Story Mode
Story Mode
HoH season 12. Source: valucre.net static Gaia dump.
Table of contents
Crimson Hawk Hotel, Noah's Penthouse Suite
It had been a long time coming.
Too long.
It would be a lie if Elia Noah said he was not disappointed by the events that took place earlier last year. No, forget lying. Saying that he was disappointed was an understatement. After the glorious unveiling of the Ark last year, Noah thought that 2011 would be the year that brought all things to fruition. Instead, it turned out to be the first time they had ever had to cancel the tournament half way through its run. The tournament had withstood countless disasters in the previous years, and only for it to end up like this. It was a serious blow to Noah's pride, one that had delayed the next tournament for nearly an entire year.
And yet, here he was.
Once more, in the Crimson Hawk Hotel.
The opening ceremonies.
After such a heavy blow to this tournament, his pride and joy, it had bounced back. He had bounced back. Words couldn't describe how wonderful this felt for the chairman. Even as the participants and their guests arrived at the Crimson Hawk and prepared themselves for the opening ceremonies, Noah felt content to reward himself for this achievement. Noah often treated himself to a cigar every now and then even when there was no special occasion, but these were no ordinary cigars. They were one of the few remaining boxes of cigars that were once in the possession of Johnny K. Gambino before his untimely death. Noah had won one of the boxes in an auction for G2,000, having originally saved them for the end of the 2011 tournament. And yet, with the tournament rising from the ashes in the way that it did, Noah just couldn't resist. It was far too fitting a moment.
Of course, Noah wasn't one to count his chickens before they hatched. The events of last year did not sit very well with the Board, but little of what he did ever sat well with them. Their reaction to the events of the previous tournament illustrated that fact quite well for him. Noah knew that they wouldn't be pleased with him resuming activities aboard the Ark, but they would cease to be a problem soon enough. He had a very big surprise in store for them, and as far as he knew, all of his plans since the end of 2011 had all gone according to plan, even if it had delayed the tournament as long as it did.
As Noah lounged in his chair, savoring the literal richness of the obscenely-expensive cigars, a low, mechanical beep sounded once, echoing throughout the penthouse. This didn't seem to interrupt the chairman's enjoyment in the slightest, but that didn't stop him from pressing a button on his chair to buzz his guest in. Noah already had a good idea of who it was even before his massive form breached the doorway.
It was a Judge, fully clad in an imposing gunmetal grey suit of armor much like any other of his kind. His thundering steps were softened slightly by the posh carpeting of the penthouse interior, but the Judge paid little mind to the extravagance of Noah's temporary living quarters. He stopped a few feet away from the chairman, taking to a knee before him.
"Ah, Tetsura," said Noah after taking a refreshing drag from his cigar, "Good of you to join me. I would offer you a cigar, but I doubt one such as yourself would really appreciate these simple pleasures."
"I have no need of them," said Judge Tetsura in an echoing, almost metallic voice, "You have given me much already."
Noah's smile stretched into a sly grin at the remark. Indeed, he had given Tetsura something rather valuable, although he knew there was still much that the Judge desired. Of course, Noah couldn't just let his Judges prance around fighting the competitors they were meant to judge in the first place, so that would just have to wait for now.
"How are things progressing?"
"The preliminary rounds have concluded. There have been a few last minute substitutions, but it was pleasing to see so many so willing to fight. Had it been any less, I would have been sorely disappointed."
"Yes, that you would. I'd imagine Ms. Goldschmidt would agree with you there. And what about the Ark?"
"Our efforts in containing the situation have been successful. Judge Sira has managed to put things in order. I do not forsee any further complications."
Noah laughed lightly at the response. "Don't be so sure, Tetsura. Our efforts last year and years previous have drawn some...unwanted attention. No doubt there will be others getting a little too curious for their own good. Not all spectators seem to enjoy a good fight as much as the rest of them do. A shame, really."
"Shall I take care of this 'unwanted attention'?"
"Don't be so hasty, Tetsura. Subtlety is paramount here and, well...subtlety doesn't seem to be your area of expertise, I'm certain. Do we have our results yet?"
"Not yet. But they are near completion. Everything should be ready within the hour."
"Thank you, Tetsura. I appreciate your honesty in spite of this lack of punctuality. There's no need to worry, though. We've waited this long anyway, have we not?"
