Kirei Kotomine.
I had to admit that the first time I heard that name I might have freaked out a little bit.
I had confirmed a long time ago, when I first became aware of the supernatural that this wasn't the Nasuverse or any other fictional world I was familiar with. Instead it was a fictional world I was decidedly unfamiliar with:
High School DxD.
The years had made my already faint memories of the series further atrophy, to the point that the only things I was vaguely aware of were some vague details about it being an unusually popular harem series. It was only when I heard that 'Sacred Gears' were a thing that I realized that I had ended up in this setting,
Still, I was and still am pretty sure that the series never had any characters like Kirei Kotomine. I was kind of nervous when I first met him during that fiasco in Austin.
On one hand, I knew he made me uncomfortable. I recalled what I knew about Fate/Stay Night's Kirei; a natural born psychopath and a sadist with a complicated, twisted philosophy who could only take joy from the misery of others. This Kirei, as I soon came to learn, was much the same. I knew angels and the Church were actual forces of good in this world, so I was perplexed how this guy was even working with them.
On the other hand… I could work with him. Despite everything, Kirei Kotomine was… professional. He was knowledgeable. Capable, even. In a pinch, I could probably rely on him.
I probably shouldn't lean on him a bit too much though….
"I suppose. You can call Kotomine many things, and professional is one of them." I huffed slightly before I reclined on the bed, still in thought. "I can work with him, since the situation is calling for it."
Griffiths nods at that.
"Though, tell me more. The hostages… what were they doing there? And what exactly are the terrorists demands?"
"The DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) Chief's presence there is easy enough to explain. That organization has always been involved in the development of new technologies to combat the supernatural. It's said that Donald Anderson himself was involved in the original Babel Incident that led to the foundation SKYHOUND, apparently."
"Right… but the Odessa Corporation? I've heard of it before. That's a private military company, right? And not one of the major ones the US deals with."
Griffiths nods. "That's right. The Shadow Moses Research Facility is meant to be top secret, you know. Which is why major defense contractors; like Boeing, Raytheon or Lockheed have no idea that it even exists."
"But on the other hand, the facility is also a glutton for resources." Naomi picked up from where the Captain left off. "Excluding materials for experiments and study, the facility itself was manned by over a hundred individuals at any given time during the last decade or so. These people also need things to sustain themselves; food, water, the basic amenities of life and so on. How can they transfer all these things to a remote island in the Bering Strait?"
"The Odessa Corporation was the answer. It's a dummy company set up by the US Government." She explained. "If you look at its books, you'll realize that the company has been constantly taking losses since its founding. That's because its role was never to make a profit, but to quietly move things on behalf of the US Government. Its Board of Directors and Shareholders? Technically, they do not exist."
"Amelia Clark herself is actually a high-ranking government official acting on behalf of the National Military." Griffiths concludes. He has a hesitant look on his face. "She's the one primarily in charge of the Shadow Moses' supply chain. The amount of intel she has on government and military activities, primarily in regards to the Island and its experiments is staggering. Failing everything you may need to…"
"I'll stop you right there, Captain." I spoke up immediately, knowing what he was about to suggest. "I will save her, you get me?"
He nods back and I sigh.
"Now, what exactly are they demanding?" I asked, wanting to get as much information as I can right now.
Stardust and Naomi Hunter looked at each other. The latter spoke up at that moment.
"We call it the Archive of Miescher."
"The Archive of… what?" I narrowed my eyes.
"Johannes Friedrich Miescher was a Swiss Biologist. He was the very first one to identify the existence of nucleic acid in 1869." Naomi added. "He basically pioneered in the research that would lead to further understanding and decoding of the human genome and DNA by scientists like Rosalind Franklin, Francis Crick and James Watson."
"So… it's a DNA Repository?" I deduced and Naomi smiled.
"Precisely. The Archive of Miescher is the largest, most advanced DNA Repository on the planet. Colloquially called 'the Crucible' by those aware of its existence, it currently rests in the form of a series of hyper-advanced disc drives and documents located in a secret vault deep beneath the White House." She rubs her neck sheepishly. "Of course, even with my position I was only aware of the existence of the Crucible, not of its contents. At least, not until my involvement in this mission."
