Imperium of Man Terra Aeterna Season 01: Rise of Humanity's War Machin

The following day, Alicia passed away.

She had always loved the sea. So, Alice buried her on a hill that overlooked the vast ocean, where the sea breeze blew gently, as if whispering a farewell song.

Reuel and several women from his entourage attended the funeral.

He stood silently before Alicia's grave, gazing at the simple headstone planted in the rocky soil. In his heart, Reuel thought, This girl… full of wounds, full of anger, but in the end, she's free. Free from pain. Free from a cruel world. In the films, she was always trapped in a cycle of violence. Here, she's finally at peace. Maybe… she's with James Marcus now.

---

Meanwhile, construction of Reuel's palace in Istanbul was still ongoing, led directly by the Tech-Priests of the Mechanicus. For the time being, Reuel remained in Salt Lake City with Alice and the other women.

A few days prior, a heated debate had erupted—between Reuel and the senior clergy of the Ecclesiarchy, including two senior Canonesses of the Adepta Sororitas.

The core issue: the construction of massive statues of Reuel in every major city.

The purpose, according to the high-ranking Ministorum officials, was for humanity to witness and venerate a symbol of strength, grandeur, and compassion—the God-Emperor of Mankind now walking among them.

But Reuel repeatedly, and firmly, rejected such worship.

"I am not a god," he said flatly. "I'm not divine. I'm not a symbol of eternity. I'm just a man."

Even so, the Ecclesiarchy stood its ground. Saint Celestine herself, gently but no less firmly, opposed Reuel's stance. After lengthy negotiations, a compromise was finally reached: the statues would only be placed at select symbolic sites—such as the capital's main square or key cathedrals sanctioned by the Ecclesiarchy.

The debate concluded with a closed-door meeting between Reuel, the Pope of the Ecclesiarchy, Canoness Eleanor, Canoness Genevieve, and Saint Celestine. There were no winners—only a compromise.

---

As dusk settled in, the villa in Salt Lake City fell quiet.

Alice was still immersed in grief over Alicia's death. Even though she was just a clone, to Alice, Alicia was family. A part of her. Someone she had protected, cared for, and loved.

Reuel never strayed far from her side. He simply sat nearby, quietly keeping her company. That night, when Alice's body finally gave in to exhaustion and dried tears, she fell asleep in Reuel's arms.

---

As evening approached and orange light spilled into the living room, Alice woke up. She was still nestled in Reuel's arms, who now lay asleep on the sofa, one arm still wrapped around her body.

Alice tried to get up slowly, but the moment she stirred, Reuel woke instantly.

"Alice, you're awake? Are you hungry? I already asked Terry to prepare something."

Alice gave a small smile, touching Reuel's cheek.

"I'm not hungry."

Moments later, Jill came in first. "Alice, you're awake?"

Claire followed right behind. "Are you okay?"

Then Ada Wong appeared, slightly out of breath. "How are you feeling?"

Alice looked at each of them in turn, then gave a faint smile. "I'm okay. Thank you for your concern."

Then her gaze returned to Reuel. This time deeper, more serious.

"Reuel… now that all of us are here. Umbrella is gone. There are no more secrets to keep. So… why do you know so much about us, about all of this?"

Jill and Claire turned their eyes to Reuel, curiosity plain on their faces. Even Ada Wong, though still leaning on the doorway, stared with suspicion.

Reuel took a long breath. He knew the time had come.

"Alright. I'll tell you. The truth is… I'm not from this world."

Silence followed.

"What?" Jill exclaimed, wide-eyed.

"What kind of bullshit is that?" Ada Wong glared, as if ready to slap logic itself.

Claire narrowed her eyes. "Reuel… you're joking, right?"

Alice remained silent, eyes locked with his.

"So… you really aren't from this world?" she asked, her voice soft but sharp.

Reuel nodded slowly. "Yes. I come from another world. A world that—strangely—knows all of your stories. But only as fiction."

His voice was steady. A moment later, a projection of the Red Queen suddenly appeared, seemingly drawn by the conversation and curious to listen in. She sat next to Reuel, watching him with interest.

The women stared at Reuel in disbelief, waiting for the next explanation.

"My world is essentially the same as this—same Earth, same countries, same languages. But the difference lies in time. My world is in the year 2025. Yours… is still around 1998," Reuel explained.

"So you know everything that's happened to me here?" Jill Valentine asked, her tone wary.

The others remained quiet, waiting for Reuel's answer.

