The Ballad of Mitch and SoHee

by Paul Ormond

  “It’s difficult to say, sir,” Boyes said as they walked into a room filled with soldiers seated before banks of computer monitors displaying the landscape of DeathWorld. “But perhaps the answer is right in front of you and you are just not seeing it.”

  “Yet another yes man answer,” Vargas said while he rounded a corner. “I can get anybody to carry around a briefcase, Boyes. You’d better start proving your worth, or I’ll send you packing. Now where the hell is Agent Daniels?”

  “Over here, sir,” Daniels said as he stood up from a console and saluted the General.

  “I hope you are having fun playing your game, Daniels,” General Vargas said before he stopped before the agent. “Because we are getting our asses handed to us in the real world.”

  “I understand that it is an evolving situation, Sir” Daniels said. “But we are making tremendous progress with our operation. The public has responded to our efforts with an astounding outpouring of support. The story line has struck a particular nerve.”

  “You start threatening people’s freedom and they tend to rally around a cause,” Vargas said as he watched a soldier move an armored character holding a sword and shield across a landscape. “I’m glad to hear that we were able to cow the good people of the world into believing our false narrative.”

  “I am hesitant to call all of this a false narrative, sir,” Daniels said, gesturing to his underlings hunched before their screens. “Throughout history, governments and Empires have used similar stories to bring their people under one banner. It is a well-known fact that most of the heroes of old were all greatly embellished or outright fabrications.”

  “That may be true, but it doesn’t mean I have to like it,” Vargas said. “Proceed as you have been instructed, Daniels. You have done great work here, and under different circumstances you should be commended. Unfortunately, we may be just be slipping our heads into the noose.”

  “That remains to be seen, Sir,” Agent Daniels said. “I believe the President has the American people in mind as she makes her decisions. If Mitch Mythic were with us right now, I’m sure he would agree with me.”

  “I’m glad you feel that way,” General Vargas said before he turned to leave. “And I hope you are right. Stick to the script and let me know if the situation changes. I’ve got to head downstairs and look the beast in the eyes.”

  “Thank you for your support, Sir,” Daniels said.

  “Just don’t cock anything up,” Vargas said. “I’m not sure if my heart can take on any more at this point.”

  General Vargas waited for the doors to part before stepping off of the elevator. Passing down a stone tunnel escorted by two guards, he came to a steel deck overlooking a wide cavern.

  “I still find all of this a little hard to believe,” Vargas said while he watched scores of orange and black figures scrambling over a construction site at the base of the cavern.

  “It is difficult to get your head around,” Boyes said, standing at the General’s side. “There isn’t much that could have prepared us for this, but we must not let our inferior development block our pathway to victory.”

  “What is that supposed to mean? You’ve just gone from being a yes man to being some kind of philosopher,” Vargas said.

  “What I mean to say, sir, is that you may be predisposing yourself to defeat, and advanced technology is not a precursor to victory. Much like any instrument, it is not the tool itself that determines its efficiency, rather it is the hand that wields it. The Mongolians built a vast Empire based on the fact that they possessed a cavalry and their enemies did not. But it didn’t take long for others to catch up.”

  “One bloodbath is all at takes,” General Vargas said before a large metallic chariot elevated away from the structure. “That’s enough insight for now. Here comes the Captain Hellspawn. Keep your mouth sealed and your eyes open.”

  “Greetings, General Vargas,” Commander Holrathu said as his chariot approached the deck.

  “I see you didn’t waste any time getting acclimatized,” General Vargas said before the hulking Commander leaped off of the chariot and landed on the deck.

  “I am not one to fall victim to frivolous details such as climate,” Holrathu said. “The Emperor gives me the strength I need to thrive in any condition.”

  “Lucky you,” General Vargas said, standing his ground.

  “Indeed, I am lucky to have the love of the Emperor in my heart. And it would serve you well if you took it upon yourself to open yours. Giving into his strength is the mark of a great man.”

  “I’m not sure if I’m that strong.”

  “Then you will surely perish when he and the Empress arrive.”

  “We’ll see about that. I don’t believe you requested an audience with me to discuss my loyalties.”

  “If that were the case, you would already be dead, General Vargas. No one escapes the Emperor’s love alive. He already exists within you. You are just not aware of it yet. But your devotion to is a trivial concern. I hear you have been picking up signals.”

  “That is correct. Last night signals were detected all across the planet. They almost went undetected due to their relative size, but our satellites have been set to report back even the faintest trace.”

  “Nothing is insignificant in this situation. Were you able to track any of the activity?”

  “Not directly. Is it possible that the signal we received had something to do with your activities below the planet? We couldn’t detect a pattern of movement, just minuscule pulses scattered across the planet at high altitudes,” Vargas said as he brought up a video panel displaying an image of Earth. “Here you can see a series of signals moving in varying directions across the planet.”

  “This event had nothing to do with our activities, General. Someone is deploying supplies under your nose. We will need to track these signals back to their source before any more damage can be done. But this incident only proves one thing to me: your military is no longer capable of handling external threats. Summon President Edwards at once.”

