Chapter nine
The Emperor is our Father and our Guardian, but we must also guard the Emperor.
Attributed to Sebastian Thor sermons XIV chapter 1.
Vatican City 2012
The verdict had been made. That verdict had killed the hopes and dreams of a young nun named Asia Argento. Four cardinals had passed the death sentence of excommunication on her the one many had called a holy maiden of the lord. Her crime? Her crime was healing a person. Yes he had been a devil, but he had been hurt and she seeing his pain had brought a moment of remembrance to another who had been in a comparable situation. So, she had helped him.
She had healed his wounds and had helped him back to his feet before he had bowed to her and fled. She had been a good person. Like she had always been. That was not what the Swiss guard troopers who had seen them thought. They had grabbed her while shouting that she was a witch and a heretic. They dragged her to the dungeons underneath the Vatican and there she had rotted, for five weeks.
After the incarceration she had been once again dragged to this kangaroo court and the verdict had been made. She loved God. She a woman who had spent her whole life in the church. If her sacred gear had not manifested she would have become a sister and then a full-fledged nun of God.
She looked to the cardinals for a hint of sympathy of even plain humanity. Where was she to go? She had forsaken monetary rewards from those she helped heal, because God said to love each other. Could theses cardinals not see that?
There was no sympathy on any of their faces. She was to be sent to a prison near the boot of Italy and then locked up there, worse they would continue to force her to heal people they considered important.
Where was gods love for each other? That was what she had thought as she was stuffed into a van and said vehicle made its way out of the Vatican and down the highway to said prison.
She had been about to lose faith. She was ready to sink into the bottomless pit of true despair.
That was when God had answered her prayers.
Two cracks had been heard when the van had been on the side of the road, getting petroleum and then nothing. Asia looked in wide eyed shock when the back of the van was thrown open and three individuals had quickly unlocked her cuffs and then helped get her into another van, she saw the two bodies of the Swiss guard troopers who had forced her into the moving cage on the ground unmoving.
She had wanted to scream, but a look from one of the three people who had rescued her, this an older woman with a few scars had pled with her not to. She still wanted to scream. instead of being thrown in the trunk, like she expected, she was instead put in the back seat of the van and with the older woman beside her they had made way for a private airport. There she and her three rescuers had boarded a plane that had taken off and had made its way east.
On the plane Asia had been shaking in fear were these devils or fallen angels? Seeing the question, the woman had smiled at her kindly before saying in an American accented Italian.
"Do not worry. We are your friends. What the church did to you was wrong in a way that will cause more damnation in the ranks of its people. You are not a witch or a heretic. You kept faith with the lord. We also keep faith with him. The board against you was gerrymandered to be against you from the start. We see what type of a person you are. And we are getting you to someone who sees your kindness and purity and wants to encourage and nurture it. Have faith in us, like we do with you."
Those words sang to her, she was not a heretic or a witch? But the cardinals had said she was. How could the people ordained by God be wrong?
"They are just humans, not God, humans are flawed, but we can overcome our flaws and become better than God a being who was perfect. Not above him, but alongside him as equals because that is what the one who has orchestrated your rescue believes. He has faith with us, in his fellow humans and others. He might not believe in the lord like we do. But he believes in the potential of all."
"What will he ask of me?"
"Nothing that you are not fully willing to give. We matter. Everyone matters."
That had shown Asia that this whomever he was cared about what she wanted. She wanted to continue helping people. She was willing to do that.
Kuoh airport early Saturday morning.
Asia followed the ones who had saved her down the ramp from the plane. The other woman who seemed to be the leader of the group walked with her. They were met by a man who had looked over them before saying to them.
"I am Alpharius. I see you have brought our dear friend. Our lord has instructed me to take the four of you through the city to a house and there you will meet another further up the chain. She is a little strange at times but has a particularly good heart. Please do not activate anything that is holy magic until we get to the house. The devils have strong wards that thankfully do not reach the airport. Is that clear."
The four newcomers had nodded seriously.
"Good, I will get you all to safety as fast as possible."
The five entered a non descriptive white van and when they were all seated and buckled the driver drove off. It was a tense half an hour drive, during which Asia looked to her new friend. She was grim but hopeful.
When they had reached the house the driver had opened the sliding doors for them, and Asia could see that they were now in the driveway of a decently wealthy looking house and the five had made their way to the door. Their guide knocked on the door and it was answered by a beautiful woman with hair the colors of red brown and black, her eyes were the color of a golden coin. She had looked at them and when she gazed at Asia, it was like she an orphan now had a cool older sister.
"Welcome to my home. Come in I have fresh coffee and a hot breakfast waiting for you."
