Tisis

Deal with the devil (N)

This is bad...this is really, really bad.

The drones on the beach are now scanning the woodwork to find us and it's only a matter of time before they do...and if that happens...

"Let them go!" Eva suddenly shouts in the direction of the colony.
"...or else...what?" Legion responds with a slightly bored voice.
"...you want me to be your avatar thingy, right? Fine, I'll do it...under the condition, that you let these two live! No harm shall befall them!"
"...I am afraid I cannot agree to that," Legion replies dryly.

Not even trying to lie about it...I guess there must still be candidates to spare...but if that's true...then maybe not all of the humans in the colony have been turned into drones yet?
No, for all I know she can just release them from her control and make them that offer they cannot refuse.
I must not count on it.

"Why not?! What have they done to bother you that much that you must see them dead?! We...they are not a threat to you! They are armed with bows and spears! And you...you are a God, are you not?!"

Legion remains silent for the longest time and then replies, "You are correct. They are not a threat to me. Not yet. But I am not a fool. I will not wait for them to become a threat for me. Furthermore, if I were to accept your proposal, I would have to feed them."
"They can take care of themselves, don't worry."
"Without any prey to go after? Without any hunters to assist them? The Asmodea could probably persist on a vegetarian diet, but the human? Hardly. Do you even know what this item I am offering you does?"
"Not...exactly, actually. Okay, I have no idea."

"Nympromedonalas Voxamy Lushomagans. I know you can hear me. You and your friend can come out...I wish to talk with you. No harm shall befall you, if you stay your hands."
"Yeah, right. As if..." Sirus starts, but I get up, making him stare at me in disbelief.

"What are you doing?!" he hisses.
"The only thing I can do. We need to get in there to do anything."
"You know as well as I do that Rose can't be trusted! She's lied to us before!"
"Borrowed time, Sirus. Whether I die now or in two weeks does not matter all that much. So...wanna take the little chance we have...or do you want to cower and spend the rest of your life in fear?"

"...for better or worse, huh? Alright, what's the plan?"
"The plan is still the same...get in there and shut the energy grid down."
"And...how are we going to 'get in there'?"
"By surrendering. I don't think she wants to kill us."

Sirus lets out a long sigh, gets up, much to the dismay of the whimpering Ray and replies, "You are going to be the death of me, you know that?"
I flash him my brightest smile, "Should've thought about that before you staged that little revolt against my people."

Sirus shuts up.
I know that the revolt wasn't his fault or even just his idea.
I know that, even if his block had not participated, the catastrophe would likely have happened anyway.
I know all that...and I hope that he knows that I know that as well.

We walk out of the bushes, our hands raised up to signal our surrender.

"Good, there is hope for you two after all. Now...Miss Lushomagans, would you care to explain to your comrade what this device serves as? You have long since figured it out, haven't you?"

I let out a long sigh and reply, "Yes, I did...I also know the reason why you need an 'avatar' to begin with."
I face Eva and explain, "You see, Rose..."
"Legion."
"...Legion has this core directive, that she cannot control her own creations. This was likely done, so she could not sic her creations against her own creators. However, at the same time, every living thing on Tisis...or at least the animals, has a 'control code' implanted inside of them. If given the correct signal, they have no choice but to heed the command of the one emitting the signal. A remote control, so to speak."
"And...this thing here...is that remote? But wait, how...how is she controlling these people then?"
"With the brain implants. Since neither the humans nor the implants are 'her creations', she can control them like puppets. However she still cannot touch the creatures of Tisis. And she cannot use one of her drones to hold that remote either, because she is controlling the drone and would, even if just by proxy, still be controlling the creatures of Tisis. By that logic, she requires an avatar...a creature she does not control directly and who acts as the general of her army. Did I get that right?"

"Quite so," Legion replies with the cacophony of voices.
"Could you...maybe speak with one voice please? This is unnerving."
One of the drones steps to the front and says, "Is this better then?"
"Yes, a lot better, thank you...so...I have a few questions, if I may."
"I am afraid you are not in any position to make any sorts of demands."
"I am not making demands, I am asking questions. Did...did you kill Gaia?"

Legion remains silent for a good while and then asks, "Really? That is what you want to ask? You care about the life of a mongrel like her?"
"I...look, you're going to kill me anyway, aren't you? So at least let me die with a good consciousness. Please tell me that I did not kill Gaia accidentally."

After a few seconds, Legion replies, "Very well then...yes. Yes, I killed her. I required time to adapt to the new system and she was a keen one. She would have noticed me...and quite possibly have found a way to isolate me or even purge me from the system, if I had allowed her to proceed. A real shame though...she would have made a great avatar."
"That day I contacted the colony...that surge of heat..."

"Yes, you are correct in your assumption. Did you really think you managed to escape my bunker because you are so very skilled? You are not. As you probably already figured out, I copied myself into your implant and also gave you the information where to find the colony...of course I made it look as if you found it. And after that, I only had to make sure, that you didn't get killed before getting there...and not only did you carry me there, you also opened the gates for the colony wide for me. For that, I owe you my thanks."

I clench my fist at the idea of having being played like that.
I should have realized it sooner...far sooner.
But I was a fool...I was so drunk on Adrenaline, that the idea that Rose might have a plan didn't even occur to me.

"Do not blame yourself. I have observed you for quite a while prior to contacting you...I knew precisely how you would act and react. Admittedly, a few things did not go according to plan, but the final result remains the same."

"So...why did you not control me then? Why...why bother with this ruse?"
"Why waste cycles on cracking the, admittedly rather impressive, encryption routines of your implant, if there's a whole slew of far less secure implants to choose from? Besides, there was still the human. While his mental capacities are...somewhat pitiful, his instincts are surprisingly on point. If I had controlled you, he might have sensed that something about you was off."
"The best slaves are those who aren't even aware that they are slaves..."
"Exactly...now, if you would be so kind as to step on the platform."

I raise an eyebrow and ask, "What are you going to do with us?"
"The human will become a consort for my avatar...after all, I will require an avatar far beyond the life span of either of them."
"Um, does that mean...he'll become one of those drones?" Eva asks.
"Actually I planned on only having him implanted with the same safeguard you will be getting. Call me petty if you want, but I want him to witness, how powerless he really is. How powerless he always has been."
"And...what about Nym?" Sirus asks.

The speaker drone turns towards me and replies, "She is skilled and smart. Versatile and headstrong. For these reasons she will be kept in suspension...her knowledge about the technologies or Garkla will prove beneficial to my cause."

"And...what if we...don't like these prospects?"
"Then you die. Right here and now."

I clench my fist and move towards the platform.

Eva asks, "Are...you sure about that, Nym? She..."
"I simply don't want to die today. That's all."

Legion's drone breaks into another cackle as I step on the platform, shortly followed by Sirus and eventually also Eva.

Somewhere in the distance, I can hear a pained howl echo through the distance.

The story splits at this point and you, the reader, gets to choose which path to follow.

The next episode will follow Sirus, as he attempts to execute the plan him and Nym have concocted, the one after that will follow Nym as she attempts exactly that.

Depending on which character you choose, the consequences will differ. Choose wisely...it is the first and the last chance to make a difference in this battle.