Chapter 29
There were giants in the earth in those days
Area 11, LOCATION CLASSIFIED, 2017 ATB
Ohgi winced as another drop of water fell on his nose from a dripping pipe overhead and looked at his compatriots. His breath misted in the air as they continued walking. Zero was at the front leading the Lady Kami who even with a veil, could still see better than the rest of them. Sohni and Kallen were the only others with them as they walked towards the end of the tunnel. The two women making slight crunching sounds as their power armoured boots crushed bits of gravel underfoot.
They'd spent over an hour travelling through the ruins of the Hanakabo mining railway on a converted 4WD linked to the rail tracks. When they got out Zero had tapped against a completely normal looking piece of concrete wall which had opened and closed behind them. Then they'd walked down narrow rough cut tunnels before they emerged into a wide concrete corridor.
Halfway down the corridor from them was a small barricade. Manned by Black Knight troopers who saluted them. "Lord Zero." A pair of the soldiers left the barricade and escorted them further into the base.
Above was a mass of exposed piping limed with rust. Eventually they emerged into an open staging area lit by overhead lighting. It was stocked full of weaponry, crates of supplies and a pair of Sutherland Knightmares along one wall. Over a dozen men in scavenged Brittanian combat gear were performing maintenance on an APC as Zero's party walked by.
"Welcome to Nexus three"
"What's with the water over there?" Indeed there appeared to be a small amount of water seeping out of a crack to the left of the doorway
One of the guards spoke up "We're actually downriver of the Nanosato dam. This valley was an area where the river branched off. Back in the 1940's they moved ore from the mines to the processing building above us. It was then moved by barge downriver. Of course with the river gone they went to using rail lines and roads. So we moved in and fixed it up. It helps that a lot of the mining tunnels near here were decommissioned in the late 90's."
Zero continued "Those mining tunnels are also the main route in and out of here. There are safehouses and drop points all over Japan. But the Nexuses are the only three locations on the middle road where we can store our heavy armour in significant amounts and get to it easily."
They came to what passed as a command room there were half a dozen people working at computer screens connected to each other by a labyrinth of cables which had all been taped to the floor. A large map of the Pacific as well as one focused exclusively on Japan were stuck to the far wall. There were red pins, and drawn lines all over the map. They detailed subways and other clandestine routes that the knights were using to move around. One side of the room was an open balcony and beyond that came the sound of heavy machinery.
At the centre of what had once been a storage silo, the Strife was being repaired. Welding rigs were affixed to its arms. While thin surgical looking blades sliced and rewove the torn black muscle of its leg. New armour and weapon s were held aloft by small cranes crudely bolted into the walls. One in particular was pulling the torn remains of a SURTUR reactor from the ragged hole in the Strife's chest. The glowing crimson sheen of red mercury making it look like a metal heart dripping blood. Over a dozen men were working on the machine including a pair of giant metal spiders. The spiders hung from the ceiling on glittering wire their cyber limbs cutting away and removing the bisected head of the Mecha.
Shinigami stood before the Strife. He wore sleeveless coveralls. His mechanical arm was exposed to plain view it's black muscles the same as the Strife's. He stood before a work bench carefully adjusting some unidentifiable piece of technology using a micro welder and small delicate metal tweezers. Lenses in his bone mask made slight clicking noises as they focused on something only he could see. At times he would stop and direct the repairs of one of his minions. Digital holograms overlaying his motions like a giant's silhouette. The second metal spider clamped onto the Strife's torn chest and began removing the plating. The Strife's right arm was completely stripped of metal revealing the glossy black fibres of its artificial muscles. All the while this continued music blared from speakers as sparks rained down around him.
"I'm waking up to ash and dust
I wipe my brow and I sweat my rust
I'm breathing in the chemicals. ahhhhh
I'm breaking in shaping up then checking out on the prison bus this is it the apocalypse whoah
I'm breaking in, I feel it in my bones enough to make my systems blow
Welcome to the new age to the new age, Welcome to the new age to the new age
Whoa oh ah Whoa oh ah I'm Radioactive radioactive
Whoa Oh Ah Whoa oh ah I'm Radiaoactive radioactive
I raise my flag, don my clothes
it's a revolution I suppose.
