Forever Future 1.7 PBEM game

[Eerion]

A portrait of empress Hinotebi Nekomimi



“This is Haruhi. Kyoto, do you copy?” A female voice could be heard from the radio.
“This is Kyoto. We hear you loud and clear Haruhi.” An empress answered to the microphone.
“Hinotebi? I have a question.”
“Yes?” The girl, somewhat surprised looked at her father. He shrugged his arms in responce.
“When you created the test colony’s name... Chibi Kyoto... was it because you knew it is so ****ing small?”
Empress stopped moving. With open mouth, she looked as if frozen in time for a brief moment. After several seconds she coughed, smiled gently and answered.
“It cannot be that bad if you still can joke about that.”
“It’s not a freaking joke! I have no idea how you plan on organising all these colonists in such cramped space! Maybe you should dismember them to be more compact, you know?”
Perun picked up the microphone with a lenient look on his face.
“Get to the point Suzumiya.” He spoke calmly.
“Perun? Great! I’d like to report that our bases are capable of sheltering about five people each. And a dog if it’s a Chihuahua.”
“If your fat ass fit in there it means there’s a room for like fifty more of them. It’s enough.”
“I don’t have a fat ass you dumb ****!” A juicy complaint roared from the microphone. The admiral certainly wasn’t satisfied with her circumstances.
“Ass, boobs, whatever.”
“My boobs are your fuc...”
“Whatever I told. How are the preparations?” He cut off the topic with a cold tone.
“Done. Everything and everyone is ready for departure. Afterwards, the base will be destroyed and flooded.” Haruhi gave a report with an emotionless tone, as if the dialogue moment before never happened.
“Good. Iskandar is on his way to you already. He has the plans for massive scale sea colonies with him. You’ll travel to Persia, board the plan and deliver these to Napoleon.”
“That’s a valuable gift you give. Are you sure about that?”
“It will be fine. Do not worry about that. Iskandar on the other hand will deliver plans to Ifurita. This way, no country will be left behind in this race.”
“You are playing a dangerous game here.” Her tone was grim. “So we worked so hard in this secret laboratory only to give the plans to the whole world the very same month? Well, except the Egyptians of course.”
“While we’re talking about them... They have established a full fledged undersea city last month. Maybe more of them, as they were not too generous with the information.” Slavic’s man tone was calm, almost peaceful, as if he was speaking about his recent dinner.
“It’s bad, isn’t it?” Suzumiya asked.
“No. I thought the gap is going to be bigger. Soon a massive expedition shall disembark from ourcontinent in order to conquer the seas. We have to protect every single colony. It’s busy enough as it is to be honest. Do not worry about them. Not for now at least.”
“Understood. When should Iskandar arrive?”
“His ETA is at 9 p.m. So around... six hours from now.”
“Good. I’ll make sure the base will cease to exist by then.”
“Roger. And Haruhi. Good job.”
“Sure. But for next month after arrival I’m not entering any cramped room. I’ve got tired of hitting my head all the time.”
Perun laughed loudly. “No problem at all. The base is pretty old, that’s why it’s small. We’ve managed to forge more pressure resistant materials, so any future base may be even bigger than the land ones are. So hopefully you won’t have to deal with such cramped spaces anymore.”
“Cool. Time to get things done then. Over and out!”
Perun put aside the microphone and walked towards a map. A small marks were pinned all over the ocean as the potential colonisation locations. Some had a colour of its nation, some a black one – the ones nations will compete over “I told you it’s only a matter of time. Do you remember?”
“I do father.” Hinotebi nodded. “Still it feels somewhat... hazy. Everything that happened before the surgery does feel like it.”
“It’s because it happened only recently. In few months these symptoms shall disappear and you are going to feel as if nothing ever happened. Except that, how’s the rest?” He came closer and looked into her eyes.
“I’m still getting used to white tails. They feel... different? I don’t know.” She looked at them. They were perfectly white, just like the ones of her mother’s and grandmother’s. It was her personal wish. The black ones were also beautiful, yet she felt somewhat... different. Knowing she’s the only Nekomimi in history with black tails, it was giving her an ominous feeling sometimes. “About the rest...” Hinotebi stopped for a moment. “I do not really feel anything. Maybe a little bit younger, that’s all.”
Perun nodded, as he took a step back. “So everything is fine. Immortality is not a gift you notice right away. You on the other hand need even more time, being a long living being to begin with. Generations have died and you’re still here, looking like a mid twenty being, while you’re thirty times older.”
“But some other also lived long. Date, Kenshin, Ieyasu.” She answered.
“Because I shared a little bit of my power with them. In secrecy of course. I needed loyal and dependable generals that could lead the army even during a long campaign. Simple as that.”
“I’ve never noticed...” Hinotebi looked sad for some reason.
“It was the same with Hanzo. And now, Mochizuki has undergone the same thing you did. We have now five immortal beings in Japan. The two of us, Haruhi, Mochizuki and Iskandar.”
“That’s quite a lot to be honest.” Nekomimi commented.
“Everyone has his or hers role, so it’s ok and it’s easier to train a new person every now and then. Anyway, I’m glad we’re not so far behind Egyptians right now. If everything will proceed according to our plan, the first undersea city should be established within ten years. A decade after the Egyptians, while I expected around thirty years of difference. This is a good reason to grab a drink.”
“Don’t you drink too much recently?” The girl looked at him worryingly.
“Damn girl, you know nothing about how much my people used to drink. For them even now I would be an abstainer.”
“You’re going to be a drunkard soon, I’m telling you!” She raised her voice ignoring his argument.
“He approached and pat her head gently. “Don’t worry little girl. Don’t worry.”
Hinotebi looked as he walked out of the room slowly.
“Chiyome, are you here?” She looked around, but the ninja girl was nowhere to be found.
“I wonder how does she feels like. Maybe... a drink is not such a bad idea after all?” She added in her mind.

[Max_Smirnov]

Red Army Central Command Nexus, undisclosed location near Busiris, Himalaya, 2230 TMT (Theban Mean Time), 26th of August, 1930

The air in the deep underground chamber of the war room was thick with cigarette smoke. There was a static of telephone calls and reports in the background, but the gathered officials hardly spoke anything. Somebody coughed. General Irsu, the chief of joint staffs, a baldening man in his early fifties, motioned his aide to make another coffee and looked up to the big tactical screens dominating the wall displays. There wasn't much movement yet, but one constellation of symbols was drawing everyone's eyes like a magnet. Seemingly innocuous markings were indicating a strategic bomber wing that had already been launched from Russian airbases several hours ago and was making its way east, over the Roman Isles and straight towards the shores of Persia, covered by the falling twilight, invisible to radar stations and satellite imaging. It could still be stopped. All it would take was a single order. Stand Down. Stand down before it is too late.



"The lull before the storm..." murmured Irsu, as nothing more historical was coming to his mind. He was about to sip his coffee, when the door opened and the First Secretary Ramsis walked in. The old man was smiling and the clanking of his cane against the hardwood floor was only making this smile more ominous.

"General Irsu my friend! Quite an establishment you have here. Quiet, luxurious, impenetrable, deep. Beats staying onboard Osiris One with Comrade Cleopatra. Plus, from here, I will be able to see everything much, much better..." Aided by a young, dark-haired and busty maid, somewhat resembling Haruhi Suzumiya herself by a way of, as some were murmuring, a personal fetish of his, he took his seat and sighed. "How are the things proceeding, Comrade?"

"According to schedule," answered the general, lighting another cigarette. He was trying to quit, but if it wasn't a bad day to quit smoking, what day could possibly be worse? "M-37 Interceptor patrols have been intensified, all our assets are at full readiness and waiting for their time to start acting. We had to postpone the strikes by 30 minutes, to one hundred thirty Tango, due to technical difficulties with some of our space planes. One of our B-178 bomber wings had been grounded too, but we have to proceed without them unless we want to postpone the whole operation by a week. Their target was of secondary importance too. It seems we haven't been... detected yet. But if the Japanese intelligence had seen through our plans... they could still get us with a pre-emptive strike. Their window of opportunity is shrinking, though."

"Don't worry friend, it won't happen. Our security is airtight. Besides... they're preoccupied with their plans to destroy us in a wholly different way altogether. With how many resources they have used for their undersea colonization project, they're not in a position to start a war. Or in a necessity. Like we are."

"First Secretary... We could still stop this."

Ramsis slammed his cane against the desk.

"No! You fail to understand this is our only chance! Have you forgotten how life had been before the Cataclysm? And this gloom and miasma we have now? As if the world had been sleeping for the past forty years. The Egyptian countryside, once full of vibrant villages and industry projects, the dwelling of the soul of our people for millennia, is now a dull wasteland of crushed hopes and anarchy. Most of the population had fled to our big cities, but the cities are infested, sick, stagnant. Back when I was a boy, every decade was bringing new advances of science, new frontiers to conquer, new possibilities. Our civilization was growing. So did the French and British. But now? The Golden Century is gone and we're back in the age of stagnation. Perhaps worse than even before. All science is military now, secret, grand projects for the future, and it is advancing at snail's pace. What future? Only the Japanese are about the future. They've already overtaken us scientifically. And with their powerful economy, their city life undiminished, their animal determination to look only into the future, their hubris and pride stronger than ever before... We can't compete with them anymore, General. It had always been a close race, but we were managing to keep ahead of them for a whole century. Then, the Cataclysm came and it brought us down. We can't allow this, as a nation, as human beings, as communists. And we won't. Their sick society cannot be allowed to dominate the planet."

"Ugh, Comrade First Secretary, save that for the public speech..."

"I'm practising," he smiled. "I'm going to address the people at 8 AM. General, I hope I won't have to tell them about millions of casualties on our side."

"We will do what we can. The air defence grid is fully deployed, missiles, laser batteries, satellites. They shouldn't be able to penetrate it. At least... not in full force."

"Have faith in Cleopatra, Comrade. We will do what is humanly possible. She will do the rest. I've left her company just a few hours ago. We talked, and any doubts I had, vanished."

"This war won't end quickly."

"No, it won't. So let's make a good start, shall we?"

Irsu, despite being an old general, shivered. To talk so casually about... He looked at the big screen again. The nuclear bombers were inching towards Japanese borders. In less than two hours a launch order will be issued to the airforce stationed in Bharuch and other Southern Egyptian cities. By that time, it will be already too late for anything. Too late to stop. And too late for the Japanese to counteract. He swallowed hard. He'd never really seen a war. And did what was going to happen even warranted to be called a war? In the old sense of honor, patriotism and competition? What words were good to describe that? Cleopatra's? 'The age of Chaos is upon us.' Arturia's? 'War never changes.' Easy for that immortal monster to say it. She conquered two mighty empires in her time. That passage for the old book? 'All will perish in the storms of Armageddon'. Or maybe...

"Oh great and only God, stand between me and the evil in this dark place I'm about to enter," he whispered.

Up in the cold, quiet darkness of space, the emotionless machine eyes of satellites were tracking the lone bomber wing, slowly advancing towards its destination. The next waves were already prepared to follow them.

---

Military Airbase Alpha-73, Oryx, 2335 TMT

A storm was brewing, a storm of magnitude unknown before the Cataclysm but pretty typical for Theban summers of now. A torrential night rain was beating a long column of Space Planes, already filled up and ready to go down the runway and into the unknown. A hundred thousand of elite airborne troops, as well as the entire Egyptian Space Plane fleet was committed to the operation, soldiers sitting inside the cargo bays for hours now, waiting, waiting in dozens airbases all across the Union for the pre-scheduled launch towards their targets in Persia. Keeping everything under the veil of secrecy was nigh impossible. Yet it seemed like it was going to work. All the sources of information indicated that for the Japanese military it was a day like any other, late Friday night just before Saturday off.

An eerily emotionless voice came from under the large black hood that was sheltering Cleopatra's head against the rain. "He doesn't know."
Even with her ability to see in the dark, Arturia was barely able to make out the pale face of her mistress. Until the Queen looked directly at her. "You can still back out. Your presence there won't change much."

"It will," answered Arturia with a coarse voice. She didn't feel well. Her dinner tasted like ash, she never finished it, and even the chocolate candies she used now to fight her hunger and anxiety were barely enjoyable. "My honor demands it."

"Honor? In the face of Armageddon?"

"Yes. Especially in the face of Armageddon. What else is left, when we're about to slaughter millions with a sneak attack."

"There is no other way."

"I know..."

"Do you have any misgivings?"

"N... No." Arturia looked at her Queen wildly. "I have led thousands to their deaths. I can lead millions too. It is knight's duty to carry such burden. No matter how it pains."

"I remember you being more reluctant about this in the past."

"The times have changed. You have changed. You have regained your vision. Your strength. I don't have to understand. I don't have to like it. I just have to... believe in you."

"Do you believe in me, Arturia?"

"I do," answered the blonde, her voice as hard as steel now. "And I shall fulfill my duty."

The first lightning struck in the distance.

---

Iwaki, 0215 TMT

The Japanese town of Iwaki, built after their conquest of Persia, by now had grown into a modern and rich metropolis. Even if by no means as large as many other Japanese province capitals, it was still an important hub of commerce and industry, the major port of call on the crossroads between the central Persia and the eastern capitol Yuureishi.
The dawn was already rising when Arturia's Space Plane soared down from orbit, one of dozens dropships of the first wave of assault. Bombers and interceptors got here first, and the air space over the city was thick with fire and smoke from bombs, missiles and burning aircraft. It was like a descent into the jaws of hell; but that at least seemed familiar to her. Unlike the distant lights on the southern and western horizon, setting a quarter of it alight, rivalling the imminent sunrise. The orange haze of thermonuclear detonations, an atomic inferno, that had been going on for almost an hour now, consuming what once had been a continent full of life and promise.
"Final approach! Hold on tight and prepare for disembarkment!"
Arturia quickly moved towards the ramp in the back, adjusting her fully-enclosed helmet, hearing close detonations of surface-to-air missiles that were rocking her dropship. Her combat instincts were already kicking in, every second, every sensation was full of detail and meaning. She knew she would never forget any of this, any second of this day, this glorious, terrible day, horrifying in its beauty.
"Spread out immediately when we touch the ground!" she addressed her soldiers, taking up position in the second 6-man squad from the ramp. "We advance towards the northern side of the square, to the local intelligence headquarters. The rest of the company has our flanks covered, so no distractions! Get into the building as fast as you can, secure it and kill everything that moves!"
The dropship landed hard with a screech, the ramp fell, and the carapace armor-clad airborne troops flooded out into the haze of sounds and colours of the battlefield. Arturia jumped off the plane and noticed a hastily-constructed machinegun emplacement that was already firing at her advancing squad. She swung her custom made autocannon to bear, a gun too heavy for a normal human to even lift, and pulled the trigger, the discharge of the weapon drowning the symphony of battle and her own scream.

---

The Sea of Japan, 0610 TMT

The forces that led the assault on the Japanese capitol had no advantage of surprise anymore. Hundreds of long-range jetfighters flew almost three thousand kilometers over Persia, dodging the dozens of slowly-dispersing mushroom clouds and engaged Japanese air defenses, comprised of dozens of SAM emplacements and entire fleet of interceptors scrambled from the Japanese flagship, the nuclear aircraft carrier Horo. Operating at the edge of their range, the Egyptian fighters were taking horrible losses. Yet the main purpose of this operation was to confuse and distract the defenders enough for the cruise missiles to get through.
Horo's point defense cannons were working overtime, shooting down missiles that the destroyer escort failed to intercept. The air was sparkling with detonations, as the Japanese and Egyptian fighters performed their deadly dance, the darkness of no consequence to either side.
Ten past six, a speck of intense light appeared over the sea, quickly growing into a fireball, perfectly visible over the distance of a hundred miles. It could only mean one thing. A multi-megaton warhead was detonated over the Japanese capitol. They have failed to protect Kyoto.
More explosions followed, but the crew of Horo couldn't see them. A nuclear-tipped torpedo slipped through the screen of her escorts and detonated directly under its keel. A huge ball of vaporised water consumed the mighty ship in an instant.

---

Iwaki, 0840 TMT

Arturia wiped blood from her face, looking wildly around the aftermath of the furious battle. The city had been taken, but the Japanese forces, despite being outnumbered, outmatched and incessantly bombed with no air force of their own, put up a fanatical defense. It was perhaps the toughest enemy she had ever fought. Still, no amount of spirit they had mattered now, once they had been killed to the last man and woman, once again leaving the former empress standing victorious on a pile of bodies.
"Are you wounded, Colonel?"
"No, it's nothing." she shook her head. The pain of injury allowed her to forget about the far worse pain of guilt. She fought hard, she took risks, she confronted an enemy who was able to fight her force on an equal terms. That was a honorable battle.
"Your orders?"
"Evacuate the wounded and what remained of 113th and 201st Divisions. We can't reinforce the city just yet, so we'll be only leaving a small force behind. And mine the city. Although I doubt the Japanese have anything left in Persia to mount a counterassault, we can't spread ourselves too thinly. I'll be leaving now. I'm needed elsewhere."
The fleet of Space Planes was already departing, and when Arturia looked back through the window, she saw a thick fume hovering over the city. She knew that the British Federation had been already scrambling their airforce. Now the question was, will Ifurita strike. And if, then whom.
"Have we fought honorably enough to be allowed to live..." muttered the blonde knight.

[Eerion]

“We’re getting out of here!” Haruhi yelled, while pulling the Empress hand.
“I cannot leave the Capitol! This is where the ruler should be during war!” The girl resisted and made both of them stop running in the corridor. The alarms were very loud, suppressing any other noise.
Suzumiya took a deep breath and looked into Hinotebi’s eyes. “Yes. You are the ruler. And your duty is to lead the country, be it from Kyoto, Horo or wherever. Now we’re getting out of here. Your father ordered a complete evacuation. If you resist I will use force.” She yelled, making short breaks, taking deep breaths, so she could keep on shouting. “Let’s go girl. Does not make Perun upset. He has a plan.” She leaned toward and spoke calmly to Nekomimi, while loosening the grip on her hand.
Empress stood up confused for several seconds. Then, as if getting over the conflict within herself she nodded and started following Suzumiya without saying anything.

