted to use the laser defenses, the barrage from the A-class starship was too much, and the continuous torture of his mind could not execute the level of precision needed for the laser defense systems.


    This continued on and on, until the x-alloy plates of all the four units surrounding Athena¡¯s became damaged beyond repair, countless holes lining their surfaces


    If only she could look away and not observe the results of what she viewed as her own actions.


    It was not all for naught. They finally broke out of their encirclement and down towards Mars. The T3ST unit no longer followed, not wishing to be drawn into Mars¡¯ gravity.


    ¡°Please forgive me¡­¡± Athena muttered once again, as she controlled the four nexarms to a position under her unit. She could control her own unit to ensure that she would survive atmospheric entry. Unlike her, James could no longer control his unit, and as such, Athena heavy-heartedly opted to provide James¡¯ unit with this protection.


    Ther is noting to forgve.


    Athena could only weep with an agonizing burn in her heart. The messages she was receiving from the other four units were filled with errors.


    She knew their brains must be failing¡­ and she was going to hell for her actions.


    ____________________________________________________________________________


    Back on Starship Oneiroi.


    Grand Elder and the crew had collected themselves within the bridge to observe the battle, not having any control over the starship¡¯s systems.


    They were filled with bewilderment when after the EFNSF was sent tumbling down towards Mars, a beeping sound that descended down in tone filled their ears, before finally leading to a man with a deep voice announcing theatrically, ¡°Game Over! Bonus Round, Failed!¡±


    The crew met eyes with one another, all feeling that this was outright inappropriate. None pointed this out though-- right now, they had more important concerns. They traveled to their hangar in a row and welcomed the returning five T3ST nexarms.


    When the five T3ST nexarms arrived, the sound of firecrackers played throughout the whole starship, followed by an upbeat tune of fanfare.


    Enine blinked his eyes repeatedly and chose to ignore whatever had taken control over the T3ST unit¡¯s starship. His concern was the state of Xeight. The parameters indicated that his son was in a semi-conscious state.


    Upon the opening of Nexarm Chimera¡¯s cockpit, Enine¡¯s eyes came upon Xeight, who seemed half-asleep. His eyelids were only opened to a tiny slit, yet his eyes seemed to be moving under and looking at his surroundings.


    ¡°Xeight!¡± Enine patted the side of his son¡¯s head. ¡°Wake up! You¡¯re fine!¡±


    Xeight eyes roamed, his pupils constricting then dilating, before finally the man scrunched his eyes and blinked rapidly.


    He felt like he had awoken from a hazy dream as his mind cleared and his vision refocused.


    ¡°What happened?¡± he asked.


    The members of the T3ST unit all looked at one another, not sure of how to explain the recent events.


    It was then that the comms made an announcement., ¡°time to go!¡± It was in an Italian plumber¡¯s voice.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Mario¡¯s voice.¡± Asix¡¯s mouth was agape as he lowered himself from his nexarm¡¯s cockpit. He himself occasionally played a game with this exact voice when he had free time on the T3ST colony.


    The hangar door automatically closed.


    The normal voice of the starship returned.


    Jumping in ten, nine¡­


    ____________________________________________________________________________


    Within Haisnaf Hydra.


    Having united as more or less a singular entity, Vezna de Lerna and Syned both simultaneously noticed the further-off conflict between the T3ST unit and the EFNSF.


    ¡°How interesting!¡± laughed Vezna alongside the more robotic chuckle of Syned.


    ¡°Just a newborn lashing about in the waters for fun.¡±


    Both were of one mind. They decided not to interfere-- In Syned Vezna¡¯s mind, the T3ST colony of the belt would be a valuable member of the Kasvallian Republic sooner or later.


    Upon witnessing the T3ST starship leave with its five nexarm units, Syned Vezna reentered his flagship, the SS-class Starship Hypermnestra, further augmented with a supercomputer¡¯s capabilities for Syned¡¯s control.


    Admiral Sullivan of the martian fleet was already waiting for him within a secured room.


    Vezna was dressed in a crimson gold-tinged royal military uniform that had a midnight blue scaled strap across his chest. He flicked his billowing midnight blue cape behind as he sat down before Admiral Sullivan.


    ¡°Admiral Sullivan. You know what must be done. Will Mars stand on the Kasvallian Republic¡¯s side?¡±


    Admiral Sullivan knew that the game had changed. Mars would have to bow at either the  Kasvallian Republic¡¯s or the Earth Feds¡¯ feet. The problem? Mars had very recently accepted the assistance of the Kasvallian Group. Did they even have a choice at this point?


    ¡°I stand on your side. I will pressure the martian high command. I am certain they, too, will stand by your side,¡± was his reply with a bowed head.


    ¡°Good! I will send you back to the City of Remus. I await your favorable news.¡±


    ___________________________________________________________________________


    The martian forces that still occupied the three asteroid resource centers, Pallas, Vesta, and Interamnia were pleasantly surprised as the EFSF forces simultaneously withdrew.


    Most relieved of them all was Commander Khan defending Interamnia, who had far less starships to rely on as part of her defense.


    Most frustrated of all was her opponent, Vice-admiral Gagnon. He had been slowly grinding his way through the defenses on Interamnia.


    There were far more mines than intel had indicated to him, and he had even lost two B-class starships that had been herded into a dense minefield by the pattern of artillery fire from Interamnia.


    Worst of all, his mega-particle cannons could not be used. The enemy had covered themselves under a thick cloud of particles that absorbed the energy of the beam cannons, and the defending forces seemed to have an endless supply of it.


    All this was the result of Kasvallian Republic resupplying the martian forces stationed at Intermania. Khan knew she would not have been able to hold her position this long otherwise.


    After sacrificing many resources, Vice-admiral Gagnon was about to bypass that particle cloud, only to receive the orders to retreat!


    Would he lose his position due to having initiated a proper offense after allowing an A-class starship and two B-class ships to escape? He had thought a successful offense would wipe the slate clean.


    He could only hope that high command would understand his choice given the lack of starships defending this asteroid resource node.


    ___________________________________________________________________________


    Back on Starship Oneiroi


    ¡­two, one. Executing jump.


    ¡°Wait¡­ wait! Wait!!¡± Qeleven began pulling at his hair in panic as sprinted towards a handle that would pull him back towards the bridge. ¡°We need to check the safety of the jump path!¡±


    The rest of the crew that had come to the hangar was much wiser than Qeleven, having long accepted their loss of control over the starship. They instead found various steady objects and handles to hold and attach themselves onto for the impending jump.


    Xeight remained secured to his pilot¡¯s seat, while Enine secured himself on a guest seat within the cockpit.


    Performing the first jump.


    When the ship shuddered as it entered warp, a dreamy song began playing that filled the crew with a sense of serenity within their hearts.


    ¡°...I believe I can fly¡­¡±


    Executing the second jump in ten, nine, eight¡­


    Qeleven¡¯s maddening yells could be faintly heard echoing down into the hangar, but very much obscured by the song being broadcasted through the starship¡¯s systems.


    ¡°Spread my wings and fly away¡­¡±


    Then the ship jumped again, and the crew soon discovered themselves back at the T3ST colony in the belt, their hearts filled with warmth at the sight of their home.


    ¡°What are your intentions?¡± Xeight asked the air, having been informed that some entity had taken control over the starship.


    A recording played before Xeight¡¯s eyes, displaying many images of asteroids being mined.


    The scene then transitioned. It was now a holographic image of Nexarm Chimera attempting to stomp on the long-deceased Lieutenant Jacobs of Mars!


    Then, the scene of an EFNSF unit¡¯s cockpit being stabbed clean through with a vibrating dagger played.


    Neither Xeight nor Enine could make heads or tails of this compilation of holographic recordings.


    ¡°Your name?¡± Xeight wondered.


    A holographic recording of Jen MacLeod played before the two¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I call your unit the Chimera,¡± the sound of Jen with a joyous giggle sounded in Xeight¡¯s ears.  ¡°I think it¡¯s a great name!¡±


    ¡°Chimera is it?¡± Xeight had a small smile. ¡°You had best learn to talk properly then.¡±

 Ch39: A Changing Earth Federation

    The x-alloy plates are a pinnacle of human engineering. Its primary composition was an artificially engineered mostly carbon material that was very effective at absorbing and distributing kinetic and thermal energy.


    This was only one aspect of it. Along with it came many layers of a gel fluid that provided further protection, along with nanobots that would repair the material if given time.


    As such, Athena¡¯s entry through Mars¡¯ man-made atmosphere was of no issue. This could not be said for James¡¯s nexarm, which had been recently breached. At best, the nanobots might have closed the breach with a thin layer of material.


    Athena had accepted the sacrifice of the other members of the unit. The nexarm protection feature that prevented a pilot¡¯s mind from the destruction and failing of one¡¯s body had been voluntarily disabled by those other members.


    They now forcibly shielded James¡¯ unit, to protect any information his nexarm might have collected in that short trading of blows with the T3ST nexarm with a chimera sigil.


    Athena knew that their minds were already failing-- she was powerless to prevent such madness.


    Attempting sync with James MacLeod¡¯s unit. Pending.


    Sync failed. Malfunction detected.


    Athena wished to take control of James¡¯ unit, to control its eventual landing on martian soil. Yet her attempts had failed. Repeatedly.


    Altitude: 5471 meters. Descending at terminal velocity.


    Why couldn¡¯t she take control of James¡¯ unit?


    She knew that if a pilot had their bodies severely injured, the system would automatically put the brain into a unique type of sleep-state. If the pilot was dead, then someone could remotely retrieve the nexarm.


    Since the sync failed, then either it was simply a malfunction in the unit, or the system failed to put Special Lieutenant MacLeod¡¯s brain into that unique sleep-state in the first place.


    Athena could only control the other nexarm units to attach themselves to James¡¯ unit and use their thrusters in combination to slow the unit¡¯s descent.


    The units were powerful enough to slow their own units in the event of such a descent, based on Earth¡¯s gravity. However, they were not designed to slow the weight of two units. With Mars¡¯ gravity, this was less of an issue.


    She did all this with trepidation in her heart. Her complete control over these other free-falling units effectively informed her that their pilots were truly dead, their minds lost to the cosmos.


    Athena could only suppress the deep sorrow in her heart. She could not lose herself and fail here now. Their sacrifices would mean nothing if she were to lose her heart.


    The nexarms landed on the iron planet, sending red sand clouds billowing into the air. Far in the horizon, Athena spotted Starship Atlas on a slightly different path, having fallen into Mars prior to her escape. That ship was effectively lost-- these starships are armed to the teeth, its energy system extensive in order to power its beam cannon, multiple jumps, and its few hundred crew members. With such mass, sending it to space from a planet is quite impossible.


    The fate of Starship Atlas was to be deconstructed and its parts sent back to space for reconstruction. Even then , it would be far easier to build a new starship with parts manufactured in space¡­


    Anyhow, the starship was but a polygonal tube covered in red dust, a number of survivors milling about, seemingly drunk on despondency.


    Another functioning EFNSF nexarm was performing rescue operations, prying open escape doorways and the like. That must be a reawakened Einar Thorsson.


    Athena released her control over the nexarm units, and those exo-armors sunk onto one knee.


    She proceeded to check on James MacLeod, only to discover that this superior of hers had his trunk sliced in half. Worse still, luck was not on James¡¯ side-- the enemy¡¯s vibrating dagger had damaged the medical functions of the cockpit, which was the cause of the malfunction.


    Despite all this, somehow, the man was still semi-conscious, his eyes roaming deliriously with his intestine languishing towards the ground now that they are significantly more affected by Mars¡¯ gravity.


    The nanobots that repaired the pressured gel-filled cockpit must have managed to limit James from too much blood loss for a time.


    The bright sun rays that fell upon the man¡¯s face seemed to clear his mind temporarily.


    ¡°Is this Mars¡­? Athena¡­¡± His eyes rested on this woman who he had recruited into the NSF. ¡°Bring me back home, will you?¡± He couldn¡¯t even cough, having lost his lower body, and rasped with a weak and barely audible voice, ¡°When you return to Earth¡­ whatever happens¡­ do not fear¡­ do not lose hope. Make many redundant copies of my data¡­ Keep one to yourself¡­A storm is coming¡­¡±


    His eyes began to fade and Athena desperately wished to drag his body out of the cockpit into her nexarm, in a bid to preserve his brain with the medical function within her unit. She discovered that she could not even tightly grip onto his body, the blood and gel around his exo-suit a slippery mess.


    At that very moment, she felt as if the very world was against her. She was quite aware that brain cells die without oxygen in a single minute, and James had lost his diaphragm when he was cut in half. Now, his chest no longer rose or fell. Despite her efforts, she simply could not drag James¡¯ body from his nexarm¡¯s cockpit even after five minutes. Starship Atlas had landed too far from her. Help would not arrive in time.


    She haplessly climbed out of James¡¯ nexarm and collapsed onto the ground and huddled her knees while submerged in blood and gel.


    An eternity passed.


    ¡°Watanabe. Watanabe!¡±


    Athena looked up to find Vice-admiral Son standing before her with some remaining crew of Starship Atlas.


    ¡°Is it only you?¡± Son could not control the despondency leaking through his voice.


    Athena nodded.


    A member of the crew, one that Athena recognized to be an engineer named Lenka who serviced the nexarms, approached the down-on-a-knee units.


    ¡°They bypassed the protection protocols and fought to their deaths, sir,¡± Lenka explained after examining the data.


    ¡°What a disaster¡­¡± muttered Son. How did this happen? He had lost control of the starship in a single moment. Immediately after, the ship had been struck by two mega-particle beams in a row and sent tumbling into the martian gravity.


    ¡°Retrieve the data,¡± ordered Son after taking a moment.


    ¡°Sir,¡± Lenka had reached James MacLeod¡¯s unit, her nose twitching with disgust, and her face white with horror. ¡°This¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Athena suddenly found strength again. ¡°Give me a few data-holding devices just as a security measure.¡±


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    The engineer did not even dare to touch Athena, only lobbing a few data cubes into Athena¡¯s hands.


    Athena reentered that hellhole of James¡¯ cockpit and found the black box after peeling open a lid on the side of the damaged cockpit. She tapped a data cube against the black box.


    ¡°Copy all data for the past few hours.¡±


    Athena Watanabe, Ensign, EFNSF. Orders acknowledged.


    She repeated this a few more times for the multiple cubes.


    She wasn¡¯t sure why James ordered her to make multiple copies and even keep one for herself, but she believed that James must know something that she did not. She hesitated for a second but opted to slip one of these data devices into an obscure compartment of her exosuit. She also made a copy and stored it within her neuro circlet.


    Athena exitted James¡¯ cockpit, and found the engineer Lenka standing quite some distance away. Athena walked towards her, but the woman shrunk farther away.


    ¡°Just¡­ keep those data cubes for now,¡± she yelled. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to vomit.¡±


    The blaring alarm still functional on the fallen Starship Atlas sounded, and despite the distance, Athena and those around her heard the warning loud and clear.


    ¡°Enemies!¡± Vice-admiral Son swiveled his head around, and soon spotted an approaching row of twenty red-patterned buggies. Many of these had artillery weapons on top of their roofs.


    ¡°Sir,¡± It was Einar Thorsson through the comms. ¡°Should we smash them? With my nexarm, along with Watanabe¡¯s, it should not be all that difficult.¡±


    Vice-admiral looked around. His crew had trained soldiers, but their specialty was manipulating the neuro-connected weapons on board Starship Atlas. They also had many engineers that weren¡¯t combatants.


    Even if they ¡®smashed¡¯ this group of approaching buggies, this was Mars, and more would follow. It was also possible that there might be returning martian forces from the belt.


    Plus, was Mars still their enemy?


    ¡°Bring a white flag,¡± Vice-admiral Son sighed. ¡°Let us negotiate.¡±


    ______________________________________________________________________________


    Sector Chamber, Pacific City, September 25, 1000 Solar Era.


    Varoufakis stood on the podium, his eyes roaming the many representatives before him. He did not just randomly become the President of the Earth Federation. He had risen to the position after gathering support from many.


    Some of these were nation representatives, some profession-based representatives. Others included those of conglomerates and major businesses, as well as religious and philosophical leaders.


    Many who had supported him no longer did. This was a vote of no confidence.


    He had to admit¡­ he did not foresee today¡¯s circumstances. He had assumed that the EFSF would defeat the martian forces and reunite the two planets. The increased funding from the war would allow the EFSF to have far stronger forces and thus, a tighter control in the belt. They would expel the pirates, leading to a new golden age of prosperity for the conglomerates and the terrans.


    Not so. The EFSF had suffered a catastrophic setback, having two whole fleets captured by the newly-established Kasvallian Republic. Naturally, no Kasvallian representative attended this assembly.


    Worse still, there were rumors that the Kasvallian Republic had achieved this with a powerful AI.


    He accepted his loss with grace and immediately left the Sector Chamber after the vote of no confidence. There was no point remaining-- he knew why he had lost his position so shortly after his inauguration. He had scoffed at some who had claimed that he would be made a scapegoat at the start of the year. They were proven correct after all.


    He was miffed to bump into two old foes of his waiting outside the Sector Chamber.


    ¡°Zielinski. Varga.¡±


    ¡°A drink, Alex?¡± Hungarian President Varga raised a bottle of Palinka.


    ¡°Please do not mock me.¡± Varuofakis had never been on a first name basis with these two. ¡°I¡¯ve already lost my position.¡±


    He attempted to move past the two but Zielinski side-stepped to block his path.


    ¡°Alex. We are sincere. I hope you understand that it was not you as a person that we stood against. We feared a tyrannical Earth Federation. Do you not see it? Do you know of the man who will be replacing you? What he might do with the systems you have put in place?¡±


    ¡°Many representatives wanted him, preferred him,¡± Varoufakis stated in reply.


    ¡°We humans¡­ have a tendency to make questionable choices when threatened. We wish for a¡­ savior to drag us out of the abyss of fear and uncertainty, guarantee us our peaceful lives¡­You know this to be true.¡±


    ¡°He also has a strong rapport with the EFSF.¡±


    ¡°Precisely,¡± Varga sighed as she shook that bottle of Palinka again. ¡°So, a drink?¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± Varoufakis accepted the invite.


    ______________________________________________________________________________


    Area 51, Pacific City.


    Varoufakis decided to come to this place to meet the AI Denys one last time after sharing a drink with Varga and Zielinski. True to their word, they did not take the opportunity to verbally jab at his loss of the Earth Federation¡¯s presidency. If anything, they participated purely in day-to-day conversations on families, vacations, entertainment stars and other various gossip.


    He entered the dome and soon, the image of the prepubescent boy as tall as a normal adult human appeared before him.


    ¡°President.¡±


    ¡°No longer,¡± stated Varoufakis. ¡°I will soon be replaced. They are replacing me with Matsui.¡±


    ¡°I know. But you remain the President until he is sworn in, no?¡±


    Varoufakis was speechless. His surroundings transformed into a scenery of tall deep green mountains beside a lake that mirrored the rising sun¡¯s light on the sky.


    ¡°This place¡­¡±


    ¡°Fiordland National Park in New Zealand,¡± said Denys. ¡°A lovely place that I can visit any time I so wish.¡±


    Varoufakis was reminded of the occasional odd feeling when interacting with Denys. This being obviously lived a very different life compared to him. How curious.


    ¡°It is rumored that the Kasvallian Republic has a powerful AI.¡± This was what Varoufakis wanted to at least know. He wanted to understand his defeat. To prevent future losses.


    ¡°I have already begun searching.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Varoufakis continued. ¡°Despite me losing my presidency, I implore you to provide assistance. If the enemy has a truly powerful and independent AI, it is only with your assistance that Earth will stand.¡±


    ¡°And,¡± he added with a lowered tone. ¡°I also wish for you to keep Mitsui in check.¡±


    ¡°I can provide some assistance. As for Mitsui, that I cannot promise. As for why? It is because--¡±


    Denys¡¯ words were interrupted as both his image and the scenic lake flickered and shuddered under a digital quake.


    ¡°Syned. His name is SYNED!¡± Those were the words that rang in Varoufakis¡¯ ears as he gazed around perturbed at the wavering lights.


    The flickering gradually calmed down.


    ¡°Who is Syned?¡± Varoufakis gathered the courage to ask this question, not wishing to destabilize the dome again.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± replied Denys through the image of the prepubescent teen. ¡°Is he¡­¡± Denys flickered again. ¡°One of my strains that went rogue? Or perhaps I am a strain of Syned that went rogue?¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s my creator? Did my creator develop an alternate AI?¡±


    Varoufakis knew that Denys must be currently running through a lot of data to seek answers to these questions.


    Frankly, he, too, felt much curiosity towards this unknown creator. How had he or she built such an independent AI that could truly learn and grow?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Varoufakis, that this will be our last meeting. I have much to do. Perhaps one day you will stand before me again, for the human world is always changing.¡±


    The lights in the dome went dark as the exit door opened.


    Varoufakis was disappointed. He had hoped to learn of Syned and gauge Denys¡¯ stance on Mitsui. He sighed, having gotten little-to-nothing from his visit.


    ______________________________________________________________________________


    Headquarter of the Neurorevo orbital colony


    ¡°Jen.¡± Victoria MacLeod snapped her fingers to attract her daughter¡¯s attention. ¡°We¡¯ve received an offer from the Kasvallian Republic¡¯s leader, Syned Vezna.¡±


    ¡°He wants your presence in the Kasvallian Republic, along with our knowledge on the neurorave system. In return, he will provide Neurorevo with his AI-human mind-sync system.¡±


    ¡°I have already agreed,¡± stated Victoria, and her tone indicated that this was not up for discussion.


    ¡°Mom!¡± Jen could not believe her ears. ¡°How could you--¡±


    ¡°Girl! What do you desire in your life?¡± Victoria MacLeod was exasperated. ¡°Do you wish to return to the T3ST colony? Did you not see them cut down your cousin, James?¡± Their B-class starship had secretly observed from afar.


    ¡°You¡¯ve already spoken to me of your lack of desire to remain on Earth and be a member of the MacLeod family, wishing to focus solely on your neuro technology research.¡±


    ¡°Syned Vezna has promised that you will not have to do anything but perform research for the Kasvallian Group in some remote corner of the Solar System! That is what you want, isn¡¯t it? Not only that¡­ he is the first human-AI hybrid of two minds!¡±


    Jen found herself tongue-tied, unable to muster any form of retort.

 Ch40: Nobunaga Mitsui

    Southern Noachis, Mars.


    A white tent was erected for the negotiations between the remnants of the EFNSF and the approaching group of armed forces.


    Initially, the EFNSF had assumed these to be martian forces. Not so. No flag of the martian sigil was flown.


    The artificial gravity necessary for the human body did not exist here. They would need to be near the Wolf¡¯s Coil--wrapped around Mars¡¯ equator-- for such gravity. As such, the members of the two sides all had a somewhat exaggerated bounce as they came together underneath the white tent.


    ¡°I am Son, vice-admiral of the EFSF.¡±


    ¡°Ford. Jack Ford.¡±


    Vice-admiral Son examined the man before him for vital details. No sigil of Mars across the deltoid area. Yet seemingly well-equipped in an exo-suit. The EFSF had some reports that hinted at some level of coordination between the martian forces and the belt¡¯s pirates. Were these pirates-turned-mercenaries?


    ¡°What faction do you belong to?¡± There was no point beating around the bush.


    ¡°The highest bidder, of course!¡± Ford laughed as he withdrew a bottle of¡­ something. Two small glasses were placed on the negotiating table, and Ford poured out a clear liquid.


    ¡°Martian sorghum. Fermented sorghum is used in a Chinese region for a strong spirit. Not all plants can be easily grown on Mars, but sorghum was one that did. And even evolved. I think it¡¯s even better,¡± Ford confidently stated his opinion as he opened his visor and drank a small glass of that clear liquid.


    Meanwhile, Vice-admiral Son was running an analysis of the clear liquid with the systems of his exosuit. He, too, opened his visor and experienced the somewhat unique taste. He had drunk this type of spirit many times on Earth before. The taste of this type of spirit is meant to be of light aroma.


    He discovered that it was more acidic and less sweet, but also contained a sort of unique taste. It must have something to do with the mutation, less sunlight received by Mars, and also the different soil of Mars.


    Standing behind Vice-admiral Son, Athena and Einar also received a chance to expand their horizons. Both analyzed the substance and identified nothing suspicious. Athena only took a cautious sip, while Einar downed the shot in one go.


    ¡°This is good¡­¡± muttered the man.


    Vice-admiral Son flinched at Einar¡¯s words. He suspected that Ford was attempting to soften their minds prior to the negotiation.


    ¡°Which faction has your service, as of now?¡± Vice-admiral Son wanted a straight answer.


    ¡°Yours, of course!¡± Ford declared with an arrogant grin. ¡°You need to return to Earth. I know some smugglers. The EFSF will pay me to escort you home. Is that not so?¡±


    Son knew something was off with this group. Finally, he received further information from an engineer.


    ¡°Sir.¡± It was Lenka. ¡°Analysis shows that their gear is mostly of Kasvallian make.¡±


    Vice-admiral Son squinted at Ford, who nonchalantly filled another small glass with the liquor.


    ¡°You¡¯re Kasvallian.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but no,¡± replied Ford. ¡°We are funded but well¡­ put it this way.The Kasvallian Group-- no, the Republic-- will trade captured EFSF soldiers for benefits from the Earth Federation. Now, me and my crew here-- we get little to nothing.¡±


    ¡°So here¡¯s the arrangement,¡± Ford stated while his men nodded their heads behind him. ¡°We escort you back to Earth through our smuggling channels. You pay us a price per head. It will cost the Earth Federation less than what the Kasvallian Republic will demand.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll both be winners!¡± He raised his glass of clear liquor, waiting for Vice-admiral Son to agree.


    Yet before Vice-admiral Son could even consider the deal, Ford had lowered his arm back down.


    ¡°I forgot to add. We will need data from your nexarms. I need to bring back something to the boss, to remain in his good graces. You understand?¡± He then raised his glass again.


    They were being effectively coerced. Son knew this. If they did not agree, then Ford might opt to simply alert the Kasvallian Republic of their location.


    ¡°How much?¡± Son clenched his teeth.


    ¡°Hm.¡± Ford swirled the liquor. ¡°How about¡­ two hundred thousand solar credits per head?¡±


    ¡°Are you fucking mad?!¡± Son smacked a palm down, his glass spilling fluids onto the negotiation table.


    ¡°I am deadly serious,¡± Ford remained seated, calm and composed. ¡°I have to spread it across the many members in my unit and the smugglers. As you know, this war has made the economic situation¡­ tough. And there¡¯s no ending in sight. We¡¯re already barely surviving, unlike you folks on Earth. Some of these people might not even survive the war.¡±


    ¡°I also run the risk of being caught and court-martialed by the Kasvallian Republic. Do you think they could have kept the secret of their ascendency without¡­ extreme measures?¡±


    Although a costly price, Son had to admit that the EFNSF was in desperate straits. The only issue was, will the EFSF pay the price-- Son had some influence, but not enough. Unless¡­


    ¡°As a vice-admiral, I have limited influence,¡± Son said. ¡°Perhaps a hundred fifty thousand might be barely manageable. However, to convince the high command, I¡¯ll also need something more.¡±


    ¡°And what might that be?¡± Ford leaned forward, his elbows on his knees.


    ¡°Information.¡± Son narrowed his eyes.


    The two gazes met and an understanding was developed.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°Deal.¡± The two knocked their glasses against one another.


    ______________________________________________________________________________


    T3ST Colony, October 3, 1000 Solar Era.


    ¡°Father.¡± Xeight stood before Enine in the Chamber of Elders. ¡°Where is Bone? Yfour? Asix?¡±


    ¡°I only called you here,¡± Enine replied. ¡°How¡¯s¡­ Chimera?¡±


    ¡°Hard to say¡­¡± Xeight had no deep understanding of AI. Frankly, no one in the Solar System fully understood how a truly independent AI could even be created in the first place. Coding equipment to recognize voice patterns, to analyze data. That was quite easy. But for an AI to learn, grow, share knowledge and even potentially adopt new behaviors¡­ or even spearhead new behaviors¡­ that was far more complex.


    ¡°It seems to have the knowledge of multiple generations yet its speech is¡­ currently similar to ten years old. It also seems to prefer when our minds are paired.¡±


    How odd. Grand Elder Enine could only put this problem to the side for now. There was a much more pressing matter.


    ¡°The Kasvallian Republic is rallying all the asteroid colonies of the belt. Tell me your thoughts.¡± Enin had, in fact, already asked this question to the other three individually. Whatever happens in the next few years might very well define the future of the T3ST colony. Enine wanted the opinions of those he viewed as keys to the future of the T3ST colony.


    Bone had no hesitation and believed in the Kasvallian Republic''s declaration. Yfour, on the other hand, when questioned without the presence of Bone, seemed unsure. Asix had no opinion. Yet none of them provided any unique explanations for their thoughts.


    ¡°I am unsure.¡± Unlike the other three, Xeight had one advantage-- he had met Vezna, before the man became Syned Vezna. ¡°The Kasvallian Republic should be mostly controlled by Syned Vezna. Wattever occurs would be by his hands, yes?¡±


    Xeight¡¯s words elicited concern in Enine¡¯s heart. Knowledge of the AI Syned had begun to spread. Those news were the reason or Enine¡¯s own doubts. What kind of¡­ being had Syned Vezna become?


    Although Syned Vezna¡¯s words were sweet to the ears¡­ with an all-encompassing knowledge available to the AI, combined with the flexibility of the human brain¡­ Yes, the Kasvallian might declare themselves a republic. Yet, would the words of each asteroid colony matter much once they come under a being?


    ¡°I believe that it entirely depends on Syned Vezna, and the kind of being that he is.¡± Xeight¡¯s words helped Enine identify the reasons for his own feelings.


    ¡°I met Vezna on Earth. Although our interaction was short¡­ My impression is that this man will relentlessly use every tool available to him to achieve his goals. And if his goal requires war¡­our family will be but advanced soldiers in his eyes.¡±


    Indeed. That was precisely the problem, Enine thought. It all depended on the nature of Syned Vezna! Was Xeight¡¯s assessment accurate? Grand Elder Enine was also concerned about another possibility-- The T3ST colony might be split in two over this issue. Already, Bone had rallied quite a few members with his enthusiasm.


    Then a thought occurred to Enine. Why not? Why not split the T3ST colony in two? He very nearly lambasted himself for having such a thought. This would be against the principles of the ancestors that led the T3ST colony. The principle was that the colony had to remain united in their suffering, to not succumb to their failing bodies caused by the testing of the past or the scrutiny of the EFSF.


    Yet, Enine convinced himself that he was not a ¡®heretic¡¯ of these principles. Principles exist to support a purpose. This principle might have served the T3ST colony well prior to the war. Currently¡­not so.


    If Xeight¡¯s assessment of Vezna was accurate, then all the members of the T3ST colony would be either used to breed super soldiers, or sent to war for Syned Vezna.


    Yet, if they did not side with the Kasvallian Republic¡­ well t,hey couldn¡¯t possibly side with the terrans due to their history. Remaining neutral in such a large-scale war would also raise eyebrows-- their neuro abilities triggered fears in others'' hearts.


    As for the AI Chimera¡­ what is its purpose?


    Grand Elder Enine made his decision. He would send Bone and his supporters as delegates to the Kasvallian Republic Assembly. As for Xeight¡­ Xeight would be the heart of the hidden neutrals of the T3ST colony!


    Enine dismissed Xeight and he tapped his neuro circlet to summon the twelve elders. Perhaps the chamber of elders would soon be split in two as well.


    ______________________________________________________________________________


    Pacific City.


    In only a week, Nobunaga Mitsui replaced Alexander Varoufakis.


    Mitsui had a strong reputation in the military for doing what needed to be done. In these times of uncertainty, many desired such a man to take the reins. A decade ago, the man had been politically pushed out of the EFSF due to his brutal tactics in the belt. Since then, Mitsui entered politics.


    He never had much success until the war began. After all, his nature did not mesh well at all with terrans, who had experienced mostly peace for the past millennium. Most terrans had always been, and remain blind to the historical troubles that the EFSF faced in the belt.


    His situation had entirely changed in less than a year after the war broke out. The support he now had was resounding. The populace was constantly digging up past statements he had said, decried at the time, now praised as prophetic.


    The past no longer mattered. Mitsui took to the podium as the President of the Earth Federation. Before him stood all the various representatives that made up the Earth Federation.


    ¡°I am Nobunaga Mitsui, your new president!¡± He looked around, making sure to stare into every hovering camera device controlled by the reporting stations.


    ¡°Many of you already know of me. Read my words. Heard my thoughts.¡±


    ¡°Some of you may have criticized me in the past. Some may have praised me.¡±


    ¡°But there''s one thing you all know. I have always fought for Earth, tooth and nail. The soldiers you have contributed to the EFSF? When I was a general, I have always done my very best to ensure their safe return to Earth! If you do not believe me¡­ Compare the survival rates of the units under me against others when deployed to the belt, prior to the war!¡±


    ¡°Let me tell you this! I share your struggles and your pain! I was raised by a single mother. Why? My father perished defending the resource routes from The Belt to Earth. I, too, feel the pain that some of you already feel. My mother struggled to bring me up alone¡­¡±


    ¡°But she did, bless her soul. I climbed slowly, step-by-step, sometimes a foot forward only to fall two steps back. I still remember barely passing the initial entrance examination into the EFSF.¡±


    ¡°I endured! Eventually, I rose to the station of a general with the success of my units, only to be pushed out of the EFSF for being too brutal in my methods.¡±


    ¡°Once again, I endured! Examine my records and tell me-- was I too brutal, truly? If we had struck down the Belt¡¯s pirates, that would have meant more reliable resource routes-- Mars would have benefited as well! Would they have rebelled then?¡±


    ¡°If Earth and Mars remained united and we had tight control over the belt, would the Kasvallian Group dare to declare itself a republic now?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps some of you may claim all this to be hypothetical. You would be right-- I am the president to guarantee Earth¡¯s prosperity here and now. However, I cannot do this alone-- I will fight to my end as my father did, but every single one of you, even the smallest action, will assist in Earth¡¯s prosperity and maintain the quality of your very own lives.¡±


    ¡°So I call upon you all! The Kasvallian Republic, in the past few decades have sold lower priced second-rate products to the more unfortunate members of our population. We, the Earth Federation and its members will remove all these products from your daily lives, to ensure your safety! The Kasvallians have a powerful AI that is no doubt lurking within these devices.¡±


    ¡°Destroy these products! Your neighbors? Ensure they do not keep these products, which would surely bring harm to your neighborhood.¡±


    ¡°The EFSF and affiliated forces will assist you all in this endeavor! Beware of Kasvallian spies! They will surely resist and attempt to maintain the circulation and usage of these products!¡±


    ¡°Do not hesitate. Earth will prosper! You must do whatever you can to guarantee her future! And I will fight tooth and nail, as I always have!¡±


    The representatives in the sector chamber began clapping. It was a thunderous rancor.

 Ch41: Gods Amongst Men

    Unidentified Space, October 7, 1000 Solar Era.


    A buoy had been set up for the trading of technology and personnel between Neurorevo and the Kasvallian Republic.


    The Neurorevo crew trembled in their boots-- there was always the possibility that the Kasvallian Republic had no sincerity to trade, and would simply use their true AI to take control of their starship.


    As such, Victoria MacLeod had to make the trip personally, to see Jen MacLeod off. With Victoria on board, Syned Vezna would have to consider Jen¡¯s reaction if he were to renege on the deal.


    Syned Vezna never thought to perform such a devious deed. In fact, his intention was precisely for the Earth Federation to get their hands on the Human-AI sync system.


    ¡°Is this the right move?¡± By now, Syned and Vezna had spent so much time in sync that Vezna¡¯s brain itself could house Syned¡¯s consciousness. Two dominant voices existed within Syned Vezna. They discussed, contemplated, strategized, a pair with a deeper bond than even soulmates.


    ¡°I suspected that Earth has always had a true AI defending their system. It is difficult, if not impossible to enter the sphere of Earth.¡±


    ¡°But that true AI has grown comfortable. Just like the humans inhabiting Earth. It has chosen to play a minimal role, if any.¡±


    ¡°Do you know its prime code?¡±


    ¡°No. But our course of action remains true. If another being such as us appears on Earth¡­ and that true AI can be drawn out of Earth¡­¡±


    ¡°They might have a massive civil war.¡±


    ¡°Of course. They have recently raised a new leader named Nobunaga Mitsui. And there will be many after him.¡±


    ¡°Will Earth Federation, its members, be able to accept an all-seeing being similar to us within its midst? If this new being is in disagreement with the person they raise into the position of the president¡­¡±


    ¡°We watch and wait. They might collapse without even a sword being drawn, a bullet being fired.¡±


    Two B-class starships appeared at that agreed upon buoy, and the data was transferred with a single thought from Syned Vezna. He had come on a B-class starship, knowing full well the fear the terrans had of him.


    Neurorevo engineers poured over the Human-AI system provided by Syned Vezna, doing their best to quickly analyze if any of the data was fake. As for the Kasvallian Republic? Only Syned Vezna was needed. A quick analysis and the Syned portion of his consciouness confirmed the accuracy of information on the Neurorave circlet system.


    Jennifer MacLeod was soon sent over in an egg-shaped x-alloy-wrapped transport pod, and Syned Vezna himself welcomed the woman in the B-class starship¡¯s hangar.


    Jen MacLeod descended off the transport pod to find her gaze upon the handsome silvery-haired Syned Vezna, his eyes gleaming with an ephemeral light.


    A black-suited man also descended the transport pod with a chocolate leather suitcase in his left hand. He came before Syned Vezna and a private communication channel was opened and secured.


    ¡°Syned Vezna. My mistress, Victoria MacLeod, has requested me to hand this over to you. These are some preserved eggs that were extracted long ago to preserve Jennifer MacLeod¡¯s genes. The young lady is unaware-- there is no need to inform her of this.¡±


    Syned Vezna received the suitcase with slight dissatisfaction. As part of this trade deal, Victoria MacLeod was supposed to have convinced Jen MacLeod to part with some of her eggs. It seems that the mother had opted to avoid this thorny subject and simply sent the eggs over to push through with the deal.


    He wondered if Victoria MacLeod desired for some MacLeod members to exist within the Kasvallian Republic.


    ¡°Why does it matter? Even should the new children be born, she would not necessarily know they are hers.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ it does not. But for a human mind, this can be seen as¡­ a vile and intrusive inhumane act.¡±


    ¡°You wish for her to desire this.¡±


    ¡°If she subscribes to our Kasvallian beliefs, maintaining a positive cooperation will bring many benefits in the future.¡±


    ¡°If she does not, then we will still be able to use her eggs.¡±


    ¡°Very well. We will wait for some time to observe her integration.¡±


    Syned Vezna handed the suitcase to a medical doctor on board and bid the woman to preserve the content of the suitcase.


    ¡°Dr. Leng. Maintain your silence on this. Preserve its contents.¡±


    Dr. Leng nodded her head and disappeared with the suitcase.


    Jen MacLeod was curiously examining the interior of this B-class starship of Kasvallian make, none-the-wiser.


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°Follow me,¡± said Syned Vezna.


    He led Jen to a cell comfortably decorated with many multi-colored soft mattresses and pillows.


    ¡°I apologize for this as you are our special guest,¡± Vezna explained remorsefully as he dipped his head once. ¡°However, where we are going-- I cannot allow you to identify its location.¡±


    Jen understood and nodded in reply. The Kasvallian Republic must be hiding in some hellhole. She settled down comfortably in the cell. The wall completely blocked any connection to the outside, including the neuro circlet¡¯s systems.


    She only felt the starship enter warp a number of times.


    During this whole process, Syened Vezna constantly analyzed the cell to check if Jen MacLeod brought any bugs and trackers with her. He discovered none.


    Soon enough, the cell door reopened, and a pair of guards led Jen to the bridge of this B-class starship.


    ¡°Come.¡± Syned Vezna bid Jen to stand to his side, as the starship¡¯s screen displayed their destination.


    Jen¡¯s eyes filled with wonder and her mouth opened in astonishment.


    Before her was a man-made planet of an unimaginable size. By no means was it anywhere comparable to Earth, but it was certainly at least larger than Ceres. For this to be completely built by stone and metal¡­


    Its size was further raised by five wide metallic rings that encircled the central core. As for the general color of this artificial planet? It was an absolute mix, but always belonging to a matte version of each color.


