The Last Heroes

Macavity116 · Dec 21, 2021

“Mark it in the history books. This is the end of an era for mankind. Even after we've defeated the remaining aliens, what then? Have we sacrificed our own humanity for a taste of their technology? And if we manage to exploit this power further, do we risk being consumed by it... presumably, just as they were? Will we see a line in the sand and refuse to cross it? Or will we move forward, willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of total victory? I have to believe that is not our future. Provided, of course, that the aliens' technology remains in the right hands.”

Doctor Raymond Shen, XCOM Chief Engineer, 2015

The Stormbreaker Universe

The Last Heroes - A Stellaris Story
Table of Contents

Life is Strange

Homeworld

Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak

Macavity116 · Dec 21, 2021

<=== The Stormbreakers - A Stellaris Story

Chapter 1: Inez Espinosa ===>

Prologue: A Parting of the Ways

November 9, 2085
Bannack, Montana

A foreboding chill settled over the mountains of western Montana. It was early morning, and the sun wasn’t going to rise for a few more hours. The only movement was in the sky, where a shiny point of light grew brighter as it approached. With a roar of engines, the flying object arrived on the scene.

The supermodern spaceplane throttled down its engines and began to fly in lower and lower circles above a valley where Grasshopper Creek wound its way between two hills. There was no sign of civilization below, save for a simple dirt road that wound and twisted in an effort to follow the water. Much like the rest of the region, the surrounding hills were devoid of forest. Patchy groves and thickets of trees presented themselves here or there, but none were in a place that could have impeded a landing.

Two sets of vertical landing thrusters brought the spaceplane down to a pinpoint landing atop one of these bald hills. The boarding ramp barely finished lowering into place before a blonde-haired man raced away from the ship.

The man charged down the hill and came into Bannack, a ghost town that had gone without inhabitants for over a hundred years by this point. While many of the structures were crumbled into ruin, a single building remained in what could be passed off as “decent shape.” It was the entrance to one of the many mines that were bored into the hills surrounding the town.

But this was not one of the gold mines Bannack was founded for. The structure was newer, made from reinforced concrete, and the heavy steel door was painted with a round insignia that depicted a white five-pointed star rising above the continental United States. Underneath the insignia were the faded words:

“WARNING: RESTRICTED AREA
US ARMY INSTALLATION
DO NOT ENTER WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM
THE DIRECTOR, BUREAU OF STRATEGIC EMERGENCY COMMAND
Posted by Executive Order of John Kennedy, President of the United States, October 3, 1962”

The man pushed the door open. Inside, he found a well-lit and well-maintained corridor that led deeper into the mine. Along the walls were more warning signs, these even more foreboding than the first.

“Danger! Element 115 is highly unstable.” One sign read. “Radiation protection required beyond this point.”

Ignoring all of these, the man pressed on, moving quickly down the corridor until he came to a reinforced steel door. He slid a keycard into a slot, where a green light illuminated before the door opened on its own. A computerized voice said:

“Welcome back, Emanuel Espinosa.”

Professor Espinosa stepped into the next chamber. It was an underground research facility, fully staffed with dozens of workers and furnished with the latest in modern technology. The facility itself was carved right into the walls of what had once been an Elerium mine. A researcher waved in greeting to the Professor and asked why he was making an unexpected appearance.

“Where’s my wife?” Professor Espinosa spoke in a way that suggested he was not here to show his spouse any affection.

Sensing the rising anger in the Professor’s voice, the researcher replied:

“She’s in surgery room number fifteen. You should know-”

But the professor didn’t wait. He took off at a run towards a hallway on his left. Soon, he was in the “Experimental Surgery” section of the facility. Doctors and scientists, dressed up in medical scrubs, moved from one operating theatre to the next, while other researchers sequestered themselves in decontamination chambers. Someone tried to stop Professor Espinosa and make him put on gloves and a mask, but he shoved them aside and shouted:

“Scarlett! You need to stop this, right now!”

He found the door labelled with the number “15” and forced it open, causing the people inside to cry out in surprise. A surgeon pointed to one of his assistants and barked an order:

“Sedate her, quickly!”

In the middle of the operating theatre a small child, dressed in a hospital gown, she was sitting upright in a chair, surrounded by complex devices and machinery. A sterile sheet was draped over the back of her head, while thick leather straps were bound around the little girl’s chest, arms and legs, keeping her immobile. On the surgeon’s command, another man injected the girl’s arm with a syringe. The child took a deep breath and closed her eyes before passing out.

Seeing this caused Emanuel a lot of distress. He balled up his fists and stepped into the operating theatre, where he was immediately confronted by a nurse.

“Sir! Sir, you can’t come in here! You’re not clean!”

“Good!” Emanuel replied. “This procedure needs to be stopped!”

The professor shoved the nurse out of the way and began to menacingly approach the lead surgeon, who raised his hands and said:

“Wait, Professor! We haven’t started yet!”

“Then release her, now!”

At the same time, an alarm was raised. Two security guards entered the room behind the professor, armed with stun batons. Moving quickly, Emanuel reached into his coat, drew a gauss pistol and took aim at the guards, who withdrew a few paces.

“Back up!” Emanuel shouted. “This atrocity will not continue, and I’ll wipe out anyone who tries to stop me!”

Behind him, the alarmed medical staff quickly undid the straps and pulled the unconscious girl out of the chair. Her long black hair fell down to her waist like a cape. With one hand the Professor grabbed the unconscious girl and pulled her up until she was draped over his shoulders. Keeping his pistol-hand raised, Emanuel started to depart the same way he came in, but he didn’t get very far. Behind him, a doorway on the far side of the operating theatre swung open and three people stormed into the room:

Rafi Bakir, an Arab man, wore a military uniform and was brandishing a laser rifle.

David Sepulveda, a Mexican American, wore a crisp black suit and tie with matching sunglasses.

Finally, following them into the room was Scarlett Freeman herself. The professor’s wife was also dressed in business attire. But unlike her comrades, she was unarmed. Scarlett took one look around the scene before locking eyes with her husband. Like the girl draped over his shoulders, Scarlett also had long black hair.

“What the hell is the meaning of all this?” She demanded. “What are you doing? Put her down!”

“No.” Emanuel spoke in a voice full of contempt. “You’ve tormented this child and others like her for far too long. I’m putting an end to all of this!”

The Professor kept his weapon aimed towards Rafi Bakir, but his gaze never left Scarlett’s face. Her expression softened and she tried to put on a forgiving tone of voice.

“My love, maybe you don’t fully understand the work we’re doing here, perhaps-"

“Oh, shut up!” The Professor spat at his wife. “Don’t you get it!? I’m doing this because I do understand! You’re going to finish what the old regime started fifty years ago, and I’m going to spare Humanity the anguish of reliving a nightmare that should have been forgotten!”

Emanuel turned to aim his pistol directly at Scarlett’s heart. Rafi and David both raised their weapons but Scarlett waved them off. She returned her husband’s cold stare and deftly replied:

“Shoot me and you’ll set Humanity back fifty years, but you won’t stop it. Put down the gun, my love, all will be forgiven.”

Emanuel cocked the hammer.

“You lost the right to call me “love" a long time ago, monster.”

The Gauss pistol went off with the sound of a cannon! The metal slug crossed the distance between husband and wife with hypersonic speed, and then it raced back the way it came with equal power. Before he could even comprehend what happened, Professor Espinosa was shot with his own bullet! He collapsed to the floor, dropping both his weapon and the girl, while blood dripped from a wound in his lower abdomen.

Wracked in pain and agony, Emanuel was barely aware of two sets of hands grabbing him and lifting him into the air. After a painful but short journey, the Professor was literally thrown out the laboratory entrance and back into the Montana wilderness. Coming to rest on his face, the professor rose to his knees and looked up at the trio who had just ejected him. Scarlett, Rafi, and David all gave him looks of genuine disdain. Clutching his wound, Emanuel spit at them.

“You won’t get away with this.” He seethed.

“Oh, please.” Scarlett scoffed. “I already have. You’ve seen it for yourself, the government, and the military. Everyone’s in my corner now.”

“I don’t mean them!” Emanuel raged. “Mortal men can judge you however they want… but when She learns what you’ve done…”

Emanuel rose to his feet, he had found new strength as he prepared to invoke the name of the savior. It was like her power gave Emanuel the last ounce of willpower he needed to see this through. He pointed to his wife with one bloody hand and cried out for all of the dark world to hear:

“THE HAND OF JERICHO WILL BE HEAVY UPON YOU!! SHE WILL RISE UP AND SMITE YOU!”

“Then I’ll start the smiting!” Scarlett shrieked.

She grabbed for the weapon in Rafi's hand, and at the same moment, Emanuel turned and fled. Behind him, the chatter of machinegun fire was accompanied by the frightening thuds, pops, and snaps of bullets sailing over his head! Clutching his bloody wound, Emanuel staggered away from the scene and into the darkness.

With a great roar of engines, the spaceplane he arrived on flew low over the ground, raking the landscape with its floodlights and opening its boarding ramp. Both of Scarlett’s companions gestured to the spacecraft, but she shook her head.

“Don’t worry about him. Let him go.” She said. “Before too long, he’ll be beneath us. They’re all going to be beneath us…”

<=== The Stormbreakers - A Stellaris Story

Chapter 1: Inez Espinosa ===>

Macavity116 · Dec 21, 2021

<=== Prologue: A Parting of the Ways

Chapter 2: The Girl From Montana ===>

Chapter 1
Inez Espinosa

March 1, 2086

100 years ago, there were two grand cities on the Detroit River. The metropolis was a center of trade and commerce, a nexus of movement for cars, aircraft, and cargo ships. Detroit was a manufacturing powerhouse, filled with factories that belched smoke into the air, while Windsor became a center of culture and tourism. A bridge linked the two cities over the river, a tunnel beneath it, and a small fleet of ferries crossed the water.

As the 20th Century went on, Detroit and Windsor’s time of glory ended. The hard times started in 2015, when the Second Hyperspace War began. A battle was fought in both cities; it was short and destructive. The factories were ruined, the bridge destroyed, the people driven from their homes. Finally, Earth surrendered to the invaders and was occupied. Over the following two decades, the ADVENT Coalition systematically dismantled both Detroit and Windsor, reducing each city to scrap metal. Once the towns were demolished, Detroit and Windsor were rebuilt into Megacities, identical to the ones built by ADVENT all over the world.

For two decades, there was peace. Then the Battle for Earth happened. Humankind rose up in rebellion against their alien oppressors and once again, there was fighting in the streets. ADVENT fell, and the twin cities found themselves in a state of anarchy. Many people were murdered by the tyrannical ADVENT regime, while many more were killed in the desperate battle for freedom. Then once the occupation fell apart, starvation and disease swept through the Megacities without restraint.

Now it has been fifty years since the war ended. Detroit and Windsor are slowly crumbling away; the people who remain here live an existence and not much else. Communal farms filled lots where buildings once stood while trees and shrubs overran buildings that lay abandoned for half a century. Roads were pockmarked and broken, while factories that once brought power and wealth to the cities long ago fell silent.

And as for the people who still eked out a living in this place? There weren’t many opportunities left to earn money. Some went fishing in the nearby lakes of Erie and St. Clair. Others worked in sweatshops or on the farms. The luckiest found employment at a nearby military base where the blue and white flag of the United Nations waved proudly.

But for many young men and women of Detroit, there was one employer who held the most sway over the city, not because they somehow improved the town, but because their intense need for young people meant that new hires would be paid a fair and competitive wage.

Binary Fusion was headquartered in the Rivertown warehouse district and could be found, predictably, in a warehouse. From the outside of the building, the only feature of note was the massive collection of antennas and satellite dishes on the roof, suggesting the presence of a sophisticated operation. Aside from that, the outside of the building was quite unremarkable, but inside was another story.

It was a high-tech facility. The Binary Fusion warehouse was divided into sections. In one corner of the building, there was row upon row of holoconference rooms. Each room was filled with holographic emitters connected to a central computer, allowing the occupants to fully immerse themselves in a customizable hologram. In another corner, technicians performed regular maintenance on a large Hyperwave Relay, a spherical computer that connected the holochambers to the antennas and dishes outside. With this device, the occupants of the holochambers could communicate in real time with someone on a completely different planet, or on a space station, or on some distant stellar outpost.

There was also a corner of the building given over to living space. Dozens of small rooms contained beds and bathrooms, but no other amenities. To say the quarters were spartan is a gross overstatement. Finally, the building’s main entrance led into an office area, where men and women in expensive clothes stressed themselves over numbers and figures and business-related things.

As for what kind of business was Binary Fusion is… it was the single biggest employer of young people in Detroit and Windsor, and that was solely because there was nowhere else to find employment. Two years ago, all non-Humans were expelled from Earth, leaving many businesses and homes empty. The downtown quarter of Detroit was filled with vacant storefronts where alien-run shops and stalls now lay abandoned. Most of the local Humans who worked in these places were now either an employee or a client of Binary Fusion: a super-modern version of one of the oldest workplaces in Human culture.

Binary Fusion was a brothel.

A cyber-brothel.

Using a combination of Holographic emitters and faster-than-light communication systems, Binary Fusion peddled its “carnal services” to lonely adults all over the Earth as well as most of the surrounding planets and space stations. All these customers needed was their own holochamber, so that both the client and their hired partner could share a virtual environment. Their most frequent customers were the rich and powerful, with soldiers from the United Nations Army being a close second. Young people would spend ten to twelve hours each day inside of their assigned holochambers, “entertaining” one holographic guest after another in highly realistic virtual-reality encounters. And of course, soundproof bedrooms could be found in the building for those who craved the real physical experience.

Of course, this is how a normal day would have gone. Today was not going to be a normal day at Binary Fusion.

Just a few hours after lunch, the CEO, a short and angry-looking man, came bursting out of a nearby restaurant with a cell phone gripped tightly in one hand. He started running full-tilt towards the Binary Fusion building, shouting into the phone:

“What did the security guy tell you the last time this happened!?”

A panicked voice replied from the phone:

“He promised it wouldn’t happen again, sir!”

“Then how the hell do you explain this!?”

The CEO gesticulated furiously at the sight before him. Emergency vehicles were forming a perimeter around the Binary Fusion warehouse. Police cars flashed their lights and blared their sirens to drive people away. Meanwhile, six military vehicles were parked outside the main doors. The armored personnel carriers were painted white and had the words “UN Reclamation Agency” painted in black on the sides. Soldiers wearing body armor and carrying weapons tried to stop the CEO from forcing his way into the building.

“Sir, you need to stay outside! There’s an ongoing hostage situation and, hey! Come back here!”

Pushing and shoving at the Reclamation Agents, the CEO forced his way into the warehouse where he found a frightening scene. A security guard was hunched over the receptionist’s desk, bleeding from a wound on the side of his neck. Two of the working girls were dabbing at his injury with a cloth.

“He’s got a knife!” One of them cried out. “He went in one of the holobooths!”

The CEO raced down the corridor, following the sounds of voices coming from the far corner of the building. As he drew near, the CEO noticed what they were saying:

“Steph, I won’t ask you again!” a man yelled. “Come over here right now!”

“No!” Cried the voice of another working girl. “Get away from me!”

“Shut up! I’m your boyfriend and you’ll do as I say!”

“No you’re not!” the girl screamed. “You’re just some customer!”

The CEO followed the voices to their source and pushed open the door of a holochamber. The name on the door said: “Stephanie Bentz”. Inside, he found three people: two working girls and a strange man who clearly did not belong here. Stephanie herself was cowering behind her co-worker: Lynn Potter, who was a slightly older blonde with vivid blue eyes. The intruder was a big guy armed with a kitchen knife.

As soon as the CEO forced the door open, the intruder looked away from the two cornered girls and shouted at him:

“Back off, man! Steph’s coming with me!”

But the intruder never got to finish his sentence. He tried to reach out and grab the younger girl, but this was a mistake with immediate consequences. Lynn Potter, the blonde, lashed out violently.

“Don’t touch my friend!” she screamed.

Before the CEO could do anything, Lynn shoved her attacker all the way to the ground and knocked the knife out of his hand. Stephanie panicked and tried to escape, making her way past the CEO and into the hall, where four Reclamation Agents parted to let her pass before pressing on.

Meanwhile, the attacker and the blonde girl were brawling. The man scrambled to his feet, grabbed Lynn by the front of her shirt, and threw her into a corner. Sparks flew and there was a loud crashing sound as the holographic emitters were smashed to pieces. The intruder tried to turn around and force his way past the CEO, but before he could take two steps, Lynn tackled him from behind. This time, the man whirled around and punched her in the head, sending her reeling backwards. She hit the computer console on the wall and smashed most of the delicate machinery before slumping over.

The CEO was so frightened he jumped back, clearing a path for the attacker to escape. However, the man was stopped from fleeing again. Blood dripping from her nose, Lynn wrapped her hands around his ankle and sent him toppling to the floor. The intruder roared with fury and tried to kick her. His next blow would have gotten her face, but that was when Reclamation Agents breached the room.

Two powerful sets of hands seized the intruder and pulled him away, sparing Lynn from any further blows. With much shouting and cursing, the man was dragged away by his captors. Another agent produced a Nanomedikit and sprayed down the girl’s injuries. A cloud of microscopic robots coated the girl’s cuts and bruises, then they started to repair the damage. The agent said:

“You’re pretty brave, lady. Nicely done.”

The CEO staggered into the room. As he surveyed the damage, his expression turned from fear to a completely new stage of anger.

“The computer, the emitters! Oh, no! This’ll cost thousands to fix!”

One of the Reclamation Agents rolled his eyes and mumbled in a low voice:

“Not to mention the medical bills for your employee over here.”

“What!?” the CEO snapped.

“This girl just saved her colleague’s life.” The agent replied. “I think it would only make sense to pay for fixing her face. You know, as a thank you.”

The CEO looked down at his battered and bloodied employee. Then he pointed to the damaged computer and hologram emitters.

“Here’s your thanks, Potter!” He spat. “You did all this, so I’m taking the cost of the damage out of your salary! Every damn Credit!”

The CEO, infuriated, checked the time on his smartphone.

“And clean the blood off your face, Potter. There’s a high-value client coming for you in ten minutes.”

…

Despite the events of the day, Stephanie and Lynn were expected to work the remainder of their shifts. Finally, about four hours after the sun went down, the two girls left the building. Each one carried a travel bag with a change of clothes inside. Lynn was carrying a large black case strapped to her back. As soon as they got clear of the Binary Fusion building, both girls pulled off their credentials and stuffed them in their pockets. Lynn and Stephanie walked for about half an hour, following a walkway that ran along the riverbank. The lights from Windsor reflected in the black water like an extra constellation of stars, only to be broken up as a large cargo ship steamed southwest on its way to Ohio.

Lynn and Stephanie came to a halt below a large bronze statue. Fifteen feet tall, the statue depicted the war hero Blake Robinson shaking hands with Thomas Hutch, one of the leading members of the old ADVENT regime. The plaque at the base said this:

“At this spot on 25 July 2035

Captain Blake Robinson of XCOM accepted the unconditional surrender of ADVENT Regional Administrator Thomas Hutch, an event that is generally regarded as the final collapse of the ADVENT Coalition and the official moment of the LIBERATION OF EARTH.”

The two girls collapsed onto a bench and sighed. Lynn undid the straps on her case and opened it. While she unpacked the contents, Stephanie looked at her watch and said:

“My dad’s already on the way, and he’s so angry. Are you going to be okay alone?”

Lynn shrugged and stood up.

“You saw how I handled that creep, didn’t you? I’ll be fine. You make sure you’re taking care of yourself, okay, Opal? I’m worried about you.”

Due to their line of work, these two girls almost never used their real names. So when Lynn called her friend Opal instead of Stephanie, the younger girl understood her friend was being serious. Opal gave her friend a hug and replied.

“Thanks, Nezzie. I appreciate it.”

Inez Espinosa (who called herself Lynn Potter at work) giggled and withdrew an object from her large black case.

“Don’t call me Nezzie. C’mon. Might as well jam while we wait.”

Inez sat down on the park bench with an acoustic guitar across her lap. She tuned the instrument for a moment and then started strumming a melody and tested her voice with a short tune:

“My gal-pal’s friend punched me in the face, and then my paycheck vanished without a trace.”

Opal giggled.

“Seriously, Nezzie. Are you going to be okay? I know you don’t have any family out here and…”

“Don’t call me that.” Inez groaned. “And I’ve got family… I just… haven’t heard from them in a while. A long while. You know?”

Inez started to strum the guitar in a way that signaled the end of the conversation. Opal sighed and set the open guitar case on the ground in front of herself. Then, she and Inez started performing together. This late at night, only a few people were left in the park. But the harmonizing of Inez’ guitar and Opal’s voice lured people to them like moths to a flame. One by one, Detroiters and Windsorites stopped what they were doing to take in the sweet sounds of music.

Opal went first, singing a melancholic tune about the Old World. A few Credits landed in the open case as people enjoyed the show. After that, Inez sang a love ballad, pointing directly at some of the men in park and giving them seductive stares. For maximum effect, Inez threw back her wavy blonde hair and struck an alluring pose. Coins were gathering in the guitar case like snow. Then the two girls performed a duet. After about fifteen minutes, some two dozen people were enjoying the musical performance. But like all good things, the show came to an end.

An electric car pulled up to the parking lot and Opal’s father, who looked way too old to be defending his daughter from creeps, hobbled across the park. Opal waved a sorrowful goodbye to Inez and promised to talk to her later. While her friend departed, Inez packed up her guitar.

“Sorry guys, show’s over.”

With a guitar on her back and a change of clothes in the bag under her arm, Inez started walking home alone.

…

It was a twenty minute walk from the riverfront to Inez’s apartment. Even though it was close to midnight, the city was very much still active. Hundreds of people filled the streets as they moved from place to place. Electric vehicles hummed quietly on the roads, and up above, Inez could hear the deep rumble of a starship coming in to land at the spaceport.

Inez was about five minutes away from her apartment, having just walked past a street sign that said she was entering Elmwood Park, when some people who knew Inez spotted her.

A pair of young men, both older than Inez, approached her seemingly out of the shadows.

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t Potter, the wannabe cage-fighter.” Said the first man, a musclebound figure named Nathan. Inez tensed up. She knew Nathan. He was a Binary Fusion client; and he paid good money to spend the night with both Inez and Opal on several occasions. Inez dreaded those weekends when she found Nathan waiting for her in one of the private rooms at Binary. He was a creep and he was known for treating women badly.

Nathan’s friend, a man called Alan, laughed aloud.

“Fighter?” Alan quipped. “No way. She’s skinnier than a Sectoid.”

The two guys continued harassing Inez, comparing her to different alien species, as she tried to maneuver around them and get to her apartment complex.

“That probably explains why she messed up Jed’s face today.” Alan said.

“Jed?” Inez snarked. “That guy who broke into Binary today was a friend of yours?”

“Roommate.” Alan growled. “We had to bail him outta jail, he told us you brainwashed Steph into running away from him.”

“What’s your problem, freak?” Nathan said. “Why you gotta come between a guy and his girl like that?”

Inez could see her apartment building now. Just a few more meters.

“You mean between a stalker and his victim?” She snarked. “I’d have thought that was a no-brainer.”

Less than ten meters from the entrance to her apartment complex, Inez felt a hand clasp around her shoulder. Nathan’s voice barked in her ear:

“I think it’s high time we taught you a lesson, Potter!”

…

About five minutes later, Inez was inside the building and outside her apartment door. She was panting and her knuckles were covered in blood that wasn’t her own, but otherwise she wasn’t any worse for wear. As she fumbled with the keycard, a door opened behind her.

“Evening, Nezzie.” Said a man’s voice. “Your mail showed up in my box again today.”

Looking around behind her, Inez spotted the man who lived in the apartment. Lawrence Ridge was a rugged-looking black man. Twenty-nine years old, he was heavyset with a square face that made him look younger than his actual age. His eyes were framed by a set of rectangular smart glasses, a digital heads-up display just barely visible in the lenses. He waved a single envelope over his head to get her attention. When Inez took the letter, Lawrence looked at her knuckles and raised an eyebrow.

“Do I want to know?” he asked.

“Do you really want me to tell you?” she replied.

“No, I don’t.”

“No, you don’t.”

The two stared at one another for a moment.

“Are you going to be okay?” Lawrence asked.

Inez wiped the blood on her jeans.

“Eh. Most likely.”

Lawrence raised his eyebrow.

“Do you want some company? Come on, Nezzie. You might be fine later, but you’re not fine now. How about someone to just vent at?”

“Do. Not. Call. Me. Nezzie.” Inez groaned. Then with a long, drawn-out sigh, she added: “Yeah, actually, I do need to blow off some steam… if you don’t mind losing some sleep.”

Lawrence closed his apartment door behind him.

“Sure.” He said. “Why not?”

Once they were both inside of her apartment, Inez dropped her purse and the letter, unopened, on the kitchen counter and then moved to join Lawrence. She felt as though the weight of the world lifted from her shoulders just a little bit. Both she and Lawrence kicked off their shoes and collapsed on the couch in her living room. She vented to her neighbor about today’s crisis at Binary Fusion, and he listened attentively. When she re-told the story of the confrontation with Nathan and Alan, Lawrence did not overreact with oaths of vengeful violence, as she expected him to. Instead, he asked a question.

“So, did you use those lessons I taught you? The ones about self-defense?”

“Sure did.” Inez replied. “Alan’s gonna be breathing through his mouth tonight, and Nathan’ll be eating with his left hand for weeks. Between the three of them, Jed, Nathan, and Alan, a lot fewer girls at Binary are gonna be harassed.”

“Mm-hm! Preach!” Lawrence snapped his fingers with satisfaction. “Nezzie, keep this up and you’ll be a real vigilante.”

Inez threw back her head and laughed.

“Don’t call me Nezzie.” She said. “Besides, I’m not gonna be the next Jericho or Blake Robinson or Mami Tamihana or anything like that. I just hate control freaks. That’s all. I just wanna have good times with good people. Is that too much to ask?”

Lawrence let out a big belly laugh.

“I can’t speak for the rest of the world, but you’re damn lucky it’s not too much to ask for in this neck of the woods.”

Inez and Lawrence both sighed and looked at one another.

“You have to work in the morning, huh?” Lawrence asked.

“Yeah. Another twelve-hour shift.” She replied. “It’s really gonna suck having to put up with an angry boss all day.”

Lawrence put his arm around Inez’ shoulders and asked:

“Wanna forget about all that? At least for a few hours?”

Feeling relaxed, Inez nodded.

“Gimme some good times?” She asked.

“Yeah.” Lawrence agreed. “Good times.”

Inez sprang off her couch and started to retrieve several bottles of beer from the kitchen. Behind her, Lawrence used a remote control to activate the entertainment system. At once, every light in the apartment dimmed, plunging the living room into semidarkness. The only illumination came from the city lights outside.

It took Lawrence a couple of minutes to adjust his eyes to the darkness. In that short interval, Inez disappeared into her bedroom and re-emerged just two minutes later. She had changed into a new outfit, one meant for parties. It was a two-piece luminescent costume. Thanks to fiber optics woven into the materiel, the tube top and miniskirt both glowed with a gentle blue light, just soft enough that Lawrence could see through her clothing as though it wasn’t there. Interestingly, her vivid blue eyes could just barely be seen in the darkness, almost as though they too were glowing, but with far less intensity than her outfit.

As soon as Inez re-entered the living room, the entertainment system started to play a preprogrammed laser and hologram show, synchronized to high-tempo synthetic music. Beams of red, blue, and green light crisscrossed the room while intense beats and rhythms shook the windows. Inez let her hair down in a cascade of wavy blonde curls, and then she grabbed Lawrence off the couch and pulled him into the center of the room. They started dancing their hearts out, drinking beer and thundering their feet on the floor to the tempo while holographic Galaxies spun into existence around them. Nebulae filled the room while Supernovas popped and crackled around them like a fireworks display.

With beers in hand, Lawrence and Inez carried on their two-person dance party for nearly an hour. They jumped and moved to the beat, sang as off-key as they could, drank until their vision started blurring, and they forgot why they were drinking in the first place. At some point Inez, too inebriated to stand up straight let alone walk, tripped over her own feet and fell. Lawrence grabbed Inez and held her steady. The two laughed long and hard, slumping back onto the couch. Inez gave Lawrence an imprecise and very drunk kiss.

Around midnight, the hologram and laser display ended. The only source of light was Inez’ outfit, but her glowing clothes failed to illuminate anything other than her own body, and Lawrence was drawn to Inez as though she were magnetic. He wanted to touch every inch of her, and she was eager for him to start.

Lawrence pulled Inez to him and they kissed intensely, locking themselves together by the lips without so much as coming up for air. Acting mostly on instinct, Inez fumbled blindly at Lawrence’s clothes while he did the same to her.

Somehow, in full defiance of their drunkenness and the darkness, Inez and Lawrence stumbled their way to the bedroom, leaving a trail of discarded clothing behind. As the couple completely lost themselves in the moment, Inez’s luminous clothes hung off the nightstand, shimmering and glittering as though two pieces of the night sky had fallen to earth.

<=== Prologue: A Parting of the Ways

Chapter 2: The Girl From Montana ===>

Macavity116 · Dec 25, 2021

Midnite Duke said:
Thank you very much for the update. Where does this fit in the Stormbreaker chronology? May your and your family's holidays be full of peace and joy with 2022 having many blessings to follow in 2022.

You're welcome and merry Christmas to you and yours!

The Last Heroes is the last, final, and ultimate installment in the series. This story is dead last in the Stormbreaker chronology and is a direct sequel to The Stormbreakers - A Stellaris Story.

The Last Heroes is set 50 years after the cataclysmic Second Hyperspace War, and follows the adventures of Inez Espinosa after she is contacted by her mother, the illusive spymaster Scarlett Freeman.

Scattered throughout this tale, you can spot some heroes from other installments of the series, plus their children and grandchildren. For instance: Does anyone remember Sophie Ackermann and Sophia Kuznetsova? Two Stormbreakers who got married after the war? Their kid is going to appear in Chapter 4: The Chase. Blake Robinson's children and grandchildren will appear in this story as well.

Macavity116 · Dec 25, 2021

<=== Chapter 1: Inez Espinosa

Chapter 3: Lost and Abandoned ===>

Chapter 2
The Girl from Montana

March 2, 2086
Detroit, Michigan

Inez was very upset when her boss followed through on his threat the following day. To cover the cost of the computer and hologram emitter smashed during yesterday’s fight, Inez was made to forfeit her next paycheck in its entirety. She had half a mind to just quit her job on the spot and walk out of Binary Fusion, but reality quickly sank in. There just weren’t many jobs left in Detroit, and unemployed people quickly became homeless. After that, it was all downhill from there.

Sure, there were other ways to make money, but Inez strongly preferred the relative security of Binary Fusion to the rest of the city. Entertaining clients via hologram was as safe as can be, and if someone wanted a physical encounter with Inez, bringing them into the Binary warehouse was far safer than going with the client to some unknown location, where anything could go wrong.

So she stayed and spent the daylight hours working the holobooth, entertaining men and women from as far away as the Barnard's Star and Polaris. Normally, clients would only come to the building for physical encounters during the evening or night hours. While there were some exceptions to this rule, there were none today. Without pay, Inez was being used as slave labor for a week, but that didn’t mean she was going to be miserable the whole time. She still enjoyed her work, and simply decided to put more effort into having fun with her clients rather than trying to separate them from their money. Around noon, Inez slipped out of her holochamber for lunch and caught her friend Opal, who was walking across the street to get food from a restaurant.

Brothels, be they holographic or peddling the real physical deal, are the subject of very intense attention. So for their own safety, Inez and Opal referred to one another by their aliases.

“Steph! Wait up!” Inez caught the door just before it closed behind Opal.

“Hey Lynn. Are you doing alright?” Opal hugged Inez and pulled her into line behind the deli counter. “Did the boss really dock your pay?”

“Yeah, he did.” Inez admitted. “So I’m gonna be getting smaller lunches for a week or so.”

Opal shook her head.

“Nuh-uh. I’m buying for you.”

The two women started to haggle over whether Inez was going to pay for her own food and only stopped when the chef behind the counter presented two sandwiches before them, wrapped in to-go bags. On the front of the packaging, the insignia of the old ADVENT Burger store was poorly covered up with white tape.

“So Lynn, I’m being serious now.” Opal said in a lower voice. “How are you going to pay rent and buy food? Do you need help? ‘Cause I owe you after yesterday.”

Inez tried to scoff and wave off Opal’s offer of assistance, but her friend persisted. Out of the restaurant, across the street, and through Binary Fusion’s lobby Opal persisted. Finally, Inez relented.

“Ugh… Fine! You can pay my rent.” She grumbled. “But I get to do something for you in return, okay? How about I cook dinner for you and your dad or something?”

“Come over to my place.” Opal suggested. “I’ve told my dad a little about you before, but since yesterday, he’s really wanted to meet you. And say thanks.”

…

The rest of the afternoon went by in a very pleasant blur. Inez was looking forward to visiting Opal’s home, and she threw herself into her work… quite literally. One holographic client after another materialized inside of Inez’ holochamber to find a very gracious and energetic host waiting for them.

The vast majority of Inez’ clients were UN Army soldiers, far from home and looking for companionship. Today, anybody who contracted services from Inez would be left very satisfied. The soldiers kind of melted into each other, but a few clients did stand out.

A high-ranking official completely forgot he was married once Inez was finished with him. She left him in a daze and he forgot to disconnect the Hyperline. Inez smirked at him before cutting the connection.

A wealthy businessman on Alpha Centauri nearly collapsed from overexertion and paid Inez a bonus for wearing him out.

Two soldiers (who purchased an hour of three-way action with Inez) cleaned out their bank accounts desperately trying to purchase extra half-hour with her.

Then, around sunset, a military officer entered the warehouse and paid for the privilege of spending half an hour alone with Inez in a private room. Somehow, when she finished, Inez was even more energized than before. She was ready to clock out and get on with what promised to be a good evening.

Finally, around seven o’clock in the evening, about an hour before her shift ended, Inez finally tired herself out. Doing this sort of thing for twelve hours a day takes a toll on the body. The instant her latest client faded away, she slumped into a corner and took a deep breath. Inez nearly fell asleep then and there, not really caring that she still had an hour left on her shift.

Hell, she wasn’t being paid this week anyway, so she didn’t really give a damn if the boss caught her slacking off with less than an hour left on the clock. She was just going to close her eyes for a few minutes and catch her breath...

Beep beep beep.

The Hyperline was ringing.

Inez groaned. It must be a client.

Reluctantly, she clambered back to her feet, feeling much heavier and groggier than any other point today. Inez put on the best smile she could and tapped the touchscreen.

“Good evening, my name’s Lynn Potter!” She introduced herself with her fake name and a cheerful tone. “Looks like you’ve bought half an hour with me. So what do you wanna do?”

With a flickering of lights, a Humanoid shape took form in front of Inez. At the same time, the holochamber reconfigured her surroundings according to what the client wanted. Instinctively, Inez struck a seductive pose, making sure the plunging neckline of her shirt was in plain view. A second later, however, she felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach as she recognized the sight coming together in front of her.

She was standing in the center of a large cathedral with a very high vaulted ceiling. In front of her, she saw a massive stained-glass window that stood nearly four stories tall. On the glass was an image of Jericho, the girl who became a god, dressed in robes of white and gold. The blue star known as Altair was visible through the stained glass. At the altar, the yellow cross of XCOM had been repurposed into a religious symbol that adorned not just the altar, but also the pews, the flags, and even the insignia above Jericho’s head in the stained-glass window.

And then there was the man in front her, He was dressed in green and black robes, with a thick black hood and a heavy black blindfold that covered the upper half of his face, right down to the tip of his nose.

Inez instantly recognized both the place and the man. She was warned about this… everybody at Binary had been warned about these people.

This place was the Cathedral of Jericho, and this man was one of Her Acolytes.

Before Inez could even open her mouth to speak, the Acolyte launched into a pre-prepared speech.

“To sell yourself is an affront to Jericho! Save yourself now, here in her grand cathedral where-”

The Acolyte never finished his speech. Inez disconnected the call and quickly blacklisted the cultist Hyperline address, punching the button so hard she hurt her finger.

Inez hated being shamed or judged for her line of work, and unfortunately that seemed to happen a lot. She’d long ago lost count of how many times random strangers had raised hell about Inez being a sex worker. Lots of folks told Inez she was being exploited, and that she “needed to be saved". She hated that message in particular.

But Inez wasn’t stupid. She knew that many of the young men and women who worked at Binary were genuinely at a low point in their lives and probably were being taken advantage of. But Inez didn’t count herself among their number, because she liked her job. Inez thoroughly enjoyed sex and everything to do with it. She did what she loved and loved getting paid to do it.

Not like there was anywhere else to work in Detroit anyway.

Angry and frustrated, Inez shut down her Hyperwave terminal. She was so done for the night.

…

A few hours after sundown, Inez and Opal clocked out and made their way to the parking lot, where Opal’s father was waiting in an electric car. Once the two women got in the car, Opal’s father turned to greet Inez. He was so old that Inez wondered if he had any memories of the Old World. His age was confirmed by the yellow words on his baseball cap, which said:

“Combat Veteran

Battle for Earth – July 20, 2035”

Opal’s father introduced himself while he powered the car and started to drive.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Espinosa. My name is Montri Anward, and I guess I owe you quite a lot for sticking up for my Opal.”

Both Inez and Opal blushed.

As it turns out, Opal’s family lived in Novi, a small town on the outskirts of Detroit. Since it took some time to get there, Opal filled the time by explaining her own family to Inez, with a little help from Montri. Opal’s father was almost fifty years older than her, yet he was married to a woman less than half his age. Opal was the youngest child of six, and all of her siblings were only half-relations, as the only thing she had in common with them was Montri. Each of Opal’s brothers and sisters had come from a different mother, with Montri being the common father to all. Only two of the Anward mothers were still alive, and they lived with Montri and his children in Novi.

The oldest member of the Anward family was Montri’s father, who was Opal’s grandfather. At just over one-hundred-ten years old, the elder Anward spent most of his days wondering just how he had managed to live so long. Before Inez could ask for more details about Opal’s grandfather, they arrived at the Anward home.

Throughout the car ride, Opal had failed to mention was the fact that her family was very poor. Not that Inez needed the reminder.

The entire Anward family lived in a tiny run-down house with only three bedrooms, all of which were too small for the family of ten. Trash piled up in the yard while paint peeled from the walls and vines grew unimpeded up the walls. At least one of the upstairs windows was broken.

Every member of Opal’s family was employed, except for her supercentenarian grandfather; and the money each person brought home was (when added together) just barely sufficient to keep the lights on and food in the kitchen. The Anward family was surviving and not doing much else.

When Opal, Montri, and Inez arrived, two of Opal’s siblings ran out of the front door to greet them. They too had just come home from work. Opal’s brother Flint worked in the docks on the riverbank; which meant he was dirty, musty and every tired out. Even so, Inez couldn’t help but notice that Flint was suddenly aroused by the sight of her. He took every opportunity he could to look at Inez’s body, with emphasis on gazing at her torso and legs. Inez felt flattered. Try as he might, Flint couldn’t hide the fact that he was strongly attracted to her.

Opal’s sister Ruby was also a prostitute. However, she did not work for Binary Fusion. Instead, Ruby physically met with real clients and did the real deed. Ruby looked dangerously exhausted, but she still had the energy to grab Inez in a tight hug and say her thanks over and over again. Ruby took an instant liking to Inez.

Inside, one of Opal’s mothers was making dinner and already set a place at the table for Inez. When she saw how small the serving sizes were, Inez realized that her own presence meant everybody else would be eating less tonight.

“Oh, no. I can’t.” Inez tried to say. “I can’t ask you to-”

“Nonsense, it’s alright.” Replied Mrs. Anward. “We wanted to give you more, especially after Opal told us about you losing your pay. But she talked us down… more like shouted us down, I guess. If I had my way, you would have moved in and been part of the family. Seems right after you saved my dear daughter.”

Opal’s other mother doted on Inez, offering her refreshments and a pampering.

“You know, we really are grateful you saved our girl.” Said the other Mrs. Anward. “If we can’t get you to come and live with us, then perhaps you’d like to marry Opal instead? We could probably make that happen.”

Opal balled up her fists and stamped her feet.

“Mom! You’re embarrassing me!”

Inez stammered but was spared from answering by the arrival of a frail old man. Opal’s grandfather was so battered and worn out that he needed a wheelchair to move. Yet when he reprimanded Opal’s other mother, his voice suggested that he had plenty of strength left.

“Give the young lady some space, dear. She’s a guest, not the kitten you found off the street.”

Then Opal’s grandfather introduced himself.

“My name Garth. Garth Anward. And I owe you my deepest thanks. We all knew that Opal and Ruby were in a dangerous line of work, and if I could have my way, they would both have other jobs. But we need the money, and there’s nowhere else for them to earn cash. I am so grateful you were there for my darling granddaughter. Please, join us for dinner. We all want to know you better. I daresay even, that some of us hope you’ll extend your friendship to us as well.”

With a kind smile, Garth took Inez’ hand and gently guided her to the dining table, where all but one member of Opal’s family were slowly gathering for a meal. The only member of the Anward family who was absent was the oldest of Opal’s siblings, a man named Garnet. He was employed as a security guard at the nearby UN Army base and wouldn’t be home until after midnight.

Dinner itself was a small serving of hot Chryssalid soup, served with a glass of treated water purchased from the local Gene Therapy Clinic. Since the food went quickly, there was a lot of conversation. Everybody offered their thanks to Inez for saving Opal’s life, and Garth insisted on using what little money his family had to help pay for Inez’ rent until she started getting paychecks again. She tried to turn down the generous offer, but the entire Anward clan insisted until she relented.

“Think of it as my way of thanking you for looking out for Opal yesterday.” Montri said. “I’m sure once word gets back to them, your parents will be proud of you as well.”

Opal quickly waved her hands to get Montri's attention, but he didn’t realize he’d misspoke until Inez’ face fell. She looked down at the half-finished meal on the kitchen counter and mumbled some words of thanks. Montri noticed the change in Inez and turned to his daughter. Garth had also picked up on the sudden shift in Inez’ mood and was giving her a quizzical look.

“Something I said?” Montri asked.

Before Opal could reply, Inez spoke.

“It’s okay, really. There’s no way you could have known. I… I asked Opal not to talk about it.”

All of this was true. In that moment, Inez could have gotten very angry with Montri for bringing up a subject that was implicitly forbidden, but she didn’t. The fact that Montri didn’t know Inez’ past and had to be told was a sign that Opal was trustworthy. She had kept her friend's secret. Inez supposed there was no harm in sharing now… the Anward family had already offered to help, after all. With a deep breath, Inez started to explain:

“Opal already knows…” Inez began. “And I don’t like to talk about thus because it’s so embarrassing. But here goes: my parents… they, uh… they abandoned me here. About five years ago.”

The reaction from everyone in the room was uniform in nature. There was an outpouring of sympathy for Inez and a small amount of anger directed at her parents, wherever they were. One of Opal’s mothers refilled Inez’s bowl of soup and pushed it to her. The rest hung on Inez’s words with rapt attention.

“When I was younger, I lived with my parents in Bannack, it’s a ghost town in Montana, over a thousand miles from here. My dad’s a scientist. He works for the UN government… and my mom was a field agent for the ISO.”

Opal’s brother dropped his spoon.

“The Internal Security Office!” Flint gasped. “That’s the UN spy agency. Your mother was a spy?”

Inez nodded.

“The three of us lived at a UN Army base in Bannack. Dad was working on some secret project in a lab and Mom was working for the security team. Didn’t see her much. Almost never, really. Dad raised me.”

“What’s your father’s name?” Ruby interrupted.

“Emanuel.”

Montri raised an eyebrow.

“I’ve heard that name.” He replied. “Professor Emanuel Espinosa. He’s the leader of the whole Science Directorate now.”

Inez winced.

“Yeah.” Her voice was strained. “Before that, he’d take me into the lab every day. Got most of my education in there from the other scientists. Doctor Spark was basically, like, my tutor."

“Spark?” Montri repeated. “I don’t know that name.”

“Polly Spark?” Inez said. “You probably wouldn’t know her. She was new when I was there.”

“So, what happened?” Opal’s mother asked. “How come you live here… alone?”

Inez’ face darkened as she went on. Her voice cracked a few times from the effort to hold back tears.

“Well, I’m not too sure why it happened. It didn’t make sense.” She admitted. “Ever since I was young… I was… kinda different. My dad said I was special, and I believed him.”

“Special? How?” Montri pressed.

“Well, I could do things.” Inez replied. “There were other kids on the base and we were all in like, a sort of school together. And I remember that I always kinda knew how everyone else was feeling. Like, an intuition. I didn’t even have to look at someone’s face, I just knew what kind of mood they were in.”

“Empathy?” Garth said. “I know a few people…”

“Not that kind of empathy.” Inez stopped him. “I’m not reading minds. It’s not the Gift. It’s more like a strong gut feeling. Intuition.”

Opal nudged her father.

“She’s guessed what I was feeling loads of times.” Opal said. “You can’t hide anything from her. She probably dialed us in as soon as she came through the door.”

Opal was right. In fact, looking around the table, Inez quickly sized up everyone in the room:

Opal felt embarrassed by her family’s obsession with Inez and looking for a place to hide.

Ruby was desperate for some sleep; she was just putting up a front until dinner was over.

Flint was not paying attention to the story. He was busy fantasizing about sleeping with Inez.

Both of Opal’s mothers were worried about Inez’s mental health.

Montri was fascinated by Inez’s story, and his curiosity about her past was overriding his own physical attraction to her.

Garth was genuinely concerned for Inez, and she felt her own heart get warm and light when she realized that.

On hearing Opal’s comment, Flint’s eyes went wide. Then his cheeks flushed as he mumbled:

“Oh, I didn’t mean to…”

Inez waved her hands.

“No offense taken. You’re not the first person the react that way.”

She continued her story:

“I told my dad about my… well… I guess you can call it empathy. He said I would grow up to be something really special. He said that a lot as I got older, especially after my first fight.”

“Fight?” Montri asked.

“There were a lot of kids in the lab.” Inez sighed. “Kids fight a lot, especially when the adults aren’t looking. Thing is, nobody ever taught me how to defend myself, and I’ve never worked out before. Not once. But whenever someone comes at me… I can’t really explain it, I just kinda know what to do. I don’t think, I just do. That’s what happened with Opal yesterday. That guy should have killed me or at least put me in the hospital. He was bigger and stronger than me, but in the moment, I just knew what to do and I did it.”

Montri and Garth stared at Inez with open mouths. Before they could think of something to say, Inez pressed on.

“But there was one other thing that made me believe my dad. Made me believe he was right about being special. After I hit puberty, I started like… attracting people… romantically and… well, physically. I think I was ten years old the first time a guy older than my dad started hitting on me.”

Inez shuddered, reliving a very unpleasant memory. Flint looked like he’d just been pulled out of a daze.

“It got really bad really quickly. Men, women, boys, girls. Everybody suddenly wanted to be with me. Everyone called me the ‘most beautiful girl in Bannack' and started making up excuses to give me things and be with me. Even some of the bullies I beat up were trying to get in my pants. I couldn’t hang out with teenagers at all. They couldn’t control themselves… some of the adults were really bad too… everyone wanted me and it was all, so… awful. There was this one guy, a teen who liked to bully me. David Sepulveda. When he started to like me…”

Inez stopped talking, tears running down her face.

Opal gently took Inez’ hand and stared intently into her face, as of inviting Inez to read her emotions. Inez quickly picked up on her friend’s show of support, and began to tell the final part of her tale:

“It was right after my sixteenth birthday. Dad came back from the lab all excited and happy. He said that my mom got a promotion, she was moving up in the ISO.”

Montri grumbled.

“If your father is Professor Espinosa, then your mother is Scarlett Freeman. She’s the ISO leader now. Why the hell have they left you out here if they were doing so well for themselves?”

“I’m getting there.” Inez cut him off. “Just listen: After I turned sixteen, Mom asked me to follow her into a part of the lab I’d never seen before. It was a dark place with purple lights, and two cells, kinda like the cells in a prison, on the far wall. Mom took me into one of the cells and put a weird machine on me. She put something on my arm and on my head. Then she told me that I was going to take a test… like, a test of my brain, of my mind. She said that I needed to sit in the cell with this weird thing on me for a few hours. All I had to do was sit there and ‘have normal thoughts'. She smiled at me. I remember that, and she said she expected me to do just fine.”

Inez took a deep breath and shuddered. Reliving this memory seemed to be distressing her. Opal’s eyes were starting to fill with tears. She’d heard this story before and didn’t want to relive the ending. Inez pressed on while the Anwards watched with rapt attention:

“When it was over, Doctor Spark pulled the machine off me and said I could go. I looked for my Mom on the way out, and I saw her. Mom looked… she looked so… disappointed. I knew I failed… whatever that test was supposed to be; I failed it completely. She gave me this glare, like I’d broken her heart. And that was the last time I ever saw my mom. The next morning, Dad told me that I was moving away. He said it was time for me to learn how to live on my own. He brought me here… to Detroit, and my apartment. Then he arranged for my rent to be paid by his government agency. He… Dad…”

Inez sniffled. She was about to cry.

