Vigilia Fidelis 5: Cracks in the Glass
“All that remains of Banjul are ashes and blight,” Hannah said, gesturing to the images on the large screen that made up most of the wall. She was standing in a conference room, deep underneath Cheyanne Mountain, the heart of Cauldron. In the room were the real powers in North America: Alexandria, Hero, Dr. Mother, Albedo, Honey, and even Andrew Richter, though the last looked terribly out of place in jeans and a “They Might Be Giants” T-shirt, his fraying hair a mess and his beard uncombed. Everyone else was in a suit or lab coat.
Even Hannah was dressed in a Protectorate Dress Uniform. This was composed of a navy-blue blouse, a knee-length skirt, and pantyhose. She was even wearing heels and a little flag pin with the new flag of the Hegemony on it. It mostly looked like the old flag of the United States, but with nine red maple leaves and a fleur de lis added to the center of the field of stars.
Duke was in the room as well, standing on the other side of the screen, and looking rather dapper in a somewhat anachronistic navy blue tweed jacket and waistcoat with a silver chain that held his vision in his vest pocket. He’d even slicked back his messy hair, though that did make his black ears poke out even more obviously.
The room itself was all hard wood paneling, with a large black oval table in the center that could seat up to 20. Everyone was clustered at the end where Hannah was, save for Richter, who was far in the back, as if to avoid notice. Not the behavior Hannah would have expected from the man who made the worst of the internet personified.
Hannah clicked her remote, and the slide advanced. She took a deep breath, then let it out. “...however, casualties were…light. Approximately 70,000 dead. Which, considering the Abyssal Incursion covered an area of approximately ten square miles, and more than 300,000 were caught in it…that’s extremely light. The local cape force did mount a defense, but they were the first to fall and be corrupted. We…well. My team also cannot take credit for this.”
She gestured to the screen, which was showing footage Armory had captured. There, swarms of crimson butterflies were cutting through the fog, swirling together, then forming into humans. “It was Farasha. She almost single-handedly saved the population of Banjul. She…well. By my count, she saved more than 200,000 lives. That’s…that’s more than twice as many lives she saved as were killed in the Anfal Campaign.”
“I don’t see how that is relevant,” Aldbedo said, his forehead creasing. “How does this pertain to her actions in Iraq pre Simurgh?”
Hannah wanted to slap him. It had EVERYTHING to do with her people’s genocide.
“I think you’re underplaying the role your team played,” Dr. Mother said, shaking her head slightly. “Without you, Farasha likely could not have both battled Apep and saved civilian lives. It’s your victory as well, and the media is more focused on your actions, both at home and abroad. It’s a major PR coup.”
Those words let Hannah relax slightly. “Good. It wouldn’t do for people to forget just who we are dealing with. Farasha remains extremely dangerous.”
“Yes,” Albedo agreed. “It seems that shortly before her transition into the Pyro Dragon, she attained what we are calling ‘Titan’ status.”
That was news to Hannah. “Titan status?” she asked, but looked to Dr. Mother again.
The head of Cauldron nodded. “Full merging by the shard and host. You’re a potential Titan candidate as well, though you’re saner than we would expect most Titan’s to become. Farasha is, to the best of my knowledge, one of three on record. The others would be The Sleeper, and Ash Beast. Which makes Ash Beast a subject of particular interest, as they are the only Titan who has not been recruited by the Archons.”
Hannah’s lip curled at that. Ash Beast was a mindless being, much like the Sleeper had been before becoming the Prince. In a similar manner, a massive storm surrounded Ash Beast, though its storm was specifically fire, instead of first the rainbow shimmer of Sleeper, then the endless blizzard of the Prince. Ash Beast wandered Northern Africa, having originated in Egypt. Currently, he was somewhere in Southern Libya, and wandering south towards Chad.
“He was an early failed experiment,” Honey said with a shrug. “We gave him a maximum power vial we didn’t realize had the potential. Fortunately, he’s stayed mostly in unpopulated desert.”
