Chapter 14: 1.09.1 An interrogation to remember - Part1
Ignoring the Domain users, who have obtained different names and titles with times and whose legacy can never be carried due to their individuality.
On Taurus, for a long time, only the path of the externalist existed. A power system, where one uses his own will and vigor to enhance tools and weapons to control them like their own limbs.
This union of man and machine is achieved through forming unique energy called Auxiliary power. Which can only be born when a human's state of existence reaches the peak of grade one, then they are injected with a nanobot solution which acts as a key to unlock this unique power.
By utilizing their own transcended aura, a person then has to circulate these nanobots in his body. forming the embryo of a source engine. Slowly replacing their nervous system with neural networks that can accept the auxiliary energy generated in the source engine.
At the peak of grade two, an externalist user has long replaced all his neural networks with Nanobiotix wires that reach deep into their cerebellum. And as one walks deeper into this path, this displacement of organic matter with inorganic one increases, slowly turning the man into a machine.
It was a cruel transformation path where one slowly loses his humanity the stronger he gets.
But with war imminent in the old world, a new path came into existence.
In the race to find a cheaper way to manufacture war machines, that didn't require any expensive materials. A pharmaceutical company stumbled on a world-changing discovery.
And it was a power birthed by biotech, called a mutation.
At first, the beast built by the power of mutation was weak, inefficient, and nothing more than fodder. But there were advantages as well. The beasts were cheaper to manufacture and didn't require any management.
These small advantages didn't go unnoticed by others, which resulted in a sudden boom in the development of these mutant beasts. And slowly but surely, the humans themselves started to use mutation to enhance themselves.
Like it was with the beast, the mutant path was cheaper to enter and didn't require any expensive liquid or neural diagrams that were needed by externalists. It was adopted far widely in the world and became the sole reason why the previous civilization crumbled.
The reason for this was also simple, similar to how one loses their humanity on an externalist path, on the mutant path, one loses their reasoning and turns mad with time.
A madness, that is caused by unbridled mutations, that affect the thinking ability of a person. Resulting in their instincts overpowering their reasoning.
Most of the new variants of mutants walking on Tauras once used to be human themselves.
"I would say none of the power systems are good… but if you have to choose the Externalist is the best bet. The great leader of the Riber City, General Wilkis Riber, himself is a grade four Externalist capable of piloting a thirty-meter mech while controlling more than a thousand drones at once." Girisia boasted under the utter confusion of the guards. He was shamelessly kissing the ass of the man all the soldiers worshiped, it was his way to show solidarity with his captors.
"Really?... But how and where to get this mysterious liquid?" Tara asked, joy flashing across her face, she had recorded every word that Girisia spoke. Now all she wanted to learn was how to acquire that class.
"That can only be obtained by conscripting in the army and only to those that are a citizen of Riber city and even though your people have helped us, it doesn't change the fact that your kind is something we know little about… at least, for now," Tarkov spoke, standing on the door of the room for who knew how long.
This surprise visit of him caused the guard to become attentive again and salute him as their superior.
Tara was equally surprised as the guard stood up from Girisia's bedside and tried to mimic the salute, but failed mid-way after just calling him a 'sir'.
"No need for that, you should leave, for now, many people want to talk with this man." Ignoring her bad salute, Tarkov ordered.
"Well, I have told you what you desire, young girl, you should listen to the captain and leave. We will talk more later." Knowing his time had come, Girisia made peace with fate. He was not as arrogant after being caught. Hence, struggling or acting condescending will only harm him in return.
For now, he has set aside his dream to become stronger, he needs to survive the interrogation that is to follow, while not being exposed to his interrogators about knowledge of the future he possessed and the secret of how he was still somewhat similar to these "anomans".
Knowing there was nothing left to listen to and seeing the reward has been paid to her, Tara, bowed to everyone in the room and left it. She was going to earn lots of money for doing nothing.