"That we have."
"Good then," said Noah, putting out his cigar in the ashtray mounted on the arm of his chair. "I shall be ready within the hour. Please see to Judge Sira in the meantime. I'd like for you and the other Judges to join me when I make my way to the Grand Ballroom. If I am not mistaken, I'm expecting a few guests to arrive this evening. I'd like to have a word with one of them after the ceremonies. You are dismissed."
"As you wish," said Tetsura, rising once more to his full, towering height as he headed for the door until only the metallic clang that accompanied his steps were all that remained of his presence.
Now left to himself once more, Noah cracked open a bottle of finely aged Durem burgundy and poured himself a glass. Raising the glass to his lips, he paused for a moment as his eyes caught his slightly skewed, tinted reflection in the wine.
"After all these years, it has all led to this."
Noah took a long, satisfying taste of his drink.
"And oh, how glorious it will be."
The Crimson Hawk, Grand Ballroom
As the participants and other guests took part in the festivities, the night slowly lost its youth. It had been hours since the opening ceremonies had began, and there was still no sign of the mysterious chairman of the Foundation or news of the preliminary round scoring. Many began to grow restless as others remembered the previous year, where Noah hadn't even shown up until after the party was over. For a moment it seemed as if this year was to be yet another repeat of the previous. A few of the more wealthy patrons that had come to see Elia Noah had started to leave to spare themselves the disappointment.
It was then that one of the Judges standing by Noah's empty reserved table stepped forward...
"Ahh, Ms. Goldschmidt. Good of you to join me," said Noah, walking down the first floor hallway leading to the ballroom. "I had almost expected to you be at the ceremonies before me."
"No sir," said Nicole "Nikki" Goldschmidt, Noah's longtime personal assistant. "I didn't want you to miss out on this year's ceremonies, so I waited until you were ready to meet the public." There was no way Nikki could let herself lapse in her duties and fail be by Noah's side this time...not when this year had so much importance behind it. Either way, she knew they would both end up late enough to almost be unfashionable. It troubled her some, but Noah was seemingly unphased by the delays. They had managed to continue on in spite of them, and this was his hour of triumph.
Halfway to the ballroom, another man joined Noah's retinue from one of the intersecting hallways. One could tell by first glance that he was probably some sort of scientist due to the long white lab coat he wore, even if that was probably the most stereotypical indication of the profession. He had long white hair just a shade darker than Noah's own tied into a braided ponytail with round eyeglasses that hid his eyes with the light that reflected off of them. Nothing looked overtly threatening about the man save the contented grin he had on his face as he casually stepped in to join Noah at his left side.
"Well now, Mr. Noah," he said, "It seems you've made it just in time. I've been hearing that a few of your guests had started to become quite restless. I'm sure you wouldn't want to disappoint our benefactors, now, wouldn't you?"
"Not at all, doctor," replied Noah, brushing off the subtle yet snide remark, "I may have let their anticipation age for a bit, but now it's time to break out the goblets. Good to see that you're capable of parting with your research for a few moments to socialize."
The doctor chuckled softly. "I am no stranger to formal events, Noah, even if I don't care to dress myself up to serve as your escort." He shot a sideways glance at Nikki, who looked none too pleased about the remark. Unlike her usual, more casual attire, Nikki was wearing a long red dress that was modest enough to be presentable but showy enough not to be overly prudish. The only thing she wished not to part with was the scarf she wore around her neck and the S-Class FIGHTER she had hooked up to the right side of her head like always. "I simply don't care for the rest of the scientific community and, as you already know, they don't much care for me either. Rest assured that this little sojourn will not delay my research by any significant margin. The prototype will be ready for testing after the first round."
"Splendid."
