Chapter 94 43:
Flashback.
The midday sun, once again, rose in an eternal radiance over the great planet Viltrum.
Korr-Add found it difficult to get used to the servitude of the Syrenis who attended to him throughout the entire day and night, but he had to endure it as much as his dissociated mind urged him to while witnessing the expressionless gazes of those servants.
Perhaps the absence of Syra-Vel, whose ghostly presence seemed to haunt every corner, reminded him of his naïve past, when he had failed to measure the consequences of his actions. Perhaps the silence, now denser than ever, had become an oppressive constant, as though the fortress itself were waiting for something new and shocking.
But it was simply his mind putting him through a rough patch, one he preferred to bury in the deepest part of his skull.
To his dismay, his father still required his presence, so he had to go to him.
Once again, Voraht led him into the main hall, where one usually spent their leisure hours constructing artifacts to fill the long hours capable of breeding boredom.
The zebra mural still hung upon the wall, untouched, exactly as he had seen it the day before.
They reached the great table where they both stopped to begin the... dialogue?... of the day.
"Sit down." Voraht "indicated," pointing toward one of the metal chairs arranged around the table.
Korr obeyed, as expected.
His father did the same, sighing in the process. He seemed like a complete novice trying to establish a connection between the two of them, though his attempts to make natural something that simply did not seem to exist in his D N A were evident, making it even more uncomfortable, though no less despised.
Although his posture remained rigid, he struggled to maintain a more relaxed bearing in front of Korr-Add.
Silence erected a gigantic wall between them, like dense concrete, sturdy and laden with everything neither of them wished to name.
They both detested each other—that was a fact. Voraht understood that his son resented him for the murder of his favorite servant, but he expected that, in time, through proper Imperial training, the nato would come to his senses and forget those "foolish" grudges without foundation.
Feeling that he could not remain silent for so long, Voraht decided to begin on his own initiative.
"I feel immensely surprised by your achievements, Korr-Add. You have managed to climb much higher than I ever did," Voraht finally said, his eyes fixed on some point beyond Korr's shoulder.
The uniform he wore held a value that, in time, would even surpass his own position. That red fauld signified an unprecedented change of class, and into a superior class no less.
His own son would stand in a position from which the administration of the Empire's future itself would be governed.
Therefore, even knowing of his son's "eccentricities," he found himself incapable of feeling resentment over his nato's acts of self-sabotage, rebellious as he was.
He truly felt astonished by it.
"When... you were born, your genetic classification indicated potential within the expected parameters for a class fifteen nato. Though I must admit you were impulsive... restless. But the worst part was that you were predisposed toward... inclinations for activities unproductive for a warrior of the Empire." His words sounded cold, emphasizing each one seriously. "Do not think I do not know about your little 'escapades' to the logistics sector of the Dorymathos, under the training of that... crippled mutant."
Voraht paused, arranging his thoughts before continuing.
"For a moment I came to think you had been corrupted by that sub-officer, that... that dishonorable woman... even if she belongs to the new generation, she will still remain nothing more than a sinner who... I apologize; none of my ramblings matter." He said, shaking his head.
"I thought her inferior conceptions had contaminated your development, especially that servant of yours. There is no doubt that, through my negligence, she had led you away from the path of your honorable lineage... I hope you understand the reason why I executed her. You may believe it was out of cruelty on my part, but understand that it was only necessity. Only in that way could I eliminate that influence before it caused irreparable damage."
Voraht's words fell upon Korr like slabs of lead, yet he chose neither to object nor interrupt him. Korr-Add saw in his father's eyes that he truly believed he had done the right thing, like taking a stray cat away from his son's hands because the animal gave him allergies.
There was no point trying to explain how wrong his father was.
Because, in the eyes of this society, the one who would certainly be wrong was himself.
"I certainly must admit that... in part, I acted somewhat hastily," Voraht continued, causing surprise to appear upon Korr's face. "You did not need me to eliminate any influence, or so some colleagues who have gone through... this situation, or something similar with their own natos, told me," he hinted, looking at Korr for an instant before sighing. "In the name of Argall, raising children is difficult and incompatible with me. But well, understand this, son. I want you to know that I recognize the fire you carry within you, like a worthy Viltrumite. Your determination is even more tenacious than anyone could anticipate; recent events have proven it."
