Chapter 158 - Reunification

"Why are we not chasing them?!" Dekar argued with Kyle in the remains of the president's office. "We had them by the balls, we could have crushed them right in the open."

"A wounded alien is as dangerous as a black hole," Kyle explained.

"...what?"

"The city of Tenar needs to be consolidated. There are still too many unknown factors among the population. Furthermore, Count Leon still has a mage in play. There is a chance he could turn the battle on us."

"You can handle the mage. You said you went toe-to-toe with him before!"

"I can, but the soldiers?" Kyle was confident of defeating the mage in a one-on-one battle, but protecting the Ghosts and Versian soldiers was another tall order. None of his skills or weapons were designed to protect large groups, not that he really intended to do so anyway. However, he knew that manpower was a critical resource right now.

Dekar fumed internally, but didn't argue anymore, knowing there was no point in changing Kyle's mind. "Well, now we at least have the time to regroup and reorganize the troops before pushing out against Count Leon as well. We'll need to make sure the other Counts retreat as well."

Now, with the seat of power under Dekar's control, Kyle had successfully gained control of Versia, or at least what was left of it. He most certainly did not intend to play too much of a role in governance unlike Desham, leaving it to the specialist leaders that he had now brought over.

Diya was the temporary mayor of the city, executing Dekar's orders and organizing the population. Food and medicine was shipped in via mineral ants and Aurtla planes from Desham, Dekar redirecting the former fighters into cargo flights. Dekar appointed capable citizens that had distinguished themselves during the uprising, using them to fill up the slots left behind by the executed cabinet.

The execution of Mornero's supporters was received by fanfare, while Ghosts and workers toiled behind the scenes to restore the city utilities and factories. The breaches in the walls were not going to be fixed anytime soon, Hayden instead patching them up with makeshift barricades and fortifications to shore up the defences. Skilled construction and factory workers were brought over from Desham, compensated well in gold and put to work training and teaching the citizens, allowing more and more manpower to be put into essential industries.

Dekar prioritzed the restoration of water first, while food was temporarily supplanted by mammoth hog and Sahusa radish. Kyle knew that the food supply could not be sustained, immediately reopening trade routes with towns and villages still in the rear. It would take some time for Tenar to reach back self sufficiency, but it was a start none the less.

However, fragments of the Volunteer Corps still lingered in the city, vestiges of Mornero supporters banding together in a bid to destabilize the city once more. Sasha, Culo and Lisa were ruthless in their sweep of the city, using every means possible to slaughter and capture anyone who dared to stand out against the reconstruction of Tenar.

As two days passed, and things finally began to settle into a usual pattern of work, Kyle finally had the time to piece together the events of the war. First, he had his attention on the Violet Demons vial, with more than twelve filled vials in front of him and Feldon.

"So this was what the goblins were selling. They were selling the Dzi Flower Sand to make this!" Feldon exclaimed as he took a closer look at the vial, having half a mind to drink it. However, the dismembered body of General Verian was more than enough to dissuade him. "I didn't know a strength potion could turn someone into a monster."

"They can't." Kyle had done his research with Haui when running strength potions. It was very clear from his experience that this potion was working on a different concept. He had seen the effects on a few Versian soldiers who tried to use it in a pinch - the first dose was normal, but subsequent dosages resulted in unpredictable mutations. Just like the System Message said.

He walked over to the body of General Verian, inspecting the remains of the elongated arm. It was hardly human in nature, the strangest part of it being that it had no capillaries at all, only a single large artery the size of a bone running through its length. It also had no obvious exoskeleton or bone structure to support its length, acting exactly like a tentacle. The last time I've seen such a modification were those human fanatics modifying their own bodies to look like aliens. But this looks much more... natural.

Kyle could see a few flaws in the arm - the muscles were not properly aligned to allow for full usage, and the barbed end made up of bone spikes was not as durable as it seemed. Feldon shuddered as he noticed that the spikes were made up of General Verian's forearm bones. "It's like she got reshuffled from the inside out. And she liked it."

Kyle turned his attention to General Verian's face, which had also mutated. The pupils was heavily modified, not a single resemblance to the usual human eye while the skin had been twisted to coarse reddish scales. This is an entire rewriting of the underlying DNA. Do they have access to body modification technologies?

Still, it was a bit over the top to have potions that could entirely reshape the human genome and have rapid growth within a short minute. Kyle knew millions of cult and terrorist organizations in the Galactic Era would kill for such a serum. Body modification was not a simple process - even his race upgrade to a higher gene package was not without complications. The real question was whether this was a creation of Harrison or purchased from the Violet Demons as stated in the System message. If it's Harrison, then we may need to capture him faster than expected.

