Chapter 13-18 Confess

Chapter 13-18 Confess

+Concave,

Allow me to elaborate on the current situation as clearly as I can.

I have no idea what the fuck is happening.

I say again, idea-no-the-fuck-what.

Strike Cell Flameater is decimated. Their bodies are mind-dead through their proxies, and honestly, theres nothing left of them. I cant even classify them as nulled because theres nothing left of their cognition. No fragments, no drifting artifacts, or leaking emotions.

Even the mem-data is gone.

All we have are Shard-2, who isnt coherent enough to form words yet, and Talon-6, who is still hiding in a corner somewhere screaming threats at the extraction team because he cant let the fire touch him.

What am certain about is this:

Shard-1 and Shard-2 engaged an adversary capable of jacking and sequencing at extreme speed. Speed almost certainly enhanced by the metaphysical nature of a canon.They likely left fragments of mem-data within Shard-1 to lure our strike team into a trap, allowing them to bypass multiple compromised Exorcists and surveillance constructs before launching their ambush from an Auto-Seance session installed in the administrative Oversec-C1s primary superstructure.This coincides with the decimation of Elder DRongos shadow detail as well.

Putting what few pieces we have together, I think were staring down the barrel of something neither of us wants to face, but have to. Its clear that whoever were facing has in-depth knowledge of our operational capacity and is actively hunting Incubi.

We both know there arent that many Ad-Necs capable of doing this. The first, and the uglier possibility, is that were dealing with a Silver-on-Silver power play. Likely something to remove DRongo from the board. The second, more unsetting scenario, is that were throwing lives at the Low Masters again. Less worrying since we managed to burn that infestation before, but were not in any shape to trade the lives of our best if the Golds are raring to start the Fifth big one.

The last, least likely, but most troubling, is that were facing some kind of lone actor. A rogue Fallwalker master necro of some kind thats butchering us for purpose or pleasure. I doubt this to be the case, but if it is, we need to resolve them quick. The last thing we need is another dive-psycho without a cause tearing through our ranks without rhyme or reason.

Im going to need to make an emergency request to private the mind of a category zero asset soon.

Our Incubi arent going to be enough for this. We need a heavy. We need to bring in a Clad of our own.

Get someone we can trust.+

-Emergency request from Convex to Concave

13-18

Confess

You know, Naeko, I uh, I really respect this about you.

Chief Samir Naeko would never know how much effort it took on the part of Maru Sandrupal to force those words out. But Trainee Kare Kitzuhada did. She could see it in the web of veins buldging against the right side of her mentor's head, in twitches of his optical implants running like a ring along the back of his skull.

Maru Sandrupal cut a skeletal, vascular figure outside his combat skin, and even the grey and black Paladin uniform lined and dotted in hexagonal synth cells couldnt hide that tautness pulling at the veins running along his neck, or how every tendon in his face was drawn back like bowstrings on the cusp of snapping.

As the chief sat across from them and gorged himself on multiple orders of Flappy-and-Largies pancakes at Swanneys Sweet-Things, Paladin Sandrupals metallic braids swayed back and forth as if the tail of the scorpion, his mind screaming as he struggled not stab his superior.

+Youre doing great, sir,+ Kare said, shooting a soft smile at the side of his face. One of the eyes installed on the side of his head winked at her in thanks for her support.

If she was to be honest though, she really couldnt tell what worth she was in this situation. She was a Soulless trainee trying to stop a Fifth Sphere Paladin from trying to kill his Eighth Sphere superior in public.

Still, she wanted to serve with distinction, and sometimes that meant pulling your assigned mentor off the leader of your entire outfit when the punches started flying and the curses began to flow.

Of course, Chief Naeko didnt help with this at all. To this day, Kare wasnt sure if he was actually clueless about his behavior, or if he did it just to see if he could kill Paladin Sandrupal through elevated blood pressure alone.

