The Long Year, Part 2

[Lambano]

Omega 19th, 2846
Dr. Newton Lee

“There are twenty-six hours in an Auraxian day…”

We were being graced by a brilliant mind in our field once more. Of course, this time I wasn’t being entirely sarcastic. While we always have better things to do than to get a first-year lecture about how the cycles work on the planet, this time it was a little different than an elementary introduction into astrophysics. Instead it was an explanation as to the why, and that’s what caught our interests. Well, my interests. But, for the moment, we would, of course, sit patiently and hear the good doctor out, if only out of professional courtesy.

“And, unlike our previous calendar from Earth Afar, which was tied by silly superstition, we formed the Auraxian calendar under scientific harmony. Therefore there are five days in a week, and six weeks in a month, and because a full cycle is 716 days, we have 24 months, with the last month, Omega, only having twenty-six days to make up for the mathematical discrepancy—”

“Yes, Dr. Monroe, we are all familiar with the Auraxian calendar. Would you like to get to the point?”

That was Dr. Karloff. Karloff was a bit of a genius when it came to our field. Well, a little more than the rest of us, to be honest. You were not invited into the Vanu Sovereignty simply because you knew basic chemistry. Indeed, if we were to achieve any semblance of change and hope to find the true answers to the questions of our existence, then we would require only the best and brightest. Of course, every genius needs his assistance, and we have plenty of those too, but Dr. Janus has been using many of them as front-line troops in a hopeless battle. Even some of the engineers are called forth, mostly to operate the heavy machinery. But I digress, and so I bring my focus back to the matter at hand.

“Well, there is a reason for this. Isn’t it unseemly that the cycle for Auraxis is only fourteen days short of a double cycle of the planet of our origin? That of all the astronomical possibilities, one full rotation is two hours short of what our bodies have gone millions of years through to adapt to? That the range of temperatures and chemicals, as well as fauna and animal life, right down to the very minerals beneath our feet—it’s also so…terrestrial? It’s quite convenient, yes?”

“As I said, Dr. Monroe, I am sure you are getting to a point to all of this, yes?”

“The point,” a voice shot back from behind our seated discussion, “is that, with all things, Vanu has designed it to be, Dr. Karloff.” It was a familiar figure to all of us, and one of the few that did not wear the lab coat as we did. His duties were almost above the science of everything, for he was Dr. Malmo, the right-hand of Dr. Janus himself. He was nearly as well-revered as the man he represented, for Dr. Janus has become somewhat of a recluse since the start of the war, but in the absence of the head of our Great Project, he was almost his equal.

Like many of the scientists and engineers (and yes, even the blasted cultists), Dr. Malmo was “plugged,” or what the young might call the process by which one goes under bionical engineering. Unlike others, however, Malmo was significantly altered. A metal plate covered most of the crown of his head, and his left eye had been replaced by a bionic one, which whirred about furiously as he looked at the different faces amongst my colleagues. His right hand was completely artificial, yet seemed more claw-like in nature than to a human hand, as it had four digits that stretched out uncommonly far, yet folded in compactly. With each step he took, you could hear the hard clink of a bionic leg working its way to keep up with the pace of the other. Such extensive alteration is only common amongst plug-junkies or those that suffer trauma, such as limb loss. I am told in Malmo’s case, it is the latter. He wore purple robes, as well as a purple glove on his left hand.

“Dr. Malmo!” Karloff exclaimed, “As always, a pleasure…”

Malmo paid no attention to Karloff. Instead he remained fixed on Monroe. “Please, continue Dr. Monroe.”

Monroe looked absolutely terrified and more panicked than he usually was, even on the calmest pretenses, but continued nonetheless. “As I was saying…I think…I think it is abundantly clear that, by design, our ancestors did not happen across Auraxis by chance but on purpose.”

No one was truly surprised by this. Most of us suspected it, while the more adamant ‘believers’ demanded it.

“As we have suspected,” chimed one doctor.

“But now it is confirmed,” retorted Malmo. Now this was something to be excited about. Malmo hobbled forth to Monroe and stood next to him, placing his good hand upon his shoulder. “The good doctor here is one of many who are acting as messengers for our dear Leader, for today something truly exciting is going to happen.”

He was pausing for theatrics, as usual, and waiting for someone to take the bait. As if on cue, it was Karloff.

“And, Vanu willing, what may that be?”

Malmo gave a soft smile to the audience before him. “We are going to start winning this war.” He began to walk back from whence he came, and then beckoned to all of us to follow him. We didn’t know what to expect, truly, but it was unlike Malmo to remain quiet, so, in true fashion, he spoke as we walked through the facility.

“The Vanu Sovereignty numbers in few. This is the price we must pay for demanding that only genius be allowed to enter our service, as well as those that believe in our cause, even if they cannot fully contribute it in the same way our scientists and engineers can. Unfortunately in the matters of war, the winner is often the most popular. In this case, the Terran Republic commands the numbers, with the New Conglomerate coming in second. This is no surprise, really. Both fight for ideological principles, and those speak easiest to the common man.

