4 hours later. Inside the tower.
As the day passes by, more and more of the Zlocan and Reborn presence in the "presidential" tower increases by every single bit, even if the threat of an invasion of the UEF is nowhere in sight. By contrast, there are fewer Human collaborators in sight, not even armed ones at that, and the ones that are present look eerily quiet and stiff, even more so than the "enslaved" type of Reborn. Perhaps it could be because their setbacks have made the Zlocans less patient with them, or in the worst cases, a sign of an inevitable replacement for their kind.
Even though the offer was tempting enough to attract even the most hardcore followers and self-proclaimed "defenders" of their nation, such progress is now casting a cloud of doubt among most of them, but others still try to think of anything to justify sticking with the Zlocu despite the recent confrontations they had over their differing ideals. Even with the harshest of disciplines and punishments for the ones who failed them, the divide is still noticeable even in its subtlest form for the rest.
Because the most open expressions lead to a fate worse than death.
In one of the elevator doors out of the other two in one of the corridors, a few Zlocan Knights pass by with their blaster rifles, chatting regarding the latest events in the region. Without even batting an eye, they pass over Boris with folded arms, merely gazing at the wall in front of him while the Knights' chattering gets a bit muffled and distant the further away they go as they leave Boris on his own once more. Not even a mere smirk is out from him, for that he prefers a solitary moment.
It's been a while since his "mission" to catch Julian, one that resulted in one sharp lesson for the young man, at least in his eyes, to know of the price of betraying someone. This group has offered him a lot to live for, especially when it comes to a father who's drastically changed from what he was.
I'm hoping that your reunion will be quite... peculiar, young Julian. Boris then smirks a bit while glancing down, likely of the many possibilities that may occur if father and son reencounter once more.
One that most certainly would be messy on all fronts.
After some minutes of standing idle near one of the doors, footsteps are heard nearby, one that comes from three individuals, it seems. Boris merely glances with his left eye for a bit without moving the rest of his body, still keeping his arms folded while the footsteps get nearer and louder with every passing second.
The three figures come by, being none other than Erik, Cynda and Barb of Steelhound Squad, all walking in the direction of Boris' position while keeping their pace. For some reason, Damian is absent from the team.
"So, you're here now, Captain Sellers," Boris says as he moves aside and nods at Barb who salutes him with a straight posture alongside Erik and Cynda. Erik does it while trembling a bit and breathing while Cynda does it as stiff and smooth as a machine, as one can expect from this trained enforcer.
"Indeed, and quite on time I'd say," Barb says while smiling a bit.
"Almost exactly, based on the time I calculated," Boris replies, which makes Barb chuckle a bit. He then glances at the other teammates, to which Erik rapidly nods while Cynda stands still with a face that is as blank as a statue.
"Still in perfect time, so there's no denying that,' Barb adds while Boris keeps his sight on the other teammates of the squad. It is then that he spots the missing space where Damian tends to be, yet still doesn't glance back at the squad or even Barb as he does so.
"That young rabid man, Damian, where has he gone to at this moment?" Boris asks while keeping his gaze on the space.
"Oh, he's been called for a medical emergency due to a certain heart "defect", if you get the gist of it," Barb replies while crossing her fingers and waggling her hand.
"A heart defect at a young must sound unfortunate. Well, unless he found a way to be more than a rabid dog," Boris says, to which Barb scoffs in response.
"Even the most rabid of dogs can find a way for longevity, you know," Barb says.
"Well, it's more related to the fact that the Catch-" Erik tries to explain but Barb merely raises her hand and lifts her index finger.
"I didn't give you the order to speak up, private. Always remember the rules or else," Barb retorts, which makes Erik tremble a bit then bows his head for a bit. Boris merely smirks in response before glancing back at Barb who frowns at this attempt.
"Is that so?" Boris asks.
"He'll get back on duty in one way or another, so best not to fret too much on it," Barb replies, which Boris merely nods in response. Damian has certainly seen some stranger and painful days in his life, yet this one brief altercation is one unlike any other, one that may be more than meets the eye or what Barb says.
After a moment of silence between the two, Boris unfolds his arms and presses a button near the elevator.
"Back to the topic, you're aware of why you came here, correct?" Boris asks.
"Ah yes, it's about this Project Newblood that I've been told by Raven to take a look for the next phase of the plan," Barb adds while nodding for a bit.
"Pretty much indeed, certainly one peculiar companion for Project Joshua after all. Hope you're prepared to see it," Boris says while he smirks for a bit, which makes Erik's mouth quiver over the implications of what it means. But just as he continues to speak, the elevator's door slides open, revealing a wide space that's enough for four people to enter.
