Isla Noctis - Late 2123
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The Codex of Holy Geometries actually proved rather easy to translate literally, as far as esoteric ancient documents written in unknown languages go. One of the ANET researchers digitized the entire text, using numerals one through six as placeholders for the document’s six-symbol alphabet, and then put it through a series of decryption algorithms. The six-character alphabet was actually being used to make two different alphabets of multi-symbol letters, which were then roughly translatable as ancient Hebrew and ancient Greek words. The document delineated a series of rituals that could be performed in communion with divine messengers for a variety of purposes, however these instructions were presented in a largely non-linear matter, with aspects of various rituals described amidst each other with little distinction between them.
As we began to decipher some of the rituals, we figured out the system for titling them and were able to create an index of sorts. This included entries such as "Divination of Future Events," "Materialization of Solid Light," and the very last ritual, "Convocation of All Angels, Adam's Messiah" which had the most promising title for something we could use to save humanity. In a perfect world, we'd have liked to translate the entire Codex and consider all our options, but the Cult of Ramiel was doubtless aware that we had secured the manuscript by now, and between that and my sabotaging of their mission to sabotage Winterbase some years back now, they were sure to be sending all of their available resources towards Isla Noctis any time now. In the current state of the world, it would take months or more for them to arrive from East Dakota in any meaningful numbers, but they would certainly be coming nonetheless.
"The Cult wants this thing probably even more than we do, but for far worse reasons. Whereas our goal here is to decipher this "Adam's Messiah" ritual and use it to bring about the end of the age of angels, the Cult of Ramiel II believe the Codex contains a ritual —they called it "Communion"— which would allow them to incite all of mankind to be joined with Ramiel II in some sort of hive mind, superceding and perhaps even destroying the other Archangels in the process. It is imperative that we figure it out and initiate our ritual before they reach us," I said to the group of operatives and commanders gathered before me.
I had previously been made primary operative on the mission which got us the Codex in hand, and now found myself practically left in charge of the entirety of ANET's field operatives, as every available resource was being put into this mission and I was the primary planner and designated field Commander for the op. It was ironic to me that I had killed Herod to get here and now almost found myself in his former role, but I took no amusement or pleasure in that irony.
"We've decoded about sixty percent of the ritual, which has given us enough knowledge that we know our first move towards executing it. We will be taking the decoding operation on the move as a team approaches Eremiel, the seemingly dormant Archangel at the center of Isla Noctis. We have also determined the necessary materials and have some of our instructions for the constructs that will be needed for the ritual, and these will also be built while on the move," I began laying out the plan to everyone gathered.
Before I could continue, a younger volunteer interrupted to ask the question I was literally about to answer, "How exactly are we taking all of this on the move?"
I tried to maintain a patient air as I continued, "we will be taking the 'ANET Mobile Bunker prototype 2, Frostcrawler' out of the R&D vault. It's a massive overland train with crew accommodations, meeting spaces, a fully-kitted physical sciences laboratory, and a few hangar bays which will be more than sufficient space for the necessary construction. The vehicle has a cruising speed of 15 miles per hour, so a direct trip would take nearly three days. It is going to take some time to get the Frostcrawler out of storage and load her up first though. We anticipate moving out around the new year. Furthermore, we will not be taking that direct three day route. The plan is to circle slowly towards Eremiel until we have all necessary preparations completed, the point of getting in motion is to make it as difficult as possible for the Cult to reach us, and to diminish Winterbase as an attractive target in the meantime."
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I could see lots of questions forming behind a fair few pairs of eyes in the room, and decided to deflect before I found myself unable to escape this stage I had been placed upon, "your commanders have detailed plans for the preparation and transit stages, and if you are to remain on guard duty here at base, those details have been outlined as well. If there are any further questions, refer to your commanding officer first. Thank you all."
With that, I stepped away from the center of the room and got myself a long drink of water. As I was swallowing, Raike Stearns, whose job I was basically taking at the moment, approached with a sour look. I almost choked but painfully managed to get the water down before he spoke.
"The plan is solid and completely detailed. I don't understand why so many people are making a big fuss about every little part of it," he said, surprising me. I thought he was going to be complaining about the plan, not the complainers.
"It's to be expected, I think. They don't want to leave the relative comfort and safety of Winterbase for an unknown, so they're finding anything they can to quibble over or find minor fault with. Once we get preparation underway and they see for themselves that everything has been considered, the fuss will die down."
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And time would prove Stearns right on all counts. Less than a month after that meeting, it was already launch day for Frostcrawler, and the teams were working smoothly. In the end, not one question had been run up the flagpole all the way to me— the plans had been thorough. I just needed to personally conduct a final check off all preparations and we would roll out. To fit in the hangar bay at Winterbase while fully coupled together, the massive overland train had to snake back and forth against itself, like a giant mechanical viper preparing to strike. While walking through the vehicle from the inside, this created a somewhat more haphazard experience of the layout than one usually expects from a train.
Starting at the back of the vehicle, the very last car was primarily comprised of a large hangar space with enough room for two all-terrain trucks and four dune bikes parked tightly together. Following this, there were three cars in a row of crew accommodations— likely a major factor in the general acquiescence to the mission, the crew bunks were much more comfortable than most of the volunteer quarters in Winterbase itself. Following the bunks, there was a galley car, then three more hangar cars containing the still in-progress constructs necessary for the Adam’s Messiah ritual: geometric metal frames, largely of bronze and lead, with carefully placed platings of gold, silver, and copper, and extensive and intricate engravings carefully explained in the Codex. Once completed, these structures would be arranged around Eremiel in order to set up something akin to a thought-transfer from the coronation days, but between us and the angel Himself.
Ahead of the cars dedicated to the building projects was a laboratory car, equipped to continue analyzing the codex itself, and with ample computing equipment to help the research team finish decrypting the process for the final ritual. Ahead of that, a car containing a veritable war room: a sizeable meeting space equipped with advanced navigational displays and simulation equipment. In front of this, an officers’ accommodation car, the quarters themselves identical to the others on the train, but taking up only half the car, with the other half filled by a small galley. The only thing in front of the officers’ quarters was the engine car itself, containing the nuclear engine and the control bridge. Back to front, everything was in order, so I set my radio to the intercom frequency and gave the announcement:
“Final checks complete, Frostcrawler rolls out in 0030 hours.”
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