Real World...
Somewhere on the Atlantic Ocean
They all watched the news feeds of BlackRock and the followup of Nakamina Technologies. Their determination and mission were unchanged though. It had been determined that the world would die by fire then cold. Everything that had been ordained would come to pass. "Do not worry brothers and sisters, this is exactly what we were told would happen. It does not change our plans. The Brazil Union is in ruins and it will take them weeks to reorganize, by that time the remainder of the civilized world will either be dead or dying. Now how are we on target for North American Alpha targets?"
The men and women around him shook themselves into action. "Galveston and Miami are the first and they will be in a position to strike between forty-eight and seventy-two hours. Charleston is four days out." One man called out.
"Chicago is four days out, Toronto and Montreal are five days out from their targets." Another voice sounded out.
"New York and Washington DC are one week out. Security at both cities has been increased dramatically and both teams might have to go to Beta targets." Another voice continued.
"Good, very good and more than acceptable. Western Europe?" the leader asked as he allowed his eyes to roam over the room.
"London is three to four days out. Paris and Brussels will arrive in five days. Amsterdam, Berlin, and Hamburg one week. Capitols are all subject to Beta shift due to increased security." They continued.
"Stuttgart and Zurich in four days. Monaco, Florence, Rome, and Naples are all six days out from their targets." The continued to report.
"Wonderful news. Eastern Europe and Russia teams?" The leader prompted.
"Prague and Sarajevo are three days out. Athens and Istanbul are four days out. Bucharest, Odesa, and Kiev are five days out." Were reported immediately.
"Warsaw, Minsk, and Moscow are four to five days out." Was called out in response.
The Leader smiled as everything was going according to plan...so far. "How did our secondary purchases or acquisition go?"
"We acquired six more weapons, they are being checked out and enhanced. The initial report says they will be ready for deployment in forty-eight hours." Another voice called out.
"Good, right on time for deployment in Asia and the Pacific. Now...North Africa?" The Leader called out.
"Madrid and Tangier are in three days. Cairo and Tunis in five days." was called back.
"Good, excellent. Remember people, patience is our greatest ally while stealth is our greatest weapon. Not the nuclear weapons we acquired, stealth. While the whole world is scrambling to stop us, we are patiently walking towards our goals. Ever since World War Three, humanity has limped on. It is time for us to evolve if we want to survive. Humanities' next step in evolution has begun and we are forcing this by killing this world through fire and cold. I want you all to know how proud I am of all of you in forcing humanity to evolve. Although our corporeal existence will end, it seems our digital one is just beginning." The man talked as he sat down.
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North American Alliance- Greater New York Conglomerate
Black Spire- BlackRock HQ
"So you all know what is going on now. Project Lazarus is in full swing and Fate Online will be shut down due to Patch Thirteen being uploaded to our servers worldwide. They will be down for less than five minutes. At which point they will be brought back and people will be warned that if they continue to stay, they choose to transition to Ithea. So we will not be held liable for anyone 'accidentally' staying in too long. People will have to read, watch a video, and hear the warning. So everything is covered." Anthony told his Board of Directors.
"Why was I not informed of this?" Anthony smiled and looked at Robert Gerbage. He was a representative from the biggest backers of BlackRock, a completely self-centered asshole as well.
"Robert, I didn't tell you the specifics but Project Lazerous has been funded out of my own pocket since its inception. It was not owned by BlackRock or funded by this company or your people in any way. So...shut the fuck up you piece of shit and think of someone else for once. Patch Thirteen will help humanity survive. You might not like the fact we stand upon the brink of extinction, but it is coming and there is nothing we can do to stop it. So take the leap if you want to live or don't I don't give a fuck if people like you cease to exist." Anthony told the irate man who fumed in his seat.
"Will anyone receive any...premium benefits?" Another man nervously asked causing more than one snort of amusement or disgust.
Anthony rounded on him, "Fate is what you make of it. If you want to be merchant kings, you will have to earn it. If you want to be an actual king. You will have to earn it. The field is leveled for everyone. No one will have an advantage over another. Adam and Eve will not allow it. You can make the leap and be anything you want to be. If you want to build a house and watch the sunset off your porch for the next couple of decades, you can. If you want to farm, you can. If you want to build an economic empire to rival the most powerful Kings, you can. It's up to each person to make their Fate. Now, are there any actual pertinent questions?' Anthony asked the board. No one said anything, 'Then I declare this meeting adjourned. I hope all those with families enjoy the new world and good luck. For those with kids that have played before, pay attention to what they say."
