SOS PROLOGUE: The End of a Journey? (Patreon)

[Alpha 1 responds! Respond, what is your position!?]

[Delta 2’s signal has been lost!]

[Omega 3’s signal has been lost]

[Sigma 4’s signal was also lost. They are all gone…]

Inside a gargantuan war room, large enough to house hundreds of people at a time, individuals clad in strict soldier uniforms moved around busily while barking and sending orders one after another through the intercoms.

They were at war, a war that would decide the future survival of their race— and they were losing…

A woman, clad in a uniform distinctly different from the rest of the soldiers present, was seeking answers from different units and… after receiving no answer from the other end, could only release a deprecating sigh as she leaned back on her chair, placed in a higher position than the rest of the bustling soldiers.

Her expression was lost and in the end, all she could do was to cover her face with her hands to hide the emotions that she was unable to suppress from leaking on her face. She was like an ostrich trying to bury its head in the sand to escape the bitter reality that was their current situation in this harrowing war.

High above in the large room, a screen was playing out the events in real time and the strategists shared their orders and tactics with the on-field soldiers but it was merely a futile endeavor.

They could only watch on as the Mechas, a tactical unit specially created for space warfare by the greatest minds pooled together by all of humanity were being destroyed one after another by their enemies from outer space.

“We… We can’t… Sigh~ The mission… is a failure. The soldiers were ultimately unable to breach the nest and reach the Queen of the Parasites.”

They all knew what was the underlying meaning behind those dreadful and despairing words. They would lose their base on the moon and thus their chances of survival in this war would fall to absolute zero. Perhaps a bit better, but that hardly even mattered.

The Parasites never took anything like hostages during battle. They only brought absolute and utter destruction in their wake and merely used the bodies of the captured soldiers, and any human in general, as hosts to house their abominations.

“We are doomed.”

Someone muttered among the now silent crowd and slowly… all activities started to cease as the soldiers realized that there was no hope for them to turn this dire situation around. They really had lost all hope.

“We need to start the evacuation process…”

Another, among the hundreds gathered, muttered in a blank tone, his voice quivering as he delivered those words but he was immediately punched in the solar plexus by a fellow soldier,

“Are you crazy!? We already lost all our bases on Mars. The moon is the last bastion of protection before those monstrosities reach Earth! Where do we even flee!? Ah!? Fucking where!?”

In the end, it was the soldier that delivered the punch who broke into uncontrollable tears as they lamented their doomed fate. His sentiments were echoed by the others gathered in this room. But the one who proposed the suggestion of retreat, even in this despairing scenario, was not to be outdone.

“You think I do not understand that!? But we have no other solutions on our hands, dammit! All the soldiers on the frontline were decimated down to the very last numbers! If we don’t even try, then we will all die… Every single one of us…”

He sighed and with a trembling hand took out a small handgun from their holster.

Immediately, everyone unlodged their guns and pointed them at him but he did not waver nor did he stop his actions. In fact, there was even eagerness on his face, eagerness to finally end it all. Deep down, it was clear that he would not mind even if he was shot dead right at this moment.

Waving his gun around with no fear on his face, instead… with a maniacal light filling his eyes, he asserted his stance on this matter,

“Haha… You all received the same gun, right? Why do you think the World Federation gave us those useless guns from the previous era? Something that wouldn’t even put a dent in the shell of those monstrous Parasites? Why do you think they did it, huh!?”

The answer was clear to everyone present, even if they did not wish to voice it out loud.

For the Parasites, all people captured alive were potential resources to increase their might further.

This was why— while not outright stated, the protocol had clear guidelines about what might be the best suggestion when you were about to get captured by those extra-terrestrial entities.

End yourself.

This was the only way for them to truly be of any assistance at their last moments and the saddest fact about all of this was— that no one could even get mad at the suggestion… Since, as front-line soldiers, even if they did not pilot a mecha or a space warship, they knew more than anyone else out there just how terrifying it was to actually fall into the hands of those wretched monsters.

It was nothing short of hell.

There were no better words to describe the fate that awaited the one who fell prey to those abominations.

Slowly, but surely, he brought out the gun to his temple.

“If you aren’t allowing us to retreat then—”

Some of them closed their eyes shut, refusing to see the scene that would soon follow but many did not and their unyielding determination enabled them to see that glorious sight…

A moment that would change the entire trajectory of this war…

“God damn! We just took a few minutes off to rest but you guys are acting like it’s the end of the world already, sheesh…”

A young man – clearly in his early twenties at first sight – approached the soldier, who was screaming deliriously, with swift and silent steps and managed to subdue the despairing soldier with clinical ease. His lanky appearance would never make one believe that he was capable of such a task, but he was… and he ultimately stopped the hysteric man from killing himself.

“Fuck! Who is…”

The soldier wanted to curse out loud with absolute vehemence in his voice but stopped short when he registered the voice of the young man.

“Seems like you aren’t totally dumb, heh… Good, don’t lose yourself, buddy.”

