by SK Benton
Maria put her hand to her ear, apparently picking up a transmission.
"We've just received word that Admiral Bagatelle is approaching the Azul Capitol building, where he will address a joint session of Congress." She then looked at Collins and asked, "Would you like to be escorted to the Senate chamber and listen to Admiral Bagatelle, Mr. Senator?"
Collins hissed, saying, "I would rather be thrown off a cliff."
"That can be arranged. However, we do adhere to the rule of law, so you will be taken to listen to the good Admiral. Bruno? Please assist this good soldier and escort Mr. Collins to the Senate."
Turning back to the camera, she gained a solemn expression while staring deeply into the lens. Then taking a deep breath, continued, "There have been rumors of disappearances. I can confirm that they are not rumors. Leonard Johnson and his criminal cohorts have been murdering people at will, eliminating entire families. But he was in such a hurry they could not effectively erase all traces of his victims from system records. In fact, he didn't even bother to do so, as Johnson was building a fleet of ships to return to Earth. Admiral Bagatelle shall reveal the details of this once Constitutional government has been restored. So, in closing, we are all in this together. Our phone lines are open, and any occupying soldiers are instructed to kindly assist you in the case you have been negatively affected by the current despotic regime. Freedom is near, and we shall survive and prosper. This is Maria López reporting… for all humanity."
Collins was yanked out of his chair as soon as the cameras were turned off, but Maria called out to Bruno, the studio's head of security, asking him to hold off for a moment. Walking up, she gave Collins an emotionless glare, and then looked downward, as if she were fighting off heartburn for a moment. Collins's eye grew large as Maria's cheeks filled in with sparse hair and her now smiling mouth featured enlarged canines. Then, without further delay, she punched him in the face with such force it removed two teeth from his mouth.
"I can only imagine how many people you had murdered for your own convenience. Oh, and your little exodus fleet has been rendered inoperative. You're stuck on Azul, asswipe."
Collins grew a look of panic as he licked the blood off his lips, finding the flavor to not be disagreeable.
###
Max and Jennie slipped to Bagatelle's side and matched his stride as he approached the massive steps going up to the Capitol Building, which was a near-identical replica of the Capitol building in Washington D.C. on Earth. Of course the original building had centuries-before been decimated during the Vrol War, so it was fortunate that the American consortium group had won the lottery for capitol design. Nearly everything built on Azul that was similar to Earth was the result of lotteries. Hence, the adoption of New Sydney as the Federal System seat, the Australian military uniforms (and accompanying side-pinned slouch hats), the Swiss-style police force structure and the Argentine-style of sports institutions and universities, among other things.
A massive movement of troops surrounded Bagatelle and his sister and his brother-in-law, with both Michael and Gabriel close by, unseen and providing invisible protective shields in the case of ghoul snipers. Fortunately, no one attempted to assassinate the military leader. The Admiral stopped at the first step, looking up with appreciation. He had been raised to respect government - constitutional government that was supposed to be by and for the people. Then his face turned to one of resolve, as he knew it was time to return that government back to the citizens of Azul System. Looking down, he took one step, paused momentarily, and then marched up toward the massive columns that led to the entrance. Capitol police scattered, not willing to confront the invading military forces, with many welcoming their presence by saluting. The three lycans, accompanied by so many soldiers, easily walked into the entrance and headed left, toward stairs that would lead up to the Hall of the House of Representatives. This room was larger than the Senate Chamber, and was always used for gatherings of joint sessions of Congress. They already had eyes and ears in the building, so they knew both houses of Congress would be there. As they entered the System Statuary Hall they saw Draagh, standing in the middle, accompanied by Krynos, both dressed in their typical garb -Viking-like leather battle gear. Michael and Gabriel appeared out of the wings of the lobby, having removed their invisibility cantuses, dressed in battle fatigues as before.
"My dear Admiral. It is good to see you," stated the ancient mage, while winking at Jennie and Max. "However, might I suggest a change in attire before entering the Great Hall? I believe your ceremonial uniforms would be much more befitting of a group of liberators than camouflage battle fatigues."
"Hello, Lord Draagh, King Krynos," said Bagatelle, as he nodded courteously. "I do believe you are correct in your assumption. I can send for… oh. That was fast." Bagatelle was nearly startled when his clothing, and that of his accompanying family simply changed. Looking over, he saw Max waving his finger around, much like his grandfather would do whenever he had done something magical.
"Admiral, my grandfather is indeed correct. You maintain the appearance of the liberator of humanity. It is my honor to accompany you to the House floor."
Jennie looked at Bagatelle with an expression of deep, sincere admiration. "It's also my honor, Brother."
The two saluted their commanding officer, only pulling their flattened palms from their brows after Bagatelle had returned their salute. Turning, he pushed open the doors to the Great Hall and entered, trying to not show any awe or appreciation for the room itself, as it was partially populated by what amounted to traitors of Mankind. He walked down the pathway to address both the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate. It was common knowledge that the President of the Senate, a man named Joshua Vann, was placed there by Johnson. The dictator had dissolved the office of Vice President of Azul System after having murdered the previous, legal administration. Bagatelle was going to address the House Majority Leader, a normal female by the name of Sarah Corning, as he felt she better represented the people of Azul System, and wasn't a genetic vampire like Vann. He reached the podium area and looked up at the ornate desks where the leaders were seated. Then, setting his ceremonial slouch hat down onto a desk at his side, he addressed Congress.
