Zurkerx- The Empire Shall Grow

by Eric William Haluska

  Zhas shakes his head. It’s embarrassing to see his workers screwing up. Didn’t they know he had a distinguished guest today?

  “Forgive me Supreme Commander! They can be a bit- excited when playing with new toys.”

  “They’re just happy they were able to find a job in this era of automation. It’s not easy to obtain and retain a job other than joining the military and serving.”

  “Yes, I know. Despite the changing economy, there is still a need for manual labor, thanks to the jobs automation has created. However, I can’t deny that it’s cheaper and more effective to install robots, which can make products of better quality and in greater quantity. Times are changing too rapidly, Supreme Commander, and it’s fueling the Gewerksma. The government and corporate world have done things to help the people adapt to these sudden changes, but I fear we have not done enough.”

  “We have done plenty. If it weren’t for the government’s or businesses’ efforts to provide an effective safety net in compliance with Einners Markuut[56], there would be a lot more people unemployed, and a lot more in the Gewerksma.”

  “Let’s be thankful that our ideals have helped and held for this long.”

  Silence falls between the two men as they come to the edge of the balcony, leaning forward as they examine the scenery down below.

  “So, why did you call me here, Zhas? I take it you’ve got something special for me,” he asks as he turns his head towards Zhas.

  Zhas turns towards Marcus, shocked that he doesn’t know why he’s here.

  “Do you remember when the Galnosians upgraded the SPECTRE several years ago? Their armor and weapons are now on par with the Krenma. When it became apparent that other regional powers were catching up as well, you and the government came to me looking for some upgrades and innovative ideas to change the Krens.”

  “Yes, I remember. Is Project Ominous finally ready?”

  “Finally? It has been ready- it just needed some tweaks. We believe it’s ready, but we need a guinea pig to test it.”

  “So, that’s why I am here then.”

  “You were always the best.”

  Both men stand up and continue their walk, heading to an elevator at the end of the balcony. As they approach the elevator, the door opens. The men step into the elevator, turning around to face the other way as if someone were behind them. Zhas then places his hand on a scanner.

  “Hello, Mr. Kuj. How can I assist you on this beautiful day?” asks an automated feminine voice.

  “Yes, it has been a lovely day, Martha. Would you please take us to the basement? Our guest is here to see his new toys.”

  “Yes, Mr. Kuj.”

  The door closes as the elevator begins its descent.

  “Martha? You named a computer AI after your wife? I was wondering why the voice sounded familiar.”

  “I miss her every day, Marcus,” he says emotionlessly. “Ever since the accident, it hasn’t been easy for me and my kids. We thought advances in the medical field could save her, but her body sustained too much damage. We were miserable, trying to comprehend our lives without her. So yes, I created an AI to remember her every day, to hear her lovely voice.”

  “Understandable…but isn’t that a bit weird?”

  “Love does many things to a man, Marcus. Just be lucky your wife is still with you.”

  Zhas looks down, trying to hide his creeping sadness. Marcus looks away, giving the man some peace of mind.

  The elevator then comes to a stop. The doors slide open, revealing a clean white room.

  “I have to say, Zhas, you actually keep this place clean.”

  “Men are slobs. They don’t know how to keep things clean. Like this one time, the President came by visiting my facility. He was chewing gum and decided to stick it underneath one of my beautiful tables! My table! He still has to pay for the damages for such vandalism.”

  “I’m sure he will, eventually.”

  “He better!”

  Zhas walks out the door in a hurry. Surprised by his speed, Marcus follows the waddling man. As he catches up, he stops as a white slab slowly rises from the white floor. Curious to see what it is, he walks forward.

  However, Zhas puts his hand up, stopping him. Zhas approaches the slab and taps it. The slab then splits apart, unveiling a golden engraved black scabbard that contains a sword.

  Tenderly, he picks up the sword with both his hands and examines it, making sure there are no imperfections that would disappoint Marcus. He then walks towards him and hands him the sword. Marcus gently lays hold of the scabbard and examines it.