'She may become useful in the future, I should remember this one.' Looking at Tara's leaving figure, Girisia thought. He had never seen a more greedy player and was still confused whether her worry over his life was fake or not.
*****
"Now that your friend has left, we should have a talk," Tarkov said while sitting on the chair where Tara sat before. While gesturing toward the soldiers to lock the door from inside.
"If you don't mind me saying it captain, but I don't think this is an official interrogation… just yet," Girisia questioned, noticing the odd actions of Tarkov when entering this room.
'But considering it's him, I don't mind it.' Girisia never planned to make any connections with Tarkov, because to him, Tarkov was nothing but a big heap of trouble. The trouble that will be personally killed by Wilkis Riber in the future.
"You are right, this is not an official interrogation… So don't be tense, I was just curious about the anomans" Tarkov acknowledged.
'This bastard…' How can Girisia not be tense in his current situation?
Any slip from his mouth about the rebirth and he will disappear from this war and probably end up in a dumpster after his brain has been scanned and all his memories extracted.
'Girisia, you need the bastard, he is the only guy that can keep you safe."
"Ah yes, the anoman, what are you curious about? Captain." Girisia tried to laugh, but pain stopped him from moving his chest too much.
"I don't know much about them. So wanted to know, how can you, a normal and weak karabit have such a good relationship with them?" This was the truth, Tarkov was just curious about the players and how Girisia manipulated them so easily.
He wanted to learn what makes them tick, what is their weakness and if he can exploit them for his own use.
'He really was planning it.' Listening to his question, Girisia was getting more sure of his assumption.
"Please, don't call me a weak captain, it really hurts." He replied playfully. He had planned to ease in on the true topic he wanted to talk about with Tarkov.
But he didn't know, Tarkov was never into small talk.
"Don't treat it as a game and give answers, as you are meant to." His question was not a request, but an order from him.
"Captain, you should understand. I am already your captive and my life is in your hands, so I need some assurance before I open my mouth about these anomans." Girisia put forward his condition. It may be ill-advised of him to use his brain too much in his current condition, but telling the details about classes to Tara has woken him up from his drug-induced confusion and he needs to use his brain properly if he has to make Tarkov fall under his trap.
But Girisia didn't know what kind of man Tarkov was.
"I just asked you a simple question." With a grim expression, he said. "Tell me what I want to know, so I can leave you some time to rest, before your true torture begins."
Tarkov inched his hands toward Girisia's left shoulder and grabbed his collarbone.
"Wha… What are you doing." Pain, a new kind of pain that Girisia hasn't experienced till now. Tarkov was not only squeezing his collar bone, he was also releasing some nanobots in his bloodstream that lessened the effects of the painkillers.
"Just tell me what I want to learn and we can end this." Tarkov's grip tightened with each of his words, he knew how much Girisia feared death and pain. But he was never someone who enjoyed giving people pain, all he wanted was some answers, he didn't care about Girisia being a spy.
"You.. are… crazy…" Girisia tried to shout in pain, but no one heard his screams. Even the two guards in the room didn't flinch.
'I thought he only went crazy after the time skip.' Girisia tried to recall the history, but he only remembered a few core details and Tarkov's screams when he was tortured to death by Wilkis in front of a whole battlefield.
After he met Tarkov again in his new life, he was surprised at how calm and collected he used to be.
'But I was wrong.' He knew, if he didn't do anything now, he may lose initiative.
'Hell, I lost the moment he grabbed my shoulder.'
"Al…" Tried to shout Girisia.
"Al… Al what?" A familiar syllable, Tarkov thought. He loosened his grip and gave Girisia some breathing room. "Now you are talking… Answer me, I still have a lot of tasks at hand."
Girisia, feeling relieved from the pain, looked at Tarkov with an accusatory look. But knowing that if he played word games further, he may really experience even worse pain. Girisia only said one word. "Alwaris."
Just one word, a single word which was now completed. For the two guards, this word held no meaning, but Tarkov's eyes widened in nostalgia and some pain… Then anger, lots of anger.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone