Omega - Chapter 6

  • Omega - Chapter 6

    TOC

    General McCarthy sat at his desk, reading through the data slate held between his hands. He sat as stiffly as his uniform was starched and pressed. His chief scientist, doctor Gellar stood nervously on the other side of the desk, fingers twitching. He had not been invited to sit.

    "So you have now lost contact with the mutant." It was a statement, not a question. Gellar swallowed.

    "Yes sir. But the good news is that Thorne has activated the self destruct sequence on his armor and we lost all vital signs soon thereafter." McCarthy raised an eyebrow.

    "Dead?"

    "Most certainly, sir." McCarthy leaned back in his chair, some of the tension easing. Like his name the rebel had been a thorn in his side. But no more.

    "Finally. Progress report." Gellar cleared his throat, more relaxed now.

    "The tower is nearing completion. The time-space anomaly is now secured and we are in the final stages of heavy weapons emplacements. No dragon will be able to fly within a kilometer of the structure and survive."

    "Good. What of our ground defenses?"


    "Impenetrable sir. Every road and trail to the summit has been secured by heavy gun turrets and the rest of the mountain is sheer precipices. We have sensor nodes placed at regular intervals and at several levels around the mountain."

    "Very well. Have you completed the preliminary tests on the captured indigenous wild-life?" Gellar nodded.

    "Yes sir, the results are fascinating. Much of the wild life is genetically identical to our records of pre-war earth biota. The sentient races we have dissected and examined are also very similar, except for two races, one reptilian and the other feline. A third race has several subsets that are very similar to us and the fourth is almost identical except for one feature that all the races have in common."

    "Which is?"

    "They all share a genetic trait that codes for varying degrees of psionic ability. The race calling themselves the Altmer appear to have the greatest talent in this respect." The general frowned. Psionic ability? 

    "How is this expressed?" asked the general. 

    "They have the ability to psionically manipulate the elements and direct them as a weapon. So far our troops have been able to withstand these attacks, but..."

    "Go on."

    "They also have varying degrees of ability in mind control, which has resulted in our troops turning on each other." The general's eyes widened. Gellar continued. "Most disturbingly, they have shown the ability to reanimate our own dead and turn them against our forces, with our own weapons."

    "What!?" the general choked.

    "These mages, as the natives call them, appear to represent one of the greatest threats to our security here apart from the dragons."

    "What else?"

    "We have learned from our test subjects that there is some kind of training center for these mages in the north-eastern most part of the continent. Our satellite telemetry confirms this." The general set his jaw.

    "Very well. We can now afford some personnel for some sorties. Make this training center our first target." the doctor nodded. "Wipe them out. All of them."

    "Yes sir."

    "And then begin rounding up the populations of the smaller towns. We will deal with their three main strongholds afterwards." The scientist nodded again and left the room, with the general brooding over the data slate.

                                                                                        *   *   *

    The great hall of Volkihar castle had changed considerably since Maxim had first seen it. Gone was the throne and the long crimson-stained feasting tables that had been replete with goblets of blood, tattered flesh and bone and moaning feeding cattle thralls. The hall now resembled just another great hall like many of the Jarl's palaces dotting Skyrim. A few tapestries hung from the walls depicting historical events from ages past and in the center of the room stood a round stone table encircled by richly carved wooden chairs and deep purple velvet cushions.

    There was no one in the room except a beautiful looking woman who was standing in front of the table ready to welcome the guests descending the stairs from the entrance hall. She wore rich dark robes and her black hair in a circlet around her head. She looked remarkably like Serana, who stepped forwards from the group and gave a polite bow.

    "Lady Valerica," she began. "Let me present our guests..." Valerica held up her hand and smiled.

    "Lady Valercia?" she said in a throaty voice. An eyebrow shot up. "Why so formal, daughter?" Serana returned the smile.

    "I thought we agreed that Volkihar would now be open to the civilized without fear or threat?" she replied. Valerica laughed.

    "Yes, that is true. It has been so long since we had any real engagement with the rest of civilization." She sighed. "And now it appears it is on the brink of destruction." Her gaze now leveled at the group, fixing on Maxim.

    "It is good to see you again, Maxim." she said warmly. "I thought you would have visited us sooner." Maxim nodded.

    "It is good to see you too, my lady," he replied. "I am sorry it is now under such circumstances." She smiled again, but it faded quickly as her gaze fell upon Thorne and Fawkes.

    "Your companions are most interesting," she looked them up and down, her glowing eyes settling on Thorne. "This one's blood is similar to the men and women of Nirn." she said. Lydia chipped in nervously.

    "He's a side-board!" Thorne glanced at her sharply and Lydia looked down, cheeks flaming. Valerica then looked at Fawkes.

    "But this one's blood is deadly." Fawkes shifted his huge bulk uncomfortably. Lydia piped up again.

    "He's super-man!"  she blurted. This time both Maxim and Thorne shot her an annoyed look. "Sorry," she said quietly. "I'm finding this a little stressful." Fawkes spoke up in his gravelly, rumbling voice.

