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Chapter One

The sounds of footsteps echoed into Samuel Jackson’s ears as he walked through the halls of the Aaufagen. With it being a battleship, Sam never truly expected the Aaufagen to be silent, but even after a year of practically living on it, he never did get used to the constant noise of machinery, or the drunken laughter of soldiers on their occasional break.

Sam turned a corner, and slid his ID card through what must of have been the hundredth scanner. At first, the Federation’s security on the cruisers was frustrating on a scale he could barely describe, but Sam got used to it in due time. He was more than willing to adapt to achieve his objectives.

The door slid open, and Samuel once again found himself in the research chamber that was essentially his second home. He couldn’t count on his fingers the times he chose to sleep in here rather than drag his body past all the security and twisting hallways to his own room. Its not that he was devoted to his work; after what happened a few years back, it took every force in him to not to go berserk whenever he set his eyes on the subject. He just wanted to get it out of the way – to never have to work on it ever again, to never have to set his eyes on that monster ever again. He didn’t work for the good of the project, nor was it for the well being of his benefactors, Einzig Corporation (although he was certainly grateful to them for countless things). He worked for a simple goal – the day the project was complete, His heart would be all the better for it when that day came.

Samuel’s dozen or so staff members greeted him in the same way so many times, it had practically became robotic routine; a simple wave, or a swift pat on the back to get the sleepy morning attitude out of him. Each person did it in their own way, but it was always the same. Even their facial expressions would be identical to the way it was twisted the day before. Nothing truly changed here.

Samuel cracked his knuckles after another associate asked him how he slept, to which Samuel replied, after rubbing his eyes from under his glasses ‘Same as last night. Horrible’. The man would chuckle, as he did the day before and the one before that, and would get back to his work. That was when Andrew – or Andy, depending on whom you asked – made his entrance. Clad completely in a white shirt and pants and shoes, compared to the more professional gray and blue Einzig uniform of Samuel, the two didn’t appear even closely related. One would never suspect they were close brothers.

Andrew rubbed at his eyes, the nearly completely black circles beneath them almost wiggling in response. “I see that you’ve slept well enough.” Samuel chuckled softly at the intended irony. “All right, what’s wrong?” The look on his younger brother’s face told him he didn’t understand. “Whenever you even look human, I know by Jupiter’s stone that something is up. Now spill it.”

“I’m telling you, its nothing. Now, boot the Erproben program. The Admiral’s been on my back about its slow state of things.”

“So, I take it you’ll be taking a dive then?”

Samuel sighed. “Once you boot it up I will.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, give me a minute.” He walked over to one of the consoles, the letters and images already floating above the keyboard. He typed in a few codes and executions, and a progress bar popped onto the screen. “Give it an hour. Then you can spend as much time as you want in the Game.”

An hour later, Samuel felt that same uneasiness he always felt as he slipped on the VR visor; he felt that same sickness as the world practically melted away, piece by piece, digit by digit. Worst of all was that all sense of dread of having to face the machine Einzig had him create.

The Game finished its composition, and Samuel was once again in the World. He was in a forest, with the skeletons of a giant ling behind him. Giant worms, birds and other natural beast tripled in size moved about. Samuel rubbed his fingers, warming their nerves; a natural routine of his.

He became tired waiting for the being. “Come out”, he demanded. He did not need to say its name.

Instantly, the being materialized in front of him. It’s was a beautiful female in appearance, with a body (if it was a human) that looked as if it was crafted by Venus. Her only indication to her true ancestry – as a bioorganic android crafted by man – was her ocean blue hair, but that too only added to her beautiful appearance. Samuel sighed out of embarrassment of his predecessor’s choice to make it appear so lustful. Samuel had little doubt that even Jupiter would swoop down as a goose and sleep with it.

“I have come, Samuel.”

“Yes, I see that.” He rolled up his sleeve to look at his watch. “We are behind schedule…Andy?”

“Yeah brudda?” Andrew’s voice echoed into his ear. Whenever he talked like that – which was a little bit too much for his liking – Samuel knew that his older brother was in a good mood.

“Start the test.”

“What exactly do you have in mind?”

Samuel thought for a moment. “A thirty six should do the trick.”

“Ya sure about that? This will be its first trial of duty in a couple of weeks.”

