Geass: Alpha & Omega
Stage Seven
Code
"I knew it was dangerous from the start, but still, we had to know who was pulling the strings of the Babylonians. There was a Chessmaster behind their actions, and I was determined to find out who they were, even if it cost me my life..." —Excerpt from an email sent by Colonel Lelouch vi Britannia to Ambassador Nunnally vi Britannia dated June 21st, 2035 a.t.b.
March 12th, 2035 a.t.b.
"Eight days of searching around this place and we've seen nothing but the vortex and deserted buildings." Dalque lamented. The Irregulars moved their mecha around a large plaza surrounded by step pyramid structures made of a metallic substance. Various green foliage and fauna of clearly alien origin covered the landscape around the buildings. They flourished in the dense humidity of the foggy atmosphere that hung over this section of the large ring that surrounded Nibiru's artificial sun.
"It is certainly very unusual," Count Amontillado commented. His Uther lead the way as they continued their detailed survey of the city complex in the dim sunlight reflected off of the inner surface of the Dyson Sphere hundreds of miles above their heads.
"Definitely is creepy," Sancia rotated her Vincent-Advanced sensor head to the right and scanned another of the large pyramid shaped buildings. The sigil of Geass burned a bright pink on the forehead of the pale haired woman. She used her The Order power to scan for lifeforms, "this place is completely devoid of anything save the vegetation."
Alice moved her Vincent-Advanced along the surface of the metallic roadways towards the large coliseum shaped building that the vortex swirled down into, "Something's not right here. This place ought to be crawling with Knights of Nibiru if Hel was behind this…don't you think Sir?"
"I don't really know Alice," Count Amontillado took in the whole situation. His masked face studied the large metallic coliseum for a few moments. "Lucretia, what is the exact position of this bowl shaped building in relation to the tubular structures below this ring around Nibiru's sun?"
Lucretia used her The Land Geass power to get an instant mental image of the underside of the ring structure, "the coliseum shaped building is directly above the center of the cylindrical tubes that penetrate deep into the core of the sun."
The Count cupped his chin, "I thought as much."
"What does it mean Count?" Alice inquired.
He sighed, "It means that whatever is happening here is at the core of the artificial sun. If I had to venture a guess, I'd say that whoever is behind this is attempting to restore this mobile planet to its full power…that's assuming it wasn't at full power already."
"Does that mean we have to go into the sun?" Dalque asked.
"What's the matter Dalque? I thought you wanted some action?" Sancia ribbed her.
"That was before we spent a few days camping here," Dalque replied. "Sancia, don't tell me you can't feel the strange, almost suffocating force here."
"I feel it Dalque," Sancia admitted.
"I know what you mean," Alice added. "This whole place feels alive with an unseen power."
"I don't think penetrating deeper into this structure is wise," the Count stated in a serious tone. He adjusted his Knightmare Frame's sensors and scanned the vortex in its concentrated state. "We have enough data yet," he flew the Uther closer to the large coliseum shaped building until his machine stopped just at the lip of the immense oval orifice. "Fascinating, my sensors are picking up a large energy signature that is nearly identical to that of—" A smoky bulb of cloud brushed the tip of the torso of his Knightmare Frame. The Uther went limp and fell from the sky towards the vortex.
"Count Amontillado!" Alice called over the radio. Her Geass was active instantly. Alice's mecha zoomed in to catch the Uther before it was lost in the whirlwind. The Vincent-Advanced Knightmare moved in a blur grabbing onto the Count's machine and moving to a safe distance in matter of seconds.
Alice called out to him over her comm., "Count, are you alright…Answer me!"
"We need to get his hatch open," Lucretia moved her KMF into position in order to unlock the cockpit manually via the utility arms of her Vincent-Advanced.
"Roger that," Alice replied signaling her approval of Lucretia's action.
The hatch was open in moments revealing the Count's limp form inside.
Lucretia moved her Knightmare up next to his and opened her own cockpit. She jumped over to him and checked his vitals, "he's alive and has a pulse. I don't see any injuries, but I can't tell if he's breathing or not with this mask on. I think it best if we remove it to make sure."
Alice moved her machine to the opposite side of the Uther and jumped over next to Lucretia. "We can't remove his mask." She said in a low tone, "no one must know his identity."
"But Alice, he could die," Lucretia told her with a grave look.
