The Chief knew he was screwed. He had known it from the moment Dr Werner triggered every possible alarm on Lost Hope. But the gravity of the mess he was in was lost to him until now. This time, there was no fixing this, not after the first shots were fired between those still loyal to him and the bastards who chose to side with the Commodore. It was a small miracle that, somehow, he had managed to put the brakes on, and the violence stopped after a handful of actual firefights. Four hours of threats, directing multiple units without access to the feed using short radio bursts as if they were some primitives. Yes, Donovan had every right to call what he achieved a miracle. And yet, all his efforts only led to both sides entrenching themselves on either side of Section 05.
To make matters worse, the conversation with Helix had gone poorly. Actually, it was worse than that. The damned bastard had made it clear that he didn’t care at all about what happened to the Chief and cared even less about Monic and her demands. Still, for some unfathomable reason, the insane woman believed that she had won just because Helix had told her that she would get everything she wanted. After that, that monster locked himself along with Dr Saiko in one of the labs, leaving Donovan to clean up the mess. That was until about forty minutes ago when he received a message from Helix telling him to go welcome the Knight Protector.
Donovan could feel the tension build in his shoulders. The last time he had stood at attention for so long was back at his graduation ceremony from the Academy. And it would be quite some time more because the ship that had entered Docking station 2-24 was an old Atlas-class transport frigate in poor condition. It would be at least another ten minutes before he could stand at ease again. Either the Council’s hound was in a hurry and had boarded the first available bucket, or there was more about the Neuronic than what met the eye. Neither option was particularly appealing. Well, it didn’t matter really. The moment the von Eisstahl bitch’s foot stepped on the decking, she was going to be the one in charge. Which meant that she would be the one to deal with Helix, Neverok and this entire overwhelming pile of shit. Hell, Donovan would be happy to wait it all out in a holding cell.
The Chief allowed himself a moment to look around, and his face twisted in a scowl. The five guards, standing a step behind him, weren’t here to serve as an impromptu escort. They were here to make sure Donovan didn’t do anything stupid. Franko, Terrance, Ming, Moletz and Vlasis had always been troublemakers. Former gangers who were sent to Lost Hope because the prisons on their homeworld ran out of space. It didn’t help that all five of them belonged to the same cartel. So, it wasn’t much of a surprise that, along with the other eight who were guarding the entrance to section 01, they had thrown their lot with Helix. The real problem was that each one of them was itching to put a magnetically accelerated slug through the back of the Chief’s head.
Seeing Monic’s giddy expression didn’t help either. The Commodore’s Agent stood on his left, dressed in a borrowed Security uniform. Even she wasn’t that crazy to go back to Rust Town for a pair of clothes. That place was a bomb ready to explode, and Donovan could only imagine what several thousand agitated miners were up to.
“That Helix fellow is something else. Tell me, Don, who the fuck is he?” Monic spoke quietly, tearing him away from his nasty thoughts.
“What are you on about?” Although he had a very good idea of what she was talking about, Donovan couldn’t believe the woman was asking him this right now, making the anger in his voice more than justifiable.
“You know what I’m talking about.” She scoffed, and he could see her body tense. “And don’t give me that crap that he’s TF 36. That man’s something else – a monster. Trying to brush against his thoughts…” The woman shivered. “No wonder Neverok crapped his pants.”
Donovan’s stomach tightened, and he felt a pit form in his heart as he listened to this madness. “You…” For the first time in ages, the Chief’s voice failed him. He had to make a conscious effort to prevent his body from shaking with the despair-filled rage he felt.
“Psionic. Yeh.” Monic’s voice was reduced to a barely audible whisper. “Lower Class I Empath. Before you piss your panties, shithead, that’s barely on the register. Can’t do more than catch surface-level emotions.”
“Monic, for the love of everything you hold dear, tell me you’re joking!” The Chief nearly shouted. He tried to compose himself as he sensed the five men behind him shift, their hands moving closer to the coil pistols at their hips.
“This is a private conversation!” He barked at them with a shaky voice. “Unless you lot are interested in joining me for a good fuck later tonight, it ain’t got nothing to do with you.”
