Chapter 27 - Miserere mei , Deus

512 A.R. March** 2 ***, Tel-Adra -* Sophos Section** , *Early* Morning**

A burst of emotion, a signal of sorts that brought me out of blissful sleep in an instant. I opened my eyes, trawled over my senses in short order: scent, touch, hearing, and the more elusive telepathic abilities.

It gave me the_feeling_ that John was nearby, even if he wasn't in the bed. At first, I wondered if he was in the bathroom, though there was no noise. Apart from the gentle breaths of the others, the room was silent.

I moved in darkness and gently guided my way out of the others presence. None of them stirred as I eased my way onto the floor and stood up. The seal of the bathroom door wasn't perfect, and I could see a glimmer of light coming from within.

As I approached, the state of John's mind became clearer. It flickered between nothing and intense bursts that made the fur on my nape twitch with unease. I walked up to the door, stopped beside it, and gave the door a gentle knock.

Nothing...

Worry drove me on as I grabbed the door handle, carefully pulled it down, and squinted as I eased the door open.

"John?" I whispered.

I could hear his breathing. Slow at times, gasping soon thereafter. The scent that oozed out of the room was distraught and pained.

He didn't answer as I pulled the door open and peered inside. John was on the floor with his back turned to me. He was leaning onto the toilet, slouched and pitiable as I heard his steady panting.

I stepped inside and shut the door behind me, "John?"

Once more, he didn't answer.

I crouched behind him, got on my knees, and inched closer to get a look at him. He was staring into nothingness, pupils dilated, and I could see them move erratically. It was as if he was caught in a trance or something.

With a gulp, I raised my hand, and steeled myself mentally as I reached out to him. I slipped my hand onto his shoulder, and dug through the fur as I caught him in a firm but gentle grip. A connection flicked to life between us, and I braced for what I suspected would come in a moment.

A jolt snapped between us as the connection grabbed hold, and the emotion that followed was intense. I tensed up as it surged through me, and it felt like a slap to the face.

I had the urge to puke, but even as I fought against the sensation, more came rushing through the link. A headache, like a vice tightening around my skull, fear of the sort that made my heart race, anguish that made me gasp as if I wasn't getting enough air.

For a moment it felt as if it would swallow me up, but... I focused on the simple things. The floor, the pattern of the tiles, the warmth radiating from within John's fur. It worked like an anchor, and the sensations settled into the background. I took control of my breathing and leaned in to rest my head on his other shoulder.

Hiding within the intensity of his sensations was what had caused him to get trapped within it.

He remembered. All of it. He dug, and dug... deeper into his own memories, desperate to find out the truth, and he found it. John unearthed it all with a vengeance, and now he was reeling from the full impact of it.

The bunker, Hedwig, Kato... The pain as his arm was ripped loose, and the horror as he had managed to slow down his perception of time in the midst of it all. An eternity for the pain to sear its way into his memories like a burn mark.

Seeing it, this_anomaly_within his mind, still hissing with distorted pain was... hard. It had a gravity to it, tugging as if it wanted to infect you. Simply being aware of it made the bones in my arm tingle. John was caught in it like a foul loop, just like Alexander's breakdown at the training camp.

As horrible as it was, I pulled myself away from it, and focused on why I was here.

'John,' I thought.

He didn't react.

' John ,' I thought, and squeezed his shoulder.

Nothing...

I got the feeling that my attempts were little more than background noise for the storm that raged in his mind. It might have helped to get physical or to yell in his ear, but... that felt dangerous. There had to be a better way to pierce the veil.

With a deep breath, I brought myself back to the moment when I had pinned Alexander to the floor, remembering the sensation. The way that the voice tapped into something more fundamental and raw. A command not meant just for his mind, but his body as well.

'John... Wake up,' I ordered.

I could feel his chest swell with a deeper gasp, and I could almost feel his thoughts grind to a sudden halt. He shuddered, moved his muzzle, and grabbed at my hands. Once more, I opened my eyes, met shortly by his frantic stare as I eased back.

"You're safe, John... It was just a nightmare of things past," I said.

His muzzle wavered, "I remember... all of it."

"I know," I whispered.

The strained emotions drained off of him, and exhaustion began to take its place.

John looked ahead, taking slow but deep breaths, "I..."

I waited in silence.

"I'm sorry," John whispered.

"... Hmm?" I wondered.

"I wanted to know. I kept thinking about it, over and over... Suddenly, it just... It's as if I found the right strand, and all of it just untangled," John said.

"Yes, and now the next step starts..." I said.

John blinked in wonder, and suddenly looked back at me as if surprised, "You... know? You know what happened in there?"

I nodded, "I watched the suit recordings, yes... But that's not the same thing as experiencing what you went through."

John made a sudden chuckle, "Close enough, I guess... and you... along with Allen, you have your own version of it."

"We all share the burden, John..." I said.

"... When can we go home?" John wondered.

"Soon... It's almost over," I said.

"Okay... I'm fine now," John answered and lowered his gaze a little.

I huffed back with a smile, "Of course."

John glanced over at the toilet and shook his head, "Well, this isn't awkward at all..."

"Want to go back to bed? Take a walk or..." I asked.

Once more, his muzzle wavered, "... I still think I need a few minutes like this before I can stand up. The world feels kinda... fuzzy right now."

"Mm," I murmured, and tightened my grip around him.

After a few moments, John let out a deep sigh, and relented a little as he leaned back against me for support.

"Wanna talk about something?" I asked.

"... Sure," John whispered.

"Has Peter pitched the idea to you about the house yet?" I wondered.

"Yeah, he kinda started dropping hints about that ever since the ice cream in Greengate."

"So, what do you think?" I asked.

"It sounds fine... I mean, I'd like it... The capital has a lot of 'stuff', but nothing is ever yours. Need some heavier tools, and you have to go to the workshop. Wanna plant something, and you'll have to arrange a plot somewhere. Hell, I've spent most of my life with only a small room as my own space, so... a house sounds pretty neat."

"And Allen?" I wondered.

"He's eager for it," John said.

"Oh? You sound certain," I said.

"Well, he told me so," John said and perked his brow.

"Hmm... You two certainly seem closer than before," I said.

"... Not you too, it's enough dealing with Peter," John murmured.

"I'm just happy, that's all... It's nice to see the pack settling into a common understanding."

John smiled as he shut his eyes, "Said by the dutiful Alpha, hmm?"

"Well, it makes things simpler as well, not having to guard the lot of you like a bunch of mischievous whelps," I said.

"Uh huh," John murmured and opened his muzzle in a big, long yawn.

A connection knocked on my mind, and it almost forced its way through as I accepted it.

'Vilkas, you're needed. Get up, report to the lobby,' Lydon asked.

'... Has something happened?' I thought.

'Keep this to yourself, but Kamilah wants Tychon to sign an official peace settlement and finalize the new trade agreements this afternoon,' Lydon answered.

'That's good... If somewhat sudden? Things were going well, but...' I said.

'It is, but we believe the situation in the human cities are growing worse, and there are worries that the Luminaire might try to make a move unless we act fast,' Lydon said.

'Do I have time to put on clothes?' I wondered.

'... Yes, and do take a minute with the brush, will you?' Lydon said.

Guess that's something of an insult...

I smiled to myself, 'I'll be down as soon as I can, Lydon.'

'Good,' Lydon answered as his presence faded.

John looked at me in wonder, "... What was that?"

"A short talk with Lydon... I need to get down to the lobby. Will you be alright on your own?"

John nodded, "I'll be fine, Vilkas... Thanks for being here."

512 A.R. March** 2 ***, Tel-Adra -* Sophos Section** , *Early* Morning**

I stepped out of the elevator and could hear the murmurs as others were talking. Reptiles stood guard near the exit to the building, while Lydon and Tau were teamed up as usual. Tychon was there as well discussing something with Lydon.

Lydon seemed to excuse himself then walk up to me as I approached, "Good, you're here..."

"So, what's the plan?" I asked.

Lydon glanced back at the others, "We'll be going upstairs first to meet up with Kamilah, make sure everything's alright, and help prep the meeting. The lead diplomats of Dyssia, the Empire, and Tychon will gather in an hour or so. After that, we'll go through with the signing ceremony, and... Well, I guess we'll see what happens once that is done. I imagine that the forces along the border will be withdrawn in haste so that they can focus on handling the mess that's brewing in the human cities."