As Noah and company continued down the hallway, they were silently joined by the toweing, heavily-armored forms of two Judges. Unlike some of the more "rank and file" Judges, the armor of these two in particular was somewhat more distinct than the armor worn by the others, no doubt indicating some sort of higher rank. The tallest one was clad in dark, gleaming blue-black armor with a flowing cloak with a large mantle of black feathers covering his shoulders. The imposing ram-horned helm he wore showed absolutely no hint of his eyes or any of his face, obscuring them within the shadow's of the helm's confines. The other Judge, unlike his compatriot, wore no cloak at all, clad in a stylized suit of samurai armor made entirely out of gunmetal grey-colored steel. His gauntlets, spaulders, faulds and other armor pieces were adorned with menacing spikes, with two curved horns jutting out the front of his helmet. The Judge's face was completely obscured by the intimidating menpo that was attached to his helmet, but like the other Judge it didn't look like there was much face to cover. Absolutely nothing could be seen past the gaps in his armor, even moreso than the first. In spite of their large size and apparent weight, the two of them followed Noah silently, standing behind him at either side like a personal escort for his group.
"ATTENTION, ALL HEAVEN OR HELL PARTICIPANTS AND GUESTS!"
The Judge that had stepped up to Noah's vacant table spoke out in a booming voice, loud enough to fill the entire ballroom. Many of the wealthy celebrities that were just on their way out stopped in their tracks at the sound of the Judge's call. The Judge demanded their attention, and he would have it.
"Join us now in welcoming the founder of the Heaven or Hell tournament and chairman of the Noah Foundation, Mr. Elia Noah!"
And just like that, Noah finally passed through the doorway with his retinue as a few more Judges stood at attention, securing a path for Noah to pass through. No one would dare cross past any of the Judges to get closer to him for fear of their wrath, but that alone was not the cause of the confident, almost victorious look on Noah's face. He had come so far after all these years, and this year showed the most promise in seeing his dream realized. The guests erupted with applause as he, Nikki, the doctor and the two Judges made their way to the reserved table, where the announcing Judge stood to join them.
Raising his hands out to the crowd, Noah motioned for silence so that he could speak.
"My honored guests," he began, "Friends, guests, competitors both new and old, champions and newcomers. Welcome to Heaven or Hell."
The crowd cheered once more in response, and Noah would not stop them. At least not for the first few moments. Once more he raised his hands to settle the crowd.
"Today I stand here with you on a day I thought would never come. After events that nearly ended the tournament indefinitely, we have risen from the ashes. Once more I have called out to you, the greatest fighters in all of Gaia, and you have answered. In spite of all that has happened, you showed this world, and many other worlds, that your competitive spirits will not be held down. Today I say to you that I share in this resolve. We share this resolve. The Foundation refuses to be held down by setbacks, and thus the tournament has risen from the ashes. It is in this struggle that we show our tenacity for progress, and it is this progress that leads us higher and higher until we can look out upon the world and see the heavens themselves laid before us. To this, I say...thank you."
"But I digress. This is the time you've all been waiting for, and I shall not delay it a moment longer."
Noah turned to the large overhead screen above his table. "Gentlemen! The scores, if you please."
The screen flickered to life in an instant, displaying the results for the 2012 Preliminary Rounds for all to see.
Heaven or Hell 2012 Preliminary Round Results Wrote:Team DARE - 50.17
Team Bloody Pandas - 48.67
Team Mata Leon - 48.17
Team Rising Star - 47.5
Team ODESSA - 46.17
Team Ryugin - 46
Team Success - 44
Team Fighting Spirit - 44
Team Second Banana - 40.33
Team Gaians with Attitude - 37.5
Team Strangers with Rock Candy - 36.83
"And there you have it," said Noah. "As said at the beginning of the round, the bottom three teams have been eliminated from the tournament. The eight teams that remain shall continue on to Round 1 aboard the Ark. Lodging aboard the Ark will be provided for you at the Azure Falcon Hotel, and transport shall be provided by the Foundation for all participants and guests."
Noah paused for a moment as the crowds clamored, giving the participants and their friends time to let the results sink in. No doubt there would be as much disappointment as there would be content among the masses, but that much was to be expected as it was every other year. Once things settled down, Noah called for attention once more.
"I do have one more announcement for you all before this night is finished," he said. "Before I say this, I would like to remove all doubt and make it as clear as possible that this shall in no way affect the progress of this tournament, and that the event will continue to proceed as intended. With that said..."
"I, Elia Noah, have decided to step down as chairman of the Foundation, starting today."
A resounding gasp went through the entire crowd at the shocking revelation. Nikki promptly spat out the champagne she had only just started to nurse, and the doctor's eyes widened with a mixture of surprise and intrigue. The two Judges simply stood there in knowing silence as Noah made his decree.