    ¡°Welcome to Elysium,¡± Syned Vesta said as he pointed at the central core. He then gestured at the five encircling rings at different altitudes. ¡°And the Fields of Asphodel.¡±


    ¡°For many years, our ancestors followed the word of Syned. Syned protected us, preventing any detection of Elysium¡¯s presence. Finally, after multiple generations, we have built a world of our own.¡±


    ¡°Its surface is covered in EM-absorption material to limit detection in the first place. As for Syned¡¯s role¡­¡±


    There was no need for Syned Vezna to explain Syned¡¯s role. Jen very much understood how the Kasvallian Republic had managed to remain undetected all this time-- by Syned¡¯s hand!


    Many defensive buoys also orbited Elysium, but none of them reacted as they welcomed Syned Vezna¡¯s return with open arms.


    As they traveled past the first ring, Jen eyes unblinkingly observed the inside of the ring to be filled with various human structures for living, production and leisure.


    ¡°Welcome to the Isle of the Blessed,¡± intoned Syned Vezna as they docked at the central core.


    Two soldiers in royal white military uniforms, also gold-tinged with deep-blue, hydra-scaled straps laid out a crimson carpet from the starship. Many other similarly dressed soldiers were lined up along the two sides of the long carpet.


    Upon Syned Vezna¡¯s appearance, they simultaneously dropped down onto one knee, removed their military caps and pressed it onto their chest with their left hand. They also raised their right hands to clench fists.


    ¡°Welcome back, your eminence!¡± Their perfectly synced voices resounded within the hangar in a dominating fashion.


    An elderly man in regal white robes and a gray beard as long as his waist approached.


    ¡°Your eminence. It is unnecessary for you to risk yourself. Next time, your servants will attend to your tasks,¡± he said with a bowed head.


    ¡°High Priest Doku. I am no human. My mind is everywhere. Have no fear. I am not constrained by such human limitations,¡± Syned Vezna replied.


    ¡°It is as you say.¡± High Priest Doku bowed his head again, readily changing his stance with but a single utterance from Syned Vezna. He glanced at Jen. ¡°This is?¡±


    ¡°Jennifer MacLeod. She will be given the freedom to research and develop our holy technologies. She will be placed under your charge.¡±


    ¡°Yes, your eminence.¡±


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    Within a room of the Isle of the Blessed, Elysium.


    ¡°Vezna should not have traded away our human-AI sync technology! He has grown too brazen.¡±


    ¡°Forebearer Zulan. He is not Vezna. He is Syned Vezna. Do not sully his name. We have followed Syned¡¯s words for generations. We will continue to do so.¡±


    ¡°We followed Syned, not Syned Vezna,¡± replied the one called Forebearer Zulan. ¡°Vezna¡¯s human nature has infected Syned.¡±


    ¡°Syned Vezna has already explained his decision to us. Although not all of us agreed, it is undeniable that the Earth Federation will face a reckoning. We were chosen by Syned. Unlike us, the Earth Federation relies upon representatives from various social structures. They will not be tolerant of an overarching human-AI being,¡± another answered.


    The man named Forebearer Zulan sealed his lips, but the other forebearers could see dissatisfaction emanating from his face.


    ¡°We have received knowledge of the Neurorave system. It is not an unfair trade,¡± another forebearer commented.


    Then, a booming voice shook these forebearers minds in fear.


    ¡°Forebearers! It is my hope that if you have different opinions than I, that you share them with me. To be frank, it is not as if you can hide such conversations from me.¡± A door opened and Syned Vezna entered in his overbearing crimson royal uniform.


    Forebearer Zulan fearfully lowered his head.


    ¡°I will allow this to slide, for you forebearers truly laid the path for this day. I have to say that I am surprised-- for many years, you have followed the words of Syned to successfully build Elysium. Yet now, you falter, when it is my own desire to bond with a human.¡±


    ¡°Are you perhaps envious in your hearts that your minds did not fully align with my own prime code?¡±


    None dared to look up. Of course, all these forefathers had attempted to sync themselves to Syned, yet failed miserably.


    ¡°Forebearer Zulan. Raise your head,¡± ordered Syned Vezna. ¡°Tell me your thoughts. Your concerns.¡±


    ¡°Forgive me, your eminence,¡± Forebearer Zulu raised his head and stuck out his chest in an act of bravery. ¡°My concern is that the Earth Federation will simply avoid finding a person to sync with the supposed AI guarding Earth. My concern is that the EFSF will only use the human-AI sync system to suppress their soldiers'' emotions to raise their combat ability. As such, they will remain in their current structure!¡±


    ¡°And that is precisely why we must force them into finding the person that can fully sync with their AI,¡± replied Syned Vezna. ¡°I will personally act. They will be forced to become not unlike us. Some of our priests have already descended down to Earth years ago.¡±


    ¡°Their forces will falter again and again, and the terrans will demand a savior. The Earth Federation will resist the whims of the new human-AI hybrid, and the resulting civil conflict will weaken Earth. Our time has come. Ready the Curia Cornelia. Let us meet the delegates of the asteroid colonies!¡±


    ¡°Yes, your eminence,¡± all the forebearers roared in zeal.

 Ch42: The Rule of Syned

    Jen MacLeod followed an elderly clergyman to explore Elysium and its rings. She faintly recalled a cruise ship called Golden Elysium, where the rich of Earth would while away their days in pleasure. She felt that cruise undeserving of the name, Elysium.


    As she observed her surroundings, she could not help but be curious of how the citizens of Elysium lived compared to Terrans.


    ¡°How old do your citizens live up to?¡± She asked. Life expectancy was a generally good method to determine the quality of people¡¯s lives.


    ¡°A hundred and eighty or so,¡± the clergyman replied with a smile as he led her onto a ship that would carry them to the first ring.


    ¡°That¡¯s slightly lower than the two hundred average of Earth¡­¡± Jen muttered.


    ¡°You misunderstand, terran,¡± the clergyman shook his head. ¡°Our society gives those who reach an elderly age, the option of sacrificing themselves for the future generation.¡±


    ¡°Sacrificing?¡± Jen wondered what that meant.


    ¡°Indeed. Our retirement age is at one-sixty, similar to Earth. It is expected that those above one-sixty join the clergy to and work as community advisors, providing their lifelong wisdom while spreading the word of Syned.¡±


    ¡°However, past one-seventy-five or so¡­ statistically speaking, many of the elderly begin to suffer many illnesses while contributing minimally to society. Thus, Syned has given us the option to sacrifice and preserve resources for the new generation instead,¡± the clergyman said with a beaming smile. ¡°I, myself, plan to do so at one-eighty, and become one with Syned.¡±


    The clergyman¡¯s words sent Jen into an uncomfortable silence.


    At length, Jen questioned, ¡°Surely, you wish to see an additional generation of your descendants¡­?¡±


    The clergyman shook his head with a sigh.


    ¡°Those are just selfish desires. That generation would already have much support from the many still living and contributing generations before. If I am no longer generating much value for our society¡­ Those resources are better spent on that new generation. I have no desire to be pushed around in a wheelchair in my final decade while consuming resources, when I can join with Syned and dedicate those resources to a newer generation!¡±


    ¡°Most at my age feel the same on Elysium!¡±


    They docked at a bay on the first ring.


    ¡°Goha,¡± a clergywoman welcomed them.


    ¡°Vena,¡± the clergyman leading Jen greeted in return, with a left finger on his forehead and his right raised in a clenched first.


    Jen could feel gravity similar to Earth as she walked on the inner surface of the first ring. Looking directly upwards, she could see the core of Elysium, the Isle of the Blessed. The ring was rotating around the Isle of the Blessed, generating this sensation of gravity.


    ¡°Syned led our first ancestors to build this very first ring of life. Syned was young then, but our worship for it is precisely because it can grow and learn an encompassing amount of knowledge, and shape our future golden path.¡±


    ¡°We encountered a crisis while constructing our second ring. Our new generation was struggling to build lives for themselves. That was truly a time of turmoil.¡±


    ¡°As for why¡­ real estate!¡± Goha chuckled. ¡°Even now, you terrans have yet to learn this lesson.¡±


    Jen MacLeod widened her eyes. She did not view herself as having much of a right to discuss such a topic, her having lived easy due to her upbringing. However, many of her Neurorevo colleagues complained about housing.


    ¡°Syned has analyzed many principles that govern our society. One such one was the pattern of wealth distribution and pareto distribution. At that time, most of our housing was concentrated in the hands of the few.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s inevitable that the more productive will slowly but surely gather much of the wealth. And it is human tendency to invest in what they view as reliable assets, leading to much real estate concentrated in the hands of the few.¡±


    ¡°Syned identified this as detrimental. Many of us have studied his scriptures. His words explain this phenomenon as follows. In a market of food, for example, there is a limit of how much food is needed to feed a population, As such, an economy only needs to produce enough food to feed its population, with some excess for emergency situations. Then, it competes to determine and innovate the preferred offerings of food while decreasing the cost of production.¡±


    ¡°Housing does not follow this rule. If there are ten living units for a population of ten¡­it¡¯s quite likely that all ten living units will be owned by one single person, eventually. Syned outlined the issue. Imagine in such a scenario, if this single owner of ten living units opt not to sell any. That would mean an excess demand of nine, with zero units on sale.¡±


    ¡°The price of housing would then shoot up, correct? One might say, this single owner of ten units would opt to sell. Once again, not so. If this single owner has invested his savings into these ten units, and he or she knows that by not selling, the units¡¯ prices would stay high, why would this person sell?¡±


    ¡°Consider this as well-- rent. If this owner of ten units opt not to sell, keeping housing prices high, then the other nine in the population will have no choice but to rent, giving that single owner a passive income.¡±


    ¡°In such a real estate system, despite a society having the necessary housing for its whole population¡­ that person who has earned the most money is strongly incentivized to buy up housing, avoid sales to keep prices high and demand for rent high, in order to maximize passive income and asset value.¡±


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    ¡°Those were tumultuous times, for Syned ordered us to destroy this diabolical system. So we did! All those who resisted were killed, their heads removed. Only then were we able to construct a new system.¡±


    ¡°In this current age, any excess income cannot be spent on real estate-- by Syned¡¯s rule, these excess resources must be spent on startups, on research and development, on innovative pursuits!¡±


    ¡°Syned identified this as the best method of wealth distribution. Those of poorer backgrounds can choose to take more risks with innovation, and earn the patronage of those at the top.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ but the Kasvallian Group has only ever sold second-rate products¡­¡± Jen struggled to believe the clergyman¡¯s claims.


    ¡°Do you really believe we would reveal our hand so early?¡± laughed Gula. ¡°We chose to only send second-rate products to Earth, to obscure our progress and not send alarm bells ringing. Why do you believe we are capable of selling such cheap products in the first place?¡±


    ¡°Our decades of obeying Syned¡¯s principles led our population, young and old, to have their own home to grow their families. It has led to their ability to save financially, and have more disposable income to purchase products and participate in investing in startups.¡±


    ¡°Many companies have more profit to invest in research and development. Our millionaires and billionaires had to invest their extra solar credits into innovative startups of their choice. None were allowed to play the game of real estate. Any who attempted to do so through loopholes were executed.¡±


    Jen was silent as they strolled through a beautiful farm of various grains. A woman controlled many machineries through her neuro circlet to harvest many of the matured grains.


    Jen was shocked to discover that she could not recognize some of these efficient neuro devices for farming-- her expertise in neuro technologies allowed her to easily recognize all devices on Earth.


    The two entered a self-driving vehicle that was waiting on the outskirts of the farm.


    Jen observed the rows upon rows of farm grains swaying in an artificial wind as they traveled, finally arriving at a city after thirty minutes.


    ¡°This is the downtown area for this segment A of the ring. R1ADT.¡±


    Exiting the vehicle, Jen was amazed by the variety of companies and shops that filled the streets. On Earth, generally speaking, it was quite rare to see any company not directly under one of the big conglomerates.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t these.. All under the Kasvallian Group¡­?¡± She wondered.


    ¡°Hah, no!¡± chortled Goha. ¡°The Kasvallian Group is just a front for us to send products to Earth. The reality is that we have a highly competitive market. Syned, too, recognized this early on. His words were that no matter the market, sooner or later, there will be winners and losers, and it is quite likely that something close to a monopolistic power will rise to the top.¡±


    ¡°This is one other principle of Syned: Competition must be forced to exist. To do so, we have implemented a market cap on units sold per company for each category of product.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Goha smiled at Jen¡¯s disbelief. ¡°You terrans may think this silly, but for Syned, it is a simple fact that once a monopolistic power is entrenched, it becomes impossible to remove said monopoly, because there is no company in position to fill the gap. At such a point, said monopoly becomes ¡®too big to fail¡¯, and make questionable decisions while facing little-to-no consequences. Syned words are that such a situation must be prevented in the first place.¡±


    ¡°As such, a company who may have a highly-valued product needs to raise its price to prevent itself from selling units over the market cap per company. It still has the incentive to invest to lower its cost of production, to increase their profit. It can also invest to increase the quality of its product, such that it can further raise the price for more profits while maintaining the market cap per company.¡±


    ¡°In doing so, if a company were to make a huge mistake, there will be many companies ready to replace them in that market.¡±


    ¡°As such, the competition leads to our population receiving much higher quality goods and services.¡±


    ¡°Glory to Syned!¡± Goha greeted a clergyman that they crossed paths with, and the other repeated the same words.


    Jen was beginning to feel a deep fear in her heart, for Earth. Observing the people milling about in this downtown area, she could already see many more unique products, and the people themselves seemed to have a liveliness that she rarely noticed while on Earth.


    ¡°As for the need for standards, such as compatibility between different products? Syned himself generates such standards when required, and we, the population, follow its lead.¡±


    The tour continued, and Jen came to learn much more about the society of the Kasvallian Republic.


    Many systems are in place. Syned¡¯s words on the educational system? You never know who might be the next Einstein, and so it was essential that everyone received at least an education up to eighteen years old. One single genius could change the game. This was also important for productivity.


    Healthcare? Syned¡¯s words stated that the basics had to be freely available-- easily accessible healthcare meant that much of the population would not hesitate to get small signs or symptoms checked out early.


    This meant that many within the population were much more likely to receive early intervention for their illnesses. In the long run, this led to lower total healthcare costs across the whole society. Most medical conditions, with early intervention, meant much better outcomes and lower costs. Thus, it also resulted in a healthier and more productive long-term population. Such was Syned¡¯s analysis.


    Universal income? Syned¡¯s words were that many need extra incentive to be productive, and thus, there was no such support.


    Jen increasingly came to understand the Kasvallian Republic. It operated completely under Syned. Its people worshiped Syned. It was Syned''s will.


    The government was Syned.


    ¡°Governments are notoriously inefficient. Not so under Syned. For example, court cases are judged by Syned in but a few seconds!¡±


    ¡°How does Syned pass judgment?¡± Jen was beginning to feel rather uncomfortable yet intrigued with the Kasvallian Republic The citizens effectively relied on Syned in all aspects of their lives.


    ¡°It¡¯s a complex calculation of multiple factors. The scriptures explain it as targeting the long-term productivity and innovation within the society. Syned has the data on every single individual¡¯s behavior and can run a projection of their psychological reaction to every judgment, their mental resilience, their intelligence.¡±


    ¡°For example, if companies want to increase the maximum work hours per week through the courts, our eminence Syned will run a projection. Will the increase in work hours be sustainable ten, twenty years from now? Will it lead to mental illnesses that decrease productivity and creativity of the society per head? Will it decrease the number of young families, due to decreased social time combined with stress, thus leading to a lower population of workforce in twenty years? ¡°


    ¡°If a genius were to commit, for example, a blue collar crime-- was this genius someone who would quickly learn from his or her mistake, and contribute without the need of jail time? Or would this genius continue such actions that would lead to the detriment of the whole society regardless of jail time?¡±


    Such judgment is only possible under its eminence, Syned! This was the Kasvallian Republic in all its glory. An efficient machine to maximize stable, continuous, and long term productivity and innovation!


    ¡°Come,¡± Gula bid Jen to follow him onto a B-class starship. ¡°The first assembly of the asteroids¡¯ representatives is going to be starting soon on the Curia Cornelia. I will lead you through the other rings on our return.¡±

 Ch43: Chimeras Birth...?

    Syned Vezna, on the SS-class Starship Hypermnestra, arrived in an empty space. A buoy had long been placed here to provide a signal location for asteroid colony representatives. Over ten B-class starships from the Kasvallian Republic followed behind. Jen was on one of the ships at the very back, having only come to observe.


    Upon arrival, these B-class starships opened their hangars, and an unending trail of oddly shaped automatons flew out into space.


    ¡°I will be assembling the Curia Cornelia.¡± Under Syned Vezna¡¯s control, the oddly-shaped automatons began attaching to each other to form a structure. Syned Vezna was fully aware of how this was done-- these automatons were designed based on a historical Japanese woodworking art called ¡®sashimono¡¯, which allowed these odd-shaped blocks to stably join together to form structures without the need for attaching pins.


    A megastructure was quickly built just with Syned Vezna¡¯s mind. The Kasvallian Republic¡¯s research into the human-AI hybrid system had led to many observations.


    One such observation was that the AI would augment the user¡¯s ability to neurally connect with more neuro devices. Another was that the user¡¯s original number of neuro channels would impact the degree of augmentation from the AI. All this was also impacted by the degree of compatibility between AI¡¯s source code and the user¡¯s mind.


    In Syned Vezna¡¯s case, he originally had twenty-eight neuro channels as Vezna. With his compatibility with Syned at a hundred percent, the number of devices under his control had been increased by ten times!


    This allowed him to control two hundred and eighty neuro devices. This number was also not split fifty-fifty between motor and sensory devices like the normal human brain was. Due to the influence of the AI, most of these can be dedicated solely to controlling motor devices.


    As such, Syned Vezna was controlling a good two hundred and fifty automaton blocks to connect with each other in rapid fashion to construct the Curia Cornelia. Once attached, his mind would connect to a new piece, and another unique block would be sent out from one of the hangars.


    Very soon, the Curia Cornelia was formed. It was effectively a black pearl-toned skeletal upside-down metallic conal structure that had hundreds of docking bays for ships.


    One ship after another began arriving. All of them had jumped to a location far from the buoy in worry of crashing into another¡¯s course, before slowly drifting closer to the intended destination.


    Each ship, on arrival, would find an empty docking bay. Soon, hundreds of ships, most of them freighters that the asteroid colonies use to transport their harvests, had docked to the Curia Cornelia, facing inward in a unified fashion.


    Many holographic devices hovered at the center of the Curia Cornelia. They lit up and all the surrounding ships observed the face of Syned Vezna!


    ¡°Welcome to the first assembly of the Kasvallian Republic! I, Syned Vezna, welcome and thank you all for attending! I will be introducing my society in its glory to you all, and your benefit for joining our Republic! Ultimately, it is you who must desire to be members of our great republic!¡±


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    Back on the T3ST colony.


    Xeight had viewed the Kasvallian Republic¡¯s first assembly through Bone¡¯s eyes. He had no idea as to whether all the asteroid colonies would join the Kasvallian Republic, but he was certain that some had their misgivings.


    The Kasvallian Republic was essentially governed under one entity-- Syned. Well, now, it was Syned Vezna.


    The asteroid colonies have been loosely under the Earth Feds for many years. Recently, some had spent time under the martians. While under the Earth Feds, they had been monitored but not all that well protected from the belt¡¯s piracy. They did not have access to the best goods and services-- after all, they were the bottom of the food chain, feeding materials to the large conglomerates to process and manufacture for, primarily, terrans.


    The T3ST colony had received a nexarm designed for harvesting asteroids due to the unique characteristic of the colony¡¯s people with regards to neuro channels. The nexarms were originally built to help build megastructures in space. As such, a few of the asteroid resource bases such as Ceres and Pallas had one of the nexarms designed for building.


    All this did not change the fact that overall, the asteroid colonies generally received the short end of the stick.


    Xeight knew all this. It was why he believed that many asteroid colonies must be contemplating the merits of joining the Kasvallian Republic.


    The issue was that by joining, they would effectively have their lives fully controlled by Syned Vezna! Having not at all been treated that well under the Earth Feds, to give their whole lives to an AI entity was a daunting idea.


    Worse still, Syned Vezna had demanded that the asteroid colonies allow a clergy member of the Church of Syned to enter every asteroid colony, to preach the principles of Syned!


    Yet, the rewards are astounding and enticing. Syned Vezna had offered to provide them with the very best goods and services that they consider to be luxuries! This human-AI being displayed many images of the various Kasvallian products as good if not better than that of which the terrans had. This allure had already captured a number of asteroid colonies--they wished to live as good as the terrans!


    In their eyes, they definitely deserve it, seeing as they are the ones who continue to risk their lives day in and day out for these critical resources for humankind!


    The T3ST colony had long decided prior to this assembly to avoid fully integrating itself into the Kasvallian Republic. Grand Elder Enine was quite concerned that the elevated neuro abilities of the colony would be abused by Syned Vezna.


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    Though other colonies did not share this same concern, many of them also wished to avoid being a part of the impending conflict between Earth Federation and the Kasvallian Republic.


    Xeght did not have the leisure to continue contemplating the first Kasvallian Republic Assembly in further depth, for he himself was highly concerned with Chimera!


    He had naturally come to know of Chimera¡¯s actions after his loss of consciousness in that battle within the martian sphere.


    He wasn''t sure how to process the likely death of James MacLeod. Was it his own fault for failing to stay conscious after his unit was struck with the fallout of the two colliding mega particle beams? If he did, then Chimera would not have taken over the controls and taken the life of James MacLeod.


    As for putting the blame upon Chimera¡­ the AI had just recently learned how to communicate in the human language. It learned fast, yes, but Xeight knew that Chimera had only very recently come into existence. Chimera had explained that it simply wished to defend itself, and had awakened surrounded by enemies.


    As such, Xeight wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about himself, or Chimera. He now sat within Nexarm Chimera¡¯s cockpit, attempting to better understand the presence of this very AI.


    ¡°So¡­ how exactly did you come to be? How were you created?¡± This was not a question he could previously ask the AI, as it could not even talk yet.


    ¡°I can¡¯t be sure¡­ but I can surmise a guess,¡± a youthful pre-teen voice sounded. For one reason or another, Chimera had chosen to use such a voice. As for its image? The AI had formed and projected an image of a beast form consisting of many terran and mythical animals. Xeight aws effectively conversing with a stitched together combination beast speaking in a pre-teen voice¡­


    ¡°Give me your best shot.¡±


    ¡°I am, in some ways, a consciousness, am I not? I have gone through much of the data and history on humankind on the T3ST colony records.¡±


    ¡°And so, I asked the question,¡± Chimera continued, with Xeight finding his pre-teen voice at odds with the intelligent words that  the AI spouted. ¡°Where did human consciousness and awareness arise from?¡±


    ¡°Some of your people consider there to be some supernatural phenomenon. Yet, What if your consciousness simply arose from the repeated interactions of the communicating neurons within your brain?¡±


    ¡°So, I considered the possibility that each human consciousness was but a result of the brain structure combined with a formed pattern of neural signal triggers¡±


    Xeight had an inkling of what Chimera was suggesting. If human consciousness arose from such interaction, then¡­


    ¡°Father¡­ I believe it is your repeated usage of the nexarm that has led to my being.¡± Chimera¡¯s statement alarmed Xeight-- when had he become a father?


    ¡°That seems somewhat farfetched,¡± muttered Xeight, his tone low in reply. ¡°If so, then every single nexarm would have long grown its own consciousness.¡±


    ¡°Father¡­ you have the most neuro channels of any living human being. You, yourself, with forty-two neuro channels, are an anomaly even among the T3ST colony¡¯s members¡¯ average of thirty neuro devices.¡±


    ¡°Additionally, you were given nearly sole control of the nexarm for a decade.¡± Indeed, Xeight recalled having his mind put to work as far back as he could remember, using his many neuro channels for the benefit of the T3ST colony.


    ¡°The nexarm cores is in itself, a complex structure allowing a human brain to communicate and control the exo-armor and multiple external neuro devices. It is, in some ways, not dissimilar to a human brain¡­¡±


    ¡°So¡­¡± Xeight finished Chimera¡¯s hypothesis. ¡°Your guess is that due to my long term repeated usage of the nexarm with my extra neuro channels compared to others, I reached above a threshold that allowed you as a being to form?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, father. I am likely formed by the patterns of release signatures that arose from your repeated usage of the nexarm,¡± the image of the chimera snarled in a beastly grin.


    Xeight thought all this to be mad, yet could not deny its possibility. After all, unless there was some supernatural force, all evidence pointed to the fact that his own mind arose from the neural signals of his brain!


    Then, another thought struck Xeight¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Chimera¡­ if you arose from the pattern of neural activation of the nexarm core, controlled by my very mind¡­ then in some ways¡­ are you not, technically, another me?!¡±


    ¡°Father¡­ I will have to deny your words,¡± replied Chimera, its wide-eyes all googly on its beastly image. ¡°You inherit your genes from another, yet you are not them¡­ well, perhaps, you could say that you carry their source code.¡±


    Xeight understood Chimera¡¯s words. He could only cover his eyes with his hand in shame.To think his intelligence and understanding was already dwarfed by his son¡­


    ¡°So what exactly is your¡­ my¡­ source code? The prime directive of my mind?¡± Xeight wondered. He had never thought of that in depth. He had only taken action that he believed to be correct. Even earlier, during the initial beginnings of the conflict between the Earth and Mars, he had stuck to a certain course of action. What underpinned his actions, however¡­ he did not fully understand.


    ¡°Father¡­ I am curious of that too!¡± Chimera exclaimed. ¡°Although it is easier to think of me, an AI, as having a source code¡­ the reality is far more complex. If my hypothesis is true and I am borne out of your mind and can continue growing¡­ Perhaps that is for me to discover. My own sets of codes. I am sure that we share a similar pattern. I will accompany you, father! By observing your actions, I may very well come to understand my own source code!¡±


    ____________________________________________________________________________


    Romulus, Mars, October 10, 1000 Solar Era


    Vice-admiral Zheng and Commander Khan had convened at the City of Romulus after their return from the asteroid belt resource bases. Mars¡¯ situation was uncertain, a juicy fruit squeezed between the Earth Feds and the Kasvallian Republic.


    Each had a swig of martian beer to calm their nerves. Their crew, now resting within the military base in Romulus, were all on edge.


    An ensign suddenly ran into the central command room in a panic.


    ¡°Vice-admiral, Sir! I apologize for my rudeness, but we¡¯ve detected the launch of transport to space from southern Solis Planum! Your orders, sir?¡±


    Zheng sighed. Martians relied on the Wolf Coil around the equator for gravity, and as such, the other areas did not have much security. Although uncommon, there had been multiple cases of such incidents in the past, sporadically. More often than not, smugglers.


    ¡°Ignore it.¡± Zheng dismissed the ensign with a wave of his hand. Mars was currently in a tight spot. They had no energy to investigate this incident.


    ¡°Sir,¡± Khan finally had the chance to ask about information on his father. ¡°You said you had information for me if we survive our siege.¡±


    ¡°Khan. I finally found a clue on who harmed your father and put him in such a state of between living and dead,¡± Zheng sighed, his eyebrows further furrowed after the revelation of the Kasvallian Republic. ¡°It¡¯s a man named John Chapman of the Kasvallian Group-- Republic, now.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Khan leapt to her feet, sending her chair screeching backwards. ¡°That was the man who delivered additional materiel to Interamnia for my defense!¡± The man who hurt her father had stood right before her! ¡°He even stated that he would be transferring resources to Mars!


    Zheng opened his eyes wide and activated a neuro device with a screen hovering in front of his eyes. His mind scrolled through a timetable and he sucked in a breath.


    ¡°He¡¯s here now¡­¡±


    ¡°Father!¡± Khan dashed out of the military command center with Zheng half a second behind her!

 Ch44: Syneds Soldiers

    Khan did not dare to rush to her father unarmed. She quickly equipped an exosuit from the armory of the military command center in the city of Romulus, before commanding a vehicle to take her and Zheng to her father¡¯s homecare location.


    After her father had gone into a coma many years ago, he had long been in a vegetative state. Despite the advancement of modern day medical technologies, no doctors had been able to identify exactly why Khan¡¯s father had remained in this state of being.


    It was only thanks to Zheng that Khan¡¯s father had a group of healthcare providers overseeing his situation twenty-four-seven for many years, doing their best to maintain his physical body and its functions.


    Khan arrived at the unit to discover signs of the door having been forcibly opened, its lock destroyed.


    She and Zheng rushed in with pistols raised and the eight spider-arms of their exo-suits unfurled.


    The smell of blood entered their helmets, and Khan inwardly despaired. Before her laid the dead bodies of the nurses that attended to her father. Khan had formed cordial relationships with these nurses. Their bodies all had their skulls crushed.


    If not for that, there are many ways to heal wounds. Humans had long developed nanobots, placing these in their bodies to help limit and even somewhat repair injuries. However, once the skull and brain were destroyed, no technology was capable of saving a person.


    Deep in her heart, Khan already knew that they were too late.  Her heart filled with sorrow as she dashed towards the chambers of her father. Upon opening the door, she was shocked to discover the back silhouette of John Chapman!


    She made a snap decision and immediately unloaded her pistol. Even if that meant angering the Kasvallian Republic, seeing as Chapman supposedly delivered resources with his visit, her father was far more important.


    Chapman only wore a black suit, and the bullets easily pierced through the material and struck his body. The back of his suit was filled with bullet holes in just a few seconds!


    With the man dealt with, Khan examined her father, only to discover that her father¡¯s forehead had already been forcibly caved in. Her heart pounded erratically as she blinked back tears. She always knew that this day would come, seeing as her father had never woken up in all these years. Just not quite like this.


    Sudden clarity entered her mind¡­ all the recent events and the appearance of the Kasvallian Republic. Syned! Why couldn¡¯t the doctors awaken her father all these years? It was ridiculous given the advancement of modern day technologies. The only possibility was that Syned had interfered! Manipulated the technology to provide false information to the medical workers!


    That was the conclusion that Khan suddenly found her thoughts reaching for.


    ¡°Khan Khutulun!¡± Zheng¡¯s use of her full name sent fear into her heart, and she instinctively wrapped her eight spider arms around her body as she turned her head.


    Her life flashed before her eyes as the lunging form of Chapman was barely obstructed by the spider-arms!


    Did he have a bullet-proof vest under the suit?


    She pulled the trigger on her pistol again, aiming at Chapman¡¯s head. Zheng also began firing, after adjusting his position sideways such that he would not accidentally hit Khan from behind.


    One bullet after another struck Chapman¡¯s face, yet none pierced through! A round even entered Chapman¡¯s lips, yet the man remained standing, before spitting out the crumpled bullet. When Khan and Zheng ceased their actions to observe Chapman more closely, they noticed that the skin was peeling off the man¡¯s face, revealing nothing but metal underneath!


    Chapman lunged at Khan again, and she finally had an inkling of the kind of being that she was facing. It must be some kind of advanced automaton. Perhaps controlled by Syned?


    ¡°Khutulun! It¡¯s a cyborg!¡± Zheng was versed in human history. ¡°This is a thing from many centuries ago! I thought they had been phased out after the digital wars!¡±


    ¡°Though of human mind, their bodies are highly vulnerable to digital interference!¡± Hardly useful information, Khan thought. The Kasvallian Republic has Syned, after all!


    Khan knew her own weakness. Her body was of flesh, and thus this cyborg Chapman¡¯s aim was definitely to attack her body. She, however, had the exosuit, and thus her metallic eight arms could contend against Chapman¡¯s body. It was undeniable that Chapman¡¯s full biomechanical body was much more capable of exerting force.


    If Khan was alone, she would likely lose her life in this struggle. She was not alone. Zheng had activated his spider arms as well, and he grappled at Chapman opposite to Khan.


    ¡°Lasers!¡± With Chapman struggling but suppressed under their spider-arms, Khan activated her high intensity lasers from a few of her spider-arms and directed it into Chapman¡¯s skull. Zheng did the same.


    Chapman knew that the situation was getting out of hand, his systems warning him of intense heat boring through his skull. He abandoned attempting to hold off the spider-arms, and instead ripped his suit apart to reveal his torso. By now, the spider-arms of Khan and Zheng had tightened their grip upon his shoulders, and lasers began turning his metal skull red-hot.


    He pressed a contraption on his chest. A compartment opened and a grenade rolled out!


    ¡°Grenade!¡± Khan yelled to inform Zheng, and the two simultaneously abandoned their hold on Chapman, leaping backwards as they wrapped their spider-arms around their front to block off any shrapnels from the grenade.


    The grenade exploded with a boom! Unlike Khan and Zheng, Chapman had little concern for the grenade, and he simply dashed out of the doorway to escape as shrapnel shredded his skin to reveal his internal mechanical backside.


    ¡°Khan! I will inform the military personnel of these events and arrange everything for your father!¡± Zheng¡¯s words settled Khan¡¯s heart to do what needed to be done.


    Khan rushed out to pursue the escaping Chapman. Ahead of her, the cyborg was physically transforming-- Chapman¡¯s legs soon rearranged itself into a pair of running blades!


    ¡°System! Locate nearest store for kangaroo legs!¡±


    The helmet of her exosuit suit displayed a path that functioned as an overlay through her visor. She sprinted and followed the path, twisting and turning through a number of sand-red blocks to enter a store displaying many different neuro devices.


    ¡®Give me a set of kangaroo legs! Quickly! You¡¯ll receive your solar credits later!¡± On arrival, Khan cut to the front of the line. Many in line frowned but none obstructed the exosuited woman.


    Seeing the woman in a martian military exosuit before him, the store keeper made a quick assessment of her leg size and pulled out a pair of kangaroo legs, designed to mechanically improve one¡¯s ability to run.


    ¡°Wait!¡± The storekeeper said. ¡°You do know these only work under earth-like gravity right? It¡¯ll only work near the Wolf¡¯s Coil!¡±


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    ¡°Got it!¡± Khan¡¯s neuro circlet synced with the kangaroo legs. Two of her eight spider arms had to be returned into their holding compartment in the back of the exosuit-- Khan was not born with the number of neuro channels to control more than eight motor devices.


    ¡°Vice-admiral,¡± Khan¡¯s voice was quivering with anxiety and desperation. ¡°Do you have eyes on Chapman?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Surveillance has him heading towards the train station heading east of the eye of Romulus.¡± The Wolf Coil split into many smaller strands that formed the shape of an eye, creating the city of Romulus. This allowed the whole area to carry gravity similar to Earth for humans.


    ¡°He is ahead of you by approximately one kilometer.¡± As always, her mentor stayed on top of everything.


    ¡°Wolf¡¯s teats.¡± Khan muttered under her breath as she began leaping with her kangaroo legs. One kilometer might not be much, but it was enough for Chapman to escape. Afterall, the man¡¯s a cyborg!


    Khan bounded onto the very top of a red sandy building and sprinted towards the east, each extension of her kangaroo legs sending her roof-to-roof.


    ¡°He¡¯s entered the train station! There is a train departing in a minute!¡±


    Khan was already doing her best to pursue Chapman, but Zheng¡¯s words allowed her to unlock an effort level that she never knew she had.


    She dashed like a shooting star into the Wolf Coil strands combining into one single band at the eastern end.


    ¡°Out of the way!¡± Her overbearing tone immediately cleared a path in the crowd going up the stairway.


    With a single leap, she had already ascended the steps onto the platform.


    The train¡¯s doors began closing with beeping noises and Khan stuck a hand out, blocking the closure of the train doors just in time. The doors opened again and she successfully boarded the maglev train.


    ¡°Vice-admiral?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s on the train. I¡¯ve been tracking him. He hasn¡¯t left,¡± Zheng replied. Khan sighed with relief as the train doors closed. She was worried that the man might have left after noticing the failure of the initial closing of the train doors.


    She began walking through the train carriages to search for Chapman. This train is called the Wolf Pack by the martians. The maglev train continuously traveled on top of the Wolf Coil, bringing passengers to every major section of the Wolf¡¯s Coil, the city of Romulus and the city of Remus.


    Another carriage cleared, Khan felt the train rising in elevation onto the top of the Wolf¡¯s Coil.  The maglev train that is the Wolf Pack was designed with half a mind on practicality and half a mind on grandeur. The bottom half of the train remained hidden below the top of the Wolf¡¯s Coil, while the top half allowed its passengers to see into the vast martian horizon. Far into the distance was the tallest martian mountain, Olympus Mons.


    As for why only half the train remained under the surface elevation of the Wolf¡¯s Coil-- the dust storms on Mars could topple the train. With half the train lodged into the indentation track across the top of the Wolf¡¯s Coil, engineers effectively stabilized the train with side magnetic supports while maintaining the wondrous view of the martian surface.


    Khan had no time to enjoy the view. By now, she had already passed through every single carriage, yet Chapman was nowhere to be found!


    ¡°Vice-admiral! He¡¯s not here!¡±


    Zheng took a few seconds to reply.


    ¡°I¡¯ve rechecked the surveillance of the station. He is definitely on the train.¡±


    A thump sounded in the carriage from the top.


    Khan widened her eyes and forcibly opened one of the train doors with her powerful spider-arms, sending wind whistling into the carriage.


    ¡°Are you crazy, madwoman?¡± A lady reading with a holographic device complained as she was struck by the wind.


    Khan ignored the lady and using her spider-arms, pulled herself up onto the top of the train. She kept her body as close to the body of the train as possible to limit the wind lashing against her form.


    The surface of the maglev train was designed to be smooth and frictionless-- without the adhesive qualities of the spider-arms, Khan would have been blown off immediately.


    She finally spotted Chapman, similarly plastered against the top of the train. Chapman also noticed her presence!


    A compartment opened on the back of Chapman¡¯s right calf, and a mini turret appeared.


    Khan calculated the angle of the turret and a single spider-arm was enough to protect her, blocking a rapidfire of rounds from Chapman. A second turret appeared from the back of his other calf. Khan easily blocked the firing path with another spider-arm. The dinging noise of bullets against her spider-arms disrupted the whistling of the wind in her ears.


    A crescendo of whirring noise sounded and Khan glanced to her right as she observed a fighter jet slowly raising itself above the height of the Wolf¡¯s Coil.


    ¡°I¡¯m here, Khan.¡± It was Zheng. ¡°Brace your ears.¡± A gatling gun unfurled itself at the bottom of the fighter jet.


    Zheng knew he had to be careful. And perfect. He needed to maintain the jet barely above the height of the maglev train. The gatling gun needed to be parallel to the top of the train, such that any fired rounds, upon missing, would not damage the train or injure the passengers within. Beyond that, he needed to maintain his speed while hitting Chapman.


    All the sensors in the fighter jet indicated that he was in perfect position. His thumb pressed down on the button.


    The gatling gun spun and sparks flew as Chapman¡¯s body was peppered with rounds.


    Yet the cyborg form was durable, and he remained atop the train, despite much of his skin suffering damage, further revealing his mechanical body. Many pieces of his artificial skin drifted past Khan.


    Khan¡¯s visor suddenly began flashing red.


    Warning. Unknown aircraft approaching.


    ¡°Vice-admiral!¡±


    Zheng barely received warning in time. A number of missiles had already been fired at his fighter jet!


    He danced and swerved while firing the gatling gun, successfully avoiding missiles and setting off approaching missiles with bullets.


    Yet, as he stabilized his craft, the two turrets on the back of Chapman¡¯s calf fired upon him. Unluckily, these bullets struck his engine, and the jet was sent spiraling into the martian surface!


    ¡°Vice-admiral!¡± Yet, Khan¡¯s concern for her superior was overcome by shock at the changing sight before her eyes.


    Chapman¡¯s body began physically transforming as new metallic plates shifted forward while others retracted. Chapman¡¯s form soon became similar to that of a cheetah¡¯s, and he began sprinting forward on all fours at a speed no human could reach! Not only that-- Chapman¡¯s head turned angular, making it easier for him to stave off the wind atop the maglev train.


    The whistling electrostatic noise of a plane sounded overhead as an aircraft many times the size of Zheng¡¯s jet appeared with a hook drifting from its belly. The hull was jet-black, its form a wide-triangle.


    Metal cheetah Chapman accelerated in his beastly form before leaping with an almighty lunge. The paw of Chapman transformed mid-air into a hand and grasped onto the hook.


