Lucas watched as Khalid made his way out of the training area. For a brief second, he was tempted to deal with the man permanently. He knew he could kill the Major with relative ease. Sure, Helix might be just the combat techno-medic of Mobile Assault and Sabotage Squad Demon, but he was still a Gen 3 Demon. He was handcrafted by the ordained scientists at the Osiris facility through the use of taboo technology with the single goal of destroying the enemies of the Holy Terran Empire. His training pushed even his outstanding body to its limits, only to be immediately thrown into the fires of the most brutal war the human species ever fought. And the Innari commander was just a human. No matter how experienced and how many cybernetic augmentations Khalid had installed under his skin, the gap between them was insurmountable.
Yes, killing the Major would be an easy thing that would solve some of Luca’s current problems. However, doing so would also cause him a slew of headaches further down the line. Like it or not, he needed the Innari if he wished to gain absolute control over Last Hope. Not that that would solve anything, but it would give Lucas some breathing room. Something he desperately needed. Although the Demon was used to working behind enemy lines, the actual infiltration and sabotage were done by the Oni members of MASS Demon. Helix and others were responsible for destroying the targets their lesser kin marked. This made his current situation an anomaly, and improvisation was going to take him only so far. He required a proper plan if he were to survive this strange new world he found himself in after spending the last seven centuries or more in involuntary cryo-sleep.
“Special Psionic Investigation Unit? What the fuck, man!” Zoë hissed next to him, thankfully keeping her voice low. “Why do you do this? Seriously, what the bloody hell did I do to you? Why do you keep inventing new ways to ruin my life?”
He could tell her the truth, but that was more likely to make her more paranoid that he was lying to her. Besides, Lucas wasn’t sure how to do it because he himself was still struggling to come to terms with the revelation that she was an Oni. Well, in the broadest definition possible. But that didn’t change the fact that she possessed the genetic structure of one, which made her – for lack of a better word – family. However, the girl lacked the training, mentality, discipline and implants of a true Oni. Not to mention that unlike him and all the other creations of the Osiris facility, she wasn’t sterile, which explained her disquieting sexual attraction towards him. In more ways than one, her existence was one of Lucas’ biggest problems.
“Zoë, I can promise you that I have never lied to you…”
“Ri-i-i-i-ght. And I’m supposed to trust that?” The Second Officer pouted, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Ideally – yes.”
Her expression told him everything. Of course, she thought Lucas was lying through his teeth. She would have to be an idiot to trust him completely. No matter how interested he was in her, Zoë Kurtz was a stranger to him and a potential threat. But that didn’t change the fact that he desired to form a friendlier connection with her, at least as much as his cautious nature would allow. The Demons guarded their secrets very closely. Paranoia and mistrust were a part of their very existence, but still, they couldn’t lie. Twist the truth to serve their purpose or trick people into doing something they would never do – for sure. In that regard, Lucas was the best and the worst of them all, as Athena had told him. Not only she but Casper, Jasper, Poline – every single Lucifer in his squad after Athena – shared the same conviction that, at times, he was purposefully misleading them. It was the closest any of the other Demons had come to accusing him of being a liar. However, these weren’t words spoken in malice; on the contrary, they were meant as a show of concern, an expression of regret because, at the end of the day, they understood the reasoning behind it. As the squad’s medic, Helix had no other choice but to hide certain truths from his comrades. In that regard, he and Virgil were the same.
“Lu! You’re our brother, damn it! There’s no need to deceive us,” Samuel’s words came unbidden to his mind. He recalled the anger in Lucifer’s voice at the time when he learned that Helix had failed to report how serious Carthage’s wounds had been during what was supposed to be a trivial boarding mission. But if the medic hadn’t kept quiet about it, Virgil would have ordered one of the others to aid them instead of focusing his attention on taking the ship’s bridge.
“I could really use your advice, my friend,” Lucas closed his eyes for a moment, fighting off the pain in his heart. He despised the emotion which overwhelmed him every time he was reminded that all of his comrades were dead.
“What was that?” Zoë’s curious voice made Helix realise that he had unconsciously spoken in his native Unue.
“It’s personal,” was all he managed to give her as a response, thankful that the girl didn’t press him further for an explanation.
“Uhm… Helix?”
“Yes, Miss Kurtz,” Lucas prepared himself for more questions mixed with accusations.
“What’s your name?”
“Come again?” That was definitely not what he expected from her.
