Birth Of A Goddess

by Mark T. Bacome

  “Li too?” Kutch asked.

  “Ask him yourself,” Alex scoffed.

  ::Connecting to Presley1522 now,:: Sid announced. ::Where's Li?:: Kutch blurted.

  ::She's at her crystalline chamber, but--::

  “She's at her chamber!” Kutch rushed past Alex and

  into the cavern entrance. He found the main passage between the two larger caverns, and headed straight for the side passage leading up to Li's chamber.

  ::You can't go in--:: Presley1522 tried to warn. “Kutch! Everyone is saying to stay away,” Alex warned. “Novia will explain!”

  Alex watched Novia passing by in a rush, following after Kutch. “He can't go in there,” Novia stressed as she passed.

  Kutch ran as fast as he could, seeing a glow from around a corner ahead. He slowed and stepped through the chamber opening, blinded by the glare of light from the center of the chamber.

  “Li?” Kutch asked, unsure what he was unable to see. Everything was glowing very bright, including the walls, ceiling and floor.

  “NO!” Novia yelled as she caught up, rounding the corner. She stepped in just far enough to attempt to pull Kutch back, but his PPD pushed her hand grip away.

  “Li! Don't do this!” Kutch pleaded.

  *** Cain could hear familiar voices and other imagery appearing not far behind Li. “Ah...a family reunion. So many faces and voices I have not seen or heard in years. Kutch and...Novia. So good to see everyone together again.”

  “Don't do this, Li,” Kutch reiterated, still blinded by the bright light that filled the crystalline chamber. “Not to worry, Kutch. Li and I were discussing the idea of joining forces. We were discussing terms and location. But now that I know where you are, we may forgo any further discussions. However, the terms will be MINE!”

  Li turned to face Kutch and Novia and their imagery faded from Cain’s view.

  “Do NOT believe you can escape from me now,” Cain assured.

  *** The light inside the crystalline chamber dimmed, and Kutch could see Li standing in the center of the room facing him.

  “I tried to stop him,” Novia apologized. “I--” “I know,” Li assured.

  “Don't do this,” Kutch pleaded. “Cain is dangerous and

  flawed--”

  “I know, Kutch. But this is what needs to happen to

  save the Light Realm,” Li explained.

  Kutch shook his head in disbelief. “No, you're wrong.

  Why do you have to do anything with Cain?”

  “I have seen--places, things, events--I have talked

  with...the essence of the universe itself--been to the edge

  of time and space, and seen beyond. I know my purpose

  now, and have seen the many paths of my destiny,” Li

  attempted to explain. “Cain and I have a shared path--one

  that may very well be the only hope of saving the Light

  Realm from eternal darkness.”

  Kutch felt a chill run down his spine. “You were in

  contact with Cain, just now...I thought I heard another

  voice with a familiar sarcastic tone--”

  “Yes,” Li answered without pause or emotion. “He could see me--inside this chamber?”

  “Yes.”

  “And Novia?”

  “Yes,” Li confirmed.

  “I've endangered us all--”

  “Your actions selected the one path from all others. I

  know now the direction I must proceed,” Li explained. “Now, I don't understand,” Novia stated, stepping

  further inside the chamber. Kutch nodded in agreement. “I have seen many paths of late, but each has been

  clouded with ambiguity. Kutch's action has selected one of

  many paths, that I may now see further past the veil of

  uncertainty.”

  “So--I did...what I was supposed to do?” Kutch asked. “You did, exactly, what you do,” Li answered with a

  soft chuckle, and caressed the side of his face with her

  hand. “The narrowing of probabilities from the many

  possibilities.”

  “Oh...” Kutch said, hoping his reply would help him to

  feel more certain of what had just happened. He took a

  long look at Li's flowing gown, and noticed something

  odd. “Do you know your clothes are moving on their own,

  and--glowing?”

  Li nodded. “I know.”

  Kutch glanced at Li's forehead. “What happened to

  your hair?”