  “It’s eloquent on the outside, but what does this Nactbu have to offer?”

  He grabs the golden-engraved hilt and slowly pulls the sword out. The light strikes the revealing blade, shining brightly as if a god wields it. This magnificent Nactbu has a 28-inch blade that can be classified as a gem with an 8-inch hilt.

  “Interesting…”

  Suddenly, a figure appears from behind and approaches the two men. Hearing something, Marcus turns and swings at the object. The Nactbu is light but balanced, durable, and malleable. He looks down and sees a test dummy cut in half. He then looks up and sees Zhas smiling.

  “So, what do you think?”

  Marcus twists and examines the Nactbu, amazed by the lack of resistance the sword offers.

  “Unbelievable, this is a surprise. This is one of the most balanced blades I have ever wielded.”

  “Heh, heh. You’ll find that this Nactbu is 25 percent lighter and 50 percent more durable than its predecessor. The blade itself is made of steel, titanium, vanadium, carbon, and obsidian, all compressed and smelted by hand and machine. With a diamond edge to it, this blade will cut through almost anything, including the armor the Krenma currently wear.”

  He looks at Marcus.

  “This Nactbu requires little maintenance, meaning you don’t have to polish or sharpen it every time you use it in battle, although I recommend you check on it every day.”

  Zhas approaches him, trying to perfect his marketing pitch.

  “So, what do you think? Something I am sure the government wants.”

  “I’m impressed, Zhas. This is a fine blade crafted by some fine blacksmiths and machinery. But what’s the price?”

  “Price?! I’m sure the Miktsrod or The Tower[57] won’t care about that. They roll in money every day from taxes you collect from me, which is another advantage of automation: less employees means a smaller payroll, decreasing my expenses significantly, meaning higher profit margins. But never mind all that. I’ll tell you what: this Nactbu here is a gift from me to you. An asset you can add to your collection. A liability to me, but let’s just call it a gift, shall we?”

  Zhas smiles. He feels he has impressed him now. At this point, he’s just patting himself on the back, feeling he has accomplished something.

  Marcus stares at him, unsure what to make of the man’s happiness. Suddenly, he lifts the Nactbu and swings at Zhas’ head. A small wisp of hair slowly drifts down. Zhas stands still, petrified and amazed that he’s still breathing.

  “You had a long hair that was bugging me. I thought I would take care of that for you,” he says cheerfully as he slips the Nactbu into the scabbard. “Now, if you don’t mind, I have other matters to attend to.”

  He heads towards the elevator, its doors wide open. As he approaches, the doors shut. He stops and turns around, his hand on the hilt of the Nactbu. He sees a scowling Zhas staring at him, his finger on his watch.

  “While the Nactbu itself is a good reason for you to come here, it isn’t the only reason. I told you that I needed a guinea pig to test out Project Ominous.”

  He chuckles.

  “No. No. No. No. Martha, will you show the honorable gentleman what lies on the wall behind me?”

  “Yes, my dear.”

  The wall behind Zhas unravels and shifts, revealing a showcase.

  “This! This is the main reason I asked you to come here! This is what complet
es Project Ominous. This will help keep the Krenma at the top of the food chain! And all for you to try out firsthand.”

  Marcus stares at the showcase, approaching it slowly. As he gets closer, the glass around the showcase shifts back, unveiling something he couldn’t dream of. He stops and places his hand on the mysterious item, mesmerized by what he sees.

  SHADOWS

  NOVEMBER 8th, 2060

  5:34 P.M.

  BARSELO

  Several miles away from the Zappas Headquarters was once the home of one of the richest families in Zurkerx: the Rechemecs. The Rechemecs, a family dynasty that has lasted since the early 1900s, are a family of military officers, lawyers and stockbrokers who have influenced politics for decades, including one who would become a President—Ruther von Rechemec, who grew up in this very house.

