Shadowland

Chapter 10 - Power - Part 10

Gorrth was certain she would not be hearing from Elin again for a long time, if at all. But it had barely been two weeks before Kraik came stumping as fast as he could move toward her in the middle of the night. "Radio message!" he panted. "You'd better come quickly, chief! It's from Elin!"

She followed him into the ancient tower where he hid his many mysterious chemicals and devices. "Elin?" she asked with a mix of hope and trepidation. "She's coming back? Already?"

"Not quite," Kraik said reluctantly. "Time enough for that when we get back to the radio, away from prying eyes and ears."

Gorrth reluctantly shut her mouth. Kraik's home was missing many floors, and only the crumbling remains of a stairwell lead to the heights where he kept his lair. As they entered the patchy, many-holed floor and walls, she heard a faint beeping, which was soon revealed to be coming from the direction of Kraik's lovingly-maintained radio, the only one left in the camp that could receive at distances of more than a few miles. As they walked up to it, Kraik said gleefully, "It's in the ancient language of machines, the binary code. Thank the ancestors my mentor saw fit to pass on that knowledge to me, though neither of us ever thought we would have use for it. It's a repeating loop. The message is this: 'ENVOY FROM ELIN APPROACHING DO NOT FEAR CITY ONE ROBOT ALONE NO THREAT.' It sounds like she has sent one of their devil machines with a message for us!"

"It could be a trick," Gorrth said cautiously. "What if she gave them our radio frequency? Or had it tortured out of her?"

"Oh, you know that your soul sister is stronger than that," said Kraik. "Besides, the rad-juice has given her new knowledge of her own body. Should need arise, she could kill herself before revealing our secrets. You must prepare the tribe! If we don't watch out, they will try to blow this messenger up!"

Gorrth gathered her advisors and told them what to expect. Channer was predictably furious, and even Carn was more than a little perturbed that she was being asked to let a City One machine freely approach the camp. The hostages that had just arrived from the Fatal Furies and Tyrannosaurs were also clearly nervous, muttering darkly among themselves about the Chain Gang seling the clans out to the enemy, but Gorrth managed to talk them all around.

In the blazing morning sun, she and the shaman and her best warriors lined up to face City One, weapons at the ready. If this was indeed a ruse, they would need to react quickly to keep the robot from getting into the camp and wreaking havoc. Slowly, a dot on the horizon grew into one of the most feared of shapes for any desert clan warrior, a hulking spherical combat robot with twin gatling guns sprouting from its back, striding with deceptive speed across the sand on four spindly legs.

"Destroy it!" Channer shouted. "Now, before it has a chance to get into firing range! It'll kill us all!"

"It's only one machine," Gorrth scoffed. "We can trash it easily any time we choose. Come on, just this once, trust that I know what I'm doing!"

The robot came closer, became more distinct, and finally, Gorrth caught sight of something that filled her with elation. On the side of the machine's front left foot was painted a symbol of a circle like a gear, the letters XIII inscribed within. Now she was certain. This robot was more than just a messenger from Elin. It was a key to solving the mystery of their memories.

The robot stuttered to a halt in front of them. A deep synthetic voice buzzed from its body as the slit in the front of its bulbous form flashed with light. "Please do not initiate hostilities," it said. "My designation is XR7991. I have come as an envoy of Elin Skye and the City One underground."

"I believe you," Gorrth said cheerfully. "Stand down, ladies and gentlemen. Believe it or not, this thing is on our side."

Channer crossed his arms and spit in the sand. "I'll believe it when the sun turns green," they snarled. "And I'm not letting that thing get one step closer to the camp. Whatever it has to say, it can say it here."

"Well?" Gorrth said, cocking her head to the side. She had so many questions -- Is Elin alive? Is she well? What the hell is up with that mark? Do you know what happened to my memories, or are yours just as blank as ours? But she couldn't ask with all of the tribe there. Instead she just said, "You came here to deliver a message. What is it?"

"City One has fatally weakened itself," the robot thundered. "It has spread its forces thin, trying to conquer not one but two neighbouring states. Only a skeleton force of defenders remains. In their hubris, they are convinced that the desert tribes pose no threat to them whatsoever. But every hour, more and more of the oppressed plebian citizens are becoming dissatisfied with the tyranny of the ISC central command. My associates and I believe the populace are ready to rise in rebellion. And we further believe that if the city were to be attacked from the exterior while an insurrection rages in the interior, we have the opportunity to overthrow the Corporation which rules City One and obtain freedom for both the citizens and the desert tribes alike. I have been sent out to gather forces from among those victimized by ISC colonialism, and we thought that this would be the best place to start."

Gorrth grinned broadly. This was exactly the opportunity she had been hoping for, that she had formed the confederation of tribes to try and exploit. "I'm afraid my tribe won't tolerate you coming into our camp," she said, "but I'm on your side. I'm not sure if we'll be enough by ourselves, but I can bring the forces of eight desert clans into the fight."

"In any case," said XR7991, "I cannot spend any more time here. I travel to the east, to find others like you, Elin, and myself; others who bear the secret mark. I will attempt to gather further reinforcements, and I will send you a message when we are ready to combine with your forces." With that cryptic final comment, the hulking machine turned and began to tread a wide path circling around the outskirts of the camp. Channer took their followers and took it upon theirself to see the thing off.

Gorrth's heart thrilled. "Send runners to the other clans," she roared to Carn. "It's time for more than empty talk. Tell the chiefs of the confederation to gather for a council of war!"

***

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