She did this to keep her mind from thinking of what was going to happen to her, she knew that she was going to die that was a certainty, but just how she did not know? As a first cycle girl she was told if she disobeyed her mother and father that the Galu would come and carry her away and that her flesh would make a meal for them. She had always believed that this was just a story to frighten unruly children but now as she was being carried further into the Valley of Despair she realized just why it was named so.
The Galu had no name for the valley, they simply knew that if they came here they would be rewarded with the precious metal they needed. But they had just enough intelligence to know that all things had power, and if you wanted power you had to pay a price, take the steel but leave an offering, that was the way of their people for centuries and that was the way it would be. So now the female would be they’re offering.
The leader of the ape-men raised his huge hand and those behind him came to a sudden halt, before him sat a huge machine, it had many arms and resembled the great red spiders that made their home in the Yug jungles and killed many of his brethren. The large spiders were looked upon by the beast men as powerful creatures and so they considered this metal monster as the master of those deadly jungle crawlers.
Now with grunts and gestures the leader commanded that they lay helpless girl before the huge digging machine and as the air crackled with electricity the others of his clan began to gather around the female.
Neelu knew that soon she would be looking into the eyes of the Angel of Death; she only hoped that it would be soon.
“Internal repairs are completed” the Taskrobot reported, “forward speed is constant, replacement of Repairbots is at fifty percent and continuing. External repairs are underway on sections twenty one through thirty one but forward locomotion must cease in seven point nine time periods and materials gathered to replace damaged mechanisms and weaponry”. And this time a response came quickly from its master.
“Understood” replied the Shadowman God, “continue external repairs and scan terrain for suitable replacement parts for damaged mechanisms”.
As he watched his servant carry out his commands the machine man sat quietly on his newly constructed chair, it had been fabricated using precise designs by the Repairbots and resembled the massive throne of the Mylorcan Kings of the Calmeccan planets. But unlike those golden and bejeweled seats his was made of steel and wire and the bones of dead Talsonar and creatures that had dared to cross his path. At his fingertips were the many input connectors and interface screens that would allow him even more control of his metal domain. On either side of him stood two power conductors that pulsed and glowed with immense power, these bathed him in a bluish glow much like he had seen when he first laid eyes on the Orb. He sat like a God of death and why not he? Atos was a God of war and killing was his purpose.
I am a God am I not? He thought I am all-powerful and I will remain so.
He sat unmoving because his arms and legs had been removed so that upgrading could take place that would maximize speed and efficiency. Now the small spotters and Repairbots worked to enhance the power and size of the appendages, when they were finished their master would be much stronger and able to withstand more damage without harm to his central nervous system and brain. He would also have more deadly weaponry because they were now equipping his right arm with parts taken from a Talsonar chamber rifle; this would allow the Cyberman to kill his enemies with projectiles from a distance. And this suited him very well.
I will be even stronger he thought all Gods are strong and I shall be the strongest.
His metal face could no longer smile but it did not matter to the half-man for he knew all too well that the face can lie.
My mother said she loved me but she lied, he thought, she left me to die without a name.
This was all too true for a Nomad mother did not name her children until after the Choosing, then and only then would they bare a formal name in the tribe. Thinking back now it all seems so far away, like a dream in a dream. He could still remember his time with the Nomads but he wasn’t entirely sure how long ago that had been?
Was it only a few cycles ago, or has it been hundreds?
It was true that now he possessed a time reference that could have calculated his precise movements down to a hundred thousand of a fractal but his memory was now fused with that of the Orb and it was difficult to know when one started and the other ended? He remembered how he used to travel the lands of Gorn but he also remembered his time amounts the stars and the armies and worlds that he had destroyed.
I destroyed them as I was meant to do, he thought and now I will destroy all that oppose me.
He began to calculate all the ways to kill an enemy then he heard the Taskrobot speak.
“External sensors have detected a large group of humanoids directly ahead” it reported.
“Replacement of workers can be obtained from these beings if found suitable”.
“Understood” replied the metal man, “set heading to intercept humanoids and prepare for replacement of workers and mobile weaponry”.
The Shadowman continued to sit quietly as his arms and legs were once more connected to his mainframe, when they were attached he slowly rose up and lifted his arms. They felt good, stronger and able to move at a much greater speed, I will crush them in my hands, he thought, and then he lifted his legs up and down, I will crush them into the ground. Then he lifted his right arm and there was a blast of fire and smoke and a small Spotter across the chamber exploded in fragments, I will destroy them as they run.
And although he could not smile, or taste or weep he could still laugh so the chamber resonated to the sound of his mocking voice.
Neelu knew that at any moment the sky would open and drench the land in rain, but rain or shine she knew that the Angel of Death always found what he was looking for.
When Horcon has decided your fate there is nothing that can be done. The young girl looked up at the gathering clouds and tried not to think of her death, I have lived a good life and I do not think that Arm-Ra will treat me harshly.
The Galu were eager to gather up the steel that lie about and return to their jungle home but before they could do this they needed to complete the sacrifice and appease the spirits of the valley. And there was one more thing that they looked forward too, the taste of human flesh.
