The air was thick.
The lights dimmed fractionally as Zenix took a breath. Her voice, crisp and clear, rang out around the room.
[Zenix]:
"As I was saying. the ones from Zorons are taller than any average Gardosnis."
She paused—her eyes scanning around the room.
"But first, before we go on."
Her tone grew more adamant.
".one more time—everyone in this room, excluding the higher-ups, Task Force 2B Commander Ametes, Task Force 2A Vice Commander Emerald, and all other senior soldiers of each respective task force—"
She gestured at the troops standing before her with a sweep of her arm.
".that includes you—20 soldiers in total—take this reminder to heart:"
[Zenix]:
"Based on the laws of our Empire—and the sacred edict of this very Headquarters—what is said here is classified. Confidential.
One word said outside these walls will earn only two penalties—brutal execution. or exile. No exceptions."
A chill silence fell.
Then—
All of the kneeling soldiers dropped to one knee.
No words said. No hesitation.
All knelt with a hard face, as if saying in silence:
"We are worthy of this trust."
And, at the same time, Ametes and Emerald remained seated—cool, calm.
A wry smile wrinkled both their faces as they said nearly in unison:
[Emerald & Ametes]:
"We heard. Continue."
Zenix nodded gratitude. Then she narrowed her eyes.
[Zenix]:
".The creatures of Zorons.
They know us."
She let that hang.
".In point of fact—they're terrifyingly akin to something in our own past."
The room tensed.
[Zenix]:
"They resemble one of our most embarrassing, deadly failures:
Experiment 108X9."
A murmur of confusion spread through the crowd.
Even the brass appeared shaken—unheard of.
They traded nervous glances, their faces pale, stretched. unsettled.
Emerald, still sitting, squinted.
[Emerald – internal monologue]:
"Is that. fear?
I've never seen the brass get like that.
Not in my entire life.
Whatever this 108X9 is.
it must've been something completely monstrous.
And honestly.
it's kind of satisfying to see those smug bastards get like that for once."
For a moment, there was silence. Not even Zendor, not even Pilos.
The weight seemed to settle on the name—108X9—of making the room frozen.
Then, cutting through the tensed air like a blade—
[Ametes]:
"Nobody else is going to say a thing, huh?"
He leaned forward in his chair, tone even but heavy.
"Okay. I'll get the obvious one out there."
His gaze settled on Zenix.
[Ametes]:
"What kind of experiment. are you talking about, Zenix?"
[Zenix]:
"Yeah... I think that most of you here in this room have no clue about it—beyond the high-ups and an extremely, extremely select few."
She moved closer, her face darkening.
"So let me say it plain—those things on Zorons. they're our work."
"Experiment 108X9. And in that experiment—"
Suddenly—
Zenix's words froze on his lips as a change in the room occurred.
The Four Higher-Ups were exchanging odd glances.
Silent. Tense. Conspiring.
Their eyes flashed back and forth like they were repressing a storm.
Where he sat, Ametes picked up on it immediately.
He leaned forward slightly, his eyes on them.
"They're on edge. holding something back."
Then—
[Zendor] attempted to insert a crooked, uneasy grin.
For a man known for blood and thunder, it was unnatural.
[Zendor] (awkwardly):
"Wait... Zenix, maybe—just maybe—this particular matter is better explained by. us higher-ups."
He shifted uncomfortably.
"It is, after all, our responsibility. to guide our dear commanders, isn't it?"
A short pause.
Then a voice cut through the tension like a blade dipped in sarcasm.
[Nerile]:
"Wow. You're actually right—for the first time in your life, hothead."
She glanced sideways.
"Though I think we'd all sleep better if Pilos explained."
"Right, Pilos?"
[Pilos] didn't even blink.
[Pilos]:
".I think so."
He stood up from his chair—composed, spine rigid, voice like icy glass.
[Pilos]:
"Boys."
He looked around the war room.
".As Zenix was saying—"
Pilos (voice firm, dark):
"Those beasts. are products of one of our empire's most catastrophic experiments."
He looked around the war room.
[Pilos]:
"A thousand years ago—when our ancestors dreamed of ultimate mastery—those before us... the masters of their time, aided by masterminds. tried to raise a new breed."
"A perfect killer."
"A perfect war-beast with unmatched combat IQ. genetically conceived with an enemies'-blood thirst.
A living weapon—bred to win wars and accelerate our mastery."
He paused.
[Pilos]:
"But—"
[Emerald]:
"But what?"
Everyone's gaze turned to Pilos, who finally did speak—his face unusually grave.
[Pilos]:
"They succeeded.".
They did exactly what they wanted.
Perhaps. more than they wanted.
He leaned against the table.
[Pilos]:
"But the creatures lacked one essential ingredient—intelligent-ness.
They were dumb.
Not soldiers. but monsters."
"They couldn't distinguish friend from foe.
They began slaughtering everything in their path—including their creators and the powers who brought them into being."
The room tensed.
[Pilos]:
"Our civilization was forced to fight its own creation.
And we paid the cost."
"Our population dwindled.
Our resources were nearly depleted."
The destruction was so vast that even a civilization as advanced as ours took centuries to recover from it."
"And this. is the real reason our conquest began 500 years later than we had originally intended."
[Ametes]:
"Wait a minute—
You're saying that this accident. happened during the same time frame as the supposed virus epidemic?
The one called Purios?
The one where we were told that millions died, and materials collapsed because of plague?"
"I've read about it. It's in every official database—on every system on this planet!"
[Pedro] leaned forward, grim but curiously relaxed.
[Pedro]:
"Right. That's the cover story."
He exhaled.
[Pedro]:
"We called those animals Purios.
We couldn't kill 'em—they adapted too fast.
They regenerated from nearly anything.
Every time we battled them... they learned."
"Our only option was to teleport them away using unstable portals—banishing them to what we believed was a distant, dead, unpopulated planet."
"And yet. somehow, they made it through."
Heavy silence.
And then a stunned voice broke it—shaky, young, from the back of the room.
[Random 2A Soldier] (disbelief, remorseful):
"Now I understand."
"This is why we have no visual record of that period.
No video. No photos. Not even core recordings."
"Despite our empire recording everything. the worst catastrophe in our history was relegated to a footnote."
".And that one was a falsehood too—itself a shame."
Another voice—angry, betrayed—Task Force 2B:
[2B Soldier]:
"You hid this.
You buried the truth from the entire civilization."
"Our empire rests on trust—on unity.
You lecture us about loyalty—but denied this to your own people?"
Then—whispers.
[Soldiers – talking to one another softly]:
"We lost our friends on that Zoron mission..."
"Maybe the whole thing is a lie."
"Maybe this headquarters. these superiors. are a lie."
The buzz of discontent vibrated like a storm about to break.
Tension fizzed in the air.
And the powers that be sat tight—silent—not in power, but cornered.
To Be Continued...