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Intelligent Protection (The Aether Backstory Part 8)


Vyz Ejstu

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The Founding Fathers:

Intelligent Protection

 

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They rode from the East,

Blazing fires in their eyes.

Behind the white beast, 

The sound of a million cries.

The Griffin charged forth,

Leading the armies of Light.

Deserts faced their wrath,

Fertile lands—the triumph of their might.

 

3 Acts of the Lambent Chapter 1:29. The Kalnian Books.

 

Five hours more or a lot worse could happen than me slaying every human in a ten-mile radius. On my “suggestion”, the Oethe Inc. flag had been lowered and placed as gravestone for the dead that fell from the sky. Eidolon could only glower and threaten as I casually threw his glittery toys into the mud and rain.

 

“You seem so willing to court Death. The wedding will be in no time, Oru.” Shiro noted as we walked in the forest while it drizzled slightly.

 

We enjoyed the musty spring smell, stepping over wet and slippery roots, soggy foliage, fallen trees and passing dead and budding stumps. Small trees swayed slightly with their leaves from side to side while the taller ones stood upright whispering and shaking their boughs and branches at whoever was beneath. The light, low drone of tiny droplets hitting leaves, wood and stone was an ambient sound track` on its own. The fierce, howling wind blew gusts of cold air through my shirt and trousers, tugging, pushing and blowing them wherever it wished. The grey sky overhead had lightened up a bit, but the different shades of grey that swirled and moved still looked heavy.

 

“I see no problem with that. Where you thinking of marrying him yourself?” Kuro asked from above, standing on a tree that moved and whispered as the wind passed messages through its leaves. All in all, the absence of any other voices and the ambient song of nature was all I needed to remain calm. But, my friends didn’t seem to notice that.

She winked at him, flinging a loaded shell with flawless motion. It hit him on the head and he barely caught himself from falling six feet low.

 

“He’s too much of an eccentric for me,” she looked at the time on her forearm. “to consider that option. We need to get you to sleep—fast.”

 

I gave a tired yawn, stroking Haiiro gently. A few minutes ago, Eidolon was as mad as a March hare when I offered to relegate him to a lesser role. The AI threatened me with loud and tedious talk while I used sarcasm to reply it and mostly to entertain myself. I don’t think it found the repartee funny.

 

“I’m moving Io out of the Defender’s position. Kurotou will do better there—for now at least.”

 

“I would like to believe that you’ve thought this through. But, I’ve known you for way too long. Your answer is:” Kuro mumbled waiting for me to finish.

 

“No.”

 

He sighed and Shiro shook her head.

 

“Why do you always do things like this?”

 

I pretended to think.

 

“Hm…Thinking is burdensome…I prefer living in the moment.”  

 

“Perfect. You had one enemy, now you have three. Eidolon is going to hate you even more, Io will turn into a lava-spewing volcano, and Kurotou will be so hot at the thought of working under you and replacing his superior. The heat he produces will be enough to keep the whole planet warm for decades.” 

 

I hushed Kuro and turned towards the camp.

 

“I’ll stop by Kilo. If that will make you feel better.”

 

“Believe me, it won’t.” Shiro shot back, casting a dark gaze on me before heading back to the Olympus Ariana.

 

“You know she has a point there. I have a feeling you’ll be using Haiiro a lot more within Olympus Ariana than outside it. No thanks to the Mad men.”

 

I sighed and nodded, yawning again.

 

“I’ll catch you later, Kuro.”

 

He nodded and left, leaving me alone in the woodlands. I looked towards the plains in the west. There between two shrubs, Eidolon hovered. The AI was watching me.

Quarter an hour later, I found Kurotou with some guards.

 

“What are you doing here?”

 

Picking daisies for your mother.

 

“Picking daisi— “I barely stopped in time. The other guards looked amused.

 

“Do I look like a three-year-old girl to you, freak?” He asked, irritated at my presence, it seemed.

 

“I came to apologise for what I— “

 

He cut me off.

 

“I don’t want your apology. Get out of my sight.”

 

I’m trying to be the good guy here, mate. Calm down.

I swallowed and continued. 

 

“You know, it’s not really a job, because there’s no stated rules for labour protection and transactions. If you could at least— “

 

He moved up to me and pointed his rifle at my chest. His comrades didn’t look bothered.

 

“You don’t seem to understand what it means to get out of someone’s sight, do you?”