They walked into the home. Asia felt something go up behind them as the door closed. The woman was still smiling at them and gestures for them to grab a plate of food that was on a long table. The driver moved first but Asia now noticed that he had a small limp in his right leg. He sat and began scarfing down food and it would have been incredibly rude had the tri color woman not giggled.
"Do not mind him, he is as my father puts it a black hole when it comes to food. My name is Daliea Hyoudou. It is a pleasure to meet our new friends and allies. The one eating now is Freed."
The warm greeting relaxed the others the American smiled and then bowed.
"I am Janet. Thank you for having this ready for us.
One of the other rescuers a big bear of a man who looked like a massive body builder surprised Asia by how quite he was.
"I'm Jean-Claude, Janet is right it's nice to be met with a warm welcome."
The third of the nun's trio also smiled warmly. He it was revealed was English.
"This is a very pleasant change from what I and the others are used to my name is Charles.
The three moved to the table grabbing plates and sat before freed grunting something to Jean and the giant smiled further and then started a remarkably interesting conversation about sword work.
"Who might you be young lady?"
Asia looked to Daliea the same smile of kindness still there. Asia let loose a gigantic smile of her own.
"I am Asia Argento, god bless you Ms. Hyoudou, this is the kindest I have been treated in five weeks."
A look crossed the older woman's face before it disappeared just as quickly she had the smile back and gently guided Asia over to the table, helping her collect the various things she wanted.
Asia had been nervous, was that all right to have as much as she wanted? The gold eyed woman nodded at the question and Asia smiled brighter. The breakfast between strangers turned into one between friends as smiles and happy feelings crossed everyone's faces. That had continued when freed had burped and that had sent the three men off on a contest while Daliea Janet and Asia looked on, it was wonderful, they were treated as people. Not a holy maiden or what the others had been, which was clearly exorcists.
They had, after the satisfying meal gathered up the plates and cleaned the room before the six had made their way to the basement down a flight of oak stairs. The room that they entered was a general recreation center with a large screen television and a very large couch that was a warm beige color , on either side of the couch there were more chairs in well made leather, tables were scattered throughout the room and Daliea had led them over too a wall that had the symbol of their new faction a giant golden Aquilla with both eyes open on either side of its heads, at the eagles feet were lighting bolts in one talon and in the other was a replica of Earth. The woman had smiled again before saying something in a language that only Freed had understood and that the others had no clue of its origin, to Asia it sounded like a mixture of Spanish, English, Italian, Russian, French, German and Chinese with a few more she could not even begin to place.
The Aquilla rose and the wall gave way to a secret second basement.
"Come in I and Freed will explain more about what you four can do to help us in the goal of Unification, at least until my father gets back from work, he is currently doing. He can tell you the true extent of our dream."
What was the goal of Unification? Unify what? The question intrigued them, and the group made their way into the strange area. There were rooms that clearly had lit signs over them in several languages. One read hospital. Another read armory and two more said shooting range and training cage. Daliea led them deeper into the facility and that was were they saw a great machine. It was large, and it was built like what you would have thought the transportation beamer of the science fiction show of Star Trek. There was a platform and on it were several circles that were reflected on both the top and bottom. It was the color of gold just like their guides eyes. She and freed stopped before the machine.
"I have seen your faces and the questions, in noticeably short the goal of Unification is, the Unification of all people of earth, human and otherwise, it is the dream of reaching the stars as a people united together, it is the dream that you who are human. you all truly matter. we will be unified as a people while continuing to be unique, to throw off and destroy the things that threaten humanity and the others, this includes gods who have long taken advantage of our lives and treat us, not as living, breathing and thinking beings, but as worms who should not have a single right to our name, the dream my father started a decade ago is this dream. I will shock you further. I am human but also not human, I am an artificial intelligence, within my data banks lie things that will allow us to build this dream, medicine, the ability to fix our planet's slowly dying ecosystem, the key to sustainable power, and the building blocks for starships and most unfortunately weapons of war, I contain that and so much more."
She stopped before nodding to freed, the man nodded back to her a smile showing on his young face. He continued the shock by stepping on to the platform and with only a slight hiss the machine spun up and with only a small crack of light freed who had been there a moment ago, was now gone, the ai looked to them again, the machine cracked once more and then freed was back, no worse for wear.
