Cuts Marked in the March of Men

In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3

The Ring in Return This is a ten year passage of time in which Claudio is sleeping while hidden on the quiet planet Shylos Ten, which is used as the URA’s interrogation headquarters. During this time, Jesse begins to rebuild Mariah’s rebel army and wages a war against Ryan’s URA from Silent Earth.

In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 From his base on Silent Earth, Jesse is joined by Mariah’s rebel army and his group of IRO-bots, The Pioneers, as they prepare for war against the URA. Jesse is commanding his soldiers, “man your battle stations,” as one of The Pioneers, Sizer, begins to feel envious of Jesse’s affection for Chase, another young IRO-Bot Jesse created. As the URA plans to abduct one of The Pioneers for information on Jesse’s rebellion, Sizer contemplates the ways he could win Jesse’s attention.

Cuts Marked in the March of Men The battle has begun between the URA and the rebellion, who are both fighting furiously. Many are killed or wounded and, amidst the battle, Chase is captured by the URA. In an attempt to gain the affections of Jesse, Sizer gives himself up in exchange for Chase’s release. The URA agrees to the deal and Sizer is taken away to Shylos Ten, a quiet planet where the URA performs its brutal interrogations.

Three Evils Embodied in Love and Shadow On Shylos Ten, Sizer is tortured and interrogated by the URA in the hopes that he will give up information that could be used to defeat the rebellion. The URA drives a drill through his hands, blinds him and disassembles his body, though they finally realize he will not talk. His body is discarded in the streets of Shylos Ten and he’s left for dead. At some point Sizer is found by Claudio, Ambellina and presumably Jesse and he is reconstructed.

The Crowing Claudio is woken up from his sleep by Ambellina, a member of the Prise who has been cast out in order to become Claudio’s guardian on his path to become The Crowing. He is told by Ambellina of their coinciding fates, and that he must rise up and meet his destiny. He is told that he, The Crowing, is responsible for the end of the Keywork as God’s riddle had mentioned. He also learns of his family’s fate, and though he is skeptical, he swears to hunt down Ryan and seek revenge. Blood Red Summer Jesse meets with Claudio to explain to him the events that took place on Hetricus and the meaning of his new destiny, as Claudio wasn’t necessarily inclined to believe Ambellina. Jesse explains the plan used against the Kilgannons to ensure that Wilhelm Ryan remained in command of the Keywork, and that his reign could no longer be threatened. Claudio struggles with all of the new information and, despite his intuition, asks what he did to deserve all of this.

The Velourium Camper I: Faint of Hearts As a tactic to enter into and leave Shylos Ten undetected, the group is left stranded without a ship. They enlist the services of Al, a freighter pilot, to help them get off the planet aboard his ship, the Velourium Camper. As they travel together, the group gains some insight on Al’s character. A sharp shooter in his previous years, Al has an almost sexual obsession with his sniper rifle.

The Velourium Camper II: Backend of Forever Ambellina’s presence on the Velourium Camper stirs up memories and Al begins to to think of past relationships. He obsesses over Ambellina, who tends to avoid interaction with him. He works up the situation in his head until he feels completely rejected by her, as he once was, and swears never to love again.

The Velourium Camper III: Al the Killer On the ship, Ambellina stumbles across a closet full of dead bodies. They’re all white girls, and she learns that Al fantasizes about his affinity for killing them. Either because of his past relationship, or simply a fixation, he enjoys murdering them with his beloved sniper rifle.

A Favor House Atlantic Al takes the group to Ryan’s headquarters, House Atlantic, and for reasons unknown appears to betray them by handing the group over to the URA. During time spent with Ambellina, however, Al developed an obsession with her and cannot stand turning her over. At the last minute, Al tries to help the group by covering them while the escape by offering to use his sharp shooting skills. Believing he’ll be killed, he says to Ambellina, “Bye bye, beautiful. Don’t bother to write,” in his last heroic stand.

The Light and the Glass After escaping from House Atlantic on Jesse’s ship, the Grail Arbor, Claudio drifts off to sleep and dreams of Newo and the times they once shared. Because of his telepathic abilities, he is able to see her writing letters to him. He wishes that he had said a proper goodbye to her, and he dreams of what they would say to each other if they met again. His dream begins to change as he recalls what Jesse told him about the plot to destroy his family, and he imagines how the night would’ve been if he were home on time.

21:13 Claudio’s dream continues, and shifts to a reenactment of what the night ten years ago would’ve been like if he had been home on time instead of out with Newo. He relives the experience from Everything Evil, and swears revenge for his family.