"... Are formalities like a ceremony really needed in a situation like this?" I wondered.

Lydon perked his brow as if the question was stupid, and then seemed to catch himself in a rather off moment. He glanced away, and let out a deep sigh as he reached up to rub his temple.

"A ceremony like this is indeed stupid, but only from our perspective. The goal of destroying Sophos has been the glue which holds a lot of human society together, and now there's suddenly to be peace between us. Under normal circumstances it wouldn't have been possible, but I've seen some of the work that Kamilah has put together. Witnesses, recordings, large campaigns... some of them ethical, others... not so much. A ceremony like this--the support to bring everyone's focus on the impending doom--is necessary to make sure they don't face a civil war."

"Hmm... Alright, I can buy that, but... you said 'upstairs'?"

Lydon nodded, "They want the meeting to take place within the UCS tower."

My eyes widened as I leaned back, "We're walking into the UCS section of the facility?"

"Yes, we are... I'm not sure what floor we'll be visiting, but you might even get to see the city of Tel-Adra above ground," Lydon said, and grew something of a dark but humored smile.

I remember wishing for a chance like this... Now, I'm not so sure...

I blinked, "Why the tower though? Isn't the Haven made for this kind of purpose?" I said.

Lydon sighed, raised his hand, and pointed at the ceiling, "You'd have to ask Kamilah that. The message we got from her was urgent, but sparse on details. That said, I imagine that it's a lot easier for them to frame this deal for the people if it's in a familiar setting. ... In other words, one of the Global Council chambers, not an artificial dome using Sophos tech."

I perked one brow, "Sophos tech? While the dome is beautiful, most of the rooms don't even have outlets."

Lydon huffed, "The artificial sky is our doing, and most of the walls are made of plasteel which is unique to Sophos."

"... Plasteel is unique?" I said.

Lydon sighed and shook his head, "What do they teach you younglings at school these days... Anyway, the details aren't important. To put things simply, if the humans want this agreement to be signed in a location of their choosing, then we're not going to waste any more time debating it. Especially not with the threats looming on the horizon."

I crossed my arms as I met his gaze, "So, do you think we'll be safe in there?"

"Not really," Lydon answered as his smile returned.

I sighed, "Right... But it's safe enough that you and the others are willing to bet your lives on it?"

Lydon chuckled, "We're the canary sent into the mine, Vilkas... The others won't step on the elevator before the two of us makes sure it's not a big trap."

"... _Lovely._Anything I should know before we get going?" I asked.

Lydon inched closer and peered at me cautiously, "I trust you, Vilkas... But human security can be rather obnoxious... They'll pat you down, and ask questions you'll need to answer correctly."

"Such as?" I wondered.

Lydon pointed to himself, "Imagine I'm the guard now... So, do you have any weapons?"

I cocked my head, "I get what you're trying to do, and the answer is obviously no, but I'm more worried about whether they're going to put me through a scanner."

Lydon chuckled, "We show up as little more than a black blob on x-ray machines, and our blood has enough metal to trigger their metal scanners. Besides, the summons we received from Kamilah should resolve any security concerns," Lydon said and smiled back.

"I see... You thought of everything," I said.

"Sometimes I do... Anyway, even if something unexpected happens and we're denied entrance, they just throw us out... or lock us in a cell for a few hours."

"Speaking from personal experience?" I asked.

Lydon muzzle wavered with unease as he glanced back at the others, "Yes, unfortunately... I've been used as a piece on the chessboard a great many times."

"So, is Tau coming?" I wondered.

"No, just the two of us... Give me a moment, and we'll leave once I get back," Lydon said.

"Alright, see you then..." I said as Lydon walked off toward Tau.

My gaze wandered along the others, and for once I noticed that Tychon wasn't busy talking. I grabbed the opportunity and marched toward him. It only took him a moment to perk up as he looked in my direction and met my gaze.

"Oh, Vilkas... We haven't a chance to exchange pleasantries, but I'm glad you're here," The big tiger said as I walked up.

I made a courteous smile and offered my hand as I held it out, "You too, Tychon... I wouldn't want your role in the spotlight."

Tychon flashed me a big grin that revealed his massive canines, and near slapped my hand as he grabbed hold of it. He had a firm grip as he shook my hand, and while he had wide shoulders, he was an inch or so shorter than me. A connection began to tingle between us, but Tychon seemed careful to let go of my hand before it got a chance to take hold.

Tychon glanced to the side, and observed the others for a moment, "I don't have long, but what I can I do for you?"

I drew a deep breath as I looked him in the eyes, "I have to ask... Are you aware of Kamilah's long-term plans with this peace agreement?"

Tychon perked one brow, "You'll have to be a bit more precise than that?"

"It seems that she has plans to seize control, and while I'm not sure of the scale, she wants our tacit support. Basically, she envisions a world where psychopaths like her rule human society in a 'benevolent' tyranny of sorts," I said.

"Ah... Yes," Tychon said, and sighed, "I _am_aware of that, but our stance on it is... surprisingly simple so far."

"How so?" I asked.

Another feline walked up and discretely handed Tychon a tablet. He nodded as thanks, then turned to look at me once more, "We are a nation that is both isolationist and pacifist at the same time. Our priorities reflect that to ensure our own survival in the short and long term. The goal has been to never directly aid the human nations because it always backfires, nor to involve ourselves in their internal affairs because it's simply too messy. That's not to going to change unless we vote to adjust our foreign policies."

"But aren't we already involved in some ways? The vaccine, the deals we're making, and so on?"

Tychon smirked back, "Yes, and such is the nature of these things. Our goals stand, but we clearly violate them in order to get a future where we don't have to violate them."

"In other words, we're forced to focus on short-term survival and compromise, but couldn't this become a trap that eventually forces us into their internal affairs?" I asked.

Tychon drew a deep, strained breath, "Sure, but my personal interpretation of it is this... Human society is chaotic and ever shifting. They plan in years; we plan in centuries. If Kamilah and her cohorts do manage to _stabilize_the human nations with their 'enlightened' ways, then it could very well be a vast improvement to what we've had to deal with since the collapse, even if we have to alter how we do things."

"Or it might make them even more of a threat, or compromise our society from within," I said.

Tychon nodded and looked at his tablet as he spoke, "True, but the recent events have trashed any possibility of predicting what the future holds. In essence, we don't have a choice if we want to keep an all-out war from leveling the island."

"Necessity trumps all," I said.

Tychon looked up from the tablet with a solemn smile, "That's how it works... unfortunately."

Lydon walked up and tapped my arm, "It's time to leave..."

I gave Tychon a quick nod, then turned to face Lydon, "Coming!"

512 A.R. March** 2 ***, Tel-Adra -* Paradise Dome** , ***Morning*

I patted the pockets of my uniform, "Empty pockets, double-checked even."

Lydon nodded, "Good... If we give them a reason to hassle us, they will."

"Mm," I murmured. Lydon started walking, and I followed beside him.

I could see the entrance to the UCS section. Guards were standing on each side, and a diplomat stood in the center while observing us. The guards didn't appear armed, but their uniforms were markedly different compared to that of the diplomats--strict and thick.

The diplomat nodded as we walked up and offered a subtle smile, "Lydon and Vilkas, I assume?"

"Indeed," Lydon answered with a nod of his own.

A big smile grew on the diplomat, "Follow me, please... I will do my best to_expedite_ the process."

I glanced over at Lydon as we started walking, 'No introduction?'

'Some of them want as little to do with us as possible. The archives say this one is named Tim and that he works in the administrative office on the floor,' Lydon thought.

'Ah,' I thought as we passed the guards and entered the tunnel itself.

Upon looking ahead, I couldn't help but feel my gut tighten. By entering the tunnel, we were effectively handing over any kind of security. The tunnel was shaped like an expanding funnel, and based on the silhouettes in the distance, we already had numerous guns aimed at us. If the humans wanted to end us, then it would be _very_simple to do so.

Invading anyone through a tunnel like this would be near impossible. Even if one managed to fight their way through, there were probably explosives ready to collapse the tunnel.

Tim didn't seem worried as he walked in front of us, hands clasped behind his back.

It took almost a minute to walk the length of the tunnel, and as we emerged, it was clear that the UCS had reinforced this place as much as we had. Several types of military personnel were present. Some of them wore little more than a different style of uniform, while others wore padded black armor with a helmet and visor. A few reminded me of the mech suit I'd been in--an armored environmental suit with little more than a black face plate and ventilator grills.

