Edward Zhane was seated by his console in his cabin onboard the Exodus Carrier, he had finally gotten access to those documents deemed 'classified' if the word existed in The Virulian Enclave, his predecessor had according to these files been the one responsible for almost half of the projects that had been abandoned by the Enclave, or at least by the council.
He had only heard rumors and seen fractured pieces of the documents involved with the past actions of the Enclave, he had heard of experiments conducted upon unwilling and willing subjects during 50 or so years, attempting to fully, well, at least according to the information he gathered, combine machine with man.. Without the use of implants or the nanites that the Creator had given the Virulians..
A slight smile appeared on his lips, and he mumbled a prayer as he saw exactly what had been attempted..
--A few weeks later--
Onboard the 'Votum', the EDF's only Artificial Construct Cruiser, commanded by Brigadeer Rikard Malthorn, an outsider much like Zhane, but has spent his life in service of the creator, from the age of 5 he was taken in by the Virulians, after a freak accident where in the Transport he and his family was on got hit by an meteoroid, he was one of the 3 survivors. A Virulian freighter took in the survivors, Rikard was alone, but the captain of the ship took him in and gave him a purpose.
After that Rikard dedicated his life for the security of the Enclave and he shortly became one of the top security officers of the Corporis caste, he know belongs to the inner circle of the Enclave defense force.
Zhane had arrived on board the cruiser a day ago, without a previous communication, all he has said when greeted in the landing hold was that he needed another place where he could work alone.
Zhane had as soon as he gotten on board ordered the Brigadeer to begin to haul certain equipment to one small outpost outside the Colony on Canaria, he had after that spent his days on the Observation deck observing the hauling of equipment to and from the outpost.
"There has been commotion in the temple lately my Lord.." said the EDF officer.
"I understand.. And what exactly was the commotion about?" said Zhane with a hint of annoyance
"I am.. Not sure, the Animus keeps their secrets to themselves.."
"Very well marshall, return to your post.. And try to find out more if you can, without raising suspicion.. Understood?"
The officer shivered, then bowed his head and said
"Yes.. My lord Zhane.."
The officer quickly left the observation deck, as Zhane opened the image he was viewing before he was disturbed, an image of a war ravaged Leeds..
Something about the war with Kusari disturbed him, he had bad feelings of the course of the war.. With the recent activities against Zoner forces in the omicrons he felt that with the Bretonian-Kusari war, soon enough Canaria will become even more dangerous then before.
He also knew that no matter what he and the Corporis would defend the rest of the Enclave, no matter the cost..
Hence why he had to work in secrecy, none of the Animus was to know, the Patriarch he was sure knew something was up. But ever since the signal of the Third voice had been discovered he had hid in the lower levels of the Temple on Canaria.. He was probably deep in prayer and asking for guidance..
Zhane smiled..
Ever since he had decided to re-open the hidden philosophies of the Enclave, he had been walking a thin line, but while in power he had gathered enough people to hold power even if he was expelled from the council, but then again, he had been the one that had contact with the Zoners, been the committee member, something he had planned to step down from, in order to fully concentrate on the matters at hand.
He had without a moments notice sent a communique to the bridge of his departure to the surface, Zhane had to go down and oversee the preparations.
The shuttle lifted from the hangar deck and exited into the atmosphere of Canaria, he sat reading a small note pad filled with the creators language, he could read it, but.. It was difficult..
He shook his head and put the pad back into his bag, he looked outside the window to see mountain ranges spread out before him, it was a fantastic sigh..
As night crept up on him, they closed in on the Outpost, it was small but lay close to the side of the mountain which meant they could build inward without fear of it being detected.
As the craft came in for landing he stood up, there where at least 20 soldiers guarding the outpost, 5 manning the sensors and communications disk. He smiled while he exited the shuttle.
Beautiful meadows, a shining warm sun bathing him as he lay there looking up at the blue sky as the clouds flew by, Jack was sure this wasn't a dream.. Nothing could feel this real.. Witho-
The door got slammed open.
"Jack! JACK! Wake up"
A pair of strong hands grabbed him by the shirt, he opened his eyes and looked around the room, Sentry Collins stood there in front of him, Jack had known George for 10 years, ever since he got accepted into the EDF.
George never overreacted, what ever was happening, it was big.
They had been stationed here at Outpost 13 a month ago, they where only soldiers, given the fact both where outsiders it had little difference in the Enclave. There where Virulian Born, allot of them just as normal as himself or George.
It had been a day since the order had came that the underground bunker was to be used by the Overlord himself, himself and George where the only two soldiers left out of the original 25, the other ones on duty where replacements from the Exodus.
George threw him his armor
"Quickly get dressed! The overlord's shuttle just landed!"