We're painted red to fit right in whoa
I'm breaking in shaping up then checking out on the prison bus this is it the apocalypse whoa
I'm breaking out I feel it in my bones enough to make my systems blow
Welcome to the new age to the new age, Welcome to the new age to the new age
Whoa oh ah Whoa oh ah I'm Radioactive, radioactive
Whoa Oh Ah Whoa oh ah I'm Radiaoactive, radioactive
All systems go the sun hasn't died
Deep in my bones awake from inside
I'm breaking in, I feel it in my bones enough to make my systems blow
Welcome to the new age to the new age, Welcome to the new age to the new age
Whoa oh ah Whoa oh ah I'm Radioactive radioactive
Whoa Oh Ah Whoa o. h ah I'm Radiaoactive radioactive
"Ohgi"
"Yes Zero."
"We're going to the meeting hall. Could you get Shinigami and say we need to have a conference by Lift 27. He'll lead you there."
"Alright."
Ohgi descended a set of metal stairs and walked up behind the goth themed engineer "Shinigami."
"Ohgi" Luthur didn't even turn his head.
"Zero said you are to join us at the conference by Lift 27."
The Reaper put down his tools and turned around to face Ohgi. "So the time has come."
He reached down into a nearby bin and pulled a thick black overcoat over his coverall. Only the inhuman black muscle of his hand was visible now. "I know where the meeting is we can talk as we go or don't talk whichever."
Ohgi was silent for a few moments and then followed along behind the Shinigami.
"I've been looking over the general orders you have us distributing to the rest of the resistance. I don't quite understand them."
Luthur tilted his head. "Clarify. You don't understand their meaning or you don't understand their purpose."
"The second one those tapes we're sending to the TV stations."
"Yes War and the images of Brittanian soldiers as our prisoners."
"Why are we keeping them alive? We're rationing the food stores in the mountains but we're still feeding the prisoners. If this is right there's over five hundred we're keeping I don't know where."
Luthur chuckled "You think we should kill them all Ohgi? How ruthless, there may be hope for you yet."
"No but why take them prisoner? We send pictures of us killing Brittanians then images of us keeping them alive? I mean some of the things I've seen the knights doing in those pictures. Decapitations? Hanging them from flagpoles. You've got footage of us burning Brittanain soldiers alive with flamethrowers."
"He knew you would speak of this."
"Who."
"Zero. You were the former leader of the group Naoto's second in command. Now after the thrill of victory is dulling you are really wondering just what the hell you've gotten into. He knew that you would speak to me rather than challenge him directly in front of the others. Because you have doubts Ohgi, only they are not doubts about our military abilities not anymore."
"How could he know?" Ohgi looked down feeling slightly worried.
Death chuckled. "Because he is the leader. What commander does understand the minds and souls of his followers? By the way it's a bit late to ask for yours back by now." Luthur paused "That was a joke." Ohgi wasn't laughing and Luthur sighed before they continued around a corner. "Fear, hate, brutality, violence these are powerful tools Ohgi. But they must be used properly or it becomes counterproductive. You must have a theory or two as to why we kill our enemies in such extravagant ways yet we never harm our prisoners. Even when Brittania will probably treat any of their captives harsher."
"To show our moral superiority."
Shinigami snorted in derision. "Most forms of 'morality' are based in cold logic intended to maintain a stable society. Most things that are undeniably 'evil' are also illogical and stupid in some way. Justice is Zero's main motivation but I see things with more … pragmatism. We are keeping these men alive because it influences our enemies behaviour. Now it may be that us taking captives will encourage them to treat their prisoners better for fear of reprisal which is good. But that is not the key objective.
The key Ohgi, is fear.
"We wish our enemies to fear our undefeatability. To fear we may attack at any time, any place and in ways they cannot imagine. That to fight us is to face inescapable and terrible death. We do not want them to fear surrendering to us.
