This Day in History: The Beginning of the End
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English
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
August 12, 2781 SET
The Beginning of the End
A culture of subversion was growing within the UEE. Though the death of Anthony Tanaka had occurred almost twenty-five years earlier, the seeds of dissent were only now beginning to grow. The people, subjugated for so long, were slowly building the confidence to speak out. The tenth Imperator, Ulysses Messer, was oblivious to all of this as he continued the massive architectural venture he had undertaken while serving as High Secretary during his uncle’s reign. The project involved a redesign of many government buildings, but would also establish a standardized aesthetic for commercial and residential spaces.
It was upon this architectural canvas of grey government-approved buildings that colorful messages and imagery of defiance began to appear. Although each one was quickly removed, it only seemed to incite others to replace it with a stronger message, marking the first fledgling steps of what would become the revolution.
Near the middle of 2781, Imperator Messer X prepared for the unveiling of the final piece of his decade-long project and what he perceived to be his ultimate legacy: the Khanos Stadium on Angeli, Croshaw. Conceived as a forum, in which future Imperators to be empowered, the design of the structure was, according to Messer X, intended to “make all who stood within quake at their own insignificance.” To pay for the monolithic structure, he had been raising taxes incrementally for years, bleeding an already over-taxed local populace to feed his desire to see the mega-structure built.
Needless to say, Messer X spared no expense when planning the gala event. He pulled military resources to lock down the city and line the route that his Imperial processional would take. Not only was attendance from the local populace mandatory, but they were expected to “maintain an appropriate level of cheer and awe.” Declassified Advocacy Archive documents later revealed that members of the Guard were actually scattered to make sure that the last decree was enforced.
Messer X was going to leave nothing to chance that could jeopardize the culmination of his dream, but he was looking in the wrong places.
His two children, Linton and Fiona, had spent the past decade growing weary of waiting for their birthright. Linton particularly had become increasingly disgusted at his father’s obsession with wasting money to build monuments. It was, after all, his money that Ulysses was spending.
An effortlessly persuasive man, Linton worked his way through members of his father’s inner circle as well as prominent members of the military, Senate and Advocacy, in an effort to find assets that he could potentially manipulate against his father.
His younger sister began to build a network of contacts in the growing circles of activists, not out of any genuine desire for beneficial change, but simply as tools to be used in their plot for power.
On 2781-08-12, Ulysses Messer’s convoy crept down the Caravac Bridgeway. Surrounded by protective glass, he stood proudly and gazed at the masses forced to cheer. Linton and Fiona were placed in a separate hover. As the Khanos Stadium rose into view, witnesses claim that Messer X openly wept.
That’s when the bombs went off. A resistance group, surreptitiously aided by Fiona, had managed to place dozens of high-explosive charges into the foundations. The blast was much more powerful than anticipated, killing thousands in the stadium itself, and hundreds more who had been herded to wait outside the stadium as a welcoming group.
Messer X watched his legacy collapse in a cloud of flame and smoke. His Advocacy contingent quickly swept into action, diverting the Imperator to a secure location, but military forces that had pledged support to Linton intercepted them.
The streets quickly descended into a free-for-all as military and Advocacy clashed. Messer X’s Guard units barely managed to protect the Imperator from the initial ambush. Ulysses fled through the streets of the city, before retreating into one of his newly minted government buildings.
His Advocacy detail dug in to try and protect their Imperator until reinforcements arrived, but found themselves quickly surrounded by several hundred Army and Marine forces. Ulysses locked himself in an office on the twelfth floor; that’s when he looked outside and saw his son standing impatiently among the military.
It was only a matter of minutes before it became apparent that the military would overpower the Advocacy defenders. Imperator Messer X, realizing that he would not survive the night, took his own life with his ceremonial pistol.
In the aftermath of the coup, Linton Messer was empowered as Messer XI. His first course of action was to arrest and execute the revolutionaries that Fiona had enlisted to bomb the stadium, for the crime of treason.
While Linton Messer felt absolutely no remorse for the death of his father, there was one thing he couldn’t have anticipated. His and Fiona’s actions of that night created an infrastructure that invigorated the revolutionary movement like never before, a movement that would topple him from power eleven years later and pull Humanity from its dark age.
