Gathering Storm

Before the Foundation of Paranormal Archeology and Defense was established, the government put forth plans to build a radio tower on that very same site. Shortly after construction began, it began to arouse suspicion. A trench was dug fifty meters wide and a hundred meters deep into the designated spot; deep enough to support a building well over 4000 feet tall. The contractors were told that the projected height of the building would be no higher than 600 feet but the extra foundation was needed in case there was ever a need to expand upwards. As ridiculous as it seemed, they didn't think much to argue.

The support structure consisted of two pyramids, one flipped upside down, coinciding base-to-point with the other to form an hour-glass shape. Parallel beams were placed in twenty-foot intervals across the entire floor and filled with cement. Everything seemed to be proceeding as planned but when it was time to renew the building contract, eight of the fifteen high-officials of Parliament turned it down. By the end of the year and nowhere near completion, the original contractors were fired. About a month later, the construction of an international airport was announced.

A large, dome-shaped tent was put up over the entire site, blocking it from the view of the general public. The original foundation was kept but it wasn't until several years later when it was actually filled in--the government blamed this on plumbing problems. And an even stranger fact was that upon its completion, every single one of the construction workers were hired onto the airport staff. Though this was never officially explained, rumors were passed around saying it was done to keep the workers from telling others about what they were really building there.

Eventually, the suspicion wore off and Bagabu International Airport opened for business, Passengers arrived and departed every day, completely unaware of what was happening just below their feet.

---

Nicholas Acheron boarded the elevator and pressed the button for sub-level 17, located in the center ring. Since the FPAD was built directly underneath the Bagabu Airport, its main building took the shape of the foundation's support structure. The center ring was the name for the diamond-shaped area formed by the two overlapping pyramids. Since the ring was conveniently located in the middle, it became a designated research area. Technicians and Librarians would gather up as much data as needed before sending it to outer rings for experimentation. The room Captain Nicholas was now traveling towards dealt particularly with encryptions.

The elevator came to a stop and opened onto a spherical room, dimly illuminated by the glare from dozens of computer screens arranged a circular platform. One could clearly see it was being used as a work surface; graphs and charts covered the it's entire area, weighted down by various language dictionaries. A Moogle was seated on an office chair at the end of the makeshift table, ears obscured by headphones and eyes affixed on the laptop in front of him.

"How is your research coming along, Mr. Easterby?" Asked Nicholas. The Moogle paused for a second but quickly returned to his former state of being. "Mr. Easterby! Report!" Nicholas pronounced more clearly in military fashion. Still no change came over the Moogle. Peaceful strategies were proved useless so the captain resorted to extreme measures. He walked up to the decryptor and yanked one of the cradles from his ear. "CARTER!" He shouted right into the Moogle's ear.

The Decryptor instinctively sat up, yanking the too-short cord of his earphones straight out of the jack. With the earpieces unplugged, the computer's main speakers automatically turned on, blasting the room with the piercing sound of pop music. "Captain!" The Moogle exclaimed, frantically punching random keys on his laptop, trying desperately to turn off his media player. Silence returned to the atmosphere a moment later and the moogle turned to his captain and offered a short bow. "Please excuse me, sir. I didn't hear you come in."

"Of course you didn't..." Nicholas responded, picking up the CD case on the table and examining it. "What exactly are you listening to?"

"It's H.E.R. They're an all-female singing group who specialize in pop. They're all the rage overseas..."

"It sounds awful..."

Carter laughed lightly. "My boss doesn't mind for it much either. He even threatened to fire me if he ever had to listen to it again."

"That doesn't surprise me. Olivander has always been a difficult man--very old fashioned when it comes to art but he was never one who judges people by their interests. I doubt he'd take away your job over something as trivial as this. Just be damn sure to keep those headphones on..." The captain's face suddenly became serious as he promptly recomposed himself. "Which brings me back to my first order of business. How far are you on your translation on the Gotor scrolls?"

Carter's smile disappeared with a sigh. "I'm afraid I'm no further than when we last talked. The progress I made during the past week has been proved misleading and was scrapped. As of now, I am comparing the script to every language key in the archives in hopes of finding a base but there's been no luck so far..." The moogle's voice dropped out but a huge grin spread across his face. "But I did find something interesting. Come one! This you've got to see!"

He hopped onto the table and gathered up all of his materials, tossing them into a pile on the ground before hopping down next to it. Loud, mechanical moaning was heard when he flipped a switch at the foot of the table. A small slit appeared around the platform, revealing a long, glass tube which rose up along its edges and continued on towards the ceiling. Half a dozen panels on the walls slid open, each containing a digital projector aimed towards the glass column. Carter plugged his laptop into a slot on the platform and punched a few buttons. Moments later, a three-dimensional image of his screen was shone onto the glass. "As you may already know," Carter began, "No sample of Agenian script has ever been found prior to these scrolls. The language it's written in has been largely unused for centuries. The only thing we know for certain is that it's composed of letters from the Grecian alphabet."