“You keep introducing yourself as Helix, but that’s not true, is it?” She looked at him intently, observing every minute change in his expression. “It’s a false name you use while on a mission, isn’t it?”
Lucas chuckled. “Believe it or not, Zoë, Helix is my official name. It was chosen by the Cardinals before I was even… born.”
“Don’t. Just don’t,” the Second Officer shook her head. “If you don’t want to answer, that’s fine. But just don’t treat me like an idiot.”
“Officer Kurtz, I advise you to choose your words carefully.” Oni or not, he wasn’t going to allow anyone to speak to him in such a condescending tone.
“Oh! You think I’m out of line? You are the one who’s acting like a fucking prick all the time! And what? You expect me just to take it like I’m sort of an obedient pet?” The girl snapped at him, her body tensing for a fight.
“Yes, Miss Kurtz. Until you prove me wrong, you are exactly that – a pet. I will allow you as much freedom as I see fit, and I will correct your behaviour when I deem it inappropriate.” Lucas kept his voice level while tracking her every movement.
He had to consciously disengage his implants from triggering. However, the medic made a note of the girl’s sudden change in behaviour. It could be something as simple as stress or an indicator that her implants were still interfering with her body. In Zoë’s current state, both were equally possible. Although Lucas made sure to disable them, there was a chance that he might have missed a backup trigger or something like that. Despite his initial observation, the truth was that the hardware inside of her was a mystery to him. It worked as a limiter, preventing Officer Kurtz from using the full abilities of her Oni genetic makeup and, at the same time, the implants served as a booster for a number of basic physical traits.
“I’m going to make you eat those words!” Zoë all but screamed at him before lunging forward.
Without thinking, Lucas stepped to the side. Catching her outstretched arm, he used the girl’s momentum to push her further away. He wanted to test the full extent of what she was capable of, but not like that. Zoë wasn’t thinking; she was just swinging wildly, driven by her anger and frustration. Still, a part of him relished the idea of a proper fighting session. Apart from the giant tech Felix King, Lucas doubted there was anyone on Last Hope who could match his strength.
“You are free to try, Miss Kurtz,” Helix chuckled.
“Shut the fuck up!” The girl sprinted towards him and jumped in an attempt to tackle him.
It was disappointing to the point he almost lost interest in continuing this. Well, almost. Taking advantage of the opportunity the Second Officer gave him, Lucas leaned with the tackle and used his legs to throw the girl across the training area. To his surprise, Zoë didn’t slam head-first against the safety glass. As he lay on the ground, he saw the split-second twist of her body as he dived mid-air towards the floor. It would have worked if there was enough space, but as it was, Zoë still hit the glass wall with her back.
“I’m not impressed, Miss Kurtz,” the Demon clicked his tongue as he shook his head in an exaggerated fashion. “The farmers on Keslow proved more of a challenge.”
“Stop talking and fight like a man!” Zoë yelled at him as she jumped back up.
From where he stood, he noticed that as she took a boxing stance, she unconsciously flicked her wrists. If he had to guess, she was so used to having impact gloves equipped that the motion had become a habit. On its own, this wasn’t a bad thing, but it was still a major flow. She was practically telling her opponent what she was planning. Lucas added that to the list of things he had to correct as he began to approach her slowly.
It didn’t take long before the girl’s patience ran out, and she charged him. At least this time, she kept her feet firmly on the floor. The first few punches were easy to deflect, but then Zoë began to increase the speed of her attacks. Jab, jab, hook, switch from right to left hand and repeat. Lucas would have laughed if not for how sad her attempt was at fighting him. He simply couldn’t believe that this was the extent of her skill. It just couldn’t be.
Feeling his anger rise, the Demon struck the fist of her right hand with a straight punch, causing it to bounce off of her own forehead. Before Zoë could get her bearings, he closed the distance, delivering a clean uppercut to her chin with his left arm and finished his attack with an elbow strike to the right side of her head, sending her to the ground. However, instead of going in for the kill, Lucas took a step back.
“Miss Kurtz, I’m at a loss at what to do with you,” he said calmly while the girl tried to clear her vision after being knocked down. “If you’re experiencing any problematic symptoms, such as joint pains, shortness of breath, dizziness, lightheadedness – things like that – you should have told me beforehand. It’s the only way I can accept your miserable performance.”
“Gee, I don’t know,” Zoë slurred as she finally got back up. An obvious sign of concussion. “I might have had a heart-replacement surgery recently. But don’t worry,” she snorted, her breathing heavier than usual, “I’m just getting warmed up.”
