Sir Mortimer stared at the video clip playing. The figure of a woman was projected on the chair.

“I say that the increase in our stocks has been quite popular. You did all the promotion?”

“I made it clear that there is an interesting event happening in that part of the city. It also helped that it brought the attention of many churches. Many of the Church’s associates are quite interested in the device that you’ve made.”

The woman leaned visibly. “It is inferior to the tech of the Sitra Ahra. But it will counter the effects. If we arm the population with this tech. It shall and might cleanse the world.”

Dame Lovelace said with a rather fanatical tone. Sir Mortimer adjusted himself on his own street. Dame Elizabeth Felicia Lovelace was one of the geniuses of this world. A respectable woman with an ambition to get rid of what she calls filth. Her interest has always been one that was made from an old obligation.

Her noblesse oblige and her superiority made her think that it was her duty to safeguard the world. She was a magnanimous woman, keen in all sectors, and held no delusion about what the world was. Nonetheless, those who fall to the sin of thinking that there was nothing that could be done were not worth looking at for Sir Mortimer.

Her wisdom and intelligence made her thirsty for knowledge. Her obligation made her desperate and fanatical to cleanse the world. Dame Lovelace was a woman who saw the world clearly. She did not advocate goodness out of morals. She advocated it to make sure that her world did not fall. She had explained it to Mortimer. That she was not someone who would risk the life of the planet for her own ambitions. It was immoral yet she also understood that ideas without power and funds would stay as ideas. It was because of this that she had risen to the top so easily. Nepotism helped, but her talents made her one of the few people who owned industries in two planets.

“Le Silence. I didn’t think that they were willing to buy the devices.”

“It is to their best interest.”

Her impassive face froze.

“I shall ask you because you know more of me. I am not ashamed to admit that I am not so versatile with syndicates of the organized criminals of Europa. Shall I allow their purchase?”

Sir Mortimer blinks, “The Le Silence has been one of the feared criminals. They own many sectors, industries, and being affiliated to them would mean that our purchase of bulk materials will make it easier. Their connections are sophisticated and they are best when it comes to spreading rumors through the mouth.”

“Interesting. You have made the move yourself.”

“It is in our best interest to make friends. Our investors are beyond satisfied. I believe that you are busy enough for the next few weeks?”

“I am. I shall talk to leaders of different countries. They shall allow the populace to learn of our devices. It should be branded as a limiter device that will not only save them from purchase, it’ll also act to limit any mutation. We can market it as a product that can allow those who are afflicted by mutators to stay human.”

“The marketing team shall take note of your suggestions.”

“I have spoken to the Lioness of the Babaika Company. She is as fierce as they told me. She is an interesting woman. What do you think of her intentions?”

“She plans to profit. However, her schemes can be troublesome so it might be good to keep an eye on her. Lionel will do it.”

“Good. We’ll cooperate with Lionel and make sure that our devices can be replicated. The patent and trademark shall be ours and some of it are distributed by Lionel’s network. What about our opposition?”

Sir Mortimer taps on his touchscreen keyboard. The Dame received a notification. She opened the information sent. Her digital eyes amused at the news.

“Interesting, so they are quite unsure. Monster Hunting and the gathering of ichorium is indeed too valuable for them to let go. It wouldn’t matter. They will purchase it after knowing its effects.”

“I shall take your word for it. Dame Lovelace, for the last years we’ve worked together. I have always been wondering if you have predicted the attack on Neo-Tokyo. The response of the authorities made me wonder if you have dealings regarding the tragedy?”

Dame Lovelace leaned on the armrest of her digital chair. “Let’s just say that the Dragon, Eagle, and Bear have made it quite clear that they do not like the idea of this ichor. Research suggests that this continuous reliance will lead to dire consequences. Now they might be greedy, power-hungry, but they also understand that if their country, their motherland does not exist.

“All this fight will mean nothing. They will cease to exist. Everyone shall go back to the dark times where the world ended. We have built an industry and addictive reliance on the ichor. They are not finite. And recent studies suggest that this all could be a fluke. That is like the age where heroes like Achilles existed or when there is a ruler on top of Mount Olympus. That the ichor will run dry and we will go back to our old way. The split-realm is a wonderful method to traverse great distances, but we cannot rely on it. Tools are tools. Although it is profitable, I cannot let this greed be our undoing.”

Sir Mortimer chuckled, “Not many would agree, Dame.”

“Of course. Would the world be so interesting if everyone agrees? I’m sure they understand the effects. The profit is what they need and profit is God to our associates. Nonetheless, they will buy our devices, and when we hold the ability to traverse great distances, improve our logistics, perhaps in a few hundred years, humanity will spread to other systems and conquer planets.”

“That will be grand.”

