"Any sort of hope for normalcy or happiness for these children is pure fantasy," Sage commented as he stepped up beside Crinnan, "It may not feel like it now, but a bullet may have provided these broken souls with more mercy. I should say there may be no hope left in their young hearts."
As Crinnan pondered Sage's words, he pulled out the pack of cigarettes he had found in the Govian rig. He held one to his mouth, and Sage reached out and pinched the tip of it, igniting it.
"Hope is difficult for anybody to find," Crinnan said as he exhaled a cloud of smoke, "Nobody has anything to live for, we just… live. We are all animals stuck in a world that was not made for us."
Sage glanced over at Crinnan for a moment and decided to remain silent. Crinnan wondered if he truly believed his own words.
"That weapon," Sage pointed at the rifle Crinnan had thrown on the ground, "It is unlocked?"
"It is," Crinnan grumbled.
"What a fortunate discovery," Sage mused, "I should say it will be useful if we are forced to fight again."
Many mass-produced firearms in the world of Duraan worked in unison with their user's nanomachines. The NaNe in each person assigns them a unique code which is used for various things including global tracking and weapons personalization. This NaNe address or "NPin" as it was commonly called amongst those who were aware of the technology, made it possible for weapons manufacturers to code the gun's computers in a manner that would only allow one NaNe host to access them.
Locking the guns was the manufacturer's way of generating a continuous profit. It made it pointless for an owner to privately sell the weapon, as nobody wanted to purchase a gun they could not fire. Anyone wanting to buy a gun ultimately had to do it through the Govian weapons network.
Black Knight engineers had developed ways of fighting weapons assignment. Their method was a risky maneuver with a high failure rate. By clearing the firmware in a weapon's computer and reloading a custom firmware, Black Knight technicians were able to make weapons that could be shot by anyone.
When their method worked, it yielded an immensely valuable resource. It allowed Humaan soldiers to use quality Govian-made weapons, as any gun with a NaNe block could never be fired by Humaans due to their incompatibility with the NaNe network. Unfortunately though, most times Black Knight’s method failed and caused a terminal error with the weapon. This error, when tripped, initiated the weapon's computer defense system and sent a command to the NaNe to completely dematerialize the gun leaving nothing but dust behind.
NaNe assignment of weapons, of course, led to problems. If a NaNe Suppression Grenade, or SUPs as they were commonly called, was released in battle, then the computer in a person's weapon, no matter locked or unlocked, would become frozen, and the gun would either dematerialize or become bricked. SUPs were fairly common in a battlefield, and as soldiers were forced to throw their guns down, they needed alternative ways of fighting. This forced soldiers to carry a melee weapon of some sort, such as a sword or axe so that they still had a fighting chance if their guns went down.
"So what now?" Crinnan looked to Sage, "We have… slowed our progress." Crinnan looked briefly at the group of children and then back to Sage.
"I should say they will most certainly prove to be a hindrance," Sage crossed his arms and thought, "But as I previously told you, not terribly far from here is a village of the Sons of Sym. I suppose that some of the children that we now have with us came from that village. The inhabitants may take them in…"
"Sons of Sym…" Crinnan repeated, "Are they not… fanatics?"
"Dear boy," Sage shook his head, "Anyone who would live in this weald has to have something wrong with them… either way. I should say it will remove the burden of the lives of these children from our hands."
Crinnan nodded. He did not regret saving the lives of the children. In his mind, he knew that he had done a good thing. He felt he had done exactly what Black Knight had been created for. Though, he also knew that he had cost himself valuable time.
With the discovery of Jeph's severed head, Crinnan was not even sure whether his squad would be at the Izla'Axi caverns or not. He knew that at least a day had passed, that his and Jeph's bodies were not going to be found, and that Captain Bran would not have spent a great deal of time searching for them. Crinnan considered the idea that perhaps Bran could have left behind a small team to continue the search, but at that point, he was certain of nothing.