 

This was one of the reasons I stayed away from most humans. Almost every conversation went south before or as soon as it got a compass.

 

“I’m trying to apologise here!”

 

He sneered at me.

 

“You can take that apology and stick it up your a— “

 

I sighed and slapped his gun away from me, bringing Haiiro to his head with my other hand. The other people moved a few steps backward.

 

“They think me to be an inconsequential person. Do you know what that means?”

 

I saw the cold sweat form on his face and gave an unconcerned smile. From his expression, I must have looked like the Grim Reaper.

 

“You are Lhaeryon now. The Defender and the Defence Department is no more. I’m replacing them with you.”

 

He didn’t answer.

 

“It’s an offer. Take it, or leave it.”

 

Research has proven that holding a gun to someone’s head gives better results on average than asking with a candy in the hand.

 

“I’ll take it.”

 

I bowed slightly, lowering Haiiro.

 

“I look forward to working with you, Lhaeryon. Make sure you see me before the day is up.”

 

With that, I spun on my feet and headed to Kilo. I found the old man polishing some rifles in the armoury.

 

“Do you have some spare time, Kilo?”

 

He looked up through bright eyes.

 

“Not for you, Satoru. Except you’re going to help an old friend out here.”

 

I smiled and picked a rifle from a showcase, grabbing a spray container and a cloth from the adjacent aluminium rack.

 

“Compelling and old school as ever. There are machines to do this kind of thing.” I said, rubbing the barrel of the fire arm with the fabric.

 

“There are certain things a machine can never do as well as a human…Eidolon inclusive.”

 

Yawning, I gave him a low five.

His smile faded.

 

“How long have you been awake?”

 

“I’ve got three more hours till I go crazy or find a way to dream.”

 

He placed a pristine gun back on the rack.

 

“Still can’t sleep?”

 

“You know me. I like to show a little ginger when competition steps up.”

 

He cleaned his hands and laughed.

 

“Liar. You are more laid back than the ground.” He paused and looked into space.

 

“What else do you have to do?”

 

I leaned against the wall.

 

“You tell me.”

 

He threw me a rifle.

 

“Eidolon’s got something planned. I hear the wind whispering secrets of a girl your age.”

 

“Hm.” I shrugged and cleaned the rifle.

 

“It doesn’t sound like a romance story to me, if it was, I’d know. I was a real ladies’ man at your age.”

 

“No. You were the pool wrecker and Knox Carter at bars. Remember how you broke a mahogany stool on the bartender’s head in Dortmund? Why did you stop fighting? I looked forward to meeting you at the bars back then.”

 

He took the rifle from me.

 

“It was getting expensive. And I’m an old man now. Why do you spend more time with old people than with your age mates, anyway?”

 

“Shiro says I’m willing to court Death. I’d better learn from those who are courting Her.”

 

His eyes grew wide with amusement.

 

“Well then. Let me tell you something since you want to know as much as we do. Appoint that new girl Eidolon’s waking as the Head of your intelligence department.”

 

“An enemy into a friend.” I noted.

 

He grinned and pushed me out of the door.

 

“Go on. Let’s see whether you’ll be as charming as I am.”

 

I walked towards the AI’s favourite section—the one that had a few humans that were still in cryo-sleep. The drizzle had stopped now, leaving the air moist and the environment wet. Kilo was very much different from most humans—the same went for old people in general. Unlike the younger adults, they had common sense and invaluable experience. Since Earth, Kilo remained one of the few people I could call a friend and I hoped it would remain like that forever.

Kurotou met me along the way.

 

“Listen, I don’t want to get off on the wrong foot here.”

 

I kept quiet.

 

“But, it would really help if you could tell me what I’m supposed to do as Lhaeryon.”

 

I casually climbed to the top of the Eidolon’s Section, and waited for him to reach me. Nine minutes later, he came huffing and puffing while I sat calmly at the edge.

Once his fit of wheezing had subsided, I stood and pulled him to the edge. He stiffened immediately.

Holding Haiiro in my left hand, I pointed at the left and moved my arm over the right. Beyond and all around us was Olympus Ariana. The sunlight was piercing through the grey clouds, bringing wide and bright golden rays of light that shone down on us. Humans engaged in various activities, machinery hummed, Nightelves landed and took off, crafts patrolled the ground and the skies. White Sections stood tall, reflecting the glorious piercing rays, while zephyrs moved the air and added a nice chill to everything they touched.