If our enemies believe that to be captured by us is to face mortal torture they will fight more savagely hoping to die swiftly on the battlefield. The fear we inspire will make it harder to defeat them. If however they know that to surrender is to be treated well but to fight on is to die horribly then fear shall encourage them to lay down their arms.
"In the Brittanian civilian populace we seek to cultivate a different kind of fear. We must create utter terror and mass panic. Panic that will hinder their efforts to resist us. Terror that will convince them that is no hope of salvation but total submission or willing collaboration."
Ohgi broke away from the dark temper of Luthur's words. "Zero said Brittania would never fall to terrorism."
"Nor shall it. Terrorists are often misnamed. Terrorists create acts of destruction. They create brief periods of fear, anger but not terror. True terror is when fear overwhelms rational thought when you can't run, you can't fight, all you want is to crawl into a corner and hide. To create this terror requires preparation. We must be more subtle than simply killing and mutilating lots of people. It's not whether they are certain we will try to kill them all but that their mighty military will not be able to stop us if we did. That they are alive because we choose not to kill them."
"That's a bit convoluted." Ohgi sounded rather sceptical.
"It's a less obvious fear one that is not spoken or acknowledged. They will push it into the backs of their minds rather than face it and there it will grow like cancer. On a positive side note if we say get out of here we're going to blow up this place they will believe us and not hang around to get killed. "
"Yeah but what about when you try to scare us?" Luthur chuckled Ah so that's what is eating at him.
"Fear can also motivate, in Saitama we stiffened the backs of the Yamato alliance by making them fear us more than they feared dying at Cornelia's hands."
"You killed them because they disobeyed Zero. Like on the mountaintop."
"The girl turned her gun on Zero but she did not run, she was questioning his plan. Killing her then was not the answer Ohgi. We killed the Yamato alliance because they ran out of fear for their own lives, because they abandoned the people they were supposed to protect and because we didn't give a damn about their long term morale."
"I still don't understand."
"The only lives being hazarded on that mountaintop were our own. We weren't defending anything besides there will be occasions when running away will be exactly the right thing to do. We're smart enough to know the difference between a tactical retreat and cowardice in the face of enemy. What is important is that the troops know we know that."
"On the mountain top using fear in that way would have been counterproductive. We needed you sharp not looking over your backs. Instead Zero inspired by action."
"I do not inspire in the way he does Ohgi. That is why he is the leader. When I look at most people I often think of them in terms of how I make them stronger or how can I exploit their weaknesses. My evaluation of a persons personality usually involves some way I can use it to attack them. Zero is better at seeing the ways in which a weakness may be a strength or how to inspire people to achieve their potential on their own." Luthur was honest with himself and even then his thoughts turned to an example of what he had said. When we realized that Tamaki was not good at Knightmare piloting it was Zero who realized his skills were better suited to driving a tank. I thought of Tamaki only in terms of his deficiencies. Then he stopped his reminiscing.
"You want it plainly Ohgi. You can doubt us, question us even mistrust us but you don't get to run away from this war. If you betray our cause if you truly knowingly betray Zero you will die."
"By my hand.." He raised his hand
"Slowly." He clenched it into a fist.
"Not because I hate you or because of some moral drive to punish you but because in a military command it has to be clear exactly what happens if you betray." Ohgi looked pale but he didn't tremble or turn his gaze away. Good for him. "Any other questions commander Ohgi?"
"No Sir."
"Good then come it's time."
Ohgi followed death down the stairs towards a maintenance closet. They stepped inside. And then a hidden panel opened in the far wall between a mop and a pair of cleaning overalls. The passageway was lightless and after five minutes of walking they stopped. "Two secret doors in your own base. A bit much isn't it?"
"We're no longer technically in the Base we are below and eastwards of its location."
They stepped into a circular chamber tall and wide enough it could easily hold a pair of Nobuseri. At the far end of the chamber Zero stood flanking either side of him were War and Famine. Facing them their backs to the entrance stood Lady Kami, Kallen and Sohni. Kallen and Sohni had both detached their helmets and held them to their sides. Ohgi walked up beside them while Luthur stood with Zero.
