“Yes.”
“Access is denied. Please exit the airlock.”
“What? Why is access denied?”
“You are Elvonian?”
“Yes, but--”
“Access is denied. Please exit the airlock.”
Presley1522, feeling a bit frustrated with the dizzying conversation, pulled out a proximity scanner and attempted to bypass the locking controls.
“You are attempting to bypass my locking controls. Please discontinue and exit the airlock.”
Presley1522 ignored the request and began an intrusion on the protocols. There was an override that should have been available, but was locked out by something called 'Grafter.'
“You are continuing to attempt to bypass my locking controls. Please discontinue and exit the airlock.”
Presley1522 was determining a way past the overriding protocols when he heard a tapping on the viewport window, located on the inner airlock door.
“Leave!” the muffled voice sounded through the glass.
“I'm here to help,” Presley1522 shouted back.
“What? LEAVE!” the muffled voice answered back.
“I AM HERE TO HELP!” Presley1522 said, slower and louder. He could see another face peering back through the small view-port window.
“WAIT THERE,” the muffled voice shouted through the glass.
“I'm not going--”
“WHAT?”
“I'M NOT--”
“WAIT!”
Presley1522 stepped back, shaking his head with frustration. After a few minutes of various metallic noises from the other side, the airlock barely opened and a stunstick poked through, waving around in his direction.
“I'm here to help. Please put that down,” Prelsey1522 advised.
“Are you Elv--EL, Eliv--”
“Elvonian? Yes,” Prelsey1522 answered.
“Do you have Cain with you?”
“NO! I would never--”
“Are you sure?”
“Uh, yes. I'm sure.”
The door opened a little further so Presley1522 could see a face with the voice. He was a tall skinny Earth human, with a scraggly beard, and long, bright red hair pulled back.
“Stay there, Grafter is on his way,” the man said. The language was different, but very close to that of the NorWes.
“Grafter is a he?” Presley1522 asked.
“Yes, and he is on his way to make a decision.”
“About what?”
“Whether or not to let you in.”
“Why?”
“I don't know why you want in--”
“I want in to help. Why is that a problem?”
“Because we don't know if we can trust you,” an older voice answered. The man leaned down to peer through the door. Presley1522 recognized the look of Earth aging, he had seen with many of the elders of the NorWes clans.
“I am Prelsey1522.”
“I am Grafter. This is Junk,” Grafter greeted and pulled the stun-stick from Junk and opened the airlock door all the way. “Are you friend to Cain?”
Presley1522 felt shock at the question once again. “Absolutely not!”
“The Corporate news channels have indicated that Cain is being assisted by Elvonians,” Grafter pressed.
“They are wrong,” Presley1522 assured.
Grafter stared long and hard at the small human, then gave an approving grunt and nod toward Junk to lead the way back to the main spaces.
“How do you know Cain?” Prelsey1522 asked.
Grafter stared back at the small human and nodded again. “That is a long and painful story.”
*** Toolkit sat next to the large crate of parts and components, cataloging and compiling the pieces he would need to assemble for the shield generator. Chichi sat close by, picking at some of the smaller components that had spilled out onto the ground. He picked up two larger pieces and fitted them together.
“Those two pieces don't go together, Chichi,” Toolkit said, trying to be instructive.
“Sure they do TK, see?” Chichi answered, holding the assembled piece up. The parts were not staying together without his help.
Toolkit shook his head. “That one part is for a phase translator, and the other part--”
“A phrase tuner,” Chichi attempted. Toolkit was amazed at his near accuracy. “But see? If I put this piece here--” Chichi grasped one other small part and held the pieces up for Toolkit's inspection again. “Then it becomes a, an--ant-phrase tuner,” Chichi explained.
Toolkit realized that Chichi was absolutely correct, and pushed another small part closer. Chichi picked up the final piece and used it to lock all the rest into place. “And now we have an anti-phase tuner,” Toolkit confirmed.
“That's what I said.”
“How do you know these things?” Toolkit asked.
