Never Gladiator
I
-°-oOo-°-
Prolog
Abnormal
I
-°-oOo-°-
Pemberley Private d'Arcy study Earth-0 15 January 1845
I
-°-oOo-°-
It had been a very long day of a very long week of an even longer month.
But at least it was, finally, finished.
Napoleon had been the awaited pain in the ass even if he had been surprisingly efficient in his assigned role. The independent world rulers had, as predicted by King William, been outraged and had asked for compensations but, in the end, they had accepted that whatever they thought, the Portal technology would not be shared and that the Portals would stay under Lionel's responsibility.
Of course, a lot of what the new situation asked for, still needed to be done but everybody in the family knew that it would take a few years to create what could (would?) -it was Lionel's mind child, after all and he loved creating silly acronyms- be named the M3 for Multiverse Multinational Management.
D'Arcy couldn't help but let a snicker escape his mouth.
Once more it would be Talleyrand and his little band of diplomatic geniuses who had been charged to organize the whole thing.
Who else but those five -seven now with the two new members- to manage another unmanageable exotic thing?
One day he would have to bring Zheng He over to join the Committee. What a plus that man's brain would bring to the Committee… But not yet. Today Zheng He was necessary in Beijing. And that would last for quite a few years.
He let himself fall back in his favorite armchair…
- Uncle?
He opened his eyes and, for a moment he wondered if he had fallen asleep.
He looked up and saw Lionel who was standing in front of his armchair.
- Sorry I probably dozed off… Those last days were very tiring.
- No problem, said Lionel, it was a tiring episode even for us. And I agree with the choice of the place to doze off, but the M3 is no longer a problem of yours, remember?
D'Arcy nodded.
- I do, so why did you come here?
- I am sorry to have awaken you but there are news I have you need to know. And I wanted to inform you as soon as the whole bedlam ended.
A hope D'Arcy has kept for a long time blossomed in his heart.
- Would it have a link with Manzikert?
Lionel shook his head.
- No, it has nothing to do with your list of battles. But you will be pleased to know that we are no longer the sole exception to the Timeline padlock.
That woke D'Arcy immediately.
- You are sure about that?
- Indeed, I made every verification we spoke about and I got two clear discrepancies in the timeline. Real ones, not flukes…
- When is it?
- 180 AD.
- So, Roman Principate. We've got a suspiciously large number of those. Any reason you suspect?
- None but I hope it is because I like the time and God grants me as many sights of it as possible.
- Who knows? But 180 AD is the year Marcus Aurelius died, isn't it? Is he still alive?
- Last I checked, he was still alive, but considering his age and health his life expectancy is not very long. I asked Mrs. Bennet for advice and she confirmed that nanos would not help him and that an upgrade would without a doubt kill him. As she sees it he's too far gone to be salvageable. Alanna is, as we speak, looking into the Atlantean data base to find ways to, if not save, then preserve that man's knowledge.
Here Lionel shook his head.
- But that's not the main reason we decided to intervene.
- Commodus?
- Not really even if, since we are already there, we'll probably have to deal with the would-be new emperor, but, as already mentioned, the major reason for our presence is that we've found discrepancies with the normal, official, timeline. Our squad while following the established protocol is looking into said discrepancies. So, it will take time, and there is a very real probability to be too late to save Marcus who has been ill for years now. If he is still alive, I doubt that we could save him without mounting a major operation.
- I'm still up for an attempt… Marcus is one of the men I always wanted to meet while in good health.
- It's probably already too late for that in that timeline, but if you want I have a bubble ready on the roof and we could give it a try.
- Of course, I want it…
I
-°-oOo-°-
Marcus Aurelius' main War camp
Vindobona (Pannonia)
Dies Mercurii ad III Non. Ian. MMDXCVIII Earth-0 15 January 1845
I
-°-oOo-°-
- Those are unlucky circumstances, said Lionel to his Uncle when said Uncle had come back with the bad news.
D'Arcy sat at Lionel's table facing his nephew in the inn where they have rent a suite. Since they were speaking English which was a not yet evolved language, they were taking no safety precaution to protect their words.
They were both wearing what looked Roman travelling clothes made of leather but weren't real ones since they had been manufactured in Atlantis' robotic factories. As it was said Leather Armors looked just rich enough to convince low level thieves that they were too important to bother and their high level counterparts that they weren't wealthy enough to take the risk to lose men and waste resources.