“But we of the Sovereignty speak of a higher cause, and a higher purpose—one that transcends the petty differences and outlooks of our lives. We dedicate ourselves to a true enlightenment, and a preparation for things to come. For we all know the Vanu are the true masters of this space. It is why our scientific forefathers named the Auraxian months in the language that they first graced the peoples of our planet of origin many thousands of years ago. We understand this now, as many of the relics we’ve collected have trace origins of old, dead languages of Earth.

“And so we must go back to the basics if we are to ever connect to these great beings. No longer can we hope to win a war through a handful of numbers and drones and automated defense systems. We will need greater tools and greater numbers if we mean to defeat both the reds and blues. This is why our great Leader has decided upon a new directive—one that repeals the old one.”

We finally arrived in the bay of the facility where transportation was stored. But instead of finding dust-covered Sunderers, we found something truly unique—a large vehicle, circular and angled in design, hovering off the ground. A cannon adorned the front of it, as well as a secondary weapon atop of it. It gave off a distinct humming sound, although it was somewhat quiet. Regardless, the design was out of this world.

“Amazing!” exclaimed one of the scientists as we had all gathered around it. He waved his hand underneath the vehicle and then turned back to Malmo. “Is this by Dr. Janus’s design?”

“Our Leader’s design,” Malmo corrected him, “And yes.”

“Through his...’connection’?” Karloff chimed in.

Malmo nodded. “The designs are through his connection with Vanu, yes, but the fabrication process—”

“Yes, how was this done, Dr. Malmo? Production is something we sorely lack.”

“If you will give me a moment, Dr. Karloff,” Malmo said back to Karloff in a surely tone. He rounded about the gathered group and stretched out his bionic hand to the vehicle before us. “This vehicle’s designation is ‘magrider,’ partly named for the magnetic levitation technology employed. It is the future of the Vanu Sovereignty and a sign of things to come…” He then rapped his bionic hand against the vehicle. A moment later a hatch from behind the vehicle opened and three men hopped out. They were unlike any of the regular foot soldiers I had seen, however. These men were strapped in some sort of armor that fit to their body like a glove. They wore helmets with visors that covered their eyes. More interestingly, however, they all carried some sort of rifle that, again, looked alien in design. They stood at attention as Malmo walked over to them.

“This is now the standard uniform and weapon of the Vanu Sovereignty. We have done away from the standard uniforms we managed to snag before the war began, as well as the mercenary things that we’ve managed to steal from the New Conglomerate. Now we truly have our own identity, with far superior weapons.” He turned to one of the soldiers and nodded to him. “Prefect!” The soldier in particular stood at attention. “Fire upon that wall!” Malmo pointed to a wall behind us.

The soldier obeyed and turned, raising his weapon to us. Of course we were used to Malmo’s theatrics, but this was something entirely different. We all ducked and dove out of the way, and not a moment too soon, for the soldier began to open fire. But instead of expecting to hear the familiar sound of an explosive round cycling through a barrel and then banging against metal, I heard the distinctive sound of some sort of energy pulse, followed by a ball of plasma slamming against the metal wall. It settled in and slightly melted away the surface. A number more shots rang out, and we watched all wide-eyed and in awe, as if we were a bunch of first-year students marveling at a chemical reaction, as the wall slowly melted away. Soon afterward, the soldier stopped firing and we slowly rose to our feet, looking at Malmo with cautionary glances, as if we were unsure to be afraid or be in awe.

“How can it be…plasma discharge?” Karloff was dumb-founded as he stepped close to the soldier and marveled over his weapon. He turned to Malmo in disbelief. “Is this…again…by his design?”

Malmo smiled once more. “Indeed it is.”

“But doctor…we still don’t have the facilities to manufacture this. I mean, the time alone to reverse engineer this and try to mass-produce it on scale would—”

“It would sadly require facilities we do not possess. Well, we do not possess as of yet, but we are certainly going to change that.”

Karloff straightened his lab coat as reality seemed to settle back in. “Then, aside from this being a sort of gimmick, Dr. Malmo, how is this supposed to win us the war?”

Malmo nodded in return. “Because we aren’t going to be the ones to manufacture it. A mutual benefactor will be responsible for production.”

Karloff’s eyes opened in utter disbelief. “But the ban! We aren’t to consort with—”

“The ban has been lifted! Our Leader has seen to it, for he was the one who imposed the ban in the first place. And now they have agreed to terms set forth to act as our supplier in our time of need.”

“Then that means…they are no longer neutral?”

Malmo’s picturesque smile gleamed over us all. “They have recognized that technology equals might.”

“Why show this to us?” It was Dr. Rastlov, our head of research at the facility. He was characteristically quiet and had remained so this entire time. In fact, Rastlov makes a habit of only speaking when he deems it necessary. It is either to be considered a great honor or a serious reprimand if he says a word. I think it is safe to say that it is the former in this case.

“Because there is something even more important and vital to the war effort that I will require you and your team to do, Dr. Rastlov. It will be the very thing that changes the tide of war in our favor.”

Rastlov furrowed his eyebrows at that. “What can nanotechnology do to change the course of this war?”