"This is a teleportation machine that leads back to what we call the forge of dreams, this is what is possible with my potential and human hands, I understand that you don't understand yet, my father, my creator he told me a phrase that stuck with me from the time I was made to now, know no fear, to let go of doubt, to let go of regrets that you might have, to also let go of the fear of the unknowns that are always present in our lives. to have faith in ourselves and each other. to be a people that are not afraid to stand up for the good in the world, to not cower as we try to fix this broken world we inhabit rather than leave it more broken for future generations, I Know No Fear, because I believe in the dream of unification with my body heart and my soul. because I do have a soul, I see you, who are my siblings and I want to help you. not because I was forced to, but because I was given the choice to be a living, thinking, being with free will, I want to help because as my father has also said. I would be a lesser person if I stood here with all my knowledge and decided to do nothing. My father and I are atheists, but we do not look down on you who believe, we do not like organized religion. We do, however, understand faith, that is something we do respect. Have faith in us your new allies. have faith in my father who is the greatest human that will ever exist. He who understands you because he is human and has experienced so much. have faith in him like he has faith in all of us. he who sees all of us as his children. he can do things that many would say make him a god. but he is not a god, he is a human being, he believes that we can be better than gods. I will now and always, Know no fear. For Terra in Excelsior!"
The speech had Asia and the others in total and utter shock, she was claiming so much, could she really have the keys to help fix their world? Asia felt something in her soul that had been stirred by this woman who was and wasn't human, she was utterly right, to know no fear, that was what she had until recently been living as her life, she remembered the despair, she remembered the hopelessness and the fear, she had felt, this woman and her father understood them, yes she and he were not believers in god, they disliked religion, but as she had said they did not look at them and see others, she saw people, people with different life experiences who had made the choice to believe, she said that they would fight gods and those who threaten the human condition.
Humans fighting gods, it sounded ridiculous, they who are human were at the bottom, could they really fight gods? Have faith. She had plenty of faith, she had so much faith, to believe that what she had said, Asia felt it, she would have faith in the dream of unification, she would have faith in others.
She would fight gods. She would fight against what had been done to her, she would fight against the night, she would be a woman of faith standing beside her fellows and would drive evil from the world, it would always be there, she knew it would never go away, but she would not be silent anymore.
Asia moved forward towards the woman and Freed before dropping to her knees, head not bowed looking into Daliea's face, the look that Asia gave to the other was faith.
"I know no fear, I pledge myself, my gift of God that is twilight healing to the dream of Unification, I pledge my being to this dream, I pledge to see it through to whatever end. I pledge to help you and your father fix our world, I pledge to do good, I have seen the truth. I too shall now and always know no fear. This I swear on God our maker. For Terra in Excelsior!
This was the avalanche, Jean strode forward dropping to his knees followed by Janet and Charles, they knelt beside her, none bowed all looking at the future that had been shown to them in that speech. Together in a choir of their voices they said.
"We know no fear, we give just like our new sister our faith in the dream of Unification, we swear to do what must be done to fix our world, we will do whatever is necessary, it may not be pretty or kind at points but we will follow through with support of this dream, you and your father who are being honest with us, you don't see us as tools that can and will be thrown away, we are human and we all matter. For Terra in Excelsior!"
That chant was sung by all of them.
Kuoh academy student council office Sunday night.
Sona, Rias and Suku were looking at a map on the mahogany desk that was in the office. The three were looking over a map that showed potential areas in the city that they thought the survivor from the attack yesterday could be hiding. They had not found them.
The pawns and others that had been seconded to the search had come up empty. No trace of the survivor was found. It frustrated Suku who like her king had the sin of pride, pride in her sword and magic work, pride in being the queen of the peerage, pride in doing what was asked of her.
Still, they found something. After more digging Rias' bishop had finally found something that was a possible connection to the bird. It was a company that used something very very similar to it in their logo. More digging has shown that this company is currently inactive. It had been inactive for half a decade.
They were clearly missing something because this company did not have a name yet. The bishop had found that it was an energy company. What type of energy they did not know it was a very vague statement. How was an energy company that had no product or services possible connection to their vey dangerous unknown? They would keep up the search during the week after school. Suku had told the two younger kings that she and her king appreciated the support that had been given. Rias had said that her bishop was still willing to keep digging and since he was a shut in he was free at any time to help.
Suku had taken the offer with a nod and then bade the two kings a good night before leaving through a portal. Sona was still studying the map.
"There is something we are severely missing. The survivor could not have gotten far. Perhaps he was the killer? Or maybe something along those lines. The energy company. What is it they are promising to sell? I do not like this at all Rias."
"Neither do I. To move to other topics, I heard through the grapevine that you have a new friend. Did you get Issei into your peerage? And the reason he wasn't here this weekend was because of letting him adjust to the changes?"
Rias had said this with teasing at the first bit, curiosity in the middle and desperation and possible hope that she her friend had failed at the end.
