by Ramy Vance
Sandy, José, and Stew were making good time with their excavation. According to their map readouts of the different nav points, they were going to arrive within an hour or two. GB and Niv were taking care of most of the digging. GB had already shown more than a proclivity for digging, but Niv turned out to be nearly as stoked as the jackass gargoyle was.
José and Stew hammered at the rocks and dirt as Sandy floated behind them, flower petals swarming around her ashen skeleton, softening the dirt that the two MERCs and familiars dug into. It was helping a considerable amount. This time, Stew was hardly working up a sweat. “What do you think that we’re going to find when we get there?” Stew asked.
Sandy levitated a sizable chunk of dirt out of Stew’s way. “Probably pulling Suzuki and Beth out of the shitter,” she joked. “They’ve been away from us for nearly a day. There’s no way that they managed to stay out of trouble.”
José leaned over to catch his breath. He took a drink of water from his canteen. “You two going to be ready to move when we get in?”
“Of course. I was only half kidding. Not even Suzuki and Beth could be lucky enough to manage to pull off something like this. It was the best plan, though.”
“When life gives you lemons—”
“Beat life to death with them.”
GB casually looked over his shoulder and smiled his goofy, lopsided grin. “Do you guys want me to dig faster?” he asked.
Stew sighed loudly as he threw down his ax. “GB, are you asking us if we want you to dig faster, or are you offering to dig faster?”
“I could dig faster.”
“Why the hell didn’t you say anything earlier?”
“I didn’t know that it was an emergency.”
“Goddamn it, GB, of course we want you to dig faster.”
GB squealed with delight as he clapped his hands. “All right, digging maximum overdrive!” With that, GB tore into the tunnel, throwing dirt over his shoulder faster than any of the MERCs would have thought was possible. “I really hate you sometimes, GB,” Stew muttered under his breath.
Sandy checked her HUD. There were two glowing blips. One of them was the nav point that Suzuki and Beth had sent earlier. The other blip looked like it could have been their current location. Whatever tech was blocking the HUD signals apparently didn’t work well underground, or the blocking signal might have only been strong when in separate circles. From what Sandy could see on their map, they had already crossed into the last defense ring. Either way, she wasn’t going to shoot the messenger. “Guys,” Sandy started. “We have a new nav point for Suzuki and Beth. It doesn’t look like they’re moving either.”
“Guess you shouldn’t have been joking about them being captured so soon. You probably cursed them.”
“Stew, that isn’t how curses work.”
“So, change of plan?”
“Yeah, let’s bring the party to them. Diana and Chip probably are heading toward the first nav point anyway. Two boarding parties always work better than one.”
Suzuki woke up to the chill of cold water splashing on his face.
He jumped up, spitting, eyes wide, trying to see who the offender was. Beth was already on her feet. Her eyes were red, and she looked ready to snap.
An orc held her hands behind her back. Another orc stood over Suzuki.
The orc held a plasma rifle which looked as if it had been connected to his forearm somehow. “Real sweet, human. Spending your last few worthwhile moments in each other’s loving embrace.” The orc sneered.
Suzuki raised his hands as he stood. “Were you assholes watching?” Suzuki asked. “I don’t know what’s weirder, the way you act like humans fucking is the most disgusting thing in the world or that you can’t seem to stop watching. Has it been a while since you got your cock sucked?”
The orc slapped Suzuki across the face with his plasma rifle. The rifle was so hot that it seared Suzuki’s face as he fell to the ground. Suzuki wiped blood from his nose and stood back up. “Go fuck yourself, you hormonally-backed-up sack of shit. Is this the part when you take us to whoever’s in charge? Because I can tell we’re obviously not going to be wasting our time with you.”
The orc aimed its plasma rifle at Suzuki, who did everything in his power not to look frightened even though he was terrified. All the tough talk was part of his plan, and he had been rehearsing his insults and tone of voice before he had passed out.
Beth, on the other hand, was going to play the part of the broken soldier, and Suzuki was honestly surprised that she was able to get her eyes so red.
