As I stood there watching the city continue on peacefully, I couldn’t help but picture the ripples that would soon come from the actions that we took. Already I noticed in the distance how some of the screens had turned from the regular advertisements into ‘emergency’ reports. I couldn’t see what they were playing from where I was, but I could imagine it was along the same lines as what Emy was flicking through by my desk.
When I heard my name being mentioned in a whisper between her and Michael, I slowly made my way over. Sweet little Emy seemed rather focused on her conversation that she didn’t even seem to realize I was now standing next to her.
“-ut the children, we didn’t need to attack the school, target the hospital or have the dragons lead through the residential area.” I heard her say and couldn’t hold back a sigh.
“Those were not actions I condone or wanted,” I began as I rested a hand on her shoulder. The way she seemed to flinch and slightly jump at the touch showed me how deeply this affected her. “The attack on the school and hospital were not actions I wanted to have happen or ordered. You were right here with me, Emy. You saw neither me nor Michael ordered such actions.”
“He’s right, and I wouldn’t have let him if he tried. I don’t exactly know how, but I would have stopped him if he tried to make that order. I can even tell by the annoyed look on his face he doesn’t like it, but I would stop you, old man, regardless if it would cost me my job or not. As much as I hate the church and wouldn’t give a damn if their babies burnt in plasma fire or drowned in acidic water, I do still care about the innocent people, those who are uninvolved and just got roped into things.” Michael said from the hologram, his words a mix of soft and sharp when needed, something I felt a mild level of pride in. There was the backbone I needed in those around me.
“The news feeds, the videos making their rounds, the comments and reports. The news feeds are censored, but people are posting it everywhere so everyone already knows what happened, what is happening. For god’s sake there’s videos of looting, those ore dragons trampling through the residential area built by the factory for the workers’ families, of them destroying everything in their path. I watched a video of a nursery school being destroyed a moment ago and it shows a dragon church priest leading and reveling in the blood! There’s even reports and videos of people raping and murdering… How can you justify this?” She half asked, half demanded, her eyes filled with tears as she looked between us.
I couldn’t hold back the scowl as I bent down, using my cane as support to look at the videos she had just mentioned, actively searching and bringing them up one after another. Each point she brought up being shown in full clarity, far too clean and smooth, making my scowl deepen. “Michael! Explain this to me?” I all but ordered as I turned to look at his hologram.
“It’s to stir up even further chaos. I took the footage of the operation from the start, edited in real time before uploading the altered and edited works all over the network. A simple attack could have been explained away as some fanatics. People wouldn’t have liked it but they would accept it because it would have just been some death and destruction. By adding an emotional element though? Making it seem like their own people raped and targeted the young? That ensures people won’t care to listen to their excuses.” He told us coldly, and I couldn’t help but find myself agreeing with him. Emy’s reaction was more than proof of that.
“So, it’s fake? We didn’t actively target children? It, it was just those in the wrong place at the wrong time? The feed we saw of the school attack and of the dragon horde we unleashed led by our own didn’t actively go for children and nurseries?” She asked softly, her voice a mix of fear and slowly growing anger, no doubt feeling like she was being played. “You edited even our feeds to make it easier to make them seem real?”
Michael didn’t say anything at first, only flinching slightly as he looked away. “It was real. The footage I edited and tweaked mostly involved small changes here and there or overlaying and embedding actual footage of their members raping innocents, the stuff I managed to save before it was scrubbed by those who monitor the network. A majority was taken from the network’s black zones. I took that footage and overlaid it with the chaos, splicing it into the background or various other places in the footage to make it harder to notice and because if it does get noticed, if people call the video ‘edited’ they still won’t be able to deny the rape parts. It’s something inserted into the video so it had to have come from somewhere. It ensures they either take the blow the video causes or call out the edits and still need to explain where the video of their members raping others came from and why it hasn’t been mentioned before.” He told us softly and quietly.
“Michael, you didn’t say anything about the scene with the dragons,” Emy finally said.
“Because that did happen, is happening! Ugh, that damn Leviathan the old man’s got a hard-on for? It screwed with our dragons, a counter attack maybe? A ‘you struck our young at the beginning now I will have the same done to you’ type of thing? I don’t know what happened there, Emy! It got control and steered them to go for the kids! Even with security, police and even a few military personal on site attacking them they ignored it all and went for the children! Even the dragon church people joined in, screaming that ‘the dragon desires a cleanse’ or some other nonsense like that. All I could do was use that to fuel the growing fire.” He finally said. It made me sigh and gently nudge her, making her stand as I eased myself back into my chair.