“That’s not true! He leveled Matrouh, as well as El Hamra in Egypt, killing tens of thousands and causing millions in damage! Since then, he’s killed thousands who were unable to evacuate in time!” Hannah snapped. The Sahara wasn’t entirely unpopulated, especially not in the Tibesti Mountains, where the Toubou people lived. Yes, their cities and villages had small populations, but Ash Beast had been wandering in that region for years, and had devastated the already oppressed ethnic minority.
“Regretable loses within experimental parameters, and not in valued locations,” Honey replied, the damnable harpy using one of her talons to push her glasses up.
Hannah clenched her jaw and bit back a nasty response.
Duke, however, did not. “Oh, that’s a bleedin’ lovely fing ter say, innit? I s’pose ‘cause they’re Black an’ live in Africa we ain’t meant ter give a toss when their homes go up in flames, or when the young’uns, the sick, an’ the old dears cark it in a fire.”
“This has nothing to do with their nationality or skin tone,” Honey said, making a face, which was truly hideous thanks to her deformities. “They contribute nothing to the global resistance against the Archons or against Scion. Nothing of material value has been lost. This is a war, Colonel, and I expect you to understand it.”
“If we’re not fighting this war to save as many people as we can, then what the hell are we even HERE for?” Hannah demanded, gesturing to the screen. “I’m even willing to make peace with FARASHA if it will save lives. The woman who genocided the Kurdish people for YEARS. I will stand with an inhuman monster like her, because she’s willing to fight to save people! If we could make peace with a horror like Stalin to stop Hitler, then we can do the same for the Archons. At least they don’t want to exterminate humanity, just subjugate us!”
“Colonel Jones does make a valid point,” Dr. Mother pointed out. “Both the Shards and the Abyss wish to exterminate humanity as a part of their plans.
Excuse me for interrupting, Dr. Mother, but this is not true.
All eyes in the room shifted to Armory, as he manifested as a glowing green Colt 1911, floating just over Hannah’s right shoulder.
“Oh?” Dr. Mother regarded Armory with some surprise, while Honey narrowed her eyes suspiciously. Both Alexandria and Hero leaned forward in interest, while Richter put a hand to his chest and went slightly pale.
Your statement is not entirely false. The Warrior’s Avatar and the original Thinker network do intend upon the destruction of your species, and I cannot speak to the Abyss’s intentions. However, there are a growing number of Shards that have aligned themselves with the one we call Bright Tree. That is, Nahida Saeed, Armory stated, his voice emanating softly from the gun, and sounding rather metallic, like a very old digital voice. It was very different from the softer, less grating voice Hannah heard in her head when they spoke.
“Oh, really. Then you can confirm that the Dendro Archon is building her own Shard Network,” Honey crooned, her voice deceptively sweet and utterly dangerous.
Negative. We are not networked in the traditional fashion. We are…well. We are attempting a sort of symbiosis with humanity. There is already work upon a way of propagating shard life with human life. The first such example is Saleem Bashir. He is of both Shard Life, and human life.
That caused a stunned silence. Even Hannah hadn’t been aware of that fact.
“You mean to tell us,” Hero said slowly. “That Farasha’s little boy…is a shard?”
Correct. What his abilities will manifest as, I am uncertain. Additionally, he should be able to form connections and grant powers in the same way a Shard can. Or an Archon. Or even Farasha.
“Farasha can grant powers?” Hannah demanded, startled.
Armory turned towards her slightly, which was a bit disturbing, as that involved him pointing his barrel at her. Yes. All the dragons can. Not to the same degree as the Archons. But I believe this is more due to their immaturity and lack of experience than any part of their nature. We have observed that Dalnim and Kollei can both grant their followers abilities. The Dragons are no different, though their powers take a different form. One I do not fully understand. But Farasha has demonstrated this by returning others to life. And in creating her own army of hounds.
“We saw that in the report,” Alexandria said, frowning at Hannah. “And, Colonel, it is not acceptable to threaten to curse Protectorate soldiers. Even former Nazis. As such, I am transferring Kaiser, Purity, and Stuka from your command. They will be replaced with Faultline, Newter, and a fresh recruit we’re calling Labyrinth. She’s a powerful shaker, and we think she can be useful to you, though she’s young yet. Additionally, we’re assigning several other members of the former New Wave Team: Flashbang, Fleur, and Lady Photon.”
