Ethan
“Ethan, the team you sent with Vexx is reaching the surface layer of this world.”
The scenery changes from the laboratory, I am now in my calming room again, I look at the laptop on the desk and I sit looking at the screen.
The screen is split and displays the multiple points of view of the drones accompanying Vexx.
It’s a nice change to be actually able to interact with this world.
I contemplate the wall that separates my space from Lemela's lush forest planet.
-Virgil- I don’t even need to finish to see my shimmering reflection appear -I've been thinking. Is there any way we can bring Lemela here? I feel that it would make a more natural interaction.-
Strange lines of light and numbers pulsated in my reflection, seems it's less concerned with hiding its nature now.
“We must deny this request, Ethan" Virgil replied as its form tinges in red.
“Allowing Lemela in could lead to a clash of code. You might end up irredeemably contaminated. And so would Lemela.”
I frown a little looking at the shimmering reflection.
-Wait, didn’t we share our minds already? I mean I have her memories, she has mine, isn’t that the same?-
Virgil shook its head "That is not the case. Your constructs didn’t mix directly. We created a link so you can tell what is yours and what isn’t. Your upper functions are unchanged.”
I chuckle -Unchanged? I have gained a lifetime's worth of experience as a female, I wouldn’t exactly call that unchanged.-
The head of Virgil has tilted at an unnatural angle now, is it trying new expressions?
"Misunderstanding identified. Let us explain. You may access events or experiences data as you were Lemela, but your code is still Ethan. If we granted your request, then Ethan’s code would cease to exist. Lemela’s code would also cease to exist. Your source code would unite, and mix in the truest sense. As you unite, a new entity will emerge. It would be an unpredictable mixture of Ethan and Lemela. We don't know if this entity could then operate in any form or fashion as there isn't any data to test it. Would you like us to proceed as an experiment?"
So I would kill Lemela and die basically. Thanks but no thanks.
-No Virgil. Still, it would be nice to talk like in the real world here. You know to communicate when on long-range missions like this one.-
Virgil's form shimmered a bit, the numbers and symbols shifting in his reflection of my shape.
"If that is the extent of your request, we suggest creating a shared virtual hub where both you and Lemela can interact. A place both your construct can recognize as external rather than within their code."
I smile happy that the machine has an actual solution that applies to what I had in mind.
-Now that's an excellent idea, Virgil. Please do that!-
Virgil's form pulsed in acknowledgment.
“We will begin the process of designing and constructing the shared virtual hub, Ethan. It will require time and optimization of our resources. Please note that unless we undergo a substantial update real-world interaction will still be more practical.”
I nod -thank you, Virgil. I trust your judgment in this matter. Now, do you think that you can multiply my laptop rather than splitting the screen? I want to try and follow multiple drones' points of view but the space is just too small like this.-
I watch as my laptop multiplies, each one with the point of view of one of the drones I sent upward.
I can get the scale of the lower layer of the place, this is truly colossal, a stark transformation from the narrow corridors and rooms.
The air thickens with yellowish smoke the drones report an acrid smell and the scent of decay.
Dilapidated structures loom overhead, their skeletal frames adorned with faded graffiti and makeshift repairs.
Neon signs flicker and buzz, casting an eerie glow upon the streets below.
I have seen my fair share of shanty towns in my life, but this here takes the cake; this lower layer is a teeming, chaotic tapestry of life.
Every step brings encounters with a diverse array of individuals, each struggling to survive in this unforgiving underworld.
I can see that the armed escort of former Dexton’s dogs allows for a smooth passage as aliens make way for us.
The drones and Lemela navigate through crowded markets, where peddlers hawk their wares with what appears desperation in their eyes.
Lemela is still very nervous, but I just need her here, I mean I can’t honestly tell with all these alien features like multiple sets of eyes, fur, or whatever these appendages are supposed to be.
She is far more experienced in a setting where multiple races meet and interact, she is more normal looking, and besides she’s the only one besides me that can talk.
I already saw this kind of scenario through Lemela’s eyes, but one thing is being dragged through it, or running for your life.
One other is having the time to look at the stalls, adorned with patched-up clothing, scavenged technology, and questionable goods of all kinds.
Exactly what currency are they exchanging with? Where do they earn any cash?
These are all questions that Lemela, Virgil, or I can’t currently answer.
-Hey Lemela- I poke my companion’s consciousness that appears in her room over the forest - did Zek’lor tell of anything similar?-
The Versel shakes her virtual head in denial -No, we were both confined. From what we understood these people are or were pirate crew members, from before the time Dexton took control over Blackwatch.-
I nod, aside from the smells the soundscape is a symphony of discord. Blaring music spills from makeshift clubs, mixing with the cacophony of haggling voices and the distant echoes of machinery.
Occasionally, a scuffle erupts, accompanied by the sound of cybernetic enhancements powering up, a reminder of the augmented individuals who patrol these streets.