  “A long story, for another time.”

  *** Lluxi had watched in amazement, the image of the woman, who dared to make requests of Lord Cain before fading away. He stepped toward Cain atop the throne. “She is the one we have been seeking all this time?” Lluxi kneeled.

  “She is, and dares to believe I need her,” Cain added with contempt. “I am a God, I need no one!”

  “My Lord, you said you know where she is now?” Lluxi asked.

  “She is with the clans of the NorWes,” Cain answered, distracted in thought, still staring off where her image had been.

  “My Lord, allow me to take a few of my finest Trupes and bring her to you as my tribute,” Lluxi requested.

  Cain pondered the request. Li's powers seemed to have grown, after all she had survived an encounter with Kyrios, and her projection was quite clear and compelling. Consuming her energy would be quite the prize, but memories of the NorWes clans from the remnants of Hyak's mind, reminded Cain of the strength of the guardians, and their honor. Much like the Trupes of Drelund, the guardians of the NorWes clans would defend Li to the death. They would be a force well-respected, even against the Trupes of Drelund.

  “The guardians of the NorWes clans would be a formidable challenge,” Cain conceded.

  “Then let me take them all. I will leave you my finest to tend to your needs and take the rest. I will demonstrate the power of Drelund and destroy these guardians you speak of, and bring back Li as your prize, my tribute to you, my Lord,” Lluxi pleaded.

  “You would leave me with only a handful of your finest?” Cain bantered with his most trusted K'nal.

  “These small humans are no match for the control you have over them, my Lord. They come now to sacrifice themselves without resistance. There is no further victory here for the Trupes. If these guardians are of such respected force, let me take the Trupes of Drelund and defeat them in your honor and your glory.” Lluxi stood tall, pressing his fist to his chest in solute.

  Cain believed in his trusted K'nal. His request had merit. “I will grant your desire, K'nal Lluxi. Gather the Trupes, and select your finest as my loyal guard to remain--K'nal Ja'Nier will lead them. Take the rest and destroy the clans of the NorWes. Bring me Li alive, and you will honor your God with tribute!”

  *** Novia helped Kutch back to the main cavern where the Elvonians and remaining guardians were gathered. He was still feeling shaken up over his actions now that he had exposed their position to Cain, even after Li's assurance that all was well.

  “I'm not sure if I feel sick or just stupid for what I did,” Kutch said shaking his head.

  “Everything is very confusing,” Novia admitted.

  “Apparently, what you did, was expected, and solidified a

  direction for Li to follow.”

  “But now Cain knows where she is. He won't let that

  go without taking some kind of destructive action,” Kutch

  argued.

  “And that is why we are working up a defensive plan.”

  Novia gestured to the group as they approached. Presley1477 was standing on a raised rock

  outcropping, overlooking the crowd. “The latest reports

  are not good,” he said with a solemn look on his face.

  “Fellow Elvonians stationed around various Corporate

  locations have been reporting the same at each location.

  Cain's protocols have caused all production
and support

  activities to come to a complete halt. There has been a

  significant rise in Free Radical incidences, particularly at

  mid-level management, with those trying to argue with

  their AIs over the new protocols. People are flooding

  transport facilities in attempts to reach the Great Hall at

  the Corporate campus on Mars, apparently quite willing to

  sacrifice themselves. All for the glory of their new 'God,'

  Cain. Corporate is completely out of control.”

  “Is there anyone working on changing the protocols?”

  Reed asked.

  “Presley1285 has informed me that we are very shorthanded with technicians able to take on that issue. Those

  few that are left, have made no significant headway,”

  Presley1477 replied, shaking his head.

  Alex took a look around the cavern realizing she was

  missing someone. “Where's Toolkit? He should have a

  solution,” Alex asked.

  “He left early yesterday, not long after Utahia and

  Chichi's ceremony,” Reed answered.

  “Left? To where?” Kutch asked.

