As the memory fragment that had been recorded perfectly by the system began to play, Daneel let out the breath he had been holding ever since the moment when everyone had risen up against him, and had almost foiled his plans.
Thankfully, as always, he had planned for all kinds of exigencies, and hence, he had immediately been able to deploy the one that resulted in this scene, where almost the entire continent was just now waking up and discovering themselves on the endless battlefield where there was only death and destruction, all around.
As he thought about it, he could not help but recall his own experience, which really had been the unseen shadow hanging over his shoulders whose weight he always felt, no matter what decision he was making.
Soon, all of the Angarians would reach the spot where the original individual from whom the fragment had been extracted had seen his parents, and because everyone else didn't have something as wondrous as the system with them which had identified that it was an overlay back then, they would think that it really was their loved ones who were in front of them.
The despair would start then, and it would continue as the Angarians continued their journey, and saw their home and continent being destroyed.
With each step, the sorrow and dread would grow, and if they hadn't puked their guts out by then, they would definitely do so at this point, as they would be exposed to sights which were each more gruesome than the one before while they trudged along the desolated land that they had once called their own.
The original vision had ended with the experiencer being decapitated, but Daneel had removed that part as he was not sure that the general population could endure that kind of trauma, and move on with the right emotions and motivation instead of devolving into a depressed state from which there might be no escape.
The sect members and Heroes would not have that luxury, though, so, soon, they would see their own headless body while they were collected by the Church.
That wasn't to say that it was so easy to take control of the minds of so many: by expending egregious amounts of resources, Daneel had been able to set up a formation that would work on 99% of those below the level of Warrior. As for Warriors and Champions, the formation had an 80% chance of taking effect if the person in question was distracted, and hence, the moment during the impact had been perfect for it to be delayed.
Finally, as for Heroes, there was no way that he could push so many of them into the fragment even if he decided to use up all of the resources he had. So, for them, the fragment would play out like a movie which they could stop at any time, but so far, due to the contents, and a very specific reason due to which Daneel had chosen this route, none of them had decided to do so.
As for the reason, it was this: memory fragments could not be faked. The process to create one that could absorb others into it and make it so that the people and locations they saw would be the ones that were present in their own lives and memories was so complicated that it was impossible to carry out in this age.
Yet, knowledge regarding memory fragments was known to Heroes and Champions, and hence, they had a reason to stay and watch, knowing that what they were seeing was real.
And of course, as for Warriors and Humans, there was no way that they could leave of their own volition, and even if they did question the authenticity of what they had seen later, they would be told by the others that even one tiny change in a memory fragment would cause the entire thing to lose its coherence and collapse(as it was, essentially, a special type of consciousness- or at least, a piece of it which would be copied to the mind of the one who was experiencing it). So, even they would have no option but to believe that what they had seen…was real.
Snapping out of his memories, Daneel took a glance at the faces of all those who were near him and saw that they were approaching the final phase.
While rising higher into the air to prepare for the moment when they would step back into the real world, Daneel spoke in his mind.
"System, is it done? Are we ready?"
[Affirmative. Protocol 'FTR' has been deployed. Standing by for data.]
A cunning smile came on his face, but right away, he changed it into one that was somber, as he saw that the people had begun to exit the memory one by one.
This was because they were experiencing a shorter fragment, and a second later, Daneel saw that he had made the right decision by cutting out that moment.
"BLEUURGGHHH!!!"
Loud retching sounds began to emanate from all over the area where the people had gathered, as many couldn't hold in the hearty breakfast they had eaten for strength before setting out to take part in the war.
Slapping his forehead, Daneel first cast a smell to make the smell waft away, as it was already beginning to grow strong enough to make a Warrior faint.
He had somehow been strong enough to only puke in the vision, but generally, not everyone was that accustomed to gore. Men and women all over the place felt their stomachs reacting violently, and soon…rivers of puke began to form, which was an ironic sight to look at when one considered that in their place, rivers of blood had been flowing across the land of Angaria.
"Well…sometimes, you can't plan for everything."
Hearing this message from the Head and feeling his face burning, Daneel grimaced and took emergency measures.
"We can't let puke derail such an important moment, dammit! Mages, cast the spell I'm sending to you! Quickly!"
