《Agents of the Universal Administration [UA]》 Prologue Relative Timeline: Ta6Lo62000 Area: Sector Z Location: Somewhere on the edge of the Civilized Universe, forward defense base. Control: Imperial Universal Federation (IUF) Affiliation: Universal Administration [UA] Joary De Swyx slightly moved the third and last finger of his right hand, which allowed him to crouch in a bush and activate the camouflage mode. Noises rang out as the enemies searched the surroundings. He didn''t move, his gun ready to fire in bursts in case he was surprised... A hand landed on his shoulder. An invisible hand! The Lenarit jumped and raised his virtual reality glasses, throwing a furious look at his colleague Garper. The Human, much smaller than him, sketched an apologetic smile. ¡°Excuse me Jo, but the captain is on his way...¡± Joary paled, which for his species translated into lighter-than-usual green-blue skin while his visible purple veins temporarily retracted. He quickly removed his glasses and control gloves to place them at his feet, under the control computers, out of sight. He glanced around, then pretended to observe the control screens. The captain entered the room, with the heavy step of the bionic limbs that replaced his legs. It was a Yapa, one of those bizarre species of the universe that resemble humanoid animals, in this case a fox. An old fox who, despite his small size, imposed himself with his implacable gaze. Despite the short life expectancy of his species, he remembered the Imperial era before Emperor Vector. Many stays in stasis pods had preserved this old wreck of the past so that he could tyrannize his hierarchical inferiors in the present and break their ears with his praise of a good old time when survival was very precarious. He praised the ancient times when one advanced through the hierarchy by one''s own merits and plots, and when a simple slave could even hope to become emperor through perseverance. A time when the empire vibrated to the rhythm of its battles between warlords in order to seize power. Constant clashes that allowed the army to be skimmed to make it an elite force. Of course, now that slavery and hierarchical advancement by assassination were illegal, the people of the present had become real wimps, like all those he saw currently under his command, not like the guys of his time who were real survivors... Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! In fact, this living antiquity that was the captain must have even seen the first Zcarbb invasion, which could explain his particular severity regarding the seriousness he demanded of his men, even though they were monitoring a point in space where nothing would ever happen. Even the bandits of the Nomad group were absent from this sector of the universe and a whole network of systems filled with sterile planets separated them from Zcarbb space, discouraging them from expanding in this direction. ¡°Anything new?¡± the little tyrant bellowed. ¡°No, my captain,¡± Joary assured, ¡°everything is calm. What would you like to happen here? There is not even a single viable colony within ten systems!¡± ¡°That is no reason to relax, soldier! In my day, we threw slackers and other incompetents through the airlocks... Tsss, just by looking at your faces, I can detect a lack of seriousness. Emperor Vector, in his time, claimed to improve the efficiency of the Empire and make meritocracy less violent... It seems that nowadays we have only kept the moderate side while forgetting the efficient one... Lamentable... Keep your eyes on the screens and raise the alarm at the slightest suspicious thing!¡± Still grumbling against a decadent era, the captain left the room. The two occupants of the room held their breath for a moment, following the progress of their superior on the security screens managed by Garper. The captain did not seem to turn around to carry out a new surprise inspection... or at least what he thought was a surprise. The surveillance post was the best possible hiding place against his severity. Sighing with relief, the two soldiers took their personal items out of their hiding places. The Human stuck two earphones in his ears and slumped down on his seat, his half-closed eyes monitoring the data from the internal cameras. Joary, meanwhile, put his control gloves and his virtual reality goggles back on. Their antigravity device allowed them to easily adjust to his oblong head. ¡°Ah, of course my avatar is dead! That''s the problem with online games! Damn captain!¡± Angrily, he scrolled through his stats on the virtual screen and counted the number of points he had lost. Well, he still had enough to get a new avatar without spending more money. Kill-Zcarbb was truly the best game in the universe, if you exclude Kill-Zcarbb II, its total advanced virtual reality version reserved for the rich. Joary''s eyes narrowed in astonishment. As he had opened the interface to get a new avatar, he observed behind the data a new wallpaper... Usually there was no wallpaper... This one represented a huge Zcarbb battleship surrounded by a swarm of smaller ships... Joary removed his glasses and looked in horror at the control screens: these were not the images of the game. He swore and all the lights abruptly went out as the enemy''s assault software and electricity jammers disrupted the base''s systems. Then the structure shook as the bombardment began. The base''s internal communications system transmitted the enemy message to everyone: ¡°You will pay for your crimes!¡± Feverishly, the Lenarit activated the emergency systems and deployed the combat ZIAs, that had survived the first wave, into the computer system. He didn''t speak, and when his colleague came to join him, attracted by the light of the screen that alone illuminated the room, he didn''t speak either. A surviving exterior camera had been reactivated. While the foreground showed a horde of assault shuttles approaching the ruins of their base, the black background of space was completely replaced by the amber reflection of an infinity of enemy ships. The war had resumed and they were in the front row... Entry 001 : Reboot Relative Timeline: Ta6Lo61100 Area: Undisclosed Location: Undisclosed Control: Security Institution, War Sub-Institution, Army Department, Vermilion Special Section. Affiliation: Universal Administration [UA] Entry 001 : Reboot He opened his eyes and found that his vision was disturbed by multiple scrolling inscriptions. He was starting to remember who he was, which begged the question: why didn¡¯t he remember before? An image of himself superimposed itself in his vision, like a vivid memory suddenly refreshed. The image spoke to him as his memories reconstructed themselves. ¡°Greetings Parraligne¡­ well, myself. If you¡¯re viewing this message, it¡¯s because our previous body is dead. According to the , it would seem that your¡­ our¡­ ah, I must have been confused about this notion of me, you, us, when I recorded this re-memorization AI¡­ . Let¡¯s say that I¡¯m going to address you informally¡­ me informally¡­ you informally¡­ Anyway, you suffered serious damage when your previous body was destroyed. The orb housing your consciousness has probably , suffered serious damage that disrupts the reconstruction of your memory. It should return to 99% at least at the end of the re-memorization program.¡± That explained everything... or almost. Who was he? ¡°So, let¡¯s start again from the beginning. Your name is Parraligne, you are a Vermilion Hom of the fourth generation of the New Program. You are an immortal cyborg designed to protect and serve the Universal Administration. As such, you are a real living being and not a soulless machine. In the event of critical deterioration of your body, your consciousness is automatically transported to another orb located in another body: one of the mechanical carcasses waiting for you in the secret Vermilion bases spread across the universe. Your personal information recorded in your orb allows your biological organs to be reprinted, in accordance with your genetic data, to finalize the new body.¡± ¡°That''s what happened to you recently... Unfortunately, it seems that these recent memories are inaccessible for the moment. So, let''s continue with the basic explanations. The Administration is the world''s only bulwark against chaos. It is the Administration that unites the divided peoples of the universe and allows them to face together the ineffable dangers that would otherwise destroy them. Recent history has shown the limits of the Old Administration. The Vermilions were designed to fight against the Hogloo threat. Immortal soldiers and competent generals, those of our race were guaranteed total loyalty. They were however activated to counter another threat, referenced as ¡®The Titans¡¯. On all fronts the Old Program Vermilions worked wonders, holding off Titans, Zcarbbs and Hogloos and subduing the traitorous rebel groups who took advantage of the chaos to Faced with the notorious incapacity of the Administration''s leaders, General Vector Vermilion of the First Generation seized power legitimately, thanks to the previously passed Retroactive Laws Act. He¡­ This dysfunctional prototype mercilessly crushed the rights of the Administration''s citizens in a blind effort to continue his misguided vision of the Administration''s protection directive. Such a mistake is fortunately no longer possible on the New Program models.¡± If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. There was something odd. Perhaps it was due to the damage suffered by his orb during its destruction? Little by little, his memory came back to him. He listened only distractedly to his virtual alter-ego recalling the conflict between the dysfunctional general and another putschist: Admiral R¨ºv¨¦toile. He remembered the main points: R¨ºv¨¦toile''s victory, the flight of Vector, self-proclaimed emperor, to a part of the universe where his Vermilion Empire survived until the until the glorious restoration of the Administration, stronger and more upright than ever. ¡°The Steel Administration¡±, as it was called to recall its solidity in the face of the Old Administration from which it had come. The new Administration had put an end to the dysfunctional laws. From now on, the production of children in laboratories was no longer reserved for the colonies and the speeches of hatred and sedition, which weakened the system, were finally stifled. The absurd ban on so-called ¡°pseudo-conscious¡± AI was also abolished, allowing the legal existence of the Vermilions¡­ ¡°Even if, in fact, it doesn''t concern us: we are cyborgs, therefore descended from real biological embryos, not idiotic robots that are programmed to make believe that they have a conscience... Faced with the glorious resurrection of the Administration, the so-called emperor Vector Vermilion chose abdication. Many of his Vermilions had in fact joined the Steel Administration and he himself, despite his deviance in his understanding, remained attached to his original programming. Judging that it was necessary for the survival of the Administration that the Vermilions join it, he gave himself up to be imprisoned in stasis for life. Finally united, the Administration was able to stabilize. The Hogloo threat is now contained while the Titans have disappeared forever and the territory they stole has been liberated. Only the Zcarbbs remain a threat on our border but the front is stable. In this context of renewal and renewed peace, the Administration has resolutely turned towards greater democratic openness by appointing a president elected by universal suffrage to preside over the assembly of nations.¡± Parraligne took a deep breath as he emerged from the stasis pod. Although he did not need oxygen to survive, his biological systems retained some reflexes. His vision still a little blurred, he stood up and took a few unsteady steps down the hallway, holding his head in his hands. A voice called out to him: ¡°Hey, Parraligne, are you okay?¡± He looked up blankly at his interlocutor. It was another Vermilion Hom, easily recognizable by his bright red hair. He didn''t think he knew him, but the analysis systems in his eyes quickly gave him all the information he could about him. ¡°Circula, base administrator? Vermilion! Servant of the Administration!¡± He placed his hand on his stomach in greeting, Circula responding in kind. ¡°I''m fine. It is just likely that a percent of my memory did not survive... That must explain my difficult awakening. Apparently, I still have not recovered the memory of what happened to me. Can you enlighten me?¡± ¡°I don''t know either. Follow me to the checkpoint.¡± With a brisk step, the two cyborgs passed in front of long rows of stasis cases where lifeless orbs were waiting, ready to receive the vital essence of those of them who died nearby, before printing and assembling around them a body corresponding to their DNA. They passed through a series of armored doors and found themselves in a large, very sober room. The only decoration was the symbol of the Administration engraved on the walls. This place actually hid a multitude of screens that would only appear on request. On a computer thought emitted by the administrator, one of them appeared nearby, delivering the list of Parraligne''s service records. ¡°Apparently, this information is not recorded. You had not updated for a while.¡± ¡°What do you think happened? I imagine it must have been a long mission. Did I die fighting the Zcarbbs, deep inside enemy lines?¡± ¡°I don''t think so. If that were the case, you would have come back very far from here. We are in the heart of the administered territory. It is more likely that you died guarding some secret facility or protecting the life of a politician. Maybe a Hogloo agent killed you? It happens.¡± ¡°But still, why didn''t I update? We have secure connections for this.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Sometimes, on secret missions, they ask you not to report on your activities. Other times¡­ let¡¯s just say that many people find it pointless to report if they don¡¯t have anything interesting to report. Maybe you¡¯re one of them?¡± Parraligne shrugged. He had no idea. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure he was himself. It was absurd, but he still felt something was wrong. Maybe he should ask for a review everything was fine: being disturbed after being killed and losing his memory was completely normal. Entry 002: Back in Service The military ship landed on the mobile platform overlooking the stratospheric skyscrapers of Center, the presidential world of the Administration. With the nimble step of an elite soldier, Parraligne stepped out and took a transport disk that brought him to the level of the pedestrian bridges. Barely blending into the crowd, which easily parted at his sight, he began to walk towards his current assignment. The population of the center of the universe was most varied. His scanner analyzed individually each individual he encountered and their history, while an additional part of his electronic brain studied them independently of his main thought. He heard all conversations, including those transiting through the Network, and used this rumor to keep himself informed of current events. Even if he had made the necessary updates before his departure, nothing beat listening to public rumor. Of course, the main topic remained the assassination of the president, a few standard months earlier. The topic might have been dated, but it was nonetheless the most shocking event to have occurred in the universe since the end of the war. A commando of terrorists from various sides, allies of circumstance, had penetrated the presidential palace with the complicity of certain officials. If they had all perished in the operation, they had nonetheless accomplished their objective. The president, Xerina, had disappeared, most likely disintegrated down to the smallest particle. She was of the Xerinaean species, as they were unofficially called despite the official absence of a species name. This elderly woman was part of a recently discovered race but whose destiny had long been linked to that of the Administration. Long slaves, working in the shadows for one of the administered nations, this small race of barely a few million individuals was responsible for most of the great technological advances that had allowed the survival and prosperity of the Administration in the face of its enemies. Their revolt against their oppressors had suddenly brought them into the spotlight and, having moved the entire universe with their tragic story, their queen Xerina had attracted enough sympathy around her to be elected universal president. Her assassination had given rise to multiple conspiracy theories. Some suspected that survivors among their former masters had thus taken revenge on the Xerinaeans, similar suspicions weighed on her political opponents. Some had even thought of an internal conflict within the Xerinaean monarchy, but this was the most absurd theory. During the elections that followed, the new Queen Xerina had not gathered enough support to be elected, but the influence of her people was enough for the new president to choose one of theirs as minister of the institution of sciences. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. The Vermilion smiled. He found it amusing that such a small people could have had so much influence in such a short time when the universe was infinite. His socialization program therefore proposed that he show his good humor on his face. Yes, knowing that the universe was infinite, and that the Administration too, it was impossible to count the myriads of citizens and yet these few million were both the main scientific supporters of technical progress and, for the moment at least, one of the most popular species. As a Vermilion, he did not understand why ordinary citizens allowed themselves to be so influenced by the broadcasts on the Network and the mob movements. For his part, if he had had the right to vote, he would have voted for Xerina. Not because her people are popular, but because they have a very pragmatic vision of society and that with them in power one could hope for a solid defense of the Infinite Administration against its enemies. And yet, the notion of Infinite Administration, the foundation of civilization, was threatened. The frozen space of sector I on one side, the vast Zcarbb front on the other, the Hogloos territories... so many borders that limited infinity. There were still many areas of expansion, but the more time passed, the rarer the new habitable planets became, the fewer new peoples were encountered... It seemed as if they were approaching a limit. The limit of the habitable universe... maybe even of the universe itself... . The universe was infinite, as scientists had proven. Of course, he did not question that. Parraligne stopped in the middle of a wide passage, perplexed. He felt like he had forgotten something, but he had no idea what it could be. His gaze scanned the surroundings in search of some kind of clue. Nothing. The stream of passersby came and went in all directions. Lawyers, bureaucrats, engineers, directors of multi-planetary corporations, and other busy citizens crossed paths, each going about their own business. On the facades of the buildings, holograms invisible from the inside transmitted multiple information. It showed artificial weather, indicating that a light shower was expected for 367 Tiks in Sector 23 of Zone H. New advertisements touted the SECURA-02 neural identity chip, which provided perfect security for banking functions, identifiers and thoughts, protecting the user against telepaths, direct use of T energy and even Zcarbbs hacks. Recommended by governments and implanted only in the most secure establishments for a low-cost subscription, it was the big trend of the moment. SECURA-02¡­ Developed by the Neru-teque company¡­ Yes, he remembered now: the Neru-teque company had had¡­ ah, yes, he had to ensure the security of a person collaborating with the Neru-teque. And, according to the planetary time, he was probably going to be late¡­ Secondary thrusters came out of his legs and he rose into the air at full speed: when you represented authority, there was always a way to move faster, even in a no-fly zone. Entry 003: Diagnosis Parraligne had already been waiting for many Tiks. Arriving at the laboratories of Desstek Incorporation, a subsidiary of Neru-teque, he had learned that the personality he was supposed to escort had still not arrived. So, he had waited, rereading his mission orders, without learning much more. If he didn''t even know the threats he might face, how could he properly defend his target? At the same time, the orders he had received recently seemed unusual, as if they were taking into consideration his difficult restart and wanted to put him back into service on simpler assignments. The door opened automatically, allowing two brand new combat robots to pass through. They were preceded by a tiny creature sitting on a floating seat. The device, overloaded with exceptionally thick computers, was a veritable moving office. Seeing that she had arrived, the creature jumped off nimbly and the office continued to follow her as she entered deeper into the building without seeming to be interested in the Vermilion. However, he stared at her. She was a Xerinean, as small as a Hom child. Her head was equipped with long ears that doubled or tripled their volume and her skin was a very light green. But the most important detail was the indication of her identity: this was the person he was to escort. ¡°Madame Xini of the Xolot clan? I am the Vermilion Parraligne. I am in charge...¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she cut him off with a contemptuous gesture, ¡°I know, I know. Your eyes may be full of sensors and computers, but I also have the means to verify the identities of those I meet.¡± ¡°An implanted computer?¡± ¡°What? Tsk, it''s good for inf¡­ I mean people with a less voluminous and fragile cervical mass. Members of my species generally avoid implanting anything in their heads: it would bring too much risk to our higher cognition. And also, I would ask you to call me Miss. I know that the universal administrative language has removed this term from the official lists, but it exists in my language and I would therefore be grateful if you would use the equivalent when you address me. I could quite easily note such a mark of disrespect in a report to your superiors, did I make myself clear?¡± This kind of threat had no effect on the Vermilions. As devoted servants of the Administration, willingly sacrificing their citizenship rights and freedom, the Vermilions were known for their unwavering loyalty and thus could not be truly punished for the whims of an irritating little personality. ¡°Understood, Miss Xini of the Xolot clan.¡± Satisfied after her little display of authority, the little creature continued on her way and he followed her like a good professional. The Vermilions were not supposed to have feelings unrelated to their duties, but he still found the little creature extremely unpleasant. It was surprising, so he launched a diagnosis of his emotions. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Well, the source of the distrust was unclear. Perhaps he had heard rumors about this person? Or did her contempt place her in the category of people potentially dangerous to the values ??of the Administration? He had no idea. In any case, his system seemed to work better than¡­ Yes, everything was fine. The following days were not particularly exciting. Xini only let him enter the first part of her laboratory and strictly forbade him from approaching the second. The room where he was locked up all day, and sometimes at night too, was more of a warehouse than a laboratory: it was where the packages containing the devices and spare parts needed for the little scientist''s mysterious project were deposited. For the sake of his conscience, Parraligne scanned each arrival. His extremely sophisticated devices gave him the complete composition of each package, down to the smallest part. That taught him nothing. To pass the time, he connected to the Vermilions'' secure network. While his senses continued to stand guard, his mind explored a vast horizon of virtual data. The Vermilions'' network was certainly one of the most secure in the universe, even more so than those developed by the Zcarbbs despite their technological advance. No one could access this information except the faithful cyborgs. There, he could access the most complete databases on all subjects, including some secret files. He could also consult the cameras, both public and private, or hack any device without its origin being traceable. There were also meeting places where Vermilions on solitary missions could share their experiences in the hope of obtaining or providing help. Of course, in this dematerialized universe, no one had a form and not all provided their real identity. Even the cyborgs appreciated a minimum of anonymity... although they did not act the same towards citizens... for their own safety, of course... The irony of the situation seemed strangely clear to him. Here, he did not know why, his mind was appeased. Perhaps this place, with its permanence, seemed more real to him than reality? More real than his body that could be destroyed and rebuilt at will? His doubts were materializing more easily, but were they even legitimate? He confided his fears to one of his anonymous colleagues. ¡°Anyway,¡± he concluded, ¡°I really feel like I''ve been malfunctioning since I woke up.¡± ¡°Oh... It''s not you who''s not working well: the entire system is...¡± ¡°What? What are you talking about? Not the Administration, doesn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Let''s be realistic: perfection doesn''t exist. The only question that can call into question our loyalty is to wonder if the system is deteriorating because of the reforms, or if its excesses are necessary for our survival. As Vermeil, we have to obey without question, in the service of the Laws of the Administration...¡± ¡°Yes... Yes... Of course...¡± ¡°And I''m not sure that asking questions is currently prohibited by law, is it? Maybe you''re a little buggy. Your memory is failing, but I am sure that you will remember what is needed at the right time. Follow your instincts a little more and stop trusting your programs.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ but¡­ it could also be worse! And then how can you be sure that my memory will return at the right time? It is not logical!¡± But his mysterious interlocutor was already no longer present. Entry 004: Corruption That day, Xini left work much earlier than usual. In passing, she gave him such a strange look that Parraligne felt he had the right to question her: ¡°Are you leaving early today?¡± As he saw the deep contempt in her expression turn in his direction, the answer was the opposite of what he expected: almost cordial. ¡°Indeed. It turns out that I have a business meeting. Of course, you will accompany me there. It would not be appropriate for a genius of my kind to be exposed to all the dangers with only a handful of state-of-the-art robots as protection.¡± Accompanied by the aforementioned robots, they left the building and wandered through the vast walkways that served as pedestrian streets between different levels of the city. Oddly enough, the little Xerinean was walking. Absorbed in some mysterious thoughts, she had not called an aerial platform to go to her ship. Perhaps the walk helped her to reorganize her ideas? A bit like the virtual space allowed the Vermilions to take time to think for themselves? A dense crowd stopped their march. Unless they asked the robots to clear a path with batons, it was impossible to continue the route while keeping the safety distances necessary to protect a personality. With a frown of displeasure, the little creature nimbly climbed onto one of the robots. From this elevated vantage point, she saw the source of the agitation. All these people were gathered in front of the doors of an Infinite Market, those famous shops that teleported all the products ordered instantly. A kind of lottery was organized in front: with the dematerialization of businesses, people greatly appreciated the one-off events happening in real space. Parraligne did not need to gain height: its systems had already analyzed everything that was happening. The first prizes of the lottery, those that made the crowds move, were vouchers for a free implantation of the SECURA-02 chip. This would mean that the lucky winners could enjoy the product without paying a subscription: a godsend for the rest of their lives. Coming down from her perch, Xini cursed her displeasure: ¡°These idiots! They put their trust in all these electronic gadgets, to the point of implanting them in their skulls. I like technology, but this is bordering on madness.¡± ¡°However,¡± the Vermilion pointed out to her, ¡°it''s your company that produces this.¡± ¡°My company? No, I work on a contract basis for one of their subsidiaries. I don''t really have anything to do with the development of this stupid chip. At most, I worked on its messaging system. At Desstek Incorporation, I work on more useful systems. For example, the new data encryptors for the army. Come on, let''s hurry up and get off this planet of morons!¡± Using a mind reader located in her headband, she called up a travel platform. As they climbed aboard, Parraligne¡¯s enhanced hearing picked up more snatches of resentment from the little creature: ¡°That¡¯s it, you wretches: dig your own grave and dance in it!¡± The ship that awaited them was a small stealth shuttle of the best model: an exclusive of the Xerineans. One rarely saw one up close. The Vermilion could not help but admire its impermeability to waves and the way it diffracted light to make itself invisible. At this level of perfection, he could only guess that this device was more efficient than the models that his people used: because he detected absolutely nothing. The shuttle leapt from system to system. Apparently, it was not equipped with a ¡°Walker¡± engine, which completely abolished the notion of distance. It was true that one could determine the trajectories taken by observing the invisible energy trails left by this type of engine, which would then have diminished the interest in using a stealth ship. Finally, the ship approached a small automated mining station clinging to an asteroid orbiting a pulsar. It was not considered an ideal place for legal meetings, but protected by interference from the star and a more sophisticated shield than usual, this station was completely cut off from the surveillance that could be exercised via the Network. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. They stayed there for a few days before the shuttle of the mysterious ¡°business partner¡± arrived. The place was set up to be viable, but that was of little importance to the cyborg. Cut off from the Network and from communication with his fellow, he really felt... alone. The company of robots did not count: they were stupid machines without even a consciousness simulator, automated killers without the slightest margin of thinking. As for the Xerinean... Let''s just say that he did not consider her as an interlocutor and it seemed reciprocal. However, as his contact''s shuttle approached, he saw visible signs of apprehension in her. She nervously fiddled with the objects that passed within reach of her hands, paced back and forth... But when the person left the airlock to enter the station''s lounge, she suddenly seemed so perfectly calm that one could have mistaken her for a machine. All of Parraligne¡¯s enhanced senses turned to the newcomer as soon as he entered. It seemed to be a Human¡­ which all the indicators immediately confirmed. Cut off from the Network, he had no way of knowing his identity, but he would not fail to verify it after the meeting: it was all so suspicious¡­ But at the same time, Xini had an alpha clearance level and his request for a bodyguard had been accepted: it could not be an activity unknown to the authorities. ¡°Mr. Pad Normal,¡± the Xerinean greeted kindly, ¡°you have kept us waiting.¡± ¡°Miss Xini,¡± he replied with the same politeness, ¡°the best things come to those who wait.¡± ¡°Yes. As I told you, I check what you know, but I also have what you know and I hope you have what I want to know.¡± The stranger responded with a mysterious smile to the cryptic riddle. Xini dug into a metal pouch on her belt and pulled out a small strip of crystals, probably a database, treated to resist all analysis. In any case, it resisted the Vermilion¡¯s discreet hacking efforts. The Human took the crystal and observed it with a hidden greed that mysteriously shone through. Parraligne felt deeply uncomfortable¡­ He did not like this man. He could not say why, but a boundless hatred was born deep in his guts. If he had the slightest hint of proof that this man could be a danger to the Administration, he would be more than satisfied to eliminate him on the spot¡­ The Vermeil felt as if his arm was rising by itself¡­ but he wanted to raise this arm¡­ His hand literally exploded as a powerful death ray came out of it in a fatal cone. The upper part of the man instantly disappeared and the disintegrating radiation dissipated before reaching the walls of the station. Xini jumped back with a terribly high-pitched scream and turned a worried look towards the killer. Parraligne wore a satisfied smile as he watched the nanobots reconstitute his still smoking hand. The burning hatred he had felt seemed to calm down a little, in a sinister satisfaction¡­ Why had he acted like this? Now, he was good for a total revision¡­ If anyone ever got out of here alive to tell¡­ No. He would take responsibility for his actions. He was not going to murder as well¡­ His ramblings had lasted only a second, but he suddenly came to his senses, instinctively preparing himself for combat even before his robotic senses determined the cause¡­ The legs and what remained of the victim¡¯s pelvis: why weren¡¯t they falling? In fact, he already guessed it. From the rest of the supposed Pad Normal, an unsuspected amount of matter emerged, forming a new body. Blood vessels were welding together, scaly skin was reappearing, and even though the creature was still far from having reconstituted a body, it was audibly snickering: ¡°Ah, ah, ah, is that so?... It seems like you remember me after all!¡± ¡°Hogloo Spy!¡± Parraligne spat. ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± The creature burst out laughing and then seemed to get offended. ¡°Don''t think that I''m one of those despicable wretches incapable of understanding our real place in the universe! I''m an agent of Root! Too bad for you Vermilion: if your memory had remained in its place, in nothingness, you would have survived!¡± The Vermilion''s eyes projected destructive rays, tracing a deadly wake between the enemy and the one he was supposed to protect. He had tried to hit the Hogloo at the same time, but knew it was a futile attack. He had already slipped away, slithering across the floor like some kind of lightning-fast snake, and had escaped from the room. By the time he was caught, he would have sufficiently reconstituted his body and prepared an ambush¡­ Plus, he was blocking the way to the ships. ¡°We need to fall back,¡± he said to Xini, ¡°are there any weapons on board?¡± The pragmatic creature had already recovered from its emotions and nodded, leading him with a gesture to follow her in the opposite direction to that of the monster. As he followed, the Vermilion cast a sorry look at the inert security robots. Knowing that the Vermilions could control the majority of the robots produced in the Administration, the Hogloo had fried their circuits with the help of some device, depriving him of this support force. The fact that it had surpassed the safety features of such modern machines was rather worrying, but the protections of a Vermilion were, fortunately, far superior. Entry 005: Memory Return It was a dead end. Parraligne looked nervously at the room at the end of the station as Xini searched a large crate full of worthless junk. He glared at the series of doors he had locked behind them: none of them were armored, if that was anything for a Hogloo. He didn¡¯t even dare count the time it would take for their enemy to reach them in seconds. He had used his nanobots to assemble a powerful decomposition machine gun, regretting not having brought more equipment with him. ¡°I hope you really have something useful there,¡± he growled, ¡°or we¡¯ll have a hard time turning the tide of battle.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± the tiny creature asserted boldly, ¡°with what I¡¯ve prepared, the battle is already won! Ah, there it is!¡± She held in her hands a strange device similar to a large pistol ending in a grappling hook. Parraligne grimaced in disgust: it was an orb extractor. This ancient weapon had undergone quite a few mutations throughout History. According to legend, it was originally used to confront a vanished people using metal bodies and locking their consciousness in orbs: a technology that was copied and improved by the Homs to produce the Vermilions. The weapon had then evolved to become a most terrible object of death capable of literally tearing the life out of any living being. Completely illegal, it was regularly used within official military forces and in criminal networks. ¡°An orb extractor? Against a Hogloo? If he''s also part of the Racine terrorist group, there''s no way it''ll be effective against him: these creatures have brought genetics to a truly aberrant perfection.¡± ¡°I know, she replied, but you see, this model is equipped with a neurotransmission firing system. If thoughts are often slower to fire than modern electronic circuits, my thoughts are those of a superior race: I am capable of thinking infinitely faster than you are capable of moving!¡± ¡°Fine, you will shoot first. But what difference does it make if the Hogloo is insensitive to it?¡± ¡°Who said anything about shooting the Hogloo?¡± Xini gave him a cruel smile and her weapon was visibly pointed in his direction. Parraligne began to feel nauseous as his vision decomposed. It seemed to him to see the same scene again... But not exactly... Xini was positioned differently, higher up... But her smirk was the same... ¡°Oh,¡± she said with amusement, ¡°it seems that your memories still exist! What a pity they resurface too late!¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Mmm, try to remember it before you die: it won''t be funny otherwise. Because, this time, you''re really going to die. Previously, I only managed to fracture your memory with my extractor. This time, with the shield surrounding us and the addition of the pulsar interference, you have no chance of transferring to another orb! Ah... It''s not that I like eliminating you: if you had lost your memories properly, I wouldn''t have to do this. Just think that I''m going to have to justify myself. I see the headline in the newspapers ¡®A Root terrorist kills a Vermilion! In a final heroic act, he saves a genius scientist!¡¯ Tsss... You''re going to be the second of your race to be eliminated in this affair.¡± Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°The second?¡± ¡°Oh! You don''t even remember the other one? It''s his fault if you discovered the whole thing.¡± The Vermilion''s vision blurred as a wave of images overwhelmed him. His memories were there... As if they had always been there in fact... They were emerging, in tight ranks, in a rumbling cascade, from their hiding place: in the memory zone intended for access to the Vermilions'' private Network! His own voice echoed within him: ¡°I told myself that I would find our memories at the right time, right?¡± ¡°Hey, youngster, why do you seem so surprised to learn that I''m from the Old Generation?¡± Parraligne shrank nervously and turned his head 360¡ã, as if he were looking at something else interesting. With a mocking, slightly haughty air, the old Vermilion walked around him, making his maneuver useless. Calling Cube ¡°old¡± was the result of knowing his advanced age. Otherwise, his appearance was that of a Vermilion Hom approaching forty... Which is much more than the Vermeils allowed themselves to age before voluntarily changing bodies. So, if from a Hom point of view, he was hardly old, from the Vermeils point of view he looked like an ancestor both in his real age and his appearance. ¡°Well,¡± the young man replied embarrassedly, ¡°you are still models... how to say... After all, you participated in Vector''s coup d''¨¦tat, so it''s not... I don''t dispute your devotion to the Administration, but your programs left too much room for interpretation. And then, you are certainly aware of it: I hear that most of you ask to be placed in a stasis tank to be woken up only in the event of a maximum emergency.¡± Old Vermilion banged his younger brother''s head like someone knocking on a door. ¡°Is there someone in there? After all, it''s true that they produce the new generations less intelligent! Do you really think they went into stasis voluntarily? That''s what they said, yes... But I know them... There are some, I''m sure they would never have chosen such a solution. And then, in any case, their choices came too soon after their last death... It''s suspicious.¡± ¡°What are you claiming? Are you accusing the Administration of deception? Do you have any proof?¡± ¡°No. These are just certainties. But, if you want the proof, I think I''ve discovered something worthwhile.¡± ¡°And you think I''m going to go along with you? Just because we work together doesn''t mean I''m going to follow your delusions!¡± ¡°Even if I uncovered a plot that threatens the very essence of the Administration?¡± Parraligne cast a suspicious glance at his colleague... but he couldn''t let a potential threat hang over the precious Infinite Administration. He had to find the bottom line... Cube lay on the ground, definitely dead. His orb shattered by the Hogloo¡¯s venom; a biological weapon specially modified by Root to counter the Vermeils. Parraligne¡¯s body was far from its optimal configuration. The absence of an arm and a leg was truly harmful in a fight. Dragging himself aside, he let a screen of automatic machines and micro-robots cover his escape. Curled up in a precarious hiding place, he started his self-destruction when a small figure equipped with an orb extractor towered over him. ¡°Oh no,¡± Xini sneered, ¡°you¡¯re not going to leave us with all those bad memories. Let me get rid of them for you!¡± Before he had time to destroy himself, he felt the discharge of harmful energy ravage his mind. Somehow, the traitor had modified her weapon to make it more selective. One by one, his memories of his last years were fading! Terrified of forgetting this terrible threat, he gathered what he could to try to send it to the Vermilion Network, in the form of a primary AI. No connection¡­ A program! A program that would add to his memory recovery program and supplant it¡­ It was dangerous but¡­ if the old Cube was right, he would also kill two birds with one stone¡­ Parraligne''s vision cleared again and his hateful gaze tried to pierce Xini. Entry 006: Backup Protocol ¡°Ah, it seems that it''s coming back to you... And don''t think that the survival time I''m giving you changes anything: your fate is sealed. Everything is calculated and played out: as soon as you even try to think about acting, you''ll be dead!¡± ¡°I remember, yes... It was assumed that Neru-teque was producing programs to increase control over the Vermilions, but we discovered something much worse: you!¡± ¡°Thank you, she replied, seeming to be having a lot of fun, always do your best, even in the worst. That could be my motto.¡± ¡°You added a self-destruct protocol to the SECURA-02 programs! And you want to sell the activation code to Root''s terrorists! Why? Do you realize that they won''t hesitate to murder billions of people with that?¡± ¡°Just losers! That''s not what''s going to bring down the Administration. But it will be enough to permanently eliminate Neru-teque and the fashion for neural chips from the landscape. For that, I''m willing to partner with people like Root. And the price they promised me is not the least. Too bad you don¡¯t have the skills to fully appreciate the interest of m¡­¡± Without letting up, she watched with concern as a drop of sweat fell from her nose onto her hands¡­ ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t you think it¡¯s getting hotter and hotter?¡± The temperature was indeed rising. She looked away to observe the room¡¯s camera. Her surveillance of her captive did not stop, as evidenced by a floating camera that detached itself from her belt to circle around the cyborg. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Pad Normal?¡± she shouted. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Ah,¡± crackled a communicator on her belt, ¡°you finally noticed. A little too late, I¡¯m afraid. I¡¯ve put the station¡¯s generators into overdrive. You should die soon. It¡¯s a little slower than I¡¯d hoped. Well, it¡¯s not like your death is absolutely necessary, but I prefer not to try to confront a Vermilion in my state: I¡¯m only a small spy after all.¡± Panicked, the Xerinean rushed towards the door, trying in vain to open it: the total lockdown of the installation had been forcibly caused by a quarantine protocol. ¡°But, but, but! We had an agreement! I gave you the activation key! You were supposed to teach me the secrets of the Hogloo master geneticists!¡± ¡°Ah! Ah! Ah! For the self-proclaimed most intelligent species in the universe, you are woefully naive!¡± ¡°I thought the Hogloos had honor!¡± ¡°I am not one of those wretches: I belong to Root and we are much more! We are not stupid protectors of useless civilians: we are gods! And by the same token we do not need to respect a word given to less than nothing! Ah, ah, ah! When you are in nothingness, do not wait for me: I will be immortal!¡± The Xerinean was shaking with rage. She fell to her knees in front of the door that she was hammering in vain, her brain having temporarily taken a break. The betrayed traitor wept, her tears evaporating in the growing heat. Not having lost sight of the previous situation, Parraligne grabbed the weapon she had dropped. Stopping her futile drumming, the small creature turned a fearful look in his direction. Without consideration, he pushed her aside and violently struck the door with his reinforced legs. The obstacle was literally torn away, opening the passage. Looking mercilessly with strangely red eyes at Xini, the Vermilion questioned her: ¡°I suppose you can repair the reactor before everything blows up?¡± Regaining a bit of her former arrogance, she nodded yes. Before she could add that the heat would kill her before the repairs were finished, the cyborg threw her over his shoulder, deploying a heat shield to regulate the local heat. Entry 007: Citizen Program Several warships filled the space. A case involving the Root Group could always include unforeseen ambushes, so nothing had been overlooked. The liaison ship that landed the assault force on the station had been preceded by a team of robotic bomb disposal experts who had examined the carcass of the Xerinean stealth ship. It was unclear whether it had been mercilessly pounded by the Hogloo, or whether it had self-destructed after the Hogloo had tried to take it away. In the station, the lounge had been converted into a temporary detention area where Xini, stripped of all her electronic gear, was moping around trying to find a way to free herself from her magnetic bracelets. When the airlock opened, Parraligne was surprised to see three Xerineans disembark at the head of the group of soldiers. There was a woman with greenish skin, followed by two men with skin that varied between light gray and black. They had removed their helmets and were staring in amazement at the torn-off walls that revealed a series of partially dismantled but still functional generators. ¡°Congratulations,¡± the woman said, ¡°I am Xzeonia of the Xolot clan!¡± (She glared at the prisoner, who glared back.) ¡°My clan has not been made proud today, but rest assured that we will take care of the problem once and for all¡­¡± ¡°Wait a minute,¡± the Vermilion protested, ¡°this traitor is a prisoner of the Administration¡­¡± ¡°Yes, and I am here as a representative of the Administration. I have no intention of shielding this criminal from justice. Quite the opposite: my clan has requested that all immunities protecting Xini be lifted. She is banished from the clan, by the way, but she is not worth the trouble of me stooping to telling her that directly. In the absence of extenuating circumstances, and in accordance with our laws and those of the Administration, she has already been judged according to the information you have transmitted to us.¡± ¡°Whether or not justice is applied is not my problem: have you caught up with this Hogloo?¡± ¡°No. This system being off-grid, we had no way of tracking his ship.¡± ¡°But he has a code capable of transforming SECURA-02 chips into bombs!¡± At these words, Xzeonia burst out laughing. Raising her head towards the Vermilion, she began to giggle as she observed the confusion that marked his features. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Really, they are perfecting your models too much these days: you express your emotions too easily on your faces. they should go back a little on that programming.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what I just said?¡± ¡°Of course... Do you think that such sabotage went unnoticed? Xini may believe that her nefarious algorithms wouldn¡¯t be spotted, she forgot that it was members of our specie who made the final checks before the mass production of the chip: we have already deactivated her virus. All we had to do was catch her red-handed, in the middle of an illegal transaction. It would have been nice to capture the Hogloo too¡­ but hey, it was optional: Roots agents are too dangerous to be captured alive and, in any case, we can¡¯t get any information from them. Anyway, good job soldier.¡± Roughly, the two males forced the prisoner to stand up and removed her bracelets. While they held her down, each by an arm, other soldiers, belonging to larger species, carried a secure stasis cell into the room. At this sight, Xini¡¯s resigned expression turned alarmed and she began to beg her people: ¡°Please! You can¡¯t sentence me to stasis for life!¡± Xzeonia smiled cruelly while signaling the soldiers to proceed as planned. ¡°That¡¯s a good guess,¡± she sneered, ¡°but now you¡¯re nothing more than a valuable object that the Administration might bring out one day, if deemed necessary. Come on, guys, rid us of this shame!¡± In desperation, Xini turned to Vermilion as she was lifted and forced into the capsule. She tried to play with her feet to avoid her fate, but it was sealed. ¡°Leave me alone! I don¡¯t want to end up like this! I have revelations to make! I¡¯ll talk! I have accomplices!¡± (Seeing that it was no use, she became angry) ¡°And besides, I had good reasons for doing this! Vermilion, I can tell you everything about their control programs! What you were looking for is much worse than that! The truth is¡­¡± The capsule door slammed shut on the little woman¡¯s face. A powerful blast of air from the ground propelled her to the middle of her cell and, abruptly, everything froze. Like an insect in amber, the prisoner remained suspended, her mouth open, her hair floating, in the middle of the void, out of time. Suspicious, Parraligne turned to Xzeonia: ¡°What did she mean? This story about control programs?¡± ¡°Nothing you should worry about.¡± ¡°It''s not a real negation...¡± The Xerinean looked up at the Hom''s face and had another amused smile. ¡°Very well,¡± she said, ¡°we''ll see if it works.¡± ¡°If what works?¡± ¡°, please forget everything you learned here.¡± The Vermilion stood to attention and saluted the alpha-level representative of the Administration. <¡± Vermilion! Servant of the Administration! Instruction received and executed. It is an honor to serve Liberty and Democracy within the Administration! ¡°> Xz¨¦onia burst into a Machiavellian laugh. ¡°Mouah, ah, ah! What perfection! If the SECURA-01 gives such results, I can''t wait to see what the new version will give...¡± Specialist interview: the Zcarbb threat. Presenter Uana Gemme quickly smoothed the tentacles on her head to give them a neater appearance, like hair. It made her look more... normal. There were many species within the Universal Administration, but it was clear that a certain standard existed. In the same spirit of presenting a pleasant appearance, the Glapouine used an opacifying cream that gave her skin a bluish sheen: many species found it repulsive to be able to observe someone''s entrails. If a great tolerance reigned in the administered universe, ¡°forced to the point of excess by coercion¡± as some members of the opposition said, one could not force people to watch a holographic show if they did not like it, so it was necessary to adapt appearances to be pleasing to the greatest number. Comfortably seated on a gel chair whose color, a bright orange, matched perfectly with the blueish appearance of her skin and clothes, the presenter crossed her movement tentacles, taking advantage of this moment when she could remove the exoskeletons that assisted her in walking. Although capable of living both in the open air and underwater, her people would never really appreciate moving on land, even with mechanical assistance. She turned her two peduncled eyes towards the guest who was bouncing on another seat, a neon blue color that did not match very well with clothes whose general tone was light brown. ¡°We will start the show soon. If you have anything to ask before, dear doctor, now is the time.¡± Her interlocutor had skin a little darker than his clothes, but in the same brown shade. His vest fastened with buttons rather than an automated system, a fashion that had swept through academia during the previous standard decade. The man had a very flat head, wearing a wide-brimmed felt hat that kept his three eyes in the shadows. Three was also the number of fingers he had on each of his three hands. ¡°I don''t need anything, thank you. This isn''t the first time I''ve been interviewed, don¡¯t you know?¡± ¡°Uh, yes, of course, doctor. Ah, I''m being signaled: we''re about to begin.¡± The wide mouth that split the Glapouine''s face twisted into an arc, forming a smiling expression according to standard administrative body language. She waited a moment for the show''s theme music to die down, then spoke. She fixed her gaze on a single red camera, while her smaller sisters whirled in the air in order to capture the 3D ensemble for the adapted media. ¡°Welcome to our show ¡®Understanding the Universe¡¯! I am Uana Gemme and here is our guest today: Doctor Ged Glo, doctor of the Universal University and specialist in xeno-anthropology. I would like to point out that this show has been validated by the Network Institution, Sub-Institution of Communications as well as by the Institution of Sciences, Sub-Institution of the Conservation of Knowledge... Hello Doctor Ged Glo, it¡¯s an honor to have you on our holovision set.¡± ¡°The honor is shared.¡± ¡°You will find attached the links to the official biography of the doctor and the list of his many and impressive accomplishments for science. Without further ado, I would like to start questioning you.¡± ¡°Do so.¡± ¡°The Zcarbbs. Their name alone is enough to spread terror through the Universe, but what do we really know about this threat? The first rumors about the existence of the Zcarbbs appeared during our sixth Tanae, during Lonae nineteen thousand approximately. Considered at first as false information propagated by the Imperial Universal Federation, it was mainly during the twenty-thousandth Lonae, when the Administration was weakened by the war against the Titans of the Secret Center, that the Zcarbbs launched a wave of massive colonization that made people aware of the reality of this danger. Today, they are the number 1 threat against the whole of civilization... Doctor, my first question will be: where do the Zcarbbs come from? How far does their domination extend?¡± ¡°This is a difficult question to answer. You see, the Administrative territory is theoretically infinite, due to its considerable size and its constant growth, at every moment. Nowadays, thanks to technical progress, in particular Walker-type engines, we are able to travel instantly to any point in the universe... well, as long as we have the authorizations to pass the various protective measures: that goes without saying. So, many expeditions and probes were launched in the direction where the Zcarbb territories extend. If some returned, no device having gone far enough in this direction... none returned. We can therefore deduce that the Zcarbbs have a territory as vast as ours and therefore, in theory, infinite. They could also have advanced disruptors in their most distant colonies, unless it¡¯s some unknown natural phenomena. The Zcarbbs are very aggressive in their expansion, and nowadays we cannot establish a colony in this part of the universe without eventually encountering a new Zcarbb colony on the same planet, born of their insatiable thirst for territory.¡± ¡°Brrr¡­ that¡¯s chilling. But we have long believed the same thing about the Hogloo territories. However, today, the Administration extends all around the Hogloo enclave and we are able to measure its size.¡± ¡°Of course¡­ It is very likely that the Zcarbbs have a very limited territory compared to ours: a single species certainly cannot have a territory as vast as the greatest civilization ever created, bringing together an infinite number of species within it. Our current data allows us to assume that their territory is at least equivalent to that of the Hogloos. Probably even larger. In addition, the majority of Hogloos territories are deserted, serving as no-man¡¯s-land for their military patrols. On the contrary, the Zcarbbs exploit the slightest place that can accommodate a viable colony: so, if they had the same space as the Hogloos, they would however be more numerous. If they had more¡­¡± ¡°Uh¡­ yes¡­ But, are these threats comparable? The Hogloos are dangerous because of their advanced science, especially in the field of biological weapons. The Zcarbbs can''t be that powerful? Is their only advantage their numbers?¡± ¡°Well¡­ that¡¯s already a considerable asset. Remember when the Hogloos were trying to add this one to their arsenal¡­ Before their religious civil war, caused by the appearance of the Titans, the Hogloos were the first universal threat and promised to annihilate us as soon as they were numerous enough¡­ However, the Zcarbb threat is indeed not limited to their considerable numbers. They are also brilliant electronics engineers and their robotic armies are among the best in the universe, further reinforcing their digital threat. It is true however that they are inferior to us in many other areas, including unfortunately diplomacy.¡± ¡°But what are exactly these Zcarbbs? We hear the word a lot in the news, but for most of us, all we know is that they are a menace and that they are insectoid type.¡± ¡°I would define¡­ Yes, we can say that the Zcarbbs are insectoids, of the communal type. Their colonies are born from a single mother, the queen, who manages all aspects of them with absolute power. However, it should be noted that there are other species within the Administration that fit these criteria but are quite acceptable. The main problem with the Zcarbbs is that they present a single, aggressive front, systematically sweeping aside all our attempts at peace.¡± ¡°Oh, so there were diplomatic attempts?¡± ¡°Absolutely. And systematic failures. You see, the Zcarbbs have a totally expansionist ideology. Anything that puts an end to their expansion is automatically considered an enemy to be defeated. With this in mind, they refused to join the Administration, disapproving of our regulations for a harmonious expansion of our different components. There are, at present, many ceasefires, but all of them will be or have already been violated by the Zcarbbs. Even when the agreements were signed, they always made it clear to us that they would no longer respect them as soon as it suited them. We therefore find ourselves in a constant state of confrontation, interspersed with brief periods of peace during which the enemy takes advantage of the situation to strengthen itself.¡± ¡°You told us that the Zcarbbs were ruled by queens. Are they under a single authority? If not, wouldn''t it be possible to negotiate a more lasting peace with some of them, or even establish them on our borders as buffer states?¡± ¡°This is where it gets complicated: each queen is indeed independent. There are also vassal queens, generally daughters of their suzerain who remain dependent on her for a few years or even her entire life. We don''t know their exact life expectancy, because it varies from one genetic strain to another, but we estimate that a queen lives on average two hundred years. On such a large population, we can therefore estimate that we are dealing with an infinite number of small independent kingdoms.¡± ¡°Independent? They don''t have... a single authority, or a representative council?¡± ¡°Not officially. In fact, there are a multitude of informal alliances. It seems that the queens choose representatives among themselves, either by age or to represent a sector. These representatives gather in ¡®alliances¡¯ whose purpose is to attack us. It seems that this is one of the only reasons for such meetings.¡± ¡°You mean that what threatens our worlds so much is only a horde of small, warlike and disunited nations?¡± ¡°Ah, no, no: you misunderstood me. It is not because they do not have a unified representation that the Zcarbb queens are disunited. On the contrary, ALL Zcarbbs are united, consider themselves as a single species and consider the survival and expansion of their species as fundamental values... their only values ??even. Besides, ¡®Zcarbb¡¯ is not really the name of their species, which does not seem to have one, but a word meaning ¡®United¡¯ in their language. So far, we''ve been lucky: the majority of queens far from our borders are not interested in wasting resources to fight us... But as time goes on, the Zcarbbs activists convince more queens to join their ranks...¡± ¡°It''s... downright terrifying. Let''s get back to a less... less political subject for the moment. How do the Zcarbbs live? What do they look like? What are their laws, their internal organizations?¡± Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°So, we''ve already mentioned that the Zcarbbs look like insects. From one colony to another, appearances diverge greatly, and even within the same colony. Each individual is produced for a specific purpose and belongs to a specific caste. For the sake of simplicity, we''re talking about the castes of workers, soldiers and nobles, but the first two, constituting what we translate as ¡®commoners¡¯, are divided into an infinite number of castes. We differentiate these two categories by the fact that workers don''t fight but soldiers are designed for this sole purpose. However, we have noted the existence of intermediate castes, such as the genius workers of their armies, who can build infrastructures as well as cut one of our soldiers in two with a blow of their mandible.¡± ¡°So, the real distinction would be between commoners and nobles?¡± ¡°That''s right. Commoners are creatures of varying intelligence, but overall are little more than biological automatons. Scientists are unanimous in classifying them apart from, and even below, animals. They are soulless drones, tied to the will of their queen and incapable of living without her. That is why it¡¯s in no way a crime to eliminate them massively: they are not real people.¡± ¡°And nobles are different?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, yes. They are the true brains of the hive and they also have intellectual capacities well above the universal average. Unlike commoners who are asexual... Except, there is a very rare type of worker who is not: the layer[1]. This is a worker programmed to regularly lay eggs of a specific model of commoner. There have been a few occasions where this type of drone has been spotted and it has been proven that it has reproductive organs. However, the colonies using it had a weak industry, unable to produce enough robots. It can therefore be assumed that it¡¯s a palliative device. Zcarbb queens have the ability to program the genetics of their eggs and thus choose which models to produce for the development of their hive.¡± ¡°Apart from this exception, which cannot therefore be considered a person, there are therefore other creatures, called nobles, who would really be people?¡± ¡°Yes. They can be divided between males and females: princes and princesses. Their role in the hive is different, guided mainly by physiological and pragmatic questions. The question of their psychological development is still under debate, due to a lack of experimental subjects. Males are often assigned to managing defense or exploring new territories. Although more important than commoners, they are considered expendable compared to females. For the Zcarbbs, in fact, a princess is a future colony and therefore billions, or even an infinity if they project themselves further, of their peers. The death of a princess is a tragic event for the Zcarbbs. If it was provoked, it can have serious consequences. Martial law in effect on our borders prohibits the killing of Zcarbb princesses without specific alpha-level authorization! There have already been cases of entire planets whose populations have been massacred by the Zcarbbs in retaliation for the death of princesses. Their retaliation policy is generally: one planet for one princess.¡± ¡°Um... it must not be easy to face them in these conditions.¡± ¡°Indeed. The current strategy, during the confrontation phases, is attrition: fight the invaders with all our strength until they consider that they are losing too many resources for little or no gain, leading them to agree to sign a provisional peace.¡± ¡°Back to the princesses: what can you tell us about them?¡± ¡°So, the Zcarbb princesses... Like the males, and the queens, of course, have a rather particular physical appearance. If they are still very insectoid, they have a very humanoid torso, close to that of mammals. It should be noted, however, that the specific attributes of mammals that seem to appear on their chests are in reality solid plates of chitin that form an armor. Their face is also vaguely human, if you will allow me this outdated expression, and seems to activate positive responses from most humanoids.¡± ¡°It¡¯s rather strange.¡± ¡°Indeed, why would an insectoid people have such proximity to humanoids? There are many theories but... precisely: in the absence of proof, they remain theories. Some believe that the Zcarbbs would have come from genetic manipulations dating back to the first or second Tana¨¦. Others suppose that the ability of the queens to genetically adapt their descendants would have allowed them to transform them in order to better interact with the humanoid populations which form, let us remember, the majority of the universal population. There are even some rumors, based on valid documents, but subject to caution, claiming that the Zcarbbs would be genetically compatible with standard humanoids... In short, this is a field belonging for the moment more to science fiction than to science.¡± ¡°Can you describe the life of these princesses? What is their status, their place in the colony? Are they free, or on the contrary restricted?¡± ¡°Well, I would say that they have pretty much all the powers as long as the queen does not put any limits on them. The princesses, when they come out of the egg, live for three years in larval stage, under the tutelage of ¡®nurse¡¯ type workers. They then undergo a first molt which allows them to fully access their status as princess. They are then sexually mature, but they will normally wait ten to thirty years before choosing to found a colony, except in the case of a major disaster destroying all the layers in their colony network.¡± ¡°You say that they are mature from three years old?¡± ¡°No, only able to reproduce. Knowing that they only do it once in their life, you can deduce that they generally wait until an age closer to the galactic standard for species in the alpha intelligence category. From three to thirteen years old, I remind you that I use the standard years, Zcarbb princesses generally have camouflage abilities bordering on invisibility for the classic visible spectrum. Pampered and provided with everything they ask for the princesses live in comfort amidst the protection of their hive. The Zcarbbs believe that a beamed princess will make a good queen. Like some queens, princesses are often unaware of the realities of war, kept in a certain ignorance by males and commoners, for their protection¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean by ignorance and protection?¡± ¡°Well, princesses¡­ and queens, tend to be very curious and rather reckless. They may wish, for example, to go and see the war up close. There have been reports of Zcarbb soldiers and princes vigorously pacifying a specific location and then staging a fake fight there to prevent their queen from being in a dangerous place.¡± ¡°So, they can lie to their queen?¡± ¡°Apparently. The Zcarbbs'' primal instinct, very strong even among the nobles, pushes them to do everything to protect those who are superior to them in the hierarchy. Even if it means sacrificing themselves or deceiving them, if necessary... You can also note that the sense of sacrifice is very strong among the Zcarbbs. Among the nobles, it¡¯s mainly the males whose entire ideology is based on sacrifice to protect the females. It must be said that they do not survive mating for genetic reasons, so we can say that this sense of sacrifice is more instinctive than the fruit of real reflection by an intelligent species.¡± ¡°They... Ah... They die after...¡± ¡°Yes. The different colonies have their own organizations, but most will prepare the ground for the new colony in advance, or even provide workers from the mother colony for the construction of the new colony. We have often seen couples form, where the prince and princess spend years working together on the organization of their future colony before the... founding sacrifice, which will allow the colony to really exist through a new generation. We have also seen couples parachuted onto barely viable planets and left to their own devices, contrasting sharply with the general idea of ??overprotectiveness of the nobility.¡± ¡°Are there several forms of... society within the Zcarbbs?¡± ¡°There is no way to say for sure. The customs of each colony seem unique, although often very linked to those from which they originate. The intelligence services have detected some highly atypical colonies, very far behind the Zcarbb lines, but I cannot tell you about them for reasons of confidentiality and security. All I can tell you is that these colonies are much more aggressive, even if they don''t threaten us: don''t even think about trying to negotiate with Zcarbbs on your own. Not only would it be highly illegal and considered treason, with possible alpha-level penalties, but you would also be almost guaranteed to be killed by the Zcarbbs.¡± ¡°Back to the life cycle of princesses.¡± ¡°Okay. From the age of thirteen, princesses undergo a new molt that destroys their camouflage abilities. From this point on, their abdomen will slowly swell, facilitating their future transformation into queens. It is considered... And the Zcarbbs consider this to be the real moment of their passage into adulthood. They develop the ability to fly, their wings finally becoming large enough, unless they belong to a hive where all the members already have wings, in which case they have known how to fly for a long time. Their resistance to the acids generated by the Zcarbbs increases and they obtain a¡­ partial metamorphosis capacity, still poorly understood. Many males and some princesses use this capacity to¡­ remodel their chitin? In order to spy on our territories¡­¡± ¡°On this subject, this is a message from the Security Institution, Sub-Institution of Order, Department of Law Enforcement, if you encounter suspicious individuals, do not confront them: report them to the local Law Enforcement station or to the local Administrative Center and follow their instructions. Remember: Zcarbbs are dangerous and must not be approached without the proper authorizations without risking the security of your entire planet!¡± ¡°Yes, yes, of course¡­ So, I was saying, that this period continues until about thirty years old¡­ Besides, they stop playing spies well before, if they play it, because their abdomen grows so much that it doubles¡­ no: triples the size of their body. They even become capable of laying eggs, without having been fertilized, of extremely primitive warriors with a lifespan that can be counted in days, and on the fingers of one hand, or even in hours! They are then real little queens with an increasingly insatiable desire to finally produce their own colony.¡± ¡°Thank you very much. As time is running out, we will move on to the last question. Can you summarize the reasons for the current conflict and our prospects for the future? Is civilization on the brink of destruction, as some claim, or are these just minor border incidents that have been greatly exaggerated, as others believe?¡± ¡°The problem is not to be neglected. We are currently facing a proto-civilization with a military power close to ours... And still: the majority of their queens have not yet joined the conflict. Several of the galaxy-fleets[2] are mobilized to stop the advance of these ruthless invaders who do not accept any compromise. However, the many threats in the universe prevent us from deploying more troops. We must maintain fleets on the borders, particularly against the Hogloos, but also fight the many terrorist groups that seek to spread death and terror. Nowadays, these include the so-called ¡®Nomads¡¯, which are basically just groups of pirates who attack innocent citizens, or the ¡®Azar clan¡¯ that is known for its many attacks and assassinations. In fact, the problem with the Universal Administration is the lack of unity. We took a big step forward when we decided to elect a universal president who would have supremacy over the different nations that make up the Administration, but that is not enough: we must present a united front against all threats and, for that, we would need better unification of legislation. On this subject, I would say that we are on the right track, despite the many oppositions that this progress arouses, protests that are only the work of backward marginals, incapable of living with the times.¡± ¡°Thank you very much, Doctor Ged Glo. So, the Zcarbbs, an unspeakable threat or a passing crisis? Feel free to debate it in the comments. I am legally required to inform you, according to the Transparency Act, that you will be held legally responsible for the content of your exchanges and that these may be collected by the various Institutions in order to guarantee the safety of all of us. This was Uana Gemme, on the show ¡®Understanding the Universe¡¯ with our special guest, Doctor Ged Glo¡­¡± The cameras pan to give the illusion of distance as the show''s end credits music plays.
[1] I haven''t found a better translation for "Pondeuse", that is to say an individual who lays eggs. If you have a better translation idea, I''m interested. [2] Understand a fleet the size of a galaxy if assembled in one place. Entry 001: Final job interview Relative Timeline: Ta6Lo61100 Area: Sector C Location: An administrative building on Center Control: Universal Administration [UA] Affiliation: Universal Administration [UA] Entry 001: Final job interview The office was a typical office of an administrative official. Light colors for the walls and computer equipment, a sober environment containing however a few wall screens to display some information. One of them was reserved for personal images and presented a scroll of family pictures presenting the owner, his wife, no children apparently but a pet dwarf velociraptor: a very fashionable animal at the moment. Considering the marine nature of the official and his house, one could pity the poor beast: even if it came from genetic engineering, it needed non-emerged space to frolic, like any land animal with a high movement speed. The applicant turned his attention back to the master of the place, sitting on a gel chair that floated slightly on the other side of the table. A personal modification of the workspace, but authorized by the rules. For his part, a standard seat, but still comfortable, allowed him to remain seated and thus hide a good part of his nervousness: it was the last step before his hiring and therefore the most stressful. He was not going to fail so close to the goal¡­ The man who was going to question him was of a species he didn¡¯t know, a kind of aquatic creature with gills and strange barbels, but probably amphibious because it had no visible respiratory assistance device. He could also have undergone genetic or surgical modifications. The lack of access to the Network in this room prohibited any search for information about him. ¡°Well,¡± the man began, ¡°this is your last interview before your acceptance, or not, into the Plenipotentiary Administrative Agents, which everyone simply calls administrative agents, including within our services. We will go over your career from the beginning and study its compatibility with the high office you are seeking.¡± The candidate frowned. After having passed so many tests, oral and written, after having filled out very complete forms, even though the Intelligence Department had had to carry out a detailed investigation into his life, they asked him for more of what they already knew. ¡°From the beginning again? ...¡± ¡°Yes, from the beginning again. Do you have a problem with that?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ no.¡± ¡°Good. An administrative agent has no problem with the demands of his superiors, unless they are against the regulations.¡± The recruiter took a physical tablet out of a drawer and displayed data on it so that only he could consult it. An outdated technology, while there were devices capable of projecting screens directly into the retina of their users and obeying mental commands. The man tapped on the device for a few moments, then began: ¡°So, your name is Libre, your last name is Lhom¡­ And you are of the Hom species, of course. I sometimes have the impression that you all have the same name.¡± ¡°Well, it is a very common surname with several possible spellings.¡± ¡°I don''t care. And it¡¯s completely stupid as a name.¡± Libre did not answer and nothing in his attitude betrayed any offense. The civil servant face was adorned with a satisfied smile. ¡°Good, very good: an administrative agent doesn¡¯t react to insults. We hold very great powers but we must not use them for our personal ends, even if it means having to accept to restrict our susceptibility. Many citizens in your case would have already threatened to be sued for racism or something. An administrative agent is not prohibited from using such vile methods, but such misuse of justice would lower its rating. How would you react if, instead of you, it was the status of administrative agent that I insulted?¡± The Hom took a second to think before answering: ¡°If someone insults me like that, it could mean that they are crazy, or that a situation is getting out of hand. I could therefore use the threat of the law to gain leverage in the negotiation. Of course, I would only apply the sentence if there is no satisfactory compromise.¡± ¡°Yes, perfect academic answer. Afterwards, each situation will be unique... Let''s start again... So, place of birth, Glory, a small moon of a planet belonging to Progress, the main capital of the Hom Nations. Normal school career, making you recognized as a Beta+ level at the end of your studies. You then joined the armed rebellion organized by the ¡®Liberty¡¯ group... Don''t you think that this disqualifies you from public service?¡± The candidate smiled, knowing perfectly well the legal answer. However, a slight stress caused him to tap nervously against his thighs, a detail that the recruiter immediately noted in order to increase the pressure. ¡°This rebel group is a group legally registered within the Administration. According to the Homs laws, participation in a legal rebellion cannot result in any prosecution after the definitive abandonment of these activities.¡± ¡°Laws that will soon be made obsolete by the new laws for legislative uniformity. Given the law on the retroactivity of laws, are you not at risk of being arrested?¡± The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°The law on the retroactivity of laws contains an amendment concerning traditional local laws and this protects me. If the amendment were removed and the law were reapplied, the Administration would have already descended into a civil war against the Homs Nations. I do not believe that such a scenario could ever take place.¡± The recruiter nodded, but he did not seem entirely convinced. Libre felt compelled to continue his argument: ¡°It should also be noted that this rebellion has representatives in the Assembly of the Administration, which makes it a legal figure and guarantees an exception concerning the retroactivity of laws. A large part of the young Homs enters the service of a legal or rebel army around the end of their studies, it¡¯s a kind of local tradition. This experience also makes me more capable of working as an administrative agent because it has given me knowledge in the fields of combat, terrorism and the twists and turns of the criminal world. These skills will allow me to be more efficient in my work.¡± The amphibious creature carelessly played with his barbels, deliberately prolonging his silence in order to worry his interlocutor. Nevertheless, having said what he had to say, Libre felt freed from his apprehensions: he knew that his answer was correct and that there were many precedents. Countless precedents even, given how present his species was within the Administration. ¡°Well, let''s continue. After leaving the rebellion, you continued your studies on Homeria, at the Homtest academy¡­¡± ¡°Please excuse me, but I had not yet left ¡®Liberty¡¯ at the time. It was only later, having more information thanks to these studies, that I understood that the organization had deviated from its original ideals.¡± ¡°Good. So, you are a Homtest. Many say that they are a****** who have been rotting the Administration since the beginning. What do you think?¡± The candidate tried to decipher the impassive expression of his interlocutor, in vain. The Homtests were an intellectual and philosophical class, more or less ruling, which had existed since the origins of his people. They had quite naturally participated in the formation of the Administration and the organization of its corruption, according to Homtest principles such as ¡®Divided, we are powerful¡¯. Their organization was deliberately disunited but, if it was responsible for a lot of corruption, it was also one of the keys to the solidity of the Administration itself. Whatever one might say, some of their principles permeated the foundations of the latter. ¡°Many are, indeed. Just as many citizens are. The Homtests are, after all, only individuals who stand out by an advanced education, some vague philosophical principles and the recognition of their status by their peers. There is no unanimity among us and I have never been part of the most extremist groups, like the mad Homtests. In fact, this experience allowed me to officially raise my intellectual accreditation level to alpha+¡­¡± ¡°However, it¡¯s marked here that your level within the Homtests is Gamma.¡± ¡°Their value scale is less¡­ extensive than the administrative one. The correspondences between these levels and the administrative ones are subject to special examinations for their validation.¡± ¡°Fine. Immediately after your studies, you apply to become an administrative agent. Why? There are many careers for a Homtest, especially at Gamma level. You could¡­ well, make a career within the Homerie, or become a renowned scholar in a field of predilection, or enter politics or even become the tyrant of some backward planet of your people¡­ Well, you see what I mean: a certain number of your kind voluntarily go to planets practically cut off from the Network in order to play leading roles there.¡± ¡°It''s becoming increasingly rare with the expansion of the Network. However, I''m not interested in leading. My ambition, to become an administrative agent, is to be able to live above the law without betraying it...¡± The recruiter opened his big bulging eyes completely, then resumed an impassive expression. ¡°Ah, I see: you''re one of those Homtests who consider that honesty can be a weapon, aren''t you?¡± ¡°Not particularly, but I''ve already given the standard answers expected during the previous exams. I suppose that this one is more personal and that the truth is preferable. The status of administrative agent gives many privileges that I covet, but it also brings a vast amount of responsibility that I feel able to follow. Our society is increasingly threatened and I think that we need more special agents capable of filling the gaps before they explode and serve as a breeding ground for our enemies. I believe I have the skills necessary for such a task and I would be more useful to the universe in this role than by joining the army.¡± A mysterious grimace and a serious air penetrated the interrogator''s features as he asked a new question, as if this one were decisive: ¡°In the event that a new power, potentially liberticidal, were to control the Administration, what would be your duty as an administrative agent?¡± The question might seem sensitive, but its answer was already taught in the preparatory courses for the entrance exam. ¡°Continue my work and apply the new directives. The direction of the Administration has changed several times in the past, notably during the Empire of Vector, then the dictatorship of Admiral R¨ºv¨¦toile. The Administration must survive whatever the circumstances: it is the only factor of stability and harmony throughout the universe. If it were to collapse, anarchy would reign, which would be worse for everyone, as during the fourth Tana¨¦.¡± While giving the expected answer, Libre wondered if these guidelines would really be applied in the case of a massive Zcarbb invasion: the theory was that the Administration could survive under oppression in order to maintain universal unity when better times came, but wouldn¡¯t such an attitude favor the tyrants¡¯ continued power? There was no point in worrying about such a hypothetical situation because it would never happen¡­ probably never¡­ The recruiter stood up and placed his tablet on the desk. ¡°Well, I think we¡¯re done with this interview.¡± The Hom froze, unsure of what would happen next. The man motioned for him to stand up as he headed toward the door. ¡°I¡­ so¡­ what¡¯s the result?¡± The official burst out laughing, giving him a violent, friendly slap on the back. Satisfied that he had managed to instill fear in his face, he revealed his conclusions: ¡°You are accepted, of course. Your alpha+ accreditation as an administrative agent is also accepted. Here, this is the access chip to your official ship. You will find your uniforms and access codes there. By the time you get to the hangar, you might even already have a mission waiting for you. Take the teleporter and select the highest floor. Welcome, Mr. Lhom, to the elite of the administration. Remember that from now on you embody for the citizens the alliance of the implacability of the law and the flexibility of justice.¡± With these words, the man handed his young colleague a memory crystal, which the latter inserted into his wrist computer. As the door was already closing behind him, Lhom consulted the data of his new ship while advancing feverishly towards the teleporter. A great joy flooded him at the prospect of the wonderful adventures that awaited him. With the door closed, the recruiter quickly returned to his gel chair, savoring the soft sensation of it that slightly diminished his nostalgia for the aquatic environment. Checking the door lock, he took an encrypted communicator out of a secret drawer and activated it. ¡°Everything is going as planned. The candidate has the ideal profile for the operation... Yes, the file I transferred to you. I''ll let you take care of transmitting the details of the mission to him...¡± He cut the communication and stood for a moment observing the closed door. He sighed with a sad smile: ¡°Poor guy: the wrong profile at the wrong time...¡± Entry 002: First Mission When he appeared on the hangar''s reception platform, the software on his wrist-computer immediately discovered the location of the ship whose key they had received, communicating with the local interfaces to illuminate the path before the Hom''s steps. Arriving in front of the opaque force field that protected the indicated place, it went out to reveal the ovoid shape of a magnificent ship. Silver in color, displaying gigantic symbols of the Administration, the spaceship was a marvel worthy of an alpha+ agent. As a beginner, he would have expected to receive an older model. He decided to make the ramp go down and climb aboard quietly, rather than being teleported or using an elevator beam: he wanted to enjoy the moment. A micro-camera left his bracelet and projected directly into his eyes the information he wanted to consult about the ship. What he saw pleased him: cutting-edge weaponry, excellent defense software... a core using three grains of stabilizium? It was more power than a spacecraft-carrier the size of a city would require! Such power for such a small ship? Perhaps it was to provide for thrusters powerful enough to outrun any other craft? In any case, these were indeed state of the art models that might be possible to push beyond the recommended limits without too much risk. The interior was of a regulatory sobriety, but without the grayish and sinister tint of some civil servants'' offices: the colors and layouts had been chosen to remain pleasant to the eye. There were about twenty rooms, not to mention the technical corridors intended to access the core or the thrusters. He went first to the cockpit, located roughly in the center of the ship: models seriously designed for conflict never had windows or walls facing the outside, but relied on the multiple external sensors to reproduce this illusion from the safest place in the vehicle. The room was a small command room, easily accommodating half a dozen operators. The perimeter of the room was occupied by various secondary stations, such as a communication station, a navigation station, a defense station¡­ multiple functions that could also be managed from the central seat or by using it to transfer functions from one station to another. The large screens that covered the walls presented the exterior landscape of the hangar, as if they were windows. The central seat was comfortable, even having a wave massage function: a real captain''s chair. Even as he sat down, multiple holographic screens appeared, indicating the status of the ship''s various functions. He placed his right arm on the armrest, so that his identity bracelet integrated into the wrist-computer could be scanned. His identity verified; the machine began to exchange data with the ship: now he could control it remotely. He saw with satisfaction that, despite its modernity, the ship had an old Z.I.A. interface, and not those modern models that talked incessantly and had citizen rights. Where was the worlds going if it was said that machines were intelligent and that politicians only needed robotics factories to manufacture voters? Of course, this was not a thought he would formulate out loud for fear of breaking the law. Not to mention the fear of a fine, he was now a representative of the Administration and had to act as such. He began to download his own illegal software into the onboard computer. More powerful than the official ones, these would considerably improve its performance, both for hostile and defensive actions. He saw no contradiction between his action and his previous thought: every self-respecting Hom has at least some illegal software or weapons, it had become downright tradition. Some manufacturers even paid fortunes to have their products labeled ¡°illegal¡± in order to increase their sales to the Hom public. Satisfied, he left his comfortable seat to wander through his ship. The cockpit gave access to the main corridor where the professional parts were located: hangar for light vehicles, armory... If the first was empty, the second was occupied by a few regular weapons and space suits of various uses. He also found a matter synthesizer there that had already printed his uniform. He put it on, entrusting his previous clothes to the maintenance drones so that they could take them to his personal room. He would discover it soon. Continuing his visit, he took the elevator beam at the end of the corridor, preferably over the teleportation module, to go up to the living floor. Going down, he could have gone to the hold but he would explore it last. A corridor led to a circular room, at least twice the diameter of the cockpit, in which there were several groups of armchairs and sofas. A main group surrounded a central table that seemed to be made of wood but hid many electronic gadgets. There was enough there to gather a whole crew, or allow them to disperse into small groups. Libre smiled amusedly: it was unlikely that he would ever have a crew, most of the alpha-level agents chose to work alone. They had the privilege of such a ship of function anyway. Some even lived there with their families. The corridor also gave access to two rooms half this size but completely empty. The rest room contained nine other passages leading respectively to seven bedrooms, a kitchen and a shower. The kitchen was stocked with the superfluous necessary for any cook, the tools carefully stored in magnetic drawers to prevent them from being dispersed by some incident, but concretely the indispensable object was the food synthesizer which used the resources of the ship''s various matter tanks to produce any food. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. The shower consisted of an area with a sink and three quite-large individual rooms equipped with everything necessary: ??a far cry from the tiny wave enema tubes used in less expensive ships. The young agent thought that given the position of the showers, he could easily divert some of the water to install a swimming pool in the one of the large empty rooms that was adjacent¡­ He would think about it in time. As he opened the room marked ¡°Captain¡¯s Cabin¡±, he had already forgotten that he was in a spaceship: he could just as easily have been in a mid-range apartment. The cabin contained several wall-mounted storage units, a desk and even a partition from the more personal part of the room where there was a real bed. Not a sleep tube: a real bed¡­ although, this one was installed just above a sleep tube. These were mandatory anyway because they also served as escape pods in case the ship was destroyed. Well, it only left the hold to visit¡­ unless there were also some secret rooms? He would have to check the ship¡¯s plan. Well, if there weren¡¯t any, it was easy to add. He could also explore the maintenance areas, to see the stabilizer core, the Walker engine, the missile launchers and all the other wonders that justified the doubling of the size of the ship compared to the space occupied by the various official rooms. An alert sounded on his bracelet. A quick glance told him that it was a priority message to read from the cockpit. With a thought directed towards his device, he authorized the internal teleportation and suddenly appeared on his command seat. The wonders of modern teleportation even allowed him to appear seated when he had previously been standing. So where would progress stop? ¡°Reading!¡± he ordered. Immediately, a holographic screen oscillating between green and red appeared. It indicated a valid authorization code and was addressed to his registration number.