“If you insist.” Lucas smiled at her. He didn’t need to be a medic to see that she was in no condition to continue. Still, he liked the fire in her eyes. It reminded him so much of Morgana and the other Oni on the rare occasions they sparred with the Demons. It gave him hope that he hadn’t made the wrong choice with Zoë. Although, outside of basic training, he had no real idea what else to teach her.
To her credit, the Second Officer surprised him by going for his legs. She even possessed enough speed to force Lucas to block instead of avoiding the swipe. What followed were a series of kicks and punches, which tested his reflex. For a moment, the combat medic considered triggering his implants; however, he stopped himself. Not because it would be unfair but because, as the girl pointed out, she was still recovering from major surgery. It didn’t matter how quickly her body could heal without the interference of the implants; she would require another week or so before he could consider her fit for deployment.
“I was being honest with you, Zoë,” Helix said as he ducked under another right hook. “The Cardinals in charge of Osiris decided my name before I was conceived.” He blocked a kick with his shin and tried to disrupt her balance. “My name, my training, my specialisation, my purpose. They were all decided long before I existed.”
“So? You were a child soldier or something?” Zoë asked as she put some distance between them after he scored a hit in her ribs.
“Or something – yes.” The Demon dropped his stance, seeing that Officer Kurtz could barely stand on her feet. She had clearly overexerted herself, trying to match his speed during the short bout. “In time, I’ll share more with you on that topic. I promise.”
“Yeh, right.” She wiped the sweat from her face with the back of her hand. “All you do is say trust me, but I don’t know if I can. You constantly twist the truth, and between that and lying, I don’t know which is worse.”
Helix was about to answer her, but before he could open his mouth, Zoë hurled herself at him. Most likely, she had assumed that she had caught him off-guard. However, the girl hadn’t realised that she was running on fumes. Her speed was nowhere near what it was a few seconds ago, and her punch was too obvious. It was time, Lucas put an end to this. He grabbed her hand and, with a practised move, stepped behind Zoë, still holding the limb in his iron grip. The sound of the joint popping told him the exact moment the shoulder was dislocated so that he could let go of her arm. But the Demon wasn’t finished. Before she could scream, he spun the girl around and punched her in the stomach. As her body curled, he grabbed her head and slammed her face against his knee. Zoë fell to the padded floor of the training area unconscious. Turning her around, Lucas knelt next to her and slapped her cheek gently. The Second Officer opened her eyes and coughed violently, spitting blood. Her breathing was a mix of rasps and heavy pants, but after a couple of seconds, he could see that she was fully aware of her surroundings.
“I warned you before, Zoë. I’m faster, and I’m stronger than you.” He said as he placed his palm against her chest and pushed her back to the ground before she could try to stand up. “But I don’t need a pet. I want you to be my partner. To be someone I can trust.”
“Uh-huh,” she nodded slowly, fear visible in her bright green eyes.
“You see, me and those like me, we secretly gave ourselves names too. Names we used with one another and shared only with those worthy to know our secrets.” He smiled as he saw the fear fade away. “For me, Lucifer chose Lucas. After a minor Terran Lord from the Scripture of André the Sick.”
Stolen story; please report.
“So… Can I call you Lucas?” Zoë asked in between pants.
“That depends on you, Miss Kurtz. Are you going to trust me?” He chuckled softly as he saw her ponder his question. “We’ll talk more later. Now, hold still. Your nose is broken,
and I don’t want you choking on your own blood.”
----------------------------------------
Jack slowly let go of the breath he was holding.
There was no turning back now. Unlike the temperate climate within the rest of the Fall of Regret, the section which contained the stasis machine was almost frigidly cold. He spent a moment observing the large cloud of steam as it escaped his lips. Shifting his eyes, he spared a passing glance over the serfs working on the bulky device, noting that none of them were human. Unlike the four dozen Ul-Batyr slaves controlled by Ulvaka’Ul and Efliki’Ul, they were free aliens who had pledged themselves to the Void Spawned. However, the first face Carnage saw after being taken out of stasis had to be human. That wasn’t just a rule passed from one generation to the next but a hard lesson taught in the blood of dozens. Sadly, it was also one Jack had to learn for himself the first time he had to release the monster. So, to have three Davii, a Buran and a Tz’ra around was a recipe for disaster. A problem Jack would have to deal with before the awakening right was completed.