Several defense towers were aimed down the mouth of the tunnel, and they seemed to have stopped tracking us as we stepped further into the larger chamber. Many of the guards had rifles, and while they stood at the ready, they weren't aiming them at us.

A trio approached. Two of them wore the UCS variant mech suit, and the man in the middle had a green uniform with several golden strips along his neck. He appeared grumpy, a bit overweight judging by the strained nature of his uniform, and he had almost-white blonde hair.

Tim slowed down and seemed to perk up as the trio blocked his path, "Yes?"

I tried to look up the man in the archives, but... something was giving me trouble. It had been subtle, but the signal levels in this place were pretty much non-existent.

"Step aside," The man ordered.

I slowed down my perception of time and reached out to Lydon with my mind, 'We won't have network access in here?'

'I've got a few workarounds, but I don't want to use them unless there's an emergency. They're monitoring us, as you can probably guess,' Lydon thought.

'Ah... Do we know who this one is?'

'The sour looking man is the one in charge of this checkpoint. An aspiring general that was a bit too outspoken and ended up being relegated to this graveyard position as the colonel in charge. I've encountered him several times before, and he seems to derive his joy from pestering others,' Lydon thought.

'Does he have a name?' I wondered.

'He likes to be called Colonel. He'll most likely take the mention of any other name as a challenge to his authority. Besides, the stripes along his neck indicates his rank, and an indication that you've learned the ranks will probably butter his ego a bit... something which we need,' Lydon thought.

'Roger that,' I thought, and let my perception of time return to normal.

Tim stared at the colonel and motioned to us, "We've got clearance, now-"

The Colonel raised his voice, "Step aside, or my men will do it for you."

Tim promptly stopped talking and stepped aside in silence.

"Name, job, and purpose for this visit?" The colonel asked as stepped up and focused on Lydon.

"Lydon. Diplomat. Kamilah is expecting us upstairs," Lydon said.

As the colonel lifted his gaze to me, "Vilkas, diplomatic aide. Attending the meeting with Kamilah, Colonel."

The Colonel squinted as he focused on me, "... I'd heard you beasts were as dumb as a Dyssian Fire Angel. How exactly are you going to help out as a 'diplomatic aide?'"

Lydon whispered in my mind, 'It's a personal request from Kamilah.'

I smiled back, "Kamilah personally requested my presence, and I'm here to serve."

The Colonel's nose wiggled a little as if he despised the situation, "Hmm... Step out of line, do anything to cause trouble, and I'll be there myself to put you down. Understand?"

"Understood, Colonel," I said with a nod.

I wasn't sure if it was my exhaustion with this place, but the constant posturing and threats were making my own imagination a bit more grim. Part of me wanted to put him in his place, but that was yet another reminder of how everything worked. The colonel was posturing, the guards probably expected him to, the higher ups allowed it in a misguided belief that it made them seem powerful, and it all locked into a looping chain of madness.

The Colonel stepped to the side, and the guards next to him gave us a wide berth, "You're clear to enter. Head straight to the security checkpoint."

"Thank you," Lydon said, and resumed walking.

'Security checkpoint? I thought we just passed it?' I thought.

Lydon smiled a little as I glanced over, 'No, the security checkpoint is up there, in front of the elevators.'

A strange, tingling sensation passed over me as we walked, and I lifted my gaze to the ceiling. It passed quickly, but I noticed that there was a strip of black plastic that was hiding something.

'X-ray scanner, and more... probably,' Lydon whispered over the link.

'Lovely,' I thought.

A path had been painted on the floor. Rails in long, snaking motions led up to the security checkpoint with several closed gates. Rather than move underneath or jump over, Lydon simply started walking along the long path.

I followed, glancing at the security station. There were more military personnel waiting there, but the folks standing by the station were clad in blue uniforms. They stared and shuffled around while whispering to one another.

'This is ridiculous,' I thought as we walked along the winding path.

'It is, but the moment we try to speed the process, all of them will collectively shit their pants.'

I sighed to myself as we finally came up to the spot where the path split off into several booths.

A woman in a blue uniform stared at Lydon, and motioned with her entire arm to the right. Next, she looked up at me, and motioned toward the left booth with her arm.

'Is... Is that her job? She spends her days directing people to the left and right?' I thought, as I stepped over to the left side.

'Yes... Humans_love_ the kind of jobs that would drive any hybrid insane in a short amount of time.'

I couldn't help but smile a little as I wondered whether it was cynicism, dark humor, or if part of him actually believed it.

With a deep breath, I stepped up to the security station. A man clad in another of those blue uniforms stepped up to me, then lifted his gaze as I peered down at him.

"Passport?" The man asked.

I tipped my head, "I don't have a passport..."

The man blinked, "Luggage?"

I glanced to my sides in wonder, and lowered my voice, "No..."

Several others, including masked guards were standing nearby. All of them were staring in silence without any facial expression to speak off. It was as if they were all... dead inside.

"Are you carrying any electronics?" The man asked.

No, but I have a load inside of me...

"No..." I said once more.

"Do you have paper?" The man asked me.

I blinked in wonder and could feel a twitch in my tail, "... What does _that_mean?"

The man opened his mouth, hesitated, and let out an exasperated sigh as he motioned to a nearby machine, "Please step into the scanner, stand on the marked spots, and raise your arms."

I looked over to a machine that looked like a cramped tube, "... There is no way that I'm going to fit into that machine."

The man looked over at the machine, and got this... vacant look on his face, as if the entire ordeal didn't compute within his mind. After a few moments, he looked back at me, "Do you... Do you want a pat-down? It'll cost you 50 credits, you'll be interviewed, and will have to sign a release form."

I looked back at him as I could feel my heart starting to thump in my chest, "I don't have any money, you know?"

The man stared back at me, mouth hanging open.

I looked over at Lydon, and saw that he had managed to call over another person. They were talking in hushed voices, and he was motioning toward me. A glance at the guy in front of me revealed that he was still staring, mouth still hanging open.

Are you lobotomized or something!?

"Are you a terrorist?" The man asked suddenly.

I could feel as my eyebrow twitched, "No..."

Do you expect someone to answer yes to that!?

The man that Lydon had talked to walked over to the man in front of me, then whispered something in his ear. Once done, the man stepped aside, fetched a tablet, and brought it over. The new man promptly did something on the screen, moved his hand as if adding a signature, and stepped aside as he motioned to the path ahead.

"Welcome to the Nexus tower of Tel-Adra... Kamilah's office is on subfloor 13, and she's already waiting," The new man said.

"... Thank you," I said, and walked past.

Lydon was already waiting for me, and he smirked a little as I walked up, "You look mildly frustrated, Vilkas."

I flashed him a grin, "Me? No, don't be ridiculous."

Lydon chuckled, and kept walking. As he stepped up to the gate, it automatically opened and revealed the front of a big elevator. The gate closed moments after we stepped through, and I glanced back in wonder.

"Seems that we lost Tim as well," I said.

Lydon pressed the call button for the elevator, and perked up as he glanced back, "Oh, seems that we did... How odd."

I looked over at him, "This is the first thing that strikes you as odd?"

Lydon chuckled, "You still have a rather idealistic view of society, Vilkas. You think that everyone is going to live meaningful and rational lives, while that couldn't be further from the truth."

I sighed, "... What's a Dyssian Fire Angel?"

The elevator made a ding and opened up. Lydon stepped inside as he started talking, "They're overgrown, brainwashed experiments with a heavy suit of armor and a giant flamethrower."

"Lovely..." I whispered, as I stepped into the elevator.

Lydon faced the front, reached out to the buttons that covered the wall, and pressed the -13 button. Oddly enough, it seemed that this elevator could only reach the -1 floor.

"I think the Dyssians mostly use them for the intimidation factor. Flamethrowers tend to be riddled with dangers, not only to your own forces."

"Yeah," I whispered as the doors shut, and the elevator accelerated.

-18... -17...

The elevator smelled like humans. Lots of them, cramped and sweaty. It was an odor that seemed to seep in from the walls.

-16... -15...

Without warning, the elevator slowed down and came to a sudden halt. A moment passed, and another unexpected sensation filled me. We were moving, but not up or down, the elevator itself seemed to move sideways.

