The Cross of Mithras Vol. 1: EOD Operation Welcome to Hell (130 page)

  As strange as it may seem, Joseph started to drink less and started to study more. Like Sayaka he was always intellectually ambitious and thus he threw himself into his studies. Sayaka could already speak several languages at that time period but Joseph outdid her by learning almost a dozen. There was something about her that was indirectly causing him to becoming far more ambitious than ever before. Sayaka at that same time period practically never dated (she did once but nothing ever came of it [it was one single date]) The stress that Sayaka was put under through her studies did not cause her to drink more, rather in her case she started to drink more (along with Joseph) when they were at that place that made them famous – Valkyrie. And what of KGL and Lady’s Man?

  Neither KGL nor Lady’s Man ever had any real initiative to learning. Which is why their English is so-so. And yet her native tongue is Japanese while his is Chinese. Both will pay a high price (along with the people of Golden Hyperion) for that. As for drugs? It is not known if Joseph was the one who came up with the ideal (unintentionally) but when he was a police detective responding to a murder at a rave party he’d mentioned that these parties reminded him of ancient Rome and what surprised him was the fact that there is no vomitorium at those parties. He then had to explain what a vomitorium was and all that he’d said was that it was (he knew what he was saying gave a false impression of what one was but he didn’t care) a location in a place like this where you get drunk, eat food to absorb what you are drinking, then you drink lots of water so that you throw up all that alcohol and food in an effort to keep the party going. Rather he was the source of that ideal nobody will ever know. But both KGL and Lady’s Man told everyone that the “rains will wash away the vomit,” and so there was a “vomitorium” at this new Rave party. Needless to say the people of Aruka was none to please by this new form of party. They wanted to put a end to it but nothing ever came of it because of the events that was going on that world. Sayaka did try to put a stop to it, but it turned out to be nothing more than the battle between cute versus beautiful, brains versus dumb. In the end it was the drugs that prevail over the might of Sayaka (who really didn’t care).

  Sayaka, who knew that she was dealing with a less than famous actress, only looked at the rumors about this wannabe actress who dares to stand up to her. Her conclusion was dead on accurate. For Sayaka had the foresight to see what will transpire and despite her efforts to warn the people, it was the youth who naively sealed the fate of the people of Golden Hyperion. But Sayaka was never defeated despite what KGL told everyone. For Sayaka was dealing with what little Intel that she had at that time period. Nor did it help that both her and Joseph had the attitude of being anti-PLUR. For both of them had that autocratic attitude within them that always would turn off the youth. And when the youth don’t listen neither Joseph nor Sayaka cared. The youth should obey their elders for their elders had the wisdom that the youth lack. It also didn’t help that Joseph and Sayaka was such the intellectuals that once they calculate the probability of one’s existence, and that individual or group of individuals live up to their predictions, they get written off.

  And so both Joseph and Sayaka showed just how cold they could be when they intellectualized a group of people away. The conflagration becomes nothing more than a calculation. But they are not evil because they don’t throw away lives so carelessly. For their calculations are there to mitigate the pain that their (yes their supporters) people endure. But over the course of time they became more ruthless in the fact that their people can endure a little bit more pain. They keep on intellectualizing people away so it’s no wonder why KGL would defy Sayaka.

  Sayaka proved that once again she was right when she called KGL an “hour’s worth of sand” when KGL’s life caught up to her when a bunch of lewd pictures was posted on the Internet with Lady’s Man. Although two weeks later it was suggested that she broke up her relationship with him, and both her fans and her advertisers were abandoning her in droves, there was also evidence to suggest that she was still in a relationship with him.

  Both KGL and Lady’s Man arrived at the flood control system to prepare for the party that will take place later in the day. Through their broken English and the fact that they don’t speak each other native tongue, trying their best to communicate what they can hear versus what they cannot, they tried in vain to informed each other their views on the cacophony that both of them was hearing in the distance. For it was coming from a part of the flood control system that saw people disappeared without a trace. Of course both KGL and Lady’s Man would not allow their fellow people suffer without just cause. They just had to go and take a look. After some searching both of them finally found the source of the noise. It never occurred to them that the was a reason why nobody wanted them to be there. That there was a very strong reason why the flood control system was officially closed to the public. But they knew that none of the authorities will ever come since they are too busy with other stuff. Both KGL and Lady’s Man, like all the other young hooligans, just wanted to have a good time.