Jack's eyes opened widely, he couldn't believe it, the mythical Overlord Zhane was here, now?! While he was in his t-shirt and underwear.
He quickly got into his armor, without even thinking of putting on the uniform one is supposed to war underneath so that the skin doesn't get scraped against the armor.
Jack and George ran outside the barracks, where they slept, as they came closer to the exit they slowed down and started to walk slowly.
George opened the door to the outside, with a -whoosh- the door opened into the side, there he was, wearing a big leather-coat and being escorted by the few EDF soldiers..
Jack and George stood in attention as Zhane walked by, he nodded at each of the soldiers...
'Such good soldiers, it's a good thing that they are here.. I will need.. test subjects..'
Thought Zhane as he walked past two EDF soldiers...
There where two entrances to the underground bunker and facility hidden underneath, one was the entrance to the Armory and the other to the reactor and laboratory itself.
Zhane was escorted to the second one, no one was actively guarding it, since it wouldn't matter, the entrance itself could withstand an bombardment from space and a direct assault. None would be able to gain access without the codes that changed daily, by Zhane's orders.
Grand Marshall Methiz was guiding the Overlord into the base structure to the entrance, he was a man in his later 30's, had an ocular implant with an eye piece. Confidence oozed from the soldier, as he walked 6.4 feet tall.
"Sir, if I can say so myself, the facility is a splendor of Virulian engineering, and the Security we have in place would make the Exodus seam.. Inadequate."
He smiled at Zhane, and Zhane nodded back..
"Very good Grand Marshall, tell me.. Have the Doctor found any possible assistants for the Project?"
Methiz looked at the overlord for a moment, then continued to walk with him..
"Yes sir, he has.. Unfortunately they haven't arrived yet, but he made it clear that they would within the week."
Zhane nodded at Methiz, a minute later they arrived at the huge airlock to the lift that would carry them down 200 feet into the surface of the Planet, and into the facility originally created for weapon research.
Zhane walked up to the door's pad and entered his code, put his hand into a rectangular slot underneath the pad, as the device took a sample of his blood.
A device from the roof scanned the Overlord, the Grand marshall and the other EDF soldiers behind them..
All of them went trough the process (save the entering of the code) and a couple of minutes later, the doors opened without a creak..
They walked into the lift, and ventured down into the underground facility.
Doctor Kathal sat at his desk in one of the labs, he had been studying the exerts of the database for a week now, and he had been trying to understand the underlying principles of the Project, so far all he had determined was that the old council had banned the 'Philosophy' as they called it, because it had taken the lives of several subjects.
According to one log, it seamed to have been an alteration with the injection, in which the subject mutated extremely fast, the subject became violent and killed three of the technicians and a guard before he was shot dead. The normal stun weapons had no affect on the man, so the use of lethal force was needed.
The subject had been injected with a strange nanite compound mixed with biological qualities..
Kathal scratched his head as he walked to the dispenser to get another cup of coffee when the monitor to his left activated, showing how 4 people where on their way down, one of which seamed to be the Overlord himself..
The elevator halted after 5 minutes in the lift.. The lift took it's time, something he intended to take up with the good doctor when he saw him.
The elevator doors opened softly and he saw that the base, even if constructed in a few months had been furnished and worked on in detail, it was well made and could compare to the Exodus in design. At least it's interior.
First thing visible was a giant area, in which bottom lay the reactor core for the base, enough to power this bunker for the next decade or more.
Zhane and the others moved down towards the next level, a staircase carried them to another section, only named: Tempus, a word that the doctor had devised fitting for the situation.
Kathal walked out trough the door of his lab and into the reactor area, where the guests where waiting, he was smiling.. He was very satisfied over that Zhane was here himself.
To be able to show the man himself, the work he will begin on soon.. He laughed to himself, and silently he began to construct a plan on how to make the project work..
The original plan was.. Frail and would not work..
He would
The doors opened and there he stood.. Zhane..
"Tempus dear doctor?"
Zhane grinned at him..
"Tempus.. Dear overlord.."
Kathal ivited the man in..
"You others can wait outside.."
Zhane nodded at the EDF soldiers and followed the doctor inside.
"I have.. Most I need now.. Except the assistants.. And the.. Well, subject.. "
Kathal motioned to a array of equipment and a weird chamber..
Zhane nodded at the EDF soldiers and followed the doctor inside.
"So tell me, what else is there you need? And can you please explain in detail what it is you plan to do?"
"To be honest.. Sir.. The details are sketchy.. But I do have an idea.. But I will have a final detailed report on what I intend to do.. By the end of the week.."
Kathal walked over to a table with two chairs, he takes a seat.
Zhane took a seat and began to talk with the Doctor, where he gave the Overlord, a sketchy idea.. But, nonetheless a brilliant one..
