After a lengthy standing ovation, the reporters finally came to their senses, remembering that the press conference notice had mentioned that they would be allowed to ask questions. And once they finally came to their senses and remembered they were there for a press conference, not a press briefing, hands rose among the crowd.Trump pointed to one of the reporters he knew in the front row. “You first, go ahead.”“Are you indicating that you’re closing the door on the option of a unified world military?” asked the correspondent from Fox News.“No, we aren’t doing that. We’re starting by ourselves because America is the leader of the free world and it’s time for us to step up and lead. We’ll eventually come to an agreement, but by taking the reins now, we’ll be able to get a headstart so the time we spend closing the deal isn’t wasted,” he answered. His press corps had already given him a list of questions that would likely be asked and prepared him ahead of time. He pointed to the nex
“Everyone’s finally picking sides,” Aron said as he read a report on the current happenings around the world. He knew that, soon, the “big” countries would begin negotiations on how they would divide the planet between them and exploit the resources in their territories for their own gain and, coincidentally, the formation of their individual forces.“So why aren’t you making an announcement of your own space force? Wouldn’t that increase your citizens’ morale and pride?” Rina asked. She had already laid her eyes on some of the ongoing research projects in Lab City, as well as their mature discoveries, and she knew that nobody on Earth could catch up to Aron in terms of technology. Not in a decade, and likely not ever.“There’s no need to make it known to the world right now. In the peoples’ minds, we already have a very well-established and advanced space research institute. The moment we discovered aliens, and our discovery was backed up by other, ‘more advanced’ nations, that much
On September 17th, 2017, North Korea publicly detonated a hydrogen bomb as a weapons test. Given the general uselessness of radiation in space, as well as the lack of heat transfer, the general consensus was that space combat vessels would be armed with hydrogen warheads instead of regular fission warheads. While humanity, as far as they were aware, hadn’t yet mastered controlled nuclear fusion, the uncontrolled variety was much easier and plenty destructive enough to be used as a weapon against aliens.Two days later, while the “civilized” governments were busy threatening more sanctions against North Korea, they launched a ballistic missile that passed over Hokkaido, causing alarms to ring out in every country that had missile launch detection programs and nearly instigating a full-blown nuclear war. If it weren’t for the incoming aliens, humanity likely would have self-immolated that day; especially since the ballistic missile test came only days after a public hydrogen warhead tes
“The clowns are getting really bold,” Aron said, reading his weekly report.{They’re becoming variables that might disrupt our plan, sir. Are you going to stop them?} Nova asked.“I really should, since there’s a chance they might start a war before we’re ready for it,” Aron said. The missions he had ongoing hadn’t been completed yet, and he would need them to be in order to set the stage for the fight for dominance among humankind.{But do you think they’ll listen to us?}“They’ve already distanced themselves from the Chinese, thanks to our trade with them. And since it’s highly unlikely that China will accept North Korea’s return, at least not without paying a price for their so-called ‘betrayal’, it’s also highly likely that they would listen to us instead. They’ve already pressed a thumb on the scales in the wrong direction and seem to have not thought about the situation the entire world is in,” Aron mused as he came up with possible ideas on how to deal with the situation in Nor
A week prior to Alexander’s diplomatic mission to Taiwan and North Korea, which hadn’t been cancelled despite the two-week-long trade interdiction of the latter, China increased the frequency of their incursions into Taiwan airspace. They were sending more than fifty jets per day on “routine patrols over Chinese Taipei”, rapidly increasing the already-existing tension between the two countries.Those watching from the sidelines rightfully guessed that the intentions behind the constant and increasing provocations were to destabilize the situation to the point that Alexander would be forced to reconsider his upcoming diplomatic visit.But contrary to everyone’s expectations, the Edenian presidential office remained silent on the issue, implying that no changes to President Romero’s schedule were being considered. Instead, their actions proved that the mission was still very much going to happen as the ARES logistical department began operating at full swing. Never-before-seen military
A few days later, somewhere over the Pacific Ocean.An enormous jet was flying through the sky, high above the clouds. Everything seemed peaceful as the ponderous aircraft made its way forward at a decent speed..Aron’s specially modified A380, which had been repurposed for use by the President of Eden, looked dignified and regal as it passed over the ocean, headed to the Republic of China, more commonly known as Taiwan, where its passengers were headed for meetings with the recently elected President Tsai Ing-wen, who would be meeting with President Romero, and the co-chairmen of TSMC, Drs. Mark Liu and CC Wei, whom Sarah was scheduled to meet.The same could not be said, however, for the squadron of fighter jets flying in close formation around it. They were also beautiful, in their own way, but it was much the same as one would look at a tiger, or a shark, and admire the animal’s appearance.“He really went all out,” Alexander mused as he looked out of the window in his office and
