Moore looked at the response he received from his contact while Baltazara stood guard to make sure no one was looking. The two had moved to a quieter section of the underground facility, one with direct sight into the storage with the copied Imperial tech. With a few taps on the tiny keyboard, the device sent a quantum photon signal which passed through materials at the speed of light.
"Where and when do we meet? "
The words lit up on Moore's screen before he quickly responded.
"Choose a location, wherever is most convenient for you. "
Responded Moore.
"Why meet? You could explain to me what is going on here; it carries less risk. "
Moore exhaled before moving his fingers quickly through the letters on his board.
"Because not explaining it face-to-face might cause some unwanted confusion. It is a matter that is magnitudes beyond what you might think. "
The response paused, almost as if the other side was considering an appropriate answer, or in this case, being genuinely tired of whatever bullshit Moore caused.
"*eye-roll emoji* It better be worth my time. It is not the first time I covered for you while you got all the glory. I want my cut this time. "
Moore breathed a sigh of relief and quickly responded.
"I will probably need your help later. Don't worry, you will get what you deserve, promise! "
The dots on the other side jumped a few times before another message emerged.
"Meet at R8MQ+R38, Majialou Road, Fengtai District, 100070, at 19h30. "
Moore quickly showed the address to Baltazara before the conversation was wiped clean off the record the next second.
[Moore] - "You got it memorized? "
[Baltazara] - "Obviously, what do you take me for? "
Puffed Baltazara while rolling her eyes at Moore.
Suddenly, a small robotic cart carrying mail turned into their hallway, followed by a curly-haired girl. As she passed beside Moore, she leaned over and handed Moore a mystery package.
[Nataly] - "Package for Colonel Weng Lai. "
Said Nataly before leaning toward Moore's ear.
[Nataly] - "Quit dipping in stuff that does not concern you. Pretend that you saw nothing and carry on with whatever you came here for. "
Whispered Nataly as she shone her Cardinal knight badge briefly at Moore.
With a look of confusion and shock, Moore chased after Nataly, only for her to turn around and give him the coldest gaze he had ever seen in his life. There was venom in Nataly's eyes as she twitched her face, daring him to ask more than what she told him at his own risk. With Moore's silence, Nataly buried her killer stare behind a kind smile and moved on with her task.
To defy the order's judges and executioners is to defy the Empire. For the Cyberknights especially, any sort of infraction against the rule of non-interference would result in death. For Moore, since the Cardinals knew what he was doing, this would perhaps be his only and last warning. Yet, at the same time, it felt wrong, considering that the order was actively trying to suppress information that is clearly crucial for the Empire's security and integrity.
[Baltazara] - "Moore... I think we should just leave it. This is– This does not look good. "
Said Baltazara with a look of worry in her eyes as she grabbed Moore's arm.
Moore avoided Baltazara's gaze and stared into the storage. Whatever the capability of these copied techs might be, the sheer amount of equipment here alone would at least seriously wound an Imperial fleet. Moore drifted toward the glass, his thoughts retreating into his heart, to where it all started.
To be chosen as a Knight Exemplar is to have proven where your heart truly lies. Among millions of Cyberknights, only a few were given this title for their selflessness and willingness to sacrifice for the greater good, for others. For all the order's corruption, the likes of Moore are meant to be the example of what it truly means to be a Cyberknight; a humble warrior meant to erect light towers where only darkness resides, to guide the torch bearers of the Empire toward those farlands where hope had abandoned humanity.
[Moore] - "Baltazara, remember the day we met? When we were both just teenagers? "
Said Moore in a serene voice filled with nostalgia.
[Baltazara] - "Of course I do. Why do you ask? "
Said Baltazara as she took her place beside Moore.
[Moore] - "You have no idea how much I wanted to jump when I captured you. I thought my life was over... That you had condemned me. "
Said Moore with a tiny smirk, expecting Baltazara to get angry at him.
Baltazara surprisingly just nodded and kept her arm wrapped around Moore's.
[Baltazara] - "I don't blame you; I'm genuinely beyond help back then. "
Said Baltazara as she looked down in shame.