Helicopter has landed on the military airport at the outskirts of Kyoto. A huge man, surrounded by few dozens of machine gunners opened the doors. As two girls got off, the soldiers saluted.
“The plane is ready.” He spoke with surreally tubal voice, surpassing even the noise created by the air transport’s engine. A cold shiver run down Hinotebi’s spine. She looked at Iskandar. He did not resemble his usual self at all. A face stripped of his usual smile and happiness looked terrifying. He looked into girl’s eyes, nodded and pointed at the military airplane few hundred meters ahead. As the military jeep has arrived, the three of them got on without saying the word. Hinotebi looked back at the helicopter, only to see it taking off in a hurry. Several others were landing nearby, even not in the designated zones, but also on the grass between them. The evacuation was proceeding at full speed.
“The wall has been breached.” Alexander spoke during the travel, while looking at the plane. “Their destroyer passed the mines with another unit. Perun anticipate nuclear attack. That’s why we’re going to Sapporo.”
“Where is he!?” Hinotebi shouted, trying to overcome the noise. “And where is Chiyome!?”
“She’s at the plane already. Busy as hell. Perun said he must do few more things in Kyoto.”
“We’re waiting for him!” Empress gave an order. Iskandar smiled slightly.
They jumped off the car and, accompanied by saluting soldiers, boarded the plane. The engines were already heating up.
Iskandar stood next to the cockpit and looked as girls sat down. He nodded at the pilot and closed the doors.
“Why are we moving?” Hinotebi asked angrily.
“We’re departing.” Haruhi answered looking away.
“I ordered to wait for my father!” Empress got up. “We’re not going anywhere without him.”
Iskandar stood up in front of her. “His orders say otherwise.” He stated coldly.
“Get out of my way!” She yelled at him and set her tails on fire. A flame appeared on her fist, as she swung at Iskandar. A grimace of pain appeared on his face when she hit his stomach, but he did not budge. “Do you think I enjoy all of this?!” He spoke angrily looking into her eyes. Hinotebi opened her mouth to say something, but a sudden pull from behind stopped her. The fire extinguished instantly, as Haruhi, clinging to the Nekomimi, suppressed her powers.
“You’re not getting anywhere you stupid girl!” Suzumiya yelled at her. “It’s his...” She stopped in her tracks as a sudden flash of light appeared over the window.
“FATHER!” Hinotebi yelled while rising suddenly. Covered in cold sweat and completely confused she looked around. Neither the bed nor the luxurious room resemble anything to her. She stood up and walked to the doors. They were locked. She tried to blast them away, but they did not budge, most likely due to Haruhi’s magic. Looking around she noticed a letter at the bedside table. It was from Iskandar.


Perun walked up slowly through the palace corridor, enjoying the golden ornaments and marble statues. Every ruler of Nippon, starting from Hanekawa the First stood there.
“I know, I know” Slavic man spoke loudly. “You do not have to remind that to me. I’m prepared” He raised a big bag held in his hand, as if explaining himself. He looked at them in silence. “I’m off.” He spoke, turning around and walking away. Perun marched quickly toward one of the emergency stairs. There were many skyscrapers in the Kyoto already, but the Royal Palace was on the hill what allowed it to maintain the height advantage over other buildings. It was crucial.

He stood on the roof and looked around. Mobile SAM’s, stationing within and around the cities were playing their death songs with interceptors. Smaller anti-air cannons kept on sending a deadly series of bullets toward the Egyptian planes, with random results.
“There is only one reason why you would send your planes here *****.” He spoke loudly. One of the planes seemed to notice him, but a sudden lightning, appearing from the clear sky struck the plane. He saw as the pilot ejected the vehicle in emergency, but the second lightning struck him, before the parachute even managed to open. “Out of the way small fry.” He muttered. He felt a vibration in his pocket.
“They’re on. Mochizuki.” he read the text message on his mobile phone.
“So they made it... Now I have to ensure they get out of here.” He scratched his head and threw the bag on the floor. More than two dozen golden apple fell out from inside and rolled around. They stated disappearing one after another, before they could fell off the roof. The enormous amount of golden dust hovered around his raised hands.
“Come on.” He muttered after few minutes and three more planes shot down. “You’re running out of time, you Egyptian *****.”
A sudden flash of light appeared over the city. He gritted his teeth as all the dust disappeared instantly. The enormous ball of light, created by nuclear explosion stopped its expansion. An artificially created sun hovered over the city.




“The irrational behavior of nuclear explosion over Kyoto is being considered a result of Perun’s actions. He somehow managed not only to delay the blast, ensuring the safety of Air Force One’s departure, but also partially redirected the blast. The pillar of fire did not reach the ground, however, it managed to wipe out the taller buildings in the town including the Royal Palace. Smaller explosions, following afterwards destroyed the huge parts of the city, yet many crucial buildings survived, thanks to Perun’s actions. The gamma radiation on the other hand could not be stopped and reached critical levels. The few survivors of the explosion are given 0% chance of surviving the next three years.
Perun is MIA. Considering the wipeout of Royal Palace, we can assume he is dead.”
Haruhi crushed the report in her hand and threw it away. She stood up and walked outside of the small room in the corner of the hangar. Tens of planes were starting. As the interceptors deployed nearby were destroyed in the nuclear blast together with aircraft carrier Horo, all what was left were older models equipped with jet engines. She wiped a tear, slowly creating itself in the corner of her eye, slapped herself in the face and walked toward the fighter prepared for her.


“This is A nine M three seven. Enemy has been spotted. Five naval vessels, all of them destroyer class at twelve.”
“Engage.” Haruhi answered with cold voice. “Sink down every single fu.cker you spot.” She completely broke the official communication rules. A furious roar was a response to her order. Smiling gently, Suzumiya looked at the sky. It was grey, but was it from the dust raised by explosions, or was it just a ****ty weather?
“It is not over yet” She muttered to herself. “I’m going first!” She yelled on the open channel, as she dived suddenly. She turned out the radio, and with a furious roar engaged the navy.


“Hinotebi.
Firstly, allow me to apologize for everything I did yesterday. I had to ensure that you will board that plane. Perun figured out that Egyptians were going for Kyoto and had to make sure our chain of command does not break. He also knew, how you were going to react knowing he’s staying behind, that’s why we had to act rough. You are the ruler Hinotebi, Chiyome is your shadow and I and Haruhi are your weapons. This is what people see and as long it does not change they won’t lose hope. The loss we have suffered yesterday was greater than anyone could ever imagine. Yet Egyptian’s treachery and cowardice with that surprise attack is a proof of their fear. They are afraid of Nippon you have created, that it may surpass them greatly. That’s why they did not declare a war beforehand, but attacked us by surprise with nuclear weapons. They knew that frontal attack would have never achieved as much as it did yesterday. Yet hope is not lost. The nation is not shattered, and core of your country, hardened by the harsh weather and freezing cold for thousands of years has survived. Kyoto is in ruins, yet it still exists. People spirit has not shattered. If you turn on the televisions you will see all of them supporting your cause and your decisions, no matter what are you going to do. Japan is ready for anything. Your father gave you this chance, now you must use it properly, as he wanted you to.
Act wise. These few days may be the most important ones in the history of Japan.

Iskandar.”

Hinotebi kept on reading the letter over and over again. Tears kept on flowing on her face. The past tense used while referring to her father was slowly breaking through her mind and becoming clear. She quickly walked around and turned the television on. Every channel showed up tens of thousands people on the streets, all over Japan, either praying for the slaughtered citizens of Persia or supporting the empress. They were angry. Angry at the betrayal of those, who claimed to enforce the world’s peace in the past.
Hinotebi looked at the letter, while listening to the chants of the masses.
“What should I do?” She kept on muttering to herself.

[Max_Smirnov]

A joint work with Daniel again. Enjoy!

The Differences

A Space Plane, adorned with red stars of the Socialist Union, was making its final approach to the airstrip of the Lancelot Military Base on the outskirts of Numantia. The hatches opened, and turbines fired up, providing vertical thrust. The vehicle slowed down, until it came to a complete stop, then started to lower itself and finally, sat heavily on its landing gear, the outer armor still cracking from the atmospheric re-entry.
Arturia was busy preparing the documents for her official meeting that had brought her here.

"Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if I'm not coming back alive..." she muttered. "But that's a small price to pay, if it could wash the blood of three hundred million people off Cleo's hands. At least in their eyes," she added, looking at the British capitol.

It's been a few days since the nuclear strikes against Persia and Kyoto. Minor battles were still being fought, the Japanese sinking several Egyptian submarines and destroyers, and the Egyptians bombing some of the Japanese remnants in Persia. Still, no nuclear counterstrike was coming. Somehow, Napoleon managed to get the both leaders to stand down. Maybe Cleopatra didn't see a reason of pushing this further at an increasing cost. Maybe the Japanese didn't see how they could effectively retaliate just now, with Egypt suddenly hard to reach and heavily defended. Maybe simply everyone was too shocked by the extent of death and destruction caused. Or, like First Secretary Ramsis put it, in a rather rude way, "the Japs are ruled by a bunch of pussies".

Now it was a question of what will the British do. They have raised their forces into a full combat readiness, but so far, they haven't acted, and no word was coming from Numantia. There was no telling if the alliance will survive, and it was either closing the borders and preparing for the worst, or showing full trust. Cleopatra decided to do the other, and sending such an important person to her as Arturia to a place where she could be easily captured or killed should prove that. At least Arturia hoped this scenario was true and she didn't become an expendable asset. Even with their history together, the blonde never could really guess what was making her mistress tick or what she was really feeling. Sometimes she appeared human, but sometimes she seemed alien and unfathomable. Maybe that was her true nature after all. Everything was possible.

Arturia moved to stand up and winced in sudden pain, grabbing her stomach. The final gift from the defenders of Iwaki. You can't stand right next to an exploding mortar shell and walk out unscathed, even being a superhuman. The lacerations were long gone, but internal injury couldn't heal so quickly. She straightened herself and fought the pain down. She didn't intend to insult her hosts with her suffering, after all.



As the door opened, she was greeted with a wall of unbearably hot air. The late summer still held sway over the Celtic mainland, a hot, unforgiving summer of the post-Cataclysm reality. The knight looked around. She hadn't been here for over a thousand years, and she wasn't recognizing almost anything. Obviously, the city was a hundred times larger and completely different with its glass and steel towers, but even the nature itself changed. Where once the rolling steppe dominated the area, there was a thicket of wild vegetation, sick-green post-cataclysm forest of entangled vines and bushes all the way to the horizon. Only the Cruacha Gorma mountain range in the far west hasn't changed at all, untouchable to the works of and sins of man.

A tall man approached the stairs and saluted. He was wearing a worn-out brown suit and a black coat, but his people, standing at attention at the edge of the landing pad, were dressed in full combat fatigues and old-fashioned Kevlar armor, like they were ready to jump straight into combat.

"My name's Captain Kiritsugu," said the officer with a laidback, slightly weary tone, giving Arturia a curious, odd stare. Despite the ironic expression on his face, she recognized those eyes. Eyes of a killer. "Welcome to the Federated Kingdom of Brittania and Northern Galitia, Miss Arturia. I apologize in advance for the rather less than fitting welcome for such an... important person. However, the whole city is in uproar, the demostrants have blocked the streets and it'll be better if we travelled in secrecy," he smiled, pointing at a military helicopter. "The President said you will understand."

"I do," nodded the knight. It never dawned to her that there was no hidden meaning in this situation and the officer was fully sincere. Especially since he never took those curious eyes off her, like he was studying a prey.

---

The government building of the Federated Kingdom (commonly called The Federation) was unlike the sprawling and majestic government compound in Thebes, or the grand imperial palace in Kyoto. Situated in the middle of a park, with large windows and simple decorations, it resembled a classical administrative building from the XVIIIth century. However, Arturia knew well that it had at least ten underground levels, filled with an army of analysts and administrators, and a network of tunnels leading to subterranean command bunkers. The British weren't maybe ostentatious, but they were as practical as anyone. Or maybe even more than anyone.

President Ifurita was silhouetted against one of those big, bright windows, sitting cross-legged sideways behind her big desk, submerged in paperwork. She motioned her bodyguards to leave.

"I like those space planes of yours. Having some of our own could solve many logistical problems," she said in a surprisingly light tone.

"Yes, ma'am. I mean, even if it's not the main reason I'm here, I was fully authorized to discuss any scientific exchange..."

"Does that mean you came here to bribe me?" inquired Ifurita, still not looking at her guest.

Arturia's face instantly went red, her cool demeanor suddenly gone. "I-I did not!"

"Good." Ifurita finally turned her gaze towards the blonde. A piercing, heavy gaze, intense like a laser beam. "I'm sorry I've kept you waiting. Do you realize why?"

Arturia blinked "...No."

"There have been at least six separate requests by various human rights organizations, demanding immediate action concerning what you have done. Some of them called for an international trial, charging Egyptian leaders with crimes against humanity."



The blonde swallowed hard, then straightened herself and returned Ifurita's intense look with a dignified stare.

"I am fully prepared to face such a trial and surrender myself to the consequences."

"I expected nothing less of a person of honor. But it is not you, but Cleopatra who we'd have to put under the trial, and it won't happen. And anyone else would be a mere scapegoat. I can handle this situation, don't worry. My people have long got accustomed that we're allied to the most militaristic regime on the planet, and think that you and the Japanese are worth each other. Still, millions of innocents have died, and you can't just gloss over that! If you concentrated your strikes on military targets where possible, half of these people would be still alive. At minimal risk to your country."

"Then we'd have to send troops, and it could be seen as overtly an imperialistic move..."

"And that's exactly why you needed our cooperation. If those cities had been secured by the UN forces, we could be talking about liberation of Persia, not about an aftermath of a genocide. I am quite disappointed," she frowned, raising her voice. "What do you think you're doing?" She suddenly stood up and walked to the window. "Starting a nuclear war all out of sudden, without even saying a word. Is that how allies behave?" The gaze of her steel eyes was accusing and hard to bear now.

"I... I deeply apologize." Arturia bowed her head. "I am very ashamed by this. But we had... no choice, we couldn't compromise the security, even with how dishonorable it was..."

"Don't be ridiculous, Arturia. You had the will to massacre millions of innocent people with a sneak attack to win the war. But there never is any honor in the war. Just victory or death. And the duty to your country. You had your orders to keep silent. You were scared I would betray you."

"I-This... Yes. We were. I'm really sorry..."

"It's all right. You're responsible for the lives of eight hundred and fifty million citizens of the Socialist Union. Next time though, it's better if you tell me. It doesn't have to be personal, our intelligence networks are cooperating, aren't they? A small, well placed leak would suffice. It would be advantageous to both of our countries if we cooperated more closely. How else could I be expected to help you?" She looked at Arturia and unexpectedly smiled. "Or have my military ready to press the advantage?"

"You mean...."

Ifurita walked back to her desk. "It's been forty years since the Cataclysm, but we're still in the process of recovering. We don't have your resources, neither we intend to press our people as hard as you do. Only after recovering we will be able to expand our military to the point where taking a part in a major war would make sense. So we can't support your military adventures until several decades in the future. Still. Your attack had changed a lot. We have never forgotten what the Japanese did to the citizens of Yuuruishi. At the time it was still being called Ahmed. And now I see no other choice but to demand that city back from them, to have a more stable border with their empire. A sea border. As long as you're intending to adhere to the peace treaty, outlined by Napoleon."

"We do. As long as the Japanese will pull back from Persia completely, we will not pursue the war and adhere to Napoleon's sea colonization treaty, as well limit our military presence to Iwaki and Himeji. Or rather Jalandhar, as it should be called again."

The white haired woman nodded thoughtfully. "I think they will agree to such terms."

"Perun might not... But he's gone missing after stopping our warhead from wiping out Kyoto completely. I wonder if he..."

"What difference does it make if he's alive or not? It's about our people, not those ancient monsters. What have you used, your standard-issue 10 Megaton 'city-killer'?"

"Yes."

"Next time use a three-stage 100 Megaton bomb. And that's enough about that topic." Ifurita pointed Arturia towards a chair. "Have a sit. I'm ready to work out the details. First we'll look into issues of humanitarian aid and contracts to rebuild what is left of Persia."

"Rebuilding?"

"Well of course. You have flattened the cities, but a lot of people survived. Do you expect them to lie down in the mud and die?" Ifurita frowned, her mood shifting towards anger again. "We need to restore Persia to some semblance of a civilized place. Starting with the economy. And by the economy, I mean the huge oil reserves in the area of Haruhipolis," she added in a lighter tone.

"But we cannot claim the city, it'd be breaking the agreement before it's even signed."

"Still you can provide workers and material aid. The shared extraction of oil is going to help the locals, as well as our both countries. And if Brittania had a base of operations in that area, it couldn't hurt either. So that'd be a start..."



Several hours later, all the main topics have been covered. Arturia found no reason to disagree with Ifurita's ideas. She found that thought scary, but then again, they all seemed beneficial to all sides involved. Finally, she moved to stand up.

"Wait. I haven't said you can go back to Thebes just yet. There is one final condition." Ifurita pushed a piece of paper towards her guest.

"What's... that?" Arturia frowned, picking it up and starting to read.

"Your agreement to give a live interview in our television."

"A-a what? I'm not..."

Ifurita gave her a dangerous stare. "I need something, anything to appease my people. So you better sign it. It'll be a good start, and a good learning experience for you, too."

"B-but I've been interviewed once, and..."

"I sincerily hope you changed since that time. Of course. You can simply run. I won't stop you. I'm assuming, though, that you can do more than just follow Cleopatra's orders."

"I'm here by my own choice!" said Arturia, signing the paper, with the tips of her ears going red.

"It won't be so bad, you'll see," Ifurita pulled the paper out of Arturia's hands, smiling a predatory smile.

---

Arturia was sweating under the merciless lights of the studio. The reporter knew his job, and knew how to ask uncomfortable questions. And the man was hating her, under that mask of courtesy and professionalism, she could tell. So far she got through this with her dignity intact, but the fact he had the whole audience cheering for him wasn't helping. It was like the gladiatorial games all over again. Only this time she was the underdog, and the feeling was awful.

"So, let's change the topic a bit here. What can you tell us about the nature of your relationship with a woman so bold to order a nuclear bombardment of civilian targets? It's a common knowledge it is a pretty spicy relationship, but how about the details?"

