A Few Minutes Later

  Still Inside That Room

  Now, the two of them are sitting across from each other on the sofa in that room. It has no windows, but it does have an electronic window that simulates a cityscape, meant to prevent the sensation of confinement from dominating the environment, even though the room still carries a somewhat corporate atmosphere.

  [Man – Calm & Thoughtful Voice] ...I see. So, after that incident at the Clikerson farm three years ago, all high-ranking Oculi returned to what is believed to be their base, outside our reach... and also outside our radar. -

  [Girl – Worried & Anxious Voice] It's not just that, Dad... In the underworld, the Oculi my informants can access and exchange information with revealed that something like a major event began after the end of everything that happened at the Clikerson farm. -

  [Girl – Worried & Anxious Voice] These disgusting Oculi, who resemble rats that kidnap people for the pure pleasure of their flesh and organs, call this event 'Unitatem'. -

  The man immediately seems to change his expression after taking a sip of his wine. He places the glass on the table before him as a noticeable shift overtakes his face—what was previously reflective now becomes tense, for he understands that Unitatem has been mentioned once again.

  [Girl – Worried & Curious Voice] It seems you've heard that name in the past, haven't you? -

  [Man – Worried & Reflective Voice] Yes. In the early years of the Andromeda Project, a lot of information was obtained. -

  [Girl – Worried & Curious Voice] I see. And what exactly did you learn, Dad? -

  [Man – Worried & Reflective Voice] One of those sources stated something about the search for 'definitive harmony or definitive disharmony.' This recurring event is called Unitatem. And at the moment, it's the only thing we truly know, besides the Oculi's involvement in it in some way. -

  The girl, who had been resting her head against the sofa, gazed up at the ceiling, watching the fan spin gently. Instantly, she shifts her gaze back down to her father, who is once again drinking another glass of wine.

  [Girl – Worried & Curious Voice] At that time, Unitatem hadn't started yet, right, Dad? -

  [Man – Worried & Reflective Voice] Yes. Back then, all our investigations indicated that it hadn't begun in our world. -

  [Man – Worried & Reflective Voice] And the moment it does begin in this world, we will be led either to definitive harmony or definitive disharmony. Possibly, it will be the end of our entire species in a way I still don't understand. -

  Upon hearing those words, the girl immediately notices that her father's expression is completely distant, yet filled with fear—not fear of possibly losing everything around them, but fear of what will happen to the one he loves in the present before that day eventually arrives.

  She feels a sudden tightness in her chest, forcing her to relive the agony and fear she felt when her mother took her own life after a mental collapse.

  She was still very young when her father tried to break into the room to stop her. Even as a child, she witnessed the last seconds before her mother pulled the trigger of the gun pointed at her own head, her eyes empty of any hope—cold and far away.

  [Girl] - I don't like seeing that look on your face after everything we lived through that day, Dad... I promised you back then, even as a child, that I wouldn't let fear take away your hope, and..." [Motivated & Slightly Emotional Sigh] -

  Her father interrupts her immediately as she finishes her encouraging sentence, aware that in that moment, it wasn't only the fear of losing the person he loved—his daughter—that lingered in the air.

  He knew the concern extended far beyond that, fueled by what he had heard a few hours earlier, before she had entered the office of her superiors, regarding the imminent threat of war.

  [Man] - ...I know you want to encourage me, and I am so grateful to have you by my side reminding me of that every day, my angel, but..." [Deep & Slow Sigh] -

  [Girl] ...But? [Worried & Fearful Sigh] -

  [Man] ...A few days ago, I spoke with the Grand Council, and they informed me that if the Sagittarius Project does not show significant advances toward mass production within the next five years, they will initiate 'Plan Alpha.'" [Deep & Troubled Sigh] -

  A Few Days Earlier

  Still in That Same Place

  Inside a Vault Room

  A single person stands in the center of a vast, completely dark room. His face, sharply defined by a serious yet contemplative expression, reflects the weight of both past and future.

  Then, the floor beneath his feet—resembling an immense platform—begins to rise gradually, lifting this indifferent figure to a higher position.