For the tenth time, he wondered if this was indeed the right course of action. However, Scraaha was the one to demand they rouse Carnage. Not request, but actually demand it. It was no secret that the Xith pilot of the Fall of Regret despised the woman entombed inside the stasis machine as much as it feared her, which made it hard for Jack to ignore the annoying Xith. Still, he made a note to remind the pilot who was in charge of the Void Spawned while Carnage slumbered. Sure, she might have created their group, but she wasn’t around to call the shots. That was all, Jack. He was the one who brought them out of the abyss they had sunken into during the time of his predecessor. It was just one of the many reasons why Carnage made him ship commander.
A slight tremor of the floor plating made Jack push away the thought and focus on the present. He hoped that it was caused by the stasis machine, but seeing Haar lumber on his four stubby legs in his direction made him let out a frustrated sigh. Speaking with the Tz’ra was an unsettling experience. Personally, Jack couldn’t care less about the alien’s appearance, although he had a lot to say about it. No, his problem was with the translator device surgically attached to the bone growth covering the lower half of Haar’s semi-transparent blister-like head. Unlike all other sapient species, the Tz’ra did not possess vocal cords, nor did they have any form of psionic telepathy; instead, they relied on a series of gas sacks to communicate. Because of this, Jack could hear the disquieting mix of gurgles and hisses a fraction of a second before the translator.
“There something I wish to inform about, Captain Zack.”
“Jack.” He corrected, despite knowing it was futile.
“Yes, Zack.” Haar weaved his stalk-like body to the side, indicating his confusion.
“It’s Jack.”
“Yes. That what I say – Zack.”
“Just tell me what you wanted to say,” Jack grunted. The last time he tried to argue with the Tz’ra about the pronunciation of his name, they had gone through the same lines for well over an hour. At this point, he was pretty sure that there was no problem with the translator device and that the alien was doing this on purpose just to annoy him.
“Very well.” With a deceptively sluggish movement, Haar picked one of the data pads hanging around the trunk-like wrist of his arm. “You sure you want us to bring Carnage out of sleep-state?”
The two Xith warrior cast escorting Jack took a step forward, the spines on the backs of their chitinous bodies beginning to rise. The ion lances in their clawed hands come to life with the distinct smell of burning ozone. From the corner of his eye, he could see that the lower jaws on the plated triangular head of one to his left were extended, clearly indicating that this was a warning. However, Jack knew his bodyguards could and would escalate the situation in a second. Like all Xith, regardless of their cast, the pair took their job very seriously and were quick to lash out at the slightest provocation. It didn’t help that they were exceptionally sensitive to his mood, which was a problem of its own because Xith often misread human emotions.
“Chraax, Zriixi, stand down,” he commanded with a steel voice. This wasn’t the first time the pair mistook his annoyance for anger. “Serf Haar has not offended me. Have you Haar?”
“I never dare, Captain Zack.” There was something amusing hearing the lack of emotion from the translator when the Tz’ar’s panicked hisses were as obvious as a collapsing star.
“Why did you want to speak to me, Haar?” Jack asked after a few more seconds of indulging himself in the alien’s misery.
“Yes. Of course, Captain Zack. I aks if you sure you want to bring Carnage out of her sleep-state. Reason for my question because if we do this, we will not able to put her back into sleep-state.”
“Is there something wrong with the stasis machine?” Jack asked, suddenly worried about the consequences of what that would mean for him and the Void Spawned.
There was a reason Carange was kept in this cage. She was unpredictable, dangerous and, without a doubt, suffering from severe psychosis. Without thinking, his eyes moved away from Haas and focused on the tank-sized device. It was an unreasonably complicated piece of technology with triple safeguards and twice as many backups for each of its vital components. The very idea that something might have failed was laughable, but at the same time, there was no one alive anymore who knew how the stasis machine functioned. Through the years, the serfs expressed numerous times the need to examine the device’s inner workings in case something did fail. However, like his predecessors, Jack was reluctant to allow it. The risk of damaging the thing beyond repair and having Carange loose for a prolonged period of time was just too great.
“No. Stasis device working without change from last time. Problem appears with our stock of biochemical components required to trigger sleep-state cycle. Remaining quantity too low for this.” The words were coming one after the other without end, grinding Jack’s last nerve.
“Enough! There is nothing wrong with the machine. Yes or no?”
“No. Stasis—”
“Yes or no.”
“No.”
“We are out of supplies for the machine?”
“Yes.”
