"Lena was once at the front of world domination, but she failed the moment she became stubborn. So I guess what you did to her was right," Dr. Christainia Clay said slowly, pacing the office with calm steps. She picked up a speck of dust with her index finger and flicked it off. Then she looked directly at General Ashton.
"You mean what we, the Sovereign Hand, did to her not just me," Ashton replied, guilt still heavy in his voice. He continued writing notes without looking up. "We had our usual meeting and agreed on what to do with Lena."
Christainia rolled her eyes, pulled a chair, and sat down.
"Yes, yes, the Sovereign Hand removed her from power. My apologies, General," she said with a cold smile.
"You know what they say power intoxicates," she continued. "And when people get drunk on power, they do bold but questionable things. But with Dr. Lena, power didn't make her stronger. It made her soft… and weak."
"Yes, sure… but she was a useful pawn on the chessboard. Until she fell," the general replied, looking away.
Christainia yawned dramatically. "Oh please, General. Lena is in the past. We're not going to keep crying over her failed legacy." She stood slightly and stared into general Ashton's eyes. They locked eyes for a while, as she tested him.
"Ashton, sit up," she said firmly. Her tone shocked him. Almost no one called him by his first name. But somehow, he knew it was a real call to stop sulking and be strong again.
"Stop being weak and start acting like the mighty leader you once were. It would be a shame if the others saw you like this," she said, raising an eyebrow.
"Of course, Dr. Christainia Clay… of course. It would be shameful, truly," Ashton replied with a slow nod.
Silence filled the room for a moment.
"I think it's time you taught Rhode a proper lesson. You can't let him keep manipulating you," Clay said with a sly smile.
"You think so? What kind of lesson should I teach him?" Ashton asked, leaning back slightly.
Christainia smiled. "Don't worry, General. I'll tell you exactly when and how to strike. And where it will hurt him the most."
She suddenly changed the subject.
"About the troops we sent to hunt that bioluminescent creature did they find anything?"
"No," Ashton replied, frustration clear on his face. "The creature disappeared. We still don't know where it came from."
"From my observation, that thing was made to be perfect. Someone, somewhere, created it through research. It was beautiful… and terrifying. Designed to inspire fear, respect, and trust," Clay said, now sitting opposite the general.
"We're not the only ones looking for the Black Archive."
"How do we find it?" Ashton asked.
"I don't know. But I think you should increase intelligence efforts immediately. I can't wait for Dr. Ethan Thompson to wake up and tell us what he knows," she replied, tapping her nails on the table.
"Do you think he'll talk? Especially since we now know he worked closely with Dr. Lena?" the general asked, leaning forward with curiosity.
Christainia remained quiet for a moment. Then she sat back, crossing her legs and folding her hands neatly in her lap.
"You know, I always thought Lena did the real work. It never occurred to us that Dr. Ethan Thompson helped her," Ashton said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
Christainia smirked. "Dr. Ethan is a hidden gem when it comes to the Black Archive. And now that I've uncovered him… maybe that attack on him wasn't random. Maybe it was fate. The universe really does know how to hand me gold."
"And yes, he will talk. I'm sure of it," she said with a wicked smile. "Torture. Isolation. Virus exposure. Death. Any of those will scare him enough."
"Dr. Ethan values his life too much," she said coldly, narrowing her eyes and leaning forward.
"He's not like those Coalition scientists who swore secrecy. They thought they were safe," she added, laughing mockingly.
Ashton chuckled along with her. But their laughter soon faded.
"Those encrypted files we found in his lab are still being processed. Soon we'll know what he was hiding," Clay added. "And I'm sure it's related to the Black Archive."
"General, rise from your ashes. Take control. Be merciless. Stop sulking before it's too late," she warned.
"In fact, I think we've been too slow, not too fast." she said standing up. "One more thing. Someone intercepted Dr. Ethan's message and shut it down. That person knows more than we do. Find them and do what must be done." Christian clay added
General Ashton's eyes widened. "Yes… that. But how?"
"I have my ways, General. But keep this between us. Not even the Sovereign Hand meetings must know," she said with a sly smile.
She turned to leave. "I'll go to the lab now and start the process," she said, beaming with pride. She had gotten what she wanted more control over the general's decisions.
"Wait," Ashton called out.
She paused. "Do you have a problem, General?" she asked.
"No. You can go. Thank you, Dr. Christainia Clay. I feel more energized now. Just… be careful with that virus thing," he said.