"But when directly translated," the captain pointed out, "we came up with nothing but endless lines of gibberish."

"That exact thing happened to me when I tried it too." Carter continued, "I also kept coming across this rune..." He pointed at a symbol scrawled on his notes: a triangle whose sides reached beyond its corners, forming the shape of a pinwheel. "At first, I thought it was a kind of punctuation but their appearances were too inconsistent. There were times when ten of them would appear in a row and times when it wouldn't appear for several lines."

Nicholas let out a restless breath. "I'm still waiting for the interesting part..."

"I'm getting to it!" The moogle hissed. "I'm trying to have you fully understand the difficulty of this task. This extended delay is in no way due to my incompetence."

"Pardon my words, Mister Easterby." The Captain apologized, "It's just...you've already told me these things last week."

"You can't blame someone for defending their worth." He mumbled before resuming his speech. "As I was saying: the other day, I came upon an article about the contributions the Agenians have made to the field of mathematics. They applied geometry and calculus to everything: Construction, sculpting, even to farming! And then it hit me..." He pulled up a copy of the scroll onto the screen. All the pinwheel symbols had been highlighted. "This symbol here...it wasn't a form of punctuation at all! It was a depression point!"

"A what?"

"A depression point." Carter explained, "They're used in three-dimensional modeling, more specifically in the tessellation process, to determine elevation. A single set can only form the most basic of shapes but by combining a lot of them together, one can replicate the image of any object they want."

"I assume this is going somewhere..."

Carter responded to the captain's backhanded comment with a cheeky smile. "Watch this!" The moogle's hands flew across the keyboard, copying the lines of text onto virtual pieces of graph paper. Within moments, several dozen sheets were filled up and lined up against one another. ""Now that we know what they are, all I have to do is line it up...and connect the dots!" He shouted, punching the enter key.

The screen lit up as hundreds of lines blossomed forth, extending from one symbol to the other. An outline of the image was soon visible and mere seconds later, the details began to sharpen. The Captain watched wide-eyed as the last piece fell in place and the unused letters disappeared to allow a clearer image. "My god..."

"Looks to be some kind of machine..." Carter noted as he reaccessed the details. "Just look at this stuff: gears, pistons, exhaust pipes. The object's composition indicates that it was probably steam-powered but the pieces as a whole are locked into the object's frame, suggesting a vast network of electricity capable of delivering enough power for each part to perform its individual functions while releasing whatever's left over through the exact same channels. I'm guessing it's some kind of generator...or maybe an engine."

'It's..." Nicholas shook his head and took another look at the screen. He had already spent a good portion of his life chasing after myths and legends. Countless times he asked himself if the things he had been searching for even existed and all too often those thoughts were proved to be true. Nevertheless, his persistence over the years hadn't faltered and he could see now that it was finally yielding results. Everything he had been working towards was lying right in front of his eyes. "Unbelievable..." Nicholas breathed, trying his best to mask the relief and excitement in his voice.

The Decryptor leaned back in his chair and looked at his captain thoughtfully. "So...I assume you're not disappointed?"

"I'm not." Nicholas replied as circled the desk , examining the projection from every angle. "You'll have to remember to send a copy of this to the engineers."

"Already done!" Carter promptly responded. "I drew a set of proper blueprints and sent them to the eastern wing about an hour ago."

"And the text?"

"It's all in order now. The scrolls were written to be read depth-wise. Now that all the letters are lined up, translating it should be a whole lot simpler. Which reminds me..." He double-clicked the screen and the object returned to manuscript form, this time with the letters in the correct place. The few words he was able to translate to English were written in red. "Apart from the obvious definite articles, the word that appeared the most was the Latin word 'cudo', which means 'to forge'. I think they're instructions on how to put this thing together."

"You've done an outstanding job, Easterby. I don't know how to thank you."

"A raise wouldn't hurt." The moogle joked.

"Sorry but we're running on a tight budget." The Captain laughed, clasping the moogle on the shoulder. "You'll have to live with what you've got." With that said, he made his way towards the elevator.

"Just give me a bit more time." Carter called after him. "If all goes as planned, in about two weeks we'll be requesting a green light to start making the pieces."

The Captain shook his head as the pair of metallic doors slid open. "That won't be necessary." He said, stepping onto the platform.

"How come?"

"Because..." He answered moments before the doors pulled shut, "we're going after the originals."

---

"Advancement Exams?"

Yolando nodded. "They're held on the seventh day of every month. It'sss the only place where you can be promoted to a sssecond tier job."