"I thank you all for your years of support and goodwill. I promise you all that in spite of this, the tournament shall continue as planned. The brackets for Round 1 of the tournament will be announced shortly. Until then, please continue to enjoy the festivities. May you all have a pleasant evening, and I hope to see you all again soon aboard the Ark."
With that bomb poignantly dropped, Noah stepped away from the table and headed towards the exit, flanked by the two Judges that came in with him. Nikki hurried after him, still dumbstruck by Noah's brazen announcement. The doctor did not join him, remaining at the table with the third judge as he sloshed around the wineglass in his hand, grinning with great amusement over this unexpected turn of events. Goodness knew what sort of trick Noah had up his sleeve to come out with such a head-turning statement. No doubt the papers were already getting their typesetters together to put together tomorrow's headlines.
For now, the competitors would be left to mull over their victories and defeats, and those who came seeking answers would now find themselves stuck with a new, more baffling question.
The Crimson Hawk Hotel, Just after Noah's departure
Normally when a man stepped down from a high position of power in an organization, it was often due to some shameful circumstance that forced them to do so. Many would no doubt begin to wonder whether or not the poor timing and numerous delays were the cause of Noah's decision to relinquish himself of his authority, if not the cancellation of the 2011 tournament. And yet the man that walked briskly down the halls of the Crimson Hawk with Judges covering his flank looked anything but ashamed. He was proud of what he had done, as if it was all par for the course. In spite of his completely white hair, Noah was not an elderly man, and he certainly wasn't stepping down due to old age. He knew that the papers would spin their stories inside and out, each one with their own idea of why Noah did what he had done. In fact, Noah had counted on it. The more the media focused on its own conclusions, the further they stayed away from the truth until the time was right.
Their articles would compliment his morning coffee nicely.
Nikki was still trailing behind him, not sure whether she was more upset about the news of Noah's resignation or if it was the fact that she would end up missing out on the opening ceremonies in the act of chasing after him. Clearly the latter was of her own volition, but how could she not? All of that hard work put into getting the tournament ready after such a shameful end last year, and he steps down? Had he lost his mind? Nikki certainly wouldn't be surprised after all of the insanity that occurred last year. She had heard that even some of the Judges had gone insane during that mess, so what if something had happened to Noah as well? Whatever it was, she had to find out, one way or another. Her career could be on the line, here.
Dodging the paparazzi wasn't too hard when you had a whole platoon of heavily-armored super-men watching your every move. The Judges were imposing enough that most reporters kept their distance, while some of the more eager ones could barely get their arms and heads past the gaps between each of the massive armored figures. None of them lifted a hand to push anyone back or manhandle anyone trying to get too close. They didn't need to. With so many of them standing in the way, they might as well have put up a wall.
Without much of a crowd to get through, it didn't take long for Nikki to catch up with Noah and Judge Sira. She kept a comfortable distance from Sira's dark, towering form and quickly stepped up beside Noah without any objection, adjusting the pace of her walk to keep up with him.
"Sir," she said hastily, "May I please speak freely?"
"Always, Ms. Goldschmidt," Noah casually replied.
In a split-second, Nikki stepped forward as fast as her heels could take her and planted herself right in front of Noah in order to halt his advance. Noah stopped abruptly, with Sira glaring pensively at Nikki.
"What the HELL are you thinking?" she shouted, "How could you step down at a time like this? Whatever happened to 'rising from the ashes'? How could you do this after all the work you've done? After all the work I've done?? What are we supposed to-"
Noah silenced Nikki with a single white-gloved finger placed up to her lips.
"My dear Ms. Goldschmidt," he said knowingly, "No need to make a scene."
It was in that moment that Nikki had realized she had just started shouting at her boss, and her heart sank lividly into her stomach. She would have just said "I'll go clear out my desk" if she hadn't remembered that Noah had just stepped down. Not that she really knew what that meant with regards to his authority over her. He had been her boss for such a long time that she really couldn't imagine it any other way at this point.
Either way, it didn't seem like he was about to fire her based on the way he reacted to her outburst. In fact, he was actually smiling at her. In truth, Noah found Nikki's passion for her job and the tournament itself to be one of her more endearing traits. He understood this passion was the reason why she was so upset, and the thought pleased him. Any lesser member of his staff would probably have been fired on the spot in the most deceptively polite way possible, but not Nikki. She was merely given a playful chiding, like a child getting upset over something she had yet to understand.
