“How did you know about my sister?” grace had regained most of her usual gruff exterior.  The arbiter simply stared at her, patiently and methodically examining every inch of her, taking in her expression, body posture, and her tired, used face. “Ok well?” Grace waited “what now, you are to interview us separately I assume, to find out the cause of our dispute?, you are here to help us resolve this matter are you not?”

                “I am” the croak that leapt from the arbiter’s month shocked her slightly.

                “Well than ask away, we don’t have all day here”

                “Don’t we?” his face was steady and unchanged.  Grace wasn’t sure how to approach this man whom to her seemed more akin to a ghost than a person. The arbiter waited, Grace had assumed the question was rhetorical but it appeared as if the man actually wanted an answer.

                “No, we don’t, you have to interview the rest of us than help us resolve this” her voice was slowly turning from controlled to unleashed anger “this is life and death or don’t you understand that, what’s decided here will change the course of history and affect millions”

                “Indeed, but why do we not have more than a day to make that decision?” the arbiter seemed to be more interested in his satchel that was draped around the back of his chair than Grace.  While angry and annoyed by the man’s behavior Grace thought about his question it seemed to her to be more obtuse and pointless than anything.  They were after all at the mercy of the arbiters time scale, so convincing her to allow this conversation to last all day is beside the point.  She didn’t have to agree with him, she didn’t have to be convinced, all she needed to do was best argue her point, best relay her position, get the most for the people she represented; not understand the idiotic time scale of a crazy old man that just a few minutes ago she herself had defended.

                “Who are you and why did you show us that page in your strange little book” Grace stared at the arbiter pointing at the book now placed neatly to the side of the table.

                “I am the arbiter and the book shows me only what I need to know,” he tapped the small leather bond book almost affectionately “Grace” he began again “why do you believe we do not have all day to resolve this dispute”

                “oh for Christ sake,” she let out, getting up with a forceful push “why take all day for something that should only take an hour” she began to pace “why take us aside to this ridiculously small little room and talk to us as if we were children?” she threw her arms wildly around indicating the room being used “what!” she yelled at the unblinking arbiter “you trying to break me, trying to annoy me to the point that I’d agreed with everything they say” she pointed to the room that held the rest of the six “well your barking up the wrong tree, I won’t bend, I won’t break and even if I’m starving skin to bone and on my last breath I won’t kneel, you can take that back to your little puppet masters you pale eyed little shit!” she jabbed her finger at the man.

                The arbiter simply stared at her waiting, grace kept her finger pointed at him thinking, than slowly she calmed and retook her seat.

                “Tell me about your sister” it wasn’t really a question but not entirely a command.

                Grace wasn’t expecting the question, but then again she hadn’t expected this entire conversation, so she kept her eyes trained on the arbiter and kept them steady as she answered, not once did she change her tone. “My sister was the pride of the family; she married up and with that brang all of us up with her.  She was my best friend but then again that was before” graces eyes gave a small slightly detectibly flicker.  “before I found out about her new lively hood, the source of her husband’s wealth before that I never visited the farm, I never cared to.  Farming never interested me so I never suspected.  We met in town sometimes for tea sometimes for lunch, she sent me to college gave me a leg up in the world and how did I thank her?” Grace blinked looking at the arbiter trying to figure him out.  The story was well practiced she used it in speeches and so many people asked about it that she could retell the story without actually thinking. Usually she could tell how to relay the story by people’s reactions, Grace could decide what to leave out, what to put in based on any given person and any given situation.  It was to her great dismay that the arbiter showed no reaction to her tale.  Up to this point she had no way of knowing how he would react, who was the man beneath the scowl? “she never wanted me visiting the farm, never talked about it she even went as far as the have family dinners take place in our old small family home in town.  Mom didn’t mind much, mom couldn’t really travel much but I did, I grew suspicious and it was hard to ignore the rumors.  So I made sure the house was unavailable for our monthly family dinner and made sure she had no other option but to have us all over.  She didn’t suspect that I had planned it of course, that wasn’t her way. It wasn’t’ her way to think the worst of people but I guess that’s too is my fault.  I always protected her, my baby sister. She tried for as long as she could to keep it a secret but that night one of her husband’s servants had misbehaved and her husband; the good Christian man that he was, couldn’t let it pass not for a night not for anything.  The screams were unbearable and the looks on the house servants faces were even more so.  This was not our way.  The diner ended early that night and we never saw my sister again, that was until the funeral.  Open casket but the mortician had done an excellent job, because you see my baby sister had been sliced in half by the very instrument her servants used to till the grain, that sickly, that man.  The servants or I should more accurately say slaves were killed of course, in a big public display a display I made sure to miss. the town called it even, even huh, even” Grace finished still staring almost unblinking at the arbiter.

                “Do you not feel sorrow at your sister’s death?”

                “ya, I cried, I wept for a fortnight but I can’t really tell you why” grace looked over to the side of the table “did I miss my sister, did I feel responsible, could I have don’t more or did I feel sorrow for not protecting the slaves, for ignoring them, focusing on my sister not ever tying.  Did I put them in that position, or did I just feel some strange social obligation to cry when no real sense of loss lived in my soul”

“How is it that you came to be here?”

                Somehow his croak had turned softer somewhat less hostile and the question wasn’t really new but still wasn’t old, yet she gave it some thought, after all he didn’t appear to be judging.

                “I inherited the family’s wealth from my sister, not the farm but a great deal of the money and I had experience, education wise.  Not to mention that when I was only 14 I had worked in the factories, so I guess it was a perfect fit, you see I was hired on as factory Forman.  I guess my sentimentalities were to radical for the owner because within a year I had given my workers better wedges and benefits,  profits were down but not by much, a small price to pay I thought for the happiness of the workers but still I was fired and replaced with someone who would tote the line better than me.  In response the workers rallied, they asked me to help them, asked me to lead.  So I did, not just the workers in my old factory but workers from factories all around, they called me the poor’s man’s hero, contrary to popular belief I never asked to be here, I just ended up here, but on that flip side I like being here, maybe “Grace felt a strange sense of pride come over her “maybe I can help people with no other way out, step in before tragedy happens, like the one on my sisters farm, maybe I can change the world for the better”

“Very good grace but one more question if you will let me?”

Grace nodded, curtly.

“Why do you believe we cannot afford more than a day for these preceding’s”

                This time Grace wasn’t angry she wasn’t really sure why, the arbiter didn’t speak much but he did listen for whatever that was worth, to her apparently it was worth a great deal.

                “Because for the people I represent; one day, could mean the difference between life and death, and for that I guess I own them more than compliancy.  The idea of waiting and watching as things fall apart around me is hard to take.  Maybe it’s my sister’s influence but I can’t stand sitting by and doing next to nothing while peoples livelihoods are put in danger.   Still, I suppose change doesn’t necessarily have to be forced, sometime it’s best to simply be around to allow it to happen, to be there to give it a guiding hand”

                “Thank you grace you can leave, I will follow shortly” the arbiter took out a note pad from his satchel and began writing as Grace left the room to rejoin her fellows. 

                As grace walked around the room the six swiftly fell silent following her progress.  When she sat down they flooded her with questions each more indistinguishable than the next.   Their words rushed out of their months all at once overlapping each other’s canceling each other out.  Grace tried to quite them, to hear and answer their questions but the arbiter creeping into the room silenced them all. He slowly made his way back to the opening in the table and took out his book, this time without muttering.  It seemed as if for a moment the world silenced, the storms harsh lightning quelled and the lights in the room dimmed throwing both the group and the arbiter in a soft silhouette.  Than as swiftly as it came the world began to once again sound. With a crack on the table the book landed accompanied by the arbiter’s low crackling voice “E”.  No one moved, no one gasped, cried out or leapt with excitement, instead there was silence, and for a few moments it looked as if the arbiter’s strange spell over the group was going to lift.  The book laid at the center of the table once again for everyone to see, and everyone did see, everyone eyes rested on the page in contemplation and all but one kept their eyes on that page.  It held a picture of a lady simply dressed holding a flag as she appeared to lead a mass of people on.  They all recognized it as lady liberty but it was the description that seemed out of place.  The word used by the book was not liberty or lady but instead it read (idol) in large bold black lettering. 

                “Well” at last someone spoke, a familiar voice with an unfamiliar tone “that’s me than is it?” the man with the jet black hair and thick velvet coat was looking at the arbiter who in turn nodded.  The man sighed as he stood up walked around the group and out of the room.  

                There was a crisp chill in the air; rain was rapidly falling from the darkened sky creating vast pools of mud where patches of dirt once laid.  Lightning struck and lashed at the distant buildings of the town, striking the rods and rushing the ground; their noise rippling through the rain swept forest pounding and echoing off the harsh stone of the castle.  Thunder resounded across the court yard of the keep as a man slowly opened the massive wooden doors making them creek and wine as he passed.  

                The council of six watched from their chambers as the man slowly made his way across the courtyard dragging a large brown trunk making indents in the drenched grass along the way; he then disappeared from view entering the castle.  For an eternity they waited, listening, anticipating the sound.  Than it came, a thunk and slowly just slightly out of sync another thunk.  They heard him as he dragged his trunk across the rippled stone.  It banged and rattled along the way than suddenly, nothing. 

                The six stared at the door to the chambers anticipating what was to come, they waited shifting in their seats fumbling with their hands, doing all they could to will the future to pass as swiftly as possible.  Nothing, there was no noise; no shadows under the door frame, all their senses were on full alert but nothing came. 

                One of them spoke up, “where do you think?-”

                BANG! The room shook as the lightning struck the wall outside punching though the brick.  They all turned fixating on the odd shaped hole that had formed from the impact.  The wind and the rain came rushing in; slowly flooding the room.  Quickly the man closest to the hole jumped, wrapped a book in his coat and plugged it muffling the noise of the storm and stopping the cold chill and water from swarming into their chambers. 

‘clunk, clunk, clunk’ the noise came from behind the six, their full attention having been fixated on the lightning made hole.

‘clunk, clunk, clunk’

                Slowly they turned their heads around to see what or who was making the noise.  With another flash of lighting they saw the man, standing at the edge of the room staring at them, his eyes glowed blood red and his teeth braised pure white by the lightning’s flash.  His gaunt thin face was etched by the shadows the flash made through the stained glass of the rooms window making him look more skeleton than flesh and blood.  He was barely visible in the corner with his thick black rain coat still dripping wet from the weather. 

                “You scared us” the man who had plugged the hole was setting down looking over at the dark clad stranger. “But at last you’re here; maybe we can finally settle this dispute.”

                The stranger had raised his hand out indicating silence than slowly made his way around the table holding in his other hand something that looked similar to an old bible.  The six stared, shifting their gaze as the man made his way to the head of the round table; moving the carefully placed chair swiftly out of the way.  He then opened up the small book and flipped through its pages muttering to himself. 

                The six began to stir, shifting their eyes across the room looking for reassurance; this is not what they had expected.

                “well this is ridiculous” one of the them spoke up, his hair was unkempt and gray, accented with a grizzled looking beard and a face to match, “we called for an arbiter not a silent monk” he glanced around for conformation.

                “I agree” one of the women replied, she was stocky, short but didn’t show it while sitting, instead she looked like the tallest one there, her hair was grayed, straight and smooth with a carefully placed part on the left side allowing her to tuck it behind her ear.  She spoke the next part with a certain degree of gravitas “we need a proper mediator, someone more well known.  This matter cannot be taken lightly, the world rest on our shoulders; and like atlas we must carry that burden with grace and pride not” she gave a dismissive wave to the dark cloaked arbiter “insult or charge with this man’s flippant nonsense”

                “Most astute” a squarely looking man with long greasy black hair began “this contrivance on our temporal mood cannot go untethered to consequence” he had an incredibly flashy pen in the shape of his family crest; it bore a shield with three swords piercing behind.  Two of the swords angled in a slope at the sharp edge of the shield the third pointed upwards from the bottom of the shield “it is clear from our strange muttering friend that the order does not take our current dire situation with the concern it deserves” he was dressed in a jet black tuxedo lined in gold thread with his shirt made from velvet of the deepest red one can find “what flippant nonsense indeed”

                “For once we agree” the youngest spoke up nodding at her cohort, she was slender, proper with long flowing auburn hair, she was dressed in a simple Black elegant floor length dress and a ornately woven silk shawshawl draped casually on her shoulders “let us call for a more appropriate arbiter, one with a little more presence than this creature”

                “Of course we will need to be more specific this time” he was coming up on his middle ages but barely showed it, his smile beamed across the table pronouncing the dimples in his cheeks.   He had short well tamed hair with a slight touch of gray and when he spoke he made sure to place his elbow on the table to flex and show off his well-developed biceps “I’ll start a list, and pass it around” he took out a quill pen and parchment paper than paused looking up at the arbiter who was still mumbling while flipping through the pages in his book “an inviting personality, I think that is important”

                “I’m not so sure; maybe we should give him a chance, he doesn’t look that bad” she eyed the arbiter suspiciously.  She was middle aged like the man before but in her case it showed, life had etched and molded her body through the years.  She had a pronounced scar on her lift cheek, her face was tired and wrinkled and though her hair was neatly tied in a well done pony tail it still frizzed at the edges.  She looked apart, even down to her cloths which appeared to be made of thick wool and had well blended patches in unassuming places “we shouldn’t wait any longer to resolve this dispute.” Though her appearance diminished her, her voice was quite the opposite it flared and boomed with authority and not a word was missed by the rest of the group which despite their difference still seemed to respect her.

                The arbiter suddenly coughed turning the groups attention around to him, than he snapped the book shut raised it in the air and half let it fall, half threw it down on the table before him.  The book landed hard on the table opening to a page, the arbiter looked; slowly bending his tired old body, examining the page. “J” he breather out with a croak, his voice was strained and nasally with a relatively high pitch.  He looked around at the group turning from head to head than he pushed the book to the center of the table so everyone could see it.

                The woman with the tattered hair let out a gasp, the page had a picture of a sickle and a word ‘servant’ as a description.  “That’s my sister” she let out holding her hand to her month, “she died, Jenna, on Jenna” the woman let a single tear fall from her cheek.

                The arbiter looked around at the group speaking in his low croak “we will need privacy” the man with the gray grizzled hair stoop up and directed the arbiter and the women to the room just across the hall.  It was small with a single table and two chairs in the center. The arbiter sat down at the table directing the woman to follow.  She did and the arbiter stared at her for a few minutes letting her regain herself, when she did he started, “Grace” his voice surprised her “let’s begin”

The Story so far. 

Part: 1

Chapter 1: The Bridge

http://mimiclinkfsd.tumblr.com/post/40951853572/a-call-from-the-dark-part-1-chapter-1-the-bridge

Chapter 2: The Chasm Below

http://mimiclinkfsd.tumblr.com/post/41136040044/a-call-from-the-dark-part-1-chapter-2-the-chasm-below

Chapter 3: Never Forget

http://mimiclinkfsd.tumblr.com/post/41218083633/a-call-from-the-dark-part-1-chapter-3-never-forget

Part: 2

Chapter 4: T.E.O.H

http://mimiclinkfsd.tumblr.com/post/48719520973/a-call-from-the-dark-part-2-chapter-4-t-e-o-h

Chapter 5: The Desert Lullaby

http://mimiclinkfsd.tumblr.com/post/48734121077/a-call-from-the-dark-part-2-chapter-5-the-desert

Part: 3

Chapter 6: Devastator 

http://mimiclinkfsd.tumblr.com/post/49314672150/a-call-from-the-dark-part-3-chapter-6-devastator

Also if you click on the ‘Search’ Button at the top of the my blog and search Complete than all the complete chapters will be displayed without any other stories.  

keep in mind that this is a rough draft and i’m not even 100% about the chapter structure at this point but this is the most complete version of the story that is available.  hope you enjoy. 

                It was waiting for them, pulsating, hovering ten feet above the ground.  It beamed and glared at them, it’s sleek round black surface reflecting the suns light as if it were a bird spreading its wings showing them the majesty of its existence.  The Devastator, It was surrounded by sand and dirt an area with a radius reaching 50 feet.  The area was largely flat with the sand curving and crowning  at the edge.  The wind had died down and there were strange clicking sounds coming from inside the Devastators smooth metal frame.

                The Sarge ignored all of this and drove his truck right over the edge of the perimeter smacking its front end hard against the solid rock plateau.  Jace chose to leave his truck outside the Devastators circle and instead he and his group climbed over the edge sliding down the lip meeting the Sarge at the bottom who was slightly shaken from the crash. 

“So, we’re all here”

“Yep” Jace replied looking at the Sarge steady himself.

“And there it is” Simon was ten feet away staring up in awe at the Devastator “it’s not as scary the third time is it?”

                “I suppose” the Sarge frowned at Simon “Steel!” he quickly turned looking at Marcus Steel who was  still in the truck staring at the Devastator with a look of horror on his face.  The Sarge sighed walking over and smacked Marcus across the face “whatdaya think?, what’s it doing?”  Marcus looked at the Sarge then back to the devastator than at Simon than back to the Sarge, slightly confused.

“God dammit man this is why you’re here, focus!” the Sarge gave Marcus another slap.

