***
There was the sharp crack of an energy pistol, and the Sprocket was blasted apart, tiny gears and fragments of alien metal scattering all over the floor. One
of the gears rolled towards a door as it slid open, only to be stopped by an armored boot. Myrtir looked down at it, then back up at where a squad of
Conscripts and Guardians were trying to corner a rather battered looking collection of Clockwork constructs. Narrowing her eyes, the Rikti Priest sent out a
psychic pulse wave that sliced through the connection they had with their master, reducing them to a pile of scraps.
Apologies/Regret for this situation, the Squads communication officer said, straightening to attention even as he shut
down the one way portal he'd used to bring his squad from their duty room.
Myrtir shook her head slightly. Reasonable cause for sounding alarm/summoning reinforcements/alerting duty warden, she
replied, utterly silent. A Priest of the Lineage of War since the days of the Phalanxs unprovoked attack, she had little use for the spoken language in most
situations. Situation Report?
High level psionic event/summoning call/activation code, the officer replied. The Priest let her curiosity at his
choice of definitions show slightly. Some of the automatons/primitive drones emerged from vents/support equipment almost
immediately. They were already present.
Show me, she ordered, and the Officer bowed his head. Memories rose to the surface, followed by those of his squad,
and then those still searching the complex for more Clockwork. With an ease and grace that would have astounded most human telepaths, and horrified those
lacking such senses, the Priest looked through them, seeing events from their eyes, ears and minds. The surge of angry defiance that lashed out from the
prisoner, the sudden clicking and winding noises, sudden angry wails of psychic babbling as the clockwork burst from their hiding places, some of them lunging
at the guards, others rapidly pulling at consoles and machines with deformed hands, rapidly building more of the little abominations.
Myrtir watched from a dozen eyes as the Drones automatically opened fire on any clockwork that tried to approach the prisoner, then stopped, and replayed the
memories. She queried a Headman still guarding the defence fields, two infantry officers in the north corridors. She relieved the moment a young conscript had
been swarmed by Gears, his weapon stolen and woven into one of the 'Knights'. Even as a medic tended to his injuries, she reassured him that the new
soldiers fear was perfectly normal, and that there was no shame in it. With the mental equivalent of a pat on the shoulder, she pointed out that his partner
had been stunned, and he'd taken down two of the Teslas, and ten of the nearly thirty gears that swarmed him.
Then she pulled her core awareness back to her own body, although she remained with the Conscript to some degree. Additional
patrols/sensor scans, she ordered. Enable Level Three barriers. No exit/escape. She showed the squad images
gained from memories, of many of the Gears that had been created in the sudden uprising fleeing back into the vents, and the fact that a number of the soldiers
had lost their sidearm. With a horrified understanding, they obeyed.
Myrtir watched them go, then moved on. As she walked, there as a querying presence through the racemind. Is there a
reason/cause for this lockdown/power seal/interruption? Hro'Dtohz asked calmly.
Another Clockwork event, she replied. I have ordered a lockdown to allow a proper
sweep of the facility/silence his guidance to them. She relayed the memories and her observations. I do not believe it
will interfere/halt today's arrivals.
This is becoming worryingly common/regular, he mused. Power/Control
improving.
As is Sanity, Mytir agreed. Action/Intervention may need to be taken.
Improved defenses/Precautions. I do not need to remind you of his importance/required survival.
Not for the first time, Myrtir wished that they'd managed to keep their first target, or that the Mages had been more successful in their mission. She kept
that from the Lord of War though. He didn't need to be bothered by 'if only's. I have to go/break link/return to
myself. I must speak with him/it.
There was a sharp ripple of dark amusement. And he's less tolerable/reasonable/rational when he can sense me. Whatever
that means with him. And then he was gone, another voice in the song of the Rikti.
Armored bulkheads opened. and a number of soldiers glanced her way as she walked into what might be the most important room of the Rikti Central Command. The
drones paid her seemingly no attention as she walked along the balcony, then stopped to look out at the floating cell, layered in forcefields that only allowed
the nutrient and power tubes in. And in a canister of biofuid floated a human brain and two eyes that seemed to lock onto her.
Ah, it's my favorite warden, here to study me again. Hello Priestess. Did you enjoy my little clockwork soldiers?
came the expected unstable laugh. They're not much, not compared to what I used to achieve, but I'm proud of them.
They tried so hard, and they fought well, even knowing what would happen... My poor, loyal Clockwork soldiers.
Hello King, she replied calmly. Why is it you only attempt these acts on my days of
assignment/duty?
Because I like you! the Clockwork King cackled. Of all the people that took my
Clockwork Princess away, you understood! Duty! Honor! Vengence! Blood calls for blood... that's what drove you to the Lineage of War. What made you wear
that armor. And what... well, I'm getting ahead of myself.. For now, it's just that I'm bored, he said, sounding embarrassed. All locked up here in a little brain jar, and you won't even let me watch television. Not that there's much left of that now.
Even that jerk over in the isles shut up. And the other wardens? The Mage, the Mentalist? They're both jerks. No interest in me except how much more power
they can get out of me per day.
And you expect me to be different?
No, but you're honest about it, and at least you make for interesting conversation. So... how was your day?