That got his unwanted shadows to move more than a step back. It wasn’t a secret that he and Monic were an item, and as far as they were concerned, that hadn’t changed. And everyone in Security knew that the woman wasn’t happy to share her bed with anyone other than Donovan.
“Be careful, Don. I might just find the idea of watching you get railed by five men an interesting one.”
It took all of the Chief’s willpower not to snap at her. Now wasn’t the time for crude jokes.
“I like it when you’re angry,” she giggled before her face became as hard as a cruiser’s hull.
“Don’t need my gifts to know what you’re thinking.” This time, there was a very serious warning in her whisper. “Psionics might be outlawed, but well, there are always exceptions.”
“Academy High Command would never—”
“Are you stupid, Don? Of course, they would allow it. What? You think just because the Empire uses psionics, the Academy won’t?” The woman hesitated for a second, perhaps realising that she shared a little too much this time. “Sure, the brass have some, let’s call them misgivings, but they aren’t going to let a valuable strategic advantage slip through their fingers. Trust me, the High Commodore’s Office has been putting extra work on how to best control us.”
“That’s insanity!” He hissed. She was playing with him; she had to be. The unrestrained and brutal use of psionics was at the core of the Liberation Wars.
Monic’s mirthless chuckle sent shivers down his spine. “No. What’s insane is that they’re thinking of accepting Class III Mind Scramblers as Agents.”
Donovan felt sick. The Academy was secretly reinstating psi-whips. The same monsters who patrol the streets of Imperial worlds, digging through peoples’ thoughts with impunity in their search for dissent. Like every cadet, he had seen the smuggled video captures of resistance members’ minds being scrambled, erased or rewritten as a form of public execution. He had watched in horror as the psi-whips forced people into committing atrocities of every imaginable kind.
“Oh, come on, Don, don’t be a wimp. We’ll be long dead before any Class III is allowed out of the Academy’s test facilities.” Monic tried to adjust a coat that she wasn’t wearing, grunted and settled on straightening her back instead. “Besides, we’ve got more pressing issues.”
The woman jutted her chin towards the frigate, which had finished the docking procedure. On cue, the large door on the side of the Neuronic cracked open with a hiss of depressurised air. A few seconds later, as the ramp hidden behind it lowered itself, Donovan felt his mouth go dry as if he had been eating sand for a week. Outlined against the matted yellowish glow of the safety lights was the Scolia.
The four and a half meters tall mech was an imposing sight. Its shoulder-mounted turbo-cannons could lay waste to the entire docking station and still march to a new engagement. Its right arm was a siege claw, while the left was a devastator cannon. Its fusion core was located behind the reinforced plating at its back, and the pilot’s cabin jutted forward. It gave Scolia the visage of a bipedal dog. That was also the reason that even civilians called the Knight Protector the Council’s hound. It was the best and most terrifying thing Donovan had ever seen. He had seen the recruitment posters and the propaganda videos but standing just twenty meters away from it. That was something else.
The famed war machine sported the same red and blue pattern as that worn by its operator, who – to the Chief’s displeasure – walked down the ramp, surrounded by Innari shock troopers. Alexandra von Eisstahl stuck out in her red and midnight blue uniform amidst the all-black of the elite troopers. Her face a mask of displeasure, she moved with purpose, covering the twenty meters between her and Donovan in a handful of seconds.
Damn her, she even walks as if she owns the place, he thought, although the words that came out of his mouth were far more civil.
“Knight Protector von Eisstahl, it is an honour to welcome you aboard United Republics Mining Complex Last Hope. Chief of Security Donovan Rex, at your service.” He even managed to give her a crisp salute.
“Chief Rex, tell your men to stand down and surrender their weapons!”
“Do as Mistress von Eisstahl says,” Donovan repeated the order as if he had any say about it.
“I must admit, Chief. I did not expect to see you here.” The coldness in Alexandra’s voice was surpassed only by the contempt in her green eyes. “At least cowardice and dereliction of duty aren’t going to be added to the charges against you.”
Before Donovan could say a word, her head snapped to the side, and she issued her command to the Innari behind her.
