FA+
Shop
251
Views
Views
1
Favorites
Favorites
Category
Story / All
Species Unspecified / Any
Size 100 x 100
File Size 12.3 kB
Report this content
More from WarlordMike
CONNECTION REESTABLISHED.
IMPERIAL RECEPTION HANGAR, IMPERIAL HIGH COMMAND
PLANET XYBER XVII, MANOS SYSTEM, IMPERIAL UNIVERSE
0855 HOURS, AUGUST 12, 3036 A.D.
An entire brigade of Imperial Troopers, hailing from various corners of the Empire, stood at attention in the Hangar to greet the inbound arrivals. The six Imperial Agents dispatched yesterday had done their jobs, and all that was left was to establish contacts with each of the Nova Universe's races.
Soon, the Massive Inter-Dimensional Time Gate sparked to life, activating to create a blue-white Time Gate to the Hangar. The first expected to arrive was the Federation's Contact, Major Joseph C. Harridan of Misfire. His Carrier, the UFS Freedom, slowly emerged from the Nexus.
Shortly thereafter, Greyshoulders made his appearance in his substitute Carrier, Vengeance, considering the Unrelenting was still yet to be completed. He too, was setting down in the hangar when Iuso's Raven came through. The Raven was shortly followed by the Bloody Hammer's personal Aurora Cruiser, its gyroscopic ring spinning slowly. Smart's Rebel IDA Frigate, carrying him, Pentecost, and Donald followed shortly behind Techerakh. Last, but certainly not the least, Flannigan came screaming through the gate in his Mod Starbridge, setting down neatly between Iuso's Raven and Techerakh's ship.
As the crews exited their respective vessels, there was a great deal of tension in the air; all sides were wondering what enemy governments were doing here, as there had been no mention of them at the meetings with the Imperial Agents.
“Polaris?! What are you doing here?!” Harridan shouted, shocked and distraught.
“I was about to ask you the same thing, Federation dog,” Techerakh sneered.
“Well, this meeting's getting off to a lovely start,” Greyshoulders stated sarcastically.
“That's enough!” a voice shouted.
All of the associated parties turned and looked in the direction of the person who spoke – Commander.
“If we're quite finished arguing, Ladies and Gentlemen, please follow me.”
The sound of heels clicking together as the Imperials saluted filled the hangar, showing their respect for both the parties and the supreme leader.
After a few minutes, they entered Imperial High Command's meeting room, where there were several vacant seats for those attending. Already present were the top figures in the Empire:
Aleksandr Gurevich Vasily, Grand Councilor of the Inter-Galactic Races Council (IGRC)...
Chancellor Rak'Ti'Kash, the leader of the Tigandrans and Planet Tigandris VI...
Fleet Admiral Eugene Christopher Langley, Force Commander of Battle Fleet 372, the “Fury of the Empire”...
Richard, Commander's Father and Chief Advisor...
King Bowser Koopa, Chief Technician and Engineer of the Empire, (grudgingly) drug away from his most recent project....
Ambassador Julius Godwin Williams, the Director of the Chronology Protection Institute (CPI)...
And, of course, Commander himself, the Supreme Leader of the Empire.
They all took their respective seats, which were designated with each of their names. An uneasy feeling filled the air as each group looked at the others, their respective entourages glaring.
“Ladies and Gentlemen,” Commander finally announced, “please be seated.” They did so.
Bowser then stood up. “I suppose you're all wondering why you're here, meeting with us as well as people you know well to be enemies. Well, then, allow me to explain.”
Richard immediately pressed a button on the table, bringing down a projection screen, which quickly displayed images from their last mission on Huron.
“Four days ago, an Imperial Strike force, comprising of myself, Commander, and four other members not currently present, were sent to investigate a base on the planet Huron. The base was owned by our enemies, the Joint Renegade/Voinian Alliance, or JR/VA. When we infiltrated the base, we discovered that soldiers from each of your governments had been captured by Akasi.”
“Yes, we know all this already,” Smart commented, annoyed. “What's your point?”
“The point is, when we freed the captives, we had to get 'em to work together to get out. Not easy, I assure, considering their preconceived notions of each other.”
“So?” Greyshoulders stated, arms crossed.
“By mission's end, they actually had shown respect for each other, both as adversaries...and allies.”