"It believe I owe you an explanation. Follow me."
A few minutes later, in Noah's penthouse at the top of the Crimson Hawk
Noah led Nikki back to the penthouse, with Judge Sira following close behind them. None of the paparazzi would be able to get past the Judges and hotel security so far as to reach the top floor of the Crimson Hawk, but that wouldn't stop Sira from keeping his undying watch over Noah. It seemed that even after stepping down from his position as chairman of the Foundation, the Judges were still devoted to Noah. This was to be expected, as beings such as they would never be bound by something as petty as executive hierarchy. They had chosen to aid Noah, not the other way around.
Nikki couldn't contain herself for much longer. Now that they were in the privacy of Noah's personal chambers, there was no reason for him to keep quiet. "Please, sir, tell me, why are you leaving the tournament after so long? Why now?"
Noah couldn't help but laugh at the question. "Leave the tournament? Ms. Goldschmidt, when did I ever say I was leaving the tournament? I'm not even leaving the Foundation. I'm simply stepping down as chairman."
Nikki would have sighed in relief if she wasn't still so utterly confused. "But why are you stepping down at all?"
"Well, if my timing is correct, you'll find out in just a moment..."
A muffled beeping noise sounded from Noah's position which soon revealed itself to be a notification on the specialized S-Class FIGHTER he wore on his wrist. "Ah, just in time," he said, smiling knowingly as he lifted his hand and casually snapped his fingers.
The lights in the room suddenly began to dim until they had shut off entirely. A small section of the ceiling opened up to reveal some sort of circular device with a glossy lens in the center, like the eye of a camera or a disc-reader. It soon came to life, projecting numerous holographic screens that surrounded the three of them in a half-circle, bathing them in the golden-orange glow of the light that had formed them. Each of the screens displayed a shadowy silhouette, each one noticeably different from the other but far too obscure for any other detail beyond their outlines.
"Yes yes, welcome, gentlemen," said Noah before turning to Nikki. "Ms. Goldschmidt, allow me to introduce you to the Foundation's Board of Direc-"
"What is the meaning of this, Noah?" shouted a furious, heavily modulated male voice. "What are you planning? I know you're planning something you ungrateful-!"
"Settle down," said a deeper yet equally modulated male voice. "Let him explain his actions."
Nikki blinked a few times in disbelief. She had known that there was a Board of Directors in the Foundation that Noah had to meet with concerning business matters, but she had never met any of them before. They were supposedly wealthy executives and business partners from all over Gaia and other worlds that played a part in the direction of the Foundation. Even speaking with them under such shady circumstances was something beyond her pay grade, and she was Noah's right-hand woman. Normally she was asked by Noah to leave him to his privacy whenever he had to meet with them, but for some reason Noah wanted her to be present for whatever reason. She couldn't decided if this was a good or bad thing just yet.
"Thank you, gentlemen. I'm sure you're all as anxious as the reporters are to find out why I've stepped down."
"Once again, your actions have caused quite a stir, Noah," said a female voice, with enough modulation that she almost sounded male, "By now, none of us should be surprised what you can do with just a few words." As much as that could be taken as a compliment, it was clear that the voice was full of stern contempt.
"You flatter me," Noah replied, "But I am merely setting things into motion. After what happened last year, I knew that my plans would do nothing but court your displeasure. My position as chairman is obviously meaningless if my own tournament can be shut down by executive meddling." Noah's tone was nothing less than cordial, but it was obvious by now that he had no love for the Board, especially not after what happened last year.
"I knew you had something planned," said the first voice from before. "Have you no sense of the consequences of your actions?"
"We've had enough disasters associated with this tournament," said another voice.
"Every year you jeopardize everything we've built with the insanity your ambition has led us!"
"You were fortunate what we were gracious enough to even allow you to continue this year," said another female voice, different from the one from earlier.
The deeper male voice from before spoke up once more. "Tell us, Noah. Why should we not simply cancel this year's tournament and prevent another disaster?"
"Should not?" asked Noah, "My dear directors, it isn't a matter of 'should not', but 'will not'. You will not shut down this year's tournament, because you cannot."