"The seventh, huh..." Vik leaned back into his chair and looked up at the ceiling. "That only gives us about a week."

"Six days, to be precise." Elena corrected him, replying between sips of coffee.

Vik scowled at her from across the table. "I was trying to sound optimistic." He amended, "Things around here would be a lot less stressful if we didn't have a giant ticking doomsday-clock looming above us."

The Viera promptly set her coffee cup down and shot up from her seat. "Optimism? Are you kidding me?!? All you're doing is giving us a reason to slack off!" She shouted, slamming her fists on the table. Conversation stopped throughout the breakroom as everyone turned to look at the infuriated Viera. "Face it, people! We're seriously lagging behind! Other clans are already participating in the Clan Wars now or have enlisted into well-known guilds. And here we are, doing nothing past assisting researchers or filing paperwork! We've been on one successful mission and have yet to start an engagement. Not to mention we haven't even gotten a single recruitment request since we've started!"

"Calm down, Elena." Mosely worded as he gently pushed her back into her seat and waved away the bystanders. "Vik was only thing of our...and your well-being. There's no reason to get upset over that." Elena shot him a glare but soon turned back, crossing her arms and musing in silence.

"But you know..." The nobleman continued, "She does have a point. We hardly ever set foot outside of this organization and the times when we do get out, we go to remote, desolate places with no person around to acknowledge our efforts. It comes to no surprise that we're so low in ranks."

"We haven't really made much of a name for ourselves, kupo." Kili admitted with a sigh. "And it's not like anyone's eager to join a clan highlighted by office work and menial dispatches."

"I don't know if you mean to do this," Vik said indistinctly, "but it sounds like you're thinking of quitting."

"We're not quite there yet, kupo." Kili replied, "But if things stay the way they are, maybe we should consider doing something a little more worthwhile...and less life-threatening. Clan work isn't the only way to make money, you know?"

"It's not just about money!" Vik pronounced with a raised voice. "Right now, we're caught up in something big; something that's most likely going to affect the fate of generations to come. We're going to be involved with this in one way or another..."

The clan members looked down at the table, contemplating the right course of action. Vik was right; they really were in too deep on this one. After everything that had happened to them during the two month, walking away was no longer an option.

"You know...we haven't really talked about that incident. As a group, I mean..." Saria spoke up.

"What's there to talk about, kupo? The boss already said he'd take care of it." Kili responded grumpily. "It was traumatic for all of us and I, for one, am trying my best to forget it."

"But we're not going to forget it!" Yolando hissed. "Vik'sss right. What we experienced the other day--it may be sssettled or it may be the tip of the iceberg. Either way, it'sss not going to leave usss alone. No one isss sure how thisss going to turn out in the end but until judgement day arrivesss, we prepare and wait in anticipation." The bangaa turned to face the group and cleared his throat. "Now, the first thing we have to do is compare ssstoriesss and come to an agreement on exactly what happened."

"We were attacked and annihilated by a giant, living tree. I think we can agree on that much, kupo."

"There's a bit more to that, you know." Mosely added. "Saria said it was a nature spirit...probably of the Earth Attribute. Isn't that right?"

Saria nodded in consensus. "And he said his name was Exodus and that he was protecting some kind of thread. That's pretty much all I know about him."

"Hmm...well that doesn't give usss much but it'sss better than nothing." Yolando sighed, pushing his chair back and folding his arms. "Maybe we could ask around. One of the pubmasters might have heard something."

"Hold on..." Elena interrupted, "Exodus...I know I've heard that somewhere before...ah! I remember! It was in this fairytale that my mother used to tell me."

"You're probably thinking of Theogony, kupo. It's folklore--not a fairytale." Kili immediately corrected. "According to the stories, the Le Grim shaped the universe around us and sent her five children down to help govern the elements. Her children, the Totemas, each created a race of beings in their own divine image. Exodus was the constituent of earth and the creator of the Vieran tribe." Kili looked up and found he was being regarded by blank stares. "What? It was a good book, kupo."

"You knew that much and you didn't say anything?" Vik asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It was a story, kupo! People just made it up a millennium ago to explain how the universe worked." Kili reposted, "Even though ghosts and magic may exist, we all know where the realm of fantasy ends and where FACTS begin."

"How could you say that?" Vik exclaimed, "You saw that thing in the hanger; what more proof could you need?"

"Sometimes even in a sea of lies a drop of truth can be found." Kili muttered, "Besides, how do we know that someone didn't just make that iron giant, kupo? Totemas are supposed to be protecting our existence; not hanging around in some storage facility."

"But that spirit did say something about protecting a thread." Saria stated. "Think about it: the two have the same name, control the same element, and serve the same purpose. It can't be just a mere coincidence."

