Sunday, March 24, 2013

The Rise and Fall of the Apogee Four - a C9/HNN Report

Breaking News;

Today, the verdict was out.

Guilty.

Four months after the devastation of the atrocious Apogee terrorist attacks, the four perpetrators of this tremendous crime were sentenced. Although many thousands had spoken out asking for the death penalty, including a number of high-profile entertainers, business-men, and politicians, the courts had decided otherwise. Opting out of the usual process by jury, the crimes the Apogee Four were accused of were so vast, so unfathomable, that the only fair jury that could be considered was a conclave of Exohumans, the progenitors of Drex. This has been the first conclave assembled in over 500 years, according to the few remaining records of that time, and their authority superseded that of any CORE or political entity, aside from the Isolus. Their deliberation took only 30 minutes.

Guilty.

Life imprisonment within the facility of Dante-01, the high-profile high-security prison at the farthest outreaches of the system. As the guilty were carried off by a team of Ghosts, we now look to the results of this most heinous crime, and how the people of Drex have managed to pull themselves back onto their feet.

No one doubts that Apaex, once the largest Private Military Corporation in Drex, were struck the hardest. Apogee, their headquarters within the Human Ward of the Cradle, was devastated, as was the skyline of Prima Drex, the so-called Silver City, and once the largest city in all of Drex. Moving their HQ to a secret location, TOWER provided a massive donation to Apaex, supporting them in the relief effort. The only surviving member of the board, Jacob Edwards, took the reins of the PMC and forged forward in a new direction. Re-outfitted and stronger than ever, the new Apaex are an unceasing force, constantly adapting and developing their unique position within Cradle society.

Jacob forged ahead with a new policy; zero tolerance. Reported crime in TOWER-controlled cities, patrolled by Apaex, has dropped almost 80% in these four months. Their weapon development budgets have tripled, and their warships can now be seen from any portion of the Cradle, eclipsing even the Aetherin vessels, to ensure this tragedy never happens again.

Jacob himself has become an overnight hero. From an Exohuman board member hiding in the shadows of a large corporation, he has risen exponentially to become the driving force behind Apaex, and a political figure the likes of which have never been seen. His rumoured invite to the CORE, and possibly to the Isolus himself, Drex’s highest political body, is said to be formally announced - and accepted - over the coming days.

Meanwhile, the vessel which carried out this attack, the Scales of Judgement, has been impounded by TOWER scientists, who pour over it day and night to attempt to unlock the secrets of this mysterious Hypertech vessel, and understand how it got into the hands of the terrorists. So far, progress is slow; only one individual has been known to be able to access its controls, and that is Ran-Samot, the head of the terrorist group, who remains uncooperative despite numerous attempts to bargain for information. Still, the terrorist leader shows no remorse.

Already the Prima Drex skyline grows. Relief organisations from a dozen races and hundreds of corporations based around Drex have funded this phenomenal growth. The largest construction rises above the skyline and the ruins like a symbol against the tyranny of Humanities oppressors; Zenith, the new Apaex HQ, expected to be completed in only 6 months time, twice the size of the Apogee tower, and 100 times more secure. It is truly a glorious time for the Silver City.

But it is not all good news. The Jackal Plague spreads daily amongst the darkest reaches of Drex. Transforming the deceased into abominations equal to that of an erratic, the Jackal Plague was said to have been constructed by LORE, the Construct servant of Ran-Samot, and distributed by the terrorist named Boris, a Human tricked into following these terrorists, both of whom were captured by brave Apaex soldiers. A sample found in Ran-Samots possessions was confirmed as an early-prototype of the virus, but a cure for the mutated virus is still a long way from home.

Recent news has also seen the burial of a war-hero, the Commander who stood against his former soldiers as he was betrayed and stabbed in the back. Joseph Barton, posthumously promoted to Admiral, was betrayed by the soldiers who he trusted the most, shot down in cold blood by the terrorist Dryad, Marjec, as he attempted to assist his men as they fled from the perilous danger of a Jackal Plague outbreak. This backstab was seen as the catalyst of the terrorist attack, the beginning of the Apogee event. His death saved the life of over three dozen Apaex soldiers, and Admiral Barton was today praised with a plaque at the building site of the new Zenith tower. His burial site is unknown, and kept private for the sake of his family: his wife and two young children.

Meanwhile, while on show at the Museum of Hypertechnology on the Cradle, an ancient hypertech eye known as the Eye of Judgement was recently stolen in a daring midnight raid by unknown fugitives. The eye, found discarded in the command centre of the Scales of Judgement, is a hypertech artifact appearing to be over 350 years old. Although scientists were eager to study the item, it was decided to allow the public to view this rare artifact, one that many consider involved in the terrorist attacks, before study would begin later this year. Apaex security are investigating this theft, but there are currently no leads.

Outside of the Cradle, Human tensions have been tight. Sensing a power vacuum, Deimos, Grand Emperor of the Imperial Order, has been pushing hard for greater Human security across the Cradle, and has spoken out time and again against the Aetherin, whose insistence on attacking Apaex vessels only contributed to the destruction. The Aetherin defence fleet struck out against Apaex warships, and then deployed teams within the Scales of Judgement to apprehend the terrorists. After being mercilessly slaughtered by the vile terrorists, brave Apaex soldiers boarded the ship and took down the terrorists in only 15 minutes. Aetherin spokespeople have remained quiet, but Peabodysan, current Archangel and Protector of Aethersun, has announced a full investigation into the events of the day.

Many multi-race cities are experiencing increased trouble due to racial difficulties. Human groups have began rising against oppressive anti-Human regimes, finally standing up to the tyranny they have experienced for years. These terrorist activities have engaged a fire within Human hearts that will not be easily quenched.

Regardless, life continues in Drex. The spirit of our noble enclaves stands unshakeable, only united against the aggression of these hated enemies.

This was a report for Channel 9, the Human News Network, a subsidiary of TOWER.