Chapter 157

　　Three years ago

　　"These miserable, dead and dying wretches are the vaunted Envoys?!" Alexander shouted, his tone tinged with skepticism and disgust.

　　The few living creatures remaining amongst the Envoys moaned weakly, whether in agony or response to his words. The young prince had no idea which, nor did he care. These pathetic beings clearly held no sway on the Empire or his own actions.

　　They were clinging to the last flames of life, soon to be extinguished.

　　"They were not always this way. When I first arrived on this world as Crown Prince under my father`s guidance, they were quite lively. They hardly showed any signs of the infection that had claimed all the rest of their people." Aurelius replied with sadness.

　　"Infection?" Alexander asked, looking for his father to the Envoys. He unconsciously stepped back from them, covering his nose with his hand in a futile attempt to ward off any disease that could affect him.

　　Aurelius appeared not bothered by the moans of the dying or the presence of the corpses. He stepped toward the closest of the bodies, bending down and dipping his finger into the black liquid that pooled beneath them.

　　Alexander nearly shouted at his father to stop and not touch the foreign substance leaking from these creatures. But the Emperor appeared unharmed, his forefinger covered in the black liquid. He held it near his face, scrutinizing it carefully.

　　"The Vore are a fascinating species, a predator beyond compare. They, of course, possess the teeth and claws one would expect from a hunter, but their physical aspects do not make them unique. It is this." Aurelius explained, holding up his blackened finger to his son.

　　"What is it?" Alexander asked with curiosity.

　　"This is all that remains of life when the Vore consumes it. I admit I do not understand the process. Even the records remaining from the Collective were unsure of the mechanics of its creation, but it is formed from the life force of its host. This is what killed the A.I. and the Envoys you see here."

　　"Impossible. How could this substance have consumed digital lifeforms?"

　　"The Collective termed it a Psychic Virus,` one capable of infecting life in all of its various forms. They had initially thought that it was a defensive mechanism when they first encountered the Vore, which could disrupt their technology and communication systems. Only when they were already infected did they realize its true purpose." Aurelius turned to his son, gesturing him forward.

　　"There is no need to be afraid. The efforts of these poor wretches,` as you called them, have rendered us immune to its effects. One of the last gifts they were capable of granting. I have disseminated a vaccine to humanity through my efforts over the centuries. We have no fear of the virus infecting us or our technology. They will need more direct` means to convert us into their sustenance." Aurelius explained.

　　"You`ve said the Envoys were charged with humankind`s survival. Is this vaccine` what you meant? Is this the lie you`ve been concealing from us? " Alexander asked.

　　"Partially. The truth behind the Taboo was partly due to their desire to ensure humans did not create another race of Artificial Intelligence. But after encountering the Vore, they discovered that if Humanity were to survive the Vore`s inevitable arrival, they couldn`t rely on technology to save them. The vore-released viral contagion would affect it, just as it did theirs.

　　"Humans needed to be better, stronger and more intelligent. United in a common cause, with leaders capable of driving back the Vore. That is why they created the Envoys, to continue their research and develop a vaccine. They isolated their bodies from their already infected systems. We owe our survival to these brave souls." Aurelius commented, bowing his head to the crowd.

　　"I`ve continued their research, using what they have learned to enhance the Ducal Houses. To combat the Vore, we must use their own abilities against them. To that end, I have constructed a way for the Houses and their Titans to become an anchor point,` preventing the disruption of our existing technology and the spread of their contagions."If you come across this story on Amazon, it`s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

　　"The coming storm will be fought with steel, fire, tooth, and claw. And you, my son, will be part of that struggle." Aurelius commanded.

　　Alexander looked at his father in shock, taking in his words and processing them momentarily. He laughed out loud at the pronouncement of his role in the upcoming conflict.

　　"No, I won`t. You rotten old bastard, did you forget that I tried to kill you!" Alexander shouted, causing his voice to echo off the high ceiling. The Envoys groaned in pain at the sound, squirming in their seats.

　　"That is why it must be you to lead them. You have the intelligence and callousness necessary to see the conflict to the end. Your brothers would never be able to stomach the cruelty and losses required for humanity to win."