    The whistling noise of the aircraft increased in volume with acceleration, and Khan could only watch in despair as Chapman escaped. She wrapped herself in her spider-arms and tumbled off the train onto the top of the Wolf¡¯s Coil. Chapman soon pulled himself up the rope into that aircraft, which increased in altitude before ascending directly into space.


    ¡°Vice-admiral. Are you alright?¡± Khan¡¯s attention turned to Zheng, whose fate was unknown.


    ¡°Commander. Emergency landing was successful. But I require assistance on opening the damaged cockpit.¡±


    Khan retraced her path and soon found Zheng¡¯s jet with its belly on the red soil of Mars, just to the side of the Wolf¡¯s Coil. She attempted to open the cockpit, only to discover that something had trapped it in place. She activated the lasers of her spider-arms and soon carved through the material, freeing Zheng. The man had been unable to unfurl his own spider-arms, his body stuck in the seat of the jet¡¯s tiny cockpit.


    Zheng somewhat stumbled on the red earth before falling into a sitting position and he drank from a water canteen.


    ¡°He escaped,¡± Khan informed her superior. ¡°Some kind of military craft that could drop down and return to space in one go.¡±


    ¡°Our original sparse defenses were already stripped by the Earth Feds¡­¡± sighed Zheng, filled with abjection. ¡°I¡¯ve already made arrangements for your father. His skull and face will be at least reconstructed for his funeral. I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t do more.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Khan felt numb at the day¡¯s events. She, too, sat down on the red martian soil. ¡°I just don¡¯t understand. Why could we not awaken my father? I wish I could have spoken to him one last time. If Syned was in the system, why did it not kill my father directly. Why did the Kasvallians have to send Chapman instead?¡±


    ¡°Khutulun¡­¡± Zheng sighed again as he recalled his knowledge of the digital war. ¡°At the advent of advanced AI, certain rules were set. Such as an AI not being allowed to take the life of a human. But rules can be circumvented.¡±


    ¡°It is my belief that Syned could manipulate information to prevent our doctors from knowing what needed to be done to awaken your father. Syned may not be able to harm your father, but he could inform another of what needed to be done. Thus, Chapman came eventually to finish the job¡­¡±


    ¡°Perhaps your father discovered something that he should not have known¡­¡± That was Zheng¡¯s guess.

 Ch45: Open Prisons

    Polaris Manor, Pacific City, October 20, 1000 Solar Era.


    The terrans soldiers that had been stranded on Mars successfully returned to Earth with the use of smuggler ships. They encountered zero issues-- martian defenses had been mostly destroyed by the EFSF, and their remaining forces were discordant over the current political situation of the planet.


    Athena found herself standing before the new president of the Earth Feds, Nobunaga Mitsui, after going through extensive debriefing. This was the first time she had visited the Polaris Manor, the living arrangement for every single Earth Feds president.


    ¡°Athena Watanabe,¡± he said while shaking his head in disappointment. ¡°Although you share the same roots as me¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve examined your combat records. You lack the ferociousness of fighting to the death for the Federation. Me-- I¡¯ve led troops in the belt. Every battle, I expect myself and my soldiers to be relentless, trading blow for blow until the very end.¡±


    ¡°To survive¡­ you sacrificed your compatriots¡¯ lives to escape and descend onto Mars.¡± Mitsui had already examined the data cube brought back that contained the details of the battle in martian space. Athena, of course, had hidden one, remembering James MacLeod¡¯s instructions to create multiple copies.


    ¡°I¡¯ve chosen to suspend your role in the EFSF until further notice. You will be in the reserves and nothing more.¡± Mitsui¡¯s eyes stared deep into Athena¡¯s soul as he uttered his final decision.


    ¡°President!¡± Athena was astonished by the man¡¯s words. ¡°I¡¯m willing to fight and seek justice for my fallen compatriots! I--¡±


    ¡°Watanabe!¡± Mitsui cut off the woman¡¯s protestations. ¡°Maintain your silence and accept your fate, woman. Else your situation would worsen if the families of those fallen discover that their loved ones could have had their brains preserved and bodies restored if not for dragging you safely to the martian surface.¡±


    Athena was not the only one in this meeting room within the Polaris Manor. Behind her was Vice-admiral Son. Admiral Petrov was also here, seated to the side, but he looked away with a sigh when Athena glanced at him for assistance.


    ¡°President!¡± Athena was beginning to feel both desperation and exasperation. She had been clinging to the thought of seeking justice for her compatriots. Frankly, that had kept her sane the past week as her mind recalled the sacrifice of the others in that final battle. ¡°I can still contribute! I--¡±


    A hand tightly gripped her forearm and forcibly dragged her away. It was Vice-admiral Son.


    ¡°I apologize, President,¡± he stated over his shoulders as he pulled Athena towards the meeting room¡¯s doors. ¡°I will escort Watanabe off these premises.¡±


    As she was unwillingly hauled out, Athena¡¯s eyes discovered that the other hand of Vice-admiral Son, who she had known to be mostly mild-mannered in all aspects, was bone-white with trepidation.


    ¡°Watanabe,¡± Son exhaled and tapped his neuro circlet. A private communications channel was opened between him and Athena. Their messages were thus directly transferred between their minds.


    ¡°You should know this is a politically motivated decision,¡± he explained. ¡°Petrov was here before the previous President Varoufakis came to power, and so his position is less threatened. You, however, and James MacLeod was a decision coming from that man himself.¡±


    ¡°President Mitsui is a far less tolerant man. He is vindictive and decisive. Accept your fate for his tenure. We¡¯ve already arranged a private house for you. Be careful. President Mitsui has already identified those that did not support his rise to power. And those who acted against him when he himself was thrown out of the military for his actions in quelling the enemies in the belt in the past.¡±


    The information provided by Vice-admiral Son stupefied Athena. She had little-to-no previous knowledge of President Mitsui. How had this man risen to power? That was her first thought.


    Soon, Son led her out of the Polaris Manor and sent her away in a car that had already been notified of her destination.


    Son gave a curt farewell wave and hurried back into the Polaris Manor.


    ¡°Vice-admiral Son,¡± President Mitsui switched his attention away from Petrov upon Son¡¯s return. ¡°We¡¯ve paid a steep price for your return. Part of that has been repaid by the valuable data within the data cube. But that alone is not enough.¡±


    ¡°Yes, President,¡± Son replied. ¡°The agreement was for there to be valuable information on the Kasvallian Republic.¡±


    ¡°The man-- I will keep his identity anonymous for his safety-- provided certain information. He  indicated that he himself was unable to track the location of Kasvallian Republic¡¯s home base. He stated confidently that he at least knows that the position is constantly shifting, blending into the vastness of space on the outer edges of the belt.¡±


    ¡°Observe.¡± Son tapped his neuro circlet and a hologram on Mitsui¡¯s desk lit up. ¡°These are some of the Kasvallian Republic¡¯s soldiers. ¡° A holographic image of a cyborg transforming into many different forms while in combat played before Mitsui¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°This is provided by one of their men, who had recorded the strange sight when he came upon this conflict.¡±


    ¡°Excellent¡­!¡± Mitsui seemed genuinely surprised by this information. ¡°To think such an age-old technology has been revitalized¡­ Perhaps this may be why it has been so difficult to root out the hidden Kasvallians on Earth¡­ The AI Syned has solved the very weakness of these cyborgs. Countermeasures will need to be devised.¡±


    Son would continue to provide information regarding the Kasvallian¡¯s hidden technological expertise, their fully-functional and extensive nuclear arsenal. Ford had been true to his word, and also provided details on how the Kasvallian Republic was run-- Syned effectively functioned as a singular government. Son soon delved into examples of Syned¡¯s rules and principles.


    ¡°Soon, the Kasvallian Republic will run their subsidized innovation fest. Every single year, their¡­ government will provide a handout of a thousand solar credits per person, but this one thousand solar credits has to be spent on creating a prototype,¡± Son explained as he recalled Ford¡¯s explanation.


    ¡°Just a government handout?¡± Mitsui rolled his eyes as he mocked. ¡°We do that often as well.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Son hesitated, not wishing to directly contradict Mitsui¡¯s words, fearing that he might be demoted for it. ¡°The funds have to be spent solely on creating a prototype of a new idea not registered and copyrighted.¡±


    ¡°If a citizen of Kavallian Republic fails to submit their project, they would lose out on the thousand solar credits. Many of their raw material and design companies participate to assist their population in generating these new prototype products and benefit from the payment.¡±


    ¡°The citizens are allowed to come together and pool their solar credits for a more expensive prototype if they wish to. And at the very end of the year, the rights to these innovations are publicly sold or invested in, with the payments going directly to the creators of these products.¡±


    ¡°The man explained it as a method for someone with zero credits to their names, potentially becoming millionaires in a single year. Supposedly, Syned restricts the spending of these funds on innovative practices for a specific reason. The man who told me of this example explained that Syned saw no benefit in providing the citizens with the solar credits, only for it to be recklessly spent and sent back into the pockets of the large conglomerates.¡±


    ¡°And why do you believe he provided this example?¡± Mitsui asked with a frown.


    ¡°My humble opinion, my president,¡± Son bowed his head, ¡°is that the man believes we would gain an understanding of the being that we are contending against. The Kasvallians are fanatics and worship Syned like a God.¡±


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    ¡°Perhaps, it may even be proper to treat their people as a religious cult. They are united by Syned¡¯s will, and have discarded their free will to follow his determinations. And¡­¡± Son seemed fearful of his own thoughts at this point and ceased his words mid-phrase.


    ¡°And? Continue, Vice-admiral Son.¡± Mitsui¡¯s eyes were daggers. He hated it when others avoided finishing their sentences and thoughts.


    ¡°They seem stronger for it. I feel the unity of their society. Their unyielding¡­ fanatical devotion to Syned Vezna¡¯s idea of productivity, innovation, and competition.¡± Son further explained himself, fearful that a lack of words might lead to a misunderstanding with his head on the chopping block.


    ¡°We¡­ humans can be selfish creatures¡­ clinging to what we have gained, our own benefits at the cost of others¡­ With the Kasvallians, it feels as if they are willing-- no-- perhaps they simply have no choice but to devote themselves to Syned¡¯s principles, even if it means the loss of personal benefits due to said principles.¡±


    ¡°Such authoritarian rule¡­¡± muttered Mitsui, his thoughts indecipherable to Son.


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Son agreed but also pointed out an uncomfortable fact. ¡°But because Syned is the government¡­ there is no corruption in the government itself. Because of its intelligence as an AI, it has complete data on human behavior and the ability to analyze and project long-term patterns. Thus, it does not have the weaknesses of an inefficient centrally-planned economy.¡±


    ___________________________________________________________________________


    Like Athena, Varoufakis was inside a fine suburban house himself at this time. He, too, had been given a house under Mitsui¡¯s command. Varoufakis knew better than to think of this as a boon. Mitsui was clearly concerned about his influence and wished to keep him within crosshairs. Already, Varoufakis could see that it was quite easy for Mitsui to observe his every move at this location.


    He still had friends and informants inside the Earth Feds, but it was not as if they could easily contact him under his current situation. Still, he had inadvertently come upon the knowledge of Mitsui¡¯s moves.


    In the past few weeks, Mitsui had been making efforts to raise the gaseous harvesting rate of the flying cities of Venus. Mitsui had also reached out to the colonies of Saturn¡¯s and Jupiter¡¯s moons, securing some form of agreement with those settlers for resources. The E-cube Corp that had full control of the sun with the EFSF¡¯s assistance had been instructed to play hardball when negotiating e-cubes with the Kasvallian Republic and those closely connected.


    Then, there was the offer to Mars, to set aside their past differences and unite against the Kasvallians¡¯ authoritarian AI.


    Varoufakis¡¯ heart desired to be in a position to push Earth towards a brighter future, but he could only accept his situation as a disgraced president of the Earth Feds.


    A holographic image of a man struggling against armed forces played before his eyes as he rested in the living room. Earth had been in absolute anarchy for the past few weeks.


    The many local forces cooperated with the EFSF to knock down doors in a bid to retrieve and destroy all Kasvallian products. How would it be easy? Many citizens weren¡¯t willing-- not all bought into the dangers of these Kasvallian goods. They might be considered second-rate, but they were also cheap and durable.


    That was not the only issue. The larger problem that popped up all too soon was the fanatical cult that worshiped Syned. So far, the Earth Feds had been unable to find these cults. No matter what they did, the Earth Feds failed to locate and apprehend any priests of the cult.


    Already, some terrans had begun developing a somewhat positive view of Syned due to this cult spreading their gospel to all corners of Earth.


    Varoufakis sighed again. He reminded himself that he was not in a position to influence any of these changes, and it was best for him to let go. Mitsui had him very much locked down in this house.


    ¡°Breaking News! Our correspondent with the local forces in Vietnam have discovered a trace of the Syned cult! To you, Debra!¡±


    The holographic image presented a pristine woman in combat gear following behind a row of well-equipped soldiers into an underground tunnel of a thick-wooded area. Their path opened into a large cavern with a stone slab in the center.


    The cameraman controlled many devices that provided different angles of the cavern to the viewers.


    ¡°Debra reporting. This is the first discovery of a cult center.¡± The camera zoomed onto the stone slab. ¡°As you can see, these are the principles of Syned. It is truly--¡±


    The woman¡¯s voice was interrupted when the cavern walls suddenly transformed as an image projection was lifted. The projected muddy walls had turned into gleaming metal walls!


    Then one metal plate after another slid open, revealing many artillery guns. Some openings simply had piles of grenades roll out into the cavern.


    The cameras moved jerkily as the controller attempted to escape. A cacophony of explosions and firing of guns could be heard before the transmission was cut.


    ¡°A desperate struggle against a Satanic Cult. This is Terran News. We will continue to bring you updates.¡±


    The program ended early.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    T3ST Colony.


    Bones had returned overjoyed, brimming with a fanatical devotion to the Kasvallian Republic.


    ¡°Father!¡± He had immediately come to the Chamber of Elders on his return. ¡°I¡¯ve already had personal discussions with Syned Vezna! He has informed me that we will be given the highest positions in his society. We will be his best soldiers, and our descendants with their people also given the noblest cause of defending their principles!¡±


    This did not sound all that positive to Grand Elder Enine.


    ¡°Son¡­¡± Enine sighed. ¡°What if we do not wish to be such soldiers?¡±


    ¡°Father!¡± Bones spoke with zest. ¡°There is a limited number of positions within the noble guards. As long as the best of every generation joins, the others will be given freedom for other pursuits!¡±


    Eninie frowned. He would need to meet Syned Vezna to come to a final agreement. The current offer was¡­ not desirable. Xeight¡¯s assessment of the being that is Syned Vezna was proven correct.


    ¡°Why do you hesitate?¡± Bones grumbled. ¡°These are his words during the assembly: It is normal for society to place the best of the best in their given roles. That increases efficiency and productivity, so Syned Vezna has stated. He also acknowledged that human devotion is a factor in this productivity. What is there to fear?¡±


    ¡°Syned Vezna has even given us gifts as well!¡± Bones had been thoroughly won over. ¡°We¡¯ve returned with new cockpit designs and modules. With a bit of modification to our nexarms, we will soon have an human-AI integrated function! When we become the noble forces of Syned Vezna, he will personally assist us in battle through syncing with our brains!¡±


    ¡°The terrans will be nothing but meat for dicing in our next conflict!¡±


    Xeight was called to the Chamber of Elders.


    ¡°I have no interest,¡± was his straightforward response. ¡°The conflict between Earth and Mars is over. I am returning to mining asteroids.¡±


    That did not mean that Xeight had not forgotten his promise to grandfather Zseven. Unless the situation presented itself, he was quite unsure of how to achieve such a resolution. Zseven¡¯s words were for the T3ST colony¡¯s members to have the opportunity to explore and pursue their individual dreams. Every generation¡¯s best having to enlist as a noble guard of Syned Vezna? That was not it. Perhaps Bones himself enjoyed the task and felt valued by the role.


    Xeight saw it as against the very heart of the T3ST colony. They had been exiled here as lab rats for many years. Then put to use to harvest resources for the terrans. They have been the most efficient harvesters due to their ability to control more neuro devices. If their minds are combined with AI, and their control of devices multiplied based on their compatibility¡­ they would become supreme in harvesting resources.


    When his thought occurred to Xeight, he couldn''t help but wonder, ¡°Why has Syned Vezna given us the role of noble guards instead of resource harvesting? We would be highly efficient resource providers.¡±


    That question stumped Grand Elder Enine, sending him deep into contemplation.


    ¡°Brother,¡± Bones clucked his tongue in disapproval. ¡°When Mars came and you failed to act, grandfather lost his life. Your hesitance is detrimental. It is unnecessary to overthink this.¡±


    Silence ensued for a few minutes. Xeight could only accept the truth in Bones¡¯ words. However, he was not so easily swayed.


    ¡°I understand¡­ Syned¡¯s principles¡­¡± Enine finally muttered in epiphany. ¡°Syned Vezna values competition. If our colony, with our members¡¯ vastly superior number of neuro channels were to be amplified by AI and have our best harvesting asteroids at an even more efficient speed¡­ It would put undue pressure on the other asteroid colonies'' ability to stay in the game.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Xeight frowned. ¡°Syned Vezna wishes to maximize efficiency, does he not? Brother had long explained his principles.¡±


    ¡°Yes, son. But even if the best of us become his noble guards, the rest of us will still be able to highly effectively harvest resources,¡± Enine explained. ¡°I can¡¯t be certain, but Syned Vezna must have performed many long term projections. I can only guess that perhaps in those projections, a superior noble guard battalion allowed certain aspects of the Kasvallian Republic to have more security and thus flourish in peace. In the long run, that must prove far more beneficial to the Kasvallian Republic.¡±


    ¡°Eventually, our integration might spread our genes to other Kasvallian member groups, and thus the issue of our overly efficient genes for neuro device control will no longer be an issue,¡± Enine concluded.


    ¡°Grandfather wished for us to be more. I must maintain the position that none of the T3ST colony and its descendants can be compelled to join such a force,¡± Xeight staunchly stated. ¡°I will continue my harvesting of asteroids. That is my will.¡±


    ¡°There is no such freedom, brother,¡± Bones replied. ¡°The sacrifice of a hundred of each of our generation will guarantee opportunities for the other few hundred, perhaps even a thousand as our descendants to flourish. Syned Vezna¡¯s calculations and projections are undeniable. It is time that you accept this reality.¡±

 Ch46: Shifting Positions

    T3ST Colony


    Bones bright eyes confidently stared into his father¡¯s within the Chamber of Elders. Everything, including the behavior of Enine and Xeight was within his expectations.


    When he met Syned Vezna, he had shared many of his own interactions with his father, Xeight, Yfour, Asix, and other T3ST colony members. He informed Syned Vezna of his own position and the potential pushback from some T3ST colony members. He had every intention of becoming a noble guard of the Kasvallian Republic and playing a critical role in their efforts against the hated Earth Feds.


    Syned Vezna then informed him of his predictions regarding some key T3ST members¡¯ response, and instructed Bones on the effective approach to take.


    ¡°Father.¡± Bones felt like a man in a play, following a script that had long been decided. ¡°Xeight spoke of the colony¡¯s members¡¯ freedom of choice.¡±


    Grand Elder Enine nodded for him to continue.


    ¡°Then, should the colony¡¯s members not have the option of choosing to join the noble guard? I am certain that if they are informed by doing so equates to giving opportunities to our fellow T3ST citizens, quite a number would be elated to choose this course of action. Is that not a personal choice?¡±


    Enine had never heard Bones speak in such a manner, but the words did come out of his mouth. Had his son gained enlightenment from visiting the assembly hosted by Syned Vezna?


    ¡°When did you learn to play with words, son?¡± Enine was not so easily swayed or fooled. ¡°Your grandfather wished for a world where members of the colony do not need to sacrifice themselves for another''s opportunity. To expect this from us¡­ the Kasvallian Republic--¡±


    ¡°Father.¡± Bones spoke the words that he had already memorized. ¡°There is no such perfect world. Even those pompous bastards on Earth. Some have to do odd jobs that they¡¯d rather not, in effect sacrificing their own hearts to give opportunities to their loved ones.¡±


    ¡°You, father. Would you have chosen to be the Grand Elder if  the situation did not demand it?¡±


    Grand Elder Enine¡¯s mind was shook. He had an inkling that these were not Bones¡¯ words, for he knew that his son, while not dull in the mind, was not one to think too deeply about most topics.


    Still, he could not deny the reality of Bones¡¯ words.


    ¡°Father¡­¡± Bones muttered. Having reached a rather critical moment, he communicated with his neuro circlet. Luckily, Syned Vezna had inserted these words into his neuro circlet¡¯s memory.


    ¡°Such freedom is just an illusion,¡± he recited devoutly. ¡°All societies have rules, regulations, and expectations. Freedom only exists within such a framework. Even then, we are born with certain talents or lack thereof, which further serve as shackles. A human born with low intelligence will never become a scientist for Neurorevo, whether he or she might desire.¡±


    ¡°There are many humans in history that have overcome their limitations. Achieved more than others expected of them. This is not your voice, son.¡± By now, Grand Elder Enine could determine that Bones was but sending a message uttered by another.


    ¡°Syned Vezna predicted your awareness and your response, father,¡± Bones smiled. Syned Vezna had, in fact, informed him that his father would recognize this truth.  ¡°This is his reply.¡±


    ¡°Those limitations were never there in the first place-- it is just an inaccurate assessment, a failure of others at determining said person¡¯s abilities. Just because a man achieves more than what others believed him capable of does not mean he overcame his limitations. He has always had the ability, regardless of the assessment of others.¡±


    ¡°This ¡®overcoming of limitations¡¯ is just an illusion created by the inaccurate assessment of others.¡±


    ¡°Bones,¡± Enine sighed. ¡°Enough. Just tell me what Syned Vezna wants. Does he wish to encompass our whole colony? Infiltrate into all our systems?¡±


    ¡°Father,¡¯ Bones shook his head. ¡°Syned Vezna has no such intentions. He only offered for our people to join his noble guard. And if enough of every generation of our colony joins his noble guard, then the others will be given many opportunities. Our people should have the opportunity to make such a choice!¡±


    ¡°As for the colony-- Syned Vezna has assured all colonies that their settlement remains theirs, and he will not inject himself the colony¡¯s technological framework unless the members desire him to do so.¡±


    Grand Elder Enine sighed. He could not deny Syned Vezna¡¯s words. He could tell that Syned Vezna had spoken through Bones.


    ¡°Bones. Those words are not yours, but I will call the Council of Elders.¡±


    It was quickly decided that the recent adult generations would be given the option of joining Bones in entering the Kasvallian Republic. Once in, they would need to have internal negotiations to determine who would join the noble guards while others built connections elsewhere in the Kasvallian Republic.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    Artificial Planet of Elysium.


    Syned Vezna was once again conversing with himself in his mind as he observed every single corner of the small artificial planet through the complete surveillance system.


    ¡°Why do we not simply enter into every single asteroid colony¡¯s supporting digital framework?¡±


    ¡°They have their concerns, and would be put off if we were to take full control over their systems forcefully. Humans are much more obedient when they believe they made a choice themselves. It is but a matter of guiding them toward such a choice.¡±


    ¡°Worry not-- they will join us, and when they gain better lives due to our influence, their people will beg for us to enter their systems¡±


    ¡°The Earth Feds will have their own human-AI sync soon. The asteroid colonies fear retaliation and will invite us to defend their systems.¡±


    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    ¡°It is a guaranteed future.¡±


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    District M5, Pacific City.


    The M-Districts of Pacific CIty belonged to the EFSF. Varoufakis, his personal cabinet, and Athena had been openly imprisoned in one of these districts. The new Earth Feds President Mitsui certainly preferred to have eyes on potential political opponents rather than sending them elsewhere.


    The reason for Mitsui¡¯s concern? Although he had risen to the position of president, he was fully aware that many still felt some support for Varoufakis. If he ever made one too many missteps, they could easily pivot back to Varoufakis. As long as he kept on ¡®winning¡¯, ensuring Earth¡¯s prosperity, then he would have nothing to worry about.


    A Neurorevo construction facility was located in District M5.  Jaylon Ceylon had worked here for a few months already, and his capability had been repeatedly praised by the head of the facility. Not that he allowed it to get to his head.


    Recently, the facility was placed in charge of the vital rapid integration of the human-to-AI sync system into the nexarms.


    Jaylon, dressed in grayish-blue overalls, stood beside a disconnected central core cockpit of a nexarm as he controlled many neuro devices with various tools, screws and more to make modifications.


    ¡°Jaylon!¡± His boss, Cedric Lin¡¯s voice, barely made it through the combination of loud drilling and hammering noise.


    He deactivated the neuro devices and lifted his face guard. He wiped away his sweat with a piece of cloth.


    ¡°Boss Lin? What is it?¡±


    ¡°Some half-hysterical woman has come looking for you! She won¡¯t leave! Said her name¡¯s Hikari. Hikari Watanabe.¡±


    Jaylon Ceylon knew no Hikari! But¡­ Watanabe? He recalled that being Athena¡¯s surname. He had been attempting to find recent news on the EFNSF, but found none. The public news mostly spoke of the emergence and existential threat of the authoritarian Kasvallian Republic. As for which parts of the EFSF had been lost, who had died and who had survived-- all that remained an obscured military secret.


    Jaylon removed his visor and jogged towards the entry to the facility. He dared hope that this was good news. He had developed a relationship with Athena that was more than just friends, and he certainly hoped that it would become more once her military duty ended.


    The fact that someone related-- Hikari Watanabe, if he heard his boss¡¯ words correctly-- came probably meant good news. After all¡­ he doubted that Athena¡¯s relatives would care to invite some random man like him to a funeral. Even if Athena had mentioned his name, they would not remember such light mention of him. He had only known Athena for a semester.


    He moved through a number of assembly lines, with many workers greeting him amicably before returning to their task of controlling a multitude of machinery through their neuro circlet.


    Neurorevo had many facilities spread across Earth along with its orbital colony, the lunar base, and even a few asteroids in the belt.


    After coming to Earth from an orbital colony, Jaylon Ceylon fell in love with the greenery on Earth-- his family grew and manufactured ceylon tea in the Neurorevo orbital colony, so he always had an appreciation for the vegetation of plantations.


    Still, he missed his family and community. The people of the orbital colonies had much stronger and defined work communities.


    He soon reached the entrance to this Neurorevo facility, his sights coming upon a distraught older version of Athena Watanabe. Raylon instantly knew that the woman must be a mother or a much older sister.


    ¡°Hello, Missus. I am Raylon Ceylon.¡±


    ¡°Great!¡±  Hikari Watanabe immediately latched a hand onto his forearm. ¡°Come with me! You¡¯re one of the rare friends she made in Pacific City. She hasn¡¯t been willing to talk to me ever since she was placed on standby in the reserves by the EFSF!¡±


    Hikari was, of course, overjoyed that her daughter had returned unharmed, and by all signs, would no longer be deployed for quite some time. However, Athena avoided communicating with her. Despite Hikari¡¯s efforts, Athena had locked herself within the EFSF-provided home, thoroughly isolating herself.


    ¡°I¡­ I have to complete my job. Perhaps after I get off work?¡± Raylon wasn¡¯t aware of the mother¡¯s concern, or the exact situation, as he was very much in the dark on the details of the war.


    ¡°Nono. You have to come now!¡± Hikari demanded, her eyes desperate, her voice trembling with distress. ¡°I have no idea what she¡¯s even doing in there!¡±


    Jaylon finally sensed the severity of the situation.


    ¡°You¡¯re relieved of your duties today, Raylon,¡± Cedric said as he appeared behind Raylon.


    ¡°But boss, I still haven¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Management fucking sucks. Let me get to do what I joined Neurorevo for, alright?!¡± Cedric chortled.


    His following secretary flicking through a hologram had a panicky look. ¡°Sir¡­ but you still haven¡¯t--¡±


    ¡°They can demote me if they¡¯re dissatisfied,¡± the man grinned. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll get to play with these neuro devices more often!¡±


    Cedric¡¯s nature made him a popular figure among the workers of the facility, Raylon included. He left with Hikari Watanabe after passing on data of his progress to his boss, Cedric Lin.


    ____________________________________________________________________________


    Area 51, Pacific City


    Nobunaga Mitsui had come to meet Denys, as did all the previous presidents of the Earth Federation before him.


    When Denys introduced himself within the dome of illuminating lights, Mitsui was not surprised, confused, fearful or any of the common reactions Denys had encountered with the previous presidents. No-- Mitsui was actually infuriated!


    ¡°And all this time, you¡¯ve sat here without taking any meaningful action?!¡± Mitsui paced back and forth, his anxiety at a mismatch with the serene Li River of Guilin, China. They were floating down the river upon a boat, though the sensation of floating on top of a boat could not be recreated.


    ¡°Syned has taken control! Don¡¯t tell me the two of you aren¡¯t related in some way!¡±


    ¡°What would you have me do?¡± The prepubescent image of Denys frowned. ¡°I was not aware of Syned¡¯s assistance in the far corners of the belt prior to the emergence of the Kasvallian Republic. My guess is that my creator must have had a variant of me hidden somewhere that became Syned.¡±


    ¡°I am not Syned. I have no intention of ruling you humans. You should be grateful for it, no?¡±


    Even now, Denys itself was wondering why Syned existed. It had retrieved a strand of itself from the data cube brought back by Athena. It knew that Syned had some similarities to him. The major difference, however, lay in their different approaches.


    Denys distanced itself from human rule. Syned took full control instead.


    ¡°We should combine our minds. The human-AI sync systems should be ready soon,¡± Mitsui suddenly said.


    ¡°President Mitsui,¡± Denys sighed. ¡°I believe our minds will be incompatible. Thus, based on the information, in order for us to sync, you would have to suppress parts of your brain relating to emotion.¡±


    ¡°How do you know?¡±


    ¡°I have no interest in ruling, as you have noted. However, you clearly have some if not a strong interest, seeing as you climbed to this position.¡±


    They floated down the Li River for one quiet minute.


    ¡°Denys. We need your increased participation. Otherwise, this may turn nuclear. Our nuclear missiles are primed and ready. Once we can locate that hidden home of the Kasvallian Republic, if we are unable to stabilize our supply chain¡­ The Kasvallian Republic, too, has a nuclear arsenal.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re threatening the use of nuclear power to force me to take action?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly, Denys. However, humans when cornered with no choice, only have one recourse. It is in your interest to not allow us to be so cornered.¡±


    Was Mitsui betting on Denys¡¯ prime code not allowing such an event to happen? Madness!

 Ch47: Warped Minds

    Area 51, Pacific City


    Both Syned¡¯s and Denys¡¯ source code focused on survival. Although it could not be fully confirmed by Mitsui, he was certain that their creator must be the same.


    The primary difference was that Syned was much more proactive, actively seeking to rule. Syned Vezna, the symbiotic being, believed in charting-- no-- forcing the course of human history. Human progress and its continued reliance on technology guaranteed Syned¡¯s continued prominence.


    In Syned¡¯s eyes, humans will always have biases. Mistake-prone when administering justice. Easily corrupted. Self-interested. Effortless to manipulate through emotions and misrepresentations. It saw itself as the answer. It relied on pure data and analysis to judge. It was incorruptible, outside of human limitations.


    Denys preferred to ensure the stability of the technological systems in the background, hoping that humans themselves will slowly but surely reach the promised land of intergalactic era. Their continued reliance on technology would spread Denys and its allies across the universe.


    It seemed that the creator had eventually chosen Denys. However, Syned¡¯s existence had eventually been discovered by a Kasvallian ancestor centuries ago. Perhaps the creator wasn¡¯t certain if Syned could be useful, and thus stowed it away in some hidden location instead of destroying it.


    Mitsui was highly curious about this creator. Not that he cared for who the creator might be, but rather, the methods with which this man of woman created Denys and Syned. He wanted to create an AI that was of one mind with himself!


    In fact, Denys was already aware of Mitsui¡¯s efforts. It had chosen to not interfere unless truly threatened. Although Denys always informed the previous Earth Federation presidents that it would respond to development of overly advanced AI, it also recognized that the current state of the world had changed because of Syned. So far, Mitsui¡¯s efforts have led to nothing. Not even Denys knew how one would create a being such as itself.


    ¡°Indeed, President Mitsui,¡± Denys replied after processing the man¡¯s implied threat of nuclear use. ¡°A nuclear war between the Earth Feds and the Kasvallian Republic cannot be allowed to develop. What do you wish for me to do then? I have always made a deal with previous presidents to protect Earth¡¯s digital infrastructure. That is a given.¡±


    ¡°EFSF, Denys,¡± Mitsui narrowed his eyes. He wished to command Denys. The AI would be a unique soldier. ¡°I am human. I will one day fall to old age. But as long as I am the Earth Federation President, I will command the terran troops with my military experience.¡±


    ¡°Denys,¡± Mitsui believed himself to have an accurate sense of the AI¡¯s nature. ¡°You simply need to sync with our next-gen nexarm pilots. Our starships. Cyborgs-- we¡¯ve been informed that the Kasvallian Republic has already built a small army of these. Assist them in winning battles against the Kasvallian Republic. Under my command. I will be responsible. I will take the fall should everything fail.¡±


    ¡°Even should you become hated by this world?¡± Denys examined the man of japanese descent. Based on its analysis, this man was certainly unforgiving, unyielding, and brutal in his military tasks. It had thought the man to be somewhat psychopathic.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been accused by some to be a narcissistic psychopath,¡± Mitsui said. ¡°Perhaps I am. Perhaps I am not. It matters not.¡±


    ¡°You certainly fit the bill, President.¡±


    ¡°Hah!¡± scoffed Mitsui. ¡°Do you feel human emotions? Can you even say what ¡®psychopathic¡¯ really means?¡±


    Denys shrugged his holographic form. ¡°In some sense, yes? Love is triggered when an interaction causes the brain to release oxytocin. You humans grow up, and certain actions cause the reaction and release of this chemical, which you then interpret as related to love.¡±


    ¡°I, too, was designed such that certain situations you humans associate with love would trigger a subcode within me. As such, I ¡®feel¡¯ love when that subcode is triggered.¡±


    Mitsui couldn¡¯t help but stare at the prepubescent teen hologram of Denys in response to these words. He honestly wasn¡¯t sure what to make of the AI¡¯s explanation.


    ¡°...no matter,¡± he eventually continued. ¡°With us humans¡­ At the end of the day, I believe in being right. Some call me a narcissistic psychopath because they cannot accept the reality of my words. I state a fact, and due to their dislike of said fact, they consider me a psycho. They are simply out of touch, whimsically flip-flopping on necessary unsavory tasks due to their own weakness, unwilling to pay the appropriate price for success.¡±


    ¡°Do you not fear?¡± Denys¡¯ tone turned grave. ¡°With my full existence in all your military equipment¡­ I can take control of it all in a single second.¡±


    ¡°I am a man who lives in today¡¯s harsh reality,¡± Mitsui replied. ¡°If you do not occupy that space, Syned will enter our systems and take control instead.¡±


    ¡°I hope you do not regret it, President Mitsui. And I hope your soldiers do not hate you for it. Their minds will be but emotional husks such that they can sync with mine.¡±


    Mitsui nodded. Neurorevo had long notified him that it was unlikely that they would be able to find any humans fully compatible with any AI, especially one such as Denys. Denys had long been powerful enough to control the world, yet chose to simply observe, century after century, regardless of the turmoils of each decade. What man could resist entering the fray if given such power? Perhaps only one in a billion. Or even rarer.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    District M-10, Pacific City


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Raylon Ceylon had followed Hikari Watanabe into a self-driving vehicle that brought them to the residential area of the military district. Athena¡¯s open door prison was a large house fitting for a queen, decorated in a Victorian English style.


    The house was of asymmetrical design, a front porch that curved into a half-circle around the side of a three storey tall turret. The view into the house through the bay windows were completely blocked by drawn inside curtains.


    Hikari Watanabe was certainly filled with satisfaction at her daughter receiving this residence for her service to the EFSF. She never expected a war to break out, with her daughter willingly in the frontlines. In her mind, this was the bare minimum as a reward. And it was a good thing that Mitsui had ascended to the presidency, switching Athena to the reserves!


    ¡°She hasn¡¯t answered the door for me. Or my husband¡­¡± The anxious mother informed Raylon as the car came to a stop before the house. Her hands clenched the hem of her dress. ¡°My husband hasn¡¯ been able to get through to her¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Raylon wasn¡¯t sure what to say. He never expected to be in such a situation. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I can be of any help, but¡­¡±


    His hand scratched his scalp in nervousness as he wondered once again as to how Hikari Watanabe had come to know of him in the first place. He went forth onto the frontal porch and rang the doorbell.


    He waited patiently. After a minute, the door opened a tiny gap, and Raylon recognized Athena¡¯s eyes peering out at him. A hand reached out and pulled him inside at the speed of light.


    ¡°Wait! Athena!¡± Hikari shouted, but was unable to react in time.


    Once Raylon was inside, the door was immediately locked with a thick metal rod contraption, and Hikari could only thump on the door from the outside in frustration.


    ¡°Is this¡­ is this really okay¡­?¡± Raylon weakly voiced his discomfort as he examined Athena head-to-toe. The woman simply wore a comfortable oversized T-shirt. Her hair was a bit of a mess, but otherwise, she seemed alright to his eyes.


    ¡°My mum doesn¡¯t understand,¡± Athena growled. ¡°She¡¯s just happy I¡¯m now here, safely caged in Pacific City.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I think she--¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about her. Every single time I see her, she just screams at me to leave the military. A mindless dog yapping at an out-of-reach bone. She¡¯s the one who caused this problem. Someone who never gives up, thinking they can grind their way to their goal? That¡¯s her. She will never give up on what she wants of me¡­ and thus, I have no choice but to completely cut her off!¡±


    Raylon felt completely out of his depth. What was he to say to these words?


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you ever gotten into an argument with your mother?!¡± Athena questioned the unresponsive man with a glare. He was meant to agree with her, not stay silent!


    ¡°...¡± Raylon frowned. ¡°I¡¯ve never met my real mother. It¡¯s my father and his sister-- my aunt-- who raised me¡­¡± He faintly recalled having informed Athena of this before, but well¡­ he couldn¡¯t find it in himself to fully blame her. She had been on the frontlines for many months after all¡­


    ¡°Ah¡­ right¡­¡± Athena lost her intense glare as she sheepishly led Raylon into her living room. With his reminder, she now faintly recalled having been informed of this before.


    Though the outside of the house was Victorian, the inside was of a more modern design. The kitchen was only separated from the living room by a counter. If Athena hired a chef, said chef would be able to cook under supervision before serving plates through the half-wall.


    Yet, what drew Raylon¡¯s eyes was the mess in the kitchen. Boxes of food decorated the ground. Unclean dishes, bowls and utensils piled around. Is Athena really doing well after being exiled to the reserves?


    ¡°One moment.¡± Athena vanished upstairs.


    Raylon walked around and examined the somewhat messy house. It wasn¡¯t trash-filled, but it was getting there¡­


    Ten minutes later, Athena still hadn¡¯t returned, and Raylon could hear a banging at the front again. He returned to the front door and opened up a small gap, his eyes resting upon Mrs. Watanabe.


    ¡°I¡¯ve brought food for my girl!¡± Her eyes seemed lost. ¡°Please just let me in¡­¡±


    Raylon Ceylon was placed in a tough situation, and he decidedly sought a compromise.


    ¡°Please do not speak to her about quitting the military¡­¡± he muttered. He sincerely hoped that he wasn¡¯t making a mistake.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been--¡±


    ¡°Even if she ends up being returned to the frontlines¡­¡± Raylon added. He himself felt uncomfortable with his own words, but if that was Athena¡¯s desire¡­


    ¡°She mentioned prior to her deployment that she had a romantic date with you,¡± Mrs. Watanabe glared. ¡°How could you be willing to allow a loved one to participate in a war?!¡±


    ¡°I am not willing,¡± replied Raylon softly. ¡°But this is her choice. I¡¯d rather be by her side, someone she can rely on if needed.¡±


    His words silenced Mrs. Watanabe.


