The $yndicate Chapter 5; The Imperials

Lord Bacon, the Hog Kaiser, one of the commanding officers of the Dawn Branch of the $yndicate, had just finished his mission in the Dawn and was perusing the area for the other members of the $yndicate branch of the Dawn, as per instruction. During his leisurely, but focused stroll, he would suddenly receive communication from the Delta Branch of the $yndicate.

Professor Panda: "Hello? Hello?! Come in, Dawn Branch! We have completed our mission, and the Dark Messenger is coming to you now with information on yours! Do you read me?"

Lord Bacon: "Ah, yes! Professor Panda! You say the Dark Messenger bears us a mission? Humdrum, that is quite the predicament! I have already been given a mission to carry out that may conflict with what the Dark Messenger is supposed to bring."

Professor Panda: "Nevermind that! This one comes from the Void Bo$$! You know what that means..."

Lord Bacon: "Hmmmm... Indubitably. If this Dark Messenger comes all the way from the Void Bo$$, then this is an emergency of the utmost urgency..."

Professor Panda: "You couldn't be more correct, Lord Bacon. The fate of the Veritas depends on us carrying out what the Dark Messenger dictates from the Void Bo$$! You will have to find a way to complete both missions, somehow."

Lord Bacon: "... Rest assured, you can count on me, Professor. Worry not, and let the Dark Messenger know that I am ready anytime."

Professor Panda: "Certainly, Lord Bacon. We are passing this off to you, now. Good luck."

Communication ended after that, and Lord Bacon, garb in his natural robe of bacon strips and donning his signature Hog Kaiser porcine-looking gas mask, focused his intention on the souls of the other members of the $yndicate's Dawn Branch, which he was instructed to gather. All the while, he awaited the inevitable coming of the Dark Messenger, to explain to him what this 'secret mission' was to partake of.

Not long after the communication ended between Lord Bacon and Professor Panda did a very peculiar Dimension Gate suddenly open beside Lord Bacon as he traveled, revealing yet again the Dark Messenger which came to the previous regions of the Veritas before. Its pointed teeth and swirling hypnotic eyes gleamed brightly, and it floated before Lord Bacon in its tiny bat wings. "I suppose that you are now in the know a little bit about what is going on, Lord Bacon," presumed the Dark Messenger. "Are you prepared to hear the Dawn's part in the master plan?"

"Without question, Dark Messenger!" assured the Hog Kaiser, who stood at attention as he prepared himself to be debriefed.

Dark Messenger: "Good. Now, as the Dawn is more expansive than the Dusk and the Delta, and also is segmented into various parts, those primarily being the Four Corners, each land has its own designated ecosystem signature to it. However, despite the expansiveness of the $yndicate throughout the entirety of the Veritas, some places are significantly... Lacking in coverage. In that regard, the mission of the Dawn Branch is to occupy each of the Four Corners and gather subordinates of each of the main species: Humanoid, Fae, Mechanica, Aethereal, and Beast. A member of the present $yndicate will be stationed in one of the Four Corners in order to oversee the subordinates, with another being set here in Crysteria, the center. Each area is to be secured by the order of the $yndicate, where the designated member will indefinitely continue to manage the Creatures of the Dawn in their respective territories. Once that is done, the mission will be complete."

It all sounded rather simple in context, but it contradicted somewhat with the previous mission told to Lord Bacon, which was to gather the $yndicate members in the Dawn Branch HQ for a ceremony. It was quite a tizzy of a situation, Lord Bacon could be assured, but one that could be fulfilled nonetheless. "... Sir!" Lord Bacon shouted in recognition, following with, "You have my word, sir!"

The Dark Messenger nodded. "Good, good. Well now, I will be off. See to it that you let someone know when you have completed the mission. Until then!" The Dark Messenger entered the Dimension Gate again, which closed behind it afterward.