Alice put her hand just above the mouthpiece of the mask. She couldn't feel any breath, "he's not breathing."
"Then we need to give him CPR," Lucretia demanded.
Alice knew that the Count wouldn't make it back up to the Arcadia without first aid. She made her decision, "you're right Lucretia, but his identity stays between us, understood?"
Lucretia nodded silently. Alice unbuckled the straps on the back of the mask and opened it up.
Lucretia gasped in shock as Alice removed the faceplate, "but he's….he's…"
"Never mind who he is," Alice took a deep breath and opened his mouth with her hands. She blew the air into his mouth until his lungs filled.
Lucretia overcame her initial shock and pressed down on his chest once it rose.
The two women continued to resuscitate him for over a minute before he finally began breathing on his own.
"I think he'll be alright now," Alice said watching him breath freely.
Lucretia turned to her, "I agree, but we shouldn't stay here any longer. He needs actual medical attention."
"Agreed, let's get him secured in his Knightmare," Alice put his mask back on and then secured the Count onto his seat. The two women returned to their respective KMFs and closed the hatch of the Uther.
"Hey you two…What happened?" Dalque scanned the area visually for enemy units out of nervous habit. "Is he okay?"
"I don't know," Alice replied, "but we're getting him back to the ship. Dalque you and Sancia will fly escort while Lucretia and I carry the Uther." The Vincent-Advanced units of the two women grabbed hold of the motionless mecha by its shoulders.
Alice gave the vortex a penetrating stare, "Irregulars, let's get the hell out of this accursed place."
The Glorious cruised with her flight of warships through the colorful swirl of hyperspace towards its destination at ten light years per Earth hour. Nunnally vi Britannia looked out the main observation windows of the Glorious at the kaleidoscope of colors. She was lost in contemplation of where her brother and older sister might be as they were still unaccounted for somewhere near Hadar.
"I wouldn't worry too much about them," Jason guessed at where her thoughts were. He walked up behind Nunnally and placed his hands softly on her shoulders to comfort her.
Nunnally took hold of his left hand in hers and turned towards him, "I know I shouldn't fret Jason. Lelouch and Cornelia are both very capable military leaders, but I just can't shake this awful feeling."
"I shan't second guess the intuition of an oracle," Jason gently pulled her in close to him. He caressed her cheek and ran his hands through the long locks of her dirty-blonde hair in one fluid motion, "However, you must realize that not only is your brother the great immortal Zero, but he has with him a guardian of unspeakable power and ability."
She let out a small laugh, "I'm glad you think so highly of C2." Nunnally saw into Jason's thoughts, "although without my innate ability to read your thoughts I would have assumed you meant Enoch." Nunnally stared into his eyes, "why do you Greeks hate Enoch so much?"
"Because his agenda is not that of mankind," Jason said harshly. "He serves extra-dimensional powers whose purposes are unclear and often times contrary to the benefit of humans. He betrayed all of us to fulfill the will of whatever masters he serves, and that left my companions and I trapped under the ice of Antarctica for millennia. You would do well to be wary of that creature. He is not now, nor was he ever of the children of men."
"I know that," Nunnally laid her head on Jason's chest, "but I fear he has a great part to play in all of this, and that we cannot hope to prevail alone."
"Perhaps," Jason kissed her softly on the head, "nevertheless, we must endeavor to strive without the help of demons or angels…even ones who seek to aid us."
Nunnally closed her eyes, "but Nemo is a devil. Lysandra has seen into his mind and she knows what that thing wants. It hates on a level that you and I cannot comprehend. It had the power to transform Nina into that…" she paused thinking of the Nina she had befriended at Ashford so many years ago, "…that monster. We can only guess at what schemes it plans for the rest of us."
Jason held her closer, "Nemo is not our concern at present. No matter how evil or wicked its intent is towards us, the fact is that it is imprisoned on Nibiru. If it weren't, it would have no doubt left that world a long time ago. Marduk and his legions are our major concern at the moment since they're moving against us as we speak. We must convince the Galactic Council to condemn his aggressive moves towards the Earth and get them to recognize the Commonwealth as a mutual nation. Once that is done, then we can concern ourselves with Nemo."
Nunnally opened her eyes and hugged him tightly, "I hope your right."
