Post by EmperorMyric on Mar 22, 2021 16:45:14 GMT
Vulkan System: Triarch Space
“I take it we won’t be disturbed by the commotion going on outside?”
“No. We won’t.”
John Triarch closed the door with slow deliberate movements. The sound of gunfire, cries of pain and damage to the building still audible from the outer corridor and rooms as his own troops fought to break through the personal security forces of the old man now sitting in front of him. He was haggard, staring out of the large window onto the huge stratoforges below and the orbital defence arrays. The man nursed a wine glass in one hand but did not seem concerned with drinking the red liquid within.
John Triarch was dressed in light black company power armour as he entered the room, moving slowly with a large calibre pistol aimed at the old man’s skull. Triarchs face was concealed behind the helmet he wore, and while his HUD and scanners told him the room was clear of threats he simply would not take that chance, not after his clone net had been mysteriously destroyed. Only now it wasn’t so mysterious.
“Good. I wondered when you would come knocking. We have much to discuss you and I, and I expect you have a lot of questions for me” He coughed slightly, Magnus Sigfridson was one of the few board directors that had refused to take the Anti-Agapic and was obsessed with leaving behind a legacy for the younger generations who would take up the torch for the company, he had been instrumental in setting up Triarch Industries, and had been a dear friend of Johns for decades, almost over a century.
“Yes I do. It seems like this infestation had been running deep for months, maybe even over a year. I always wondered who would have the influence even on the board of directors to conceal entire monolithic company changes from me. It vexed me for some time, until I got the details finally linking it back to its source. When I saw it was you, I couldn’t believe it. It had to be some sort of deflection, but I knew that it made sense, nobody else could have pulled this off. You let a horrific alien presence sink its tendrils into our company for its own gain, and now we suffer for it” John began, anger was clearly simmering in his tone.
“You mean your company. I helped you found this organisation back in the days before we even properly left earth, and yet I got little consideration. You know, back in the good old days? Before you decided in your arrogance to choose a side in that damned war. You knew that we advocated for neutrality, the profit margins in selling forces and material to both sides were phenomenal, and yet you pushed with your bravado as usual to join the APP. You stated they would win the war, we knew they had good odds mind you, but we warned you. Joining a side could mean the end of the company, and now look at it. Triarch Industries, ruined by its founders own ego” Magnus coughed some more before downing his wine, and with immense effort he picked himself off the chair and stood up. He wore a simple dressing gown, and Triarch saw that time had not been kind to the old man.
“I chose the best option I saw at that time. Profit margins were excellent, and if Inara had played her cards right instead of building that damned Crucible we wouldn’t be in this mess” John snapped back “Besides I didn’t sell our company out to beings that would gladly see us all dead for their own amusement”
Magnus chuckled slightly “And how is that different from us allying with Capitol? Who through rumours and that debated evidence that the Union has shown are working with supposed remnants of the Draken themselves? Don’t pretend you didn’t know all about that”
“Baseless rumours. I’ve seen the ‘evidence’ myself, its doctored images. But your actions are anything but, destroying my clone facilities, hiding the construction of the spheres, handing technical information of Triarch gear to these alien agents and even forwarding black projects into anti psionic warfare, not for our gain, but for theirs!” John almost shouted, angered that his company had given so much to the Ghosts of the Tradex.
“You lie to yourself even now John. At least maybe these aliens will have a chance to wipe those spiny bastards out once and for all. I’m old John, I wanted to hand his company down to my grandchildren, the next generations, to see the galaxy grow and become something greater. Instead we helped genocidal warmongers and set ourselves up to fall and give way to Rangvald” Magnus sighed and shuffled over to his kitchen area, a sparse but well build open area with granite worktops. There he refilled his glass “Care for a glass?”
“Why did you really do it Magnus? I know you wouldn’t have done this just for some god damn profit margins. You were loyal to me during the nationalisation by the Union, you were loyal to me when we sold arms to both Capitol and the Union during the civil war, you were even loyal to me when we helped MEPA break away from the Union and when I suggested we move to Ancerious. Why now are you turning against me” John lowered his weapon slightly, content that Magnus would not do anything stupid. Magnus finished pouring his wine and stood hunched over the worktop for a moment before he placed the old vintage bottle down and turned to face John. The man was distraught, tears rolled down his face as he pulled out a tiny little holographic projector from his gown pocket.
John raised an eyebrow as he watched Magnus activate it. The ghostly form of a man with rather tacky clothes, long black hair and dark alien eyes seemed to point over to where the recorder had been. He then began to speak.
“Go on my dear, your grandfather will want to hear about how much fun you are having” The man smiled with almost inhuman glee as he stepped away out of frame, a small young girl no more than 11 years old stepped forward and into the frame. Hilda. Magnus granddaughter that he was extremely fond of. Triarch let his weapon fall to his side. He understood but kept watching.