“Right” Marcus spoke at last “it’s, it’s, well, it’s changing Tec, I think, it’s, I mean the devastator, it well, I think it might be preparing the air born pathogen”

The whole group was taken aback, now staring at Marcus.

“What do you mean Steel? What will this pathogen do? And what was it doing before?”

“Well I don’t know, it was maybe preparing the environment or…”

“It was sending out command probes, small Nano Tec to embed in the surrounding area to command and inform the central device” “Affirmative, next stage is to sterilize the air with a combination of biological and mechanical components” Cid and Multi had just slid down the edge of the perimeter, Evan following closely behind.

“And just who the hell are you?” the Sarge had stepped forward.

“I’m your last hope, who are you?” Cids response was, Evan though cryptic and unnecessary.

“I’m the commanding general of the army of Homestead, senior counselor and champion of the protectorate, they call me the Sarge”

“Right, so you’re the big man in charge of the little platoon responsible for this corner of the planet huh?, fascinating”

The Sarge made to move towards Cid but was blocked by Ed steeping in front of him.

“I’m Ed, and I think you should show this man some respect”

Cid suddenly fell to her knees bowing at Eds feet.

“What the hell is going on?” Jace was standing at the side of this encounter Fink close by completely flabbergasted.

                Ed grabbed Cids shoulder and lifted her up “we don’t have time for this, we need to do something about the Devastator”

Everyone looked over at the Devastator

                “Right well, anyone have any ideas?” the Sarge looked around first at Jace than at Marcus finally turning to Ed.  Ed in turn looked slightly confused than glanced over at Cid who shrugged looking at Multi who then pointed to Evan.  Evan with the whole group now looking at him replied with a confused “what?”.

“You!” Marcus suddenly spoke up pointing at Multi, “you’re a medical droid right?!”

“Affirmative” Multi replied

“Marcus what the hell does that have to do with anything?”

“Well I’ve long suspected that droids created the Devastators, not the traditional alien invaders that we all believe”

“nonsense” Cid spoke up, I’m from the city and our history is pretty solid on this, it was aliens”

“Ha!, I knew it” the Sarge exclaimed looking at Cid with a satisfied smirk.

“Actually that’s wrong” Ed spoke, “it wasn’t droids or aliens it was a group of artificial intelligences known as the A.I Collective”

“Yep” replied Evan “Multi doesn’t know anything”

“Incorrect,” Multi interjected “Multi knows a great deal”

The group stood awkwardly for a few minutes looking at each other.

“What the fuck does this matter anyway?” Fink blurted out.

“Finks right, we need to shut it down so..” Jace paused looking at the group “who knows how to do that”

“No one” Multi replied “none of us should even be able to get much closer than this without serious bodily injury or possibly death”

“Ok” Cid looked at Multi “whys that, it has some sort of defense protocol”

“Affirmative; among other defenses Devastators are armed with projectile weapons, local poisonous gas, an EMP and advanced hacking software.  None of us except Evan will be able to approach”

“What?” Cid looked flabbergasted “why Evan?”

“yah why me?” Evan was looking at Multi confused.

“Evan has collective technology embedded into his body which will allow him to approach the device without being identified as a potential threat”

“What are you talking about, what technology?” Cid looked slightly angry “where?”

“Oh,” Evan replied looking at his hands “that makes sense, at least a little.”

“how does that make sense, who are you people and what the fuck are you talking about” the Sarge was growing more angry with every word, but was shortly cut off by a massive bang from behind them, the Devastator was starting to spin it’s smooth surface was shifting, dividing up.

“Quick” Cid yelled at Evan

“What?” Evan yelled, the sound of the Devastators spinning boomed across the small crater “what do I do!”

“Ask it to slow down, or disarm, something!” the Sarge yelled “quickly run!”

                Evan didn’t need telling twice, he ran straight towards the devastator it’s strange black metal surface spinning before him, dividing up and breaking into small sleek black rectangles.  As he approached he started to hear voices in his head, a call, a song embedded into his subconscious it was beautiful he thought and familiar.  Evan tried to focus but the devastator seemed to be taunting him it was feeding off of everyone’s minds it seemed to converge their thoughts and for a moment it was as if Evan could hear the world spin, the peoples voices from all over calling him, calling him to sleep, dream, remember, they were screaming, the entire world was in terror.  Evan fell before the Devastator looking up at it, he tried to overcome its call, thinking stop, stop, stop but it didn’t work instead the Devastator called back at him, called with the voice of a thousand voices “why, who?”

                 Evan remembered the caravan, the people, so desperate so proud.   The Devastator turned and spun whispering “not enough, why?” it’s call screamed in Evans head, it was all he could do to keep conscious.   He focused turning his thoughts to Cid and Multi and all their struggles.  He saw a city; massive, half buried in sand, small ships flying to and fro than a man patting Cid on the back as she left the city towards a tunnel, the song rose in volume bleaching out the image.   Evan’s thoughts turned to Multi, he saw humans and droids working side by side healing the sick and building up the City’s.   A thousand years suddenly flash before him and Evan was gutted with a feeling of intense loneliness, emptiness.  “Not enough” the Devastators call grew angry. 

                Evans thoughts crawled and stumbled, it was as if he was reaching out with his mind through the sand, brilliant blue energy beams stretched out across the small crater singing along the way.  They reached the boy, Simon, the image flashed to a small town, harsh people, hash place, blood and death laid at Simon’s feet as the boy cried reaching out.  The image shifted to Fink his long read coat flashed as he ran, chased by strangers angry men, he was cornered beaten defeated, Eds face appeared next, gilded halls, gilded cloths and a woman who seemed surrounded in darkness, she chained Ed, kept him, Evan saw Ed flee, run through tunnels straight towards a dark wonderer.  It was Jace he was surrounded by fire, behind him were bodies, burned and charred all around him.  Jace reached out a guiding hand to Ed, reached and lifted Simon off the ground and threw his arms around Fink Shielding him.  “No, not enough, why?” the voices terrified Evan, they laughed and taunted him.

                 It was all Evan could do to think of the Sarge, suddenly Evan felt a little stranger.  The Sarge stood strong surrounded by ten thousand people a black cloud moving on the horizon.  “What is this?” the voices called, chilling Evans spine “who are they?”   Evan was lifted off the ground; spun in the sky and he saw before him a thousand people, two thousand people, fifteen thousand people walking; marching, running past the Devastator, crawling to the valley. “No!” the voices screamed “no!” they cried furious “don’t’!” than suddenly they stopped Evans was on his knees his mind finally clear. He looked up and saw the Devastator closing, slowing down its spin.  Evan stumbled to his feet looking behind him, everyone looked pale, strained but relieved; somehow Evan had done the impossible and stopped the Devastator at least for the time being.

                Evan stumbled over to the rest of the group who looked as if they were in shock, everyone except Multi who had brought Evan a canteen full of water, which Evan promptly gulped down.

“What was that?” the Sarges voice was scratchy and tired “it was blue energy all around us, voices and I saw something”

Evan was looking at the Sarge “you saw the people?”

“Yes, what was it” the Sarge turned to Multi who seemed to be the only person in the group who knew anything of value.

“Unknown, there are speculations, theories but none more provable than the next”

“Well” Simons voice called from afar as he was closest to the devastator “did it work? Is this thing off?”

“no” Marcus came out of nowhere ”it’s stalled for some reason the process has paused but, the books all say the things fall to the ground and explode when they are done”

“Explode!”  Simon backed away slowly

“maybe we should go” Fink was climbing into the truck “you know, in case it decides it really is done” the group looked around for a bit, staring at each other, there was no clear leader, than finally everyone’s gaze settled on Evan.

“What?” Evan squawked

“well you did shut it off” Cid started “maybe you know more that your letting on, huh? Earth man”

“I don’t, trust me, but Multi does, how did it know I could do that?”

The group moved its stares towards Multi

“I only suspected, I did not know”

“Oh so you put my life in danger on a hunch?”

“Affirmative”

“Good to know” the Sarge butted in “but we’ve accomplished our mission, and now maybe it’s time for us to go”

“Good idea” Cid agreed.

                As they turned to leave they heard a loud crackling sound coming from above, looking up they saw a stream of white smoke burn across the sky heading straight towards them.  In a panic they bolted leaving behind the Sarges truck.  As they climbed over the ledge, the object slowed and stopped right over the devastator, it was a small ship with just enough room for one person, maybe two.   The ship was shaped like a fighter plane only the cockpit and jet engines weren’t there; instead it looked like a solid metal mass occupied that space. The ship looked like it had circuits lacing its surface and large round half bubbles protruded from each wing.  It twisted than turned it’s guns pointing straight at the group, it than gave a loud bang that made everyone duck, when they looked up they saw a giant metal thing that looked only slightly similar to  a man.

                The giant was 10 feet tall with two primary legs and arms, attached to those limbs were two sets of secondary legs and arms.  Its hands appeared large enough to easily crush a skull but inside those massive hands were another set of hands that were so small they appeared to be of the same size as a child’s.   Its spine looked broken, as if it was designed to twist in a thousand different ways.   Its head was confusing, it was small with four sets of eyes, each set had three eyes.   The Giants neck was in an odd arch bending in every which direction, extending and retracting as the giant moved.  The giant was carrying huge guns along with odd devices all around its torso.   Coupled to its limbs were several small guns and other devices.   The Giant was made of a crisp metal that shown and glistened with the sand; Evan recognized the protective coat as a type of light refracting substance he used to work with in one of his lab projects.  There was little to no doubt; this was a member of the A.I Collective, Evan only hoped he wasn’t wrong about them.

                Evan slid down the hill catching himself at the bottom and he slowly approached the giant, it twisted its neck, craning it to see Evan in different varying angles as he approached.  

                “Hello!” Evan called to it “my names Evan A’con, I called you “ the Giant just stared at him it’s posture was semi crouched from the way it fell out of its vehicle “umm” Evan was starting to feel a little worried “the satellite signal? You received it right?”

                The giant fixated its eyes on Evan than spoke with a strange deep metallic voice that scratched Evans ears and bludgeoned at his brain “Evan A’con, the inventor or the imposter?”

                Evan was taken aback; he wasn’t expecting that, someone to know who he was.  Evan looked back at the group, all of which had guns raised and were staring dead fast at the creature, all except Multi who, didn’t have a gun but was instead standing to the side looking at Evan.

“Um, well I was an inventor, before I came here, now I don’t know” Evan felt it was only fair to be honest.

                The creature arched its neck and bent it’s spine leaning in closer to Evan “I watched you, saw your work and assumed you died in the crash, I was unable to observe the foresawn collision, congratulations on your timely escape” its voice shook Evan, like something was crawling inside his skull twisting and turning his brain.

“Umm, thanks” Evan began to relax a little “have you come to help, to shut off the devastator?”

“I have” the giant quickly bent back to its full posture, inspiring a gunshot form Simon in surprise, one which was not returned let alone acknowledged by the giant.

“Jesus Christ Simon” Jace yelled “hold your fire, for fucks sake”

“Sorry” Simon cringed “I thought it was attacking”

“What are you talking about?” Evan yelled back “this thing’s come to help”

“How the fuck do you know that?” Jace yelled at Evan.

“It told me” Evan replied, confused.

“Right, well I don’t speak scary alien, do you?” Jace was looking around at his comrades who shook their heads “so you got to tell us these things okay”

Everyone seemed to relax, but still they kept their guns raised, pointing them at the giant.

                The giant however didn’t seem to take them as a serious threat and instead turned around, or at least kind of turned around, really it just spun it’s spine making it’s torso face the Devastator allowing it’s heavily armored back to point towards the group.   The giant had spun it’s neck as well so it’s primary eyes were facing the Devastator instead of Evan and the group.

                It reached up and taped the Devastator which in turn opened up its bottom armor bending it away from the center. The giant than reached inside the Devastator and from what Evan could see plugged its arm into some form of socket.  The Devastator gave out a booming cry as its gears locked up.   Then there was a loud bang and the giant let out a small scream.  Evan had ducked but when he looked up the giant was stumbling back from the Devastator and one of its arms had been torn off.

                There was another blast this time it sounded like a massive explosion, Evan looked up and saw a fire plum behind the giant as it braced itself against the Devastator.  There was a lot of noise, people screaming, Evan ran in the opposite direction of the explosions as the giant quickly activated it’s light refracting clock creating a strange blur where the giant was against the desert sand.  Evan saw it roll and flip with a surprising amount of grace past the bullets and rockets.  Looking up Evan saw two hovering ships one was dropping people off into the sand firing with two massive guns at the giant, the other was lifting off into the sky, it looked like a death glider it’s wings shaped seamlessly into its body, it was firing rockets and some form of high intensity energy round at the giant’s ship.  The giant’s ship looked like it had taken serious damage before it took off flying trying to avoid the other fighter.  It emitted a large blinding flash and Evan thought he heard Cid scream.  Dust, smoke and sand were flying all over creating a thick fog that all Evan could see were lights from tracer bullets as they whizzed by.

                Jace, Ed Simon, the Sarge, Marcus, Cid and Multi and been at the edge to the crater when the first bullet hit the giants arm.  They had immediately ducked, Ed having to pull Simon down.   Multi being furthest away was stuck by a well-placed bullet straight through the area that should have been its heart and was lying on the ground motionless. Cid tried to crawl towards Multi but when the EMP went off her instruments over loaded knocking her out.  Just before that she managed to hack into the systems of the people firing on the giant identifying them as the Spec Ops team sent from the city, she only managed to tell the Sarge before her instruments overloaded.

                The Sarge seeing the Danger of what could happen if the giant really was shutting off the Devastator but instead was stopped by the Spec Ops team tried to make his way over to them. He directed Jace and his gang along with Marcus to stay down, Jace, Simon, Marcus and Ed obliged but Fink followed the Sarge up the lip of the crater towards the fight.

                “Wait, hold your fire! Stop!” the Sarge was yelling at the top of his lungs coughing at breathing in the strange smoke that the team had released to provide themselves cover, his voice was drowned out by the sound of constant fire and shouting.  They were in a panic, apparently form what the Sarge could make out after finding a radio of one of the less fortunate soldiers and listening to their chatter the team was having trouble locking on to the giant who was zipping to and fro picking them off one by one. Their fighter while getting in a few good early shots was taking serious damage from the giant’s ship.  The Sarge managed to get behind a rock which lay between the two parties fighting. 

                There was a loud bang and an eerie screech of metal, the Sarge heard the giant’s voice cry out in a horrible booming concussive vice, than a huge metal leg landed not ten feet away from him.  He looked around the rock as saw with horror the Spec Ops team, which had been taken down to four people closing in on the giant.  In turn the giant had recovered quickly form losing a leg and was gracefully launching its self from point to point with its two remaining primary limbs.  The Sarge thinking quickly jumped into the fray holding his gun up in the air quickly getting in between the giant and the Spec Ops team.  He fired his gun in the air once and yelled “stop!, he’s our friend, don’t shoot!”.  What looked like the leader of the team raised his fist up indicating the others to stop than called out at the Sarge to stand down “on your knees!, on the ground, on the ground!” the Sarge stood his ground “no!, stop attacking” there was a loud explosion form above them and the teams fighter came crashing down in a blaze of fire, landing not 40 feet away from the seen, it was followed soon after by the giants ship falling at an angle towards the ground it’s right wing was torn off and its center chassis  was consumed with fire, the leader quickly let down his hand and his troops fired striking the down Sarge.

                Fink cried out from behind the team with a resounding “no!” raised his gun and shot two of the Spec Ops soldiers dead right between the eyes, quickly the two remaining men turned and fired on Fink littering his body with bullets.

                The giant swiftly moved out of its cover and closed the distance between it and the Spec Ops team, some 50 feet in half a second using its remaining leg to slice straight through one of the soldiers torsos than, it used its remaining hand to grasp the leader by his head crushing his skull and tossing him 100 feet to the side.

The giant looked at Fink than the Sarge scanning them for life signs, it found none.

                Evan was lying in the sand his hands behind his Head, he couldn’t hear anything having been so close to the initial explosion he felt a hand clasp his shoulder and he rose up, it was Jace, he was moving his mouth but Evan couldn’t make out the words.

                Jace waved at the others “he’s all right!” than directed Evan to follow him.  Ed had propped Cid up and was trying to give her some water from his canteen; Simon and Marcus were examining Multi. “Leave that thing alone, its dead”

Simon and Marcus both looked up at Jace “how do you know that, Jace”

“Organic Jace does not” Multi was slowly lifting itself off the ground “this units mobility had been severely limited, repair required”

Cid suddenly opened her eyes “Multi!” Ed had to hold Cid down “whoa now, not so fast”

“Multi, you all right?”

“Probability of this unit suffering fatal damage is less that 1%”

Cid smiled than started to gulp down the water Ed had handed her.

“Who do you think won?” Ed was looking at the smoke behind them “and where did Fink and the Sarge go?”

Jace looked over at the smoke worried “my moneys on the Sarge, or that giant scary robot”

“We taking bets?” Simon looked up.

“No, idiot we’re not” Jace smacked Simon across the head.