August 12, 2781 SET
The Beginning of the End
A culture of subversion was growing within the UEE. Though the death of Anthony Tanaka had occurred almost twenty-five years earlier, the seeds of dissent were only now beginning to grow. The people, subjugated for so long, were slowly building the confidence to speak out. The tenth Imperator, Ulysses Messer, was oblivious to all of this as he continued the massive architectural venture he had undertaken while serving as High Secretary during his uncle’s reign. The project involved a redesign of many government buildings, but would also establish a standardized aesthetic for commercial and residential spaces.
It was upon this architectural canvas of grey government-approved buildings that colorful messages and imagery of defiance began to appear. Although each one was quickly removed, it only seemed to incite others to replace it with a stronger message, marking the first fledgling steps of what would become the revolution.
Near the middle of 2781, Imperator Messer X prepared for the unveiling of the final piece of his decade-long project and what he perceived to be his ultimate legacy: the Khanos Stadium on Angeli, Croshaw. Conceived as a forum, in which future Imperators to be empowered, the design of the structure was, according to Messer X, intended to “make all who stood within quake at their own insignificance.” To pay for the monolithic structure, he had been raising taxes incrementally for years, bleeding an already over-taxed local populace to feed his desire to see the mega-structure built.
Needless to say, Messer X spared no expense when planning the gala event. He pulled military resources to lock down the city and line the route that his Imperial processional would take. Not only was attendance from the local populace mandatory, but they were expected to “maintain an appropriate level of cheer and awe.” Declassified Advocacy Archive documents later revealed that members of the Guard were actually scattered to make sure that the last decree was enforced.
Messer X was going to leave nothing to chance that could jeopardize the culmination of his dream, but he was looking in the wrong places.
His two children, Linton and Fiona, had spent the past decade growing weary of waiting for their birthright. Linton particularly had become increasingly disgusted at his father’s obsession with wasting money to build monuments. It was, after all, his money that Ulysses was spending.
An effortlessly persuasive man, Linton worked his way through members of his father’s inner circle as well as prominent members of the military, Senate and Advocacy, in an effort to find assets that he could potentially manipulate against his father.
His younger sister began to build a network of contacts in the growing circles of activists, not out of any genuine desire for beneficial change, but simply as tools to be used in their plot for power.
On 2781-08-12, Ulysses Messer’s convoy crept down the Caravac Bridgeway. Surrounded by protective glass, he stood proudly and gazed at the masses forced to cheer. Linton and Fiona were placed in a separate hover. As the Khanos Stadium rose into view, witnesses claim that Messer X openly wept.
That’s when the bombs went off. A resistance group, surreptitiously aided by Fiona, had managed to place dozens of high-explosive charges into the foundations. The blast was much more powerful than anticipated, killing thousands in the stadium itself, and hundreds more who had been herded to wait outside the stadium as a welcoming group.
Messer X watched his legacy collapse in a cloud of flame and smoke. His Advocacy contingent quickly swept into action, diverting the Imperator to a secure location, but military forces that had pledged support to Linton intercepted them.
The streets quickly descended into a free-for-all as military and Advocacy clashed. Messer X’s Guard units barely managed to protect the Imperator from the initial ambush. Ulysses fled through the streets of the city, before retreating into one of his newly minted government buildings.
His Advocacy detail dug in to try and protect their Imperator until reinforcements arrived, but found themselves quickly surrounded by several hundred Army and Marine forces. Ulysses locked himself in an office on the twelfth floor; that’s when he looked outside and saw his son standing impatiently among the military.
It was only a matter of minutes before it became apparent that the military would overpower the Advocacy defenders. Imperator Messer X, realizing that he would not survive the night, took his own life with his ceremonial pistol.
In the aftermath of the coup, Linton Messer was empowered as Messer XI. His first course of action was to arrest and execute the revolutionaries that Fiona had enlisted to bomb the stadium, for the crime of treason.
While Linton Messer felt absolutely no remorse for the death of his father, there was one thing he couldn’t have anticipated. His and Fiona’s actions of that night created an infrastructure that invigorated the revolutionary movement like never before, a movement that would topple him from power eleven years later and pull Humanity from its dark age.
