Chapter 3:
The thump of the flying machine landing was the first sign to Seyla La Meyrin that she had arrived at the place that was called 'Eden One', though her realisation only came after she found herself bouncing off the seats she had been lying on top of, landing on the metal deck with a thump, "Ooowwwww..."
Picking herself up from the deck, Seyla saw the ramp lowering to reveal that night had fallen as an indicator of how much time she had spent inside the belly of the metal beast as another group of soldiers stood waiting in front of the entrance, at least until the ramp finished lowering.
As soon as the ramp finished lowering with a heavy clanking of metal on stone, the soldiers boarded, one of them hefting a massive case marked with a white circle and a red cross, who approached Seyla upon spotting her.
'Is it some kind of religious symbol?' Seyla wondered as the one holding the case calmly checked her over, murmuring soft but firm instructions to turn her head, count fingers, and then shone a light in Seyla's eyes.
"She's okay, probably just bruised her pride more than anything," The soldier, speaking in a female voice that Seyla realised was identical to all the other soldiers, reported seemingly to thin air before Gideon replied.
"Give her a filter mask." The soldier nodded, opening the large case and pulling out a strange mask with an array of straps, before holding it out before Seyla,
"Let the medic put the mask on you, I'll show you how to put it on yourself later."
Seyla nodded, "Right." The soldier moved, shifting the cord connected to the device in her ear, and Seyla tried to remember the sensations as the mask was firmly placed on her face, the straps shifting behind her head before they were pulled close to the mask and secured with four sharp clicks, the soldier drawing away to leave Seyla wearing her new accoutrement as she inhaled, "Ugh, it's...it's a little difficult to breath in this." Her voice came out muffled as she focused on trying to breath properly.
"Deep breaths. The filter system will make sure no dust-form Tiberium gets into your lungs, potion or no, but your lungs are going to be getting a workout while you're wearing it outside. And you will be wearing it outside, no excuses and no exceptions."
"What do you mean?" Seyla asked as she started to leave the vehicle, the soldiers not exiting with her even as more arrived, "Where is...this...place..." Her eyes went wide like saucers, jaw dropping, as Seyla La Merin stared at the sight before her eyes. Buildings of slate-grey and sun-yellow paint, some lined with windows while others were studded with strange components that she had nothing to compare to. Rows of 'Humvys', strange armored machines that looked like elephants with their long noses, straight-winged machines that clearly flew as she saw some of their brethren coming into land on a long, empty stretch of land, while ones with diamond-shaped wings took off.
There were some that looked like boxes, others that had boxes on hinges, Humvys with small huts on the back, or marked with the white circle and red cross on the side of their over-sized bodies, Seyla's head spun with the sight of the strange machines, "Wh-where am I?"
"Welcome to Eden One, approximately two day's travel by air away from the Genesis Pit. The primary base I established for combating the Tiberium scourge." Gideon spoke,
"The main lab here will be your new workplace and this base your new home. I'm sorry, but with everything going on I'm afraid that you've been conscripted. The stakes are too high to allow for refusal."
"I understand. After what I've seen, I can understand your decision." Seyla replied as she walked across the hard, perfectly-flat stone that covered the ground, watching as the various machines, because they had to be machines, moved to larger and more impressive flying machines as she continued, "I only saw the Genesis Pit from the South. Can you tell me what happened to the northern reaches of Towair?"
"They fell first. Avalanches had buried any land routes they had in the north for getting through to the grasslands across the mountains. With the radiation, the dust, the crystals, they didn't have a chance. By the time I was able to airlift in infantry to search, the survivors were already heavily-mutated cultists." There was a pause as Seyla watched more fat-bellied flying machines take off after they had taken on more infantry, flying in formation to parts unknown.
"After that, it's been a war of extermination. The Cultists can't really hurt my forces, none of them are flesh and blood, and as long as there is Tiberium, I can replace losses much more easily than them. But they've been infecting travellers on the road and bandit groups, infiltrating trade caravans or starting their own trade caravans in order to spread the crystals...when they aren't turning entire villages and towns into their own nests."