“Sometimes I remember things--things from when I was very small,” Chichi glanced off. “Sometimes I remember your voice too, real good.”
“My voice?”
“Yep. Sometimes you got mad at me,” Chichi sulked.
Toolkit shook his head. “NO, no, no...no. I never--I never got mad, not at you.”
“Sometimes.”
“No...” Toolkit’s face flushed. He was glad he no longer had natural eyes, or they would have betrayed his feelings.
“You got real mad about--I, O--”
Toolkit shook his head even harder. “NO! No, no, no. That was not your fault!”
“Alex got mad too,” Chichi added.
“Alex could never be mad at you, ICE-Cube!”
“Silly TK, my name is Chichi.”
“Yes, yes of course...” Toolkit pulled Chichi closer, putting his arm around him.
“Sometimes I remember 'him' too.”
“Him?”
“The bad man. He said he was my friend, my brother-but he was mean, and hurt me.”
Toolkit felt a cold chill run down his spine. “You don't need to worry about him anymore. He can't hurt you now.”
“I know, 'cause you won't let him!”
“That's right. I won't let him,” Toolkit assured.
“I'm tired,” Chichi said with a yawn, and stretched out next to Toolkit, with his head resting on Toolkit’s leg.
“I'm so sorry--I tried, I really tried,” Toolkit whispered.
Ayden had been watching from afar, to make sure Chichi wasn't getting in the way, and stepped over to pick him up. “I'll take him out of your way, Toolkit.”
“NO--please, he can stay. I don't mind, really.” Toolkit pulled his long coat off and lay it over Chichi. Ayden nodded and stepped back and continued to watch from a distance.
“Wow, I don't think I can remember Toolkit ever taking his coat of pockets off for anything or anyone,” Alex noted.
“They seem to have a strange bond going on. That has been a help with Li being gone. Chichi's got someone else to keep him occupied.”
“The perfect job for Toolkit,” Alex agreed. “Have you seen Kutch?”
“I have not. I believe he, Novia and several guardians are still in search of Li,” Ayden answered.
*** Another long and arduous day searching every path in the depths of the mountains came to an end. The cavedin pathways were particularly disheartening, not knowing if any rockfall was old or recent and possibly covering Li, or a path that might lead to her. Kutch dragged himself out of the last passage he had searched to meet up with the others, feeling exhausted and defeated. Li was gone, and the realization of the finality of that thought was beginning to feel undeniable. The strength required to continue to fight off that feeling was draining away day after day.
Kutch stepped up to Novia with a slow shake of his head, conveying all the energy he had for a report that was no different from the days before. She knelt and gave Kutch a long hard hug, holding her own feelings within while attempting to give what comfort she was able.
“Part of me wants to say she is gone, and begin dealing with the grief, but--” Kutch s
topped.
“I know what you mean,” Novia agreed. “But she is not among the Other Realm. She cannot be dead.”
“Maybe, just not as we understand it?” Kutch offered. Novia took Kutch by the hand and led him and the rest of the young search team back to the main caverns.
“I have consulted the Rings--this is beyond the natural order of things--beyond normal.”
“What do we do?” Kutch asked.
“Pray. Pray that she finds her way back to those who love and miss her.” Novia gave Kutch a knowing glance.
“I have no belief system in this, 'pray,' you speak of-as much as I have tried to understand the ancient ways of the NorWes,” Kutch admitted.
“That's all right--I will pray enough for the both of us.”
*** Despite Lord Cain's Trupes’ efforts to maintain a steady stream of 'offerings,' or 'tribute,' as K'nal Lluxi called sacrificial Corporate personnel, Corporate Security continued to mandate an evacuation of Corporate Home Office campus grounds. The new protocols kept moving Corporate personnel to the outer sectors of Ceranunius, in an attempt to keep people away and unharmed. This necessitated a reconfiguration of the Trupes.
