Pandora's box

Chaos overtook the empire with Sniper's death. Opportunist officers and leaders quickly began to bargain for their own slice of the pie within the imperial territories. However, the word bargain would be an understatement as most of the power-hungry men acted like a pack of hyenas who were savagely tearing apart the corpse of a collapsing empire.

Within days, the once gigantic empire was torn into hundreds of smaller territories and factions with their own kings, emperors, governors or dictators. The largest of which, including the whole of China, half of Russia and Southern Asia, are controlled by Judge and the remnants of the loyalists to Sniper. In direct opposition is the New Empire of CR-455 which controlled the entirety of the Middle East, half of Russia and parts of Europe. Aside from the Allied Forces which controlled the entirety of North America, the rest of the world is divided into piece-meal factions.

*Loyalist Empire headquarters, Beijing, China.

Located deep below the city itself was the old Chinese military central command facility which was now turned into the Loyalist Empire's center of operation. Within the busy hallways of the facility, Judge marched alongside a mysterious hooded man.

[Judge] - "I'm glad we could recruit your team's help. With your presence, CR-455 would think twice before attacking us. "

[Mazzatello] - "Our assistance is parallel to your loyalty to lord Sniper's cause. We are not here to serve any individual ambition but to serve lord Sniper even in his death. If you stray away from fulfilling lord Sniper's vision, our cooperation will end with you becoming an enemy of the Divine Servants. "

Said Mazzatello in a cold voice.

[Judge] - "Then why are you and your team so hesitant to attack CR-455? He is a traitor who is using the accomplishment of lord Sniper as a basis for his own ascension to power! "

Said Judge in a vindicating tone.

[Mazzatello] - "Because we are not fools. CR-455's polymorphic crystals were able to copy lord Sniper's ability. He now wields a power that went unchallenged since the conception of the cyberknights. To charge him without consideration would be a fool's move. "

[Judge] - "Then what do you suggest? "

Said Judge as he stared curiously at Mazzatello.

Mazzatello stared back at Judge with his glowing grey eyes hidden inside the darkness of his hood. Despite the freezing underground temperature, Mazzatello's breath seemed to not produce any fog at all while everyone, including Judge, puffed out large clouds of vapour.

[Mazzatello] - "He would not dare attack us for now. Although the Divine Servants may not be able to defeat him, he couldn't defeat us either. For the moment being, focus on cleaning up the disloyal factions around our new empire. "

Judge knew that Mazzatello's words were not a mere suggestion. The Divine Servants are like the Gestapo of the empire. As long as they are around, everyone will be forced to act as if Sniper is still alive.

[Judge] - "Hmm... very well. "

[Mazzatello] - "However, the Divine Servants will not obey your commands or play by your rules. We will be the judge of our actions and we will act as we see fit. "

[Judge] - "As long as you can guarantee the New Empire's protection against any cyberknight from other factions. "

[Mazzatello] - "Do your part and we'll do ours. "

Meanwhile, at the Allied Secret Arms Research Facility, Kadyn sat by her bedside while writing a diary. She was granted this temporary room while she waited for Dane and his team to work on Mike's body. The enthusiasm in the air was high as Kadyn kept dreaming about the life she would have once Mike had been revived. After finishing the last paragraph, she laid back on her bed and closed her eyes.

Suddenly, she felt footsteps approaching her bedside. She opened her eyes and saw Mike sitting down beside her.

[Kadyn] - "They fixed you up! "

Said Kadyn with excitement as she stood upright.

[Mike] - "You need to stop what they are doing. You need to prevent them from bringing my body back from the dead. "

[Kadyn] - "What are you talking about? Aren't you here with me? "

Said Kadyn in a confused tone.

Upon trying to grab Mike's arm, she suddenly phased through Mike's body.

[Mike] - "This is not reality. You are still dreaming. "

[Kadyn] - "Why? I'll finally have a chance to be with you again! What has gotten into you, you big dummy? "

Said Kadyn with concern in her eyes.

[Mike] - "Because that won't be me. A human's brain is the vault of its soul. My brain was messed up by my battle with Sniper, thus the man who will be revived won't me. The different neuronal connections and structures will be the building blocks of a different man. "

Said Mike in a serious tone.

[Kadyn] - "We won't know if we don't try. "

[Mike] - "Listen to me, Lemon, you need to let go of the past. I'm gone and there is no way to bring me back! "

Said Mike as he turned to face Kadyn.

Kadyn remained silent with a smile on her face. Her enthusiasm and delusion deflected every single word spoken by Mike.

[Mike] - "You need to understand that I'm dead. Reality isn't a fairy tale where the dead could be brought back using technology or magic. If you don't let me go, you'll never be able to live the life you wished to live! You are free now, so don't let the past be your new chains! "

Said Mike as he stared directly at Kadyn in the eyes.

After a few seconds of stoic resistance, tears finally began to appear in Kadyn's eyes.

[Kadyn] - "What if I can't let you go? "

Said Kadyn as she tried to hold back her sorrow.

Mike felt heartbroken to see Kadyn's smile tremble while light streams of tears rolled down her cheeks. Kadyn suddenly slapped herself in the face before putting on a fake smile.

[Kadyn] - "You don't need to tell me what I already know! This is my choice, my freedom. "

[Mike] - "There won't be any freedom once you go down this path! You are opening Pandora's box with this madness! Once you release the chaos trapped inside, closing it would almost be impossible! "

[Kadyn] - "Stop already! I don't want this life! I already told you, I would choose you one thousand times over anyone else! You once saved me, so let me save you this time! "

Said Kadyn while her smile crumbled under her pain.

