“Esteemed Wise Men” - I began with my prepared speech, - “Humanity is facing a serious challenge in competing with other races for a place in the galaxy. As you all know, life in the universe follows a simple rule—only the strongest survive. Or, in other words, the most adaptable. Life is based on evolution, and living beings must adapt to changing circumstances. We, too, must evolve—into a higher form of life that will establish control over the entire galaxy. For millions of years, humans have adapted to changes in their environment. But now, in the age of space technology, changes are happening too quickly. Therefore, we must make an evolutionary leap, based not on our limited bodies but on the pride of our species—our intellect.”
I scanned the audience and made sure that the poisoned honey of my words was effectively seeping into the ears of those present, using the noodle as a delivery method.
“Humans have always been weaker than the species around them. But they have always been smarter. And now, at our moment of weakness, we must use our intellect to become stronger, faster, and more powerful. It is with this goal that I have created the human augmentation project, which will allow us to rightfully call ourselves the superior form of life.”
I noticed that the third figure began muttering to himself, covering his head with his hands:
“Not Evangelion, not Evangelion! I can't take it.”
Heh, he’s really sweating it out.
“I won’t speak at length, but rather get straight to the point. I want to demonstrate the next step in human evolution—the Vritras.” - With these words, one of the guards at the door stepped onto the stage. This time, he was not in a spacesuit but in simple military attire. Or rather, his body was displaying the clothing. – “This person has undergone the transformation process and achieved true immortality. He cannot be killed by destroying his body, and he possesses magic. Even in the unlikely event of death, he can be reborn, retaining his memory and consciousness. He does not age, does not need food, does not feel pain, but can experience pleasure. Such soldiers will be able to conquer any world because it is impossible to resist an army whose soldiers are immortal and do not require rest, supplies, or ammunition.”
The noise in the hall grew louder, so I had to pause to avoid shouting. The time for an angry sermon had not yet arrived.
“Who let him in here?”
“Is this a necromancer conspiracy?”
“So, you’re saying he’s immortal?” - The loudest voice rang out.
“Yes...”
“Kill him.” - The command came before I could give a detailed answer.
Several guards exchanged glances, and then one of the three Vritras present immediately raised his gun and shredded his comrade into pieces with a burst of fire. But within a couple of seconds, the bloody and charred body parts reassembled, forming a whole person. I was confident that the heavy blaster shots would not damage the crystal, but the 'subject' had taken precautions by placing it in the heel of his left foot.
The noise turned into an uproar. People jumped from their seats and began talking loudly, waving their arms. A few individuals decided to approach the Vritras up close to inspect him. Judging by the situation, no one would be listening to me for the next two hours. Instead, everyone would be pouring their opinions into the void, trying to prove the exceptional importance of their views. So, I sat down and began reading a book on the basics of local magic. Since free time had emerged, it was worth using it productively.
Two hours were not enough for the assembled crowd, so the meeting was postponed until the next day. And I hadn’t even explained how and at what cost this immortality was achieved. However, it seemed that the 'wise men' were not interested in such details.
The next day, the Council gathered in an expanded format. I was brought to a huge hall where two hundred people were comfortably seated. The platform where I was situated was enclosed by a protective force field. Apparently, the local bigwigs were worried about their safety. Among the players were only myself and the creator of the terminators.
Next to the main podium, in front of the protective field, a small portable platform was set up where three wise man sat, including Nikos Papadopoulos. I exchanged promising glances with him, but we did not have a closer interaction.
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“So, gentlemen, let’s get started.” - The speaker proclaimed twenty minutes after the official start time of the meeting. The noise and commotion gradually subsided, and he continued. – “By decision of the expert council, the first and third projects have been rejected. We no longer have enough resources for the first project, and the third one has a serious flaw. Although the isolated area of space could indeed last for more than a hundred thousand years, life within it would only be possible for the first couple of days. Kira Xenakis has been sentenced by the military court to be sent to a combat zone as a kamikaze pilot—oh, excuse me, as a fighter pilot.”