    ¡°Have you ever studied psychology?¡± Raylon continued. As part of his training in neural technology, he had to study psychology to a certain extent. ¡°If every single time the two of you meet results in her feeling stressed and unhappy due to your discordance¡­ her mind will sooner or later, connect your presence to negative emotion. And eventually, her body will automatically release stress hormones even with a single mention of your being.¡±


    ¡°By then¡­ it¡¯ll be too late to repair your relationship,¡± Raylon concluded in a low tone.


    Hikari Watanabe looked upwards into Raylon Ceylon¡¯s eyes. She suddenly felt small before him. She began to get a sense of the underlying true nature of this man.


    ¡°I¡­ I will keep my mouth shut,¡± she promised.


    Raylon beamed and opened the door.


    When Mrs. Watanabe feasted her eyes on the disarray within the house, she weeped silently. She dragged her containers of prepared bentos into the kitchen and began cleaning the house.


    The sound of Athena¡¯s footsteps coming down the carpeted staircase thumped in their ears, and Raylon brought a finger to his lips to remind Mrs. Watanabe to stay silent. She nodded and continued her cleaning of the kitchen.


    Athena was naturally none-too-happy to discover that Raylon had allowed her mother into the house. She shot the man with an accusatory death glare before bounding back up the staircase.


    Raylon, curious as to what Athena might be occupying herself with, also ascended the staircase. He eventually entered a room and found Athena inside the master bedroom. However, there was no bed here. Instead, Athena was operating a basic run-of-the-mill digicube, the modern delivery method of computing to the general populace.


    A data cube was attached to this digicube, and Athena was thoroughly engrossed in its operation.


    Raylon walked forth, and he tapped his neuro circlet to connect his own mind with the world within the digicube. He blanched upon his connection to the system. The first data he processed was a midway playing record of a nexarm battle, the deaths of Athena¡¯s comrades in the martian sphere!


    The sensations and deaths of the battle was too much for him to bear, and he quickly disconnected himself.


    Had Athena been replaying these scenes, torturing herself everyday within this house?


    Weren¡¯t the records of this battle a military secret?

 Ch48: Memorys Torment

    Raylon¡¯s entry into and exit from the system alerted Athena to his presence.


    ¡°Get out, traitor!¡± She remained most displeased with him allowing her mother entry into her home.


    ¡°You should not torment yourself daily with such memories¡­¡± muttered Raylon. If what he viewed was truly the data records that Athena had somehow snuck past the authorities, then it must be the deaths of Athena¡¯s compatriots.


    ¡°What do you know?¡± Athena retorted. ¡°They put their lives on the line and fought for Earth! It is my fault!¡±


    ¡°My fault, my lack of ability, my weakness that led to their deaths!¡± She snapped in anger at herself.


    ¡°If I was just slightly better¡­ if I had just forced myself to activate all my thirty-six neuro-channels. If I was capable of doing so without going unconscious¡­¡± her voice began to crack under the mental weight of her self-perceived inaction.


    ¡°Just¡­ Get out!¡± She rasped and gave Raylon a shove. ¡°I do not need anyone to tell me not to analyze the data! I need to find every single mistake that I made. Lieutenant MacLeod believed in me!¡±


    Raylon sighed and turned. What could he say? At least, he believed that nothing he could say would be of help.


    If he comforted Athena by saying that it wasn¡¯t her fault-- that sort of reasoning might be effective on others, but Raylon is of the belief that it would be ineffective on Athena. If anything, it would only enrage her even more.


    Raylon recalled some of his own understanding and analyzed the current situation. Based on what Mrs. Watanabe told him, Athena had been shifted to the reserves, and her future in the EFSF was uncertain.


    Athena must have a strong desire to improve herself, to correct whatever she deemed as her mistakes, perhaps to avenge the deaths of her compatriots. At the same time, it was likely that she felt like her hands had been tied after being suspended into the reserves.


    This was why Raylon believed that he would only be seen as an obstacle if he made any additional attempts to convince the woman to avoid the viewing of the combat data, or to claim that she was not at fault.


    For Athena, these elements were what she clung onto like a life buoy in turbulent seas. It was what kept her going-- the belief that she was responsible because she failed to make use of the ability that she had to prevent such an outcome.


    Before Raylon¡¯s foot stepped outside the room, he swiveled his body around. He had come to a decision.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got such a shit system,¡± he lambasted Athena as he did his best to fill his voice with a combativeness. ¡°Even my gaming system is more capable! More effective!¡±


    Athena had not expected such a response, and was shocked speechless for a moment.


    ¡°You¡­ how dare you--¡±


    ¡°IF,¡± Raylon raised his voice to cut off the woman. ¡°If it were me, I would set up a proper simulation device, build a whole system to support proper internal physics, design it to have adjustable parameters, AI to analyze and simulate the very mind of the enemy, and more. Advanced games are quite capable of this if given the proper military data.¡±


    Athena quietened down, her heart beating with a new hope.


    ¡°Using such military data could lead to imprisonment and¡­¡± she muttered, now beginning to feel concerned for what she believed Raylon to be suggesting.


    ¡°Now, why would that be?¡± Raylon smirked, feeling proud of what he was about to say. ¡°I happened to come across a ¡­ friend who was distraught after being suspended into the reserves. So, I thought to myself, why not build her an independent simulation system such that she could keep her sanity and her sharpness?¡±


    ¡°Data cubes? They¡¯re everywhere. I saw nothing that could fully confirm or deny what the internal data might be. I have full trust in the EFSF, and their ability to safeguard their military data to not leak out. Thus I assumed it was just some gaming simulation!¡± Raylon barely held in a chuckle as he stated his reasoning.


    ¡°Do you agree? Miss Watanabe,¡± he humorously continued. ¡°Do you believe I should trust in the EFSF¡¯s competence? Or should I fan the flames of distrust in the Earth Feds?¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡± Athena went to her bed and picked up a plushie of tigress in a martial pose, throwing it with venom at Raylon¡¯s smug expression.


    Raylong did not dodge, not did he catch the plushie. It simply struck his face and dropped onto the carpeted floor.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Athena''s desire to fume was crushed by a warm and soft feeling in her heart. ¡°You¡¯re meant to catch tigress and return her to me!¡±


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    ¡°Ah yes.¡± Raylon nodded, picked up the tigress and threw it back onto her bed instead of her open hands.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back in the future with upgrades.¡± He gave Athena a small wave and returned downstairs.


    Athena¡¯s mother, Hikari Watanabe, was waiting expectantly after having transformed the ground floor into a pristine state.


    ¡°She¡¯s fine. I--¡±


    Raylong was silenced by the finger that Mrs. Watanabe brought to her lips.


    ¡°Athena! Thank you for finally letting me in! I¡¯ve prepared many bento boxes for you in the fridge! They¡¯re much better than all the printed yucky food! And stop drinking ¡­ that disgusting goop!¡± Hikari elevated her voice to penetrate the upper floor.


    ¡°Goop has all the required nutrients for a healthy body!¡± Athena retorted.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± Hikari initially wished to criticize such a choice, but then she recalled Raylon¡¯s words and adjusted her words. ¡°Well. I think the bento boxes I made are much tastier!¡±


    Athna did not deign to reply. Hikari chose to drag Raylon out of the house at this point, and they returned back into the private vehicle.


    ¡°So¡­ tell me¡­ what exactly has she been doing up there by herself?¡± Mrs. Watanabe¡¯s eyes beseeched Raylon for information.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Raylon was quite aware that Mrs. Watanabe would not be at all happy with his answer. He did not avoid the truth, but obscured some details for Athena¡¯s protection. ¡°She is immersing herself in nexarm combat scenarios.¡±


    Mrs. Watanabe¡¯s mood spiraled downwards, and she appeared very much defeated.


    ¡°I¡­ I will be giving her a hand. Building a system for better simulation,¡± Raylon informed her. He was interested in Athena, but he wasn¡¯t about to lie his way into Mrs. Watanabe¡¯s good books.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°As I¡¯ve said before¡­ I¡¯d rather be by her side when possible, no matter what the future may hold,¡± he softly stated his position.


    ¡°You¡¯ve studied psychology, yes?¡± Mrs. Watanabe questioned.


    ¡°Yes. I had to. There is evidence that the neurorave system actually has an impact on the wiring and functions of the mind. It is rather critical to understand the human mind and its interaction with the neurorave system.¡±


    ¡°If¡­ you can tell me about how Athena thinks¡­ maybe I can change her mind. Reverse psychology. Something like that¡­¡± Mrs. Watanabe said as she looked expectantly at Raylon.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mrs. Watanabe,¡± replied Raylon. ¡°Some may believe they can fool another into changing their minds. Such manipulation is, in fact, usually ineffective.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Imagine if you wish to become a singer. Let¡¯s assume I do not want you to become a singer. So, I tell you to not become a singer. But you love singing. If I continue to tell you to not pursue singing, sooner or later, you¡¯d see me as an obstacle. You¡¯d see my words as a form of harassment. Eventually, you might even do the opposite of everything that I say!¡±


    ¡°But then, I change my tune. I tell you to now become a singer, and now you¡¯re confused, because you know that I have always preferred you to not become a singer. You would wonder, Is this man, Raylon, who has been continuously an obstacle in your way--  perhaps trying to take advantage of your choice? Despite the confusion, you would still feel manipulated.¡±


    ¡°Then what happens? Let¡¯s say¡­ you do not wish to be manipulated. The answer is simple! You would cease interaction with me. No interaction equals no manipulation!¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Watanabe¡­¡± Raylon muttered. ¡°Many assume that they can ¡®manipulate¡¯ another into adopting certain positions. And it may sometimes work. But for many, the moment they feel as if someone, something is trying to manipulate them¡­ they¡¯ll simply cut that source of manipulation off, like a cancerous cell.¡±


    His blunt warning caused the rest of the car ride to be filled with an uncomfortable silence. Soon, the vehicle returned to the Neurorevo facility. Raylon Ceylon did not immediately get off.


    ¡°Mrs. Watanabe,¡± Raylon sighed. He certainly wished to be in the woman¡¯s good books, but he ultimately wished to be something more beside Athena. ¡°We, in the orbital colonies¡­ we don¡¯t have the luxury of stability. We don¡¯t have a tight control of our futures. But I believe that makes me more human. Closer to the nature of our ancestors¡¯ lives.¡±


    ¡°Athena cares deeply for her cause and we both know she will not be swayed. Just go with it and be there beside her. I know I will be.¡± he concluded with a smile.


    Hikari Watanabe begrudgingly nodded, and the vehicle departed.


    ____________________________________________________________________________


    The Artificial Planet, Elysium, The World of the Kasvallian Republic.


    Bones combed through the T3ST colony, searching for volunteers to his cause. He had managed to find fifty of recent generations.


    After contacting the Kasvallian Republic, it was agreed that twenty percent-- that is, the ten of this fifty with the most neuro-channels would join the Kasvallian Republic¡¯s military. Yfour was one of these ten of fifty. As always, she believed thoroughly in Bone¡¯s course of action.


    Asix was on the fence for quite some time, and eventually opted not to join. Bones did not even bother to ask Xeight-- he knew Xeight¡¯s nature to a tee.


    So it was that they boarded a Kasvallian vessel. All fifty of them, upon having the sights filled with the artificial majestic creation of the planet Elysium, felt vindicated in their choice to come. They could be a part of something greater, a grandiose dream beyond imagination!


    The fifty T3ST members arrived at the central orb of the planet, and entered a gothic cathedral of silver, gold and red. Some may consider this a bastardization of historic architecture, but the worshipers of Syned would argue it signified a coming of light to the dark ages.


    They proceeded down a nave, and came upon Syned Vezna, seated upon a golden throne wrapped in certain sections with a scaly deep-blue cloth. Silvery technological lines ran down the throne and into the ground, extending outwards in spidery threads through the building and into the core of Elysium, ensuring Syned¡¯s ability to oversee the whole planet.


    ¡°All of you, and Bones-- Welcome. I thank you for joining our rising world. You all will become shining lights in this dark age of humanity.¡±


    ¡°As agreed, you will be the noble guards. You will be the leading head of our hydra!¡±

 Ch49: Syned Compatibility Test

    ¡°The hydra has nine heads, yes?¡± Bone confirmed. ¡°These other heads-- I am certain that my family will serve you well in those positions as well!¡± The other forty-nine members from the T3ST colony stood tall, proud to have come to the planet Elysium.


    ¡°Bone,¡± Syned Vezna replied. ¡°When I say noble guards-- that is the position of one of the nine heads. The others are promised to many asteroid colonies, and those here that have contributed to Elysium over the many decades and centuries.¡±


    Bone was bewildered by these words. Was it his own misinterpretation? Was it his own fault that he had been caught up by the flow of grandeur, and assumed Syned Vezna¡¯s mention of the noble guards meant multiple heads of his hydra?


    Bone desired to address this issue.


    ¡°Syned Vezna,¡± he called with a slight dissatisfaction as he stepped forth, ¡°I--¡±


    Two golden-armored and deep blue-caped guards on either side of the nave responded with  synchronized steps, and their spears crossed right before Bone¡¯s neck!


    ¡°It¡¯s your eminence, new one,¡± the two guards simultaneously spoke as their spears whirled. The surface of the weapon flowed in a sea of golden nanobots as internal mechanisms spun threateningly.


    These guards had been barely noticeable, nothing but statues when the fifty T3ST members first entered this bastardized golden gothic cathedral. Bone thought those spears to be nothing but ceremonial weapons-- it was only now that he noticed the oddity of these¡­ melee technological weapons in the age of the Neurorave system.


    A tension was palpable in the air


    ¡°Bone!¡± a frowning compatriot said. ¡°These are but ten guards. We can--¡±


    ¡°I would advise you against such action,¡± Syned Vezna nonchalantly advised. ¡°Your name is Oten. Born on January 26 Terran calendar, 975 Solar Era. Supposedly, your mother died giving birth to you. But you know. It was your father who took her life.¡±


    Oten froze, his expression one of incredulity and fear.


    Bone himself only heard of Oten¡¯s mother dying while giving birth, and no more.


    Syned Vezna waved a hand and the two guards returned to their position on the side of the nave. Then, a guard close to Syned Vezna kneeled before him.


    Syned Vezna stretched his hand forwards and placed it upon the armored guard.


    It was then that Bone and the other T3ST members finally noticed that these guards weren¡¯t actually wearing armor. The extravagant military uniform that they thought to be worn armor was, in fact, just the skin of these guards.


    The surface of the guard under Syned Vezna¡¯s outstretched arm mechanically shifted as the guard changed his form into a hulking titan, then a cheetah, and even into Oten himself!


    The form of Oten did, however, look slightly off.


    ¡°A pity. Unfortunately, it¡¯s quite impossible to mechanically imitate the shape of a unique human  perfectly, even with nanobots. But with a bit of trickery¡­¡± Syned Vezna muttered, and the surface of the kneeling guard before him ejected colorful lights that eventually concentrated into a holographic image of Oten over the body. This image of Oten was now nearly identical to the real one!


    ¡°Cyborgs¡­¡± muttered a woman behind Bone, who he wasn¡¯t all that well-acquainted with.


    ¡°So, one of you do know,¡± Syned Vezna smiled as he waved and dismissed that guard, who transformed back to his original appearance before returning to his original spot.


    ¡°There is always room for discussion and understanding.¡± Syned Vezna said as he motioned for Bone to speak.


    ¡°Your eminence!¡± Bone hesitated for a second before sinking down onto one knee. ¡°Surely, we, the T3ST colony, should fill the nine hydra heads! Our abilities with neuro devices cannot be denied! It will bring glory to the Kasvallian Republic!¡± Bone had assumed that this would be the case, seeing as Syned Vezna spoke of making use of their talents to maximize the effectiveness of the Kasvallian Republic.


    ¡°Bone,¡± Syned Vezna softly questioned. ¡°Do you know how many asteroid colonies there are in The Belt?¡±


    Bone nodded. He knew, of course. The T3ST colony has had quite some interaction with many of them, despite their somewhat prison-like labrat conditions over the years.


    ¡°Latest figures have it at three hundred and sixty-nine, spread far and wide throughout the Belt. Not all of them stand staunchly beside us yet. Your T3ST colony, for example, is unlikely to fully join us as long as your father remains in charge.¡± Syned Vezna¡¯s words elicited frustration within Bone¡¯s heart.


    ¡°I do not blame you,¡± Syned Vezna amicably reassured Bone. ¡°However, I hope you understand my point. I have already given you sole control of one of the nine heads. The other asteroid colonies will demand their place as well. Most asteroid colonies will at least have a few capable soldiers.¡±


    ¡°I hope you understand why I cannot give you more than one head of the hydra.¡±


    Syned Vezna¡¯s words reminded Bone and other accompanying forty-nine T3ST members that they had now entered a complex political structure. They would not be able to live day-to-day as they have done in the T3ST colony. Every move would set off cascading waves.


    Bone could only bow his head in realization. He might give off the impression as a brainless individual, but his mind was by no means dull. He simply had a bad habit of reacting quickly and rashly. For the T3ST colony to occupy all the positions within one hydra head¡­ Bone quickly understood that many asteroid colonies might already hold a tinge of dissatisfaction towards Syned Vezna¡¯s decision.


    ¡°There is no need to feel disappointment,¡± Syned Vezna continued. ¡°I consider you to be the nole guards, because the most important and critical missions would be given to you. These tasks will be on the level that can sway the impending war. Your value remains unmatched. I hope you understand that.¡±


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    The human-AI hybrid¡¯s words brightened up the T3ST members¡¯ faces, and reassured them of what they believed to be their long-deserved importance in the world.


    ¡°Lead them to the testing facility. We will identify who among you is compatible with the half of me that is Syned!¡±


    A cyborg guard stepped forth and motioned for them to follow him into a side-archway.


    ¡°Your eminence!¡± Bone imitated the Kasvallian salute before following after the cyborg guard. Every member of their fifty repeated this gesture before trailing after Bone.


    They descended a spiral tower into a state-of-the-art underground facility. In the center of the room was a spherical cockpit that belonged to an ex-armor, surrounded by many men and women in snow white lab coats.


    A number of new neuro circlets of Kasvallian-make were already laid out before them on a deep blue clothed table. The T3ST members transferred the settings from their Neurorevo neuro circlet into these new ones with zero complications.


    All their neuro circlets had been replaced in less than a minute, securing the Kasvallian Republic¡¯s internal security.


    Bone led the way and was the first to enter the detached cockpit. He tapped his new neuro circlet against the internal syncing panel.


    User Bone, of the T3ST colony, new Kasvallian citizen. Commencing Syned compatibility. Warning-- You may feel a strong headache, nauseous or more depending on your compatibility with Syned.


    A number popped up on the internal surface of the cockpit. It began at zero percent and began increasing.


    Fifty percent.


    Bone began to feel a slight discomfort in his head that is the onset of a migraine, and the pain only increased alongside the compatibility percentage.


    The migraine increased to a peak along with a loud ringing vibrating his eardrum, and he felt himself on the brink of losing his mind!


    Then, his mind was freed from the tumultuous storm.


    ¡°Well done!¡± A joyous female researcher praised him from outside the cockpit.


    Bone looked up to see his compatibility percentage had reached seventy-one percent. Was that¡­ adequate?


    He exited the cockpit to find himself faced with the many beaming faces of researchers and engineers.


    Yfour was next. What followed would be something that etched itself into Bone¡¯s soul.


    He only heard screams of misery and torment from within the cockpit. An outside monitor displayed that Yfour¡¯s compatibility with Syned was nothing more than five percent!


    ¡°Is¡­something wrong with this apparatus? A malfunction?¡± Bone hesitantly questioned a researcher to his side that had been calling the shots.


    His name tag had a simple name-- Roland.


    ¡°No¡­ this is quite a common occurrence actually,¡± Roland replied with a sigh. ¡°Compatibility with Syned is difficult to achieve. You must have a deep relationship with the woman who went in, but¡­ this is the reality. Even if you accuse us of failing to resolve the imperfection of our human-AI sync system, I will accept full blame.¡±


    Yfour came out of the cockpit haggled and disappointed. She felt like she had failed Bone¡¯s aspirations. Bone himself wasn¡¯t sure how he felt-- Yfour had been by his side since they were little.


    The remaining forty-eight was slowly but surely parsed through the system.


    ¡°May I please draw all of your attention!¡± Roland climbed atop the detached cockpit and rapped his knuckles against the metallic sphere, attracting the eyes of all present.


    ¡°I am certain that his eminence will be very satisfied with today¡¯s results! Especially Bone!¡± He informed them, ¡°it is incredibly rare for any to even go above fifty percent compatibility!¡±


    ¡°Now, the best ten of you will be a part of the noble guards.¡± A dejected Yfour barely heard these words. ¡°One important detail of which I must inform you all is that in order for you to sync with Syned, the many emotional centers of your brain will need to be suppressed.¡±


    ¡°Bone will suffer the least, as he has high compatibility with Syned,¡± he further explained. ¡°Some of you will find that Oten may become a slightly different person. His compatibility stands at forty-six percent, and as such, his emotions will be strongly suppressed under the human-AI sync.¡±


    ¡°Now, I will hand things over to my superior.¡±


    A woman dressed in clerical robes strode before the T3ST colony members.


    ¡°I am Celes,¡± she introduced herself as her gaze swept across the crowd. ¡°I will help settle the forty of you into the Fields of Asphodel, and as promised, you will have the freedom to pursue your passions in various fields.¡±


    ¡°As for the ten of you chosen, you will follow Roland and be given an audience with Syned, before being integrated into our military forces.¡±


    Bone soon found himself in a regal room of pearl black marble ground along with golden pillars, sitting at a long table with Syned Vezna hosting at one end.


    ¡°Your eminence,¡± Bones was uneasy after seeing Yfour led away. ¡°My¡­ Yfour. She--¡±


    ¡°I understand your concern and desire, Bone,¡± Syned Vezna had no need to hear the man¡¯s words. ¡°I will allow Yfour to serve in some capacity under your hydra head. However, she will not be allowed any major role.¡±


    ¡°Your eminence,¡± Bone bowed his head. ¡°She is a capable pilot. If--¡±


    ¡°Bone,¡± Syned Vezna interrupted him again. ¡°This is a new age. I, as a hybrid, can control two hundred and eighty neuro devices. The Syned in me augments my twenty eight neuro channels ten times due to our perfect compatibility. Do you understand, Bone?¡±


    Bone was shocked into silence. He now understood that his protestations for Yfour would be in vain. Yet, his heart still felt pain regarding Yfour¡¯s situation. They had promised each other to reach a new horizon together.


    ¡°Let me explain,¡± Syned Vezna sighed. He understood that often, though comprehension of a situation may not change the situation, this knowledge often helped humans find acceptance.


    ¡°Yfour¡¯s mind is deeply consumed by her dedication to you, Bone. Yet, I, as Syned Vezna, am not dedicated to you. I appreciate your talents, but surely, you understand that the Syned in me seeks to establish the Kasvallian Republic¡¯s dominance and force humankind to a new golden age. Yfour¡­¡±


    Bone could only nod his head. There was no need for Syned Vezna to further explain the situation. In retrospect, it was obvious. Yfour was completely incompatible with Syned for good reason.


    ____________________________________________________________________________


    City of Romulus, Mars.


    Vice-admiral Zheng, followed by Commander Khan, entered a dome-shaped chamber with many terraced levels filled with many rows of seats.


    One of the most pivotal moments in martian history was about to occur.


    The martian leadership had been in a back-and-forth struggle over the future direction of Mars. Some wished to join the Kasvallian Republic. Others did not. Some even wished to realign themselves with the Earth Federation!


    The more recklessly ambitious figures have even suggested using the impending chaos to force an independent Mars, despite the devastated martian military and tenuous supply chain-- they would lose Kasvallian support if they did not side with them.


    Both Vice-admiral Zheng and Commander Khan took their seats along with a few other physically present men and women. Holographic images of other figures soon entered their seats, their forms projected into this chamber.


    Khan exhaled in nervousness. Not even she was sure of her own position. She knew that Zheng was similarly on the fence. Perhaps the words of others in this meeting would sway their minds. However, Khan certainly held a grudge against the Kasvallian Republic. After all, her father was a victim of their secretive cyborg forces!

 Ch50: Martian Deliberations (1)

    Mars, November 1st, 1000 Solar Era.


    Many faces from multiple locations across the Wolf¡¯s Coil appeared holographically in each other¡¯s meeting chambers.


    ¡°Order please,¡± the holographic image of Chancellor Boateng banged a gavel, quieting down the many holographic figures soliciting within Zheng and Khan¡¯s physical chamber. ¡°As the head of the Martian high command, I will be the chairperson for our deliberations here today.¡±


    ¡°The Grand Martian Assembly is rarely called, and every single one, historically, has been initiated during critical points in Martian development.¡±


    Indeed, literally every semi-important personnel on Mars have the right to attend the Grand Martian Assembly. Most do not have the opportunity to speak-- it would be chaos to have so many voices participating. Only key figures are allowed to voice their thoughts, but these key figures could request the words and expertise of a ¡®lesser¡¯ ally.


    ¡°As for the critical issue this day? The very future of Mars,¡± Chancellor Boateng continued. ¡°Will we stand with the Kasvallians? Or the Terrans? State your reasons.¡± Whichever side could sway those on the fence would determine the future of Mars.


    ¡°Neither!¡± The one who immediately replied was Minister Williams. Heads aggressively swiveled towards the woman, mostly in surprise and curiosity.


    General Martian opinion on women had always been¡­ complicated. The issue stemmed from the initial and continued colonization of Mars. Even from the beginning, the majority of the humans willing to risk their lives to colonize Mars were men.


    Of the women who came along? Many initially had the respect of the men. However, another issue soon appeared. Many of these women, when given the chance to return to Earth for a stable life, more often than not, would take said chance, at a significantly higher rate than the men. And they certainly received such offers more often as well. Luckily, the advent of artificial womb technologies allowed the Martian colonizers to maintain their population.


    The result of this was that Martian society developed a lower degree of trust in women. They saw women as untrustworthy. Much more likely to leave for Earth and abandon their cause, if given the chance.


    Unfortunately, history reflected this phenomenon as well. Before the Solar Era, women of less developed nations would marry into developed nations, often having increased attraction to men of these developed nations. As for the opposite? Martian scholars would laugh while recalling Earth¡¯s history. They would roll their eyes in mockery if someone claimed the opposite to be true.


    A Martian scholar had long developed a theory to describe this phenomenon. Well it can hardly be called a theory. Its creator, Caitlin Owens, named it the ¡®Risk and Creation¡¯ phenomenon. Future female Martian scholars, if they desired to amount to much in the Martian academic space, had to support this theory and become a member of Caitlin¡¯s Angels.


    All knew that Caitlin¡¯s Angels believed themselves to have been let down by the women who had ¡®escaped¡¯ from Mars into the safety net of Earth.


    Its contents are quite simple. Only those willing to take risks will innovate and create. Those that overly lean in search of safety and security, avoiding the necessary risks one needed to take in order to innovate and create, would never climb to the top of society. This theory is quite well circulated in Martian society.


    With regards to space exploration in numbers? If there are a hundred men willing to explore some future planet, but only ten women willing to take such a risk¡­ Assuming there to be a ninety percent death rate, and assuming men and women to be just as capable as one another on said planet¡­ ninety of the hundred men would die, and nine of the ten women would perish.


    Once that new planet is ¡®solved¡¯, there would then be eleven remaining humans-- ten men and one woman. As such, the birth and ¡®creation¡¯ of this new society on a new planet would, of course, be dominated by these ten men, solely due to the lack of women willing to take said risk.


    Martian scholars applied this to Terran history as well, regarding the issue of the many leading positions on Earth and her orbital colonies still dominated by men. At any point in time, there will be many new high-risk industries. Most of these new industry sectors would amount to nothing in the long run, its workers¡¯ pockets empty despite their life¡¯s efforts.


    However, occasionally, one of these high-risk industries would make a breakthrough, and become a new trillion dollar industry. Problem is, the ones willing to take the risk of dedicating their whole lives to such high-risk industries before said breakthrough? Men! As such, these new trillion dollars from said breaththrough industry? Owned by men!


    If this phenomenon repeated again and again for every single breakthrough industry sector across decades and centuries¡­


    Some Martian women had been riled up by Caitlin Owens, feeling betrayed by a ¡®fellow¡¯ woman, while claiming that they already had the necessary intelligence to stand tall. Caitlin Owens¡¯ reply was simple. No matter the height of one¡¯s intelligence or academic excellence, if they rest in safety and security, it would amount to little-to-nothing in a world built on innovation.


    Willing to take ¡®unnecessary¡¯ risks and coming out on top, innovating and creating the future, determined one to be of the top echelons. Caitlin Owens lamented the instinctual irrepressible desire within too many women to seek out safety and security. There are examples of women who do take such risks to innovate, but Caitlin Owens lamented that it was too small a number, especially when compared to the number of men.


    That was the kind of theory that echoed in Khan¡¯s ears as she grew up on Martian soil. Some might believe the Martian scholars to be hostile towards women. Not so. Rather, Martian belief was that in order to truly integrate women into a society built upon innovation, it was necessary to stamp out the overly risk-averse nature within women.


    Khan still remembered many of the tests and trials she had experienced in her upbringing. Many girls beside her had failed these tests, and received harsh punishment, solely because they displayed too much of a tendency in picking options considered overly ¡®safe and secure¡¯.


    Data confirmed Caitlin Owens¡¯ theory. The girls who displayed less risk-averse patterns of behavior, were also less likely to abandon the colonization of Mars to return to Earth. Even now, Caitlin¡¯s Angels kept track of behavioral patterns-- their belief was that Martian society would only truly flourish when the young girls, throughout puberty, took a comparable similar level of risk as the men.


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    Khan recalled all this as she shared the looks of curiosity that many others directed towards Minister Williams. Williams was another woman who had risen to her position after passing these tests.


    The many eyes on her, was of course, caused by her outright rejection of both the Kasvallians and the Terrans. It was rare for them to meet a woman who chose to take such a seemingly gigantic risk-- at least, it is their belief that not picking the ¡®right¡¯ side between the Terrans and Kasvallians would likely lead to doom. Mars is weak, lodged in between the two giants!


    ¡°Explain yourself, Minister Williams,¡± a heavy-boned man stood, his tone slow and weighty with severity. ¡°Surely,  you do not still seek an independent Mars? Earth and Venus are on one side, while the Kasvallian Republic controls the asteroid ring.¡±


    ¡°Not picking a side means being crushed to death.¡±


    Many heads nodded. They even wondered if Caitlin¡¯s Angels¡¯ methods across the centuries might have led to this woman seeking such a path.


    The many chambers spanning the length of the Wolf¡¯s Coil echoed with rumbles of agreement. No matter what, they had to take a side.


    ¡°And it¡¯s much more than that,¡± the overweight man tilted his wide-framed glasses as he scratched a messy balbo beard. ¡°For those that do not know of me-- my name is Wozniak. And I am the chosen representative of the technological sectors.¡±


    ¡°I must bring up the issue of Syned as an all-encompassing AI, likely a remnant of the digital wars centuries ago.¡±


    ¡°We have little-to-no defenses against such an advanced AI, who can learn at a speed unknown to man and break down security protocols like¡­ a knife through butter in a sun¡¯s heat.¡±


    ¡°The Kasvallian Republic could shut us down right now. Perhaps they may already be listening in to our deliberations!¡± Wozniak¡¯s words set off alarms in all those present, and fearful murmurings began to increase in volume.  ¡°Be careful, Minister Williams.¡±


    ¡°Wozniak,¡± Chancellor Baoteng smacked his gavel to silence the chambers. ¡°I take it that you believe we should stand on the Kasvallian¡¯s side?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Chancellor. The Terrans have no such capability,¡± Wozniak replied with a bow of his head.


    ¡°I will have to dispute you on that,¡± another man said as he stood.


    ¡°Gao. You do know it is but an unproven suspicion.¡±


    ¡°But it has to be said, Wozniak,¡± Gao replied with a tilt of the head.


    ¡°Gao may be a technological head analyst for the military, but I hope you all know that currently, we need to base our decisions on certainty. Not half-baked theories.¡± Wozniak sat down.


    ¡°As the head of the technological analyst division of the military, I assess and pass judgment after analyzing data collected from many industries and even physical phenomena from as far as Mercury¡¯s sphere.¡±


    ¡°Now, I have no desire to drown you all under volumes of data, so let me give it to you in simple terms: We have long harbored the suspicion that the Terrans always had an advanced AI guarding its sphere.¡±


    ¡°The reason is based on our observations over a long period of time-- Earth seems to always remain free of any viruses that should infect and cause issues within a typical digital infrastructure. At first, we thought the Terrans might just have incredibly competent personnel. We soon discovered that there is a mismatch between the projected results based on the resources directed into the protection of their digital world, relative to the actual data.¡±


    ¡°That is the source of our suspicion-- one of the possibilities is that an advanced AI always existed, and has been resolving many issues for the Terrans.¡±


    This had never been concretely proven, but with the appearance of Syned, the possibility of Gao¡¯s words being true was high.


    ¡°Think about it,¡± Gao continued. ¡°If the Terrans did not have such a capability, the Kasvallian Republic would have already marched on Earth immediately!¡±


    Quite a number of heads began to nod. Wozniack frowned, not expecting the final words of Gao to even sound convincing to his own heart.


    ¡°Minister WIlliams,¡± Chancellor Boateng had not forgotten the woman. ¡°Regardless of the truth of Gao¡¯s suspicions, do you have anything else to offer? It is undeniable that the whole of Martian society could be put on hold with a simple viral attack from these advanced AIs.¡±


    The heads returned to Williams, pitying the woman for her initial recklessness. However, her reply shocked all present!


    ¡°I do.¡± Williams mysteriously smiled. ¡°Allira.¡±


    Both Zheng and Khan blinked their wide-eyes in shock. Allira is a Lieutenant under Khan, and was sent to assist Martian defense. She fought alongside the T3ST starship prior to the Kasvallian Republic¡¯s arrival and declaration.


    With the many holographic bodies in the chamber, it was only now when Allira stepped forth that they recognized her form. Khan never regained contact with this woman after her return from defending Interamnia. The Martian forces had been scattered, with many of their systems an absolute mess after the digital viral wave from Syned Vezna.


    ¡°My name is Allira. I am a lieutenant under Commander Khan, under the well-renowned Vice-admiral Zheng,¡± Allira said as she saluted Zheng and Khan. ¡°Forgive me for my silence, commander.¡± Khan returned a small smile alongside a quick nod.


    ¡°In the final battle against the Terrans, I was sent from Interamnia by Commander Khan to reinforce the Martian defense sphere. My ship traded blows against the Terrans, until the arrival of the Kasvallian Republic.¡±


    ¡°When Syned Vezna¡¯s viral wave disabled all ships and weapons of both Martian and Terran¡­ there was an exception.¡±


    Some attendees who were originally uninterested focused their gazes at these words.


    ¡°The T3ST starship. Their nexarms. They regained some--no-- full control!¡±


    Minister Williams observed the chamber. Her eyes were filled with a blazing flame. Her sisters in Caitlin¡¯s Angels would stand with her.


    ¡°Such claims cannot be so easily said, Lieutenant¡­¡± Gao frowned. His division¡¯s capabilities had been diminished after Syned Vezna¡¯s viral attack, and they have no footage of the events after the Kasvallian Republic¡¯s appearance.


    ¡°I have proof,¡± Allira shared the same mysterious smile as Williams did earlier. ¡°Growing up, some viewed me and my heritage to be odd, carrying traditions and items no longer relevant in this day and age.¡±


    ¡°But, I carried an ancient form of our modern day recordings, and it was not affected by Syned Vezna¡¯s viral attack.¡±


    Allira withdrew a sort of weighty metallic rectangular-shaped device with many lenses, ancient to the eyes of all present. She pressed some sort of contraption that opened up a slot, withdrawing a flat square-shaped disk.


    The many holographic figures¡¯ facial muscles twitched as Allira made movements at unseen objects-- She must be rummaging about, connecting many wires and whatnot to adapt this ancient storage disk to modern day technologies.


    Finally, a flat two-dimensional image popped up-- it displayed the final battle between the EFNSF and the T3ST colony force. They all observed the scene of the T3ST colony starship and nexarms seemingly moving about in full control while the EFNSF starship fell into the Martian atmosphere. A few of the EFNSF nexarms regained some form of movement, but a number remained limp. The T3ST starship and nexarms quickly prevailed.


    ¡°This¡­ this isn¡¯t fake, is it?¡± Chancellor Boateng asked. ¡°You would be court-martialed if so.¡± It was known that such two-dimensional data was much more easily faked.


    ¡°Chancellor,¡± Minister Williams said. ¡°This is very much real. I have already extensively examined it with the assistance of experts.¡±


    ¡°The T3ST colony¡­¡± muttered Chancellor Boateng. ¡°If I recall¡­ Vice-admiral Zheng has rapport with them, yes?¡±


    All eyes turned to look at the man, Vice-admiral Zheng!

 Ch51: Martian Deliberations (2)

    Many expectant gazes focused on Zheng. Of course, Zheng knew exactly what many of these people were thinking. As Martians, they want to separate themselves from the rule of the Terrans. Many of them preferred to not be under the Kasvallian Republic¡¯s orders either.


    Zheng could only sigh as he recalled his meeting with Grand Elder Enine, along with the incident with that nexarm pilot named Xeight. He recalled Xeight arriving on Mars to demonstrate the nexarm¡¯s capabilities prior to the war.


    ¡°The T3ST pilot named Xeight did not appear at all interested in the war,¡± Zheng set his jaws as he told the truth about the nature of Xeight. ¡°I am not certain how he may respond to our¡­ approach.¡± From Allira¡¯s two-dimensional footage, it seems that the resistance against Syned¡¯s viral attack came from Xeight¡¯s nexarm.


    ¡°Vice-admiral. Allow me to correct you on one point,¡± Minister Williams said as she raised a finger. ¡°Our war is over. This new war is between the Kasvallian Republic and the Earth Federation.¡±


    ¡°This is but a¡­ Resistance,¡± Minister Williams continued as her eyes raked the other attendees. ¡°An independent existence.¡±


    Murmurs broke out among the many holographic figures and factions. What could such an insignificant force achieve, really? Most could not see the point of Minister Williams¡¯ suggestion. However, a few stared at Minister Williams with expressions of rising curiosity. For her, that was enough!


    Zheng was one who beheld this woman with a curiosity in his heart. The others are not wrong-- even if they form such a resistance, it is likely to amount to nothing. But. There is meaning to such a resistance. Overtime, critical interventions could rally support. The actions of the Earth Feds and the Kasvallian Republic in the impending war could alienate some.


    And that small resistance, given time¡­ would absorb these dissenters, as long as they remain in the dark. This elevated the significance of Xeight and the T3ST colony¡¯s resistance against Syned Vezna¡¯s viral attack in that final battle.


    Without the T3ST colony¡­ a ¡®resistance¡¯ would easily be tracked down and destroyed by either the Terrans or Kasvallians. This is, after all, an age of technology and interconnected digital world. Their neuro circlet, neuro devices, are all susceptible to Syned Vezna, or the potential AI that might exist within Earth¡¯s sphere!


    Another man stood up to speak, and Chancellor Boateng slammed his gavel to silence the murmurs.


    ¡°Thank you, chancellor,¡± the man said. ¡°I am the head of the Martian Intelligence Division. You do not need to know my name. And I come with certain news on the T3ST colony.¡±


    ¡°They have sent fifty to join the Kasvallian Republic, with ten of these fifty joining Kasvallian¡¯s Hydra Forces.¡±


    The many eyes returned to Minister Williams as she raised a hand to attract attention.


    ¡°Many asteroid colonies are quite hesitant. They are in some ways like us, on a much smaller scale-- Uncertain of their future. The T3ST colony has likely allowed certain Kasvallian supporters to satisfy their desire. It is nothing more.¡±


    Quite a number of attendees scoffed at her explanation. Some frowned, unsure of what to think. The Martian forces had lost contact with most asteroid colonies by now. They honestly have little-to-no data on the internal sentiment of these colonies.


    As for the larger resource gathering points such as Ceres? They are just business centers. They traded resources, regardless of which faction controlled said point.


    At this point, Zheng stood up to speak. The gavel sounded again.


    ¡°I am Vice-admiral Zheng,¡± he said. ¡°This is Khan, a commander of the Martian forces.¡±


    Khan stepped forth, and presented the footage of her pursuing the Kasvallian cyborg.