After the Dark Messenger left, Lord Bacon was faced with the struggle of gathering the members of the Dawn Branch of the $yndicate, sending them to the Four Corners of the Dawn, and also bringing them to the new Imperial General's inaugural celebration. Hunched over in thought, he walked through Crysteria, past the many Dawn Villagers, some of which were also the A.I. Units that were called the O.S. Tinas. They protected Crysteria and also the Dawn Villagers, but were considered Royal Servants to the original O.S. Tina. He walked up to one, seeking her counsel. "Ahem. Yes, A.I. Unit? I am Lord Bacon, the Hog Kaiser, and I am in a bit of a bind. I need to complete two completely opposing tasks simultaneously, and I am unsure how to go about it, nor which one takes priority. It would really help the $yndicate if you would impart your wisdom unto me."

The O.S. Tina that was stopped looked just like all of the other Royal Servant styled ones. Her hair was long and platinum, she wore a digital looking coat with blue runes that looked like circuits. There was a hat upon her head that signified some kind of rank among her own, being an officer. Her eyes and face were emotionless, and so was her voice when she spoke. "Perhaps You Should Try Talking To The Dawn Villagers." Whatever she was doing previously, she stopped there and waited patiently for Lord Bacon, as if overseeing him. "If You Need Further Assistance, Please Inquire."

The Dawn Villagers that actually lived in Crysteria, Twin Crystal City Of The Dawn, were quite few, especially compared to the Four Corners of the Dawn, which were much larger and more populous. Really, mostly the A.I. Units inhabited this land, and the Dawn Villagers that did live in the Crystal City Of The Dawn had no place in the other places in the Dawn.

The scarce few from each of the land masses that made up the supercontinent did congregate there, and they lived in the Crystal City, where it was believed to be more peaceful than the other lands. In fact, many prospective opportunities that benefitted all of the other lands came from Crysteria, so they saw it as an opportunity for a better life.

One such Dawn Villager, an Avisora from the Avisora Paradisia, whose name was Eagleman Jr., lived in the Crystal City, and his father, Eagleman, a full-grown Garuda, came to visit his son to see how he was doing in the city. It just so happened that Eagleman was just on his way to see his son in the Crystal City, and who also lived nearby where Lord Bacon was. He landed, looking exactly as one would expect Eagleman, only bearing some glasses that showed his age. As a Garuda, Eagleman had much longevity, but his son had not lived many years as of yet, and was still considered a fledgling in the cosmos.

"Good morrow, you two!" greeted Eagleman as he tread past them and off to his son's house, "Lovely day, isn't it?"

The timing on the Garuda's arrival was far more exquisite than Lord Bacon anticipated it would be, and it was slightly curious to him. "Hrm. Huh." Bewildered lightly, Lord Bacon regained himself, responding to the Garuda. "Aherm, yes, you, Eagle Man! Lovely day, yes, yes..." He stumbled over his own thoughts and words some trying to be polite whilst also still trying to express his urgency. "Ahem! Eagle Man! This may come as a bit of a strange thing to ask, but I must know... Is there any way that you would be able to tell me what you would do if you were posed with two very differing objectives at once, which you needed to complete simultaneously, and which you would take as the priority?" Straightforward, yes; inelegant, maybe -- but Lord Bacon was a straight shooter, and very goal-oriented. Once his sights were on something, he really did go straight for it.

Eagleman cleared his throat. "Hrm. That's, 'Eagleman', good sir. I find 'Eagle Man' to be rather offensive, considering that is my name. Now, some Garudas may not mind the term 'Eagle Man', since that is what we are, but I do not like when someone calls me this when my actual name is also Eagleman. I hope you understand." Eagleman didn't seem like he was hostile at all, but he did hold an air of distinguishment to him. "Now then, if I am understanding you, you say you have an issue about having to do two things at once? Well, obviously, it would be best to get some assistance and take care of the two things separately." Eagleman adjusted the ruffles of his feathers around his neck like a jacket, smoothing them back out. "If we're quite finished, I need to make my way to my son's. I hope that little tidbit helped you out, son." Eagleman walked away after that, seemingly unable to be bothered with Lord Bacon any longer, as he was eager to see his son, Eagleman Jr.