Priority Mission Reach the following coordinates in less than 1800 Tiks and wait for instructions.
The coordinates indicated were literally on the other side of the universe. He could get there within a second¡­ Or maybe within a minute, given the departure formalities. Opening a window corresponding to the navigation station, he selected the arrival point to find himself a little further than the expected location: if he had that much time, he might as well make a small detour to admire the landscape. He launched the takeoff procedure, letting the administrative algorithms negotiate his departure window. With his alpha+ priority, it would be quick. Sure enough, a handful of Tiks later, the shuttle found itself instantly transported into orbit, at the optimum distance for infinite teleportation. Although he could have let the automatic systems take care of everything, Libre redirected the command of the Walker engine to a large lever located on a floating tablet linked to his seat, within reach. He thus had the pleasure of personally and manually initiate the jump. He immediately found himself at the edge of the universe. Of course, the universe was infinite: any serious scientist would tell you that. However, there were places so damaged that they were considered edges. The ¡°I¡± sector was one of them. The space that appeared to his right, on the screens, was black. A total black where not a single star shone, contrasting with the myriad points of light to his left. There were suns on the other side of this zone, but even if you gave their light billions of years to cross it, it would disappear before reaching the other side. This was a cursed zone, from a semi-legendary past: the third Tana¨¦ and the mysterious ¡°War of the Indestructible¡± that had taken place there. The civilizations of the first stellar era had had to ally themselves to face an invincible monster that, according to legend, destroyed all the known worlds one by one. This creature absorbed energy. It was as simple as that. No weapon could do anything against it except feed it... Of course, there were now weapons capable of absorbing all forms of energy and such a catastrophe could no longer occur. It was not even known if the monster responsible still existed and if others of its kind could appear. It had disappeared one day, leaving this area of ??the universe frozen, devoid of the slightest energy. The suns were out and a cold unparalleled in the void of the universe occupied the place, quickly draining of their energy any devices stupid enough to try to explore the place. Magnifying the range of his screens, the Hom observed images of planets frozen in a glacial agony. The light of these images had itself undergone a long ordeal before managing to tear itself away from the ¡°I¡± zone to be offered to the outside vision... The agent swallowed as he observed the ancient buildings in ruins and the forms of the inhabitants, still standing: only the absence of the existence of movement in these places prevented them all from instantly falling into dust, although dead since an eternity. This terrible catastrophe had weakened the great nations of the time and allowed the emergence of a group of fanatics: the ¡°anti-globalists¡±. Their goal was to definitively put an end to space civilizations and to prohibit interstellar travel. Specialists of this time of history explain the popularity of this movement by a belief of the time that the overpowering power of the Indestructible monster was due to the existence of the stellar nations and their determination to confront this threat, thereby feeding it. The end of the third Tana¨¦ was the great war of the anti-globalists whose victory inaugurated the fourth Tana¨¦: the Dark Age. It is said that the Hogloos had supported the anti-globalists, which had allowed their civilization to become so powerful during the fifth Tana¨¦¡­ Tearing himself away from the sight of this cemetery of nothingness, the Hom ordered his device to set the jump for its final destination. He suddenly lowered the lever, as if his vigorous action could pull him faster from this terrible place. Entry 003: It seemed so simple… He found himself at the mission site, one thousand four hundred and forty-two Tiks ahead of schedule. In any case, it was better to be well in advance: any delay would be a failure that would be severely punished on his rating as an agent. Despite one side of space being darker than the other, he was now at a less worrying distance from the ¡°I¡± zone. Consulting his navigation tab, he learned more about his surroundings. This zone was closed to colonization, or even to travel. In any case, there were only a few viable planets in this area and no colonial or tourist agency could hope to prosper in the long term near an area with such a sinister reputation¡­ Although: perhaps a tourist industry could be successful? In any case, this zone was open to another type of traveler: convicts. There, at the edge of the universe, the worst elements of society were sent to serve their sentences by working in decent but depressing conditions, far from any possibility of escape. There were also special blocks, protected by myriad defenses, where the worst criminals were kept in stasis, sometimes for life. Well, he had about ten minutes to wait... He could go visit the hold... anyway, he could be teleported to his seat at will, so... But, no: the feverishness that had taken hold of him left him no leisure. His first mission... What was it going to be? Help negotiate a compromise between two nations? Inspect officials from distant worlds? Question ordinary passers-by to gather information about their problems, try to help them and get their opinions on possible improvements to society? His mission could be anything of that ilk. Given the location, perhaps it would be escorting an important prisoner from one cell to another, or to a physical place of judgment or release? At the same time, it was the work of the law enforcement, not administrative agents¡­ Unless the convoyed person was a politician? Maybe¡­ Ah, there was no point in wondering. Libre got up from his seat and started to pace up and down like a caged chaotiun¡­ Many ordinary citizens, in such cases, are content to take a calming pill. However, his Homtest philosophy did not allow him to resort to an artificial means of controlling his emotions: he was supposed to be able to do so by the sheer force of his will¡­ But maybe he didn¡¯t want to exercise it, deep down? Maybe he wanted to let himself be jostled by this stress, this impatience, all these hectic emotions that made him live in the present moment, rather than feeling detached from it? He jumped as the alert indicated the imminent end of the deadline. In less time than it takes to write it, he found himself in his chair, summoned as many screens and virtual keyboards as possible in order to have everything he needed at hand whatever the request¡­ then he waited. The deadline passed¡­ The worry returned: had he gotten excited for nothing? Was he going to have to wait here for several days before receiving his mission? And then, why hadn¡¯t he been given more details? No briefing. Just, welcome, go ahead, wait. No way, he was nevertheless a class alpha+! That meant he was one of the smartest people in the universe¡­ even if there were a lot of them in an infinite population. All the same, the least you could do when dealing with an agent of his class was to inform him. Or¡­ Maybe it was a test? Yes, to see if he had the nerve to withstand anything... Or else... Yes, the principle of hazing was strictly forbidden by administrative laws. However, high-ranking agents were slightly above the law, which also meant that some protections might not apply to them, as long as the exception remained reasonable. He had to be ready for anything! Finally, a message appeared.
Priority Mission Proceed with the transshipment of the luggage that will be delivered to you. Deliver it to the indicated point. Please move while applying the rules of stealth.
The instructions accompanying the summary message said little about the nature of the goods, but also indicated the presence of a Hogloo mercenary assigned to watch over it. The codes were compliant with high-level encryption, and Libre had them triple-checked through different Network relays. It was a bit overzealous, but if this was a test, he might as well follow the most idiotic details of the security procedure. Libre looked at the coordinates and other instructions adjacent to the message. It was useless since the software would process these long strings of symbols itself, but by doing so he felt like he was managing to delve a little behind the scenes of this mission, in the hope of extracting some bits of information from it. A proximity alert screen indicated the arrival of an unidentified ship, while indicating that it was emitting the correct signal for the mission. Before he could even think about it, the onboard computer provided him with an image of the approaching craft. Ah, it was only in the movies that heroes pressed a bunch of buttons, turned steering wheels to skim obstacles in extremis, or aimed before firing¡­ Modern technology had definitely taken all the romance out of adventure. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. He frowned. The approaching ship was an old model, obviously modified to increase its stealth and the power of its shields. Despite this, it had gaping holes in its hull. A communications screen suddenly opened on the reptilian face of a Hogloo warrior. ¡°I am Khajraz. I bring you the goods. Hurry up and transfer before this wreck explodes!¡± The administrative agent grimaced. The Hogloos were declared enemies of the Administration and made no effort to appear otherwise. Yet, they continued to be used massively as mercenaries for their reliability and their respect for contracts. However, it was doubtful that a mission involving them would concern anything particularly secret¡­ apart from an assassination perhaps. He gave his computer authorization to proceed with the transshipment then manually activated the communication key to project his image and a message to his temporary colleague. ¡°Administrative Agent Libre Lhom, level alpha+, well received. Procedure initiated. Please find attached the temporary teleportation-on-board code.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go with the goods, just point the way if you don¡¯t want me to accidentally pry into your dirty little Hom secrets.¡± Yeah. He understood perfectly well that his people were hereditary enemies with this kind of guy. The loading took little time. It consisted of three enormous tubes wrapped in stealth packaging. Following the operation via camera, Libre was able to discover what his hold looked like. It wasn¡¯t particularly exceptional. He then monitored the Hogloo¡¯s journey to the cockpit, putting most of his surveillance software on the spot: this kind of individual could well leave biological micro-cameras or other monstrosities in his path, intended to spy on the Administration¡­ Unless they had thought to forbid that in their contract, of course, but it was better to be excessively cautious rather than too naive. When he entered the room, the Hogloo gave him an amused grin. He was probably thinking of a thousand and one ways he could kill him with the greatest of ease¡­ Libre instinctively double-checked that his softwares had indeed perceived the threat and where ready to activate all his defenses if necessary. That was the case, of course. ¡°So, you¡¯re the one they sent for the transport? I was told he was a recruit: so, hurry up and gain experience and get us out of here!¡± The Hom struck a pose he considered confident, one hand at his side and the other against his jaw, his fists clenched. With calculated arrogance he retorted: ¡°You should not underestimate me: we¡¯re already not here anymore.¡± With a theatrical gesture, he pointed at the screens which suddenly displayed a different landscape, with more stars. ¡°There is sometimes a slight delay in the update of the scenery, especially when you perform several consecutive teleports. I haven¡¯t forgotten that the mission requires stealthy movement and I am therefore applying the corresponding procedure.¡± The Hogloo did not seem disturbed but headed towards the navigation console in order to observe the nearby space. He did not seem satisfied: ¡°This will not be enough: they will catch up with us. Take these coordinates and navigate in normal space through this nebula... Oh... Too late¡­ This is not a good turn of events...¡± Although not looking any more worried than before, the mercenary pointed to the sudden appearance of a hundred spaceships within firing distance of the ship. The Hogloos were the most dangerous warriors in the universe and did not fear death: his apparent calm was not reassuring. Libre checked his screens to find that his defense systems, of course, had already gone into action. Computer algorithms were running to predict every action and event, the shield was at its maximum, the thrusters were ready for emergency use, the weapons were just waiting for an order from him¡­ Pilots in the modern era were decidedly reduced to system validators, systems who could do perfectly well without them¡­ Even if it was not a very heroic role, it was still the most important of roles: you couldn¡¯t let implacably logical machines make the crucial decisions. Pushing back the stress that threatened to cloud his logic, Libre considered the situation. He could teleport by destroying the enemy jamming systems, but his trail would be easy to follow. He could distance them by using his thrusters, but first he would have to break their formation, which meant triggering a confrontation. Even if they were pirates or rebels, they would think twice before attacking a ship like his, issuing an alpha authorization. It was very likely that they would seek to negotiate first. A request for access to a communication channel confirmed his theory. He took an inspired pause and accepted that the communication exchange could be done in both directions. His interlocutor was a sort of blue jellyfish that floated in the air, waving its tentacles to match its words with gestures. A quick glance at a side screen told him that it was a Monuite, that they speak through a gas exchange system compatible with the universal translator and that they can project clouds of neurotoxic gas. Although most of its species don¡¯t consider it necessary to wear clothing, this one was wrapped, like a kind of sandwich, in a uniform of the Administration, Security Institution, Sub-Institution of Order, Prison Department. Rank of administrative agent alpha-. ¡°To the suspicious vessel, order not to change its movement and to deactivate its systems. And identify yourself!¡± Members of the Administration, not pirates? It seemed both more logical in this area, but also terribly worrying: what misunderstanding could have arisen? ¡°This is administrative agent Libre Lhom, alpha+ authorization. I am on a special mission as you can read in my authorizations: what is the reason for this blockade?¡± ¡°I... One moment... I have just contacted my superiors: I have obtained authorization to board you as part of my investigation. Two administrative representatives of alpha+ level will be on site soon to authorize the search.¡± During their exchange, the computers worked intensely, exchanging complex identification codes and requesting confirmations via the Network. Half-comprehensible summaries appeared on screens. Apparently, those in front were indisputably what they claimed to be and they had obtained valid confirmations from their superiors¡­ His own remained unanswered for the moment. His right hand opened and closed in a nervous tic. This was not normal: even for Zeta-category citizens, there was always at least one A.I. to deal with the matter. And it was impossible for a mission to be given without being referenced beforehand¡­ Yes, there was something worrying, but the problem would soon be solved by the colleagues of his own level who were about to arrive¡­ ¡°We told you not to change your speed! Stop accelerating immediately. We could be forced to open fire on your thrusters if you continue! I have already received the authorization.¡± ¡°What do you mean? I''m moving forward? Huh?¡± Indeed, the thrusters indicated a progressive acceleration. The order of magnitude was quite low, but they were ready to exponentially multiply this speed for a possible dam forcing. He opened a control screen and manually cut the thrusters. And then, all hell broke loose! Entry 004: Destructions Suddenly, invisible, thousands of software programs clashed, trying to force each other''s defenses through all possible channels. It was a question of disabling the enemy systems before their own fell victim to the same fate. Of course, the weapons physically helped to accomplish the task. The surrounding ships exploded one by one, their own cannons raining their various projectiles uselessly on the energy shield of Libre''s starship. The latter watched in dismay as its own weaponry reduced the small fleet of the prison department to pieces, tracing a path through their debris to leave the encirclement... But, of this circle, there were already only a few wrecks left. Some were probably still viable, but none were in a state to set off in pursuit of him. The on-board software proudly announced (or so it seemed to him that it was proudly) that it had successfully jammed all communications during the operation, delaying any enemy awareness of the outcome of the encounter. The Hogloo nodded with satisfaction and turned to the pale Hom who was staring at his screens in bewilderment: ¡°That''s good: by the time their reinforcements are on the scene, we will probably have had time to teleport to the nebula and follow the diversion route there. Your software is quite powerful: I suppose that with a Hom of your rank, I should have expected such firepower rather than the regular one.¡± ¡°But I didn''t give any orders!¡± The mercenary gave him a surprised look, the first shred of real emotion he had shown since he had been on board. Then he shrugged his shoulders in the administrative fashion, to show that it was not his problem, before concentrating on the navigation controls. A part of the Hom''s brain was spinning in freewheeling, lost in terror and speculation. But he had been trained as a Homtest, and one of the keys to their philosophy was to always be in control. And if you weren¡¯t, to pretend you were. Okay, he thought, I fired¡­ no: my ship fired on prison ships that were legally pursuing me. If my operation was supposed to be illegal, the rules required a special briefing before the mission to clearly outline the limits of such a course of action, just like for assassins from the service of the Intelligence Department. This means that I am outside the normal parameters of a mission. Why? How is this possible? He glanced warily at the Hogloo. He probably saw his gaze even though his back was turned: it was said that his species had no blind spots, among other stereotypes that were probably true. Could this mercenary have altered the functioning of my ship? No. This is the newest model¡­ or at least the most advanced. Even an expert Zcarbb hacker couldn¡¯t have taken control of such a crucial system¡­ at least not without triggering an alert from most of my defense software, assuming first that he was a genius without equal and with new technology. The fire control and the thruster problem must have been altered before I got my ship¡­ Yet sealed in a protective field after being checked by the maintenance teams inside one of the most secure administrative buildings in Center¡­ It was impossible. Absolutely impossible¡­ He ran his software through the two systems to scan for anomalies and looked at a simplified account of events. Meanwhile, the ship was already sailing through the nebula at superluminal speed. I see. Small software add-ons designed to trigger in this way in the event of encirclement. This doesn¡¯t respect any security standards and is more highly illegal than the worst of my personal software. It¡¯s a completely undetectable sabotage and inserted voluntarily after technical maintenance¡­ so by someone with an alpha+ rank and the necessary accreditations to erase all traces¡­ But why? The answer was obvious though¡­ Libre didn¡¯t know what his hold contained, but he knew one thing: it was not to be delivered. He shouldn¡¯t deliver it at any price! ¡°Are you okay? You seem worried.¡± The mercenary fixed him with an implacable gaze that seemed to say ¡°If you compromise my mission, I¡¯ll kill you and I¡¯ll swim through space.¡± Of course, it was an image¡­ Even if, some legends about the Hogloos¡­ ¡°Everything is fine. I¡¯ve isolated the malfunctions in my system and purged them. A maintenance error most likely. I¡¯ve ordered my algorithms to build countermeasures so that this doesn¡¯t happen again. We should arrive at the rendezvous point within the time of the mission order: I will then take care of reporting on the incident.¡± The Hogloo immediately lost interest in the agent. He seemed to accept the argument. Of course, he could not know that such a mistake was strictly impossible. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. I need to eliminate this guy. Even if he didn''t know about the sabotage, he''ll continue the mission he was paid for. Someone is doing something highly illegal and trying to frame me for it... Omega-Pioutrerie! It''s not possible that my first mission is going like this! How do I eliminate this Hogloo? He''s a warrior who clearly has high-level modifications. He would be capable of killing an entire battalion of guys like me armed to the teeth... I''d need... An idea... The ship made a jump to another nebula, its superior sensors ensuring a perfect teleport to the coordinates. A few minutes later, moving faster than light, they finally reached the indicated coordinates. A stealth ship of a similar size to his was waiting there, revealing itself when it detected their presence. A quick exchange of codes confirmed their reciprocal identities. The captain of the stealth ship did not open any communication channels but simply let the software coordinate the exchange. Perhaps this ship was fully automated? ¡°Hurry up, Hom,¡± the Hogloo growled, ¡°I have other things to do.¡± The warrior was growing impatient. Perhaps he was going to decide to kill him, then make a hole in the hull to manually transfer the mysterious cylinders from the hold? Perhaps he had orders to eliminate him too? ¡°Are you going to stay on board or should you go to the other side? In the second case, you could take the same transport beam as the packets.¡± ¡°I''m staying on board. So now hurry up: I can''t wait to get home...¡± Of course, if you''re wanted for stealing something from the prison department, you must be eager to get to Sector H... Now I''m really sure you have to eliminate me... ¡°Ah¡­ The fighting seems to have damaged the beam hatch. According to the external sensors, it¡¯s intact¡­ I suppose a projectile must have severed the remote opening controls¡­ We¡¯ll have to open it manually and keep it that way during the transfer.¡± Khajraz looked at Libre with a slightly suspicious look. Whatever his abilities and equipment, he didn¡¯t detect any lies. Homtests were trained to lie to perfection and most could fool the most advanced lie detectors. Coupled with the psychic screen that protected the agent¡¯s thoughts, there was no way to guess his intentions. ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± the Hogloo grumbled. ¡°I¡¯m going through the airlock.¡± He had said this when he detected an attempt to teleport him. Of course, the Hogloo was also immune to this kind of technology¡­ How did they manage to use public transportation? On his control screens, he saw the reptilian creature come out. Without a suit, he walked easily on the hull as if he were under artificial gravity. Probably something to do with their mysterious ability to control their weight¡­ ¡°Are you in position? I''ll activate the unlock. On my signal, lift...¡± The Hogloo growled and leaned towards the hatch that concealed the carrier beam, ready to pull it towards him. Libre smiled. It happened very quickly. The Hom left the hatch closed, cut the safety features and set the transport beam to its maximum power, in repulsion. Trappe and Hogloo suddenly shot through space, crashing into the energy shields surrounding the stealth ship... and passing through them without a problem. The Hogloo''s personal systems were more efficient than those of the opposite ship, transforming the mercenary into a real living projectile that pierced the aircraft from side to side before continuing its course at full speed through the sidereal void. Without losing a moment, the software of Libre''s ship executed the other instructions he had programmed. Taking advantage of the weakening of the enemy ship''s defenses, his own weapons destroyed the other''s weapons, propulsion, and communications systems. Satisfied, Libre programmed a jump to a nebula, then a jump to a less frequented destination, at the computer''s choice. The administrative agent took a breath¡­ He didn¡¯t remember holding it, but he did. He programmed his ship to continue the journey randomly, at superluminal speed and in stealth mode. Just before, he connected to the Network to check his status. His personal programs kept his access difficult to trace. He bit his lip.
Highest priority alert: rogue agent Libre Lhom, alpha+: wanted for rebellion, murder, terrorism and confidential reasons! This agent is considered armed and dangerous: the use of force without warning is authorized.
There was no denying it: the Administration was fast. His wanted notice had already been distributed to all agents and, soon, it would be picked up in the official press. He filled out a brief report on the event and sent it, but he had no illusions: someone capable of sabotaging his ship would be able to erase all his messages from the reception center. That¡¯s what he would have set up if he were in his enemy¡¯s shoes. The ship¡­ He really should find a name for it instead of constantly calling it that¡­ Libre slapped his forehead hard. Look here! Is this the time to think about that? Idiot! I''m in the worst possible position... I should surrender. It''s the only way I could clear myself... And maybe I should go see what this mysterious cargo is: I''d understand better why I was set up. It''s obvious that it''s not against me: I don''t have a powerful and relentless enough enemy yet... But why did they need a scapegoat? He got up and went to the elevator section, destination down. It was time to find out why his career had been destroyed... He swallowed as pessimism invaded him: And maybe destroyed for good. Entry 005: Crimes and Punishments The Hom entered his hold for the first time. Although he had already seen it through a camera, or via the plans, he appreciated the view of this empty immensity. If you except an extension of the hangar from the floor above, this large room could contain a good quantity of goods and had multiple modular partitions. For the moment, only one room had been thus created. Libre had hung around his head a control strip, barely visible in the form of a wire. This allowed him to give orders more quickly to the computers under his control, with a simple thought. Of course, the system was secured so that the A.I.s would not mistake the slightest idea for an order. The modular partition unfolded in front of him, revealing the three large cylinders, while maintenance robots were already busy removing the stealthy packaging that enveloped them. The agent¡¯s personal energy shield was activated at a sufficient intensity to form a small halo of light around his body: it was not impossible that a self-destruct system or radioactive leaks would suddenly appear, depending on the nature of the mysterious objects that were causing him so much trouble. ¡°Oh¡­ I could have guessed¡­¡± Yes, talking to oneself was not necessarily a very good sign. Perhaps he should activate the social function of the ship¡¯s Z.I.A. in order to have the impression of talking to someone? In any case, what he discovered was both a surprise and an obvious fact: The three cylinders were stasis pods, themselves housed in larger security cylinders. These bore the prison department''s insignia and instructions promising alpha-level prosecution to anyone who triggered the opening system without authorization. Of course, the system was secure enough to be nearly impossible to open. But I could do it. I have the necessary accreditation and, even if I am declared an outlaw, my software is capable of making it considered as still current and even of falsifying a Network verification request¡­ Well, as long as the category of those criminals does not exceed alpha¡­ With the ¡°alpha¡± symbol painted in large letters on the plate indicating the reasons for the conviction, it was certain that these criminals didn¡¯t belong to the higher, theoretically non-existent categories, of state secrets. They were nevertheless dangerous characters, responsible for billions of deaths or equivalent crimes. So, this is an escape. Even if a Hogloo is involved, how did they manage to get the pods out of this level of security? If an entire fleet attacked this type of prison fortress, it would be able to resist until the army intervened... even if jammers were used, or false reports were sent to the Network... it would be impossible to carry out such an operation without triggering the alert; so, managing to leave the fortress with the cylinders... The robots had finished setting up the interfaces of the tubes to give him remote control, so he ordered the first protective measure to stand up. Technically, he wasn¡¯t breaking the law with this one yet¡­ The heavy metal protections of the security cylinders moved aside, revealing silhouettes protected by indestructible transparent glass. Frozen in time, the three criminals appeared in his sight. The one on the left was a massive figure, a male Ktn-Ktn. Bovine in appearance, humanoid, heavily muscled, he seemed ready to burst his convict suit with a simple movement of his hairy shoulders. It was surprising to find a creature of this species in prison because his people were generally very withdrawn and rarely left their colonization zone, between sectors F and G, at the shifting borders of the Administration. This mysterious people had, in the space of a century, inexplicably changed their morphology to become stronger and capable of more precise manipulations with their hands. They had also multiplied at a very rapid rate, going from five billion individuals to fifty thousand billion. More or less integrated into the Administration, they were on the list of species to be monitored, but not on that of dangerous species... unlike the Homs. He was incarcerated for murdering administrative agents and espionage. There was no detail explaining why he was considered an alpha criminal rather than a beta. The central character was a small female. She was the only one not wearing the standard prisoner suit, but rather a sort of rather sober work clothes. The name of her species was not indicated on her condemnation plaque. Her skin was green and her skull was extended by two large ears, each as long, or a little longer, than her head. Her species had no name, but he recognized it because it was the same one as the president who were in charge a few years before: the one that had been assassinated by a coalition of terrorist movements. This species was considered one of the most intelligent in the universe. The reason for the conviction was: attempted mass murder of universal level. That is, an attempt to deliberately kill billions of individuals indiscriminately. If the attempt had been targeted, the motive would have been ¡°genocide¡± and not ¡°mass murder of universal level.¡± The plaque also specified that she was a universal genius with a specialization in computer science. Finally, the character on the right was a Cyclops of a species named as such. Almost as tall as the Ktn-Ktn, a little over two meters tall, his single eye darted a hateful gaze, although frozen in time. It was said that his species had sided with the Titans during the war and had received dangerous abilities from them. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. His crimes were: war crimes, treason against the universe, and non-payment of taxes. A warning followed, stating ¡°Major T-energy infection, do not open without proper precautions.¡± Although he was also an alpha-level prisoner, his cell had additional protections of a higher level. Libre had not studied this energy source in particular, being content to have protective devices against it, but he knew to what extent its use was monitored by the Administration: the security of the entire universe depended on it. The three people before him had committed various crimes, although the details were as inaccessible to him as the names of those prisoners. They had therefore been sentenced to the harshest punishment provided for by law: lifelong stasis. Frozen outside of time in pods intended never to be opened, in the event of a possible pardon in the distant future they would find themselves separated forever from their loved ones, dead for an eternity. A sentence worthy of the crimes committed. Libre turned his back on them and left on foot. He could teleport, but walking felt good and helped him gather his thoughts. What would happen if he surrendered to any agent, or even to the forces of Law and Order in any locality? He could certainly use their channels to convey his version of events¡­ But would anyone believe in the possibility that his software had been rigged? There would be an investigation but they would find no trace. ¡°Computer! Permission granted for use of sociability software. Use juridical software to analyze my situation... and its possible outcomes.¡± Immediately, a very simple hologram appeared in the air, representing a vague circle and a few lines supposed to represent states of mind that the machine was mimicking. ¡°Activating the visual interface of the sociability program. By default, the personal parameters of your identification bracelet will be used...¡± ¡°Yes, yes, go ahead! The legal result, now!¡± ¡°According to the data collected and the one you are currently broadcasting via mental detection; the probabilities indicate with certainty a very long trial. Your analysis on the probable impossibility of finding evidence seems to tip the scales in favor of your conviction. The crime of participating in the escape of category alpha prisoners is accompanied by a category beta conviction. Your inability to prove your innocence and your semi-legal background give a 99% conviction. The remaining percentage corresponds to the scientific rule of the uncertainty principle.¡± ¡°Okay. Could my juridic defense software get me out of this, by legal or illegal means?¡± ¡°No. The current context of the fight against terrorism has given rise to many laws that will be unfavorable to you. Probable sentence: minimum of ten years of confinement in stasis and removal of agent status.¡± It was bad: without agent status he would never be able to prove his innocence. After such a sentence, it would be quite hard to find an equivalent job in a legal framework. Even the officially declared Hom¡¯s rebellions would refuse to welcome him into their ranks for fear of being associated by the media with the terrorists. But, not surrendering meant spending the rest of his life hunted throughout the universe. The defection of an Alpha agent could only end in its death or imprisonment and all means were used to guarantee one of these outcomes. Of course, he could join the terrorist movements. He could leave the galactic spaces in the hope of meeting Nomads and join them without ever again setting foot on a planet, or betray the entire universe by joining the Zcarbbs and living like a slave¡­ Even without taking into account his loyalty to the founding principles of the Administration, he refused these solutions, at least out of pride. How to reestablish the truth? How to be exonerated? If he were the hero of some movie, he would probably infiltrate the administrative center where he had been accepted, on Center. He would then find, by chance, an essential clue that would identify the culprit. Of course, there would then be a few other adventures before discovering the big bad guy who was pulling the strings, confronting him in a final scene and getting a ¡°happy ending¡± ... Well, the reality was a little more disappointing: even if he managed to infiltrate the highly secure installation where some of the most powerful defense software wanted his skin, without even talking about what the person responsible for these events could do, there certainly was not the slightest clue. There was no pre-written script with improbable twists of fate that would guide him towards an end that would satisfy the spectators... Assuming that these hypothetical observers did not already wish for his downfall... He could turn himself in, find himself ten years later and start a more modest career, which after all was not so terrible... Even if he could be sentenced to more and thus lose sight of his family. Also, if he took thirty years, his parents would no longer be there... However, if he chose to join the criminal world, he wouldn¡¯t see them again either without the Intelligence services spotting him. The criminal career, despite its romanticized aspects by many media, was also the worst possible career. Most criminals too close to the law would refuse to compromise with him, while the others would be afraid that his presence would attract the hitherto passive gaze of the authorities. The most hardened criminals were monsters who sought to bring anarchy to the universe, and so they weren¡¯t an option for him. Finally, there was a third option. If he could not prove his innocence, he could perform a feat that would earn him amnesty. And here I am diving back into a stupid romantic scenario! And what would I accomplish? Wipe out the Zcarbbs all by myself? He needed time to think. A place to hide, too: a hideout, as they called it in the jargon. ¡°Ship, use custom coordinate seven. Use the best stealth movement possible to get there.¡± The screens projected an illusion of movement by blurring the position of the stars in the old image as the spaceship crossed the most cut-off parts of the universe to reach the indicated coordinates. Libre put on the large coat he had ordered from the matter synthesizer and that a droid brought him. Wearing capes or loose clothing floating in the wind was so fashionable among the Homs that current models had artificial gravity that maintained a stylish movement even in the event of a headwind or lack of air movement. Letting his new garment flap in the air as he gazed at the stars of a now hostile universe, he couldn''t help but feel an unhealthy excitement at what rightly frightened him. ¡°Ship, I have found a name for you. Save the name ¡®Lost Truth¡¯!¡± Interlude ¡°Madam, the mission is a failure: the ¡®V¡¯ project is compromised¡­¡± ¡°Thank you very much, but I can read too¡­ in case you doubted it.¡± ¡°Uh, sorry, Madam.¡± ¡°You are not excused¡­ Hmm¡­ How did that miserable Hom manage to get rid of a Hogloo warrior? It seems that we greatly underestimated him: it is no small feat¡­ Have you found Khajraz?¡± ¡°Not yet, Madam. The shuttle''s data has been damaged and we are still struggling to understand what happened¡­¡± ¡°Too bad: abandon the search and erase all traces.¡± ¡°At your command¡­ Uh¡­ We also abandon the search for the Hom?¡± ¡°Of course not! I understand that your IQs are lower than those of the babies of my people, but are you getting dumber with each passing minute? Find me this Hom and the stasis pods before the Administration! I''ll see if I can delay the plan... I''ll find a way...¡±The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. A dark shape spoke. ¡°Hey, hey, hey! It seems your little plans are not as perfect as your arrogant airs would let anybody believe.¡± ¡°Silence, vermin! Perfection is an ideal: I am perfectly aware of the risks caused by the unexpected!¡± ¡°Oh, calm down. We are all in the same ship... So, to speak. If you wish, I can send my minions to find your fugitive.¡± ¡°They won''t succeed: a Homtest has enough willpower to thwart your filthy incoherent powers.¡± ¡°Then how do you expect to find him across the entire universe? Even a galaxy would be difficult to search and we have no idea what this guy will choose to do!¡± ¡°There are ways... If we can''t track him, there is a way... I gave orders for one of my men to go after him... I just hope he''ll be manipulable enough...¡± ¡°Oh, not really one of your subordinates then?¡± ¡°We work with what we have... You don''t have to know the exact nature of my influence, but know that everything is under control...¡± With a gesture, she chased away the people present in the room and contemplated the strange geometric shapes which, traced on a vast holographic map, meant something only to her. ¡°Yes, everything is under control... I can only hope that it is indeed my control...¡± Specialist interview: the Homs Vermilions . The Glapouine¡¯s peduncled eyes, almost hidden by the sensory tentacles of her head, turned nervously towards the multiple cameras that floated around her, at a reasonable distance. Although not a beginner, she was always a little nervous before a broadcast. She gave a few orders to the chip implanted in her head and it allowed her to visualize her notes clearly inside her thoughts. Comforted by this inner vision, she relaxed and her ocular tentacles rose again above the others, focusing on the red camera indicating the main shot. The Glapouine gave a conventional smile and spoke. ¡°Welcome to our show ¡®Understanding the Universe¡¯! I am Uana Gemme and this is our guest today: Doctor Ged Glo, doctor of the Universal University and specialist in xeno-anthropology. I would like to point out that this show has been validated by the Network Institution, Sub-Institution of Communications as well as by the Science Institution, Sub-Institution of the Conservation of Knowledge... Hello Doctor Ged Glo, it is an honor to have you on our holovision set.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Attached are the links to the doctor¡¯s official biography and the list of his many and impressive accomplishments for science. Without further ado, I would like to start questioning you.¡± ¡°You could vary your notes from one show to another... uh, I mean, do so.¡± Uana''s peduncled eyes had twitched slightly as she stared at the doctor, which was an indicator of annoyance among her species. Ged obviously knew it because he had changed the subject and pulled his wide-brimmed hat slightly down over his eyes. Assured that he would not do it again, the journalist began the interview: ¡°Who has not heard of the Homs Vermilions? From a secret program of the Administration and officially put into service during the twenty-thousandth Lona¨¦, when the Titanic threat was at its height and the Zcarbbs had already invaded several galaxies. Rumor has it that they are immortal cyborgs in the service of the Administration, but yet one of them, Vector, was the first person to seize supreme power within the Administration...¡± Instinctively, Uana reached for a device attached to one of her hearing tentacles as she received new information. Her body undulated curiously with her worry, then she spoke again, more serene in appearance: ¡°... a supreme power that he acquired through coercion and not elections, it is obvious that it cannot be compared to the legitimacy of a universal presidency where the holder of supreme power is elected by a majority of votes, compared to his competitors, coming from the infinity of citizens... Yes, let us recall that Vector has... used force and threats to force the deputies of the Assembly of the Administration to validate his seizure of power... by arms... and therefore totally illegitimate, even according to the circumstances... Uh, and so my... my first question was... uh... ah, there you go... Before talking about their history, what can you tell us about the Vermilions? Who are they, where do they come from, are they truly immortal?¡± ¡°Well, a lot of this information is confidential and even I don''t have access to it. On the nature of the Vermilions, they are cyborgs, that is to say biological beings with significant modifications of a mechanical nature. Their biological part itself results from advanced genetic manipulations that were illegal at the time. Of course, this illegality was due to the pressures and threats exerted by the Hogloo Nations against any genetic practices that could fill the technological gaps between our two entities. From what we know, from the documents to which I had access, the Vermilions were designed mainly to counter the Hogloo threat. This is also why most of their known bases were already in the border no man''s land when their existence was revealed.¡± ¡°Cyborgs and genetically modified people, is it this nature that allows them to be immortal? Are they truly immortal?¡± ¡°Well, it''s more complicated... I... Yes, I can say that... When a Vermilions'' physical body is destroyed, their... how to say... the Hogloos say something like ¡®essence of life¡¯, but it''s a rather shaky translation of the Tadlomas language... Let''s say that this essence of life can be transferred by some mysterious means to a secret base where the body will be reconstituted. The details are top secret, of course. As for the reality of their immortality, I would say that they are not really. There are a few rare cases where destroyed units have died permanently.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Another question: submissive machines or independent citizens? There are many rumors about the Vermilions, some saying that they have no real independence of mind and others fear that they are plotting some new coups d''¨¦tat like Vector. What is the reality?¡± ¡°The Vermilions are people and not simple machines: that much is certain. However, their special role in defending the Administration removes their right to vote, and their initial programming makes any betrayal impossible. In fact, it¡¯s this point mainly that removes their right to vote, because otherwise they could be forced to vote for the incumbent president... in theory.¡± ¡°But if they are so loyal, why did they overthrow the government, in complete illegality, under the leadership of Vector?¡± ¡°This is the old generation of Vermilions and, as surprising as it may seem, they did this by following their programming to the letter. Faced with the growing danger of the Zcarbb invasion and the monumental defeats on the Titan front, they concluded that only their absolute and logical control over the Administration could counter the threat. So, they betrayed the laws, but thinking they were following their duty.¡± ¡°And, were they right? I mean, was it actually¡­ positive for the Administration?¡± ¡°Um¡­ No¡­ Let¡¯s say that from a purely military point of view, it allowed our lines to hold better and to limit enemy expansion more effectively. However, it did not really change the outcome of the conflict and imposed too many restrictions on the freedoms of citizens. We all know the story: Admiral R¨ºv¨¦toile, hero of the war against the Titans, was recalled from the front by deputies in order to restore the right law. However, he joined the Titans and took control of the Administration as his personal domain... There is much debate as to whether or not he had acted well, knowing that his ultimate plan led him to imprison himself with the Titans and the majority of their most powerful servants in an area now erased from the accessible universe. But we digress... Let us recall that Vector, driven from power by R¨ºv¨¦toile, took refuge in the Imperial Universal Federation and took direct control of it, alternating between phases of alliance and confrontation with the R¨ºv¨¦toile Administration, in the face of the Zcarbb threat. During the administrative restoration, leading to the current ¡®Steel Administration¡¯, an Administration more united and solid than ever, Vector Vermeil chose to abdicate and surrender to the forces of Order.¡± ¡°Why did this tyrant make this choice? Was it a kind of belated remorse?¡± ¡°Well, there are several theories, some claiming that he had lost confidence in his own abilities, others explaining that he had logically chosen the best path for the survival of the Administration. The most outlandish even invent legends like that he would have been heartbroken following the death of the one who was his second: knowing that the Vermilions are programmed not to have feelings useless to their duty, it is more than improbable. In any case, he voluntarily chose to end his dictatorship and returned the Empire to the Administration, consolidating the alliance of the universe and agreeing to pay for his crimes with a lifelong stasis.¡± ¡°Could it be that other Vermilions continue his projects, or that they could revolt in a similar way?¡± ¡°No. I answer you frankly: it is no longer a possibility. The new models have new programming, more efficient and more respectful of the laws, while the old models gradually choose to be put into stasis, considering their own obsolescence. They can always be reactivated in case of absolute necessity, constituting the last line of defense of the Administration.¡± ¡°The last line of defense? But finally, what are the real powers of the Vermilions, apart from their immortality?¡± ¡°The Vermilions have the most modern arsenal and are insensitive to pain and corruption. Beyond these qualities of ideal soldiers, they also have natural protections against all known weapons, not infallible, of course, but allowing them to face all types of adversaries. They also have an enhanced intelligence and an unrivaled capacity to use the Network, which makes them elite military commanders.¡± ¡°Thank you very much Doctor Ged Glo for all your answers. It is very reassuring to know that there is a group so faithful to administrative values ??and that its excesses of the past can no longer be repeated. Do not hesitate to share your opinions and questions in the comments on the holo-forum. I am legally required to inform you that, according to the Transparency Act, you will be held legally responsible for the content of your exchanges and that these may be collected by the various Institutions in order to guarantee the safety of all of us. I also remind you that the Homs Vermilions are both high-level administrative agents and military officers, any insult against them will be considered from a legal point of view. This was Uana Gemme, for the show ¡®Understanding the Universe¡¯ with our special guest, Doctor Ged Glo...¡± The cameras pan to give the illusion of distance as the show''s end credits music plays. Universal News #1 A tall, thin figure with an elongated head and greatly extended arms and fingers stands behind a desk, next to a simple screen currently crossed out with the Universal News logo. This rectangle would broadcast the images associated with the news and would grow larger at times to become the only image projected. The presenter is well dressed and his suit is a brown that goes wonderfully with his pink skin and he has four narrowed eyes that easily pick up the discreet signal of the start of the live broadcast. He immediately begins to speak in a calm but rapid and slightly melodious tone: ¡°It¡¯s the breaking news with Universal News! Welcome, all you of the universe. External threats. Today, the Utela galaxy has been placed on orange Zcarbb alert. Citizens are urged to have their bunkers brought up to standard and to be prepared to go there in the event of an alert. The War Institution and the Communications Institution inform you that there is no particular reason for concern and that this barbaric incursion will be quickly stopped. Additional troops are being deployed to deal with the situation. Politic. The Administrative Assembly has finally adopted in final reading the new law on democratic normalization. From now on, all administered nations are required to have citizen representation and to include this principle in their constitutions. A series of sanctions are provided for in the event of refusal to cooperate, which will undoubtedly encourage the recalcitrant to quickly accept this new step towards the universal establishment of democracy. On the other hand, the law for a new universal tax intended to finance the administrative army, proposed by the presidential camp, was again rejected by the vast majority of deputies: knowing that this refusal is widely supported by the voters, this does not bode well for the president with the elections approaching... Internal Security. A priority alert has been issued against a rogue administrative agent: Libre Lhom of category alpha+. The report that you can see in the image has been broadcast to all media, official and not. Recently registered, this agent used the advantages of his status to help a prisoner escape and attacked the prison fleet launched in pursuit of it. The status of these prisoners has not been communicated by the Administration, but the rogue agent managed to escape after causing thousands of deaths among the prison forces. We do not yet know for which terrorist group he works, nor what his intentions were with this escape. The official rebel group ¡®Liberty¡¯, to which he once belonged, has officially announced that they have no longer had any ties with the rogue agent since a long time and has strongly condemned his actions. Finances: The economic crisis continues, but the government claims that their new measures will have it completely under control within two standard years¡­ that is, after the elections. Biggest increase on the universal stock market: War-Fun, a major arms company, mysteriously saw its stock value increase by 326% today. Some see this as a sign of an upcoming major conflict, but it is likely that this is just a speculator''s frenzy based on false rumors in ¡®insider¡¯ circles. Biggest drop: GoW, a stock market giant whose activities are still unknown, seems to have ceased¡­ well, ceased all activity. An administrative investigation is underway and billions of people have been ruined by the total loss of value of the stock.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Technology: Neru-teque has officially announced that they are indeed developing a SECURA-03 chip. Their representatives have specified that this model is still under development and will not see the light of day for a few standard years. In addition, it will not be for sale to the public but exclusively reserved for the armed forces fighting on the Zcarbb front. Despite the conspiracy rumors spread on the Network about the SECURA-02 chip and, now, about the SECURA-03, the company is confident in the future, as demonstrated by their public statement: "If we announce this release today, so far in advance, it is because we felt obliged to respond to the paranoid rumors we are the subject of. Each release of a neural chip, by ourselves or our competitors, is systematically the subject of a smear campaign on the private media, claiming that we are going to take control of our customers'' brains. Not only has no accident ever occurred, but scientists linked to the Administration verify the reliability of sensitive products from private companies, making this type of crime, of which we are accused, impossible. This announcement has already caused a slight increase in requests for implantation. That¡¯s it for today¡¯s news! It was the breaking news with Universal News. And now: time for advertising. A succession of terrifying images, censored enough to remain suitable for all audiences, are offered to the view. A Zcarbb warrior slaughtering a group of defenseless civilians and attacking their remains, a Hogloo transforming into a monstrous mass of matter whose tentacles disembowel an entire army of mercenaries, the feet of a Titan crushing several blocks of buildings... ¡°The universe is in peril... will you have the courage to protect your loved ones?¡± A lively and martial music begins. An Administration soldier, in war armor, advances, his regulation rifle in his hand... then another, and another, each belonging to a different species. The view moves away revealing an entire column marching in step-in brand-new uniforms. Small, large, people of all sizes marching in unison. ¡°Join those who protect your homes¡­ Join those who protect the peace¡­¡± The view moves away so quickly that it soon presents space, covered in warships. A gigantic battleship is in the foreground. The image quickly zooms in on its massive, swiveling cannons, before showing it again from further away, from a favorable angle. ¡°Our unity will endure, and together we will protect the peace!¡± The image returns to the soldiers, vastly outnumbered and performing the administrative salute. ¡°Join the Administrative Army and become heroes!¡± The official administrative anthem sounds as the image passes from soldier to soldier: ¡°Under the wings of the Administration! All together cooperating! The nations of worlds united! For the good of all! No more cacophony: Common laws... so that harmony reigns! The Administration protects you! The Aaaaadministration, for a better future!¡± Entry 001: Mission to a Warlord Part 3: Agent Sava Domeria, administrative agent category alpha. Relative Timeline: Ta6Lo61100 Area: Sector E, Utela galaxy Location: Interstallar Space Control: Universal Administration [UA] Affiliation: Universal Administration [UA] Slumped on the couch in her living room, Sava Domeria felt absolutely relaxed. The memory foam of this seat was a marvelous invention, even surpassing the food synthesizer in her top ten¡­ Sitting comfortably as she was, even the usual bad news in the news had no effect on her. A new rebellion has announced its formation in Homeria. Claiming to ¡°liberate the people from the iniquitous censorship laws imposed by force on Homeria¡±, they have decided to call themselves the ¡°New New-Rebellion¡±, the ¡°N.N.R.¡± Their leaders have officially announced that they refuse to fill out the forms necessary for their activity and that they will soon carry out illegal acts of a terrorist nature, once they have managed to reach an agreement among themselves. The authorities haven¡¯t commented, but public rumor claims that this new terrorist group hides among the Nomads, outside the galaxies, making them difficult to locate. Citizens'' committees throughout the Administration have petitioned their deputies to demand that effective measures finally be taken against these marginal bandits who regularly threaten... [¡­] News on the Zcarbb front. After many peaceful standard decades, the Zcarbbs seem to be launching a new series of gratuitous aggressions against the administered territories. While some attacks seem to follow their usual logic of colonization, others are characterized by unusual violence and massacres followed by the abandonment of the system by the aggressor. This worrying change in Zcarbbs¡¯ habits has caused a reinforcement of the galaxy-fleets stationed on their borders. The Institution of War claims that the situation is under control and that there is no need to worry, while asking for more budget and encouraging valiant citizens to commit to defending Civilization against the nameless barbarity of these monsters who¡­ [¡­] A new law has been finalized regarding the need for citizen representation within all administered nations and requiring the inclusion in constitutions of the principles¡­ Just as she was about to fall asleep, Sava was startled awake by a drone. The small floating sphere, covered in pink and white fur except for its retro-looking camera, circled around her, emitting an alarm noise until she felt compelled to get up to catch it. Although she had programmed this type of alert herself, she still hated it. Before accepting the incoming communication, she checked that her image would not be transmitted to her interlocutor. Even if her pajamas were quite decent, she had no intention of showing herself in such casual attire... ¡°But it''s still a day off,¡± she grumbled before starting the conversation. A Yapa in impeccable uniform glared at her, probably annoyed at not seeing an image displayed in return for hers. Politeness required a certain reciprocity. ¡°Agent Domeria! Are you connected? Answer!¡± The Ham gave herself a moment to think. She could pretend to have a reception problem. Or perhaps pretend she was absent and the communication had opened on its own. Although she knew she wouldn''t do it, leaving her boss in the lurch when he called her was a pleasant fantasy. She answered him:Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°Yes, yes, Agent Domeria reporting. Sorry, but I''m not presentable: I''m not supposed to be on duty.¡± The Yapa blushed, which was hardly visible because of the red fur covering his body. ¡°Uh... yes, forgive me for the inconvenience. However, an urgent mission has appeared in your sector[1]. Go there immediately and solve the case. Over.¡± The communication cut off and a large hologram floated in the room, detailing the mission orders. With a bad temper, she discovered that a Hom warlord had repeatedly encroached on the territory of a neighboring nation, somewhere in the Utela galaxy, causing some minor damage. The kind of incident that could lead to a local war, negligible on a universal scale but still best avoided in the name of Administrative Peace. The troublemaker was a Hom with some power, a small dictator who ruled a small piece of a galaxy in sector E, by the Hom custom which said that the one with the biggest gun and good rhetoric had the right to reign. It was not insignificant that it was someone of her species who was sent to resolve this kind of situation, in this case a Ham, or a female of the Hom race. Envoys of another race had about a 75% additional probability of never returning from those missions or of going on sick leave right after, with a bad migraine. The Homs were universally renowned for the deviousness of their politics and their games of half-truths. Despite her ancestry, she was not sure she would emerge victorious from an oratorical joust against an experienced politician. Leaving the living room, Sava quickly took off her pajamas and ordered the automatic machines to project her suit. It appeared almost instantly on her skin, first the initial, tight-fitting armor, then the looser clothing that made her feel less exposed. These clothes could easily transform into a spacesuit or instantly make compressed weapons appear, while the initial armor could withstand almost anything. She then went into the cockpit of the ship. The craft had already started to move towards its destination and her presence was not necessary. Nevertheless, she liked to observe the screens that gave the impression that the space around the vehicle was scrolling. Of course, after a teleportation then a movement at superluminal speed, the clear image that surrounded her was a simple reconstruction of the decor. The ship slowed down and a very real image appeared: a gigantic space fortress. Appearing to be formed of multiple giant cubes, red, orange, yellow and gray, assembled haphazardly, the immense space base was equipped with an impressive number of cannons pointed in all directions as well as a large model designed to annihilate celestial bodies in a single shot: the kind of gadget that any Hom rich enough to buy a planet liked to have. The procedure was automated, but she still manually checked that her defenses were all active and that her access authorizations had been accepted. Her ship decided to park in the middle of a vast space surrounded by large, heavily armed battleships, painted the same dark orange as the exterior of the ship. Fortunately, the interior of the fortress was painted in tones of off-white and black that were more pleasant to the eye and formed numerous arabesques. Before leaving, Sava added a holster to her belt and visibly added a large pistol. Those of her people liked big weapons and carrying one would flatter their ego while reducing the risk of being assassinated. If killing an administrative agent was a serious crime that could provoke the intervention of the army, it often happened that some mysteriously disappeared despite their advanced equipment. Outside the ship, a column of about ten soldiers in orange and black uniforms awaited her. They greeted her martially, as they would greet any visitor of their master, then invited her to follow them through a maze of corridors. They finally reached the throne room, the control room, or whatever pompous name had been chosen. The agent detected its position well before they arrived there: there was an invisible dome that blocked all attempts to probe this part of the fortress. Her suit discreetly retrieved the spy nanobots that had scouted the terrain before her passage, leaving a few behind to generate a backup beacon in case she did not return. As the armored doors of the central room opened, Sava could not help but tremble slightly with apprehension. She knew the customs of her people perfectly and could avoid most fatal missteps. She knew how the sense of honor worked, sometimes artificial but of a necessary appearance, which guided the actions of the ruling classes. However, one could not exclude the possibility of coming face to face with a deviant of the worst kind who would render all her knowledge useless¡­
[1] Note: although the word sector is used, it is in fact a sectoral subdivision which can extend between several sectors¡­ If you have not understood, refer to the documentation available in your nearest administrative center on the subject of administrative divisions. Entry 002: Politics Hom The throne room was a mixture of ostentatious luxury and crude mechanisms worthy of a construction site. Visible gears and levers with mysterious purposes were visible, alongside antique tapestries and not too ugly works of art representing landscapes by means of sculpture and painting. The predominant color was the same dark orange that seemed to be the dictator''s personal trademark, but the presence of other hues made its overrepresentation less painful. A red carpet led to a raised (and orange) throne on which the warlord sat, recognizable by his clothes mixing luxury and military sobriety. He was a man of about fifty, with brown, almost black hair. He did not have a beard but a small goatee braided with care. Seeing the agent approach, he stood and bowed in a gallant salute. She returned it with a standard administrative greeting, all her senses on alert. ¡°Welcome, Miss Domeria,¡± he said in a common homic with little archaic touches, ¡°I expected the administrative agents to come, but not for them to send such a charming-looking person.¡± It was impossible to tell if this Hom was trying to seduce her, to disturb her, or simply to greet her politely. The tyrant¡¯s face was deeply sympathetic, but there was also a certain deviousness to it. Many would say that this is a natural trait of the Homs and that it did not prejudge his character, and they might be right. ¡°You are the warlord Khraz R¨ºvegloire, I presume? I am indeed the agent you were waiting for, so I suppose we can cut to the chase and discuss the heart of the matter.¡± ¡°Ah, yes, what problem again?¡± ¡°Border crossings and attacks on automated outposts. These actions are against administrative rules and I am tasked with reporting them to you in order to resolve this¡­ incident, without it escalating. There have been no deaths so far, so it is not too late yet¡­¡± ¡°Okay, I will stop.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± A slight smirk twisted the lord¡¯s cordial features as surprise appeared on the young Ham¡¯s face. She suppressed her anger so that it would not show on her features as well: this Khraz had managed to surprise her, which counted as a victory in Hom diplomacy. However, his words were binding: the resolution of this conflict could not be so simple, could it? ¡°You¡­ you agree to cease all aggression and not to repeat it?¡± ¡°I would do it again if they ever retaliated, however I had no official reason to launch these attacks, so I am quite wrong. I will pay for the compensation. I have no intention of transgressing administrative laws.¡± Sava contemplated the Hom¡¯s face and saw perfect honesty in it: it was certain, he was plotting something. The trick was to find out what. To do that, it was necessary to take risks and try to disturb him, even if it meant provoking him. ¡°Oh, do you intend to maintain this course of action when democratic representation measures will be imposed in your local area? I fear that traditional methods of governance may be impacted by it.¡± ¡°But,¡± he replied with a broad smile, ¡°I have already taken the lead. My nation is now perfectly democratic, according to administrative criteria.¡± Sava bit her lip but managed to keep her cool. This guy couldn¡¯t lie, at least not directly: that would be losing face. So, she had to look for the hidden meaning of his words to try to counter them. ¡°Really? Are you ready to put your power on the line against competitors? Unless you¡¯re the only candidate?¡± ¡°Come on, what democratic nation doesn¡¯t have at least one opponent in its midst? Of course, there are free elections and multiple candidates. I even took up the ancient tradition of voting booths, to ensure the anonymity of votes¡­¡± She held his gaze without saying anything. Rather than making a hypothesis, she would force him to continue his explanations. Guessing her strategy, he smiled amusedly. ¡°Of course, my police are still investigating to find out who is behind the assassinations of well-known opponents and the molestation of those who vote for them. I suspect that some overzealous subordinates are behind these actions, but I could really use some administrative agents to continue this investigation...¡±This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Administrative agents who would mysteriously disappear if they discovered anything, of course. Sava was starting to get tired of this conversation: she still couldn''t figure out the intentions of her interlocutor, but he certainly wasn''t trying to justify his regime. On the contrary, he seemed to be indirectly criticizing the administrative policy by establishing a democratic masquerade, and he admitted it to her almost directly. ¡°I suppose you have to get 99% of the voting results.¡± ¡°Of course not: I''m rigging the results to avoid getting to that point.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Oh, you managed to hide your surprise. But, understand that such a high result would be quite suspicious. I prefer to stay at 86%. In any case, I think that this is the real result of the support I enjoy, although you understand that it is quite difficult to verify.¡± ¡°So, you''re rigging the results.¡± ¡°No law prohibits a candidate from rigging the results to his disadvantage.¡± Indeed... The Ham decided to cut short the political game, too bad if she lost her opponent''s esteem: this little game didn''t amuse her. ¡°Well, why are you telling me all this?¡± ¡°Well, to prove my honesty to you.¡± They must not have the same definition of the term. However, she realized that she had remained estranged from her people for a long time, since her studies at Center: she had lost much of the notions of the Great Game. ¡°Let''s admit: what is this honesty and what use is it to me? All I can deduce is that you will attack your neighbors again as soon as you have created a realistic incident on their border and that you will force your slave army to invade them thanks to a legal pretext.¡± ¡°Slave army? Not at all: do you think that I am going to enlist people in my army who could turn against me? I only have volunteers. As for my neighbor, I really have no intention of attacking it again. In fact, this attack was only a pretext to lure you here.¡± ¡°Lure me here? Me?¡± ¡°Yes, you... or some more or less novice administrative agent who is entrusted with dangerous and inglorious missions. Understand that by ¡®honesty¡¯ I mean that I don¡¯t hide anything from you about what I think of the Administration and its dangerous and arbitrary decisions. Because of them, I am forced to take violent measures against my own people in order to maintain order¡­ You understand everything I am implying and how you could conduct a more muscular investigation that would perhaps earn you a few more stripes. To simplify: I am giving you a huge stick with which you can beat me up as soon as you leave here.¡± Exactly: that was very suspicious. ¡°I imagine that you already have enough pretexts and false leads in place in order to spare yourself the inconvenience of a lifelong stasis?¡± ¡°Of course. However, that would be very unpleasant, so I would appreciate it if you¡­ if you believed what I am going to tell you now.¡± The man''s expression became more serious and he descended the steps of his throne to approach his interlocutor. On this occasion, she noticed that he was not taller than her, contrary to what she had believed when he towered over her. ¡°I have rather efficient intelligence services and their latest reports are rather worrying. They have located a group of pirates operating in a small abandoned system, on the edge of the galaxy, far from my borders.¡± ¡°So what? Report it via your local administrative centers. And what does it have to do with you?¡± ¡°That is something you should discover for yourself. Let¡¯s just say that there are clues that lead me to believe that there is complicity within the administrative agents themselves¡­ perhaps even up to the president.¡± A feeling of unease invaded Sava as she stared at the serious face of her interlocutor. Such an accusation was very serious. Such corruption was theoretically impossible because of the security measures designed to monitor the activities of the agents. Of course, there were political plots and assassinations, perhaps a little corruption on the edges, even among the agents¡­ ¡°What is your interest?¡± ¡°My survival¡­ well, that of my people too. What you will discover at these coordinates will make you take an enormous risk. The movements of my henchmen are far too closely monitored to allow me to act personally, but you could go to this point, discover what is hidden there and save this galaxy from what the Administration is preparing to do to it.¡± ¡°Stop speaking in riddles!¡± ¡°No: if I told you what you would find, you would not believe me, or you would doubt that it was really a decision of your superiors. If I lured you here, it¡¯s to get me an expendable administrative agent, and therefore not involved in this story. You will go to this point and save my kingdom... well, the galaxy too. Does that suit you?¡± Saying this, he thrust a small piece of paper into Ham''s hand... Yes, a real piece of paper: an additional violation of the administrative laws prohibiting the production and distribution of paper. ¡°When you have found what you are going to find, you will have to choose between risking your life and asking the owners for an answer, or making the situation official at the risk of being assassinated, but without ever getting the answer.¡± ¡°I don''t understand.¡± ¡°Go ahead and announce that the situation is defused. For my part, I will immediately pay the compensation due. You can then take advantage of your leave to investigate, or shoulder the responsibility for billions of deaths in this galaxy. Have a good trip, Miss Domeria!¡± Withdrawing to his throne after a short bow, he signaled to his guards. They, who had remained behind near the door, opened it and prepared to escort the visitor to her ship. But she stopped abruptly, struck by a detail: ¡°Wait: how do you know I¡¯m on leave? That information is inaccessible!¡± The man smiled, striking a very theatrical pose from his throne: ¡°Perhaps I have some connection to something bigger than me, something that has the means. You can try to investigate¡­ if you survive.¡± Entry 003: Suspicious Coordinates The ship appeared in space, invisible to any detection system. Equipped with a powerful stealth system, it let all forms of matter or energy pass through, making it absolutely impossible to perceive. The only flaw was the presence of micro-drones equipped with sensors, which provided the ship with the necessary indications on the outside world, but even these could not be detected without sensors equivalent to those of a powerful battleship. It was also possible for advanced devices to detect the use of a Walker engine when leaving the premises, so stealth approach protocols involved a long movement in normal space before any teleportation. Sava looked warily at the empty space surrounding her vehicle. Had she been right to investigate like this, without warning anyone? Perhaps it was a trap and would she fall into an ambush by a group that hated administrative agents? There was no shortage of them in the universe. Here, in the sidereal void separating the systems, the ship''s detection devices noticed only one object of interest several light years away. A beacon, crudely camouflaged as a small asteroid in case someone happened to pass by this point, was located near the arrival point indicated by the coordinates written on the piece of paper. Of course, she had teleported herself at a certain distance from it, in case it was a trap. The Z.I.A. on board confirmed that there was no local risk, not even a self-destruct device, which was quite surprising knowing the Homs'' taste for this kind of detail. The beacon seemed set to receive a particular system and all its onboard electronics consisted of a simple answering machine whose software did not even deserve the name of A.I.. She got in touch with it. ¡°Welcome. If you are not the recipient of this message, please do not worry about it, thank you. If you are the recipient of this message, please follow the coordinates given in the subroutine, thank you.¡± The Ham frowned: was Khraz R¨ºvegloire making fun of her by sending her on a galactic treasure hunt where she would go from clue to clue? It was not impossible that rich and powerful person would have fun like this at the expense of an administrative agent, but certainly not after giving it incriminating evidence that could cause them trouble. Leaving stealth mode, ensuring that her software had full control of the beacon''s data, she analyzed in depth the subroutine mentioned by it. Little protected, this program simply received a signal sent by another beacon, as if to keep track of its possible movements... A tracer allowing the movements of a ship or a mobile space base to be followed... Or even possibly a celestial body, a comet perhaps? Some pirate bases used this type of hiding place. The Z.I.A. on-board-computer indicated that the coordinates given corresponded to a small system without valuable resources on the galactic edge. There were certainly no other stages of the treasure hunt: it corresponded perfectly to the vague description given by the dictator. Reactivating the stealth system, she ordered the computer to program a jump to a safe distance from the point, then an approach to it. Immediately, she found herself in the right system, speeding at the full power that her superluminal engines could use while remaining discreet. Quickly, amplified to appear closer, the image of a space station filled the landscape screens while its data appeared on the control ones, allowing the agent to study it. It was some kind of old residence for asteroid miners, its many ruined areas indicating a state of near abandonment. A better maintained part had a docking bay on which a dozen or so good-sized civilian ships were docked: probably pirate vehicles full of hidden weapons. Several automatic defense turrets were clearly visible on the structure of the base, in working order, but this was not something rare in the ¡°E¡± sector, even if the place was occupied by honest people. The ship landed on an empty platform, floating above the ground in case there were presence sensors. There was an artificial atmosphere and gravity there, although this place was open in the middle of space. If ever a spaceship wanted to dock, the ship would move away, still undetected.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Sava went to the armory and entered the stealth suit tube. Immediately, a thin film made of a top-secret material was deposited by the machine, enveloping her and her clothes without it being visible. This stealth armor connected to her own computer, giving her control over its special properties. With a simple command, the Ham became invisible. There were better designs than this armor-cladding, but it was hard to say how that was even possible. Just like her ship, any wave it received was absorbed and spat out the other side¡­ A good thing if she was being shot by an energy weapon, since this suit prevented the use of an energy shield or any long-range attack software. She could, of course, call the military and have all these people arrested in no time. However, it was better to check what was going on here. Some pirate groups were even legal as long as they didn¡¯t practice their activity, while some civilian groups could easily look like criminals, like a private security company for example. Descending silently through the airlock of her ship, she floated to the platform and set off towards the interior of the complex. The artificial gravity had no effect on her thanks to her suit. Nevertheless, she walked, floating slightly above the ground but making all the necessary walking movements: floating in the air without a sense of up and down was too disturbing so many adopted ¡°normal¡± movements in such cases. Of course, she had been trained in this type of movement, but the use of artificial gravity was widespread everywhere, taking away any reason for her to train and therefore the habit. She progressed in this way through the base, sometimes floating higher to pass a guard, or faster to go through an open door before it closed. The occupants of the place were all armed and belonged to various species. Their movements seemed very professional and they were ready to react at any moment to an attack. Some even had very powerful weapons. If they were really pirates, they must have had military training. Patiently, she explored the corridors, waited to be able to pass¡­ or even lost patience and forced some openings. Her attack software no longer worked remotely, but by touching the doors she could still broadcast some of them. Fortunately, the defense software was less efficient and she was not spotted. She even managed to infiltrate the surveillance system to erase in real time the door opening phases she caused. It was still a strange adventure. Floating around among armed people, unmolested, walking through empty corridors and opening doors to equally empty rooms¡­ There was a living quarter occupied by the pirates¡¯ belongings and where some of them rested, but other than that¡­ Yes, it might have seemed childish to hope to find a treasure chest or something like that, but still: these people had to be guarding something, right? And if they were pirates, there had to be loot somewhere, right? Why watch over empty corridors that led to nothing? Perhaps it was to draw attention to empty areas? To distract from the real points of interest? Once this idea had taken root, Sava began to review her method of exploration. From now on, she would look for places that were not guarded in appearance and secret passages. She eventually discovered a hidden door in an area near the ruins. Once through it, she entered a network of more heavily guarded corridors, only to be stopped by another door. The problem with this one wasn¡¯t that she couldn¡¯t open it, but that there were guards right in front of it and that despite waiting for almost an hour, no one seemed to want to go inside. Sava¡¯s instincts were screaming at her that she was getting close to her goal. Her logic expressed the same idea, but with a little more arrogance. First, she had to get rid of these two guards without attracting attention. If the pirates were organized in a military manner, they probably had to regularly communicate their situation to a superior and their suits may have even contained cameras filming continuously. ¡°But they are close enough to each other that I can touch both at once...¡± With a satisfied smile, the agent stretched out her arms and touched the pirates. Her powerful attack software could still act on contact, they took control of the pirates'' suits and installed mind control programs. Even if they had mental barriers powerful enough to prevent direct control of their bodies or real exploration of their memories, the software could draw from their memories the superficial information necessary to copy their attitudes. Prisoners of their armor, the two people could only watch as they answered their leaders the agreed codes to indicate that all was well. The door also undergoes the same treatment. Sava''s heart was pounding: time was running out now. Her attack software wouldn¡¯t hold up against the armor¡¯s antivirus software indefinitely, and in a while, the guards might sound the alarm. She had to find out what was going on here before it was too late. The door closed silently behind her. She moved into a new corridor whose walls were lined with small rooms, separated by a glass wall. It was a prison. Only one cell was occupied, and Sava Domeria was stunned by what she saw there. Entry 004: The future of enemies The creature must have been less than a meter tall and seemed humanoid at first glance. It was actually insectoid: this could be seen by its chitinous body, especially the lower part, composed of an oval abdomen quite distinct from the rest of the body. It also had two small wings on its back, which seemed too small to allow it to fly. The creature was a color that oscillated between brown and dark blue, with yellow stripes streaking its abdomen. Its face was disturbing because it was deeply human, in the sense of a human expression, despite other characteristics such as chitin, two antennae and two small mandibles at the corners of the mouth. It was a Zcarbb! A Zcarbb princess! There was always a small possibility that it was another species of insect, but few had so many characteristics in common with Zcarbbs¡­ As she approached, the creature turned in her direction, scanning the air without seeing her. It spoke in the administered language, with a slightly squeaky accent: ¡°Is there anyone there?¡± It was impossible: there was no way it could have detected her approach. It left no trace, not even a scent or any movement of air. Sava studied the creature. It was obviously young: maybe five years old? It didn¡¯t seem particularly frightened, but it didn¡¯t seem entirely comfortable either. Placing her hands on the glass and pressing her face against it, she tried to observe the hallway. If the agent lowered part of her armor''s protection so she could speak, the sensors in the room would pick up the sound of her voice. They would eventually start to worry about the creature''s agitation anyway... ¡°Omega-pioutrerie!¡± Domeria cursed inwardly. ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯m taking control of all the surveillance equipment in this room. The only way would be to stop time¡­ ah¡­ that¡¯s an idea¡­¡± Digging into her belt pockets, she pulled out a small object similar to a micro-bomb: a temporal grenade. This experimental weapon had been given to her by the Illegal Research Sub-Institution. Contrary to its name, this part of the Science Institution didn¡¯t deal exclusively with illicit research, but also with all programs that had to be kept secret. The development of temporal weapons was one of them, knowledge of which was accessible to her alpha level. Time was a constant: the past no longer existed and the future not yet. However, it had long been discovered that time did not pass at the same speed depending on where one was in the universe, apparently for no specific reason. Sava was ignorant of the details of this research and current knowledge, but she knew that weapons were being developed capable of freezing or accelerating selected areas. The rumor circulating among the members of the alpha level spoke of weapons capable of slowing down an entire planet or doing the opposite, although no tests had yet been confirmed... Some even spoke of affecting entire galaxies, but this was probably a simple exaggeration. She considered the object in her hand. Throwing this weapon would accelerate local time and allow her to interrogate the creature before the pirates were aware of her presence. However, this action would pierce the stealth coating and render the invisibility functions inoperative. In addition, she would have to write a detailed report on the use of this grenade... The administrative agent adjusted the device and threw it, thus piercing her suit. There was a small flash of light and that was it: she was the only one who knew exactly the area affected by the temporal acceleration. Without elements outside of it whose immobility would reveal its limits, it was impossible to realize that something had changed. It was disturbing. The young creature jumped when the Ham appeared out of nowhere, but didn¡¯t seem all that surprised. Its gaze became wary but it didn¡¯t speak, its eyes filled with curiosity studying its vis-a-vis as she herself had done under cover of invisibility. ¡°Are you a Zcarbb?¡± the administrative agent asked. The little creature nodded vigorously, with a gesture that was a bit forced: it was likely that it had no meaning in her own culture and that by exaggerating it she wanted to make sure she was understood. With a big smile revealing teeth composed of the same chitin as her body, although lighter, the little creature confirmed her answer orally:Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. ¡°Yes, I am Zcarbb. I want to get out of here. I want to eat.¡± Sava frowned, trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together. Why was a Zcarbb princess trapped here? She should be inside a hive, surrounded by a myriad of ferocious soldiers ready to slaughter anyone who approached¡­ Even though the Zcarbbs were enemies, it was highly illegal to attack princesses without proper authorization. This was mainly because of the Zcarbb policy of ¡°one planet for one princess,¡± which meant that the Zcarbbs would arbitrarily slaughter all the inhabitants of a random planet for each of their princesses who were murdered¡­ Horror flashed across the Ham¡¯s features as an idea emerged: what if these pirates had been paid to cause trouble in this galaxy? What if, by kidnapping a princess, they had provoked the fury of the Zcarbbs, explaining the recent attacks that the news was talking about? No: the enemy had massacred more than one planet, which would contradict their usual policy. It was impossible for hundreds of princesses to have been kidnapped at the same time, much less by a small band of pirates¡­ However, there was no guarantee that all the Zcarbbs would always react in the same way. Perhaps the alliance of colonies attacking this galaxy had decided to switch to ¡°a hundred planets for one princess? ¡°Hey! Who are you? You don¡¯t look like the other bad people.¡± Sava, interrupted in her thoughts, stared at the little princess. She looked at her without animosity, but with a curiosity so deep that it bordered on a kind of aggression, as if she wanted to open her insides to find out more... What to do? What was her duty as an administrative agent? Concretely, she was faced with a case of kidnapping. Her duty would therefore be to bring this little girl home and give the army the coordinates of the kidnappers. However, she was a Zcarbb: an enemy of all civilization. Logically, she should bring this one back to entrust her to the army and let the politicians decide her fate... She bit her lip, faced with a dilemma. The dictator''s words came back to her, accusing the Administration. Even if there was no proof that he was right, they insinuated themselves into her thoughts, tinging them with doubts. What if the politicians decided to entrust this child to the Sub-Institution of Illegal Research in order to study Zcarbb biology? Would they be willing to sacrifice a galaxy to the fury of the enemy to learn more about them? Maybe¡­ And would she be willing to deliver this child into the hands of scientists? Even if she was a monster, she was still a person¡­ But bringing her home would mean that she could later give birth to a colony, producing millions of Zcarbbs thirsty for conquest¡­ ¡°I¡­ My name is Sava¡­ Sava Domeria. I am an alpha-level administrative agent.¡± Why had she answered? ¡°Ah. Savasava-Domeria? Administrative agent? So, you¡¯re a bad people too.¡± ¡°Huh? No, it¡¯s Sava Domeria. And¡­ I¡¯m not a bad people.¡± ¡°Sava-Domeria. Okay. So, you''re a good people? I''m hungry and I want to go home!¡± The little princess looked at her with a mixture of severity, amusement and expectation. Was it a mask to hide her anxiety? No: she sincerely seemed as anxious and excited as the curious child she was... ¡°And what''s your name?¡± ¡°I''m Ilenayana from the Ikomoro hive!¡± The sounds produced by the names were curious and squeaky, but the universal translator managed to reproduce them audibly. The little girl beamed with pride as she pronounced her name and that of her hive. The names of the different hives were listed by the Administration, so with her alpha accreditation she could locate it once she returned to her ship. There was little chance that two hives with the same name would be in the same galaxy. ¡°Wait a Ten-Tik?[1]¡± she wondered. ¡°Have I already made up my mind? To take this creature home? Why did I make that choice? Because she seems innocent, a mere child? Well, I have to bring her on board anyway, whatever I decide next¡­ Yes, I¡¯ll think about it later.¡± Placing her hand on the glass door, invisible among the cell''s components, she forced it open. Without much suspicion, the princess immediately came out and looked at Sava expectantly. ¡°So, it''s true that you''re a good people, Sava-Domeria? Carry me! I want to go home!¡± She held out her arms and the Ham took her. She was surprisingly light. ¡°Well,¡± she said, ¡°the return is not going to be easy. Hold on tight to me...¡± It was necessary to take advantage of the end of the temporal suspension to launch a lightning attack. Without the invisibility film, she could once again use her software remotely. The temporal difference would give her software a clear advantage over the enemy''s and she could probably cause a surge in their security system, forcing it to shut down. The pirates would be on alert but wouldn¡¯t know where to look until the system powered up again¡­ She drew her weapon and calibrated it to ¡°shock¡±, setting its power high enough to be able to damage the enemy defense systems¡­ But it was better not to fight these people: there was always the possibility that their shooting software was faster than hers. Leaving the room and passing the two guards, still trapped in their armor, she headed towards the empty corridors leading to the abandoned part of the station.
