“You have any idea of what the knowledge is all about?”
“The only information I have available is that the knowledge in the tablet is labeled “creation” in the long-defunct written language of the Elders. But under that label is the phrase “ Enuma Elish ." An addition made by my designer just before he left, the last to leave. The phrase is Babylonian. At the time he left, the Babylonians were joining the Sumerians in their colonies on Adar.”
Tyler thought about the situation. To leave the tablets as they are is unacceptable if he is going to continue on his path to being trained in Elder knowledge. To accept the entity as the dominant AI would also be ill-advised. The being is an unknown factor. It may have its own hidden agenda as programmed by its creator. Of course, he knew that Hal might also have his own plan. They are but constructs programmed by Elder designers. But the cave entity appears to be a more complicated being, its creator willing to break the rules to pursue what he thought was right. And what that Elder considered as right may be disastrously wrong. Dictates of caution, safety, and vigilance showed him only one possible solution.
“Hal, can you cut off the three-way conference for a while,” requested Tyler.
“My apologies,” he said to the cave construct. “I need to talk to Hal before I decide.”
“A prudent and wise move, Elder,” came the response.
“Hal, it’s cut off?”
“Yes, Elder.”
“I want your thoughts on the matter.”
“Whatever you decide is fine with me. I know need always reigns supreme over mere desire or convenience.”
“Oh, stop it, Hal. I am not getting rid of you. What I want to ask you is whether you can watch over that entity if I accept it in my consciousness. Watch, as in prevent unauthorized access to my mind and dictate my decisions or actions. The same limitations placed on you but with you as an additional guarantee.”
“I believe so, Elder. But you have to make my full access to its databanks a precondition. It will be extremely helpful. It will also enable me to upgrade myself.”
“That I will. I expect you to watch my back. I know you’ve been doing it for external threats. Now I have to add a possible internal one. But upgrading you would be a welcome bonus. I know I have been pestering you about it for a while.”
“I understand what you mean, Elder. I won’t fail you. And my thanks for your decision not to relegate me to a secondary function. Such a process will reduce me to a mere database. An advanced one but still a storage and analysis unit.”
“I guessed as much, Hal. Can you communicate the terms to the entity? The same terms you had with me plus the precondition you mentioned. I rather would access the knowledge from this temple through you until we are confident enough about our new friend.”
“Communicating now, Elder.”
Tyler waited.
What a schizophrenic turn of events. I hope this doesn’t turn out to be a clusterfuck. But then again, those two may have significant differences in their creation to be deemed as distinct AIs. The most I could salvage out of this is for them to watch each other. What I do worry about for now is those two in my subconsciousness. Can I handle it? At least I can still use the off button to shut up any of them.
“The terms are agreed to, Elder.”
A grinding sound attracted his attention. Something was happening around the pillar. As he watched, the undamaged portions of the floor around it opened to bring out the gray tablets.
“Hal, what does the pillar do? Your operating systems are in the tablets, not in the pillar or any such similar structure.”
“It is the maintenance and defense system of the temple, Elder. At the previous two temples, they were destroyed. In my temple, it took the shape of a thin rectangular block. It didn’t survive the weight of half a mountain.”
“I guess I have to name the new entity. Is it a female? Sounds like one.”
“We don’t have any gender, Elder. What you hear is just the last activated voice program before our creators left. I can change my voice to that of a female if you wish.”
“Nope. That would really confuse me. I have enough female concerns with the deities here. Does that mean I can ask the new AI to change her voice to that of a man?”
“Of course, Elder. All you need is to give it the appropriate instruction.”
“On second thought, I won’t. Seems too sexist to me.”
“The tablets are ready, Elder,” said the AI.
“Can I give you a name? Like Hal here. I don’t think it would be practical to refer to you by your Elder designation.”
“If you wish, Elder.”
“How about Xena? Or X, for short.”
“Any significance about the name? Hal told me his name was derived from what you called a movie in the First World.”
“Same pop-culture reference. It’s the name of a fictional character who was a warrior-princess. Seems to fit the world we’re in.”
“Indeed, it does. Thank you, Elder. I accept my new designation.”
“What do I have to do, X?”
“Touch the first tablet on the right. As I am connected to all of them, absorption of the rest will follow.”
“You’re okay with the terms Hal mentioned?”
“I am, Elder. Though like him, I also wish for the time when I can have an autonomous and independent existence. Access to all the tablets and the rise of your comprehension to that of an Elder Archmage will enable you to do that.”
“For all its worth, X, I promise to do just that.”
“My thanks, Elder.”
Tyler walked towards the rightmost tablet in front of him. Kneeling, he said a prayer and took a few quick deep breaths. The mage reached out his right hand, gripping his staff in his left. He touched the tablet. Immediately, he felt a flood of information rush to his mind. In less than a second, he knew he couldn’t handle the input. It was too fast and too much. Then he felt X was there, controlling the flow of data. The pressure eased. The only analogy of the experience he could think of was that of a rollercoaster ride. The torrent of knowledge pouring into his brain was an exhilarating experience. He could discern that the information was being classified and processed as it came in. Most, he could feel, joined the mass of data deemed beyond his present comprehension.
