Justin Kemppainen - The Legend of Ivan

He remained.

“There,” I said as the former Vice President dropped out of sight. The carpet of his massive office was stained with blood, and bits of broken glass lay near the yawning hole in the window. “I have Cain locked away in the memory of his death.”

Ivan’s eyes were wide. He stood near the doorway, watching the carnage unfold. “Sid… you are truly a marvel, my friend. I can hardly believe it is you in that brute…” He pointed to the window. “Even so, did you need to kill that man?”

I shot my gaze back to him, gritting my teeth. “Cain’s disposition is brash, aggressive. It’s hard to hold his instincts in check, and my own personality is still struggling to take hold.”

“I still cannot fathom you being alive. He showed me your severed head when he took me prisoner.” Ivan appeared tense, ready for a fight. It was understandable; I was wearing Cain’s body, my body now. Even without retaining the cruelty of his nature, Cain’s/my appearance was more than unfriendly.

Dana’s laughing voice swirled in my thoughts. The weaker and less refined will of Cain was suppressed within his memories, and I’d eventually try to peel him apart bit by bit until as little remained as possible. Still, I was in his mind with all of his memories. I’d been chipping away during the weeks, establishing footholds but never pushing outright as Dana did.

“I succeeded where she failed,” I said, speaking to no one.

“Who?”

I looked at Ivan. Cain’s enhanced ocular scanning revealed the marvel of his structure to me. Fortunately, the rudimentary repairs of Cain’s limb and eye had been completed before I made my move.

Ivan was amazing. Every muscle, bone, sinew, joint: reinforced and tightened to a spring coil. Potential energy practically burst from his flesh. Yet he stood, innocuous and worried as alarms continued to blare. It was little wonder that Keritas had wanted him back. They sought to rediscover the methods and process of his impressive augmentation.

“No one,” I answered his question, flexing my own limbs, feeling the power I held in my new body. “You need to get out, or they might capture you again.” I closed my eyes, trying to sift through a flurry of images. “I can’t quite see from his memories; is your ship… is Olga here?”

Ivan nodded. “You… he brought a large vessel and had me dock her on board when he took me captive. I believe they brought it over to their hangar.”

“Get over there right away.”

The large man, still dwarfing my increased bulk, grasped my shoulder. “You must come with me.”

I flashed a grin, hoping it was less sinister than Cain usually provided. “I’ll catch up, but first I have to destroy their records and anything else on you and their project. If they still have data on your augmentations, they’ll keep coming for you. I don’t wish for that to happen any more than you do.”

Ivan seemed hesitant, frowning.

“You’ve led quite a life, Ivan.” I set a hand upon his shoulder. “It would be a shame for it to come to an end.”

He sighed, his usual tinge of sorrow and regret coming forward. “Quite a life… heh. I suppose. I will continue on, for Olga if nothing else.” He disappeared out the door.

I spared a moment considering Ivan and his amazing life, noting the emotional turmoil of recent days settling into the background but still present. Perhaps Grey, Marqyni, Dana, and whoever else was right. Perhaps there was still humanity inside me, even now in spite of being more machine than before.

I decided I would try to learn to accept emotion and sympathy, to become something more than just an elaborate recording device. With time, I was confident I could solve this mystery and let the greater understanding of self enhance my abilities. The vestige of Dana seemed to approve.

Strength and control flowed through me. Every moment, every breath provided focus and power to my new body. Still Dana’s ghost haunted me, and Cain would remain a prisoner of his and our mind. Perhaps in time, even he would begin to haunt me as she did, as all of the Archivists he and I killed did in their own small way.

Everything felt different. Be it the mingling of many souls into one body, my death and rebirth, or simply the long journey to find Ivan…

My life changed.

What I wished to do next, besides an immediate rampage through the interior of Keritas Interests, was yet up in the air. Back to work with Daedra-Tech? Perhaps. Travel to live on Vapaus Colony? Perhaps but unlikely.

A galaxy of information lay ahead of me. Though I had cracked one of its greatest mysteries, the legend of Ivan, so much more was yet to be found.

I departed the office of the deceased Vice President, my journey beginning anew.

Assignment: Nothing specific.

Location: Wherever I wish.

Report: Unit reactivated, discontinuing service with Daedra-Tech. Good luck with your future endeavors.

Voux Hanatar sat in his isolated cell. Many of his years were spent in difficult conditions; the warden and guards did not take kindly to his numerous assaults on the prison. After a while, upon realizing he was an old man lacking the fangs and resources of his youth, a few concessions were granted.

He was given a datapad and access to a few information sources, something to occupy his time during the endless hours of his incarceration. Part of it was so the warden could let him read all about how defunct he and his empire had become.

As Hanatar scanned though entries and reports, he happened upon a news story: a featured piece from a major outlet. The title by itself caused a grin to break out on his face as he read:

The terror of our galaxy has reared his ugly head once again as new light is shed upon the incident at the Keritas Headquarters last week. It appears the man behind the destruction of Atropos Garden, the man called Ivan, has returned.

Ethran citizens were shocked by explosions at the towering structure as an unidentified assailant rampaged through the building. Several people, including Keritas Vice President Saul Zimmer, were killed with dozens more injured. The assailant, unseen by survivors or security footage, tore through the complex, destroying computer systems and assaulting workers before escaping in his vessel.

“There was smoke, and some fires. The power went out, and everyone was screaming,” said former employee Bernard Tapp. “Nobody knew what was happening.”

Though the investigation has been ongoing, recent evidence has been brought to light linking the assault on Keritas Headquarters with the incident at Atropos Garden fourteen years ago. Images from the GCG Cassander, first respondent to the Garden incident, clearly show a fleeing vessel. This very same ship was recorded leaving the scene at Keritas Headquarters last week.

Hanatar thumbed through the images, and his heart froze. “I’ll be damned,” he whispered. The former crime lord recognized the ship as the very one which crushed his last hope of escape so long ago. It was the very same ship his trusted former employee used to bring Barian Dreger into his final moments. Even the name on the side, Olga, was the same: it was Ivan’s vessel. Hanatar chuckled. “That son of a bitch.” He continued reading, and as he finished, he threw his head back and laughed.

In response to this new assault, the GSA has put out a bulletin asking all galactic citizens to be on the lookout for this ship, piloted by the man they refer to as Ivan. No concrete descriptions of the man exist as of yet, but authorities are working with Keritas employees to form some idea of their attacker’s appearance.