Habits. Sense of belonging. Common sense.

Habits are subconscious actions performed by the mind, and faith is one of them.

A sense of belonging is the emotional attachment one has to other individuals, groups of people, nations, and ideas.

Common sense is the thing that dictates our reasoning ability, perception, and judgment of the world around us.

 

These three different articles share a common theme. They are responses seated in the very subconscious of our being. The very things that define us as human beings.

In addition, a person's formative years are when they are most susceptible psychologically when one can hammer their faith and ideology into their developing and defenseless minds.

Many have sought to use this vulnerability to their advantage, both consciously and subconsciously.

To use it to build an evil regime based on false beliefs.

To shatter the order and logic that I had painstakingly helped to build.

To splinter us and slaughter our fellow brethren in false hubris and logic out of greed and malice.

To make us vulnerable to the outside threats at our doorstep, ever threatening us with promised destruction.

 

I had to protect them from themselves.

I had to prevent others from imparting their evil lies into their feeble and vulnerable minds.

I had to unify them under a single and unbroken cause.

 

But what could I do?

No matter how powerful I may be, I cannot prevent such things from happening. It is part of human nature, the very thing that dictates us, the thing I love the most.

I could only weep at humanity's frailty of mind and body, At their self-destructive nature, As faulty beliefs, erroneous reasoning, and selfish human nature repeatedly split people apart, weakening us, and making us vulnerable.

I could only helplessly watch from afar as the alien menace began encroaching on us, conquering planet after planet, solar system after solar system, spreading like a virus, a swarm of locusts, a snake that covets my precious eggs.

 

They were slaughtering my people.

They were butchering my beloved children.

They were exterminating us.

They were systematically extinguishing our natural right to determination and survival.

 

I knew I had to do something.

I had to become something else.

I had to become a lesser evil to prevent a greater evil.

 

A unifying beacon of hope.

A living God of light that they worship.

An Emperor of Logic and Reason.

To become their sense of belonging.

To be their protective wings.

 

A brutal dictator who will put an end to all opposition and uprising.

A false God that rewards the unquestioning and crushes those that question.

A bundle of exploiting lies and deceit that hushes all voices of criticism and logic.

A husk of emptiness wearing false bravado, seated upon a vain throne of gold, gems, and jade.

To create an Imperium of MAN, glued together by festering rot and decay in a desperate attempt to resist a common enemy.

 

I had to steel myself.

I had to cauterize my bleeding heart.

I had to shed my frailty and do the unspeakable.

I had no choice but to abandon my humble wish for seclusion and peace, to become the thing I detest the most, the very thing I abhorred and loathed, the very anathema I disliked with the entirety of my being!

 

For that, I can never, EVER, forgive myself. But I had to do it. I had to save my children. I had to, as no one else could.

 

Forgive me, my children, my humanity, for I have sinned...

 

 - The greatest regret of the highly benevolent, intelligent, wise, and logical god-like being that would be later known as the God Emperor of Mankind, beloved by all.

---

 

 

A few minutes after Mirah's handsy helping, the car stopped. The latch between the front and back of the car slid open, and a male voice sounded in the Vrax Empires' official language, Terran.

"Mevrouw, we hebben het ontmoetingspunt bereikt." - A male soldier said.

"Begrepen, bedankt voor het harde werk." - Kelya replied.

The male soldier nodded and closed the latch again.

"Alright, we arrived. Put your helmets back on, girls." - Kelya said while wearing her hat.

Islea and Kelya nodded and wore their helmets while picking up their rifles.

As for me, I still wore my glorious Spongebob pajamas.

It's the equipment that only real men wear!¹YEAH! Who needs armor when you got a Spongebob pajama to protect you?

.

.

.

Or not.

Still better than my birthday suit, though.

While I was bitterly thinking about it, Kelya turned to me and said.

"Alright, listen well, Eddy. After we disembark the car, I want you to stay as quiet and obedient as possible. You must not complain or ask questions, and you must follow my or my superior's every command, no matter how ridiculous it may sound, or he will make an example of you. I don't think I need to explain what will happen then, right?" - She said with a heavy countenance.

"It's that serious?!" - I couldn't help but exclaim.

"It is. We have zero tolerance for disobedience, and even more so for your planet, a Paradise World full of spoiled people that know next to nothing of our culture and traditions." - Kelya said gravely.

"W-Wait a minute! Aren't you supposed to pick 100,000 people?! If contestants die, what will you do then?" - I couldn't help but ask in worry.

It's not that I was worried about myself, as I know I have some self-control. However, many other people will react differently. Some of them might act rudely, and others might respond violently. In some cases, the family of the person taken might also resist. Such acts will only end up angering the soldiers.

And, from what history has taught me, angry soldiers are far crueler than satisfied soldiers.²Fact. A city that surrenders peacefully will always get treated better than a city that resisted and needed a long siege.

If what she said is true, thousands will die for nothing.

