The Fallen God

by Gary Mark Lee

  Beside him the big Sandjar Mog also dug, he was now a constant companion to Endo and knowing that he was now their Coraw, he vowed to defend his leader at all costs. Mog had turned out to be a better student than first thought, for he now understood many words of the Outlanders language and had a good grasp of basic logical thinking. And if all else failed his great strength would help persuade other Sandjar to follow behind Endo.

  Endo and the rest of the Sandjar slaves were now digging in a section of the great cave where a fresh layer of hard Eul had just been uncovered. It promised to be one of the best resources for the burning rock and the Norgonie would have plenty of fuel for their furnaces and pumps. But it would come at a great price for Gorn is a harsh world whether it is in the sunlight or in the dark bowels of the earth.

  Rawna looked up at her mate with hope in her large eyes, for in the days and nights they had been together she had seen that there could be some kindness in her harsh world, and perhaps there was a future the was worth living? She now filled her basket with the black rock and moved to empty it into one of the many iron wagons that stood waiting for the slaves to fill. Beside the cart stood a tall Norgonie guard that took great delight in torturing the Scavengers at every opportunity, so as the young female began to empty her heavy basket he suddenly struck out at her with his whip.

  “Hurry up there you vermin!” he called out as the bite of the whip brought a cry from the helpless slave.

  When he saw Rawna being hurt by the Forest-dweller it was too much for Endo to hold and he turned and was about to leap the few meters between him and the guard when his arm was taken by Mog.

  “Death”, the big Scavenger said softly.

  And looking at him Endo understood what he was trying to say attacking the guard would bring instant death not only to me but also to Rawna, so heeding his advice he cooled his blood and watched at his mate moved back to his side. He could see the red welt on her back were the ragged garment did not cover and it made his heart pain, “are you alright?” he whispered so that the guard could not hear.

  The female nodded her head, “no pain”; she said and then went back to filling her small basket.

  Endo had no other choice and also returned to his endless work, but he took out his anger on the hard rock and swinging his tool with all his might it dug deep into the dark earth. But when he pulled it free he looked down to see many Rockworms swarming out of the broken Eul. Endo knew that the bite of a Rockworm was very painful and their venom was used by Nomad warriors to coat their war-axes when going against a hated enemy, so he slowly moved back as the worms scurried away.

  But as he did the ground around him began to shake and fragments of earth tumbled to the cave floor from overhead, Rawna then garbed her mate by his arm and franticly began to pull him away and all the while she called out to him.

  “Gorno!, Gorno!” in a frantic voice.

  At the same time Mog also began to take up the cry, “Gorno!” he screamed and hearing his words the other Sandjar near them hurried away as fast as they could.

  Endo did not understand what was happening but when he saw that the guards also began to run he knew that something was about to happen. Then the shaking grew more intense like a Landquake in the Outlands but as the earth near him fell away he saw that is was not the rumbling of the earth Gods but the anger of a beast.

  Breaking through the black Eul burst a creature that few had ever seen, in from it resembled a Rockworm but in size it was a giant. It had a head as big as a Trofar with two great pincers-like jaws jutting out from a thickly armored head, below those cutting jaws was a gaping mouth filled with rows of dagger like teeth. The rest of its long greenish body was also covered in thick articulated plating, only its belly seemed to be without armor. It had no eyes and moved with the aid of dozens of spider-like legs the width of a man’s hand. And as it moved it imitated a hissing sound like a ground viper of the woods.

  It was only the quick thinking of Rawna and her strong arms that saved the life of her mate, for she pulled him away just as the monster freed itself from the rock and began to attack those who woke it from its repose. The Gorno, as it was called quickly seized up a helpless Sandjar in its massive jaws and in an instant its powerful bite cut him in two, then it cast the dead Scavenger aside and looked for another intruder to kill.

  As Endo stood frozen with fear Mog jumped between him and the oncoming terror and lifting his digging pick he brought it down with all his might driving into the thick head of the underground beast. The Gorno made a high pitched wail but did not die, and shaking its huge head it dislodged the digging tool and continued on its path of destruction. But being blind it could not see its prey and relied on sound to guide it, so Rawna pulled Endo behind a large rock and held her clawed-fingers to her lips telling her mate to hold his words. The beast moved passed them and to their surprise Mog had also found safety and he rose up from the ground covered in Eul dust.

  The cave filled with shouts and the screams of Sandjar as they tried to find safety, even the vicious Drogs began to yelp and pull on their leashes in an effort to run away.

  The Gorno quickly killed two more Sandjars leaving their mutilated bodies laying on the ground as its blindly rampaged through the cave, and seeing that it would kill many more Endo picked up his digging tool and raced after the beast. For a moment Mog did not move, but seeing his Coraw racing to attack his heart filled with courage and he took up a sharp digging tool and ran after his Leader.

  Endo did not know just what he was going to do, but he could not sit by and watch as the savage creature decimated his people. So when the beast was about to take an old female into its jaws he shouted out a curse and hearing the sound the monster turned to him rather then the frail old female.