"Of course," Clay replied with a smirk she was abito walk out
Suddenly, a young medical assistant rushed in, panting.
"What's the rush?" Ashton asked firmly.
"We've been trying to reach you for fifteen minutes. But you weren't responding," the assistant said.
"I was in a meeting with Dr. Christainia Clay," Ashton answered calmly.
Clay stood proudly, pleased that the general had acknowledged her importance.
"Well, General… Dr. Ethan has awakened from his coma," the assistant announced.
Ashton and Clay locked eyes.
"Excuse us," the general said. The assistant left quickly.
Christainia chuckled. "See, General? You didn't move too fast. In fact, you're right on time."
She smirked. "Now it's time to play real chess. Dr. Ethan Thompson will be our first pawn."
SOVEREIGN MEDICAL CENTER, PAXVILLE, EARTH, 3065 — CONTINUED FROM CHAPTER 12
Dr. Christainia Clay arrived at the Sovereign Medical Center, her face serious and full of hidden anger. Two strong bodyguards walked beside her.
She had waited a long time for this moment, Ethan Thompson awake. And now, she was going to drag him onto the chessboard as her first pawn.
"Ethan Thompson. Moved from Sarion a few weeks ago," she said at the reception desk.
People nearby recognized her. She was a famous figure in Paxville a high member of the Sovereign Hand. Eyes turned to her in shock and awe. They couldn't believe Christainia Clay was standing right in front of them, breathing the same air.
The medical center was a special hospital for Sovereign Hand officials and elite citizens. The building was protected by a giant glass dome, shaped like a basilica. It was part of the newly rebuilt Paxville after the Vesper virus had destroyed much of the world.
The glass dome used a system created by Kell Ice a digital wall that filtered the air of all viruses, filling the space with clean oxygen.
The nurse at the reception checked the records and nodded, then marked Clay as a visitor.
Inside the ICU, Christainia Clay stood alone, watching Ethan Thompson, who was still asleep. Her bodyguards waited outside to make sure no one disturbed them.
She watched him closely, waiting for him to wake. Wasn't the coma sleep enough? she thought. She was eager to begin questioning him.
After some time, Ethan stirred. His eyes opened and the first thing he saw was Christainia Clay staring directly at him. It scared him deeply. He knew from Lena's stories that nothing about Clay was good.
What was she doing here? How long had she been watching me?
He tried to make sense of everything. He remembered working for the Sovereign Hand. He had met Christainia a few times, tried to get her attention for his research. But she had ignored him.
Maybe now she finally sees my worth, he thought.
Then he tried to remember what happened in Sarion but his head began to ache. His brain struggled to remember. Nothing came clearly.
He even began to forget who Christiania Clay was, suddenly everything blurred as he struggled to remember what happened earlier before he fell into coma.
"Who… who is she?" he muttered under his breath, confused.
"Dr. Ethan Thompson. What a pleasure to see you awake," she said with a cunning smile.
"Who are you?" Ethan asked, still lost.
"Oh, don't play the amnesia game," Clay replied.
The room fell silent, filled only by the beeping of the patient monitor.
Clay glanced at the ventilators and the impella device supporting his heart.
"So let's start with a simple word. The Black Archive. What do you know about it?" she asked.
Ethan blinked, confused. He didn't know how to respond.
"Stop wasting my time! Where is the Black Archive? How do we access it?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Ethan said, trying to understand.
"I'm lost. I need time to think."
"Oh, I see. Playing games with me now?" Clay said, stepping forward.
"Maybe if I disconnect the ventilators or the impella. you'll talk."
Ethan's heart began to race. Fear took over. "Please don't do this," he begged.
"You just woke up from a coma. I could send you right back," she whispered, her hand grabbing the impella device.
Ethan's heart pounded. He cried. His head throbbed with pain. Memories flashed again.
A voice echoed in his head: "I will create an archive to store what's left…"
Clay pressed on the impella's outlet. Ethan began to struggle. His face twisted in pain. Blood vessels tensed. His heart ached.
"A cardiac arrest wouldn't be too bad for you. Tell me where the Black Archive is or say goodbye to your precious life!" she screamed pressing harder.
Suddenly, the monitor showed critical vitals. The ECG flatlined.
An alarm buzzed loudly.
Christiana let go of the impella device as she backed out.
Was Ethan gone?