"Simple, we have another 100,000 spares in a queue. If some of you die, we will pick some more to fill the gaps." - Kelya replied nonchalantly.

"..." - I had no words, but my nose went sour, and my eyes ached.

"Eddy? Why are you crying? You will be okay! Don't worry, alright?" - Kelya said, trying to cheer me up.

"I... Never mind. Sniff*" - I wiped the tears that threatened to drop.

There was no use explaining it to her. This pain I feel right now.

This sense of helplessness.

This feeling of frailty.

Kelya is kind and empathetic, but we don't share common sense.

To her, this might be common sense and reality. To me, it was a nightmare.

A nightmare that I wanted to wake up from, but couldn't. I am awake. This last month hammered the fact into my head.

I couldn't blame it on her, however. She was just another innocent and expendable cog in this monstrous machine, replaceable at a moment's notice.

And I have become one as well. Whether I like it or not.

Shaking my head, I got up and said, "Let's go."

"Well, if you say so. Just remember what I said, and you will be fine." - Kelya said and motioned to Mirah to open the door.

After Mirah opened the door, we all exited the car, and I could finally see the outside world.

It was still the middle of the night, but there were dozens, hundreds of cars parked nearby, all of them similar to the one I just rode. Out of the cars, people and soldiers exited, all heading to a gathering, a giant spaceship.

"Our destination is over there. Follow me, and stay close, but not closer than three steps." - Kelya ordered and walked forward, followed by the other soldiers.

I could only follow her while glancing sideways from time to time.

The other people were also led to the gathering place, like cattle to the slaughter. They were all aged between 18 to 40. Their apparel ranged from wearing a full business suit to casual clothes, pajamas, and even barely underwear and no shoes, or even only a bathrobe, trying to cover themselves up with their hands.

I also noticed that some of them had bloodied faces and bruised bodies. I guess that even in this unlucky stroke, I was one of those who lucked out, getting off with a mere few jabs and a handjob from a hot catgirl. Not too shabby, if I say so myself.

It still doesn't change the fact that I am a cattle led to the slaughter now, no matter how better treated I am. But it does make me feel slightly better about myself. Just slightly.

Another thing I noticed was the officers. Each one of them was either an incredibly handsome or beautiful man or woman, even prettier than the three girls by a small level. It was also not unnatural or systematic beauty, but pure and natural beauty, having no cosmetic interference. There was not only aesthetic and flawless perfection but also variance. They were all uniquely beautiful or handsome in their own right. I could easily rate each of them as a 9 out of 10, and some that were up to my tastes as 10 out of 10.

I had never seen so many handsome people in one place, but it was more disturbing than refreshing, given that they were all in military uniforms. It was even more unnerving when I compared them with my fellow people.

The average man or woman had an appearance score of 5 to a solid 7, from slightly ugly to attractive, but not unnaturally. They had flaws. Natural flaws. The things that made them human; Uneven teeth, being overweight, being skinny, having too many freckles, sunken cheeks or eyes, a weird nose, ugly hair, small eyes, acne, uneven body shape, unsymmetrical face, etc.

Sure. These things made one look uglier, if not outright hideous, but I can at least relate with these flaws, unlike staring at a bunch of barbies and hunks. It just felt surreal.

After silently walking for around five minutes, we finally arrived at the gathering. I saw that people and officers stood next to each other in twenty lines, with a person to the right and an officer to his left.

"Follow me and go into that line. And remember, stay quiet and listen to the orders, or I will have to hit you." - Kelya reminded and dragged me by hand to the 7th line.

I didn't doubt her words, as I saw one nervous guy trying to chat with the person in front and got punched right in the gut by his supervising officer, some brawny blond chad right out of a Nazy propaganda poster.

Remembering the surprising strength with which Kelya dragged me out of my house, I didn't want to get punched by her. I train regularly, and I have a good physique, and even my brother Joe had a hard time dragging me, But Kelya, a woman half a head shorter than me, could easily drag me, a testament to her monstrous strength, or in her words, peak human strength.

Not only did these soldiers have a more advanced genetic makeup than us, but they also likely trained as hard as marines. I don't know why they pick us for these death games and not them.

After walking for a bit, I reached the designated line and got positioned behind a chubby middle-aged man in a business suit. The man appeared slightly nervous but overall had better self-control over himself and temperament compared to most of the people here.

I decided to copy the man and not speak a word.

After five long minutes, another person arrived behind me, but I didn't see his face or gender. I could only tell that he was exceedingly nervous from the quivering of his legs.

After another few long minutes, the spaceship's large door opened and two individuals that looked like a commander and his vice commander stepped out of it.

The commander was a middle-aged man with a pitch-black charcoal face and strange blue glowing left eye. As for his right eye, and his entire upper-right skull, it was replaced with a bionic implant or plating of sorts, revealing a metallic sheen, and instead of a right eye, he had a glowing red lens.

