The Phoenix Fallacy_Book II_Norm

by Jon Sourbeer,

  “What did you decide?” Celes asked.

  “We would leak our miracle compound to one of the lesser Corporations – Titan.”

  Janus was surprised, he had not expected that, but he was too enraptured with the story to interrupt.

  “If we could help them gain power and demonstrate to all the other Corporations they had managed to obtain our technology, they would act as a counter-balance to Phoenix. They would gain power and influence, of course, but without the capability to build an army as we had – they lacked our cryogenic technology, the ability to produce the same levels of Immutium, and would be years behind. But the other Corporations would think twice about assaulting Phoenix when another Corporation stood by to take its place.”

  “Ingenious,” the Praetor commented.

  “We thought so, as well. And Magnus argued the case beautifully. But his fellow Executors did not agree. They were arrogant in their position that Phoenix was secure and that such a move was too great a risk. To give up the greatest advantage Phoenix ever had was far too much to ask. The Executors flat out refused any such notion – considering Magnus’ suggestion foolish and questioned whether they had made an error in allowing him to join the Executor caste.”

  “So what did you do?”

  “Me? I did nothing. I was a loyal Overlord of Phoenix, who still believed that our cause was just. The Executors had spoken, so I began searching for another solution. Magnus, however, viewed the rejection as a personal insult and, most likely, a direct threat to his own push for power. Magnus was certain that we had already discovered the best solution, and his pride would not allow him to accept such a rejection from anyone, not even the Executors.”

  “So he gave Titan the formula anyway,” Wouris said.

  “Yes,” Norm looked thoughtful, “I believe he actually gave the formula to Titan agents himself, to ensure he could cover all the tracks. He was smugly sure that his position was secure, but the Executors always suspected that he had done it, and never trusted him again. We did not know it at the time, but Magnus’ actions had both saved and damned Phoenix, as well as ourselves.”

  Chapter 34: A Call to Arms

  The sound of the sliding door to the briefing room surprised Janus – so engrossed in Norm’s story, the sudden appearance of an aide at the Praetor’s side caught him off guard.

  The Adept whispered in the Praetor’s ear and he nodded in response. The aide disappeared in a flurry.

  “We have a visitor,” the Praetor announced as a man in a matte-black uniform with gold trim stepped into the briefing room. It was stiff, formal dress, and the howling three-headed dog of Cerberus was embroidered onto his right breast in purple and gold thread.

  The man bowed to the Praetor, who stood but did not make any move to greet him.

  “Noble Praetor of ODIN. My name is Jordain, a messenger of Cerberus. I come with a message of great importance from the Executors of the mighty Cerberus Corporation.”

  Northcott coughed loudly at that, and Hawkes rolled his eyes in disgust. The Praetor responded stiffly, “Well, out with it.”

  “Yes – sir,” Jordain responded awkwardly, caught off guard by the hostile response. He quickly recovered his stiff address, “The Executors wish to inform you of a terrible travesty that has occurred: Titan Corporation has used nuclear weaponry against Cerberus in an underhanded assault against our noble people. According to the rules set down in the Phoenix Declaration, we must all join together to crush this traitorous enemy.”

  The Praetor shook his head, his voice hard and cold, “I’m afraid you are mistaken. We are an Adept Legion, and are not bound by the treaties of your Corporations. The Phoenix Declaration has no hold over us.”

  “Yes, but such a travesty–” Jordain stammered.

  “Has not gone unnoticed. Tell your masters that ODIN will consider its request. You may inform the other Corporations of our potential support, as well.”

  The messenger bowed deeply, looking somewhat relieved. “Thank you, noble Praetor. I will relay your message immediately.” He promptly turned on his heel and left the room, escorted by two armed Adepts.

  The Praetor sat down, sighing. “I have been expecting that for some time now.”

  “Will we aid the Corporations, Sir?” Lyn asked skeptically.

  “They must respond to the threat,” Celes interjected, “they are bound by the Phoenix Declaration.”

  “Indeed they will,” the Praetor agreed, “but surely they realize, just as we do, that Titan must have something up its sleeve for such an unexpected attack. Still, if this,” he sat back in his chair, “–Delacroix – is in control at Titan, it makes me very concerned about his plans. If Titan is strong enough to take on the Corporations, our only chance may be to join forces with them now.”