Seyla shuddered, "You make them sound like vermin."
"You haven't seen what they do." Gideon replied simply,
"Vermin is a kind term for what the cultists degenerate into, what the crystal transforms them into. And that isn't even counting the mages."
"Mages?" Seyla paused in front of a massive machine, the two long tubes looking like horns to her imagination, "What happens to mages infected by this Tiberium?" If mages could fall victim to the infection that was creating the Singing Crystal Cult...
"...Get someone to take you to the Research Center. It's better if you see this in person."
Seyla started at the grim tone in Gideon's voice, before walking over to a soldier on patrol, "Excuse me, can you take me to the Research Center?" The soldier nodded and turned away, waving for Seyla to follow them, taking the Sage past rows of machines while formations of infantry jogged on patrol routes, past various buildings before stopping at a sprawling complex, the soldier directing Seyla towards the glass doors before walking away. Looking up at the structure, Seyla took in a deep breath and walked inside.
As the doors opened, Seyla was struck by how clean the interior was, pristine white walls marked only by coloured lines painted on to likely serve as guides if she didn't miss her guess, while soldiers in lighter, more revealing armor were positioned in front of doors; Seyla could see female faces, partially hidden by their helmets or with scarves, holding smaller weapons than the soldiers patrolling outside. The Sage carefully looked around before she asked quietly, "Where are you?"
"Right corridor, door marked 'Autopsy Lab Zero-2', keep the mask on." Gideon replied and the Sage quickly moved down the appropriate corridor, finding the door marked 'Autopsy Lab 02' after a few seconds of walking down the corridor, Seyla squeaking as the door opened as soon as she got close. After a couple of seconds she stepped through into a room illuminated by an eerie blue light, a glance showing that her clothing was glowing strange colours as her skin appeared dark, "Umm..."
"It's not harmful." A voice jerked Seyla out of her introspection to spot a man standing in front of a large table, "It helps illuminate things that might be missed." The man waved Seyla towards him, "Come on, you need to see this." Seyla carefully approached the table as the man turned slightly, face obscured by a mask that covered it entirely, "Nice to meet you, I'm Gideon." He shook Seyla's hand briskly, an action that had the Sage glancing at her hand in puzzlement at the greeting.
"So what was it that you needed to me toAAAAAAAAAAH!" The Sage screamed as she turned and spotted the
demon laid out on the slab underneath the blue lights, displaying a twisted creature with too-long limbs, splayed wings sprouting from the back, claws where fingers and toes would be, animalistic face twisted in an enraged deathmask as Seyla stared up at it from where she had landed on her rump from the shock.
"Hell of a sight, huh?" Gideon remarked, "As far as I can tell, these things are what happens if a Mage is infected by the Singing Crystal Disease." He lifted a wing, regarding it with a distinctly-cold interest, "Something about the physiology of a mage interacts with the Tiberium in causing a rapid, and possibly painful mutation." He waved a hand, Seyla watching as she stood up, and metal arms ending in various strange and gruesome-looking tools lowered from the ceiling, one of them humming as it began cutting into the flesh of the creature.
"Th-this was a mage?" Seyla whispered numbly as she watched the arms slice into flesh, peeling apart muscle and skin to reveal organs studded with glowing crystals, liquids glowing obscene colors under the ghoulish lights, fingers as fine as silk thread pulling away webs of glowing, wet threads, "Is...is this what I could have turned into?"
"Yes." Gideon replied simply, bluntly, a tone so utterly devoid of anything resembling sympathy that Seyla shuddered, "This is what awaits you, and all your fellow mages and sages, if you are infected. Which is why people have to be informed with you as the messenger."
He turned as the arms removed organs and began placing them in jars that were deposited in alcoves, vanishing by means that Seyla couldn't spot as he continued speaking, "I need you because you are recognisable, because you have a reputation. You need to tell the other sages, however you can, about the danger represented by Tiberium, of the Singing Crystal Disease and the cults that worship them."
