Chapter 9 - Judgement
Chapter 9
Location: Gateway Station â€" Silmeria â€" 200,000 light years from Terra
Space was quiet, the only thing glistening between the stars was the brown/yellowish planet of Silmeria and its orbital space station for transit of incoming ships.
Silmerian technology had advanced considerably after they found their independence from Ada's vindictive and corruptive rule. The planet had been free for almost three hundred years however tight security was maintained around Ada's prison which orbited Silmeria at the lowest possible orbit, a massive ring powered by primitive rocket technology and a powerful anti-magi field that kept her confined. Inside this open ring was a woman with flowing long red hair like fair who appeared to be asleep with her arms hung out as if she was chained to the ring.
The Silmerians were never prepared to live through the mistakes of their past again.
Before Ada came, they were a war-like society that spent most of the planets resources on perfecting weapons that they could name at each other before war finally did break out turning their planet from a lush green bio-sphere into a nuclear toxic wasteland, their civilisation was taken to the brink of destruction until Ada appeared to them under the guise of an angel of Valhalla that had seen their plight and had offered to show them a better path.
The remaining Silmerians believe all that she had told them and began to worship her as absolute ruler of Silmeria. Ada was seen as their guardian angel and protector and for almost two hundred years she ruled over them.
During that time Ada began to change and become increasingly destructive and lusting for power, she ordered the Silmerians to create weapons that were capable of declaring war on her own people... Asgard. The Silmerians began to loose their basic rights and were confined to being treated as slaves until one Silmerian called Tavian Bec rose up against her and insighted rebellion. His terrorist group called "Vanity Requiem" started to sabotage
Ada's plans against Asgard and were supported by the general public.
Unfortunately during a raid on Ada's War Factory Tavian was killed and his son took his place who betrayed the Silmerians in order to gain favour with Ada.
Ada was ruthless in the execution of all involved with the rebellion and almost half the population of Silmeria was slaughtered in what became known as the "Requiem Massacre" until finally a scientist who had been secretly research Ada's race and their capabilities found a way to create an anti-magi field that bound Ada's power. A prison was created during the revolution and Ada was put in it and launched into space freeing the Silmerian power who immediately began to thrive again and even found a way to remove the toxic gases in their planets atmosphere.
Elcypse walked into the space dock at Gateway Station, an orbital shuttle shipyard that linked Silmeria with the rest of the Altia Galaxy. He walked across the large marble floor at the crowded space dock which looked remarkably unsophisticated from what he had seen on Terra however everything Odin had said finally made sense to him.
"Terra was once the most powerful galactic empire in the entire Altia Galaxy. It had ships and technology that it should not have acquired for another two thousand years, their knowledge of us was detailed and they plotted against us... A way to dispose of the Gods and take our place however they failed to understand the balance of nature. Because of their threat to not just the Asgard race but the entire universe it was decided that their memories of such developments and technology would be erased reducing them to where they should have been."
Chapter 11
Location: New Chentrilla Ruins
New Chentrilla lay in ruins, the whole city subjected to the worst disaster that has occurred on the planet of Terra in the new era. Survivors were sifting through the remains of their homes, trying to salvage anything that would be useful for their long stay in the relief camp.
"As you can see Tom..." reported a Siamese cat with short black fur covering her body and large green eyes. She was talking directly into a camera which was being held by another cat to indicate that she was a news reporter. "The devastation is clearly shown in these images, the whole of New Chentrilla, a modern city of millions was completely wiped out from the attack."
The images then flashed back the television studio as they began to play interviews with the towns survivors who had witnessed the attack. The reporter breathed a long sigh before turning around to the ruined skyscrapers which were both collapsed into each other from the force of the tsunami that had hit them but were also wet and colourless, apartment blocks completed destroyed, the windows smashed out with glass laying at her feet.
Such a magnificent city... Just... gone...
Diamond and Lance sat on some debris that was once the run down apartment block that Diamond had lived at. He had spent a few days sifting through the rubble looking for items of importance and survivors. He was desperate to rescue any remnants of his old life which were now spread out in ruins, like his dreams for a decent job and acceptance for who he was in Terran society.
He had watched in horror a few days earlier as Mrs Carmichael's body was pulled from the ruins, all mangled and charred from the several explosions that had gone off inside the building due to the water.
Diamond realised that he had never really hated her that much, she had been patient enough not to kick him out at the first sign of rent arrears. He sat on the debris, absorbing the scenes of the last couple of days and slowly smoking on a cigarette. His clothes which were usually pristine were tired and dirty from the adventure he had had over the last week but it had also turned his entire life upside and what made it worse was that he and Lance seemed to be the only ones on Terra that had the slightest idea of what was going on and also of Terra's sordid past.
Lance was sitting next to him, his uniform torn and dirty also, his face was tired and his eyes seemed to lack any indication of what he was feeling. But it was clear that he had been traumatised. Lance cradled a cup of tea in his hands that one of the relief troops had given him, he carefully sipped it and held it in his hands, fully absorbing the heat emanating from it.