"I admit that it doesss sssound a bit dodgy," Yolando pressed on, "but it ssseemsss to fit our stories in more waysss than one. If he wasss, in fact, the Totema of Earth, then he must have had a reason to attack one of hisss own kin." He nodded in the direction of Elena. "One of usss must have done sssomething to provoke him."

"Now that you mention it...I remember hearing something while I was in the paddock." Vik recounted. "It was Saria's voice...except it was coming from all around me. 'I wonder how these flowers would look in in my hair' or something like that. It didn't sound like a big deal to me but the totema practically froze with terror."

"Hold on..." Saria gave the Omnivari a bewildered look. "You said you heard me say that?"

Vik nodded. "From fifty yards away, too. It must have been an echo or something."

"I doubt even that would have carried that far unless she shouted it into a megaphone." remarked the Viera sardonically.

"I didn't say anything at all..." Saria continued. "The words you heard...I was thinking them."

A dead silence fell across the table as everyone exchanged like expressions of confusion. One by one, they all turned to the moogle, regarding him with looks of suspicion. "Spit it out, Kili. We all know you're not telling us something." The moogle twitched slightly but only moments later, he closed his eyes and gave a sigh of defeat.

"From what I've gathered from...stories, may I remind you," He began, "the world threads resound with the hearts of the living. Any desire, no matter how small, will be heard by the spirits within their realm." He perked his ears for a reply but was met by nothing. "It's just a story you know..."

"Let'sss assume for now that it'sss true." Yolando hissed, "It's all ssstarting to make sssenssse now! One of the world threadsss must have been planted underneath that tree and thossse tulipsss Sssaria picked were budding Exodusss fruitsss. They were hiss children...and he wasss protecting them."

"Which is why he attacked us..." Saria looked away, her face growing red with shame.

Elena reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't blame this on yourself. There was no way any of us could have known what would happen."

"Elena's right; this isn't your fault." Mosely added, "And hey, at least we all got out alive!"

With those words, Elena felt Saria's body suddenly become rigid. Her shoulders tensed and her eyes became narrow. Her hands clutched the pleats of her skirt, trembling uncontrollably. "Saria? Are you okay?" The Viera asked, giving her friend a little shake. Saria snapped back almost immediately.

"Sorry..." She spoke softly, relaxing her hands and wrapping them around her arms."It was nothing. Just a bad memory." She took a deep breath before turning to face her clanmates. "There's something I have to tell you. During that incident...when I finally managed to dig myself out of the ground, you guys were already d-"

It seemed as if fate would not allow her to finish for at that precise moment, the breakroom's doors slid open and a wiry-haired Nu Mou stepped towards the group. "There you are!" Dr. Nicros pronounced, marching up to their table. "The captain ordered me to fetch the six of you. You're needed in the amphitheater..."

---

The amphitheater was, by definition, a large circular room with a sunken center floor. Three rows of spectator seats were lined up along the walls with a small desk built in front of each one. The entire setup reminded Vik of a college lecture hall. Instead of a blackboard, however, a long, wooden table was set up in the center of the ground floor. A three-dimensional display column (similar to the one found in the center ring) hung down from the ceiling, gleaming softly with the unfiltered light from projectors set up along the walls. Captain Nicholas was found seated at the front of the meeting desk, carefully organizing his notes in preparation for his speech.

The group followed the doctor silently, taking seats at opposing ends of the table while Dr. Nicros assumed a decorous stance behind his commander.

"I'm glad to see you all could make it here." Nicholas began, clearing his throat. "In light of recent events, something...unexpected seems to have come up." His words were fully understood by the teenagers. 'He's talking about the Totema' were their exact thoughts. "In a few hours, I will be presenting these findings to a body of investors and government officials...but I don't intend on telling them the whole story." He added in a dark tone. "That is why I brought you here. I have a job for you...quite a few of them actually. I'll provide the full details later but-"

"Forgive me for butting in, sir," Mosely interjected, "But it sounds as if we're about to do something illegal."

"Illegal?...Well, I guess in a certain light one might call it that." He responded with a small laugh, "It's nothing serious; we just need you to retrieve high-valued objects from another's property."

"Funny...that almost sounded like stealing." Elena scoffed.

"Think of it as reconnaissance without authorization." The captain responded nonchalantly, "Now we normally would not dispatch agents on these kinds of missions without the proper clearance, such as search warrants and the works. These things could take days to go through and unfortunately, we don't have any amount of time to spare. That's why I'm sending you guys..."

"Becaussse a government sssupport clan isss only indirectly affiliated with its employers." Yolando hissed with a hint of disgust, "Ssso when we're caught in the act, the FPAD getsss off ssscotch-free!"

