Chapter 11: Preparations
Herman swallowed his pride and fear, glancing over his shoulder, just in case anyone came up to him before breathing down his own neck. He and Liwen observed and studied the rotating gyroscope having screen from a projector tagged with calculation inputs and pixel data.
Liwen herself, meanwhile, was busy overlooking the generator inside the device as she was working on the portable tablet, as well as the power console within with a stream of colourful wires laid upon the ground and connected to a plasma canister in the centre of the machine.
Over five guards stood close by in the catwalk, monitoring their work and their fingers tingling around the triggers of their rifles, should their prisoner attempt to escape.
Herman was torn between concern over the safety of the young cadets and his calculations for the opening of the breach. He couldn't stop his own mind on Newt because he couldn't escape the thought that this hypocrite Kaiju friend would snap and become this monster.
Sickened to see Newton bonding with this Priestess and how corrupted he was since he drifted with that disgusting Kaiju brain, allowing Newt to become connected through the Precursor hive mind like a vessel of destruction. Plus, he saw his former colleague's eyes flicker a malicious glow of blue as if was a metaphysical creature within him, he took it as a sign of 'changes'.
Meanwhile, in a small empty bunk room, Amara sat against a wall by herself, arms tied behind her back and knees just reaching her chin. The young woman let a breathless sniff as she shut her eyes, hoping this nightmare would soon end. All of her friends were still down there, under the mercy of the cult.
The other prisoners, in the meantime, were trapped in a shipping container. Jinhai wrapped his arms protectively around a weeping Vik.
Amara couldn't stop thinking about the rest of her friends and what fates they may suffer; still at the mercy of the terrorists.
These disgusting Kaiju hippies believed they could bring back the monsters and use them for god know what. During their captivity, Newt admitted to her his plans to have "fun" with her first and then the others, one by one; Amara knew he would go for Renata first, Meilin and then Vik. Amara snapped at him, swearing she would kill him if he ever dare lay a finger on any of them.
But a burning anger glowing in her own heart and she vowed to get her friends out of this ship or die trying. She wouldn't let Newt put his hands on any of her comrades, her family.
An twist of piercing anger emitted in her bloodshot eyes and a sole tear poured down on her checks. She was reminded the pocket knife well hidden in her shoe and thanks to Herman, there would be a fighting chance.
Suddenly, the door cocked opened, the sound of metallic clanging was enough to make Amara recoil and her skin tense.
One of the zealots and her personal gunmen stepped in through the hatch doors and they strolled into other cargo bay. Herman was leaning against a table for support, as he yawned, stretched his arms and rustled his stringy hair. Upon his workplace was a graphic displayer along with a few sheets of paper and even a cup of coffee barely touched.
"Good morning, you degenerates!" Herman rubbed his eyes. "May I help you?"
Liwen watched as the terrorists stood guard, close behind the control panel, preparing to work while she smuggled another screw driver from the table deep into her sleeve.
Scoffs formed on the faces of the insurgents from the disrespecting attitude of Herman himself.
"Progress, Dr. Herman?" the priestess stormed in, growling restlessly. "I fully expect deployment on schedule as plan."
"You serious? What are you trying to do? Pull me into doing a little misadventure?" Herman snickered. "Because of you people, I haven't any proper sleep."
"I want results, not excesses." Monika retorted, not taking the Doctor's sense of sarcasm and humour lightly.
"Alright, alright, I just need to recheck the calibration from the data I suspect to be inaccurate, no?" Herman said. "All's right on time but I need a little extra time to triple check. But I'm no computer hacker."
"Extra time?"
"My calculations believe to be a 45 percent chance of success and the 55 percent chance of failure if the timing-" Annoyed and fed up of the PPDC scientist and his bickering.
The irritated Zealot raised a fist and swung a punch right into Herman's face. Liwen cringed at the sight, all the while smuggling something into the machine. Herman fell hard to the floor on his backside. Blood poured out of his nose and he tasted it with his tongue.
"What did you do that for?" Herman snapped. "I was going to explain-" He was cut short as an insurgent struck against Herman' stomach with a rifle. The doctor let out a gurgling groan, clutching his stomach while Liwen watched helplessly from her corner.
"The Priestess demands results?" the terrorist counter-argued.
Herman flinched away, still covering his stomaching "Sorry, the machine may be ready soon enough, but you expect me to believe this device will work under water?"
"It better be ready," Monika lunged forward, grabbing the collar shirt and pulling him close. "For your sake." One of the lackeys whipped out a pistol and aimed it behind Herman's head. Ignoring the pain in his stomach and the sweating pouring down his forehead, Herman swallowed a big gulp of fear before trembling to replay.
"Correct terms, ma'am, is yes." Herman answered through shaking teeth with full compliance.
"What do you think of your friend, Dr. Herman?" Rita asked as she walked beside the insane scientist in the hallway of the ship.