  “I believe she is standing by,” General Vargas said while he punched a button on his panel.

  The seal of the President flashed on the screen for a moment before President Edwards’ face appeared.

  “Commander Holrathu,” the President said while she leaned back in her chair. “I trust General Vargas informed you of the signal we intercepted.”

  “He did, and we were just discussing your short comings regarding the security situation on the planet's surface,” Holrathu said.

  “We’ve done everything you asked us to do, Commander Holrathu,” President Edwards said. “But it seems like every time I turn around, you find another grievance with our handling of the situation.”

  “I wouldn’t have grievances if you didn’t find a way to make a mess of every task I hand you. These signals you picked up indicate that we were looking at a large scale act of resistance. In my experience, these types of things escalate rather quickly once a population comes under the belief that their freedom is about to be compromised.”

  “How can you be sure that these signals indicate weapons?” Edwards asked.

  “How can you be sure they aren’t?” Holrathu said, standing up straight. “We are talking about the security of this planet. I happen to know that the enemy we speak of is currently rallying forces to attack. I am doing everything I can to ensure that this realm is safe for the arrival of the Emperor. I will not have your primitive species ruining my plan. I agreed to allow you access to our technology and to retain your sovereignty, but you continue to show me that you deserve neither. I demand you intensify your efforts to contain the population, or I will be forced to take matters into my hands and instigate a full on occupation.”

  “That won’t be necessary, Commander,” Edwards said. “We will do everything we can to quash any attempt to resist. I will begin by declaring a state of emergency coordinated with the leaders of the world that will allow us the power to hunt dow
n those that wish to revolt.”

  “I appreciate your candor, but the Emperor is only interested in results,” Holrathu said. “As you can see, I am overseeing the construction of our Divine Leaders’ thrones. This is a sensitive operation. I will not allow any disruptions to my plan. The Emperor’s arrival is imminent. He and the Empress will take their true form on this planet in the coming days, harkening a new age in the Multi-verse.”

  “We will do everything we can to ensure the security of the planet,” the president said.

  “Don’t make any promises you can’t keep, President Edwards,” Holrathu said before he leaped onto his chariot. “This is a perilous time, and the enemies are at the gate. If we are not vigilant, all will be lost.”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  LANDING ON THE ground with a thud, Mitch rolled over onto his back and caught his breath.

  “Is it possible to get wormhole sickness?” he asked after he lurched onto his side. “Every time I go through one of those things I think I’m going to puke.”

  “I’m sure it’s a thing,” SoHee said from nearby. “But you might want to get over here. It looks like we already attracted attention.”

  “Why doesn’t that surprise me?” Mitch said before he spotted SoHee crouching behind a rock.

  “Just keep quiet,” SoHee said as Mitch crawled over and pressed his back against the stone. “Just as we came through, we were spotted by a group of people that looked like Kalis. She told me to hide, and she approached them.”

  “It doesn’t sound like it’s going too well,” Mitch said while shouting echoed in the distance.

  “I think you are right,” SoHee said, peering around the rock.

  Kalis stood with her hands at her side before a group of blue-skinned people armed with spears and swords. A man at the head of the group had drawn his sword and was speaking to Kalis in an aggressive manner.

  “Yeah, that is definitely some hostile behavior,” SoHee said after she pulled her head back.

  “Do we interfere?” Mitch asked.

  “Not until they attack,” SoHee said. “We wouldn’t want to interfere in the local culture.”

  “Local culture? What is that supposed to mean?”

  “There could be some kind of custom or creed we violate if we attack. Maybe you fly in there and kill their chief and we’ll have to fight an entire village.”

  “How come that sounds like a movie I just watched?”

  “Things like this have happened before. When cultures clash, all kinds of bad things can happen.”

  “But we need to help her.”

  “Not if she can help herself.”

  “How come you always get to be the wise one?”

  “When you start displaying qualities of wisdom, perhaps you can take on the role of ‘wise one.’”

  “I can be wise.”

  “It’s cute when you say things like that.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “Would a wise person have to say something like that?”

  “No, but that’s not what I mean.”

  “Then what do you mean?”

  “I mean you don’t have to treat me like I’m some kind of ...,”

  “Babo.”

  “Babo? What is that?”

  “That is Korean for idiot.”

  “You think I’m a babo?”

  “I don’t think you are a babo. You think I treat you like one.”

  “Like a babo?”

  “Yes, like a babo.”

  “But you don’t think I am a babo.”

  “No, I don’t think you are a babo. But I do think you shouldn’t worry so much about what people think about you.”

  “It’s a little hard to not think about it. Everywhere I go people are definitely thinking about me, either that or they are tying to kill me.”

  “That has been the trend recently. And it looks like it is going to continue like this for some time,” SoHee said before she glanced around the corner again. The group of people were advancing on Kalis with their weapons drawn. “It might be time for us to intervene.”

  “What do we do?” Mitch asked. “There’s a lot of them.”

