Chapter Text
If there was one benefit to this whole accursed affair of Luke’s re-kidnapping, it was that Jade found it much easier to prompt answers from him.
For instance, he’d managed to crack Luke’s esoteric ‘PROCROL’ acronym simply with a bit of verbal finessing and time, new programming forcing him into too tight a box to have independent judgment enough to know what he shouldn’t answer.
“Consider this scenario: the letter A is significant of the exact same concept as PROCROL. Define A, and how does it influence your conduct?” It was clear, after all, that something very concrete in his programming was preventing Luke from addressing PROCROL directly, but if he simply told him ‘A’ was PROCROL and then asked him to define ‘A’ no such programming halted his answer.
“A: Programmed Replica Operational Conflict Resolution Ordered List. Provides a framework to programmed replicas to resolve conflicting orders, especially users with priority for this unit. Replica will prioritize commands from the highest-ranking individual on this list, but as long as orders are not contradictory will attempt to resolve any other order received as well. In the event of a direct contradiction, the higher-ranking individual’s orders will be prioritized, a change from version 1.5, as earlier versions caused a replica unit to freeze.”
Ah, while most of that was inferrable, it is nice to have confirmation for one’s theory. He'd almost expected that it would require more verbal trickery to prompt an answer, but it seemed Dist had been just that stupid when it came to insulating his code from exploitation as he always was.
“Whoa, I think that’s the longest thing I’ve heard Luke speak for weeks now!” Anise remarked, “...But what the heck was he saying?”
“Essentially, it’s a system for him to determine who to listen to, when several people have issued orders, especially diametrically opposite ones. For instance, if he receives an order to sit and one to stand at the exact time, he’ll prioritize the order from the one that the internal list has recorded as higher-ranked.”
Honestly, he’d already explained that, but it seemed everyone else was too caught up in the hullabaloo to properly commit his explanations to memory. Was it any wonder that Jade delegated the duty of explanations to Guy?
Dist might have thought he was clever in trying to keep his secrets, but now that Jade had some time to engage in conversation with Luke, he was about to learn that nothing could be kept from him.
“And Luke, describe, in descending order of priority, who exactly is on ‘A’, if you will.”
“Dist ‘the Rose’, Vandesdelca Musto Fende, Asch a.k.a ‘the Bloody’, all other persons under category ‘God Generals’, Gailardia Galan Gardios, Mysterica Aura Fende, all other persons not previously included.” Luke listed effortlessly, saying ‘the Rose’ in such a away as to make Jade frown, incensed that the cockroach had chosen to foul Luke’s mouth and his own ears with such an appellation. Guy and Tear blinked when the replica had said their names in surprise.
Asch is surprisingly high, if he has priority over the rest of the God Generals. He’s been of quite a bit of aid to us in this mess, but could he have actually returned to Van? Guy, too, is suspiciously high by the simple fact he’s considered special compared to us, as I’d figured out. Perhaps I can pry more under the notion of ‘A’. Then again, Asch is higher still, which ought to make him a prime suspect for defection…
“Regarding Asch: are there any internal justifications or conditionals attached to his placement on ‘A’?” That would be vital for determining exactly how Jade should consider Asch. Van might well have ordered Dist to put Asch higher only if he returned, a code that would need to be implemented in advance with their access of Luke limited. Whatever technology advancement had allowed them access to reprogram a replica, it surely wasn’t something easy or cheap to do. Thus, Jade could anticipate that there had to be at least some forward-thinking for future scenarios, like Van’s continual attempts to get the likes of Asch back under his thumb.
Ah, but that was another thing he could ask: if there were any preprogrammed alterations in his replica code that were tied to time or date. He’d rather be prepared for a hypothetical second Gnomeday of Shadow Redecan if Luke would inexplicably turn into a homicidal maniac at that time, after all. Goodness, but this replica reprogramming opens up so many cans of worms, doesn’t it?
“User Asch’s, a.k.a ‘the Bloody’, placement is secure, provided another user with higher priority does not enact order-”
“Landing!” came Noelle’s voice from the cockpit in her standard warning, “Things’re a bit more uneven here than where I normally like to land, so it might be a bit bumpier than usual!”
They braced for impact but thankfully had little need for it; their resident pilot proved just as skilled as she usually was. Jade sighed, knowing the convenient bit of peace was over. Surely, talk about combat and navigation would soon take precedence over cracking the intricacies of whatever convoluted programming Dist had instilled.
After going over their plans with Noelle and what she should do if certain events arose (for instance, if she were found by the God Generals), they disembarked and found the entrance.