  “But why attack Cerberus? Surely Middleton could have offered some form of support?” Marcus commented.

  “Perhaps not,” the Praetor said. “If Overlord Alastor’s suspicions were representative of the Executors questions towards Middleton, she might not have the power to coerce them, perhaps even more so after Alastor’s death. The panic of an attack, however, might once again put the Executors under her influence.”

  Norm agreed, “No doubt that such an attack would do much to remove focus from Middleton, especially if she had foreknowledge. She could have been warning them about movements in Titan for months now – this could put her back in the Executor’s good graces.”

  “When we left the city, only certain parts of it were heavily damaged,” Janus interjected.

  “Which would explain why Middleton was so keen to get to her estate in the center of the city; if she and Delacroix are working together, she would certainly know where he planned to target. I guess expecting bravery and dedication from her would be too much to ask,” Wouris added dryly.

  “But why tip their hand; why incite the Corporations now?” Keats asked. “Perhaps you can illuminate more for us, Norm.”

  Norm took a deep breath, “Yes, I can. As I said earlier, Magnus’ actions both saved and damned Phoenix. I have no doubt, by giving Titan our compound, Magnus saved Phoenix from a full-scale war. One we would have lost.”

  He looked Janus directly in the eyes, “Unfortunately, the Executors are prideful, and they never trusted Magnus fully again. He had shown an open willingness to defy them. And despite his promotion, he was still an outsider, new to the ranks. He was popular with the common citizens – and that made him dangerous. The Executors began to see him as a rival to their power.

  As for Magnus, his mistake became twofold: not only had he offended the pride of the Executors, terrible in itself – but his own pride made him feel secure and confident. He knew he commanded the loyalty of more Troopers than any two Executors combined and felt he could foresee any impending trouble.”

  Norm’s shoulders drooped, “Events unfolded just as Magnus predicted – Titan became our chief rival. Years passed – Titan was always a step behind us, but the other Corporations stagnated, unable to move for fear of upsetting the balance of power. Phoenix was weaker, but we controlled the board. We acted – everyone else reacted. And I watched as the Executors became more and more paranoid about Magnus, fearful of him – but he never heeded my warnings. And the Executors, they watched, and waited,” Norm said.

  “For the moment…” Hawkes muttered.

  Keats glared at him.

  Norm smiled briefly and motioned towards the map, “All depended on our army. A few other Overlords and I spent weeks calculating how many troops we would need – and then we did the calculations again, and again. The might of the Corporations is immense. Their defenses are enormous. And Titan was growing stronger. We arrived at a number, the number of troops Phoenix would need for its push. It seemed impossible to believe – and it took another two decades to reach. But finally, we did it –“ Norm paused, his face reflecting his awe and shock at it, “Phoenix had amassed an army of ten million soldiers.”

  A mix of disbelief a
nd horror was stamped upon the faces of everyone in the room.

  “Ten million? Impossible,” Hawkes snorted. “No corporation could ever field an army of that size.”

  “With cryochambers, one did not have to field them for any length of time. Just store them until the proper moment. Even supplies need not last for long,” Norm countered.

  “But ten million! Such a force has never been seen in history!” Keats exclaimed.

  “Even in the age of the Republics, such an army would have been able to challenge all the others of the world!” Celes said with disbelief.

  “It existed,” Norm said solemnly, “waiting in stasis – a sleeping giant. Trained and ready to be brought to bear against the other Corporations at the moment of our choosing. And nothing would have been able to stop it, except for the jealousy of the Executors, and Magnus’ pride. Twenty-five years ago, Magnus announced to his fellow Executors that Phoenix’s army would be fully ready within a year and that the endgame that he had constructed was ready to be implemented.”

  “And what was the endgame?” The Praetor asked.

  “It was simple really. Magnus knew that it would be almost impossible to take down all the Corporations at once, even with a massive army. Too much territory to control, too many fronts to fight. To eliminate the other Corporations, swift decisive action was required: A full-fledged nuclear strike against the most meaningful targets.”