The doctor chuckled. "When you say it like that, you make yourselves sound like lap dogs!" The Nu Mou commented, "Now I assure you that your value to us is substantial and you still hold all the rights of a living being. Indirect affiliation is but a mere loophole in your ranks that we can use in case one of you does something so incredibly stupid that it lands you in court."

Mosely frowned. "Under the table politics...so we are going to be breaking the law."

"To put it frankly: yes, you are." The Captain returned, "But the consequences through lack of action are far worse than a few civil disagreements. Now, with that said, may I please continue?"

"No." Vik said firmly. Around him, the other clan members glared at their captain with contempt. "We're a part of this organization; indirectly or not. You owe us the truth on what's really going on here."

Captain Acheron sighed. "If that's what you really want...but I should warn you, as soon as I start, I won't be able to take any of it back. This kind of information is worth its weight in blood and just by hearing it, one would become an unwilling part of a much larger state of affairs. I just think it would be safer if you didn't get involved."

"We're already involved, kupo." Kili stated, "Now start at the top and explain everything."

"Very well..." Captain Nicholas gave a nod to the Nu Mou, who quickly walked over to the edge of the room and switched off the lights. Almost immediately, the projectors sprang to life, throwing thousands of fragmented images onto the crescent screen. But instead of a three-dimensional projection, the column showed a simultaneous view of several different sources; newspaper articles, typed records, and media files darted left and right, disappearing into the background as more and more showed up. The captain stood up and pressed a button on the side of the table. A second column, about a foot tall with similar dimensions, rose up in front of him. It was constructed of pressure-sensitive glass, which was hooked up to the control module, and contained a series of half-silvered mirrors. Everything that could be seen on the screen above was reflected onto the smaller column. "We'll start at the beginning; at the event which triggered everything that is happening now." He pressed a finger to the smaller column and dragged a video file to the middle of the screen.

The teens stared upwards with widened eyes. The screen was divided into four sections, each displaying a different section of a hallway; all of them overrun by monsters. "The 13th of Twinmoon at the scene of te Monster Holding Facility." The Captain imparted, highlighting a single piece of footage and zooming in. It showed the head of the monster horde and a cloaked figure heading towards the western wing. "On this day, we experienced a break-in by an unknown terrorist organization. They bypassed security and managed to reanimate a total of 175 Bombs, Flans, Dragons, and Lamias. We were able to reclaim about a third of that number; we have reason to believe that the rest were brought back to their hideout but their plans for them are still unclear." The camera zoomed into the cloaked figure's face, revealing the twisted expression of a one-eyed NuMou. "The name of the organization has since been revealed: a group of radical worshipers from the Zaoran Church of High Worship, The Neo-Zaoran Sect."

The clan members gave each other some uneasy looks. The face of evil had just been given a name but with it came a feeling of skepticism. "So we're fighting against religious zealots, huh? Can't say this is the first time wars have been fought over something so trivial like faith, kupo." Kili commented.

"It's more than just religion. The Neo-Zaoran Sect carries numerous right-wing ordeals with a reactionary drive. For the past 13 years, they've been trying to undo everything that our administration has worked for and 'return to a simpler time'. I believe you know what I'm talking about?" The teens didn't need to answer; they had a feeling he was going to tell them anyways. Another image pulled up on the screen. This time, it was a newspaper article from nearly 17 years earlier. "7 Bloodmoon, 2214: the beginning of the Great Extermination. Members of the Zaoran Church protested it every step of the way, saying that the government's actions were rash and even going as far as to label it genocide. On top of demanding an immediate end to the war, they also wanted for a preservation program to save whatever monsters were left."

"They sound more like animal rights activists." Vik stated.

"It may seem that way but those zealots only wanted to keep those beasts alive for one reason: to preserve the clan wars." Explained the doctor. "You see, if a clan grew strong enough and gained enough turf, they would achieve a certain amount of political power. They were the common man's protectors, which meant if he wanted them to stay, he'd let them call the shots. Roots of influence have been known to spread all the way to the Judgemaster's desk."

"In the years before the extermination, turf wars were already grinding to a halt after continental unification. And now that there were no more monsters around, people no longer had to be protected." The captain continued, "The need for clans began to wane. After a few years, clan activity was reduced to only the most remote places in Ivalice. A few ex-clanners enlisted into the military but most of them hung up their swords and went out to find jobs in the cities."

"But the end of the clan wars was a good thing," Mosely interrupted, "How can anyone be upset over peace?"

"Because when the wars died, so did the 'freedom' that was associated with it. Without clans, individualism dwindled and the common man no longer had any power. Ivalice became a republic almost overnight! A majority of the citizens were upset by this sudden shift of authority...to say the least. But over time, they came to accept this new form of government. Except for a select few..." Nicholas pressed an arrow at the bottom of the screen. A sudden barrage of articles filled up every corner on the screen; lynchings, riots, arson--all of them carried out in Zaoran's name. "As you can see, they stop at nothing short of violence to achieve their goals."

