Bloodstained Rose

Chapter 7

It was afternoon in Kashmir. The winter sun was already nearing the horizon, casting an orange glare on the L-District and the city beneath it. Melora reached towards a strand of her green and disheveled hair to give it a stroke. She had a constant urge to do such after being heavy in thought. The tick was something she knew that could easily be processed out, but there was the thought of what could happen after.

Being able to cut out emotions from people was a technology that she marveled at and took pride in being able to invent. Her brain was the one thing she would not dare to try and perfect. The office around her had faded to black as the sensation of water splashing against her feet started to disturb her. She found herself peering into the Deep as the code on her computer screen continued to compile.

It had been somewhat uncommon for people to be able to tap into this vast and mysterious energy source. Most likely the person using it could change their physical attributes—possibly jump higher, or in Tetsu’s case being able to shape shift into a shadowy mass. She had found that the Deep to be an archive. Inside of it lay knowledge that had never been seen by human eyes, something beyond comprehension.

As a source of power that spanned across time and reality itself, she managed to find something inside to aid in her research; whether it be knowledge from past civilizations or something from a civilization outside of the galaxy—possibly even the known universe. She had toiled away at her research for years and grew to understand the Deep more than she could hope.

Emotions are a gateway for humans to tap into the Deep, she started to think again. Being able to control those emotions through processing and de-processing was more of a control for the Weapons Administration. Hideo-Jin-Ni being able to fight them so fiercely for years had made her imagine the possibility of there being one like him growing in their midst.

She had watched to code complete the compilation process and then smiled at seeing her plans come closer to fruition. While she started to go back to her work, she continued thinking of the several Deep users in the Administration like herself. While there were a handful being recruited into the military or being nullified, she thought of there being more trying to conceal their powers to stage a rebellion. It was no more than paranoia, but still something that crossed her mind regularly.

With what they had been able to do to Liberation and Rei’s village, she had remained confident that such a hint of rebellion brewing could be cut out just as cleanly as the other emotions. However, her next invention was something that she hoped would be able to detect such an anomaly. As the darkness around her started to fade, she could finally stare back at her office. The machinery scattered across the many desks along with the schematics from her many designs gave her a claustrophobic sense. She turned away from her computer and then pushed the few strands of hair out of the way of her face.

The office door opened, revealing Koji still dressed in formal attire. His days, unlike hers, had been spent making several trips between the Premiere’s office and the several administrative offices across the city. He started to close the door behind him before walking over to Melora to take a seat across from her desk.

“How are you doing today?” Koji asked.

A trace of concern lingered on his face, only causing Melora to shake off the question before facing him.

“What did he say to you?” she replied.

“Well, he keeps asking about this Cradle Project and constant status updates,” he said nervously, almost shuddering after seeing her gaze lock onto him. After lifting his hand to wipe the perspiration from his forehead, he calmly adjusted himself in the chair. “He keeps worrying about these souring international relations, DMZ violations and such.”

“Pig,” she muttered to herself before rolling her eyes. The remark had pierced Koji’s bearing, causing his eyebrows to perk up for just an instant. “He’s known about this project for months. We’re even telling the cadets about it to get everybody warmed up. What’s there to be worried about?”

“He’s old, you know that.”

Melora turned back to her computer, brushing him off once more to pull up the next project. After a few moments of silence, she let out a sigh before trying to keep up the façade with her partner. She then leaned into the desk and started to trail her hands across the surface towards him, shining a grin to him.

“I know you’re doing good for us,” she said warmly. This caused Koji to return with a bright grin before reaching out towards her. Once his cold hands had graced her flesh, she felt a chill. The sensation of disgust started to brew inside her, but she gritted her teeth and calmly tried keeping focus on him. “Have we at least made progress in Aiga? I haven’t heard from the General in a few weeks.”

“I wanted to talk about that, I haven’t told anybody this yet,” he replied, this time causing her to her stare to go from bright to cold almost instantaneously. “Liberation touched down in a nearby town not too long ago. Now, try to remain calm.”

“I’m calm.” she said softly. Her blood slowly began to boil while her face started to quiver with a mix of emotions.