German
AN DIESEM TAG IN DER GESCHICHTE
12. August 2781 SET
Der Anfang vom Ende
Eine Kultur der Subversion wuchs innerhalb der UEE. Obwohl der Tod von Anthony Tanaka fast fünfundzwanzig Jahre zuvor stattgefunden hatte, begannen die Samen der Meinungsverschiedenheiten erst jetzt zu wachsen. Die Menschen, die so lange unterworfen waren, bauten langsam das Selbstvertrauen auf, sich zu äußern. Der zehnte Imperator, Ulysses Messer, vergaß all dies, da er das gewaltige architektonische Projekt fortsetzte, das er während der Regierungszeit seines Onkels als Hoher Sekretär unternommen hatte. Das Projekt beinhaltete eine Neugestaltung vieler Regierungsgebäude, sollte aber auch eine einheitliche Ästhetik für Gewerbe- und Wohnräume schaffen.
Auf dieser architektonischen Leinwand aus grauen, von der Regierung genehmigten Gebäuden erschienen farbenfrohe Botschaften und Bilder des Trotzes. Obwohl jeder einzelne schnell entfernt wurde, schien es nur, andere anzuregen, ihn durch eine stärkere Botschaft zu ersetzen, die die ersten noch jungen Schritte dessen markiert, was die Revolution werden sollte.
Gegen Mitte 2781 bereitete sich Imperator Messer X auf die Enthüllung des letzten Teils seines jahrzehntelangen Projekts vor und auf das, was er als sein ultimatives Erbe ansah: das Khanos-Stadion auf Angeli, Croshaw. Konzipiert als Forum, in dem zukünftige Imperatoren bevollmächtigt werden sollen, war die Gestaltung der Struktur laut Messer X darauf ausgerichtet, "alle, die innerhalb des Bebens standen, auf ihre eigene Unbedeutung zu bringen". Um für die monolithische Struktur zu bezahlen, hatte er die Steuern seit Jahren schrittweise erhöht und eine bereits überforderte lokale Bevölkerung entlassen, um seinen Wunsch nach dem Bau der Megastruktur zu erfüllen.
Selbstverständlich hat Messer X bei der Planung der Galaveranstaltung keine Kosten gescheut. Er zog militärische Mittel, um die Stadt abzuschließen und den Weg zu beschreiten, den sein kaiserlicher Prozessionär nehmen würde. Nicht nur die Anwesenheit der lokalen Bevölkerung war obligatorisch, auch von ihnen wurde erwartet, dass sie "ein angemessenes Maß an Freude und Ehrfurcht aufrechterhalten". Deklassierte Advocacy-Archiv-Dokumente enthüllten später, dass Mitglieder der Wache tatsächlich verstreut waren, um sicherzustellen, dass das letzte Dekret durchgesetzt wurde.
Messer X würde nichts dem Zufall überlassen, was den Höhepunkt seines Traums gefährden könnte, aber er suchte an den falschen Stellen.
Seine beiden Kinder, Linton und Fiona, hatten das letzte Jahrzehnt damit verbracht, müde zu werden, auf ihr Geburtsrecht zu warten. Vor allem Linton war zunehmend angewidert von der Besessenheit seines Vaters, Geld für den Bau von Denkmälern zu verschwenden. Es war schließlich sein Geld, das Odysseus ausgab.
Ein mühelos überzeugender Mann, Linton arbeitete sich durch Mitglieder des inneren Kreises seines Vaters sowie prominente Mitglieder des Militärs, des Senats und der Advokaten, um Vermögenswerte zu finden, die er möglicherweise gegen seinen Vater manipulieren könnte.
Seine jüngere Schwester begann, ein Netzwerk von Kontakten in den wachsenden Kreisen der Aktivisten aufzubauen, nicht aus dem echten Wunsch nach nutzbringenden Veränderungen, sondern einfach als Werkzeuge, die in ihrem Machtpark eingesetzt werden sollten.
Am 2781-08-12 schlich sich Ulysses Messers Konvoi über die Caravac-Brücke. Umgeben von Schutzglas stand er stolz da und blickte auf die zum Jubeln gezwungenen Massen. Linton und Fiona wurden in einen separaten Schwebezustand versetzt. Als das Khanos-Stadion sichtbar wurde, behaupten Zeugen, dass Messer X offen geweint hat.
Da gingen die Bomben hoch. Eine Widerstandsgruppe, die heimlich von Fiona unterstützt wurde, hatte es geschafft, Dutzende von hochexplosiven Ladungen in die Fundamente zu legen. Die Explosion war viel stärker als erwartet und tötete Tausende im Stadion selbst und Hunderte mehr, die getrieben worden waren, um vor dem Stadion als Empfangsgruppe zu warten.