The group was appalled--even Dr. Nicros could be seen briefly looking away from some of the images. "Why haven't they been thrown in jail yet?!" exclaimed Elena, shaking in horrified rage.

"There have been a few arrests in the past but all of them were on scene. We can't slap a pair of handcuffs on them until they've actually done something wrong." The Captain said solemnly, "We have, however, held diplomatic negotiations with them in the past. About 1 year after the war, they agreed to end their string of violence in exchange for the amnesty of one of their more prominent members. There have been no reports of civil disturbances in the years that followed...until two months ago." With a concluding breath, the captain returned to his seat and sat back down. "All that I've just told you I plan on making public toady. We will discuss the issue in greater depth and decide on a plan of action. What I am going to tell you next is strictly confidential."

"The illegal part..." Kili muttered.

"In order to secure all of their ambitions, The Neo-Zaorans realized that they needed to place themselves at the seat of all-inclusive control."

"Like...a coup d'etat?" asked Yolando.

The captain nodded. "But in order to overthrow the existing government, one needs power and support. In the past two decades, membership for the Zaoran Church of High Worship has grown to almost 1500 followers, women and children included. All that is needed now is power and they already know where to get it."

As he spoke, shifted through the miniature display and pulled up a new image: a black-and-white photograph of an elderly man hunched over on a desk. In each of his hands was a screwdriver, which were used to fine-tune the dial of an exposed table clock. "Amedeo Perseus, an artist and a skilled watch maker who lived up until the late 1700s. His most well-known invention was probably his "Golden Clock", which I believe is still in production today."

"The clock that never runsss ssslow..."

"An amazing feat for a time where technology was so primitive...but clocks weren't the only thing Perseus built." Another image appeared on the monitor: a map of Ivalice. It singled onto an area along the center of the country, a place known today as the Gotor sands. "Ivalice wasn't always a unified nation. Up until 400 years ago, it was comprised of nearly 120 different tribes. Relations were shaky during these times and war often broke out over border disputation. Did you know there used to be a huge lake right in the center of the Gotor Sands? It was a magnificent sight—a body of sparkling water could be seen stretching across the horizon from almost half a mile away. Regrettably, most of it dried up after a tribe of Moogles dammed up the stream flowing into it. All that's left of it now is an oasis. It may not seem like such a big deal now but for the thousands of people who lived on those lands, it was a devastating change. All of them have their own interesting stories but there's only one group who we need to concentrate on right now: the Agenians."

"Agenians were, for the most part, farming people. When their irrigation trails ran dry, the people began to panic. Messengers were sent to neighboring kingdoms in hopes of finding help. And it was during a visit to Bagabu that the Agenian king himself was directed to the door of Perseus Clockworks." The screen now showed a brown-tinted photograph of the man from before, this time much older. Seated next to him was a tall, stately man wearing a plain, white kaftan and a turban. "At the time of the king's visit, Perseus had been out of work for almost 15 years. But he agreed to come out of retirement to build one more thing—a machine unlike anything we had ever seen."

"Riiiight..." Elena broke in, "What can a clocksmith do to help a starving nation? I suppose he made a clock that could make it rain..."

"Your sarcasm comes dangerously close to the truth." The captain replied with an amused smile. Overhead, the projection changed one last time, forming 14 separate sections, each of them displaying a different object. They were all pieces of artwork, ranging from vases to swords to shards of crystal—all of them worn out by time. "Amedeo Perseus's final masterpiece: the Perseids, which they soon became known as. Though they may bare the appearance of elaborate sculptures, they are all considered clocks. Springs and gears have been built into the bodies and along the walls of these objects. When apart, they're priceless artifacts. But when combined..." The images blended together, fusing the objects together into a single structure resembling a tree. "They form the Tree of Life: a machine that creates water."

"Well, it's not actually water." Dr. Nicros provided, "The Tree of Life uses two concentrated forms of an Water and Thunder sigil and somehow fuses them together into a new form of energy; something that can only be described as water lightning. These jolts of lightning surge through the ground, providing vegetation in all surrounding areas with proper nutrition within a matter of seconds."

"That was, at least, it's original purpose." Nicholas said grimly, "Perseus understood that the machine he was making had unparalleled potential. Before he died, he made the Agenian King promise it would not be used for the purpose of war. That promise was upheld until the King's own death twenty years later when the king's only son and the throne's successor, King Hephaestus, made a few...modifications to the tree of life."

"By sending jolts of lightning straight into the ground, it can force a shift in the layers of rock, causing a massive earthquake. Theoretically, it can also create tidal waves and trigger volcanic eruptions." Dr. Nicros explained, "Whole cities could be leveled in a matter of hours and advancing armies would be brought to their knees!"