“He said he’d check up on me in a year… and just left. I had to fend for myself in a city I didn’t know anything about. I was so scared all the time, so I just kinda shut myself in my apartment and prayed for the day when my Dad would come back… but…”

Montri's mouth fell open. He was figuring out the rest of the story on his own.

“Sixteen? And you’re twenty-one now.” He said. “That means you’ve been in Detroit for five years. And... oh my goodness! You were here the last two times the city fell!”

Inez nodded.

“I was getting money every month from Mom and Dad to pay for the apartment and my food, but you know what happened. The warlords came, and they… you probably saw...”

Flint nodded.

“I was there. The Americans pillaged the banks.”

“The money stopped.” Inez confirmed. “I ran to the back and begged them to help, and all they could do was give me the Hyperline address for the Bannack base. I called and called and called, but no one ever answered. I called the UN Science Directorate, tried to get through to Dad, but nobody could help. They kept telling me that I had the wrong clearance, or that they couldn’t help me because I was outside the UN's territory. I, I got desperate. When winter came, I waited until the Detroit River froze and then I tried to walk across to Canada.”

Ruby gasped.

“But, how!? The city was locked down.” She said.

“Yup. I found out the hard way.” Inez scoffed. “Men on snowmobiles dragged me back to Detroit and arrested me for vagrancy. Judge told me to get a job and pay my rent or he’d throw me in prison.”

“That's how you met me.” Opal chimed in.

“We started working for Binary.” Inez said with a smile. “I won’t lie, I kinda liked it. I know I have an effect on men, and at least I was getting paid for using it. It was fun.”

Montri frowned.

“So, what did you do when the UN retook the city two years ago?”

“I nearly died!” Inez laughed. “I was out shopping when they started shelling the city. You know the food market on Jefferson Avenue, the one that used to be an ADVENT Burger? Me and a dozen others holed up in the meat locker until the fighting stopped. The store even got hit once. Something exploded in the parking lot and blew out all the windows. As soon as the Americans surrendered, I ran back to my apartment and stayed there until Binary Fusion sent someone to force me to go back to work.”

“I remember that.” Opal said. “The boss told ‘em to break down your door.”

Inez rolled her eyes.

“Anyway, once the UN took the city back. I started trying to call my dad again, and I got the same stupid runaround. ‘You’re not cleared for that communication.’ ‘We don’t have your data in our records.’ ‘Please respect the sensitive nature of the Directorate.’ All crap. In the end, I just gave up. My parents don’t wanna see me, they don’t even wanna talk to me. So screw’em! This is what they wanted anyway, right? I’m out here, making my own way now.”

Opal and Montri both raised their bowls and said:

“Damn right!”

<=== Chapter 1: Inez Espinosa

Chapter 3: Lost and Abandoned ===>

Macavity116 · Jan 1, 2022

Happy New Year everyone! Here's to a better future than the past we leave behind!

Since this the final story in the Stormbreaker Universe, I intended to just have as much fun as possible. To that end, I'm announcing a second tie-in YouTube series.

Normally, this series is a three-way crossover between Stellaris, Homeworld, and XCOM. However, I saw an opportunity to add a fourth game into the mix recently and I seized it. Later on in this story, you will see some elements of the award-winning adventure game Life is Strange have been added to the Stormbreaker Universe. If you are not familiar with this game, don't worry, I've got you covered. I've started uploading a no-commentary Let's Play series of Life is Strange on my YouTube channel, for anyone who wants to know more about that game... or if you just want to guess which elements have been brought to The Last Heroes.

With that said, let's carry on and start 2022 with my favorite pasttime: Storytelling!

<=== Chapter 2: The Girl From Montana

Chapter 4: The Chase ===>

Chapter 3
Lost and Abandoned

March 2, 2086
Detroit, Michigan

While Inez was sharing her life story with the Anward family, a passenger ship came in to land at the starport. Hundreds of travelers from around the solar system disembarked and parted ways in the terminal. People from low-gravity worlds like Mars or Luna stumbled as they were hit with the full weight of Earth’s gravity. Nobody here was from the distant colonies of Alpha Centauri, Sirius, or Altair. Interstellar travel was heavily restricted these days, and the reason why was listed on every electronic board in the terminal.

“Warning!” proclaimed one such sign. “A dangerous space storm is affecting the Orion Arm. The storm is known to contain radiolytic isotopes, which are lethal to carbon-based life. All interstellar travel is strongly discouraged!”

Amidst the crowd of travelers, there were two of interest: a man and a girl. The man, dressed in a heavy winter coat over a formal business suit, looked to be fifty-one or fifty-two years old. His wavy blonde hair was fading to grey, while unkempt stubble adorned his chin. The man regularly looked down at his companion with kind hazel eyes. The girl next to him was just ten years old, she wore a winter jacket overtop a school uniform and carried a small white purse. She had snow-white skin and long black hair tied up in braided pigtails; but her most noticeable feature was her eyes. This girl had beautiful green eyes, like glittering emeralds.

As the pair walked along, the little girl held onto her chaperone’s hand. Both of them were looking around nervously, and for good reason. About two minutes after they disembarked from the passenger ship, two men also disembarked. They were wearing dark suits and sunglasses. The bigger of the two men straightened his necktie while his companion slowly looked around.

Near the end of the terminal, the young girl and her companion pushed the big glass doors and found themselves in downtown Detroit. The older man looked down at her.

“We are very close now.” He said. “Do you remember what we discussed?”

The little girl nodded. She was frightened.

“Trust yourself.” He said. “Your intuition is right. Now take this.”

The man passed a sealed envelope into the girl’s palm. There was no return address, only the name of the recipient was written on the backside. She slipped the envelope into her purse. Finally, the two travelers looked at one another for a moment, their breaths hanging like clouds in the cold winter air. The little girl wiped tears from her eyes and sniffed.

“Please.” She breathed. “I don’t wanna be alone.”

“You are not alone.” The man replied. “She’s out there, somewhere in the city. You’ll find her. I know you can.”

The man knelt down and hugged the girl, whispering in her ear:

“It’s only for a little while. I’ll see both of you very soon.”

Then he straightened up and put one hand on the girl’s shoulder. With a gentle push, he sent her on her way. The grey-haired man watched until the girl walked all the way down the street and vanished into a crowd of people. She briefly re-appeared as she crossed the street, but then she was lost in the dense crowd and was gone, swallowed up by the utterly massive population of Detroit.

The man sighed contentedly. He did not want her to witness what came next.

From behind him, a voice said:

“Professor Emanuel Espinosa? I’m from the Reclamation Agency. You need to come with us.”

A man wearing a law enforcement uniform stepped forward and grabbed the Professor’s shoulder. At once, a powerful electric shock ran up the agent’s hand, knocking him back. The Reclamation Agent screamed in pain while Professor Espinosa broke into a run, bolting down the street, moving in the opposite direction the little girl had gone.

As he ran, the Professor tore off his winter coat and left it behind, revealing the technologically sophisticated vest he was wearing overtop of his suit. As he ran, the Professor reached towards a small dial on the front of his vest, labelled “Scorch Circuits” and turned the setting up to its maximum.

…

Meanwhile, the little girl was slowly starting to panic. She was walking aimlessly through Grand Circus Park, but she had no idea it was called that. She didn’t know where she was, nor did she know where she was going. All she knew was that she was searching for a woman called Inez and that she had no idea where Inez could be found.

She was lost.

Deep inside her, panic was rising like the tide. The little girl looked around so frantically that her pigtails slapped her face.

I’m lost. She told herself. I’m lost!

A stranger spotted the girl and asked if she needed help. The girl tried to focus on the stranger’s voice, but this only made things worse. Suddenly, she could hear other voices as well. Hundreds of people were talking all around her… all about her!

That kid doesn’t have anyone with her.

She’s all alone, it’s so sad.

Was she abandoned like the other kids at the docks?

Poor girl’s gonna get kidnapped, not like I can do anything about it.

I’m so glad I’m not that girl over there.

I bet I could get her into my car.

In that moment, the girl’s fears got the best of her. She screamed and started to run. In what direction? It didn’t matter. All that mattered was she got away from this crowded place and found somewhere quiet, where there would be no voices. The little girl fled the park, stopping only when she ran into an alleyway between two high-rise buildings. There was nobody here save for a homeless woman, wrapped up in many blankets and eating a fast food burger.

The girl leaned against the wall, still clutching her envelope, panting. She closed her eyes, trying to shut out the world.

You are safe here, little one. Take your time.

The homeless woman’s voice flowed into the girl’s mind as though it had always been there. The girl opened her eyes and looked at the vagrant opposite her. The homeless woman didn’t even look up. She was still attacking the hamburger. Now that her breathing slowed, the lost girl got a better look at the woman on the ground. The homeless woman was vaguely Asian-American in appearance, with wavy black hair and vibrant purple eyes. And… the girl couldn’t be sure… but there was some unspeakable quality about this strange woman.

Somehow, and she would never be able to explain why, the girl knew that this woman was good, and that she would do nothing to harm the small child opposite her. It was like the homeless woman had an invisible aura… one that felt warm and welcoming.

The homeless woman looked up at the lost girl.

“Your instincts are right.” She said. “Just put one foot in front of the other, and you’ll get where you need to go.”

The lost girl wanted to say something, to reply. But instinctively, before she opened her mouth to speak, she blinked.

The homeless woman was gone. As were the blankets and food. Nothing remained to suggest that anyone had ever been there.

The lost girl wanted to call for help, to cry out, to do anything that would bring this kind soul back, but she seemed to know that nothing she did would achieve that result. She had no choice but to press on.

The girl resumed her journey, walking down the alleyway and back into the city. She was lost; she knew it. So, at each and every street corner, she took a wild guess, turning and changing her path arbitrarily. As she went on, she felt more and more miserable. Only one thought went through her mind, over and over again:

I’m lost… I’m lost… I’m lost.

…

The same moment

Novi, Michigan

Inez was feeling anxious.

She didn’t know why. She was still enjoying dinner with the Anward family and everyone was being so kind to her. Flint was entertaining everyone with a funny story about his job as a dockworker. She found his story hilarious, but for some reason, Inez found her urge to laugh was being suppressed. She just felt wrong. Meanwhile Flint carried on with his tale and delivered the punchline:

“And that was when I saw the wind was blowing sixty knots right up my rear end!”

Everyone laughed except for Inez. She was sweating now, and her breathing was getting fast and shallow. She had absolutely no idea why, but she could feel a sense of panic starting to rise up within her. Why? Nobody was going to hurt her. She was safe here.

Garth put a hand on her shoulder.

“Are you alright?” he asked. “You seem tense.”

Inez quickly stood up. Her hands were shaking now.

“Uh… I have to go to the bathroom.” She mumbled. “Female trouble.”

Inez raced to the bathroom, locked the door behind her, and then sank to the floor as she broke down completely. She burst into tears.

“I’m lost!” Inez cried aloud. “I don’t know where I am. I’m lost... I’m lost… I’m lost!”

Inez blinked her eyes. And suddenly, she wasn’t in the Anward’s house anymore. Now she was wandering through the streets of a great big city she’d never seen before. The sun had set and lights were coming on, bright enough to dazzle and blind her. She was in the middle of nowhere, she was hungry, thirsty, sleepy, and the cold was getting to her. The paper envelope clutched in her hand felt heavier with each passing moment. On the sidewalks, in the storefronts and in the restaurants, people looked at her, no doubt wondering why a ten-year-old girl was all by herself in the big city in the middle of the night.

She looked down at the sidewalk and watched her own feet. One foot in front of the other. Just keep moving. Inez focused on how she needed to find the person she was looking for… how she needed to ignore the countless strangers around her and just keep pressing on. Slowly, the sense of panic died down. Inez caught her breath and blinked twice.

…

She was back in the bathroom of the Anward house. Someone was pounding on the door.

Inez wiped cold sweat from her brow and called out in a quaking voice:

“Who’s there?”

“Just a concerned old man.” Replied the voice of Garth.

The door opened from the outside. Garth, Opal, Ruby, Montri, and both of Opal’s mothers were standing in the hallway, looking very alarmed. Clearly, Inez had not been silent while she was going through… whatever that was. Her face flushed with embarrassment, and she started to apologize for causing a scene when Garth interrupted:

“Forgive me for eavesdropping, Miss Espinosa, I think I understand what’s happening to you. I might be able to help.”

…

The Anwards didn’t really have a family room in their house. It was more like a multipurpose room that served as a space for watching television, reading books, and sleeping. Both of the couches folded out into beds, and at Garth’s request, Opal pushed one of these beds back into its couch configuration so that her grandfather could reach the bookshelf. He leaned over, withdrew a large volume, and then settled back into his wheelchair. He invited Inez to sit down on the couch next to him.

“I know I look as young and fit as a track star.” The old man joked, “But I was born in the Old World. In the year 1995, I attended college at Antioch University in Seattle, where I studied Psychology. I don’t mean to make you feel foolish, but I believe I have a better understanding of the Human mind than anyone else in this room.”

Inez shook her head.

“You’ve gotta try harder than that to offend me.” She said, then a flash of impatience ran through her like an electric shock. “Look, sir. Do you know what just happened to me or not? ‘Cause I’m kinda scared right now.”

“I do.” Garth responded with confidence. “And first, you should know that there’s nothing wrong with feeling scared. In your situation, it makes sense for you to feel that way.”

Opal looked from Garth to Inez and back again.

“What situation?” she asked. “I don’t get it.”

Garth held up a hand and Opal fell silent.

“First of all, Inez, can I call you that?” He started. Inez nodded and he went on: “Thank you for telling us about your childhood earlier. Those details are what helped me solve the puzzle. Tell me, do you believe your parents really abandoned you?”

Inez balled up her fists and nodded.

“They’ve had five years.” She answered. “They knew where I was the whole time, too. If mom and dad haven’t come for me in all that time, then they really don’t care. Like I said; screw ‘em.”

Garth nodded and opened the book he’d selected. On the cover was a painting of a honey badger clutching a breadknife in its forepaws. Above it were the words “Psychology in Seattle by Doctor Kirk Honda.”

“And before then,” Garth went on. “You mentioned that you were being bullied and harassed by other children. Did your parents do anything to stop this?”

When Inez shook her head, she noticed a dawning look of comprehension starting to appear on the faces of the other Anward family members. Opal’s jaw dropped while one of her mothers went pale and started fanning herself.

Garth looked Inez in the eyes.

“I think, and I must emphasize that I have no proof of this… but I think you may have suffered some kind of traumatic event in your childhood. One that you have subconsciously repressed. I believe that something my family said or did at dinner tonight triggered those repressed memories and caused your distress. And for that, I apologize on behalf of my son, his wives, and my grandchildren.”

Of course, Inez accepted the apology and forgave the Anwards, but as the evening went on and the conversation moved to other less serious matters, Inez felt a nagging feeling in the back of her mind. She was worried. She knew that Garth was right.

But he was also wrong.

True to what he claimed, Inez had suffered traumatic events when she was younger… but she could remember them clearly. Inez would never forget the strange examination in the cell, the one where her mother had looked at her with such disappointment. But there were two other events that left scars on Inez’s mind, and the more she thought about them, the more she realized they did not account for the strange episode she had in the bathroom.

The first incident happed when she was just nine years old, Inez was playing outside of the lab, wandering around the ghost town of Bannack. She’d been meandering along the Grasshopper Creek when David Sepulveda spotted her. Back then, he was a bully. Inez was small and weak, an easy target for the restless teenager. He started throwing rocks at little Inez, causing her to scream and run for cover behind the abandoned post office. David was only about fifty yards away, and he called out to Inez, promising not to throw any more rocks if she came out. She stepped out from the protection of the wall, and a moment later, David threw another stone. It hit Inez squarely in the left eye, knocking her to the ground. She would have a black eye for days and all these years later, Inez still had occasional nightmares about the rock-throwing incident.

Sure, it was traumatic, but Inez knew that this moment wasn’t responsible for her newfound distress. And neither was the second traumatic incident:

It happened a few weeks after Inez turned sixteen. This time, the population of the Bannack Base was getting together for a Victory Day party. One of the cafeterias was cleared out and turned into a dance floor, and nearly the entire population of the Bannack Base showed up. Inez made herself into the life of the party that night, dancing with dozens of partners, from adults to younger children. Late into the night, most of the older adults and younger kids were done for the night, and Inez tried to leave with them, but David Sepulveda caught her by the arm and forced her to stay. For nearly a full hour, David (who was twenty-one at the time) showered Inez with completely unwanted compliments about her beauty and attractiveness. When she tried to leave, he tightened his grip and told Inez:

“You can’t go anywhere until you give me a kiss.”

There was a fight. It ended with Inez having the first kiss of her life stolen by David, one of his hands on her neck and the other grabbing her by the hair. Inez left the scene with a sprained wrist, David left with a bloody and broken nose. Thankfully, this was the last time Inez ever saw David. Her parents abandoned her in Detroit just a few weeks later.

…

Thinking back on both of these events, Inez found herself feeling confused. Garth hit the nail on the head. She was traumatized in her youth. Twice, in fact; but neither of these events involved her saying or thinking the words “I’m lost.”

Inez was vaguely aware of the conversation going on around her. Opal, Garth, and the rest were now debating the diagnosis.

Shaking his head, Montri concluded:

“For what it’s worth, Inez. You couldn’t have been left in a better city, with a better friend.”

He nodded approvingly at Opal.

Inez got the strong feeling that Opal was about to say something, probably a compliment, but she was intercepted by a loud knock at the front door. Everyone stopped talking at once. Montri looked at his children.

“Were any of you expecting other guests?”

Opal, Flint, and Ruby all shook their heads. Montri moved to the door and called out:

“Hello? Is someone there?”

The high-pitched voice of a young girl spoke through the door.

“Um, I’m sorry to bother you. I’m looking for Inez Espinosa.”

Looking at Inez with a puzzled expression, Montri opened the door.

There was so much to take in that Inez was frozen in place for just a second. Standing in the doorway was a girl dressed in heavy winter clothing. She had long black hair that seemed to just spill out from underneath her wool cap and dark green eyes that caught Inez’ gaze and held it there. At first glance, the girl looked to be about ten years old, but those sorts of details sailed over Inez’ head. The expression on the girl’s face is what was most important.

She was afraid.

Inez had seen fear before. She’d been afraid plenty of times. Heck, she was scared yesterday when that guy cornered Opal in her booth. But this strange girl was going through a different kind of fear. She looked over her shoulders and kept her head on a swivel. Her hands stayed close to her chest, and her body was hunched as though preparing to stage an escape.

This girl was terrified of a pursuer. Maybe they were hidden or perhaps she shook them off, but Inez could plainly see it in the strange girl’s face and movements. Somebody dangerous was following this girl.

Inez had only about a second to think. On the one hand, this girl was clearly in some serious trouble. That was etched into her face. Inez felt a powerful urge to run into another room, slam the door, and forget about the girl, but she just couldn’t ignore the fact that she had used Inez's name. That alone had many implications. No, ignoring her wasn’t an option. Inez waved her hand at Montri, signaling him to allow the girl in.

“Who is this?” Opal asked.

The green-eyed girl was still twitchy, looking from side to side as if she expected an ambush. Montri looked concerned. Flint was alarmed. Ruby was filling another soup bowl for the visitor. The newcomer looked around at the group and asked:

“I’m supposed to find Inez Espinosa. Which one of you is Inez Espinosa?”

Slowly, Inez raised her hand. The young girl unzipped her winter coat and pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket.

“My name’s Cassandra.” Said the girl. “They said I had to find you and give you this."

Inez, Opal, and Montri all looked down at the paper in Cassandra’s hand. It was an envelope, the type used in the Old World to send messages written on paper. Handwritten words adorned the front of the envelope. They said:

From: Professor Emanuel Luis Espinosa Peres
Bannack, Montana

To: Maria Madelina Inez Freeman Espinosa
Detroit, Michigan

<=== Chapter 2: The Girl From Montana

Chapter 4: The Chase ===>

Macavity116 · Jan 8, 2022

<=== Chapter 3: Lost and Abandoned

Chapter 5: The Wolverines ===>

Chapter Four
The Chase

To my beloved daughter, Maria Madelina

There is no doubt in my mind that you will feel some great anger at my willful neglect towards you. You are owed a heartfelt apology and a detailed explanation about my absence. Unfortunately, time is against us. Please know that I regret my actions, deeply and wholly. I have done wrong by you and have now lost my chance to seek or earn your forgiveness.

A disaster is unfolding around me, and soon it will envelop you as well. I realize that you probably feel no compulsion to do anything I request, but I must make said request nonetheless. I ask you to read this letter in its entirety before deciding what to do.

The girl who delivered this letter to you is named Cassandra. She was at the very center of the disaster I’ve mentioned, she witnessed terrible things and terrible things have been done to her. She needs to be kept safe, and until recently, I was providing for her safety.

However, this is no longer possible. Enemies are coming for me; they seek to take Cassandra. Inez, my daughter, I’m begging you… please take charge of Cassandra. Keep her safe until I can retrieve her. By the time this letter reaches you, I will already be on my way, so you will not have to wait long.

DO NOT ask her about what happened.

DO NOT do anything to frighten her.

Most importantly of all: DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES allow anyone to take Cassandra from you, ESPECIALLY IF THEY ARE FROM THE UNITED NATIONS GOVERNMENT.

While there are many people who could be a danger, you can trust a select few. Should you ever feel in danger, seek out a group of people in the Detroit area called the Wolverines. They are friends and allies of mine and they will keep you safe.

I beg you to do this, and I swear I will give you a full explanation of my transgressions against you when I return. You do not need to forgive me; I know I have done nothing to earn it.

But please, do not vent your fury at me upon the child. Cassandra is innocent and a victim. Help me save her, please.

Always your father,
Professor Emanuel Luis Espinosa Peres
Chief Director, UN Science Directorate, Physics Division

Inez looked up from the letter at Cassandra. The young girl cast her eyes down, unwilling to meet Inez’ gaze. Opal and her family had fallen silent while the letter was read aloud, but now they were slowly starting to stir. Like Inez, the Anwards wanted to ask a million questions, but she spoke first.

“You know my dad?” Inez started to say. “Why did-"

But she never finished her question. She was interrupted by a second knock on the door. This time, Opal moved first, maneuvering around her father and brother, and opened the front door again. It was dark outside, but there were two silhouettes visible on the porch.

“Hello?” Opal asked as she opened the door. “I’m so sorry, but this is a bad time.”

“This won’t take long.” Replied a man's voice. “My name is Yassen Ackermann. And my comrade here is Malachi. We’re from the UN Human Rights Council in Berlin.”

Opal squeaked in fear. Both men pushed their way past her and forced their way into the apartment. Inez looked up from the letter to see that Yassen was a tall and skinny guy with outrageous sideburns descending from a mop of brown hair. His face, sharp and angled, looked naturally sinister. Malachi, a brown-skinned man with dark eyes, was dressed very differently from Yassen. Instead of a business suit, Malachi wore a green cloak and hood overtop of a simple shirt and slacks. Inez instantly recognized Malachi as an Acolyte of the Cult of Jericho.

Montri attempted to stand between these men and the girls, reprimanding them for barging into the house without permission.

“This place belongs to me, and I did not invite you in!” He snarled.

Yassen looked around the room and spotted Cassandra. His eyes narrowed at her and she looked at the floor, hiding her face with her hands. In a voice so low one could mistake it for a growl, Yassen said:

“This is true, yet two of the people we are looking for are standing in your living room.”

Yassen crossed the room in two great strides and came face to face with Inez.

“So, you are Maria Madelenia.” He said. “Would her father happen to be here at the moment?”

Inez was struck dumb, and judging from their silence, so was the Anward family. The question made no sense to them whatsoever. Montri tried to say as much but Yassen gave a hand signal to Malachi, who moved away from the group. Malachi walked further into the house, opening all of the doors in the hallway. Even though he was out of sight, everyone could hear Malachi loudly searching each room, sifting through closets and bedsheets with meticulous energy.

“You must have made some kind of mistake, sir.” Montri spoke while he continued shielding Inez and Cassandra. “Miss Espinosa here hasn’t seen hide nor hair of her father for over half a decade.”

With unexpected force, Yassen put one hand on Montri’s shoulder and shoved him aside, addressing his words to Inez.

“So you are the professor's daughter.” Yassen growled. “I must say, you do take after your mother. Your eyes are just like hers. I feel like you could be staring into my soul right now.”

Inez took a step back and raised her right arm to one side, corralling little Cassandra until she was hidden behind her. She was feeling very frightened, something about this guy was setting off every mental alarm. Something was about to go horribly wrong, she knew it.

“Is it true?” she asked. “You’re both from the UN?”

Yassen nodded.

“Quite right.” He confirmed. “The Human Rights Council sent us here, on the orders of your parents. That girl behind you, Cassandra, is under our jurisdiction. We’ve come to take her someplace where she will be safe.”

Inez made up her mind in an instant. She didn’t know if it was the right decision or the wrong one, but she was committed. She puffed out her chest and mustered up the most defiant voice she could.

“Bullshit. You need to get out.”

Yassen's faint half-smile vanished. Montri and Opal looked at Inez, shocked.

“What? Why?” Yassen asked. He hadn’t seen the note.

“My dad gave this girl a note.” Inez quickly explained. “Said to guard her until he comes for her.”

Thinking on his feet, Yassen changed tactics. He took a step back and made a friendly hand gesture.

“Of course, this girl needs to be protected. Quote right, Inez. But you can’t keep her safe… that’s why Professor Espinosa sent us. Understand?”

Inez stood her ground and quoted her father’s letter:

“Do not allow anyone to take her from you, especially if they are from the United Nations.”

Montri now stood by Inez, helping her block Cassandra from the UN official.

“Sir, I think you need to explain yourself in full before we call the police.”

Yassen tried to be accommodating, but he was clearly about to lose his temper.

“There is… a simple explanation for all this.”

A voice yelled out from the front door.

“YOUR DAMNED RIGHT THERE IS.”

Everyone spun around to look. Standing in the threshold was a man with greyish blonde hair and hazel eyes. He was dressed in a business suit stained and dirtied from a long period of travel. Even though she had not seen him for over five years, Inez needed only three seconds to recognize who this person was.

“D-Dad!” she gasped. “Is that really you!?”

Professor Emanuel Espinosa looked rugged, as though he’d been on the road for weeks. His face was gaunt and his eyes wide. And as Emanuel raised one hand to point at his daughter, it trembled and shook.

“Nezzie! Don’t let those men anywhere near Cassandra!”

Yassen’s reply sounded combative:

“She’s under UN jurisdiction, Professor Espinosa. We have the right to take her!”

“Are you out of your mind?” Emanuel shouted. “After I showed you what happened to Scarlett, you’re still going to do her dirtywork!?”

At the mention of her mother’s name, Inez’ breath caught in her throat. She took a staggering step towards her father.

“Wait, what happened to mom?” she blurted out.

Emanuel and Yassen both looked at her. Yassen opened his mouth to speak but the Professor beat him to it.

“She’s dead! Scarlett is gone, and this is the truth about her!”

Emanuel reached into his coat and pulled out a tattered old newspaper. Inez briefly saw the words Chicago Tribune, but before she could take a longer look at the newspaper, Yassen grabbed Emanuel's shoulder and hollered:

“Malachi! He’s here! Espinosa’s here!”

A fight broke out. Inez screamed as her father slugged Yassen in the face. Opal fell backwards as Malachi shoved past her into the fray. Montri collapsed to the floor as he tried to get clear. Cassandra squealed and grabbed the back of Inez’ shirt. Both UN officials dogpiled onto Emanuel, who shouted:

“Inez! RUN! Take the girl and get her to Varian Robinson!”

Screaming, Cassandra bolted for the door. Behind them, Montri and Flint sprang into action. Opal’s father jumped on top of the two UN officials and started beating them with his fists. Flint intercepted Inez while she was trying to grab the newspaper, which fell to the floor amongst the battling bodies, Flint tugged on her hand while Emanuel shouted:

“Don’t let them take Cassandra to Florida! She CANNOT go to Florida!”

Flint, Opal, Cassandra, and Inez crashed out the front door. The little girl tried to run for the road, but Flint caught her around the middle and started pulling both Cassandra and Inez towards the garage. Opal pulled a rope to open the door, yelling:

“Over here! Over here!”

Inside the house, Inez could hear more shouting:

“Hold him down, Malachi!”

“Opal, call for help!”

“Romeo two calling Juliet one! We need backup! Send backup!”

Meanwhile, Opal wrenched the garage door open and she grabbed some kind of machine. With all her strength, Opal pulled a contraption out of the garage and into the driveway.

“What’s that thing?” Cassandra asked.

It was a bicycle, the biggest, bulkiest thing she’d ever seen. Inez had never seen a bicycle like this one. It had a silver and grey engine mounted between the wheels with big metal pipes sticking out near the back. Flint kicked a small lever by the motor and the whole thing made a loud booming noise! The giant bike rattled and shook and thundered like a storm. After a moment, Inez realized she was looking at an Old-World motorcycle.

“Do you know how to ride?” Flint asked Inez.

“Wait a minute!” she gasped, “Wait a minute, doesn’t this thing run on gasoline!? Please tell me it doesn’t run on gas! Gas explodes, you know!”

But before Flint could reply, the loud whine of an electric engine filled the night. A vehicle, boxy in shape and rolling on six heavy wheels, came roaring around the corner! Its headlights filling the driveway and yard, the vehicle was painted white and had the words “UNITED NATIONS RECLAMATION AGENCY” painted in black on each side. This was an armored personnel carrier, the same type UN soldiers used to move around the city, but Inez had never seen one moving so fast before.

The APC drove into the yard at full speed, digging deep ruts into the grass. It overshot Inez and her friends before smashing into Opal’s house with a horrific crash! Glass windows shattered and roof tiles fell to the ground, fluffy pink insulation blew away in the wind as half of the building collapsed. From inside, there were screams of terror, followed up by the appearance of Malachi. The big UN agent pulled himself out of the splintered remains of what had once been the porch and then waved at the APC. A hatch on the turret opened up and a man wearing a blue UN Army helmet appeared. Malachi pointed towards Inez and hollered:

“There she is! Over there! That woman’s taking Subject Two!”

Flint grabbed Inez and forced her to straddle the gigantic metal bike. The vibrating chassis and loud engine frightened her far more than the armored vehicle. A moment later, Cassandra found herself on the back of the seat, her arms wrapped tightly around Inez’s waist.

“Do you know how to ride!?” Flint asked one more time.

“I ride the normal bikes!” Inez cried out. “You know, electric ones!”

“It’s the same principle!” Opal yelled over the painfully loud motorcycle engine. “Just run away! Get away from here, quick!”

A loud revving told Inez the APC was about to spring into movement again. She gripped the handlebars, got low in the seat, and told Cassandra to hold on as tight as she could. Then Inez opened up the throttle, sending the motorcycle roaring away into the night. Behind the escaping girls, Flint and Opal scattered just in time. The APC disentangled itself from Opal’s house and rocketed forward, accelerating down the street after Inez and Cassandra.

…

This motorcycle was nothing like the electric bikes Inez rode before. Each time she opened the throttle, Inez felt as though she was going to lose her hearing. The noise of it was overpowering, the point where she couldn’t hear Cassandra’s voice, and the little girl was holding onto her for dear life. The bike was fast, but it couldn’t turn corners like the electric bikes. It was too heavy, too bulky. Instead, Inez found a straight road and started to accelerate.

She had no plan. She just wanted to escape from the Army vehicle behind her. The APC was very quiet in comparison to this bike, but she knew it was still there. Its headlights flashed in the motorcycle’s rear-view mirrors. Inez spotted the main road and found herself roaring into downtown Novi, on the outskirts of Detroit. Now the street was full of cars! Sleek and silent, hypermodern electric cars moved up and down the lanes as people went about their business.

Inez leaned hard on the bike, weaving through the lanes of traffic and avoiding cars. About half a mile ahead, Inez spotted an electric bicycle doing the same thing. Copying its movements, Inez soon managed to place about a hundred yards and some twenty cars between herself and the pursuing APC. Suddenly, Cassandra gripped Inez so hard that her fingernails dug into Inez’s belly. Panicking, Inez looked over her shoulder.

The APC was going straight through traffic! Moving at top speed, the military vehicle was ramming and pushing its way through one car after another. Terrified motorists pulled to the sides of the road, desperate to avoid the oncoming behemoth. A mother, with two children in her van, screamed in terror as the APC rammed into the back of her van. She lost control and spun off the street entirely before the van with its family of three crashed headlong into the city bank.

Ignoring the fiery car crash behind it, the APC pressed on, closing the distance between itself and the motorcycle. Inez pinned the throttle and drove the bike through an intersection, missing a group of people by inches. Cassandra looked at them and shrieked:

“Look out you guys!”

In unison, the entire crowd of pedestrians leapt back as the APC soared through as well, not braking for even an instant. Inez wasn’t thinking anymore. Acting on instinct, she ducked and wove and threaded her bike through the city streets, which seemed to be getting more and more crowded. Partygoers were pouring out of bars, theaters, clubs, and arenas to watch the chase, which was shaping up to be more entertaining than whatever nightlife Novi had to offer.

The APC was so close now that Inez and Cassandra could feel the heat of its headlamps. They weren’t going to get away by sheer speed, and Inez knew it. She needed another option, a new escape route.

Then a flickering display of lights caught her attention. Inez, Cassandra, and their pursuers were passing by the train station.

Of course!

Fifty years ago, the ADVENT government constructed a vast network of rail lines all over the planet. Even though the alien overlords had been overthrown half a century ago, their high-speed transport system remained. Keeping the railroad tracks in her peripheral vision, Inez threaded her motorcycle down an alleyway and out onto a sidestreet. She could see the railroad tracks, but they were separated from the road by a heavy chain-link fence, topped with barbed wire. All she needed was some kind of break or gate. Behind her, Cassandra screamed as the APC reappeared, having detoured down another street. The top hatch was open again and a UN Soldier was visible, talking into a radio as he observed the chase.

“There!” Inez shouted.

Her heart rose as she spotted a bend in the road. There was going to be a crossing, an opportunity to cross the train tracks. Only Inez had no intention crossing the tracks.

She was betting the APC was far less capable than her motorcycle.

Inez banked hard and felt Cassandra seize up in terror as she turned sharply again. With a great many thuds and thumps, the motorcycle was roaring down the dirt track in between two sets of railroad lines! The northbound rail was on Inez’s right and the southbound lane on her left. Inez accelerated hard and cheered. There was no way for the UN to follow her through here, right?

Wrong.

The APC turned hard and mounted the rail line. Its tires thudded loudly as it bore down the railroad towards the fleeing motorcycle at near-top speed. In just a few seconds, the APC was dangerously close once again. To make matters even worse, Inez was starting to feel a searing pain in her thighs. Looking down, she realized the motorcycle engine itself was starting to get hot, so hot in fact, that the metal was burning Inez’s legs. Somewhere in that engine was gasoline. All Inez knew about the stuff was that it was highly flammable and could explode at any moment. It was time to get off the bike.

Realizing this idea wasn’t going to work, Inez started looking for an opportunity to get off the railroad and back onto a street. Cassandra leaned forward and screamed in her ear:

“There’s a train in front of you!”

In the pitch darkness of the night, Inez almost failed to see it. The rearmost carriage of a northbound passenger train loomed large in the darkness. The lights from the carriage interior were like a pair of eyes that loomed out of the darkness before suddenly getting much bigger. The whole train was moving, but Inez’s motorcycle was moving much faster. She made a split-second decision.

Wrenching on the handlebars, Inez jumped the tracks on the left side and pulled alongside the final carriage. The passenger car had two sliding doors on the side. Keeping the bike straight with one hand, Inez pressed her right hand, trying to open the rearmost door. Cassandra did her best to help as well, but the door wasn’t budging. It was locked! Men and women were crowding the back of the carriage to look out the window and see what the commotion was.

The APC had also jumped the tracks and was now on the southbound railroad tracks. It pulled up level with the motorcycle and then started closing the distance. Inez and Cassandra were sandwiched between the train and the APC! The door to the passenger compartment wasn’t opening, they were trapped!

…

Inside the passenger compartment, two people saw the scene unfolding outside and sprang into action.

The first was a Caucasian man in his middle ages; he wore workers’ clothes and looked generally exhausted. A mop of messy brown hair and stubble showed how little thought he gave to his appearance. He started pushing past the crowd of onlookers towards the same door Inez was banging her fist against.

“What the hell are you doing!?” An irate passenger yelled.

“Those girls need help!” He cried out in reply.

At the same time, a Caucasian woman with vivid red hair fought her way to the front of the carriage. She seized the Emergency Stop lever in one hand but hesitated.

“Ready!” She called to her companion.

The workman finally reached the door and with one herculean effort, he pulled it open, blasting everybody in the carriage with cold night air. Inez throttled up the motorcycle and pulled forward, shouting:

“The girl! Take the girl!”

The grizzled man leaned down and seized Cassandra around the middle. He pulled her up and into the carriage just before the APC closed in for the kill. The heavy armored vehicle finally made contact with the motorcycle, pushing the bike into the side of the train. Inez screamed as her thigh was pinned against the hot metal of the engine, but a moment later, a pair of hands grabbed her under each arm and started to pull. Looking up, she saw the workman starting to pull her into the train, and would have given a cry of thanks, if not for a sudden vice-like feeling on her ankle.

A UN soldier had clambered all the way out of the turret and had grabbed Inez by the leg! His bright blue helmet shone in the glittering light of the city and the train and the moonlight.

With one hand, he gripped the railing of the turret and with the other, he started pulling Inez back towards himself, but it was only for a moment. The workman looked over his shoulder and yelled:

“DO IT NOW!”

The red-haired woman threw the Emergency Stop lever.

For one short moment, all three vehicles: the train, the APC, and the motorcycle, were all travelling at the same speed in the same direction. Then the train abruptly started to slow down. Inez was pulled free of the motorcycle and it instantly lost control, swerving and flailing about before somehow ending up underneath the APC’s wheels. The armored vehicle swerved and hit the passenger car with its nose before rebounding, jumping the tracks, and leaving the railroad entirely. The APC sailed on for another few yards or so before crashing headlong into a house and coming to a complete stop.

Inez collapsed into the arms of her rescuer, and once she was sure the imminent danger was over, she became fully aware of just how much pain she was experiencing. Inez sank to the floor of the passenger car, panting. As she lay sprawled on the floor, curious people gathered around asking questions. Some were even standing on the seats for a better view. In the midst of it all, the red-haired woman draped a jacket around Cassandra’s shoulders. The scruffy man took an interest in Inez. She felt his hands rifling through her pockets, but in the moment she didn’t have the strength to stop him. The adrenaline was wearing off.

The workman found the letter in Inez’s pocket and took it from her. She reached up and grabbed his hand to get his attention.

“That girl’s in trouble.” Inez told him. “UN’s after her, and I need to find a group of people. They call themselves ‘Wolverines.’”

Quickly, the man lowered his face to Inez’s level. For a moment, Inez wondered if he was going to kiss her, but instead, he whispered in her ear.

“Not so loud.” He whispered. “Relax. You’ve found two of us.”

On those words, Inez found the strength to sit up again. The scruffy man and his red-haired companion gave her a concerned look. The surrounding crowd was waiting with baited breath.

“My name’s Lansing.” The man introduced himself. “Jay Lansing. The coppertop over there is Cera Roberts. What are your names?”

Inez tapped herself and said:

“Inez Espinosa. And she is…”

“Cassandra.” Said the little girl. “Just Cassandra.”

<=== Chapter 3: Lost and Abandoned

Chapter 5: The Wolverines ===>

Macavity116 · Jan 15, 2022

<=== Chapter 4: The Chase

Chapter 6: And Then There Were Six===>

Chapter Five
The Wolverines

March 2, 2086
Wixom, Michigan

The passenger train, damaged but still functional, pulled into the station at the next town and people began to disembark. Inez found herself unwilling to step onto the platform.

“What if there are UN guys waiting for us?” She asked.

Cera Roberts and Jay Lansing both shook their heads.

“We’re outside UN territory now.” Cera told her. “No blueheads for miles.”

She was right. Inez and Cassandra stepped onto an uncontrolled platform. There were no guards, soldiers, or even police here. Just people getting on and off the train before it pulled away. The individuals who had claimed to be Wolverines signaled Inez and Cassandra to follow them. The foursome moved toward a pair of benches at the far end of the train station and sat down together. After a moment, the train departed with a rumble, leaving Inez and her rescuers free to talk.

“First of all, I need to know how the hell you know about us.” Jay began. “We’ve been… what’s the word? Retired, yeah, that’s it. Retired for about two years now.”

Inez shook her head.

“All I know is the name.” She replied. “This strange girl showed up with a letter from my dad, who I haven’t seen in five years, and then the UN smashes down my friend’s house and chases us right into you.”

She quickly re-told the evening’s events to Jay and Cera. When she finished, Cera’s eyebrows seemed to shoot up into her fiery red hair.

“Okay,” she said. “This is serious. Jay, we need to get the band back together.”

“You’d better mention Espinosa’s name.” Jay said. “Otherwise those two will shoot us. Then they’ll shoot each other.”

Cera stood up and pulled out a cell phone. She dialed a number and started pacing up and down the station, talking urgently to whoever answered the call. Meanwhile, Jay leaned forward and looked at Cassandra. The little girl quailed and hid her face in Inez’s side.

“I know you’ve gone through some scary things tonight, little one.” Jay spoke in a soft voice. “But I need you to tell me your story, or else we might not be able to help you.”

Cassandra, out of nerves, stuffed her hand into her coat pocket and withdrew her little white purse. Instead of opening it, she started scratching the fabric with her fingernails while she talked:

“My name’s Cassandra. I’m from Bannack, that’s in Montana.”

Inez jumped with surprise.

“Hey! So am I!”

Cassandra gave her a weak smile and a little giggle.

“Were you one of the lab kids, too?” She asked.

Inez nodded. This revelation seemed to alarm Jay, who sat up and said:

“Wait a minute, how many kids are in this Bannack lab?”

“There were twenty in my day.” Inez replied. Cassandra shook her head and laughed for the first time.

“No way. There’s totally, like, a hundred of us now.” Cassandra seemed almost happy to tell Inez she was wrong, and maybe a little happier that someone wanted to hear her story. “See, mister. The people in the lab get kids like me and make us do all kinda weird tests.”

“Tests?” Jay repeated with concern. “What do you mean?”

“Well, there was this one where I had to guess a playing card the man was hiding behind his back.” Cassandra recited. “Then sometimes they’d blindfold me and I’d have to guess which person was behind me or in front of me or stuff like that.”

“Did they ever make you sit in a quiet room with a weird thing on your head?” Inez butted in.

“Yes!” Cassandra gasped, looking at Inez as though she’d made a new friend. “Totally yes!”

Inez felt like she was warming up to this little girl.

“We must have been in the same lab, just at different times.” She told Cassandra.

Now Inez noticed that Cassandra seemed to be warming up to her as well. The little girl snaked her hand around Inez’s middle and squeezed her in a one-armed hug.

“So we’re like, lab buddies!” Cassandra insisted.

Remembering what her father’s letter said about upsetting her, Inez decided to humor Cassandra.

“Sure, we are.”

Cassandra looked up at Inez and followed up:

“And did they make you take those weird pills too?”

Pause. Inez recoiled just a little; some of the color went out of Jay’s face.

“Pills?” Inez asked. “What pills?”

Cassandra reached down and opened her purse. She withdrew a small plastic bottle with a white label on it. Moving as though she’d done this a thousand times before, Cassandra unscrewed the cap and deposited a single pill into her palm. It was a red capsule, the type meant to be swallowed with water. Inez shook her head.

“No. Never seen those before. Why are they making you take them?”

Cassandra put the pill back in its bottle and screwed the cap on.

“I’m sick.” She said. “Professor Espinosa says I have to take one pill every morning, or else I start feeling bad again.”

Inez had a thousand questions, and judging from the way he was shifting in his seat, so did Jay. But one query in particular held her attention fast.

“How do you know my dad?” Inez said. “Professor Espinosa, I mean.”

“He was in charge of my case.” Cassandra said. “As long as I can remember he was always there.”

Inez frowned. If Cassandra had always been at Bannack, then Inez should have remembered seeing her somewhere. She cast about her memory, searching all of her recollections for a pale, green-eyed girl with long black hair. But there wasn’t one. As far as she could remember, Inez had never met Cassandra during her early years at Bannack. Yet they were both in that underground lab at roughly the same time.

Inez wanted to press Cassandra some more, but that was when Cera came back and put her phone in Jay’s hand.

“Talk to her.” Cera’s voice was full of anger.

Jay raised the phone to his ear and said:

“This is Jay.”

At once, he held the phone away from his head as an angry woman’s voice shrieked:

“FUCK YOU LANSING! I HOPE YOU DIE IN A FILTY DITCH! I HOPE MAGGOTS EAT YOUR FACE!”

“Piper!” Jay raised his voice. “This is for Espinosa! His daughter is right here.”

The angry woman on the other end of the line fell silent. She was thinking.

“Is Ridge gonna be there?” she asked.

Inez startled. She knew that name!

“Well, yes.” Jay said. “He’s lived here his whole life. He knows the forests and the wetlands better than any of us, and we’ll need him to get to Aeneas.”

There was another pause. Finally, the woman on the other end relented.

“I’ll come. But if Ridge says one word to me I’ll slit his throat. Same for Roberts.”

Jay hung up the phone. Then he looked back at Inez and Cassandra.

“Well, ladies, I’m not sure if you’ve figured it out yet, but you’ve both been dragged into something a lot bigger than yourselves.”

“You don’t say.” Inez folded her arms and grumbled. “Think I figured that out when the UN smashed up my friend’s house and almost killed me.”

Jay shook his head and smiled weakly.

“Holy Jericho, you even talk like Espinosa. Okay, here’s the deal, we’ll get you to Aeneas and the others. They’re the ones you need to talk to about getting some justice. We won’t let the blueheads get away with this.”

Justice. Inez liked the sound of that. She desperately hoped all of Opal’s family escaped unharmed from today’s encounter, but if any of the Anwards had gotten hurt, Inez would find one of those UN soldiers and beat him over the head with his own blue helmet. Cera, Jay, Cassandra and Inez gathered themselves up to leave the station when Inez remembered something and asked:

“Hold up, Lansing! How do you know my dad?”

Jay gave Inez a knowing smile.

“He’s on our side. Has been for about a year.”

“Our side of what?”

“Of the war.”

…

Jay steered everyone out of the train station and into downtown Wixom, a run-down city that had never recovered from the devastation of the Second Hyperspace War. The streets were cratered and holed while several buildings were either vacant or burned out. In the dim light of the Moon, Inez was certain that she also saw battle damage on some of the storefronts: bullet holes and plasma burns marred the surroundings.

She definitely wasn’t in Detroit anymore.

Turning a corner into a residential neighborhood, Jay started counting the numbers on the houses.

“Are we looking for your house?” Cassandra asked.

“No, I live in Novi.” Jay replied casually. “We’re looking for one of the safehouses. We had a lot of them back in the day.”

“What day?” Inez said. “Why would you need a safehouse at all?”

Jay put his finger to his lips as if to say “not here” and kept walking. They pressed on for another few minutes until Jay suddenly raised his hand again. This time he pointed to a simple one-story bungalow at the end of the street and said:

“There it is.”

The safehouse had an electronic lock on the door. A digital screen and a keypad lit up when the group drew near. Jay looked around to make sure the street was deserted before he typed out the passcode:

07041776

The door swung open and the group moved inside.

Lights clicked on, and Inez had to admit, the interior of the safehouse was far more impressive.

There were three comfortable-looking bedrooms, a fully stocked kitchen, and two walk-in closets with hundreds of different outfits in varying sizes and colors. A computer desk in the living room had seven drawers, each filled items of myriad values and purposes. One drawer was filled with neat stacks of money, hundreds of thousands of UN Credits and US Dollars in neat rows. Another drawer contained everything Inez would need to create a fake UN passport, which might be helpful since her own was left behind in her Detroit apartment. Sitting on the coffee table in the living room was a ruggedized laptop, the kind used by soldiers and space explorers.

Inez let out a low whistle. Cassandra giggled and ran into one of the bedrooms, where she started bouncing up and down on a mattress.7

“What is all this?” Inez asked. “And I guess I should ask: who are you people?”

Cera rolled her eyes.

“It’s not that impressive, really. We’re the Wolverine Cell, or just two members of it, anyway.”

“Cell?” Inez repeated. “So you’re, like, terrorists or guerillas then?”

“We prefer to be called operatives, if you don’t mind.” Jay said. “And to answer your question, this is who we are.”

Jay reached into one of the desk drawers and withdrew a folder. He passed it to Inez and she looked down to see a circular insignia on the front: a five-point star rising above the American continent, encircled by the words Vigilo Confido. Inez opened the folder and read the cover page:

UNITED STATES of AMERICA

Bureau of Strategic Emergency Command (est. 1962)

“We’re part of a highly specialized branch of the United States military.” Jay explained. “It’s our job to fight back whenever someone comes into our country. It’s standard procedure to break us up into cells, keep things decentralized. Anyway, you wanted the Wolverines, you found us. So, what’s next?”