 

“Protect us.” I said and looked him in the eye.

 

He kept his gaze on the scenery.

 

“That’s a lot to ask.” He whispered.

 

“You think you’re inadequate?”

 

The man kept quiet.

 

“You are afraid?”

 

“The Mad men will attack us here. Petrovsky wants revenge. The Earldom of Mercia is sending delegates. Our scouts report unrest near the Ark ship. The drums of war are beating.”

 

“Let them beat. When the drummers are tired, they will sleep.”

 

His look felt like daggers were thrown at me.

 

“The Mad men are on the warpath. And so are we!”

 

“We’d best get off the war path then. Let the Mad men pass us. When they walk down the warpath and meet no one, they’ll get tired and rest. Or they’ll get on another path.” I said, yawning.

 

Surprisingly, Kurotou smiled.

 

“You’re not half bad, freak. We might get along.”

 

“Even if I’m younger than you?”

 

“That doesn’t matter. Protect, yes? I’ll do it.”

 

“Good.” I said and climbed down.

 

“Figure out how to get down, Lhaeryon.” I said, delighting in his confused face.

 

I snuck into the Section, and searched the rooms. The unlit lights and dark halls made it obvious that there was no activity in here. From deep within I heard something hissing. Quickening my pace, I moved upstairs and searched the rooms. There was a quiet, inaudible exchange of words and it grew silent as I neared the source. Slowing to a walk, I opened the door. Sitting in a white dress was—without doubt—the girl Kilo talked about. Behind her, Eidolon hovered with a victorious air around it.

I looked at her and she didn’t lower her gaze. Something inside me shuddered at what it saw in her eyes.

 

“I’m Mistral. Eidolon has told me a lot about you.” She said enjoying my unease, and refusing to break eye contact.

 

I smiled, although I was pretty alarmed.

 

“Then you know my name. You are now Adhonys. Intelligence is your responsibility.”

 

Eidolon moved between us, cutting off our views of each other.

 

“Will that be all, Satoru?”

 

From behind him, Mistral giggled.

 

“Satoru? You mean Oru.”

 

I failed to stifle a yawn, but my mind was racing so hard, I was sure they could hear it revving.

 

“Make sure you meet up with me when I wake up.” I said and stumbled out of the Section. A glance on my right forearm and I knew I had a little over two hours to find some sleep. I took a walk into the plains and laid down there.

Hopefully, sleep would come now. 

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I'm loving the series man! Keep it up!!!!

" An excellent day to you, Halo381.

 

Doumo arigatou gozaimasu. Your kind words are very much appreciated. 

 

Our gratitude for the encouragement as well. Have a wonderful day.

"

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Damn. That's mental. Writing a whole lot for a game not even in Alpha. That freaks me out totally, the hours' loss I see in there. I agree with the comics because it's art out of itself but some raw lines. I'm not against it, just I don't see the point myself, I mean loads would just come by and see the text Block (wall they say) and go away, not expressing anything about it and barely reading the page, I just say that.

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Damn. That's mental. Writing a whole lot for a game not even in Alpha. That freaks me out totally, the hours' loss I see in there. I agree with the comics because it's art out of itself but some raw lines. I'm not against it, just I don't see the point myself, I mean loads would just come by and see the text Block (wall they say) and go away, not expressing anything about it and barely reading the page, I just say that.

Harsh.  But true.  I think we need to stick with the story right now.  We're humans from Earth who got stuffed into an arkship, freezedried and shot into a planet.  That does give me an idea though.

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Harsh.  But true.  I think we need to stick with the story right now.  We're humans from Earth who got stuffed into an arkship, freezedried and shot into a planet.  That does give me an idea though.

Yeah. Moreover the way that is 'tolkien-like' to come up with some random fake document's name by some unsound poem's lines. Come on, it's an outrage to Tolkien's memory itself, fake history doesn't come out of nowhere.

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Yeah. Moreover the way that is 'tolkien-like' to come up with some random fake document's name by some unsound poem's lines. Come on, it's an outrage to Tolkien's memory itself, fake history doesn't come out of nowhere.

"

A wonderful day to you, Leonis. 

 

Thank you for your suggestions and contribution. I'll be sure to pass them on to the Aether family and we'll discuss it. Perhaps, we might stop the backstories in a few parts, but I believe that's unlikely to happen. 