The plan was simple. Maybe too simple to work.
Suzuki was going to attract everyone’s attention and keep it on him by being as brash and edgy as possible while Beth tried to become invisible. When they got a chance, Beth was going to slip away and raise some hell. The small diversion would give Suzuki some wiggle room as well. The plan hadn’t gone any further than that. The way that Suzuki and Beth figured, this was the end of the line. All they could do was stall until the rest of the Mundanes and reinforcements showed up. If Beth managed to slip away, she might be able to find the ringtone, but there was no way that she was going to be able to destroy it or sneak it out.
It was a suicide mission. Still, as Beth put it, at least they weren’t going out like a bunch of punk asses. “If this is where I die, I want to take as many of these assholes with me as possible,” she said.
The orcs herded Suzuki and Beth out of the cell and into a long, glowing hallway. There were cells on both walls with the same invisible energy barrier that Suzuki had seen in the arena outside.
Each cell held a different race, many of which Suzuki had never seen or read about. There was one cell that was filled with what looked like gas, occasionally brightened by eyes that popped in and out of existence, their colors changing rapidly as Suzuki walked by. He wished that he could have paid as much attention as he wanted to, but there were other things on his mind. First and foremost, he wanted to find the controls to open the cells. Beth was more than capable of creating a diversion by herself, but a room full of freed prisoners would probably attract more attention.
From the hallway, the two Mundanes were led into a vast ceremonial hall. There were more of the monoliths that Suzuki had seen outside. These were small, though, placed in two rows that mirrored each other, a long, red carpet between them, starting at the foot of the room and ending at a throne, which was empty. A large screen was above the throne.
The walls were covered with bizarre, ornate sculptures. Most of the sculptures were of races that Suzuki knew had already been enslaved: orcs, trolls, and ogres. There were others that Suzuki had only seen cursorily serving the Dark One, including elves, dwarves, and halflings. Then there were creatures, much like in the cells, that Suzuki had never seen before. The sculptures were constructed out of some kind of liquid metal which gave the illusion that the sculptures were moving as if they were in a constant state of flux. Or perhaps it was reality?
Orc guards lined the walls. Each of them carried one of the plasma rifles that the two guards escorting Suzuki and Beth held. It didn’t seem as if any of the guards had the traditional weapons Suzuki had grown accustomed to in Middang3ard. None of the orcs paid particular attention to the two Mundanes. They stared straight ahead, almost as if they were statues themselves.
Behind the throne and the screen, the hall opened up to the sky, overlooking the defense ring and the small buildings beneath it.
The guards brought Suzuki and Beth to the throne. “Get on your knees,” a guard grunted.
Suzuki sneered and rolled his shoulders so that they cracked. “Is this a customary kneeling or a subservient bowing?” Suzuki asked.
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
“Am I paying respect or being asked to play the bitch?”
The guard pressed its rifle to the back of Suzuki’s neck. An electric shock flowed through his body, and he momentarily lost control of his legs. He fell straight f
orward, smacking his head on the floor. It was all that he could do to get back on his knees without trembling in pain.
Another shock racked Suzuki’s body, and he screamed in pain. The guard smirked and chuckled, a cruel irritating sound. “Which one do you think it is?” the guard asked.
Beth dropped to her knees without a word. Her bottom lip trembled, and she was fighting back tears. “Whatever you want, we’ll do it,” Beth whimpered. “Just tell us. We’ll do anything just, please, don’t hurt us.”
The guard shocked Suzuki again, this time longer, until Suzuki was on the ground twitching, his eyes rolled up in the back of his head. He was gritting his teeth, trying to breath, trying to keep from blacking out. They’re not even paying attention to Beth, he thought. It’s working…
“Get up, maggot!”
Suzuki’s guard reached down and pulled Suzuki back up on his knees. Suzuki spat blood, his head still swimming. “What are we doing here? You guys worship an empty seat or something?”
