Greetings from SeekerMeeker.
For all who read and reviewed, thank you for your continued support.
I am still revising and editing, so that the "introduction arc" will be written well. I hope that it's worth it.
Good luck, and happy reading.
Note: as you readers noticed, some words or even lines are bolded for emphasis. But in this chapter, it is quite lore-heavy, so non-bolded lines are still a little important to learn.
Chapter 4: The Archon Corporation
Five hours later...
Henry Peterson walked down a hallway, passing by busts after busts of regal men and women. Bright lights suspended from the ceiling, as Henry casually walked on a red carpet. Then, as he neared a restroom, he quickened his pace. Stopping at it, he looked around, before entering it. He went to the back of a wall, and leaned on it, so that he faced the entrance of the restroom.
"OK," he said to himself. "Anytime now..."
Ring-ring.
"Good," he said, taking his phone out. "Honey, I am safe."
Three minutes later...
"So that's what happened?"
"Yeah."
"Henry, you be careful out there. I don't want you to disclose that much."
"Honey, I am safe inside, and make sure to record everything; I have my back covered."
"But you're being a whistleblower! You know what they do people like you!"
"I know, but it's my mission to know what's going on here."
"But be careful! You are entering one of the few organizations that knows about the Blue Nova Incident years ago! I don't want you to go MIA!"
"I know, but at least I want to know the truth."
"But at least 12 before went MIA!"
"But this time, I have exclusive access to Barrow, the only man willing to talk!"
"Sigh. But you are right; this is perhaps the only way to restore the world, by knowing the truth and the real life behind it."
"Huh...those three...why do they sound familiar?"
"Don't worry, but be safe and be healthy."
"Thanks honey. Good night."
"Good night."
Click.
Henry Peterson sighed, putting the burner phone away. He then tidied up his combat suit, which looked like something from a science fiction movie. However, it was more practical, with real steel plates and bulletproof fibers.
"This suit," Henry remarked to himself. "Sure feels like something that Stormtroopers wear, except way better. But she's right; I need to watch my back."
He then left the restroom, and walked through the hallway. As he went, the busts eventually gave way to portraits of Renaissance-era figures, with eerie eyes that seemed to watch him. He eventually reached a giant double door.
He raised his right fist, and knocked.
"Who's there?" a very rough, deep voice boomed from behind the door. "You better watch your mouth, grunt!"
"It is I," he replied. "High Sergeant Henry Peterson. I am-wow!"
The door immediately outwards, so that Henry stepped back.
"Welcome!" Herbert Barrow boomed, now with a friendly voice. "Come in, come in!"
Henry blinked.
Oh boy, he thought. This is interesting.
"We need to make this quick!" Herbert said, dragging him in. "It's time to fulfill my end of the bargain!"
A minute later...
Herbert Barrow's Room
"So," Mr. Barrow said. "Sorry if we have to keep this short and sweet, but what do you want to know?"
Henry gulped, as he knew about Herbert's routine. Herbert Barrow was the only General Manager who was willing to talk about the secrets of his company, but even he was tight-lipped about them. Plus, when he said "short and sweet," Henry knew that at best, he could squeeze in up to five minutes.
Henry breathed, tidying up his suit. Unknown to even his GM, Henry had hidden cameras inside of his T-shirt. Without the suit, they were rather visible, but thanks to the suit, it was hard to notice.
"Let's get to the business," Henry said, leaning forward from his chair. "Mr. Barrow, I am curious about this Blue Nova Incident."
Mr. Barrow suddenly laughed, surprising him.
"Well said," Herbert said. He then raised a remote, and clicked something.
"Computer," he declared. "Cancel my meeting; I have something important to deal with."
Henry stayed still, but inside he was shocked.
That easy? he thought. No way! Well, I have to be careful. If I get what I need, I am getting the heck out of here!
"So," Herbert said, smiling. "Now that stupid meeting is gone, let us chill."
He snapped his fingers, and a robotic arm appeared, bringing a tray of food and drinks.
"Have some," Herbert said, taking a burger and wolfing it down.
Henry complied, and drank from a chocolate milkshake. He watched, anxious about being watched.
He was not.
"In order to answer your question," Herbert said casually. "I will need to tell you about the company you work for: the Archon Corporation. What do you know about it?"
Henry went on a long rant about the company, from its mission to its roles in the world, especially with its focus on electronics and bioengineering. It took about 10 minutes, but it felt like only a minute. After all was said, Henry drank his water.
"That's all I know," he finished.