  “But surely the Corporations would retaliate against such a strike with their own weapons?” Keats inquired.

  “Indeed they would, and that would certainly be an unacceptable outcome. But this issue did not change the fact that any sort of prolonged fight would almost certainly fail, or at least result in the losing Corporations launching their nuclear stockpiles against Phoenix anyway. It was a no-win scenario. Magnus had to find a way to eliminate the other Corporations without allowing Phoenix to be destroyed.”

  “So what was decided?” Rogers asked.

  “We spent weeks on the problem, and then months. Time became a blur as we struggled to find a way, but we kept arriving at the same conclusion: No matter what we did, Phoenix would be destroyed.”

  “What?” came the surprised cry.

  “How did you proceed? Why?” the Praetor asked.

  Norm nodded, “Magnus had quickly realized that Phoenix would, undoubtedly, burn. It was I who took so long to grasp it.”

  “No matter what happened to them, the other Corporations could not, would not, allow Phoenix to escape unscathed, it was simply too powerful. And it was a matter of pride. In their death throes, the Corporations would undoubtedly focus their weapons on two targets: the Corporation that destroyed them, and the Corporation that was most likely to benefit from their destruction. Magnus knew the only way victory could be achieved was to make the Corporations believe the two were one in the same.”

  “I’m afraid you’ve lost me,” Lyn said, a confused look on her face. She wasn’t the only one.

  Norm smiled. “You see, Magnus did realize one noble and important thing – at least partially: it wasn’t Phoenix that was really important, but its people. In the end, it didn’t matter if the Phoenix Executors led Phoenix or another Corporation, as long as they maintained control. And of course, the Corporation which would provide the greatest raw resources would be—“

  “Titan,” the Praetor stroked his face thoughtfully.

  “Yes. Phoenix would attack Titan first, but with the goal to conquer it – not destroy it. As long the other Corporations believed that Titan was already doomed, they would ensure that Phoenix would be destroyed. It would be only logical to the Executors of the other Corporations that Phoenix would wish to annihilate Titan.”

  “But for that plan to work, Phoenix would need to attack quickly,” Celes said, “otherwise, the other Corporations would learn of it.”

  “A surprise attack?” Keats asked.

  “Indeed. Conquering a corporation alone would be a monumentally difficult task— when one factored in the need for exceptional speed and surprise, and it became nearly insurmountable. Magnus realized that Phoenix, even with its massive assault force, would need an edge.’

  ‘The overall plan had been laid out. It was risky and bold, but simple. Phoenix would launch an attack with the goal of completely overwhelming Titan. The other Corporations would believe that Phoenix and Titan had finally come to blows and sit back to watch the battle. With the battle providing cover, we could leave Phoenix, launch our nuclear assault, and have no one the wiser. The other Corporations would retaliate with their armaments to destroy Phoenix, all the while believing that Titan was about to be destroyed by the Phoenix attack. Titan would be left unscathed, and the Phoenix Executors would be the victors among the ashes – free to shape any surviving Corporations with its army.”

  “But it would be impossible to move the entire population of Phoenix in such a short time, let alone in secret,” Clara blurted out.

  Norm looked at the ground, swallowing hard, “Yes—” he looked like he was going to say more, but he stopped, a lump rising in his throat.

  Clara stared in disbelief, “But wouldn’t that mean—” she searched the hard faces around the room – trying not to grasp what they had all accepted.

  Norm cleared his throat and lowered his eyes, “From an Executor perspective, it was only a loss of resources.” He was silent for a moment, “It isn’t every day you realize how close you have come to becoming a true monster, or how thankful you are for the opportunity to fail.” It took him a moment to finally bring his eyes from the ground and search the room. Janus stared at him with a mixture of shock and revulsion.

  Norm’s face sagged, making his skin seem thin, and his eyes sunken. His hands trembled upon the table as he searched Janus’ eyes. Finding no absolution, he was forced to look away again, and struggled to continue the story.”