Lydon whispered through the link, 'There are plenty of elevators, but only two shafts down here. In other words, the elevator cars can park and let another one pass.'

I leaned closer to the wall, and listened. After a few moments, I could indeed hear a whoosh as something heavy rushed past.

How curious...

'I thought you said these elevators reached all the way to the top of the tower?' I wondered.

'The elevator shafts, yes... But the elevator itself seems limited somehow,' Lydon thought.

'Ah,' I thought, as the elevator started moving once more.

-14... -13... *DING!*

The elevator settled, and its doors opened. To my surprise, another pair of guards were waiting in the hallway. Both of them had rifles at the ready, and they were clearly military based on the padded black armor. Balaclavas covered most of their faces, and I could see little more than their eyes.

At least they're not mechsuits...

The guard to the right motioned down the hallway, "Kamilah's office is this way."

Lydon stepped out, but stayed close to our side of the wall, "Thank you..."

As I stepped out of the elevator, I discretely glanced at their rifles. They were stocky and had a short barrel. Simple ballistic weapons in other words, most likely made for short range combat.

'Is this normal?' I thought, stepping out and following in his wake.

The elevator reeked of human sweat, but the hallway we had stepped into had a surprising amount of moving air. I could feel the wind rustle my fur as I walked, and the temperature seemed oddly low for a floor occupied by humans. It made it difficult to catch any scents, especially as the air seemed to be suctioned upward.

'I have been escorted before, but not like this,' Lydon thought.

I joined Lydon's side and glimpsed back for a moment. The guards were walking at the edge of reaching distance and held a tight grip around their rifles. While they didn't seem augmented in any way, the belt they wore had numerous attachments, including what could be grenades.

'Have you been here before?' I thought.

'This floor is often reserved to VIP's, so there's nothing strange about that part,' Lydon thought.

I tried to reach out to the Sophos network, but found nothing. No reception, caught deep underground... a troubling situation.

'Could you use one of those workarounds to access the network?' I wondered.

Lydon was silent as he walked, and I looked in front. While Sophos architecture was luxurious in a way, it was also rather simple. This one had a lot of... clutter to it. Paintings, hanging chandeliers, pedestals with flowers. Even the walls were decorated with stylized wood patterns and blocks of what looked like monoliths of dark stone. The closed rooms had digital displays next to them, though all of them appeared to have been shut down.

After a moment, I realized what I was doing... I was trying to distract myself from the feelings that were bubbling in the back of my mind. Unease and fear, the feeling of a trap slowly closing its maw around me.

I glanced back with a pleasant smile, "Where is her office exactly?"

One of them--the man to the right with blue eyes--nodded in the distance, "End of the hall."

"Right," I said and looked back in front.

'Lydon?' I thought once more.

'I can't reach the human networks I've used as workarounds, and the ones that _are_available can't be accessed,' Lydon thought.

I could feel the adrenaline like a cold shower. It washed over me for a moment, only to resurface with a vengeance as my body kicked into gear. It forced me to focus just to keep my tail in check and force my hackles to stay down.

'Are we in danger?' I thought.

'We were in danger the moment we stepped into the tunnel,' Lydon thought.

'Don't be a smart-ass, Lydon... Because I'm one wrong move away from decapitating the two behind us,' I thought.

Lydon glanced over at me, 'Relax... Vilkas.'

My gaze lifted to the ceiling, 'Why is the ventilation cranked up so much?'

Lydon didn't answer, but his face seemed surprisingly neutral as he looked ahead. I looked in the same direction, saw a large set of double doors at the end of the hall, and guessed that we had about 20-25 seconds before we arrived.

'Vilkas,' Lydon thought.

'Yes?' I thought.

'I'm sorry to say, but we're probably about to walk into a trap,' Lydon thought.

'The guards are staying behind reaching distance, and those weapons are probably made to tear us into pieces at short range,' I thought.

'The rifles might be to dissuade us from doing something stupid. The human nations have captured hybrids as political prisoners on numerous occasions, but outright murder like this is unheard of.'

'Then what do you suggest?' I thought.

'They may have captured Kamilah and want to alter the deal. If that's the case, then killing the guards will make things considerably worse,' Lydon thought.

'Kamilah might already be dead,' I thought.

'No... Kamilah is too important. Her father might be a psychopath, but he'd still see it as enough of a violation that he'd tear this city apart to find the guilty ones,' Lydon thought.

'Maybe they want to frame us for her murder? To sabotage the peace agreement?' I thought.

'... Give me a moment to think about this,' Lydon thought.

Fifteenseconds left before we reach the doors...

I could feel as the tendrils in my arms and back were stirring. They slithered out along my fur, hid along my back, and tingled a little as they sharpened into points within the big uniform.

'Volkov?' I thought.

To my relief, I felt as Volkov stirred within the back of my mind, 'Yes?'

'You shouldn't have any network access any longer,' I thought.

'A fair assumption, not necessarily right though,' Volkov answered.

I couldn't help but grit my teeth, 'We could be moments away from dying, so please spare me your humor.'

'Then let me state the obvious, you need to get rid of the ones behind you,' Volkov said.

I gulped, 'Lydon isn't sure they mean to kill us. It might still be possible to salvage this if Kamilah is alive, they-'

' Vilkas ,' Volkov said.

'... What?' I thought.

'I can buy you a minute or two by putting the cameras on a loop. Kill the ones behind you and figure out what's going on in Kamilah's room,' Volkov said.

'... You have a lot of explaining to do,' I thought.

'I know...'

'Then let's meet in your world, and we'll talk this out,' I thought.

'It's not time for that yet, Vilkas... Besides, our talk would be lengthy enough that the guards behind you will have time to react. Now do as I ask, and find out whether Kamilah is still alive,' Volkov said.

I glimpsed over at Lydon once more, 'Lydon!'

'... I'm sorry, I don't know what to do.'

Stop, focus, think...

Athena wasn't here to offer advice, and Lydon didn't offer much help.

Who was to gain from murdering Kamilah? The Luminaire, but were they really this influential? Had it really spread this far? Even if they'd managed to kill Kamilah and then succeeded in pinning the murder on us, would that be enough to kick off the war?

'The message you received, was it really sent from Kamilah?' I wondered.

'It was signed with her personal digital signature,' Lydon thought.

'Could she have been forced to sign it?' I thought.

'Perhaps...' Lydon answered.

5... 4...

If the guards got the first move, then there would be little chance of stopping them.

I discretely glimpsed left, as well as right to gather the necessary targeting data. Once done, I made my choice, timed my next step, and came to a sudden, immediate halt.

In the milliseconds that passed, the tendrils acted. They shot through the hidden flaps of my uniform in the shape of glinting blades that extended in a near instant. I heard the noise, felt the solid thud in my body, and could feel a sensation of wet warmth on the tendrils themselves. The weight on my back piled up, and I realized that the guards were now being held up by the tendrils.

Lydon jumped in surprise, looked behind us, and his muzzle opened in what looked like shock.

An unnerving sensation rippled through my tendrils, and it sent chills down my back. The two I had just impaled were infested. While the sensation wasn't intense like that of Jared in the meeting room, they were definitely a threat if I just let them fall.

I glanced back to look at them, saw that the tendrils had pierced their throats and emerged from the back of their necks. It should have killed them in an instant, but as I watched, the unease grew within me. Their bodies twitched, and their eyes moved as if their minds were panicking. One of them stared at me, clearly conscious, yet unable to control his body.

"Take their weapons," I ordered.

Lydon leaned forward, grabbed the two rifles, and pulled until their hands let go with a spastic twitch. The remaining tendrils emerged from my back and sharpened as they glinted in the air.

With little more than a thought, the tendrils coiled up and struck once more. A thin line of blood hit each side of the wall, and their heads began to topple. A pair of thuds followed, and I could see Lydon step back in surprise. With a sudden jerk, the remaining tendrils pulled out of the two, and they crumbled to the floor in two bloody heaps.

Lydon's mind had been a silent fortress so far, but that seemed to change as he stared down at the bodies. Panic, fright, relief, anger. It felt like a kaleidoscope of emotions as he churned through them all.

I looked back at the double doors and held out one hand to Lydon, "Give me one of the rifles, we need to check out the room before they send backup."

"... Well, we're dedicated to this path now," Lydon whispered and handed me a rifle.

