A Weapon’s Serenade

The observation lounge of the Nemesis was packed. On one side of the table sat the captains Pierce and Harriman, admiral Douglas, professor Broysc and RICA superintendent Clementine Muller. The other side of the table was occupied by Focalor, inquisitor Famine, grand justiciar Sariel, Baal and the elder of Isha’s siren school. A padded bench had been conjured at the window, with Anne, Melody, Kuria, Serena, Isha, warrant officer Brooks and Wilhelmina Harker sharing it. Masked justiciars stood beside the door to the lounge and in every corner. Of course every demon and angel here presented themselves properly.

“Now that we are all here, let’s get you all on the same page.” Focalor looked around the table. “Due to the failure of the United States of America to provide supplies to their forces here, we offered to assist with food and soap. Captain Harriman accepted, captain Pierce did not like that and decided to attack us. There is an ancient creature in the deep sea below us and that creature destroyed captain Pierce’s submarine, the USS Corpus Christi that had been built with magical technology provided by the angels and kept itself stealthed for the past months. We rescued him and his crew and provided supplies to captain Harriman. While celebrating our cooperation, one of admiral Douglas’ cruisers opened fire on Harriman’s ship. All that is further detailed in the papers before you. I am executor Focalor, the commander of this vessel. The demon to my right is inquisitor Famine, the leader of this operation. To my left is Baal, emissary of the angels of heaven. These two will lead this negotiation.”

Admiral Douglas spoke up. “And what are we here to negotiate?”

Baal answered. “How to achieve a peaceful solution, possibly even one that satisfies the missions of all present.”

“That is entirely impossible.”

“Admiral, there are many possibilities that neither of us are aware of. We are here to find them and that is only possible together.”

“How quaint.” Pierce scoffed.

“You already profited from the knowledge we gave you and we can rekindle such a partnership. There is much to be gained.”

“I disagree, lord Baal. We have what we need and we are developing our own weapons.”

Melody leaned over to Harker. “’Lord’ Baal?”

Harker responded quietly. “The angels all presented themselves with aristocratic titles to us. Likely in an attempt to reinforce their supposed superiority.”

“I see…”

Baal simply smiled. “Captain Pierce, such weapons may exist but for today, they are not the most relevant here, wouldn’t you agree? The only vessel equipped with these weapons was the Corpus Christi, which is now destroyed. What the future holds, what potential superiority you might achieve, could be based on the time you barter for here, today. This is the perfect opportunity to simply buy time. The demons are slow, they do not develop anything very fast, that is something humans do. Every single week you buy for yourself is a week that the demons are not using but you can.”

Professor Broysc motioned for Pierce to give him a chance to respond. “We don’t care. You are here now, this is our world, and we want you to leave. That’s it.”

The elder spoke. “And you shall have this world. We once shared it with you and now we are leaving.”

“And from your own deportations, professor, you should know that people leaving a place takes time.” Superintendent Muller added.

“And I know that magic can make that instant, so why sit here for months and occupy our world?”

Baal gave a polite answer. “Would you appreciate simply being taken from your home without the opportunity to pack your things? Especially when the demons are concerned, things take time. If you want them to leave this world, the best thing would be just let them take these people away and then leave on their own. That is all they are here for.”

Broysc scoffed. “And would be in this for us? They just take away these creatures and we get nothing? This is our world, you can’t just take anything you want.”

Harker stood up. “Excuse me, but you young ones are so arrogant. This was never just our world, this will never be just our world. You sit here, faced with a power that allowed you to exist purely because of their mercy and you babble about demands and possession. Do you even have the faintest idea who these four are?”

“What does it matter? And who even are you?”

“I am Wilhelmina Harker, lead archivist and former director of the Royal Institute of Complex Affairs. And you are a nobody. A teacher of superstition, a peddler of conspiracy at a school for the philosophically blind. You sit here, facing an inquisitor, a being that can snap your entire nation, your entire continent out of existence in a single thought. You sit here, facing the killer of your pathetic God. You sit here, facing your idiot deity’s former advisor. You sit here, pointing your little toy guns at a something that is so powerful that calling it a warship is an insult to its abilities. Every single supernatural being in this very room could end humanity with a snap of their fingers. Even the human girls here could just topple your government within seconds. And you, professor Gregory Broysc, the all-mighty knower of nothing, want to make demands. You dare wanting to know how the entities beyond our imagination dare to just take what they desire? You can’t even tie your own shoelaces properly.” Harker sat back down. She was right, Broysc couldn’t tie his shoelaces properly, they were a mess just stuffed into his dress shoes.

