Chapter 3: Part 1: Plotbound

January 6, 2598 | 1:15 a.m. Saturday morning

We haven't been here long. I would say about an hour, give or take. There was a slight wait for the owner, which I contributed to the time of arrival. Most stores are in fact closed around this time of the morning. Even though the door was locked I managed to fix that little issue with some knowledge that isn't my ability. I don't want to take unnecessary chances of being exposed if it can be helped. I am not saying I am proud of it, however, I will say that we did wake up Allard Denholm.

At first Mr. Denholm was contentious, mostly due to the rude awakening. According to Mors, he managed to convince Mr. Denholm to have a conversation with me, even after waking him up from a preferable dream he was having. The moment I was greeted with the lovely owner, I promptly handed him the letter given to me by Mr. Blackwell.

I have no idea what Orion Blackwell had written, however, the look on Mr. Denholm's face changed drastically after he read it. There were no questions, no interrogation tactics, just blind trust. Whatever was said in that letter must have been some powerful words. He quickly tucked the letter away. Not that I am complaining. It is must appreciated for whatever was said. I will admit that I had to inquire about the letter. I was met with the infamous "that is not your business" statement. Granted it does not truly matter what was said, I was simply curious.

Anyways, that is no longer an issue. Back to the point of why I am writing this entry in particular. Once Mr. Denholm read the letter, he agreed to allow me into the backroom. There were a couple of rules that I had to agree to before he would allow me to use anything.

One, do not take any books from the room. Everything must remain in the back room as it was when I walked in.

Two, do not take pictures, recordings, or put any materials on a flash drive. According to Mr. Denholm it is perfectly alright to record a few things in my journal.

Three, be respectful of property and of secrecy. Only trusted personnel may know about the backroom.

All are rather acceptable rules to follow, which I have no qualms in following. Would not be the first time I had been in such a strict environment. Though I would not call this strict. I would state that this is cautious over all else. The goal of coming here is simple. I wish to find out exactly what transpired over the years. How did this become a reality? Who is Andromeda Morganite? What is her end goal? What is it that Mors apparently had taken? What changed? Who rose up to fight? Where is the resistance presently? Hopefully I can have some of those answered today. One step closer to figuring out a solution.

After settling in, Omnia made sure she documented some of the questions she wanted to find answers to. In a way it was a game plan for her research. Anything else that came up would be happy little side affects for Omnia to discover. Allard Denholm escorted her back to the room, unlocked it, then allowed her in. Unfortunately for her companion he stopped Mors from entering the room as well.

"One person only. If you do not mind, young man." Allard held a kind, gentle tone with a slow cadence. Omnia could tell the goal was for him to be respect yet direct.

Mors, of course, let out a disappointed sigh as he sat down where Omnia had been sitting. "Fine. If you insist on just her going in the back alone. Why can't I go with her? Got secrets?"

Interrupting the conversation before Allard Denholm could chime in Omnia spoke up with her sweet yet commanding melancholy voice. "That is enough. Of course he has something to hide. That is why Mr. Blackwell gave me the letter. You were not a factor in this unfortunately. Take this time to relax. It will be a while." As she observed Mors' body language, his facial features. She could tell that he was worried, truly worried about her well being. Or at least that is how it appeared. "Mors, I will be right behind the door. I promise if I need you, I will call." With that she disappeared behind the door, leaving Mors with Mr. Denholm.

Sitting down at the computer she fired it up with a simple push of a button. The monitor lit up with a harsh blue light all the while Omnia browsed around to see what all was in the room. She was not going to leave a single stone unturned. Especially if she was going to get to the bottom of the matter at hand. I have to find out. I have to know what exactly happened. Maybe I can fix it. With or without using it. Nen wouldn't even stand for this. Her thoughts thundered through her as she picked up a box of what appeared to be newspaper.

The room seemed like some of the old rooms she had been in before. Dingy lighting, no windows, bookshelves all over the place, papers thrown about, and the singular computer off in the corner. It wasn't surprising that the room was dimly lit or that it was not organized to well. She hadn't expected anything let than that.

"Interesting," she muttered under her breath. Part of her had figured that technology would be more advanced that what she was seeing. Each newspaper seemed archaic compared to the computer that was officially ready for her. Omnia carted over the first box of newspapers as she sat back down at the computer. "Alright. Let's get to this." Opening up her journal she began to go through every little thing she could find.

January 6, 2598 | 1:33 a.m. Saturday morning

Didn't realize the paper aspect of this research would be more archaic for the timeframe. However, after opening up one of the documents I understand why the newspapers are so outdated. What would you resort to if your president constantly harassed the media stating that they only give a false narrative?