Mr. Barrow smiled, and leaned forward, his mouth etched with some ketchup from the burger.
"That's only half of it," he admitted.
Henry feigned shock, but inside he was excited.
Finally! he thought to himself. Something more exciting!
"But I cannot show you what we actually do," Mr. Barrow said, his voice lower and deeper now. "But what I can tell you...is this:
"The Archon Corporation is more than just a pharmaceutical company, a bioengineering firm, or even an electronics company. It is responsible for vaccines, medical tools, GMO crops, and superb electronics. But it is more: it is actually a special conglomerate with a focus on transhumanism."
"Transhumanism?" Henry asked, pretending to scratch his body. In reality, he was checking his hidden cameras, ensuring that they were working properly.
"It is a movement to improve the human condition," Mr. Barrow explained. "And the Archon is one of the main entities in charge of that. We, the members and supporters of Archon, are in charge of technological advancement of the human race, and the wider world."
"And what does Archon have to do with the Blue Nova Incident?" Henry asked.
"That is the point," Mr. Barrow said. "Archon was founded in China."
Henry dropped his milkshake, which splashed on the ground, the milk and cream staining the floor.
"What?!" he gasped, coughing. "Wa-wait! I thought...what?!"
"You are among the few," Barrow said with a deep, dark voice. "Who now know the real truth behind the Archon. The Archon Corporation is officially listed as founded in the United States of America. In reality, it was the brainchild of a few engineers, scientists, and geniuses in China. The government of the People's Republic of China has officially sanctioned its founding, but has decided to take a...shrewd approach."
Henry leaned in, listening intently.
"You see," Barrow continued. "The Archon was originally supposed to be an alliance of sort, or a bridge, between both US and Chinese scientists. However, after the incident, also known as the BNI, which you know as the Blue Nova Incident, which occurred in China, the company changed dramatically. It placed itself even more in the service of the Chinese government, and the government sent it to be 'founded' in the US."
Henry looked down, deep in thought.
"In other words," he replied in a low voice. "The Archon is really a Chinese spy organization."
"Correct," Mr. Barrow replied. "But they're NOT spying on the US military; they're spying on the Mutants."
"And-" Henry was about to speak, but Herbert silenced him.
"Listen," Mr. Barrow said. "I know that you are very curious, and from what I see, you're the only one who shows no sign of betraying us."
Oh wow, Henry thought. That's great news! But I still need to be vigilant. The more I do this, the more I will know.
"Please do not interrupt me," Mr. Barrow replied in a deep voice. "Henry Peterson, listen carefully, for this is the first and only time that I will tell you this. And I am glad that you are a good listener, for you did not bring any notes to write down, for this is completely classified."
Not for long, Henry thought, thinking about the hidden cameras.
"You got your food and drink?" Mr. Barrow asked.
Henry then reached for some food and drink, and readied himself.
"Let us begin," Mr. Barrow declared. "I, General Manager Herbert Barrow, one of the Commanders of the Archon Corporation, will begin this classified explanation. Get ready, for you will hear from me only once. Remember: you will hear this only once, with ears. No note-taking. Just listen."
"What you know about the Archon is not completely false. The Archon Corporation is indeed a conglomerate, one that specializes in the manufacture and research of advanced electronics, medical technologies, and even bioengineering potential. The Archon Corporation is indeed headquartered in the US, and pays the US its due taxes and everything typical of America. In many ways, the Archon is indeed an American corporation, down to even donating large sums of money to charities, from the American Red Cross to the Smithsonian Institution.
"However, that is only the tip of the iceberg. As I said, the Archon is really founded in China, but it is sent into the US, officially founding on US soil. It is secretly a semi-military corporation, one that specializes in the use of advanced technologies and even magic, in order to augment and improve the human race."
At that, Henry stared. His face clearly showed a mixture of emotions: shock, fear, and disbelief. He could not tell whether to be amazed, to be scared, or to shake his head.
Magic? he thought. Am I hearing this right?!
"But there is more. Recently, we have started to find out that Mutants are much more widespread, and we've started to donate to charities, especially religious ones. We found out that religious charities apparently are willing to reach out to areas that most charities seem to avoid, and that's how we have discovered multiple Mutants. We have had particular success with Compassion International, World Vision, and even the Salvation Army...except that they refuse to hand them over."
Henry did not say, but tilted his head to imply a question.