This time, Arturia's face finally went red. She opened her mouth to give a furious retort, but then she saw the figure of that intelligence man, Kiritsugu. He smiled, pointing to her signed contract, and shrugged.

"Y-yes. We do sleep together," she answered, swallowing her pride.

"Is it consensual?"

"Y-yes! Of course. It's a... a... It's complicated, all right?"

Kiritsugu turned away and answered his cell phone, still a pretty fresh invention made by the French.

"How is she doing?" asked Ifurita's voice.

"Pretty well. You were right, she's not a bad person. Just misled and not very cunning, if book-smart. Easy to manipulate. I could have her agree to do any sort of degrading stuff with a right choice of words. Can't say I don't want to."

"Would she break?"

"Tempting to try. But no, I don't think so. She's still a... demon, like you said. If fighting a thousand battles haven't destroyed her stupid innocence, it must be hard-coded into her brain."

"I see. But I like her. And having someone who thinks more like we do, so close to Cleopatra, will be of immense advantage. We only need to open her eyes a bit."

"You know how I hate that kind of people. The blind circle of honor, sacrifice and revenge. Like there was ever anything honorable in killing."

"Then think of her as a tool. You have your orders. And here's another one. Since she's been a good girl, take her to the MISA project laboratories. Time to show some more goodwill."

"By your command, Miss President," answered the man in a slightly ironic tone.

---

"So... this is your... secret research?" Arturia blinked, looking at a girl's body levitating in a glass tank. Currents of energy were arcing all over her skin. "I have heard about your advances in cloning, but I knew only about the possibility of replacing failing flesh... growing new organs in a vat..."

"And make no mistake, this remains our main goal. This world needs new ways of saving people's lives. Especially with all this pollution and radioactive fallout you've caused. Sadly, it's still a few decades of research away before we'll be able to do it safely, and at a scale large enough to make a difference."

"This... girl... looks like a wholly different thing altogether."

The man nodded and paused to lit his cigarette. "Allow me to re-introduce myself. Emiya Kuritsugu of the First Paranormal Division. See, the espers have been always around. One in ten million people is born with a gift. Nowadays, with so many people, higher mutation rates, and better healthcare, they're more numerous than ever. Still, in most of them, these powers are minuscule. Inconsequential. But now, with gene-splicing and cloning, we could take the genetic material from the best of them and replicate it. Make powerful espers at will. As many as it is needed."

"What with those... energy discharges? Is this normal?"

"No, of course not. Your great scientist, Tesla, died in obscurity, but he got a few things right. By a hunch, he was right about what he called increasing the electric potential of humans. His problem was, he was never able to work with powerful espers. Except yourself, of course. We have been studying your ability to change your energy into electrical currents. On the higher level, it turns out, it's all a part of a single whole. All espers, the so-called gods included, in reality use just a single power. Telekinesis. It's about the application. If you're able to control currents in human brain, you have mind control. If you're able to control electrons in air, you can throw lightning. The thing is, human brain lacks capacity to fully control these forces in a conscious way. If it could, you'd be able to do anything. But nobody, even Cleopatra or Napoleon, or Ifurita, can do that. It's impossible for a human, or even a superhuman, to achieve. A body needs to be programmed for a set of narrow applications of this universal force, so the mind is able to subconsciously control them. In the MISA program, we're doing just that. Picking up Tesla's dream when he left it, if you will."

"What for?"

"What for..." he narrowed his eyes and gave Arturia a hard stare. "What have you killed three hundred million people for, Miss Arturia. And better answer me honestly."

"I..."

"Don't you DARE to lie to me."

Arturia straightened herself. "To unite the world. For the generations to come. And it would be naive to think that world can be united peacefully with how deep our differences with Japan run. They're fiercely territorial and would accept others only as their subordinates."

"So would you."

"Yes. But their society is unacceptable. And there never will be peace between gods for as long as they live. Same with humans. Only a single people can truly unite. If this is the price to be paid, so be it."

"For as long as the gods live, hmm?" he smiled. "Then this is your answer. What we're doing here is supposed to help the end the suffering. With as few nuclear weapons as possible. But not a single less." He took a deep breath and smiled in an apologetic way. "Well, maybe I'm rambling now. I was supposed to ask you about your research and a possible cooperation..."

"Well, um. Our research is focused around Asyut, our first undersea city. Things that would allow humans to thrive in this environment. Undersea agriculture. Better ways to survive the pressure. More efficient engines and materials. While in the latter we have the advantage, we lack the genetic expertise of your country to gain real progress in the former..."

"Then we can help each other. Remember that we're both not born in the countries we serve. Maybe the differences aren't as great as we fear. And we won't have resort to destroying the world to save it," he narrowed his eyes again. "Think about it when you return to your Goddess. Think hard, Arturia."

[Max_Smirnov]

A lone figure, clad in a light protective suit, slowly climbed onto the dilapidated train platform and straightened herself, breathing heavily.

"I'm getting too old for this," she gasped, then looked up. After hours spent in the dark tunnels under the ruined city, the bright light entering the huge hall through the shredded roof and shimmering in streams of water, crashing down onto the concrete platform, created an almost religious experience. The woman removed her helmet, squinting her eyes at the illumination, looking up, into the sky.

Her dark-skinned face was covered in cracks, signs of time and harsh weather, but neither was able to take away certain nobility of her visage, and she was carrying her large, broad-shouldered body in an athletic way that was further belying her age. Still, the climb had exhausted her, even her new, cloned heart, sponsored by her employer couldn't give her back her old stamina.

"Such beautiful," she said, and snorted at her own joke. She started down the platform, her footsteps drowned by the artificial waterfalls, created by the heavy, tropical rains. She fished in her pocket for her smartphone and activated voice recording. It was a side project of hers, kind of personal diary she kept on her blog, recorded while visiting places like this one on her archeological job for the corporation.

"The earliest evidence of human settlement on what ultimately became the city of Tochigi stretch back well before the writing history, at least till the sixth millennium BC. Ecbatana, as it was called until the Japanese administrative reforms of the XVth Century, with its extensive wood and food industry, situated in the heart of Persia, had always been one of the most pivotal and populous cities in the ancient Persian Empire, and, as such, was targeted by the First Japanese Crusade of 209. The siege, concluded with a single all-out assault, was the defining battle in the career of one of the most famous ancient Japanese generals and statesmen, Date Masamune, a battle that made him the person we know from the history books."
"Under the Japanese rule, the importance of the city was undiminished, serving as their main resupply base and garrison town for the whole period of the struggle for Persia. Only in the 9th century, with the Egyptians gone, and the progress of industrialization, it slowly began to lose its importance in favor of the former Persian capital, Persepolis, renamed by the conquerors to Haruhipolis. Then, from the XVIth century onwards both cities were overshadowed by the massive industrial centre of D'Jalanhar, after the Japanese wrestled it from the hands of the Indians and renamed to Himeji."

"Still, it was here, in the early years of the Golden Century, where the Japanese started building their Shinkansen, a network of fast trains spanning the whole huge province. This place is one of the stations, left in a state of progressing decay since the city was nuclear bombed by the Socialist Union during the One Day War of 1930, and subsequently abandoned..."

Her thoughts trailed off, and she disabled the recording. The Socialist Union, a lumbering giant of militant overlords and their indoctrinated slaves. At least it was easy to perceive it as one, but then again, there was something out of place about it, she knew that smell, the smell of dark secrets of the ancient world. And the shadow it was casting over the earth grew bigger than ever before. Yet it was keeping its citizens well fed and safe. Very safe indeed, including from themselves. Was this the future of the world? Compliance of the cows in exchange for freedom? As long as Britain existed, not necessarily so. A military dictatorship acting as the force of peace and liberty. But Britain's strength was derived only from the political balance. If sometimes push comes to shove, Britain would be outgunned. Either by their Egyptian allies or Japanese enemies, who proposed quite opposite future, a future with full freedom, including a freedom to live a short, brutal life, a future for the smart. the loyal and the innovative, with no safeguards for the rest at all. But it seemed that a new kind of future was being born, unforeseen by anyone.

She looked at her mobile. The network, of course, was powered by the Encore Syndicate. What had started as a trust of IT companies in the 1920's, now, in 1955, was no longer just an emerging industry. It was rather the leading force in the new world's economy, consolidating unprecedented power in the age otherwise wrecked by diminishing resources and deep economical crisis. It filled the vacuum left by the crash of the Kyoto Stock Exchange in the 1940's and replaced its old, speculative system with a defensive one, buying everyone out and forming a humongous network, from global communications to security contracts, from healthcare to bioengineering. In France, hit by the biggest crisis of all time, they were practically buying out the state itself by now. Nobody knew where this was going to end.

"Was every age so bleak?" she wondered aloud. Despite all the advances, the world seemed to head in a wholly wrong direction. The nuclear war didn't solve anything. Worse still, it only seemed that since Armageddon turned out to be impossible due to modern missile defenses, only more 'limited' nuclear wars could come in the future. And with each, deeper crisis, and deeper oppression...

"Halt!" A sudden voice broke her meditation. "Hands up. This area is off limits to unauthorized personnel."
She turned and saw a figure of a female soldier, dressed in a tight-fitting armor. She had the markings of the UN forces, charged with keeping the Wasteland safe, but otherwise was immediately recognizable as the member of the Egyptian 1st Clone Division. The Egyptian clones, all-female, bred for warfare and obedience were pitied by some, abhorred by others, as some form of sub-humans. The dark skinned woman harbored none of those feelings.

"I am authorized," she said, raising her hands.

The clone approached, and the woman handed her the pass.

"Encore Archeo division, contracted by the UN," she explained.

The clone raised the pass to her visor and started to read. "So it says, Mrs..." She suddenly paused, and looked the woman over once again. Her emotionless voice suddenly turned into an awed one. "A-are you... One of the Progenitors?"

"You can call me Luna," she smiled. "And yes, I was one of dozen or so people your DNA was taken from. True, back then I had no idea..."

The clone kept looking at her.

"I want to know more about you."

"Sure, let's have a sit somewhere. I needed some rest anyway."



The MRE was hot and pretty foul to the tongue, but Luna had long since accustomed to emergency rations. The clone didn't seem to mind either. She probably lacked the capacity to do so. She had removed her helmet at least, her long, white hair strewn across her flexible combat armor.

"So you've asked me, why Luna? It's almost like asking me to tell the story of my life. But it seems that's exactly what you want?"

Clone's intent stare was the only answer. Luna shrugged.

"Well, whatever your reasons, I can't see why not. So, the name... It was a name of a town, a historical town, once located in the area I was born. Back in the 1400s, it was destroyed and pillaged by the Japanese, the citizens either killed or taken into slavery. It was a revenge for some perceived slights the Kingdom made, some sort of a spying operation. The details are unimportant, the fate of the city was a message of domination, a warning that you better not get on the bad side of the Japanese empire because they can do whatever they want. But if you are a good girl, they will be nice and generous. Somehow this line of diplomacy never really worked. I wonder why," she smiled.

"Why are you called a name of a town?"

"Well, I earned it at school... I was quite known for my interest in old stuff... You're going to ask, how comes someone like me became interested in history, and it requires telling the story from the very start. Like I expected."

The clone's face was unmoving.

"So... here we go. My family comes from the southern shores of the Inland Sea, like I said, but that area is no longer existing. It was flooded during the Great Cataclysm, and we had to evacuate. We were the lucky ones, living far enough from the coast to be able to escape the tsunami waves. I don't really remember the Cataclysm, I was only three back then. Just the vague sense of danger, and the distress of my parents..."

She took a spoonful of the food-like substance contained within the MRE.

"Someone else would probably have moved to one of the big cities, like Jaipur or Delhi. Most did. But not my father, nooo," she smiled sarcastically. "He decided the cities were too crowded now, too dangerous, let others risk crime and starvation. And we moved to a small village at the outskirts of what remained of Surat. This is one of my first memories, the forest of glass and steel skyscrapers eerily protruding over the absolutely calm surface of the water. Most of the huge city ended up twenty or fifty metres underwater, but some buildings survived the flood. It was a beautiful sight, mysterious, tempting. We were of course forbidden to play there. So of course it was the most fun thing for us to do."

"You might not understand why. Well, I've been to the area the other year, to visit my father when he got ill. Now it's quite civilized, with trains, towns, shopping centres and everything. But back then, hardly anyone lived there, cows walking amongst rusting cars, trees growing in abandoned buildings and parks claimed by primitive agriculture. With the highways and rails smashed, the only road out of the village was a muddy track, spared by the Cataclysm but turned hard to negotiate by the climate change that came after it. So, I've never seen a real city before, much less glass and steel skyscrapers like those in Surat's former downtown, so they seemed to me like some giant mystic stones left by some ancient and mysterious power."



"My father was in the military, he was serving on a submarine so he rarely was home. My mom was teaching in a small, local school, my older brothers and sisters were working in the fields or at the house, but I was the youngest so I had a lot of time. And by the time I was old enough to work it got better already, the country began to recover and our life became easier."

"So most of the time, after returning from school, two kilometres on foot down that muddy road, I often had free time, time to wander to the flooded city and play with the other kids, swim across the bay, look for treasure in the flooded houses. The skyscrapers seemed beyond reach, several kilometres off the coast. But I was good at swimming," she smiled. "The best, actually. The fastest, the strongest, the one who could hold the breath for longest. And finally it was me who managed to swim to one of these towers, to explore it and claim it by climbing to the very top of it."

"The other kids of course wanted to do such a cool thing as well. Some succeeded, and it were fun times, fierce competition, me and several boys, still innocent but we were growing up fast and... and one day someone died. And the parents put a smackdown on us, and there was no more swimming."

"But, the next summer, when I was fifteen, someone new moved into the town. His name was Sean, he had a submarine, he wanted to dig out Surat's underwater treasures, he was twenty five, dauntless and handsome. So of course I've fallen for him, even though it took me two years to allow him to bed me. I was so full of pride, and I was taking no **** from any man, a young, foolhardy girl, it took me awhile to realize my true feelings, you know. But from the day one I wanted to work with him. Which caused a quite falloff with my parents, as anyone can imagine... I finally fled home and hid under Sean's roof, I reconciled with my family only much later. Or it at least seemed like ages, back then, every year seemed to bring so many changes, to last for so long. By the age of twenty-five I was feeling like an old veteran, can you imagine that? But that was long after my time with Sean."

"So I worked hard to impress him, and he was doing everything to belittle me, even though I had great potential, I had, of course, no idea about using scuba gear or submarines, except from what I learned from my father. But in time we became quite a team and we indeed found many treasures, fought bandits and had all sorts of adventures, naturally. That's another story, though."

"I like to say it was his greed and lack of morals that drove us apart, but maybe it was my blindness. I chose to ignore his darker side, and it grew, and finally he crossed the line of taking advantage of innocent people one time too many and we broke off. I should perhaps thank him for how mad he was at me, the pain of having my heart broken was easier to bear that way."

"So it was the first decade of a new century, I was 19, without work, without a boyfriend and unwilling to show my face to my parents. I moved north, doing odd jobs, until I finally reached Numantia. There I met some people dealing with sports and had the idea to compete in the Numantian Olympics in the 1908, confident my physical prowess alone can carry the day. So naive. But the Olympics back then were a big thing. A holiday of life in the bleak post-Cataclysm world, a proof that people from hostile nations can compete peacefully, that the UN can work despite the arms race. And these two years were great, I was training, studying, meeting new people and looking forward to the future, like in the innocent days before meeting Sean, but now with all the added excitement of being adult, with parties, joyrides and sex."

"I came pretty close to achieving my dream. In a way, I succeeded, I was there, I competed in the Olympics, representing my province in swimming, just failed to get past the eliminations. Back then, however, I was quite devastated. I could stay and train hard for the next Olympics, in the hopes of doing better, but finally decided against sacrificing four more years of my life. I was already twenty-two, after all! The time before I get old seemed short!"

"I found a better thing to do. Around that time, the Egyptians have established their undersea city of Asyut and were looking for the brave and the skilled to help develop it. I was both, so I volunteered and ended up deep underwater for more than a decade. Nowadays the undersea colonies are established every year, but back then, it was something absolutely new. Maybe it's irrational but I can't truly hate Egypt for its countless crimes after being there, at the forefront of human accomplishment, meeting the best and the brightest and helping them to build a new, better world, a world safe from starvation and uncertainty. I was one of the first people to test the liquid breathing gear, it's a shame it's still not fully developed and available for everyone. Too bad Cleopatra didn't fund more pioneer cities like Asyut, focusing on building up her nuclear arsenal instead..."



"By the time I found Sean again, I was already nearing forty. I was an esteemed professional, proud of my work but still alone, while my eldest brother had already grandchildren. He followed father's footsteps and outdid him, too, became the first Cortes to captain his own warship. I was long reconciled with my family by then, too, I was coming home pretty often, not the poor farm building from my childhood, but a modern villa where my parents were living out their retirement in luxury." She chuckled. "Dad became quite a technology freak, he taught me how to use the Internet, can you believe that? Back then you could still know all the important people on the Internet, I guess he thought of it as another adventure, ever the explorer since he fell in love with the marinistic novels as a boy."

"But yeah, I found Sean, at the bottom of a bottle. An old, broken man. After we parted, he found a new, more compliant girlfriend, and kept pushing his luck until finally she got killed. But I guess I still loved him, and he never forgot about me. I helped him recover, and it worked, most of the time at least, sometimes he had these dark fits, weeks of drinking, being insufferable and wallowing in his guilt. I guess that once something is dead, it can never be brought back to life. But you can build something new on its ruins, and we did."

"I was still in prime physical condition, and we both wanted something challenging. He couldn't suffer the water anymore, so I moved out of Asyut and we opened a business in the Himalaya. We had no idea how to climb, but we learned," she smiled.

"Then we became teachers ourselves, climbing the mountains with rich tourists and treasure hunters, hoping to find ancient relics in those huge, never fully explored land of ice and sharp rock."

"I was forty-four and quite happy with my life when the nuclear war broke out." She sighed. "There were people needed to help the victims, I applied straight away, without thinking. I've seen the worst of it, mutation, radiation sickness, plague, starvation, homelessness, despair. If only we had the cloning technology we have now, so many of those people could have been saved, replacement of failing organs being the only sure way to save those who were heavily irradiated, genetic therapies to help those who developed cancer... But it came a decade, two decades too late. Only when the radiations level began to fall anyway. It's quite ironic how the fallout affected mostly the Egyptian people... And a lot of them were helping, too. It's not their fault what happened. Or yours, for that matter. But, whoever is to blame, I wouldn't do what some felt forced too, like attempting to kill Arturia. Maybe it's better she survived the explosion, ironically, through sheer luck. No one is truly immortal. Therefore everyone deserves a chance to live."