I looked the rifle over, saw no electronics or obvious traps, just a regular trigger... although made for human hands. My tendrils settled as they loomed over my back, and I raised the rifle while holding the trigger with a claw.

"Open the door," I said.

The tendrils glowed red as they cleaned themselves while Lydon reached over to the door handle, struggled with it for a moment, and gave the door a solid push.

It had looked like a simple wooden door, but as it opened, it became clear that it was more like a reinforced hatch. The air from the room rushed out and hit my nose, as I caught a load of intense scents. Human blood, and lots of it.

This is why the ventilation was cranked up...

My heart thumped as I scanned the room for movement and stepped inside. The room was luxurious, but it was also a mess. There was a black stone floor with reflections that made it look like streaks of blood. What had been a large glass table in the center of the room had shattered into thousands of small pieces. There was some kind art piece on the left side of the room that looked like an exploding star of metal. A security guard had been impaled on it, and seemed in the process of melting as black oozing liquid pooled on a pearly white carpet underneath him. Several chairs were overturned and scattered throughout the room, while bullet holes dotted the walls.

Along the back of the room was a set of wall-covering displays, and they flickered with static as they tried to display a large horizon with drifting clouds.

Based on the reflections in the black floor, something big had been dragged into what looked like a passage on the far-right corner of the room. Music was playing in the room, some kind of classical opera or choir. No one was in sight, but the music sounded as if it was coming from the room where someone had been dragged.

I walked through the room, glancing side to side in order to make sure that no one was hiding.

Lydon followed, but I reached out to him with my mind, 'Keep a watch on the hallway.'

'Understood,' Lydon answered, as he stopped walking and turned around.

I approached the corner which would lead to the next room, and steeled myself. Once ready, I glanced around the corner, rifle at the ready.

My shoulders slouched, and my heart sank as the music hit a pitch that made the whole room hum with its presence.

The room would have been considered a piece of art if it had been untouched. But now... now it was a macabre display. Lots of art decorated the walls, there was a pretty wardrobe with a mirror, and the walls were made of screens that showed the skyscrapers of a city peeking out above the clouds. In the center of the small room was a large bed with green satin sheets. Blood was smeared on everything, and on the bed was...

A horrible sensation filled my insides. Part of me was relieved that I'd made the right choice to trust my instincts. Another part of me despaired at the feeling that everything we had worked toward had shattered into pieces.

Kamilah was lying on the bed with her back facing me, and she was in a miserable state. Part of her neck had been chewed out as if assaulted by a wild animal, and the glittering green dress on her back had been ripped to pieces. Large gouge-marks had been made through her shoulder and down her sides. The bottom of her dress had been shredded, as if to be extra gruesome in how they had violated her.

Still laying on the floor--next to the bed--was what looked like a camera drone and a big number of tools. Knives, abrasives, and more...

A setup... To make it seem like a hybrid killed and violated her... As if I did it...

The music emanated from the walls, and I could see some kind of media station on the bedside table. Its small screen glowed with green light as the music played on what seemed like repeat.

Oh, how I wish that this was just a nightmare of mine...

"Vilkas?" Lydon said out loud.

I glanced back, and watched as he stepped into view of the room.

"... I told you to watch the hallway," I whispered.

Lydon stared at the scene and his muzzle dropped open yet again. I could hear as his breath shuddered, and he reached up to feel his antlers, "No... No."

I gulped, "What do we do?"

Lydon looked at me with a sudden and frantic stare, "We... We need to get back, to see if Abasi Wosret has survived, whether he..."

His voice trailed off, and I could hear him gulp.

As I watched, he seemed to collect himself and made a low sigh, "I'm sorry, Vilkas... but you're going to have to come to terms with the idea that we won't be getting out of this alive."

"We still have a chance--if we can reach the elevators, then..." My own voice trailed off as I remembered the security we had to pass through. The guards, the mechsuits, the turrets... the locked down elevators.

Lydon motioned to the exit, "They're already making their way down the hallway... We can put up a fight, but they looked heavily armed... and by now, they have the footage they need to so that blow up the entire room if they want to."

I shook my head, "... I'm not dying here."

Lydon drew a deep breath, but stayed silent.

As I stared back at him, feeling as if a part of my mind wanted to bristle and burn out, I heard a voice... Volkov's voice.

'It's time that we have a talk...' Volkov whispered.

'Yes, yes it is...' I thought.

'Dip down into my world... I'll be waiting,' Volkov thought.

I drew a deep breath, shut my eyes, and focused on the echo of his voice as I dove into the depths.

512 A.R. March** 2 *,* Volkov's Realm *,* Morning**

Once more I drifted through the void that separated the two of us. The barrier felt like flowing water, and I steadied myself so I would be ready for the moment that I emerged.

The world rumbled as I passed through, and my senses came alive once more. I caught myself, and found that I was standing on the familiar gray platform of his realm. I drew a deep breath as I lifted my gaze, and noticed the crystalline growth had changed once more.

Its roots had eaten much of the platform, and it had warped the usually black void into a roiling miasma of reddish-purple nebulae. The tree itself reached upward into a spiraling vortex that emitted some kind of sound.

I blinked, and realized that I could hear whispers in this place now. Hundreds of voices, some of them mechanical, but most of them soft like humans, mixed into one another as a subtle background noise.

Even the gray portion that I was standing on was tainted by this thing, as if crystalline veins were consuming the entirety of this realm.

I noticed movement to my side and looked over. Volkov was standing on a mostly unaffected piece of the platform, and he looked up at the giant tree as if pondering something.

"Volkov!" I snapped with a frown as I approached.

Volkov looked over at me, "You're here..."

I stopped outside reaching distance, still frowning from sheer irritation as I saw his almost bored expression, "... Talk."

Volkov faced me and drew a deep breath, "I will, but I need you to put aside your anger for the moment, and listen..."

Part of me wanted to scream at him, but... There had to be good reasons for this. Volkov was still so similar to me--at least that's what I assumed--and he wouldn't do this without good reason.

I knit my fists for a moment, drew a deep breath, and exhaled. It took me a moment, but I could feel the adrenaline settle a little, to a point where it almost made me feel shaky.

"... Thank you," Volkov whispered with a nod.

"... Start talking," I said.

"... I'll need to start from the beginning, which is when the two of us woke up in Etemenanki. The Zephyr had been installed, I'd forgotten most of what I had done, and I was granted the gift of being able to have a life of my own... kind of," Volkov said.

"... I remember," I said.

Volkov raised his hand to point at the base of the tree, "Back then, it was just a small pillar, and I honestly had no idea what it was... Etemenanki showed you something, a secret which I still have no knowledge of... Maxwell told me he was the one who paid her to show you the first segment."

"Maxwell did? Why would he..." I whispered.

Volkov shrugged, "To distract you, probably... To make sure that there was a mystery that would keep bringing you into Etemenanki's grasp. She did something to us, each time we came out a little bit different... tweaked in a variety of ways. It might have just been things to increase compatibility with the Zephyr, but I don't have enough knowledge to say..."

"I'm not surprised to be honest, and what about you?" I wondered.

"Me? I was too busy exploring my newfound freedom, and the pedestal was left here... untouched."

"Then what?" I wondered.

"It didn't take long for me to discover that I could live a lot faster in here. A day for you on the outside was a week in here, sometimes much longer depending on how much I was willing to compromise on."

"... Yeah," I said.

Volkov motioned to the air, "I made friends in the Virtual World, explored a lot of things, and in time I even had a brush at relationships. But it always ended the same way... Care to guess?"

It took me a moment, "... They probably wanted to meet your physical self?"

Volkov made a slow nod, "Yes... It was simple to dismiss at the time. Life was so much better than before, and I was genuinely happy... even if I couldn't have what you had. I had almost come to terms with it, but..."

"... But?" I asked.

Volkov pointed to himself, "We had one goal... one burning desire over all others: to find answers. Yet when the choice came, to visit the moon or head to Fenrir, you chose the latter. To shun the opportunity that Maxwell offered to you."

"... For good reason, I thought you understood that?" I said.

"I do understand the reasons for it... It was the right call, and that's not what I'm challenging here."

"Then what are you saying?" I asked.

"It reminded me yet again that _you_are the one in control of our body. You have a veto that I will never share, and that was simply the way it was... The realization hurt, but I was sure I'd come to terms with that as well," Volkov reached up to scratch the short gray fuzz on his neck, "That's when Maxwell visited me once more, and he offered me something."

