章 31: Mission
POV. Chloe
It had been 1 week since Chloe had finished the process, and she had spent most of her time testing her abilities and finding different ways to use it. The Hidden society didn't put too much emphasis on education. The knowledge was there, but it was up to each enhanced human to decide whether they wanted to learn or not.
Chloe had never really enjoyed school, she had found it a bit boring, the subject that was taught at her previous school was very simple. At least, that's how she found them. But apart from that, she had been constantly training with Chleopatra and learned new fighting techniques that work on enhanced humans and humans alike, unlike the pressure point technique she had used that only worked on humans.
The only thing that seemed off was that, ever since the argument with Verlin before, she had gone through the process. She hadn't seen him once. She had started believing he had really gone without saying goodbye. Although Chleopatra kept telling her otherwise, she still felt like Verlin had left because of her.
Chloe shook her head slightly at the thought. She was currently sparring with her aunt, Chleopatra, and needed to concentrate. She swiftly ducked under a roundhouse kick thrown by Chleopatra and retaliated with a series of quick jabs. Chleopatra easily parried Chloe's attacks and responded with a combination of punches that forced Chloe to backpedal.
Chloe decided to change tactics. She concentrated, feeling the surge of energy within her, and launched into the air, executing a mid-air spin that allowed her to dodge Chleopatra's low sweep. As Chloe descended, she aimed a kick at Chleopatra's shoulder.
Chleopatra, not missing a beat, caught Chloe's leg and smirked. "Not bad," she said, "but still predictable!"
With a swift motion, Chleopatra used Chloe's momentum to flip her onto the ground. Chloe, however, managed to land on her hands and push off the ground, somersaulting back to her feet.
They had decided not to fight using their abilities, as Chleopatra's ability wasn't suitable for combat, and Chloe's ability was too dangerous to use in a spar. Chloe had experimented with her intangibilty and quickly figured that she could phase through objects, making it nearly impossible for someone to land a hit. However, using this ability carelessly could have devastating consequences.
She had once tried putting her intagible hand in a test dummy, and when she made it tangible again, the dummy was torn apart from the inside out. Her hand had completely displaced the insides of the dummy. She could also make some parts of her body or anything she touched tangile while keeping it invisible, so sneak attacking someone wasn't an issue either. If she used her ability in a spar, it would be a bit of an overkill.
They both continued their spar until after an hour of continuous fighting the wristwatch on Chleopatra's hand rung. They immediately halted their spar. Chleopatra wiped the sweat from her forehead and looked down at her watch, her face turning solemn.
"That's the signal," Chleopatra announced, glancing at Chloe. "There's a mission from the Council, and apparently, you are also to participate in it. "
Chloe's face shone with exctement. She never thought she would be called for a mission so soon after her enhancement process.
While Chloe was excited, Chleopatra wasn't happy, although she had said that Chloe would be able to go on missions soon, she had meant in a couple of years. She felt like Chloe was still too inexperienced and young for a mission.
"Let's go to the Council chamber and see what this is all about," Chleopatra said with a serious tone.
Although they already knew the general purpose of the mission was to disrupt the technology of the Federations, they didn't know which Federation they were going to.
Chloe nodded her head and followed Chleopatra towards the meeting room.
P.O.V Verlin
Verlin leviated from a distance and could see his creation in its full form, The structure resembles an hourglass shape made up of two pyramids with their apexes pointing in opposite directions - one pointing upwards and the other pointing downwards. These pyramids are connected at their bases by a circular, disk-like object. The circular object acts as a bridge or a junction between the two pyramids, holding them together.
The whole structure made entirely out of kryptonium, giving the structure a shiny black color, with the base of the pyramids being 200 meteres in diameter. To a human, it might have seemed like it only took him 1 hour to make, but from his perception, it took him more than 150 days.
He decided to name the structure, The Pyramid of Solitude. Not only can it be a base, but it can also work as a spaceship, and also as a weapon. He had made this structure soon after creating the miniature star energy source. Afterward, he returned to Earth, only to find out Chloe was still going through the process. So he returned back to Venus to kill time and create something he could use.
The disparity in time perception between him and regular humans had escalated remarkably; what once was a mere second for humans now amounted to an hour in his perception, a dramatic leap from the initial ratio of one second to ten minutes.
Verlin didn't want to get accustomed to the speed disparity, so he deliberately moderated his perception from the preceding ratio of 3600:1 to 300:1. Now that a week had transpired for humans on Earth, it felt like close to 6 years had elapsed for him. However, the time was not squandered.
Capitalizing on the fundamental knowledge he had acquired from Earth and employing his intellect, which eclipsed the capabilities of the most advanced supercomputers on the planet, he had broadened his understanding and conceived technology that vastly surpassed what humans on Earth possessed, and perhaps even rivaled that of the enhanced humans.
