Chapter 72

　　Wearily, Kal walked out of the cabin, his coat bundled tight around him against the winter cold. He had been released from the hospital for the second time a few weeks ago, and the doctors warned him against agitating his condition.

　　To put it succinctly, he had intense PTSD, combined with the trauma of rejuvenation and the mental burden of the Neural Link with Atlas. Physically, they repaired what they could, but he needed a way to come to terms and accept what had happened to him, or he would never recover.

　　Standing in the snow, Kal waited for the Hovercar carrying Amelia to arrive. They had been meeting regularly since his latest health scare in an attempt to address his problems. Discussing his past, what had happened during his call to Caledon, and even his missing memories.

　　Easing into it, Amelia showed another set of skills, that of a therapist and healer. She knew to push him far enough to help without breaking him down. Today, they were going somewhere, although the Empress was cagey with the details of their destination.

　　The sound of the hovercar cut through the wind, the noise of its approach announcing it long before it entered Kal`s eyesight. Cresting the trees, the slick black car hovered in the air before drifting gently to land on the ground in front of the cabin.

　　Shaking off the snowflakes from the shoulders of his black wool jacket, Kal climbed in, greeting the Empress with a smile and a hello.`

　　"Are you curious as to our destination?" Amelia asked, gesturing for the driver to take them away. Kal shrugged in response. Curiosity had been absent from him for awhile now.

　　Truth be told, he felt numb to the events surrounding him, detached from his emotions. The only time that changed was when the sudden rage erupted from deep within him, something he shared with Atlas.

　　"You`ve made progress in the last few weeks, but I think its time we addressed some of your fears," Amelia replied, and Kal turned to her in alarm.

　　"You don`t mean&." Kal stammered out. The image of the green-eyed Mech appeared in his mind. He wasn`t ready to face that, not yet.

　　"No, not Atlas. But I think it will help you understand more about it. I want to show you the origins of the Titan and demonstrate to you that it is just a mindless machine created by humans and controlled by it. Atlas doesn`t possess any intelligence beyond what you bring it. Everything you experience in the Link is part of your subconsciousness. It fed on you, enhancing what was already there until you couldn`t handle it anymore." Amelia explained.

　　"I don`t understand," Kal replied truthfully. He knew very little about Atlas, the records about its production and capabilities were sparse.

　　"You`ll see, we`re almost there," Amelia assured him.

　　The hovercar sped across the surface of Terra, passing over forests and mountains, orchards and snow-covered farmlands. It passed silently through thick layers of cloud that obscured their vision before Kal saw the palace again.

　　The home of the Emperor glistened amongst the snow, the paths shovelled and gold gilding contrasting against the white. Rather than land at the central pad like they had last time, the car passed over the palace, stopping at the rear of the grounds before settling gently onto the cleared area.

　　Disembarking, Kal followed Amelia through the rear lawns, following a path the staff had marked, the snow removed from the stones. The wind was warmer here than it had been by his cabin, enough that he felt much more comfortable walking in the winter environment.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

　　"Through here," Amelia said, showing him a small building at the estate`s rear, nestled amongst the trees. She placed her hand on a pad next to a door and heard the click` of the magnetic locks disengaging before the door soundlessly swung open to reveal a well-lit stairwell.

　　The pair descended, with the hovercar driver staying on the surface.

　　Concrete steps sloped deep beneath the earth, twisting slightly as they travelled. After nearly fifteen minutes of it, both Amelia and Kal were out of breath. Her age had deteriorated her stamina, while Kal had still not fully recovered from his wounds. Still, they pressed on until they reached a wide-open area at the bottom.

　　It was a concrete bunker, its walls reinforced with modern technology, but it had clearly been erected thousands of years before. There was an aged quality to it that spoke of its era, but the air was surprisingly clean and dry, well-ventilated.

　　Lights began to brighten the hall as they walked, white orbs of light that lit the walkway harshly, washing away the colour from the clothing and skin.

　　"It`s just over here," Amelia stated, pointing ahead. Kal could see the hall widen into a large room, the lights barely brightening the gloom. As they approached, he could see a massive figure, its head nearly brushing the ceiling hundreds of feet high.

　　It was a Mech. Its metal frame shined with a gold hue in the white light, its humanoid body similar to Atlas. Unlike Caledon`s Titan, this one was sleeker, appearing nobler but lacking the weapons and armour of the others. Worse, large sections of its body were missing, its torso had gaps, and even most of its limbs had been stripped of their valuable components.

　　Still, it was a marvellous sight, and Kal`s breath caught in his throat before the feelings of unease began to creep back into his stomach. Despite its inert appearance and its differences from Atlas, he still associated it with the green-eyed beast from his dreams.

　　"What is it?" Kal asked.

　　"Ouroboros. The personal Mech of the Grand Unifier himself." Amelia stated.

　　Using this machine, a single man united the galaxy under his rule, becoming the first Emperor. Kal was familiar with the story. Everyone was. The Grand Unifier was a genius and a noble of Terra who used this Mech to leader a force across the galaxy, uniting humanity.

　　As famous as the Mech was, no details of it were available on the Imperial Net. Every record had been swept clean, all references of it expunged. The only thing Kal knew about it was that it existed and that Atlas was based on its design.

　　"Why is it incomplete?" Kal asked, confused as to why such a valuable machine would be left in a state of disrepair.

　　Despite being nearly ten thousand years old, it was in pristine condition, only lacking the parts needed to make it function. If it were whole, it would likely be more powerful than any other Mech in existence.

　　"Once the galaxy was united, the Grand Unifier solidified his rule through twelve of his greatest generals, each becoming a Duke or Duchess of his new Empire. He created the Titans, gifting one to each that contained a piece of Ouroboros to symbolically connect them." Amelia explained.

　　"It`s beautiful. But why are you showing me this?" Kal asked, grateful for the experience but confused about his purpose here.

　　"Because I wanted to show you that Atlas is just a machine. You may think of it as a demon rising from the depths of hell to capture your soul, but it`s merely a tool. See? The greatest creation of humanity is left at the bottom of a storage facility. The Titans aren`t alive, Kal. They have no spirit and are no different than a sword in the hands of a warrior or a hammer to a craftsperson."

　　"I disagree. My memory may be in tatters, but I still recall some of what I experienced in Atlas. A beast in the Titans is waiting to claw its way free." Kal retorted, staring at the Mech before him. Even now, he could see it if he closed his eyes, waiting for him.

　　"There`s nothing in a Titan you don`t carry with you, Kalen. If there is a beast in Atlas, it comes from your mind." Amelia replied.

　　"My Grandfather didn`t think so. He told me the Atlas uses the experiences of its previous Pilots to build on it, lessening the Neural Burden and enhancing its abilities." Kal explained, turning away from the Ouroboros and looking at the Empress.

　　"It does, in a way. But wouldn`t that touch on the Taboo? Creating a machine in the likeness of a human mind is forbidden." Amelia questioned, quirking an eyebrow at the Baron.

　　"He said it borders on the Taboo."

　　"He`s wrong, but I understand why he would think that. There`s a secret to the Titans, Kalen, one that I will share with you, but you must never tell another soul." The Empress waited for Kal`s nod before continuing.

　　"The Grand Unifier never created them. Ouroboros was gifted to him by a race interested in our unification." Amelia said, waiting for Kal to work it out himself.

　　"Who would be interested in that? Humanity had always been alone in the galaxy, except for&." Kal`s eyes widened as he realized what her statement meant.