#79

There are two parties on Earth-Beta-3 who are worried now; though of course there are technically many more, really. We choose ignorance here to instead focus on only two. They are the Emperor Kai, and Jacob Berkley.

The Emperor is concerned. From the Red Tower, flanked with his new Crimson Guards, he ponders the death of his son and wife. It is a painful ponder. He reminds himself, however, that he is merely a clone of the true Kai; whom he knows in turn to merely be a duplicate of Doctor Umiho, his Master. Or Inspector Fox, whatever he calls himself now. He has no true genetic ties to those he has murdered. He is a man without a family.

Still, there are more troubling reports now.

Several sightings have been made of a glowing woman manifesting around the world, threatening Imperial property, by way of launching attacks against the “medic” cyborgs needed so urgently for the perpetuation of Fox's plan. She matches the description of the Lady he serves, as well as that which the Empire itself serves. She seems to be his Venus; and she might well be the Empire's Columbia.

But she has been shown to fight the Empire. Perhaps she's nothing more than an identity taken by an irony-minded female resistance fighter—but her power seems incredible, and definitely not human. She cannot be killed or captured, and exterminates her foes with unerring bursts of flame.

Beautiful.

The Emperor wonders if this mysterious Lady could someday be his bride. He has dedicated himself fiercely to the Goddess of Love, and he would give anything to be with her. He would even sacrifice his throne to have her by his side.

The Emperor Kai is left alone with his thoughts.

Jacob, meanwhile, is standing on the front steps of McGee Manor, as it hovers over the ruins of Imperial Central. He has no words, aside from, “What the hell happened here?”

Doctor Kai says nothing. He senses the approach of his Father, who is also not his father. The final battle will be here, he realizes. Not necessarily in this city—but on this Earth.

Jacob thinks about what he's gotten into now, thinking of himself. This place looks like it had a nuke dropped on it. He gets the impression this is where his brother's killers came from; this must be the Empire. He resists the pun of calling it the “Empire Earth”, though he realizes humor will dispel his fretting.

The video game joke, though, will come around again, as Doctor Kai approaches him. “When I was last here, before my death, they called this place...Dieselworld.”

Jacob turns back to face him.

“What?”