Messer X beobachtete, wie sein Erbe in einer Wolke aus Flammen und Rauch zusammenbrach. Sein Advocacy-Kontingent fegte schnell in Aktion und lenkte den Imperator an einen sicheren Ort, aber Militärs, die Linton Unterstützung zugesagt hatten, fingen sie ab.
Die Straßen stiegen schnell in einen Free-for-all ab, als Militär und Advocacy aufeinanderprallten. Die Wacheinheiten von Messer X konnten den Imperator kaum vor dem ersten Hinterhalt schützen. Odysseus floh durch die Straßen der Stadt, bevor er sich in eines seiner neu geprägten Regierungsgebäude zurückzog.
Sein Advocacy-Detail grub sich ein, um zu versuchen, ihren Imperator zu schützen, bis Verstärkungen eintrafen, fand sich aber schnell von mehreren hundert Armee- und Marinekräften umgeben wieder. Odysseus schloss sich in einem Büro im zwölften Stock ein; dann schaute er nach draußen und sah seinen Sohn ungeduldig unter dem Militär stehen.
Es dauerte nur wenige Minuten, bis sich herausstellte, dass das Militär die Verteidiger der Advocacy überwältigen würde. Imperator Messer X, der erkannte, dass er die Nacht nicht überleben würde, nahm sich mit seiner Zeremonialpistole das Leben.
Nach dem Putsch wurde Linton Messer als Messer XI ermächtigt. Seine erste Vorgehensweise war die Verhaftung und Hinrichtung der Revolutionäre, die Fiona angeworben hatte, um das Stadion wegen des Verbrechens des Verrats zu bombardieren.
Während Linton Messer absolut keine Reue für den Tod seines Vaters empfand, gab es eine Sache, die er nicht hätte erwarten können. Seine und Fionas Aktionen dieser Nacht schufen eine Infrastruktur, die die revolutionäre Bewegung wie nie zuvor belebte, eine Bewegung, die ihn elf Jahre später von der Macht stürzen und die Menschheit aus ihrem dunklen Zeitalter herausziehen würde.
12. August 2781 SET
Der Anfang vom Ende
Eine Kultur der Subversion wuchs innerhalb der UEE. Obwohl der Tod von Anthony Tanaka fast fünfundzwanzig Jahre zuvor stattgefunden hatte, begannen die Samen der Meinungsverschiedenheiten erst jetzt zu wachsen. Die Menschen, die so lange unterworfen waren, bauten langsam das Selbstvertrauen auf, sich zu äußern. Der zehnte Imperator, Ulysses Messer, vergaß all dies, da er das gewaltige architektonische Projekt fortsetzte, das er während der Regierungszeit seines Onkels als Hoher Sekretär unternommen hatte. Das Projekt beinhaltete eine Neugestaltung vieler Regierungsgebäude, sollte aber auch eine einheitliche Ästhetik für Gewerbe- und Wohnräume schaffen.
Auf dieser architektonischen Leinwand aus grauen, von der Regierung genehmigten Gebäuden erschienen farbenfrohe Botschaften und Bilder des Trotzes. Obwohl jeder einzelne schnell entfernt wurde, schien es nur, andere anzuregen, ihn durch eine stärkere Botschaft zu ersetzen, die die ersten noch jungen Schritte dessen markiert, was die Revolution werden sollte.
Gegen Mitte 2781 bereitete sich Imperator Messer X auf die Enthüllung des letzten Teils seines jahrzehntelangen Projekts vor und auf das, was er als sein ultimatives Erbe ansah: das Khanos-Stadion auf Angeli, Croshaw. Konzipiert als Forum, in dem zukünftige Imperatoren bevollmächtigt werden sollen, war die Gestaltung der Struktur laut Messer X darauf ausgerichtet, "alle, die innerhalb des Bebens standen, auf ihre eigene Unbedeutung zu bringen". Um für die monolithische Struktur zu bezahlen, hatte er die Steuern seit Jahren schrittweise erhöht und eine bereits überforderte lokale Bevölkerung entlassen, um seinen Wunsch nach dem Bau der Megastruktur zu erfüllen.
