Year 2035, April
12:30 A.M
Military HQ, Stockholm, Sweden
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I was in a dream.
One wouldn't be able to differentiate reality and dream when sleeping, but I just knew it was a dream. After all, when I opened my eyes, there was an Aegis container in my hands.
I was wearing a lab coat, and so did a few other scientists in that underground factory. I could also tell it was a dream, since my son, Kian Lindberg was there as well. And at that moment, it was clear that I had been taken back to when I was about to insert the one and only Aegis container into myself.
It was about twenty years ago when that happened.
"Mom, you will be the first Aegis User ever," said my fourteen-year-old son, Kian.
The scientists surrounding me all nodded in response to his statement. A few others muttered some words of encouragement, and I smiled at them.
I swept a quick gaze around the plain, white room we were at. There was nothing there, except for my beloved son and the scientists. The Aegis container in my hands glowed in white as if sharing everyone's excitement.
I was excited too. The success of someone being implanted with an Aegis would greatly impact the entire science world altogether.
"Then . . . Let's hope for the better future of the Great Corporate United," I said to everyone.
Needless to say, the Great Corporate United at that time only consisted of Sweden, Finland, and Norway.
"Mom . . ." Kian smiled at me and I returned it with my own.
Slowly, I gripped the Aegis container tight and held it close to my chest. A few seconds later, it drilled straight into my heart.
"Aaaaaargh!"
I fell on both knees while my hands clutched tight onto my chest. Without realizing it, my eyes were shedding tears from the immense pain. At one point, I even thought it was more painful than when I gave birth to Kian.
It had only been six seconds, but I felt like more than an hour had passed since the Aegis implanted itself inside me.
"Mom!" shouted Kian.
"Stand back, Mister Lindberg. The process of implanting an Aegis container is . . . Quite painful. It is proceeding the way we had expected," said one of the guys behind him.
It was like he said. We knew about the painful process of the Aegis Implant, but to experience it first-hand was an entirely different thing. As I sat there writhing in pain, Kian tried to approach me. However, the scientists held him on their own. By the time Kian managed to push them away, I fell unconscious from the pain alone.
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'Eh? Why am I . . .'
I wasn't able to move my lips, or any other parts of my body. Even so, I knew I was inside a cylindrical liquid tank. It was a tank that we used for containing any living things from our various experimentations.
'Strange,' I thought. 'I fell unconscious from the pain . . . And they put me in here just in case.'
My eyes were shut tight, seemingly refusing to open, but for some reason, I can sense my surroundings clearly, even though it was black and white. Basically, it felt like a video projection in my mind. My heart thumped faster against my chest upon a sudden realization.
'My Aegis . . . It has the ability to convert external stimuli into conceivable information,' I thought.
I drew that conclusion from how the scientists about ten feet away from me interacted with each other. Even from my spot, I could hear what they were saying; as if I was there standing next to them. The green liquid inside my cylindrical tank had paralyzing properties, so I wasn't able to move one bit. And yet, my Aegis activated passively at that time, receiving every information around me and converted it in a form that my brain was able to interpret it.
'Kian?'
My son was standing in front of me, with his back facing my cylindrical tank. He was arguing with the Head Scientist at that time, which was Relly Fernandez.
"Release my mother at once!" shouted Kian. "She doesn't need to be imprisoned inside that tank!"
Relly looked at him with disdain. "Sorry, kid. Since she is the first Aegis User, no one could really tell what her specialty is. It could be dangerous. That's why . . . we will decide what should be done after the blood test. It's for everyone's safety."
Kian gritted his teeth, unable to counter Relly's explanation. Kian was still a kid, so he knew nothing about the framework behind this experiment.
"How long . . . How long will it take for Mom to be released? Right after the blood test?" said Kian.
"Eh, probably never."
The scientists laughed with Relly. They never had any intention of releasing me at all. It was evident from the moment I woke up.
Relly wanted to be the first Aegis User but His Supremacy picked me instead. In a sense, this whole thing was his way of taking it out on me, indirectly.
'Kian,' I called inside my mind.
If my theory was correct, I could also transfer my own set of information in the form of thoughts. My Aegis was able to convert external information, so the opposite was also doable.
'Kian,' I repeated.
"Mom?"
He turned to face me, puzzled.
'Listen . . . There's nothing you can do about this. Relly will make more Aegis containers from here on out, and leave me here to fulfill his revenge. Don't worry. I will always be in touch,' I said through my mind.
"Mom . . . Can you communicate with the other scientists other than Relly? You can tell them to release you," whispered Kian.
"No . . . I tried it, but, I can only talk with you. Perhaps it is because I haven't mastered this Aegis's specialty. Anyway, leave me for now, alright, Kian?"
"I . . . I swear I will save you one day," he said. "I promise."
It was heartwarming to hear him say those words. My state didn't allow me to cry or smile, but still, I was happy.
Suddenly, the scene shifted into a different one.
It was the time when eight years had passed since that fateful day. During those eight years, many Aegis Users had come to exist. My son, Kian, married a woman named Felicia. Even though I didn't get to attend the wedding ceremony, I was still happy for him.
Melker Holm, which was the C.U's ruler, had declared war on Ireland and the United Kingdom. Melker successfully invaded both of those countries with the help of Aegis Users.
As for me, I didn't like it. He was using Aegis that I contributed to creating for such means.
One day, I contacted him using my Aegis's specialty, which I named it, Information Transfer. Of course, I had mastered my Aegis during that span of time and that allowed me to contact him through it. I told him about my wish to create a peaceful world for Kian, and about my offer to help him with what knowledge I had of Aegis.
I knew more about Aegis than anyone else since I was the one who came up with it. From the materials needed and how to contain it, everything turned out the way it was because of me.
So, I encouraged him to invade more countries, and he did just that. He even went against some of the countries from the United Nation, and eventually caused World War III.
The United States of America sided with C.U during the war in exchange for the technologies we had. In the end, after three years, Neo Africa had expanded its territories as a result.
Neo Africa consisted of the whole of Africa, the entire Middle East, and Thailand, with Kazakhstan, China, and Bulgaria bordering that country. Not to mention, excluding Australia and Neo Africa, the rest of the world was under C.U's rule.
Although I did help Melker in my own way, I didn't tell him about my true motive. I wanted to create a world where I could set my own rules, where my family would be at the center of it.
From that point onward, I resolved myself that, by any means necessary, take the seat of C.U's ruler from Melker and rule the whole world.
That was my objective the whole time. It was for Kian and Felicia, and nobody else.