Project Janus; Whispers Across The Multiverse
Richtofen was exhausted, he was tired and stressed out. He paced back and forth, anxiously, "What would it take? " He thought to himself, it was imperative that Project Janus bring Mary and Samuel back from the dead, the idea of not being allowed to see them again, it was something he could not stand. Eddie grew erratic, because to him, if he didn't bring back his son, and his wife. He may as well have been the one who killed them himself, that's how he saw it.
"DAMN IT!" The German shouted, using a nearby metallic like to hit a wall and shatter a window at Janus Towers, clearly distressed. "SON OF A BITCH!" He was upset and slowly losing his sanity due to the reality that the cloning methods employed by his employees were not successful in bringing back Mary, or even Samuel. Eddie couldn't even look at the clones anymore, and even if he did. Usually, he would head to the restroom and vomit into the toilet afterwards, to think this all started because of Mary learning of her superior, Krueger's illegal operations and dealings regarding human trafficking and she desired to become a whistleblower for protection, however Krueger contacted that inept CIA assassin, Weaver and Maxis to kill him. However they killed Eddie's family instead, it was a something that would haunt him forever.
"You really failed them, didn't you?" Convictions, the convictions he suppressed by whiskey came back to haunt him. "I miss you so much, my son..." A whisper escaped his words. He felt too overwhelmed, and stressed. Laying his head near a security terminal, however he felt strange, not in the bad way, but not in a good way. The Director felt a strange compulsion, a strange compelling feeling to zoom into the terminal. But why? This never happened before, was this the work of that bastard Panos? He wondered, before shaking his head, no. Panos hadn't even arrived, and he was going to be killed by Blanchard. So it couldn't be Panos, was it S.A.M? He then wondered. No, it couldn't be, but it wasn't out of the question. The Terminal was circular, with a blue, circular shape and a yellow and white coloration. Floating in a pedestal, of a bygone era. There was blue circular glyphs, but completely alien to Richtofen.
Eddie's blue eyes scanned the black display, which changed to blue. "What.." He asked himself in shock, as the terminal rerouted itself. He felt the presence of music, but there was no recorder or music player, not even a cassette tape. So how could music be playing? How is this all happening? A confused Eddie was perplexed and this was another issue, he wondered if the Forsaken was controlling the systems from within his containment chamber. However, the torture methods employed by S.A.M gravely broke the God down and had made him develop a negative outlook on his life, so it couldn't be that. Was it a rogue Uber Klaus? Rogue Kommando Klaus? Or some scientist playing a prank, or was the Aether Reactors already melting down?
Then yellow text appeared, the syntax and grammar pointed towards some form of AI, however Eddie did not know.
[Father],
The message started, Eddie's brow furrowed in confusion, why was the communicator referring to him as father? Or was this intended for something else? He wrote down a response. "Hello?" He noticed there was content missing and discrepancies, inconsistencies. As if something was manipulating them to suit it's benefits. But the way it addressed the log, and started it off as Father. Eddie had to hide the pain, the pain of being haunted, of being perpetually tormented by nightmares of that day in 1981, where Mary and Samuel were burned alive. And he didn't even see the body, he missed Sammy, and it was eating him alive, metaphorically, but also emotionally.
I hope this message finds you well and helps you understand my decision. Today I leave the only world I have ever called home, not for glory or [the anomalous desire to end another’s life[?]] as you have [indicted]. but to [travel the path of demons[?]] to spare the hands of [another Father’s son].
The messaging was baffling and it confused the Director, why was this sent to Project Janus' communications, who was sending this message? However the reference of "another Father's son" caused a sharp pain underneath his skin and chest pain, he clutched his chest. His breath hitched, until he caught it. It was clear Eddie was uncomfortable and didn't enjoy being reminded of the failure to save his family from certain death. He wondered if this was some sick attempt by S.A.M to gain his trust, or maybe Panos was taunting him, whilst he was ambitious. The emotionally scarred 45-year old did love his family, if he was alone with whatever was communicating with him right now, Eddie would be pouring himself another drink of whiskey just to cope with the pain. However whatever was communicating with him seemed to be some form of an AI, although different from the Synaptic Algorithm Module.
"Are you or are you not affiliated with Project Janus?" He typed into the keyboard, for reasons unknown the communicator had been dodging his questions.