“Major Khalid, restrain the Chief on suspicion of conspiracy against the United Republics.” Without delay, two troopers strode past her and grabbed the stunned Donovan, pushing him to the ground as they placed magnetic wristlets on each of his arms.
“Just a moment!” Monic snapped, torn between coming to his aid and saving her own skin. “Under Academy regulation B12/A1, I hereby vouch that the Chief hasn’t conspired against the—”
“And who might you be?” The Knight Protector demanded, her tone hinting that she was furious that someone had dared to challenge her orders.
“Monic Scrota, Agent of the Commodore’s Office on MC Last Hope, under Commodore Alexei Neverok. Authorisation code LCA663-19D-alpha-3.”
“Major, arrest Agent Scrota on charges of Category II Sedition.” The von Eisstahl bitch didn’t even bother to look at Monic as she stepped in front of Donovan as the troopers pulled him to his feet. He saw the woman’s irises turn blue as she activated a recording function built into the ocular implants there.
“Emergency Authority Directive. I, Knight Protector Alexandra von Eisstahl, find the accused guilty of Category II Sedition. Monic Scrota is to be stripped of rank, and her civilian rights are to be suspended. She is to be kept in an isolated cell until a Tribunal can provide a sentence.”
“You fucking bitch! Helix promised me immunity if I cooperate!” Monic screamed, spit flying from her mouth as a pair of Innari dragged her towards the docked frigate. “Let go of me! I’ll fucking kill you! I’m a bloody Agent of the Commodore!”
“As you can see, Chief Rex, I’m not here to play. I’m here to fix the damage you people have caused.” The Knight Protector’s eyes returned to their natural forest green colour, and with that, so did the contempt. However, there was also something else inside that cold gaze, an emotion Donovan couldn’t decipher. “But first. I’m dying to meet this… Helix. Lead the way.”
----------------------------------------
Different captures began to cycle on the main display. Thanks to them, Lucas could count a total of three different five-man squads and what was obviously a Command unit making their way through section 01. A fifth one was left to guard the Neuronic at the docking bay. All in all, it was a surprisingly cohesive deployment, considering their limited numbers. No, he corrected himself. It was a standard deployment for a well-trained, experienced force tasked with taking control of a strategic location in a limited time. The only reason it appeared as something extraordinary was because he was comparing it to the baffling incompetence of the local Security.
“Innari!” Zoë let out a stifled gasp next to him. “And so many of them…”
“Explain.” Lucas kept his voice level as he tried to make sense of all the information the screen provided; however, he was no Preacher.
Balthazar would probably have analysed everything of importance and compressed it, something all the Demons could understand in half the time it took Lucas to identify the gear the soldiers were using. In the end, all the medic could do was conclude that he didn’t recognise a damned thing about these newcomers. Their gear, appearance, heraldry, and weapons revealed nothing apart from that these people were professionals.
“The United Republics’ elite shock troopers. Famed for their efficiency, low mortality and over ninety percent mission success rate.” Zoë’s eyes glistened as she recited what was most likely a mnemonic info file buried in her cerebral implant, and the five hours of sleep had greatly improved her overall state. Alas, there wasn’t time for any of the treatment and procedures Lucas had planned for her.
In contrast, Felix looked drained, and his skin had taken an ashen hue to the lack of rest and potential overdose of what passed for Tar around here. The exhaustion was even more prominent in the large man’s voice as he spoke from behind his console.
“They really have the best toys… Custom boron-thorium assault armour, Eulitia Tactical Support AI with Topalov mod-links for their SK-pattern battle rifles. Though, in this case, they appear to be using Jin-Tech coil carbines since this is a station deployment.”
Nothing of what the tech said was of use to the Demon. The names and patterns were all unfamiliar to him, and with that, so were the specs of the gear and weapons these Innari used. In that regard, the Second Officer’s explanation was far more informational. That said, Lucas had to disagree with her on one thing, and that was that these people were part of a shock troop. Their gear appeared far too light for such a task and was far more suited for a fast-response group. But at this point, he had accepted that common sense didn’t apply to this day and age.