“Just do it.”

“All right, all right!” Samuel could hear his older brother grumble from the speaker. “You got ten seconds.” Even though he couldn’t see him, Andrew knew that his brother silently nodded.

A multitude of digits formed in front of Apera, eventually taking shape into a replication of a monster. More and more followed until dozens of the creatures surrounded the machine.

When Andrew told them to begin the test, the monster lunged themselves at their sole target. The huge, monstrous things that would allow not allow themselves to be slowed as they carved human flesh, the abominations that could cause chaos anywhere they were unleashed, were eradicated in mere minutes.

After seeing the destruction it had unleashed, Samuel took off his visor. The Game world melted away, and he was back in the comforts of reality.

“Had a good trip?” Samuel only glared at him. He knew full well how much his younger brother hated that place. “So, I take it was a success?”

“I saw only with my eyes. You tell me what you saw.”

“Well, if you want to really want to know what me, all these slave laborers under you, and the most high tech computers known man want to think, its that its ready for the real thing.”

“The Endless.” Just thinking of the name sent a shudder down his spine; every child for the past five hundred years were told of the monsters that threatened the whole Galaxy; the abominations who would enter their realm through a rip in the galaxy. They were demons from a world that no human could ever truly comprehend, and that made it all the more frightening. Those things called the Endless, that could actually physically ‘rip’ the galaxy away, like a blade against cloth, so that they could come and destroy, was a monstrous thought. How the unthinkable could come from a place that is impossible; that was true paranoia. None could become more fearful of an enemy if you couldn’t even understand the very place they came from.

“Yeah. It’s ready for them. That, and our Ausbusten Effect. They’re finally ready for the big time.”

Suddenly, a phone rang. One of the researchers went to answer it. Samuel noticed that he nodded a few times through the silent conversation. “Understood”, he answered, and hung up the phone. The man turned to acknowledge his superior. “Samuel, the Admiral wants to see you on the bridge.”

And without saying anything, Samuel left the research chamber for the bridge.

For a brief moment in time, consider what it is like to be Lieutenant Aedo Ohimnim. You are hated by everyone on the Aaufagen, for being exactly what they are not. They are not cruel, at least to the point of them not showing affection openly or willingly. They, unlike you, have not been forced to bear the blunt of many sarcastic remarks behind their backs for their interests.

Then again, you certainly do not give a damn what they think: you had served in countless battles against the Endless, whereas they are mere pups. They have never seen corpses so mutilated and desecrated that it was impossible for anyone to tell that they were human to begin with. They have never seen a living human have his flesh ripped apart, piece by piece, all for the lusts of a single demon.

They were never abandoned by their comrades, by those that they would of have died for in an instant, on a dessert planet with no living human in sight, with their only comrade being the dead.

They never had to eat those comrades – their flesh, their eyeballs, their fingers, lips and tongues! They never had to become a monster to survive.

After you have contemplated these thoughts, you notice off of the tip of your one good eye that everyone on the Aaufagen knows of, but does not necessarily care for, was striding through the halls, as if he was some grand important person. The name comes instantly to your mind; Samuel Jackson. Head of the two largest projects at the top of the Aaufagen’s priority list, even higher than the protection of civilians from the Endless, Samuel does not acknowledge anyone, nor does he truly give a sense of love for anyone, with his older brother Andrew being the sole exception to the rule.

You lick your upper lip, most of which is just artificial flesh. As you do so, for whatever reason, you decide to take of your right glove to stare at the symbol of what you are.

You know all too well the price of arrogance.

While he was en route to the bridge, Samuel noticed that Lieutenant Ohimnim was starting at him. Although he was just as frightened of the prospect that the infamous man eater was looking at him, Samuel gave him no heed. It was better to move on, to forget about the man, than allow his mind to dwell on it, and create the Gods know what type of hellish nightmare in his sleep.

In a few minutes, he would be standing on the bridge, his hands crossed behind his back in the respected manner that was expected of him. Admiral Mecai instantly addressed him on the progress of Apera. “Project ARMAGEDDON, including the Vercian and Ausbusten Effect, is fully prepared for offensive maneuvers against the Endless, Lord Admiral.”