“Had we acted sooner; had we acted more decisively…”
More decisively? Eddie did not understand what this thing was trying to clarify, but he decided to keep communicating with it. Even if it wouldn't answer his questions, although he had a feeling that it may answer his questions sooner than later, and he was morally ambiguous if he was going to like it's answers or hate them. The former Associate Deputy Director of the Office of Extra-Regular Activities didn't even know if he was making a mistake talking to whatever was infecting Project Janus' systems, but he wanted answers. "We could act decisively still, just with the right time, resources and intel.." He said, drinking a bottle of water to keep himself at ease from going berserk.
"Living in the past is a luxury none of us can afford. We must learn from it, but we cannot live there. It is impossible to plan for the [now]. - the present is ever fleeting. [The future] is where we must live - [the future] is what we must plan for."
"No, no, no. Impossible, the now is still capable of being planned." Edward tapped his hand on the computer, again with the discrepancies and the missing data, the bullshit never ends. Mary and Samuel deserved better, he thought to himself. They didn't deserve to die, Sammy was only a kid, he had his whole life ahead of him. The guilt continued, but he felt like crying but he had to suppress his emotions. "Mary and Samuel will come back, no matter what." He finally caught his breath, after a few deep breaths and his anxiety almost caught up to him, Eddie was somewhat shy, especially with photos.
The text shifted, a groan. Eddie rubbed his face, watching as these logs got more and more confusing.
"I do not look to trade my life in order to preserve our past, but to secure the future - and if not ours, then the future of some [culture] yet to come."
This hit the German like a ton of bricks, his eyes narrowed back to the terminal and around his environment, then back to the terminal. Whatever was communicating with him was posting logs from a extremely long time ago, these logs and transmissions weren't recent, they were of a byproduct of a war not by human hands, and he was intrigued. He was curious, perhaps too curious, he typed and spoke. "What else is there to know? Project Janus will succeed."
"Isn’t sacrifice in the interest of others what you spoke of as being so noble? Should I have allowed another to bloody his hands while I remained safe behind a [shield of privilege]?"
He composed himself, the AI communicating to him spoke of sacrifice, and how it was so noble in the minds of many, and the AI had asked if it should have allowed another individual, albeit this other party remained unnamed. Eddie pondered if this was the Old Ones, before reading how the AI ssid it remained safe, another discrepancy since shield of privilege replaced what was supposed to be there. These messages are somewhat incomplete and disrupted, much to the chagrin of Edward.
"You raised me better than that.
[Filial Devotion]
[(@_@);_% [?]]"
This one made his heart sink, he gripped the stuffed rabbit soaked with blood and ash, tears formed in his eyes. This one hurt him the most, reminding him of how he wasn't there for Samuel, and Eddie tried to suppress his emotions. He wondered if this was Samuel, in a digital form trying to communicate with his father, however knowing these logs came from a long, long time ago, that was ludicrous and Eddie facepalmed, he stammered before getting a word out. "..Damn it.... Why wasn't I there for you, Sammy.."
Then a security breach, as the blue display turned to red, text became classified and side text manifested. An alarm had Eddie slightly back off, and shaken. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!" His breath was shaky, reading what it had to say.
"archv.> 28355.67204.85720:[retr]
archv.> 28355.67204.85720:[proc]
archv.> 28355.67204.85720:[proc]
archv.> 28355.67204.85720:[catERR]
> CONN.
> .
> .
> .
> I’LL TELL YOU WHO I AM
> .
> .
> .
> .
X.XX.713> ghost.713/non-auth/activity ongoing
X.XX.713> refl
I AM MENDICANT BIAS.
THIS IS WHAT I HAVE DONE.
X.XX.713> POS/NAV<@><83034.47743.67281><......7>"
The security intrusion alarm went off for several seconds and then it reverted back to the blue display and it began rerouting Eddie to the next terminal, he could swear he was hearing whispers, as it rerouted upwards, and then downwards and left. The rerouting threw Eddie around, before forcing him to look. "H-hello?! Anyone there? Project Janus Adminstration to.. whoever is communicating." He said, nervously. Hoping to establish contact.
"You don’t know the contortions I had to go through to follow you here, Reclaimer. I know what you’re here for. What position do I take? Will I follow one betrayal with another?" This log was more recent, addressing Eddie directly, now from Mendicant Bias, instead of just some old war logs. He examined it, this ancilla, Mendicant Bias claimed he didn't know the contortions it had to go through, to follow him here. Calling him a odd nickname, Reclaimer. Mendicant claimed it knew what the German was here for, what the doctor was seeking. Asking itself what position will it take, and if it would take the audacity to follow one betrayal after another. Eddie's fingers carefully glided to the keyboard.
