Project Prometheus, Addendum Log #15
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After the failure that resulted in the loss of both the holder and the "Homunculus". We've been put back for an estimation of 2 years, in other news the documents and testing logs, as well as the data that had confirmed the process of [Nutrition/Humanization] had been discarded or stolen from a group known as C.O.M.E.T.
Further investigation to the connection of the Holder as well as C.O.M.E.T will be conducted for the time being, reputable sources hint that the information lays hidden in the northeastern hemisphere. Higher command has secured the rumored location for the time being in hopes to find the remaining members. in the meantime, hopes for replicating the technology lost, as well as the new vessel for the projects goals has been halted until further notice.
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-Shadow's Blindsight, Siberia-
"Really Hoping we don't need to fight any of those assassins right now." A rookie said to his superior, he knew that when the time would come. all they had to do was book it before any conflict would arise.
"Don't go pissing off anybody while this goes on, you'll be fine if you just keep your mouth shut like always." The superior already knew there was some kind of danger that would come to bite them in the ass. however, it was just going to be like any other job.
More soldiers occupied the armored vehicle they were in, none of them even uttered a peep while the two started to bicker. it seemed that they were the only ones allowed to even craft a sentence.
"All right, we're here!" the driver affirmed this as all the soldiers inside began to drop out of the vehicle into the harsh conditions of the tundra. the wind blows with the force of a hurricane, the sensation of burning pierced through their cloth, the frost being so potent that it felt like acid or needles prickling the very skin.
"It seems they increased the potency of the area's temperature?" The man was unsure if that was the case. knowing that mercenaries like this take time with their defenses.
before they could even start moving forwards a scout signaled the location of the bunker.
"Seemed that others had been here before to make the job easier" The commanding officer thought, ordering the other soldiers to move out towards the signal. each soldier took caution while moving. but it felt too easy, the silence could surprise even the most high-end veterans with how misleading the next move of the enemy could be.
"We've got to get moving sir, it seems off for now, but I would think these guys are just toying with us, knowing them." The commanding officer knew this would be perfect. exploiting their own mockery of the assault would prove lethal enough to cause the demise of those two tongue bastards.
The officer moved to his squad as they prepared charges on a bunker withered with age. the very door seemed weak enough that even a light explosive would break the supposed "Iron Clad" defense.
BOOM!
In that moment they rushed in.
In that moment, they fired in the air, a single warning worthy of the mercenaries.
In that moment, the prepared for the worst.
as then, they saw. that nothing awaited them.
There lied the assassins surrounding a table, each one in a different position, nay, different state of being than what was considered the norm. mangled and twisted, bones piercing the very flesh to be shown to the whole wide world.
The officer and his squad weren't shaken, but there was a sense of unease that would put the average man into a coma if not taken with care. some of the soldiers went to investigate other parts of the room to find anything they could. the commander looked at the state of the corpses to find they had completely decayed. even a slight touch would be akin to touching porcelain.
"I'm wondering how figures like this, got their asses handed to like that?" His second in command said, as the commander turned around to answer.
"Must've been a falling out, or otherwise somebody else had gotten here before hand. DAMN I-" before the officer could finish his frustration. another soldier shouted that they had found most of the documents.
The two approached the group of soldiers to find that they were in pristine condition, each one wasn't harmed with char or even scratches, even the fingerprints that were supposedly there vanished. it was taboo to open the documents themselves, but they knew that no pages were torn and even decaying for that matter.
"The hell? it's been two years and those bastards didn't do anything with this research?" The whole situation felt occult, but none-the-less they got what they were looking for. the officer and his squad had left the bunker.
"We got to review this with the Higher-Ups." The man thought, knowing this wasn't the end.
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Project Prometheus, V.C Log #02
After reviewing the documents, as well as the methods akin to replicating the human body using the bio-matter of the branches. we've coordinated a team to impose these methods to continue the course of the project, the end-goal is to create a "Host". this will be the groundwork for advancements in medical infrastructure and technology.
The vessel is to be made "disposable" but with the recent news of the branches being able to hold beings into chrono statis, it could be used to import organic material inside for a later date. which will be the basis for the end goal of the project. in due time we've made advancements in the manipulation of cognitive science.
We believe it would effectively create new beings or preserve the lives of former patients in a new body. therefor eliminating the inevitable death of the subject by giving them a "Vessel". The mass production of these so called "Vessels" will be underway when we come to understand the limitations of the mind and body.