Huh? the chief said, his words muffled by a mouthful of pancake. At this pre-dawn hour, few were awake in the Undercroft aside from the sleepless, the desperate, and the dubious. Light splashed over his face from the outside as a series of racing aeros screamed past. Empty hover couches lined the inside of the diner in rows, and black and white scenes of classical Voidwatch provided entertainment media played from coldtech projectors hanging below the ceiling.

He didnt even bother looking at either of them while he continued playing Stormjumpers, his phantoms casting a live interface that displayed what looked like an Omnitech server district under siege. Sorry, I wasnt listening.

Sandrupal clenched his fists so hard his joints rattled in succession. I said I Im just saying that I admire you for your composure considering that were about to get our asses fucked apart by the Golds and Silvers both. You know, because you arrested Abrel Greatling and a godsdamned elder. What part of us not touching Guild shit did you forget, Naeko, because you skipped past the Mid-Guilders and struck your fingers straight in their fucking eye sockets.

+Too much anger, sir. Try to hold it back a bit more.+

+And you can go fusorry, rook. But this sad piece of shit needs to take things serious for once. I dont care he doesnt want the job, were getting cut down because of his fuckery.+

+Its alright, sir.+

Of course, her mediation was for naught as Chief Naeko leaned back in his hover chair and snorted a loud laugh.

+Im gonna fuck this mans corpse with a goddamn sword and see if he births daggers from his Rash-pores+

+Sir!+

+...I fucking hate him so godsdamned much right now.+

Naeko swallowed and swiped the menu of his game aside. Well. Im glad, he reached across the table and placed a hand on Sandrupals shoulder, causing all the implanted eyes dotting the latters skull to swivel over and glare at the offending limb, that you finally learned to like me.

And instead of taking his hand back, Naeko just left it there.

Sandrupal exhaled. Im being glib, chief. What the shit-fuck did you get us into? Our field guys are already seeing signs of a quiet war being spun up. Godsdamned weird phenomenon happening to us. Imps getting emptied out of our accounts. Trainees turning up dead or nulled. Wereyou understand you basically signed us up for everything except open warfare, right?

Naeko gave him a curt nod. DRongo had Dawton killed. Abrel Greatling might be tied up in that mess. Her father too. Now, I didnt get us into this fight. I justhjust threw a punch back after they started hurting us.

And just like that, the bulk of Sandrupals anger went out like a candle. And when were you going to tell me this? Never mind, fuck that, howd you find out?

The usual source.

Her? She you know shes a voider plant, right? You know shes playing us to her own ends, right?

The chief just shrugged and sighed. Welcome to New Vultun, consang. But the thing isand thats just the thingshe dont lie to us much. Shes been good to us and right every time. Without her, that that crazy Fallwalker guywhats his name?

Freylain, Kare answered.

A note of annoyance sounded from all his ghosts as the various people he absorbed groaned within him like a concert. [Doing what we told her to do if we got nulled.]

[Yes. Still would be good if she knew though.]

That made Avo consider burning the knowledge directly into her mindbut he paused.

Could he even do that without compromising her cognition? And even if the answer was yes, would she be willing to accept his intrusion into her inner palace as he was right now? No. She cared for that. Injecting his knowledge into her directly would damage her trust in him irrevocably.

Some part of him felt bad about that. Felt bad in a way that ached.

In a way that was all too human in some parochial facet.

It seemed with the additional structures he grew within himself, true empathy was extending its roots into him as well.

Interesting.

Still. That was a slight impediment to his plans. He could adjust.

He cast the details through Chambers instead, uncaring if the man would be rendered ego-dead by the act.Per his thoughts followed the agreement of his subminds. At once they constructed an Auto-Seance and activated the session he had connected to Chambers. Pouring his ghosts across, he tried to restrain the damage he would cause, but with each sequence he brushed, the structures collapsed and filled his Metamind.

Chambers shuddered almost immediately, mind-dead as Avos totality swept out from his epicenter like a wildfire.