  Within seconds, the ascending movement ceases, and the figure, still maintaining his distant and serious gaze, finds himself facing four screens that illuminate around him.

  It looks as though he is confined inside a massive cube, since each of the four screens displays a single letter at its center, set against a white background that occasionally seems to flicker.

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  One of these screens establishes direct communication with the person standing at the center of the elevated platform. Each of the four letters represents an entire continent.

  [Modified Voice — Serious and Imposing – American Continent]

  Mr. Yael, in recent years, numerous events involving the Oculi and their harvests have occurred. What do you have to report to the Grand Council?

  Yael, the central figure enclosed by the cube of screens, allows a smile to surface on his lips, though it conceals a deep anger directed toward his own failures.

  [Yael — Serious & Confident Voice] ...What exactly do you want me to say? Do you expect me to be direct, or cordial, in the presence of such inconvenient and pathetic individuals?

  [Modified Voice — Serious & Imposing – African Continent] ...Watch your tongue, Mr. Yael. You might end up biting it off and tearing it from your own mouth for your audacity before those who stand above your head.

  Upon hearing this, Yael immediately smiles in a cheerful manner and glances sideways at the screen representing the African continent, though nothing can be seen except the letter displayed on a bright white background.

  [Yael — Cheerful & Ironic Voice] Do you all really think I'm afraid of four "idiots" hiding behind letters on a glowing screen? [Sarcastic Laugh] -

  [Modified Voice — Serious & Imposing – European Continent] ...Think very carefully before you continue speaking, Mr. Yael! Your beloved daughter may end up paying the price for the bold words coming out of your mouth, is that clear? -

  At the sound of that threat, the smile disappears instantly from Yael's lips. His expression becomes completely devoid of any emotion or feeling, and his voice drops into a cold, utterly empty tone.

  [Yael — Deeply Empty Voice] If any of you care about your families, relatives, or the genetic heirs of your language still alive today, think very carefully—once more—before attempting to provoke me by threatening the safety of my daughter, Luci. Understood? [Deep, Extremely Vengeful Breath] -

  His vacant gaze sweeps across every direction, conveying calm and, at the same time, an absence of even a single drop of mercy. Behind this expression, Yael's mind immediately drifts to his beloved daughter, Luci.

  Even at twenty years old, she is, in his eyes, still his precious little girl—the only thing that truly matters in this entire world, the one person for whom he would willingly start a third world war if anyone dared to harm her.

  [Yael — Deeply Empty Voice] ...If not for your pathetic failures in acquiring more Oculi bodies for research, I wouldn't be here wasting my time speaking to the representatives of the only four families that currently rule the world. [Calm, Deep Breath]

  [Modified Voice — Serious & Imposing – Asian Continent] You are quite bold and extremely arrogant, Mr. Yael. And yet, you remain relevant enough that your head is not being separated from your body for attempting to demonstrate superiority over the four of us in this room... [Calm, Tranquil Breath]

  Mr. Yael, upon hearing that, smiles with a smile that conveys nothing but the emptiness in his heart. He understands that, even while commanding the most important project of the 21st century—and possibly of the centuries to come—he still has to deal with despicable people who consider themselves superior simply because they possess money, power, and control over the world.

  [Yael – Deeply Empty Voice] ...If you're done speaking nonsense into my ears, I should take my leave to handle matters far more relevant than your little "games," which look quite pathetic to me—this attempt of yours to act like "Gods" over the continents you control. [Soft, Tedious & Sarcastic Laughter] —

  When Yael was about to press the button on his wrist—which would make him descend and exit the cube of screens he was currently standing in—he heard a fifth voice. Though modified, it revealed itself as a new addition to the scene.

  Until that very moment, only the four sides of the cube had been in use, along with a screen on the floor. When he noticed the red glow coming from above, Yael felt his entire body numb with an overwhelming fear.

  [Yael – Trembling & Incredulous Whisper] That glow... don't tell me it's... [Heavy, Trembling Breath] —

  Completely frightened and unable to react, he looked upward and found himself staring at a screen on the ceiling of the cube—now lit, displaying a Greek symbol at its center: the Omega.