"You could say yes… and no. In my world, there's no zombie crisis, no Umbrella Corporation. But there's a movie called Resident Evil."

"You mean… we're all just characters in that movie?" Ada Wong asked, eyes narrowing.

"In my world, there are two versions: a game universe and a film universe. You—with your faces, names, and stories—are characters from the film version. But please, don't dwell too much on it. To me, you're real. I love you all. You can feel that for yourselves. Why you exist in a movie… I think that's part of the parallel universe thing. As for the technical explanation… I can't say for sure."

Reuel exhaled, then continued in a lower voice, "There's a fairly popular theory where I'm from: that every movie, game, novel, or comic is actually a form of alternate universe, channeled through inspiration into the creator, and manifested as fiction."

"So you've watched the movie? That means you know everything about us?" Alice asked, her gaze piercing.

"Yes. At least everything in the movie version," Reuel replied.

"So we're… just actors in your world?" Claire asked hesitantly.

"That's right, Claire."

Claire looked down at the floor for a moment, as if trying to absorb the reality of it.

"In that case… how did I end up in the film?" Jill asked quietly.

Reuel met her eyes. "According to the film, you were supposed to be dead. You were captured and controlled by Umbrella after escaping Raccoon City. You were taken to a base in Kamchatka. Alice was captured too. You both tried to escape, but only Alice showed up again in the film afterward. Jill… never appeared again."

"And me?" Claire asked quickly. "Do I die too?"

Reuel shook his head. "No. In the end, only you and Alice survive. The others… let's just say, they're gone."

"So… we did save the world?" Alice asked, uncertain.

Reuel shrugged. "You could say yes… or no."

None of them spoke. All fell silent, waiting for Reuel to continue.

"In the film, the world had been destroyed for over ten years. No more vegetation. The oceans polluted. Mutant animals roaming everywhere. There was no way for humanity to live a normal life again."

"Over ten years…" Jill murmured, horrified.

"A silent world," Ada Wong added.

"How many humans were left?" Alice asked, her tone now like that of a general calculating odds.

"Not many. Just a few thousand, and most of them… weren't really human anymore. Just imagine—how could anyone survive after going through an apocalypse for that long?"

They all fell silent. No further explanation was needed—they all knew how brutal and hopeless life amid such devastation would be.

"Every film has a main character," Ada Wong said quietly. "So… who's the protagonist?"

"Well, let me explain… there are six films," Reuel began carefully. "Alice is the main protagonist. You—" he pointed at Jill, "—are the lead supporting character. You appear in the second film. Claire in the third and fourth, then you and Ada Wong appear in the fifth. Claire shows up again in the sixth film, along with the remaining survivors at the Umbrella stronghold. And… Doc is your boyfriend in that film."

Claire tilted her head, studying him. As Reuel glanced at her, he quickly added, "Eh, that's just in the film. I've got nothing going on with him now."

Claire blushed. Her face reddened a little, but her smile was light. "We know," she said, glancing at Jill.

Jill Valentine gave a small nod, looking at Claire with a subtle, knowing smile.

Then Jill turned to Reuel.

"So, when we first met, you asked me to take you to Alice. Did you go to the Hive for the Red Queen?"

Jill Valentine knew for sure that Reuel had been heading to the Hive from the start. After all, that was the moment they'd first met—even if she still found the man annoying.

"Yes, for the Red Queen," Reuel answered briefly. "In our world, she's very famous. Along with two other artificial intelligences, they're known as the Big Three AIs."

"Other AIs? Who are they?" Red Queen asked, intrigued. Her projection sat cross-legged, her expression attentive.

"One is named Jarvis, an AI from the Iron Man universe. The other is Skynet—from the Terminator universe. But that one's a villain and… well, it destroyed the world," Reuel said flatly.

He glanced at Red Queen before continuing, "So, who's the best among you three?" Red Queen asked, her voice laced with subtle challenge.

Reuel shrugged.

"Back then, you might've been on par with Jarvis. But now… you're leaning more toward Skynet. A lot of people try to rank you. Skynet is usually considered the scariest, Red Queen often comes second, and Jarvis third. But you and Jarvis are always up for debate, and now—you're considered superior."

Red Queen scoffed softly. Her hologram projection showed a pouty expression. Clearly, she didn't enjoy being in second place… or worse.

"Reuel, how did I escape the Hive back then?" Alice asked suddenly, her eyes fixed directly on him.

