The Vial

Scarbray was rising again. The resources which Agaklythos was bringing them to expand and further their technology was giving its results.

A new skyscraper was being built over the lab, which has been already overhauled as she planned.

More clones were walking and working in the streets or helping her in the lab.

Her goal was closer. She felt it.

"Cressida, we need to understand one thing about the city project" asked one of the engineers who was sent to help her by Agaklythos. She immediately went by him.

On the table there was a map. Streets, walls, and building were being positioned over there to find the best way to fit everything in.

"We don't get why you want to divide the city in two sectors and, also, it isn't clear why you want to rebuild this fortress"

"The division is intended to preserve the best elements of the city and the lab from foreign attack"

"Best elements? You mean you and the clones who are going to represent a sort of upper class"

"Not exactly"

"Because to me it seems like that. On the map most of the facilities are there while the 'supposed' factories are over there" told him while pointing on a sector called Alusta

"As I said, this is going to be the core, as it was before the war"

"What about the fortress? It isn't even part of the city, it's far from it"

"We can't leave it like that"

He puffed and rubbed his face with one hand.

"And this" moved the map and revealed one beneath it.

"This system of sewers and tunnels which you want to extend and overcomplicate. Do you realize that you're asking us to revolutionize the entire city"

She put a hand on the map and then tilted her head. He saw her piercing eyes looking into him.

"I made a deal with your commander. A long lasting and lucrative deal. Is it clear?"

"Yes…I agree but…how is it going to help your cause? I mean…you should focus on your…research and let…the others manage it"

"This is not your concern because this is not your planet. You've been here for a year and we're still arguing about minor details because you don't understand my reasoning…"

"But…"

"I think that it's time to go back to work and shut up"

Her approach seemed to work at first, but he didn't budge.

"How do you plan to retain everything we're building if you're going to die"

"I'm young, I still have time"

"Your clones ages slowly, event though you talk about them like they're immortals, but you don't. Agaklythos will take your planet when you're going to exhale your last breath"

She was trying to find a way to answer to that.

"I'm going to do what you ask but you're going to lose everything anyway" remarked him

She was speechless.

He was right.

She left. She knew what she had to do. She avoided for too long because she didn't manage to test it on a human being, only small animals. She was frightened.

She entered the lab and went to the eight one, where she decided to keep the pods with her friends.

The vial was on the table beside those. It contained a black liquid with scarlet luminescences and blurs of blue created by the screes over it.

Hector was looking at her from his pod. Freezing him was one of the best things she has ever done. Gadreel was standing next to him. He chose to do it voluntarily.

Janus appeared behind her.

"What's going on Cressida?" asked him worried

She didn't answer.

He was going to go beside her when she stopped him.

"Go away. I don't want you to look at me"

"Why? You're so beautiful"

"I must do something. I don't want you to be here when it happens because I don't like it"

"What are you doing? Tell me, please"

"I…I…get out. Please get the hell out" said her with a shivering voice, while coming toward him

He saw the vial.

"Don't do it Cres. It isn't worth it"

"I have no choice. It's either me or the planet" said her while pushing him out Lab 8 with her hands.

"Please, we can fix it. Let me help you"

"I'm sorry Jan"

The door closed automatically and sealed itself.

He started punching on it.

"Please stop, stop. Don't to it" was screaming him but she wasn't able to hear him. There wasn't a sound in the room.

She took the vial. She feared the consequences. What was extracted from her mutated clone and repurposed for a different use looked like dirty blood. It was more than that.

She moved the needle close to her skin. Closer.

She exhaled.

The needles pierced her skin and got deep in it. She was bleeding a little, but she didn't care.

The compound went into her body, every drop of it.

She felt it.

The Dragons started falling, while the people and the Whiskers on the ground started rushing inside the building.

Fanon and his squadron of Dragonflies were gunning down the remaining aircrafts, without caring about who was on the ground and was being crushed by those metallic monsters.

Behind him the Whisker and commoners who survived the attack on the Academy were running towards the square.

"Bring me down, I want to go in" ordered him

Malsumis was waiting on his bed while the guards outside were trembling.

"How long does it take?" asked him to one of the guards

"What?"

"Coming here"

They looked at each other.

"You won't leave this cell. We will die to keep you in it"

He chuckled

"Nice thoughts but really…is it worth it?"