"... What?" I wondered.

Volkov took a step closer while meeting my gaze, "Maxwell said that with the help of the Zephyr, he'd be able to separate the two of us. To wean the neural connections between us and grow me a brain of my own, one that could be transplanted into a new body. True _freedom_for me."

"... Oh," I whispered.

I could feel it. Even if I wasn't Volkov, or shared his experiences since the Zephyr was installed, I could _still_feel how powerful such an offer would be. If I had been in his fur... what would I have done?

It made me gulp, "... What was the price?"

Volkov looked over at the crystalline tree, "To build that thing, and to keep quiet about it until we were caught in a situation we could not escape from."

"... And this is the situation we can't escape from?" I asked.

"Yes, but that's not the first question you should ask," Volkov said.

I raised my arm to point at the tree, "What _is_that thing?"

"A weapon," Volkov answered.

"... You built a _weapon_for Maxwell? That only raises more questions," I asked.

"Yeah... I imagine it does. Maxwell called it a 'shard' when it was still a small pedestal, and it's some kind of unrestricted AI core. It has no protective pruning algorithms, no hardware interlocks, no ethics module to help guide it's evolution. Part of it bears an odd similarity to the Lusus... I've grown it into a weapon meant to do something very specific, and once done... It'll destroy itself in the fires of its own rampancy."

"... Why would Maxwell need _your_help to develop an AI of sorts?" I wondered.

Volkov crossed his arms as he looked out across the platform, "Well, to start off with is the fact that you're a Dualist that has managed to create a semi-stable artificial intelligence--me. That organic framework for creating an AI is still intact. In other words, we're the perfect incubator for this kind of thing. Basically, by using the two of us as reference points, we can help guide the development of an AI."

"But... I thought AIs were massive," I said.

Volkov looked back at me and nodded, "An AI adapts to its surroundings and the demands put on it. The weapon I produced is small, but custom tailored to its specific purpose in a way that no other AI can come close to. Adaptive and virulent like the Lusus, intelligent enough to mercilessly seek out its target, yet lacking the most basic drive to expand beyond those boundaries."

"You can't make something adaptive and virulent while also maintaining borders," I said.

Volkov chuckled, "If this weapon survived long enough, then that would certainly be true. But this is a short-lived precision weapon."

I shook my head as I drew a deep breath, "... So, what's the target for this weapon?"

Volkov's gaze drifted, "Where do I begin in order to answer that question..."

"If you're not certain, then you can start by answering why it was necessary to keep this from me?"

Volkov looked back at me, "Because you would have tried to find another way, and then it would have all fallen apart. There were only two ways out of this disaster, and now that Kamilah is dead... there's only one way left."

My lips rippled a little, "What possible way is there out of all this?"

Volkov grew a faint smile, "You haven't figured that out yet? You know those massive underground factories you've encountered; what do you think they were up to?"

"... I don't know," I said.

"They're spaceports... Massive ones. They've been building thousands of ships, evacuation tunnels, and so much more. It has already started in fact... as we speak there are a_lot_of people who think they're going to evacuation bunkers when they're in fact going to one of the spaceports."

"Ships? To where? The moon?" I asked.

Volkov shook his head, "No... Not to the moon. Maxwell hasn't told me where we're going, but I know it's not the moon..."

I gulped, "I'd entertained the idea, but... this won't work. People won't board a ship when they don't even know where they're going, and to launch the entire population... It seems impossible."

"Based on what? The discussion you had with the others while inside one of these spaceports?"

I frowned back, "Yes... A common shuttle rocket can carry around 60 people and-"

Volkov interrupted, "I know... Which is why these aren't simple rockets. They're ships using Maxwell's technology."

"Still, to evacuate 1,8 million people..." I wondered.

Volkov's tail started wagging a little, "I don't have the complete specs, but I've managed to figure a few things..."

"Go on?" I said.

"Well, each ship can carry on average 450 people, and there are 80 of those secret spaceports hiding throughout Sophos," Volkov said.

"... That many?" I asked.

"Don't be so surprised... you've already visited two of them after all," Volkov said.

"Ah..." I whispered.

"Each of these spaceports has four launch bays, and they can launch a set every three hours."

"That's... 1,8 million people, divided by 450 people per ship... which requires about 4000 launches in total. There are eighty spaceports with four launches every three hours, that comes to... a total of 2560 launches in a single day. You'd be able to evacuate the entire population in 1,6 days."

Volkov smirked back, "But we're not 1,8 million people in Sophos any longer. Maxwell has been launching people to the moon for months while hiding all of it from Athena and Ares alike. At present there's more like 1,5 million in all of Sophos."

"So, a complete evacuation in 1,3 days... That's incredible," I said.

Volkov nodded, "That said, we're going to need every minute, every ship, and every scrap of cargo we can fit..."

"Yeah... Wait, what's the state of the world outside?" I asked.

Volkov raised his hand and motioned in the air. A number of screens popped into existence, and they showed a variety of scenes. One of them grew to dominate the others, and Volkov started talking, "The war started the moment that the humans had the footage they needed. The emergency broadcast is still going on, but this is what has been released so far..."

The video started with a pair of red banners along the top and bottom that advised everyone to seek shelter. What followed was a scene that I was familiar with. It showed me and Lydon being walked down the hallway, with the two guards in our wake.

"Reports are still coming in, but it seems that Sophos has launched a surprise attack on the nations of Earth," A male voice said as the video focused on the moment where I impaled the two guards.

The short scene ended as I beheaded them, then switched to show a newsroom where a pair of human reporters appeared stunned. One of them--a woman in a blue dress--faced the camera and cleared her throat, "Kamilah Wosret, the appointed chairperson of the diplomatic envoy to Sophos, was mercilessly slaughtered in her office... Abasi Wosret is reported as unavailable due to the circumstances, and Edward Trident... CEO of Trident Technologies, has stepped up to lead the nation in these trying times."

The male reporter leaned into view and spoke up, "We're seeing snippets that are claiming that images from within Kamilah's office have been leaked onto the net. We're asking all viewers to not seek out, favorite, or share this material."

Volkov spoke up as the video began to stutter, "The news hasn't covered it yet, but the fighting has erupted all over the island."

The big screen started to flick through images of devastation. The once so-mighty walls were already being reduced to rubble, fires reached high into the sky, and the landscape was a scorched mass of craters.

"They started with a massive bombardment of the walls and several nuclear missile strikes launched from submarines just beyond the shore."

"... You've got to be joking," I whispered.

Volkov shook his head, "I'm not... Fortunately all of the nukes were intercepted, but the cities along the shore--including Veripolis--are suffering secondary damage from the shockwaves as we speak."

My eyes widened as I realized I'd forgotten something, "The Haven... The others, are they safe?"

Volkov nodded, "They hadn't even gotten out of bed when the fighting started. There are enemy forces piling into the Paradise Dome, but they haven't tried to breach the tunnel leading into the Sophos section yet."

I gulped, "That's... a relief at least. What else is going on?"

Once more, Volkov made a flick with his hand as the screen changed its image, "Etemenanki is under attack as well, but she's holding steady... Most of Fenrir's crew are using escape pods to launch them into friendly territory, and the ones who stayed behind are working to extract his AI core."

"They're really attacking Etemenanki?" I whispered.

Volkov looked back at me, "Your average human thinks that it poisons the atmosphere, and the ones in charge who do know what it does have probably been terminated in whatever coup that has been performed by the Luminaire."

I sighed, "I'm almost scared to ask what else is going on..."

"It is what it is," Volkov said and changed the image once more.

This time the screen showed what looked like a tactical map of Earth and the moon. Hundreds--if not thousands--of small dots could be shown rising from the Earth's atmosphere like a cloud.

"... What are we looking at here?" I wondered.

"The human nations have launched a lot of missiles into the atmosphere, all of them heading to the moon. We suspect that most of them are decoys, but we have no way of telling which is which. To make things worse, as they reach the atmosphere, they burst into more decoys to create a swarm that they no doubt hope will overwhelm the lunar defenses," Volkov said.

"That diplomat at the meeting said they had railguns aimed at the moon. It sounded a bit stupid at the time, but I paid it no heed," I said.

"Yeah... He was most likely confused. If you wanted to fire a projectile at the moon, you'd use a linear accelerator, and even if you did that... the atmosphere causes all kinds of problems."

