Chapter 16:

Clank-clank, clank-clank I can hear the sound of my armored boots echoing off the ground with each step that I take. Along with the light hums of Pod’s hover engine alongside my steps.

How long have I been walking through the mostly empty hallway corridor expect for the occasional robotic slaves that was hovering around. Hours, years? No, it has only been five minutes since I have left the Strategium but somehow it feels like hours have passed. Onward I’ve walked to my destination I need not another soul near me to tell me that I was quickening my pace.

Despite the sheer vastness of Quan Zhou, it was severally undermanned by normal standard. There only exist ten-thousand souls at most within the great belly of this massive fortress, so it would be even rare sometimes to commonly meet a brother amidst the halls of Quan Zhou. As it is more common for us Blades to be in areas that need our attentions more than certain areas.

Rarely but not unheard but yet also not as common. As occasionally we do have a routine patrol check within Quan Zhou. Hurry-hurry I fought within myself to keep myself composed. This wasn’t me so emotionally compromised, how could someone of my statue be so weak willed? I as of right now at this moment deeply regrets the fact that I took the deal and took that damn “vacation”. What was the old man thinking trying to force me back into a society where I do not belong?

Can’t complain about it now although, I would be lying if returning to my birth father didn’t bring me any sense of joy. The last speck of emotion that I had managed to retained, though I can’t feel too much of the same emotions as a normal human, I still have some reminisce of emotions. It’s of no doubt that these strong emotions of returning back to him that keep some humanity within me. It’s not truly uncommon that some of the First-Born Blades, have managed to retain some form or aspect you could say of ourselves. Our original selves to be exact, the us before we became the transcendent selves we are now, something that I hear the old man sprouting a lot that he deeply regrets. Saying such theoretical theories of killing us to better us into what we’ve become.

His reasoning and scientific theoretical theories is not exactly wrong. During the initial phases, the Initiate stage; Phase Zero one could call it other may have others name for it however that debate was below me. One I could also care less about.

The Neural Reconditioning that we undergo turned all of our experiences into information, our very own psyche are then put to the test within the OASIS. The process was developed in wake of the project’s adoption of using genetic engineering to artificially control us Blades more effectively.

Effectively throughout the process of separating the emotions from the memories while in a state of semi-unconsciousness, whilst they were reprogrammed using a mix of subliminal teachings or other methods etc. As to not fully destroy us, before putting us back together. Even to this very moment I still don’t remember the exact details of what it was like going through that phase. The only factor I can go by is that I know for a fact that I wasn’t the same person as I was before, that goes for all of us in the brotherhood. The reconditioning was a slow process to take effect however, as I can still remember the state of agonizing pain and near emptiness, that nothingness back then, of not knowing who I was at that time or anything for the matter.

Well almost didn’t remember. As a result of that, the old man has continually made the claims that experiences are what make up a person and their personality, thus in that sense he has killed us multiple times. That is not all, as even our own bodies are subjected to extreme reconditioning when we were selected.

Undergoing a process called the Gestalt Reconditioning, applied by genetically manipulating our core cellular structure in order to remove deviant or undesirable behavior and ‘bad’ genes within us. this was supplemented with over 300 shots or so of ammino acids, solutions, enzyme inhibitors, nucleic acid polymers, preparing us for the long steady road to enable our bodies to adapt to the changes. One being able to burn nitrogen for energy and use as oxygen. Or to adapt and accommodate to low levels of light, as such the rod cells within us at our base human states were eight times that of a ‘regular’ human, making the aperture more of a feline's. This trait before further enhancement down the line allowed us almost near perfect night vision in pit darkness.

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Another main attribute of the Gestalt Reconditioning is here where we Blades get inputted in our DNA Structure is our Synergetic Code. The Synergetic Code within our reconstructed chromosomes is what allows us to use our technology. As the code has

biographical identification marker made up made up of several numbers, that contains information on an individual Blade Brothers. They contained other information as well, our combat record that is constantly undated, even other unnecessary info like our age. That was the old man doing not our doing oh well.

It was this Code, our Synergetic Code that our various robotic and A.I slaves scanned for as I pass through the halls of Quan Zhou. Hovering menial thralls halting their programmed duties to scan me for my Code before going back to their duties. The same went for the hidden weapons hidden through the halls, though now visible to normal human eyes. I can see they tracking my movement before the scan has been completed before reverting back to their original positions.