Sona had wanted to be angry with Rias. But the memory of her look with Issei had brought a smile to her lips at how they had connected. He was her friend. That was enough. She wished he were in her peerage. But being the friend of the wonderful man was so much better. He made her life better. He believed in her.
"He is not in my peerage. He refused twice to join the student council; he does not know we are devils. Yes we are friends, he might be what you and I are, true friends. You can try to get him. But he will refuse you no matter what. He has some principles that I do not know of, but he will not compromise easily on them. Perhaps instead of feeding your minor sin of sloth, you could push yourself and your peerage to train more. That way you can even the odds a bit more with riser, instead of placing all your hopes on a surprise piece that will help you. It is not fair to that potential piece to have that expectation placed on them, whomever they might be."
That stung rias, but it was true. She had been placing all her hopes and dreams on that. She should train more. Yes she should have been training more since the beginning. But life happened. She had let life pass her by and instead of preparing for the rating game that was her only way out of the contract with riser she had not been doing that. She had indeed been feeding her minor sin.
"You are right Sona; you are so very right. I am glad that you have made another friend. There must be something, anything that he wants! I need his help. We who are only four against his full sixteen pieces. There has to be something he wants."
"I do not know what he wants. But I do want to know. But not for the ammunition to use against him. I want to know because he is my friend and I want to help him in his goal, just like he would with mine. He admires what I want. I admire him for not betraying what he stands for, whatever that might be. Perhaps you can look into trying to get mercs or do recruitment massively, both of which I know you find extremely distasteful, despite your primary sin, there are other options on the table, and you still have at least three years before the marriage. Or has that changed?
Rias looked down; the hint of tears were coming forth.
"It has. The marriage is in two months. Father and Lord Phenex have stepped up the arrangements. I from the piece of a king understand the logic. It brings the Phenex's out of the neutrals and into the NKF. I understand that. But I hate it. I want to choose who I want to spend the rest of my life with. I want a husband who can look past my noble name and see me for me. The greed and the sloth, but also my good attributes. I want a husband that will stand beside me and build me up and I would do so in kind. That is what I want, not a pig of a man that thinks I am only good because of my body. Please speak to him I need help and it is going to be worse for Koneko and Akeno."
"And how would I do that? He does not know about our world. He does not know that his life dreams to the vast majority of our people do not matter. How can I tell him that? I think he could be the next bill gates. I think he has ideas that can change how we and humans think of engineering. I do not want to take that away from him. He is my friend. Just like you are. I will talk to him again. Please give me time. I know what Koneko has said about what he thinks of Kiba. But I am not sure if it is true. I will fight for you too. But I also have to fight for him."
"That is all I can ask. Please. I know it is a lot to ask for. If you can convince him to help in even a small way I will be eternally grateful to you. I will grant you any favor you want."
"What I want is you and him to both be happy. I understand what you are saying. Have you tried talking to your brother? I am sure he would understand, I know he has to be apolitical, but he loves you. Can't your mother also help you? She despite what you think is also on your side,"
"Brother is trying to slow down the contract in his very few ways. The support from the Phenex would be instrumental in turning the NKF into a party that would have a very slim majority. I understand that they need it. So does he. He tried to offer his son, my nephew as a replacement for me with the youngest Phenex. I really appreciate that he did that. They were very tempted to accept, before deciding against it. Brother had to from what Fia told me, been forced to sleep on the couch for him not asking her before the offer. That he did that makes me love him more. Mother. Mother is your right trying to help, but she also thinks that I will be able to fix Riser. Like how she was able to fix father after learning that his three older brothers had died, at the end of the Great War. I cannot fix him. They have let him slip into this pig nature while it is not the worst of what our kind do, I do not like it."
Sona, in a show of understanding put her arm round her taller friend. She had faced the same with her own betrothed until she had seen the part that her father had slipped into the contract to give her a better way out. Her future husband had to defeat her at chess.
She held Rias. The tears now fell freely. They stayed together for two more hours. Trying to help.
Base of operations. Sunday evening.
Arnaldo was here with his people. Janet had hugged him violently when he entered the basement led by the one called Caroline, Jean had put his arm on Arnaldo's shoulders and Charles was standing back, his stiff British upper lip was on display, but he was smiling softly. They were together again.
Their brother/sisterhood. They who had not known each other before that mission, they who now were the best of friends. They were only missing the other three. James, Sarah, and Cornelia. They would be arriving sometime this week. They mattered. That was what the Master of Mankind had said. They had faith in him. Janet had asked for a small chapel to be made for them. Daliea had agreed immediately and told them that Freed had already made such a place in the forge of dreams.
