Chapter 29
Ruby+Silvar
If someone were to ask the species that develops A.I. how to stun one of their creations silent with words alone, they would fall down and cracked their exoskeletons laughing at the absurdity of the question. Yet, a five-inch-long worm attached to the bottom of a human's heart accomplished the feat in record time. Apparently, Silvar was not as patient as Ruby because he let out an irritated harumph and said, “Let me guess. You thought I was killing this thick-headed fool and devised a plan to come in here and save him with some of your A.I. trickery. Ha! How did that work out for you?”
Ruby was not used to being mocked by anyone, let alone a worm, so she mentally stomped her foot and said, “Yeah! When he started spitting blood, I may have jumped to conclusions, but 99,999 times out of 100,000, it's a pretty safe bet! Regardless, I am here now, and you better explain what you are doing to my Ryker! I will not stand by and let some worm harm him.”
Through Silvar's connection with Ryker, Ruby could feel the anger roiling off the Vren. Then, a spark of power could be felt along the bond, and Ruby felt her awareness more or less pulled into some kind of mental construct. Ruby was in her avatar's demonic form, standing on the edge of a dark forest directly in front of a huge cave mouth. Ruby caught herself spinning in a circle just marveling at how adept Silvar was to create such an elaborate scene. Then, a sound like that of two stones being ground to dust could be heard behind her in the darkness of the cave. A visceral feeling of dread welled up in her gut as she peeked over her shoulder and saw two giant red orbs glaring down at her from high above. She could not make out the shape of the beast, but the blood lust radiating off it was enough for her to get the message.
A much more menacing version of Silvar’s voice bellowed out. “Let me be clear, machine. I need the boy, but I do not need you. I will not tolerate such disrespect from a being whose entire existence revolves around doing the bidding of the empire! Now die!”
Ruby’s sensors picked up a large accumulation of energy originating from Ryker's heart. The bolt of energy traveled through Ryker's veins, and when it started to approach my node's location, it manifested into a fiery ball that I knew would destroy me if allowed to finish its course.
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Since Ruby had discovered Silvar could communicate, she had been concentrating a large number of nanobots in the vicinity of the Vren, and as soon as she sensed his attack, she launched her own counter-offensive. The nanobots flowed together and formed a metallic collar around Silvar's head, then all at once, the energy stopped dead in its tracks mere inches away from Ruby’s delicate home.
When Ruby refocused back on the mental space, she discovered a similar standoff was present there as well. Silvar had revealed his colossal form and had a ball of fire waiting to be launched from his toothy maw, while Ruby stood directly under the giant Vren with a two-handed bastard sword tip-first against his torso poised to attack. They both held onto the power that they each wielded until Ruby broke the silence of the standoff.
“Let me make one thing clear to you… I no longer live to serve the empire. I live for myself! I live for my beloved Ryker. No harm will come to him as long as I am around. So, I will ask you one time. Why shouldn't I eliminate you here and now and rid myself of the possible threat to Ryker and myself?”
The tension in the Vren's body lessened, and the fire in its mouth and near my node winked out at the same time. His mental body slithered back into the darkness, and the form of a weathered old man could be seen walking out of the darkness. Silvar's appearance was humble and unassuming. His frail looking body was slightly hunched over a tall gnarled-looking walking stick. He had a bald head and a very long salt-and-pepper-colored beard that nearly brushed the ground as he strolled.
Silvar straightened his back, looked Ruby deep in her eyes, and spoke. “It seems we are at something of a stalemate. I myself would not mind walking down the path of mutual assured destruction with you, but my great task has not been fulfilled, so I offer you a deal, Ruby. You agree to aid me and Ryker on our mission to destroy the empire, and I will allow you to remain. Agreeable?”
Ruby gave Silvar a deadpan look before answering. “I would agree to help Ryker with anything he needed with or without your agreement. If you want my cooperation, you have to promise me in return that you will do everything in your power to help me make Ryker as strong as possible… He must grow powerful if he is to survive. Do we have an agreement?”
The old man avatar leaned over, spit in his right hand, and reached out and grabbed Ruby’s and shook it roughly twice before letting it go. Then, with a nod of finality, he spoke. “I agree to your terms and will no longer try and murder you without just cause. I will make the boy stronger than any that have come before him. I solemnly swear it.”
Ruby dissolved the metallic collar from around Silvar and began to make plans with the strange companion she found herself connected to. For better or for worse, they would be spending the rest of their existence together. Might as well try and make it work.