[1] You can translate it as ¡°wait a minute¡±, although that''s not the literal translation. Entry 005: But, I’m hungry! She had to find an old docking bay: there, she could call her ship to escape. The pirates would probably detect the call, but by the time they deciphered her position, she would be far away. Running through the deserted corridors with peeling paint, a Zcarbb against her shoulder occupying her left hand and a large pistol ready to fire in her right hand, she told herself that this was not how she thought she would spend her vacation¡­ ¡°I¡¯m hungry[1],¡± growled the little Zcarbb, ¡°give me something to eat!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t the pirates feed you?¡± ¡°The bad peoples? Yes, they gave me food¡­ a standard hour ago, as you say. But it wasn¡¯t good and I¡¯m still hungry!¡± As if to emphasize her point, a growl of a hungry stomach ran through the little princess¡¯s body, which made her tremble slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything here, but I could synthesize something for you when we¡¯re on board my ship.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m hungry now!¡± ¡°Well, I can¡¯t help it.¡± ¡°But you can: what parts of your body aren¡¯t used? I¡¯ll eat a piece of it.¡± Without waiting, the little Zcarbb began to try to bite the armor, in vain. She then turned her gaze towards Sava''s unprotected face, eyeing the earlobes in particular... ¡°Hey! What''re you doing?¡± Guessing her intention, the Ham let go of the princess, or rather threw her on the ground. The small mandibles clicked in vain in the void, then the little one landed on her abdomen and sprawled on the ground. She immediately straightened up, throwing a furious look at Sava: ¡°Bad! You''re a meanie actually! A bad meanie! I just wanted to eat a piece!¡± ¡°What, are you nuts? Don''t eat pieces of people, even if you''re starving!¡± ¡°Mmm... It''s true that it would be better with some spices... maybe heated. Can you cut yourself and cook yourself?¡± Was she serious? The Ham was starting to reconsider her decision: wasn''t she more of a monster than a child after all? Were the Zcarbbs ready to cut themselves into pieces to feed a starving princess? Probably in case of a lack of food... Was the little girl that hungry? How much food had she been served? ¡°I said: don''t eat people! And that''s even true with spices!¡± ¡°Even with salt?¡± ¡°Uh... yes, that''s even true with salt... and besides, salt is a condiment, not a spice.¡± The princess looked surprised. Sava wondered what point of her argument was causing so much bewilderment. Was it the fact of refusing to be eaten, that people are not to be eaten, even with salt, or that salt is not a spice? Thinking back, it was also possible that it was a translation problem, like a lack of difference between the notions of condiment and spice among the Zcarbbs. ¡°But, I''m still hungry!¡± ¡°Wait a little: we''re almost there... I suppose...¡± ¡°But I want to eat!¡± ¡°When we get there, you can eat whatever you want... well, not people, but for the rest there will be no problem. You can even have salt or spices.¡± ¡°Yes! And sugar?¡± ¡°Well... yes, also sugar.¡± ¡°Hurry up then!¡± Sava sighed. The little girl was annoying her. She didn¡¯t know if this was normal behavior for a child, having never had to deal with one before. From what she¡¯d read on the subject, most of this annoying behavior was probably normal. Abruptly, her right arm tensed up and pulled the trigger of her weapon even as her body spun around. Two pirates who had come into the hallway were thrown back by the power of her weapon¡¯s concentrated shockwaves. But even as they flew through the air, their arms came to life and pointed their own weapons at her to fire. One of them pressed the trigger button, but his weapon didn¡¯t respond, its circuits controlled by Sava¡¯s assault software. The other managed to counter them and a beam of light hit the Ham full on, dissipating on the energy shield that imperceptibly surrounded her just before impact.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. The scene hadn¡¯t lasted a Tik and was already over. None of the participants knew what had happened yet. Sava, out of breath, looked at the inanimate pirates lying, almost out of sight. Her weapon had taken control of her nervous system in order to retaliate to the attack detected by her defense software. Likewise, the pirates¡¯ weapons had reacted in their place to eliminate the intruder¡­ Still trembling at the thought that her equipment could have been less responsive than that of her enemies, the agent took the princess back in her arms and started running at full speed. Even with her software dismantling those of the defeated pirates, it was almost certain that their defeat had given away her position. As if to confirm it, her AI. informed her of multiple teleports detected in the area. The pirates must have controlled all the passages where she could pass. Changing tactics, she aimed her weapon at the outer wall and mentally transmitted her strategy to the AI. of her bracelet. Immediately, she took over. The weapon''s settings changed and a powerful shot disintegrated the wall, opening a chasm on the void that greedily swallowed the air of the corridor and everything that was there. Projected outside, the two fugitives were protected from the vacuum of space by the energy sphere of Sava''s personal shield, expanded to encompass them both. Breathable air and heat were thus preserved. Before they drifted within range of the base''s cannons, the ship, called by the AI, teleported nearby, in order to avoid any interference, and teleported the girls to safety. The ship then fled with all the power of its engines, before slowing down to regain its stealth. Changing direction regularly, it quickly distanced the pursuit drones automatically launched by the enemy defenses. Catching her breath with difficulty, the agent let the robots remove the most cumbersome equipment and set the little Zcarbb on the ground. She really should get back to sports: even if the light exoskeletons integrated into the suits amplified her abilities beyond any training, she was short of breath and felt exhausted. ¡°Where''s the food?¡± And it wasn''t over! She rolled her eyes, then lowered them to the little girl who was looking at her impatiently. ¡°Okay, follow me.¡± They went to the food synthesizer in a corner of her living room. In passing, she told the ship not to attack the princess and wrote a ¡°visitor¡± access authorization for the ¡°common areas¡±. The Zcarbbs were recognized as enemies, there was a small risk that the Z.I.A. would take an unfortunate initiative, so Sava preferred to prevent such an event. The Ham turned on the screen of the synthesizer and faced to the little girl who was looking at the machine with suspicion: ¡°So, what do you want to eat Ilenaya?¡± ¡°It''s Ilenayana!¡± she shouted, annoyed. ¡°Why are you disrespecting me? You''re mean! Bad! If you don''t call me Ilenayana, I''ll call you Sava-Do instead of Sava-Domeria!¡± The threat seemed serious... But only from the little girl''s point of view. There were probably some cultural points here that Sava was unaware of. ¡°Sorry Ilenayana, I didn''t mean to do it...¡± ¡°Okay. But I want to eat!¡± ¡°Yes, and... so, what do you want to eat?¡± ¡°Something good?¡± ¡°But what?¡± ¡°Um, well... Something good?¡± All expression deserted Sava''s face as she tried to keep calm. Come on: she was just a child... What could she possibly like? Meat, probably. Did Zcarbbs also eat plants? She had no idea and the information on that subject was secure. She could access it, but it would take time to validate her authorizations... Well, meatballs... cow meat, let''s say... And then some crushed worm puree, with a tomato sauce... There, that should be fine. Hot dish option, added a little more salt than the initial setting, a few small spices that weren''t too spicy... If she didn''t like it, she could always synthesize something else. Once the setting was complete, the synthesizer drawer opened and a floating plate came out, automatically heading towards the table in the center of the room. As if hypnotized, the little girl followed the dish and watched in wonder as it landed on the table... before throwing herself on it frantically. She didn''t use the spoon that came with the plate, but, digging into the dish with both hands, she began to greedily devour it. Sava looked with disgust at the bits of food that fell on her couch or carpet. The cleaning drones would easily repair this damage, but it still bothered her. A few drops of saliva drooled by Ilenayana just before her rush, however, had left a hole in the carpet, proof of saliva''s extremely acidic properties. The hole would also be repairable, but Sava considered with horror that she would have to avoid separating from her armor near the creature''s mouth. The little girl looked downright hungry and the food seemed to her taste: she looked like she was in heaven, her mouth swollen because it was as full as possible. ¡°So, is it good? It was worth the wait, right?¡± The little girl opened her mouth and spit out a few sentences that the universal translator had a hard time understanding: ¡°With[2] wood... Mut ma worm we wave weal wood what has wawy miwed, woot wowewe babablabe bof babere bike boat wit wawine bowuce.¡± The agent hesitated to tell her that you don''t talk with your mouth full, then gave up. She quickly explained how the synthesizer worked and asked her to stay in the room while she found the location of her colony to bring her back there. The little girl nodded before rushing, her eyes shining, towards the synthesizer. She also said something, but the universal translator completely abandoned the task.
[1] There was a game concept called ¡°Hungry Zcarbb¡± where you would shoot hungry Zcarbbs at buildings with a slingshot to destroy them and devour the inhabitants. Despite the educational interest of the concept, it never passed the censors and therefore never saw the light of day. [2] It''s good... But at home we have real food that has really lived, not grotesque assemblages of matter like what this machine produces. Entry 006: And all this with a food synthesizer! Relative Timeline: Ta6Lo61100 Area: Sector E, Utela galaxy Location: Urus system Control: Republic of Urus Affiliation: Universal Administration [UA] The ship materialized at a good distance from the planets of a small system located towards the center of the galaxy. If, in theory, the most recent ¡°Walker¡± engines were capable of maintaining correct coordinates despite the gravity influences of celestial bodies, administrative regulations strictly prohibited this type of teleportation in a security zone. Sava Domeria looked at the screens synthesizing the data that the Z.I.A. had gathered. Apparently, the hive named Ikomoro was a gigantic spaceship and not a hive located on a planet. It had been spotted attacking nearby systems belonging to the Republic of Urus, so Sava had decided to go to their capital. The precise information was censored by the Institution of War and she would have to go in person to the command center of the Urus army in order to obtain information on the enemy¡¯s location¡­ ¡°It''s quite ridiculous actually: I have to physically go there to prove that I am myself and not an infiltrated enemy... all this to obtain information on the enemy, therefore things that they already know...¡± But hey, the Administration couldn¡¯t be perfect. It was already doing an excellent job managing the billions and infinity of galaxies it administered, so why complain about a little procedural length? She left her command seat and headed to her living room to see if the little Zcarbb wasn¡¯t doing too much mischief. The cameras showed her busy with the screen of the food synthesizer¡­ again¡­ Could a Zcarbb die stupidly by gorging on food? After all, in her hive this kind of detail could be avoided by the surveillance of others¡­ Slightly worried, Sava quickened her pace and entered the room. The princess was no longer there. The panels making up the wall, behind the synthesizer, had been dismantled, leaving a gaping hole. ¡°Pioutrerie and pioutrerie!¡± She didn¡¯t like to be crude, but this time it was justified. Full of apprehension, Sava lowered herself and crawled into the narrow hole. Cables and pipes formed a strange landscape, a new world hidden between the rooms. Many of these accessories were fake or inoperative, in order to complicate the task for a potential saboteur or to allow an easier installation of new modules. The little Zcarbb seemed to have carefully dismantled fake pipes and torn out a few cables to dig a path¡­ Quickly, the agent emerged into a room that she recognized only too well: the chamber of the Stabilizium core, the essential element of the ship. Without it, the autonomy and power of the machine would be radically limited, not to mention that it would be impossible to jump between systems, even with the old models of jump thrusters¡­ The room was circular, its walls formed of a jumble of cables and pipes, its center consisting of a large pillar in the middle of which shone, protected by indestructible glass, two grains of Stabilizium of good size and of a fairly good purity.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. A small figure looked away from the small radiant grains and jumped as Sava straightened up. The Zcarbb princess, strangely, was not very confident. Her gaze was shifty and she had a slightly forced smile, as if she knew perfectly well that she had no right to be here. Before the Ham could even speak, the little one took the lead: ¡°S...s... sorry...I know it''s dangerous and that I shouldn''t be here, but I wanted to see some stabilizium...Mother never lets me see the one we recover from captured ships...but it seemed that it was very beautiful...¡± Sava''s thoughts were swirling and she didn''t know how to react. The heart of Stabilizium was the most precious and protected place on the ship. Hers had stabilizium crystals that alone were worth more than all the rest of her possessions and her wages for the next few years. How had this little pest forced the defenses? Worse still: what could she have learned by observing such a sophisticated system? The Zcarbbs didn¡¯t have mastery of Stabilizium, and that was one of the few advantages the Administration had over them. Of course, they had captured a large number of ships with more or less efficient cores and sometimes used them on their own ships, but they did not know how to extract Stabilizium or reproduce the cores¡­ ¡°Co¡­ Come back immediately. You have no right to be here!¡± ¡°Sorry¡­ But it doesn¡¯t look that dangerous. There should be no problem as long as I don¡¯t touch the parameters of this machine, doesn¡¯t it? With pieces this beautiful, you should be able to blow up planets or design time slowers, I suppose, so I know it¡¯s dangerous, but just watching doesn¡¯t hurt, right?¡± Sava Domeria swallowed: how could this little girl know these things? And things the Zcarbbs weren''t supposed to know either: ¡°What do you mean by time slowers?¡± ¡°Well, the new weapons to slow down enemies. I hear you''re way ahead of the curve in their development in the Administration, but our scientists are also making good progress.¡± ¡°And you''re telling me that like that? You''re telling me your species is developing temporal weapons?¡± ¡°Well, yes? You didn''t know? Your spies discovered that a long time ago. Maybe you don''t study well in class?¡± The Zcarbb gave a little mischievous smile, convinced that she had found a way to make her mistake disappear by pointing out that of her temporary guardian. She probably didn''t know that agents didn''t have ¡°classes¡± to receive top-secret information, and that this one was probably categorized alpha+, that is, out of her access. If the Zcarbbs developed the same weapons, the face of war might become even more hideous and uncertain¡­ But what could she do? She might as well not think about it for the moment. Sava scolded the little girl to hurry back through the tunnel, then followed her to the living room. There, she ordered the robots to repair the damage and turned back to the princess, looking stern. Her annoyance was partially dispelled by the sight of the little girl fidgeting with embarrassment. Oddly enough, despite the arrogant demands she had previously shown, she seemed to feel shame for¡­ for what exactly? For putting herself in danger, perhaps, more than for entering a forbidden area? No need to explain to her that there was no danger whatsoever as long as she was unable to open the secure access to the central pillar. ¡°How did you manage to get past security?¡± Ilenayana shifted from one foot to the other. ¡°Well, I used the food synthesizer. I saw that it had a connection to the other devices¡­ I used it to modify the raw data of the AI ??and to access the access parameters¡­ Of course, it was well secured, so all I could do was modify the recognition of the areas accessible to the ¡°visitors¡±. Then, I created a configuration of the synthesizer to build tools, then I printed a plan of the ship on a celery leaf and hacked the camera system to freeze the images. I only had to dismantle the maintenance panel of the synthesizer and dig a path to the core¡­¡± Speechless, with big eyes and without any particular expression, Domeria fixed her gaze on the little Zcarbb, more and more proud as she explained. The agent, she, oscillated between being astounded and discouraged. The Zcarbbs were renowned for their computer and electronic skills¡­ but she didn¡¯t think it was even possible to be so gifted¡­ Were there such flaws in her ship¡¯s security? An external attack wouldn¡¯t have succeeded, even if the little girl had powerful attack software¡­ But doing all that from a food synthesizer¡­ ¡°Do you see? I did well, didn¡¯t I?¡± Yes, now all shame was gone and the princess seemed to be fishing for compliments¡­ No way she was leaving her here when she will be going to the planet, or she wasn¡¯t sure she¡¯d find her ship when she returned¡­ Entry 007: Conflict As they stepped off the ship, the two girls¡¯ thoughts were very different. Sava felt her heart pounding and wondered if she had made the right choices. If the details of her vacation became public, she would surely be brought before a commission of inquiry. For her part, the little Zcarbb arrived illegally on the planet Urus with the fascination of a child in a toy store. Wrapped in the invisible stealth coating, connected by a wire to Domeria¡¯s bracelet, her silhouette and her sounds were cut off from the outside, but she saw everything. For her, it had to be the most ¡°alien¡± world she had ever seen in her entire life. It was the only way to bring the little girl with her without the protection systems scattered around the planet alerting the authorities to the presence of a Zcarbb. Sure, she could probably manage to talk her way out of trouble, but many would not approve of bringing the princess back to her people. They might even hand her over to the administrative inspectors for a thorough investigation, to find out if she was in the pay of the Zcarbbs¡­ ¡°That¡¯s funny, there are drops of water on your skin!¡± The little girl¡¯s voice echoed in the miniature earphone hanging in her ear. With annoyance, Sava wiped the sweat from her brow and progressed through the streets. Like most cities in the Administration, this one had no real personality. The architecture was similar to everywhere else, with the exception of a few vaguely exotic buildings, more likely proving the presence of a foreign cultural community than a local particularism. People walked dressed in roughly similar clothes, depending on whether they followed the latest universal fashion or were a few behind. In the air, the vehicles on autopilot followed the multiple invisible air roads in an apparent chaos, but in reality, perfectly organized by the road AIs. Despite this world that seemed most banal to Sava, the princess was enchanted. She cried out in wonder every time a vehicle passed overhead, spotted the differences between people''s clothes, was amused by the outpourings of color coming from the advertising screens... ¡°Hey! Sava-Domeria? What are these screens with lots of lights for? I don''t understand what they''re talking about?¡± ¡°It''s advertising for new products. This one is praising... an insurance company, it seems. This one is offering a sophisticated electronic chip to boost the local memory of your Z.I.A. and this other one offers a more efficient application for navigating the Encyclopedia Universalis.¡± ¡°Oh? I didn''t know you sold products. I thought you synthesized everything with machines like the food machine... I heard that when you wanted clothes, the machines made them directly from elementary particles, without going through a craftsman.¡± ¡°There is still a certain craze for craft products, with protected labels. There is also equipment that is too complex or copyrighted that cannot be printed.¡± ¡°Like these... insurance companies?¡± Sava turned her head to her shoulder. Although she felt the little Zcarbb clinging to it, she couldn''t see anything, but her movement had been natural in the face of the absurdity of the question. In hindsight, she told herself that it was normal for the Zcarbbs not to know what insurance was: in their society everything was owned by the hive and distributed according to the supposed needs of each person. ¡°Yes... like insurance companies.¡± ¡°It''s good that not everything is done by machines: otherwise, your workers would be bored with nothing to do.¡± Yes... They would mostly be unemployed... In fact, unemployment was a growing problem throughout the universe. Sava preferred not to reveal the weaknesses of the Administration to the enemy, although she strongly doubted that the Zcarbbs could arouse popular enthusiasm by claiming that they would give work to everyone: no one would have too much confidence in the working conditions offered. Suddenly, sirens sounded in the streets as streetlights came on, in broad daylight but with an eerie red glow. Public speakers and billboards began to repeat the same announcement: ¡°RED ALERT! RED ALERT! The planet is under attack. Please remain calm and head to the bunkers or your citizen defense unit. RED ALERT! EVERYONE TO SHELTER!¡± As the announcement repeated itself over and over, far from remaining calm, the citizens began to scream and run in all directions, jostling to reach the destinations of their choice. Better organized because they could not be controlled manually, the vehicles descended along emergency routes to reach the parking lots of the bunkers. Already, explosions were ringing out and warships appeared in the sky, fighting fiercely against each other. The invaders had strange, pointed, jagged shapes, seemingly made from some sort of amber... the Zcarbbs! The little princess let out a squeal of delight at the thought of seeing a battle up close, completely oblivious to the dangers involved. Sava fumed. ¡°Say Sava-Domeria: what does ¡®omega-pioutrerie¡¯ mean? I never learned that word. Is it Homic?¡± ¡°Um... yeah, it doesn''t mean anything important, just don''t repeat it, okay?¡± What to do? Finally, she had found the Zcarbbs, but these weren''t exactly ideal circumstances. Many fighter jets were fighting each other in the air and the enemy''s seemed to be deliberately targeting all the infrastructure. This was nothing like the classic Zcarbb attacks she had seen on video: there was no desire to keep the buildings intact here, but the opposite. ¡°We''re lost!¡± someone shouted nearby. ¡°We''ll never make it to the bunkers in time...¡± ¡°Because you think they''ll be able to protect us?¡± another one retorted in a fit of desperate rage. ¡°I have access to an encrypted Network that still works... well, I had it just before my colleagues told me that their bunker was exploding everywhere...¡± ¡°It''s the end of the world!¡± someone else yelled, running around like a madman, waving his four arms in the air. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. The sky was dotted with the explosions of ships, eliminated by ground defenses or by other ships. Slowly, gigantic machines descended from the sky, like large metal disks with an enormous central circle that seemed hollow but plunged into darkness. Suddenly, these circles lit up to project wide rays that devastated entire blocks of skyscrapers. ¡°Strategic bombers! The Zcarbbs don''t build them... Their appearance is not Zcarbb by the way: they must have captured a military shipyard intact... How did they manage without causing it to self-destruct?¡± This was bad: if one of these monstrous death machines arrived above them and fired, there was no chance of survival. Even a bunker with the best shields would have little chance... Something had to be done. All hesitation left the young woman and she activated the holographic screen of her identification bracelet. Using her alpha priority, she asked to be put in contact with the local military command center by indicating an emergency. The three-dimensional holographic screen floating in front of her revealed a human of about fifty years old, in the uniform of a general of the Republic of Urus, his information written in the air to confirm his identity. He was in a large room where reigned an indescribable chaos of voices, weapons stacked and checked and haphazard movements of military officers. ¡°Yeah, what do you want?¡± The man¡¯s tone was anything but formal. No classic administrative formula: he seemed desperate but still determined to continue his work until its imminent end, but without bothering to follow the procedure. ¡°Administrative agent Sava Domeria, alpha level. After investigation, I believe I have found what the Zcarbbs are looking for and think I can conduct a negotiation to stop their attack. I need you to make sure the Zcarbbs locate my position and think to observe me before shooting me. Can you do that?¡± The general looked surprised, a vague glimmer of hope appearing there before disappearing for fear that it would turn out to be a disappointment. He gave an amused, or nervous, grin. ¡°You¡­ you think you can stop this? Ah! Ah! Ah! Yeah¡­ Most of our republic territory is under attack right now and we¡¯ve lost contact with the outside of the galaxy¡­ And with everyone, now that the Zcarbbs have deployed their jammers. We¡¯re about to fight our last battle here: our shields will force the enemies to opt for a ground attack and we¡¯re going to fight here. We¡¯re checking our weapons and more than half of my guys are praying¡­ To think that this morning the majority were atheists¡­ And you, there, little alpha-level administrative agent, you arrive and, oh, miracle, a solution! Ah! Ah! Ah! The Zcarbbs have already refused our surrender and you are going to negotiate¡­ Ah! Ah! Ah!¡± The general was totally having a nervous breakdown. You couldn¡¯t blame him too much given the circumstances, but every second that passed could well be the last. The earth was already shaking from the explosions produced by the bombers a few kilometers away. The fact that they had tried to negotiate their surrender, despite the laws prohibiting negotiation with the Zcarbbs, and that they had refused, contrary to their habit, completely justified the man''s skepticism about the young agent''s chances. Barely holding back a scream, Sava tried to shake his interlocutor a little: ¡°So, are you going to help me save us all or not?¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. I''m going to give your computer total and priority access to the defense alert. You should appear and be heard on all screens and all frequencies: these scumbags should have no problem locating you within a second.¡± ¡°How long? It''s urgent now!¡± ¡°What do you think I''m doing here? While I was talking to you, I''ve already done what was necessary. I''m not one of those hidden generals who owe their position to their career as a civil servant: it''s through real experiences on the front that I got my position! There, I''ve just given you the order... May you tell the truth... Good luck.¡± As the access authorization and broadcast program arrived at the wrist-computer, the man''s face disappeared. Without wasting a moment, Sava tore off the stealthy protective film that surrounded the princess, making her visible. Taking her in both hands, she raised her towards the enemy ships that increasingly covered the sky. Noticing out of the corner of her eye the advertising screens on which her image was broadcast, she couldn''t help but think of a certain film where a baby was thus raised in the air to be presented to the crowd... She burst into nervous laughter: it was incredible all the nonsense that could go through your head even when you were on the verge of death. Her voice, repeated by the loudspeakers, rang out: ¡°Zcarbbs! I am Sava Domeria, an agent of the Administration at alpha level! I have found what you are looking for and I ask you to negotiate with me the immediate cessation of your attacks!¡± Her heart was beating faster than ever. Even though the little princess wasn¡¯t heavy and the muscular assistance of her suit spared her arms the fatigue induced by maintaining their tense position, her stress caused a certain exhaustion that made her tremble slightly. Would she succeed? From what she knew of Zcarbb psychology, they wouldn¡¯t shoot where a princess was, but could she even negotiate? It was on a different level than settling a conflict between two neighboring nations or resolving a hostage situation¡­ Panting, she noticed that the explosions were gradually ceasing. The ships remained in the air, threatening, while their fighters withdrew under the protection of their shields, ready to fall on the city again as soon as they were given the order. A large two-dimensional holographic screen suddenly appeared in the air, nearly a hundred meters away from her. A strange insectoid with humanoid features, a Zcarbb prince clad in amber armor seemed to be looking in her direction with an implacable gaze. In fact, he certainly saw her. The little Zcarbb immediately recognized him as ¡°General Raez-Golu, who belongs to another hive but coordinates the armies of the defense alliance¡± and waved at him, totally delighted to see someone she recognized. ¡°You, there, release the princess and die!¡± Once his order was issued, the prince fell silent and waited. He frowned a sort of chitinous eyebrow in a very human expression, probably consulted a screen nearby, then turned back to his camera to repeat his request: ¡°You, Sava Domeria, Administration Agent, can you please release the princess and then die, please?¡± Huh? Confused, Sava looked back at the Zcarbb Army General. Did he seriously think she would comply with such an idiotic request? And did he think ¡°please¡± was really a magic word that would make her cooperate? ¡°Please, release the princess and die, thank you?¡± Yes, he really seemed to believe that this could work. So, she decided to explain her position to him: ¡°Sorry, but I have no more desire to die than the rest of the inhabitants of this planet. I demand an audience with your queen¡­ well, rather the one of the Ikomoro hive. I will not release the princess without having been able to explain the situation to the queen and obtain a definitive cessation of this attack!¡± The general seemed displeased and turned in another direction. No sound came through, either because he had cut his microphone or because he had communicated by pheromone: this method comprising half of the Zcarbbs'' linguistic practice. Finally, he turned back to the agent, looking even less happy: ¡°Zocco-tar-Julo, queen of the Ikomoro hive, has agreed to receive you. A transport ship is arriving at your position: ask your defense not to shoot it down. We are suspending our assault until the end of the negotiations, but we will respond blow by blow to any attempt at attack.¡± The screen disappeared. A small shuttle resembling a large amber block descended shortly after and landed on the deserted road, not far from Sava. There were still many people nearby, trembling with fear and looking in astonishment at the screens broadcasting the image of the agent holding a small Zcarbb at arm''s length. Some realized that they were close to the event and pointed their fingers in her direction, but no one dared to approach her or the shuttle. Hugging the delighted little Zcarbb, the Ham advanced towards the transport ship and entered through a wide-open door. Two Zcarbb soldiers, without the slightest humanoid feature, looked at her hatefully with their insect eyes, but did not harm her. Without causing the slightest imbalance to its passengers, thanks to its internal artificial gravity, the transport spaceship rose into the air and headed towards one of the most imposing warships¡­ Entry 008: Heart of the Enemy Arriving in one of the vast hangars of the enemy flagship, Sava had to fight with words against the guards on site who demanded that she release the princess and lay down all her weapons. Talking with the princes who accompanied the troop, she reached an acceptable compromise: the deactivation of all her weapons except for a retractable blade made of impure stabilizium. With this weapon alone, she could not threaten the queen''s life, while being able to decapitate the princess at any time, thus preserving her hostage. The latter did not seem in the least bit bothered by the situation, probably convinced that she was in no danger. This was perhaps true: if she had to die, Sava did not see the point in pettily taking the little girl with her to the grave... but fortunately the Zcarbbs knew nothing of her state of mind. The guards escorted her through a labyrinth of amber tunnels. The Zcarbbs'' technology was mainly based on this type of material that they were able to shape and transform, giving it a resistance superior to neo-steel. Inside the more or less transparent surface of the ship''s walls, gold wires could be seen transmitting electricity through the aircraft. The whole thing was very bright and sometimes hurt the eyes, but fortunately most of the corridors were made of a darker amber on which Sava could focus her vision. She finally entered a large room, previously closed by two massive doors manually operated by about fifty workers. The throne room... or also the laying room? The queen was lying in the center on a massive bed that seemed to be made of a metal base covered with cushions. There were half a hundred workers under the structure who supported her and allowed the queen to move. Despite their mastery of antigravity, this system of movement was preferred for an unknown reason. The queen was a large Zcarbb, with a black shell streaked with the same yellow stripes as Ilenayana, but all over her body and not just on her abdomen. The creature was massive and it was incredible to think that the little princess that Sava was carrying in her arms could one day occupy such a space. According to the agent''s knowledge, this queen must have been over a century old. But she was still producing eggs at a slow but regular rate, which were collected from the back of her body by the nurse workers who were busy in the room. There were piles of eggs everywhere, probably organized but in an incomprehensible way. White larvae were also crawling in all corners, almost blind and bumping into every obstacle under the watchful eyes of the workers taking care of them. General Raez-Golu, with whom she had spoken on the planet, was next to the queen, as were several princesses and princes of various ages. A few physical screens, made of amber, floated in the air and showed both images of Urus where the war remained stopped, but also diffused curious smells that filled the room. The little princess in her arms waved her arms happily while mumbling something in her language. ¡°Queen Zocco-tar-Julo of the Ikomoro hive, representative of the defense alliance,¡± the general announced, ¡°now release the princess!¡± And now? Sava wondered what she could say and do. Letting the princess go would sign her death warrant, but did she have any other options than death? Could she really negotiate with such foreign creatures? The queen sighed and said something in the Zcarbb language. Due to the electronic countermeasures in place in the room, Sava¡¯s translator was unable to help her. Even in normal times, the Zcarbb language was difficult to translate due to its pheromone components¡­ If she had had a neural chip implanted, for example a secure model like the SECURA-02, she would certainly have been able to understand these words and the conversations that followed. Clearly reluctantly, the Zcarbb nobles and some of the soldiers withdrew. The queen advanced towards Sava, or rather her bearers made her advance. She dominated the Ham with her immense size, glaring at her. The remaining soldiers held the ¡°guest¡± at gunpoint with unknown weapons, but certainly capable of long-range shooting. Then the queen spoke: ¡°Release my little Ilenayana and I promise you that your death will be painless. Then we will make your cursed Administration pay for its betrayals!¡± ¡°We have nothing to do with this kidnapping! You should rather thank me, in fact. It was I who snatched your daughter from the pirates who had kidnapped her! I came all this way here to bring her back to you, and you want to kill me?¡± The queen had a curious expression. But, with her eight open eyes and the features of her face that were much further from those of a humanoid than those of her princesses, it was difficult to guess what she was thinking. ¡°Can you put me down?¡± The Ham''s attention turned to the little Zcarbb. She seemed to want to go see her mother. ¡°Sorry Ilenayana, but I can''t let you go now: otherwise, your mother will kill me without even listening to me.¡± ¡°Why? You''re Good! Well, maybe: you still didn''t want me to eat you and you made me fall, and my back hurt and then I had to wait a long time before eating...¡±This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Sava''s breathing quickened as her worry grew. She looked back at the queen but couldn''t make out her expression. Was she... smiling? Or maybe it was a sort of smirk... but an amused smirk? ¡°Oh, it seems like my daughter likes you... Fine, I promise you that whatever your involvement in this matter, you''ll be able to leave here alive. Now let her down.¡± ¡°You think I''m going to believe the words of a Zcarbb? With all due respect, we know you don''t keep your promises.¡± ¡°That''s true: promises made to non-Zcarbbs are worthless. But I''m telling the truth. You intrigue me. Why would an agent of this damned administration come here, to give me back my daughter that you kidnapped? I can''t understand... What would you gain from it? Nothing. There¡¯s no way you¡¯d even hope to get out of here alive, except by my unfathomable will. Let my daughter go where she wants and I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± The little girl squirmed in her arms, clearly dying to stretch her legs. Apprehensively, Sava lowered her to the ground. Her instincts kept screaming ¡°Idiot!¡± and her logic screamed it twice as loudly. Ilenayana immediately ran to her mother, babbling something incomprehensible. The tall figure lowered its immense torso and extended its hands, lifting the little girl up to allow her to cling to her. The princess was delighted. The Zcarbbs guards too. Although their expressions were harder to decipher than the queen¡¯s, Sava could clearly read: ¡°Here it is: now we can slaughter her!¡± Only the queen¡¯s will seemed to hold these monsters back. She seemed pleased to be in a position of strength, her child safe. However, female Zcarbbs were known to be extremely curious, so Sava hoped the queen would be interested in her story now that she no longer had a source of worry. ¡°Tell me.¡± And Sava told her. She spoke, describing her journey from the dictator Hom, but omitting the suspicions he had expressed, up to the present moment. The queen listened, seeming fascinated by the story, then spoke: ¡°So, you didn¡¯t know that your Administration was behind this kidnapping?¡± ¡°Why¡­ Why do you suspect that? It doesn¡¯t make any sense? Why would the Administration kidnap one of your princesses at the risk of starting this war? And then, were you going to set every planet in this galaxy on fire to find her? Why? It¡¯s not in the Zcarbbs¡¯ habits to cause such carnage!¡± ¡°Silence!¡± The Ham cowered before the powerful creature''s stentorian voice. That was it: she was going to die... ¡°Tsss... Do I need to justify myself to a monster that isn''t even Zcarbb? No!... But I''m willing to answer you, out of gratitude. I don''t accept that your cursed Administration kidnaps my precious children from within our territories! And if they do it again, I''ll tear to pieces anyone who gets in my way to find them, as long as my resources allow me to! We have the means to find a princess''s trail, using the uniqueness of her pheromones... but you know it... Why, indeed, did you keep her in the galaxy that was accessible to me, even before we established the blockade? We found her trail here and there, without being able to locate her directly...¡± The queen continued to speak in her own language, absorbed in her own thoughts. Sava then realized a detail: the Zcarbbs never used the universal translator to speak in administered, even though they had the technology. They must have learned their language and even spoke it perfectly... even their little princess... ¡°Uh...¡± said the queen, realizing that she was digressing, ¡°to conclude, you brought my daughter back to us, even though those you serve were responsible for her kidnapping. I have no reason to reward you for that... But I think you are a Good person and I want to do something in your favor. You will live.¡± ¡°I want... I would also like your troops to stop their assaults and leave these worlds alone. I don''t know why you insist on accusing the Administration of being responsible for this kidnapping, but all these people have done nothing...¡± ¡°Done nothing? They are part of the Administration: destroying them for the crimes of their alliance is normal, and even Good! However, I appreciate you for what you have done: I decide that my troops will withdraw for the time being to our current borders... But this is only temporary: a great war is being prepared to punish the Administration for all its crimes against the Zcarbbs... You know that... Perhaps you tried to push us into war before we were fully ready? No, if that were the case, your worlds would have been better defended... What can your queens'' plans be? Ah, that''s right: you don''t have queens but (she grimaced with contempt) ¡®elected representatives¡¯, incapable of laying anything but laws... and perhaps other leaders too, but just as abnormal.¡± A drop of sweat moistened her lip and Sava licked it mechanically. The temperature was rather mild, perhaps slightly warm, but nothing that justified the abundant sweat that wet her forehead. With that much stress, she would definitely discover white hairs the next time she looked in the mirror... ¡°So,¡± she dared to ask cautiously, ¡°this war is over and you¡¯re not going to start slaughtering people again?¡± ¡°I said what I said! Oh¡­ Ah, I see what you¡¯re trying to negotiate: you¡¯re clever¡­¡± Sava had no idea what the queen was thinking, but she seemed in a good mood so there probably wouldn¡¯t be any problems, right? ¡°Yes, I won¡¯t start blindly slaughtering your workers and production areas again. My anger made me overreact and I forgot that all these things will belong to the Zcarbbs in the future. When I get back on the warpath, I¡¯ll conquer this planet normally¡­ and the others too. But I¡¯ll wait until the alliances are all ready to take action.¡± It probably wasn¡¯t possible to get better guarantees. Against all odds, Sava Domeria had managed to save this planet and stop a wave of attacks against this galaxy. Even if the future was full of the queen''s dark promises, there would be no more such massacres and a period of peace would allow to prepare for the future war... Strangely, despite this success, Sava had a hard time fully rejoicing. It was probably time to leave the place? ¡°I... thank you for your understanding queen... Zocco-tar-Julo... Now that these questions are settled, may I leave you and return to Urus?¡± ¡°No.¡± The agent shivered and the queen continued: ¡°You asked how I knew that your Administration was behind this crime. I will show you. Follow him.¡± The queen pointed to a soldier who immediately began to walk towards a vast corridor leaving this room. Sava followed him and the queen''s bearers allowed her to follow the same path as well. A door opened automatically to let them pass into a new amber corridor with walls partially covered with metal plates and multiple strange machines... Entry 009: Horrors and Truths As they progressed down the corridor, the little princess asked to be put down, then turned to ¡°Sava-Domeria¡±, demanding that she carry her. Fearing to offend the queen by refusing, the agent lifted the little Zcarbb who, pleased, clung tightly to her left arm. ¡°It seems that my little Ilenayana likes you a lot,¡± the queen said with amusement, ¡°that''s a good thing. Perhaps you would like to stay here?¡± ¡°I... Thank you for the offer, but that won''t be possible...¡± ¡°I expected it... In any case, my servants would look askance at the presence of a monster so close to their princess. I''m not sure I could trust you in the long term either: you are a creature of the Administration after all. As long as we haven''t absorbed your ¡®C¡¯ sector, I suppose you won''t be able to work for us... And I suppose that won''t happen before a few centuries.¡± And one could hope that it would never happen. The current Administration had many flaws, but it would probably lose what little humanity it had left if the Zcarbbs were running it. ¡°The creatures you define as pirates are in reality administrative agents, like you, assigned to this secret mission. We know this because we managed to capture some of them alive during the unfortunate confrontation¡­ And we interrogated them.¡± Stretching out one of her arms, the queen pointed to the walls of the corridor. Attached vertically against the metal walls were a dozen creatures of various races. Sava blanched and roughly placed the princess on the ground, turning away just in time to avoid vomiting on her, making the contents of her stomach spill onto the nearest wall. The Zcarbbs seemed surprised by this reaction, but they made no comment, a worker already arriving with some kind of vacuum cleaner to remove the dirt. A terrible headache adding to her urge to vomit again, the agent tried to regain her composure and turned back to the corridor, her eyes trying to avoid looking at the prisoners. The queen began to speak again: ¡°So, I was saying that we interrogated them. Although they have advanced mental training and psychic barriers that can repel most uses of the psychic probe, natural methods work to obtain the truth. The trick is to keep the subjects alive.¡± There were many rumors about the barbarity the Zcarbbs could display, but nothing could have prepared Sava for what she saw. It was more like dissection than torture, but the moaning forms of the prisoners proved by their death rattles that it was still possible to be alive in this state. Even the little Zcarbb didn¡¯t seem bothered by the sight, screaming to be pulled back into her arms. She complied mechanically. Holding the small form against her gave her a distraction from the horrors that met her eyes. ¡°You can ask them too,¡± the queen said, ¡°to find out who they are and why they did this. They tend to lie, though, even in this state, and even when we use the psychic probe. However, promising them death if they talk seems to loosen their tongues.¡± ¡°No, really?!¡± Sava thought sarcastically. ¡°How could anyone be so cruel? Even the tortures used illegally by the Intelligence Services must not be so barbaric: they must probably just use the psychic probe beyond the security threshold... which was already something.¡± Hesitantly, not daring to look at anything other than the devices also hanging on the wall, the agent approached one of the unfortunates. The smell was unbearable and she barely resisted the urge to vomit. She closed her eyes, hoping to contain herself better this way, then asked her question: ¡°Excuse me¡­ I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m an agent of the Administration and I¡¯m investigating what happened¡­ I¡­ Is that so? Could you tell me what happened, please? I promise you that I¡¯ll do whatever you want: I can try to get you released, or I can finish you off. Answer me, please¡­¡± No: she just wanted to get out of here. Deep down, the truth didn¡¯t matter at all anymore. She wanted to leave here, wallow on her couch, turn on stupid cartoons that she hadn¡¯t watched since childhood and stuff herself with sweets without thinking about anything else¡­ In a hoarse but still audible voice, the tortured creature replied, filled with a vague hope that quickly disappeared: ¡°The Administration? No. It¡¯s probably another illusion, huh? That damned creature again? I¡¯ve already answered you. I¡¯ve already¡­ betrayed¡­ Please, finish me off! Why are you letting me live? Finish me off¡­¡± ¡°I¡­ Just tell the truth and¡­ I swear, I¡¯ll finish you off right now. Look: I have a blade of impure stabilizium: with a single gesture, I can¡­ I can cut off your head, without any more suffering¡­ Yuck¡­ it¡¯s¡­ Urgg¡­¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m the administrative agent Yole de Bartog in Qual, beta+ level. We are all beta+ level, except the leader who is alpha+. Mission, kidnap a princess from the leader of the Zcarbb alliance attacking the Utela galaxy. Mission successful. I think. The others escaped with the objective. We managed to penetrate this ship with the help of a Hogloo master geneticist named Zoghoze. Mission received from our superiors. Verified and confirmed, given in person¡­ I don¡¯t know anything more, nor do the others: kill us!¡±This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. And the prisoner began to repeat his injunctions with the little strength he had left. After wiping the traces of her second vomit from her mouth, Sava pulled her blade out of her gauntlet, ready to finish off the unfortunate man. She had never killed anyone but, under these conditions, she could not consider this as murder¡­ Nevertheless, before she could do anything, the victim''s head detached itself, severed by a strange streak of dark energy. Turning towards the origin of this action, Sava discovered a curious character: It was a woman, also a Ham but different: a sort of mutant. Her skin was grayish and her hair was replaced by swirls of the same dark energy that she had projected. These swirls were everywhere, lighter and floating above her skin or covering her clothes with a thick black layer, unless they were made of this mysterious material. She had a tail, something that Homs do not have normally, and two small horns similar to those of a goat pierced the top of her skull. Her eyes were red and her teeth were sharp¡­ At first, she thought she was in the presence of a chaotiune of the ¡°Metamorph¡± type, but she immediately guessed that it was much worse¡­ ¡°Exactly,¡± said a voice in his head, ¡°I am a proud member of the valiant Azar clan¡­ Ah, of course, my presence here is surprising, I understand you. After all, the Zcarbbs and the Chaotiuns hate each other because of the chaotic nature of the latter¡­ But my clan is a clan of Homs: we know how to negotiate an agreement¡­ After all, doesn¡¯t the proverb say that the enemies of my enemy are my friends?¡± Sava took a step back, all her attention focused on the newcomer. A terrorist from the Azar clan? With the Zcarbbs? ¡°Who are you and what are you doing here?¡± The creature smiled and stepped forward abruptly, shaking Sava¡¯s hand before she realized it and pulled it away: ¡°Oh, a real administrative agent, asking questions and snooping everywhere¡­ Nice to meet you: I am your enemy, one of those who will one day destroy your sinister nation. My name is Revenge Darklight of Azar, a diplomat in the service of the glorious Azar clan. I am here to negotiate with the Zcarbbs.¡± ¡°You... your monster clan has really crossed all the red lines, huh? You are ready to sell everyone out for your quest for power?¡± ¡°Justice! Power is nice, but it comes naturally. We are only fighting to take back our galaxy: the Administration will pay for having betrayed and dispossessed us! Ah! Ah! Ah! You have no idea what will befall you... And even what your own superiors are ready to sacrifice for their selfish power...¡± Sava glanced at the queen and saw that she was enjoying the exchange between the two Hams. For her, they must have been two non-Zcarbbs ready to jump at each other''s throats: an interesting entertainment. Still clinging to her arm, the little Zcarbb seemed more wary of the diplomat and looked at her with a suspicious air. The representative of the Azar clan changed mood as she spoke and she suddenly became cordial again. Advancing with a strange dancing gait, she pointed out the prisoners one by one, living and dead. She had a big smile and mocked Sava''s sensitivity, but Sava noticed that her antagonist was also looking away to avoid staring at these non-dead... ¡°Hey! I... Yes, it bothers me too, so what? At least I can erase my own memories so as not to be haunted by them: it is one of the many great powers of our superior clan¡­¡± ¡°Was ¡®superior¡¯ a necessary clarification, or a simple reminder of a feeling of inferiority grossly compensated?¡± ¡°Hey! Okay, it seems that you are finding a verve for a debate¡­ But I do not want to debate with someone like you.¡± ¡°What was your role here?¡± ¡°Assistance and advice, of course. The Zcarbbs are a little behind in development on the technology of the psychic probe. So, they really needed a specialist to interrogate these hounds of the administration. And also, psychic probes of a newer model... It''s a shame that these agents were provided with such powerful psychic barriers: I couldn''t stop the Zcarbbs from switching to their own method in order to obtain answers... As they say, the union of enemies creates a force that sweeps everything away. Without the combination of... well... can it still be called torture... as well as my psychic probes and small powers, we were able to break these people, until the truth...¡± ¡°Or implant your own manipulations in their thoughts.¡± The terrorist stopped in mid-movement, balancing on one leg, looking worried. Then, she nodded: ¡°Ah yes, I could have done that... But what''s the point when the truth is already so tasty?...¡± The voice of the queen rang out abruptly as she interfered in the debate: ¡°She couldn''t have fooled us. We know enough ways to prevent these deceptions of chaotiuns.¡± Sava considered the possibilities: the queen was probably not lying because the Zcarbbs were not very good at formulating their lies in a credible way... in theory. But the Azar clan was not made up of common chaotiuns but of monsters who maintained a high intellectual level despite the abuse of Chaos energy: perhaps she exceeded the Zcarbbs'' estimates... ¡°Well, isn''t there only one way to find out?¡± The agent glared at the monster. She hated the way these bad guys tended to interfere in other people''s thoughts. If she had never faced members of Azar, she had often witnessed the problems caused by chaotiuns without control collars and had had to endure their annoying babbling in her head. At least her powerful psychic barriers kept them from poking around any further¡­ She swallowed as she thought of the pirates¡­ or agents, who were hanging between life and death in this place. Turning to the queen, she bowed low. It wasn¡¯t a Zcarbb custom, but she must have heard of it because she seemed flattered by the gesture. ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Domeria pleaded, ¡°I would like to ask you to accept another of my requests, if you will.¡± ¡°In addition to withdrawing my forces? What do you want?¡± ¡°Now that your daughter, Ilenayana, is safe and sound, could you stop hounding these people? No matter how serious their crime, could you have mercy on them?¡± ¡°They say that most species in your Administration are endowed with a heightened sensitivity to the suffering of others... Given everything, I had observed, I thought until now that this theory was wrong... Okay.¡± The queen made a gesture and her soldiers rushed forward, planting their weapons or sharpened paws in the bodies, finishing off the prisoners. Breathing with difficulty, Sava looked away from the carnage. She thought she heard thanks from the victims, but she did not know if it was true or simply her imagination. Hoping that these horrors would not remain etched in her memory forever, she began to plan her next actions. Entry 010: Hero and Mercenary Sava Domeria collapsed into her command seat, finally alone in her ship. As promised, the Zcarbbs had brought her back to the planet and had left the place. A great joy shook the planet, despite the dying and the search for survivors. The improbable had happened, the impossible even: the Zcarbbs had retreated without reinforcements having arrived. The communications once again possible learned that they were acting in the same way on all the planets they attacked in this galaxy. Having surrounded her face with an opaque Smart-bubble, in order to hide her identity, Sava had gone to the spaceport where she had parked. Despite the ruins of the structure, her ship was intact and she ordered it to teleport to the surface, ignoring the rules: she had urgent business and could not wait for the place to be cleared to leave again. Events were turning and turning in her head, bringing their share of questions and very few answers. The little Zcarbb princess, the queen, the terrorist of Azar¡­ The tortured agents¡­ Or, the supposed agents¡­ Ah, she couldn¡¯t believe it: she had managed to negotiate a cessation of hostility with the Zcarbbs¡­ How had she done it? It was said that all negotiations had systematically failed¡­ The future, however, looked worrying. She had confirmation that the Zcarbbs were indeed assembling a large attack force, that they were also experimenting with temporal weapons, and she had discovered that they had a partnership with the worst terrorist group there was. The Azar clan was initially composed of scientists and possessed advanced knowledge that they could share with the Zcarbbs. What compromises had they been able to find to work together? And, worst of all, had this attack on the Utela galaxy really been organized by agents of the Administration? Why? What was the reason, the interest? So many beta+ levels and an alpha+, it couldn''t have been decided without valid and particularly verified authorization... Finally, if what the dying man had said was true and not manipulated... She had only one way to know the truth, only one name: the master geneticist Zoghoze. But, the Hogloo mercenaries did not betray the secret of their contracts... Or else, one had to be very subtle to walk on the edge of it. She had to find this Hogloo, even if it meant going to their territory. Over there, all their mercenaries must certainly be filing their reports to help their governments spy on the Administration. She would find traces of this operation there. To be able to go there without getting killed, she would first have to recruit a Hogloo mercenary... There were a few famous space stations for having ¡°contractor¡± positions often used by the administrative forces: over there she would find a good place to recruit one. Less than a minute later, she was there, on the other side of the civilized universe. The status of administrative agent allowing one to avoid requesting an intergalactic travel authorization to be able to pass through the defense shields of the galaxies, and the ¡°Walker¡± engine allowing unlimited teleportation across the universe, the notion of distance no longer meant anything... There were just a handful of areas with special laws and countermeasures that could prevent, delay or react hostilely to her passage. The Ryano-bis space station was a gigantic sphere the size of a small moon, orbiting an agrarian planet: Ryano. Of course, such a structure was not only intended for mercenaries, but its vast docks allowing modest-sized battleships to stop there had contributed to the development of this activity. Sava let her ship park in a secure zone and had herself teleported to the public zone. She appeared in a large secure tube that, once the teleportation was complete, opened onto a corridor as wide as a cargo dock. People of the most varied shapes moved in all directions and even in the air. People who were too small or too tall had adapted and reserved corridors, in order to avoid accidents. Thus, a good part of the gigantic corridor was delimited by transparent barriers that prevented the smallest from accidentally ending up where the giants set foot. Similarly, the entire perimeter of the corridor was teeming with multiple transparent pipes that were the personal corridors of the smallest beings. Among these many forms of life, there were also Hogloos, the only strangers to the Administration to roam the place. Some had adopted massive forms and majestically traveled the corridor of the giants, others walked in the middle of the crowd... which remained at a good distance from their passage. It was common for Hogloos to kill someone for an insult, without facing any legal action if the person in question had no well-placed friends. Despite the weakening of their nations since the war against the Titans, which had seen their people torn between the two camps, these reptilian creatures retained some of the privileges they had extorted by threats from the Administration¡­ The young woman felt a shiver run through her as her thoughts filled with doubts: was she right to try to deal with Hogloos? There was no guarantee that they could help her find one of their own, or that the latter would agree to provide her with the information she sought. She knew their psychology well enough to avoid fatal missteps and know how to negotiate, but that did not mean that success was guaranteed. However, this time she was advancing into familiar territory: even if they were other violent enemies, it was not like facing the aliens Zcarbbs on their own spaceship. The corridor often opened onto vast shopping centers or transport areas, offering the most varied services for the former and access to the rest for the latter. There was an immense network of corridors reserved for automatic vehicles, in order to access industrial areas, mainly intended for the production of armaments. The agent chose to stop at a bar. It was quite clich¨¦, worthy of one of those mass-produced adventure films based on the same plot, but it was the kind of ideal place to look for a mercenary. The Hogloos were not particularly keen on drinking but had perfectly understood that following stereotypes allowed them to find customers more easily: if she saw one enter the premises, he would certainly be looking for a job. The bar she entered was a clean and pleasant place. Fake wood covered the walls and a real person served at the counter. Even if it forced customers to move rather than receive their orders by teleportation, it was becoming more and more fashionable to use real employees who received the orders orally and brought them to the counter. Obviously not having a waiter, even a robotic one, this establishment must therefore be of moderate wealth, or even the bartender was himself the owner of the place. She ordered an astic¡¯hom juice, a traditional Hom drink made from a particular species of worms that her people loved to eat. The man, a massive humanoid with horns and beige skin, looked at her briefly with a look of disgust, but he was used to it and went to prepare the drink in the back room. The scout nanobots, deployed by Domeria, sent her back the image of the man operating¡­ a synthesizer.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Clearly, this establishment did not have the requested product. The Ham bit her lip: she had no intention of consuming the synthetic version of this drink and she felt robbed for receiving something that she could have printed for free on her ship. But hey, she was here to pass the time while waiting for a Hogloo to arrive¡­ Leaving a bar of crystallized credit on the counter, since the establishment did not accept transfers, she went to sit down and pretended to drink while listening to the conversations around her. She quickly noticed that all the topics revolved around the events of the Utela galaxy. Despite billions of other galaxies with their problems, after having crossed the entire universe, peoples were talking about this? There had certainly been a program about it in the Universal News¡­ At a table from her, perfectly audible, two Yapa were discussing: ¡°Ah, at least this damn tax for the army was not voted. The president is completely crazy to want to impose this kind of tax on the entire universe: we are doing very well without it and it is not as if the Titans could come back to attack us. Frankly, with almost a ¡®stand¡¯ year before the presidential election, it is not a very smart choice on his part¡­¡± ¡°Well, I don''t know... I don''t want to pay even more taxes, but he''s not entirely wrong: it seems that the Zcarbbs have relaunched it on the borders of the Empire...¡± ¡°Yeah, but those trigger-happy people must have teased them before, that''s what I''m saying. Without that, there''s no way the Zcarbbs would dare attack the Administration in peacetime: their last major expansion, they took advantage of our divisions, but against the united Administration, they don''t stand a chance.¡± ¡°Hey,¡± said a large, stringy creature who intruded into the conversation, ¡°are you talking about the events of Utela? It''s all over the network at the moment: it''s crazy! The Zcarbbs who massively attacked the galaxy, but they were pushed back while fighting the Republic of Humus¡­ or something like that¡­¡± ¡°The Republic of Urus, corrected a Hom from a nearby table, and they weren¡¯t pushed back: they withdrew after speaking to an administrative agent¡­¡± One of the Yapas, after a quick consultation of the Network, added to the information: ¡°Ah yes, the heroine of Urus in Utela: Sava Domeria. All the forums are talking about her at the moment. There¡¯s the video of her holding up one of those Zcarbb pioutrerie in front of their invasion fleet and she demands that they stop the attack. I don¡¯t know what she talked to them about, but she got on board and in less than an hour, they all retreated, even to the other attack points. It¡¯s unheard of!¡± Sava blushed: ¡°the heroine of Urus in Utela¡±, ¡°All the forums are talking about it¡±? She wouldn''t have expected such glory for her actions... It was even embarrassing in fact... Pleasant, but embarrassing. She deployed her smart-bubble and set it to remain transparent but slightly modify her features. There was little chance that these people from other species would recognize her, but the Hom could perhaps suspect her identity from her features and check with facial recognition software. Might as well not become the center of attention when conducting an investigation. ¡°Still, there''s damage. Apparently, there are billions of dead and nearly a thousand planets where everything is in ruins... not to mention those that the Zcarbbs kept. There are money pots on the Network to help these poor people¡­¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ grumbled the Hom, they may be imperials, but they are people all the same¡­ it¡¯s still better to avoid giving just anywhere: if they are not official money pots of the Administration, there is a risk that they are crooks. As for the imperial money pots, I am pretty sure that they don¡¯t give a penny to the victims and that they pay everything directly into the military industry.¡± ¡°Yes, approved the stringy creature, I read here that in the Institution of Society, the Sub-Institution of Daily Life launched the official money pot¡­¡± ¡°Huh, one of the Yapa wondered, shouldn''t it be the Health Sub-Institution?¡± ¡°Well, no,¡± said the other, ¡°there''s not just the problem of the wounded. I think it should rather be the responsibility of the Crisis Department in the Economy Sub-Institution...¡± ¡°Oh, no,¡± protested the Hom, ¡°that''s in the Currency Institution: they only worry about the economic crisis...¡± ¡°Sorry, but the question of aid is precisely an economic question, wouldn''t it be fairer to... ¡° And the debate continued on its way, moving further and further away from the subject. It was quite strange to have witnessed these violent events and now to find herself on the other side of the universe, seeing people discussing it calmly, as if it were a passing curiosity... ¡°Can I sit here? If it''s not me you were expecting, say so right away, that will save me from wasting my time.¡± Surprised, Sava turned her head towards her interlocutor. It was a rather thin lizard creature, wearing worn combat armor and carrying a heavy, state-of-the-art assault rifle slung over its shoulder. One of its eyes was covered by a computer-monocle whose camera shimmered with a red glow. The agent frowned suspiciously. Was it really a Hogloo, or was it a conman trying to pass itself off as one? Most Hogloos chose a more massive, more impressive appearance, and almost all had parchment-like wings. The lizard noticed her gaze and seemed rather annoyed for a Tik, before sighing with the look of one who repeats the same things at each encounter: ¡°I suppose I can understand your skepticism. Be aware that not all Hogloos are in favor of body changes. I myself only have minor genetic modifications, but it''s plenty enough for my job.¡± ¡°And, what makes you think I''m looking to recruit a mercenary, and a Hogloo at that?¡± ¡°An alpha-level administrative agent sitting in a bar on this station? Unless you''re on vacation, I don''t see any other possibilities.¡± That''s right, she was on vacation... And what a vacation! However, this guy didn''t know that... but he seemed to already know way too much: ¡°What makes you think I''m an administrative agent, and of that level?¡± ¡°I know that you Homs like to play with words, but I''d like us to get straight to the point. If your question was asked in good faith, just know that my hacking software is quite powerful and that you haven''t put yourself in ¡®infiltration¡¯ mode.¡± ¡°I didn''t detect any attacks...¡± ¡°That''s because I hacked your location on the Network. As long as your superiors know where to find you, you can be sure that mercenaries like me can too.¡± It made sense... But maybe one day security would finally be effective enough so that enemies could no longer access this type of data so easily? In any case, this confirmed the usefulness of the ¡®infiltration¡¯ mode in her administrative reporting software. The Hogloo took out a pocket computer, of an unknown model, and had it generated the holo-identifications necessary to prove its identity, namely his mercenary license and his passport countersigned by the Sub-Institution of External Affairs of the Institution of Diplomacy. Sava''s alpha-rank software was also able to read the notes added by the Sub-Institution of Secret Services, elements that the Hogloo surely didn¡¯t know. He was described as a reliable mercenary and a relatively low-risk enemy, with no terrorist affiliation. DNA recognition software confirmed the identity. Although the Hogloos could change this data, there was an honor agreement between them and the Administration that forbade them from using another Hogloo¡¯s identity. And honor was very important in their society. Reassured, Sava explained her request to the Hogloo. He listened until the end then shook his head: ¡°So, you would like me to help you find a master geneticist acting as a mercenary, in order to learn more about their contract? I¡¯m sorry. There are few enough master geneticists in this activity that I could easily find this one, but we are not authorized to disclose the contents of contracts.¡± ¡°Is there any way to¡­ find a middle way? I would mainly like to know if this guy was in the Utela galaxy on the dates indicated and also if this is a contract with the Administration.¡± ¡°I see... I could probably find out if this one was there... And, if it''s an official contract, or even an unofficial one, with the Administration, I should be able to confirm it, as long as I don''t specify who, in your group, was in charge of leading this mission... it could work like that... If you have the enough currency, of course...¡± Entry 011: Hero and Assassins Sava Domeria took her leave of the Hogloo mercenary. The amount requested was substantial, but she would pass it off as a service charge: after all, it was for the purposes of an investigation into possible corruption within the Administration¡­ She would also pass off the small bill for the astic¡¯hom juice as a service charge, attaching it to an investigation report on the quality of the products served in this establishment: that would teach this guy that you don¡¯t serve synthesized astic¡¯hom to a Hom. Rather than teleporting directly aboard her ship, she chose to walk to her docking platform¡­ Well, letting herself be carried by the displacement beams that took up half the corridor wasn¡¯t exactly ¡°walking,¡± but it was still a non-instantaneous movement that she could use to think. The Hogloo would contact her when he had information, but until then she had nothing else to do... Maybe she could take the time to write a new report, more complete than the very brief summary she had already sent? No: she was still on leave and intended to make the most of it... Even if she didn''t imagine being able to relax... In fact, she felt better in the middle of this noisy crowd, this environment filled with life, than in the solitude of her ship... It was not her habit. However, this uncomfortable feeling of being surrounded like this covered her worries and dark memories. But, after more than one hour of traveling, when the access door to her parking space was in sight, she felt relieved at the idea of ??getting out of there. She was going to make herself an authentic astic¡¯hom juice from her personal reserve, then get back to sports, both because she had promised herself, but also to tire her body out a little in the hope of then falling into a deep, dreamless sleep¡­ A symbol lit up in her field of vision. A warning from her Z.I.A. propelled directly into her retina¡­ But why wasn¡¯t it talking to her? A successful computer attack? Her instinct and her suit¡¯s defense software made her turn around as her hand grabbed her pistol. But it was too late: the enemy attack software had already gone into action, slowing hers down and guiding the assailant¡¯s hand to aim. A powerful ray pierced the Ham right through, leaving a gaping hole nearly three centimeters in diameter. The movement had avoided an instantly fatal shot, but it was no minor injury. Collapsing against the door, she saw her opponent. The crowd, terrified, was running away in all directions, leaving in their midst the sinister silhouette of a member of the Azar clan. Entirely surrounded by black velvet, one could make out majestic horns rising from his head and a whole row of sharp spikes running along his spine to the end of his tail. He was pointing a strange rifle¡­ Sava¡¯s software had been disrupted by the attack and the energy of her systems was almost exhausted: the shot was not that of an ordinary weapon. While non-essential systems, such as the smart-bubble, were deactivating, the emergency systems that had survived were activating as best they could, notably covering her wound with gel in order to temporarily stop the bleeding. Her right arm was paralyzed and could no longer hold her pistol, which noisily hit the ground, audible despite the screams of terror.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Concentrating her will, she forced the Z.I.A. to analyze her enemy. She immediately learned that his weapon was a ¡°perforator¡±, an assassin''s weapon designed to theoretically pierce any shield. It was rarely used in warfare because of its rather slow firing rate and its high energy consumption, but by targeting a vital organ, one could instantly kill the best-equipped soldier in the world... well, provided that the loss of a single vital organ was enough to kill it. But, another strange piece of information appeared: the enemy was apparently using a very advanced camouflage field... So, this was not his true appearance: they were trying to kill her by making people believe it was a new terrorist act by the Azar! Her thoughts were interrupted by the sudden opening of the door. Falling backwards, she was immediately carried away by the robots of her ship. Several war androids covered her retreat by shooting at the mysterious enemy, but the latter had taken out another weapon and the war robots did not last long. The painkillers injected by the suit kept the young woman in a daze, both awake and dizzy. She managed to follow the situation vaguely thanks to the multiple screens that opened as the nurse robots rushed to operate on her. She realized that each beat of her heart was very painful. The weapon had not only pierced her, but had also disrupted her electronics and even her nerve endings. ¡°Who? Why? Not the Azars? A corrupt agent? Another terrorist group?¡± The ship shook as the artificial gravity was put to the test. A swarm of combat drones and a warship were chasing her, firing heavy weapons at her shields. The pursuer seemed to be a model used by the Azar clan, but there were also some on the market¡­ A very expensive model and as powerful as her own ship¡­ maybe more¡­ Of course, faced with this confrontation, Ryano-bis¡¯ defense drones had deployed and were fighting those of the attacker¡­ Sava Domeria programmed a desperate action on her onboard computer: even if the enemy could follow a ¡°Walker¡± jump, if she appeared near a military fortress, they would be destroyed¡­ A violent gravity fluctuation threw the occupants of the ship to the ground. Sava cried out in pain as the robot operating her abruptly withdrew its instruments in a gush of blood. With trembling arms, she tried to get closer to the virtual console. The latter was already no longer responding to her mental commands and a good part of the robots and electronics on board seemed to be malfunctioning. The lights were turning on and off at a frantic pace, warning lights indicated the loss of the shield, others indicated the arrival of several missiles and the absence of functional countermeasures. A dizziness took hold of Sava as she collapsed to the ground, bleeding out. Desperately, she tried to reach the virtual control screen that was still floating in the air, out of reach... ¡°I... I didn''t program... I didn''t program the destination!¡± But it was too late. The ship exploded in a strange burst of fire as the artificial gravity and atmosphere systems tried to maintain their coherence despite the destruction of the structure¡­ Then only a few pieces of debris floating in the air indicated the former presence of the administrative ship. The killer¡¯s ship instantly disappeared from sight, deploying countermeasures behind it in case of pursuit. Interlude Music echoed in the air. All faces turned toward the person whose devices were emitting the music. One of the meeting participants mockingly remarked: ¡°You set the administrative anthem as your ringtone?¡± The lady sighed as she consulted her smart-bubble: ¡°Yes, to report someone particularly annoying, but to whom I must respond. Get out of here, everyone.¡± Ignoring their protests, she chased the participants out of the room and then activated the security measures: door locks, security nanorobots, sensor jammers, sound and visual protection bubble... She even projected herself into weightlessness by antigravity to avoid any listening based on ground vibrations. Thus, protected by a succession of defenses worthy of the Intelligence Department or the Illegal Research Sub-Institution, the lady activated the communication. She looked both particularly annoyed and respectful, which was not an easy combination to express. ¡°Ah, finally, you''re picking up!¡± ¡°Sir, allow me to strongly reproach you for calling me here! Do you know what would happen if these people found out who you are? Personally, I wouldn''t care if I wasn''t on the front lines of their reactions.¡±This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Well, well, so, how is the project developing?¡± ¡°Concerning the ¡®V¡¯ project, I have of course located Lhom''s hiding place. I am still thinking about how to proceed...¡± ¡°Perfect... but hurry up: events are happening one after the other.¡± ¡°Yes, I heard about Domeria''s elimination... A waste: her talents would have been useful to us. We would have just had to create false leads to divert her from the truth. It would not have been easy, but I can do it.¡± ¡°Her death also serves our plans. Sometimes, the simplest solutions are the best.¡± ¡°Oh, I thought you were a follower of Homtest¡¯s philosophy? They say rather ¡®Why do it simple when you can do it complicated?¡¯.¡± ¡°But the basis of this philosophy is the use of paradox: he who controls the paradox controls the universe. And, doing the opposite of their philosophy is totally a part of their philosophy.¡± The lady''s features expressed total indifference: she wasn''t even going to bother finding meaning in these words. ¡°Okay, speed up a little: this revolt must take place before the Zcarbbs have taken too much territory. Otherwise, it will be blamed on me... But when the ¡®V¡¯ project has succeeded, we will have a perfect scapegoat...¡± The communication cut off, the lady remained for a moment to rest in antigravity, still isolated from the outside world by her defenses. But she relaxed by thinking intensely: she didn''t know of any other methods. ¡°Well¡­ I didn¡¯t lie to him¡­ But I guess he won¡¯t mind me hiding that detail about Domeria from him, if everything goes well¡­ Everything is under control¡­¡± Universal News #2 A tall, thin figure with an elongated head and greatly extended arms and fingers stands behind a desk, next to a simple screen currently crossed out with the Universal News logo. This rectangle would broadcast the images associated with the news and would grow larger at times to become the only image projected. The presenter is well dressed and his suit is a brown that goes wonderfully with his pink skin and he has four narrowed eyes that easily pick up the discreet signal of the start of the live broadcast. He immediately begins to speak in a calm but rapid and slightly melodious tone: ¡°It¡¯s the breaking news with Universal News! Welcome, all you of the universe. External threats. Despite the temporary cessation of the Zcarbb assault on the Utela galaxy, the conflict continues to grow throughout the border zone. The Zcarbbs seem determined to launch a new wave of colonization of our space. If these are no longer the waves of destruction that accompanied the Utela affair, they are still invasions depriving billions of citizens of their freedom and advancing the threat ever further towards the rest of us. New military deployment measures have been announced by the government, which however deplores the lack of means that the universal tax for financing the administrative army would have provided, in order to face the growing threat. Miscellaneous facts. It has been confirmed that the alpha administrative agent, Sava Domeria, the heroine of Urus on Utela, was indeed assassinated by a terrorist from the Azar clan. The killer is still on the run and has not yet been identified. The terrorists'' action did not stop there and they are also responsible for spreading fake news through the Network, making a ridiculous accusation that the killer was an administrative agent disguised as a member of the Azar clan. The terrorist group responsible for spreading this rumor has not been identified, but initial evidence suggests that it would be a group other than the Azar clan, a group more specialized in psychological warfare and manipulation of opinion. We remind you that spreading this fake news is a crime similar to advocating terrorism and will therefore be punished more harshly than other crimes of the ¡®spreading of lies¡¯ type. Politics. The usual schedule of the Administrative Assembly will be revised to highlight discussions on laws concerning defense, in the face of internal and external threats. Internal Security. Numerous terrorist acts have been noted throughout the universe and particularly in the Imperial Universal Federation. The President has issued a call for restraint to the terrorists. ¡®Although you are criminals,¡¯ he said, ¡®I cannot believe that you are so insane as to deliver the whole of civilization into the barbaric clutches of the Zcarbbs.¡¯ The movement of several galaxy-fleets has been cancelled or aborted due to major local problems throughout the universe. Everything points to a complex and coordinated plan between different terrorist groups to create unrest and advance their sinister causes without regard for the terrible damage that could result...Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Finance: The fallout from the GoW''s collapse continues. Billions of wealthy individuals across the universe have been left bankrupt and many more companies have closed as a result, amplifying the phenomenon. Biggest increase on the universal stock market: Star-piercer, a major company that owns nearly half of the shipyards in Sector C, whose shares rose 228% today. Rumors, which seem to be confirmed, suggest that a new galaxy-fleet is soon to be built that can be quickly deployed to any front. Biggest drop... Well, it''s hard to say with all the big companies that have closed today, but I''d say the most impressive is Universal-Secure Bank, whose demise already heralds difficult times. Many deputies have already made their voices heard to demand the repurchase of the bank by the Administration in order to avoid the total ruin of an incalculable number of individuals¡­ Yes, my savings are also there, but I am quite confident in the government¡¯s upcoming decision on this subject: who knows what would happen if we were not led by people capable of making the right decision¡­ Crime: A major seizure of ¡®T¡¯ energy contraband was made by the Law Enforcement Forces with the cooperation of the Elunadorans. The total amount seized has not been released but is said to be a new record. We remind you that the use and importation of ¡®T¡¯ type technologies is regulated for security reasons, but also because of their polluting aspect¡­ Art: The new concert of the famous singer Yoyo Glimour is currently at the top of downloads on the Network. An interview with the artist will be broadcast this afternoon on the ONE news channel. Discover the career of this exceptional star! That¡¯s it for today¡¯s news! It was the breaking news with Universal News. And now: time for advertising.¡± A Glapouine in a swimsuit and surrounded by a large inflatable buoy greets the audience. Behind her, sandy beaches and exotic trees border charming lagoons with turquoise blue waters. ¡°Tired of spending your vacations in space stations admiring cosmic phenomena that all end up looking the same? Try relaxing at the beach! Sunbathe, rest in the shade of coconut and fagalouf trees, swim in waters of unparalleled beauty, and for the more adventurous, dive into the depths of the sea to discover myriads of fish in coral reefs unique from one planet to another!¡± The image changes perspective, showing superb constructions with artistic shapes, implanted in the cliffs above the sea. Well-dressed staff are busy serving customers and a large luminous portal opens directly onto a beach instead of the cliff stone. The Glapouine is there again, wearing a strange flowered shirt and big black glasses: fashionable accessories among vacationers. ¡°The Universal-Dream-Travel company offers you its luxury hotels at a more than affordable price, but even more: a network of portals connecting the most beautiful beaches in the universe. Do you think there are too many people on one of them? Billions more await you just a few steps from your holiday accommodation with a sea view as far as the eye can see! Don''t wait any longer: book your place via the Network before everything is full!¡± The Universal-Dream company logo begins to spin in the air, surrounded by images of beaches, each more exotic than the last, while the link to the official Universal-Dream-Travel website is written in glittery letters. Interview: Universal Terrorism Uana stretched her arms and let her body undulate limply, helping her relax. She then regained her composure and stiffened to adopt a more serious attitude. Smoothing the tentacles on her head, she responded with a discreet sign to the technician who was signaling her to get ready and turned her gaze to the main camera, a smile on her face. On another gel seat, today¡¯s guest clasped his long, slender fingers together in a pose that suggested deep thought. He was an avian creature of an unusual species, with a small beak but four thin eyes that were endowed with a certain charisma. His body was covered in white and gray feathers. His arms were also provided with them, since they were in fact wings, but one could doubt from their span that his species was capable of flight. ¡°Welcome to our show ¡®Understanding the Universe¡¯! I am Uana Gemme. Today, we are dealing with a subject that is a little more familiar to our listeners, a very serious subject: terrorism. To help us explore the subject, we will interview our guest of the day, Director Soyoto of the Department of Psycho-Studies at the Universal University. He is notably the author of a brilliant thesis on the terrorist phenomenon in contemporary society, which you can find in the links in the appendix, next to that of his official biography. Director Soyoto, I welcome you to our Holovision set.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Gemme. I must say that it is an honor for me to meet the presenter of one of the most watched shows across the universe. The rebroadcast of your interviews is often used to help integrate primitive species into the vast and mysterious universe that their members discover. I heard a rumor that you would soon be given more screen time and more varied shows, including an interview with the famous singer Yoyo Glimour¡­ Of course, these are rumors, but if your superiors have not recognized your qualities, I would ask myself some questions.¡± The Glapouine felt both embarrassed and flattered, the reflection of her skin changing to a luminous purple despite the opacifying cream. If there were no rumors to that effect before, they were now sure to appear and put pressure on her superiors to help develop her career. Regaining her composure as much as possible, but remaining a little purple, she continued: ¡°This is very flattering, but now it¡¯s time to get to the heart of the matter. Terrorism. The universal administered dictionary defines this mode of action as the use of violence and terror to impose an opinion or silence opposing opinions. Concretely, this phenomenon is characterized by destruction, hostage-taking, targeted or indiscriminate murders and the dissemination of false information. Universal history and the local histories of different nations are full of acts of this nature, yet in recent years, terrorism of a universal nature seems to be multiplying. What could you¡­ uh, tell us about the subject?¡± ¡°Well, you have defined the subject well. The terrorism that we could call ¡®universal¡¯ is not so much a novelty as a phenomenon that is being organized and amplified. However, it should be remembered that the actors of the ¡®terro-sphere¡¯, a neologism that I knowingly use in my thesis, are not of a unified nature. It is appropriate to put aside local particularities to more clearly identify the different categories of universal terrorism.¡± ¡°And what are these different categories, briefly first of all?¡± ¡°To begin, there is what I would call the ¡®anti-administration¡¯, the ¡®Nomad movement¡¯, then the ¡®Hogloo terrorism¡¯ and finally the ¡®neo-terrorists¡¯ like those calling themselves the Azar clan.¡± The birdman fell silent and it took a few Tiks for Uana to realize that he was letting her speak. ¡°Yes, so... so four categories. Let''s start with what you call ¡®anti-administration¡¯: do you mean by that all those committing terrorist acts with the aim of destroying the Administration?¡± ¡°No, otherwise I would have included the others categories. What I call ¡®anti-administration¡¯, and some of them call themselves like this, are the multiple terrorist groups that could be described as... let''s say... ¡®moderate¡¯, although this term should be taken with a grain of salt due to the crimes committed. The anti-administration is a disparate group comprising many movements of opposing natures. However, they often end up cooperating in ignoble compromises, particularly because of their lack of means. The spectrum of these criminals ranges from pro-administrative movements but with another vision of how it should function, to shameless criminals who want to plunge our universe into bloody chaos, like what the ¡®anti-globalists¡¯ accomplished in their time.¡± ¡°Yes, the infamous fourth Tana¨¦, the dark age during which interstellar civilizations, dismembered, were slowly reborn from their ashes in a distressing barbarism.¡± ¡°Absolutely. Fortunately, even among terrorist movements, such extremists are rare. Even other terrorists do not hesitate to denounce such vile characters to the authorities, unless they take it upon themselves to eliminate them.¡± ¡°When you speak of ¡®moderates¡¯, are you referring to movements like the ¡®Rebels¡¯ in the Homs Nations?¡± ¡°Absolutely not. I understand why this comparison seems obvious, but even if it is only a step to take, this phenomenon is different. Certainly, some like the New New Rebellion, the N.N.R., have taken this step leading from a semi-legal status to that of criminals threatening universal peace. You see, the Homs are a very widespread species and have certain social customs... quite... violent, let''s say. Their society tends to resolve its problems by arms rather than by dialogue and the slightest injustice, or impression of injustice, can lead to an armed revolt. These nevertheless have legal frameworks, increasingly strict moreover, including in particular their official declaration to the Administration. If their mode of action includes armed assault and political assassination, most of these rebellions increasingly adopt a more peaceful mode of action, via political representation. The capture of Homeria by the administered forces has also brought about a real separation between two types of rebellions: those who adapt to a more peaceful era, and the diehards who are ready to betray the whole of civilization to impose their political ideas. ¡°Indeed, there is a lot of talk about this story of the capture of Homeria. It¡¯s one of the oldest historical capitals of the Hom Nations, with even a separate status, since it¡¯s the seat of the Council of Elders and the Assembly of Homtests. This event has sparked much debate on the Network and seems to have radicalized some rebellions, now of a terrorist nature.¡± ¡°The capture of Homeria was carried out following the refusal of some of the leaders to apply the administrative measures intended to punish hate speech. The other leaders then called for help from the administrative forces to prevent their planet from remaining a place of refuge and multiplication for lies and terrorist ideologies.¡± The Glapouine exchanged a look with the avian, surprised that he could say this with a stoic face. They were both informed enough to know that these leaders had only called the administered forces after they had invaded the planet, and only out of opportunism in order to maintain their power. ¡°We¡­ Well¡­ What more can you tell us about what these terrorists that you define as ¡®anti-administration¡¯ are and want?¡± ¡°As I said: they have no unified goal. Some, all in all, are good guys with a bit of credibility who really think they are working to fight against injustice. These ones will probably not go as far as the blind murder of civilians¡­ or at least not before having been fooled for a long time by the lies of their organization. Others are just bandits trying to take advantage of these violent movements to enrich themselves or give free rein to a penchant for violence. In all cases, it is a question of trying to force society to change by force, without respect for its democratic functioning. The current multiplication of this type of movement is mainly due to the insidious action of the most extremist, who slowly undermine the confidence of the population. Some even deliberately provoke crises in order to be able to then accuse the Administration. If all these people truly wanted the common good, they would become civil servants in the administration and try to improve it in an honest way... Or they could join the army and fight against the Zcarbbs and terrorist movements.¡± ¡°So, let''s move on to the next group: the... ¡®Nomadic Movement¡¯, is that it?¡± ¡°A fashion movement, I would say. Initially, it is a Hom phenomenon: a retrograde tendency to imagine an idealized past. In this case, it is the legendary nomadic past of their species, long before they encountered habitable planets or other civilizations... apart from the Hogloos, of course. Hom¡¯s legends speak of a time when they would have sailed across the stars aboard old Tadlomas ships, this mythical people who would have once led both the Homs and the Hogloos, before the revolt of the former. Based on this idealization of their legends, the ¡®Nomads¡¯ rejected universal civilization and went to live on spaceships, sailing on the outskirts of galaxies, far from the Network.¡± ¡°So far, is it a crime?¡± ¡°I think that the laws against cults could already apply to some of the nomadic leaders. Intergalactic spaces are also theoretically a common property of the nations of the nearest galaxies and, therefore, subject to administrative laws. The refusal of nomads to pay taxes or to accept the presence of administrative agents is legally a crime. However, the Administration never insisted and let them do it... That''s where the ¡®real¡¯ crime began.¡±This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ¡°By ¡®real crime¡¯, you probably mean the multiple attacks and pillages?