Newt chuckled lightly as he faced the Priestess, eyes flickered with the familiar neon blue. "Herman is nothing but a filthy little playboy. He means nothing to me, my dear sexy lady."
Shatterdome
"We are doing whatever we can . We are aware of the situation happening in the pacific rim."
Herc glancing at the wall filled with screens with delegates of the United Nations. Clearly, his frustration and inpatient getting the better hand of him. He spend hours trying to find anything that can help the PPDC locate the terrorist hide out and those cadets.
Recapturing Dr Gweiler was the PPDC top priority.
"You seen to do a slow job in finding those nutters." Growled Herc pointing a finger "Those kids are out there and god knows what these Kaiju Hippies are up to."
"The United Nations authorized everything in their power and resource-"
"I don't want promises, I want leads and we are dealing with pack of Kaiju nutters think they want play god." Spatted out Herc cutting off a female Canadian delegate.
"You all know that. But I also still don't understand why they want to kidnap a bunch of cadets for god knows what ploy they would address. Those cadets are our responsibility."
"We understand and even appreciate everything you've done so far," the US delegate said with absolute reassure.
"We're trying to find leads on the whereabouts of this Cult," the British delegate added. "As you know, the UN summit is being held at Sydney for a major conference Marshall. In other words, Marshal, we shall proceed as scheduled, we expect you not to rest until you're absolutely sure that this Cult won't interference with aggressive negotiations on your watch. Even my county will help as much as they can."
" I know the circumstances are in a thin thread but those young people are still out there right now," Herc replied. "They're running out of time and I'll be damned if I bring them back in body bags. But I care enough about bring them back home ASAP. That's all."
"Tell us more about Dr. Gweiler and his influence with these Precursors," the French delegate asked.
Meanwhile, Jake wandered around aimlessly, letting out a sigh of frustration and desperation. He promised himself that he'll kill Newt for this and the humiliation of watching his friends taken away from while Newt laughed at it.
"This better be it, mate, or else we're going to find our friends in our own way," Jake muttered under his own breath.
" I know-" Nate attempted to comfort his comrade but his sentence was cut off when a pixel screen popped up on the holo displayer showing a raid conducted by PPDC troops on a suspect terrorist cell in Korea.
"They got a few suspects plus the cult head," One of the techs reported. "According to contacts from MI6 intelligence confirmed a suspected cell running supplies and munitions for the cult. Local PD and PPDC troops defused terrorist activity in South Korea. Sending coordinates."
"About time," Jake grumbled as he hurried out of the war room. "At least someone's going to die quietly or die trying to talk."
"I am going there, better hope we are not too late," Nate added. "I'm right behind you, brother. We are so going to kill every last one of them."
The cadets still remain their responsibility, Jake himself swore it'll be hell to pay at Newt for what he had done. A fit of justified anger burnt in his eyes as he walked through the hallway with his fists clenched tight.
South Korea
The PPDC had finished a swift raid on a suspected terrorist cell in Seoul. The cell would've inflicted a number of heavy causalities on a targeted civilian centre if not for a single MI-6 agent who followed a lead on a head member of the Kaiju cult with close connections to the priestess, only to discover stockpiles of weapons and heavy artillery, smuggled in by hired mercenaries, to prepare for an assault on a PPDC outpost and a civilian recruitment building.
Police forces managed to seal off the area in the district and allow the joint special force teams to storm the shipping complex in full force supported by PPDC strike troopers. It didn't take long for the PPDC to simply to defeat the cultists and bringing them to justice.
After half an hour of intensive combat, the cell was dealt with, leaving only a handful of cultist prisoners, plus the aforementioned head member and mercenaries.
Meanwhile, a heavy VTOL touched down on the empty field where a dozen lorries and SUVs under the PPDC banner scattered around an empty and rusty warehouse near the docks. PPDC troopers placing and guarding around the perimeter.
Nate, Jack and Jules emerged out of the VTOL, donned in a dull black vest, then walked on their way to and through the warehouse. The place was almost like a war zone; bullet shells scattered across the ground like pebbles, a row of dead men in body bags laid on the ground with a pair of living troopers standing guard.
"Ranger Pentecost, you've asked for the detained prisoner, right this way," a guard pointed.
"We ran into some heavy resistance, over 20 cultists and fighters - we've managed to secure a stash of weapons and contraband," the PPDC strike officer reported.
Nate glanced on his right to see a pair of ambulances with four paramedics treating a few PPDC troopers for injuries. One PPDC trooper was sitting inside the ambulance with a bandage on his head.
Jules glanced on her left to see a group of troopers guarding a stash of weapon crates behind a metal wall plus a few containers before going the pair going inside. Inside the building was three cultists in civilian wear plus the tattoos and their zealot in robes cuffed on their knees with a pair of PPDC strike officers as guards.
"Bring this asshole so we can talk business. The asshole in the red suit" Growled Nate pointing at the prisoners
He and his two companions staring at the zealot in a small office on the second floor.
