Space Odyssey: Spectre-Chapter 56: Project Tartarus

Jace arrived at his garage and closed the door. "Solisa, tell Elena that I am confined to the base and to bring my stuff here. Then turn off all internal garage cameras and then both of you turn your attention away from the garage." He told them as he grabbed a metal garbage can and a lighter.

He walked down into the basement and set the garbage can and lighter to the side. Then he walked over to the cabinet and pulled out a bottle of fluid that was highly flammable. He moved it by the garbage can. Then he set the file down on a small table he had never moved from down here.

Jace spent a few minutes searching the entire room up and down for any surveillance equipment. Once he was done and determined there was nothing he turned his attention to the file. He looked over the outside for a moment before he cut the secure tape and opened it.

Sliding out the contents he began organizing the files and papers. He then began reading through the contents. He would read it several times to memorize the contents before he destroyed them. fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm

Project Tartarus. The outline of the plan was to make special operations squads that would operate as agents of a newly formed organization. They would do everything from wet work to bodyguarding. Their identity would be erased from all official records. They would use experimental technology and undergo experimental enhancements.

The project was the brainchild of Admiral Dakota, Emperor Natius Vexical, and someone called Director Fenris. It seems it was created during his first year at the academy. Formed around the idea that the current generation of nanohumans had more talented individuals then other generations.

It had over fifty names on the list of candidates. Most of which were highlighted and color coded to indicate death, corruption, or that the candidate was no longer applicable. Then there were six names highlighted in a different color to indicate that they were already admitted into the program. All six of which had dossiers included in the bundle of files. Then there were a bunch of other names that were not highlighted which probably meant they were still being considered.

The next thing he looked at was the dossiers on the six confirmed candidates. The information contained on them was loose and only pertained to their time during the military. Or rather the only information that was not redacted was loose and contained to their time during the military.

Even his own dossier had long lines of black covering it. Whether it talked about his system or his time in the orphanage or time in the academy it was covered in black ink. What was not classified was the kind of talents he displayed while as a cadet. Whether it was his abilities to create and adapt technology or his specialty of enhanced interrogation.

It seems this would be the file and system that people would see when they opened the Tartarus file. There was nothing too shocking in the other dossiers.

Salem Wintry was noted to have a talent in investigating and leadership. There were notes of her combat record and the highlight was the battle against the Tacole faction within the Victorium. Apparently she managed to discover that the Victorium were planning on setting off a bomb if they managed to lose control of the Rena Prime. But Salem and her squad managed to disarm it.

Astella Ulin, who was one of his squadmates in school and is in the same squad as Salem had a dossier as well. She has talents in surveillance and stealth, there was also a notation that said she has experience in mecha and heavy vehicles. Her highlights were her managing to steal and pilot a Crystoph Federation Mecha during an invasion of Rena-3. The surprise attack resulted in a quick routing of the enemy.

Freya Charlie, she is in the same squad as Steel. She has developed a talent in biotechnology and has an immense will and sense of stubbornness. He did not know that the last one was a talent the military found useful. Apparently while he was getting his shit knocked in she led the literal charge on the enemy Tacole.

Verin Tako, he was in the same class as Steel and it seems he managed to make a name for himself in the Crystoph Federation territories. He had become talented in first aid and in hand-to-hand combat. Most notably with a katana he got permission to use. Apparently taking out high level enemy commanders or taking down a few mecha pilots got him recognition.

Then there was the last one with a dossier, Taylor Hielo. She worked with Steel to create Cain. She was noted as a genius in technology and engineering. Who also modified a mecha for personal use. There was no single action that gained her recognition from her superiors, instead she made innovations and engineering feats that helped enhance her crews fighting capability.

All six were different in what they brought to the table. Meaning they were not just looking for numbers to fill out. Each of the six candidates that were already scouted were considered for their unique nature.

Which brought him to the most important parts of Project Tartarus. The phases. There were six phases included in the project. All of which seemed to be testing something different.

The first phase was the special operations training they would receive after being promoted from cadet. It would be for two months on a redacted planet on the edge of known space. They would learn survival skills, combat skills, alternate ways to utilize their abilities and talents, and they would learn how to think differently.

After the first phase ends the second phase begins. The second phase would operate alongside the third and fourth phase. The second phase was all about maximizing the nanohumans to their limit. Mainly by obtaining all five abilities and reaching the max stat limit. As well as completely mastering their talent and abilities.

The third phase starts at the same time as the second phase. It is the weapon and armor experimental phase. All the requested equipment is created and tested in house. None of it leaves the main testing facility. As well as acquiring any additional equipment that is necessary or designs that might be useful.

The fourth phase starts after the third phase ends. It is the equipment field testing phase where the equipment and weapons would be tested on the battlefield. Essentially they would be trying to find any additional flaws in the weapons which would be missed or looked over while in a controlled environment like a lab. Or something that is unexpected or unaccounted for. There could be a lot or nothing the fourth phase could reveal for each piece of equipment.

Then there was the fifth and sixth phase which were both still redacted even with this file he was given. In the files it only mentioned them in passing. There was no description or file relating to them. Seems he was only cleared to know so much.

As he went through the file a few more times memorizing the contents he kept thinking back to who wanted him to have it. He figured it might have been Dakota or Mendez but Solisa would have known if it was them. Only reason she did not would be if someone else managed to get it to him without accessing the military network. Which likely meant a member of the nobility.

As he finished he began tossing the files into the metal trash can. Then he doused it in the flammable fluid he found, emptying the entire bottle of fluid. Once that was done he lit the lighter and tossed it in. The entire can lit up with a mix of orange, red, and green flames. As that happened he moved to a vent and moved a small lever opening it up completely to let smoke escape out of the basement through a vent that went up to the roof.

He stood to the side and watched it burn. Inside the can the grime and copper walls were burning off. If he could he would go right to working out. But he knew he had to take a step back. Since he became a cadet it has been action after action. He needed to relax and find something else to do.

But now that he had time he had a slew of ideas. Both weapons and equipment that would need work. He supposed before he could do that he would have to get a working communicator and find out how his bioelectricity ability worked.

He blinked as he could hear the garage door opening. He walked up the stairs and saw Elena walking in holding a bag. Behind her were a few other bags and a suitcase. That was definitely more than just his stuff.

"Hey… Elena, what's with those?" Jace asked as he walked over to help her.

"Well actually I am moving out of my parents place and going to stay with you here." Elena responded as she dropped his bag on an empty space of a table before going to bring her bags inside. "I came up with an idea that I need help with."

"Oh?" Jace helped her bring bags inside before closing the garage door.

"Well since you are going to the dockyards already for my mother's mecha I figured you could help with the overhaul of an old ship I bought. I need to turn it into a Migration-class vessel." Elena explained.

"So you are going to get me to do something so bothersome because…?" He trailed off as he looked at her with a frown.

Elena smiled and walked toward him, leaning forward and whispering in his ear. "Because I am giving you free range in the design. I just need space to sleep and for Crimson to operate out of." She leaned back and gave him a peck on the lips.

"Haaa…." Jace leaned his head back as his head was flooded with ideas. "Fine, but I am going to get the other engineers in on this."

"That is okay with me, in fact I wanted to help you as well. I need to know how to repair it if need be." Elena explained, "Now about where I am sleeping."

"The basement, we will sleep down there." Jace responded as began dragging her bag to the stairs.

"We?"