Mecia smiled behind his beard. “Ah good. I was given orders by the Federation to send Apera into combat wherever you deemed her worthy or not, so this is good news.”

“I was not aware that the Federation was intending on releasing my creation without my consent.”

“It never was your creation, Samuel. Remember that it was Adam’s first. You just put the finishing touches on her.”

“I understand.”

“Good to see that you do. I don’t want you to have any bad feelings when a Thane comes to bless her.”

Samuel almost lost himself when he heard that. But he remembered who he was talking to, and, by the grace of the gods, he managed to restrained himself. “One of the Valhallians – Odin’s worshippers – is coming here?”

The Admiral sighed irritably. “As much I hate to say it, the Federation is just as much part of the worshippers of Jupiter as it to that one-eyed Odin.”

“But it is a creation of the followers of Jupiter. What right does Odin have to it?”

“Because she will save both Olympian and Valhallian.” He paused for a moment, allowing the words to settle in. “You are excused, Samuel.”

* * * * *

Valgrad Bearathark pulled on his braided hair as his officers guided the Valhallian battle ship, the Iron Claw, through hyperspace. Being a hunter – individuals who devoted their whole lives to annihilating the Endless, forsaking fellowship with all men, minus those on their ship – he was surprised, to say the least, when a Valhallian governor contacted him concerning a certain Vercian. He was even more surprised when he learned that the Federation appointed him to give the blessing of Thor onto the Vercian. He was certainly curious as to why they chose a Hunter, who was often stereotyped as being reckless by even Valhallian standards, to bless the Vercian, even if he was known to be a devoted follower.

Perhaps they wanted a warrior to bless a warrior. Only Odin knows.

“What’s the ETA on the Aaufagen?”

One of the navigators, a burly man with a noticeable scar, but not deep enough to consider the man a brute, answered him. “With the rate we’re going, and if no pirates or other Loki-blessed brutes decide to tempt fate by crossing us, we should be there in an hour.”

“Good. I’d prefer to get this over and done with.”

“Why you say that, Valgrad?”

“Because them Olympians are too clean for their own good!” Laughter filled the relatively small bridge. The six or so navigators and their captain and battlemaster were crammed into it. Somehow, Valgrad managed to keep his navigators in high spirits. “Even their warriors hardly show a scar on their face.”

“Too high and mighty, right Valgrad?”

“Nah, I think they just like to stay clean for clean’s sake! Just like how get all bloody and gory for Tyr’s good health!” Laughter filled the chamber. “Now, hurry it up. I want to get there before Ragnarok!” He lowered his seat to the point where he could jump off without hurting his feet.

“Where you going, battlemaster?”

“Got to get ready. I’m representing Thor, and his father and siblings, in front of a bunch of Olympians. Won’t do him much good if I look as messy as Eric the Red, right?”

“Indeed sir.”

With that, the Thane left the bridge for his own quarters. Although he told the truth to his navigator - he had a great deal on his shoulders by blessing this Vercian – he also wanted to meditate a bit on the Vercian herself. He didn’t understand why they chose a bioorganic robot for the savior of humanity. Why not just choose a volunteer with a good track record in battle to implement all the hardware and gears? It would be a whole lot safer, and surely more politically correct with the Vercians.

‘Maybe because the only good candidates for that would be us Valhallians. And nobody wants that.’ Valgrad chuckled to himself as he walked down the halls.

“A Valhallian? Are you freaking kidding me? The Federation is sending one of those screwballs this way? Gods be damned…”

Samuel chuckled softly as he played with a piece of cloth. The two brothers were alone, in his bedroom. Samuel wanted to tell the news to his brother alone. He knew quite a few of his fellow researchers who would blow a top bigger than Mars if word spread too quickly. Then again, if the Thane came without them knowing…

“So, what are you going to do?”

“Do what? It’s not in our hands anymore.”

“So? It’s still OUR creation…”

“Adam’s”, he interrupted. The name alone kept the room silent.

Finally, Andrew managed to gather up the strength to speak. “But he passed it down to us.”

“No he didn’t.”

“What are you talking about? You were his second in command on that damned project! You – “

“He got killed before he could say a damn thing! We stole it from him. We took it when he died. Just because the higher ups gave that monster to us doesn’t mean a damn thing.”

“He would have given it to us and you know it.”

