章節 1306: Prelude to the Darkness
With the power grid compromised, the only places with any power at all were the various hospitals, police stations, and other emergency services facilities. They had powerful backup generators and several redundancies built into their infrastructure exactly for situations like this. As a result, they stood out as a beacon of hope within the encroaching darkness as people who were unable to reach the emergency shelters began to congregate around the light.
Under normal circumstances, a disaster like this would have caused the hospital staff to be at a loss. They were grossly unequipped to deal with hundreds of thousands of people simultaneously as even large hospitals typically only employed around 1000-1500 personnel, the majority of which consisted of nurses and support personnel. Becoming a Doctor in the modern era required up to a decade of schooling and a strong financial background so there simply weren't enough qualified personnel for the hundreds of thousands of people affected by the crisis.
Had this been a normal incident, the number of casualties would quickly exceed the capacity of even the largest hospitals. There were literally tens of thousands of people with severe burns all over their body and, with the influx of people seeking shelter, it was impossible to treat all of them. They didn't have near enough beds so many patients were simply left to whimper on military-style cots that had been pulled out of storage. The nurses were running around doing their best to help everyone they could but, with new patients arriving every minute, they had reached the breaking point long ago.
It was when things seemed their bleakest that a literal miracle occurred, at least in the eyes of the Doctors, Nurses, hospital employees, and patients themselves...
Coinciding with the appearance of the 'alien fortress', a calming warmth seemed to spread through several hospitals located within the area affected by what some were calling a rogue solar flare. This warmth began to miraculously heal patients who had previously been on the verge of death, their burns and wounds healing at a rate visible to the naked eye. Some of the children even made full recoveries in a few short minutes, stunning everyone that bore witness to the event.
The hospital personnel couldn't make sense of the miracle they were observing but, considering the circumstances, they were extremely grateful for the relief. This eased their burden considerably, even if the 'miracle' didn't seem to extend to every patient. It seemed to have a greater effect on children as many adults were only brought from the brink of death rather than being healed completely. The Doctors couldn't really be choosy in this situation, however, so they did their best to treat as many patients as possible while entrusting the police and military to deal with the ever-increasing influx of people flocking to the hospital...
---
This time of year, sunset for London was around 5:15 PM. Normally, this wouldn't matter all that much as you could easily navigate the city and its surroundings using the various street lights and buildings to light your path. Now, however, the primary light source came from various fires, candles, and flashlights. Even motor vehicles and been affected by the wave of energy so, outside of London, almost every street was cluttered with cars and the debris of several traffic accidents.
Many people had taken the opportunity to riot as some believed this incident was an actual invasion, despite the fortress in the sky having done nothing for several hours. They broke into virtually every store that wasn't well guarded, cleaning the shelves of more than just food and water. Rather, some believed that the police had no way of dealing with everyone so a large number of people had taken the opportunity to steal various electronics, jewelry, and anything else that wasn't secured prior to the incident.
Vahn watched these incidents play out and, while he was bothered by the depravity some people showed during a crisis, what troubled him more was the military's response to the looting and riots. They had come out in force, beating, assaulting, and even shooting anyone they found committing crimes. Emergency sirens had been sounding for hours and a broadcast announcing martial law had already been put in effect so they didn't hesitate to resort to drastic measures, even against young teens and the elderly...
Further adding to Vahn's annoyance, the military had actually tried to assault and arrest Gawain and his unit of Homunculi. This was in spite of the fact that the group was clearly helping people but, as they were not recognized as emergency service or military personnel, the armed soldier didn't care at all. Some had even opened fire on 'non-compliant' Homunculi, resulting in several squads flocking to the area to 'suppress the terrorist group attacking the military'. It was such a ridiculous farce that Vahn just gave the order for Gawain to withdraw, not willing to deal with an incompetent force who placed a higher priority on 'enforcing order' than providing aid to the people...