Two men in Babylonian flight suits made their way slowly through the thick growth of a tropical island. One of the pair carried a large metal sphere on his back in a web backpack, as his suit clung to his body from the sweat that drenched it due to the high humidity. In front of him the leader of the two cut through the thicket with his Kopesh sword causing the acrid smell of freshly cut plants to assault his olfactory senses.
"Seven days of lugging this power cell around is getting old," Enkidu grumbled.
"We're lucky to be alive," Gilgamesh reminded him.
"I know," Enkidu huffed, brushing the sweat from his brow. "You've told me so every day since I found your wrecked Sargon eight nights ago."
Gilgamesh cut through a large mass of plants that resembled ferns, "indeed I have my old friend, in order to remind you that the true God Anu has smiled upon us."
"Spare me the sermon," Enkidu griped.
The two men made their way out of the brush onto a cliff overlooking a large lagoon.
"There she is," Enkidu said to Gilgamesh. Down at the edge of the water, laying both half in and half out of the sea, on its side was Enkidu's Sargon-V. It rested exactly where it had landed.
"It's in better shape than I would have thought," Gilgamesh smiled.
Enkidu looked down the long path that wound down along the edge of the rocky cliff they stood on. "We'd better get moving." He told Gilgamesh, "It won't be long before nightfall."
"I agree," Gilgamesh replied moving towards the path leading down towards the beach. "We need to get your Automatos powered up."
The two men moved briskly down the side of the cliff face to the mecha lying in the lagoon beneath them.
Gilgamesh climbed up onto the top of the Sargon-V and opened up a hatch on the back of the torso of the machine just under it's backpack on the right side.
"Hand me the power-cell," Gilgamesh said reaching out towards his friend.
Enkidu pulled his backpack off and handed it up to his friend, "I already removed the old energy supply."
"Good thinking," Gilgamesh smiled down at him. He hefted up the pack and laid it next to the open hatchway. Inside was an empty spherical socket with tubes and wiring connecting to its edge all around. Gilgamesh took the metallic sphere from the backpack and pushed it into the round orifice.
Instantly a myriad of clear tubes running from the edges of the socket radiated a brilliant yellow-white light from the power surging through the machine.
"That ought to do it," Gilgamesh shut the hatch and secured it.
"Good," Enkidu sighed, "I was worried we'd have to swim to the enemy settlement."
"Hah!" Gilgamesh blurt out, "no my friend, we can fly there."
The two men moved to the open cockpit hatch of the Sargon-V. They climbed inside with Gilgamesh in the pilot seat and Enkidu positioned just behind the seat in the small space of the cockpit.
"This thing was clearly not meant for two," Enkidu gripped while Gilgamesh activated the graviton-lift engines of the machine.
"Don't worry old friend," he flew the machine up over the surface of the lagoon, "you won't have to sit back there long." The Sargon-V skimmed the blazing gold surface of the sunset lit ocean waters before them on its way towards the series of large islands in the distance. "We'll be to the encampment of the enemy soon enough."
"What the hell did she say to you, Akira!" Lena barked at him as they sat within the lounge of the Glorious.
"Will you please let this go, Lena," Akira pleaded with her. "General Athena simply wanted to honor a personal request by Jason."
"And what request was that?" Mika piped up.
"Nothing that matters," Akira dodged the question.
"Don't give me that bullcrap, Akira." Mika glared. "Whatever this request was has had you in a state of perpetual contemplation since we left Tartarus."
Lena gave Akira a hurt look, "Akira, if we're gonna act as a team, we can't keep secrets from each other. Especially if they involve our safety or the mission."
Akira sighed, "I was given a Geass power." He stated flatly.
The group gasped in unison.
"What!" Mika shouted at him. "And you accepted?"
Lena was too shocked to speak.
"Of course," Akira said matter-of-factly. "How could I refuse?"
"Easy," Mika growled, "you say, thanks…but no thanks."
"Having a member of the Yamato no Orochi with Geass does actually make sense considering the situation." Anya stated flatly. "I would imagine that General Athena doesn't wish for the Earth to look weak in the face of all the other powers at the conference. Since we are acting as Ambassador Britannia's personal guard, it may make us look inferior if our team leader isn't what they call a Champion."
"Maybe so, but isn't Athena overreacting just a bit?" Gregor asked looking at his long time friend and team mate.
"No," Akira said. "Anya's correct, if we don't show the other powers that we possess Geass, then they will view us as unworthy of continued existence and will either enslave us or obliterate us."