  When they found the source of the noise it was deep within the complex and on a incline that took them several stories down below the main level. Down there was a blast door to a tunnel that appear to go even deeper. The door was a double door with the one on the right slightly agape but not enough for a person to get through. KGL than went over to a switch to open the door on the left and then both her and Lady’s Man started to argue. Over what is hard to tell because of their poor English. Nevertheless she still pushed the button and the door didn’t open properly. But it did open just enough for a person to squeeze through the gap. (The door on the right started to show signs that it was fixing to fall down.) They then started to hear people shouting and screaming (if they paid attention, or if their English was better, they would have heard gun shots [the people was not shouting and screaming because of the gun shots but more like it sounded like rage]) and the noise from them suggested there was at least 100 people (roughly the same number of their “friends” who went missing).

  “Hit the other fucking switch!” The mystery voice screamed at the top of his lungs.

  “Kore switch?” KGL yelled back through the gap.

  “Baka mesu! Get the fuck back from the door!” The mystery voice screamed at the top of his lungs.

  Only Lady’s Man had the sense to do as the voice said. He was also trying to get the stupid bitch to do as the voice said but she was upset by the mystery voice calling her a stupid bitch. As Lady’s Man was coming near a grenade detonated near the door on the right causing it to fall over. Luckily for the dumb bitch she was standing in front of the left door. Nevertheless she either took shrapnel or had her right ear drum burst because of the sound.

  Lady’s Man was too shock for words when he saw who the mystery voice was. The last survivor of the beast army that once was Captain Dawson “gift” to the people of Golden Hyperion. The beast ran up to Lady’s Man, grab him and threw away from the opening to the tunnel. Yelled at him to “get the fuck outta here,” turned around and started to shoot with an assault rifle and use it’s grenade launcher. He stopped when he heard a beeping noise coming from his watch.

  “Run you fucking idiots!” The beast, who strangely enough held the rank of a colonel, yelled at them but they didn’t listen.

  The explosion ripped the door on the left side and threw it ten to fifteen feet. KGL wasn’t standing in it’s way since she walked to the far left side of the door where the concrete part of the structure would protect her. Lady’s Man was looking at her and was grateful that she was still alive. The colonel was long gone and was never seen or heard of again. There was a rumor that surface suggesting that this lone survivor was still alive after twenty years, living the life of a fisherman/wilderness individual, but nobody ever believed the person. Had they gone and look they may have learned that the rumor is true. This colonel still had the memories of Captain Dawson but his personality was too different to ever be like that of Dawson. As a matter of fact when this one single person who met this colonel (the colonel rescued him) learned that this colonel hated Captain Dawson and referred to that life as a nightmare in insanity, realized that as hard as it may seem that there really is goodness in humanity after all. You just have peer deeply enough to find it.

  Both KGL and Lady’s Man made the mistake of going into the tunnel for whatever reason. Perhaps it was because they thought that they were dealing with their so-call friends. But whatever the reason it quickly became apparent to them what their friends had become. They traveled far and deep into the tunnel, deeper into the nightmare, realizing that they are dealing with their former friends. The smell of burning flesh was too much for them, but still they had to find out why. Why did this nightmare had to happen to their so-call friends? They then heard a sound. There were survivors. And it sounded like a couple of people that they knew. Two people who went missing seventy-three days earlier. They had to go. They had to help their friends.

  KGL was the first who found them, dismembered but still alive. She was crying over the cruel fate of her friends. But it was about to get worse. Outside, far into the distance, the sounds of the Rave party was going on strong. Hundreds of people would be there. Only KGL and Lady’s Man could be the heroes that they never are. That life is more important than a drug addiction.

  “What did you say?” KGL asked the friend.