"As for what the Crucible contains?" Stardust chipped in, his voice tense. "Well… there's no other way to put it but it contains the genetic information and cell specimens of every current citizen of the United States and many non-citizens as well."
There was a pin-drop silence for a second.
"Every citizen?" I asked, utterly baffled.
"Every. You, me, Naomi, the members of SKYHOUND even." Griffiths confirmed. "Everyone you know and have met that stand under the United States flag are recorded in the Crucible."
"How..? How do you even collect something like that?"
"You're thinking too much in the mundane." Naomi chastises me. "There are much easier answers in the mystical."
My eyes flashed in realization. "A… ritual, then? Or some kind of artifact?"
"Not a kind of artifact. The kind of artifact." Griffiths emphasized.
I gasped for a moment, looking a bit perplexed at this revelation. "A Sacred Gear…."
"Correct. The Crucible has a third name. Its original name: the Atrahasis Ledger. An autonomous, investigation-type Sacred Gear, re-adjusted and re-tooled for information gathering about the genetic record of an entire country."
"That… that sounds insane! How… what…?" I blurted out. I had heard of Sacred Gears before; Kotomine had one actually, as did many of the other agents I was acquainted with during my own tenure. I was always kind of jealous of them brandishing their gifts, but I managed to get by without one myself.
"It's not a combat type Sacred Gear, but it has more of a utility focus to it. Sacred Gears like that tend to go under the radar." Naomi explained. "From what I understand, it uses the keel of Noah's Ark as the foundation for its thaumaturgy. I don't know the full story, but it seems like it seems to borrow from Noah's record keeping and negotiation abilities that he had used on the Ark. It allows its user to designate an 'Ark' and gather information from it."
"And it can do that to a whole country?" I said still in bewilderment by the scale.
"Apparently so." Stardust sighed. "The President at the time of the Babel Incident used it at the end of his tenure, instructing it to keep a record of the entire country. It's collection targets were altered from social information to genetic data rather quickly as SKYHOUND was found and its research range and capabilities significantly expanded. Even now it's hard at work, having been integrated into a supercomputer to re-enter its data. By its sheer range, it's probably worthy of being a Longinus Class all on its own. Unfortunately it has absolutely zero offensive or defensive capabilities, which has made it a non-target for any of the Supernatural factions."
"But now Night Hawk wants it?" I was somewhat curious.
Stardust had a thoughtful look about him. "He does. It's probably due to gene therapy."
"Gene Therapy, huh…? Does he want more beefed up soldiers? And can he use the genetic record of the entire nation to do that?" I guessed.
"That is not a bad guess. However to be frank, the gene therapy the Next Gen Soldiers have undergone is an… experimental process." Naomi chimes in. "The entire process could have given them unstable genetic code that could have considerable influence on their health. Mental problems, compromised immune systems, maybe even cancer."
"So he wishes to help his soldiers? Does he even have technical know-how and the materials needed to do that?"
"He may not, but Shadow Moses was a first-rate research center so it could provide him with everything he needs. The process itself is largely automated and can be done using specific machines, all of which are still available on the island." Griffiths says. "And there are more than a few genius-level intellects on the Next Gen Special Forces, so they could easily figure things out."
"An additional possibility is that they've kept the research team there alive." Naomi suggests. Though Griffiths seems to frown at that… "It is unlikely though, last we knew the Pentagon had confirmed their deaths."
"Oh? How so?"
"The researchers there… well, all the staff members there really were injected with a similar nano machine solution as the one that you're about to receive." She says as she brings the syringe towards me. "These not only maintain your bodily health, but can also dispatch signals confirming your current biological state. I believe the ones in charge for monitoring the researchers were found to have been deactivated which can only happen either if they're dead. There isn't exactly a method to easily destroy these machines you know. They latch onto every cell in your bloodstream."
"Even if they are alive, there's no point in trying to save them, Hawk." Stardust interjected. "Between the DARPA Chief and the CEO as well as the nuclear strike, you have too much on your plate already. Help them if it helps you, but move on."
I stared at him for a moment, my mind racing.