"For our Lady…"

He stood up and cut them short

"I know, I know…Anyway, I think that there's a pack of people who're coming her"

The guards looked each other

"Can't you hear the sound of their steps?" asked them Malsumis

The transceivers were on the ground. Pieces of glass were scattered on the floor. Gehenna was still down. Her shoulder was hurting.

Tithon was slowly getting back on his feet and was trying to recompose himself.

The transceiver started vibrating and the symbol was blinking with a white light.

She noticed it and she tried to stand up, to reach it.

Tithon rushed on it and took it.

Then walked toward Gehenna.

"I think that you should answer to it" told him while handing it to her

She fixed her veil and then opened it.

The hologram of a face familiar to Tithon appeared in front of her.

"My Lady, do you hear me?" asked Gluskap

Tithon was surprised.

"Yes. Speak" said her

"Is everything alright my Lady?"

"I said speak" said her while getting up.

Tithon was chuckling.

Malsumis was in the elevator with Fanon and his squadron.

"Has any of you ever been on the top of the Aokigahara?" asked him to release a bit of tension

"No, we have always been around the Academy. Why, is there something interesting to see?"

"No, just asking. Anyway, who is in charge here?"

The Whiskers looked each other than looked at Fanon.

"Nice job, mate. The whole insurrection was orchestrated well"

"You knew about that, how?"

The doors opened and they got out.

They were walking slowly to scan the floor and eliminate any aggressor. Some of them were amazed by the beautiful architecture and furniture. They've never seen an attic before.

Malsumis didn't care about that, as he was quietly walking toward the room where her mistress usually disguised with him and his brother about the future.

Then he heard a voice. A familiar one.

"This is what we must deal with. How should I act?" asked Gluskap

"Brother?" intruded Malsumis

Tithon looked at him and nodded toward Fanon and his Whiskers.

"My Lady, why is my brother there? We can't continue…or we should?"

"I think that you should, traitor" intervened Tithon

"Stay out of these, please" asked Gehenna

"My lady…Gehenna, there isn't much time. They're going to attack soon"

"Why is my brother talking to you?"

Malsumis was rushing toward Gehenna when Tithon stopped him.

"I'm glad you're here but, right now, you need to focus. Keep going"

Kurban got out of the hole. The sun was still high.

He looked around, scanning the desert in from of him, trying to find a man who shouldn't have been left alone.

Then he saw him. He wasn't far. He jumped on one of the 'Birds vehicles and started driving in his direction.

He had his back toward him. It wasn't clear what he was doing.

He arrived and got off the car.

Gluskap was talking to someone. It wasn't clear what he was saying.

"…They're going to attack soon"

He didn't say a thing.

"Why is my brother talking to you?"

"I'm glad you're here but, right now, you need to focus. Keep going"

"You have to take your partner out of the way…this is how we're going to avoid a war"

A female voice. He didn't recognize it.

"Gehenna…I…can't. I still love him"

Gluskap sounded desperate.

Kurban understood.

"Why Gluskap?" asked him disappointed

The call was broken off and Gluskap face disappeared, leaving a buzzing muted sound after it.

She put the transceiver on the table and sat down.

"Why is my brother on your side?" asked Malsumis with a despiteful tone

"You were created like that"

"What does 'created' mean?" intruded Tithon

"Show him"

"Show him…what?"

"Gehenna, show us the lab"

She was silent.

"I won't repeat it again. Show him"

"I don't think that you're ready for the truth" stated her

"My Lilith lose herself for that. Just because Malsumis pushed her to do so" said Gehenna in tears

"She was never yours. She is like that now, because of you" accused her Tithon while indicating her

She puffed.

"As you wish"

She arose and then walked past them. Lilith and Endymion followed her.

"What about us, sir?" asked Fanon

"A couple of Whiskers are coming with us"

"Me and the others?"

Tithon looked at him proud and put a hand on his shoulder.

"You're going to announce our triumph and prepare them"

"For what?"

"A new Era" told him while walking away from him

Gluskap turned the transceiver off.

"You don't understand Kurban. It isn't a question of sides…"

Kurban jumped on him, and they felt on the sand, while the transceiver rolled far from them.

They fought for a while. Kurban was releasing on him all his hatred.

Then they stopped.