The clone shifted, listening with a cryptic expression.

"Well? Are you satisfied?" inquired the dark-skinned woman.

"I will... think about it."

"I can only hope," smiled Luna.

[Max_Smirnov]

REPORT on TURN 280 (1964 AD)
THE DARK DAWN OF THE GENETIC AGE



The world in 1964

THE UNION

The Police State

It is a known truth that in order to make war, you should make sure your people hate the enemy. Yet, despite all the propaganda and information control the Egyptian government had, in the aftermath of their unprovoked nuclear attack on Japan - the conflict known as One Day War - it had to deal with unprecedented levels of popular unrest.

The response chosen by Cleopatra and her cabal of like-minded associates from the high echelons of power was perhaps the logical one: to crank up the volume. It was no longer enough to traditionally portray the Japanese nation as Egypt's main competitor, they had to be reviled. Having the best tools in the world to do their bidding, as well as the moral support of British-led UN and the French corporate state (who are the most comfortable with the current tense political climate), they have succeeded - for the most part. The Socialist Union lives now under a state of permanent siege, its society indoctrinated and heavily militarized, all the sources of information controlled, all the harbours, airports and borders closely monitored. In the big cities, where the citizens are well-fed and cared for, kept docile by public entertainment and carefully monitored, the morale is quite high. Things are looking much worse in the province, still ravaged by the aftermath of the Cataclysm and the worst of the industrial poisoning, and a constant paramilitary presence is a must to keep order.

These xenophobic policies were especially intensified after the bombing of the Union's governmental compound in D'Jalanhar in 1933, where over 400 lives were lost. The responsibility was claimed by a radical British group, whose goal was to punish the Egyptian war criminals (after Ifurita blocked any such notions from being pursued in an official way), yet Egypt blamed it on the Japanese, and not a few people believe it was an inside job; it is not a secret that Arturia, who was the prime target (and only narrowly escaped death), has many enemies within the Egyptian circles of power.

The Union's society has things to be proud of - like the complete elimination of poverty, low crime rates (if you don't count the universal corruption) and the best universal health care in the world, recently boosted by the widespread implementation of the cloning technology, and the second-best universal education (after the National-Socialist Brittania). Yet, some things were lost; the incessant propaganda led to universal hatred towards the Japanese people, no matter their loyalties - and in the multinational Union, they used to constitute a good 5% of the population. Now they were forced to flee the country (mostly to Brittania, seen as the best alternative), or face imprisonment or even death.



A nation under siege

War and Peace

Even though no shots have been fired on the border between the Egyptian-British coalition and the Japanese since the One Day War ended in a conditional Japanese surrender, no real peace did - or could - come. As the cold war churns on into its fourth decade now, the missile batteries, aircraft and nuclear weapons on both sides are kept at the high alert, ready to unleash the horrors of war anew at the slightest provocation.

The Egyptian military had only grew in the recent decades, approaching three million troops now in the frontline units alone (which still pales compared to their mind-boggling twenty million employees of multiple intelligence and police agencies). Perhaps even more importantly, it contains the largest airforce on the planet, armed with thousands of fifth-generation interceptors (regularly patrolling the countryside) and hundreds of infamous stealth bombers. The sight of stationary orbital-defense laser cannons and missile batteries also became quite familiar to anyone who'd seen outskirts of any major Egyptian city. The morale value of these weapons is perhaps even more important than their combat usefulness, adding to the feeling of a country being under a permanent siege. Yet, no matter how large an army, it's useless if its morale is low, especially if you pit Egyptian citizens, conditioned by their society to be docile and easygoing, against highly patriotic and aggressive Japanese.

Foreseeing such problems and armed with new technology, in the early 1950s the Egyptian leaders have launched the military clone breeding program. At first, mass production of these highly obedient, ruthless and physically powerful footsoldiers was going slowly, but by now, their ranks have swelled to almost three hundred thousand and the program is just gaining momentum. Eventually they are supposed to replace regular soldiers in every part of the military force, except for paramilitary, command and garrison duties. Increasing the fighting potential of the army is just one of the reasons - another being the increase of safety and obedience of the citizens by making the war an alien and frightening concept, better handled by the omni-powerful government.

Yet the Socialist Union is not only about the war. The infrastructure lost during the Great Cataclysm has been mostly rebuilt, and even though the population is still less numerous than back then, the industrial output had already soared to levels unprecedented in history. The Egyptian sea colonization program is second only to the Japanese one in sheer scale, but the more careful research and the help of British gene-wizards led to unique developments, surpassing any other nation in the area of human adaptation to the deep ocean environment, the liquid breathing technology and refined propelling systems allowing for any-depth universal equipment, from personal diving gear to all sorts of nimble craft (including military, too, the aircraft-like Scout Subs yet untested in real combat but quite possibly absolutely deadly to traditional naval vessels, with an added advantage of being the only reliable tool of spying on the sea colonies). And last but not least, the revolutionary methods of sea agriculture, so far not very widespread, but promising practically unlimited amounts of food in the future. Further research focuses on increasing the efficiency of such submersible equipment by developing more compact and powerful energy sources (which, incidentally, would also allow mounting laser weaponry on vehicles smaller than a naval vessel).

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THE REPUBLIC
The Rise of the Syndicate

Most of the French Republic was utterly devastated by the Great Cataclysm, many cities simply vanished under the waves, at least half of the population was killed. Over the huge swathes of the country, the government simply ceased to exist, the survivors gathering in walled towns and forming militias to protect themselves from the starvation, bandits and wild animals. This kind of decentralized structure survives to this day, and in a way helped the Syndicate to gain power. But there were also areas almost completely spared from the destruction, amongst them the city of Nice, one of the richest and most economically developed regions even in the heyday of the Golden Century. The city (and several others, similar but less prominent, like Lille or Rouen) became pivotal to the reconstruction effort, but in doing so, it was necessary for the impoverished government to make further concessions towards the private business, already strong even before the Cataclysm, and, in turn, it was beneficial for the private business to gather into larger, more organized and interconnected blocks.

This unique arrangement allowed the state to survive as a single organism despite the ongoing economical crisis, but it had wider repercussions as well. First of all, the power of the Bonapartist party was severely diminished, as the country needed professionals, not old comrades to address the immediate problems. Secondly, the corporations gathered unprecedented resources. Out of this mess the Encore Syndicate was born. Heavily subsidized by the state to develop means of reliable communication in this disparate land, the company pioneered the cell phone, the telnet, and finally laid foundations for the Internet we know today. Nice became the world's centre of IT technologies, and even now, every country relies on the electronic web of their design.

The community services that make the internet of today, like EncoreTube, haven't appeared before late 1940s. But, as soon as thirty years earlier, the corporations came up with a brilliant idea - what was developed as means of communications between disparate communities can be used for instantaneous business transactions all over the globe. And with the French government's backing and protection, and everyone else in a state of war, there was no need to share. Keeping the know-how and control of the new medium to themselves, the French were soon able to hijack the position of the Kyoto Exchange. The centre of world's business moved to Nice.

However, what was good for the corporations, wasn't necessarily that much helpful to the country at large. The economy, stretched thin by the reconstruction effort, was deteriorating. Public services were inadequate. So an idea came, wouldn't they be more efficient under the corporate supervision, just like the communication network? By the early 1960s, the France as we know it today was born, with huge corporate profits, private police forces and the economy of a permanent crisis. Yet, at least, despite being still beleaguered by chronic resource shortfalls, the Republic returned to the international game of economical and scientific competition. Even if the scientific development serves mainly the corporate interests. It is hard to gauge of what help to a still impoverished country their unwavering focus on cybernetic research could be, but it clearly holds a promise of profit in an unsafe world interested in new methods of warfare, as well as the prospect of continued control over the information technology.

The Syndicate is an intangible, but a very real force, its various branches fiercely competing with each other but the structure by itself monolithic, and having a face - a face of a man who seems to hold no function except being a special secretary of the French Government, but who is able to make anything happen. He seemed to have appeared only very recently, but now it slowly becomes clear that he was closely linked to the rise of the Syndicate from almost the very beginning. Still, little is known about this person, other than he is a powerful Immortal, and the name he calls himself - Fantômas.



Fantômas, as he usually appears

Napoleon's New Face

Those who study the lives of the Immortals have noticed the profound change that affected Napoleon after the Great Cataclysm. Up to that point, he was extremely active as the French leader, working incessantly on every detail to improve the strength of the Republic. It's not like he gave up after it was so horribly devastated by the disaster. He still worked hard to salvage what was left of his great country, but his public speeches were less frequent and much less bold than in the past. Some even speculate that he resigned to his fate, especially in the light of his historical declaration of 1463, that the France has only "a single chance", but such a notion is impossible to defend judging by his actions alone.

As the weak French government relied on the corporations to run the country, the position of the President had lost some of its former importance. Napoleon threw his full weight into the international politics, suddenly approachable and attending every important UN meeting to broker agreements - and to drive home the point, that France, despite the obvious crisis, is still needed, important and if push comes to shove, dangerous. There is little doubt that various French military deployments of late - like their fully automated 'killer drone' fleet - served exactly this purpose, as the experts believe France has little resources to spare and would be probably better off spending them on the reconstruction effort, which is still far from finished (and not helped by a recent black string of industrial accidents and chemical spills, caused by corporations trying to cut their expenses).

Whatever mocking words, regarding the current state of the French military, could be heard from the lips of the great of this world, it seems this strategy is working, the immediate armistice brokered by Napoleon in the wake of the One Day War and the Sea Treaty that followed it, in which Egypt agreed to limit its territorial claims regarding sea floor in exchange for the Japanese surrender of Persia being the best and sufficient proof. The new spin on his persona, the once-divine ruler now publishing books about the spirit of the Western Civilization and arguing in a friendly manner on the UN forum, brought him a new kind of international popularity, his word duels with Iskandar (as both gentlemen, Napoleon with his wife, Iskandar, sadly, only with his cat, are a common sight in the Numantian UN Headquarters) always gathering a lot of TV audience; when the two statesmen put their glasses on, the gloves are off, as the saying goes.

It would be a mistake, though, to simply think that Napoleon is less in control now. Maybe as the President, yes, but besides his office, he still has an immense wealth and influence, not to mention his 'Bonaparty', which, despite no more being all-powerful and bereft of its paragon, Jeanne D'Arc (who went missing during the Cataclysm and is believed to have drowned), still numbers into a few millions and amounts to his private army. His only real contender, Fantômas, seems to never act against Napoleon's wishes, either (some of the conspiracy theorists even believe that, given the elusiveness of the Syndicate character, they might even be one and the same person). The French Republic remains Napoleon's country.



Paris, struggling with never-ending renovations

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THE FEDERATION
The Rising Ambitions

During the time of the Golden Century, the British Federated Kingdom had been still the obviously weakest of the four powers. These times seem to have passed, though. Not only they were able to make the best post-Cataclysm recovery of all the countries, the industry, economy and population soaring, new cities (including a handful of undersea ones) being established everywhere and the landscape mostly repaired, but by now, they managed to join the major leagues in scientific development and military strength as well.

No wonder then that the tensions are already rising over the exact partition of the Indian Ocean between their and Japanese spheres of influence. The resources to be found on the bottom of the ocean are vast, as are the ambitions of both countries. The Federation had already made a claim that the newly established Japanese undersea colony off the Russian coast, Umi Hiroshima, had encroached on their territory and demanded handing it over. The Japanese didn't budge, though and the Federation didn't follow through, not yet confident in their military to carry the day. In all likeness though, it was only the beginning. With the Socialist Union unwilling to break the Sea Treaty brokered by Napoleon before the UN Assembly, the Japanese know that Egyptian intervention is unlikely as long as the dispute is contained to the border issues. On the other hand, the Federation's military is growing, and their need for resources to finally catch up with the most powerful countries is great. Only time will tell if the conflict is resolved peacefully, or if it will explode into a border war.

The Human Enhancement Paradigm

It were the British who pioneered the human cloning technology. It were them who brought the world the cure for radiation sickness and genetic maladies, and increased the human longevity by the means of cloned organs. Everyone is using these technologies now. But the Federation doesn't intend to give up its leading position in understanding of human biology - and there is more to it than just medicine, too. Unlike the Egyptians, who started to mass-produce clones as more obedient and physically stronger soldiers, the British took a wholly different approach, by gradually refining techniques for breeding custom-tailored Espers. Obviously, breeding a single Esper is a hundredfold more expensive than breeding a carbon-copy soldier, but the Espers are also immensely more adaptable and useful, even if lacking in sheer battlefield prowess due to lower numbers. Nowadays, they can be seen everywhere, from the police force to intelligence services, from the medical profession to crisis management agencies - and unlike the Egyptian clones, they're not deficient as citizens, either, their induction into the society quite seamless by now.

Yet, despite the decades of development, it is more than obvious that the full potential of this technology is far from realized (it is even uncertain how exactly vast the real possibilities are); any progress requires a lot of careful and expensive research. Even more powerful kinds of Espers can be tailored in the future, and the Federation intends to pursue this avenue of research (and any side genetic engineering projects that may appear while doing so). Except by now, it is much more than simply research. It is spoken aloud, even by such prominent figures as President Ifurita herself, that the Esper development program's final goal is taking the human race as a whole to a different level; to a better world where everyone could live a long life, free of illness and made easier by the command of psionic abilities. This notion is called the Human Enhancement Paradigm, the ultimate emancipation of humankind, only befitting the most egalitarian country on the planet.



A British Esper

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THE EMPIRE
The Road to Technocracy

The Heinlenist model still remains the base of the Japanese socioeconomical structure, having matured throughout centuries and coalesced into a system of powerful clans, controlling various economical enterprises, valuing personal achievement and responsibility above all other, but being far from closed organisms, as they often incorporate successful individuals from all walks of life into their ranks, the more powerful clans naturally drawing the best and the brightest. In exchange for that kind of induction, loyalty is demanded, and loyalty is measured in success and paid in respect. The respect which is more important than anything; and conversely, a member of the clan who turned out to be a failure usually ended in permanent demotion to a basic role within the clan, no matter his or her bloodline, with little chance to regain a responsible - and thus honorable - position.

However, how this system looks now is a far cry from its libertarian roots of the XVIth century. Over the centuries, getting into the elites was more and more difficult, basically requiring continued support of the clans from an early age. The clans were fishing for the most promising children as soon as in the elementary school, and those who ended up in a public high school, instead of one of the fabulous clan academies, had only a slim chance left to join the best, and without the best education, there was little chance for achievement the clans would respect, unless in very risky endeavors.

This phase, however, had passed as well. Public schooling beyond the elementary school was deemed needless and inefficient, and the divide between the clan's elites and common prols became almost insurmountable. Perhaps the final nail to the coffin was the widespread and chevalier use of genetic engineering, allowing for the clans to reproduce the best traits in their children, the bloodline becoming a cold hard science instead of an emotional thing. Thus, the society had come almost a full circle, strangely starting to resemble the technocratic rule of the elites that allowed the Egyptian Kingdom to rise and stood at the foundation of the Socialist Union. Only this new technocracy had a different flavour and a different level of efficiency.

In the new reality of Japanese technocracy, the perception and self-perception of the masses changed as well. In the old days, they were perceived as simply deficient elements of society. Now such a notion became useless. It has became clear beyond any doubt that the masses simply were unqualified for taking any positions of real responsibility, just like the peasants of ancient feudal states. As such then, they shouldn't be reviled for their obvious shortfalls, but cared for by their natural superiors, the clan elites, bioengineered and highly trained to be the leaders and the prodigies, in politics, business, science and any other respectable form of activity. The country needed the masses, and still, these normal humans could be entertaining, loyal and very occasionally, give birth to a wild genius.

However, an inferior in the Japanese society is far from a slave. The days where the lower tiers of their society were rife with crime and mass poverty have mostly passed. The elites, with their newly found role of the protectors and guides of the common men, in the still influential spirit of nationalism, wouldn't find it respectable, or, indeed, wise or efficient, to rule over a country of unwashed beggars. And so, while the rich are getting even richer, the bulk of the society is considerably well-off, an average person having more wealth than his or her peer in any of the other countries. Especially now, in the wake of the sea colonization program of colossal proportions, opportunities to improve one's standing are more numerous than ever. And precisely because of this program, in the name of strengthening the country, the elites are more willing to share their wealth and even some of the genetic engineering with the lower castes; anyone willing to risk life in the new colonies can be sure to be properly rewarded and allowed to genetically improve their children. The life of a Japanese peasant isn't bad - as long as he isn't lazy and knows his or her place.



The Haruhi Tower

The Rebirth of Haruhism

It's not surprising that such openly hierarchical society as the Japanese one is a fertile ground for organized religion. And so, the Haruhism returned to shape the society. The critical point came during the aftermath of the One Day War with Egypt. The office of the Empress Hinotebi Nekomimi came under heavy bombardment, universally blamed for the lack of foresight, that resulted in such horrible losses, and subsequently quite marginalized, reduced to little more than a bearer of tradition and an advisor; it didn't hurt the country that much, as it was being ran by the oligarchy of clans, sharing similar values and possessing a peerless cadre of specialists. Perun, once generally perceived with mistrust, in death (real or perceived) became a heroic figure. Iskandar, fully aware of his outsider status in more than one way, broke with the power games and threw himself to work, using his talents wherever they were most needed, as a fearless conqueror of the hostile depths, diplomatic envoy, mediator and many things else. His matter-of-factness about his divinity, never denying but also never gloating about it won him more support, and he started to be perceived as some sort of super-hero, working for the benefit of Japan, distanced from the politics and thus unsullied by it. And, unlike most people from the Japanese circles of power, he is not only unafraid of coming to Numantia or even Thebes, but even quite popular amongst the locals there.

However, it was Haruhi who became a real celebrity of these new times - not as a divine being, such a notion taken straight perceived as ridiculous by everyone but a handful of Haruhist Orthodox, but as a tragic superhuman who suffered for and with everyone else. Anywhere else things like her appearances in soft porn material to entertain the masses would be seen as something scornful; here, it was seen as personal sacrifice, doing the bidding of her loving but less than tender fatherly figure. A fatherly figure she loved and lost, along with so many of her spiritual children who died to Egyptian atomic bombs. A poor divine child who had to watch as the filthy British collaborators of Egypt built a thieving oil extraction operation on the radioactive ruins of Haruhipolis, the city named after her, insulting both her and the people who died there. She became a personification of the feelings of loss, anger and hope for the better tomorrow that galvanized the Japanese people after the war.

As the beating heart of the country shifted from the irradiated Kyoto to the cities of Eastern Hexagon, the spiritual centre followed it, to Sapporo, both the most populous city in Japan now, and the traditional centre of Haruhism. It was here where the first, and according to many, the most beautiful grand Haruhist Cathedral was erected in the first centuries after her birth. The city had a great symbolic value, and the Japanese needed powerful symbols now, symbols transcending the traditional faith in the military genius of Nekomimis, so badly hit with the lost war and the shameful peace treaty that came after it.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, it was Sapporo then where the Japanese decided to show the world they're not beaten yet and the future still must be theirs. The new symbol of their engineering mastery, wealth and pride, a humongous Arcology rising fifteen kilometres into the stratosphere, was called the Tower of the Divine Child, more commonly known as the Haruhi Tower.
Thus, in these new times, the Japanese morale and determination, even if being on a more fatalistic note than in the glorious days of the young Empire, is as great if not greater than ever.


The Masters of Engineering

Traditionally, and even more so during the Golden Century, it was Egypt who were the most advanced nation in engineering, their push towards this goal peaking with introduction of modern infantry armor and space planes, and finally the sea colonies, decades before anyone else. But the Japanese had been always racing closely behind, compensating their lower resources with ingenuity born of fierce competition. And as the Egyptians introduced first computer-designed materials almost fifty years before them, with the undersea cities, the gap narrowed to only a decade or so. Ironically, the first signs Japan is finally gaining an upper hand appeared after their lost war, and after they ceased to be the most economically powerful country on the planet.
The 1940s were the time when the Kyoto Exchange finally crumbled, but in the same decade, the Japanese managed to achieve a mind-boggling engineering breakthrough (only very recently being repeated as a part of Egyptian experimental undersea project of Atlantic Accelerator): harnessing the power of an undersea volcano for energy generation in the colony of Umi Onomitchi. If it wasn't enough, the Japanese also quickly overtook everyone else with the speed and the scale of their sea colonization, building up even more expertise.

In the present day, the Japanese engineering is peerless, their materials lighter and stronger, and their machines more efficient than anyone else's, allowing not only for such wonders of engineering as the Haruhi Tower, but, on a more practical level, better competing with Egypt's levels of industrial production despite lacking their endless resources, building more for less.

[Eerion]

Hinotebi looked at the city. From the top of the Tower of Haruhi, everything seemed peaceful. Mostly because of the distance, which made even the biggest transport vehicle impossible to spot. Yet she knew that today was one of few days that it was actually the case. People returned home early to celebrate the most important holiday of the year – the birthday of Haruhi. The empress turned around. It was almost eight. The time for her annual speech was almost there. Transmitted to every place in Japan.
She sat down in a designated area. Several cameras automatically rose, getting ready for transmission. She looked at the timer in front. She had more than a minute to prepare herself.

Hinotebi in her traditional Haruhism clothes.

„Good evening Japan. Merry Haruhism! I hope you are spending these days as peacefully as I do. I know not all of you were able to celebrate at home with family. Some of you are at work, maintaining the crucial systems of our cities. Some of you are patrolling our borders or station in the military bases all over Japan to ensure our safety. I am thankful for your hard work and sacrifice you make in order to keep our country safe and prospering. I wish all of you will find some warmth on this cold winter’s day. I wish you all of that, because in recent years many have forgotten that they are not alone. With the rapid development of machine and genetic changes many citizens of Japan simply forgot not only about the people around them, but also that they forge their own fate. We have made a mistake. A simple, yet crucial one. The machines that were meant to support us, made us addicted to them. Devices that were meant to bring us closer together made us forgot about others, sticking to the internet or genetically engineered beings. Ask yourself on this holy night. Is the lifestyle we slowly move towards the right path? We think too much, yet feel too little about what is really significant to us. Cleverness and fight for social status became more important than kindness and gentleness. It is wrong! More than machines we need humanity. Everyone wants to live by each other’s happiness, not misery. We want to see people smiling, not sad or expressionless, since we’re not machines. We are humans, with our own minds, reasoning and free will.
Yet not everyone prefers it this way. There are people who despise the freedom we have acquired. They are afraid of heights we can reach with our way of living. I talk about Egyptian rulers. Egyptian citizens are fed, shown only selected images and if needed, used as a cannon fodder for things some consider “greater good”. Their leaders treat them like cattle and lead like ones. They indoctrinate everyone they can to make them hate us, what leads to aggression. They are also afraid of us. They are afraid of seeing citizens of Japan free and satisfied. That’s why they will not stop until this country cease to exist or join their way of existence. They want us to be obedient to their will. But we are not their cattle! We are not their machines! We are humans! We own the power to create and change. Their people might have forgotten that, but we won’t! We have the power to forge our future. Bright and cheerful one, not the abominational Egyptian version. Egyptian rulers have freed themselves but they enslaved the people they lead. Yet as long as we fight, the liberty will never perish. Do not give yourself to the fear. Do not give yourself to these unnatural people and ideas. Remember how the conquest of Tochigi and Iwaki ended. Those few who decided to remain on their fatherland ended up slaughtered by military or hateful citizens. This is where hate leads. To absolute aggression unleashed upon innocent people!
People of Japan – The time of change has arrived! We shall build a world filled with liberty! In order to do that we must abandon the barriers that keeps you away from each other. Only this way we can build a world where science and progress leads only to all people happiness. This is why I am talking to you today. I need your help, your power and your will. Together we must create a country that shall care and protect our own ideas. A powerful Japan that Egypt hates so much. Mighty, so they will be afraid to strike at us. But in order to achieve this, a help of everyone is needed! People! In the name of Nekomimi, let us all unite!”
The screen turned black. Hinotebi was breathing heavily. The emotional speech took only few minutes, yet anyone who did it at least once knew how exhausting it can be. She walked to the nearby drawer and grabbed a glass. Made of oak it looked traditional, but it was only an illusion. Nothing was the same like years ago. Saddened by the reminiscence she put a glass in the designated area.
“On the rocks” empress spoke loudly. The machine began its work and few seconds later few cubes of ice dropped inside followed by a stream of whiskey. She grabbed the alcohol and leaned on the furniture. The clouds started slowly covering the city, as if some kind of quilt was being put on this futuristic place. Nekomimi sighed. She loved sitting on the balcony of Royal Palace in Kyoto. Yet in her new residence, the Tower of Haruhi it was impossible to do the same. Going outside fifteen kilometers above the ground is not a good idea. She could survive it, since she’s not as weak as humans, yet... it would not be pleasant for sure. Hinotebi drank everything at one go and put the glass aside. She straightened out, took off her Haruhimas clothing and dropped it on the floor. There was still much to be done this day. After putting on her military uniform, she grabbed a plastic bag lying on the table and walked outside her room.

The Tower of Haruhi not only soared high into the sky. Its foundations went underground for thousands of meters to stabilize this monstrous building. Deep enough to make a concept of crust engineering and the ultimate mines concept absolutely reasonable. This was the biggest building in the world by all means. Deep under the surface laid laboratories, where the work on the current technology was progressing. This is where Hinotebi was going. In the special supersonic capsule allowing her to travel from the bottom to the top in a little bit more than a minute.
The doors opened slowly and the safety belts unlocked automatically. Nekomimi shook her head and took a step forward. “I don’t think I’m ever going to get used to it.” She spoke to Mochizuki standing nearby.
The ninja girl smiled gently. “That was quite a speech. Unlike any other I’d say.” She spoke to the empress passing her and caught up with her step.
“I do not like where this country is heading towards. This country... there is something terribly wrong with it. Instead of nation which had a reason to live, we were slowly becoming something between Egyptian’s police state and French syndicate. No. We are not going this way.”
“The daimyo will be very angry.” Chiyome pointed out.
“I do not care about them. They consider themselves the greatest being that are, while forgetting that I can forge myself people as capable. And clone them indefinitely.”
Girl nodded. “And Egypt? Your words were... harsh.”
“Both countries are aware there shall be no more peace between us. We do not have any reason why we should be nice toward them, after... everything they have done.”
Another nod. “I noticed how careful were you shaping your words. Offensive, yet not aggressive.”
“I do not seek an active war. They alone pose a deadly threat to us and while allied to Celts they surpass us greatly on any field possible. This is why we must make everyone work harder. We must become competitive again. Only this way we should be able stand a chance against their union. Hopefully, as it may be nothing more than an empty wish of mine. Still we have to try. We colonized the seas unlike anyone else. This is our only chance. Still this is not the reason of my visit here. Where is... it?”
“We shall reach the chamber soon.”
“Good. Tell me what you have figured out.”

“Basically, this is neither a human being nor a clone.” A scientist described a situation to three girls sitting in the room. “Just as if someone created a mechanical doll and covered it with skin. It resembles a popular concept of a cyborg from scifi books, with few differences. Firstly it perfectly resembles the human both from the outside and inside. It even has a proper digestion system. Still, as under the skin you can spot a metal, it is perfectly same on the inside. We destroyed a part of stomach only to find the same structure inside.”
“How thick it is?” Haruhi, sitting on a nearby chair, asked.
“This is the biggest problem. The surface looks similar to titanium, however we are not capable of piercing through it. Piercing! I cannot put a scratch on it with any tool or weapon we have here. It’s not something we are capable of creating.”
Everyone went silent.
“There is one more thing.” Scientist decided to pick up the topic “The cyborgs in books and movies have option to recharge their power. It’s either a changeable battery or some kind of socket to access the internal one. This one has neither. It’s not running on nuclear power, as it creates no radiation. We are clueless in this case as well.”
“Thank you.” Hinotebi answered slowly. “I have heard everything I need. You can leave for now.”
The man looked at the Empress and then at the cyborg-like creature. “Yes ma’am” he answered and walked around.
“So you’re saying it was mined from deep within the volcano of Umi Ube, right? How does the container looked like?” Nekomimi asked.
“It was something between emergency capsule and master’s one. Yet this... being is neither a master nor a servant. Unless there is a way to create a mechanical servants. Such technology is completely out of our reach.” Chiyome answered.
“I don’t think so. I just think it’s an extremely advanced technology. Maybe from the past. The previous games I mean. Or... it is from the outside.” Haruhi spoke, rejecting the idea. “The area where it was found was perfectly mundane, right?”
Ninja nodded.
“It denies every case of master we have encountered so far.” Suzumiya continued. “There would be no reason to bury a servant. What for? To be captured by enemy?” She stopped for a moment. Other girls nodded in agreement. “This leave us with only one question. Why would anyone bury this machine here. Or actually two questions. Because it’s good to figure out how to turn it on if it’s possible. Either to do it, or to ensure it never happens. It can pose a threat as great as any other. A wild, indestructible berserk awakened in our capitol? No. It is not a good idea.”
“So you say we should send it first to remote area, like Tokyo and then try to awaken it?”
“Exactly. Get it to a remote area. To a place where its destruction potential would be irrelevant.”
Hinotebi looked at the naked body on the table. It looked like a girl, with unnaturally long, blue hair. Almost as long as the machine itself it gave a somewhat metallic reflection. Her observation was interrupted by the call on the Chiyome’s mobile. A special line, which is used only for the top priority information was the only one reaching so deep underground.
“Mochizuki here.” Girl answered. Remaining silent for more than a minute she looked into the eyes of Empress. “I will call you within minutes. Be on standby and update me if anything happens.”
“Another one was found.” She spoke, while putting away the mobile phone. “Again in Umi Ube. Identical capsule as the last one.”
“I want it recovered as quickly as possible. Haruhi, go with Chiyome and escort the transport.”
Suzumiya stood up, looking at the empress all the time. “You want to do something extremely stupid, don’t you?”
Hinotebi looked at the plastic bag she put on a table upon arrival, but did not answer.
“You know I cannot stop you. Let’s just hope this won’t be the worst mistake in your life.” Suzumiya added.
“It cannot be worse than Persia.” Empress answered bitterly. Both women turned away and walked away.
Nekomimi slowly walked to the bag. “It cannot.” She muttered to herself. She picked up the golden apple from inside. “You left me some, so I could use them in time on need father. Is it one of them? Or will it be a complete waste?”
She stood over the mechanical body and looked at the left hand of the cyborg. The skin was torn apart. The towel under it was covered by blood. It looked perfectly normal if not the shiny metallic surface. Hinotebi took a deep breath. Shattering the apple in her hand, she pushed all the unleashed energy into open mouth of a cyborg. Nothing happened for a few moments and empress began to wonder if the energy is not going to exit through the other side, when the machine suddenly opened its eyes. They were as blue as the hair and were shining.

[Max_Smirnov]

The Eight

A Celtic trireme was making its way across the blue expanse of the sea, the scorching sun making the crowd of half-naked, shackled and sweaty rowers even more sweaty. The paddles were creaking, and the slave-driver was surveying his charges with a bored expression. The camera followed the stairs up, onto a strikingly different deck, rich with of gold, silk and half-naked slave girls, surrounding fat and bored patricians. Only one figure was fully dressed, a woman in a black, spiky suit of armor. Eating from a plate of grapes, she was expressionlessly watching an Indian girl being tied to a mast and flogged.

"Seriously," said Cleopatra, entering the longue. "Watching movies about yourself? It's like masturbation."

Arturia winced, grabbing a remote and shutting the set down. "There's nothing on the TV."

"Nothing at all? There is more than four hundred channels across the globe, dear," answered her mistress, activating the commset, situated in the opposite corner. Arturia looked past her shoulder, onto the screen, and saw some military officer, flanked by a pair of JENs, genetically engineered supersoldiers, the newest form of genetic horror in a female form that was supposed to replace the traditional clones in frontline duties. The British, who supplied the technology to make JEN development possible were happy with undersea expertise they received in return and asked no questions. "You look really bored. Maybe I should start a small war or two to keep you entertained?"

Arturia winced even harder, struggling to keep calm. "I was watching a program about quasars, but then it ended, and the rest of Egyptian TV is mostly happy agitprop songs and irrelevant economy news. The Japanese is almost as bad, with nothing but boring traditional music, retarded celebrity shows and weird porn. The French are making the best movies but there was this historical drama on the Numantia Four, and this actress playing myself is pretty good... Hey, is this the guy who supervises the railgun implementation?"

"Yes, he scored another failure, the hand-held versions are still either unsafe or good only for a couple of shots. And not better than firearms of similar weight. Despite all the recent progress, we lack power cells of required density and heat efficiency. Maybe I should favor him, though..." she wondered. "The guy who develops laser rifles has gathered a lot acclaim recently, maybe if he hates the railgun guy more, he'll work his scientists harder..."

"I don't quite understand this. You're not a person to be excited about all these military novelties, yet the 1976-1985 ten-year plan puts enormous resources into expanding our already bloated power grid, adding fifty nuclear power plants alone while the current ones are working at barely seventy percent of capability, not even mentioning the doubling of geothermal power generation. It's like you wanted to put a fuel-cell recharge station in every last village and a lascannon behind every bush. And we're not even planning to rearm our tanks, airplanes and ships with railguns yet. "

"Well maybe I just don't want power shortages in the future. The oil is running out, and we're rather shutting down coal-fired plants than adding new ones. Maybe you liked the toxin-filled skies of the Egypt of old, but my people didn't."

"Your people, right. I'm not sure we went the right way, Cleo. I understand the need of safety, but... what are you planning to do, change everyone's life into a sweet hell, don't think, don't live fully, just linger while being supported by the state, listening to happy music and knowing little about the outside world. You even ordered to cut us off the global network, up to and including launching a web of jamming satellites, and create our own internet..."

"...Which serves educational, scientific and communication purposes instead of being a cesspool of porn and retardation. This is just a transitory phase. We strive to create a peaceful society of equal chances, thus a society inherently weak; if the truth needs to be sacrificed to protect it, truth be damned. I told you long ago, before it gets better, it has to get worse. The Japanese represent a system of masters and slaves, immortal in its structure and absolutely incompatible with ours. In the future, we will create a society more free, more wealthy, more conscious, better even than the British one you like so much. With no illness, no starvation, no hypocrisy, no injustice. What is their plan for the future? News of what Hinotebi ate for breakfast, forever and ever. Their cherished society, their cities, their works, pure and beautiful like a perfect diamond. Thankfully I hate everything that's pure and beautiful. Except you, of course."

"Oh f*ck you," said Arturia, wincing really hard now. She didn't feel either. "Speaking of hatred, I've been to the Purple Labs. What are you planning to achieve with keeping Azuria there? It's been several years already and let's face it, you won't make her your obedient subordinate, her willpower is beyond any other person's I know. And she's hopelessly, utterly insane. These... treatments she receives do not seem to serve any purpose either."



"Oh, Azuria, the creature most foul and evil," smiled Cleo.

"No, I'm serious. You're just needlessly tormenting her. We should just put her out of her misery."

"Arturia the knight, ever so willing to perform a mercy killing or two! Are you suggesting me to murder my own sister? So... ruthless..." She winked, her voice sensual now.

"Just stop messing with me already, all right?" retorted the blonde, feeling being struck at a weak spot again.

"My dear Arturia. Either in war or in love, I always go straight for the jugulars."

---

Back in her own study, alone, Arturia was finally able to calm down, with some help of her chocolate candies. Cleopatra, disgusting and enticing in equal measures. And no matter how much time passed, always mysterious. Long ago, the knight decided to solve that mystery, a mystery undoubtedly linked to the very mystery of this world Arturia happened to be born on.

Cleopatra never ordered that expedition to the depths of the Jamaican trench, like she purposefully avoided asking questions about the Cataclysm. Yet now it wasn't an issue. A modern Scout Sub with improved engines and fuel source, the newest model that appeared a couple of years ago, made such an expedition an easy thing to do. With the liquid breathing equipment, it was no longer necessary for a submarine to be sealed against the pressure of the extreme depth. The pressure inside pilot's body being equal to the pressure of the outside, a tightsuit to insulate against the cold was all the protection needed.

And indeed, the trip had been worthwhile. An immense, geologically large but definitely artificial structure was sitting there, a few miles beneath the crack in Earth's crust. Still beyond reach, not without building an excavation the size of Atlantic Accelerator there, but still, on the very bottom of a cave she explored, some hints could be found. A caved in chamber with mysterious and obviously broken machinery. And a set of stone tablets, too huge to be moved, but copying them was simple enough, as their only message was a set of simplified pictures, now remade in a deck of cards she was holding. Eight cards. The meaning of the number was beyond obvious.

Then there was a question of understanding their meaning. Arturia's memories returned to her meeting with a person whom her intuition pointed her towards...

---

Despite the day and age, the small jungle island was still impossible to find for the uninvited, forever hidden in mists that confused even the best technology. But the Masters knew exactly where it was, and so did she, by extension. The humid heat was a much bigger problem, especially when wearing a replica of her ancient black armor.

The gorgeous woman who greeted her in front of the hut was as huge as a JEN, but she most certainly wasn't one, and not only because of her vivid face, healthy skin hue and long, blonde hair. The person who lived here was the last one who would create something like a vat-grown supersoldier. With some surprise though Arturia noticed her pointed ears.

"Hey, you, bad case of fashion," said the stranger, putting hands on her hips. "I don't know who you are and how you've gotten here, but if you seek his wisdom, ritualistic body paint is the only respectable choice of clothing. In your case, it'd be a sensible change too, as you're on a quick route towards being cooked alive." Of course, the large woman herself was fully adhering to said custom.

"It's not a disrespect I seek," said Arturia, removing her visor. " I simply do not wish to hide my true appearance. I am a killer, not a pilgrim. Nor a desperate virgin."

The woman barely flinched when she recognized her. "Ha, and you claim knowledge of such things just because you are who you are? Your true appearance is blood, not this fancy metal shell. Or maybe you're not seeking knowledge, but killing?"

---

Her body was only covered with bloodied symbols, symbols of death and destruction, but it somehow mattered little in this smoke-filled hut, a hallucination-inducing place, dark and filled with strange noises of the jungle. The stocky, sitting figure of long-haired, dark-skinned man was barely visible. Maybe indeed it was her most true form of all, just her body and the markings of her trade, with no added appearances of the civilization. After all, the war never changes.

She waited patiently till the man spoke. It took him all of the afternoon and the sun was already gone when he opened his mouth.



"We don't have much to discuss. You want to conquer the outer space. I seek to explore the inner space."

"I am sorry for your people. In a way, it was our fault they are almost extinct now."

"They chose to invite the wrath of nature. It had to happen."

"The nature? Oh come on, this is rid..."

"The universe, if you will. They chose to join the civilization. A civilization is an action, and the universe inevitably reacts to this action. If no civilization had been built, then it wouldn't have happened to anyone."

"Living in the wild? Being a Master, an Immortal, that's easy to say! Living in the wild is being helpless, being prey. Civilization builds and protects."

"And invites greater dangers, against which it must protect again, in an endless cycle. Unspeakable violence is inflicted on every turn, and the gain is never solid, it has to go yet another turn. The war never changes, these are your thoughts. They are true. The only way out is no war at all. No Master at all. Even more so here. What are you fighting for? To win? In a battle royale, the only winning move is not to play, as the prize is always as sour as the game."

Arturia shifted, not knowing what to say.

"You don't want to accept this truth. So be it. You came to learn about the nature of the Masters. I will indulge you. You carry eight images in your head. Open your mind and I will help you find the meaning behind them. In reality, there is nothing new to learn; all the answers are already within you, they're parts of who you are."

Arturia nodded and relaxed, closing her eyes... and then, the message became clear. Eight Masters. Eight types of Masters. Eight types of warriors and eight philosophies, pitted against each other. She seemed to heard an old, creaking voice, reading aloud, maybe it was Merlin reading to her when she was merely a girl...

1.The Knight.
Also known as the Guardian, the Protector, the Defender. He fights because it is his duty. He wants to protect, support, save. To help the helpless and defend the defenseless. His virtues are honor, valor and love; but each of those can cause his downfall. He lives in a granite castle. His weapon is a sword which exacts justice. In a war, he seeks a contest of strength. His soldiers are perfectly trained and dutiful.

2.The Rebel.
Also known as the Bandit, the Freedom Fighter, the Liberator. He fights because he has a dream, therefore he fights for he has no choice. He wants to liberate the oppressed and free the enslaved, starting with himself. He believes in independence. He is gifted by extraordinary luck and cursed by it, as his luck is going to leave him sooner or later. He lives in the woods. His weapon is a spear which pierces the appearances. In a war, he is swift and unburdened. His soldiers fight because they personally believe in his cause.

3.The Prince.
Also known as the Archer, the Star, the Idol. He fights because he desires adulation. He wants to be the greatest of all. He is torn between self love and self doubt. He is gifted with extraordinary perception, but he can never see himself. He lives in a golden palace. His weapon is a bow which brings inescapable death from afar. In a war, he seeks to gain a decisive advantage first. His soldiers are his willing slaves.

4. The Mage.
Also known as the Seeker, the Inquirer, the Schemer. He fights to advance his personal enlightenment. He seeks the truth, the sense, the final underlying principle. He desires to master the reality. He has the keenest understanding of the minute, which sometimes makes him blind to the obvious. He lives in an ivory tower. His weapon is a staff which bears the lantern of inquiry. In a war, he makes very intricate plans. His soldiers fight because he makes sure they believe it's the best thing to do.

5.The Priest.
Also known as the True Believer, the Necromancer, the Fanatic. He fights because of his unshakeable faith in what he perceives as absolute truth. He is secretive. He is never afraid for he stares directly into the Sun, but those who do so cannot see the road they're treading. He lives in a humble cell. His weapon is a hammer which smashes the heretic. In a war, he will sooner die a thousand times than betray his faith. His soldiers do not care for their personal survival and follow his orders to the letter.

6.The Charioteer.
He fights for he is driven with unquenchable ambition. He wants to lead the way, to achieve unachievable. This ambition seduces people to follow him, but also tramples them beneath its wheels. The unachievable objective is likely be the doom of him and his followers. He lives in a traveler's tent. His weapon is bound to a chain which brings him closer to his target. In a war, he charges headlong into the thickest fighting, never looking back. His soldiers believe nothing is impossible with him in command.

7.The Berserker.
He needs no reason to fight beyond the joy of fighting and winning itself. He cannot be reasoned with. He lives on a mountain. His weapons are his bare hands which he uses to tear apart his enemies. In a war, he is unpredictable. His soldiers are ruthless and bloodthirsty.

8.The Assassin.
He fights to survive. He seeks refuge and the end to suffering. He desires life but cannot recognize it, as he knows only death. He is a master of deception, to the point he cannot find himself. He lives in a dark cave. His weapon is a dagger which strikes at the throat. In a war, he lays traps and attacks when least expected. His soldiers are fearless as they're already dead.

"Which one you are?" she asked, when the visions have passed.

"I am no Master. One of the symbols was broken. I have transcended the role they prepared for me."

"The... Knight?"

"No. My role was supposed to be a Mage. And I've never destroyed anyone."

"But the Mage is unbroken... and there are eight Masters still, not six."

"Two others have found a way inside. One in my place. One across the body of a person of which you're a shadow."

Arturia shook her head. "No. Not a shadow. Maybe I was a shadow, once. But now I am my own character."

---

In her study, the blonde Knight took up the cards again. If she wanted to understand Cleopatra, she had to find out whom she was. And at first it looked hopeless, as none - or all - seemed to fit. She pursued the elimination method then, but it wasn't easy, as one type had a double.

"Merlin was obviously a Mage... That much is certain. He had be the one who killed that Knight too... that would explain his tutelage over myself... But what about the others...? A dagger that strikes at the throat..."

[Eerion]

“Why don’t you marry one of them?” Empress asked.
“Excuse me?” Iskandar looked at her as if he wasn’t sure if he has heard the question properly.
“You can take one of the girls as wife. This way we can... – The woman was searching for a proper word – introduce them to the world without creating too much suspicion.”
“Are you out of your mind?”
“Why?” A nasty smile appeared on Hinotebi’s face. “They work as intended down there if that’s what you’re asking about.
“Don’t tell me you tested it personally?” He asked, but her smile gave him an answer. He covered his face with his palm. “Whatever. It’s not what I’m worried about.”
“Then what? Don’t you want to end these jokes with you and cats?” Nekomimi sat on the table and crossed her legs.
“It’s true that they have agreed to work with us. Still we haven’t learned much. They hide their identity, creators, everything. What’s worse they did not pledge loyalty to you. What if they change sides? If they betray us?”
“It’s very unlike you to worry about such things, Alexander.” She pouted with disappointment.
“You know why well enough girl!” He stood up. “If that’s all you have to tell me then I’m off. And about cats... I don’t think I shall ever visit UN forums again. After that assassination attempt...”
“We cannot trust Britain anymore, right? Well whatever. You are going to take the girls with you. We have to flip the coin of theirs. Keeping them hidden and restrained is more dangerous than making them work for us.”
“When?”
“Eventually, my dear Iskandar. Eventually.”

“What are you thinking about?” A cyborg called Luca asked him.
“Just reminding something.” Alexander answered without looking at her. “A conversation I had few years ago.”
“Ahh...” The girl pouted her lips, as if disappointed that he did not tell her anything more. But he avoided her gaze. She looked innocent. So innocent, that the military uniform looked on her like some kind of a misunderstanding. But he knew what she is capable of. He was well aware that soon she’s going to begin a bloody slaughter unachievable for normal human beings. Or even him. He could not ignore bullets like these two girls. For them it was nothing. Torn apart skin could be easily replaced thanks to cloning technology, so they had absolutely no reason to care about anything.

“Attention soldiers.” The pilot spoke through the speakers. “We are changing course. Our new target is Himeji. I repeat. Our new target is Himeji.”
“What does it mean?” Luka asked again?
“Our marine transport had to be shot down.” He answered sadly while biting his lip.
“Is it bad?”
“SNAFU”
“What?” She stomped with her feet to display a dissatisfaction.
“Situation Normal – All ****ed Up. This is war girl. Get used to change of plans.”

Himeji. Long time ago it was Iskandar’s favourite city. Rich and mighty. A good base camp for visiting Egypt and Brittania, which were still friendly back then. But it was a thing of the past. He was happy that they changed its name after the conquest. He saw it few times during his flights to the UN meetings. Seeing the fumes coming out from communist factories build in the place of old monuments made him really sad. All the beauty of this city was destroyed in order to equalize. The forsaken communist idea he never could comprehend.

“We are entering the point zero. Prepare to jump.” The voice came through the speakers again. Iskandar stood up slowly and opened the doors. The light was still red but he wanted to see the city for the last time. The nuclear cloud was slowly disappearing revealing the remains of what used to be a 30 million metropolis. Buildings and fortifications were molten almost to the ground. They were equalized.

“Egyptians gave us quite a present with these executions.” Haruhi laughed loudly. “Now we can nuke these cities and not a single Japanese is going to die.”
“The people are still going to complain. We are going to do exactly what happened to us decades earlier. No. They are not going to be satisfied with that.” Iskandar objected. He knew well enough how people react to nuclear war. Even if it’s justified.
“If you don’t do anything, they are going to complain. If you attack, they are going to complain. No matter what we are going to do, some people will complain. It does not matter.” Hinotebi answered. “What’s the funniest, we only enforce the Egyptian concept. They want to have a buffer zone between Egypt and Japan? We will give it to them. But unlike them, we are going to do this properly.”

“What are you waiting for? Jump!” Luca’s shouted behind him. Alexander looked at the light. It was green.
“One day these reminiscences are going to kill me. I’m getting old and sentimental” he muttered when jumping. Other units started deploying earlier. Single enemy anti air defences, that somehow survived the nuclear blast started sending the deadly chains of light at paratroopers. Not enough to even pose a proper threat to the assaulting force. It was a desperate and brave, but a futile measure. Luka passed him by, carrying a heavy minigun. The weight of her body combined with unusual weapon was making her fall faster than anyone. Still he knew it’s not going to damage her body. They did some excessive tests in labolatory when it comes to that.
The second minigun begun shooting back far away on his right. Second cyborg, named Miku jumped without parachute and opened fire mid air. This girl was going berserk when fighting. A complete madness that cost lives of more than thirty Japanese during the tests in Tower of Haruhi. And now this insanity was being unleashed onto remaining Egyptian forces.
“Good luck.” Iskandar thought. “It seems it’s going to end before I even touch the ground.”




“We are ready to attack Ma’am.” An officer saluted to Haruhi.
“Good. Get on your position!” She answered coldly. Suzumiya looked at the TV screen in the corner, as the soldier walked away. Hinotebi was giving a speech. About the danger that Egyptian army poses on the border. How Japan cannot live in constant fear of another nuclear attack. About all the harm these betrayers dealt to them. About three hundred millions slaughtered without mercy. About the executions in Himeji and Iwaki. And about revenge. The long awaited one.
Haruhi stopped listening. She does not need to be convinced. What’s more, there was a job to be done.
“All units. Formation gamma. Proceed with caution until air support reaches you.”
She looked at the map. The fleet might not be the biggest one around, but with swift strike the difference should be negated. Moreover she has received air support from capitol, so there was a chance to completely obliterate enemy sea defences if she played it properly. The land ones... nukes were on the way so she was not worrying about this one.
“This is Sapporo. Haruhi, do you copy?” A Chiyome’s voice interrupted her planning.
“Loud and clear. Haruhi’s here. What’s up?”
“You must change the course of your space planes. We are unsure how, but enemy orbital defences are capable of spotting and shooting them down. According to the data I have I’m giving you new coordinates for them. First 1-3-0 until they catch up to second destroyer fleet. Then 4-2-3 for next one hundred miles and from that point go straight for the target. Do you understand?”
“Wilco.” Suzumiya answered shortly. “Sending new directions to the unit.”
“Roger. I wish you luck. Over and out.” Mochizuki ended the conversation.
Haruhi opened the mouth, wanting to ask about the second operation, but she gave up on that idea. Additional distractions are not a good thing right now. There was a very delicate plan to execute and she had to make sure everything works out properly.




The operation was successful. The remaining Egyptian forces were slaughtered and the city now officially ceased to exist.
“What are you looking for?” Miku asked.
“For...” Iskandar turned away and stopped mid sentence. A cold shiver went down his spine. All the skin on a girl was completely torn off revealing the metallic body. Covered in blood and soot, she looked like avatar of death. Fortunately she has regained her senses already what meant the fight in her area ended quite a while ago. “I’m looking for a place where we can land an evacuation plane. We are done here. Time to move on.”
“Where to?” She smiled, asking. On this unnatural robotic face of her, with blood all over it looked terrifying. Like a madman.
“Where we are needed.” He suppressed his feelings. There was no point in being afraid. She was on his side. At least for now. “Find Luca and bring her to me. We are leaving as soon as possible.”
“Yees!” The robot answered with a very cheerful girly voice. It was the last thing that suited to this machine of death.
“They are a message.” Alexander thought, while watching the running cyborg. “A simple “You are not prepared” from someone. But is that person an enemy or ally? And are we the receiver of a message or did we unintentionally intercepted it? Too many unanswered questions.” He turned around and started looking for the landing area. There was much more to be done.

[Max_Smirnov]

Red Army Central Command Nexus, Himalaya, 0330 TMT (Theban Mean Time), 26th of August, 1979

General Abu "Tiger" Moffat, the chief commander of the strategic defense of the Union, stormed inside the war room, his uniform jacket unbuttoned, his hair wild. It was obvious he was abruptly woken up just a few minutes ago.

"What the hell is going on?" he demanded, to no one in particular, as most of the officers were still missing at this late hour. He was answered by one of the clones that manned the tactical consoles instead. The chair swiveled and the white-haired Chief Lieutenant spoke:

"Massive number of contacts on our radars, sir. At least two thousands fast-movers, incoming from the Japanese mainland on three major approaches: Quban nexus, D'Jalandhar and Iwaki. Similar situation in Russia, over a thousand contacts moving to engage our naval and land targets."

"Well f*ck," the General gritted his teeth. "Proceed with defense plan Alpha..." for whatever good it's going to do, he added in his thoughts. There were simply too many airplanes for the defenders to stand a chance. "Immediately notify all the airforce commanders, including the Northern Theatre. Tell them to scramble everything they've got! Defcon 1 is declared."

He looked at the main display once again. It didn't look good, to say the least, but since he had assumed this post, he frankly expected nothing else when this day is finally going to come. He was only angry that this happened just after the general staff finally agreed to air defense upgrades he was asking for years... but before those upgrades actually arrived.

He grabbed the receiver of the Red Phone. "It has started. The second nuclear war."



0440 TMT

"The whole first line of defense ceased to exist," the clone lieutenant was reporting in an emotionless voice. "Multiple nuclear detonations at cities of Kazan, Naquada, Quban, D'Jalanhar and Iwaki. We've also already lost several destroyer groups on the Adriatic Sea. Enemy Space Planes were detected in the second wave. The satellite grid downed a few hundreds, after the tip of the assault was caught in their crossfire, but most made it through and from what we can make out from garbled transmissions, deployed troops in the nuked areas."

"F*cking Japs, sending the airborne in to finish the job. We'll see what are you going to do when we'll drop five thousand interceptors on your sorry asses."

"Wait, General! One of their air groups... Some of the obsolete fighter-bombers that were used as decoys. They've breached the second defense line and are proceeding towards Bharuch!"

The General looked at the tactical map. Hordes of interceptors and SAM batteries of the second line were engaging the old jetfighters, but to no avail. Nothing should have survived so much firepower directed at it, but the Japanese group was stubbornly proceeding towards its target.

"Just fifteen minutes more..." muttered the General, observing endless waves of Egyptian interceptors supercruising towards the battle from the north. But he already knew they won't make it in time. "What the f*uck is wrong with these defenses! On simulations they were at least four times more effective!"

"The SAM batteries are reporting high rates of misfires and severe difficulties in cutting through the enemy jamming."