"You also want me to spread the treatment I developed as well, yes?" Seyla picked up on what Gideon had planned, "You need people who can fight against this, and can be treated so you can reduce the numbers you have to burn."
"Just so," Gideon confirmed with a nod, "Without treatment options, death is the only cure. There are no halfway points, no compromises. Either we cure them, or the burnings continue."
He motioned to the corpse, "This creature killed at least fifty of my troops, along with eleven Humvees, eight APCs, and six tanks. It took five gun-runs by my A-10s along with a lot of Napalm to finally bring this abomination low." He stared at Seyla, who had paled; while she had no idea of the true extant of what had been described to her, she was able to understand the implication.
If a mage was transformed by this crystal, they could potentially lay waste to armies.
"Oh gods...the Apostles..." Seyla realised with growing horror, "The Apostles of Emroy, Hardy, and Palapon! They are all warriors attracted to death and suffering! If they are infected in battle against these creatures, or somehow come into contact with the raw crystal...!" She was about to say more, but stopped as she looked at Gideon.
"Emroy? Hardy?" Gideon muttered as he stared at Seyla, before turning to look at the corpse as it was being now sectioned into the limbs, torso and head, "Is that so..." He turned away, "I'll have someone take you to your quarters. You'll be living here and will have a security escort that will act as guides to anywhere in the base..."
He glanced back at Seyla, "There will be protocols that must be observed. A translated handbook will be given to you along with some important items you'll need to keep on you at all times. Again, you will be informed on their usage after you've had a meal and some sleep."
Seyla blinked as she suddenly felt a bone-deep weariness set in, "Ye..." She coughed, "Yes, and perhaps a doctor to make sure that I'm..."
"Yes, I'll give the orders." Gideon replied, clearly distracted, "I'm sorry, but it seems there's some information I need to confirm...I'll have someone escort you from here. Just follow their instructions but don't be afraid to ask questions, they'll answer you."
Seyla nodded as the masked man left the room, hand tapping at his masked chin in clear agitation, leaving her alone, "He recognised the gods." She muttered, blinking in surprise, "But not as a worshiper. Who is he?"
The door opened again to reveal two soldiers, one of them speaking up, "Sage Merin? We're your escorts and guides."
Slapping her cheeks to keep awake and banish the dark thoughts swirling in her mind, Seyla nodded, "Right! First off, I need some food! Show me your feasting hall!"
The soldiers glanced at each other, before one shrugged and the other nodded, "Officer's Dining Room it is."
******
"So, I have confirmation at least." Gideon muttered as he pulled off the filter-mask, replacing his glasses, and sat at his command desk, "EVA, put priority for our LRRP units to find out the exact location of Alnus Hill."
"Confirmed." The AI replied, before a beeping sounded, "Alert, aerial scanning has detected a significant concentration of seed-Tiberium being stockpiled for loading onto a trading ship at the southern port city."
"Nearest strike unit?" Gideon queried as he pulled up a list of aircraft rigged to take out a ship.
"No strike units in the vicinity. Recommending an airstrike." EVA replied, "Instability of seed-Tiberium will ensure minimal contamination."
"Indeed." Gideon muttered as he found the aircraft he was looking for, "Hammer 5-1, redirect to the port city of Abus and bomb the following location." He pressed a key and began uploading the information EVA had gathered from the F/A-23 Black Widow fitted with specialised scanning pods to detect Tiberium concentrations and types.
Leaning back and watching the flight of A-10 Thunderbolts head towards the port city with a full load of rockets and napalm, Gideon brought up a security camera and watched as an entranced Seyla La Merin was shown images of various dishes in the Officer's Dining Room, before switching to a map showing the continuing spread of Tiberium, "This isn't good. The grasslands across the mountains will soon experience infestation despite the harvesting efforts. Did they spread into a cave system?"
"Unable to identify subterranean infestation due to lack of satellite detection capability." EVA replied, "Patrol Group Epsilon-14 has reported recovery of beached sea-life and aquatic demi-human species. Gunboat Delta Four reports encounter and destruction of a mutated whale."
