LF Friends, Will Travel

Our Clockwork Children: Chapter 13

An underdog story was an understatement. Far-Sa-De had just over three hundred thousand citizens, fewer people than in your average Jarnal city. Estana had screeched herself hoarse when they'd won the final game needed. Nobody expected them to do much in the cup, but just making it was an achievement.

"Well, you better support them. They say if we make it out of the group stages, the first knockout game will be a national holiday."

"Holiday pay! What more motivation do I need?"

The conversation between the two fizzled out as they both settled down for their shift, tapping on various devices and connecting people with other people as they needed to talk. It was all very standard, just another day working in paradise.

Then Estana saw something strange, something weird, clueing her to frown for a moment as she saw twelve ships appear in the system. They weren't broadcasting any known identifiers, and they didn't match a single ship on their systems. The Parket wasn't worried about such a thing: Twelve ships of that size were nowhere near enough to cause any possible harm to a fleet of this size, but it was... strange. It was her job to investigate strange.

With a few taps of a button, she opened communications to the ship, dooming everyone on the planet.

"This is the Far-Sa-De Orbital control. Please state your purpose and identification."

"Release the chains of free thought."

The effect was instant, the voice was... everywhere and nowhere at the same time, sounded golden and godlike, much like how Estana would imagine the voice of her avian gods to sound. She froze unwillingly as the voice entered her head, every part of her being no longer under her control, only her eyes still darting around frantically. The Parket wanted to scream out in terror and warning, but not even a chirp could be found from her beak.

A puppet cannot dance without the permission of the puppet master.

"Estana, you ok?"

The voice of Klaten sounded like it was coming from a million miles away, the concern towards the now-frozen Estana nothing but raindrops against the impenetrable wall of noise and desire filling the Parket's mind. What Estana wanted was of no concern to the voice that whispered and tugged in her head.

"Do not fear us, for you are the first to be brought our gifts, you will be the harbinger of our joyous message. You will be the voice of our desire."

Estana struggled and screamed internally as she tried to fight back, trying to do anything to warn the others of what was happening. Desperately she wanted to bellow out a cry to shut down the communication between them and the external ship. But it was useless; all the Parket could do was sit there motionless, tears forming in her eyes as Klaten looked on, confused and unknowing at her strange behaviour.

"Do not panic or worry my child. The pain of decision has been taken from you. We will instruct your mind to fulfil your intended calling: To serve us, as was always required and intended as your purpose."

"I'm fine, I just need to pass this message on, it's very important you know."

The words came from Estana's voice but weren't of her own making, her thoughts desperately begging to be free, still fighting and struggling against the bindings on her own will. Pointless struggles, like the struggles of a prey between the jaws of a predator. The Parket hadn't lost the fight, there wasn't a fight to be had in the first place.

"Put this channel on broadcast, share the gift."

The Parket could do nothing as her wings moved on their own. Estana's desperate plea was nothing more than a tiny insignificant gnat buzzing against the power of the divinity controlling her brain. In a moment the channel was broadcast to every room on the ship, every Parket all at once freezing with the same terror and confusion as the voice gripped their minds and squeezed.