June 8th, 628
“I still think we’re attracting too much attention.”
I sighed, kicking my feet up on a footrest as Erhan brought Polly and I another drink.
The two of us lounged in front of my estate’s pool in some swimwear, staring out as the late afternoon sun shifted the sky into sherbert colors. It was just the two of us on the lounge chairs, Jasmine floating face down in the pool. She was probably alright.
“I think we’re not doing enough.”
“We’ve been engaging in raids every other day for two months now, and you say it's not enough?”
“Nope. What’s our kill count?”
“Well, with about thirty villages and towns raided and wiped out, each numbering between three and eight thousand, I’d say we’ve killed roughly a hundred and fifty thousand.”
I smiled and nodded.
“Very good. Unfortunately they’re only spreading faster. They now have millions of hopped-up demonoids across the Kingdom and several times more who are just waiting their turn to be corrupted and empowered. It’s an infestation that can’t be eradicated fast enough.”
“I get that, but if you’re trying to save the people, then backing off a bit might be beneficial.”
Polly tapped her aerial, sending a file that popped up in my vision.
It was a video of a mass migration of Nephilim. Tens of thousands of them were treading ground on foot and wagon.
Their destination was a nearby major city with a population of about three million.
“Your goal of striking fear has certainly been achieved. Now you’ve got entire villages and towns turning desolate as their inhabitants migrate to the populated cities. You’re hastening the invasion indirectly.”
“Sounds about right.”
I took another sip of my drink, releasing a breath of ethanol and smacking my lips.
I sent away the video feed, sighing.
“Sounds like we’re going to have cities full of Nephilim soon. Since they’re certainly not going there to be productive members of society, those millions of people will be coerced and brainwashed into both accepting them and becoming them. Being demonic scum is a full time job.”
Polly glanced at me silently, pausing.
“...Is this your goal?”
“My goal is the eradication of the Scourge and all who may ally with them.”
“Even if you have to hasten their takeover. This isn’t a covert war to stop them. It’s a war to give them exactly what they want.”
I returned Polly’s gaze.
“Is that a problem?”
“Fuck off, John. I’ve been dealing with your spontaneous bullshit since you stepped off that Rail at Stronghold Charlie. I certainly can’t be surprised by you anymore, but I expect you to drop the arrogance for me too. You’re not the only one who can handle rough topics and unconventional solutions, and don’t forget who runs Sector 4 in your absence.”
I smiled as she finished her words, chuckling.
“Heh, you’re so drunk. We’ve only had a few drinks. You’re not a lightweight, are you?”
“Hoh, careful with your words, boy, or mommy might have to teach you what real drinking looks like. I’d hate to embarrass you like that.”
“I unfortunately ain’t a stranger to getting drunk under the table. The only ones who could do so though were closeted alcoholic family members or some friends who brewed moonshine on the side. Hehe, pretty sure my Uncle Bubba drank enough daily to kill a bull.”
I laughed a bit, Polly sipping her drink with a smile.
“You know, you’ve never told me about your family. Your record said that you have none.”
“A complicated situation. Have I ever told you that I’m from another world?”
“I don’t know. Perhaps you did and it just slipped my mind.”
I smiled, giving Polly the general gist that I had given the others.
After my brief explanation, she nodded and gazed off into the horizon.
“Indeed, I definitely can’t be surprised by you anymore. Either way, I’m glad you actually have family, even if they aren’t here. I assumed you were orphaned before.”
“Yes, it’s a slight silver lining. I don’t know if I’ll ever get to see them again, but at least it was just me. I certainly wouldn’t want them to be brought to this fucked up planet too.”
“I can understand that thought. But I know it doesn’t make it easier. It’s a good thing you have me around for emotional support.”
“Well, you and my smoking hot fiancé. Forgive me, but I usually default to indulging in her emotional support.”
She scoffed.
“As you should. Lord knows how often I have to find my husband with all the stress you cause me.”
We took large sips of our drink, my smile widening.
“Oh yeah? Aunt Polly still has that youthful vigor, eh?”
“Don’t speak like I’m an old lady. Age is just experience at this level and I’ve got you amateurs topped by decades.”
“Is that why you’ve got a layer of makeup on your neck?”
I shifted my head, spotting a concealed hickey on her nape.