The ape-men did not eat their own kind as a common practice but they did revert to cannibalism when food was scarce, it was also a sign of power for a victor to eat the heart of an opponent when he was vanquished in combat. But feasting on the tender flesh of a young Forest-dweller was something special so the Galu began to grow impatient to fill their mouths.
As Neelu lay helpless before the huge machine the sub-humans began to dance about her waving their weapons over their hairy skulls and stomping their huge feet upon the hard ground. They shouted wildly and made guttural screams as the dark clouds began to break and a warm rain began to fall. Thunder and lightning filled the air mixing with the primitive wailing of the Galu.
The young girl’s courage began to fail her as she looked upon the bestial faces of the jungle dwellers; saliva began to drip from their gapping jaws as they hungered for the soft flesh of their bound captive. Now and then one of the ape-men would try and push another out of the way so that he could be the first to sink his sharp fangs into the flesh offering and then a fight would break out. But this only added to the blood lust and fury.
Seeking a way to escape even if it was in her own mind Neelu closed her eyes and tried to think of the Afterlife and being reunited with her dead sister again, forgive me Arm-Ra, forgive me, Arm-Ra save me!
“Interception of the humanoids will take place in one point one time periods” the Taskrobot reported, “replenishing of mobile weapons can coincide with filling of H2o receivers”.
“Understood” replied the Cyborg God, “increase speed to maximum and prepare Repairbots and all remaining workers for assimilation of humanoids”.
The Shadowman could have commanded that this all be done without interfacing with the Taskrobot but he still retained a portion of his human side and therefor still enjoyed giving orders.
Now the great machine moved faster down the Valley of Despair, its great bulk shook the earth and caused ancient machines to crash to the ground. The loose rock that made up sections of the haunted valley began to grumble and cover other broken mechanisms while the creatures that called the valley their home scurried into their hiding places.
Rain began to fall now, soft at first then growing in intensity making the ground muddy but it did not slow down the metal monster, it continued forward mowing down anything in its path and rumbling towards its goal.
The giant leader of the Galu was eager to taste the blood of the Forest-dweller. So he stood before his tribe and beating his fist upon his massive chest and waving his steel weapon over his head he bellowed out a roar that stopped the bickering and focused the beady eyes of the ape-men on him. When all was quiet save for the rumbling of thunder clouds and the beating of soft rain on the ground he turn to look into the face of the helpless girl. It was then that the pain began.
“Outer shielding has made contact with humanoids” reported the Taskrobot.
“Understood” replied the Metal man, it was then that he interfaced with the outer line sensors and detected the presence of the primitive Lifeforms. Being a Shadowman he had always looked down upon the ape-men of the Jungles and now that he had become a God they seemed even more worthless then before.
They will serve me like all the rest, he thought, but then his mind detected something different among the sub-species--- an Outlander girl.
Ordinarily he would not have given the matter a second thought but something deep inside him made him ponder this female longer. Perhaps his newly acquired intelligence commanded him to study this creature further, or maybe he wanted to gain knowledge that might help him vanquish his enemies faster, all of this seemed reasonable to the Man-God. But for whatever reason he placed his interfacing digit into the command port in his metal throne and adjusted the shield intensification so that the female would not suffer like the beast-men.
Neelu watched as all about her the Galu fell to the ground grasping their misshapen heads and howling in pain, they rolled about in the mud and acted as if they had stepped on the thorn of the Moonbud. She did not know how this could be but she was certain that it was the will of Arm-Ra and that her prayers had been answered. She lay there in the rain and called out so the Gods would hear her voice above the thunder.
“Ragute Ranana Trocoro Arm-ra”, all glory to Arm-Ra!” she shouted with tears in her eyes.
Suddenly the ground began to shake but it was not from the lightning and thunder in the sky, it was a deep rumbling like the great Landquakes that sometimes rolled over the forests of Caltarine and made the ancient trees sway like Meadow grass in the Outlands.
The young girl pulled herself up and although she was bound hand and foot she turned in the direction she thought the shaking was coming from and when she did she saw a great mountain of steel moving towards her. She did not speak as the huge machine drew near for there were no words that she could utter that would have calmed her heart so she did the only thing she could do and that was to repeat.
“Ragute Ranana Trocoro Arm-ra”, all glory to Arm-Ra!” over and over again.
The howling of the ape-men grew fainter as the metal monster approached for now they no longer had strength in their massive bodies and simply lay upon the wet ground making pitiful moans as the pain inside their heads continued. The rain that had thundered down began to subside and in a short time it was gone, now only a few lightning bolts could be seen in the East as the storm moved on.
“Ragute Ranana Trocoro Arm-ra”, all glory to Arm-Ra!”
“Storage containers of H20 have been replenished and we have arrived at the designated coordinate for acquisition of workers and mobile weapons” reported the Taskrobot. “Possessing of humanoids she begin immediately, all substandard acquisitions shall be eliminated”.