Zhane had left the outpost to prepare something special, almost 5 days ago, he had spent 2 nights in the base only wanting to learn the plan Kathal had been preparing for a week.. It was to become a ground breaking moment for the Corporis, the union of the Creator's children and a Virulian.. A perfect union..
The shuttle had landed the day before it's scheduled arrival, with the doctors and engineers needed to complete the project.
2 of who'm belonged to the Corporis caste, and 1 who once where amongst the Vicar's of the Animus, there where others, others not worth mentioning.. Engineers and professors, doctors and exobiologists, all needed for the task at hand.
Kathal had kept the new 'assistants' as he liked to call them, working overtime getting to know the plan and the project.
He was seated at his desk reading up on the three main 'assistants' and their talents.
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Professor Alexander Rechenkov
58 years old
26 years spent within the enclave
Corporis Caste member
Born on planet Cambridge
Finished Cambridge university, majoring in Cybernetics at the age of 25
Got in contact with the Enclave trough a Freeport rumor, he later contacted the enclave directly, he became a engineer in the Enclave Defense Force at the age of 27
He specializes in Nanite technology and the implants that is required to control them
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Engineer Joseph Eider
35 years old
35 years spent within the enclave
Corporis Caste member
Born on Malta in 'The Hive'
Spent 19 years studying the Enclave's cybernetic and Form creation, he was an expert in how the Creator's 'Forms' where created and the AI that was needed to control them, and also how to create that intelligence and fully make it.. Alive..
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Doctor Von Vessen, Vicar
32 years old
32 years spent within the enclave
Animus Caste member
Born on Malta in 'The Hive'
Spent 21 years studying the nanites and their effects on cardamine and humans in general, she also worked extensively on the human body, learning everything there was to know of it's inner working and especially the nerves that run trough it.
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[color=#9999FF][font=Century Gothic]Kathal chuckles as he shut down his console and looked over at the laboratory where the people where hard at work to finish the first compound for testing within a week.
--On board the Exodus--
Zhane was now at the Bridge of the Exodus, he had ordered the vessel to go into a low orbit of Canaria, and prepare for planetary landing.. He smiled widely at his ingenious plan.. How better to defend a secret base, then to land a Battleship upon it..
Using the Exodus carrier as a ground base HQ for the Entire EDF was going to save time, rather then build a fully operational HQ for their forces and keep using the weak shelters now used by the colony site they'd have a cheap alternative and, well.. To be honest, allot better..
The Corporis had enough forces in the air to secure the airspace surrounding Canaria, and enough forces to fully patrol the systems surrounding them.
He smiled as the Exodus broke trough the atmosphere and began it's descent to the surface...
The Exodus landed slowly on top of the outpost, it's entrance still visible in front of the carrier.
It's belly side thruster spurted dust and shook the ground beneath it as the exodus landed into the small valley that help the outpost and bunker.
As soon as the sides of the carrier hit the side of the mountain, burrowing into it, stabilizing the carrier's position into the mountain, several lifts where lowered to the ground and EDF soldiers began to attach cables and also lift several beams of steel to the Aquilon.
The Exodus was never to lift unless absolutely necessary, it was now a base of operations for the entire Enclave Defense force..
--Inside the Bunker--
A big vat was driven into the bunker from the outside, a man lay inside it, naked. He had the characteristics of a Outcast, darker skin, and with several cybernetics installed into him. He was unconscious but alive and breathing, a series of tubes and cables where attached to make sure he remained that way.. Until the group could begin.
Kathal was following the vat as it rolled into his laboratory, he was excited, more then excited, he was overjoyed that his subject had arrived..
He smiled as the vat was placed into a spot prepared.. He walked up to the glass and looked at the man in the tube.. And he said..
"Legion.. Soon, soon.. My dream will come true.."
He went to the others that where waiting for him and ordered them to prepare for the operation.. This.. Was going to take awhile..
The entire outpost had under a week been completely turned into a fully working command and control center for the entire Corporis caste and Enclave Defense Forces..
250 soldiers of the 154th regiment, 500 battle form's of the Enclave and 250 normal EDF soldiers had been stationed in the Exodus and the outpost.
The Outpost itself had enough rooms to house the battalion and the needed materials and weapons for them, barracks underneath the outpost where fixed during the week, but also on board the now grounded Exodus.
The laboratory had been up and working for 2 weeks now, the several doctors have been hard at work, attempting to correctly program and create the nanites that would be needed to complete the.. 'Change'.. A change that would shake the foundations of the Enclave to the core.
A perfect union of Virulian and machine..
In theory, the individual would have the intelligence and memory of an advanced Artificial intelligence, but with the emotions off a human, and it was planned to be linked with a very high hz with 5 other subjects that would undergo the same treatment..
The next phase of the project.. Was just begining..