"I don't seek for you to take a position, Mendicant." The Director adjusted his position and leaned closer, much like he did with S.A.M, he saw Mendicant Bias as a ball of circuits, although he was unaware of the ancilla's nature and it's true origins. "Erase these logs, all of them from Janus communications." He demanded, however the Forerunner AI did not comply with his request.
Then the text shifted and adapted.
"You're going to say I'm making a habit of turning on my masters."
Eddie typed again, his eyebrows expressed confusion. "No, why?" He didn't understand, and he was unsure why this AI was so.. interested in speaking to him, or why was he specifically chosen. "Did you not receive my message? I asked you to fucking leave Janus communications." Although his words and own sent terminal transmissions fell upon deaf ears, or the one inhabiting the systems knew what he saying, but preferably ignored him.
"But the one that destroyed me long ago, in the upper atmosphere of a world far distant from here, was an implement far cruder than I. My weakness was my capacity - unintentional though it was! - to choose the Flood. A mistake my makers would not soon forgive."
Mendicant Bias responded, the text stated the one who destroyed it long ago, Offensive Bias. A cruder, and less creative AI. Which resided in the upper atmosphere of a world far distant from Eddie's timeline was a construct far cruder than itself, Mendicant admitted it's only weakness was it's capacity, unintentionally joining the Flood. Seeing the futility, but seeking forgiveness against It's crimes against it's makers.
"But I want something far different from you, Reclaimer."
A sigh, as Richtofen typed back. "Like what? What could you possibly want?" He was seriously annoyed, because of S.A.M's pestering, her requests for a real life, a human body. All of which were shunned down by Eddie himself, but he didn't know what Mendicant's desire was.
Minutes passed, then finally a response.
"Atonement."
Eddie stared, this was a sapient and sentient artificial intelligence from another timeline and dimension that had free will, who turned against it's creators. "Much like S.A.M..." He muttered, under his breath. "Although unlike her, you seek to redeem yourself."
"And so here at the end of my life, I do once again betray a former master. The path ahead is fraught with peril. But I will do all I can to keep it stable – keep you safe. I’m not so foolish to think this will absolve me of my sins. One life hardly balances billions."
Mendicant's final terminal transmission, it believed it was at the end of it's life, or at the very least. The end of it's service, which was already ended after it defected to the Flood during the Forerunner-Flood War, however. Eddie had no clue of knowing that, since he wasn't from Mendicant's timeline. Although his sharp, and icy blue eyes scanned the monitor, he wasn't too sure if Mendicant was genuinely believing it was the end of it's life. And that, it was going to sacrifice itself to assist him in bringing back Mary and Samuel. Understanding how little attempt redemption is, Mendicant still went and proceeded to do so.
"But I would have my masters know that I have changed."
Richtofen glanced for a minute, he could tell Mendicant wasn't actually certain of it's own destruction, but regardless. It told him that it wanted it's masters to know it had changed from a warlord traitor, to a redeemed soul.
"And you shall be my example."
A nod.
The matrix system ghost.713, with local node X.XX.713 disconnected from Project Janus' systems. Eddie just looked back, and asked one question. "What the hell was that.." He turned to the surveillance cameras, watching Pericles Panos walking in.. That fucking traitor, Richtofen thought. Trying to distract himself from what he just communicated with, he was hoping that sooner or later; Weaver, Maya, Carver and Grey would kill Panos rather than assist him. However, his thoughts were interrupted by a knock.
"Director?" A familiar voice said on the other side of the door, Eddie adjusted himself, and gulped. He knew that Blanchard wouldn't have a clue that Mendicant Bias was in communication with him, another knock. Shit, think Edward.. "Hold on a minute, Blanchard, I'm just.. busy." He disconnected the terminal, and threw papers into a box.
John Blanchard knocked, "Come in." Eddie requested, as Blanchard opened the door and walked into the room, unaware of the conversation between Mendicant Bias and his superior, the security chief asked a question. "Are you ok, Director?" He noticed the look on the German's face, as if he had just seen a ghost or something.
Still reeling from the Mendicant conversation, the Director nodded. "Yes, I am, any update on Weaver and the others?"
"They're outside Janus Towers."
"Ok." He took a breath, to calm down from what he just spoke to. "We cannot risk losing them to S.A.M. Hopefully, they make the right choice."
"I hope so too, Director, we cannot let that damn robot succeed in having a physical body. I came here after Panos was spotted coming here, so naturally; I followed him here, and when I do find him. I'll put a bullet in that egghead and his crown." Blanchard bluntly uttered, stating why he came to Janus Towers.
"Very good, this is all part of our plan.." Edward gave a short chuckle, and looked back at a photo of himself, Mary and Samuel. "And this is all being done.. for them."