All of the government representatives sat up a bit more.
“Your point being...?” said Flannigan.
The projection screen turned off.
“You know well that Admiral Stukov of the Bureau of Internal Investigation and Chade McGowan of the Guild of Free Traders, under Akasi, were partly responsible for their capture. Now that you know who the true enemies are, it is time to set aside your differences, Ladies and Gentlemen, and start opening talks with each other.”
“You brought us all here for THIS?” Harridan said. “I can't see any reason why I should fight with HIM,” he said, indicating Techerakh, “or THEM,” pointing to the Polaris, “and especially THEM,” motioning at the Rebels.
“Now, people, think about this for a second...” Richard spoke.
Everyone stopped and turned.
“Is this all going to be so difficult? Is it really so hard for you people to get along with each other? What makes you think that anyone here is all that different from everyone else?”
No one made any visible indication, but it was clear they were mulling over the facts.
“What was it that caused all of you to be so hostile towards each other? The Colonial Council? The Bureau? What?”
“What are you suggesting?” Techerakh noted.
“If we are to reach peace, then you must look beyond what you think is true, and what is actually true,” Richard stated.
Ambassador Williams then stood.
“I, as director of the Chronology Protection Institute, have things to reveal to you all. Bowser, if you please?”
The Koopa King nodded, and showed them various snippets of time in the Nova Universe.
“You see, we Imperials have mastery over Time and Space, and we observe events in various Universes that we feel should be watched. Yours was one of them, but there are countless others we monitor. When we discovered the depth of the Colonial Council's corruption, we felt it necessary to only watch, but not intervene.”
“And why not?” Pentecost asked.
“Playing with timelines is a dangerous thing, Mr. Pentecost; as an example, let's go to World War II,” he said, to which a few images of Hitler and other notables from the period were displayed. “If, for example, we had assassinated Hitler before he ever rose to power, then the resulting timeline...” to which the screen changed to display Stalin and other Soviet forces, “...would have made for a future in which Stalin and the Soviets rolled through Europe, and this Universe is known as the Red Alert Universe.”
“So...you actually let such horrible events happen?” Bis Andreya asked, astounded and in shock.
“Sadly, yes,” Williams solemnly confirmed. “Sometimes, we must allow the most horrific attrocities of all creation occur, lest we accidentally create a Universe far worse than what previously was.”
Williams then approached the projection screen.
“But we had discovered what might happen should we attempt to intervene in the events during the Council's existence. If we had made attempts to do so, we realized that all we would succeed in doing would be creating an age of anarchy far sooner than originally had occurred. For this reason, we had decided to do nothing.”
“And what of the Bureau?” Donald Chick asked.
“When the Bureau came to power, we decided to leave it alone unless an extraordinary event came to pass. In this case, it was mostly by accident when we had entered the Universe about two years ago, our time. You may remember the Battle of Earth against the Ne'Ral? It was we who administered the finishing blow to their ship, the Silent Mercy, sparing Earth from destruction. We could not allow it; even though it would save us a great deal of headache by taking out most of the Bureau, the cost of doing so was simply too high.”
It was then that Commander noticed that the Rebels were talking amongst themselves.
“Something you wish to add, General Smart?” he asked.
“Well, actually...yes. I just want to know if you could have done away with the Bureau then, why didn't you?”
“To be honest,” Williams stated, “we simply had no business there to begin with; and things had already been muddled up enough with the destruction of Harbor in the Scheall system. But once we learned that McGowan had allied with Nar Akasi, the leader of the JR/VA, we knew we would have to start taking a more involved interest in your Universe.”
“But more importantly, Gentlemen,” Vasily began, “is Akasi's recent acquisition of Admiral Samir Stukov, from the Bureau of Internal Investigation.”
“What would he want with a Bureau Admiral?” Major Harridan asked, now even more interested.
Bowser then changed the screen again, this time to show Phazon and the infusion process.
“It turns out that Stukov was running a Super Soldier program using Bureau Funds, along with Akasi's help, that involved the use of this material: Phazon. It is a highly dangerous, blue-colored mutagen, found natively in the Metroid Universe. The material is able to increase the abilities of those infected...but not without cost. Most people are subjected to 'Phazon Madness,' a state of delirium in which they end up going completely insane, killing everyone and everything in sight, friend or foe. Stukov, however, with Akasi's help, has managed to allow the Super Soldiers to never succumb to this state of insanity, which allows him to field very disciplined and powerful warriors.”
