บท 54: World Council
The Holy City was located in the state of Avalon. Serving as the capital of the world government, the city lived up to its reputation in terms of grandeur.
At the center of the city, there was a palace that looked more like a citadel. It was heavily fortified by human guards and droids that were on constant vigilance. It belonged to the strongest man in the free world.
The President!
The masses took pride in having a say in the election of the president! After all, it was they who elected senators who in turn selected the president.
The incumbent president was Mason Maxwell. He was a middle-aged man with brown hair and a small beard.
Currently, Mason was sitting alone in a spacious room. The room consisted of a round table surrounded by sixteen chairs.
Mason's attention was on a virtual screen in front of him. During his youth, he was reckless and unafraid of the world because he was born into a powerful family and blessed with a powerful mutant ability.
As he grew older and more powerful, he realized that he was nothing but a speck of insignificant dust. The freedom and power he was proud of were all an illusion created by the world government. So bit by bit he climbed to the top leadership of the government but then reality struck him again.
The president shared his powers with the world council! The general populace believed the world council, consisting of representatives from nine aristocratic families and the royal family of Atlantis, only played an advisory role. But being a part of the system, Mason knew the world council has their claws in every decision-making. There were more members of the council than what the people believed and their role was different from what the people perceived.
Everything was about perception.
Learning from the struggles of royal dynasties of the previous era, the world government's founders knew they had to create a near-perfect system if they wanted to rule without worrying about getting dethroned.
So they created a 'democratic' government where people decided their president every five years indirectly. It made people feel they had a say in choosing their ruler unlike the royal empires of before.
Relying on the subtle brainwashing in the form of patriotism, sacrifice, and racial supremacy, the forefathers established a council consisting of those who have 'sacrificed' so much for the world. They let the world believe the council served no role other than being an advisory board.
Mason rather admired the schemes of the forefathers. What he truly admired was how the council made the political officers a scapegoat for failed policies. If people were dissatisfied with the governing then they could simply change the senators and president; without realizing that this was a part of the scheme to make the world government last forever.
"In the end, the schemes of forefathers were just petty schemes no matter how wonderful. If one has absolute strength then they don't need to fear anything including the world government or nation of terror. Originally there were only 9 members in the council but now 15. It just shows how strength can change what others perceive as impossible."
"But in the end, strength alone also proves useless. As one grows older, strength dwindles. A man works for decades to achieve his position and power but death takes it all away. Death is the greatest enemy."
"But the current era has given us an opportunity...a hope for eternal life."
Mason's eyes burned with desire as his thought process reached here. He looked at the report on the screen and muttered, "Delta City...the hope of eternal life lies there. "
*beep* *beep*
[[The council will be online in a few seconds. ]]] A mechanical voice brought Mason back from his thoughts.
Suddenly, ten of the fifteen chairs were engulfed in green light. A moment later, ten virtual projections entered the room.
"My greetings to the council," Mason rose to his feet and gave the council members a bow. He was surprised to see some council members not showing up, but he didn't mention it.
"Mason, you can sit," an elderly man with a large white beard said.
"Thank you, Lord Elliot," Mason sat down.
Lord Elliot gave a glance to his fellow council members before saying, "Mason, I am sure you know why we summoned you."
"For details regarding the recent golden lightning phenomenon in Delta city," Mason knew it very well.
"Good. You can start with the report on your findings," Lord Elliot signaled him to start.
Mason tapped on the table and the holographic projection activated, displaying the wasteland outside Delta City.
Before, the wasteland was full of barren mountains and plateaus. Now it was just a giant crater.
"The golden lightning phenomenon occurred during midnight for some ten minutes," Mason clicked another panel and the projection showed the visuals of the phenomenon as seen from Delta city.
"As the satellites were not able to collect any information, the chief officer of Delta city -Sylvan- sent a team of forty mutants in the vicinity to collect data. Most of the team died within minutes, thanks to the pressure from the golden lightning."
The screen showed the stats of forty members who entered the wasteland along with their vehicles.
"Most of them died? You mean there were survivors?" an elderly man with an emaciated appearance asked.
Mason got chills when he heard the voice of the mummy-like man. He didn't let his emotions show and respectfully answered, "Lord Harley, some of them escaped quickly, but they died as well since the pressure had ravaged their bodies. Their abilities were erased, and no medical treatment worked."
The council members were shocked by Mason's words.
"Abilities erased? How was that possible?" Lord Elliot asked.
"Yes," Mason nodded. He didn't mention that some survivors were killed by Sylvan in anger, but that wasn't important since they would have died anyway.
"Abilities erased? Very interesting. I would love to perform an autopsy on their bodies," Lord Harley could barely control his emotions.