  Yet, the house was put up for sale when the family decided it was no longer needed, given they have multiple properties across the nation. Almost immediately, a group called People’s Actions, a non-profit organization, bought the house to set it up as its base of operation to spread Neo-Demokrism peacefully. However, the base is a front for the Gewerksma, for them to recruit new members as well as to raise money to fund their operations, disguising the money as miscellaneous expenditures, which violates the Empire’s Accounting Accountability Act[58].

  After buying the house, the organization refurnished the entire house, including one of its office spaces, where they added several red velvet couches to bring décor to the room. In the middle of the room and surrounded by the couches sits a coffee table with a couple of mugs filled with freshly brewed tea. On these couches sit two individuals, staring towards the back of the room, where three large touchscreen monitors hang on the wall, their screens displaying lush forests.

  On the left couch sits a man with his hands folded, his manner relaxed. He is a young man with mahogany eyes, his short black boxed beard complementing his face. As the Vorhrer for the last three years, he has acted as a role model to inspire other Demokrists to take a stand against the State, converting them into Neo-Demokrists. Yet, despite his status as a leader, the government is unaware of the change in leadership and believes that the former Vorhrer, Dennis Rassu, is still in charge.

  To his right sits his second in command and Vorh, Indra Krogger. Indra reaches for one of the mugs and takes a sip. He is an older man with a haggard face, his black hair turning gray. He was once a general and a part of the Krenma, serving alongside his friend, Marcus Huns. But he had a secret that he kept from his friends: he was a Demokrist.

  Originally, he believed that the people should use the democratic process to advance the ideals of Demokrism. However, as he grew older, he realized that the government wasn’t doing enough to stop the threat of automation and 3D printing, becoming more convinced that the government was allowing businesses to walk over his people, forcing them to join the military so the Empire could build an imperialistic army to conquer Zentari. These new convictions led him to become a Neo-Demokrist, leading him in turn to join the Gewerksma.

  To impress his new friends, he tried to steal government secrets from a facility in the Teal Mountains, but was stopped by Marcus. A fight ensued and before Marcus could capture him, Indra jumped off the edge of a cliff, appearing to have killed himself. However, he is alive and looking for retaliation.

  As Indra places his cup of tea down, a man walks to the entrance of the room. In his hands is valuable information, intel that Indra and his boss desire. He takes a step forward and stops, spotting the two individuals on the couch. He is nervous, scared to enter. He has only been in the Gewerksma for two days and already, is doing important tasks, including delivering this vital information to leadership. Not wanting to be rude, but needing to make his presence noticed, he taps on the wall.

  “Come in,” Indra says, annoyed, wondering who would be knocking.

  He and the guy next to him slightly adjust themselves, turning to face the uneasy man who slowly approaches them. The young man walks in, carrying a flash drive in a small plastic bag. He is unaware of the two individuals staring at him. As he gets closer, however, he lifts his head and sees a man with a beard staring at him, eyeing him down. The young man stops, nervous to approach any closer.

  “Don’t stand there, my friend. Come, come. We are all friends here.”

  The man with the beard gets up and walks towards the flabbergasted man.

  “You seem surprised. Oh, I love surprising people. You’re a newcomer, I assume?”

  The young man stands in silence, afraid to say anything.

  “Don’t be hesitant; hesitation is a sign of doubt and confusion, something I am not an admirer of.”

  “Argus, would you stop scaring him? He only joined us a couple of days ago. Keep this up and you’ll scare them all away.”

  Argus turns to face Indra, annoyed his name was said aloud.

  “Don’t be telling him my name. I don’t need the government busting down the door and arresting us, throwing all of our plans in jeopardy.”

  Argus’ face tightens up. He doesn’t like when Indra carelessly throws his name around. It has been five years since his supposed suicide, five years since his family and former friends mourned his death. For Argus Constantime, before he became the Vorhrer, he was a Kren, serving alongside his friend, Aceso. During his time with the Krenma, he acted as a spy for the Gewerksma, reporting directly to Dennis Rassu.