The answer seemed like it was far too simple to truly be correct, but at the moment, Lord Bacon honestly could not think of any better way. Rather than try to dispute it, he thought it better to use the A.I. again, since it was able to give predictive outcomes far superior to what he could.

Lord Bacon meandered his way back to the A.I. Tina, clearing his throat. "A.I. Unit? Well, after following your instructions, I've come to the conclusion that it is best to complete the given task by assigning others that are available to them, and you are my only option as a subordinate right now." Being of high militant status, Lord Bacon was actually quite accustomed to using some terms sometimes, even when he wasn't in a militant state of mind. It was simply how his lexicon was. "I was wondering if you would assist me by handling the Dawn Villagers and having them show up at the ceremony that the Imperial General is hosting first, as I gather the $yndicate and bring them later?"

The way he saw it, with A.I. Tina's power, getting the Dawn Villagers to attend would be easy, and he could focus solely on assigning the $yndicate to their places in the Four Corners, as well as collecting them all for the celebration, as well. So his plan relied on Tina being able to help him.

A.I. Tinasanti complied with Lord Bacon's request immediately, having calculated that it was the best course of action to take after following her instructions. "Affirmative. I Shall Assist You," she droned.

Spontaneously, other A.I. Tinas appeared in digital streams, their number from before increasing drastically all over the Crystal City Of The Dawn. They started unifying the universal collective consciousness of the masses all across the city, then proceeded to assist them in completing their prior tasks so that they would become available for the celebratory ceremony as quickly as possible. Some of the Dawn Villagers would be brought in quicker than others, but a good number of them that were made completely free ended up being guided here by the A.I. Tinas.

Meanwhile, the one which was still with Lord Bacon continued to speak to him. "I Will Also Be Taking Extra Action Once You Have Appointed A Representative Of The $yndicate Within One Of The Four Corners. I Will Also Cause The Dawn Creatures To Become Harmonious With Their Leaders, So That They Will Heed Them, As They Heed Me." Being the actual mind of the Veritas, O.S. Tina had much more potent control over the planet than people would anticipate for one so dormant. Her A.I. Tinas were like her own neurons, and they responded collectively to her thoughts. "Go Forth, Lord Bacon, And Appoint Those Who Will Be Representatives Of The $yndicate Within The Celestial Dawn."

Lord Bacon wasn't too fully aware of how everything in the Veritas worked, but he certainly knew enough, and he also knew his place; he didn't need to know, and it would probably only be a bad thing for him to learn -- at least, too early. It didn't bother him, as finding out the mysteries of the Veritas is why he decided to stay and serve in the $yndicate at all. He originally invaded the Veritas from beyond, but he was purified after a skirmish with the Red Pumpkinhead.

From that day forth, he and his men saw the light, and they devoted themselves to the Veritas just as Lord Bacon was sworn to the pig. His loyalty was unwavering, even if even his eyes could not see the full spectrum of what the Veritas truly was. Discovering was the joy in his job for him, whether or not anyone actually knew. And he also taught his boys no matter what happened, which was usually going on in the background when he wasn't actively on duty. Lord Bacon was accepted as Hog Kaiser to the Swine species because of his devotion to them. Such devotion, they recognized in his donning of the flesh of his brothers as his garb and the harboring of their souls collectively within his eternal being. There was no Swine anywhere that didn't know of the Hog Kaiser, Lord Bacon.

Yet, despite rank to an entire species, to another, he was still only just one part of everything. It amazed him at how much he was missing out on as the top of only his own people, not exploring outside except to dominate them. "Yes, madam!" Lord Bacon grunted, squealing with vigor. "Dawn Branch! Assemble!!"

A pulse emitted from Lord Bacon, and it seemed to be related to his squeal, almost like the sound was amplified somehow. Everyone in the area would be able to hear his voice, no matter where they were in the Dawn at the time. Each of the other members of the Dawn Branch of the $yndicate appeared before Lord Bacon, who was a superior to the D.S.F. in its entirety.