"Why you insolent-!"
Noah muted the sound output from the director's screen with a gesture. "So the real question is 'why can we not?' The answer is simple, really. I have something, or rather...someone special in store for you all aboard the Ark."
"You didn't..."
"You wouldn't...!"
"Oh, I did. And I will. "I'm going to wake the Founder."
Modulated gasps of disbelief and riotous commotion broke out among the executives through their holographic screens. Sira simply stood there as silent as a statue, as if he was fully aware of what Noah had planned to do before he even mentioned it to the Board. Nikki, on the other hand, was more confused than she was surprised. She had never heard of this "Founder" before in all of her years working for the Foundation. All she could do was get the implication that the "Founder" was the man who started the Foundation from the very beginning. She herself didn't know when the Foundation had begun, but an organization this rich and powerful didn't get that way over the course of a mere decade. Whoever this "Founder" was, he'd have to be pretty old. He had to be, since there were a few voices among the distressed directors that sounded just as confused as Nikki was. The Founder must have been out of the picture for so long that some of the newer executives didn't even know who he was.
But what on earth did Noah mean by "wake" him?"
"Do you have any idea what you're doing?"
"I know exactly what I'm doing, gentlemen," said Noah, as his tone steadily grew more severe with each word spoken. "I'm putting the Foundation back into the hands of its rightful owner. I've known for a long time now that I am not that person, but neither are any of you. For too long has this organization strayed from the goals that the Founder himself set out for us so long ago. You've all grown too comfortable with the wealth that the Foundation and this tournament has brought you, so comfortable that you've entirely lost all sense of purpose. Your actions last year showed me that I can never see the Founder's vision realized with your interference. That is why I intend to complete the circle. I will put the Foundation back into the hands of the Founder, and he will restore that lost sense of purpose. None of you will ever be able to impede my plans again. Meeting adjourned."
With a wave of his hand, the holographic screens shut off. The projector receded into the ceiling and the lights gradually brightened until the room was fully lit. The directors would be left to ponder and despair over whatever Noah was about to set into motion, but Noah didn't particularly care for their input anymore. He had single-handedly stripped their power over him away from them, and they knew it. Now Nikki could see why Noah had looked and felt so victorious after stepping down from his position. This was something he had planned for a long time, and only someone like him could make the abdication of his chairmanship into an act of absolute power.
"But...who is the 'Founder'?" she asked, "What do you mean 'wake' him?"
"All in good time, Ms. Goldschmidt," said Noah, his tone of voice lightening up once again. "You'll find out soon enough once we're aboard the Ark. For now, you may return to the festivities if you wish, but please do get some rest. We'll be activating the Magi-Tech gate in the Crimson Hawk tomorrow, as well as the ferry for our more superstitious guests. The first round is only a few days away."
"Yes, sir." said Nikki, making her way out of the penthouse. She figured she'd need to drown this bit of information with a good deal of tequila if she was ever going to swallow it. Sira gave Noah a knowing nod before he departed, leaving the former chairman to the silence of his chambers.
He didn't need to enjoy himself at the ceremonies. His night had already been made.
After Round One, deep within the Restricted Area
As the fighting began to settle down, Elia Noah's attention had been directed elsewhere. Although he enjoyed watching the fights as much as Nikki did, his business within the Ark's Restricted Area was of the utmost importance. He had waited many years for this day, and nothing would delay him from seeing it through. For something as big as this, Noah had no problem watching the replays from the comfort of his quarters as opposed to the live feed. Nikki, on the other hand, was far less pleased to be taken away from the fighting. She had no grasp of the supposed importance of waking "the Founder", and the fighting was what she lived for. Still, Noah had wanted her to witness whatever this was supposed to be, and she wasn't about to argue with him, even if he was dragging her away right as the fights were ending. The man in the lab coat who had joined Noah in his brief appearance at the opening ceremonies was also present. He seemed far more interested to be there than Nikki was, for whatever reason. There had to be some reason why that wide grin had been stuck on his face since the night before.
And just as before, Judge Sira followed behind the three of them, his steps silent in spite of his size.
"I take it you've been waiting quite a while for this as well, haven't you, Dr. Aramaki?" said Noah as he walked down the corridor with his group, addressing the man in the lab coat by name.
