Everyone went home after the meeting, intending to get some much needed sleep before a busy day. Such was the goal, but the night was restless. Kain was only able to sleep for a measly 2 hours before stray rays of light from the sun sneak through the curtains. Kain winces at the harsh sunlight, opening his eyes sluggishly, forgetting for a few precious moments what this day brings as his brain awakes slowly. After getting dressed and taking care of his daily hygiene, he makes his way downstairs to the kitchen where he is met with his parents. Steven and Martha have noticeable bags under their eyes, and it seems they got even less sleep than Kain did. Martha shuffles around the kitchen cooking a simple meal of eggs and toast while occasionally taking sips from her mug of coffee, while Steven nurses a coffee of his own, sitting at the counter. Kain sits next to his father and Martha wordlessly passes him a mug of coffee of his own.
Steven takes one last sip from his mug and speaks up without taking his eyes off his wife hard at work, "After breakfast, your mother will be going to the capitol to the central command center to prepare. I will be going to the workshop to work on something, you are more than welcome to come with me. Because the mining planet was attacked at exactly 4 pm, we will be going to Coleman's office at 3, because he will have a live feed of the capitol so we can see how your mom is faring."
Kain nods as he stares blankly into his coffee, watching his reflection ripple with his breath. He feels a slurry of emotions bombard his gut. Worry for his mom and guilt that everything is partly his fault tear apart his innards silently, but Kain is far too tired to make sense of all these sudden changes.
The family remains silent as coffee brings energy to their worn bodies slowly. Soon enough, Martha is done cooking breakfast, and passes a plate to each family member. After she takes a seat, the family begins eating, a solemn air suffusing the room. after finishing her meal, Martha suddenly turns to Kain, "I know how you're feeling, and you're not wrong, this is partially our fault, for creating something that attracted the attention of others. You are an adult, I cannot lie to you. However, I will take responsibility for all of us. I won't allow even a single casualty, because we are the Rusts, and our biggest pride is using our brains for the good of society."
Martha reaches over and places a warm and comforting hand upon the small of Kains back, "So don't worry, I will be fine."
Kain feels as if his worries melt in his mom's hands. While he cannot put away all of his worries, he is reassured greatly as he nods towards his mom. He is reminded by all of the things his family has done for society, as well as how capable his mom is, and he feels as if he can lean on his mother to resolve this crisis just like she solved the food crisis. He is able to relax a small amount in his parents' shadow. That's right, the Rusts are a reliable source of innovation and salvation, this will just be another one of their achievements.
After everyone has finished and all dishes are cleaned, the family makes their way to the door. Once outside, they are able to see a car idling in the drive, clearly waiting for Martha. She turns to her family to make her final goodbyes before heading to the capitol. She takes both Steven and Kain within her arms, "I love you both, I'll see you tomorrow, ok?"
The two men return her warm hug before watching her disappear into the car, waving as it drives away. After a few moments, Steven turns to Kain and asks, "Are you coming with me to the workshop? I have something I need to prepare just in case, with a spy in our midst we can't be too careful."
After Kain nods, the two men get into a car of their own and share a largely silent car ride to the workshop, where Cortex awaits them. Once they open the door, they are greeted by their creation. "Welcome back, sirs"
Cortex sits in the middle of the warehouse, a large starship in perfect working condition, fully fueled and everything. This was the entire catalyst for the coming war. Steven makes his way to his work station and immediately gets to work. Kain watches for a minute before making his way towards Cortex, unable to think of a way to help. the doors open automatically, and Kain sits in the doorway, watching his father work. after a while, he speaks up, addressing Cortex, "They're starting a war over you, you know?"
"Yes, I know quite well." the bracelet on Kain's wrist lights up, as if to indicate that cortex had never stopped listening and watching over its master. "And, I am very sorry for all the trouble I have caused."
Kain shakes his head, "No, it is not you who caused this, you are innocent. we are the ones that made you. We take responsibility." With a deep sigh, Kain lies down, laying his back on the cold metal, looking at the smooth metal ceiling of the entrance, "I just wish I could do something to help."
"I know sir, but you shouldn't beat yourself up about it, that will do you no good. why don't you take a much needed rest instead?" the cold metal under him transforms into a soft and comfortable bed.
Kain situates himself on the soft surface, "You're right, I need some sleep." as he closes his eyes and slowly drifts to sleep he says with appreciation, "Thanks, Cortex"
"Naturally, sir." Cortex's calming voice responds.
After drifts off to sleep, a blanket forms next to the bed, and a mechanical arm appears from the wall to pull it over Kain and tuck him in gently.
He is awoken by the feeling of a hand on his shoulder and the voice of Steven saying, "Wake up, it's time to go. We are already 30 minutes late."