Sir Mortimer said. The old man imagined the fate of humanity. Maybe it was because of his old age that he had been turning towards noble calling. He was old. He had lived through the end of the world, rose again, and still retained his power. Although the breaker formula has extended his lifespan.

He did not aspire to be immortal. To have the longevity to watch his race conquer the stars. He was an old man supporting the young and Dame Lovelace was the ‘heroine’ that would bring them to the very farthest stars.

“But it is still a dream. For now we shall work on making sure that we cleanse this planet off the filth that inhabits it.”

Yet despite his wanting to support the Dame. He wasn’t blind enough to believe that she did not have a hand on creating this dilemma.

The rest of the world believed that the ichor’s a gift from God. That it was sent to the world for it to save itself. And yet it also sent monsters for humanity to temper itself. Through this forging under fire that humanity had evolved once more into monster-slayers.

A world that relies on a singular source was bad news. The effects of the SPARTICLES produced from the ichor was dire enough. But because of this love and the recent rise of super powered mercenaries that seek fame and fortune made it hard to moderate this finite resource.

The Sitra Ahra itself was a variable. But it was also a variable that he would keep if he was younger. Through the Cult that fear had come to the populace of earth.

It was fear-mongering by using the cult. The cult itself was planning to make a move and what better way to market and sell the equipment that they have created by using the tragedy to market and entice investors.

Dame Lovelace is an idealist. A perpetual optimistic woman. She knows it enough that she wants her products to sell well and do a job well. She would need the people looking for a solution. Every social platform in the interplanetary web had concluded that the split-realm, the ichor, was still a threat.

They could turn into mindless monsters. They saw what the Cult did in Japan and it never left their minds. It was a scheme. A disgusting plot to make people believe that something needed to be done.

It was the right narrative to peddle. But to make it more of a tragedy, she might have pulled something else. To make the Dragon, Bear, and Eagle agree on bringing up new laws when it comes to using the ichor. The cuff was nothing more than a node. A node that if connected, could produce sterilizing and cleansing effects to the world that had been infected with the ichor. Millions of men and women using their cuffs to resist, reject, and maintain this peace she was after.

An idealist in a world that had ended. No, Sir Mortimer believed that despite her tone of voice and concern. She was also doing this to satisfy her own curiosity. To feed her own ego and spread her methods.

There was no greater monster there is other than human interest. However, the split-realm, the monsters beyond the split-realm are threats in their own right.

“What shall be our next move, Dame?”

“We’ll try to keep our hold for now. Our associates and partners are willing to wait over the storm. Meanwhile, we should keep promoting our devices. That woman named Hild. Tell me about her contact, I think she can be a valuable freelancer to have a number.”

“The assassin?”

“Yes, for someone who should be rather proficient in the arts of killing. She does well. Include the contact of Diable. Or does not take the contract?”

“I don’t know. His loyalties are strange.”

“I understand. Exclude him then. He is an Exemplar no?”

“He is.”

“Yes.”

“To survive this long. He must be quite good.”

Sir Mortimer nodded, “Mr. Gaston Hardy is a good worker. He follows orders and asks none. However, the recent years has tempered him into becoming quite passive when it comes to taking contracts that require fighting.”

“I took a glance at his files. He’s one of the survivors of the Golden Gate Incident. Does he have a detailed report of his survival?”

“I shall have it requested, Dame.”

The Golden Gate Incident. One of the most devastating tragedies that opened up. Like a scar that remained. It was one of the places where most minerals are being harvested lately. After the incident where it opened up, the military parties near the Golden Gate rallied, entered, and decimated the surrounding biomass structure, occupied within the doorway was a bastion where mechanized troops, soldiers, and bipedal collectors are surveying the area.

It was one of the many places that they have been exploiting. Because of the place’s inherent lack of ichor and SPARTICLES. It has become a place where many nations are interested to explore. A frontier and possibly a distant world that have collided in parallel to Earth itself. An anomaly that had not repeated itself.

It was not easy to survive in that place. And those who survived have faced most of the monsters in the vicinity of the opening and had brought it down without the use of non-ichor based tech.

“One last thing,” the Dame added. “I thank you for your cooperation, Sir.”

“Of course, it is my duty and pleasure to help those who have the ideas.”

The projection vanished.

He turned his attention to the projects that he has been involved with. The slingshot relays that would hasten the arrival of the split-realm ships and rocket-powered supplies drop.

Unfortunately, even at the realization that monsters exist, humanity, after being beaten down, rose again. Sometimes learning, sometimes, staying the same.

Following Dame Lovelace’s idea and making sure that it was optimal, profitable, and beneficial. With the investors liking the cuffs, it was time to focus his attention to the technology that Sitra Ahra Cult left behind.