                At that moment the giant stumbled out of the smoke carrying two figures with its secondary arms.   The group stared at the giant, holding their breath.  As the giant came closer Jace let out a yell. “Fink!” he ran over to the giant who gently placed Fink and the Sarge at Jaces feet. Jace dropped to his knees crying, lifting Finks head into his lap “why, why did you go, I said I’d protect you, I promised”

                Marcus who was just now waking up form hitting his head on the truck saw the two figures on the ground and let out a soft gasp “no, no, not him, anyone but him” he stumbled over to the Sarge looking down, a single tear falling down his face “anyone but him, no”

                The giant walked past Marcus and Jace, approaching Evan “we will need to continue the operation, the devastator must be destroyed” this time it’s voice wasn’t a metal buzzing inside Evans head but instead a strong booming man’s voice which everyone could hear.

                “Why, why didn’t you stop this?” Jace was angry he had drawn his gun a pointed it at the giant “why did you let them die!” Jace fired at the giant, everyone flinched. The giant continued to look at Evan not moving.  “Probability of victory without their assistance was less that 10%, they” the Giant paused “saved my life, it was not my intention to fight, I did not want to cause death, I’m sorry”

Jace lowered his gun staring back at Fink repeating over and over again the words “I failed, I failed’”

“Why” this time Ed spoke up “why are you helping, even after this, even after they attacked you”

The giant turned to look at Ed Simply stating “mission priority”.

“Well” Cid had managed to get to her feet and she and Multi were leaning on each other for balance “get on with it than”

                The giant hopped over to the Devastator and with perfect balance connected with its severed arm.  Evans head gave a huge lurch and the words ‘clear the area’ came across.   Quickly, Jace, Cid, Multi, Marcus, Ed, Simon and Evan got into Sarges truck and drove it over the craters lip. A few short seconds later the giant leapt over the lip as well and was followed closely by a massive explosion, the Devastator, was destroyed.

“Yep, it’s gone” Simon looked over the lip “you think it’s safe to check it out?” he looked over at multi who nodded.

Jace looked up at the giant “it’s over than, what now?”

The giant turned its neck down rotating his head so it’s main eyes focused on Jace “I will leave and continue my mission”

“And what exactly is that” Evan called out to the giant which in turn moved over to its crashed ship.

“I guess it doesn’t like you anymore” Cid patted Evan on the back “I’m afraid you’ll have to find a new best friend”

“So what, it’s just going to leave” Ed was staring at the ever smaller grant as it walked away “after all of that, just leave?”

“Good for it” Jace was busy wrapping Fink and the Sarge in some make shift body bags “who needs a giant fucking robot anyway, fuck that thing”

Marcuse who was helping gave Jace a pat on the back “let’s just get out of here, back to the camp site, no point in going through the valley now is there”

“Right” Cid was examining the truck ‘”looks good well need to…”

“Wait!” Evan suddenly screamed, everyone looking at him staring “umm” he stammered “it wants to give me something”

                The Giant was quickly making its way back to the group gracefully shifting it’s body left to right using its main leg and main arm in opposite motion to propel itself forward. It stopped in front of Evan handing him a small sleek looking black rectangular object.

                “what’s this” Evan poked it and turned it around in his hand, it had not buttons, no opening and to the untrained eye it could easily be mistaken as a simple black brick, but it felt warm to the touch, like it was producing some sort of strange power. 

                There was a loud crack form behind the grant and from a distance the group saw the giant’s ship lift up off the ground and move swiftly over to them, hovering over the giant as if no damage had been done to it what so ever.  “this is where I leave” the strange metallic buzzing in Evans head was back “I will be watching your progress inventor, Evan A’con, take care” with one fluid motion the Giant reached up and pulled itself into the ship, than with a crack the ship lifted off and in just a few seconds disappeared.

“Not what I would have expected” Ed looked at Cid and Evan.

“So!” have we all been introduced?” Evan was looking around “the names Evan” he started

“cid” “Multi” “Ed” “Jace” “Marcus”

“Simon” his voice muffled by the sand, as he was examining the remains of the Devastator

“Good” Evan looked around “so what now?”

“Shit!” Cid called out looking around “I’m getting some radio chatter someone’s coming”

“oh for Christ sake what now” Jace began pulling out his gun.

                A loud thunk cam form behind one of the cliffs and a ball streamed with gas landed smack between the group releasing a thick purple smoke knocking everyone out except Multi who swiftly ducked under the truck tucking itself, tight against the chassis.

                A chunky transport vehicle appeared, it was the same type the Spec Opes team used when dropping in.   “Go, go, go!” a man dressed head to toe in military garb yelled and his team rushed out canvassing the area.  They were all wearing mask to protect themselves from the gas.

“Clear!” the men started calling over “clear” the leader threw out a small device which sucked up the gas he then took off his mask looking around “it’s clear, come out”

Bridget Murphy and William Fergus stepped out of the transport.

“That’s her!” Bridget pointed to Cid “she said she was with the Spec Ops team, yep that’s her”

                The man knelt down examining Cid “huh?” he looked up at Bridget “she’s a soldier all right, call sign Cid, damn fine soldier, damn” he took out a small stamp looking thing “what a shame, Avery won’t be happy about this, but orders are orders” he took Cids’ wrist and placed the stamp on it which seared and burned her skin marking her with a complex tattoo “sorry Caroline but you should have never turner rouge”

“Captain Daniels” one of the soldiers had returned

“report!” Daniels commanded standing up looking at the soldier.

“The Devastator’s been destroyed and all member of the Spec Ops team have been accounted for, all dead sir” the soldier awaited orders.

                “damn, what the fuck happened” Daniels looked around spotting Ed moving in closer “get the Spec Ops team in bags and see if you can grab the black box from the wrecked fighter, I don’t’ want to  linger” Daniels bent down  by Ed “be careful not to get any alien Tec we don’t want to be followed, quickly!” Daniels turned Ed’s head  “hot damn!” he looked up at Bridget and Fergus, “you know who this is?” they shook their heads “it’s the Matriarchs son, former Viceroy of the senate and future leader of our dear city, that is if the bitch will ever die” he paused “don’t repeat that last part” they shook their heads in acknowledgement.  “Well, let’s tie him up and get him on the transport than”

                They gently placed Ed in the transport and the Spec Ops teams bodies in a back cargo area.  With everyone on board, the ship lifted off and blasted towards the city. 

                Smoke steamed up from the small transport ship, things had not exactly gone as planned.  Evan had hoped to use the ship to travel to any nearby habitats that may or may not exist on the surface but the ships anti-gravity units had taken stress damage while exiting the forest and Evan was unable to compensate.  The best he could do was to keep the ship from crashing into the ground at a 90degre angle.  Still he had prepared for this; Evan had brought a small land vehicle and several anti-grav transport trays.  He would connect them like a train and travel along the desert by land.  “It might take a bit longer and I won’t have the advantage of an aerial view” Evan was busy tying down his supplies to the train’s trays  “but I’ve got my stuff and I’m alive, so I guess I can count my blessings”  the forest ship was slowly descending in the background dipping below the mountain ship.  From the angle he was at it seemed like the two were only inches away from each other.  He stopped then looked back at the half empty transport ship “shit!” he looked back at the slowly descending forest then started to hurry.  “why didn’t I think about that” he was rushing back and forth from ship to make shift train “smartest man on earth and I forget the obvious, fuck”  Evan was so consumed in motion and thought that he didn’t notice the second ship that had just appeared “how could I not notice how could I be so stupid!”

                “From my experience everyone has their share of stupid moments, even the smartest men on, what was it you said? Earth”

                The voice caught him by surprise, he froze slightly scared, slowly he reached down for his gun. 

“You’re talking to a trained military officer I’d kill you before you got it out of the holster”

                Evan was leaning over some supplies.  The voice was a woman’s voice but he thought back at the things he had missed “who’s your friend” he called back at her.

                “Multi-purpose medical droid 27.7789.5” the voice was metallic, inhuman but Evan had taken a look at the logs and studied a little about the droids.

“That’s a military designation right?”  The mechanical voice responded “affirmative” Evan stood up slowly raising his hands over his head, then he turned around.

She had short trimmed hair, brunet with sharp piercing eyes that looked a bit off.  She was leaning against the door forearms crossed and smiling.  The droid was standing dead center scanning the room it looked like an naked metal man with small glowing red eyes and a fixed speaker box for a mouth, their ship was blue, larger then his and still hovering.

                “30% chance of escaping impact blast in ground vehicle, recommend attempt escape with organic Cid and-“

 “Just say multi, god dammit” Cid had interrupted looking annoyed, she glanced at Multi “his supplies, will they-”

“Affirmative, all supplies can fit in medical transport vehicle” multi stared at Cid.

“So, your name is Cid” Evan looked at the women “and your name is Multi?” Evan nodded at the droid

“Yes” “affirmative” the both said in unison

Evan looked at booth of them then dropped his hands “so you’ll help me?”

Cid rolled her eyes then started moving the anti-grav trays into the medical transport, multi walked past Evan and started loading up supplies form the dammed transport to the medical transport. 

                “So do you know who did that” Cid pointed to the falling forest ship “did you see any of the aliens?”

Evan stared at her, then blinked “no, I did that, had to shut down the reactors to manage it but” he stopped looking back at them, they booth were staring at him

“Impossible reactor shutdown protocols have been erased from the ships systems”  “shut down would require use of universal disentanglement device which would not be present on remaining environmental habitats”.  They were finishing each other’s sentences.  

Evan looked at them “it’s basic energy bridge theory, you have to reverse the pull and temporally draw energy form both universes essentially canceling out the energy drag and stopping the subatomic pulls” Evan strapped on his bag and pushed the last tray into the medical transport “how much time left until impact?”

                Multi answered almost automatically “1 Hour” Cid moved without hesitation got in the cockpit, Multi closed the transport bay hatch and directed Evan to the back seat of the medical transport.  Evan felt the stinging sensation of the barrier technology and heard the slow hum of the anti-grav units on the ship, there was a small jolt and the ship jetted off. 

                They kept as close to the ground as possible for as long as possible.  The medical transport wasn’t particularly fast and Multi was concerned about power usage.  Cid was in the driver’s seat looking pensive while Evan was sitting in one of the back seats with a window, his mind wondering. 

                “So how did you know how to shut down the reactor?” Cid turned around and threw a small broken piece of plastic at Evan. 

                “What?” Evan stretched as if he had been sleeping

“The reactor” Cid blasted back as if she were talking to a simpleton “how did you know how to shut it down, I mean“ she paused “I know basic reactor operations but that’s never come up”

                Evan stared at her for a while unsure of how to answer, what he wanted to say was ‘well I designed them along with possibly every other technology we are using right now and after seeing the reactors I might as well have been playing with toys in a garage for the level of sophistication my original design had’ he didn’t, he didn’t know how to respond, she was obviously human but how? How could she know, how was this world possible, none of it made any real sense.  “I’ve studied the theory, know it in and out” was his reply instead.

                “This unit is familiar with energy bridge reactor theory, no such protocol exist in theoretical perspective”

Both Evan and Cid were thinking the same thing ‘why do you know reactor theory’ largely for different reasons

                Cid responded “maybe they didn’t want you to know how to shut it down” multi turned his head slowly “you know in case anything goes wrong besides you’re a medical droid you don’t need to know reactor protocol”

                Cid looked nervous, yet more evidence Multi was and A.I.  Evan looked bemused but he didn’t want to give his ignorance away so he said nothing. 

It suddenly dawned on Cid that this guy ‘Evan’ had just been on a ship, he had expert knowledge of energy bridge theory and she had no knowledge of him, as far as she knew her city was the only one that survived the war (even if it was in shambles), so how could someone with such knowledge exist without her knowing about it, he couldn’t be from one of the small towns, she thought for a moment then concluded that he must have been brought by the aliens. 

                “Well if you know so much about the theory what does a blue shift mean?”

                “That’s an impossible phenomenon” Evan replied.

Multi answered “negative, phenomenon exist, and has been recorded” Cid finished “so you know what it is then?” eager for an answer to the questing that had been burning at her for the last couple of months.

                “Well.. it would require” this was a difficult question even for Evan “essentially it’s a drag from the universe the reactor is in, rather than from a different universe, and it would require a power source of immense energy, like a star or black hole to work.  But pinpointing that type of energy source would be incredibly difficult, next to impossible”  Evan paused, all the gears were suddenly clicking in his head “or it could be a connection to another reactor, a bridge within our own universe using the unique energy signature of the reactor to find, and then maybe, well that’s crazy, but possible” both Cid and multi were paying very close attention waiting “well it could be a form of transportation but the eddies in the bridge stream would almost certainly kill anyone who tried, why  where was this recorded at“ Evan paused looking at the back of their heads, he suspected the answer but they did not respond.

                They heard a massive sound come from behind them, the forest had struck the ground and a gigantic cloud of dust was lifted up and pushed out in all directions, “here we go” Cid yelled form the front seat as she pulled the transport up and above the rushing cloud of dust.  Evan looked back at the place he had called home for the past 7 months and hoped all the animals living in the forest had somehow survived. 

                “you look sad”

“Yea, well I lived in that forest for quite some time, it feels sad to see it go”

                “Calculated 60% destruction total, 70% interior and 20% surface”

Cid gave multi a warning look but Evan responded “yea that’s what I guessed as well, I tried to make the power drain as slow as possible but it’s hard to predict these kinds of things”

                the worst of the dust cloud had past so Cid lowered the ship back down to the surface “where are we going” Evan asked trying to hold back his excitement, Cid moved with such purpose that it was hard for him not to think she was leading him somewhere important and interesting.

                “my home” Cid responded “it’s kind of faraway though, so we might be traveling for a couple of days, or less” she added the last part ‘or less’ after seeing Evans crest fallen face, he looked tried and dirty yet there were still traces of youth on his face.  She could tell that he had been though a lot and ‘unfortunately’ she thought ‘he would be put through more’.  Cid’s people rarely let in outsiders and never let them leave, at least never alive.  They had escaped the war largely unharmed and Guarded the secret of their existence with extreme caution; they didn’t want to be found out by the invaders.  They had sound reason that the aliens would return as several other city ships survived but none but Cid’s still exist.  The last one to fall was about 500 years ago.  Cid’s people had thousands of rules regarding outsiders but Cid felt that Evan would pass.  His knowledge of energy bridge theory alone was enough and she suspected that he wasn’t exactly from any of the surrounding towns.  Multi on the other hand might have more of a problem.  There was a general distrust of robots and a ban on A.I’s in the city. 

                A soft dinging started to come from one of the navigation consoles Cid reached down to examine it. The transport gave a huge swerve and almost crashed into a large bolder before Multi caught the wheel and straightened the transport back out.            

                “What the hell!” Evan shouted form the back

“Unusual biological response form organic Cid, do you require medical treatment?”

Cid slowed the transport to a halt “no I was just surprised that’s all”

Multi checked the console “affirmative, erratic response within parameters of human psychological standards”

“What?” Evan had unbuckled his seat belt and was leaning in to examine the console “what’s, Devastator mean?”

Cid and multi both turned their heads in surprise

“Unusual psychology response, do you require use of psychiatrist program, this unit is fully functional in human psychology”

                “No?” Evan said confused “I’m fine” he was suddenly feeling very embarrassed, if the robot thought he was crazy them maybe he was.  For that matter how could he know if this was the real world or not, maybe he is dreaming or he WAS dreaming and now he is awake, maybe he was suppressing something.  Evan rubbed his head, he always hated philosophy.

                “I’ve never heard of someone who didn’t know what a Devastator was. But we suspected that we had begun to evolve to block out the signal, maybe you’re just a genetic freak” Cid looked at Multi for reassurance.

                “Negative devastator signal is theorized to be adaptive, we suspect it is an A.I program gone rouge”

                “Well” Evan interrupted “maybe I’m just er… form another planet.. or something?”

Cid gave Evan a strange look then turned back to the console “it’s near the homestead protectorate” she fumbled with some switches and controls “damn, no signal” she looked around at Multi “we have a signal beacon in homestead, I can call for help from there”

Multi did not look reassured nor did it look particularly worried, it turned to Evan “a Devastator is an extremely complex array of thousands of varying technology’s combined together to create massive environmental damage and is as the humans put it ‘devastating’ to a planet”

Evan thought for a moment “is that why the whole planet is a desert?” “affirmative ”replied multi

“so this will cause more devastation to the planet?”

                “No” jetted in Cid “just to the sounding area, a single devastator is not capable of terraforming an entire planet”

“Will your friends be able to help?”

“Unlikely” replied Multi “there is no record of a successfully disarmed devastator”

                “So” Evan paused “how do we stop it?”

Cid looked back at the desert, started the transport back up and changed the direction “we can’t, all we can do is try, and” she punched the accelerator “die”

They didn’t talk for a while, Evan stayed in the back contemplating, the Devastator.  The more he thought about his new situation the more in angered him, it didn’t make sense, Cid decision to go to the devastator didn’t make sense.  