Inez paused to think.

“Well, my dad said we needed to take Cassandra to see someone called Aeneas. But I don’t know who that is. Do you?”

Cera started to reply, but she was interrupted by a noise from the bedroom. With a very loud yawn, Cassandra ran out of energy and collapsed into the bed. Facedown, she fell asleep, her head and arms lolling over the side, her long hair draped all the way down to the floor. Looking at the sleeping girl, Inez also yawned. The exertions of the day were finally catching up to her.

Jay and Cera both stood up and opened the door to another bedroom.

“We can deal with this after everyone is rested and gets something to eat.” Jay said. “Why don’t you take this room here and we’ll let you get some sleep.”

Inez gratefully accepted the offer, and as she stepped through the doorway, she instinctively reached for the lock, only to discover there wasn’t one. Groggily, Inez asked about where the two operatives were going to sleep. As tired as she was, Inez would strongly prefer to share her bed with someone.

“I uh, I really hate sleeping alone.” She confessed.

Jay tapped the fingers on his left hand, where a gold wedding ring glittered in the light.

“I’m a married man, so I can’t help you there.” He said.

Cera also shook her head.

“I have to go on watch. Someone’s got to open the door for our friends when they get here.”

Reluctantly, Inez closed the door and collapsed into the twin-sized bed without taking off her clothes or shoes. Just before she passed out, Inez let out a giggle. As far as she could remember, that was the first time in her life where a man had turned down the opportunity to sleep with her.

Too bad. She thought Jay was hot.

…

The next morning, Inez was awoken by shouting. Four voices, full of fury and rage, seeped under the door. A loud slamming of metal on wood caused Inez to leap out of bed and wrench the bedroom door open, launching herself into a chaotic scene in the living room.

Two more people had entered the safehouse and were now arguing with Jay and Cera. Inez felt her heart drop into her stomach as she recognized one of them.

“Lawrence!? What are you doing here?”

It was her neighbor, Lawrence Ridge. He was dressed for travel today, wearing a black leather coat over a red shirt and a ballcap that shaded his eyes. When Inez called his name, Lawrence looked around at her, and the angry words died in his throat.

“Nezzie?” He said. “I didn’t think you were really here.”

“Don’t call me-” Inez started to say, but a sudden explosion of noise from behind Lawrence cut her off.

The second newcomer was still looking to pick a fight with Jay and Cera. She was a tall Asian woman with a chubby face and almond-shaped eyes; and she was furious. As she yelled at Jay, she brandished a metal pipe as though she was planning to bash Jay’s head with it:

“What’s gotten into you, Lansing? You fucking numbskull! Don’t you know who you’ve just let into our safehouse!? That woman is Freeman’s daughter! Did it ever cross your dense mind that she was being watched!?”

“If anyone’s being watched, its you!” Cera snapped. “I’m surprised the ISO let you off your leash.”

There was contempt in everyone’s voices. Lawrence turned away from Inez and pointed at the Asian woman. He spoke to Jay:

“I’m not going anywhere or doing anything as long as Russell’s here, Lansing. If it wasn’t for that kid over there, I would have blown her brains out already!”

The woman named Russell turned her fury against Lawrence again.

“You wouldn’t even get close to me, bastard!”

Meanwhile, Cassandra spotted Inez and ran over to her, wrapping her hands around Inez and buried her face in Inez’s stomach.

“I don’t know what’s going on!” Cassandra cried. “I’m really scared!”

Inez only had eyes for Lawrence. She reached forward and grabbed his shoulder.

“Dude, what are you doing here? Are you a Wolverine too?”

Lawrence threw up his hands in frustration and anger.

“Well what do we do know?”

“Inez told us that she needs to see Aeneas.” Jay said. “We have to take her and the girl to Alpena.”

This caused yet another round of arguing. Russell and Lawrence both vetoed the idea instantly, shouting loudly overtop of Cera’s argument in favor of it. Cassandra seemed to just shrink into Inez, trying to remove herself from the whole situation, but the Wolverine called Russell had other ideas.

She put down her metal bar and approached Inez and Cassandra. Instinctively, both of them took a step back. Russell acknowledged their retreat.

“Oh, lemme guess. You’re scared of the scary chink who looks like the Paradox. Get over it!”

The woman named Russell pushed her way past Inez and grabbed Cassandra’s arm. The little girl screamed and resisted as she was dragged into the center of the room.

“What’s so special about this girl?” Russell demanded. “If the UN wants her so bad, let’s just put a bullet in her skull and save ourselves the trouble.”

At this, everyone started shouting and screaming. Cera and Inez both grabbed for Cassandra while Lawrence tried to punch Russell in the head. Everybody was cursing and insulting one another. In the middle of it all, Inez noticed that Cassandra was getting hot. In fact, Cassandra’s skin was so hot that grabbing onto her was actually painful. Raising her voice, Inez cried out for everyone to just shut up and back up!

Somehow, it worked. And good thing, too. Once everybody let go of each other and took a step back did they notice what was going on.

Cassandra feel to her knees, sobbing. She put her hands to her face as though trying to hide, and smoke rose up from her body. The collar of her blouse and waistband of her skirt turned brown and started to emit black smoke. Cassandra’s whole body was emitting heat now, as though she had just been pulled out of an oven! Sweating, Jay fanned his face and gasped:

“What’s happening? What’s she doing?”

“I don’t know!” Cassandra sobbed. “I don’t know what’s happening! Please, make it stop!”

The little girl was weeping now; her tears sizzled and vaporized as they ran down her red-hot cheeks. At any moment, it seemed as though Cassandra’s clothing would spontaneously combust. Her shoes and belt were already melting from the intense heat.

Inez, like Cassandra, was frightened beyond all reason. Desperate, and totally unsure how to handle the situation, she knelt down beside Cassandra. She couldn’t get close enough to touch her, as the heat coming off the little girl was now so intense that Inez’s eyebrows were being singed from a few feet away.

“I don’t know what’s going on...” Inez said. “But I promise you’re going to be just fine, okay? I’m right here. I’m not leaving you. You’re going to be okay. It’s going to be all right. Okay?”

Cassandra sniffed. Then she stopped crying.

The effect was instantaneous. As soon as Cassandra started to calm down, the temperature in the room fell. Smoke curled around the ceiling, but no more smoke came from Cassandra herself. The searing pain in Inez’s skin ebbed away as she wasn’t being burned anymore. About a minute later, everyone breathed a sigh of relief as Inez gingerly put one arm over Cassandra’s shoulder.

The danger, unexplained as it was, was now over.

The four Wolverines looked around at one another, then down at Cassandra and Inez. Finally, the woman called Russell sat down on the couch and said:

“Okay, I’ve changed my mind. That girl needs to see Aeneas right now. I’ll help however I can.”

“Yeah.” Lawrence agreed. “Me too.”

<=== Chapter 4: The Chase

Chapter 6: And Then There Were Six===>

Macavity116 · Jan 18, 2022

Hello all!

So while I wasn't looking, @Arithmetician nominated me for Fan of the Week! I can't say thanks enough!

Longtime readers know my house rule: whenever someone picks me for a weekly award, the next chapter is posted immediately.

So, as thanks for @Arithmetician's nomination, here is the next chapter of The Last Heroes, five days early!

<=== Chapter 5: The Wolverines

Chapter 7: Emerald Avatar===>

Chapter Six
And Then There Were Six

March 3, 2086

The Wolverines insisted on leaving the safehouse at daybreak. Inez and Cassandra, sensing they had another long journey ahead, grabbed as much canned food from the kitchen as they could, cramming it into a backpack and taking it with them. Outside, Lawrence piled everyone into his heavy duty off-road vehicle. There was only space for five people in the cab: Lawrence and Cera were up front while Inez, Jay, and the woman called Russell were in the back. Little Cassandra ended up sitting in Inez’s lap.

By this point, Inez knew the four Wolverines hated one another to the point of violence. Asking them questions about themselves was risky, but she needed answers, especially from Lawrence. He’d been her neighbor for two years! How long had he been part of this outfit? That was the first question she asked.

Up in the driver’s seat, Lawrence maneuvered the ORV into the remains of what had once been a highway and started driving north. He answered without looking back.

“I’ve been working for the Bureau for the past twenty years.” He said. “But they put me in Wolverine Cell about five years ago.”

“So, what was your cell supposed to do?” Inez asked. “I get you were fighting the UN, but it’s just the four of you. How’s that supposed to work?”

“There were cells scattered all over the country.” Jay explained. “Each one carries out guerilla operations or supports resistance groups that are already established. It’s our job to make life hell for the UN soldiers in our cities and towns. We make this place too difficult, too bloody, and too miserable for them to stay.”

“We fought the UN for almost fifteen years.” Cera continued. “And it really looked like we were gonna push the blueheads into the Atlantic for a while, but then everything changed. There were two big battles, one in Saginaw, not far from here, and another battle in Yorktown, down in Virginia. We were defeated and forced to surrender. The UN let us go on the condition we stop all guerilla activities. That’s what Jay said we’re retired.”

“So, what happened?” Cassandra asked.

“Scarlett Freeman.” Russell grumbled. “Your mother, Espinosa. That’s what happened.”

Lawrence, Cera, and Jay all shot Russell dirty looks. Inez felt a little frustrated. She could tell there was animosity between all of the Wolverines, but there seemed to be a particularly intense feeling of hatred from all of them towards Russell. Had she done something? Inez decided to press the topic.

“I’m sorry...” she began, addressing Russell. “But I know everyone except you now. What do you have to do with any of this?”

The Asian woman glared at her three companions.

“Anyone gonna tell my story for me? Poison her mind against me before I can get a word in? I know you want to.” Russell growled.

“If it were any other person, I totally would.” Lawrence said. “But seeing as it’s Espinosa’s kid, she’ll get the full story soon enough. Talk away.”

Russell narrowed her eyes at Jay and Cera, but neither spoke, so she introduced herself to Inez and Cassandra:

“My name is Piper. Piper Russell. I’m from Ann Arbor... or what’s left of it anyway. I was supposed to be a spy for the Bureau.”

Cera scoffed and interrupted.

“That’s bullshit. Nezzie, Russell here is an ISO double-agent. She works for your mom”

“Don’t call me Nezzie!” Inez snapped. Then she looked back at Piper. “And really? ISO?”

Piper Russell shook her head.

“Never. I was spying on the ISO for the Bureau. I was working against your mom.”

“And yet you got big fat paychecks from a UN benefactor right before our troops got crushed at Saginaw and Yorktown!” Lawrence raised his voice. “You sold us out to Freeman!”

Piper grabbed her own head in frustration; it looked like she was going to pull her own hair out.

“How many times have I told you, that’s a coincidence!” She almost shouted. “I catfished a UN official! That’s how I got the money. He thought he was my freakin’ sugar daddy!”

The argument would have continued, but Inez spoke loudly, saying:

“Guys, it’s getting hot in here!”

In her lap, Cassandra was warming up again. The little girl squirmed uncomfortably in Inez’s lap, her body rapidly becoming way too hot to touch. Everyone fell silent for a moment and rolled down the windows before the temperature got too high. With the argument defused, Inez muttered:

“What difference does it make if she’s working for the ISO, anyway? When my dad showed up in Novi, he said my mom was dead.”

This produced an immediate and radical reaction. Lawrence slammed on the brakes, bringing the ORV to a full and complete stop. Cera and Piper both swore and Jay yelled:

“She’s dead!? When!? Where!? How!?”

Luckily, there were no other cars on the deserted highway. Lawrence put the vehicle in park and looked around to Inez.

“I don’t know!” She said quickly. “All I heard him say was that she’s dead!”

Jay, Cera, Piper, and Lawrence all gave one another concerned looks.

“Honestly, I thought we would have been celebrating this kind of news.” Cera admitted.

“I’ve got a bottle of whiskey I was saving for when Freeman finally croaked.” Lawrence said. “But somehow, this all feels... off.”

Inez was stung. These people must have really hated her mother to have been planning to celebrate her death. To be fair, Scarlett had never taken an intrest in raising Inez and abandoned her in Detroit, so there was no love lost. But Inez never could imagine herself celebrating Scarlett’s demise. Piper gave Jay a meaningful look.

“Listen to me.” she said. “If Freeman is really dead, the ISO’s gonna move quick to plug the holes. Perhaps we should make Aeneas come to us instead of going all the way to them.”

Jay nodded.

“I think so. Roberts, break radio silence and ask them to meet us in the middle.”

“You think it’s worth the risk?” Cera asked.

“I do.” Jay replied. “We might be in bigger trouble than we first thought.”

Cera pulled a high-frequency radio from the glove compartment and started to program a channel into it. Before she could finish, though, a voice suddenly projected itself from the speaker:

“I see them!” A male voice said. “They’re in a brown ORV on the abandoned stretch of I-75, south of Flint!”

Cera cursed.

“Damnit, the blueheads found us!”

Lawrence slammed the car into gear and pinned the accelerator.

Cassandra wailed and started to warm up again, leaving Inez somewhat angry. Was this girl going to turn into a hot iron every time someone upset her!? The ORV sped down the freeway while Lawrence looked around for an escape route.

“Hey Nezzie, how do you know Lawrence?” Cera called from the front. “He said you two have some history together or something.”

“We hang out sometimes, and don’t call me Nezzie!” Inez replied. “But he never mentioned his secret life as an action hero!”

Lawrence rolled down the driver’s side window and looked up into the sky.

“I’m guessing it’s a drone or a satellite that spotted us. Maybe even a starship. We’ve gotta get under cover.” He said as he pulled the ORV off the highway. “And you know, Nezzie, I never meant to drag you into any of this. I liked our friendship the way it was!”

“You won’t have a friendship if you keep calling me that!” Inez snapped. “Also, you won’t have a life if you don’t shake those guys off!”

She pointed out the back window.

A UN hovercraft was flying above the treetops, following the overgrown trail of rubble that was once the Interstate highway. The hovercraft itself was long and sleek, about two stories tall and some fifty yards long. A side hatch was open and a group of UN soldiers were seated on the edge with rappelling gear in their laps. They were going to carry out an air assault!

Lawrence pulled off the freeway and onto a side road.

Actually, the term “road” was too generous. It was a two-track dirt road overgrown with shrubbery and young trees. The ORV slowed down as Lawrence navigated the wildlife. Meanwhile the UN hovercraft vanished from sight.

“When I give the word,” Lawrence told the group, “I need everyone to get out of the car and follow me into the trees, okay?”

“What?” Cassandra started to ask, but Lawrence cut her off. “Just do as I do and follow me, understood?”

A moment later, Lawrence turned off the battered road entirely. Suddenly, they were in the forest. Big trees were everywhere, a shallow creek bubbled through the undergrowth, and the sky was hidden from view by trees. Lawrence drove straight down the riverbank and brought the ORV to a stop in the middle of the river. Water rose up to the doors but no higher.

“Everyone out!” He yelled. “Make for that cave!”

Doors opened and slammed shut. Inez didn’t stop to think about her feet getting wet. She swept Cassandra into her arms and broke into a jog, following the wolverines. For about a moment, Inez wondered just how a cave would naturally occur out here in these wet pine forests, then she had her answer a moment later.

Somebody had carved a small hole in the side of a hill, in between two large trees. If she wasn’t looking for it, Inez would have missed it altogether. Lawrence vanished into the pit first, followed by Cera. Inez hesitate, causing Piper to push her through it.

Now that she was inside, Inez found herself very hard-pressed to call this place a “cave”. It was barely bigger than her apartment bathroom, damp and cold. Once everyone was inside, Piper grabbed a large object off the floor and used it to block the entrance, shutting out most of the light. Then she drew a laser pistol and covered the tiny sliver of light still shining through.

“Everyone be quiet.” She hissed. The blueheads just found our car. They’re right outside.”

The minutes seemed to crawl by like snails. Inez could hear the voices of UN soldiers outside. They were searching the creek and surrounding forest. Inside the cave, it wasn’t as cold as it could have been. Cassandra was frightened again, which meant she was generating heat. Inez let go of her and Cassandra hid in the shadows of the far corner. Inez pressed herself into Lawrence’s frame, and he wrapped his arms around her. She suddenly remembered how much she missed this kind of intimacy and embraced Lawrence in kind.

“How did you know this place was here?” She whispered through the darkness.

“The Resistance dug hiding places like this during the Second Hyperspace War.” He replied in a low voice. “XCOM fighters would hide in holes like this one whenever ADVENT got too close. Before the Commander was rescued, the Resistance and XCOM had whole tunnel networks out there.”

Of course. Inez told herself. Now the Americans are using them against the UN.

Meanwhile, Cassandra tugged on Jay’s sleeve and asked him what time it was. He briefly powered up his smartphone and told her it was just after ten in the morning.

“Okay.” Cassandra whispered. “I need to take my medicine now.”

In the darkness, the young girl struggled with the bottle of mysterious red pills. After a moment, she did get the cap off and was just about to remove one of the capsules from the bottle when a painfully loud noise forced its way into the cave!

“What was that!?” Cried three voices at once. One of them belonged to Inez, the other two were UN soldiers right outside of the cave.

Jay’s phone buzzed, he looked down to read the message and quickly turned the device off.

“They’re coming.” He whispered. “They’re coming to us.”

A moment later, one of the UN soldiers outside shouted to his comrade.

“Contact left! Three foot-mobiles by that fallen tree! No, wait! Four! What the hell!?”

And then there was gunfire! Everybody inside the cave threw themselves to the muddy floor. Jay grabbed Cassandra by the back of the neck and forced her down. In the scuffle, Cassandra’s medicine bottle spilled its contents into the mud, never to be seen again. As she dropped the ground, Inez grabbed the front of Lawrence’s shirt and fell, intentionally pulling him down in a way that guaranteed he landed on top of her.

Outside, the sounds of combat were getting even more intense. Laser, plasma, and gauss weapon fire snapped and cracked through the trees like a demented fireworks show. Someone yelled “grenade!” just before a loud crack rent the air, followed by the creaking and groaning of a falling tree. One of the UN soldiers barked into a radio:

“This is Strike One! Danger close! Enemy fighters are twenty meters away! Requesting air support, our position is just north of Miller Road by Schwartz Creek!”

“Negative, Strike One.” Replied a tinny voice over the radio. “All air support is already engaged. Additional ground support is en route to your position but has encountered unexpected resistance, over.”

The deep thudding sounds of a railgun were punctuated with multiple falling trees.

“Understood.” Replied the UN soldier. “Be advised, our position is in danger of being overrun. We’ve made contact with four Sierra Bravos and cannot hold this position. We’re retreating to the east at this time, over!”

Inez felt her heart racing at this development, or perhaps that was Lawrence’s heart beating so quickly. They were still lying together in the dirt, and a moment later, this turned out to be a good idea. There was a sudden burst of gunfire. Gauss rounds slammed into the hillside mere feet away from the blocked cave entrance. Everyone who was already lying on the ground covered their heads with their hands. Jay and Cera both covered Cassandra with their whole bodies. Piper saw a target of opportunity. She stuck her weapon-hand into the opening and fired a single burst from her laser pistol. There was a cry as somebody was stuck.

A moment later, it was all over. The gunfire stopped. Now there were just the sounds of people walking around the forest floor. Inez was so nervous she didn’t realize she was holding her breath.

A voice called into the cave from outside.

“You in the cave! Tell me, why does God stay in Heaven?”

Inez had no idea what kind of question that was supposed to be, but Piper clearly did, because she shouted back:

“Because he lives in fear of what he’s created!”

Pause. Finally, the voice outside said:

“Area clear. Come on out of there.”

Piper pushed on the object blocking the cave entrance and it fell away, flooding the place with light. Jay grabbed Inez and Cassandra by the shoulders and said:

“Listen to me. There are going to be some aliens out there. They are friendly, understand?”

“Aliens!?” Inez and Cassandra both cried out.

“Friendly.” Jay emphasized. “They’re on our side.”

With a little reluctance, Inez and Cassandra followed the Wolverines out of the cave.

…

The forest outside looked very different from when the Wolverines and their companions abandoned their vehicle. Nearly a dozen trees had fallen to the ground. Small fires marked the spot where plasma and laser weapons were used, a crater still smoldered some ten feet away, and the bodies of two UN soldiers were sprawled on the ground, blood running downhill towards the creek. But these sights were nothing compared to the individuals waiting for them in the dappled morning sunlight.

One Human and three aliens, all armed to the teeth and wearing suits of power armor, were gathered in the clearing. Inez and Cassandra both hesitated. Neither of them had been this close to a non-Human for a couple of years.

“I… I thought all of the aliens were expelled from Earth.” Inez stammered.

“The guy on TV said he made them all go away.” Cassandra added.

All four of the armored combatants looked past the Wolverines and stared at the two girls.

Obviously, the first alien Inez looked at was the biggest one. A massive reptilian with thick scales and yellow eyes glared at her, snorting his disapproval from a massive snout. Inez guessed this giant weighed somewhere between three and four hundred pounds. The power armor overtop of his massive frame added to his already immense weight, and the armed reptile needed to constantly shift his footing so he didn’t sink into the wet ground.

The remaining two aliens were Human-shaped, and Inez actually recognized their species. The first was an Assurian man, but she assumed he had some Partogan blood as well, because his eyes were a vivid shade of purple. The Assurian had big, bony ridges running along his forehead, up to the top of his skull, and down to the bridge of his nose, giving him a “crinkled” look. With a slight lurch of the stomach, Inez realized she found the Assurian rather attractive. She wondered if she might have a thing for aliens.

The creature next to him was female, and she was very clearly a Human-alien hybrid. Specifically, she was half Human and half Levakian. She stood upright on two legs like Inez, but her entire body was covered in orange fur, had fluffy pointed ears, yellow catlike eyes, long whiskers protruding from a snout-like nose, and a long tail.

The Human was just that… Human. Yet for some reason, Inez had the most trouble figuring out a member of her own species. This person, like their comrades, wore a suit of power armor that hid all of their bodily features from view except for their face. Yet this person’s face gave no indication whether its owner was a man or a woman. The person’s medium length wavy hair would have been a good look on either a guy or a girl, and Inez had seen plenty of people with a face built like this one: a vaguely heart-shaped face with a strong chin, squared cheekbones, and large eyes.

Altogether, these four made up a very different group from the one Inez had been travelling with. The Wolverines greeted the newcomers as old friends, with handshakes and warm words. Piper actually hugged the Levakian Hybrid, nuzzling her face in the cat-woman’s fur.

“Good to see you guys.” Jay told the newcomers. “I was worried we were going to have to drive all the way up to Alpena to meet you.”

The Human shook his head.

“After you told us about these two,” they pointed at Inez and Cassandra. “We figured we should meet you halfway. Uplink and Mockingbird found an abandoned airport and put the ship down. We’ll meet them there.”

Inez groaned internally. This person’s voice was also unisex! She really didn’t want to barge into the conversation just to ask if this person was a dude or a chick. She’d just have to wait for a better time.

“How?” Cera asked. “We can’t fit ten people in our little truck, assuming we can get it out of the creek at all.”

The Assurian shook his head.

“Uplink got us a ride.” He told the group. “Should be coming up the road soon.”

Inez tilted her head, listening to a sound in the distance. An electric vehicle was approaching. Jay heard it too. He pointed into the distance and laughed.

“That’s not what I think it is, is it?”

The noise grew louder until Inez finally saw something moving through the trees. It was a UN Army APC; nearly identical to the one that chased her and Cassandra the other night!

“Wait, what the hell!?” Inez cried out.

Two of the aliens, the giant reptile and the half-Levakian, started to laugh.

“The UN Army uses the same over-the-air signal to communicate with all of their automated vehicles.” The reptile said in a deep voice. “Uplink can hijack that signal to take over those APCs whenever he wants.”

“Not just APC’s.” The cat-lady added. “Trucks, androids, Starfighters. Anything the UN lets a computer drive, we can take.”

“Wait a minute, those things are being driven by computer?” Inez asked.

“Usually they are.” Jay answered. “We should be careful. There might still be a gunner in the turret.”

The group was lucky. As the APC rolled to a stop next to the treeline, all of the hatches in the turret and backside opened up to reveal the vehicle was empty. Unfortunately, the APC was designed for Humans to ride inside of it, and there was no space for the three aliens. They all decided to sit on top of the armored vehicle, riding just behind the turret. Jay said he would open the top hatch of the turret to talk to them. Once Cassandra was seated in the passenger area in the back, Inez clambered into the turret. Her curiosity was overwhelming at this point.

The APC moved out, travelling a little slower than when it arrived due to the massive alien riding on its back. Jay, Inez, and the Human of unknown gender all stood up in the turret hatches, the better to speak with the aliens riding on the back. The Assurian and half-Levakian seemed to be enjoying the excursion, but the giant reptile looked like he was on the verge of misery. He was pressing his body against the cold metal as though hoping to get some extra warmth from the engine. Inez wondered if the giant alien was cold-blooded.

Jay started the conversation. Fortunately, no one had to raise their voices. The electric engine was nearly silent.

“So I think some introductions are in order.” Jay said. “Everyone, I’d like you to meet the woman of the hour. She’s the one who got this ball rolling after Cassandra landed in her lap: Inez Espinosa.”

All three of the aliens and their Human companion opened their eyes wide and gave Inez a genuinely shocked expression.

“Dude.” said the Levakian woman.

“No way.” Breathed the Human.

“Well I’ll be a brakas’ uncle.” The Assurian said.

The Human of unknown gender shook their head in bewilderment.

“Please don’t take this the wrong way, Inez.” He said. (or is it she? Inez really couldn’t tell) “But we already know you… in a way.”

“Let me guess.” Inez interrupted. “It’s got something to do with my parents.”

A sudden thought crossed her mind.

“Hey, wait a minute.” She added. “You don’t know anything about what happened to my mom, do you?”

This caught the Human off guard. She (or he) stammered and tripped over his (or her) words.

“Director Freeman of the ISO?” Asked the cat-woman. “We’ve never met her, but we’ve been working against her for a couple of years now, I guess you could say. We’re investigating her and some of her dealings. You see, we are-”

But Jay cut her off.

“Guys… Freeman’s dead.”

Total silence, aside from the wind rushing past the group as the APC drove down the dirt lane. The Human and his alien companions looked even more shocked and stunned than before.

“At least, we think she’s dead.” Jay qualified his statement quickly. “The intel is secondhand. Inez heard it from her father.”

The Assurian suddenly focused on Inez with new energy.

“You’ve seen Professor Espinosa! Where!?” He asked.

“In Detroit.” Inez replied. “He brought Cassandra to me. Wait a minute… who are you guys? Seriously. How do you know me? Or my parents?”

The Human of indeterminate gender sighed.

“My apologies.” He said. “We were dancing around introducing ourselves because we aren’t sure if you picked a side. But it looks like you’re out of the loop so… here goes.”

The person sighed again and looked Inez squarely in the eyes.

“My name is Varian Robinson. The hybrid is Corder Leang. The Assurian is Kingi, son of Eraka. Our big Micore friend is Cetla Shu’naan. We’re part of a group called the Stormbreakers.”

The words hung in the air. This was a lot for Inez to take in. She knew about the Stormbreakers. Everyone did. They were the great heroes who fought alongside Jericho during the War in Heaven… but that was almost fifty years ago, wasn’t it? So why were these guys using the name? Were they a continuation of the original team?

They could be. Fifty years ago, a man named Robinson had led the Stormbreakers. He was still alive, too! Inez saw him on TV all the time. He was an old politician, running for some important high office or something. And didn’t he have a grandkid about Varian’s age?

A grandkid the tabloids made fun of for being androgynous!?

Inez’ mouth fell open as the full realization of Varian’s words hit her. She tried to speak, to say something in response, but no words came. What could she say? She was in the presence of the grandchild of one of Humankind’s greatest heroes… and Varian had clearly decided to assume Blake Robinson’s role.

Inez never got the chance to reply, as multiple voices cried out from inside the APC.

“Stop the car!” Piper called out. “She’s gonna be sick!”

“Pull over!” Cera added. “Pull over now!”

The APC slowed down and pulled onto the side of the road. They had come upon the outskirts of a small town, abandoned for the past seventy years. On their left was the wreckage of what had once been an old-world courthouse. On the right, a rocky river snaked through the trees.

The back door slammed open and Cassandra ran away from the APC. She was as pale as death, her skin color tinged with shades of yellowish-green. She ran behind a tree and emptied her stomach in two great heaves. Then she began to cry.

“I lost my medicine!” Cassandra sobbed. “I… I think I’m gonna die!”

<=== Chapter 5: The Wolverines

Chapter 7: Emerald Avatar===>

Macavity116 · Jan 20, 2022

<=== Chapter 6: And Then There Were Six

Chapter 8: The Parting of Lake Michigan===>

Chapter 7
Emerald Avatar

March 3, 2086
Uninhabited wilderness, Michigan

Cassandra recovered, somewhat, and was able to get back inside the APC. The vehicle moved out again, this time moving slowly, following the river downstream. In the passenger area, Cassandra was shivering as though she was cold, but her body was hot to the touch. This time, however, it was a different kind of heat.

“She’s got a fever.” Inez reported to Varian and Jay. “She really is sick.”

Varian narrowed his (or her) eyes and asked if Cassandra still had the medicine bottle she dropped in the Schwartz Creek cave. Inez fetched it and brought it back to the turret. Varian inspected the bottle while the aliens speculated:

“Childhood illness is common where I’m from.” Corder Leang said. “Especially among hybrids like me.”

“She doesn’t look like a hybrid.” Inez pointed out.

“Neither do I.” Kingi replied. “Yet here I am, half Assurian and half Partogan. Hybrids don’t all look like Corder, you know. We can appear to be wholly of one species.”

Inez conceded this was possible, and when that thought crossed her mind, it was followed by another.

“Let’s say she is a Hybrid, then. Could she have the Fade?”

Inez directed the question towards Corder and Kingi. The two hybrids frowned in thought.

The Fade was a degenerative disease that only affected Human-alien hybrids, usually caused by incompatible DNA. Of the two hybrids currently sitting on top of the APC, the only one vulnerable to the Fade was Corder. She shook her head.

“You can’t treat the Fade with pills.” She explained. “You need a full regimen of Genetic Therapy. That takes years, and this kid wouldn’t be able to move out of a clinic while it was happening. No way. Not the Fade.”

“So, what else could it be?”

Cetla, the giant Micore, spoke up.

“Forgive me.” He said in his deep booming voice. “I’m not too familiar with Human physiology, but that young one looks old enough to have started her reproductive cycle. Perhaps the pills are birth control.”

Inez shook her head.

“No, I don’t think so.” She told the group. “I use birth control, get the pills from a Gene Therapy Clinic. The pills are blue and shaped like ovals. Cassandra’s pills were red capsules.”

Everyone went back to thinking. Finally, Varian spoke up.

“Someone go down below and ask Cassandra what all of her symptoms are. I’ll pass them along to Uplink when we get into radio range.”

Inez went back down into the passenger area and found Cassandra resting in Cera’s lap. She was having cold sweats now, gripping her stomach and grimacing in pain.

“It feels like my gut’s gonna explode.” Cassandra complained.

“What else happens when you’re sick?” Inez asked. “Your stomach, fever... anything else.”

Embarrassed, Cassandra whispered the answer.

“It hurts to go to the bathroom.”

…

Inez didn’t wait for anyone to ask her. As soon as she clambered back into the turret she proclaimed:

“She’s got a bug!”

“What, you mean like a bug bit her?” Corder asked.

“No, no no.” Inez replied. “I mean she caught an infection. A virus or something.”

“How?” Varian said. “I thought ADVENT wiped out all of the viruses on Earth with the original Gene Therapy Clinics.”

“They tried.” Jay corrected her. (or him) “There were millions of people who hid out in the wilderness and never went into one of those damn clinics. Plenty of diseases from the Old World are still around, just nowhere near as prevalent as they used to be. So, let’s think: What Old World diseases could our little friend have picked up?”

“I learned about a bunch of different types of viruses in school.” Varian said. “Rhinovirus, Coronavirus, Adenovirus, Enterovirus but I thought they were all exterminated by ADVENT.”

A loud cracking sound issued from Varian’s belt, and a voice came out of a radio receiver:

“Aeneas, this is Uplink. We see you on visual. Come out of the trees and we’ll drop the gate for you.”

Inez turned around to look where the APC was going. They had come to an unusual spot in the forest. The trees thinned out, and the spaces between them were filled with...

At first, it was difficult to tell what was in the open spaces between the trees. Inez thought they were great heaps of dirt covered in shrubbery and small plants, then, as they drew closer, she realized she was looking at something completely different.

It was the ruins of a small city, completely overgrown with plant life. The town, abandoned some seventy years ago, had been completely reclaimed by nature, with small hills and mounds marking the spots where man-made structures had once been. The city itself was built on the spot where three highways converged, and the path of the roadways were still somewhat visible, as no large trees had grown there yet.

A building that looked like it might have been the city hall had slid down the embankment of the river and been partially washed away, while the wreckage of a hydroelectric dam was turned into a waterfall by the river itself. What was once grand-looking hospital could only be identified by road sign. Trees were growing out of all the windows.

In the center of the ruined city, there was an open space where two highways met in a large intersection, and it was here that the person called “Uplink” was waiting.

A spaceplane had landed in the clearing, pointing south along one of the highways. It was a long vessel with triangular wings and four engines, two on the back of the fuselage and one on each wing. From here, Inez couldn’t make out any more details, but Varian told her:

“That’s our ship. The USS Niagara. We’ll take you to our friends in Alpena. We’ve got medicine there. You and Cassandra should be safe there until we figure out our next move.”

…

By the time Varian, Jay, Inez and the others reached the spaceplane, dark and ominous clouds were rolling in. Inez sniffed and picked up the smell of ozone.

“Varian, I think it’s going to rain.” She said.

“You’re right.” He (or she) replied.

Varian put one foot on the spaceplane’s boarding ramp and yelled toward whoever was in the cockpit.

“Shut down the engines, we can’t take off in this weather!”

With a dull whine, all four of the Niagara’s engines fell silent. Then Inez could hear a voice coming from inside:

“I’m really starting to hate this part of Earth! The weather here is terrible for flying!”

A man stepped down the boarding ramp to join the others. Inez looked at him and felt an extremely powerful lurch in her stomach. There was no doubt about it anymore; she definitely had a thing for aliens… or maybe this alien in particular.

The man who had spoken was a tall and slender Partogan. He had the dark skin, purple eyes, and silvery-white hair shared by all members of his species, but he had a face that any Human woman would love to be seen hanging out with. Long and rectangular, the Partogan’s face featured a strong chin and narrow eyes hidden behind a set of smart-glasses. A digital screen was faintly visible in both lenses, shaded beneath his long silver bangs. Finally, the sight of short stubble on his cheeks and chin made Inez feel hot under the collar.

The Partogan clasped Varian’s hand before giving him a quick hug.

“Heard you got into a firefight.” The Partogan said. “I told you Kingi’s not one for stealth.”

“Since when does that matter, Maui?” Kingi snarked.

Inez’s brain restarted itself.

“So, you… uh… your name’s Maui?”

“Maui Ririnui.” The Partogan gave Inez a casual glance that nearly melted her heart. “And this is Ninu Dokunle.”

Inez looked around for a moment before Jay pointed at her feet. A reptilian alien, not quite two feet tall, was looking up at her with big gecko-like eyes and a completely unimpressed expression on its face.

“So you’re Professor Espinosa’s kid, huh?” Ninu spoke in a high-pitched voice due to his size. “About time. Come on, we’re making camp at the library across the street until the weather clears up. We’ll see if we can do something for your friend.”

…

Leaving the Niagara behind, the group of six Stormbreakers, four Wolverines, and two fugitives made their way into the shell of a structure. A century ago, this place would have been a two-story library, but the insides of the building were long since gutted and now only the brick and mortar skeleton remained. Inside, a thicket of trees, growing from the basement, had grown straight through the roof, poking their many branches out of the windows. There was a mostly clear spot and, judging from the way the grass and shrubbery were beaten down, this was normally a hiding spot for animals.

Several of the Wolverines gathered small pieces of wood and Piper used her laser pistol to start a fire. Outside the sun was setting, and with a gentle pitter-patter, cold rain started to fall.

Shielded beneath a battered old roof and great old trees, everybody sat down. Looking around the group, Inez got the feeling that everybody was having strong feelings about this gathering. The Stormbreakers, in general, were giving off a sense of cautious optimism. By contrast, the Wolverines all had an aura of people who were wondering if they had made a terrible mistake. The two reptiles, Cetla and Ninu, curled up next to the fire.

“No reptile in their right mind would ever live in Michigan!” Ninu declared with a shiver. “How could any cold-blooded person survive here?”

“It gets really hot here in the summer.” Inez said. “Very hot, actually. Anyway, Bannack is further north. I’m sure Cassandra would back me up if she wasn’t asleep.”

The little girl was wrapped in blankets next to the fire, her face pressed into Corder’s furry chest. Cassandra took deep breaths and was certainly out like a light.

“Is she out for the night?” Lawrence asked. “What did you give her, Uplink?”

Maui Ririnui reached into his pocket and produced Cassandra’s medicine bottle.

“Did any of you even bother to read the label?” He said. “These were antiviral pills. I gave her the minimum dose of antivirals we had on board and she started recovering within the hour. She should be fine by morning.”

Inez punched the air in triumph.

“Aha!” She declared, “I was right, I knew it!

“Okay… so Cassandra’s got a virus.” Corder said. “Do we know what kind of virus? Is it contagious, should I be letting her touch me?”

The half-lioness was clearly eager for Cassandra to stop using her as a pillow. Corder’s tail flicked in agitation.

“Hold on a moment.” Cetla said.

The giant Micore turned himself around to warm the other side of his flank by the fire.

“Cassandra and, I’m sorry, you said your name was Inez? These two have been travelling together all day. If the younger one is contagious, the older one should have gotten sick by now.”

Everybody turned to look at Inez. She looked down at the fire in a sheepish kind of way.

“Uh… I honestly thought you guys would have the answers, you know. My dad told me to find you… to bring Cassandra to you.”

There was another moment of silence.

“Professor Espinosa was right.” Varian finally said. “Listen, Inez. Fact is, we’ve been working with your dad on something really important for a while now.”

“And from the beginning, we actually wanted you to be a part of the mission.” Corder added. “But things happened.”

Inez felt her heartbeat quicken. Perhaps now, she would finally get some answers. Looking around the firelit group, she said:

“What’s going on, anyways? Why is the UN after my dad? How did my mom die? What does Cassandra have to do with any of this?”

Everybody looked at one another, as though they were unsure of where to start. Finally, Lawrence stood up and crossed the room to sit down next to Inez. She relaxed. She knew Lawrence and trusted him, it would be easier to take things in if he was the one explaining. Perhaps he knew that.

“Inez, you’ve got to understand,” Lawrence began. “What’s going on here is so much bigger than you, or me, or all of us. The fact that you’re completely out of the loop makes this so much harder to explain.”

“Two years ago…” Varian said, “We were all chosen for a very important mission.”

Lawrence took Inez’s hand in his own.

“You were chosen.” Varian added. “You were supposed to be with us from the start.”

Inez’s mouth went dry. She could barely speak the next question.

“Chosen for what?”

Inez never heard the answer.

At that moment, there was a loud creaking noise from the ceiling. Dust, leaves, and rainwater fell to the ground. From high up and outside of the building, a voice yelled:

“HERE THEY ARE!”

Without hesitating for a second, the Wolverines and Stormbreakers reached for their weapons. Rifles, submachine guns, pistols, knives and even a sword flashed into the dark evening light before someone doused the fire, filling the campsite with smoke. But it was too late. The deep thundering of an aircraft engine was starting to overpower the noise of the rainstorm outside.

Lawrence and Cera both grabbed Inez and forced her to lay flat on the ground. A moment later, Cassandra joined her. The little girl was awake and crying.

“What’s happening!?” Cassandra gasped.

“Get down!” Jay hissed.

“The roof!” Cetla pointed his rotary plasma cannon towards the ceiling. “There’s someone on the roof!”

CRASH!

A massive section of the dilapidated rooftop was suddenly pulled up and away, letting the rainstorm thunder into the ruined library! As leaves and branches fell to the ground, the Stormbreakers and Wolverines raised their weapons, taking aim at two figures standing on the splintered rafters. Inez felt a pang of horror as she recognized one of them.

Yassen Ackermann was there. He was now wearing a suit of power armor that featured a built-in grappling hook. Above him, a tilt-rotor military aircraft was hovering above the wrecked library, its bay doors open.

Varian struck first! He (or she) took aim with a laser rifle and fired at Yassen, but laser weapons are known to suffer from accuracy issues during rainstorms. Varian’s shot went wide and Yassen gestured to his comrade. The second UN soldier pointed a spindly-looking contraption down at the group.

No! He was aiming at Cassandra!

Thinking fast, Inez scrambled to her hands and knees. She grabbed Cassandra around the middle and would have started running, but all around her the sounds of gunfire erupted as battle began! Something big and heavy hit Inez in the back, sending her to the ground again as the Stormbreakers and Wolverines scattered.

“Maui!” Varian shouted. “Fire up the Niagara and turn the autocannons loose!”

“Lawrence!” Jay yelled. “They’re taking the girls, grab hold and don’t let go!”

Now this was when Inez realized exactly what she’d been hit with. Both she and Cassandra were tangled up in multiple nets. Heavy weights had swung around Inez at impact, hopelessly tangling themselves up and making escape even more difficult. And on top of all this, the nets were attached to something, something pulling her and Cassandra away from the group!

Both girls screamed and grabbed at anything to stop the moving net. Cassandra seized a tree branch and held until it broke. Inez found Lawrence’s hand and the two held each other tight. Meanwhile, the net itself had been attached to a winch, and the UN Army aircraft was thrusting its engines, pulling the next inexorably up and away. All around, a gunfight erupted as more UN soldiers came out of hiding. The camp was surrounded!

With a loud roar, Cetla blasted two UN soldiers with his plasma cannon, sending their blue helmets flying through the air. Then he turned his weapon against the enemy aircraft. Seeing plasma bolts striking the hull of his airship, Yassen sprang into action as soon as the capture net was raised to roof-level. He and another soldier reached inside and tried to grab Cassandra!

“We don’t need the blonde!” Yassen shouted to his man. “Just get the little one!”

Inez grabbed Cassandra with both hands and held on for dear life! She lashed out with her feet, kicking at any part of Yassen she could reach. In one blow, she managed to find Yassen’s left hand. With a swift follow-up, Inez felt a crunching sensation followed by a shrill scream. She had broken at least one of Yassen’s fingers.

Meanwhile, Cassandra was panicking. The little girl screamed and shrieked so shrilly Inez thought she would go deaf! A big burly UN soldier reached into the net and grabbed Cassandra’s hair! He started tugging on it violently with one hand; with the other, he found Inez and punched her in the face. She wasn’t going to hold on much longer. Inez cried out for help!

“Lawrence! Varian!”

“Come on!” The UN soldier yelled. “Give it up! Give me the girl!”

Cassandra was now freaking out, and as she lost control, her body started superheating again. Rain fell on Cassandra and steam rose from her body.

“Stop! Leave me alone! Don’t touch me!”

A light flickered. Not like the flash of a gun muzzle, nor was it like the flash of a bolt of lightning. Inez had seen it, and it terrified her.

A laser bolt sailed dangerously close to the net and there was a strangled cry from down below. Somebody had just been shot! Inez called out:

“Lawrence! HELP US!”

Now there were two UN soldiers tugging on Cassandra, trying to separate her from Inez. The capture net was now touching the boarding ramp of the UN airship. Inez could feel the jet wash from the engines. It was all going to be over in a few seconds. The UN soldier tugged on Cassandra’s hair one last time.

“Come with us now!” He yelled. “Don’t make me hurt you!”

“I’ll kill you!” Cassandra screamed. “Don’t touch me again! I’ll kill you all!”

And it happened again. A series of lights flashed on and off within Cassandra’s body, as though a thunderstorm was building up inside of her. The flashing light was so intense that Inez could see all of Cassandra’s bones. Inez tried to say something, to cry out a word of warning, but it was too late. A UN soldier reached into the net and grabbed Cassandra by the throat!

It all happened in about three seconds.

First, there was a flash of green light, brighter than the sun. Inez jammed her eyes shut, as did everyone else.

Next, Inez picked up on the sound of rushing water, or was it air? Something was racing very quickly to be somewhere else, that was certain.

Finally, every person in the immediate area, including Inez, was filled with an overwhelming sense of impending doom.

Inez opened her eyes, and found a horrible scene before her. She had fallen out of the net and was lying on the rooftop. The VTOL aircraft was pulling up and away, trying to escape. UN soldiers, Stormbreakers, and Wolverines alike were all back off, their weapons lowered to the ground.

Cassandra was gone.

In her place, brilliant and terrible, was a translucent Human-shaped entity made from a dark green semicorporeal substance. The green figure flickered and wavered as though it was constantly phasing into and out of reality. Instead of hair, electric arcs shot straight up from the skull. It turned its head to the sky and directed its face to the aircraft above. Inez saw that this thing had only eyes, two points of emerald starlight that seemed to burn like nuclear reactions.

And then Inez realized, with a sinking sense of horror that this monster was, somehow… Cassandra.

The emerald woman turned her blazing gaze to the sky and fixed her eyes upon the fleeing aircraft. She did not move her arms. She just stared. The aircraft exploded in a ball of bright green flames and then crashed to the ground! UN soldiers all around panicked and threw their weapons to the ground before running away. This nightmarish version of Cassandra turned her head to gaze at each in turn.

One by one, UN soldiers were immolated by green fire that seemed to come out of nowhere. Inez felt sick, these guys were running away! Most of them weren’t even armed. This was just plain murder.

Inez scrambled to her feet and tried to grab Cassandra, force her to stop. But before she could take even a step towards her, Inez was overwhelmed and made to stop. It wasn’t the heat, although Cassandra was putting out enough of that to kill a man. No, the moment Inez took a step towards Cassandra, her mind was suddenly filled with several lifetimes’ worth of horrific fantasies, vile thoughts, and evil desires. It was as though the worst thoughts of the most evil people to ever live were all funneled through Inez’s head at the exact same moment.

Murderous intentions, jealous lust, and violent impulses clashed and merged with one another in Inez’s head, paralyzing her mind and leaving her stunned. In front of her, she was just barely aware of Cassandra turning her power against someone she knew. Cetla roared in agony as green flames enveloped his body.

“Stop!” Inez screamed at Cassandra, not knowing whether this thing could understand her. “Please stop, this is horrible!”

And then she ran at Cassandra’s back. Jumping the last few feet, Inez landed squarely on the emerald woman’s shoulders. Inez wrapped her hands around Cassandra’s eyes, blocking her vision. This must have been some kind of weak spot, because the green fire attack on Cetla instantly ceased. Cassandra slowly started to raise her arms, as though getting ready to dislodge Inez. Not like Inez could have held on for long, though, because Cassandra’s body was hotter than a kitchen stove. Inez could feel and smell her own flesh starting to burn and knew she would be forced to let go at any moment.

Let go, child. A gentle voice spoke just behind Inez. I’ll take it from here.

An unseen force pulled Inez off Cassandra and she collapsed onto the rooftop. Looking up, Inez saw another person had joined her on the roof. Immediately, she assumed she was hallucinating.

Standing there on the roof was a woman of incomprehensible beauty. Both her skin and hair were as pure white as freshly fallen snow, and she had big bright blue eyes. The woman wore white robes underneath a golden corset, with blue gemstones mounted on her left and right bracelets. A cape made from a sheer fabric billowed behind her in the rain.

Inez had never seen this person before, but she knew who it was. She had seen pictures, paintings, and stained glass windows depicting this wondrous woman.

The emerald avatar of Cassandra turned around to look at the newcomer and froze. She seemed to be trying to use her green fire attack against the woman in white, but for some reason it wasn’t working. The emerald avatar took a step back, the woman in white advanced. Then, with one hand, the woman in white gently touched Cassandra’s forehead.

It was like watching a movie played backwards. Whatever horrible transformation Cassandra went through instantly reversed itself. The green woman shrank back down to the size of a child, her hair fell and was restored, and the translucent body became solid flesh once more. Cassandra as back to her normal self. She looked up at the woman in white for just a moment, and then her eyes rolled up and she fell forward, unconscious.

Then, as casually as if stepping across the room, the woman in white descended from the roof to the ground below. She almost seemed to float, suspended in the rain.

Like Inez, the Stormbreakers and Wolverines recognized this new person. They all raised their weapons, taking aim directly at the woman in white.

“It’s her!” Varian shouted. “Defend yourselves!”

One second.

That was how long it took. One second of combat against the mightiest being in existence, the same woman who vanquished the Angelis Ethereal, slew the Beast, and defeated the Paradox. It happened so fast that Inez didn’t see Jericho move, but the result was strewn on the ground in the form of ten bloody and battered bodies. The Stormbreakers and their allies were left gravely wounded and just barely clinging to life.