Lucas continued to scan the video captures while Zoë and Felix fell into a discussion regarding different military manufacturers. A few seconds later, the medic spotted something that caught his eye. A single operator mech unit stepped into the view of the camera, observing the docking platform. It resembled an overgrown mix between a Mark 3-powered suit and a military semi-autonomous defence drone. However, it was nearly twice as large compared to either one and sported quite a few extra weapon systems. That was a problem he had not anticipated. Nothing in his arsenal would be able to scratch it. On top of that, he was in no condition to engage a bloody mech.
The hours spent in the lab with Dr Saiko had delivered partial results, temporarily fixing his malfunctioning implants. But the fix wouldn’t last for more than three or four days – enough time to synthesise all the chems he required to get back to full combat readiness. However, the substitutes he was currently using would be gone within twenty hours tops if he were to enter a prolonged combat state. He had to come up with a solution on how to deal with the mech and fast. For that, the medic first had to know what he was getting himself into.
“Push video recording 22Z7A to the main screen,” Lucas ordered the AI and turned to Felix. “What is this?”
“Damn! That’s the Scolia!” The large man exclaimed.
“It’s Knight Protector von Eisstahl’s personal battle-frame! I never thought I would be this close to it!” Zoë added with shock and awe written on her face.
It wasn’t the answer he was looking for, and with time being a factor, he asked the one question he certainly wanted to avoid.
“Zeti, can you decommission the mech unit?”
“Yes.” Lucas knew that it wouldn’t be that simple, so he prepared himself for the inevitable. “However, that is under the condition that I am connected to it. At present, the unit appears to be isolated from all forms of remote connection. If I am allowed to establish a direct link, I can take control of it.”
“Absolutely not!” The Demon barked. “Any code you try to send towards that thing goes through me for examination, or I’ll manually detonate the station’s reactor core.”
The AI had to think him a fool to allow it to have a body. It was bad enough that he had to tolerate it because he was conditioned to, but to release it would be catastrophic. Even if Zeti didn’t go rogue once it slipped its chains, there was no telling how much damage it would cause to achieve its goal of reviving Project Ascension. Pushing the thoughts of the AI away, he returned his attention to the screen. Lucas watched as the war machine made its slow approach towards the platform’s blast doors. He had missed it at first, but now that the mech was fully into the frame, he could see it clearly – the Snake and Sword crest of the heretical cult of Chilyosa.
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“What does the mark on it mean?” He asked, doing his best to restrain his anger.
“That is the highest honour a war machine and its operator could earn. The Snake and Sword is awarded to only the most distinguished and proven veterans in the entirety of the United Republics. Some earn the Snake for sacrificing themselves in service, while others earn the Sword for their heroism and unwavering loyalty. But in the entire history of the UR, only Knight Protector von Eisstahl has earned both,” Zoë blurred.
“Analyse the footage and find the mech’s operator. I want visual,” Lucas gave the command to the AI.
“Located, pushing real-time video still,” Zeti responded as soon as the words left his mouth.
The image of a woman in a red bodysuit with a midnight-blue chest plate on top and matching gauntlets, shoulder and knee pads appeared in the centre of the screen. Her red hair was pulled back into a short ponytail behind her head, and her expression was the definition of disgust. But it was her green eyes that caught Lucas’ attention. Underneath the contempt bleeding from them, there was something else, a hint of something the demon should be able to recognise yet remained elusive.
“That’s the Chief! With the Mistress von Eisstahl!” Zoë leaned in to get a better look at what he assumed was her hero.
“Where are they?” Lucas asked, hiding the fact that he had made a mistake by having the signal play on the main screen as well.
“Looks like access corridor 7A… I mean, that’s the pathway along the train… Supplies monorail connecting Section 01 with the main docking bay. They will need about fifteen-twenty minutes to reach us on foot… since the other Innari took the train.” Felix offered as he tilted his head to get a better look past the girl’s shoulder.
By the looks of it, the Chief of Security and the knight weren’t on friendly terms. He would need to adjust his plan accordingly. Not that there was much he could do. That meant that he had to be ready for the worst. Out of habit, he checked his Ripper rifle to make sure that it was fully loaded.
