"As a result… one of our own pilots was killed in action. Another ejected, surviving with injuries. A civilian building was struck by the wreckage. There are confirmed casualties."
He bowed his head for a moment, silence hanging like smoke.
"To the families of those lost, to the pilot's loved ones, to every citizen now living in fear, I offer my deepest condolences. This tragedy… was preventable. And for that, I carry the burden."
Cameras exploded. Reporters leapt to their feet.
"Mr. President, are you admitting this was a mistake?"
"Do you believe the aircraft belonged to a foreign government? Is this the start of war?"
"Are you resigning, sir?"
The reporters attacked like a pack of vultures.
"I authorized an attack based on incomplete data. I was wrong. I failed to wait for confirmation, and now innocent lives are lost. No, I am not resigning, not until I see this crisis through. But rest assured I wont be running for second presidency."
The president declared as he did the Internet exploded with netizens comments.
@MilitaryMom76.
"My son flies jets. My heart broke when I saw that crash. The President better have a damn good explanation."
@AliensAreReal222.
"No country's got tech like that. It's aliens. You people better WAKE UP."
@DefenseInsiderEX.
"We've entered a new era of warfare. That wasn't human tech. We poked something we shouldn't have."
@RedHawk_Vet.
"I served 2 tours. You don't fire unless you're 100% sure. This… this was a power grab. You messed up, Davis."
@AnarchyNow95.
"Collapse incoming. Trust in government is DONE. Get your preps ready."
@JournalistJaneLIVE.
"Global panic rising. Multiple embassies demanding full transparency. #SkyShieldIncident trending in 48 countries."
President Davis cleared his throat and continued his speech.
"I cannot tell you what we encountered today. I cannot confirm whether it was foreign… or something else. But I can promise transparency moving forward. We are mobilizing our best scientists, our brightest minds, to uncover the truth. You will be informed every step of the way."
He looked up, straight into the camera. Into the homes of millions.
"We face a crossroads. One of fear… or of understanding. Let's choose the latter."
He stepped back. Flashes. Shouts. A thousand questions no one could answer yet. Behind him, aides scrambled to control the next wave.
...
The holographic feed flickered in my HUD, President Davis stepping off the podium, red faced and hunched like a man who just realized he signed the end of his career. Maybe the end of the f*cking world. His final words echoed in my earpiece.
"Let's choose understanding."
With a mental click. I shut the feed down. The news vanished, and silence reclaimed my focus.
In font of me, Invicta was finishing her part of the circus of putting my butt n*ked and my battlebrothers family members who basically got tazed an bagged by clone contuberniums Into tanks after getting a shot of genetic restructuring serums.
All unconscious. All floating in tanks, tubes pumping vital fluids and glowing genetic cocktail serums glowing like alien blood Into their bodies.
Invicta dusted her hands off like she'd just finished rearranging furniture.
"That's it,"
She said cheerily.
"They're all in."
I didn't turn, still watching my grandparents. Just… floating there. Skin over bone. They looked like something out of a war museum. Preserved agony.
"You know Its a surprise,"
I muttered, more to myself than to her.
"Thought the president would pin it on someone. A general, some random admiral, maybe the press secretary's intern. Guess whoever he tried to blame had too much political weight behind them. Or he's just an idiot."
Invicta strolled up beside me, hands behind her back like a smug schoolgirl who just aced a pop quiz on cloning and state sponsored abductions.
"Nah,"
She said.
"He's a little of both. Brain to d*ck ratio's real sad."
She tapped the tank nearest to her, watching it fog slightly under her touch.
"Anyway. Your nieces will be out in three months. Still young, so they'll adapt fast. Fast cell division and all, basically Its good to be young Isnt It?"
I raised an eyebrow, still watching the old couple float like ancient ghosts in blue light.
"And them?"
I nodded toward the barely alive pair who raised me before the world went to s*it. Invicta's smirk faded into something close to professionalism.
She folded her arms, her eyes glowing faintly as calculations updated in her vision.
"If everything goes right, no organ rejections, mutations or DNR collapse…"
She paused.