That is all for now.
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-Promethean Front, Yggdrasil Labs-
"The vessel is ready, preparing for the extraction of signals from donors now." A scientist prepared the machine while affirming the sponsors for this project that the beginning of a new dawn was starting.
They all stood behind reinforced glass. as a homunculus was held in what seemed to be an electric chair, the machine covered its face completely. more akin to an execution than an experiment the vessel wasn't able to move. the employees prepared the machines by entering the sequences needed. the others unveiled the many donors, deceased but in pristine condition. all being kept fresh from coolant.
Then all it took was a single press of a button to start the extraction. the sponsors then saw electrical surges pass through wires leading towards the vessels, everybody was silent, not in fear. but utter fascination of the process. however, due to the very essence of the brain being ripped out of the donors. the bodies had decayed completely.
entering the vessel, all would be free in a world without hardships, for the time being they would be safe.
the sponsors took notice and whispered about the accomplishment as soon as the room went dark. the process was then complete. as the vessel got up.
At the end of it all, all of what could be heard behind the chambers was cheers.
all of what could be heard behind the glass, was screams.
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Project Prometheus, V.C Log #03
The vessel had been maintained after it had assaulted the employees inside of the holding chamber, it seemed to suffer from excessive psychosis, it was tranquilized immediately after and put into the medical bay, from there anti-psychotics and scheduled mental stabilizers will be administered into the vessel.
The amount of essence put into the vessel was the exact limit that we'd expect for future vessels that are to be made. they will be labeled as "Scapegoats". used for the soul purpose of extraction for subjects of higher status or knowledge.
The risk shown however, could outweigh the benefits. as during the examination of the vessel, some of the signals akin to varied donors had been completely wiped out in the process. meaning more care and harder methods should be acquired to create a healthy vessel
More information will be given out soon to the faculty.
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"THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING!" A Head Researcher of Yggdrasil's Medical Division was shouting at her lesser, it seemed that something ticked her off about the whole process.
"We had to launch the test for the sponsors! if we didn't, they were going to pull our funding!" Her lesser shouted, it seemed to be an anthropomorphic lion.
"I've already told all of my kin, if we launched the beta test for the "vessel" it would prove too unstable for our division to handle, we needed more time!" The woman shouted, she was disappointed at the results but somehow it had exceeded what she expected.
"But... The results did prove to be successful enough for the sponsors to back off, also the higher-ups were commending us for our tribute to their success of Project Prometheus, but we shouldn't let this happen again." the risks were too much of a hassle to think about, the success too fast to even wallow in.
Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.
"Yeah... wait? did you think of the name of the Vessel itself?" The woman's lesser asked, it seemed pointless to give the subject a name, but she decided to budge.
"The subject's name shall be [Gaia]. I don't really know good names for children, especially a young boy like that." it was a moot point, but then something came up.
'Oh shit! I have to take this. make sure to monitor the vessel's condition and create countermeasures if it has any funny ideas." as she left to her superiors
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Project Prometheus, V.C Log #03
Multiple escape attempts were made by subject "Gaia", each one was prevented from faculty or security surrounding the very area, the information from the ones that captured the subject reported strange mumblings and actions that seemed to be a conglomerate of unknown habits.
However, the subject seems to be stabilized for now. being able to read and write, think and adapt to a multitude of situations. this could prove useful until the time for extraction dawns. we expect when he reaches the age of 20, he'll be put into chrono-stasis.
but for now, he will be nurtured with the finest care in order to develop survival skills if the situation needs it.
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The child stood in a room void of life, except for himself. the voices grew louder and louder. each one different from the other. more and more voices kept pouring in. it clouded the very actions and judgement of the child.
But each one had the same idea, the same purpose, the same goal.
Escape.
They cried and screamed for the chance to be back in the bodies they used to prance around in. to see the world at its finest again. but only the child could hear their pleas, their desires and fortunes all shouted at his lobe. it was agony, complete agony.
The child pranced with his own fear of losing the very sanity that was wearing thin inside a chamber of lies, every attempt to silence the voices permanently was prevented. as each voice tried to influence each nook and cranny to keep him in an eternal prison deep enough to drag him away from the world.
Each and every day, people in white coats went to ask him questions and give him strange tablets to ingest. the tablets always made him feel an unnerving, unending tearing in his brain that ached and throbbed with intense pain.
It was to the point where the white coats had faded away completely, as he felt gravity pull him down to the floor.