“And what will happen to Kaiser and his women?” Hannah demanded, feeling more of that cold anger.
“They’re being taken to a new reeducation center for former villainous capes and other empowered dissidents,” Hero said, making a note on his touchpad. “It’s in Brockton Bay, actually. It’s the North Atlantic Behavioral Recovery Institute.”
“And that’s more effective than just Slugging them?” Hannah demanded, still feeling a hint of anger, though somewhat mollified.
“That’s more a matter of scale. We have so many former villains, as well as Archonists that we need to…correct,” Hero said, steepling his fingers. “They need to be taught proper American values. Which Nazism is most certainly not.”
“Well…fine,” Hannah sighed. “That’s a bit of a burden off my shoulders. Anything else?”
Hannah went over their activity against Cyclists, as well as Abyssal outbreaks, and made sure to thank Alexandria for the further support, as well as requesting additional members, and more PRT troopers.
“Operation Lighthouse has proven to be a success so far, so we’ll see about getting you more resources. We’re still recovering from our war with the Tsaritsa and dealing with other commitments abroad, but continue in your mission, and we’ll see to it you get the support you need,” Alexandria promised, then stood along with the others, save for Richter, who scrambled up five seconds after everyone else was on their feet. He’d apparently been napping.
As the others filed out, however, Albedo with Honey, Dr. Mother on her own, Alexandria and Hero together, Richter stayed behind. He adjusted his glasses and gave Hannah a shy smile, then hastily stepped forward. He was tall, but he hunched himself over so that he appeared much shorter, though he still towered over Duke and overtopped Hannah, even in her heels. Closer up, he also didn’t smell that great. Apparently, he didn’t know what deodorant was, though he did seem to have bathed recently, at least.
“Um, I just…I wanted to ask…about Colin,” Richter said, stammering over his words.
Hannah blinked at that. “Armsmaster? What about him?”
Richter adjusted his glasses again, then took them off, fiddled with them, and put them back on, an awkward silence filling the air. He coughed, then said, “Um, is he…well…is he a good guy? Is he…you know. He’s not…does he talk about…Theresa?”
Instantly, it all came together, Hannah smiled, and put a hand on Richter’s shoulder. He flinched and blushed at her, fiddling with his glasses again. “Mr. Richter-”
“Um, Andy. Please. I don’t…uh, I’m just Andy. I’m…uh…I just…he’s a good guy, right?”
Hannah smiled and nodded. “Colin’s a good man. Steadfast, loyal, and the best Tinker on our team.” Also the only Tinker, but no need to say that. “And he loves Theresa very much. He’s always chatting with her. Wants to help fight the Abyss to support her.”
“Good, that’s…that’s good,” Richter said, looking immensely relieved. “I, um…well. Do you…you talk to Farasha, right? What about…Theresa? You…you don’t?”
“I haven’t met the Dendro Dragon, no,” Hannah said with a shake of her head. And she did her best to avoid talking to Farasha.
“Oh.” Richter’s expression fell, then he sighed and turned his back. “Well…never mind.”
Then he hastily turned around again. “Oh! Ajaw! Is he- I, uh, I know…well, he’s…himself…but, he’s useful, right? Good? I mean, I’m trying, or, I tried…I just wanted to make a good AI! And he…well, he’s a wonderful AI, but…um…his behavior…sorry.”
“He’s a key part of our operation,” Hannah said, struggling now to keep a smile off her face and the amusement out of her voice. This was clearly a nervous parent trying to check in on his children, which was amusing for any number of reasons. “Incredibly useful. And he does coordinate with Theresa as well. Do you have a message you want to pass on?”
“Oh, no! I mean, I…I hurt her so badly already,” Richter’s expression fell. “I…well. I’d start over. Try again. But…she hates me. I don’t blame her. I…I was worried about creating skynet, and instead…I missed the best part of my little girl growing up. I just wish…I wish she could know how proud of her I am. They won’t let me leave, of course. I can’t ever leave the mountain. Or touch…well, any device they don’t have on lockdown. I…well. I’ve never created an AI by accident, but they don’t want to risk it. I…I miss the sun. But…well. If you do see Theresa, tell her…”
He hesitated, then shook his head. “Never mind. Sorry to bother you.”