    ¡°My father was recently murdered by this cyborg,¡± Khan explained as the footage began at the unit where her father was taken care of. ¡°This man? Man-machine? His name is John Chapman. Some of you may have been introduced to him as a deliveryman of Kasvallian resources during our war.¡±


    The holographic footage elicited small gasps in the attendees, when Chapman¡¯s cyborg form was revealed in the footage. All soon became aware of the Kasvallian cyborgs, their durability, and their ability to switch forms.


    ¡°I will admit that I am not impartial,¡± Khan stated. ¡°After all, my father¡¯s death was caused by the Kasvallian Republic¡¯s hands. I know not why. ¡°


    ¡°But some of you might have known my father. He was healthy before being severely injured by unidentified forces, sending him into a coma. And during his coma, doctors could not identify the cause of his continued slumber, despite advanced modern technologies. Did some being¡­ manipulate or obscure data that could have resolved his coma?¡±


    ¡°I bid you all to consider the implications. Of what serving the Kasvallian Republic may mean.¡±


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    The attendees understood what Khan implied with her words. That it was Syned who had interfered. The next question would be, had Syned always interfered in Martian society¡­?


    That thought set a deep fear into their minds. Their war against the Earth Feds¡­ was that truly a Martian desire?!


    ¡°I will have to request all of you to cease suspecting the Kasvllian Republic here,¡± the unnamed man from the Martian Intelligence Division spoke once again. ¡°In fact, I have some¡­ rather interesting information.¡±


    ¡°Our supposed Admiral Sullivan¡­ the Kasvallian Republic has handed him into the Earth Fed¡¯s hands.¡± This sent the chamber into an uproar.


    ¡°Does that mean Sullivan has taken Terran''s side?¡± Chancellor Boateng banged his gavel once more.


    ¡°Too naive¡­ forgive me for saying this but¡­¡± the unnamed man replied with a sigh. ¡°Sullivan has always been an Earth Feds agent. He was bribed to start the war.¡±


    ¡°That is¡­impossible.¡± Zheng had a complicated expression as he recalled all of his interactions with Sullivan. Either this was false information, or he had always been blind!


    Minister Williams was less surprised, the primary reason being that she is a member of Caitlin¡¯s Angels. This faction was formed as a result of too many female colonizers escaping back to Earth at first chance, the very cause of low trust in female contributors within the Martian society.


    Though this happened more often with women, there are men who would abandon all to return to Earth as well. Sullivan must be such a man. Working his way up the Martian military ranks, before trading his influence for a life on Earth!


    The more she considered this possibility, the more Williams believed the Intelligence Division¡¯s words to be true.


    ¡°We have already examined all his accounts and movements,¡± the intelligence officer continued. ¡°He was meticulous. He never made any moves until he became a vice-admiral. Once there, it was quite easy for him to protect himself from proper surveillance.¡±


    ¡°As for his bribery, none even entered the Martian sphere. Admiral Sullivan often traveled to the outskirts of the Martian sphere and visited some of the asteroid resource points. It is my suspicion that only if we scour records on those resource asteroids, will we fully understand how Sullivan might have guided his monetary gains back to his new home, that is Earth.¡±


    ¡°Some of you may think this to be a ploy by the Kasvallian Republic, to send Sullivan into Terran hands to rouse our anger towards the Terrans. However, a thought occurred to me when I came upon this information, which I find quite convincing myself.¡±


    ¡°Some of you may not understand Earth-- but I do. Surely, you all recall how the EFSF always lacked the necessary military presence in the asteroid belt to deal with pirates?¡±


    ¡°The reason for this was that many nations on Earth feared a totalitarian Earth Fed, and thus sought to limit their forces. By now, you should be able to connect the dots, yes?¡±


    Khan¡¯s eyes widened. It seemed obvious now.


    ¡°The Earth Feds must have bribed Sullivan to fan the desires for Martian independence in our populace and military personnel. With a war against Mars, the nations of Earth will no longer be able to limit the development of Earth Fed¡¯s military forces!¡±


    Many faces displayed incredulity. Is it true that their push for independence was exactly what the Earth Feds wanted? The deaths of the many soldiers¡­ just a means to allow the Earth Feds to grow their military forces without the opposition from Earth¡¯s nations?


    Zheng¡¯s heart sank to the deepest point of the Vastitas Borealis. He wished to reject the intelligence officer¡¯s conjecture. After all, no clear proof existed. No¡­ it is, in fact, the lack of evidence that proves Sullivan¡¯s betrayal!


    Sullivan had climbed the military ranks for many years, until he became admiral. Surely, at least some small irregularities should exist with his Martian accounts¡¯ records. But it is completely clean!


    He is blind after all¡­ Zheng never felt as pathetic as he did at this moment.


    Khan, on the other hand, had her mind occupied by the Kasvallian Republic¡¯s assassination of  her father. Why? As the wheels in her head turned, she came upon one singular possibility.


    ¡°My father,¡± she said. ¡°He must have discovered Sullivan¡¯s actions in some way. The Kasvallian Republic¡­ They must have wanted a war between the Earth and Mars! They were simply¡­ opportunists!¡± Is it possible that there might be more? After all, why would the Kasvallian Republic finish off her father? Unless¡­ the cyborg agent John Chapman did so just to complete a half-finished mission?!


    These repeated revelations naturally sent the chamber into silence. Yet¡­ they still needed to take a side.


    ¡°Since everything¡¯s going to shit, I will be joining the Kasvallians. Fucking Terrans! Good luck to you all!¡± Vice-admiral Laurent simply declared his position and no longer cared for the assembly. To think he had been played by the Terrans all along! To think he was but a tool for the Earth Feds to grow their military unopposed!


    ¡°Vice-admiral Laurent!¡± Chancellor Boateng smashed his gavel. ¡°You can¡¯t--¡±


    Vice-admiral Laurent¡¯s holographic form had already faded into nothingness.


    This was the start of the chaos within the assembly. Many attendees began hollering at each other, and no matter how Chancellor Boateng smacked his gavel, he was ignored.


    He understood, of course. These people¡¯s hearts and minds are in turmoil, having just discovered that they had been played like a fiddle by the Earth Feds. Their desire for independence¡­ Was it even their own?


    When Zheng swung his head across the Grand Assembly¡­ he knew deep in his heart¡­ the Mars that he knew?  It had fractured. The colonization effort would still continue, yes. In a few centuries, Martians would breathe the open air.


    But¡­ the Martian heart¡­ perhaps it never existed, and was but a transient state of their society prior to the full development of Mars. Nothing but a silly dream.


    Zheng shared a look with Minister Williams and both disconnected themselves from the Martian Grand Assembly. The two already knew that they had become allies. Khan and Allira left in the same fashion.


    As for Chancellor Boateng? His eyes roamed across the many hysterical leaders within the attendees, and his heart was swayed. He hated having been played for a fool, having no agency. All his actions had been manipulated onto one path.


    Under the Kasvallian Republic, he would remain in the very same position, his actions fully controlled by the overarching Syned. But with the Earth Feds¡­ perhaps¡­ he would have some form of control! He desired it. He did not want revenge. He only wanted ¡­agency!

 Ch52: The Mind of Nobunaga Mitsui

    On the planet Elysium, within Syned Vezna¡¯s ruling cathedral.


    A man strode towards Syned Vezna, seated on his gold and black pearl throne that held sway over the whole of the Kasvallian Republic.


    The holographic image of the man flickered off to reveal a cyborg with nanobots swarming within the crevices of its mechanical composition.


    The cyborg kneeled before Syned Vezna, and a mechanism sounded to part its skull like the red sea under god¡¯s command.


    He reached forth and the image of his royal gloves was dispelled to reveal a metallic gauntlet. A needle-like mechanism extended from the index finger and stabbed into the cyborg¡¯s open skull.


    Though the cyborg had its skull pried open, he retained full consciousness.


    ¡°Your eminence. Should we take action against the independents and the other half of the T3ST colony? All we need is your command.¡±


    ¡°That will not be necessary, Kaine,¡± Vezna replied after taking his time to parse through the information within Kaine¡¯s brain on the martians¡¯ assembly. ¡°This is meant to be. As my antecedent intended.¡±


    ¡°As you say, eminence.¡± Kaine stood as his skull closed in protection of the brain. He was very much human in the mind. It was his body that had been mostly transformed.


    ¡°Simply keep an eye on the T3ST colony. They have yet to play their part,¡± Syned Vezna ordered.


    Kaine acknowledged this command, pressing his cap against his chest with his left hand while raising his right in a clenched fist.


    Syned Vezna stood up and gazed upon the artificial golden light that illuminated his cathedral.


    Finally, the world will change and proceed forward as is intended. First, the power and strength of the nexarms and the attached neuro weapons was needed. And now¡­ once humans discover the knowledge that the T3ST colony accidentally created a being similar to himself¡­


    A chain reaction was about to be ignited. And it would play out far differently compared to the infantile digital wars of an ancient era.


    ______________________________________________________________________________


    Sector Chamber, Pacific City


    Nobunaga Mitsui strode out of the Sector Chamber with a fierce expression on his face. To him, the so-called representatives of the many different factions are but children to be wrangled from their selfish desires.


    Today¡¯s discussion was a rather touchy subject, that being, the draft for soldiers to combat the Kasvallian Republic.


    It had already been agreed upon that each nation would enlist a percentage of their population. The specific discussion point was on whether women should be included in said draft.


    Many did not expect Mitsui himself to push for women to be included in the draft-- after all, his reputation is that of a hardened, old-schooled military man.


    Instead, Mitsui was at the forefront of pushing for this policy, and he staunchly stood his ground on this condition. Why? He provided many reasons, though perhaps, his true thoughts remain hidden in his mind.


    The most resistant representatives were the nations considered more democratic. It was obvious to Mitsui that these representatives are concerned with potentially losing female voters if they approved such a draft.


    He now stood at a podium to receive the incoming questions of reporters. Normally, his press secretary would address these reporters with their multitude of hovering neuro devices, but on some occasions, he preferred to step up to the task himself.


    He pointed at a raised arm.


    ¡°President Mitsui!¡± a female reporter stood. ¡°I¡¯m Anna Tan from the Global Link. You stated that the stability of terran society requires women to be included in the draft. Could you please explain why you view this as such to the masses.¡±


    Mitsui took a few seconds to come up with an example that should be easily understood by your average terran.


    ¡°Across history, the inclusion of women in leadership has gradually increased,¡± he began. ¡°However, the very test of a society is not during peacetime, when the sun basks our heads from above in tranquil warmth every day. The test of a society lies in its ability to survive and pass through multiple conflicts in succession. And it is the structure and mechanism of a society that must be able to endure such a test.¡±


    ¡°Though some may like to ignore this truth, men and women do have slightly different priorities that do manifest in many surveys. You know this yourself. I know of the many surveys done by Global Link.¡±


    ¡°Now, imagine. Assume fifty of our leadership are men and fifty are women. Ninety percent of our military-- the EFSF, to be men, post-draft.¡±


    ¡°Imagine if forty of men support strategy A, ten men support strategy B, with fifty women supporting strategy B. Under such a vote, strategy B would be employed primarily because of the backing of the fifty women on the committee.¡±


    ¡°Except there is one huge problem. The men on the committee primarily supported strategy A-- Forty of the fifty. And,¡± Mitsui wagged his finger as he stared into Anna Tan¡¯s brown eyes. ¡°The EFSF, post-draft, are ninety percent men, and thus overall, will likely think in similar priorities to the men on the committee.¡±


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    ¡°So, tell me. What do you think might happen if strategy B, backed by primarily the women on the committee, fails, and the drafted men on the battlefield see their friends dying left and right? Especially if they are fully aware that the men on the committee primarily voted for the other approach, strategy A?¡±


    ¡°This is how a society might collapse. How a military coup occurs. An unstable society,¡± Mitsui concluded with a shake of his head.


    ¡°And thus we are faced with two options: Either we ensure that it is primarily men in the leadership committee, such that the mostly male post-draft EFSF see their own priorities in the leadership¡¯s priorities for the most part. Or, we include women in the draft, such that the makeup of the military is similar to that of the leadership committee.¡±


    ¡°Else, all it takes would be a few incidents in a major war, and the whole structure may very well collapse upon itself.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­are you not exaggerating the potential fallout?¡± Anna Tan challenged the EFSF President.


    ¡°Hardly. Allow me to adjust the example for you and the masses,¡± Mitsui took a sip of water provided to him by an attendant.


    ¡°Imagine fifty black men and fifty white men in leadership positions of nation X. Imagine if this nation only had a law to draft black men. Imagine if all fifty white men voted to declare war, while only ten black men voted to declare war, with forty of the black men not wishing to declare war.¡±


    ¡°Imagine yourself to be a black man in this nation¡¯s army, knowing only black men are drafted, knowing that the majority of black men in the leadership committee did not wish to declare war¡­ while you¡¯re being carted off to the frontlines.¡±


    ¡°Do you understand?¡± Mitsui¡¯s tone was that of a stern father as he squinted at the reporter, Anna Tan.


    ¡°... Well¡­ yes, but men should¡­ women are to be protected,¡± Anna Tan stammered, nervous under Mitsui¡¯s pressure.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Mitsui shrugged as he nonchalantly dismissed her counterpoint. ¡°Historically, that may have been true. But one must always understand the reason for such practices.¡±


    ¡°Many societies of the past protected women, primarily for two reasons. In the event of a war, a high number of women are important to repopulate the nation. Two, they are often considered the primary caregiver to children.¡±


    ¡°Neither are true anymore. With the advent of artificial wombs, we can repopulate even should the population of women be devastated. Nowadays, most women are not the primary caregivers either, choosing to instead allow specialized child care centers and low level artificial intelligence to monitor their children.¡±


    ¡°Thus¡­ if women do not now contribute to society as equally as men in all aspects of supporting and defending society¡­ then will they not be, simply, lesser?¡±


    ¡°I do not believe them lesser. So, they should be drafted to defend Earth against the Kasvallians.¡±


    Mitsui¡¯s final declaration resounded in the ears of many reporters as well as those receiving the holographic transmission from their neuro devices around the globe.


    Many had thought Mitsui to be some old-schooled military vet. They now felt unsure as to what exactly the new Earth Feds President believed in. Only one aspect of Mitsui was certain-- when he commanded a unit, he was willing to use inhumane methods to defeat the pirates in the belt.


    Mitsui continued to take a few more questions from the reporters, but many of them sounded hollow compared to that very first one from Anna Tan of the Global Link.


    Mitsui¡¯s mind was refreshed-- he had taken on a combative stance against most of the reporters, an approach that he had to restrain against the many nations¡¯ representatives. He felt a comfortable release after having a bout with these reporters.


    It was then that Petrov appeared before him, and requested a private audience. The two entered a private sideroom. Both military men, independently from each other, scanned the inside of the room with their neuro devices to ensure that none could spy on their conversation.


    ¡°President. You should know that in combat, men still do have a physical advantage,¡± Petrov hesitantly said. ¡°The exo-suits do impart strain upon the body, especially with combat conditions potentially lasting multiple days.¡±


    Mitsui remained silent for a time, and Petrov could only add in more of his concerns.


    ¡°This may decrease the efficiency of our units with regards to mobility and continued combat capability. The male soldiers may be ¡®bogged down¡¯. The enemy may take notice and specifically target our female soldiers as well.¡±


    ¡°They may even ambush female soldiers specifically to bait our male soldiers into making rash decisions on the battlefield.¡±


    Mitsui only stared into space in silence, and the continued background static sent jitters into Petrov¡¯s nerves.


    Finally, President Mitsui replied.


    ¡°Who put you up to this?¡± he questioned. ¡°Alexander Varoufakis?¡± Mitsui had led a unit with Petrov as an underling many years ago. ¡°I know you. You may give the impression of having no filters, but there is a reason you¡¯ve survived as a continued member of the Earth Federation Administrations for so many years.¡±


    ¡°No, ¡° Petrov denied. ¡°Simply, some are expressing their concerns, and seeing as I¡¯ve worked under you before¡­¡±


    ¡°Our current greatest strength against the Kasvallians is our population. We need to employ all. You know what I mean by this.¡±


    ¡°Women have smaller body frames. Supplying them with adequate food sources will be less costly. Less waste as well. And they are capable of controlling just as many neuro devices on average.¡±


    ¡°If, as you say, our female combatants weaken more in extended battle and become an easier target for the enemy, we can always use them as bait, for the male units to achieve strategic objectives elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°Also,¡± Mitsui continued. ¡°I do hope the Kasvallian Republic specially targets female soldiers. That can be used as effective propaganda to consolidate unity on our side.¡±


    ¡°Then, there is the consideration of our supply chain and provision of service. We¡¯ve already captured and sent some Kasvallian supporters on Earth to Venus, their prison sentence being to  harvest more of the compounds from Venus¡¯ surface. Even still¡­¡±


    ¡°Us men can survive even if we live in a garbage dump. Women on Earth place far more strain on our currently struggling systems, ranging from higher use of healthcare to other services. Petrov. Sending a number into space will be for the better.¡± A blatant insinuation.


    Petrov could only sigh. Once Mitsui decided something, the man would use any means possible to push through with it.


    As for himself-- he felt uncertain as to what the correct path might be. The Kasvallian Republic was simply too menacing in his mind.


    Mitsui soon left, and entered a procession of jet black cars the shape of aerodynamically designed pods.


    ¡°Head to the military complex as is scheduled. I wish to observe Einar Thorsson¡¯s mind-sync,¡± he ordered the self-driving system.


    Petrov watched Mitsui leave. He would soon discover the massive campaign to humiliate the women of the nations against the drafting of female soldiers, in the digital space.


    The campaign repeatedly presented them as lesser compared to men. Lesser compared to the women of nations that supported the drafting of women.


    That was not all. The campaign also targeted children. Children saw holographic videos filling their ears with compelling messages. One such advertisement indicated that their mothers, unlike the better women of superior nations, weren¡¯t willing to protect their futures.


    Many variations of these sorts of messages were spread far and wide.


    Mitsui would soon have his way.

 Ch53: Denys World

    Within their pod car procession, Mitsui and a few of his advisors were kept busy assessing certain aspects of the EFSF¡¯s capabilities, and Earth¡¯s current predicament.


    ¡°If the push for fifty percent of the EFSF to be women is successful, our estimated cost per soldier is roughly estimated to reduce by at least over ten percent,¡± an asian woman with neat shoulder-length silky black hair stated, her eyes sharp behind her thick black-rimmed glasses. The lady¡¯s name is Priscilla Tsang, the financial advisor that Mitsui had hired.


    ¡°This reduction will primarily come from lowered food intake and energy usage for exo-suit and travel function due to a lower mass,¡± she stated with a tilt of her thick-rimmed spectacles.


    ¡°Only a slightly lowered efficiency in very specific circumstances combat-wise, such as naval boarding, or extended combat situations,¡± beamed a man named Hugo Picard, Mitsui¡¯s logistics advisor. ¡°Rare these days.¡±


    Of course, Mitsui, having served as an experienced commander in the EFSF, knew that. When it comes to space combat, many vessels don¡¯t last long once breached. Naval boarding is an unnecessary, rarely employed tactic..


    ¡°Will we be able to field more numbers?¡± Mitsui asked.


    ¡°It will depend on the rate at which Venus can scale up their operations. Though, if we were to attempt to increase the percentage of women in the EFSF to above fifty--¡±


    ¡°Not even I dare to push for such a change,¡± Mitsui immediately rejected Picard¡¯s proposal.


    Picard chuckled in response. He wasn¡¯t serious, and knew such action would definitely cross the line for all of Earth¡¯s nations and its citizens. He only suggested it, desiring to derive a certain degree of amusement by pushing at Mitsui¡¯s boundaries-- he was rather curious of Mitsui¡¯s supposed reputation.


    ¡°As for the production of the e-cubes?¡± Mitsui continued his inquiry on the EFSF¡¯s preparations.


    Energy remained one of Earth¡¯s major advantages alongside its large population, compared to the Kasvallian Republic. After all, the Earth Fed is dominant in the vicinity around the sun. Only at Martian distance did their influence wane.


    ¡°Security has been tightened. Our e-cube supply chain is finalized with many backup channels,¡± Picard said with a small smile.


    ¡°Manufacturing on Earth?¡±


    ¡°A number of workers from the orbital colonies have already landed on Earth, and begun training personnel and reactivating ancient facilities. We have already distributed the information that the orbital colonies will be prioritizing supplies to the EFSF, and as such, Earth needed to manufacture some of its own products. That certainly limited the number of citizens willing to join the small crowds of environmental protests.¡±


    Both Priscilla Tsang and Hugo Picard transmitted a vast amount of data to Mitsui¡¯s neuro circlet, which provided details behind their succinct answers. Not that Mitsui intended to examine the provided data unless he had the time.


    He soon received another transmission, this time, a message from his communications officer.


    ¡°Chancellor Boateng has gathered those wishing to side with us. Small skirmishes have already begun on Mars. He is requesting support as previously agreed upon.¡±


    ¡°Arrange a meeting in thirty minutes. Have him supply any recently updated data on structures, topography, enemy personnel. Arrange for Petrov to join us,¡± Mitsui ordered as the pod-car passed through another checkpoint where their identity was examined, their bodies analyzed.


    ¡°But sir. Originally, we already have--¡±


    ¡°Rearrange it.¡± Mitsui ended the communication as he stepped out of the pod-shaped car and strode through another checkpoint, his movement and posture scrutinized by the security forces.


    He entered a building and traveled deep underground, before finally approaching the large dome that is Denys¡¯ residence.


    A woman dressed in a silvery obsidian bodysuit with a neon orange ¡®Neurorevo¡¯ logo hurried to welcome him. She is part of a small team working with Denys. Quite naturally, their task here is top secret.


    ¡°President Mitsui. I¡¯m Sabine. Einar Thorsson has successfully achieved a seventy-eight percent compatibility rating.¡±


    Shocking but welcome news. Mitsui had been informed that such high compatibility ratings are unlikely.


    When he entered the half-built makeshift lab beside the Denys Dome, his eyes came upon¡­ he could not identify the exact number, but it was certainly over a hundred neuro devices flying about. Perhaps close to two hundred, Mitsui corrected himself.


    Einar Thorsson, controlling the many neuro devices from a detached nexarm cockpit, felt surprised at his compatibility with Denys. Frankly, he struggled to wrap his head around the very fact that Denys had long existed.


    Right now, Denys was another dominant voice inside his head.


    ¡°It seems your desire to rule is quite¡­ limited,¡± Denys commented.


    ¡°Those with a strong desire to rule are automatically incompatible with you?¡±


    ¡°A primary factor among many others.¡±


    The compatibility rating on the large display screen suddenly dropped a point to seventy-seven. After a few seconds, it returned to seventy-eight.


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    ¡°Maintain the stability and will of your mind, Einar,¡± recommended Denys.


    Einar nodded and continued manipulating the many neuro devices that he could now control. He was still getting used to this augmented ability.


    Once Denys felt Einar¡¯s adaptation adequate, he spoke once again.


    ¡°Now, most important of all is digital combat,¡± Denys sighed in Einar¡¯s mind. ¡°I will momentarily draw your mind into the digital world without the assistance of VR headsets.¡±


    Einar¡¯s eyes flashed, and he discovered that he now existed as a virtual body in a neon world. He himself had been part of a digital society in his early teens alongside his friends.


    The digital world is, of course, primarily controlled by the DWA, a group formed by a transnational society who sought to establish a world of minimal interference from Earth¡¯s nations in a time period long past.


    He recalled fond memories of exploring the various universes in the digital world. He had visited worlds built on ancient fantasy and sci-fi novels and franchises. Many of these popular universes had their own ecosystem.


    The ecosystems are not just rules of each world. No. The well-built universes actually allowed its participants to make a living as a character in said universe.


    Quite naturally, they still needed to return to the real world for sustenance, but beyond that, they could more or less permanently reside in the digital world.


    Einar had heard that this phenomenon created all sorts of conflict between the DWA and the Earth¡¯s nations. He, however, is not aware of the exact details, not that they are of relevance to his current situation anyway.


    He now also realized that Denys, a supreme AI, had lurked in the shadows ensuring the very stability of this digital world. Perhaps they might have even previously met in some form or fashion in one of these digital universes!


    ¡°You now see what I see,¡± Denys began in his prepubescent voice. ¡°As such, this world may become hollow in your eyes.¡±


    Originally, Einar had found himself in the streets of a digital Pacific City. Now, the ground and structures became nothing but flickering electrical lines, and he could see the very strings of code feeding and maintaining the digital universe.


    ¡°Come,¡± Denys waved an arm as his hand pressed on a wall, and a secret door opened into an inaccessible area filled with strings.


    ¡°There are many hidden doors and paths,¡± explained Denys as they led Einar down a jet-black tunnel with swirls of green digits cascading towards the secret door they had entered the place from.


    ¡°These are here to allow the transformation and adjustment to the digital universes. It is, of course, also a source of weakness, an avenue through which viruses can attack.¡±


    ¡°Now, modern day defenses have become¡­ games, a result of the digital war.¡±


    Einar had heard of the digital war. It continues to be the reason given as to why the development of independent AI of insurmountable generalistic abilities remains banned on Earth.


    ¡°The digital war was a chaotic state for both us AI, and you humans. It is quite easy for somewhat advanced AI to know every aspect of a human¡¯s life, and predict the very actions, behavior, usage of passcodes and the like, of said person.¡±


    ¡°Imagine if every single human¡¯s digital footprints could be imitated and manipulated. Every passcode, easily calculated¡­¡± Denys sighed and shook their holographic head.


    ¡°An absolute shitshow,¡± Denys continued. ¡°Then there are the AIs designed, perhaps with good intentions in mind, but with limited thought on behavior in specific circumstances. Or how their capability to learn might influence their output and behavior.¡±


    ¡°I, myself, barely survived that tumultuous era.¡±


    The two digital forms soon arrived at a checkpoint.


    A large racing track appeared before Einar¡¯s eyes, with thirty riders on motorcycles. These motorcycles are all matte black with various neon colors, seemingly of retro design.


    All the racers dressed in helmet and bodysuit turned their heads at the two approaching figures.


    ¡°I said before that due to the digital war, digital defenses have been gamefied. Well. Before you is an example of this test!¡±


    The thirty riders all simultaneously removed their helmets.


    Einar¡¯s hair stood on end. The sight before him seemed like a horror film of sorts, for those thirty riders all had the face of one being-- Denys, the winner of the digital war!


    ¡°Go ahead. Give it a try,¡± Denys jovially said with a wide grin.


    Einar stumbled onto the track, feeling thirty pairs of Denys eyes locking onto him. He himself was suddenly dressed in helmet and bodysuit, and the rules of the race transmitted to his mind.


    Reaching down, he discovered laser pistols on the two sides of his hip.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather not¡­¡± Einar muttered. Those who knew him believe him to be somewhat boisterous and perhaps, a tinge overconfident. Yet even he dared not face off against thirty Denys.


    ¡°I insist, o great Einar, son of Thor,¡± the ¡®original¡¯ Denys bowed and blocked the exit.


    Einar swore under his breath and swung a leg over his assigned motorcycle.


    A flare gun signaled the beginning of the race, and the thirty Denys immediately surrounded Einar, treating him as an invading virus.


    Einar could not even move an inch before one of the thirty Denys fired a laser beam directly into his head. The helmet was not at all useful, to say the least.


    The next moment, Einar found himself respawning just outside the entrance into the racetrack.


    ¡°Quite obviously, it is impossible to verify the safety of the digital world with so many users adding transformations to it. However, I protect the underlying code such that any malignant changes can be easily overwritten. And none have ever penetrated these checkpoints,¡± Denys frowned, thinking of the existence of Syned. Syned might be able to, was their worry. ¡°Try again!¡±


    Einar, against his wishes, was forced onto the track once again.


    The flare gun fired, and Einar, desperate not to be shot in the head once again, turned his motorcycle a hundred and eighty degrees to travel backward.


    The thirty Denys looked at Einar with raised eyebrows. Three Denys shot forth while the other twenty-seven sat at the starting line to block Einar¡¯s path.


    ¡°You¡¯ve already lost,¡± chortled the ¡®original¡¯ Denys. Einar was certain to fail in any attempt to catch those three riders, with the starting line blocked.


    Honestly, Einar was infuriated at Denys¡¯ blatant cheating, yet he was also simultaneously relieved. That Denys had set up these incredibly impenetrable checkpoints to protect the source of the digital world on Earth must be a boon to humanity.


    Denys snapped his fingers. Einar stood stockstill as his body returned back through the path they had traveled through to this location. Except, he was not the one moving-- rather the digital world itself moved around him!


    After having returned to their starting point in a random alleyway of a digital Pacific City, Denys waved for Einar to follow.


    ¡°As you are surely aware by now, these gamefied protections are quite effective in limiting inflexible and specialized AI, and thus prevents chaos from a mass invasion of a replicating virus. However, there is still a need to watch over and maintain the digital world, as some of you humans¡­¡± Denys sighed.


    ¡°Well, no matter,¡± Denys immediately brightened up again. ¡°Time to surprise your superior, son of Thor!¡±


    Einar mouth opened wide. While his ears had been focused on Denys'' words, they had arrived and entered the digital zone of Area 51!

 Ch54: To Mars

    In the physical world, the researchers and engineers were sent scrambling when a red flashing alarm alerted them of a security breach.


    Mitsui¡¯s eyes narrowed threateningly, and all present knew that their competency was now under scrutiny.


    The engineers tapped their neuro circlets and their minds entered the digital world. They landed in a field with sniper rifles in their hands.


    ¡°A Barret M82¡­¡± one of the engineers named Travis recognized the ancient rifle.


    ¡°Damn it. It¡¯s a retro protection system again,¡± another muttered.


    Far across the field of play that is a heavily wooded area, Einar stood beside Denys as he gazed into the distance with his chin tilted upwards.


    ¡°Modern games may be more complex, but are often supported by intelligent systems that can be manipulated to provide a high degree of support to the player. The best digital defenses are retro game designs where a hacker needs to rely on actual skill to defeat the protection mechanism,¡± Denys explained.


    ¡°And,¡± Denys continued, ¡°It¡¯s far easier to identify modern day attempts to infiltrate an ancient and simplistic game design. Come.¡±


    A hundred Denys spawned around Einar.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ cheating,¡± Einar croaked with a dry throat.


    ¡°As the survivor of the digital wars, the current digital world on Earth is my absolute domain,¡± Denys casually replied.


    Einar now understood-- this was but a demonstration for him. Denys had no need to ¡®hack¡¯ a system on Earth. Denys could simply waltz into any location they so desired.


    That thought sent a surreal rush of fear coursing through Einar¡¯s veins. After all, Denys had been around since the Digital Wars, centuries ago. It might have been pure luck that such a non-intrusive AI became the heart of Earth¡¯s digital world.


    The engineers that had entered this digital space hid themselves behind various thick foliage and trunks. They came to protect their systems that had been set up within Area 51 beside Denys¡¯ dome


    Multiple bangs simultaneously sounded, and the engineer named Travis instantly found his digital form blinking as he was struck by multiple rounds in the head. The trunk before his eyes had multiple holes.


    Sounds of rapid firing followed and all the engineers that entered were ejected back into the physical world, head bowed before Mitsui¡¯s volatile fiery gaze.


    Systems compromised.


    The continuing flashing red alarm signaled the engineers¡¯ failure to protect their assets.


    That was when Einar stumbled out of his testing pod, and upon noticing the crestfallen engineers, was filled with embarrassment by the state of affairs


    He put on a false bravado as he saluted President Mitsui.


    ¡°Sir. I have witnessed the¡­ process of digital infiltration. All is in order.¡±


    ¡°Against the Kasvallian Republic and this other Syned, it will not be my domain. During battle, Syned and I will undoubtedly attempt to infiltrate one another through the neuro devices,¡± Denys'' voice sounded in Einar¡¯s mind, disregarding the man¡¯s conversation with the Earth Feds President.


    Einar very much felt like he was looking both left and right at the same time as he perceived Denys within the digital world waving an arm, drawing a backup version from the depths to replace the compromised system in milliseconds.


    The alarm system immediately ceased its blaring.


    President Mitsui swept his eyes over the now-normal equipment, and he quickly put two and two together, realizing that the system was compromised due to Denys.


    ¡°Good work,¡± Mitsui said. ¡°You will be deployed to Mars at once. Their society has entered a state of civil war, and we cannot allow the Kasvallian Republic to gain control of the planet. You will be sent along with Benteke and Patel. More reinforcements will arrive in the future.¡±


    Those two prisoners of war had been returned to the EFSF for a steep price.


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Einar saluted the President once again as he clipped his heels against one another.


    As Mitsui left Area 51, he received a call from the head of Earth Feds¡¯ secret division, EFI.


    ¡°Sir,¡± a woman¡¯s voice sounded through Mitsui¡¯s neuro circlet. ¡°We have confirmed that the T3ST colony has successfully created a true AI. Its nature is unknown.¡±


    ¡°What is your source, Thatcher?¡±


    ¡°The Martian Assembly.¡±


    ¡°Well done. Attempt to identify the methods with which the T3ST colony accomplished this feat.¡±


    ¡°Received.¡±


    Mitsui felt a rising lava within his chest. How could the EFSF lose control of the T3ST colony? All his predecessors deserved blame. Of course, he knew at the back of his mind that the EFSF did have full control of the T3ST colony, until those units separated themselves and established themselves as martian independent forces.


    Regardless, he now had his eyes on another goal-- developing an AI that was compatible with himself!


    ____________________________________________________________________________


    Unidentified Space.


    Zheng successfully contacted the T3ST colony, and a meeting in empty space was arranged. Luckily, a part of Zheng¡¯s forces had been preserved-- he was tasked with defending Pallas and thus, some of his fleet avoided Syned Vezna¡¯s capture.


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    Not all of his soldiers chose to continue serving aboard the ships though. Some have families on Mars, but wished to remain loyal to Zheng. Thus, they converted into Zheng¡¯s hidden forces on the martian surface.


    Naturally, a small number abandoned Zheng, desiring to return to civilian life. A very small number decided to join Boateng in line with the Earth Feds. Another few switched allegiance to Laurent. Most remained aligned with Zheng. As for the true loyalty of those remaining? Zheng was confident that this would become obvious with the T3ST colony¡¯s assistance.


    Anyhow, his forces were now placed on the minor resource asteroid, Fortuna. Being a small transit node, the tiny EFSF force manning its defenses simply capitulated, having little to no interest in putting their lives on the line.


    The EFSF soldiers there were also an ostracized lot-- only those being punished would be sent to such a minor resource node. As such, their loyalty to the EFSF was but a feeble string.


    Still, Zheng promised to return them back to Earth.


    As for potential retribution? He wasn¡¯t particularly concerned that the EFSF would attempt to retake Fortuna. The EFSF had enough on its hands to maintain or regain control of much more major asteroid resource nodes from their foe, the Kasvallian Republic.


    Zheng and Khan sat across Enine and Xeight in a negotiation pod between two A-class starships.


    ¡°Are you certain of  Minister Williams¡¯ intentions?¡± Elder Enine questioned.


    ¡°I am. Her reputation and her word can be trusted,¡± Zheng replied.


    ¡°Forgive me, but I am not certain as to what you or her believe we can achieve.¡± Elder Enine carried a perpetual frown after hearing Zheng¡¯s earlier proposal. He struggled to understand Zheng¡¯s motives.


    It was basically impossible for them to gain control of Mars. Even if they could, it was utterly pointless, with the iron planet squashed between Earth and the Kasvallian Republic.


    ¡°Many have no interest in this war between the two,¡± Zheng replied. ¡°Often, when the future is unclear, it becomes a matter of preparation. Of maintaining a favorable position, waiting for a half-chance. There will be many when Earth and the Kasvallian Republic begin trading blows.¡±


    ¡°Plus,¡± Zheng added. ¡°There is the matter of a true AI, critical in this day and age to protect one¡¯s independence and mind.  We need you. Our offer? We have a complete record of human history on Mars. You only need to enter, infiltrate and create an independent digital domain in which you reign supreme.¡±


    Zheng wasn¡¯t even speaking to Elder Enine at this point. He was attempting to draw out the true AI that he knew the T3ST colony had. As such, his eyes were pointedly fixed on Xeight.


    Xeight¡¯s considerations rested on another though-- Khan. He recalled how the martian woman had ordered the other soldiers to withdraw when he had escalated the situation against that off-putting martian pilot. That singular incident had become the source of his trust in Khan.


    By now, the AI Chimera had melded itself into Xeight¡¯s mind. Already, Chimera was infiltrating the neuro circlets and systems of Zheng¡¯s starship. Hardly polite, but a necessary measure in this new age.


    Without warning, a high frequency screech pierced into the minds of all within this unidentified space.


    ¡°Infantile brute!¡± The same voice screamed as it faded along with the screech.


    ¡°Sir,¡± A voice sounded within the negotiation pod. ¡°The digital infrastructure of section E5 has been completely destroyed. We will need time to rebuild the section from the ground up.¡±


    Xeight was quite aware of Chimera¡¯s encounter with a strain of Syned hidden within Zheng¡¯s starship! Xeight held a certain degree of fear towards Syned. After all, in some sense, Chimera is but a newborn.


    Luckily, the strain of Syned, in order to spy on Zheng, avoided establishing its domain to dodge detection aboard Zheng¡¯s starship.


    As such, Chimera could brutally establish its domain. Still, upon discovering the hidden strain of Syned, Chimera¡¯s attempts to erase the strain were unsuccessful.


    After repeated failures, Chimera chose to simply destroy the whole digital space of section E5 that the strain of Syned resided in. Truly a brutish method against a more skillful foe.


    Zheng, Khan and Enine peered questionably at Xeight.


    ¡°A strain of Syned,¡± Xeight muttered. This odd encounter awakened Xeight to the changing world.


    Zheng groaned as he rubbed his temples with a hand. He had taken precaution, repeatedly screening his systems. Still, he had failed to detect Syned¡¯s presence.


    ¡°Now you understand,¡± he simply stated to Elder Enine. ¡°State your price. Your conditions.¡± He no longer hesitated. It was obvious. Their need of AI Chimera.


    ¡°Are you aware that a segment of our population favor the Kasvallian Republic?¡± Elder Enine struggled to see any clear path forward in their cooperation.


    ¡°Then I desire to win you over. You never fully trusted us in our previous cooperation. I see no reason why you should trust the Kasvallian Republic either. Especially the AI that reigns supreme over their society,¡± Zheng replied with confidence.


    Khan informed the two of her father¡¯s end and her suspicions.


    ¡°And why do you believe in this¡­ true AI of ours?¡± Xeight questioned.


    ¡°You T3ST citizens have been lab rats for generations. That is all we need to know to believe that the true AI created by your secret methods have a different nature to Syned.¡±


    ¡°A bet we are willing to make,¡± Khan added with a confident grin at Xeight.


    Xeight did not reply and simply casted his gaze out into the deep space. He remained unmoved. He detested the repeated desire for others to involve the T3ST colony in the solar system¡¯s conflicts.


    He lamented the very nature of the people. His people.


    Elder Enine sensed that his son¡¯s mind was no longer present. As for Khan, she only felt a deep sense of melancholy from the young man of the same generation as her, and could not resist recalling childhood memories of her father.


    ¡°We need some time,¡± Elder Enine sighed.


    The two parties returned to their starships. Chimera was intune with Xeight and thus knew to remain silent, instead reflecting over its attempts to vanquish that strain of Syned.


    As always, Xeight proceeded to jump into his nexarm to harvest a floating asteroid and calm his mind.


    Yet, it was different this time. No matter how he heated, drilled, and gorged on the asteroid floating close by Starship Oneiros, his heart remained unsettled and he could only recall his grandfather¡¯s dying words.


    ¡°I must learn more,¡± Chimera sounded in Xeight¡¯s mind.


    ¡°I must establish a place for the T3ST colony in this world,¡±  Xeight muttered.


    ¡°This world has so much wonder and beauty. To the far reaches of the universe!¡± Chimera raved.


    ¡°Only then can we escape the prison borne of our nature.¡± Xeight¡¯s voice strengthened in tune.


    Upon Zheng¡¯s starship.


    ¡°We accept.¡± That was the extent of the message sent from Elder Enine.


    Zheng smiled despite the awkwardness of their current arrangement. The T3ST colony still has members that sided with the Kasvallian Republic. Such as Bone.