“It was a taunt; he did it to show he can still counter anything we do or twist our own against us. No doubt reveling in the blood and slaughter, falling to the temptation of killing humans without realizing or possibly not caring about what would come of it,” I eventually said while scrolling through feeds.
“Isn’t that a bit of a stretch, old man? I mean maybe it took control of the one but you really think it would go that far and risk itself like that?” Michael asked with clear doubt.
“No, I am sure of it! It was either overconfidence or self-assurance. He clearly played a large part in the attack. It played to our benefit in the end though,” I told him calmly.
“We did this though, even if he didn’t kill children that blood is on us,” Emy said softly, a fresh set of tears spilling from her eyes as she now held herself. “Are we really doing the right thing?”
I couldn’t help but sigh. I really did think she would be stronger than this but regardless I pressed on. “Yes, we started it but that blood is not on our hands, perhaps a few children but the majority is due to that damn Leviathan and the church that chose to follow him,” I said softly, doing what I could to ignore the screams of ‘hypocrite’, ‘monster’ and ‘blood traitor’ all roaring and bouncing within my mind.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“Well, this is interesting. Turn to the business network. It seems Antwon Korr is giving a speech about what happened and it’s not just him. It seems your old friend Christopher Alexi is also on the call representing Ether Energy and there’s Agatha Chen talking for both the church and Bio-Pharma. Huh, did you know she’s a key shareholder of theirs? And according to the records I’m digging through seems to be a shadow supporter of the church. It would explain why she’s acting as a mediator.” I couldn’t help but grow angry at that.
It was something I should have seen. Her faction within the council all but pointed at such a path, her drivel about the Leviathan being a possible end to our curse, her subtle remarks and actions over the cycles. Perhaps I didn’t want to see it, didn’t want to believe that my oldest, most trusted friend in the past would have knowingly and willingly join hands with our greatest enemy?
Regardless I turned to the business stream, watching as Antwon ranted and raged about the attack on Vega, of not only the loss of life but the loss of materials and the impact it would have, how he demanded not just action but reparations for this insult. Admittedly I was confused on why Christopher was in this meeting. Ether Energy had no stake in this matter, no relation besides a few planets in the area being where they constructed the energy generators for other planets. Their electric dragons weren’t even bred anywhere near Vega.
“We are looking into this matter as we speak but this had no relation to the church. It is clear someone is attempting to frame them and us. We keep a close eye on the weapons we create and those used in this horrendous attack were not made by us and if, by some unfathomably small chance they were then they were no doubt stolen. Nothing but further proof someone is attempting to shatter the peace and order we have worked so hard to maintain,” Agatha said clearly. She wasn’t entirely wrong. Bio-Pharma was the main creator and supplier of bio-weapons along with holding a monopoly on medication and medical drugs. The weapons used were taken from a group of bandits we wiped out a few months ago, outfitted by Bio-Pharma along with clear payment and a document ordering them to let loose a disease onto a small colony planet, at least that’s what Michael told me at the time and it made sense. Spread a disease, let it spread and then market the ‘cure’ or special medication that was ‘developed’ to counter it, acting as the saviors while those who pointed at them being the ones to start it were called paranoid.
“The fact various priests and other followers are celebrating the attack and calling it the ‘awakening of the dragons’ isn’t exactly helping her case in trying to defend the church,” I said, flicking through various feeds on the side where clips of the followers played.
“We at Ether Energy are appalled by the attack. We know Vulkan has suffered heavily due to this attack, that this atrocity was allowed to happen and caused a rift to form between our solid foundation. I actually wish our fellow founder members could have representatives here though with us. Alas Nexus Veil Corporation is working all their people overtime to spread this and get the actual facts in place and to figure out what really happened as they scan over every bit of footage as the chair members oversee them and even try to help and OmniForge Consumer Collective had their own meeting planned, a few chair people needing to be replaced due to corruption which is quite the shame but really is for the best. We can’t allow people to buy low quality or risky products for their daily needs,” Christopher said with hints of sympathy I knew was fake. “Why are you there though?” I couldn’t help but whisper.
“And yet here you are stirring the proverbial pot! It’s no secret you and Agatha and quite a few other big wigs all mingle together. Are you here to try and stand with her then? Cow me into accepting whatever half-ass apology she gives and take whatever pitiful compensation the church gives?” I was actually taken aback at that slightly but couldn’t keep the smile off my face. Antwon wasn’t allowing them breathing room. The attack was meant to be a staging point and while it would hurt Vulkan it wasn’t as if they didn’t have other planets for ores. It was just Vega was both the easiest target and most impactful. I didn’t want to destroy the entire market, at least not just yet. That was a last resort I didn’t want to do unless I had to.