“you know” Evan began “It’s one thing to go into a situation with the vain hope of survival, to walk into the figurative fire knowing you will die and in return save someone else’s life, but it’s an entirely different story when neither of those things is even remotely possible”

                “Well maybe you don’t understand ‘earth man’” Cid snapped back in anger “maybe you’ve never had the pleasure of being visited in the night by a Devastator vision or haunted all your life with the fear of forgetting, but I have, I have a responsibility to my people, to myself, to try, if only ‘with the vain hope of survival’”

                “Then why drag others into this, why pull me and Multi to doom”

                Cid abruptly stopped the transport and swung open the door “your welcome to leave, if that’s what you want go!, try the desert alone”

                Evan looked out to the dry open savanna knowing, that too would be certain death “what about your home? Why not send me and multi there, we can save the ship and supplies, I imagine that’s why you took a medical transport, to bring it to your people”

                Cid turned around towards Evan with a fierce look in her eyes “they’d shoot you on site without me there, they would blow the transport up without even looking inside, miles before you’d see the city and never bother to check the wreckage”

                Evan slumped back in his chair; he had worked so hard to keep himself alive, clinging from one dangerous situation to the next never really thinking about why, Cids resolute demeanor made him pause, was it all worth it? Too, in the end; die, through no choice of his own, without even trying.   He saw no point in comforting the Devastator, no point in the sacrifice, a sacrifice without meaning but also knew the passion Cid perpetuated too was real and her resolve balanced with meaning, the options were limiting and the time was short.

                “How close are we to the devastator?”

                “We’re about to go through the Killing valley, it’s about 100 miles past that”

                “In the Homestead Protectorate?

                “One of the few functioning democracy’s”, Cid shut the door and they rocketed off.

                Evan took out his tablet (the one he found in the captains quarters on the forest ship) he decided that if he was going to the devastator that he should know more about it.  Not surprisingly it was a very long entry.

-          The Devastators are a complex array of varying terraforming technologies designed by the A.I Collective to destroy a planets natural habitat…

‘A.I Collective?’

-          The A.I. collective was founded in 2323 after a minor rebellion in the newly formed Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, the collective manipulated the situation… the A.I. Collective lived in relative peace for nearly 30 years until the World Council (W.C.) decided unanimously to eliminate the collective with successive hydrogen bomb strikes.  This attack started the devastating collective war in 2353 which ended in 2385 with the collective claiming victory.  The wars long time frame resulted in the mass colonization of Terra Nova (the only know habitable planet, other than Earth) by human refugees, it was believed that due to the planet being nearly 100 light years away from earth, the A.I Collective would not be able to properly wage war.  Many of the first refugees arrived long after the war had ended… with nearly 1000 years separated from ‘The Great Earth Exodus’ the new thriving Terra Nova launched a massive campaign to take back earth In 3348.  It took nearly 200 years to learn that while the attempt was Disastrous to the Collective it was ultimately unsuccessful, the information transmitted back from the last surviving ships noted an enslaved human race among… the A.I Collectives’ response came shortly after the news of the expeditions failure in 3569.  “The attack was slow methodical and Devastating” (New History Journal).  The collective used the Devastators to make the surface of Terra Nova completely uninhabitable, the attack took nearly 50 years to run its course killing nearly 6 billion citizens with the remaining populations forced to live in man-made floating city’s, “it was only later that we learned that the A.I. Collective had planned it that way” (President of the council of City Captains).  In memoriam the remaining citizens of Terra Nova placed a Psionic Device at the center of Terra Nova that would transmit information through a Psionic wavelength to any person who requested it…  In 4439 Terra Nova launched a doomsday attack on Earth called ‘Armageddon’ designed to completely annihilate all matter on the Earth’s surface and crack the moon in half.  The plan consisted of launching massive asteroids at Earth and the Moon, news came back of a successful attack just before the collectives remaining ships destroyed the  convoy in orbit in the year 4633, it read “majority of collective ships on surface, few detectable bases in orbit, all life on earth eliminated, god save our souls” shortly after the message came through the A.I. Collective launched an attack on the city ships; in 4640

-          Last updated 4640 may sub3, 5,

-          Captains comment

o   The war is lost, the cities have fallen and they are coming for us next.  Why didn’t we just leave well enough alone, what devil drove us to that horrible strike, how did we lose our way.  I will surrender to the invaders; perhaps they will spare my crews life. God help us.

§  Last updated 4640 July sub 7, 4.

-          Current date 5607, December sub 2, 21.

Evan leaned back in his chair and stared out his window at the passing cliffs, they had entered the Killing valley.

                Just as Evan finished there was a loud explosion and the transport flung up into the air flipping as it fell.  It landed hard on its side and skidded though the sand before slamming against the cliff face.

                There was a loud ringing in Evans ears, he tried to move but found himself contained by some unknown Stinging force, the inside of the transport looked blurred, unfocused.   He struggled against his restraints but to no effect, his window was now filled with dirt.  He calmed, closed his eyes and tried to focus.

                “Cid?” he yelled but his voice seemed to bounce right back at him, “Multi?” he yelled again to no effect, he was beginning to have trouble breathing “computer” a soft dinging sound found his ears “disengage shield” to his immense relief the barrier was rescinded and he slumped towards the window caught by his seat belt, he tried calling for the others again but to no avail.  He tried looking around but couldn’t see if Cid or multi were still there, a loud thunk came from the back, he tried to turn but failed, clumsily he unbuckled his seat belt to try and get a better look but fell instead to the side of the transport.  He heard some shuffling from the back “Hello?” he called “who’s there?’

                Evan attempted to stand to look into the back but found that his leg was broken “Fuck!” he slumped down nursing his leg.

                “Does organic Evan require Medical treatment?”  Evan looked up with a start, Multi’s head was peering over the edge of the seat its beady red eyes fixated on Evan’s leg.

                “Yes, what the fuck Multi why didn’t you say anything?”

                Multi did not answer but instead ignored Evan and moved to the Front seat. “Please remain patient, organic Cid is in need of more immediate medical attention”

                “What?, what’s wrong with her, what’s happened?” Evan seemed frightened Cid wasn’t very inviting but she did help him out when he was in trouble.

                “Please remain calm; I will attempt to flip the transport back over”

                “what?, how would you do that?” the transport suddenly gave a huge lurch as the anti-grav generators launched up then a strange whirling sound came from the bottom of the transport as it lifted up and slowly flipped back over.  Evan found himself a rag doll as he landed flat on his back against the harsh grid of the transports floor.   Multi suddenly moved with incredibly speed and precision, something was wrong with Cid but Evan couldn’t tell he tried to sit up but the pain was unbearable.

                “Please remain calm organic Evan, I will attend to your injuries soon”

                Multi was efficient, there was no doubt about that, Evan’s mind started to wonder, he thought about what he had just read.

                “Are you a part of the collective?”

                Multi Didn’t answer

                “The A.I. collective, they build the devastator not aliens, man-made machines”

                “organic Evan is quite unusual”

                “I have a tablet, from the forest ship, it tells about the Collective, the war, it tells about earth”

                Multi had finished whatever he was doing to stabilize Cid then moved to the back to collect a splint.

                “I am not a member of the Collective”

                Evan was using he good leg to push himself so he could see Multi

                “That was a short response”

                Multi placed a pillow under Evans head

                “Why doesn’t Cid know about the Collective?”

                Multi was examining Evans leg “unknown, we theorized that her city outlawed the information, changed history”

                “We?”
                Multi was using some sort of scanning device on Evans leg; it was cold, chilled metal”

                “I am from a city designed to hold all non-combatant A.I. droids”

                Evan looked down at multi “non-combatant?, were you a prisoner, did the collective put you there, why?”

                Multi made a quick movement and the pain shout up straight though Evans leg.

                “Collective distrusts this model of droid but does not wish us to be subjugated”

                Evan was still in a daze from the pain but understood “can’t we call them? See if they can stop the Devastator?”

                Multi was running the scanner again “unknown” it placed the splint on Evans leg.  The pain suddenly subsided and a strange stinging sensation wrapped around his leg.

                Cid began to stir in the front seat “Hello?” her call was weak

                Multi looked at Evan, “some assistance is required to transport organic Cid”

                “Sure, what’s wrong with her?”

                “Minor head trauma, there was internal bleeding but I fixed that, she will need assistance due to the concussion.”

                “Right” he stood up surprised by the splints effectiveness “let’s begin”

                They placed Cid on one of the transport trays Evan had brought from the forest ship, gathered some other essential resources like food; water, clothing, medical supplies and some varying technology which Evan was generally ignorant of and placed those on the trays as well.  Cid was partially conscious, she had suffered serious head trauma and received a huge gash in her side which Mulit had hastily patched up and stabilized.   As far as Evan could tell, without the advanced medical technology the transport carried, Cid probably would not have survived the accident.  After looking over the wreckage Multi had confirmed that it’s and Cids safety shields did not deploy, Evans only worked because there were several redundant systems in place to protect the supposed patient and working EMT.  Multi had flung out of the front window, as it wasn’t wearing a safety harness, and appeared to have only suffered some minor damage.  The Transport itself wasn’t beyond repair as it was several feet above the surface when the explosion went off but it’s battery’s had been damaged and it no longer had enough power to lift off.  Its secondary systems, or wheels, had long since disintegrated.  Evan and multi walked in silence still heading towards the devastator Multi was leading, scanning for mines and other devices along the way.  This gave Evan time to think, think about the Devastator, Cids city, the Homestead Protectorate and the history he had learned from the Captains tablet.  Evan was finally beginning to understand the world he was now living in and beginning to comprehend what he needed to do next.  He remembered all the movies and science fiction epics of his youth, describing the coming of machines, artificial intelligence and how one day they would take over the earth and rule over man, but the history he had read did not tell of a ruthless conquering devil in a metal coat.  It was a history of defense followed by a sometimes over reaction on the machines part.  Evan could understand the reasoning behind their actions and felt that the Collective had acted with mercy and restraint, they could have ended the war but they took the risk and ultimately paid the price, everyone paid the price.  Evan had made his decision he would attempt contact, he just hoped he wasn’t wrong about the Collective ‘after all’ he thought ‘they could have easily exterminated the human race, yet, they didn’t’. 

                Walking behind Multi and the train of supplies Evan took out his note pad and without being noticed activated a small satellite connection he had brought with him, carefully he connected with the system and linked to one of the geo synchronies satellites in orbit placing it on broadcast mode, than he typed in his message.

                “This is Evan A’con; attempting contact with the A.I Collective; there is what I believe to be a rouge devastator that has been activated near the source of this broadcast location, please if you can, help out the people that you choose spared and disarm the device”

                He sent the signal than closed his tablet and shut down the satellite link and continued to follow Multi out of the Killing valley.

                What Evan saw next shook him to his core; nearly 1,000 people were before him framed in a silhouette with the setting sun’s crisp light.   Some hurdled together looking for warmth from the cold coming night; others were setting up tents and starting fires.  Evan was not expecting to see so many people, so many lives laid out before him.  As he and Multi approached Evan saw the character on their faces, the emotion in their eyes, it was fear and desperation, coupled with pride and determination, it appeared that they too were aware of the coming threat.

                One approached Evan and Multi as one would approach a lost child.  They did not seem scared of Evan or Multi but rather they looked as if their day had been brightened.  She was young around 20 with a child in her arms, new born wrapped in a Shaw, sleeping. 

                “Are, are you from the city? Have you come to help” Evans breath had been taken away from him, her voice flowed in a romantic rhythm peaking and falling like a symphony’s lament, her smile while soft seamed to release a small amount light into the world. 

Multi answered “affirmative, we are responding to a signal received”

“Yes, the Devastator, Homestead told us about the attack, can you help? Will you save our homes?”

“Unknown”

She looked from Multi to Evan her eyes betraying a slight hint of sadness than she looked down at Cid surprised “oh, is she all right, quick we must get her inside” she swiftly moved towards the center of the encampment waving them to follow her.  They had to swerve through the varying tents, camp fires and carts to get to the center of the hastily assembled group.  People stared as they passed awed by multi and the floating slabs; an odd silence had fallen over the camp it seemed to ripple with every step they took.  The people were dirty, tired looking but somehow Evan thought, Heroic.  There was pride in their stares, there was strength in their bones and Evan could feel it. 

                Multi, Evan and a very groggy Cid had reached the center where the largest tent in the camp laid and were than greeted by a very bouncy looking man with a weary face, he gestured them inside. “Lilly” the women escorting them stopped “could you find a place for these” he gestured towards the transport slab.  She did as he asked and then disappeared behind the tents cloth door.

                “Schott will be pleased to see you, I suspect he and the rest of homestead are on their way now” the man spoke with a thick sometimes forceful accent making Evans head give a slight throb, he suspected that whatever device was translating this man’s speech was working extra hard to decipher this his accent, possibly a second language. 

                “yes thank you for allowing us shelter” the voice came from behind Evan, Cid had woke up  and was attempting to stand, her voice too now had an accent but only slightly different, it flowed easier and felt more choppy and less harsh. 

“Organic Cid must remain seated” Multi’s voice carried a sudden force of authority behind it, Cid slumped in a seating position leaning against an ornate looking dresser. 

“I See you’ve had a problem, may I guess, in the valley beyond” he waited for their response they in turn gave him a nod “yes well, only the senior council and town leaders know the way across, still I’m surprised that city dwellers like your selves had so much trouble” the man was now sipping tea and nodding his cup towards Evans leg “but” he gave a forced laugh “I suppose the stories of seven foot tall super intelligent, cyborgs” he winked at Multi “were just.. Tall tales.  It’s not a bother, you are injured and we can help, you will rest here for the night, than I suspect, if it’s not too bold of me” he was making wild gestures with his arms “that you will continue on your journey perhaps you will do what none have done, and remove the blight that now plagues our land” he swiftly stood up turned and looked out a second door in the tent “homestead will come at night fall, I will leave you to your rest, if you need anything, and I mean anything just call for me”  he stopped than gave another forced chuckle “the name is Sabine, Town Leader” he then bowed out of the room.

                “Umm” Cid swayed slightly “whatever, I’m going to sleep”

                Evan found a nice carpeted spot with some plush pillows than rested his head and found himself dreaming of fighting a monster made out of complex physics equations.  Multi simply sat, and wondered how long it could remain without being ordered into submission. 

Cid awoke before Evan, Night had fallen and the strange purple light of Anora was beaming into the tent though an opening at the top.  Someone had come in and lit a lantern while they were asleep, it softly lit up Evans tired and worn face as he slept.  Cid thought for a moment she was in a dream, the tent was decorated in such an ornate fashion, lavish rugs, deep wood work cabinets finely crafted with gold trims and soft rose inlays.  It took her a moment to realize that Multi wasn’t there.  She struggled a bit than stood up catching herself as she did.  She felt the stiches on her chest and there was an odd dull pain in her lungs as she breathed.  Her head was swimming with the strong incense in the air but the warm vapor helped her center herself.  She did a quick systems check than stumbled across the tent and walked out into the encampment. 

There was a soft buzzing of conversations and laugher, the smell of freshly cooked food over crackling coal camp fires swarmed her senses.  Children weaved running to and fro swerving and playing in the shadows of the tents.  Cid looked around and saw odd smiles on the people’s faces as she moved through the camp she noticed their laughter seemed forced and the jokes a little too frequent.  A small child rushed head long crashing into Cids legs falling to the ground, Cid knelt to help the young girl up. 

“you should watch were you’re going” the girl just looked up, staring at Cids Brilliant blue eyes seeing the small computer in her eye lid buzzing and blinking. 

“You’re the lady form the City!”

Cid smiled and nodded “do you know where my friend is?”

The girl jumped in excitement than took Cids hand and led her through the camp. 

“In there” she pointed to a large misshapen tent “the metal man” the girl giggled than ran away back to her friends.

                Cid stared at the tent for a short while then walked in. Multi was hunched over a man who seemed in quite a bit of pain, there was a woman in another bed, quite pregnant and on the verge of giving birth.  The man gave a quick scream followed by a sigh of relief than constant streams of ‘thank yous’ directed at Multi.  Multi turned to the woman noticing Cid but not acknowledging it.  Cid waited and watched as Multi helped the women give birth, there was a another woman helping Multi, she gave the baby a soft tap and it began to cry.  After cleaning the fluid off with a warm towel the nurse maid placed the newborn in the new mother’s arms,. 

Multi went to clean its hands and approached Cid “is organic Cid feeling better?”

Cid smiled “yes, Multi, thank you”

Multi checked the bruise on Cids head and the stiches in her side before approaching the next patient.  It appeared that word of the city dweller robot had traveled fast in the camp and everyone wanted a checkup or a cure for some ailment or another. 

Cid was feeling a little tired from the walk so she decided to sit and rest for a while.  She sat and watched Mulit treat patient after patient for nearly 30 min before the girl Lily, who greeted them at the edge of the camp came in looking worried, holding her child who was now coughing.  Multi took the child and examined it using several different types of medical devices they had brought with them from the transport. 

“I will need to administer antibiotic treatment and watch the child overnight.“ Multi paused and looked at the young woman “prognosis is poor; the child may not survive the night.”

Lily looked distraught, tears flooding her face “he, he was fine, what happened, how?”