“It looks like a stinger mission or something, but I don’t think it’s something to raise alarm,” he started to caress her warm hand with his thumbs, barely getting a reaction from her. “That being said, this can be bad news if they end up getting a stronghold there.”

“Then just blow it up.”

“Easier said than done. Do you know how hard it was trying to come up with something for the last village,” he started to carry on, “and the ones before that, and the others.”

“That’s enough.” She cut him off and started to think of the many operations prior to Rei’s village.

It had taken them so long to find the Cosmo Cradle. The existence of it on the planet was something she had speculated for years. Upon finally discovering it, it had been a scramble to try and get the resources to assemble the team to research it.

“I can make a story for it, it wouldn’t be difficult,” Koji started again. “There’s always a story, but I worry that the Premiere might go off the rails and try a purge someday.”

“That story never changes.” Melora returned, this time pulling her hands away and trailing back to the computer. The Premiere in his old age was starting to become more unpredictable, as Koji was always quick to remind her.

“Is this Cradle really going to offer us what you’ve been looking for?”

“You should know better than to question my methods, I’ve gotten us this far,” she did not turn her focus from the screen and barely kept him in the corner of her eye. “It’s power beyond infinity. Whenever we harness it, we can change the world. We can do anything.”

The Cosmo Cradle was an anomaly that had appeared on the planet. Such an anomaly was not something man made. Melora had known that humans for the most part contained some ability to tap into the Deep, but everybody was limited. So much energy from the source could be exerted before the user would reach their limit. While tapping into it herself, she could always feel her body becoming fatigued. She had been clear that raw emotions allowed the body to act like a bridge, but the Cradle was something far greater.

It was a physical manifestation of that connection, and once she could get access to it, a beyond infinite span of knowledge and power would be at her disposal. She tried to prevent from droning on about the power source. However, her imagination continued to wander as she thought of the hundreds of projects in development that would be completed from harnessing it.

“Sometimes I think the Premiere thinks about what we are building,” Koji started to speak again. “He thinks of it like some demon we might summon and not be able to seal away.”

A Demon, she thought to herself. Hearing it had stroked her megalomaniacal ego, making her smile before finally replying with laugh, “I never thought of him as the spiritual type.”

“No, he’s not,” Koji laughed. “I just wanted to come here and tell you what was happening in Nippon. We already have fears of the O.W.O. and Liberation making more moves.”

“I’ll handle it. Now, excuse me, I do have some extra work I need to finish.”

The town of Aiga was much larger than Nojiri. Since the G.E.I. had landed in the town, there had been unrest over the presence of the new arrivals. Everything from the supply lines moving south to Nojiri to the regular movement of the ports had been interrupted. Life in the town itself although off kilter remained much the same. The bustling harbor had been filled with foot traffic, boats out in the ocean bobbing with their nets. With the winter months nearing an end, the seagulls and other creatures had been absent from the atmosphere.

Moving inward, the town had been filled with many landmarks and houses. They lead up towards the base of a colossal mountain range that had dominated the landscape. At the base, the Alferov Research Facility—nearing completion with a new reactor—had carved out a piece of the town. The network of trails leading from the town towards the mountain had been cut off, removing all traffic heading south.

The mountains themselves had curved inward, pointy like a set of claws rising from the ground. They lead inwards towards the mesmerizing spectacle in the center—the Cosmo Cradle. As one ascends the mountain, the air seems to become charged with energy while the distant sounds of the seas fade away. The Cradle itself was a surreal sight—a massive orb of black energy crackling with vibrant blue bolts of lightning. As it hovers mysteriously in the center of the stone giants, rocks of varying sizes continue to orbit it like celestial bodies.

The people of Aiga and those nearby had always spoken of it as a source of power—some even calling it the center of the universe. It is unknown what created it or how it arrived on the planet. There had been some distress among the townsfolk as such a site had been considered a holy ground. Since the arrival of the G.E.I. the rituals and other festivals at the base of the mountains had come to a halt. The contrast of the serene oceanic setting and the awe-inspiring spectacle of the Cosmo Cradle had created a unique atmosphere for the town.

Vic had been far away from the Cradle and near a new Headquarters that had been set up far from the base and the reactor. Ever since the troops had set down, enhanced troops and those with implants had found it difficult to go near the vicinity. There was something ominous about the Cradle that had caused a reaction with those units.

