~ Chapel Perilous ~

[Malaclypse 666]

Malaclypse sat alone in his austere office on Shasta Outpost.

Events were moving rapidly.. too rapidly. It would be all he and his Goddess could do to keep up with them, and to try to keep the Chao in balance.

All the reports he had received indicated one very strange and troubling conclusion. Gabrielle DeLavancy was not connected in any way to the current "I-5", the Illuminati Primi who exterted incredible control over the daily life of Sirians without their slightest knowledge.

This revelation had been as troubling to the other "Primi" as it had been to him. His reports to them had caused an incredible furor. There were accusations thrown back and forth inferring collusion of one or another with this new element which claimed to be connected to the mysterious "Omnioculus", allegedly still orbiting Terra. During many periods in history, there had been competing organizations who each claimed to be the "true" Illuminati. Now, history seemed to be repeating itself with the arrival of the DeLavancy vessel in Sirius.

The ensueing furor had resulted in one surprising and fortuitous decision. For the first time in a decade, the leaders of the Illuminati had insisted on meeting in person to discuss this new threat to their supremacy. Minister Tebayai had been the most vocal, and had suggested the location for the meeting. Mal had still not received confirmation from the other three Primi, but he had no doubt they would attend.

Malaclypse did not hesitate to put his own plans in motion. He had been almost certain that Reggie would protest, or even refuse to carry out the mission that he had been tasked with; but the response from the Oro.de.Veranda had been a single, terse, word.. "Understood!"

Reggie would have to hurry in order to complete both objectives of his mission, but Mal had no doubts that his old friend would be ready in time. No matter how distasteful the task, Reggie would remain loyal, and would act in the best interests of Sirius, and his Faith.

There remained only one task before Mal left for the meeting with the Four. He finished the quintuple encryption of one last transmission, which would be delivered directly to the processing "cortex" of his Avenging Angel, F-23 Shamus O'Shaunessy. He would transmit the remaining assignments once he had boarded his flagship, and was underway to Sigma 19.

Malaclypse rose, and looked around his office as if seeing it for the first time. He glanced out and down through his panoramic viewport at the Goddess Geode below the Outpost, marvelling again at its discovery and incredible powers. He offerred a brief prayer of thanks, and beseeching, to Eris, and strode purposefully out of the office towards the docking bay.

---