"That's what happens when you neglect upgrading the equipment for two decades..."

"Bharuch's air defense grid compromised. Nuclear strikes detected," reported the clone.



Union's Government Compound, Thebes, 2315 TMT

Arturia looked really pissed off when she was reading the report; in part it had to be caused by the light manner in which Cleopatra was taking the whole situation.

"The air and sea battles over Russia and Persia are mostly concluded. We've lost about five hundred additional airplanes, and a few groups of Destroyers and Scout Subs. In turn, the Japanese force was decimated. We have downed almost two thousands of their jets and two entire wings of stealth bombers. Their screening fleet took a beating too, their losses in destroyers and submarines roughly equal to ours, but we've also sunk one Aegis Cruiser group and one of their aircraft carriers. However... The nuclear strikes inflicted over eighty million civilian and over half a million military casualties," she added with a heavy voice.

"They were just paying us back, weren't they..." smiled Cleopatra.

"They have also deployed four airborne divisions onto the nuked areas. The bastards were given orders to slaughter any survivors. We have wiped them out, but not before they managed to carry out their task," continued Arturia, her voice slowly becoming more and more angry.

Cleopatra shrugged. "Mercy is a privilege of the strong."

"It is more than just that! Using a weapon, even a nuclear one, against an enemy is one thing; purposefully slaughtering the wounded and the surrendering is just barbarism!"

The dark-haired beauty just smirked. "Well, maybe that is so. Still there is another bit you might be interested in. My sources told me that Iskandar himself took part in the extermination of D'Jalanhar."

"What? Him?" Arturia blinked in disbelief.

"Why would I lie to you. Maybe he finds such endeavors fun."

"I never liked him, but I had no idea he is such a... little, petty bastard. I will kill him with my own hands." She struck the inside of her palm with her fist, then squinted at Cleopatra dangerously. "Why haven't you ordered a full-scale retaliation yet? We have enough nuclear warheads to turn half of their mainland into molten slag."

Cleopatra suddenly laughed. "Retaliate against what? That puny attempt? Please."

Arturia could just look at her with a shocked expression, stricken completely mute. The ancient queen chuckled for a while more, then covered her mouth and waved her other hand.

"All in due time, darling," she finally said, her face and voice serious again. "All in due time. I have already talked to Ifurita, and she wasn't very happy... The Japanese are in for a few nasty surprises. This will have to quench your blood thirst. For now."

[Eerion]

The fire was slowly eating the wood in proper, traditional fireplace. A private request from the Empress could not be ignored, even if constructing such a thing at the top of Tower of Haruhi was extremely difficult. Yet engineers succeeded and thanks to that Hinotebi could relax and silently watch the flickering flames. She stretched her hands towards the fire. It was hot, as it should be. However, for any other citizen using the modern blue fireplace’s that would be quite a surprise.
“It’s not the same.” Hinotebi muttered disappointed. The warmth did not feel the same without the frozen halls of Kyoto palace. To truly appreciate the blessing of fire ones first must feel the penetrating cold. Nowadays, with houses perfectly protected from the weather outside, with air filtering and conditioning nobody needed the fire anymore. It was forgotten.

Someone knocked on the open doors “Am I interrupting you?” Iskandar asked. His silhouette was barely visible, as all lights were off. Fire was the only source of it.
“No.” She answered after a while. “What do you need?”
“Knowledge.”
She looked at him, unsure what kind of knowledge he sought. Alexander stood there, awaiting the answer, but Empress looked back at the fire.
“I want to know how all of this ended the way it is now.” He added.
“It is very unlike you. You have never shown even a slight interest in the past.”
“I am still not interested. But I made a promise and if I have to fulfill it I need to learn more about this world. In the times like these... it’s necessary.”
Hinotebi did not answer. She knew who did he promise something to. Perun. The used to lock themselves away from others and talk for long hours about topics unknown even to her. Every time when they left the face of Iskandar looked serious, what back then was something completely out of place. This man smiled whenever possible, even if others cried. Now his smile was shown only to the public. He only wore it. Something changed him. Like a poison can take the life out of health man, something took his cheerfulness, which he spread around like a plague. Was it a nuclear war? A promise he made to Perun? Something else or all of it combined? Whatever it was it left a shell of Iskandar and as in the past his eternal smile could make her furious sometimes, she missed it now. In this sad world smiles were becoming more and more necessary, yet all that was being spread around was hate and nuclear radiation.
“Sit down.” She broke the silence, while throwing a new trunk into the fire. “It’s going to be a long chat.”

“At the very beginning... you know how it’s like. You have seen it yourself, unlike me. Yet I have heard everything felt so huge. Villages were months away from each other, very often separated by tundra and glacier what made trade almost impossible. Yet our people, generation after generation have slowly conquered this unforgiving land. At that time we began making contact with other civilisations. Persians, Romans, Egyptians, French, Celts, Indians and Russians. When it happened, most of the local tribes were already absorbed into greater nations, with very few exceptions.”
“I want to know about nations. Their leaders and what made them act the way they did.” Iskandar interrupted her calmly. “Books do not give me a reasonable answer. Propaganda is a good thing, unless you seek the truth.”
“So that’s what you want to know? Bring me something to drink then. I won’t do all the speaking with dry mouth.”

“Romans... this nation was more than peaceful. I’ve heard that first Hanekawa called them sheeps. Firstly they were conquested by our culture. Their laidback lifestyle made their own one very fragile, and with the technological advance we had it was just a matter of time before they adjusted to the “more convenient” one. Later they were partially conquered by Russians who sought natural resources and found them in northern Italy. Much later they were conquered by French. This was the only time they actually tried to resist, yet it was already too late. They never sought anything, never wanted to settle any lands except Italia or conquer anything so they ended being conquered. The fate of their leader, known as X is uncertain, as no one has ever seen him. Most likely he died during the siege of Rome. That’s all I can tell about them. We hoped to forge a proper alliance with them, but due to their lack of power they quickly became insignificant and ended up under our protectorate.” Hinotebi took a sip and thrown another trunk into the fireplace.
“Persians shared the same fate. They were neighbours to Indians, who were one of the most powerful back then. They tried to fight back, yet with bad results. Eventually they were conquered by us, and it was Hanekawa herself who ended the life of Persian master. Persia itself was a very unlucky terrain for us. The first war with Egypt started because of it. I’ll start from the beginning, yet first you need to refill my glass. Somehow it’s empty again.”
“Somehow.” Iskandar nodded calmly standing up. He picked up the chilled bottle of whiskey from the fridge hidden in the oak furniture and refilled the glass.
“Thank you. Egyptians were people with incredibly good and bad luck at the same time. Their country was very small back then and with Celts and French as very close neighbours they had no area to settle. Because of that they honed their seafaring skills. They created a colossus, a wonder turning Egypt into the naval powerhouse. With best maps taken from every corner of the world, they started traveling around the world seeking new places to inhabit. Still they lived in fear of neighbours, much more powerful back then. If allied they could conquer Egypt in several years and this is what Cleopatra was afraid of. It was back then when we offered to be a “fear factor” for them, as we were slowly becoming one of the most powerful nations in the world due to our unmatched colonisation skills. Yet these fears turned out to be unjustified, and after the northern Asia became inhabited by Egyptians, they saw a threat in us. Acting as allies, they offered us protection from Russian fleets venturing onto our waters from time to time in exchange for halt on plans that would overthrow their naval supremacy. Weeks later they backstabbed us when we sent an expedition to Persia. After that they sank several of our trade and fishing boats, but that was all. Our second expedition has conquested Ectabana, which became known as Tochigi in later years. After many years, after our army progressed through the plains of Persia, they attacked us again, just weeks after the fall of Persis. Years later we have built Tosa in this area, so you should know where it was. Back then our forces, tired after the siege of the city were taken by surprise and completely wiped out. It slowed down our march toward Persian capitol greatly, but eventually we have succeeded. The Egyptians withdrew from Persia and we have created a border in Himalayas, which was maintained until the nuclear day. Many years later Egyptians, unbothered by anyone invaded Russia, which pushed them from the average to the top of the world. They became a powerhouse in every possible aspect, yet we were not able to interfere due to war with India and others did not bother. We are paying the price for this since these times. When we managed to close the gap between our two nations, they attacked us with nuclear warheads. Yes. Since the dawn of time they behaved like that. Whenever they saw a threat in anything, they attacked it. The economy and city planning of Egypt was very good on short and middle distance, still it lacked on a long one, as opposed to us. They made up this difference with cowardly and treacherous, yet successful tactics. Is it everything about them? Yes. I think so. But my glass is empty again Iskandar.”
A small ritual was performed again, and Hinotebi, satisfied took another sip of whiskey.
“Indians... They were a crazy nation. Gandhi was literally building a throne made of skulls of his enemies. He fought anyone he could, be it a small tribe or a nation and no diplomacy was useful until his war with Britain and Egypt. It was when he became slightly more reasonable and began trading with us for a short time until we have decided to put an end to his country. His unreasonable aggression towards any living being made him an enemy of the world, especially of Celts, who sought greater power and saw the opportunity within the lands of India. In the end it was me and Perun who put an end to Gandhi’s life. It was the short discussion with him that ensured Perun about the greater game that is going around and made him plan beyond what was going on around. But Indians... our problem with them was that majority of their cities on our border were actually a mountain fortresses so it took a lot of firepower to capture them. This was also the reason why we were not able to interrupt the Egyptian invasion on Russia. The war in Himalayas cost us a lot. Way too much to be honest.
About Russians... they were a very unusual nation to be honest. Their growth during the ancient times was beyond anyone’s imagination. They were building wonders as they saw fit and their distance from any other country kept them safe for long time. Still it all ended after, for one reason or another, they established a forbidden city. They shut down their borders and their superior technology suddenly became a thing of the past. They conquered a little bit of Italy and did some skirmish on our and Egyptian waters but that was it. Suddenly the greatest country in the world acted as if it disappeared entirely. Still, hundreds of years later, under the leadership of Stalin, they began their march toward greatness again. Their technology development once again became greater than many countries combined and quickly surpassed our technology which forced everyone to send spies to Russia in order to steal their technology. It was the moment, when Egypt attacked them and started capturing city after city with ease thanks to the fact that huge part of Russian army was still underdeveloped. They had some top-notch units, yet due to the sudden advancement they did not manage to upgrade everything. Eventually they were conquested and Russia became nothing more, but a part of Egypt. During these times our relations with Egypt became warmer and at the end of the war we have captured three Russian cities. All citizens were enforced into military and brought back to protect eastern colonies. Back then they greatly preferred being under our rule then of the one of their nemesis. And... this is the end of the Russian chapter, as well as the end of the whiskey in my glass. I need a refill.”

“French... they have always been their own worst enemy. A steady, rather peaceful country in the north, surrounded by imposed allies and nothing to conquer.”
“Imposed allies?” Iskandar looked surprised. “Explain this please.”
“For a long period of time, Celts, Egyptians and French had somewhat similar level of power. Of course there were differences in things like science and such, yet when it comes to combat capacity they were not too far from each other. Moreover, since all of them were close to each other, any form of aggression would lead to the retaliation from the third country what would lead to the destruction of the attacker. Two on one was impossible to win in any combination. As a result all three of them created an alliance. It has survived until now, yet in pretty twisted form. Cleopatra does what she feels like and others just go along with it.” Hinotebi stretched, while yawning. It was getting really late, so she could postpone the rest until tomorrow, yet on the other hand the sofa and fire were creating such nice atmosphere she did not feel like moving anywhere else. On top of that her glass was refilling... by more or less itself, what was another reason not to move out of here. “Where did I finish? Right, French. They were developing pretty well for a long period of time, surpassing the other two countries for thousands of years. Until the establishment of Kyoto Exchange they were the richest country in the world. They also created an army and armada that conquered Rome later, until Napoleon made a terrible mistake. He believed that his nation become responsible enough to rule for themselves. This was the beginning of their downfall. The democratic country focused on current wellbeing of France completely forgetting about future, possibilities or risks. People fought to get as rich without giving a second thought about country’s well being. Going to war became something completely out of option, since French citizens did not even want to think about it. During this time, Egyptians attacked Russia. With us and Celts focused on conquering Asia and French completely incapable of posing any threat they had no one to stand in their way. At the same time all that this northern country did was colonisation of small and hardly important arctic isles. Of course it was better than nothing, yet compared to the gains of other countries it was... nothing. Still, Napoleon did not believe his actions were a mistake, yet he knew a leader is required. He eventually created something between our young nationalism and democracy, but it was too late. At this point France existed only because Egypt allowed them. Then the great cataclysm struck, sinking majority of French industrial city, turning them into country somewhat similar to Italy they once conquered. However, unlike the Romans, Napoleon is still struggling to rebuild his country and recreate its former glory. The only problem is that the very moment he will get close to his goal, the Egyptian shall destroy him, as they despise not being clearly superior over anyone.”
“So it turns out that French history is strongly connected to Egyptian one. This explains many things.”
“Yes. It is, yet not as much as British. But first... you know what you have to do.” Empress gave the glass to Iskandar and throw another log into the fire. She played a little bit with a steel rake, striking out hundreds of sparks.
“British.” Nekomimi spoke loudly, as if looking for proper words. “Their beginning was very similar to ours. A cultists ruled over the country, focusing on colonisation and neglecting anything else. For a very long time they were clearly afraid of us. I do not know if the fear factor I mentioned you earlier worked on them, or did the rumors about our vast country did the job, yet they were scared of our power. This, combined with Egyptian betrayals made these two countries become awfully close. Unfortunately for us, Celts were very naive. They believed the propaganda that Egyptian attacks on us in Persia were done for the sake of slowing us down and helping them, while it was clearly a fight of position number one in the world, and Britain was barely relevant there. Especially back then. Yet that’s what happened. They worked for Egypt, almost becoming communists themselves. Fortunately, Ifurita was reasonable enough to figure out that it would end up in being completely absorbed by their allies. Since that moment, they tried to increase their own importance, while being in military alliance with Egypt. They leech on them, trying to gain as much as they can, what you could clearly notice recently. Cleopatra on the other hand allows it to happen, since thanks to this alliance they are too powerful in all out war against the rest of the world, so their gain is inmeasurable. This is why we cannot wage war only against Egypt, but also Britain, what is very inconvenient for us.” She took a deep breath. “That’s all I think. Nothing more I can tell you about the past.”
“I’m thankful. It allowed me to understand some motives I was finding weird.” Iskandar stood up slowly, leaning heavily on his knees. “I think it’s time for some sleep. You should do it as well.”
“I will. Soon.” Hinotebi spoke, while looking at the fire through her crystal glass.
“But you know. You really are a daughter of Perun. You inherited his alcohol resistance after him for sure.” Alexander smiled gently.
“True. I just don’t know if it’s good or bad?”
“Who knows?” Macedonian shrugged, while walking out of the room. “Good night.”
“G’night.” Nekomimi reponded with a huge yawn.

[Max_Smirnov]

Operation Excalibur, Day 1

"I hope you summoned me here for a reason," said Arturia, entering Cleopatra's command room onboard the Osiris One.

"Maybe." answered her mistress, smiling slightly. There was a sick, feverish intensity in her dark eyes, but the Red Knight missed it, preoccupied with her own worries.

"I hope it's not another one of your speeches! You know what, I'm more and more worried about you! You've changed again, and I don't like this. Have you forgotten the bigger picture here? There are space lizards out there who won't stop for anything if they one day decide to murder us all. All of us, all of the humanity, Cleo! And all you're doing since last couple of decades is just this crap about the building of a better society! I wanted to tell you this for a long time, you know? And now this war, dragging on for months now without any clear breakthroughs. If you're unwilling to go all out against Japan, sign a peace treaty with them. They've almost finished the design on their robotic ultimate missile defense system. After they deploy it, we won't be able to break through their lines without extreme losses. A world war of attrition puts the fate of the entire planet in jeopardy!"

"Haven't you sworn to kill Iskander with your own hands?"

"Oh come on, don't be ridiculous! The stakes are far higher here! If there is no war, I can challenge him to a duel. Can we talk about important stuff instead?"

"Indeed," said Cleopatra, smiling. This time, Arturia recognized this smile. A smile not seen in a long time; an icy smile with the eyes full of cold, calculating intelligence. "Very soon now, Arturia."

The Knight looked above Cleopatra's shoulder. It was displaying a long-range satellite image of Japan. Or rather, a specific part of Japan. The mountainous area of Hexagon, the heart of their power, the most heavily fortified area on the planet. Like a jewel in the crown, a small protrusion of Haruhi Tower could be visible even from such a distance, sticking out of the sprawling metropolis of Sapporo.

"Very soon what?" Arturia squinted her eyes. "Are you planning an attack on Sapporo? We both know it's impossible. Even at the cost of our entire airforce, the best we could do is to nuke Kagoshima and maybe Fukushima. But that would leave us pretty much defenseless, a futile gesture..."

Cleopatra leaned towards her. "Arturia. I will say it once again. I always go directly for the jugulars. Always."

"What?"

"Maybe you have forgotten who I am. It's understandable. I made every effort to conceal it. Even from myself, yes. Tonight the mask falls off. Witness the moment of truth."

As on cue, an intense flash of light illuminated the spot where Sapporo was standing. Arturia's eyes went wide with surprise.

"The Japanese put all their faith in their machines, their artificial intelligences, their robots," continued Cleopatra. "But in the end, their machines have failed them. The flesh is more powerful than steel. The cunning and the hatred prevails. There could be no place on this planet for me and them at the same time. It's not about power. It's about the survival of myself and all that I - that we - stand for."

As she was speaking, more and more nuclear explosions were slowly engulfing the entire Hexagon area.

"There were more things, like how their stupid pride and silly grandeur was always grating on my nerves. But there are more important things. Like life and freedom. Even if they prevailed peacefully, and after the Cataclysm it was becoming sure they are going to, our lives and freedom would depend on their whims. I was a slave once, Aturia. I know slavemasters. And the Japanese rulers are slavemasters. Not Napoleon, not Ifurita. If they won, they'd allow us to retain our dignity. But the Japanese are the true enemy. And so, they must be destroyed. At any cost. Only after that we can start the work to save the humanity."

"But- But how?"

