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PerhapsTheOtherOne

Colossus By Design: Season 3 - Excerpt 71

PerhapsTheOtherOne
Jan 10th, 2019
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  1. [April 28, 2168]
  2. [Unknown Undersea Cavern]
  3.  
  4. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  5.  
  6. Within the staging area for the Axis Alliance remnants that was converted from its original purpose as an Atlantean bunker, the terrorist organization's best and brightest are hard at work getting the prototype Obsidian Fury ready for integration. While the shell is being tuned up and given last-minute maintenance repairs, programmers on the ground are prepping the core for its pilot; of particular note is a makeshift Mana Derivation Complex being held by a crane over Obsidian Fury's incomplete core.
  7.  
  8. But who exactly of the few Post-Humans and Storm Covenant members could serve as the guiding mind behind this old Warmonger? The answer soon makes itself clear.
  9.  
  10. Cevat Lockhart, the leader of the Storm Covenant, steps out onto the workfloor in his FEV-derived mutated state. He strides up to the crane platform and begins to climb the structure. Once he reaches the top, he leaps down onto the Mana Derivation Complex, balancing atop it like a monkey. As he looks at Obsidian Fury's inactive body lying down below him, he starts to showcase a bit of nervousness and unease. Some of his closest friends are watching from the ground below.
  11.  
  12.  
  13. (Cevat Lockhart): Looking directly into the belly of the beast....... Even as a fervent believer, I'm still wracked by anxiety.
  14.  
  15. (Agnes Ackermann): I know, but we must be strong. I'll be right beside you after you become a demigod to serve our masters.
  16.  
  17. (Cevat Lockhart): Dr. Savage, do you know what exactly will happen when I integrate into Obsidian Fury's core?
  18.  
  19.  
  20. Vandal Savage looks through the simulated results on his datapad, though he looks a bit unsatisfied.
  21.  
  22.  
  23. (Vandal Savage): Unfortunately, the simulations are coming up a bit short. I'm getting multiple conflicting results, so I can't be sure exactly what will happen when you're integrated. Sorry that I can't help alleviate your fears.
  24.  
  25. (Cevat Lockhart): That's okay, doctor. You might not be religious, but my beliefs will stay true regardless of the results.
  26.  
  27. (Vandal Savage): Very well then, Mr. Lockhart. We can begin the procedure.
  28.  
  29.  
  30. Dr. Savage starts to input commands into his datapad, activating the crane. As it lowers the Mana Derivation Complex down towards the incomplete core of the prototype Russian Warmonger, the Storm Covenant leader climbs down and straps himself into the Mana device's inner ring. At first, he's shaking and breathing more heavily as he's lowered down. However, he begins to hum to himself, which seems to calm him down a bit. Eventually, the entire ring is submerged into the pulsating liquid-looking orb.
  31.  
  32. Once it's fully submerged, the Mana Derivation Complex is activated, resulting in a muted display of dimmed lights within the pulsating core of Obsidian Fury. After a few seconds of flashing, there's no further activity from the integration. In fact, there isn't any further activity from the mech at all. This fact isn't lost on Vandal Savage, whom is frantically looking through the scan data on his datapad, looking more and more frustrated as the results come up negative.
  33.  
  34. In comparison, Agnes Ackermann looks quite calm and reserved in spite of the apparent failure of the operation.
  35.  
  36.  
  37. (Vandal Savage): How can you be so calm? This has been a total failure!
  38.  
  39. (Agnes Ackermann): Have faith, Dr. Savage.
  40.  
  41. (Vandal Savage): This isn't some religious matter, this is--
  42.  
  43.  
  44. Before Vandal Savage can finish, the loud groaning of moving metal sounds off from the supposedly inactive shell of Obsidian Fury; this gets the attention of everyone around. Following this bit of noise, the pulsating semi-liquid core of Obsidian Fury erupts into a fleshy mass of neon-highlighted and grey tentacles, startling everyone present. All of a sudden, the tentacles start attempting to grab any Post-Humans nearby.
  45.  