[Moore] - "From that teenage boy who wanted to end it all to now... I wonder how the Grand Knight knew what kind of person I am from a gaze? "
Said Moore as he looked into the horizon, the body of the stationary capital ships filling his vision for as far as he could see.
Inside the classroom, Moore was the boy who'd stay to help others and volunteer for tasks no one wanted to do. He was everyone's friend and the boy who'd never leave anyone behind. Yet, even as Mike, the Grand Knight, came to inspect the recruits, he wasn't a bit impressed with what the instructors had told him about Moore. Moore still remembered the icy, lifeless gaze of his future Lord behind his helmet, a stare that even made an usually joyous individual like Moore frown.
Inside his class of 45 young knights, more and more seats became vacant as the weeks went on and more failed their tests. As for the tests, they were brutal and even cruel in some regard, with broken recruits crying and wanting their mothers as they were carried out on stretchers dripping with their urine and blood. Moore even had to amputate his own four limbs just to pass a test where he was trapped but needed to prevent a conspiracy to kill the Grand Knight. There was no room for hesitation and no notice; the tests were spontaneous, and you had to be willing to commit on the spot or fail it.
Luckily for Moore, stem cell culture ensured that his limbs were regrown and reattached afterward. Yet, even as Moore made it to the final tests alongside ten other recruits, selected from 100 classes of 45 recruits each, Mike still showed him indifference, ignoring all the praise Moore had accumulated throughout his training. To Mike, no matter the praise, as long as you haven't shown anything exceptional worthy of his attention, you are just another knight, indistinguishable from the ten others beside you who went through the same training.
That was when Moore saw something he was never supposed to see. As the graduation ceremony for the 11 new Knight Exemplars was going on, Moore went to the bathroom to take a leak. Yet, on his way back, he caught a glimpse of blonde hair contrasted with the dark attire beneath, hiding in a secluded corner. Curious, Moore moved in to investigate, only to be met face-to-face with the demasked secretary of the Grand Knight.
To Moore's horror, she was one of the original KD-series assassin prototypes, carrying a legacy of murder and brutality that made them as infamous as the worst mass killers in history. Kadyn gasped and dropped her helmet, which used to mask her in public. From a secluded corner, Mike watched the scene and had his ability active in case Moore tried to harm his girl. Yet, to both his and Kadyn's surprise, Moore bent down and picked up the helmet before handing it back to Kadyn with a smile.
[Moore] - "I'm sorry for intruding on you like this; it was my fault. "
Said Moore while looking down, almost as if to give Kadyn some privacy.
As the helmet lifted off his hands, Moore still kept his eyes down, respectfully trying to give Kadyn the time to hide her face behind it. His heart was beating with nervousness, yet he felt no fear. For the few brief seconds Moore saw Kadyn, he could see that she was more scared than he ever was. Unlike her reputation, there was an air of innocence and vulnerability in her lively green eyes, which soothed Moore's worries.
However, when Moore raised his head, he realized that Kadyn's face was still exposed, and the one holding the helmet was no one other than Mike himself. The Grand Knight reached out and helped Moore to his feet, his gesture carrying a warmth of approval unlike any other time Moore had met him.
[Mike] - "You saw something you shouldn't, Moore. "
Said Mike, his deep voice penetrating Moore's core and rocking his heart in place.
[Moore] - "My deepest apologies, Lord! I– I– I wasn't... This isn't my intention! "
Moore pleaded, his knees weak as he wanted to kneel and beg for forgiveness. Yet, no matter how Moore tried to fall down, there was a force preventing him from doing so.
[Mike] - "You were always praised, said to be among the best by every one of your instructors. The best do not kneel easily to pressure. "
[Moore] - "Yes, of course, sir! "
Said Moore in a panic as he steeled his legs but still kept his head low.
[Mike] - "Do you strive to be the best because you are ambitious or because you believe in the cause, in what you will be required to do? "
Moore thought, his heart seemingly finding a strange calm as he put his truth into words.
[Moore] - "I strive to be the best, because I can do so. Whether it be ambition or belief, constantly doing one's best speaks louder and truer than any declaration about one's allegiance. "
Said Moore as he pressed his palm against his chest.
Mike's cold expression shifted slightly with Moore's words. Beside him, even Kadyn was smiling as she found Moore's pure-hearted words quite cute.