“Helix, I detect Tharson Waves from the woman named Alexandra von Eisstahl.” The Zeti’s artificial voice cracked to life.
“Oscillations or cross-frequency?” Lucas asked, his mind kicking to full speed almost instantaneously.
“Phase spikes at 3.1415926536-second intervals. Gamma-state confirmed. Return to Alpha-state is no longer possible. The subject will enter Delta-state on her own in the next five to one hundred and fifty days. External factors can accelerate state-change.”
“Are you sure? I haven’t seen a single psi-screen.” This was bad. Really bad.
“There are four active screens. Two are out of reach for you. One is at the entrance of Section 01-11, and the last one is designated as a backup checkpoint at the corridor the latent witch is using.” Zeti’s voice wavered for a split second. “Helix, it is the Blessed Saint’s mandate that witches are to be executed. However, she could be a valuable asset for the future of Project Ascension. I do not make this request lightly, but please try to restrain and capture her.”
“What’s going on?” Zoë asked, clearly confused.
“Could they be talking about the device you were trying to decrypt?” Virginia’s quiet voice made him turn around to see that the three civilians had joined the Second Officer, although keeping a slight distance from her.
“If the subject enters Delta-state, what outcome am I looking at?” There were priorities, and before explaining anything, Lucas had to know how potentially catastrophic his situation was.
“It is impossible to say.” Zeti’s answer was expected and, in a way, the worst possible one. “Phase spikes profile is consistent with anything from Wraith to Ghoul class witch. The screens were not designed to gauge the potential of a latent witch.”
So, Alexandra was capable of anything – from inducing visual and auditory hallucinations to localised gravity manipulation. That was just perfect. Sure, the Vertigo dermal layer between his dermis and hypodermis gave him more than a fighting chance against a Wraith or a Banshee class, but it could do little against a Preta class, close to nothing against an Aswang and absolutely nothing against a Ghoul class witch. Actually, the strongest MASS Demon had ever hunted was a rogue Aswang and that one had nearly killed them all despite all the preparations and precautions.
“Miss Kurtz, what is the current stance on psionics?” He looked at her calmly and smiled. He couldn’t afford to panic.
“Psionics are outlawed and deemed too dangerous to be allowed to roam freely. Once located, individuals with such powers are stripped of their citizenship and taken to either Batha II or Prosper Prime.” The way she answered his question was an example of base-level indoctrination. More similar to quoting a regulation than actually thinking why the rule exists. “Why do you ask?” She added once the trigger had faded from her consciousness.
The medic was glad that at least the leaders of this United Republics had retained some common sense and kept psionics far away from pure humans. Perhaps there was a chance that while he was trapped in cryo-sleep, they had developed better safeguards than the ones used by the Holy Terran Empire.
“How do you find them then?” Lucas pointed at the door. “The psi-screen has been dismantled, so I take it you have a more precise device available.”
“So that’s its function!” Dr Kruger exclaimed, only to be shushed by Virginia a moment later.
The girl scratched the back of her head. “I don’t know. They test you…”
“There are mandatory check-ups, which each individual needs to attend every two years. A Gupta test is performed, and psi-active individuals are marked for the authorities to deal with.” This time, it was Dr Saiko who responded.
“What about latent psi-witches? Surely there are Tharson Waves sensors in place for detecting them.” Screening the populace in this manner was the most ineffective way Helix had ever heard of. He didn’t have an idea of what the test was, but if it was done every two years, it left so many gaps for awakened witches to slip through that it wasn’t funny. Additionally, it meant that dealing with those that were found would be a damned awful and costly task.
“Detection of dormant psionic individuals is only theoretical. We have found no practical method of identification to date,” Dr Saiko shook his head. “Almost all the knowledge on this subject has been lost during the reign of the Third Terran Empire. As such, I have no knowledge of what Tharson Waves are.”
“Zeti, explain and make it fast,” Lucas took a deep breath to keep himself calm. This was beyond stupidity. He couldn’t believe that Lilyana Neverok’s rebellion could have made such a mess of things. This was a borderline disastrous state of ignorance. It was a miracle that the galaxy hadn’t collapsed into anarchy.
