Cyber Chronicles 2: Prime Voyage

Chapter 40: Crystal

A heavy silence settled among the group, each mind racing with a barrage of questions. It had already been several minutes since Gustav laid such a startling revelation on them and Crystal couldn't help but find herself grappling with a torrent of questions.

How did Gustav turn into a Moderator? What did being a Moderator even mean at this point? Were all Moderators initially beings like humans and alvans? None of it added up, leaving her adrift in a sea of perplexity. With every new question, a multitude of mysteries emerged.

Crystal noticed the furrow on Ray's brow, a reflection of the unease that had stayed with him since the library encounter. No one was as shaken as him but it was clear that everyone was on edge.

No one knew anything about Gustav, not even Crystal.

Doubt lingered in the air, and she couldn't shake the nagging suspicion that he might be an enemy. Perhaps not just during Lincoln's era but even in the present. Her only other interaction with him had been through Lincoln, and that had ended poorly when she was expelled from his consciousness.

The need for answers gnawed at her, but the daunting task of where and how to begin left her paralyzed. She longed for someone, anyone, to break the silence. Each passing minute heightened her reluctance to confront the enigmatic blind man.

In an unexpected turn of events, Hayden, of all people, shattered the silence.

"How does a failed experiment lead to this?" Hayden's words carried a blend of trouble and skepticism, breaking the tension like a thunderclap.

Gustav, undeterred by Hayden's skepticism, responded calmly, "A failed experiment? To those overseeing the experiments, I might have appeared as a failure. But to me, it set me on a path I never anticipated."

Ray, his brow perpetually furrowed, interjected, "And how on earth does that path lead to becoming a Moderator?"

The atmosphere crackled with tension again, an anticipatory stillness as Gustav considered Ray's question.

The sound of Hydes grunting could be heard from the library below as Gustav sighed, his sightless eyes fixed on the distant horizon. "Then let's pick up the tale from where we left off," Gustav began, as though the very landscape held the key to the memories he sought.

"Many centuries ago, the Tyrants approached the founders of the German organization, promising supernatural powers," he started, words hanging in the air like a secret passed through the ages. "They pledged to enhance the soldiers, turning them into a war superpower."

Gustav's eyes traced invisible lines as if sketching the passage of centuries before him.

"After that encounter, driven by a thirst for power, the founders sought the meteor pieces for many centuries, unaware of the Tyrant's ulterior motives, which you must find on your own." he continued, his voice carrying the weight of eons.

A burst of purple erupted from below the cliff as the Hydes battled among themselves. A sense of revulsion washed over Crystal, nothing made her skin crawl more than the existence of those mindless creatures.

"While searching for the meteor pieces, their influence grew." Gustav continued, unfazed by the nearby action, "At first, they established a secret underground group, operating outside any jurisdiction. Gradually, this group sold itself to Germany, developing into the powerful organization it is today. Requiring test subjects, they resorted to criminals, willingly provided by the German government, sharing the groups' vision. A vision exploited by the Tyrants," Gustav concluded.

The mention of Tyrants once again sparked a thought Crystal had been pondering. She recalled Aytrex's concern that the Tyrants had discovered Earth due to Lincoln's duel with Crescent, but in reality, the Tyrants had been aware long before Lincoln even gained his ability. Somehow, they knew of ModCytron being sent to Earth, despite the Council's vow to secrecy. So, what exactly was happening in Lincoln's timeline? Someone must have spoken, but who? If centuries had passed on Earth, it would have been millennia on Alvanian; did the Tyrants know for that long?