  “Yes!” The friend shouted as he’d bit her right hand. He then looked up at her with eyes that was black and some black goo coming from his mouth. And before Lady’s Man could say a word he too became infected. Both of them ran out feeling the infection spread. The thoughts of murder, to infect, to kill, was too much for them. But they had to run (from those thoughts perhaps). Pandora’s box was opened upon those who loved PLUR (Peace Love Unity & Respect).

  Nobody suspected a thing as both KGL and Lady’s Man moved through the crowd infecting others. Although neither one of them was a bisexual, nobody seemed to care about either one of them French kissing almost everyone. Nor did anybody cared that Lady’s Man was spiking the punch (with his own saliva that was put into a large cup), for it was just part of the fun. And when people started to suspect something was wrong it was too little too late. All will be infected for Medusa Pandora has her army. Who is more evil? Why no other than the Founder’s wife. He always wanted to create monsters and she always wanted to infect people. For she has the capability to modify a virus (only at a laboratory) so that it can control all those who become infected. By the time Captain Maxwell will learn the truth Medusa Pandora will have her army fully entrenched.

(14)

  The Intel started to come in and Captain Maxwell at first thought it wa a joke. Hell far even Captain Iverson thought the same. But as the rumors started to mount, and as people started to go missing, it became obvious to both of them that it had to be true enough for Captain Iverson to send down any robotic drones that he had and then had them to go and take a look. It took awhile to narrow down as to where this newer threat called a “base of operation” (the threat never called it that it was only assumed that they would). But the Intel revealed that something wasn’t right. The new threat should have made the effort to begin their attack but didn’t. It didn’t take long for both Iverson and Maxwell to realized that it all had to do with the nearby “core tunnel.” The enemy retreated into the core tunnel for some unknown reason and it couldn’t be good. Captain Iverson gave an order that (caused Captain Maxwell to tell him “I’ll tell you what I think through my drunken stupor.” ) that sealed the fate of the people of Golden Hyperion – remove all constraint that is place upon their torpedoes.

  “You know Xavier, if it wasn’t for the fact that the EOD regulated the amount of alcohol that we all could consume, then our decision would turn out to be a lot more tolerable.” Maxwell informed his new drinking buddy who said nothing.

  As with so much concerning the EOD what they give, they also limit. Captain Vaughan could only get away with being a major pothead for two reasons: 1) he hoarded the supply on his ship for himself; and 2) his connections within the EOD High Command. The EOD preferred drug of acceptance is of course, none other than alcohol. Everyone knew the reason why. It was the stigma that was attached to all other drugs throughout the years. What’s more, humans have been consuming alcohol for thousands of years. Besides, it gives the EOD the chance to use it’s techniques on deprogramming people of their free will in doing something. Should the need arise that the individual need to give up alcohol and live a life of being sober. Guess why people would choose to remain an alcoholic even it they wanted to become sober? And thus it is so very hard for a junkie to, not only betray a generous drug dealer, but also to seek help. Ah, the effectiveness of the EOD in it’s ability to control others.

  Captain Maxwell hated one thing about serving under Lenkov (Sayaka didn’t help either), although Lenkov allowed hard liquor (the EOD allowed the captain or a senior officer to the captain to make the decision) upon his ship, it was only in the context of this amount per personnel. (Everybody else had to pay for it. It was an EOD rule that Lenkov didn’t mind enforcing.) But what about Lenkov and Omori? Did they obey their own rule? Of course they did. Maxwell was a Pisces and he’d drank like a fish. Iverson was just like Lenkov. Captain Maxwell thought that he had a new drinking buddy and that was only partly true. Iverson didn’t mind drinking with Maxwell, but not every single day. Now Maxwell is out of his stock, The Hammer of Doom with it’s stock is gone, he needs dropships to go and fletch more (the locals don’t want to deliver for fear of their lives), and he needs a reason to go to Iverson’s ship in order to have a drink. If he does want any more (The thought of being sober for the rest of the mission is causing him to become a lot more thirstier.) than he would have to buy it himself.