“How was he able to do so?” Flannigan asked.
“We don't know. What we do know, however, is that with the Super Soldiers ready and waiting, he'll likely be planning invasions of anyone who oppose him.”
“I don't see why that would concern US...” Harridan noted. “They're part of the Federation, so why should I worry?”
“Not that we wish to sway you, Harridan,” Rak'Ti stated, “but did you ever consider what will become of you and your men should his new pets be successful? Correct me if I'm wrong, but you may find yourselves out of a job if this happens.”
“And he won't stop with the Aurorans, Rebels, or Polaris, either,” Commander added. “Already, they're planning an invasion into another dimension, known as Tyrekon, for their first strike.”
The projection screen turned off. Commander then stood.
“The decision is now becoming clear, Ladies and Gentlemen. If you continue to fight with each other, it won't be long before Akasi, Stukov, and McGowan sweep through and take all of you out. If you unite, however, you may just have a chance at bringing your Universe back to the way it was: peaceful, and without war.”
Everyone, who initially harbored feelings of hostility towards each other, had now started staring at each other, realizing that they were now all in the same boat, and it was sinking fast.
Donald Chick asked one last question. “Commander, if you contacted the most important officials in our Universe, why, then, didn't you ask us to bring the Cardinal or Frandall along, not to mention other members of our government?”
Commander was afraid this would happen. He knew that not bringing Frandall along was going to spark this question. There was only one thing he could tell them...
The Truth.
“The Cardinal, I was not entirely sure of his position as to how he could sway this one way or the other. But as for Frandall...”
He looked around the table, noticing the expressions of everyone.
“Ladies and Gentlemen...what I am about to tell you, never took place. Understood?”
Everyone nodded in acknowledgment.
“Very well. Bowser...show them the photos.”
Again, the screen was lit, this time displaying Frandall alongside Krane.
“What in the name of...?” Smart said, shocked.
“Frandall is, in fact, no better than Commander Melissa Krane ever was or will be. In fact, it was Frandall who taught her everything she knows, and uses. If she is ever brought to trial by the Rebels, gentlemen, she will be executed in her cell. Though it is unverified, it is generally accepted by us to be Frandall who will be responsible for her death.”
“Then...why even start a war with the Bureau?” Pentecost asked, now greatly confused.
“When Krane took over, she essentially didn't need her former mentor anymore. Long story short, he was out of a job. However, since he knew what went on behind the scenes, he used it to rally all of you to fight against her. Make no mistake; he's right about what she does, but he is pursuing this war for his own ends.”
Everyone sat there, quite astonished by what they just heard.
“So...now what do we do?” Greyshoulders asked.
“If we're going to enter into an alliance, it will have to be kept under wraps. CERTAINLY this last bit of info will need to be kept secret; if Frandall finds out, Gentlemen,” Commander noted, looking towards the Rebels, “there is no doubt in my mind he'd give you up to be subjected to the barbarisms of the Bureau.”
“Well, I guess that's it, then,” Iuso remarked. “The Bureau must be stopped, but we need to do it discreetly.”
“Precisely, Iuso. That said, shall we adjourn this meeting?”
“Agreed,” Major Harridan stated.
“Seconded!” Techerakh noted.
Commander smiled. “Very well. Now, head back to your ships; we will give you all Trans-Dimensional Communicators so we can contact all of you again when the need arises. Until then, go about your lives as usual – all the while, find out as much as possible about goings-on in your home territories.”
All present nodded.
“Now hurry; your disappearances may have caught your respective governments' attentions, and may have raised an alarm. Go!”
The meeting room quickly emptied as the leaders hurried back to their ships. The meeting had gone admirably.
Meanwhile...
WERE-CREATURE TRAINING ACADEMY, KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI
UNITED STATES, PLANET EARTH, SOL SYSTEM
0947 HOURS, AUGUST 12, 3036 A.D.
Mike woke to find that the room was shrouded in darkness. He couldn't see anything at all; not even a scent trail helped him find his way around. And hearing would do next to nothing, since there were no noises to lead him.