"Quite a while, indeed," replied Dr. Aramaki, adjusting the pair of rounded spectacles on his face, "Besides your funding, the Founder is half the reason I decided to lend my services to the Foundation. To be able to see and observe him living and breathing is a far more valuable than any sort of monetary reimbursement. You haven't forgotten the other part of our bargain, have you, Noah?"
Noah laughed softly. "I haven't. But let's not get too hasty, shall we? You've still yet to fulfill your half of the deal."
"Oh, don't worry," replied Aramaki, "I'll have that settled in the upcoming round. You won't be disappointed.""
Noah led his entourage down a long corridor leading to a lone elevator at the end of it. The building they were currently located in was only a single floor, so it was obvious to Noah's associates that the elevator only had one way to go. With a few quick keystrokes and an eye scan, the elevator door opened. The three of them entered, with Nikki's steps somewhat slowed by reluctance. She had no idea what Noah had in store for her.
"Neither will you," said Noah, as the doors closed.
The descent felt like forever to Nikki. Perhaps it was the lack of perspective that came from taking an elevator that was heading underground as opposed to a building that could be seen from the outside. Given how large the Spires were, the Ark had to at least be deep enough in order to bear something so large and heavy. She didn't know why this "Founder" would have holed himself up in the depths of the Ark, figuring that anyone who would do such a thing would have to be batshit insane by now if they weren't already before. How could Noah expect someone like that to head the Foundation in his stead?
When the elevator finally reached its destination, the doors opened up to reveal a large room...or at least what seemed to be a room. It was pitch black and the only light that any of them could use to see came from the inside of the elevator. Neither Nikki nor Dr. Aramaki knew what to expect inside, but it seemed as if Noah knew exactly what to expect. Sira probably knew as well, but it was impossible to read his face when the inside of his horned helm was probably darker than the room itself. Noah strode on confidently as if it were simply another room in his office and, as if it was reacting to his presence, the room came to life. White fluorescent light fixtures lining the floors, walls and ceiling turned on to reveal a rounded chamber surrounded by monitors and other machinery with a large section of raised flooring in the center of the back of the room, like some sort of stage. It was unlike any other room Nikki had seen on the other parts of the Ark, so clean and metallic as opposed to the grungy, industrial look of the Spire of Hell. Dr. Aramaki seemed to feel right at home, watching the monitors as they flickered to life, displaying numbers and diagrams that only someone like him would be able to make sense of. Sira followed soon after, standing as still as a statue near the center of the room.
As Nikki carefully stepped inside the chamber, a deep, computerized voice called out to them.
Code: Scanning for authorized biometric signatures...
Authorized signature detected.
Welcome back, Elia Noah.
"Computer, open the Genesis Chamber," said Noah. Both Nikki and Aramaki turned their heads to him as he gave the command.
Code: Acknowledged. Disengaging chamber lock.
Suddenly, a section of the raised floor shot up with a powerful gust of exhaust fumes. Sections of the floor moved and rotated like the parts of some gigantic lock that held whatever was sealed within the floor into the ground.
Code: Opening Genesis Chamber.
Once the lock was opened, the center of the floor slowly began to rise until a large, six-foot-wide circular section of the floor had risen about seven feet up, standing above them on the raised section of floor in front of them. The more she saw, the more Nikki started to grasp the bigger picture of what Noah was about to show her, even if she couldn't believe her eyes. Dr. Aramaki, on the other hand, looked on with far more anticipation. Sira showed no sign of excitement, but that was simply normal for a Judge. He simply stood there, arms folded, watching.
The chamber suddenly split down the middle with another release of steam, slowly opening to reveal what Noah had been hiding from the world for so long. Nikki covered her mouth in shock.
"There he is..."
Within the chamber sat what must have been considered a man. "Must have been" was the key word, because the decrepit humanoid figure housed within the chamber looked far more like a corpse than a living human being. From the little that could be seen from his body, it was clear by the paleness of his flesh that he hadn't seen the light of day in years...maybe longer. Nikki wondered if he was some sort of vampire like the many who had competed in the tournament previously, but the S-Class FIGHTER she had over her right eye would have picked up on that already. Whoever this man was, he was human, even if he was practically mummified. She couldn't pick up any sort of life signs from his body at all. The only other thing that was stranger than the Founder's moribund state were the odd black markings on his head. Something about them looked familiar to her, but she couldn't put her finger on where she had seen it before.
