Telumus

> *Because I'm spooky - Telumus*
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The Great Khali

Aaron Gath - Captain

George 'Risk' Bayman - Boss

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Alliance - D4

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Browncoats - D4

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Corporations - D4

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Criminals - D10

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To combat this, various projects were given the green light
to increase the effectiveness of the Union’s ground forces in the upcoming
conflict. Some were combat enhancements for soldiers, some were anti-personnel
weapons, some were delivery systems for toxic gases, and some were even more
extreme.

On a small space station orbiting an uninhabited planet in
the core worlds, the most infamous of these projects was undertaken: The War
Machine project. It was handled by the Violet Cross corporation, ostensibly a
pharmaceutical company but largely a Union military black site human
experimentation unit.

The aim of the War Machine project was simple: to create
artificially grown super soldiers that could be dropped into these distant
warzones and singlehandedly tear their way through entrenched enemy positions
to break up enemy lines; relying on a combination of exceptional physical
prowess, heavy armour, a state of extreme adrenal psychosis, and sheer terror
at the approach of these hulking humanoid beasts.

While it was assumed that beyond a certain distance opposing
forces would find it difficult to hit the War Machine, at closer distances
armour largely impervious to small arms fire would need to be developed. Any
armour sufficiently robust to withstand small arms fire would be exceptionally
heavy, so an exceptionally strong soldier would be needed. Even with almost
impenetrable armour, it is inevitable that wounds occur should bullets hit
joints; thus, having the soldiers in a state of adrenal psychosis would make
them much less likely to stop their assault due to shock. With the information
gained from the Pax experiment, scientists were confident they could condition
the soldiers to enter this state of psychosis with the correct triggers, while
not being permanently psychotic as the subjects of the Pax experiment became,
and thus still trainable.

The soldiers also needed to be produced quickly, as the
military could not wait 20 years for the first soldiers to be ready. A gestational
period of 7 years was chosen as a goal, three times as fast as the normal human
maturation period. Growth would be sped up and enhanced with a veritable
cocktail of hormones.

Citizens all over the Union that were exceptionally
physically in some fashion were subtly “sampled”, normally during their
mandatory yearly doctor’s visit, and the DNA information was collected into a
database before being recombined into a set of characteristics with the ideal
physical form and synthesized. The process of sampling and recombination took
longer than expected, over a year.

Once the DNA was synthesized, multiple zygotes were prepared
and grown. Out of 100 original preparations, 80 failed, and out of the
remaining 20, only 8 made it to full term; which with the growth cocktail, took
just 12 weeks. Out of the 8 delivered, only 5 made it past the first two
nights, and only 3 managed to survive the first non-umbilical injection of the
growth cocktail.

The three identical clones, named Telum-I, Telum-II and
Telum-III in order of their time of “birth”, but referred to by their Latin
numbers (Unus, Duo and Tres); were fitted with intravenous nutrient sacks and
electroshock implants to ensure obedience. With the rapid growth experienced
from the clones, they became physically ready for training in the second year,
although mentally they struggled to comprehend the orders and training
presented to them. Various physical activities were trailed to test the
aptitude of the clones, and they proved to be exceptional specimens for their
age.

Continual experimentation with Pax subject blood in order to
stimulate adrenal psychosis also started to bare fruit. In the first 2 years,
the clones merely became incredibly violent and unable to process commands; and
required an injection to trigger the episode. By the fourth year, through the
use of electroshock conditioning and adrenal gland stimulation, the use of the
injections became unnecessary. With the right command or in exceptional stress,
the clones were able to enter; and in Duo’s and especially Unus’s case, exit;
the psychosis with some mental effort.

By the fifth year, the clones had progressed to the point
where they were able to process orders, as well as displaying exceptional
physical prowess. Military experts from various black ops corporations were
brought in to instruct the clones in basic military procedure, as well as
combat operations. Although initially resistant, the use of the shock implants
ensured that the clones soon became obedient, standing at attention when issued
with commands or reporting information. The clones displayed an unexpected
mental aptitude for combat, quickly learning tactical manoeuvres as well as
hand-to-hand combat techniques. In short time, the clones became effective and
obedient soldiers, outpacing the original expectations at this milestone.