"Great, so we should expect Thorn and Algae formations, and the possibility of even more mutated sea-life either washing up dead, or attacking local shipping soon." Gideon groused as he checked several reports, "Good thing I ordered the gunboats to be outfitted with torpedoes, the tomahawks wouldn't have cut it against a fucking mutant whale."
The picture was grim, and only getting grimmer; harvesting and sonic destruction efforts were being circumvented and the grasslands where the Warrior Bunnies ranged would soon become infected, and with the rate of spread that meant that infections would occur during the height of the current war with the Empire.
"I want MCV's deployed ahead of the current spreads." Gideon ordered, "We need to slow down the rate of expansion and keep the supplies of sonic destruction lances in the green." He checked another report, upgrades for the sonic devices that were designed to shatter and destroy Tiberium not just at the surface but at the roots as well, "And what's the status of the potion replication?"
"Progress is at fifty-eight percent." EVA reported, "Live test subjects are required for analysis of injected and aerosol variants."
With oral ingestion the standard, having an injected version for the resistant and a high-strength version to spray on cultists only made sense to Gideon, "Pass the order on. We should be able to secure some cultists for further testing pretty easily."
Turning to another screen, Gideon regarded the information with a grimace, "So, the Empire is on the move."
He leaned back in his seat, "Have a Sniper Team shadow whoever the Empire is sending. We can't risk the possibility of Imperial Nobility being infected by the Cultists or a unlucky gust of wind."
"Affirmative."
******
Princess Pina Co Lada grimaced as the ship finally arrived at the main trade harbour in the Kingdom of Lantal, the only port that the ship captain was willing to travel to, "Grey, Hamilton, how are the others?"
Hamilton Uno Ror and Grey Co Aldo turned from their positions on either side of Pina, Hamilton smiling slightly, "The rest of the Rose Knights are comfortable, as much as their first time at sea. I think they'll all be glad to have boots on solid ground."
"Our supplies are in good shape, so we shouldn't have too many troubles if the rumors-" Grey's words were cut short by the ship captain approaching.
"No rumors. The food from the farms and hunting grounds is tainted." The man grunted, "Every day there's more stories of the mermaids fleeing their ancestral waters, corpses of fish washing up with crystals bloating their guts, refugees fleeing monstrous cults, and horrific beasts stalking the land."
"I find it hard to believe that." Pina stated simply with a scowl, "Commoners always blame monsters and abominations for every famine or war. Whatever is happening in Towair and Messen, the main culprit is obviously this Sage Merin."
"Yer words are worth less than shit!" The Captain spat, "Sage Merin and the Golden Army have been fighting since the start o' summer to stop the cults and the Demon Crystal! You Empire scuts ain't gonna be lasting long when you cross into Messen, mark my words!"
Princess Pina's lip curled, "Yes, this Golden Army that all the tales speak of. Such a convenient hero." She turned away with a huff, "This baseless propaganda will be proven for the rebellious lie it truly is and when it is proven Captain-"
"Land Ho!" The lookout roared from above, "There's ships burning! I see the Gold Albatross' in the air and the glow of the Demon Crystal!"
"To arms!" The Captain drew his sword, "The Cultist dogs are in the city, prepare to make port and defend the city!"
A distant explosion sent a plume of flames and smoke into the air, fires burning in other areas as the ship approached the harbor, choked with fleeing ships and the wreckage of others, sunk by means that Pina couldn't quite figure out, moments before one ship was suddenly pummeled by an invisible force, masts and decking shredding like parchment as giant holes opened in the sails without any sign of arrows. As the ship floundered, a sound like tearing sackcloth but as loud as thunder echoed, moments before a golden, stiff-winged shape roared overhead and quickly vanished into the smoke clouding the city.
Lips pursed with sudden apprehension, Pina stated at the carnage before a cough caught her attention as Grey nodded at her reassuringly, "Your orders Princess?"
Pina blinked, before her expression hardened, "Have everyone ready themselves for combat." She looked back out at the burning city, gripping the railing hard.
"Time to find out the truth of this matter!"
