Rise

Chapter Thirty: The Path of Peace

“Impressive, very impressive,” Clarence muttered as he stalked around the soldier, clad in grey armour plating glinting in the sunlight that filtered through his office window. The warrior was in full battle dress, helmet and all. It was quite the imposing sight.

Interlocking ablative ceramic plates formed the bulk of the soldier’s body armour, a layer of interwoven fabric beneath. Looking like some form of modernized medieval knight, this new model appeared to Clarence as the best yet. The red glowing visor was still present, and may have been his favourite feature. No doubt it offered some sort of view finding advantage, but its shock factor was what he was most interested in. What will make them run? What will put them on their knees in surrender? That was what he tasked Harris with, and the scientist had not failed him. 

Clarence also did not fail to notice the updated torso piece, now with thicker plate on the chest, and an articulated abdomen. Even he could see that mobility would be easier without sacrificing protection. A damn walking tank. And one that will do anything I command. 

“Is it lightweight?” Clarence heard York ask as he rapped on a shoulder pauldron with a fist. 

“Of course. Well, relatively speaking. The updated ceramic compound is stronger and lighter than the last iteration. I improved the bond angles and lattice structure, providing more deflection and less fragmentation. Now the plates no longer need a heavy fabric wrapping to prevent coverage loss in the case of a heavy impact,” James Harris said, pushing his glasses up his nose. 

Clarence was pleased to have him back. Honouring his end of the bargain had been the right choice years ago, but he needed his help again. There wasn’t another mind like his out there, and nearly every system they already put into practice had spawned from his brain anyways. It was simple. There just wasn’t any other man for the job.

“Someone else would have gotten it wrong,” Clarence muttered under his breath. Though if he had come willing, maybe I’d sleep easier at night. “Good work my friend,  I am very pleased.”

“What did you mean by ‘relatively’?” York asked, apparently not done with his previous inquiry.

“The armour is lighter when compared to previous versions, though I myself would not call it particularly ‘light’. These men are bred to bear the weight of such equipment, and I keep in mind their capabilities. This armour system is not configured for the average infantryman, just the Alphas, and the particularly gifted Betas,” Harris stated cooly and clearly. 

“How long before you can design a set that can be issued to the average G.I?” York pressed, his cadence uneven. Strange. Why is he on edge?

“I can’t say for sure. While it would be a lie to say the idea has not crossed my mind, I have had other priorities to focus on, the highest of which being this design. Growing these soldiers is a delicate process; they must be well protected,” Harris replied, adjusting the edges of his lab coat and pressing out a few wrinkles. 

Clarence always found it amusing that Harris still wore that tattered old thing, stained with more grease and god-knows-what than he’d ever know. The scientist said it put things in perspective, but Clarence had other notions. Something I may discuss with York when I find the time. 

“You mentioned ‘Alphas’, does that mean -” 

“No. That project is proving far more difficult than originally foreseen, especially with the destruction of my lab. There will be no way to procure so many replacements for all the lost subjects in such short time. The Alphas are just the strongest iteration so far. They may be the best we can make them. I’m unsure how much more mutation human DNA can withstand before denaturing. I suppose I can run more tests, but there are other matters that are more pressing,”