  The young Scavenger swung with all his might and struck the creature hard on its head but being heavily armored it did little damage, then he had to move quickly before he was crushed to death by the massive snapping jaws. A moment or two later and Mog was at his side, and this time the Big Sandjar did not strike at the head but rather one of its many legs. And when the cutting tool that he had taken up found its mark the leg of the creature was cut off and flew through the air. This gave Endo a way to fight the beast and seeing an opportunity he swung the digging tool and managed to cut another leg off the rampaging beast, but it did not slow down the Gorno killing spree for the massive creature had many legs to spare.

  Endo heart began to sink for he knew that he and Mog would never be able to stop the creature, and the Norgonie guards would rather loose many Sandjar rather then one of them. But then a strange thing happened, first one then another and another of the slaves forgot their fear and came to the aid of their Leader. They took up the digging tools from the ground where they had dropped them in their haste to escape, and holding them tightly they cried out and ran to Endo’s side. The beast killed one of them as he drew to close to the snapping jaws but the others began to attack the legs of the giant worm. One by one they cut them off until the beast movements began to slow and its hissing grew louder.

  “FIGHT!” Endo called out to them as he lead his people forward, and hearing his voice the Sandjars also cried out, “fight, fight, fight”, over and over again.

  Very soon the last legs were gone and the creature rolled over on its side exposing its soft underbelly. Seeing their chance the scavengers struck at the beast over and over cutting deep into its belly and covering them with gore. At last the beast let out one long high-pitched wail and shuttering violently it lay still.

  Endo watched the dead worm for a moment more holding his weapon at the ready in case it should return from the dead, but he could see that it was finished and her turned to his brethren. He was covered in the lifeblood of the beast and held his digging tool over his head in triumph like he had seen so many Nomads do.

  “Victory!” he called out, and even though they did not understand his words the people of the darkness also called out, “victory” again and again.
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  Endo knew that they were still slaves and that soon the Norgonie would return in great numbers too once again dominate them. But he also knew that a spark had been lit in the hearts and minds of his people and that someday that spark would ignite in a fire that would set them free.

  Osh lay on his bed in his prison chamber and although he did not move he was not dead. Linking his mind with the God Machine had proven to be far too much even for his superior mind, now he floated in that intangible world between life and death and like a leaf in the wind he could be blown either way.

  It was then he heard a voice.

  “Your time will come” it said, and hearing those words in the darkness made the old man speak in his mind.

  “Are you the guardian below?” he asked.

  “Your time will come” the voice said again, “and you will see the light”

  And hearing those words the Callaxion understood that his life would soon be ending for he had mind-linked with many informational references dealing with death and the Afterlife. And although their interpretation differed greatly on what happens after you die they all mentioned a bright white light that calls to you and when you enter it your mind becomes one with all things.

  A mind-lock with the infinite? the Callaxion thought, now that would be interesting.

  And once more drifted off into a quiet world and slept.

  Chapter 38.

  The Land of Smokes.

  There are vast areas on Gorn that are not fit for human occupation, they are known as the Forbidden Lands, they are given that name because they must not be traveled by the Nomads. The most foreboding of those is known as the Land of Smokes for it is said that strange unholy creatures live there that are neither human nor animal. And the air itself is a demon with a hunger that can not be satisfied.

  From the Mindlock of Oshismarie Inastro Sistashion.

  The great machine that housed the Orb had been traveling South and East at a speed that could not be match by any creature that walked the land.

  It traveled by day and night and stopped only to replenish itself with Eul and water, any Outcast or wandering Sandjar ran from its path and it continued on its journey unchallenged. Soon it left the green expanse of the Sirolian plains and entered the lands of the South, this was a place that did not blossom in the green time rather it remained a landscape of sparse vegetation and empty of most life.

  If any terra-former of the Outer Rim had been able to survey the area they would have found that it had once been ravaged by radiation and chemical pollution much like the Poisoned-lands to the North. This was not an unknown process for many Outer-Worlds had undergone much the same when they were attacked by enemy planets or internal warfare. Time would someday return life to this desolate land but that was still far in the future and for now it would remain a forbidden place.

  But forbidden or not it did not matter to the Shadowman for he followed no laws of the Gods or Outlanders, his new body was now his temple and his mind a universe that would obey him.

  I will destroy all my enemies he thought with all the precision and cold compassion of a machine, and then I will make all creatures of this world my slaves.

  The great Orb that the Shadowman stood next too did not speak for its mind was now inseparably linked to that of the Human and it found that the emotions that ran so clearly through its intercordicial components made it feel....content.

  Contentment? It was a strange new sensation to the organic mind, it had been programmed to destroy and kill its enemies but it did this with cold efficiency rather than vengeance. But over the long cycles as it circled the great star it had come to know certain inter-thoughts that might be construed as feelings. But for all its enormous thinking power it was helpless to understand that it was now sharing its mind with that of the human.