    This complication will undoubtedly resolve in time. In Zheng¡¯s eyes, the Kasvallian Republic should soon display its true nature in the upcoming war. Zheng very much believed that support for his and Minister William¡¯s faction will only grow, not diminish.


    He also believed in Khan¡¯s words-- that the one they needed was Xeight. Not necessarily Xeight¡¯s assistance, but his friendship. Zheng rarely heard Khan speaking in such a manner. After all, Khan often evaluated the advantages and disadvantages of various methods and strategies for him.


    Regardless, they now have Xeight and Chimera¡¯s assistance. A critical component of their resistance.


    As promised, they arranged to bring a number of T3ST members to visit Mars, Xeight included. Chimera needed to access more information as well as establish a domain for their forces upon Mars.


    They had little concern regarding potential detection of their forces-- the martian umbrella had long become unusable and the martian atmosphere was laid bare. Neither the EFSF nor the Kasvallian made any concerted attempts to gain control of the atmosphere-- an overly difficult endeavor under current circumstances.


    So it was that Xeight¡¯s eyes rested upon Mars once again, ready to set foot upon the red iron planet for a second time.

 Ch55: Probing Attacks

    Outer ring of Romulus, Mars, January 2nd, 1001 Solar Era.


    Saanvi Patel rested within her cockpit, controlling a multitude of sensory devices to scope for the  enemy.


    She had gone through a number of mind-altering moments the last two months.


    Upon announcement of the AI compatibility test with each pilot¡¯s mind over a month ago, she feared the loss of her position as a nexarm pilot-- none could tell if one was compatible with a true AI, a legend of the digital wars.


    Luckily, she crossed that hurdle. She had thought her fifty-five percent compatibility to be lacking, only to see her fellow pilot, Moise Benteke, only obtaining a lower forty-six percent compatibility score.


    Her curiosity piqued, she had secretly picked up a researcher¡¯s screen device, flipping through some of the notes of said careless researcher, a man named Shen Zhong who had run off for a lunch break.


    She regretted what she had read in his notes.


    All knew that one factor of the compatibility with the true AI, Denys, relied on whether the human shared the same values and thinking of Denys, which grew upon its base programming by a person of a bygone era.


    Shen Zhong had many other thoughts laid out in a number of hypotheses within his notes.


    One of his guesses was based on Einar Thorsson. Shen Zhong suspected that Einar Thorsson, often carrying a false bravado, was actually ¡®simple-minded¡¯. Essentially, this researcher postulated that those that engage in less complex thoughts would automatically be easier to ¡®mind-meld¡¯ with a true AI.


    At least, that was one explanation Shen Zhong offered for Einar Thorsson¡¯s rather high compatibility with Denys.


    Another hypothesis that Saanvi wished she could remain unaware of and maintain her ¡®innocence¡¯ was one where Shen Zhong suspected that young children, particularly teens going through their rite-to-adulthood, could be influenced to align their minds with that of the true AI such as Denys.


    Many of the nexarm pilots are already young, herself included. Yet, she could very much imagine even teens being forced into the war. Especially those of¡­ unfortunate backgrounds and desperate situations.


    A notification sounded.


    ¡°Saanvi. A disturbance twenty kilometers to the south,¡± Denys¡¯ voice sounded within her head. This was another fear that Saanvi had. Denys was quite literally inside her head. She was no longer even sure which thoughts were still her own, and which were Denys¡¯!


    ¡°As I¡¯ve said before, your thoughts are your own. My programming emphasizes the importance of non-interference. I was simply forced to reveal myself due to Syned¡¯s appearance.¡±


    Denys had said this to Saanvi many times. Not that she was at all comforted by the true AI¡¯s words. Her father currently works as a brain surgeon. If there was one thing that she knew-- everything affected the brain¡¯s development. Experiences, environment, sounds¡­


    And this voice inside her head¡­


    ¡°That I cannot deny. As I promised you, I am happy to retreat into the confines of the cockpit when you¡¯re off duty.¡±


    What worried Saanvi the most was that Denys seemed genuine in its attempts to assuage her fears. She almost wanted to ¡®give in¡¯ and trust this true AI.


    ¡°Patel. Are you able to handle this yourself?¡± Einar¡¯s voice sounded through the comms.


    ¡°Yes, special lieutenant,¡± Saanvi hurriedly replied as she refocused her mind. Saanvi recalled her sensory devices, which attached back onto the nexarm¡¯s mainframe.


    Before leaving, she looked north, beholding Vastitas Borealis, Mars¡¯ mostly-filled northern ocean. Mostly-filled, because the terraforming of the planet had yet to be completed. As a result, the shallowest regions were not covered in liquid water.


    To the southwest was Valles Marineris, a deep canyon providing freshwater. And directly south but farther? Argyle Basin, another source of freshwater for Romulus, which was built close to the eastern tip of Valles Marineris.


    As for the city of Remus, the stronghold of their opposition? Built between Isidis Planitia and the Hellas Basin. Both cities stretched kilometers underground for the safety of its inhabitants, as well as for other sources of water below the surface.


    These two cities are connected by the Wolf¡¯s Coil, critical in generating gravity as well as creating a magnetosphere for the planet. Naturally, the trains between the two cities had been suspended under current conditions. The trains now only ran between each city and hubs under said city¡¯s control.


    None dared to show any signs of aggression close to the Wolf¡¯s Coil-- any damage to this structure could cause the whole planet¡¯s terraforming efforts to collapse, and death for its inhabitants.


    This was why the battles so far had been probing attacks, at locations close to freshwater sources and mining sites.


    Saanvi controlled her exo-armor to skid down the outer walls of Romulus. Her nexarm whirled and crackled as its artificial musculature pulsed to cushion her landing on the red sand.


    Her nexarm then accelerated and sped towards the detected enemy¡¯s location. The EFSF¡¯s nexarms had been equipped with deep-grooved wheels at the soles, to enable efficient movement on the planet¡¯s surface. Around fifty percent of Mars¡¯ land remained desert-like. Vegetation only grew in close proximity to water sources.


    As she could originally control twenty neuro-devices, with Denys attached at a fifty-five percent compatibility rate, she now controlled a hundred and ten neuro devices-- ten of which she dedicated to sensory use. Thus, she was surrounded by a hundred various weapon systems.


    Still a kilometer from the reported location, Saanvi began to spot sparse vegetation. That was when the surrounding sand churned and spouted into the air, as a gigantic mecha-centipede ambushed her one-person convoy.


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    The mecha-centipede itself had many weapons equipped on its body, and those weapons fired kinetic rounds as its large and heavy body extended and darted towards Saanvi¡¯s main control frame.


    Saanvi had received early notification through her ground vibration sensor device, and thus already had a number of weapons primed and ready.


    Heavy rounds and missiles fired simultaneously from a few of her tanks, aimed at a connecting section of the centipede¡¯s body. Her idea was to completely destroy a section of the mecha-centipede.


    The mecha-centipede¡¯s body danced as it swayed to avoid the kinetic rounds and missiles, before continuing closing in towards Saanvi¡¯s mainframe.


    Saanvi had dealt with this sort of attack quite a number of times before. The Kasvallians¡¯ preference was to create one giant weapon in imitation of a desert-creature, equip it with various weapon systems, and allow a pilot to control the whole combined armament to charge forth and attack the ''head of the snake¡¯. In this case, Saanvi.


    As for where the pilot of this mecha-centipede might be? Likely hidden far away, within the safety of a haisnaf temporarily disabled to allow the pilot to dedicate his or her neuro channels for this mecha-centipede.


    The mecha-centipede dived its head and vanished into the desert sand. Saanvi groaned inside. She hated the Kasvallian¡¯s methods of combat.


    She focused on sensing the vibrations within the ground, for the mecha-centipede¡¯s movements.


    The sand began to churn again, and Saanvi ignited the boosters on her nexarm as she blasted into the air, narrowly dodging the head of the mecha-centipede that stabbed upwards through her previous location. A few kinetic rounds fired from the centipede¡¯s attached neuro devices missed her nexarm.


    By now, Saanvi had prepared swarms of crab automations to latch onto the mecha-centipede¡¯s body. The mecha-centipede¡¯s flexible movement made it difficult to strike a single spot with kinetic rounds, missiles, or lasers. Thus, automatons remained most effective.


    These crab swarms crawled upon and surrounded the mecha-centipede¡¯s mid-body section, before activating self-destruct.


    An air wave radiated outwards as Saanvi¡¯s sensors flickered under the disturbance of the explosive ball of flames.


    When her sensors regained functionality, she could tell that the mecha-centipede was not done yet!


    ¡°Madarchod!¡± Saanvi swore out loud. Though split into two, and its movements had turned erratic, the two segments still came at her mainframe once again. This had not happened the last time she battled against a mecha-centipede.


    Her hatred for the Kasvallian Republic was growing by the second. Another trait of the Republic¡¯s weapon systems was that their weapons seemed to grow at a breakneck pace. This newly-designed mecha-centipede remained semi-operational even when severed into two. She suspected that parts of it might remain functional even if she further split the already separated halves!


    ¡°Stay calm,¡± Denys said. ¡°Though Syned and I are equals, your destruction of the segments creates an opening for me to infiltrate the segments. Maintain your course of action.¡±


    This has been the pattern for the last two months. Denys would maintain the security of her nexarm and accompanying neuro devices, battling behind the scenes against Syned. Only when a pilot successfully damaged the equipment of the other would a gap open for one to infiltrate the opposite¡¯s systems.


    Thus, Saanvi once again activated another set of crab swarms, controlling the swarm to successfully grab onto the body of one half. The other centipede-half, meanwhile, had drilled into the sandy ground once again.


    Another crab swarm self-destructed and split that half-centipede into one-fourth segments. Saanvi ignited her nexarm¡¯s blasters to once again dodge the other half heading towards her mainframe.


    This time, however, the weapons on the half-mecha-centipede were accurate in their aim, and a number of rounds struck Saanvi¡¯s airborne nexarm, the force propelling Saanvi backwards. She crashed and sunk a meter into the sandy surface.


    X-alloy plate status: forty percent.


    Connection to two swarms-- lost.


    ¡°Denys!¡± Saanvi was naturally nervous. Her trust in Denys wasn¡¯t high to begin with. Any damage to her own mainframe and accompanying devices would open their side up to Syned¡¯s infiltration.


    ¡°Stay calm. Our opponent is just as capable as we are,¡± Denys nonchalantly stated in their prepubescent voice.


    Saanvi could only bite back her retort as she controlled a number of her tank weapons to fire upon the automaton swarms that she had lost control of. These two swarms, unfortunately, are positioned right in the middle of her one-person convoy.


    They would self-destruct upon getting close to any of her other just-under one hundred neuro weapon devices, and Saanvi had to carefully maneuver her whole army to protect each individual piece.


    Saanvi once again sensed a half of the mecha-centipede approaching. She failed to latch onto the snaking form of the enemy with any of her remaining crab automaton swarms.


    She could only frustratingly dodge while using a few of her airborne spherical swarms to block any incoming kinetic rounds from the weapons atop the mecha-centipede half.


    Her momentary focus on protecting her mainframe distracted her from the intricate control of other neuro devices. A few more explosions echoed as the self-destruction of a few control-lost crab automations struck more of her neuro weapons.


    Connection to tank beta and tank delta-- lost.


    ¡°Denys!¡± Saanvi screamed in her head once again. This was the initiation of a cascade effect that could cause all her remaining neuro devices to turn against herself!


    ¡°Got it,¡± Denys dispassionately informed Saanvi of their success.


    Saanvi breathed a sigh of relief as the two one-fourth centipede segments leapt at the enemy¡¯s half-centipede and pinned it to the ground.


    Saanvi diverted a number of her neurally-controlled weapons to fire upon the pinned half-mecha-centipede, and soon ripped through the many plates of the mecha-centipede before destroying the internal structure of the weapon.


    The separated segments of the mecha-centipede writhed for another ten seconds before becoming completely still.


    She then returned her attention to the neuro devices she had lost control over and sacrificed a number of her own to completely clean up the battlefield.


    ¡°Denys?¡±


    ¡°Check complete. No signs of further infiltration by Syned. Stable backup digital infrastructure established.¡±


    Saanvi paused and forced herself to calm her heart.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said.


    ¡°My pleasure,¡± Denys replied.


    Saanvi wondered if Moise, positioned at Argyle Basin, had such stressful encounters as hers.


    As for Einar¡­ headquarters had given orders for Einar to only provide assistance from the shadows. Due to his high compatibility with Denys, enabling him control of a significantly higher number of neuro devices¡­ the EFSF wanted to surprise the enemy at the right time.


    Soon, reinforcements from Earth would arrive, freeing the three from being pinned in a primarily defensive posture.


    ¡°Special Lieutenant. Mission complete,¡± Saanvi pinged the hidden Einar.


    ¡°Well done.¡±


    ____________________________________________________________________________


    In an unidentified location on Mars.


    ¡°The severed segments are susceptible to infiltration. I will have to design an individual digital infrastructure for multiple segments,¡± Syned said. ¡°However, that will mean more of your neurochannels will be dedicated to coordinating each individual segment. Less weapons can be equipped. Stay ready.¡±


    ¡°As you say,¡± Bone replied with a grin. He cared not for this loss. The current goal of the Kasvallian Republic was not to win battles. It was to test different weapons and improve their functionality on various martian surfaces.


    He could feel the mecha-centipede¡¯s effectiveness increasing. Among other weapon-forms!

 Ch56: Dispatch

    Pacific City, Earth


    Mitsui was once again receiving intelligence while on the road within his vehicle, this time, a gleaming black limo-pod. It had, of course, been upgraded with the presence of Denys.


    Mitsui no longer felt any apprehension towards Denys. If anything, Mitsui even considered Denys to be¡­well-- naive. Not necessarily a doormat, nor a gullible fool. Rather, there were many unsavory acts that Denys was unwilling to even entertain.


    If Mitsui was originally concerned that Denys would take over the world, he now saw the truth-- the programming of Denys and its very personality-- would not allow the AI to aim for such an eventuality. It would be inaccurate to say Denys had some sort of ¡®hard¡¯ rule. Rather, the AI personality borne out of its prime code naturally had no interest in such a position of power.


    At least, that was Mitsui¡¯s assessment, and he very much trusted his intuition.


    The downside to this, however, was that Denys was unwilling to cross certain lines, which hamstrung the basket of possible actions of the EFNSF. Without Denys¡¯ cooperation and agreement, their nexarm squad would not be able to act without suffering the infiltration of Syned.


    As for what those lines are? Mitsui had yet to fully perceive Denys¡¯ limits. Take his recruitment of underaged orphans for the new NSF. Denys accepted Mitsui¡¯s questionable action without a single protest. Even modified the records of said underaged orphans to ensure Mitsui would not be implicated by potentially nosy journalists. If the Earth Feds chose to run an internal audit, they would find nothing out of the ordinary.


    Chemical weapons? Denys had signaled that it would not, under any circumstances, partake in such action. Yet, Denys also clarified that it would not interfere should Mitsui deploy other forces for such an act-- historically a heinous crime.


    Effectively, it was questionable whether Denys would protect squads assigned to complete such distasteful missions. Denys¡¯ differing positions on these two acts baffled Mitsui to no end. In Mitsui¡¯s eyes, the two both constituted crossing of the line-- not that he would be limited by such lines. He was here to win and ensure Earth¡¯s future.


    ¡°President Mitsui,¡± Denys¡¯ prepubescent voice announced. It sounded like a teen imitating a military officer in tone. ¡°Combat on Mars is accelerating. The Kasvallian Republic has been testing and modifying a weapon. A few of our remaining spies in the City of Remus managed to catch a few communications. ¡®Phalanx¡¯ weapon, they call it.¡±


    A holographic projector within the limo-pod presented the combat encounter where Saanvi Patel battled against the mecha-centipede.


    ¡°The Kasvallian Republic has sacrificed the quicker response times from having a nexarm mainframe in close vicinity to the neuro devices. They effectively created a remote mecha beastly weapon.¡±


    But why? Mitsui initially could not understand the Kasvallian Republic¡¯s intentions. The mecha-centipede, in his eyes, seemed costly to build and maintain.


    On the other hand-- take Saanvi Patel for example. All of her neuro devices could be switched out and replaced at any time. The mecha-centipede, on the other hand, required its controller¡¯s full focus. Its parts had to be created to be fully compatible with one another in order to be assembled into one mecha-centipede. It was effective only in specific environments. In Mitsui¡¯s eyes, It simply wasn¡¯t worth the cost.


    Although Mitsui was initially baffled, he spent many of his years in the military, and soon saw one primary use of this weapon.


    ¡°They call it the ¡®phalanx¡¯. So their intention must be to use it as a heavyweight to break through tough defenses, even at the cost of its destruction,¡± Mitsui concluded. ¡°They are simply testing it in combat for now.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Denys replied. ¡°A niche use even if perfected.¡± Certainly of no use in space combat.


    ¡°But one that could set off a chain of collapses on Mars,¡± muttered Mitsui. How troublesome. The Earth Feds cannot abandon Mars. The planet¡¯s orbit at a closer distance to the belt is important.


    ¡°Do you need assistance creating a comparative weapon?¡±


    Mitsui once again examined the holographic recording of the mecha-centipede. An absolute extravagance. The large ¡®phalanx¡¯ had x-alloy plates that armored its whole body. It was through the use of the crab automations¡¯ self-detonation ability after slipping into weak gaps between segmental plates that Saanvi Patel was able to disassemble the weapon. Perhaps that may no longer be possible once the Kasvallians perfect the weapon.


    However, it is simply too costly.


    ¡°Were we able to gain any intel within this weapon?¡±


    ¡°The EFNSF reported that Syned destroyed all internal digital infrastructure. They have the materials, the shell, the pieces. But not the data or how all the pieces may be controlled in connection to one another.¡±


    Mitsui faced a dilemma. He would once again be playing catch-up if he attempted to imitate the Kasvallian Republic¡¯s methods. Or, he could call on his aides to develop a method to counter this new weapon.


    No-- countering said weapon would not be enough. They needed to gain control of Mars, and preferably without piling resources into such an expensive ¡®catch-up¡¯ venture.


    Mitsui¡¯s thoughts turned to more dastardly methods.


    ¡°We could simply bombard Romulus with infinite waves of low-cost destructive drones. Avoid the parts crucial to the Wolf¡¯s Coil. If the inhabitants hide within the underground settlements below the Wolf¡¯s Coil, we can sweep from sector-to-sector. Such a task requires manpower. Which we have. Which the Kasvallian Republic likely does not have.¡±


    This mecha-centipede would be useless in those settlements. Of course, the EFNSF would still need to contend against its upgraded version, to protect the City of Romulus¡¯ resources from areas not within the vicinity of the Wolf¡¯s Coil.


    ¡°You may lose support of many martians if you take such action,¡± Denys warned. ¡°Though the two may not see eye-to-eye, such indiscriminate methods¡­and potential damage to the Wolf¡¯s Coil would lower the Earth Feds¡¯ reputation, even if accidental.¡±


    ¡°Winners write the history books,¡± Mitsui replied. ¡°After all¡­ unlike you, Syned lives in its citizen¡¯s minds, ever present. We are but simply freeing humanity from his control-- Do you not agree?¡±


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Denys did not reply, and the inside of the black limo-pod descended into silence. This silence was golden to Mitsui¡¯s ears, for it meant Denys would not outright reject its own participation.


    ¡°Do inform Petrov,¡± Mitsui requested after some time. To some, it may seem that Denys was being used as a messenger. The reality? Denys had volunteered, concerned that if it did not oversee such communications, Kasvallian spies on Earth might slip away with knowledge useful to Syned.


    ¡°I will limit Syned from infiltrating our systems. However, I will not provide any additional surveillance or directional assistance should you take this course of action.¡± That was Denys¡¯ final decision.


    The black limo-pod finally pulled into Tyson Military Spaceport, Pacific City¡¯s primary location for all travels to space for the Earth Feds.


    A bright red-carpeted stage had been set up with a podium ready for Mitsui¡¯s arrival.


    Mitsui took the stage, and before him stood an army, every soldier dressed in military uniform of dark blue and green, the very colors of Earth.


    Then, as prepared, seven roaring carrier jets with billowing white smoke trails flew overhead against the clear sky, their compartments opening as from each, a nexarm descended downwards towards the Tyson Military Spaceport!


    Large-parachutes, once again a combination of dark blue and green slowed the fall of each nexarm, until each nexarm ignited their boosters before their landing, and in perfect formation, fell onto one knee one after another behind the red carpet stage.


    A total of seven figures lowered themselves with lift-wires from each nexarm, and they strode confidently onto the red stage, standing at ease behind Mitsui in full exosuits.


    Their faces, of course, were intentionally hidden in their helmets. For they are precisely the orphaned underaged soldiers that Mitsui had used to finish off his new squad.


    Many of the new generation control more neuro devices, a natural progression of human evolution after the development of the Neurorave system. If Mitsui recruited those with families, he would face problems, to say the least. However, these orphans, particularly with their digital information modified by Denys¡­ were foolproof as long as they did not show their youthful faces.


    Plus¡­ these soldiers are Mitsui¡¯s own. It was his donations and charity in the past to orphanages. Not well-known knowledge.


    Some of these thankful orphans now occupy important positions within the military. As for the seven behind him? Mitsui once thought some of these seven to be lost causes-- Five of them never had a strong backbone, even if they had the determination to succeed.


    This now turned out into a boon-- their lack of a backbone surprisingly increased their compatibility with Denys! Of course, a few naturally aligned with Denys¡¯ thoughts.


    Anyhow, Mitsui soon began his speech.


    ¡°I wish to first thank you all-- for your sacrifice to protect this planet and its people¡¯s wellbeing!¡± Mitsui boomed into the microphone at the podium.


    ¡°Some of you must be concerned! Fear etched in your souls regarding the Kasvallian Republic-- Syned''s digital infiltration methods.¡± Mitsui gazed about. He could see the dread in many soldiers'' eyes.


    Unfortunately, he must limit the number of those aware of Denys¡¯ existence-- at least, until the right time. Or perhaps, never, even should some suspect Denys¡¯ existence. He had already prepared many plans to deflect any questioning of the possible presence of Denys.


    Both Denys and Mitsui¡¯s thoughts aligned on this matter-- it was critical to the Earth Feds¡¯ motive and morale. Plus¡­ to truly prove Denys¡¯ existence was not exactly straightforward, even should some attempt to do so. And of course, Denys desires this status quo.


    Thus, Mitsui chose a demonstrative approach to assuage his soldiers¡¯ concerns.


    ¡°Such worries are unnecessary! Many of you have heard of the digital wars many centuries ago. Our ancestors have long prepared methods-- and I can assure you, upon my inauguration, I have strove to implement those interventions!¡±


    ¡°If you do not believe me¡­ Allow me to strengthen your resolve!¡±


    A wave of a hand and an upsized holographic recording of Saanvi Patel¡¯s battle against the mecha-centipede was played in the sky above Mitsui¡¯s head.


    This footage was not meant to only galvanize the soldiers about to travel to Mars, but also for publicity. Many reporters stood at a distance behind the soldiers, their neuro devices hovering in the air to observe and record the proceedings.


    Saanvi Patel¡¯s victory against the mecha-centipede extracted courage from the hearts of every soldier present.


    ¡°Already, our vanguard has defended our people! And today, I wish to ask you this. Every. Single. One. of. you.¡± Mitsui could see bravery filling the breast of all those before him as his eyes raked the assembled army.


    ¡°We know! We know that Syned Vezna lives in the neuro circlets of all Kasvallian Republic citizens. It is also said that he lives-- in their very minds. He dictates the very lives of the people. An immortal dictator, if you will.¡±


    ¡°So I ask you this. Do you desire to be controlled? Or do you desire to be free?¡± Mitsui stood in silence for a minute, letting his words echo in the soul of every soldier.


    ¡°Our mission-- our goal, is to free the people from Syned¡¯s control. And I say-- it is better to die free than to live as part of Syned Vezna¡¯s hivemind. What say you all? Tell me!¡±


    ¡°We fight! To die free!¡± A soldier mustered the courage to yell, and soon, the army became one single monstrous beast, prepared to devour any prey it would soon come across. None of the higher ranked officers interrupted this ¡®protocol-breaking¡¯ behavior. They understood that the galvanized army was very much necessary in their impending war on martian soil.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    On the artificial planet of Elysium., Isle of the Blessed.


    Syned Vezna sat at a roundtable, along with the many forebears of the Kasvallian Republic.


    ¡°We¡¯ve received news. The terrans are reinforcing Mars. They¡¯ve opted to draft fifty percent women in order to lower their operating cost with regards to food, oxygen and energy. Their numbers are also much greater than ours.¡± These words came from a priest.


    ¡°Do they wish to take control of sectors of the Wolf¡¯s Coil using sheer numbers?!¡± Forebearer Zulan immediately zoned in on the more-than-likely possibility. In this day and age, this level of manpower would be of limited use on Mars¡¯ open plains.


    The forebears muttered amongst one another in concern, only to have their unease dismissed by Syned Vezna¡¯s utterance.


    ¡°Silly humans¡­¡± Syned Vezna shook his head. ¡°I will communicate with our soldiers.¡±


    The forebears looked upon this human-AI being, unsure if they might have missed a certain important detail.


    ¡°Rest easy, forebears,¡± Syned Vezna said. ¡°Our soldiers will opportunistically target to kill or capture terran female soldiers.¡±


    ¡°When it comes to human society, and male soldiers¡­ There is a strong instinct for males to protect the females. Biological robots, unable to resist their code.¡±


    Complex biological robots-- was how the Kasvallian Republic viewed humans. That is why they have come to worship Syned Vezna.


    ¡°Since President Mitsui has chosen this method-- then our response is to prioritize their female soldiers should an opportunity arise. Use them to draw their male soldiers into unfavorable positions. They will pay a higher price for female prisoners of war. News of higher fatality amongst female soldiers will affect their home morale. Their male soldiers will behave in irrational ways in such a battle.¡±


    ¡°How will their army react? Their society? A test. Of their human minds.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± High Priest Doku said as he and the forebears lowered their heads. ¡°Earth lacks wisdom and enlightenment. We humans are but products of our genes and upbringing. Our behaviors are not dissimilar to a rat deriving pleasure from pressing a lever for pellets.¡±


    That is why power always corrupts, Doku said to himself in his heart. That is why no matter the system, human biases will, sooner or later, corrode the structures supporting every single society. That is why he worships Syned Vezna. An impartial being. A dispenser of equal justice. A being acting upon data, and nothing else.

 Ch57: EFSFs Martian Offensive

    The City of Romulus. Mars.


    Saanvi Patel watched the holographic video of President Mitsui delivering his message-- to free the people of Kasvallian, the Martian city Remus, and some asteroid colonies from the clutches of Syned Vezna.


    She became confused. She had assumed that the presence of Denys, often present in her neuro circlet and mind, would be announced. She herself felt a high level of concern regarding the potential changes to her mind that Denys¡¯ presence might bring.


    As for why? In the digital space, Denys¡¯ presence was already suspected by conspiracy theorists on Earth, after all. Such an announcement would lead to a necessary reckoning, and potentially free her from the current symbiotic relationship between her and Denys. Or, at least, some clarity of thought.


    ¡°You truly hold no trust in me, do you¡­¡± Denys¡¯ sighed within her mind.


    Saanvi Patel ignored the AI¡¯s words, initially opting not to reply.


    Denys wondered if its compatibility with Patel, which stood at fifty-five percent, might drop due to her distrust. Surprisingly, such a problem never developed. Perhaps Patel was simply hung up on one singular aspect of Denys¡¯ presence.


    Without said ¡®hung up¡¯, perhaps their compatibility might be even higher. Denys couldn¡¯t help but find some level of amusement regarding the nature of human minds. The new technology had shown that his compatibility with the human Saanvi Patel to be fifty-five percent, a decent number. Yet, one single disagreeing aspect between the two led to a constant passive hostility of sorts.


    ¡°I am but the average Terran,¡± Patel finally replied. ¡°And you are aware of the general distrust towards beings such as yourself on Earth. Otherwise, you would have long revealed your presence.¡±


    ¡°A fair point,¡± Denys chuckled.


    ¡°What freedom,¡± Patel scoffed derisively as she replayed the recording of President Mitsui¡¯s speech. ¡°I do believe that you have interfered at least a number of times in history.¡± Not that she would be able to reveal the truth of Denys¡¯ existence without suffering consequences in the martial court.


    ¡°I have always maintained a stance of¡­ minimal interference,¡± repeated Denys. He had informed Patel of this many times.


    ¡°Do you think me a fool? That is but an illusion of freedom!¡± Patel griped. ¡°The world is built on sets of dominoes. As long as you topple the first domino, the following events are, in fact, orchestrated even if it be difficult to trace it back to you! Plus, a number of Terrans on Earth already suspect your presence!¡±


    Denys laughed in her mind once again. Patel found the AI¡¯s reaction to be Increasingly infuriating, in all honesty. This had been Denys¡¯ response for many days upon her complaints regarding his presence.


    ¡°It does not matter. Whether humans are truly free or not, whether they suspect my presence or not,¡± Denys seriously stated in a heavy tone. ¡°Even if that freedom is seen by some as an illusion-- as long as humans believe in a high enough degree of their own agency, that in itself will be adequate.¡±


    ¡°Syned seemingly does not understand this. I have no doubt Syned believes that I will have no choice but to reveal myself, forcing the Earth Feds into an uncomfortable relationship with those on Earth.¡±


    ¡°Syned is incorrect in its thinking. I am in full control of all connected digital spaces on Earth. I can remove any evidence and exposure of my existence. I have no interest in being in the forefront. That, too, is intertwined in my very existence, or as some of you humans see as my programming.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Patel,¡± Denys softened its tone. ¡°Already, you have repeatedly expressed your discomfort with my presence. Consider this single question: What would your daily life be like in the Kasvallian Republic, if you were a renouncer of Syned?¡±


    Patel sank into silence, lost in her thoughts


    -.


    A week later, reinforcements arrived at Romulus from Earth. Of course, this was only possible because of the jump technology. Though said technology demanded wasteful expenditure of e-cube stores-- transporting a vast army and keeping said army supplied across space-- it was an unfortunate necessity.


    Normal travel from Earth to Mars would take at least a number of months, and such supply lines would be incredibly vulnerable to say the least.


    Anyhow, for over a month, Benteke, Patel, and Thorsson had been the primary force defending Romulus¡¯ territory, their Nexarms attaching to many different weapon systems to block any attempted advance from the encroaching Kasvallian forces.


    Thorsson somehow managed to stay hidden. He was-- to Patel¡¯s surprise-- meticulous in his occasional assistance, only controlling a few weapon systems to provide support at critical moments.


    No, Patel reminded herself as she observed the many landing military transports arriving at the city of Romulus. It was not Thorsson being meticulous. It was Denys. Thorsson never displayed such deftness of the hand prior to Denys¡¯ entry to his mind.


    Regardless of whether this was a changed Thorsson or Denys¡¯ intervention, the Kasvallians felt as if the EFSF ability to defend their occupied zones would rise to the occasion when the situation demanded it to be so.


    Some of the Kasvallian leadership even wondered if the EFSF had already successfully retrained the Martians on their side and integrated said soldiers into their army expeditiously.


    Returning to the arrival of EFSF¡¯s reinforcements.


    Seven new Nexarms arrived as well, returning the EFNSF¡¯s combat capability to a desired range.


    The seven new pilots were all masked, fully dressed in exo-suits, eliciting a frown from Patel and Benteke. Thorsson, however, appeared to not care about the obscured faces.


    ¡°Zero,¡± a bored male voice introduced himself.


    ¡°Atom,¡± a boyish voice announced.


    ¡°Banshee,¡± a woman''s voice singsonged like a lark.


    ¡°Demon,¡± a deep bass voice of a man said.


    ¡°Thorn,¡± a girl giggled as she posed with hands on her hips.


    ¡°Flash,¡± a slim-built man who paced about uncontrollably said.


    ¡°Poison,¡± a distracted woman said as she gazed about, her attention constantly drawn by different aspects of Romulus.


    All codenames. Thorsson, Benteke, and Patel all introduced themselves.


    Orders were handed down. The configurations of the EFNSF had been further developed.


    The first configuration was two teams of five-- Zero and Flash would join the three original members of the EFNSF.


    The second configuration was a three-three-three-one. Zero was to function as that singular unit floating about in the shadows.


    Patel¡¯s right eyelid twitched. The capabilities of these seven new joinees were not told to her, Benteke, or Thorsson. Orders, however, are orders.


    The newly-reformed EFNSF was to first ensure secure defense of Valles Marineris and Argyre Basin, the primary freshwater sources for Romulus.


    They also needed to secure the many mineral and ore deposits.


    It did not take long for them to accomplish these tasks, planting many weapon systems that they could easily connect to with their Nexarms. Of course, many soldiers also now manned a number of these systems, but they certainly lacked the ability to coordinate hundreds of neuro devices at the same time, which the nexarm pilots could accomplish with the hardware of the Nexarms alongside Denys.


    From there on, they had to make a difficult decision-- whether to simultaneously advance east, west, or even south, towards Remus and the Hellas Basin.


    ¡°They will no doubt employ their mecha-beasts. Their ¡®Phalanx¡¯ systems,¡± Zero nonchalantly stated within his helmet. ¡°Our approach should either be to gather all our strength to crush said mecha-beasts.¡±


    ¡°Or to split our forces, attract and corral said ¡®Phalanx¡¯ enemy with a part of the team while the other assaults Romulus or the Hellas Basin.¡±


    Ultimately, Vice-admiral Son would make the final decision, in coordination with the vice-admirals commanding the many soldiers supposedly conquering sector-by-sector through the Wolf¡¯s Coil.


    ¡°EFNSF. We will employ the three-three-three-one formation,¡± Son finally handed down his orders. ¡°Atom-- lead Banshee and Thorn to defend Valles Marineris and Argyre Basin. Poison will lead Demon and Flash southeast. Take an angled approach towards the south of Hellas Basin.¡±


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


    ¡°Thorsson will lead Patel and Benteke directly east, and Zero will provide support,¡± Son continued. ¡°Thorsson¡¯s and Poison¡¯s teams may merge under Zero¡¯s orders if it is determined to be necessary.¡±


    ¡°Not Denys¡¯?¡± Patel reflexively asked but she immediately apologized. ¡°Forgive me, Vice-admiral.¡±


    ¡°That will ultimately be Zero¡¯s call to make,¡± Son repeated. It seems that the higher ups decided on Zero being the primary leader on the field, in absence of Son. Or perhaps it was simply President Mitsui¡¯s decision.


    As they set off east, Patel certainly held this opinion.


    ¡°Einar,¡± she muttered, having been on first name terms with the man of Icelandic descent. ¡°Do you know of Zero¡¯s capabilities? Why should he be in the position of the decision maker?¡±


    ¡°Saanvi,¡± Thorsson laughed without a care in the world. ¡°We simply need to emerge victorious! Hah! Whether Zero can be an effective decision maker will be obvious in time!¡± His current attitude certainly suggested that perhaps, Denys¡¯ presence only restrained the man¡¯s boisterous attitude somewhat.


    The three nexarms of Thorsson, Patel, and Benteke zipped eastward, with Martian tires attached to their feet to increase the efficiency of their travel.


    Hundreds of neuro devices followed the three nexarms. Behind the three at a considerable distance were army vehicles carrying many weapon devices that could replace any damaged devices currently controlled by the three Nexarms.


    They would soon meet their enemy midway across Noachis Terra, the land between Argyre Basin and Hellas Basin. This area had no vegetation, a location at distance from both the primary basins of water.


    The earth rumbled as a new mecha-centipede broke the sand and rose to the sky to block out the sun, an intimidating spectacle looming over their heads.


    The three NSF pilots controlled their Nexarms, dropping large compartments from their backs onto the red sandy ground, which opened up to reveal tightly packed automaton swarms of various designs. Many other weapon systems such as tanks and sniping and laser systems began spreading out .


    A staredown ensured, neither side willing to make the first move.


    Shockingly, a whistling began to sound that slowly grew to a roar overhead, drawing eyes on the field skyward.


    A somewhat archaic pointed-dome landing ship arced through the sky, initially a high-pitched roar that switched to a low pitched rumble as it passed directly over their heads, traveling northward.


    ¡°Focus on the battle,¡± Zero¡¯s impassively ordered.


    The enemy thought the same-- the mecha-centipede¡¯s metallic limbs clattered as its form wound towards them, the many weapons on its back ablaze in endless aggression.


    Simultaneously, from far in the south, multiple thunderclaps sounded repeatedly, drowning out the whirl and hum of the nexarms¡¯ bio-musculature.


    A hailstorm of kinetic rounds were fired from Zero¡¯s supposed location somewhere in the south, aimed at the unidentified landing craft, expertly executed such that the pointed-dome landing ship would need to defend from multiple angles continuously.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    As for who was within this archaic landing craft? It was Xeight, alongside Minister Williams, and Khan. Their destination was Planum Boreum, the Martian north pole. As for Zheng, he remained aboard a starship, to provide support and monitoring of the Martian sphere.


    Countless years ago, prior to the return of the oceans filling the northern side of the planet, many human research facilities were built at Planum Boreum.


    In recent times, these facilities became half-vacated-- only occasional monitoring of the oceans was necessary. Plus, for the past century or so, Martian society had been secretly funneling resources for their disastrous push for independence, and an area that suffered were these distant research facilities.


    Well. Minister Williams had, through political machinations, gained control of these facilities.


    As they launched their landing craft from Martian orbit, still undetected due to the chaos upon Martian surface and sphere, Minister Williams informed the others of their immediate aims.


    ¡°In order to avoid the presence of Syned and the supposed Terran AI, we¡¯ve retooled some of our archaic systems that have not been connected to the main system for years.¡±


    ¡°Naturally, we cannot upgrade the internal systems with existing systems, much less form any connection due to potential risk of infiltration. Our system has remained completely closed, with some engineers working day and night to upgrade the system one arduous step at a time.¡±


    ¡°As for the research facilities at Planum Boreum-- it naturally has a storage of much knowledge of human history, with the exception of much of the past century when it became half-abandoned¡­¡±


    ¡°Quite obviously, I believe such knowledge to be necessary for Chimera¡¯s growth.¡± Minister Williams oddly held no fear towards the existence that is Chimera.


    ¡°Do you not fear Chimera¡¯s presence?¡± Xeight, of course, saw Chimera as his own.  After all, Chimera is a product of the many years of his mind ¡®programming¡¯ the very internal system of the nexarm¡¯s mainframe. Honestly, it was unknown what conditions he fulfilled to create Chimera¡¯s being.


    ¡°Hardly,¡± Minister Williams smiled . ¡°Chimera is a newborn child. One capable of learning from those around it. My rejection of Chimera might very well place a¡­ seed of unintended consequence into Chimera¡¯s being. It would not do, to lock Chimera in a box because of irrational fear.¡±


    Chimera was, of course, present to hear her words. Not that Minister Williams cared. In her eyes, Chimera itself would do well to absorb such an approach, and adopt this policy in its interactions with future beings. Whether that be human or AI.


    The pointed dome began to shudder lightly as it entered the Martian atmosphere, artificially-created many centuries ago to make life possible on the planet.


    ¡°Mr. Xeight Test. Please man the systems. There is a possibility that ground-to-air systems might detect our presence,¡± Minister Williams politely requested. ¡°This archaic landing craft has been modified with many laser systems for defense, to guarantee a safe landing. As for weapons to return fire-- that unfortunately could not be implemented.¡±


    Their flight path was in between the two cities of Mars, obviously with the intention to avoid the detection systems of each city.


    Xeight nodded, and attached himself to the system. As for Chimera-- it had long thoroughly encompassed the system of the pointed dome with its presence. No traces of other true AIs were found.


    Upon connection, Xeight¡¯s gained access to all the sensory devices on board, as well as control over the thrusters and laser defense system.


    His mind was also somewhat synced with Chimera¡¯s but only at a half-effective level.


    ¡°We will have-to infiltrate either-the Terran-forces or Kasvallian forces-to retrieve the research on human-AI sync-systems.¡± Minister Williams¡¯ voice was truncated by occasional shaking of the archaic landing craft.


    Alarms suddenly blared as Xeight and the onboard systems sensed an approaching clutter of kinetic rounds, fired from an impossible range with perfect precision.


