Two warnings, this time. The first is that what ain’t mine, ain’t mine. Secondly, Al-Harb is a fictional organization, and not intended to be a mockery of Islam, just of terrorist groups who use it to justify their atrocities. And I am not suggesting that Islam commands its followers to become robots. Ok, enough of my rabbiting, on with the story…

The Olio of Chronicles

Chronicle 5 – The Purified

            On October 25th, 2025, Al-Kumre walked into an enormous laboratory, flanked by a pair of men in white robes, with scimitars on their belts. One of them carried a pillow with a white cat on it. The other one carried an automatic. A short man with a bushy mustache came forward. Glasses were on his face, and he wore a white labcoat, and a pin identifying himself as Dr. Khalid ibn Mahmud.

            “Well?” asked Al-Kumre.

            “It is ready, the project is a success. I am bringing in the prisoners now!” A large double-door slid open, and an assortment of men and women were marched in. They were in an assortment of clothing styles, although the women were all covered in chador or Iranian-style head-covering and cloak combination. Their hands were restrained with rope. Armed Al-Harb gunmen were escorting them.

            “You have all been condemned to die,” announced Al-Kumre to all of them. “Some of you are traitors. Some are apostates. There’s at least one woman here who married a non-believer, and another who dishonored her family. And I can see you, yes you in the green chador, you committed zina (adultery.) You should die.” The prisoners shuddered. “But it is His will that you not be killed. Instead, you shall be purified, so that you all may enter Paradise, once you have fulfilled your debt. When you are purified, there will be no more ‘free will’, only God’s will, and MY will.”

            “How will we be purified?” asked one of the men.

            “Purification will be transformation. You will become the Purified. Dr. Mahmud, open the doors!”

            The man in the mustache flipped a switch, and several doors sprung open, while green lights above them illuminated. The guards sorted them into rows, and marched them in. A loud drilling noise echoed, as did loud motors, and sparks and bright light and smoke were visible. As more people went in, they screamed. When they were all in, the doors closed, and the lights turned red.

            “It’s annoying,” complained Dr. Mahmud, as the screams crescendoed.

            “The music,” said Al-Kumre. “The only piece of infidel music that is not an insult to us. Play it, full volume, NOW!” Loudspeakers began playing Tom Jones’ What’s New Pussycat, as the screaming continued, until it died out. “Now remind me, what is going on in there?”

            “Simple,” explained Dr. Mahmud. “The bodies are restrained, nano-probe spray nano-bots who wore their way in and turn themselves into internal wiring and control nodes, taking iron from their blood. Surgical saws, shears, and lasers cut open parts of their bodies and make deep cuts, while more complicated parts are either grafted on, or implanted inside, and metal shielding and communications equipment is installed. If the person was dead, mute, or a woman, then appropriate voicebox and vocoder equipment is added. And brain modulators and emotional inhibitors ensure that the only will followed is that of Allah…and of you.”

            “I AM the Will of Allah, do not forget that!” He shook his fist for emphasis.

            The doors swung open, and out came a procession of metal-covered people. Each one had a ring attached to either side of the head, although some also had head-mounted antennas. The metal had an aluminum appearance. Each one had a large triangular plate in the chest area, with green Arabic writing that read “Al-Harb”, or “The War”, which is what the terrorist group called itself. Ome of them had parts of their forearms, or their face with visible skin, but all else was covered in metal. What skin was visible was a paler color. Tubes attached to the sides of the heads, and dark goggles covered their eyes. Each one had a series of lights mounted on the right side of the head. The left shoulder of each one of these cyborgs had an Arabic letter followed by a number. Their arms had a variety of attached devices, differing among them. Other tubes and pieces of equipment were attached to other parts of their body. They all dropped to the ground and bowed towards Al-Kumre. Al-Kumre smiled.

            “There is one thing I must do,” said Dr. Mahmud. “They need a leader, I mean a field leader, a different kind of Purified. I, Dr. Khalid ibn Mahmud, shall volunteer to be purified, so that I may better serve the cause.”

            “Such dedication,” mused Al Kumre. “You are truly blessed.”

            “Thank you. And tell my family that this is for their future!” Dr. Mahmud walked into one of the open doors. He screamed as it closed, and the process started. There were also beeps added, and it took longer than before. The door opened, revealing a different Purified. He had special golden decorations, a golden star on the forehead, five golden rings attached to the head instead of the usual two, golden bracelets, and a shoulder-mounted missile launcher. “I testify that there is no god but Allah, and Al-Kumre is the Kalipha!” he bowed. “Your will shall be done!”

            “Excellent,” laughed Al-Kumre. “Well done, Al-Amir Alif #1.”

            “I exist only to serve you, and to eradicate all who oppose Al-Harb!”

            “You are more than Purified, you are Blessed!”

--

            A couple of days later, on a street in Hamburg, Germany, there was a protest on the streets. After the Decimation of August 23rd, 2025, many countries ended up in the hands of different factions. Al-Harb got Germany, and its people weren’t happy, especially when democracy, women’s rights and beer were curtailed. A general strike was proposed, in hopes of paralyzing the Al-Harb machine.

            At Stadtpark, a large Iranian-built “Iron Ayatollah” VTOL transport plane touched down. Protesters threw rocks at it. A ramp lowered, revealing that group of Purified, led by Alif #1.

            “You are all violating the Illegal Gathering Act, you will disperse, or else you shall be purged,” announced the robot, in Arabic, German, and English. Someone in the crowd had smuggled an automatic to the demonstration, and he aimed it at Alif #1 and fired. The bullets ricocheted off of him as he shook. The Purified advanced, with their hands held forward. “That is ineffective. You will perish under maximal purge! PURGE!” His shoulder-mounted launcher aimed, and fired a missile, destroying the man with the gun, and several people nearby. Someone else fired a laser at one of the Purified, knocking him off the ramp. All of the other Purified turned their hands towards him. “PURGE!” Energy darts were fired at him, killing him.

            “THAT WAS MY BROTHER!” yelled a woman who charged at Alif #1 with a steel pipe. Alif #1 grabbed her, and prongs came out of his gauntlets. She was electrocuted by an intense voltage from the prongs.

            “ALL WHO ARE ENEMIES OF AL-HARB SHALL BE PURGED OR PURIFIED! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! ALL FURTHER DEMONSTRATIONS WILL CEASE, AND ANY ATTEMPT TO SABOTAGE THE ECONOMY WILL LEAD TO PURGE OR PURIFICATION! AL-KUMRE IS THE KALIPHA!”

            “AL-KUMRE IS THE WILL OF ALLAH!” shouted the rest of the Purified, in response.

            The crowd took off in panic.

--

            In the royal palace in Kumre-Arabia, formerly Saudi Arabia, Al-Kumre saw his Purified at work. He was glad someone was defiant enough to try shooting one of his Purified. This would be shown throughout the empire, and the world. He would not be denied. Kumere Kiyoko Ai’a’ive, as his real name was, would have his dream. A dream of a destroyed earth. All of humanity was guilty for the death of his wife. Leading a coalition of terrorist groups that he pretended to share the ideals of was good. Converting their enemies into robots who would speed up the process was even better. He took his time, learned Arabic and the ways of several terrorist groups, and gained their trust, and their admiration. Now, the reward was coming in, and he was smiling.

Author’s Notes: Well, I wanted to introduce a new weapon that Al-Harb will have. Expect Purified to appear in later chapters of Rebirth from Ruin? and Beatdown Rage. And they may be appearing in other stories in the RSU…time will tell. And yes, they seem like something from another universe…but actually they’re like something from at least two or three different universes! And what will the next Chronicle be? Who knows?