[Mike] - "So it is... But words are but words, as you said. True pure hearts can function even when circulating tainted blood. If what you claim is true, then destiny awaits you, and I will be watching. "
Moore answered with a simple nod, which, to his shock, was met with a nod of respect from the Grand Knight and Kadyn themselves. As Moore rejoined the others for their ceremony, Kadyn turned to Mike, who handed her her helmet back.
[Kadyn] - "What are you going to do to that poor guy? "
[Mike] - "People often make big promises and then got nothing to show for it. We'll see if he's just lying to my face or if he's for real. "
[Kadyn] - "Aw, come on, leave the poor guy alone. He suffered enough just to get here. "
[Mike] - "I don't live with mediocrity; your blood either runs with iron or you bleed. "
Said Mike in a stern voice as stubborn as his expression.
Days later, as each of the new Knight Exemplars received their partner in the form of a KD-series assassin, Moore was left without one. Curious, he visited his fellow knights, many of whom received a very rehabilitated and readjusted partner with clean clothes and a very human smile. Seeing their codes, being all of the 9th or 10th generation, meant they were less exposed to the horror of their intended existence and were more like curious prisoners ready to learn how to live a life full of purpose.
Moore waited for another day, while being told that his specific partner was a special transfer from a farther-away Imperial base. And when she finally arrived, Moore could not believe his eyes at what he saw exiting from the ship's ramp. Strapped to a metal frame like Hannibal Lecter, with grids put around her mouth, KD-6112 was slowly pushed on a cart by an Imperial Marine of all people. Upon closer inspection, Moore felt like fainting as he noticed the feral nature in her eyes and the dried-up bloodstain still on her half-naked body.
Moore wanted to object as he walked up to the Marine, but as the warrior ignored him, he suddenly caught a glimpse of Mike and Kadyn watching him from the top of the gunship's ramp. Swallowing hard, Moore followed the Marine until KD-6112 was unloaded inside his room, as if his clean and tidy room was a psyche ward worthy of such a creature. As the metal containment hit the floor, Moore could almost feel his heart jump into his throat.
[Imperial Marine] - "Happy honeymoon, buddy. Invite me to your wedding or funeral, will ya? "
Joked the Marine as he left with the cart.
Inside his room, Moore paced around, unsure if he should unlock the containment and let his 'partner' out of the box. He glanced at KD-6112, whose eyes followed him around the room almost as if she were trying to find an opportunity to pounce on him. A cold chill ran down his spine as Moore saw the girl lick her lips. Was she considering him as her next meal?
With a deep breath, Moore found a corner of the room where she couldn't see him and sat down, unsure of what to do. It's not like Moore was scared of her; he is perhaps one of the most powerful knights of the order, with abilities that can split continents. Instead, it was the prospect of converting such a creature back to normalcy. The first digit of her serial number was six, meaning she was perhaps one of the earliest mass-produced units after the likes of the first prototypes like Kadyn. If not years of bloodshed and dehumanization, what can Moore, a fifteen-year-old knight, possibly hope to salvage from a girl who had never known life as a human being?
At long last, after a sleepless night, Moore decided to face the girl early in the morning. Just as expected, when he got in front of her cage, she was already looking at him with that predatory gaze.
[Moore] - "Can– Can you at least understand me? "
Said Moore hesitantly.
[KD-6112] - "Of course I can; I'm not an animal, am I? "
Fired KD-6112 in a raspy voice.
Moore jumped as he only expected animalistic groans and feral yells.
[Moore] - "Thank god... Focus, Moore, maybe this is less complicated than it looks. "
Moore whispered to himself as he fumbled to enter the combination at the lockpad.
However, as soon as Moore unlocked the restraints keeping KD-6112 prisoner, her wrist blades extended out. Activating her spinal accelerator, Moore's movements suddenly appeared as if they had been frozen in time, as her perception raced beyond anything natural. With a single cut, KD-6112 freed her mouth and feet before launching herself at Moore, sharp canines extended and ready for a feast.