The young man stood up and lifted the soldier on his way up,

“Look. I understand that you are going bonkers right now, but you know… don’t just bomb the entire moral like this, will you? God knows that we need every last bit of it right now.”

“I…”

The soldier still wanted to curse… he wanted to vent, to insult the young man who was speaking with him in such a relaxed and leisurely tone. The one who was trying to instill hope in him when having hope was nothing short of a delusion. But he could not. He would not. Not to this man. Not to the one who had fought tooth and nail and gave more than anyone else for the survival of their planet and its people.

His eyes slowly drifted over the body of the young man— someone who was barely even half his age. If this was a time of peace, the man would surely be at the university, enjoying his life, preparing for his future, or going to parties and getting drunk like there was no tomorrow. Maybe he would get a girl for himself, maybe he would enjoy the passion of youth with his girl… There were infinite possibilities that this young man could pursue…

Now though, all he could see was the tired and battered body of a war veteran. A body entirely covered in bandages from head to toe. There was not a single place left in his body without a trace of blood. The minty scent of calming drugs and other similar medicines emanating from his entire being was so strong they were overpowering his senses.

‘How could he even stand right now? Much less walk and adopt such a leisurely attitude?’

Compared to such a young man who wasn’t even half his age, how could he continue to show such a shameless appearance?

“I am sorry.”

“See. Wasn’t hard, right? Hahah~”

The young man did not seem angry in the slightest at his blunder, just patting the weeping old man on the back to encourage him further. Soon, he stood up without a wince, even though all of his wounds should hurt like all hell, and looked at his surroundings, at the eyes and faces of his brothers and sisters who were watching him with mixed sentiments.

“Don’t look at me like this. We were just taking a nap… Right guys?”

“Obviously.”

Behind him, stood three more people, clad in similar attire and with various degrees of injuries mirroring the young man. Two women, one tall African American woman with messy black hair and the other a small blonde-haired girl of English descent with a frail body followed by a hulking African man that looked to be more like a bodybuilder or a powerlifter than a pilot.

The muscular man was in a state no less grave than the one who spoke at first but he was letting out a boisterous laugh while flexing his chest muscles and biceps.

“I don’t know what the doctor gave me but I’ve never felt better. I think I am even ready for a steamy session right now.”

“Taurus, you are weirding everyone out. So, cut it out already!”

The blonde woman cleared her throat after remonstrating Taurus, before looking at everyone on the deck with steely eyes.

“Hello everyone, I am Minerva, also known as Virgo. However, I believe there is no one who doesn’t know my name or my identity. With me are Taurus, Leo, and finally— Serpent.” [1]

Even though she was acting smug, no one opposed her words. Because what she said was the whole and absolute truth.

Virgo— one of the 13 constellations. There was no way that they would not know who she was.

“Our situation is dire and it was judged that the Project Ark has to be activated.”

“Hah…”

One of the soldiers kneeled on the ground in despair at the mention of those words…

They all knew. This was the last bastion for them. Sending the very last embers of humanity far into the sea of stars in case all hope of victory was lost for them.

However, it was still a tragedy like no other. Despite all the advancement of technology and every resource at their disposal, they had only been able to create four Arks due to the very limited time they had in their hands. Each of them could only assure the survival and life of 2 million people at most.

8 million people out of 22 billion would be able to survive. The rest… gone for all eternity…

“Four out of the eight remaining Constellations have been chosen to protect the last members of our humanity. As of now, the fleet consisting of the four Arks have been launched into space and have safely left the earth’s axis.”

Her voice was even and subdued, showing no fluctuations whatsoever as she delivered one of the most dreadful news in the history of humanity.

“Humanity has lost.”

Another soldier started to cry as he said those words of despair and dismay and soon… a few more followed suit, not being able to suppress the pain in their hearts.

“Ugh… This is why I said that I should be the one to share the news. Hey guys!”

The young man who had remained silent up until now spoke up at that very moment, prompting everyone else to look at him all at once.

“The situation is really shitty right now. We have been chosen as bait to keep the Hive occupied and yeah… we all gonna die, no cap.”

Minerva looked at him speechlessly. “I thought you wanted to encourage them when you spoke up…”

He ignored her completely and added, “All the lights you see there, the lights in the night sky… all of them are our enemies and hope is utterly useless. But you know… since we gonna die anyways, don’t you think it would be fun to die in a last blaze of glory? You don’t wanna be remembered as a crybaby at your very last moment now, do you, guys?”

He laughed out loud and started walking with boisterous steps,

“I don’t know what you guys are going to do, but if those parasitic bastards wanna eat me up, I will make them have the worst diarrhea of their entire life.”

His grin was still present as he spoke his last set of words, addressing all the individuals present, “—And… you know… Who said that we cannot win?”