In the year 2582 the now President (if you can call her that) Morganite came into power. From what I was able to pull from what I am finding, she was cunning with her charisma. Her rather shameless bravado seemed to sway the masses to pull in their adoration. She made promises with no desire in fulfilling those she had made.

A wise devil knows exactly what kind of honey to use in order to capture the prey they wish to control.

When one likes the honey that comes from the predator, you tend to willingly give every ounce of freedom with those honey words. Words hold power. That is why the freedom of speech is usually the first to go. Cut of the ability to criticize to make sure the populous only hears what those who hold power desire. Devil is in the details as it has been for centuries.

What some seem to forget is history and how it seems to repeat when you truly do not wish it to. I digress.

Her background, from what I can find, claims that she was some sort of diplomate. One that knew how to control the narrative. From what I can extract from that, she at least knew how to talk a good game. In sort, she knows how to use words to manipulate what she needs to. Using a form of Verity without the actual ability. That is the most honest thing that I am finding out about her.

Her pen waivered for a moment as she felt eyes on the back of her skull, every hair on her neck standing on end. "Mors?" The only hope she had was that it was in fact Mors standing there. Watching her write as it was a nasty habit of his.

"Talking a good game? What does that mean? Is she a liar?" A heavy sigh of relief left her lips as Mors came into view as he spoke to her. "Why do you look like you were about to be murdered? Can you even be killed?"

The smallest giggle could be heard from her as she shook her head. "I can, Mors. I felt you watching me which caused me to worry. I was hoping it was you. As far as if I can or cannot be killed. That's a loaded question. In short, yes. I can be killed. It is very difficult for my specific strain of vampirism." Before Mors could respond she waves her hand in a dismissive manner as she refocuses her attention the the computer. "You will have to tell me how you entered here without Mr. Denholm noticing. I know he locked it. However, you need to let me do this for the time being. Keep a low profile."

January 6, 2598 | 1:48 a.m. Saturday morning

It took no time for him to find a way in here. Now to get refocused with the task at hand.

Silver tongued devil is the classic term for someone like Andromeda Morganite. She was not a diplomate, nor was a she a politician. In fact, according to this group of journalists, Andromeda was nothing more than a power hungry leader of a corporation. To put it more elegantly, she was more into the business side of things instead of the human aspect. She desired wealth, power, with unchecked control. That isn't someone who you want in charge.

Continuing on.

After she took office, she catered to those with the same ideals as she had. Whether or not she truly believed in what she spewed is another story. It began with villainizing an entire group of people that didn't fit the status quo, as well as attacking freedom of speech. That sounds oddly familiar. I believe that was in German around 1940. Yet here we are again.

Why can't humans ever figure out that being different is perfectly natural? Just because you do not understand someone or something does not mean that it is of the devil. It's the one thing humans excel at. Destroy that in which you do not understand. Don't educate yourself. Don't attempt to have a conversation. Just destroy. That is how humans treated Nen and I when they met us.

Bigotry at its finest. However, I see where this is going for Andromeda Morganite. The only difference is that there were millions of people who saw the patterns. They saw the signs. This led them to fight back. That alone brings a smile on my face. Sadly it was only the beginning on both sides.

Morganite preyed on those who were struggling, needing assistance, not to mention those that I stated before were deemed different. These were the people that were deemed to be an abomination from the teachings of a cult. The fact is that no one has the moral obligation to dictate what someone does with their life. Some rather throw the entire person away, rather than allowing them to be happy. There is enough room for everyone to coexist. Just because they don't align with your way of thinking doesn't mean that they do not have the right to exist.

That is the despicable thing about it all. The desire to force everyone to think and act in the same manner to "save them." You don't save anyone from anything if you make them feel less than human. You are only doing harm.

If I am being absolutely honest. I do not believe any specific faith or spirituality is wrong until you are forcing others into that way of thinking. There should be no convert or die mentality. That only does more harm than good. If you push and push, that will cause that person to do a few different things. They distance themselves from you, covert out of fear, or they decide to greet the afterlife sooner than they should.

I want to say to you, Reader, that if you are thinking that you have to perish because you refuse to be anyone but yourself. Don't. They are scared. They are weary. You, Reader, are strong. You are a warrior that needs to fight on. I hope if you are reading this that there is peace right now, but if there isn't. Do. Not. Give. Up. It's what Morganite wants. You to give up. Don't give anyone like her that satisfaction.