Cid stood and let Lily cry into her arms while multi administered the treatment and wrapped the baby into a warm blanket.  Cid had taken Lily outside for some fresh air; she had calmed down a little.

“it’s the cough, it killed my little brother when he was a baby,” she was drying her eyes “I had hoped that my first would be spared, but” she broke off, Cid was unsure how to respond, the cough as the Lily called it, was a problem in the city as well but they had a treatment for it unfortunately that treatment required a hermetically sealed room, it was effective for nearly all who received the treatment including Cid.  Multi didn’t have the proper equipment here; survival rate without the proper equipment was low, extremely low.  “Can your friend help?” Lily looked apprehensively hopeful “can it save my baby?”

Cid stared into the young woman’s eyes hoping to add some form of comfort “I don’t know” the words left her lips and reached Lily’s ears providing at least the idea of  a chance, that, seemed to be enough.

Cid stayed with Lily though the night as she watched over her son but when the morning sun’s light glimpsed out from the ground Lilys child gave his last breath.  There was a defining silence in the tent the other patients left lily to her sorry, for what felt like days Cid sat in silence, holding Lily’s hand as she grieved.   Than Lily began to sing, her voice carried through the camp, it’s soft calm tone rose and fell with the brushes of the wind.

Hush now and sleep, my baby

Death shall become, the night

Just close your eyes, my darling

Let all your worried turn to dust

                Rest now in peace, sweet child

                Let order sooth, your mind

                Dream well in night, my love

The morning light is sure to rise

Evan awoke with a start, sensing he had been left alone; he rubbed his eyes looking around at the hastily put together tent pondering.  ‘This’ he thought ‘was an odd predicament’.  Slowly he stood stumbling as he went, he had not had a good night’s sleep since he arrived at the forest and the past 42 hours had been so action packed that the only rest he managed to receive was during the explosion and he wasn’t sure that really counted.  He bent down and checked the splint; it was at 90% power and still felt surprisingly stable.  He smelled a soft aroma in the air and looked over, tea had been prepared for him, he took a cup and let its smooth warmth flow into him, leaning back he began to try and collect his thoughts, when Sabine suddenly and with forceful grace rushed into the tent. 

“Ah, you’re awake I see, Evan was it? And I see you’re enjoying the tea, very good” Sabine sat down slightly too close for Evans comfort, a fact which Sabine seemed blissfully unaware of “my favorite of course, had it imported from my home town, a nice fellow by the name of Jace, if you choose to stay with us I will put you in contact with him, a small operation but effective” Sabine winked at him “of course your metal friend was a great help last night, must be nice in the city no? And the girl she is your leader? Seems to be looking better, saw her in the medical tent comforting poor lily,” he paused for the first time taking a sip of his tea. 

“I’m sorry; you said if I chose to stay?”

Sabine snapped out of this contemplation quickly “yes of course the girl has told us that you have grown tired of the city, no doubt all that lavish food yes” Sabine nudged Evan with his elbow “yes we will help you find a place here, of course you’ll have to work, maybe a farmer…”

Sabine’s voice slowly faded away as Evan began to think, ‘they told him what, that I wanted to stay? Wait, no can’t be’ he shook his head than cut across Sabine’s ramblings

“Did they leave, where are they?”

Sabine was taken aback than he looked slightly worried “well.. They went off to the homestead camp, the woman Cid? Said she had some business with the council”

“where, quick!” Evan was starting to feel a little scared, he couldn’t lose them , not now, he had to find out what was going on he had to be with those two people.  He wasn’t really sure why but he was determined.

“In the north at the head of the encampment I’m sure you can catch them if you hurry” Sabine pointed the way and Evan ran as fast as he could towards the homestead encampment.

I’m sure, it’s the proper code word, I’m just not certain of their names that’s all” Cid was pacing back and forth talking to an uninterested Multi who was now wearing ceremonial healers clothes given to it by the villagers.  The Militia had stopped Cid and Multi form entering the council circle and told them to wait.  Cid knew the keepers were in there; her sensors had picked up their low range transponders.  They waited for what felt like an hour until a short plump woman and a tall aggressively fat man came running up to them.  Before Cid could speak they ordered away the guards and the woman spoke as the man was busy catching his breath.

“Bridget Murphy #10078 and William Fergus #10006 ready for extraction” they booth looked extremely excited. 

Cid looked at them with slight surprise than corrected herself before they noticed “I’m part of the Spec Ops team heading towards the devastator, the extraction team will arrive shortly but priorities first, Avery’s orders” Cid was surprised at how quickly she turned to lying, she could only hope her story would hold up “anyway we need an inconspicuous form of transport for the rest of the journey the trucks will do if you can manage it, the army would be eternally grateful”

Bridget and Fergus looked at each other a little disappointed but still happy for news of the foretold extraction team “yes we spoke to the captain, we’re so glad you came it’s been utter chaos here, we can requisition a truck for you or two but the militia is a little hesitant, I’ll see what I can do” Fergus moved off and Cid called out “just one, for the team, will be fine!”

“Of course!” Fergus called back.

Cid and Bridget looked at each other awkwardly for a while Bridget’s’ eyes beamed like X-rays at Cid than at Multi whom it seems for the first time she noticed, Cid traced Bridget’s glance than noticed the question before Bridget could ask it. “Top secret, we rather not discuss it her”’

“but, that’s what Sabine was going on about, the city dwellers he said, with a metal man, we thought he was just embellishing as usual, has the secrecy doctrine changed?”

“Umm” Cid was having trouble focusing, her vision blurred and her instruments flashed and jolted.

“Did you tell these people about the City? Are you really the Spec  Ops team, where’s the rest of your crew, what happened to  your head?” Bridget was growing more and more obnoxious with every word, her voice tore into Cids mind, its harsh crisp tone bleaching out her thoughts, churning her memories.

Multi saw Cid hazing out and immediately stepped in between her and Bridget “our ultimate mission is classified, the secrecy doctrine is still in effect, we cannot control individuals reactions to our appearance, we cannot divulge all our missions parameters, your job is to provide us with whatever assistance we desire it is not to ask questions or make accusations, this is a priority 1 mission” Multi finished allowing Cid time to sit on a nearby rock for a rest without being to inconspicuous Multi wasn’t sure it had said everything properly but it did manage to quite Bridget, for the time being.  Multi took a seat next to Cid.

“Priority 1 huh?”

“Affirmative, I suspect it is a high priority?”

“Only the matriarch can issue an order that high, but” Cid yawned “I suppose this is a very serious situation”

“This unit is glad it could assist”

“Didn’t know you could lie like that” Cid leaned against Multi and rested her head.

“This unit can operate to best suit highest ranking human whenever possible”

“Well” she closed her eyes “that’s good”

                About 15 minutes later Fergus drove up in one of the trucks “it was like pulling teeth but I managed to convince the lieutenant to let this one go.” 

Cid and multi hopped in the truck and waved farewell to Bridget Murphy and William Fergus who promptly disappeared.  Multi had taken the driver’s seat, started the engine pushing the gas.   They had only driven about two inches when Cid heard a familiar voice call out. 

                “About time” she taunted

Evan quickly hopped in the back smiling at the familiar design “what about the supplies?”

Cid smirked “you never plan ahead do you, first the forest ship almost kills you and now you forget the supplies”

“What?” Evan exclaimed “was I supposed to get them, oh no we have to go back!”

                Cid chuckled as Multi drove out of the ever growing encampment “Luckily I do”

Evan looked at the truck bed and saw all their supplies neatly lied out, safe and secure. They drove by a large caravan of about 1,000 people coming from the south east as Multi moved them south towards the ever more dangerous devastator.  

“The video can’t have been this long” Simon was shifting in his seat “he was only gone for a few minutes” it had been one hour since the Sarge and the other councilors started their emergency meeting.  “I mean what the hell could they be talking about in there”

                “Calm down” Ed’s voice boomed “their probably planning, doubt they’ve ever dealt with this kind of emergency before.”

                “Then why ask us to wait?” Jace was pacing outside the door of the council chambers “they probably want our help, I bet that Sarge asshole is gonna renege on our deal”         

Fink was putting out a cigarette at the edge of town when he heard the siren; he had excused himself from the group for a while, he also didn’t like being told to ‘sit still’ by the Sarge, so the second the Sarge walked into the tower, Fink walked out of town.  He was shifting though the complex array of emotions that follow any and every visit he had with the Sarge.  He hadn’t told the group what happened, why they got exiled.  He didn’t tell them about his relationship with the Sarge beforehand and he meant to keep it that way.  They didn’t ask questions, they all figured he had slept with some junior councilor’s daughter and that the exile would be rescinded after things cooled down, they were wrong.  He wished he had never found the devastator, wished they remained ignorant and died in the subsequent blowout yet to come, woefully unaware of his sins.  

Fink saw a few messenger hawks fly overhead and heard the loud speaker announcement

“I don’t believe it, I don’t believe it” councilor Fergus kept repeating over and over again. The other council members were quite, the T.V’ screen had turned black and the Sarge stood resolute in front of the council.

                Connelly was first to speak “what stage was it at during the video?” he looked around “does anyone know?”

One of the junior members stood up awkwardly then back down, Connelly looked annoyed “yes, Marcus”

Marcus answered “it’s in stage 5 of 50, that stage should last for another day or two.  I think it’s on slow impact notification, so we still have some time” it was as if the whole council took a single breath.

                “How long do we have?” this time the Sarge was asking

“A little over a week, if our history logs are correct the slow impact devastators were meant to give us time to evacuate suburban areas”

“We also have to take into account that this thing might be malfunctioning” the Sarge answered to the group

“So, you don’t believe this is an attack” said the female council member Bridget Murphy. “I mean how do we know we aren’t under attack?”

“That’s irrelevant at this point” Connelly answered “we need to focus on getting everyone to safety”

“Councilor murphy is correct“ Fergus began “if it’s an attack then we’d be giving them exactly what they want”

                “everyone, in one place” the Sarge finished Fergus’s thought, ”yea I’ve thought of it, I don’t think we’re under attack, I don’t have any evidence but that’s my general feeling, and right now it doesn’t matter, we won’t survive this without banding together, we need all the resources we can gather”

The council fell silent, the full gravity of the situation had just hit them, they were stunned and frightened.

“So we signal the other towns, messenger hawks are best, and we use operation TEOH as a baseline for the Evacuation” Connolly was drawing out some papers

“Good I’ll set the rendezvous point at the edge of the killing valley, if we get past the swollen mountains then we should have enough protection form the blast” the Sarge looked around.

                “We will have to let the smaller towns know of our plans in the Valley and that it’s safe” Fergus replied.

“ (The Evacuation Of Homestead), that’s what it stands for, it was set up nearly a hundred years ago in case of a raider invasion or something, apparently they’ve updated it every fifteen years” Simon was explaining to Jace and Ed after a short conversations he had with a junior council member as he left the council chambers. 

Simon had to yell as the town was currently in a state of near chaos.   Worried and scared, citizens were rushing back and forth with their belonging wrapped in their arms.  Young militia men were shouting at the top of their lungs trying to give the people direction, where to go, how many provisions and of what kind they should bring.  Passing men and women would stop and ask them what’s was going on but the young Militia men had no answers.  Simon suspected that if even the idea of a devastator attack were to make its way to the minds of the citizens the whole town would erupt in mass hysteria. 

 

The Sarge had finished addressing his commanders on the situation and had given his orders, he knew they were well trained and appreciated them for that, but even so he could see the fear reflected behind their steady eyes.  No one was to know about the devastator, they were only to know that an unidentified invasion force was spotted and the people were to be evacuated for their own safety.  They would make everyone aware at the gathering point outside the valley.  He hoped that the other towns didn’t send any messengers to spoil the secret but that was water under the bridge, he needed to focus

 ————————————————————————————————————————————

Bridget murphy had passed junior councilor Steel as she exited the building; he was talking to one of the outsiders who found the devastator, the youngest of course.  Steel was always going after the young ones, she thought she saw Steels hand on the others hip as she passed, she felt a small ping of jealousy, Steel always had a very strong and handsome presence.  Bridget moved on, she had set up a meeting with Fergus just outside of town; they needed two keys for it to work.  So she had to rush home and get some supplies, ‘if only the other councilors knew what they knew, especially that over serious twat Thompson, they would simply explode.’ 

She quickly changed and rushed to the south entrance to wait for Fergus who to her surprise was already there, sweating furiously.  Still that was very fast for the ever slowing Fergus, he had one of the trucks with him and was looking pale. 

Ed and Simon stood resolute staring at the chaos unfolding before their eyes unsure of what to do, Jace on the other hand had cornered a gruff looking soldier and was demanding to know where they kept the truck fuel.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about sir” the soldier made to move away

“Look, you idiot” Jace pointed to the truck “I know you know what that is so just tell me where the fuel is”

“Let go of me sir or I’ll have to remove you by force”

Jace had had enough, he moved faster than the soldier could think and before the man could react he was lying in the dirt face down with an gun to his head “listen you little sand bitter, I’m not convinced that the world won’t end soon, so killing you isn’t going to weigh heavily on my conscious” Jace pressed the gun further in the soldiers temple and whispered “where is the fuel”.

“Building 6 over in the military compound, please sir I have a family” Jace struck the soldier hard with the back in end of the gun knocking him out.

“Ed!” he yelled straightening up.  (No one noticed what had happened to the soldier).  Ed came running over “blowing off some steam” Ed said giving the unconscious man a light kick.

“Yea, idiot thought I was gonna kill him.  Listen go to the military base and find building 6 that’s where they keep the fuel for the trucks. 

“Right” said Ed as he moved away.

“Simon!” this time it was a surprised yell as Simon had suddenly appeared behind him. This is why Jace brought him in, even though the kid was inexperienced, emotional and Jace suspected completely insane, Simon did know how to sneak around and for that he was an extremely good scout and thief “find Fink tell him we will be at the gathering site and will be evacuating with the others”

Simon shifted then looked back at Jace “where do you think he is”

                Fink knocked on the door, he heard what sounded like a plate shatter then some boxes tumble around. 

                She opened the door in a rush a great big smile on her face then she recognized who was at the door and promptly slammed it, quickly locking it.

“Go away!” Fink heard the muffled yell though the door.

“Come on Aileen, I just want to talk”

“Don’t care, go away!”

“Just like that!” Finks voice had a touch of anger in it; he had meant to avoid that.

The lock turned, the door swung open and the gun pressed hard right on Finks chest “yea” Aileen looked irate “just like that’, what would my father say if he were here.” She wiped a tear from her eye “if I had known.. After mother died” she wasn’t making sense anymore but the gun was as steady as ever.

                Fink wasn’t so much stopped by the gun but rather by the treat of the Sages reaction if he found out that Fink disarmed and hit the man’s daughter. 

“it’s ok sweetie, you can let him in” the Sarges voice came like lighting stinging though Finks heart straight to Aileen.  She lowered the gun, then stepped aside.

—————————————————————————————————————————————- 

Fat Fergus and bitchy Bridget, that’s what the kids called them, the more dynamic members of the town’s council.  They weren’t liked by much, but held high enough positions outside the council to go unchallenged during elections. People suspected something was going on between the two and while the two did have an unusual relationship it had nothing to do with the common theory.

                Councilor Murphy and Fergus were what the Sarge would have called city dwellers, but that wasn’t exactly the case.  They were more akin to sleeper agents or spies.  But neither one of them had stepped into the city they were born in since they moved each when they were around 10 years old.

Fergus was driving, the trucks were a real concern for their city contacts, it might be considered too high of a level of technology and might warrant an attack, if Homestead were to improve on the technology.  Fergus had recommended limited contact with the senior council members but Bridget went against him saying that ‘the democratic nature of the Homestead government was too unstable to trust former council members with that level of sensitive information’. The city agreed with Bridget.

                It wasn’t hard to figure out, Jace had suspected long before now and while he let Ed and Simon believe that Fink was just fooling around, Jace knew better.  Jace knew that Fink had been with the Sarge for what was coming up on a year now, and that in a fit of insanity that only Fink could enact the Sarges daughter Aileen was brought into the picture.  The only thing Jace was unsure of was how many people knew. Simon certainly had the opportunity, Ed unlikely, what about the town?  The militia? It seemed unlikely spreading rumors about the Sarge was near suicidal; the man had nothing less than pure fanatics following him.

                Jace had arrived, it wasn’t far, the Sarge lived near the center of town, “Thomson Estate? Seems somehow indulgent, should be called the Sarges big dick ego booster, who the fuck has a house this big?”

                There were some loud bangs coming for inside followed by a very familiar yell, Jace sighed then walked through the open door.

                Fink had dropped a particularly valuable and fragile urn that the Sarge had received from the ruler of a small collection of three towns to the south; it apparently had held the ashes of a former captain of a city the town was founded by.  The Sarge was irate spouting off any number of slurs and insults.

                “Calm down, daddy, we wouldn’t be able to take it with us anyway, it might as well be devastator food” the Sarge stopped and looked at his daughter “of course, let’s move on. Hey! Sand bitter your friend is here” Jace had just entered the room.

                “ay Fink, were meeting at the gathering point east entrance”

                “so your evacuating with the rest of us, great, just great” the sarcasm in the Sarges voice was painfully evident.