Mason controlled his disgust and said, "Lord Harley, apologies, but the survivors turned into nothingness after their death. The same happened with those who died inside the wasteland."
The holographic projection showed the recordings of a survivor turning into nothingness.
The council members were shocked by the information. It took them minutes before they completed contemplating the discoveries.
"Mason, I have a question if you don't mind," a Buddhist monk asked.
"Lord Kakusandha, it will be my honor to answer you," Mason said in a voice full of reverence. He knew just how powerful this Buddhist monk was.
"What is the probability of this incident being related to the event from four years ago?" Lord Kakusandha politely asked.
The other council members looked at Mason for his answer. They had their own guesses, but they wanted to know Mason's opinion.
Four years ago, Castor Damon, a Rank IX scientist, went to Delta city for a secret project. A week after his arrival, he suddenly disappeared, and all his life signals were lost. It took place moments after a similar golden lightning phenomenon started in the mining area.
The mining area was one of the meteorites that had fallen on Earth's surface when the age of evolution began. Most meteorites were still in their original positions either due to their weight or dangers involved.
The government and other factions have extracted the minerals and other important elements from most meteorites. But there still remain meteorites which are yet to be explored, for not even the best scientists can find a way to get close to them much less extract.
Originally, the resources from the meteorite in Delta City were already extracted years ago. The minefield was just a remnant of the past and nothing more.
Yet Castor Damon gathered a team to explore this meteorite. It was obvious whatever Castor Damon was seeking was responsible for his sudden disappearance and the golden lightning phenomenon.
Perhaps Castor Damon was in hiding, or he was really dead like the loss of his life signals denoted.
Mason knew the council members were testing him instead of really wanting to know the answer.
"I believe both the events are connected," Mason replied, "Back then the lightning phenomenon took place for approximately five minutes, and the latest one took place for a little over ten minutes. Back then, there were no survivors, and the same was true for now. The location has changed from the mining area to wasteland, but it is still within the vicinity of the same city."
"There is one thing different, though," Lord Elliot injected in between, "The radius of the phenomenon back then was far too low, but this time...the area has tripled."
The council members nodded in agreement. Whatever or whoever was responsible for this incident has gotten stronger.
"Castor Damon was a disgrace to our noble cause," Lord Kakusandha said with a deep sigh, "He kept his project secret from everyone, including the council, who trusted him so deeply."
"Indeed," a disfigured woman agreed, "It took us three years to know what he was seeking. He thought he could hide it from us forever."
"He even took help from revolutionaries while he used our resources for his own benefit," another council member added.
Mason didn't say anything but secretly scoffed at the hypocrisy of council members. Would they have shared the treasure if they got the treasure Castor Damon sought for? Mason knew the answer for he was aware of how great the treasure was.
Before his disappearance, Castor Damon had studied records of the strange writings and engravings as well as the alien technology from the meteorites to seek something special.
After three years of investigation and research, the government was able to pick up clues on what he was truly seeking.
A shard of the Cosmic Spark!
The government also has a shard of the Cosmic Spark that was being researched to find a practical way to extract its unimaginable powers.
After decades of study, the scientists came to the conclusion that the cosmic spark was the power source of the supreme world from where the meteorites originated.
The power source of a supreme world!
Just the meteorites have created so many wonders on Earth, so what about the cosmic spark?
Just the thought of this excited the council to the bones! Perhaps the dream of eternal life would no longer be a mere dream!
Even if eternal life was not possible, then there was Cosmic Manipulation! The ability by which one can manage the cosmic power to do anything as one pleases!
Alas, the world government only has a single hair-like shard so the research didn't gain much practical usage.
But if they had another shard?
"The shard we have has never created a phenomenon like the ones in Delta City. So it is most likely Castor Damon has either found a way to use the shard properly or the shard he found was more powerful," Lord Elliot said.
"We can't be sure Castor Damon is alive," Lord Harley interjected, "He got help from those revolutionaries so maybe he was killed by them."
"We can't be sure of anything," the deformed lady from before said in a cold voice, "We don't even know if the shard is with someone or if it's creating this phenomenon on its own."
"Agreed," Lord Kakusandha joined in and said something which shocked everyone, "We can't even be sure if it was just a shard."
The council members sucked in a breath of cold air!
Right! What if it wasn't a shard but the entire Cosmic Spark!
...
"Don't count your chickens before they hatch," a feminine ice-cold voice shattered the dreams of council members.
The speaker was a woman that appeared to be in her twenties. Her skin was as white as the snow while her hair was as dark as the deep night.
