Headmistress Holwen couldn't contain the news even if she wanted to, so she issued an official statement that added fuel to the flames already raging through the network.
It was simply too incredible that a soldier could achieve so much in so little time. Actually, the event was unheard of. Until then, humankind had considered the matter impossible since those were the limits of their technology.
Yet, the news didn't come from random soldiers or occasional bystanders now. Headmistress Holwen put her signature in the official statement, crushing any doubt. Khan had truly done it. He had become a fourth-level warrior at the early age of twenty.
The speculations that had started during Khan's isolation returned stronger than ever. The event was so unrealistic that wild accusations appeared everywhere. Even the side of Khan's fans was guilty of that, and no one could blame it. After all, an entire power system was crumbling under its very eyes.
The speculations mostly involved the themes usually linked to Khan, but deeper hypotheses appeared. Some argued that Khan didn't only learn alien skills. He had actively cooperated with every species he encountered to reap benefits the Global Army couldn't provide.
Those hypotheses were broad in range, encompassing almost any random idea the public could come up with. Of course, a few even hit the mark, which was inevitable with that sheer number of ideas. Still, none of them could grasp the whole truth.
After a few hours, the hypotheses split into three big categories. The first saw Khan as an experiment the Global Army was being quiet about. The second labeled him as a traitor to humankind, and the third inevitably linked his incredible growth to his mutations.
Khan had no time to waste scouring the network to keep up with his changing public image, but Jenny delivered updates whenever relevant shifts happened. Needless to say, seeing his mutations obtain such a predominant position in the hypotheses worried him, but that outcome was outside his control.
'I hope this won't start a new wave of experiments with the Nak's mana,' Khan thought at the sight of that development, 'If the Global Army had stopped in the first place.'
A sigh escaped Khan's mouth while his eyes lingered on the holograms coming from his phone. He didn't want anyone else to deal with the curse of the Nak's mutations, but his rise to power had made that course of action viable.
'Did Raymond predict something like this?' Khan wondered. 'Was he waiting for this chance to push his experiments in the open?'
Khan couldn't be sure about that, and only waiting for more news might confirm his guess. Still, thinking about Raymond soured his thoughts, and his surroundings reflected that change.
Khan had returned to his flat after meeting Headmistress Holwen and Mister Cirvags. He had also settled into the main hall to use the interactive desk for Jenny's private network. He was surrounded by technology, and his mood swings affected all of it.
The artificial lights blinked, the holograms flickered, and even the menus on the walls became blurry as Khan's presence changed. The symphony was an extension of his thoughts, and their intensity wasn't something mere technology could handle.
'I'm way too unstable,' Khan realized, trying to quell his thoughts.
Abusing the new version of the [Blood Vortex] had overcharged Khan with mana, and part of that energy leaked into his thoughts, infecting them with the chaos element's properties. That wasn't a new skill, but Khan's current state prevented him from controlling it.
The sound of a sliding metal door distracted Khan from his thoughts, but he didn't turn to welcome the newcomer. The event actually informed him about something different.
"Did it reach the other rooms?" Khan asked, his eyes returning to the now stable holograms.
"And bathrooms," Monica replied, walking around the couch to sit on Khan's left. "Let me see."
Khan turned and placed his face on Monica's stretched hands. That practice had become common during the isolation, so he wore a confident smirk to reassure his fiancée. Yet, seeing her attire triggered unwanted reactions.
Monica was wearing one of Khan's shirts with only underwear below. Her hair was messy, and her sleepy expression finalized a cute scene that made Khan's eyes flash with a blue glow.
"You shouldn't be awake," Monica scolded once the glow vanished.
"You know you caused this," Khan pointed out.
"I also know you won't rest," Monica sighed, letting go of Khan's face and turning toward the holograms. "So? What's the word on the network?"
"I'm either an alien," Khan summarized, leaning on the couch's back, "A traitor, or an experiment. Some believe I'm all three."
"They don't know you are just a scoundrel," Monica commented, reaching for Khan's phone to close the network. "Did you start on the other matter?"
"Not yet," Khan revealed, retrieving the circular Thilku device from his pocket. "Though I'm almost finished setting up the private network."
"Finish it," Monica said. "I'll go get drinks."
"We talked about this," Khan exclaimed as Monica stood up. "You'd become an accomplice."