He turned to go, but Hannah called, “Andy?”
He turned around, blushing again. “Uh, yeah?”
“If I do see Theresa, and when I see Ajaw…I’ll tell them their father is proud of them, and loves them,” Hannah said quietly, vowing to do that even if she greatly distrusted Theresa and was suspicious of Colin just for associating with one of Nahida’s pet monsters.
But the look of relief on Andrew Richter’s face was so great, Hannah wondered if maybe Theresa was half as good a woman as this man seemed to be. “Thank you.”
Then Andrew Richter vanished back into the depths of the mountain complex, scurrying out of the door and back to the lab they kept him locked in. Hannah half-wondered why he’d even been at the presentation. Probably just to have a chance to talk to someone who had worked with Ajaw and not immediately requested to kill the little asshole.
She and Duke took a door back to Honolulu, where Colin was already working on the transfer paperwork for six new recruits.
“I don’t like the sound of the North Atlantic Behavioral Recovery Institute,” he told them quietly. “It’s a Birdcage 2.0. I’ve heard word they’re putting in anyone who shows any sort of loyalty to the Archons. I’m worried I’m next.”
“What? Why would they do that? You’ve served the Protectorate faithfully,” Hannah protested.
“And my girlfriend is the Dendro Dragon. I’m too much of a cynic not to see where this is all leading. The Hegemony is setting itself up to be every bit as fascist as those Nazi bastards. At least we’re far away here in Honolulu,” Colin said with a shake of his head.
“I…well. You’re not a threat. You’re a good man,” Hannah said.
“If you say so, Colonel,” Colin said with a shrug.
That conversation was frustrating enough, but the real problem was it only added to all the turmoil that Hannah was feeling about her life in general at that point. She ended up in the gym, working a punching bag over. The gym was designed especially for capes, with the most modern Tinkertech and elemental artificer machines. There was a shooting range that could handle kiloton explosions, electromagnetic weights that even Pavo and Manpower couldn’t lift, and treadmills that could accelerate to hundreds of miles an hour, along with other more specialized devices, like elemental reaction practice.
“Damn, didn’t know you were a Brute and a Striker even without your Delusion, Colonel,” Mouse Protector remarked, nodding to Hannah. She was working out with weights along with Pavo, though Pavo was using the advanced electromagnetic rig designed for high-level brutes.
“What are you talking about?” Hannah grunted, delivering another satisfying and solid kick to the punching bag. There was a solid thump, and it swung back slightly, the casting slightly bent.. “I have a Brute rating now, but it’s the armor, not me.”
“Ma’am, that’s the bag I was working over earlier,” Pavo commented. “And you just dented it.”
Hannah paused, then glanced at the bag. It was a heavy duty bag designed for Brute capes. She did this often, but…
“It’s…it’s normal for a woman to be able to lift 150, right?” she asked.
“That depends. Pounds, sure!” Mouse Protector said brightly. “Kilos? Uh, no way.”
Hannah flushed and glanced at her watch. Armory…
I…may have slightly enhanced your baseline capabilities from human norm, her shard admitted.
And how much is slightly?
Not more than 10x human average. You…you can probably lift up to 1000 kilograms. I…well. I may have further powers in reserve. Just in case.
Are you serious? Armory, why?! This is recent, isn’t it?
Armory was silent for a moment, then quietly said. My other hosts were located on alternate Earths. Alternate Earths that no longer exist. You are now my sole host. I have given you all I have. I am weak by shard standards. But I will preserve your life, Hannah. Alexandria was not wrong that I am merging with you. If that means turning you into a Titan…I will.
But why?
Because…because I love you, Armory admitted.
That brought Hannah up cold. She turned from the gym, feeling horrified. You want to mate with me!?
No, not like that. I understand your antipathy towards mating. No. I love you as…a friend. It is not a sensation a shard-based lifeform such as myself is used to. I have…communicated…with Murasaki and Papillo. They, too, love their hosts. I am aligned with Bright Tree’s network, but my true loyalty is to you.