"Fortunately, they never got a chance to use it." Nicholas pronounced. "Hephaestus' plan backfired and the Tree of Life went out of control, destroying the ground beneath the city instead. The Kingdom of Agenor sank into the sands; its residents were buried alive."

"That's...unbelievable." Vik breathed, shaking his head slowly. "Were there any survivors at all?"

"A few, though they all lived at the far edge of town. They all died a few days later as they journeyed across the desert."

"The weapon was destroyed too?" Saria asked.

"Erm...no." The Captain responded, "That's why I called you in here." He cleared his throat and faced the clanners directly. "I want you to hunt down these twelve Agenian relics and reassemble the Tree of Life."

The teens all stood at once.

"Are you out of your mind?!? This thing's-"

"...it's killed millions already! And even more if-"

"...what would you accomplish by making this? Nothing good, I suspect-"

"...Playing God! That's the only thing you're doing!"

"...sssomethingsss gone wrong before! Who'sss to sssay-"

"... only war, kupo! It will make cause nothing else!"

"Quiet!" Dr. Nicros bellowed, slamming his fist on the desk. One by one, the clanners fell silent and were driven back to the seats by the Nu Mou's glare. "Now we have a fully justifiable reason for doing this but you're never going to hear it if you keep interrupting!"

"But this is crazy, kupo!" Kili protested, "First you tell us about a machine that's dragged a whole city of people to their graves and now you want us to go dig it up so the same thing can happen to someone else!"

"There's a reason this thing ended up underground in the first place." Elena added, "It's a threat to life as we know it. Rest assured, if we ever find ourselves digging this thing out-"

"...we'll destroy it." Vik finished with a hardened stare. Around him, his clanmates nodded in agreement.

Captain Acheron took a deep breath and sank into his seat while massaging the bridge of his nose. "First of all, there won't be any digging on this mission. The ruins of Agenor have been uncovered almost fifty years ago. The Perseids were all found intact."

"Oh joy..." Kili scoffed.

"I'm guessing by now they've already been placed in a museum sssomewhere."

"A few of them are. Others are in the possession of private collectors or have been put into practical use. As of now, we have only a vague idea of where they might be but I can say for sure that they're scattered all over the country."

"And how does Neo Zaora tie in with all of this?"

"I told you they needed power, right?" The captain noted, "A look into Neo Zaora's genealogy reveals evidence of the Agenian royal bloodline. It is without a doubt that he has known about this technology for quite some time now...and has already begun collecting them."

"He'sss chasing fairiesss." Yolando mumbled, "What evidence isss there that sssaysss thisss thing actually existsss?!"

"You found that evidence two weeks ago!" The captain shouted, flinging a stack of papers from his folder onto the center of the table. "Remember the scroll you found in Gotor? It explained in detail how these Perseids were made! Remember who you ran into when you found them? The Neo Zaorans! They know it exists and they're already several steps ahead!"

Mosely picked up the report and quickly glanced over it. "He's telling the truth, guys." He said finally.

Vik breathed out and turned to face Captain Acheron. "I guess that's it then." He said in defeat, "What do you need us to do?"

"Glad to see you're cooperating..." All but one of the projectors turned off at once, leaving a single image on the screen: a simple, rectangular jewelry box. "This is your first objective: a piece that has come to be known as Pandora's Box."

Kili's ears perked up. "Pandora? Like...the one from the story?"

The captain nodded. "Perseus seemed to think it was a fitting name. It was the last of the Perseids to be constructed...and he was laid to rest knowing that if it were ever opened, the results would be cataclysmic!"

"Even worse than hordes of plague, famine, and sin billowing forth to corrupt civilization, kupo?" Kili rolled his eyes. Nicholas stopped briefly to give him a nasty look.

"As you know," he continued as soon as the moogle resumed a respectful bearing, "each of the Perseids have intricate clockwork grids built into them. These mechanisms were put in by Perseus to be used as a kind of fail-safe. As soon as they're broken up, each relic begins ticking away at different speeds. If they're put back together without being synchronized first, the gears will jam and the entire structure will crumble. By doing this, Perseus was sure he could keep the Tree of Life from falling into the wrong hands. But if for whatever reason the Perseids were needed again, he created a device to tune them to the correct frequency."

Vik looked to the image on the screen. "You mean this thing here?"

Captain Acheron nodded. "You must understand--it is of the utmost importance that we obtain this relic, as it is the most vital to our mission."

"And what are you going to do with it when we bring it back?"