Which let the average and foolish thieves some of whom had tried it nevertheless. Four of them had paid with their lives their silly last mistake.
- He died a week ago…
- I know, the whole city speaks of it. There are rumors…
- The ones concerning Commodus or the ones concerning Decimus Meridius?
Lionel frowned at his Uncle.
- Decimus who?
- Maximus Decimus Meridius, the very famous General who has won Marcus' last five battles.
Lionel, who like every upgraded person had a perfect memory, shook his head.
- Never heard of Maximus Decimus Meridius. Didn't exist in the historical annals until now.
D'Arcy smiled at his nephew.
- We've got a third discrepancy, then…
- What are the rumors concerning him?
- That he smothered the Emperor before he fled. But that is pure Bullshit. And I suspect the little brat Commodus to have been at the origin of these rumors. To explain Maximus Decimus Meridius' disappearance.
- Why do you consider it bullshit?
- Because the whole Rhine Army believes so. The man loved and respected Marcus who had been in agony for at least a month. If there was one man who exactly knew about Marcus' odds at survival, he was that man. Even if he had grudges against Marcus, which he hadn't, there was no need to kill a man the Gods were already working at an early demise. One cannot say the same for Commodus who has acted in a very unsatisfied way for the last few days. Rumors say that it had to do with his father's latest decisions.
Lionel looked up and made a face.
- Any idea why?
- Nothing official but his father had, a month ago, sent messages to the Senate to send him twelve Senators. And since twelve is the minimal number to listen to an Emperor's last will, everybody not totally foolish can do the math.
- So he wanted to change his will and Commodus wasn't pleased with said last will…
- Clearly not and since Meridius' only wish for the last two years had been to be freed to go back home to Spain, he had really no reason to kill a dying man he respected.
Lionel nodded his approval.
- The Legionaries, added d'Arcy, and I mean the whole lot of them are sure that it has been Commodus who's ordered him killed because Marcus' son is, at least, a paranoid piece of shit or, at worst, a parricide and a regicide looking for a scapegoat.
- You spoke with Legionaries?
- And Centurions, decurions and the administrative staff. I have been in the Fortress, and thanks to the token Augustus gave me I was identified by the Officers as a man wearing the most famous badge of honor existing inside the Legion. I introduced myself as a member of the Primus Pili Association sent to investigate the situation. And boy, I have never been in a tenser place in my whole life. If the new Emperor doesn't take measures soon he'll have a rebellion on his hands and fifty thousand men coming for his throat. The only reason that hasn't yet happened is because all the men loved Marcus and that they will wait the end of the two months period of mourning before doing anything. I will have to go back and calm the men as soon as possible…
- Why? Commodus is a crazy piece of shit. Let them crunch the scorpion.
- And launch the next civil war? No, the Empire needs its just recovered peace. The regicide will get what he deserves but not by an uprising of the Legions.
- How will you do it?
- Son, those men are experienced soldiers. I know them and after five minutes of carousing they have known me too. now they know that I'm the real thing and that I'm not talking Bullshit. They are well organized veterans and even if the PPA rumor was until known as a rumor, it will find here in Vindobona enough meat to gain sufficient force to last for another millennium.
- What shall I do?
- I will reenter the Fortress and convince the men who would have led the uprising that other forces are in full gear to make justice prevail and that a civil war is not in the future… You, you should look into the disappearance of our famous general.
He frowned at his nephew.
- I know that you don't like taking definite measure but should some ruffians come to bother you, just look at them as little Stalins and kill them without taking the smallest risk. Use the Nazi Blaster Rifle you always wear and don't let anyone believe that one of us could be considered defenseless. Since the new truth of the brand new M3 or whatever else the Multiverse Management Committee is called, exists officially, we can probably consider that we are authorized to intervene openly, so, just blast them into the crispy oblivion they deserve! If necessary I'll be Mars and you'll be Apollo.
- Phoebus…
D'Arcy looked up and frowned at his Nephew.
- What?
Lionel smiled at his Uncle.
- The Roman name for Apollo is Phoebus…
D'Arcy shook his head.
- Believe me if the man wearing a smoking Blaster Rifle says that he is Apollo, there will be nobody to contradict him.
Lionel's smile increased.
- Blaster rifles do not smoke…
Once more d'Arcy frowned at his young counterpart.
- Young man, stop yanking my chain and go to work.
Lionel made a crisp salute and bowed in d'Arcy's direction.
- Aye, aye, Sir!
I
-°-oOo-°-