　　"You do it. You`re more heartless than any human that ever lived. You let me destroy Terra as a test` for your experiments! You`ve manipulated and lied, murdered and deceived. I`ll see you dead before I work with you, Father." Alexander hissed, his anger hot in his chest.

　　"And I will bear that hatred as I do all the others who despise me, knowing that what I`ve done was necessary for our future! You wanted to tear down my Empire and undo all my years of work. This is your opportunity! I`m too old to lead them in a war, Alexander.

　　"They will be ready to fight after what you have accomplished today. At each other`s throats, you could step in and lead them forward. As Emperor or not, it doesn`t matter. The Empire was created for this single purpose: to defeat the Vore. If that is achieved, turn the Empire into whatever you want. A democracy, autocracy, even a million separate kingdoms unconnected to each other, I don`t care as long as Humans endure."

　　"No. Unlike you, I don`t hold a shred of love for humanity. All I have is hatred and disdain in my heart. For you and for them." Alexander replied. Aurelius sighed at his son`s words.

　　"I`ve created four children in my life. Argyle was to combine the best of myself and your mother, to be a warrior to lead the Empire against the Vore. But some flaws made him unsuitable. He wasn`t vicious and ruthless enough to win at any cost. He was too noble and kind for what I needed.

　　"I tried to correct my mistake with Augustus, but he became too cautious. He preferred striking from the shadows, politicking and intrigue. I doubted he could ever wield the knife himself.

　　"Amara was ambitious but would never be capable of leading from the front. She allowed others to succeed while she tried to position herself behind the winner."

　　"No, only you have inherited the traits I wanted. Logical and cruel, you would be an improper choice in peacetime, but to fight against the tide about to engulf us, you have the qualities necessary to see them through it."

　　"I will not. Use Kalen Caledon or one of the others you`ve prepared to meet the Envoys. Or were your diaries a lie as well? Did you ever have any intention of bringing them here?" Alexander asked.

　　"They will lead the assault on the Vore. From this very spacecraft in fact. But they need a leader to direct their efforts. One cannot manage a war from the front lines, Alexander."

　　"I`ve worked my entire life toward the goal of putting an end to all your well-laid plans, Father. You may have ruined my Grand Reveal,` but I can now think of no greater revenge than denying you this. I will not participate in the war or help you in any way." Alexander replied with finality.

　　"I told you, Aurelius. You push too hard. Not everyone is as single-minded in purpose as you are. A softer touch is needed." Amelia spoke out from behind them. Turning, Alexander saw that his mother looked well, healthier, and even slightly younger than he had seen her mere hours before.

　　She walked across the chamber, her face frowning as she saw the state of the Envoys. Aurelius snorted at the comment of a softer touch.`

　　"Bah! The boy will agree. Everything I`ve seen about him has all but confirmed it. He`s just being stubborn. He`s too fixated on a single loss to look at the broader picture. Too emotional to let it go." The Emperor replied.

　　"Heaven forbid that he have emotions!" Amelia retorted. Ignoring her husband, she stood in front of her son.

　　"I understand why you had to do what you did. I know the weight of our expectations was a burden on you, and I`m sorry for that, Alexander. But now you understand why he pushed you as hard as he did. It hasn`t been easy for him, for us, either. Can you imagine how taxing it is to know of this threat and keep it a secret? To be the only ones that can do anything about it?" Amelia said quietly, observing Alexander.

　　Her eyes weren`t judgemental, even though he had tried to kill her and most of her family. Alexander had destroyed their home planet and killed millions, and yet she pitied him!

　　He felt a mixture of guilt and anger as he stared at his mother.

　　Alexander knew he was broken in some way. You couldn`t engineer a person like his father wanted and have them be sane and entirely rational. No, a sensible and sane person couldn`t fight an enemy like the Vore.

　　If they even existed. Perhaps they were another lie of his father`s, a figment of their imagination.

　　But the evidence was all around him, and if they were to be believed, humanity needed someone like him to see them through this crisis. A murderer, a despot, a crazed sociopath who would sacrifice trillions to achieve his goal.

　　A part of him wanted to rise to the challenge.