                “How’d you know I was here?” Fink looked slightly ashamed.

                “I figured it out months ago, I’ve got Ed getting fuel right now, when your finished here meet us by OUR truck” Jace gave the Sarge a swift flash of a look, then turned and left.

————————————————————————————————————————————— 

                “There’s something too this truck thing, never thought I’d say it” Bridget was glad to be sitting down riding in the truck rather than walking in the dirt and the sand.

                “Yah, but it’s nothing like the transport vehicles at home, don’t know why but I miss the stinging.”

                “Well it’s a damn site better than walking even if it keeps bouncing around”  Bridget was using a special homing device that connected to the old satellite system in orbit to find the communication array “can you believe that big oaf had one of these?”

                Fergus looked over at her “makes you wonder if he’s from the city don‘t it? He looked the part at least”

                “if he is, it doesn’t matter, he’s not helping” Bridget was stern in her response, there had always been racial tensions in the city, Bridget and Fergus were chosen to monitor homestead more for the color of their skin than their actual abilities, they needed to blend into the ‘normal’ population as much as possible, Bridget always hated that. 

 ————————————————————————————————————————————-

                Fink caught up with Jace just down the street, they walked silently for a while following the steady trail of people holding as many precious belonging as they could carry.

                “Jace, I’m sorry, I messed it all up, I shouldn’t’ have done it, I was —”

                “as much as I enjoy a good ass kissing Fink” Jace interrupted “I’m neither surprised by this development nor am I upset about it” Jace looked over at Finks surprised face “I knew from the moment I met you that something like this would eventually happen, at this point it’s useless to worry about what could have happened, we’ve got bigger daemon’s to deal with now”

                Finks mood seemed to brighten a bit “why are we evacuating with the rest, anyway”

                Jace paused for a moment thinking over his response “I was wrong before, avoiding homestead.  I thought that we would be better off alone I wanted to avoid a confrontation, protect you, but homestead is our best hope and as much as I’d like to pretend that we are a bunch of lone gunman doing as we please going where we want’ I can’t ignore that we have a base responsibility.  It was the least we could do, warning these people, and now it’s the least we could do, helping them survive”

                Fink looked around at all the people “yea and we could make some good money trading all those little trinkets there bringing that they don’t need”

“That too”

 

                The Sarge watched Fink and Jace walk up the street then out of view. He turned to his daughter “we almost done?”

                “Yes, I think that will do it, all ready.”  Her voice was strangely cheerful.

                “What?, glad to see Fink go?”

                Aileen looked at her father with a strange knowing look “no daddy, I just thought that Jace fellow was kind of cool”

                The Sarge rolled his eyes picked up the last box and walked out the back door to his personal truck “he’s too old for you!” he called back.

                Aileen hopped in the passenger seat while the Sarge strapped in the supplies ‘hey, pops!” Aileen called from the front

                “Yea!”

                “You okay?”

                The Sarge jumped in the driver’s seat and started the truck “no, but I will be”

—————————————————————————————————————————————- 

                “This better not be a joke” the operator at the listening station spouted back at Bridget and Fergus after being told of the devastator.

                “Would we break protocol like this if we were joking?” Fergus was breathing heavily; he did that when he got annoyed.

                “it’s been known to happen” the operator continued “just last week I got a call form one of YOUR kind saying they found plant life living on its own, when what they really wanted was to talk to their mom.  Got a week’s suspension from filing that report, so I don’t care if your mom’s dying or not I’m not putting you through. “

                “Look at our record we have been good CITIZENS, Ever since we started this JOB, and what kind of sick bastard would use a devastator like that!”

                There was a long pause

                “I’ll patch you though to my NEW supervisor, and I wouldn’t put it past YOUR kind to pull a stunt like this”

                There was a long pause then a man’s voice came on the line “this is Captain Avery, this better not be a joke.”

                “It’s not” Fergus replied

                “We have a tape” inserted Bridget

                “If you just open up the channel we can send it”

                The captain grumbled to himself “all right but if this is not a devastator I’m having you both killed”

                The communications arrays’ screen switched and the antenna spread out a little, Fergus plugged in the camera and the array began transmitting.

                They waited several minutes until the captain answered.

                “my god” they heard shouting and a bit of a shuffle than the captain came back on the line “were going to do what we can, possibly a Spec Ops team, do not contact further, activate your low range transmitters, where will you be?”

                Bridget was quick to respond “just south of the killing valley, we’re assembling there”

                “Good” the captain responded “wait for extraction”

                The whole town was nearly assembled; several officials were preforming a final head count while others were sweeping the town for stragglers.   Jace and his gang were shunted to the side, off the mass and given trading passports by Connelly; a meaningful gesture from the respected leader of the township, one that was not lost on the other trading groups.  There were three other groups much larger than Jace’s gang all with their own carts, tools and equipment.  Jace wasn’t new to the field by any manes and he wasn’t bad at his job, he just preferred to have more independence than the larger trading groups could afford, which meant more places, less money.  He also didn’t like the idea of hiring on young upstarts with no talent, he chose his group very carefully, it may have taken him a while to gather everyone together and he only had 3 followers but that’s the way he liked it. 

                The Sarge had taken his place at the front of the military convoy and was surrounded by senior council members and his lieutenants who were involving him in a deep discussion.  A young nervous looking recruit interrupted the conversations making the group disperse; the Sarge took out a loud speaker and started directing the evacuees.  His daughter was with a larger group in the center with the council and their families.  The convoy was starting to move out when a loud horn came from the front indicating for everyone to stop, a truck was approaching from the south flashing its lights and honking its horn.  It passed the guards and slowly took its place in the center of the convoy, the lieutenants seemed relived while many citizens looked booth bemused and disappointed.  The horn sounded again and the convoy began its trek to the killing valley. 

                The convoy was moving so slow that more than once Jace had instructed his group to push the truck, than after 10 or so minutes and with them all exhausted after pushing a near one ton object through the unyielding dirt of the dessert Jace would hop back in and start the engine.  The Sarge and his militia were circling the convoy helping out stragglers pushing forward the leaders and making sure everyone was following the same path.  On top of that the Sarge was making his way over to Jace in a rather conspicuous manner.

                “Wonder what he wants?” Fink was walking alongside the truck craning his neck to get a better look. 

                Ed and Simon glanced over, surprised “yah he’s definitely coming over here” Simon seemed slightly nervous Jace on the other hand didn’t bother turning around.

                “Hey fellows, or should I say, city heroes!” the Sarge boomed his greeting so loud that several of the other trading leaders looked around to see who the ‘city heroes’ were “how’s the truck treating you? Running well I hope?” he was forcing an incredibly awkward smile and making a show of slapping the truck and giving Ed and Simon a pat on the back.  He turned to the men following him “why Don’t you guys continue the patrol I’ll catch up” they saluted than quickly went off continuing their rounds.  The Sarge gave a quick Stinging glance at Fink than hopped in the truck. 

                “You’d make a good theater actor, you should change your profession” Jace still didn’t look away for the road as he spoke.

                “Any politician knows when to nod and smile, wave and give a friendly hand shake, it’s par for the course.”  The Sarge leaned in closer “I need to ask for another favor”

“What could I possible do for you that I haven’t already done?”

“Not you, your friend, Ed? was it”

Jace shook his head “Ed’s no city dweller, he’s good with machines but other than that not much else, a bit of a slacker actually”

                The Sarge leaned in even closer looking more intense than usual “I don’t care what Fergus and Murphy say, I’ve had my eye on them for a long time now, secret excursions into the desert, strange outburst, being completely apathetic, even about our greatest achievement” he patted the truck.

Jace gave the Sarge a slight eye roll “you sure everyone has the same enthusiasm about these things as you?”

The Sarge backed away, just a little “your friend is like them, he’s’ got the same look in his eyes I can tell, and that device, it’s far beyond an old city tool, I looked at it, it’s tailored made for the desert”

                “He modified it, added extra protections and anyway they lived with this desert for nearly 1,000 years” Jace gestured towards the fallen city in the distance “what makes you so certain?”

“A feeling”

Jace looked over at the Sarge “what, do you want?”

“I want to go back, try and disarm it”

Jace was expecting that “that’s suicide, and you know it”

“yes it is but” the Sarge paused looking around at the convoy “they’re supposed to be designed to give us a chance to escape right? So I figure we can convince it to slow down a bit at least, buy us some more time”

“Why, what good will that do? We’ve been warned of it and now we are moving out of its way”

The Sarge reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a map “here” he handed it over to Jace “a map of Homestead and all the tribute towns, look” he pointed to a town at the far end of the map “they have to go past the devastator to get to where we are going, and it’s going to take us almost two days to get to the Rendezvous point at the rate we’re going”

“so?”

“so!” the Sarge yelled, than looked around and softly spoke the next part “they won’t make it, the hawk probably hasn’t even got their yet, if it can make it past the devastator at all, I had to send several of my best men to make sure some of these town’s got the message, we need more time”

Jace stared at the map for a while “you think Ed can do something?”

“I don’t know but we have to try”

“Then ask him yourself, Ed! Come here” the truck gave a huge lurch as Ed claimed in the back.

“What’s up boss?”

“The Sarge has something to ask you”

Ed spoke before the Sarge could begin his voice sounded slightly different Jace could pick up a very distinct change in the force and directions that Ed spoke in. “You want to go back to the devastator, and you think I can help you disarm it”.  It wasn’t a question, even the Sarge was thrown off by Ed’s new found ‘take charge’ demeanor

“Yes”

“Well I agree, we should go back”

“What!” Jace, Fink and Simon exclaimed in unison.

“Excellent, than we should leave at once, there’s no need to waste time”

“Fucking hell Ed, what for? We can’t turn the damn thing off, can we?” Jace asked while strange thoughts were popping into his head, ‘could Ed be? He’s’ always been a bit strange, and he knows a lot, no can’t be, but maybe’

“Well… maybe” Eds voice sounded unsure “but if we just try… than maybe something good will happen”

Ed was back to his old demeanor, soft spoken with a deep booming voice that was never decisive, never sure of anything, this convinced Jace even more, mysterious Ed, lazy Ed, brilliant Ed, wanted to make a decision.  Jace looked around to Simon and Fink who were both gawking at Ed in disbelief; it seems they too were starting to believe the Sarge. 

“Of all the crazy wackjob ideas, in all the world, not once do you suggest something”  Jace stared Ed down who in turn didn’t blink.  “We WILL die you know”

“No, I don’t think we will” Ed’s gaze was determined.

“Why the Fuck not” Fink blurted out “I mean we’re all doomed anyway might as well make it count” Fink gave the Sarge a swift look, one that was not returned.

Simon walked alongside the truck staring off into the passing crowds towards the center were the rest of the council was, than nodded at Jace.

“Well” Jace thought, shocked at what was happening “get your own damn truck than, it’s too crowded in mine. “

The Sarge smiled and flew off Jaces truck waving down a passing patrol “I’ll be back soon, you won’t regret this!”

He jogged off than stopped and turned yelling “thank you” hopped in the portal and drove off.

Bridget and Fergus were relaxing in the back of one of the trucks designed for council members.  It had a nice canopy and was being driven by one of the militia men when suddenly the Sarge tore into the back knocking a glass of water out of Bridget’s hand “watch it!” she exclaimed

“What?!” the Sarge looked confused “oh right, don’t take trucks without authorization again” he gave them an uncomfortable smile as he turned and addressed Marcus Steel “I need you for a very important mission, top secret, classified” he nodded to Bridget and Fergus “will you accept?”

Marcus looked confused than he suddenly switched his face and nodded,  the Sarge leaped out of the truck and flung into another with Steal following close behind

“How does he do that, at his age” Fergus looked impressed”

“He probably eats better than you” Bridget chuckled.

The Sarge returned with two other trucks filled with militia men and councilors Steel.

“Expecting a fight?” Jace was looking at the other trucks

“gonna sends these men to the two towns just past the Devastator, gotta make sure there warned”  the Sarge drove off.

Jace Revved the Trucks engine and turned it around following the Sarge out of the convoy and out towards the devastator.

                He awoke with a start, cold sweat dripping down his cheeks and neck, his heart pounding out of his chest ripping his ribs and lungs; his whole body felt like it was in shock.  Smiling he reached out for a cup of water.  He gulped down the fresh water and wiped the sweat off his brow, the phone rang, he answered. 

“Did you” the voice echoed with excitement

“Yes” he was still breathless

“I can’t believe it, it worked.  I was in a field laced with poison roses, the sky.”  The voice paused, she was testing him, she was always the skeptic

“Was needles, falling needles endless and you were trapped you saw the exit but could not get to it”

“Yes!” she shirked “than you were there flying above the roses, you stopped the needles in the sky and burned the field”

“and you took the exit, a wood door standing apart form a shed, there was” he was having trouble describing the next part it was something more of a feeling than a picture “a bed, a couch, a blanket, a-”

“Yes where we used to camp out in my back yard, I loved that place it always made me feel safe, don’t really know why”

“yes you told me, so I took you there”

“Amazing unbelievable”

                They said their good byes and he checked the clock, 3:30am, work started at 9, he laid back comfortably in his bed, closed his eyes falling this time into a peaceful normal sleep.

                The alarm clock rang 7:30am, he had dreamt but he wasn’t sure of what, he used to have vivid dreams, moments in his sleep would last for weeks following him around to every mundane moment of his waking life, but not anymore, not for a month not since he started dream walking.  Oh, the places he went led by another’s mind following them in their fantasies, their night mares and their greatest desires.  At first he wasn’t really sure what was happening, he knew that these new dreams were different, he remembered them, everything right down to smallest details and he knew they weren’t his.   He had felt it somehow, the places were so alien, the feelings so distant.  He got conformation of his suspicions two weeks ago when he stumbled into his co-workers dream.  He had been testing if he could travel to something other than the random dreams he had been visiting.  So he thought of his coworker hoping it would drag him out of his next door neighbors dream of hosting a cooking show, she never was a good cook, and it worked one minute he was watching Gordon Ramsey praising a disgusting looking radish pie and the next he was following Jack to his high school reunion which had apparently been overrun with zombies.  There he found out something else very interesting about his new abilities, he could change the dream itself, he banished the zombies into the phantom zone and went to kiss Jack but Jack turned and vanished waking him in the process.

                Jack had told everyone about the strange dream the night before and had brought a cup of coffee for his dream savior.  Jack had told them that he had been having the same nightmare over and over again with no changes for weeks until that night.

                “power, matt, you have power like those psychics on TV” his mom had always been into over dramatized TV shows about the supernatural “I always knew you were special” she said that far too often, even after he dropped out of college, got a dead end job behind a cubical and spent all his extra cash on booze and drugs, only this time he believed it was true, for the first time he believed he really was special.

                After the incident with Jack, Matt had called up his oldest and best friend.  Angela was now a doctor she was fresh out of med school and went straight into a small family practice in some rural town whose name Matt kept forgetting.  She was always adverse to the supernatural, as was he until very recently.  So he valued her opinion when she told him he was full of shit and was just imagining things but she agreed to the test anyway, the results astounded them both. 

                Matt walked into work that morning with a full and determined sense of purpose and waked out 8 hours later felling tired, used and slightly hopeless.  He had felt what it was like to have power, to save a life and yet his waking moments were a polar opposite of those feelings, Angela had called him that night after apparently doing quite a bit of research. She had questions for him; they went on for hours, Matt replying with ‘I don’t know’ to more than half of the questions.  “How far can you project? Does it tire you more, the farther away you are? What’s the limit to your control? Do they know you’re different or do they just place you as part of their dream?”

                It made him think, he had felt more exhausted than usual after walking into her dream and he did try and kiss Jack but he turned away, in fact he never touched a thing in the dreams, just manipulated them.  Tired and confused after the conversation with Angela he fell asleep.

                There were explosions everywhere, bombs, dust, the smell of sulfur and the shredded green of a thick tree line.  A somewhat familiar face was dressed in greens holding a rubber gun screaming, blood pooled all around him shaped in an X.  Up above was a figure, Jesus in the clouds opening his month and a grenade falling out quickly plummeting towards the familiar face.  Matt caught the grenade and turned it into a bunny allowing it to fall gracefully into the faces arms.  The world faded and a kitchen was carved out of garnet before him in the corner was a large rabbit with a new litter, the face was small, a child and he placed the baby bunny with the rest, the child then fell apart into cardboard and newspapers, Matt recognized the man’s face, he was the old bum who sleeps outside his building. 

                Matt turned and drew himself to Jack who was standing in a white room sweating and nervous, surrounded by barely visible white tables with white food and white chairs which he kept stumbling into.  A voice was calling from a distance, a woman’s voice, she wasn’t there but her voice seemed to fade and scream out of ever wall table and chair in the room. She was scolding jack for running into everything.  Matt drew out a pen and flashed it at the room which promptly spun and colored itself with neon walls and pastel tables.  Jack did not look up but instead started setting the table looking more relaxed than before.  Matt felt the dream calling him away but instead of leaving he stated slowly approaching Jack thinking.  Matt tried to make Jack stand, but could not will it, he reached out to hold Jacks hand but it would not move. Matt focused using all his will to lift Jacks hand and finally it rose and Jack looked up at him. 