"Two years. Maybe a little more, maybe less. There's damage you can't see. Not physically. On the cellular level."
I didn't respond right away.
"Thanks,"
I said finally, voice low. She grinned, leaning sideways into me slightly.
"No sweat, hubby. Though…"
She tilted her head and gave me that dangerous, cheeky smile.
"You just shortened the apocalypse countdown by about three months."
Blink.
"…I f*cking what?"
She giggled.
"Hey. Not my fault! You just did a high profile multi target extraction of dozen civilians. Plus, you Iced two fighter jets, caused dozens of casualties as a side effect and lets not forget the eleven dead young masters, the media will blow up with It pretty soon, well thats once you meatbags get bored of the presidents political fiasco"
She held up a hand.
"Add the fact that your dropship was invisible to radar, shrugged off autocannon fire, and then spat laser fire into sixth generation fighter jets? Yeah. That's a recipe for global paranoia soup."
It clicked. Hard.
"Well then you put It like that of f*cking course they'll use this as an excuse to start a war,"
I growled, rubbing my temples.
"It's a perfect setup. Unidentified aircraft. Advanced tech. Zero accountability."
The realization settled like a cold weight in my stomach.
"Just f*cking peachy."
I turned back to the tanks. Invicta watched me from the side, head tilted. Then I shrugged, feeling… almost calm.
"Well,"
I muttered.
"They were gonna nuke themselves anyway right. So let 'em."
I cracked my neck, exhaled through my nose, and smiled bitterly.
"The faster they burn the world, the faster I can explore the galaxy."
Invicta grinned.
"Damn. Cold. Detached. Efficient. I love it."
"Yeah,"
I muttered.
"That's the scary part."
And I meant it, I seemed to be turning Into a f*cking villan.
...
3 months later.
The virtual summit convened with the intent to address the escalating tensions following the recent aerial incident involving an unidentified aircraft was In full swing.
Representatives from the four major geopolitical blocs, North, East, South, and West were present, each joining from their respective secure locations.
The session commenced with formal introductions and a brief overview of the agenda. However, the atmosphere quickly shifted as representatives began presenting their stances on the incident.
"We have analyzed the footage and intelligence reports. The aircraft in question exhibits design elements and technology consistent with Eastern Bloc advancements. Furthermore, we have obtained evidence linking the individuals involved, known as 'Dracula' and 'Invicta,' to Eastern intelligence operations."
The western block representative declared virtual spit practically flying out of his mouth, hearing this the eastern block representative started grinding his teeth.
"These allegations are baseless and serve only to deflect from the West's own experimental failures. The incident is a result of the West's clandestine operations, and now they seek to shift blame to avoid accountability."
The east representative declared as he displayed the 'evidence', only the south representative to join the fray.
"Both the East and West have a history of covert projects. The South demands transparency and compensation for the destabilization caused by these power plays."
The north bloc representative didnt miss his chance to fan the flames either.
"The North cannot ignore the provocations from the South, nor the escalating rhetoric from the East and West. We demand a comprehensive review and reparations for the economic disruptions experienced."
As the discussions progressed, the exchanges became increasingly heated. Accusations flew, with each bloc presenting purported evidence and demanding concessions.
"If the East continues to deny responsibility, we will consider this an act of aggression."
The west representative finally slammed down his fist.
"The West's threats only confirm their guilt. We will not be intimidated."
The east representative with bulging veins on his face declared.
"If our demands are not met, we will take necessary actions to protect our interests."
The north representative was about to be outdone.
"The North will not stand idle while being encircled by hostile forces."
The tension reached its peak when the East Bloc representative with his tie already loosened and shirt unbuttoned roared.
"You want war? Fine Ill give you a g*ddamn war!"
With that, the East Bloc's connection was severed. In rapid succession, the other blocs followed suit, disconnecting from the summit.
...
MC POV
The corridor hummed softly beneath our boots, floor lighting illuminating the sleek matte black walls with intermittent pulses of diffrent colors.
Pipes and fiber conduits ran above us, alive with energy. Clone engineers moved in tight formations past us, snapping salutes or nodding silently.