He'd never utter even a peep; his silence was nothing but his only virtue.
But the words that he would want to yell.
"S-Save T-Them"
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Project Prometheus, Personal Log #1252
That Shit for brain's isn't making this easy at all! The medicine that the staff was giving him is even more of a bust, it was an experimental tablet for god's sake! we're hanging off by a thread here and for Christ's sake, nobody is taking initiative for any of the project's faults.
The creation of more vessels has finally taken place over the course of 4 years, but we haven't advanced anywhere with the management of the Vessel or have created a way to stabilize the transferring of electrical signals towards newer subjects. meaning this will happen again and again!
We knew there was a limit to the number of signals that could be attributed to the human brain, but if we want this to go the way we expect it too, we need to create something that can maintain the signals into the millions.
Praying to God the Division does something to keep this dying ship afloat. That's all for now...
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-15 Years Later-
The child now grown, feels nothing in the way of the world, he figured out his purpose a long time ago. after the supposed project went on without a hitch. he noticed more and more like him scattered around the globe.
He could feel the screams of those trapped inside the vessels that were oblivious to the souls trapped eternally. each one was stronger than the last. but he had to endure as he walked through the chambers of the facility, he lies dormant.
Though throughout this suffering, throughout this pain. he knew today was the day it would all end. the white coats had approached him, telling him to follow. he hesitated, wanted to run. but everything in his body knew it was futile.
He just had to follow; the coats had led him away from the others, into the destiny that was made only for him, only for the treasures hidden in his mind.
The led him to heavens. so, he could crash down to the depths.
They gave him the world, so he could lose the wonders of the globe.
He realized he did nothing with the life he was given.
"A miserable existence" is the phrase others would whisper behind the blind eye, those words fueled every action he took then.
The whitecoats led him out of the facility into an armored vehicle in which they would take him to a "Promised Land". as a child he always wondered what the White coats were talking about. it seemed they wanted to surprise him for all of his efforts to endure, that was a childish way of thinking. but now he already knew the truth. when prompted to leave the vehicle. he would finally see what the promised land was.
They stopped at an excavation site; he knew that they were harvesting material here from some of his escape attempts. he was led closer to the entrance, armed guards pointing their rifles at his back to make sure he didn't get any ideas.
The white coats talked over the silence behind them, the "vessel" could only hear muffled voices from a distance. they planned this all in accordance with the safety of his being of course. no fear was instilled into him; no hatred was supposed to breach out into the world. only acceptance
The gate opened. as he kept walking. he thought about the regrets he had. all to the people in sleeping in his mind. to those who were forced into the mind. he felt like he could've done something to give them a life worth spectating. to those who were willing to donate their minds to him. he felt as if he could've played the fool to entertain them.
as the lights became blinding enough to fade those thoughts away. he saw the gates of heaven.
"God was awaiting him" he thought in his head. he was granted a mercy for his troubles. finally, he would be free.
As he flew into the light.
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"It feels so warm" that's all his mind could focus on, the warmth of the very essence surrounding him caressed his soul into a freedom he never knew existed.
"I feel so safe" Is what came to his mind next, but then everything stopped. the peace it stopped. the world.
It all stopped.
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He awoke, seeing the fresh blue skies of a land of dreams. as he arose to see a world that began to burst with life from the very second, he laced his eyes upon it
He began to tear, his mind finally silenced itself at that moment. he knew nothing of his past, he knew nothing of the voices. all he could remember was that warmth he felt before he arrived.
step after step, brush after brush against the very wet grass that the meadows had brought, breath after breath of the air free from life.
the memories were foggy, clouded by light. but at that point he didn't care.
It was like an infant being born into a world that was never seen from the blind eye, a world exempt from sin. he began to run through the meadows; he wore a trench coat with a black turtleneck. it felt comfortable enough to support his newfound endeavor.
After running a considerable amount throughout the plains, he saw a settlement. it was of a foreign design, yet it felt so familiar, but he just couldn't put his nose on it. as he entered the settlement, he saw a crowd of bustling citizens walking through, in and out they came. some brushed against him, some say their greetings and leave. overall, he was the odd one out of the bunch, the people here wore clothes like him. but acted way more modern than he realized, despite living in something that seemed so primitive.
"Uh? Sir? You seem out of it." A child crossing the road had said the fact out loud.
"O-oh, I was just pondering something important." is all the man could say, it felt more sophisticated than what he would usually say, but yet again he couldn't put his finger on it.