  When an opportunity to steal government secrets arose, Dennis ordered Argus to steal the information. However, the operation was a sting orchestrated by Marcus to see who would try to steal classified information. Caught red-handed and shocking his friends, Argus fled and took refuge in his house, where a firefight followed. During that firefight, the house exploded, appearing to kill Argus, leaving his motives unknown. However, Argus survived, fleeing to an underground tunnel where he made his escape before detonating the explosives.

  For the next two years, Dennis groomed him to become the next Vorhrer, given Dennis suffered from a form of cardiomyopathy. After two years of training, Dennis died of a sudden heart attack, and Argus was selected as the next Vorhrer.

  When Argus became the leader, however, he decided to keep the narrative that Dennis Rassu was still alive, and he sent false information to the government to deceive them, while also deceiving his family and friends by allowing them to believe he was dead. But he’s only pursuing the goals of the Gewerksma because his father was doing the same, a man who died uncovering the truth, his death that Argus wishes to know more about. That is more fundamentally important than the Gewerksma’s cause; still, to get to the truth, he needs to first expel the government from power.

  The young man trembles. He is standing in front of the Vorhrer himself, an idol he wanted to meet. Sweat slowly rolls down his back as he watches the exchange between the two men, scared to intervene. Argus, remembering his guest, turns away from Indra, calming himself down as he smiles and pats the young man’s back.

  “I’m just kidding! I am not, but eh, you get the point, right?”

  The young man simply nods his head.

  “Good. Now, what do you have for me? I was told that this intel holds some significance?”

  The man slowly moves towards Argus, handing him the flash drive. Argus grabs the flash drive, examining it carefully.

  “You have done your part. Now be off, this is not for your eyes to see.”

  The man slightly bows and takes off, leaving Indra and Argus alone. Argus reaches into the bag and takes out the flash drive. He then walks over to the monitors and plugs it into one of the USB Ports. A message pops up on the screen, asking whether to open the files. Argus taps the screen and hits Ok. The window disappears and a new window appears, asking if the user wants to open what has been stored.

  “Let’s see what RT has fished out,” Indra says with confidence.

  “Yes, let’s see what Rubella Typhus has gathered for us.”

  Indra taps the screen. The window disappear
s and opens the folder, revealing one document titled Project Ominous.

  “RT only collected one folder,” Argus says, disappointed and fuming. “I would have thought it would have collected more.”

  “I think I might know the reason. While RT was stealing the information, they must have disconnected the device’s access to the Cloud, which has multiple firewalls. It must have just breached them all and managed to steal this one file. Damn the government and their huge investment in technology.”

  “It’s frustrating yes. However, there is some good news that comes from this. While we weren’t able to gather that much, RT did its job: it can penetrate their firewalls with ease and wreak havoc on their systems, including defense protocols, which is its main purpose, and they couldn’t do anything about it. We can easily take the Presidential Palace, The Tower, and turn the Empire into the Paradise we crave for. RT just needs a few tweaks.”

  “I agree. By the way, our long-awaited shipment is arriving shortly.”

  “So, he did pull through for us.”

  “He has kept his word, but it’s not enough to take down the Empire.”

  “That’s where Kelin comes in, he’ll be talking to this Mister Keller guy tomorrow on hooking us up with a port. But none of that matters. With this CBW, we have more than enough to take down the Empire. Dennis put his trust into us and I promised him we won’t fail.”

  “I’m surprised the government hasn’t figured out that Dennis has been dead for three years. I mean, with all of the intelligence they collect, you would think they would know by now.”

  “And let’s keep it that way.”

  “I agree, let’s just hope they don’t- wait.”

  Indra pauses for a moment, his eyes focusing on the sole folder. He can see the folder isn’t its typical tan color but rather, it’s black. When a Black Folder appears, it usually means the government has top-secret information, intelligence that even high-ranking officials can’t view.

  “Now this is something special here, Argus. A Black Folder is something we need to take advantage of.”

  “What’s a black folder?”