The sky in Universe 13 was blood red, and even at midday, the sunlight—a symbol of hope and vitality—could not penetrate the thick crimson clouds to reach the ground below, which was shrouded in a red haze.
The ground was muddy, littered with decomposing corpses. As the Hellhounds and T-800 units advanced and observed closely, they identified most of these remains as human. However, some skeletons were misshapen, neither human nor creature, hinting at twisted forms. Samuel Young, observing from the command center, sensed a disturbingly familiar "aura" beyond the spatial gate to Universe 13. It felt similar to Warp corruption yet was distinctly different.
Soon, data on gravity, atmosphere, and environmental conditions on the other side of the spatial gate was transmitted back to the command center through the T-800's instruments, confirming that this was Earth in Universe 13. However, the atmosphere was filled with toxic compounds, harmless to the bioweapon Hellhounds and the T-800s, but fatal to unprotected humans, who would quickly fall unconscious and die without adequate gear. Samuel speculated that Universe 13's state might resemble the "Doom" universe.
Seeing the horrifying scene, Samuel frowned. He couldn't immediately place the universe's connection to any specific game or movie. He would need more intel from the reconnaissance team to draw any conclusions. If elite soldiers encountered enemies they couldn't handle, he would deploy high-level bio-weapons or Astartes. Only if those measures failed would he consider direct intervention. Samuel's objective was for humanity to grow stronger through its efforts, not to depend on him as a "nanny."
Despite this, Samuel understood that the rapid rise of the Human Empire was closely linked to his presence. Without him, even internal conflicts would be enough to overwhelm the Empire. While he was present, all imperial institutions diligently adhered to his vision, but without him, even a minimal unity among the Primarchs would be challenging.
For the first time, all the Primarchs gathered together when the Empire was founded. In Samuel's presence, they acted amicably, but when he left, they naturally gravitated toward the brothers they had bonded with. Had he raised them all together from a young age, he might have fostered genuine harmony among them. Yet that had not been possible; each Primarch had a unique temperament. Samuel could have imposed harmony through his paternal authority, but that would have contradicted his educational approach. He understood now why the Emperor in Warhammer 40K seemed cold and indifferent. To maintain a close, fatherly bond with all the Primarchs would have been emotionally and mentally exhausting.
"A-Team, prepare to follow me through the Universe 13 gate."
The voice of Soap suddenly echoed through the command center, interrupting Samuel's brief moment of reflection. Soap continued, "After crossing the gate, we'll conduct a detailed reconnaissance and ensure the engineering team's safety as they plant Purity Blossoms to purify the air on the other side. Remember: although the gate shields us from unknown threats, the atmosphere is eerie. Stay alert and keep your protective equipment sealed—don't gamble on luck!"
Following Soap's orders, hundreds of personnel gathered before the Universe 13 gate and began passing through the shimmering "mercury-like" portal. Hover trucks carrying equipment and over a thousand intelligent machines followed. The first unit was ready to begin building the forward base once the Hellhounds and T-800s confirmed the area was free of immediate threats.
Soap had mentioned the "Purity Blossoms," which were crystal-like "peonies" that Samuel had developed using his psychic powers after defeating Eva. With the establishment of the Empire, the collective faith of four hundred billion citizens had significantly enhanced his psychic power. Now, creating and preserving these blossoms to purify toxic environments like that of Universe 13 was simple. These Purity Blossoms not only cleansed polluted environments but also allowed Samuel to monitor conditions and analyze anomalies in that universe more precisely.
Once the team had crossed over to Universe 13, Samuel shifted his attention to other screens in the command center, each displaying real-time footage and data from Universes 14, 15, and 16. The images, transmitted by the Hellhounds and T-800s, revealed a stark contrast in environments.
In Universe 14, the landscape was extremely arid, dominated by deserts under a cloudless blue sky. According to the T-800's analysis, the air and gravity on the other side of the gate were suitable for human colonization, but it was unlikely to be Earth. This suggested that humans in Universe 14 might have expanded beyond the Solar System, possibly into much of the known galaxy. Of course, without more information, Samuel refrained from making assumptions.
The environment in Universe 14 was far more favorable than that of Universe 13, so the second team had already crossed the gate, accompanied by an engineering team that was constructing magnetic levitation tracks to facilitate resource transport and base development.
Samuel then turned his focus to the screen showing Universe 15. The Hellhounds and T-800s found themselves in a dense tropical rainforest under a night sky shrouded by thick clouds. Limited visibility prevented them from observing outer space directly, but the T-800's data confirmed that, while suitable for human habitation, the environment was not Earth-like.
One of the Hellhounds, relying on its incredible adaptability and speed, soon reached an elevated clearing approximately seven hundred meters from the gate. From this vantage point, it saw a massive artificial structure several kilometers away, releasing constant clouds of vapor. Based on its design, the structure appeared to be an atmospheric modification device built by Universe 15's humans for planetary colonization.
Samuel, remaining silent, agreed with the technicians' analysis. He recognized the structure as an atmospheric processor from the Alien franchise, one of his childhood nightmares. He recalled watching Alien as a child, captivated by the novelty of its scenes and storyline. The facehugger's jump scare and the alien bursting from the chest had left him with an unforgettable fear. When he later discovered Aliens, his fear lessened slightly as he saw the aliens overwhelmed by military firepower, albeit with significant Marine casualties due to underestimating the alien threat.
Samuel knew that in the Alien universe, Weyland-Yutani dominated nearly every aspect of humanity's daily life, from interstellar transport and colonization to common consumer goods. Even the Colonial Marines relied on Weyland-Yutani for their equipment and wages. In many ways, Weyland-Yutani resembled Atlas but without moral restraint. Atlas conducted experiments on criminals, while Weyland-Yutani would sacrifice anyone, even entire colonies, in pursuit of alien specimens for profit.
The fact that the Hellhounds identified the Weyland-Yutani logo on the atmospheric processor confirmed Samuel's suspicion that the Empire might face resistance from Universe 15's humans. Weyland-Yutani's leaders would likely view a multi-universe empire as a threat to their interests and resist Atlas's influence.
Additionally, the Empire might need to contend with the Engineers and a mysterious alien species worshiped as gods by the Engineers. If Universe 15 also included elements from Alien vs. Predator, they would have to deal with the Yautja, the Predator species.
While Samuel would not intervene in the initial integration of Universe 15, he planned to discreetly share his knowledge of the Alien franchise with key intelligence personnel. This way, when his forces encountered the dangers of Universe 15, they would have an advantage.
Lastly, Samuel shifted his attention to the data from Universe 16.
[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! Only $5 per novel or $15 for all!!] [www.p@treon.com/Mutter]
[+50 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]
[+5 Reviews = +1 Extra Chapter]