However, Kyle was far too late. "Harrison seems to have left Tenar more than a week ago," Culo reported back to Kyle in the lab, giving General Versian's mutilated corpse a side-eye. "And he took most of the scientists and research with him. There are a lot of reports that they have made it to Ulut."

"Ulut... that's the city bordering Josei in the northwest."

"Yes, but more importantly, I think that Harrison has also taken a few Versian hostages with him..." Culo scratched his neck nervously, something clearly on his mind.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, sir, not something that you need to worry about."

"Obviously this 'something' is affecting you. I need my men in pristine condition. I won't ask a second time."

Culo took a deep breath, calming himself down before finally explaining the situation. "When the war broke out, a lot of refugees fled to Ocra-"

"I know. I took the same route myself. Get to the point."

"The Ghosts are made up of the refugees, and many had been split up from their families and loved ones, especially villagers. With everyone going their separate ways, many among us were hoping to reunite with them. But my brother specifically..."

"You've talked about him before. Jakub..?"

"Yes, sir. He was recruited by Harrison. I'm afraid he may have been used as a test subject or worse." Culo's gaze returned to the General's body once more.

"Have we swept the Harrison Industries complex yet?" Kyle asked.

"It's in progress. Lisa is leading the cleanup."

"Lead me there. I recall you mentioned your brother was a good arctech engineer." Kyle placed down his inspection tools, motioning towards the obviously reluctant Feldon to continue investigating the gruesome corpse.

"Not so much of an engineer, more of a practical technician. Anytime the village needed help, he would be the one to fix up the farming tools and whatnot." Culo explained as they walked over to the research complex, the various glass domes now swarming with Ghosts salvaging everything of use. As Kyle ducked to enter one of the glass domes, he was greeted with a messy research lab, though it seemed that nearly nothing of value had been left behind. However, it wasn't a futile trip - there were clear indications that Galactic Era tech had been researched here extensively. Kyle ran his hand over a clear burnt mark on one of the walls that served as a firing range, the concrete gravel-like material reduced to a sludge. Plasma burns. Not good.

There were a few other unique items in the firing ranges, most of them relics bought from Asha Street and modified. Some of the modifications were clearly lethal to the wielder, half of them left in a burnt and exploded state. Kyle inspected one more weapon, the rifle apparently able to fire a spread of pellets in a wide firing arc. The strangest part was that the rifle was mounted in groups of four to a rotating base that could be swiveled about by the operator. This could be used as an anti-air weapon. Does Harrison already have the answer to his own Aurtla planes? 

Most of the scientists and workers had left in a hurry, their personal belongings left behind in a mess in their respective cubicles that dotted the grand open floor of the domes. Culo soon led Kyle to a temporary command post where the Ghost officers were sorting out collected documents and objects of interest. As the officers all gave him a curt salute upon his arrival, Kyle immediately noticed that something was off. "Culo, where is Lisa? Why is my division commander not at her station?"

"Uhh..." Culo glanced around frantically. "I was sure she should be here-"

A gunshot rang out through the dome, alerting the Ghost members around. Kyle and Culo rushed over to the source of the sound, weapons ready and expecting a fight. Instead, they saw a sniveling scientist staring cockeyed at the barrel squarely pressed on his forehead, his expression wincing at the friction heat of the pellet just fired while his hands clutched his bloodstained thighs, the red growing slowly as he bled out.

"You got one last time to tell me where Jakub is - or the next pellet is going through your head!" Lisa gritted her teeth in anger.

"I don't know! I don't know anything about whoever you're talking about?" The scientist pleaded, hands still clutching his legs in wincing pain.

"How can you not know? You worked under Harrison! He must have passed through here. Surely you have seen him!"

"There's a million people who walk through the complex every fucking day! How would I know all of their names? I barely remember the name of the cook!"

"You useless-" Lisa cocked the gun, arcia surging along the lines until Kyle grabbed her wrist firmly, stopping her from shooting the scientist dead.

"My division commander has more important things to do than killing valuable hostages," Kyle spoke calmly in a stern voice. "Stand down, Lisa."

"Thank you!" The scientist let out a sigh of relief. "Finally, someone here with more sense than this numbskull. I've been trying to explain to this idiot for hours that Harrison Industries is bigger than whatever her puny mind can comprehen-ARGHHHH!"