"Fine. We should talk about other matters too before the mission begins, anyway."
"One thing I don't get to be honest is how an entire squadron could be subverted to rebel like that." I find myself pointing out.
"They called it a revolution, I believe, in the original threat message." Stardust says.
"The soldiers who underwent genome replacement therapy were gathered from all kinds of places. Mercenaries, the US armed forces, the militaries of other countries… there are actually a few civilians who have also been added to their ranks." Naomi spoke thoughtfully. "Though, regardless of origin, a lot of the same genetic material was used in their bodies. They are, in a technical sense of the word, family now and probably consider each other as such."
"Still, aren't experimental units and high-level soldiers supposed to undergo regular interviews with military counsellors?" I pointed out. "I remember my own interviews actually. I heard that they were quite thorough in screening through possible thoughts of defection."
"They did undergo counseling. And according to their files, they scored straight A's in their psychological tests. They all seemed like perfectly upstanding, patriotic soldiers."
"Was there anything that seemed off before the revolution? Any cause that could have motivated their sudden defection?" I raised an eyebrow.
"There were some strange incidents one month ago, when they were looking into the genetic therapy research themselves. But apart from that there seems to be nothing wrong." Stardust rubs his chin. "And if you want a cause, it's probably your twin's fault."
"Night Hawk?" I raised my eyebrow. "Why?"
"In combat ability, Night Hawk is probably the weakest member of the SKYHOUND leaders. He is well above the average soldier, sure, but his scoring during his time as a US Agent has shown us that he's probably weaker than you as well." Naomi says.
"Though on the flip side, he seems to make up for that with an inhuman amount of charisma and with unnatural leadership capabilities. He seems to have a knack of being liked by everyone." Stardust sighed. "He seemed to have a… gravity to him. An unusual talent of convincing and cooperating with other people."
"Mind you, there seems to be nothing supernatural about this. It's probably a natural talent or something he developed over the missing years when he was missing." Naomi sighed. "It's very likely that this entire rebellion is something he has been pushing towards since the very beginning."
"So my little brother is popular, huh." I said with an amused tone. "Though, I want you to tell me something, Captain."
"Hmm?"
"Stardust, who exactly are you speaking for?"
"I speak on behalf of the US Government, of course. To be more specific, the President of the United States has supervisory control over this operation."
"So he knows about all this?" I clarified. "He and all the higher ups in the White House and the Pentagon?"
"That's right." He confirmed. "The President and his aides are likely video conferencing about the situation right now. The Secretary of Defense is directly overseeing this operation, in any case."
"If the threat of a nuclear strike is so real, shouldn't Washington be issuing a State of Emergency, right now?"
"Not yet. The current concern for the higher ups is that if we issue such an order, the terrorists may decide to launch the missile sooner than we can complete an evacuation." He explained. "Regardless, such a move may bring unnecessary attention from our international allies and enemies. It's best to keep the operation quiet, at least until you can confirm their nuclear launch capabilities."
"I understand." I sighed, realizing that I had asked everything I wanted to ask. "Give me a timetable, Stardust."
"They issued a Twenty-Four hour warning five hours ago." Stardust took a peek at his watch. "We should be able to get to your launch point half-an-hour from now. Use that time to prepare yourself for the operation." He nods at Naomi who moves forward with the syringe and pulls up my left sleeve. As it neared me, I noticed how large the needle was.
The needle had a heft to it unlike what it's size may indicate.
"Oww…" I winced.
"Not a fan of injections?" Naomi asked with a small smirk. I looked to the side to realize that the Captain had already left the room.
"Not a fan of that specific one, yes. I was never a fan of the nano machine transplant procedure, but it's a bit too useful not to use frankly speaking." I winced as I pulled down my sleeve. I turned to the exit. "Do you have a… bathroom perhaps? Maybe with a mirror?"
"It's on the door to your left." She says as she finishes disposing of the needle. "I'm leaving your files here, by the way. You should probably go through them, learn what you're up against."
"Right, I will do that I suppose." I paused for a moment. "Thank you, by the way."