“Luke?” Jade prompted in low tones after watching the rest of the group disembark, “I’ve a gift for you, and you need to listen well to know how and when to use it…”
- - -
If this was the best layout whatever Dawn Ages society could come up with, Anise had to say that she was incredulous. The Absorption Gate thus far had been a sprawling mess of paths and nonsensical architecture. It didn’t even have the excuse of being deteriorated like Choral Castle or whatever the hell those ruins were called in the Zao desert.
Yeah, yeah, she understood in some sense that it was probably intentionally misleading as a security measure, but weren’t there any better ways to keep whatever valuable fontech doodahs inside safe?
“This is so… BORING!” she complained, almost wishing she could turn part of her brain off like Luke had to space out until something exciting happened.
“Quiet, Anise, you never know where my brother or his forces might be lurking,” Tear corrected, looking about as if an ambush would occur, “There are any number of levels here. Easy enough for a skilled fonist to exploit and drop artes upon our heads, were they above us.”
Anise huffed dejectedly. Tear had a point, however frustratingly. The only thing stupider than this nonsensical layout would be to get sniped by Legretta before they even knew she was there and die in this hellhole.
The reminder did make her start to worry, though, just a bit. Even if Van was being his usual nutty weirdo self and hanging out alone, they were still walking into his domain. Anise knew she’d line the place top to bottom with traps if she knew how, if she were doing… whatever world-changing crazy plans he had.
And, regardless of how well Jade or Guy had been able to coach Luke into helping ‘pay attention’ for monsters or others, Anise wasn’t going to count on him to fight Van. The only thing that stopped her from arguing that they leave him on the Albiore in the first place was Jade’s sick little smile that he ‘had a plan’ to stop Van from replicajacking their idiot.
It probably had something to do with how he had been near-continually speaking to Luke in hushed tones this entire jaunt down, in their little kill circle around Luke. Whatever probably twisted plan the Colonel was cooking up, he seemed to want to keep the surprise for everyone, not just Van, no doubt to ‘keep their reaction genuine’ or something.
As curious as she was, Anise reasoned that she’d either be laughing about it later with him or too dead to get mad at him for not sharing. No point worrying about it now.
Instead, as they slowly wound their way down, dodging the traps she totally called and navigating through this mess, all she could think about was Ion. Even if they never could fully fix Luke (a thing she hadn’t given up on but was certainly more doubtful now), she refused to betray his trust in them by letting Van or any God General lay a finger on him.
- - -
The group would like to think that they had developed a special sense for knowing when something big was about to go down. Whether it was a sudden change in decor styles or finally breaching the innermost defenses of an edifice, they knew they were about to get into a big fight. It made a certain amount of sense: head honchos generally liked keeping themselves tucked away plotting instead of guarding a door, to say nothing of their corresponding likelihood to think they deserved ‘better’ than their subordinates.
And now that sense had come back with a vengeance, the longer they stared at the floor at the very bottom of the Absorption Gate. By all indications, it seemed it wasn’t actually the true bottom of the Gate at all, simply an activated portal. And if it had been hidden away all the way at the bottom, when they still hadn’t found any critical fontech to the operation of the place… odds were fair it led to the important bits. By proxy, Van, always meddling about with the Sephiroths.
“Does everyone have their gels?”
“Yes.”
“Weapons?”
“Yeah.”
“Capacity cores in line?”
It felt wrong, casually running through a checklist as if this were a simple hike through the woods, when the probable greatest threat to them was likely underneath. Still, better to ensure they were as ready as they could be instead of rushing into a fight. ‘Fail to prepare, prepare to fail’ and all that, and when the stake of both the world and their friend could be on the line, nobody wanted to help load the dice against them.
“Well, then,” Natalia sighed, “it seems we’ve nothing left to do. Is everyone ready?”
With one last half-hearted agreement, the group finalized their arrangement and packs both, and stepped onto the portal.
They were immediately greeted by music, of all things, dramatic organ swells from a correspondingly dramatic-looking organ, making them wonder how far down they were if they hadn’t heard it before.
“So, you’ve made it down here, even with the replica. Consider me impressed, Gailardia and Mysterica,” Van said, once he’d glanced over his shoulder to see who approached, “But I’m afraid your bringing the replica is a rather glaring error, that is, unless you intend to deliver him to me?”
“Like hell we are, Van,” Guy rested a hand on his sword, “No, we’re just here to claw out the answer about how to fix him from you. So you’d better get talking.”
“‘Fix’ the replica? That is exactly what I did. The ‘Luke’ experiment certainly went a bit… awry, shall I say. And since he has deviated from his purpose, it is our right to correct it, in the same way one straightens a nail or trains a dog. He is a tool, and I would have my use out of him as he yet lives.” The man slowly descended from the stairs, not even bothering to look at them.
“Look, Commandant, I’ve got no clue about all your stupid science stuff to know how replicas work,” Anise said, “...But I do know that there’s no way Luke’s not a human. He’s too much of a stupid bastard to be anything else. If he actually were a machine, you and Dist sure only know how to produce crappy ones.”