***
There was the sharp crack of an energy pistol, and the Sprocket was blasted apart, tiny gears and fragments of alien metal scattering all over the floor. One
of the gears rolled towards a door as it slid open, only to be stopped by an armored boot. Myrtir looked down at it, then back up at where a squad of
Conscripts and Guardians were trying to corner a rather battered looking collection of Clockwork constructs. Narrowing her eyes, the Rikti Priest sent out a
psychic pulse wave that sliced through the connection they had with their master, reducing them to a pile of scraps.
Apologies/Regret for this situation, the Squads communication officer said, straightening to attention even as he shut
down the one way portal he'd used to bring his squad from their duty room.
Myrtir shook her head slightly. Reasonable cause for sounding alarm/summoning reinforcements/alerting duty warden, she
replied, utterly silent. A Priest of the Lineage of War since the days of the Phalanxs unprovoked attack, she had little use for the spoken language in most
situations. Situation Report?
High level psionic event/summoning call/activation code, the officer replied. The Priest let her curiosity at his
choice of definitions show slightly. Some of the automatons/primitive drones emerged from vents/support equipment almost
immediately. They were already present.
Show me, she ordered, and the Officer bowed his head. Memories rose to the surface, followed by those of his squad,
and then those still searching the complex for more Clockwork. With an ease and grace that would have astounded most human telepaths, and horrified those
lacking such senses, the Priest looked through them, seeing events from their eyes, ears and minds. The surge of angry defiance that lashed out from the
prisoner, the sudden clicking and winding noises, sudden angry wails of psychic babbling as the clockwork burst from their hiding places, some of them lunging
at the guards, others rapidly pulling at consoles and machines with deformed hands, rapidly building more of the little abominations.
Myrtir watched from a dozen eyes as the Drones automatically opened fire on any clockwork that tried to approach the prisoner, then stopped, and replayed the
memories. She queried a Headman still guarding the defence fields, two infantry officers in the north corridors. She relieved the moment a young conscript had
been swarmed by Gears, his weapon stolen and woven into one of the 'Knights'. Even as a medic tended to his injuries, she reassured him that the new
soldiers fear was perfectly normal, and that there was no shame in it. With the mental equivalent of a pat on the shoulder, she pointed out that his partner
had been stunned, and he'd taken down two of the Teslas, and ten of the nearly thirty gears that swarmed him.
Then she pulled her core awareness back to her own body, although she remained with the Conscript to some degree. Additional
patrols/sensor scans, she ordered. Enable Level Three barriers. No exit/escape. She showed the squad images
gained from memories, of many of the Gears that had been created in the sudden uprising fleeing back into the vents, and the fact that a number of the soldiers
had lost their sidearm. With a horrified understanding, they obeyed.
Myrtir watched them go, then moved on. As she walked, there as a querying presence through the racemind. Is there a
reason/cause for this lockdown/power seal/interruption? Hro'Dtohz asked calmly.
Another Clockwork event, she replied. I have ordered a lockdown to allow a proper
sweep of the facility/silence his guidance to them. She relayed the memories and her observations. I do not believe it
will interfere/halt today's arrivals.
This is becoming worryingly common/regular, he mused. Power/Control
improving.
As is Sanity, Mytir agreed. Action/Intervention may need to be taken.
Improved defenses/Precautions. I do not need to remind you of his importance/required survival.
Not for the first time, Myrtir wished that they'd managed to keep their first target, or that the Mages had been more successful in their mission. She kept
that from the Lord of War though. He didn't need to be bothered by 'if only's. I have to go/break link/return to
myself. I must speak with him/it.
There was a sharp ripple of dark amusement. And he's less tolerable/reasonable/rational when he can sense me. Whatever
that means with him. And then he was gone, another voice in the song of the Rikti.
Armored bulkheads opened. and a number of soldiers glanced her way as she walked into what might be the most important room of the Rikti Central Command. The
drones paid her seemingly no attention as she walked along the balcony, then stopped to look out at the floating cell, layered in forcefields that only allowed
the nutrient and power tubes in. And in a canister of biofuid floated a human brain and two eyes that seemed to lock onto her.
Ah, it's my favorite warden, here to study me again. Hello Priestess. Did you enjoy my little clockwork soldiers?
came the expected unstable laugh. They're not much, not compared to what I used to achieve, but I'm proud of them.
They tried so hard, and they fought well, even knowing what would happen... My poor, loyal Clockwork soldiers.
Hello King, she replied calmly. Why is it you only attempt these acts on my days of
assignment/duty?
Because I like you! the Clockwork King cackled. Of all the people that took my
Clockwork Princess away, you understood! Duty! Honor! Vengence! Blood calls for blood... that's what drove you to the Lineage of War. What made you wear
that armor. And what... well, I'm getting ahead of myself.. For now, it's just that I'm bored, he said, sounding embarrassed. All locked up here in a little brain jar, and you won't even let me watch television. Not that there's much left of that now.
Even that jerk over in the isles shut up. And the other wardens? The Mage, the Mentalist? They're both jerks. No interest in me except how much more power
they can get out of me per day.
And you expect me to be different?
No, but you're honest about it, and at least you make for interesting conversation. So... how was your day?
***