"In your honor, I have called this Operation Excalibur." Cleopatra stood up, her two Snakes of the Nile appearing around her, her whole persona starting to radiate with almost blinding power. A radar image was superimposed over the screen. Hundreds, thousands of contacts, almost all of them in Egyptian red. Cleopatra raised her hand.

"Behold! The armies of war descend screaming from the heavens!"



Down on the surface of the planet, Sapporo was laying in ruins, burning. There was little warning against an enemy that came straight from the cold depths of space. There was little defense against their speed and overwhelming numbers. The nuclear blasts flattened huge areas of the city, killing tens of millions. Only the immense spike of Haruhi Tower shrugged off the heat and the blast waves like they were nothing. But now, from the rubble, from their coffin-like drop-pods, often buried deep underground by the force of the impact, thousands of grim figures were rising, covered in sooth and grime. The genetically-engineered supersoldiers have landed immediately in the wake of the atomic holocaust. Now, paying no heed to poisonous fumes, choking smoke or radiation, they were steadily advancing towards the Tower. Thousands of their sisters have already died, killed by the anti-air defences. But there were many thousands more of them, ruthless, thirsting for revenge and long since bereft of any hope of surviving the war. And if there was no hope, there was also no fear. They simply were doing what they were created for.

[Max_Smirnov]

Operation Excalibur, Day 16

"Lord Commissar, we have received new messages from the General Staff."

The unexpected voice caused Arturia to instinctively reach for her weapon; it took willpower to supress the impulse. It had been only several hours since the battle had ended. A few hours of uneasy rest after the battle trance that lasted for the best part of three days. Three days. Much more than anticipated. Then again, it was Nagoya. One of the oldest and most important cities of Japan, established well before written history. A mountain city known for its heavy industry. The Japanese turned it into a citadel, fortifying every house, changing every crossroads into a killing zone, employing every trick and trap they knew and preparing themselves for a fight to the death. They were learning, and unlike in Kyoto and Osaka, when the clone armies started to drop from the sky, they were ready. Two hundred thousand defenders with the core of two elite infantry divisions, armed with the best weapons and clad in the best armor the Empire had to offer. In the end, it was insufficient air and artillery support that resulted in almost quarter a million casualties on the Egyptian side. Arturia had seen it all, rivers of blood, mountains of mutilated bodies, perfect cloned bodies incinerated, torn apart, riddled with bullets, turned inside out. But over the moutains of bodies, still more clones came, and finally the defenders were overwhelmed by the simple application of sheer numbers. It was anticipated that the Red Army will hit the one-million-dead-mark before the fourth week of the war. But nothing else was ever expected. Millions more were ready to be sent into the meat grinder, millions of cheap soldiers armed with cheap weapons. While the Japanese Mark-75 Pulse-Rifle had over thirty moving parts and used armor-piercing rounds costing over twenty-five shekels each, the Egyptian standard-issue A-272 Lasrifle had only two moving parts and used no physical ammunition at all.

This is my rifle. It is my life. We are the masters of our enemy. Till there is no enemy.

Arturia's hands were still shaking, her armor and face was covered with blood and grime. The biggest, toughest land battle ever, and to think she thought the same about Kyoto, just a mere week ago. But Kyoto was relatively tame compared to Nagoya. A battle that expended more lives and ordnance than the entire conquest of Russia. Yet in this hell on earth, between countless split seconds that separated her from death, in this orgy of incessant killing no human or even clone could really comprehend, she felt like she touched God. Like after a hundred or more kills she started to understand the deepest, most basic reality. Now that feeling of profoundness was gone, leaving only emptiness. But the urge to kill wasn't gone. She blinked and inhaled slowly. She identified the newcomer as a human officer, standard uniform instead of a clone's light armored suit.

"...Speak."

"Still no word from our advance units in Sapporo and Nikko, we have to assume the Japanese now control what's left of these cities. However, there has been no word from the Japanese leaders either. Dying with the name of a dead god on their lips, how fitting... Changing the topic, the enemy responded to our naval challenge near Umi Hiroshima. And we have lost the battle, an entire battlefleet was sunk, including an aircraft carrier. At the same time, the British have lost Umi Naha. The Japanese production of their own variant of the Scout Sub is in full swing, and we can't expect easy victories in that area. However, except for fortifying the shores of Edo, the enemy didn't make any movements on land. As to be expected, with our strategy, anything slower than a jetfighter is reduced to..."

"An entire battlefleet... Damn it. How about our war plans?"

"They're in constant flux, as usual. I have the new orders here," he patted his briefcase. "And there is one piece of good news. Surprisingly, the anti-war unrest that was threatening Ifurita's regime seems to have mostly died out. Her cabinet is going to stay in power. They're promising more military support."

"I certainly hope so. Their advance is falling considerably behind what we have agreed upon."

"They'd better act more effectively, if they want their share in glory!"

Arturia smiled, then barely managed to not laugh out loud. It filled her with dread. Was she turning into Cleopatra? Into Azuria? Into someone from that wretched family she served?

"They were honorably dying for the common cause. They paid the ultimate price. For us. If they're too weak to make these sacrifices count, we will."

[Max_Smirnov]

Day 25





"I was informed that Nagano fell within a single day, with only light casaulties on our side. Congratulations, my dutiful servant, you're getting better with every battle."

"Light casaulties? You weren't there. Fifty thousand dead, forty thousand wounded, and against what? The city was defended by second-grade militia units, with no orbital defenses or even artillery support. They had new tactics, though. The city was mined, and they were blowing up every major building they were forced to retreat from. Sure it wasn't Nagoya, but we had to shed a lot of blood to win none the less."

"Those I call light casaulties. No losses in heavy equipment or experienced human staff. Unlike at Umi Yokohama, an entire reserve fleet thrashed, along with a full division of infantry who ended up trapped inside. My, loses in humans are so much less convenient. Especially when they pile up so quickly. We've lost much more ships and men than the Japanese."

"Damned Japanese fleet. What makes them so tenacious?"

"They have a whole generation of people who were born and spent their entire lives in undersea colonies. That environment is natural for them. Now, once they were equipped with the high technology stolen from us, they rule the seas."

"You seem to be taking this awfully lightly."

"It's not my job, Arturia. I have ensured the delivery of the first, decapitating strike. But completely defeating Japan is still a long, gruelling and costly process. Best left for professionals like you. A very long process indeed... Much longer than you realize."

"No, I haven't forgotten, even if it was so long ago. I was born to destroy Japan, wasn't I."

"How very perceptive of you."

"I remember how Merlin kept whining about how the Celtic nation is doomed, how unwinnable our situation is, how we should get as much as possible from allying with you... he feared many things, you, France, the Japanese..."

"How ironic that his death came from within his own country."

"I was never really listening to him. For me, it was simple. Someone with a will of iron and no compassion was needed to forge a powerful nation in a crucible of blood. I took this duty, this hateful curse because someone had to. I did not wish this fate for anyone else."

"Yes, of course..."

"Do not mock me. Maybe I played into your hands, but strenghtening my Empire through war was the only way out. I never really cared about anything else than the power of my country. Merlin kept begging you for technology, and you were providing, somethimes, on a whim, mostly when Japanese did something that made you uneasy. I never asked for anything, so I didn't feel like I owed you anything. Still it is you who came on the top..."

"It wasn't that obvious back then. What was obvious... even then, four thousand years ago... was that Japan has to be stopped before it is too late. Back then, they were the single most powerful empire. Not only that; while each of our three northern nations was hard pressed with our limitations, they have undergone rapid technological progress, united their people under one faith and seemed ready to invade Persia. And it was clear that if they were unchallenged, they will only grow expotentially from then on. I knew it even though I had no idea yet what power the technology could give them. Still I feel like we've barely made it. The colonization of the South went better than expected, the Indians never mounted any serious assault before we were ready, and my attacks against Japanese invasion forces sent to Persia slowed the Nekomimis down more than anticipated. Same with your conquest of India, it would be impossible, if not for the fact that more than half of Gandhi's forces were needlessly deployed along the Egyptian border in Himalayas, even though I lacked any means to attack them... And still... Back then I was fully sharing technological knowledge with France, and still we barely, barely kept an upper hand over the Japanese in that department. They never faced such challenges, they already had a strong, populous, well-developed country and an open route into the south Equatoria, the rich and poorly defended lands of Persia. I felt... I knew it, that we need to stick together, do everything in our power to slow them down, or else they will eventually gain such power, population, territory and resources that even our three nations combined couldn't hope to challenge them. And both Napoleon and Merlin shared that view."

"So this was your main objective since... since when?"

"The defeat of Japan? Yes. Since about five centuries before your birth, I think."

"All along? Even when your relations were good?"

"They were such fools to trust me... but I can be very convincing. And with all their genius, they always lacked one crucial ability - an understanding how others perceive them and why. No, there indeed was a time when I actually thought I don't need to destroy them anymore. The conquest of Russia - which was never really planned, not so fast, not single-handedly... but I couldn't let Stalin to develop technology so quickly, as it would only end up in Japanese hands - that war put Egypt on the top of the world, France was doing pretty well too, and so the risk of Japanese domination passed. As the Golden Century rolled on, I sincerily believed we're looking forward into an age of peace. Especially since, with Ifurita's and Bonaparte's help, I was winning the technological race to sea colonies. And then... proverbial five minutes before I had the technology... the Cataclysm. It completely devastated France, it ruined Egyptian science and economy, and as for Brittania... even if their losses were less painful, any losses are bad for a country that's still struggling to develop. The Japanese? In comparison, they were hardly affected at all."

"You never said what happened in your study. After you learned about the true scope of the Cataclysm... you disappeared there, and emerged... well, changed, as you are now."

"All my plans, all hard work turned to ashes. Sure, I could still launch massive sea colonization as planned, and do it better than the Japanese, but... France was gone, Brittania wasn't ready. Such a race would put those two far, far behind, turn them insignificant next to us and the Japanese. The alliance couldn't survive. It took me a while to understand... to understand there is only one option. Push the country onto much more costly path of war, so France and Brittania could develop and, at least when taken together, still equal Egypt in this alliance. I was weary, tired, scared. But when the decision to bring about the age of chaos was made, it was like... a brilliant flash of understanding. Fear and indecisiveness were no more. Everything was suddenly crystal clear. The prophecies were right after all. And I am sure you understand the dark appeal of utter destruction. Change. Chaos. So liberating. So instead of colonies, we were building weapons."

"I'm not sure if I believe your story. You seem to have a new story everytime I talk with you."

"Oh come on, everyone lies. Even if we think we're telling the truth we often lie to ourselves. I stopped to care long ago. The truth is created by the winners."

"...What I believe is that all of this is ultimately justified. That you're the only one capable of building a future worth fighting for. I really hope this is the case."

"You're here to make sure it happens, aren't you, dear?"

"Cut the honeyed words already... There is one more thing... one loose end. Any news on the Japanese leaders?"

"Not really, although... I sense some presence. A familiar one. A Master's presence. It's very faint, but... Maybe Perun survived after all, even though it doesn't smell like him, too chaotic. There were intelligence reports... unconfirmed ones, but still... The Japanese found the body of Empress Hinotebi as they took back the Haruhi Tower. It wasn't us who killed her... looked like electricity. Maybe it was suicide. Maybe it was Perun who killed her for failing him. Who knows. About Haruhi and Iskander, well, there is no trace of them."

"Even if he survived, that coward is probably hiding somewhere. But Hinotebi? Killing herself, deserting her country in the time of greatest need? How pathetic. They do not deserve pity."

"As you know, of the Japanese immortals, I was only ever interested in Hanekawa, the rest never stirred my curiosity. Maybe Iskander, but he turned out to be much less of a man than expected. Maybe Haruhi, too, Bonaparte once wrote to me that he'd appreciate if we passed her to him if we manage to capture her. He seems to harbor some special dislike to her. Still, even leaderless, the Japanese are people of supreme tradition, twisted honor and ultimate order. The clans are going to fight to the end, Arturia. Their backbones are inflexible and incapable of bending, so we have to break them first."

"It's a war now. Simple as that, Cleo, no vile words like these needed. The enemy must be crushed so they may never recover, wheteher we hate them or not does not matter."

[Max_Smirnov]

Day 32

Assault on Edo will proceed as per standard pattern. The wastes east of the city are only lightly fortified and were deemed appropriate for drop-pod insertion. Unlike the previous operations, this one will enjoy heavy support from three bomber wings and two battlefleets. Additionally, the Eye of Horus had been deployed in the area. We do not expect heavy casuaulties.

---

The lights fizzled then went out. The old man blinked and slowly rose from his chair, then walked up to the window. The entire street... the entire city of Oryx was blackened out. Only a handful of emergency lights were still working, like lost fireflies in the dark forest. Instinctively he looked to the western horizon. Just in time to see a flash, then another one and another. The rail launchers. It was one of these nights. Last time, the local power grid was able to contain the titanic energies drained by these half-kilometre tall tubes, but even the superconductive power lines weren't immune. He could see it happening with the eye of his mind, overloaded wires exploding with arcing electricity, melted ground, melted structures, rising toxic vapour.
THUMP thump thump-thump.
It was more felt than heard, low discharges coming from the distance of several kilometres. Another night like this, from many, since May began. Now coming into the second month. Even the climate started to change, unexpected storms and tornadoes. And thousands of victims after each night, mostly in Russia, where the thrice-redundant power lines were never fully completed, fires, chemical spillages, radioactive fallout.
THUMP thump thump-thump.
Huge guns. Aimed, as everyone knew, at Japan. Huge guns with huge bullets. Bullets filled with human... not, not human. But living, feeling payload.
THUMP thump thump-thump.
They went in perfect rhythm till morning. The electricity returned only by the next evening.

---

They were calling her Smiley, even though her birth name was JEN-007236681. Even the clones needed names to call each other by. Most of them had some private possessions, mementoes of sorts, bottle caps, old pictures, comic books. She had a plaque with a smiling face one of the human teachers gave to her, back when she was yet too small to carry a full-sized lasrifle or battle armor. They were sitting in a rail car, a row of fity almost identical faces to the left, a row to the right, a hundred clones with their visors up, fully geared up for combat, silent, expressionless, as the train was clanking and making its way through darkness, towards its destination, the Oryx Rail Launch Site, like so many identical trains.

---

The preliminary operation met unexpected resistance from the enemy airforce. Our bombers took substantial losses. However, the first phase was finished without any substantial delays. The forward Japanese defenses have been routed by aearial and naval bombardment, then cleared by surgical strikes of special forces units.

---

Humans were calling it "the Armageddon rain"; fiery streaks of drop pods entering the atmosphere, hour after hour, thousand after thousand, falling upon the outskirts of a doomed city. As soon as the pods cooled down, the hatches were shot out and JENs started to deploy and rally. Covered by smoke, divided into units of twelve, they advanced across the cratered hell left by the missile bombardment and entered the suburbs of Edo, like a tide of ants. The air was eerily silent. Smiley allowed herself a moment's pause, inhaling the morning mist, still tingling with Sarin gas that was of no consequence to the altered body chemistry of bioengineered soldiers. It was deadly to all other life, though, including those few citizens who couldn't or wouldn't run. A pair of children, laying on a perfectly cultivated lawn, a girl and a boy in pyjamas, embracing each other in the final moment of realisation that there is nobody left alive in their parent's car that was supposed to take them to safety. Smiley understood well. It was exactly like her sisters did when they knew they're about to die, an image of two burnt bodies, embracing each other in the remains of a drop-pod flashing in her mind.
Suddenly, abruptly the silence was broken with a low whistle of mortar rounds, followed by explosions and staccato of automatic fire. The Japanese defenders decided it's time. Smiley's unit dispersed, she could glimpse some Japanese in urban-camo uniforms sprinting out of a large building ahead and diving behind prepared rows of sandbags. They wore no armor, they were not elites just standard conscripted soldiers. As seconds flew, the Egyptian side started to return more and more fire, crimson beams of lasrifles and black streaks of rockets. The battle was joined.

---

We are in control of the harbor and most of the residential areas of the city, however the losses of our clone divisions are far exceeding the predictions. The outer defensive rings, manned by light Japanese infantry were broken, however the industrial and administrative areas are held by elite units. To avoid excessive delays in taking the city, the second--wave deployment of five human airborne divisions has been authorized, after the enemy aerial defences are suppressed enough for the space planes to approach with minimal risk of being shot down. They will be targeted directly at key areas of enemy resistance.

Day 33



The dawn of the second day came abruptly, as a straight lance of laser light pierced the clouds and connected with the ground, instantly vaporising the immediate area. The Eye of Horus had opened. Artillery bombardment followed, directed at defensive strongpoints identified during the night skirmishes. The surviving JENs were ordered to resume the advance. House to house, Smiley's unit cleared three streets until it came to an abrupt stop. A heavily reinforced court building was blocking the further progress, its windows spewing endless bursts of extremely accurate, depleted-uranium-tipped bullets, piercing the visors and neckguards of advancing clones. A failed assault left the main staircase strewn with bodies, dead, dying or mutilated, it made no difference. Smiley's unit was ordered to attack one of the side windows. Hearing grenade explosions and gunfire to the left, she went right and around a pillar to flank the enemy. As she cleared the obstacle, her sisters were nowhere to be seen, instead she saw the wide back of black-armored soldier. A cybertrooper, most of the uniform and skin on his torso were gone, revealing subdermal armor plating. Smiley raised her gun but the cybernetic reflexes of the Japanese were faster, he turned on the spot and connected a wide knife with the throat of the clone. JEN's bodies were resistant to injury, and they felt little pain, but still they were just creatures of flesh, made in human image and couldn't survive the severing of carotid artery. Smiley felt sort of a surprise, her fingers clutching the trigger and evaporating a good portion of cybertrooper's abdomen, before the darkness fell and the world ceased to be.

Day 34

With both clones and human commandos bogged down in cityfighting and failing to produce a breakthrough, a decision was made to make one final push with our last remaining reserves, fifty thousand conscripts delivered via sea with the goal of policing the population in mind. By 1830 TMT, the final Japanese strongpoint in Edo had fallen, thus we have managed to meet the schedule. Preliminary assessments put our losses around 200,000 mark (40% of them human), much in excess of what was predicted. With the Japanese rearming more and more of their infantry with heavier weapons, more suitable to fight clones, it is argued that heavier artillery support will be needed to dislodge them in the future.

-Information Division