Arnaldo and Jean were Catholic, Janet and Charles were Protestant. That did not matter anymore. Their faith together was what mattered. They were better off now.
Hospital ward.
Asia was taking notes on a data slate as Caroline who had become her teacher in the ways of medicine, showed her the limp that Freed, who was sitting on a ward bed had. Asia had been shocked to learn that the injury had been the leftover of a profoundly serious string of medical operations that had been given to him earlier that week. That he had willingly gone through the pain to make a sacrifice for the dream of unification, without being asked, he had in fact been attempted to be discouraged by the master of mankind, which showed Asia that freed was willing to back up his words. As did he.
When Asia had met the Master of Mankind. It had been the single greatest moment of her short life. He had looked at her deeply and in but a moment he had smiled at her. That smile was near perfect, it made her feel thousands of emotions. All good. He had looked again at her in curiosity before saying.
"I see now why you are the way you are, you saved Caroline. You have an exceedingly rare gift milady; it is light itself. I will when the time permits, teach you as my student. I will have my daughter give you several data slates. Read them. Because they will help you further in your dream."
She had not known what he had meant. The slates had indeed been presented to her that night. They were a series of exercises that built up mental control, she had started noticing the effects of them right away. The world which had always been beautiful, became more so. The colors were more alive and vibrant. When she looked at the Master of Mankind again that Sunday, she saw it. The dream, she saw every single thing about it. She saw untold worlds where humanity dwelt, they were so vastly different yet all the same. She saw a galaxy that had their faction symbol hanging over it. She saw him watching them protecting them all.
It was awe inspiring. It was what they would fight for. She had seen herself. Older and wiser teaching a new generation of humans what life had been like pre-unification that tale was not bleached of the hardship that they would suffer. It did not downplay the sacrifice that had and would be made. It showed to them all that Unification was not perfect, it showed the very human side of the life that these children would not see, for they would be born not like her at a point in time where terra had already been fully explored, but they have not yet reached the stars. Their time would be to explore the cosmos, to see the mystery that God had made. They were all the children of humanity. She noticed very slightly that an incredibly young girl was sitting on her lap with her green eyes and that hair.
But that was one future. The one she most wanted. There were others but that first one was the one.
Freed grunted, breaking Asia from her thoughts. Caroline had poked him.
"I get it, poke is bad. How much longer do I have before it goes away?"
"One more day Freed. You were too eager to fight again."
"I know. But I cannot leave him alone. I want to help more. That is why I went under the knife. What I do matters. We are facing enemies that must be stopped. I cannot leave him alone."
"I understand freed. I truly do. I do not want to leave him alone either. But he wants you to think of yourself too. Do so more in the future. Who is going with you for the sapling on Tuesday?"
"Probably Jean, Arnaldo, myself and maybe Janet. When the others also arrive on Tuesday, I will look at them and see if we need more. I understand. Thank you for patching me up, despite everything."
"The past is always with us freed. But I have let go of that part. You are welcome. Try not to pull the leg."
"Yes mom."
He got up off the bed and made his way out the door and to the teleporter dock. Asia had noticed that they were both exceptionally good friends. Freed was gruff and wanted to do more, just like she did. Just like they all now wanted to do. Caroline had been making notes on her data slate. Before looking to her apprentice.
"I never did get to say thank you for what you did for me Ms. Argento. You started me on the path to a much better life than what I had before. You helped me when you did not have to. I have managed to pull your file from the church's computers. You are exceptionally good at treating injuries. With my help I will make the both of us into names that will be remembered. Not for glory. But because we will do wonderful things in service to humanity. It will be because all of us deserve to live to the best of our ability. And because my teaching you is my payment, for what you did. Thank you."
Asia's blush was heavy. She had been thanked before by the ones she had healed multiple times, this was different. This was sincere gratitude.
"You do not have to thank me or pay me back. I did what I did because God says to love each other. To treat others with respect. That is why I did it."
"Regardless of why, I will do this. Because I want to."
She pulled Asia into a hug that was like a mother, it was wonderful. She never wanted to not feel this again.
Kuoh Academy Monday morning.
Issei was walking towards the home room with very mixed feelings. He was incredibly pleased with the results of the weekend. More of their faction had made it into the city. They would be getting increasingly more as time went on.
The exorcists were getting tired of the way they were being treated. His agent told him this. She was tired of the excuses that the church was giving those who fought for humanity. They who saw the dark. They who many times joined the fight to avenge family or friends that fell to the supernatural. They who were the life blood and beating heart of the faith.
They deserve much better. It was why his agent was doing her deed. She understood them. She would get more to their cause. Freed would teach those who wanted to fight the ways of war. Those like Asia who wanted to help with healing, and those like Charles who had approached Daliea and asked about machines. The man had said that he had seen a dream of a machines beating heart. He wanted to learn.