The silence was brief, but Voraht did not expect his son to say anything. So he continued praising him, just as his companions, experienced in having fathered and raised their own bloodlines, had advised him to do.
"You faced thousands of Lithari completely alone without even hesitating and... that is the most impressive part of all. You saved our sacred planet through your own involuntary sacrifice. You are the pride of your entire race, son, so be proud."
Silence lingered for several moments before being interrupted by his father's sigh, who chose to speak a little, only a little, about himself.
"I am a low-class soldier, son. My genetic classification was inferior to yours. It was expected that I would only ever reach the rank of sub-officer in my entire life, but I did not settle. I sacrificed everything to reach this point, and to obtain the classification and position of a superior, through merit. There is not a single day when I do not feel proud of having achieved what no one else did."
"And that is what it is about, my son: distinguishing your exceptional talent, proving to the world, to the Empire itself, that you are more than just a low-class soldier; that even you can break through that barrier and..." Voraht suddenly stopped, nearly losing his composure.
He looked at his son, who seemed to be trying to understand what that part of him had been, and cursed himself.
He had allowed himself to be carried away by his emotions for a single instant and had almost betrayed his conviction.
He had almost betrayed his composure, his DUHM.
He clenched his jaw, unwilling to show that facet of weakness to his son.
Never; he had sworn it to himself, and he would make certain that his bloodline would be the same.
"Beyond obedience, strength, brutality, skill, technique, and insight... what matters most in your career as a Viltrumite warrior is instinct, acting in the name of the Empire and its ideals even when you are at a disadvantage. Like me."
Voraht leaned slightly forward, and for an instant, Korr believed he saw something in his father's eyes that he had never witnessed before.
Although those eye sockets possessed no warmth whatsoever by virtue of his own bloodline, apparently they could express other emotions, such as pride, relief, and even recognition.
He could distinguish all of it because Korr himself, at some point in his own existence, had also been a father.
"It is an honor for me to have fathered a son so valuable to the Empire. And I want you to know that, although at first I doubted your abilities, although my methods were... severe... I consider that the result justifies the means employed. Just look at yourself, look at what you have become without even reaching your first orbit. You have understood your purpose as a warrior of Viltrum very well."
Korr did not know how to respond. Voraht's words, though formulated in the cold and functional language of a Viltrumite military officer, were the closest thing to an apology he would ever receive from his progenitor.
The silence that followed that speech was different from the previous ones.
Although the tension still lingered, it certainly felt less heavy than it had a few minutes earlier.
Finally, Voraht exhaled, knowing that, given the palpable discomfort between them, his son would remain as silent as ever in front of him.
His offspring was simply different from the rest.
With a sigh, he immediately changed the subject.
"The High Council has granted me an 'extended reproduction order.'"
Korr raised his head, bewildered by the direction the conversation had taken.
"After the incident with the Dorymathos, long before arriving here, I was summoned to evaluate your actions and they have determined that my genetic lineage is favorable to the Empire. The reports concerning your performance, added to the records of my own campaigns, have led the Council to conclude that my descendants will contribute significantly to the improvement of the Viltrumite genetic foundation."
"This... this is..."
Korr-Add did not know what to say. Many things had changed as a result of the frustration brought about by that rebellion against the Empire. Nevertheless, a feeling of agitation and anguish seized his body upon understanding what this meant for him; more specifically, for his plans, his plans to escape.
"That is good news," Voraht interrupted him, happier over the High Council's words than over the very possibility of fathering children once more.
In truth, he would not have been interested in procreating again in the slightest had it not been for the benefits granted to him. His own forces would be doubled, meaning he would have more personnel for future campaigns. And more importantly, he would be assigned an Imperial Exploration Designation. Few generals had the honor of bearing an Imperial Exploration Designation.
"As a consequence, I have been ordered to father ten children with ten high-ranking Viltrumite women. The process will be completed within the next cycle. Once they are born, you, as the firstborn and as a meritorious sub-officer, will be expected to take charge of their initial training. I will not be able to do so personally, as my obligations at the front will prevent me."
Those words struck him; for a moment, he felt as though he had been punched in the stomach.
Ten children who would grow up in this white fortress, surrounded by enslaved servants and the absence of genuine affection. Ten souls who would be molded into living weapons, just as he had become.
"I understand," he said; he did not know what else to say.
"There is something else," Voraht added, and this time his voice carried a nuance Korr could not interpret. "Your progenitor... has requested to meet you."