Caps, each with a detail of Trupes, were assigned to outer sectors of Ceranunius, attempting to circumvent the steady stream of protocols from Corporate Security. Checkpoints and collection areas were established, leaving the particulars up to each of the Caps as to who was collected as an offering to Lord Cain, and why. The random and ambiguous operations in each of the sectors kept Corporate personnel off-guard and unsure. Nothing made any sense. Rumors were circulating that Corporate Security was unable to keep Corporate personnel safe or secure.
Few Corporate personnel understood what the strange new leader of Corporate was doing. Many tried to continue to operate as usual, until intercepted at a checkpoint and hauled off to be sacrificed to Lord Cain. The 'tributes,' were nothing more than non-Corporate authorized terminations, broadcast throughout Corporate on all channels.
A Trupe dragged a Corporate female to the base of the throne and left her to struggle to her feet to face Lord Cain. “Lord Cain, this Corporate female is no longer of use. We offer her as tribute, as payment for her services you granted to the Trupes,” the Trupe stated with a bow.
Cain took a moment to gaze upon the ragged woman. She was covered in dried blood, bruises and bite marks-her eyes blackened and swollen nearly shut. Her mouth was bloodied and many teeth were missing. What was left of her long robes, barely covering her battered body, were tattered and bloody, but indicated she had once been of a high position within Corporate.
She attempted to stand straight, but the best she could manage through her injuries was an unsteady, stooped position, looking up at the large man at the top of the throne.
“I believe I know you,” Cain said with a condescending tone. “Board Member--Rubura? I will allow last words, before I take my tribute--” Cain started to raise his left hand, the ring beginning to glow. The Rubura attempted to speak, only able to mouth a single word. “What? I can't hear you.”
“SPEAK UP,” the Trupe yelled at the small woman, poking her in the shoulder, nearly knocking her over. His translator popped and clicked his commands translated to Corporate.
“Yes. By all means, please--speak up,” Cain continued his sarcasm.
She took a moment to regain her balance and tried speaking once again, taking a painful breath through broken ribs. “Wah-why?”
“Why? You dare question your God?” Cain scolded.
Rubura shook her head, in obvious pain doing so. “I, I have...no idea...what that means? God? No one here...understands--”
Cain scoffed. “I am Lord Cain, Master of Corporate, God of Realms! I have power and dominion over all. I am your GOD--it is my will! I decide who lives and who DIES! You will FEAR ME...WORSHIP ME!”
Rubura steadied herself once again, recoiling from the pain throughout her entire body, and pulled a shred of her tattered gown back over her bruised, bare shoulder, rescuing one last act of dignity. “To...w-what...end?” Rubura struggled to speak from her broken body. “What...purpose?”
Cain glared with dissatisfaction. How dare SHE question his motives, his purpose? “MY PURPOSE IS MINE ALONE! IT IS NOT YOUR PLACE TO QUESTION YOUR GOD!” Cain used the power of his mind and lifted the small woman into the air, crushing the remaining life from her frail, broken body with an invisible force, and throwing her remains across the Great Hall toward the main entry. “Bring another offering! The last one was not worthy!”
Another Trupe brought over a small group of four male and three female corporate humans. “Bow and worship your God,” the Trupe ordered.
They all bowed but one man looked up. “I do not understand--'worship? I cannot find any database or protocols for the procedure.”
Cain stood and leaned menacingly toward the small group at the base of his throne. “Do you not FEAR ME?”
“I, I don't know. Should I? Is that the protocol?”
Cain intruded their internals, turning off their PPDs. While they writhed in their discomfort, Cain reached his left hand out and his ring glowed as the life energy from the small group lifted like illuminated smoke. The man-still waiting on an answer--rolled his eyes back and attempted a muted scream as the last of his life energy departed. Two more Trupes gathered up the pile of small human bodies and dragged them out of the Great Hall.
“My Lord, Cain,” Lluxi approached and bowed.
“Speak.”
“Many of these Corporate humans talk of not having or not finding the 'protocols.' Where are they to be found?”
“There are none. Rubura was correct about one thing,” Cain loathed to admit.