When Issei entered his home room he was met by smiles from nearly all his classmates, and he warmly smiled to them. It was a feedback loop. He had sat next to a girl, and they fell into a discussion about mathematics. She also wanted to become an engineer.
The conversation dragged two more boys and another girl in, and they soon were all talking about exceedingly high conceptual math which made the heads of the others who were not math inclined hurt. The teacher a kind older woman who was also their math instructor, had joined in the conversation and she and Issei had eventually left the others behind and when the teacher was shown an equation that she had claimed was Impossible, Issei had frowned before making the calculations and then showing it on the chalk board. The teacher and the students had mouths that were dropped to the floor.
At lunch he had been eating again under the tree that was now his. And continued being watched. Everyone watched him. His fan girls, Student council members, the other boys, and Koneko-san. He had a better hint at what her sin was now that he had looked at her more. He thought it was gluttony. She was extremely focused on a bag of candy while also watching him. The other two, Rias and the one he had heard from her thoughts was called Akeno, they were looking at him with much more discretion, he could see that Rias was nearing a bad point and would hard push her issue on him to help her with her situation.
He felt for her. She wanted what he wanted too. For you to be able to choose your partner and them to accept all of you. He had investigated the satan who was looking for a merc and had discovered it was Lord Lucifer. He had put a poke at the devil and got a reply that had connected more dots. He was looking for a warrior or magician that would help his sister. The money was extremely good. It also came with a caveat that the merc who won his sister's ratings game would receive more additional money and a favor from him personally.
That. That was very tempting. To have offered that as a reward was telling of how desperate the Satan was. That favor could prove remarkably interesting and could help with the next step of his plan. They needed another forge. He and Daliea had crunched the numbers on how much they could afford to equip their forces with the now mark four lasguns, pistols, mark two bolters and their rounds along with the carapace armor now in mark three. The numbers were not pretty. They had half a year of the munitions, crystals for las weapons and explosives saved up.
His daughter was trying to boost production to make up the difference. They need more Stcs. They had talked about it for two hours before they began making the beginning of another ai.
The servers would be significantly better and smaller than her first ones had been. They had asked Caroline to allocate time when she was free along with Charles to help with the construction. Charles had when looking at the machines with wide eyes and sheer amazement had begun to work more furiously on the task. His dream when he was young had been to be an engineer, but his family could not pay the fees for his school. Then they had died because his young brother had suddenly activated his sacred gear and it had brought devils who had tried to kidnap the boy.
Charles had fought with such a savage nature against them that he had killed several of them. His father had been an exorcist, those old blades had gutted the kidnappers. But it had not been enough to save his family. He had been pushing the devils back away from the house when a bishop had thrown a fire spell that sent the home up in flames. That had made Charles run to save them and give time for the devils to flee. They burned, just like his heart.
His story was unfortunately all too common for those of the church's army. It was revenge. And then afterwards it was the desire to see others not suffer their loss.
Charles had seemed to be utterly focused that Sunday on the machines. They seemed to purr for him. Daliea had actually noted with shock that her production that day had been double that of the same day of the last two weeks. Issei had pulled Charles aside and had been more curious of what the dream Charles had seen.
"I saw milord a great machine. It was like a planet, its surface ran with wires and cables, its sound was a song of many choirs of music in digital form, it was magnificent. I watched as this what I believed to be the lord almighty in machine form looked to me and I felt purpose. I felt the desire to become more like it efficient, logical, and more. it called you the Omnissiah. It said to serve you, his avatar, to build wonder and glory for it the god of machines. I wish so very deeply to be this aspect of the lord all mighty servant to become one with technology. Because the machine is immortal."
Issei had been in shock and some horror. Revelation and Ddraig had both jumped in clear alarm. This could be awfully bad. So, he had bade Charles to hold off on following the dream for now.
That night, while Freed, Caroline and Daliea watched his body in a secured room. Issei had entered the warp to find this thing.
His soul had shown, it caught a few of the gods attention for only the briefest second before turning back to their games. He had found the god of the machine.
It wore his face. This him had worn the priesthood of Mars's robes. It had a bionic eye and two bionic limbs with were obviously machines. It looked at him before a smile came across its face.
"Greetings to you my avatar. I hope that you liked my first gift to you. I had my eyes on him since he was but a boy. I am not your enemy."
"You could have fooled me. If you are not my enemy explain what you are. Or else."
The machine god did not look intimidated. It showed that it understood his clear unease and that it wanted to help.
