Aetheral Space

Chapter 552 17.24: Red Carpet

DAY 3May Miracle held her revolver tight as she made her way through the labyrinth that was Auberon. Firing the gun would soon bring hell down upon her, of course, but there was no weight more comforting than that of a killing instrument. She would let this gun leave her side only when she left this world.

Over the last few days, May had been doing more in Auberon than just hiding. She'd been preparing for this operation -- memorizing the guard patrols, the surveillance infrastructure, the precious golden moments in which she could sneak through undetected. Auberon had few shadows, but she slipped through them all the same.

She snuck a glance through the massive window at the side of this hallway. Auberon was vast enough that it had its own internal vista of steel and plastic, a spiderweb of elevated walkways going up and down as far as the eye could see. The systems May was after were at the bottom of the fortress -- tonight, she'd be descending.

Hopefully, she'd be able to come back up again.

"It is my opinion that Panacea is the most important discovery since Aether itself…" Pandershi declared. "...and the wise are such because they agree with my opinion.

"It is not important simply because of its medical utility. While that is impressive -- yes, even to me, it is impressive -- the true worth of Panacea is hidden from plain sight. I shall unveil your eyes now, my beloved friends. Panacea is important because it answers a question not even the Gene Tyrants had conquered.

"Are we alone in the universe?

"The answer, simply, beautifully, is no. Panacea was not crafted by human hands. Panacea was not cultured in a Gene Tyrant laboratory. Panacea, just like our earliest ancestors, came about from environment and coincidence and circumstance. It is a natural emanation of the universe.

"I see no doubt in any of you, and that gladdens my heart, but I could understand it if you did. Why is it so important that Panacea is natural, you might ask. There is no shortage of natural things in this universe, you might say. Even here on Nehr Müt, we have the nehrcrows. No Gene Tyrant created them, and yet here they are, flapping away. Life is not such a precious thing…

"...but thought is. I will tell you now, friends. Panacea is not mere mushrooms. Panacea is a conscious organism spread across the entire galaxy, connected over unfathomable distances, alive and intelligent.

"Yes. The mushrooms that have become an arm, the mushrooms that have replaced skin, the mushrooms that bubble into new organs… they are all conscious. We say that when Panacea replaces a body part, it becomes inert, but even that is not completely true. Markers of its former self remain buried deep within its structure. By this point, we are surrounded by this presence, this throne of consciousness.

"But a throne is nothing without someone worthy to sit upon it. This, too, we have accomplished. I have split off a section of the Panacea and obliterated the consciousness that resided in it. Wild orange has been made into a clean and empty White Panacea. It's the medium through which I connect all of my different bodies under a single mind. That feat alone would be the magnum opus of lesser men… but I tell you now, it is nothing more than a proof of concept.

"I have made the Panacea empty and bent it to my will," Pandershi said, his hidden eyes gliding over the crowd, drinking greedily of every drop of admiration. "And now… I will make it my will. Let me tell you how I will become the shape of this world."

May Miracle had resolved herself not to use her gun, but that wasn't quite true. She just wouldn't use the gun for its intended purpose.

Booster Shot.

It was ironic. Given the nature of her ability and the situation she was in, the relative weaklings of the Seelie Rangers were a far greater threat to her than any of the big shots moving around Auberon right now. Her cloaking was more effective the stronger the target, after all. It didn't matter if the Seelie Rangers couldn't beat her -- all they had to do was spot her, and the mission would be a failure.

Booster Shot was an ability designed to get her through situations like this, though. Her Aether coalesced into the six bullets in her revolver, each crackling with potential. This gun didn't have a silencer -- but even so, when she aimed at a distant Seelie Ranger down the corridor and pulled the trigger, it didn't make a sound. The bullet didn't even leave the gun -- instead, a thin beam of Aether zipped forth from the barrel and into its target.

No other sounds followed the shot, either. No gasp of pain. No splash of blood. No collapse onto the floor.

