Empyrean Iris Story Collection Vol. 4

Strategic Defense

"Ture Darkness." Conn began. Blue light spilled across the room as the holoprojector was flipped on suspending an image in the air before the assembled crowd.

"This was a picture taken by Glados Vir in the upper tunnels three days ago. The graffiti was placed there by a suspected True Darkness recruit, though this vandalism was perpetrated by only one lone actor, we have reason to believe that there might well be more."

Bathed in the projected blue light, a room of intel analysts and Arcadian military commanders looked on grimmly. Martha Vir manned the projector, King James jotted rapid notes in a small, pocket sized notebook, General Kimball sat up straight in his seat with Admiral Simon sitting next to him, her long, dark hair pulled back in a sharp bun.

Lunging across a set of two seats at the back of the room, Celex had made himself comfortable, and at the front of the room Adam and Sunny sat together exchanging soft commentary in Drev on occasion as Conn's presentation continued.

"The presence of void related groups has only been growing." Images flashed on screen before them, pictures taken of flyers and invitations to strange events, was seals, and rubber stamps engraved with the TD symbol, but the most disturbing part.... Some of the activities were clearly marketed towards children and younger adults, family nights, mommy and me sessions, dances, and other activities.

Conn's ribbons flared "As far as we understand, the void has chosen to present themselves as a religious group holding what basically amounts to church services where they listen to sermons and participate in something they call a sacrament. As far as we understand this isn't simple wine or water, but may include the void tincture that has been cropping up so commonly in the last few months. As of yet none of our operatives has been able to get a sample, but we are working on it."

Conn flipped through some more pictures, "As you may understand, Arcadia, the GA, and many other planets have policies on the free practice of religion, some more strict than others, but this fact makes it difficult to combat them only. There is nothing wrong in worshiping the void, no matter your personal opinion on the subject. We cannot, in good conscious, stop their church services, or silence their voices as that would make us no better than the void itself, but there are some troubling aspects of this new religion that may work to our advantage. Admiral Vir...."

Adam stood, body accented in his sharp, black uniform, "Maverick, Celex, and I were briefly able to infiltrate the meeting of a void cult. We can't be sure that the cells are comparable, but it is clear that the one out of New Athens has managed to radicalize itself. While we were there, the Oracle at the old temple of Apollo called for our destruction, specifically the leaders of arcadia..... They also threatened my son."

A murmur went up around the room.

"Obviously threatening Sunny and I, as military actors and political leaders would make that an act of war, however, we know that they have been attempting to spread the void infection, through pesticides and crops, and now they are threatening civilian noncombatants, which in my mind moves them from cult to extremists, and now to terrorists. This is not a word I use lightly, and not simply because they have threatened my son. But they have actively worked to harm civilian populations through the distribution of the void virus, and additional void entities. Celex... if you."

Eyes turned towards the back of the room as Celex paused in his lounging long enough to stand. He went as if to walk around the seats, before deciding better of it and simply floating into the air, over the heads of the crowd to joint them at the front of the room, his technicolor hair waving in a lazy undulations around his shoulders.

He landed next to Conn, "As Adam was saying, while there we witnessed the existence of a familiar void structure, or a bone growth that had taken over a good half of the temple. Those in attendance were encouraged to touch the growth while under the influence of some sort of mind altering drug being pumped into the temple by way of their ritual incense burners. Upon touching the void growth it became clear to me that the void is using those structures as a conduit for void energy."