"I am your aspect that represents the belief of the Mechcanicum. The transition here was not perfect. I broke off. I will state again. I am not your enemy. I who am you want to help. You who are my avatar and me. But I am not the only aspect."
The thing changed again. Before him now was Revelation. It smiled at him more openly than before.
"I am the god of humanity. Not the gods who came before. I know through you my avatar that which is the human condition. You have been preaching my word. The good and the bad. I will protect our people. I will not function as the oppressor. My goal is to eventually make you even stronger. So that humanity in all forms has an eternal champion. We need it. The galaxy is vastly different from the tree reality. We who are a branch of a branch of a branch, The Xenos here are better than the other. There are still very evil civilizations here in our galaxy. But they can be contained.
But I am still needed. There are Xenos who have great federations or empires that can crush us in a few months. I have been shielding the sol system, waiting for the day you would come. I am the god that was born from our ascension, i however changed in the last battle.
I felt regret so strongly that it was my entire form, for an exceptionally long time. Your day of rebirth was the beginning of my change. You touched lives, they touched others. It is a rockslide that cannot be stopped. I believe that like you that humanity can surpass and eventually not need me anymore. I long for that day should it ever come. But it will not yet. I am needed.
Do not turn the adept from his dream. It was there before he caught my eye. I just tried to nurture it. Others have felt the call, they will serve the dream and build our future. I am, when in that aspect the machine god that is not the void dragon. Who made the mechcanicum give up bits of their souls every time they shed their humanity. I will not do that. Upgrades will happen to those who follow that aspect of us. But they will be like the great man that Arkan Lan was. His and Cawl's interpretation of me. The bionics in that form will fade."
"You seek to protect us, yet what have you done for humanity in the meantime against the supernatural? Our people are slaves to all of them! How can you claim to protect us when that is happening! I can understand shielding the system. But what about them? What about my parents, or what the others in Kuoh suffered! What about our people fighting and dying trying to protect their families and their children! What then! You say you want to help. Start showing it. You cannot claim to protect them and have this still happen."
It sighed. The words of rage and disgust were clear.
"You are right. I will try to help them more. I also have something to share with you. The Biblical God is dead."
That brought a deafening silence.
"How? How did he pass!"
"He was betrayed, he had a Horus. It was very well hidden. You know his name. He hid his treachery well. One of his fallen angels while during the truce against Ddraig and Albion got close enough to gut him while he was fighting. He had been weakened before the kill. There exists a monster that I can very much compare to the swarm. It is called Trihexia. The Biblical God had spent so much of his energy in making that thing's seals that he could not take the blow. Unbelievably, I had some respect for him. His system and the gear he made gave us humans a chance to fight back.
He did not have to do that. He is not the creator of our species. That is still the old ones. He did take pity on us. He did try to help. He noticed me. We talked about many things. One of which was our tree. He was just like I was horrified of that time.
We were not friends. But he tried. That is more than the others. In fairness they have not noticed me at all. They are too caught up in their pantheons infighting. They have built up great strength of faith. It is only now that the gods of Sumar are finally dying. The others in some ways do try to help their followers. They do try. It will never be enough, however.
The fact that their faiths are often times polytheistic, weakens them. Biblical God did not have that problem. The reason that the Seraphs are only now beginning to move against the truly clear evil that is most of the upper echelons of the church is because they have after many years finally made a breakthrough in understanding the system. If the faith of a true believer is channeled in a specific way, it doubles what the system original would have provided.
It is why to an extent the reason the nun was excommunicated. To stop that. To keep making heaven relying on the church. Your friend Irinia? She began what was a growing grassroots movement within the faith trying to change it.
She is now a servant of Lady Gabriel. The Seraph moved to stop her from being excommunicated. That was done by design. The other three greats wanted that."
"How did the church get away with excommunication on Asia?"
"They arranged the meeting when all four of the greats were busy recovering from a shared day of running the system. Michael can do it most of the time by himself. Barely, but sometimes they all need to be hooked up to it physically. Like us with the throne. The higher ups in the church have been working against heaven for an long time. They have turned the symbiotic relationship into a parasitic one.
The church does not care about BGs plans and desires. They want power. They want the thrill that is ruling over angels. The rot is impossible to stop. The pawns that are the exorcists. They have true faith. They who see more of the world.
I still hate religion, ironic in the extreme I know. But they are the only ones keeping the system running in a very efficient way. The rest of the population. They believe. But the shroud hiding the other side is a slow moving poison. They are beginning to believe less.
That is why this new method, and that grassroots movement was so important. It would have changed how the power was placed. Just like with the devils the hidden war within the church is a very slowly losing battle. The great seraphs are trying. It is not enough."