"Well… The Umbrella mercenary team—James and the others—who went in with you, they were all killed. Then the Red Queen gave you a way out, the same path we used. You and Matt escaped. But you were captured the moment you left the complex. Matt was then turned into Nemesis, while you… you were injected with the T-virus for experimentation. After that, you escaped—and the zombie apocalypse began in Raccoon City," Reuel explained, his tone flat but his eyes reflecting pity as he looked at Alice.

"They turned me into a lab rat," Alice muttered, then gave a fierce smile. "Bastards."

"Good thing you're here now," said Jill. "Otherwise, we'd all probably be dead. Even though I know I could've escaped eventually… still, odds are I wouldn't have made it."

Reuel gave a faint smile, just as the next question came from Ada Wong.

"How did you come to our world?" she asked, filled with curiosity. The other women's eyes also turned to him.

"I found something… some kind of device. A tool that lets me travel between worlds."

"That device? Show it to us," Jill said, excited.

"Well, it's fused with me now. You won't be able to see it."

"Then… you can go to other worlds?" Alice asked, her gaze locked on him, her tone now more serious.

"Yes," Reuel answered simply.

"What?"

"You're leaving?" Jill asked quickly, her voice tinged with concern.

"Another world?" Claire repeated, almost in a whisper.

Alice, Claire, Jill, and Ada Wong exchanged glances, then all eyes turned back to Reuel. They suddenly realized… this man could leave them whenever he wanted.

Seeing their expressions, Reuel raised a hand and gave a calming smile.

"Relax. This world is already mine. I can come and go as I please. And I can take you with me… wherever I go."

He added with confident flair, "Besides, my army has already built the capital here. You think I'd just walk away and leave all of this behind?"

The four women sighed in relief. But deep down, a new curiosity was beginning to bloom… What kind of worlds had Reuel seen?

"So how do you explain the purple-eyed soldiers wandering around out there? And… why do you have a spaceship? From what I've heard them say, they call you the 'Emperor of Mankind,'" Ada Wong asked, eyes narrowing with suspicion and intrigue.

Reuel took a deep breath before answering. "Good question. Alright, first, let me explain their origin. The soldiers you saw come from a game world. Their original world… is a grim one. They hail from a planet called Cadia, part of a civilization known as the Imperium of Man—a galactic empire that's ruthless, authoritarian, and locked in eternal war. The Imperium stands atop the ruins of humanity's former glory, clinging to survival against alien threats, daemons called Chaos, and civil wars that never truly end."

"You mean… in their world there are aliens and demons?" Claire asked, confused, but her eyes shining with curiosity.

"Yes, Claire," Reuel nodded. "But hear the full story first."

They all fell silent. No one interrupted. The women's eyes were locked on him, fully absorbed.

Reuel continued, recounting the dark history of the Imperium of Man—of humanity's golden age destroyed by a rebellion of artificial intelligences, the rise of the Emperor of Mankind who led a holy war to reunite humanity, and the endless wars against aliens and Chaos. He described the Horus Heresy, the tragic betrayal that shattered Cadia, and the Emperor's ultimate sacrifice as he ascended to the Golden Throne—his biological body destroyed, but his soul surviving as pure psychic energy. He became an eternal beacon for humanity, safeguarding warp travel and leading from the shadows.

When the story ended, Reuel looked at the women—silent, transfixed by the tale.

"I…" he said softly, "inherited a fragment of his power. Even though my strength now is still small, in time, I will… grow. I will become his successor."

Their eyes shimmered. Not one of them laughed or scoffed. Quite the opposite—they all looked worried.

They were afraid.

Afraid that Reuel would suffer the same fate as the Emperor—burdened by responsibility, consumed by endless sacrifice.

But Reuel smiled. Gently. Calmly.

"I won't repeat that mistake," he said with quiet conviction. "I will remain myself. And I will stay with you, and love you with all my heart."

The tension melted away. Alice took his hand, Claire rested her head on his shoulder, while Jill and Ada simply sat quietly—yet the relief on their faces was unmistakable.

Reuel looked at each of them, then said in a lighter, though still commanding tone, "Once I finish laying the foundations of the human Empire and stabilize this world… we'll travel to other worlds. Together."

"Seriously?" Alice asked, her eyes lighting up.

Claire, Jill, and Ada looked at him, full of hope.

"Of course. But that…" Reuel sighed dramatically, "…depends on your performance tonight."

"What?" Claire said, disbelieving.

"Go to hell." Alice hurled a pillow at him with a snort, followed by laughter from the others.

"After everything calmed down, they stood up, walked to the bedroom together, and still in the same room."

"They did it together until morning."

"(What happened next, please use your imagination.)"