Zero to Peak: Ascension Online

A beam of golden light penetrated the glass window, lancing across the office floor. From it, Rad's formidable form rapidly manifested from feet to head. The towering Und gazed down at the panicking chairperson.

"Why do you panic over such a trifle?" Rad maintained an impassive gaze.

"It's easy for you to say when you are not in my position."

Rad shook their head, disappointed that the chairperson wasn't thinking strategically. "You are worrying that this failure will incite a greater uprising, one that will usurp you. You are not thinking about the tactical advantage this setback provides."

Beam turned their back on Rad, clasping their hands behind their head in a gesture of distress. Rad approached and placed a heavy right hand on Beam's shoulder.

"The enemy believes you will retreat and hide your arsenal. They are ignorant of the fact that it has always been ready, awaiting the opportune moment to strike. Right now, your enemy feels secure in your perceived retreat; they will become complacent. Now is the time to strike with your full might. They cannot possibly comprehend what you have stored in your arsenal. That region of human civilisation is pathetically weak; unleashing the full fury of your weapons will utterly decimate them."

Beam flinched, uncomfortable with Rad's hand on their shoulder. They shrugged away the monstrous hand.

"What about the liberation force? Their spies undoubtedly noticed the infiltration and have surely reported the news to the various forces in the region. I'm worried they have a defence and counter-strike mechanism on standby, ready for our assault."

Displeased with Beam's apprehension, Rad scoffed. "I was initially disinclined to work with you. What convinced me was your ambition and your formidable will. But now, you display the very quality that made me so aversive towards you: you show cowardice when faced with the responsibility to take critical action."

Beam was angered. "Shut up! You act so righteous, but you think I can't see what you are trying to do? You are trying to puppeteer me into doing your will. I don't know your endgame, but I will not be your puppet."

Rad was furious but contained their immense rage. Their gaze, however, conveyed the fury in their thoughts. "Ungrateful bastard. I saved you from shame and certain death, yet you stand here and insult the very being that supported your ambition against powerful adversaries."

A brilliant column of light erupted from Rad's body, ascending diagonally high into the sky.

"Good luck fighting your adversaries on your own. They are all after your head."

Beam realised their vulnerability; if their foes discovered Rad was no longer an ally, they were finished. Setting aside their ego, they prioritised life and ambition.

"Rad, wait. It was just a minor quarrel. Disagreements are necessary for continued collaboration. If we were all yes-men, our plans would be bound to fail eventually."

Rad's furious expression did not ease. The monstrous alien responded with a hoarse, guttural voice, "True."

Beam lowered their gaze to the floor, thoughts churning through their mind. Rad was patient, waiting for nearly two minutes as the chairperson gathered their thoughts and made a decision.

Finally, Beam raised their gaze to meet Rad's.

"Assistant, I hereby, in full mind and under no duress, sign off on the launch of 'Terminal Purge'," Beam declared with chilling resolve.

"Project Terminal Purge has been launched! All assets have received the signal to commence operations," Beam's office artificial intelligence reported.

In Section 1, at the Cathedral of Serenity, Pontiff Sarr was knelt at the grand altar, piously praying to his goddess. Lady Flux was seated on the front pew. She wore a black, gothic gown fashioned from overlapping layers of dark, ash-textured feathers. The gown consisted of a waist-fitting bodice that featured a V-neck and loose, bell-shaped sleeves; the bodice then transitioned into a voluminous, multi-layered skirt. She had been seated with perfect elegance for minutes, patiently waiting for the pontiff to conclude his prayers.

The pontiff suddenly ended his prayer and descended from the altar. He approached her, standing before her as she remained seated.

"It has begun." The Pontiff's words carried an unsettling yet confident air.

Lady Flux rose and, without a single word, vanished into thin air.

At Section 2's border with Section 1, soldiers were stationed upon the battlements of a high concrete fence that marked their territory. A short distance behind the wall stood buildings that functioned as barracks and offices for officials who handled the regulation of people and goods crossing the region.

Usually, the border was a bustling hub of activity. Today, however, it was unusually silent. No one passed through the checkpoints and the officials responsible for regulation had not reported for duty. Only the soldiers remained.

Suddenly, the sky transformed into an ominous, magma-red colour. The soldiers raised their gaze and witnessed a volley of furiously burning meteorites descending towards their position. A few of the soldiers panicked and fled for their lives, but the vast majority remained rooted to their spots, their spirits unshaken, as if they knew the celestial rocks posed no threat to them.

At the opposing border of Section 1, most of the soldiers stationed there had the same stoic reaction—they seemed certain that they were not going to die from the impending meteorite strike.

However, a separate, unidentified mass hurtled quicker towards the surface and crashed. It impacted the heavily contested, empty stretch of sandy land that lay between the borders of the two sections. The impact, while powerful, only caused a strong gust of wind to sweep out in all directions, raising a cloud of dust that obscured vision for miles.

From hidden emplacements, missile systems emerged from beneath the grounds of both border control points. A throng of missiles launched from their turrets, streaking towards the incoming, humungous meteorites. The combined firepower from the two regions successfully annihilated the threat from space.

A strong wind then blew through the area, clearing the dust. From the crater formed by the unidentified mass, an Und with grotesquely massive shoulders, disproportionate to the rest of its body, emerged. The alien gazed at the opposing border points, its expression one of clear disappointment to see them both still standing.