"Then why haven't more of the remaining pure angels not fallen more? Why are they not doing more! Why is my agent who loves her children holding them dying in her arms! That she has not fallen is nothing short of a miracle! My agent who is in the administration. He can see the rot. Why is he not doing more then! Why are they not doing more for our people! They are the faction who I can most respect."
"They are trying. Kan is doing so well because she has faith in us. She is a partial being of the warp is changing. Your presence is changing them all. They are slowly moving away from BGs sphere. They will give enough time eventually become ours."
That was pure horror and shock.
"You my avatar changed things. The board is moving in our favor. In many branches. Heaven would not have been able to find the new faith power up. They would give up and sue for peace when your others who often become a devil for… reasons would pave the way for peace. They would have to betray the true faithful. It kills them."
"That…. That…."
He was in pure shock.
The other continued.
"They are becoming ours. This is a chance for them, and the humans. To be better.
Again, do not turn away what I am giving you. Take the adept. Let him hear the machine. Let him become the new Mechcanicum. We need this. Hate me if you must. But work with me. I want to help. Unification will pave the way for so much more."
Issei only nodded in still clear shock.
"I will take him, and the others. I will accept this. If you try anything that threatens us. I will kill you. What else needs to be done."
"Much."
That ended the conversation.
When he awoke from the sea of souls. It was to the others very worried faces.
Issei continued eating lunch. Worry and possibly hope was there.
Monday Forge of dreams.
He was trying. He was trying so hard to wait as his lord had said to do. He could not last very long. The machines beckoned to him. The pistons and the cogs, they sang when he touched them. The sounds of the machines running, that would have made others wince, he heard that they were of creation.
He was trying so extremely hard. But the machines, they needed him, not just for maintenance and repairs. Like his body, they needed encouragement, praise for the work they were doing in making the future. They mattered too. Just like them. They the lowest of the low. The builders in their own way.
The machine is immortal. That was what the machine god had said. It was utterly right. But the machine needed humanity. And humanity needed the machine. Neither was greater than the other. It was symbiotic. The humans to build them and repair them. The machine to build the items that helped their makers. It was a beautiful revelation.
He had, for a few moments, wanted to get rid of his limbs. Replace them with the strength and certainty of steel. But he remembered. Humanity. Did he want to sunder him for his fellow humans? Did he want to no longer truly be human?
He continued to see visions of himself. In some he did make the choice, he did succumb to it. But others? He saw himself still human. Yes he had parts of him that were very clearly inhuman, but they did not sunder him. He saw a man looking at him.
That man was very human. He wore the robes of red that Charles saw himself eventually also wearing. On his shoulder was what looked like a monkey, a very weird and very incorrect interpretation of a monkey. But it was a monkey, it was very clearly a machine. He gazed into Charles' eyes looking at him with wisdom that was to come.
"Do not fall. Be human. Despite what you might hear, the flesh is not weak. It is strength. The flesh is what all things desire. Do not ever forget that. This I Arkan Lan say. Let that be the first thing that is said to those who join you in the great work. You and the others who will be the children of the Omnissiah, you will be what we could never be. Be the better us. Serve the machine god and the Omnissiah. You will know completion that will come. Share my knowledge. Become the new mechcanicum."
So, he would. He had taken the wisdom. He who would lay the foundation. The children of the Omnissiah. That would be their name. His lord was not a god. He was a man. But he understood the machine. He understood them. He would guide the others who were to come. He saw the hint of one already. It was a beautiful future.
An. I hope this gives a clearer look at the church and heaven's relationship. It also explains a few new things. Issei is an avatar of the god of humanity. He hates it but like I said he works with a few. This is the main one. The machine god or at least my feelings on him are complex. Arkan LAN is a personal favorite character of mine. He and Daliea. My character is based a lot on Dalia Sethera, from mechcanicum. If you caught that here is a very major cookie. I love the Mechcanicus. They are my favorite human faction in 40k. I like their way of looking at the world with less mutilation i like the strangeness of it. Just like the church of the broken god from SCP. I wanted them to return. Different but very close to what they are.
ANN. Yes Asia is a psyker. Her gift amplifying her empathy. I think that is why she is so pure of a person. The act of exile is needed. she is somewhat of a big character that will not be on screen alot. She does show something. to the reviewer that made the comment about Rias, that plays a part. her dream of being the king of the ratings games. that comes off as more glory seeking to me. i very much like Sona and she is who id serve. her dream is better. id be in a place with a lot of pressure. but it would be worth it in the end. To the reviewer that is also Alpharius, i greet you Alpharius, i too am Alpharius. you will like the next chapter.