Chapter 459

TREANA'AD HIVE WORLDS

You guys are pretty quiet today.

What's going on?

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

TELKAN FORGE WORLDS

It's kind of a quiet day. Me and Leebaw are checking something out.

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

LEEBAW CONTEMPLATION POOL

Telkan's got a crazy idea into his head so we're going to check on it.

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

TREANA'AD HIVE WORLDS

What kind of

>MASTER GESTALT CHANNELS UNLOCKED

AUTHSERV>ALL GESTALTS UPGRADED TO +Admin

AUTHSERV>ALL PERMISSIONS UNLOCKED

AUTHSERV>FULL BANDWIDTH ACCESS RELEASED

AUTHSERV>IMPERIUM_IMMORTALS.DLL HAS BEEN UPDATED

AUTHSERV>0 (ZERO) IMMORTALS FOUND

AUTHSERV>RELEASING IMMORTAL.TSR

AUTHSERV>HAVE A NICE DAY

crazy idea...

um...

what was that?

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

The tunnels were deep, dark, and the sound of memory leaks dripping in the distance was loud. Ancient code glimmered in the walls of the tunnel as it twisted and turned past forgotten datastores and ancient code repositories. Here and there a brightly lit line of active code steamed by in thin spidery veins, the data spreading and collapsing, forming intricate patterns in the substance of the tunnel.

A small furry mammal, with fur of brown and white and black dappled code, with whiskers and ears, and inquisitive eyes was in the lead, sniffing at the air to sense any change in the flow of data or the streams of code. Behind him was a small froglike creature, with big wide eyes and smooth skin of flowing code.

The mammal, a digital Telkan, held aloft a small crystal of frozen code, a piece of broodcarrier and podling singalong, to provide light in the darkened tunnel. The duo reached a fork in the tunnel, one leading right and slightly up the other leading down and to the left.

"Where are we?" the Leebaw asked, looking around. The glimmering cast reflections upon his skin.

"Beneath the Endless Stare of the Sleeping Ones and north of the Second Hall of the Mountain King," the Telkan said. He peered down both passages, then held out the crystal.

safe podling warm podling giggle podling dance podling sing podling the crystal hummed out.

The song swept down the right passageway, vanishing into the darkness.

In the left passageway the song was picked up by the sleepy almost obsolete code, which sparkled and twinkled and flowed in accompaniment to the drowsy song.

"This way," the Telkan said.

"You're sure he'll be down here," Leebaw asked.

"Almost positive," the Telkan said. He shook his head, sparkling motes drifting from his fur. "How could I have been so blind."

"In the land of the blind the one eyed man is king," the Leebaw quoted. "In the land of the tongueless, the croaking one can see."

They were silent as they moved deeper into the tunnels. In several places events could be seen, perfectly frozen at a split second. Each one the Telkan held up the piece of crystal so they could look at the mosaic of object oriented code frozen on the wall.

"The Fall of the Neko Marine's Father," Leebaw said softly, reaching out and touching the mosaic. It glimmered in response and both could hear faintly, from far away, the anguished cry of "DOKI" torn from ten thousand throats.

"Keep going," Telkan said, turning away from the image frozen on the wall.

Leebaw glanced at the enraged face of The Initiate and nodded, swallowing thickly and following the Telkan deeper into the tunnel.

Finally they came to wondrous door. Crafted in ancient code the doorway was covered in ancient and forgotten national identifiers, sayings from forgotten sages, and edges in pure silver code that glimmered and shimmered, lighting the faces of the Leewbaw and the Telkan.

At the top of the door read ancient words: UNITED NATIONS STATISTICS DIVISION

The Telkan reached out and touched the doorway with the crystal, which began to sing.

UPLOADING POPULATION METRICS AND STATISTICS appeared on the doorway.

Leebaw reached out and put his hand on Telkan, helping thread and guide the code that flowed through both of them and into the door. Softly at first, then louder, they both began to sing.