“My Lord?”
“They can do NOTHING--without their precious protocols. SO--I will create the protocols--the
requirements, the procedures--that these simpletons may begin to know their place--and finally understand fear, and WORSHIP ME!”
“Yes, my Lord.”
***
“REPORT!” Huir demanded. Roth stepped forward. “Instructional protocols for Corporate personnel to evacuate to the outer sectors of Ceranunius, and away from Cain, have been reasonably successful. Cain's unauthorized terminations have slowed to only a few hundred per day,” Roth reported.
“Corporate Security personnel losses?” Huir asked. “Seven hundred twenty-three confirmed terminated. Forty-eight are currently late reporting in, and listed as missing,” Roth said dryly.
“Subcontractor losses?”
“Subcontractor losses have not been calculated,” Roth admitted. “I have other priorities.”
“Production?” Huir asked, turning to a holographic projection of Keja.
“Data sphere analysis indicates viewer rates, and downloads of the unauthorized broadcasts controlled by Cain have dropped dramatically, due to the newest pushed security protocols. That has had a direct effect on the recovery of production levels throughout Corporate from the unscheduled downtime and productivity losses after Cain's arrival,” Keja explained with the visual aid of a scaled-down version of a full-sized data sphere.
“The broadcast channels are still being watched?” Roth scoffed at Keja's report.
“Main workforce compliance is complete. Mid to upper-management levels are still lagging--”
“I will immediately push new specific protocols directed to all management levels,” Roth interrupted.
“Very good,” Huir approved.
*** Presley1522 rechecked the hydraulics system diagnostics on a Class J, transport freighter in the large hangar. Repairs would be possible if parts were available within the local supplies. He glanced around to see that his audience of a few of the smaller humans were still chattering and watching from several meters away. The NorWes clans called them 'children'--Earth humans who were not yet grown to full-size, although many of these children exceeded his own height.
Closing his eyes, and using an external sensor, Presley1522 linked up with th
e ship’s internal systems, running more diagnostics. If he could get some of these Class J transport freighters functional, Grafter could start transporting the Earth humans back to their homes. That needed to happen soon, as the number of Earth humans arriving from other detention centers was growing every day.
A sudden lack of chatter from his small on lookers was a welcome relief until he opened his eyes to discover he was surrounded by larger adult Earth humans. Many carried long broken pipe segments, and sharpened, polycarbon poles.
“You're one of them,” a large menacing Earth man said, as he approached pointing a broken pipe at Presley1522. “We don't like you!”
The dialect was different from the clans of the NorWes, but Presley1522 was fairly certain of the meaning.
“Your kind killed my only family,” a menacing Earth human female spoke out. Her voice was shrill and filled with anger.
“I'm here to help--” Presley1522 was interrupted when another Earth human male swung a long graphite pole from behind. The PPD identified the threat, measured the mass and force and deployed an appropriate force field to protect Presley1522 from the blow. The pole bounced off, but the force also knocked Presley1522 over, causing his PPD to account for the hangar decking, deploying yet another area of protection to soften his fall. The overall effect caused Presley1522 to appear to bounce from the decking without making contact.
The large Earth humans closed in, kicking and swinging their pipes and poles. Presley1522's PPD continued to protect him, but also bounced him around between attackers and he was fast becoming disoriented as well as quite helpless.
A very large Earth human male got his full weight behind a kick, causing Presley1522 to bounce over his attackers’ heads toward another approaching crowd. He rolled to a stop, as his PPD lowered him onto his back. He looked up to see Junk, with several very large Earth humans all carrying sharpened poles and pipes.
“This can't be good,” Presley1522 whispered, trying to catch his breath and recover his bearings.
Junk knelt down beside Presley1522. “Are you all right?”
The rest of the men stepped between them and the angry crowd.
“I think so. I'm not sure what's happening. What did I do wrong?”
Junk shook his head. “You are--one of them. They don't understand.”
Birth Of A Goddess Page 30