Finally, the deluge of knowledge stopped. He felt faint. As before, a severe headache accompanied the absorption. Instinctively, he cast a light healing spell. To his surprise, it worked. He immediately experienced its benefits. The headache was reduced to a slight throbbing while his body freed itself from rubbery knees and muscular weakness. He stood up.
“X? You there?”
“I am, Elder. Thank you for allowing me to continue to exist.”
“You’re welcome, I guess. I can cast spells again. Does this mean the energy dampening field is gone?”
“Yes, Elder. Even the force barrier. The tablets have been reduced to dust as with the internal mechanisms of the pillar. This cave is now just another hole in the mountain with some strange but useless structures.”
“It’s for the better, I think. Elder knowledge falling into the wrong hands would be catastrophic.”
“I agree, Elder. May I ask if you are feeling better?”
“I am. I do need some time to absorb any newly available knowledge.”
“I can help with that, Elder. But time may not be on our side.”
“Why is that?”
“There’s a dark deity and his minions waiting outside the cave for some time now. A lot of them, in fact. Though I don’t believe they realize the force barrier is gone.”
Chapter Lore:
Serpopard – Egyptian/Mesopotamian. A rare beast of legend, sparsely mentioned in ancient writings.
Chimaira – Greek. The term means “she-goat”. Anglicized as “chimera” or “chimaera”, it is usually depicted as a hybrid of several animals, usually a lion, a goat, and a snake. However, other variations may exist and the term is now a
lso used to refer to a fictional animal made up of parts from various beasts. The classic depiction of a chimera comes from its earliest mention in Homer’s writings. Homer’s version breathes fire. What Mr. West faced was one of Homer’s version.
Cavillaca – Incan. A virgin goddess tricked by the Incan god Coniraya who transformed his sperm into a fruit which the goddess ate. Upon giving birth to a son, she demanded to know who the father was. Though no one admitted, she later found out that it was Coniraya. The fact of Coniraya as a father shamed her because of the low regard of the pantheon for the trickster god. Because of this, she jumped off a cliff with her son and transformed both of them into rocks.
Enuma Elish – Babylonian/Sumerian. The Babylonian creation saga, based on Sumerian myth. The phrase is taken from the first words of the saga: “When on high.”
Chapter X
Death and Lightning
“How the hell did he know I’m here?” he cried out.
“The only events of significance which have happened during our journey would be the Empusas and the deity Viracocha, Elder. But I doubt if it was the deity. Supay would have been the one waiting for you instead of Viracocha,” commented Hal.
“Shit. Must be those Empusas. That last one appeared to be praying out loud when I killed it. But I still don’t get the relation between an Incan death god and those Greek monsters. Good thing I still have the transportation stone of Hermes.”
“May I speak, Elder,” X spoke up.
“Of course, X. What is it?” replied Tyler. He remembered not giving specific instructions to remain silent. They still had a continuing discussion going on, to be precise. But considering he was alone in the cave, exercising his vocal chords was an idea he could accept. There was nobody around to call him crazy for talking to himself anyway.
“Does the stone require magical energy to function?”
“It does. It will transport us all back to the inn in Akrotiri.”
“A concern, Elder. The way you describe it is that the energy I detect within the stone provides the catalyst for the transfer. However, I believe it still relies on the ambient energy from the point of departure to the point of arrival. That energy had been absent in this cave since the energy dampening field was activated. It is returning but it will take some time for the area to regain a magical energy field sufficient for your purposes.”
“We’re trapped here?”
“Trapped is a matter of perspective, Elder. Though I suggest you quickly review what new knowledge is available.”
Tyler took a deep breath before answering.
“First, do you have any Elder energy left?”
“A little, Elder. Controlling the transfer of knowledge from the tablets to you took most of my available resources.”
“Then build a barrier and block the cave entrance.”
A solid field materialized across the mouth of the cave, blocking the entrance.
“I have to inform you, Elder, that the field is not strong enough to withstand continuous attacks.”
“It’s alright, X. Sometimes a semblance of a barrier will keep enemies at bay. That shield will give us some time. Hopefully, the energy level will have risen by then. Are you capable of monitoring the level?”
“Yes, Elder. It is now at twenty percent. You need at least sixty percent to utilize the transfer stone. That’s with a safety factor of ten percent.”
“At least it won’t take long. Tell me when we can use the stone.”
How do I get myself into these situations! he berated himself.
“X, display the available information I can access. Including spells,” he added. “In the meantime, Hal, please keep watch on the entrance and if possible, on our admirers outside. Alert me if anything is happening or is going to happen.”
In Tyler’s mind, a kind of interface appeared. It was colored blue with tabs marked “spells”, “research information”, and “other data”.
“Hey, X, this interface looks familiar.”
“It should be, Elder. It is a format recommended by Hal. Something to do with your background in sports.”