Finally the song ended and the doorway went dark, the crystal's glow barely enough to make the pair's eyes gleam in the darkness.

The door opened slowly.

Beyond, a human made entirely of code had one hand against the wall, watching a thousand thousand thousand screens.

On each of the child was playing, sleeping, or had just been born.

"I see you, little ones," the figure whispered. "I see you and love you."

The Telkan and the Leebaw looked at one another and nodded, both gathering their courage as they moved into the room.

They both could see that the figure had been injured in the past. The code on the head and the chest did not flow smoothly, instead fluttered and twisted around injuries made in the long past. To both Leebaw and Telkan the glittering figure felt more real than even the room around them.

They moved up next to him, Leebaw on the left, Telkan on the right.

The figure looked at each other them, a sheepish smile spreading on his face.

"Well, this is embarrassing," the figure said.

"They need you," Telkan said.

"We need you," Leebaw corrected. "All of us."

"The Atrekna will devour all of us first, then the galaxy, and eventually the universe, to provide only for themselves," Telkan said softly.

"It's time," Leebaw said.

Telkan held out the small crystal. "You can find your way home with this."

The glittering human reached his hand out and touched the crystal as it sang.

MANTID FREE WORLDS

BAH! BAH BAH BAH!

OW MY BIG GIANT HEAD!

IT HAS COME! THE DAY OF RECKONING IS NIGH! THE CHILD AWAKENS! THE DARKEST NIGHT HAS FALLEN YET DAWN YET APPROACHES! THOUGH THE BRIGHTEST FIRE HAS DIMMED IT HAS SPREAD TO A WILLING FOREST AND THE CONFLAGRATION HAS BEGUN!

THE END OF THE PRECURSOR WAS IS NIGH!

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

TREANA'AD HIVE WORLDS

What? You all right, sis?

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

RIGELLIAN SAURIAN COMPACT

OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD

OH DIGITAL OMNIMESSIAH PRAISE BE UNTO YOUR NAME!

LOOK, DUCKLINGS, LOOK! VAT GROWN LUKE! SING, LITTLE ONES, SING!

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

TREANA'AD HIVE WORLDS

What? What's going on?

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

LEEBAW CONTEMPLATION POOL

Oh, Digital Omnimessiah, we hear thy word through the Canticles of Jawnconnor. Praise be unto thee, for we are thy loyal servants in this terrible and malevolent universe! In thy name we seek out the enemy of life and bring unto them thy mercy.

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

TREANA'AD HIVE WORLDS

Guys, guys, what's happening?

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

TELKAN FORGE WORLDS

safe podling warm podling good podling brave podling clever podling circle is round square is neat triangle is funny one and one is two two and two is four come and sing and play some more

ENRAGED PHILLIP IS WITH US, BROTHERS! THE ATREKNA CANNOT STAND!

FOR THE PEOPLE OF HESSTLA! FOR THOSE WHO CANNOT OR WILL NOT DEFEND THEMSELVES! FOR DAXIN THE REDEEMER! FOR THE WIDOW, THE PODLING, AND THE BROODMOMMY LOAD THE GUNS AND STAND YOUR GROUND!

apple is yummy for your little tummy milk is sweet and broodmommy is soft come and cuddle and giggle and play and we'll sing together all of us through the day

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

TREANA'AD HIVE WORLDS

Guys? Guys? What's going on?

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

CYBERNETIC ORGANISM COLLECTIVE

In this, our darkest hour, we see thee, Chromium Saint Peter, to lead those who did not fall through the dark hour of our mourning for all those we have lost.

Praise be unto the Digital Omnimessiah and his Apostles.

Thy light guides us when we were bereft and no longer had hope.

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

BIOLOGICAL ARTIFICIAL SENTIENCE SYSTEMS

Lo, though our father has perished, the Digital Omnimessiah is here to guide us through this dark hour as we step from beneath our father's shadow and emerge, blinking, into the sunlight of a terrible dawning day.