"Greetings Mr. Vice President and Madam Speaker. I am Admiral Luigi Bagatelle, as I am sure you already know."
"Yes, yes, we know of your traitorous deeds, former rear-admiral," responded Vann, maintaining a snarky tone to his voice. He knew he was powerless to do anything, but he was a political creature of habit and sought to diminish Bagatelle's presence in the chamber.
"Greetings, Rear Admiral. I am not sure if it is a good thing you do, but we have brought together both houses of Congress in order to hear your supplications," said Corning, using a much more gentile tone.
Bagatelle looked at her, and then at Vann. Max and Jennie were by his side and the first floor of the hall was filled with soldiers. Bagatelle had the advantage, and he knew it.
"I am not here to supplicate, entreaty or otherwise petition this governmental body."
"Oh really," said Vann, "then what is your purpose? Please enlighten us, before we convict you of treason and do what we should have done in the first place - put you to death."
Bagatelle grew a slight smirk, knowing Vann's words were hollow. Neither he nor the Congressional body had such power. That was left to the Department of Justice, which was no longer functioning thanks to Johnson's manipulations.
"Mr. Vann, I would sooner shoot you in the head, so it's best you shut your mouth. I intended to keep this session civil, and you aren't helping in the least. So, in the best interest of all, I am going to introduce my compatriots, and then inform you of my intentions. To my left is someone whom I was ordered to pursue and bring back, dead or alive. Instead, I let him go free, disobeying direct orders. Please meet Captain Maximilianus Gunnarsson. And to my right is Commander Jennifer Escalante de Gunnarsson. To their sides are Krynos, an ally from Earth, and Lord Draagh, Cap
tain Gunnarsson's grandfather. Behind them are Michael and Gabriel, Captain Gunnarsson's father and uncle, respectively."
"Forgive me for asking, Rear Admiral, but was not Gunnarsson's rank Commander, and Miss Escalante's rank a mere Lieutenant?"
"That would be correct, ma'am. I found it necessary to give brevet promotions to them, as well as to a number of other individuals. Nearly the entire senior command structure of Azul Defense Forces has been eliminated - most probably murdered. Oh, and I have assumed the rank of Admiral, if you please."
"I recognize no such promotions in rank, especially to traitors!" barked out Vann, while garnering tepid applause from the chamber.
"Mr. Vann, we must maintain our civility. Please note the masses of armed soldiers in this Great Hall," cautioned Corning. "Very well then - Admiral - what are your demands?"
"You are to legally unravel everything done by Leonard Johnson, and restore Constitutional rule to Azul System. Further, we must work to restore our defensive state of military readiness, which has been nearly eradicated."
"Impossible! We are in a state of emergency! We cannot show any form of hostility toward our arriving visitors, the Artusians! How irresponsible can you be, traitor! For all we know they could be ushering in a golden age for Mankind!" bellowed Vann.
"Will someone put a muzzle on this clown?" asked Bagatelle, looking around at his companions. Draagh casually waved his hand, not even needing to do so, and caused the annoying senator to go mute, much like he had done the first time he met Bagatelle and Jennie on the banks of the Urubamba River in Peru. But this time, instead of paralysis, Vann was able to flail his arms around and move his mouth - but remaining comically silent, which was the desired effect.
"That's the cone of silence, hun," commed Max to his fetching wife.
"Um, I don't get it."
"Earth television show - Get Smart. We'll watch it later."
"Madam Speaker, I have come with a list of requirements, none unrealistic nor illegal. First, I will repeat myself. You are to unravel everything that Leonard Johnson has done. We are to return to Constitutional rule of law. You will hold immediate elections for the office of President of Azul System. Of course, as we are under a time constraint, I believe the best course of action is to have this governing body elect one of its own. This new President will then select his or her own Vice President and Cabinet. Second, you will dissolve the Security Council. This body will elect a Supreme Court, as once existed years ago and is prescribed in the Constitution. The position of Chairman shall be dissolved, and we shall begin the hunt for Leonard Johnson, the most notorious traitor to Mankind in our history."
"But how can you call the Chairman a traitor when he went through proper legal channels to accomplish his objectives? Mind you, I am not of his party, but still, we acted in a parliamentary fashion and all governmental modifications were done legally, and with the best of intentions," reported Sarah Corning, who then received a glare of disbelief from the formerly deposed military officer.
"Madam Speaker, you have heard our demands. Perform these tasks or the military will simply take over, imprison you all, and then reconstitute the government without your help. Cooperate and this way you can at least keep your job," added Max, speaking for the first time. The woman gave him an alarmed glare and sat back, appearing to take a deep breath.
"Madam Speaker," offered Bagatelle, "the next part of our little discussion involves educating this body with some facts that are unknown to you. As you are not military, you only received partial information on Earth, side space and my activities - and only that which Johnson wanted you to hear."
