⁕ The Truths And The Lies (part 5)

Sniper's limousine arrived inside a tunnel dug deep inside a massive mountain. The reflection of the lights initially moved horizontally to the car's windows before they suddenly began to move vertically. After moving through an extensive set of tunnels, Sniper arrived at a massive interior factory filled with different military equipment in the course of production. However, after moving through another section, Sniper arrived at the shipyard. 

Contrary to the standard, these massive ships spanning over 1-2 kilometres long aren't built for the sea but for the sky. Their massive engine ran on nuclear fusion and they were each armed with over 725 pieces of armement. Their shielding system could withstand multiple nuclear bombs and is designed to specifically make nukes obsolete. Finally, inside each of these ships, there is enough storage space to carry around 240-480 aircraft and 2 ground armies worth of soldiers. Alongside these ships, there are also dedicated destroyer-class ships specially designed to brawl against enemy vessels in a head-on battle. 

[Sniper] - "How is the production going, Judge? "

Said Sniper as he leaned against the railing. 

[Judge] - "I'm afraid we are lacking behind schedule, my lord. "

[Sniper] - "How lacking are we talking about? "

Said Sniper with an ounce of expression on his face. 

Judge glanced nervously at the skeleton of the incomplete ship over the platform's railing. 

[Judge] - "Two... two Roma-class carriers. "

[Sniper] - "Honesty can be the difference between mercy and a fall from grace. "

Said Sniper as he threw a screw over the platform. 

Judge swallowed his saliva with a terrified expression on his face. 

[Judge] - "Two Roma-class carriers, 10 Dissector-class destroyers, 1200 tanks of all types, 3400 infantry carrier vehicles and 1 million pieces of gun, military equipment and gadgets. "

[Sniper] - "Why? "

Said Sniper as he turned toward Judge. 

[Judge] - "Our funding... my lord. Our sponsors, they are diminishing their contribution. "

Said Judge with closed eyes. 

[Sniper] - "How frustrating... "

Said Sniper as he tapped his finger against the railing. 

[Sniper] - "But unlike regular men, I can do something about this situation. So instead, I should say: How annoying... "

Said Sniper as he began to walk away with Judge following tightly behind him. 

After entering a small conference room, Sniper sat in front of a row of different men. Some of them were scientists, some of them were managers, and a few of them were the predecessors to the cyberknights. 

[Sniper] - "Gentlemen, many years ago, I have personally convinced a number of people to fund our cause. Today, it seems like they forgot who they are serving. The loyalists will be allowed to march with the revolution while the corrupt and rebellious will be crushed under it. Men need to be reminded of their God and Gods need to be reminded of me. Considering the recent decrease in funding, it is obvious as to my next course of action. I want our old investors, potential investors, and new investors all gathered in the city of Paris for a little conference. I believe memories need to be refreshed in order to allow greater collaboration between us and them. Funding will increase by ten times when I am done with them. Long live the empire! "

Said Sniper before saluting his subordinates.

[Everyone together] - "Long live the empire! Long live lord Sniper! "

Screamed everyone as they stood up and saluted Sniper.

Although Sniper didn't mention it explicitly, everyone in the room knew that a bloodbath was in order. Oftentimes, the heavy usage of allegories by Sniper meant that he was trying to smoothen the brutality of the wrath he was about to unleash. 

[Ethan] - "My lord, is it possible that the method might be too extreme? "

[Sniper] - "Well, doctor Ethan, what do you suggest then? "

[Ethan] - "We could negotiate or intimidate our investors... There is no need for any drastic measures. "

The whole table began to laugh at Ethan for his ridiculous suggestion while Sniper stared at him with an unamused expression. 

[Sniper] - "The reunion is dismissed. "

Ethan was the last to leave the room but as he reached the door, he suddenly heard Sniper's voice. 

[Sniper] - "Remember, doctor Ethan, empathy is harmful, ignorance is bliss. "

Said Sniper with an oppressively heavy tone. 

As Sniper walked through the hallway, the memories of his conversation with his sister came to his mind. The more he thought about it, the more it frustrated him. At a certain point, Sniper stopped walking. 