With that in mind, Boris heads in first, followed by Barb and Cynda while Erik takes some deep breaths as the possibilities race through his mind of what it can imply. Turning Humans into cyber husks o is one thing, but this one may reach beyond to what the Human body can achieve.
Some minutes of silence pass, and Erik eventually steps inside before either Barb or Boris can order him around. With one steady nod aimed at Boris, he presses a button which leads to the "-10" floor, which is only barely the maximum amount of floors compared to the highest one being the 30th floor. Certainly, a demonstration of what the Zlocu aim for those living in this state of the US from the likes of Richard Brando and his vision.
As the sound of machinery hums in the background as the elevator descends even further, the four stand still as much as they can yet their expressions vary the more they wait to reach the floor. Boris and Barb keep a firm expression as expected from professional soldiers, but Erik still quivers a bit while his eyes glance in both directions as they're about to reach the designated floor where the project takes place.
The anticipation of the three members reaches almost a fever pitch as Barb tightens her hands and clenches her fists as well, thinking of the ways that the Zlocu seek to "perfect" Humanity from their mistakes, all while Erik's breathing goes a bit more rapid yet still trying to keep himself subdued less it means it can mean his services among the LA police to come to an end over a mere demonstration of "weakness". For Cynda and Boris, it makes no difference as they keep still by all means, both in body and face.
Finally, after a minute or so of waiting, the elevator stops, then the door slides open.
Stepping into the room, what they see is something beyond belief for them except for Boris. Even Cynda can't help but widen her eyes a bit, but not compared to Erik and Barb whose eyes are wide enough to show the whites, with Erik in particular trembling and fidgeting his fingers over what he is witnessing at this very moment. One that is beyond what they have expected.
The room has dim, flickering fluorescent lights that line the narrow, sterile corridors, casting long shadows in every corner of it. Walking even further into the room, Erik and Barb grimace for a bit as they swipe their noses for a bit due to the acrid stench present in the room, one that's like an unholy blend of chemicals, burnt flesh and dry blood. Not to mention, the distant sounds that resemble a mix of muffled screams and wailing that echo across the room, someone resembling a cry for any help that there can be, yet to no avail.
Venturing further, their sights also show what to expect from the room, with lines and lines of trolley beds with strapped subjects on them. Most of them have barely tall heights and with lots of freckles, short hair and so forth when it comes to be expected from young people. Most look to be asleep with wide eyes open, or perhaps even more than that, as some of them even show some miniature blades detaching in and out of their arms while blood pours from the hole. Others aren't so lucky, with the exposure of their white bones and some mangled limbs.
One can even argue that the IV tubes attached to them are merely a sign of courtesy for what they're going through, especially from even those that don't even seem to have any sort of twisted alteration done to their bodies, yet have nothing but vacant gazes to ceiling, not even noticing the visitors nearby.
"You're... You guys are making child soldiers...?!" Erik says in a stuttering and whispery tone, sweat pouring in from his face as well as highly trembling, his even tighter than ever with his crossed fingers and such, for this is something more horrifying than what he imagined.
"Oh damn..." Barb mutters as well of this sight. Cybernetic soldiers are one thing, but biological ones are one she hasn't expected on the top of her head, not after the latest advancements the Zlocu has shown.
But just as they continue to step further into the madhouse, one mere giggle is enough to make Erik jump a bit, only managing to hold on to his feet while reaching for his gun in his belt. The rest also swiftly glance in the direction of the giggle, but not to the extent of Erik's reaction.
"W-who's there...?!" Erik says in a quivery tone. The dim light can only barely reflect on what's on the other side of the room, much less have the time to spot where it can be found.
"'Who'? I should be the one asking first, my sweetie," a familiar elderly voice says, one with a motherly tone to it yet still echoes from across the room without showing herself at the moment.
"...Who said that...?" Erik says once more, still while trembling and with widened eyes glancing at every corner, still trying to find the source of such a voice that shouldn't be expected in a room like this one.
"I'm simply one that is helping out, young man. Don't you know that?" the elderly voice replies, still being as distant as ever while the group walks a bit between the trolleys in the way.
"Can we at least know where are you?" Barb says while trying to keep a steady tone in her voice compared to Erik, yet some sweat can still be visible around the face, which is answered by more giggling for a bit.
"Follow what your heart tells you, sweetheart," the elderly voice says. From there, Steelhound glance around every corner of the room with their eyes or even turn around at every opportunity, yet most still see lines and lines of children and teens trapped to their beds with deformities in certain ways.
"One more turn to your left, c'mon!" the elderly voice adds with a bit of giggling in the mix. Steelhound and Boris do so, and finally can come face to face with the source of the enigmatic voice around the room.