She shrugged, looking away and twirling her drink.
“Maybe.”
“Hehehe, you go girl. Cheers to that shit.”
I lifted my glass, Polly unable to hide her smile as we clinked our glasses.
After a moment of silence she sighed, our humor calming.
“Alright, well I think I get what you’re trying to do. By my guesses you’re going to indirectly kill many, many millions doing it, but it might just work.”
“It will work, and it’ll cost a lot more than just some millions. The only other alternative is borderline extinction, so I’m willing to make the trade.”
Polly just hummed in response. After another few minutes of silence and pondering, Jasmine started moving again and swam out of the pool.
We all hung around for a time, night eventually falling and the cool air urging us inside. After cleaning and sobering up with cigars, I had a small dinner with them before checking my Aerial.
I smiled when I saw the message from Wonderland.
“How timely. Hey Polly, want to come with me and see something cool?”
“I suppose? What is it?”
“A plane, and I’m about to put on a show with it. Come on. You can change into your uniform on the way there. You too, Jasmine.”
“Yay!”
I chuckled as we walked out, Erhan driving the three of us to the airfield in my backyard. We took a plane to Wonderland where we disembarked and headed to a nearby hangar.
The huge white doors were closed, and upon entering, the two of us were greeted with a lit interior and a large plane surrounded by mechanical and magical devices.
This world’s newest generation of supersonic aircraft. Over two months ago, after giving the project director my set of specifications and milestones, a multitude of prototypical supersonic jet engines were born. They were massively dialed back compared to the flagship model that exploded under its own pressure, capable of no more than half of the speed.
But they were still fast, efficient, and most importantly, reliable.
These jet engines weren’t air breathing. They could actually be considered rocket engines. Their fuel was entirely internal, requiring no intakes, and relying on the expulsion of a working fluid to produce thrust.
But instead of using liquid hydrogen and oxygen as fuel, these engines used Fire and Air Crystals. The Fire Crystals provided the energy and the Air Crystals provided the fluid for expansion and thrust. By using a variety of magics, these two could work in tandem to not just produce raw propulsion, but direct the power in such a way that made them just as capable as modern pure-tech engines while being far more energy efficient.
I gazed at the plane before me. At 75 feet long with a 50 foot wingspan, the plane was reminiscent of the X-15 in frame design with wings positioned closer to the rear. It was like a tortilla chip with a pointed neck at the front, the wings making it triangular and sparing it from the ‘missile with a pilot’ accusations.
The project manager ran up to me when I entered, an excited look on his face.
“The X-51 is ready for your stress test, sir.”
“Fabulous. We’ll begin immediately. Escort Polly and Jasmine here to the Control Center.”
“Yes sir.”
I waved to them before walking toward the jet. The engineers within the hangar scurried around it, making last second preparations.
Before stepping in, I peered into my 8th Star and found a spirit calling out to me. Being in front of a proper jet seemed to have spurred it to life.
The Exo-Atmospheric Flight Suit, Model EFS-99: Avionic Configuration.
A flight suit made for extreme condition pilots, the EFS-99 was capable of more than just sustaining the body under high-G maneuvers. In a future world where most aircraft were unmanned, the only pilots left were those who flew the kinds of planes that weren’t merely atmospheric.
The suit appeared over my body, fabrics and polymers melding against my form.
After adjusting some straps, I lifted the helmet. It had no visor, the front a metal shield with several bright lights that looked like eyes and the sharp yet smooth edges of precision fabrication.
I slipped the helmet on, its frame clamping around my head before locking in with the rest of the suit. After that I felt the ambient air pressure increase just slightly, the HUD flashing to life.
The visuals allowed me more than a normal human field of view, my peripheral vision being extended to such a point that it felt like I had eyes on the back of my head. It took a few seconds of calibration on the helmet’s part and some adjustment on mine, but I quickly adapted an appreciation for it.
The helmet scanned the aircraft as I climbed a ladder into the cockpit. Once I settled in, the engineers around me helped position the straps and buckles, securing me to the seat. At the same time, the hangar doors started sliding open, revealing the dark runway.
I linked my helmet’s systems with my Aerial, tying it in with the Control Center’s Nodenet. Then it was linked with the plane itself, the suite hosting a variety of avionics that didn’t exist a year ago.