"Ice Queen is right," Lord Kakusandha bowed down towards the woman and said, "This monk's heart was blinded by greed."
Ice Queen ignored his words of thanks, but Lord Kakusandha didn't take any offense. He knew her disposition was of a queen, and it wasn't just because of her title.
Her title of Ice Queen was due to her ability, but she was a real queen as well!
Queen of Eden!
Eden!
The commoners of this world usually call it by its other name — Beauty Island! An island only for women!
"We sure don't know much for ruling more than half the world," said a man with a dragon tattoo on his right cheek, "We might as well name the council as a council of ignorants."
The council members fell silent as the insult struck them deeply. They were the rulers of this world, yet they were as ignorant as the masses.
"Lord Lewis, I should be blamed for the lack of information regarding Delta City," Mason apologized for the failure.
"Mason, I understand you might be tired since it is your second term in office," Lord Lewis waved off his hand and said, "It is hard not to get tired after gaining the attention of young women. So perhaps you need rest."
Mason felt a chill down his spine. He was a married man with children, but if news of his infidelity leaked, then his political power...
Damn!
Would the general populace agree to have a leader who didn't respect the sanctity of marriage? Would the public trust a man who couldn't be faithful to his own wife?
If he lost his position, then what about his pursuit of strength and eternal life? The council didn't need to care about the perception of the general populace unlike him!
Fuck!
Mason knew the councilman was warning him by mentioning his affairs so that he would do his best.
"Please give me a chance to prove myself," Mason begged.
The council members nodded, much to Mason's relief.
Lord Elliot turned towards a muscular man with black hair and green pupils.
"Great Poseidon of Atlantis, is there something you would like to add?" Lord Elliot respectfully asked. It was the first time he was so respectful throughout the meeting.
In the end, the powerful were revered, and this applied in every society. As the king of Atlantis, Poseidon carried a great deal of power himself beside the power of the sea race.
So how could Lord Elliot not be polite towards him?
"I don't have any problems with your arrangements as long as you remember our original treaty," Poseidon nonchalantly replied.
"You can rest assured on that," Lord Elliot and others nodded their heads.
One by one, the projection of the council members disappeared from the room.
---------------------------
Atlantis.
The lost city was covered by an invisible force field, only allowing the free flow of water and nothing else. Various types of marine lifelines were visible throughout.
The sea serpent, Leviathan, sea monk, and other mutated sea animals were constantly guarding the borders of the sacred city.
Temples, palaces, castles, and other types of infrastructures were visible throughout the submerged land, inhabited by sea nymphs, mermaids, sirens, selkies, and others.
Poseidon sat on his throne with his eyes closed and his right hand on a white orb. Below the dais, his wife, Anthea, stood. She was a graceful woman, bearing a beauty so astonishing that she could topple empires with her gaze.
Suddenly, Poseidon opened his eyes.
"How was the meeting?" Anthea's voice was sweet like an angel as she asked.
"Just a waste of time," Poseidon walked down the dais.
"Is that so?" Anthea asked again. She felt something amiss from her husband's face even though he did his best to conceal it.
"You know me far too well," Poseidon kissed her on her forehead and said, "I have to pay a visit to the temple."
Anthea was shocked by his words.
"Surely Atlantis is not in danger?" Anthea hurriedly asked.
"Nothing like that. There is some guidance I need before I make a decision," Poseidon explained to her.
"Guidance?" Anthea wanted to ask more, but then she heard the throne room opening. She turned around and saw a young woman in her late teens dashing towards them.
"Father! Mother!" the young woman shouted as she dashed into the arms of her parents. Her skin glistened with the luster of beautiful jade just like her mother.
"Melina, you are rather early today," Anthea lovingly adjusted the tiara over her daughter's head. Poseidon looked at the actions of his daughter and wife with a smile.
"Melina, I have an urgent task so can you look after your mother for me?" Poseidon asked his daughter.
"Of course! I will protect mother!" Melina readily agreed. Anthea smiled at her daughter's words, but deep down, she was worried about her husband.
---------------------
Poseidon entered a large temple made of exquisite crystals. The crystals on the walls scanned through his body multiple times before allowing him to enter the core section of the temple.
Unlike the other places in Atlantis, the core region of the temple didn't have a single drop of water. The core region was made of red crystals throughout, but at the center, there was a throne made of blue crystals. Poseidon's gaze fell on the throne upon which a woman was sitting with her eyes tightly shut.
Her skin was snow-white, but her face was blue. If one looked carefully, it was possible to see the blue crystals of the throne fused with her body.
"Holy Seer, I beg of your guidance," Poseidon bowed down deeply in respect.
Slowly, the woman opened her eyes...
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