  46. While most of the terrorist members manage to get away, the tentacles manage to grab hold of about a dozen Post-Humans. The arms then pull these helpless individuals into the centre of the fleshy mass, apparently consuming them. After doing this, the mass seems to become inactive again. Yet again, though, this lull is brief as the mass begins wriggling again. This time, however, the tentacles retreat inwards. As they do, scans of its internals showcase the tentacles expanding and multiplying as they snake their way throughout the internal circuitry, wiring, and endoskeletal structure of the Warmonger shell.
  47.  
  48. Soon enough, the corrupted flesh has wormed its way throughout the entirety of the structure, though from the outside, the overall body structure is still intact and shows no outward signs of corruption. All that remains of visible corrupted flesh is where the core itself once sat.
  49.  
  50. Even that corrects itself, as the flesh starts to pull itself inward and seals up the plating that was opened up to allow for pilot integration, leaving no visible traces of the unsettling organic matter. Following this, the lights across Obsidian Fury's hull start coming online one by one, and the unit starts to move on its own. As it sits up and places its hand down on the ground beside it, an invisible pressure wave of Ki energy emanates outwards that everyone within its immediate vicinity can feel. Eventually, Obsidian Fury gets up onto its two feet and lets out a full burst of Ki energy that temporarily cuts off power to the hangar bay, and blows everyone off their feet.
  51.  
  52. Obsidian Fury then kneels down on one knee and looks down at Vandal Savage and Agnes Ackermann; the doctor looks at Agnes, whom responds with a look of smug satisfaction.
  53.  
  54.  
  55. (Agnes Ackermann): What'd I tell ya? Just have faith.
  56.  
  57.  
  58. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  59. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  60.  
  61.  
  62. [STRQ Industries Underground R&D Centre]
  63. [Nagoya, Japan]
  64. [Japanese Mainland]
  65.  
  66. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  67.  
  68. Within Jiro Ifukube's personal office overlooking the hangar bays for STRQ Industries' underground facility in Nagoya, Anna Maximoff is waiting inside. After a few minutes of waiting, the Evangelion Project head comes in. At first, the two look at each other and say nothing; the silence is deadening. Finally, Anna decides to speak up.
  69.  
  70.  
  71. (Anna Maximoff): I'm glad that Jet Jaguar managed to use reason to get through to Jira.
  72.  
  73. (Jiro Ifukube): Yeah..... yeah.
  74.  
  75.  
  76. The former Project Warmonger director walks over to his desk and plops down in his chair. He looks a bit disjointed, unsure of himself, which is in stark contrast to his usual self. In fact, he's a bit like how he was when Evangelion Unit-01 first began to mentally break down a while back, though not quite as downtrodden. This doesn't escape Anna Maximoff, who gets up from her chair by the wall to get down on her knees next to her old mentor.
  77.  
  78.  
  79. (Anna Maximoff): What's wrong, Jiro? This was the best outcome we could get. Further violence was minimized, and the mission was accomplished.
  80.  
  81. (Jiro Ifukube): Yes, but at what cost? This Jet Jaguar, we don't know his motivations, his drives, and we might have lost the pilots for good.
  82.  
  83. (Anna Maximoff): Even then, those four wouldn't have given a second thought towards giving up their lives if it meant the world was just a little bit safer. Plus, I like him. He seems like a pretty amicable fellow, and I'm curious to see how he'll be integrated with us.
  84.  
  85. (Jiro Ifukube): I'm just nervous about what Unit-01 and the pilots have become. Anyways, you'll probably be wanting to head back to the Jiran Island Cluster now that Jet Jaguar's taking Gojira back there.
  86.  
  87. (Anna Maximoff): Actually no. I'll let Wei handle her. I think you and I should work together to figure out what makes Jet Jaguar tick. What do you say?
  88.  
  89.  
  90. Anna Maximoff stands back up and extends her hand to her former mentor. At first, Jiro Ifukube simply stares up at her. Eventually, though, a small smile forms on his face; he then takes Anna's hand and shakes it. The two then walk out of the office and back onto the workfloor.
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