72 C72 Into The Fray: The Awakening Of The Beast

"You can either undergo your augmentations first and then join the project, or you can start participating in the project immediately and undergo your augmentations afterward."

I offered as I took another sip of my beer.

Nole's brow furrowed as he considered his options, the weight of the decision apparent in his eyes.

A part of him wanted to undergo the augmentations as soon as possible because he really wanted to experience what It felt like to be superhuman.

But another part wanted to start building the space lift as soon as possible, afterall before the Imperium arrived.

A concept of a lift straight to space was only theorectical at best, but now he held the blueprints of the damned thing.

And he didn't have a shred of a doubt that It was a sound one, for f*CKS sake the Terrans had a big ass warship orbiting his home planet.

So he was sure that this wasn't the first space lift they had ever built.

"Imperator If I choose to undergo augmentations right away, will the project start without me or will you wait...?"

Nole asked without taking away his eyes from the holographic blueprint only to get cut off by me.

"My men will start without you, we dont like waisting a second of our time Imperiale civis Ksum, as youre people say time is money"

I said lazily.

"Then I will start working right away Imperator"

Nole made his choice Instantly.

"Good sergeant Fury will show you to you're quarters, If you need anything he is the man to ask any questions?"

I asked as I finished my beer and let out a satisfying burp.

Nole just shook his head absentmindedly forgetting who he was talking to and seargent Fury didn't like that one bit.

I could see It from his cold eyes hidden under his round crimson visors devoid of any emotion as he stared at Noles back while gripping his straight laser edged katanas pommel which was fixed to his armors back next to the bulging out armored fusion core.

Only to let go after seeing me shake my head, If one of my men Ignored me like that I would definitely respond differently.

But I wasn't so conceited and arrogant that I would get mad just because a genius that just days ago lived In a country that didn't have any Emperor's.

Currently was In his own world, of course If the man decided to get an altitude with me In the future, well a good old 20 mm bullet will solve the problem won't It?

So far It had worked wonders every time for me.

"Dismissed"

I wawed my hand as I did sergeant Fury performed a modern military salute.

"Ave Dracula!"

After lingering my gaze on seargent Fury's and Noles retreating backs I redirected my gaze back to the ocean.

"Well I might as well go for a swim..."

I muttered to myself as I stood up and walked through the beaches sand.

Just days ago the sand was full of trash yet now not even a scrap of It could be found.

After my cleaning bots swept through It, but If someone were to scan It with a metal detector.

Well they would find dozens of Inactive mines that become active after a simple press of a button buried by my engineers.

Practically the whole Island was covered with anti personnel and anti armor mines.

Wherever one could be buried It was buried, the same thing was for ocean surrounding the Island.

Every Inch of pace was filled with Inactive under water mines.

I thought as I stepped Into the ocean and walked forward until my bulky chest with my dog tags resting between my pecks got wet, as It did I clapped my palms, filled my three lungs with oxygen to the max and dived In.

...

First Lieutenant Mark Vasquez sat at his post on the TIS Einherjar's bridge, his light crimson eyes glued to the holographic table displaying radar scans.

The bridge was eerily quiet, with only a skeleton crew quietly manning their stations.

Mark sighed, realizing that he had one more hour left on his shift.

He took a sip of his coffee that was strong enough to give an unaugmented Thraen a heart attack.

He didn't really need It but It was a habit he and a lot of battle brothers of his developed thanks to Dracula's Influence.

Suddenly, alarms blared throughout the bridge, jolting Mark In his seat.

His hearts raced as he focused on the radar readouts, which were spiking rapidly with activity.

"What the f*ck is this?"

Mark muttered under his breath, trying to make sense of the chaotic influx of information which was unlike anything had ever seen.

TAI, the ship's advanced AI, quickly analyzed the data and concluded that a rift in space and time was imminent, displaying a series of holographic crimson warnings.

Without hesitation, seeing this Mark slammed his hand down on the holographic ship-wide intercom button, his voice booming throughout the TIS Einherjar.

"DEFCON 1! ALL HANDS TO BATTLE STATIONS! I REPEAT, DEFCON 1! ALL HANDS TO BATTLE STATIONS, THIS IS NOT A DRILL!"

The urgency in his voice cut through the tension on the bridge as crew members sprang into action, scrambling to their designated posts.

Mark's hearts pounded in his chest as he barked out orders to his fellow Terrans, his training kicking in as adrenaline and synthetic stimulants surged through his veins.

"Navigation, plot an emergency course away from the projected rift location! Weapons, prepare all defensive systems and stand by for further orders! Engineering, divert all available power to shields and propulsion!"

Mark barked out his orders In quick succession.

...

As the alarms blared and Mark's urgent command echoed through the TIS Einherjar, chaos erupted across the spaceship.

Cosmic Marines, pilots, and crew members who had been eating, sleeping, or engaged in various activities snapped into action with lightning speed.

In the mess hall, utensils clattered to the floor as Cosmic Marines abandoned their meals, their eyes sharp with focus.

"Battle stations, move!"

Barked a sergeant, and the soldiers surged towards the exits, their footsteps echoing off the metal walls.

Meanwhile, in the pilots' quarters, a sense of urgency permeated the air as pilots scrambled out of their bunks, their movements swift and purposeful.

"We've got incoming!"

Shouted one, his voice tinged with adrenaline and synthetic stimulants, as he hastily donned his black nano composite skintight flight suit, armored vest, strapped his sidearm to his thigh and grabbed his fully enclosed helmet.

In the training facility, soldiers paused mid-exercise, their muscles tensing as they registered the urgency of the situation.

"Let's go, people! Move it!"

Shouted the Insteuctor, and the soldiers quickly abandoned their routines, their minds already shifting to the impending threat.

Throughout the ship, crew members responded to the call to arms with a sense of unity and purpose.

Engineers worked frantically to divert power to critical systems, their hands flying across holographic control panels as they ensured the ship was ready for combat.

In the medical bay, medics moved with practiced efficiency, preparing for potential casualties.

"Get those triage stations set up!"

Barked a senior medic, and his team sprang into action, moving swiftly to organize the space for incoming wounded.

Meanwhile, technicians scurried to double-check systems, their faces drawn with concentration.

"We need those systems online, now!" Called out a chief engineer, and his team worked feverishly to address any issues that arose.

As the chaos unfolded, a sense of camaraderie pervaded the ship, each crew member moving with a calm determination, trusting in their training and in each other to see them through the crisis.

Though the situation was dire, there was a steely resolve in their eyes as they prepared to face whatever lay ahead.

Together, they stood as a united front, ready to defend their ship and each other against whatever threats they may encounter.

And as the alarms continued to wail and the space ship hurtled towards an uncertain future, they faced it with unwavering courage and determination.