Not that my drones or Lemela have to fear from that point of view.
A fog of tension hangs in the air, as everyone moves with a sense of cautious urgency.
Weird symbols are etched into the makeshift walls, I already saw something similar on Earth, these serve as territorial markers for factions that want to signal their presence.
So Dexton either doesn’t care or intervenes as things get too out of hand. But I get more than what I hoped for, there are pockets of camaraderie and resilience on the surface.
Makeshift shelters with open-air tents where some individuals provide brief respites from this, clinics that tend to the wounded, providing rudimentary medical help to those who cannot afford the luxury of real healthcare.
Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.
They especially eye the cargo my drones are hauling, actual meat, cured and cut as best my drones could manage.
This is in no way shape or form of professional work but this should be still edible, right?
-Lemela, mind asking Vexx if we can share the meat with them?-
She nods and approaches to ask, and I can hear his hissed answer.
-These are Claye’s men and women, Dexton tolerates them but he doesn’t go out of his way to help Claye’s people. Not in public at least that I know of. -
I nod to that, I mean I am donning Dexton’s banner for now, but I will need to forge my own.
-Virgil.- I simply need to call and one of the drones that supposedly are acting as slaves move, and under escort drops the meat that still drips blood in a raised stretcher before silently moving away.
I watch the confused look from the people in the camp as they approach the offered meal and start figuring out what to do with that.
It doesn’t seem that they need protection, I mean when my armed drones entered the camp armed figures popped out of tents, weapons trained.
There’s somebody else that gives military training ‘round here I guess. I would prefer if they were the ones that come to me, so I make the caravan proceed.
They cautiously approach the dilapidated shop in the lower layer of the arcology.
The flickering neon sign above translates as "Vexx’s Meats" its once vibrant colors faded and cracked.
I mean the whole thing is a makeshift sign, to begin with, and it’s in an alien tongue with the lamps barely managing to form readable characters.
The entrance is partially obscured by a tattered curtain of mismatched fabrics, swaying in the stale, polluted breeze.
As Vexx pushes aside the makeshift barrier, a chill runs down my spine, as if the very air within carries a malevolent presence.
The interior is shrouded in shadow, with dim, flickering lights casting eerie shapes upon the walls.
The stench is strong, with a metallic tang, decay, and something disturbingly tempting mixed within.
Rows of meat hooks hang from the ceiling, the end of each hook tinged black from the paste created by the machine.
The floor is stained with dark splotches, and if I didn't know better I could imagine a macabre dance of blood and despair that took place within these walls.
The shelving, hastily assembled from salvaged materials, is lined with jars of murky liquids, each containing unnerving specimens floating in what is probably preservation fluid.
That slimy-scaled bastard didn’t tell me he had a side collection of body parts.
Deformed limbs, organs, and other grotesque remnants of unknown creatures stare back at me with a haunting intensity.
There is a female Krynnak with sunken eyes, that stands behind a counter cluttered with rusted tools and black-stained implements.
She is clearly surprised to see her companion and rushes over to embrace him crying.
Well seems he didn’t lie to me about having a wife.
-Vexx why did this trip take you so long?! I feared you weren’t coming back!!-
Whispers seem to fill the air, faint murmurs that echo from unseen corners.
Shadows dance and contort, as if concealing something unspeakable but are soon dispelled as I concentrate my attention on them. Am I seeing or imagining things? And I am not even there!
I concentrate on something more real, Vexx, his voice filled with a mix of reassurance and concern as he speaks to his supposed wife.
-Xyra, it's good to be back. Don't worry, I'm here now.-
Xyra seems happy, I mean until she freezes looking over to one of my drones.
Her eyes widen, and she starts to shake visibly, it’s like she saw a ghost.
Well, crap of course she saw one, I didn’t think this one through enough, of course, someone who actually prepared the corpses can recognize one!
I used the bodies they transported to make some of my newest drones not thinking too much about it.
Vexx extended his tail, gently wrapping it around Xyra's, the tips intertwining.
Versels have a similar tradition, so this should convey affection, a silent gesture of their deep bond.
Xyra's tail twitches a bit initially but gradually it seems she relaxes before Vexx begins to speak.
Vexx
He feared as much, at least when he saw his escort; the ancient horror that had awoken couldn't comprehend biological life after all.
It came scarily close, way too close for comfort, it could fake emotions and actions as natural as a living one, but in the end, it was a machine.
Still, he can hold his dearest again, it’s an improvement, he feared it couldn’t anymore.
He could hold entire conversations with her using his tail alone now, but he needs to speak out loud.
Vexx watches the eerily lit eyes of his former guards, even this one spokesperson of the ancient machine is unnatural.
The machine chose a Versel, a race of warriors, of a carnivore like himself.
He didn’t know much of the ancient machines in the depths of Taboo, he only managed to understand how that one worked to create artificial meat.
Probably that wasn’t even its’ original use, but that didn’t matter now, now he had to survive, he had to make Xyra survive once again.