  “Intimidation can go a long way in these types of situations,” SoHee said, getting to her feet.

  “More wise words from the Goddess,” Mitch said as he stood up.

  “Don’t hurt anyone,” SoHee said before she launched into the air. “Just show them we can’t be pushed around.”

  “Got it,” Mitch said while he crossed his arms over his chest and followed after her.

  “You’ve betrayed your people,” the man said as he and his companions closed in on Kalis.

  “I’ve done no such thing,” Kalis said, holding her sword before her. “Everything I did was to protect Thylocene. If I didn’t offer myself to the Masters, all would have been lost.”

  “It looks like it worked out well for you,” a woman yelled. “But we’re the ones made to suffer under for your father’s decisions. It was he that sent us to war against those metal brutes, and now we’re the ones slaving away after losing the battle.”

  “If not for my father, we would’ve lost everything,” Kalis said. “I have been a slave just as much as the rest of you.”

  “Is that so?” another man said. “What could a Princess know about being a slave?”

  “Just cause the bars are made of gold doesn’t change the fact that it is a prison,” Kalis said.

  “Whatever you are, you can still feel the bite of my blade,” a man said while he raised his sword.

  Before he could strike, a green glow lit up the faces of the attackers and they looked to the heavens in awe as a pulsing orb dropped out of the sky behind Kalis.

  “What in the gods is this?” a man shouted before a wave of energy knocked the assailants to the ground.

  “Just in time,” Kalis said after SoHee emerged from the orb. “I was almost worried that I might have to kill one.”

  “The Goddess,” a woman said in shock. “She has returned. Please have mercy on us.”

  “Great one, spare us,” another man wailed while Mitch stepped to SoHee’s side. “We are a wretched people suffering under the might of the wicked.”

  “So much for not upsetting local customs,” Mitch said as the people prostrated themselves before SoHee.

  “I guess I should’ve seen that coming,” SoHee said.

  “We are at your mercy, Great goddess,” a man yelled out. “Spare us from your wrath and we shall devote ourselves to your presence.”

  “Your devotion is appreciated,” SoHee said. “But it will be necessary for you to stand before me. I will not have my followers groveling in the dirt.”

  “As you wish, Goddess,” a woman said, rising to her feet.

  “Laying it on a little thick, don’t you think?” Mitch said while the people stood before SoHee with their heads bowed.

  “Just playing the part,” SoHee said before she fixed a stern look on the man leading the group. “Now, why have you drawn swords upon my companion? I don’t believe she had any intention of harming you.”

  “This one abandoned us a long time ago,” the man said. “Left us here to break our backs working for those monstrosities.”

  “I understand that you have suffered,” SoHee said. “But we have come to aid you at Kalis’s request.”

  “This one only serves herself,” a woman shouted. “Spent her life in the great palace getting doted on day and night while we broke rocks for her father. And as soon as the King lost the war, she gets shipped to some palace in the sky.”

  “It is true, you have been wronged,” SoHee said. “I did not come here to defend Kalis, or explain the course of events that led to her being taken from here. But I do know that all of these decisions were out of her hand. She is not to blame for this tragedy. The one’s responsible for all of this are my enemy as well. Together we can work together to vanquish this foe, but I will not allow you to take out your vengeance on the princes
s.”

  “The Goddess has spoken,” a man cried out. “No harm shall come to the princess.”

  “I knew you would be reasonable,” SoHee said. “But we are wasting time. As we speak, our enemies grow in strength. We must act fast if we wish to defeat them.”

  “We will follow the guidance of the Goddess,” another woman shouted.

  “I place my trust in the princess,” SoHee said. “Kalis, what is our next course of action?”

  “We must find my father,” Kalis said.

  “That is impossible,” a man said. “No one can see the King. He is locked away in his palace and the Masters have the city surrounded.”

  “If that is the case, how is it that you are wandering the hillside with weapons in hand?” SoHee asked.

  “For Ancestral day,” a man said. “The hunt must be completed according to our traditions or the gods will be angry.”

  “What is this Ancestral day?” SoHee asked.

  “A special day in Thylocene to honor the ancestors, the original seeds sent forth by the architects,” Kalis said. “A sacrifice is made to Gods. The hunt is a part of this tradition.”

  “The Masters have allowed a small group of us to carry out this hunt, but we only have this day to carry it out,” a man said.

  “We were about to capture a malwut before the sky opened up where it stood and the Princess appeared before our eyes,” the leader of the people said. “It is just typical for her to ruin our efforts in such a way.”

  “If I can bring you this malwut, will you accept it as a peace offering?” SoHee asked.

  “It is a long way to go to make up for all this, but the malwut will appease the gods,” another man said.

  “In a moment, you shall have your malwut,” SoHee said, launching into the air. The people watched as she rose skyward before racing away over the treetops.

  “Well, this is a little awkward,” Mitch said, shooting Kalis a look.

  “And who is this spear bearer?” a man asked. “He looks like a rogue.”

  “You might know me,” Mitch said. “I’m kind of famous. Not Goddess famous, more like notorious.”