Thanks to the early interception of the Chinese J-20s, the presidential jet’s trip was smooth. They hadn’t faced any further interference during the last 45 minutes or so of their approach and landing. Once Eden One had landed, the fighter escort refueled and, with the permission of the host country, took up patrol duties for the duration of the diplomatic visit in order to prevent any incursions that could possibly threaten Alexander or Sarah.…...As the Edenian visit was beginning, complete with all the pomp and circumstance surrounding high-level diplomatic missions, an entirely different atmosphere prevailed in the offices of the military leadership of China. They had received the debriefing notes on the short, but significant, encounter with the Edenian fighters near Taiwan and were scrambling to figure out exactly what had happened, and how. Their brand-new stealth interceptors had been... intercepted. And not only that, they were locked on by a targeting system from enemies th
Mansudae Assembly Hall, North Korea.“We’d like to see a reduction in your country’s aggression, President Kim. It’s making it very difficult for us to support you at the moment,” Alexander said once the diplomatic greetings were done and the small talk was over. It was time for the meat of the conversation.“Are you telling me what to do with my own things?” Kim Jong-Un growled.As the diplomatic translator struggled to come up with a polite translation for that, not knowing that Alexander was already hearing a real-time translation thanks to his glasses’ AI assistant, Kim Jong-Un continued under his breath, “Who do this guy think he is? He has no right to order us around.”He thought he was quiet enough that nobody would hear what he was muttering to himself, but it didn’t go unheard by the ears of the genetically enhanced Alexander, his “translator”—who was in actuality a Nyxian—or anyone else from the Edenian delegation for that matter, who all shared the genetic enhancements that
“Seraphina,” Aron began, his voice steady but carrying an undercurrent of authority, “I’m not your enemy—unless you choose to make me one. I understand your anger, your frustration. You’ve lost control of a situation you believed was firmly under your command. But this predicament wasn’t my doing—you’re here because your leader chose to sacrifice you. What I’m offering you isn’t a chain—it’s an opportunity.”Her sharp eyes narrowed, the intensity of her gaze unwavering, but she held her silence. Aron leaned forward, his own gaze unrelenting as it met hers.“You can continue resisting, pushing the boundaries of the mana oath, and enduring needless pain. Or…” He paused, letting the words linger like a challenge. “You can choose to turn this situation into one that serves us both. Your strength, your insight—these are not things I wish to suppress. Quite the opposite. I want them refined, amplified, and put to meaningful use.”He motioned toward the table, where Nova was still doing fina
[Colosseum]Aron and Seraphina stood motionless, maintaining the same distance as at the start of their faceoff. Neither had moved, even during the spectacular fireworks show that followed Aron’s acceptance of her surrender. The only exception was Aron briefly waving to the citizens of his empire watching the broadcast, many of whom were overcome with emotion, crying in celebration of their historic victory. This event marked the first-ever interstellar combat they had participated in, and despite their lack of experience, they emerged as the sole victors.As cheers of triumph reverberated among his people and the disbelief of others lingered, the broadcast concluded. The moment Aron secured his final victory, the Arena itself was officially handed over to him as part of his reward, along with control of the AI referee. Without hesitation, the AI complied with her new owner’s first command: to end the broadcast. Aron had more pressing matters to attend to—a private conversation with a
[Meeting Room]Inside the Zelvora mental network, an oppressive silence hung over the gathered representatives around the meeting table. The events of the day had left them all stunned, their minds racing with the implications of what had transpired. These were not just any representatives—they were the ones who had signed off on the agreements, the architects of their civilizations’ participation in this contest.Now, they were confronted with the brutal outcome of their decisions.Many representatives sat deep in thought, their faces betraying various degrees of fear, frustration, and resignation. Those who hailed from civilizations steeped in selfish political traditions knew all too well the grim truth: scapegoats would be needed. Someone would have to bear the brunt of the blame for the humiliation, anger, and setbacks their civilizations had suffered.For many of them, the path forward seemed bleak. In the best-case scenario, they might lose their positions, exiled from the corr