They were both panting, with the sand all over their bodies.

"I don't care, you are on her side, you've always been" said Kurban wheezing.

"It's actually…more complicated…than that"

"How? You manipulated me and my friend all this time"

"Gehenna isn't the enemy, I'm not the enemy"

"Aren't you? Cause of you I've lost a dear friend and I'm here stranded in the desert, trying to get back to a city who never wanted me. For ages I've lived and worked in Haguel when I didn't have to"

"But work gave you a purpose, admit it. And, right now, you're siding against her because you need something to live for"

"That could be true but what about you? What is your purpose here?"

"The whole city stands thanks to Gehenna; everyone had a purpose before everything went to the dogs. There was no poverty, no death and war. The city was flourishing"

"The Halars were enjoying it while the Guels were being exploited. What is the point of working when you age slowly, or you don't age at all?"

"I agree with you but there is something worse…"

"Like what?"

"I don't know really but she always said that her life is the only one standing between existence and oblivion"

"I can't, I'm sorry. Maybe you're right but you're still a traitor"

"I'm not the only one"

"What do you mean?"

"Pyramus told me about what happened at Zerzura"

Kurban didn't answer to that.

"I guess that he's weaker than you thought. I've known him for a long time, and I know how to let him talk"

"But he promised"

"He isn't the first person who broke a promise"

Kurban was speechless.

"If I tell that to our allies, we will lose them, and you and my partner would be on trial for the murder of two innocent Shaxes. Would you like that?"

"You wouldn't"

"There's a simple way to solve this…"

"I…"

"You either kill me now or…"

"I…I can't…"

"Or you go away, far from all of it"

"Where?"

"Pyramus told me that you always wanted to see what was beyond Drekavac, isn't it true?"

"Yes…but…I would look like a coward"

"Do you have a better choice?" asked Gluskap

They got into the lab. She was showing them everything. Every scientist, project and sector were on display.

"We're just clones then. Just pointless copies" said Tithon

"What you eat is engineered food too. It was the only way to create a prosperous society"

"What about the Shaxes?" asked Malsumis

"Those are like that…" said her while showing them a specimen of it

"They're like you and me, just different"

"What an abomination" said one of the Whiskers

"We're the abomination. Without them we won't be alive, unable to age"

"What about Lab 8?"

"Come with me"

She found it hard to digest the fact that she was showing them everything, but it was necessary.

The eight pods were still there.

"Why am I in there?"

"This isn't you. He is your original matrix, Khosrow"

Malsumis was looking around when he saw the monitor with the purple star. Its light was dimmer.

He didn't ask. He didn't even care about the chip in front of it.

"What about the body which I find in the dump? Which clone was it?"

"It was yours. You weren't supposed to find it. I don't know how it ended up there"

"I think that the people should know the truth" stated Tithon

"You can't tell that they've been lied for so long. We can't manage another uprising"

"Why do you say 'we'?" asked Gluskap irked

"Because I hope…that this will make you reconsider your…intentions. There's no need to go to war"

"For the time being I won't consider it. The people are exhausted, and we need to rebuild. We should change the city, nonetheless. If you want me to reconsider, I will be the Supreme Leader and you will just stay as a mere adviser"

"I agree…"

"But, if things will go sideways, I'm going to kill you and we'll be at war, is that clear?"

"Yes"

"Yes, what?" asked Tithon altered

"Yes, Supreme Leader" said her while bowing a little.

She hated it. Being a surrogate of Khosrow was bad but being an underling of his clone was worse.

Kurban was far. Running away from his sin. Alone, in the desert. He didn't know how much would've taken before he would've found anyone or an end to that infinite plain of sand.

Driving was the only thing he could do. He was thinking that now it would've been much harder to get back to the city.

He was distancing himself from everything and everyone.

He hoped not to live forever in solitude.

He feared it.

Gluskap was looking for the transceiver, but it was hard to find it in the sand.

It had to make sure that no one would've found it, because his plan would've collapsed on itself, and he would've been in serious trouble.

"What are you doing Kap?" asked Pyramus, who appeared behind him without him noticing

He turned and tried to recompose himself to avoid creating in him any kind of suspicion.

"Nothing…just observing the sand"

Pyramus wasn't convinced

"I'm sorry, were you looking for me?" tried to gloss over

"The Shaxes need to talk to you and Kurban"

He nodded.