The Seelie Ranger just continued to stand guard, completely ignorant, as if he hadn't been hit by a bullet at all -- because he hadn't, at least not in the traditional sense. As the name suggested, Booster Shot was an 'attack' that did nothing more than temporarily boost the Aetheral potency of its target. Effectively, it triggered an involuntary Aether burn, while transferring the damage onto the bullet itself, still resting in the revolver. Of course, an object as small as a bullet could only bear the strain of an Aether burn for a few seconds…

…but for those few seconds, May Miracle was as good as invisible.

She broke out into a sprint down the hallway, pumping her arms with well-practiced efficiency. Three seconds left of Booster Shot's effect. She needed to clear the hallway and get out of the guard's line of sight before then.

Two seconds. She kicked off the ground to accelerate, carefully regulating her Aether usage so as to not damage the floor. She couldn't afford to leave any traces of her presence.

One second. Nearly face to face with the guard, she dropped to the ground and slid between his legs, rolling up into a standing position on the other side of him. Immediately, she turned and whipped out her gun, pointing it at the back of the guard's head.

Zero.

Her breathing was all but silent, timed to match that of the Seelie Ranger, so as to not give her away. Her gaze was dull and cold, as close to an automatic as a human could get. More impressive than any of that bodily focus, though, was that of her weapon.

The revolver she held was truly a stationary object, as if fixed in space, her grip devoid of anxiety or trepidation. It almost looked like, if she let go of the weapon, it would just stay there, floating. If the Ranger showed any sign that he'd noticed her presence, any sign at all, that trigger would be pulled and a single bullet would end the man's life. May Miracle didn't want to kill this person and jeopardize the mission, but she certainly would if she had no choice.

One moment passed.

Two moments passed.

And then…

…the guard yawned.

May Miracle didn't relax. She couldn't afford to, not in this fortress or on this planet. But her finger did drift away from the trigger.

She took one step back, two steps back… and disappeared from sight.

"The Panacea has a core," Pandershi explained, ignoring the fact that he'd clearly lost most of his audience quite a ways back. "If we call the collective lifeform the Panacea network, then we can consider this core to be the network's administrator. The seat of consciousness' seat of consciousness. Until very recently, this core was called… Dragan Hadrien."

Dragana tensed up. What? Her eyes flicked around the crowd, but there was a complete lack of reaction from most of them at that name.

"Apologies," Pandershi chuckled. "Most of you probably don't know who I'm talking about. Dragan Hadrien is the name of the current Supreme -- the leader of the crumbling empire called the Supremacy. Perhaps it's not so accurate to say he is the Panacea core -- rather, he holds it within his body. In order to obtain great power, he invited the Panacea's administrator into himself -- foolish, don't you think?

"At any rate, in doing so, he became the most valuable research sample in the universe. The orange Panacea is occupied by the administrator, and the white Panacea is occupied by me. In terms of quantity and reach, there is a colossal difference. But now that I have the Panacea core in my hands…"

He smiled.

"...it will not be long before all Panacea is the White Panacea. We are already working on a substance medium with which to supplant the existing administrator with my consciousness. Very soon, I will not just be here on Nehr Müt."

His head tilted up towards the ceiling, as if he could see the stars beyond and his future written in them.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"I will exist across the galaxy," he breathed. "Wherever Panacea exists, active or inert, so will I. I will have power over everything it has touched, every form of life, every human healed by its touch. Existing not just around them, but within them, within you. My being will crawl into every corner of creation. The paradise that is Zepan will expand to encompass the entire world. And then, my friends, and then…"

He looked back down at the crowd, trembling in anticipation.

"...for you, and I, and all others… there will be love everlasting."

The crowd erupted into shrieking cheers, men and women leaping to their feet and bringing their hands together with such force that the applause itself looked painful. Tears streamed down cheeks. Some dropped to their knees, overcome by admiration. A violent madness had gripped the crowd, implanted by Pandershi's words and passion.

And in the midst of it all, Dragana alone sat silently, still staring up at the stage. Her eyes were wide, her brain still working through the absurd dream Pandershi had just presented -- no, an absurdity that had long since ceased to be a mere dream. It was only after a few seconds that she realized her silence, her stillness, was giving her away.

It didn't matter, though. It hadn't mattered from the start.

"I'm happy to take questions from the audience," Pandershi said, his voice still shaking with ecstasy.