With the withdrawal of Gawain and the Homunculi, the only Imperial Forces on-site were Vahn and, as a result of her being inside the Hanging Gardens prior to its teleportation, Semiramis. Merlin was definitely around somewhere but, after taking a seat, Vahn noticed the flowery Magus had vanished into thin air.
It was all but guaranteed that Merlin was taking action in the interest of the Empire so, while it did trouble him to lose his Advisor, Vahn didn't question his absence. Rather, he was busy with other things so Merlin's whimsy barely even crossed his mind at the present moment. Instead, his second vessel was back in Antarctica as he poured over the data obtained through CHALDEAS. He had the always calm and composed Sherlock at his side while Olga, Okita, Jeanne, and Gareth were all ready to do anything he asked at a moment's notice.
As Vahn wasn't intending to engage in a massive battle for control of the world, he had the almost too-eager girls sit quietly at the side while Sherlock, surrounded by a complex mechanism comprised of dozens of magnifying glasses that jut out from his coat like the legs of a spider. Using these, he was able to inspect and analyze virtually anything as, rather than only show objects in the immediate surroundings, the lenses showed various locations around the world. So long as Sherlock knew what he was looking for, things like distance had no meaning before the world's greatest detective.
Currently, Sherlock was calmly smoking an ornate curved pipe, his demeanor a perfect mask that made it impossible to know exactly what he was thinking. Fortunately, he was more than willing to inform you about his thought processes as being the 'greatest' was something the gentlemanly detective took great pride in. The downside to this quirk was that, unless you asked him to explain something, he would continue to thoughtfully stare into the distance without even acknowledging your presence...
Vahn understood Sherlock's quirks well and, considering how helpful the man had been, he gave the peculiar detective the respect he deserved. Thus, after noticing Sherlock seemed to lose focus, Vahn asked, "Have you discovered something new, Count Holmes...?"
As if he only just now realized Vahn was sitting in the same room, despite the fact they had multiple conversations prior, Sherlock showed mild surprise before smiling as he answered, "Your Majesty, I have uncovered quite the heinous plot, one so great that it threatens to shake the very foundations of this world."
Though he really wasn't in the mood, Vahn knew it was easier to play along than try to force the answer out of Sherlock. He could only maintain a serious expression on his face as he nodded in understanding before saying, "Please, Count Holmes, enlighten me regarding the specifics of this heinous deed. Time is of the essence and we cannot afford to sit idly as our enemies machinate against us..."
With a thoughtful nod, Sherlock removed the pipe from his mouth as one of the magnifying glasses grew to more than a meter in diameter. This allowed Vahn to see the scene of several cloaked figures sitting around a circular stone table surrounded by ten thrones, each covered in a combination of [Primordial Runes] and [Divine Words]. Two of the thrones were empty but, based on the feeling the remaining members gave off, Vahn estimated that their weakest member was more than twice as strong as Lorelei.
Without having to be asked, Sherlock explained, "These are mere projections of the actual people but, using the imprint I was able to place one the Heads of the Godwin and Fraga families, I was able to trace the signal and listen in on their discussion. It seems that the actions of the Trambelio family were known to them in advance. Now, they are considering whether or not to awaken an entity they keep referring to as the 'God of Calamity'. One of the members remarked that the release of such a monster would destroy the world, thus my earlier comment."
Vahn could only shake his head in exasperation upon hearing Sherlock's explanation. He was aware of the fact that the most powerful families had already taken measures to secure their legacy and lay low, despite the chaos they themselves were causing. They were completely unaware of the fact that he could summon them through the Throne of Heroes and, in spite of their efforts to escape notice, it was impossible to completely cover their tracks as, with Alaya at his side, Vahn could reveal their Strings of Fate at his leisure...
Now that things had reached this point, it was obvious that the most powerful and corrupt families didn't care if they ended up bring the world to ruin as, in their minds, they could simply rebuild after things had settled down. They knew he was no longer playing their games so, in order to avoid the same fate as the Barthomeloi, they had hidden away their legacy while preparing for an all-out war on the Surface. He was already aware of the fact they had contacted various organizations in their control, riling them up to vehemently oppose the Empire's rise.