Her lips turned into a small grin. "You're welcome, Red Hawk. For the duration of this mission, don't be afraid to rely on me, okay? You'll be on your own on Shadow Moses, so feel free to contact us on Codec whenever you wish. Nano-communications are scarily efficient in exchanging messages, you know."
"I am well aware of that, Doctor." I said as I offered a hand up for her to shake.
She seems to hesitate for a moment but responds back with a shake of her own, showing off a surprisingly firm grip.
"The next time you see me, I would have completed the mission or I would have been dead."
"Don't even joke about that, Red Hawk." She says with a sigh.
I stared at myself at the mirror.
It has been four years since I first ditched my life as a soldier, and yet in all those four years, it was almost as if I had not changed a bit. My face was still the dour, sullen thing it had always been.
I slipped out the photo from my pocket. The photo of Night Hawk. I placed it against the mirror, pressing against it carefully, staring at his features, at his face.
My own stared back.
Our similarities were eerie. He was dressed in surprisingly simple clothing, and his face looked a lot younger than my own. The timestamp said it was taken a few years ago, so that made some sense. He stood tall in a large swarm of compatriots, all of whom had firm, disciplined expressions on their faces.
And yet Night Hawk stared back, and I could have sworn I saw a glint in his eyes.
I was raised an orphan. I had no family growing up and my naturally emotionally stunted self, still struggling to come to terms with my own death and reincarnation, found the chore of socialization more than a little tedious.
It took well over a decade and a half until I was able to get my head back on straight. And after that, came the Army.
Most of the friends I had made in this new life were other soldiers or people I had met during my time in the army. A fraction of that list still remained in my life, in my world. The rest had either been KIA, quietly disappeared or were those I had lost contact with. The ones I still communicated with could be counted on one hand.
Captain Thomas Griffiths was one, though he barely counted as a friend right now.
Grey Fox was another. He had retired and gotten married actually. He and his wife were expecting twins. Good for him.
"Hmmm…."
Could I count Kirei Kotomine as a friend? Questions for later, I suppose.
I looked down at the photograph once again. I saw my brother looking back at me.
Back in my old life and for a large portion of this one, I never liked Luke Skywalker.
Or well, more specifically, I never liked the way he treated his father, Darth Vader. Vader was a monster. He butchered children, was personally responsible for the deaths of thousands and the source of endless suffering. He was responsible for the death of Luke's mother and his Empire killed his aunt and uncle. Grief, pain and agony aside, all of that was Anakin's doing. For all that sin and sadness, Anakin Skywalker bore the blame and responsibility.
And Luke forgave him.
He forgave his father. Offered him hope instead of despair. Redemption rather than restitution. Salvation over suffering
I never really understood this. Not back in my old world, nor this one.
But right now, at this very moment.
I kind of get it. Maybe a little bit.
He is family.
I want to know him better.
A sigh leaves me.
I folded the photograph I had stolen and slipped it into my chest pocket.
"Game face, Red." I said as I washed my face in the stinking, military wash basin.
It seems that the only place I would get to know him now is the battlefield.
The Alternative Monologue my MC could have gone into:
"I am so lonely. All the other SKYHOUND Agents are scared of me. No one talks to me. No one wants to be my friend- They think I am unstable. They send me from battlefield to battlefield committing atrocities in their name. And as I get better at it, they fear me more and more. I am a victim of my own success. Red Hawk. I don't even get a real name, only a purpose. I am capable of so much more and no one sees it. Some days I feel so alone I could cry, but I don't. I never do. Because what would be the point? Not a single person in the entire universe would care. Take it to your grave."
With this the Prologue Arc is Complete. We can move on to the story proper. Honestly, I may have been a little hasty in releasing 0.1 and 0.2 early, I should have probably released this with them.
Work on the first chapter of the next arc, Moses, is already well underway. Ideally, I should have it ready within the week. But I do plan on traveling soon for vacation so it will be out by late-April at the latest. I am optimistic of my ability to release chapters on a weekly-ish schedule though.
One thing I do plan on releasing more frequently though is supplementary material like character profiles and my world building notes. Expect to see them be released alongside the main story.
Thanks for reading! I hope you've enjoyed. Please comment, like and share and stuff.