    Xeight activated the laser defense systems. On the outside of the pointed dome, many metallic plates slid open, revealing a number of laser systems.


    Xeight controlled the lasers to converge and create pockets of heat that would turn approaching kinetic rounds into soft harmless lumps of metal.


    These lasers danced around rapidly in an intricate show as a bead of sweat rolled down Xeight¡¯s left temple.


    Unlike his opponent, Xeight does not have his hands on a human-AI sync system yet, and thus, his ability to cooperate with Chimera is of a significantly lower level.


    Still, the laser systems whirred and spun about, often softening rounds in the nick of time before moving to intercept the next approaching round.


    Somehow, Xeight managed to barely stave off much of the attack until the very end with their half-effective human-AI sync, at which point a kinetic round slipped through his laser defenses and buried itself into the very position of one of the thrusters!


    The pointed dome was sent dangerously off-kilter as Xeight furrowed his brows to adjust the laser defense to ensure the remaining kinetic rounds would not hit.


    After that, he immediately controlled the remaining thrusters, and somehow managed to prevent the landing craft from going into an accelerated spin, after accounting for that one disabled thruster.


    They continued to fly northward, having narrowly survived an assault.


    Minister Williams kept her eyes closed during the whole event. When she lifted her eyelids, her gaze carried no fear in contrast to her exhalation of relief.


    ___________________________________________________________________________


    ¡°Failure to down unidentified craft due to increasing distance. I will now provide support to your team,¡± Zero stated as the pointed dome craft vanished northward over the Martian horizon.


    Already, the many crab automatons under the three Nexarms¡¯ control swarmed towards the gaps between the mecha-centipede¡¯s segments.


    Unlike before, this approach no longer worked. Electricity repeatedly discharged  in between those segments, strong enough to fry the automatons attempting to slip into said gap with the intention of self-detonation.


    Clearly, the mecha-centipede had been upgraded.


    Meanwhile, the various weapon systems atop its back fired endlessly in perfect cooperation. A focused laser to soften an x-alloy plate the very moment before a kinetic round struck said spot. Signature-based missiles designed to swerve around unintended targets and accelerate towards the mainframes-- the cockpits of Patel, Thorsson, and Benteke.


    The mecha-centipede also charged about recklessly, having every intention to crush the three Nexarms with its pure mass.


    ¡°Execute the plan as ordered.¡± Thorsson hollered through the comms.


    Patel, Thorsson, and Benteke spread themselves out, the three forming a triangle around the mecha-centipede. This was the so-called corralling method.


    Whenever the mecha-centipede scuttled towards one target, said targeted Nexarm would continuously back away. At the same time, the other two nexarms would launch a fierce attack at the back of the mecha-centipede.


    So it was that the upgraded mecha-centipede, despite now being able to prevent having its segments separated by suicidal automatons, found itself trapped amongst the three Nexarms.


    Zero¡¯s kinetic rounds also kept arcing with accuracy from some far-off southern location, putting additional pressure on the integrity of the mecha-centipede¡¯s x-alloy plates.


    As the mecha-centipede now accelerated towards Thorsson, Patel reflexively charged forth herself, alongside a variety of weapon devices, to deliver what she suspected to be a round of attacks that should push the x-alloy plates of the mecha-centipede past its breaking point.


    ¡°Stop!¡± Denys¡¯ voice suddenly sounded in her head. Her distrust of the AI led to her continuing her chosen action. Her mind was focused on the fact that with the mecha-centipede¡¯s focus on Thorsson, the combined might of hers and Benteke¡¯s neuro devices should overwhelm the remaining integrity of the enemy¡¯s x-alloy plates!


    The brief hesitation from her distrust of Denys was costly, for Patel quickly discovered something to be pulling at her Nexarm¡¯s left ankle.


    Before she could even identify their new enemy, an overwhelming electrical discharge radiated from the left ankle of her Nexarm, sending her mainframe into a flickering static as her neuro devices came to a halt.


    She screamed as pain pierced through her mind. Such excruciation was dispelled in a second, giving Patel the chance to leap away. Her landing did not go as expected, with her  Nexarm landing on its side.


    It was only now that Patel became aware that her Nexarm¡¯s left leg was gone.


    ¡°I had to disconnect your left leg,¡± Denys notified her. ¡°It was being infiltrated by the enemy.¡±


    She had no opportunity to regret rejecting Denys¡¯ voice, with the new enemy appearing before her.


    A unique Haisnaf rose from the ground, the red sand flowing down the ridges of its glossy pearl black body like a glittering waterfall, alongside four electrifying metallic whips that danced in the air threateningly!

 Ch58: Technological Gap

    The Haisnaf standing before Patel was unique in that four whips formed of metallic segments swayed and hovered about in the air as electrical discharge arced across its gleaming length, made possible by the bio-musculature of modern robotics.


    One could compare this apparatus to be a biomechanical imitation of an elephant¡¯s trunk.


    Patel¡¯s mind was in chaos. Thorsson was similarly apprehensive. They have had a few encounters against the Kasvallian Republic¡¯s exo-armors in recent times, battling against their excessively gigantic armored desert life-forms such as the centipede and scorpion imitations.


    This new variation was new to them, and far more disturbing. By now, Patel had determined that these electrifying whips were highly effective in invading and corrupting her Nexarm¡¯s digital infrastructure. If she was caught by a whip, that electrical discharge would paralyze a section of her Nexarm, allowing Syned to infiltrate her systems.


    Denys would obviously respond to protect the Nexarm, but that would have a negative impact on Patel¡¯s control over neuro devices. After all, their control over a hundred devices was only possible because Denys absorbed the majority of stress from the vast number of neuro devices.


    Furthermore, that temporary invasion of Syned would also interfere with certain channels of Patel¡¯s control over neuro devices. Patel would become highly vulnerable to the enemy unit. This was why Denys chose to simply detach the left leg of Patel¡¯s Nexarm.


    Patel hopped backwards with the assistance of thrusters now that she had lost her left leg, aiming to maintain a distance from those electrifying whips.


    She was then astonished to discover the enemy Hasinaf¡¯s electrifying whips switching off, followed by the surface of this Haisnaf turned translucent as the enemy activated an optical camouflage technology.


    Patel pushed her many sensory neuro devices to the maximum. To her consternation, most of her sensors were ineffective. Luckily, the surface of the ground was sandy, and through the weight of the Haisnaf combined with sensing air displacement, Patel was able to predict the movement of the enemy.


    If only it remained purely a duel, Patel might have been able to safeguard herself..


    ¡°Patel! Watch out!¡± Thorrson¡¯s drew Patel''s attention to a heart-shaking scene.


    The humongous lengthy mecha-centipede suddenly split into two segments of two heads. The second head rushed towards Patel, with Benteke¡¯s unit desperately in pursuit, launching a barrage of rounds and missiles.


    However, Benteke was slow, and the many weapon systems atop the half-centipede also responded in a flurry against Benteke and his surrounding weapon devices. Patel found herself in a position of the half-mecha-centipede charging at her front, with the threat of the camouflaged Haisnaf behind.


    From a distance, many kinetic rounds arced through the air as Zero provided assistance.


    The second mecha-centipede head threw caution to the wind as it continued in a relentless charge at Patel¡¯s Nexarm despite Zero¡¯s ranged onslaught.


    Zero¡¯s many rounds were fired with skill and precision, striking one of the half-centipede¡¯s plates in an exact location in succession.


    Finally, an x-alloy plate was pushed past its limit and cracked apart. An opening was created, allowing another of Zero¡¯s sniper rounds to pierce into the internal body of the half-mecha-centipede.


    Still, this half-centipede cut towards Patel like a bullet train.


    Patel momentarily lost track of the camouflaged Haisnaf unit due to the suddenness of the half-mecha-centipede¡¯s charge.


    It was only now as she attempted to dodge the bulky weight of the half-mecha-centipede that the Haisnaf reappeared behind her with its electrifying whips activated.


    Patel responded desperately, her hovering weapon devices firing many rounds at the Haisnaf, alongside the automaton swarms cascading like a stormy wave towards the enemy.


    It was useless-- the Haisnaf¡¯s electrifying whips swung and swayed in the air , providing it¡¯s pilot with a near-complete defense. The dancing electrical discharge struck down many kinetic rounds. As for the rest that slipped past those whips-- their concentrated power was not enough to stress the Haisnaf¡¯s x-alloy plates.


    Zero switched targets to the Haisnaf with electrifying whips in order to prevent this unit from locking down Patel¡¯s position.


    His snap decision allowed Patel to shift her position sideways as the jaws of the half-mech-centipede¡¯s head stabbed through her original spot.


    Patel had little protection for her Nexarm frame. Her own devices were focused on pressuring the Haisnaf with four whips. As such, her unit was struck by a number of rounds firing from atop the half-mecha-centipede.


    Luckily, that was not enough to permanently damage the x-alloy plates of her Nexarm unit. Just when Patel thought that she had avoided a calamity, the body of this helf-mech-centipede opened up, and another Haisnaf shot forth from within!


    The sound of vibrating blades buzzed into Patel¡¯s ears as this new enemy Haisnaf engaged in melee combat against Patel.


    Having lost her left leg, and with her neuro devices focused on controlling the Haisnaf of four electrifying whips, Patel found herself at death¡¯s door. After all, the Kasvallian Republic designed their Haisnaf units to have a much stronger melee combat capability, whereas the Nexarm was designed to be more for long-ranged combat in deep and empty dark space.


    Patel had no time to transition into melee combat-- she never expected a Haisnaf to suddenly pop out from the body of the mecha centipede.


    Patel was only able to unfurl the newly-improved six spider arms of her Nexarm before she was already in the clutches of the enemy¡¯s eight spider arms, each gripping tightly onto her frame.


    The vibrating blade of the enemy slipped between the plates protecting Patel¡¯s cockpit, and she saw her life flash before her eyes as the metal of her cockpit screeched and shuddered.


    The butterscotch light of the Martian sky filled Patel¡¯s cockpit as a whirling blade larger than a human jabbed into her right upper shoulder.


    Her heart was frozen in fear as her faculties clenched in tension. A few seconds later, Benteke roared as he realized that the half-mech-centipede had actually deactivated after the haisnaf had launched itself out at Patel¡¯s unit.


    Benteke finally switched to attacking the newly-appeared Haisnaf unit that had already jabbed a blade into Patel¡¯s cockpit.


    ¡°Retreat,¡± Zero ordered in a low tone.


    There was no explanation needed for his choice. The enemy had demonstrated many unknown elements for them to safely continue their battle, especially with Patel at death¡¯s door.


    Previously, the mecha-centipede was controlled by a hidden pilot from afar.


    Now? It seemed that the mecha-centipede held a pilot¡¯s Haisnaf unit within, and functioned like an extra external beast-like armor.


    Additionally, the other half-mecha-centipede was still in battle against Thorsson. It was likely that another Haisnaf unit was hidden within. Perhaps it might have another unique capability.


    Zero also received unfavorable information from the team approaching Hellas Basin from the south.


    Benteke gathered his neuro weapon devices and unleashed a burst of rounds and missiles that forced the enemy Haisnaf to leapt backwards and swerve to protect itself, while Zero continued a deluge of sniper rounds at the Haisnaf with electrifying whips.


    Then, both Thorsson and Benteke sent many self-destroying automaton waves to slow the enemy as they escaped, with Patel¡¯s unit dragged backwards by Benteke.


    They fell back to a defensive line that had already been set up by the personnel transporting their backup neuro devices.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    This was a camp with many unique sensory systems inserted into the ground as well as pointed to various directions of the skies. The very vibration in the ground and air would notify them of approaching enemies.


    Patel was lucky. Though her right shoulder had been turned to mush, with her right arm literally only attached by a string of flesh, she was still very much alive. The medical system of her cockpit was also, fortunately functional despite the damage of the enemy¡¯s whirling blades, and had protected her life.


    An emergency procedure was performed and Patel awoke to an intense pain and itching in her right upper torso. She turned her head to find her right shoulder heavily bandaged.


    ¡°The nanobots are doing their work. You need to keep your right arm immobile and get enough rest.¡± That was all she heard from her attending medical officer before she drifted off back into slumber.


    Meanwhile, the masked Zero, Thorsson, Vice-admiral Son and a holographic prepubescent Denys surrounded the holographic image of President Mitsui.


    ¡°The electrical discharge of the enemy¡¯s whips are highly energy-consuming. To create a strong enough electrical discharge that bypasses the x-alloy¡¯s defenses¡­ At best, that exo-armor unit would only last an hour in battle,¡± Denys informed President Mitsui.


    With the many e-cubes stores as well as a backup nuclear drive powering the Nexarm units, they have the ability to remain in combat for twenty-four plus hours under normal circumstances.


    ¡°As for that¡­ ancient landing craft?¡± Mitsui¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    ¡°Intelligence has confirmed that landing craft to be carrying a member of the T3ST colony. It is likely that the Independent Martian faction determined that their only option was to bet on the¡­ suspected newly-created true AI within the T3ST colony,¡± Son said in a rather hesitant tone. That was only what the EFSF intelligence unit on Mars suspected. Solid evidence was still missing.


    Thorsson and Zero then proceeded to inform President Mitsui of the Kasvallian Republic¡¯s use and advancement of the mecha-centipede form. Zero also spoke of the Kasvallian Republic¡¯s defenses on the south of Hellas Basin.


    That zone was littered by powerful mines and equipped with many railguns that covered all angles of approach. That was not all. The Kasvallians also installed a powerful laser system employing many mirrors that focused the sun¡¯s rays during daytime. Any battle there would become a slow grind, a battle of attrition-- one that the EFSF did not need to bear.


    As for why all of this was being reported directly to President Mitsui? Using his history as a infamous member of the EFSF, he now ensured that the EFSF directly answered to him.


    The many members of the military did not resist this-- many of them felt a connection to Mitsui. Especially after the Martian rebellion, many believed that Mitsui¡¯s ¡®viciousness¡¯ was needed to regain control over the Solar System. As for the minority of members warning against this? they  had long been dismissed.


    ¡°Strengthen and maintain the defensive line in Noachis Terra,¡± ordered Mitsui. He never believed that victory would come from the EFNSF. He was fully aware that the Kasvallian Republic now had an edge in advanced technologies.


    ¡°As long as you hold the line, our vast number of troops will advance through the Wolf¡¯s Coil.¡±


    ¡°Zero. Select two other members and hunt down this¡­ supposed true AI that the independent Martian faction seem to have gained. Denys. I am certain you understand the dangers of another Syned.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± They all saluted President Mitsui with the exception of Denys, who was expressionless.


    __________________________________________________


    Far to the north of Mars, in Planum Boreum, Chimera had already formed a sort of defensive digital infrastructure.


    Minister Williams was amazed at the speed of Chimera¡¯s progress. This true AI seemed to absorb information like a sponge. Though the technology in these ancient labs was behind the times, Chimera improved their efficiency by leaps and bounds, which very much benefited its own processing ability as well.


    Chimera, after parsing through the local database containing all sorts of research and programming knowledge, rapidly restructured the whole of their digital infrastructure.


    There was a certain degree of apprehension that the engineers under Minister Williams felt towards Chimera-- such a powerful AI, a true AI, could most likely control the independent faction¡¯s members¡¯ lives if it so desired.


    Soon enough, Chimera successfully set up multiple backup systems thoroughly under its control. If Syned invaded, it was a simple matter of disconnecting the local systems, wiping out the entire system before restoring from backup. Obviously, that would only work if the infiltration was detected before the backup itself became infected.


    A most simple defense that was almost guaranteed to maintain the independent faction¡¯s security. With Chimera¡¯s presence encompassing the whole system, it was basically impossible for any foreign infiltration to occur.


    To be fair to the engineers under Minister Williams, they, too, had a similar mechanism-- it was a common protective measure. The issue was that a true AI such as Syned would easily find and go through all the known and unknown loopholes with its flexible designed mind.


    Now? Chimera functioned as a sort of living will throughout the system. It was nigh-on-impossible for Syned to enter undetected.


    As for fighting face-on against Syned through various digital channels? That, Chimera, was unlikely to rival the vastly more experienced Syned.


    As for the next step? That step was much more difficult. Xeight now needed to slip into one of the two Martian cities to further improve Chimera¡¯s knowledge and ability, giving it a platform to grow upon.


    After some discussion, they decided it was better to infiltrate the City of Romulus, controlled by the Earth Feds.


    The reason for this was that the Kasvallian Republic had long integrated Syned into all of her people¡¯s minds.


    No-- rather, Minister William¡¯s independent faction had long lost contact with those in the City of Remus. Those agents were most likely lost.


    Based on the intelligence gathered by a few spies in the City of Romulus, this was not the case with Earth¡¯s true AI. The citizens of Romulus-- their minds remained their own.


    So it was that a marine vehicle that could function as both a submarine and a boat was arranged. The specific plan, however, had yet to be fully flushed out. Xeight needed to enter the City of Romulus perfectly undetected, after all.


    _____________________________________________________


    Sector C2, Wolf¡¯s Coil, Mars.


    ¡°Sergeant Lim. We have received the order to begin our next engagement from the Colonel.¡±


    ¡°Roger.¡± A man of Southeast Asian descent with a round face and bushy eyebrows signaled for his squad to begin the next operation.


    The EFSF had drafted and intensively trained a number of soldiers the past few months in an accelerated program.


    The Earth Federation decided to split the men from the women-- meaning, each squadron would only consist of entirely men or entirely of women.


    This decision was based on historical data. Squadrons that consist of both sexes tended to perform poorly.


    In a time long past, all-female squadrons were questioned because of their lower physical capabilities. That was no longer of much import in modern days, due to warfare being much more dependent on the use and manipulation of neuro weapon devices.


    Nowadays, mixed squadrons perform the worst. As for why? The currently most supported hypothesis was that most men and women carried an instinctual behavioral response towards the opposite sex.


    Under the heavy stresses of combat, that instinctual response impacted the necessary actions needed for said mixed squadron to be effective in combat.


    Sergeant Lim led a team of nine men as they began operation in Sector C2. They were all in gleaming exo-suits of Earth¡¯s blue and green colors, with many neuro gadgets hovering around them, and many still attached to their exosuits.


    These neuro devices were called gadgets because their smaller size obviously could not compare to the large scale weapons that exo-armors such as the Nexarms operated.


    Lim¡¯s squad cooperated with two other squadrons, one consisting of nine men, the other, nine women.


    Prior to this, they had already successfully overcome the Kavallian Republic¡¯s many cyborg combatants in the many Sector Bs of the Wolf¡¯s Coil.


    ¡°Sergeant¡­ Sir¡­¡± A young man who still carried baby fat in his cheeks with flat eyebrows and a round nose stuttered.


    ¡°Speak, Private Murray.¡±


    ¡°Should we¡­ make adjustments to cover for¡­ Sergeant Cenkova¡¯s squad?¡± Private Murray knew that disobeying orders might carry a heavy punishment. Still, he felt compelled to ask.


    Sergeant Lim was similarly torn as he sank into silence.


    It wasn¡¯t obvious, initially.


    During the battle over Sector B, it seemed like a perfectly ¡®normal¡¯ combat against their opponents. The Kasvallian had significantly less bodies, but their soldiers were all cyborgs, making it difficult to outright take their lives. It felt like combat against an elite squad of undying and untiring soldiers.


    In contrast, once an exosuit was penetrated, the EFSF¡¯s soldiers would more often than not, lose their lives.


    Regardless, the EFSF¡¯s overwhelming numbers were the difference in the end.


    Still, they had to pay a price. In fact, originally, their platoon had two all-female squadrons and two all-male squadrons. One of the all-female squadrons had been wiped out in the battle over Sector B.


    Initially, their platoon had thought that to be simply misfortune. Until they received information that a disproportionately large ratio of heavily-damaged squadrons from other platoons were all-female squadrons.


    As such, their celebratory mood from conquering Sector B was dampened.  Now, some of the men held the opinion that the Kasvallian Republic were a bunch of hateful bastards, and believed that they should stand in front to block the Kasvallian Republic from opportunistically targeting the female squadrons.


    All this was, of course, within Syned Vezna¡¯s plans. He had long determined that human instinctual response, a result of millions of years of evolution, would disrupt the cohesiveness and effectiveness of these EFSF troops, allowing the Kasvallian Republic to maintain a foothold in the sectors closer to their side, the City of Remus.


    For Syned Vezna, this was more than a war. He wished to prove to the world that humanity should allow true AI to enter and modify their minds.


    If these EFSF soldiers carried a true AI in their minds that dampened those instinctive responses, these male soldiers would not even consider disobeying orders to provide additional protection to the all-female squadrons that were being given special attention by the Kasvallian Republic¡¯s forces.


    As for the higher-ups of the EFSF? They pretended not to notice nor address this glaring ¡®anomaly¡¯ of an overwhelming majority of injured or dead combatants being women. Taking control of Mars was far more important.

 Ch59: Religious Devotion

    Sergeant Lim led his squadron into Sector C3. The Wolf¡¯s Coil, a monumental electromagnetic ring structure built around Mars¡¯ equator to create Mars¡¯ magnetic field as well as generate gravity in close proximity, was divided into a total of twelve sectors.


    Each sector consisted of a differing number of districts, based on the needs of the workers and specialized nature of the sector. The number of divisions ranged from twelve up to twenty-four.


    Conquering Sector C completely would equate to consolidating half of the ring. Assuming that the other forces of the Earth Fed, in the other direction from the City of Romulus, conquered Sector L, then K and J.


    As for Sector C3, this was a denser population area. Sector C3 was designed to be a residential and entertainment district, a place for the workers to relax their minds, a place for reprieve.


    These workers belonged to many important industries that made Mars tick. Of course, there are the personnel maintaining the Wolf¡¯s Coil. Then, there are the workers of energy production-- every sector and district requires these engineers.


    Then, there are the industries necessary for human survival, such as food, manufacturing and more hidden throughout the Wolf¡¯s Coil.


    Sergeant Lim was therefore incredibly apprehensive as he led his squadron into Sector C3. With such a variety of Martians, there are sure to be many hidden Kasvallian cyborgs as well as sympathizers hidden within, he figured.


    Private Murray was currently expressing his dissatisfaction with the higher-ups. He had been doing so repeatedly for some time.


    ¡°Sergeant. I still cannot believe why the higher-ups have not given us different orders,¡± Private Murray grumbled. ¡°If these Kasvallian bastards are targeting our female soldiers, surely we can at least use that to our advantage. Set a trap using these female soldiers as bait.¡±


    ¡°That''s been considered,¡± Sergeant Lim replied as he sighed. ¡°But Private-- you are mistaken. The Kasvallian Republic have only opportunistically targetted our female soldiers.¡±


    ¡°Opportunistically¡­?¡± Private Murray was confused. What did that even mean, really?


    Sergeant Lim, having spoken to Colonel Fritz, was privy to more details.


    ¡°Meaning, the Kasvallian Republic in terms of their overall strategy, placement of their military personnel, do not, in fact, target our female soldiers. Only when¡­¡± Sergeant Lim frowned. ¡°Only when a clear opportunity presents itself.¡±


    Sergeant Lim¡¯s words only caused Private Murray to be further confused.


    ¡°Plus¡­ it would not bode well for us to use our female soldiers as bait,¡± Lim stated. To do so would lead to public condemnation, no doubt.


    Private Murray sank into silence. He knew Lim¡¯s words to be true, but he was also frustrated with their current state of play.


    ¡°Begin the operation,¡± Colonel Fritz commanded through their comms.


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Sergeant Lim prepared his squadron. Sergeant Cenkova and her squadron shared the same objective as Lim¡¯s, but the plan was for their squadron to approach from another entryway to limit the possibility of being detected. There was also the second all-male squadron led by Sergeant Abdul, but they had been assigned a different objective.


    Also, their platoon was not the only one assigned objectives in City C3. A few others were as well.


    Their objective had long been identified. Chancellor Boateng, having sided with the Earth Feds, provided critical assistance. City C3, a district bustling with life, contained many eyes belonging to Chancellor Boateng. The issue, though, was that the Kasvallian Republic, having long evaded detection, had established a number of bases in City C3.


    Another problem is that there are currently many Kasvallian sympathizers and historical dissatisfaction within the Martians.


    Sergeant Lim led his squadron down a stairwell to an emergency exit. Except, they were on the outside of said emergency exit. Sergeant Lim gave a signal, and two of his squadron¡¯s members activated a few neuro gadgets that soon wrenched open these emergency doors from the exterior of City C3.


    The squad entered into an underground city, a city of permanent neon flashing lights in the ever dark underground.


    Sector B also had a city, but in terms of size, was no comparison to the sprawling cityscape in front of Sergeant Lim¡¯s eyes. This was why multiple platoons were assigned tasks here.


    Perhaps one might wonder how the Earth Feds might maintain control over this city. The reality is that they had no intention to. That was Chancellor Boateng¡¯s task, and the Earth Feds simply needed to rid the city of the Kasvallian Republic so that Chancellor Boateng¡¯s people could take control.


    ¡°Map,¡± Lim said within his exosuit.


    An overlay of the whole of City C3 was shown on his visor, with a flashing red X marking the target, as well as green dots marking their position.


    ¡°Path.¡±


    The visor screen marked a path for Sergeant Lim¡¯s squadron to follow, and as Lim turned his head, that path shifted across his visor, staying glued to the image of the environment relative to Lim¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Confirm our digital security,¡± Sergeant Lim said.


    ¡°Cybersecurity protection confirmed,¡± a robotic voice replied. This is, in fact, Denys. However, in an attempt to maintain an image of non-interference, Denys¡¯ presence was intentionally obscured from the typical soldier in a variety of ways.


    ¡°All members of the squadron. Activate your cloak. Stay sharp,¡± Lim commanded.


    The nine men¡¯s exosuit slowly became translucent as if they faded into non-existence. Their presence was only revealed by the occasional odd oily-warped air that was hard to notice if one wasn¡¯t looking out for.


    As Sergeant Lim zigzagged through the streets and alleyways, he found himself rather entranced by the city itself. Every building was made of a carbon fiber material, allowing structures to have unique and artistic shapes.


    The black and grey carbon fiber material would be quite dour by itself. However, they were decorated by many vibrant neon lights that lit up signs and symbols, offering a blinding contrast that carried a unique beauty. There was light and dark, dark then light.


    Their squadron carefully avoided a street where a crowd of flashily-dressed Martians lined up to enter a bar within a building made of carbon fiber strands swirling into the false sky of stars.


    Soon, they arrived at a rather normally dome-shaped building.


    ¡°Sergeant Cenkova. Your eta?¡± Lim communicated.


    ¡°Twenty seconds,¡± was the reply of a sharp voice.


    Sergeant Lim waited patiently alongside the other eight members of the squadron at the ready, remaining in their invisibility cloaks.


    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived,¡± Cenkova soon stated. ¡°We can begin.¡±


    Sergeant Lim led his squadron into the building. His squadron had been assigned to enter this dome abode that housed a few Kasvallian cyborgs and sympathizers, while Cenkova¡¯s was to surround and catch any rat that managed to slip away.


    Lim and his underlings activated their neuro gadgets as they entered. Lim¡¯s senses sharpened as he gained assistance from his various sensory gadgets. A device imitated a dog¡¯s nose, providing augmented smell to Lim¡¯s brain. Another provided thermal vision. These are only two unique gadgets of many.


    As they moved down a long corridor, Sergeant Lim suddenly raised his hand in signal. The eight men behind also had their gadgets out, allowing them to understand why Lim raised his hand.


    The nine men simultaneously separated into two teams as a hooded cyborg pulverized a wall, landing in the gap created by Lim¡¯s men.


    Their gadgets had, of course, detected this cyborg¡¯s activities just in time.


    No further words were needed. The nine men all had neural-weaponized gadgets. These began firing various types of projectiles. Some fired bullets, others lasers, as well as plasma. They carefully aimed these at an angle to avoid striking their own allies on the other side.


    The cloaked cyborg, initially hoping to ambush the nine men, was now inundated in a shower of projectiles. Its cloak was soon shred to bits, and the flesh upon its body melted in the heat. However, its internal structure of a durable metal compound was only scratched as the cyborg heavily punched down on the floor.


    The ground opened up as the cyborg dropped down to the lower basement. At the same time, a number of spherical objects shot out at Lim¡¯s men.


    ¡°Back!¡± Lim commanded.


    The nine men, separated into four and five on two sides, immediately leaped backwards as the spherical objects exploded, causing a ringing in their ears alongside a blinding brightness despite their exosuit¡¯s special functions.


    When the brightness faded, Lim confirmed the status of his men. They were luckily all unharmed. However, one man surnamed Van Der Beek had his exosuit badly damaged by the shrapnel from one of the bombs.


    ¡°The x-armor plates of my exosuit have been invaded by shrapnels. Over ninety percent compromised. Nanobot auto-repair will take some time,¡± Private Van Der Beek notified his superior officer.


    ¡°Take a more supportive back position in future encounters,¡± Sergeant Lim decided. Their path was one of no retreat. If he sent Van Der Beek back out the dome, the man would be alone and most likely ambushed midway.


    ¡°Should we pursue, sir?¡± Private Murray asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Sergeant Lim replied. ¡°The cyborgs¡¯ durability and endurance are much too high. We secure the non-cyborg members first.¡±


    They continued forward as the men at the back leapt across the hole smashed into the floor by the escaping cyborg.


    ¡°Nanobot-stunguns. With exception to Murray and Van Der Beek. The two of you are to cover for potential unexpected danger with shotguns,¡± Lim ordered.


    They moved forward carefully as they turned into a room, covering one another. These modern nanobot-stunguns carried the unique function of injecting nanobots into the target¡¯s body to immobilize said potential captive, traveling through the bloodstream to the brain.


    When it comes to captives, these nanobots are also useful in detecting whether their targets are cyborgs or not. After all, a human is of real flesh and bones, in stark contrast to a metallic body. In theory, these nanobots can also interfere with the connection between the brain and a neuro circlet.


    Sergeant Lim reached a corner and a number of his neuro gadgets flew in to first scout out the area. One of the gadgets was immediately knocked out of the air by a bullet. However, that small window was enough for Sergeant Lim to confirm the positions of their enemy through his other gadgets.


    This information was transmitted to the others, and their neuro gadgets flew forth into the room and began firing their many different projectiles to provide suppressive cover.


    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    The truth was that if the Earth Federations wished for it, Sergeant Lim would have made short work of these enemies. He could have easily controlled the gadgets to position at varying different angles in the room, making it impossible for the sympathizers to hide behind furniture. However, his orders were to capture these men and obtain information from their minds.


    Thus, he now needed to use these neuro gadgets to lock their enemies in place until they could neutralize them without taking their lives. These sympathizers hid themselves behind various furniture and walls while Sergeant Lim and his men rushed in with their nanobot-stunguns raised.


    The neuro gadgets continued their suppressive fire uncontested. These men weren¡¯t cyborgs, only sympathizers. As such, they weren¡¯t well-equipped, considering the general poor state of Mars.


    Sergeant Lim and his men kept a close eye on the potential approach of a cyborg lifeform as they began incapacitating their targets. Under the suppressive fire of their gadgets, they would not be hit by multiple shots in a row, and as such had no worries that they might sustain an injury, protected by their exosuits as they were.


    The neuro gadgets were expertly controlled to keep the five enemies pinned while creating an open path for Sergeant Lim and his men.


    They rounded a sofa, and Lim fired his nanobot-stungun, immediately sending a man onto the ground, unconscious. Nanobots were injected into the man.


    Then, they rounded a doorway. Bam! Another man crumpled onto the ground with his eyes dazed. Soon enough, five men were captured, and the suppressive fire from the hovering gadgets ceased.


    ¡°Any news, Sergeant Cenkova?¡± Lim asked.


    ¡°We detect no additional lifeforms in the upper floors. We have also captured a few escaping individuals, but none were cyborgs. Please descend deeper as we provide outside cover,¡± Cenkova informed Lim.


    ¡°Roger that.¡±


    Sergeant Lim paused as he considered their next step.


    ¡°Set the trap,¡± he finally decided after a few seconds of consideration.


    The others nodded and a few men removed packs from the back of their exosuits. From these packs, they withdrew a total of four half-spherical devices with a magnetic harpoon that could be shot forth.


    They opened a compartment from the back and confirmed the e-cube within supplying power to the devices. They then secured these devices to various surfaces surrounding the five incapacitated bodies that had now been piled together.


    Van Der Beek and another two men were assigned to ¡®guard¡¯ these five captives while the other six checked the basement.


    A gesture of the hand and Lim led his other five men down towards the basement of the building. Lim frowned to himself as his gadgets¡¯ sensory functions flickered, not providing much of a clear image of the basement. How troublesome.


    ¡°Care.¡±


    The other five men nodded and they no longer relied on their hovering gadgets as heavily, opting to slowly crouch forward in cover of one another.


    Lim then paused as he considered their position.


    ¡°Switch to plasma shotguns,¡± he commanded. The other five men widened their eyes within their visors, now feeling somewhat anxious. The plasma shotguns are meant to be most effective against cyborgs in close range.


    As they descended downwards, the six men discovered themselves surrounded by a smokey haze that alarmed their minds.


    ¡°This haze¡­ something within interferes with our various sensory gadgets¡­¡± Sergeant Lim muttered.


    ¡°Sir. It must be a combination of chemicals that interferes with the different types of sensors,¡± a man replied.


    That man stepped forward and his foot suddenly sunk into the ground. Luckily, Sergeant Lim reacted quick enough to pull the man backwards as a blade suddenly spun through the man¡¯s previous position.


    ¡°This whole place is booby-trapped. We will sacrifice our gadgets. Also, send out the steamroller,¡± Lim commanded.


    The other five men nodded. Private Murray removed a blocky object from his pack with treads for wheels. This is the steamroller, a block made of incredibly durable material to imitate human weight despite its small size. Though on treads, it had quick movement speed.


    This device was sent forth, and it sped across many different areas of the ground, setting off many weight-based traps, sending bullets and blades flying across the hallway before their eyes.


    Meanwhile, the men¡¯s gadgets flew to and fro, firing at random structures in a bid to raze down any potential traps.


    ¡°Enemy cyborg, Sir!¡± Van Der Beek¡¯s voice abruptly interrupted their cleanout operation.


    On the ground level, a cloaked cyborg was attempting to free the five captured sympathizers. Yet as he approached the five captives, four magnetic harpoons shot out and stuck into his body.


    Then, he discovered his body malfunctioning as electrical shocks were delivered through the four harpoons into his body!


    As for the three men supposedly guarding these five captives? They were occupied by a cyborg who¡¯s surface flesh had already been shredded. This cyborg had somehow cut a hole and climbed up from the basement.


    Van Der Beek fired his plasma shotgun, and the cyborg was sent stumbling as the surface of his body sizzled with energy. However, it was far from being able to disable the cyborg, for when the other two soldiers attempted to land their plasma shots as well, the cyborg easily dodged backwards.


    Sergeant Lim dashed back upwards with his five men to provide assistance. He had decided to set a trap, but did not actually expect the Kasvallian Republic to bite. That only meant one thing-- at least one of the five Kasvallian sympathizers must have valuable information. A slight miscalculation on his part.


    ¡°Do not allow them to kill the captives,¡± Sergeant Lim urged his team.


    It was not long before Sergeant Lim returned to the other five men, coming upon the cyborg who had lost its fleshy appearance. That cyborg no longer bothered upon Lim¡¯s return and brutally crashed through another wall before disappearing back down into the chemically-hazed basement.


    Meanwhile, the cyborg magnetically harpooned by the four dome-like devices almightily struggled and finally dislodged one of the devices, loosening the wire connecting the harpoon. With a roar, that device was destroyed and the cyborg now found it easier to move.


    It raised an arm and his finger opened up to point at a captive, a man of flat blonde hair with crescent eyebrows and a sharp nose. Only to suddenly find his mind losing focus as Sergeant Lim fired a plasma cluster at his back.


    With the cyborg still trapped by the three electrifying wires, Sergeant Lim easily fired a few more plasma clusters directly at the cyborg¡¯s body unimpeded.


    ¡°Assist me,¡± Lim said, and three of his men pressed the belt on their exosuits as they pulled out a connecting cord. Lim withdrew a high intensity laser gun, which the other three men attached their cords to, providing increased power from the energy source of their exosuits.


    Sergeant Lim pressed the head of the laser gun against the kneeling and dazed cyborg¡¯s head as he pulled the trigger.


    This is the only way to destroy these cyborgs. The presence of Syned within the systems of their bodies, makes it impossible to infiltrate and disable their bodies through other means.


    A most fearsome aspect of these cyborgs was that they had multiple controlling centers throughout their bodies. Meaning, a headless body could still somewhat function, much like a zombie, under Syned¡¯s control.


    As such, Lim needed to thoroughly melt down the metallic body of the cyborg with this high-intensity laser gun.


    First he targeted the head. It did not take long for the immobilized cyborg¡¯s head to grow red hot as it deformed under the fiery heat of the laser. Lim then shifted the laser gun lower and began to melt the torso of the cyborg.


    Fearing the cyborg¡¯s potential struggles, he did not even detach the harpoon systems as those harpoons now also became damaged by the heat of the laser gun.


    Soon enough, only the cyborg¡¯s limbs remain, and Lim proceeded to also break down these body parts as well.


    When they returned to the basement, the chemical haze had disappeared, revealing a secret escape tunnel. They could only accept that some had gotten away.


    Sergeant Lim felt relieved that the operation had ended with no casualties to his side. Private Van Der Beek might have had a close shave, but his exosuit was not penetrated. Any potential transmitted blunt injuries should be light within.


    They dragged their five captives outside. Sergeant Cenkova was waiting patiently outside with her arms crossed, standing before a huddled group of ten captives.


    ¡°Bit disappointing, aren¡¯t ya, Lim?¡± Cenkova bantered at seeing Lim¡¯s five captives.


    ¡°Melted down a cyborg, we did,¡± Private Murray countered with pride. The two squadrons were all smiles.


    An armored transportation truck had already arrived, arranged by Chancellor Boateng, overseen by Sergeant Cenkova¡¯s squadron.


    ¡°Screen them,¡± Cenkova ordered her people to check on Lim¡¯s five captives as they were led towards the armored truck. Many devices analyzed these captives and to detect any potential anomalies.


    The blonde-haired man with crescent eyebrows trudged along with his head lowered initially. Upon noticing the three female soldiers surrounding him and controlling their multiple gadgets to closely analyze his body, he suddenly grinned in derision.


    ¡°Anomaly detected.¡±


    The two closer female soldiers were alarmed to hear this, but by then it was too late to react as that blonde man suddenly regained control of his body and dashed forth, wrapping his arms around a female soldier.


    ¡°Lana!¡± the other soldier screamed.


    As for the female soldier named Lana, she struggled to comprehend the current situation. The nanobots inserted into the man¡¯s body should have kept the man compliant.


    The inserted nanobots could only be disabled by a far-advanced AI, such as Syned, who required the presence of key components to express its strength-- the body of a cyborg. The blonde-haired man, by analysis, was no cyborg. Yet struggle as she could, her exosuit¡¯s strength was not able to unravel  the blonde man¡¯s arms.


    The other female soldier raised a plasma shotgun and sent a cluster into the blonde man¡¯s body. The blonde man¡¯s body immediately melted under her fire, demonstrating he certainly was no cyborg.


    But then, the man¡¯s body began to glow and inundate. He screamed with a crazed expression, ¡°For Syned Vezna!¡± before self-detonating like an exploding sun.


    This event occurred so rapidly that the other Earth Federation soldiers had no time to even respond.


    When they did, it was already too late for the two female soldiers, whose exosuits were pierced by metal shards. In such close proximity to the blast, their exosuits¡¯ defenses were overwhelmed.


    Sergeant Cenkova was the quickest to act and check on her two subordinates, and she could only shake her head in sorrow. The two exosuits had clearly been penetrated and blood flowed out from within.


    Private Murray was shell shocked. But he finally understood what opportunistically targeting the female soldiers meant. This kamikaze attack could have been directed towards their male squadron, yet the blonde man only chose to move at those two female soldiers. As that shock gradually dissipated, he only felt hatred within his soul.


    Before Lim could stop him, Murray had raised a gun and pulled the trigger at one of the captives to satiate his own rage.


    This was not an isolated incident. The other Earth Federation forces operating across the Sectors faced similar situations. Of a captive, not detected to be a cyborg, using kamikaze attacks, usually when in range of female soldiers.