¡± ¡°Exactly. The hostile nature of deep space, of space without stars, makes it a completely uninhabitable place. There are indeed a few stray celestial bodies, difficult to detect, but it is impossible to find the resources necessary for an advanced civilization... Or even a primitive one, for that matter. Most, if not all, nomadic groups then raided civilian populations in order to steal what they needed to perpetuate their way of life. That''s when they became terrorists. Note also that this movement has not been exclusively Hom for a long time: people from everywhere, often wanted criminals, have joined these groups.¡± ¡°Yes, I have often heard that terrorist groups were hiding among the nomads. If we know where they are, why haven''t they been... neutralized?¡± ¡°Because, precisely, we do not know where they are. It is impossible to locate anything in deep space, except by luck. Galaxies are riddled with sensors and beacons, ensuring that we can find what we are looking for if we do not skimp on the means. But, for infinite space...¡± ¡°So, let''s move on to Hogloo terrorism. This point, I think, is already more familiar to all our listeners, or to anyone who has learned the History of the Universe.¡± ¡°To put it simply, the Hogloos are a warrior nation that defends its borders by preemptively destroying anything that could approach them. We know that they are divided into a warrior caste, which we know well, and a mysterious civilian caste that inhabits planets to which we do not have access. We know that the Hogloo philosophy forbids them from interacting with the civilian planets that they say they ¡®defend¡¯, but the isolation to which they subject them from the rest of the universe is a Crime against People, as frequently denounced by the Universal Court of Peoples Rights. The progressive weakening of the Hogloos allows us to hope that one day soon, these unfortunate civilians will have access to the vast universe like all citizens.¡± ¡°I know that laws have been passed to that effect, but the Hogloos have simply announced that they will not make any remarks, which means that they will continue to kill anyone who enters their territory. Is this Hogloo terrorism?¡± ¡°No. Technically, yes, but the issue of their terrorist acts concerns their acts of terrorism in our country. We have technically been at war since... even before the Administration, in fact, since there has never been a peace signed with the Hogloos. These are only temporary treaties of non-aggression or ceasefires. The Hogloos move freely in our territories, frequently commit murders, but are rarely worried due to the military difficulty of apprehending one. Some are pursued but are content to return to their territory, commonly referred to as the ¡®H¡¯ sector. The Hogloos are guilty of countless war crimes, assassinations, threats, invasions... Despite their recent weakening, they retain a certain strength that prevents the definitive pacification of their territory. The only positive point: their civil war during the Titanic War allowed us to liberate their vassal states, known as the ¡®K¡¯ sector.¡± ¡°It seems that many terrorist groups operate in this sector.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, many nations have been under the Hogloo yoke for so long that they are intoxicated by their propaganda and social model. Many hypocritically apply the new administrative instructions. For example, the prohibition of slavery is understood by some of them as the obligation to kill prisoners of war, without taking into account the fact that it is a war crime, therefore something also prohibited. I consider that these terrorist groups are part of ¡®Hogloo terrorism¡¯, since they do it in the hope of forcing their nations to return to Hogloo domination.¡± ¡°How would you summarize this type of terrorism? In a few words?¡± ¡°The Hogloos try to impose their ideas on us through terror while preventing our values ??from penetrating their territory. They dream of retaking the territories they once conquered and destroying the Administration so that nothing stands in the way of their nations. In a sense, the existence of the Zcarbbs is also a hindrance to their ambitions: if they destroyed us, they would be confronted head-on by this other enemy. Located on the other side of the universe from each other, these two groups hate each other... or at least the Hogloos hate the Zcarbbs, whom they see as a worse threat than the one they see in us.¡± ¡°That''s not a few words...¡± ¡°Yes, it is sometimes difficult to summarize. In short, the Hogloos are an enemy nation with whom we have cordial relations on the surface, but they are secretly busy trying to destroy us. Some of the murders and destruction caused by the Hogloos could possibly be the work of some sort of internal terrorist group within their people, but the Hogloos fiercely deny their existence and claim to have committed these acts themselves. For diplomatic reasons, I am forbidden from confirming or denying the existence of such a group. In any case, if it existed, we do not know why they do not want to acknowledge its existence. Perhaps something related to the transgression of Hogloo values ??and their honor? Because indeed, what distinguished Hogloo terrorism from others until now was their particular sense of honor that imposes known rules on their activities.¡± ¡°Let''s move on to your last category: the ¡®neo-terrorists¡¯. Why differentiate them from the others? What is their particularity?¡± ¡°The total absence of conscience. These people would be ready to destroy the universe if it meant crushing the Administration. Fortunately, they are few in number. The ¡®anti-globalists¡¯, for example, are often only small groups of frustrated people who rarely take action. They dream of a world that they think is better without interstellar communications, but we saw what that led to during the fourth Tana¨¦. On the other hand, in the midst of these most extremist movements, one group stands out for its deviousness and its means.¡± ¡°The Azar clan, right?¡± ¡°Yes, but not exactly. Some members of the Azar clan are not found guilty of terrorist activities, and perhaps they do not even support the criminal actions of the other members. Some people think they are all accomplices, but that remains to be proven... and they won''t hesitate to use a defamation lawsuit if you don''t watch your words about the Azar clan. So, to talk about the terrorist movement calling itself the ¡®Azar clan¡¯, I will first talk about the Azar clan itself.¡± ¡°It seems that originally, it was a scientific group.¡± ¡°That is indeed the case. A traditional clan of Homs whose origins perhaps date back to the time of the ancient kingdoms of their people. They specialized in mental sciences and notably contributed to the greatest advances in this field. Interested in the study of the chaotiuns, they bought, thanks to the considerable funds of their clan, the colonization rights of a galaxy located at the time in the extension zone of the Administration. There are ongoing investigations into the possibility that their ancestors embezzled research money to buy this galaxy, and other investigations into a possible massacre of primitive peoples and undeclared colonists there. In any case, their studies of chaos energy have caused significant mutations in their species. Many workers have lost even their normal form and intellectual abilities to become chaotiuns, merging into the mass of these parasites that have settled in increasing numbers in this galaxy...¡± ¡°Excuse me, but could you define Chaos energy for our listeners?¡± ¡°Sorry, but I''m not an expert on the subject. It''s a kind of mental capacity who... generate physical manifestation... probably linked to the ¡®T¡¯ energy? It often causes improbable mutations and a weakening of the capacities of concentration and reasoning.¡± ¡°Excuse me for the interruption: I''ll let you continue.¡± ¡°You''re welcome, I was saying that the nobility of the Azar clan, although also undergoing certain mutations: the growth of a tail, a frequent appearance of horns, the discoloration of their skin to a gray tint, to name the most frequent... So, this nobility managed to maintain an intellectuality superior to the mass of chaotiuns under their control. They began to rule the galaxy they occupied as absolute monarchs and engaged in many illegal experiments. The Administration finally reacted and, after some failed negotiations, sent the military to free this galaxy from the tyranny of the Azars and bring the chaotiuns under control: anyone knows what havoc these ¡®social parasites¡¯, as they are officially defined, can cause without a control collar.¡± ¡°So, they went from bloodthirsty tyrants to terrorists?¡± ¡°That''s right. Many members of the nobility, even the majority, unable to bear losing their power, went underground. Their movement quickly became more and more violent and more and more insane. They commit targeted assassinations on important officials, or not important. They launch attacks on crowds or entire planets. They even lead the hordes of chaotiuns of the ¡®Black Banner¡¯ to plunder the least protected planets and use their powers to flee before being apprehended. Of all the categories of terrorists, they are the most dangerous and the most relentless.¡± ¡°Thank you very much for all these explanations. One last question: what is the outlook for the future in relation to all these threats? Do you think they will ever cease?¡± ¡°Well, I think that gradually, the most moderate terrorist movements will abandon their disloyal methods to fit into the democratic framework and try to impose their vision through the ballot box and no longer by force. The others will surely become more and more radicalized, but will end up being destroyed thanks to the constant increase in security within the administered territory. The nomads themselves will end up surrendering when they find themselves deprived of the possibility of massacring and pillaging innocent civilians, and they will begin to waste away in the floating cemeteries that are their wrecks. The Hogloos will probably end up integrating into the Administration and stop their vain determination to defend outdated traditions. Finally, concerning the Azar clan... We can hope that those who are not terrorists will be the only ones still free in a few centuries... or maybe years. So far, their unjust war has only resulted in deaths without advancing their tyrannical cause and we can think that some of their members will eventually tire of it. In conclusion, I see a future gradually freed from terrorism... But peace can only be total if we finally succeed in neutralizing the Zcarbb threat which, although being a form of direct aggression and not terrorism, is also one of the causes of its multiplication by the instability they create by their acts against universal peace.¡± ¡°Thank you very much Director Soyoto. Let us hope that the future will be as bright as you imagine and that these dark times will soon be behind us. Do not hesitate to share your opinions and questions in the comments on the holo-forum. The Transparency Act requires me to inform you that you will be held legally responsible for the content of your exchanges and that they may be collected by the various Institutions in order to guarantee our safety. It was Uana Gemme, for the show ¡®Understanding the Universe¡¯ with our special guest, Director Soyoto¡­¡± The cameras adjust to give an illusion of distance as the music for the show¡¯s end credits plays. Entry 101: Shadow zone Part 4: The ? Lost Truth ? Relative Timeline: Ta6Lo63000 Area: Sector F, near Sector K, Goldarm Galaxy Location: Planet Crash 404 Control: Nation of Neowreck Affiliation: Universal Administration [UA] (likely) The Hom walked the filthy streets of a city whose name was certainly as representative of its condition as that of the planet. Here, no modern pavement, but an earthen floor on which grew hideous rusty buildings that testified to a planetary colonization carried out with limited means. At least, despite the absence of real climate control, the atmosphere was viable for his species. This place exuded poverty, with a few glimmers of illegal wealth. The kind of place where it was best to walk around with a clearly visible illicit weapon, if one wanted to cross it without trouble. An antithesis of the civilized places of the Administration. Such places were extremely rare in the administered universe. Most poor neighborhoods were extremely clean and care was taken to ensure that everyone had enough to wear and eat a minimum. Even the poorest of ordinary neighborhoods had the right to its own network of police drones, its surveillance cameras, a Network amplification antenna and a war cruiser ready to teleport there in the event of an enemy attack¡­ But this place, undermined by pro-Hogloo terrorism, was one of the rare refuges where the less well-off criminals could still operate in broad daylight. And yet, even this giant dump, this city where nothing met the standards of health imposed by the Administration, even here it reigned. While many residents were involved in shady business, they generally avoided going too far and would not hesitate to denounce a ¡°real criminal¡±, in the hope of a substantial reward. That was why this Hom had set his smart-bubble to distort the features of his face, wanted throughout the universe. His head was wanted for crimes he had not committed, but for which he had no realistic alibi. He had no allies and had to rely on his darkest knowledge in order to survive in one of the rare shadowy areas partially escaping the scrutiny of the Administration. In fact, even his former comrades from the ¡°Liberty¡± rebellion would not hesitate to denounce him if he sought refuge with them. Another, less solid, would have sought refuge in addictive substances, such as alcohol, drugs or chocolate, but Libre Lhom was a Homtest. His philosophy of life required him to be able to control himself and bounce back without the help of active substances, the effects of which would not necessarily go in the right direction. On the filthy walls of this street without cameras, posters printed on paper gave totally unofficial messages. Members of Assembly: one year of work, then paid for life Workers: twenty years of work, then poverty-level unemployment! Further on, a large printed eye scanned the disparate crowd wandering on the road, topped with a ¡°They know what you''re doing!¡± vague enough to make anyone uncomfortable. Another poster particularly caught Lhom''s eye: a sort of button was crudely stuck under the inscription ¡°Press here to hear the truth¡±. Curious, he followed the instructions, deploying his combat nanobots in case of danger. But a sound came out of the button, a sort of homemade music diffuser, playing a revisited administrative anthem, the sound of which was more like a circus than an official anthem: Under the claws of the Administration, All plotting together, The nations of the worlds united! For the conformity of all! No more freedoms: Common laws¡­ so that stupidity reigns! The Administration is watching you! The Aaaaadministration, for a standardized future! Stepping back abruptly, as all eyes turned towards him, Libre quickly moved away from the poster, assuming the shameful expression of the victims of a bad joke. Inwardly, he smiled at it: the anti-administration anthem¡­ It had been a long time since he had last heard it. Arriving at a crossroads, Libre cast a cautious glance to the right and left before heading in the latter direction. There was little chance that a drone from the local police could pierce his disguise, but he preferred not to take the risk, even if it meant appearing a little suspicious. In any case, all the locals seemed suspicious and so he did not look out of place. The street was sometimes crossed by wheeled vehicles, or whose weak antigravity power didn¡¯t allow them to travel without scraping the earth, but it was generally an unofficial pedestrian zone. The locals, despite their poverty, still followed the fashions of the current year, sometimes a few months behind, so only their wary looks and the bumps indicating the presence of weapons differentiated them from the citizens living in more pleasant areas. A group of delighted Elunadoran tourists were walking down the street in the opposite direction, pointing ¡®T¡¯ energy devices in all directions: probably some kind of data recording modules. With their strange flowing clothes, their thin waists and their pointed ears, the foreigners were the target of all eyes¡­ They would probably end up with their throats cut somewhere where there would be fewer witnesses¡­ A huge mass of walking stone brought up the rear of the group, projecting a red light from its single eye. The thing scanned the surroundings like a scanner, but it was probably just an intimidation phenomenon to signal its dangerousness. After all, maybe these tourists were well equipped enough to eliminate any aggressor¡­ Their diplomatic passport would even save them from prosecution if they molested a few bandits¡­ Libre hesitated. The Elunadorans were not part of the Administration. They were the only known interstellar civilization that had never developed the ability to cross the void between solar systems. Possessing a large number of planets connected by some sort of teleportation portal and having powerful defense fleets within their systems, they commonly used ¡®T¡¯ energy for all their daily needs. Although their systems were generally located in the middle of those of the Administration, the Elunadorans had always firmly refused to be part of it while opening reciprocal trade relations.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. If the Elunadorans were known for keeping their agreements, in particular the one that forbade them from sheltering refugees pursued by the Forces of Law and Order, however, their citizens could probably feel exempt from what committed their governments... It was undoubtedly possible to grease their palms so that they would take him out of the reach of administrative justice... No: the risk of being denounced was too great... and besides, what would he do in these strange countries, without Network access? He was going to stick to his plan. In any case, if there were several ways to stay outside the administered sensors, there was only one to hope to see his loved ones again one day soon: to be pardoned. There were two options: accomplish a great public feat, or discover a secret compromising enough about someone influential enough to rehabilitate him. His love of epic adventures inclined him towards the first solution, but his realism preferred the second, assuming that the first circumstance would be too complicated to meet. But who would be influential enough to rehabilitate an alpha+ level agent, convicted of multiple murders of prison officers, as well as the escape of alpha-rank criminals? Deep down, this plan was also unrealistic. ¡°Hey! Do you want to make a deal?¡± Libre turned around, his hand naturally going to his pistol. The small being who had approached him suddenly moved away, his hands exposed to indicate his lack of bad intention. It was a Balgrass, a species of small bipedal lizards with very large eyes. Often considered cute, they were at best con artists, at worst dangerous smugglers. It was a stereotype, of course, as justified as the many stereotypes about the Homs: so, it was absolutely certain that one should be wary of this creature. ¡°Calm, calm, business, no fight.¡± The creature had used the low-administrated, an unofficial language spoken in the underworld. Behind its use of simple words and truncated sentences, hid a complex vocabulary full of innuendo. This language was mainly known by criminals, administrative agents and the Forces of Law and Order. The first category continued to use it despite its mastery by the next two, because this diverted language could hardly be used as evidence in court. This character, as shady as he was cute, was perfectly capable of speaking normally, but clearly expressing what he wanted could get him arrested. ¡°What do you want? I''m in a hurry.¡± ¡°Me good deals, not elsewhere!¡± ¡°Not interested, get lost!¡± ¡°Wait, wait, not expensive...¡± Glancing around, the creature pulled aside the vast coat that covered it, revealing a small jar of a strange golden material. ¡°Authentic. Jar guarantee: have you seen? Really true. Pecul Kama, always sell real, no one ever complained.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Zcarbb honey! This guy sold Zcarbb honey in amber jars: a material that only the Zcarbbs knew how to shape like that. This product was highly illegal for the simple reason that it was impossible to obtain it legally. ¡°Ah, you see¡­ You know? Really true, not cut. Good for the palate, chases away coughs, cures many illnesses, increases life expectancy, increases fertility: only good! And cheap, cheap for what to be¡­ Just two thousand a bottle¡­ Cheap¡­¡± The creature twirled the bottle in its skillful hands, like a conjurer trying to hypnotize someone. Lhom scowled. Indeed, it was not expensive for what it was. On the black market, prices could reach millions¡­ Was it even real honey? The jars were authentic in any case¡­ And his scans quickly confirmed that the honey was too¡­ Although most of the supposed virtues of this product were probably imaginary, it was a genuine luxury item. The low price suggested that this criminal had acquired it on his own¡­ How had he done it? What terrible secrets had he passed on to the enemy in exchange for this product? The administrative agent considered arresting this Balgrass on the spot, before remembering that his head was priced much higher than that of the worst smuggler could be. With an annoyed sigh, he turned away. But the merchant was tenacious: ¡°But yes, you are interested. No point in haggling: I can''t go any lower. Hey, fertility must interest you, right: you Homs, you''re trying to invade the Administration through demography, huh? With that, your wife will be able to produce plenty, like a queen...¡± Libre''s blood boiled and he grabbed the seller by the throat, pinning it against the nearby wall which resonated with a sound of sheet metal. His pistol was already stuck between the moaning creature''s two eyes. ¡°Shut up! There are enough real stereotypes about my species without you adding a false one!¡± ¡°J¡­ just two thousand: not expensive¡­¡± A burst of laughter interrupted the scene. Furious, the Hom turned his gaze to the person responsible. A massive, heavily armed Hogloo was watching him with amusement. It was the guy he had an appointment with. ¡°Well, you must be really on edge to lose your patience like that. Those of your kind are generally calmer¡­ or else they shoot or hit before threatening.¡± The renegade agent let go of the smuggler who landed heavily on its own tail. ¡°You''re early. And you, vermin, disappear before I take action!¡± ¡°Wait,¡± corrected the Hogloo, ¡°I''m interested for that price. If I give such a gift to a master geneticist, he''ll get me improvements that can''t be bought with money.¡± Delighted to have done business, the Belgrass sped away on all fours after selling all his pots to the Hogloo. This one teleported them away, probably sending them to his ship. He then turned his attention to his client. ¡°I did the research you asked for. Regarding Khajraz, we haven''t heard from him since... the date mentioned. I assume you managed to kill him.¡± Libre tensed: he had never indicated having had a disagreement with the other Hogloo. However, the other one didn¡¯t seem to seek revenge. He probably thought that this settling of scores had taken place in an ¡°honorable¡± manner. ¡°I managed to get more information on the content of his mission. Apparently, he was working for¡­ some kind of alliance of terrorist organizations. Although I had some suspicions at first, I believe he didn¡¯t do anything illegal¡­ at least, from our point of view. I managed to get in touch with his superiors, whose names I obviously can¡¯t reveal to you. They gave me this¡­ paper, to pass on to you.¡± He held out a folded sheet of paper. Libre stepped back slightly, waiting for his microbots to finish analyzing the material. The Hogloo sneered: ¡°No: it¡¯s not poisoned. I checked it myself. If I had been paid to kill you, I would have told you already. In any case, it¡¯s not right to get paid to kill someone who is already employing us. I think you¡¯ll find what you need in there. I¡¯m going.¡± Having already been paid before the job, the mercenary walked away. Owning and producing paper was strictly regulated by the Administration, practically forbidden. A relic of the ancient era when forests of entire planets were devastated to feed the Administration''s paperwork, before the massive use of plastic and computers changed this way of working. Some suspected the lobbies of these industrial fields of pushing for the maintenance of this outdated law in order to avoid competition, others suspected the governments of leaving it voluntarily: it was easier to monitor computer broadcasts than papers passing from hand to hand... Libre went to a small deserted alley to read the sheet out of sight, one hand never leaving the grip of his weapon. He was curious: what could those who were responsible for his misfortunes want to tell him? Would he find a means of redemption there? Mr. Lhom, alpha+ administrative agent, I very much regret that you have thwarted our plans and hope to be able to find a way to convince you to help us later. Doubting your goodwill in such a matter, I wish to inform you of spatial coordinates that will not fail to interest you, if you go there immediately, before it is too late. It is obvious that you will suspect a trap on our part, but you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Your ship is sufficiently well armed to be able to counter most of our unfortunate initiatives. Know that killers are already in pursuit of you, without me being able to confirm or deny their belonging to our cause. You may have removed all the administrative tracers that were scattered around your ship, a remarkable work for which I congratulate you, but there is a tracer that you could not have imagined. Should you ever find yourself in too much difficulty, please release our imprisoned allies so that they may help you in your task, in exchange for a little help in ours. I draw your particular attention to Pogastrapi, the Cyclops. He has already received instructions regarding the mission. Since the Ktn-Ktn must receive his instructions from the Hogloo, I strongly advise you not to release him without the agreement of the previous one, who is trained to manage this scenario. Finally, considering Xini, the one who belongs to a certain unnamed species, she will certainly be uncooperative in any scenario. However, she is a universal genius and will accomplish any technical task you ask of her, at least for the pleasure of keeping herself busy. Be careful, however, to keep a constant watch on her, or else she will take control of your ship, which would be detrimental to our plans as well as yours. I remind you once again that killers will soon come after you, but that the coordinates indicated will bring you additional resources for your survival. Perhaps also for your rehabilitation. I swear to you, and although you cannot have proof it means something to me, that what you find at these coordinates has no part in our shenanigans. However, I think that its use could be useful to both of us. Hoping that you will make a decision guaranteeing your survival, Sincerely, X (Coordinates corresponding to those in use in the local galaxy are then noted below the anonymous signature.) Did these terrorists need to be so polite and formal in their letter? Entry 102: Wreck The ship appeared, invisible, at a reasonable distance from the coordinates. A swarm of nanobots and combat drones patrolled the surroundings as soon as the sensors indicated a probable absence of danger: one could never be too careful. The area was at the edge of the galaxy, in starless space, almost at the level of the galactic protection shield. All galaxies, except those disputed or in the process of being colonized, had powerful protection devices capable of blocking unauthorized teleportation and delaying invasion fleets using other means of travel. Of course, from the tinkered data of his old alpha+ authorization, Libre had no problem crossing such a barrier. In this case, he did not need to do so, but the target of his attention must have been able to cross it. A wreck was drifting through space. Some sort of small ship of a model similar to his own, although a few years older¡­ or at least, what was left of this ship: a good half was missing. ¡°¡®Lost Truth¡¯, deploy the proceed to analyze this target, keep scanners to scan the surroundings in case of ambushes¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s already done, Captain.¡± replied the on board Z.I.A.. Libre scowled. The A.I.s had truly murdered heroism across the universe, sending heroes to retirement homes or the movie industry while they took over their jobs¡­ ¡°I¡¯m going to the wreck. Prepare a crew of robots to accompany me. Assault robots and various specialists.¡± ¡°Yes, Captain. Crew ready. Do you want to go there by teleport or through an airlock?¡± ¡°Airlock.¡± Protected by the dual combination of combat armor and a survival energy field, Libre Lhom floated through space toward the wreckage. A small dorsal thruster, set to manual control, allowed him to reach his destination quickly. He noticed on the spot that part of the artificial gravity device was still working, although faulty in places. Good, that would save him from bad maneuvers with the thruster. His presence was not really necessary because he could have directed everything from the comfort of his ship, but he was not going to deprive himself of this pleasure. If ever a war fleet appeared out of nowhere, hungry for his blood, he could always teleport aboard his ship and... fight or flee? That would depend... ¡°Result of the preliminary analysis.¡± ¡°Yes, send!¡± ¡°The majority of the computer data is destroyed, however, those that could be downloaded indicate that it is an administrative vehicle of category alpha, a model reserved for agents...¡± ¡°Yes, I knew that: I still keep up to date with ship models.¡± ¡°This one was attacked by a superior model¡­¡± ¡°No kidding.¡± ¡°The countermeasure deployed was the dropping of a decoy generated by emptying the raw material reserves of the matter synthesizer, while the real ship teleported to a safe place. The coordinate of this place was entered in extremis via an external connection, apparently recognized by the onboard system.¡± ¡°Yeah, obviously it was already too late at the time of the jump¡­ At least, if the attackers were looking for a specific object contained in this ship, they would get little for their pains¡­¡± A precious object? If it was contained in this part of the ship and not in the one left behind, there might be a way to negotiate with the Administration¡­ Well, it would have to be as valuable as one of the legendary orbs of the Secret Council for that¡­ In short: it would have to be an object capable of determining the fate of the entire universe. Did any even exist? Probably¡­ Maybe¡­ ¡°Biological life form detected. Altered signature.¡± Libre jumped, one hand on the butt of his weapon. How had a life form escaped the preliminary scan? A camouflaged enemy? Or worse: a Hogloo? Full of apprehension, but nevertheless preferring to go before his robots, he approached the area indicated by the goggles of his armor. He had drawn his weapon and pointed it forward, thus minimizing the time it would take for it to force his hand to point in the right direction in the event of a confrontation. Debris blocked the way, but the strength of his armor was enough to push it aside like common pebbles. He then discovered a curious transparent mass, shining with a fluorescent orange color. Prisoner of a sort of solidified jelly, a young Ham was lying on the ground. She was dressed in a civilian-looking suit, like any space pilot, except that these people like to customize their outfits to make them less sober. A large hole pierced her side on the right side. Although it seemed to be blocked by a sort of foam, it was likely that she had a pierced lung and perhaps other additional damage depending on the nature of the weapon that had fired at her. A survivor, surrounded by a protective foam of a military model. Probably an agent of the Administration. The foam was a derivative of temporal stasis technology and saved its prisoner from an instant and painful death. Its bright color and the light it emitted were intended to allow rescuers to find it despite the blocking of most biological signs. Libre lifted the solidified mass at arm¡¯s length. The ship didn¡¯t seem to contain anything else: it must be the ¡°resource¡± that those who had given him these coordinates were talking about. In any case, he wasn¡¯t going to let her die like that in the middle of space. His Z.I.A. analyzed that there were only a few hours left before the foam would no longer be enough to slow down the patient¡¯s critical condition. There was time. ¡°¡®Lost Truth¡¯, continue searching the wreckage and recover all the interesting components. Once the recovery is complete, use the diversion route and then bring us back to Crash. Prepare the medical block as well.¡±A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°Medical block ready. A preliminary analysis of the patient nevertheless indicates that it is advisable to take her to a specialized center. Otherwise, the operation risks leaving a mark.¡± Yes, good idea: to get arrested. The hospitals had substantial security measures and could certainly uncover his identity. Not to mention the patient''s. Who could she be anyway? Well, anyway, she could always pay a surgeon, a Hogloo even if she had the means, to repair the few traces that the operation would leave. Even if she couldn''t, it was still better than her current state. ¡°Ah, also think about scanning the patient to remove all forms of tracers and communication devices. Also check if she has implants and, if so, put them under control.¡± Domeria blinked. She closed her eyes again, dazzled by the glow of the room. She still felt a little comatose. How was she alive? She clearly remembered collapsing before reaching the controls. Had the AI ??taken the initiative? With the disturbances from the enemy weapons, it was unlikely, but how else could she explain her survival? She tried to open her eyes again and succeeded. The lamps were not directly above her, contrary to what she had first thought. Tilting her head to the side, she observed a room that appeared to be an infirmary. Perhaps the enemy had been liquidated by the space station''s defenses? The intervention personnel must have recovered her, surrounded by the emergency protection gel. A pain in her chest reminded her that there was supposed to be a hole there. With an instinctive gesture, she brought her hand to look for it. The local cells had been regenerated but she immediately felt a small mark on her skin. So, not the local hospital¡­ The one on a military ship perhaps? As an assassination target, she might have been taken to safety. Straightening up with difficulty, a certain stiffness still numbing her muscles, she quickly examined her clothing. She was wearing hospital pants, but her torso was covered only by a rudimentary protection intended to preserve her modesty. Insensitive to touch, small robots were still moving on her exposed skin, probably analyzing the state of her nerves by taking different points of reference. In any case, that''s what she suspected, since the weapon that had injured her attacked the nerves directly, potentially causing permanent damage. A man of her own species suddenly appeared, teleporting to a chair located near the bed. Sava Domeria shrank in on herself, instinctively folding her arms towards her chest. Although it was properly covered, the fact that her stomach was exposed bothered her a little, giving her the impression of being exposed herself. The newcomer didn¡¯t look like a military or police officer at all. An administrative inspector perhaps? Or a local agent? To be allowed to come and talk to her, he had to have at least alpha rank. ¡°Sleep well, Miss Domeria?¡± The man must have been about her age, but an arrogance and excessive self-confidence emanated from his person. It could be his real character, or a psychological game intended to put him in a position of strength. Perhaps he had even carefully prepared his scene before teleporting, in the hope of making her colleague uncomfortable¡­ Because, now, she was certain that it could only be another administrative agent, or an inspector¡­ Her instinct suggested another possibility, but she preferred to ignore it. ¡°Who are you? Where am I?¡± ¡°Classic questions. Didn¡¯t you have anything more original?¡± She frowned and glared at him. Although she finally felt fully awake, she didn¡¯t have the patience to play any psychological games. And then, as classic as they were, her questions were as legitimate as they were relevant given the circumstances. ¡°Okay, okay, you are currently in the Brador galaxy¡­ Ah, it¡¯s true that without your identification bracelet, you can¡¯t know where it is. Let¡¯s say it¡¯s in the old Hogloo space, rather on its old border.¡± So, she had drifted a little more towards Hogloo space, a jump of a few galaxies away¡­ Wait a moment: without her identification bracelet? Glancing at her right arm, she noticed that it was indeed missing. Without implanted chips, it was her only means of communicating with her personal data. Removing it without its owner¡¯s consent was a serious crime, unless necessary. Perhaps it had been necessary to do so to repair the nerves in her hand? ¡°I feel much better, could you give me back my bracelet? And you still haven¡¯t answered my questions: where exactly am I¡­ And who are you.¡± A sinister smile lit up the Hom¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t give you what you ask. You are currently aboard my ship, the ¡°Lost Truth¡± ¡­ whose name was previously known only to myself¡­ and the databases of the stations where I docked. As for me, I am Libre Lhom, a renegade agent of level alpha+, maybe even a space pirate, who knows¡­¡± If she had not jumped when the character suddenly teleported, she did when he revealed his identity to her. She moved away, trying to get up¡­ only to fall on the other side of the bed. She cried out in pain as she landed heavily on the neoplastic floor. ¡°Are you okay? I know there is all the equipment here to patch you up, but if you break your neck, I am not sure I can save you in time.¡± Her heart pounding, her head spinning slightly with dizziness, Sava got on all fours, looking around her in panic, looking for a weapon. Libre Lhom, renegade of level alpha+¡­ The universal news was talking about it. He had killed thousands of prison guards and freed terrorists, whose identities had not been released. The probability that she would come across this criminal in the middle of an infinite universe was zero! But as usual, reality did not care about probabilities. She stood up abruptly, leaning painfully on the furniture and pointing like a weapon the first device that came to hand. Her vision was blurred and she had to lean her back against the wall to avoid collapsing. Despite everything, she saw clearly enough the mocking smile of her interlocutor, who had not left his chair. ¡°Come on, when you are in a weak position, it is better to bide your time than to engage in desperate actions. Your nerves are barely rebuilt and your body is greatly weakened by blood loss. Despite the care of the machines, you need a good meal to really start to recover... Come on, drop it: you are hurting yourself. You¡¯ll fall again and end up breaking something. My pirate gang will have a harder time selling you on the slave market if you break again¡­¡± Lowering her improvised weapon, more because her wrist hurt than because she felt less in danger, Sava eyed Libre warily: ¡°You¡¯re kidding me, are you?¡± ¡°Eh, eh, eh¡­ Yes, of course. Even if there must still be a slave market somewhere in this vast universe, I suppose they must be experiencing some economic difficulties now that the unemployed are cheaper than slaves.¡± ¡°What do you want from me?¡± The Hom sneered, straightening up to his full height¡­ roughly equal to Domeria¡¯s, so not particularly impressive. Smiling arrogantly, he struck a confident pose, one foot on his old chair¡­ Almost as if he were trying to buy time before finding an answer to the question¡­ ¡°Well, nothing more than saving your life. I dare hope that you have enough honor to compensate for my action.¡± ¡°As long as¡­ as long as it remains honorable, of course. And I will not help you commit terrorist acts either!¡± Lhom seemed offended. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary for me to commit this type of act, any more than I need to attack your honor. I¡¯m a Homtest, not a scumbag! And even if I weren¡¯t one, I¡¯m not¡­ that kind of person. You¡¯re just going to serve as my crew while I¡­ Let¡¯s just say you¡¯ll see. In the meantime, follow me.¡± The Hom headed toward the door that opened as he passed. Cautiously, using the walls to help her move, Sava followed him. As they found themselves in a corridor, Lhom turned to her and added a little clarification: ¡°Ah, also there will be mysterious killers who will try to take us down. It¡¯s not like you have a choice, but I prefer to warn you about it¡­¡± The raised eyebrow Sava returned could be interpreted as a jaded ¡°Again?¡± Entry 103: Dinner and Homs’ Games The hallway of the ship was fairly standard, barred with the gray logo of the Administration. It looked a lot like the hallway of Sava¡¯s own ship, except that hers was better laid out, more personalized. This ship gave an impression of newness, of emptiness, of recentness¡­ The young woman¡¯s mood darkened when she remembered what her ship had undergone. Was there still a single intact trace of her personal arrangements? ¡°Tell me, what condition is my ship in?¡± The man stopped and turned to look at her, but his gaze quickly averted. ¡°What ship?¡± He started walking again. The answer was eloquent enough to break Sava''s heart. She had passed the Administration exams at a very young age and had lived for a few years in this ship, her home across the stars. To think that all that had gone... With a solemn gesture, the Hom ordered the opening of a door that most certainly led to the living quarters. He entered triumphantly into a large room decorated with fake wood. A long table occupied the center, laden with food and drink worthy of a king''s table, in a fairy tale. With a great movement of his cape, Libre Lhom turned, bending slightly in two to indicate a vacant chair with a grandiloquent gesture. When had he put on this cape? Sava had not noticed. Mechanically, she sat down in the designated place, noticing in passing that the Hom was floating slightly above the ground by some antigravity effects¡­ just enough to appear visibly taller than her. Sava barely suppressed a smile. Theatrical mannerisms generating a supposed impression of strength and mystery: this was indeed the manner of the men of her people. Most Ham appreciated the opposite role of brutally bringing them back to earth, or else enjoyed following their delusions to see to what extremes they could push them. However, she could not deny feeling slightly charmed by this attitude. Apparently, this Hom had chosen to adopt a stereotypical ¡°bad guy¡± role and, when he sat down at the other end of the table (on a slightly higher and more ornate chair), organ music accompanied his movement for a moment. With a graceful gesture, he pointed to the many victuals. ¡°Help yourself and don''t be fussed: you really need some strength after your... ordeals.¡± She didn''t need to be asked twice: grabbing a spoon and a gripper, she began to move the dishes to her plate, then to her mouth. Perhaps they were poisoned or stuffed with nano-drones? In any case, he could have done the same thing to her during her operation: who knows, maybe she already had a bomb implanted in her skull? While eating, as dignified as her appetite would allow, she discreetly glanced at her dangerous savior. He brought to his lips a cup probably filled with a mixture of white wine and astic''hom juice, with a dignity that seemed more feigned than usual. Obviously, Lhom was as wary of her as she was of him. He had decided to play his role of ¡°big villain¡± to the fullest, but that didn''t mean he wasn''t really one. His manners, more exaggerated than the ordinary Hom, suggested that he was a homtest, an intellectual social class in their society, well-known for its way of distorting the truth. Wasn''t that what he had said, by the way? At that moment, the help of her AI would have been very valuable to discreetly obtain information and reminders. The food was delicious, although most certainly drawn from a synthesizer... apart from the astic¡¯hom which were authentic. Like the majority of Homs, he must have had a breeding somewhere in his ship. A legacy from their ancestors, during the ancient era when they were nomads traveling a space desperately devoid of life. How had they managed not to encounter viable planets in several millennia of travel? Perhaps they lived in a zone devoid of them? Rumor had it that habitable planets were increasingly rare in the expansion zone, as if there was a limit to the expansion of life in the universe... Of course, one could always create artificial atmospheres, but they were expensive to build and maintain... Her thoughts turned to the Zcarbbs. One of the theories about their aggressiveness towards the Administration was that they too had finally encountered a limit of colonizable planets, thus putting them in competition with the administered for control of the remaining ones, or the taking of those already occupied. ¡°You look very tired. Perhaps you should go and rest?¡±Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Sava forced herself to smile and straighten up, chasing from her mind the thoughts that were taking her away from the present moment. Discreetly, under the table, she pinched herself, hoping that the pain would allow her to appear more awake. Of course, Lhom must have scattered nanobots to spy on her and would know about it, but reporting it without having seen it visually would be shameful on his part. ¡°I am fully awake, thank you.¡± Don''t show weakness. Dominate the situation. Watch your words while leaving some clues about what the other wants to discover. Hom social rules were complicated: this was the ¡°Little Game¡±, as opposed to the ¡°Great Game¡± which involved a political issue. The ¡°Little Game¡± was a way of studying an unknown person or exchanging with an opponent. If she had expressed the desire to retire to rest herself, he would have been obliged to accept. However, if she accepted the same thing, from his proposal, she would show weakness and would start to slowly lose this little game. She therefore had to overcome the fatigue and subtly extract information from her opponent. ¡°Perfect, if you are awake, you will have no problem telling me your epic story. I am certain that your drifting, half dead, in the middle of your wreck, is the result of some tasty plots.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know? I stumble upon the most wanted man in the universe, and he doesn¡¯t know how I got there?¡± For a moment, the Hom¡¯s face showed his annoyance, but he quickly resumed his haughty smile. ¡°Hey, what do you want? My enemies sent me a charming letter with your coordinate. What else could I do but save you?¡± ¡°The¡­ The Administration informed you of my location?¡± ¡°Why do you immediately assume that it¡¯s the Administration?¡± Sava bit her lip: she had spoken too quickly, without taking enough time to think. However, subtle changes in the features of her interlocutor made her realize that she had perhaps not made a big mistake. As well trained in psychology as he was, she detected a real interest behind this mocking question. ¡°Well,¡± she tried, ¡°since you''re a renegade, isn''t that your main enemy?¡± He stared at hers for a long time and she held his gaze. Subtle changes in their features during this little duel told them a lot about each other... Unless the other had managed to fake some information. Sava decided to take the initiative of the attack. ¡°Are you going to pretend to be innocent? It''s rather of the most banal clich¨¦.¡± ¡°I am innocent!¡± The Hom had lost his composure for a brief moment and grimaced in anger at the Ham''s smirk. He decided to regain his composure by playing fair: ¡°Well, I see that you are gifted in the Game.¡± ¡°On the contrary, I fear I lack training. My last exercise consisted of a diplomatic visit to a tyrant in the Utela galaxy.¡± ¡°You don''t seem to be talking about the Zcarbbs.¡± ¡°I think you already have all the necessary data on my latest activities, don''t you?¡± They continued to exchange like this for a long time, extracting bits of information from each other. Sava was beginning to have the impression that this guy was indeed innocent, the victim of a set-up by some mysterious secret organization¡­ Or at least, he was playing the role well. She herself avoided revealing too many details of her time with the Zcarbbs, or her suspicions concerning the presence of corrupt agents within the Administration. After all, perhaps he was one of them, trying to discreetly discover what she had learned of their shenanigans. ¡°So, Mr. Lhom, what are your plans, if you are as innocent as you say?¡± Her eyes were beginning to burn after all these battles of glances and controlled reactions. Fortunately, the adversary seemed to have partially relaxed his guard. Either he was telling the truth, or he thought she had swallowed his lies. ¡°You can just call me Lhom, or even Libre. My plans¡­ well, I plan to temporarily cooperate with the terrorists responsible for my problems. Unless you have some other ideas that could get me out of this mess?¡± Sava hesitated. Could she tell this guy about her investigation? Or at least the fact that she was looking for the master geneticist Zoghoze? There was little chance that the group that tried to have her assassinated had anything to do with someone who was simply trying to interrogate her¡­ But to trust him¡­ At the same time, the story he had subtly revealed, that of a sabotaged ship that had forced him to attack the administered forces¡­ Well, considering that she herself was looking for traces of corruption within the Administration, it was possible that events that seemed impossible, like this sabotage, had really taken place. In any case, it made no sense for a recently promoted agent to start using his ship to help with an escape: there were plenty of other ways. Letting an agent infiltrate the Administration for longer, rather than blowing his cover like that, would have been smarter on the part of a terrorist group¡­ Yes, she had to tell him about it. After all, what could go wrong: if he was one of her enemies, she wouldn¡¯t be getting out of here alive anyway¡­ Deep down, he seemed like an honest person¡­ Domeria¡¯s head slowly sank onto her arm, which she had folded on the table to form a pillow. Her gesture had been so natural that she must not have realized she had fallen asleep. Libre nodded mechanically. Yes: she was much more tired than he had initially thought. After their intense verbal joust, the operation she had recently undergone, and the digestion of the meal, she had quickly exhausted all her energy. The nano-drones confirmed that she was sound asleep. Delicately, Libre lifted her up and carried her in his arms to one of the free rooms, laid her on a bed, and ordered a robot to tuck her in. As the latter complied, he observed the young Ham¡¯s features, soothed by sleep. Even though she was an alpha-level administrative agent with advanced psychic barriers, he had to admit that he was rather impressed by her resistance to the truth serum he had injected into her¡­ Entry 104: Threats and Truths Domeria blinked. She closed her eyes again, dazzled as the room¡¯s AI interpreted her awakening as a request for enlightenment. The light was dimmed, so she opened her eyes without any problem. She felt in great shape¡­ but strangely, apart from a few details, she felt like she was reliving that scene. A quick glance around reassured her: she was no longer in the infirmary. Sitting down on the bed, she cautiously observed her surroundings. Her mind was clear enough to not believe she was at home and to remember recent events¡­ but she no longer remembered exactly what she had said during the meal¡­ The room was a real bedroom, a little smaller than her old cabin. The bed she was on was on top of the standard escape pod. There was some furniture, a table and a few chairs, a desk¡­ On a chair near the bed, she saw that new clothes had been laid out. Letting her legs dangle to the floor, she reached out and grabbed the outfit. It was a standard crew uniform, made up of two parts that would merge into one once equipped. The new pants also covered the feet and she removed the hospital pants to put these on. As she did so, she realized that the day before (or at least she called the moment before she fell asleep the day before), she had walked barefoot without realizing it. She must have been in a really bad state¡­ What nonsense or worse, truths, had she let slip? As she grabbed the top, she discovered that while the suit seemed devoid of insignia, its shoulders bore a symbol. It was a human skull in front of two crossed femurs, all stylized. The universal symbol of fairytale pirates, or real but unimaginative ones. Sava couldn¡¯t help but smile: whatever the truth about him, one could tell that her host had a sense of humor. She put on the top and felt satisfied to finally be presentable: she felt less vulnerable¡­ Even if it would be much better with a weapon at her side in this situation¡­ The two parts of the suit merged and she adjusted a belt over it. To separate the two parts of the outfit, she would just have to send a command to her identity bracelet, which had probably already connected to the garment¡­ ¡°Ah,¡± she hissed, ¡°damn: it¡¯s true that he took it from me¡­¡± She removed the belt and carefully observed the suit until she found the manual system. She tried it on, then closed the garment and put the belt back on. Continuing to analyze the outfit, she discovered that the cuffs contained the controls for a small holographic touch screen, allowing to regulate the internal temperature of the garment or to adjust its size in case of malfunction of the automatic system. Finally ready, she headed for the door. The Ham almost jumped when it opened, so convinced was she that it was locked. During the second of opening, she gathered all her concentration to not let anything show if something was waiting for her on the other side. She was so ready that she was disappointed that there was nothing. The common room had changed in appearance, there were several tables of various sizes, surrounded by comfortable armchairs. The banquet table from the day before was now surrounded by sofas and no longer seemed as high. Although the walls had not changed, it seemed to her that she was entering an entirely new place. There again, no trace of the Hom, or his crew. Sava began to wander around the ship, opening rooms at random. Of course, her movements were monitored by the onboard AI, most likely of the Z.I.A. type, even if it resolutely refused to speak to her when she tried to call out to her. Some rooms were closed, like the captain''s cabin, but she doubted he was in it. She discovered the location of the corridor, but the secondary doors were locked. The young woman continued on her way to a beam elevator that ended the corridor. The machine worked for her, offering her two directions. After a moment of hesitation, she pressed the arrow indicating the bottom. The holo-screen of choice disappeared and the beam put her in a state of levitation. The floor opened and she was quickly transported down without the slightest sensation of movement. The new section of the ship that opened up before her was clearly the hold. Perhaps it wasn¡¯t the best choice of direction if she hoped to find the master of the place? But she could perhaps learn something there¡­ Leaving the beam, she observed the place. There were pallets supporting containers wrapped in protection, whose symbols indicated the presence of additional energy reserves. A group of robots were busy on a pile of scrap metal, apparently busy recycling it¡­ Had the renegade become a space scrapper? Unless these were the remains of his latest victims? In the center of the hold stood a strange room with reinforced walls. Its door was open, revealing three metal tubes. Curious, she approached it. They were three stasis tubes surrounded by some sort of additional protection. The latter was open, revealing the three people who were cut off from the present time. ¡°The sign of the prison department,¡± she murmured, ¡°these are prisoners. Apparently alpha level... This guy is being prosecuted for having participated in the liberation of prisoners from this level, if I remember correctly... Why are they still in stasis?¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Good question, isn''t it, Miss Domeria?¡± Sava let out a sharp cry of surprise as she turned around. Lhom was there, next to her, as if he had always been in this room. A stealth suit perhaps? He probably didn''t need to go that far: the Z.I.A. on board could probably alter the environment to create visual illusions, undetectable to someone without the slightest modern equipment. ¡°Did I scare you? I''m sorry.¡± ¡°Yeah, sure,¡± Sava thought, ¡°you''re not even hiding your amusement!¡± But, out loud, she gave another version of herself: ¡°To make up for it, wouldn''t you like to explain this vision that troubles me?¡± ¡°Ah, I just activated a small stealth shield: it creates a variation in the air around me in order to...¡± ¡°No: I mean the prisoners. Who are they? Why are they... well, haven''t you tried to free them? Don''t tell me you can''t open these devices: coming from an alpha+, that would be pretty pathetic.¡± Lhom smiled amusedly: ¡°To be honest, I don''t think I''m able to open the Cyclops'' cell. It''s a bit annoying, since it prevents me from opening the Ktn-Ktn''s cell as well in case I need to. My enemies have informed me that the first one controls the second one, which would be quite dangerous otherwise.¡± ¡°I guess who the Cyclops is, but which one is a Ktn-Ktn?¡± ¡°That one: the bull.¡± ¡°And the person in the middle?¡± ¡°Oh, I was told she''d be difficult to control, but she could be useful in the technical field...¡± He narrowed his eyes, realizing a detail: ¡°Maybe she''d be able to break through the Cyclops'' security...¡± ¡°And what would you get from freeing these criminals?¡± ¡°A development of the situation¡­ Maybe for the worse, but it¡¯s still better than finding yourself without a solution, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°You could also surrender.¡± The Hom¡¯s gaze became so contemptuous that Sava felt hurt. ¡°You think I want to waste decades of real time for crimes I didn¡¯t commit? I¡¯d be in for thirty or a hundred years! So, I¡¯m going to do something, even if it means playing into the enemy¡¯s hands! I¡¯m going to free these criminals and see how far this story will take me, what opportunities will arise¡­¡± His gaze was implacable and his cape flew majestically behind him, certainly equipped with one of those heroic air current simulators that the Homs were particularly fond of. He had a strange smile and Sava instinctively felt that this was some kind of test, the ins and outs of which she didn¡¯t know. ¡°So, I''m going to free them now, before the killers announced by my enemies come... Unless there''s another way for me to regain the Administration''s favor...¡± The Hom opened the control panel of the central stasis pod and began to activate the opening sequence. The young woman caught a sideways glance that he gave her during a brief Tik. She finally guessed the nature of the test: either she would provide him with interesting information, or he would release these criminals into the wild. A hostage situation with a dilemma... typically homtest. It probably wasn''t a bluff. ¡°I was going to tell you about it,¡± she began, ¡°but if you¡¯re going to release criminals to try to save your own skin, maybe you¡¯re not the person I need to investigate a corruption case¡­¡± The Hom stopped and turned around. He probably thought he was putting on a straight face, but Sava could read his true mood perfectly: hope. ¡°Corruption? Really? With all the inspectors monitoring our reports and all the complaints filed against us?¡± ¡°You talk like you¡¯re still an administrative agent.¡± ¡°Just because I¡¯m an outlaw wanted throughout the universe doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m going to stop being a representative of those who are looking for me.¡± ¡°Tsss.¡± She turned her head, affecting contempt for his argument. In reality, she wanted to hide her smile. She cursed inwardly as she remembered that her opponent had microscopic and flying cameras that patrolled the surroundings. However, he did not seem to consult them given his reaction. ¡°I''m serious! Okay, I made fun of you with this story of inspectors, and I ask you to forgive me. I know that there is something fishy that has infiltrated our ranks: the sabotage of my vehicle was literally impossible without the complexity of an agent of my own level, or above. The sabotage itself was of such expertise that few people across the universe would be capable of it...¡± ¡°Hogloos, perhaps?¡± ¡°Why are you talking to me about Hogloos? Zcarbbs, I could understand, but these modifications didn¡¯t seem like their way of designing programs¡­ In short, if you have anything that could help me obtain a pardon, I¡¯ll help you¡­ and if it helps me find the people responsible for my troubles, doubly so.¡± He had dropped the Game and was speaking frankly. In a way, that meant Sava had won. It was too bad the only favor she could possibly want to extort from him was the one he was asking: to participate in her investigation. ¡°Okay. I can¡¯t tell you all the details, but I¡¯m looking for a Hogloo master geneticist named Zoghoze. He¡¯s involved in the Utela case, and I intend to convince him to tell me the truth about who ordered it.¡± Libre had a slight beard ending in a small goatee that he scratched mechanically as he thought. ¡°I know a Hogloo here, whom I have already employed. I could pay his services to authorize our passage through their space...¡± A detail struck the Ham: ¡°But? With what money? Your bank accounts, even secret ones, must have already been blocked or put under surveillance...¡± ¡°Indeed. As for yours, they must have already been treated in accordance with your death, officially recognized. But, rest assured: I had left here a physical deposit of a good amount of materialized credit. There is enough to buy a space fortress.¡± ¡°My death, officially recognized?¡± ¡°Yeah. I must say, leaving a copy of the ship using the synthesizer and making a jump, all at the moment of the explosion, it was a rather clever move on your part to prevent your attacker from discovering your survival. Well, the downside is that the Administration also thinks you died in the explosion. Don¡¯t worry: as long as your disappearance doesn¡¯t last more than a standard year, you can get a refund of your assets¡­ minus the portion taken by the Administration as part of the inheritance tax, of course.¡± ¡°A rather smart move on my part?¡± ¡°Um¡­ Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m officially dead?¡± But Sava Domeria had lost her footing. How had she survived in fact? An AI could not have imagined such a plan, much less calculated it to the nearest second without having infinitely more computing power than that of her ship. Worse still: if she was officially dead, it meant that her loved ones were going to suffer¡­ Entry 105: Decision and responsibility Domeria blinked. She closed her eyes again, dazzled by the lamps in the room. She was lying on something soft. Probably a gel couch¡­ Less soft than her own¡­ which had disappeared in a terrible explosion¡­ Shaken by her thoughts, she sat up. She was back in the common room, lying on one of the sofas. Sitting opposite her, Lhom was looking at her with concern. Seeing her awakening, he questioned her: ¡°Don''t get up so quickly! Are you feeling better?¡± ¡°Yes... yes... What happened?¡± ¡°You felt dizzy... After learning of your death.¡± She glared at Hom and he smiled, pleased with his poor sense of humor. But she was angrier with herself for letting herself go like that. ¡°I probably haven''t recovered from my operation yet... Please allow me to send a communication to Center to indicate that I''m not dead...¡± ¡°No way, and you know it. The Administration would track the communication and I would be in danger. You too, by the way, if those who seek to kill you are indeed corrupt agents, as you seem to suspect¡­¡± Or worse, she thought. She would not share her suspicions with this pseudo-pirate, but the more she thought about it, the more she believed in the Zcarbbs'' version of an attack voluntarily organized by Administration officials¡­ Ready to sacrifice a galaxy to the Zcarbbs for¡­ for what? To prove that they are indeed a threat and motivate the rest of the population? Maybe¡­ after all, the universe was vast. A galaxy was only a few million inhabited planets each by a few billion individuals: not even a percent of a percent of the administered population, a speck of dust for cold and unscrupulous individuals¡­ But for what gain? Could they be opponents of the current president, trying to promote the rise of their candidate by polluting the current mandate with failures? If that was indeed the case, their side had much greater power within the Administration than the current president legally held. Agents capable of organizing such operations were not only alpha+ level: they also had to be senior enough to hold important permanent positions and have been validated and recommended by several independent inspectors¡­ There was no point in speculating on cause and effect. She looked at Lhom and he had just enough time to make disappear the amused grin that adorned his face, so quickly that she thought she had imagined it. Apparently, the time of reflection in which she had lost herself, without realizing it, had amused him a lot¡­ ¡°Where are we?¡± ¡°You are currently aboard my ship, the ¡®Lost Truth¡¯.¡± Crossing her arms, she looked at him in annoyance until he relented. With a smile, he explained: ¡°We''re currently on our way at superluminal speed to Hogloo space. My contact is waiting for us at a rendezvous point, but it''s best to reach him without leaving a trace. We should arrive in a few hours, after about a hundred jumps.¡± A hundred? The jump engines on this craft must have been heavily modified... But who was still modifying this type of engine now that ¡°Walker¡± engines were becoming more and more widespread? Ah, yes, pirates, terrorists, and agents... The ones who need to move stealthily without leaving a trace of a ¡°Walker¡± jump behind them... She jumped when the Hom''s voice called out to her. What was happening to her? She kept getting drawn into her thoughts. Again, the day before, it was understandable because of her fatigue, but now? Was it the tension, the fact of having survived an assassination, of being presumed dead, of going to Hogloo territory, of trying to flush out a ruthless terrorist group probably linked to a major political party? ¡°Are you sure you''re okay?¡± ¡°YES!¡± She had shouted. The Hom seemed upset at the time, then amused. She hid her embarrassment by getting up and walking a bit, making a small tour of the room. ¡°Well, if you''re okay, then you could answer my previous question.¡± ¡°Who was?¡± ¡°Let''s suppose my contact manages to find this Zoghoze, which is very likely. Let''s suppose we manage to talk to him, which is likely but very risky. Let''s suppose he gives us sufficiently clear information on who had hired him, which is not a given...¡± ¡°Well?¡± ¡°What do you plan to do next? Denounce it and call the Hogloo to the stand at trial to testify?¡± ¡°Yes. Why? What would you do?¡± ¡°I would kidnap the person responsible and have it psychically probed in front of holo-vision cameras¡­¡± He burst out laughing at her shocked expression, pretending to have made a joke. The gleam that had crossed his eyes nevertheless indicated that he was considering this solution¡­ And, perhaps the culprit deserved it, for the billions of victims of its crime. ¡°More seriously,¡± he continued, ¡°I think that someone capable of endangering an entire galaxy will not let himself be eliminated by the simple deposition of an enemy of civilization before a court of justice. Even if the Hogloos are known for their sense of honor, there have already been cases where some have acted... differently. The deposition will probably not be enough.¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°But we will at least know who this criminal is. By putting a few agents on the case and asking for help from the inspectors, we will inevitably end up putting them out of harm''s way...¡± ¡°Of course... For the moment, we are going to have bigger problems...¡± Turning to the table, he sent it a mental command so that it would deploy a series of holograms containing various data. If half were there only for decoration, others were very clearly tactical maps representing the progress of different objects. ¡°There are currently three different ships pursuing us. These ships have no communication with each other and are slowly gaining on us, trying to guess our next exit vectors. Hogloo space will be full of danger, but we might not reach it.¡± Sava looked at the maps in astonishment. Without the help of her AI, it was a bit complicated to understand all the data, but her school memories came back to the rescue. Three ships, well equipped enough to be almost indistinguishable. No visuals, just tiny variations in some data... The fact that they did not communicate with each other did not prejudge their possible relations... Of course, all this could have been an invention of Lhom, intended to study her reactions. A way to distract himself during these hours of waiting... No: that would be ridiculous. ¡°Indeed, according to this data, it would seem that these ships are trying to follow our tracks. They must also be aware of each other''s presences and, if they are not working together, be wary of each other. Are you sure they did not simply follow the trail of the nanobots you left behind? The ones that allowed you to spot them?¡± ¡°I am not an amateur... But one of these ships seems advanced enough to be able to do that: I barely detected its presence because of its use of a ¡®Walker¡¯ engine, before it started tracking me...¡± ¡°Oh? And how do you know it is still following?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s an administrative ship, because it makes encrypted communications from time to time that pass through the Network. My accreditation level is not high enough to try to obtain the encrypted version of this content, but I can locate its broadcast...¡± ¡°Not high enough? Above alpha+? What is it? The legendary alpha-omega level? It would be someone extremely important in any case. Why would them be chasing us?¡± The captain of the ship stood up, without answering. He motioned for Domeria to follow him and left the room, the holograms surrounding him like a strange swarm of luminous butterflies. As they descended towards the hold, he explained his thoughts: ¡°Perhaps it is the instigator of the Utela affair, and has it followed your trail? Or is it the one responsible for sabotaging my craft and has come to retrieve the prisoners in order to free them? It is also possible that it is an inspector sent to locate the renegade agent that I am... but in that case, it would have been more logical if it were just alpha+ level...¡± ¡°To allow you to spy on its conversations?¡± ¡°I wouldn''t be able to decrypt them anyway: the inspectors use a code entirely set to their Network identity... If I were still officially an agent... with some pirate software... maybe...¡± ¡°And what are the other two ships?¡± ¡°I don''t know. They don''t look like administered ships, or they operate under total cover. However, they seem less well equipped for camouflage than the first ship. I have no clue. They could just as easily be Zcarbbs or Hogloos ships as those of a terrorist group involved in the affair... Yours or mine... More likely mine.¡± Sava eyed the hold warily: they were visibly heading towards the stasis cylinders. ¡°What are we doing here? What do you intend to do?¡± The Hom chuckled theatrically while pointing at the central cylinder: ¡°What do you think? If our pursuers are gaining on us, it is because they have more advanced equipment. I know how to operate my ship beyond its theoretical capabilities, but if we really want to distance our pursuers, we need someone capable of much more¡­¡± ¡°So, you want to free this criminal? Why did you wait for me to wake up to tell me that?¡± ¡°So as not to be the only one responsible in case things go wrong, of course. I want your opinion on the matter, and since you will not propose anything more relevant, you will be forced to accept this solution and share the responsibility.¡± Sava gritted her teeth, annoyed. She could understand this reasoning and, at least, as a good Homtest he did not hide the intention of his action... At least, the visible one. Maybe he thought he had more luck following the plans of the criminals rather than Domeria''s vague lead? At the same time, she mysteriously felt that she could trust him... ¡°Okay... Wait... Can you tell me first the reason for her imprisonment?¡± Satisfied, Libre nodded then tapped on the cylinder''s control console to display the details of the conviction: ¡°I had a little trouble, but I finally unlocked this data. Read it.¡± First Name: Xini Last Name[1]: Xolot Gender: Female Species: Missing Data Security Level: Alpha+ Cause for Sentencing: Attempted mass murder of universal level, selling sensitive data to Hogloos terrorists Length of Sentence: Eternity Some other secondary information was then noted and an investigation file, decrypted by Lhom''s software, detailed the crime of which she was guilty. Sava paled: ¡°She... She tried to kill billions of people by hacking the SECURA-02 chip? She''s a monster... You can''t release... that!¡± A hint of annoyance crossed Lhom''s gaze: he didn''t like seeing his plans thwarted at the last moment. ¡°You did agree that we have no other solutions, didn''t you? And besides, what do we know about her real motives? Maybe she''s not as monstrous as what''s announced...¡± ¡°Okay: give me a probable cause to excuse this mass murder attempt?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Um¡­ Maybe she wasn¡¯t the culp¡­¡± ¡°It says ¡®caught in the act¡¯ there.¡± ¡°Hey, there are witnesses to my alleged crime too, that doesn¡¯t mean I committed it. And then, we¡¯ll keep an eye on her after we release her¡­¡± ¡°Us? So, are you going to give me back my bracelet?¡± ¡°No: I was talking about my AI and me.¡± He was lying. Not having had time to prepare his arguments sufficiently, he had let his mistake show and he looked away, much to Sava¡¯s satisfaction. But this minor victory didn¡¯t change the fact that he was right: if these pursuers were killers, it was better to use all the assets at their disposal. She still waited a little while to savor her ephemeral triumph before conceding: ¡°Release her. On the other hand, if she runs away and kills billions of innocent people, I won''t be the one responsible!¡± ¡°I didn''t ask for that much: just the share of responsibility in the illegal act of opening this stasis cell. I''m starting the procedure.¡± The small green-skinned creature slowly descended down the cylinder as time gradually resumed inside. A door opened in the safety glass and slid to the side, exposing the prisoner to the open air. She looked up blankly at the two Homs who were welcoming her back to the present. Her two ears, previously perked up to the sides, hung limply against her shoulders. Her voice, rather high-pitched, was tinged with a sort of monotony: ¡°Oh? How much time has passed? Ah¡­ never mind¡­ You don¡¯t look like you¡¯re from the prison department. So, I gather I¡¯ve been assigned a special mission. Just tell me what to do.¡±
[1] Although there are many customs from one people to another, the forms are the same for all: thus, Xini''s clan name is considered a family name. The fact that she is banished from her clan is of no concern to the form. Entry 106: The hereditary enemy Domeria scowled. This pathetic little creature did not resemble the terrible criminal in the file. She seemed to have no desire left. Libre Lhom addressed the prisoner: ¡°I am Libre Lhom, captain of this ship, the ¡®Lost Truth¡¯, Homtest and administrative agent of alpha+ rank. I am in charge here. She is Sava Domeria, my second. She is an administrative agent of alpha rank. Are you following?¡± The creature¡¯s gaze animated for a moment with a glimmer of annoyance, then became dull again. ¡°Of course. You could speak a hundred times faster and, in another language, I would understand as well. What are your instructions¡­ cap¡¯n?¡± The last word had been pronounced with a touch of contempt that revealed a deep arrogance, for the moment buried under a good layer of renunciation. A brief glance exchanged between the two Homs confirmed to them that they had made the same analysis: although submissive for the moment, this Xini was indeed someone dangerous. ¡°It¡¯s simple: three ships are chasing us and we must lose them.¡± ¡°I see: you want me to push your device to its performance limits to cover your tracks, or find an alternative solution. Very well, take me to my command post.¡± Sava sent a discreet wary look to Lhom and he responded with a raise of his eyes: no, he was not going to let this creature access the ship''s controls, or the Network, or anything else... She moved closer to the Hom''s ear and whispered: ¡°No access to the food synthesizer: I''ve already seen what that can do.¡± The captain raised an eyebrow in surprise, then turned his attention back to the prisoner: ¡°Well, I''ve had one of the pilot center''s posts prepared: it¡¯s completely cut off from the rest of the systems and you will be under the constant surveillance of my Z.I.A.. If there is the slightest problem, I''ll send you back into stasis for good!¡± ¡°It''s not like I have anywhere left to go...¡± With an unmotivated but quick gait, the long-eared creature followed the AI''s holographic indications to head into the ship towards her control station. Except for the passage through the elevator beam, where they were all together, Sava and Libre remained a little behind, exchanging their impressions: ¡°This woman is dangerous,¡± Sava was saying, ¡°put her back in stasis as soon as possible...¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve often dealt with dangerous people. On the contrary, she¡¯s currently harmless: she seems to have lost all purpose. As long as she doesn¡¯t find a reason to act, we¡¯re safe.¡± ¡°You¡¯re probably right¡­ I suppose¡­¡± Something annoyed her a little about the fact that he was always right, but she couldn¡¯t put her finger on it, so she decided not to worry about. Xini was already working when they entered the cockpit. She was seated at one of the secondary stations, prepared for her activity. Several holographic screens opened and closed, without her appearing to consult them more than a Tik each. She frowned, apparently annoyed by something. ¡°So?¡± the captain asked. ¡°I visualize the problem; I have read the technical parameters of the ship''s components and the possible sidereal routes for your destination. Of course, taking into account the time it will take you to manually validate each of my choices makes the execution of the maneuvers more hazardous¡­ There, I have finished designing the preliminary plan. You can consult it while I prepare the boost programs... With a three-grain core, these maneuvers will be executed without too much delay...¡± Libre bit his lip. The data he had left at the creature''s disposal shouldn¡¯t have allowed her to know the current capacity of the core. Had she simply deduced it from the performance parameters of the machines? He looked at the plan data on his screen. The way to enhance the performance of the machines was original and most certainly functional, the chosen route was the best for stealthy movement taking into account the enemy''s predictions, however there were some security measures who... ¡°Dropping a minefield? No way: you''re crazy! It''s strictly illegal, and for good reason. Besides, we don''t even know if these three ships are really hostile.¡± The creature shrugged. ¡°You are free to apply my theory as you see fit. I have simply indicated the most efficient method to achieve the requested objective.¡± ¡°No wonder you were imprisoned.¡± She looked up, regaining some vitality for a brief moment, then turned away to continue analyzing the data, her resigned look returning to her face. She seemed to think that he was probably right. When the ship appeared at the rendezvous point, it seemed that it was no longer being followed. With apprehension, the three occupants of the cockpit observed their arrival point. A huge transport ship was orbiting a planet, small shuttles coming and going, probably carrying cargo in one direction, the other or both. But what brought fear, even for the disillusioned Xini, was the very nature of the ship: seeming to be covered in a shell rather than steel, it inflated and deflated slightly, as if to the rhythm of an immense breath. Tentacles emerged from it, grabbing cargo to carry them into its entrails, or pulling out others to distribute them. A swarm of strange creatures seemed to fly around the transport, flapping their wings despite the absence of air in space, monitoring the surroundings¡­ It was a living ship of the Hogloos!This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Numerous alert icons and detailed screens lit up automatically in the command room. Numerous cannons were pointed on them, loaded with various projectiles, ready to retaliate against their own weapons which were acting the same. However, more positive information quickly appeared, indicating that their access authorization had been recognized. A gaping mouth opened in the side of the transport and their ship entered it. The scenery was not pleasant, the Hogloos having gone so far as to garnish this hangar door with teeth, truly giving the impression of being swallowed by their monstrous space leviathan. The walls inside also seemed to be made of flesh, shell, or indefinable things. ¡°We will take the ramp,¡± explained the captain, ¡°the Hogloos'' jammers prevent us from disembarking by teleportation.¡± ¡°Because we are going to disembark?¡± Sava asked in perplexity. ¡°We are going to disembark in a ship full of Hogloos! This is not the same as in an administrative space station¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry: my contact guarantees our safety¡­¡± ¡°Oh yeah? So, what are we doing in this room?¡± Libre checked the settings of the enormous hand cannon he was carrying and hooked it to the back of the combat armor whose pieces had settled into place around his body, floating then merging. He gave Domeria a reassuring smile and gave a positive thumbs-up: ¡°Don''t worry: it''s just a few precautions in case my contact gets killed in a duel... Here, put on this armor and take this disintegrator... Oh, those neutron grenades too... And then, those micro-nuclear missiles...¡± Each new weapon added to the armor, which had suddenly surrounded her body, increased the young woman''s worries instead of reassuring her. In addition, without advanced AI, like the one on her bracelet, the precision and speed at which these weapons would react in the event of a fight was much lower... Of course, the prisoner received neither weapon nor armor, but the Homs preferred to still take her with them rather than leave her alone with the ship... Even under the surveillance of the AI, you never knew what could happen. The ramp lowered and the trio got off, greeted by a Hogloo smiling with all his carnivorous teeth. ¡°Ah, Lhom, welcome aboard the ¡®The Administration Will Be Destroyed III¡¯.¡± ¡°Oh... Cool name: you managed to get it registered for the administrative space, without putting all the anti-hate surveillance software on alert?¡± ¡°Oh, it really messes up your damn bureaucrats, but they can''t do anything against us. As a foreign nation, we can use some of your laws on respect for customs, without having to suffer the others that restrict your freedom of expression...¡± ¡°It''s still a blatant provocation.¡± ¡°Exactly: do you like it?¡± ¡°Absolutely, but the play on words loses all its charm, when you take it out of the Tadlomas language.¡± The Hogloo nodded with satisfaction and returned his smirk to the Hom. Their species were definitely the best possible enemies. If they managed to eliminate the other one day, the universe would probably seem less fun to the survivor... or just less familiar. He then walked away, motioning for them to follow him. As they advanced into the entrails of the ship, which in this case could be taken literally, strange landscapes followed one another. Living machines of unknown use, rows of impressive Hogloo soldiers inserted into the walls by what must have been the equivalent of a stasis cell at home¡­ Despite millennia of spying, illegal dissections and attempts at reverse engineering, Hogloo technology remained a near-total mystery. They passed many people, busy with their own concerns. The majority of them were Hogloos, recognizable by their lizaroid bodies. Although many of their warriors changed their bodies to have more monstrous ones, adapted for war, all retained a reptilian appearance, sometimes slightly disturbed by the presence of additional wings or tentacles. Many were heavily armed. There were also other people who clearly belonged to other species. Sava moved closer to Libre and whispered: ¡°Did you see? Those aren''t Hogloos... Do you think they''re slaves?¡± ¡°I don''t think so: they wouldn''t use them on a ship crossing the Administration. I think they must be members of ¡®allied species¡¯, the Harhogloos as they say in their language. They are people who have joined the Hogloos and followed their social model by dividing their population into two completely separate castes: warriors and civilians. When the Administration took control of the Harhogloos territories, many of their warriors directly joined the Hogloos armies, sometimes bringing civilian refugees with them.¡± ¡°So... they would be some kind of opposition in exile? Terrorists?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ And the Hogloos¡¯ sense of hearing is infinitely more developed than that of other species¡­¡± A shiver ran down Sava¡¯s spine when she perceived the multiple amused smiles that appeared on the faces of the Hogloos, and even some Harhogloos, when this answer was whispered to her by Libre. ¡°Why do they let us see all this? If we are enemies, shouldn¡¯t they hide the inside of their ships from us as much as possible?¡± Despite the previous information, she preferred to continue whispering, giving herself the reassuring illusion of being discreet. ¡°It is because we are enemies that they want to show us all this. The fact of displaying their strength and showing their technology is intended to remind us that they are a threat and that we need better to fear and respect them. Of course, they don¡¯t show us their most secret machines, nor the exact number of their soldiers, nor the sensitive parts of the ship¡­¡± He pointed to a wall filled with rows of motionless warriors, surrounded by strange transparent membranes. ¡°For example, here, these warriors are in stasis. Not a timeless stasis, like the one we use, but a biological process that slows down the aging of their body while accelerating its thinking capacity. Far from being vulnerable, they can be awakened instantly and face any situation. Their dreams are probably ultra-realistic simulations of many battles.¡± ¡°You¡­ you seem to know a lot about the Hogloos¡­ More than I¡¯ve read anyway¡­¡± ¡°Well, of course. At the Homtest Academy, there were courses called ¡®the hereditary enemy¡¯, which taught us all the knowledge that our ancestors had painstakingly gleaned about the Hogloos.¡± ¡°Courses called...? That¡¯s strange. And then, there are also other species besides ours that can become Homtest, species that are not their hereditary enemies.¡± ¡°So what? If, in a stupid frenzy of accuracy, we adapt each name so that everyone can find themselves represented in it, we¡¯ll never get out of it. And then, even if they are not ¡®hereditary¡¯ in the case of other species, the Hogloos are also their enemies.¡± ¡°I suppose¡­ And it¡¯s not a problem to¡­ say all that here?¡± ¡°No: they already know that. Not even counting all their spies, it¡¯s not like the Homtests hide the details of their curriculum¡­ At least, not from their enemies¡­ It¡¯s true that we prefer to hide some details to the Administration: we¡¯re rather in favor of unfettered freedom of expression, regardless of our faction.¡± As she continued to discover the strange arrangements of the Hogloo ship, Sava glanced discreetly at Libre. Even though she knew that the confidence he exuded was only a mask intended to hide his natural fear of these monsters, she found him rather¡­ impressive. She had never understood her people¡¯s fascination with the Homtests, but now that she was walking alongside one of them, she understood the strange seduction they exerted by their manner. He seemed to know everything, to control everything, and even if it wasn¡¯t true, he managed to convince you otherwise with his confidence¡­ They arrived in front of a large armored door decorated with Tadlomas glyphs, the meaning of which she didn¡¯t know. However, she guessed that they were getting close to their goal: they were going to meet the leader of this ship. Although it had nothing to do with their story, it probably wanted to meet the travelers who were going to illegally cross the administrative borders aboard its ship. Entry 107: Questions The ship¡¯s commander was a Hogloo of impressive size, even among his species. He had no throne or command seat; he simply stood, connected to the ship by strange, thick, moving wires. Other Hogloos were present but did not care about the visitors, consulting computers and other databases, or maintaining their weapons. There was no guard to speak of; the commander could defend himself without problem. The guide of the small group saluted by pointing his two closed fists in the direction of the leader. This gesture could have seemed aggressive, reminiscent of a boxer getting into position, but it was not in the least. When they fought with bare hands, the Hogloos positioned their hands flat and solidified their claws, which extended to the inside of their forearm. A closed fist would be a less dangerous and therefore less aggressive posture for them. The Hogloos spoke in their language, but without a translator, Sava did not understand anything. Libre crossed his arms with a pompous air and saluted the leader. Perhaps this was a diplomatic protocol used by the Homtests towards their hereditary enemy? Neither aggressive nor submissive? ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± he said, ¡°Transport Captain Erdagin.¡± ¡°So,¡± the latter replied in administered, ¡°you are a Homtest? Much less impressive than the legends you spread about yourself.¡± ¡°Of course: our species is neither the smartest nor the strongest, but we are the ones who will win in the end.¡± ¡°Eh! Eh! Eh! Even though your own schemes are starting to turn against your people, you are still so arrogant? Fine. I have seen enough of you: you can return to your ship. You will be notified when we reach our destination.¡± And, without further ado, they turned on their heels while the ship''s captain returned to his duties. ¡°That was... strange,¡± Sava said, ¡°what did he want? And what did he mean by the Homtests'' schemes turning against us?¡± ¡°Nothing important. We are little more than a passing curiosity to him. He probably intended to be insulting by half-heartedly mentioning the Administration''s capture of Homeria a few years ago.¡± The Ham did not insist further, sensing that despite his apparent calm, Libre was both angry and deep in thought. By the time they got back to the ship, his bad mood seemed to have vanished. Once back, the four of them headed to the common room. Xini, who had remained calm the entire trip, sat peacefully apart, visibly bored by his idleness. As the two Homs sat down, the Hogloo remained standing, towering over them even more with his tall stature. ¡°Well,¡± he said, ¡°these formalities being over, we can finally discuss business.¡± ¡°On that subject, asked Domeria, what¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Oh, Lhom didn''t inform you? My name is Thuyskr.¡± ¡°Does each Hogloo have a unique name?¡± ¡°Of course not. For Zoghoze, for example, there are about ten occurrences of Hogloo mercenaries with that name, currently deployed in your space... We can find the one you are looking for by the place where he was sent... But, in this case, there is only one master geneticist of that name in the universe. This sub-caste is particularly rare among our people, enough so that they arrange to have different names among themselves.¡± By ¡°sub-caste¡±, the Hogloo did not mean anything pejorative. The Master Geneticists were a special subdivision of the military caste that could occasionally interact with their counterparts in the civilian caste, making them a very special category of Hogloo society. While each Hogloo had superior genetic knowledge to most PhD students in the Administration, the Master Geneticists were renowned for their ability to modify biological matter at will, making them among the most feared Hogloos in the universe.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°So,¡± Lhom asked, ¡°did you find out where he was? Is he currently in Hogloo space?¡± ¡°I can''t answer the second question, but as for the first, why are you asking me when I''ve given you the answer?¡± ¡°Knowing who he is doesn''t mean you know where he is.¡± ¡°That''s true... Basically, I can even tell you: he''s not in Hogloo space, according to the latest news. But, to determine if you have the right to meet him, or if we can give you some information about his contracts, you will have to speak with one of our leaders, on our territory.¡± ¡°So that you can kill us easily, if need be?¡± ¡°Yes. On that subject, you should probably use this time of travel to make sure you are in good standing with the divine, if you believe in anything, or to think seriously about what happens after death, while you have the time.¡± The Hogloo society attached great importance to the question of death, to the point of having a scientific discipline entirely dedicated to this subject, the name roughly translated as ¡°deathology¡±[1]. While Hom society tended to strictly separate religion and science, with the exception of some Homtest factions, the Hogloos made no distinction. Their society was highly religiously pluralistic, and their members often debated, usually peacefully, their opposing views, placing great importance on the study of viewpoints and the search for truth, easily switching from metaphysical to scientific subjects and vice versa. Before a duel, or the elimination of an enemy foreign to their species, the Hogloos traditionally allowed a time of meditation where both opposing groups could prepare for their deaths. There was atheist Hogloos, but they too reflected deeply on the nature of death, seeking to ascertain the reality of their point of view and debating with those who held opposing views. The Hogloos were a strange people: warriors, scientists, and religious all at once; adherents of total freedom of expression and belief in theory, but limited by their warrior code of honor and the need to protect their vision of society first. Or at least, that was how their warrior caste was: there was no clear idea of ??how their civilian caste worked. Not wanting to think about the question of death in the presence of a dangerous criminal and a monster capable of killing everyone present in less than a minute, Sava decided to take the conversation in another direction: ¡°I''m quite surprised to find a Hogloo transport ship here. What kind of trade do you have within the Administration?¡± ¡°This ship is known as a transport, but it could just as well be one of our mobile fortresses... But, yes, it is currently used as a transport. Let''s say that... one of our civilian planets has expressed the wish to begin trading goods with the outside world. So, it is up to us, soldiers, to transport the goods and bring back those obtained.¡± ¡°What goods can you offer that might interest the Administration? And what might interest you from us?¡± ¡°We have been trading with you for a long time. Weapons, fuels, raw materials, chemicals... These things are regularly exchanged even though we are enemies. As for our civilians... This desire to trade is quite recent and comes from a small group of planets. They want to obtain certain manufactured objects and tools, which we do not produce. In exchange, they sell you agricultural resources from varieties not in your databases.¡± The Hogloo spoke bluntly: there were probably no secrets to be unearthed from this commercial exchange... If it were not for the fact that it also allowed illegal transport of illegal immigrants, it must also be used to pick up and drop off secret agents. Her head spinning a little, she leaned back in the sofa. Lhom, who had been studying the conversation without intervening until now, took over and discussed with the Hogloo some technical details, such as payment and the best ways to avoid getting killed for a wrong word. Thuyskr then left them and they remained confined in the shuttle for several days. Of course, with the exception of the prisoner, they were free to go out. However, the idea of ??exploring this hostile ship managed to stifle even the sense of adventure that Sava had detected in Libre''s character. Xini had been assigned to a room, previously devoid of any means of accessing electronics, but spent most of her time at her post, reading the data that was transferred there. As the large ship moved slowly, taking a handful of hours between each jump from one planet to another or from one galaxy to another, stopping half of that time to exchange its cargo, Sava was getting a little bored. She finally decided to occupy herself by exploring the different rooms. Only the technical rooms, the armory, the hangar and the captain''s cabin were inaccessible to her. She already knew the other bedrooms, the bathroom and the kitchen, not to mention the common room.