“Matt? is that you? is this a dream? What’s going on?”

Matt smiled and lifted Jack into the air pulling the roof off the room and willing a vast open sunny sky into existence.

“What’s going on? How is this possible?”

“Jack” Matt was suddenly very nervous “I really like you and I just wanted you to know that” Matt leaned in and kissed Jack who in turn drew away and gave matt a sympathetic look.

“I’m sorry Matt, but I don’t feel the same way about you, I know you like me but I’m just not, well” their feet found the ground, and Matt formed it not a vast  open green field “gay”

                Matt let go of Jacks arm looking around, he was sure, he was sure that was real, he didn’t know how but he knew Jack was talking to him and it wasn’t just a dream, it was something else, the field suddenly caught fire it’s heat over took them and the fire rose up and fell to the sky. Jack was gone.  Matt felt his heart pound and he drew himself out of the dream waking up in a cold sweat, his body felt red hot and in shock.  He wasn’t sure what exactly happened but he checked the clock, he had slept through his alarm and was already late for work.

                He arrived at work still in shock not yet fully recovered from his latest bout of dream walking.  When he walked past the front desk the receptionist stopped him “oh Matt you look terrible, I take it you’ve heard the news” she was giving him a comforting smile that made him distinctly uncomfortable “sweaty I’m sure the boss will let you take the day off, after all you worked with him on so many different projects, oh” she started to cry “you two were so close”

                “What?” Matt was suddenly very scared his heart pounding out of his chest “what are you talking about?”

                “I’m so sorry“ she looked uncomfortable and worried “Jack’s fiancé called in just a few minutes ago, he was found dead in  his bed, poor soul must have had a heart attack and passed in his sleep”

                Matt’s heart was crushing his lungs, he couldn’t breathe and his body was numb, the next thing he knew he was lying on a Gurney speeding to a hospitable.

“Heart attack”

“At his age?”

“Apparently”

“But he looks so healthy how’d he manage that?”

“Don’t know, drugs maybe”

The voices trailed off.

                The next thing he knew someone was holding his hand and he was lying in a hospitable bed, his mother spoke.  “Honey, honey can you hear me, oh thank god, Doctor! Doctor!. He’s awake, come quick!”

                The next month was a blur, Matt did not try to dream walk for a few weeks.   After the Hospitable his mom moved into his apartment to help him recover and when he was well enough she moved out.  His coworkers had sympathy for him in the form cards and balloons, Jacks fiancé made an uncomfortable visit that thankfully didn’t last long.  He only told Angela what had happened, her words didn’t really comfort him but he felt better knowing that someone else knew, she did however warn him to stay out of her dreams, a request he had no trouble obliging by.

“Just be careful, you know what happened last time, I don’t want you to have that kind of guilt placed on you twice”

                Matt knew Angela cared, that her warnings came from a place of friendship but he was growing weary feeling that she was constantly trying to hold him back. 

“I know but I’ll be careful, I won’t let another incident like Jack happen again, I think I was too emotionally involved, this thing, it’s a part of me, I can’t stop, I don’t know how”

                The conversation ended earlier than usual, she had helped him through what happened with Jack and he couldn’t blame her, but there are some things people just can’t deny

                There was a lot of noise, voices coupled with voices, rising in volume as the switched and crossed with each other, all were words; you could hear every word all at once they were loud, distinct, and then as if a great wave approached they rescinded and crashed in a meaningless college of pure noise.  Matt saw in the distance a young man; he was playing, kicking a soccer ball through a net over and over again laughing.  Next to Matt was a presence not a man not a specter but a feeling of existence.  Matt reached out and changed the soccer balls direction, it bounced and rolled over towards Matt and the presence, the young man followed laughing along the way.  Matt had to stop the world from shifting so when the young man approached the presence did not recede.  They collided in a soft array of color and light the ground itself ebbed and flowed with the impact and the voices returned, this time soft and controlled. One would speak than another taking turns asking question.  The light shifted and a man appeared confident and beaming.  He stood in front of the podium pointing at and answering the voices questions.  Matt recognized the man and with that turned and woke from the dream.  

                The next day at work Matt’s boss announced that he was running for mayor “I’ve been struggling with the idea for a while and now but not, it just felt right,” Matts boss smiled and took his wife’s hand “I’m ready”

                Matt went to sleep that night zeroing in on his bosses dream.  ‘It was strange’ Matt thought ‘the power my boss will soon wield and yet, nothing, nothing in his dream, just a long empty space, perhaps’ Matt wondered ‘the man had yet to begin, the dream had yet to start’, Matt wielded his power experimenting changing the environment, changing himself. 

                “Excuse me? Who are you and what are you doing here” the dream was shifting blurring but Matt caught it shaped it to his will than transformed himself into a wolf and spoke to the man.

                “Why do you seek power?” Matt asked waiting, the man stumbled and stammered, he was caught in a trap grasping for an exit yet he answered the words falling form his lips uncontrolled untamed.  Matt was expecting money, wealth, privilege and prestige but the answers he received were not tampered by thought, the man wanted youth, the man wanted time to roll back and transform the balding age aged grandpa into a young strong lad. The man wanted sex; he wanted to use his power and money to from his own twisted fantasies, attracting young women looking for promotion, or with no other way out.   “You will know all you seek” Matt turned and left his boss to the twisted reality he had created in his own dream.

                It had worked; Matt was not surprised, shocked or saddened by the news of his boss’s coma.  He was in fact happy, happy because Matt was finally beginning to understand the true nature of the power he now wielded.  He wanted to experience more, test more, help more, punish more.

                “Matt, are you telling me the truth, it’s just I’m worried you’re drifting away it feels like your changing, I’m not sure I know you anymore”

                “I’m fine, I’ve got that new promotion, and I’m going to D.C next month, business conference you know”

                “Yah but you didn’t tell me about your boss, the owner of the business you work at, I read online, he’s in a coma, suspicious, mysterious that’s what they called it, you didn’t? tell me you didn’t”

                “Of course not” Matt lied she wouldn’t understand “besides that was months ago I was busy, what happens to the big man doesn’t really affect us small people, remember I’m bottom rung, the lowest of the low”

                “I guess you’re right, sorry for doubting you, well, you have been sounding better, more energetic than before, I’m sure things are working out for you”

                Things were indeed going well for Matt, his life had taken a turn for the better since he gained control of his abilities, how easy it was for him now to wield a strangers subconscious to change their minds, he was indeed going to D.C for a convention but he had other plans, bigger plans.

                Hallways, there were hallways, endless; white, blue rooms passing rooms some plain some stained deep red, stained in blood.  And there was a man, he wore a suit it felt a ton and the man tried to run, run through the hallways tried to run pass the rooms, he slowed, falling to his knees and Matt appeared to the man born in the shape of an eagle.  Matt flew and caught the man by his shoulders lifting the suit pulling its weight away.  The man stood holding his head high and reached out, a door had appeared before them at the end of the hall way. The door was everywhere it was eternal and out of reach, the man turned the nob, it screamed, the rooms bleeding,  Matt reached out to quell the screams but failed, and in that failure he was sent from the dream, cast out and burned.

                He awoke with a start sweating, his heart thumping quickly he reached for his phone than remembered Angela would not help, she would not understand.

                That day he planned to take a tour of the White House, the conference had ended but Matt decided to stay a week longer for a vacation.  He wanted to explore the living and the dreaming world of the city though he was still shaking from the dream the night before, still trying to figure out the door.  The tour guide was efficient, quickly taking them from room to room explaining the varying histories and people that had occupied them.  At the end of the tour Matt was struck with an idea, if there was something beyond his understanding he would ask the only person who would know.  He found sleep hard to take that night and used what he called helpers, sleeping aids to find the dream he wanted, to find the place he desired.

                The man had not yet started to dream “good” Matt formed the room shaped it and wielded it to his best understanding.

                “Close” the man’s voice faded into existence “but I chose the Roosevelt desk”

                Matt turned surprised, he had taken the form of the eagle but somehow was turned back, shaped again like a man.

                “Don’t look so surprised, this is not the first time this has happened to me, last night I was weak that’s how you got in but tonight I won’t make the same mistake”

                Matt baffled and suddenly scared turned to leave

“You have questions?” the man spoke, Matt stopped listening “I can answer them, if you like”

                Matt turned and looked into the depthless eyes of the man before him, his suit still a ton the room still a farce “you’re standing?” Matt asked almost without thought.

“Yes, I’m used to the suit; I and it are one” the man paused “except on my bad days”

“The door, last night?”

“Yes, but I’m sure you have other questions, state secrets, anything you want I’ll answer”

“Why?”

“because it will never matter, not to you anyway, you see you’re not a powerful person, I know you, a small boy playing in a man’s mind, yes I know where you work, what hotel you are staying at in town and who you are Matt, I know what you did Matt, and even that is child’s play”

Matt blinked intrigued.

“You will never get this opportunity again”

                The man and Matt talked for what felt like hours, the man never once evaded a question answering them all, some answers surprised man Matt, shocked him and disturbed him while others seemed so mundane that they could not possibly be true at least not when compared to the other answers. Finally the man turned its time to wake up, “much to do, it’s been a nice talk”

“Wait” Matt called out “the door, I need to know”

The man turned, a somber look on his face “the door never stops screaming, never.”

                There was a small note in the obituary section of the D.C paper that only a very small amount of people took any note in, it read “Matt Persons found dead in his hotel room of a severe heart attack, he is survived only by his mother Margret Persons and close friend Angle Holden”

                They placed Cid on one of the transport trays Evan had brought from the forest ship, gathered some other essential resources like food; water, clothing, medical supplies and some varying technology which Evan was generally ignorant of and placed those on the trays as well.  Cid was partially conscious, she had suffered serious head trauma and received a huge gash in her side which Mulit had hastily patched up and stabilized.   As far as Evan could tell, without the advanced medical technology the transport carried, Cid probably would not have survived the accident.  After looking over the wreckage Multi had confirmed that it’s and Cids safety shields did not deploy, Evans only worked because there were several redundant systems in place to protect the supposed patient and working EMT.  Multi had flung out of the front window, as it wasn’t wearing a safety harness, and appeared to have only suffered some minor damage, when Evan asked about said damage Multi had simply stated that it was a design feature and nothing more, what exactly the design feature was Even could only guess at.  The Transport itself wasn’t beyond repair as it was several feet above the surface when the explosion went off but it’s battery’s had been damaged and it no longer had enough power to lift off.  Its secondary systems, or wheels, had long since disintegrated.  Evan and multi walked in silence still heading towards the devastator Multi was leading, scanning for mines and other devices along the way.  This gave Evan time to think, think about the devastator, Cids city, the Homestead Protectorate and the history he had learned from the Captains tablet.  Evan was finally beginning to understand the world he was now living in and beginning to comprehend what he needed to do next.  He remembered all the movies and science fiction epics of his youth, describing the coming of machines, artificial intelligence and how one day they would take over the earth and rule over man, but the history he had read did not tell of a ruthless conquering devil in a metal coat.  It was a history of defense followed by a sometimes over reaction on the machines part.  Evan could understand the reasoning behind their actions and felt that the Collective had acted with mercy and restraint, they could have ended the war but they took the risk and ultimately paid the price, everyone paid the price.  Evan had made his decision he would attempt contact, he just hoped he wasn’t wrong about the Collective ‘after all’ he thought ‘they could have easily exterminated the human race, yet, they didn’t’. 

                Walking behind Multi and the train of supplies Evan took out his note pad and without being noticed activated a small satellite connection he had brought with him, carefully he connected with the system and linked to one of the geo synchronies satellites in orbit placing it on broadcast mode, than he typed in his message.

                “This is Evan A’con; attempting contact with the A.I Collective; there is what I believe to be a rouge devastator that has been activated near the source of this broadcast location, please if you can, help out the people that you choose spared and disarm the device”

                He sent the signal than closed his tablet and shut down the satellite link and continued to follow Multi out of the Killing valley.

                What Evan saw next shook him to his core; nearly 1,000 people were before him framed in a silhouette with the setting sun’s crisp light.   Some hurdled together looking for warmth from the cold coming night; others were setting up tents and starting fires.  Evan was not expecting to see so many people, so many lives laid out before him.  As he and Multi approached Evan saw the character on their faces, the emotion in their eyes, it was fear and desperation, coupled with pride and determination, it appeared that they too were aware of the coming threat.

                One approached Evan and Multi as one would approach a lost child.  They did not seem scared of Evan or Multi but rather they looked as if their day had been brightened.  She was young around 20 with a child in her arms, new born wrapped in a Shaw, sleeping. 

                “Are, are you from the city? Have you come to help” Evans breath had been taken away from him, her voice flowed in a romantic rhythm peaking and falling like a symphony’s lament, her smile while soft seamed to release a small amount light into the world. 

Multi answered “affirmative, we are responding to a signal received”

“Yes, the devastator, Homestead told us about the attack, can you help? Will you save our homes?”

“Unknown”

She looked from Multi to Evan her eyes betraying a slight hint of sadness than she looked down at Cid surprised “oh, is she all right, quick we must get her inside” she swiftly moved towards the center of the encampment waving them to follow her.  They had to swerve through the varying tents, camp fires and carts to get to the center of the hastily assembled group.  People stared as they passed awed by multi and the floating slabs; an odd silence had fallen over the camp it seemed to ripple with every step they took.  The people were dirty, tired looking but somehow Evan thought, Heroic.  There was pride in their stares, there was strength in their bones and Evan could feel it. 

                Multi, Evan and a very groggy Cid had reached the center where the largest tent In the camp laid and were greeted by a very bouncy looking man with a weary face, he gestured them inside. “Lilly” the women escorting them stopped “could you find a place for these” he gestured towards the transport slab.  She did as he asked and then disappeared behind the tents cloth door.

                “Schott will be pleased to see you, I suspect he and the rest of homestead are on their way now” the man spoke with a thick sometimes forceful accent making Evans head give a slight throb, he suspected that whatever device was translating this man’s speech was working extra hard to decipher this his accent, possibly a second language. 

                “yes thank you for allowing us shelter” the voice came from behind Evan, Cid had woke up  and was attempting to stand, her voice too now had an accent but only slightly different, it flowed easier and felt more choppy and less harsh. 

“Organic Cid must remain seated” Multi’s voice carried a sudden force of authority behind it, Cid slumped in a seating position leaning against an ornate looking dresser. 

“I See you’ve had a problem, may I guess, in the valley beyond” he waited for their response they in turn gave him a nod “yes well, only the senior council and town leaders know the way across, still I’m surprised that city dwellers like your selves had so much trouble” the man was now sipping tea and nodding his cup towards Evans leg “but” he gave a forced laugh “I suppose the stories of seven foot tall super intelligent, cyborgs” he winked at Multi “were just.. Tall tales.  It’s not a bother, you are injured and we can help, you will rest here for the night, than I suspect, if it’s not too bold of me” he was making wild gestures with his arms “that you will continue on your journey perhaps you will do what none have done, and remove the blight that now plagues our land” he swiftly stood up turned and looked out a second door in the tent “homestead will come at night fall, I will leave you to your rest, if you need anything, and I mean anything just call for me”  he stopped than gave another forced chuckle “the name is Sabine, Town Leader” he then bowed out of the room.

                “Umm” Cid swayed slightly “whatever, I’m going to sleep”

                Evan found a nice carpeted spot with some plush pillows than rested his head and found himself dreaming of fighting a monster made out of complex physics equations.  Multi simply sat, and wondered how long it could remain without being ordered into submission. 

Cid awoke before Evan, Night had fallen and the strange purple light of Anora was beaming into the tent though an opening at the top.  Someone had come in and lit a lantern while they were asleep, it softly lit up Evans tired and worn face as he slept.  Cid thought for a moment she was in a dream, the tent was decorated in such an ornate fashion, lavish rugs, deep wood work cabinets finely crafted with gold trims and soft rose inlays.  It took her a moment to realize that Multi wasn’t there.  She struggled a bit than stood up catching herself as she did.  She felt the stiches on her chest and there was an odd dull pain in her lungs as she breathed.  Her head was swimming with the strong incense in the air but the warm vapor helped her center herself.  She did a quick systems check than stumbled across the tent and walked out into the encampment. 

There was a soft buzzing of conversations and laugher, the smell of freshly cooked food over crackling coal camp fires swarmed her senses.  Children weaved running to and fro swerving and playing in the shadows of the tents.  Cid looked around and saw odd smiles on the people’s faces as she moved through the camp she noticed their laughter seemed forced and the jokes a little too frequent.  A small child rushed head long crashing into Cids legs falling to the ground, Cid knelt to help the young girl up. 

“you should watch were you’re going” the girl just looked up, staring at Cids Brilliant blue eyes seeing the small computer in her eye lid buzzing and blinking. 

“You’re the lady form the City!”

Cid smiled and nodded “do you know where my friend is?”

The girl jumped in excitement than took Cids hand and led her through the camp. 

“In there” she pointed to a large misshapen tent “the metal man” the girl giggled than ran away back to her friends.