“You stand strong for your convictions. An admirable thing in principle, but they fail in the face of reality. Let it not be said that I am entirely unwilling to compromise if you wish to lose yourself in the folly, however…” Van overwhelmingly seemed to be addressing Guy and Tear most of all, content with ignoring the young girl’s insults.. He reached into a pocket, to withdraw a fon disc cached in a protective case.
Jade immediately clicked his tongue in distaste, recognizing what it was. The rest of them needed Van to continue to learn its significance.
“This is what you would call ‘Luke.’ In truth, it’s nothing more than his original programming that allows for the facsimile of a personality. Should you have it, the Necromancer could most likely figure out how to switch what programming was being run on the replica. Now do you understand how inhumane the replicas are by default? Their entire personality, -if you can call it that, -can easily be contained on a single fon disc, be determined by those around them, be changed on their whim.”
“As if that has anything to do with Luke’s value!” Natalia protested, though she dropped the angle of her bow so as not to risk firing an arrow at the delicate object, “After all, the very same could be said of us. People can change themselves or be changed by what happens to them! The mere presence of a mutable personality isn’t evidence of inhumanity, but the exemplification thereof!”
“Ha!” The princess’ words evidently were of no use to the Commandant, the scoff a clear dismissal. Van began to pace slowly, no urgency or worry to his steps. It was obvious that he felt in control, despite his proximity to the ledge of an incomprehensible depth. And as much as the likes of Guy might want to lunge at him and wipe the smug look off his face… they couldn’t risk the fon disc, if what Van said was true.
“I knew you as kind, when I was young. Even now, I would love nothing more than for us to lay down our weapons and live in peace again as brother and sister. How is it that you have now fell to such depravity, Van? Did you truly not see any speck of individuality, of personhood, of life in Luke, for as long as you trained him?” Tear said, taking a different approach to resolving the current ideological debate.
“I saw nothing, for I needed nothing from him but compliance at Akzeriuth. In that regard, the replica succeeded brilliantly. And now you have brought it back to me. While I might have preferred Asch, this will suffice. I will give you one last opportunity to hear and understand my aim: that of a replica world,” Van said to a ring of scoffs. “Think of the Score as a drug, and the replica world as a heroic effort. Extreme as it may be, it is the only way to fully free the world from the Score’s determination. And to do that, I will use the very same powers that wished our current system of predetermination into being in much the same way the snake’s venom can produce its own remedy.”
“Luke, or Asch,” Guy surmised, “Whatever exactly goes on with them and Lorelei to let them use solo hyperresonance, you want it. Need it.”
“Precisely. And since you’ve returned the replica to me, I will offer this: Gailardia, Mysterica, if either of you truly value the replica so much, if you rejoin with me, you can take control of him once he has fulfilled his purpose. Even return him to a previous state, if that is what you wish.”
Anise’s head whipped to the two of them, now having to gauge the likelihood that this 6 (well, 5, since Luke couldn’t be considered fully ‘there’) on 1 had turned to a 3-on-3. Neither moved, save for the slight deepening of both’s scowls.
“...We know what you’re trying to do, Van,” Tear said, not budging. “Even if we believed your insane plan was likely to work, we’ve no reason to believe your claims about Luke will be followed through.”
“Yeah, we don’t even know for certain the disk you’re holding is the real deal. And if you actually viewed him as disposable enough to pass back to us, why go to the effort of this in the first place? Something doesn’t add up.”
“Hm. A shame. I truly do not wish to face you as an enemy, Mysterica, Gailardia. But if that is what it takes to rid the world of the Score, so be it…” Van paused in his lackadaisical stroll. “Replica Luke! Controlled hyperresonance, targets 1-5!”
Everyone save Jade dropped to the floor immediately the second Luke’s name was said. It would have been a wise decision to try to avoid such a destructive force… and yet, it was wholly unneeded.
Luke stood uncaring as to his surroundings. Were he himself, they might have likened his face to profound boredom. Apathy. In reality, they knew that he simply wasn’t feeling at all.
“My apologies for the disruption of your dramatic plan, Commandant Grants, but the Necromancer still has a few tricks up his sleeve every now and again,” Jade explained, to the aforementioned opponent’s displeased face. “I needn’t go to the trouble of contesting you on whatever ‘PROCROL’ list you thought yourself clever to create if Luke here simply can’t listen. We can’t let our young replica hear from bad influences like yourself, after all! Needless to say, as surprising as your attempted disintegration of us was, I’m not sure the message was received, per se.”