[1] The actual name of the science of the study of death is ¡°Thanatology¡±, but the use of ¡°deathology¡± is a way of more clearly designating the studies carried out by the Hogloos. Since they never share their science, it can be assumed that there is nothing in common between thanatology and deathology... Entrée 108: Relaxation The hold contained nothing extraordinary. Several walls had been erected to separate different types of resources, and probably also to make the room containing the stasis cylinders less accessible. This one, having a stealth coating, must have escaped the Hogloos¡¯ scanners, or at least its exact contents must have escaped them. Going back up to the living floor, she decided to explore the secondary rooms of the main corridor. She already knew the infirmary, but there were several doors left. Opening the next one, she discovered an empty room where spare parts and construction materials were piled up. Moving to the other side of the corridor, she discovered with surprise that all the doors on this side led to a single room, extending deeper than the others on the floor. On her left, there was a pool filled with water, while on her right stretched a sort of obstacle course, containing electric barriers and obstacles to climb or jump. There was even a rope that probably allowed one to move above the pool. Libre was in the room, engaged in some sort of military training. Oddly enough, he wasn¡¯t wearing combat armor, but was bare-chested and wearing pants with a motley pattern of green and brown: a sort of primitive camouflage pattern that was only seen in some old war movies. He had a large training pistol in his hands that greatly hampered his various movements, when he jumped, crawled or threw himself to the ground to avoid the beams of the combat drones. Obviously set to inflict only light shocks, these small drones and a few padded androids harassed him at random moments of his progression. They then only retreated once they were hit by a beam from his pistol, or struck by his fists. Sava couldn¡¯t help but smile at the seriousness with which the Hom carried out these strange exercises. The combat armors performed all these movements in place of their users and automatically healed any sprains caused by these unusual actions: there was no point in training without them. However, the dedication that Libre put into this training commanded a certain respect. She noted that he was not excessively muscular, rather what one could call ¡°finely muscled¡±. In the Administration, most males of the different species, including theirs, liked to have impressive musculature and resorted to electrical simulation to develop their muscles much more than that. Perhaps Libre was a fan of more natural methods? Throwing himself to the ground, he avoided a beam in extremis and pointed his weapon at the drone. Missing his first shot, he hit it with the second, forcing it to interrupt its attacks. Obviously, the Hom was aiming in manual mode. Catching his breath, he raised a hand to indicate to the automatons to leave him alone for a moment. His gaze wandered over the course and stopped on Domeria. The young woman blushed and looked away. Men might have no problem being topless, but it was still a little awkward... And then, had she given the impression of looking at him a little too intensely? It would be annoying if he got ideas. After all, she was just looking to... understand him better... it was... natural for an administrative agent to look carefully at anything that could give it clues to understand the people it was dealing with, right? ¡°Do... Domeria? I didn''t hear you come in.¡± ¡°Ah, sorry, I didn''t mean to disturb your... your training. Do you like to do physical training as a hobby?¡± The Man grabbed a towel to wipe the sweat that was dripping down his chest and face. He didn''t use the drones'' precision lasers. ¡°Yes¡­ Well, it¡¯s not just a hobby: it can always end up being useful¡­¡± ¡°Yes¡­ in some extreme cases where the situation is already doomed¡­ Sorry, I didn¡¯t want to judge you¡­¡± ¡°But, do it. Even if I get offended, it¡¯s my problem.¡± ¡°Not everyone will have that opinion. Personally, if you judge me in a way that offends me, I wouldn¡¯t appreciate it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a Homtest: half the inhabitants of the universe certainly already have a bad opinion of me, without even knowing me. It¡¯s not one negative judgment more or less that will have the slightest effect on me.¡± ¡°Okay: I find all this training ridiculous.¡± ¡°You said yourself that you wanted to take up sport again.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. She looked away, slightly embarrassed by his mocking look. By ¡°sport,¡± she meant relaxation machines capable of improving the condition of muscles by stimulating them. Not a competitive sport or that kind of physical exercise. ¡°Well, here''s a chance to start again: the course starts here...¡± ¡°What? No!¡± ¡°Don''t worry: the model of clothing you''re wearing has an antiperspirant system.¡± ¡°That''s not the problem! Well, not the only one...¡± ¡°Of course: ¡®Lost Truth¡¯, reduces the difficulty of the training and passes it on one.¡± Immediately, the course changed, sometimes under a visible impulse from the drones, sometimes without any apparent action. The barriers lowered, the slopes inclined a little more, several combat robots moved aside to park at the edge of the room and deactivate themselves... ¡°There.¡± ¡°I said I don''t want to do this!¡± ¡°Because you''re not capable?¡± ¡°Hey! Don''t try to manipulate me.¡± ¡°Okay, okay. But, are you sure you wouldn''t want to try?¡± Well: in fact, the experience was tempting¡­ The fact of making a fool of oneself in front of Lhom, a little less¡­ But, with the training reduced to level one, there was not too much risk of being ridiculous¡­ ¡°Okay. How does this course work?¡± Lhom explained the different steps to her and then gave a light version of his training weapon and a shoulder strap to carry it more easily. It was probably the level one version. Feeling a hint of excitement at this unusual entertainment, Sava threw herself into the course. She ran, bent down to crawl, jumped over barriers that weren''t that high, shot at a few rather slow drones... Well: this last point wasn''t quite perfect, since she had machine-gunned almost the entire room before managing to hit them, when they were finally close enough. In any case, no one, at least no soldier or hunter, ever used manual mode in real conditions... But she could feel the Hom''s amusement at her failures and it was quite frustrating. Then, after climbing the representation of a mountainside with a 45¡ã slope and many holds, she found herself facing an impressive obstacle: the rope bridge over the water. At her level, there were three ropes: one to walk on and two to hold on to. On the other side, it was the end of the course. In theory, Lhom would then swim across the pool, but she had no intention to bathe. She advanced, one step at a time, on this thick but moving rope. She had never been afraid of heights, but the feeling of finding herself up high, in an unstable balance, made her heart beat. It was not unpleasant. Then she slipped. As her feet left the rope and waved in the void, she desperately grabbed the same rope with both hands. The sudden tension of her own weight on her arms was painful, but the fear of falling allowed her to hold on. She couldn''t help but scream as she lost her balance, then scream again as she kicked her legs in vain in the void. She heard Libre''s voice: ¡°Don''t be afraid: there''s an anti-gravity fall retarder. You won''t crash on the water.¡± With tears in her eyes, she nodded. Her hands, enduring the full harshness of the rope, begged her to let go. Now that she had the assurance that her fall would slow down, she could let herself go. Sava let go of the rope and fell like a stone into the water, accompanied by a large spray. Rising to the surface, spitting out the water she had swallowed and pushing aside her soaked hair that was obscuring her vision, she did a few strokes to quickly reach the edge of the pool. She tried to lift herself out of the water without success, then groped along the edge until she found the ladder to get out. Laughing, Libre handed her a towel and she wiped her face before looking at him furiously. Her suit didn''t deform when it came into contact with the water, but, soaked, it seemed as full inside as it was dripping outside. ¡°A FALL DELAYER?¡± she screamed. ¡°REALLY?¡± ¡°But yes, there is one... However, it only works if the systems, depending on the angle of the fall and a whole bunch of details, detect a physical risk when falling...¡± ¡°I thought I was going to land gently on the surface of the water and float to the edge!¡± ¡°What? Why do you think I put this rope above the water and not somewhere else?¡± ¡°Well... For optimizing space?¡± ¡°Well no.¡± Furious, she began to walk towards the door, each step creating a puddle and spraying water from every hole in the suit. Trying to hide his amusement, Lhom pointed out the changing rooms in one corner of the room, where one could change for the pool. The internal interface could teleport new clothes directly from the matter synthesizer. With a grunt, she changed direction to one of the changing rooms. In the shelter of this booth, she shed her soaked clothes and sat down on the bench there. Taking deep breaths, she calmed herself. Although he had encouraged her to try this course and couldn¡¯t help but make fun of her, she had to admit that she had no real reason to hold a grudge against Libre. In fact, she felt mostly humiliated¡­ and wet¡­ If she was already soaked, she might as well go swimming: at least it was a hobby she had already practiced. She ordered a swimsuit on the interface that left her arms and legs free to move. She hesitated to leave her back free, but after thinking about it decided that she would feel too uncomfortable with such a choice. It¡¯s not that she was afraid of Lhom¡¯s gaze¡­ well, a little bit anyway¡­ When she went out, she discovered that Libre had fallen asleep on a gel chair installed near the water. It was certain that after his stupid training, he must have been tired. She was about to go down the pool ladder when she stopped, an idea forming in her head¡­ ¡°No,¡± she said to herself, ¡°I¡¯m not a kid anymore: such revenge would be ridiculous¡­ But fun¡­¡± With a vengeful smile, she gently pushed the chair so that it floated on the water¡­ and when he will want to get up¡­ She refrained from snickering at the thought. Entrée 109: Negotiations With nothing to do but wait, several days passed peacefully until the transport ship finally crossed the border of the no man''s land surrounding the Hogloos territories. Sava had returned to swim several times, greatly appreciating the luxury of having a swimming pool on board a spaceship. She had also attempted the course again, but only when she was certain that Lhom would be absent during these periods. There were of course other distractions on board, despite the absence of Network during the travel, except for the acquisition of essential information by the ship. Lhom had a large collection of digital books recorded on the onboard memory, mainly technical works but also many adventure stories, sometimes completely fanciful. They had also asked the synthesizer to print a few board games where the two Homs could compete. At first, they had also invited their prisoner to distract herself in this way, however, not only did she systematically win, but she did not seem to enjoy it: she treated it as a new boring task that she was asked to perform. She seemed to spend her days at her command post, studying in detail the data that Lhom had authorized to arrive. A message having informed them that the ship was approaching its final destination, they prepared to disembark. It was at this moment that Xini gave them her conclusions: ¡°I analyzed the data collected by your ship. Your pursuers have been slowed down, but they are still there. I was able to identify them.¡± She finished her sentence there, her jaded gaze contemplating the expectant ones of the two Homs. Lhom frowned and asked for more explanations: ¡°So? Who are they?¡± ¡°One of the pursuers corresponds to a small fleet of high-end Administration ships, gathered together under the same camouflage dome. They stopped at the border. Another pursuer is visibly a Hogloo ship and it is following us closely, without trying to get closer. Finally, the last one¡­ It¡¯s an unlisted ship model¡­ It seems to have managed to always be first compared to the others, but it currently remains at a distance, following us from afar.¡± This third pursuer seemed to worry the prisoner: while she remained indifferent when mentioning the other two, her brow furrowed slightly as she spoke of the last ship. ¡°Unlisted?¡± the captain asked. ¡°Not unknown, right?¡± Xini seemed embarrassed but finally spoke: ¡°Indeed. Without me, you would have had no way of knowing that this ship continues to follow us. It is a more advanced model than anything you know... Maybe even a prototype.¡± ¡°Who does it belong to, and what does it want from us?¡± ¡°I do not know these answers... But it may be linked to the administered secret services.¡± ¡°I see...¡± She was hiding something. However, he had enough knowledge of this nameless people to know that she was not lying: these creatures took great pride in the fact that they never lied, or at least only once in their entire lives. A curious custom, but one which forced a certain confidence in their words. When they got off their ship, they found Thuyskr waiting for them. He explained that this stopover would be longer than the others and that they would go aboard the fortress to meet the mission manager who was handling their case. As before, the two Homs were armed, but they knew that in the middle of enemy territory, it made no difference. Brought by a small shuttle of Hogloo design, but apparently non-living, the visitors could see their destination through the large windows of the vehicle. It was a planet whose color from space oscillated between black and red. The view blurred as the device accelerated and crossed the multiple energy shields of protection that surrounded the atmosphere, then a new scenery appeared. As far as the eye could see, the ground of the planet was covered with military-looking structures and cannons of different sizes. The landscape seemed devoid of any organizational logic and stretched as far as the horizon could see. Sava swallowed: a fortress planet of the Hogloos. Taking or destroying such a horror could cost the attackers the ships of an entire galaxy, without necessarily ensuring the success of the attack. It was said that the capital of the Hogloos, where their supreme warlord reigned, was called Fortress when its name was translated into administered. It was likely that its appearance was not much different from this monstrosity. Perhaps this planet was Fortress? After all, its real location was unknown. The ship landed in an underground hangar whose massive doors opened a few seconds before its arrival and closed immediately after. There was a real underground city with buildings composed of enormous steel columns that supported a visibly reinforced vault. Thousands of warships of different sizes and models were spread out between multiple docks teeming with people coming and going on their own business, often carrying impressively large munitions. The Hogloos did not hesitate to use the most varied technologies in their arsenal and many ships corresponded to what was sold on the administered arms market. Others were partially or totally organic monstrosities. The passage of the visitors was immediately noticed by the Hogloos and even Harhogloos who populated the place. This was evident in the evil glances and aggressive postures revealing as many weapons as possible.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Two colossal-looking Hogloos approached and began to escort them, without any apparent consultation with their guide. When they finally entered an imposing-looking underground building, Sava heard Lhom take a breath. She inhaled too. Among the Zcarbbs, although the soldiers vibrated with a more intense desire to kill her, she had not felt so much in danger. Only Xini seemed insensitive to the outside atmosphere, perhaps simply out of a lack of desire to live. The colossi that accompanied them abandoned them in the building''s lobby. Unlike the living ship, this place seemed to be entirely made of metal and neoplastic, quite similar to many administrative buildings. Given the hostile characters they encountered, it was probably not an embassy of the Administration, but this place was perhaps designed to welcome foreign visitors. In any case, that was the impression Domeria had. Thuyskr led them to an office. As the doors closed behind them, the visitors truly felt like they had returned to civilized space. It looked like a high-ranking official¡¯s office, perhaps a bit large. The walls were decorated with various weapons and hunting trophies¡­ some belonging to intelligent species. The pleasant impression of normality disappeared after this important detail. The desk, the central element of the room, was made of solid wood, carved. The style was not exotic and it would not have looked out of place in the home of a deputy or a high-ranking official. Definitely an imported product from the Administration. Behind it, sitting on her own tail, a female Hogloo seemed lost in thought. In all likelihood, she was using the strange neural capacities of the Hogloos to analyze a few questions and transmit information inaudibly. She immediately turned her attention back to the intruders. Her glassy eyes saw their pupils return without her having made the slightest movement with the rest of her body. She darted her forked tongue, then stood up and looked down on the visitors. Not being particularly imposing herself for the Hogloos, barely reaching six feet, she nonetheless towered over the three strangers. ¡°So,¡± she said in a voice that was neither warm nor hostile, ¡°you are Libre, Sava and Xini? I am Tryalode, I administer foreign relations within this base.¡± Some Hogloos tended not to use last names, except when they took the time to give someone¡¯s full surname. Sava looked at the creature in astonishment. The fact that it was female was obvious, but her forms were too mammalian, although covered in scales and not skin. The Hogloos were oviparous, however. The legends they shared with the Homs claimed that both species were originally human, before the Tadlomas modified them. The appearance of this female Hogloo seemed to confirm it¡­ Unless there were oviparous that breastfeed? ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯ve never seen a Hogloo woman?¡± Sava jumped. Had she looked too surprised. Glancing at Libre, she saw that he had turned pale and that his hand had tightened on the butt of his pistol, ready for the weapon to control it and be drawn. However, neither of the two Hogloos in the room made the slightest movement. ¡°I¡­ actually,¡± Sava said with difficulty, ¡°I¡¯ve never met a Hogloo woman in the Administration¡­ I thought you had the same physical appearance as the males¡­¡± Tryalode burst out laughing. A clear, crystalline, honest laugh. It was so unexpected that even Xini¡¯s eyes widened. Quickly recovering from her hilarity, but keeping an amused smile, she answered the questions Domeria might have: ¡°It¡¯s true that some combat bodies are so thick that you can¡¯t tell the difference, under the layers of armor, but no: we¡¯re not like most reptilians. It¡¯s true that there are relatively few women sent on missions to your territory, for political reasons. We have a reputation for being more aggressive than men and killing many more people in our wake.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ I see¡­ a bad stereotype¡­¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not entirely wrong. We are not more aggressive, but the number of ¡®collateral damages¡¯ of our passages is indeed higher. (She frowned and a grimace revealed her sharp teeth.) But it is entirely the fault of your Administration: under the pretext that we are women, there are far too many idiots there who think we are less dangerous than men and dare to make... indecent and dishonorable proposals... ¡°Yes¡­ But¡­ it¡¯s deeply illegal: you can easily report them to the Law Enforcement so they get a fine¡­¡± ¡°No: it is an attack on honor. The only answer is death.¡± The slits of Tryalode¡¯s reptilian eyes blinked in a disturbing manner as a sort of bloodlust emanated from her for a brief moment. She instantly became cordial again. Sava sat down on one of the chairs placed in front of the desk, realizing afterward that her legs were wobbly. The others sat down as well, the Hogloos leaning on their own tails. ¡°There¡¯s so much trash to exterminate in your inferior civilization,¡± the manager continued, ¡°but our army will take care of the big cleanup another day. I think it¡¯s appropriate to get back to the matter at hand.¡± The Homs nodded without saying anything. Even if Sava understood the sentiment, the method of punishment was a bit harsh. It was quite unlikely, however, that Tryalode had been deployed in the Administration and her knowledge of its population must have been limited to videos on the subject: the majority of administered citizens were not stupid enough to approach a Hogloo¡­ unless they had a few drinks in their noses¡­ Yes: if she went there, it would not end well for some people¡­ ¡°So, you wish to converse with the master geneticist Zoghoze about his recent contract, as well as to have some information from us on the subject. Is that correct?¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± said Lhom, taking control again, ¡°we would like to know everything that is possible within the limits of the contract¡­ and the means to override these limits, if there are any.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ typically Hom¡­ Knowing that you are currently wanted as an alpha-rank criminal, can you confirm to me that your research will not harm the Administration?¡± ¡°You mean that if she does its harm, you will have no problem giving us the information?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± ¡°A priori, it will be something positive for the Administration, since we are tracking possible internal corruption.¡± ¡°Too bad¡­ But we will still do our best to help you, within the limits permitted by honor.¡± The negotiation then began, with Lhom asking questions aimed at determining the limits of the contract and the people concerned by it. Having more clearly defined the limits, the Hogloos representative agreed to give a more informative conclusion: ¡°We can therefore, under these conditions, confirm that this is an official contract with your secret services. The official framework is the fight against the Zcarbb infestation and the details did indeed involve a hive infiltration and the transport of a living princess. Additional details are not divulgeable.¡± ¡°Do you think you can put us in contact with the master geneticist? Ah, can you also provide us with the supporting documents proving the data you are providing us?¡± ¡°Maybe and yes.¡± She had answered fairly quickly: Lhom paused for a moment, his AI reminding him of the two questions and their answers. ¡°So, where can we meet Master Geneticist Zoghoze?¡± ¡°He has a lab on one of your planets, in the Utela galaxy. The exact coordinates are in this document. You didn¡¯t think to look in the list of Master Geneticists working in your space?¡± Sava and Libre¡¯s eyes met. Neither of them had remembered that such a list existed. Accessible from the alpha level, it nevertheless required a special request that Lhom could not make in his circumstances. Entrée 110: Betrayal Back on board their ship, the administered were finally able to breathe, psychologically sheltered from the terrible world of Hogloos that surrounded the hull of their habitat. ¡°Great,¡± Libre whispered, ¡°we finally have some valuable documents. With this base, we will be able to continue our investigation. As soon as we are back on board the administrative space, we will welcome Thuyskr on board, then we will leave the transport and go to Utela. The Hogloo will serve as our safe-conduct to the master geneticist.¡± ¡°Libre? I...¡± The Hom gave her a worried look: Sava didn''t seem well. As if something was bothering her... Unless she had a stomach ache... Stress maybe? ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yes... I''m... a little worried. These documents seem to indicate a completely legal operation by the Secret Service Sub-Institution. Maybe it was an operation that went wrong... Or maybe the corruption goes back much further than I thought... What if it was directly... our highest superiors who chose to sacrifice a galaxy for a few political maneuvers. Even if we managed to have them arrested, or just put them on trial, it would cause a lot of trouble that would weaken the Administration...¡± ¡°So, you''re saying that peace is better than justice? That crimes should go unpunished in the name of stability?¡± ¡°No... But you, all you care about is finding a way to be pardoned, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Libre¡¯s gaze turned stern and dejected: ¡°So, is that how you see me?¡± ¡°No, sorry, I didn¡¯t mean that¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. If I were honest with myself, I should arrest all our leaders, no matter how important they are. Even when they don¡¯t do anything illegal, they almost all transgress the ideal of justice. Right now, I have abandoned my own ideals to save my own skin.¡± There was a certain weight in the Homtest¡¯s words. Sava then remembered that he had once been part of a rebel movement calling itself ¡°Liberty¡±: he must have had some somewhat extremist ideals left. ¡°The ship¡­ The ship that Xini detected, not the Hogloo: the other one. Maybe it¡¯s a secret service ship? That would explain why the Hogloos didn''t detect it on their side...¡± "That''s a possibility, Libre agreed, we''ll have to manage to leave the Hogloos in a more discreet way... They must be able to use certain teleportation systems that could work... but it''s going to cost me dearly... My finances are going to be badly damaged... We''ll have to think about attacking a few civilian ships on the way to refloat ourselves... What? I''m a pirate now, right? Yarr! Yarr! Yarrrrrr!¡± Sava put her hand to her mouth to hide her smile. A few weeks later, the ship materialized in a small uninhabited system with a binary star. The four passengers were all in the control room, some watching the starry sky, others watching the data screens. ¡°It''s been several jumps since I last detected our pursuers,¡± Xini announced. ¡°It seems that the Hogloo ship has not followed us since we left their planet. No trace of the other ship passing through our last coordinates.¡± ¡°Perfect,¡± said Lhom, ¡°let''s set a course for Urus and finally solve this case!¡± With one foot on his seat, the other on the ground, his finger pointing at the starry screens and his cape fluttering in the virtual wind, the Hom waited for a new jump that did not come. Sava smiled at his theatrical gesture, then her smile froze when the wait began. Something was wrong. ¡°What''s going on?¡± she asked. ¡°¡®Lost Truth¡¯, why don''t you launch the jump?¡± As one Hom, the two presents turned their gaze to Xini. She returned it with an annoyed but still jaded air: ¡°I have done nothing likely to disrupt the functioning of your device. If I accessed your data in real time, I could check if we are victims of a jammer.¡± Libre sat on his seat and turned on the holographic screens, scanning their data and activating the security measures. The AI ??did not respond, but the functioning of the ship proved that it was still active. It was certainly a jammer that was overloading certain functions of the ship. The long-range radars suddenly detected the arrival of an entire group of warships, arriving in a dispersed order so that their jammers formed a trap surrounding the ¡®Lost Truth¡¯. ¡°It seems the Administration has us surrounded,¡± the Hogloo murmured, with the arrogant smile their warriors assume before a battle. ¡°Maybe they don¡¯t know who you are and have only managed to detect our exit from the transport ship.¡± ¡°That¡¯s possible. Thuyskr, if they think we¡¯re Hogloo spies, you¡¯ll be the one to answer them, okay?¡± The Hogloo nodded. Several firing devices were already pointed on their position, proving that the enemy could see through their camouflage. Lhom deactivated stealth and redirected energy to the shields. If none of these ships were too far ahead, the three-grained core of his ship should make the fight fair¡­ If negotiations failed, that is. The ship might also be able to evade the jammers through combat.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Libre accepted a communication sent by one of the hostile ships and a large screen appeared in the air, revealing their commander. He was in an individual ship, or an isolated room on the main deck of his battleship. Dressed in an all-black uniform, he also had black skin. He was probably a male of a bipedal species, with large hairy ears that contrasted with a bald head. The Artificial Intelligence was unable to identify his species. Xini let out an exclamation of surprise, attracting all the looks in the room and a heavy suspicion: with the exception of the skin color, and the fact that she had hair while her ears were hairless, the small creature looked a lot like this new character. Xini''s pendulous ears perked up slightly with emotion and she tore her gaze from the screen to notice that she was the center of attention. ¡°Is he your kind?¡± Lhom asked. ¡°You seem to recognize him.¡± ¡°He¡¯s¡­ his name is Azxaron. He¡¯s a very intelligent person¡­ Well, for a man he¡¯s very intelligent, almost as intelligent as a woman¡­ of our specie, of course: he¡¯s smarter than all of you anyway¡­ He¡¯s¡­ I worked with him once. His favorite specialty was creating interfaces between ¡®T¡¯ energy and computers. It was a nice time: the queen, Xerina herself, congratulated us on our work. She said that if we continued to do such good work, it would bode well for our people¡­ It was a little before she was assassinated¡­¡± Xini¡¯s face showed emotions, both positive and negative, that they had never seen displayed in her. As she spoke, her gaze remained fixed on the screen where the other creature remained motionless, waiting to know if her communication was received. ¡°You all know, don''t you: Xerina was the president of the universe before the current president. It was almost a decade ago that terrorists assassinated her and annihilated the presidential palace. I haven¡¯t seen Azxaron since that moment: I heard he joined the Black Guards¡­ that¡¯s the name of our army, because their uniform is black and there are mostly men, so gray or black skins¡­ I¡­ I left, alone, to try to discover the truth about Xerina¡¯s assassination¡­ I had told him my suspicions before, but he didn¡¯t agree¡­ I¡­ regret some of the things I said that day¡­¡± Xini¡¯s green skin paled as her brow furrowed in deep worry: ¡°His presence here can¡¯t be a coincidence. I don¡¯t know how he¡¯s tracking us, but he¡¯s here for me, that¡¯s for sure. Maybe it¡¯s Xz¨¦onia¡­ it¡¯s not enough for her to have banished me: she wants to send me back to prison¡­ I¡¯m sure of it¡­¡± Libre looked away from the Xerinean: he had seen enough and knew she was sincere. Her species refused to lie and he doubted she would use the only lie allowed by her code during her life to deceive them. ¡°Well,¡± he said, ¡°let''s see what he wants before speculating.¡± He pressed the communication button, but did not authorize the transmission of his image. It was better to wait for the adverse reaction to know how to appear. The long-eared character gave them an annoyed look then spoke: ¡°Ah. You finally deign to answer my communication. I am Azxaron of the Xerbat clan, an alpha+ administrative agent and in charge of a special mission. On behalf of the Administration, you are ordered to deactivate your weapons and engines. An assault troop will be sent to search your ship and you will be arrested.¡± Lhom turned to his acolytes and smiled: ¡°Well, at least he is direct. I think I''ll allow the image: any suggestions while there''s still time?¡± The Hogloo blinked his reptilian eyes. Xini looked away, unsure for once of what to do. Sava shrugged and stood next to the command chair. Lhom sneered and activated the image then pressed to communicate: ¡°I am Libre Lhom, an alpha+ administrative agent on a secret mission.¡± ¡°You''re lying. I am in direct contact with the Security Institution, War Sub-Institution, Intelligence Department.¡± ¡°Of course, my mission is rather through the Diplomacy Institution, Secret Service Sub-Institution...¡± ¡°Mr. Lhom, please stop lying: you''re not fooling anyone. You currently have three extremely dangerous prisoners on board whom you broke out of... Oh! Xini...¡± The little woman had just appeared in the frame of the visual projection. She crossed her arms over her chest in a sort of salute that her counterpart did not return, then said something in a language no one understood. The automatic translator informed Lhom that there was no translation available and that the algorithms designed to decipher unknown languages ??found no logic in it. The two Xerineans conversed quickly, without anyone knowing what they were saying to each other. The fact that Xini looked away in annoyance at the end seemed to indicate an argument or a reprimand. Azxaron then turned his attention to the captain of the ¡°Lost Truth¡± and demanded to know if they were going to surrender or get shot before surrendering. Lhom paused the image and sound. ¡°So? What did he say?¡± ¡°That... that doesn''t concern you!¡± ¡°So, he didn''t say anything that could concern us?¡± ¡°Not really... But he seems determined to do his job... He didn''t even specify what my fate would be...¡± She grumbled something unflattering in a mixture of the administered and her own language, implying that this guy had always had an excessive tendency to follow orders. Taking a pensive pose, Lhom remained motionless. Sava put a hand on his arm, and though his face seemed calm, she felt that his body was tense. ¡°Libre,¡± she said, ¡°maybe we should surrender.¡± ¡°That''s a bad idea.¡± ¡°You''re right... But then, what do we do?¡± Suddenly, the ship leapt forward, machine-gunning the enemy ships with all its weapons. Sava and Libre looked at Xini in horror, then followed her own worried gaze toward Thuyskr. The Hogloo''s arm seemed to have mutated into a horrible living thread that crawled inside the room and penetrated the control posts, covering them like a horrible reddish spiderweb. ¡°Let''s speed up the movement,¡± said the Hogloo, ¡°this story has made us lose enough time: I have a mission to accomplish.¡± The ship shook under the effect of the enemy fire which, although stopped by the shields, put a strain on the artificial gravity. Lhom had the horrible feeling of reliving a past scene. The enemy ships were just more resistant this time and easily took the projectiles of his armament. ¡°Thuyskr? What are you doing?¡± The Hogloo gave a bad smile as his body seemed to melt and reshape itself, by those monstrous methods that the greatest Hogloo warriors used. ¡°Really Lhom, I thought you were smarter than that.¡± Turning pale, Libre gripped the armrests of his chair so tightly that his hands turned white as well. His voice had lost all pomp, all assurance, giving way to total terror: ¡°You¡¯re Khajraz! How? Since when?¡± The Hogloo¡¯s appearance had completely changed and he got rid of the pieces of his old skin, his body then absorbing them as if it were made of some kind of solid liquid¡­ ¡°Ah. So, you recognize me? I have been with you since your passage in Hogloo space. I found a way to kill Thuyskr and I hid inside his corpse. Even those stupid servants of the outdated ideal did not see a thing. This time, we will go straight to the point. You will serve my mission, if you want to live a little longer.¡± The ship then made a series of jumps, dropping expansive minefields at each stop, following the schedule Xini had designed but Libre had refused to authorize. ¡°We have a little more time now¡­ Let¡¯s expand the crew and finally get to work, shall we?¡± With a heavy heart, Lhom led the Hogloo toward the hold. Sava and Xini followed, pursued by the threat of the strange veins that spread throughout the ship. The terror Libre felt was beyond anything his Homtest training could bear: this Hogloo was not normal. None of them would kill one of their own to take on their identity. Few possessed abilities monstrous enough to parasitize a ship¡­ in fact, he had never heard of anything like it¡­ What terrible deed would this sinister monster accomplish, with their help? Entry 111: Infiltration Libre observed the new crew of his ship. Definitely worthy of a pirate crew, he thought bitterly. This Hogloo, traitor to his own people, had freed the two other prisoners from their prisons. The Ktn-Ktn spoke little and seemed very submissive in front of the Hogloo, while the Cyclops showed a certain arrogance, suggesting that he had a similar rank or was part of another terrorist group, temporarily allied. Xini did not seem to know either of these two characters but she had a satisfied smile as she adjusted the shield systems she installed on her suit. The Hogloo had not taken long to force access to the armory, which had resisted him before giving way to physical force, to equip everyone. The Hom met Sava''s worried gaze as she checked the integrity of her assault rifle. She wanted to say something but was clearly afraid of the Hogloo''s keen hearing. With a fake smile, he answered her questions: ¡°None of these weapons will be enough against this monster, if you''re wondering why he lets us take them. I don''t know yet what he wants to use us for, but it''s better to comply. Especially you in fact: in my case, he knows very well that this ship would self-destruct if I were to die...¡± ¡°What will happen... next?¡± ¡°Once his mission is over, he''ll probably kill us... Unless he feels like sparing us...¡± He looked at the monstrous creature that seemed to flow to the ground in multiple ramifications that then spread like roots through the ship. The Homtest had never heard of such a technique, but the Hogloos had many secret weapons¡­ He didn¡¯t know if this monster would choose to spare him, but for the moment things were going in the right direction: he would find out why he had been used for this escape, what was the purpose of these maneuvers. He noticed the strange and worried look Sava gave him. Had he let his thirst for revenge show in his expression, or was she worried about their suspended lives. Chasing all worry from his features, he gave her a reassuring smile: ¡°Well, there¡¯s no point worrying about the future: for now, we have no choice, so we¡¯ll make do with it for now. ¡°Okay¡­¡± She seemed reassured in a second, but another thought immediately worried her: ¡°I understand why this monster spares you, but me? Why is he taking the risk of keeping me alive?¡± It was a good question. Libre supposed that for some reason, the enemies might think the young woman was an asset to their plans. Why else would they have given him the coordinates of the wreckage he had found her on? But there were so many possibilities and many truths would probably remain hidden forever. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Do you have any ties to their organizations?¡± ¡°No! replied an outraged Sava. I have no connection with any bandit group and neither does my family¡­ In fact, the first shady individual I¡¯ve ever hang out with is you.¡± She had finished with a mischievous smile. Her initial distrust of him seemed to have completely disappeared and the presence of these enemies, obviously less well-intentioned, must have reinforced this improvement in their relations. ¡°So, maybe he¡¯s simply sparing you because you don¡¯t seem to represent a danger to them.¡± The common room had radically changed in appearance. If nothing had moved, if the decor was strictly the same, the strange growths generated by the Hogloo formed red cracks everywhere. When you looked at them more closely, you could see them moving, swelling and deflating¡­ Sava looked away: it was really disgusting. And yet, she came from a species that did not hesitate to eat live insects. The Hogloo had generated a hologram of a space station in the middle of the central table. A fortress apparently. ¡°Here is the target,¡± he explained, ¡°that we will reach within the hour. We will have to reach these coordinates as quickly as possible, force open the stasis case and release the objective, then escape quickly. Any questions?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Libre, ¡°what is the objective?¡± The Hogloo ignored him and turned to Xini: ¡°The target is an administrative prison of the highest security level: beyond the officially existing systems. Do you think you can disable the security to protect the operation?¡± Xini gave a condescending look to the Hogloo who flinched in surprise. To look at a member of his species with such an attitude was a feat that few people across the universe had been able to achieve... and that''s counting all those who died afterwards.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I designed most of the security software at the highest level of the Administration. Even if they had recruited one of my people to modify it or design others, I would have no problem... By the time we arrive, I will have finished updating the hacking software on this computer.¡± She pointed to the plastic tablet she was holding. It was part of the equipment the Hogloo had given her, and the Xerinean was typing something on it, probably to retrieve a copy of her own hacking software hidden somewhere in the Network. An administrative prison? Of the highest level? So, the goal of this mysterious Hogloo was to free a prisoner¡­ Sava had a few ideas in mind, and they all foretold bad things if they succeeded¡­ Not to mention the potential existence of prisoners unknown to the public, but just as dangerous. Her heart began to beat faster and faster as her migraine returned, fueled by anxiety. She felt Libre¡¯s hand rest on her shoulder. Turning in his direction, she saw his confident smile. He had a plan¡­ Or was he maybe pretending? ¡°Everything is going to be fine, Sava.¡± Oddly enough, this risky statement calmed her down. Perhaps she was deluding herself, desperate to believe that there was a way out of this nightmare, but it was nice to feel reassured. ¡°So,¡± the Hom continued, this time addressing the others, ¡°if this is a top-level administrative prison, how do you plan to get past the Vermilions who guard it?¡± This time, the Hogloo didn''t ignore her question, but he answered it with a sly smile: ¡°Vermilions? Oh, if there''s one prison where they''re not, it''s this one: for security reasons that benefit us in this enterprise.¡± Sava and Libre briefly looked at each other, silently confirming that they had both guessed who the prisoner was, the objective of their enemy. The ship approached the fortress without being fired upon, its identification codes apparently valid. Uncomfortable on the command seat, Sava cast sideways glances at the rest of the crew around her, out of the camera¡¯s field of view. A smart-bubble hid her facial features, giving her the appearance of someone else. Suddenly, a communication screen opened. A woman with three pairs of long ears appeared. Covered in thick natural fur, she seemed to be spilling out of her prison officer¡¯s jumpsuit, which was a little too tight. She cited the name of the prison, a series of numbers and letters that she read with difficulty, then turned her attention directly to the Ham: ¡°Your access codes are valid. Please state your name and the reason for your visit.¡± Sava didn¡¯t answer, but a software that Xini had designed along the way did so for her. The smart-bubble added to the illusion by changing the appearance of her mouth, as if she were speaking. The software presented her as an administrative inspector sent by the Security Institution, Sub-Institution of Order, Prison Department, and with a mission concerning the Security Institution, Sub-Institution of War, Intelligence Department. The officer nodded, her curious trumpet nose twitching strangely with the movement. Inspectors were practically the only people who could make an unannounced visit to a prison fortress of this level. She gave permission to land and the hangar opened. Armed to the teeth, the small troop exited the spaceship. From the command centers, artificially generated information replaced the real ones that the surveillance systems would have given. Of course, the guards on site did not have the same reactions. The Hogloo, the Ktn-Ktn and the Cyclops eliminated them before their defense software even understood the threat. The corpses were immediately attacked by some kind of gelatinous monsters that came out of the Hogloo''s body. With horror, the Homs and the Cyclops saw the creatures infiltrate the bodies and set them in motion. Xini was indifferent to the spectacle while the Ktn-Ktn seemed to swoon with admiration. Trembling with fear, Sava gripped her rifle even tighter and whispered: ¡°What... What is that?¡± Libre gritted his teeth at the sight of these animated corpses that continued their routines, the holes in their bodies and suits mysteriously closing. The sort of Hogloo-independent growths that had infiltrated these bodies were biological weapons of the most atrocious kind. With access to what remained of the victims¡¯ memories, they could manipulate them to maintain the illusion of life for several hours, or even indefinitely. The pirate software deployed by Xini had also taken possession of the armors to send realistic health data to the control center. ¡°Hogloo biological weapons,¡± he said, also whispering, ¡°of the worst kind. The base¡¯s security will eventually detect their presence, even with Xini¡¯s hacks. Time is running out now before a general alert.¡± But it was also possible that they could make the round trip without being worried¡­ The rest of the journey resembled a violent walk: the doors opened as they passed, the guards died before they had a chance to shoot, then their bodies rose again¡­ If a guard noticed the presence of these zombies, potentially able to attack if the Hogloo decided to, he would feel like he was living a horror movie. Armed as well, Sava and Libre did not fire. They had probably been given these weapons so that they would participate in the defense if the situation turned bad: their survival instinct would then override their scruples. Xini did not even glance at the fighting, seeming more awake than usual as she devoted herself to a task she found interesting, typing instructions on her tablet while observing multiple holographic screens that floated around her. She even smiled with excitement. There were no drones or combat androids. Like the absence of Vermilions, this clearly indicated who the main prisoner of this complex was. The Homs did not know who the other prisoners could be, but there was little chance that these terrorists would come for them. A wall slid open, revealing a stasis case similar to those found in the hold of ¡°Lost Truth¡±. The symbols were different, however, combining the letters alpha and omega: the highest level, whose existence was subject to discussion. A Hom was floating in the middle of the stasis tube, dressed in a prisoner''s uniform. He was heavily muscled. Beardless, he had short red hair. Despite the danger of the situation, the Homs felt their hearts beat with the excitement of finding themselves face to face with such a historical figure. Khajraz noticed their emotion and was amused by it. He also noticed that the Ktn-Ktn and even more the Cyclops, also shared a certain excitement in the face of this character frozen in time. The renegade Hogloo made a solemn gesture towards the prisoner: ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the legendary Emperor Vector Vermilion!¡± Entry 112: Escape Xini had no trouble triggering the tube¡¯s opening procedure. Immediately, the figure descended to ground level, the gravity compensators helping him stand as he regained consciousness. When the glass split to let him out, the former prisoner was wide awake. He had once worn a fine black uniform with vermilion trim and a large, flowing red cape, in the style of the Homs. Yet, even in prison uniform, the figure had an undeniable charisma. His eyes glowed briefly before taking on a duller hue, and he calmly observed the people present. When he spoke, his voice was deep, with a slight metallic sound. He had the tone of someone who had authority and was used to being obeyed, of someone who even when a prisoner in the midst of his enemies would fill them with fear while remaining perfectly master of himself. ¡°This is not the welcoming committee I imagined for my awakening. Either you are not authorized in this place, or the Administration has gone completely to hell since I no longer lead it.¡± His piercing gaze made one feel uneasy, seeming to tear the darkest secrets from the depths of those he observed. He stopped for a moment on the two Homs, particularly observing their hair as if to check that they were not Vermilions using a dye, then ended up settling on the Hogloo, seeming to recognize him as the leader of this disparate troop. But it was the Cyclops who took the lead and stepped forward: ¡°Greetings to you, Emperor Vector. I am Pogastrapi, who once fought for a cause now defeated. I am now the representative of a large assembly representing many groups oppressed by the current power. Since your disappearance, the Administration has continued to deteriorate. Under the current government, freedoms are increasingly reduced to the point of forcing groups that hate each other to form alliances in this assembly that I represent...¡± With his arms crossed, the former emperor listened without flinching, all his attention mercilessly focused on his interlocutor. Despite the latter''s tall stature, which forced Vector to raise his head, it was the Cyclops who seemed uncomfortable as he continued his explanations. ¡°The Zcarbb threat is greater than ever, the Administration''s finances have never been so poorly managed even as unemployment and taxes climb in tandem... Yet, the corrupt deputies and this so-called universal president only limit all speeches that stray from the standards they intend to impose. The Administration is in peril... But soon, our alliance will rise and sweep away all this corruption. We will restore an Administration as it should have been originally: a space for peaceful exchanges between the different nations and not a great universal nation imposing its standards on everyone! For this, our leaders need to have at their head a hero, someone that the people will follow with enthusiasm, someone who despite all the attacks has always remained upright and incorruptible, someone who has been able to organize in the worst conditions the defense against the Zcarbbs and the Titans. This hero is you! In the name of the Reform of the Administration¡­ provisional name¡­ come and take our head.¡± The Cyclops took a breath after his impassioned speech. He seemed a little disturbed by the rigidity of the Vermilion''s features which indicated no emotion. The former emperor looked attentively at the different members of the group again then took a step back. His arms still crossed; he stood again in the stasis tube. ¡°I¡¯ve heard enough. Put me back in stasis. I¡¯ve always served the Administration and you¡¯re asking me to serve as a leader in a civil war? If I take your head, it won¡¯t be in the way you mean it. If I abdicated and surrendered, I did it in order to put an end to the civil war you intend to recreate.¡± The Cyclops opened his eye even wider than one could have thought possible. The Hogloo scowled, astonished at the unexpected turn of events. The Ktn-Ktn scratched his head with a bewildered expression before giving up trying to think, taking a batch of leek leaves out of a satchel, he began to passively nibble on them. Libre¡¯s brain was boiling as he analyzed the situation. Emperor Vector was nothing like the violent and cruel character implied in the history books, even if his arrogance had not been exaggerated. Despite his coup in the past, he remained faithful to a certain ideal of the Administration. On the other hand, his refusal drastically reduced the chances of survival of the two Homs: Khajraz would certainly not be inclined to spare them after such a disappointment. Suddenly, an unexpected person spoke, attracting all the astonished glances in the room: Xini stepped forward, extending her hand in front of her to call out to the ex-emperor. ¡°Wait! You are a Vermilion.¡± Vector looked at the Xerinean in astonishment. When she did not seem to continue, he let himself be taken in by a slight curiosity and answered: ¡°Exactly: the Vermilions protect the Administration. I have no weapons on me and I am no longer linked to the reconstruction system, so the best solution is to go back into stasis rather than to fight you.¡± ¡°I heard that your software has unmatched security, making you immune to the modifications that have been implanted in the other Vermilions. Did you know that most of your comrades have been deactivated?¡± ¡°If that is the will of the Administration. When the need arises, they will reactivate us and we will fight.¡± ¡°But they did not deactivate themselves of their own free will! They were implanted with this idea! Like all new generations: the SECURA-01 chip that was implanted in them contains something called the ¡®Patriot Program¡¯, which rewrites their thoughts to make them conform to the implanted doctrine! You cannot let that pass!¡± However, the prisoner shrugged: ¡°We live to serve the Administration. After I took power, it''s understandable that they implemented new security measures so that this would never happen again. The universe is safer this way... Even if my decisions have always been made with the best interests of the Universal Administration in mind!¡± Libre''s lips twitched in an amused grin that he quickly made disappear. Even cyborg and conditioned, the emperor remained a Hom with his pride. ¡°Ah?¡± Xini asked furiously. ¡°So, it suits you that your comrades are brainwashed? Okay. But what about civilians then?¡± ¡°What does that have to do with it?¡± ¡°The SECURA-02 chip contains the ¡®Patriot¡¯ program and is widely distributed... well, I suppose it''s been widely distributed since I was imprisoned... in short, it''s being distributed to the population in order to subtly modify their ability to think for themselves. If you are truly a guardian of the universe, if you truly care about protecting the citizens, it is not only against the Zcarbbs, the Hogloos or the rebels that you should fight, but also those who¡­ who¡­ who threaten the citizens of the universe¡­ I am not telling you to join this¡­ this group to which these people belong, but do not return to your cell: do something. Fight for¡­ for people to remain free to think within the Administration!¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Xini was breathing heavily. No one here had ever seen her so excited before. She was like a person who, in the middle of a depressing and arid desert, finally sees an oasis and runs there without thinking about the expense. The Cyclops and the Hogloo seemed satisfied, delighted with this unexpected ally. The two Homs did not know what to hope for and were surprised by the revelations of the Xerinean, wondering what it meant. The Ktn-Ktn thought the leek leaves were delicious and might be even better mixed with some artificial grass. The Emperor raised his hand to his chin, thoughtful. All but one of the attendants held their breath. ¡°I see. But, it¡¯s not my place to deal with that anymore. Take care of it yourself and don¡¯t wake me up again if you haven¡¯t become the Official Administration.¡± With a quick gesture, he stepped forward, touched the tube¡¯s control console, then stepped back. This simple touch seemed to have allowed him to send instructions to the machine and, immediately, the window closed. A jet of gravity lifted the Emperor into the air, arms crossed in an imposing posture, then he remained frozen there, in timeless stasis. The Hogloo struck the wall with his fist and the wall, made of reinforced neo-steel, shattered. ¡°Rhaaa!¡± he shouted. ¡°We came all this way to try to free a fool! Did they waste all my time for this? Oh, it won¡¯t happen like that. Whether he likes it or not, his image will serve us well. Take the stasis tube: we¡¯ll just create a double and use his disappearance from prison to justify the identity of our puppet. Come on! Get moving, Homs!¡± The stasis tube was floating in the air, making it easy for one person to carry. However, neither Hom wanted to point it out for fear that the Hogloo would use it as an excuse to kill one of them. At the head of the group, they walked in the opposite direction of the journey, passing the zombies of the guards who continued their patrols, their glassy eyes the only sign of their true state. The metal protections of the tube had been closed, hiding the fallen emperor. Xini straddled the tube, apparently too angry to want to walk. Her outburst earlier had fully awakened her from the mental lethargy she had been in, much more than her moments of intellectual activity or her encounter with a member of her species. Libre looked annoyed too, his fingers tapping nervously on the tube he was pushing. Sava found his pace stressful and wanted to ask him to stop. Yet, this rhythm also reminded her of something¡­ Suddenly, an armored door closed behind them, cutting them off from the rest of the group. ¡°Quick!¡± shouted the Hom. ¡°Run!¡± What was happening? Without thinking any further, the Ham obeyed. Still pushing the floating tube, they moved quickly, skidding through the corridors and regularly hitting the walls with their load. The doors systematically closed behind them. Then, the zombies¡¯ behavior changed. The weapons were aimed in their direction and fingers that were slowly taking on a mortal rigor squeezed the triggers¡­ The weapons did not fire. After a moment, as if there was a delay in the instructions they were receiving, the animated dead in their path dropped their weapons and rushed into close combat. Libre jumped onto the tube, and shot down the closest monsters with his enormous pistol. ¡°Keep pushing Sava!¡± he shouted. And she continued to push. Now alone, she had to position herself in the center of the tube and no longer at the edges, reducing her field of vision from the front to zero. She obeyed at the drop of a hat each time Libre shouted an instruction. ¡°Right!¡± ¡°Left!¡± ¡°Go down!¡± Heart pounding, Sava looked up as the heat beam from Lhom¡¯s weapon had just passed overhead, shredding the head of a zombie that was coming up behind her. Although the light combat armor she wore amplified her movements and reduced fatigue, the situation was worse than during training. In her years of service, the young Ham had already faced firefights, but she had always clearly had the advantage. She had never found herself pushing a cart containing a Universal-class criminal, pursued by a monstrous Hogloo that noisily tore the doors off behind her, while hordes of living-looking zombies threw themselves at her. She jumped as a humanoid creature, twisted at an impossible angle, lunged at her before being pushed away by a shot. No: not always such a living appearance. Moreover, behind her, above the din of the Hogloo exploding doors and walls, she could hear the sound of footsteps, of running, of the multiple and mute animated corpses that followed her. She knew that if she turned around, not only would they catch up with her, but most of them, disfigured by Libre''s shots, would no longer have such a lifelike appearance. Suddenly, she felt her hand pulled upwards, gripped. It was Libre: his pistol firing at the attackers in one hand, he used the power of his armor to lift her with the other. Quickly, he brought her onto the tube that continued to move and took the turns of its own accord. ¡°Forward! Forward!¡± Xini''s hysterical cry attracted Lhom''s attention, who began to machine-gun the mass of zombies in front of them before they had time to throw themselves on the tube. Sava assisted him with her own rifle. As she did so, she saw that the small creature had glued a strange device to the tube, seemingly made of spare parts. A homemade antigravity system? No: there was no way anyone could build something like that from that pile of spare parts, right? The improbable vehicle shot up into the air abruptly into the middle of a hangar full of zombies where alarms sounded. Apparently, the animated dead had murdered many other guardians themselves, swelling the ranks of their army. However, the sounding alarm meant that someone had finally realized the situation, or that Xini had allowed the surveillance systems to work again. The ship''s cannons then went into action, reducing the mass of monsters to shreds. Some, those murdered without their shields having been destroyed first, resisted the attack. However, the path to the bridge accessing the spaceship was clear. The unlikely trio scrambled inside, still on their strange vehicle, and the opening closed. The inside of the ship looked like it had been through a fierce battle and the walls were all cracked. Robots were busy erasing these traces by reprinting matter on the cracks¡­ cracks that reminded Sava of a horrible memory. ¡°The¡­ the Hogloo parasite!¡± she shouted. ¡°The one he used to control the ship?¡± ¡°Purged,¡± Lhom replied, turning to Xini, ¡°right?¡± ¡°Exactly: I forced the application of the anti-hogloo protocol that his bioweapon had blocked. By the time we got to the ship, everything had been eliminated.¡± As the ship took off, the robots brought the tube into the hold and the trio went to the control room, Sava cast a suspicious look at the other two. ¡°How long have you been working together?¡± ¡°Not long,¡± Libre explained, ¡°I communicated with her by typing a secret code against the wall of the tube. She agreed to help us.¡± Okay: she felt a little more reassured as ridiculous ideas of complex plots had begun to invade her thoughts. However, ... ¡°How did she know this code?¡± ¡°She deciphered it... I don''t even know how it''s possible, but I suspected she was capable of it.¡± ¡°And for what payment is she helping us?¡± ¡°Next to nothing: we''re just going to free Vector...¡± ¡°WHAT?¡± She stopped abruptly, forcing Lhom to do the same by grabbing his arm. He pulled away with annoyance but explained himself: ¡°Stop worrying. Think about it: if these guys win, whether they release him or not, they will use him to cause a terrible civil war...¡± ¡°Yes... if they get out of this fortress alive now that the alarm has been raised and they no longer have Xini to hack into security.¡± ¡°But you''ve seen Vector''s character, too. Do you think that if he were released, he would be a danger to our society?¡± ¡°N¡­ No¡­ But that would be illegal¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been past the threshold of legality for a while now: all that matters is that we do what¡¯s right. Do you think that once he¡¯s freed, he¡¯ll start a new war? No.¡± ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°But it could be that he could actually help Xini in this business of stopping attack on the free will of citizens. That¡¯s what we agreed. Maybe this investigation will even bring us a presidential pardon and that, killing two birds with one stone, we¡¯ll save the Administration from this terrible corruption.¡± Yes¡­ it all made sense. There was one small detail that was bothering her, but since she couldn¡¯t find it, it probably wasn¡¯t very important. Besides, with her migraine coming back, she preferred to simply leave it to Libre. ¡°Okay. What¡¯s the plan now?¡± Lhom sat in his command chair and grimaced as he looked at the control screens. ¡°Now? Let¡¯s get out of this new mess¡­¡± Entry 113: Exile The stars in the sky were barely visible amidst a true constellation of warships. Sava swallowed. For her part, Xini was happily tapping away at her control station, finally enjoying unrestricted access. ¡°Escape routes set!¡± she announced. ¡°Ready to launch programs, Captain.¡± Suddenly, a communications screen opened. Waving his long, hairy black ears in annoyance, Azxaron of the Xerbat clan looked at them furiously, waiting for the image to truly see them. Grinding, Libre made an effort to regain an impassive demeanor and activated the communication, greeting the adversary: ¡°Agent Azxaron! It¡¯s a pleasure to see you. Imagine that we managed to get rid of the Hogloo who was taking us hostage and forcing us to¡­¡± ¡°Keep your arguments for your lawyer software!¡± the Xerinean interrupted sharply. ¡°You are all under arrest¡­¡± ¡°I demand negotiations: you must suspect that I am innocent! If I am ever put on trial, I risk being convicted due to lack of means to prove my innocence: the supposed evidence is overwhelming and¡­¡± ¡°That is none of my business. You are currently transporting a universal category prisoner: I could even kill you on the spot after you have surrendered, it would have no legal consequences.¡± Irritated, Xini burst into the camera''s field of view and began to speak with her counterpart. Despite their indecipherable language, the tone visibly rose very quickly. Lhom tried to understand: ¡°What is he saying?¡± ¡°I am not irresponsible! And he is a stubborn idiot!¡± Xini had shouted at him in administered, without really answering him but expressing the content of the conversation. Rushing to her command console, she ordered the escape program to start. There were several jolts from the ship as it deployed its jammers beyond the security parameters, then the ship appeared successively in several different systems. Each time it passed, warships also appeared, in pursuit of the fugitives. The first was systematically a small silver ship similar to a disc stretched on the sides: probably Azxaron''s personal ship. ¡°It''s no use,¡± Sava said. ¡°They always follow us even when we pass through nebulae or pulsar stars. Those who lose our trail only have to follow that of their colleagues to find us...¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Libre agreed, ¡°we need a solution. Xini, do you have an idea to free us from our pursuers?¡± He stepped back, shocked by the enraged look she gave him. The Xerinean was furious: ¡°I''m not going to lose to him!¡± The Homs scowled. Losing or not was not their problem, but rather getting out of it or not. At least their ally was motivated. She murmured, remaining mostly in the administered language to allow the others to follow her reasoning. The Zcarbb territory? That would be worse. A neutral zone? No, he would pursue her even there. To the Hogloos? They risked being destroyed before they could explain themselves. Zone A? The Homtests would try to have them assassinated: they didn''t need additional enemies. The zones between galaxies? Without a good head start, he would track them down... Besides, how had he found them?Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I think... I think he must find me with my DNA... He must have detected us like that!¡± ¡°Impossible,¡± Lhom retorted, ¡°we can''t detect a particular DNA throughout the universe. There is still a limit to... Okay... your people of technology freaks are really the scariest thing in the universe... or maybe on par with the Hogloos. There must be somewhere they can''t follow us...¡± A tight smile and a slightly crazy look from Xini made the Homs shudder. The little creature was a little scary at the moment. ¡°Yes! There is somewhere he won''t be able to follow us.¡± She typed the coordinates on her screen, but Lhom stopped the launch from his when he saw the destination. Furious, he straightened up from his seat, his screens following him, to get closer to the navigator. Xini stared back at him. The ship continued its dodge jumps, going from system to system, resisting for the moment the enemy shots and jammers that were unleashed at each step. However, this would not last long: it was advisable to find a solution quickly rather than argue. Sava tried to intervene. ¡°What''s the problem?¡± Libre had a frown and looked shocked. ¡°The problem is that this crazy woman wants to send us right into the ¡®I¡¯ zone!¡± ¡°Oh!¡± It was madness. The ¡°I¡± zone, the ¡°frozen¡± zone, a place where all movement, all heat, was almost instantly pumped by an environment that exceeded even the notion of absolute zero, or perhaps corresponded to the true absolute zero rather than a temperature approaching it. A hell where specially equipped ships could only stay for a few minutes without risking staying there forever. ¡°But, even using our synthesizer to create a suitable shield, we wouldn''t last more than a few Tiks! Even with a three-grained heart!¡± ¡°Exactly! I suppose we could teleport elsewhere using the fact that no one could follow us or obtain information from this area... But, even if your species surpasses all those in the universe in science, it is not possible... In fact, the ¡®Walker¡¯ engine itself would be the first to die, which would limit our outings to the areas near the one where we would be. Not only would we risk our lives, but they would only have to blockade all the systems on the edge of the sector, near the point we would have targeted, to capture us, taking advantage of our ship depleted of energy... There is nothing to be gained by trying that!¡± Sava hadn¡¯t understood half of the explanation, but it was obvious that Libre was right. At least, that¡¯s what she felt, and her head hurt too much to try to understand the details. When would this crazy adventure finally end? ¡°Idiot!¡± Xini shouted. ¡°Of course, such a strategy would be doomed to failure: Azxaron would react exactly as you said: him, he¡¯s not stupid!¡± ¡°Then why do you want to head there?¡± ¡°We¡¯re wasting time here! Oh, there¡¯s a secret area. Officially, it¡¯s part of the ¡®I¡¯ area, so no one goes there, but in reality, it¡¯s a completely normal space.¡± The Hom froze, thinking about this strange statement. ¡°It¡¯s impossible,¡± he finally said, ¡°the ¡®I¡¯ area doesn¡¯t have a ¡®hollow¡¯. It would be physically impossible for there to be¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say that this secret area was ¡®in¡¯ the ¡¯I¡¯ area, but that it was considered part of it! It is next to it. It¡¯s surrounded by military training grounds, theoretically considered to be on the border of the ¡®I¡¯ area. A very powerful shield projects a frozen illusion for an outside view, making it appear that it is indeed the ¡®I¡¯ area. This illusion is generated by a powerful stasis field.¡± A secret area? Systems, perhaps entire galaxies, removed from the rest of the universe by the most successful of lies? Rational explanation and curiosity removed the Homs¡¯ inhibition. ¡°Okay. You should have said it before. There you go, you can launch the program.¡± Xini nodded with the arrogant satisfaction of the one who has won. ¡°Finally. This is going to be a normal jump, since the ¡®Walker¡¯ engines don''t work inside this secret zone. In any case, from what I know about their shield... I should be able to tamper with that... We''ll see. Here, we are in a system close to the zone. I''m initiating the jump. According to the distortions caused by the stasis field of their shield, we should arrive in about a hundred years.¡± The Homs simultaneously turned their heads: ¡°WHAT?¡± But it was too late. Entry 113.5: Exile bis The jump scheduled by Azxaron''s ship did not take place. Furious, he looked for the causes and found them immediately: the ships that were linked to his jumps had refused the maneuver, causing the security program to be implemented. His image, darker than usual because of his anger, appeared in front of the fleet commander. ¡°What does this mean?¡± asked the administrative agent. ¡°Why did you interrupt the jump? We risk losing track of the fugitives! Change your parameter immediately!¡± The commander gritted his teeth. He would have rebuffed a simple agent, even one of a higher level than his, but one could not treat an inspector under the direct orders of the general management service of administrative agents like this: they were a too high authority.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ¡°Their jump sends them fully into the zone ¡®I¡¯. They are dead.¡± ¡°I know Xini: if she chose to jump at these coordinates, it is because she is not going to die there. I order you to make the jump immediately!¡± ¡°And I, I respectfully tell you to go¡­ I tell you that I will not send my men to their deaths. Even if I have to be court-martialed, and I doubt they will condemn me for refusing such an absurd order, I will not obey this order, nor anyone aboard my fleet, or perhaps even throughout the entire Administration, unless you find a simpleton!¡± Azxaron seethed with rage, but each Tik of waiting made the jump even more dangerous, or the risk of losing his prey, even greater. ¡°Oh, Xerina Erania!¡± With that, he launched the jump. His ship disappeared, alone. The commander shrugged. ¡°Good. One more to put on the list of the dead. That''s not so bad: it''s one less problem.¡± Interlude The communicator was ringing and Xzeonia glared at him, knowing who was calling. This incompetent leader was going to blame her for the failure of the operation, as if he had the slightest organizational skills. To think that she had to work with this disgusting vermin... She put a friendly smile on her features. After all: lying with your face wasn¡¯t really lying, was it? She activated the communication and the furious silhouette of her leader, blurred into a shadowy form by the security measures, appeared. Why make an image appear if it was going to be blurred? Xzeonia had never thought about the absurdity of this procedure, but she supposed that the presence of something visible must facilitate social interactions... and reprimands. ¡°Ah, I was waiting for your¡­¡± ¡°What did you do? Some of your buffoons got arrested and the other committed suicide, taking Vector with them. The information is even public, which prevents us from creating a double to replace him without causing many doubts!¡± ¡°Ah, it could still work: people are so easily manipulated...¡± ¡°You have no excuse: your incompetence is unacceptable!¡± ¡°How dare you insult me? My people may need your help, but if you dare to insult my skills... I think I''ll go and look for a job with the Zcarbbs.¡± The man hesitated, oscillating between fury and worry. ¡°Come on, you''re not going to put your destiny in the hands of these savages...¡± ¡°My people barely number a few million individuals: the Zcarbbs will easily leave us as much of planets as we want in exchange for the infinite resources of our skills... But I admit that it would not be the most desirable scenario and I would prefer to remain at your service...¡± She had a doubt. If she was deluding herself, was it a lie? In fact, the Zcarbb option could be a backup solution, if all the people managed to flee there without being intercepted by the administrative army¡­ She would keep the idea in a corner of her mind to suggest it to her queen. ¡°Rest assured,¡± she said, starting to smile again, ¡°failure is not that important.¡± ¡°Not important? How do you want to rally these terrorists without a charismatic figure? There are few in the universe who have such importance... and a reputation that can be used in both directions.¡± ¡°The rebels might even find it easier to align themselves behind a looser alliance. I have already contacted the various leaders to announce the failure of the mission... But I stressed to them that it was for the best. After all, one of the greatest rottenness of the Administration is to put a single person at the head of the universe, something our movement should refuse to do.¡± ¡°I do not like the way you speak...¡± ¡°I only quoted my words to the terrorists.¡± ¡°Okay. So, are they ready?¡± ¡°Yes, everything is going according to plan. Soon, even as the Zcarbb offensive is in full swing, the unrest will divide the universe. I can''t guarantee that the Hogloos won''t take advantage of this, but their actions will certainly be limited to retaking a few Harhogloos territories: our collapse would be detrimental to them in the fight against the Zcarbbs... Concerning the limits of the revolt, all my predictions agree: you should retain control of most of the universe, while getting rid of the problematic regions. Your communication experts have already prepared the campaigns necessary to maintain your influence.¡±The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. The man clasped his hands in an arrogant pose. ¡°Well,¡± he said, ¡°it seems that the Secret Council has truly designated me to guide the evolution of the Administration in the face of this crisis.¡± Xzeonia pouted: ¡°Tsss, do you really believe in their existence? I thought only the Homs were pathetic enough to believe such a fable.¡± ¡°Oh, the Secret Council is here. I don''t know how it does it, but the fate of the universe is in its hands. Soon, the Zcarbb problem will be fixed, the Hogloos will be crushed, the universe will finally be unified and I will be the one glorified for these exploits.¡± ¡°I doubt that, if it exists, this Council wants a unified universe: it would be contrary to the initial ideals of the Homtests... Ah, believe what you want: that does not interest me.¡± The man, although a simple dark form, visibly advanced, driven by a criticism that he would not be long in expressing: ¡°By the way, what was Domeria doing in this group? She had been eliminated by my secret services, normally.¡± ¡°Oh... well¡­¡± She couldn''t admit that she had tampered with the agent''s computer in order to save her life, assuming that her death would be a shameless waste: susceptible as he was, he might ask the queen to have her replaced. However, her code of conduct forbade her from lying... Lying by omission was still possible... ¡°She survived. Considering her skills, I directed her meeting with Lhom so that she would remain under our surveillance. Everything was under control... Maybe you didn''t receive the information on this subject?¡± Because she hadn''t sent it, of course. The man seemed to let himself be fooled, probably assuming a bad transmission of information: that sometimes happened with such advanced encryption. ¡°Well, in any case, she''s dead. What is too bad is that we also lost your compatriot, Xini. She would have been a useful pawn on the rebellion side. And your supposedly competent agent¡­ Axalot¡­¡± ¡°Azxaron.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I said. Have you received the information yet? He went after the fugitives in Zone ¡®I¡¯. 100% suicide! And you claim to be the most intelligent species in the universe?¡± Xzeonia suppressed a smile before it reached her lips. Judging from the angle of the jumps and knowing Xini and Azxaron¡­ ¡°You don¡¯t seem saddened by their deaths.¡± ¡°Oh, she justified herself, the former queen had always thought they went well together. The fact that they both left in the same way, there¡¯s something¡­ satisfying about it, don¡¯t you think?¡± The man was visibly taken aback, unable to even guess the double meanings of her words. Putting it down to cultural differences, he gave up his questioning. ¡°Well, how soon can I expect the riots to start?¡± ¡°It''s a matter of days. My algorithms have spread many rumors on the Network, bypassing censorship. The defeats against the Zcarbbs, the impoverishment of the unemployed and a few interesting scandals should set the powder keg alight at any moment. A small incident will be enough... the rebels of the Brotherhood... it''s a provisional name, but we should find a better one in the coming days... the rebels, therefore, will amplify these troubles. Most of the riots will be repressed, but they will prepare a revolt concentrated mainly on the territories of the Imperial Universal Federation. You should lose all responsibility for the problems of this fringe of the universe fairly quickly, if you implement the plan correctly...¡± ¡°Are you implying that I would be incapable of doing my part? Do you take me for an idiot?¡± Yes... But it was better not to say it. ¡°I myself suffered a recent failure, as you reminded me. No one is immune to circumstances when the space we seek to manipulate is as vast as infinity, or close enough.¡± ¡°That''s true. Don''t worry: everything is so well programmed that I don''t see what could go wrong.¡± What could go wrong by triggering a universal war? Xzeonia preferred to let it slide. ¡°Everything is going as planned. I must return to organize the rebels: I do not want to neglect the smallest detail.¡± ¡°Okay. I am counting on you.¡± ¡°At your command, Mr. President of the Universe.¡± Xzeonia, chief inspector of the General Management Service of Administrative Agents, greeted her direct superior and cut the communication. Now, she would take care of organizing the revolt against him, in accordance with his instructions. Various news * ¡°The riots triggered by this minor incident, growing on social media, continue to grow in intensity. According to the Forces of Law and Order, many bandits and other crooks or terrorists, armed with their own demands, have hijacked the previously peaceful demonstrations and are engaging in large waves of looting. Although many unofficial media claim that the Police are engaging in brutal repression, we discovered on the spot that this is not the case. The officers refused to let us film them but indicated that they had received instructions not to provoke the rioters, hence their very limited interventions. ¡®We are trying to protect businesses and homes as much as we can,¡¯ they told us, ¡®But these instructions bother us enormously. We should just shoot into the crowd¡­ and if you try to denounce me for these words, my colleagues will find you!¡¯ As we can see, tensions are high even among those who defend us. It is possible that some, occasionally, could have ignored their orders, giving rise to false rumors generalizing these cases...¡± * ¡°The President of the Universe called for calm to the intention of the rioters, assuring that the full attention of the Administration was focused on the points they had raised, but that it was not proper for civilized people to behave in this way. The universe is a democracy and there are legal frameworks to express one''s demands...¡± * ¡°As the negligence of the corrupt state is more visible than ever, we call on citizens who seek true justice to support our movement. We do not condone looters and thieves; we are not part of them. Our Rebellion for the Reform of the Administration, the R.R.A., takes it upon itself to eliminate the bandits in the areas currently under control. Join us and, together, let us purge the Administration of its corrup¡­ The program you are listening to has been designated as a pirate program spreading hatred and calling for terrorism. If you have recorded this program, please delete it immediately. Possession and dissemination of such content may be punishable by fines and imprisonment up to category epsilon. This was a message from the Network Institution, Sub-Institution of Cohesion.¡± * ¡°New barbaric attacks by Nomads have multiplied in recent days, causing billions of victims. The dispersion of the Forces of Law and Order and that of the Army, to face the unusual violence that shakes our universe, seems to have left our defenses weakened in the face of these brutes who pillage and commit many atrocities...¡± * ¡°The scene you see unfolding in this street is unbearably violent. You see that, without our protective shields and the presence of all these police officers, these projectiles would have hit us. Many excited citizens are armed, but fortunately they are mostly hunting weapons or old military models, almost ineffective against modern protections... on the other hand, if the police and journalists are well protected, this is not the case for everyone... Do you see this metal pile, right there? These are the corpses of our unfortunate mechanoid fellow citizens, murdered by the rioters. Indeed, beyond their speeches intended to call for sympathy, talking about reducing corruption or giving work to the unemployed, it is racism that predominates in the demands of these brutes. Robots with citizen status... and sometimes even simple passing automatons, are victims of the fury of the scum. Making forbidden, racist statements, such as saying that robots are not people but machines that imitate consciences and steal work, the protesters destroyed many mechanical bodies before using erasers to permanently destroy their Z.I.A. and thus actually murder these unfortunate citizens. * ¡°Citizens of the Administration! Wake up! For too long, asleep on the comfortable laurels of our consumer society, we have let civil servants and deputies dictate our conduct, in an increasingly intimate way. While our society is primarily based on the alliance of groups with different, even opposing, values, the Administration seeks to impose the same standards on all of us and, to do this, to silence us with fines when we speak. Each time, they push their lies further and further and assign more and more opinions to the box of opinions punished because they are supposedly ¡®racist¡¯, ¡®hateful¡¯, ¡®discriminatory¡¯ or even simply ¡®fake news¡¯. Take robots for example: they have forced us to consider some as our equals, removing their titles from all the scientists who claimed that we could not create robots with real consciences. We all know that these robots serve as additional voters for politicians in cahoots with the big robotics industrialists! Don¡¯t let you beeeee fooghzzleeeeed...¡± * ¡°The scholars of the Universal University, in the historical and political disciplines, have agreed to consider that we are now passing into Lona¨¦64000 of our sixth Tana¨¦, in view of the unusual and barbaric nature of the riots that are shaking the Administration, henceforth called the ¡®Great Universal Riots¡¯. The director of the University officially announced that it was an exciting period and that he was eager to see what would come out of it, before being immediately arrested. However, it turned out that his speech was not intended to advocate hatred, but that poor Hom was simply senile, which can happen even at thirty-six years old in the event of overwork. He was dismissed from his duties and taken to a guarded retirement home in...