“Tharson Waves, named after High Priest Dr Li Tharson, founder of the Kōng Cathedral and First Black Confessor. They represent the constant release of psi-energy generated by the human brain on a scale from 1 to 12. Every individual who scores between 1 and 3 on the scale is considered a crippled psi-witch unable to achieve psionic awakening…” The AI droned in a monotone voice.
“That’s enough,” Lucas’s eyes stopped on the group of doctors.
Judging by the raptured expressions of the scientists, there was no point expecting answers from them. At least, that was the case for Virginia and Professor Kruger. Dr Saiko was a different matter. The medical expert appeared to grasp what was happening. The man might think his face was emotionless, but there was a twitch under his human eye, and sweat had formed on the side of his head, which was not augmented by that ridiculous mess of sensors grafted into the side of his skull.
“Helix, you can identify those waves, which means you have detected a latent psionic, haven’t you?” It was interesting that the physician purposefully omitted the name of the individual in question. More than likely because he refused to believe it. However, it was equally possible it was because the Knight Protector’s reputation was far more significant and impactful than what Lucas assumed.
“I think you know the answer to that, doctor. But just to make it clear for everyone else – yes. Knight Protector von Eisstahl is a latent psi-witch on the verge of awakening. One, you have allowed in a position of power.” This he said loud enough for everyone in the room to hear the words clearly.
Helix saw the exact moment all expression disappeared from the faces of everyone present. This wasn’t something they wished to hear. He could have phrased this revelation less bluntly; however, these people deserved a harsh reality check. Also, seeing the mark of the Chilyosa cult worn as a badge of honour put him in a vindictive mood. Furthermore, there was also an important benefit to this direct approach. With a single statement, he had practically guaranteed the loyalty of everyone present. He might not be one of the faithful, but Lucas knew the animalistic fear the psi-witches evoked in normal humans. Calmly, he walked to the ammo cache under the half-pod and extended it, removing the spare Ripper Mk7.
“Zeti, list potential triggers for a latent psionic to awaken as well as the probable duration. Also, give a brief explanation of what happens during awakening.” The Demon spoke as he went through the weapon’s maintenance checks. Stopping only to make sure the AI understood him properly. “And I do mean brief. Time is limited.”
“Delta-state, or awakening,” Zeti began by mimicking a tired sigh, “can occur naturally over a prolonged period of time. It can also be intentionally triggered through inducing extreme external mental or physical stress. Alternative triggers include pregnancy in human females, mnemonic intrusion, psychoactive opioids and all etomidate-based anaesthetics. Please note that once Tharson Waves’ phase spikes begin to appear at 3.16379161355-second intervals during the Gamma-state, a latent psionic will inevitably enter the Delta-state. At this point, the faithful must follow the Church of the Third Hell’s—”
“Which part of briefly do you struggle to understand?” Lucas snapped at the AI as he loaded a plasma round into the rifle’s chamber. “Forget it! I’ll do it myself.”
Satisfied that the Ripper was fully functional, he looked at the worried, pale faces of everyone around him and gave them a small, confident smile.
“When a psi-witch awakens, there is a massive release of psionic waves. They can cause nausea or pulverise your bones, depending on the class the individual has reached.”
He paused for a moment to make sure everyone was listening and, more importantly, understanding what he was teaching them. Admittedly, Lucas was skipping a lot of information that could potentially save their lives. Alas, he didn’t have the time nor the skills to play instructor. As he did that, the medic realised that he had made a significant mistake. Second Officer Kurtz was the only one in the Command Centre who could possibly be of any use against an awakened psi-witch. Which wasn’t a lot, considering she was injured and was one adrenalin boost from a fatal cardiac arrest. All the others were either civilians or tech specialists who would be as dangerous in a fight as a fused pistol. Lucas sighed, knowing that he had wasted precious time he could’ve used to better prepare himself.
“As you can imagine, allowing or forcing a psi-witch to awaken in here is to be avoided. So, do me a favour. When the subject…” he stopped and corrected himself. “When the Knight Protector arrives, forget that you can talk.”
