Cronus nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“I have got a very important meeting in the next few hours. Make sure that no one disturbs me.”
With a nod, Cronus left the room.
It seemed that the meeting was on time, and after quickly polishing off his meal, Moretti made sure he was sitting, waiting.
***
When the meeting comms came through, Moretti noted Felix and Damus’s grave faces from the start. But it looked as if Zedra was leading it completely, so he let her do the opening and then the talking. He listened.
“I thank you for the time to do the job I was in cryo for in the first place,” she said. “I would like you to know my findings as of today. Emperor Cassius and Legate Versanti have aided me with this decision. The list I am sending you is not only of those who are against what Roma stands for but those who are avid in defeating the Victor Corp, for whatever silly reasons they see fit. I’ve watched everything you sent me. I’ve seen Mark Victor and his mergers fight. I have seen what happened to them. I’ve also seen the cover-ups. The masks they are wearing cannot hide the sickness that is plaguing Hellenica and the Union. By the law which was created and I was put into cryo for, I am within the right to do as I now plan. I’ve started placing my legionnaires in key positions across not only Roma but its nearest allies. I believe that you will also be able to help with this coordinated takedown, Mr. Moretti?”
Moretti received the package she pushed over and opened the list. There were no huge surprises or names on it that he hadn’t expected to be there.
“I can and I will assist you.” Moretti looked at the emperor, waiting for his confirmation, but it was Damus who spoke.
“Legate Zedra and the Shadow Legion have our full backing. The truth will out,” Damus said.
Moretti watched as the emperor’s face reddened. “These rotten, filthy, good-for-nothing senators will be ripped from Roma in mere seconds. Zedra has everything I have at her disposal.”
“I will coordinate with her to make sure no one is left behind. No one shall escape.”
Zedra caught Moretti’s attention as she then pushed on another package. It took a moment to come through and he opened it as she spoke. “This one I know you will need to discuss with those in Emarl. Especially Mark Victor. Please assure him that this is our top priority. I have my own personal guard working with Legate Versanti on this.”
Moretti tried to hide his feelings on this new revelation, but he couldn’t help it. “Do you have any idea how close they could be to creating mergers of their own?”
Zedra shook her head. “I’m at present trying to get someone on the inside to talk. It’s a very secure area, and Damus has been very attentive in logging in their activities. Since we’ve only just discovered this, I’d like a little time to get in, get the information.”
“I don’t think you understand the severity of that situation,” Moretti said, trying not to let the rising anger in him show.
Cassius spoke clear. “We understand the severity of this, hence why we’ve come to you now, instead of trying to handle it ourselves. We’d like to speak with Mark, or you may do so on our behalf. Whatever we need to know to stop this, I ask that he forward it on. Anything he can give us.”
Moretti knew there was no information like that, that he would pass on. If there was a way to stop the mergers from being created, he already had that in motion and was probably the main reason that these underground scientists hadn’t completed their mission. But to give away anything else that might bring them down? No.
“Your intentions are noted. I will make sure he understands the situation fully.” Moretti turned to face Zedra a little more, watching her facial features closely as he said his next words. “Legate Zedra, if you get any inkling that those scientists have managed to create mergers, you wipe that base and anyone within a hundred miles off the face of the fucking planet. Understand me?”
She might not have taken any orders from him, nor did she have to listen or respond to this demand, but she did. “They will not complete their task. You have my word.”
“I will speak with Mark now. Are you waiting for me to come back to you, or would you be willing to speak with him yourself?”
“We shall wait for your return,” Zedra said. “I think the time to meet Mark isn’t now. I wish to prove to him that Roma can rise again.”
Moretti acknowledged them all and cut the meeting off. He was not looking forward to the next comm.
Chapter Fifty
VCF Moby
Sub-light Engines
Emarl System
11/3556
Ava was sparring, making the most of the last few days’ travel toward her home. She’d been elated that they were there, but the time passed so, so slowly it was driving her and the others crazy. They had so much going on, they were highly strung and easily stressed out. She knew the moment the comms had come in from Moretti and the information was passed to Mark; she’d felt his rage. Dropping her weapon too soon, she ducked just in time before her opponent managed to slice into her face.
“What is it?” he’d asked. But Ava was headed out the door, sweat dripping from her back.
She entered the office Mark was using, and panted out, “Link me in.”
When Moretti appeared before her, she feigned a smile while she settled her breath and stemmed the sudden rush of adrenaline.
“You have no way of getting in without Zedra?” Mark asked.
Moretti shook his head. “I don’t have anyone I’d put in that position other than Damus, and he’s got his best men there. We have to allow them time to do this.”
Ava now knew the gist of the conversation; Mark had Sarah pass the info across to her.
“What if they are close to creating their own?”