<=== Chapter 6: And Then There Were Six

Chapter 8: The Parting of Lake Michigan===>

Macavity116 · Jan 29, 2022

Here's something neat I figured out this morning:

I added up all of the hits each story in this series has gotten across all of the websites where it's been posted (Paradox Forums, Archive of Our Own, and YouTube) and discovered that since the Stormbreaker Universe started all the way back in January 2019, this series has received a cumulative 221,799 hits/views.

I didn't do anything to celebrate 100,000 hits, since it happened during the short break between The Stormbreakers and The Legend of Whetu Kealoha, when the continuation of this series was a non-event. This time around, I had no idea I even surpassed the landmark. Also, I honestly thought this moment was much further away. So I had no plan to mark the occasion. But 200,000 hits is worth doing something.

So, thank you. Yes, you. As I always say, I have no real expectations for this series, I'm just out here to have fun. It is a real pleasure having you along for the journey.

Here's some random trivia about the Stormbreaker Universe:

Mira Mihaka (After Everything)
- The main protagonist of my very first Stellaris Story is named after Mira Nova. She was one of the main protagonists of the Disney movie Buzz Lightyear of Star Command and its subsequent tv series.

The 369th Signal Battalion and the 13th Artillery Company (My Father's War)
- These two military units saw action during the Siege of Hiroshima. Both of these units exist in real life.
  - The 369th Battalion in Fort Gordon is where US Signal Soldiers go for Advanced Individual Training. I was with this unit at the very beginning of my military career.
  - The 13th Artillery is a real unit in the Japan Self Defense Force. They are part of the Central Army and operate out of Hiroshima Prefecture. However, in my story, I reduced their size from a Battalion to a Company.
Enutanga (Faith in Chaos)
- Enutanga's rock'n'roll band goes unnamed throughout the story, but their cannon name is in fact: Maiden Flight. Enutanga and her band were inspired by the equally loud and chaotic Disaster Area and its frontman Hotblack Desiato from the Douglas Adams book The Restaurant at the End of the Universe.
Blake and Chihiro eloped in an infamous location (The Stormbreakers)
- Halfway through The Stormbreakers, Blake Robinson and Chihiro Tachibana snuck out of an XCOM meeting at Groom Lake (site of the real-life Area 51) and eloped in one of the nuclear bomb craters at Yucca Flats. Actually, it wasn't any ordinary bomb crater those two were making out in: They were in the bottom of the crater left behind by the Teapot Apple Two detonation. You may not know the name, but chances are you've seen the videos of the blast. Teapot Apple 2 was the weapon test that resulted in the very famous video of a typical American house being knocked over by a nuclear shockwave.
Queen Marie's Letter to Queen Mami (Faith in Chaos)
- Near the middle of Faith in Chaos, the Queen of Partoga died under circumstances that were (retroactively) suspicious. However, Mokara Patariki knew she was dying, and wrote a letter to her eventual successor. Mami Tamihana, the main protagonist of Faith in Chaos, would eventually win the Royal Election and become the next Queen. There was a scene where Mami mentioned receiving Mokara's letter, but its contents were never revealed. Let me fix that. Queen Mokara left a message of encouragement for her successor and it went as follows:

30 Pipiri 413

To my successor:

Congratulations on your achievement. Today you will embark on the greatest chapter of your life.
Like me, you have been afforded the opportunity to lead our nation during a time of incredible change. Questions about the role of Church and State and about Partoga’s place in the stars must be answered. The burden you must shoulder will be great, but it is often exaggerated.
You will face many trials. You will be criticized. You will be disappointed.
Never forget that you have friends, family, and a Kingdom who love you. No matter what comes next, I urge you to take inspiration from the strength, unity, and devotion of the people you lead.
The Nation is calling you.

Signed,

Mokara Patariki, 12th Queen of Partoga

Well, that's all for today's random burst of Stormbreaker Universe trivia. On with the story!

<=== Chapter 7: Emerald Avatar

Chapter 9: Prometheus ===>

Chapter 8
The Parting of Lake Michigan

March 4, 2086
Uninhabited Wilderness, Michigan

Nobody could fight anymore. The Stormbreakers and Wolverines were all down, their bodies broken and bloody. Most of the UN soldiers had fled, Cassandra was knocked out, and Inez couldn’t move. Her arms and chest were burned, raw, red, and shiny after her brief moment of contact with Cassandra’s monster form.

Inez crawled along the rooftop until she reached the edge. Looking down, she spotted Jericho standing over the defeated Stormbreakers.

It all felt so surreal. Inez knew all about Jericho. She learned about the Savior during history lessons in the Bannack lab, and she’d seen countless shows about her on television while living in Detroit. Inez knew all about the War in Heaven and the Battle for Earth. Fifty years ago, Jericho was the most powerful Psion in the Galaxy. Now she was the only one left… the only person with the Gift.

The Gift was how Jericho had laid low the Stormbreakers in a single strike. Inez had learned about that too. Jericho had a long list of incredible powers at her disposal. She could move things with her mind, she could read minds and control them, too. Jericho could also siphon raw energy from her own soul and turn it into supernatural fire.

Oh, and everybody knew Jericho could also bring back the dead.

In the darkness, Jericho’s blue eyes stood out in the rainstorm like a pair of will-o-the-wisps. Her eyes narrowed, and the Savior raised one hand above her head and made a fist. The hair on Inez’s neck stood up as she realized what was going to happen. Jericho was going to kill Varian, Lawrence, and the others!

Panicking, Inez did the only thing she could think of. She cried out to Jericho:

“No! Stop! Please stop!”

Jericho paused and looked up at her. Sensing Jericho’s intent to kill, Inez spoke quickly.

“Don’t hurt them! Please… let them go and you can take us. We’ll go with you, okay?”

Inez gestured to herself and Cassandra, who was starting to wake up. Groaning in pain, Cassandra rolled onto her stomach and gripped her head in both hands.

“Both of you?” Jericho said. Her voice somehow made itself heard above the driving rain.

“I… I can’t leave her alone.” Inez insisted. “Wherever she goes, I go with her.”

Jericho narrowed her eyes at Inez. For just a moment, Inez wondered what Jericho could be thinking, but an instant later such concerns were moot.

Inez had never been hit with a Psionic attack before. In fact, up until now, she’d never even considered what the experience would be like. Now she would know. Jericho’s telepathic assault hit Inez and caused her to reel backward. Since she had no frame of reference to compare against, Inez compared the sensation of a mental invasion to that of a sexual assault.

With overwhelming force, Jericho smashed her way into Inez’s consciousness. Against her will, Inez was made to relive the past four days of her life in explicit detail. Each memory was pulled open and picked apart in the most minute of details; no scrap of information went unseen. Inez tried to push Jericho out of her mind, to make it clear that this space was private, but Jericho did not even acknowledge these efforts. Once she had seen what she wanted to see, Jericho withdrew, leaving Inez in a shaking, quivering wreck.

Lying on her side in the fetal position, Inez took one final look at Jericho… Jericho had closed her eyes very tightly and was clenching her fists. She looked like she was in serious pain and trying to hide it.

Then, Inez felt multiple sets of hands grabbing her. She was lifted into the air and then carried to the far side of the roof. Both she and Cassandra were lowered back to ground level, and they finally spotted the blue helmets.

About a dozen UN soldiers loaded Cassandra and Inez onto the back of the very same APC the Stormbreakers had hijacked yesterday. The last thing Inez saw before the door slammed shut was Jericho herself. The Savior of Mankind turned away as the armored vehicle, fully loaded with UN soldiers and their two captives, started to move away into the darkness.

…

Lawrence watched the APC go. He was sitting up against the overgrown remnants of the library wall. He spat blood and looked around at the Stormbreakers and Wolverines. Nobody was dead, but it was clear everyone had taken a serious hit and wouldn’t survive another one like it.

From where he sat, Lawrence could see Jericho. She remained standing in front of the overgrown library until the APC was out of sight, then she turned back to face the ten downed fighters.

“Espinosa has bought your lives.” Jericho declared to the Stormbreakers and Wolverines. “Do not squander what she’s given you.”

Suddenly, a cone of light illuminated the darkness. Somebody had gotten into the cockpit of the Niagara and fired up the spaceplane’s floodlights. Twin shafts of light projected from the nose and refracted millions of times by the intense rainfall, lighting up the whole area.

Jericho stared at the spaceplane for just a moment. So did Lawrence, and when he realized exactly who was in the cockpit, he could not help but laugh aloud. Ninu Dokunle, the tiny reptilian, had somehow managed to get aboard the ship. The bloody remains of his tail were still visible on the boarding ramp. Because he was sealed inside the spaceplane, it was not possible to hear what he was saying, but Lawrence could tell that Ninu was shouting and cursing at Jericho.

Once he finished his unheard cursing, Ninu vanished from the windscreen and the Niagara’s ventral turret swiveled to face Jericho. With a loud screeching noise, the Energy Cannon fired! Bright red plasma spheres shot through the rain towards Jericho. She raised one hand and swept aside the oncoming spheres, causing them to dissipate and vanish into the rain. Each time Jericho deflected a plasma sphere, her face contorted as though a wave of physical pain was shooting through her body. Moving swiftly, Jericho deflected five blasts from the Energy Cannon, then stepped backwards and vanished into a sheet of rain. She was gone.

Varian stumbled to his (or her) feet.

“Alright, who’s not dead? Everyone sound off!”

There was a general chorus of moans and groans all over the battlespace.

“Ninu!” Corder shouted from somewhere in the darkness. “You crazy lizard! Don’t ever change!”

Piper helped the Wolverines get back on their feet.

“What do we do now?”

Cetla lumbered to his feet, carrying Corder and Maui on his back.

“I think we should all go to Alpena together.” Cetla told the group. “They made a mistake letting us live. We can take advantage of that, but not in our current state. We need to rest and regroup.”

The battered group made their way back onto the Niagara and raised the boarding ramp. About an hour later, the rainstorm finally ended and the spaceplane thundered down the highway. Lurching into the sky, the Niagara turned north.

…

Inside the UN-controlled APC, Inez and Cassandra were being treated for their injuries. Or rather, Inez was being treated. Cassandra was simply resting. Both girls occupied medical stretchers in the middle of the passenger area, and several men were pressing wet, cold cloth onto Inez’s burns. She was in so much pain that she found it easy to ignore the fact that nearly all of the soldiers were quietly talking about how attractive she was, and how each of them wanted to sleep with her. To her genuine horror, she saw that UN agent Yassen Ackermann was there as well, his broken fingers wrapped up in bandages. Next to Yassen was his partner, Malachi, the Acolyte from the Cult of Jericho.

“Hey… you.” Inez groaned, trying to catch the attention of Yassen and Malachi. “Where are we going?”

Yassen jerked his free thumb at Cassandra, who was drinking water from a canteen.

“We have to take her back to Bannack.” Yassen replied. “Central will decide what to do with you when we get there.”

“Central?” Inez repeated.

She took a closer look at one of the soldiers, taking in his uniform. She spotted a few patches she had seen before, such as the Space Ranger tab, which showed this man was an elite warrior. Then she spotted a second patch, located on the soldier’s chest, just above his heart. It was the letter “X” with three stars above it.

Oh, no.

“Are… are you guys XCOM?” Inez dared to ask.

Nobody replied, but the answer was clear. Inez shuddered and lay back, allowing the burn treatments to continue working. Escape just became a whole lot less likely. Inez closed her eyes. She needed to rest, just for a moment.

…

About an hour later
Muskegon, Michigan

Inez was jolted awake by the APC suddenly stopping. Malachi tapped her on the shoulder and told her to get to her feet. Cassandra followed behind.

Inez, Cassandra, Yassen, Malachi, and four other UN soldiers dismounted from the APC while a small crew remained behind to operate the vehicle. As soon as her feet hit the ground, Inez picked up the smell of a beach and the refreshing winds of a lakeshore. Even though it was the middle of the night, the rainclouds had parted and allowed the Moon to illuminate the area.

“Oh!” Cassandra gasped. “Wow! Have you ever seen so much water before!?”

Inez looked behind her and her breath caught in her throat.

They were standing on the shores of Lake Michigan.

One of the five Great Lakes that makes up the region, Michigan is a vast body of water, so massive that when Inez stood on its eastern shore, she could not see the other side. In fact, she would not be able to see the far side of the lake even in the daytime. It was just too big. To her left and right, sandy dunes rose up dozens of feet. An Old World lighthouse stood tall on one of the sandy hills, its beacon destroyed long ago.

Yassen stepped away from the group and started talking into a radio.

“Central, this is Strike One. We’re back on track, but there were some hiccups. We’re going to miss our ETA and be late.”

A voice replied from the radio and Inez jumped with surprise. She recognized the voice on the other side of the radio! She could not name the person on the other end, but she was very certain she knew who it was.

“Understood Strike One. We’ll keep the fires lit for you guys. What’s your casualty count?”

“We lost the Skyranger.” Yassen replied. “Plus two soldiers are KIA.”

“How are you getting back to Bannack without a Skyranger?” Asked the voice of Central.

“We’ve got some help.” Yassen said. “She is here with us.”

“Praise be.” Replied Central. “We’ll see you soon, Strike One. Central out.”

Malachi tapped Inez on the shoulder.

“On your knees.” He said.

“What!?” Inez cried out. To her left, a soldier was forcing Cassandra onto her knees.

Inez panicked instantly. Two or three hundred nightmare scenarios went through Inez’s mind right away. Obviously, the first thing Inez thought was that she and Cassandra were about to be murdered. Then she was afraid of being assaulted or worse. But all of her assumptions were thrown out the window just a few seconds later when she looked around and saw that all of the soldiers were also kneeling down, their hands clasped as in prayer.

“What the hell!?” Inez gasped.

Malachi quickly reached up and grabbed Inez’s shoulder. He told her to be quiet in a very stern voice. For a few moments, there was only the sound of waves crashing against the shoreline. Then Malachi started to sing.

It was not a song in the conventional sense… Malachi was chanting very slowly in a deep baritone voice. His voice reverberated across the beach and off the clouds. Malachi repeated his deep chant two more times, and then fell silent.

Inez felt the atmosphere change around her, the shifting of the mood.

Jericho had arrived.

Inez did not see exactly where she appeared. Jericho was just suddenly on the scene. Her robes, cape, and long white hair were caught in the wind and billowed about like sails. The Savior looked around the group of kneeling soldiers for a moment and then turned to face the west.

Jericho looked out towards the thundering black waters of Lake Michigan. She raised her right arm, pointing into the distance. On Jericho’s wrist was a gold band, set with a blue gemstone. As Jericho raised her arm, this blue stone emitted a gentle light. A large ring, made of light, materialized in front of Jericho. It was divided into segments with lines, and each segment had a strange symbol inside of it. Jericho hovered her finger in front of one of those symbols, moving in exactly the same way Inez would interact with a hologram.

The symbol Jericho selected glowed with incredible brightness. The circle vanished, followed by the markings it contained. There was a pause, followed by one of the loudest noises Inez had ever heard in her life.

A roar like a rocket engine rumbled across the lake, causing the beach to shake so intensely that sand flew into the air. Inez felt the whole world vibrating beneath her and her eardrums rattled painfully. The noise was so overwhelming that Inez wondered if the beach was about to split in half. Well... the land did not split.

The lake did.

With a great heave and deep rumble, Lake Michigan split open! Moving with unnatural speed and force, water raced north and south, opening a corridor of dry ground on the lakebed. About twenty feet wide, a path across the lakebed suddenly opened up, reaching out toward the horizon, where the lake continued to open like a zipper in the distance. On each side of the corridor was a raging wall of water, as though Jericho had managed to stop a tidal wave from moving forward or backward.

The soldiers got to their feet and started cheering.

“Praise Jericho!” Malachi yelled. “Praise the Savior!”

Jericho looked back at the group and waved her arm. With some alarm, Inez noticed that Jericho’s face was strained, and that her hand was shaking a little.

“It’s time to go.” Jericho called to the group.

And to Inez’s genuine surprise, the soldiers and the APC started moving into the watery canyon. Inez and Cassandra were made to stand up and start walking. Jericho went first, and the soldiers followed. Inez and Cassandra went after them and the APC brought up the rear.

As soon as they all stepped between the walls of water, it got dark. Darker still than the pitch darkness all around. The sandy trail sloped downward, following the contours of the lakebed. Inez knew the Great Lakes were deep, but she did not appreciate how deep until she and the others had walked all the way to the bottom of Lake Michigan. Cassandra, frightened of the dark and noisy surroundings, jumped on top of the APC and stayed there. Inez did not blame her. She kept getting the sensation that there were massive fish just on the other side of the water wall. Also, the trip was almost entirely downhill for the longest time. After an hour and a half of walking along the path Jericho carved through the lake, Inez looked back and realized she had left a mountain behind her.

They were near the middle of Lake Michigan.

In front and behind, the ground rose hundreds of feet and out of sight. On each side, a wall of water rose up, imposing and terrifying. The APC had turned on all of its lights, but this only made the noisy darkness press into Inez even harder. She did not see a shipwreck until she almost walked headlong into it. The APC followed Jericho into a hole in the ship’s hull, crushing the ancient metal to clear a path for the others to follow.

There were two more shipwrecks and a gigantic skeleton on the lakebed. Inez really did not want to know what the bones used to be and ran ahead of the group. Right as she reached Jericho, the ground started to slope uphill for the first time.

“Don’t be afraid.” Malachi shouted over the raging wall of water. “We’re almost to the other side.”

The uphill journey seemed to take longer than the downhill one. Inez could only walk for about half an hour before she too jumped onto the APC, which was lumbering along as best it could in the sandy lakebed. After about two hours, everybody except Jericho was on the APC. Cassandra was crying.

“Are we ever going to get out of here?” Cassandra asked. “Are we going to be down here forever and ever?”

“I think we’re going to get out soon.” Inez reassured her. “Look, there’s daylight!”

Inez pointed up. High up, the red light of the morning was just barely visible. It was a red line streaking through the middle of the sky, between the walls of water.

…

March 5, 2086
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

A small number of people still lived on the western shore of Lake Michigan. They were descendants of scattered survivors and resistance groups from the days of the Second Hyperspace War. Ever since the day when Jericho vanquished the Beast, little to nothing of interest had happened in this part of the world.

But on the morning of March 5th, anybody who was looking towards the sunrise from the shattered wreckage of Milwaukee would have seen something truly wondrous.

The lake suddenly opened with a great crash, sending water flying in white clouds. A narrow corridor opened up as the water separated. In the early morning sunlight, it was very easy to see what emerged. Jericho stepped out of the pathway and up onto the beach. Once the APC and its passengers were clear of the lakeshore, Jericho turned back to the lake.

Parting the lake for so long had clearly taken a toll on Jericho. She was pale and her face screwed up in a pained scowl. With one sweep of the hand, the two halves of the lake came crashing towards one another. The parting closed and a cataclysmic crash of water sprayed up into the sky. Like a sudden rainstorm, lakewater thundered down onto the APC. When the spray cleared, Jericho was gone again.

…

March 6, 2086
Bannack, Montana

Nobody had lived in the town of Bannack for over a century, but this didn’t stop the area from being busy. The UN military base was buried underground, with only two facilities out in the open: a starship landing port on a nearby hilltop and a radar tower, concealed inside of a church steeple.

Normally, the starship port was tended to by a skeleton crew, but today was not going to be a normal day. Nearly four dozen people were standing in the grassy field just beyond the landing area. Scientists, engineers, officials, and soldiers were all milling about in nervous apprehension.

Then a noise broke up the sleepy Montana atmosphere. Three spacecraft descended through the morning haze, a Skyranger and two UN starfighters. The fighters, sleek and shiny, looked like flying blades. The Skyranger itself was a VTOL aircraft with a wide belly for transporting cargo or passengers. The starfighters flew in circles above the landing area while the Skyranger extended its legs and made a pinpoint touchdown in the center of the starport.

The Skyranger dropped its boarding ramp and several people disembarked. One of them was carrying a blue flag emblazoned with the insignia of the United Nations military. He was doing his best to keep the flag as close as possible to a Malagasy woman with curly black hair.

The Commander of Bannack Base ran forward and greeted the new arrivals.

“Welcome to Bannack, Admiral Tsiajotso. Even a surprise visit is a welcome one.”

Ingrid Tsiajotso was a woman in her late middle ages. She wore a military uniform adorned with many medals and ribbons. The words “United Nations” shone proudly on her chest, and on her shoulder was a patch representing the UN member-state she called home, Madagascar. The ribbons on her chest denoted Admiral Tsiajotso’s place in the military hierarchy: She was the Supreme Commander of all Human forces.

“You many dispense with the pleasantries, Commander. We’re here to put you back on schedule.”

The Bannack Commander balked at the Admiral’s harsh words.

“Admiral,” he stammered. “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, we’re working as fast as we can, given the circumstances. The prototype Prometheus Engine will be ready on time.”

Admiral Tsiajotso angrily pointed her finger into the Commander’s face. Every member of the base staff behind him quailed.

“The Secretary-General is losing faith in your capabilities, Commander. Public optimism without public result will be your downfall.”

The Commander leaned in towards the Admiral and whispered:

“Ma’am, the Secretary-General doesn’t appreciate the situation on the ground here. We can’t complete the engine without a catalyst, and the one we have on-site won’t be stable enough to use for at least a year. If your people can’t get our missing catalyst back, then we’re going to need a new one.”

Admiral Tsiajotso took a deep breath. She was trying to stop herself from losing her temper.

“Fine, then. Make your request to the Sec-Gen when he gets here.”

This time, the Commander took a noticeable step back.

“He... He’s coming here?” The Commander gasped.

“Correct.” Tsiajotso growled. “And I have been dutifully keeping him appraised of your failure to make progress. The Secretary-General, the Commander of XCOM, and myself will all be gathering here to discuss your failure and how best to rectify it.”

The Commander regained his composure and straightened up.

“We shall redouble our efforts, Admiral.”

“I hope so. For your own sake.” Admiral Tsiajotso replied.

Then she turned and began walking towards the entrance to Bannack Base, followed by her entourage of assistants, secretaries, and bodyguards. The staff of the base looked at their commander with terror in their eyes.

<=== Chapter 7: Emerald Avatar

Chapter 9: Prometheus ===>

Macavity116 · Feb 5, 2022

<=== Chapter 8: The Parting of Lake Michigan

Chapter 10: Back to the Drawing Board ===>

Chapter 9
Prometheus

March 6, 2086
Bannack, Montana

Perhaps if the circumstances were different, Inez would have viewed her return to Bannack in a better way. She did feel a twinge of nostalgia when she looked out of the APC and spotted the great mountain ranges of western Montana. Above her, the Big Sky seemed to stretch on forever and ever. Even the air seemed to have a different quality than Michigan: dry and cool.

The APC splashed and forded its way across the Beaverhead River, and soon reached Grasshopper Creek beyond. The narrow waterway snaked into a valley between three small mountains that were covered in grass and shrubs. At the bottom of the valley, Inez spotted the familiar smattering of old wood and brick structures that used to be the town of Bannack. She also recognized the landing pad for spacecraft, carved into a hillside.

Once the APC reached the familiar entrance to Bannack Base, Inez and Cassandra were made to get off the vehicle and march inside. To Inez’s surprise, the stairway and elevator had not changed much in her five-year absence. Keycards were still needed to go anywhere in this place, and armed security guards were still everywhere. Inez held onto Cassandra’s shoulder for the whole elevator ride while the UN soldiers spoke into their radios. Inez got the general idea that the soldiers were planning to hand Inez and Cassandra over to their superiors.

Keeping her eye on the digital screen, Inez tried to remember the elevator layout in Bannack Base. She knew the underground facility had eight levels, and Inez spent the first sixteen years of her life on levels one, two, and three, which were located near the surface. But they had been on the elevator way too long. The little indicator went past level three and came to a halt on level four. As the sliding doors opened once more, a serene computerized voice said:

“Level four – Hospital, Gene Therapy Clinic, and other medical services.”

A small mob of men and women dressed in medical scrubs were waiting for Inez and Cassandra. The moment the doors opened, both girls were ushered into the hands of the waiting medical professionals. Questions fell on them like rain:

“Are you hurt? Do you fell ill?”

“When was the last time you ate? Did you sleep on the way here?”

Inez felt a prick on her arm and looked down just in time to see somebody drawing her blood and taking the sample away. At the same moment, a nurse lowered herself to Cassandra’s level and asked her to breathe into a plastic mask, which was attached to a bottle of some unknown gas.

“Wait, Cassandra!” Inez gasped, but it was too late.

Cassandra took one breath of whatever was in the bottle and her eyes rolled up. She was unconscious before she fell backwards into the waiting arms of a surgeon. Inez cried out, but a moment later, it was her turn. Someone held the gas mask to Inez’s face without asking, and a sweet, delicious odor hit her nostrils. The world spun, sounds were muted, and a moment later, Inez fell into silence and shadow…

…

Inez slept for almost twenty-four hours.

…

When she woke up, she was lying in a hospital bed. The room around her was large enough for a second bed, yet there was none. Instead, someone had placed a folding table next to Inez’s bed and laid out fresh clothes on it. Folding chairs were stacked against the wall. Puzzled, Inez threw back the sheets and tried to get out of bed. A sudden burst of cold air frightened her so much that she made a yelping noise. Looking down, Inez discovered that someone had undressed her while she was asleep.

This was, by no means, the first time Inez had woken up naked in a strange bed. However, it was still an unpleasant and unwelcome experience. Realizing she had no choice, Inez quickly made her way over to the table and pulled on the outfit clearly left for her: a crew neck sweater and long pants. Inez felt very uncomfortable; she did not normally wear conservative outfits like this. She generally preferred clothing with a little more sex appeal or at the very least a low neckline. However, this was better than nothing.

Looking back down at the table, Inez saw something she had missed. Underneath the pile of clothing was a plastic card attached to a clip. On the card were the words:

MARIA MADELENA ESPINOSA
GUEST

Inez grumbled angrily. She hated her first name and almost never used it. With reluctance, she took the ID tag and attached it to the front of her sweater.

Fully dressed, Inez looked around her surroundings. Of course, she was four stories underground, so there were no windows. Aside from that, this place seemed to be a standard recovery room. Inez had spent time in one just like this during her last visit to the Gene Therapy Clinic in Grosse Point. Realizing this, she quickly patted down her own body, checking for any signs of recent surgery.

As far as she could tell, she was unharmed, aside from the momentary prick to draw blood right at the beginning. Cautiously, Inez approached the intercom panel on the wall. There was only one button next to the speaker. The label said: “Call”.

Inez pressed the call button and waited until someone’s voice issued from the speaker:

“Good morning, Miss Espinosa. We’re glad to know you’re awake. Please stay in your room. Someone will be there to see you shortly.”

So, she had to wait. Fine.

Inez started to pace the room, thinking hard about everything that had happened so far. This was, without question, the most insane week of her life. Her estranged father had re-entered her life, bringing Cassandra and the news of her mother’s death. UN soldiers smashed their way into Opal’s house trying to recapture Emanuel and Cassandra, then Inez took the girl and fled across Michigan, meeting Wolverines and Stormbreakers along the way. And then Jericho had appeared!

Inez paused in her tracks and swooned. The full reality of the past few days started rolling over her. She had met Jericho! The Beastslayer, woman who became a god! Inez pinched her arm to make sure she wasn’t dreaming, then searched her memories, desperately wondering if she’d been lucky enough to actually touch Jericho.

But of course, that train of thought eventually took Inez back to the crucial moment in that wrecked library, back to the final message from her father.

The UN had taken Cassandra.

Inez had failed.

Before Inez could get too lost in her thoughts, the door opened and two androids entered the room. Inez had seen androids before; they were usually employed alongside dockworkers in Detroit. The two machines were pushing a cart full of food, dishes, and silverware. Without saying a word to Inez, they started setting up a brunch on the folding table in the middle of the room. Sausages, pancakes, toast, eggs, ham, hash browns, and other delicious smelling breakfast foods were served with orange juice and coffee.

Inez tried to get their attention, speaking softly because she thought the intercom was still live.

“Uh… Can you help me?” Inez said. “I… I think I need help. There’s a girl named Cassandra. She’s been taken… kidnapped, I think. Hey, wait!”

Without saying a word, both androids finished setting the table and left.

Inez stamped her feet, frustrated. After that reception, she was suddenly through with waiting around. It was time to get some answers. She advanced on the door, intending to leave and chase down the two machines before they could get too far.

This plan didn’t work. Before Inez could take two steps toward the exit, the door opened again and two different men entered. The first was a tall man with gaunt features and a shiny bald head. Inez thought he looked kind of like a vulture. The other man was younger, but still significantly older than Inez. He had more pleasant features, like a dimpled smile and wavy black hair, Inez felt her heart flutter at the sight of the younger man. He was very attractive. The older man wore a military uniform and his younger counterpart was dressed in a business suit.

The older man, who had a bunch of ribbons and badges on his uniform, raised his arm and gently guided Inez back towards the dining table. As he did so, he spoke in a slight German accent.

“Ah, so this is the lovely Maria Madelena. Welcome, please be seated.”

Inez bristled at the unwelcome use of her first name and reluctantly allowed the old officer to guide her to the table. The attractive buisnessman pulled out a chair for her and the three of them took their places. Inez briefly noticed that the table was set for four, then she turned her attention to the men. They were acting as though this was a perfectly normal thing to be doing on a weekday morning, unfolding napkins and adjusting their outfits as casually as can be. The buisnessman muttered a short word of greeting to Inez. Losing her nerve, Inez slammed her fists on the table and launched into a tirade.

“Where’s Cassandra!?” She demanded. “What the hell did you do to her? And just who are you people, anyway!?”

Inez was huffing and puffing, the rising sense of anger replenished her strength. Both of the visitors stared at her, remaining poker-faced. The old officer picked up a fork and calmly sampled the hash browns.

“Of course, I beg your pardon.” He said. “We should have introduced ourselves at the door. The gentlemen here is Indy Hutch, CEO of Pactical Industries. I am Klaus Eberhardt, Commander of XCOM, a branch of the UN military.”

At this, Inez actually stood up from the table, her voice rising.

“So you’re the ones who ordered those goons to smash up my friend’s house and chase Cassandra and me across the Lower Peninsula!? You think you can get away with that!?”

Before either man could reply, the door swung open again. A woman entered the room, and she brought with her a noticeable change in the atmosphere. She was a Caucasian in her middle ages, with straight black hair and blue eyes. She was dressed in a formal business suit. Inez felt a chill. This woman seemed to exude power. She could make things happen, that was certain. Both of the soldiers stood up from the table in a sign of respect. Indy Hutch addressed the new arrival:

“You sure seem to like meeting in the most unorthodox of places, Director Freeman. Shall we get started?”

Everyone took their seats, but Inez remained where she was. At Indy’s words, the bottom seemed to have fallen out of Inez’s stomach. She was frozen in shock, surprise, and a small slurry of other confused emotions.

“Wait, what?” Inez stammered. “What did you say?”

The woman took a swig of coffee before looking at Inez. She locked eyes with her for a moment before speaking.

“Inez.”

Just the single word caused Inez’s resolve to collapse. She slowly sank back into her chair, staring at the Director in stunned silence. This person was no random stranger.

This was Scarlett Freeman, Inez’s mother. And she was clearly, plainly, obviously…

Not.

Dead.

“We might as well eat.” Commander Eberhardt said. “We have a long itinerary for this afternoon.”

Inez didn’t really look at what she was eating. This was the first time she had seen her mother in five years. Scarlett Freeman didn’t touch her meal. She was looking at Inez, taking in her daughter’s face and allowing Inez to do the same.

“I heard about what happened in Novi.” Scarlett spoke. “None of this would have happened if your father hadn’t been so stubborn. He’s the reason why things got out of control so quickly.”

Commander Eberhardt chimed in.

“Reclamation agents have visited your friend Opal and her family. Their house will be repaired and the Anward family will be compensated for the damages. Please consider all to be well.”

“There’s been quite a lot of mistakes and misunderstandings over the past few days.” Scarlett went on. “But I’m so happy you’re here now, Inez. It was good of you to come.”

At this, Inez choked on her food and slammed the table again, gasping:

“Well, it’s not like I had a choice!”

Scarlett shook her head.

“I was planning to bring you back here anyway, regardless of what actually happened.” Scarlett clarified. “I wanted you to see what I’ve done... show you my work.”

“Your... work?” Inez asked.

“Yes.” Scarlett folded her napkin and placed it back on the table. “And ask you to join me.”

Scarlett stood up.

“Inez. Come with me.”

The Director started moving towards the door, leaving her daughter dazed for a moment. Inez was spurred back into action by an outburst from Commander Eberhardt:

“Director! Wait, the itinerary! We still have things to discuss!”

Inez scrambled to her feet and followed Scarlett into the hallway. Her brain was overloaded with questions and demands. The hospital corridor was very active as nurses and workers bustled about with machines and patients, but Inez was able to keep up with her mother. Everybody in this place seemed to stop whatever they were doing and parted to let Scarlett pass. They all feared her. Finally, one of the many questions tumbling about in Inez’s mind came crashing out of her mouth.

“Mom... what’s happening? What’s going on? First dad said you were dead, and then UN guys came chasing after me and Cassandra. And where is Cassandra anyway?”

Scarlett placed a hand on Inez’s shoulder and gently guided her around a corner and into another hallway. As they walked, the Director spoke:

“Your father and I were investigating the destruction of Psionic energy after the Second Hyperspace War.” Scarlett began. “We wanted to understand why all of the Gifted people lost their powers after Jericho did... well, what she did. We started searching the Galaxy for any Psionic energy that might have survived Jericho’s purge. We had reason to believe there was some left. Ten years ago, we found it: the last surviving Psionic energy in existence.”

The pair came to the central elevator. Inez followed her mother inside and watched as Scarlett pushed the button labeled “Level 8”. Inez shuddered. For her entire life, the eighth level, at the very bottom of the facility, was forbidden. She was never allowed to go there, and didn’t know anyone who was. The doors closed and as the elevator started to descend, Scarlett continued.

“We found an Aetherium crystal in a cave on the planet Partoga. It formed around the body of a Partogan who died there, and their Gift was trapped inside the crystal lattice with their body. We took the crystal and brought it here.”

Inez’s brain seemed to have jammed. She was struggling to remember a news story she had seen on television several years ago. Hadn’t the Partogans found the body of their legendary Queen, Whetu Kealoha, frozen inside of a crystal? And wasn’t that crystal stolen from the Partogans in a brazen attack on the starship carrying it?

The elevator doors opened up as the computerized voice announced the arrival on level eight. Inez dropped her jaw at the sight laid out before her. She and Scarlett arrived on an observation platform, looking down at... well. Inez didn’t quite know how to describe it. A gargantuan machine, roughly the size of a football field, was laid out on the floor of a cavern beneath the base. Pipes and electrical cables of varying size and shape snaked outward from a central core, where a transparent cylinder was filled with a greenish-yellow liquid. Suspended in the tube, Inez could see a long thin object that seemed to shimmer with an unnatural light. Long, thin, and vaguely Human-shaped.

“About four months ago, our studies paid off.” Scarlett continued. “Using this device, we were able to extract Psionic energy from the Aetherium, store it, and then use it at a time of our choosing.”

Inez wasn’t really listening. She was gawking at the stadium-sized machinery below. She was fascinated by capacitors the size of houses, computers bigger than herself, and what appeared to be a circuit board, hundreds of yards long, underneath all of this instead of a floor. Scientists and engineers patrolled the periphery, tapping away at tablet computers and observing their massive creation as it worked.

“Is... Is that a person in there?” Inez breathed, pointing at the core.

Scarlett nodded.

“Five hundred years ago, she would have been called Whetu Kealoha. She had a powerful Gift, and now her Gift has been harnessed by our greatest creation: the Prometheus Engine.”

“Prometheus?” Inez repeated.

"The bringer of fire who defied the gods.” Scarlett replied. “Imagine Jericho was a man, and you would have Prometheus. The engine, which bears his name, is a prototype. It not only extracts Psionic energy from a source, but amplifies it as well. Theoretically, with a powerful enough source, we could regenerate all of the Psionic energy Humanity lost during the War in Heaven fifty years ago.”

Inez was left wordless as her mother opened a side door and exited the observation platform. On the other side of the door was a staircase that led down to the Prometheus Prototype.

“Psionics were the key to our triumph that day.” Scarlett said as her daughter followed behind, open-mouthed. “The Second Hyperspace War may be far behind us now, but the Galaxy remains dark and full of dangers. Aliens continue to conspire and build up their strength. Dangerous xenos like Marka Ranginui, Lavir Pactu, and Degra Kessick grow stronger every day.”

Inez knew those names. Marka, Lavir and Degra were some of the most powerful political leaders in the Galaxy. They were all aliens: a Partogan, a Hiigaran, and a Kelt respectively.

“But just like us, they lack the Gift. Jericho extinguished the true power of the mind for the entire Galaxy, not just us. But look at this engine, Inez. Look at what we’ve built! With this engine, the Gift can be restored to Humanity. We will unlock the deepest secrets of the mind, and restore the power of Psionics to the only species worthy of it. The possibilities will be limitless.”

Scarlett and Inez stepped up and onto the floor of the Prometheus Prototype. Inez could feel the immense currents of power surging through it beneath her feet. They stopped in front of the core. Now that they were right in front of it, Inez could appreciate what she was looking at.

Attached to many cables, a large Aetherium crystal was suspended in a vat of liquid Elerium. Inez’s breath caught in her throat as she finally got a good look at the person sealed up inside of the crystal.

Whetu Kealoha was almost perfectly preserved inside of her crystalline grave. Like all Partogans, she had brown skin and silvery-white hair, which was splayed out in all directions as though she was underwater. The only clothing Whetu wore was a hand-woven skirt made out of flax and a cloak made from exotic bird feathers. Whetu’s eyes were closed, and if Inez didn’t know otherwise, she would have assumed the ancient Queen was simply asleep and not long dead.

“For the past fifty years, the Galaxy has been hurtling towards a Cold War on a grand scale.” Scarlett said. “The Partogans and their allies against the Hiigarans and theirs. At stake are the Progenitor Hyperspace Cores which allow one to travel anywhere in the Galaxy in an instant... but such incredible technology will be insignificant next to the power of the Gift. With this engine, Humanity will never again have to experience the nightmare we went through under alien occupation. We will stand apart from the xenos... and above them all.”

Scarlett put one hand on the Elerium cylinder and sighed.

“The project is close to the end now. It’s almost complete. If it wasn’t for your father, we’d have finished by now.”

“What happened?” Inez asked. “Why isn’t dad here? Why’s he on the run?”

“We had a parting of the ways.” Scarlett replied. “I can’t go into it now. You’ll understand later.”

Scarlett looked her daughter in the eye.

“Since the dawn of history, there have been tales of sorcerers and soothsayers. Magic and clairvoyance have had places in our mythology for just as long. There were stories of men and woman who could supposedly invade the minds of others, lift heavy objects with merely a thought, or perform any number of ‘magical’ feats. But until 1962 they were just that, stories. Then William Carter happened, and after that, Pandora’s Box was open. Humans started finding the Gift within themselves. Myron Faulke, Max Caulfield, Ignatius Petoskey, Daniel Diaz, Duane Gardner, Laura Harper, Alex Chen... and they were all before Jericho.”

Scarlett looked down at her own outfit and fiddled with an XCOM badge pinned to her collar.

“That was what attracted the Elders to us.” Scarlett continued. “ADVENT wanted us for our psionic potential, because they knew what Humanity was capable of. Now Earth is in danger again, and if we’re going to stand any chance against whatever the Galaxy’s going to throw at us next, we need to get that capability back. I need you to help me, Inez. You will, won’t you?”

Inez was hanging on her mother’s every word, but the appeal roused her.

“Wait a minute, aren’t you the one who sent me away?” Inez said. “Why do you want me to help now, and what would I even do?”

Scarlett seemed to deflate. For the first time, some of her confidence was lost. Scarlett looked at the floor.

“You’re right, Inez. I was the one who sent you to Detroit, not your father. But since then I’ve come to realize that was a horrible mistake, and one of the worst things I could have done. I apologize, Inez. A thousand times over. In fact, that should have been the first thing I said to you. I would have done that if I got my way and brought you here on my own time.”

The two women looked at the floor. After a moment, Inez said:

“What about Cassandra? What happened to her?”

“You’ll get to see her soon.” Scarlett replied. “Sooner if you agree to help.”

Inez balled up her fists. She could see that she had no choice.

“Okay, fine. What would you even have me do? I mean, you know what I do for a living, right? I’m an entertainer, not an engineer. I don’t even understand how you got this thing in here, let alone how to work it.”

Scarlett laughed.

“No, no. I don’t need any more people to work the machine. And as your mother, I am fully aware of what you did for money and I have my own thoughts about that… You see, I was actually hoping to get you into the family business. I want you to join my agency, Inez. I want you to be an ISO Operative.”

...

Meanwhile, seven stories above, Indy Hutch was storming out of the base in a huff. XCOM Commander Eberhardt tried to stop him from leaving, but Hutch was in no mood to talk and continued pressing on toward the starship landing area.

“I’ve never been treated so shamefully by a UN official!” Hutch was saying. “Did Freeman even know about our appointment today!?”

“I’m sure she did.” Commander Eberhardt replied. “But you must understand the kind of work she does. Spymasters work on their own schedules!”

“Enough.” Hutch said. “I’ll come back some other time, when the UN actually cares about who they buy their weapons from.”

Indy Hutch made his way up to the exit and soon found himself outside of the base. A few personnel kept watch as he stood on the landing platform and used his personal communicator to call for an early departure. About half an hour later, his personal star yacht glided to a landing. Commander Eberhardt kept begging for Hutch to stay right up until the moment when Hutch walked up the boarding ramp and entered his starship. Hutch paused in the entryway and shouted at the pilot to take off, then he sat down in the lounge. Out the window, Bannack Base shrank into the distance and soon vanished from view.

Finally, Indy Hutch turned to acknowledge the other person in the lounge. It was a young man in his early twenties. He wore a UN Army uniform and had a laser rifle across his lap. Hutch reached into his pocket and pulled out a small tablet computer. On the screen were the following words:

“Homing Signal acquired – Tracking target”

Hutch passed the computer to the soldier and said:

“I’ve done what you asked, alright? Now take me home.”

The soldier looked over the screen, tapped a few prompts with his thumb, and then looked satisfied.

“Very well.” he said. “Give me your arm.”

Hutch tried to protest.

“Aw, come on, man! You don’t need to do that! I don’t know who any of you people are, I can’t ID you, and you already got the security tapes in my ship. I can’t finger you, come on!”

“We don’t take chances.” The UN soldier replied.

Reluctantly, Hutch extended his left arm. The soldier produced a syringe and injected a clear fluid into the executive’s wrist. It took about a minute for the drugs to take effect. Then Indy Hutch slumped forward, slowly falling into a drug-induced sleep. As soon as he was sure Hutch was unconscious, the UN soldier pulled a two-way radio from his belt and spoke into it. When the UN soldier spoke, he relaxed, allowing his voice to shift back to the way it naturally sounded, which was so androgynous that it was no longer possible to tell if the soldier was male or female.

“Uplink, this is Aeneas. The tracker is live and we’ve got a lock on Inez. Grace and I are going to drop the Pactical guy off at his house and meet you at the rendezvous point.”

“Good work, Aeneas,” replied the voice of Maui Ririnui. “The Wolverines are going to meet us in Alpena.”

Up in the cockpit, Corder Leang could hear the conversation between Varian Robinson and Maui Ririnui. At their words, she tweaked the control column to adjust her course. The star yacht put its nose down and started descending towards its new destination.

<=== Chapter 9: The Parting of Lake Michigan

Chapter 10: Back to the Drawing Board ===>

Macavity116 · Feb 11, 2022

Hi everyone! I won't be able to post a chapter tomorrow, so it's going up today!

Also, I want to precede this chapter with two short announcements:

First: You have only two short weeks left to cast your ballots in The 2021 Yearly AARland Year-end AwAARds! This is your chance to highlight your favorite AARs and writAARs for the whole community to see!

Second: Since this is the final installment in the Stormbreaker Universe, (woah, Déjà vu!) I've been looking for ways to have fun with the story on the way out, and now I've found one:

There are so many incredible tales to be found here in AARland, I've read dozens of them since I joined this community in 2019 and now I want to pay homage to my favorites. So I'd like to announce my plans to start including cameos and references to these stories within my own. Starting two weeks from now and continuing on to the conclusion of The Last Heroes, you can expect to see references to other AARs sneaking their way into this one. I'm also planning to ask a few of my fellow writAARs for permission to include specific characters from their own stories in this one.

I'm planning for this story to end with a "Gondor Calls for Aid/Everyone Joins the Party" type of finale, so there's plenty of room for a few "visiting characters" so to speak.

I have already gotten permission from @Chilango2 to bring the musically-inclined Saiiban Confederacy into this story, and you can look forward to seeing a reference to Songs of the Saiiban just two weeks from now, in Chapter 12: We're Hunting Monsters Tonight.

<=== Chapter 9: Prometheus

Chapter 11: The Inner Circle ===>

Chapter 10
Back to the Drawing Board

March 9, 2086
Alpena, Michigan

Lawrence Ridge, Cera Roberts, Jay Lansing, and Piper Russell were all native Michiganders. They were quite comfortable living in small isolated settlements hidden away in the wilderness. Sleeping in log cabins, clearing a path through the snow, and hunting deer in the forest came naturally to all four of them.

This time of year, the dense pine forests were still covered in snow and ice, and travelling from one place to another was a difficult chore. But the four Wolverines were getting cabin fever. They had been here for three days already and mostly recovered from the injuries they took earlier. Putting on heavy coats and boots, they trudged away from the safehouse and into town. They didn’t go alone. Two of the Stormbreakers were with them as well. Maui Ririnui and Kingi were both warm-blooded, and thus able to handle the cold. Cetla and Ninu were reptiles, and thus unable to survive in this kind of weather. They stayed in the Wolverine’s safehouse, under the care of the other men who lived there.

The town of Alpena was located on the shores of Thunder Bay, which led into Lake Huron. Right now, the bay was frozen solid, but if one looked far enough to the south, they could see the early warning signs of melting ice. Winter was almost over. Alpena itself was a very small town, home to about five thousand Humans and some one hundred aliens. Since the United Nations had no presence here, the locals were very open about their loyalty to the old United States government. The American flag flew proudly from homes and businesses: the banner featured thirteen red and white stripes running from left to right, and in one corner, there was a blue field with fifty-one stars arranged in a circle.

Huffing and puffing in the cold, the Wolverines, Kingi, and Maui made their way to the marina, right on the water’s edge. No boats were moving today. Instead, hundreds of people were out on the frozen bay, ice fishing. Using augers, they drilled through the frozen water and set fishing line into the hole. Then the anglers would retreat into portable shelters, waiting for a hapless fish to take the bait. At the marina, some merchants and traders braved the cold to sell their goods. The group made their way over to them; eager for something to eat that was not local game animals.

None of the locals paid any attention to Maui or Kingi. Alpena’s alien population was small, but just varied enough for the two of them to blend in. They quickly ran to a stand that was selling fresh vegetables. Cetla was an herbivore, and needed a constant supply of green leaves to eat. It would be easier to find food for Ninu. Firstly because he was small and did not eat much, and secondly because Ninu’s diet consisted mostly of insects and the occasional fruit. Their arms laden with shopping bags, Kingi and Maui went to rejoin their companions. They spotted Piper standing outside of a bakery and asked why she was waiting out in the cold. Piper jabbed her thumb towards the shop and said:

“They won’t let me in.”

Dumbfounded, Maui tapped his smart glasses and quickly scanned the store. Sure enough, he could detect a Human on the other side of the front door. They were staring through a gap in the blinds directly at Piper.

“What’s that guy got against you?” Maui asked.

“Same as everyone else.” Piper grunted. “Haven’t you been looking around?”

Kingi turned to look over the rest of the marina. Now that Piper said something, he noticed an odd thing going on. Humans and aliens alike were taking notice of Piper and were intentionally keeping their distance from her. Many people gave the Wolverine suspicious glances, and when a local police officer walked by, he kept his eyes locked on Piper and placed one hand on his holster as if to say “Give me an excuse, I dare you.”

Behind Kingi, the door to the shop opened up and a man emerged. He pointed at Piper and barked at her in a loud voice:

“Hey you! Chink! Get the hell off our porch; you’re scaring away the customers!”

Maui and Kingi had no idea what the word “chink” meant, but they could tell it was really awful because of the way Piper reacted:

“Buzz the hell off, roundeye!” She snapped. “I’ll leave when my friends come out!”

The shopkeeper pulled back the flap of his coat to reveal a weapon holstered just under his arm.

“You wanna eat some metal, slant?” He growled. “Beat it.”

Piper started to reach for her laser pistol, but Maui stepped between her and the shopkeep.

“Hey, man. She’s with us!” Maui tried to sound threatening, but he almost never did this sort of thing, so his voice cracked uncomfortably. “We don’t want any trouble.”

Next to him, Kingi opened up his trenchcoat to reveal his plasma rifle. But before the standoff could escalate further, the door opened again and Jay, Lawrence, and Cera emerged. The trio stopped in their tracks and Jay quickly spoke to the shopkeeper.