That wasn’t right. Jack would rather skip on ammunition for the Fall of Regret than risk Carnage waking up. He personally made sure they had enough chems for five years the last time they were in Khanate territory. That was well over three years ago, and he knew basic math. This meant that the Void Spawned would need a reminder of what happens when they disobey his orders. Jack might not be much of a fighter, but he made up for that by being a good leader. He knew when to be lenient and when to be strict and when the situation demanded it cruel. And this was one of those rare occasion when he would joyfully explore the depths of his cruelty.
“Why?” Jack asked the only question currently inhabiting his mind.
“Tororo Spr.”
“Tororo Spr?!” For a heartbeat, he was ready to unleash the Xith escorting him but managed to restrain himself.
The main reason was that Haar was a Tz’ra, and his species was as naïve as a toddler. There wasn’t a single deceptive cell in his body, but that also meant that Jack could lie to his face, and Haar would trust him unconditionally. The captain of the Fall of Regret didn’t know if this was because of some incomprehensible religious belief or a result of the species being a newcomer to the galactic stage.
“Yes, Captain Zack. Tororo Spr, leader of science group working here.”
“Taylor Spear…” Jack finally realised whose name the Tz’ra was failing miserably to pronounce. “The master of the serf? That Taylor Spear? Are you sure? Do you have any evidence?”
“Of course, Captain Zack,” Haar stomped his stubby front legs, a gesture Jack was still struggling to decipher. “On several different occasions, I saw leader of science group several times use biochemical components to make stimulants for himself and a few of other crew members. Have feed video capture of last conversation with Tororo Spr, where I urge him to tell you truth.”
Jack tore the offered data pad from Haar’s meaty hand and watched the minute-long recording in stunned silence. He didn’t want to believe it, but it was exactly as the alien claimed—Spear was using the stasis machine supply to synthesise drugs. Until now, Jack had turned a blind eye to how the Void Spawned spent their time during the long trips between missions. He knew his people needed a source of entertainment, and recreational drugs were an acceptable solution. Hell, a third of the frigate’s cargo hold was filled by Pyro, Red Tar and Draya Dust. And yet, despite that, Spear was making cheap imitations of the same to feed his friends.
“Chraax, go to cargo bay alpha and space storage sections A through F.” His voice came out colder than the freezing temperature of the stasis chamber. “Haar, continue with the awakening ritual.”
“Yes, Dominator.” With that, the Xith on his left scurried away on its six spider-like legs.
“Yes, Captain Zack…” The alien continued to speak for a while longer, but Jack was no longer paying attention to his words. Instead, he opened a private channel to the two people most suitable for his plans.
“Gina, Vi. Assemble your Blood Hands and go to the lower decks. Bring Taylor Spear to the Chapple. Anyone tries to stop you – break them.”
“Did he piss you off, boss?” The twins answered at the same time, their voices mixing into an eerie echo over the feed. “Is Carnage awake yet? I miss her. No, I miss her more. No, I.”
“I want him alive, or it’s your heads,” Jack added, in no mood for their antics, before closing the channel.
He focused his attention on the serfs working on the stasis machine in order to distract himself. The first indicator that something was happening was the slow change in temperature. At first, he wasn’t sure if his body had gotten used to the cold, but his breath was no longer producing a thick cloud as it did when he entered. Then, without warning, there was a loud crack, and the thin layer of frost covering the pod embedded at the centre of the machine slid to the sterile plates of the floor. Even without being close enough to read them, he knew that the red glows on the numerous displays were warning messages that the stasis machine was powering down.
Steeling himself, Jack barked the last command he would be issuing for the foreseeable future.
“All non-humans clear out of the chamber.” He then turned to the remaining Xith. “If the worst happens, seal off the chamber and cut off life-support. No matter what, Carnage cannot be allowed to exit this place.”
“I obey, Dominator,” Zriixi slammed its clawed fist against the thick plating of its upper torso. Without breaking eye contact with the pod, the Xith moved backwards at a speed that would be a light jog for a human.
Closing his eyes, Jack began to put his thoughts in order. Any conversation with Carnage was a challenge when she was lucid. But in the moments after exiting stasis, the monster would be disoriented and confused. He had to be very careful with his words. Before he knew it, five minutes had passed, and the pod had risen from its horizontal position. The pop of the locks made him jump. This was it.
“Jack!” Scraaha’s voice came through the feed. “A ship was hidden from my scans in the station’s shadow. Human design. Atlas-class transport frigate. UR military signature. Switching to—”
He disabled all feed channels, cursing his luck. But before any word could escape his lips, Carnage’s sweet voice reached his ears.