His words were interrupted by a sudden stabbing pain, Kyle's Spear of Defiance piercing into the same bullet hole wound in his thigh and expanding it. Kyle pushed the spear deeper, the sharp cold metal slowly pushing apart the muscle and bone until the scientist was at his limit. "You may be valuable, but your legs are not. You shall speak only when you are spoken to or ordered. Are we clear?" Kyle glared at the whimpering scientist while he yanked out the spear, blood spurting out.

The scientist nodded vigorously, biting his lips down to prevent screaming while Kyle grabbed Lisa aside, Culo tagging along. "I placed you as division commander not to interrogate hostages. If this 'Jakub' is compromising your ability to perform..."

"S-sorry, sir. I just... I've seen some terrible stuff in the research complex so far, and I'm just scared that Jakub might be..."

"I have no qualms about you chasing your friend," Kyle interjected. "But this will not be a problem moving forward. Understood?"

Lisa closed her eyes tightly, calming herself down before her eyes reopened with renewed clarity, giving Kyle a salute. "Yes, sir. Division Commander Lisa reporting."

"Good. Update on the search results."

"Yes, sir. The complex is composed of five domes. Each of the domes specializes in a separate field, but all of them have to do with weaponizing Galactic Era relics. Unfortunately, Harrison has made off with almost everything of note, but we are still looking for traces and clues."

"When did Harrison leave?"

"About more than a week ago. He wasn't here for the siege."

"He must have fled because he was afraid of us!" Culo grinned.

"Or he has a hidden agenda. Harrison knows we will eventually come for him - he must either be buying time or already prepared to face us on his own."

"You mean..."

"Project Guryi." Kyle nodded. "Have we found any traces of it?"

"Not yet, sir. I'm still looking for anything they might have missed." Lisa gestured to the surroundings, which had been thoroughly cleaned out. "One thing that I find strange is that most of the Versian Army generals did not know that Harrison was already missing. When he left, it was very quiet."

And the president didn't even know about it... Kyle wondered whether Harrison truly had a secret plan, or was he just running away with his tail between his legs. "Keep searching for any signs of the project. Even if it is just a fragment."

As they continued their search, it was apparent that Harrison's forces may be equipped with stronger weapons than the Versian Army. Plasma burn marks, exosuit developments, and a battle serum from the Violet Demons. It won't be easy. Still, Kyle wasn't planning on attacking Harrison right away, not until he knew more - it would be better to have the Versian Army and the Ghosts chased down the remnants. After all, there was something more pressing to take into account: the war in Raktor.

Kyle didn't know how long Keith could last under siege, and he wasn't keen on testing their limits. He was not affected by the suffering nor deaths of the people living in the South Sector, but they still constituted an important workforce and resource that he needed to tap into in the long run. With things coming to a head, this could also be his real shot at finally being a major gang. It was evident from the sudden upheaval that this had been planned for a very long time, Sebastian and the Ardent Cretins being well prepared. But they aren't prepared for me. 

Every day spent in Versia is another day of destruction and damage to everything that he has built, so Kyle was now planning to spend one more day digging up anything and everything he could find on Harrison's research before returning to Raktor. He was just about to inform Feldon and Sasha about the return trip when Lisa suddenly let out a shocked gasp while she was looking through research papers. "Jakub... Jakub's name is here!"

"What?" Culo rushed over, half-expecting Jakub's name to be part of a long list of casualties. Instead, he saw Jakub's name listed as the primary scientist in charge of the experiments, presiding over another long list of Versian names. "Goddess alive... he's working FOR Harrison!"

Kyle moved over, taking the research paper out of his hand and reading it carefully. He was hardly concerned by Jakub's name, but he fell silent as soon as he read the hypothesis in the title. "Impossible..." He read as quickly as he could, sifting through the contents of the research paper while his expression grew colder and colder. "Where did you find this paper?"

"Here, in the drawer of the desk." Lisa motioned to a small cubicle, now knowing that that was where Jakub used to sit. She was in a daze, trying to wrap her mind around the fact that Jakub was still working for Harrison.

Culo was still in shock, pacing around with his hands clutching his head in disbelief. "I had a feeling he was working for Harrison Industries in some capacity. He had to do it in order to get more rations... but as a primary scientist? Leading the experiments himself?"

"Bring me to the chambers mentioned in the paper, now!" Kyle urged, snapping Culo and Lisa out of their daze. They descended into the basement, navigating the hallways filled with other Ghosts emptying out the contents of the room one by one. Soon, they came to a strange control console overlooking an empty gas chamber, the chamber too dark for anyone to see. "Turn on the lights," Kyle ordered.