So, he was forced to feel his way around the room as he blindly searched in the darkness. But then, he noticed something odd. The room suddenly seemed to change into various colors of blues, reds, and every color in between. He didn't know what was going on, but at least he could see the way to the main training chamber now.
Ignatius was standing in the center, back to him once more.
“So today, I'm doing stuff related to sight, correct?” Mike asked, based on his experience.
“Indeed, young wolf. Today, you will learn not only to see what a human sees...but also what cannot be seen.”
Mike gave a screwed-up expression. Did this guy ever quit with the Zen-like comments?
“This way. You will see.”
Mike was lead to a darkened corner of the warehouse. Almost automatically, he began seeing things in those same hues again. What was causing all this?
“Tell me...do I appear to be a big splotch of red with various shades of the other colors?”
“Well...yeah...”
“Very good. That means your eyes have adjusted correctly.
“Adjusted? For what?”
“Why, the IR spectrum, of course.”
“IR? As in Infrared?”
“The very same.”
“...Cool! ...but...how am I doing it?”
“When your pupils dilate, they trigger the rods in your eyes that allow you to see the Infrared Spectrum. Were-Creatures can cause this to happen automatically, similar to how you can see scent trails once you've acquired the proper scent.”
“...So, I've got natural night vision? Why didn't it kick in when I was doing scent trails?”
“Until a Were-Creature learns how to get scent trails, the IR spectrum won't be visible until two days afterward.”
“Well. That works as an explanation.”
Mike went about the day, as usual, testing out this new skill as he went through drills exercising this trait. First, he had to find his way through a maze in less than two minutes, in the dark. Similarly to how he got scent trails, he was able to instantly dilate his pupils by using a specific muscle in his eye. Then came the task of knocking down robots that gave off heat signatures; ten also in two minutes.
By the time he'd done all the tasks of the day (a good eight more, demanding almost exacting precision), he was ready for the bunk yet again. As he walked to his bed, he stopped in front of the kitchen entrance to see Megan there, sitting with a cup of coffee in hand and looking down into it.
He'd felt like such an idiot after what happened last night. He couldn't help but feel he acted inappropriately to her with his suggestion of sleeping with him. Granted, he didn't do anything that would violate her, but it still sat wrong with him. Deciding he'd better not embarrass her any more, Mike was about to continue on when Megan called out to him.
“Michael?”
He stopped. What was she going to say? He prepared himself for a lecture about his actions yesterday.
“Yes, Megan?”
“I...just wanted to say...I felt you scratch my ears last night as I went to sleep.”
He froze with horror. Crap, I KNEW I shouldn't have done that... he angrily thought to himself. Why did he let himself do something so stupid?
“Yes, and...?” he asked, trying to keep calm.
“Well, the thing is...” she began, returning her look to the coffee.
He shut his eyes in anticipation. Here it comes...
“When I was younger, my Mother used to do that when I had a hard time getting to sleep.”
“...What?” he asked. He did not see that remark coming.
“Yes. I know you were trying to comfort me, but you helped me remember all the good times I had with my mother when she was alive. I just wanted to thank you for that. Having you scratch behind my ears seemed to allow me to say good-bye to her.”
“...Really?”
She nodded.
He walked towards her, and she stood. After a few seconds passed, they embraced each other. It was a good five minutes he and her stood there, hugging.
It was good to be of help.
SIGNAL LOST.
ATTEMPTING TO RECONNECT...
NOTES N' STUFF:
If you hadn't played Nova already, I'm sorry to say this, but this day is full of spoilers. The Unrelenting is the ship you get if you follow the Pirate Storyline, while Krane's imprisonment and assassination are the end results of the Rebel Storyline.
If not Hitler, it would've DEFINITELY been Stalin. And even if we ended WWII early enough, we wouldn't EVER have stopped the Holocaust. Remember, Hitler began the persecution of the Jews long before the war even started.
Whether or not you've seen my journal, my mom's going into surgery at 7 PM, Pacific Standard Time (PST). We're hoping that after it's done, we'll finally know what's going on with her, as the docs still don't know. Any prayers or well-wishes would be greatly appreciated.
That said, have a nice night, everyone.