Although the three were all clones, it was clear that
environmental factors had not affected all three equally. Duo, the tallest, was
clearly the paragon of the group; beating the other two regularly at hand to
hand combat and displaying exceptional marksmanship. He also proved a prodigy
in tactical warfare, acing a copy of the union entrance exams in year five.
However, he proved to be difficult to control, and regularly caused injuries to
aiding personnel. Tres, the middle height clone, proved to be a second behind
Duo in both hand to hand combat and firearms, but struggled with tactical
thinking. He also proved even harder to control than Duo, regularly having
bought of uncontrolled rage that required exceptionally strong shocks to bring
under control. Unus, the smallest, was clearly weaker than his two taller
clones; but showed a much greater ability to control his emotions and rarely
injured personnel. He also showed promise, if not Duo’s exceptional talent, in
the more mental aspects of warfare.

In the sixth year, a small conflict on a rim world provided
the ideal environment to test the clones. The planet, unhappy with the
excessive taxation of the core planets, aimed to secede from the Union and govern
itself independently. The Union saw this as an ideal trial for the project.

The clones were equipped with new heavy armour, a large
automatic rifle, and a blade; and they were dropped off at identified locations
were the colonists had been entrenched. No air support was provided.

There were no survivors. The planet was later re-colonised.

Over the year up until the Unification war, the performance
of the clones only improved. Duo, especially, was proving to be a combatant the
Union could only previously dream of. He excelled in both ground and air
simulations and after training from Union piloting experts became a proficient
dog fighter. Union generals were eager to get more clones of this super
solider, but it was not to be.

In 2506, months before the Unification war, Tres finally
snapped. He knocked Unus down and started killing personnel and destroying the
laboratory and the new clones. The standard security personnel were unable to
contain him in his psychotic state, and only when Duo was finally able to kill
his clone after a fierce hand to hand battle and a knife to the neck did the
destruction stop. By then, it was too late. Key researchers had been killed,
and the new clones were totally destroyed. Project War Machine was over.

The clones were taken into custody by Union black ops. They
were still fit for their original purpose, and a war was looming. Intensive
training of the clones was also done in infiltration and boarding, as the aim
was to also use the clones as shock troopers in boarding or breaching
situations. They would not have to wait long.

At the start of the Unification war, the clones were used to
break key lines is areas were Union forces were spread thin, or as
psychological warfare units on planets were known guerrillas would hide. Both
clones performed with distinction, earning the moniker “Black Juggernauts” for
their thick black armour and unstoppable advances.

However, the Browncoats noted a key weakness – the
Juggernauts often operated with good air support and were thus vulnerable from
the skies. A plan was hatched for the true Juggernauts to attack two separate
lines on a remote planet and would be surprised by air support and taken out.

This was put into action in late 2509, risking weaker air
support on another planet to disable the two clones. The plan worked, and the
heavy guns of the gunboat were able to take down both Duo and Unus. Duo was
quickly scooped up by a Union black ops fast attack ship, however Unus; in the
confusion, was taken by horseback into the caves. The Union was unable to track
him.

Unus was taken in by Triad mercenaries, who had had their
eyes on these hulking behemoths and their weapons. Unus’s gun, however, was
lost and his armor was bullet ridden and useless. However, his skill was used
to great effect by the Triads over the last two years of the war, running guns
to both sides and defending Triad interests. As Unus was programmed to obey any
command figure, the leader of the Triads who captured him became his new unit
commander, and he treated him as such.

However, in late 2512 various gang tensions came to a head
and his commander was killed, leaving him without a leader. Being older, and
less conditioned than before, he chose to do what many of the mercenaries near
him had done and strike out on his own. He decided to choose his own name, and
with often hearing himself referred to as both “Telum-I” and “Unus” he decided
to combine them into a single word – Telumus.

His huge size and reputation led him to many jobs, although
a loss in his ability to control his psychosis states meant that disagreements
over jobs or pay often turned into killings. He took no joy in this, he noted
unlike Tres bloodlust gave him no joy, but he could no go back. Death was
death. He was often hired for contract killings, and from one gained his trusty
autorifle.

Telumus, when the story starts, is only 18; although he has
a body of an older man. He works in a violent occupation because it is all he
has even known. As his conditioning has worn off over time, he has found
himself starting to feel things, or think in creative new ways he never
experienced before. It is new and frightening for him. He doesn’t know where
Duo is, but he wonders.

Some colonists whisper stories about the Black Juggernauts,
however, and the Alliance black ops on still on alert for any sign of Telum-I.
The Violet Crosses are unhappy too, with their research laboratory destroyed
and their lucrative government contract cancelled.

Telumus, however, is unaware of most of this. He does what
he is good at and tries everyday to keep himself under control. He has never
had friends, or more notably a lover. He often stands in the cargo bay, staring
at the door; as he would during a drop. It helps him feel focussed. He isn’t
sure what to do about socialisation, so he avoids it.

Duo lives.