Sports. Oh. Gaming.
Tyler pressed the spell tab. The two had apparently been working together as it only displayed abilities unknown to him. Three were listed. A cloaking field good for five feet around the caster, a spell named as an Elder lesser energy blast though ordinary magical energy could be used but with much lesser damage, and an area of effect spell which lessens or increases the gravity field over an area.
These may prove useful, he mused. He pressed the research tab. It showed three research findings. The first immediately caught his attention. An area energy removal spell. However, description of the ability was introduced by a warning about its effects. It was described to be a very dangerous spell, practiced by Elder outcasts back on Earth. Described as corrupted mages, they appeared to favor the use of the spell. The Elders claim they didn’t use the spell as they had better and more effective abilities and resources. The warning then listed some instances where the spell was used. The smallest was a city. It was totally destroyed. Only a few ruined structures marked its location after the spell was unleashed. The rest of the list mentioned places which are unknown to the mage.
The danger pointed out by the Elders was in the fact that nobody could ascertain which part of an area are natural elements and which are bound or created by magical energy. Using it may unwittingly result in unraveling the affected land itself, together with all magical creatures found in it, whether wholly or partially composed of such energy. Even humanoid beings will be adversely affected, if any part of their anatomy or their longevity is dependent on the energy. For the outcasts, such considerations were immaterial in their pursuit for more power.
What made things worse was it was a relatively simple spell. All it needed was the knowledge to rapidly remove magical energy within a specific area. Or one could transfer the energy out of the target area. The depletion must only exceed the speed by which ambient magical energy could refill the void.
Tyler stopped reading as the implication of the spell struck him.
It’s a mass destruction spell. All it needs is a mage powerful enough. And why are the Elders doing research on it? They claim they had much better spells so why the inquiry? Hell, even I could do it now. I just need to reverse what I was doing with the fire-infused blades. No telling what would happen, though.
As he was going to turn his attention back to the interface, Hal’s voice interrupted him.
“Elder, there’s another massive energy signature coming this way. It’s headed for the dark one.”
Within a few seconds, a massive blast sounded outside. It felt like a giant club hit the ground with all the massive force its wielder could muster. The ground quaked and rocks started falling from the roof of the cave.
“Hal! What happened?”
Tyler couldn’t use his sight. The Elder barrier still blocked the entrance of the cave. He was starting to worry about being entombed inside.
“My sensors indicate the new visitor has arrived. I believe you know him. It’s Thor, the Norse god of thunder and lightning.”
“Thor? Right. The overwatch thing,” Tyler replied. His gaze fell upon the rings adorning his right hand. “And Odin’s ring. With the field gone, he knew where to find us.”
“You were an effective bait, Elder,” Hal piped up.
“I really don’t know if I should feel really insulted by that statement, Hal.”
Outside, a second massive concussive blast again violently shook the ground. The rocks from the cave roof continued to fall. Small stones were already bouncing off his personal shield, he could feel the impact of the bigger ones.
“SUPAY!”
Tyler heard the loud cry of the thunder god. It was a deep voice, tinged with anger and battle lust.
“We can now leave, Elder. The available energy is sufficient," X now reported.
Tyler couldn’t decide. The safe and logical course wo
uld be to leave and let the two deities beat each other’s brains out. Added to that is the slight feeling of ignominy in being bait. Yet years of reading comic books and watching superhero movies, plus a dash of intense curiosity, tugged him into an irrational desire to watch the contest.
Shit. What to do? What to do? Save my freaking ass now? Or watch the show? Damn it! I could die out there! On the other hand, it’s Thor! And Mjolnir! Not the squeaky-clean movie or comic version, but still it’s going to be Thor in action! I don’t think I’ll get the chance like this again. Shit! What to do?
“Elder, your decision?”
Aw, freak this! I WANT TO WATCH!
“Sorry guys, but I really want to watch this fight. Hal, barrier please.”
No reply came from the AI.
“Hal is indisposed, Elder. His systems are upgrading. Until the process is finished, he won’t be available. However, his shield is in place. It’s a lot stronger now,” explained X.
“How about you, X? Anything to contribute to our defense?”
“A variant of your “away” ability, Elder. A repelling or repulsion field. Extends two feet from your body. For offense, the lesser blast ability though with ordinary magical energy.”
“That will do, X. Activate it. Let’s go watch the show!”
The entrance barrier dissolved. All at once, he could hear the deafening sounds of battle outside. Supay’s minions, or what remained of them, seem to be busy with the thunder god.
The cave barrier must have served as soundproofing too, he observed. Thor must really have a loud voice for him be heard earlier through the blockade.
Keeping to the side of the entrance, he peered outside. What he could see was battlefield chaos. The ground was torn, the greenery now replaced with mounds of brown earth. He could clearly see two large craters not far from the cave. Mixed with the churned soil were bodies and parts of humanoid creatures, with mottled grey, black and green skins, of varying shades and features. Black ichor ran from their bodies and added a dark tinge to the terrain.
Gifts of the Greeks Page 16