Selbstverständlich hat Messer X bei der Planung der Galaveranstaltung keine Kosten gescheut. Er zog militärische Mittel, um die Stadt abzuschließen und den Weg zu beschreiten, den sein kaiserlicher Prozessionär nehmen würde. Nicht nur die Anwesenheit der lokalen Bevölkerung war obligatorisch, auch von ihnen wurde erwartet, dass sie "ein angemessenes Maß an Freude und Ehrfurcht aufrechterhalten". Deklassierte Advocacy-Archiv-Dokumente enthüllten später, dass Mitglieder der Wache tatsächlich verstreut waren, um sicherzustellen, dass das letzte Dekret durchgesetzt wurde.
Messer X würde nichts dem Zufall überlassen, was den Höhepunkt seines Traums gefährden könnte, aber er suchte an den falschen Stellen.
Seine beiden Kinder, Linton und Fiona, hatten das letzte Jahrzehnt damit verbracht, müde zu werden, auf ihr Geburtsrecht zu warten. Vor allem Linton war zunehmend angewidert von der Besessenheit seines Vaters, Geld für den Bau von Denkmälern zu verschwenden. Es war schließlich sein Geld, das Odysseus ausgab.
Ein mühelos überzeugender Mann, Linton arbeitete sich durch Mitglieder des inneren Kreises seines Vaters sowie prominente Mitglieder des Militärs, des Senats und der Advokaten, um Vermögenswerte zu finden, die er möglicherweise gegen seinen Vater manipulieren könnte.
Seine jüngere Schwester begann, ein Netzwerk von Kontakten in den wachsenden Kreisen der Aktivisten aufzubauen, nicht aus dem echten Wunsch nach nutzbringenden Veränderungen, sondern einfach als Werkzeuge, die in ihrem Machtpark eingesetzt werden sollten.
Am 2781-08-12 schlich sich Ulysses Messers Konvoi über die Caravac-Brücke. Umgeben von Schutzglas stand er stolz da und blickte auf die zum Jubeln gezwungenen Massen. Linton und Fiona wurden in einen separaten Schwebezustand versetzt. Als das Khanos-Stadion sichtbar wurde, behaupten Zeugen, dass Messer X offen geweint hat.
Da gingen die Bomben hoch. Eine Widerstandsgruppe, die heimlich von Fiona unterstützt wurde, hatte es geschafft, Dutzende von hochexplosiven Ladungen in die Fundamente zu legen. Die Explosion war viel stärker als erwartet und tötete Tausende im Stadion selbst und Hunderte mehr, die getrieben worden waren, um vor dem Stadion als Empfangsgruppe zu warten.
Messer X beobachtete, wie sein Erbe in einer Wolke aus Flammen und Rauch zusammenbrach. Sein Advocacy-Kontingent fegte schnell in Aktion und lenkte den Imperator an einen sicheren Ort, aber Militärs, die Linton Unterstützung zugesagt hatten, fingen sie ab.
Die Straßen stiegen schnell in einen Free-for-all ab, als Militär und Advocacy aufeinanderprallten. Die Wacheinheiten von Messer X konnten den Imperator kaum vor dem ersten Hinterhalt schützen. Odysseus floh durch die Straßen der Stadt, bevor er sich in eines seiner neu geprägten Regierungsgebäude zurückzog.
Sein Advocacy-Detail grub sich ein, um zu versuchen, ihren Imperator zu schützen, bis Verstärkungen eintrafen, fand sich aber schnell von mehreren hundert Armee- und Marinekräften umgeben wieder. Odysseus schloss sich in einem Büro im zwölften Stock ein; dann schaute er nach draußen und sah seinen Sohn ungeduldig unter dem Militär stehen.
Es dauerte nur wenige Minuten, bis sich herausstellte, dass das Militär die Verteidiger der Advocacy überwältigen würde. Imperator Messer X, der erkannte, dass er die Nacht nicht überleben würde, nahm sich mit seiner Zeremonialpistole das Leben.
Nach dem Putsch wurde Linton Messer als Messer XI ermächtigt. Seine erste Vorgehensweise war die Verhaftung und Hinrichtung der Revolutionäre, die Fiona angeworben hatte, um das Stadion wegen des Verbrechens des Verrats zu bombardieren.
Während Linton Messer absolut keine Reue für den Tod seines Vaters empfand, gab es eine Sache, die er nicht hätte erwarten können. Seine und Fionas Aktionen dieser Nacht schufen eine Infrastruktur, die die revolutionäre Bewegung wie nie zuvor belebte, eine Bewegung, die ihn elf Jahre später von der Macht stürzen und die Menschheit aus ihrem dunklen Zeitalter herausziehen würde.
