Chapter 21: Promotion and Punishment

"This Citadel belongs to the Gunther Family. Their descent likely has something to do with seeking substantial gains for their own. Though this city is technically theirs, they still fall under Federation jurisdiction." The officer paused, his gaze sweeping over each of them.

The silence was thick, complimenting the relentless fall of the rain, yet none of the Federation Officers so much as twitched, standing rigid like statues.

"You've all been summoned to investigate and address their intentions here. Those who need to be detained will be detained. Anyone who resists investigation or arrest will be court-martialed and executed. Confiscate any unregistered items from their Citadel—absolutely anything not on their official records."

By now, over a hundred Federation Officers stood in formation, and the numbers continued to swell with each passing moment.

How are there so many of them? And why am I only now hearing about this Federation organization? If they've been near Jejity all this time, were they avoiding it or simply hiding in wait for something?

Messimah's mind churned with questions, but he knew patience was his only option at the moment, resolving only those that seemed important.

Messimah took note of everything happening around him and what was being said. He couldn't help but notice that the Federation Officer leading the briefing didn't mention the lives of the people in Jejity—not directly, anyway.

Their primary concern, based on what the officer emphasized, was the unauthorized descent of the Aetherion Citadel. This violation seemed far more critical to them than the well-being of the city's residents.

"This operation will last for three hours. Your individual objectives will be sent to your systems. Report back here afterward. Dismissed. Officer 90210, stay behind," The Federation Officer commanded. Instantly, the rest dispersed in a blur, eager to fulfill their tasks.

Messimah's heart skipped a beat when he realized he'd been singled out. His first instinct was to flee the city, but he forced himself to stay put, resisting the urge to bolt.

Stay calm. If you run now, they'll swarm you before you can escape. Better to wait until they're all scattered and far away from here. There might also be the possibility that they don't plan on doing anything to you, but what are the chances of that being the case?

He took a steadying breath, keeping his position. What now?

"Step forward, Officer 90210,"The commanding officer ordered.

Messimah advanced with measured steps, ensuring he kept a safe distance from the superior officers—enough to assure himself some level of safety, if they do decide to make a move against him.

"Officer 90210, do you have anything to say in your defense?"

If not for the fact that Messimah's face was covered, the superior officers would have seen that he was honestly confused, and at the same time on guard. Asking him such a loaded question made him believe that they were onto him.

"I don't know what you are talking about," he replied, his voice calm, maintaining a facade of innocence.

Could they have caught on to me? What gave me away, was it my height being much different from that short bastard's?

"Proving stubborn even if there are pieces of evidence against you," The officer's tone turned sharp.

"I do not know what crimes I have committed," Messimah responded, subtly preparing to flee. He hoped the other Federation Officers had ventured far enough from the area.

The atmosphere in this place was filled with tension at least that was what it felt like to Messimah.

The rain's relentless barrage filled the area with its music, every drop creating a sound that was nerve-wracking for Messimah.

"Fine then," a new voice interjected. The other officer—the one adorned with a red ceremonial cape—who had been silent until now—spoke. Her clear and authoritative voice carried an unexpected soothing quality.

But to Messimah, the calmness only added to his unease. She extended a hand to her side, and Messimah instinctively flinched, on the verge of bolting. He hesitated when he saw what was handed to her.

His flinch was noticed by the two superior officers, but they did nothing and said nothing about it.

It was a slim device with a transparent glass screen.

"Officer 90210, as a Federation Officer, you have failed to uphold your duties. Your first offense is neglecting to report the descent of the Aetherion Citadel, despite arriving with it. This alone warrants punishment, but there's more," The officer began, her tone oddly calming Messimah.

Looks like they haven't caught on to me, but that short bastard is the one in trouble.

This realization eased Messimah's mind, allowing him to remain composed.

"Your second offense is letting your affiliation with the Gunther family influence your decision to overlook their crimes. The third offense: you planned to disregard the mandatory summons without a valid reason. And the fourth: you failed to acknowledge your superiors' greetings," She continued, each charge bringing Messimah a wave of relief.

After listing the fourth offense, a heavy silence settled over the area, as though waiting for Messimah to respond in his defense.

Is that fourth offense about the chant I didn't join in? Messimah wondered.

"Officer 90210, do you have anything to say in your defense? Be advised, if you're caught lying, your punishment will be more severe," the officer who had asked him to stay behind stated firmly.

I have no idea what mess that guy got into. It might be better to just take the blame and get this over with. I only need to get onto the Aetherion Citadel.

"No, I am guilty of everything I've been accused of," Messimah responded calmly.

"You understand this will leave a mark on your record, correct, Officer 90210?" The female superior asked, her tone even, though she was surprised by his admission.

"Yes, I do."

"Your suit flagged some anomalies: a change in your height, a regression in your Gene Formation level without any reported gene regression, among others. Did you orchestrate this to use it as a defense against these charges?" She questioned, clearly curious about his response.

She seems to have overthought this... and from the way she's saying it, it seems like the height change isn't a weird thing. Messimah mused.

"No, unforeseen circumstances impeded my growth," he improvised on the spot.

He hadn't realized the suit reported his height change; he thought it only flagged the discrepancies between his status and Jubal's. If he'd known, he wouldn't have come here, though he had considered the height issue, he hadn't cared, since this was essentially a suicide mission.

A brief silence fell over them as if the officers were momentarily speechless. Then the caped officer spoke.

"Alright then, this simplifies matters for both sides. Since you've cooperated, you've been promoted to rank 7."

Messimah's heads-up display confirmed the promotion, surprising him.

Promotion and punishment?

As if hearing his thoughts, she continued. "For your first and second offenses, you've been demoted two ranks and fined 80,000 Federation Dollars. For your third offense, half your salary will be forfeited for the next seven months. Lastly, for your fourth offense, you'll take on additional duties for a year, assigned from above."

Federation Dollars, what are those? Messimah thought, focusing only on that detail as they were different from the currency he had always known and come to love over the years. At the moment he just wanted her to finish so he could proceed to the Aetherion Citadel.

The penalties would fall on Officer 90210, not him, which didn't bother him in the slightest.

"Officer 90210, do you contest these penalties?" She asked.

"Not at all," Messimah replied, though he worried his tone might seem disrespectful. He considered whether adding a title to his response would be appropriate but, unsure of the protocol, decided against it. He was merely trying to imitate what he imagined Jubal's personality might be.

"Good. You are to leave the city immediately and return to base. Your presence here could compromise the integrity of our investigation due to your connections with the party under investigation. You have already proven that you lean towards them than the Federation. You are dismissed," The officer stated firmly.

"What?" Messimah blurted out, caught off guard.

"Did you not hear a direct order from a superior, Officer 90210?" the second officer interrupted, noting Messimah's hesitation.

"But I can't leave—"

"Is this an attempt to defy a direct order from a superior, Officer 90210?" The officer's voice sharpened, and a palpable pressure emanated from him, setting off alarms in Messimah's mind.

Messimah felt a familiar, heavy presence as if standing before a predator capable of annihilating him—similar to the sensation he felt when he first encountered Jubal. This time, however, there was no anger to fuel his confidence, no clouded thoughts to blunt the fear.

He took a step back, his heart racing. Unlike the desert confrontation with Jubal, in the presence of this officer, he felt the raw, unfiltered threat of death.

[An Awakened Gene carrier detected. Would you like to extract the carrier's genes?] The Genesis system suddenly reactivated after its long silence.

Yes, extract it all, Messimah commanded internally.