The lights flickered on to show what they could only describe as an amalgamation of flesh and metal. Corpses mangled together in what looked like a brutal war in the once pristine white chamber. The rivers of blood had already dried up, only leaving a sickening brownish-red stain in the creases between the tiles. Lisa nearly gagged upon seeing the sight. It was one thing to witness war firsthand, but another to see the result of a massacre. "No... there's no way Jakub did this... no..." Culo mumbled to himself.

Kyle didn't care about the gruesome sight, putting his attention on the command console and as well as the equipment that the corpses wore. He saw a glint of metal amidst the pile of flesh, prompting him to descend a flight of stairs nearby that led to the chamber's door. Hitting the big red button on the right of the door had the pneumatic system disengage, unleashing a hot, rancid gust, the smell of rotting flesh and decaying organs buffetting Kyle. Kyle barely flinched, stepping forward without care as his boots squelched against the tendrils of meat lying about.

He reached forward, digging his arm right into the sickening mound of flesh and yanking out what looked like a malformed arm, similar to that of General Verian's body. However, the arm had metal plates and arctech circuitry embedded into every inch of skin, making it seem like an organic armor of sorts.

MG404: [Item | Guryi Arm | Prototype of an organic merger between an arctech exosuit and a transformed human. | Designed by Harrison, iteration planned by Jakub.]

He dragged the arm back out of the chamber, a trail of decaying fluid streaming out from it as Culo and Lisa watched in horror. "Get the Ghosts ready for combat. We move out in two days."

"But sir, we still haven't searched the complex-"

"There's no time to waste. If Harrison is on the verge of achieving what I think he can, any delay would only worsen our chances. We have to strike as soon as possible. Get all the leaders into the Versian Parliament now for a battle brief!"

Culo and Lisa saluted, while Kyle ordered Ghosts to use lightcapturers to log down all of the information in the research complex. He brought the arm to the Versian parliament, showing it off to all the other leaders. Footage and findings of weapons in the research complex were also reviewed.

"Is that what Harrison has been fucking doing to the Versians?!" Dekar exploded in rage. "We have to stop the bastard now!"

"And we will. We must siege Ulut within two days before Harrison can amass a counterattack force. However, the technology he has amassed far exceeds what we have been fighting so far."

"Just bomb them out, fly planes over, easy as that." Feldon shrugged. "They couldn't stop us in Tenar with fighters, I doubt Harrison would be able to."

"They might have developed a solution to the bombers." Kyle played a recording of their inspection of the anti-air rifles mounted on the rotating base. "If these can fire high enough, our Aurtla planes would be in jeopardy."

"And there's no way we can armor the wings enough to prevent such a hit." Hayden pointed out. "Unless a mineral ant blocks the shots head-on, but that could kill the mineral ant too."

"I understand. Here's the battle plan: Hayden, prepare enough cargo pods for 300 men, and another 600 cargo pods filled with supplies. Culo, Lisa. You two will enter, and I need you to hunt down this Jakub of yours. We must capture him to figure out the weakness of whatever we're about to fight." Kyle began planning. "Sasha, you're with me. We'll disable the defenses from within the walls while the rest of you will besiege the walls from the front. Are we clear?"

"Wait, wait, wait, you want to smuggle yourselves in the cargo pods by land? Why on earth would Ulut even open their gates for us?" Dekar exclaimed.

Kyle tapped the very center of Ulut's city map, right smack on Harrison's headquarters. "Who said we were going by land?"

***

Two days later, in Utul....

"Test Iteration #348... Subject adapting well to infusion of metal, human form and mental retained perfectl-" Jakub spoke into a light-capturer, recording his observations while leaning against a control console before an ear-piercing scream from the chamber beyond interrupted him.

"- subject has retained control of vocal cords. A far cry from the initial iterations where vocal cords would be weaponized." He glanced towards the subject, an armored human who was strapped down a table. The armor pulsated and glowed with tremendous brilliance, making it hard for Jakub to even look at it as the subject writhe painfully. Between the seams of armor, reddish skin could be seen pulsating and growing, before ebbing back into its original human pasty color. The transformation was kept in flux, random tumors and organic growth struggling to break free of the armor before subsiding.

"FUCK! LET ME GO!" The subject screamed, but his words only put a smile on Jakub's face.

"The subject has retained mastery of language, as well as cognitive recognition of his surroundings. It seems that the addition of Yual Tears to the battle serum has stabilized the transformation just enough to retain sapience. Moving to phase 2 now."

