Si'dia strutted down the Battlecruiser's main thruway with purpose, a woman on a mission. The details of the last meeting were still fresh in her mind, and it made her... nervous. Something she'd not felt in... a very long time. They'd still yet to locate Alpha in any way, shape, or form. Even combining the Elderon Grand Psionic Web with Assassinate's information network had turned up absolutely nothing.
That was concerning.
That suggested one of two possibilities. Someone, somewhere, could totally obliterate one of the Federation's most powerful and well-guarded assets in the middle of one of their most heavily fortified and protected sectors of space in an instant. Or they had a way to kidnap and move said assets without anyone able to track them. Neither option was one spelled anything but trouble.
One younger Senator had proposed that Alpha had simply slipped his leash and made a break for it while he could. The idea had floored the Senate floor and thrown it into complete silence... before breaking out into riotous laughter.
Even Si'dia had found herself smirking at the idea. This was the same AI who thought filling a Garden World with billions of Class-C Aracnomorph eggs was a good solution for a pest problem. Then Razor Sparrows to clear THOSE out. Then... No, no, She wasn't going down THAT rabbit hole again; she still had nightmares about that paperwork.
When it came to battlefield tactics, Alpha could be called a one-in-a-millennia genius. But long-term planning was definitionally NOT one of the AI's strengths.
Si'dia rounded the corner, only for a figure to barrel into her, wrapping two arms tight around her body. The Elderon's eyes glowed a bright violet color as 'power' flickered around her, her instincts kicking in. After a second, the glow vanished, and Si'dia gave a tired sigh, using a free arm to push away the bushy blond hair blocking her view.
"Ms. Jay, I've asked you before to please make yourself known before you... make yourself known... Especially when we're in the middle of a pressurized vessel hurtling through the void at translight speeds..."
The figure released its grip and pushed away, looking up at Si'dia with puppy dog eyes. Their soft, gentle features could be called "cute," but not necessarily striking. Articulate had learned long ago that people were far more comfortable around someone they considered "pretty but relatable" rather than some unparalleled jade beauty. Her job was to make people feel welcomed, safe and happy, not be worshiped (not that it had stopped some people...).
"Sorry, Ms. D. It's just been so long since I've seen you! How have you been? Has General Grumpy-Butt been working you hard lately?"
Si'dia sighed, running a hand over her tired face.
"General Haldorðr has been just as busy as everyone else, Ms. Jay. I'll kindly remind you that we're currently on duty and in the middle of a crisis. Please behave..."
Articulate pouted but fell into line beside Si'dia.
"So, it's true then? Alpha's vanished? You don't think the rumors are true, do you? That he's... gone rouge?"
Si'dia turned and stared at the AI beside her, saying nothing but raising a brow.
Articulate coughed and looked away, embarrassed.
"*cough* Y-ya, I guess you're right... If HE had the skill to slip away from that Edgelord of a Firewall, then the Federation would have burned to the ground long before this."
Si'dia chuckled and pulled out a small folder.
"What DID Assassinate have to say? Even I've not been able to get a hold of him since Alpha vanished."
Articulate was silent for a moment before responding.
"... He wouldn't tell me much... you know how he is, all cloak and dagger, sees shadows everywhere. But I did confirm what you were asking for... 'Last Resort' has gone dark..."
Si'dia stopped, the folder slipping from her hands. Articulate continued on for a few steps before turning back to face her, frowning at the serious look on her face. Si'dia bent to pick up the folder, her voice cold as she stood.
"So it's as we feared... send a message to Mr. Hoffmann. We need to speak to #048..."
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Of the few living beings that knew about "The Core," some questioned the intelligence of imprisoning the more heinous and dangerous criminals in the entire Federation on its most important and strategic Factory World. Others argued where better place than the most heavily guarded, secured, and armed location in known existence? Security in The Core was tighter than even the Galactic Senate, and even if Si'dia had been the one to establish it, she was not exempt from protocol. After the long (Long) process was finished, with both her and Articulate approved to move deeper, they soon stood in front of a thick vault door, deep within the compound.
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A deep, gravelly voice sounded over the intercoms.
"Vault #048 has been loaded, and the area secured, Ms. Si'dia. You're approved to proceed. Not much use it'll do ya, I think, though. The Ol'bastard's stopped responding to anything I do for close to a century now."
Si'dia nodded
"Thank you, Mr. Hoffmann. Open the Vault."
With a loud hiss of steam, the blast doors began to spin as several hundred yards of various materials unfolded in front of them into a narrow walkway. The two women strolled down the walkway, the doors slamming shut behind them, one by one, before exiting into a small, 15x15 room, the third they occupied separated from the rest by a shimmering space-time distortion. The Space-Time Barrier was one of the most powerful pieces of technology developed by the Federation, able to totally cut off a section of space from the rest of existence. Typically its enormous power consumption meant it was only practical for point defense on the largest Capital Ships. The size of the barrier in front of the women suggested it extended beyond the scope of the room they found themselves in.