“Lewis, I told you to leave her alone!”

Shopkeeper Lewis directed his anger towards Jay now.

“Dude, you know what she is, right? How do you know she’s not… you know…”

Jay didn’t give Lewis a chance to finish. He already knew what the accusation was going to be.

“Dude, she’s not the Paradox! Knock it off!”

…

The walk back to the safehouse was an uncomfortable one, and not at all because of the cold. Maui kept looking from Piper to the other Wolverines and back again. With only the sound of crunching snow beneath their feet to focus on, Maui let his mind wander. He remembered the powerful hostility between Piper and her comrades, with emphasis on Lawrence. He decided that he needed to know more.

“Could you tell me why that happened?” Maui asked. “Why those Humans had an issue with Piper?”

The four Wolverines looked at one another uncomfortably, not sure who should answer. Finally, Piper did.

“It’s not just me.” Piper explained. “It’s pretty much all Asian women. Humans who look like me have got it bad all over.”

“The Paradox screwed it up for everyone.” Lawrence grumbled. “Not just on Earth, but before the storm, when you could travel all over the Galaxy, Asian women were getting harassed everywhere just for looking like Akira.”

“Everyone thinks I’m gonna bodysnatch them and brainwash their babies.” Piper was so angry that steam could have risen from her head. “I’ve heard of some women getting attacked in the street just because someone mistook them for the Paradox. And if that ever happens to me…”

Piper drew her laser pistol and aimed into the forest. There was a click, a hissing sound, and a nearby pine tree erupted into flames. The group paused to watch the tree burn. With a great crashing noise, the flaming pine keeled over and collapsed into a snowbank, leaving a curling trail of black smoke.

…

The Wolverine’s safehouse was located in the wilderness about four miles away from Alpena. There was a road leading to the place but it was unusable in wintertime. Jay, Cera, Piper, Lawrence, Maui, and Kingi approached the safehouse on foot and found it nestled deep within the forest.

A century ago, this place would have been a hunter’s lodge, used as temporary housing for outdoorsmen as they pursued deer and elk. During the Second Hyperspace War, the Human Resistance took over the building and turned it into the safehouse it is now. Outfitted with modern technology and a small Elerium generator, the safehouse was nearly self-sufficient and close to being inaccessible. Outside of the front entrance, Maui spotted two snowmobiles had joined the six already present.

Varian and Corder were back.

Of course, the spaceplane Niagara could not have landed here in the forest. Instead, the ship had landed in the wreckage of a former American military base about ten miles to the west of here. Then the pair returned to the safehouse via snowmobile.

As soon as Maui opened the door and kicked off his shoes, Cetla and Ninu both shouted from deep inside the house:

“SHUT THE DUMB DOOR!”

Everybody piled inside and closed the door quickly, to stop the heat from escaping. The inside of the safehouse was very toasty, almost eighty degrees Fahrenheit. It was in this cozy cabin where the Stormbreakers and Wolverines recovered from their injuries following their fight with Jericho earlier. Ninu and Cetla were both curled up around the fireplace mantel, where a large fire was warming the place far more effectively than the furnace. The two reptiles looked absolutely miserable.

“This is hell.” Ninu shivered. “This is what happens to Kelt who don’t honor the Homeworld.”

“How do you Humans live in such a nightmarish place!?” Cetla spoke through chattering teeth. “Your planet has a faulty axis that tilts you away from the sun! How could the Progenitors allow such a world to exist?”

Varian took the groceries from Maui and said:

“If we ever find the Magretheans who built this planet, I’ll be sure to file a complaint.”

“Magretheans?” Ninu repeated.

“Human mythology. Look up Douglas Adams.” Varian replied. “Alright, is everyone back? Maui, Lawrence, thank you guys for going out for food. Let’s reconvene and get back to business. Our hosts said they would come back in time for dinner.”

All six Stormbreakers and the four Wolverines moved into the fireplace room. The reptiles stayed near the glowing wood fire, while everyone else piled onto chairs and couches. Corder curled up against Cetla and wrapped her long furry tail around her legs. As the group settled in, Lawrence plugged his laptop computer into a holographic projector and pressed a few buttons.

“First things first.” Lawrence began. “What the hell happened here?”

A hologram materialized in the middle of the room. Words at the bottom of the image revealed that this was a recording of the Niagara’s targeting computer. Everyone watched as the hologram replayed the encounter with Jericho near the ruined library. The goddess struck down everybody in a single blow, then seemed to ignore the energy cannon fire coming from the Niagara.

“First of all, Ninu: That was amazing!” Corder said.

She patted the little lizard with her paw and Ninu’s body changed color, shifting from his usual greenish brown to a pale yellow.

“I wasn’t really thinking.” Ninu admitted. “I think I was just seeing red, honestly.”

Lawrence, Piper, Cera, and Jay were studying the hologram closely.

“And you guys are sure this isn’t the real Jericho?” Cera asked. “Felt pretty real when she nearly beat me to death.”

“We’ve seen her once before.” Varian explained. “The fake, I mean. And my grandparents are friends of the real Jericho and they told me all kinds of stories about her when I was a kid. She doesn’t just lash out like that. It’s not in her nature, Gramps and Granny can totally confirm it.”

“Also, there’s the really big Kikanalo in the room we keep ignoring.” Maui cut in.

Everybody looked at him.

“It’s a pack animal native to Partoga.” Maui quickly explained. “Listen, guys, are we not going to talk about the fact that both Jericho and Cassandra were using the Gift!?”

An awkward silence hung over the room for a moment, broken by Cetla’s heavy breathing and the crackle of the fire in the hearth. Finally, Piper spoke.

“That’s impossible.” She said. “Jericho destroyed the Gift, almost fifty years ago.”

“And yet we saw quite a lot of evidence to the contrary.” Cetla grumbled. “That green flame… that was Soulfire, wasn’t it?”

“How could it be, though?” Varian asked. “I remember from school, Soulfire is supposed to work differently… differently than what we saw the other night anyway.”

Varian pressed his (or her) hand to their own chest and made a pulling motion.

“It’s supposed to come out of your own body be steady like a candle flame, not explode all over the place.” They said.

“And I’ve never heard of Telekinesis hitting everybody at once like that.” Jay added. “It felt like I got smashed in the head with a sledgehammer.”

The Stormbreakers continued the debrief for about an hour. Topics of discussion ran from the fight with Jericho to their unexpected encounter with Inez Espinosa.

“I can see why she was picked to be a Stormbreaker.” Kingi said. “She was very quick to trade away her freedom to save us, even though she barely knew any of us.”

“She didn’t know us at all.” Ninu pointed out. “To her, we were probably stalkers. If she ever makes it back to Detroit, I’ll bet she’ll search her Hyperwave history to see if we’ve been calling her.”

Varian sniggered.

“Well, we did call her, so yeah. I guess that makes us stalkers.”

Lawrence, Piper, Cera, and Jay all looked confused.

“We knew you guys weren’t working alone, but I guess we still don’t have the full story.” Jay said. “Someone else was picking people to be Stormbreakers?”

“It’s complicated.” Corder replied, waving her paw. “Basically, even we don’t know who we’re taking orders from. But as long as Mystery Man keeps paying us and hooking us up with allies, we’ll keep up the mission.”

“And what mission is that?” Cera asked. “What are you guys supposed to be doing?”

Kingi thumped his chest with pride.

“We are going to hunt down and kill Akira Robinson!” He declared.

Piper instinctively drew her legs up and curled into a fetal position, as though trying to hide.

“We know you’re not Akira. Relax.” Corder purred.

“Uh huh, sure.” Piper did not sound convinced. “You guys are like those freaks who pull guns on any Asian girl in the street, aren’t you?”

She looked at Ninu.

“What? You wanna stick your fingers in my eyes to make sure I’m not wearing color contacts?”

“People have done that before.” Lawrence quickly explained.

“LAWRENCE, YOU’RE THE ONE WHO DID IT!” Piper raised her voice and scrambled over the back of the couch. She was clearly afraid, bordering on paranoid.

Corder stood up, her ears flat and her tail swishing.

“Now hold on a moment, everyone!” She growled. “Piper, we know you’re not the Paradox because I’m pretty sure she’s the one who beat the crap out of us a few days ago!”

Silence. Piper stopped her retreat.

“Wait… what?”

“It’s obvious.” Corder said. “Who was the most powerful Psion in the Galaxy before Jericho showed up? Akira! If anyone could have rode out the destruction of the Gift and kept her powers, it’s the Paradox!”

Maui raised an eyebrow.

“But that would suggest Akira is impersonating Jericho.” He said.

“Who hasn’t she impersonated at this point? That’s like, half of her modus operandi.” Corder responded. “Honestly, we should have seen it sooner.”

Piper rejoined the conversation. She still looked apprehensive, and leaned over the back of the couch to speak:

“Hey, uh… I can buy that Akira’s pretending to be Jericho. I remember reading about both of them in high school history, and it makes sense. But what about that Cassandra girl? She looked like she was just ten or eleven years old. How did she have powers before the fake Jericho showed up?”

Nobody had an answer for that one.

The group sat in silence for some minutes before the opening and closing of a door caught their attention. Three more people had just arrived.

Jay and Varian sprang to their feet as a man’s voice called into the safehouse:

“We’ve got him! He needs food!”

Three men entered the fireplace room and joined the rest of the group.

The first man was a grey-haired gentleman with a big bushy beard. He looked like the typical lumberjack who worked in the forests of northern Michigan. This was Jay’s father, Robert Lansing. As Robert came inside, Maui focused on him with his smart glasses. In seconds, the digital screen embedded in the lenses produced all of the information about Robert Lansing that the Stormbreakers would need to know.

Robert was a former member of the United Nations government. He served as the Human Ambassador to Aoraki, a planet on the far side of the Galaxy inhabited by Partogans and Levakians. Two years ago, Robert had gotten into a heated dispute with ISO Director Scarlett Freeman. The Spymaster pulled some strings with the UN leadership and Robert was fired from his post before being unceremoniously exiled to Michigan. Since then, he had been quietly helping the Old Americans resist UN occupation.

Jay ran to his father and helped carry the exhausted man leaning on Robert’s shoulder. He was Emanuel Espinosa, looking far skinnier than he had just a few days ago. The Professor had spent nearly a week on the run with little food or water, and it was a downright miracle he was still alive.

The third and final man to enter was welcomed warmly by all of the Stormbreakers, but none of the Wolverines knew who he was. Varian quickly made introductions:

“Jay, Lawrence, Cera, Piper, this is my dad.”

Varian’s father, George Farshtey, was a short balding man with a scraggly grey beard that rivalled Robert’s. He had a very round face with a jovial expression, as though he spent the winter holidays pretending to be Santa Claus. All four of the Wolverines looked confused again.

“Dude.” Lawrence said. “We’ve seen your family on TV. Your dad looks nothing like this guy.”

Varian rolled her (or his) eyes.

“That guy on TV is my mom’s third husband.” Varian replied. “My Stepfather was Randall, he’s husband number two. This guy is George Farshtey, and he’s my real biological father. Mom’s first husband.”

Jay leaned over to George and whispered:

“So you’re Varian’s dad, huh? I was wondering, is your kid a he or a she? I can’t figure it out and they’re not telling.”

George laughed and clapped Jay on the back.

“Sorry boy. Varian asked me not to tell, and a father keeps their children’s secrets!”

Ninu grumbled.

“Could have asked me, Lansing. I already tried asking Farshtey.”

Meanwhile, Emanuel and Robert shed their winter clothing.

“Why don’t we get some food into this man before he crumples like paper?” Robert told the group. “Then we can talk to your hearts content.”

…

With much clattering of dishware and the smell of freshly cooked meat and vegetables from the kitchen, everyone somehow managed to seat themselves around the wooden dining table. Cetla nearly smashed the old chair and instead propped himself on a bench.

Thirteen men, women, and aliens dug into the hot meal and for a few minutes, there was relative silence. Professor Espinosa, who had nearly died of hunger and thirst in the wilderness, was told to eat slowly, lest he make himself sick. Between bites, Cera asked:

“Professor, how’d you get away from the Reclamation Agents?”

“They lost interest in me as soon as they realized Inez got away with Cassandra. Gave up the chase after only a little while.” Emanuel explained. “I knew they’d come back for me eventually, so I started making my way up here looking for help. I’ve worked with both you Wolverines and Varian’s Stormbreakers before, so I knew coming out here was my best bet.”

“You were lucky Robert and I were out hunting deer today.” George said. “You overshot the safehouse by a mile. If we missed you, you would have wandered right onto Lake Huron and frozen to death.”

“And I’m grateful.” Emanuel replied. “But what about Cassandra and Inez? Where are they?”

Taking it in turns, the Stormbreakers and Wolverines brought the Professor up to speed on recent events. When they got to the fight against the False Jericho, Emanuel dropped his fork and gasped:

“Holy mother of Jericho, she really appeared? So, the Progeny was telling the truth.”

“Wait, Progeny?” Lawrence asked. “Who are they?”

“A group of religious extremists.” Varian said. “They’ve taken Jericho-worship to the next level. My team has had a few run-ins with them.”

“They had a fake Jericho in the Altair star system.” Ninu added. “Looks like they found a way to bring her to Earth.”

A loud noise brought the focus back to Emanuel. He had slammed his mug of hot cider onto the table in anger.

“They took Cassandra!?” He seethed.

“Yeah.” Piper confirmed. “There really wasn’t anything we could do. After Jericho dropped us all, the UN soldiers just came in and plucked her and Inez off the roof.”

Emanuel clenched is fists and vented his anger:

“After all the trouble I went through to get Cassandra out of that damn lab! What a waste.”

Emanuel looked like he was going to cry. Ninu stood up from his seat and, treading carefully, the little lizard walked across the table and put on arm around the Professor’s shoulders.

“It’s not over yet, friend.” Ninu reassured him. “We’ll find a way to get Cassandra and your daughter away from Bannack.”

“I don’t see how.” Emanuel replied. “Security at the base will be tighter now. We can’t get in.”

“We may not have to enter the Bannack base.” Kingi interrupted. “Look at this.”

Kingi pushed his half-eaten meal aside and set his laptop on the table. He keyed in a few commands and then turned the screen so that everyone could see. A map of the Bannack base appeared on the screen, complete with a blinking red dot that was moving slowly across the second floor cafeteria.

“That’s Inez.” Kingi said. “We’ve got her position to within half a meter. If she leaves the base for any reason, we’ll know.”

“How did you get a tracker on her?” Emanuel asked, astounded.

“We copied some old ADVENT technology.” Varian explained. “Inez was a regular at the Gene Therapy Clinic in Grosse Pointe. Every person who has ever had a Gene Therapy session gets injected with a tracking chip, don’t ask me why, it’s an ADVENT thing that just carried over when the UN took power. Anyway, we stole all of the data for Inez’s tracking chip a while ago. Then we just needed to get a homing beacon within five feet of Inez, so we could lock onto the signal. We had some help there, and presto! Now we know Inez’s exact location at all times.”

Piper’s eyes widened.

“That is so wrong and so scary on so many levels.” she said. “The Gene Therapy Clinics are tracking their patients? Really!? So does that mean-”

“Yes.” Varian grumbled. “Theoretically, you can track anyone who visited a clinic. Here: Check this out.”

Varian took Kingi’s laptop and keyed in a new command.

“Before I joined the Stormbreakers,” Varian explained. “I was, like, the most frequent visitor at the Gene Therapy Clinic in Honolulu. See… there I am. That’s me.”

Varian turned the screen again. This time it was a map of Alpena and the surrounding region, complete with a blinking red dot showing Varian’s exact location within the safehouse.

Robert Lansing took the laptop and examined the screen. Meanwhile, Jay looked at Varian with a raised eyebrow.

“Have you ever thought about getting the chip removed, Varian?”

Varian nodded.

“Yeah, but the trouble is that I don’t know where it is. Gotta find it first, you know?”

Meanwhile, Robert set down the tablet and started writing some notes on a scrap of paper.

“So we’re going back to the drawing board,” he said. “But at least we know where to start.”

<=== Chapter 9: Prometheus

Chapter 11: The Inner Circle ===>

Macavity116 · Feb 19, 2022

<=== Chapter 10: Back to the Drawing Board

Chapter 12: We're Hunting Monsters Tonight ===>

Chapter 11
The Inner Circle

April 5, 2086
Williamsburg, Virginia

It was pitch dark, and clouds obscured the moon. To the east, the waters of the Atlantic Ocean churned and frothed as they always did. To the west, the lights of a nearby Megacity illuminated the dark clouds. But down here by the water’s edge, the Virginia Peninsula was lit up in a different way.

Two armies were clashing amidst the wreckage of what used to be an Old World city. Flares jumped into the air and bathed the ground in light while men and women moved about the ruins, attacking the opposing side with laser rifles and plasma cannons. The deep thudding of railguns rolled across the land like thunder.

The two sides were very different from each other.

The defending army was a force of professional soldiers. They wore identical uniforms of black and green, while each soldier also wore a blue helmet emblazoned with the letters “UN” across the front. The only difference from one soldier to the next was in the flag on their uniform. Each UN soldier got to wear the flag of their home country. As the battle raged, Russians, Germans, Zimbabweans, Bangladeshis, Brazilians, and Mexicans fought side by side, while soldiers of many other nations fought on the other frontlines.

On the other side of the battlefield, an untrained paramilitary force was giving the UN Army a very rough time. Unlike their opponents, only a few of these fighters were trained professional soldiers. This force was comprised almost completely of people who lived in the region. They had come from all across the Atlantic shoreline to repulse the UN, fighting under the banner of a nation that fell over seventy years ago. The American flag: fifty-one white stars, a blue field, with thirteen red and white stripes, flew defiantly over the fortifications on the main road. The local Americans had just expelled the UN army from the Megacity of Richmond, and now they were trying to push the invaders into the ocean.

And high above it all, UN starships circled the battlefield, firing their weapons down on the American positions. The bombardment lasted only a few minutes. American fighters based on the other side of the York River turned their railguns against the hostile spacecraft, which were forced to scatter into the night.

Sometime around two o’clock in the morning, another UN starship appeared in the skies above the battle. It was a sleek Corvette-class vessel, slightly smaller than a European football pitch. Instead of firing its weapons, the Corvette started to circle above the battlespace like a vulture, while a turret-mounted camera swept the scene below.

On board the ship, Inez Espinosa was controlling the camera.

She looked different from when she arrived at Bannack a month ago, but it was still possible to recognize her. Inez was now wearing a UN Navy flightsuit and her long blonde hair was tied up in a bun. The ISO insignia was emblazoned on her left shoulder, and a pair of metal ID tags hung from a loose chain around her neck.

For the umpteenth time today, Inez found herself trying to fight off a sense of disbelief. Just one month ago, she never would have imagined that she would someday find herself spying on the commander of an army she never heard of… yet here she was, snapping high-resolution photographs of an American warlord as he inspected the battlefield. Inez tapped the keyboard in front of her, turning the camera to get a better shot of the man down below.

George Osmer was everything Inez imagined when she heard the phrase “American Warlord”. He was a very big man with a bald head and a curly red beard that was nearly a foot long. He wore a floppy wide-brimmed hat that made him stand out on the battlefield. Despite being the commanding general Osmer carried a laser rifle, ready for a fight.

Inez maneuvered the camera deftly, capturing as many pictures as she could. Not just of General Osmer, but of the men and women he spoke with. Every time he shook hands with somebody, took or received an object, or simply stopped to smoke a cigarette, he was photographed. Finally, after being surveilled for some twenty minutes, General Osmer clambered inside of an armored car and he was driven away from the battlefield, heading towards New Richmond.

To Inez’s right, an intercom speaker crackled and a voice spoke:

“How’s it going down there, Espinosa?”

“We’ve got what we need.” Inez replied. “Take us home.”

The UN Corvette turned hard and started flying Northwest, heading back to Montana. While the little starship raced along, Inez swept her hand over the touchscreen, examining the photos. She knew how her mother would react to seeing these, and Inez felt a growing sense of confidence.

Over the past month, Scarlett had followed through on her wish to include Inez in “the family business”. In what turned out to be a whirlwind week, Inez had her UN citizenship restored; she was inducted into the ISO, and was fully immersed in her mother’s world.

At first, it took Inez about a day and a half to realize people were talking about her when they referred to “Agent Espinosa.” It just sounded weird and unnatural to her. Of course, the name “Lynn Potter” also felt weird, but the days of Binary Fusion felt like a lifetime ago now, and Inez was happy with that.

Unlike her old life in Detroit, Inez had found near-universal acceptance at Bannack. Every time Scarlett introduced someone to Inez, the spymaster would say “This is my daughter, who has finally come back to where she belongs.” And Inez could hear the pride in Scarlett’s voice. All of the scientists and government workers in the Bannack base accepted Inez on sight, and to her surprise, she noticed that many people were taking her new job as an ISO agent seriously. She could not find anyone slacking off unless she actually tried, and most people were clearly trying to be mindful of what they said around her.

In fact, right now on this very spaceship, most of the crew were treating Inez as though she had some power over them. They kept their distance and spoke respectfully. When she climbed out of the ball turret, a crewman offered his hand, trying to avoid making eye contact with her.

“We’ve got about an hour until we reach Bannack.” He said. “You might as well strap yourself in and take a nap or something.”

Inez and the crewman used a ladder to reach the flight deck, where she sat down in front of the Hyperwave Terminal. To pass the time, Inez pulled her government-issue smartphone out of her pocket and started to review the digital technical manual. Scarlett had made the manual specifically for Inez, so she could get up to speed about all of the advanced technology the ISO used. She tried to read about Hyperwaves and energy cannons and Elerium reactions, but a movement out the corner of her eyes caught Inez’s attention.

The crewman who helped Inez was sitting at a weapon control station on the other side of the flight deck, next to the pilot. But he kept looking back at Inez for some reason. For the first time in over a month, Inez was getting an old familiar feeling. A kind of tingle ran up the back of her neck. Inez usually felt that when she knew someone was appreciating her looks. She also got the feeling that he was itching to ask her a question, but could not work up the courage.

Knowing she had time to kill, Inez decided to have some old-fashioned fun. She turned around and started typing away at the keyboard in front of her, using the inter-ship comms network to send the man a text message without alerting the pilot next to him. The exchange went like this:

Hyperwave Terminal: Hello there. Saw you checking me out.

Weapons Control: I’m so sorry. Didn’t mean to offend.

Hyperwave Terminal: It’s okay. Flattered, really. Been too long for me, know what I mean?

Weapons: You just reminded me of someone… I kinda freaked.

Hyperwave: Oh, no! Not an ex, I hope.

Weapons: No. You look like someone I met in Michigan a while ago.

Hyperwave: I was in Detroit for years! Where were you?

Weapons: No way! I was in Detroit on leave!

Inez paused. Instinctively, she looked over her shoulder at the crewman. She strained her mind, trying to remember if she’d seen this guy anywhere before. Now that she thought about it… he did seem a little familiar…

Then, an idea hit Inez. She let out a little gasp of realization and quickly tapped another message:

Hyperwave: I worked at Binary Fusion. You ever go there?

There was a pause. Over her shoulder, Inez could hear the crewman gasp. Then his reply came, a little loudly too. He was typing very fast.

Weapons: YES! Think I met 1 of your friends. Did you know a girl named Lynn? I don’t remember her last name.

Inez leaned back in her chair and laughed. She laughed so hard that it sounded more like a cackle. The pilot jumped with surprise and twitched the control stick. The Corvette swerved in the air causing all three people on the flight deck to cry out and swear. When he regained control, the pilot shouted:

“What!? Is everything okay?”

“I’m fine!” Inez laughed. “Just had a eureka thing… please just get us back to Bannack.”

The other crewman was looking over his shoulder at Inez. His face had gone pale and he was giving Inez a look that said: “Did I do something wrong?”

Inez quickly pointed down at her computer screen, signaling he should do the same.

Hyperwave: Dude… I AM LYNN. You bought an hour with me, I remember you.

Inez couldn’t help but smirk. Now that her memory was jogged, she really did remember this guy. Behind her, she could sense the crewman had frozen in what was probably terror.

In that moment, Inez had an idea. Over the past month, she learned a lot about her mother. Long before she took over the ISO, Scarlett Freeman served the government as a spy. She was embedded in the UN Diplomatic Corps and she made many friends there, who she later exploited as part of her espionage mission.

Inez worked for the ISO now, so that made her a spy like her mother, right? May as well try to follow Scarlett’s example…

Inez sent another message:

Hyperwave: You were one of the good ones… wanna hang out with me when we get back to base?

Weapons: yeah! I’m stationed on LVL2. My name is CPL Barter.

Before the spacecraft landed, Inez got her former customer’s full name and contact information. She could not decide if she wanted to build a network like her mom had done, or if she just wanted to just have fun. Maybe she would do a little of both.

…

A couple of hours before sunrise, the Corvette landed at Bannack, and Corporal Adam Barter offered to escort Inez back into the base. She tried to accept, but a military officer intercepted them on the landing pad.

“Agent Espinosa, the Director is waiting for you in her office. She didn’t say why.”

Inez and Adam reluctantly parted ways. Scarlett’s main office was on Level One, just below the surface. Inez carried a portable computer drive with her; it contained all of the photos she had taken in Virginia.

Finding her mother’s office was easy, but getting there seemed to be a problem. As she walked down the hallway, Inez had to cross no fewer than three military checkpoints. UN soldiers stopped Inez and demanded to see her identification. Each time she presented her government ID card, the soldiers would check it against a list before allowing her through. After what felt like an eternity running the gauntlet, Inez made it to her destination.

Scarlett’s office was the largest room of its type in the base. The place was oval-shaped, narrow at either end and wide enough to accommodate four long couches in the middle of the room, all facing one another in a square-shaped formation. In the middle of the couches, a coffee table was heavily laden with paperwork, laptop computers, digital tablets, and other tools of the spymaster’s trade. On the far side of the office, Scarlett’s desk was wedged between a pair of bookshelves, while a large flatscreen television hung from the ceiling at the end of a robotic arm.

Seated around the central table were ten people, including Scarlett herself. Inez froze in the doorway, wondering if she was intruding on a private meeting. Before she could back out, Scarlett looked up from her work and saw Inez.

“Oh good, you made it!” Scarlett exclaimed, causing a few people to look around at her. “Nezzie, please give the surveillance data to Commander Bakir and sit down.”

An Arabic man wearing a military dress uniform stood up and took the hard drive from Inez. Then he offered the seat next to him and she reluctantly joined the group.

Looking around, Inez realized very quickly that she was sitting among some very powerful and influential people. Most of these men and women were dressed in military uniforms, resplendent with medals and ribbons, while the remaining few wore formal business suits.

“Everyone, this is my daughter, who I’ve told you about.” Scarlett said to the group. “She’s rejoined us recently and we’re still bringing her up to speed on everything. I feel confident now that we can start to include her in the project.”

“And what makes you say that?” Asked a grey-haired man. As he spoke, Inez noticed that this old man was not making eye contact with anyone. He was just speaking to the room at large. “While I appreciate you are a good judge of character, Director Freeman, none of us have met this woman before.”

“I have.” Interrupted a military officer.

Inez looked at the man who had spoken, and her jaw dropped.

“Hey… uh…” she stammered.

Inez started to say the words “Do I know you?” But Scarlett cut her off.

“You see, she has already made connections here. I told you she takes after me, sir.”

Scarlett stood up and walked around to stand behind Inez. She put one hand on her daughter’s shoulder and said:

“Now, Nezzie. Let me introduce you to… well, I guess we sometimes call ourselves ‘The Inner Circle.’ You’ll be working with us more often now, so let’s make some introductions.”

The old man stood up and reached out to offer a handshake to Inez. When she took his hand, he clasped her hand with both of his own and shook firmly.

“It is good to finally meet you, Agent Espinosa.” Said the old man. “My name is Pascal Etienne. I am the Secretary-General of the United Nations of Earth.”

Inez felt her blood run cold. She’d heard the name countless times before, but never had she even dared to dream that one day she might come face to face with the leader of Humankind.

“It’s an honor to meet you.” Inez said. “I’ve heard about that law you wrote, ‘Sol Invictus’. That was how you changed the world so much since you got elected, right?”

“Sol Invictus is the seminal legislation of my administration.” Secretary-General Etienne replied. “It was the weapon by which we reclaimed this world from alien influence and raised Humanity from the cesspit of weakness that was the xenophilic policies of my predecessor.”

Inez smiled and would have moved on to the next person, but Pascal caught her by the arm and added:

“Please forgive this old man for being so forward…” Pascal said to Inez. “But I am blind, and would like to feel you a little more, so I may recognize you.”

Not daring to say “no” to such an important man, Inez held still and allowed the Secretary-General to touch and feel her hands and face. It only took a few seconds, and when he was finished, Pascal said:

“Hmm, yes. You do seem to take after your mother, but I can feel your father’s presence too.”

Inez was so grateful to know that Pascal Etienne was blind, because she felt a little creeped out. Fortunately, the Secretary-General sat down as a brown-skinned woman with frizzy black hair greeted Inez next.

“Ingrid Tsiajotso, Admiral of the UN Navy and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the United Nations of Earth. These are my comrades: Klaus Eberhardt, the Commander of XCOM; and his number two: Central Officer Sepulveda.”

Inez felt a sense of shock as she recognized the Central Officer.

“Sepulveda?” She repeated. “As in… David Sepulveda?”

The Central Officer looked very different from the last time Inez had seen him. He had grown a beard, and somehow it looked just as sleek as his wavy black hair. A bubbling sense of revulsion filled Inez’s stomach like bile.

“Hello, Nezzie.” He said. “It’s been a long time.”

“Don’t call me Nezzie.” She hissed at him.

The Arab soldier introduced himself as Rafi Bakir. He was the Field Commander of the UN Space Rangers.

“I don’t spend much time on Earth these days.” He admitted. “If you’re ever nearby Jericho Station, ring me and I’ll show you where to get the good drinks.”

Up next came a bubbly Venezuelan woman with red hair and freckles.

“What a coincidence!” She said. “My name’s Inez, too! Vasquez, Inez Vasquez at your service. I’m the ISO armorer. I designed most of your equipment.”

“And I know you.” Inez said, pointing towards a businessman in a very expensive suit. “You’re Indy Hutch. Pactical Industries, right?”

“Yes.” Indy replied. “We are a weapons manufacturer, and the primary supplier for the project your mother is so focused on.”

This left just two people to be introduced, and the first thing Inez noticed about them was that they appeared to be physically related. Their faces were similar enough to suggest they shared blood. There was a man in his middle ages and a girl younger than Inez, who looked to be just barely an adult. They both had vaguely Asian features, mixed with African traits. The man spoke first.

“My name is Marcus Robinson, and this lovely lady is my nice, Sophie Murphy. We represent the Committee to Re-Elect the Secretary-General.”

“Long name.” Inez commented.

“I wanted to call it ‘Committee to Re-Elect Pascal.’” Sophie chimed in. “But Uncle Marcus says people would get weirded out by an organization whose abbreviation is C.R.E.E.P.”

Now that got Inez to laugh.

Commander Eberhardt looked from Inez to Scarlett and back again.

“Now you’re sure she’s on the level, Director Freeman?” he asked.

“You didn’t complain when we brought Sophie on board.” Scarlett countered.

The Commander’s eyes flickered to the teenaged politician sitting next to him. In that moment, Inez got a very powerful impression that Eberhardt’s judgement regarding Sophie was impaired by an overwhelming sense of attraction. Inez fought the urge to roll her eyes. Of course, even here at the very top of the UN Government, sex was still a valid a bargaining chip. In hindsight, she should not have been surprised.

David Sepulveda said:

“Look, if the Sec-Gen and Admiral Tsiajotso sign off on it, then I’m fine as well.

Secretary-General Etienne and Admiral Tsiajotso both nodded in assent.

“Let Espinosa take her father’s seat on our little council.” Pascal said. “It seems appropriate.”

Finally, everybody sat down, giving Inez a moment to try and process the fact that she had just been accepted into what appeared to be the innermost circle of political power on Earth.

“First of all.” Secretary-General Etienne said. “We must congratulate Marcus on his achievement. The Hawaiian President has appointed him UN Ambassador. Marcus will take his seat on the General Assembly in Berlin next week.”

There was a smattering of polite applause.

“Marcus, what about your father?” Indy asked. “How’s he taking this?”

“My father hasn’t put out a statement yet.” Marcus replied. “But I do know that he’s going to stay in the Disarmament Committee for now. The Hawaiian government is happy to have two members of the Robinson family in their UN delegation and they don’t want to change that.”

Now there were murmurs around the room. Inez, however, was lost. She knew the Robinsons were a very famous and powerful family, but she had no idea how they tied into UN politics. She decided to break into the conversation and ask.

“Excuse me…” Inez said timidly. “But your father… is he… you know… Blake Robinson?”

Marcus looked Inez straight in the eyes.

“One and the same.” Marcus replied. “Five years ago he came so close to toppling all of us from power.”

“My term of office expires seven months from now.” Secretary-General Etienne told Inez. “In December, the Security Council will hold an election, and Blake Robinson will no doubt try to unseat me again. We must be prepared.”

Inez tried to pay attention to the rest of the discussion, but she found herself feeling a little bad. She might not know a lot about history, but she knew that Blake Robinson was one of the greatest heroes the Human race had ever produced. She felt sorry to learn that she was going to be allied to his political opponents.

The meeting of the Inner Circle dragged on for about an hour, and the conversation mostly consisted of preparations for the upcoming political campaign against Blake Robinson.

Inez learned that the leader of the UN was not chosen by an election. Instead, the Security Council, made up of representatives from the most powerful nations on Earth, would hold a secret vote behind closed doors. Five years ago, Blake Robinson had run for Secretary-General, while Pascal Etienne campaigned for re-election. The secret Security Council vote had been very close, and Blake was defeated thanks to Russia, who changed their vote at the last second.

“Five new countries will be elected to the Security Council in June.” Marcus said. “Father very popular with island countries, owing to his history with Japan and Hawaii. If we have any hope of winning in December, we must stop island countries from being elected to the Council. Countries like Palau, Nauru, Tonga, Grenada, Samoa, and Kiribati. These countries must be stopped.”

“I’ll get to work on that as soon as I get back to Berlin.” Pascal said. “Most of those islands are from the Francophone community or the old British Commonwealth. I will speak to my allies in Europe.”

Once the agreement was made, the topic shifted to aliens.

Inez was very surprised to learn that there were in fact, a large number of non-Humans still living on Earth and in Human colonies around the Galaxy. Of course, she could remember how just two years ago, the UN army expelled all of the aliens from Detroit. Now, she listened to Pascal Etienne and his allies plan out a comprehensive mass eviction.

“There is a substantial population of Mutons in the Caribbean.” Pascal said. “Mostly concentrated around the starports in Florida, Mexico, and French Guiana. Reclamation agents have reported significant difficulty in dislodging them.”

“Mutons worship spacecraft.” Rafi said. “I assume this means the local Mutons are closely tied to the Grey Phoenix.”

Inez perked up. She knew that name.

“Grey Phoenix?” She repeated. “You mean those alien scavengers?”

Rafi looked at Inez.

“How do you know about Grey Pheonix?” He asked.

“They used to be active in Detroit before the UN took the city back.” Inez replied with a shrug. “They were always selling spaceship parts they stole from UN spaceports.”

At her words, there was a flurry of movement around the room. Nearly everyone in the inner circle was making a note of what Inez had just said.

“Which warlord was controlling Detroit before we took the city?” Rafi asked.

“Some woman named Jackson.” Ingrid Tsiajotso replied. “She’s the sister of General Jackson, who negotiated the surrender of Michigan to us.”

“And that went so well.” Scarlett said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. “General Jackson was murdered by Lawrence Ridge, right? Just a few days after all that happened?”

Inez felt a lurch in her stomach. The fact that her mother knew Lawrence Ridge in any capacity frightened her, but so did the idea of her own friend killing someone in cold blood.

“Mom, how do you know Lawrence?” Inez asked.

“He was a real thorn in our side before he surrendered two years ago.” Scarlett said. “Him and the other Wolverines. What were their names, Rafi? There was Ridge and who else?”

“There was also Lansing, Russell, and the two Roberts sisters.” Rafi answered. “But I think one of the Roberts girls is dead now.”

“The Wolverines are no better than the Stormbreakers.” Marcus Robinson said. “They harbor aliens instead of putting Humanity first. They’re traitors and we should have shot them when they gave up.”

“Hear hear!” the Secretary-General added. “It would be their just desserts for consorting with aliens and non-Human creatures.”

Inez suddenly felt a little cold.

“But… when I met the Stormbreakers…” she started to speak, but Scarlett interrupted her.

“We won’t fault you for being kidnapped and spirited away by those criminals.” Scarlett said. “I’m just happy to have my daughter back.”

It seemed like the meeting was wrapping up. People were putting computers and papers into briefcases, and Scarlett stood up to stretch.

“Thanks for coming, everyone. Inez, I need you to wait up a moment.”

Both Inez Espinosa and Inez Vasquez froze in their tracks.

“Uh… oh wait.” Scarlett smacked herself in the forehead. “Inez the Armorer, I’m gonna call you ‘Izzie’ or ‘Vasquez’ from now on so we don’t get confused. And Nezzie…”

“I would really like it if you didn’t call me that.” Inez said quickly.

“Right, okay. You’ll just be Inez.” Scarlett said. “Listen, Izzie, I need you to take Nezzie’s measurements and start building a space suit for her.”

Inez’s jaw dropped as she looked at her mother.

“A space suit?” she repeated.

“I want you to join me on an upcoming mission.” Scarlett said nonchalantly. “Don’t panic, it’s not going to be for a while. But we will be taking a short trip off-world; we just need to start building your gear now.”

Inez Vasquez took Inez Espinosa’s measurements quickly, giving her an excited look at the same time. Then the armorer left along with everyone else. Once the room was empty save for mother and daughter, Scarlett said:

“I think I owe you something, Inez. You’ve been asking about Subject Two… Uh… I mean, Cassandra… over and over again for a month now.”

Inez took a deep breath. She was getting ready to launch into yet another argument about why she should be allowed to visit Cassandra, but Scarlett spoke first.

“I want you to go down to Level Four and talk to Doctor Spark. She’s currently assigned to Cassandra’s case… but lately she’s hit a wall and she needs help. Talk to Spark and let her know that I want you added to Cassandra’s case. Understood?”

Choosing not to look a gift horse in the mouth, Inez simply replied “yes” and left the room.

<=== Chapter 10: Back to the Drawing Board

Chapter 12: We're Hunting Monsters Tonight ===>

Macavity116 · Feb 26, 2022

Hello everyone! I've got a quick announcement for you, then we can get started with this week's chapter:

First: I'm quite happy to announce that today's chapter will contain the first (of hopefully several) direct references to one of my favorite AAR's on the site, Songs of the Saiiban by @Chilango2. It's an incredible AAR that definitely deserves your attention. (once you're done here of course

) The Saiiban Confederacy will be making a few more appearances in The Last Heroes as we go, and I am seriously considering letting the Saiiban take a few shots at the enemy during the Destruction of Orlando and the Rescue at Cape Canaveral, the final battles of this story.

Of course, Chilango2's musical avians won't be alone. As The Last Heroes goes on keep your eyes pealed for characters from other AARs to make cameos, such as a certain beleaguered Advisor brought to life by @Nikolai and the ambitious Eerabik, originally made (in)famous by @Arithmetician.

Oh, and Chris "History Dude" Wright will be making a guest appearance in Chapter 15: The Divine Atelier after he was last seen in My Father's War and All Our Sins Remembered. It's my way of paying homage to a legendary user who left approximately 350 comments on various entries of the Stormbreaker Universe over the past few years. Thanks @HistoryDude!

<=== Chapter 11: The Inner Circle

Chapter 13: Subject Two ===>

Chapter 12
We’re Hunting Monsters Tonight

April 6, 2086
Alpena, Michigan

The end of winter brought a wet and muddy spring to the region. To the west of Alpena, the Thunder Bay River burst its banks, swollen by snowmelt. None of the trees had leaves yet, but a smattering of green buds could be seen. Birds sang while newborn animals made their first furtive journeys away from their homes.

Even further to the west, there was a strange collection of buildings. The complex was connected to the city by a single paved road. There was a mixture of old and new buildings here. Most of the newer structures were white ultramodern designs, and had the blue insignia of the United Nations across their facades. But there were also half a dozen buildings that were built in a sinister-looking utilitarian design. These black and red structures were unnamed and unlabeled, but each structure had a mark on its side, showing the exact spot where the insignia of the old ADVENT Coalition used to be.

Fifty years ago, this place had been a top-secret Blacksite for the ADVENT Coalition. The government denied its existence and whatever happened inside these walls was a closely guarded secret.

Now in the present day, this place was a top-secret Blacksite for the United Nations. The government denied its existence and whatever happened inside these walls was a closely guarded secret.

A mixed force of soldiers and armed androids was guarding the UN Blacksite. Men armed with laser rifles occupied watchtowers and sentry posts, while bright red androids patrolled the perimeter in groups of three. The facility was completely secure…

…At least… that’s what everyone inside of it believed.

Over the previous five days, the Blacksite was very slowly surrounded. So slowly, in fact, that the people inside had no idea that a hostile force was preparing to attack. Deep in the surrounding wilderness, twelve attackers were hidden well. Wearing brown and grey camouflage, they flitted through the forest floor like wraiths. When they reached the southern tip of Lake Winyah, the group split up.

Two smaller teams were formed. Each group consisted of six members.

Two Stormbreakers.

Two Wolverines.

Two Chippewas.

Like the Wolverines, the Chippewas were a team of guerilla fighters loyal to the old United States of America. Their leader was Emerson Deering, a grizzled outdoorsman who had not set foot in a major city for the past fifty years. With a hunting rifle slung across his shoulder, Emerson led the first team, consisting of Varian Robinson, Cetla Shu’naan, Lawrence Ridge, Cera Roberts, and a member of the Chippewas named Austin Hilliker.

There was Dakota Walter, a Chippewa fighter who was so old the rest of the team was worried he might just lay down and rejoin the earth at any moment. He was leading the second team. Piper Russell, Corder Leang, Jay Lansing, Kingi, and a Chippewa called Bradley Marrah brought up the rear.

The two teams parted ways and slowly encircled the Blacksite. They took their time, camping out deep in the forest and living off the land. By the morning of the fifth day, the Stormbreakers and Americans had the Blacksite at their mercy. Every weakness in the defenses was found, each of the guards were accounted for. The schedule of the starport was known, and traffic on the main road was understood.

Just after eight o’clock in the morning, a starship lifted off from the Blacksite. Supply trucks left the depot and the gates were closed. No one else would enter of leave for the next forty-five minutes. It was now or never.

With a soft humming noise four metal objects, each roughly the size of a football, flew out of the forest towards the android patrols. The androids did not have enough time to realize that these were Gremlin drones, a fully autonomous combat robot. A series of loud cracks, like bolts of lightning, sent birds flying as all of the android defenders collapsed to the ground, inert. One of the guard towers tried to raise an alarm, but it was too late. There was a flash of crimson light, and two sentries fell without ever knowing they had been hit.

From the top of a nearby hill, Kingi wielded a laser sniper rifle, picking off targets rhythmically, pausing only for the occasional breath. Each time he dropped a UN soldier, Kingi whispered into the radio:

“North tower, sharpshooter down. You’re clear to move up.”

Varian and Emerson led their team along the fence line until they reached the main gate. Two UN soldiers were talking into their radios, calling for backup.

“I’ve got this.” Kingi spoke through the radio.

Neither of the two men at the gate realized they were being shot at until they were both on the ground. Then Cetla turned his attention to the metal gate blocking their path. Austin Hilliker looked at Cetla and asked.

“What’s he gonna do?”

“Use your head.” Varian replied. “How else would a four-hundred-pound Micore open a gate?”

Cetla reared up to his full height and roared. Then he charged forward and simply smashed through the metal gate as though it was a shrub. Stormbreakers, Wolverines, and Chippewas surged into the Blacksite.

The attack had barely begun when Lawrence called out:

“We’ve got people coming out of the buildings.”

Men and women emerged from the surrounding buildings, their hands raised above their heads. One of them, a scientist carrying a clipboard, yelled at the Stormbreakers:

“Don’t shoot! We’re unarmed!”

In a matter of about five minutes, the entire population of the Blacksite had surrendered. Some seventy people emerged from the facility and were soon lined up in rows in the central courtyard, where they were being frisked for Intel by Dakota Walter’s team.

“Fan out!” Varian told the others. “Search everywhere!”

Corder summoned the Gremlin drones back to her and downloaded their reports onto her tablet computer.

“All of the anti-aircraft weapons are disabled.” She informed Varian. “We can bring Niagara in now.

Varian nodded and spoke into his (or her) radio:

“Mockingbird and Uplink, the skies are blue.”

A loud roar of engines told everyone on the ground the spaceplane was now flying in circle above the Blacksite, looking for a place to land. The voice of Maui Ririnui replied over the radio.

“Intel, folks! I want Intel! Scan the computers, go through the pockets of anyone you drop, and for the love of Jericho don’t burn anything!”

Dakota took the other three Chippewas started going through the pockets of surrendered UN scientists. Very quickly, a pile of flash drives, data cores, and scraps of paper appeared in the courtyard. Meanwhile, the Wolverines started to ransack the surrounding buildings. Cetla carried an armful of laptop computers to the landing pad just as the Niagara touched down.

As the boarding ramp descended, Robert Lansing, George Farshtey, and Emanuel Espinosa disembarked, followed closely by Ninu and Maui. The two Stormbreakers carried a computer terminal and an extension cable with them.

“The Hyperwave is already linked to the Shadow Man.” Maui reported. “Just start plugging stuff into the terminal and Ninu will upload it to his server.”

Standing on the edge of the landing pad, Emanuel folded his arms and let out an impressed whistle, watching as the Blacksite was systematically looted.

“You guys have done this before, huh?” He said.

“The UN had a Deep Space Blacksite near Wolf 359.” Maui explained. “This place is so much easier than that one, though.”

“How come?”

“The Shadow Man is on Earth.” Maui replied. “Transmitting the data to him is easier since we’re on the same planet.”

“Shadow Man?” Emanuel repeated. “Who is that?”

“Our boss.” Maui said. “He never shows himself. We don’t even know his name, and he covers his tracks better than Scarlett Freeman did.”

“Sounds like he and my wife would have gotten along.” Emanuel grumbled. “I’m sure glad I don’t have to meet him.”

“Don’t count your Husi just yet.” Maui replied, referencing a bird native to his Homeworld. “The last time we spoke to the Shadow Man, he was really interested in you. I don’t think you’re off the hook.”

…

Around the same time, two starships from the United States reached the Blacksite and dropped off nearly a hundred American soldiers. Unlike the UN military, aliens still made up a sizable portion of the American army. Partogans, Levakians, Hiigarans, Taiidan, Scyldari and Blorg disembarked and started helping to process the prisoners.

An American warlord also disembarked, introducing herself as “General Andrea Jackson.” She gave the Stormbreakers a curt greeting, sticking around just long enough to confirm that she was loyal to the Old American government before going off to ensure the UN Blacksite was placed under her personal control.

“She’s not one for talking, is she?” Varian asked.

“Actually, it’s because of us.” Cera said. “General Jackson used to be with the Cheyanne government. Last time we met, Lawrence murdered Jackson’s brother.”

“The bastard had it coming.” Lawrence grumbled as he watched General Jackson walk away. “Especially after what he did to your sister, Cera.”

…

Varian, Corder, Ninu, Cetla, and Kingi followed the Americans back to their starship. Meanwhile, Maui struck off on his own. The young Partogan was still interested in scanning the captured Blacksite with his smart glasses. Out of curiosity, Piper Russell and Emanuel Espinosa followed him. While Maui analyzed everything around him, he leaned towards Emanuel and asked:

“Professor, before you left the UN, didn’t you say they were working on some kind of secret weapon program?”

“I did.” Emanuel answered. “It’s called the ‘Prometheus Project’ or ‘Prometheus Program’ depending on who you ask. But the whole project was segmented and compartmentalized. I only knew bits and pieces of it. I can’t even tell you what it’s supposed to be, honestly.”

“But it is a weapon?” Piper said. “You’re sure of that part?”

“I am.” Emanuel sounded confident. “It’s definitely a weapon of some kind. The scale of the project, and the level of secrecy around it is reminiscent of the Manhattan Project from the Old World.”

Piper scratched her head,

“I uh… I’ve never heard of it.”

“About a century before Jericho, the United States invented nuclear weapons.” Emanuel explained. “They called it the Manhattan Project, and it was equally as secret as Prometheus. Nobody knows the full story, only the little pieces of the whole they’re supposed to be working on.”

Maui scanned a nearby building and detected something of interest. As he started walking towards the entrance, he called back to the others:

“Maybe we’re about to find a couple of those pieces for ourselves.”

Maui was staring hard at the digital display on his smart glasses. He followed the pulsing signal through the dark facility, moving slowly and deliberately, constantly turning his head to make sure he was still locked onto the signal. Behind him, Piper asked:

“Hey, Partogan. What are we looking for?”