¡± * ¡°Breaking News! This morning... standard morning... a large-scale assassination attempt against the President of the Universe was partially foiled. Despite several thousand casualties, mainly due to a fierce fight between the presidential guards and heavily armed terrorists, the president was able to be safely evacuated. We all remember, nearly ten standard years ago, the assassination of President Xerina and the destruction of the presidential station. Apparently, the protection measures have been considerably improved since then...¡± * ¡°The riots are starting to calm down in much of the universe. With the main bandits arrested and put into stasis, the others seem to have lost their sense of impunity and have started to disperse. Some places, especially in the expansion zone, are still in the throes of unrest, but the army has finally been authorized by the Universal Assembly to intervene to support the Forces of Order and crush the terrorist movements that have taken advantage of the unrest to enslave countries, even entire planets...¡± * ¡°While the unrest seems to be over, the toll continues to rise. Billions of dead, businesses ruined, neighborhoods ravaged... Of all the terrorist groups, it seems that the ¡®Black Banner¡¯, a group composed mainly of Chaotiuns claiming allegiance to the Azar clan, has been the one that has profited the most from the chaos. It has been revealed that they have...¡± * ¡°Hello Mrs. Harbelia, welcome to Flash-news. You are a sales representative for the Neru-teque company. What can you tell us about the toll of these terrible events?¡± ¡°Well, the damage is considerable. More than one thousand of our laboratories have been completely destroyed and many of our employees have been attacked by rioters driven mad by social networks. As you know, the neural chips we develop are the victims of smear campaigns, claiming for example that they are used to control people. This is impossible, of course, because our products are controlled by administrative inspectors specialized in technology: even if they can each only see part of the data, to preserve professional secrecy, they know how to spot devices that resemble mind control technologies. Moreover, we saw it clearly during the riots: both on the side of the rioters and the police and other citizens, there were people implanted with the SECURA-02 chip. Did they behave differently? No. If we could control people with it, don''t you think we would have done something. At least, despite the financial damage and... and the people injured or killed... despite that, these sad events have at least had the merit of proving once and for all that the false rumors about our products... well, precisely, that they are false...¡± * ¡°Interior News: Despite some riots and coups on fringe worlds, the situation has returned to calm in most of the universe. However, discontent remains despite the government''s efforts to seem to address the issues raised. The next elections, in almost a year, will tell us what the popular sentiment really is. External News: With the end of the riots, more troops have been sent to the borders, pushing back the invader...¡± * ¡°Welcome to Kriticalnews! Today we''ll talk about the illusion that most media are giving us about the Zcarbb front. We''re told they''re being pushed back... What? All that means is that our armies have once again proven themselves incapable of retaking ground. If the Zcarbbs are slowing down, it''s because they''re consolidating their territory. They''re planting colonies, enslaving people, in short: the longer we wait, the harder it will be to liberate these planets. So, what''s the solution? Well, there isn''t one: full and satisfied, our fat citizens won''t agree to pay more in order to...¡± * ¡°Newsflash: contact has been lost with three galaxies of the Universal Imperial Federation¡­ sorry: five galaxies now, including one that is not part of this nation. Speculation is running high, with some suspecting a Zcarbb attack deep within our territory, others speaking of a terrorist coup. We will be back with more information soon¡­¡± * ¡°Professor Quelbrech, many of our listeners are wondering: why does the Zcarbb threat persist? The Administration is the largest entity to have existed throughout the history of the universe: how can this band of insects at the end of the universe resist any attempt at reconquest? Some rumors claim that they have superior technology to ours, because their numbers cannot explain their victories in the context of stellar wars.¡± ¡°Superior technology... that''s quickly said. It is true that these rumors, confirmed by many experts, are persistent. However, they do not say that we are technologically inferior, but that we are in certain areas. We are, for example, infinitely superior to the Zcarbbs in the field of biotechnology, about as much as the Hogloos are superior to us in this same field. Thus, the Zcarbbs do not know how to copy our ¡®Walker¡¯ engines because their essential components are biological. However, the Zcarbbs are very advanced in the fields of robotics and electronics. They can add ten times more mechanical warriors to their already impressive number, which allows them to use wave techniques without taking into account their losses, which they do not care about. They can also take control of our robotic units, which requires the presence of people... sorry, biological citizens, in order to detect faulty programs and quarantine them before they unwittingly join the enemy''s power.¡± ¡°So, the Zcarbbs are inferior to us in some areas, but are more developed in others?¡± ¡°No: in fact, they are far inferior to us, even in robotics. Sure, they are doing great things in this area, but do they have AIs capable of expressing demands? Do they demand citizen rights? Do they join unions? No. This is proof that we are actually more advanced than them, even in these areas.¡± ¡°Um... Okay... But, despite everything, they surpass us in military robotics, is that right?¡± ¡°Yes. However, Vermeil-type citizens... although they have voluntarily given up their citizen rights... well, they are able to resist Zcarbbs controls thanks to their biological parts, but better still: they protect the mechanoids under their direct control. Thus, vast armies of robots manage to hold their own against the Zcarbbs, thanks to the Vermeils. It seems that the government will submit to a vote, in a few days, a motion to increase the production of Vermeil units. Unfortunately, because of their biological growth, these units will not be operational for about ten years, if the motion is passed...¡± * ¡°To all citizens of the universe! I am General Yana Araya. Those who have heard of me, whether they hate me or agree with me, know that during the Great Universal Riots, I was in favor of the greatest firmness, repressing the riots as they deserved and temporarily suspending the cowardly government of my planet that tried to depose me. If my actions instantly stopped the local unrest, I was nevertheless pursued afterwards like a criminal. I do not seek to justify my actions: among the many people you see behind me, many hate me because of this and, yet, we all rally behind the same banner, that of the Administration: the real one! We do not have the same opinions, the same methods, the same ideals¡­ However, we believe in some common values, which are also yours even if you may have forgotten them. Faced with the increasing authoritarianism and negligence of the Administration, it is time for nations, species with such different ways of life, people who live in this great alliance, to take back their confiscated freedoms. While the deputies, corrupted by power and political shenanigans, no longer represent you. While a tyrant, vaguely elected by so many people that the opinions of countless opponents are trampled, directs without real hindrance civil servants that he himself put in place. While the government is more concerned with prohibiting people from expressing their thoughts rather than protecting their freedom of speech. While the foreign invader takes our systems one by one without being really stopped or pushed back... How long will you wait? These new deputies who surround me represent many administered nations who have decided to separate themselves from the corruption of the Administration, from this corrupt organization that has drifted away by becoming a universal government. Remember: The Administration was originally only an organization designed to allow the countless nations of the universe to meet on neutral ground to discuss possible alliances, peace and trades. They turned it into a great tyranny disguised as the most hypocritical of democracies. Let''s go back to a time when each nation was free to make its own laws, while respecting a few common rules. We are now the real Administration. To differentiate ourselves from the old dying version, we will call ourselves the Administrative Confederation, because we are made up of many countries that do not necessarily get along, but who want to be free while acting together to protect us from the Zcarbbs. Our united armies are already on their way to free other worlds from the dictatorial yoke of the so-called universal president and they will not stop until the old Administration promises to respect the freedom of the Administrative Confederation! Already, many citizens who respect the true values ??of the Administration have joined us! A galaxy fleet has even sided with us for the most part. It''s time to finally clean up the corruption in our system and crush the Zcarbb threat once and for all! * ¡°Director Soyoto, as more and more galaxies fall to rioters and assassins overthrowing legitimate governments, many are wondering about the nature of this movement, this so-called ¡®Administrative Confederation¡¯. What can you tell us about it?¡± ¡°Well, first of all, we can talk about the main personality of this terrorist movement: Yana Araya. If she is only one of their leaders among others, their bias being a sort of alliance of terrorist groups hating each other and rallying around an illusion of ¡®freedom¡¯, her choice as spokesperson is very revealing. You see, she does not hide it elsewhere, this Ham is a violent woman who bloodily repressed the riots on her planet, after having arrested her own government which had realized her extremism. Pursued by the Forces of Order after this period of chaos, she apparently joined a coalition of terrorist movements. Most of these nations do not have governments legitimately elected through democratic channels, but more often dictators who came to power through a coup. It is true that a few legitimate nations have joined them, notably on the Zcarbb border, but this must be understood as a desire for survival on their part: they cannot fight on two fronts. Still others, disappointed by an impression of passivity from the Administration in the face of the Zcarbb threat, are betting... the wrong bet, but they believe they are doing the right thing, that this new so-called Administration will be able to protect them...¡± * ¡°While terrorist movements seem to have seized a good part of the territories of the Zcarbb border, forming a so-called ¡®Confederation¡¯, another evil entity is expanding in another direction. It would seem that many Hom nations located in sectors ¡¯F¡¯ and ¡®G¡¯, the expansion zones, are now under the control of dictators. Some of them have allied themselves in a coalition that they have named the Imperihom. This sinister name once meant ¡®The whole of the territories ruled by Homs¡¯, before taking on a darker connotation by the emergence of many dictatorships of all sides that have tried in the past to unify the Homs under this name. The will of this new coalition is therefore evident, by the name chosen...¡± * ¡°In these times when the universe is in disarray, think about your safety and that of your loved ones. The Blood-tech company offers you an emergency teleportation implant: in the event of receiving a fatal blow or being plunged into a serious condition, the implant will teleport you safely to the Blood-tech laboratory of your galaxy. There, you will be in a state of stasis, while the highly qualified staff of our hospitals find a way to save your life. Free care is guaranteed by your implantation. Save your life and those of your loved ones with Blood-tech''s last resort implants! Blood-tech: because safety is priceless!¡± * ¡°The deputies of the Universal Assembly have just voted to suspend the elections indefinitely, considering that many citizens are deprived of the possibility of voting by pressures, exerted in particular by terrorist groups calling themselves the Confederation. The Assembly has also voted to temporarily entrust crisis powers to the president, giving him direct control of the armed forces and the power to pass emergency decrees. The President will speak...¡± * ¡°The Universal President spoke today, as the Zcarbbs have just completed the conquest of a new galaxy. He called on the rebels to fall into line so as not to divide the Administration in the face of threats. Denouncing the false hopes that these terrorists are creating in the hearts of citizens through their speeches filled with lies, he recalled that the real enemies are taking advantage of our divisions and...¡± * ¡°Uana Gemme will receive this weekend the journalism award for her exceptional career. She has just been appointed to present the news for the official media. Uana will also appear this afternoon in the independent media ¡®Front-News¡¯, for an interview. For once, she will be on the other side of the questions...¡± * ¡°Following the numerous attacks against our garrisons, we regret to announce that the Universal Army will be withdrawn from territories under terrorist control in order to prevent the situation from degenerating further...¡± * ¡°The bandits who run the Old Administration have once again proven their deviousness by withdrawing the planetary garrisons and galaxy-fleets located on the Zcarbb front, leaving many planets at the mercy of the invaders. But we will not abandon you. Let your planet''s situation be known through the voices of your deputies and we will do everything possible to send you the soldiers necessary for your safety, to the extent of our still weak means. Do not hesitate to join our citizen militias, or if your planets are far from the front lines, join the army directly, for the safety of all!¡± * ¡°Are you overweight and don''t want to resort to surgery or chemicals? Try the ¡®Fermier bon go?t¡¯ diet. Our cheese products made from insects crushed using ancestral Hom techniques contain little fat but all the proteins you need to eat well without gaining weight. ¡®Fermier bon go?t¡¯... Mmmm, what a good diet!¡± * ¡°Faced with the unprecedented crisis, the President has used the powers invested in him to order the construction of a new galaxy-fleet and has unveiled a plan that would eventually double the number of galaxy-fleets and thus effectively protect the civilized universe. While many are wondering about the colossal budget required for such a project, while the administrative debt continues to climb, many voices are being raised to demand the establishment of a tax on the army and the obligation of military service. We are confident that the President will follow the voice of the people and...¡± * ¡°Professor Jensairian, you are an authority in the field of political studies. While our universe is in the grip of division between the Confederation and the Legal Administration, a small kingdom seems to be carving itself out in a few galaxies in and around the ¡®F¡¯ sector. What can you tell us about this new Imperihom that is tyrannizing the distant colonies of the Hom Nations?¡± ¡°First of all, you probably know that the Imperihom is a strange idea of ??the Homs, a sort of running gag in their history. A dictator sets out to create his own little kingdom of Hom supremacists, conquers a few regions, rallies other dictators to his cause... Furthermore, these other dictators may have fundamentally opposing ideologies, in the pure tradition of plurality of the Homtests. In short, it is only a temporary epiphenomenon, which will disappear when the administrative armies are less busy... or even before, since the armies of the Hom Nations will soon react with a little more virulence themselves.¡± ¡°So, it is only a temporary phenomenon and destined to disappear quickly?¡± ¡°That''s it. A sort of surge of racist extremists that appears from time to time among the Homs in favor of periods of chaos: nothing that should worry those who do not live nearby.¡± ¡°However, it seems that some non-Hom planets have placed themselves under the protection of this Imperihom. Wouldn''t that contradict the assertion that it is a racist group? These planets even seem to maintain total independence.¡± ¡°Well, racist individuals are not necessarily going to be hateful towards all members outside their group. What matters to them is to have a space where they feel strong and surrounded by members of their community. As long as they dominate at home, they have no problem maintaining cordial relations with others. In the case we are observing, these are basically military and commercial alliances satisfying the Homs and non-Homs dictatorships.¡±Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Yet there also seem to be some perfectly legitimate republics among the nations of Imperihom?¡± ¡°There are, indeed, but their legitimacy ceases with their separatism, which is a rupture of the Universal Administrative Constitution¡­¡± * ¡°Friends of the Empire, join the Administrative Confederation. Already, nearly a quarter of the nations of our beautiful Universal Imperial Federation have rallied. Many others are discussing it and we can announce that nearly three quarters of the Empire supports us. Stop supporting the former emperor: this coward only knows how to lick the boots of the president of the universe and our enemies of the Universal Republican Confederation. Because, we know who is behind all these iniquitous laws for an authoritarian democratization of the universe. We know who ensures that our territories, the most numerous among those on the front, are not sufficiently well defended against the Zcarbb invaders. We know who, under the pretext of tolerance, political correctness and cohesion, suppresses all freedoms of expression supposedly guaranteed in their doctrines. Yes: it is the lobbies that have long gangrened most of the republics of the U.R.C. and who have been manipulating the Administration since the beginning of the mandate of this dictator of Universal President! The true emperor, the one who obtained his place through meritocracy, the only guarantee of value since the origins of the Empire, is waiting for you. Join him. Join our true Administration, the Administrative Confederation. Long live the Empire! Long live the true Emperor!¡± * ¡°Will you give in to the sirens of the warmongers? It is not against monsters like the Zcarbbs or the Hogloos that they call you to war, on one side or the other, but against other citizens, like you, members of the Administration. Refuse the military tax! If your planet has applied partial conscription by drawing lots, refuse it! Let us not abandon peace for the benefit of this madness that¡­ This user''s account has been deleted for inciting hatred. Possession and distribution of content from this account may be punishable by fines and imprisonment up to category gamma. This was a message from the Network Institution, Sub-Institution of Cohesion.¡± * ¡°Urgent information for citizens of the Forexo galaxy: our galaxy is currently under massive attack by the Imperihom. Prepare to go to the bunkers as soon as your planetary alerts sound.¡± * ¡°Our journalists report that citizens of the Confederate territories have seen their societies massively turn towards the military industry. ¡®Volunteers¡¯ are forcibly enlisted to control the factories, when they have not already been encouraged to join the armed forces...¡± * ¡°Confederate friends: the war is tough, but our efforts are paying off. For the first time, a galaxy has been almost entirely retaken from the Zcarbbs, thanks to the sacrifice of our brave soldiers and the presence of the Fifteenth Administrative Galaxy-fleet. Refusing his superiors¡¯ orders to retreat and leaving us to suffer the assaults of the bugs, the fleet commander, Admiral Nopas¨¦, took the brunt of the attack and helped turn the tide of the battle. Officially relieved of his duties by the Hypocrite Administration, he refused to withdraw as much as to join us. He therefore remains our enemy, no: our adversary. A noble adversary whom we respectfully salute. All Confederate troops are ordered not to engage the Fifteenth Fleet, except when they attack first or if they are part of the faction that has accepted the new admiral sent by the Hypocrites¡­¡± * ¡°Today, our troops of the Fifteenth Fleet won a catastrophic victory over the Zcarbbs. Why catastrophic? Because Admiral Nopas¨¦, who commanded them, sent his soldiers to the slaughter against the waves of Zcarbbs, even though the high command ordered him to withdraw. If the invader was indeed pushed back from three-quarters of this galaxy, it was at the cost of countless losses that could have been avoided if¡­¡± * ¡°Following a collective vote of the remaining soldiers of the Fifteenth Fleet, three-quarters of the force, those who did not cowardly retreat to the new official Fifteenth Fleet, Admiral Nopas¨¦ was reappointed to his command of the fleet. Now considered the greatest pirate fleet in History, according to the Administered, we know well who they are: heroes who chose to stay and fight against the real threat, rather than serve as a shield for corrupt leaders!¡± * ¡°Despite our instructions to limit the clashes, the so-called Confederates have just gone too far by attacking the Ryoloy space yards, waging a bloody battle in a civilian sector. Many civilian casualties have been reported, including at least three children! These terrorists were unable to hold out against the counterattack of the regular army and have retreated to the territories they occupy, destroying the space yards in the process. Don''t they understand that the enemy is the Zcarbbs?¡± * ¡°Once again, while our finances are drained of blood and force us to enforce authoritarian and unpopular laws, with the sole aim of guaranteeing your freedoms against the invasions of the Zcarbbs and a corrupt and liberticidal Administration, the latter has just bombed several of our planets again. Targeting military infrastructures, but largely affecting civilian ones, they have caused millions of deaths, including four children. Their cruelty has no limits. They have already withdrawn the armies, paid for with our taxes, to leave us alone against the Zcarbbs, but they are also attacking the only means we have left to defend ourselves!¡± * ¡°The assembly of dictators of the Imperihom recently announced that their final objective is the liberation of Homeria. Many terrorist groups aiming to overthrow the legitimate government of Homeria have since rallied their forces and added their means to the numerous and violent attacks that shake the Homs Nations. Proud of their military power, the legitimate leaders of the Homs Nations have announced that they refuse any administrative military support, stating that they will crush the separatists themselves. Many mobilizations have been announced: victory should be achieved within a few months to a standard year at the most.¡± * ¡°While most of our forces are mobilized on the Zcarbb side or busy preventing the bloody raids of the Confederate terrorists, our old enemies are back. Hogloo ¡®pirates¡¯, but everyone knows that these are their armies acting unofficially, have attacked millions of border worlds around their space. The soldiers defending these planets have been massacred to the last one, even those who had surrendered, while the populations are now prisoners of their own planets, after the monstrous fashion of the Hogloos. Where will these barbarians stop? If a third front opens here, who will protect us? The galaxy-fleets of this part of the universe have been reduced to reinforce the others... But the president has just promised that the new galaxy fleet will be sent to our rescue rather than to the Zcarbb front. Good news, but will just one more fleet, even a large one, be enough?¡± * ¡°To all Hogloos and Harhogloos worlds: the liberation campaign is going well. The soldiers defending the occupied worlds are easily massacred. Too bad for them that we no longer have the right to reduce them to slavery, huh? And to think that the administered still find something to complain about even when we follow their rules, ah, ah, ah! Come on, let''s be serious. As you can see in these images, the jubilant population welcomes our warriors liberating their people from the administered yoke. The Harhogloos are carried in triumph by their civilians whose planets longed for the protection we brought them. But the fight is not yet won. There are, even within the liberated planets, many traitors corrupted by the perverted ideals of the Administration. Even though they claim to belong to the civilian caste, they behave like warriors and attack their compatriots or destroy military outposts. These behaviors will not be tolerated: the perpetrators and their families will be treated as soldiers. Let our warriors also remember not to go beyond the limits of the ¡®K¡¯ sector: our goal is to retake our territories and those of our allies, not to attack the Administration. The latter, weakened by their civil war, would risk collapsing, delivering the universe to the appetite of the Zcarbbs. And we don¡¯t want to have them as neighbors, do we?¡± * ¡°The President announced this morning a tax cut and an increase in unemployment benefits. The new revised budget will indeed reduce the burden on the population. The tax on the army has also been reduced and a voluntary donation system has been set up. The collection will not be as efficient and it is therefore to be expected that the pace of construction of the galaxy-fleets will be reduced, but the improvement in the situation allows it. Beware also of the vast fake news campaigns, led by the enemies of Liberty: Hogloos, Zcarbbs and Confederates.¡± * ¡°The Administration''s decision to cut taxes is madness and an insult. Madness because its debt continues to increase and they have not reduced the expenses resulting from corruption. An insult because it means that they are leaving us, the Confederates, to bear the full weight of the war against the Zcarbbs alone. It also means that they are abandoning to the Hogloos the population of territories they conquered. Moreover, the weakness of the administration''s reactions to their attacks proves it to us: their strategy is to sacrifice all the economically weak regions by leaving them to their own devices!¡± * ¡°Koko-pa, the toothpaste you need! Thanks to its Schoukroute enzymes, Koko-pa paste deeply restores the original quality of tooth enamel. Koko-pa, the toothpaste you need!¡± * ¡°The Imperihom suffered a major defeat today in a desperate attempt to attack Progress, the main capital of the Hom Nations. Having left a third of their fleet on the floor, the rebels have retreated to their territories where they have a stronger foothold, allowing loyalist troops to retake millions of systems. Political analysts believe that this defeat represents a major turning point in the war and will end the hemorrhage of betrayal that is shaking the Hom Nations. Indeed, since the beginning of the conflict, nearly a twentieth of their countries have joined the cause of the Imperihom, a movement that could now be reversed.¡± * ¡°The traitors of the Administrative Confederation have once again proven their duplicity: analysts have indeed discovered a disturbing pattern in the recent Zcarbb conquests. They seem to have an increased ability to conquer planets in galaxies located on a line increasingly close to the ¡®C¡¯ sector, while the rest of the front holds. Indeed, not having the technology of the ¡®Walker¡¯ engines, the Zcarbbs use a kind of ¡®spatial tears¡¯ to project themselves from one system to another, with a range rarely exceeding two galaxies of average distance. Everything therefore suggests that the traitors are voluntarily sacrificing some of their planets in order to establish a front between the Zcarbbs and the legitimate Administration, putting billions of innocent civilians at risk!¡± * ¡°This is Admiral Fazol of the Confederate Administered Armed Forces. I call upon all Confederate forces still loyal to our true values ??to join me in stopping the Zcarbb advance in what we now call ¡®Zamocles Tip¡¯. While some of our leaders are pleased to see this advance of the enemy towards the territory of the hypocrites of the Old Administration, others support me because they have not been blinded by anger. We are the defenders of Liberty! To let the Zcarbbs attack the other Administered would be to betray our values. Let us prove to ourselves, and to the population intoxicated by the lies of the corrupt, that we still know who the real enemy is. Let us prove that we are what we say we are: defending the universe!¡± * ¡°Uana Gemme has just been named ¡®journalist of the year¡¯ and received the very prestigious Reztilup prize¡­¡± * ¡°Queens of distant lands, answer the call. Taking advantage of the disorganization of the Evil Empire called the Administration, our coalition troops have taken considerable territory from the enemy, leading to the establishment of billions of colonies with enough space for several generations. There are many interesting resources to free from the enemy''s mismanagement. In the galaxy they call Paroliw, for example, our scouts have just discovered gigantic natural underground reserves of an oil of unparalleled quality! You can teleport samples on demand and see for yourself. This oil seems to be present in the subsoil of a good part of the planets in this galaxy. Your princesses will love this product! Wouldn''t you like them to be able to set up their colonies near such precious resources? Don''t wait: join the Defense Alliances operating in the Paroliw galaxy and ensure the future of your princesses! The Zcarbbs must be Zcarbbs[1] in the face of the threat of Evil!¡± * ¡°A new assassination attempt targeted the Universal President this standard morning as he was heading to the Universal Assembly for the vote on the renewal of his crisis powers. Fortunately, the terrorists were quickly subdued and advanced security measures protected most of the civilians caught in the barbaric act of the enemies of Democracy. There are still three deaths to deplore and a dozen wounded, including a child.¡± * ¡°The Homs Nations armies have suffered a major defeat on the border between sectors ¡®E¡¯ and ¡®F¡¯, ending their recent winning streak. Leaders point to the defection of many traitors, including conscripts, who refused to take part in the fighting or, worse, went straight to join the enemy. As rebel troops advance rapidly, retaking territory that was taken from them, many planetary representatives are calling for a ceasefire.¡± * ¡°The Neru-teque corporation has been sued for selling numerous SECURA-02 chips to Confederate traitors over the past few months. The company''s legal software claims this was an independent decision by their subsidiaries in the occupied space, which are currently out of control.¡± * ¡°The ceasefire in the Homs Nations, accepted by the rebel forces, turned out to be a trap: taking advantage of this appeasement, the terrorists of the Imperihom attacked Homeria directly with their main armada. The capture of the planet and the surrounding systems was narrowly avoided by the sending of a galaxy-fleet of the Administration which was able to repel the terrorists. The current spokesman of the terrorists, a certain Jahrl Deshoms, officially announced that the Imperihom wished to sign a non-aggression treaty with the Administrative Confederation, which he considers more legitimate than the real Universal Administration. His proposal included commercial agreements, involving in particular the delivery of weapons and raw materials to the confederates...¡± * ¡°A major clash took place between four powerful fleets, destroying myriads of ships. The details of the clash are unclear, but it seems that each fleet was fighting the other four. The official information from the various factions - which we can obtain as an independent news agency but cannot reveal for fear of being censored for spreading fake news - was rather confusing. The four armies each seem to have their own version of events. The clash took place at the end of what is known as the Zamocles Tip, in the intergalactic space between the galaxies of Hordoe II, Paroliw and Zamertud. The fleets involved consisted of the Zcarbb advance army led by Queen Vila-tar-Lovi, the rebel Confederate fleet of Admiral Fazol, another Confederate fleet, this one official, led by Admiral Jogrokon and the Sixth Galaxy-Fleet, led by Admiral Gaindubide. I cannot say exactly what happened, for fear of being censored. I will therefore limit myself to the objective facts: the Zcarbb and Fazol''s army were the first to engage each other, then Admiral Jogrokon''s fleet arrived, quickly engaging the other two. Then, Admiral Gaindubide arrived and immediately engaged all the participants. This is the largest battle ever recorded in history: four galaxy-fleets facing each other in the space empty of stars. Despite the gravity compensators used by each fleet, the effects of the fighting and the combined weight of four fleets as vast as galaxies have had a devastating effect on the edges of the galaxies concerned, despite their protective shields. The debris from the titanic confrontation are forming their own galaxy and the dead are only counted with the help of powerful computers. The outcome of the battle is uncertain, because all the participants have ended up retreating. The presence of countless debris and overloaded ship cores made this area, although larger than several galaxies, impassable. The Zcarbbs have retreated to the surroundings of the Paroliw galaxy, which they will probably finalize the conquest of. Admiral Jogrokon has retreated to the surroundings of Hordoe II and Admiral Gaindubide has retreated to the assigned position of the Sixth-Fleet, waiting to see his forces rebuilt. Finally, the rebel Admiral Fazol retreated to the outskirts of Zamertud and conquered the galaxy in the name of the Confederacy. Official sources tell us that there was some fighting, but that the local population and soldiers preferred to surrender due to the danger of the Zcarbb presence and the distance of the Sixth Fleet. Of course, the Confederate media spoke of jubilant populations and other such details, but apparently seems sharply divided between those who support Admiral Fazol and those who consider him a traitor. It is unlikely that fighting will resume here for a long time, but nothing is certain¡­¡± * ¡°The crisis powers of the buffoon they call a president have been renewed again, this time for an indefinite period...¡± * ¡°Large spontaneous demonstrations of popular cheering took place after the president''s recent announcements regarding the organization of a military service. The opposition grumbled a little, but the limited duration of two months of this silenced the resistance. Petitions of thanks gathering an infinite number of voices were received by the presidential station, saluting the bravery and wisdom of the president who...¡± * ¡°Imperihom forces have been spotted alongside the Confederate armies during recent clashes in Sector ¡®F.¡¯ While no official alliance has been announced, it appears that some of the two groups¡¯ officials have chosen to cooperate¡­¡± * ¡°This is Jahrl Deshoms speaking to you. Yes, the evil dictator who speaks for his fellow Imperihoms. Are you afraid? Well, you should be: I am announcing that we now recognize the legitimate aspirations of the Azar clan to reclaim their galaxy. Even if I do not approve of the methods of these creeps and they have not agreed to officially be part of the Imperihom, there are plenty of people among my colleagues that I do not approve of. What matters is to protect our race¡¯s aspirations for freedom. Against the Administered arbitrary that is slowly depriving us of our freedom of expression, our customs and our ancestral political systems, our Imperihom is united, more powerful than the pathetic attempts of the past. The Administration will fall and the world will learn to fear the Homs!¡± * ¡°Despite the proposal of the wise President of our Universe, the diehards of the Confederation have refused a ceasefire. This was issued following the recent series of defeats suffered by the traitors against the Zcarbbs armies, which caused the final loss of three galaxies. Their determination to refuse this truce proves the madness of our enemies: let us hope that more galaxies will not have to suffer the same fate because of them...¡± * ¡°These dogs of the Administration think we will bow to their dictates? Our troops are about to seize the immense reserves of raw materials of the great nebula of Ghochola III, essential to our survival against the Zcarbbs, and they pretend to offer us peace? Do not be fooled! Victory is approaching, on all fronts!¡± * ¡°New security measures were approved this morning by the Universal Assembly and will be implemented in the coming months. Although these measures involve increased control over the privacy of our fellow citizens, it is obvious that all honest citizens understand that this is necessary to ensure their safety against terrorist infiltration...¡± * ¡°For my next question, Mr. Soyoto, I would talk about the dictators of the Imperihom... Well, precisely, they seem to have no problem using the word dictator to refer to themselves, but also to refer to all the leaders of all governments throughout the universe. Why?¡± ¡°Well, my dear Geanpi¨¨rt, it''s quite subtle. Their point is that any government, whatever it may be, ends up applying measures, sometimes arbitrary, because of the need to maintain order and coherence in the nation they lead. That''s true... But, the underhandedness of their proposal is this: they put all governments on the same level. Now, there is a difference between the excesses of an absolute power like theirs and that of a power like... let''s say, the President of the Universe. Even though he temporarily holds crisis powers, he is limited by the laws, the Constitution and the Universal Assembly, not to mention the fact that he was elected by the majority of all citizens of the universe.¡± ¡°No doubt... But, the dictators of the Imperihom also have constitutions in their nations. And then, regarding the election of the universal president, they claim that given the immense mass of citizens of the universe, it is in reality the largest minority of citizens who voted for him, given the number of candidates gathering fewer votes, but more than him if we added them together...¡± ¡°All this is propaganda from the enemies of Democracy. First of all, the constitutions of the Imperihom may theoretically limit the powers of the dictators, they wrote them themselves: this means that in reality they accepted limits according to their own convenience. Then, concerning the electoral system, these are only subtle plays on words intended to induce doubt in people''s minds: a sneaky exercise quite traditional to most Homs politicians. Let us recall that after the elections of each sector, the unsuccessful candidates have the choice of rallying their votes to one or the other of the three candidates with the most, and so on in cascade for increasingly larger regions up to the top of the Universe. Do you see a fairer system for electing a representative of an infinite population?¡± ¡°Indeed, I don''t see anything better... But precisely, a point criticized by the Imperihom is the fact that there is precisely a single representative of the Administration. They insist a lot on this point to the point of calling him their ¡®comrade dictator from the other camp¡¯, or the ¡®sole dictator¡¯.¡± ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± ¡°I¡­ Well¡­ I probably got a little confused in my notes¡­ Um¡­ Let¡¯s start again with the next question¡­¡± * ¡°We regret to inform you that as of next week, our main presenter will be replaced. Mr. Geanpi¨¨rt, in fact, was arrested today after the discovery of overwhelming evidence of his collusion with the terrorists of the Imperihom. An undeclared bank account in his name was discovered on an Elunadoran planet thanks to the full cooperation of the local authorities. A transfer of nearly five billion administrative credits was deposited there yesterday, coming from an anonymous account whose source was located as coming from a bank in the occupied territories. Unable to assume responsibility for his crimes, Geanpi¨¨rt claims not to know of the existence of this account. Due to the gravity of his crimes, he will probably be placed in stasis until the next century...¡± * ¡°A plague of Hogloo origin has devastated several planets of the nation of Shyb¨¨ra in the Lemektaro galaxy. Extremely contagious and causing a slow and horrible death of the victims, it was fortunately quickly detected. The security systems of the teleporters have automatically transferred infected individuals to quarantine, preventing the horrible biological attack from spreading across the universe. The nation of Shyb¨¨ra is mostly under containment and planetary destroyers, configured as stasis generators of course, have been deployed to temporarily paralyze the main sources of infection, until a treatment is discovered. Many voices across the Network have immediately called on the government to take final measures against the Hogloos and to launch the reserve galaxy-fleets against their territories. The warlord of the Hogloos Nations has affirmed that the Hogloos were not responsible for this attack. He has, however, prudently ordered his troops to cease all assaults on our territories and to withdraw to controlled positions, assuring that he would cooperate fully, but in secrecy, in order to eliminate those responsible for this attack and ensure that it does not happen again.¡± * ¡°A work by artist Onde Foudum was sold at auction today for five quintillion! This work of art, titled ¡®Sock¡¯ consists of a sock nailed to a wall. The artist said that what is important in his work is not the sock, but the fact that it is nailed to the wall. He added that anyone gifted in the artistic field can immediately notice the subtlety and boldness of his work.¡± * Imperihom! Imperihom! Sub rubeo vexillo, omnes ibi gentes Hom! Distincti omnes libertatem quaerimus; Est ibi, procul, procul, in via utopia! Imperihom! Adversus monstra universi; Coniungimur, nostrae iurgia obstante! Non fortissimi aut scientissimi sumus; Sed in fine, nobis est qui vincet! Imperihom! Imperihom! Homs pro gloria! * ¡°As another year of mandate comes to an end, his legitimately elected eminence, the Universal President, has renewed his wishes for universal peace, calling for a reminder that it existed before the terrorists plunged the universe into disarray...¡± * ¡°The glorious efforts of our troops have borne fruit, freeing an entire galaxy from Zcarbb domination! While the hypocrites¡¯ president gargles over the beginning of a new year of unelected mandate, we fight to protect the universe!¡± * ¡°In a proud and bloody attempt to make themselves known during the festivities of the renewal of the presidential mandate, these mad rebels have launched a major offensive of their troops against the Zcarbbs. Sacrificing their soldiers without hesitation, most of them forcibly conscripted, they have succeeded in retaking a galaxy. However, it is said that the Zcarbbs themselves have decided to retreat after seeing the catastrophic losses of both sides: if it is with such victories that the Confederates intend to defend their borders, there will soon be no one left to prevent a strong return of the Zcarbbs there...¡± * ¡°A long-term truce has been agreed between the majority of the Hom Nations, loyal to the legitimate Administration, and the separatists of the Imperihom. This measure was denounced during heated debates in the Universal Assembly, with some deputies even calling their counterparts from the Hom Nations ¡®traitors¡¯. The latter responded by recalling that the majority of their soldiers served in the universal army, fighting for the most part against the Zcarbbs and the Confederates. If their colleagues forced them to continue the fight against the Imperihom, they would recall all their citizens from these fronts to launch them into this battle, and one would see what would happen elsewhere. It was therefore decided to move one of the galaxy-fleets of the Hogloo front to defend Homeria and the Hom Nations still active in the conflict, against the terrorists of the Imperihom¡­¡± * ¡°This new year marks a quarter of a standard century where the tyranny of the same person has reigned without election over the majority of the universe, under the pretext of a crisis situation. Without wishing to deny the crisis, how long will we accept to see our democratic rights confiscated by¡­ This communication has been interrupted because the holder of this account is under arrest warrant. The comments made fall within the framework of the apology of terrorism, please delete them from any recording medium. The possession of such content, including on a memory chip, is punishable by fines and imprisonment up to category gamma, or even beta in the case of repeat offenders. This was a message from the Network Institution, Sub-Institution of Cohesion.¡± * ¡°Have you thought about spending your holidays on Krapal III? Located in the middle of an asteroid belt in the Krapal system, in the Flouz galaxy, in sector ¡®D¡¯, this heavenly ocean planet is equipped with a powerful shield to prevent asteroid falls and a 100% controlled environment. Spend your holidays on idyllic beaches under the fagalouf trees and forget the worries of the universe for a while.¡± * ¡°A new album by Flala Gadaga, the star singer who has been at the top of the box office for two weeks, is available for download today. In this title ¡°I have my head full of stars and I am sitting in the ocean¡±, the famous Glapouine talks about her last holidays on the heavenly islands of...¡± * ¡°This morning, two pets died in a partially failed terrorist attack on the planet Piria in the Fenixia galaxy, in the ¡®D¡¯ zone. The culprit was immediately arrested and placed in stasis for life...¡± * ¡°The Lemektaro epidemic has caused fifty-three and a half deaths in the last hour. Don''t miss the numbers in the next hour!¡± * ¡°New clashes within the Confederate forces have allowed the Zcarbbs to launch a massive attack up to the ¡®E¡¯ sector. Fortunately, our brave universal armies have repelled this assault and have taken the opportunity to retake lands oppressed by the Confederate armies...¡± * ¡°The release date of the new SECURA-04 chip has finally been announced. It will be for the¡­¡± * ¡°After a new failed assault by the Imperihom on Homeria, their troops cowardly attacked several administered nations in the surrounding area, not involved in their demands¡­¡± * ¡°His wise eminence, the President of the Universe, thanked this afternoon the deputies of the Universal Assembly, who were kind enough to renew their confidence in him for a new year of crisis mandate¡­¡± * [¡­] [¡­] [¡­]
[1] Reminder: "Zcarbb" means "United" or "Unified" in their language, so universal translators sometimes have a little trouble telling the difference between the species and the adjective, and translate literally. Bonus : Shady deal Relative temporality: Ta6Lo62000 Zone: Sector Z Location: Somewhere on the edge of the Civilized Universe, abandoned system. Control: No-man¡¯s land Affiliation: - There are some solar systems that no one is interested in. Absence of valuable resources and proximity to the front lines without a strategic position, that¡¯s what made this system uninteresting. In fact, it didn¡¯t really have a name, vaguely designated by the administrative denomination 0-Z-12.568.991. Systems without any particular interest were often used for tourism or residential areas, as long as the development of the places was not too expensive. However, the proximity of the Zcarbb border had discouraged any initiative here. There was barely an old Network beacon, almost a thousand years behind current quality standards. The dilapidated state of its devices did not allow it to detect a civilian ship with the most mediocre camouflage. What was it even doing in this lost place? The beacon did not know anything and did not detect it, so no one would know anything. On board the device, manually adjusting the controls, was a Balgrass. Small lizard barely more than a meter tall and with large eyes, it was one of the most widespread races in the universe. His people''s strange ability to inspire trust in their interlocutors, despite their reputation as con artists, made them natural traders. If he controlled his ship manually, it was because he had deactivated the onboard Z.I.A. before his last jump: he didn''t want it to go and tell the Administration about the shady places he visited. Of course, there were still a number of onboard functions managed by AIs, notably correcting his trajectory errors, but this one was much more obedient than the superior model. An asteroid was growing in his field of vision, matching the coordinates he had copied onto a piece of paper. He had even roughly drawn its particular shape on it, although he was probably the only one capable of seeing a correspondence between this scribble and the real object. A smile spread across his face and most humanoids would have called him extremely cute if seeing him like this. Members of his own people would have said that he was obviously in the grip of a major fit of greed and that they would like to know what it was about in order to participate in it. But, behind this mask, a great anxiety reigned. The kind of anxiety that comes when one wonders ¡°am I going to leave here alive?¡±. He began to execute an approach maneuver by reducing his speed and inserted himself into a crack in the asteroid. The searchlights of his ship swept the surroundings and illuminated a vast cave. There were other lights, notably surrounding a flat, circular place: a landing platform. Like everything else in this place, it had been carefully excavated and arranged by his ¡°partners¡± in preparation for this encounter. Warily, he let the AIs perform the automatic approach. Not having a warship, his cockpit had a real glass roof that, although made of technically ¡°indestructible¡± glass, could well explode in the event of violent contact with the walls of the asteroid, hurling him towards a most horrible death... or not, since he was wearing a protective field, but his insurance would require proof in pictures before any reimbursement, which he would not be able to provide. In a way, paying for the damage out of his own pocket would also be a bit like dying. He swallowed as he remembered who he was going to deal with: in fact, a financial loss was not so terrible compared to a real death that could well happen soon¡­ The footbridge of his ship deployed once the maneuver was finished. He wasted no time and got off, a thick suitcase in his hand. The protective field that surrounded his body glowed, preserving his oxygen and illuminating his path, but this model would not resist a real weapon of war¡­ A weapon like those held by the two large soldiers guarding the tunnel leaving the cave. It was difficult to know if he could compare them to large insects or to spiders with multiple eyes filled with hatred. In any case, all their legs, including those used to walk, had unknown weapons and devices attached to them. As if to confirm to him that they were indeed threatening, each of the guards pointed a beamer of a common model in his direction. Their voices rose, shrill, tormenting the universal translator they used: ¡°You Balrog Pecune Kama? Identification or death?¡± The creature, very small compared to these two monsters, swallowed. This time, it was much more real than when conversing via the Dark-Network: he was facing Zcarbbs. These mysterious monsters had an intergalactic nation capable of confronting the Administration and had never lost any territory they had invaded during this Tana¨¦¡­ Communicating with them without advanced diplomatic authorization was a very serious crime, severely punished¡­ if one survived it.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°I¡­ Yes, I am the Balgrass, not Balrog, and my name is Pecul Kama. I¡­ I come to meet your superior as agreed¡­¡± One of the guards switched his beamer to scanner mode and projected a beam on the Balgrass, circling around to analyze all the details. His device didn¡¯t reveal any hidden weapons¡­ The little ¡°trader¡± wasn¡¯t telepathic, but he thought he saw a glint in the guards¡¯ eyes that said ¡°no weapons visible, but we should probably kill him just in case¡­¡±. Fortunately, a voice rang out in their foreign language and they stepped aside, waving him to go through. Pecul advanced between the two gigantic shapes whose mandibles were clicking menacingly¡­ The universal translator didn¡¯t translate Zcarbb¡­ at least not without alpha clearance and special authorization. So, it was impossible to guess what his partners would say to each other. A precarious position for a negotiation¡­ ¡°By the Indestructible!¡± he cursed inwardly. ¡°I¡¯m too stupid¡­ My mother told me that my greed would be my downfall one day¡­ Here I am, without a backup plan and in a lair controlled by the other party, to make a transaction¡­ I¡¯m a complete idiot! But at the same time, if it works, I''ll make money like never before...¡± The tunnel quickly led to a well-appointed secondary room. A large number of strangely shaped electronic equipment lined the walls. There was probably a gravity generator in the pile, since he could move on foot in the asteroid. Many lamps illuminated the room and, slumped on a huge pile of cushions, was the person he was dealing with. Much smaller than the guards, but taller than him, the creature had a fairly humanoid torso, which continued with more insectoid parts. Why was a creature covered in chitin from head to toe on cushions? Perhaps her body was more sensitive than it appeared? It was a Zcarbb princess. Other members of her species were present. Off to the side, guarding another tunnel, were about ten workers. Larger than the princess and more insect-like in appearance, they were quite passive, motionless like robots waiting for an order. One of them seemed to be in a more active position and was standing near the princess. He had just given her a sort of floating bowl containing a few red things that the princess took handfuls of and gobbled down like chips. ¡°Ah,¡± she said after finishing her mouthful, ¡°you are finally here! Do you have the goods?¡± Nervous, but convinced that he was hiding it, Pecul nodded and patted his suitcase. ¡°Yes, I have the product. And you?¡± The princess gestured and the workers moved aside, revealing a huge pile of golden amber jars, which continued far down the corridor. ¡°Exactly one ton of honey, preserved in amber jars, as agreed. So, show me your product!¡± The Balgrass placed his suitcase on the cushions and activated the opening with a combination of DNA and retinal prints. The suitcase opened on a very common computer. ¡°Here are the goods: this computer contains the program and the latest data from the stock exchange of three galaxies strongly linked commercially, as promised.¡± The princess excitedly grabbed the device and turned it on, immediately opening the program. Rows of numbers and various information appeared on the screen and she was jumping with joy. ¡°Perfect! Perfect! Perfect! Everything is as great as you described. With this data, there is plenty to be keep busy... Ah, I can''t wait!¡± ¡°Well, that''s perfect then. Can I take my goods and leave?¡± ¡°Yes, yes, go. It''s great, there is even the possibility of simulating random events? Wow!¡± While the princess was ecstatic, Pecul went to the pile of jars and took a small device from his belt. He set it up then pointed at the goods which were immediately surrounded by a halo of light that lifted them off the ground. The Balgrass then left the room, followed by a farandole of jars dancing in the air. Passing in front of the two guards, he returned to his ship and supervised the arrival of all the jars. It was only once he was well away from the asteroid, after having initiated a jump to a neighboring system, that he exhaled, expelling the tension. It was won! He had a ton of Zcarbb honey, which would be resold under the counter for a fortune, preserved in amber jars which guaranteeing authenticity. The deal of the century! And all that for a low-end computer containing financial simulation software that he had bought for next to nothing. The update with the real information from the stock exchange of the chosen galaxies had cost him almost nothing¡­ In fact, apart from the little fuel spent, what had cost him the most was paying the hacker to make the software usable without logging into a Network account. ¡°Mouah! Ha! Ha! Ha! The Zcarbbs are really idiots who have no idea of ??the true value of things! Pleasure doing business with you!¡± In the asteroid, the Zcarbbs were already busy preparing for departure. The princess had already been loaded aboard the ship with all the essential equipment. Completely enthralled by her new toy, she had been transported with her cushions. As the Zcarbb ship moved away from the meeting place and jumped into a neighboring system, the commoners sighed in relief, or at least the equivalent for the Zcarbbs. Now back on familiar territory, their princess was no longer in danger. The servant specially assigned to her service was entitled to her comments, although he had no opinion or interest in the subject. ¡°Did you see? It''s so cool! There are really a lot of weird things in the way the economy of the administered works! Their video game is so good! I just simulated a complete crash of a society''s economy and I''m trying to see how long it would take me to get it back up! It''s super fun!¡± ¡°Yes¡­ I guess¡­¡± ¡°These administered really have no sense of the real values ??of things: he sold me this great game for only a ton of honey! Ah, my sisters will all be jealous!¡± ¡°Exactly: Isn¡¯t there a risk of them denouncing you to the queen?¡± ¡°Not if they want to be able to play it too! They''ll be ready to give me lots of presents for it¡­ Oh, that''ll be great!¡± The servant shrugged inwardly. All that mattered was that the princesses were happy and safe, but also that the queen was happy, which meant that she had to ignore this escapade. He discreetly communicated with a nearby camouflaged warship, telling it that they could resume their usual patrol: there was no longer any need to be ready to sacrifice oneself to slow down a possible enemy fleet. A feeling of well-being passed through the servant. He didn''t understand what one could do with a ton of honey (how long would it take for this creature to eat all that?) or financial simulation software (it was probably useful, or at least it amused the princesses, which was good because a happy princess is well on the way to becoming a fulfilled queen), but he knew that he had once again done what was necessary for the Good (of the Zcarbbs). Bonus : Horrors! Relative temporality: Ta6Lo63000 Zone: Sector I, outside of Zone ¡°I¡± Location: An alpha++ level prison system Control: Security Institution, Sub-Institution of Order, Prison Department Affiliation: Universal Administration [AU] C¨¨llia Dimba bit into the little stellar ring-shaped cake with delight. Taking advantage of being alone in the control room, she let out a delighted trumpet with the help of her trumpet nose and waved her six ears in contentment. She really, really loved her job. When her family learned that after her administrative exam, she had applied to the prison department, they were very worried. In the end, she had been assigned to a high-security facility, which had reassured them. Here, all the prisoners were in stasis. She didn''t have to walk through aisles full of small-time criminals, but nevertheless fearsome. In a prison of this type, she would have had to hang out with murderers, spreaders of fake news or incitement to hatred, religious fanatics, small-time terrorists, crooked politicians, identity forgers or bad guys who hadn''t paid their taxes despite multiple reminders. Yes, really, she was very happy to find herself surrounded by criminals who had caused millions of deaths or endangered the entire universe: at least they weren''t free to move around. The computers suddenly issued a minor alert. Jumping, she shoveled the rest of her cake into her mouth in one go and turned to the screens. A ship was approaching. It was small¡­ rather average in size, even. Its identifications were authorized, but no ship had been announced. She used the mirror function of her smart-bubble to check that no crumbs remained stuck in her fur, then turned it off, reassured by her presentable appearance. She activated the communication that the local AI had prepared. This machine was quite limited in its initiative, like all local systems: it was one of the rare prisons relying on 100% biological personnel rather than on war robots and artificial intelligences advanced enough to demand citizenship and bonuses on public holidays. A Ham, a female Hom, sat on the ship''s command chair. She seemed uncomfortable as she sat down. Maybe she was going through a certain period? Dimba turned her attention back to a digital plastic sheet on which the station''s identifier was written. She recited it then announced that the access codes were valid, before asking to specify the name and reason for her interlocutor''s visit. Learning that it was an inspector, she nodded: yes, that made sense, only inspectors could come unannounced... Maybe the president or ministers too? She wasn''t sure. The software confirmed the inspector''s identity, so Dimba authorized the landing. Once the communication was cut, she got in touch with the warden to inform him of the arrival of an inspector, then let him manage the panic of checking that everything was in order: it was not her problem. Turning back to the base''s surveillance screens, she found her favorite ¡°programs¡±. Spying on the private lives, especially the sentimental ones, of her colleagues was really entertaining. She picked a new cake. This one had a schematic star shape. Really, she loved her job! Vajhesa walked whistling down the corridor, her rifle slung over her shoulder. She was on patrol, but that just meant she was going to be walking through austere corridors with clean metallic reflections. The prisoners were behind these sliding walls, very far from each other and plunged into an eternal stasis. Frankly, if she didn''t need to justify her pay, she wouldn''t even patrol these corridors. Normally, there had to be two in each patrol, but the colleague who should have come with her had pretended to have a stomach ache and hadn''t come. Of course, this was serious professional misconduct in a prison that unofficially had the alpha-omega security level... But, in reality, the superiors were not narrow-minded and understood that these security measures were excessive. The fortress was surrounded by powerful shields, high-performance scanners, and weaponry capable of repelling a Zcarbb fleet, or even slowing down a Hogloo fleet: no one could enter the premises to free the prisoners, and none of them could free themselves. ¡°Oh! Vajh!¡± Surprised, she turned around and was happily surprised to see Ruyoz coming towards her. She waved her long tail to greet her colleague and member of the same species. ¡°Ruyoz? What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Ah, it''s Glemowome. She told me she couldn''t come on patrol with you because she had a cold and didn''t want to pass it on to you. So, she offered me to replace her.¡± The cold? Wasn''t that a stomach ache? This one really was unbelievable! Unable to keep her lies coherent for long. Vajhesa knew what the latter had in mind: she loved playing the role of matchmaker. In this case, it was a bit useless: even if they had not yet confessed their mutual feelings, Vajhesa and Ruyoz were perfectly aware of it, making the pleasure they felt in being together last longer without having gone any further for the moment. There was no point in rushing too much and both loved to let their relationship develop gradually. Sliding on their long serpentine tails, they advanced through the corridors, cooing quietly while bantering about this and that. Arriving in front of an armored door ending the corridor, they greeted the guards on duty. One of them gave them a disgusted look but refrained from any comment: as a fungoid, he had a bit of trouble supporting the notions of romance present in other species and felt uncomfortable in front of this couple. The other guard, a human, was warmer. After opening the door for them, he nevertheless added a warning: ¡°Watch out: in this direction there is an inspector who arrived not long ago. The boss has not yet warned everyone because he is first dealing with the sectors closer to the hangar. Be careful to behave professionally.¡± ¡°Come on,¡± Ruyoz joked, ¡°we are very professional.¡± ¡°So,¡± their interlocutor replied with a smile, ¡°try to have merciless looks instead of gentle ones.¡± The two lovebirds stifled a snicker and quickly rushed through the door, continuing their patrol. However, once the door had closed, they adopted a slightly more serious attitude: an administrative inspection was not to be taken lightly. Warden Poulan wiped one of his foreheads with one of his many tentacles. His second head was focused on the retransmission of the surveillance screens. He saw the inspector and two soldiers from the secret service, probably. The guards were greeting the arrivals in a completely formal manner and the holo-chess game in the hangar had been cleverly hidden in time: nothing to worry about on that side. There had already been an inspection this year: why a second one? And a surprise on top of that? Had something gone wrong last time? No, not to his knowledge¡­ Blowing out of both heads, he tried to calm himself down. Everything was going to be okay. He couldn¡¯t call everyone at once: the inspectors loved to check the message log for all the staff and they would understand the fact that he had warned his subordinates of their arrival, as if he had things to hide. Yes, it was true that there was a certain relaxation of discipline. However, since there was no chance that anyone could break through the defense systems, then the security systems, there was nothing to fear anyway¡­ Perhaps he should go in person to meet the inspector, to welcome her? It would be more polite than waiting for her in his office. He got up and left the room, requisitioning the ten regulatory guards in the neighboring guard room for his movements within the prison. Usually, he moved alone, but here he would not have that leisure. Ourdan Ferocia groaned as he looked at the time on his smart-bubble. What the hell was that idiot Caurian doing? Okay, he didn¡¯t really consider him an idiot, but if the announced inspector ever came by while he was alone guarding the door, he would be asked where his comrade was and why he hadn¡¯t reported his absence. It would be very bad for his record, not to mention Caurian¡¯s. Ferocia chewed nervously on the butt of his gun, then quickly removed it from his mouth and wiped the drool that had dripped onto its fur. Even if it was an instinctive habit of his people, he really should learn to control this instinct that commanded him to bite something when he was nervous. A figure slowly approached in the corridor. A quadruped reptilian, but with a secondary torso at the front that was equipped with four arms. Finally: he was there. ¡°Hey Caurian! Can''t you move a little faster? In case you don''t know, there''s an inspector coming by. How much time do you spend in the bathroom?¡± ¡°Sorry... Ourdan Ferocia... there were... complications.¡± ¡°Why are you calling me with my last name? And I don''t want to know about your complications in the bathroom. Get back to your post and look serious. You were lucky not to have crossed paths with the inspector in this direction: that''s where he''s going to come from.¡± Caurian took up position in front of the door without arguing. ¡°Well,¡± thought Ferocia, ¡°at least he''s already put himself in serious mode. There, it''s solved: everything''s going to be fine now.¡± Ralgue Kropilan, the prison¡¯s deputy warden, strode along, unwittingly outpacing his unfortunate colleague Ysspar. Very small in stature, this person slightly resembled a rat, although ten times larger, but he was far from matching the great strides of Kropilan, who looked more like a crocodile mounted on ostrich legs. Having urgently registered as an ¡°irregular patrol¡± and having recruited the little guard to accompany him, the deputy warden quickly checked that everything was in order in the sectors close to the inspector. Of course, the warden checked everything from the surveillance systems, but sometimes nothing replaced being on site and observing situations with one¡¯s own eyes. Sometimes, details jumped out at you that would not be visible from a distance. ¡°Hey, Kropilan,¡± Ysspar protested, ¡°don¡¯t walk so fast!¡± ¡°What are you complaining about: you have combat armor, so use its abilities a little more to catch on me.¡± ¡°No, but relax: everyone in this area has been warned of the inspection. Even if they have relaxed a little, there are only serious people here. We have all passed the necessary psychological tests.¡± The deputy warden stopped, his fingers nervously moving on his long snout. When his colleague had caught up with him, he apologized and explained his state of mind: ¡°Sorry Ysspar, I know I shouldn''t be so nervous... But I have a bad feeling. It''s stupid, it''s just a feeling, but...¡± ¡°I know,¡± the little being cut him off gently, ¡°it happened to me too during my studies: before each test. But tell yourself that everything is ready: what could go wrong?¡± And the door opened. Lying in a pool of blood, guard Ourdan Ferocia had been shot at point-blank range. His colleague, Caurian Glimarc, was still pointing the smoking barrel of his weapon at the corpse. When they arrived, he turned an expressionless, glassy-eyed gaze in their direction and calmly explained himself while turning his weapon towards them. ¡°Ah, come quickly: Ourdan Ferocia is very ill. Call the infirmary¡­¡± Ysspar cursed in his native language as Kropilan collapsed, his body pierced by the traitor¡¯s shots. His own weapon was already reacting to the threat and several rays of concentrated light had already pierced the assailant¡¯s body after overloading his shields. Mais, Glimarc ne s¡¯effondra pas. Se jetant ¨¤ couvert du cadavre de son sup¨¦rieur, Ysspar poussa une nouvelle s¨¦rie de juron. But Glimarc did not collapse. Throwing himself under cover of his superior''s corpse, Ysspar let out a new series of curses. What was happening? He had destroyed several vital points? His combat screens then transcribed something monstrous: Glimarc''s body seemed to recompose itself at the holes, sucking up the blood spilled on the ground and leaving the corridor clean... Then, Ferocia stood up. His head, tilted at an improbable angle, straightened out and the holes in his body, then those in his uniform, disappeared. Ysspar''s screens crackled and then went out, leaving him in ignorance of what was happening behind his macabre shelter. Then the aiming systems of his weapon gave up the ghost. With a new flurry of curses, he switched the weapon to manual and began to fire continuously as he came out of his hiding place. Several rays ricocheted off his shield, but the monstrous killers collapsed without having pierced his. ¡°They... They''re dead this time?¡± But no: the bodies were getting up. Worse: they were talking:Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Ysspar Oftheclansppaaaaaa, why are you attacking us?¡± The surviving guardian shuddered to the tip of his tail. He had always loved horror movies, but living one was not at all, not at all fun! He spat blood, looking in surprise at the blade protruding from his chest. Turning his head, he saw that Kropilan had gotten up and used his service knife to stab him. As life slowly drained from him, he saw a monstrous jelly, like vomit, flow from his killer''s mouth... But it wasn''t vomit: the thing moved as if it had a life of its own and flowed into the gaping wound in his stomach... Then he died. Vajhesa paced nervously in front of the cafeteria. Ruyoz had been in there for at least three hours¡­ well, no: more like a minute, but she was waiting for him so impatiently¡­ In the end, she should have gone with him to get those energy drinks. But at that moment, she had received a frantic message from the warden. He was simply calling to see if everything was okay and to say that he would soon be passing through this corridor to greet the inspector, but that everything was fine and that there was no reason to stress, right? Vajhesa had preferred to stay at the back to reassure the warden, while her very dear friend went to get her a drink: in any case, he knew her tastes. ¡°Ah, finally you''re here!¡± Ruyoz finally came out of the room... Well, objectively, he hadn''t spent more time there than necessary, but it was still a relief to find him. They started walking towards their patrol positions, in order to be ready to welcome the warden or the inspector, depending on who would be the quickest to reach this point. ¡°Well, so are you passing me my drink, or are you hoping to make me ask?¡± ¡°Oh... the drink? I forgot.¡± ¡°Very funny, she smiled, I love it when you try to take me for a ride...¡± ¡°I have something for you... close your eyes.¡± Vajhesa smiled and closed her eyes, her heart pounding. Either he was just bringing her can of drink, or it was some other gift, but he would surprise her either way¡­ No: he probably wasn¡¯t going to declare his love to her¡­ not in the middle of a surprise inspection¡­ But that possibility was still exciting, although impossible¡­ There was a loud noise from a gun and she felt a liquid prick her skin. He hadn¡¯t blown up her can, did he? She was going to be soaked for the inspection! Opening her eyes, she was struck with horror. Ruyoz¡¯s head had disappeared into a bloody hole that had repainted the walls with a sinister red paint. Turning her head, she saw Glemowome pointing a large-caliber weapon, still smoking. Her friend was shaking a little under the weight of the weapon or for some other reason. As if in slow motion, Vajhesa contemplated the body of her beloved collapsing to the ground, then the surroundings, devoid of other explanations for this sudden death. Pushing her tail against the wall, she leapt into the air. She would not have time to grab her rifle, so she drew the two pistols she wore on her belt and machine-gunned her former friend, now her worst enemy. As she fell back on her target, Glemowome was already on the ground, pierced on all sides, dying. She still seemed conscious: by a vague reflex, Vajhesa had forbidden her weapons to directly touch the vital parts. But the murderer was dying, slowly. With tears in her eyes, the guard looked at her former friend who was bleeding out. ¡°Why?¡± she moaned. ¡°Were you jealous me? He¡¯s not¡­ wasn¡¯t even your specie¡­ Why? You were jealous of our happiness then? ... Tell me at least why...¡± Spitting blood and trying hard to speak, Glemowome murmured: ¡°Not... Ruyoz... was... already dead... Hogloos... his corpse... look... his hand... protocol... Hogloo parasite...¡± Looking back at the remains of her beloved, Vajhesa saw that his hand was firmly gripping a combat knife. Why would he hold something like that? Did he know he was going to be attacked? No, he would have taken a ranged weapon then¡­ Why hadn¡¯t his shield worked? Was it already discharged? ¡°Ruyoz already dead!¡± Glemowome gurgled in a last-ditch effort to make herself understood. ¡°His body, the Hogloos, control¡­ Wanted¡­ to kill you¡­ to also control¡­ your corpse¡­¡± The survivor was beginning to understand, but it was too horrible¡­ ¡°Not your fault,¡± the dying woman continued, ¡°that you killed me. But, avenge me¡­ Avenge Ruyoz¡­ Avenge us¡­¡± And she stopped moving. But Ruyoz, him, stood up. With horror, Vajhesa saw the corpse of her love come to life, without its head. Strange tentacles were coming out of the hole, lunging at her. She threw herself aside. Not having time to program her weapons properly, she grabbed Glemowome¡¯s and fired at the headless monster, throwing it back against the wall. She then changed the settings to emit deadly radiation, specially designed against Hogloos designs. She fired and fired these invisible rays, until the tortured body finally collapsed for good. Then, she cried. She cried for Ruyoz. She cried for Glemowome. She cried until her lacrimal system dried up. Warden Poulan was very satisfied: the closer he got to the hangar, the more serious the guards seemed, impeccably professional. Finally, his subordinates were good at handling the situation: it was reassuring. However, he still hadn''t come across the inspector. Was she still in the hangar, waiting for him? If that was the case, she was certainly someone very disrespectful... She didn''t give that impression on the screen, though. Opening his communicator, he called Dimba. This gossip knew everything that was going on... Well, it was also her job, but she took particular pleasure in knowing everything that was going on in the fortress. When a volunteer was needed to read private mail, incoming or outgoing, as was the procedure, she was always the first to show up... ¡°Dimba, is the inspector still in the hangar?¡± ¡°Exactly, Mr. Warden. I''ll send you the image.¡± Poulan frowned and his two heads looked at each other for a brief moment. Dimba called him by his first or last name every other time, never by his title. Was she also overzealous because of the inspection? In any case, the image clearly showed the inspector questioning the hangar guards. Nervously, the warden quickened his pace. C¨¨llia Dimba scratched her third ear. Something was bothering her. She listened to the new talk of the two lovebirds. They exchanged banalities, but not the usual ones. Usually, Vajhesa and Ruyoz had more careful turns of phrase, often rich in innuendos, without ever going too far. Here, what they were saying seemed to come straight out of a silly novel, concocted by an artificial intelligence with only a stereotypical idea of ??romance. Irritated, she looked at the other screens. The warden and the inspector were near the cafeteria, exchanging completely banal remarks during inspections. There, at least, it was normal. Glimarc had finally returned from the toilets. Too bad there were no cameras in these places: she really wondered what he was doing there... At the same time, given all the food he ate every day, it wasn''t so surprising that he stayed there for so long each time... Kropilan went from one station to another, dragging behind him the poor person who had had the misfortune of being near him when he had decided to start his tour... She returned to the two lovebirds. Really: something was bothering her. Pressing the communicator, she called them: ¡°Hey, lovers, when is the wedding again?¡± The answer was slow, then they answered her: ¡°This is not the time to talk about it: we are in the middle of an inspection.¡± Definitely: this was not their usual reaction. Turning to the general alert button, she hesitated. If she was wrong, how would she justify herself? ¡°Oh, the lovers didn''t say the usual things and didn''t answer me as I expected, so I imagined that there was something abnormal...¡± No: she would be transferred to a lower security position, far from this tranquility, right in the middle of the riffraff... But, could one really blame her for being too cautious? She would press and find a new, more realistic excuse later. She lifted the security glass and pressed the alert button. Nothing happened. Opening her eyes wide in terror, she rushed to the door, but it refused to open. Feverish, she returned to her screens and launched all the refresh protocols, antiviruses and secondary surveillance systems... When the real images appeared on the screens, she immediately regretted it. Moving as if in a horrible nightmare, without really feeling the world around her, Vajhesa found herself in her quarters. The path was short, but she had already encountered three others¡­ monsters? Pointing her weapon in a threatening manner, she had immediately triggered a sort of counterattack instinct in these things. Where a guard would have amplified its shields, pointed its weapon and asked what was happening to her, these things began to shoot while asking why she was attacking them with the voices of the deceased. Still trembling with horror, she chased away this return to reality to return to this sort of nightmarish dreamlike trance that allowed her to forget the events. She threw the weapon on her bed: the radiation mode had almost completely discharged it. Then, she typed in the secret combination of the cupboard of her bedside table. There, were her most precious belongings. Some traditional weapons of her people, a necklace containing a scale from each member of her family, some gifts offered by Ruyoz and a small bottle. This bottle contained a drug that strengthened the senses, which she kept for... for... it didn''t matter anymore. Although not addictive, this drug was illegal because ingesting too much of it generated a state of frenzy that caused the death of its user in a few hours. Vajhesa emptied the bottle in one go. Her body was overcome by a shiver then arched in all directions before she managed to resume a normal posture, still trembling. Her eyes were dilated to the extreme and her brain worked faster than the slightest of her movements, capturing all the sounds, smells, vibrations of the surroundings. Grabbing two traditional daggers of her people, made of impure Stabilizium, she tried to control the trembling of her hands¡­ no: it didn¡¯t matter: it would even increase the force of her blows. Sliding at full length in the corridors, marking the ground with dagger blows to accelerate even more, the hissing and furious creature rushed in the direction of the fighting. ¡°Hosssssglosossssssss or nossssss, I¡¯m gossssssssing to ksssssssssill himssssssss!¡± Poulan stared at the massive door that separated him from the hangar. A mysterious presentiment told him not to go through it... Nonsense: it was just stress. What would they blame him for? Why a surprise inspection? And why hadn''t she come to meet him? Forcing him to come all the way in person proved that the inspector was either a novice or tasked with conveying a message of discontent. Turning his head toward someone arriving from a secondary corridor, he smiled: ¡°Ah, Kropilan, my faithful second! You''ve arrived at just the right time.¡± The deputy warden had a slightly strange look: he must also be suffering from the aftereffects of stress. At the same time, the guards accompanying him also looked tired. ¡°Oh, you thought about taking your own protocol escort? All the better, all the better. It''s not obligatory for the vice-director, but you might as well be zealous, eh?¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Warden.¡± ¡°Relax: you don''t want to appear so stressed in front of the inspector.¡± Poulan smiled at his own statement: who was he to say that when he had spent the last few minutes in the most intense stress? But now, he was ready for anything. Turning to the two hangar guards, who also didn''t have a very alert look, he ordered: ¡°Come on, open this door, let''s get this over with!¡± ¡°No, no, no!