Read Mesopotamia - The Redeemer for Free Online

pocket,
turned on his heel and left Shadow splayed on the floor.
     
    In a small warehouse for spare
parts, in a remote corner of the compound free of cameras or
microphones, Flash waited anxiously. Abyss and Spark, two senior
commanders, had already arrived at the meeting, each one
separately. They waited in silence for a long while until five
additional commanders crept inside one by one after having secretly
slipped away from their positions. The air in the warehouse was
dense and warm. They ignored their unavoidable sweat. They felt
nothing but sacred awe at the occasion. Each one of them secretly
believed that he was the most prominent liege of the Master of
Light. Each one of them prided himself in belonging to the secret
order: after all, they were the chosen ones who swore to preserve
the purity of the Gnosis. Some of the men sat on supply crates,
some sat on the floor while others stood on their feet.
    They were joined by Thunder,
entering at a brisk pace. Chief of the father ship's operational
headquarters, Thunder was a lean man of high stature with severe
facial features and eyes that continuously scanned his surroundings
like cameras. They were surprised at his presence, since they knew
that Thunder was Truth's confidant. Thunder worked side by side
with Truth for years. He was meticulous, inflexible, strict about
anything discipline-related and always enforced the rules; his
subordinates feared him. No one wanted to cross paths with the
draconian senior officer.
    Flash addressed them. “Dear
comrades. We have the privilege of belonging to the most secretive
and important order in the Gnostic community.” He paused for a
moment and then announced in an authoritative voice, “The
Brotherhood of Purity.”
    They nodded their heads in
self-importance.
    “Unfortunately, we do not know who
we can trust, but fortunately, the number of Gnostics who
understand the danger is steadily increasing. Many Gnostics,
including those who rank in senior positions in the chain of
command, understand the importance of the Brotherhood and the
dangers that lurk before us. We extend our welcome to one of
Truth's most senior officers, Thunder, who has fought bravely,
whose forces have conquered large portions of Earth and who enjoys
the privilege of every Gnostic's trust. Thunder, it is a great
honor that you have joined us in our crusade for purity.” Flash
bowed his head to Thunder.
    “Thanks you, Flash. I am only
fulfilling my duty to the Master of Light,” replied Thunder.
    “It pains me to inform you that the
Gnosis is not as pure as it ought to be,” continued Flash.
    His speech was interrupted by
whispers and murmurs.
    “We are all aware that, following
the betrayal of 'the Condemned One, whose Name has been Erased', he
who caused the great explosion in the compound decades ago, the
Brotherhood of Purity was founded in Istanbul and has spread to
Uruk as well. The Brotherhood dealt with internal security affairs
and loyalty checks of Gnostic members. Fortunately, the Brotherhood
has successfully dealt with these matters so far, but never have we
tackled a challenge like the one we face now. It turns out that not
only do we no longer have the Sacred Uruk Tablet that will choose
the redeemer for us and so we pray to an empty frame, we also lack
a leader.” He paused to allow a moment for the murmurs to subside
and then continued. “I can only confide in you; I shall share the
information I possess only with you.”
    “What are you implying?” The
murmurs rose again.
    “I will explain everything; be
patient. If you may recall, Smoke managed to escape unscathed and
became Truth's senior deputy.”
    “Yes, yes,” they nodded.
    “Elusive as a demon, like a ghost,”
said Thunder. Flash could not suppress an involuntary twitch in his
face.
    “After the battle, I examined the
battle computer myself, the one that tracks all the devices and
processes of each aircraft that participated in the exercise. I
found anomalies.”