"Well if that's the case, then why didn't Athena give us all Geass?" Tetsuo inquired.
Anya eyed her boyfriend, "Tetsuo, you can barely handle a Knightmare Frame. No offense love, but I can't imagine you with Geass."
Tetsuo looked hurt, "what? Why not?"
Anya's joke broke the tension, but no one laughed.
Lena saw an opportunity in the uncomfortable silence between them and forced a change in subject, "Hey you guys, how about we all go down to the chow hall for some food. I'm famished."
The other Yamato no Orochi put the revelation of Akira's new found power aside for the moment as they nodded in agreement at Lena's suggestion of something to eat.
Lena walked over to Akira and took his hand. She had pressed him hard for days to learn what had captivated his thoughts and now she wasn't so sure that knowing was a good thing. Akira gave her a weak smile that Lena returned in kind. She didn't want to think about why Akira really accepted a Geass from Athena. Lena knew the Greek goddess must have had a deeper reason for Nobunaga to accept it, and that "something" must have been dire indeed.
"Captain Britannia, it is good to finally meet you," A tall Grecian officer said with a low bow. Cornelia, Gilford, and the man stood within the primary tower of the spaceport on the planet Hadar, which rested along the coastline of a large continent of the lush blue-green world.
"Thank you, Commander Orson, and you also." The sunlight off Beta Centauri illuminated Cornelia's mauve hair through the large windows of the control center giving it an attractive pink hue. She gave the Grecian man a courteous smile. "However, I must cut the pleasantries short in order to ask you how the repairs to the Kaminejima are coming?"
Commander Orson nodded his head slightly in a knowing gesture as his tone became serious, "We should have your ship ready in a few days. However, The Renya will be complete within the week. Would you not care to wait until your new warship is finished?"
Her brow furrowed, "No, I cannot wait for the completion of the battlecruiser while I still have not rescued my crew, Commander. I cannot justify leaving them on that moon longer than is necessary with the enemy in orbit above them."
"I understand, Captain Britannia," Orson motioned for them to look at the large viewscreen on the far wall behind him. "However, we have already amassed an armada to deal with Ishtar's fleet." An image of a massive force of Grecian warships—which numbered in the thousands—flew in formation in high orbit over Hadar. "This fleet will be leaving shortly to engage the Babylonians."
"I see," Cornelia grimaced, "I'm surprised Zeus has called for such action considering what Aphrodite has told us about his position with regard to this conflict between the Commonwealth and Babylonia."
Orson's left eyebrow raised slightly, "Actually, it was Hera who ordered the fleet here. She sees the encroachment by Marduk's Imperial fleet as a precursor to total invasion of our cosmic-territories. The brazen attack on your small vessel, and the careless abandon that Ishtar has pursued you with, has convinced Hera that Marduk intends on capturing Nibiru for his own rather than securing it from you Terrans as he has claimed."
Cornelia cupped her chin softly, "so the mobile planet is his objective." She thought back to the horrid visage of Hel and her minions interrupting Euphie's wedding in the chapel on Luna. "I doubt the Babylonians have any idea what lay within the bowels of that monstrous metallic world."
A Grecian officer entered the tower from the elevator at the far end of the room and walked up to them. He gave them a Greco-Roman style salute with his right arm, "My apologies for the interruption, Taxiarhos (Brigadier)."
Orson returned his salute, "what is it lokhagos (Captain)?"
The lokhagos stood at attention, "the Babylonian armada has left the system, Taxiarhos Orson."
Cornelia was shocked, "What?"
Orson wore a blank expression, "interesting."
"Lelouch!" C.C. called out to him.
Lelouch's head hurt as he opened his eyes. They were blurry for a moment then focused on the barren room that he and C.C. were in. A metallic smell filled his nostrils while his eyes scanned the chamber. Both of them were hanging from chains secured in the metallic walls of the cell that was illuminated by a dim blue-light from a dome-shaped fixture above them. "Where are we?" Lelouch asked.
"Right where you wanted us to be, remember?" C.C. scowled at him, "captured, and within the prison block of the Hammurabi."
Lelouch immediately noticed C.C.'s lack of clothing, "did I miss something while I was out?"
Her cheeks burned rouge with embarrassment, "I regenerated back to life, but my clothes weren't so fortunate."