However, being prepared against this, KD-6112 only managed to approach Moore before his active defensive ability threw her around him, sending her crashing into his desk. KD-6112 tried again, only to be sent forward this time, crashing once more into the wall. With a groan of frustration, KD-6112 pushed her blades into the door, effortlessly cutting a hole through it before slipping out of his room.
Meanwhile, to Moore, all of this happened in the fraction of a second as the two loud crashes reached his ears simultaneously, causing him to jump in fright. But then, seeing the large hole carved into his door, he knew immediately that he had messed up. With a pull, Moore opened his door and dashed for the alarm, which immediately bombarded the base with loud sirens.
Even as the whole base immediately began to search and hunt for the rogue creature on the loose, they were trying to track humanity's best analogy for a predator ever brought to life. If KD-6112 so desired, she could carve a bloody path through every single person inside the facility aside from the Cyberknights. For Moore, this was his life's worst mistake ever, as this would not only cost him his life, with all responsibility falling on him; his conscience would never be able to survive either if a single person died because of this mess.
After three days of exhaustive search, at least two workers were mutilated, and another technician was missing. For this mess, which Moore was not even responsible for to begin with, he received all the reprimands. But all that was but a far cry from the main problem, which is that KD-6112 was still missing. At long last, when Moore was on the edge of collapsing from exhaustion, he had an idea.
Using the pattern of movement KD-6112 followed during the past three days, Moore finally tracked her down at the edge of an access tunnel that led down to a steep drop into a canyon. Slipping down the ladder, Moore kicked open the hatch and dropped down onto the metal floor. Not far from him was KD-6112, barely illuminated by the moonlight as she was devouring what seemed to be an arm. Looking down, Moore glimpsed the gaze of the technician who was still alive, pinned under the foot of the creature that was feasting on his severed arm.
[Moore] - "Hey now! Enough! Let him go! "
KD-6112 turned around, her green eyes glowing in the shadow like those of a predator. Using his second ability, Moore cast an interdiction zone where anyone moving in it would slowly be sapped of movement until they became immobile statues. As she tried to flee, she found herself only making three steps before her body froze in the air.
Moving quickly, Moore reached the technician and used his belt to stabilize his stump's bleeding. Luckily, the man was still in stable condition before he abruptly passed out once his adrenaline wore off. With a sigh of relief, Moore now turned toward KD-6112 with a look of frustration and anguish on his face. Ever since she arrived here, she had practically torched his entire life to the ground in the span of these three days. Even if capturing her meant ending this madness, Moore would surely be done for as a knight, if not executed.
[Moore] - "You... You ruined me, you know that? "
Said Moore in a defeated tone as he pulled KD-6112 to the edge of the tunnel.
Sitting down with his feet dangling off the edge, Moore looked down, knowing a fall like this would be a painless death.
[KD-6112] - "What'chu thinking? You want to jump or what? "
Said KD-6112 with a curious expression.
Moore turned to her, a look of disgust on his face as he was ready to lash out at the creature that ruined his life. However, where Moore expected to see malice and madness, he only saw the innocent and empty gaze of a girl with no concept of good or evil.
[Moore] - "Do you have any idea of what you have done? Do you not have any kind of... of... I don't know, guilt or awareness? "
Yelled Moore with a look of disbelief in his eyes.
[KD-6112] - "I don't really know... Like I know what guilt or awareness mean in the dictionary, but like, why feel bad? I'm just doing what I usually do. "
[Moore] - "What you usually do? "
Said Moore, confused by the absurdity of her words.
[KD-6112] - "Mhm! Like they just keep me in a cage and occasionally free me to kill a lot of random people. I mean, it's been a while since they let me out; I'm just hungry. "
Said KD-6112 with a smile, as if it was the most casual thing in her life.
The last sentence broke Moore's heart. Where he was convinced that he was dealing with the most inhuman monster from the depths of hell was actually just a girl who never knew right or wrong and never had a normal diet in her life. What was anger and hatred soon melted into pity and sadness. Moore had always known cruelty as malice and hatred, but today, he witnessed the worst kind of inhumanity, somehow in the form of an innocent smile.
[KD-6112] - "So? Are you jumping or not? I want to see before they put me back in my cage. "
Said KD-6112 with the excitement of a child.