The leader of the Black Knights raised his arm from the folds of his cloak. "It is time for you to take the oath of oblivion. You will be raised to the first tier. You must swear to never betray what will be revealed to you. In fact until certain conditions are met you are under a death oath. Over the course of the next several months you will undergo training and medical procedures that will make you resistant to drugs, torture and other interrogation tools. Special devices shall be placed in your bodies enabling you to voluntarily enter into a state of suspended animation or even end your own lives."
"We're to fall on our swords like samurai?" Sohni yelled in outrage
"No they are electrical and chemical devices. Linked to a complex system of neurochemical triggers, thought patterns and micromovements. Believe me there is no way to activate these by accident."
"Which would be within our own bodies"
"You are the sub commanders of the Black Knights. Each of you serves a vital purpose. But until the coming of E-Day the secrets you know must be kept from our enemies. Many have indeed died to protect these secrets."
Zero inclined his head towards the Lady Kami. "The Lady Kami has already demonstrated she possesses her own methods for concealing information so she will not need to have as many procedures as you three." He paused as he looked at their expressions. "You are shocked but I assure you I ask nothing of you that I have not done myself."
Zero's blank mask panned across the room.
"If any of you wish to turn back do so now. You will still serve but you not be allowed this opportunity for some time."
Sohni and Ohgi looked at each other then turned and nodded their assent. Kallen and Lady Kami didn't even flinch.
"So be it." Zero drew forth a ceremonial blade and rested it point down on the floor.
"Do you pledge yourself to this war to the defeat of Brittania and the liberation of all those oppressed by them?"
"We Do."
War drew his sword "Do you vow to stand beside your brothers and sisters in arms surrendering up personal animosity or pride on the field of battle and off it?"
"We do."
Famine s voice rasped from behind her grey mask.
"Do you swear you shall keep the secrets of the deeps, the dark and the dead locked in your hearts. Knowing you are forbidden to share them with the unintiated until such time as you are released from this oath?"
"We do."
Finally Death drew his scythe blades and pointed their curved ends at the petitioners.
"And do you finally vow that you will embrace death rather than betray the oaths you have just confirmed."
"We do."
"Then you have joined the company of the numberless dead. The gates of the dark kingdom are opened. Hang on."
"Why?"
At that point War normally impassive face twisted into a wide grin. "Because it's a long way down."
The heavy thump of metal locks disengaging echoed through the room. Then they all felt their stomachs lurch as the chamber plummeted down a stone shaft at 80 kilometers an hour.
Eventually the elevator stopped with a dull thump and all the lights went dark. Kallen felt a breeze of cold air caress her face. Then a pair of smaller red light appeared on the ceiling. Then another beyond it. Continuing onwards till it reached the open doors of a bullet train. Shinigami turned his head to look at Ohgi and Sohni. In the dim light their faces looked rather queasy.
They boarded the train and immediately felt the soft whining sound as it built up speed. Outside of the windows the walls of the tunnel flashed by every now and then a series of heavy rings that seemed to contain some kind of semi liquid substance,
"What are those?" lady Kami gestures towards the blue ring they had just passed.
Shinigami answered the question. "Seismic impact rings. Think of them as superscale shock absorbers. We're over three kilometres down in a country right next to a fault line. We have to constantly be ready for earthquakes. Ah, we should be entering the first cavern now." Kallen, Sohni and Ohgi both felt their jaws drop as they saw what lay beyond the train window. Lady Kami kept her jaw hidden behind her veil.
Off to their right side they could see into a massive open space easily twenty meters high and extending away for a hundred. Their vision was broken up broken up by a series of reinforcment pillars but between them was an enormous staging area where lines of tanks and knightmares were being formed. Then they passed out of the cavern and into darkness.
So it continued the train would head at high speed down the blank tunnels before slowing as it passed through another open section. They entered underground towns with houses and even gardens along the walls hundreds of people living and going to work. Past massive stacked farms with artificial sunlight, growing plants and lots of goats.