Remembering the manual that had been developed for this plane and written a mere week ago, I started flicking all the switches on the panel in front of me, starting up the plane as the engineers closed the canopy and cleared the area.
With power and wheels active, I drove it out of the hangar and onto the runway, following the path of lights that suddenly blinked to life on the ground.
I was quickly in position for launch, hearing the project manager’s voice in my ear.
……
Polly watched the project manager, his name Feruga, speak with John as they kickstarted the plane.
She felt like Feruga was being more timid than normal, probably because she was here in uniform. Although Wonderland wasn’t a part of Iron Legion, Sector 4 became its security force after Iron Legion was established. Polly, being the head of Sector 4, naturally knew about many of the operations here as well as most of the agents responsible for maintaining secrecy and security.
As a consequence of their job, these enchanters and researchers feared them, as they should. Polly, being at the top of it all, was one of the most feared individuals among those who knew of her, perhaps only second to John. While John could be charismatic in front of his troops, she maintained the image demanded by her position. That meant she was the bloody dagger in John’s left hand, the face of all the atrocities they had ever carried out.
And with a word, Polly could end anybody’s career at Sawn Industries’ most elite and covert institution. Wonderland had become like a heaven for those at the Magic Spire, and none who came ever wanted to leave.
She just hoped that her pressure wouldn’t affect Feruga’s ability to conduct this test, not that he was the pilot.
“Ready engine, start.”
Polly saw the single engine of the plane flash to life before suddenly exploding with power. A column of flame was ejected from the engine, the portion closest to the engine slightly blue, the rest a powerful yellow and orange.
On the wall in front of her she could see all of the diagnostics of the plane, including a visual feed of John in the cockpit. The helmet on his face looked eerie. She now knew it was something from his world, but she couldn’t imagine what kind of unholy level of technology allowed it to work.
John’s voice echoed through the room.
“All systems green on my end. No explosions yet, so I think we’re good for takeoff.”
“Control concurs, Falcon. All hands, go for takeoff.”
Polly glanced around, all of the engineers through the room and behind terminals checking their systems and giving a thumbs up.
Right then, the door suddenly opened. Polly was surprised to see Umara there.
Seeing Feruga turn to her, Umara waved him off.
“Don’t worry about me. What’s he doing now?”
“Testing the new plane.”
“Right, he said that was tonight…”
She sighed, Polly noticing how tired she looked. She knew Umara worked on one of the Wonderland teams. Seems she had been pulling long hours.
She sat by Polly and Jasmine, the three women staying quiet and watching the camera showing them a view of the plane outside.
Once everyone had given their clearances, Feruga spoke.
“Falcon, you’re cleared for takeoff. The skies are yours.”
“Roger. Feeding auxiliary avionics to your system.”
Feruga’s brows raised as the screen in front of them suddenly glitched, more numbers appearing. There was Mach, pressure, G-Force, internal and external temperature, and several other atmospheric and mechanical measurements that they didn’t quite recognize.
“Alright, pay attention because this is going to happen fast.”
Their eyes shifted once more when they heard John’s voice, the video feed of the plane showing movement.
The flame spewing from the engine multiplied in intensity, the initial portion of the fire column becoming conical. The plane quickly picked up speed and shot down the runway.
Polly saw it tilt up, wheels lifting off the ground as the engine blazed with power, torching the ground and rising into the sky.
They all watched the speed on the screen climb, the plane hitting 500 miles per hour before 20 seconds even passed. The g-forces John endured rose steadily, his nose pointed almost straight up.
They watched the numbers climb at a rate scarcely believable.
Polly kept in mind the speed of Iron Legion production planes, which sat around 400 miles per hour.
She saw this plane reach triple that speed in seconds, Feruga barely reacting.
“Reaching supersonic speeds.”
A timer appeared, clocking how long since launch John had been climbing.
Once it hit 60 seconds, Polly glanced at the altitude, seeing 80 thousand feet being blown past. The camera feed zoomed in, the visual adjusted for night vision and showing the blazing signature of the engine. Other metrics detailed the temperature of the plane’s surface as well as that of the nozzle, which were reaching thousands of degrees.