“My name is Maui.” He replied sternly. “And we’re looking for a Hyperwave Relay. I just picked up its signal. Someone is transmitting a message, I think.”

Maui slowly moved up a staircase and onto the second floor. Behind him, Piper ducked into a security office and came out a moment later, carrying a plasma rifle.

“Just in case.” She said.

Emanuel brought up the rear, unarmed and apprehensive. Maui and Piper had only moved a few feet down the hallway when Maui held up a hand and signaled everyone to stop.

“Second door on my left.” He whispered. “There’s an enemy soldier with a rifle.”

Maui could see him through the wall. The man’s body was generating enough heat to be detected by the smart glasses. Maui lifted his finger and pointed to the exact spot on the wall where the soldier was hidden. Slowly and quietly, Piper raised her rifle and took aim. Maui watched the soldier’s heat signature. He was getting ready to fight, loading his own weapon and preparing to shoot through the wall. Maui nodded at Piper.

Piper’s plasma rifle went off with a cannon blast, shaking the whole building! A ten-foot stretch of wall collapsed, burying the bloody and mangled body of a UN soldier in plaster and metal. As the cavity opened up, Maui, Emanuel, and Piper could get a good view of the object in the next room.

A spherical device, roughly ten feet in diameter, was nestled in metal cradle. As it span counter-clockwise, the device made a humming noise and emitted yellow light. This was a Hyperwave Relay: a wondrous device that made real-time interstellar communication possible.

And it was transmitting.

“Shut it down!” Maui barked.

Piper ran into the room and smashed the butt of her rifle against the power supply box. With a loud clunking sound, the Hyperwave Relay stopped spinning, and the yellow lights went out. Emanuel found a computer terminal and pulled a portable hard drive from an external slot. He examined the drive and said:

“Damn, this thing was jammed in there hard. He must have been desperate to get the data away from us. I’ll bet he was ordered to destroy the drive as soon as the transmission finished.”

Maui snatched the hard drive from Emanuel.

“I’ll take a closer look at this. Maybe the Shadow Man will be interested.”

…

Maui stepped back outside and returned to the Niagara, where Robert Lansing and George Farshtey were still using laptop computers to analyze all of the Intel captured from the Blacksite. Maui asked for Robert to step away from his laptop, and before he started, Maui made sure to disconnect the computer from the Niagara’s radio transmitter. Maui didn’t want to send this data to the Shadow Man until he was sure it was valuable.

Maui plugged the drive into the laptop and found…

Well, he only found three data files. He was expecting far more. They were labelled:

UNN 13th Fleet ORBAT (Planned)
Memo – Doctor Spark
Requested Weapon Test Results

Maui opened the first file. Inside, he found a military document:

United Nations Navy 13th Star Fleet
Order of Battle (ORBAT)
Pending approval from Secretary-General Pascal Etienne

Flagship (Scharnhorst-class Dreadnaught)
- UNS Kurt Waldheim
Super-Capital Ship (Charlemagne-class Battlecruiser)
- UNS Charlemagne
Capital Ship (Korea-class Destroyer)
- UNS Incheon
Production Ship (Jeanne d'Arc-class Fleet Carrier)
- UNS Jeanne d'Arc
Frigate (Mexico-class Frigate)
- UNS Tenochtitlan
- UNS Hidalgo
- UNS Independencia
- UNS Revolución
Special Weapon Delivery Platform (Prophet-Class Command Cruiser)
- UNS Akhenaten
- UNS Confucius
- UNS Zoroaster

Maui frowned as he read the list. Now, he was a Partogan, born and raised halfway across the Galaxy, which meant he did not know the exact details of the Human military. But Maui was fairly certain of one thing: There was no such thing as the 13th Fleet. As far as he knew, the Human race had only ever fielded ten starfleets. Plus, Humans are very superstitious. For reasons Maui did not understand, Humans were simply terrified of the number thirteen. There was no way they would ever append that number to one of their fleets.

Confused, Maui decided to open up the second folder. Inside was an interdepartmental memo, and it said this:

From: Bakir, Rafi
To: Shen, Feng Cai
Re: Special Delivery

We found one! Our deep space probes found a starship with a planet-killing weapon adrift in the Cirban Star System, near the Galactic Core. It is deep inside the territory of the old Kingdom of Partoga. Our shipbreakers confirm the vessel is a Partogan warship.

Scans show this is the Riri Nui-class Planet Killer Crast. The Crast was built in 1925 and saw action during the Levakian Uprising of 1928, where she was attacked and disabled by enemy forces. As best we can tell, the Crast has been drifting and derelict ever since 1928. Nobody has touched this thing in the past 150 years.

The planet-killing weapon is intact. Partogan records indicate this thing was called a “wrath cannon” back in the 1920’s. Etienne dispatched the French Carrier Jeanne d'Arc to salvage the weapon. Sec-Gen told them to deliver the planet-killer straight to the Divine Atelier, so that’s where the planet-killer is going.

I know you’re eager to get started with reverse-engineering the wrath cannon and getting it ready for miniaturization, but you need to know this thing is in bad shape. Whoever attacked the Crast blew away the entire stern of the ship. We can’t find the drive section, bridge, or cannon control room. You’ll have the gun, but we can’t give you the trigger. You’ll have to build a new one.

Also, we carried out the weapon test you requested. The Space Rangers describe your platform as being “high risk, high reward.” The phrase “glass cannon” was also used. See the attached file for a full breakdown.

Best of luck,

Rafi Bakir, United Nations Space Ranger Corps

Okay, now this was interesting. Maui knew all about the Levakian Uprising, it was a crucial event in the history of his own people. He quickly copied all of the data to his own computer. But before he could start transmitting data to the Shadow Man, Maui heard a shout.

Corder and Piper had just emerged from one of the former ADVENT buildings and were screaming for the rest of their teammates to “come here, quick!”

“You’ve gotta see this!” Corder shouted.

Dakota and the Chippewas agreed to guard the prisoners while all six of the Stormbreakers, plus Piper, re-entered the building. Emanuel, George, and Robert followed behind them nervously.

…

Inside, the Stormbreakers and their companions needed only seconds to understand why this place was a Blacksite. Once he was past the lobby, Maui used his smart glasses to scan each room.

“Guys, these are medical operating theatres… I see… surgical beds, and blood on the floor.”

On those words, weapons were drawn. Even tiny little Ninu, riding atop Cetla’s shoulders, gripped a laser pistol tightly in his hands. Maui craned his neck around, scanning the rest of the building. His smart glasses were working so hard that the frame was getting hot on his face. Piper and Corder pushed open a door and pointed inside. Just as Maui predicted, the group found an operating table and surgical tools.

“You can’t see all the blood, it dried out.” Maui reported. “But people died in this room. A lot of people… and none of them were Human.”

“We found this too.” Corder said.

She pointed to a tall an imposing door.

“It’s locked.” Piper said. “I tried to force it, but I think the door is reinforced or something. Your half-Levakian friend says she smells something bad on the other side.”

“Death.” Corder said. “I smell death.”

Maui scanned the door.

“Cetla, Varian, Kingi. Put your shoulders to the door.” Maui ordered. “It’s not as strong as it looks.”

Against the strength of three Stormbreakers, the locked door gave way and crashed off its hinges. The team poured into the next room and gasped.

“What is this?” Ninu breathed. “Some kind of prison?”

That was what it felt like. The Stormbreakers had come upon a long hallway, lined with heavy doors. The team fanned out and were horrified by what they found. The hallway contained thirty prison cells, and each cell door had a small window to look through.

Children.

Alien children.

No fewer than twenty alien children were imprisoned here.

Cetla and Ninu found a Levakian cub, barely alive on the brink of starvation.

Varian discovered a Partogan child, naked and terrified.

Emanuel found a Vanian fledgling, plucked of its feathers.

Piper ran to the far end of the hallway and threw up, unable to handle the horror. Similarly overwhelmed, George Farshtey fell to his knees and started praying to Jericho.

“Open the cells!” Ninu cried out. “We’ve got to save them!”

“Quickly!” Maui added. “Some of these youngsters are dying!”

One by one, Cetla stomped down the hallway, tearing each cell door off its hinges and liberating the occupant. Piper opened the hallway door and guided the alien kids outside.

There were four Partogans, two Amadii, seven Vanians, one Saiiban, one Assurian, two Kelt, two Levakians, and one Hiigaran. All of them were their species’ equivalent of young children. The Vanian, Saiiban, and Assurian captives were bird-like avians, but they were too young to fly. The Kelt were hatchlings, unable to fend for themselves. And finally, the Partogan children were old enough to walk and run, but their jailors were keeping them weak by depriving them of food and clothing.

Once everyone was outside in the sunlight again, Ninu sat down with the alien children and started to talk to them, asking about what was going on. George Farshtey tapped Varian on the shoulder.

“That’s a good decision.” He said. “Ninu is the smallest and least threatening. He’s perfect for interviewing these poor kids.”

“That’s not the reason we let Ninu do the talking.” Varian replied, “He’s is a polyglot. He can speak lots of languages.”

Ninu was in his element. He transitioned between languages flawlessly and without mistakes. He listened to the Levakian cubs intently before he turned his head to let out a series of deep growls in the Assurian tongue. The alien children kept their eyes on Ninu, and he encouraged them to speak one at a time. There was also one particular moment that made Varian feel warm and cozy inside:

Amongst the alien children was a lone member of the Saiiban species. Just like Vanians and Amadii, the Saiiban were an avian race, resembling very large and colorful birds. The Saiiban fledgling rescued from the Blacksite was too young to fly on its own, but it was able to fluently speak its native language, which was very different from the other languages being spoken in the group.

The little Saiiban opened its beak and started to make a fast trilling sound, followed up with a melodic series of whistles. Ninu tapped his foot in rhythm with the young Saiiban, and then he started to make similar noises. After a few moments, Ninu and the fledging were harmonizing with each other, trading bird calls back and forth as though they were singing a duet.

While Ninu interviewed the alien children, Lawrence and Piper ran back to where the Blacksite staff were being held. As soon as the Wolverines and Chippewas learned about the kidnapped alien children, things got unpleasant. Jay, Dakota, Bradley, and Cera all got violent. Striking and cuffing the UN scientists as hard as they could, the Americans demanded to know the full story of what was happening to the young aliens.

Meanwhile, Ninu made some headway with a Partogan child. The boy was five or six years old, but he was able to tell Ninu something very important.

“There are more!” Ninu shouted to his fellow Stormbreakers. “There are more children in the Blacksite!”

“Everyone spread out!” Varian yelled. “Start searching!”

Ninu turned back to the alien child and spoke in near-fluent Partogan:

“Kei hea era atu?” Where are the others?

The boy pointed to the far side of the Blacksite.

“Whakaaturia mai.” Ninu said. Show me.

It was a strange sight, a two-foot tall lizard being led by the hand by a similarly sized child. Ninu followed the boy across the courtyard, between two buildings, and finally to an open field next to the landing pad where the Niagara was idling.

“Kei konei ratou.” Said the boy. They are here.

Ninu looked around. There was nothing here. It was just a field.

For just a moment, Ninu was confused, but his unspoken question was answered a moment later when the Partogan boy knelt down and started scooping dirt in his hands, as though searching for something beneath the surface. Ninu was already cold-blooded, but when he realized the truth, it felt like he fell into an icy pool and sank.

Very few of the enemy survived interrogation.

<=== Chapter 11: The Inner Circle

Chapter 13: Subject Two ===>

Macavity116 · Mar 4, 2022

Happy Friday folks! this chapter is being released a day early because the National Guard continues to be the eternally unpunished thief of my free time.

You all have no idea how much trouble this chapter gave me! It's been re-written four times and I radically changed the ending just one hour before recording the voiceover. Chapter 13 was an absolute nightmare to write and integrate into the rest of the story, but I am so... so happy to finally release this thing and put it behind me.

In other news, there are a few Easter Eggs hidden away in this week's update:

A new character will be appearing this week. "Polly Spark" is a callback to a story I told in the One Million Word Special back in All Our Sins Remembered. If you weren't present for that moment, here's a refresher: Akira "Paradox" Robinson, the main villain of the Stormbreaker Universe, is very heavily based on Polly Spark, (pictured below) a character from the 1997 children's computer game JumpStart Adventures 3rd Grade: Mystery Mountain. It was inevitable that Polly herself would somehow appear in the story.

The song lyrics you see in the second half of the chapter are from the indie song "Sail Away" by Koethe. A personal favorite of mine.

Near the end of the chapter, Polly is unable to pronounce the name of a small town in Michigan, specifically the town our heroes visited in Chapter 7: Emerald Avatar. The town in question is actually my hometown, and the mispronunciation is a local running joke here. Has been ever since that day when a US President misspelled the town's name in an official statement, leading to news agencies mispronouncing it. It was a whole thing.

<=== Chapter 12: We're Hunting Monsters Tonight

Chapter 14: The Man in the Shadows ===>

Chapter 13
Subject Two

“It’s okay. You can say it.”

“No… that would be rude.”

“But you want to say it. Just get it over with.”

“Uh… fine. Your glasses… are… HUGE!”

Doctor Polly Spark leaned back in her chair and laughed.

“Like’em? Vasquez built them especially for me.”

Inez was sitting across from Doctor Polly Spark in her office. It was similar to the way Inez had left it five years ago, when Polly was her tutor. The only real difference was the addition of a graduation certificate from Yutaka Yamamoto University, framed on the wall above Polly’s head.

Polly took off her oversized round glasses and showed them to Inez. Concealed within the thick rims and arms was the tiniest computer Inez had ever seen, and a digital heads-up-display could be seen in the lenses. Polly returned her smart glasses to her face and rested her chin in her hands. The glasses were so large they seemed to cover the upper half of her face.

“Nezzie, you really have not changed a bit.” Polly said. “Ever thought about trying to tame that tangle you call your hair?”

“Don’t call me Nezzie. And aren’t you a bit old for pigtails?” Inez shot back, pointing at Polly’s hair. “Last time we met, you were my tutor, and I was too young to drive.”

“Who said I’m not your tutor anymore?” Polly said. “Director wants me to bring you into Prometheus, and that means I’ve gotta teach you about a lot of new stuff.”

“I just wanted to see Cassandra.” Inez replied. “I’m still really worried about her.”

Polly stood up and grabbed a tablet computer from her desk.

“We’ll get to that, newbie.” Polly told her. “But first, there’s a lot I’ve gotta show you before I can take you to see Subject Two.”

…

April 11, 2086
Bannack, Montana

Polly and Inez made their way to the central elevator and started the trip down to the lower levels of Bannack Base.

“Project Prometheus is a very large operation with a lot of moving parts.” Polly explained. “Director Freeman showed you the prototype engine, but there’s so much more than that.”

“Mom said we could regenerate Psionic energy with the engine.” Inez said.

“That’s the ultimate goal.” Polly replied. “But the prototype engine here in Bannack is too small to get the job done. The full-sized engine at the Divine Atelier should be able to do it, though.”

“Where is-” Inez started to ask, but before she could finish, the elevator doors opened and a third person stepped inside.

David Sepulveda reached out to push one of the buttons, but stopped when he realized Polly and Inez were going to the same place he was. So instead he turned to talk to them as the elevator door slid shut.

“Good to see you, Doctor.” David said. “You too, Inez. I look forward to working with you.”

Inez felt a chill run up her spine. She could tell that David was looking her up and down, and that he, like Inez, was thinking about their encounter at the Victory Day Dance five years ago. Her mind filling with bad memories, Inez shrank away from David. She kept her eyes on Polly, trying to signal that she was feeling uncomfortable. Polly missed the signal completely, instead trying to introduce David as though Inez had never met him before:

“This is Central Officer Sepulveda.” Polly said, “He’s from a branch of the UN military called XCOM. He’s taking the lead on the weaponization aspects of Prometheus.”

“It’s okay, Doctor Spark.” David said. “We’ve met before.”

At that moment, the elevator doors opened. They had arrived on Level Seven, near the bottom of Bannack Base. As the trio stepped off the elevator, Inez tried to put as much distance between herself and David as possible, but he tapped her on the shoulder and asked her to wait for just a moment.

Terrified, Inez kept her arms close and she hunched over a little, preparing to run. But she was completely caught off-guard by what David said next:

“Agent Espinosa… I owe you an apology.”

David kept his face relaxed and his eyes locked on Inez, and gestured with an open palm as he spoke.

“That night at the Victory Day Dance, I mistreated you, badly. I hurt you because I was selfish, and that is no excuse. You have every right to be angry with me. I regret what I did to you every day, and I’m sorry. I will never do that again, to anyone, including you.”

Inez said nothing. She was stunned and a little shocked by the sudden apology. Polly just stared at the two of them, slowly realizing that she was missing some important context. Finally, the bespectacled scientist reached out and grabbed Inez by the shoulder.

“Whenever you’re ready, Agent Espinosa.”

Rattled back into action, Inez gave David an awkward nod and moved to follow Polly deeper into the facility. David followed them for a short distance, but when the hallway branched into three separate paths, he vanished down a different corridor and was gone.

“Alright, Agent.” Polly said. “Tell me, what do you know about the AVATAR Project?”

Inez was not expecting the question, and she stumbled over her words while trying to look at the many closed doors on either side of the hallway.

“Well, uh, I know it was a secret project by the old ADVENT Regime.” She said. “The aliens wanted to find Humans who were sensitive to Psionic energy, and they used the sensitive folks to build a new life-form, the Avatar. Tens of thousands of people died just to make one.”

Polly waived a hand dismissively and opened a set of double doors.

“What matters is that you understand the concept of Psionic Sensitivity. That is the starting point for what we are doing down here. Take a look.”

Inez and Polly had arrived at what must be the central hub of whatever was happening down here. Quickly, Inez realized that she had walked through an underground office complex that was situated between the elevator and this place.

A cafeteria, even bigger than the one Inez dined at five stories up, was carved out of an underground cavern. Long tables stood in six rows, while an opening in the rock wall led to the kitchens. Doorways and archways provided an extra seven entrances and exits to the place, but it was not the curious layout that caught Inez’s attention; rather it was the people eating breakfast at the long tables.

Aliens.

About five hundred aliens were all eating or drinking various things Inez did not recognize. Inez was shocked to see that nearly every spacefaring species in the Galaxy was represented here, from the Humanlike Hiigarans, Taiidani, and Partogans to the slightly more recognizable species like Kelt, Vanians, and Assurians. Inez could see freakishly strange aliens like the rocky Praku, amphibious Vaygr, and nigh-incomprehensible silacoid life forms. Finally. Inez spotted a table populated by aliens who came from the same cabal of species that carried out the 2015 Invasion of Earth: Sectoids, Mutons, Vipers, and even a small Faceless were all shoveling food into their mouths.

Wait a minute…

A small Faceless?

Inez did a double take. She looked at the Faceless on the far side of the room. She knew these slime-covered bipeds could stand nearly twelve feet tall, yet when this particular Faceless was seated, Inez found herself at its eye level. That could not be right.

Polly was standing by the cafeteria door, looking at Inez as though gauging her reaction. Inez looked around the hall again and her mouth fell open.

“Polly…” Inez gasped. “Are these… are they all…”

Polly did not answer, and that was confirmation enough. Inez could work out the truth for herself. At the table closest to her was a group of avians. These birdlike aliens hailed from three different species: the Vanians, Amadii, and Saiiban. All of the birds squawked and honked at each other as they pecked away at their breakfast, and there was one thing they all had in common: they still had the fluffy, downy feathers of a bird that hatched only a short time ago. The Saiiban fledglings were singing in very high-pitched voices, and their feathers were soft and downy. These aliens were juveniles.

Inez looked from Levakian cubs to Kelt hatchlings before gazing, open-mouthed at Polly. A Neonate Viper, no more than three feet long, slithered along the floor between Polly’s feet before curling up underneath a space heater on the far side of the room. The young Viper, like every other alien in the room, was dressed in a grey jumpsuit that looked like the sort of things a person would wear in a maximum security prison. Each alien had a four-digit number sewn onto the right sleeve of his or her uniform, or on the front of whatever passed for the chest.

“They’re all children!” Inez said. “Alien kids!”

“Yes, they are.” Polly replied coolly.

“But… where are they coming from!?” Inez pressed.

“We have ways.” Polly replied in a noncommittal tone. “If there’s one thing the other species of the Galaxy can do right, its keeping us well supplied with new subjects to test. Quite a few of them have demonstrated Psionic potential, but so far no one has been able to surpass the performance of Subject Two.”

Polly pointed towards the furthest, most distant corner of the room. Here, Inez saw about fifty alien children all gathered in a group. They were cheering and clapping at something they clearly found wonderful. Polly signaled Inez to follow.

Pushing on little heads and shoulders, Inez waded into the group of children, craning her neck to see what had drawn their attention. In the center of the semicircle, Inez spotted a familiar face.

It was Cassandra! Like the others, she was wearing the same prisoner’s garb as everyone else, with the number “0002” embroidered on her sleeve. Compared with the last time Inez had seen her, Cassandra looked noticeably different. Cassandra had lost some of her color. She looked pale and skinny, even more so than previously. Also, Cassandra’s hair, once long enough to touch her waist, had been cut short. Now Cassandra’s black hair barely reached her shoulders, and she had one bald spot on the right side of her head, covered up with a thick bandage that could only be explained by recent brain surgery.

Yet, Cassandra was clearly having fun. A very young Saiiban with colorful plumage was sitting on her shoulder, singing a cheerful tune. Humming in time with her avian companion, Cassandra was dancing along with the music. Cassandra twirled in place and shot green sparks from her hands, which flew into the air and snapped like tiny fireworks, showering the space around her with twinkling green lights. Levakian cubs swatted at the falling sparks while Amadii and Vanians were transfixed by the light show. A Partogan boy was dancing as well, pretending to do the same thing as Cassandra.

Lost in the joyful oblivion, Cassandra stood up on her tip-toes and twirled like an Old World ballerina. A constellation of emerald sparks spun away from her waist like the folds of a skirt before settling gently to the ground. A group of juvenile Vaygr reached out to catch the flickering green lights in their slimy graspers before they went out.

Inez found herself feeling very conflicted. On the one hand, she was filled with immense joy for Cassandra. Seeing the little girl happy after everything that happened earlier took a huge load off Inez’s shoulders. She had been worried about Cassandra ever since that night in Michigan…

But…

She still could not forget the other side of Cassandra, the terrifying specter of violence and flame, which emerged at the very moment Cassandra realized she was being abducted. Instinctively, Inez reached up to feel the sore patches of skin on her face and neck. The burns were gone, thanks to a little in-house Gene Therapy, but Inez could still feel a twinge of pain as she thought back to that night.

To her left, Polly began to applaud loudly.

“Beautiful, Subject Two, so beautiful.” Polly said to Cassandra. “Your talents are the pride and joy of Bannack!”

The show ended abruptly. All of the sparkling lights around Cassandra went out as though someone had thrown a blanket over the whole scene. Cassandra looked at Polly, and Inez saw the little girl shrink backwards. Cassandra was clearly frightened of Polly. But then, Cassandra spotted Inez.

Like a bullet from a gun, Cassandra shot through the crowd of children towards Inez and wrapped around her in the biggest hug such a small child can possibly give.

“Nezzie!” Cassandra cried out. “It’s you! You came back!”

Inez opened her mouth to voice her usual complaint, but thought better of it. Instead, she returned Cassandra’s hug and said:

“I’m so happy to see you. I was worried after you… well; I didn’t know what happened to you.”

“The good news is,” Polly interrupted. “Subject Two is fine now. Isn’t that right? You have been taking your medicine?”

Cassandra nodded obediently.

“Two pills with breakfast, just like you said.” She replied.

“Good.” Polly said. “We can get started then. Subject Two, Agent Espinosa, follow me please.”

…

Inez was back to feeling nervous. She followed along behind Cassandra as Polly escorted them to a complex of rooms built right next door to the children’s quarters.

“This is a pediatric Gene Therapy Clinic.” Polly explained.

“I come here all the time.” Cassandra said energetically. “Did you ever come here, Nezzie?”

“No.” Inez replied. “I didn’t.”

Cassandra was holding onto Inez’s hand as the trio entered the clinic. Nobody at reception said anything to Polly. They saw her and pushed a button to unlock the doors. Polly led the pair into a small waiting room, filled with children’s toys.

Cassandra let go of Inez and set about brushing the fur of a very large stuffed animal in the corner. Meanwhile, Polly pushed a button on the intercom by the door.

“Subject Two is here early today. Agent Espinosa will be joining us for today’s test.”

A voice replied through the speaker.

“Go to the observation deck. We’ll get everything ready in here.”

Inez was alarmed at being made to separate from Cassandra so soon after reuniting with her, but Polly gave Inez one of those stern looks she’d never been able to resist as a child. Cassandra whimpered when she saw Inez and Polly leaving, but Inez quickly said to her:

“I’m not going far. I’ll be back.”

…

The observation deck’s name betrayed its true nature. Looking around, Inez realized Polly had brought her to a reinforced underground bunker. One far wall was made entirely out of bulletproof glass, allowing the people in the observation deck to look down at a small nondescript chamber that contained nothing except a single metal chair, which was bolted to the floor. Computers and tables strewn with paperwork told Inez that this was the place she’d heard so much about during her childhood.

“I heard about this room when I was a kid.” She said aloud.

Polly shrugged as though this was not supposed to be a secret.

“Not surprised.” She said. “We conducted some of our more dangerous experiments in this pit. I’m sure you were shaken awake by the work we do down here more than once. Your moth- I mean, the Director has given us permission to let you into the work now, since you’ve developed something of a relationship with Subject Two.”

Inez was starting to feel sick. She regretted leaving Cassandra alone in that room.

“And what work, exactly, are you talking about?” She asked.

The doors to the observation deck opened again and a group of scientists came in. A few of them greeted Polly before setting up at the workstations around the deck. One of the scientists stared down into the chamber below, then snatched a quick glance at Inez. With a lurch of the stomach, she realized this man was yet another one of her former clients from Binary Fusion.

Just how many people in Bannack Base had paid Inez for a roll in the hay?

A voice spoke over the intercom.

“This is Doctor Shen, calling observation team. Central Officer Sepulveda is ready to begin. Subject Two will enter the chamber from the south door.”

Inez felt a sinking feeling in her gut. She knew what was going on now. She was going to witness one of the many tests and experiments Cassandra was being subjected to.

Down below, in full view of the people in the observation deck, a door opened and two people entered. Cassandra was pushed into the chamber by a tall man dressed from head to foot in a suit made of fireproof materiel. Keeping the visor down, the man guided Cassandra to the simple metal chair in the middle of the room. He must have been wired up with a microphone, because his voice was being piped into the observation deck for everyone to hear:

“Now you sit in this chair, and we’ll get started.” Doctor Shen said.

“No!” Cassandra protested. “Every time I sit in that thing, bad stuff happens! I don’t wanna!”

Cassandra started pulling away from Doctor Shen, trying to escape. The man grabbed Cassandra by the wrist and started strong-arming her toward the chair. Inez whimpered.

“Hey, Polly.” She whispered. “Is all this necessary? We’re scaring her.”

Polly narrowed her eyes at the scene playing out below, then she said:

“Espinosa’s right.”

Polly keyed the intercom and spoke, her voice piped into the test chamber.

“Shen, hold on for just a moment, okay?”

Doctor Shen stopped trying to force Cassandra into the chair, both he and the girl looked up at the glass windows of the observation deck. Inez breathed a sigh of relief. She did not want to watch Cassandra be tormented. She started to think that she might be able to convince Polly and the others to treat Cassandra and the other children more gently.

Yeah! Now that Inez thought about it, this might just be the reason why her father had fallen out with Scarlett. In her mind, Inez thought this made sense. Cassandra was being treated badly, and maybe Inez could find a way to change that.

This fantasy flourished in Inez’s mind for about two seconds, and then Polly swiftly destroyed it:

“Nezzie, Cassandra listens to you. Tell her to get in the chair.”

Inez was struck dumb by this demand. She just stared at Polly. Around her, nearly two dozen scientists were staring at Inez and gesturing at her as if to say, “Hurry up already.”

“Subject Two always gives us trouble at the start of these procedures.” Polly complained. “But we know she trusts you, so tell her she’s going to be fine, but first she needs to get in the chair and let Shen wire her up.”

“But…” Inez stammered. “But…”

She was trying to think of a way to get out of doing this, but her will was being worn down by the intense stares of everybody around her.

“Get on with it already.” A scientist grumbled. “We’re on a tight schedule!”

“The boys in the radiology lab get to have Subject Two later tonight.” Complained another researcher. “Can we move this along while we’ve actually got her to ourselves?”

“Do it!” Polly growled.

It was an order, not a suggestion.

Giving in to the pressure from everyone around her, Inez leaned forward and spoke into the microphone:

“Cassandra… hey. It’s Inez. We just want to do some simple tests, okay? You’re going to be fine, but we’ve gotta get this over with, understand. Please sit in the chair and let the good doctor wire you up, alright? It’s gonna be okay, I’m right here on the other side of the glass. You’ll be just fine.”

Through the glass, Inez watched Cassandra for a moment. The little girl nodded and finally stopped resisting. She held still as Doctor Shen used leather straps to bind Cassandra, pinning her hands to the armrests and tying her legs to the chair itself. To her left, Inez noticed out the corner of her eye that she was being stared at. Under her breath, Polly mumbled:

“Incredible, Director Freeman was right about her.”

Finally, Doctor Shen left the room. The last words he said on his way out the door was:

“We’re set up. She’s all yours.”

Polly turned her head towards the other scientists in the room and said:

“Central Officer Sepulveda has entered the test chamber. First test will commence at 10:30 in the morning, mountain standard time.”

Polly pushed a chair over to Inez.

“Take a seat.” Polly’s voice was now filled with excitement, as though she had been waiting for this day to come. “I’ll have your next instructions in a minute. Just sit here and wait.”

Inez did not sit down. She was wrestling with several impulses. She wanted to smash her way through the glass and wrench Cassandra out of whatever terror Inez had unwittingly sentenced her to. But before she could decide what to do, the door opened and someone else entered the observation deck.

“Shame on you Polly for starting without us.” Scarlett Freeman said. “You know how much the three of us wanted to see a full demonstration.”

Scarlett entered the room with two other people by her side. UN Admiral Ingrid Tsiajotso was leading Secretary-General Pascal Etienne by the arm. The Admiral talked in Pascal’s ear, giving him a detailed description of the room and the people in it. The UN leader himself was holding a cane in one hand, and was using it to feel his surroundings.

“Your daughter is acclimating well.” Polly said. “She helped us get the experiment off the ground.”

As Scarlett took the open chair, she looked at Inez and said:

“Excellent, Inez! Thank you. We were in quite a rut thanks to your father, but we now have a path forward again.”

Then Scarlett turned to speak to the UN Secretary-General.

“Director Freeman, are you confident that you will be able to do this safely?” Pascal asked. “We cannot replace the girl quickly, you know.”

“We’ve accounted for that.” Scarlett replied. “Inez, dear. I think Doctor Spark is ready for you.”

Polly addressed Inez:

“Subject Two clearly trusts you. She’s spoken about you a few times already. All we need you to do is keep her calm and docile. Just keep talking to her.”

Inez was frozen in fear. She knew exactly what was going to happen, and so… apparently… did everyone else. Scarlett, Pascal, and Ingrid were all staring at her expectantly.

Inside the testing chamber, David Sepulveda, similarly dressed in flame-retardant clothing, was approaching the now-restrained Cassandra.

In his right hand, David was carrying the end of a long plastic tube that coiled like a snake behind him. Cassandra saw this and started to squirm uncomfortably in her restraints.

“Is there any danger to us?” Pascal Etienne asked. “I’ve been told about what happens if this girl looses control.”

“No sir.” Scarlett replied. “No danger at all. These bunkers were designed to withstand nuclear explosions.”

Polly passed a microphone to Inez.

“Sepulveda’s about to get started.” Polly said. Just keep the girl calm.”

Inez opened her mouth to speak, and at first, her voice cracked.

“Cass, it’s Nezzie. Can you hear me?”

Cassandra stopped struggling and looked around, trying to see where Inez’s voice was coming from.

“David’s not gonna hurt you.” Inez said. “You’re going to be just fine, okay. Listen to my voice, just listen to me.”

Inez knew she needed to keep talking, but she was drawing a complete blank on what to say. Inside the test chamber, Cassandra was looking back at David, and she, like Inez, had just realized the long tube had a syringe at the end. Cassandra took one look at the needle and started to moan and squirm.

“No, no no!” Inez said into the microphone. She was thinking fast, desperately trying to find something to say. “Listen to me, Cassandra. I… I’m gonna sing you a song.”

Inez remembered how Cassandra had danced along to the Saiiban’s music earlier and she clutched onto that thought. She desperately wished she had her guitar, but it was probably collecting dust in her old Detroit apartment. Instead, Inez started to sing off the cuff, reciting a very old tune that came from the Old World:

“Sail on after me love
Will you sail on after me?
Will you fight the waves of oceans?
Will you still believe?”

The effect was immediate. Cassandra stopped squirming, she was focused on the music coming from above. Moving as slowly as he could, David started to insert the syringe into Cassandra’s forearm. Inez distracted her by continuing to sing:

“When I say hold up now
Will you stand against the breeze?
Will you stand tall and surrender none to me?”

On the floor, the entire plastic tube lit up as though it was a neon light fixture, glowing with a brilliant shade of bright green light. David waved to the observation deck. Cassandra was tapping her foot in time with the music, and Polly gave Inez a hand signal that said: “Keep going!”

All of the scientists in the observation deck were frantically taking readings and making notes. Scarlett looked at a series of computer screens and gasped:

“The power!”

At Polly’s request, Inez continued to sing. She launched into the chorus, picking up the tempo a little to hold Cassandra’s interest:

“You say I’ll never fall from grace
You know I’ll never call your bluff
You know I’ll never see your face
And say it's not enough
You know that its a long way down
You know I may not come around
You know that we're a far way now
To where were coming from
What have we become?”

“Director!” Polly called out. “I think we’ve seen enough!”

Inez stopped singing right away. She couldn’t help but notice that everybody in the room seemed to have been effected by her singing. A few noses sniffled, and there were tears running down Pascal Etienne’s face. Everybody in the room except for Scarlett had been moved on some level.

“Quite right.” Scarlett spoke in an unnaturally calm voice. “It’s time to stop.”

Inez heard a clatter of noise. Two XCOM soldiers stepped into the test chamber below. Inez could see they were armed with Arc Throwers, a non-lethal energy pistol that was normally carried by police officers. From somewhere deep in the base, there was a loud clunking sound. At once, the glowing green light in the tube faded away. Once it was out, David removed the syringe from Cassandra’s arm.

“This has got to be the easiest test we’ve ever had.” David said aloud. “Director, we really should have paired Espinosa and Subject Two a lot sooner.

“I agree.” Scarlett said. “Take S2 back to her cell… oh, and just to be safe… knock her out.”

“Yes ma’am!” Replied a soldier. “Setting Arc Thrower to 1.21 gigawatts.”

“What!?” Inez screamed, but it was too late. One of the XCOM soldiers raised his Arc Thrower, aiming directly at Cassandra’s chest. There was a blinding white light and a painfully loud crack, as though a bolt of lightning had just struck the room. Inez blinked furiously until her eyesight returned a moment later.

Cassandra was slumped over in her chair, unconscious.

For a moment, there was silence. Well, Inez could not be sure that it was actual silence, since her ears were ringing. But after a moment, Inez regained her senses and heard this conversation between Scarlett and Polly:

“Wow. Look at these numbers.” Scarlett was saying. “Just… wow!”

“You can say that twice.” Polly laughed. “How about we do the next test above ground, Director. Just in case Subject Two pops off again like she did in… oh, what was that town called again? Oh-sow-wow? Oh-wah-suh? Oh-woah-soo? Whatever, that little backwater in Michigan.”

“Are you kidding!?” Scarlett sounded like a kid on her own birthday. “Package Subject Two for transport, right now. She’s going to the Divine Atelier tonight!”

<=== Chapter 12: We're Hunting Monsters Tonight

Chapter 14: The Man in the Shadows ===>

Macavity116 · Mar 12, 2022

<=== Chapter 13: Subject Two

Chapter 15: The Divine Atelier ===>

Chapter 14
The Man in the Shadows

April 11, 2086
Bozeman, Montana

The Stormbreakers were waiting. Varian, Corder, Cetla, and Kingi looked down on a lonely mountain road from their vantage points atop rocky hills. High above, the Niagara circled like a hawk. Ninu and Maui sat in the cockpit while in the crew compartment; a heated discussion carried on.

George Farshtey and Robert Lansing were trying to convince the four Wolverines to join in their upcoming escapade. So far, Lawrence and Cera were on board, while Piper and Jay were holding out.

“This isn’t like two years ago!” Jay was saying. “I’ve got a family now! My husband damn near flipped his lid when I vanished for a week only to come home with a bunch of new scars. And what about Milo? The kid’s only two, I need to be there for him!”

Robert paced up and down the fuselage, struggling to find the most convincing argument.

“Look, Jay.” He said. “I’m not asking you to go to war again. You’ve paid those dues already. But the Professor’s daughter needs help right now. Jericho only knows what’s happened to her since we lost her.”

Robert folded his arms and gave his son a look.

“When was the last time you went home, Jay?”

“About three days ago.” Jay replied.

“And did you see the people I paid to guard your house?” Robert asked.

“The mercenaries? Yeah I did.”

“Well, those mercenaries are from the same group Varian is meeting today. You can trust me, son. Anthony and Milo are going to be perfectly safe if you come with us for another couple of days.”

At this, Piper scoffed.

“Shrike? Really?”

Everyone looked at her. Lawrence raised an eyebrow.

“You, uh… you know these guys?”

“Yeah.” Piper said, her arms folded. “Shrike is bad news. You’ve seen them before Jay, when the fighting was hot.”

When nobody spoke, she went on.

“Shrike is a splinter group. They were founded by a bunch of XCOM soldiers who hated the UN’s decision to make peace and alliances with alien races instead of conquering them. They ran wild all over the Earth for a few years after the Second Hyperspace War, but in the last ten years or so... they’ve kinda taken a turn. They started hoarding weapons and ammo, and building tunnel networks around their bases. Also, they destroyed all of their androids and hired people to replace them.”

“That must have been expensive.” George grumbled.

“They’ve been offering their services to just about everyone to pay for it all.” Piper explained. “Lawrence, I know you remember fighting Shrike before. Remember Mount Pleasant? Those guys who rolled up our flanks and killed Abby? They were Shrike. General Jackson paid them off.”

Cera winced. Lawrence looked over at her in concern. Two years ago, Lawrence had personally murdered the warlord Jackson after learning he was involved in the death of Cera’s younger sister. To this day, Lawrence and Cera still had trouble looking one another in the eye.

“Cera… are you okay?” Lawrence started to ask.

“What does it matter?” Cera cut him off. “Shrike didn’t kill Abby. Jackson did.”

Piper pressed on.

“About four months later, I hired Shrike.” She confessed. “That’s why they brought a hijacked supply train to your base and left it there.”

“Huh.” Jay said. “So these guys aren’t too attached to whoever hires them?”

“They’re mercenaries.” Piper said. “They’ll fight for whoever’s got Credits. After that, they don’t really do loyalties.”

…

Down below on the ground, Corder saw movement. Her lion-like reflexes took over, and she hunched to the ground. Her eyes and ears focused on a distant point, over the crest of the next hill. Gazing through her rifle-scope, Corder spotted an armored vehicle snaking its way through a valley. She checked her watch and then spoke into her radio.

“Coming straight to you, Aeneas. And they’re right on schedule.”

The lone vehicle traveled for another mile through the valley before coming to a stop in front of a fork in the road. The doors swung open and four men got out. They were all wearing plated armor, with hoods and masks that obscured their faces. Each man carried a magnetic rifle. The apparent leader of the group stepped towards a copse of trees, just to one side of the road.

“Well? You called for Sovereign, and I have come.” The man shouted. “Show yourself!”

With a soft rustle, Varian stepped out of the foliage. He (or she) kept their plasma rifle at the low ready.

“Stormbreaker.” Sovereign said. “How I hoped we would have the chance to meet. You see, you and I are alike. We both know of a greater threat, that the conflicts around us are part of a deeper whole.”

“How would you like to strike a blow against that greater threat?” Varian asked. “We’ve got a situation in Bannack that requires some serious muscle.”

“Bannack, the place where Pascal Etienne does research forbidden by UN law.” Sovereign mused. “Their work is an affront to Human decency, and actively contributes to the disaster we have seen coming. But…”

Sovereign held up a hand to stop Varian interrupting.

“Bannack is no soft target. We will require great compensation.”

Varian hung their rifle from a shoulder strap and produced a tablet computer. Sovereign reached out to one of his bodyguards and traded his own weapon for a tablet.

“Large transactions of money can be traced.” Varian said. “Do you have any contacts with Pactical Industries? We can use them as a go-between since they’re on another planet.”

“I have such contacts.” Sovereign confirmed. “I demand seven million UN Credits, all in advance.”

Varian narrowed her (or his) eyes at Sovereign.

“Two million Credits up front” Varian offered. “Plus you’ll get fifteen million when I confirm our target has been rescued from Bannack.”

Sovereign and Varian stared at one another for almost a full minute. It was a very tense minute, too. Finally, just before Varian started to sweat, Sovereign said:

“Very well. You’ve bought yourself a battle.”

…

April 12, 2086
Twin Bridges, Montana

With a great deal of rumbling and thundering, a convoy of armored vehicles rolled down the battered track that used to be a highway. Infantry fighting vehicles, bristling with weapons, took the lead while trucks laden with soldiers followed behind. One vehicle, an armored truck, had two flags flying proudly on top of it. The first flag was a large banner with thirteen red and white stripes running from left to right, while the upper left corner was adorned with a blue field that contained fifty-one white stars. The second flag was a blood red banner with a blue and yellow coat of arms in the center, while the words “Salish” and “Kootenai” adorned the flag in black letters.

This was a mechanized company of American soldiers.

The convoy pressed on until the road curved up, following the contour of a hill. Coming to a stop just before the hilltop, an officer with a large bushy beard disembarked from his truck and walked toward the group of people waiting for him.

Varian, Corder, Kingi, and Cetla were already here, waiting for the Americans alongside some twenty members of Shrike, including Sovereign himself. The American warlord shook hands with Varian and introduced himself.

“General Osmer, United States Army. I guess you’re going to be our dancing partner today?”

“Yes, sir.” Varian replied. “We need to take Bannack by storm; can your men get it done?”

“Honestly, we were hoping we could just burn that place to the ground.” General Osmer replied. “I had to leave most of my men in Virginia just to get here.”

“How many soldiers did you bring?” Sovereign asked. “And can they take that base?”

“I had to leave the bulk of my forces in Virginia.” General Osmer reiterated. “But I did bring along a trusted ally, and he was able to fish up some firepower.”

An American officer stepped forward and rendered a crisp salute. Just like General Osmer, this man was one of the many warlords who operated semi-independently from the rival American governments.

“Colonel Mason Sharp, Salish and Kootenai Tribal Confederation.”

The Colonel took a deep breath.

“Phew, that’s a mouthful.”

“I know you.” Varian said. “You’re the Warlord who raided Missoula a few weeks ago. Did you really chase Commander Fontes and his men all the way to Idaho?”

Colonel Sharp rolled his eyes.

“I prefer the title “Representative. The Tribal Confederation elected me to talk for them, after all.” He said. “And for the record, we chased the Boise Boys right into the jaws of the Progeny, all the way over in Hell’s Canyon.”

Varian raised her (or his) eyes at the Colonel.

“So you and your people are Ancient Americans?” Varian asked. “I thought they were extinct.”

“We might as well be.” Colonel Sharp admitted. “Nearly all of the old tribes were wiped out by ADVENT, and the rest have since died out. Niitsitapi, Apsaalooke, Nakoda Dakota, the Little Shell… they’re all gone. What you see here represents all that’s left of the Salish-Kootenai Confederacy.”

Varian and the Stormbreakers looked at the military convoy again. Corder whimpered when she realized less than a quarter of the gathered American soldiers were fully-grown men. The majority of the tribal soldiers were women and teenagers, while a few elderly men and women sat in the back of a truck. It was plainly obvious that every living member of this ancient tribe was right here on this lonely mountain road.

Behind Varian, Ninu sighed.

“I feel so sorry for those people.” Ninu said to Maui. “On my planet, the government has many programs in place to prevent the extinction of ethno-social groups. I’ve heard of this sort of thing happening on other worlds, but never imagined I’d have to witness it.”

“On Aoraki, we call it ‘going the way of the Snowskin.’” Maui added. “That’s what’s happening to my family, the old Ririnui clan. Not that many of us left, either. Probably the same number as these Americans.”

The Salish-Kootenai tribe added forty rifles to the group, in addition to twenty members of Shrike, six Stormbreakers, and four Wolverines. Seventy people would participate in the assault on Bannack Base.

…

Varian met with Sovereign, General Osmer and Colonel Sharp to plan the attack. Emanuel Espinosa joined them, as he had spent time inside the base and knew its layout very well.

“Bannack Base extends eight levels below ground.” Emanuel said. “And at any moment, there are about twenty members of the UN military inside, plus about a hundred military androids.”

“We won’t have the advantage of numbers today.” General Osmer said. “How do we storm this place?”

“We don’t have to. They’ll come out to us.” Emanuel replied. “Look here.”

Emanuel knelt down and started to draw a map in the dirt with his finger.

“Bannack Base is entirely underground, and we can use that to our advantage.” Emanuel began. “There are only two entrances: there’s an industrial elevator concealed inside of Meade’s Hotel, next to Hangman’s Gulch. There’s also a pedestrian entrance right here where Grasshopper Creek curves to the North. It’s going to look like the entrance to an ancient gold mine, but you can just walk into the base through there.”

“My people will dynamite the mine entrance.” Colonel Sharp said. “That will force the defenders up through the elevator.”

“You need to post some shooters on this hilltop.” Emanuel added. “There are ventilation shafts up here. That’s how the base gets its air supply, and the shafts have emergency ladders in case of an evacuation.”

“You mentioned androids.” Varian said. “What kind?”

Emanuel looked at Varian with a raised eyebrow and the Stormbreaker replied:

“The UN inherited a whole army of robotic combat units from the ADVENT Coalition. Dozens of different types of robots, and some of them are more intelligent than others, depending on their specialization. Trust me; a fight against a MEC Trooper is completely different than a fight against something like a Cyberdisk or a Sectopod or a Codex.”

Emanuel shuddered.

“Well I can guarantee they have MEC Troopers down there. At least a hundred.”

Varian nodded.

“Good. Those things are definitely not sentient. We can hack them. I’ll talk to Maui when we’re done here.”

General Osmer scratched his beard in thought.

“Now what exactly is the plan here? We don’t have enough fighters to hold the ground once we take it. And if the Cheyanne faction finds out what we’re doing here…”

“General, with all due respect,” Colonel Sharp interrupted. “Cheyanne definitely knows we’re here. They have their own recons in the mountains, just like us. If they weren’t mauled by the Progeny, then Fontes and the Boise Boys will be back in these mountains soon, if they aren’t already. A spaceplane and a military convoy will not go unnoticed. Is there any way Columbus can send reinforcements this way?”

“No.” Osmer replied. “We’re too deep inside of Cheyanne’s territory. Plus, the UN Seventh Army is on the other side of the Cascades, just waiting for us to pull Cheyanne’s troops away. This attack needs to be a hit-and-run. As for our objective, our Stormbreaker friend has that answer.”

Varian nodded and pulled two photographs out of their pocket. He (or she) passed them around the group and began to speak.

“These two girls are named Inez Espinosa and Cassandra. No last name for her. They’re being held inside of Bannack Base and rescuing them is our top priority right now. Honestly, this should have been done earlier, but we’ve got our asses in gear now. The plan is simple. We get in, grab the girls, get out. Everyone clear?”

“How do you know the girls are inside the base?” Colonel Sharp asked.

Varian produced a tablet computer and showed the screen to the others. On display was a map of the Bannack Base, complete with a blinking red light, showing Inez Espinosa’s exact location within the base.

“Inez has a tracking chip in her body, courtesy of a Gene Therapy Clinic in Michigan. We compromised the signal, so we can track her location at will.”

“Has she left the base at all?” General Osmer asked.

“Yes.” Varian said with a nod. “She went out on a military gunship, did few a few laps around Virginia, then returned. We can’t take a chance on her flying away and never coming back, because the trackers don’t work when the person is in space. If Nezzie leaves the planet, we’ll never find her again, so we need to rescue her right now, and if we can… we need to rescue Cassandra as well.”

The assembled leaders nodded grimly.

…

April 14, 2086
Bannack, Montana

Everything was set. Just like the Blacksite in Alpena, Bannack Base was slowly and quietly surrounded during the dead of night. Varian personally selected a hilltop for the Stormbreakers to occupy, while General Osmer and the American soldiers took all of the remaining high ground. Colonel Sharp's forces brought a surprise with them, taking the shape of a heavy rail gun, no doubt pulled off a former starship. Towed into position behind a truck, the railgun was pointed directly at the entrance to Bannack Base.