Jakub hit a button on the control console that he was leaning against, his eyes observing carefully as the metal straps holding down the subject were undone, allowing the subject to sit up from the table. Instead, a sudden surge in growth tipped the subject over the table, causing him to collapse onto the ground, vomiting out a mixture of bile, blood and bodily fluids. Jakub's expression faltered as the subject laid still for a few moments, Jakub standing upright in exasperation.

"Subject has fallen still on the ground in the initial parts of phase 2. Bodily fluids expelled through intake orifice, no signs of movement detected. Perhaps the transformation has to be muted even more. More Yual Tears may be required to-"

A sudden slam on the one-way glass wall startled Jakub, the subject having moved more than 5 meters in the blink of an eye. The subject stared with hatred at the Jakub, his eyes bulging red through the gaps in the helmet. "You let me out right this instant or you can say goodbye to your chamber!"

Instead of responding, Jakub merely moved from one side to another side, the subject eyes tracking Jakub clearly despite the one-way glass. "Subject able to visualize in alternate vision space, most likely by heat. Able to enunciate, elaborate and threaten. Moving to Phase 3." He hit a button on the command console again, the helmet worn by the subject suddenly lighting up, arcia traces surging around it.

The subject raised a hand, preparing to punch the glass wall when the arcia traces on the helmet finally formed a circlet around the head. Instead of punching, the subject was frozen as if it was in stasis. Jakub merely picked up a gauntlet made with the same metal, donning it on his left arm before motioning to the subject. "Stand at attention."

The subject responded, his hands clasped against his thighs and standing perfectly upright and still.

"Salute. Walk three steps to the left. Punch the wall." Jakub watched as the subject followed each of his orders to the tee, while the resulting punch by the subject caused the entire chamber to shudder violently, cracks growing along the wall. A small grin started to grow on Jakub's face, knowing that he had finally succeeded. "I did it... I did it!" He rang up a number on the arctech radio, connecting him right to Harrison.

[Jakub. I told you to stop calling every time you 'think' you have a breakthrough. I want results, not hypothesis, and I want them in two days' time!] Harrison's exasperated voice filtered in through the radio's speaker.

"No need to wait sir, the first specimen is ready."

[... I'm on my way.]

Soon, Harrison was in the lab, using the control gauntlet himself to order the subject about. Jakub watched as a wide smile was plastered all over Harrison's face, Harrison immediately patting Jakub on the back heartily with an approving nod. "Well done Jakub. I knew you always had it in you. Are we ready for mass production?"

"There's no guarantee that every human would take to the serum like this." Jakub pointed out. "I'll need a few more samples."

"Done." Harrison tapped his own arctech radio. "Manager, I need a full health checkup on a new specimen. Get the guys in medical down here."

The medical team swarmed the subject, Harrison still holding the control gauntlet while Jakub immediately prepared two dozen more of the serums. Nest guards dragged more unwilling human specimens while more copies of the Guryi armor were strapped to them. Soon, each of them was in their own chamber, writhing and screaming at the top of their lungs as the transformation took over.

"He is in tip-top condition. No organ failures, no signs of genetic defects or blood pressure variations." The lead of the medical team reported to Harrison. "It's like he barely aged a day."

"Perfect." Harrison walked over to Jakub with a big grin. "Jakub, I need two more ready and controllable. In an hour, you're coming with me to my office with the two new subjects. Wear your best clothes. Oh, and your family will be moved to the castle tomorrow."

The castle?! Jakub's eyes glinted with excitement. He had worked day and night to prove that he had what it took to be rewarded, and finally everything was falling into place. Already he was a bit concerned about the evacuation from Tenar two weeks prior, but seeing that his efforts were paid off brought a wave of relief into his heart. "Thank you, sir, thank you!"

"No need to thank me. I reward competency, and you have more than proven yourself. I assume the transformation takes a bit of time." Harrison glanced to the other chambers where the new subjects were still undergoing the serum.

"About 10-20 minutes."

"Use the time to talk to your wife and child, let them know the good news." Harrison nodded, before leaving the lab with the medical team and the new subject in tow. Jakub was soon alone in a cacophony of pained screams and shouts, but he was already internally cheering at the result of the experiment and looking forward to his new life. He hurriedly rang up his wife, explaining the situation over the radio.

[That's amazing! Will the new place have running water...?] Lucy mentioned.

"What are you even saying?" Jakub let out a laugh. "This is Harrison's castle! We're staying in his guest rooms, the best of the best! It's probably the most furnished in all of Ulut!"