To say Aron was surprised would be the understatement of the gigaannum. The announcement had obliterated every scenario he had meticulously crafted in his mind. In all his time spent in simulations, preparing for countless contingencies, not once had he considered the possibility of the Xor’Vaks surrendering—least of all without a fight.Their pride in their strength was legendary, surpassing even the vaunted arrogance of the Valthorins. For a race that reveled in their dominance, surrendering, especially on such a grand stage, was unthinkable. This sudden reversal of expectations hit him with such force that he could practically feel the metaphorical veins in his temple throbbing from the sheer shock of it all.The audience’s collective astonishment mirrored his own, but none felt it as acutely as Aron, whose carefully laid strategies now seemed almost laughably over-prepared in the face of this unanticipated twist.The largest part of Aron's shock wasn’t just the surrender itself bu
The minutes passed quickly for the viewers, their eyes glued to Aron as he sat unmoving in the same meditative position for over fifteen minutes. Speculation ran rampant on both sides, fueled by curiosity and tension.For those in the Empire, the consensus was that Aron was in VR, likely meeting with family or key figures. Many debated who he might be speaking with, guessing that he was either calming worried loved ones or strategizing for the next fight.On the other hand, viewers from the Astral Conclave harbored a mix of anxiety and intrigue. They questioned whether Aron was recuperating in preparation for the upcoming battle, enhancing his focus and mental clarity, or if his recovery from the previous fight was incomplete and he was still in the process of healing.But their speculations ceased to matter as Aron opened his eyes with five minutes remaining in the waiting period. Calm and deliberate, he removed the glasses from his head, placing them back into their container. His n
The moment the fight was officially declared over, Nova acted without hesitation. She immediately dispatched the collector ship, equipped with a medipod, to retrieve the Trinarian fighter's body. Simultaneously, she ensured Aron could rearm himself with a fresh set of nanomachines. For the first time, this process was being done openly, marking a significant shift.Previously, nanomachines had been classified technology, their existence kept strictly under wraps. However, that secrecy had been unintentionally broken when Nova used them to cover Aron’s exposed body during a critical moment, prioritizing his dignity over confidentiality. As a result, while the technology remained shrouded in mystery, its existence was now officially acknowledged, albeit without disclosing any further details.Aron retrieved a small canister from the ship and opened it, revealing a liquid-like substance inside. Pouring it onto his hand, the substance behaved unnaturally, defying gravity as it began to sp
"Him alive is better than dead, right? I can use his live brain data to study how they use their spatial abilities—it might even help accelerate my plans if things go as intended," Aron said as he stood over the fainting Trinarian fighter.{True, having him alive presents opportunities. But dead men cause no problems, while the living carry infinite potential for chaos—especially one like him. If our spatial lockdown isn’t enough to fully contain his abilities, he could use them long enough to cause catastrophic damage, even if it means enduring the backlash,} Nova replied, her tone laced with caution. She wanted to ensure Aron was fully aware of the risks he was inviting by sparing the fighter's life.Usually, Nova would have been in favor of keeping him alive—it meant more data for her to process, analyze, and extrapolate from. But spatial ability users were in a league of their own when it came to danger. Even a dead one would yield enough data to at least satisfy her curiosity for
“Nova,” Aron called out in his mind the moment his eyes snapped open, rapidly collecting information and orienting himself, realizing he had finally left the enigmatic place the system had sent him.“Nova,” he called again, this time aloud, his voice carrying a commanding weight as it echoed faintly in the arena. Receiving no response to his first call, his sharp gaze shifted to his surroundings. It didn’t take long for him to notice his current state—nearly naked, save for the swarm of nanomachines that had begun assembling around him.{The system had ejected me, sir,} Nova’s voice finally came through, calm but slightly delayed as the nanomachines completed their task. They prioritized covering his lower body, forming a sleek pair of trousers, as there weren’t enough surviving nanomachines to reconstruct full armor. His chiseled upper body remained exposed, glistening under the lights of the Colosseum, much to the awe and unease of the spectators.Nova’s pragmatic choice left Aron l
Following Nova's orders and the AI referee's approval, the mana stone carriers swiftly began moving toward the Colosseum. As the first ship arrived and entered, it wasted no time, promptly unloading its entire cargo of mana stones before departing to make way for the next carrier to do the same. The process was conducted with remarkable efficiency, ensuring a steady flow of mana stones into the Colosseum without any unnecessary delays.The process continued as over fifty ships unloaded their cargo of mana stones, an act many from the Conclave viewed as both excessive and wasteful. With each successive ship, the pain of the Conclave's viewers grew, particularly when the fifth ship alone had already matched the quantity of mana stones used during the Colosseum's initial construction. Yet, they didn’t stop there; instead, they went on to unload ten times that amount, as if mana stones were an endless resource, leaving the Conclave citizens bewildered and horrified by such apparent extra