He continued to walk and ponder this new existence, to how they would trade, to how they communicated about daily topics. it was as if discovering something alien for the first time. it was as if the world was motivating him to discover, endorse, and realize the new world order.
As he continued his journey.
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-God Knows Where, Outskirts-
The man continued to jot down new notes about certain subjects he was wondering about after countless journeys. the fact about something called "Energy", The "Continent" in which everyone in the outskirts either despised or hoped to reach.
even the many races and anomalies of the outskirts and said continent made him more eager to figure out the truth behind this world.
but just then. voices began to whisper in his head, he thought he got rid of them through his travels, he didn't know the origin. but he knew they were there from his clouded memories when he arrived. he didn't know the reason, but they gave him this form of "Energy" akin to the stars.
he clutched his hands questioning if he was even a human from this world, it could've been like those comics he collected during his own endeavors in certain shops and libraries. some were poorly made, but those superhero comics always made him question something about the world.
"Guess I've still got a lot to learn." he muttered to himself, but overall, it began to become a moot point if he didn't get any progress done.
"Good morning!" A voice came from across the room; it was more cheerful than anything else. the energy radiated from a single sentence, an energy that would revive the dead with its positivity.
The man sighed, "You know you can't just barge in when I'm jotting"
They were surrounded by books and crafts, maps and notes. it was an office fit for a detective novel, or for royalty for that fact. however, that didn't throw off the girl's mood even in the slightest.
"Wwwwwhat? I was checking in on YOU point dexter" she said in a playful tone, almost verging on mocking. but the man knew this was just another day with her.
"Listen Patricia, I know your daily checkups are supposed to help but when I'm jotting" he set aside his book before he began to point at it.
"I'm jotting"
"Well, Prosper, I think you should've come downstairs to that meeting room you're so proud of! we could've just eaten and discussed your new "Discoveries" as you call them." at this point she was mocking him.
"You ONLY want to do that so I can focus on cooking the food I'VE told you'd make yourself. plus, me doing the dishes has begun tiring if you keep making those excuses." Patricia began to giggle as she left the room, Prosper then sighed as he followed.
From there they went into the meeting room, it was close to the kitchen by counter away. so, it was easy to grab and snatch any kind of meal or snack they wanted while watching some of the news on an old T.V they patched up a while ago.
There sat a golem who looked starved to death. it was as if a zombie had crawled into the very living space.
"F-Food..." is all that husk could say. Patricia was trying to cheer the malnourished golem up as Prosper went into the kitchen to cook a simple meal. after turning on the stove and heating up a pan. he began to crack in 2 eggs and stirred them until they were fully mixed with the yolk.
when they became solidified, he flipped the combined yolk, begging to add toppings as the center was meshing in with them. after adding cheese.
"Here you go." he pressed the plate on the meeting room table as the golem feasted upon it as quickly as she could.
'T-HANK YOU!" she exclaimed as she sighed in relief. Patricia just grabbed an apple from the kitchen counter and began to munch.
"Now! with that problem settled, we need to discuss about a certain target that appeared from the epicenter of the outskirts." The duo looked confused as prosper sat down to get down to business.
"Recently, there have been some reports of a figure wandering in center settlements for supplies, though we haven't gotten an accurate description about the targets face or features, mainly because all of the questions lead up to the answers revolve around a black cloak." The duo understood that this was a possible recruit, however thought back to the earlier recruits that had to leave due to "unknown circumstances".
"So? got the idea of how we might find him?" Patricia asked, Prosper was ready to explain. taking out a map and drawing lines from the recent sitings he heard of from bystanders in those areas
"If we track the locations he's recently been to, he's only been going to places where free handouts are given to refugees from the outskirts wastelands. so, he should just be going to the next prime settlement with supplies on deck, that being the [Silver-Maiden Oasis]" as he began to draw a circle around the location.
"You sure he won't just hightail it out of there quicker than we can catch him?" The golem wondered.
"Well, Porcel, we do know how fast you can catch randoms if they piss you off" Patricia said to the wary golem, she knew that golem didn't pass up a chance to doubt her abilities, so it was odd she thought it out with caution.
"What? can't a girl try and think things through for once?" Porcel said, As Prosper Chuckled.
"Don't mind her, as long as we perform things right, we should be able to get this newcomer on our side." Prosper knew this would be an advantage towards his crew.
"No-one comes here willingly, we'll just let fate decide what happens next"
As they began to head out.