  And the Shadowman did not know that his new power of mind was not a gift from a grateful God but a malfunction in the mind-linking interaction of the Orb. Now both of them thought the same thoughts, both of them felt the same feelings, and both of them were filled with an unwavering appetite to kill!

  But there was one thing that their combined minds could not come to understand, and that was the image of something far in the past that now and then haunted they’re ordered calculations. The image of a female holding a small creature in its arms, a being that held no purpose and that the woman still seemed so concern for.

  What was that thing? Their minds asked why should the female care?

  “Proceeding on a heading calculated from the last known reference point” the Taskrobot spoke.

  “Understood” the Shadowman and the Orb replied as one, “continue on set course towards our objective and report any anomalies”.

  For some time now the Taskrobot had been confused by the multiple orders that were coming from the repaired humanoid and the Orb, but after some re-calibration it was able to follow its commands without having to ask for clarification.

  “At once” it said and went to interact with the navigation console.

  We will find the Nomads and I will have my revenge, these were the thoughts of the human and machine, and together they felt the very same pleasure in knowing that soon that pledge would be fulfilled.

  The great machine traveled eastward into the Land of Smokes; this place was named so because of the fire and noxious clouds that emanated from deep fissures in the earth. All about were pools of multicolored liquid that would burn the flesh and produced a mist that would bring death in an instant if inhaled. But even in this foreboding place there was still life, strange unholy creatures moved about on misshapen legs or hung in the poison air like death flyers. How they managed to survive such a hostile environment was unknown for no Nomad; Shadowman or Thundra beast would dare venture into such a deadly land. What information there was came from old legends and camp stories to frighten children, but it was enough to know that nothing made by Isarie could cross this earth and live.

  But the Iron God was created by the Trajions and they knew nothing of Isarie or any of the Outlanders omnipotent beings, so the Orb and the Shadowman did not turn away from the devastated landscape and proceeded on a heading that would take them to the objective.

  “Outside temperature is rising at a rate of two nine six” the Taskrobot reported.

  “Understood”, replied the Shadowman, for now it was only his voice that was heard in the chamber. The Orb still pulsed with life and emitted a glowing light that changed with its mood but it no longer cared to repeat a command that its Mind-link had already given. “Continue on heading and disregard outside readings”.

  So following its orders the Taskrobot interfaced with the navigation consul and the great machine continued on course.

  But outside things were not as they seem for the Land of Smokes could defend itself against intruders. Now the rumbling of the huge steel monster sent out shock waves that began to open new cracks in the earth and with those breakings came more and more of the acid mist. And being a thing of metal it had no immunity to the corrosive actions that were now starting to take effect.

  It was very slow at first, hardly more than a slight discoloration of some minor plating, but as the machine moved further and further into the forbidden land the mist grew more intense until it was a heavy vapor that floated like a blanket of death. But still the Taskrobot followed its orders and disregarded the damage that was being caused and continued on the heading that now moved East.

  But inside all seemed well, the Shadowman amused himself with removing and then replacing his left arm. It was a childish thing to do but like a first cycle boy he was fascinated with how things worked and being able to take ones arm off and then put it back on brought great amusement to him. And when he grew tired of that game he would command one of the Talsonar robot men to come and stand before him. He would then begin to slowly tear off sections of their metal bodies till they were no longer able to function, and all the while he would laugh and imagine doing that same thing to a living Nom
ad.

  I cannot be defeated he thought as he tore out the heart of a metal man, I am a Atos now and I will destroy all who stand before me!

  The huge machine moved deeper and deeper into the airborne trap, and slowly more of its outer hull was being affected and this continued till the acid smoke penetrated into a critical section of the Orbs command circuits.

  “Termination of section twenty one, inter hull breach” the Taskrobot reported.

  And this time the Shadowman did not understand, “how can this be?” he shouted out, “what enemy is strong enough to penetrate shielding and hull plating?”

  And saying this he moved to the command console and taking his interfacing digit he plugged himself into the circuitry and began scanning for an enemy to destroy. But this was not an attacker of flesh and blood; this was a death phantom of the air.

  “Termination of section twenty two” the Taskrobot said.

  But the Shadowman already knew this for his interconnection digit and the reconfiguration of his mind could now process information at the same rate as the Drone.

  “Reroute command interface through alternate terminals!” screamed the Shadowman, but he really did not need to give such a direction for his mind had already given the order to the different secondary command sections.

  “No enemy detected,” said the weapons console.

  “Power levels at seventy five percent,” said the power command.

  Now the Cyberman became worried, for he had always faced and enemy that he could feel and touch, but as he scanned the reports from the outside sensors he realized that this opponent could not be fought with canon or fist.

  “Termination of section twenty three” the Taskrobot said.

  And the Orb and the Shadowman knew that if this deterioration continued at the same rate it would soon penetrate all the outer hull plating and into the chamber itself.