The same events played out for the next few minutes as I head towards another set of mechanical doors which upon the necessary clearance from me before beeping once as it shifted opened. On the opposite side of the doorway was a massive room not all too typical of Quan Zhou, what decorated the space in this space was row upon rows of arcane machines resembling a mix of large capsule and a test tube. Powered by otherworldly energy much like the Soulforge bathing the structures and the air around with beautiful lights.

This is Soul Fire Chamber.

Continuing on in the room I finally came upon my quarry there just ahead near the center of the room where a megastructure shaped like dyson sphere with three spinning concentric rings. Circling before a power source injected into the center of the sphere. Standing before it were my brothers Chen Shu, Matthew, Alex and Johnathan. All of whom clearly had just finished Saṃsāra being aid by the menial thralls seemly in the nude.

They already seemed to be aware of my presence as they shook off the robotic menial and stood before me in perfect mine line and gave me the unified salute. I simply acknowledge it with a nod as I walked up to them before coming to a halt just a few feet in front of them. Then I turned to address pod hovering beside me.

“Pod disable all security measures; I want the full system to go dark and shielded against all forms of surveillance. On my authority and personal seal as Captain General, this conversation will go no further, nothing leaves this room ensure I am not disturbed compliance?”

Pod beeped to its command as it floated away to perform its task. Slowly I could hear the various system being shut down, even the menial thralls were hurriedly hovering out of the room through the one entrance to this room. Before long even lights were shut off, the room was then basked in darkness only dimly lit by the aurora light dancing around us. I patiently waited for a signal from Pod. When a chime came notifying me that privacy protocols were in place, I looked again upon my brothers who all stood before me. Their limbs no doubt chafing and numb from the process of rebirth, their legs wobbled slightly this didn’t escape me, but still they stood tall and proud before me. Tall and enduring like the champions that I know them to be.

“Speak what happened?” I demanded a little forcefully I was pressed for time after all.

Chen Shu stepped forward to address my question his lips twitched only for the slightest motion and no noise came out of his throat. As least to a normal human sense I can hear exactly what he was saying to me. Yes, he was speaking to me.

Another one of our changes that we’ve achieved is being able to communicate at low frequency, and tactile contact that is undetectable to normal human senses. Even to an extent our very own transcend sense if we weren’t paying close attention. It was honestly humanly surprising to me why Chen Shu chose to use this method to communicate with me, he had vital intel that he didn’t want traversing outside this room. Even outside of our fellow brethren’s ears who could and would be listening in our conversation.

“We were ambushed. They went after the old man after he was called by the Chancellor we followed. We stood guard along the corridor as instructed by the old man while the War Master followed him into the chamber. However, during that time, we quickly noticed that our Observers within The Vermillion Forbidden City’s Citadel markers were disappearing.”

Johnathan started followed by Alex. “We debate amongst ourselves if we’re to investigate the incident but were quickly thwarted before we could even take action.”

“Yes, Liang Lì found that anomaly as well when we lost signal your signals when trying to review the data, what else can you tell me?”

So, Matthew then continued on. “We suddenly then received the distress beacon from the old man and we lost the War Master’s signal at the same moment we feared the worst. So, we rushed in, it was a trap they were waiting for us. It wasn’t any hurdle we couldn’t handle but the old man was gone.”

“Who did you all in then? Did you at least see what it was or who it was? A new weapon? Some unknown entity that we don’t know?” I asked again, my patience running thin by this point my hearts were beginning to beat heavily in my chest.

My brothers then turned to looked at one another as if deciding who should be the one to tell me. I could almost see something alien in their gaze at that moment, something I didn’t think was possibly in my kin ‘uncertainty’, ‘discomfort’? How was that possible? I felt my hearts begin to beat my third heart has also kicked as my senses became sharper, I can feel it my ears stranded themselves, I wanted to hear the answer with up most certainly.

Before finally long it was Chen Shu who told me what I wanted to know the answer that I was seeking. Only it was the one answer that I never could have imagined it to be. As the words left his throat it boomed loudly in my ear.

“It was Kwan Tai FengXian.” At that moment for the first time in twelve years I was honestly at a loss for words at the revelation.