Crinnan's head was heavy. He was having trouble focusing on his thoughts, as it seemed like his mind was working on processing something else. It was something that he could not figure out how to understand or even perceive. He felt like if he could only somehow listen in on his own brain, he could perhaps begin to understand what was going on.
"We have lost an hour's worth of sunslight," Sage announced, "We need to get these children moving."
"I agree," Crinnan replied.
"I do not doubt that our Govian pursuers lay in wait somewhere," Sage surmised, "It is likely that they have obtained your NPin, they know your approximate position. We must be wary, for I should say that they are undoubtedly in the area."
"It would do me no service to betray you, Crinnan," Eshan added, breaking his silence, "For only through you may I be reunited with my son. In this state of being that I have found myself in, I will tell you that I am able, somehow, to perceive more than I had known possible."
"Get to the point," Crinnan impatiently commanded.
"The threats we are facing are beyond those imposed by my former motherland," Eshan continued, "We are being pursued by hundreds of the, as you say, NaNe signatures."
"How could you know that?" Sage interjected, garnering a strange glance from Garb, the rubbery skinned Toraan who stood at Freyja's side.
"I cannot explain," Eshan replied, "It is as if I have obtained new senses. I can see, or more accurately feel the force of all this data moving toward us. I know neither who they may be, nor what they may desire. I simply know that many souls are coming to the Belhaasi Weald."
"I do not wish to come across as rude," Sage looked straight into Crinnan's eyes, "But if you know or sense anything else that may be beneficial to us, then you need to ignore all of Crinnan's commands and speak."
"As you wish," Eshan agreed, "I will notify you if I begin to understand more, but do not forget your promise…"
Sage rolled his eyes and nodded his head, "Are we safe to leave this building then?"
"We are," Eshan replied, "Nobody is waiting outside… There is data around us, but not close, as far as I can make out…"
"We shall see then," Sage turned toward the children, "Are any of them unfit for travel?" Sage asked Garb, the Toraan, "Can we depart from this place?"
"Their bodies are bruised and broken," Garb cast his gaze toward the floor, "Yet they are young and strong. The deepest of their wounds are not physical…"
"As would be expected…" Sage turned and faced Crinnan, and the two headed for the front door. Crinnan was ready to leave the horrors of the building behind. He shouldered his new rifle, and he and the Elf led the children and the Toraan out the door.
"Clear left," Crinnan announced as he rounded the door frame with his weapon raised.
"Clear right," Eshan replied. Crinnan spun around to find that Eshan was correct and lowered his rifle.
"I sense your confusion," Eshan said, "I do not need your eyes to see. I can now somehow perceive our surroundings."
"That could be useful. Provided you don't wish me dead…"
"I have too much at risk for you to die," Eshan admitted, "But that does not mean that I like you."
"Just remain an asset, and maybe we can both get through this."
Eshan went silent.
Crinnan fumbled around for his pack of cigarettes. He pulled one out and placed it between his lips.
"Here," Sage stepped up to Crinnan's side. He pinched the tip of the cigarette, lighting it. Crinnan took a drag and exhaled the smoke.
"There was
once a time when those things could have killed you, dear boy." The two walked side by side. Crinnan shook his head and took another breath.
"Based off what you have told me, the NaNe should prevent that now." Crinnan surmised. Sage chuckled and nodded his head.
"The NaNe should prevent the smoke from rotting your lungs out, provided you enter stasis before any major damage is done."
"Oh, stasis!" Garb shouted in a near frantic tone, interrupting Sage. He excitedly pushed his way up toward the duo and smiled widely at Crinnan, revealing his yellowed teeth. "Lest I be mistaken, I do believe that my old ears have heard the word 'stasis' spoken! Oh that, my new friends, is something that your dearest Garb is very familiar with!" Sage glanced back at the Toraan with a surprised look on his face.