  Reed gave Presley1522 a glance, who in turn, gave

  Presley1477 a glance. All three shrugged. “No body

  knows. He didn't say,” Reed finally answered.

  “Why would Toolkit necessarily have a solution?”

  Novia asked Alex.

  Kutch noted a curious look of panic on Alex face.

  “Well, you know--he's good at, stuff--like that,” Alex

  stammered, trying not to look at anyone directly. “Protocol programming codex?” Presley1477

  questioned.

  “Uh-huh,” Alex mumbled with an unsteady nod. “We

  should really try to reach him--get him back here.” “We certainly need all the help we can get. Thousands

  of Corporate personnel have been terminated since Cain

  took over the Great Hall and the AI protocols. Something

  needs to happen soon to stop the carnage. This is

  effecting everyone and getting quite desperate,”

  Presley1477 said.

  Presley1522 took a moment to let Presley1477's

  comment settle. “The good news is; the field generators

  are tested and working as designed by Toolkit. So if Cain

  does come here, he won't be able to use that destructive

  conversion of the transport beams on any of the vital

  areas here.”

  Damus took his cue after Presley1522 and approached

  the small humans. “I have put together a tactical plan for

  the guardians to patrol the surrounding areas for Cain's

  arrival.”

  Novia stepped in to the middle of the gathering. “Li is

  expecting Cain to come straight to her chamber, so this is

  all just precautionary.”

  “You don't think he'll bring the rest of his men?” Reed

  asked.

  Novia shook her head. “Li is counting on Cain's ego to

  want her for himself.”

  “Who will be protecting Li?” Kutch asked.

  “Li has asked that we stay away, but--”

  “But I will have a selection of guardians ready to

  help,” Damus interrupted.

  “The remaining Elvonian technicians and I will also

  volunteer our services and support. For those who desire

  to leave, there are a couple shuttles available. Now is the

  time to speak up,” Presley1477 announced, looking over

  the crowd of forty guardians and one hundred and fifty

  Elvonians. No one spoke a word.

  *** “You're sure the interruption of the Protocol channels would be temporary, with no damaging effects?” Keja asked once more.

  ::There are no indications of long-term harm or potential damage to the protocol channel nodes,:: Xria assured.

  “If this process has never been performed before, what are the chances of success?” Keja wondered.

  ::The protocol channel replication nodes were designed to create a failsafe redundancy, for the potential of any one particular protocol channel node failure. However, there was never any contingency mitigation for a catastrophic, and complete system failure, that could cause a simultaneous node reset. The odds of such a possibility were far beyond reasonable, and acceptable values,:: Xria explained.

  Keja shook his head with doubt. “I don't know. There seems to be too much at risk.”

  ::The only risk, may be with not trying,:: Xria stated.

  Keja noted the pressure. He trusted Xria, but she seemed different now. More assertive. He took a deep breath, and held it in his lungs before releasing it. “So, what do we do?”

  ::The decision is yours. I will comply either way,::Xria relented.

  Keja took a long look around his work area. There were several smaller versions of the holographic data spheres, each showing none of the usual brilliant coloring of normal Corporate activities, replicating the sense of desperation he felt. Over on his workbench, there were still pieces of the data systems from the Arcquius Resort suite, where he recovered Mother's program files. At least Mother was quiet for now.

  He glanced over at another visual system, displaying the only programming transmitted throughout Corporate-visuals of the Great Hall, and the unending termination of Corporate personnel by Cain. But there was something wrong; a bright glare was distorting the visual beyond functional parameters.

  “Now what's happening?” Keja asked, relieved for the momentary distraction.

  *** “Cain--join with me to defeat Kyrios,” Li persisted, not letting up. Her image was brilliant enough to light the entire Great Hall, growing stronger and brighter with each contact.

  “I will NOT. I DO NOT need YOU to defeat Kyrios. I AM A GOD,” Cain shouted. His voice reverberated out of the chamber and down the massive halls, and seemed to shake the very foundation of the massive complex.

  “You cannot. You are not strong enough without me. We must work together,” Li insisted.

