Meltdown Ophilion - Book One

54_REALITY V

The com locks on the studio doors disengaged. It had been six mec-lan since the time of the original broadcast and freedom had been returned to the Baccaran, the rulers, and their scientists. Lothion turned quickly as he heard the locks. "There, you see," he said brightly. "And now it is time for us to resume our places. We may have lost a few of the... not-so-dedicated, but our shield piercer is safe and we no longer have that plague called the Merenthaal with us."

"How can you be sure they are gone?" Greshon asked as respectfully as he could.

"How can we be sure?" Lothion sneered, "we know these troublemakers better than you think. All they want is to take the 'weak members' of society," he made a ditto sign with his fingers, "and be off. They don't have the strength to actually take over or control us, much less the planet."

As Lothion spoke Greshon felt his confidence returning. He desired its return. He desired the feeling that immense amounts of power gave him. His addiction was strong. He would even have cooperated with the Merenthaal if it had come to that, but the devious Baccaran were much easier to comprehend, even if their leader was unpredictable and had a ferocious temper. Lothion allowed Greshon to lead the way back to their top floor conference room. Their employees stared at the group as they passed them by in the hallways. The Baccaran had instructed them to act as if nothing had happened, as if somehow, they planned it themselves for their own purposes.

The people will see things my way. Greshon thought as he glanced at the faces of his workers. They will all follow faithfully – and blindly. What choice do they have? He couldn't help but smile as the feeling of dominance surged back into his body: he had triumphed over the Merenthaal and he was back in control.

If he had checked the Central Control Tower registry, however, his triumph would not have seemed so complete. While they were imprisoned in the studio, one hundred thirteen of the employees from their tower alone had left – never to return.

The rulers and the Baccaran met in the conference hall. "So," Greshon said, "where do we stand?"

"I think it's time to make a broadcast of our own," Lothion counseled. "Let the people know that it was just a hoax, that a group of crazed rebels found a way to bypass the signal system and staged it all. Then..." Lothion's mouth twisted into a crooked smile, which was frightening to behold, "let the people know that the perpetrators were apprehended and that there will be a public punishment for those who committed this illegal act."

"But... we don't have anyone to punish," Greshon stated the obvious.

"We'll find someone." Lothion said, without a hint of remorse.

Greshon watched the commander from across the table. The prime ruler of Kypro had never considered murdering innocent Ophilion as a demonstration to the public, although this wouldn't be the first time he had killed for control on his quest for power. He had quietly eliminated opponents – by means of his special Qonaar units; had rivals arrested under false charges and placed in the PEN; he had caused 'distractions' which had cost innocent Cholan lives, but to publicly execute innocent people on false charges to counteract what the Merenthall had done – this was a new level of deviance. He wondered what else he might be required to do in the name of progress.

On the other hand they had too much to lose if they backed out now. And still, a doubt crossed his mind: what if the Merenthaal are right? What if we really are dooming our planet because of our own failure to listen to reason? No... No, we are so close! Once we have successfully tested the weapon, Quarinor will be ours. We will have what our fathers dreamed of: the bounty of Quarinor and the glory of Ophilion. We will be gods! Greshon breathed in deeply and exhaled.