Chinese
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
August 12, 2781 SET
The Beginning of the End
A culture of subversion was growing within the UEE. Though the death of Anthony Tanaka had occurred almost twenty-five years earlier, the seeds of dissent were only now beginning to grow. The people, subjugated for so long, were slowly building the confidence to speak out. The tenth Imperator, Ulysses Messer, was oblivious to all of this as he continued the massive architectural venture he had undertaken while serving as High Secretary during his uncle’s reign. The project involved a redesign of many government buildings, but would also establish a standardized aesthetic for commercial and residential spaces.
It was upon this architectural canvas of grey government-approved buildings that colorful messages and imagery of defiance began to appear. Although each one was quickly removed, it only seemed to incite others to replace it with a stronger message, marking the first fledgling steps of what would become the revolution.
Near the middle of 2781, Imperator Messer X prepared for the unveiling of the final piece of his decade-long project and what he perceived to be his ultimate legacy: the Khanos Stadium on Angeli, Croshaw. Conceived as a forum, in which future Imperators to be empowered, the design of the structure was, according to Messer X, intended to “make all who stood within quake at their own insignificance.” To pay for the monolithic structure, he had been raising taxes incrementally for years, bleeding an already over-taxed local populace to feed his desire to see the mega-structure built.
Needless to say, Messer X spared no expense when planning the gala event. He pulled military resources to lock down the city and line the route that his Imperial processional would take. Not only was attendance from the local populace mandatory, but they were expected to “maintain an appropriate level of cheer and awe.” Declassified Advocacy Archive documents later revealed that members of the Guard were actually scattered to make sure that the last decree was enforced.
Messer X was going to leave nothing to chance that could jeopardize the culmination of his dream, but he was looking in the wrong places.
His two children, Linton and Fiona, had spent the past decade growing weary of waiting for their birthright. Linton particularly had become increasingly disgusted at his father’s obsession with wasting money to build monuments. It was, after all, his money that Ulysses was spending.
An effortlessly persuasive man, Linton worked his way through members of his father’s inner circle as well as prominent members of the military, Senate and Advocacy, in an effort to find assets that he could potentially manipulate against his father.
His younger sister began to build a network of contacts in the growing circles of activists, not out of any genuine desire for beneficial change, but simply as tools to be used in their plot for power.
On 2781-08-12, Ulysses Messer’s convoy crept down the Caravac Bridgeway. Surrounded by protective glass, he stood proudly and gazed at the masses forced to cheer. Linton and Fiona were placed in a separate hover. As the Khanos Stadium rose into view, witnesses claim that Messer X openly wept.
That’s when the bombs went off. A resistance group, surreptitiously aided by Fiona, had managed to place dozens of high-explosive charges into the foundations. The blast was much more powerful than anticipated, killing thousands in the stadium itself, and hundreds more who had been herded to wait outside the stadium as a welcoming group.
Messer X watched his legacy collapse in a cloud of flame and smoke. His Advocacy contingent quickly swept into action, diverting the Imperator to a secure location, but military forces that had pledged support to Linton intercepted them.
The streets quickly descended into a free-for-all as military and Advocacy clashed. Messer X’s Guard units barely managed to protect the Imperator from the initial ambush. Ulysses fled through the streets of the city, before retreating into one of his newly minted government buildings.
His Advocacy detail dug in to try and protect their Imperator until reinforcements arrived, but found themselves quickly surrounded by several hundred Army and Marine forces. Ulysses locked himself in an office on the twelfth floor; that’s when he looked outside and saw his son standing impatiently among the military.
It was only a matter of minutes before it became apparent that the military would overpower the Advocacy defenders. Imperator Messer X, realizing that he would not survive the night, took his own life with his ceremonial pistol.
In the aftermath of the coup, Linton Messer was empowered as Messer XI. His first course of action was to arrest and execute the revolutionaries that Fiona had enlisted to bomb the stadium, for the crime of treason.
While Linton Messer felt absolutely no remorse for the death of his father, there was one thing he couldn’t have anticipated. His and Fiona’s actions of that night created an infrastructure that invigorated the revolutionary movement like never before, a movement that would topple him from power eleven years later and pull Humanity from its dark age.