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Anthony quickly left the boardroom and went to his office where the holographic and tv displays activated as soon as he entered. "I heard you told Garbage...I mean Gerbage to stick his opinion up his ass. Good for you Anthony." Eve laughed.
"Yes, god yes. It was long overdue and with Patch Thirteen he and his backers will become completely useless as the other Boardmembers. How is the upload going? Is everything working out ok? How is the integration of all the new information?" Anthony asked causing both A.I. to smile.
Adam smiled as they showed the upload and live feeds of the various continents. "It's like you are a new daddy worried about a newborn. It's cute." Adam quipped causing Anthony to laugh.
"For the last four decades, I have been preparing for this. So yes, in a way, this is my baby. So I am worried about Ithea accepting everything and running smoothly." Anthony replied with a smile.
"As you can see everything is integrating well Anthony. There is no need to worry and all the new gods were seeded with the A.I. we had on ice." Eve replied.
"Good. Now, did Kevin finish his transition? Is he alive?" Anthony asked bringing up one of the last sore points he had.
"Yes, he succeeded but he is still in a coma. No, we do not have a timeline until he wakes up. We have done everything we can to ensure he wakes up as soon as possible." Adam replied as he watched the various feeds from Ithea including the new continent.
"Good, can I ask. What do you plan to do with Juno? I know she got attached to Kevin in the short time they were together?" Anthony asked the two siblings who looked at each other.
"There is already a Hera/Juno goddess in Ithea so she cannot take the god spot. We can do one of two things, we can seed her into someone who will encounter him, but her memories of their time together will be wiped or we can simply upload her as an A.I. companion. She will have limited interaction within the world of Ithea and would not be able to effect it on any scale." Eve responded.
Anthony weighed the options, "You guys choose but I think they work well together. She is just a little bit too much of a mother or big sister at times though." Anthony pointed out causing both A.I. to chuckle.
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North American Alliance- Greater New York Conglomerate
Queens Urban Reinovation Housing
"Ok, Patch Thirteen is done uploading to the servers now, BlackRock says they are going to run a couple of diagnostics then we will be able to jump back in. Are we really going to do this Ava?" Ailis asked as she sipped her drink as they watched the city below.
"Yes, I am. I have fucked up too much of my life to run away from what I found there. What have you been up to Ailis? I explained everything about what I have been up too, but you have said little about yourself." Ava pointed out as she studied her sister.
Ailis fidgeted a little bit and glanced at her, "I joined the Assassins Guild. I have been working for them. After our falling out I re-rolled my Avatar and became a Vampire. It has been...interesting and fun."
"You think I would judge you based on that?' Ava asked her sister. 'After everything I did...No, I do not care that you are an Assassin now. The only thing I ask is, give me a heads up when someone puts a price on my head." Ava told AIlis with a wink.
"You want me to tell you Guild secrets?" Ailis scoffed before giggling. 'Maybe...Depending on how much gold they put on your head." Ailis snickered making Ava smile and push her into the couch.
"Depending on the price...you little shit.' Ava laughed as she jumped on her sister. 'So is that why you wanted me to move south instead of continuing my Quest?" Ava asked.
Ailis nodded her head, "Yes. I was hoping to spend some time with you, but I am on a job currently and I am not even in the Empire right now. So it wouldn't make much sense for you to abandon the quest and head south. I do want you to promise me that if you need help, no matter what the quest says, you ask."
Ava considered what her sister said and nodded her head in agreement before hugging her. "I will as long as you do the same. I have read some horror stories about Assassin Guild contracts, I don't want you to end up in jail. You cannot simply reroll your Avatar now. You will have to serve your sentence if you get caught." Ava told Ailis.
Before Ailis could reply her communicator dinged. "Servers are back up. This is it...I will see you on the other side Ava. If the worst happens, seek out a man named Ezekial, he works in the Palace of Night at the City of Eternal Night. He will get word to me if you need me and all else fails." Ailis told her and gave her a sister a hug before moving to her pod. Ava watched as Ailis winked at her right before sealing it and it immediately powered up. Ava took one last look outside before shutting the drapes and making sure everything was locked up.