The next command burst through the net at incredible speed. “Charles, my office. Now.”
Even Ava felt the shock reverberate through everyone. Not just those closest to him—all mergers heard this and felt it.
Ava placed a hand on his shoulder. “We can deal with this. Look at Moretti.”
Mark focused in and his door flung open once more. “Sit,” he said to Charles, who immediately complied, sheer worry on his face.
Then, as Ava filled him in, he turned to Moretti. “They can’t make mergers, ever. I’m a hundred percent sure on that.”
Mark’s eyes met his.
“A thousand times sure, but...”
Ava’s stomach flipped.
“They can create monsters. I don’t know how advanced the science is but if you can get me anything from their systems, I’ll put some predictions together. But they won’t be mergers. Mark saw to that when he gathered up everything through the net.”
“Monsters?” Moretti asked.
“Yes, there’s enough tech to still complete something, if they get the combinations right. Maybe the nanites won’t strip their hosts alive. They might survive the process, but the brain’s not meant to go through that without some kind of help. Mark took all the information help from the net. The volunteers would be not only in severe pain from the process, but they won’t be able to put together their new brain pathways. Most would be more than likely a vegetable. In a coma, mush in the tank. Honestly, if any survived, it would be a miracle.”
“What are the chances of getting just one to survive the process?”
Charles looked to Moretti. “Almost a billion to one.”
“Then let us hope they don’t find that one before we can shut them down.”
Mark pointed back to the door, and Charles took it as his cue to leave. “Get me any more info you can. I’ll process it.”
Moretti nodded. “Will contact you directly. Thank you, Charles.”
When Charles had gone, Moretti could do nothing but stare as Mark’s mind seemed to wander about. Ava motioned for him to continue. “Zedra’s got a full plan in motion, Mark. She’s going to cleanse the Union of those who are corrupting it.”
“Are there
a lot that needs to go?” Mark asked.
“Yes. Around two hundred instigators, and a good few thousand underneath them.”
“How did they spread so much evil? These people, how can they not back Roma’s beliefs?”
Moretti shook his head. “Most were brought up in different circumstances. Spoiled. They’ve not had to fight like their forefathers. That’s the biggest problem. They’ve been sitting on their asses, ordering men about, getting others to do the largest part of the work. While they just got rich. They’ve seen nothing of real war. Of the Maraukians.”
“It will be a coordinated hit?” Ava asked.
“Yes. It’s being maneuvered into place right now. They’ll not suspect anything.”
“Good. Rid the world of their shit, then we can go after the next problem,” Mark spat.
Ava turned to face him. “The Maraukians—they’re not getting to hurt anymore systems. The fight goes to them.”
Chapter Fifty-One
Station
Tricticus Orbit, Emarl System
12/3556
Pela wasn’t able to fully contain her nerves. After all, she had four months of hell on the station. Sleep schedule? What was that? You want to go to the bathroom, good! You can prove you know how to use your suit waste system! You didn’t ground yourself when you were using a wrench? I’ll let you spin for a bit and think on this!
Space was a bitch and she wanted to kill you any way possible. The teachers took it as their job to make sure that everyone knew this, that everyone feared and respected space.
If they didn’t, then it was a sure way to get killed.
There had been accidents in the schools on Tricticus and a few really nasty injuries. On the station, there were less overall injuries but the amount of deaths shot up. Any small issue was quick to kill here. These teachers did not fuck around.
They were on everyone’s ass as if they were babies. It grated on one’s nerves but only under this constant stress could someone be accepted. If they couldn’t handle this, then they wouldn’t be able to handle the stresses of their job, in the minds of their teachers.
Pela had made her decision before and now she stuck with it all the way; she gritted her teeth and listened.
It was only before they went into their final tests she saw another side of them. The side that cared for them so much that they wanted them to fail out or succeed. If they failed, then it was because they were an accident away from hurting themselves or others.
They did this out of care and responsibility to their students.
When doing their tests, they hadn’t nagged or yelled, just watched impassively.
Pela nearly jumped up as she got a message.
Gondi opened it for her and showed her what she wanted to see.
Her stomach did somersaults as she didn’t really believe it.
“Congratulations! You’ve passed,” Gondi said.
Pela let out a short laugh, feeling as if she was on some other plane of existence.
“Would you like to review the job openings that you can apply for?” Gondi sounded amused.
“Y-yeah.” Pela had looked at them before, but now, instead of just reading the descriptions, there was a button underneath with the simple word Apply written on it.
She could join the military branch with a large bonus and they would pay off her debt over a certain number of years unless she did it herself. There was danger pay but she would need to do some military boot camp. There was the station needing to expand, or the Yard, with multiple different positions that included specialist on-the-job training before she started.