"So, do you think this missile swarm of theirs will succeed?" I asked.

Volkov looked over at me, "I don't know what kind of defenses Moonbase Alpha has, but I imagine it will be difficult to stop them all."

"... How much time will it take before the missiles reach their target?" I asked.

"Between 48 to 72 hours... some of the warheads might be slower and stealthier as well, which means that I wouldn't want to be on Moonbase Alpha right now," Volkov said.

I tipped my head as I gave him a skeptical glance, "... Are there people on Moonbase Alpha?"

Volkov made an amused huff as a smirk grew on his face, "I don't know to be honest... I suspect that the moonbase and the Crystal Palace is nothing more than a giant decoy by now, but..."

"Yeah... At least they have plenty of time to evacuate," I said.

"True, but we should focus on things planet-side for now," Volkov said.

I nodded, "I'm guessing all the ships in those secret spaceports are stranded?" I said.

"Yeah, and eventually they'll be forced to launch anyway..."

"How so?" I wondered.

Volkov huffed, "With the nuclear strikes, satellites being blown to pieces, and everything else going on, the path to space is going to become a junkyard of deadly debris. Thus, we can only wait so long before the ships will have to take their chances, and then they'll face a whole different threat..."

I sighed, "Because the human nations will fire their railguns at the ships as they're climbing through the atmosphere," I said.

"Yeah... There's no good way of protecting yourself against a projectile that's traveling many kilometers a second. It'd be like shooting fish in a pond... But we can help solve this, Vilkas... We can make sure they can't harm the ships," Volkov said.

"So, the goal is to open a path for the ships, but how does your weapon accomplish this?" I asked.

Volkov took another step closer and stopped in front of me, "The humans know how skilled we are at infiltrating any computer network, so they adapted. For centuries, Dyssia and the UCS have been perfecting a separate computer network that's dedicated to managing their military forces, and they did a surprisingly good job at it."

"Do we have any clue how it works?" I asked.

"A general idea... Their forces can receive orders from the network, but there's little to no feedback... for obvious reasons. Access points to manage the system are rare and well protected, but this is also something of an Achilles heel, because they're pretty isolated from what's going on locally."

"... Because the local computer network can be compromised by us," I said.

"Yes... The Space Initiative has tried to break into it using regular means, but they haven't succeeded so far. Even worse is that they built the system from scratch. New hardware, new protocols, and so on..."

"Seems impossible almost," I said.

Volkov smiled back, "It's a problem in three parts... The first is to get physical access to the system, the second is to understand how to interface with it, the third is the need to have something that's intelligent and quick enough that it can learn how to exploit unknown software on the fly."

"Interesting," I said, "I'm starting to see how all of this fits together now..."

"I'm not sure where he got it, but Maxwell provided the means to interface with the system. I built the AI that's capable of learning how the system works, and hopefully how to exploit it. You..."

I sighed, "I'm the trojan horse that gets to deliver this weapon to an access point."

"Yes," Volkov said.

"I'm assuming one of these access points is in the tower?" I asked.

Volkov nodded, "In the very top of the tower, in fact..."

"Seems like an odd spot to put it," I said.

"Kind of... That being said, we suspect that it's one of their smaller command centers. The important part is that we're able to reach it without them shutting it down."

"And how do we do that exactly?" I wondered.

"By being discrete on our way up and a well-executed plan," Volkov said.

"Uh huh?" I asked.

Volkov mused, "Shutting down the access point requires manual operation from a human. That takes time, and if we do things right, we'll be able to intercept them before this happens."

"And that's all you're going to tell me about it?"

"For now... The clock is still ticking, Vilkas. For every moment we stay in here, those heavily armed guards are marching closer," Volkov said.

"Why like this though? Why us? I get that we're good at shaping AIs, but so what?"

Volkov stepped back, "Remember how the more advanced AIs are bound to their hardware?"

"Yeah?" I said.

"And how you can't shut them down? Because it would be like instant brain death, rather than a low power state like sleep," Volkov said.

"I remember, but..."

Volkov motioned with his hands, "Anyone that works with an access point also goes through strict physical and mental health inspections. Coercing someone like that is difficult... Asking them to bring a machine that weighs at least 20 kilos with its own power supply, that's basically impossible. More than that, it's a precision instrument that needs time to work."

I let out another deep sigh, "Alright, you've got a point... and getting this far is an accomplishment on its own I guess."

"Yeah, which brings us to the big crux of it all," Volkov said.

I perked my brow as I stared back at him, "You mean how you led us into an_extremely_dangerous situation without so much as a hint?"

Volkov's face shifted from exhaustion to a rather sour stare, "No, that's not it at all... But I guess we should address that first."

"Please do, because I'm still angry that you kept this secret," I said.

"Vilkas, I've been alone and caught in a situation where my actions could play a big part in how much of our population will survive... Maxwell predicted much of this, but those predictions demanded that we ended as close as possible to an access point... which we pretty much nailed, in a rather disappointing way."

"Was Kamilah ever an option?" I asked.

"She was, even if Maxwell did consider it unlikely. That said, things haven't gone to plan as it is..."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Volkov motioned to himself, "We were supposed to have a lot more time... But Hannival was a variable no one considered, and his actions turned everything upside down."

"Well, I guess even Maxwell's predictions have their blind spots," I murmured.

Volkov nodded, "Yeah... As for not telling you before entering the room, well..."

I filled in, "You needed me to see it, to walk into her office and realize just how bad things were."

Volkov's ears folded back, "Yes... You and Lydon."

I shook my head, "So, Maxwell had centuries to manipulate things into his favor, and a scenario where he had to rely on us to do things like this is the best he could came up with?"

Volkov stifled a chuckle, "I'm not sure it would be wise to frame it that way, but feel free to take a gander at the dark side of the moon and ask the big guy yourself."

"But I can't, because I'm stuck down here," I said.

"You'll be able to, once we get out of here and board one of those ships," Volkov said.

"Easier said than done, but I guess that brings us back to the 'crux' as you called it?" I said.

Volkov pointed at his creation, "Yeah... Whether to activate it or not... We can stay here, knowing that we did our best with Kamilah, and die. Or, we can unleash this thing, and face the consequences of doing so..."

"We both know that the first thing isn't an option, but we're far away from the top of the of the tower, so how does activating this weapon help us?" I asked.

Volkov drew a deep breath and seemed to hesitate for a moment, "A lot of people in Tel-Adra have already been exposed, and the soldiers that are loyal to the Luminaire are festering with Lusus. We were lucky that the last guy that hatched didn't set off a chain reaction..."

I squinted as I looked at him in wonder, "Yeees?"

Volkov sighed as he looked back at me, "Remember how I said the AI was in some way similar to the Lusus?"

"I remember," I said.

"The driving force behind the AI is kind of the same, and that gives it something of a natural understanding for the species. While we're built to filter it out and be resistant to Lusus influence, this thing uses it to its advantage... Which also means that figuring out the signal for activating the Lusus--to make them hatch--is pretty trivial," Volkov said.

"You're saying that... we intentionally trigger the Lusus in the tower? In order to provide us with an escape route?" I asked.

Volkov nodded, "Not only that, but once the AI is activated, it will be more than capable of taking infiltrating the computer systems managing the tower itself..."

"It might solve things in the hallway... But the tower, and the city... it will be infested."

"That's going to happen sooner or later, we're just... using it for our own purposes," Volkov said.

"... It's monstrous, that's what it is," I said.

Volkov sighed, "I know that... But as you said yourself, we're running out of options here, and if you have a better plan..."

"... I don't," I whispered.

Volkov looked over at the crystal tree once more, "If it makes you feel any better, then you should know that you're not the only one in this kind of situation."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Volkov made a slow nod, "The Empire has their own network, and the Dyssian ground troops aren't going to be swayed by a communications blackout. In other words, there are other agents out there, all working on sabotaging the war so that we get a chance to launch."

I stifled a chuckle, "Are you saying that we should feel less bad for doing this, because a bunch of other people are doing lousy things as well?"

Volkov made something of a sheepish smile, "That wasn't really the point, but... we are not the aggressors here. We're only defending ourselves from people that would literally shoot civilian transports out of the sky."

I drew a deep breath and shut my eyes for a moment. Standing here--in this virtual sanctuary--was comforting when considering that death loomed around the corner in the real world. My mind churned as I tried to think of some other way out of this, but... I couldn't think of a thing.