¡± Dimba moaned as she observed the warden¡¯s bad posture. She had regained the use of most of her cameras and rewatched so many horrible moments that she knew how each of the guards accompanying Kropilan had met their deaths, swelling his sinister escort. They were already positioning themselves to assassinate those of the warden¡¯s escort¡­ Meanwhile, a number of cameras seemed scrambled. These were the real images they were transmitting and they would probably have to be repaired. It was almost certain that the Hogloos who were attacking were over there. Besides, she could see many of these zombies rushing over there. Yes, really many¡­ Perhaps there were some survivors who were putting up a fierce resistance? Was she going to be the only survivor of this base? One day, her poor little starving corpse would be discovered, locked in her control room of a base infested with horrors¡­ And that damn button that didn¡¯t work! Full of rage, she began to tap, tap, tap that general alert button, as if that would change anything. Her eyes filled with tears had trouble following what was happening. She vaguely saw the doors opening and the warden entering this room full of zombies, while those who followed his escort were preparing to commit a final carnage¡­ As the warden entered the room, he raised his eyebrows, or at least what he was using for these expressions. Where had the inspector gone? And why were all the soldiers throwing their weapons to the ground and rushing towards¡­ Towards another access door? Suddenly, that door opened and a strange tube shot into the air. A metal tube ridden by a small green creature with big ears, quite similar to the former president from what he could see, as well as two Homs who were machine-gunning his subordinates. As the general alarms suddenly sounded, he saw a crowd of guards, many covered in fatal wounds, chasing this tube¡­ which looked a bit like a stasis tube surrounded by its security system¡­ Poulan turned to his guards to order them to attack and saw that Kropilan and his men were already ahead of him and rushing forward. Oddly enough, they had thrown down their weapons. Were they planning to attack with their bare hands? The trio of terrorists, mounted on their strange vehicle, entered the inspector''s ship, the doors of which immediately closed. A voice echoed in the air: ¡°Alert on all frequencies! Hogloo attack in progress on the prison! No: I don''t have time to read you this damn identification code! There are people dying there! And besides, you can read it in the data I''m transmitting! Oh! Boss! No, I''m not talking to you! Warden: you and your escort are the last ones still alive! The others are zombies! Get out of the hangar! You, send the army, the galaxy-fleet, everything you can with the anti-hogloo parameters! I disabled part of the system that prohibits teleportation: with an alpha+ priority you should be able to¡­¡± Suddenly, three other terrorists burst into the corridor as their ship left without waiting for them. The first was a Hogloo, visibly very angry, followed by a sort of cyclops and a bipedal bull, all three heavily armed. Then, the guards began to attack them¡­ Not to attack the terrorists, but the warden and his escort! Poulan let out a cry of terror as a guard collapsed, strangled with bare hands by several others. Without waiting, those who accompanied him obeyed the voice, having recognized C¨¨llia Dimba, machine-gunning the crowd of¡­ zombies? Holed on all sides, the rebel guards got up to continue their attack. Taking him by the shoulder, one of the survivors tried to drag his dazed superior towards the door. Suddenly, a strange creature appeared in front of them, knocking them back. The hissing beast moved at high speed along the ground, with a metallic noise, leaving behind fine holes in the neo-steel floor. Vajhesa was living her last hours. She knew it: if the enemies didn''t take care of it, the drug would kill her. Regularly planting her knives in the ground, she crawled at an incredible speed, zigzagging to contain her excess of movements and avoid crashing into a wall. She even sometimes climbed along the walls, without really understanding how she did it. However, her brain was working like never before, overheated by the excess. She saw every detail of the landscape and analyzed it, each of her own movements seemed to go in slow motion as she headed towards the hangar, the probable place of the origin of all this horror. She abruptly passed through the wide-open door, frightening the warden and one of their colleagues in the process, who fell backwards. No time to apologize, nor the will: she had Hogloos to kill before she died. Rushing into the pool of zombies, she let her blades twirl with an ease that surpassed her best training results. The blades made of Stabilizium, even impure, cut through energy shields and flesh without any problem, even causing permanent damage to the Hogloo parasites that controlled those unfortunate bodies. As she had cleared the area around her, she saw other zombies collapse, slaughtered by her surviving colleagues. Good: they were supporting her assault. Her mad gaze turned towards the Hogloo and she hissed in rage. There was definitely one! He was going to pay for the murder of Ruyoz¡­ and the others! Poulan was shaking, still sitting on the ground. Three of his guards seemed still alive, while two others were not for long, fighting hand-to-hand to hold back the monsters who were once their colleagues and friends. He saw Vajhesa who was fighting the Hogloo warrior hand-to-hand, her Stabilizium daggers penetrating the monster''s armor, while the latter''s claws easily pierced the woman''s scales. ¡°D... Dimba!¡± he stammered into his smart-bubble. ¡°Si... situ... tuation?¡± ¡°Poulan? The base is invaded. Galaxy-fleet is sending elite battalions, several ships too. Should be here already.¡± Suddenly, silhouettes in heavy armor materialized everywhere. Their weapons projected powerful radiation that destroyed the cells of the zombies'' bodies, making them collapse into necrotic piles of inert flesh. Several disintegrator cannons were aimed at the three terrorists present. The bull and the cyclops immediately dropped their weapons, raising their hands in surrender. The Hogloo threw back Vajhesa''s decapitated corpse and stood up to the soldiers... Or rather, he tried to stand up: the young woman''s Stabilizium daggers had deeply damaged several of his joints and their regeneration seemed slow, or at least not instantaneous. Considering the situation, the Hogloo sighed and retracted his claws. Closing his fists, he raised them in the air in surrender. It was all over. C¨¨llia Dimba turned off her screens. The situation was resolved and she didn¡¯t want to see these horrors anymore. She programmed an emergency call for the nurses to take her away, then she let herself fall to the ground, slowly letting herself faint. She didn¡¯t want to think anymore, think anymore¡­ And yet, her tears flowed without stopping. As the paramedics teleported and carried her away on an antigravity stretcher, she moaned: ¡°Why? I like happy endings: why aren¡¯t there any happy endings?¡± Entry 501: Truths and Resentments Relative temporality: Ta6Lo64000 Zone: Sector I, Inaccessible area Location: Unlisted Control: Nobody (officially) Affiliation: Nobody (officially) A device materialized abruptly in normal space, as if it had appeared out of nowhere. Its silvery ovoid shape displayed a gigantic symbol of the Administration¡­ But none of this was in the visible spectrum thanks to its camouflage. Thus, in this apparent void, similar to the rest of space, it advanced, undetected, while a drama was playing out inside. In the control room, the pilot room, there were three people. Sitting at one of the secondary posts, a small creature with green skin nervously twitched her ears, longer than her head. Despite her concern, a glint of defiance shone in her eyes as it squinted at the barrel of the weapon pointed at her forehead. The one holding the weapon was a Hom, a hominid with DNA and appearance relatively close to Humans. His body seemed calm but his gaze expressed fury. One of his hands held a proximity jammer, deactivating electronic devices within a radius of about two meters, while the other was ready to pull the trigger of his enormous pistol, switched to manual mode. Finally, the third person was a Ham, a woman of the Hom species. She observed the situation with a vaguely confused air. Her brain had understood perfectly what was happening, but an irrational terror at the facts that had just unfolded kept her from really realizing it. ¡°I''m going to kill you,¡± the Hom calmly told his target, ¡°how dare you do this to us, Xini?¡± Beads of sweat were forming on the forehead of the so-called Xini, moistening the neoplastic barrel of the weapon. She still fixed her remorseless eyes on those of the Hom and her smile was both nervous and contemptuous. ¡°What are you suddenly complaining about,¡± she said ironically, ¡°my maneuver allowed us to definitively shake off our enemies. Wasn''t that what you wanted?¡± ¡°You sent us a hundred years into the future! By the Secret Council! How do you have the arrogance to... Are you crazy? You may have nothing to tie you to life, but I... we... we had families, friends...¡± The Ham approached, staggering slightly as she refused the conclusion she had reached. While her mouth stated a question, she already knew the answer: ¡°Xini... You said we would arrive in a hundred years... That was a joke, wasn''t it?¡± The little creature turned her eyes in her direction. ¡°I never joke. I sometimes ironize. And I didn''t say in a hundred years, but in about a hundred years. If you''re lucky, that time is maybe half as long: I tried to mitigate the effects of the stasis field as best I could. Even if the enemy had pursued us, he would arrive well after us... I suppose...¡±The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. The Hom violently pushed Xini against her own seat, keeping the gun pointed at her head. He threatened her: ¡°Give me one good reason to keep you alive, you pioutrerie!¡± ¡°Tsss, you Homs really like to come out with your ready-made phrases...¡± ¡°Is it that,¡± the Ham asked in a trembling voice, ¡°since your species is reputed to be among the most intelligent in the universe...¡± ¡°It''s the most intelligent, without a doubt... In any case, from the point of view of intellectual capacities.¡± ¡°Okay¡­ Can you reverse time, or travel back in time¡­ In short: can you give us back the time that you¡­ that you just stole from us?¡± The Ham barely held back her tears as she admitted the reality out loud. It didn¡¯t seem to move Xini, nor bring her the slightest remorse. ¡°No, Domeria. Time doesn¡¯t exist: there is no past or future, outside of our conception of them. The present is all that exists, and there is no way to return to a previous state.¡± There was a slight noise as the Hom changed the mode of his weapon to one that projected deadly rays. ¡°I repeat my question,¡± he said with a grim look, ¡°what reason do I have to keep you alive?¡± ¡°You are not completely stupid and you know that you cannot move around in this unknown area without my help. So put that weapon away instead of putting on airs.¡± ¡°I think I will rearrange your face first: that, at least, I can do¡­¡± Xini made a violent movement as her gaze filled with fury. ¡°I have no moral lesson to receive from you, Libre Lhom! You blame me for having projected you into the future, but without me, you would be in a stasis cell for many more years than those lost! And besides, how dare someone as despicable as you blame me for what I did? While you yourself are mentally controlling your crew member?¡± The Hom paled. Domeria frowned, looking back and forth between the two antagonists. Why this accusation? And above all, why didn''t Libre answer immediately? ¡°Libre?¡± She asked. ¡°What does she mean by that?¡± ¡°Don''t listen to her, Sava. I don''t have any mental powers or similar devices.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Yes, that wouldn''t be very logical: if he had an extraordinary ability linked to ¡°T¡± energy, it would have been recorded in his file. If he had a device... He had just said that it wasn''t the case... Xini smiled fiercely and her ears vibrated slightly as she spoke again: ¡°See? Do you think you should be convinced so quickly?¡± ¡°I don''t have any power of that kind!¡± ¡°Yes, you don''t have any... You use a mixture of chemicals and psychological manipulation. What? Why are you making that face? You''re wondering why I know? I studied the effects of this drug, because it was used as the basis for the development of the special programs of the SECURA chips. I immediately noticed its use in Miss Domeria. Headaches, thoughts replaced by another suggested one, concentration problems? Is there a single clue I was missing?¡± Sava Domeria turned her gaze to Libre. A gaze that was slowly tinged with horror as her thoughts cleared. Stepping away from the prisoner, the Hom gestured wildly and tried to justify himself: ¡°It¡¯s not what you think: I used it the first time. I had to be certain that you weren¡¯t in the service of¡­ of those terrorists. It¡¯s a truth serum¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s a name they sometimes give it,¡± a ruthless Xini added, ¡°but you didn¡¯t stop there just once: you continued to use low doses to keep her more receptive to your suggestions. The more she trusted you, the more easily your slightest instructions were accepted, even allowing you to reduce the doses¡­¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± The Hom pointed his weapon at Xini¡¯s forehead again, but he no longer had the impassive demeanor of before. His gaze went from this Xerinean creature who didn''t seem to believe he could shoot, to his comrade who was looking at him with growing horror. ¡°Shut up?¡± Sava asked. ¡°Is that the great homtest''s argument against these accusations? Everything is explained now: why do I keep getting dizzy and having headaches, why did I so easily agree to follow you on this crazy adventure... why do I... I... What was true in everything I''ve thought and felt lately? Huh? Tell me? I don''t... And that other crazy woman who threw us a hundred years in the futur... My parents... I...¡± ¡°Sava, I...¡± ¡°Shut up! You... You lied to me, manipulated me... How dare you continue to call me by my first name? I hate you!¡± Lhom clearly saw a few drops, tears, fall to the ground as she turned her back on him in contempt. ¡°Well,¡± Xini snickered, ¡°now that¡¯s settled, maybe we should worry about where we are and what¡¯s around us, don¡¯t you think?¡± Entry 502: Secret Zone, Final Solution and Ethical Issues Looking up instinctively towards the screens that projected a vision of space, as if they were behind glass, the Homs noted that one was far from being able to observe a simple starry expanse. Everywhere you looked, gigantic ships were being assembled. Robot teams, led by red-haired Homs, were bustling about everywhere. These Homs seemed to be breathing without any problem in space, indicating the presence of portable atmosphere spheres, or the fact that they were Vermeils who did not need to breathe¡­ Momentarily forgetting their resentment, the two Homs turned their questioning gazes towards Xini. ¡°Behold the secret fleet of the Administration!¡± she announced solemnly. ¡°Its construction began under the presidency of my queen, Xerina, but it has accelerated considerably under the current mandate... Even counting the hundred years or so that separate us from this present we are joining, I did not expect my scanners to indicate so many ships... It is much larger than one of the old galaxy fleets...¡± The ships were massive, gradually covered with black plates that made them almost invisible in the sunless space. This place was probably located between the different galaxies of the secret zone, offering an infinite space for construction hidden from view... ¡°Aren''t they likely to detect us?¡± Lhom asked. ¡°If this place is so secret, they must have equivalent security...¡± ¡°No. No one would ever project themselves here, towards certain death. The probability that this suicidal people put its ship in stealth mode despite the resulting loss of power is even lower, if not zero. Our arrival is outside the statistics¡­ at least, that of arrivals by chance. I discovered the existence of this place by spying on the president¡¯s secret documents and by following the path of my own security software: they use them for local security. No really powerful scanners are at work here. It would be too great a waste of resources given the size of the shipyard. In addition, I have improved the wreck that served as your stealth system, now that I have access to the matter synthesizer¡­¡± ¡°The wreck? It¡¯s a cutting-edge system!¡± ¡°For you. Not for my people: we developed your systems almost a century ago¡­ Two now, probably¡­¡± The Homs glared at her. There was no administrative beacon in the area, so no way of knowing the universal date. How dare she recall her crime so casually. ¡°What need there is for a secret fleet?¡± Domeria asked. ¡°There are already shipyards where galaxy fleets are being built.¡± ¡°This fleet is special,¡± Xini explained, ¡°especially because it is designed to be fully automated. I suppose my queen chose this location to avoid any Zcarbb hacking during construction. I think she wanted to create a small elite force capable of carrying out covert operations for the Administration. The current president has a much more¡­ grandiose vision. While I completely disapprove of his involvement in the SECURA program, I must say that what he is building here is¡­¡± ¡°The president is involved in the SECURA program? The president of the Universe? The SECURA program that you claim is used to¡­ condition people?¡± Sava had paled. If the SECURA chips had indeed a program that behaved like the drug he had been injected with, then it would be possible to subtly, or even radically, change the opinions of the implanted ones¡­ And the president of the Universe was involved? Was this a pure and simple betrayal of all the ideals of the Administration¡­ or was it their pragmatic application? ¡°Yes. As much as I am opposed to a program that manipulates people''s opinions, this fleet could well be the final solution.¡± ¡°The solution to what?¡± Lhom asked. Xini sighed and she seemed a little lost in memories, her face taking on a nostalgic expression that was not usual for her. ¡°That''s the name that was given to this secret file. A few years ago... well, a good number of years now, after... after the assassination of my queen, I left our people''s base to work in computer security companies. I then began to conduct my investigation to find the culprits... and make them pay... That''s when I discovered the existence of the ¡®Citizen¡¯ program on SECURA chips. By following the trail, I came across the president himself. Although protected by the best software, his systems could do nothing against me... besides, his anti-virus was of my own design. I discovered the existence of this area by chance while consulting the most used files. I had never been there before today, but I know everything about the ¡®Final Solution¡¯ program... However, I was unable to discover any clues about the possible involvement of the president in the assassination of the one who preceded him. That''s what I was initially looking for...¡± ¡°So, what is this final solution, in the end?¡± Xini jumped. She had gotten lost in her memories, in this investigation that occupied almost all of her thoughts. She looked ashamed for the first time, but for having let herself go like that. Under the hostile looks of the rest of the small crew, she regained her composure. ¡°The final solution to the Zcarbb problem, quite simply. A large automated fleet of world destroyers. Controlled by Vermeils, models now totally subjugated¡­ Probably in connection with SECURA¡­ this fleet would resist Zcarbbs hacking and exterminate them, using the resources of each destroyed planet or place crossed to double, or even increase tenfold its size once its losses are compensated. This army would thus multiply infinitely, submerging Zcarbbs territories regardless of their real extent. An effective solution¡­ Don¡¯t you agree?¡±The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. The faces of the two Homs did indeed express shock and horror. Xini did not really understand why, this time. ¡°But, it''s totally illegal,¡± exploded Domeria, ¡°and it''s impossible. How can he have the funds for that? And how can the largest private army the universe has ever known be built in secret? It''s absurd! And you say that these SECURA chips... Is there even a way to stop all this?¡± ¡°W-why stop it? The Zcarbbs are the number one threat to the universe: their extermination is an excellent solution. The real problem is the SECURA chip.¡± ¡°I''m willing to admit that he embezzled money,¡± analyzed Lhom, ¡°but enough to finance such a fleet? Even though he himself mines the galaxies in this secret zone, there are plenty of rare materials needed to build world destroyers in such large quantities¡­ Even for a fleet of normal ships. No wonder the debt has grown so much under his presidency¡­¡± ¡°I hope he plans to use this fleet for deterrence,¡± Domeria said in an uncertain voice, ¡°because if he launches it against the Zcarbbs¡­ He¡¯s not going to commit a xenocide of this magnitude, is he? Not to mention the Zcarbb response¡­ And all their nations that are not currently in conflict with us¡­ We have to stop this madman!¡± A new spectacle came to distract the passengers of the ¡°Lost Truth¡± from their concerns. As their ship passed one of the monstrous structures under construction, a surprising glow appeared. In space, a strange horizon like a cloud of all colors danced, analogous to no other cosmic phenomena. ¡°What is that now?¡± Lhom wondered. Xini also watched the strange spectacle with fascination. ¡°This is the ¡®T¡¯ zone. The real one. It is not these small points, scattered throughout the universe, where this strange construction of energy allows the exchange of the position of matter: it is the real nerve center of this zone. There, matter is crushed, transformed, remodeled, to correspond to the desires of the users of the ¡®T¡¯ energy. The energy of the suns is exploited, the reality of matter is uncertain. This is the physical location of what the Elunadoran scientists call the Altemonde. When the Titans arrived, the use of the ¡®T¡¯ energy increased and entire galaxies were consumed. Fortunately, the Administration was not yet established there. It was necessary to falsify countless data banks to make people believe that these places had always been part of the ¡®I¡¯ zone. For added security, several healthy galaxies have been added to the area¡­¡± ¡°You mean this secret area already existed before your president?¡± ¡°Yes. I don''t know since when exactly. It''s a place that originally serves to hide from citizens the results of the use of ¡®T¡¯ energy. That''s also why its use is restricted: if the whole civilization started using it massively, half the universe would probably be destroyed to satisfy the desires of the other half...¡± The strange area shone and spit like tentacles of light trying to grab a little more matter from the outside, to grow even bigger... It was a magnificent sight, but horrible when you understood what it meant. ¡°I¡¯ve read texts from explorers,¡± Lhom murmured, ¡°and even testimonials from Chaotiuns talking about this mysterious Altemonde¡­ I didn¡¯t think it had a limit¡­ They never mentioned a border¡­¡± ¡°Of course there is a limit,¡± Xini mocked, ¡°only the universe is unlimited¡­ Probably¡­¡± Leaving the fascination of these dancing lights behind, Sava Domeria frowned. ¡°So,¡± she said, ¡°let¡¯s summarize. This scum sent us a hundred years, or so, into the future, permanently far from everyone I know. The president is building a huge secret army and seems to want to use it for some crazy project. The other bad guy drugged me and manipulated me to trust him. Finally, the SECURA chip is supposedly a monstrosity designed to subtly manipulate people¡¯s thoughts, designed from the same drug used by the other bad guy. Am I forgetting something?¡± Lhom felt deeply annoyed and let it show vaguely in the tone of his reply: ¡°Yes, you forget that I saved you from certain death when you were adrift in space.¡± ¡°Oh, sorry, that''s right. I should feel so grateful that I should serve you for the rest of your days. May I retire to my quarters now, your lordship?¡± She punctuated her ironic speech with a bow worthy of the royal courts, then turned on her heel and walked away with a quick step heavy with fury. Lhom clenched his fists in annoyance. His initial shame at having his actions revealed was fading before a new idea: he had saved her life after all! Granted, he had drugged and manipulated her, but it was necessary. Faced with all the potential dangers that threatened, he needed someone to support him, someone who would not make too many difficulties... ¡°She''s right.¡± He turned his fury on Xini, who had just spoken. ¡°Oh yeah? You''ve perfectly diverted the conversation from your own wrongs by highlighting this insignificant fact.¡± ¡°You call that insignificant? One of the rare beautiful things, found in both your inferior species and mine, is this ability of each to make choices. Good or bad, it remains their choice. It is the expression of themselves, of what they are... To take away this ability is the most execrable of crimes...¡± ¡°Sure: you know a thing or two about crime, given where I pulled you from.¡± ¡°I didn''t... Killing people is much less horrible than manipulating them!¡± ¡°I''m not too sure the victims would agree.¡± ¡°And then, I didn''t have time to kill anyone! A few collateral victims, probably, but those I had planned to kill¡­ They would have died to allow an infinite number of other people to remain free. Everyone would have lost confidence in SECURA and all the other cervical implants: I would have foiled the conspiracy forever! If that damned Hogloo had not betrayed me¡­ They had promised to share technological secrets¡­ Can we still call these liars Hogloos? Root¡­ I wonder what this damned organization wants¡­¡± As everyone delved into their own dark thoughts, silence fell. Libre Lhom was busy reorganizing the images of the forbidden zone in order to put together a file on the subject, but his mind was elsewhere. How dare they both reproach him? First, it was his ship, his adventure. Second, he was the one who had pulled each of them out of their own mess. How did they thank him? One of them projected him into the future and revealed what shouldn¡¯t be revealed, while the other complained because he had just manipulated her a little¡­ Well, if he had been in her situation, he probably would have taken his gun and shot the manipulator¡­ But it wasn¡¯t¡­ it wasn¡¯t the same thing because¡­ well, he had his own circumstances forcing him to take these measures¡­ yes, it wasn¡¯t his fault if he had¡­ Well, logically he was right, but still¡­ And then, if she reproached him for that, how would she react when she found out¡­ maybe she would never find out¡­ But that was unlikely¡­ With annoyance, he got up from his seat: walking would do him good. He remained standing, motionless. ¡°Um¡­ Xini? Didn¡¯t you say that no one would be able to follow us?¡± Entry 503: Confrontation Azxaron savored the Hom¡¯s surprised look as he turned to find him relatively close, his weapon drawn. Even if the Hom were an inferior species¡­ like all other species except his own in fact, he had to recognize a certain panache in his ability to remain calm in such circumstances. The Homs were far from the real top of intelligent species, but it was understandable how they had managed to bluff their way into a good place in the official rankings. In comparison, Xini was visibly shocked, furious, humiliated and confused, unable to hide her emotions. Her ears oscillated in all positions before choosing the questioning-hostile posture. ¡°Azxaron? Here? Now? How did you get in?¡± ¡°Through the door.¡± The Hom smiled upon hearing this answer. Was it a total lack of survival instinct in his species or a remarkable composure? Xini, she, got annoyed by his ironic response and felt obliged to find the answer: ¡°Oh yeah? I imagine then that you have been following us for a while in stealth mode, slowly enough to fool my sensors... And then, you must have hacked the door and parked in our hangar... How did you hack my systems?¡± ¡°I guess they are not that good...¡± ¡°It''s not my fault! You did not win!¡± ¡°I have the impression of the opposite... You, Hom, do not try to shoot me manually: I have detected your use of the jammer, but I want to point out to you that as much as the reflexes of my weapon are infinitely superior to those of yours, my capacity to react without technology is high compared to yours. Do not force me to seriously injure you: I will not use the paralyzer mode if I shoot.¡± Libre grimaced a smile and moved away his hand that was approaching the butt of his weapon. He slowly opened his other hand to reveal his jammer and let it fall under the haughty gaze of the opponent. ¡°For your information,¡± the Xerinean added, ¡°I¡¯m also using a jammer right now. Its range is calibrated to encompass your entire vehicle except for its mediocre cloaking systems¡­¡± ¡°How did you track me,¡± Xini asked, ¡°well, how did you track me through time? I suppose you¡¯re using some sort of universal DNA tracker, but¡­ At least tell me how you did that?¡± ¡°I created a device that could function outside of stasis, and as soon as it detected the reappearance of your DNA in the universe, it allowed me to exit on the same date. Then I only had to track your ship while remaining invisible. The local sensors may not see you, but what a cheap invisibility yours is¡­¡± ¡°I made do with what I had on hand, and quickly!¡± Xini protested furiously. ¡°Of course, you have one of our ships, with the best technology in the universe! You can''t say you won when you''re cheating!¡± ¡°We''re not in a competition, Xini. You''re a fugitive criminal and I''m an agent of the Administration. An inspector, even.¡± ¡°And you''re going to throw me in prison? Me?¡± Azxaron bit his lip inwardly. Xini was not only a member of his people, but also a friend... But he didn''t only obey the orders of the Administration. ¡°I have orders from our superiors...¡± ¡°Oh yeah? Xzeonia, I suppose?¡± ¡°Yes, but...¡± ¡°I''m sure she''s also involved in Xerina''s assassination!¡± ¡°Stop with that: she''s no more involved than the new Xerina!¡± ¡°Find out who benefits from the crime!¡± ¡°She didn''t murder her own mother; your theories are as ridiculous as they are unfounded!¡± As the tone rose, the two Xerineans had begun to speak in their own language, untranslatable to the others. Looking at each other furiously for a moment, they recovered their composure and Xini addressed reproaches to him in the administered language: ¡°Whether I am right or not, I was alone in doing the necessary research. YOU left me all alone!¡± ¡°You''re the one who insisted on pursuing your ridiculous theories!¡± ¡°But you still left me alone! And why are you coming to find me? Oh, to stop me, how nice of you...¡± The emotional pout that Xini imitated had exactly the desired effect: Azxaron felt more and more annoyed.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Stop it! You know very well that we''ll do what it takes to get you out of here, but legally...¡± ¡°Because bribes are legal now?¡± ¡°It''s not about... our species is essential to the scientific development of the Administration: it''s normal that we have certain privileges. All you have to do is promise that you''ll never leave the base again, and you''ll be free...¡± ¡°To stay on the base forever. Yes. It''s nice, with all the labs and workshops, but it would totally harm my investigation.¡± ¡°Stop this stupid investigation! It only brings you trouble. Besides, you''re not the only one trying to find out...¡± ¡°There must be some of our people responsible: no one could have gotten past the defenses of the presidential palace! Even if the Hogloos and Titanesque terrorists, and all the others, had combined their knowledge, they could not have defeated defenses led by Xerina herself! And then, why was all our staff absent from the palace that day, with the exception of a few black guards? It''s suspicious!¡± The inspector sighed. He would never convince her. But she would come, willingly or by force. He would carry out her orders¡­ in the best possible interpretation of them¡­ No physical elimination for example: just eliminates her from circulation¡­ ¡°You know Xini¡­ You, the Hom, stop moving immediately! I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re plotting, but no device will react to your gestures, except my weapon when I pull the trigger!¡± Lhom shrugged with a smirk¡­ but not too much anyway, for fear of convincing his opponent to shoot. Azxaron turned his attention back to his fellow: ¡°Xini. I don¡¯t only obey Xzeonia¡¯s orders, nor those of the new Xerina. If I have to arrest you, it¡¯s also because I respect the wishes of the deceased Xerina. You are not the only one who would do anything to avenge her¡­ She was the very wisdom of our species. She was the one who freed us from slavery and allowed us to hold the highest rank in this Administration that had exploited us in the shadows for so long. So, even if she is dead, I will follow her orders and stop you.¡± The asymmetry in the orientation of her ears aligned perfectly with the expression on her face: Xini was perplexed. ¡°The queen¡­ asked you to stop me?¡± ¡°She knew you tend to go too far, systematically. You¡¯ve already caused quite a few similar problems when we were at the base¡­¡± ¡°Hey, I wasn¡¯t systematically wrong!¡± ¡°The queen asked me personally to monitor you and eliminate you if you went too far. And, I think you went too far¡­¡± ¡°To eliminate me? Are you crazy?¡± Her ears pinned back; the young woman was furious, ready to rush forward to attack him. With his thumb, he changed the calibration of his weapon to ¡°paralysis¡± and pointed it at her, keeping an eye on the Hom. ¡°She was aware of the threat you represented! Xerina has always watched over the future of our people! Afterwards, she didn¡¯t expressly mention a physical elimination¡­¡± ¡°What exactly did she say?¡± Xini knew perfectly well that he wasn¡¯t lying, so once the surprise had passed, she accepted his statement. Perhaps she would also agree to surrender peacefully? Paralysis was quite painful for beings with their cerebral capacities. ¡°She said that I had to watch out for you and that if you crossed the line, I had to eliminate the problem¡­¡± ¡°Eliminate¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I still asked for more details, because I was surprised too. She then said ¡®you can also marry her if you prefer¡¯¡­¡± ¡°You¡­ you want to marry me?¡± Xini¡¯s face expressed surprise, but her ears fluttered, especially their tips which moved more intensely than the rest. She also blushed, giving her green face a slightly purple tint. He felt embarrassed, but it didn¡¯t show as much on his dark skin. ¡°That¡­ I¡­ That was a joke she made at the time¡­ I think¡­ Stop doing that!¡± ¡°Stop what?¡± ¡°Your ears!¡± She seemed to suddenly become aware of the movements of her ears, which accentuated it and her flush. Apparently lamentably unable to control her own ears, she gently grabbed them in her hands to stop their movement... but their tips continued to move. It was rather embarrassing: she hadn''t taken seriously this joke he was reporting... But, even then, she wouldn''t have had such a disproportionate reaction if... if she hadn''t thought about it seriously... Without letting go of her ears, she pointed a hesitant finger at him. ¡°Uh... Azxaron...¡± ¡°What? You still can''t stop?¡± ¡°Well... you neither...¡± Azxaron''s flush became clearly visible, despite his dark face, as he realized that his own ears were beating in unison. Without letting go of his weapon, he put the other arm behind his head, pressing both ears together in the same movement. ¡°That...¡± he justified himself, ¡°it¡¯s just nervous... it¡¯s your fault too: you¡¯re the one who started... doing that...¡± His heart was pounding and only the strong pulsations running through the veins of his ears prevented him from hearing Xini¡¯s. He wasn¡¯t lying when he said it was just nervous: his brain had not yet accepted what his logic had already deduced. To think that this stupid little word, which he had let slip while quoting the queen, had triggered this reciprocal reaction, releasing long years of repressed feelings. There was only one circumstance in all of life when those of his people lost control of their feelings, and he had to trigger it now, at the worst possible moment? Deep down, he had always known he loved her, well for a few years now, but the realization of that fact and his acceptance were necessary for these idiotic reactions¡­ Well, he was going to tell her they were all under arrest, and he would think better when they would all be in stasis cells¡­ Azxaron and Xini stood there stupidly, avoiding looking at each other directly and trying to control their ears. Lhom raised an eyebrow in astonishment. Who would have thought that of the proud and haughty race of the Xerineans? The barrel of Azxaron¡¯s gun moved slightly, indicating that a negligible part of his brain was still attentive to the Hom¡¯s movements. Probably at the cost of considerable effort, considering that the inspector regularly tried to say something but stopped after two words or less. A sly smile appeared on the Homtest¡¯s face, but the Xerinean did not have time to be able to worry about it. With a cry of surprise, he jumped and collapsed, motionless. Behind him, her pistol in manual, Sava Domeria released her finger from the trigger. ¡°Azx!¡± Xini exclaimed, coming out of her daze. She immediately rushed to her counterpart''s, feeling points on his head in the same way one would measure a pulse. ¡°Ah?¡± Sava asked cynically. ¡°So, this wasn''t a trick to distract his attention?¡± Entry 504: Dream (1) Administrative Officer Azxaron of Clan Xerbat stood at attention before his superior, both within the Administration and among his own people: Chief Inspector Xzeonia of Clan Xolot. She was a more authoritarian woman than the average, under the direct orders of Xerina¡­ the new Xerina: for him, as for many, the mother of the current queen would remain the great queen par excellence. Xerina, in her youth, had freed their people from slavery and led the conquest of the former empire of their masters. They had been secretly serving for thousands of years, providing these slavers with the cutting-edge technology that had allowed the Administration to prosper unmatched. If slavery was forbidden, this member of the Universal Administration practiced it and all those in the know turned a blind eye: the boundless intelligence of these slaves brought them all wealth, technological advances and prosperity, it was well worth sacrificing principles. Now, thanks to her, their people dominated unchallenged over a good part of a galaxy. She had cleverly countered the Administration¡¯s counterattack by making public the story of their slavery, generating a great wave of indignation across the universe. The administrative authorities had then pretended to discover the situation. A few heads had rolled, while the others bowed low before all the demands of their people, anxious to maintain their scientific support. Xerina had founded a large space station that served as the capital of their people and had managed to prevent the governed from having a right of regard on their authoritarian management of the territories taken from the former slavers. Then, half a century later, the great Xerina had organized a brilliant electoral campaign, playing on the guilt of an infinite society that had exploited her people, managing to get herself elected president of the universe. She had then begun to reform the Administration in depth to reduce its corruption... relatively, since it was not necessary to destroy the advantages acquired by their people... as well as to improve its functioning. Then, she had been assassinated... ¡°Are you listening to me Azxaron?¡± Straightening up, he turned all his attention to the one in front of him. It was a dream, of course, he was well aware of that: she had not reprimanded him in this way in reality. ¡°Yes,¡± she said, ¡°it is a dream. That does not exempt you from listening carefully. I was saying that with the disappearance of our old Xerina, we must continue her work. Our current Xerina is not as gifted as her mother in managing our society, but she can count on the secret services and the Black Guard. The old Xerina may no longer be here, but her work and her will live on. With her death, we have lost supreme power, but we retain a significant influence on the Administration¡­ An influence that could be compromised if some of us opposed certain¡­ necessary actions. Do you remember Xini?¡± Of course he remembered. He wasted no time in answering, but she wasted no time in waiting for an answer either. ¡°As you know, I had her locked up a few years ago, after her dangerous actions.¡± Azxaron frowned. He had been assigned to a guard post in temporal stasis: a backup on standby for a secret mission by the administration. In the end, he had not been needed, and when he returned to the present, he had learned of Xini¡¯s banishment from her own clan and her confinement in an administrative prison. He was fairly certain that he had been deliberately left aside, for fear that he would intervene on her behalf. A lack of knowledge about his respect for orders: the old Xerina would not have acted like this. It was said that she knew each member of their people personally, better than they knew themselves, and he readily believed it. ¡°She will soon be released by a terrorist group. We will take advantage of the situation to resolve the problem once and for all. Xerina had tasked you with handling the Xini case. So, I don¡¯t have to elaborate further on the parameters of your mission. Be careful, because other groups are involved in the matter. In any case, Xini must not return to a prison that we do not control¡­ Whatever the means used. Have I made myself clear?¡± He nodded slightly. But what he understood did not please him. He saluted, crossing his arms over his chest, then left the room for this mission, one of the hardest of his career¡­ As he entered the room, he was no longer the same. This time, he saw himself as a little child again. A black guard, who was holding him in his arms, placed him on the ground. With a dull gaze, Azxaron observed the large room with its slightly subdued lighting. There were several padded benches, a few computer terminals and multiple doors leading to other areas. Several children were busy with various activities in different parts of the place. It was his first time in the capital, but he felt no excitement. ¡°Sit over there,¡± the guard ordered, ¡°they will take care of you when someone has time.¡± He obeyed and sat on the nearest bench. The bench was a rather dark green and was located near one of the shuttered windows that filtered the light coming from outside. He guessed that between the gaps, curious children could observe a nearby laboratory and discover adults hard at work, developing the administrative technologies of the day after tomorrow. A girl was sitting on this bench. She gave him half a Tik of attention before looking back at her tablet, frantically typing in series of codes. No problem: he didn''t want to talk to anyone. But inactivity is something difficult for his people. His ears began to focus on the surrounding noises, picking up in particular the conversation of the black guard with a lady who seemed to take care of the place. ¡°His name is Azxaron and he belongs to the Xerbat clan. His parents were killed by pirates, but we were able to recover him... As you can guess, his mental state leaves a lot to be desired. Well, that''s your specialty: you''ll probably know what to do.¡± ¡°I''ll try anyway. And the pirates?¡±Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Even across the room and without looking directly, Azxaron caught the guard''s fierce smile. ¡°They died slowly¡­ We then erased the other prisoners¡¯ memories of our people¡¯s presence, and left them in command of the ship. ¡°That¡¯s good. Good and proper work.¡± The guard turned his gaze to the rescued boy. ¡°It seems that the reception he¡¯s getting isn¡¯t the most enthusiastic.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, the children who live at the educational center aren¡¯t the most¡­ open. Their parents are usually dead. You see the little girl, sitting cross-legged on the same bench¡­ oh, she¡¯s got her back to him now: she doesn¡¯t want to be distracted from her work by someone so close. She comes from the Xolot clan and her name is Xini¡­ Her parents recently died in a work accident¡­ You were on a mission, so you probably haven¡¯t heard of it, but a dozen scientists died in the explosion of an experimental generator. They thought they could harness the principles of ¡°I¡± energy to create an infinitely powerful reactor¡­ The outer shields of their laboratory held, but not those of the containment chamber of their experiment¡­¡± The lady shuddered, probably remembering the grim spectacle. Azxaron pressed his ears to his skull. He didn¡¯t want to hear any more. He wanted to curl up until he disappeared from the world¡­ which was physically impossible, but he could still try it. He felt someone shaking him and looked up. His neighbor, Xini, was excited. Although she hadn¡¯t spoken to him before, she practically held her tablet over his eyes, forcing him to squint at the lines of code written on it. ¡°I did it!¡± she exulted. ¡°My program is perfectly functional. Look¡­ There, it¡¯s the loop system that prevents the target from understanding that something abnormal is happening¡­ and there, it¡¯s the program that distills this¡­ that we see there¡­ and that will therefore allow to get past all the defenses¡­ There, you see this point: it¡¯s one of the most subtle¡­¡± Speaking enthusiastically, she scrolled through her program from one end to the other, sometimes going back to the problem statement, then jumping to another part. She was glued to him, in such a way that he couldn¡¯t turn his head away from what she was showing him. It was both awkward and enjoyable, as the physical closeness reminded him of his parents'' hugs... Fortunately, the little girl''s energetic babbling kept him from focusing on the lost aspect of those memories. She was smaller than him, probably younger therefore. She was still older than her sister¡­ who had been killed by a stray shot during the pirate attack¡­ ¡°Did you see? My program is perfect! Perfect!¡± Once again distracted from his dark thoughts, Azxaron grimaced in annoyance as the excited girl had just sent her right ear into his face repeatedly. ¡°There¡¯s a mistake,¡± he pointed out, manually moving the offending ear away, ¡°it won¡¯t work¡­¡± ¡°No! I checked and it will work! You¡¯re just jealous!¡± ¡°Of¡­ of what?¡± The situation quickly escalated. Xini wouldn¡¯t admit that there could be a mistake and didn¡¯t give him the leisure to explain. She even started hitting him with her little fists while he insisted that she was wrong. As she raised her tablet in a threatening manner, an adult hand grabbed her wrist. The lady was there. Without hurrying, she had approached them without them noticing her. She stared at Xini sternly but without getting angry. ¡°Xini,¡± she growled, ¡°you''re not going to hit your friend with a tablet! You''re going to break it again!¡± Xini lowered her ears and the tablet, sheepishly. ¡°And also, stop fighting with the others all the time. Azxaron has just been sent here... do you know what that means?¡± That meant he had just lost his parents. Xini had looked away, then shrugged. ¡°Well, he should not insult my program!¡± ¡°Is it functional?¡± ¡°Yes, here!¡± Xini enthusiastically handed her tablet to the lady who gently pushed it away, pointing to a nearby terminal. Jumping off the bench, the little girl trotted enthusiastically and connected her device to the machine, then launched her program. The lady approached, leading a slightly annoyed but obedient Azxaron by the hand. A series of numbers appeared on the screen, under the captivated eyes of the three spectators. The lady nodded. ¡°You failed.¡± ¡°What? But it works perfectly!¡± ¡°No.¡± She pointed to other data and the two young children understood immediately: the defense program had a simulation of the program to attack, where it had locked the attempted attack, while it retaliated by invading the tablet, without the latter''s defense realizing it. Xini had turned pale: ¡°But... it''s cheating!¡± ¡°Really? Yet Azxaron had understood, him.¡± The young Azxaron danced from one foot to the other, uneasy. The current Azxaron found it quite amusing that the dream now allowed him to see himself from afar. Certainly, all the sound and visual perceptions of the time, coupled with a little imagination, allowed him to see these scenes from another angle. He saw himself, under Xini¡¯s furious gaze and the amused one of the lady, explaining: ¡°It was written quite clearly in the statement¡­ Well, maybe not very clearly, but she probably forgot to reread the statement¡­¡± The lady had congratulated him, then had gently encouraged Xini to be more attentive next time¡­ Then, another adult had arrived, attracting attention. The lady had left them to go and talk to the newcomer. ¡°I hate you,¡± Xini had whispered, ¡°I¡¯ll never talk to you again!¡± Vexed, she went to sit in the opposite corner of the room, furiously typing a new program on her tablet. He went to sit back down on the bench, folding his legs against his body. Once again, his ears picked up the distant conversations. The newcomer was speaking to the lady: ¡°So, I tell the general that there¡¯s no problem with his new training program?¡± ¡°Of course. Why is he asking me for permission for this: he knows better than I do.¡± ¡°Okay. Otherwise, Xzeonia is asking for your approval to release additional funds for the new defense satellites¡­¡± ¡°What? She went over budget again?¡± A teasing smile played on the lady''s lips as her eyes sparkled with mischief. ¡°Tell her she''ll be allowed... if she volunteers to take care of the educational center for a whole month!¡± ¡°Oh, she''ll probably refuse... I know it''s hard to find volunteers, but...¡± ¡°Let her understand that if she refuses, the offer will be extended to two months. As I know her, she''ll complain a lot, but she''ll accept.¡± ¡°You could also tell her in person.¡± ¡°Hey, I''m a psycho-sociologist. The best one, even. If I tell you to deliver my message, it''s because I know it''ll have more effect that way. According to my estimates, Ximilia should be cured by next month. I can''t spend more time here with all my obligations.¡± ¡°You could just order someone to replace you. Or make it a punishment chore.¡± ¡°We don''t leave the future of our nation in forced hands.¡± ¡°Yet you''re trying to force Xzeonia to accept?¡± ¡°To accept voluntarily... And then, I know she''ll do a good job. She may still be very young, but she has a good sense of duty... She may be a little sneaky... I think she could nevertheless reach a high position in the coming years.¡± ¡°Couldn''t we just make up for the lack of personnel with robots?¡± ¡°So that the children can take them apart?¡± ¡°Oh, by the way. Your daughter also asked me to tell you that you''ve been keeping the Administration ambassador waiting for about an hour standard... And that you''ve cut off your communicator again.¡± ¡°And you think I''ve forgotten that? Soon, the entire Administration will be at my feet... Making him wait is good training... and he''ll be annoyed, more easily manipulated...¡± ¡°Of course. You are wisdom incarnate, Xerina.¡± As the adults left the room, those words had completely shaken young Azxaron out of his stupor. Xerina? The queen herself? The one who had saved their entire people? She had come to care for mere children? The dream blurred as he remembered his surprise at the time. He had only seen the queen occasionally after that, but that memory remained etched in his mind, clearer than all the others. Entry 505: Dream (2) His vision returned and he found himself the next day. After a hastily eaten meal, he had gone to sit down again on the bench from the day before. If the pain of sadness was still present, his mind was wide awake again, searching for interesting questions. For example, why was there an artificial day/night cycle in the station? He saw Xini burst out of a corridor and jump next to him. Jostling him, she enthusiastically showed him her tablet. ¡°Look! I fixed everything that was wrong. And, better, I developed this little subprogram, absolutely revolutionary. Look: it can do this¡­ and now I trap the counterattack software, and I use it against¡­¡± Hadn¡¯t she said she didn¡¯t want to talk to him anymore? ¡°So? What do you think? Did I forget something?¡± Concentrating on the program, he began to reread it, commenting on the strengths and weaknesses he found in it. This time, Xini didn''t get angry too often... ¡°Hey! Are you listening to me?¡± Oh, the dream had changed again. About fifteen years had passed. They were both approaching their twenties... ¡°You know,¡± Xini reproached him, ¡°if you concentrated a little, you could remember our exact ages...¡± ¡°But, it''s a dream...¡± ¡°It''s not because it''s a dream that you can allow yourself to do whatever you want! Seriously: I don''t recognize you anymore. Usually, you do everything a little more seriously.¡± ¡°It''s your fault too...¡± ¡°This comment is for later in the dream! Okay. I told you that this assassination is not normal at all.¡± ¡°Of course it''s not normal...¡± ¡°Oh, you really totally disrupted the normal course of the dream. And on top of that, you''re imagining these idiotic dialogues... You''ll probably wake up soon. Well, let''s do it in fast forward then: your brain is thinking about a crucial point, which explains the emergence of these memories.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Of course you know: it''s all in your head. Let''s speed up the reminiscence a little...¡± She then explained her theory to him, that no one could have penetrated her defense systems, at least not without the help of a member of their people. Xerina was safe, in the most powerful place in the universe... with two or three exceptions... Both were aware of the void that the disappearance of this adored figure suddenly left. Both were suffering from it... Xini expressed suspicions about the new Xerina, saying she was looking for who was benefiting from the crime. Of course, he didn''t agree with this risky reasoning. Amplified by the sadness over the death of their queen, their argument quickly escalated. ¡°Stop your idiotic theories! It''s perfectly possible that someone just managed to break through your defense systems... And then, you wouldn''t be responsible: many others worked on this security. In any case, I don''t allow you to accuse the new Xerina. No one from our people would be vicious enough to murder their own mother!¡± ¡°I didn''t say she did it! I said I suspect her, that''s all. I have leads to find the killers. Traces of their actions on the Network...¡± ¡°Yes, I saw: you have nothing convincing. What are you going to do? Hack all the most secure systems of the Administration until you find, by chance, a real lead?¡± ¡°You''re getting on my nerves! So, are you coming with me or not?¡± ¡°I''m not coming. I applied to the Black Guard. I''m going to serve in the detached forces within the Administration. There, I might learn...¡± ¡°So, you''re leaving me? You''re leaving me alone? After all these years of working together, now that I really need your help, you''re going to leave me all alone?¡± ¡°You should just stay. Stop doing what you want!¡± ¡°What I want? I only do what I want?¡± ¡°And you''re stubborn too.¡± ¡°And I''m stubborn too...¡± She stood there stunned for a moment, then exploded, words flying, which he preferred to erase from his dream. However, he was unable to erase one last image. Xini had her back to him, walking quickly down the base corridor. Several pairs of eyes were watching the scene that had left the laboratory to expose itself to everyone''s view. ¡°Well, stay!¡± she shouted without turning around. ¡°I don''t need you! I hate you, Azxaron! Since that''s how it is, I never want to see you again!¡± The scene lurched as the view switched to third person. Azxaron saw himself, fists clenched, furiously watching Xini''s agitated figure as she headed toward the hangars, shoving people along the way and exchanging furious shouts with them before continuing on her way. In this distant view, in this dream, he saw tears running down the young woman''s cheeks...If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Xini... Why are you always so extreme? ...¡± The dream flashed back into the past. The way it shifted from one moment to the next was unsettling: the shock that had knocked him out must have been violent enough to disrupt his control of his cognition. He saw himself back in the lab. Xini had just finished a new computer program. This one was a bit outside her field of expertise, since it was a control system for an experimental reactor rather than computer security. However, Xini was still gifted in anything to do with programming. They had worked together several times before. His specialty was the adaptation of ¡°T¡± energy information between the machines using it and the computer systems. So, of course, the engine ran on ¡°T¡± energy, based on an Elunadoran model stolen by the secret services. If their people had no sensitivity to ¡°T¡± energy, that didn''t mean it couldn''t hurt them. He nevertheless looked with concern at the containment field that glowed around the prototype. ¡°Xini,¡± he said, ¡°the parameters you are using are much too high...¡± ¡°No: I did the calculations and there is no problem. Shut up and activate phase one!¡± He growled, glancing at the other experimenters. Although older than them, they were only volunteers belonging to other specialties: they were careful not to interfere in their argument. He pulled the lever, triggering phase one. Maybe Xini was right after all. The engine ignited, vibrating in the air. The devices registered the strange emanations and the containment field confirmed the theoretical speed the object would have reached outside its protection. ¡°Perfect,¡± Xini smiled, ¡°phase two now¡­¡± Azxaron picked up a component that was almost intact between two piles of rubble. The circuits were clearly fried, but some of the more complex elements could be reused. He placed it in the recyclable pile and sighed as he looked at the ruins of the laboratory. A huge hole pierced the wall where the containment field had given way, opening a clear view of the neighboring laboratory, through several layers of pierced shielding. Fortunately, their own protective shield had held up, or the damage would have been truly catastrophic. ¡°So, is the clearing progressing?¡± Surprised, he turned and crossed his arms over his chest, greeting Xerina. She was dressed in a long, sturdy dress that hid her feet and a flying platform that allowed her to be raised. She did not seem angry, but rather sad as she contemplated the damage. ¡°I... I''m managing. And Xini? How is she?¡± She had only had a few minor bruises, but what worried him most was that the Black Guard had taken her away as the one responsible for the accident. ¡°Oh... she''s calmed down. I''ll check on her in her cell a little later, but I think she''ll stay there for a few weeks as punishment. Without being allowed to work.¡± Azxaron shuddered: if he had to clear the damage by hand, he was at least allowed to continue working during his breaks. At the same time, Xini had deserved her punishment... but he felt obliged to defend her. ¡°You know, Xini wasn''t entirely wrong. With slightly stronger materials, her settings would have worked...¡± ¡°And people almost died. I''m glad they were only ¡®almost¡¯, so you''ll agree that there''s also a big difference between succeeding and almost succeeding?¡± He lowered his ears in shame. ¡°Personally,¡± the queen continued, ¡°I find it unfair to punish you when you tried to warn her¡­ however, since you failed to prevent the catastrophe¡­¡± The sentence hung in the air. Shocked, he saw Xerina bend down and pick up a component that she threw into the pile of recyclable materials. ¡°What¡­ what are you doing?¡± ¡°I have some time before my next meeting¡­ I decided to talk to you a bit, but I have the right to be active at the same time, right?¡± ¡°I¡­ suppose¡­ But you are Xerina¡­¡± ¡°And, therefore, I can do what I want.¡± Yes, the argument was logical. ¡°Azxaron of the Xerbat clan.¡± He pricked up his ears with concern. The queen¡¯s voice was solemn. ¡°You know that this is not the first time Xini has caused trouble. Some are asking that she no longer be allowed to run a laboratory... I think that she should indeed continue her experiments elsewhere. Perhaps in a more remote base. For now, I will give her another chance... If I ever end up giving her a position outside the capital... Would you agree to leave with her? Of course, you are free to refuse if it does not suit you, but I would be very reassured if there was someone reliable to watch over her.¡± He lifted a huge block and brought it to the pile of non-reusable materials, those that would be melted down in the synthesizer, in order to have more time to think. But his decision was already made: he did not want to let down the queen, or Xini... ¡°Yes, of course. I just hope that¡­ if it came to that, it wouldn¡¯t have more serious consequences¡­¡± She could inadvertently blow up a solar system and it wouldn¡¯t surprise him. The queen¡¯s half-amused, half-worried smile seemed to indicate that she had had a similar thought. However, she became serious again, grave even. Straightening, she fixed her gaze, burdened with years of responsibility, as the one who had saved their people, then the one who had established their new nation, and now the one who presided over the destiny of the entire universe. ¡°Azxaron. Of all the peoples in the universe, ours is one of the fewest. There are only a few millions of us.¡± She was the only one who knew the exact number of their people living outside the legendary planet Xura. It was a royal privilege, perhaps a little ridiculous, but nonetheless symbolic: the queen was the one who watched over the people. ¡°The universe is hostile,¡± she continued, ¡°our enemies are numerous. The actions of our people can reflect positively or negatively on the rest of our species¡­ Perhaps even endanger Xura¡­ Xini has proven on several occasions that she can be¡­ a little¡­¡± ¡°Stubborn? Quick in her reactions? Arrogant?¡± ¡°I might not have put it that way¡­ It¡¯s a good thing that you like her despite everything.¡± ¡°She¡¯s an admirable person the rest of the time!¡± ¡°Yes. When I see you two, I think that your collaboration bodes well for the future of our people. I¡¯m going to entrust you with a personal mission¡­ You¡¯re going to watch over Xini. You¡¯ll keep an eye on her and prevent her from making any mistakes. Watch out for her, and if she ever goes too far again¡­ do what it takes to eliminate the problem¡­¡± Azxaron frowned, unsure of what to make of that sentence. Perhaps it was intentionally ambiguous, to stimulate a specific reaction from him? Xerina was one of the few people gifted in social sciences after all. ¡°What do you mean? You¡¯re thinking of¡­ eliminating her physically?¡± The queen snickered. ¡°You can also marry her, if you prefer.¡± He blushed at the unexpected joke, his ears each twitching in a different direction in perplexity. Oddly enough, the idea didn¡¯t seem entirely stupid to him¡­ but no, it was just a joke¡­ But, while he saw himself from afar, quickly adding some debris to the piles, looking very busy, the Azxaron of the present saw the queen silently move away, her movement inaudible thanks to her flying platform. He then heard the words she had spoken quietly, which his subconscious had registered without his consciousness, busy elsewhere, noticing. ¡°Then, maybe she would stop always trying to make you believe that she is perfect. Your opinion of her means a lot to her... Even if it only explains half of the nonsense she causes...¡± Entry 506: Negotiation ¡°Xini,¡± Azxaron growled, ¡°stop always wanting to be right... I''m here to help you... I...¡± The Xerinean opened his eyes and looked around warily. He was no longer asleep... but had he said those words in his dream? He hoped. He was sitting on a rather uncomfortable chair because it was devoid of gel. He felt that his waist, ankles and wrists were tied to the furniture. Rather annoying: depending on the material, he would not have the strength necessary to free himself. If touch was his first sense to regain its rights, his sight quickly recovered. His heart leapt, when the first image he saw clearly was Xini''s smiling head. Recognizing from his shudder that he had just seen her, his friend''s smile widened even more and she gave him a little wave, while her ears were pounding wildly again. He only managed to block out the unrest of his own ears by taking in the scene around him. Xini was free to move, but the Hom stood nearby with his massive pistol and a jammer that apparently covered the entire room¡­ While technically threatening, this also meant that Xini could easily neutralize the jailer: their people¡¯s reflexes and analytical abilities were infinitely superior to a weapon manually manipulated by a Hom¡­ Well, provided Xini would be able to use her head normally¡­ The goofy look on her face indicated that she was completely lost in her own thoughts, directed at him. He turned his head to try to free himself from the newfound fascination that Xini¡¯s eyes were exerting on his. The Ham was there. She was armed too, but seemed less threatening than her male counterpart¡­ to him anyway. ¡°You¡¯re awake,¡± the Hom announced. His people were very fond of stating the obvious. ¡°Are you okay, Azx?¡± Xini asked. Azx? She sometimes used that abbreviation of his name when she was in a good mood. Originally, she did it to annoy him when they were kids, but that had changed over time. ¡°More or less... I think I''m bound.¡± ¡°Ah... yes...¡± Usually, this would be the moment when she justifies herself, or else elaborates a plan that she thinks is infallible. However, she remained there, waving her ears, especially their tips... Of course, he too was doing exactly the same thing instead of finding a way out of it. It was extremely frustrating, but at the same time he felt strangely good. The diagnosis of the illness that affected them was obviously love. If most creatures of all species behaved stupidly when they were in love, or convinced themselves that they were, the phenomenon was much more violent in their species. Their natural ability to control their emotions and thoughts allowed them to repress their feelings until they decided to accept them. These, suddenly released, then swept away the great intellectual capacities of which their species was so proud. This state could last several months, even a year. Of course, they were still extremely intelligent, but their attention span was completely wiped out¡­ In the present case, he was making a big effort on himself to maintain some lucidity. He couldn¡¯t let himself go like that in an enemy zone! Xini, on the other hand, didn¡¯t seem to be making any effort and was in heaven, which didn¡¯t make his own concentration any easier. If she hadn¡¯t reacted so strongly to the word ¡°marry¡±, revealing her feelings that she probably didn¡¯t know about before, he would have already imprisoned the terrorists and would have¡­ well, he would have probably imprisoned Xini as well and sent her back to their capital¡­ But, the abrupt revelation of their mutual feelings had slightly upset his attention¡­ This Xini, even for that, she always ended up causing problems! She was so¡­ she was so¡­ She was beautiful¡­ of course, he had always thought so¡­ well, for a few years now¡­ but, he had hidden it from himself then¡­ But, now, she sparkled¡­ No: he had to resist, find a way to free himself, eliminate the terrorists and take Xini, maybe fake her death to free her from prosecution, then marry her¡­ uh¡­ that wasn¡¯t¡­ at the same time, the plan suited him.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Libre Lhom noticed that the prisoner had not listened to his question. He sighed as he turned to Sava. ¡°I have the impression that our Xerineans are completely out of order.¡± She gave him a dark look, undeserved, then answered curtly: ¡°Maybe they react badly to the drugs you injected them with?¡± ¡°Hey! I didn''t inject them with anything at all! I have no information on their anatomy: injecting anything would be extremely dangerous...¡± ¡°Yes, while it is very amusing and normal to drug a woman of your own species: at least you have data on the doses necessary to make her obedient.¡± Le Hom looked away and drummed furiously on the barrel of his weapon. He needed to destroy something. Sava saw, with a dark and hidden joy, that Lhom had not found a reply to her barb. Serves him right! If there was someone she wanted to throw out the airlock, it was that bastard. In fact, even Xini no longer annoyed her as much. Indeed, she had made them lose a century of existence. She would not forgive her. But, at least, she honestly had no bad intentions¡­ she was just perfectly selfish. He, he had deliberately manipulated her to force her to serve him¡­ It is true that someone with a more twisted mind would have¡­ Okay, he was not as rotten as that kind of guy, but what he had done was still inexcusable! She tried to distract herself from her thoughts by observing the two Xerineans who were stupidly beating the air with their ears while looking at each other languidly. They were so embarrassed and, at the same time, happy, that it was amusing. Lhom decided to cut the show short by abruptly turning the prisoner''s chair in the other direction, starting to question him. Xini raised her ears, surprised by the visual loss of her source of ecstasy. She seemed to regain some semblance of lucidity, but her face remained excessively expressive, far from her usual attitude. She tried to get up, but seemed to immediately decide to stay seated, while she... she seemed really confused, totally undecided about what to do. Sava could almost pity her... or envy her for her happiness... ¡°Okay,¡± Libre growled, glaring at the prisoner, ¡°enough of these games. As you¡¯ve seen, you¡¯re a prisoner. If you act smart, I¡¯ll throw your girlfriend out the airlock, is that clear?¡± A flash of anger crossed Azxaron¡¯s face, chasing away his confusion¡­ or apparently chasing it away: he didn¡¯t seem to have fully regained his self-control. As a test, the Hom turned the chair the other way. Immediately, the ears started to beat again. The chair was turned again, towards the less pleasant sight of a Hom in a bad mood nervously fiddling with his weapon. The prisoner¡¯s face darkened but remained confused. Perfect. ¡°I¡¯ve disabled and removed all the advanced systems from your suit,¡± the Hom continued, ¡°so don¡¯t bother looking for a solution.¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ maybe be exonerated, win a medal, and a promotion too¡­ but, for now, I ask for your cooperation.¡± ¡°My cooperation? For what exactly?¡± ¡°I want you to serve as my hostage to Xini, just as she serves as my hostage to you. No dirty tricks, or I kill the other. Is that clear?¡± ¡°If you kill one of us, there will be no point in the universe that will be safe for you¡­¡± ¡°Are you really planning to threaten me?¡± He raised his weapon towards Xini. She barely reacted, unable to guess what he intended to do. Perhaps she suspected that he wouldn¡¯t shoot. But Azxaron paled, his skin turning gray. ¡°Wait¡­¡± You could hear his heart beating wildly, without needing ears as big as theirs. The Hom obligingly lowered his weapon. ¡°You win,¡± Azxaron growled, ¡°if you promise to let us go, without harming us, I will cooperate with you.¡± ¡°With what guarantees?¡± The administrative inspector sighed; his ears lowered. He didn¡¯t like what he was going to do. But now, preserving Xini¡¯s safety came before orders. It was stupid, against his usual character, but still, the rest seemed unimportant to him now. All he wanted was for them to be able to leave safely¡­ Afterwards, they would perhaps hide in extragalactic space, to stupidly rejoice in each other¡¯s presence by looking at each other for hours, or slowly rubbing their foreheads against each other, or their ears too¡­ He didn¡¯t really know what it felt like to be in love, this phenomenon rarely happening more than once in the lives of his people, sometimes less. However, from what he had observed in others, this was what was likely to happen¡­ ¡°I swear to you,¡± he said, ¡°that if you promise to let us go, without harming us, I will cooperate with you.¡± The Hom must have had some knowledge of the rumors about his people, because he nodded his head with an air of knowledge. ¡°Ah yes,¡± he said, ¡°I heard that your people kept their word. That they were only allowed to lie once in their lives¡­ Who says that this is not your only lie, there?¡± ¡°It is not a prohibition: it is a code of honor. Unlike your kind of deceiver, we consider that we do not need to lie! I¡­ if I had to use my only lie, it would be to protect Xini. Not to stop a nasty terrorist like you!¡± The Hom smirked, then stood up theatrically, wrapping his cloak around himself. ¡°Good. I think we have an agreement then. I will now ask Xini if ??she is willing to swear the same oath and I can release you¡­ Oh, one thing: although I am innocent, I would prefer you to call me a pirate rather than a terrorist.¡± Azxaron grimaced; the Homs were truly insane. Every species outside his own were either profoundly stupid or completely irrational. Why didn¡¯t their people just stay secluded and need to trade with the weirdos who populated the universe? Then, as his bonds fell and Xini jumped happily around his neck, he forgot his thoughts. Entry 507: Arrest Invisible, the ship returned from its stroll between the death machines that filled this part of the universe, positioning itself outside this harvest of war. Xini and Azxaron sat back-to-back at the same post, the seat being largely wide enough for two of their kind, each with their own screens. Sava occupied another post, on the other side, forcing the captain to divide his attention between the two directions, from his command seat. Certainly, Sava did not seem the type to kill people without necessity¡­ but Lhom did not feel too reassured when she passed behind him with a weapon on her belt¡­ She could well be content to use the paralyzing function, or the illegal torture functions that most of the devices in the arsenal had. ¡°Status of the maneuver?¡± Azxaron jumped, taking his ears away from those of his partner''s, trying to refocus on the task at hand. ¡°Uh... yes... I finished the synchronization between my ship''s AI and yours. Normally, leaving the area is easier than entering it, but this will ensure that there are no unpleasant surprises. Everything is ready on my side, captain.¡± The Hom smiled: his new sla... crew member was the obedient type. Totally subjugated for the moment, Xini was also safe... Sava remained... He didn''t really know if he was ashamed of what he had done to her, or if it was perfectly justified, but her palpable hostility was embarrassing... ¡°Xini?¡± The little creature sighed annoyed, but did not appear as irritating as usual, obligingly giving the desired information: ¡°The route is set correctly. As soon as we arrive in normal space, we should make a jump to the coordinates of the Utela galaxy, a few systems from the destination.¡± Was it a good idea to continue the quest for the master geneticist Hogloo? After all these years, maybe he had moved? Or maybe he was dead? Libre decided that this was part of the overall adventure and that an additional file to present to the authorities couldn''t hurt. ¡°Good. Crew, ready to jump. Jump in three... two...¡± The Xerineans had already stopped listening to him. Sava was giving him a contemptuous look. There were no other crew members to notify of the jump aboard the ship, and in any case this practice was outdated. He scowled but he wasn''t going to let that spoil the fun and continued the countdown. ¡°One... Jump!¡± Reappearing during a brief Tik in the normal universe, the ship immediately teleported to the chosen coordinates, much further away in the universe. If there were still some surveillance devices around their potential respawn zone, they should not have noticed their passage. The sky around them was now starry on all sides and the convolutions of planets, magnified on the screen to appear all despite the distance, indicated their arrival in a new solar system. Abruptly, tears seemed to open in the space all around them, as if the void was taking shape for the sole purpose of being shredded by an invisible crusher. Lhom''s heart leapt as he recognized the phenomenon. As multiple pointed and golden shapes appeared within firing range, he turned furiously towards the Xerinean post. ¡°Xini!¡± he yelled. ¡°Why didn''t the alert procedure start?¡± She made a guilty pout and murmured her answer: ¡°Oh... well... to authorize the jump in the middle of zone ¡®I¡¯, I had to deactivate the safety devices... I... forgot to reactivate them...¡± The captain cursed and turned back to his screens. The Zcarbb ships surrounding them had deployed their jammers as soon as they had appeared. Normally, the ¡®Lost Truth¡¯ should have already found itself teleported to the middle of extragalactic space, for safety...If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Why were the Zcarbbs appearing around them, in the immensity of a solar system? ¡°Xini? Azxaron? The camouflage is no longer active? My system tells me it¡¯s active... Did you do something?¡± ¡°No, no,¡± said the male, ¡°everything is working perfectly. I just fear that the time period corresponding to our disappearance from the present was enough for the Zcarbb scanners to improve enough... My ship could still escape them...¡± ¡°We are not going to abandon my ship... Not until we know what they want from us. Ah. They are contacting us...¡± The communication icon was flashing on the main screen of the room. As he was about to press to accept, a hand pushed his away. ¡°Get lost,¡± Sava growled, ¡°I''ll take care of the communication with the Zcarbbs.¡± ¡°Tss, it''s not with a single experience that you became an expert in Zcarbbs...¡± ¡°It''s still better than no experience. Now, get out of this seat.¡± Reluctantly, Lhom gave way to his comrade. She triggered the acceptance of the communication. A Zcarbb warrior appeared on the screen, a monstrous insectoid with hooked legs, a mandible dripping with acid, and multiple merciless faceted eyes. Bad thing: soldiers were much less receptive to the possibility of negotiation than princes. ¡°Unknown vessel,¡± he said, ¡°are in Zcarbb territory. Request surrender. Immediately or destruction. Provide information registration, crew, cargo, destination. Provide authorization if necessary.¡± Sava pouted in surprise. These were not exactly the details she expected the Zcarbbs to ask for. ¡°This is Sava Domeria, administrative agent alpha rank...¡± She saw out of the corner of her eye Lhom''s frantic signs, probably meaning, a little late, not to indicate who they were. ¡°... we did not know we were entering Zcarbb territory. We have been out of real time for a long time and our maps are not up to date¡­¡± ¡°Surrender? Transfer information? Request immediate response to these questions, or destruction.¡± ¡°We¡­ I am sending you the device data immediately.¡± She transmitted the official document containing the ship''s technical data. She was about to specify that the passenger register was perhaps not up to date, when she noticed that it was. Lhom had even included Azxaron in the crew list. ¡°No authorization. Please follow. Send guidance software. Any deviation from flight plan, destrrrruction.¡± The image disappeared. Sava accepted the Zcarbb software''s access and it took control of the ship''s piloting. She also sent a request to the Xerinean post, asking them to monitor and eliminate any threats that the software posed to the ship. With a computer expert on board, might as well take advantage of it. The ships passed through another tear in space that opened up to let them pass. It was strange: as if the universe was shattering into multiple pieces around them, marking the border to a different planetary system. They then headed towards a gigantic golden space base that floated around a gas giant. ¡°So,¡± Lhom grumbled, ¡°what do we do now? Did you have a plan, or not?¡± Sava didn''t really have a plan. She didn''t even know if she would actually be able to negotiate with the Zcarbbs again. The circumstances weren''t the same. In addition, the Zcarbbs would covet their ¡°Walker¡± engine and their Stabilizium, which they couldn''t leave to them under any circumstances, even if it meant blowing themselves up: it was absolutely necessary to limit the presence of such resources in the Zcarbbs'' clutches. ¡°Is emergency teleportation aboard your ship possible?¡± Lhom asked the Xerineans. They validate. ¡°Well, in that case, we obey their orders, but as soon as the situation threatens to go bad, we slip away. Their jammers prevent us from accessing the Network beacons, so we don''t know where we are...¡± ¡°The Germa system, in the Utela galaxy." Sava and the captain turned to Xini in unison. Of course, she had found a way to bypass the enemy jammers, despite her distraction. If their monstrous race numbered in the billions, the universe would already be under their feet¡­ ¡°Can we connect to the Network?¡± Lhom asked. ¡°In what standard year?¡± interrupted Sava. ¡°How much time has passed? Answer!¡± Xini typed the request on her screen. ¡°I don¡¯t know what year it was when we left, but according to the clues, I¡¯d say about fifty years have passed¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Azxaron confirmed, ¡°we¡¯ve only lost about half a standard century.¡± Sava, who had stood up before, let herself fall back heavily into her seat. A small part of her had hoped that, in the end, the time elapsed would be less than a decade. Fifty years more¡­ Would her parents still be alive? Her older brother surely was, barring any incident¡­ But their age gap had never been so great¡­ Lhom sighed. Well, it was only fifty years. He must have kept some allies and many of his enemies must be dead. It was a shame for his relatives whom he would probably never see again. Well, deep down, he still felt a little bad about this idea¡­ but, his family had never been very close¡­ not since an enemy missile had taken his mother¡­ The fact that he had joined another rebel group had also marked a rupture and several of his brothers had never contacted him again¡­ As his thoughts slowly circled the abyss of memories that he did not want to approach, a new Zcarbb communication came to distract him from this fight: ¡°New instructions. Galactic Queen requests to see. Authorization local queen. New destination: Utela galaxy coordinator palace.¡± The air trembled as a new fissure in space brought the prisoners and their escorts into a new system. Entry 508: Return to Urus ¡°What do they want from us? Why did they change the destination?¡± Sava growled at Lhom''s questions, but as he insisted, she replied: ¡°What can I know about it?¡± ¡°Well, since you call yourself an expert in Zcarbb...¡± ¡°By the Secret Council! Go get lost to the Hogloos!" Azxaron looked at the data that was displayed on his screen and typed new instructions with difficulty. With difficulty because Xini clung tightly to his arm. This time, it was not only to ask for a hug, but also because fear invaded them both. Being captured by the Zcarbbs would not be too annoying: they would simply reduce them to slavery and make them work in their laboratories, which was not particularly inconvenient, except for the loss of freedom to travel. However, the Zcarbbs might not understand if they asked for a year of leave before starting work. The emotional period they were going through was unique in their lives: not only would they be inefficient at work, but their happiness would also be spoiled by this loss of freedom and forced labor. They had promised to serve Lhom, so they couldn¡¯t just abandon him there¡­ Or could they use the one lying opportunity in their lives to break that oath and get to safety? He would wait, but if things got out of hand¡­ Lhom believed their ship could teleport him in an emergency, but he didn¡¯t know that that system was currently set to their people¡¯s DNA only¡­ ¡°We are in... in the Urus system, still in Utela.¡± he announced. As expected, surprise showed on Sava Domeria''s features. Among the billions of habitable systems in this galaxy, they had to get to the one she had once saved from the Zcarbbs. The guidance software indicated a spaceport. No hostile action on its part had been detected: it seemed to be a normal guidance software. The ship landed, still surrounded by half a dozen Zcarbb fighters. The crew of the ¡°Lost Truth¡± waited nervously for the door to open. It would be quick, but they would find themselves thrown into a new journey as soon as they passed through it. An image of the outside was projected in the middle of the door, as if one could see through it. It looked like a normal spaceport. Ships of various types were there, with a few Zcarbb ships. Workers and robots were transporting goods, as were a few Zcarbb workers. Everything seemed absolutely normal, except for all the Zcarbb soldiers standing guard or those checking their weapons as a reception committee. In short, only the Zcarbbs were not part of the familiar landscape of spaceports. Perhaps the crowds embarking or disembarking were also missing: this place seemed to be a spaceport dedicated to trade. The door opened on the crowd of Zcarbb soldiers armed to the mandibles. A worker stepped forward, armed with a scanner. He pointed at Lhom¡¯s weapon and motioned for him to throw it away, before explaining in a clumsy administered gibberish: ¡°No weapon. No danger. Throw away. Zcarbb stop equipment. You see queen: no danger bring.¡± As he said this, he flooded them with jamming software designed to render their electronic equipment unusable. With a sigh, the Hom threw his weapon behind him, then ordered the ship to be closed. The worker flinched: ¡°But? Check ship! But? But?¡± The captain advanced towards the soldiers, apparently without fear. ¡°Well, you will check later, my good bug. We will first speak to your queen, as you wish. Without weapon, as you wish. However, before being allowed to search our ship, you will have to wait for your queen¡¯s final decision.¡± The worker seemed displeased, although it was hard to tell looking at such a creature, but it seemed to give up. The soldiers then escorted them to the counter located at the entrance to the spaceport. A lady was there, in an administrative uniform of the Network Institution, Sub-Institution of Communications, which also took care of most of the spaceports. With blue skin and a hypertrophied head from which four horns emerged, the employee was clearly not a Zcarbb. ¡°Your arrival was not planned,¡± she said, ¡°so please fill out the forms dedicated to exceptional arrivals.¡± She handed them all a computerized plastic sheet containing said forms. Even to the Zcarbb soldiers who had landed with them. They diligently began to fill out the documents, under the astonished eyes of the four intruders. ¡°Do Zcarbb soldiers know how to fill out forms?¡± Lhom murmured. ¡°Apparently,¡± Domeria agreed, forgetting to be aggressive, ¡°they don''t even use pre-recorded data...¡± The receptionist gave them a look that showed a hint of curiosity. ¡°You have trouble filling out the forms? It''s been a long time since a tourist was stupid enough to land in a Zcarbb zone...¡± ¡°We''re not tourists, Sava protested, but administrative agents...¡± ¡°Oh? Suicidal people then?¡± ¡°No, no: we didn''t even know it was a Zcarbb zone. We had been cut off from the present for about fifty years. Besides, what''s going on here? Why do we have to fill out administrative forms to land in a Zcarbb zone?¡± Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. The hostess smiled sympathetically, quite proud to teach her patrons something: ¡°You didn''t know that the Zcarbbs keep the administrative structures in conquered territory? The Network beacons, the basic rules and procedures, the personnel¡­ well, they removed all the useless ones, they even improved the efficiency of the system, but overall, the Administration still exists, even in a galaxy half, or maybe three-quarters, under the Zcarbbs.¡± She picked up the forms, putting them in the slot provided for this purpose while casting an absent-minded glance at the data that was displayed, automatically processed by the algorithms of her computer. A name, fleetingly glimpsed, made her stop dead in her tracks. She rushed to her keyboard to review the data, then cast a curious glance at the strangers who were already leaving the spaceport. ¡°It can''t be... But she said it was fifty years ago... It''s not... Is it?¡± The streets and architecture of Urus were similar to Sava¡¯s memories¡­ Well, many of the buildings had to date from after her visit, of course¡­ Some buildings were even clearly inspired by Zcarbb, which was something that couldn¡¯t be found before. People walked the streets, wearing dissimilar clothes, as if from different fashions. Many were also in work overalls, or busy carrying various loads¡­ In fact, she had never seen so many people working in an Administration city¡­ except in videos dating from before the unemployment explosion, perhaps. Many military patrols passed through the streets. Zcarbbs leading robots that looked like them, but they were sometimes also accompanied by soldiers from other species and armed more lightly. Did the Zcarbbs use mercenaries or local troops? The inhabitants didn¡¯t seem particularly happy, but not particularly unhappy either. At this point, one could think that life continued without any notable change. Visible from afar, a gigantic palace shone in the sun. It seemed to consist of a dome and multiple towers, made of a mixture of Zcarbb amber and various metal alloys. Several towers were visibly topped with antennas and multiple gargoyles in the image of the Zcarbbs stood guard on the roof... or maybe they were war robots. The air was almost devoid of traffic. From time to time, a delivery ship, or a winged Zcarbb, or a public transport vehicle could be seen passing by, but nothing like the dense traffic of the past. The advertising billboards had also practically disappeared, those remaining giving local information, such as the weather or productivity curves of the factories. ¡°Oh! Sava, look!¡± She turned angrily to Lhom. She had already told him not to call her by her first name anymore and he was still going! But she remained stunned, forgetting to complain about the spectacle that met her eyes. A large statue stood in the middle of a vast square. Finely sculpted from holo-images, but with some liberties of positioning taken by the artist, it showed a Ham holding a small Zcarbb princess towards gigantic strategic bombers and Zcarbb shuttles, represented with rock equipped with an antigravity device. The statue was realistically colored and a particular shade in the paint gave an impression of movement. ¡°But¡­¡± Sava stammered, ¡°this¡­ this¡­ this is me?¡± The base of the statue must have been sixty-five feet by sixty-five[1]. Names were written all over the base, in holographic letters that changed from time to time. Commemorative plaques floated in the air all around the building, indicating what it was: SAVA DOMERIA, savior of Urus. In memory of the Zcarbb attack and the countless victims. May the Administration deliver us from these monsters. The Zcarbbs didn¡¯t seem to be moved by the presence of a monument whose text was openly hostile to them. However, that wasn¡¯t what astonished Sava the most. A monument. They had erected an entire monument to her! She didn¡¯t know whether to feel proud or embarrassed. In any case, she knew she was blushing. She heard a growl and, turning around, saw an old Human man approaching who looked a little agitated. He spat on the ground and made a detour to avoid the Zcarbb soldiers, all the while muttering to himself: ¡°Damn chaotiun! How can there still be chaotiuns on a planet infested with Zcarbbs? Filthy beast! What did it mean by ¡®improbable plot coincidence¡¯? In any case, if I catch him, I¡¯m going to make him pay for stealing my hat!¡± He then noticed that he was facing the young Ham and that he couldn¡¯t go around her without getting closer to the Zcarbbs. Fortunately, he had to tell himself, she seemed to want to head in the same direction but had stopped to admire the monument. ¡°Anyway, that foul beast could be anywhere now¡­ probably with my hat on¡­ Hey, you¡¯re a tourist, huh? Given the escort.¡± ¡°I¡­ almost,¡± she replied, ¡°I¡¯m an administrative agent.¡± ¡°Ah. She was too.¡± He pointed to the statue next to them. ¡°You may know the history of the planet? It may have been forgotten since we''re in the middle of a universal war, but a long time ago, it made headlines in the Administration... Those were the good old days... well, when we weren''t dying disintegrated by a death ray thrown by the Zcarbbs, of course... There was a time when they got really pissed off and they started destroying and killing everything. They were attacking from everywhere. At the time, I was leading the forces of the Republic of Urus... yeah, at one time we were a powerful republic, among the most powerful in this galaxy... The good old days. Well, when we thought we were lost, she arrived. Sava Domeria. She was an administrative agent too and she had found out why the Zcarbbs were annoyed: one of their princesses had disappeared and they thought it was us. I don''t know how she did it, but she gave them back the princess, talked to them, and they stopped all their attacks. Even withdrew from some planets...¡± The old man saluted the statue with pride, a simple and classic military salute, but one that showed his respect. ¡°You know, I saw her in person. She looked a lot like you, actually. She contacted me to help her and I knew right away that she was going to get us out of there... I even got a medal afterward... Then, she disappeared... The girl, not the medal. They say she was killed by Azar terrorists, but I don''t believe it. There''s a rumor that she had discovered that the old Administration was responsible for the Zcarbb attack and that they silenced her for that. I don''t know what to think about it, because it still sounds a lot like simple Confederate propaganda, but it''s already more credible than the Azar clan: what would they care about her, them?¡± He threw a dirty look at the Zcarbb soldiers who were getting impatient. ¡°Yeah, whatever, it''s not the same world anymore... At least, those Zcarbb scum aren¡¯t killing us massively now... You''ll see, one of these days heroes like Domeria will rise up and change the world... At the same time, it seems that it''s worse on other planets... Oh, you have to go? Good luck with the queen then. She likes to chat with visitors. Normally, she won''t have you killed... Avoid insulting her in front of the soldiers: you can say whatever you want, even against them, insulting the queen directly is the only thing they don''t forgive. In a way, compared to the Administration, we lost all freedoms, but we gained the freedom of expression¡­ I suppose that¡­ Well¡­ I have to go try to find my hat. Good luck.¡± And the old man walked away. Sava realized that they had walked a bit together, walking slowly but walking all the same. The old man disappeared around the corner of the statue while she mechanically followed her escort towards the palace. She suppressed her emotions, but she felt tears ready to well up at the edges of her eyes. This centenarian old man, she had recognized him¡­ Time had indeed passed¡­