The memory of being crushed within the cockpit of Samael suddenly filled his head. He looked down at his own tattered rags that hung from his partially naked form, "guess they didn't think we needed to be clothed?"
"Obviously not," C.C. stated smugly, "they probably don't think we'll need them for what they plan on doing to us. Still think this was as good idea?"
He ignored her, "the first task at hand has been cleared. Now, we need to clear the next task before Enoch rescues us."
"Next task?" C.C. asked, "and what the hell is that—"
The door to the cell opened allowing Ishtar and a troop of guards to enter.
"Well now," Ishtar cooed, "I see the two of you are awake." She smiled, "good."
Lelouch activated his Geass and glared at Ishtar, "I Lelouch vi Britannia command you…"
"Hahahaha!" Ishtar laughed at him. "You've no power here boy." She pointed her long delicate index finger of her right hand towards the light in the ceiling, "that's a Geass dampening generator. It cuts the range of your power to less than half a meter. Therefore, my men and I are quite safe from your influence."
Lelouch hadn't anticipated this exact scenario, although he did foresee Ishtar coming to interrogate them, and the fact that she didn't use her own power meant the eerie blue field of light must also cancel out her abilities. The Babylonian woman had gone to great lengths to capture them, and he had an idea as to why. "What do you want with us?"
Ishtar snickered, "it isn't what I want dear boy. It is what my lord Marduk has commanded me to do with you that matters."
"And what would that be?" C.C. demanded.
Ishtar snapped her fingers. From behind her a young teenage boy walked through the troop of guards holding what appeared to be a large red-ruby surrounded by a ring of gold. The gold band had arcane symbols on its technological controls and a myriad of electrical wiring to and from the surface of the ruby where it met the metallic device.
The boy handed the contraption to Ishtar. "This," she held out the device in the palm of her hand, "is a gatherer." She walked up C.C.'s naked form.
"Leave her alone!" Lelouch commanded, though he was certain he knew what the device was for.
Ishtar tittered, "don't worry boy. Marduk gave explicit instructions that you two were not to be harmed physically. I dare not disobey his order. However…" Ishtar eyed Lelouch with venom, "that doesn't mean I can't cause you discomfort, or pain."
Lelouch glared at her, "then do what you will to me, but leave her alone."
"Oh how cavalier of you," Ishtar smirked at him viciously and walked up to C.C. She placed the ruby device upon C.C.'s chest, directly over the center, "but I'm afraid I can't honor that request." A radiant glow emanated from C.C.'s bosom as Ishtar tapped lightly on the arcane keys. C.C.'s eyes grew wide while the glow intensified and paralyzed her.
Lelouch had seen this light before, when Charles had tried to take C.C.'s Code in C's World so many years ago. "Stop it! You'll kill her!"
"No," Ishtar said sweetly. "While under normal circumstances the wounds one has upon activating their Code normally return and kill the wielder. This device repairs the damage to the body using the Code while it extracts it into the gathering chamber. Your woman will be quite fine once the process is complete."
The lime-green color of C.C.'s hair turned dirty-blonde as her Code was stripped from her body. Lelouch could only stare in wonder as Ishtar removed the device from her chest. "There now, she is as she was before she gained her immortality."
C.C. looked up towards Ishtar with the twin sigils of Geass in her eyes.
Ishtar moved back away from her quickly, "it is unfortunate however, that this device is unable to strip her of her Geass power."
"So that's what you want," Lelouch spat the words at her.
"Indeed," Ishtar said with wicked glee. She held up the glowing jewel and put it on Lelouch's bare bosom, "I want your Codes."
Lelouch froze as he felt Euryale's Code torn from deep within his being. The weight of mortality fell upon his flesh once more as the "gatherer" finished its work.
C.C. watched speechless while Lelouch's hair turned from white back to black, and the light of his Code flowed into the ruby device.
"There now," Ishtar caressed his face briefly while she backed away from him. "That wasn't so bad was it?"
Lelouch caught a glimpse of the thought foremost in Ishtar's mind when she touched him. He now knew why Ishtar needed their Codes, and that why had a name—Nemo.
End Chapter Seven:
My apologies for the delay in the Chapters.
Real Life has been extremely hectic as of the last few months.
Hopefully my workload will lighten up so that I can bring you new Chapters more quickly.
-Kodai Okuda