Then into larger empty caverns under construction where giant metal worms the length of the train burrowed through the rock. For a moment the gaping maw of one burst from a far wall, Solid stone breaking apart in front of it, before being sucked down into its maw of hundreds of whirling grinding teeth.
Sohni broke out of her stunned silence. "What the heck is that?"
War spoke we call them "Stygian Makers, what how did you think we dug this tunnels? With pickaxes?"
Kallen joined in "At this point I'd be prepared to believe you had goblins down here."
The cavern was strange for another reason because there were several sections of the cavern where rocks and debris were simply floating through the air. Large metal disks were laid along the ground as workers simply drifted about or even walked on the ceiling. Ohgi spoke up. "Are you filtering hallucinogens into the cabin?"
Death laughed "No we're manipulating the gravity fields while the cavern is under construction. It's a lot easier to move ninety tons boulders when they don't weigh anything." Then they left the cavern and continued onwards.
Through factories where war machines were built on enormous automated assembly lines lit by the rain of welding sparks. Past rooms filled with red mist and the glow of molten metal. At one point they moved through another assembly area where dozens of Kazes and the smaller whale like transports were lined up. Another where over thirty Nobuseri mechs stood in silent attention. And the people, it wasn't just Japanese. Although there were many Asians the darker skin of Africans could be seen as well as people from the Middle Eastern Federation, India and Europe.
Then they entered another cavern the size of a harbour. The rail line ran along the outside edge of the cavern. Enormous carved stone pillars ten meters in diameter connected to the ceiling. Cranes moved on heavy rails set into the ceiling. Hundreds of people could be seen labouring in work pits across the cavern floor and even in docks jutting out from the walls. The vehicles they were working on could barely be seen under the mass of scaffolding. One vessel in particular was larger than all the others. It rested in the centre of the cavern fifty meters above the floor on an enormous metal platform secured between four pillars. It was covered by the metal work gantry with scores of men and robots labouring on its hull. Only part of the front section was unobscured. It jutted forwards like a sword blade and at the end was a partially completed figurehead in the image of a female samurai with a Naginata outstretched. The name Ikaruga written on the side.
Kallen could barely wrap her mind around what she was seeing. It was like she'd fallen down the rabbit hole in that Lewis Carroll book her father gave her as a child.
"You know it's a good thing we don't have many birds down here or they'd be nesting in your mouth." Kallen snapped her head around to glare at Shinigami who was leaning against the side of the train and who had clearly been watching the Black Knight's reactions to what they were seeing. How the hell do you make it seem like you're smirking behind a blank mask anyway?
Finally after forty five minutes of high speed travel they entered a larger tunnel this one with easily a dozen other rail lines alongside them. The ceiling rose upwards so high there was air traffic. They could see A Kaze hauler flying down the tunnel above them. Then the tunnel ended and they entered a chamber more enormous than any other.
It was like a cityscape at night. Around the walls of the cavern could be seen buildings. The lights of windows as an entire miniature city seemed to cling to the walls. Their roofs were shaped and curved like feudal era buildings. A Parade of tanks and mecha marched down one of the heavy roads. Rail lines encircled the edge of the cavern moving people and materials around the circumference of the city. There was also air traffic. Cargo barges held aloft by counter grav moving to and fro as they entered and exited from the four giant tunnels leading into the supercavern. Smaller angular gunships patrolled the city. Their forward swept wings held underslung weapons as light red thrusters propelled them around. From the roof inverted buildings descended with small balconies on which air traffic landed and people could be seen waving to the travellers below. The floor of the cavern sloped downwards towards the centre where a perfectly circular lake that reflected back the lights from above like an artificial night sky.
The train stopped at station area where they saw a five man patrol of Maori in power armour at the loading dock where the train took more crates onto one of the cargo carriages. The warrior's titan gear was engraved with the same swirling tattoos on their faces. The armoured bunkers and firing slits along the platform were visible as well.