Then there was working on Tricticus. The bonuses were a lot less but it was safer. Then there was the refinery, the supply ships, and the mining vessels that were out in the asteroid belt.
She sent messages out to her friends and then another to her family. She wasn’t happy with them, but she didn’t want to cut them out of her life.
She got messages from her friends and even Aileen sent her a message while on shift at the refinery. Aileen was a general flipper. She couldn’t make her mind up what job she preferred the most, and where money was involved, she did what most would. She took the higher pay.
Aileen stood next to some massive machinery and glowing hot metal. “Woo-hoo! You go, girl! Congratu-fucking-lations! When we getting beers? Lemme know what you’re doing—could always use a fellow Malazar over here at the refineries!”
Pela couldn’t help but laugh at the different messages coming in. It started to sink in as she jumped up from her bed and cheered. People looked at her with odd looks but smiled.
“Sorry!” She winced to the laughter of the others.
“Looks like someone passed,” an older man called Mink said with a teasing smile.
“Yup!” she said, not hiding anything.
“So, where you going?” The others in the room weren’t all from her training class and the training schedules were all different. Some of them, even if they were about to go to sleep after a long shift, perked up and came over to offer their congratulations.
Pela joked with them. Her friend group had grown even more.
She got a message from her parents as well.
Great. Tell us when you can come by for a celebration. The entire family will be there. She read the message as a flood of happiness filled her. She’d finally been recognized by her family for her achievements.
She could just imagine their proud smiles at seeing her coming back with her qualifications. She started to book a ride back down to see her parents as soon as possible. She’d take a week off and consider what job she wanted to take.
Chapter Fifty-Two
The Ark
Ark, Emarl System
12/3556
Charles and his engineering teams had been one of the first groups to find out just what the Ark was holding once Mark had revealed it.
Now that they had entered it and gained access to the AI systems that controlled it, they were awestruck.
There were five anti-matter reactors up and running. Multiple nuclear reactors and lightning rods served to power the facility.
There was plans for a sixth and larger anti-matter generator.
It had to be known that there were only twelve anti-matter creating facilities in all of the Roma Union and there was five of them just casually pushing out the powerful resource and storing it in secured bunkers.
There were facilities that produced only parts for the Pluto armor.
Forges that had been updated with the greatest software were creating not only the base items needed by the military but also the specialized merging-capable Gorgons.
Where they had been restrained before, the different science and engineering teams found that they had these shackles removed.
Charles looked over the development facilities. They weren’t the greatest, but that could change in the future. This was the center of innovation and with all of this at their disposal, he could see that their forward growth wouldn’t be small.
“All right, it’s time that we get started!” Charles clapped his hands together.
The people in the room all looked to him, reflecting his excitement. The AI in the facility started to create living quarters and seal up the different air locks, pumping in breathable atmosphere and warming the place up.
Jess, Maxine, Gomez, and Charles worked with teams to break down different ideas that people had been working on but were not possible before without these resources. One that quickly made it to the top was a supplementary system using anti-matter to be used with the Alcubierre drives, turning their average speed of one parsec in thirty-five days into possibly twenty-seven. It didn’t sound like much, but when most places were at least five parsecs away, those kinds of changes really added up.
Missiles using anti-matter artillery rounds and grenades for the mergers—they were all possible now.
These weapon loads weren’t seen outside of the Union and they were used sparingly, needing
a planet’s legate to clear their usage. Many times, they lived on for decades, not being used.
Let’s just see what we can come up with. Charles looked at the people busily working on different boards, talking and discussing in groups. The ride down might have been horrible, but they would all do it dozens of times if it got them here—to this creator’s nirvana.
Chapter Fifty-Three
Crisidium
Tricticus, Emarl System
12/3556
The shuttle this time heading down to Tricticus had a fair few of them from the Yard, including the original mergers.
Ava sat across from Rachel, Evan, Polwell, and Dodger. They all had things to do on the planet and Mark had given them all downtime to do so. They were talking about the changes to Crisidium, and then to their own hometowns. They’d all seen the reports and the vids but finally getting to see it for real had their moods high. Amid the laughter and nerves Ava felt across the net, there was great joy and yet sadness for those not coming home.
Ava listened in as Rachel talked with Miles. She was going home, while he was going with Polwell to his. Ava knew Miles was an orphan and his adopted family was stationed on the Aegean gardens. He wouldn’t get to see them for a while just yet, so it was nice of Polwell to take him home to his family. There were, after all, many other things she was sure he could be doing. Looking around at them all, Ava knew they were all more than family. She was very glad to have them, and squeezed Mark’s hand, glad to have him.
Coming into the airspace above Crisidium, they were going to do two drops. Each group would then make their own way home, albeit by train, shuttle bus, or walking. Ava knew several of them needed to get a train, and that included Rachel.
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