Diamond looked over at him and just felt increasingly sorry for him, but also sorry for himself. His entire life had been destroyed in just a couple of days and there was nothing he could do about it.
It was a few seconds before either of them wondered when the other was going to speak.
"I...I...just got back from civilian triage centre at New Haven" said Diamond who was gentle in his words to Lance, hoping to make conversation and hoping that Lance would reciprocate.
He did not... just sat there as silent as a tomb. His morbid aura was beginning to infect Diamond too, causing him to consider his own death and hopelessness of the situation that they were in. Half the Terran navy had barely scratched Leviathan! What chance did anyone else have?
"So...." Diamond tried again, lengthening "So" so that he could think of something to say. "What is our plan now?"
Lance just stared back at Diamond as if he was crazy, he opened his mouth, letting a frail sound escape before just staring at him.
"Come on Lance!" said Diamond stubbing out his cigarette and starting to get slightly annoyed with him in frustration. Diamond jumped down off the rock and turned to face him, he stared into Lance's pale eyes. "We are the only people that know a bit more about what is going on... We have to do something!" He stared at Lance, not knowing what else to do.
"SAY SOMETHING!" Diamond lost control of himself and slapped Lance round the face in his frustration. It had appeared as if he had smashed through a large wall of ice that was up between him and Lance. Lance stared at him, with a large handprint across his muzzle before slightly smiling.
"You are... right" he said, his throat slightly dryer then usual.
"You are not the only ones that are aware of what is happening" said another voice which came from behind Diamond.
Diamond spun round to find, a female foxian dressed in black, civil servants attire which had become dusty from the rubble. Diamond instantly turned round, feeling defensive as he stared at the woman that had interrupted their conversation. The female fox had jet black fur and was unusually tall for a female, she had a very dominating stance that was both defensive and yet formal. Her clothes was a tight, black mini-skirt with long opaque tights that covered her long legs. Her torso was a black shirt that covered her large cleavage and breasts, which many would have found not only arousing but beautiful. Her hair was long, it was almost pure white but had a brilliant silver sheen to it.
Diamond immediately stared at her, thinking about her fantastic body and feeling slightly threatened by that. He always felt threatened by more attractive woman although he never grasped why?
"Who are you?" asked Diamond, almost in an accusing tone of voice with Lance still directly behind him, he felt like he was protecting him. The foxian just stood there, staring at him, her brilliant emerald green eyes scanning over him behind her thin oval glasses. She tilted her glasses slightly as she searched her mind for the shortest reply to Diamond's inquiry.
"Acting Minister of Defence, Astra Adara" she said in a short reply, her response to Diamond made him immediately more defensive as he was dealing with a government minister, he turned on her.
"We know nothing about this" he lied, turning his head away from her, he certainly never wanted to be involved with the government and all those little "scandals" that had plagued it for so long.
Astra looked at him, knowing instantly that he was lying and walking towards him, her walk was so delicate yet powerful, almost like seeing a swan swim on the water.
"I said "Acting" minister, I did not have the position until Governor Iris was killed in the attack. I understand that her methods were slightly paranoid towards other countries and ethnic groups, but I assure you that I do not share her ideals."
"And that is supposed to make it alright!?" said Diamond instantly turning into a shouting and aggressive stance.
"The "incident" in Equinus was most regrettable..."
"MOST REGRETTABLE!" said Diamond, forgetting his situation and turning to blind rage. He remembered the incident like it was yesterday, about ten years ago, the taxation of villages within Chentrilla's jurisdiction had become ridiculous, it was more profitable to live in the cities rather then the countries. One of these villages, contained a simple band of Horsias and was called Equinus, this had also been where Diamond was born and had spent most of his childhood however due to the taxes to fund new technological breakthroughs in the city, such as the development of nuclear warheads, the villagers were extremely poor, growing what food they could on the mountainous terrain. After a year of the increase in taxation and discovering that there was virtually no taxation within large cities such as Chentrilla, the people of Equinus and the neighbouring village of Adamanta revolted and began to blockade the village roads and stopped sending their goods to Chentrilla. The Minister of Defence at the time was Governor Iris who saw this as an attack on state security, her response was quick and brutal, she ordered armed guards into the revolting village of Equinus, to slaughter the entire population, scaring Adamanta into submission. Diamond had barely escaped that incident as a teenager, managing to fly away with his unusual wings but had watched his entire family slaughtered by faceless soldiers and their weapons. However the government had captured some of the horses and had forced them into giving a statement suggesting that all had been well, to cover up the scandal and prevent a public inquiry.
"32 Horsia killed, another 14 captured and left with deep psychological scars to aid the cover up and you called that REGRETTABLE!"
"I was unaware of that..."
"Typical... like most politicians!" Diamond was so angry that he wanted to but all his anger on her, but he judged that to be irrational.
"Look..." said Astra snapping back. "Can we concentrate on the current situation and not the "seedier" aspects of my predecessors career. I have proposal"