Anyway, I have digressed a bit from the facts here. Where was I? Right. How did this all begin. We were slightly past that. In her early years of power she managed to quickly strip what little there were for those who were. No healthcare. No tax breaks unless you already had wealth. If you were not loyal, you didn't have the right to live. At least according to her.

We covered the cult ideology slightly, but that isn't what I am completely curious about. I wan to find out more about those who fought.

What happened to them? Did they give up? Were they all killed? Or did they simply went into hiding to plan better? From what I know about this world through personal observation, they are hiding in plain sight. It's clear what Andromeda Morganite wanted. Wanting to take more than anyone else had just so she could stand on top of the world. She is that kind of person. The king that Nen would hid Verity from because it would be abused to for only their benefit.

Setting down her pen for a moment, Omnia pinched the bridge of her nose with aggravation. As she looked through the documents, files, as well as articles, it was obvious that no one wanted any of it after they understood what it all meant. Of course there were those who enjoyed the suffering of others. Her patience for such people was nonexistent. Part of her did not want to continue in digging further, yet she pressed forward. If she didn't do this, then who would?

On the computer she searched for anything that spoke about protests, attacks on the president, as well as anything that was more of the aggressive demonstration. Within a few minutes she was able to pull up over 50 articles documenting civil unrest for the past 16 years. Of course she went back to the beginning, or at least as far back as she was able to find. What she needed was to look at the beginning, which she specifically was looking at the first 5 years. That was the difficult part to find. There was not much in the line of organization of the information that had been gathered on the computer. It did seem to match the unorganized aesthetic of the room. Frustrating as it was, she was managing.

January 6, 2598 | 10:08 a.m. Saturday morning

There were protests. They did make their voices heard. She was louder, not to mention more aggressive. Surrounding yourself with people you trust is always key. Wouldn't matter who you are. You are not going to surround yourself with those you despise, or that despise you. If you cannot trust those around you, then you will most likely find your empire crumble before it even began.

In the protesting and civil unrest there were four names that keep showing up.

Noe, Sorina, Lorcan, and Valo. Those four rose high in the movement to end the reign of terror. At first they were in different parts of the nation. Spread out near and far as they organized many demonstrations in hope to end the insanity they were seeing. Each one had a different style, which showed different stages of anger and grief for the country.

Let's start of with Noe. From the first few articles that document Noe, they all show that she would hold peaceful protests. Yet the moment the protestors began to be attacked, she was the first to defend against the aggressors. Her passion was felt by thousands. Many flocked to her because she was fierce. She shouted on rooftops to make sure everyone could be heard. There was no doubt that she was a leader because of the passion she held for holding those harming others accountable.

Cross referencing, I was able to find out that she was a single mother of four. Her spouse was a marine that did not want to fight for a government that didn't withhold the values of protecting all citizens. After it was made known of the dissatisfaction Noe was notified that they were missing in action. That doesn't sit well with me, nor did it sit well with Noe. Of course she tried to play nice for a while with this new leadership. Then the attacks on her family grew. She began to have issues with Child Protective Services. The claims were that she was not fit for being a parent anymore.

There is something I believe to be absolutely timeless, universal, and a giant line to be crossed. Never go after the children. That is something you do not do. When you go after a good mother/father's children, you are declaring war on that family. Without anything else to lose, Noe focused everything on protesting, fighting back, and making sure no one went through what she had been going through.

One article showed a picture of Noe. Indeed she does look fierce. I wish I could print off the image to put in here. However, I will describe this amazing woman. She seems to be about my height; 5 feet 4 inches tall. Her hair is pulled back into a tight blonde ponytail. At least it appears to be blonde, could be a light brown. Staring at me from the picture are a pair of beautiful emerald green eyes paired with pouty lips. She looks so very thin, which would make sense considering she had everything taken from her. If she is still alive, it would be completely out of spite. I certainly hope she is still around.

Noe wasn't the first to rise up though. No, that is the surprising article. There were two articles that stood out. In an article titled "The Resistance is Angelic" makes you question a lot of things. I must congratulate the journalist on the title. In that particular article it described a lovely couple. An angelic sweet woman named Sorina and her husband, Valo.

For a moment she paused. Omnia stared at the image of Sorina, who was sitting directly in front of her husband, Valo. There was something about those two that felt strangely familiar. Having only glanced through the article, she knew that she needed to dig more into their lives. Why are they so familiar? She couldn't shake the feeling from her very core. Tapping the back of top of the pen against the desk she stared more at the screen, letting the image sear itself into her mind.

In a melodic tone, Omnia uttered out a simplistic question that seemed to hold a tremendous weight. "Who are you, Sorina?"