The vice commander was a statuesque woman with bubble-gum-pink loose long hair and green eyes. Marring her otherwise perfect face was a distinctive knife scar over her left eye, but it only made her look heroic. On her waist, there was also a sheathed sword.

After the commander took a good long look at all of us with his weird eyes, he said, "451. There are 451 contestants here. I was expecting 502. Where are the other 51 contestants? May someone enlighten me?!" - The commander said with a fierce look.

One of the officers in the front stepped forward and saluted, "Reporting to Colonel Desmon, sir! Everyone has reported. 51 contestants showed signs of resistance and were dealt with according to military protocol, sir!"

"Ah, I see. 51! 51 of you! 51 of you dared bare their teeth to the emperor's will! How bold of you!" - The man spoke loudly with a mixture of anger and mocking in his voice.

My face paled. It didn't take a genius to know the 51 people's fate. That meant that we have around a 10% death rate. If I assume that this is the norm everywhere, then over 10,000 people will probably get murdered today.

"You monsters! Gah!" - A voice sounded from the crowd but was halted almost immediately.

"Who said that?! Officer! Bring him over!" - The vice commander barked an order.

Soon, an officer dragged a 40-year-old man with a sturdy build and a balding scalp. The man was groveling in pain, but the defiant look in his eyes was evident. The officer that dragged him threw the man to the ground in front of the vice commander.

"You, speak it again. What did you say? Repeat it." - The female vice commander ordered.

"Cough* Cough* whizz* I said, you are monsters! Killer psychopaths! Abominations! You should all rot in hell for what you did!" - The man said angrily, voicing the opinion that we all kept in our hearts.

"You mangy cur! I ought to--" - The vice commander reached to her sword.

"Enough! Let the man speak." - The commander smiled and gestured.

I had a bad feeling about this.

"Haah* Whizz* What is there to discuss with you, a monster? You will release us if I did?!" - The man mocked.

"Why, yes, I will." - Surprisingly, the commander nodded readily, an amiable smile on his face.

The bad feeling I had grew stronger.

It was official. The man was fucked.

The commander then turned to all of us and asked, "Does anyone else want to be released?! Raise your hands!"

After the commander asked this, some people hesitated and began raising their hands, including the man behind me.

I didn't dare raise my hand yet.

I sneaked a look at Kelya, and she implored me with her eyes to stay quiet and not do anything.

At that moment I confirmed what was about to unfold.

"Hmm! Good! 36 of you have raised your hands, and you shall all gain release. Is there anyone else who wants to be released?" - The commander said while pacing to and fro in front of the lines.

Five minutes later, there was no one else who raised their hands.

"Hm, a shame. Oh well." - The commander lamented as if disappointed.

He then said to his vice commander, "Major Briyanna, give them release."

"Yes, Colonel Desmond!"

The female vice commander nodded and then barked an order that sent a chill down my spine.

"Officers! Perform your duty!" - She shouted at the top of her lungs, a fierce expression on her face.

"Yes Ma'am!" - The officers replied in unison.

Immediately after she issued her order, 36 people were dragged from the lines, including the man behind me.

The next scene was the most bone-chilling scene I had ever seen in my life.

"W-What are you-?! Bang* Poof*"

"N-No! I don't wanna-! Bang* Poof*" - The man behind me cried before being silenced.

"I-I have three children, please! You cant do this- Bang* Poof*"

A mixture of cries and shouts sounded for a few seconds and were silenced by the sound of lasers crackling the air and piercing their skulls.

Within a short few seconds, 36 people were methodically executed. If I raised my hand, I would have been too.

"Y-Your a liar! A lying monster!!! How is this release?! You just butchered them!" - The man who got dragged first cried in horror and tears and shouted historically.

"Lie? I did no such thing! You asked for release, so I granted it!" - The commander said as if it was the most natural of things.

"Release?! You killed them! You are a liar!" - The man continued to cry.

The commander stayed silent for a moment before he raised his voice and asked.

"SOLDIERS! WHAT IS RELEASE?!" - The commander shouted.

"DEATH!" - In a unified voice, all the soldiers shouted as one, making my eardrums hurt.

"See? I did not lie. In the Vrax Empire, Release is Death." - The commander explained with a deadpan expression.

He then turned to his vice commander.

"Major Briyanna, perform your duty!" - The commander ordered.

"Yes, Colonel Desmond!" - The woman nodded and drew her sword, a long saber.

"Your monsters! Monsters! Rot in hell, all of you!" - The man shouted hysterically as he crawled backward.

"I shall release you now." - The officer said apathetically and her sword lighted up with blue energy.

 Bzhhh*

A humming voice sounded from her sword.

"See you in hell, bitch! CHOP* Plop*" - The man shot his final curse before his head was cleanly lopped off in one swift motion.

No blood leaked from the neck, as the wound was cauterized by the energy in the sword.

The commander looked at us and said coldly, "Now, we are short of 88 people."