When he first arrived, he felt tremendous pain trying to go near it. Many of the enhanced troops just like him reported similar issues, with some becoming hospitalized. This alone had put a strain on the efforts and only caused further setbacks. It had felt as if the Cradle itself had been challenging them, but Vic had accepted the struggle. He knew that Melora would be expecting them to complete the reactor to draw its energy any day now.

Every morning he stared in awe at the enigma, overseeing the construction of the Alferov and the reactor. He had not been sure if such a machine would be able to harness the energy. Regardless, his orders were to ensure it was completed until he was called elsewhere. The Alferov Research Facility resembled an otherworldly structure, elevated off the ground while the reactor lay beneath it. A large set of metal rings trailed up through the jagged mountains, leading towards the base of the Cradle.

It was nearing noon and he had found himself sitting in wait in his office. The small area had been furnished with a monitor, a small desk, and some small fold out vinyl chairs. It had been set in the inside of an old tavern that had since been commandeered by the G.E.I. troops. He had been made aware of the presence of Liberation and had been expecting them to strike in the future. Since the night before, many of the troops and nearby outposts had been on high alert. The monitor on his desk had already been lit up with a message displaying “waiting” as the hub next to it tried connecting to the network on the Litvyak.

Any moment now, Melora would pop up on the other end expecting a report. As he let the machine load, he glanced past the curtain to see a shadow being cast on the other side. Just outside the office, Megumi had been sitting on a bench waiting to see him. Her performance over the week had been in a steady decline. Every waking moment was spent thinking of the carnage at the village. She had initially thought she was prepared for the new world but seeing the destruction and the pile of bodies had made her feel disheveled.

“Good evening, General.” Melora’s voice spoke through the monitor.

It had barely been audible from the outside, but Megumi could make out her voice just enough to feel some stress. She could hear Vic speaking loud and clearly enough to know that they were discussing the current situation brewing. After a few minutes, she had heard her name come up.

“She’s coming around,” Vic said aloud, getting Megumi’s attention again. He continued for a moment, breaking the connection with Melora before turning back to the curtains. “Come in, I was not expecting her to call this early.”

Megumi stood up and walked in through the doorway, keeping her head up as she laid eyes on Vic. The inside of his office had been wiped down prior, but the wood on the furnishings had a dull finish after decades of use.

“Reporting,” Megumi said, stuttering and forgetting her name and rank. The sudden outburst caused Vic to raise his hand to her and prompt her to sit at the fold out chair.

“Just sit down and pretend I’m not the general for once,” Vic ordered. His eyes had been fixated on her as she started to walk towards him. After taking a seat, he reached into his pocket for his tube of pyrazine. She refrained from speaking up and instead held her tongue as he removed a capsule. “What am I supposed to do? Pretend to be me for a moment.”

“I’m sorry.” She muttered.

“The Delta project has been delayed because of your performance. Did the village break you? Did you think a war zone was going to be just like the schoolhouse or a day at the L-District?”

The scenario started to play in her head like a haunting refrain. Tension had thickened in the air. The harsh reality of the situation clashed with the cherished memories of a loving parent who had instilled in her a sense of duty and honor. Reconciliation after seeing his actions had seemed daunting seeing the attack he had ordered. Everything she had once believed had since been violated by horror.

“Talk to me,” Vic urged again, this time with concern etched across his face. Megumi hesitated for just a moment as she tried to find the words he wanted to hear. She peered towards him again and watched him place one of the capsules under his tongue before continuing, “Believe me when I say that what we did was justified.”

She knew that she could not remain silent about what had occurred, but more disturbing was trying to wonder who to speak to. Everybody in the G.E.I. was just as blood thirsty as him. While the feeling of being isolated settled in, she started to nod back to him, barely appearing coherent.

“I won’t be able to watch you for this entire deployment,” he sighed as he started to address her. “You need to report south to Nojiri. There’s a Mobile Carrier crew to post up with, consider yourself lucky. Anybody else in your shoes would have been de-processed.”

He turned away from her, showing a somber expression upon seeing her become unresponsive. Once again, he sighed and continued, “Get your evaluation completed and get it together, ensign.”