Samir Stukov is © his owner
The Nova-verse and its Characters/Governments are © Ambrosia Software
Bowser, Phazon, and the Metroid Universe are © Nintendo
The Empire, JR/VA, and all characters w/in are ©
me
DAY FOURIMPERIAL RECEPTION HANGAR, IMPERIAL HIGH COMMAND
PLANET XYBER XVII, MANOS SYSTEM, IMPERIAL UNIVERSE
0855 HOURS, AUGUST 12, 3036 A.D.
An entire brigade of Imperial Troopers, hailing from various corners of the Empire, stood at attention in the Hangar to greet the inbound arrivals. The six Imperial Agents dispatched yesterday had done their jobs, and all that was left was to establish contacts with each of the Nova Universe's races.
Soon, the Massive Inter-Dimensional Time Gate sparked to life, activating to create a blue-white Time Gate to the Hangar. The first expected to arrive was the Federation's Contact, Major Joseph C. Harridan of Misfire. His Carrier, the UFS Freedom, slowly emerged from the Nexus.
Shortly thereafter, Greyshoulders made his appearance in his substitute Carrier, Vengeance, considering the Unrelenting was still yet to be completed. He too, was setting down in the hangar when Iuso's Raven came through. The Raven was shortly followed by the Bloody Hammer's personal Aurora Cruiser, its gyroscopic ring spinning slowly. Smart's Rebel IDA Frigate, carrying him, Pentecost, and Donald followed shortly behind Techerakh. Last, but certainly not the least, Flannigan came screaming through the gate in his Mod Starbridge, setting down neatly between Iuso's Raven and Techerakh's ship.
As the crews exited their respective vessels, there was a great deal of tension in the air; all sides were wondering what enemy governments were doing here, as there had been no mention of them at the meetings with the Imperial Agents.
“Polaris?! What are you doing here?!” Harridan shouted, shocked and distraught.
“I was about to ask you the same thing, Federation dog,” Techerakh sneered.
“Well, this meeting's getting off to a lovely start,” Greyshoulders stated sarcastically.
“That's enough!” a voice shouted.
All of the associated parties turned and looked in the direction of the person who spoke – Commander.
“If we're quite finished arguing, Ladies and Gentlemen, please follow me.”
The sound of heels clicking together as the Imperials saluted filled the hangar, showing their respect for both the parties and the supreme leader.
After a few minutes, they entered Imperial High Command's meeting room, where there were several vacant seats for those attending. Already present were the top figures in the Empire:
Aleksandr Gurevich Vasily, Grand Councilor of the Inter-Galactic Races Council (IGRC)...
Chancellor Rak'Ti'Kash, the leader of the Tigandrans and Planet Tigandris VI...
Fleet Admiral Eugene Christopher Langley, Force Commander of Battle Fleet 372, the “Fury of the Empire”...
Richard, Commander's Father and Chief Advisor...
King Bowser Koopa, Chief Technician and Engineer of the Empire, (grudgingly) drug away from his most recent project....
Ambassador Julius Godwin Williams, the Director of the Chronology Protection Institute (CPI)...
And, of course, Commander himself, the Supreme Leader of the Empire.
They all took their respective seats, which were designated with each of their names. An uneasy feeling filled the air as each group looked at the others, their respective entourages glaring.
“Ladies and Gentlemen,” Commander finally announced, “please be seated.” They did so.
Bowser then stood up. “I suppose you're all wondering why you're here, meeting with us as well as people you know well to be enemies. Well, then, allow me to explain.”
Richard immediately pressed a button on the table, bringing down a projection screen, which quickly displayed images from their last mission on Huron.
“Four days ago, an Imperial Strike force, comprising of myself, Commander, and four other members not currently present, were sent to investigate a base on the planet Huron. The base was owned by our enemies, the Joint Renegade/Voinian Alliance, or JR/VA. When we infiltrated the base, we discovered that soldiers from each of your governments had been captured by Akasi.”
“Yes, we know all this already,” Smart commented, annoyed. “What's your point?”
“The point is, when we freed the captives, we had to get 'em to work together to get out. Not easy, I assure, considering their preconceived notions of each other.”
“So?” Greyshoulders stated, arms crossed.
“By mission's end, they actually had shown respect for each other, both as adversaries...and allies.”
All of the government representatives sat up a bit more.
“Your point being...?” said Flannigan.
The projection screen turned off.