"Why would I let a boy with so much potential be corrupted by his worthless parents? I'm Sniper, a God amongst men. There is nothing that I can't do, only things I can't think of doing. Why did I allow myself to be bound by the formalities of a mortal man? " 

Thought Sniper as his palms turned into fists.

[Sniper] - "Judge, gather all my cyberknights and special operation commandos. Briefing on a special mission plan. Codename: [Operation Open Eye]. "

Said Sniper through his helmet's communication device. 

Sniper's agents worked day and night to create a list of rich individuals who could provide a significant amount of funds to Sniper's projects. Once the list was complete, hackers began to track the location of these individuals. Following this, the proto-cyberknights will pay these individuals a visit and hand them a mandatory invitation to the conference. 

A Mexican druglord slept soundly inside his private mansion before the sound of gunfire woke him up. With a worried expression, he looked over his balcony only to find no guards in his garden. Screams emanated from the hallway before being abruptly silenced. When he finally realized the gravity of the situation, he made a mad dash toward the door only to come face-to-face with a cyberknight. The drug lord recoiled in fear as the knight walked toward him while leaving molten footprints behind him. 

[Toro] - "Hola, senior, please read carefully the instructions of this letter. "

Said Toro as he handed the drug lord a letter. 

While the trembling drug lord read the letter, Toro's backpack sprayed a strange mixture into the room. 

"This is an invitation for all the chosen members of society to contribute their massive wealth toward a project which will benefit all on this earth. A revolution is in motion and only through the sacrifice of your own freedom could you receive a place in the empire. 

The conference will take place in Paris 3 days from now, which is also the amount of time it would take for you to succumb to the virus that has already entered your body and the bodies of your loved ones. There is no cure unless you participate in the conference and agree to the terms suggested by me, your host. 

Do not try to alert the authorities, do not try to go public with this letter, and do not try to resist. Your trip to Paris must remain a secret, hidden from all your loved ones and your entourage. Any breach of these terms will result in your termination and the seizure of the entirety of your properties and wealth. Do not doubt the authenticity of my message, let the actions of my messenger be proof of my power. 

May you find redemption through servitude. 

-Sniper. "

The drug lord raised his head and realized that the cyberknight had already disappeared. All of a sudden, a violent cough overtook his lungs before a splatter of blood exited his mouth. He was in total disbelief as he exited his room while still being in a state of shock. He looked inside the hallway and saw the charred bodies of his guards with their horrified facial expressions permanently preserved in a carbonized corpse. The terrified screams of the drug lord shot through the mansion, which only responded to him with silence. 

By the end of Sniper's campaign, which only lasted a week, most multi-billionaires around the world had received a visit from Sniper's knights. Most chose to obey Sniper's order while a small minority committed suicide. From rich businessmen to criminal leaders, from politicians to celebrities, no one could escape once their name has been added to the list. 

The ingenuity of Sniper's plan didn't stop there. With control of the most important sources of wealth in the world in his palm, Sniper could also easily incorporate them into the imperial economy and fund the future imperial occupation of conquered countries. On top of that, under the imperial socialist program, most privately owned companies will easily be globalized. With this, the inequality in wealth around different countries will be equalized. 

[Sniper] - "The revolution is not only about one person or one country, it's about the freedom of all. It's for all people, no matter the colour of their skin, no matter their devotion to whichever faith, no matter their social status, and no matter their ethnic origin or culture, to have an equal chance. The gap between the rich and the poor must be approached. Education, food, water, medicine, technologies, rights, justice, and jobs must be accessible to all. In our darkest hour, today, when humanity has reached stagnation, we shall be the ones to rise and take back this world which belongs to men and not to the privileged minority. Resources are not limitless, that's why humanity must unite under the imperial flag and conquer the skies beyond our puny differences. Unity transforms the universe into our world map! Glory to the empire! "

The few hundred thousand soldiers who listened to Sniper's speech quickly performed the imperial salute.

[In a synchronized echoe] - "Glory to the empire! Long live lord Sniper! "

To be continued...