A second spotlight blazed into life -- and this one illuminated Dragana Hadrien. A bright yellow light cutting her off from the rest of the world. Dozens of heads swung around to face her.

"Why don't we begin with you?" Pandershi said. "My dear intruder."

Terada Takeo marched down the corridors of Auberon, boxed sword in hand, fiery resolve burning behind his eyes like a vicious waterfall.

He'd seen it. He'd seen 'that person', and he understood their goal. Evil flowed in one direction like the branches of a wicked tree, and in this case Terada understood well where the shot would land. He would not allow it!

The honourable Maxim, a gun saint if ever there were one, had invited Terada into these hallowed halls and vouched for his value. If not for that kindness, he and his blade would surely have fallen into the hands of Supremacy brigands long ago. Terada would not repay that debt through inaction. Even if he had to dig through the guts of the devil himself, he would come out on the other side with his virtue intact.

His ideals… his 'justice'... he would surely see them through!

"You two," he barked as he passed a pair of Seelie Rangers. "With me!"

There was no time to waste. He knew exactly where his prey was heading.

May Miracle took a good look at the room she might die in.

Auberon had a massive control centre where systems such as the shields and early warning system were monitored and adjusted. May had no illusions that she'd be able to infiltrate that place. Even without thinking of the Seelie Rangers, there was no shortage of non-Aether user personnel who would spot her with a glance.

No, getting into the main control centre simply wasn't happening. That was why she stood here, now, outside of the backup control centre.

This was much lower down in Auberon's structure, and much smaller, but no less advanced for it. The chamber was arranged around a massive cylindrical construct in the centre -- the auto-brain that managed all of Zepan's background systems. It was ten meters tall, connected to both the floor and ceiling like a computerized pillar, with three ring-like walkways around it splitting off into stations for personnel to access consoles. It reminded her of a Tower of Hanoi.

The strangest part of the chamber by far, though, were the walls -- or rather, what was there instead of walls. A massive curved tank of water surrounded the cylindrical room, with strange eel-like creatures swimming around like this was an aquarium. They didn't look like any sort of fish May had ever seen. Wires were running from ports on the outside of the tank into the floor… were they somehow powering this place?

One of the eels came close to the glass -- and even from here, May could see that its eye looked disturbingly human. A shudder went down her spine. Just from looking at those things, she had no doubt that they had been genetically engineered for this purpose.

What other taboos had Pandershi been breaking under the UAP's nose up until now?

No. She couldn't waste time thinking about that right now. May's eyes drifted up the spiral staircase that connected the three levels and the floor. Right in the open. It wouldn't be easy to get up there unseen. Especially with the company she had.

Just as she'd expected, this room was under guard by the Seelie Rangers too, a team of four. Backup or not, only an idiot would leave this room unguarded -- and even if Zephyr Pandershi was a monster, he was certainly no idiot. One guard on each of the three walkways, with the fourth stationed on the floor.

This would require a little showmanship.

Booster Shot.

Booster Shot.

Booster Shot.

Booster Shot.

She fired four perfect shots in the same instant she drew her gun, Aether fizzling around the bodies of each guard. That would buy her a few seconds. Eager not to waste them, she charged right into the room, ready to begin her ascent.

Speed was stealth's dear sibling, and today May Miracle would push both to their limits.

She vaulted over a desk, kicking right off of the edge of it to launch herself towards the first walkway -- then, seizing hold of the railing, she threw herself further upwards to the second. She pulled herself up, but not onto the walkway itself, but the top of the railing -- and, with a final leap, she finally reached the top of the unusual ladder.

And as she did, she came face to face with the Seelie Ranger stationed there.

Booster Shot had come to an end in that same moment. She could see his eyes widening behind his visor. No doubt his mouth was opening too, ready to shout in alarm. He wouldn't get the chance.

May Miracle whipped her revolver out once more…

…and clubbed it against the side of the Ranger's head.

He went down like a sack of potatoes, May catching him as he fell to reduce the noise. None of the other Rangers looked up to notice their fallen comrade, but that wasn't the result of incompetence or carelessness. At the last moment, May had transferred her cloaking to the unconscious guard. While it was true that the cloaking didn't work perfectly on enemies of this level, it would still suffice to conceal an unconscious body in a difficult-to-see position.