  [Omega's Modified Voice – Serene & Commanding] ...Hey, Mr. Yael. It's been quite some time since we last met in this humble meeting room. [Slow, Slightly Sarcastic Breath] —

  [Yael – Trembling & Incredulous Whisper] ...Lord Omega! [Heavy, Trembling Breath] —

  [Omega's Modified Voice – Serene & Commanding] If I remember correctly, the last time we met here was after the death of your beloved father, many years ago—the moment that made you the successor of Project Sagittarius, remember? [Cheerful & Ironic Sigh] —

  Back to the Present

  A Few Moments Later

  Still Inside That Room

  The girl was left speechless at that statement from her father. At that moment he kept his gaze lowered, visible in the way his fists were clenched tightly.

  From a shift in perspective, one could see on his face a look both angry and helpless at the thought that everything he had worked so hard for might be thrown away so that a possible lost war could begin in the future.

  [Luci — Trembling & Incredulous Voice] You told me that Project Alpha was practically impossible to implement. That idiot Omega... Does he really believe that this is a valid option given our current situation? -

  [Yael — Worried & Tired Voice] ...Yes. After our test mission with the team led by Karl and his sister Karla — the entire group made up of our best hybrids, using the genetic studies taken from the bodies of the Oculi we had access to over the last thirty years. -

  [Luci — Hesitant & Thoughtful] Still, one failed mission doesn't mean anything. Those suited idiots only know how to fail and fail again. They think a war will resolve all our plans. That's madness — don't you think so, Dad? -

  [Yael — Serious & Thoughtful Voice] Yes, I think so — very much — but... nearly fifty trillion dollars were invested over all these decades of research, investigation, and genetic enhancements. And the first time all that money is put into something that finally becomes "tangible," we almost lose everything... [Heavy & Worried Breath] -

  Luci lowered her eyes at that remark, which she understood carried even more weight for her father. He has led the project for more than two decades, following the footsteps of his grandfather and father, who prepared him to take command of the old Andromeda Project. In a short time, the project evolved into Sagittarius.

  [Luci — Hesitant & Thoughtful] I understand. Karl and Karla were the only people who returned from that massacre against the Oculi called Anika. But that doesn't mean it was a total failure. -

  [Luci — Hesitant & Thoughtful] Karl explained more to us about how the Oculi are harvested and the true nature of a pure-blood Oculi. How do those "suits" think it was a complete failure, enough to consider using Plan Alpha? -

  [Yael — Serious & Thoughtful Voice] That's the problem, daughter... There were several decades of study, using countless people as volunteers. More than ten thousand people died during those years of research and testing. [Deep, Heavy Breath] -

  [Yael — Serious & Thoughtful Voice] Only twelve managed to achieve success for reasons we don't understand. The group led by Karl and Karla was the physical embodiment of the Sagittarius project's success, but... [Deep, Heavy Breath] -

  [Luci — Reflective & Melancholic Voice] ...But on the first mission of our elite group — survivors of the tests and experiments — almost all of them suffered brutal deaths in combat against that Miss Lax and someone called Anika. Ten people sacrificed their lives to defeat and kill a single Oculi that wasn't even Lax or Anika. -

  [Yael — Serious & Thoughtful Voice] I must continue the Sagittarius project at all costs. Even with Unitatem now a greater mystery in regard to our own plans for the future, we need to further refine what we have in hand and continue to evolve... [Deep, Heavy Breath] -

  [Yael — Serious & Thoughtful Voice] To prevent the council from considering shutting down Project Sagittarius — which could lead to the activation of what would be a third possible world war, lost before it even began, on our part against the Oculi. [Deep, Heavy Breath] -

  The room seemed to gain even more weight in response to the man's words. The statements not only made father and daughter feel helpless before an uncertain, now hazy future, but also in relation to ways of achieving any outcome.

  Even if it becomes necessary to work with some Oculi, the idea is to find a solution that yields solid results so that the council discards, from its future plans, the activation of Plan Omega.

  -----------------------------------------------------

  — (Act 3 — Infiltrators) —