[Wait, Harrison's castle! But how-]

"I managed to complete a big project here, something that would ensure our safety even if the army comes after us," Jakub assured. "Once the project is rolled out, we'll have nothing to worry about, nothing at all."

Jakub let out a sigh of relief, happily chatting away with his wife as he continued observing the transformation process. He didn't even budge an inch when one of the subjects exploded violently in a pumped up fleshbag of bile and fluids, chalking it off as a failure. He had already expected the success rate to be abysmal, but as the 10-20 minutes passed by, the results were even more shocking.

"A 50% success rate..." Jakub muttered obliviously.

[What was that?]

"Nothing, dear. Still working out the kinks on this project."

[Right. Boni! Say hi to your dad!]

[Guuguu!]

Jakub smiled, leaning over to the radio and blocking out the screams in the surroundings, only focusing on his kid's voice. "Hey Boni, how you doing?! Daddy is working very hard over here!"

[Yeah, Boni, say dada! Dada is working to save us!]

[Guuuu!]

They continued to chat until the transformation was finally completed, the surviving subjects all screaming to be let out of the chamber. "Sorry, dear, have to go soon. I got an important meeting with Harrison later." Jakub hung up, using the control gauntlet to suppress the subjects again. He could feel his energy being drained by the gauntlet the more subjects he tried to control, so he stuck to two and had them go through a health checkup again. "Whats the prognosis, doctor? Any chance of blowing up?" Jakub remarked as he watched the medical team inspect the two subjects.

"Not unless you order him to." The doctor let out a sly grin, both of them sharing a laugh. Jakub and his two subjects were soon cleared, escorted by Nest guards up to Harrison's office in the castle, where he was asked to wait outside the door. As he sat on a cushioned chair, his legs shook uncontrollably as he thumbed his fingers repeatedly. Even after having worked for Harrison for months, he still felt nervous everytime he talked to Harrison. It felt as though Harrison could see through him like glass, and had a mind far more superior than he could ever hope to achieve.

Still, he could hear the conversation through the walls with someone that clearly had a foreign accent he never heard before. He tried to tune it out, but he couldn't shut his ears, the words still entering his mind crystal clear.

"... and you claim to have completed the technology? That's impossible. No country has ever mass-produced a relic exosuit before, at least not one that has the same performance." The foreign accent spoke with an accusing tone.

A chuckle from Harrison could be heard echoing of the walls. "I am not like the other countries, so mired in bureaucracy and safety standards. Here, we advance the sciences to its natural state. Do not apply self-imposed ceilings to me - ceilings only exist for me to break."

"Still, asking for resources and metal on that magnitude is still too much to ask for. You do not even have a guarantee that you will be able to stand against the Versian Army and the Ghosts combined! I heard that they are already on the way, arriving within a day!"

A day?! Jakub tensed up, his mind returning back to the hectic evacuation that he had to go through in Tenar. My wife and kids are still in the outer ring! I need to get them! He almost instinctively stood up, but the glare of the two Nest guards flanking the door taught him otherwise. After this meeting, after this meeting.

"Perhaps a demonstration is in order," Harrison spoke clearly without agitation, the ground rumbling a little while Jakub peeked out of a window in the castle's hallway, peering out onto the two-ringed city backed against the mountains. "Activate air raid drill exercise A."

[ Confirmed. Activating in five seconds. ] A female voice echoed through the castle.

Jakub felt the castle shudder slightly as he stared out onto the city, watching as hidden strange objects that looked like a metal statue with four arms emerged from raised platforms, elevated high on tall concrete pillars rivaling the nearby buildings. He had seen glimpses of them in his time at the research complex, but it was not of his division.

[ Dummy target released. ]

A fake Aurtla plane was shot out from a nook in the mountain, a hidden airbase nested within. The moment the plane flew over the main districts of the fortress city, the metal statues swiveled automatically to track the plane, their four arms glowing red hot before firing a veritable storm of pellets. The crossfire between more than twenty such anti-air emplacements eradicated the plane, causing it to shatter into a million pieces. Jakub couldn't find the words to express his amazement at the display of firepower. He used the acceleration tracking from the point defense engravings and merged with long-range wide pellet rifles to blast the Aurtla. I... I never even thought of that!

"Very impressive, but that still doesn't answer the question of whether you have perfected the technology." The foreign man spoke.

"Of course. Jakub. Enter, please, and bring your friends with you." Harrison ordered.