"Information, such as?" she inquired.
Bagatelle looked at Draagh, who then created large infoscreens that mimicked vid displays. Every angle was viewable in the Great Hall, and the original video that Max had seen in Los Angeles started to play. Bagatelle then expertly narrated the events for the chamber.
"Roughly six decades after our descendants had fled Earth, and were taking their long, frozen journey to these new worlds, a fleet of insectoid alien invaders, called the Vrol, attacked and decimated the planet. Their purpose was to eradicate Mankind - nothing more, nothing less. Please note the alien craft in the displays. They are techno-organic in nature. Alive and self-repairing, they transported two kinds of their species to the ground - the ground bugs and the centipedes. Another species, the fliers, merely shot out into the sky and started attacking Earth's aircraft. These massive techno-organic craft then linked together, like an insanely complicated jigsaw puzzle, and surrounded the planet, preventing any escape. But man fought on, and soon started getting the upper hand. Once the invaders had determined that they might not win, they rained a virulent flesh-eating amoebic strain into the atmosphere. It dissolved any fauna it touched, eliminating entire species, and nearly wiping humanity from the face of the planet. Captain Gunnarsson presented me with evidence of this perversion, and I brought it back and reported my findings to the Security Council. Then-Councilman Len Johnson accused me of fabricating this data, even going so far as to coerce an enlisted technician to lie and swear under oath that I had forced him to create a fake vid and falsify the amoeba fossils."
"You expect us to believe that, you pig? You're a liar, Bagatelle, and have always been!" shouted a rep from his seat. This was enough for the Admiral, who was preparing to move to his next bit of schooling for Congress.
"Troops please use your eyepieces and identify all ghouls. I want two soldiers on each vamp. Also, Alicia, please bring in Kyle and Olson," Bagatelle thought out over the comm.
Soldiers started moving into the crowd, causing some gasps and a number of screams, but no one was harmed. Once approximately thirty percent of the senators and reps were accompanied, Bagatelle continued.
"In ancient times, up until approximately the year 600 C.E., Mankind had a number of enhanced subspecies. However, we were watched by superior beings who had determined we were not progressing in a proper fashion, so they decided to deactivate some of the amazing abilities we used to possess. I have soldiers posted to the sides of members of this body who carry the activated genes of one of these ancient subspecies."
While Bagatelle paused for a moment, the guarded ghouls looked at each other and actually smirked, figuring it was no coincidence they were all allies. Max, Gabriel and Michael moved into the mass of seats and started touching inactive lycans on the right shoulder, while Bagatelle said, "I would like for those of you being touched on the shoulder by Captain Gunnarsson, Michael or Gabriel to please stand up."
The genetic lycans stood up, but none showed fear. They knew they were just in their cause, and watched the Admiral with great interest.
"Those of you standing are of the lycan genome - Homo Sapiens Canis. Captain Gunnarsson, Commander Escalante de Gunnarson and I are of this subspecies also, as is our friend King Krynos of Earth. Our ancestors had immense strength, and were created to protect Mankind. While small in numbers, only comprising one percent of the population, we are noble, even though we were long ago denied our innate skills. All of you - you shall keep your places in this body. Now those of you with escorts at either side - your ancestors were Homo Sapiens Mortuus. When enhanced species were deactivated centuries ago you actually benefitted more than the lycans, who lost their skills. You received a normal lifespan and became the attractive, yet manipulative people you see every morning in the mirror. Your ancestors lived an average of 35 years, and were in a constant state of decomposition. They used to eat garbage and carrion. In short, they were planetary shit-eaters. And although they had enhanced strength and night vision, they could not tolerate sunlight and subsisted on drinking human blood. You were called vampires."
The entire chamber erupted into laughter, causing Bagatelle to get a perplexed look on his face. Max knew the only way to get the message through was to provide a little show and tell, so he sucked it up and changed to his phase 2.5. Those up close to the Captain watched in horror as his body convulsed, bones
broke and fluids discharged from orifices. Jennie stood by his side unaffected, and knelt down, while running her fingers along his lush, brown mane.
"You okay, baby?" she whispered.
"Yesh. Fun."
A near-full werewolf named Max Gunnarsson stood up and threw his head back, letting out a blood-curdling howl, which coincidentally caused screams in the Great Hall. Soldiers quickly mobilized and made everyone stay in their seats, but the inactive lycans in Congress merely stood their ground, all growing smiles. They finally understood their dreams, their odd habit of biting their lips, as well as their intense desire to protect and serve. Some looked at his clawed hands and grinned, their eyes growing large, and more than a few wished they could do what Max had just done.
"When Captain Gunnarsson went to Earth he was able to recapture the abilities of his ancestors," said Jennie. "The Admiral and I were able to do the same. There are four phases a lycan can adopt. Phase 1 is how you see me - we call it Day Form. Then there is Phase 2, which we call Battle Form. Admiral, if you would please?"
Bagatelle snickered and shook his head, pointing out to the masses of soldiers in the large room. Each one had transitioned to Phase 2. This caused gasps from the audience, mostly normals. The escorted gen-vamps hissed - more of an instinctive reaction on their part.