Code: Beginning resuscitation protocols.
One by one the various tubes and other machinery connected to the seated figure detached and retracted inside of the chamber, until the large life-support mask covering his face pulled away and receded into the mechanism he was seated in. The man slumped forward like the dead body he appeared to be and, for a moment, Nikki thought that something had gone wrong with Noah's plan. If all he intended to do was bring her down here to show some long dead chairman of the Foundation interred in the depths of the Ark, then maybe he really was losing--
"HEEEEEEEEEEEEEUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUHHHHHHH."
"Eeeek!"
The decrepit Founder sprung to life with a throaty gasp of air, as if he had been holding his breath for as long as he had been locked in that chamber. The readings on Nikki's FIGHTER suddenly shot up as they registered the Founder's beating heart and working lungs. As dead as he looked, the Founder was very much alive and, stranger still, very much human. How could he possibly be human after all she had seen?
In a somewhat uncharacteristic move, Noah had rushed to the Founder's side as soon as he started gasping for air. His breathing steadied on its own, but this was the first time Nikki had ever seen Noah show that kind of concern for anyone. Just who on Gaia was the Founder supposed to be?
"Welcome to the waking world, Founder" said Noah as he tended to the old man. "My name is Elia Noah."
The sound of Noah's voice caused the Founder's wrinkled jowls to curl into a quivering smile. "I have never met you before," he said hoarsely, "But I know who you are. Help me up."
Noah turned his head to Sira, but the Judge was already on his way the moment the Founder asked for aid. Although Sira needed no help lifting the Founder up to his feet, Noah still took the other arm as the Judge carefully supported the Founder's weight with a single arm.
"Keep him supported, Sira," said Noah. "It won't be too long before he has the strength to stand on his own again."
"Remarkable," said Dr. Aramaki, his mouth locked into a rictus grin, "Absolutely remarkable. To be able to survive being interred in that chamber without the use of cryogenics or other advanced stasis technologies is simply impossible by human standards." The scientist began to chuckle with glee. "Ohhh, my my my, what secrets your DNA must hold..."
Sira didn't seem to respond very well to Aramaki's fascination, shooting him an empty yet nonetheless threatening glare. The grin on the doctor's face faded rather quickly, fully aware that the Judge could probably rush over to him and crush his head against the floor and run back to the Founder fast enough to keep him from falling to the floor.
"Oh yes, how rude of me," said Noah, turning his head to Nikki. "Ms. Goldschmidt, allow me to introduce to you the Founder of the Foundation...Adam."
Now that she had gotten a better look at him next to Noah, Nikki had figured out why the markings on his head had looked so familiar. They were harder to see with a full head of white hair, but they definitely looked similar to the markings that covered Noah's head as well. In spite of how decrepit he looked, Adam wasn't as gaunt as she'd expect an gold man to look. His body was withered and pale, but he appeared as though he had been strong bodied in his youth. It was strange, because she could have swore he looked a little worse a few seconds ago. Was her mind simply playing tricks on her?
Closer inspection also revealed that the Founder was mostly naked, and amidst the other overwhelming factors of this occasion, Nikki promptly vomited.
Somehow, the Founder simply laughed at Nikki's inability to stomach the nature of what she had witnessed. It didn't insult him at all, as if he expected her to react the way she did. Noah was similarly amused by Nikki's reaction, and even if he were to be insulted, there were simply more important things to deal with at the moment. Nikki would just have to learn to adapt.
"For you to wake me at this time," said Adam, descending from the raised floor with Sira's assistance, "must mean that the Foundation was successful?"
"On the verge of victory, sir," replied Noah, walking alongside the Founder. "I have much to show you, for there is much that you have missed. In the meantime, let's find you a more comfortable place to regain your strength."
The three of them headed to the elevator, with Dr. Aramaki following closely behind, marveling over the Founder's every step as if he was a dinosaur walking the Earth. As he passed by Nikki, Noah stopped and turned to her.
"Oh, and you're going to clean that up, Ms. Goldschmidt."
"Y-yes sir," replied Nikki, still trying to wrap her mind around the whole damn thing.