Jakub stood up straight, mentally motioning for the subjects to follow him. He entered the office with gravitas, the two armored subjects flanking him from behind, two heads taller from the augmented armor. At the end of the office on the balcony was Harrison and what looked like a foreign dignitary, wearing something akin to an ornamental desert garb. It was hard for Jakub to tell whether it was a female or a male based on the outfit, but he put that thought aside, focusing on demonstrating the subject's capability.

The foreign dignitary fell silent at the sight of the exosuits, but he soon regained his composure. "For all I know, these are merely excavated suits, colored and modified to look the same. And it's just simple humans inside 'acting' like they follow commands."

Harrison didn't react emotionally to the accusation, instead gesturing to the foreign man. "I know you always have a mage in waiting. Why don't you call him out so he can test the exosuit?"

"I didn't bring a mage as we have agreed." The foreign man squinted his eyes in suspicion.

"Not to the castle, no. But he is waiting on the mountain. Please, call him. I will not be upset."

The foreign dignitary stared at Harrison for a while, before snapping his fingers in the air. As if on cue, a ripple appeared in the air behind the man, Jakub only able to describe it as like a rift through space being torn apart. In an instant, a similarly dressed mage stepped out of what seemed like a portal, bowing with grace to Harrison. "Please, test the exosuits."

"With pleasure." The mage immediately rolled up his sleeves, countless arcia tattoos all along his forearm as the air rippled around his arms once more. Minature tears in space appeared right in front of the first subject, the mage's arcia-empowered fist travelling through to hit the exosuit.

Dodge! Jakub's brain instinctively screamed upon seeing the portal, the command naturally transmitting to the two subjects with him. The first subject dodged in the blink of an eye, the surrounding air billowing Harrison and Jakub from the speed of the movement. The mage's hand shot past the ducking subject, hitting only empty space before the mage withdrew his hands, portals closing again.

"Good enough for you? Or we could play out a whole battle. Perhaps three on one would suffice?" Harrison motioned with his own command gauntlet, the original first subject coming out of hiding and landing behind the mage, surprising even the mage himself.

The foreign man held up his hand, prompting the mage not to retaliate. "It seems you were not telling a lie at all. If Josei can have an exclusive license to the technology, I will agree to all your term-"

"The terms have changed." Harrison interrupted. "The terms before were out of friendship. We have been trading for so long, yet I think your lack of trust in me is severely damaging. I want five hundred tons of arcia and two years supply of metal for exosuit production."

The foreign dignitary recoiled in shock. "This is more than double what you offered!"

"A price for doubting me. If it is not to your liking, I'm sure the pirate kings in Proco would be more than happy to take up-"

"Deal. Done. You have my word." The foreign man interjected, unwilling to even consider the alternative. "We will begin shipping the arcia and metal tomorrow."

"And one more term." Harrison raised a single finger. "In the event of a defeat - your mage must rescue me."

".... Josei is beholden to the pact signed between the Hwa Dynasty and the Yual Dominion. No military interference is allowed in neutral states."

"This isn't military interference. Consider it as a friend saving another friend. No combat, no shooting, no killing. A simple evacuation." Harrison smiled. "Deal?"

The foreign man took in a deep breath, his eyes partially looking at the still extended anti-aircraft guns that were aimed to the skies. "Deal."

"Pleasure doing business with you. Jakub, your job here is done. Stow the subjects and return home." Harrison dismissed Jakub with a flick of his hand, Jakub bowing and retreating from the balcony back into the castle hallway, the two subjects following suit. Jakub could barely restrain himself from fist-pumping the air, knowing that he had made it to the top - his family would never suffer nor want for anything again as long as he stuck with Harrison.

The subjects were placed back into relic pods which somehow could keep their form in a sort of suspended state, Jakub looking at the subjects bobbing up and down through the pod windows peacefully. With a grin on his face, Jakub packed up his things and left the research complex. As he walked through the lab, scientists and guards saluted him one after the other, recognizing his status as lead scientist for the chemical department. Finally, I am no longer a no-name just waiting to die - I have authority and control! 

He thought back to the old days in Tenar trying to scavenge and barter for every scrap of ration, a sense of calm coming over him while he walked down the streets of Ulut. Anticipation welled in his heart as he headed for the outer ring, hoping to see the joyous face on his wife and kid when a sudden distinct lurching sound could be heard from far above the buildings. Jakub watched as the anti-aircraft emplacements at the top of the pillars swivelled, seemingly tracking something. Strange, is Harrison showing off another drill to the diginatry?

However, he didn't see a dummy target launch out from the mountain base. Instead, dozens of Aurtla fighters began to swarm out from the base in the mountains while a klaxon began to blare, its siren carrying across the city to shocked faces. Jakub craned his head up to follow the fighters as they ascended up to the clouds, disappearing behind the globs of white water vapor.