"And I answered that," Monica casually uttered, approaching the furniture with the booze. "Just try to stop me."
Khan could only give up, but the smile that broadened on his face described how happy he was about that defeat. Monica didn't care about getting her hands dirty for him. She stood at his side even during his darker endeavors.
Monica retrieved the booze, and Khan finished setting up the private network. The task was simple since it merely involved moving classified information from his office to a private account. It wasn't even illegal, but that didn't apply to what would follow.
Mister Cirvags' files came next, and trepidation invaded Khan as he finally put the alien device on the interactive desk. He had to get an adapter to connect the two items, but everything worked as intended, and new information quickly flowed into the private network.
"Almost untraceable," Monica commented, resting on Khan's chest while waiting for the transfer to end. "When did you get good at technology?"
"I've never been bad," Khan snorted. "I just have no interest in it."
"Was it Jenny?" Monica asked.
"It was Jenny," Khan nodded. "Except for the purchase of the adapter, the Global Army won't have anything to work with."
"Destroy both the adapter and the device when you are done," Monica ordered.
"Of course," Khan replied. "Who do you think you are talking to?"
"My idiot fiancé," Monica announced, lifting her drink.
Khan chuckled and toasted with Monica. A happy mood descended on the couch, but the interactive desk suddenly released a beeping noise, startling the couple. They straightened their backs, and the holograms soon showed the awaited message.
"It's done!" Monica shouted, but glancing at Khan quelled her excitement. She was almost as curious as him but still moved aside to give him priority over the inspection.
Khan noticed Monica's behavior, but his eyes were glued to the holograms. He had waited too long to open the alien device, and nothing else could exist until he fed his curiosity.
A few taps on the interactive desk brought Khan to an immense list of files bigger than anything the Global Army or Mister Cirvags had provided him. The Thilku scientist had also sorted them according to chronological order, making the inspection far easier for Khan. n1n
Khan didn't hesitate to open the first file to skim through everything it contained but soon found himself rereading each word. He had initially planned to gain a vague idea of all the information before diving into a deep study, but his mind didn't listen to him when it came to the Nak.
Monica only needed a look to understand what would happen in the following hours and days. That was Khan's main quest, his very reason to live, the root cause of his suffering. It wasn't her place to interrupt him over longing for affection. Her role was to make the task as comfortable as possible.
That was exactly what happened. As the hours passed, Monica delivered drinks and occasional snacks to prevent Khan from ever needing to take breaks.
When the drowsiness became too intense for Monica to endure, she curled at Khan's side, using his lap as a pillow. Her snoring soon filled the main hall, but she knew Khan wouldn't mind.
That pattern continued for many days. The Empire's history was far deeper and older than the Global Army's, and even limiting the information to the Nak left Khan with countless files to review.
Besides, each file required multiple rounds of study due to their historical nature. Khan often resorted to his reading technique to speed up the process, but the many dates always forced him to review everything to commit it to memory.
Monica never left Khan's side during the process. She didn't utter a word even after the weekend arrived. She would get her revenge afterward, but another event had to come first.
Once the week neared its end, the event finally arrived. Khan let out a groan and dived into the couch's back. His eyes also rose to the ceiling before he rubbed them. He needed some rest, a shower, and a proper meal, but his mind was too full of thoughts to allow that.
"Khan," Monica called, rubbing Khan's chest only after granting him a few minutes alone in his mind.
"I think I can guess their general direction now," Khan muttered, his eyes still closed. "Damned Empire. It's making me curious about their entire records."
"What's next?" Monica wondered.
"Letting the software sort everything out," Khan softly explained. "Confirming viable paths, and creating a plan."
"Will you chase after them?" Monica asked.
"Yes," Khan firmly replied, "But not now. I can't right now."
"What do you need?" Monica questioned.
"Money," Khan summarized, "Fame, authority, and freedom. I'll start with the promotion."
"About that," Monica exclaimed. "You got a sponsor as soon as the Headmistress shared the news."
"Colonel Norrett?" Khan guessed. Promotions required a superior willing to grant his approval, and Khan's thoughts obviously went on the Colonel.
"No," Monica revealed. "Major General Arngan offered himself to host your promotion. He'll land on the Harbor next week."
****
Author's notes: Happy new year!