"Very good, but I should say…"
"I would be most happy to explain it!" Garb was completely oblivious to Sage's opposition, "‘Tis a delight to share my knowledge with curious young minds. Stasis, as the word implies, is a sort of freezing of time if you will. I entered stasis when I was only twenty-eight years old. With much shame, I will admit that I do not know how many years have passed since. I will also say that back then I was a much more attractive fellow. I had a nice head of long brown hair and was not near as pale as I am today. My dear departed wife could have attested to that very fact had you been able to ask her but alas she now resides in the Afterscape."
"The Afterscape?" Sage's tone hinted a feeling of surprise, "However did you learn of the Afterscape?"
"Why ‘tis understandable that you may not believe me, but it is indeed true," Garb gleefully sang, "Your dearest Garb, in fact, helped design it! I was in charge of gathering textures for the models… How do you know about it mister Elf?"
"I read about it on the remnants of the interweb," Sage mumbled, "The Afterscape was created in the days of the Ancients. How could you have helped design it?"
"Ah, you are but a child. I forget that not everyone is as sharp as I. You see, I have not always been the monstrosity you see standing before you. Toraans, as they are now commonly referred to, are the result of failed biological implementations. ‘Tis an irony of sorts that those who made us into such monsters also made us immune to the biological weapons used on Belhaas so many years ago. Now we are all that remains of my people, though most of us have gone perversely loony as you can see. I am okay though."
"Yes…" Sage scratched the back of his head, "But the capable Toraans have also been reproducing since the annihilation of Belhaas. It would be a rare occurrence to find one who survived thirty or more generations in such an unfriendly place. Correct me if I am wrong, but you are telling me you have been around since the Ancient days?"
"Why yes!" Garb exclaimed, "How else could I have helped design the Afterscape? I understand your curiosity. If you would kindly silence yourself, I can tell you how I have remained standing for oh so long!"
"Please," Sage said, in a curious tone.
"Hold on," Crinnan shook his head with dismay, holding his hands out to silence the two, "Please don't tell me that I am now stuck with two assholes who do not know how to shut the fuck up."
"I believe you may be," Sage grinned, "Go ahead, Mister Garb."
"Well I lived in Belhaas back when she was beautiful," Garb recalled, "The building that you rescued us from was once my apartment building. We had a lovely unit on the top floor that overlooked the zoo. I tell you, getting a sofa to the top floor was such a hassle. The elevators were not nearly big enough to accommodate the damn thing, and my wife Mayla and I got into an argument halfway to the top of the stairs over whether we even needed the couch. Turns out we did, and she was all of a sudden not so interested in carrying that thing anymore. Typical female behavior would you agree Mister Sage?"
"Please finish your story," Sage said as he rolled his eyes.
"I worked for Life Links at the time," Garb continued, "Life Links was the company that created the Nanomachine Network, or as you people have referred to it thus far, the NaNe. After the implementation of the NaNe, Life Links worked tirelessly to augment their creation, branching out into many directions. One such project and perhaps the most important of them all was the Afterscape program. It was a very valuable project that utilized the personal blueprints that the NaNe make of their hosts. Basically, what happened was that if you died and did not want to come back through the Re-Live program then, you could opt to have your personal blueprint uploaded into the Afterscape."
"So what does that mean?" Crinnan asked.
"Virtual afterlife!" Garb announced with an excited tone, "Many people were put off by the lack of answers that the Humaan aliens provided. We hoped for answers, but the Humaans had none. When our ancestors asked if they had seen God, they said that there was none. Life Links saw an opportunity there. Not knowing what happens when you die is very unsettling. So, for a reasonable rate, you could sign up for the Afterscape. Ninety-five percent of the population of Belhaas signed up for it initially. Eventually, Life Links made such a profit of it, that they offered a free Basic Plan for all NaNe users. This meant that all people got to enjoy at least limited access to life after death, which for many, was more than enough! Why, suicide rates went up a considerable margin, just so people could try our product."
"That sounds like Heaven and The Hells," Crinnan suggested, ignorant to the implications of his comment.
