Empyrean Iris Story Collection Vol. 3

Shot From A Cannon

A slow wind rolled through the deserted streets and over the stone cobbles, kicking up a delicate layer of dust around his feet. It rippled and tugged at his long leather jacket as he crouched in the middle of the abandoned square observed in the shadow of a great marble statue towering overhead, a muscular man poised eternally for action his shield held high and his spear pointed aloft.

The engraving on the marble plinth below the statue read.

Leonidas.

He stood from his kneeling position, nothing the layer of grime that had begun to accumulate on the statue, mostly dust from the dry summer heat uncharacteristic of a usually Mediterranean climate. He turned his head slowly sweeping his gaze over the Greek inspired city carved in marble. Flags billowed and snapped in the wind carrying with it the crest of the Neo-Spartans, a roaring Greek lion in golden thread on a red background.

His eyes took in the architecture and the cold fire bowls lining the bridges and pathways throughout the Spartan, and now deserted city.

In the heart of New-Laconia, he had expected to find the spartan king sitting on his stone throne. he had been told on good authority that King James of Sparta had a close relationship with Admiral Vir, and that information might be readily found if he was brave enough and prepared to meet some hostility, but instead he had found an abandoned city, poised to be reclaimed by the surrounding alien landscape.

He had walked the entire city now, looking into houses, and even walking into the throne room, walking up the famed stone throne and even sitting in it for a moment as he stared down the darkened hall as light filtered in from high above, somewhere between the pillars.

The Spartans were gone, and their city left behind.

Not just the warriors.

But farmers

Children

Even the dogs were missing.

The only life he saw was at a distance identified as some of the local fauna, which ran off scared as soon as it smelled their presence.

He stood from his crouch, where he had been examining the statue.

"Mmmmm the coals are cold, and based on the spoiling produce I the market, I would say they have been gone for some weeks now."

The voice did not pass from the lips of another human, as he was the only living thing for almost twenty miles in all directions.

Instead, the voice came from a small silver ball which floated over his right shoulder. The silver ball was made up of connecting pieces of silver and white mechanical parts and retained a black lens like one giant eye which it turned in his direction as it spoke.

The AI was one of the most advanced systems on the open market, advertised as a learning bot, it was supposed to develop a personality based on the person who it followed. As of yet, it was mostly just a quiet and efficient assistant with no personality to speak of, though he hoped that might change.

"It would take a lot of resources to relocate and entire population." He said.

"MMmmm the entire population of Laconia could fit comfortably on the Omen's D deck cargo hold."

Wait, correction, the AI liked to contradict him at any occasion, which he found kind of annoying but mostly useful.

"but why? By all rights the king of Sparta has claimed to be loyal to the UN."

"A man like the kind of Sparta is likely loyal to what he thinks is right, not necessarily an organization."

He tapped his chin, "So his loyalty changed when he thought the UN went down the wrong path.