Unfortunate. And very impractical. This meant he wouldnt be able to interface with the others on a deeper level until he learned to subjugate his new capabilities or install protections.

For now, he directed his subminds to speak on his behalf, filling Chambers vegetative corpse with his ghosts to deliver the message.

He had other things to focus on right then.

Namely, the single bridge of memories extending out from the inside of the Auto-Seance.

A single accretion came drifting across the pathway, simulation active and running, the simplicity of its make taunting Avo. It seemed a wick, ready for the burning, and part of him wanted to take it into himself as well.

But in deeper than the depths of minds came two voices joined in a rare instance of agreement.

Caution, master-ermastersmaster. Even the Woundshaper was taken about how to address his current state. That structure is not of your making. An unstable foundation can be ensured through incompetence or deliberate malice.

If you embark on such a journey, understand you are at the mercy of unknown winds, the Galeslither added. It would be wiser for us to leave, but since I am forced to dwell and view the world from the eyes of a slavering fool, then I say it is best for you to keep to a corner, and leave little room to be struck down.

[Wise. Take advice.]

[Counterpoint: Hungry. Want to break. Want to null. Want to hurt.]

His mind was awash with warring voices, but at the same time, an impossible placidity emanated from his core. Annoyance dissolved at his will. As did agitation or frustration.

Such was another fascinating benefit to his changethe immediate attuning of emotions by command of thoughts or desires.

He was, in some sense, a mind capable of self-induced feedback, self-induced propulsion.

Tentatively, he approached the lone priest by extending memory tendrils of his own. Three simulated sequences formed tracks of memory, and from their tips did he cast his perception at the lone foe that dared face him.

Within the contrasting sequence, the Famine of Emotion stood alone at the edge of his path, the world around him mem-data beside a bridge made from bone.

A beat passed. Silence was the greater gulf between them than the separation of memories. Both had much to say, yet apprehension about how they should speak.

Ultimately, Avo erred on the side of aggression, prepared to fire his reflexes anew and tear into his foe to indulge in further expansion.

+I should thank you,+ he said. +For the war-mind. For what you did to me. Made me greater than I ever could do to myself.+

Emotion didnt react to that, but their reply told Avo all he wanted to know. +That was not our intention.+

+I guessed. Do you remember the war-mind? The living absence in the Nether? The one that makes us all blend.+

+No. Such a thing should be impossible. Until you.+

+Until me.+

Another pause followed.

+We will stray from the promise as Defiance had. Such is our creed.+ Emotion had more to say after. +But we can be joined against common enemies. Ori-Thaum. Highflame. The Guilds. Between our understanding and your new attributes, we can+

+No we. Never we. Just you and your false-god.+ Avo studied the paltry little mind facing him without fear. Again, the power dynamic shifted, and the ghoul felt as if a god staring down at an ant. What did the little Low Master know that made him so stalwart? The promise of understanding made Avo want to burn brighter.

+Without your Helix, we will not be able to access the sanctuary. We will not be able to create more of your kind to offset the pain of the Hungers. We will not be able to see Noloth rightfully restored.+

+These are your final words to persuade? Desperation.+

+Clarity,+ Emotion replied. +You have not seen the fullness of our ability. As have we underestimated you. But you are right. Our needs are urgent. We cannot dally for long. To this end, we promise this: if we cannot be of alignment, then know that we will dedicate ourselves to the pursuit and unmaking of you and all you encounter.+

Avo taunted the Low Masters with a sneering laugh. +And how will you do that if I set all of the Nether on fire?+

There came no hesitation in Emotions following words. +You are not beyond our ability to snuff, even now. But we will learn from you. We will understand you. And we will replicate that which you have inflicted on yourself.+

Wisping incandescence crept closer to Emotion in the Nether. The priest quavered nor shook.

+Could take you now. Drink you away. Make you a part of me.+

+You could,+ Emotion admitted. +But you are uncertain as to the risks of my subsumption. You remember the war-mind, and you wonder if we have others. Or I can trigger one right now.+