“You know well that Admiral Stukov of the Bureau of Internal Investigation and Chade McGowan of the Guild of Free Traders, under Akasi, were partly responsible for their capture. Now that you know who the true enemies are, it is time to set aside your differences, Ladies and Gentlemen, and start opening talks with each other.”
“You brought us all here for THIS?” Harridan said. “I can't see any reason why I should fight with HIM,” he said, indicating Techerakh, “or THEM,” pointing to the Polaris, “and especially THEM,” motioning at the Rebels.
“Now, people, think about this for a second...” Richard spoke.
Everyone stopped and turned.
“Is this all going to be so difficult? Is it really so hard for you people to get along with each other? What makes you think that anyone here is all that different from everyone else?”
No one made any visible indication, but it was clear they were mulling over the facts.
“What was it that caused all of you to be so hostile towards each other? The Colonial Council? The Bureau? What?”
“What are you suggesting?” Techerakh noted.
“If we are to reach peace, then you must look beyond what you think is true, and what is actually true,” Richard stated.
Ambassador Williams then stood.
“I, as director of the Chronology Protection Institute, have things to reveal to you all. Bowser, if you please?”
The Koopa King nodded, and showed them various snippets of time in the Nova Universe.
“You see, we Imperials have mastery over Time and Space, and we observe events in various Universes that we feel should be watched. Yours was one of them, but there are countless others we monitor. When we discovered the depth of the Colonial Council's corruption, we felt it necessary to only watch, but not intervene.”
“And why not?” Pentecost asked.
“Playing with timelines is a dangerous thing, Mr. Pentecost; as an example, let's go to World War II,” he said, to which a few images of Hitler and other notables from the period were displayed. “If, for example, we had assassinated Hitler before he ever rose to power, then the resulting timeline...” to which the screen changed to display Stalin and other Soviet forces, “...would have made for a future in which Stalin and the Soviets rolled through Europe, and this Universe is known as the Red Alert Universe.”
“So...you actually let such horrible events happen?” Bis Andreya asked, astounded and in shock.
“Sadly, yes,” Williams solemnly confirmed. “Sometimes, we must allow the most horrific attrocities of all creation occur, lest we accidentally create a Universe far worse than what previously was.”
Williams then approached the projection screen.
“But we had discovered what might happen should we attempt to intervene in the events during the Council's existence. If we had made attempts to do so, we realized that all we would succeed in doing would be creating an age of anarchy far sooner than originally had occurred. For this reason, we had decided to do nothing.”
“And what of the Bureau?” Donald Chick asked.
“When the Bureau came to power, we decided to leave it alone unless an extraordinary event came to pass. In this case, it was mostly by accident when we had entered the Universe about two years ago, our time. You may remember the Battle of Earth against the Ne'Ral? It was we who administered the finishing blow to their ship, the Silent Mercy, sparing Earth from destruction. We could not allow it; even though it would save us a great deal of headache by taking out most of the Bureau, the cost of doing so was simply too high.”
It was then that Commander noticed that the Rebels were talking amongst themselves.
“Something you wish to add, General Smart?” he asked.
“Well, actually...yes. I just want to know if you could have done away with the Bureau then, why didn't you?”
“To be honest,” Williams stated, “we simply had no business there to begin with; and things had already been muddled up enough with the destruction of Harbor in the Scheall system. But once we learned that McGowan had allied with Nar Akasi, the leader of the JR/VA, we knew we would have to start taking a more involved interest in your Universe.”
“But more importantly, Gentlemen,” Vasily began, “is Akasi's recent acquisition of Admiral Samir Stukov, from the Bureau of Internal Investigation.”
“What would he want with a Bureau Admiral?” Major Harridan asked, now even more interested.
Bowser then changed the screen again, this time to show Phazon and the infusion process.
“It turns out that Stukov was running a Super Soldier program using Bureau Funds, along with Akasi's help, that involved the use of this material: Phazon. It is a highly dangerous, blue-colored mutagen, found natively in the Metroid Universe. The material is able to increase the abilities of those infected...but not without cost. Most people are subjected to 'Phazon Madness,' a state of delirium in which they end up going completely insane, killing everyone and everything in sight, friend or foe. Stukov, however, with Akasi's help, has managed to allow the Super Soldiers to never succumb to this state of insanity, which allows him to field very disciplined and powerful warriors.”