The soldiers and the crew looked at each other before gazing at his broad back, broader than anything else they had seen in their entire lives, sheltering them from the gnawing clutches of darkness and despair…

The situation was bleak, with no hope in sight for miles on end, and his body, more battered than anyone else, was barely standing up at this moment. Through sheer willpower alone, he was standing before everyone and presenting his back as shelter, offering them their last ray of hope.

They had been designated as bait and death was slowly encroaching on them to reap their lives. But even so, the man did not walk with a hunched back, he walked with pride and bravado.

“Sir… Do you truly think… can we still win?”

The Serpent smiled, smiled at the boy who did not seem much older than him as he asked that question with all the hesitation in the world,

“Who the hell do you think I am? I am the strongest. I never lose. And I will make all of you witness the scene of my victory…” Moving his gaze away from the boy, he looked at his friends and beckoned them,

“Come on guys! It’s time for us to show them what it means to be a constellation.”

.

.

.

That day, the soldiers of Earth were able to witness a true miracle, unlike anything ever recorded in the history of planet Earth.

Four individuals, all alone, against an army so vast that they seemed like the stars in the endless plains of deep space.

The fight lasted for hours.

The first one to leave for the afterworld… was none other than Virgo. Using the remaining power that she was able to gather in her Mecha, she blasted apart a cruiser-level warship of the Parasites, opening the road for her companions.

Her expression, even as her mecha exploded with her inside, was one of pure cockiness and ruthlessness.

The second one to leave them was Leo, the other femme fatale of the group of constellations. As the main damage dealer, she tore through the barrage of enemy ships despite facing hundreds of them before finally tearing a large hole in the main battleship of the Queen.

Her mecha was unrecognizable by the time they reached their destination but even as hundreds of enemy parasites attacked her cockpit to capture her, she showed no fear whatsoever and followed in the path of Virgo, killing herself by detonating her mecha, taking thousands of enemies with her.

Taurus, the ever-solid shield of the group, and one of the first constellations, followed his role to a T… protecting and keeping their most powerful member safe and sound while his own life was slowly being chipped away due to synchronizing beyond the safe limits with his Mecha.

“I knew it… Heh, my friend, muscle never lies.”

He withered as invoking the Overload broke his mind and obliterated his senses due to not being able to keep up with the synchro rate. But not once did he ever complain.

In the end, all alone, with the weight of the sacrifice of his friends and dear ones on his back, Serpent fought his way to the very heart of the throne of the Queen of Parasites— inside the enemy battleship.

It was painful. Truly it was a pain like no other. But, even so, he entered a greater state of connection with his machine than ever before, completely uncaring of the load and the strain that was put on him constantly.

❰Full Dive❱

The fight that ensued would have been of legendary proportions, one that would go down in the annals of history, only if there was anyone left to observe it, that is. But Serpent had no care for such honors.

With a massive, maniacal grin on his face, he slowly closed his eyes as the gargantuan spear of his Mecha pierced through the core of the Queen of Parasites at the very last bits of the fight.

– How surprising. To think an inferior species would be able to reach such heights.

The queen surprisingly looked human. Clearly, she was one of the parasites born using humans as a host.

– But you should understand. While it’s regrettable, the death of one Queen is merely an inconvenience for us. Nothing more, nothing less, O’ Worthy Human…

He knew it. Of course, he knew that killing the bitch ultimately did nothing. The universe was far larger than they could have ever imagined and humanity had been stupid enough to reveal its position through the multiple messages sent in space over their curiosity to prove that they were not the only ones out there.

In the grand scheme of things, this was just a small victory for humanity.

There were many Queens in the Hive of the Parasites. Many of them far more powerful than the Queen he had defeated with his all and even if not the Parasite, surely some other races would attack to conquer them sooner or later.

But did it matter?

– Why struggle when you can just accept to become one with the Great Mind?

He laughed, blood flowing in droves from all of his orifices…

“Who the hell do you think we are!?”

He drove the plasma spear deeper into the core, assuring the final destruction of the Queen before speaking with a feral grin.

“We are humanity. We will never bow down to anyone! ANYONE, YOU HEAR ME!??”

So what if everything he did now was useless!?

All humanity needed was hope. Even if small.

A small spark that could be blown away at the slightest gust of wind but he knew— humans were the most stubborn son of bitches in the entire universe, beings that wouldn’t die even if everything and everyone was against them.

“So now! Die.”

Those were the last words of Serpent as a large explosion swept through the interior of the battleship.

The warp reactor overloaded and a crack in space formed, sucking in the entire warship in what looked like a wormhole.

All it took was but an instant for the ship to vanish, giving the impression that the legendary fight that happened was nothing but a lie.

But those who watched this fight knew — It was no lie.

On that day humanity was given one more chance to breathe… All it took was the sacrifice of 200 Mecha pilots and Four incredibly brave Heroes.

[1] — Ophiuchus, also known as the Serpent Bearer, is the 13th and final Zodiac constellation. We shortened it to Serpent and used it to represent our MC. Just clearing it up for the readers.