Their dinner was ready and served. Thenchi got up from the living room to grab his boxed meal off that kitchen, and Jess followed him with her plate in hand. They both sat down on their sofa facing their television, and in a matter of a few minutes the screen changed scenery.
Thenchi: *with a mouthful of poultry lasagna* Hmmm! Is this it?!
Jess: Where is that? There's Holy Empire banners all over.
Thenchi: Should I be taking notes? I think I should... Nah, I'll remember it.
[VIA TELEVISION] Lady on Screen: Greetings and salutations to all present, and welcome to the Garden of the Holy Army! It's amazing to see so many of you present here and now. My name is Olivia Gehstal, from Rayleonardt Technology Industries...
Thenchi: Hmmm! Ray-Tech! That's one of the companies that built the space colonies!
Jess: Ohh, I've heard of them. Their emblem is everywhere in the academy.
[VIA TELEVISION] Olivia: ...and rest assured that the days of the war are now counted. However! We have somebody to give you all the details on this bold statement. Someone who has selflessly carried the burden of changing the landscape of this world, one day at a time. Someone who I've had the honor and privilege of working with. A visionary and a pioneer in Manatech! Please welcome the Grand Chairman of Rayleonardt Technology, Mars Rayleonardt!
The gathered crowd clap their hands with high spirits, a thundering enthusiasm alike to a celebrity. Mars Rayleonardt was hailed as one, but he was just a businessman. Wearing a decorated gray suit covered in darkened metal plates, Mars walked from a seat in the back of the main stage making his way to the podium. After shortly embracing Olivia, she takes a step back and paving the way for Mars to speak.
[VIA TELEVISION] Mars: Thank you Olivia for that.... ahh, I'm just... I'm without words. Ain't she the sweetest! Give it up for Miss Gehstal and that astounding introduction!
Thenchi: Mars Rayleonardt, Grand Chairman? Does that mean he's the big man of the company?
Jess: I believe so, his name is the same as the company's after all.
Thenchi Good point.
[VIA TELEVISION] Mars: And thank you to every single one of you for being here. I come here before you, to re-affirm what Olivia said earlier; the days of this war are now counted, and soon it will be over. Manatech, decades ago, became a central part of our lives. Clean energy, infinite energy, and powerful energy, the Manatech took the world by storm, and the Holy Thermydorian Empire has done the utmost best to care for its loving citizens thru careful use of Manatech. Victoria has become a paradise with this collective effort. Sadly, not everybody is on the same page. It is why we're at war with the Osyris Rebellion... Ladies and gentlemen, I might sound like a parrot, but these days of war are over! The Rebellion will dread the days it declared war on our livelihood, playing the role of a hypocrite for using this same Manatech for themselves, for their war efforts! Alas, they will now bend the knee... They will put down their weapons, and they will dismantle their Rebellion... for as we have something up in our sleeves. Under a project directed by us at Ray-Tech, scientists and researchers from our sister companies Wingdium Systems and Taurus Security, we have designed the ultimate answer. The ultimate deterrent, Manatech in its perfection.
Mars turns around behind him, and a giant projecting screen illuminates the scene, showing a holographic image of what it looks to be a humanoid machine of great height. Upon appearing, the crowd gasps in awe and surprise. Some whisper to one another, while others simply cannot get their eyes off the hologram.
Thenchi: What in the world is that..?
[VIA TELEVISION] Mars: Ray-Tech's latest and most ambitious project in warfare is what you see before you; it is no autonomous machine, nor is it a servant robot. This is what we have named... the Warmech! A 7-foot tall suit of armor composed mainly of blacksteel and reinforced with aurichalcum. This suit is not just a suit, no no. The Warmech is a product of Manatech, and the Mana that runs through the innards of the suit amplifies the wearer's strength, speed, senses and stamina, and it's equipped with a cutting-edge biosensor interface that displays important information right in the wearer's vision! As you all know, Mana in itself exists inside us; a latent form of powerful energy waiting to be awoken. The Warmech is our perfect medium at which the wielder can tap into the Mana within... and transcend humanity! Additionally, from their own internal vitals to the exterior surroundings, the Warmech is intended to create the PERFECT SOLDIER! A warrior of unmatched power, giving them the necessary willpower to once and for all DEFEAT OUR ENEMIES!!
Jess: Wow, he's so passionate about that. What do you-- Thenchi?
Jess turns towards Thenchi's direction, and sees he's awfully enthralled with the image of the Warmech, the same way the crowds are. His face is not just of surprise, but of shock as he hears Mars's words of overzealous passion.
Thenchi: Uh-- yeah dinner was good, thank you Jess.
Jess: Huh? Thenchi! Hey! *snaps her fingers in front of him* Are you alright?
Thenchi: W-w-what, what happened?
Jess: You were not daydreaming this time! You were staring into the television! Like... almost hypnotized. What is it?
Thenchi: *takes a deep breathe* This... this war. Do you think it will ever truly end? This Mars says that the war will be over soon, but... do you really believe it?
Jess: I... I don't know. The war has been going on since... since we were kids. It's hard to know what's even going on back on Earth. Only if you were like a soldier, you would have a better idea, I think.
Thenchi: What if... what if I become a soldier? Enlist into the Holy Army, and all that. I think... I could do some sort of change.
Jess: You? A soldier? Really, Thenchi? nervously laughs You're not being serious, right?
Thenchi: What, you think I can't be a good soldier? I'm strong, y'know! I've been going to the gymnasium at the academy!
Jess: No no, I'm not saying you're not strong! It's just hard to imagine you as a soldier. You're... you're sweet, tender... You've never been violent or aggressive, let alone get mad at others.
Thenchi: I mean... sighs Just imagine, how different and maybe even better our lives would be if we were back on Earth. Part of me misses the orphanage. It was home, and yeah this house is nice and cozy, but it's.. I feel like I'm just rambling, I'm sorry.
Jess: I know, I get you. Look, the event is over. Why don't we go outside and get some air?
Thenchi: ...Yeah. Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.
Both Thenchi and Jess place their empty boxed meals on the kitchen counter and head outside to the front of their house. A vast suburban landscape of grass and blocks of houses arranged on a layout with simplicity. Jess sits on the green grass, synthetic and unreal, and beckons Thenchi to sit next to her. Holding her legs to her chest and looking up at the darkened pseudo-sky where all the stars glitter and shine, Jess slowly turns to Thenchi, who has a very contemplative look on his face as his eyes wander upwards. Earth is barely visible off the edge of the space colony's wall.
