Soon after:
Inside the Luna II transport's cargo hold, the atmosphere was tense yet meticulously organized. In the lower level, rows of one hundred "standby" clone soldiers lined the hold, along with six seated Dark Angels prepared for battle.
The clone soldiers wore trench-coat-style combat uniforms with single-person exoskeletons, their helmet visors glowing a menacing red. Up close, one could even hear the faint, rhythmic breathing from beneath their helmet visors, a clear indication that they were alive—not mere automata, but living beings. Yet, these soldiers were devoid of any personality or independent thought; they lacked even the capacity to question the purpose of their battles. Their existence was purely for executing the commands of Atlas, or of Samuel Young himself.
Dr. Alexia, the head of the cloning program, had purposefully programmed these soldiers' brains with a hierarchy of command: if ever there was a conflict between the company's orders and those issued directly by Samuel, the soldiers would prioritize the latter at all costs. Alexia, who had "mothered" the Primarchs—Guilliman, Sanguinius, and particularly the secretive Lion—understood these powerful beings like no one else. While she trusted Samuel implicitly, she also saw him as irreplaceable. To her, Samuel's safety and authority came before anyone else, even her "sons," the Primarchs.
At one point, Alexia proposed a plan to Samuel involving the accelerated growth of genetically engineered infants, who would be raised with loyalty to both Samuel and the Empire ingrained from birth. These child soldiers, fully matured within a year or two, would grow up with a deep-seated loyalty and combat training, and in theory, their adaptability and lower costs would surpass that of clones. Moreover, the infants would be biologically natural humans, having undergone fertilization without cloning or surgical modification, which meant they would have souls.
But Samuel had rejected the plan outright, associating it with the grim example of the Krieg soldiers from Warhammer 40K. He respected the Kriegers' courage but found it unthinkable to use sentient beings with souls as mere cannon fodder. The clones, after all, sufficed for that role. Atlas's recent acquisition of Skynet's data on manufacturing Terminators and Hunter-Killers made using natural-born humans as expendable assets even less necessary.
The six Dark Angels present in the transport were elite reinforcements requested by Price from the Halo universe to assist in the Terminator total assault. Price saw that while the nearly 1,000-strong AECS special units, 2,000 clone soldiers, and over 6,000 experienced security personnel were well-suited for the mission, a contingent of Astartes would ensure an overwhelming edge. The Halo universe's unification wars had shown that the presence of even a hundred Astartes on a planet could decisively sway planetary conflicts, often with minimal assistance from orbital bombardments to preserve critical infrastructure.
After all, the Halo universe's Covenant Empire, once a formidable force, had been reduced to shambles. The Sangheili chieftains of the Brute Clans began to secede, swayed by Samuel's terrifying power after seeing footage of him incinerating thousands of Covenant troops with psychic fire. Now, without the Brutes to rely on as soldiers, the Prophets were left with minimal support, their fleets reduced to less than a thousand ships. With their once-mighty empire nearing collapse, Atlas and their Sangheili allies could now focus on solidifying their conquered territories, the remaining Covenant holdouts now little more than minor nuisances.
Even the terrifying Flood—a scourge that had troubled both the Covenant and Forerunner remnants—had been conspicuously quiet throughout the war, not a single report indicating any Flood sightings. Though Atlas possessed a vaccine and continued to develop more robust countermeasures, the Flood's threat level was on par with the Prophets' propaganda, and potentially greater. According to Atlas's two-year strategic roadmap, their primary objectives were to establish the Empire and eradicate the Flood.
Atlas's Scientific Division had published a forum article titled Star Roads and the Neural Tech of the Precursors, speculating on the possibility of uncovering Precursor technology in the aftermath of a Flood confrontation. Known as "Star Roads," these seemingly inert, arcing constructs were several thousand kilometers thick—akin to entire planets in mass and nearly indestructible by any known technology. They spanned across the Halo universe, their composition defying both Forerunner and ancient human understanding.
Star Roads could alter their mass, volume, and composition, and they possessed the potential to physically devastate entire galaxies. During the Forerunner-Flood war over 100,000 years ago, Gravemind had weaponized a Star Road to obliterate a massive Forerunner fleet and disrupt their weapon systems. This technological feat was far beyond even the Forerunners' sophisticated instantaneous teleportation. However, apart from the Flood's activation capabilities, accessing and harnessing the Star Roads remained elusive.
While most employees held high expectations for exploring and capitalizing on the Precursor remnants post-war, especially to elevate humanity, Atlas's leadership maintained that human progress should be conducted cautiously, with a focus on sustainable and ethical advancement.
---
In the upper deck of the Luna II transport:
Xiao Qiang, Serene, and their team sat quietly, each checking their gear or chatting with comrades. David meticulously prepared his custom Gauss rifle and stocked up on multipurpose spiked rounds from Logistics. Lucy, sitting beside him, closed her eyes, calmly awaiting the start of the assault. Across from them, Rebecca's excitement cut through the tension as her eyes flashed pink, a signal of her cybernetic vision engaged.
"Hah! Our boss is incredible!" she exclaimed, watching the footage on the company forums.
Curious, David paused his preparations and looked up at her. "What's got you so captivated?"
"Go check the official company forum," Rebecca urged, her voice filled with excitement. "There's a pinned post you have to see!"
Intrigued, David accessed the forum through his cybernetic vision, his eyes glowing as he browsed. Instantly, a holographic display of the company forum popped up before him. He clicked on the top post and was greeted with an awe-inspiring image: Samuel Young wielding the Emperor's Sword, unleashing a storm of psychic fire upon the Covenant. Another image followed, capturing him leading the charge with the Emperor's Claw, his towering figure demolishing the Brute Honor Guards and capturing Covenant leaders.
Watching these scenes unfold, David was moved. He'd joined Atlas for its promise of fairness and was grateful for the stability it had brought to his life and his home in the Cyberpunk universe. But seeing Samuel's strength in action left him in awe.
"Is this… even humanly possible?" he whispered to himself, barely believing what he saw.
Before he could reflect further, his vision was interrupted by an incoming communication request, filling his screen. The combat footage paused, and a live feed opened, revealing Soap MacTavish aboard the same transport.
"Attention, all units!" Soap's voice boomed over the comms as he addressed every combat team. "It's now 17:59, Pacific Time, May 6, 2020, here in Universe Ten. As the acting commander of this universe's operations, I am hereby announcing the commencement of our full-scale unification mission. All units, remember: prioritize your safety, and fight for Atlas, for humanity, and for our boss as we liberate our people in this universe!"
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