A Martin Chalfont Short Story – Number 028
To view the canvas print, click on the picture above
Three Graces – They would activate the Graces Project, a highly classified program involving three specialised cyborgs created to defend the city at any cost.
In the heart of New Athens, a towering monument stood as a tribute to three heroes, their names etched into the very soul of the city. At the National Victory Museum, visitors from all over came to stand before the famous painting of Persis, Daryl, and Tricia, the cyborg warriors who had, three centuries ago, defended the city from the brink of annihilation. Known as the "Three Graces," they were revered as legends, remembered not just for their strength but for their selflessness, courage, and the indomitable spirit that had saved New Athens.
Even now, many girls in New Athens proudly bore the names Persis, Daryl, and Tricia, honouring these heroes who had set an example of bravery and loyalty. Children learned of their deeds in school, captivated by the stories of how these women had defied the odds to defend their home. Every year, on the anniversary of the Siege of New Athens, the city held a commemoration, lighting up the streets in honour of the sacrifices made by the Three Graces.
The painting itself was a masterpiece. Nearly four metres across, it depicted Persis, Daryl, and Tricia standing at the gates of New Athens, eyes blazing with determination. Their armour, a combination of sleek alloy and composite plating, gleamed under an artificial moonlight, each of them brandishing the advanced weaponry that had turned the tide of battle. Persis, with her broad shoulders and piercing gaze, held an electro-bow, her stance both defiant and protective. Daryl, known for her sharp mind and unmatched combat tactics, gripped a plasma rifle, her expression calm and calculating. And Tricia, at the centre of the three, fiercely agile and precise, held an electro-blade and pulse-spear, her fierce gaze radiating a quiet fury. Together, they embodied the unyielding will of New Athens.
Three hundred years ago, the city had faced its darkest hour. The Lynarz Consortium, a powerful conglomerate with ambitions to subjugate all free territories, had turned its eyes on New Athens. The Consortium’s fleet descended from the sky like a storm, cutting off all supply lines and broadcasting a single, chilling message: “Surrender, or be destroyed.”
In the days that followed, the people of New Athens had known fear like never before. The Consortium’s forces were vast, their technology superior, and they had already decimated countless other territories. Surrender seemed inevitable. But then came a spark of hope—a last, desperate measure proposed by the city’s lead strategist.
They would activate the Graces Project, a highly classified program involving three specialised cyborgs created to defend the city at any cost. Persis, Daryl, and Tricia had been chosen as prototypes for the city’s ultimate defence system. Each had undergone enhancements designed for specific combat roles, crafted to complement one another in battle. But these enhancements came with a cost. The process of becoming a cyborg had stripped them of most of their human capabilities, leaving only fragments of the people they once were.
When the decision was made, the Three Graces were deployed without hesitation. The people had been uncertain at first, their faith wavering as the full scale of the Consortium’s forces became evident. But as news of the Graces’ defence began to spread, hope returned to the city.
The battle raged for weeks. In the city’s narrow streets, among the towering structures of New Athens, Persis, Daryl, and Tricia fought with relentless dedication, each one fulfilling her role with unparalleled precision.
Persis was the bulwark, her immense shield capable of deflecting artillery fire and shattering enemy formations. She stood firm, guarding the city’s gates and absorbing the Consortium’s heaviest blows. Even as enemy fire scorched the ground around her, Persis remained unyielding, her shield a symbol of resilience that inspired everyone who saw her.
Daryl, the tactician, used her strategic brilliance to lead ambushes and outmanoeuvre the Consortium’s advanced weaponry. She analysed the enemy’s every move, identifying weak points and executing counterattacks with flawless timing. Daryl’s mind worked faster than any human’s, her neural implants calculating probabilities and strategies that turned the battle in their favour time and time again.
Tricia, swift and agile, became a ghost in the streets of New Athens. She struck quickly, slipping through shadows and dismantling enemy units before they could even react. With her twin electro-blades, she was a whirlwind, appearing and vanishing in the blink of an eye. Her presence brought terror to the Consortium’s soldiers, who came to fear the very sight of her.
The Three Graces fought day and night, without rest, their bodies pushed to the limits of their cybernetic endurance. They became legends even as the battle continued, stories of their bravery spreading through the city like wildfire. The people of New Athens, inspired by their defenders, joined in the resistance, fighting alongside the Graces and bolstering their efforts to protect their home.
As the battle stretched into its final days, the Consortium made one last, desperate attempt to break the city’s defences. They deployed their most advanced assault vehicle, a massive walker armed with powerful energy cannons capable of levelling entire blocks. The walker loomed over New Athens, casting a shadow that seemed to swallow the city whole.
The citizens watched in horror, but the Graces were undeterred. They had faced worse, and they would not falter now.
The final confrontation was fierce. Persis held the line, her shield absorbing the walker’s devastating attacks as Daryl directed the city’s remaining defence drones, coordinating their strikes with a precision only she could achieve. And Tricia, quick as a bolt of lightning, infiltrated the walker, disabling its power core from within. As the machine crumbled, New Athens erupted in cheers. The Consortium’s forces retreated, their spirit broken by the indomitable will of the Three Graces.
In the aftermath, the Three Graces had been hailed as heroes, but their battle had left them changed. Their systems, strained by weeks of intense combat, had suffered irreversible damage. They knew that their time was short, that they would not see the peaceful world they had fought so hard to protect. But they were at peace with that. For them, it had always been about the people of New Athens, about preserving the lives and freedoms of those they loved.
In their final moments, they had gathered on the city’s highest point, looking out over the skyline of New Athens. The city they had saved gleamed in the morning light, a testament to their courage and sacrifice. They held hands, Persis’s fingers wrapped around Daryl’s, and Daryl’s around Tricia’s. Together, they watched the sun rise over a peaceful city, their mission complete.
Their final act was to transmit a message to the people of New Athens, a message that would be remembered for generations:
“We are but three, but together, we are one. We are you, and you are us. The spirit of New Athens lives in every one of you. Protect each other, live bravely, and let no one take your light. This is our promise.”
The city wept that day as the Three Graces powered down for the last time, their bodies laid to rest in a place of honour. They became legends, their deeds celebrated in songs, stories, and monuments that stood as reminders of their sacrifice.
Back in the museum, the painting of the Three Graces stood as a beacon of hope. Emilia, a young girl visiting with her school group, looked up at the massive artwork with awe in her eyes. She had read every story, seen every film, and learned all she could about Persis, Daryl, and Tricia. Her heart swelled with pride as she stood before their likenesses, their gazes forever watchful, their legacy a part of her very identity.
She whispered their names, feeling the weight of their courage and determination. She wanted to be just like them, to carry forward the spirit of the Three Graces, to protect and inspire others. She knew that one day, she would make them proud.
As Emilia walked away, she glanced back at the painting one last time, her heart filled with resolve. She might be only one person, but the spirit of the Three Graces lived within her. And with that, she knew that she, too, could be a warrior in her own way, a protector of all that was good in the world. The legacy of the Three Graces would live on, inspiring new generations to defend New Athens, to cherish their freedom, and to always stand together in the face of darkness.