Mike showed an understanding smile before taking Kadyn in his arms.

[Mike] - "Aren't I already here with you? If what you said is true, then I'm the only Mike who can't be replaced by some bloody imitation. "

Said Mike in an uplifting voice.

[Kadyn] - "This isn't enough! I want to feel your warmth, I want to feel your touch, and I want to see more than just a ghost of you! "

Said Kadyn as she pressed her head against Mike's chest

[Mike] - "Stubborn as always, aren't you? You would always rather cut and charge your problems instead of peacefully resolving them. "

Said Mike in an understanding voice.

[Kadyn] - "Like hell I would let you go gently into that good night. Who the bloody hell do you think I am to let you go without a fight? "

Said Kadyn with the same defiant grin as Mike.

[Mike] - "Sigh... I suppose there is no stopping you. "

[Kadyn] - "Didn't you say I'm master of my own path? Just like you, I decide to fight even when the odds aren't in my favour. My reality is the one I choose for myself. "

Said Kadyn with confidence.

Mike let out a smirk as he almost saw himself in Kadyn when she spoke like that.

[Mike] - "That's the spirit! However, remember, you are Kadyn and not me. We have both our limits, so don't copy everything I do. You need to find your own pace when moving forward on your path. "

Kadyn pulled back and shined her grin at Mike.

[Kadyn] - "If you do come back alive, don't forget you still owe me that interstellar dance. "

[Mike] - "It's part of the honeymoon package, alright. "

Said Mike as he grinned back at Kadyn.

During this time, inside the medical facility, nurses and surgeons worked furiously on Mike's deceased body. After completing the basic procedures, Dane's invention was rolled forward and placed against Mike's head. The doctors and nurses watched in anticipation as the machine's endless little claws worked on Mike's brain. Like a swarm of insects, the tiny arms pulled and sewed the tissues together with unmatched precision and speed.

[Doctor 1] - "Jesus, I think our job might be in danger once these get out on the market. "

[Doctor 2] - "Or, maybe we could cybernetically enhance ourselves to match the machines. "

[Doctor 1] - "I'd rather die than lose my humanity. I'm already one eye, one arm and one leg away from becoming fully machine. "

[Dunkel] - "Shut your damn mouths, dummkof! If you two want to chat, then chat outside. "

Screamed the head doctor with a fiery look in her eyes.

Dane soon entered the room to inspect his invention's progress. Upon checking the control panel, he nodded with an expression of shock and surprise.

[Dane] - "He was dead for around five days, right? "

[Dunkel] - "Five days and 12 hours to be exact. "

Said Dunkel in a grim voice.

[Dane] - "Yet, his brain tissues were so darn fresh. It almost appeared as if he just kicked the bucket a few minutes ago. "

[Dunkel] - "Blödsinn! Your machine must have made some mistake! "

Yelled Dunkel in an angry German accent.

[Dane] - "No, indeed, my machine is currently revivin' him. I'm seeing brain activities in multiple of his regions. If he was rottin', this wouldn't have been possible. "

Said Dane in an impressed tone.

Right in front of Dane and Dunkel's eyes, Mike's skull was sown back shut. As soon as the machine notified Dane of its work's completion, Mike opened his eyes. With an almost mechanical motion, Mike pushed himself up the operating table with a strange expression in his eyes. Unbeknownst to everyone in the room, the man who occupied the body wasn't Mike but someone else.

[Arthur] - "Who are you people? Where am I? "

[Dane] - "Well, I'm Dane, Mike. You are currently in Allied custody. We have managed to revive you from the dead. "

[Arthur] - "Who is Mike? I'm Arthur. I remember I was an Allied agent on a mission before something shot me in the head. "

Dane shot Arthur a curious look before he stared down at his machine. Soon, Dane realized that the initial programming was tampered with by someone. Before Dane could speak out, two guards abruptly ambushed him from behind and prevented him from screaming by placing a rag around his mouth. As he was silently dragged out of the room, he noticed the sadistic grin on Dunkel's face and immediately knew she was the perpetrator.

[Dunkel] - "Assist our agent with his recovery. "

[Doctor 1] - "Understood, ma'am. "

After following the two guards to an excluded area in the base, Dunkel ordered Dane to be tied down on a metal chair. With a smug smile, Dunkel approached Dane and sat opposite to him on another chair.

[Dunkel] - "Now, Dane, virtue isn't something that will win us the war. "

Said Dunkel as she crossed her legs.

[Dunkel] - "You see, mein freud, the Allied central command contacted me and told me that Mike, as he was called, should be brainwashed and programmed to serve the Allied cause. Think about it, Dane, how much use he could be to us! This war will favourable shift to our side now that we have such a powerful weapon at our disposal. "

Said Dunkel while smiling with dark ambition.

[Dane] - "I should've seen it comin'. You ain't nothing but an evil snake, Dunkel. "

[Dunkel] - "Hmm, how unfortunate. I thought you would be cooperative now that you are talking to the new Allied chief research executive. Too bad for you, Dane, I will make good use of our new asset. Meanwhile, as for you, you better stay quiet about this whole affair or you and your family could expect a little visit from the black coats. "

Said Dunkel with a smug expression on her face.

Dane knew that there was nothing he could do now that the deed was already done. With a defeated expression, he lowered his head in shame and regret.

[Dunkel] - "Release him and keep a close eye on his activities. This affair must remain a secret to the public. "

[Guard] - "As you wish, ma'am. "

[Dunkel] - "Remember this conversation, Dane. If I can kill one man to achieve my goals, I'm willing to kill more if necessary. "

To be continued...