Countdown to O.M.E.G.A.

**Countdown to OMEGA** is a side-story of The Universal War. It is separated into three parts.

## Synopsis

### Part I: The Riot in Sheraton

The people of Sheraton, Wraith are upset about the new Earl, Argo Tremax. The self-appointed leader of *Those Against Order*, Ember Youngblood, goes to Spero to appeal to Archduke Riddick Winters. He denies her claim and let's Tremax keep his title. Tremax finds out about Youngblood's betrayal and dismisses her from the leadership committee of Sheraton, causing her and her fiance Dexter Amastacia to publicly rebel against him. They are approached by a mysterious woman, Anima, who tells the two of them that Tremax plans to use his new power to commit a terrible deed against the people of Wraith with a woman named Anastacia Runehartz. She implies that Ember should become close to Anastacia to sabotage his plans.

Ember sets out to meet with Anastacia. She is skeptical of Ember, and denies her initial request to be involved with *Project Omega.* Ember begins a relationship with Ana, and exploits her love with ulterior motives. She finally tells Ember what the Project will entail.

*Project Omega* will help Archduke Winters extend his life force an extra thousand years, and it will preserve the life of the leaders involved with the Project. The people of Sheraton will be taken to Omega in large capsules, their memories will be blanked, and they will be trained to believe that they are alone in the universe for 25 years until the full life force of the planet is depleted by the Genesis Device. Ember is at first disgusted, but then understands the necessity of keeping leadership consistent.

She begs Anastacia to allow her to help run the Project. Anastacia presents the idea to Tremax. Tremax, like Anastacia, is skeptical of her involvement. He demands a full Test of Insight to see her true intentions, but before the test begins Ember learns of her pregnancy, which deems her unfit for interplanetary travel.

Ember, burdened by the pregnancy, goes home to Sheraton. Her fiance refuses to help her kill the baby. She kicks him out of their home. Ember goes to the capital of Sheraton and starts a riot. She tells the people of Tremax's plan. They riot along with her. Tremax and Archduke Winters have no choice but to infiltrate the town and sedate the people using tranquilizers. Ember is the only person in all of Sheraton spared from the tranquilizer. Anastacia tells Tremax that she will not do the plan without Ember, leaving him no choice but to expedite the plan with Ember involved.

### Part II: Your Worst Fear

Weeks later, an exhausted Anastacia works tirelessly to finish Project Omega. She, along with Ember and Tremax, meet with the executives of the Vigilant Order to go over the final pieces of the plan. Ember is shocked to see Anima among the leadership, but does not admit to knowing her.

Anastacia reveals the O.M.E.G.A. Experiment. The *Objective to Mirror Eternity for Galactan Ambassadors.* This plan will extend the life of any Galactan official by draining the lives of the lesser beings of the galaxy. "At first," Anastacia says, "It was thought that we could preserve the lives of the innocent and simply drain the uneducated and barbaric races," she continues, "But the life force has been deemed irredeemable. The only way to extend our lives, is to take from the lives of our equals."

The Vigilant Order seems disgusted with the proposal. But Riddick Winters appeals to their mortality. He states, "It is important the leadership of a regime is consistent, and not plagued by such ideals as life and death." The leadership still seems hesitant. Anima, the Queen of Quanari, stands and walks to the head of the table. She asks leadership, "What is your worst fear? What is the one thing that you are most resistant to lose? Your life. Once life is eliminated, there are no more questions. There is no way to continue. It is the end. How many of you are willing to let the unwashed masses lead us? It is our duty to band together and keep our planets safe, and we cannot do that in a hundred or even a thousand years. It will take an eternity. We *need* eternity."

Archduke Winters asks them once more, "Are you willing to live forever?" The regime finally agrees.

In the final days before the Omega Experiment begins, Anastacia is hesitant to continue. She sees the wrong in her plan, and she asks Ember if this is truly worth all of the pain they are causing. Ember defends immortality but Ana continues to disagree. Ember threatens Ana, saying that if Ana truly loves her, "She will disregard the lives of the worthless and go forward with the plan." Anastacia is still reluctant. They are interrupted when Ember's estranged son has an emergency. Ember goes home, and she is attacked by the boy, but the exact details of the attack are not disclosed. The last scene before the conclusion of Part II is Anastacia as she cries at Ember's grave. She swears to keep the Experiment going, no matter what it takes. She also swears to find a way to bring her back.

### Part III: The Big Lie

Years later, Anastacia runs the experiment from a place called Camp Antonia with her siblings, Vilis and Venetia Runehartz. Things are going well, the memories of the people of Sheraton have been removed and most of them truly believe that they are alone in the universe. Memories of Wraith are distant, and most of the people believe that it is fiction. Anastacia is finally happy with her plan until Vilis scorns her for abandoning her daughter Alvera. He finds it unbelievable that Anastacia would give up the life of her own kin in order to preserve the lives of the "criminals in the Vigilant Order."

In the night, a group of feral creatures attacks the camp and causes a rift between the leadership. There are no lives lost, thanks to Professor Farnsworth, a kind man that works inside the camp. He is able to keep the creatures out of the city, and Anastacia survives another day as leader.

She continues to keep the peace with her people. She lives every day as if Camp Antonia is the only thing that exists in the world, brainwashing the masses to believe that they are alone in the universe.

The story ends with a hopeful Anastacia. Not far from Ana, in a lab within the camp, the Professor brings Ember Youngblood back to life. He names her Android 13.

## Character List

* Ember Youngblood
* Anastacia Runehartz
* Anima
* Riddick Winters
* Mordecai
* The Dark Man
* Vilis Runehartz
* Venetia Runehartz