"We'll use it to find the others." He said plainly. He gave a nod to the doctor, who promptly turned off the last projector. One by one, the amphitheater's lights came back one. "There. I told you everything that is known up to now." The captain said, rising from his seat and turning to address the entire clan. "So what's it going to be? Your compliance is implored but I cannot force you to cooperate. It's your decision—just know that the course of history would be affected by it."

"We made our choice when we formed a clan." Vik said soberly, "A mission is a mission; as a clan, it is not our place to complain. We exist only to carry out your orders. If you say this will ensure the security of the public, then we will believe you." He looked to his friends, who only stared back with uncertainty. "We're in too deep already." He muttered.

"Excellent! You're beginning to sound more like agents now." The captain said, clapping his hands once. Around him, the teens dejectedly stood up. "Research is already underway. We'll let you know when we find the relic's exact location. Until then, prepare yourselves for what's to come. Company dismissed!"

The clan members bowed and pushed in their chairs before heading out through the doors. Vik lagged behind, not wanting to be caught by the judging looks of his teammates. "You made the right decision." A voice reassured him, "Had it been one of them, they would have done the same thing."

"But still..." He whispered back. It was a bad feeling—like a pin stuck in the back of his neck. It told him that something wasn't right and he had just agreed to do something he would soon regret. Purging his mind from wicked doubts, he looked up at the backs of his friends and found they were one person short. "Hmm...she's staying behind." He noted, preparing to turn back but quickly decided against it. It was probably a private matter after all.

"She'll catch up."

---

Saria waited until the rest of Seventh Heaven had left before turning to face the Captain. "Sir...if you don't mind, I have one more question to ask."

"Ask away."

"Why don't you want us to destroy those relics. That's all it takes to keep it out of the church's hands, right?"

"That may be true...but this technology has proved too valuable for us to pass up."

Saria's eyes narrowed. "You're planning on using it against them, aren't you?"

The captain laughed—something that made Saria feel a bit more than uneasy. "I may if the situation calls for it." He answered, "But that's not what I'm aiming to do. I have something else in mind..."

"Like what?"

"I don't know if you've noticed it; you've only been with us for a short amount of time." Nicholas responded. He walked right past her, strolling up to the stands. "Things today are a lot different than how they were half a century ago. Just take a look outside and tell me what you see. Factories, pollution--the destruction of the natural environment. People no longer have need for magic; technology and industrialization has made life far more simple. Through all our greed and corruption we have failed to see that our planet is dying...and that we are the cause."

"And what does this have to do with the Perseids?"

"Everything!" Nicholas replied, "This machine provides limitless possibilities: a clean source of energy, revitalization of our resources, and we can even bring life back into the Jagd wastelands!"

"So you're trying to restore natural order..." Saria said, stiffening her arms to keep herself from shaking in rage. "What makes what you're doing any different from what the church is trying to accomplish?"

"What they're trying to accomplish is genocide!" The captain bellowed.

"And you may just end up doing their job for them!" Saria shouted back, clenching her fists. "Don't you realize by doing this you're endangering millions of lives?"

Captain Acheron suddenly turned his head, glaring at Saria through the corner of his eye. The girl immediately backed down and allowed her gaze to fall to the floor. "There is no black or white answer for this, Saria." He said, sighing as he crossed the room and sat back down on his seat. Saria silently followed. "If we destroy the Tree of Life, in 50 years every living thing on this planet will be dead. The result will be the same as if we had let it fall into Zaora's possession. If you really want to save the world, this is the only way."

"I see..." Saria mumbled.

"Is there anything else you'd like to know?" Saria shook her head. "Then get back to work." The captain ordered.

With an air of defeat, the girl gave him a bow and walked out of the theater. Dr. Nicros watched her go, waiting until her black uniform disappeared into the next hallway before taking a seat next to the captain. "You never were one who concerned himself with saving the world. I, of all people, should know that." He said, frowning.

"People change, Olivander." The captain put simply without even looking up.

"They do but never so drastically. Up until now, you've never considered anyone's interest but your own."

The captain glared up, catching sight of the smirking Nu Mou. "Fine." The captain breathed, "I'll admit that I wasn't being entirely truthful. Even though by doing so, it would change nothing."

The doctor's grin grew wider. "But you still felt the need to keep them in the dark."

"I told them all they needed to hear!" Nicholas said firmly. "You have to understand that they aren't like you and me. As children, they make their decisions based on conscience and impulse. You saw the way they reacted when I told them about their mission. What do you think would happen if I told them our true intentions?"

"They would probably quit..." Doctor Nicros predicted, "Or they would try to find a way to stop you."

"Exactly my point! I would rather have them working for us than against us."

"One thing still worries me..." The Doctor mused, "Are you sure they'll be able to handle this line of work? You said so yourself: they are still children."

Nicholas gave a small laugh. "I believe they're a lot more capable than you give them credit for."