There were a dozen other metrics from air drag to a graph for aerodynamic heating rise with Mach number, none of which Polly recognized the meaning of, but needing no more than eyes to see all of them sharply climbing.
2 minutes came, and John flew past 150 thousand feet faster than he did the first hundred thousand.
He was only getting faster. 200 thousand feet was bypassed like a footnote and Polly still saw John’s speed fly past 2 thousand miles an hour just as casually.
She felt like she couldn’t properly react to what she was seeing. At minute three, 250 thousand feet was reached, as was 3000 mph.
Some seconds later, Feruga muttered with a chill in his breath.
“Approaching hypersonic speeds.”
Polly glanced at the Mach number, seeing it quickly blink decimal by decimal until it hit 5.0.
Soon after, the plane reached 350 thousand feet, John’s voice echoing.
“Activating attitude rockets and leveling out. Atmospheric density reaching zero. Beginning approach to four hundred thousand feet and accelerating to Mach 6.”
His rate of climb noticeably slowed, nose lowering from its vertical climb. 400 thousand feet hit, as did the milestone of Mach 6, gradually slowing. Polly could see that the engine was being throttled, no longer in full burn.
The timer counted just over four minutes. It happened so fast Polly was mute.
After another minute, John spoke.
“All lights are green on my end, Control.”
“Copy. Control concurs. No anomalies according to our sensors.”
“Good. Is my Dove there?”
Feruga’s brows raised. He turned around and eyed Umara, who perked up.
“Yes, I’m here.”
“My apologies, Dove. I wanted both of us to experience this together, but I couldn’t take you on such a dangerous trip. I had to test the waters first.”
“Hm… I can’t say I’m not irked, Falcon. But your consideration is one of the things I love about you. I’ll forgive you, only if you promise to take me for a joyride later.”
“I’ll pinky swear you when I get back down.”
Umara chuckled, her eyes glued to the live feed of John in the cockpit.
“So, when are you coming back down? Don’t tell me you plan to circle the planet.”
“Not today. I’ll do it when we finally make a stable Mach 10 engine. For now though, I need to verify something.”
“What’s that?”
“Space. Ever wonder about its true nature?”
Umara noticed the altitude meter start rising again, her heart thumping a bit harder in her chest.
“I suppose? I thought you said it was just a void of nothingness.”
“Yes, in the most generic sense. But you see, where I come from, we have an interesting scripture. It comes from the first book, Genesis, the creation of the universe.”
John’s nose turned back up, going to full burn once more. He climbed to Mach 6.5, his altitude blazing past 500 thousand feet.
Not long after, he hit the 100 mile mark.
Then, he started speaking the scripture.
“In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light, and there was light.”
Umara felt chills as he flew past 150 miles. Several metrics on the screens across the wall changed, shifting from atmospheric and aerodynamic measurements to astronautical measurements.
“And God saw the light, that it was good, and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.”
200 miles, and the Mach number long disappeared. There was no speed of sound when there was no atmosphere for sound to travel. The true speed measurement put John at 7000 mph and climbing.
Umara glanced at an alert that popped up on one screen.
Entering low planetary orbit.
“And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament, and it was so.
“And God called the firmament Heaven.”
His words ended, and so did the audio feed.
All the screens on the wall froze, alarms blaring as all the avionic signals were cut. The rising numbers ceased to rise and the video feed of John cut to darkness.
Umara’s eyes widened.
“What just happened?!”
“I-I don’t know! We’ve lost contact!”
“Those transmitters are good for five hundred miles over the horizon, let alone line of sight! How did we lose contact?!”
“I don’t know!”
“Then fucking work on it! Someone tune another transmission array!”
Polly watched Umara yell at them, deciding to stay quiet and let the professionals do their work. She’d only get in the way.
One panicking fiancé was more than enough for stress levels. These researchers didn’t need the head of Sector 4 bearing down on them as well.
Almost half an hour passed like this, nothing able to pierce the veil and reach John. Umara stood there the entire time, biting her fingernails with palpable fear coming off her.
Then the screens glitched, flashing multiple times before resetting, all the metrics returning to normal and adjusting in real time. John’s video feed returned, his helmet still on, nothing different from before.
Except for the fact that his arms were slumped, the plane in a nosedive and rapidly reentering the atmosphere.