Using the system, Daneel identified the spell he needed in a moment before broadcasting it to all of the mages who had been expertly moving around the people so that no one would get hurt.
It was a simple one, so it didn't take that much effort to cast: all it did was give tunnel vision to all those it would take effect on so that they would only see things in one direction, and in this case, that direction was up, so that Daneel would be the only thing they would be paying attention to.
It also made one ignore the other senses, so it was perfect for the situation.
With the problem of the people sorted, Daneel turned to the sect members and the Heroes who were just now exiting the memory fragment with various expressions on their faces.
Very grave expressions could be seen on the Champions and Heroes who knew that what they were seeing had been real. Knowing something and seeing it for oneself had always had a profound difference which was underestimated by many, and once again, this fact proved itself to be true.
The Warriors, who were the largest in number, were doubtful, but many could tell from the faces of their peers that their instincts were right: Angaria's fate had been shown to them in vivid detail, and now, they knew exactly what they were fighting.
Acting to strike when the metal was hot, Daneel spoke, and his words thundered across all of Angaria.
"First, let me clear any confusion that might be present: each and every thing that you saw was real. That is Angaria's fate, and right now…we are heading towards it, and even pushing ourselves to reach it by still being weakened by these petty feelings which divide us, at a time when unity is the one thing that should be present across the land. I am not saying that I expect you all to become one big, happy family due to this one incident. No, all I ask is this: sect members, you have seen that the Central Continent…is more than worthy of everything that has been denied to them so far. Look within, and ask yourself whether you wish to choose the union that is required now, or the fate that you just saw. People of Angaria, you have proven that you have every right to walk this land with your head held high, without feeling inferior to anyone, or anything. But think about what has led to this: you answered my call, and chose to work together for your children, and their future. Keep these motivations in mind, while we continue to stride toward our goal. And finally…those who are watching from the sidelines. Even you have been shown what awaits you if you choose to sit to the side. Now, what you do…is up to you. It has been a long and tough day. The war is not over- it has just begun. Go home, rest, and think. We shall all meet again very soon, and then…we can take the next step together. For now…farewell."
As his words echoed in the hearts and minds of all the Angarians who had gathered, the King of Lanthanor disappeared, and a hush fell over the battlefield.
Almost all of those present had been tremendously affected by the fate of the last survivor they had just lived through. Their emotions were in turmoil, but the words they could still hear began to transform into a rope they could cling to to survive the storm that was surely coming.
Meanwhile, Daneel had appeared in front of the sovereigns, who had similarly been affected by the fragment.
Shaking his head, Kellor said, "I cannot believe that you witnessed this when you were so young, itself, my King. It would have crushed many, and turned even more to madness. Yet…you found courage, and for that, you have Angaria's thanks."
As he put his hand on his chest and bowed with sincere respect, Eloise spoke next.
"Yes! I can't believe the kind of burden you carried for all these years! And I think it all went quite well- our analysts say that even the Heroes showed signs of being swayed. The real effect will, of course, become visible with time. But still…well done, Daneel!"
The rest of the sovereigns nodded as she said this. They were all still blinking hard to flee the image of seeing their own decapitated body, and after recovering, Elanev looked like he had a query.
"So…if you could do this, why didn't you show everyone before, itself? I daresay that it would definitely have helped in quite a few situations where people were being obstinate."
His question got the others to think, too, and they realized that he was right.
Why hadn't the King used this valuable resource before?
The response was given by Daneel with a smile, but it was one which turned into a toothy, sly grin with each word, until at the end, even his eyes shone with malevolence.
"That, my dear brother, brings us to the next part of my plan. The reason I didn't use it before…was that its origin presents a problem: I have it on good faith that it was shown only to a single person on this continent, and that person is now in the Church, working to bring it down from within. So…all the traitors who have just seen it will know right away that the person who has been taken from Angaria is a mole. Such juicy information will definitely fetch a high price, so they'll scramble to pass it onto the Church. But what they would never expect…is that that is exactly what I want them to do. My dear sovereigns, welcome to Operation FTR: Flush the Rats. Now…let us watch as the rats scurry into the trap I've made for them."