“It’s not the same. It’s not the same as a living, breathing Adam putting his hands on our shoulders, and saying ‘I trust you guys. Take good of her, all right?’ Taking things from the dead is not the same as being given to us by the living!”

Andrew paused for saying anything. If he wasn’t careful, there was going to be quite a separation between the two of them, and that just can’t happen. After Adam’s death, his little brother relied on him to keep his sanity in check. Without him, only the Fates know what would happen to him.

“I take it I should get out of here then?”

“Maybe.”

“Before you end up killing me.”

“I might just do that.”

“If you did, you’d have to do a whole lot of praying to Adam before you get executed.”

“No more than you, for damning the gods like you did.”

“Probably.” With a wide grin on his face, Andrew left the room, leaving Samuel alone to remember how much he relied on that lazy brother of his.

This is what it felt like to be Andrew Jackson, as he left the room of his brother:

The door closes behind you, and instantly the world feels as if it is spinning around you. Your hand is dragged across the wall as you seem to trip over you feet again and again, tumbling over in an embarrassing stature. Your head – that stupid, good for nothing head of yours – hits the floor hard. You feel a trickle of blood on your lip. Did you break a tooth? You lick your teeth, both to wash the blood off of them as it is to detect any pain from the would-be missing tooth.

No pain.

Damnit.

You push yourself up, but with you feeling as that someone had hit you with a hammer. One of your hands slump to your side, whereas the next relies on the wall to keep yourself standing. Against every will in your body that says ‘slump against the wall like every other weak willed man’, you tell your legs to move. ‘Move and show Sam can rely on me. Let me be like a tower for him to rest against. I’m not going to fall again…’

You fall.

The Gods must hate you. And if the Gods hate you, then how much must Adam hate you? Have you failed Sam? Despite your efforts to remain alive, have you failed your brother? Your one, remaining brother in this dark reality?

Fighting against your body, you struggle to our feet and move across the hall, toward your room. Maybe then, when you get there, you’ll manage to find some peace in a deep slumber.

* * * * *

Aboard the Iron Claw, Michael was rustling in his bed. He was not having some mind corrupting dream. He was simply just ill. Although the fact that he became ill ever since the Iron Claw departed for the Aaufagen was slightly curious, Michael thought nothing of it. The silver haired man knew that it would pass, as all natural illness do.

The room was covered in darkness, as Michael felt that heat from the light would postpone his healing of the illness. That darkness dissipated, however, when the door opened and the Iron Claw’s battle master was found standing in the doorway. Despite the fact that Michael was no Valhallian, or Hunter, Valgrad had found a great amount of respect for him. So much that instead of storming into the small room as, he opened the door only slightly so, so that the ill man would not be awakened from his slumbers.

But then Michael stood on his knees. How he mastered the strength for that the Thane would guess later. Now he knew it was safe to enter.

Even in his weakened state, Michael had a wide and disturbingly comfortable smile across his face. “Good to see you again, Valgrad.”

“I know it is rude of me to disturb you, Michael.”

“Valgrad, please, don’t fall so beneath your station as to flatter yourself to a mere wanderer as I.” Valgrad didn’t know if it was an insult or praise. Knowing Michael, it was probably a little bit of both. “What is it that you need?” By now, he had crawled to the end of the bed, with him hugging his knees. His bare toes were hugging the edge of the bed, and he was sucking on the bare end of his thumb. He always sat like that and surprisingly enough, he found it comfortable.

“I have a bad feeling about this.”

“Why is that?”

“I just can’t understand why the Federation would send a Hunter, who I certainly don’t need to remind you have a reputation for being brutal to just about anyone –“

“Indeed you do not.”

“To give the blessing of Thor onto a Vercian that could be our only weapon against those damned Endless.”

“If you wish to know what I think, it is these things.” He opened his hands. “There is a twenty percent chance that the Federation may honestly believe in your abilities as a Thane.” Two of his fingers went down. “Sixty percent is that you are just a pawn in whatever power game they are playing.” Six more fingers closed into an incomplete fist. “Fifteen percent says that your gods are intervening.” A finger went down.

“And the remaining five?”

“Something is going to happen, and they want you out.”

Valgrad chuckled nervously.

“Would you rather I have had said something you wanted to hear, instead of something you needed to hear?”