“Alpus… Where is Cardinal Zhu?” Although he couldn’t see her yet through the cloud of condensed gasses, he could feel her burning eyes on him.
“Venerated Zhu died five hundred and seventy-two years ago,” Jack gave the rehearsed response in a shaky voice.
“Ten years! He said ten years!” He heard the restraints holding Carnage snap, and a pair of bloody red orbs became visible through the fog. Not a good sign. She was supposed to be calmer. “Jack? No… You’re not Jack! Who are you? Why do you look like him?”
The sound of another restraint snapping tore through the silence of the chamber like a gunshot. However, before he could open his mouth, a blood-chilling laughter came from the fog, followed by Carnage’s calm, honeyed voice.
“Bone, infanoj. Vi amuziĝis. Serioze, ĉi tio estas stulta petolo. Vergilio, mi scias, ke vi aŭdas min! Forigu min el ĉi tiu aparato antaŭ ol mi vere koleros.” A feral cry shook Jack to the core before the woman’s voice turned into a mixture of growls and yells. “How dare you die, bastards! Who gave you the right to leave me alone? You!”
Jack felt Carnage’s gaze fall upon him again as he dropped to one knee, eyes fixed on the floor.
“Jack…? Yes. Jack, could you call Alpus? The treatment didn’t work… I can still feel her inside.” There was a sharp intake of breath before she continued, the sweetness gone from her voice, replaced by a deep sorrow. “She blames me that I didn’t die with them. I wanted to return, but there were too many of them…”
“Shit! I’m out of ammo! Malŝarĝo, atentu! Rapidu, damne! Mi ne povas teni ilin!” Carnage’s savage scream tore through him like a blade, and he heard the last of the restraints snap.
The best course of action was to let the psychotic episode play out. As long as Jack didn’t draw attention to himself, the monster would remain relatively docile. What bothered him was that by now, Carnage’s memories should have settled, and she should have been able to distinguish between what was real and what wasn’t. But it looked like she was falling deeper and deeper into her delusion.
And then, all of a sudden, the monstrous woman fell silent. Jack held his breath, unsure if it was safe to stand up. The last thing he wanted was to agitate her again and spark another episode. Still, he couldn’t stay like this forever. He gathered his courage and made to stand up when he heard Carnage’s feet hit the ice-covered steel plates of the floor. For a moment, Jack thought that her silence was going to swallow him, and then he felt cold cybernetic fingers caress his left cheek.
“My sweet, loyal Jack. I can always count on you… There’s no need to prostrate yourself like that; you’re a Nephelim, Lieutenant. Have some dignity.” Carnage’s soft voice reached his ears, tempting him to lower his guard.
“Ma’am, where do you think you are?” Jacked asked, knowing that he had to take control of the conversion and slowly guide the insane woman away from her delusions.
“The Kazra… No. You wouldn’t ask if that was the case.” There was a short pause during which she stopped caressing his cheek. “This room is roughly forty cubic meters smaller. And you are not Jack. Who are you?”
“Jack Herzog, ma’am. Acting Commander of the Fall of Regret.” He suppressed a shiver as Carnage’s fingers pulled away the collar at the back of his shirt. “You appointed me as such sixteen years ago.”
“I see. So, you’re one of Zhu’s… toys. That’s why you look so much like Jack.” Before he could ask her what that was supposed to mean, Carnage barked a question of her own. “What happened to my cruiser, Lieutenant?”
“The Kazra was destroyed during the siege of Rom over two centuries ago. All hands lost.” He made sure to keep his voice as steady as possible despite the cybernetic claws pressing at the base of his neck. “Under your guidance, the Void Spawned recovered and installed the stasis device on the Fall of Regret. A partial archive was recovered of Venerated Zhu’s research files—”
“Enough!” Carnage roared. “I remember... D’ragha, Xith frigate, the only one who didn’t run away,” she sighed. “Rom was a bloody mess… Too many secrets were revealed because I thought I could imitate what the others did. Remember this, Jack… Never take advice from the dead.”
“I will keep that in mind,” Jack spoke quietly, trying to wrap his mind around what the monster was trying to say. At least her memory was coming back, which made the next part slightly easier. “Scraaha has detected a cybernetic abomination—”
“Is that what the filth called it?” Carnage interrupted.
“Its exact words, ma’am.”
“I finally found you.” Her cybernetic arm gently patted his head. “Jack, this place is sacred… It must be cleansed. Turned into a tomb so that my brothers and sisters can finally rest.”
----------------------------------------