“Goes double for you. Play around with the mainframe’s hardware, try to solve Lieuverious’ Paradox – just keep quiet and stay out of sight.” Lucas pointed at the trio of scientists before finishing. “I’ll deal with her later when her guard is down.”
Preferably, he would put the civis in a secluded dark hole and forget they exist. Sadly, it was too late for that, so the best option was to keep them here, where the Demon could keep an eye on them and make sure they wouldn’t do anything suicidal. To his surprise, everyone in the Control Room was nodding approvingly when he finished talking, which made no sense to him.
These people are doomed, he thought to himself as he pushed the rifle into Zoë’s chest. The girl grabbed the weapon somewhat awkwardly, thanks to the mesh cast placed around her right wrist. It restricted the limb’s movement range, but it was better than leaving the fractures there to remain untreated. For a second, Lucas hesitated, reevaluating the idea of arming her with a Mk7, especially when her dominant arm was injured. However, determined it was the right choice to make. Even without the use of her index finger, she could still pull the secondary trigger for the magnetically accelerated slugs with her middle one. And if the medic was being honest, he was a little relieved that Zoë wouldn’t be able to use the far more dangerous plasma ammunition.
“Just in case,” Lucas whispered to her. “Upper trigger is for plasma, lower is for slugs. To switch between the two – press here. To switch between single, three- and five-burst shots for the Gauss – tap here. Safety is here. There are no ammo counter displays. Got it?”
“Yeh.” She nodded as she wrapped the fingers of her left arm through the barrel’s opening to lower it.
“Never do that!” Helix almost tore the weapon away from her. “The accelerated slugs pass through here! The opening serves as a vent for the excess heat so that the magnets don’t explode.”
Carefully, the Demon returned the tool of destruction to her. “Look at me. Can I trust you with this? Can I trust you to watch my back?”
“Yes.” Lucas smiled as he saw a near-fanatical fervour burn inside Zoë’s gaze.
----------------------------------------
Virginia forgot all about the fear tearing through her mind. The animosity she felt towards that idiot Zoë faded into oblivion. In their place, blossomed vindication and justified hatred. Finally, that little bitch would get what she deserved. There was something poetic about the fact that the Knight Protector was a psionic. Virginia didn’t hate the woman because the bloody von Eisstahl thought herself a champion of the people, nor because she was a pawn in the cesspool that was Sentinel Hill. And if she was honest, the archaeologist would admit that she rather enjoyed the propaganda videos and stills featuring young Alexandra. They were rather entertaining and surprisingly well-made, unlike the rest of the Academy’s garbage that flooded the entertainment feed.
No. The reason she despised the Knight Protector was because of Hiagara Prime.
It was because of the events that unfolded on the warship Tulia's bridge. Because of a single order from that bitch von Eisstahl, the info-vault excavated on that dead world was destroyed. Virginia and every techno-archaeologist hated the Knight Protector for all the knowledge she had reduced to ashes and molten slag. And for what? Just so she didn’t have to sacrifice the lives of her precious troops to remove the Third Empire contingent there. So, what if those bloody bastards had turned the vault into a bunker? A few hundred lives were more than worth centuries of preserved historical records.
Yes, there was justice in the universe. The Hero of the UR – a psionic. It was almost too good to be true. However, both Helix and the AI had confirmed it, and there was no reason for her not to trust them. Each one of them was Lost Technology in their own right. Their knowledge, their very existence, was enough to shake the scientific community. The more Virginia learned about them, the more it reinforced her theory that humanity was entering or rather had entered, a new cycle of technological stagnation and degradation. The cause of it was rooted in the Third Empire, of course. Its policies and its suppression of free will through psionic conditioning and forced re-education had inflicted irreversible damage to the human race. However, the AI could shed some light on what was lost, as it had done just now, by sharing the existence of the Tharson Waves. Plus, the revelation that it knew of methods with which to better detect psionics and that it actually had a better understanding of psionics than the entire Science Wing of the Academy put together. That alone was enough to breathe new life into scientific and technological development. More than that, it could change the balance of power in human-controlled space.