“Hey Grampy, I hope you are well, I’m having a great time here and they are really nice! Give mum and dad my love and tell them I will see them soon, I’m glad you sent me here Grampy. I love you so much and can’t wait to see you soon, goodbye”
The hologram cut out, and Triarch noticed the time stamp was almost 7 months ago. Magnus kept himself together, tears rolled down his face but he did not fully cry. He merely placed the projector into his dressing gown before shuffling back over to the chair with his wine and sitting down in what seemed to be a painful task.
“They have Hilda, and you did everything they asked to keep her safe.” John said aloud much calmer now, he sympathised with Magnus, the man was merely trying to protect his legacy.
“They do… Or did. I don’t know any more John, it’s not knowing whether she is alive or dead or hell turned into something else by now. All I know is they keep giving me subtle tasks to do, and I do them hoping, grasping for hope that one of the messages will have some word of Hilda in. It’s killing me John” The man sounded genuinely remorseful, the fighting had died down outside now with just the occasional gunfire. John sighed and opened his helmet, walking over to Magnus side and staring out the window.
“Help me restore our company Magnus, I’ll do everything I can to get Hilda back” Magnus merely shook his head.
“Our company’s done for John. In 3 hours the board will vote to liquidate Triarch Industries. There will be a massive power grab as all the high ups take everything they can into private assets, from then it will be a matter of hours before Rangvald buys all our remaining stock, and then buys the company outright. Triarch Industries will be no more. I’m so sorry John, I really am. There’s nothing I can do now. I know what comes next. But please let me have one request before I go?”
John simmered in anger. He had no inkling that the company would go down like this. He knew Triarch Industries would collapse, but he hoped it would be in a way he could save. He had to act fast. He turned to Magnus.
“What is your request?”
“Find her, protect her like she was your own. I will use my remaining power to put off the vote by a couple of hours. Use that time to save whatever assets you can. But that’s all I can do my friend” Magnus looked up into Triarchs eyes. John’s anger disappeared, he felt sorry for Magnus, and he nodded.
“I swear I will find her and bring her home. Thank you for your help. Goodbye old friend” John in one move brought the gun up and pulled the trigger. Magnus Sigfridson died instantly as his head was blown apart. John stood there for a moment, staring over the view of Vulkan, it was over. All of it. He wiped his eyes for a moment. He didn’t have time to be remorseful or emotional, he needed to secure his assets and warn others. He turned to the sound of Destro opening the door forcefully. His dutiful bodyguard had numerous bullet dents and blood on his armour.
“Is everything alright Sir?”
“Not really Destro. Come quickly, our world is about to collapse. And we have much work to do.
John followed Destro out of the room, stopping to glance back at Magnus body, with a heavy heart John turned away, the era of Triarch Industries was about to end.
“I take it we won’t be disturbed by the commotion going on outside?”
“No. We won’t.”
John Triarch closed the door with slow deliberate movements. The sound of gunfire, cries of pain and damage to the building still audible from the outer corridor and rooms as his own troops fought to break through the personal security forces of the old man now sitting in front of him. He was haggard, staring out of the large window onto the huge stratoforges below and the orbital defence arrays. The man nursed a wine glass in one hand but did not seem concerned with drinking the red liquid within.
John Triarch was dressed in light black company power armour as he entered the room, moving slowly with a large calibre pistol aimed at the old man’s skull. Triarchs face was concealed behind the helmet he wore, and while his HUD and scanners told him the room was clear of threats he simply would not take that chance, not after his clone net had been mysteriously destroyed. Only now it wasn’t so mysterious.
“Good. I wondered when you would come knocking. We have much to discuss you and I, and I expect you have a lot of questions for me” He coughed slightly, Magnus Sigfridson was one of the few board directors that had refused to take the Anti-Agapic and was obsessed with leaving behind a legacy for the younger generations who would take up the torch for the company, he had been instrumental in setting up Triarch Industries, and had been a dear friend of Johns for decades, almost over a century.
“Yes I do. It seems like this infestation had been running deep for months, maybe even over a year. I always wondered who would have the influence even on the board of directors to conceal entire monolithic company changes from me. It vexed me for some time, until I got the details finally linking it back to its source. When I saw it was you, I couldn’t believe it. It had to be some sort of deflection, but I knew that it made sense, nobody else could have pulled this off. You let a horrific alien presence sink its tendrils into our company for its own gain, and now we suffer for it” John began, anger was clearly simmering in his tone.
“You mean your company. I helped you found this organisation back in the days before we even properly left earth, and yet I got little consideration. You know, back in the good old days? Before you decided in your arrogance to choose a side in that damned war. You knew that we advocated for neutrality, the profit margins in selling forces and material to both sides were phenomenal, and yet you pushed with your bravado as usual to join the APP. You stated they would win the war, we knew they had good odds mind you, but we warned you. Joining a side could mean the end of the company, and now look at it. Triarch Industries, ruined by its founders own ego” Magnus coughed some more before downing his wine, and with immense effort he picked himself off the chair and stood up. He wore a simple dressing gown, and Triarch saw that time had not been kind to the old man.