  “In terms – in terms of the attack, however, this still left the problem of what our edge would be – even with our superior numbers, a protracted battle with an entrenched enemy could ruin everything. A destroyed Titan was a useless Titan, and a protracted battle threatened the timing of our strategy. Each hour that Titan survived, the weaker we would be – the question was: how would Phoenix surprise Titan so totally that the plan could work effectively? If Titan had even a scent of the incoming attack, everything could go completely awry. Magnus knew that ideally, he needed a way to get Titan to literally welcome the attack with open arms. For that he needed—“

  “An Adept Legion – a Trojan horse,” the Praetor said coldly, the distant look in his eyes from Janus’s first meeting returning.

  Norm nodded, and the Praetor asked, “Was SHADE purposefully chosen, or was the choice random?”

  “I am sorry, Praetor Jennings. The choice was random.”

  The Praetor nodded sorrowfully, and a tear streaked down his cheek, “I thought she was dead. But— I saw the weapon you carry, and—” he stopped, unable to speak.

  He wiped away the streak with a hand, staring at it angrily, “I began to wonder.” The Praetor brought out the ornate pistol he always carried with him, the one with which he shot Janus. Janus looked more closely at it now. An inlaid gold half-moon overlaid with a crossed blue Immutium blade and rifle was clearly visible on the handle. The Praetor suddenly leveled the weapon at Norm. “But I was not positive until now. Show it to me.”

  Chapter 35: Lost Loves

  The officers looked at the Praetor in alarm, but Norm hesitantly smiled, as if relieved.

  Norm pulled out his pistol – the one with which he had rescued Janus. It shared many of the same traits, although its engraving depicted an eye and shield. It was clearly forged by the same maker. Norm looked lovingly at the weapon and then handed it to the Praetor, “She always was quite the weaponsmith.” He took a deep breath, “I only ask that you allow me to finish my tale before you pass judgment.”

  Keats gently placed her hand on the Praetor’s arm. After a tense moment, the Praetor breathed
“Very well,” and slowly lowered his weapon.

  Janus was bewildered, and as evidenced by Celes, Marcus, Lyn, and Ramirez baffled looks, he was not the only one. But Northcott, Hawkes, Wouris, and Keats all seemed to have understood the exchange, casting sidelong glances at the Praetor and watching Norm expectantly.

  “Please continue,” Keats said softly.

  Norm looked appreciatively at Keats and cleared his throat. “I do not deny that the destruction of SHADE was my fault. I remained willfully ignorant of the signs. But you should know that SHADE was not our original target for attack, Praetor.”

  “So why was it chosen?” Wouris asked.

  “It was not the original target selected by Magnus and myself,” Norm added delicately. “Magnus and I had selected a Legion that was relatively small at the time: this one.”

  “What?” Hawkes jumped up. “Thought we’d be easy prey did you?”

  “Sit down, Colonel,” the Praetor commanded.

  “But Praetor—”

  “Now. Let him finish,” Jennings stared hard at Norm, and Hawkes sat down, still muttering, “Arrogant corporate…”

  Norm quickly moved on, raising his voice slightly and avoiding the distrustful looks of the officers, “But the Executors - they were a different matter altogether. They no longer trusted Magnus, and although I did not realize it at the time, they no longer trusted me, either. The Executors had decided long ago that when the time came for Phoenix to make its move, Magnus would need to be removed. From the beginning the Executors had secretly plotted their own strategy.”

  “I presume it involved using Titan as the launching point and as a scapegoat,” the Praetor commented.

  Norm nodded, “Precisely – a plan that was entirely infeasible and impractical. Magnus and I, we understood how the other Corporations’ Executors would react to such an attack. What we failed to understand were our own. We argued back and forth for months. The Executors could not be convinced that Phoenix was too vulnerable, that it could not survive. Our first clue should have been when they suggested another Adept group to attack – NOVA. But Magnus and I protested that immediately: NOVA, like SHADE, had an Avalon-class base – a floating fortress similar to Valhalla. Such an attack would be unnecessary and foolish, we argued. ODIN, at the time, was little more than a series of transports and squadrons– exactly what we needed for our shock troops. The Executors countered – wouldn’t an Avalon-class base allow us an even larger surprise force – should we not be able to overwhelm an Adept Legion anyway? Could we really hope to overwhelm Titan if our forces were so weak?”