[This is not a drill. This is not a drill.] The same female voice echoed through the buildings, Jakub breaking out into a run as he sprinted through the chaotic streets, recently evacuated residents and families trying to find refuge and safety in the designated bomb shelters. Lucy! Boni! 

"Hey, where are you going?! The shelter is that way!" A Nest guard shouted at him, but Jakub ran with all his might, trying to get home while ignoring the shouts. Each step seared his muscles as he pushed himself to the limit, his ears only hearing the blood thumping and his own shortness of breath while explosions began to appear from beyond the clouds, fragments of destroyed fighters falling from the sky in smoldering chunks.

He swerved and weaved through the panicked crowd that was trying to flee the outer ring, clambering for safety in the inner ring. Only Jakub forged a path to the throng of evacuees, trying to find his wife and kid among them to no avail. They must be still in the house! He took a sharp turn on the street, racing down the small tight corners to reach another main street, where there was a residential apartment complex filled with people carrying their belongings down the steps. From a distance, Jakub could already spot his family climbing down the steps, his wife lugging the kid on her arms while wearing a hefty backpack. They're safe! They're-

The same distinct lurching sound grated on his ears, the nearest anti-aircraft emplacement swiveling to shoot up into the clouds, Jakub unable to see anything. But if the previous demonstration was anything to go by, it only meant that Jakub's family was in jeopardy. He was about to continue running to the complex when the emplacement fired, the recoil from the rifles sending a violent tremor through the ground that caused him to trip.

As he tumbled onto the open cobblestone street, he could feel every salvo of the emplacement rattling his bones, making it hard for him to get up. Only his eyes wandered upwards, looking at countless objects falling freely from the sky. A few exploded in midair into a thousand metal fragment pieces, the powerful pellets shredded through the armor while they spiraled uncontrollably. However, the emplacement could not hit all of the objects, Jakub only able to watch as one of the objects slammed into the apartment complex.

The object crushed vertically right through the side of the building, destabilizing its structure and foundation, the entire stairwell crumbling into a ruin amidst a cry of shock and death erupting from the residents. Jakub felt his heart drop, his eyes widened as he watched his wife and kid fall in the resulting collapse of the complex. He saw the panicked glance on his wife's face as they disappeared under a mountain of rubble, clouds of dust and soot kicking up in a billowing swirl that blanketed him.

"LUCY!" Jakub roared, running forward when his arm was suddenly grabbed by a Nest guard.

"What the fuck are you still doing out here? Get to the shelter, now!" The Nest guard urged, only to be greeted by an attempted punch to the face by Jakub. "Calm down!"

"MY WIFE! MY WIFE IS UNDER THE BUILDING! OVER THERE!"

"We'll get her, but you need to get to safety! You're a scientist from Harrison Industries, right?" The Nest guard caught a glimpse of an identity plaque card that Jakub had dropped on the ground. "There will be a squad who will escort you back to the comple-"

"I don't want an escort squad!" Jakub yelled, still able to hear the pained cries of those pinned under the rubble. "I want you to save my wife now!"

"They may be still alive under the rubble, but if you don't get to a shelter, you won't be alive to rescue them-"

A second object fell right onto the collapsed stairwell, blasting apart the rubble and crushing everything beneath. Jakub's expression was frozen as two more objects slammed into the rubble, dropping to his knees in disbelief while more Nest guards ran out past him, the pained cries no longer audible. The objects looked like coffins piercing into the ground, only the sounds of emplacement salvos and explosions in the skies enveloping his entire world. One of the coffin's door burst open, revealing an armored Ghost who immediately fired a barrage of pellets at the Nest guards.

"Get this scientist out of the way now!" A Nest guard leader urged, his men taking up cover while firing at the coffins, each revealing another Ghost, all of whom were now spreading out into the rubble.

Jakub felt two hands drag his body away, hardly any energy left to resist as his eyes stared vacantly towards the site where he had just watched his family be buried alive, while the rest of the city was enveloped in a sudden urban battle, more and more coffin pods falling from the sky and slamming all across the outer ring. No...everything I have worked for... everything I have done.... what's the point?! My family is dead! What authority do I have? What control? Nothing!

As soon as Jakub came to his senses, he found himself back at the entrance of the research complex, gathered with the other evacuated scientists. He stood up straight with renewed vigor, storming towards his lab where his subjects were in the pods. *My family is dead because of the Ghosts - and I will have my revenge even if it's the last thing I do!