It really was one of the greatest farces as, from the moment he decided to take action, there was no war to fight. He didn't have to conquer the world as, with Alaya and ORT on his side, he was already in control. They just didn't realize this as, from the perspective of almost everyone currently in power, they used humanity as a metric to determine their status and authority. Vahn, however, was focused more on the planet itself and, even if the majority of humanity ended up dying, they would simply reincarnate into another world. He would do what he could to protect as many people as possible but, from the very beginning, Vahn knew that most humans living in the current era would never be able to adapt to the coming changes...
After thanking Sherlock for the information, Vahn allowed the latter to return to his data collection as, back in the Hanging Gardens, he pulled out the [Grace of the Root]. He had put a lot of thought into the 'best' wish he could make using the tiny chalice so, with darkness now spreading across the city, it was time to finalize his decision. He knew there was no real reason behind protecting every single person as, the greater the number of survivors, the more troublesome things would become in the interim.
Understanding this, Vahn decided to take advantage of a quirk in the structure of the Root System itself. He knew there were a functionally infinite number of worlds and, while they may exist in very different dimensions of space and time, they were still connected through the Root System itself. This was something he could use to his advantage so, after cementing his resolve, Vahn held up the [Grace of the Root] and said, "From now until the emergence of Angra Mainyu, transfer everyone with neutral or good karma to a parallel world at the moment they were fated to die. Make sure the world they are sent to is one where they can thrive and prosper. For those that have longed for other worlds, make sure they are sent to a world that matches their innermost desires..."
In response to his request, the tiny golden chalice began to glow with an intense light as a synthetic voice mechanically stated, "It is impossible to extend the length of time to ten years. The fate of the world and its inhabitants is in constant flux. Your wish will only be valid for 1,000 days before it is no longer in effect. Please confirm your understanding and intent."
Vahn was somewhat amused as, from his shoulder, Alaya was staring hard at the glowing chalice as the voice it used was none other than Akasha's. As the Administrator of the Root System, Akasha had absolute authority within the experimental field, at least when conditions were met. Vahn being able to manifest an item that acted on the authority of Akasha was something incomprehensible and, as a result, the real Akasha was watching with intrigue as the system worked in overtime to collect data...
Without minding the fact he had triggered the interest of Akasha and her Superiors further, Vahn gave a curt nod in response to the voice before stating confidently, "One-thousand days is plenty. Proceed...!"
Immediately after Vahn expressed his intent, the small golden chalice glowed so brightly that, even with his adaptive eyes, Vahn was forced to squint. Fortunately, this only lasted for a few seconds and, after the synthetic voice answered, "Your wish has been granted.", it faded away entirely...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'The real 'special' forces...!','A version of Sherlock that is full of himself...how rare~','Not what I would wish for but it works xD...')
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章節 1307: The Darkest Night (1/?)
Vahn's wish using the [Grace of the Root] had far-reaching consequences but he wouldn't learn about these until the dust began to settle. The present occupied most of his focus and, feeling as if a heavy weight had been removed from his shoulders, he leaned back against the Hanging Garden's throne/control center. For a brief moment, he closed his eyes and, rather than step in to protect a young boy at gunpoint, he watched with anticipation as the assailant ultimately pulled the trigger.
At nearly the exact same moment as the muzzle flash, the youth seemed to vanish into thin air. This left the assailant completely shocked but Vahn, sitting high in the sky, couldn't help but issue a light chuckle before using his Telekinesis to break the man's legs.
Though he would still do what he could to help people, Vahn felt relief knowing he didn't have to worry about whether or not good or innocent people would die. Even if his enemies used an attack that wiped out all life on the surface, he imagined a considerable number of people would simply be transported to a different world. One of the few benefits of a stagnant and easily exploited society was that people rarely did anything significant so a large portion of the population had neutral or good karma...