“No no, nothing of the sort. I joined this broadcasted conversation to tell you that we, Ether Energy will be fully compensating you for your losses Mr. Korr, along with the families affected by this travesty. We cannot allow our unity to be broken by such a small event. A group of fanatics and savages will not break us or our five-point company coalition,” Christopher said. His words made me realize his angle. He was trying to act both as a peace maker but also make himself and his company out to be the good ones. No doubt their stock would rise from this stunt.
“Well, that will work. People are already getting behind him and calling for ‘forgiveness’ and the like, calling him kind hearted and praising him, but he made a small mistake I will be playing off of, and we will need to plan another attack, this time hitting one of Ether Energy’s planets. I’m already planning it out now but it would be best if we give it a day or two before we do. It will give our guys some time to re-equip and get into position,” Michael said, making us turn to look at him.
“I, I need some air, please excuse me,” Emy said softly, looking one more time at one of the open screens showing scenes of the attack, how a few of the dragons were still rampaging as others were killed or subdued mixed in with short clips of the attack itself. She quickly turned away and left the room when it played a small clip of a family being trampled, the mother holding her children and trying to shield them only for them all to be killed by the dragon in fury.
“Sigh, I don’t like how this is affecting Emy. Maybe we should have her just manage the more administrative side of things along with people and your personal matters rather than involving her in the… rougher side of things?” Michael said, his gaze on a separate screen.
“I will consider it. It’s clear what we are doing is affecting her but sacrifices must be made for true unity to be reached. Now you mentioned Christopher making a mistake. Knowing you that would imply you’re already putting a stake through the cracks you found,” I replied steadily.
“He called it a ‘small event’ so I’m making it seem like he’s downplaying the event and creating outrage and he also called the attackers ‘a group of fanatics and savages’ which I’m twisting a bit with some creative liberties to make it seem like he’s hinting at it being the church’s people since they are often seen as fanatics but also stirring them up and making their more extreme members take it as an insult. It makes our next attack more impactful though. Hitting an Ether Energy planet would be seen as retaliation and leaving traces of Bio-Pharma there would finally ignite a war. Antwon is clearly looking for a reason. People would also be out for blood. We have some documents and the like we got from some raiders a while back that we can plant. A bit of editing and it would be perfect for a frame job,” he told me calmly but with a hint of eagerness like a kid on Christmas.
“Do it, but we will need to rope the others into this somehow,” I said steadily only to be waved off.
“Vulkan will jump at the chance for expansion under the pretense of defending their partner. OmniForge will side with Bio-Pharma since they have little choice. They rely on their supply of dragon parts and biological materials for most of their own goods. They rely a bit more on them than Vulkan since they have gone a more biological path over the last couple years. I’m sure they will also tip their hand and show some of their special toys they’ve been secretly working on. Nexus will try to stay neutral but fund all sides, their own interests and nature of their company allowing it unfortunately but it would still be workable. Ether Energy though would want to side with Bio-Pharma rather than Vulkan. My various projections tell me Christopher would think they’re the winning side as the Dragon Church would also be on that side, the planted evidence too strong to argue against it and trick him into thinking they’re stronger than they are but they’re too close to Vulkan to do so. Once things kick off though we could plant some evidence or leak something to make it out as if Ether is helping Bio. But for now, let’s stage the attack on Ether. It’s the final push now old man, so I want to make sure you want to do this. It’s our last chance to turn back,” Michael asked me with utmost seriousness.
I hesitated for a moment, even the voices went silent as if wanting to know if I would go through with my plan that would no doubt cost countless lives. My gaze turned to the screen showing the dragon’s slaughter. It made me realize what would happen if I didn’t stop the Leviathan and then I looked at the various acts of looting, rape and murder. Some of it was added in but they were real events performed to innocents, by people who worshiped the damn beast.
“Plan it out, inform those who need to be informed and ensure that it will hurt and be the wind to turn the ember into a flame but that it won’t be irreparable. For it to look far worse than what it will really be,” I eventually said. “I’ll get right on it. I’ll also work with Blue to try and find a way to keep Leviathan from controlling the dragons there. Maybe find a way to boost Blue to counter his control?” He told me, the last part clearly more to himself than to me, making me nod slowly.
In the coming days things would change without question. The ripples we had just created will be spreading out into massive waves soon.