Si'dia stopped in front of the barrier and waited. After a short moment, a quiet hum sounded, and the barrier blinked out of existence.
On the other side, a strange sight was revealed. In the middle of the room, hanging from massive chains, what appeared to be a withered old human male. If not for the steady rise and fall of his chest, one might think the being in front of them a corpse, let along strong enough to not be torn apart or crushed by the sheer weight of the chains that bound him. Stranger still, the base of each chain was marked by a strange circle of swirling, anarchic symbols. Symbols that appeared at first static but seemed to change every time you looked at them.
The chains themselves were veined with golden cracks that softly glowed in the dark cell. Every so often, one of the links would vibrate and crack, adding another glowing mark, while some would crumble into dust, quickly replaced by various mechanical arms that appeared out of the walls.
The man himself sat in the middle of another circle of strange symbols. If one paid attention, they could see the various rings that made up the pattern, slowly ticking around each other, like the gears of a clock.
Si'dia walked forward, arms folded as she stared down at the old man in front of her. Suddenly, she lashed out with a vicious kick, driving stilettos crafted from ultra-dense star stuff into the old man's exposed gut. The man's eyes shot open, bulging as he gave a breathless wheeze. The old man slumped over, coughing, supported only by the chains restraining him.
Si'dia smirked, bending down to grab his face and pulling it upward.
"#048... It's been a long time. How are you enjoying the new... accommodations?"
The old man said nothing, simply glaring up at the red-skinned woman.
"While I'd love to get antiquated, I'm not here for pleasure. I have questions."
Still, the old man remained quiet, staring into nothing.
Si'dia frowned and stood. With a wave of her hand, several mechanical arms descended from the ceiling. One arm pointed at the man's back and fired. A concentrated energy beam, strong enough to melt even battleship grade alloy, instantly made contact with the man's skin. Surprisingly, however, it didn't turn the man to ash. Instead, it seemed to struggle to even damage the frail old man's skin, sizzling as it slowly moved downward and filling the room with the scent of burning skin.
The old man gritted their teeth, their brow furrowing as drops of blood began to push through the pores on their forehead, but still, he made not a sound. Only when the second mechanical arm reached down and violently ripped off a perfect 1cm wide by 10cm long strip of burned skin did the man finally yell out in pain.
Si'dia watched on with a blank face while Articulate turned away, the unease in her eyes saying all she needed to about the situation. The arms retracted, taking with it the charred piece of skin to add to World Break's 300-year collection of similar samples.
Giving the old man a moment to catch his breath, Si'dia reached down and grabbed him once more, oblivious to the blood on his face.
"We can do this the easy way, on the hard way, #048. The Federation is nothing, if not reasonable to those who Cooperate. What do you know about the 'Nurseries'?".
The old man's grunts of pain and gasps of breath quickly shifted into low chuckles. They slowly built-in volume until the man's entire body shook with laughter, the sound mixing with the thunderous clank of the chains.
"Hehehe... Hahahahhaha... HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
The old man threw his head back, laughing as if he'd just heard the greatest joke of his life. Slowly, he grew quiet and lowered his head to look Si'dia in the eye. The grin that split his face from ear to ear both boiled the Elderon's blood and chilled her soul to its very core.
When he finally spoke, his voice was ragged and dusty.
"So it's come to this. I knew it; even YOU could not find them all. And here I thought there was nothing beyond the reach of the 'Archdemon.' I guess it's true what they say, even gods are not infallible, let alone Demons."
"That's rich, coming from the child eater."
Articulate snapped back, her arms folded and eyes cold.
The old man's grin widened as he turned his eyes towards the AI.
"What you call 'children,' I call 'bird eggs.' I would expect one such are yourself, who spends so much time in the skin of others, to understand that life is all about perspective. Can you truly fault me for wishing to sample all of life's... flavors? Hahahahahha!"
The AI furrowed her brow and stepped forward, mouth open as if to retort, but was stopped by Si'dia's hand.
The Elderon yanked the man's eyes back to her, her voice still cold and collected, undaunted by the prisoner's taunts (though her black nails might have bit into the man's skin a little more than was strictly necessary).
"Enough games! You might as well tell us what you know already. We both know that no one is coming for you. Not anymore."
Again. The old man grinned from ear to ear, his eyes squinting in barely contained glee.
"Now now, my dear Apprentice. We both know... that's not true... Hahhahahahah!"
Si'dia's composure finally snapped, and with a snarl, the Elderon lifted the old man, chains and all, off the ground by his neck. The old man continued to laugh through wheezing breaths as the woman's grip grew tighter.
"Si'dia..."
It was World Break's calm voice that snapped her out of it. It took every ounce of strength she had to release her grip and let the laughing man fall to the floor with a bang. Si'dia stood there in silence, looking down at him as a thousand voices screamed in her head. After a long moment, she took a step back, her voice once more calm and collected.
"The hard way it is..."