"What's that?" Garb asked.
"‘Tis the new Afterscape," Sage mumbled, "Apparently the Church of Dura'Ana with the help of the LL Corporation got ahold of and reverse engineered the Afterscape. They re-created the programs and rerouted the NaNe to their own servers. Heaven is eternal bliss for the Church members. The Hells are eternal torture for those who chose not to join the Church. There is no Afterscape anymore." Garb was silent for a moment as he processed what was being told to him.
"Eternal torture?" he finally repeated, "What's to gain from that?"
"Encouragement to submit to the Church," Sage shrugged, "Govia has taken control of Life Links' main server where the NaNe send blueprints when the body dies. They ultimately have complete control over all of us after death."
"So what happened to the Afterscape occupants?" Garb asked, "Are they in Heaven?"
"Probably not," Sage smirked, "They were not part of the Church. They may have been lucky enough to have been erased." Garb was silent again.
"So my wife…" a saddened Garb, murmured, "Mayla…"
"Sorry, Mister Garb," Sage offered with what he may have considered empathy, "Anyway… Stasis is basically the activation of the "real" benefits of the NaNe. What happens is your NaNe makes a blueprint of your physical body like Mister Garb was saying. This blueprint that the NaNe makes is then used as a template for the machines to continually refresh your body. So if you enter stasis at age 34, you will forever appear as you did when you were 34 years old. This allows you to live theoretically forever if you never have any fatal accidents. Do not however confuse this blueprint with the one that is made of your conscience. That one is created at the moment that you take your first breath and constantly updated for the rest of your life. Stasis also enables whatever advanced perks your NaNe have crafted for you. For example, it could grant you the ability you to tap into the NaNe in objects to move them from afar, or to increase the atomic activity of matter through nanomachines to make them catch fire."
"So can anyone enter stasis?" Crinnan asked.
"Yes," Sage replied, "Anyone who has NaNe. High Vampre - those who survive the Thirst, Gaians and Humaans are unable to."
"Interesting," Crinnan said.
"Someone has to activate it for you though," Sage continued. He raised a finger to show that his point was important, "Some people have the ability to activate stasis in others. It was designed like this to make sure that people were not simply getting their perks for free."
Crinnan started to think about everything he was hearing. He had always doubted the existence of Heaven and the Hells, but after hearing his two
companions speak of it in the terms that they used, he began to feel a bit concerned.
"Shit!" Eshan suddenly yelled in Crinnan's mind, "Crinnan, Sage: look to the sky, transport coming in fast!" Crinnan and Sage both turned their eyes upward just in time to see a Govian HAPT cruise overhead.
"Well I should say that this is a sudden problem," Sage quipped, as he quickly scooped up a child, "Next time, be a bit more vigilant, Govian."
"Sorry!" Eshan replied, "I only see data, I saw the NaNe signatures of those aboard the transport, but I considered its altitude and just assumed it was a group of birds or something. I cannot tell the difference from in here; I am new at this!"
Sage ran, and the children stampeded behind him. Crinnan looked up at the transport, which had spun around and was cruising behind them. It had apparently seen them and descended to just above the trees. It came to a stop just above a clearing and Crinnan saw ropes fall from an open hatch. He cursed, and as the last child ran past him, he too turned to run. He looked back and saw Garb standing alone under the transport.
"Garb!" Crinnan yelled, "What the fuck! Come on!" Garb waved his hand at Crinnan and shook his head. Crinnan turned and watched the others run away from him and then looked back to Garb. Finally, he groaned and sprinted over to the Toraan.
"We need to fucking go you dumbass!" Crinnan grabbed Garb's lanky arm. The roar of the HAPT's engines above made it difficult to hear. Wind blew in all directions from the turbines which had rotated so that the craft hovered overhead, "They will kill us!" Garb shrugged himself free from Crinnan.
"Then I can save my wife from the Hells!"
The Black Knight Box Set Page 15