Crossroad

A month after the visit to Ventura, Bell is summoned to meet with Lars and Elizabeth inside Lar’s home. They summon Bell alone to meet with them as they understand the others will reject even mention of the idea.

The inside of Lars home is riddled with blueprint drawings and spare parts, small buckets carried by drones which hold some failed prototypes or pieces he will deploy in time.

“We need weapons.” Lars said.

“What?” Bell asked. “No, weapons are absolutely out of the question.”

“And doing experiments on humans isn’t? That’s a strange moral line, Bell.”

“That’s different. Weapons have one intended use, what we must do with humans is for the goal of evolution and prosperity.”

“You can say that all you want but eventually others will come to try and take from us. Already we see travelers eyeing Elizabeth’s exoskeleton prototypes we have given to our people.”

“Then we offer them opportunity.”

“Not everyone is willing to reason Bell!”

“So we must slaughter them?!”

“Enough you two!” Elizabeth yells. “Bell, I have to agree with Lars. People have come to me and explained the threats going around other settlements. We offer them opportunity, but their safety is also important.”

Bell sits down. The base has weapons, whatever can be scrounged from trade or trash piles, but nothing of the quality or power they can create. Veronica showed just a glimpse of it when returning from classroom 102, it’s likely she has gathered all the weapons created by Dante.

Bell doubts Veronica would ever use them against him, but he can only hope that what they have is enough to protect the Syndicate. Hope has failed him before.

“I need time to think about this.”

“Fine, but please give it thought. On another note, Elena is asking for human subjects.”

“Already? Wait, this would be for Matteo and Nozomi.”

“She intends to conduct experiments dealing with genetic manipulation, she doesn’t have time to be careful or considerate.”

Bell buries his head into his hands. Such projects were forbidden during their era, they should remain as such. He hoped Elena could conduct experiments without the need to put humans through pain or horrific procedures, but he is a fool to keep such thoughts.

“I need to think about that as well.”

“Bell, you’ll have to make a decision soon. I mean, the end of the week at best.”

“Then I will take that. I will have answers, I promise.”

Bell leaves the Syndicate for the day, heading inward by light train until he reaches the station housing the university grounds of classroom 102.

Wearing a suit he bartered off Veronica, Bell makes his way inside. The campus grounds are destroyed, only the walls and gates still standing. The area outside classroom 102 faced recent damage, the battle between Loki and Dante one that nearly destroyed the area.

Bell heads inside, finding classroom 102 and the lab hidden inside. He’s slow down the hall, reminiscing of the countless days filled with joy he felt when walking down to the lab. A place that would change the world, just not as he expected.

Bell arrives at the main lab; it’s been ransacked by Veronica who left only what’s bolted inside. He can only chuckle as he makes his way inside, the area still holds great memories despite being baron.

At the end of the room is a large screen, he gives the computer next to it a few taps until it turns on. Dante managed to keep everything functioning as surprising as it may be, but it allows Bell to do what he came for.

After clicking on the video file, Bell sits on the middle table and waits for the video to play.

“Testing, testing. How do I look?” Bell smiles at the camera.

“Like a child heading to their first school day.” Issac’s voice comes from behind the camera.

“Don’t be mean!” Elizabeth said as she hides her amusement and stands beside Bell. “Ahem, hello everyone. I am Elizabeth, this is Bell.”

“Yes! Hello!”

Elizabeth sighs and allows herself to laugh. “How can you be this nervous when speaking to a recording device?”

“Sorry, quite strange, isn’t it?”

“But also amusing, and relatable.” Zara said. “The president did ask us to be more presentable. How shall we start?”

“Introductions will take too long; we should call ourselves the fusion team.” Liang said.

“I don’t remember voting on that.” Akihiko said.

“I proposed the reaction faction!” Elena can be heard yelling from the side of the room.

“How about fusion faction, we could wear different colored lab coats to represent ourselves.” Dante said.

“You spend too much time watching those shows.” Lars said as the room laughs, Dante always speaks about wanting to be like the heroes he reads in comics.

“Orion? Any suggestions?” Anastasia asked.

“How about the fated bunch?” Orion replied.

“I have heard many call us that.” Artem said.

“Yes, but it has a strange meaning to it. Fate did not bring us together, our minds did.” Amélie said.

“Then what do you suggest?” Elizabeth asked.

“Hmm, the chosen miracles of time and space soon to be rich and famous.”

“Yours is the worst yet!”

“Did they not want us to be apparent?”

As the room argues over their group name, Bell can be seen smiling as he watches over everyone interact.

Their laughter makes much of their words difficult to decipher but Bell can remember this day well. It was the day after their first fusion reactor was functional in a city, their work had only just begun.

“Everyone, thank you.” Bell said.

“Oh you.” Elizabeth places her arm around Bell. “We’ve still got a lot to do if we want to make that silly world of yours. What was it again?”

The room yells in unison. “A world of peace, prosperity, and unity!”

Bell smiles as he watches the video continue, wanting nothing more than to return back to the day and relive the comfort and joy he experienced at the time.

“We can still make this reality. We don’t need to harm others or make weapons. No, it’s possible. I’m sure of it. It will take some convincing, but I want them all to regain their smiles as they did in this video.”

As Bell prepares to leave, the next video plays.

Dante appears on the screen. Sleep deprived, well fitted to survive the radiation, and frightened.

“Whoever is watching this. I did do it. Whatever influences there may be, it is undeniable that I lead the development of a bomb that should have never existed. I was blind to what could happen, I only focused on what I could do, the limits of my ability. I’m not alone. The others are like me. Driven by their endless curiosity, eventually they will have to decide whether to stop and stare at the possibilities across a plateau or jump across and continue forward. Be warned, jumping across means leaving behind all morality, all humanity, you are now irredeemable. You must live with that. And yet, were I capable of reliving the moment I made that decision, I would jump once more. We are human, despite our academic prowess. Someone must stop us. I’m afraid. I wish to create but must sacrifice for it. I wish to move forward but must step over others to do so. I leave you all with a warning, what I have created is but a small sample of what we are capable of. If you wish for a safe world, there is a group you must eliminate. Whatever promises they make, whatever dreams they paint before your eyes, do not allow yourself to be convinced. To my friends, if you are watching this, it is not that I hate you all. It’s that I hate everyone else. All that we have, all that we are capable of, within the hands of those outside our group, only tragedy will come. We must leave, we must abandon them.”

The video ends, Bell leaving after pondering Dante’s last message to the world. They will face many difficulties, but he believes such fear will only stifle the world, they must overcome it.

“If only you had come to us, we could have done so together. Do not worry Dante, I will make sure nothing like this ever happens again.”

Bell returns home, the train ride one full of thought as he replays Dante’s message and the video of his first recording with everyone. One of joy and hope, one of complete loss. He never imagined it would be possible for any of them to convey such despair.

As Bell exits the light train, he looks toward the Syndicate.

Smoke bellows, the sound of gunshots reaches him. An unbelievable sight, he struggles to gather himself but there is only one conclusion. The Syndicate is under attack.