"I know what you want, Henry. You figured out that we want these charities to hand over the Mutants, but they refused. Although we want to use force, we do not want our name to be tarnished. We Archon higher-ups soon realized that they somehow figured out the real reasons for our efforts, and do not trust us to take care of such children and teens. Therefore, we decide to be sneaky, getting the Mutants before they do. All they do is to tell us that there are potential Mutants in a single village, and we send our military helicopters to extract them."
Henry started to shake, realizing what that mean. He clenched his fists, while gritting his own teeth.
Monsters, he thought.
"But remember, Henry. As a High member of the Archon Corporation, your job is not to question what we're doing, but to help us to learn about the Mutants. Even now, we do not know the full potential of the Mutants, not even those in China. As you may already know, the true mission of Archon is to study the Mutants, to extract them, and to experiment them with the Oracle Stones."
Henry managed to hold himself still, but the revelation was starting to get into him. The fact that Herbert was able to describe kidnappings of innocent kids, including teenagers, all because of them being Mutants, was starting to...disturb him.
"Henry, I hope that this is not too much for you. But I am going to finish what I am going to say about Archon, before I tell you another very important matter. As you already notice, we have some of the most advanced weapons and technologies in the world, ahead of the likes of the US, Japan, and even China. You may not know this, but we are essentially a futuristic army under China, but we're completely separate from all of the Chinese military forces; even some of them don't really know us. In fact, that leads to the very reason why we are advanced: the Oracle Stones."
"The Oracle Stones are the true reason for the Archon's rise to power, and our very focus. Even we do not know of their origins, but what we know about them is this: they emit a strange vortex of magical energies, which appear as luminescent winds. You know about those movies you watch, where magicians cast spells?"
Henry nodded, but internally he was raging. The revelation of kidnapping Mutants was starting to gnaw at him.
"Yes, just like those in movies, TV shows, and games, where characters cast spells, and the spells appear as balls of magic and all that fancy stuff. Well, that IS real. The Oracle Stones are proof of that. The Oracle Stones have various types of magical energies, which radiate like rays of magical winds that surround them like some fancy displays. Generally put, the Oracle Stones are known to do amazing deeds, especially in the form of miracle levels of food production and healing. That is the REAL reason why China has flourished when it comes to its food industry."
Henry blinked at that one. Now, it made sense; the food in the company was surprisingly abundant and quality.
"But the Oracle Stones do not just improve the food supply, or to heal. Actually, they don't do that. Instead, they transform some individuals into Mutants..."
At that, Henry blinked. He was surprised by the sudden change of tone of this. He waited, as Herbert Barrow suddenly became quiet, and did not even say a word for one whole minute.
Finally, Henry broke the silence.
"So," he said. "May I...see these Stones? And why aren't you saying much? What do the Stones have to do with the Mutants?"
"That is a great question," Herbert answered with a deep sigh. "And a great problem to deal with."
"Huh?" Henry asked, surprised.
"We lost them," Herbert said, his voice rising. "We lost ALL of them, due to the Blue Nova Incident."
Henry gasped.
"And worse," Herbert continued, now angry. "Henry, you are the only one whom I can admit this: our company is going bankrupt. China is starting to threaten us, even though we secretly work for China. They found out that we've been unable to increase our profits, so they threaten to reveal our true nature to the rest of the world. If that happens, you and I will lose our jobs."
But it won't affect me, Henry thought. Since I intend to do that in the first place, but first...
He raised a finger, signaling that he wanted to speak.
"Yes you may," Herbert admitted with a sigh, calming down.
"Sir," Henry spoke. "What are you going to do?"
"I have my plans," he answered, now slowly smiling. "Those three college students will be our key to restoring our glory."
So, what will happen next?
XD
Reference: the Archon Corporation is my take on the stereotypical "evil companies" so common in many video games and media, such as the Abstergo Industries of Assassin's Creed series, the Umbrella Corporation of Resident Evil series, and even the Atlas Corporation of Call of Duty series. However, all is not what they seem...
The history of Archon is inspired by the origin of the Foehn Revolt, an advanced faction from the Mental Omega, a fan mod of the Command and Conquer series.
The Oracle Stones are inspired by various magical artifacts in media, such as the Pieces of Eden of Assassin's Creed series, and the Obelisks of The Forest series. They also draw inspiration from the oracle bones of ancient China.
I hope that this story is going well, and feel free to let me know. I hope that this "Introduction Arc" will go well, and I hope to finish this arc.
How will this arc end, or sort of end? Well, I will give a small hint:
That "evolution" I mentioned is something that will come up later.
Sincere Seeker.