The first was Will O' Wisp, otherwise known as Wisp, who was also a Wisp species of Aethereal that could also become a Will O' Wisp and also change back, which normal Will O' Wisps cannot. She looked like a cute cheerleader ghost wearing oversized sleeves that had no legs and two ghost wisps as her pigtails.

Next came the Dawn's personal Beast Unit, which consisted of Mr. Platypus, the Hitman extraordinaire; Squidy (Calamari Jr.) & Octy, the calamari son of Don Kalamari (and not the lovely Calamari) and the sometimes seven-legged miniature octopus; Kamilio, a special Kamilastic that was trained under the Aviator Chameleon itself; Bunsie, Bunnybee's psychic pet bunny; Fussy, the Mole Treasure Hunter, that works both as a Mole and a Treasure Hunter; and Bashy, the Seal Assassin, who happens to be both a Seal and an Assassin that has mastered the art of Bludgeons out of vengeance for his species.

After that came the three Aethereals: Mr. Soy, the oriental vegetable that both gave wisdom and sold merchandise; Fislo, the Ruler of the Eternal Desert; and Daitona T., one of the Queens Of The Sea that Calamari used to serve until her rebellion. Calamari may have lived in exile, but Daitona T., who sentenced her, lived on ruling her sea as one of the Queens. She resembled a green woman with a mermaid tail.

And then there was Gappa, the giant Kappa Doll. Which appeared out of nowhere. It just stood there. Menacingly.

When the Dawn Branch of the $yndicate was all rounded up, Lord Bacon composed himself and spoke to them about the mission at hand, and what the A.I. said to him. He gave them their missions and they would split up, each being given a land to rule over and represent the $yndicate.

Each of the three Aethereals said, "We will rule over the Lands of our natural Elements." That would give Daitona T. the Nautilus Serulenia, Fislo the Corona Badlands, and Mr. Soy the Terra Gris. Though this accounted for three of the Four Corners, there also was the actual Central City itself, which counted as a fifth location.

Will O' Wisp volunteered herself first with a peppered spirit, shouting, "I'll go to the Avisora Paradisia since I am always floating! The terrain is no problem for me~!" There were no actual Avisora on the team there anyway, and the ruler of the Avisora Paradisia wasn't even a bird, but ruled over the Aethereals. The Avisora species fell into the Beast Kingdom, whereas Aethereals were part of their own Kingdom.

This only left the Central City, Crysteria.

Since Lord Bacon was a Beast himself, he decided he'd man this mission with the Beast Unit. "Very good, then!" shouted Lord Bacon in triumph, "We shall now go to our places and allow for the A.I. to do as it does!" The $yndicate split up into their decided divisions, with the Beast Unit headed by Lord Bacon remaining in the Crystal City Of The Dawn. "Very well. We are now prepared for your services, miss Veritas A.I. I've done as you have suggested. What is there to be done next?"

A.I. Tina made the necessary calculations from there, her eyes streaming with all sorts of intersecting data. She raised her arms out and released strange vibrations from herself very swiftly, which resonated throughout the entirety of the Dawn, causing the Dawn Creatures to stir. They would move harmoniously, yet unnaturally -- like it was something entirely new, yet they all knew to do for some reason though they'd never actually done it in all their years of existing... Something like an absolute in their genetic code.

Where the new Bosses of the Four Corners of the Dawn would be, the natural Delta Creatures around them would begin to associate with them, and eventually come to service them. The changes would be welcomed, seemingly completely natural.

Quote :

Where the new Bosses of the Four Corners of the Dawn would be, the natural Delta Creatures around them would begin to associate with them, and eventually come to service them. The changes would be welcomed, seemingly completely natural.

Though each region had a diverse populace of Dawn Creatures, it was still relatively geared toward specific entities for each region. The Land Of Fire was geared toward the Fae; the Land Of Wind was geared toward the Aethereals; the Land Of Earth was geared toward the Beasts and Plants; the Land Of Water was geared toward the balance of all three other regions. But the Crystal City was geared toward the Mechanica.