 

These backstories tell the history and current activities within the Aether and to those of us in the Aether, it is a chance to let the Dual Universe community see us as what we are. 

 

I write because I enjoy writing and find it a suitable escape from the troubles and stress of real life. Someone did ask me if these names and poems are from another book or text and the answer is: no. It takes a lot of time and effort to write these poems and make these characters with each poem and character having a significant meaning or a hidden hint at an ulterior motive. 

 

I have read Tolkien's books and I remain a great admirer of his fictional and fantasy works. Although, I must note that I haven't laid my eyes on any Lord of the Rings or other Tolkien lore for well over a year. I can confidently say that these Parts may be in more than one way similar to Tolkien's works, but I did not in any way take out of his characters. A lot of things in here are from books I worked on myself--including the mega-company: Oethe Inc. 

 

Once again, I thank you for your insight and will work towards making the Aether backstories much more interesting to read. 

 

Have a wonderful day.

"

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Damn. That's mental. Writing a whole lot for a game not even in Alpha. That freaks me out totally, the hours' loss I see in there. I agree with the comics because it's art out of itself but some raw lines. I'm not against it, just I don't see the point myself, I mean loads would just come by and see the text Block (wall they say) and go away, not expressing anything about it and barely reading the page, I just say that.

 

Well I believe somewhere Aetherios mentions how Dual Universe is something of an outlet for testing out how this creation will work.  I feel the devs are looking for this kind of creativity to fill there game with.  Using EVE as a parallel, there's so much player driven lore now that it's nearly impossible to image that game solely based on what the devs created.  Besides, all this writing doesn't really affect you so why bash on it?

 

Reading this stuff and trying to imagine the setup of Alioth the way Aetherios is envisioning it, is not only a great way to pass the time but it's akin to reading a good book that I hope will never stop.

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Well I believe somewhere Aetherios mentions how Dual Universe is something of an outlet for testing out how this creation will work.  I feel the devs are looking for this kind of creativity to fill there game with.  Using EVE as a parallel, there's so much player driven lore now that it's nearly impossible to image that game solely based on what the devs created.  Besides, all this writing doesn't really affect you so why bash on it?

 

Reading this stuff and trying to imagine the setup of Alioth the way Aetherios is envisioning it, is not only a great way to pass the time but it's akin to reading a good book that I hope will never stop.

We never want this amazing adventure to stop. Which is why we all want to embark on it for a lifetime.

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Well I believe somewhere Aetherios mentions how Dual Universe is something of an outlet for testing out how this creation will work.  I feel the devs are looking for this kind of creativity to fill there game with.  Using EVE as a parallel, there's so much player driven lore now that it's nearly impossible to image that game solely based on what the devs created.  Besides, all this writing doesn't really affect you so why bash on it?

 

Reading this stuff and trying to imagine the setup of Alioth the way Aetherios is envisioning it, is not only a great way to pass the time but it's akin to reading a good book that I hope will never stop.

"

I wish you a wonderful day, ShinyMagnetite. Thank you so very much for your words, once again. I find it a driving force and a pleasing experience writing these backstories, knowing that people read them and even more when they appreciate the lore. 

Many thanks.

"

 

We never want this amazing adventure to stop. Which is why we all want to embark on it for a lifetime.

"

A splendid day to you, MasteredRed. 

 

We offer you our deep gratitude for your encouragement. One by one, the Aether's members and allies will be brought into the part to make this stories less about Satoru and his experience and more about the Aether, it's allies and Dual Universe as a whole. 

 

Thank you.

"

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"

Our deepest gratitude to everyone who went through the trouble to support our backstories. The support made us wonder who we were writing this backstories for and how they would best work out for the entire Dual Universe community. 

 

As such, Part 9 will be out today and Satoru will be taking things up a notch, even as Mistral and Eidolon make some bold steps. While the Earldom of Mercia is in the green and will be an integral part of the Aether backstories, I haven't quite decided to which allied organisation Petrol-ski belongs to. The only one I can place for now, will be the Allied Corporate States. 

 

While the war with the Mad men will be inevitable, we are going to break off from the ordinary and reach out--a topic post will be well in order to explain what I mean. The promise still stands and all our allies and members have an integral part to play. Hats off to Kilo, Kurotou, Kael and Arkanos for their amazing work within and without the Aether. They deserve way more than could be offered them in the backstories. 

 

We will see you again in the Aether Backstory Part 9: Political Science. 

 

Cheers.

"

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