The night was filled with tension as I made my way through the dimly-lit streets of Sector D, assisting the citizens in various tasks, fortifying the border. All of it were centered around protecting Sector D's only access to the above sectors, a long winding, but spacious hallway leading up to Sector C. It was heavily guarded and the Mellis Family made sure no one got in or out without notice. The air crackled with an unknown energy, a foreboding aura that sent chills down my spine. The sound of distant sirens echoed through the empty alleyway, a clear indication that trouble was brewing in the heart of the sector.
Then dozens of Raylorian grade robots poured into the empty area. Within them, Zahra spotted Ivon. His walked with confidence and commanded his mixed robotic and human army to open fire on us behind the barricade. His tone filled with extreme malice. Friend and foe alike were forced to take up arms against each other, caught in the crossfire of a battle that seemed impossible to win.
I found myself alongside Zahra and Francis, comrades in this bewildering conflict. We fought valiantly, but it was clear that victory was slipping from our grasp. Ivon's mercenaries outnumbered us, their ruthlessness unmatched, and it appeared that UMOTE held the upper hand. Just when all seemed lost, a figure emerged from the shadows and jumped into the fray—it was Val.
In her eyes burned a passion of determination. A surge of electricity seemed to ripple through the air as she unleashed her powers, a force to be reckoned with. To my astonishment, those humans fighting alongside Ivon suddenly turned against each other, confusion and chaos reigning supreme. The AI with him stop functioning after Val shot a bolt of lighting from her already electrically surging body. The first bolt hit the closest one to her, then chained to the next one until a large group of them started to malfunction and fall to the ground. Those who were far enough away from the danger zone had the sense to keep their distance. They suddenly shifted their gunfire's focus to Val but her image blurred—she dodged every bullet. Cocking her head sideways at them, her eyes glowed and instantly, the squad of bots engaging her exploded, sending shrapnel in every direction.
It was then that Ivon confronted Val, attacking her first in hopes to break her focus. He started accusing her of interfering with his plans, being a thorn in his side. The accusation hung in the air, heavy with the weight of truth. I watched in awe as Val raised her voice, vowing to seek justice for her parents, claiming that Ivon had orchestrated their untimely demise at the hands of UMOTE. Ivon's response was nothing short of mocking, his laughter ringing through the night.
"Justice, my dear Val?" Ivon sneered, his voice dripping with condescension. "You've broken time itself just to sate your thirst for revenge. But no matter how hard you try, you're always one step behind!"
With those words, Ivon's figure vanished into thin air, leaving Val seething with anger and determination, learning that Ivon was never there to begin with. What they all saw was a projection. She turned her gaze towards me, her eyes filled with a mixture of anguish and determination, vowing to find him.
Before Val dashed off, Zahra proposed that she help us stop this civil war. Val was reluctant. At first she didn't want to tell us why but she finally did help I told her that we know about why she came here and it was the General that explained it to us.
"Then you must know that my mission is what got me expelled." Val said with slight agitation. She was looking directly at me when she said it.
Expelled? This I didn't understand. Why? Is not justice served through time travel what TTA is all about? Then I remembered what the General said about how UMOTE infiltrated TTA and whoever the director was actually for UMOTE. After seeing that Val wasn't a sell out, they expelled her. Yet she told me this wasn't the case. Val insinuated that it was something deeper. What was the bigger picture? I wanted answers but concerning myself with events that haven't happened yet is not important, even if the tangent is tempting. Val agreed to help us but in her own way.
After the remaining UMOTE forces were vanquished in Sector D, we moved to the upper levels of the space station to help those still fighting. The situation was bleaker as those against the Hill-Adegas began to lose heart. Learning that the Mellis Family was still alive soon gave them renewed courage.
We made our way to the heavily fortified Holy Manor, the heart of the Hill-Adegan throne in uptown Sector A. The area was thickly filled with all those in support of this fraud. Seeing groups of them treat Naira like she was a deity made me sick to my stomach. Yet even more sickened by the sight was Val. Her lips were quivering with her fists clenched.
"Can your so-called goddess save you from yourselves?" Val yelled, her voice seemingly booming as if it was the voice of a deity. Her tone was cold, caustic and judgmental.
In that moment, they all turned to look at her and then to us but briefly. They glanced at each other and started to murmur.
"See, she turned on her own daughter instead of being the all loving master you think she is!" Val continued.
The murmuring turned to shouts of hate towards Val. Val expected them not to listen. Then she uttered something obscene as a to cursing them under her breath. A flare of energy cackled around her. Those who looked at Val found themselves paralyzed by her gaze.
With a flick of Val's right hand upturned, she partially opened it up in a form of a cup. She condemned them all to death as she mimicked a heart pumping with her fingers. Suddenly, those before her started clutching their chests and fell to their knees by the dozens. Zahra ordered Val to stop. As much as I wanted to join her in trying to talk Val out of this murderous deed, I felt that Naira's cult deserved this fate. Zahra stepped further towards Val but I held her back. She looked away, horrified at the scene. I pulled her near me into my arms as she cried in horror. My hands shielded her eyes from the horrid scene. The screams of those affected by Val's power raised in number as the victims witnessed those around them dropping dead like flies to an unknown assailant.
Most of them were oblivious to what was going on—the culprit was standing before them! But they couldn't retaliate. What could they do if they tried? Even the robots soldiers in with them stood motionless. They were deactivated the moment the hearts of their human comrades started failing. There were several hundred people within Holy Manor—of all ages. Every last one of them suffered from what looked like a mentally induced heart attack. They were being slaughtered by the dozens.
This wasn't right. Many of these people truly believed in Naira but slaughtering people just for their affiliation with a wicked person? Where is the line drawn?
Suddenly, something broke Val from her murderous gaze. It seemed to spoke the girl as if something more fearsome approached.
"I can't be here anymore!" Val squealed in fear. She quickly opened up a portal and scurried through it.
Yet the damage was already done. As the Raylorians approached Holy Manor, there were hundreds of dead or dying Nairan Cult followers outside in its courtyards. Inside the giant, luxurious mansion reeked of death—there were hundreds more dead at our feet. Death toll seemingly at a thousand, maybe a little more. Those who were foolish enough to continue fighting in their medically weakened state added to the fatalities.
Over coms, the General ordered that the Queen and her husband be found and jailed. To his surprise, they were also among the dead. Many people rejoiced when they saw Naira, Vern, and his brother Roland's lifeless bodies before them. For us, it was a different story. We were there witnessing the indiscriminate mass murder of an entire cult. We were powerless to do anything to stop it! Now thinking about what happened to Val when she first embarked on this mission, I couldn't help but wonder if her sentence was justified against such a monster.