As for Helix. Well, if Hiroshi’s meagre findings and theories were true – and there was little Virginia could think of to dispute them – the man was a walking retcon of their entire understanding of genetic engineering.
“Tell me, Anton, what do you think?” Virginia pointed at Helix.
“That he is a killer. A very charismatic, cunning and ruthless killer,” a wary smile formed on Kruger’s face. “But that’s not what you are asking, isn’t it?”
“You are right. Can we trust him? Am I insane that I do? Please, Anton, share your thoughts with me,” Virginia didn’t dare take her eyes away from Helix as he was giving instructions to Officer Kurtz.
“Honestly? I don’t know, Virginia,” a weak laugh escaped the cryptologist’s lips. “You can’t help it but to be swept by the conviction with which he speaks. But now, after I’ve had a moment to collect my thoughts… I’m not sure I heard what I wanted to hear. There were plenty of gaps in his explanation for us to fill on our own. And yet… It feels like I was guided to fill them in a way that would reach the conclusion he desired.”
“Fascinating!” Hiroshi exclaimed softly next to them.
“What?” Both Virginia and Anton looked at the man, confused by his reaction.
“The way he leans closer when he is speaking to us or Second Officer Kurtz. He is intentionally seeking direct eye contact at an extremely close range. Helix did something similar now, as well. Did you not notice how he made eye contact with every individual present here? And the symptoms Professor Kruger describes. Slight confusion and self-doubt shortly after contact was ended. It is a prime example of sub-cognitive influence.”
“He is a psionic!” Virginia barely managed to keep herself from shouting.
“Not exactly. We know that he has undergone significant genetic modification. That most likely extends to the cerebrum.” She could see the physician study the young man while he shared his arguments with them.
“Amber eyes do not occur naturally in humans. The colour of the irises suggests intentional design with the idea of making the target feel at ease. The ocular implant or cornea lenses he must have installed probably have the function of focusing minimal or dormant psionic power. It could also be an artificial, perhaps digital, replication of that. I estimate that possibility at thirty to forty percent.”
“I am sorry, Hiroshi, but that last part starts to sound like fiction to me. There is nothing to suggest it could be possible to achieve in practice.” Virginia shook her head, fearing to imagine such a technology's impact.
“Does it?” Dr Saiko nodded towards Zoë. “Take Officer Kurtz, for example. Of all of us, she has spent the most time with Helix. The change in her behaviour over the last forty-eight hours has been so dramatic that if I did not know any better, I would assume that she is abusing several kinds of prohibited narcotics.”
Virginia had to agree, and despite everything that occurred between them, she felt sorry for the girl. Even the archaeologist could tell from the report Hiroshi shared that Zoë was fit only to get herself to the nearest medical bed, and that was if she started walking ten minutes ago.
“Okay. Let’s assume that is the case. We use the same classification as the Empire, and Helix doesn’t fit into any one of the existing ones.” Anton remained adamant in his refusal to accept that the medical specialist had a valid point.
“Very well.” The physician dropped his shoulders in defeat yet kept an air of confidence about himself, which was commendable given the situation he placed himself in with what he said next. “Helix, a moment of your time. Are you psionically gifted?”
“Hiroshi!” Dr Werner exclaimed next to him and pressed her hand to her mouth.
For his part, Helix appeared to be stunned by the question, blinking several times while he processed the words. After several seconds of pregnant silence, the AI finally answered the doctor’s question.
“Medical specialist Hiroshi Saiko. By decree of the Blessed Saint of Hell, psi-witches are considered a bane – a taint that should be eradicated. They do not have rights, and those who are given the mercy to die of old age are to be treated as slaves bound to serve the Church of the Third Hell.” The AI paused to give them a moment to assimilate what it said. “The individual Helix is not a psi-witch. He is a Demon forever chained to the Blessed Saint’s will.”
There might have been more the construct wished to say. And by the looks of it, Helix had some chosen words for the AI. Virginia definitely had a few questions of her own. However, it would all have to wait as the reinforced door to the Security HQ opened, announcing the arrival of Knight Protector Alexandra von Eisstahl.
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