August 12, 2781 SET
The Beginning of the End
A culture of subversion was growing within the UEE. Though the death of Anthony Tanaka had occurred almost twenty-five years earlier, the seeds of dissent were only now beginning to grow. The people, subjugated for so long, were slowly building the confidence to speak out. The tenth Imperator, Ulysses Messer, was oblivious to all of this as he continued the massive architectural venture he had undertaken while serving as High Secretary during his uncle’s reign. The project involved a redesign of many government buildings, but would also establish a standardized aesthetic for commercial and residential spaces.
It was upon this architectural canvas of grey government-approved buildings that colorful messages and imagery of defiance began to appear. Although each one was quickly removed, it only seemed to incite others to replace it with a stronger message, marking the first fledgling steps of what would become the revolution.
Near the middle of 2781, Imperator Messer X prepared for the unveiling of the final piece of his decade-long project and what he perceived to be his ultimate legacy: the Khanos Stadium on Angeli, Croshaw. Conceived as a forum, in which future Imperators to be empowered, the design of the structure was, according to Messer X, intended to “make all who stood within quake at their own insignificance.” To pay for the monolithic structure, he had been raising taxes incrementally for years, bleeding an already over-taxed local populace to feed his desire to see the mega-structure built.
Needless to say, Messer X spared no expense when planning the gala event. He pulled military resources to lock down the city and line the route that his Imperial processional would take. Not only was attendance from the local populace mandatory, but they were expected to “maintain an appropriate level of cheer and awe.” Declassified Advocacy Archive documents later revealed that members of the Guard were actually scattered to make sure that the last decree was enforced.
Messer X was going to leave nothing to chance that could jeopardize the culmination of his dream, but he was looking in the wrong places.
His two children, Linton and Fiona, had spent the past decade growing weary of waiting for their birthright. Linton particularly had become increasingly disgusted at his father’s obsession with wasting money to build monuments. It was, after all, his money that Ulysses was spending.
An effortlessly persuasive man, Linton worked his way through members of his father’s inner circle as well as prominent members of the military, Senate and Advocacy, in an effort to find assets that he could potentially manipulate against his father.
His younger sister began to build a network of contacts in the growing circles of activists, not out of any genuine desire for beneficial change, but simply as tools to be used in their plot for power.
On 2781-08-12, Ulysses Messer’s convoy crept down the Caravac Bridgeway. Surrounded by protective glass, he stood proudly and gazed at the masses forced to cheer. Linton and Fiona were placed in a separate hover. As the Khanos Stadium rose into view, witnesses claim that Messer X openly wept.
That’s when the bombs went off. A resistance group, surreptitiously aided by Fiona, had managed to place dozens of high-explosive charges into the foundations. The blast was much more powerful than anticipated, killing thousands in the stadium itself, and hundreds more who had been herded to wait outside the stadium as a welcoming group.
Messer X watched his legacy collapse in a cloud of flame and smoke. His Advocacy contingent quickly swept into action, diverting the Imperator to a secure location, but military forces that had pledged support to Linton intercepted them.
The streets quickly descended into a free-for-all as military and Advocacy clashed. Messer X’s Guard units barely managed to protect the Imperator from the initial ambush. Ulysses fled through the streets of the city, before retreating into one of his newly minted government buildings.
His Advocacy detail dug in to try and protect their Imperator until reinforcements arrived, but found themselves quickly surrounded by several hundred Army and Marine forces. Ulysses locked himself in an office on the twelfth floor; that’s when he looked outside and saw his son standing impatiently among the military.
It was only a matter of minutes before it became apparent that the military would overpower the Advocacy defenders. Imperator Messer X, realizing that he would not survive the night, took his own life with his ceremonial pistol.
In the aftermath of the coup, Linton Messer was empowered as Messer XI. His first course of action was to arrest and execute the revolutionaries that Fiona had enlisted to bomb the stadium, for the crime of treason.
While Linton Messer felt absolutely no remorse for the death of his father, there was one thing he couldn’t have anticipated. His and Fiona’s actions of that night created an infrastructure that invigorated the revolutionary movement like never before, a movement that would topple him from power eleven years later and pull Humanity from its dark age.
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Metadata
- CIG ID
- 14074
- Channel
- Undefined
- Category
- Undefined
- Series
- News Update
- Comments
- 79
- Published
- 11 years ago (2014-08-13T00:00:00+00:00)