The Dawn Creatures of the Nautilus Serulenia already served Daitona T., at least in her area of the seas, so there was no issue there.

The Dawn Creatures of the Corona Badlands already knew Fislo as the Spirit of the Eternal Desert, whose power was unparalleled among them all.

The Dawn Creatures of the Avisora Paradisia may have consisted a lot of the Beast Genus of Avisora, but behind just those flying creatures were actual Aethereals, such as those that inhabited the city of clouds above the realm of the Beasts. Only Aethereal beings could survive up there under normal circumstances, between themselves and the Beasts. There may have been exceptions, but this was the general understanding between them. The Aethereals also lived in secret up there, as no one actually knew that they were there, since they took on elemental forms and no one could tell the difference. So, Will O' Wisp bonded with the other Aethereals and the Avisora that live on the land masses in the sky directly below them would be influenced by their Spirits.

The Dawn Creatures of the Terra Gris were tricky, however, because Mr. Soy was an Earth Elemental that was also a Plant. However, he was also a Beast, as he resembled some sort of mammalian creature, though was otherwise completely agricultural; his head was shaped like something that resembled an open onion or piece of garlic, and he was light whitish-green. Therefore, he could communicate with the Beastkin and the Plantlife that were all about the Terra Gris, sharing a land. Though it was about the two of those parties recognizing that they were united in life that they each bonded and recognized each others' existence more considerably, and would continue to do so in remembrance to Mr. Soy, who shared bondage with both Genera.

Lord Bacon's question was unanswered directly, but he would soon receive communication from the other members of the $yndicate in their respective areas, stating that the Dawn Creatures had become welcoming to them in each region as the Boss of said location, and ambassadors for the $yndicate. Obviously, this was O.S. Tina's doing, and she was somehow causing the Dawn Creatures to be responsive and cooperative. "Astounding..." remarked Lord Bacon, who saw now that this was not going to take incredibly long, as he once believed. "Just goes to show what you can get done with a little bit of cooperation, and if you just ask!" He was pleased to find camaraderie in the Veritas, and now was no longer concerned about making it to the celebratory event.

Though, the job was not yet done, because the $yndicate would still have to all meet at the D.S.F. location, where the celebration was being held. "Dawn Branch," Lord Bacon called to them upon his communication device, "Since our places are established, this mission is completed on our end. The Dawn Creatures will maintain our power in each location, so we may all go to the celebration with our heads held high that the mission is accomplished. Return to Crysteria at once, and meet at the D.S.F. building."

In the meanwhile, the Crystal City Of The Dawn, Crysteria, had yet to be engaged by the Beast Unit of the Dawn Branch, and could do so whilst the other members were making their way back to the Central City. In Dawn City, as it was called colloquially, in equivalence to Dusk City, the Twin Crystal City down below, the Mechanica were the last of the beings that the $yndicate was instructed to deal with. But it was exceedingly clear to Lord Bacon that O.S. Tina's help was necessary, so he'd call upon her again.

"Miss A.I.," spoke Lord Bacon, though A.I. Tina seemed preoccupied and unresponsive, "The last part of our mission now is to get the Mechanica to join us in the same fashion as the Dawn Creatures. A majority of them are stationed here in Crysteria, but none of the Beast Unit is a Mechanica, not even a Biomechanica. What shall we do with no members that relate to the Mechanica?"

A.I. Tina suddenly snapped back to responsiveness, her eyes flickering back to normalcy. She smiled blankly and gazed directly at Lord Bacon with unblinking eyes and said, "Very Good, Lord Bacon. The Dawn Is Secure In The Four Corners By The $yndicate." Obviously, the higher being already was aware of the $yndicate's orders from their superiors, and was overseeing the project, despite how she seemed very distant from the entire ordeal. "The Mechanica Can Be Reprogrammed To Include The $yndicate As Executives In The Crystal City Of The Dawn, Under The Order Of The Ruler, Serving As The Royal Guard -- The Imperials. If The Beast Unit Is To Interact With The Mechanica And Registers With Them, Then They Will Join The Dawn Security Forces And Become Part Of The Imperials, And They Will Also Teach You About The Mechanics Of The Dawn So That The D.S.F. May Better Do Its Job."