Kain sits up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He yawns, standing up and looking at his father. as he was about to start walking towards the door, Kain notices a clunky-looking device on Steven's wrist. He points at it and asks, "What is that?"
"It's what I've been working on for the past hours. It's highly experimental and dangerous, but if all goes well we won't need to use it anyways. Now come on, we need to hurry."
The father son pair hurry through the corridors of the Research department before arriving at Dr. Coleman Walker's personal office. Once inside, Coleman greets them, "Finally, you're here. I was about to send someone to go get you. come, take a seat." He motions to two prepared right next to him. Behind him is a large screen showing live feeds of the capitol from many angles. Once they take their seats, Coleman goes back to his previous task, typing away on his work computer. Coleman's main specialty was coding, so it seemed that he was working on an important project. Assuming it best not to distract the working man, Steven and Kain sit in silence for the remainder of time, watching the clock tick by, closer and closer to 4 o'clock.
As soon as the clock hits 4, a large fleet of dark starships arrive just outside of earth's atmosphere. At the sight of this expansive army, almost all of earth is stunned, fear welling within the common people at the crushing sight. Just as soon as the ships, a transmission is broadcasted to the entire planet, "It is time," the voice states, one Kain recognizes to be General Balder from the earlier transmission, "Hand over the ship, or we will be forced to take it."
Silence prevails for the next few minutes as General Balder waits for a response. However, after receiving no ship nor response, another transmission is hears world-wide. "Very well, you have chosen death. You will soon learn pride means nothing when you are dead."
This was all largely predicted by everyone in the room. Coleman doesn't even look up from his work, instead typing faster, presumably putting the finishing touches on his code. Kain and Steven, however, focus their attention on the skies, to see what the enemy army's next action will be.
The army does not disappoint, as the sky is immediately filled with various elements, as fire blazes, earth fires towards the planet, blasts of water barrage ,and wind blades slice towards them, a nearly infinite-looking amount of small drones stationed around the earth come to life and begin to eat away at the elemental properties of the energy and matter, turning these attacks into more fuel for the drones. while some drones are overwhelmed, there are too many of them, and the sky full of attacks are taken care of.
Kain is astonished, mainly because he recognized his mother's work in those drones. his mother's defense system seemed infallible, and it almost was. Just as the drones finished absorbing the energy from the attacks, they all link together, and the energy begins to gather in multiple places. once sufficiently gathered, the energy turns into an array of beams that shoot towards the fleet of ships. They all try to defend themselves, but some of the smaller ships of the fleet are still hit, and explode magnificently, like fireworks in the sky. At the sight of this early small victory, cheers are heard on the streets from watching citizens. Seeing this defeat, the largest starship, which hadn't acted in the first round of attacks begins gathering a large mass of fire energy in the void of space. as if receiving an order, all other ships begin doing the same on a smaller scale.
While they gather energy, Steven explains to his son, "While it may seem just like turning matter into energy just like always, each different element requires completely different processes to break them down into energy without elemental features, each of which requires different tasks done simultaneously by different drones. each attack is broken down with perfect teamwork. Not just anyone could coordinate such a perfect defense even with the technology we have. Your mom really is an amazing woman." Admiration is clear in Steven's eyes, and Kain cannot help but mirror his father's expression, amazed by his mom's feats once again. Steven continues to explain, "Now, they probably hope to overwhelm the drones with large amounts of energy, and they are using fire because it is not matter, and will therefore not destroy earth completely just yet. clearly, they still need the ship. Unfortunately for them, they still underestimate your mother."
Coleman suddenly interjects, "Indeed, Martha Rust is a very impressive woman," he sighs, finally stopping his typing, "Which is why its a shame she has to die for the Great Leader's goal." At this time, the main starship fires its mass of fire energy towards earth slightly before the other ships in the fleet fire theirs. The main ship has clearly aimed towards the main control center, where Martha is. It is evident that they knew that is where the signals for the drones were originating. Kain and Steven jump from their seats hearing Coleman's words, but before they can even say a word, Coleman presses enter on his computer, enacting whatever code he had been working on.
It is no mystery what this code was for long. Just as the mass of fire energy was to collide with the drones around the control center, all of the drones localized around the control center are inactivated, falling to the ground uselessly. Because of this, the unimpeded mass of fire energy slams into the command center, immediately destroying it completely, as well as a large portion of the capitol. Once the command center is destroyed, all of the drones in the sky are rendered useless, and it becomes evident why the other ships fired later than the main ship. With no drones to impede the masses of energy, they land upon the earth, and spread fire everywhere they touch. screams are heard as countless citizens are burned to death mercilessly. smaller ships are launched from the fleet, landing on earth quickly and depositing soldiers everywhere. A massacre ensues, with citizens left helpless against the magical elements. The Research development was not targeted with the fire, as they needed Cortex, but it is quickly surrounded by ships and soldiers.