“How was he able to do so?” Flannigan asked.
“We don't know. What we do know, however, is that with the Super Soldiers ready and waiting, he'll likely be planning invasions of anyone who oppose him.”
“I don't see why that would concern US...” Harridan noted. “They're part of the Federation, so why should I worry?”
“Not that we wish to sway you, Harridan,” Rak'Ti stated, “but did you ever consider what will become of you and your men should his new pets be successful? Correct me if I'm wrong, but you may find yourselves out of a job if this happens.”
“And he won't stop with the Aurorans, Rebels, or Polaris, either,” Commander added. “Already, they're planning an invasion into another dimension, known as Tyrekon, for their first strike.”
The projection screen turned off. Commander then stood.
“The decision is now becoming clear, Ladies and Gentlemen. If you continue to fight with each other, it won't be long before Akasi, Stukov, and McGowan sweep through and take all of you out. If you unite, however, you may just have a chance at bringing your Universe back to the way it was: peaceful, and without war.”
Everyone, who initially harbored feelings of hostility towards each other, had now started staring at each other, realizing that they were now all in the same boat, and it was sinking fast.
Donald Chick asked one last question. “Commander, if you contacted the most important officials in our Universe, why, then, didn't you ask us to bring the Cardinal or Frandall along, not to mention other members of our government?”
Commander was afraid this would happen. He knew that not bringing Frandall along was going to spark this question. There was only one thing he could tell them...
The Truth.
“The Cardinal, I was not entirely sure of his position as to how he could sway this one way or the other. But as for Frandall...”
He looked around the table, noticing the expressions of everyone.
“Ladies and Gentlemen...what I am about to tell you, never took place. Understood?”
Everyone nodded in acknowledgment.
“Very well. Bowser...show them the photos.”
Again, the screen was lit, this time displaying Frandall alongside Krane.
“What in the name of...?” Smart said, shocked.
“Frandall is, in fact, no better than Commander Melissa Krane ever was or will be. In fact, it was Frandall who taught her everything she knows, and uses. If she is ever brought to trial by the Rebels, gentlemen, she will be executed in her cell. Though it is unverified, it is generally accepted by us to be Frandall who will be responsible for her death.”
“Then...why even start a war with the Bureau?” Pentecost asked, now greatly confused.
“When Krane took over, she essentially didn't need her former mentor anymore. Long story short, he was out of a job. However, since he knew what went on behind the scenes, he used it to rally all of you to fight against her. Make no mistake; he's right about what she does, but he is pursuing this war for his own ends.”
Everyone sat there, quite astonished by what they just heard.
“So...now what do we do?” Greyshoulders asked.
“If we're going to enter into an alliance, it will have to be kept under wraps. CERTAINLY this last bit of info will need to be kept secret; if Frandall finds out, Gentlemen,” Commander noted, looking towards the Rebels, “there is no doubt in my mind he'd give you up to be subjected to the barbarisms of the Bureau.”
“Well, I guess that's it, then,” Iuso remarked. “The Bureau must be stopped, but we need to do it discreetly.”
“Precisely, Iuso. That said, shall we adjourn this meeting?”
“Agreed,” Major Harridan stated.
“Seconded!” Techerakh noted.
Commander smiled. “Very well. Now, head back to your ships; we will give you all Trans-Dimensional Communicators so we can contact all of you again when the need arises. Until then, go about your lives as usual – all the while, find out as much as possible about goings-on in your home territories.”
All present nodded.
“Now hurry; your disappearances may have caught your respective governments' attentions, and may have raised an alarm. Go!”
The meeting room quickly emptied as the leaders hurried back to their ships. The meeting had gone admirably.
Meanwhile...
WERE-CREATURE TRAINING ACADEMY, KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI
UNITED STATES, PLANET EARTH, SOL SYSTEM
0947 HOURS, AUGUST 12, 3036 A.D.
Mike woke to find that the room was shrouded in darkness. He couldn't see anything at all; not even a scent trail helped him find his way around. And hearing would do next to nothing, since there were no noises to lead him.
So, he was forced to feel his way around the room as he blindly searched in the darkness. But then, he noticed something odd. The room suddenly seemed to change into various colors of blues, reds, and every color in between. He didn't know what was going on, but at least he could see the way to the main training chamber now.