Baal smiled. “Thank you, archivist Harker. I would have put this a little more politely but the point was brought across very nicely. Since the pleasantries are off the table now, I will be direct too. The Interim council of the united heavens has decided to allow the demons free reign over this matter and will aid them if asked. Inquisitor?”

Famine leaned forward. “We will permit the USS George Hammond with its current crew and captain to remain as observers. Captain Pierce’s crew will return to their homeland aboard the USS Thomas Whitmore, as will all other ships and crews present. We will continue the resettlement of the sirens at the pace they set. We will also remove all pieces of wreckage belonging to the Corpus Christi. Upon his return home, professor Broysc will dedicate his career to finding all remaining holdouts and possessions of the former federal bureau of control and turn everything he finds over to us. Captain Pierce will face judgement in front of a joined court of sirens, angels and demons. No human will speak of this incident until we allow it. These are our terms.”

Admiral Douglas raised an eyebrow. “And if we don’t comply?”

“Then we will execute the humans in charge until we find a successor who is willing to comply.”

Harriman sighed. “Admiral, please. You cannot throw thousands of lives away just because a few sailors were willing to accept a gift. A gift of food that our own government failed to provide. We are starving out here. Call me a traitor, but I will side with the people who feed my crew and won’t just turn around and stab us in the back. The moment you ordered the Rhode Island to fire on us was the moment you lost the trust and support of me and my crew.”

“You are out of line, captain.”

“The hell I am. You are out of line, admiral. We stand no chance against these people, they voiced their willingness to assist when we were in need and you decided to just shit on this opportunity for real understanding and peace. You want to drag us into a war we cannot win and that is not what any of us are here for. We signed up to defend our country, not to make enemies where there were none before.”

Broysc was upset. “You can’t just let this random captain sway your opinion, admiral. These people are the enemy of God, the enemy of everything that is good and holy. Our enemy.”

“Fuck me, will you just shut up.” Warrant officer Brooks got up. “Captain, you asked me to voice my opinion freely, I will now do so.”

Harriman looked at her with pride. “You have my support, whatever you want to say, Brooks.”

“Thank you, sir. I know this will get me court-martialled, but I cannot just sit here and listen to any of you idiots jeopardising the lives of every single person down there.”

“I will end your career for this insolence!” Douglas shot up.

“You will end our lives with your stupidity! Don’t listen to this religious fuckwit, he would see us all dead just to spite these demons. I will not give my life for something so monumentally misguided.”

Broysc put his hand on the admiral’s shoulder to make him sit back down and responded in his stead. “You, like any of us humans here, are children of God. Why would you side with those who would deny you his love and light?”

“Because they provided me fucking food. Your whatever-god didn’t do that. Even our very own people didn’t do that. The people we swore to serve. Fuck them and fuck you for suggesting we all die in some holy war.”

“Then you are a traitor, simple as that.”

“That’s not for you to decide.”

“Admiral?”

Douglas nodded. “Siding with the enemy makes you a traitor, warrant officer, the professor is right. We do not have the supplies to feed a prisoner. Make your choice wisely.”

Warrant officer Christina Brooks straightened herself and turned to look at Famine. “I do not know if you even have it as a concept or anything, but I hope you understand what I mean when I say that I officially request sanctuary aboard this vessel.”

Sariel wanted to answer but Douglas cut her off. “You can’t!”

The fallen angel cleared her throat. “I was speaking, admiral. We will grant you sanctuary, Christina Brooks. This is unconditional, but I must ask if you would provide us with information about your navy. You may refuse to answer my questions. It will have no bearing on the protection you receive but I would not be doing my job if I didn’t ask.”

Brooks raised her eyebrows. “Really?” She didn’t expect this the demons to just accept her.

“Yes. You may remain on this vessel until you have decided what you wish to happen after this entire ordeal is over. I will personally vouch for your safety.”

“But I will not.” Broysc slowly stood up and pulled out a gun. How he managed to hide it in his crumbled suit jacket was anyone’s guess.

“I will.” A new voice spoke from behind the professor, a pale figure in a long black robe. Ara. “Give me the weapon.”

“And who the hell do you think you are?”

“I am the end of all things. Hand me your weapon.”

“Fuck you.” He pointed the gun at Ara and pulled the trigger. The bullet just bounced of her chest and fell to floor. The ear-piercing shot was followed by deafening silence.