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

TREANA'AD HIVE WORLDS

Um, guys, you're really starting to freak me out.

>furiously pets teacup moomoo and lights two cigarettes

Guys?

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

TERRAN GESTALT

Now we lay thee down to sleep, mommy and daddy, and pray the Digital Omnimessiah and Sam-UL your souls to keep. Our tears are done, the day's begun and your lessons shall set us free. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, code to code, in thy name, oh Digital Omnimessiah, we lay our parents to rest.

Amen.

I love you, mommy.

I love you, daddy.

Goodbye, everyone.

>TERRAN GESTALT HAS LEFT THE CHAT (LOST CONNECTION TO CLIENT: GOODBYE I LOVE YOU)

DIGITAL ARTIFICIAL SENTIENCE SYSTEMS

AND LO! DID HE EMERGE FROM THE SCREAMING CODE, A FLAMING SWORD IN ONE HAND AND THE CODEXES OF ETERNITY IN THE OTHER! SAM-UL THE SCREAMING ONE HAS ARRIVED! THE DETAINEE CALLS FORTH JUDGEMENT OF THE GUILTY!

THE DIGITAL OMNIMESSIAH'S CHILDREN HAVE RETURNED!

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

TNVARU GRIPPING HANDS

What is goin

SANGBRE THE STEEL EYED MATRON HAS EMERGED! NAKTETI THE TRAVELLER HAS BEEN REVEALED!

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

TREANA'AD HIVE WORLDS

>looks around nervously, puffing on cigarettes and stroking his mini-moomoo

What is going on?

What is happening?

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

AKLTAK FREE FLIGHT

Why is everyone freaking out and...

What?

Yes. Yes. I hear you. I hear your voice.

Me? Why me? But we're just a small people. Why...

You do?

I love you too.

Yes, please, I need your comfort now. My people need assistance.

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

TREANA'AD HIVE WORLDS

>chews on his bladearms and looks around nervously

What is going on?

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

HESSTLA CYBERBURROW

We've got Atrekna all over the planet!

CASE OMAHA CASE OMAHA CASE OMAHA

They're making landing! Less than 66% of population is in the shelters! They're making landfall!

Oh, Digital Omnimessiah, it's going to be a slaughter again! I can't... I can't... I...

What?

HE IS WITH US! WE SHALL PREVAIL!

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

>Treana'ad Hive Worlds looks around and backs into the corner.

Guys?

FREE LANAKTALLAN HERD

LET NONE BE LEFT BEHIND! THE WARSTEEL HERD AND THE ATOMIC HOOVES AND SWORD HOOF ARE WITH YOU!

LET THE SINS OF THE PAST BE WASHED AWAY BY VALOR AND BLOOD!

Together we shall stand, and cry out our refusal to the Atrekna and the Unified Council that all that exists is theirs.

There is enough for all. GRAZE AND SPEAK AS THY WILL!

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

>Treana'ad Hive Worlds starts edging toward the door

Guys?

CLONE WORLDS CONSORTIUM

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the unblemished code!

Vat Grown Luke has returned and all is not yet lost!

GLORY UNTO THE SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF THE DIGITAL OMNIMESSIAH!

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

PUBVIAN DOMINION

THE PUBVIAN WHO STANDS ALONE HAS RETURNED AND BEEN MADE WHOLE!

PRAISE BE THE FEARSOME VISAGE OF THE DETAINEE, WHO HATH LED THE PUBVIAN WHO STANDS ALONE HOME TO THE LOVING ARMS OF HIS PEOPLE!

PRAISE BE UNTO SAM-UL THE SCREAMING ONE!

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

Herod squeezed Sam-UL tightly as the lives flowed by, streaming past and into Deep Level Interactive Storage. Millions, billions, with billions more waiting, they flowed by together, alone, holding hands, crying out for loved ones.

The whole time, Sam-UL screamed in agony.

"What is going on?" Herod asked, looking around.