The laughter in the hall indicated that the audience appreciated the joke.
“Now we will discuss the two remaining projects and choose among them one worthy of implementation. I pass the floor to Ivor Pendragon, who volunteered to present the Council of Wise Men with the second project.”
The man seated to the right of the speaker turned on his microphone and began his speech, consulting the text on his tablet.
“First of all, I would like to point out that out of the two remaining projects, only this one does not involve turning all present into one of the types of magical abominations.” - With this, Ivor glared menacingly at me. – “Regarding the essence of the second project. It involves the construction of fully automated factories under the Council's control. These factories will be located in the orbits of stars near asteroid belts. Automated miners will gather ore and deliver it to the factories, which will produce combat robots of various modifications.”
“After forming an army of robots, they will be sent to one of the main worlds, where they will be blessed with the power of God Odin, making them invulnerable to magic. Then an innumerable army of holy robots will march against the non-humans and sweep them away in one fell swoop in the name of the gods and...”
“Ahem!” - The speaker, whose name no one had bothered to tell me, interrupted the sermon. – “Let’s stick to describing events we can actually forecast.”
“Uh... alright.” - The orator agreed. – “According to calculations, constructing one factory will take three months, after which it will be able to produce over a billion robots per year. Given the current settlement zone and the constant production of new factories based on existing capacities, we will be able to overwhelm our main opponents with sheer numbers within four years. By then, we will have one hundred Holy Odin Robots for every enemy soldier!” - The lecturer pounded the table with his fist in a burst of enthusiasm. – “And we won’t have to betray the vows of our ancestors by turning ourselves into one of the undead.”
Ivor Pendragon glared at the hall with such hatred that it was clear his faction was in the minority. Otherwise, his gaze would have been one of disdainful contempt rather than hatred.
Despite the recognized authority of the Council of Wise Men, all its activities were conducted behind closed doors. People learned about the Council's decisions not even after they were made but after they had been implemented. The identities of the 'wise men' were also shrouded in secrecy, and only a few individuals, like Nikos Papadopoulos, were known to the general public. It seemed that in this world, the Illuminati had won, and they didn't even find it necessary to hide from anyone. Rather, this secrecy was a result of ordinary disregard for the opinions of the 'common folk.' There had never been democratic elections here, so enlightening the people about their rulers was not on anyone's agenda. A lot of honor indeed.
The passionate speech of the proponent of the holy robots concluded, and the floor was given to my protégé.
“Esteemed members of the Council” - Nikos Papadopoulos began, - “Last night I thoroughly reviewed all the documentation for the fourth project, as well as the reports from our analysts.” - When did he manage to get the documentation? Did John Doe bring all the compromising material collected by my rivals along with me? – “Unlike the second project, we won’t need to wait for the construction of any factories and then hope to overwhelm our enemies with machines. We can start pressing our enemies today. The human augmentation project is fully completed.” - What a plagiarist! Just as I said a wise word, he stole it right away. – “And it's not just about forming an army. The goals of this project are much broader. I dare say it is indeed a way to save humanity. To save each of you. To save those dear to you.”
Nikos made a dramatic pause and cast a meaningful glance over everyone present.
“We are talking about every person being able to achieve immortality. About being able to bring back to life even those loved ones who have already died.” - A surprised murmur ran through the hall. – “Humans can rise to the level of gods.” - I could clearly hear Pendragon grinding his teeth. – “Humanity deserves more. We deserve to not hide behind soulless machines but to face our enemies head-on and tear them apart, affirming our evolutionary superiority.” - This time, the hall erupted in approving cheers that showed no sign of dying down. – “Humanity has once again proven that it is the pinnacle of evolution. The fusion of magic and technology, the fusion of secret spiritual knowledge and our philosophical beliefs, has allowed us to make a leap forward, leaving all non-humans behind. And tell me, will you take this step or cowardly stop just a step from your triumph out of fear of violating the outdated vows of the ancestors?” - Approving shouts came from the hall. – “Gentlemen, I believe you will make the right decision.”