[1] twenty meters by twenty (O.V.) Entry 509: Waiting The palace was a huge hive, buzzing with activity. While the majority of the people present were Zcarbbs, individuals of other species could be seen from time to time. They were setting up machines, giving orders to workers or working alongside them. The entrance hall was a huge room that seemed to serve a bit for everything. Multiple galleries branched off from it, sometimes located high up. The Zcarbbs walked easily along the walls or by clinging to structures hooked to the ceiling, while the non-zcarbbs sometimes used floating platforms or personal antigravity generators. They progressed inside vast amber corridors, until they reached a large room mixing Zcarbb architecture and common gel seats. A gray-skinned man, of some species with corkscrew ears, waited on one of these supports while reading data on a personal tablet. He looked up in surprise when he saw them arrive. The rest of the room was furnished with a few pieces of furniture and machines, as well as occupied guard posts. A huge amber door closed off access to another room. ¡°You Waiting.¡± the guards explained briefly, pointing to the seats. For their part, they remained standing, motionless. Perfectly motionless, like real statues. It was rather terrifying. The two Xerineans were huddled together on one of the gel benches, rather anxious. Sava waited to find out where Libre was going to sit, so that she could sit on the opposite side of the man who had preceded them. The latter greeted them: ¡°Oh, hello. I didn''t expect to have company.¡± Very kindly, he shook their hands before they even noticed him, then waved to the Xerineans in a friendly manner. ¡°My name is Xram Martel,¡± he explained, ¡°I am a unionist. I represent the United Union of Utela Workers.¡± They introduced themselves in return. ¡°Ah,¡± he said, ¡°Sava Domeria? I imagine that many people with the last name Domeria are given that name... often those of the generation before yours, but I imagine that the tradition continues.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± she replied, blushing slightly. ¡°I suppose... You''re a unionist, you say?¡± ¡°Exactly. I represent all the worker¡¯s unions in the galaxy... well, the part under Zcarbb control anyway.¡± ¡°There are worker¡¯s unions under the Zcarbbs?¡± ¡°More or less: it''s an initiative on our part. As long as the work is done, the Zcarbbs accept our existence... Of course, every time I come, several of my comrades have to replace me at work: the quota of hours has to be filled, even if it''s by someone else.¡± Actually, Sava knew nothing about the living conditions under Zcarbb occupation. There were all sorts of rumors, even of queens devouring entire rows of slaves, but the reality was mysterious¡­ and probably forbidden to be broadcast. ¡°So,¡± she asked, ¡°how does it work? I mean, how do people live, what are the conditions?¡± The man straightened up, quite proud that his position even put him in contact with administrative agents who came from outside. His duty, his role, took on even more importance: he informed the world of reality, with its dark aspects, but all the nuances necessary to paint a faithful and objective picture of it. ¡°Well, we can say that the problem of employment has been definitively solved. By that I mean that the entire population is forced to work fifteen hours a day. I had¡­ well, we had: I was not alone in the negotiations¡­ so we had a lot of trouble exempting children up to the age of fifteen. We managed to convince the Zcarbbs that they had to be sent to school so that they would be more efficient later, and that they needed leisure time in order to slowly assimilate all the data learned... They were understanding: they even made these leisure hours mandatory... whatever that might mean...¡± ¡°Fifteen hours a day!¡± ¡°Well, it must be admitted that travel time is considered in this time... These are still rather difficult conditions, but it also depends on the job. We also managed to introduce one day off per week... and a work hardship index that allows for a reduction in the hours required for the most exhausting jobs.¡± ¡°Oh... And what about salaries?¡± ¡°There, it''s rather complicated. Or simple, perhaps? All products have been divided into two categories, each using a different currency. There are necessities and luxury products. The whole game is to succeed in moving more and more products into the necessities category... Overall, this category contains everyday foods, necessary hygiene products, clothes with the exception of luxury ones... All workers receive a salary in the first currency, itself divided between the food category and the rest, since the share of the food category is calculated according to individual needs and the calorie expenditure of the work performed... therefore revised upwards or downwards individually according to the calculations of the Zcarbbs. Each worker also receives bonuses in the second currency. There is a regular bonus, allowing you to accumulate some little by little, and exceptional bonuses in the context of unusual work or holidays. This currency allows you to buy products considered luxury or everyday products. Of course, we can also arrange to pass off some essential items for work as business expenses...¡± He tapped his tablet mischievously. ¡°You mean the state controls everything, even more than the Administration? Doesn''t that harm the entrepreneurial spirit?¡± ¡°At first, it was quite complicated. The Zcarbbs banned matter synthesizers outside of military use. Apparently, they consider that these machines deprive workers of the ¡®joy of working¡¯ by replacing them. They also repressed all popular protests by using weapons, then when their system had to be accepted, there was indeed a radical decline in the will to do good, to develop. The Zcarbbs struggled to try to understand why and, with a few tips from us, found some ways to revitalize the economy. Now, there are special bonuses for companies with good performance, which are passed on to their workers, aid for the development of new businesses, bonuses for businesses opening where there is a recognized need... And then, there is always the black market where, with administrative solidified credit, you can get... unrecorded supplements.¡± Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°You... isn''t it risky to talk about it... here?¡± ¡°No: the Zcarbbs know about it. They tried to suppress it at first, but we managed to convince them that it was useful for the proper functioning of the system: a little extra necessary for those who are not of their kind... I don''t remember how we managed to convince them, but they accepted as long as there were not too many resources sold like this, and as long as their patrols didn¡¯t come across it.¡± He smiled, his eyes shining with memories of past negotiations: ¡°Frankly, this is an exciting time for unionism¡­ Don¡¯t get me wrong: I¡¯m not saying it¡¯s good¡­ But, unlike the Administration where, with all the subsidies from everywhere, all the aid, our only remaining subject of struggle was to help the indebted and to maintain a good allowance for the unemployed despite their growing number, we have a real role again. It¡¯s a difficult time and we are practically slaves, but I believe that with time we will be able to build a fairer system than the one before. Did you know that we even managed to have stay-at-home mothers recognized as having a real job? They receive a salary with attractive bonuses, the value of which can vary according to the nonsense caused by their children and their level of education¡­ There are still a certain number of adjustments to be made for this system to be truly fair, but it¡¯s an unprecedented advance!¡± Sava wasn¡¯t sure what to make of this man and his speech. Although he tried to hide it, the difficulties their people were facing seemed to excite him. He probably didn¡¯t like these deprivations of freedom and this system where state control was almost total, but the possibility of negotiating, of gradually improving this new world, seemed very motivating¡­ The workers toiling in the factories might not have the same point of view, but gradually gaining a few small advantages must have been appreciated, must have gift them a few bursts of happiness¡­ probably¡­ ¡°And,¡± Sava asked, ¡°what are you waiting for here, exactly?¡± ¡°Oh, I have to be received by the queen. I¡¯m currently trying to negotiate the establishment of a week of vacation per year. I think that by proposing to divide the population into several zones, in order to avoid a total cessation of activities, and by arguing with supporting documents on the remotivating aspect of waiting for vacations in work productivity... yes, I think I can convince her... maybe not this time, but slowly, gradually... Of course, our workers will have to make an effort to justify these data, once the advantage is acquired, or we risk losing it.¡± ¡°How does the population react overall?¡± ¡°Well, like all populations who value their lives when the government can send the army: they work. There are... (he lowered his voice) a few rebel groups who try to support the reconquest of our planet by the Confederation (he resumed his normal tone) but they are only a minority. Another minority is very satisfied with the Zcarbb domination, claiming that the system would be fairer and that the obligation to work would give meaning to life. The majority is certainly amorphous, without any real opinion. They mourn the freedoms lost, but appreciate the total freedom of expression gained in return. We have the right to say anything, to write anything¡­ The only rule is to avoid insulting the queen. She herself doesn¡¯t care, but the guards can consider it as an aggression and react accordingly.¡± ¡°If there is total freedom of expression, shouldn''t people protest more against their living conditions? Write on the walls, hold up signs, all that?¡± ¡°Well... they have the right to hold up signs in their free time... Writing on the walls, on the other hand, is considered vandalism and is punishable by a loss of luxury currency, as well as the obligation to erase the wall yourself... On the other hand, there is no control over what is written on the Network or what is broadcast on the boards dedicated to public expression. There are also the union halls where all expressions can be expressed and written... with a few rules like ¡®don''t hit each other¡¯ or ¡®don''t erase a text for at least a day¡¯... On these points, we are freer than under the Administration... Maybe in a few decades, thanks to our brilliant union activity, people will have the right to move outside the territory of the Hive and its vassals.¡± He remained silent for a moment, dreaming of a brighter tomorrow, before looking more serious and pointing out a negative point: ¡°There is also another problem: it is the consideration for the elderly. In the beginning, the Zcarbbs had designated places as ¡®piles to die¡¯, where people unfit to work could go to commit suicide. They usually targeted the elderly, because the level of medicine has remained about the same as before, or so they say, and that we thus remain more easily able to work. Well, there was no obligation to go die, but the Zcarbbs considered that people would go there of their own accord when they were ¡®no longer of any use¡¯¡­ a rather¡­ sordid view. Apparently, their commoners act like this when they feel useless. We managed to make the Zcarbbs understand that we consider that the value of a person does not depend on their ability to work, but they categorically refuse to pay non-workers, even for the necessities of life or their years of work.¡± ¡°So, the elderly are left behind.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, yes, especially those who are not supported by their relatives. But we managed to create our own pension fund. Everyone contributes a little, and we guarantee a minimum subsistence level for the elderly. Since all the people who are still somewhat able are forced to work, there aren''t too many at the moment, so the system works and we can even offer them some luxury currencies when the holiday bonuses fall... the holidays are also quite random: the Zcarbbs don''t have the notion of regular holidays... some are more or less regular anyway, like the ¡®warehouse full before winter¡¯ holiday... The Zcarbbs get together and admire the well-filled stacks of warehouses, without eating anything and going back to work right after...¡± He showed a perplexed pout: ¡°Yeah. I may have always lived under Zcarbb domination, but I''ll always find them weird... Well, at least we get bonuses on that day. Not much, but it allows you to accumulate luxury a little faster...¡± Suddenly, the large door opened silently, revealing a second corridor leading to a new large door. The unionist stood up. ¡°Ah, finally¡­ It was a pleasure speaking with you: I don¡¯t know what your business is here, but I hope you can relay our living conditions to the rest of the universe. I must go, to negotiate one more step toward utopia, one more step away from dystopia¡­¡± As he approached the opening, the guards who had emerged from it waved him to stop. ¡°Not you. Sava Domeria.¡± The man frowned, then shrugged. Of course, an enemy agent would have priority for an interview over a regular visitor who had been waiting for over an hour. He went to sit down again, waving friendly at the group as they left. Sava saw that Lhom had taken careful notes on what Martel had told them, building a new file for the pile of results he hoped to use to get himself pardoned. The Xerineans, huddled together, trotted after him. The guards surrounded them and led them into the second corridor. As the large door closed behind them, the Zcarbbs awkwardly made them understand that Sava-Domeria must be at the head of their group, then the second door opened¡­ Entry 510: Queen This was the throne room of the Great Coordinator Palace of Urus. A massive queen sat enthroned among cushions on a gigantic amber seat. Her shell oscillated between brown and dark blue and from her enormous yellow-striped abdomen, eggs were occasionally expelled into the attentive hands of the nursery workers. The back of the room was entirely given over to the larvae that crawled in all directions. Since the eggs were taken to other rooms and there were not that many larvae, one could assume that they were noble larvae. When one entered the room, on the right and left, hundreds of good-sized alcoves stretched up to the ceiling. The majority were occupied by princes and princesses of all ages. The oldest were closer to the queen. A noisy hubbub and strange smells reigned in this place. In fact, there were strange smells everywhere in the palace, but here they seemed richer, more varied. The leader of the soldiers who had escorted them announced their arrival before the sovereign: ¡°You are before Queen Ilena-tar-Yana, queen of the Uruscentre hive and supreme queen elected by her peers for the galaxy of Utela.¡± The hubbub of the princesses, which had been intensifying since their entrance, ceased as the queen seemed to emit a powerful odor. Without being unpleasant to the Hom sense of smell, it seemed to absorb the other odors and calm the agitation of the young creatures. The queen''s face was much further from humanoid standards than those of the princesses, but her features remained readable, expressing... excitement? The massive figure lowered itself to the height of the Ham, the queen''s eight wide-open eyes observing her attentively. ¡°Are you,¡± she asked in a voice softer than her size would suggest, ¡°Sava-Domeria? Or are you her descendant? You look like Sava-Domeria, like she was a long time ago...¡± Sava felt a strange presentiment arise for which she did not see the reason... or maybe she was just a little stressed like any person facing a creature much larger than her and equipped with strong mandibles. ¡°I am Sava Domeria, an alpha-level administrative agent. I am indeed the one who is... apparently on a statue, between the spaceport and your palace. I found myself stuck in time until a recent date and my entry into Zcarbb space was a simple mistake: please believe that I had no hostile intentions...¡± But the queen was no longer listening to her, shuddering while her face expressed joy. ¡°It really is you!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°When I saw the report pass, I thought that it was indeed the case! And it is! Look, my children! It was Sava-Domeria, who brought me back to my mother when I was little! Without her, I might be dead and you wouldn¡¯t exist!¡± A gasp like a long ¡°Oh!¡± ran through the ranks of princesses, the youngest being particularly excited. Sava, for her part, stared in amazement at the queen, as the evidence hit her. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ You¡¯re¡­ the little Zcarbb?¡± ¡°Not so little anymore, but yes¡­ Do you remember when I hacked your synthesizer to admire the heart of your ship? Oh, and when you carried me into the air so the ships could see me and not shoot me! The primitives of Urus even made a statue where you can see that¡­ Oh, you mentioned it, so you must have seen it.¡± The queen was joyful and, despite her imposing size and strongly insectoid features, she seemed to have become the little girl of yesteryear again as her memories awakened. Several princesses threw surprised glances at their queen, others stared at the foreign creature whose presence provoked this strange behavior from their noble sovereign. ¡°I¡¯m so glad to see you again Sava-Domeria,¡± said the queen, ¡°it¡¯s been so long¡­ I have my own colony now! And lots of children!¡± With a proud gesture, she pointed to the Zcarbbs surrounding her, with a gesture so wide that she probably counted the millions of commoners outside as well. ¡°I even have many daughters who have their own colonies! And I¡¯m the one who represents all the colonies in this galaxy! Well, it¡¯s true that the other queens weren¡¯t very interested in the position. They were almost relieved that one of us would volunteer to take on this role. It¡¯s true that interacting regularly with those of your species is deeply disturbing: none of you are normal and you have delusional and incomprehensible ideas.¡± Ilena-tar-Yana, as she was now called, said this without malice. She clearly didn''t feel like she was insulting anyone, but was simply stating what she considered facts. The Zcarbbs probably considered other species as strange as they were considered by others. ¡°So?¡± the queen asked. ¡°What happened to you all this time. You haven''t changed... Is it because of the strange products you call cosmotics[1]? Or have you really been stuck out of time for a looooong time?¡± A little princess then shouted, ¡°Yes! Tell us a story!¡± Immediately, about twenty of the youngest princesses stood up and clapped their hands in rhythm. Making their abdomens wiggle, they sketched a dance step to the side while singing: This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Tell us a story! Tell us a story!¡± The Queen¡¯s stern head immediately turned towards the troublemakers who immediately assumed an air of completely guilty innocence, quickly sitting back down and pretending to look away. It was obvious that Ilena-tar-Yana knew who the culprits were. One of the smallest had not noticed what was happening and was spinning around while continuing to sing: ¡°Tew us a stowy! Tew us a stowy!¡± Suddenly noticing the silence, she got tangled in her own legs in the middle of a half-turn and sprawled on the ground. The stifled laughter of her sisters quickly stopped when the Mother¡¯s gaze fixed on the offenders. When silence returned, the Queen turned her attention back to Sava, vibrating slightly with excitement: she too was waiting for the story. So, Sava told the story. Starting with her meeting with Queen Zocco-tar-Julo, mother of this queen, she described her journey. Of course, she didn¡¯t talk about everything. The secret area, in particular, was hastily synthesized into a place where an anomaly in the flow of time, probably due to the mysterious phenomena of the ¡°I¡± area, had made them lose half a century. The story interested some of the nobles, but others lost their concentration. As she finished speaking, Sava clearly heard two little princesses talking to each other, alternating between their incomprehensible language and snatches of administered language. ¡°Look, these are the bees I bought through the Network. The seller posted the photos and the delivery should arrive at the parcel relay in a few days. Payment upon receipt. Aren¡¯t they cute?¡± ¡°Absolutely,¡± agreed her neighbor, looking at the images on the tablet, ¡°but will they be able to survive in your garden? The little creatures are often sensitive to the climate.¡± ¡°Of course: I did some analyses and sent the results to one of the Administration''s laboratories. Their conclusions were the same as those of our gardeners: no problem.¡± ¡°It must have cost a lot, right? Why pay for a laboratory in the barbarians, when our gardeners have already told you that there is no problem?¡± ¡°Well, the barbarians are still more advanced on biological issues, and the bees come from them. I may have spent a lot, but I guarantee the future of my bees... When they give new hives, I will give you one if you want...¡± The two princesses quivered with joy and went back to looking at the images of bees... until they slowly realized that they were now the center of attention in the room. They turned their gazes to the queen in unison, with the guilty air of those who knew they had done something stupid. ¡°Ugyraya,¡± said the queen, ¡°Umilano, you are both punished starting tonight.¡± ¡°B... but,¡± protested the first, ¡°I should receive a package soon! If I am locked in my room without being able to speak to the commoners, I am afraid they will do anything with it!¡± The queen sighed, but she also seemed a little softened. ¡°Well, well... then... let''s see... Prince Jouy-Toril will take care of the arrival of your... bees? Is that the name of these creatures? And I am making an exception to your punishment regarding everything concerning their care... But I am adding a month of punishment for having bought things from the enemy without asking my permission.¡± The guilty one protested by saying that the bad guys didn¡¯t even know they were selling to Zcarbbs, but quickly shut up: deep down, with the arrangements for her bees, the punishment didn¡¯t bother her that much. The queen then turned her attention back to Sava-Domeria: ¡°The little ones are sometimes turbulent,¡± she apologized, ¡°I¡¯m not sure they listened to your story. Anyway¡­ What an adventure you¡¯ve had.¡± The queen tapped away with her large hands on a gigantic keyboard made of iron, gold and amber, consulting large amber screens that floated in the air. Although they had holographic technology, the Zcarbbs seemed to prefer having physical media to view information. A worker approached the throne and took out a small memory crystal from a sort of computer embedded in the massive seat. He then approached Sava and handed her the object. With a little hesitation, she grabbed it. ¡°I have compiled data that will be useful to you,¡± the queen explained, ¡°since you have been cut off from the present for so long. I have updated the maps of the border zone, in formats compatible with the administered software. The planet you want to reach is unfortunately located outside the Zcarbbs borders.¡± With a few systems difference, they would have reappeared outside the invaded zone. But a doubt was beginning to grow: ¡°Is this system still part of the Administration?¡± ¡°Not exactly. It is a member of the Universal Administrative Confederation. Your Evil Empire has split into two evil factions. Half of this galaxy that is still barbaric belongs entirely to this Confederation. The planet you are targeting belongs to their largest nation: the Orange Empire. We currently have a truce with them, which allows our galaxy to be kept in relative peace, despite the war raging in the universe.¡± The Ham scowled. The Administration had remained the same for millennia¡­ or at least almost a century or half a century, and all she had to do was leave for another half a century for everything to change. She really needed to be able to connect to a Network beacon to update her knowledge of the universe. ¡°I think you shouldn¡¯t have any trouble getting in there: even if they are opposed to your Administration, I have heard that non-military agents can still operate there. If you and your crew need anything, I can provide it! Perhaps you want some food? We have plenty of real food, not from synthesizers!¡± The queen vibrated with excitement, thrilled at the idea of ??being able to help Sava-Domeria. Unlike the princesses, she kept her abdomen rigid at such times and avoided moving it too much. Oddly enough, the mention of real food made the ears of the two Xerineans perk up and turn their gazes towards Sava, visibly waiting for her to accept the offer. The fear had slowly left them, as the Zcarbbs revealed themselves to be peaceful towards their crew. Lhom, for his part, remained silent, contenting himself with taking notes on a sort of manual writing pad. Probably on paper¡­ ¡°I would be delighted to accept this help¡­ Ilena-tam-Yana¡­¡± ¡°Ilena-tar-Yana! Your species does not have a very good auditory memory: without the help of your electronic devices, you even get names wrong.¡± ¡°I''m sorry...¡± ¡°It''s okay: I know you weren''t being disrespectful to me. Give that worker the list of what you want... Oh, Sava-Domeria, you can''t know how happy it makes me that you''re still alive! Of all the servants of the Evil Empire, you''re the only one who''s a good person!¡±
[1] Yes: Zcarbbs also use beauty products, but not to the point of making them a separate category of products. They have a hard time understanding that a good part of the products still sold in the Administration, without going through matter synthesizers, consist of products that have no pragmatic use (from their point of view). Entry 511: An unexpected conversation The Zcarbbs had kept their word and brought them everything they had asked for. Energy for secondary systems, spare parts, crates of food... There were even copies of the administrative beacons, which would finally allow the occupants of the ¡°Lost Truth¡± to update themselves on the state of the universe. When they took off, Sava ordered the Xerineans to teleport the ship into extragalactic space. She wanted to take a little time before they were embarked on some more adventures. The Zcarbbs, although they had proven to be friendly, remained worrying and this adventure had added to all those she had been living for too long without a real break. Leaving the command seat, she threw a surprised look at Lhom and spoke to him: ¡°Say, you haven''t said anything for a while.¡± ¡°Does that surprise you? I had nothing to say and you were doing very well.¡± Doubt suddenly crept in and Sava took a step back, defensively: ¡°Or else,¡± she said, ¡°it''s another one of your psychological tricks. Yes, that''s it: by not talking to me, you manipulated me so that I would speak to you of my own accord!¡± ¡°But... no...¡± It was no use: Sava was already moving away down the corridor, not wanting to hear his justifications. Libre, scowling, walked around the ship. Why was everything escaping him? This adventure had already cost him so much¡­ If he had managed to regain some control over the Xerineans, Sava was now an uncontrollable member of the crew¡­ It wasn¡¯t that he wanted to control her¡­ But, if only she could stop hating him¡­ The door to the training room wouldn¡¯t open. Even the AI ??refused to take his priority request into account. Grumbling, he went to the common room, where he knew he would find the Xerineans. Seated together in a corner of the room, they were devouring a seafood dish with appetite. The Hom was convinced that their species only ate food tablets, but they seemed to love fish, octopus, mussels, seaweed and a few other fresh marine products¡­ They also seemed to eat them raw. ¡°Hey!¡± he interrupted them. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t the training room open anymore?¡± Xini looked up from her plate and finished swallowing a shrimp before answering: ¡°It must be that Domeria is using the pool.¡± ¡°So? What¡¯s the connection?¡± ¡°She asked me to build her a device that blocks the doors and whose effects I can¡¯t easily counter. Logically, she used it.¡± The captain left his two technicians to their romantic t¨ºte-¨¤-t¨ºte and went down to the hold, grumbling again. It was a good thing she hadn¡¯t decided to lock him in his own cabin¡­ She might do it one day or another¡­ Everything continued to drift out of his control. Even the plan to report all the irregularities observed to the Administration was uncertain. The copy of the general data of the Administrative beacons, as given by the Zcarbbs, spoke of civil war, revolts, war against the Zcarbbs¡­ The universe had become a veritable free-for-all¡­ even more than before. Worse still: the Administration was still led by the same president, despite all this time. Since he was apparently one of the instigators of what he wanted to denounce, there was a risk that the situation would not improve anytime soon¡­ He stared at the large cylindrical shape that stood in the middle of the room he was entering. Whether it solved his problems or brought him more, he was going to keep moving forward, like a Homtest. ¡°What doesn''t kill me,¡± he murmured, ¡°is part of my story.¡± And he activated the opening of the stasis tube. Ex-Emperor Vector Vermilion grimaced as he regained his sense of sight. ¡°You again? I told you to leave me in stasis.¡± The Hom in front of him didn¡¯t seem as impressed as the first time. ¡°I got rid of the Hogloo and his cronies. You¡¯re free.¡± Vector eyed his interlocutor suspiciously. All the indicators seemed to point to him telling the truth, but many Homs, even the least educated, knew how to fool any truth detector. He had seen this Hom with the other terrorists and had assumed he was a mere henchman. However, if he had truly defeated a Hogloo warrior, he shouldn¡¯t be someone to underestimate. ¡°And for what reason? I never asked to be freed and I owe you nothing.¡± ¡°That suits me. I promised Xini I would free you: I keep my promises¡­ Even if she doesn¡¯t seem to care anymore, I suppose she thought you could do something about that SECURA chip, if you were freed without the pressure of those bandits. Of course, you will have to wait for a stopover before you can get off my ship.¡± The emperor¡¯s eyes glowed red as they fixed on his interlocutor, as if trying to tear from his very soul the dark secrets he was hiding from him. ¡°What is your interest?¡± ¡°My name is Libre Lhom, an alpha+ administrative agent, currently the victim of a small error that places me outside the law. I am not asking you for anything: as I said, I am keeping a promise.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe you: you have introduced yourself and justified yourself. So, you think you can get something from me. Don¡¯t count on me: I owe you nothing!¡± The Hom nodded and sat down on a chair that the robots of his ship quickly shaped. A table and another chair also appeared. ¡°Yes, you don''t owe me anything. So, I propose an exchange.¡± The Vermilion hesitated. What did he have to lose by listening to this guy? Even if he returned to stasis afterwards, it was still an interesting distraction. So, he sat down opposite his interlocutor, with a gesture that remained noble and full of strength: he was not brought to the negotiating table, he sat there and dominated it. ¡°An exchange? What could you give me? More importantly: do you think I would give you something?¡± Lhom gave a grin that meant everything and nothing, except that he was very confident. ¡°What can I give you? Whatever you want. I don¡¯t know what my connections with the parallel market are still worth, but I can probably provide you with some interesting contacts. I can also put my crew¡¯s skills at your service¡­¡± The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Could you tell me more about your next stopover? I think I can¡¯t wait to get off there.¡± ¡°My two technicians are Xerineans who promised to help me.¡± Vector, who was about to get up, stopped in mid-motion and sat back down. ¡°Interesting¡­ But I don¡¯t see what I would agree to give you.¡± ¡°Advice, perhaps?¡± ¡°It costs nothing¡­ Indeed, I could give you one or two pieces of advice: I wouldn''t miss them.¡± Lhom raised his eyebrows in surprise. Vermilions could have a sense of humor? Was that part of their programming, or was it something that came naturally from their biological side? So, he began to tell his story, in a very condensed version that subtly highlighted the way he had kept control of events, rather than being their plaything. ¡°My main problem right now,¡± he explained, ¡°is Sava. Ever since she discovered that I had slightly controlled her psychology to ensure her cooperation, she¡¯s been angry with me¡­¡± ¡°Slightly controlled? What exactly do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Nothing too bad: a little truth serum to make her receptive to my suggestions¡­¡± A shadow of distrust appeared in the Vermilion¡¯s features, which was a lot for a creature that only displayed its emotions voluntarily. The fallen emperor suddenly seemed to be looking at something disgusting¡­ Libre protested: ¡°Hey! No: I didn¡¯t do anything improper. I simply made sure she would follow my orders. I¡¯m not¡­ that kind of person. I¡¯m a Homtest.¡± ¡°Some Homtests are scum.¡± ¡°There are few who are that scum.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°I can understand that Sava is¡­ a little angry at having been manipulated, but the problem is that she doesn¡¯t change with time, she doesn¡¯t calm down. I don¡¯t really know what to do.¡± ¡°What do you care if she hates you? The Homtest way is often solitary.¡± The captain sighed, a classic method of letting time pass in order to gather his thoughts. Then, he spoke again before the waiting time tired the patience of his interlocutor: ¡°There are several reasons why I want to calm this disagreement. First of all, I still need help to complete my mission and cooperation works better without hard feelings. Then... Well... she''s someone I respect... I can''t really say why: a combination of things probably. She''s someone competent. I really appreciate her character... well, before she got mad at me. It''s... let''s say that I would really appreciate going back to a positive relationship with her.¡± ¡°And so, you find it logical to ask a creature designed without emotion to help you in your love story?¡± The captain blushed violently, lacking for a moment the control of emotions that his intellectual category boasted. That wasn''t it. How had Vector come to this conclusion from his explanation? ¡°It''s not a love story! Frankly: what is love? Feelings? We can have feelings without letting them become love, and those who say that we have no choice when we fall in love are just cowards who do not want to make the effort to control their feelings. Love, although born of admiration, remains subject to the mind. A weak mind will probably let various natural or artificial desires, from the body and society, mix with feelings, but ultimately, the choice remains. Why is the possibility of friendship always crossed out in favor of a fantasized vision of love? Friendship also exists and, if it can transform into love, it always results from a choice. This choice can be made with full knowledge of the facts, or on the contrary through laxity, by letting thoughts develop without control. This is why I say that love is a choice, and that for the moment it has nothing to do with my problem.¡± The Vermilion looked both surprised and amused, which boded well for the continuation of the conversation. Libre wasn¡¯t sure why he had issued this philosophical tirade, but the logic of the reasoning couldn¡¯t escape his interlocutor. ¡°So,¡± Vector said, ¡°you greatly esteem this Sava, without it being love. However, you are not against the possibility of letting this feeling develop later.¡± Lhom hid his embarrassment with a wry smile. Vector had understood perfectly, beyond what he had wanted to formulate. ¡°Well, if she didn¡¯t hate me, I would greatly appreciate letting myself develop feelings for her. However, that is obviously not on the agenda. It is a vague possibility that could be or not be, if ever the first situation were resolved favorably. But even if I were to ask for advice on love, isn¡¯t it said that you yourself have loved, despite your emotionless programming?¡± The Vermilion¡¯s brow furrowed, as he didn¡¯t hide the pain he felt as he rehashed his memories. When he spoke, his gaze was fixed, as if his thoughts were occupied with functions other than sight. ¡°Did I love? Or did I just imitate those I envied for their emotions? If there is one emotion, I know I have developed, it is envy. Wanting what others have, isn¡¯t that a trait that proves that I am a person and not a mere machine at the service of the Administration? If I remained faithful to my programming, to the goal that was instilled in me from the beginning to defend the Administration, I began to tell myself that perhaps, if I had what others have, I could do better...¡± Libre observed with a certain astonishment the legendary character who confided in him. Discovering what the great figures of the past thought was the dream of all those who, at one time or another, were interested in their stories. ¡°So,¡± continued the former emperor, ¡°I took the power that others had, to use it better than them and pursue the goal they had given me. I studied emotions and I tried to have some too, thinking that I would be more efficient that way... Or perhaps it was the revolt, the thirst for the forbidden, which so often drives those we can call ¡®people¡¯? Perhaps I was lying to myself when I said I wanted to serve the Administration? I used this pretext to seize what I wanted: the control whose actors I despised, the emotions that seemed to me to be the mark that could differentiate me from the idiotic machines and bring me closer to those I protected, but envied...¡± His eyes came alive, glowing for a moment, a bitter smile adorning his lips: ¡°And yet, like you, many people, despise these emotions that I have sought to obtain... With good reason, no doubt, because the problem is neither emotions nor logic, but always the excess of one or the other: the excess that makes that when faced with a problem, those who then take power commit the other problem... And yet, avoiding the two excesses can also lead to the third excess: the illusory middle, the impracticable compromise, stagnation... You see: these three excesses are all the problems of the world. Excess in one direction, excess in the other and excess of balance. That is why I left politics and let myself be locked in: I could no longer find a position that was not an excess and I myself had become part of the problems that I was trying to solve...¡± ¡°Is that really the reason for your departure? Legends say that you were heartbroken by the death of your beloved. I know that legends and rumors are often far from reality, but I have studied the matter enough to know that this one is very close to it.¡± Vector remained motionless, curiously hesitant, then he regained his usual aplomb and his stern gaze was subject to a few indecipherable fluctuations. ¡°Perhaps¡­ I still do not know if I deluded myself about the existence of emotions¡­ She was my complement, my lieutenant, loyal beyond our common duty¡­ We had¡­ common emotions¡­ or perhaps illusions¡­ But when her death reminded me of the limits of our immortality¡­¡± The emperor became thoughtful. The expression on his face was unpleasant: as if he hesitated to say more, or to kill his interlocutor for having already told him too much. But his obsolete technologies couldn¡¯t pierce the modern shields surrounding Lhom, could they? It was said that Vector Vermeil had had access to unparalleled weapons¡­ Libre wiped the sweat he felt running down his forehead. In front of him, one of the most famous characters in the history of the universe laughed at this, then opened his mouth to reveal secrets of History. ¡°After her death, I wanted to join her. Without her, I felt like nothing more than a soulless servant of an ideology of which I was the guardian, now without conviction. In a crazy gesture, a ridiculous simulacrum of those normal people I envied, I used the genetic material of her body and my own to conduct a new experiment. I used the Vermilion production matrix and my advanced knowledge in Tadlomas science to extract and mix a part of my essence and a part of my beloved''s, thus wishing to create a trace of our feelings that would remain after us...¡± ¡°You mean... that you created a child... using your wife''s corpse?¡± ¡°Through science, indeed, in a way as artificial as my crazy search for feelings, I created a son... yes.¡± ¡°I... I didn''t believe those rumors. Do you know what happened to him?¡± ¡°No...¡± The Vermilion''s face suddenly became devoid of all emotion. Lhom knew then that he was lying, but he said nothing. As much as he had needed someone to confide his own troubles to, Vector had this need, perhaps even more. This cyborg who feared being a monster without feelings had them nonetheless. He was a monster with feelings. ¡°I believe,¡± said Libre, ¡°that your emotions were very real...¡± They remained silent. After a moment, the emperor spoke, once again in the role he was living and had only briefly left during their conversation to become for a while an ordinary Hom. ¡°Regarding your problem with Sava, I advise you to recognize your wrongs, even if you don''t think so deep down. So, ask her directly what you should do to be forgiven. I am not an expert in the social field: I don''t know what my advice is worth, but it''s what I would do in your place if... it''s what I would do if I had the chance to still care about someone.¡± Lhom nodded, uncertain of the value of this advice. Vector thought there was something else: ¡°Do you have other reasons to ask her for forgiveness?¡± ¡°No... just in relation to what I told you...¡± But he was lying: like a time bomb, he knew that Sava would soon discover another reason to hate him... Entry 512: Confederate Territory (Spaceport) Relative temporality: Ta6Lo66000 Zone: Sector Z-E, Utela Galaxy Location: Akela System Control: Orange Empire Affiliation: Universal Administrative Confederation [UAC] The ship was once again on its way to new adventures. Improved by the more or less conscientious work of the Xerinean couple, the camouflage device was supposed to protect the ¡°Lost Truth¡± from detection for a few more hours. Sava nervously tapped the arm of the chair she was sitting on. Having arrived first, Lhom had managed to claim the captain¡¯s seat before her. She didn¡¯t mind, but she did obscurely appreciate the Hom¡¯s frustration when she took that spot from him¡­ Deep down, she didn¡¯t know why she hated him so much. Granted, he deserved her contempt and anger for his actions¡­ But maybe she was reacting harsher than she should, seeking revenge in a way as petty as taking his seat¡­ Deep down, she knew why she was doing this¡­ If her feelings, her emotions, her thoughts had been manipulated, what was true and what wasn¡¯t? Had she really decided on her own to pursue this master geneticist? The fact that she had grown to like Lhom, his personality, his humor¡­ had it all been an illusion? Manipulation? Or did she really like¡­ this guy? If so, would she forgive him? ¡°Sava?¡± Xini asked. ¡°I¡¯ve queried the local beacon. Apparently, the master geneticist Zoghoze still lives in the same place. The downside is that we will have to officially pass the planetary shield to land: the material we have is not enough to design a more efficient camouflage device.¡± Sava nodded, abruptly coming out of her disturbed thoughts to focus on the essential. Without worrying about it anymore, Xini curled up against Azxaron, probably disrupting the monitoring of the warning systems that he was supposed to exercise. Anyway, even with variable performance and their heads elsewhere, the couple remained much more efficient than most of the Administration''s technicians... at least half the time: she feared the other half. Azxaron''s ears suddenly rose and lost a little time trembling at the contact of one of Xini''s, before the Xerinean announced the beginning of the difficulties: ¡°Uh... It''s... Oh yes: the local sensors have detected us, probable teleportation of warships in the second...¡± As if reacting to his announcement, three good-sized cruisers appeared around their ship, at medium firing range. Each was orange with many gray spots, reminiscent of colors often used by construction companies in the building industry... But they were obviously military models. Lhom accepted the communication and a Hom in an orange and black uniform, adorned with medals, bellowed information at them: ¡°Commander Donton, of the Orange Empire, Infinite Administrative Confederation, to unidentified ship: you are in our territory. Please surrender immediately or specify if you wish to engage in battle.¡± This guy had the evil smile of someone who claims to give a choice while thinking he has superior firepower. Despite the grudge she held against Lhom, she was grateful when, without being disconcerted, he sent the arrogant military man back to the ropes: ¡°Commander? Well, I am Libre Lhom, an alpha+ administrative agent and Homtest certified by the Homerie. I am accompanied by the level alpha administrative agent, Sava Domeria, as well as the alpha+ administrative inspector named Azxaron of the Xerbat clan, also on a special mission. You will escort us immediately to the spaceport I am indicating to you.¡± Turning pale before this list of titles of authority, apparently validated by his software, the soldier tried to protest: ¡°But... you... you are from the old Administration: we are the Confederation and...¡± ¡°And nothing at all. We do not hold military positions and, consequently, continue to cooperate with your fraction of the Administration.¡± ¡°I... I will report to my superior...¡± ¡°As long as you do not waste our time and we reach our destination, do as you wish.¡± He cut the communication with the satisfied smile of the winner, then turned to his crew. ¡°There. This first obstacle is taken care of. Now, everyone to the armory: we must prepare the descent.¡± The spaceport they landed in looked a lot like the one in the Zcarbb-controlled territory¡­ with the notable exception that there were no Zcarbbs here. Soldiers in orange and black crossed paths with civilians in clothes that ranged from mainstream to probably outdated, depending on their distribution in the population sample. The atmosphere was nonetheless generally martial, and even the civilians were visibly carrying weapons. Similarly, the crew of the ¡°Lost Truth¡± had equipped themselves with armor, energy shields, and various weapons. Libre had had his favorite pistol optimized by his technicians and felt ready to conquer this world, if need be. Unlike when they visited the Zcarbbs, none of the Xerineans were nervous: they just seemed upset about this new stopover. Sava seemed less sullen than usual, but she suddenly let out a gasp of surprise as a new crew member came to join them. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Vector Vermilion had obviously passed through the synthesizer room, because he was dressed in his old uniform, black with golden border. Over his large red cape, however, he wore another, gray and much looser, which he used to hide his clothes. Before pulling a hood over his head and activating a smart-bubble to blur his features, he gave Sava a kind and ironic smile. ¡°What... Why is he outside?... Oh! And then, I''ve had enough! Do what you want, but at least warn me first.¡± Oddly enough, she had immediately guessed that Libre was the one responsible, without even suspecting the two Xerineans¡­ At the same time, cooing quietly in their corner, they did not seem to be responsible for the arrival of this new comrade. ¡°Are you going to come down here?¡± the captain asked him. ¡°No. I¡¯m just accompanying you out of curiosity. Don¡¯t count on me to help you if you cause problems.¡± Not having counted on that, Libre decided not to worry about it and mentally ordered his Z.I.A. to open the door. A hundred soldiers were waiting for them, their posture oscillating between attention and preparation to fire. The head of the spaceport was there: a tall, muscular man, of a species quite close to humans but more fearsome and carnivorous in appearance. ¡°Ehm... Could you... Follow us, please, for the identity check...¡± The corridor formed by the soldiers led to the spaceport ticket office, from which a crowd of curious onlookers was temporarily kept at a distance. Unlike the Zcarbb world, where weapons had been forbidden to them, this was a world under Hom domination. Showing up with weapons was literally part of good diplomatic manners... Or, failing that, taking hostage the people close to your interlocutor or having the detonator of a secret weapon could also do the trick. The Hom who was at the counter cast a wary glance at the visitors and their escort, as if he could detect by observation the reason for this exceptional passage. He held a scanner in their direction. ¡°Pass here your identifiers, please.¡± Sava held out her hand towards Lhom, glaring at him. The Homtest smiled embarrassedly and took out of a bag on his belt the identification bracelet he had once stolen from the young woman. As he seemed reluctant to place the object in the outstretched hand, the Ham grabbed it with a quick movement and hung it on her wrist. As she headed towards the scanner, she wondered what could be the reason for his current attitude. He seemed... embarrassed? Worried? Guilty? A bad feeling gripped her. The man at the counter read aloud some of the information that appeared on his screens once the bracelets were scanned: ¡°So... Azxaron Xerbat, administrative inspector alpha+... species not listed? Presumed dead? Okay... Xini Xolot, criminal alpha+, also presumed dead... Wait? Criminal?¡± The man looked up in surprise, then lowered it because the Xerineans were much lower than him despite his sitting position. Azxaron gave him a stern look that brooked no argument: ¡°That''s none of your business. She''s with me.¡± ¡°Okay... Next! So... No-one Itdoesnotconcernyou?¡± He looked at the curious hooded figure and saw two red eyes shining on an unfriendly face. ¡°Whatever¡­ Next¡­ Sava Domeria-Lhom, presumed dead¡­ Libre Lhom-Domeria, presumed dead¡­¡± Sava froze and then abruptly stepped back, shoving Libre who was following her. He stepped aside, biting his lip, but she didn¡¯t pay attention, literally diving towards the official. ¡°Repeat what you read!¡± The man pulled his head back slightly, uncomfortable with the furious face of the Ham who was getting a little too close to his own. She grabbed the screen and rotated it to read the data. ¡°Well, I only read your information: first name, Sava, last name, Domeria-Lhom¡­¡± ¡°What''s that? My last name is Domeria: why is this guy''s name attached to it? What did you do? A false maneuver?¡± ¡°There is no false maneuver: I don''t have the accreditation to change your data. It would take an entire alpha+ level commission to modify a file without going through the official forms and valida¡­¡± ¡°Open my file! Right now!¡± The official grimaced. Who did she think she was to give him orders? Okay, she was an alpha-level agent. But still: that didn''t give her the right to be rude¡­ Afterwards, the hundred armed soldiers escorting them indicated that this was an important figure¡­ So, he diligently pressed the button to open the file details. Sava sucked in a breath as her heart pounded in her chest. Her anger threatened to break out, but she would probably manage to keep her cool long enough to verify what she was beginning to guess. ¡°Why,¡± she growled through her teeth, ¡°does this file say I¡¯m married? I¡¯ve never had a relationship with anyone! So how could I be married? And for¡­ Almost fifty years when I¡¯m barely in my twenties¡­ And married to¡­ Oh¡­ It¡¯s confirmed and signed¡­ You will immediately correct this file and delete this¡­ nonsense!¡± The man cowered in his seat at the Ham¡¯s killer gaze. She wasn¡¯t very impressive in herself, but she was well armed and particularly furious, not to mention the army that escorted her. ¡°Sorry, ma''am... As I told you, I can''t change the files... In any case, an administrative error is strictly impossible these days, even with the civil war... I swear I can''t do anything about it! Afterwards, if you''re not happy... you can always start divorce proceedings. I have the necessary forms to contact the lawyers needed to initiate the possibility of a process...¡± The Ham sent a violent punch to the screen. Solid and adjustable, it spun around several times before returning to its initial position. Leaving the unfortunate civil servant who, deep down, was not at fault, she threw a murderous look at Libre Lhom while putting her hand on the butt of her weapon. ¡°I can explain everything to you Sava,¡± he assured you, ¡°I... it was necessary. I just used the data from your bracelet to... um... validate certain procedures. You see, I couldn''t use my priority access anymore because of my troubles... There''s actually a small, very interesting flaw in the Network''s system... Let''s say that by being married and adopting a procedure for combining last names, the Network considers that we are a new person while copying our previous data, which allowed me to reactivate my alpha+ access, since the association of our names gave me a new identity while combining the... uh... previous information. Of course, the hacking procedure is a little more complicated than that, but I''m sure you understand that I didn''t have much choice, especially at that time...¡± The captain spoke quickly and blushed violently, as the secret he feared most suddenly surfaced. Sava seemed about to shoot him, but she was also frozen in her movement, as if unable to draw. Rather than a burst of blind fury, the shock she had received at discovering his manipulation of their information materialized in a kind of slow and cold anger, but it could erupt more violently at any moment. ¡°Maybe I should have told her before,¡± he thought, ¡°rather than letting her find out for herself. She would have resented me too, but perhaps in a less violent way... And it would have been less shocking for her to learn it like this...¡± At that moment, a dozen soldiers in ceremonial uniforms¡ªtwice as many orange and black as the others¡ªentered the spaceport, advancing through the security cordon erected by the soldiers already there. They walked slowly, at the pace of an old man dressed in a rather worn old uniform. The scene seemed to freeze as the crowd of onlookers itself fell silent. When he reached Sava, old Hom looked at her with an amused smile. ¡°Could you follow me, please? I''ve been waiting a long time for you to come back.¡± The young Ham gave an annoyed grin that broke the immobility in which she found herself stopped. She stared at the old man with an anger that was not intended for him. ¡°I''m following you,¡± she said, ¡°but hurry up: I have someone to kill.¡± And she threw the darkest of all looks in Libre''s direction. Entry 513: Confederate Territory (The Orange Emperor) A luxury shuttle, but one that was clearly equipped with powerful weapons, was waiting for the small group outside the spaceport. The guards protested in low voices to the old man, indicating the lack of caution in finding himself alone with these ¡°suspicious foreigners¡±. In a weak but still authoritative voice, he assured them that he knew what he was doing and that he had already signed the necessary forms so that his defenders would not be worried in the event that he was assassinated by these visitors. The old man and the five crew members of the ¡°Lost Truth¡± found themselves alone in the living room of the vehicle. It was a luxurious place where gold, red and orange mixed with the brown of real wood furniture. There were gel chairs of the highest quality on which everyone sat. Sava ostentatiously sat down opposite Libre and the latter felt uncomfortable in the face of her menacing gaze. Then the old man spoke: ¡°I suppose you have guessed who I am?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Sava said bitterly, ¡°you are Khraz R¨ºvegloire, whom I knew as the little dictator of a small nation of nothing at all. What are you now? Emperor of what is left of this galaxy?¡± The man raised a well-stocked white eyebrow. He was not used to being spoken to without deference and he did not expect it from Sava either. Of course, he could see perfectly well that she was not in her normal state and knew why, having observed the scene preceding her arrival thanks to spy nano-drones. ¡°Yes, that''s right... I am the Orange Emperor, member of the Confederation... Well... Let''s say rather that my son is the real Orange Emperor, now. As I got older, I gave him the power and the title... But they continue to call me that...¡± The old man observed his visitors with his sly eyes that had seen a thousand intrigues. Each of the people present was most interesting, including the one he knew nothing about but who visibly concealed his identity. ¡°In short,¡± he abbreviated, ¡°I once put you on the trail of a certain plot. I hope to reap the fruits of it now. I would therefore ask you to indicate to me the results of your investigation without omitting anything. I do not want to have to have you executed¡­¡± Sava glared at him and the old man felt disturbed by the hardness he read in her eyes. She was rather frightening at the moment and Khraz was very happy not to be in the place of Libre Lhom, against whom this anger was in reality directed. ¡°Oh, yes?¡± she replied. ¡°And you think that after all the time that your cursed investigation made me waste, its result will still be useful to you?¡± ¡°Oh, the past is always useful, especially if the culprits are still alive. However, I must admit that I did not anticipate this time constraint¡­ Think of it more as one of the last satisfactions of an old Hom¡­¡± ¡°And you dare to threaten our lives?¡± ¡°I suppose you have been through a lot of difficult situations to show yourself so brave¡­ unless rage is blinding you right now?¡± Sava looked away. Her head hurt with anger. Forcing herself to breathe more calmly, she tried to put her thoughts in order. She understood the pragmatic logic with which Libre had dared¡­ to marry her, from an administrative point of view. That, she would never forgive him. Maybe she would have ended up forgetting the manipulation trick, but that¡­ Nevertheless, this was not the time to think about it. She had to know how to get out of the current situation. The threats of the Orange Emperor were quite futile: even with technology fifty years more advanced than theirs, he remained a simple leader of a piece of galaxy. Faced with their weaponry improved by the Xerineans, his defenses would not last long. It was also possible that he knew that but¡­ In the end, why hide anything? Why not tell him everything? Technically, this new ¡°Confederation¡± was still a part of the Administration. A part that was not led by this corrupt president. Yes. She was going to tell him everything¡­ But should she also talk about the secret fleet? That secret could have serious consequences, once revealed¡­ Might as well start by talking about the rest and leave it for later. So, she began to tell her story. Talking calmed her down¡­ except when she criticized Libre¡¯s actions and he justified himself: at those times, the old man snickered, enjoying the argument. Finally, the story finished, the experienced politician took a moment to think. It was a moment of silence where they sometimes wondered if he hadn¡¯t simply fallen asleep, eyes open. But finally, he delivered his conclusions: ¡°That¡¯s very interesting. If we find this Zoghoze, he will probably be able to testify to the Administration''s involvement in the Zcarbb attack on our galaxy... Of course, we will be suspected of lying or even of collusion with the Hogloos. This last suspicion could well turn against them, moreover, if it incited an effective alliance with them... But it is true that all this is rather useless now...¡± The man gave a wicked smile, his features briefly rejuvenated by excitement: ¡°Tell me about this secret fleet and the former Emperor Vector instead!¡± Sava let out an exclamation of surprise and quickly checked the parameters of her smart-bubble. They confirmed that her mental shield was in place and that no mind-reading method had been able to work. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°How do you know that?¡± she asked. ¡°There''s no way you know... that you know... Oh...¡± As she spoke, she detected some subtle changes in the attitude of Libre, in front of her. He knew something... He had just communicated with Emperor Orange... How had they done it? Did the old man possess telepathic powers? He gave an amused smile then made a sign for someone to approach. Immediately, a cloud of smoke appeared next to him. When the dark velvets cleared, a small, supple creature surrounded by shifting darkness stood beside him. It was a Chaotiun, without a control collar! ¡°Let me introduce you to my partner,¡± the old man said. ¡°Coal is an independent contractor attached to my service. I protect him from both the laws of the Administration and the domination of the Black Banner¡­ You have no idea how useful having a Chaotiun as an ally can be to a politician¡­ Ah, if only I had had him when I was younger¡­¡± The creature burst out laughing, but oddly enough the sound it made was different from the laughter they all heard in their heads. ¡°Ah! Ah! Ah! I wasn¡¯t even born the last time you could be called young.¡± The old man pouted in annoyance. Nevertheless, he let the comment pass without dwelling on it. ¡°Sava,¡± he said, ¡°I understand that you preferred to keep these details to yourself. However, if you want to be the winner in this conflict that is eating away at our world, you must take more risks.¡± Emperor Orange¡¯s face suddenly became grim as he stood up, his cape billowing as if billowing in the wind. He raised a solemn hand and announced: ¡°It is time to strike our enemies! Join me and together we will defeat the Zcarbb menace and the tyranny of the President of the Universe! Make me, cough! Cough! Cough! Ouch, my back¡­ Cough, cough, cough!¡± The old man sat back down, shaken by a coughing fit, and took the glass of water that the on-board robot served him. Aware that he had spoiled his effect, he decided to finish his speech quickly once his crisis had passed: ¡°Trust me...¡± A doubt ran through the room and everyone could hear it echoing in the atmosphere, as the chaotiun shared the superficial thoughts of each other. History would never know that it was in this small vehicle, between these very different and often insignificant people, that decisions were made that greatly influenced the fate of the universe. Or perhaps they only accelerated what would have happened anyway? The old Orange Emperor promised much. He assured the two Xerineans that the Confederation would drop the charges against Xini, allowing her to remain free in their territory. The same promise was given to Libre Lhom and the emperor swore that he would be reinstated as an administrative agent, but in the service of the Confederation. For their part, Vector Vermilion and Sava Domeria refused to take advantage of this negotiation. The former simply asked that his anonymity be preserved, and the latter said that she simply intended for justice to be done. She nevertheless tried to negotiate Libre''s execution, but it was more of a dark humor than a serious proposal. ¡°Well,¡± the old man summarized, ¡°since we agree on the plan, it¡¯s time to meet this Hogloo¡­ This ¡®Zoghoze¡¯. Let¡¯s go out.¡± He stood up and the vehicle door opened. Following the Orange Emperor¡¯s hesitant step, the passengers found themselves on a landing strip surrounded by a strange landscape. Libre heard the Xerineans murmur. Since it wasn¡¯t a conversation they wanted to hide, but simple observations, they spoke in the administered language. Apparently, some mysterious clues allowed them to notice that the vehicle had just landed. Turning his attention back to the surroundings, he observed a strange luxuriant flora that was eating a sort of large building. Although the flora of the universe is infinitely varied, the Hom guessed that this one must be artificial. It was more a sixth sense than logical observation, but something disturbing seemed to emerge from these colorful plants. ¡°The lair of a Hogloo geneticist¡­¡± he whispered fearfully. From the moment the Orange Emperor had learned of Zoghoze¡¯s involvement in the affair, he had had to discreetly give instructions to his vehicle to head there. He had also calculated his time carefully so that the end of their discussion would coincide with their arrival at the scene. Lhom was in awe of this Hom¡¯s genius. Would he be as gifted at the Game when he reached such an age? Would he even survive that long? The master of the place came to meet them. He was a Hogloo of normal appearance, although rather fatty. This large lizard might seem harmless, but a large Hogloo could only mean one thing: a Hogloo with a large reserve of material to use as a weapon, or even massive secret weapons implanted in its body. ¡°Greetings Zoghoze!¡± quavered Khraz R¨ºvegloire. The Hogloo returned his greeting with a simple wave of the hand. Even if the character in front of him ruled, at least in title, a good part of their galaxy, he had no power here. This laboratory was a Hogloo land, with enough weaponry to crush any army that dared to threaten it. ¡°Khraz,¡± said the geneticist, ¡°for what important business are you dragging your old carcass to my place? I already told you that there was no way I was extending your life expectancy.¡± The old Hom gritted his teeth but smiled. He apparently had perfect teeth despite his age, like all people who were not in absolute poverty. ¡°Nasty lizard¡­ I mean, respectable master geneticist¡­ I am also pleased to see you again.¡± The Hogloo sneered, but he remained erect there, standing in the middle of the path leading to the door of his building. He did not seem to intend to move aside to invite visitors. Tall plants swayed against the wind, making a mysterious threat hover above the visitors¡¯ heads. What could be the relationship between the old emperor and the Hogloo geneticist? Certainly, as master of this sector of the universe, the former must have frequently consulted the latter: a Hogloo master geneticist was the pinnacle of services that one could offer oneself throughout the universe. Their prices were exorbitant, when they even deigned to accept a request. ¡°Well,¡± said the big Hogloo, ¡°tell me what you want. I have much more interesting experiences waiting than you.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± grunted the old man, ¡°okay: let''s cut it short. I''m coming to see you about one of your activities, about fifty classic years ago... I''d like you to testify against your employer in the case of the kidnapping of the little Zcarbb princess... You know: the time my galaxy was almost entirely destroyed by those filthy insects!¡± All expression disappeared from the Hogloo''s face, which in a way was also an expression. ¡°Even if you knew anything,¡± he replied, ¡°I couldn¡¯t divulge information under contract.¡± ¡°Not even¡­ if your former employer had a secret army, who could threaten the Hogloos?¡± The master geneticist remained silent. Everyone remained silent. Strange noises seemed to rise from the plants, like the growls of wild animals on the lookout¡­ but there were no wild animals: only plants. Zoghoze finally broke this relative and heavy silence. ¡°I would still need proof.¡± Khraz R¨ºvegloire made a gesture and his identification bracelet projected a holographic image into the air. The president¡¯s secret fleet, as it had been filmed by the ¡°Lost Truth¡±, appeared there. The Hogloo made a gesture. Immediately, plants grew from the ground, forming a table and stools. He sat down on one of them and it transformed into a veritable throne formed of intricate plant interlacing. He invited his visitors to sit down as well. ¡°I think,¡± he said, ¡°that we have some common interests to¡­ discuss.¡± Entry 514: Storm Eniel Nagon was in a very bad mood. This was reflected in his blue skin tending towards purple. The old man massaged the temples of the hypertrophied head characteristic of those of his species. Many took this part of his anatomy as proof that he was very intelligent. This was of course completely false: he knew many idiots among those of his species and the majority of them had more pronounced macrocephaly. Well, of course, he was remarkably intelligent, worthy of the stereotype about brain size. Besides, anyone who doubted it too openly would end up in a slander trial. During his life, he had accumulated more successes than anyone else in the universe. One could even say that the Universe, it was him. A surge of pride gave him the courage to get up and face the difficulties that lay ahead: after all, he had been the president of the universe for more than half a standard century. He was the most powerful being of all! ¡°Come in!¡± This authorization allowed the security¡¯s Z.I.A. to unlock the armored doors that closed his office. They seemed quite ordinary and quite thin, but they were made of an alloy without equal in the entire universe: full proof against any attack. A small creature with green skin entered. The skull of her species was also quite large compared to her body, but not as much. On the other hand, her long ears seemed to double the width of her head and accentuated this impression. Like him, she was old. He gave an annoyed grin: Xzeonia, chief inspector of the General Management Service of Administrative Agents. She was also his closest political ally, providing him with the support of Xerinean technology¡­ It was very unpleasant to have to feel his power limited by such an existence: perhaps he would have to have her eliminated once the Final Solution was implemented. He would then no longer need allies and she knew too much to have the right to live outside of this position¡­ ¡°Xzeonia,¡± he greeted curtly, ¡°I suppose you know why I am not in a very good mood?¡± The old lady glared at him, raising her head with an insolence that no one else would have allowed themselves. An insolence that she did not display in public. ¡°President, I must assume that your secret services have been quite efficient in transmitting to you the recent maneuvers of our enemies. I came precisely to advise you on the course of action to follow¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk about your advice! The Orange Emperor, a guy who lives in the Utela galaxy¡­ had you ever heard of him?¡± ¡°Absolutely: he has been on the list of the ten billion most dangerous individuals in the universe for three decades.¡± The president gave his accomplice a jaded look: she had certainly read the entire list and knew by heart all the information about each of these people. Of course, he could do it too, if he had a memory chip implanted, but what was terrifying was that Xzeonia had no augmentation: it was her natural abilities... Yes, it would be necessary to think about putting the Xerineans under control once and for all: their monstrous intelligence was a danger to his democracy. ¡°Well, guess what, I''ve never heard of him. A president of the universe has better things to do than to know every little galactic leader. But guess what, I know the name of the Utela galaxy: despite the years, my memory doesn''t fail me¡­¡± ¡°I didn''t assume otherwise.¡± ¡°So, you know that this guy, this member of this stupid Confederation, is plotting against me with the Hogloos? You know that they know about my secret fleet?¡± ¡°I was only informed a few hours before you.¡± ¡°And, do you know that we know who divulged this secret?¡± ¡°This information also reached me. Sava Domeria and Libre Lhom¡­ Accompanied by Vector Vermilion as well as Azxaron of the Xerbat clan and Xini¡­¡± ¡°A lot of people from the obituary register, right?¡± ¡°Indeed, they were officially dead¡­¡± Eniel lost patience: ¡°Are you kidding me? You were responsible for this affair! How can they still be alive and, on top of that, have information even more formidable than what they had before? This is unacceptable!¡± The Xerinean gritted her teeth in annoyance. She was not going to let herself be insulted. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ¡°It is clear that you are a politician: you seek to designate culprits rather than find a way to solve the problem.¡± The president winced. ¡°Solve the problem? Solve the problem? I have done nothing else for fifty years!¡± With annoyance, he stood up and began to pace. ¡°The war was supposed to be quick,¡± he complained, ¡°just enough to start developing the secret fleet. And then, when this ridiculous Confederation that we have brought into being would have been about to collapse, I would have arrived as a savior. But no, these idiots are still holding out against the Zcarbbs! Their war-oriented economy is in ruins, but they are still holding out! They are fighting each other too, but they are still holding out! I have never had the perfect opportunity!¡± ¡°With all due respect, Mr. President, you are exaggerating. The continuation of the war is in your favor: it is thanks to it alone that you have been able to indefinitely exceed the limits of your mandate. It is thanks to the fear it generates that the crowds are still following you!¡± Eniel stared for a moment, without saying a word, at an expensive painting that decorated his vast office. Some of his anger had gone and he had to admit that his advisor was right. The war had not gone as planned. Most of the Zcarbbs had stayed out of the conflict, or had limited their conquests to what they could manage without suffering too many heavy losses. The Confederate forces had also become better organized than expected and other opportunists, the Imperihom, the Hogloos, the Nomads¡­ All had come to disrupt his plans even more. However, he retained absolute power over the majority of the universe. ¡°However,¡± he continued, ¡°now I will have to put a stop to it. If the Hogloos and the Confederacy join forces, they could become a real threat. Not to mention the rumors about my responsibility for the violent Zcarbb attack of the past, against Utela¡­ I can always deny the gossip that the Network spreads, but it is hard to censor them completely. I must act now!¡± ¡°We still have time to establish other countermeasures. Launching the secret fleet now could cause more problems than it would solve¡­¡± ¡°No: I have waited too long. I know that it is the will of the Secret Council: I must finally fulfill my destiny, eliminate the Zcarbbs and unite the Universe!¡± Xzeonia''s face visibly expressed her doubts, both about the existence of the Secret Council and about the president''s sanity. Eniel hated that look. ¡°I''ll launch the operation in a few hours. In the meantime, tell me why these guys are alive? Did you know it?¡± The old woman sighed angrily. Operation Final Solution was about to be launched. Its consequences would probably not be what the president expected, but there were still many variables. In any case, her people had taken precautions to survive the worst, if it happened. ¡°I guessed that their actions could not have been so suicidal, but I would never have thought that they could know the coordinates of the zone. I suppose that Xini had obtained them in one way or another: she is one of the most gifted of our people when it comes to computer security and therefore ways to circumvent it. I would not have expected them to return, especially now...¡± The president of the universe sighed. Xzeonia''s sharp gaze instantly analyzed the slightest deformation of his face, obtaining infinitely more information on his state of mind than he could imagine. ¡°Then,¡± he said, ¡°there¡¯s no point in continuing to talk about it. They can¡¯t do anything more than they¡¯ve already done. In the end, their futile efforts have only served as a trigger for my own will. Prepare the press conference: I want to be able to speak to the entire universe the moment the fleet teleports to the Zcarbb¡¯s positions.¡± She bowed her head respectfully, indicating that she would comply. The president hated her in his heart, but he still needed her services and appreciated the trust that could be placed in her word. The people of Xerina never lied, or at least only once in their lives. So, all she had to do was say that she hadn¡¯t expected these events and he would believe her. And it was true. As she communicated with the highest echelons of the Communications Institution, Xzeonia pondered, the prodigious power of her brain trying in vain to pierce the mysteries of the future through logic. ¡°For too long, the Zcarbb threat has been advancing out of control. For too long, traitors have disrupted the peace of the universe and prevented any unified response to the invaders. It is time for that to change! Just a few hours ago, I was made aware of secret transactions between the Confederate traitors and certain important members of the Hogloos Nations. Once again, the enemies of peace are plotting in the shadows and weakening our defenses against the monstrous and merciless hordes that assail us! But this time, I will strike a major blow! The final blow of this war! In the greatest secrecy, and in accordance with the exceptional powers granted to me by the will of the people, I have ordered the construction of an army like no other that will soon put an end to the Zcarbb threat. It is a vast automated fleet, but with absolute security against Zcarbb hacking! Led by devoted servants of Democracy, it is absolutely incorruptible and will accomplish its mission without fail. These are Vermilions, these servants of Democracy that I speak of. I can hear from here the perfidious thoughts that the traitors will express: they will recall the ominous era of the tyranny of Emperor Vector Vermilion and will say that putting such power in the hands of these cyborgs is madness¡­ But, the Vermilions of today are not those of yesterday. The new Vermilions are programmed for unwavering loyalty to our Democracy: they will never try to overthrow it; they will never betray its principles. In parallel with the deployment of this new fleet, in the heart of enemy territories, I order the general deployment of all our reserve fleets in order to reinforce our borders and launch a decisive breakthrough. Indeed, the power of the new fleet is so devastating that I do not think of sending it to liberate the territories occupied by the enemy, for fear that our citizens reduced to slavery will be caught up in the destruction of their cruel masters. Citizens of the Universe! Today, the end of the war is closer than ever. As I speak to you, three galaxies have just been purged of Zcarbbs by the first wave of attack. At this very moment, the new fleet is exploiting the liberated planets to rebuild itself and continue its assaults. This day is the beginning of the end: the end of the Zcarbb threat and the end of the Wars! Long live the Infinite Administration! Long live Democracy!¡±