“No.”

“Then I did all I can.” Shakily, he put a hand on the burly man’s shoulder.

“Believe that you are a Thane, and that twenty percent can become greater.”

“Thank you Michael.”

“That is my toll, no?” He licked his lips to get the dryness out of them. “Now, I would appreciate if you would let me sleep.”

“Of course!” With that, he got up and left the room.

“Pleasant dreams, Valgrad. Sleep tight.”

* * * * *

The Iron Claw docked at the Aaufagen the next day. Admiral Mecia and his subordinate commanders were there to greet Valgrad and his fellow warriors. The Admiral and his commanders were dressed in their finest robes, of which were only succeeded by their ceremonial robes for religious events and occasions. The Valhallians on the other hand, were barely dressed at all. They wore only the necessaries – pants and shoes. A shirt was the exception, not the rule.

Doing his best not to blurt out any offendable words at the Valhallians, the Admiral gave out his hand. Valgrad shook it enthusiastically. Admiral sighed full of relief when he realized the man dressed in a sleeve-less jacket was the leader of those barbarians. Their commander deserved some credit: he had enough decency to decency towards Olympians of high standings. However, it didn’t help that if this wasn’t Mecia’s first time meeting a Valhallian, Mecia surely would of have thought that they were as brutish as the Endless, if not more so.

“Battlemaster-Thane Valgrad Bearathark, on behalf of the Galactic Navy, I welcome you to the Aaufagen.”

“And I’ll be the first to you, that it is good to be welcomed, Admiral Mecia.”

Mercai raised an eyebrow. “I was not aware that the Federation gave out the names of their Admirals so easily.”

“It is good to be aware of these types of things when you’re going against an enemy that seems to last for infinite.”

“That is true, although with the coming of Apera, that may all be a thing of the past.”

“Speaking of which, I would like to see Apera now.”

“Master Thane, it is a custom of ours to let our guests relax before they perform the duties the Federation had set upon them.”

“Well, it is a custom of mine to see the person who is linked to my duties.”

“Very well then.”

One of the Commanders swiped their keycard through the scanner a half hour later, and the door leading into the Research Chamber opened for the Admiral and the Battlemaster. The lights came on, almost dramatically, as they entered. Valgrad had a feeling this was intentional; the Admiral was playing mind games with him. It was subtle, but it was there.

For a research chamber, it was incredibly roomy. The only thing that took up any real space was the monitors on the screen and the consoles that were linked to them. In the center of the room was what at first glanced appeared to be a black and red painted metal coffin. Upon further inspection, after seeing a series of buttons, as well as wires flowing from it into some of the consoles, it was easy to conclude that this was where Apera slept.

“In just one more day, that multi billion credit piece of machinery will be obsolete.”

Confused, Valgrad turned to face the Admiral. “Why is that, Admiral?”

“Because tomorrow, she wakes up.”

“As in, her personality and psychological code will be inserted?”

“Precisely. It will be like sleeping beauty waking up from her once eternal slumber.”

“The chief of the project must be very proud, to see his creation finally wake up.”

Mecia sighed irritably. “Battlemaster, can I be frank with you?” Valgrad shrugged in response. “If you wish to stay in good standings with the Jackson brothers – the ones who made Apera – do not ask if they are proud of her?”

“Why should I do such a stupid thing?”

“Because they hate her. She killed someone very dear to both of them, and they will never forgive anyone who openly speaks highly of her. Even someone sent by the Federation.”

“But aren’t they like fathers to her?”

“If they are fathers, then they would be quicker to burn her at the stake than embrace her like a daughter.”

* * * * *

Samuel arrived late at the Research Chamber the next day. It was expected that Andrew would be there, but he would tell the administration later that his brother was not well. When he opened that door to the chamber, he would find that his researchers from both shifts – late and early – would be there. Today was the big day for them after all: the day that they would finally see the fruits of their labors.

Today, Apera would wake up from her eternal dream and become not just a being of melded flesh and machine, but a human.

The Jackson brothers, on the other hand, would enter an eternal nightmare and become the most brutal of demons.

Samuel, almost as if he was devoid of life, walked towards the console that would make Apera ‘human’. He found that it already had the prompt for the password was on the screen. Someone must of thought they were helping him by doing so.