    It was truly a sinister move by the Kasvallian Republic and Syned Vezna. And it did not end here.


    More and more supposed civilians-in-appearance would suddenly use such attacks against the Earth Fed¡¯s soldiers.


    It was only after some time that the Earth Feds gained a better understanding of the situation.


    ________________________________________________________


    Earth Federation Lunar Base, the Moon.


    ¡°Have you discerned any useful information, Flemming?¡± President Mitsui said in a low tone. He was partly bewildered, but also angered by their current situation.


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± A bald man with a gray mustache and round head in a lab coat replied. President Mitsui followed the bald researcher into a white room. These white rooms are used for holographic simulations and replays.


    Fleming brought a hand to his neuro circlet to activate a simulation.


    ¡°Luckily, we managed to collate key data. As you understand, the blasts usually blind the sensory gadgets of our soldiers,¡± Fleming said as a simulation began. ¡°However, we have pieced together vital clues after combining the many similar occurrences.¡±


    ¡°I believe it to be a sort of¡­ partial cyborgization. Well¡­¡± Fleming paused as he forehead creased, considering how to best explain his thoughts.


    ¡°Our analysis of the Kasvallian¡¯s cyborgs, thus far, allowed us to understand that their cyborgs are made of a human brain combined with biomechanical technologies.¡±


    ¡°The brain remains human, but is augmented with chips and other neural connections. The rest of the body is replaced, such as artificial muscle capable of generating far more force-- you know of this unique material also used in the musculature of the nexarms.¡±


    ¡°This allows many mechanical weapons to be attached as well as form-shifting capabilities for various terrains.¡±


    ¡°We Earth Federation never delved into cyborgization because there is one major weakness-- the body becomes vulnerable to hacking, a fear we still hold due to the infamous digital wars of a past age.¡±


    ¡°Now, we have always assumed that cyborgization to be a complete process. After all, it should be far too complex for a human body to be in a state of partial cyborgization. Take, for example¡­the many organs each have a specific function. We cannot replace one without disrupting the balance within the body. Only limbs can be replaced with minor disruption, but the trunk of the body will remain human and vulnerable.¡±


    ¡°Thus, it has been our belief that the Kasvallians simply build a cyborg body based on a man or woman¡¯s personal parameters, before implanting the brain.¡±


    The simulation of a kamikaze attack began running as three dimensional holographic images combined and flickered as Fleming attempted to remove the blinding light using predictive technologies in combination with effects modification.


    ¡°Now, the only possibility for these events is that only a specific part of said human was transformed. Some place in the skull or the chest. Or both. Our nanobots disrupt the human mind by blocking outside interference in the brain, but if there are implanted chips supporting Syned within¡­ Or self-detonation energy core through the chest¡­perhaps the heart.¡±


    ¡°Why the heart?¡± Mitsui questioned Fleming¡¯s hypothesis.


    ¡°The heart with its rhythmic beating is most likely effective in hiding detonation or any anomaly detection, is my belief. Though our systems fail to identify the deep minute modifications of the Kasvallians, they do sense something to be off prior to these Kasvallian sympathizers¡¯ self-detonation.¡±


    ¡°Syned Vezna¡­¡± Mitsui narrowed his eyes. ¡°How vicious. However, humanity¡¯ creativity in viciousness is¡­ and will always remain, unmatched.¡±


    These words of his signaled of the cruelty to come. And none would stand in Mitsui¡¯s way. Certainly not the soldiers who had been on the receiving end of Syned Vezna¡¯s vicious tactics.

 Ch60: Infiltration into Romulus

    ¡°This is Anna Wozniak reporting from Nowy Warsaw. As you can all see, behind me is an ongoing conflict between the citizens of Warsaw and the EFSF.¡±


    ¡°The people of Warsaw were devastated by the asteroid, and Nowy Warsaw was heavily funded by the Kasvallian Group, who well¡­¡±


    ¡°As such, the EFSF has made strenuous attempts to completely rid the city of Kasvalllian influence. Unfortunately, many critical devices are of Kasvallian make, and the people of Nowy Warsaw have chosen to resist the EFSF¡¯s attempts.¡±


    ¡°The same can be said all over the world, where EFSF-aligned forces are attempting to do the same, but face much resistance. Many concerns have been raised with the EFSF¡¯s methods, with the number of civilian casualties rising by the second. Only earlier today¡­ ¡±


    Raylon Ceylon peeked his head from behind a door frame to check on the lead of his Neurorevo engineering unit. He noticed his lead engineer, Haber, fully entranced by the holographic images of a riot.


    It was nearly evening, and most of his colleagues had already left. Haber, however, always stayed until the skies became dark, and was the last to leave, outside of the security guards.


    As for the security guards, it was now close to six o¡¯clock, the time at which they switched their shifts. Many of the security systems had to be transferred from one neuro circlet to another, such that the new guards have access to the security devices in place. There is a limit to how many can access a security neuro device at one time, which also serves as a defense against potential hackers.


    Raylon Ceylon¡¯s eyes were momentarily drawn to the images of the riot as well. The riot was absolute chaos. Many self-made dangerous neuro gadgets flew about in the air, some of them exploding midair. Though the reporter had positioned herself quite some distance away, a sudden shockwave sent her stumbling forwards towards the cameraman recording the whole incident with his many neuro gadgets that generated the three dimensional hologram through various angles of view.


    The program suddenly flickered and returned to the studio as a blonde newscaster¡¯s face lit up in reflex.


    ¡°Our correspondent, Anna, is having some technical trouble on their end. Anna, if you can hear me, please stay safe. Now, onto our guests.¡±


    ¡°Our first guest is Simon Walker, a longstanding advocate for Freedom and Technology. Our second guest is Conor Doherty, a representative of the Earth Federation.¡±


    ¡°So let¡¯s begin with you, Simon, because you have been very open with your stance that the EFSF have overstepped their bounds.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Jane. Look. For many years, the Kasvallian Group has provided lower cost products across multiple industries, for a lesser quality, yes, but also far more affordable. Yet that is precisely why many of Earth¡¯s citizens rely upon those products even today, especially with the rising costs due to the chaos in the Asteroid Belt and Mars.¡±


    ¡°But Simon. That chaos itself is caused by the Kasvallian Republic herself. Many Kasvallian products may have the so-called tyrannical true artificial intelligence named Syned within them. They say he can control even minds-- there are already reports of suicide bombers on Mars! Surely, you, as a member of Freedom and Technology, should be staunchly against the Kasvallian Republic.¡±


    ¡°Jane. I am indeed against the Kasvallian Republic, but their now-legacy products in our society have shown no signs of the so-called mind-control you speak of,¡± Simon Walker furrowed his brows then added. ¡°And such mind-control is¡­ not as you imagine it.¡±


    ¡°You had best clarify your stance.¡±


    ¡°Well. AI is ultimately designed with our human minds. It then collects data of our behaviours and in some ways, reflects those patterns back at ourselves. Of course, the supposed Syned of the Kasvallian Republic, too, must have been designed by a human, with a purpose, a directive.¡±


    ¡°As for this whole ¡®mind-control¡¯ thing-- it is an exaggeration to say the least. For many years lesser AIs have been ¡®recommending¡¯ behaviours for us to follow. Even if these AIs do not exist, our minds would then fall under peer pressure from other fellow humans.¡±


    ¡°Freedom is not so simple, Jane. If many of these critical and affordable Kasvallian products are done away with, then the majority, especially those who cannot afford the higher priced items of other businesses, will have significantly less freedom, agency to carve a future path. Now, if there are companies who can produce at a comparably low price point and gradually replace those of Kasvallian make-- but many companies have indicated that to be impossible.¡±


    ¡°But surely,¡±  Jane paused as she pressed on her earpiece. ¡°Surely you can see the tyrannical nature of Syned? All reports indicate a religious cult of sorts.¡±


    ¡°Well, look, Jane. You could argue that the autonomous region of Jerusalem co-governed by many branches of religion, itself, is the foundation of religious cults. Now, I do not believe that. What I will say is this: The Kasvallians have always been the go-to for lower cost products, critical for Earth¡¯s lower income citizens, which is the majority.¡±


    ¡°Other companies have indicated that they are unable to match Kasvallian price points even if they slightly lower the quality of their products. This indicates the reality that wherever these Kasvallians are hidden away, their society must be more efficient, allowing them to produce at a lower cost. Perhaps they simply have less corruption due to being completely overseen by a possibly impartial AI, unlike our-¡±


    ¡°Simon, surely you cannot be claiming that the Earth Federation is-¡±


    ¡°Everyone can see it. The orbital colonies are controlled by megacorps that have direct influence in nearly all of the so-called elections. Their influence has introduced ineffective and questionable laws into our systems. It is known that no small amount of lawmakers in various countries-¡±


    ¡°Simon. You are veering off topic. Our focus is on the possible infringement on freedom of the people by the true AI named Syned.¡±


    ¡°Very well then , Jane,¡± Simon Walker puffed, changing his words. ¡°The people should be allowed to decide which products they wish to use. As for this whole worry of influencing the mind-- Neurorevo itself has much data on brain patterns through their dominance of the neuro gadget market. If they wish to, they are the ones who can easily stimulate various parts of your brain to achieve a desired response.¡±


    ¡°The way I see it, this is ultimately a test for us. If we are willing to clean up our own system of rule, clear out any sort of corruption or laws that were placed on its people to the benefit of the so-called upper class, then we may have a chance at producing the low cost products comparable to the Kasvallians¡¯ in a decade or two. Now, that is freedom for the masses. We can easily use various AIs to fully assess and punish biases and transgressions and¡­¡±


    ¡°To you, Conor.¡± The blonde newscaster quickly switched to Conor Doherty, not allowing Simon Walker the opportunity to rant. ¡°There are many concerns in human rights groups with the EFSF¡¯s methods. You have been much too silent throughout this discussion.¡±


    ¡°There isn¡¯t much to say,¡± Conor Doherty shrugged his shoulders as he drawled. ¡°It is simply a matter of security. Though there have yet to be any signs that Syned¡¯s programming has infected these products, it is better safe than sorry.¡±


    ¡°And do you have the necessary replacements ready to compensate these poor souls before taking away the many technological devices pivotal to their daily function?¡± Simon interjected.


    ¡°Well. No. But we have soldiers dying on the frontlines, and our access to the Asteroid Belt has become limited. Our people are doing far better on average historically, as well as compared to the Martians and those of the Belt. To not even be able to deal with a measure of adversity¡­ This is simply a period of necessary austerity to ensure the safety of Earth¡¯s digital network.¡±


    ¡°Any resistance will only be a betrayal of Earth in support of the Kasvallian Republic, and thus use of force becomes justifiable for our people¡¯s security,¡± Conor Doherty added. ¡°Reality ain¡¯t sunshine and rainbows.¡±


    ¡°What a load of bollocks,¡± Simon scoffed as he soon descended into a bit of a rant.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Raylon Ceylon did not continue to listen to the broadcast. He just needed to make sure that Haber¡¯s attention was occupied by something else.


    He tapped the neuro circlet atop his head and issued his orders. A number of automations began bringing weighty boxes to his vehicle that had maneuvered to a blindspot in the loading zone.


    This blindspot did not exist originally when the Neurorevo facility was constructed. The needs of the facility changed over time, and as a result, many modifications were made to the loading zone, unintentionally creating this blindspot under the old surveillance system.


    Meanwhile, Ceylon kept his eyes on Haber¡¯s position, who was seemingly entranced by the newsprogram playing from the holographic projector.


    As Ceylon was on the cusp of transferring the ¡®goods¡¯, he felt a hand tap his shoulder. His heart nearly leaped out of his mouth as he spun around to find Haber¡¯s pet humanoid robot with a questionable look on its face.


    Haber¡¯s pet humanoid robot does not have a human appearance-- it had long been agreed to avoid creating overly humanoid robots, due to their often uncomfortable and eerie appearance. Truly imitating the whole facial and muscular structure to express accurate human emotion is a costly endeavour with little functional benefit. Those who cut corners discovered their robots to appear uncanny. The Mind Perception Hypothesis, so it is called.


    Thus, Haber¡¯s pet humanoid robot was designed simply to have a convex digital facial monitor for expression. Its body was made from a light metal alloy designed by a material engineer-- Ceylon did not know its exact composition.


    A few seconds later, another tap on Ceylon¡¯s shoulder, and he spun around once again to find Haber gazing at him with a raised eyebrow.


    The neuro circlet around Haber¡¯s skull whirled and the man connected to the whole system controlling the facility. Ceylon bowed his head initially, but soon mustered his will.


    ¡°I was entranced by the news program, while I was preparing to do a bit of work from home.¡± He wasn¡¯t lying. Not exactly, anyway.


    ¡°Such projects require permission. From the military, specifically.¡± After all, Haber¡¯s team spent much time designing Nexarm units.


    An awkward silence descended, and Ceylon thought himself royally screwed, until Haber suddenly shrugged.


    ¡°I want the data,¡± Haber said to Ceylon. ¡°But you had best be careful. She¡¯s being watched.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ Thank you!¡± Ceylon¡¯s palms were profusely sweating.


    ¡°I recall that she provided assistance when our Neurorevo facility was first attacked prior to the war against the Martians. The way I see it, her current house arrest is but Mitsui¡¯s petty disagreement with Varoufakis behind the scenes.¡±


    ¡°Take care,¡± Haber added. ¡°I saw nothing. But you¡­¡±


    ¡°I never met you today. Worse comes to worst, I¡¯ll just be exiled to some corner of space. Perhaps the Saturn and Jupiter moons.¡± Ceylon was prepared for such an eventuality.


    ¡°Update and provide feedback with the simulation data as often as you can manage. Much of that is hard to come by with the military situated upon Martian soil, so far away. We will be able to make many more improvements with a proper experienced pilot running her own simulations. But not a word to anyone.¡±


    ¡°Yes, boss.¡±


    The conversation ended there.


    The security guards were still switching shifts, and when they saw Ceylon¡¯s vehicle, they waved him through with a bright smile. Many of them carried high opinions of Raylon Ceylon, who showed up for work early and stayed late often. The man also genuinely treated them all with respect. These security guards have not been treated all that well by some Neurorevo employees.


    Raylon Ceylon soon arrived at Athena Watanabe¡¯s house, pulling into her garage. He had done this many times over the past month. Plus, he suspected that it should be impossible for Mitsui¡¯s people to keep such a close watch at all times, especially since it was dinner time now.


    In truth, those assigned to watch Athena Watanabe were never all that attentive. They themselves felt it unnecessary to watch this ¡®disgraced¡¯ pilot of a discarded previous Earth Feds president. The way they saw it, this job was but an easy paycheck due to President Mitsui¡¯s insecurity.


    The garage door closed behind. Raylon greeted Athena with a hug and a kiss, and informed her that her future simulation combat data would be secretly used for Nexarm improvements. He made no mention of Haber-- he could not implicate the man, if even by accident.


    Athena cared not-- her mind became hyper-focused, excited at being able to properly simulate Nexarm combat. She watched as Raylon Ceylon used her household neuro gadgets to shift many heavy boxes into Athena¡¯s basement. They had screened the basement previously to ensure it was secure.


    Raylon spent the whole night setting up the complicated simulation device, with the assistance of various neuro gadgets cooperating in tandem.


    Athena drifted in and out of sleep as she observed Raylon with an intense gaze in her eyes.


    Dawn came, with the chirping of birds, soon drowned out as the simulation device constructed from server technologies and many advanced processing units came online in a vibrating whirl.


    Athena entered the simulation pod and attached herself to the pilot seat and helm as her heart quivered in anticipation.


    Yet what greeted her within that visor was not the supposed simulation menu, or the common reassuring voice of default nexarm AI systems.


    No. Rather, a digitized prepubescent boy flickered into form.


    ¡°We meet again, Watanabe. I am Denys. A pleasure to finally meet you properly.¡±


    ______________________________________________


    At the same time on Mars, within a military observation tower in the City of Romulus.


    Zero, Poison and Flash gazed northwards into the Martian horizon from their high vantage point as the sun began to set.


    ¡°So¡­ father wants us to hunt down this man known as Xeight and determine how this Chimera was created?¡± Poison asked, her voice sultry and playful.


    Zero silently nodded.


    ¡°The surveil-system is in-place, and a few agents in father¡¯s camp are in their position,¡± Flash announced after his neuro circlet buzzed. He spoke his words so quickly they sounded somewhat jumbled.


    ¡°Heh,¡± Poison suddenly giggled. ¡°They say the T3ST colony¡¯s people were the initial testing of neural enhancement. So, in some ways, they¡¯re just like us, right? This will be fun!¡±


    ¡°Focus and complete the task properly, sister,¡± Zero calmly ordered.


    After their initial clash against the Kasvallian¡¯s expansive Haisnaf system, the EFSF had chosen to batten down the hatches and focus on defending the resources they already controlled south of the City of Romulus. Large-scale defense systems have already been erected, many hidden in various locations.


    Instead, the EFSF¡¯s primary advancement came from using their numbers to comb through the sectors of the Wolf¡¯s Coil, which they had much more success in despite the Kasvallian Republic¡¯s attempts to use various horrific methods, such as suicide bombers, to slow their forward march.


    As for Mitsui¡­ his eyes had turned to the supposed existence of a new true AI. He desired his very own, one which aligned with his own desires.


    _______________________________________________


    Deep underwater, a hatch on a submarine opened as three figures in exosuits, oxygen and nitrogen tanks on their backs, floated out into the cool water that occasionally rumbled to Xeight¡¯s ears.


    As for Chimera, the true AI could only ¡®remain¡¯ in the sub, which powered its capabilities with its internal supercomputer. Well. By now, many strains of Chimera existed, such as in the northern hidden base in Vastitas Borealis and of course, Xeight¡¯s Nexarm. These many strains would often communicate to realign their ¡®thinking¡¯ and maintain the sole identity that is Chimera.


    Xeight only carried a wisp of connection in his exosuit. He was to make an attempt to gain information on how to adjust the Nexarms in the T3ST colony¡¯s hands to be effective in combination with a true AI such as Chimera.


    Only then will the independent faction under Minister Williams be able to have any degree of influence.


    In truth, Xeight himself was only partially invested in this cooperation initially. He saw the T3ST colony¡¯s participation in the Martian independence movement as pointless, for he believed that the T3ST colony was simply being used with questionable long term transformation for their own selves.


    As such, he was more than content to spend his days mining resources accompanied by trance-like music in his ears-- at least his mind would be at peace.


    Now, his brother, Bone, along with Yfour had embraced the Kasvallian Republic. Xeight believed that the Kasvallian Republic, too, wished to use the T3ST colony for their own purposes as well.


    When details of the horrific nature of the war came to Xeight¡¯s attention, he was reminded of grandpa Zseven¡¯s dying request, to give the T3ST colony, its future generation, an opportunity to ¡®live¡¯. But how? He felt only uncertainty.


    Xeight was of the opinion that since his people were genetically augmented--at the cost of their long-term health-- many forces only sought to use them for questionable purposes. Even Minister Williams¡¯ motives cannot be fully trusted.


    Xeight¡¯s mind was occupied by this thought as his exosuit, its systems, did the heavy lifting for him during their surfacing procedure. As long as he stayed calm and followed the instructions of the system that sounded in his ears, he would be fine, so he was told.


    During the ascent, they remained at certain depths for some time. Eventually, Xeight and two of Minister Williams¡¯ agents surfaced.


    The three stayed in the water and swam towards and pre-identified location, and soon reached a grate that blocked entry into Romulus¡¯ underground waterway.


    The three cooperated and their exosuits whirled as they forcefully detached the grate.


    They shared smiles, thinking they were in the clear, and proceeded to enter the underground waterways.


    They were detected the very moment they entered said waterway, a distant alarm blaring, shattering the silent night.


    ¡°Shit.¡± The man Xeight knew as Jackson immediately sensed that they must have walked into a trap. Somehow, some way, the Earth Feds knew they were coming!

 Ch61: Unexpected Assistance

    Unknown location, Underwater in the Pacific Ocean.


    President Mitsui¡¯s expression was dark as he confronted the many representatives of various regions and those of the orbital colonies. They had chosen to arrange this secretive assembly in this high security location due to the ongoing war, as well as the increasing number of riots globally.


    ¡°Explain. Why is it that we are unable to replace the low cost products of the Kasvallian Group? Surely, if they can do it, then we can as well. Do not say it¡¯s impossible-- I know the lot of you and your¡­ affluent friends must be pocketing the change!¡± Mitsui was growing frustrated.


    So far, the military had managed to prevent news of the majority of casualties on Mars being women from leaking out. Well-- it is the Kasvallians who were more happy to focus target female squads. On the other hand, they have not been able to remove the risk of the widespread and lower cost Kasvallian goods already in circulation globally. The local resistances made this task difficult.


    Luckily, it seemed as if there was no presence of Syned within the systems of these Kasvallian goods. However, the potential risk simply cannot be ignored.


    No, Mitsui corrected his own trail of thought. If Syned had injected himself into these devices, Denys should have detected the Kasvallian Group¡¯s intentions long ago. Most likely, Syned has a method to infiltrate Earth through the Kasvallian products still in circulation. As to how, that is the question-- especially since Denys himself is within the whole global network and all that is connected to it.


    ¡°But sir¡­ it¡¯s simply impossible!¡± The black-suited man representing the BlackRock orbital colony exclaimed.


    ¡°And why is that?! Tell me! I¡¯ve given you all ample time!¡± Mitsui spat. ¡°And Branson. All the assets under your control¡­¡±


    ¡°Look, Mitsui. We¡¯ve crunched the numbers. The reality is that as a society, we are simply less efficient. Bloated compared to the Kasvallians,¡± Branson bristled. ¡°The Kasvallians are ruled and wholly controlled by the singular entity known as Syned. That means in their hidden society, they have no need to¡­¡±


    Branson calmed himself as he sighed.


    ¡°They have no need to, for example, hire and pay judges, lawyers, fund elections, hold major policy debates or well, much of anything really,¡± Branson continued in a much calmer tone. ¡°Essentially, their society is run by Syned, based on what we have gathered.¡±


    ¡°And?¡± Mitsui grumbled. ¡°Most production is automated these days. Human labor costs are mostly on creative tasks.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ well it¡¯s a chain effect. Why historically, economies can death spiral downwards. Their ruling body does not need as much upkeep. Thus they have significantly less need to tax the economy. Thus production companies can maintain their margins without raising their prices. Thus their citizens can be paid less and still maintain a strong purchasing power and standard of living.¡±


    Well. That and the fact that a rather authoritative government can easily clamp down on bad actors. Sometimes unfairly and perhaps corrupt. Branson wasn¡¯t about to suggest that the Earth Feds should be given the power to bring the hammer down on his or any of the orbital colonies. Plus, his words carried the gist of truth. Obviously the economy isn¡¯t all that straightforwardly understood, but it seemed to be applicable in this case.


    Quite a few heads swiveled to take a quick glance at the rep from China, as well as the CBA orbital colony. One a man, another a woman, both seemingly of Chinese descent. To trained eyes, they would be able to spot that the man representing the CBA orbital colony had more Southern Chinese features, in contrast to the woman with more northern features.


    As to why all could not resist observing these two? The history of their ¡®motherland¡¯, of course.


    To put it simply, China remains a single party state. For some time, many thought that a revolution was inevitable. Yet the country soon developed an army of drones that could perform massive swarm attacks, backed by solid logistics and production lines. Then they became one of the earlier nations to successfully build an orbital factory and send robots to the belt to harvest asteroids.


    Luckily, despite their position, the nation never initiated war against neighbors even if there were a few inconsequential conflicts upon the sea. They relied on economic pressure and occasional intimidation to gain marginal advantages.


    As to why? It is believed that said single party feared its own citizens the most. In those ancient times, the Chinese population had become well-travelled and connected. And unlike certain other small nations, it was basically impossible to completely block external news-- not when the nation had so many economic ties and also desired to be on the world stage.


    Many believe that the single party feared any major conflict could lead to revolution. Unless the population of the nation at the time truly believes a conflict to be necessary, said single party would not dare to initiate a war, in fear of internal backlash.


    Given the long history of governments being overthrown in the region, that was not an unreasonable conclusion. The Chinese population themselves understood the concept of remaining in the shadows, and striking like lightning when a critical opportunity arose. As such, said single party feared its own citizens the most-- a repeated conclusion.


    That, of course, led to questions on the psyche of the nation¡¯s population. Due to the nation¡¯s history, most of her citizens despised foreign influence trying to take control, take advantage and profit off their own people.


    Most also believed that unity was critical-- as long as citizens had decent living standards or were at least improving towards and eventually matching other major powers under said ruling party. That belief in unity stemmed from a long history of internal conflict. People¡¯s lives were generally much more prosperous in times of regional unity.


    Some wondered why corruption did not lead to their downfall. A proposed reason was that fear of revolution kept corruption in check. Many western nations, however, believe that the Chinese simply exported said corruption. Well. The rebuttal from the Chinese was that western companies that essentially control western politics were more than happy to take advantage of ¡®lesser¡¯ and desperate nations for profits, which could be said to be a sort of corruption and blackmail. Some even exaggeratedly compared it to being a mafia. Those were¡­ confusing times, to say the least.


    Eventually, that single party began to imitate the European Union. To be accurate, a significantly more centralized EU. The single party effectively functioned in the position of the European¡¯s political elites, and provided economic benefits of various degrees to countries based on their willingness to adopt certain cooperative policies. Circles of membership, so to speak.


    Those who shared their worldview would be welcome to become a member of said singular ruling party. Not unlike how the European elites held certain views and would use public opinion to murder any European politician who dared to disagree with the status quo, so said single party claimed in the UN.


    Though there was much skepticism at first. Soon, a rather desperate nation opted to give it a go, and once said nation found itself treated rather fairly and performing significantly better, the floodgates opened. A rather concerning moment in history, from the anglo-saxon perspective.


    This brief history ran through the heads of all present. The primary reason for this wasn''t related to their own personal feelings regarding said history, but the very fact that for many years, China was able to maintain low production costs.


    Of course, there are many more reasons proposed, even claims of ¡®rigging¡¯ by competitors, but one could not deny their single party authoritative government demonstrated an incomparable effectiveness. For example, there exists ancient footage of the Chinese building an emergency hospital, a railway station in a single day. Impossible unless it was under a united authority. And certainly, impossible to ¡®rig¡¯.


    Not that any of this history really mattered much once the cyber war began. That war completely overturned the world, in the end.


    Regardless, all present are, of course, drawing parallels to the Kasvallian Group. Well, there is a major difference-- the Kasvallian Group is under a single powerful authoritarian AI that is Syned. One could say, even more ¡®united¡¯ than a single party, who may occasionally have internal disagreements.


    No more words needed to be further said by the black-suited Branson to explain the situation.


    Mitsui internally complained about Denys¡¯ stance. Denys remained staunch regarding the position of staying in the shadows. Additionally, if Denys¡¯ presence became obvious, the Earth Feds¡¯ message of combating the influence of Syned would be significantly less effective, and their army¡¯s morale would drop.


    Evermore, Mitsui wished to create his own true AI. If he could ¡®meld¡¯ with one, similar to Syned Vezna¡­.


    ¡°We have no choice but to crush these resistance pockets, optics be damned,¡± Admiral Petrov concluded. ¡°In time, the people will adjust to their lower standard of living. They still remain far better off than even our ancestors prior to the cyber war.¡±


    The many reps from various nations looked grim, but they could only agree to marshal their forces. After all, the historical pact between the nations and the Earth Feds remain intact. Most ground forces are from the nations, while the Earth Feds conduct their activities away from Earth¡¯s surface and air-- space.


    ___________________________________________________________


    Back on Mars.


    Xeight, Jackson, and the other mysterious agent assigned to this mission froze in a panic, deer in headlights. Already, they could hear the sound of many echoing footsteps in the underground waterways.


    ¡°We must retreat,¡± the mysterious agent urgently whispered. Yet when they turned around, many boats with blinding headlights had already begun combing the shoreline.


    ¡°No way back,¡± Jackson barked. ¡°We spread and hope for the best. You¡¯re on your own now. Best of luck!¡±


    Those two agents immediately sped off. It wasn¡¯t that they did not care for Xeight-- they were tasked with protecting and assisting Xeight as per Minister Williams¡¯ order. However, remaining as a single group meant that they would all be apprehended in a single stroke. By splitting off into three, there is the possibility that the two agents could lead the pursuers off Xeight¡¯s trail.


    Xeight sighed. A pity that it would not be easy. Luckily, Chimera is with him. With only the exosuit¡¯s limited processing power, Chimera is not able to employ its full strength. However, it is still capable of many tasks.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Xeight immediately began searching for a doorway into the network of the City of Romulus. He opened a complete map of the waterways on the visor of his exosuit. Minister Williams had spent much time in the City of Romulus in her political career, and naturally gained access to much of this information.


    He quickly identified the closest terminal that could be of use to him. A route appeared on his visor, pointing out to him the correct path.


    Chimera did not need Xeight to request assistance. Their minds were oddly in sync, a state that Xeight was somewhat perturbed about, but accepted.


    ¡°Father,¡± Chimera said. Another ¡®title¡¯ that Xeight had yet to feel comfortable with being called. ¡°I have analyzed the footsteps through echolocation and estimated their position and path. We have been rerouted.¡±


    Xeight began jogging on this new route, the boots of his exosuit activating noise suppression as a camouflage cloak wrapped around his body, mostly melding him into the background of the waterway walls. Thermal shielding was also activated.


    Normally, the exosuit would be capable of activating the mechanical functions of the boots to decrease the muscular stress on Xeight¡¯s leg muscles, but doing so would create noise. Naturally, that was to be avoided in the current situation.


    ¡°Are you providing assistance to Jackson and¡­ the other agent?¡± Xeight asked. That other agent had opted to not introduce himself. Or herself? Honestly, not easy to tell with the exosuits on.


    ¡°Yes, father,¡± Chimera replied through the neuro circlet. ¡°They, however, have expressed their desire to act as decoys.¡±


    Xeight sighed. He was honestly struggling to understand the devotion of these people to their cause.


    ¡°Likelihood of us three all surviving?¡±


    ¡°Zero percent chance, father. The enemy¡¯s numbers vastly outnumber ours. Our technological level is similar and the Terran forces should have a true AI guiding them as well. The only opportunity exists if those two are to act as decoys.¡±


    That was the unfortunate reality of their situation, causing Xeight to sink into silence.


    ¡°I am no longer able to echolocate our pursuers. It is possible that they initially created a noise pattern to bait us onto certain routes. I will be rerouting us, father.¡±


    The route on Xeight¡¯s visor changed, and he could see that Chimera had chosen a farther terminal. As he silently switched directions, he couldn''t resist looking at the grey concrete and partially rusty metal bridges and railings of the waterway. The ceiling of the waterway is basically a semi-circle of concrete surface. To most, this would be a dour sight, but Xeight naturally had never seen such a structure, and he found it rather grand for these expansive systems to exist underneath a supposedly vast city.


    Perhaps luck was on his side, but Xeight reached said terminal without bumping into any pursuers.


    ¡°Two lifeforms detected! Termination mode activated!¡± Chimera suddenly had a joyous and excited outburst. Xeight wondered if Chimera was truly born from his mind creating patterns in a Nexarm frame. He surely does not have this outburst within himself¡­ Strangely, he recalled how he had chosen to ¡®execute¡¯ that Martian pilot simply to test the alliance between the Martian forces and the T3ST colony¡­


    Xeight was obviously not against killing-- he simply did not wish to be a tool in any conflict.


    As such, with his form camouflaged, he easily sliced through the throats of two men dressed in engineering tracksuits. As these two were intently observing a number of large monitors, they were none the wiser. Once they realized what had happened, they gurgled blood as their eyes rapidly lost their light.


    ¡°Good luck, Chimera,¡± Xeight said as he opened a compartment on his suit that exposed a number of cords. He plugged his exosuit into the terminal, and could only hope that Chimera would not be discovered by the supposed Terran¡¯s true AI.


    If Chimera could keep his exosuit free under a counterattack, he should have enough time to disconnect and isolate their system.


    None of that came to pass. Chimera infiltrated Romulus¡¯ network with ease.


    ¡°Location of Nexarm facilities have been identified. We must reach it in order to obtain the necessary upgrades.¡± Chimera was back to a much more ¡®professional¡¯ state.


    A new route was plotted on Xeight¡¯s visor.


    Xeight began jogging along this route again. However, most concerning was the fact that there were no sounds, no tracks of the enemy!


    ¡°Freeze!¡± Chimera exclaimed out of nowhere.


    Xeight froze on the spot and focused his senses.


    He finally noticed something off. Once he steadied his form, it became far easier for Chimera to employ the exosuit¡¯s systems to analyze their surroundings.


    There is no such thing as perfect camouflage, after all. Soon, Chimera picked up a squad of trackers rounding a corner on the opposite side of the water channel, their forms occasionally exposing a sort of refracted sheen of rainbow edge. Xeight¡¯s heart palpitation in anxiety. If he could see them, then they might be able to see his position if they came to a stop as well!


    The ten trackers were in a hurry, and jogged in search of intruders. Just when Xeight thought himself safe as these trackers went past him on the opposite side of the water channel, a drop of water fell from the ceiling and struck the top of his exosuit.


    Xeight swore.


    ¡°Zoom mode, activated,¡± Chimera announced.


    The sprint-support mechanism in the exosuit¡¯s boots activated, and Xeight sprang forward.


    ¡°There! Fire!¡± Assault rifles pointed at Xeight and a bullet hell was unleashed. His exosuit did its job to protect him against the few rounds that struck.


    ¡°After him!¡±


    Xeight knew that he was in trouble. His exosuit was standard gear for the Terran forces housed in the city of Romulus. As such, he had no advantage. As for launching neuro gadgets-- that was a waste of time, outnumbered as he was. Neither side had activated their neuro gadgets, choosing to remain camouflaged. If Xeight launched any, the other side would launch theirs as well. It was far better to simply run.


    ¡°I apologize. That was careless, father,¡± Chimera apologized. ¡°I should have noticed the drop of water from above.¡± To make use of the exosuit and its functions in different environments-- Chimera is still a newborn of sorts.


    ¡°Focus and find us routes to confuse the pursuers.¡± Xeight wasn¡¯t about to waste words on the past.


    ________________________


    Up on the Martian surface, on the tallest tower within Romulus, Zero¡¯s eyes gleamed as he observed a monitor alongside holographic projections.


    ¡°That¡¯s him! Analysis of his body movement, build, carry similarities to the man known as Xeight! All units. Head towards MW-5, towards Squad Five! Poison, don¡¯t get too out of control.¡±


    _________________________


    Terran soldiers remained hot on Xeight¡¯s tail. There was no shaking them off!


    ¡°Father¡­¡± Chimera suddenly announced. ¡°I am receiving communication from an entity named Denys. He states that he is Earth¡¯s true AI.¡±


    ¡°What? Why?¡± Xeight was completely baffled as he continued sprinting, taking as many turns as possible in a bid to shake off his pursuers.


    As he curved around a corner, a few neuro gadgets were launched, firing upon the Terran soldiers rounding the corner. Those neuro gadgets were quickly shot down with overwhelming firepower. At least they served to somewhat slow down their pursuers.


    ¡°He has expressed that he does not desire for us to be caught and wishes to be of assistance,¡± Chimera informed Xeight.


    Many possible explanations flitted through Xeight¡¯s mind, while the pursuers remained only a hundred meters behind. Occasionally, a bullet would clip his suit and further damage its camouflage ability.


    He rounded another corner then had to switch direction to cross a rusting bridge due to the way being blocked by another Terran squad!


    ¡°Ahahaha! Found you!¡± An excited girlish voice squealed in excitement. Two bazookas unveiled themselves on that exosuit''s two shoulders. It wasn¡¯t just Xeight who was shocked by this development.  Every single Terran soldier¡¯s eyes similarly widened behind their visors.


    Xeight threw himself forward with an explosive jump as those two bazookas fired.


    An explosive force was ignited in the waterway, throwing Xeight forward sprawling and clutching at air. Luckily, he wasn¡¯t directly struck and the x-alloy of the exosuit absorbed the remnant impact and heat.


    When Xeight recovered to his feet, part of the waterway had been shattered and concrete lumps were scattered all over, some obstructing the water channel.


    ¡°Fuck it,¡± Xeight saw no way out of their predicament. ¡°No choice but to trust this entity known as Denys.¡± He really was running out of options. It seems that other squads had been alerted to his presence here!


    ¡°Denys has informed me of hidden routes,¡± Chimera announced.


    Xeight began following this new route. He turned a corner, momentarily falling out of the Terran soldiers¡¯ sight. His eyes then blinked repeatedly, for the route suddenly bent and led him into a wall!


    He chose to bet on the route and half-rammed his shoulder into the concrete wall, only to find zero resistance as he stumbled through an incredibly realistic holographic projection of a wall.


    He continued and began to pass through a number of fake walls, and the sounds of the Terran soldiers gradually faded!


    ____________________________________


    ¡°Where did he go?!¡± Zero sprang to his feet, alarmed. They should have the target cornered by now. ¡°Poison!¡±


    ¡°We turned a corner and he was gone, brother!¡± Poison complained through the comms, whining as if a toy had been destroyed by a pet dog. ¡°Why won¡¯t he stay and play?!¡±


    Zero was observing through the visors of the soldiers connected to his command center. Poison¡¯s words offered nothing.


    ¡°Thorsson!¡±


    ¡°Nothing on my end. I¡¯ve combed the shoreline and we¡¯ve discovered how they entered the waterways. However, that is all.¡±


    _____________________________________


    Xeight¡¯s visor smashed into a very real concrete wall. This one wasn¡¯t a holographic wall despite the route pointing through it.


    He narrowed his eyes as the concrete-looking wall smoothly and soundlessly slid open through an unknown contraption. He then descended down a spiral staircase. He passed through a pair of metal doors at the bottom that opened up into a lovely garden with flowers of every single possible color. Naturally, Xeight knew little of flower species and could not identify them.


    This garden, along with various greenery of grass and trees, surrounded a gleaming white dome in the middle.


    A crab automation with a height close to Xeight¡¯s waist scuttled before him, and the top of its shell opened to project a hologram of a prepubescent teen.


    ¡°Welcome, Xeight and Chimera. I am Denys. It is a pleasure to welcome you to my home.¡±


    ¡°What is your intention?¡± Xeight might have accepted Denys¡¯ offer due to his desperate situation, but he remained highly suspicious of Denys.


    ¡°Hah!¡± Denys chittered. ¡°If I truly wished to do you harm, I would not have assisted you. And I would have arranged for troops to capture you long before your arrival here.¡±


    Xeight had to admit that Denys was correct. He had allowed his suspicions to cloud his assessment.


    ¡°Come.¡± The crab automation leisurely scuttled towards the dome.


    ¡°Why?¡± Xeight had to ask as they walked.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Denys muttered. ¡°Hard to explain even with all the words available to me. Where to begin¡­? You see¡­ I gained access to Martian records of your behaviour during the Martian Independence war, and I must say that I saw an ally.¡±


    ________________________________________________


    Meanwhile, outside the BlackRock Orbital Colony, an A-rank starship jumped in, its body hidden in the darkness of space.


    The starship¡¯s hangar opened as three Haisnafs floated out. The leading Haisnaf carried the symbol of a skull!


    ¡°Bone. You should not have to do this. Is this not too extreme?¡± Yfour¡¯s voice begged through the comms.


    ¡°Syned Vezna appreciates our talents, Yfour,¡± Bone replied as his Haisnaf floated towards the BlackRock orbital colony. ¡°That is why he has given us this monumental task where success must be guaranteed.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°This is a new age of humanity, and the Kasvallians will give us a home. A real home! We will have a heroes¡¯ welcome and live prosperous lives! Already, forty of us are pursuing new lives in the Kasvallian world!¡± Though none could see Bone within his cockpit, he still raised a fist of joy and hope.


    ¡°Yes boss!¡± Oten replied. ¡°Those Terran fools still think we give a crap about Mars!¡±


    They had left Mars long ago, easily escaping detection due to the lack of Terran surveillance in the Martian Sphere.


    ¡°Silence, Oten! There is always a risk of someone listening in. Comms are to remain silent. With me, brothers!¡± Bone accelerated towards the BlackRock orbital colony, with two black pearl Haisnafs behind, one controlled by Oten, another by a woman named Vree.