As they exited the train the Maori guards stood at attention. At the further end of the platform was a sheer drop and an open topped counter grav skif pulled up alongside it. They got onboard and it flew them towards the middle of the cavern. All were awed by what lay at the centre. More enormous than any of the other descending buildings.
Zero spoke "This ladies and gentlemen is the Dark Tower."
It was done in the style of old Japanese castles except it was the size of a skyscraper and it was upside down. Extending from the ceiling of the supercavern like a giant stalagmite wrought in black and grey stone. Below the lake of water reflected it as if two mountains were on the verge of crashing into each other.
As they drew closer weapon emplacements could be seen hanging from its inverse archictecture. Bunkers, concentric hornworks, murder zones, drum keeps, missile and heavy artillery positions. The weapons emplacements allowed for fire support to any part of the cavern and the city below. Communication spires hung from the lowest tip of the mega fortress. Powerful searchlights moved around the cavern like the eyes of a slumbering beast.
It was a murderous helter-skelter of masonry, black stone and reinforced metal. Even here at the heart of the deep roads the Black Knights were ready for war.
As they drew closer a crack of bright light opened on one of the walls. It widened revealing a landing bay for the transport. The grav skiff gently floated into the spire as the heavy metal doors closed behind it.
Standing before the skiff as it landed were thirty soldiers wearing ebony power armour very similar to Zero's. The visors however were all tinged red and lines along their plating suggested panels protecting all manner of hidden weaponry. Their capes were crimson with the twisted trident of the knights laid over a black hand. They were all carrying heavy gauss rifles with serrated bayonets at the ends which gleamed in the bay docking lights.
"The Oblivion watch, the innermost guard of the Dark Tower."
The leader of the warriors who held a pair of samurai swords at his side stepped forward and placed his right fist over his left breastplate and tilted his head in salute. "Lord Zero, as ever it is an honour to welcome you home."
"It is good to be home, Lord Castellan." Zero turned towards Ohgi and the others who had recovered enough of their composure to look only dazed. "Come comrades it is time for you to meet the Conclave of the Dead."
Authors notes
Derain: Yes, Yes at last I finally get to reveal what I've only been showing glimpses of. Lelouch is actually the head of state of an entire underground nation! Drums, Drums in the deep.
Lady Kami: Hang on if he has all this why the heck does he need the Black Knights anyway?
Derain: There are in fact very good reasons as to why he needs to have guerrilla resistance at work on the surface. Reasons that will be explained in the next chapter. Along with some other fun revelations.
Sometimes it takes a dozen sentences to describe something awesome. Sometimes it only takes one. Maori warriors in power armour. Be afraid.
Kallen: What are Maori doing here?
Derain: One the conclave is an international conspiracy. Two look at a map in the canon verse the Brittanians conquered New Zealand as well. Which means Peter Jackson had to stop making the Hobbit Movie. The Bastards.
Luthur: Well feeling intimidated enough?
Ohgi: What was with all that Fear and terror talk?
Derain: Partially to explain the practical reasons that lie behind the rules of war. Luthur and Lelouch both recognise moral reasons and pragmatic reasons. Luthur just puts more emphasis on the pragmatic side.
Luthur: Plus I'm the attack dog to Zero's charm. He inspires you I scare the crap out of you. We've noticed Ohgi's doubts and want to discourage him from doing certain things he did in the Canon Season 2.
Luthur: Ominously sharpens his scythe blade while looking at Ohgi
I mean it's not like you would ever think of betraying Zero in any way is it?
Ohgi: Oh no no never. Hehehhe.
Derain: I love that radioactive song in fact think of it as the anthem for my fanfiction. If I had some kind of opening visual sequence that is the music it would be set to. The visual sequence would contain images of ash clouds, burning buildings, huge mechs striding across the landscape and scenes of Lelouch and Luthur back to back dramatically pointing weapons off screen. There would be images of all the characters and maybe a quick shot of the horsemen riding on flaming motorcycles. And someone punching Suzaku in the face.