The was a pause from the Metal man as he sat upon his command chair, then he spoke, “do not eliminate the frail female at this time” he said, “have her brought to me immediately and unharmed”.
“Understood” replied the Taskrobot.
It was at this time that an image that had plagued the mind of the Orb and now the mind of the Man-God once more flashed before his inner eye, the image of a female holding something small and helpless in her arms.
What could that thing be? He wondered. He did not know but perhaps this girl could tell him the answer?
Neelu repeated the prayer of Arm-Ra over and over again as she watched the huge steel monster open and a large swarm of strange looking metal spider-like creatures emerge and begin to attach themselves to the thick necks of the beast-men. One by one the Galu stopped their howling and rose up like dead men and move single file into the belly of the monster, she saw larger iron things come out and gather up bits of steel and wire and take it back inside the moving mountain. And all the while she continued to pray.
“Ragute Ranana Trocoro Arm-ra”, all glory to Arm-Ra” for she was too scared to think of anything else, then she was picked up by one of the metal things and carried like an offering into the great beast. She did not look about her and kept her eyes closed for she did not want to see her death coming. But all about her she heard the cries of pain from the ape-men and although she hated the Galu for what they did to her sister she could not help but feel pity for their plight.
The screams grew fainter and she knew that she was being taken further into the belly of the monster for she could smell a foul odor and a warm sticky heat, but still she kept her eyes closed and repeated the prayer of the great God.
“Ragute Ranana Trocoro Arm-ra”, she whispered softly, for she now knew that nothing was going to save her but it was better to pray then to scream.
She felt herself being laid down, but the floor was hard and not fleshy like she expected, her bonds were removed and she was free to move about but still she kept her eyes closed and repeated the prayer to Arm-Ra. At last she heard a voice speak to her.
“Look at me”, it said.
Shaking with fear the young girl slowly opened her eyes and gazed about her and when she did she saw a giant man made of steel. At first she thought he was wearing armor much like the Nomads of the Outlands, but no Almadra stood as tall as he was he face bore no resemblance to the handsome men of that tribe. He stood before a throne the likes of which she never imagined. All about her were strange mechanisms and creatures not made of flesh or bone that moved with a will of their own, and as she looked up at the emotionless face of the steel man she managed to summon up enough courage to open her mouth and speak.
“Are you a God?” she asked weakly, there was a pause as the metal man seemed to ponder this question, and then he nodded his heavy head.
“Yes” replied the thing before her; “I am Atos the destroyer of worlds”.
And once more the booming laughter of the Man-God echoed inside the chamber causing the forest girl to scream in terror at last.
Chapter 42.
The Coming Storm.
There is an end to misery and pain, and end to laughter and song.
There is an end to night and day and an end to winter and summer.
There is an end to suns and worlds and an end to the universe.
But there is no end to love for it was born before time and will live long after time is no more.
Old Selcarie saying.
The Great Fortress of the Norgonie had never seen such an omen as the one that had happened at the temple of Arm-Ra. Even the oldest of the Nomands and the Forest-dwellers could not recall an event in legend or story that could compare with the return of the Outland King and the Queen of the chosen of the one true God.
Seeing the Giants of the Earth falling from the sky on the back of the mighty Screechers caused many of the Elders to cr
y out in terror and beg the Gods to save them. Then seeing the strange thing that the mate of the King held in her arms caused more alarm for many said it was a demon come to take their souls to the Pit of Marloon. Others said it was a thing not of this world and should be killed and its body burned to ash and spread to the far winds, still others said that the Off-World girl was a witch and the thing in her arms a pale omen of death.
So now the Nomads gathered around the tent of the King and if it was not for the warriors holding back the tribe they would have ripped the small creature from the arms of their Queen and burned it over a fire. And when they shouted out for the demon to show itself Arn climbed up on a wagon and shouted that anyone causing harm to his mate or her charge would have to face his steel. His strong words were added to the strength of Kuno and his warriors and those that called for violence soon faded into nothing.
As for the Holy Mother, she said nothing and returned to her moving shrine and surrounded herself with her Thungodra, the same was said for the High Priest of the Norgonie. The speaker of the Gods returned to his temple and only said that he would commune with Arm-Ra on the events that had taken place.
The Queen of the Forest-dwellers also said little and after commanding that her son be taken to the holding cell she went to her tower where her strongest warriors surrounded her.
Food and drink were given to the weary travelers and their wounds cleaned and dressed, there were also given Grana to help gain their strength back. Now as darkness fell and the campfires were lithe both tribes did not sleep for there was much talking to be done and many questions to be answered.
“What is it?” Arn said as he gazed upon the pale face of the child that his mate held in her arms. He was asking out loud what many in the tent of the King were thinking for standing near him was Valen and next to him were his younger brother Anais and his companion Kela.
It is a thing of the underworld, the young Touchtender thought its skin is like the field worms in the meadows.
And although the blind Prince could not see he still wondered at the thing near him for his senses told him that it was beyond his knowledge for when he reached out with his feelings he found a wall surrounding the strange creature.
The Fallen God Page 62