About an hour before sunrise, one of the Ancient Americans, dressed in camouflage fatigues, emerged from the shadows and climbed to meet the Stormbreakers on the high ground. He delivered the following report:

“Something is happening at Bannack. Starships are coming and going from the site in great numbers. Each vessel stays on the landing pad for only a few minutes, where it takes on passengers and cargo before lifting off again.”

Corder flattened her ears.

“Damnit, the jig is up. They must know we're here.”

Varian shook his (or her) head.

“No, hold on a second.” Varian said. “Was the base on alert?”

“No, sir.” The scout replied. “Guards are at a minimum, and most of the base staff are helping load passengers and crew onto their ships.”

Ninu cradled his laser pistol, looking concerned. Finally, he spoke:

“Wait a moment. These passengers being put on the ships. Can you describe them?”

The scout nodded, his eyes gleaming in the darkness.

“Children.” He said. “Alien children. I saw Taiidani, Assurian, Partogan and Hiigarans, boys and girls alike, marching with guns at their backs, chained together by the wrists and ankles. Levakian cubs in cages, Kelt hatchlings in boxes, and so on.”

Cetla spoke in a low rumble:

“Did you see any Human girls? Black hair, pale skin, a little skinny, perhaps malnourished?”

The scout leaned forward and whispered:

“Yes. A small twig of a girl, no older than ten. Short black hair. She was handcuffed, shackled at the ankles, and gagged. She was so restrained you would think she was the most dangerous killer in the whole base.”

“Cassandra.” Kingi breathed. “That’s definitely her.”

“What happened to her?” Ninu asked the scout.

“She was placed aboard a UN starship. It flew Southeast.”

All six of the Stormbreakers forgot to breathe. Finally, Maui said:

“Son of a Kinloka! She’s gone!”

Kingi turned to Varian.

“Quick, check the tracker! Is Nezzie still in the base!?”

Varian quickly whipped out her (or his) tablet computer and fired up the tracking program.

“Shit!” Varian cursed. “She just left the base and she’s walking towards the starship port! She’s gonna leave!”

Varian pointed to the scout.

“Tell the Americans to start the attack right now, we can’t wait any longer.” Then they spoke to the rest of the Stormbreakers. “We’re going in now and we’re gonna raise hell. We have to stop all takeoffs and landings! Ninu, keep the radio close and co-ordinate with the Americans.”

“Yes ma’am! Right away!” the scout said before he ran off to rejoin his comrades.

The team rose to their feet and gathered their weapons.

It was too late to rescue Cassandra, but perhaps they could still save Inez. As the seconds ticked by, all six Stormbreakers readied their weapons for battle. Even little Ninu was ready, gripping a full-sized laser pistol as though it was a rifle.

Just before the first shots were fired, Maui let out a very loud gasp that caused everyone to jump with surprise.

“What!?” Ninu cried out. “What is it!?”

Maui reached up and tapped his smart glasses.

“The Shadow Man is calling. He’s lighting up the Niagara’s Hyperwave Relay.”

“Are you kidding me!?” Varian grumbled. “Didn’t we tell him that we were doing this attack tonight!?”

“Yeah.” Corder replied. “He definitely knows already.”

Maui grimaced. His smart glasses were flickering as the digital screens showed one message after another. Then, Maui actually shouted! He tore off his smart glasses and uttered the single most offensive, mother-of-all-swear words in the Partogan language.

“What is it!?” demanded the other five Stormbreakers.

“Shadow Man just sent a text message to my freaking glasses!” Maui growled. “How the fuck did he figure out how to do that!?”

Corder grabbed Maui and shook him vigorously.

“What did he say, Uplink!?” She demanded.

Maui looked at his teammates.

“The Shadow Man says that we need to call off the assault.”

Without hesitation, Corder turned and loped away toward the American soldiers, yowling at the top her lungs.

“Stop! Call it off! Stop the attack!”

But it was too late.

BOOM!

With a mighty crash, the American railgun opened fire on Bannack Base! The assault had begun. Varian, Cetla, Kingi, and Ninu all looked around frantically. American fighters were advancing toward Bannack, firing laser and plasma weapons toward the UN soldiers in the distance. Maui shook his head.

“Sorry guys… but he’s waiting on us. Espinosa’s already in the Niagara.”

…

With extreme reluctance, the Stormbreakers disengaged from the fight they so desperately wanted to join. All six members of the team withdrew from the scene, falling back to the old Bannack Cemetery, where the Niagara was idling. Professor Espinosa was standing at the bottom of the boarding ramp and waving at the Stormbreakers to approach. Even though all seven people were relatively close to one another, they had to yell because the nearby sounds of gunfire and cannon blasts were overpowering.

“What the hell, Espinosa?” Varian shouted. “We don’t have time for this!”

“Tell that to your boss!” Emanuel answered. “When you guys didn’t answer the Hyperwave, he called one of the American’s phones. Then he called another, then he found Maui’s techno-goggles. Just… just get in the ship already.”

The Stormbreakers, plus Emanuel, boarded the Niagara and closed the boarding hatch, shutting out the noise of the battle outside. Moving quickly, Maui moved to the Hyperwave Terminal in the crew compartment and took the Shadow Man’s call.

“Let’s get this done and over with already.” Corder growled. “We’re gonna lose Nezzie!”

Around the crew compartment, a series of hologram emitters blinked and flickered to life. A dark image, vaguely shaped like a human, materialized in the center of the room. Even though this was a hologram, the person it was supposed to depict was very poorly lit. It was downright impossible to discern what this person looked like, beyond the fact that they were an adult humanoid male.

Emanuel Espinosa had no idea who this person was, so he hung near the back of the group and watched the following discussion play out:

“This is a really bad time, sir!” Cetla began. “This delay is going to cost us dearly.”

“We might lose Espinosa’s daughter because of this.” Corder added.

The Shadow Man shook his head.

“I think that may be for the best.” The Shadow Man said. “The report you submitted from the UN Blacksite in Alpena was very alarming. So much so that I cannot permit you to retrieve the Professor’s daughter at this time.”

“Now hold on a moment!” Varian cut in. “The Professor is right here! Surely he wants his kid back, sir!”

Everyone looked around at Professor Espinosa. He gave the Shadow Man a very nervous look.

“I guess this means you spoke with Mister Ririnui about my… uh… suspicions.”

The Shadow Man nodded. Maui scratched his head.

“Sir… I told you we had no proof. Is this really worth scrubbing the assault?” Maui insisted.

Before the Shadow Man could answer, Ninu interrupted:

“Ririnui, are you keeping a secret from us!?”

The team started talking out of turn. Some wanted to resume the attack on Bannack, others were demanding Maui and Emanuel reveal whatever they were keeping hidden. In the middle of it all, Varian narrowed his (or her) eyes at Emanuel. When Varian spoke, their voice was so stern that everyone fell silent.

“Professor Espinosa, you clearly know more than you’re letting on.” Varian rounded on the hologram of the Shadow Man. “And you have obviously figured something out. So spill.”

There was a moment of relative silence. The dull muted sounds of gunfire could be heard through the Niagara’s fuselage. Kingi stepped toward the boarding hatch and chambered a round in his rotary plasma cannon.

“This had better be good, boss.” Kingi said. “Or I’m gonna go back and help out the Americans.”

The Shadow Man’s face was impossible to see, but his reluctance to speak was palpable. Finally, he spoke:

“When Professor Espinosa joined you in Alpena, he told his story to Maui Ririnui, and Maui relayed the story to me. I cross-referenced his story with the information you gathered over the past two years, and I came to a conclusion.”

“No proof.” Emanuel grumbled. “Even I don’t have proof. Just a sneaking suspicion.”

“Professor, your evidence is circumstantial… but the timing checks out.” Replied the Shadow Man. “I am convinced, and so are my associates. Stormbreakers, you must understand that what I’m about to tell you does not go outside of this starship. This secret has the potential to be very destructive.”

“I’m on my way out the door!” Kingi called out. “Tell us why we should let Espinosa’s daughter stay with the UN!”

“Because it is too late to save her!” The Shadow Man actually raised his voice. “It is beyond too late!”

And then the Shadow Man revealed Emanuel’s secret.

At once, the atmosphere inside the vessel shifted from one of nervous apprehension to one of revulsion and horror. It was as though all six Stormbreakers had been dipped into the vile substance nightmares are made from and then deposited back into the Niagara. Everyone felt nauseous, disgusted, and violated. The knowledge itself was evil, a heinous crime against the sanctity of life, the universe, and everything.

Varian dropped their weapon on the floor. Maui felt a cold sweat running down his face. Ninu pressed the barrel of his laser pistol against his own body, realized his arms were too short to reach the trigger, and then burst into tears. Cetla felt sick and had to sit down, while Corder actually hunched over and vomited, heaving repeatedly until her stomach was empty. Kingi stumbled from shock and had to lean against the wall. Emanuel looked pale.

While he had his suspicions, the thing Emanuel was dreading was finally confirmed.

Then, Kingi rounded on Emanuel.

“You… you!”

“I didn’t know!” Emanuel shouted back. “I swear I didn’t know!”

“Bullshit!” Varian shrieked, their eyes filling with tears. “If there’s really two of them out there, it means you fucked her least twice you sick freak! You knew what you were doing, don’t lie!”

“What were you thinking!?” Corder screamed. “Anything at all!?”

“I didn’t know!” Emanuel insisted. “I swear on my life I didn’t know it was her!”

“Well when did you find out?” Ninu demanded.

“Six months ago.” Emanuel choked. He was starting to cry now. “I thought about… about killing m-… about ending it all.”

“You selfish prick!” Corder snarled. “At least slit the hellspawn’s throats first!”

“DO NOT TALK ABOUT MY DAUGHTERS LIKE THAT!” Emanuel shouted.

…

The screaming and arguing within the Niagara lasted long after the gunfire around Bannack fell silent. Once the confrontation was over, and everybody had lost their voices, the Stormbreakers and Emanuel came to an agreement on three fronts:

First, Inez Espinosa was a lost cause and rescuing her was no longer worth the effort. She would be on her own until the time came when contacting her was actually worth the risk.

Second: Professor Espinosa was much closer to the true purpose of the Prometheus Project than even he realized.

Last, and most importantly: The Stormbreakers were going to need help. It was time to leave Earth and visit a certain ally.

<=== Chapter 13: Subject Two

Chapter 15: The Divine Atelier ===>

Macavity116 · Mar 19, 2022

We've done it, everyone! We've reached the ending of Act One! Thank you so much for reading this far.

Buckle up, everyone. You know how longwinded I get with act breaks. Today's chapter is double the normal length! In fact, this chapter is roughly the same length as the average chapter of Faith in Chaos or The Stormbreakers. Don't believe me? Ask @Nikolai, his (completely justified) complaints about the length of my chapters can be found in many parts of AARland, and they are directly responsible for the soft limit of 4000 words I've been putting on my chapters for the past year or so.

But not today! This chapter is just barely more than 8000 words in length and will probably take an hour to read. Get some hot tea and a blanket folks!

Also, I had some fun with this chapter. If you've read any of my other stories, you know I'm a big fan of the Star Wars movies and I love referencing them wherever possible. Can you spot a line of dialogue I ripped from the Original Trilogy?

And finally, I wanted to pay homage to one particular reader who has left hundreds of comments and questions littered across the Stormbreaker Universe over the years. That's correct, everyone: Chris "History Dude" Wright will be making a guest appearance today! Last seen in My Father's War, this character is named for @HistoryDude, an absolute pillar of AARland. Thanks for your contributions to the Stormbreaker Universe, @HistoryDude!

With that out of the way, let's move on to the main event, the finale of The Last Heroes - Act One: The Divine Atelier!

<=== Chapter 14: The Man in the Shadows

Chapter 16: The War of the Paradox ===>

Chapter 15
The Divine Atelier

April 14, 2086

“The Stormbreakers?” Scarlett said. “Well, that explains a lot. And you said they’re the ones you were travelling with when Yassen and Malachi found you?”

Inez nodded silently.

It had been almost an hour since the narrow escape from Bannack. Inez, Scarlett, David, and several other members of the military were seated together in the galley of a UN frigate. Inez Vasquez and Rafi Bakir were with the group as well, helping the soldiers with their weapons and armor. The starship itself was flying through the uppermost layers of the atmosphere, cutting a path southeast, towards the sunrise.

As the journey carried on, the full story of the sudden attack on Bannack became known to all. Scarlett cursed when she learned the Stormbreakers had not only been part of the attack, but that they had narrowly missed getting a visual on herself and Inez.

Inez was starting to feel tired after her lucky escape, but something was nagging at the back of her mind and she just needed to ask. Taking a deep breath, she said:

“Mom, when I was with the Stormbreakers, they said they were chosen for a special mission, and that I was supposed to be with them… But who chose the new Stormbreakers in the first place? And why did they want me on the team at all?”

Scarlett leaned back in her chair and folded her arms. Letting her chin touch her chest, the spymaster was so deep in thought that Inez did not dare to make sudden or loud noises. Finally, after a few short moments, Scarlett looked up at her daughter again.

“Incredible.” Scarlett replied. “Until this very moment, until you said something, I didn’t realize the Stormbreakers were taking orders from someone. I thought they were acting on their own.”

The other people in the galley started to speak up, all voicing their own opinions on who the secret person behind the Stormbreakers could be.

“It has to be some kind of benefactor.” David mused. “That starship the Stormbreakers use must be expensive to fuel and maintain. Not to mention their weapons. I’ll bet they’ve got a secret bankroller.”

Rafi Bakir stepped forward and voiced his own opinion.

“Director, we should consider the possibility that one of our enemies could be behind this, controlling and commanding the Stormbreakers. Degra Kessick or Blake Robinson or Marka Ranginui.”

At this, Inez found her voice.

“What? No way!” She protested. “The Stormbreakers are heroes!”

Inez knew at once that this was the wrong thing to say. She got dirty looks from several people around the room, including from Rafi Bakir, who said:

“I do hope you’re referring to the original Stormbreakers. Jericho’s allies from the Second Hyperspace War.”

“These new Stormbreakers are just as good as the old ones!” Inez insisted. “You know what I mean; they’re not the bad guys! They saved Cassandra, and they saved me too!”

Rafi gave Inez a stern look and said:

“Taking you away from UN workers who only wanted to help you doesn’t strike me as something the ‘good guys’ would do, Agent Espinosa.”

“Yeah.” Chimed in Inez Vasquez. “Those fighters did a lot of horrible things before they met up with you, Espinosa.”

Inez looked from the others to her mother. Scarlett nodded grimly.

“The people you met, the so-called Stormbreakers, have committed a long list of crimes against the United Nations of Earth. They stole a warship from the UN Navy, attacked and killed countless soldiers and marines. They murdered Jericho’s disciples and desecrated her holy sites. The degenerates who dare to use the name of Jericho’s old team are dangerous and unhinged.”

Inez gave up on trying keeping up a conversation.

Scarlett had failed to answer Inez’s original question. Varian had said Inez was chosen for something? But what?

Inez tried get her mother to talk to her again, but Scarlett had already stood up and was leaving the galley.

“I have to talk to the captain.” Scarlett was speaking to Rafi. “We need to make sure no one is following us to Florida.”

Inez watched her mother leave and hesitated. She wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to follow Scarlett and chase her down. But Inez’s moment of indecision was suddenly ended when somebody grabbed her hand.

“Hey, did the Director ever answer your question?”

It was David Sepulveda. The Central Officer of XCOM was looking at Inez with a quizzical expression. Inez shook her head.

“Figured. She does that.” David replied. “Come on, follow me.”

Pulling Inez by the hand, David led her out of the Galley and into the hallway. They were located along one of the exterior hulls of the frigate, and a window on the right allowed Inez to look out and see that the ship was flying some ten miles above the surface of the Earth. The lights of cities below winked out of the darkness like a starfield, far different in quality than the one above it.

“Director!” David called down the hallway. “Director Freeman, a moment!”

David and Inez ran to catch up with Scarlett, who had turned around and was waiting for them about twenty yards ahead.

“Need something, Central?” Scarlett asked.

“Not me.” David replied. “Ne-, I uh, I mean… Inez wanted to follow-up with you on her first question.”

David let go of Inez’s hand and looked sheepishly at the floor. Inez could tell he was going through quite a lot of emotions. David was waiting for the inevitable outburst from Inez that usually followed the use of a nickname she hated. He was also holding onto hope, hope that he made a good impression on Inez… and all of this under a layer of…

Inez quickly shook her head to clear her thoughts. She should have guessed that David would have feelings for her, and was a little surprised that she failed to notice earlier.

“Uh, anyway. I’ll let you finish your chat.”

David stepped away and back into the galley.

Inez and Scarlett looked at one another for a moment. Scarlett had an annoyed expression on her face, and Inez knew that her mother was irked about being interrupted in the middle of some other task.

“Mom…” Inez began. “When I was with the Stormbreakers, Varian said they were chosen for an important mission, and I was chosen too. I was supposed to be with them. Do you know anything about that?”

The expression on Scarlett’s face went through an incredible change. All traces of annoyance were gone, replaced with a look of barely suppressed triumph. When Scarlett spoke, her voice wavered intensely, a sign of the emotions she was holding back.

“Varian. Did you say… Varian. As in Varian Robinson? Is Varian the one called Uplink?”

Inez shook her head.

“No, Varian is Aeneas.”

She could see, clear as day, that her mother was thinking very fast. Then, without warning, Scarlett lurched forward and grabbed Inez in a very tight hug. Inez let out a little squeak as Scarlett put her into a very affectionate embrace. Then, after a moment, she realized that Scarlett was actually crying.

“Thank you!” Scarlett sobbed. “We suspected, but we never knew. We’ve got a name to a face … and now we’ll get some justice.”

Then Scarlett release Inez and gently held her face in her hands.

“You are the best daughter I ever could have asked for, Inez.” Scarlett breathed. “I love you.”

The sudden outpouring of love and affection coming from her mother overwhelmed Inez, and she leaned forward to return it with interest, hugging Scarlett and whispering.

“I love you too, mom.”

“I never should have sent you away.” Scarlett said. “Because… Varian is right. You were chosen. That’s why I was planning to bring you back to Bannack. And that’s why your dad took Cassandra.”

Inez found herself bursting with new questions.

“Why-” she started to say, but Scarlett interrupted.

“You and Subject Two were selected to play an important part in the Prometheus Project.” Scarlett said. “I can’t really describe it without showing it to you... so that’s what’ll happen when we land.”

Scarlett led Inez up to the bridge, where the Captain and his crew were operating the frigate. While Inez watched, Scarlett ordered the Captain to make sure he reached the “Divine Atelier” as soon as possible. Inez did not ask what the Divine Atelier was. She had a hunch she would find out soon enough. A moment later, Scarlett moved to the Hyperwave Relay terminal and sent a short message. Then Scarlett said to Inez:

“When we get to Florida, you’ll understand everything.”

…

April 15, 2086
Cape Canaveral, Florida

The Frigate slipped below the clouds, descending toward a landmass that jutted out from the eastern coast of Florida. A river and lagoon broke up the region, creating an island with a lengthy cape jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean. Both the island and cape were home to an incredible complex of facilities. Launch and landing pads lined the waterfront while massive warehouses and drydocks accommodated starships the size of small towns. A network of roads crisscrossed the area, with each one being wide enough to accommodate frigate-sized vessels.

Inez had never seen a spaceport in her life, and she kept her face pressed up against a window as the frigate descended, taking in everything there was to see. Even though it was late at night, the Kennedy Space Center was very busy. Starships were coming and going from the facility like bees from a hive, while cars, trucks, busses, and other assorted vehicles clogged the roads below. Out at sea, watercraft plied the ocean waves, moving along the canal to the seaport.

At first, Inez thought she was looking at a spaceport on the outskirts of a large city, then she realized the true nature of this place: Cape Canaveral and the adjacent Kennedy Space Center were in fact, a spaceport the size of a large city. Bigger than Detroit itself.

“Wow.” Inez breathed. “This is incredible.”

“You haven’t seen anything yet.” Scarlett said with a laugh, “Look there, to the north of that small lagoon. Do you see that?”

Inez had to squint her eyes to see what her mother was pointing at. In the darkness, she could just make out a constellation of lights, arranged in a three-by-five grid pattern.

“What’s down there?” Inez asked.

“The very thing you were chosen for.” Scarlett replied. “And the reason why sending you away was the biggest mistake I ever could have made.”

The frigate landed near the center of the spaceport, adjacent to a building that stood nearly five-hundred-feet tall. Inez got a good look at the structure as she stepped off the frigate. Strangely enough, she could see that this giant building had two large doors that were almost as tall as the building itself. Also, there were three symbols that caught Inez’s eye.

First, the UN insignia was covering up a red and black mark on the southwest corner of the building. Inez guessed that the symbol of the old ADVENT regime had been replaced with the UN logo. Additionally, someone had painted over the old NASA logo with a bright blue XCOM shield. Finally, the flag of the International Atomic Energy Agency was flying from a pole on the top of the structure. As soon as her mother debarked, Inez poked her arm, pointed to the building, and asked:

“So, what’s that?”

“A century ago, before the Second Hyperspace War, that was the Vehicle Assembly Building.” Scarlett explained. “It was the nerve center of the spaceport, and the birthplace of some of the very first Human spacecraft. Now, that’s where we build Prometheus Engines. The real, full-sized ones. But that’s not what I want you to see. You need to see what the engine is going to power.”

An armored car pulled up to the landing pad. David Sepulveda opened the rear passenger door and held it for Inez and Scarlett. Once they were both inside, he stepped into the front passenger seat and ordered the driver to head for the Divine Atelier.

“Divine what?” Inez repeated.

“You could call it my personal workshop.” Scarlett replied. “Where the most important of my work is being done; it’s right underneath the drydocks you need to see, and from now on, it’s going to be your home.”

…

The armored car pulled onto a large road named “Kennedy Parkway” and started to drive Northwest. Out of the right window, Inez saw a cove of shallow brown water, dotted with islands covered in wetland flora. To the left, Inez could see a collection of hangar bays, some of which had their doors open. Inside, spacecraft of incredible design were being looked over by crews of engineers.

Then the car pulled off and arrived at its destination. Not waiting for David to open the door, Inez ran out of the car, crossed the parking lot, and grabbed hold of the guardrail to keep herself steady as she took in the incredible sight before her:

Three rectangular holes were carved right into the ground. Each one was roughly four-hundred yards long and nearly a hundred wide. When Inez spotted the cranes, scaffolding, and elevators in each pit, she realized that these were drydocks. In each one, a star cruiser was under construction.

The most remarkable feature of these warships was not their shape or size, but their primary weapon. Inez was by no means an expert on space combat, but even she knew what a Spinal-Mounted Weapon was. Each of these cruisers had a massive and powerful-looking cannon embedded deep within its frame, to the point where Inez could say that the ship was built around the gigantic gun. It was an imposing sight.

Scarlett and David joined Inez, while the driver hung back, leaning against the armored car.

“You’re building these?” Inez asked.

“Not by myself!” Scarlett laughed. “But I am the one who made this happen.”

“What you are looking at is the final word in the history of warfare.” David explained. “The Prophet-Class Command Cruiser!”

“Thanks to the Prometheus Engine,” Scarlett said. “These will be the first warships since Jericho’s Trinity to carry fully operational Psionic weapons.”

Open mouthed, Inez looked back and forth from the star cruisers to her mother and back again. Finally, Inez found her voice.

“Incredible!” she said. “You could stop your enemies cold with those things!”

“Exactly.” Scarlett said. “With the power of the mind unlocked, large-scale pitched battles like the War in Heaven will become a thing of the past. The next enemies of Humankind will be defeated through mass mental manipulation. With just one of these ships, we can drive a million-man army to destroy itself through panic and confusion, or break a nation’s will to fight with but a snap of our fingers. Human supremacy can be achieved without bloodshed.”

Impressed, Inez let out a low whistle.

“And the Prometheus Engine powers the ships?” she asked.

“No, just the weapons.” David corrected her. “The main weapon of the Prophet-class is called the Divine Enforcer. It’s miniaturized Planet Killer tech we lifted off the Partogans.”

“It was a nightmare, figuring out how to shrink a planet-killing weapon to the point where it could be mounted on a cruiser.” Scarlett admitted, “The biggest problem was finding a sufficient source of Psionic energy to power the Divine Enforcer. That’s where the Prometheus Engine comes in, and it’s also where your father left the picture.”

Inez stumbled as a wave of understanding rolled over her.

“Wait a minute… Dad left… he left because the Prometheus Engine…”

“Draws Psionic energy from a living host.” Scarlett finished. “Yes.”

Inez started to say something, but Scarlett continued.

“And you should know, Inez. Emanuel was intimately involved in the creation of the Divine Enforcer. He came up with the original design. He conceived it.”

Mouth dry, Inez said:

“What about Cassandra?”

Scarlett waved a hand dismissively and answered:

“The process is not fatal. Because of the way the Prometheus Engine is designed, hurting or killing the host is counterproductive. Subject Two will be fine, just as you told her she would be.”

Inez gripped the handrail tightly.

“Mom, I really don’t think I’m comfortable doing that to Cassandra.”

“I know.” Scarlett said. “David and I talked it over with Polly after that night on Level Seven. We’ve come up with a solution that we think will be best for everyone.”

Scarlett took Inez by the shoulder and looked her in the eyes.

“Inez. Subject Two landed at the spaceport a little before we did. Now… tell me… Who do you think Subject One was and where are they now?”

Inez’s brain chugged along like an overloaded motor. Try as she might, she could not think of any other person she knew with the Gift.

“It’s Jericho, right?” she guessed.

Scarlett and David both gave each other a knowing look, as though an unspoken message had passed between them.

“If we had the ability to make Jericho stay here and work for us, we’d have done it already.” David said. “She does her own thing, wherever she is.”

Scarlett put both hands on Inez’s shoulders now.

“Listen to me, Inez. When you were younger, did you ever get inside somebody’s head? And I don’t mean just guessing what they were thinking; I mean did you truly understand their every motive and instinct?”

“And did you ever have an effect or influence on someone that couldn’t be explained by logic?” David added. “Besides my stupid teenage self, of course.”

Inez finally realized what her mother was insinuating.

“Wait… You think I’m…” Inez could not finish the sentence.

“Have you ever, say… bewitched someone with your singing voice?” Scarlett pressed. “Has anyone called you a siren before?”

Inez felt her mouth go dry. It made sense, but at the same time, it did not.

“Five years ago, when we put you through that test in the Psi Lab, all the results came back negative.” Scarlett said. “I thought you were mundane and powerless. We sent you away and struck you off the records. Subject One came to nothing. But then we saw the same readings coming off Subject Two, and I knew I made a horrible mistake and started trying to bring you back.”

“So… wait a minute.” Inez broke her mother’s grip and took a few steps back. She was breathing deeply, trying to steady herself. “You’re really saying I’m Gifted?”

Scarlett and David looked at one another. Then they both shook their heads.

“No.” Said Scarlett. “You have Psionic Sensitivity. That means the neurons in your brain are configured to detect Psionic energy, but we don’t think you can consciously control it the way a Gifted person does. Based on what we’ve seen, your sensitivity seems to function on an unconscious level.”

“And that’s why you were chosen for the project.” David concluded.

“It takes a Gifted person to power the Prometheus Engine.” Scarlett explained. “They’re the catalyst. But a separate Sensitive person has to operate the Divine Enforcer. That person is the conduit. That’s why we needed you back. Starting tonight, you and Subject Two will work together on the same ship.”

Scarlett leaned over the guardrail and pointed toward one of the Prophet-class cruisers in the drydock.

“That ship, right there. Do you see it, Inez? That is the Akhenaten. Subject Two is going to be the catalyst for its main weapon. You are going to serve as her conduit, and…”

Scarlett gave her daughter a gentle smile.

“This is my... personal gift to you, Inez. For being such a strong and incredible daughter: You are going to be Akhenaten’s commanding officer.”

Inez was feeling dizzy. This was all too much.

“You want me to command a starship?” Inez said. “I’ve never even been to space!”

“You’ve proven your loyalty to us. That means you can be trusted with a command.” David said. “And don’t worry. Akhenaten isn’t finished and won’t be ready to fly for some time. In the meantime, you’ll be going through space training just like everyone else. Akhenaten has a crew of twenty-seven hundred, and hardly any of them have flown in space before. You’ll be in familiar company. By the time you finish, you’ll be ready to take command of the Akhenaten. Heck, the ship might not be ready to fly by then at any rate.”

Inez hesitated. She had a few reservations.

“Mom, be serious for a second. Look at me. Would the crew even take orders from me?”

A dark look came over Scarlett’s face.

“You forget who your mother is.” Scarlett said. “I got where I am because I command blind, unquestioning obedience. And in time, you will too.”

Inez could not argue against that. She had seen the deferential way her mother was treated by everyone around her. When Inez cast her eyes at the ground, David said:

“She just needs convincing, Director. Give her time.”

“Agreed.” Scarlett replied in a dangerous voice. “But I don’t need time to prove the strength of my command.”

Then in a sudden movement, Scarlett turned to face the armored car driver, who had been quietly listening to all of this from about ten feet away. Scarlett pointed at him and spoke in a calm voice:

“Throw yourself off the edge.”

The driver’s eyes widened in horror, but Scarlett did not repeat herself. Without a moment’s hesitation, the driver darted towards the guardrail and was over the railing before Inez could even cry out! Inez raced forward to look over the edge.

She was expecting to see a red stain at the bottom of the pit, some two-hundred feet below. Instead, to her surprise, Inez spotted the man sprawled on another ledge about ten feet below, shaken but otherwise unharmed.

“I didn’t know that was there.” Inez breathed with a sigh of relief.

“Neither did he.” Scarlett said. “I can teach you to make your words into someone else’s law, Inez. As my daughter, you have a right to that kind of knowledge.”

It was in that moment Inez made her decision. It would involve closing the door on ever returning to the Stormbreakers, but she was fine with that. Because ever since Cassandra had shown up on Opal’s doorstep in Novi, the words from her father’s letter had echoed in her mind again and again.

Cassandra is the victim in all of this.

Cassandra was innocent.

She needs to be protected.

If Cassandra was stationed aboard the vessel Inez commanded, then Inez would be able to prevent Cassandra from being mistreated anymore. But of course, that would mean Inez would have to completely dedicate herself to her mother’s cause. Inez would ally herself to Pascal Etienne and make herself into an enemy of the Stormbreakers and their allies. The next time Inez met her close friend Lawrence Ridge, they would be on opposing sides, and that realization hurt Inez more than anything else. But this was the only option.

Inez would protect Cassandra at any expense, including her own.

Inez faced her mother and said:

“Alright, I’m listening…”

Scarlett put one hand around her daughter’s shoulder and steered her into a nearby building. The Divine Atelier was a large rectangular building overlooking the drydocks. Century-old paint on the façade revealed this place used to be the main Apollo facility. Resting on a pedestal in front of the main entrance was an actual Apollo spacecraft from the 1970’s. It looked so small and inconsequential in comparison to the mighty star cruisers being built only a short distance away.

…

April 15, 2086
Honolulu, Hawaii

On the Island of Oahu, the sun was starting to rise. The gentle hum of electric cars and trucks complimented the singing of birds and crashing of ocean waves. It was shaping up to be another beautiful day in this Pacific paradise.

In the heart of the city, a sleek electric car navigated the packed streets while the driver carried on a pleasant conversation with two passengers.

“We can’t thank you enough for giving us a lift.” Said a man from the back passenger seat. “All of our plans changed at the last minute.”

“No problem.” Replied the driver. “Any friend of Hana is a friend of mine.”

The male passenger put an arm around his wife and squeezed her affectionately.

“So how long do you think it’ll take to reach the Capitol Building from here?” The passenger asked.

“Oh, not long at all.” Said the driver. “Honolulu traffic is easy to figure out once you’ve lived here as long as I have.”

And sure enough, in what felt like no time at all, the car arrived at the Iolani Palace, just down the street from the grand complex that served as the political core of the Hawaiian Republic. Of course, because this was a government complex, the car had to pass through a checkpoint before it could enter. The driver rolled down all of the windows while heavily armed UN soldiers approached the car from all sides.

“Good morning gentlemen!” said the driver.

All of the soldiers smiled and waved. They were relaxed and comfortable. Nearly all of the troops had holstered their weapons and were asking permission to shake hands with the people in the car. One soldier, an officer, approached the driver’s window and said:

“Look man, I know this is annoying, but we have to follow standard procedure. Please identify yourself and your passengers for the record.”

The driver said his own name first, and then introduced his passengers:

“My name is Christopher Wright, and behind me are Himawari Robinson, although she prefers you to call her ‘Hana’ and that’s her husband, Amako Patariki.”

Chris, Himawari, and Amako all handed over their identification cards, while another soldier asked:

“Chris Wright? You’re the ‘History Dude’ who wrote those books about the Paradox, right?”

“Yes, I am.” Chris replied.

The soldier was so excited that he actually jumped a little.

“My kids are gonna freak when I tell them I met you!” The trooper replied. “We’re all big fans!”

Chris started to say his thanks, when he noticed the officer walking back towards the car. To his genuine alarm, Chris noticed that the officer’s expression had changed. He now looked deeply concerned and upset.

“Officer, is something the matter?” Chris said.

“Yeah… there is.” The officer’s voice was filled with shock and disbelief. “Chris… I… uh… I have to detain all three of you.”

Instinctively, Chris lowered his left hand, keeping his fingertips above the buttons that controlled the door locks.

“Hey, man… what’s going on?” Amako asked from the backseat.

The officer turned to look at Himawari and said:

“Himawari Robinson. Step out the car. UN Interpol has issued a warrant for your arrest. I’m placing you in custody on suspicion of aiding and abetting a terrorist.”

Himawari looked at the officer for a moment, then cupped one hand to her ear before she spoke aloud in very poor, broken English:

“I am deaf. I am deaf. I can not hear you.”

Simultaneously, Amako and Chris turned to face Himawari. Both men gave her a series of hand signals that only she could understand. A look of dawning comprehension came over Himawari’s face.

“Tell her to step out of the car.” The officer commanded. “Now. Before we drag her out.”

The mood was changing very quickly. Soldiers looked around, confused. This was no ordinary person; this was Himawari Robinson! Her father Blake was one of the most powerful men on the Hawaiian Islands, and a legendary war hero to boot. Arresting his physically disabled daughter was going to have wide-reaching consequences, regardless of the reason.

One more time, the officer demanded Himawari step out of the car. Alarmingly, the officer reached down and put one hand on his holster. Amako and Chris looked at Himawari, who now fully understood the situation.

Slowly, Himawari raised her right hand to eye level. Then she stuck out her thumb, index finger, and pinkie finger, while keeping the middle and ring fingers together and tucked in. Keeping her fingers like this, she bobbed her hand back and forth twice.

Himawari had spoken only one single word in Sign Language, but Chris and Amako perfectly understood the message she was trying to send.

Moving as fast as he could, Chris locked the doors and slammed his foot onto the accelerator. The electric car shot forward and through the checkpoint while soldiers shouted at them to stop.

“Put your heads down!” Chris yelled as he rolled up the windows.

Amako put one hand on his wife’s head and forced her to hide in the foot well, then he shifted over in the seat so his own body would hide Himawari from view. Chris drove a high-speed circle around the Iolani Palace before getting back onto the main road, nearly hitting a statue of King Kamehameha. Sirens began to sound across the government complex, and in a matter of seconds, half a dozen police cars filed onto the road, giving chase.

As he drove, Chris punched a button on the touchscreen next to the central console.

“Call Randall!”

A nasally voice picked up the phone call.

“Murphy.” Said the nasally voice.

“Randall! It’s Chris!” Chris said. “Get the Angel onto the runway and spool her up for takeoff, we’ve got Blueheads chasing us! They’re after Hana!”

“Damn it all to hell!” Randall replied. “Get to the runway! I’ll do the rest!”

A loud thudding noise caught the attention of everyone in the car.

“What the hell was that!?” Chris shouted.

“Gunfire!” Amako reported. “Those cops are shooting at us!”

Not waiting to see if Amako was right, Chris jerked the wheel hard and swerved into a public transit lane. Dodging and weaving around a city bus, Chris looked out the rear view mirror just in time to see that one of the police cars had pulled over to the side of the road, and a cop was standing on the hood of another car, taking aim with an assault rifle!

“Hold on!” Chris yelled.

He turned the car sharply, making a note of the street signs as he went. He knew exactly how to get to the airport from here, but the cops were not going to make this easy.

Up ahead, there was a sudden clearing in the traffic. With four lanes of city streets clear, another police car pulled alongside the fleeing vehicle and matched its speed. Amako shouted:

“He’s gonna shoot!”

Chris had just enough time to see the police car pulling up on his left before a cop was leaning out of the passenger window and aiming a stuttermag. The compact submachinegun let out a chattering noise, followed up by the thudding of gauss rounds into the side of Chris’ car. Pulling hard on the wheel, Chris managed to place a semi-truck between himself and the attacking car. Suddenly, the city streets gave way to a network of six-lane freeway bridges. The city of Honolulu was quickly left behind, and now the town of Pearl Harbor lay before the fugitive car. Chris knew the Robinson family mansion was in Pearl City, just on the other side of the harbor, but he knew they would never get there in time.

“Right side!” Amako yelled.

Another police car had drawn level with the fugitives. This one came even closer before a weapon was aimed out of the driver’s side window. Before Chris could react, Amako rolled down the right-side passenger window and lunged out to meet the oncoming attack. Head and shoulders out of the car, Amako reached out and grabbed the cop’s weapon before he could pull the trigger. In the ensuing scuffle, Amako somehow managed to gain control of the laser pistol. He turned the weapon against the police car, there was a flash of searing red light, and the police car began to pull off the road, completely engulfed in flames!

Amako fired the laser pistol wildly out the window, forcing even more of the police to withdraw, but the trio’s problems were far from over. A UN army vehicle, laden with an array of terrifying weapons, was now joining the pursuit. Amako kept blasting away while Chris made one last turn.

Honolulu Airport was on alert. Armed guards were positioning themselves outside of the entrances and exits, while Skyrangers patrolled the air above. Of course, the soldiers at the gate were expecting the fugitive car to try and smash their way through, but none of the defenders were expecting Himawari to have inside help.

With a great crash, one of the hangar doors burst open as a spaceship emerged from within. Old, worn, and scarred by many a past fight, the Battlemaster-class gunship Ark Angel was fifty years past her prime. Yet her sudden appearance on the scene caused just the right amount of chaos, because the Ark Angel’s fame preceded the ship itself.

The pilots of both Skyrangers were so intimidated by the Ark Angel that they completely forgot the old spaceplane was no longer a warship, and thus stripped of her weapon systems. The Skyrangers scattered, fleeing the area at high speed. Soldiers on the ground saw the spaceplane smash its way out of the hanger and turned to flee. The five men on the checkpoint only had a few seconds to register this development before Chris Wright drove his car through the checkpoint at top speed!

None of the soldiers were able to draw their weapons on time before the car smashed through the chain-link fence and kept going. But a series of spike strips on the road did what those men could not. All four tires were shredded into pieces! Riding on the rims alone, the car was able to reach the airport apron before running out of energy and coming to a stop. The Ark Angel was just over five hundred feet away, its boarding ramp lowered and ready for three more people.

Chris, Himawari, and Amako all clambered out of the car. Chris pointed to the spaceplane and shouted:

“Go! I’ll hold them off!”

Himawari and Amako started running. On the boarding ramp, a small, skinny man who looked a little bit like a weasel appeared and waved his arms. This was Himawari’s ex-husband Randall Murphy, the new commanding officer of the Ark Angel.

“Come on!” he yelled. “You can make it, Hana! Keep running!”

While Himawari and Amako made for the Angel, Chris turned around to face the other direction. He could see the UN Army vehicle bearing down on him now, the airport terminal behind it. The troop carrier opened its doors and four XCOM soldiers stepped out, all of them wearing power armor and carrying plasma weapons. The soldiers yelled and shouted for Chris and the others to stop, and then they gave chase.

The Ark Angel was just ahead. The spaceplane was rolling forward as her nuclear ramjet engines roared to life. The boarding ramp scraped the tarmac, throwing sparks into the air. Himawari was first up the ramp, followed by Amako. She turned around to look for Chris, who was a little further behind. She waved at him and screamed wordlessly, pointing at something behind Chris. Instinctively, Chris turned his head and looked back.

He should not have done that.

A beautiful woman with long white hair, dressed in flowing white robes and a golden corset, advanced on Chris with supernatural speed. Before Chris could say or do anything, Jericho locked her vivid blue eyes with his own.

Instantly, all of the strength went out of Chris’ body. His arms and legs went numb and he collapsed to the tarmac. Chris was dazed. He could not think straight, he even had trouble comprehending where he was or what was going on. Chris was suddenly lost in a sea of sounds and lights that made no sense to him whatsoever.

Then came a new sensation, like a powerful wind pushing Chris in one direction. Without warning or fanfare, Chris was forced to relive dozens upon dozens of memories. In vivid detail, Chris watched as countless meetings with friends and allies replayed in front of him. Conversations with Blake Robinson and Robert Lansing. Sensitive meetings with powerful people, and secrets he swore to keep were extracted from his mind with surgical precision. In a matter of seconds, it was over. Chris was so stunned that he could not even comprehend the fact that his mind had just been violently ransacked.

Chris might have been down for the count, but he was not done yet. The instant the assault began; he started reaching into his coat for a very special device. Chris had received it from Blake Robinson himself, and it was meant for situations just like this. Of course, Chris had hesitated to use the device when he saw Jericho, thinking her to be a friend. But now that she was invading his mind, he had no choice.

With the last of his strength, Chris reached into his coat and produced a tightly sealed metal canister. There was no label, but there was a handwritten message on the side, which said this:

Contains one (1) sentient nightmare. FOR EMERGENCY USE ONLY.

There was a pocketknife in Chris’ coat, but he had run out of strength. It was all he could do to grab the canister and pull it out of his pocket. But then, without intending to do so, his enemies brought about their own demise.

Jericho stepped to one side, allowing the XCOM soldiers to reach Chris and apprehend him. One of the soldiers grabbed the canister from Chris, threw it down on the ground, and then stomped it with his boot.

With a high-pitched hiss, the contents of the bottle escaped. A nearly opaque black cloud hung in midair just over the runway while tiny green lights winked on and off within its murky depths. The casual observer would have mistaken this dark cloud for ordinary smoke, but Chris knew everything about its true nature.

He had just unleashed a Spectre.

The Spectre was a robotic weapon system dating back to the Second Hyperspace War. What appeared to be a formless black cloud was actually a swarm of microscopic Nanomachines working together in perfect synchronized coordination.

The XCOM soldiers paused in their advance. All of them were young men, none had ever seen a Spectre before. Nobody had fought one in fifty years, as it was assumed they were all destroyed when ADVENT fell.

The dark cloud of nanobots moved in unison, buzzing like a swarm of angry locusts as they came together. Then one of the soldiers shouted:

“Don’t just stand there, shoot it!”

Chris put his hands over his head as gunfire erupted above him, followed swiftly by strangled cries and screams.

Daring to look up, Chris saw that three of the soldiers were now lying on the ground, their bodies bloody and broken. The Spectre turned against the fourth man, enveloping his body within a swirling black cloud. Chris tried to crawl away on his hands and knees, but an invisible force latched itself onto his body and held him fast. It felt like Chris was trapped in a vice!

“You’re not going anywhere!” Jericho shouted.

But the Spectre had finally turned its attention onto her. The swirling cloud of nanobots coalesced and came together into a shape that vaguely resembled the Human form. Then it lunged at Jericho!

With a sweep of her hand, Jericho created a wall of Soulfire between herself and the Spectre. The green flames flickered and wavered, granting Chris only brief views of the Spectre on the other side. Then, without warning, the Spectre struck. A black bolt shot through the Soulfire and would have hit Jericho, but instead the projectile flattened out in midair like a pancake. A telekinetic shield wavered around Jericho as she returned the hostile nanobots to the sender without as much as a flinch.

The Spectre suddenly shed its physical form once more, and the swarm closed on Jericho, ignoring the green fire and pressing itself against the invisible barrier surrounding her. Jericho waved her hands in front of her, slashing at the buzzing mass that closed in from all sides.

Two pairs of hands grabbed Chris and dragged him along the asphalt. There was a mighty crack like the sound of thunder, as Chris and his rescuers were peppered with a hailstorm of nanobots. Jericho was not free for long, however, as the Spectre started to re-form. Taking a Human shape again, the Specter grabbed Jericho by the arm and stopped her from chasing after Chris. Jericho whipped around and blasted the Spectre with a beam of emerald light from her hand.

By then, Chris was safely away. He felt the familiar carpet of the Ark Angel boarding ramp for just a moment before he came to rest somewhere in the crew cabin. Then, the spaceplane thundered down the runway before lifting off, wind whipping through the wide-open entry hatch. Somebody reached over Chris’ inert body and pulled the door closed just as the whole city of Honolulu came into view through it.

Flying low to the surface of the Pacific Ocean, the Ark Angel set a course to the Northwest.

In the cockpit, Himawari sat in the engineer’s chair while her husband Amako and her ex-husband Randall flew the spaceplane. Once they were clear of Hawaii, the trio held a very grave conversation. For Himawari’s convenience, all three people spoke in Sign Language.

“Was that who I thought it was?” Randall asked.

“I think so.” Himawari replied. “That was the fake Jericho.”

“And what did she do to the History Dude back there?” said Amako.

“I have a hunch.” Randall answered. “Do either of you know about the Elder’s Chosen, from the Second Hyperspace War? I read somewhere they could use the Gift to just steal information out of someone’s head. It sure looked like Jericho was doing that to Chris… or, the fake Jericho anyway.”

Both men looked at Himawari. She looked crestfallen.

“So that means the Jericho impersonator knows everything Chris does now.”

Randall punched the dashboard in anger.

“Damnit!” he swore. “You know what this means, right?”

“Yeah.” Amako said. “Whoever she’s working for is about to burn through all of our Intel. Our side is about to take some really hard hits. Hana, maybe we should call your parents.”

“No. We can’t” Himawari answered. “The less they know about what we’re doing, the safer they’ll be.”

“Sure, but by now, the whole world is going to know you’re a wanted criminal.” Amako said. “What the hell do you think they’re trying to charge you with, anyway?”

“Probably something like ‘associating with the enemy.’” Himawari said. “Because I know about Varian and…”

Himawari trailed off. She had a look on her face that conveyed sudden understanding.

“They know.” She said. “They must have figured out the names of the Stormbreakers. That explains why they’d put out a warrant for me.”

Randall swore again.

“Okay, that really means we can’t go to your parents then. Blake and Chihiro will probably have to disavow us.”

“I’ll be fine with that.” Himawari said. “As long as my dad can legally stay in the contest for Secretary-General, we all have a chance.”

The group stopped talking for a while. Amako twitched the controls, making sure the spaceplane stayed below fifty meters of altitude, the UN military’s radar floor. After a while, Chris Wright recovered and stumbled into the cockpit before sitting in the second engineer’s chair, opposite Himawari.

“What… what the hell happened?” Chris muttered.

“We escaped, for now.” Amako said.

“Now we have to make sure we live to fight another day.” Himawari added.

“How do we do that, anyway?” Randall cut in. “The UN’s gonna be looking for us, and they’ll be looking for this ship now, too. So where can we go? We need to find a safe port. Any idea?”

Everyone took a moment to think. Then, Amako leaned forward, grabbed a starchart and unfolded it. He was looking at a map of nearby star systems.

“I have an idea.” Amako said. “Ruunhan.”

“The Ruunhan system?” Chris asked. “I’ve never heard of it.”

“No no.” Amako said. “Ruunhan’s not a system, she’s a woman. Ruunhan Somtaaw. She’s neck deep in the Hiigaran criminal underworld, a real scoundrel; but she owes me a favor and her family knows about it.”

Amako pointed to a star system on the map.

“She lives in the city of Hakihea, very famous place. It’s an experimental colony where people from every species in the Galaxy live together. Best part is, Hakihea uses a condominium government, so it’s the perfect place for us to hide from the UN.”

“And this Ruunhan woman, do you trust her?”

Amako nodded.

“Ruunhan and I go way back. I knew her long before I met you, Hana.”

Himawari frowned.

“Yet you never mentioned her once.” Himawari narrowed her eyes at her husband.

“Well…” Amako sighed. “That’s because you stole me from her.”

Himawari giggled.

“Nice save, Romeo.” Himawari sniggered as she asked: “But what makes you think Ruunhan’s going to help us?”

“Ruunhan owes me.” Amako said quickly, refusing to look his wife in the eye. “She owes me a debt.”

“Why’s that? Himawari asked. “Why does she owe you?”

To her surprise, Amako suddenly looked embarrassed. Both Randall and Chris looked sheepishly at the ground, as though they were sharing in Amako’s shame. Himawari started to ask for an explanation, but Chris cut her off:

“Trust me on this, you don’t wanna know. Randall, don’t tell her. You shouldn’t have told me, but you did. And now I’m telling you: You don’t wanna know.”

“Alright. I’m sold.” Himawari told the group with a roll of the eyes. “Let’s go to Hakihea.”