Ignatius was standing in the center, back to him once more.
“So today, I'm doing stuff related to sight, correct?” Mike asked, based on his experience.
“Indeed, young wolf. Today, you will learn not only to see what a human sees...but also what cannot be seen.”
Mike gave a screwed-up expression. Did this guy ever quit with the Zen-like comments?
“This way. You will see.”
Mike was lead to a darkened corner of the warehouse. Almost automatically, he began seeing things in those same hues again. What was causing all this?
“Tell me...do I appear to be a big splotch of red with various shades of the other colors?”
“Well...yeah...”
“Very good. That means your eyes have adjusted correctly.
“Adjusted? For what?”
“Why, the IR spectrum, of course.”
“IR? As in Infrared?”
“The very same.”
“...Cool! ...but...how am I doing it?”
“When your pupils dilate, they trigger the rods in your eyes that allow you to see the Infrared Spectrum. Were-Creatures can cause this to happen automatically, similar to how you can see scent trails once you've acquired the proper scent.”
“...So, I've got natural night vision? Why didn't it kick in when I was doing scent trails?”
“Until a Were-Creature learns how to get scent trails, the IR spectrum won't be visible until two days afterward.”
“Well. That works as an explanation.”
Mike went about the day, as usual, testing out this new skill as he went through drills exercising this trait. First, he had to find his way through a maze in less than two minutes, in the dark. Similarly to how he got scent trails, he was able to instantly dilate his pupils by using a specific muscle in his eye. Then came the task of knocking down robots that gave off heat signatures; ten also in two minutes.
By the time he'd done all the tasks of the day (a good eight more, demanding almost exacting precision), he was ready for the bunk yet again. As he walked to his bed, he stopped in front of the kitchen entrance to see Megan there, sitting with a cup of coffee in hand and looking down into it.
He'd felt like such an idiot after what happened last night. He couldn't help but feel he acted inappropriately to her with his suggestion of sleeping with him. Granted, he didn't do anything that would violate her, but it still sat wrong with him. Deciding he'd better not embarrass her any more, Mike was about to continue on when Megan called out to him.
“Michael?”
He stopped. What was she going to say? He prepared himself for a lecture about his actions yesterday.
“Yes, Megan?”
“I...just wanted to say...I felt you scratch my ears last night as I went to sleep.”
He froze with horror. Crap, I KNEW I shouldn't have done that... he angrily thought to himself. Why did he let himself do something so stupid?
“Yes, and...?” he asked, trying to keep calm.
“Well, the thing is...” she began, returning her look to the coffee.
He shut his eyes in anticipation. Here it comes...
“When I was younger, my Mother used to do that when I had a hard time getting to sleep.”
“...What?” he asked. He did not see that remark coming.
“Yes. I know you were trying to comfort me, but you helped me remember all the good times I had with my mother when she was alive. I just wanted to thank you for that. Having you scratch behind my ears seemed to allow me to say good-bye to her.”
“...Really?”
She nodded.
He walked towards her, and she stood. After a few seconds passed, they embraced each other. It was a good five minutes he and her stood there, hugging.
It was good to be of help.
SIGNAL LOST.
ATTEMPTING TO RECONNECT...
NOTES N' STUFF:
If you hadn't played Nova already, I'm sorry to say this, but this day is full of spoilers. The Unrelenting is the ship you get if you follow the Pirate Storyline, while Krane's imprisonment and assassination are the end results of the Rebel Storyline.
If not Hitler, it would've DEFINITELY been Stalin. And even if we ended WWII early enough, we wouldn't EVER have stopped the Holocaust. Remember, Hitler began the persecution of the Jews long before the war even started.
Whether or not you've seen my journal, my mom's going into surgery at 7 PM, Pacific Standard Time (PST). We're hoping that after it's done, we'll finally know what's going on with her, as the docs still don't know. Any prayers or well-wishes would be greatly appreciated.
That said, have a nice night, everyone.
Samir Stukov is © his owner
The Nova-verse and its Characters/Governments are © Ambrosia Software
Bowser, Phazon, and the Metroid Universe are © Nintendo
The Empire, JR/VA, and all characters w/in are ©
me
Category Story / All
Species Unspecified / Any
Size 100 x 100px
File Size 12.3 kB
Comments