Idiot.

Samuel entered the password; REMEMBER 05/11. And without a second thought, he left the room.

He didn’t wait to see his and his brother’s ‘daughter’ open her eyes for the first time. Apera entered the world without a father by her side.

* * * * *

Valgrad bit down on the cigarette offered to him by Mecia. It has been a few days since Apera has been awakened. She had been informed of the role she would play in humanity’s survival by one of the resident priests, and was guided to her room. No one has seen her since, although a few have said that they heard her saying some things from behind her closed doors.

“Did you like what you saw?” the Admiral asked humorously. Valgrad was one of the people among the crowd when Samuel entered the code that had her open her eyes.

“She’s a beauty”, he chuckled. The Admiral chuckled somewhat, but not as much as the Thane expected.

“It’s a dangerous time, Battlemaster. Humanity’s hope is laid in the hands of someone who has never even lived a month. The fact that she’s going mad, or Jupiter knows what, going behind those closed doors doesn’t help the Senate”

Valgrad puffed out a smoke of nicotine. “Explain something to me, Admiral; why is it that Senate, knowing how the Jackson brothers thought of Apera, didn’t intervene?”

“That is a very good question. But I am not one to answer. Nor is anyone else on the Aaufagen.”

“What are you saying, Admiral?”

“I am saying, that you should just do your duty as a Thane, and forget the matters regarding Apera. Things will be better that way.”

Valgrad chose not to say anything. It was better to consider just why the Admiral was saying these things, rather than speak some stupidity and get in Odin knows what kind to trouble.

“When will you perform the ceremony?”

“When I have a chance to see her alone.”

“Alone?”

“It is a private event, between her, and Thor.”

“…I see. Shall I force the door open?”

“No. She will come out eventually.”

“We don’t have time for an eventually.”

“Thor does, and considering he is the one who will determine if he grants the blessing or not, it would be a damned good idea to follow his lead.”

“The Senate wants her to be blessed by month’s end.”

“Senate is just a bunch of well dressed jackasses, Admiral. Thor is an immportal god who decides everything. HE is the storm. The Senate is just a mere leaf caught in that storm.”

“I believe we have nothing more than to discuss.”

“Damn straight.” He smiled, knowing he had won a battle in the war between himself and the admiral. And then, he left.

* * * * *

Samuel looked up from the clipboard to stare at his brother. Immediately after Apera woke up, Einzig assigned them to a new project that was placed on the Aaufagen. The project, dubbed NEW DEUS, was based solely on the research of a strange coffin that the Aaufgen discovered only a few weeks back. At first, they took no heed of it – after all, dumping of corpses on war ships into deep space was, and still is, a common practice. But when the warship’s sensors found that the coffin radiated chaos magic on a nearly impossible scale, it went without saying that they sent their scavenger frigates to pick it up.

“This is absolutely impossible. No corpse should be able to radiate so much energy, forget about chaotic ones.”

“You really think it’s a corpse?”

“What else would it be? It’s the basic shape of one, albeit an overly decorated one.”

“Let’s put it this way Sam.” Andrew leaned on his brother’s shoulder very casually. Samuel didn’t mind it though, despite the fact that some of his subordinates were looking at him strangely. He was used to his older brother treating him like a brother everywhere, even when discussing top secret material. The only exception would be when in front of people who could fire their butts with a snap of their fingers. “Last time I checked, corpses don’t radiate chaos energy. Period.”

“Well, until you are willing to violate Federal laws and vandalize a coffin, I suggest you just stay with the sensors.”

“Whatever”, Andrew sighed. “You know what I don’t get Sam?”

“What?”

“Why the Feds send us to do all this research, when all of they’re laws keep us from doing any researching to begin with!”

“Maybe because they pay our bills?”

“Well, there’s that…”

“Mister Jackson!” Both of the brothers turned to face the researcher who was approaching them. “I think you should read this.” He handed Samuel a clipboard.

He skimmed through the report. Halfway through, he went pale. “By Jupiter…”

“Hey, uh, Sam, what’s up?”

Slowly, Sam turned to face his brother. “According to this, whatever is in there…” He paused to get control of himself. “Whatever is in that thing – because I’m telling you right now that is no coffin - is alive.”

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