…

The Ark Angel pulled up and threw her nuclear ramjet engines into full throttle. In mere moments, the Pacific Ocean was being left far behind. The spaceplane rose into the skies, charging its Hyperspace Module as it went.

All four of the people aboard the Ark Angel felt bad about leaving their homeworld behind so suddenly and without a proper farewell. Himawari knew that she was doing the right thing, but she also knew that at least in the near term, things were about to become much more difficult for the Stormbreakers.

With a humming sound and a wall of purple light, a Quantum Wavefront materialized in front of the Ark Angel. Just before it swept backwards, to envelop the ship and transport it into Hyperspace, Himawari closed her eyes and gave a silent prayer for her children.

She did not know where her eldest child Varian was, but she knew they were still alive and leading the Stormbreakers. Himawari prayed for Varian to receive their grandfather’s wisdom and their grandmother’s valor.

Himawari was disappointed in her first daughter. Sophie Murphy had joined Pascal Etienne’s political campaign and was now working against her own family. Himawari prayed for Sophie to find reason and abandon the Etienne camp.

James Patariki was eleven years old, but he was already facing incredible injustice. Amako and Himawari were so happy to have had a child together, not for the usual reasons, but because James was one of the very first Human-Partogan Hybrids born on Earth. Himawari prayed for James to find a group of friends who loved him the same way he loved his family.

And finally, Himawari spared a moment of prayer for Eraka Patariki. Eraka was Amako’s son from a previous marriage, which meant Himawari was Eraka’s stepmother. Right now, Eraka was a student at Yutaka Yamamoto University on the planet Terra Nova. She prayed for Eraka to succeed in his ambitions.

But… in the moment the Ark Angel was swept into Hyperspace, Himawari experienced a moment of hesitation. By instinct, she was addressing her prayers to Jericho. Yet somehow, it just felt wrong.

Himawari knew that Jericho… the real Jericho… was alive and well somewhere on Earth. And now an impostor, wearing Jericho’s face and name, was acting against the people who were supposed to be her friends and allies. And this led to one question that superseded all other concerns:

Where is Jericho, and why does she do nothing?

END OF ACT ONE

<=== Chapter 14: The Man in the Shadows

Chapter 16: The War of the Paradox ===>

Macavity116 · Apr 2, 2022

Dear readers, we are back! Welcome to the middle act of The Last Heroes. Don't forget to check the table of contents for the names of upcoming chapters. Speculation and guesswork are welcome as usual.

Now that all of the major characters have been established, it is time for the conflict to heat up. I am very happy to report that Act Two will contain a major space battle! We haven't seen any space combat in this series since The Legend of Whetu Kealoha back in 2020, and I'm looking forward to writing some ship-to-ship action again.

In other news, my plan to pay homage to my favorite AARs is moving forward and we've got two on the docket this weekend!

Avon Las Observes is a truly unique AAR put together by @Midnite Duke over on the CK2 forums. In this story, @Midnite Duke merely records and reports on his observations. Thanks to the Adventuring Readers, this story kind of writes itself, and its an absolute blast to read. I strongly encourage reading this AAR, but beware: if you leave a comment, you might just find yourself brought aboard the Wayback Machine! You'll see a reference to Avon Las Observes near the end of this chapter. The Emerald Institute for Time Travel will be playing a part in this story going forward.

Stellaris Wars: A Nemesis Ironman Saga was written by @Arithmetician and is an epic crossover between Stellaris and Star Wars. What I really love about this AAR is that this story is very accessible to more casual fans of the Star Wars saga like me. (I have only seen the 9 main movies, and none of the expanded universe) It's a fun AAR to read from start to finish and it includes one of my favorite characters in the realm of Stellaris fanfiction: Eerabik. In Stellaris Wars, she rose from the ranks of the Republic military to become an influential politician and eventually became a Sith Lord. Eerabik is not to be messed with, and now as of today, she is part of the Stormbreaker Universe. Keep an eye out for her at the very end of the chapter. She's going to have a hand in making a little history.

<=== Chapter 15: The Divine Atelier

Chapter 17: Erin Hyatt ===>

Chapter 16
The War of the Paradox

“Maria Madelina Inez Freeman Espinosa, (Field Agent, ISO)

You have been approved for command of the UNS AKHENATEN (BCN-116), a Prophet-Class Command Cruiser assigned to the 13th Fleet.

In accordance with the request of ISO Director Scarlett Freeman and special permission granted by Secretary-General Pascal Etienne, you are hereby granted the rank of COMMANDER within the United Nations Navy, and you shall receive the authority and responsibility that comes with it.

Furthermore, I have chosen to accept your personal request after consultation with the parties mentioned above. The UN Star Fleet register will acknowledge your choice to re-christen the starship under your command. The register will be updated with the new name.

Report for duty at Cape Canaveral Space Center, Florida no later than Tuesday, April 30, 2086.

Signed,
Ingrid Tsiajotso
Supreme Commander, Armed Forces of the United Nations of Earth”

…

May 1, 2086
Kennedy Space Center, Florida

A very large crowd of men and women gathered at the Divine Atelier, standing in the parking lot next to the old Apollo Center. They were eager to witness a moment nearly three years in the making. At the front of the crowd, a platform had been constructed, overlooking the trio of drydocks where the Prophet-Class cruisers were being built. One of these starships was directly in front of the crowd, having finally had most of its superstructure assembled. A simple arch was standing at the end of the platform, and through it, person could just reach out and touch the bow of the starship.

There were a few people on the platform, giving speeches to the gathered audience one at a time. Admiral Ingrid Tsiajotso spoke about how the starship behind her would usher in a new era of warfare, Commander Klaus Eberhardt praised the citizens of Florida for their hard work in constructing the ship, then he wished them luck in completing the two sisterships on either side of the grand vessel. After that, Central Officer David Sepulveda spoke more directly to the assembled crowd.

“I’m sure each and every one of you was excited beyond all belief when you learned that you would be the very first crew of a brand-new class of starship.” David said. “And you should be. Each of you was hand-picked by the Admiral after a careful vetting process, as was the woman who will be your commander when the day comes.”

David extended a hand, and offered the podium to the next speaker.

Inez Espinosa had changed. Her old life in Detroit was far behind her now. Her long blonde hair was now tied up in a strict bun, giving her the look of a severe schoolteacher. Her blue and silver Navy officer’s uniform added to the look, but it was Inez’s eyes that revealed the true change. Inez had devoted herself to a single goal. It was no objective given to her by other leaders or politicians. No, Inez was going to protect young Cassandra from any future abuse, even if it meant transforming into whatever Inez’s mother wanted her to be… including this.

As she stood in front of the assembled starship crew, Inez took a quick look around the crowd and was pleased to see that she was holding everyone’s attention without saying a word. Before coming out here today, Inez had intentionally customized her uniform for maximum sex appeal. She was no master manipulator like her mother, but Inez was quickly becoming a skilled one. Clutching a bottle of champagne in one hand, Inez began to speak.

“My name is Commander Espinosa, and I am proud join you aboard this incredible machine behind me, and we will usher bring about a new era of Humanity. You will represent the future of our species, our vast potential, and the glory of how, in just under half a century, Mankind rose from the ashes of the Second Hyperspace War to becoming a true Galactic power. And this is where it begins!”

Inez turned around and walked right to the edge of the platform. The bow of her new starship was only a short distance away. Inez gripped the bottle of French champagne in both hands. Before she raised it, she spoke into a nearby microphone, placed there for this very event. Inez recited a simple message she rehearsed the night before:

“For the United Nations of Earth, I christen thee Solaris. May Jericho bless this ship and all who fly on her.”

Then, Inez raised the bottle and swung as hard as she could. The glass bottle struck the hull of the starship and bounced off! The shock of the impact rattled its way up Inez’s arm and made her shudder. There was a very loud gasp from the crew. Inez cursed under her breath, and then she swung the bottle a second time. As if it was determined to ruin her day, the bottle bounced off the hull again. Now there was audible muttering coming from the crew. To her left, David whispered:

“Really swing, put your back into it. Pretend the hull is your dad or something.”

Inez screwed up her willpower, forcing herself to picture Emanuel Espinosa, her absentee father, standing in front of her. Swinging the bottle like a baseball bat, Inez smashed the champagne against the hull, sending shattered glass and fizzy drink all over the place. With a great sigh of relief, the crew broke into applause.

Inez and the other officers stepped back from the platform, basking in their sense of accomplishment while a military band struck up the Hymn of the United Nations.

One of the Prophets was complete.

Two to go.

…

May 2, 2086
Ruins of Yorktown, Virginia

About an hour after midnight, the spaceplane Niagara glided to a silent landing at an open grassy field near the Atlantic Coastline. Without any city lights to spoil the view, the vast expanse of the starfield above seemed to just go on forever.

As soon as he stepped off the Niagara, Lawrence Ridge took in a deep breath. The air in Virginia was different from the air in Michigan. It was muggy, and smelled of salt. But there was also a distinct aroma of sulfur. Looking around, Lawrence took a moment to appreciate a spectacular sight.

The York River, wide and deep, dominated the landscape. Located just to the north of where Niagara landed, the river separated Lawrence and the ship from a towering inferno. On the far side of the river, an American city was burning. The sounds of gunfire and explosions echoed off the cloud ceiling.

One after another, the Wolverines disembarked from the Niagara, followed by a few Americans. Then, Professor Espinosa, Robert Lansing, and George Farshtey stepped out of the ship as well. Soon, only the Stormbreakers remained aboard the spaceplane. Colonel Sharp and General Osmer turned to face Varian Robinson.

“Stormbreaker, are you sure you won’t come with us?” the General asked.

“I’m sorry, sir.” Varian replied. “Our boss called us away. We have to leave now. Will you be okay down here? You said your troops were nearby, but I don’t see them.”

“Yes, but you can hear them.” Osmer replied, gesturing to the sounds of distant gunfire. “The people of this land are hostile to Pascal Etienne’s government, the Colonel and I will find it very easy to secure safe passage across the York River. Your companions have already asked to come with me, and I say again that you are more than welcome to join us. Unlike the xenophobes in Berlin, we are honored to fight and die alongside our alien allies.”

“We’re grateful for the offer.” Varian replied. “But my friends and I have a new mission.”

“You’re going to rescue your friends?” Colonel Sharp asked.

“No.” Varian replied. “My friends and I are going to the Angel Moon. We have to speak with one of our allies, and ask for their help.”

“Bring those allies to Earth.” General Osmer said. “The Professor is going to give us all of his intel on Cape Canaveral, so by the time you get back, we’ll be ready to make a move.”

“Keep the faith, Robinson.” Piper said as she gave Varian a hug.

The four Wolverines and their companions waved as Varian retreated inside of the Niagara. Then, the spaceplane thundered down the road and lifted off into the sky.

Lawrence, Jay, Cera, and Piper joined to the American leaders, while Jay addressed his father.

“Dad, do you really wanna stay here with us?” Jay asked. “I can get a plane to take you back to Michigan and the family.”

Robert shook his head.

“No, I’m in this for the long haul, son.” He replied. “What’s the game plan?”

Professor Espinosa pointed to the dark southern horizon.

“The final stages of the Prometheus Project will happen at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport on the Florida coast. The UN has a huge operation at the Kennedy Space Center right next door. If you guys can storm the place, I can show you where they’re turning children into Psionic batteries.”

“Leave that to me.” Colonel Sharp said. “We can put out the word and have a battalion of American soldiers out there quickly. My people are moving as quick as they can, but it’ll take them some time to move all the way from Montana to Florida.”

Emanuel shook his head.

“You’ll need more than that.” The Professor said. “There’s a whole army at Cape Canaveral. You’ll need a bigger force than that just to get in the door.”

Piper scratched her chin.

“Or… maybe we need to weaken them before we try to attack.” She suggested. “I know some people down in Florida… contacts from my days spying on the ISO.”

George Farshtey nodded.

“So we have a plan then.” He said. “We link up with Osmer’s troops, then make our way to Florida. Everyone chase down your contacts in the area, and once we have resources, weapons, and manpower in our corner, we make a play for Canaveral.”

“Huh. You even sound like Varian.” Cera told him. “Honestly thought they would have gotten that from Blake and Chihiro.”

…

May 2, 2086
Canista Star System, Hiigaran Empire

With an all too familiar humming sound, a quantum Wavefront opened up and deposited the spaceplane Ark Angel into normal space. Himawari Robinson, her husband Amako Patariki, her ex-husband Randall Murphy, and their friend Chris Wright all gathered around a dining table in the back of the living quarters to discuss their next move.

Due to the how small the Ark Angel was, the ship had no artificial gravity. Amako used a set of magnets to pin a star chart to the tabletop while his wife entertained herself by squirting water droplets into the air and watching them drift around the room. Randall pulled up a video on his tablet computer and shared it with the group.

“It’s official.” Randall announced. “We’re all wanted criminals on Earth.”

On the screen was a news report from the German Press Agency. It said:

Himawari Robinson is wanted by the ISO in connection with an armed assault against the Reichstag on November 9, 2085 and the attempted assassination of a UN official on the same day in Berlin, Germany. She is the mother of Varian Robinson, ringleader of the group who perpetrated the above crimes. She is believed to be travelling with her son, who may be disguised as a woman. She is deaf and is thought to be fluent in at least four sign languages.

Himawari read the article and laughed out loud, raising her hands to sign the words:

“Well Varian’s not here, so they got that wrong.” She said. “For the record, I know six sign languages: American, French, Chinese, Japanese, plus I know some Contact Signs and I can fingerspell.”

Himawari put her hands on her hips and nodded proudly. Of course, everyone else knew she was bragging, and they indulged her with a little applause. Randall kept reading the news report:

“It also says Blake Robinson was interviewed by ISO and Interpol, but they found no evidence that he was involved in the Reichtag assault or in our escape. He’s at the family home in Hawaii and still in the running for Secretary-General.”

With a sigh of relief, the conversation turned to the next topic at hand.

“So how long until we get to your friend Ruunhan?” Himawari asked.

Amako looked at a clock on the wall.

“Well, we can’t go straight to Hakihea.” He explained. “We need to let Ruunhan’s Kiith-Sa know we’re coming. I sent them a text message earlier, now we’re just waiting for a reply.”

“Kiith-Sa?” Randall asked. “Sorry, but I don’t get off Earth all that often, you have to enlighten me.”

Chris, who spent most of his life working as a historian, took over the explanation:

“Hiigaran society is broken up into what we Humans might call a caste system.” Chris explained. “Everybody belongs to a Kiith, which is a group of Hiigarans who are united by something they share in common. Most of the time a Kiith is just a collection of family units who have permanently linked themselves together to form a large House or Clan. But some clans are united by ideology, or devotion towards a specific goal. The important thing is that people almost never leave the Kiith they were born into. Hiigarans value family ties as more important than all else. Anyway, each Kiith has one particular family that rules over the whole thing. They’re called the Kiith-Sa.”

Amako nodded and said:

“Importantly for us: Ruunhan is a member of the Somtaaw Kiith-Sa.”

Chris’ eyes went wide with surprise. Himawari and Randall looked at Amako, not knowing why Chris would be alarmed by this revelation.

“You alright, History Dude?” Randall asked. “You went pale.”

“She’s a Somtaaw-Sa?” Chris breathed. “Amako, you really should have led with that!”

“Explain please.” Himawari signed. “We’re not all historians like you.”

With a shudder, Chris carried on:

“Kiith Somtaaw is one of the most famous clans in Hiigaran society. They were a religious cult who built the Shimmering Path. After the Kharakan Genocide, almost two hundred years ago, the Somtaaw constructed two great starships: the Kuun-Lan and Faal-Corum. The Somtaaw used both ships to reinvent themselves as a mining clan, spending most of their time in deep space and harvesting asteroids. For most of their history, Somtaaw was dismissed and ignored by the other clans.”

“And then?” Himawari asked.

“The Beast happened.” Chris said. “And the Second Hyperspace War. The people of Kiith Somtaaw reinvented themselves again. They fought longer and harder against the Beast than anyone else in the Galaxy. Not even Jericho could take the title of ‘Beastslayer’ away from them. Nowadays, Kiith Somtaaw has a massive and powerful warfleet, and they’ve been re-organized into a warrior clan, powerful enough to rival other warrior Kiith like Soban and Gaalsien. Their pilots are some of the best in the Galaxy, and their weapons are on a whole other level…”

Chris grabbed Amako by the shoulders and shook him.

“Amako! Are you really telling me that the girl from the Wedding Incident is a member of the Somtaaw ruling family!? Have I missed something important here!?”

Amako smiled weakly at his friend.

“No, I think you’ve got the whole story now.”

At that moment, there was a loud beeping sound from the crew compartment.

“The Hyperwave!” Randall said. “Someone’s calling us.”

“It’s Ruunhan’s family.” Amako said. “Now all of you stay behind me and try to be quiet.”

All four people drifted into the next compartment and assembled by the Hyperwave Relay. Amako took a deep breath and straightened his hair before answering the call. All around the cabin, little hologram emitters activated and in mere seconds, Himawari and her friends were standing face-to-face with the holographic representation of six Hiigarans.

Himawari felt a little alarmed at first. It was impossible to tell what these Hiigarans looked like, as they were dressed from head to foot in ornate ceremonial outfits. Blue and silver trappings decorated elaborate armor and helmets, clearly meant for show rather than combat. Amako bowed his head and spoke while Chris translated the conversation into sign language for Himawari’s benefit:

“Honored greetings, Somtaaw Kiith-Sa.” Amako began. “Did you receive my request for permission to visit Ruunhan in Hakihea?”

“We have.” Replied the Kiith-Sa, speaking in a distorted voice that suggested the use of a computerized translator. “We recognize you, Amako Patariki of the planet Waioku, as the one who showed unexpected kindness to one of our own at great expense to yourself. Your kindness will be repaid with interest. When you arrive at Hakihea, you shall find Ruunhan to be most cooperative. Your vessel will be serviced, and you and your crew will enjoy the protection of Kiith Somtaaw so long as you remain in our space.”

Amako started to speak, but the Kiith-Sa cut him off.

“However, you must respect the tenuous political situation. The recent developments in the Galactic Council cannot be ignored. Since you are Partogan and your companions Human, your freedom to move about the city will be restricted by Somtaaw security forces. You will not be permitted to contact any representative of the Partogan government while you are in our territory. Any attempt to aid or abet the enemies of Kiith Somtaaw will be punished quickly and harshly. Is this clear?”

“Yes Kiith-Sa.” Amako said. “Very clear. Ark Angel out.”

The hologram vanished as the Kiith-Sa terminated the call. Amako let out his breath and relaxed.

“That will always be scary.” He muttered. “Okay, let’s fire up the Hyperspace module and head for Hakihea. Is everyone ready?”

While Chris and Amako went off to the cockpit to activate the Hyperspace system, Randall looked at Himawari and asked:

“Wait a minute… what happened at the Galactic Council?”

…

A few hours ago…
The Galactic City, Angel Moon

The Niagara emerged from Hyperspace and found itself above one of the most well known locations in the Galaxy. Down below, like the jewels at the end of a silver necklace, two beautiful worlds hung in the inky blackness of space. The first was a blue, green, and while planet, teeming with life. This world was known to be a paradise, perfect for nearly all forms of life in one location or another, with an overabundance of natural resources and rich in history. At least three wars had already been fought to determine the fate of this, the beautiful Kushan Homeworld…

Hiigara.

And orbiting Hiigara was a heavenly body that looked as different as it possibly could. Every square inch of the Angel Moon was covered in urban cityscape. What was once a mining outpost had exploded into the largest urban center in the history of sentient life. The Galactic City was the Angel Moon, and the Angel Moon was the Galactic City.

The Stormbreakers were able to land on the Angel Moon without being challenged. After all, they were expected.

Leaving their weapons on the ship, Varian and the Stormbreakers had to walk slowly and carefully to their destination. The Angel Moon was a small world, meaning the force of gravity was far weaker here. In fact, it was so weak that Varian could have lifted the gargantuan Cetla over his (or her) head with a little effort.

The Stormbreakers reached their destination with time to spare. The building laid out in front of them was a massive and opulent palace, decorated with many gold statues, flagstone courtyards, and glorious fountains. Four thousand years ago, this palace had once been the home of the Taiidan Emperor. Now, it was the meeting place of the Galactic Council.

…

The Stormbreakers entered the hallowed halls of the Galactic Council building. In the atrium, dozens of flags representing spacefaring nations hung proudly from the walls while diplomats bustled about their work.

“He’s supposed to be here.”

“He’s probably late.” Corder grumbled. “Nothing for it but to sit tight and wait.”

At that moment, an alien pushed past the group on her way to the Galactic Senate Chamber. She was a bird-like avian with a sharp yellow-ish grey beak. Clutching a binder of papers in her clawed hand, the avian diplomat looked briefly at the Stormbreakers and then did a double-take. She approached the Stormbreakers and spoke in a shrill language.

Varian, Cetla, Kingi, Corder, and Maui could not understand a word this alien was saying, but luckily, Ninu stepped forward and quickly put his talents as a polylinguist to use, erasing the language barrier between the Stormbreakers and this alien woman:

“Hey, are you guys waiting for someone?” The avian asked.

“We’re waiting for the representative from the Emerald Institute.” Kingi replied. “We have business with them today.”

The avian gasped.

“Oh! Well, you’re in luck. The Director of the Institute is actually here today, because there’s going to be an important vote. Follow me! I’ll take you into the Senate Chamber and once the voting is over, you can meet your man.”

The Stormbreakers fell in line behind the avian, following her towards the Senate Chamber.

“I’m sorry ma’am.” Ninu said. “Could we know your name?”

“Eerabik.” Replied the avian diplomat. “I’m the Ambassador of the Ozkox people.”

“Ozkox?” Corder repeated. “I’ve never heard of them.”

“That’s understandable.” Eerabik replied. “We never developed space travel on our own. Our planet was caught in the crossfire of some war between two spacefaring nations and we got conquered twice while we were still learning how to build airplanes. Here’s the door.”

Eerabik pushed the door open and allowed the Stormbreakers to join her at the Ozkox delegation. Inside the Galactic Senate Chamber, nearly two thousand representatives from the Galaxy’s myriad populace were milling about, waiting for the meeting to begin. At once, Varian saw why the Ozkox people were letting the Stormbreakers share their space. The delegation from the Emerald Institute was clear across the other side of the room, and they were busy preparing to cast their vote in the upcoming decision Eerabik mentioned.

Varian, Corder, Cetla, Ninu, Kingi, and Maui all sat down to wait, and watched the Galactic Council meeting play out. The President of the Galactic Council, an elderly Taiidani man, called the session to order. Everyone fell silent and took their seats, although Ninu felt a growing sense of alarm.

He noticed the Partogan diplomats were staring at their Hiigaran counterparts with expressions of pure contempt. These two nations had been allies for fifty years, so whatever had come between them must have been serious.

“Today will be the third and final day of this emergency session of the Galactic Council.” The President said. “The Human Crisis has reached a tipping point, as their armies are once again threatening cities on the planet Amadiio. As the previous two days of sessions were devoted to discussion, we must now move to resolve the debate. The President of this body will now ask the Ambassador of the Hiigaran Empire if they intend to call the question.”

Near the front of the room, a Hiigaran woman (who strongly resembled a Human aside from pointed elf-like ears) rose and addressed the President.

“Mister President,” the ambassador said. “This body has, over the past two days, demonstrated that it remains incapable of decisive action, and that new leadership is sorely needed. Therefore, I move to call the question on my Proposal to Unseat the Galactic Custodian. It is time for Degra Kessick to step down!”

Ninu jumped in surprise and scurried onto Cetla’s shoulders. Looking over the crowd, he spotted the subject of today’s vote. An old and tired-looking member of the Kelt species rose from his seat in the assembly and moved to stand at the podium, in front the entire Galactic Senate.

Degra Kessick was the Galactic Custodian, a leader who was given authoritarian and dictatorial powers to guide the Galactic Community during times of war or an emergency. He was also a personal friend of Ninu’s. Before becoming a Stormbreaker, Ninu worked as a multi-language interpreter for Degra, who had been President of Kelta at the time. Once, Degra had even complimented Ninu on the latter’s polylingual talents. Ninu felt tears welling up in his eyes when he looked at Degra. It was clear at a glance that the Galactic Custodian had already resigned himself to defeat.

Degra spoke into a microphone, addressing the Senate.

“There has been a motion to unseat the Galactic Custodian by the Hiigaran Empire.” Degra said. “Is there a second?”

Next to the Stormbreakers, Eerabik raised her clawed hand and yelled:

“Second! Seconded by the Ozkox Diaspora!”

Ninu looked at Eerabik, his little body filling with many emotions. Eerabik looked up at Ninu, peering into his eyes for a moment before an expression of understanding flickered across her face. Then Eerabik returned her attention to the meeting. A moment later, so did Ninu.

“There is a motion on the floor to unseat the Galactic Custodian.” Degra said. “I ask the body to bear in mind the fact that if this motion passes, the Office of the Galactic Custodian will be vacated, and all institutions associated with it will be without leadership until a new Custodian is elected by this body. Now then, all nations… please indicate your vote by pressing the buttons in front of you. You may vote in favor, oppose, or abstain. According to Galactic Law, a two-thirds majority is needed for this vote to succeed. Please cast your votes now.”

The room was silent, save for the audible clicking of hundreds of buttons. A moment later, the results of the vote were displayed on the screen. Ninu cried out:

“No! NO!”

But there was nothing to be done. Hundreds of aliens rose up and began to applaud and cheer as the results of the vote were displayed. Degra sighed and then pronounced the result:

“By a vote of two-hundred-seventy in favor, four against, and one abstention… the motion carries.” Degra said. “In accordance with Galactic Law, I shall vacate the Office of the Galactic Custodian immediately. A successor may be appointed at the discretion of the Galactic Council.”

A moment later, the President of the Galactic Council declared a recess, and all of the delegate stood up and began to leave. Varian, Corder, Cetla, Kingi, and Maui saw this as their chance to catch the Emerald Institute representative they needed to see, and they ran off to try and catch him. Ninu, however, had not gone more than a few paces before a clawed hand grabbed him and made him stop.

“Wait just a moment.” Eerabik said. “I need to ask you something.”

“What!?” Ninu snapped. He was feeling very impatient, and he clambered on top of the desk, tapping his foot to get his feelings across.

Eerabik, however, was giving Ninu a strange look. It seemed as though she had just figured something out and was waiting for Ninu to catch up.

“It’s just… you don’t feel that?”

“Feel what?” Ninu replied.

Eerabik lowered herself to Ninu’s level, looking right into his eyes.

“I saw the way you looked at me.” She said. “And when you did, I actually felt something. What’s your name, little Kelt?”

“Dokunle. Ninu Dokunle.” Ninu growled.

“Well, Dokunle.” Eerabik said. “Since you and I might be the same, I’ll just tell you. I have Psionic Sensitivity. I’ve known about it since I was too small to fly… and I really get the feeling that… you have it too.”

<=== Chapter 15: The Divine Atelier

Chapter 17: Erin Hyatt ===>

Macavity116 · Apr 5, 2022

Oh snap! Off-schedule chapter incoming!

The military is demanding my attention on short notice, which means I won't be able to post a new chapter on Saturday like usual. Buckle up, folks, Chapter 17 is here almost a week early!

As you read this chapter, keep your eyes open for a few references to my favorite AARs:

Blessed Sithrandir Confederacy and Discoveries of the Hydari Imperiumby @Nikolai
- The famed Advisor will appear as a member of the new Galactic Custodian's cabinet. For all of you @Nikolai fans out there, we will be seeing the Hydari version of the Advisor today.
Avon Las Observesby @Midnite Duke
- The Director of the Emerald Institute for Time Travel makes an appearance in this chapter. Apologies to @Midnite Duke: I was actually planning to name the character today, but Uncle Sam shot all of my plans and I need to rush this chapter out the door while I still can.
Stellaris Wars: A Nemesis Ironman Sagaby @Arithmetician
- Eerabik is back for another round! The new Galactic Custodian is keeping her close.

<=== Chapter 16: The War of the Paradox

Chapter 18: Shadow Broker ===>

Chapter 17
Erin Hyatt

May 5, 2086
The Galactic City, Angel Moon

“My fellow sentients. Our strength as a community has been tested for the past two years. Tested sorely. But the departure of my predecessor Degra Kessick, whom we thank for his service, has given us the opportunity to reclaim our future from the one who sought to steal it away. Many fought for us to get here. We have lost brothers and sisters, husbands, wives, children. We wept for neighbors and friends who will grace ourselves with their presence no more. We, as a civilized society of spacefaring peoples, would be justified in seeking vengeance. It may even bring some sense of satisfaction.

“But instead, we will exercise restraint. This is not the Hyperspace War of fifty years ago. We are not fighting a senseless extragalactic monster this time. The enemy forces arrayed against us are of the same species that once delivered our Galaxy from an existential threat like no other. The Humans are friends and comrades and brothers and allies. We cannot forget that we have been forced into this war, in which we fought and killed our own allies and friends. A single woman forced this war against a cooperative and brotherly species upon us. She is Akira Robinson, the Paradox; she will be found and then held responsible.

“Until such a time, we cannot blindly peruse the destruction of the Human species, not even to satisfy the righteous anger borne from crimes committed against ourselves. The atrocities Earth committed against the Galaxy were done under threat and duress; and a dangerous woman holds an entire species hostage and forces the Galaxy to bend to her will. As Galactic Custodian, I will not sacrifice the people of Earth just to bring about the destruction of one individual.

“As your Custodian, I will seek out elements of Humanity that are known to be friendly to us. We shall enlist the aid of those Humans who are still true friends of the Galaxy and break the Paradox’s hold over her own species. And when she is alone and friendless, abandoned by her followers… then the Paradox will understand, in the moments before her death, that her time has come and gone.”

…

Directly in front of the Galactic Custodian’s desk, the camera operator, a young Scyldari, gave a positive hand signal and said:

“Excellent, Madam Custodian. Are you ready for a second take?”

The new Galactic Custodian stood up from her desk and looked at the clock on the wall.

“Second take? What are you on about. Get out and tell the press corps to do their fucking job, I’ve got work to do!”

The cameraman packed up his equipment and withdrew. As he exited, a very large Reptilian entered the office. This alien was much, much bigger than the Galactic Custodian. He had a long scaly snout and a set of leathery wings that made a rustling sound as he walked.

“Madam Custodian.” The reptilian said. “Do you have a moment?”

“WHAT!?” the new Custodian roared, her voice full of anger. The Advisor quailed, but delivered his report.

“The Hiigaran Empire has followed through with their threat, ma’am. The government in Assam Kiith’sid has downgraded Hiigara’s membership in the Galactic Council and withdrawn all Hiigaran military units from the Galactic Defense Force.”

“This is a nightmare.” The Galactic Custodian said, shaking her head.

“We’ve lost fifteen Motherships, nearly two-hundred Super-Capital ships as well as some four thousand smaller vessels. The number of officer, crew, and soldiers we’ve lost is still being counted. Going forward, Hiigara is no longer participating in the war. They’ve dedicated themselves to fortifying their Inner Rim borders.” The Advisor concluded.

“Preparing for war against Aoraki, I’m sure.” The new Custodian grumbled. “Any other bad news?”

“No, ma’am,” The Advisor said. “But you should know, the Emerald Institute has just allowed us to make contact with the paramilitary group you requested.”

“Which one?” Asked the Custodian as she brushed her long grey hair out of her eyes.

“The individuals who showed up in the Senate chamber.” Replied the reptilian. “The ones who have enough money to hire the services of the Emerald Institute. Claim to be Stormbreakers and told me they ‘have friends in the Galactic Defense Force.’”

The Galactic Custodian’s head snapped upward and her eyes widened.

“Excellent!” she said. “Send them straight to the SCC. I’ll meet them there.”

…

Deep inside the bowels of the Taiidani Imperial Palace and very far underground was the wreckage of a starship. The vessel itself was nearly ten-thousand years old, but nobody could remember exactly when the ship’s interior was restored. It was possible to move directly from the Palace above to the ship below, where a modern military command center was hidden in what had once been the starship’s bridge.

The vessel itself was called Sajuuk’s Wrath. Ten thousand years ago, it was the flagship of the Hiigaran Empire. When the Taiidani conquered Hiigara, they built their Imperial Palace over the site of their own victory. At some point, the Taiidan Emperor converted Sajuuk’s Wrath into the headquarters of the Taiidan military. And now, this place had become the Strategic Coordination Center, the very core of the Galactic Defense Force.

Military officers worked intensely to make sense of battle data coming in from across the Galaxy. Each time a Human warship was sighted or engaged, the data was processed here, allowing the GDF to formulate a plan of action and then execute it.

All six Stormbreakers were escorted into the Strategic Coordination Center, they followed closely behind their guides. The first guide was Eerabik, the avian who had spoken to them on the day Kessick was unseated. The other guide was a gruff-looking member of the Taiidani species, bald Humanoids with thick grey skin. This was the Director of the Emerald Institute, a powerful organization that was friendly to both the Stormbreakers and the Galactic Defense Force.

“Now, this is the control center of the war room.” Eerabik was saying. “This is where the Custodian manages the Galactic Order of Battle.”

Varian was talking to the Taiidani man.

“We appreciate everything the Emerald Institute has done for us.” Varian said. “I honestly don’t know how we would keep the Niagara flying without your technicians.”

“And I think none of us are willing to answer that.” Replied the Institute Director. “

The Institute Director showed the Stormbreakers to a large holographic projector in the center of the war room.

“Please bring up the report from Shipyard Naabal.” The Director said.

Shimmering in blueish-white light, a three-dimensional hologram of the spaceplane Niagara appeared above the Stormbreakers and their allies.

“Emerald Institute technicians have started installing the upgrades you requested for your ship.” The Director said. “Mister Ririnui, we analyzed the weapon schematics you took from the UN Blacksite, and there is a danger.”

“It’s a railgun, of course there’s going to be risk.” Maui said. “What’s got you so worried?”

“Well.” The Director replied. “The Niagara is a small vessel. Too small to be called a genuine frigate but too large to be classed as a corvette. Spinal-mounted railguns are generally meant for, well… frigates that are actually frigate-sized. Our technicians do have the ability to install a railgun on your ship… but there won’t be enough space to store ammunition. Not without radically rebuilding the hull. At best, you’ll only be able to carry ten slugs. That’s not a lot of firepower.”

Kingi gave Maui a reassuring look and then spoke to the Director:

“True, but we are not planning to go toe-to-toe with a battleship. We just need an anti-capital ship weapon to facilitate our own escape, if we ever run afoul of one. Score a few devastating blows and then flee before the enemy gets their wind back.”

The Emerald Institute Director nodded.

“Very well, we’ll carry on with the weapon installation.”

…

While all of this was going on, Ninu grabbed Eerabik and pulled her aside for a private conversation.

“How is it possible for either one of us to be Gifted?” he demanded. “I thought Jericho destroyed the Gift fifty years ago!”

“You and I are not Gifted.” Eerabik clarified. “We cannot manipulate minds or make Soulfire, but you and I are genetically predisposed to sense the presence of Psionics. And the way you looked at me in the Senate chamber… I do think that if the Gift still existed, you would have burned me with Soulfire in that moment. No doubts at all. I saw something in you, little Kelt.”

Ninu folded his arms in thought. He was frustrated

“No… you must be mistaken.” He said. “I’m just a translator, I can’t fight, I can’t even fly the Niagara. I’m small and quiet… nothing special…”

Ninu trailed off, his doubts getting the best of him. Eerabik turned to look at the other five Stormbreakers, who were deep in conversation with the leading members of the Galactic Defense Force.

“Nothing special?” Eerabik repeated. “You stand on the shoulders of giants, Ninu Dokunle. I sense great potential in you.”

She rustled her feathers and gave Ninu a gentle pat on the head.

“More potential than those five.” She concluded. “Because you have taken a step into a much larger world, and when the time comes, I think you’ll bring about something for all of us to sing about.”

…

Ten minutes after the Stormbreakers arrived in the Strategic Coordination Center, a very overworked-looking reptilian barged into the room and demanded everyone’s attention. Varian’s jaw dropped at the sight.

“Is that a dragon!?” Varian gasped, pointing at the newcomer. “Someone please tell me that’s a talking dragon!”

The dragon-like alien cleared his throat.

“Human Stormbreaker, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I’m told you are Varian Robinson, the leader of the group, yes?”

“Yeah, that’s me.” Varian replied. “Who are you?”

“I apologize.” Replied the dragon-ish creature. “My name is long and nearly unpronounceable in your mammalian language. Suffice to say that I am the Advisor to the Galactic Custodian, and I am here to announce her arrival.”

Then the Advisor puffed out his chest and raised his voice for everyone in the room to hear:

“Presenting by the Grace of the Sacred Mountain, the legitimate elected successor to Whetu Kealoha, most watchful guardian of the Unnamed Mountain, Governor of the Commonwealth Academy of Science, Overlord of Hakihea, heir to the legacy of Toa Wahine Mami Tamihana, patron of the Reformed Church of the Mountain, President-for-Life of the Triple Alliance, and Galactic Custodian: Marka Ranginui, Queen over the Commonwealth of Partogans and Levakians.”

To a round of applause, the new Galactic Custodian entered the war room. This was Marka Ranginui. Like Maui, she was a member of the Partogan race, a diaspora of Humans who were descended from the Maori people of New Zealand. However, Marka was not any ordinary Partogan: She was their Queen. Her official badge of office was a beautiful green gemstone, the Whetu Kārerarera, the centerpiece of a broach that held together a cloak made from colorful bird feathers.

Marka herself was a young woman in her early thirties. Like the vast majority of Partogans, she had dark skin, purple eyes, and grey hair. Early in her reign, Marka had decided to emulate the famed warrior Queen Mami Tamihana, and was modeling her own appearance after that of Toa Mami. She was very muscular and had the build of a rough-and-tumble fighter, and she also had a traditional te moko tattoo on the lower half of her face, staining her lips a deep black.

As Marka entered, Maui lowered his head in a respectful bow. The Partogan Queen recognized one of her own subjects and stopped to greet Maui before introducing herself to the rest of the Stormbreakers.

“I’m so glad to finally meet you,” Marka said. “My military advisors told me the Stormbreakers were back in action. It bodes well for the future. And Robinson, you are from the same family as Blake himself, correct? Do you have any contact with him?”

“I’m afraid not.” Varian replied. “I’m trying to keep my family away so the UN doesn’t target them. We’ve all had to keep our families at a distance.”

As Ninu rejoined the group, Varian said:

“Congratulations on becoming Galactic Custodian, your Majesty, but I still don’t know why you called us here.”

Marka clapped her hands and summoned the Advisor to her.

“Tell the General we’re ready to see him now.”

The Advisor stepped out of the war room and came back a few seconds later, followed by a military officer. This individual was a member of the lion-like Levakian species. Corder flattened her ears and swished her tail. She was half-Human, meaning her own Levakian traits paled in comparison to the massive lion before her. The Levakian officer was very tall and thin, with a highly domed head and vicious-looking eyes that were sunken in. He seemed to move in a snakelike fashion, swaying his head from side to side as he surveyed the war room. The Levakian officer was the most brightly colored person In the room, as his fur came in vivid patterns of orange, white, and black. The officer rendered a salute and introduced himself.

“General Macavity, Galactic Defense Force.”

“We’ve met before.” Maui said. “Back when this whole mess was first starting out.”

“Yes, I remember that too.” Eerabik cut in. “The General would not stop praising the ‘unique design’ of your starship.”

“Interestingly enough, that’s the reason I’ve called you here today.” Queen Marka said. “General Macavity told me about your ship’s ability to disguise itself.”

“Holograms.” Maui explained. “The Niagara has a set of external holographic emitters that can fool light-based sensors. We can slip past some of the UN Navy, provided their sensors are old or their crews are a little lax.”

“Do you need us to infiltrate something?” Corder asked.

“We do.” Marka replied. She gestured to Macavity, who spoke:

“We’ve been reviewing the intel you gathered while you were on Earth and found something alarming that requires immediate investigation.” Macavity said. “Specifically, it was your claim that ISO Director Scarlett Freeman was reported dead.”

“We heard it from her daughter.” Varian said. “And Nezzie heard it from Freeman’s husband. I think that’s pretty definitive, sir.”

Macavity, the Advisor, and Eerabik all looked at one another. Finally, Eerabik broke the bad news:

“Well, you see. We have our own intelligence that says Scarlett Freeman is alive.”

“And she’s on the move.” Macavity added.

All six of the Stormbreakers dropped their jaws. Ninu swore.

“You’ve got to be joking!” Kingi growled. “Freeman is still alive? How do you know!?”

General Macavity flattened his ears and used the hologram generator in the middle of the war room to illustrate his story:

“Micore spy drones on Altair intercepted a Hyperwave call. Scarlett Freeman contacted the leadership of the Cult of Jericho, demanding a face-to-face meeting with the Sorceress Erin Hyatt. It was a matter of some great urgency. But this is the most important detail, Director Freeman was so anxious to arrange this meeting, she implied that the friendship between the Cult of Jericho and the United Nations was in jeopardy. The meeting between Freeman and Hyatt has now been scheduled for the end of this month.”

“Do you know where this meeting will happen?” Maui asked. His eyes were darting back and forth as he attempted to log all of this data into his smart glasses.

“That’s the part that alarmed us, and caused us to reach out to you.” Queen Marka explained. “You see, this meeting between Hyatt and Freeman is supposed to happen in a place called Arcadia Bay. The location raised several alarm bells for us.”

Corder, Ninu, Maui, Cetla, and Kingi all looked at Varian, who was the only member of the team to know the name Arcadia Bay. Varian had gasped at its mention.

“I’ve heard of that town!” Varian said. “Birthplace of Maxine Caulfield, one of the very first Gifted Humans. The whole city was destroyed in some freak supernatural event almost a hundred years ago!”

The Advisor pulled up a holographic map of Arcadia Bay. The wrecked town lay on the picturesque Oregon coastline.

“So you won’t be surprised to hear that the UN has a massive military presence in the city right now?” The Advisor asked.

As the Stormbreakers watched, the Advisor pointed out several locations around the region on the hologram, showing that the Human military had built several outposts around Arcadia Bay.

“I understand you suspected Hyatt of being the Paradox.” Macavity said.

“No, we ruled her out.” Corder clarified. “But the Cult and the Progeny are still doing a lot to help the UN against us. Why don’t we just bomb the whole site from orbit? Kill Hyatt and make sure Freeman stays dead this time?”

“I wanted to.” Grumbled Macavity.

The Advisor gave him a very stern look.

“General, with all due respect, we can’t get much intel from a pile of charred corpses!” The Advisor protested, flapping his wings in frustration. “We must observe that meeting, not stop it! Anything those two Humans say could be used against the UN military.”

“The Advisor is right.” Queen Marka said. “But there is one other reason we wanted to send the Stormbreakers on this particular mission.”

Queen Marka pointed at Ninu.

“Eerabik told me about you, interpreter.” Marka said. “She is confident that you are like her, sensitive to Psionic energy.”

The other five Stormbreakers all looked down at Ninu.

“Wait, really? Corder said. “Ninu, that’s amazing!

Ninu turned pale and looked at the floor.

“Nothing special, really.” He muttered.

“On the contrary.” Eerabik said. “You should let the Custodian finish.”

Marka nodded and then pointed to the holographic representation of Arcadia Bay again.

“The location is significant for another reason.” She continued. “Yes, Freeman and Hyatt are going to meet here, but more important are these scans, taken by a cloaked Hiigaran vessel during a recon mission.”

The hologram lit up in shades of purple and blue, illuminating the town in strange relief. Maui saw this and gasped.

“No way.” He said.

“What?” The other Stormbreakers asked. “What do you see?”

Maui pulled off his smart glasses and took a closer look at the hologram.

“That’s… that’s…” his voice was full of disbelief. “Psionic energy. The town’s full of it!”

Queen Marka nodded.

“Arcadia Bay is flooding with Psionic energy, and the source is nearby.”

Controlling the hologram with a tablet computer, General Macavity zoomed the image out to reveal a map of the Oregon region. The Stormbreakers were greeted with a very strange sensor reading. Psionic energy seemed to be spilling out of a very specific point in the Klamath Mountain Range, and spreading out across the rest of Oregon like a cloud.

“Holy mother of Jericho!” Varian breathed. “What the hell is happening in Oregon!?”

“We would like to know” Queen Marka replied.

“And we also want to know if this can be used to help the war effort in any way.” Macavity added.

“That’s where Ninu comes in.” Eerabik said.

As Eerabik continued, everybody looked at Ninu, who was now quaking in terror.

“When you look at any map of the Oregon region, you’ll see it is very mountainous and covered in forest. There will be very few places to land a starship. Ninu Dokunle, you must use your sensitivity to follow the Psionic energy to its source, and then report the identity of the source to us.”

Ninu gulped.

“Well, I uh,” he sounded very unsure of himself. “I mean, I guess I can do that. It’ll be like taking a long hike through nature, right?”

“That’s one way to put it.” The Advisor said with a chuckle. “The Progeny and UN will be too busy to fight you anyway, as there are local rebel forces to the north and south of this area to keep them occupied.”

Varian gave Ninu a pat on the head.

“There you go, buddy. Easy mission. Walk around the mountains for a few days and hunt for, oh, I dunno… Psionic ghosts or something.”

Corder addressed the Galactic Custodian and her cabinet.

“As soon as we get our ship back from the Emerald Institute, we’ll be on our way back to Earth. Count on it.”

…

May 29, 2086
Newport, Oregon

Erin Hyatt, a self-proclaimed Sorceress and leader of the Cult of Jericho, picked her way across the remains of a battlefield. She was on the beach of the Oregon Coastline, about two day’s journey from Arcadia Bay. Earlier today, this beach had been the scene of a furious skirmish between the Progeny and the Americans. After almost four hours of fighting, the Cultist forces had won, driving the Americans away or crushing them here in the bloody sand.

Erin was an older woman, but she had aged gracefully. She was a veteran of the Second Hyperspace War, having seen combat at the Battle of Neptune. During the legendary conflict, a nuclear explosion left Erin blind. Sometime later, Erin was visited in her hospital bed by Jericho, the Girl Who Became a God.

Jericho restored Erin’s vision, and the rest was history. Erin built the Cult of Jericho and its Progeny, and now she was leading Jericho’s faithful in a war that would decide the future of Humankind once and for all.

As she stepped over a fallen Progeny fighter, Erin thought over the past two years of conflict.

The war was not going well. Despite being the largest religious movement in the United Nations, the Progeny was much smaller than the cult itself, and each battle, like this one, depleted strength that was not easily restored. Before the outbreak of violence, the Progeny would expand its membership by kidnapping alien children and indoctrinating them. Thralls made up the bulk of Progeny forces, and now they were making up the majority of dead fighters on this beach.

A group of Acolytes and Sorceresses came to join Erin on the beach. These Human members of the Progeny served the same function as officers in a professional military. Erin listened as they delivered a report on how the day’s battle had gone. Her eyes fell when the Acolytes explained that the Americans had started to withdraw as soon as they started to take casualties. The Sorceresses gave Erin a list of fatalities, showing that over half of the Progeny Thralls on the field had been killed today. Erin compared this list against other lists from other battlefields.

She felt a sense of rising anger. Before the war, the Progeny could have replaced these dead Thralls by abducting children from nearby alien worlds like Hakihea, Amadiio, or Sabak. But now Scarlett Freeman was demanding that all of these children be turned over to the ISO, leaving none for the Progeny to use. If the war kept going like this, it would be impossible for the Progeny to sustain itself.

Erin crumpled up the casualty list in her hand and said:

“If we have a few more victories like this, we’ll be undone.”

One of the Sorceresses tried to reassure Erin.

“There won’t be so many battles in our future, your Holiness.” She said. “We are on the cusp of a greater spiritual victory.”

“Quite right.” Erin said. “We must persevere. We must press on. Jericho wills it!”

Bloodied and shaken by the day’s action, the surviving Progeny militants gathered around their leader and continued to march south. Nothing would stop them from reaching Arcadia Bay.

<=== Chapter 16: The War of the Paradox

Chapter 18: Shadow Broker ===>

The Last Heroes

Metacavity, Destroyer of the Fourth Wall

Metacavity, Destroyer of the Fourth Wall

Metacavity, Destroyer of the Fourth Wall

Metacavity, Destroyer of the Fourth Wall

Metacavity, Destroyer of the Fourth Wall

Metacavity, Destroyer of the Fourth Wall

Metacavity, Destroyer of the Fourth Wall

Metacavity, Destroyer of the Fourth Wall

Metacavity, Destroyer of the Fourth Wall

Metacavity, Destroyer of the Fourth Wall

Metacavity, Destroyer of the Fourth Wall

Metacavity, Destroyer of the Fourth Wall

Metacavity, Destroyer of the Fourth Wall

Metacavity, Destroyer of the Fourth Wall

Metacavity, Destroyer of the Fourth Wall

Metacavity, Destroyer of the Fourth Wall

Metacavity, Destroyer of the Fourth Wall

Metacavity, Destroyer of the Fourth Wall

Metacavity, Destroyer of the Fourth Wall

Metacavity, Destroyer of the Fourth Wall