The timing was bad or perfect. He was thinking about what he was going to say.

He could've gotten two birds with a stone.

"Pyramus…" told him while they were walking toward their vehicles

"What?"

"Nothing just…I love you" told him while kissing his partner, who didn't expect that

They arrived where all the vehicles have been parked and went down in the hole.

As they showed themselves in front of the King and the Shaxes, Pyramus noted that something was off.

Fanon was still announcing their victory to the crowd when Tithon, Malsumis and Gehenna appeared behind.

He didn't understand.

Fanon left the balcony and got back in.

Tithon went to him and took him aside.

"Supreme Leader, why is she still alive? I thought that you were going to remove…" asked him confused

"We still need her, trust me"

He wasn't convinced.

"What about the 'Birds? When are we going to annihilate them? They must pay for what they did to Alusta"

"We have already destroyed their fortress; they won't attack us for a while"

"But…"

"I said no. We need time to heal and revolutionize how this city works. Don't you want to enjoy your life?"

"But sir, my purpose is to fight. Who is going to hire me now?"

"Everyone will find a job, I assure you"

Tithon was detaching from him, but he didn't give up.

"You promised us, sir. We freed and reinstated you because we believed…"

"Commander, stop. I want to be frank with you. The only way to have a war is if they were going to attack us again, is that clear?"

Fanon didn't answer.

"Am I clear?"

"Yes…Supreme Commander"

"Now go, you and your Whiskers are relieved of your duties. Enjoy the life you have, Fanon"

It was the first time he called him by his name. He considered it an honor, but he was distracted.

His blood was boiling up. He wasn't satisfied with the Supreme Leader's choices.

"Wherre iss Pyrammus?" asked the Shaxes King

"He ran away because he wasn't able to live with his guilt"

The Shaxes didn't understood.

"Whichs guilty?"

Pyramus looked at him. He was shaking his head and praying him with his eyes.

"I'm sorry" communicated it to him just by moving his lips

Pyramus put his hand on his heart.

"He and Pyramus lied to you. The city never attacked them. It was them who killed your men" stated him coldly

"Iss its truey?"

They were all looking at Pyramus.

He asked again.

"It is but it was our intention, they attacked us first without a reason"

"Iss theres annyone whos cany corrobborate yours words?"

Gluskap looked at him.

"No…No…"

The Shaxes Leader turned toward Gluskap and nodded to him, who winked.

"Feasst ons hims" ordered the King

"No…No…please. Listen to…"

The Shaxes jumped on him and started eating him alive, while he was still praying them to be spared.

"I thinks thatt shoulds bey they ends of ours alliancce ass yours kindy has killedd ours. Don't yous thinks?" was asked to Gluskap, whose eyes were teary.

"I…I think that we shouldn't destroy what we have work for. Two of our people has acted wrongly but they don't represent us"

"I agrees. For the times being wey won't wages warr aggainst they citys beccause wey needs to reevaluates everythings. Nonethelless, if anythings willy happens during thiss proccess wey won't hesitates to attacks they citys"

Beside them there were a couple of 'Birds who heard the whole conversation.

On their face there was an expression of profound disappointment and confusion.

It looked like they wanted to say something but they didn't, kept back by the respect which reserved for Gluskap.

"Why is she still alive? Tithon told me that we need her and that we won't go to war. I don't understand" told Fanon to Malsumis

"I don't know commander, but I don't like it too. We were supposed to remove her and destroy the 'Birds but she convinced him to keep her alive"

"What should we do?"

"I don't know. I thought that events would've unraveled in a different way. I thought that Tithon was a different person"

"We should do something"

"I agree but my power is limited. I'm not the Supreme leader. If, and I say 'if', you have something in mind I'll help you but now…"

They looked down, disappointed by the whole situation.

The voices of Malsumis and Fanon were coming out of a speaker in a room made of screens and people set on desks. One gigantic figure was in the middle. All of them were wearing military uniforms of Agaklythos but only the huge man had it decorated with medals.

"Should we intervene general?"

"No. We've already done enough. The pawns are already moving. We just need to wait"

"But sir, we've been waiting for too long and after the last reset…"

"Time has never been a concern"

The general stood there, looking at the screen.

The city, with the devastated downtown, was showing on it.