As Suzuki spoke, the screen above the throne turned on. There was a crackle of white noise and static, and the viceroy elegantly stepped through the screen, floating down to take a seat on the throne, crossing her metallic legs as she leaned back. “It is time that we were able to meet in the flesh,” the viceroy purred. Her voice was deep and brassy, almost a rattle, much different than she had sounded when she was speaking to the crowd. It almost sounded fragile, as if the little bits of organic life within her were dying.
Suzuki spat and tried to pull away from his guard. “Are we getting the royal treatment?” he asked. “Or is this how you treat all your dignitaries?”
“Dignitaries, you say? From what illustrious land do you hail? Who is it that I am entertaining?”
“We’re the Mundanes. No doubt you’ve heard of our exploits. They’re pretty sick.”
The viceroy smiled.
She was even more unnerving in person. An air of violence and hatred seemed to emanate from her despite her syrupy sweet smile. Suzuki didn’t know what it was, but he became very aware that the viceroy wanted to reach out and tear him limb from limb. It was a bizarre feeling because, despite how repulsive she seemed, the viceroy also deeply attracted Suzuki. He felt as if he were being called to her every time she moved, her mechanical body breaking apart in some sections as if it could hardly hold itself together, only to reconnect even more beautifully than before.
“You are the human who disrupted the raising of our elder god, aren’t you?”
“Guilty as charged,” Suzuki spat.
“And she is?”
The viceroy pointed at Beth, who instantly burst into tears, shivering as she cried.
“The fiercest fighter of the Mundanes,” Suzuki replied.
The viceroy laughed and clapped her hands together before resting back in her throne. “A truly impressive sight. How is it that a collection of sniveling children managed to destroy a horde of vampires and an elder god? Not only that, but also manage to infiltrate our research facility? Interesting indeed.”
“Research facility? I don’t see any research happening here. It’s only a shitty torture prison.”
“And this is the part where you expect me to tell you exactly what it is we are researching, I assume.”
“Nope. You don’t need to. I already figured it out. You’re researching how to control the different races with microchips and ringtones to serve your stupid ass…god? Leader? I’m a little fuzzy on exactly how you’re sucking on the Dark One’s tits.”
“Your insolence is refreshing…”
“Suzuki.”
“Suzuki… you speak as if you are the one in control. Even though you are bound and at my mercy. What gives you such confidence?”
The viceroy was emanating a different energy now. This was more subtle. Suzuki felt as if she were imagining devouring him. The look on her face was one of intense hunger. Suzuki swallowed hard and tried not to cave to the fear that was threatening to engulf him. “I’m the best at what I do, bub,” he spat, instantly regretting his choice of words. “And what I do ain’t pretty.”
The viceroy leaned forward, her eyes nearly undressing Suzuki. “Hmm… you aren’t particularly beautiful. None of you humans are. You could use… improvements, to say the least.”
“Like you?”
The viceroy chuckled. “Oh yes, much like me. The improvements are only accessible through our Dark Lord. He will start by carving that insolence out of your mind. Then he will start with the flesh. He will bend it to his will until you are a creature of beauty, of order. The experience can be exhilarating, beyond your wildest dreams of pleasure.”
“Uh… if it’s anything like what happened to you, I’d like to pass. You look a little… hmm… fucked up to say the least.”
“You do not believe that. Neither you nor your friend. I can see it in your eyes, the way that you can’t help but look upon me as if in worship.”
Suzuki tried to think of something to say, but he was too caught off-guard by the viceroy’s candidness. He looked at Beth, who was blushing and avoiding his eyes.
The viceroy laughed, her voice nearly angelic. “There’s no need to be embarrassed,” she cooed. “I will teach you the beauty of order. Personally.”
Suzuki jerked his head over to the guards who were standing behind him. “What about these guys?” Suzuki asked. “How come they don’t get the royal beauty treatment?”
“It takes a special mind to accommodate the process. You two show promise. I’ve been watching your exploits. What you did with the elder god was…inspiring,” she said as her body seemed to shiver, come apart, and reconfigure. “After speaking with the Dark Lord, he has agreed to have an audience with you before you are…reintegrated. It is customary for the Dark Lord’s lieutenants to be greeted personally. Prepare your bodies.”