-Xyra, I need you to listen to me very carefully. Those... they're under the control of an ancient artificial intelligence. For some unknown reason, it has tasked us with selling real meat.-
He points out the actual slabs of meat the various abominations are now carrying, there’s enough to maybe become actually someone.
Well if he hadn’t to deal with the force able to deliver that meat on the platter, so to speak.
Gravlorian Boars made the bulk of it, they were a specie that was brought to Taboo for husbandry since they were basically omnivorous beasts that could adapt to basically anything.
The only issue was that they were wild and tough as nails or so the human traders defined them.
Hunting them in the tunnels wasn’t unfeasible, but it required extreme precision and coordination; bringing one down required some serious firepower that would actually end up damaging some if not all of the meat.
Well unless one could conjure laser blades out of thin air, and could bear the charge of one of those without a care in the galaxy.
Yes, he saw those things fight, he didn’t want to repeat the experience.
He cast a cautious glance around, making sure not to arouse suspicion.
He continued in their hidden language, stroking her tail conveying his deepest concerns.
“I've seen what these machines can do, Xyra. I don't want to become one of them. We must do as the AI instructs, or else… I fear we'll face a fate worse than death. Please, for our safety, lie and tell them we have eggs. Please we must play along, even if it goes against everything we held true ‘till now."
Vexx held Xyra tighter, his voice trembling with a mixture of fear and determination, he had to pull his act together lest rising suspicion from the ancient machine.
-I promise you, my love, we'll survive together, selling actual meat will be easier, and we will be protected. We just need to do what we are told. Trust me.-
Xyra looked into his eyes, the weight of their situation sinking in, she clearly had cried in his absence, it was clear in her sunken eyes.
She nodded, her tail conveying her understanding of the gravity of their predicament and the need to protect each other at all costs.
She mustered a shaky smile and finally let her voice out.-We’ll do whatever it takes to keep our eggs safe, Vexx.-
As they held their tails together Vexx began recounting the tale of his capture as well as the precise terms of his release while the drones began placing the meat around the shop.
Lemela
Seems that all is good between those two, in the end, Ethan’s fears were unfounded.
This could have gone well without her presence or intervention; still being half between this place and her former home felt… weird.
“Lemela, do you mind asking Vexx where the cold storage actually is?”
Ethan’s voice resounded from the void directly in her head as if it was one of her own thoughts, still, it was like he was speaking to her.
Just as the weird conversation ends, the entrance of the shop swings opens once again, revealing a group of aliens.
These enter the shop with an air of arrogance and entitlement, what appears to be the leader of the group, a formidable alien with crimson scales and razor-sharp spines protruding from his muscular frame, steps forward.
The drones pick almost automatically a fighting stance, but Vexx steps forward, extending his four arms, his voice laced with forced calmness.
-Rixxen, my friend!- he begins, his tone respectful yet subtly tinged with a plea for leniency, signals that he probably knows this alien well.
-Vexx, old pal, didn’t see you ‘round for a long time- Says the alien named Rixxen. -Almost feared you lost yourself delving under the surface. I see the escort you borrowed from the group paid off. Still, you know why I am here do you?-
-Yeah look, times have been tough for us lately. The meat sales have been slow, and I had some issues down below, but I assure you, we will pay our debts as soon as we can.-
Rixxen's voice booms through the shop, as he explodes in a burst of raucous laughter.
His reptilian eyes narrow, capturing the dim light and reflecting a hint of malice.
Rixxen's eyes narrow further, his scaly tail flicking with impatience.
-You've been saying that for weeks, Vexx- he sneers, his voice dripping with contempt. -One last job Vexx… Wasn’t that the deal? - he points out with his claw -You know the consequences of not paying on time.-
Xyra steps forward, her tail wrapping protectively around Vexx's leg as she speaks, her voice filled with desperation.
-Please, Rixxen, we're doing our best. The shop has been struggling, and we just need a little more time. We promise to make it right.-
Rixen glances around the shop, his eyes lingering on the drones.
“Let’s hope they belonged to different groups, or we will have to kill him”
Ethan’s voiceover is cold and extremely calm, but knowing him deeply he must be trying his best not to be overcome by anger.
Rixen’s gaze luckily shifts back to Vexx and Xyra, a faint smirk playing on his lips.
-Very well- he says, his voice laced with a mix of intimidation and reluctant understanding. -You have one more week. Don't test my patience further. We will be taking a little interest ahead.-
He gestures to one of the biggest slabs of meat and his goons just straight take it from the drone.
With a final warning glare, Rixen turns on his heel, his goons following suit.
“I think we might need a little explanation here, Lemela. Vexx and Xyra are all yours. Do me proud, interrogate them. Thoroughly. I want to know every last detail.”
A new weird sense of purpose washes over her body as her eyes set on the couple, she has a task to accomplish now for Ethan, a task she strangely wants to complete at the best of her capabilities.