Coming from none other than Gefa Holsnin, still with her robes and her wide smile while she holds a digital tablet in her hand.
"I... I don't know what's this for..." Erik says as he trembles at the sight of Gefa. It's one thing to expect a cackling maniac to conduct such types of experiments on beings like children. But she doesn't seem to hit the type most expect from those people. She's far from it at least in terms of demeanor.
"Oh, still trying to move away from what can a true potential at such a young age? They ask a lot of things, but they don't realize where true happiness lies. Isn't that right, Boris?" Gefa adds. Boris merely nods in response while they stand still from an approaching Gefa as he holds the tablet.
"What do you seek with this project, ma'am?" Barb asks while she tries to keep a straight posture while observing Gefa who's getting near them.
"It's simple. To show what others refuse to see. To commit what others refuse to do. To ensure that their burdens are swept away to show true potential." Gefa then hands over the tablet to Barb who grabs it for a bit. As she leans the screen closer to her companions, their eyes widen over what's shown onscreen, and what it entails.
Photos of the test subjects as well as their names, their ages, current observations from the experiments and the results so far. Most show a "deceased" status to them with photos showing the resulting experiments that led to it. Barb continues to scroll with a gasp, but Erik clenches his fists and trembles even more over what's shown to him. A multitude of children and teens, ones that yearn for a higher life for themselves, are suddenly stripped away by the machinations of someone with an incomprehensible mindset that is leading to this, and how is leading up to something else.
"You... You've murdered them...!" Erik says with clenched teeth without even batting an eye at Gefa.
"Don't be rude, sweetie. It's just that they sadly couldn't the pressure to accept the truth in them and had to pay for it, which is a shame," Gefa replies while she frowns a bit over Erik's statements.
"So, what is that you intend to do exactly?" Barb asks while she glances a bit at her, who then smiles at them again.
"It's not that hard for you to deduce, but guess I'll comply as you wish. Remember the days when you were a child and dreamed of bigger things in life? Wishing all the best?"
"I did, yeah," Barb answers, while Erik can only nod strainly while Cynda and Boris nod normally.
"Good. Well, many know of how they can be absolutely disappointed when their dreams and wishes don't always come or don't arrive as they wanted, and it's for one simple reason; a lack of drive within their bodies to do what's necessary."
"But... What led you to that?" Erik asks, still trembling.
"The Kujar showed me an answer, and how I could combine it with my methods. Evolution is an evergrowing phase of adaptability, a matter of nature picking those who are adept to live in the next generation. While he prefers the old-fashioned method of natural training..." Gefa pauses a bit to giggle while she glances at her back for a bit. "I opted for sophisticated methods."
"Which is why they're suffering like this...?" Erik asks.
"It's a necessary step when unlocking it, sweetie. Some may be too stubborn, but I know for a fact that deep inside, they truly want them, because it makes them truly happy."
"And you're doing quite well despite the setbacks," Boris says while he smirks.
"Correct, my dear. This is why it makes me happy to see more beautiful human children to test on, perhaps even more so than the ones back on my home planet. But alas, there lies one major obstacle to achieving it fully," Gefa says while she smiles even more.
"Are you... talking about the UEF?" Erik asks, Gefa merely shakes her head in response.
"Not quite. It's those... Earth Warriors. The thought of what they intend to do with my sweethearts worry me a lot. Why can't they understand it for even one second?" Gefa then frowns as she recounts the worry in her head.
"Don't fret too much for it, Gefa. For as we formulate the next step to 'punish' them for interfering," Boris says as he steps up a bit.
"Really? You want to help me out, my dear?"
"Most certainly. The others have a fourth man who's in custody for further surgery, one where he'll receive something that will make the Warriors question their next step," Boris explains while the other members glance at him, with Barb wide eyes and glancing back and forth between the two.
"Well, I was also thinking of actually showing them one of my facilities outside the city, where they'll get to see if it's right for them to strip the potential of growth from those who want it..."
"In that case... How bout if we combine our plans?"
"Oh, that's a wonderful idea, Boris! That way they can think with their hearts to reconsider what they're doing, and see if the needs of the many are more important than the needs of the few for them, or the other way around. You do really have it in you to come up with important lessons after all."
"You're not thinking about it... Why use Damian like this?!" Erik protests, only for Barb to press her hand on his face while she glances at the two over this plan.
"How much you bet it can work...?" Barb asks with widened eyes. It's certainly a moment to expect to test the EW even further with more than attacks on them, this time it's about a matter of a choice that may show a bit of who they can truly be.
Whatever it can be, it may show a lot of consequences for all involved, as Gefa only giggles in response while she smiles even wider than ever over her question.
Perhaps the answer is already known without an uttered word after all.