"You are going to tell me everything about Rita Repluse AKA the Priestess or else we will hand you over to the CIA , then put you in some dark place that you will never scream your way out." Demanded Nate pointing a finger.
"Start talking man where is she?" Demanded Jake placing around. "Why are the cadets?"
"You think the you can stop the gods from crawling their way out of the breach you are wrong." Said the Zealot with a Chinese accent. Angered,Jake threw a fist, hitting him in the face.
"I said where are the cadets? And where is she?" Inpatient, Jake grabbed the zealot by the robes.
The zealot snorted and scoffed "This is only the beginning of the end Jake Pentecost. You can not stop her, she is beyond human you can never imagine."
"SHUT UP! Tell me where she is ? I don't care , hell I am not afraid of her." Snarled Jake but the zealot smiled in respond "You should be afraid even the PPDC."
"The only thing I regret is your people managed to stop us there are more of us ready to die for the cause." Snarled back the zealot with defiance. Jake threw a fist again, hitting the zealot right in the face.
"You are fill with the most hideous crap you ever come up of with. Hey, I should say that to her face." Argued Jake back tighten his grip. Throwing the zealot back in the chair, instead crumbled into the ground.
Jules wrapped her arm around the zealot's neck in a chokehold. " You think doing all of this would bring back the Kaiju with prays."scoffed Jules " Didn't think this through, where are the god dam priestess you son of a bitch?"
"Tell me dam it!"
"Never, you cannot stop the evolution of our kind."
"One last time!" Shouted Jake pull out a gun from behind. Enraged, "I will god dam kill you! Where is Amara Namaai ?"
"Jake!" Cried out both Nate and Jules in shock at the sight of Jake pulling out a clock 17 handgun unexpected.
"Put the gun down
The zealot just gave a wicked grinned before hearing a crack from the jaw. Jake and Nate saw foam coming out of the Cult's head's mouth as he smiled.
"DEATH TO THE PACIFIC DEFENCE CORP!" Roared the zealot in his last defining breath. He slowly limped heavily , sliding limp from Jule's grip
"NO ! NO! NO!" Screamed Jake shaking his now dead suspect.
"NO! He is our god chance!" Screamed Jake quicker rose from his feet "GOD DAM IT!" the ranger screamed at the corpse of the suspect. "You stupid fuck!" He screamed, he stomped on the corpse.
"FUCK!" Roared Nate kicking the chair from the floor. Jules place her hand over her own forehead. But the three failed to notice the zealot eyes flicked open revealing blue eyes.
Unnamed Cargo Ship
Pacific Ocean
"I will not ask again Dr Herman. Will it be ready." Snarled Monika gripped Herman's collar tiger. Then she was interrupted as the machine hummed a tone as blue electricity came energized.
Everyone watch as the generator came to life with a spark of blue. The energy reading on the generator screen levels increasing and stabilizing. The rods entrench in the halo ring flickered to life. Liwen stood there watching her experiment came to life. "Herman noticed a flaw in the system so I had to fix it." She stated to the Zealot head as she step forward.
"It is not his fault. It was mine." She finished the last thing she need is to defeat Herman
"Well then ,you and your friend made progress." Said the zealot head before glancing at Herman . "I will inform the Priestess about this." Her scowl lips flashing a simile. "Let us bring the gods to to the Pacific. We will deal with you later."
A lone guard patrolling around the shipping container, then he hear repeated thumps inside the container. The terrorist aimed his assault rifle before opening the container doors without thinking.
Cadets flinched as they covered their eyes while the door was opening. "Who is making that racketing?" Demanded the gunman as he walked into the container.
"I said who is making that racketing !" Shouted the gunman waving his rifle around the cell.
The cadets remained silent as they lend against the container looking down on the ground with hands behind their backs as the gunman stood in middle. Vik stood up ignoring the chains around her legs. before spitting on the floor the gunman raised his rifle in the air.
Jinhia and Ilya both nodded to each other, the boys thrust their legs , tripping the gunman's legs , knocking him to the ground before Vik, Meilin and Renata threw kicks to the face before the guard was unconscious
"Get the keys !" Shouted Suresh.
The cadets scrambled for the Keys on the gunman's belt and Suresh was the first to grabbed them before franticly twisting the key on the chains. Suresh's hands tumbling as the cadet struggled to free himself then past the key to the rest of the cadets.
Chains were unlock as the cadets scrambled free from the restraints.
"Once we get out of here." Said Vik throwing off the chains around her leg before throwing another kick to the down gunman. "I am going to find Amara."
"We going to get her back Vik." Said Jinhia cracking his fist eager for payback. "We going to kick their asses."
Down below the ship, a prisoner was chained against the wall, coated in shadows as a man lead forward as light reveals the legend that helps end the Kaiju war. His face covered with bruises , nose dripping with blood and a swollen eye.
Raliegh Becket.