With his wish in effect, Vahn was ready for anything his enemies would throw at him. He didn't care how much blame they tried to lay on his shoulders as, in the end, the truth would always be brought to light. The people may hate him for years, or even generations to come, but other sapient species would look up to him as a hero and god. They had suffered greatly as a result of human nature so it was high time they were allowed to reclaim the world that had been robbed from them...
---
Around the same time that Vahn was idling about on the throne, the aerial perimeter that had been set up around the Hanging Gardens began to change formation. The helicopters began to pull away from the encirclement until they had reached a distance just under 1km. Then, their orders received, a total of 183 attack helicopters released their payload of air-to-air missiles synchronously. From the ground, it looked like streams of light converging toward a single point in the darkness, drawing a lot of attention from the pedestrians and rioters below...
Before the missiles had even been fired, the eight revolving platforms of the Hanging Gardens, each more than 50m in length and 15m in width, began to spin slightly faster. They were covered in what appeared to be a shield-like emblem which, upon detecting a threat, began to glow with a vibrant purple light as complex runes, each comprised of [Divine Words], appeared on their surface. Thick bands of purple lightning began to dance between the revolving platforms and, in what seemed like a single instant, more than a thousand missiles had been destroyed...
As missiles may as well be moving in slow motion from his perspective, Vahn had already returned to full focus before the barrage got anywhere near the defensive array of the Hanging Gardens. He was also able to intercept the communications between the base that had given the order and the pilots that had carried it out so there wasn't really anything they could do to surprise him using machines that relied on radio and satellite communications.
When everything was said and done, Vahn would be releasing all of the pertinent communications to the public and, while the people on the ground had no idea what was going on, the entire event was being recorded by several invisible drones. Everyone would know the truth that took place here and, though it was impossible to prevent the Empire from being vilified, the seeds of doubt and distrust would already be planted.
Understanding his role in this grand play, Vahn adopted a calm and confident demeanor as he stated, "This is the Aldrnari Empire's Floating Fortress, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. We have not come here with the intent to harm anyone. Cease your unprompted attack immediately or you will be forced to comply."
Though it seemed like he was just talking to the air, Vahn's voice was heard over all military comms simultaneously. This had come as a great surprise to those stationed on the ground while, back at their base, a high ranking official picked up a comms and answered, "This is Lieutenant General Cliff Walford, Commanding Officer of Royal Air Force base Alconbury. Who, may I ask, is speaking?"
From what Vahn knew of the military ranks used in the United Kingdom, a Lieutenant General was the second-highest officer rank in the Ministry of Defense. He had expected a four-star General to be the one to respond to his communications but a three-star Lieutenant General wasn't far from the top.
In response to General Walford's request, Vahn stated in the same calm tone, "This is the Emperor of the Aldrnari Empire, Vahn Aldrnari Mason speaking. Know that, should you continue firing upon my vessel, I will be forced to ground your aircraft. The military is supposed to protect the people. Instead of instigating war and attacking a vessel that has shown no hostility, you should be providing aid to the civilians on the ground."
Hearing Vahn's words, tensions in the control room increased considerably as General Walford held the comms up to his mouth and answered in a firm tone, "Emperor Mason, was it not your Aldrnari Empire that attacked a civilian population entirely unprompted? Do not believe for a moment that the Royal Air Force will just sit idly by as you commit acts of terrorism against the sovereign citizens of Great Britain...!"
Vahn couldn't help but shake his head slightly upon hearing the General's words but, without any delay in his own response, he answered, "The Aldrnari Empire has committed no acts of terrorism against the people's of the United Kingdom. The truth of the matter will be brought to light in due time. For now, you will cease your unprompted attack and provide aid to your people. Further acts of aggression will not be tolerated."
With his ultimatum given, Vahn cut the connection between himself and the military base. He could still hear the General's response but words were no longer important. Everything came down to how the military chose to act and, meeting his expectations, they chose the violent response. This time, it was the fighter jets that had been circling the perimeter that came in to attack. They began strafing runs at angles above and below the Hanging Gardens, probing for gaps in the defensive formation. Vahn noticed that some of the aircraft carried 'special' payloads that would be able to ignore weaker magical barriers so it was obvious that the RAF wasn't acting in the interests of the people.