Moore quickly pushed himself away from the edge as if the darkness below threatened to consume his soul. Then, gently, Moore pulled KD-6112 back from the edge. A new flame began burning inside Moore's heart, one that sought to burn away the bars that held KD-6112 prisoner.
[Moore] - "No, you're not going back in a cage. You'll stay with me from now on. "
[KD-6112] - "Oooh! And in exchange, I'll kill anyone you want! That sounds like a good deal. "
Said KD-6112 enthusiastically.
[Moore] - "No! No more killing. If you're hungry, I'll get you food. Just... Just promise me, if I release you, don't run away. Stay beside me, okay? "
[KD-6112] - "Okay, I won't! Now release me! "
Said KD-6112 excitedly, like a child being promised treats for behaving.
Moore breathed a heavy sigh of relief before he reached for KD-6112's hand and held it tightly. He glanced into KD-6112's eyes one more time before deactivating his ability, his mind uncertain if he had made the right choice.
Back in the underground storage, Moore breathed heavily against the glass, where his reflection was briefly covered by fog before revealing his face once again. Moore's truth is who he was from the start: the man who'd never betray his principles by doing his best.
[Moore] - "Baltazara... Go to the meeting spot by yourself. I want to stay and find out. "
Moore's words almost made Baltazara's heart stop out of shock.
[Baltazara] - "Moore... What the fuck is wrong with you? "
[Moore] - "Heh, the same thing that drove me to help you back then. I can't just leave knowing I could do something about this. Do me a favour, alert Lord Michele about this. "
[Baltazara] - "No, dumbass. Do it yourself if you want to; I'm not leaving you. "
Fired Baltazara, her face utterly flabbergasted.
[Moore] - "I can't risk your life because I'm crazy enough to do something we cannot come back from. When I first asked you to do this, I didn't expect the Cardinals to be involved. It's no longer like I promised, where we'll go on an adventure or such. "
[Baltazara] - "Yeah, I know that, idiot! But have you considered not doing this? Have you considered not selling your life for no potential gain? "
Muttered Baltazara, her face getting lit up with worry and anger.
[Moore] - "This is what I became a Knight Exemplar for. If I'm not expected to do the necessary when the situation calls it, then I am nothing. "
Said Moore as he turned away from Baltazara.
[Baltazara] - "You're nothing... what the hell do you mean... God, you are my– "
Muttered Baltazara in total disbelief before stopping herself.
The word stuck inside Baltazara's mouth like a sore that tortured her and wouldn't go away. Baltazara was both afraid and worried, but the thought of losing Moore ignited something inside her that easily burned away those emotions.
[Baltazara] - "My life is tied to yours from the day I entered our contract. Wherever you go, I go. Whatever you do, I take equal responsibility for it. If you want to die, we die together! "
Baltazara yelled as she grabbed Moore's hand and held it tight.
Moore looked into Baltazara's eyes, the glimmer of stubborn determination shining bright enough to let him know that she understood and meant what she said. Knowing Baltazara, Moore already knew that once she had made up her mind with a gaze like this, there was no turning her the other way.
[Moore] - "Baltazara... Don't be stupid... "
[Baltazara] - "You're stupid! You are the biggest dumbass I've ever seen on this Earth! You're like... like one of those cave divers choosing to go full risk, no reward while they have a good life and a family waiting at home! "
Yelled Baltazara as she accusingly pushed her finger hard against Moore's chest.
However, unbeknownst to them, the cameras inside the hallways served two masters. While the pair's footage and conversation were just one screen lost in a sea of other recordings, they were instead the focus in a different room. Watching intently, Nataly and another Cardinal were beyond frustrated with Moore's decision.
[Nataly] - "I gave peace a chance, but peace is naive and foolish, just as it always has been. "
[Namer] - "The bigger fool is you, who believes in peace in the first place. Now, he knows that we'd be coming for him. "
With an annoyed grunt, Nataly finished posting the warrant for Moore and Baltazara's execution.
[Nataly] - "No matter. They'd be busy arguing while we strike; get a move on. "
Said Nataly dryly as she grabbed her sword and pushed the room door open.
Meanwhile, the two were still blissfully unaware of the danger they were in, as Nataly and Namer were already moving to intercept them.
To be continued...