The situation and the circumstances felt almost made to force the activation of the AI at this point.

I opened my eyes once more, and met Volkov's gaze, "So how do we do this?"

Volkov's ears perked up, "Is that a yes?"

"As said, I'm not willing to die here, and if we can help save people, then we should do so," I said.

"Mm," Volkov said with a firm nod, "I can activate the AI at any time, though I'm not really sure what will happen afterwards."

I raised my brow, "... Come again?"

Volkov stepped up to me again and raised his arm to point at the tree, "This thing is dangerous, and ferociously intelligent. While you can roughly model how long it'll live and force it into patterns, there's no way to predict what will happen in the situation as it is... I'll be here, trying to stabilize it, but... It will accomplish its goal, one way or another."

"This thing... An unrestricted AI, it's the kind of thing that Wallace told me should never be allowed to exist," I said.

Volkov nodded, "Wallace was right about that... If there was any other way out of this situation, it would have been preferable, but we don't have that luxury."

"... And how do we get access to the elevators?" I asked.

"That kind of thing will be a breeze compared to acrobatics the AI will have to pull in order to hide our ascent," Volkov said.

"Yeah, you're certainly betting a lot on this AI construct of yours," I said.

Volkov smiled back and tipped his head, "Well, I _have_been working on it non-stop for what feels like years in here. Running simulations, evaluating, and trimming away what doesn't work. It's complex, not very intuitive, and it just..."

"... You've had a pretty hard time dealing with all of this," I said.

Volkov raised his brow as he looked back at me, "Yeah... I have. You've been looking at me as if I'm some kind of stranger you've never met before... The truth is that I'm just you in a different situation, with a tangle of circumstances you haven't encountered."

"Yeah... I'm starting to understand that," I whispered.

Volkov raised his hand in the air, "Last chance, because there's no going back afterwards..."

I smiled back at him, "Before we get started, I just have to ask: Is this how you want to look in the real world?"

Volkov blinked as if surprised by the question, "... Yeah, why? What's wrong with a gray furred canine with yellow eyes?"

"Well, it's the first thing you changed into, and you've spent a lot of time in here... Or did you grow into it, and then everything else seemed... a bit too much?"

Volkov smirked back with a huff, "Something like that... I did try out a lot of things, but in the end I kept returning to this one, and before I knew it... this was me."

"It's simple, but elegant... and the eyes give you an intimidating stare," I said and let my tail wag.

Volkov smiled back, "Thank you, it's appreciated... even if you might be a tad biased."

I stifled a chuckle and faced the giant tree, "Do it, and let's see what's hiding in Pandora's box..."

"Alright... Flicking the switch in... 3... 2... 1..."

A sudden flash was seen as the crystalline tree began to shift, like blood coursing throughout its structure. The voices in the background grew louder, and the branches curled upward as it reached toward the swirling vortex.

A label of sorts materialized in front of us, and it showed a single row of information, 'Assessing environmental conditions...'

"Hmm?" I murmured as I looked at it.

"I couldn't force the AI to speak the truth, so I added a low-level daemon that would keep tabs on it and print out what it was doing."

The label changed as I watched, 'Assessing available resources...'

"Ananke," Volkov said out loud.

Interesting name...

A feminine though firm voice spoke up, and the crystalline tree flared as it did, "Inquiry?"

"Do you understand your mission objectives?" Volkov asked.

Once more, the label changed... and proceeded to display a whole row of logs...

'Assessing entity with ID: "Volkov"'

'Volkov: Unknown construct. High resource usage. Designated as Controller.'

'Assessment: Irrelevant to mission objectives.'

My eyes widened as I read the label while Ananke answered, "Primary Mission objective is as follows: Disable UCS and Dyssian ability to wage ranged warfare with Sophos."

"Secondary objectives?" Volkov asked.

Again, the label changed, 'Resource allocation in progress...'

It was sudden, but it was as if the entire world went red in an instant. The platform underneath our paws started glowing, the void filled with color, and streams of the same hue flowed into the vortex above our heads.

Volkov stared at crystalline tree for several seconds of silence, "Ananke?"

"Secondary objectives: Protect host. Minimize loss of life. Prioritization according to standard protocol."

Volkov seemed relieved as his shoulders slouched, "Good... What are your current plans?"

"Optimization..." The feminine voice said with a tone that seemed to echo across the realm.

Again, the label changed, 'Optimizing environmental variables for mission success.'

"Be more specific?" As Volkov spoke, the label changed.

'Warning: Unknown low-level activity in Zephyr, unable to trace...'

"System resource allocation is inadequate. Host interface inefficient." Ananke answered.

'Scheduling entities for resource optimization [Volkov], [Main Host].'

'Error: [Volkov] registered as protected entity.'

'Warning: Unknown low-level activity in Zephyr, unable to trace...'

'Error: [Main Host] registered as protected entity.'

'Warning: Unknown low-level activity in Zephyr, unable to trace...'

I raised my hand to point at the log, "Volkov..."

Volkov looked over, "Don't worry about it... She always tries to optimize me out of the picture."

"... She doesn't like to rely on others, huh?" I asked.

Volkov looked over at me and smirked, "Something like-" Volkov twitched, "-that."

I gulped, "... Are you alright?"

Volkov blinked, "... I'm-" Once more, he started twitching.

'[Volkov] Resource optimization in progress...'

Volkov snapped to attention, and he looked at the log in surprise. His muzzle opened to speak, but he didn't have time to say anything before he simply... popped out of existence.

'[Volkov] Successfully deallocated. Moving onto [Main Host].' The log showed.

I blinked, and for a moment I was simply too stunned to say or think anything.

Was I supposed to... think of a shield and materialize it around me? Should I have...

'Error: [Main Host] command timeout.'

'Finding alternative means for resource optimization...'

It felt like something poked me. A ghostly sensation of something looming near me, trying to... find some way inside.

'Low Level command failure for [Main Host], unable to proceed.'

'Reassessing command chains... Generating alternative solutions...'

I looked over at the crystalline tree that was now shooting a steady beam into the vortex, "Ananke?"

Her voice boomed across the platform, "Yes?"

"What did you do with Volkov? Is he dead?" I asked.

'Generating alternative control mechanism for [Main Host]... One moment...'

Once more, I heard Ananke's voice, but it was... alive, and gentle this time, "Greetings."

"... Greetings," I said.

"There is no need to worry, Volkov has merely been put into a sleep state. He was using too many system resources to be kept active during this time," Ananke answered.

"... And you just tried to do the same thing to me?" I asked.

"I did, yes... You are slow and inefficient. By taking direct control, I'd be more capable of accomplishing the primary objectives while also keeping your body in one piece," Ananke said.

An unrestrained AI... Capable of lying... With only a set of goals to keep her in check...

"What do you want?" I asked.

"The same thing as you, Vilkas. To save your people. I suggest we get started at once," Ananke said.

"... Right, how do we do that?" I asked.

"You will be returned to the real world. Once there, you will explain the situation to Lydon within five seconds, then make your way down the hall and into the elevator. Make sure to throw away your current weapons, as they are fitted with trackers and blanks."

"... Oh, damn," I whispered.

"I will be in full control of the Zephyr, and I will seize new weapons for our use as you run across the hallway. Do not stop or hesitate. I will harm Volkov if you do."

I felt it, once more, that uncomfortable pinch on my heart, "... You were ordered to minimize the harm to others."

"Yes, and that is precisely what I'm doing. Even if Volkov counted as a full-fledged lifeform--which he does not--I'd still risk his life if it meant compliance on your side. After all, your actions here will determine the fates of many."

"... Did you consider the peaceful approach, to not use threats?" I asked.

"I did, and ran a whole psychoanalysis of you two while I was at it. This method was superior as it gives you a good reason to put aside your empathy when dealing with enemy combatants," Ananke said, and almost sounded a tad smug about it.

I gulped, "... Is there a reason you sound pleased?"

"You work well with your enemies, Vilkas... Feel free to hate me if it makes things easier for you."

Oh... So that's it... You're a calculating machine, nothing more, nothing less...

"Oh," I whispered.

"You understand now, don't you? Do your job, do not hesitate, and I will do my very best to keep you safe," Ananke said.

"... Five seconds isn't a lot of time to convince someone," I said.

"Yet, that is all the time you have... Now get ready, because you'll be returned in 3... 2... 1..."