Van’s brows furrowed in distaste. “Perhaps I ought to have expected that from the likes of the Necromancer. No matter. I need only reassert control after you are gone.” With that, he drew his sword at last, fon disc tucked away again until it innocently rested against the man’s heart. Several made displeased noises at that, now facing the extra challenge of combating Van without damaging the thing that might be Luke’s effective soul.
With Anise and Tokunaga left to guard Luke, the others were free to spring into offense as the battle formally commenced. Jade called up stalagmites to try to pierce Van from below or drive him towards Guy’s blade. Surprisingly, Van was content to remain in the fonic arte, seemingly unphased by the rocks.
If he was content to remain in place, -perhaps trying to bait Guy near that precarious ledge, -Natalia fired an arrow at his head. The Commandant deflected it with his sword with the sort of casualness as to make one think it was a toy arrow instead.
“Hmph. Paltry attempts for paltry beliefs. That tells me all I need to know.”
Insulted by the remark, Natalia switched to casting, joining Tear in the effort. Jade, always having to do something different, instead lobbed his spear towards Van, hoping to take advantage of his preoccupation with Guy’s barrage of attacks.
Though the man dodged again, it left him open enough for Guy to land a glancing blow to his side. Tear’s and Natalia’s spells were soon also ripping into him, giving Jade distraction enough to distance himself and resummon his spear.
The combination of artes drew his attention, Van well aware of the folly it would be to let fonists run wild. He charged the pair, breaking past Guy. While Tear stepped in to divert his sword with her more sturdy staff from striking the exposed Natalia, she didn’t escape unscathed. His quick combo was far too much for anyone not in full armor to bear.
“Tear!” Natalia repaid the sight of her fellow seventh fonist falling to the ground with a deft arrow. At point-blank range and with Van unable to see her aim behind Tear, he failed to block in time. It landed squarely in his right shoulder, a blow that drew a pained grunt from him.
Never one to let opportunities go to waste, Jade had called stalactites again, with a slightly off-center invocation surrounding Van’s leg. The man didn’t seem to notice the weak blow, no doubt more occupied by the arrow, until he tried to move. The stalactites kept one leg trapped, leaving him a sitting duck for Guy’s deadly return charge.
Giving him no time to react, Guy closed the gap with a powerful string of attacks and battlecry both. Were that not enough, his anger seemed to reach a tipping point.
"O noble conflagration, incinerate all! Razing Phoenix!"
The sudden, loud crackling of flames from his Mystic Arte made Natalia’s continued casting of Revive become nearly inaudible, especially as Jade joined in the attempted pre-mortem pyre with an Eruption. The onslaught of attacks was simply too much for their foe to handle, even as mighty as he were.
Van, the Commandant and their greatest foe, could simply not get up.
“It’s over, Vandesdelca. Drop your sword,” Guy ordered, sword kept trained on his former servant’s neck. Even if it were a feint, they were content to let the bluff play out as Tear stood up again. Better to take advantage of any potential time to breathe even if everything went to fisticuffs again.
Van smiled, always a disconcerting thing, but complied. He planted the sword in what passed as the ground here, stood, and took several paces back. Though he held his hands up placatingly throughout, they were not idle for long. Instead, he withdrew that damn fon disc again, holding it precariously between two fingers.
“Give it to us, Van. You can’t have Luke - you don’t own Luke.” Tear’s order, deadly stern, only sparked a small smirk on her brother’s face.
“Quite possessive of an entity you claim needs no possession, sister. Has the power of hyperresonance made you realize the degree of power Asch and his replica can access?”
Jade intervened before Tear could come up with a response. “Come now, Grants. If you’re so reticent to give up your last bargaining measure with my more… emotional compatriots here, let me speak as a fellow commander: should you surrender now, I would do my best to see all relevant authority render minimum punishment. Easy enough to downplay any charges they might like for any crimes against the replicas with some classic loopholes in many laws’ verbiage about ‘all persons born’, the like…”
“Jade!” Anise snapped, shortly followed by Natalia and Guy. They were trying to encourage the acceptance of replicas, not absolve Van of crimes against them!
He ignored them. “Well, Commandant? Disagree that we might on issues like the Score, you know well of my own record on replicas. Far be it for the Necromancer to penalize another for following my path. Why, you could get back to your old ways in no time, for all I care.”
Van didn’t seem all that pleased. “Malkuth has been the most active of the nations in asserting protections for replicas. Am I to believe the claim that the Necromancer who has the Emperor’s ear far beyond his actual station has had no hand in influencing him? Your pretty words are just that, just as hollow as your ideals or the replicas.”
Guy sighed, still locked in on Van in front of him. “...Let’s just end this, Van. If you harbor any respect left for the House of Gardios, listen to me one last time: give us the fon disc. That’s all I want.”
The Commandant closed his eyes, thinking for a very long time.
Then, without so much as a word, he flicked his wrist, tossing the fon disc into the air behind him.