    "I am a super-mutant," he said. "But I prefer the term meta-human." Valerica nodded and motioned to the chairs around the table. Each person took a seat except for Fawkes, who was simply too huge. Thorne's chair creaked under the weight of his power-armor but held.

    Valerica took her seat.

    "Allow me to offer you some refreshment. Knarl!" she called. From the shadows of a deep alcove stepped a steel-plated Nord warrior. He walked to the table and bowed silently. His face was pale and slightly slack. A thrall. thought Maxim with some distaste. Sensing this, Serana placed a hand on his armored wrist.

    "We know how you feel about this, my love," she said softly. "But Knarl was the leader of a band of thieves, murderers and rapists. He serves much better in death than he ever did in life." Maxim grunted but said no more. Knarl brought loaves of fresh bread, platters of cheeses and silver flasks and goblets of Alto wine.

    "So," began Maxim as his companions began eating. "Where is the rest of your court?" Neither Valerica nor Serana partook in the meal.

    "Most of them are out in the wilds, gathering intelligence on our new enemy." she replied. "They also hunt the lawless as well as our way-ward siblings, but many of them are taking refuge from the invaders." 

    "I see," said Maxim. "Have you had any reports?"

    "Yes, several court members have been and gone. They describe the enemy's capabilities as formidable." she inclined her head respectfully to Thorne. The scarred soldier spoke up.

    "The Enclave's technology far surpasses any that you have here on this world," he said. "But I have observed several occasions where they could be matched. The dragons of course. And Maxim here."

    "There are too few of us," Maxim responded. "Many dragons fell during the initial invasion, I do not know what their current strength is. It will take a concerted effort by all of Skyrim, perhaps all of Nirn to overcome these foes." Valerica spoke again.

    "That still may not be enough." Maxim and Thorne exchanged a bleak look. Valerica looked at Thorne. "How did you come here?" Thorne cleared his throat.

    "Through a worm-hole." he replied. Lydia guffawed through a mouthful of bread and cheese.

    "Ha! That's a pretty big worm!" Thorne grinned at the warrior, liking her.

    "A wormhole is a like a door in space and time, through which one can instantly travel great distances and backwards in time." Maxim nearly choked on his wine.

    "The time wound!" he spluttered. "You came through the time wound!" Everyone turned his head to stare at the dragonborn and he recounted his tale of the Elder scroll and his battle with Alduin on the throat of the world. Thorne and Fawkes sat shaking their heads in disbelief. The unassuming warrior was both powerful and deadly.

    "So if the Elder scroll opened the wormhole," began Thorne after Maxim had finished the tale. "Then presumably it can do so again." Maxim sighed heavily, staring at the stone table.

    "Maxim," began Serana. "Where are the scrolls now?" Maxim cursed softly.

    "I left them with Dexion Evicus at Fort Dawnguard." Now Serana cursed.

    "That's on the other side of the country!"

    "I know."

    "We don't even know if Fort Dawngaurd is still standing!"

    "I know, dammit!" barked Maxim. Then his eyes softened. "I'm sorry Serana," he said apologetically. "But we have no choice. We will have to make for the fort and see if they are still there." There was silent agreement around the table.

    "But first," said the dragonborn. "We must make for Solitude. Hopefully most of the Jarls and their people have gathered there now. Our first charge is to ensure the protection of Skyrim and it's people." Again, murmured agreement.

    "Very well," spoke Valerica after a time. "You will all spend the night here and rest. Then at first light you should make for Solitude. Time it seems, is of the essence."

Comments

6 Comments
  • Andrew Shepherd
    Andrew Shepherd   ·  November 10, 2015
    Thanks Exuro. Yeah they would probably become vampire ghouls or something and glow in the dark. Lampires!
  • Exuro
    Exuro   ·  November 10, 2015
    Wonder what drinking super-mutan-- excuse me, meta-human, blood would do to a vampire.
    Keep up the great work!
  • Andrew Shepherd
    Andrew Shepherd   ·  November 8, 2015
    Not sure what I'll do with the Thalmor but I envisage a mass exodus of non nord races who can actually escape. There is one thalmor that has his own agenda though...
  • The Long-Chapper
    The Long-Chapper   ·  November 8, 2015
    Well, it makes total sense that once back in Tamriel, Valerica would spruce the place up again. 
    Albee raises his bow in solidarity for their cause.  There is an epic restoration spell in Requiem called Dispel. It removes magical effects from the ta...  more
  • Andrew Shepherd
    Andrew Shepherd   ·  November 8, 2015
    Thanks for that Lissette. Yeah, I want to go with the premise that under an external threat that all the inhabitants of Nirn band together. But in terms of the game if you went with the Dawnguard one would assume that out of a sense of preservation the va...  more
  • The Long-Chapper
    The Long-Chapper   ·  November 8, 2015
    I really, really like that you have made Valerica restore Volkihar to some extent. I think I personally expected to see this in the game, even when siding with the Dawnguard, as I tend to do, and then you just go back to Volkihar and are like meh, still u...  more