“I chose the best option I saw at that time. Profit margins were excellent, and if Inara had played her cards right instead of building that damned Crucible we wouldn’t be in this mess” John snapped back “Besides I didn’t sell our company out to beings that would gladly see us all dead for their own amusement”
Magnus chuckled slightly “And how is that different from us allying with Capitol? Who through rumours and that debated evidence that the Union has shown are working with supposed remnants of the Draken themselves? Don’t pretend you didn’t know all about that”
“Baseless rumours. I’ve seen the ‘evidence’ myself, its doctored images. But your actions are anything but, destroying my clone facilities, hiding the construction of the spheres, handing technical information of Triarch gear to these alien agents and even forwarding black projects into anti psionic warfare, not for our gain, but for theirs!” John almost shouted, angered that his company had given so much to the Ghosts of the Tradex.
“You lie to yourself even now John. At least maybe these aliens will have a chance to wipe those spiny bastards out once and for all. I’m old John, I wanted to hand his company down to my grandchildren, the next generations, to see the galaxy grow and become something greater. Instead we helped genocidal warmongers and set ourselves up to fall and give way to Rangvald” Magnus sighed and shuffled over to his kitchen area, a sparse but well build open area with granite worktops. There he refilled his glass “Care for a glass?”
“Why did you really do it Magnus? I know you wouldn’t have done this just for some god damn profit margins. You were loyal to me during the nationalisation by the Union, you were loyal to me when we sold arms to both Capitol and the Union during the civil war, you were even loyal to me when we helped MEPA break away from the Union and when I suggested we move to Ancerious. Why now are you turning against me” John lowered his weapon slightly, content that Magnus would not do anything stupid. Magnus finished pouring his wine and stood hunched over the worktop for a moment before he placed the old vintage bottle down and turned to face John. The man was distraught, tears rolled down his face as he pulled out a tiny little holographic projector from his gown pocket.
John raised an eyebrow as he watched Magnus activate it. The ghostly form of a man with rather tacky clothes, long black hair and dark alien eyes seemed to point over to where the recorder had been. He then began to speak.
“Go on my dear, your grandfather will want to hear about how much fun you are having” The man smiled with almost inhuman glee as he stepped away out of frame, a small young girl no more than 11 years old stepped forward and into the frame. Hilda. Magnus granddaughter that he was extremely fond of. Triarch let his weapon fall to his side. He understood but kept watching.
“Hey Grampy, I hope you are well, I’m having a great time here and they are really nice! Give mum and dad my love and tell them I will see them soon, I’m glad you sent me here Grampy. I love you so much and can’t wait to see you soon, goodbye”
The hologram cut out, and Triarch noticed the time stamp was almost 7 months ago. Magnus kept himself together, tears rolled down his face but he did not fully cry. He merely placed the projector into his dressing gown before shuffling back over to the chair with his wine and sitting down in what seemed to be a painful task.
“They have Hilda, and you did everything they asked to keep her safe.” John said aloud much calmer now, he sympathised with Magnus, the man was merely trying to protect his legacy.
“They do… Or did. I don’t know any more John, it’s not knowing whether she is alive or dead or hell turned into something else by now. All I know is they keep giving me subtle tasks to do, and I do them hoping, grasping for hope that one of the messages will have some word of Hilda in. It’s killing me John” The man sounded genuinely remorseful, the fighting had died down outside now with just the occasional gunfire. John sighed and opened his helmet, walking over to Magnus side and staring out the window.
“Help me restore our company Magnus, I’ll do everything I can to get Hilda back” Magnus merely shook his head.
“Our company’s done for John. In 3 hours the board will vote to liquidate Triarch Industries. There will be a massive power grab as all the high ups take everything they can into private assets, from then it will be a matter of hours before Rangvald buys all our remaining stock, and then buys the company outright. Triarch Industries will be no more. I’m so sorry John, I really am. There’s nothing I can do now. I know what comes next. But please let me have one request before I go?”
John simmered in anger. He had no inkling that the company would go down like this. He knew Triarch Industries would collapse, but he hoped it would be in a way he could save. He had to act fast. He turned to Magnus.
“What is your request?”
“Find her, protect her like she was your own. I will use my remaining power to put off the vote by a couple of hours. Use that time to save whatever assets you can. But that’s all I can do my friend” Magnus looked up into Triarchs eyes. John’s anger disappeared, he felt sorry for Magnus, and he nodded.
“I swear I will find her and bring her home. Thank you for your help. Goodbye old friend” John in one move brought the gun up and pulled the trigger. Magnus Sigfridson died instantly as his head was blown apart. John stood there for a moment, staring over the view of Vulkan, it was over. All of it. He wiped his eyes for a moment. He didn’t have time to be remorseful or emotional, he needed to secure his assets and warn others. He turned to the sound of Destro opening the door forcefully. His dutiful bodyguard had numerous bullet dents and blood on his armour.
“Is everything alright Sir?”
“Not really Destro. Come quickly, our world is about to collapse. And we have much work to do.
John followed Destro out of the room, stopping to glance back at Magnus body, with a heavy heart John turned away, the era of Triarch Industries was about to end.