Verlin flew into the pyramid of seclusion, which opened on command at his presence, and as soon as he was inside, the structure closed behind him, blending seamlessly into the exterior. Inside, the pyramid was surprisingly spacious. He had designed it to have different rooms for various purposes - a control room, living quarters, a lab, and even a training room.
His footsteps echoed throughout the silent pyramid as he moved towards the control room. Once there, he seated himself in front of a giant screen that projected holographic images. A wave of his hand and the room was filled with numerical data and 3D models of different technologies he had been working on.
There was AI technology he had been working on that was nearly finished, anti-gravity technology that he had recently completed. Alongside, full body armor is made entirely of kryptonium, which can block out any form of radiation thanks to its immensely dense molecular structure. Even regular clothing made out of very thin kryptonium, which he was currently wearing.
For a moment, he just sat there, taking in everything he had accomplished. His enhanced perception gave him an uncanny ability to process massive amounts of data almost instantaneously.
Meanwhile, back on Earth, he wondered what was happening. He had left in a bit of a rush after the meeting with the enhanced humans. He had planned on returning after Chloe completed her process, but he kept getting distracted with his own work.
Although from his perception, he had spent 6 years on Venus, he didn't feel lonely or bored. In fact, the time he spent here was quite relaxing. He didn't feel the need to interact with other living beings. If not for Chloe back on Earth, he wouldn't mind staying on Venus a few more years.
" Desna, set course for Earth," Verlin commanded, referring to the AI he had created and named Desna. It didn't have consciousness, but it was more than good enough to control simple things.
"Understood," Desna's voice echoed in the control room as the Pyramid of Solitude hummed to life. The structure lifted off from the surface of Venus gracefully thanks to the anti-gravity technology he had mastered, and in a matter of moments, they were out of the planet's atmosphere and speeding towards Earth.
P.O.V Chloe
Chloe and Chleopatra arrived at the meeting room, and they could see Alexander giving instructions to another group of roughly 20 enhanced humans. After a couple of minutes, Alexander finished talking, and the group that was just assigned a mission left the room. Chloe's heart was racing as she felt a mixture of anticipation and nervousness. Alexander turned towards Chloe and Chleopatra.
At this time, the other enhanced humans that were ging with Chloe and Chleopatra had already arrived, bringing the total amount of people going on the mission to 10.
"Ah, you made it. Chloe, this is your first mission, correct?" Alexander inquired with a stern expression.
"Yes, sir," Chloe responded respectfully, standing tall.
Chleopatra spoke up, her voice laced with concern, "Alexander, isn't it too soon for Chloe to be on a mission? She just finished the process a week ago. Is there a reason for such urgency?"
Alexander nodded solemnly, his gaze shifting between Chloe and Chleopatra. "I understand your concern, but there's been a recent development which makes her particular set of abilities invaluable for this mission. The Council has unanimously agreed to have her participate."
Alexander continued with a grave expression on his face, his words echoing through the chamber, "As many of you are aware, the South Federation has been gripped by an ominous shadow. Our brethren - fellow enhanced humans - have been disappearing at an alarming rate. We initially believed these to be isolated incidents, but a sinister pattern has emerged." His voice deepened, each word carrying a sense of urgency.
He activated a holographic display, which showed a series of data and timelines. "Two months ago, I dispatched an elite squad of our finest operatives to investigate. They were skilled, seasoned, and capable, handpicked for the task. Communication with them was initially regular and promising. However, their transmissions abruptly ceased, and all attempts at re-establishing contact have proven futile," Alexander's voice revealed his concern.
Chloe's heart skipped a beat. The room felt heavy with tension.
"Our missing elites have not simply vanished; they have been coerced or manipulated into joining the very enemy they were sent to investigate," Alexander's voice was tense.
"Joining the enemy? How's that possible?" one of the enhanced humans in the room asked.
"We believe that there is a formidable entity at play, one that has the ability to control or manipulate minds. We don't have the full details, but it is of utmost importance that we deal with this situation before it escalates further," Alexander explained.
He then turned to Chloe. "This is where you come in, Chloe. Your ability to phase through matter can potentially render you immune to mental manipulation if used wisely. It's a hypothesis, but one that the Council believes is worth testing."
Chloe swallowed hard. The weight of the responsibility suddenly felt too heavy on her young shoulders. Her aunt, Chleopatra, put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"We'll do this together," Chleopatra whispered to Chloe.
The group of ten were briefed on the mission details and assigned various roles. Chloe was designated as a scout due to her intangibility, while Chleopatra, with her vast experience, was assigned as the team leader.
As the meeting came to an end, Chloe's mind was racing with mixed emotions. Excitement, fear, and determination flooded her thoughts. Before they left the room, Chleopatra spoke to Alexander privately. Chloe couldn't hear what they were saying, but she could see the serious expressions on their faces.
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