  “YOU ARE NOTHING! I AM--GOD!” Cain forced his arms

  out from his sides, fists clenched, as his entire body

  erupted into a ball of fire. His armor glowed bright orangered, as though super-heated from a furnace. The heat and

  force of the fireball emanating from Cain's body,

  consumed all things within the Great Hall in seconds,

  including over a hundred Corporate offerings and two

  Trupes standing guard at the entry. The walls and ceiling

  bulged from the pressure of the blast and glowed from the heat. Even Cain's throne melted to a puddle of glowing, molten, metal, although Cain remained, hovering in

  midair.

  “I AM STRONG ENOUGH!”

  *** Kutch stepped up next to Alex as she stood just outside of the main cavern entrance. The night air was cool but not cold. She anticipated Kutch's question, shaking her head. “He's not answering...”

  “All afternoon, and you still can't reach Toolkit?” Kutch asked anyway.

  “I think I'm reaching him. He's just not answering.”

  “Both Novia and Ayden have said he took Chichi's death extremely hard,” Kutch said.

  “I don't doubt that. If Chichi was some incarnation of ICE-Cube, as everyone thinks, then Toolkit lost someone very dear to him--again,” Alex sighed.

  “So, what do you think Toolkit knows about the protocol channels that could be helpful?” Kutch asked.

  “I know exactly what Toolkit knows. I know what we need to do,” Alex confessed, with a tone of resentment.

  “You know what?”

  “I know what needs to be done to stop Cain's protocols,” Alex reiterated.

  “Okay--what?”

  “The protocol channel nodes need to be shutdown.”

  “Shutdown?
That's crazy. How would everyone and their AIs get their instructions and their--” Kutch interrupted his own thought. “Oh...”

  “It would only be temporary. We'd need to have new protocols, something generic, something other than Cain's version, to try stop people from becoming an 'offering;' something ready to go once the nodes were restarted. Once we have control of the protocols, and the nodes, we'll just keep Cain from gaining access again.”

  “Like a reset,” Kutch mused.

  “Exactly.”

  “Can that be done? A reset?”

  Alex turned and looked out at the stars. “Yeah, sure. Why not?” Alex felt her own answer didn't sound as convincing as she had hoped.

  “Reset what?” Reed asked.

  “Alex knows what we need to do to stop Cain,” Kutch replied.

  “Great, but we've got bigger problems on their way now,” Reed announced.

  “NOW WHAT?” Alex snapped.

  Reed stepped back, noting Alex's tone. “We're getting word from some of the Elvonians in vital locations on Mars, that Cain has recalled his men from around the outer regions of the city of Ceranunius, back to two of the Class C freighters,” Reed explained.

  “I'm sorry, Reed,” Alex apologized. “What's the concern?”

  “They are coming to Earth--for Li.”

  “Well, that's what Li wanted, right?” Kutch asked.

  “Not exactly. She wants Cain here,” Reed corrected.

  “He's not coming?” Alex asked.

  “Apparently not,” Reed answered.

  “But we've been expecting the whole lot, and the ships with the destructive transport beam. That's why we built the frequency field generators here,” Kutch argued.

  “You need to see what Presley1522 and Presley1477 have discovered,” Reed interrupted.

  *** Presley1477 waited for everyone to gather before turning on the holographic visuals for display. “We've been analyzing the Earth humans abhorrent tactics...” Presley1477 turned to Damus. “No offense.”

  Damus shook his head. “None taken.”

  “As you can see here, and here...” Presley1477 pointed to the holographic display. “The Earth humans are using a type of cutting tool, in a fashion, to terminate some Corporate personnel--Damus says they are similar to...” Presley1477 gestured to Damus to continue.

  “Estuka,” Damus said, feeling at first that was all that was required. He soon realized by the look on several of the little human's faces, more information was needed. “The Estuka is a weapon of choice by some of the far SouWes clans. Fashioned from metal, sharpened and quite lethal.”