Her face slick with sweat, May turned her head to look at the nearest console. Here went nothing. She took the slightest, quietest step forward…

…and the barrel of a gun pressed right between her shoulder blades.

"Hey there," said Gregori Hazzard.

Dragoon de Fleur looked up at the sight of his birth.

Vicious hooks hung from above, still coated in dried blood. Holes in the ceiling revealed nothing but the pitch-black sky beyond. And below, the centrepiece of it all -- Per Mutation, Helis-Audrey's Aether Armament, the planted sword that had split one man into many, committing twelvefold murder without even being swung.

What a miserable place. It was fitting that one such as him had spawned from it.

Crawling fully out of his shadow, Dragoon approached Per Mutation, still on all fours like an animal. His eyes, filled with a quiet red frenzy, drifted over the legendary Aether Armament. How did it work…? How could it be destroyed…? A knife certainly wouldn't do the job.

His eyes went further up. Right above Per Mutation, right above the hilt, was a cloud of sparkling blue Aether. The Ritual filled in the gaps in Dragoon's mind, providing an automatic explanation for what he was looking at. That Aether was all that remained in reality of the true Dragan Hadrien.

The moment the Ritual had begun, Dragan Hadrien had been recorded into Aether and stored within Per Mutation, the Armament analyzing his life to calculate points of divergence and create the participating variants. Now that initial task was complete, however, Dragan Hadrien had now been moved into this intermediary form -- awaiting a victor to be determined.

When only one variant remained, they would be permitted to jump into that cloud of Aether, and the information that comprised them would overwrite that of the original. Dragan Hadrien would return to the real world, but every aspect of him would be rewritten by the victor, body and soul. No longer needing the Ritual to exist in this world, the winning variant would walk away as a free and independent human being.

Dragoon de Fleur felt like he was going to be sick.

No. Here's where you die. Here's where I die. Here's where we all die.

A stain like Dragan Hadrien existed only to be washed away. Dragoon lifted the knife in his hand. Even if this simple blade wasn't sufficient to destroy Per Mutation, it would certainly be possible to analyze the Aether Armament and see how it responded to physical damage.

In this moment, Dragoon de Fleur was not a killer but a surgeon, and there was no surgery without the first incision.

He pushed himself forward --

-- and behind him, the doors loudly slid open.

Immediately, Dragoon flipped the knife in his hand into a defensive grip, whirling around and leaping backwards to put distance between himself and the door. A young man was stepping through, clad in a tuxedo and scarf, with two Seelie Rangers flanking him. The man didn't seem to be armed, but he was holding some long rectangular box, with chains wrapped tightly around it.

This wasn't someone Dragoon knew. No variant by any stretch of the imagination. One of Zephyr Pandershi's subordinates?

The young man smirked. "Fufufu… I'm impressed you detected my presence. Clearly, you've trained your senses to a completely different level than the common chaff. Who are you?"

Slowly, his crimson eyes half-lidded with the luxuriating focus of a predator, Dragoon de Fleur cocked his head. He said nothing. In a situation like this, dialogue offered nothing but the prelude to an opening.

"Embarrassed, I take it…" the young man said, throwing his suit jacket to one side as he descended the steps into the room. "You weren't expecting anyone to see through that technique of yours, were you? That was your second mistake. As a fellow 'unseen one', my eyes are more keen than most."

Dragoon cocked his head further. What was this guy talking about? He had some ability that let him see through Cancer Lock Box? If so, then he really needed to die right away.

"Your first mistake, fufufu…" the young man finished as he reached the bottom of the stairs. "...was not unsheathing your blade the moment you saw Terada Takeo."

Dragoon still didn't really get what this Terada person was saying. He'd already had his knife out before this guy had even arrived, after all. Was he just saying lines that he thought sounded cool?

Whatever the case, he was an obstacle.

Dragoon was slow and stupid and foolish, but he had enough good sense to know how to deal with obstacles. His knife danced from hand to hand as his eyes flicked between Terada and his two Seelie Rangers. Three deaths. Three more crimes to the name of Dragan Hadrien.

Very well. That would make it all the more just when he died.