The Eternal Winter - Chapter 17 - Unlocked (Patreon)

The Terran Empire’s nobility structure dates all the way back to year 1085, when the Empire was first founded by the lost Emperor, Jarx Inverno the First. However, the nobility structure eventually became a more honorary structure in the late 4th millennia, when the governing Triad of The Terran Empire was founded.
The Triad includes the Military branch, headed by the general of the military, the Economic branch, headed by a council of merchants – nowadays known as CEOs – and the Legislative branch, headed by a council of governors.
Each branch has a limited amount of power over the Empire, and each has their own control. However, the nobility still has some power within the system.
Not only are there some restrictions for certain special positions in the military requiring one to be a noble to reach them, but the Economic branch is controlled almost entirely by the nobles, who have amassed the greatest amount of wealth out of all of the parties within the Empire.
Additionally, the current Royal Family of the Empire has a say in the Empire’s Triad decisions.

~Article written by Terran Research Union historian, Arnold Hallord

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Alexander North

We catch up with the others at the staircase down to BF7, but it’s pretty damn obvious that everyone outside of my own team, Phillip, and captain Ruthers is avoiding me. Some of them are even openly keeping their eyes on me with their weapons in hand, as if they’re afraid I’m about to attack them.

In fact, if it weren’t for our military training, then I wouldn’t be surprised if they did attack me.

Once we reach the bottom of the stairs, we arrive at a secure door that is completely unlocked when the major tries to open it.

Did someone unlock it? Or does it just have purely magnetic locks and unlocked itself?

Either way, the door opens to reveal a very short hallway on the other side. Within the hallway, there are only three simple doors.

“This floor is meant for top secret level discussions and as a fallback during emergencies, so it only has the command center, a bunker, and a small research area for top secret research,” the major explains while ignoring the doors on the sides of the hall to walk towards the one at the end of the hall.

We all follow him into the floor while looking around at the mostly frostless hallway. Meanwhile, a small amount of frost leaks into the floor from the staircase behind us.

And I can tell that the floor is actually a little warm. Which instantly makes me uncomfortable for some reason.

I grimace slightly as I walk at the back of the group.

The major stops at the door at the end of the hall before glancing back at us and opening the door, almost instantly making a conversation that we couldn’t hear before stop on the other side of the door.

“Major Vaugns!” I hear the familiar voice of the base commander – lieutenant colonel Artorius val Ruth – shout as the sight of him standing next to another man, who I quickly recognize as the other major stationed in this base, major Carter, is revealed once the door is fully opened. “I was wondering when you would show up!”

Major Vaugns doesn’t seem to be pleased with the lieutenant colonel’s chipper attitude, but he simply salutes him and says, “Major Arnold Vaugns reporting with squads AR27, AH22, AR21, and A1,” as the base commander and major Carter walk through the door to enter the hallway.

The lieutenant colonel smiles at that while major Carter frowns and says, “That makes ten squads that’ve survived and made it here out of the twenty squads. Do we know whether the other ten squads made it?”

I look back at major Vaugns as he shakes his head and says, “No. I do know that there were six squads that were on an op when this started, with at least one of them making it back here, but the other five squads were sent out to locations a lot further away than squad AR27.”

This report makes the smile drop from the lieutenant colonel’s face before he asks, “And what about the other soldiers running the base? The ones not in any squads?”

The major just shakes his head again and regretfully says, “Judging by the uniforms the monsters had on throughout the base, the majority of the unassigned soldiers were turned into monsters.”

My eyes widen slightly as I realize that I’d never really paid attention to what the monsters were wearing. Just that they were monsters trying to kill me.

Before I can put any thought into that though, the lieutenant colonel finally looks at the back of the hall and notices me.

“And what happened to second lieutenant North?” he asks with a mixed look on his face. One both confused, regretful, and slightly alert.

At his words, practically everyone in the hall turns to look at me that wasn’t already looking, and I quickly find the other major growing tense and grabbing for his sword, only to pause as he mutters, “Wait, second lieutenant North? Isn’t that…”

“Right,” major Vaugns says with a nod, “Alexander North is the son of the current general of the military, and he was infected by one of the shards. But it didn’t fully turn him. And since he seems to have kept his intelligence despite the changes he’s undergone, I thought it would be wiser to bring him here for the scientists to run some tests than leave him to fend for himself on the off chance he does end up fully turning at some point.”

The lieutenant colonel continues to examine me with his eyes without saying a word as the major turns to look at me and continues speaking, “I also think you should know that he has an artificial heart, which might be what’s keeping him from turning.”

Despite the major’s added explanation, the lieutenant colonel just continues to examine me before walking up to me and then starts circling me, still without saying a word.

Uh… this is awkward.

No one says a word as we all watch the lieutenant colonel walk around in circles around me until he eventually stops right in front of me and asks, “Do you think you’ll fully turn or lose control in any way?”

I shake my head immediately and answer, “No sir.”

He stares at me for a few more seconds before asking, “Does your terminal think there are any further changes that you might go through? Ones that could affect your mental state?”

I close my eyes at that and repeat the question to my terminal’s AI, making it flash a calculating notice to me.

After a few seconds pass, another notice appears, answering my question. So I hold out my hand to the lieutenant colonel, and he takes it before starting the sharing process to share the notice.

/ Notice \

Answer to User’s Query – Energy within body is stable. No further changes detected unless more energy is absorbed by the user, in which case the changes will be limited to physical changes with no changes to his mental state outside of a minor desire for more energy to grow stronger.

\End of Notice/

Several seconds pass in silence as he reads the notice before he lets go of my arm and nods his head with a smile. He then states, “Terminal, share this answer to the soldiers and officers gathered here.”

I then watch as each of the soldiers and officers begin to relax just the slightest bit. Meanwhile, Phillip seems like he is about to explode out of excitement.

The lieutenant colonel pats me on the shoulder and says, “You should be good, but I’d still like our scientists to take a look at you. Nothing too intrusive, but we could really use the data your body might be able to give us about the monsters.”

I nod my head in agreement at that, making his smile grow slightly before he reaches for my neck, closes his eyes, and says, “Unlock the North direct port.”

/ Alert \

Direct port connection designated ‘North’ between users General Edward North and Second Lieutenant Alexander North has been opened by user Lieutenant Colonel Artorius val Ruth.

\End of Alert/

A smile stretches across my face at the sight of the alert before I nod my head at the lieutenant colonel and say, “Thanks!”

He just pats my shoulder and starts walking away while calling over his shoulder, “When you talk to your dad, tell him hi for me! The rest of us will head to the bunker.”

Not even a second later, I hear a ringing noise in my head, followed by another notice.

/ Notice \

User General Edward North has attempted to use direct port ‘North’.
Would you like to give them permission?

\End of Notice/

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