True to his word, Vahn simply uttered the word, "Sit." before the flight controls of every aircraft in the area were hijacked. The Empire hadn't been sitting idle during the hours leading up to the conflict so Da Vinci's micro-golems had invaded most military systems, including aircraft and ground vehicles. It only took a single command from Vahn to shut down engines or take over the controls of the more advanced aircraft. The micro-golems would then pilot the fighter jets back to base while the myriad of attack helicopters was forced to land on the tops of buildings.
General Walford was gobsmacked by the development but, despite the best efforts of the mechanics to get the systems operational again, the micro-bots had completely fried the core circuitry after the aircraft had been successfully grounded. They couldn't even use the reserve equipment as it had all suffered the same fate as a precautionary measure. Vahn did this to prevent the advanced weaponry from being used on the civilian population as, regardless of their efforts, penetrating the shields of the Hanging Gardens was beyond modern weaponry.
While the military was in chaos, Vahn took the opportunity to hijack the communications once again, reminding, "You should be helping your people, not starting a war. This is my final warning, General. Do your job."
Hearing the unexpected remark from Vahn, General Walford threw the comms device in his hand, breaking the tiny transmitter into several pieces. Having hundreds of aircraft become unserviceable in an instant was already terrible news. This incident would cost them billions of pounds on the low and but, considering how easily the Empire had taken them down, that was an optimistic estimate. They would need to come up with some kind of countermeasure against whatever tech had been used to hijack and disable their systems or there would be no meaning in getting them airborne.
It was easy to guess that the 'invaders' had advanced technology just by the fact they had a floating fortress that was more than 700m in diameter. Now, it seemed their tech was even more advanced than initial speculation, however, as some technicians were already beginning to speculate that the aircraft's systems had been fried by nanomachines. If this was the truth, the Empire's military would be without equal in the entire world as nanotech, while quickly growing in popularity, had very few practical uses. The tiny machines were too fragile and, without perfect conditions, they would break down in a very short period of time. This, combined with the cost, made the tech functionally useless outside the medical field...
As General Walford was lamenting the sheer ridiculousness of the current situation, his private pager began to buzz. This caused his expression to harden in an instant and, after seeing the coded string of characters, he actually had to sit down as his legs felt as if they had turned to jelly. His actions did not go unnoticed by the other officers in the room so, after a few seconds had passed, silence had replaced the chaos that had dominated the chamber.
After collecting himself, General Walford looked at his men, each people he had come to trust over several long years of service. He could feel the contents of his stomach turn as his acid reflux stirred up at the mere thought of the task he had been given. However, he wouldn't have become a General if he was unable to carry out his orders so, without explaining anything, he muttered in a weary tone that seemed to age him ten years in an instant, "Ministry of Defense Order ZK-005-1A is in effect..."
The majority of people present had no idea what the General was talking about but, before they were able to ask any questions, gunshots began to ring out within the command room. Generally speaking, it was against regulation to carry firearms within the command room but, for events such as this, a select few officers had been given permission to do so. They were the extreme loyalists of the United Kingdom and, as a result of their position, knew the 'truth' about who held power behind the government.
While some commoners were allowed to rise to high positions based on their merits, all of the core positions within the military were held by those loyal to various Noble families. They were all under the influence of very powerful mental manipulation and, even if they had misgivings about certain orders, they were compelled to carry them out without question. Thus, while it pained him to no end, General Walford and his fellow officers arranged the corpses of their fellow countrymen into a circle before pulling out ruby-red gemstones and slitting their own wrists with the pointed ends. This was a scene being repeated all throughout the country and, while Vahn was aware of it, he watched on in silence as his fury continued to build like a volcano on the verge of exploding...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Reclaiming the planet o3o...!','Nanogolems OP','Corrupted to the roots')
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