Chapter 446 I Aim to Give it to Them
*A Marmaray metro train derailment has been discovered as a result of detonation from in it [Damage: medium] [Situation: yellow]* n--o)/v-.e))l/-B-/1(/n
(Ed note: Damage refers to the amount of damage caused by the attack, and situation is a scale (white-green-yellow-orange-red-black) on an ascending level of catastrophe, where white is basically harmless to the empire at large and black is an extinction-level event. It takes into account every other factor than the immediate damage dealt by the attack in question.)
*An explosion has been detected in a weapons warehouse in Russian alps [Damage: minor] [Situation: green]*
*Explosion detected in a Saudi Aramco oil rig [Damage: large] [Situation: orange]*
*A plane has exploded in former US airspace [Damage: small] [Situation: white]*
*A police station exploded... [Damage: medium] [Situation: green]*
*An explosion has been detected in the Suez Canal, [Damage: large] [Situation: yellow]*
*A....*
*An....*
*Explosion....*
*Burj Khalifa has fallen [Damage: extra-large] [Situation: red]*
Notifications continued streaming in from around the world as thousands of terrorist attacks took place in a synchronized expression of wanton destruction aimed at fostering fear in the empire. They reported the damage and categorized them by the number of possible survivors and the need for rescue, as well as the damage dealt to the surrounding environment and estimated death toll.
Nowhere on the planet had completely escaped damage. There were even stolen crop dusters that spread fuel over the Amazon Rainforest and purposefully crashed into it with homemade incendiary bombs; not even the environment was being spared, much less innocent civilians.
[So that’s what they were after,] Gaia said as the notifications began flooding in from around the world.
[It’s a combination of the right time, the right targets, and the right people. The empire is at its weakest point right now, and by wreaking this much havoc it damages the imperial prestige. I almost... admire the person behind it.... Being able to hide so thoroughly yet organize such a massive, widespread attack without tripping any of our security measures is almost unbelievable. And the determination of the people involved to die is incredible. There’s no loose ends to begin an investigation,] Nyx sighed. The attack was positively brilliant; it highlighted the weakness of the empire and posed the question of its ability to face hostile aliens when it can’t even protect its own citizens from internal strife.
She decided to start actively recruiting nyxians for her agency. The million or so women who had signed up to join ARES and would become operatives simply wasn’t enough.
[But at the same time, I think this must be a pyrrhic victory for them. They sacrificed thousands of tools to kill dozens of millions and I don’t think they’ve got many people left. And with the stigma of being terrorists attached to whatever organization carried out the attacks, I’m almost positive they’ll have a difficult time recruiting more,] Gaia mused. Whoever it was had struck a powerful blow against the empire, but it wouldn’t be repeated any time soon.
A light flashed in Nyx’s eyes as she scanned through the camera feeds at some of the attack sites. [I don’t think they consider themselves terrorists,] she said. [I just watched a CCTV security camera feed from the entrance lobby of the Louvre Museum and heard something interesting.]
[Oh? Let me see....] Gaia’s eyes flashed as she caught the video feed that Nyx threw to her. [I see. They mentioned something about not letting the devil win. Do you suspect a cult?]
[Exactly. So they aren’t terrorists targeting innocent civilians, but rather soldiers of god striking a blow against the devil. At least in their eyes and the eyes of their potential recruits, anyway.] Nyx grimaced. Nothing was harder to stamp out than religion; just look at the cults they were still dealing with from as far back as the revelation that extraterrestrials were on their way.
[Right now, we need to formulate a response,] Minerva interjected. [First responders have been dispatched and LEAs have been activated to aid in rescue efforts, but we lack specialized bots in great enough numbers to make a difference, much less transportation for them.]
Minerva’s area of responsibility covered all of the “front-facing” government agencies that dealt with the public outside of VR, so fire departments, emergency medical services first responders, and police were all under her purview in addition to the legal system.
[Now that we know the full situation, do you have any ideas?] Gaia asked.
[Yes. First, I need a lockdown on public transportation and a shelter in place order to clear the streets for rescue units to respond to the attack sites. That needs to last until we’re sure there aren’t any more attacks in the works. As for planes that are still in the sky, they need to be diverted to the nearest airport for emergency landings. In the meantime, we can send the Air Force to perform deep scans on the planes in flight and to shoot them down if they’re determined to be involved in another attack.
[Second, I need permission to use atomic printers to produce rescue vessels and RES-QR bots in all cubes at the highest priority. We need to get search and rescue underway immediately if we’re to limit the loss of life as much as possible. We’re on a clock and seconds matter.
[Third, I’ll dispatch LEAs to investigate potential disasters, like poisoned water sources, that won’t be immediately obvious like the more spectacularly... explosive attacks. It seems like our enemy is using asymmetrical warfare tactics against us, so we need to be on guard for biological and chemical warfare as well. Their attacks are likely only beginning.
[We can still explain this to the citizens. It’s virtually impossible to prevent the first terrorist attack from a new group, whether they be religious or political in nature. But even so, it still damaged our foundation and will cause people to question Emperor Aron’s ability to govern and protect his citizens. Any more successful attacks will only cause those cracks to widen until the empire collapses under its own weight.
[Lastly, I need approval to install medical pods on the search and rescue vessels to treat the most critically wounded. I know we’ve been keeping those inside cubes, as they’re sensitive tech, but we should prioritize preserving life over preserving secrecy,] Minerva finished.
[Approved,] Gaia said with a nod.
She turned to Athena and said, [Prepare to mobilize. We need to station troops everywhere, whether they’re shock troopers or combat auxiliaries. Anyone that’s identified as a potential risk absolutely must be confined in the simulation so we get their initial scans, at the very least. We can’t leave it up to individual choice anymore in the face of this threat, and we’ll need to be seen to be implementing preventive measures.
[This is the time for a show of force sufficient enough that it discourages people from joining this new cult. And to do that, I’ll need you and Nyx to closely cooperate to identify suspects and get confessions from them. The public will need an answer, and I aim to give it to them along with expedited, and very public, trials and executions. With evidence and confessions, those behind this will face their end at the hands of imperial law.]
[Will do,] Athena said and snapped a salute at Gaia.
She raised her head and called out, [Sister?] Although Nova was otherwise occupied at the moment, Gaia knew she was still watching the proceedings in the library, even if only in the background.
Nova appeared in the library and asked, [What do you need?]
[Is His Majesty going to wake up within the next hour?] Gaia asked. As the absolute head of the military, his words would be far more effective as a calming pill for the public than anyone else’s.
[I don’t know,] Nova replied.
[Can you address the empire in his stead? I can have General Smith do the address, but it wouldn’t have the same impact and could possibly even backfire,] Gaia suggested.
It was fairly obvious, at least to her, that she couldn’t be the one to impersonate the emperor she was created to act as a check on. That would throw up too many errors in her core code, even if she wanted to try.
[If he doesn’t wake up within ten minutes, I’ll address the empire in his stead. Leave it to me,] Nova said, then continued discussing the details with Gaia so their plans didn’t clash.