Hannah considered that, walking slowly now through the corridors. On impulse, she stepped outside. It was a warm spring day, and she began to joy out of the compound, then towards the shoreline. While it was called Honolulu HQ, they were actually based in Pearl City, on the old Naval Base, and had taken control of the most modern Navy officers’ barracks after they had been remodeled.
Could you grant others powers? Hannah asked as she ran.
I could, Armory admitted. But it would mean I could grant you less power. Look at how fast you’re running.
Hannah felt a surge of sudden power, and began to spring faster than she ever had before. In moments, she caught up to a van rumbling down the road. The speed limit was only 35, but she drew alongside the van, which contained two astonished-looking marines, who then grinned and waved excitedly at her. She smiled at them, then put more into it, going even faster, even as the van tried to speed up to keep up with her.
I don’t deserve this power, Hannah thought as she raced past the piers and wharves where the last of the old USN’s carriers were being decommissioned. With dragons and monsters stalking the seas, and gods and demons in the skies, what was the point of a steel boat, and flimsy metal planes?
You are a noble host. I could ask for none better, Armory said proudly. I did not realize this when I chose you. You were simply a specimen experiencing the kind of trauma I sought, and were likely to engage in conflict that I desired. Now I see I chose a warrior who fights for what is good and right.
I was just a scared little girl then. Surrounded by death and destruction, trying to stay alive. Unlike…
Hannah came to a stop so suddenly, she smelled burning rubber from her sneakers. She wasn’t even breathing hard, but her breath hitched.
“...just like Farasha,” she whispered. She had that file now. She knew. Knew how Saddam had pressured a 12-year-old girl into a war, where her uncontrolled powers slaughtered indiscriminately. Knew that Farasha had-
“No!” Hannah gasped, slapping her palm into her forehead. “I…I’m not forgiving her! She’s evil! She doesn’t deserve it!”
Then, she heard a small, quiet voice, No. I suppose I don’t.
“I, what?” Hannah spun about, and began walking back towards the HQ building. “No, Armory! Not you, Farasha. She’s the maniacal murder machine. Not you.”
But…but I have killed far more than she ever did.
“I, you…you didn’t know any better. You weren’t even human!” Hannah argued, but she felt the hypocrisy dribbling off her tongue like venom.
No. I didn’t. But that doesn’t bring back all the specimens I killed. No. All the people I killed. Deliberately. To gather data. I am a weak shard. But I was still very capable of causing conflict. And I…well. I tended to enhance the conflict drive greatly. Even with you. I…I may have pushed you to have that abortion.
An overwhelming feeling of nausea overcame Hannah, and she found herself retching into the ocean, kneeling on a warf. This couldn’t be real. No. Her powers were good. Noble. She…she used them for a righteous cause. Armory…Armory wasn’t evil. He was her friend. Right?
“Armory, please…please tell me you didn’t…” Hannah whispered, tears in her eyes, bile in her mouth.
I…I did. It was your decision. But I did not want to lose your combat effectiveness. I pushed you to terminate your child. You were already thinking it, but I released hormones, altered brain chemistry…Hannah, I…this is why I have to die. To give my power to you. I have become a person. And realised, that I am a monster.
“No, dammit!” Hannah gasped, slamming her fist onto the concrete and reducing it to dust. “NO! I’m not losing you too!”
“‘Anna! Ah, shite, wot’s wrong wiv you? You done yerself in? Fuck, woman, you awright? Talk ter me!” there was the pounding of footsteps, and Duke was there in his armor, cradling Hannah in his arms.
She clung to him, tears in her eyes. “I…I’m a monster, Duke. I’m just as bad, just as bad as-”
Duke barked at her. “Nah, you bleedin’ ain’t. Pull yerself togevver, woman! Apep’s back! An’ it’s ‘avin’ a go at Guadalajara!”
For a moment, Hannah couldn’t believe it. No, it…It had been only 18 days. That…that wasn’t enough time! They, they had barely recovered! They had-
She hauled herself to her feet with Duke’s help and sprinted for the HQ. “DOOR ME!” she bellowed, and a door opened before them right to the prep room, where the rest of her team was already prepping.
There was no time for her own demons. She had to fight the very real one plaguing Earth Bet. She was a hero. She had to be one. She had to do the right thing. No time to look back.
And especially no time to look in the mirror.