The screen above the viceroy crackled to life, and a man stood in a nearly black room. He was not quite a man, though. Even from the screen, Suzuki could see that the Dark One was too tall to be a human, or an elf for that matter.
The Dark One stepped closer to the screen, farther into the light. He had extremely smooth, white skin. His blue and green veins could be seen beneath his skin like a sort of grid. That was all there was to see of his face as well. There were no eyes. No mouth. No nose. Only a blank, porcelain visage colored by veins so bright that their contents were nearly visible.
The Dark One was completely naked. Much like his face, there were no defining features whatsoever. No genitals. No muscles. He looked as if someone wanted to create a statue of a human, but had only heard vague descriptions of one. His entire body was as smooth and white as his face, and his veins shone brightly, his chest being the most luminous. He was not muscular; rather, he was extremely slim. If Suzuki had seen anyone that size on Earth, he would have assumed the person malnourished or sick. Yet the Dark One seemed anything but sick. His body radiated strength even through the screen. When he took another step forward, it was as if each muscle, if they were in fact muscles, was carefully controlled. He moved with an inhuman gracefulness as if he were a dancer of some sort.
The Dark One spoke, but there were no words, nothing that could be heard. Yet each syllable ripped through Suzuki’s head like a personalized migraine. Both he and Beth instinctively covered their ears as they screamed in pain. It felt as if the Dark One had ripped their heads open with his thoughts. “These are the humans?” he asked, his voice thundering as if it were indeed that of a god.
The viceroy did not seem bothered by the sound. She didn’t turn to face the screen, only watched the Mundanes writhing in pain as she answered. “Yes, my Lord,” she whispered as if in reverence. “These are the humans I have selected to break. They should give us the key to unlocking the proper tone for their race.”
“They do not seem exceptional. They strike me as mediocre. Mundane, even. What makes you believe that they are capable of being ordered?”
The pain of hearing the Dark One speak had subsi
ded. Suzuki could finally get his thoughts back together even though each word from the Dark One filled his mind so that he thought his brain would explode. Suzuki tried to direct his thoughts toward Beth. “Can you hear me?” he murmured.
Beth barely showed any sign that Suzuki’s words were heard, but she answered, nonetheless. “Yeah. I got you.”
“What do you think we should do?”
“Suzy, I think we’re fucked. They’re going to experiment on us. They’re going to make us… like her. And… I think I want her to. Part of me. I don’t know what it is but… I want to… I want to touch her. I want to feel her.”
“I know. I do too. We have to fight it, though. It must be part of their indoctrination process. We can fight it. That’s why they want us—because we’re strong.”
“We deserve it. No… No, that’s not right. Fuck that. I don’t want…”
“Keep it together, Beth.”
“You too.”
The Dark One’s voice tore through their minds again as he leaned closer to the screen. His veins were glowing a dull white. “Interesting. You are both very strong of will,” he thundered. “Acceptable. Prepare their minds and flesh for me to unveil my full glory to them.”
The viceroy stood, smiling, and turned to the screen behind her. She opened her arms as if ready for an embrace. Her back broke apart, three long, slender appendages slipping out from her shoulders, propping her up as electronic tendrils stretched from the computer screen, connecting her to the screen as the same tendrils extended from the Dark One to the screen. The tendrils burned bright blue, and the viceroy moaned loudly before settling back onto the ground, her back knitting itself back together, her organs visible for a brief second before her skin returned to its bio-mechanical nature. The screen above went black and the viceroy turned to face Suzuki and Beth, her face flushed, showing more color than it had seemed capable of.
Suzuki wanted the viceroy to scoop him up in her arms, to take him away to wherever she wanted. The techno-organic skin that had repulsed him looked so alluring now. He wondered how many different ways she could break his skin apart, what she could force out of him for the sake of beauty and creation.