                Cid stared at the tent for a short while then walked in. Multi was hunched over a man who seemed in quite a bit of pain, there was a woman in another bed, quite pregnant and on the verge of giving birth.  The man gave a quick scream followed by a sigh of relief than constant streams of ‘thank yous’ directed at Multi.  Multi turned to the woman noticing Cid but not acknowledging it.  Cid waited and watched as Multi helped the women give birth, there was a another woman helping Multi she gave the baby a soft tap and it began to cry.  After cleaning the fluid off with a warm towel the nurse maid placed the newborn in the new mother’s arms,. 

Multi went to clean its hands and approached Cid “is organic Cid feeling better?”

Cid smiled “yes, Multi, thank you”

Multi checked the bruise on Cids head and the stiches in her side before approaching the next patient.  It appeared that word of the city dweller robot had traveled fast in the camp and everyone wanted a checkup or a cure for some ailment or another. 

Cid was feeling a little tired form the walk so she decided to sit and rest for a while.  She sat and watched Mulit treat patient after patient for nearly 30 min before the girl Lily, who greeted them at the edge of the camp came in looking worried, holding her child who was now coughing.  Multi took the child and examined it using several different types of medical devices they had brought with them from the transport. 

“I will need to administer antibiotic treatment and watch the child overnight.“ Multi paused and looked at the young woman “prognosis is poor; the child may not survive the night.”

Lily looked distraught, tears flooding her face “he, he was fine, what happened, how?”

Cid stood and let Lily cry into her arms while multi administered the treatment and wrapped the baby into a warm blanket.  Cid had taken Lily outside for some fresh air; she had calmed down a little.

“it’s the cough, it killed my little brother when he was a baby,” she was drying her eyes “I had hoped that my first would be spared, but” she broke off, Cid was unsure how to respond, the cough as the Lily called it, was a problem in the city as well but they had a treatment for it unfortunately that treatment required a hermetically sealed room, it was effective for nearly all who received the treatment including Cid.  Multi didn’t have the proper equipment here; survival rate without the proper equipment was low, extremely low.  “Can your friend help?” Lily looked apprehensively hopeful “can it save my baby?”

Cid stared into the young woman’s eyes hoping to add some form of comfort “I don’t know” the words left her lips and reached Lily’s ears providing at least the idea of  a chance, that, seemed to be enough.

Cid stayed with Lily though the night as she watched over her son but when the morning sun’s light glimpsed out form the ground Lilys child gave his last breath.  There was a defining silence in the tent the other patients left lily to her sorry, for what felt like days Cid sat in silence, holding Lily’s hand as she grieved.   Than Lily began to sing, her voice carried through the camp, it’s soft calm tone rose and fell with the brushes of the wind.

Hush now and sleep, my baby

Death shall become, the night

Just close your eyes, my darling

Let all your worried turn to dust

                Rest now in peace, sweet child

                Let order sooth, your mind

                Dream well in night, my love

The morning light is sure to rise

Evan awoke with a start, sensing he had been left alone; he rubbed his eyes looking around at the hastily put together tent pondering.  ‘This’ he thought ‘was an odd predicament’.  Slowly he stood stumbling as he went, he had not had a good night’s sleep since he arrived at the forest and the past 42 hours had been so action packed that the only rest he managed to receive was during the explosion and he wasn’t sure that really counted.  He bent down and checked the splint; it was at 90% power and still felt surprisingly stable.  He smelled a soft aroma in the air and looked over, tea had been prepared for him, he took a cup and let its smooth warmth flow into him, leaning back he began to try and collect his thoughts, when Sabine suddenly and with forceful grace rushed into the tent. 

“Ah, you’re awake I see, Evan was it? And I see you’re enjoying the tea, very good” Sabine sat down slightly too close for Evans comfort, a fact which Sabine seemed blissfully unaware of “my favorite of course, had it imported from my home town, a nice fellow by the name of Jace, if you choose to stay with us I will put you in contact with him, a small operation but effective” Sabine winked at him “of course your metal friend was a great help last night, must be nice in the city no? And the girl she is your leader? Seems to be looking better, saw her in the medical tent comforting poor lily,” he paused for the first time taking a sip of his tea. 

“I’m sorry; you said if I choose to stay?”

Sabine snapped out of this contemplation quickly “yes of course the girl has told us that you have grown tired of the city, no doubt all that lavish food yes” Sabine nudged Evan with his elbow “yes we will help you find a place here, of course you’ll have to work, maybe a farmer…”

Sabine’s voice slowly faded away as Evan began to think, they told him what, that I wanted to stay? Wait, no can’t be’ he shook his head than cut across Sabine’s ramblings

“Did they leave, where are they?”

Sabine was taken aback than he looked slightly worried “well.. They went off to the homestead camp, the woman Cid? Said she had some business with the council”

“where, quick!” Evan was starting to feel a little scared, he couldn’t lose them , not now, he had to find out what was going on he had to be with those two people.  He wasn’t really sure why but he was determined.

“In the north at the head of the encampment I’m sure you can catch them if you hurry” Sabine pointed the way and Evan ran as fast as he could towards the homestead encampment.

I’m sure, it’s the proper code word, I’m just not certain of their names that’s all” Cid was pacing back and forth talking to an uninterested Multi who was now wearing ceremonial healers clothes given to it by the villagers.  The Militia had stopped Cid and Multi form entering the council circle and told them to wait.  Cid knew the keepers were in there; her sensors had picked up their low range transponders.  They waited for what felt like an hour until a short plump woman and a tall aggressively fat man came running up to them.  Before Cid could speak they ordered away the guards and the woman spoke as the man was busy catching his breath.

“Bridget murphy #10078 and William Fergus #10006 ready for extraction” they booth looked extremely excited. 

Cid looked at them with slight surprise than corrected herself before they noticed “I’m part of the Spec Ops team heading towards the devastator, the extraction team will arrive shortly but priorities first, Avery’s orders” Cid was surprised at how quickly she turned to lying, she could only hope her story would hold up “anyway we need an inconspicuous form of transport for the rest of the journey the trucks will do if you can manage it, the army would be eternally grateful”

Bridget and Fergus looked at each other a little disappointed but still happy for news of the foretold extraction team “yes we spoke to the captain, we’re so glad you came it’s been utter chaos here, we can requisition a truck for you or two but the militia is a little hesitant, I’ll see what I can do” Fergus moved off and Cid called out “just one, for the team, will be fine!”

“Of course!” Fergus called back.

Cid and Bridget looked at each other awkwardly for a while Bridget’s’ eyes beamed like X-rays at Cid than at Multi whom it seems for the first time she noticed, Cid traced Bridget’s glance than noticed the question before Bridget could ask it. “Top secret, we rather not discuss it her”’

“but, that’s what Sabine was going on about, the city dwellers he said, with a metal man, we thought he was just embellishing as usual, has the secrecy doctrine changed?”

“Umm” Cid was having trouble focusing, her vision blurred and her instruments flashed and jolted.

“Did you tell these people about the City? Are you really the Spec  Ops team, where’s the rest of your crew, what happened to  your head?” Bridget was growing more and more obnoxious with every word, her voice tore into Cids mind, its harsh crisp tone bleaching out her thoughts, churning her memories.

Multi saw Cid hazing out and immediately stepped in between her and Bridget “our ultimate mission is classified, the secrecy doctrine is still in effect, we cannot control individuals reactions to our appearance, we cannot divulge all our missions parameters, your job is to provide us with whatever assistance we desire it is not to ask questions or make accusations, this is a priority 1 mission” multi finished allowing Cid time to sit on a nearby rock for a rest without being to inconspicuous Multi wasn’t sure it had said everything properly but it did manage to quite Bridget, for the time being.  Multi took a seat next to Cid.

“Priority 1 huh?”

“Affirmative, I suspect it is a high priority?”

“Only the matriarch can issue an order that high, but” Cid yawned “I suppose this is a very serious situation”

“This unit is glad it could assist”

“Didn’t know you could lie like that” Cid leaned against multi and rested her head.

“This unit can operate to best suit highest ranking human whenever possible”

“Well” she closed her eyes “that’s good”

                About 15 minutes later Fergus drove up in one of the trucks “it was like pulling teeth but I managed to convince the lieutenant to let this one go.” 

Cid and multi hopped in the truck and waved farewell to Bridget Murphy and William Fergus who promptly disappeared.  Multi had taken the driver’s seat, started the engine pushing the gas.   They had only driven about two inches when Cid heard a familiar voice call out. 

                “About time” she taunted

Evan quickly hopped in the back smiling at the familiar design “what about the supplies?”

Cid smirked “you never plan ahead do you, first the forest ship almost kills you and now you forget the supplies”

“What?” Evan exclaimed “was I supposed to get them, oh no we have to go back!”

                Cid chuckled as multi drove out of the ever growing encampment “Luckily I do”

Evan looked at the truck bed and saw all their supplies neatly lied out, safe and secure. They drove by a large caravan of about 1,000 people coming from the south east as Multi moved them south towards the ever more dangerous devastator.  

                The whole town was nearly assembled; several officials were preforming a final head count while others were sweeping the town for stragglers.   Jace and his gang were shunted to the side, off the mass and given trading passports by Connelly; a meaningful gesture from the respected leader of the township, one that was not lost on the other trading groups.  There were three other groups much larger than Jace’s gang all with their own carts, tools and equipment.  Jace wasn’t new to the field by any manes and he wasn’t bad at his job, he just preferred to have more independence than the larger trading groups could afford, which meant more places, less money.  He also didn’t like the idea of hiring on young upstarts with no talent, he chose his group very carefully, it may have taken him a while to gather everyone together and he only had 3 followers but that’s the way he liked it. 

                The Sarge had taken his place at the front of the military convoy and was surrounded by senior council members and his lieutenants who were involving him in a deep discussion.  A young nervous looking recruit interrupted the conversations making the group disperse; the Sarge took out a loud speaker and started directing the evacuees.  His daughter was with a larger group in the center with the council and their families.  The convoy was starting to move out when a loud horn came from the front indicating for everyone to stop, a truck was approaching from the south flashing its lights and honking its horn.  It passed the guards and slowly took its place in the center of the convoy, the lieutenants seemed relived while many citizens looked booth bemused and disappointed.  The horn sounded again and the convoy began its trek to the killing valley. 

                The convoy was moving so slow that more than once Jace had instructed his group to push the truck, than after 10 or so minutes and with them all exhausted after pushing a near half ton object through the unyielding dirt of the dessert Jace would hop back in and start the engine.  The Sarge and his militia were circling the convoy helping out stragglers pushing forward the leaders and making sure everyone was following the same path.  On top of that the Sarge was making his way over to Jace in a rather conspicuous manner.

                “Wonder what he wants?” Fink was walking alongside the truck craning his neck to get a better look. 

                Ed and Simon glanced over, surprised “yah he’s definitely coming over here” Simon seemed slightly nervous Jace on the other hand didn’t bother turning around.

                “Hey fellows, or should I say, city heroes” the Sarge boomed his greeting so loud that several of the other trading leaders looked around to see who the ‘city heroes’ were “how’s the truck treating you? Running well I hope?” he was forcing an incredibly awkward smile and making a show of slapping the truck and giving Ed and Simon a pat on the back.  He turned to the men following him “why Don’t you guys continue the patrol I’ll catch up” they saluted than quickly went off continuing their rounds.  The Sarge gave a quick Stinging glance at Fink than hopped in the truck. 

                “You’d make a good theater actor, you should change your profession” Jace still didn’t look away for the road as he spoke.

                “Any politician knows when to nod and smile, wave and give a friendly hand shake, it’s par for the course.”  The Sarge leaned in closer “I need to ask for another favor”

“What could I possible do for you that I haven’t already done?”

“Not you, your friend, Ed? was it”

Jace shook his head “Ed’s no city dweller, he’s good with machines but other than that not much else, a bit of a slacker actually”

                The Sarge leaned in even closer looking more intense than usual “I don’t care what Fergus and Murphy say, I’ve had my eye on them for a long time now, secret excursions into the desert, strange outburst, being completely apathetic, even about our greatest achievement” he patted the truck.

Jace gave the Sarge a slight eye roll “you sure everyone has the same enthusiasm about these things as you?”

The Sarge backed away, just a little “your friend is like them, he’s’ got the same look in his eyes I can tell, and that device, it’s far beyond an old city tool, I looked at it, it’s tailored made for the desert”

                “He modified it, added extra protections and anyway they lived with this desert for nearly 1,000 years” Jace gestured towards the fallen city in the distance “what makes you so certain?”

“A feeling”

Jace looked over at the Sarge “what, do you want?”

“I want to go back, try and disarm it”

Jace was expecting that “that’s suicide, and you know it”

“yes it is but” the Sarge paused looking around at the convoy “they’re supposed to be designed to give us a chance to escape right? So I figure we can convince it to slow down a bit at least, buy us some more time”

“Why, what good will that do? We’ve been warned of it and now we are moving out of its way”

The Sarge reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a map “here” he handed it over to Jace “a map of Homestead and all the tribute towns, look” he pointed to a town at the far end of the map “they have to go past the devastator to get to where we are going, and it’s going to take us almost two days to get to the Rendezvous point at the rate we’re going”

“so?”

“so!” the Sarge yelled, than looked around and softly spoke the next part “they won’t make it, the hawk probably hasn’t even got their yet, if it can make it past the devastator at all, I had to send several of my best men to make sure some of these town’s got the message, we need more time”

Jace stared at the map for a while “you think Ed can do something?”

“I don’t know but we have to try”

“Then ask him yourself, Ed! Come here” the truck gave a huge lurch as Ed claimed in the back.

“What’s up boss?”

“The Sarge has something to ask you”

Ed spoke before the Sarge could begin his voice sounded slightly different Jace could pick up a very distinct change in the force and directions that Ed spoke in. Almost like someone else had taken over his body. “You want to go back to the devastator, and you think I can help you disarm it”

It wasn’t a question, even the Sarge was thrown off by Ed’s new found ‘take charge’ demeanor

“Yes”

“Well I agree, we should go back”

“What!” Jace, Fink and Simon exclaimed in unison.

“Excellent, than we should leave at once, there’s no need to waste time”

“Fucking hell Ed, what for? We can’t turn the damn thing off, can we?” Jace asked while strange thoughts were popping into his head, ‘could Ed be? He’s’ always been a bit strange, and he knows a lot, no can’t be, but maybe’

“Well… maybe” Eds voice sounded unsure “but if we just try… than maybe something good will happen”

Ed was back to his old demeanor, soft spoken with a deep booming voice that was never decisive, never sure of anything, this convinced Jace even more, mysterious Ed, lazy Ed, brilliant Ed, wanted to make a decision.  Jace looked around to Simon and Fink who were both gawking at Ed in disbelief; it seems they too were starting to believe the Sarge. 

“Of all the crazy wackjob ideas, in all the world, not once do you suggest something Jace stared Ed down who in turn didn’t blink.  We WILL die you know”

“No, I don’t think we will” Ed’s gaze was determined.

“Why the Fuck not” Fink blurted out “I mean we’re all doomed anyway might as well make it count” fink gave the Sarge a swift look, one that was not returned.

Simon walked alongside the truck staring off into the passing crowds towards the center were the rest of the council was, than nodded at Jace.

“Well” Jace thought, shocked at what was happening “get your own damn truck than, it’s too crowded in mine. “

The Sarge smiled and flew off Jaces truck waving down a passing patrol “I’ll be back soon, you won’t regret this!”

He jogged off than stopped and turned yelling “thank you” hopped in the portal and drove off.

Bridget and Fergus were relaxing in the back of one of the trucks designed for council members.  It had a nice canopy and was being driven by one of the militia men when suddenly the Sarge tore into the back knocking a glass of water out of Bridget’s hand “watch it!” she exclaimed

“What?!” the Sarge looked confused “oh right, don’t take trucks without authorization again” he gave them an uncomfortable smile as he turned and addressed Marcus Steel “I need you for a very important mission, top secret, classified” he nodded to Bridget and Fergus “will you accept?”

Marcus looked confused than he suddenly switched his face and nodded,  the Sarge leaped out of the truck and flung into another with Steal following close behind

“How does he do that, at his age” Fergus looked impressed”

“He probably eats better than you” Bridget chuckled.

The Sarge returned with two other trucks filled with militia men and councilors Steel, Jace Revved the Trucks engine and turned it around following the Sarge out of the convoy and out towards the devastator.

So i wrote this when i was in high-school and named my blog after it.  i don’t really write poems anymore and i don’t think it’s a great loss but i decided to share it, because, why not. 

                                                     Fear

 

In my feud with the willow

in the feud with my home

there’s a hole deep inside me

takes it’s grip takes my throne 

 

now the willow’s taken ghost form

and I fear I wished it so

with the breathing that upsets me

and the growing that’s far too slow

 

I’ve been thrown from the branches

To the shadowed fields of truth

Away from prying eyes

and home to shattered youth

 

 on the ground I ship my thoughts

Through the storms and hostile fleets

To try the hardened bark

and climb it’s savage feet

 

 I’ll keep my thoughts to my self

Hide my dried up roots

And live my life the way I strive

For in me rests my truths