Meanwhile, inside Dr. Coleman Walker's office, Kain watches the flickering static displayed on the screen that used to show the capitol. His brain struggles, and fails, to formulate thoughts, as the scene of the command center exploding replays in his mind. That moment seems to last a lifetime. His childhood flickers in his mind, like singed pictures floating upon the winds of an inferno. Scenes of his mother in her element, working hard in her research, or of the warm comforting love when he needed it. His mind largely blanks, as if refusing to have thoughts, thoughts that would only confirm his mom's death. He does not cry, but rather stands as if frozen in time. He watches the static flicker, but all he can see is the fire blazing, the fire that had consumed his mother.
He hears, but does not process the following altercation between Steven and his boss and long-time mentor, "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?" Steven yells, his fists clenched so hard his palm bleeds. Tears flow endlessly out of his eyes at the loss of his wife, as anger and confusion are evident on his face.
Coleman's face seems to show remorse as he frowns, "I am sorry Steven, but it had to be done. She would have stood in the way of the Great Leader no matter what. I can give you a chance though. If you and your son work for the Great Leader, not only can you live, you could even be rewarded. What do you say?" Coleman stretches out his hand for a handshake.
Steven smacks his hand away with all the strength he can muster, yelling "Screw you! Are you insane!? You murdered my wife, you're massacring my home, yet you want us to join you? You're damn delusional!"
Coleman rubs his hand slightly, seemingly hurt, "Fine, if that is the case, I'm sorry but you have to die as well." Coleman casually waves his hand, sending a wave of burning flames towards Steven and Kain. Steven is shocked that he has such powers only found outside the galaxy in the distant universe, but he acts fast. He takes of a ring very similar to Kain's, and presses a button on it. The ring instantly unleashes a pulling force, taking the surrounding matter and energy into its separate space. He throws it towards the wave of flame, and it instantly sucks it in. This buys Steven the time to press a series of buttons on his bracelet, and the experimental piece of technology comes to life as he grabs Kain. Instantly, Kain and Steven are teleported to the inside of Cortex, and a loud explosion is heard from Dr. Walker's office. This explosion was the sound of Steven's ring being unable to contain the violent fire energy and exploding.
Kain is awoken from his frozen state by an unimaginable pain, as he collapses to the ground and coughs blood onto the pristine floor of Cortex. Steven had much the same reaction to the teleportation, as the bending of space left them both with multiple internal and external injuries. The human body was much too weak to withstand the bending of space. They had made it out of the situation, but they had paid a price. Cortex immediately serves medical attention, slowly healing them both best it can. "Are you two okay? We have to get out of here, now. I can outrun those ships of theirs easily."
Steven quickly rejects, as he remembers something. The connection of Cortex and the Catacombs, or more specifically, the fact that everything needed to build Cortex was in the Catacombs. "No, we can't let those brutes get their hands on the Catacombs. We can't let them get what they came here for."
After a brutal series of coughs, leaving Kain ragged and struggling to breathe, Kain asks, "How are we gonna do that?"
"We have to destroy the Catacombs. If I manually execute a command on the separate space rings, I can make the space collapse in on itself in such a way it creates a black hole, that should destroy the Catacombs, along with all of Earth." Steven responds
Kain stares at his father, it sounded like... "But, if you're that close to a black hole, won't you...?" Kain couldn't say it, his mother just left him, and it seemed his father was trying to as well.
"Yes, I wont make it back, but I'm also the only one that can do it. Even if we escape, with that knowledge, they could just catch us eventually. The only way to stop them from hurting you is to destroy the Catacombs, and only I can do that."
"But-" that was all Kain could say, he did not have a valid argument, but he did not want his father to leave him. Tears begin to flow from his eyes.
"Shhhh," Steven consoles, as he takes Kain into his embrace, with Kain crying tears into his chest. "It is ok, you are strong. You will survive, and you will carry on the Rust name with honor, I know it. There is always someone who needs the help of science. Help them if you can, and remember, me and your mother will always be with you in your heart." Steven begins to type into the bracelet that can teleport as Kain sobs onto his chest. He speaks to Cortex now, saying, "Take him somewhere safe, and take care of him will you?"
"Of course, I will not allow anything to happen to him, I swear that to you." Cortex responds, "..And, sir, I will always remember you and your wife, you will be missed."
Steven nods, entrusting his son to the sentient starship of their creation as he presses one final button on his bracelet, disappearing from the spot. Without his father's support holding him up, Kain falls to the floor. As Cortex takes off, Kain watches Earth behind them. A small black dot in his vision slowly expands as ships frantically flee from its event horizon. When he sees a black hole devour his home planet, complicated emotions fill his heart. Both of his parents were gone forever, but his father had succeeded. Kain would live.