Accomplishing that final task would lead the mission to completion, wherein which the $yndicate could pass off the jobs to the next branch located in the Dream and also attend the celebration of the Imperial General, who ruled over the Imperials. "I Will Handle The Guidance Of The Bosses Of The Four Corners And Bring Them To The D.S.F. Building For The Celebration. You Simply Complete The Task To The End. The Mechanica Will Be Assisting You From Now On, Under My Command." A.I. Tina's eyes flickered with streams of data again, and all of the Mechanica suddenly became attentive, focusing on Lord Bacon and the Beast Unit of the Dawn Branch of the $yndicate. "Fare Thee Well, $yndicate," spake the A.I. Tina, who buzzed and distorted with data, then suddenly disappeared, leaving the Beast Unit and the Mechanica to interact as the A.I. Tinas escorted the Bosses to the D.S.F. building from their respective points in the Dawn.

Soon after A.I. Tina updated the O.S. on the Mechanica, they were welcoming to the Dawn Branch of the $yndicate as enforcers in Crysteria, since they were dormant within the D.S.F. building before. They were always there, but they did not ever act, and so were not recognized. It was O.S. Tina and her A.I. Units that did most of the work in the Dawn, and the Dawn did not have as much traffic as any of the other locations of the Veritas at the Central Cities. Most of the activity of the Dawn was in the Four Corners, and the Crystal City itself at the center was left bare. More or less, only the A.I. Tinas and a few Dawn Villagers lived in the Crystal City Of The Dawn, and the Ruler very seldom came to the actual Central City where the Crystal Palace once stood. So there was no real reason to ever mobilize the Dawn Branch of the $yndicate except for now.

So, the Mechanica in all their variety in the Dawn came together where the Beast Unit was gathered, separating them into different sectors of the Crystal City Of Dawn and teaching them how to operate each sector in harmony. The only one who was left from a duty was Lord Bacon, as he was technically part of the overarching $yndicate, and not designated specifically to the Dawn, as all the others were. The Mechanica arranged themselves to escort him to the D.S.F. building after situating the Beast Unit, as if assuring him that he could rest easy that the job was going to be completed from here.

With the most minimal amount of effort and greatest amount of teamwork, the mission was accomplished smoothly and quickly, efficiently and without fault. Lord Bacon's troubles were lifted after watching all of this unfold, especially directly after a very taxing situation involving the Assault. The assistance was very comforting, and allowed him to recover.

Relieved that the Beast Unit was being welcomed by the Mechanica, he felt at ease enough to allow the remaining Mechanica to escort him to the D.S.F. building, as a sign of a job well-done between them all. "... How lovely that it has all come together with much less hassle than if I would have tried this all on my own," Lord Bacon mentioned during his escort. "What I believed to be an insurmountable pass was made simple with the collective effort of the team, and not just my command alone." It really was a remarkable place, this Veritas, that would allow him to go from a rather strict dictator to a much more flexible subordinate commander general. Peace washed over him the closer he got to the D.S.F. building, and his soul was put at rest.

On the way to the D.S.F. building, he would call out to the Dark Messenger to let it know that the Dawn Branch's mission was complete, and the next phase could begin.

The Dark Messenger appeared at the call through a Dimension Gate. "So you have completed the task?" it checked.

Lord Bacon: "Yes, quite swimmingly, actually, much to my surprise. Even I did not expect such a fluid and quick result. But you are free to contact the Dream Branch now."

Dark Messenger: "Very well. You have done well. Enjoy the celebration."

The Dark Messenger passed back into the Dimension Gate and went off to the Dream World, Mysteria. Meanwhile, Lord Bacon and the rest of the $yndicate were brought to the D.S.F. building of the Dawn, where they and the Beast Unit would reconvene for the celebration of the Imperial General.