Godclads

Chapter 33-5 Unwelcoming Committee (I)

{It’s not a question if the terrestrials are going to kill each other — They simply will. Eons of unending warfare and mutual loathing have created a people so desensitized to death and creative in its implementation that even with every safeguard put in place, there will inevitably be those who try regardless of the cost they might suffer, regardless of the norms they will break.

But that doesn’t mean there is nothing to be done.

If there is one thing the Guilds despise more than each other, it is humiliation. From their calloused perspective, losing a few million people is a lesser pain than suffering a public moment of shame, and as we are the only true “neutral” arbitration left, we possess immense political and socio-logical influence.

As such, all minds who interface with the terrestrials should take care to gamify your approaches. Make them suffer for every major breach of decorum. This will keep a lot of their jousting in the realm of the social — and absolutely hold on to evidence of them trying to assassinate each other.

A few are going to die, but the rest will be cowed by the threat of releasing such materials to the public as propaganda pieces. This, alongside further tech embargoes, are usually enough to guarantee a limited level of peace.

As for their use of more esoteric Heavens—it is best to have one of our assets positioned among each of the dispatched emissaries. Though the Guilds consider each other as fair game, the idea of harming us—their “esteemed” benefactors, might cause just enough consternation that they’ll keep their action subtle.

But do pay attention to their tempers. It doesn’t take much to offend one of these angry little creatures enough for them to trigger some manner of matter dissolving horror hidden in their bloodstream.

We are not playing at Model United Systems, fellow minds. This is simply an exercise in wrangling the most murderous and destructive kindergarteners in existence.)

-EGI “It’s A Hard-Knock Life For You”

Unwelcoming Committee (I)

—[Green River]—

+Docking process completed! Atmosphere stabilizing. Phase-fields activated. Running final security checks for any natural and metaphysical safety hazards within the voiddock… Cleared. You have the green light to disembark, sisters. Good fortune be with you and mind your actions. The palm hangs above us.+

The ship mistress’s words were unnecessary. Every single Sang aboard the vessel A Fine Day for a Sojourn could see the heavy mists drifting among them. The vaporous miracles that constituted the Chief Paladin’s primary Heaven passed through the reinforced hulls of their vessel to rest upon their forms. Green River even felt a brief squeeze earlier—likely Chief Naeko performing an act of psychological warfare upon each of his guests while also counting their total numbers.

All in all, this was likely going to be one of the more eventful emergency conferences she had attended — especially considering how difficult assassinations were probably going to be.

“I don’t like how his touch lingers on us,” Odd Moon said, shivering next to Green River. “It’s so invasive.”

Green River regarded the young Sang with a flat stare. The girl lived a sheltered life if she thought this was invasive. So untrusted and expendable—they probably haven’t even made her undergo a Deep Interrogation yet.

Everyone was gathering along the walkway now. One hundred and eight emissaries had been dispatched by the politburo to pay political tribute to their new tyrant, and of their number, Green River considered most of them expendable. Mostly third and fourth sisters at most—cycle fodder when the time came, but useful right now.

It was insulting to be included among their number, but understandable. She wasn’t so different from them now. Alas, they didn’t fully know her game either; they cast her here to keep her away from the halls of power, but this served her ends. She needed to reconvene with the ghoul and the others. They needed to strategize and scheme. More importantly, she wanted to know just what the hells were happening within the Substance and if she could be deployed inside.

This was a situation she was exactly suited for: Deep penetration and subversive operations.

Heavy chitinous steed-like bioforms which sported open crevices along their backs carried the luggage Green River and the other Sang brought with them. With a droplet of blood applied to their backs, they would also unfurl into a flash-use bio-rigs as well, should things devolve into a firefight.

Green River doubted that was going to happen, but it was ultimately better to have a gun and not use it than to be without and die desperate.

They progressed as a neat row, disembarking one after another down a narrow tube-shaped escalator. Cold, sterile air burrowed into her nostrils along with the stretch of a barely functioning oxygen scrubber.

Why did the Chief Paladin demand to have this meeting aboard the unfinished planetary ring? She didn’t know. Perhaps it was a means of intimidation, but something in her suspected that this was strategic as well. Her fox-form whimpered at another smell—one she learned to associate with Avo.

There was the bitter copper of distant blood. Ghoulish blood. And judging from how some of the other Sang were sniffing and coughing, she wasn’t the only one that smelled it. Hidden weapons clicked within shifting bones and reweaving flesh. Again, this wouldn’t protect them against Naeko, but the psychological effect of being able to choose your own death rather than just suffering an execution like some mongrel dog did wonders for the human spirit.

Disembarking from their shell-coated voidship, Green River angled her head past the procession to see a massive door sealing their path. It looked to be constructed from some mixture of smart-matter and duranium—one of the few bits of architecture that mixed advanced coldtech and thaumaturgically forged alloy. It spanned a good ten meters high and across, and as cycling mechanism moved on its center. Sounds of unlocking mag-clamp filled the room, and Green River was filled with the urge to look back.

Behind her, past the body of her voidship was a phase field — a thin veil of crackling orange was all that parted them from the coldness of the void. A ticklish paranoia continued to gnaw at her mind as she considered how vulnerable she and the others were. If Naeko decided, he could kill all of them in that instant by deactivating the field. They’d all pour out into the cold and dark.

Some might survive for a while thanks to their rigs and enhanced sheathes, but most Sang were not adapted for radiation at all. That would see them dead in relatively short order.

Of course, if Naeko wanted to kill them, he could have just brought his palm down properly. Not like they could do much against that anyway.

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

The fox nipped her at her human body’s neck, demanding that she stay focused. Right. No sense in fearing what she couldn’t affect. Pointless and wasteful anxiety, that. All she needed—

A thread zipped out from the still-opening doors. Green River and the others failed to reach as it tunneled through their bodies and ran each of them through. Cries out surprise and outright turned to gasps of near-pleasure and grunts of surprise. In seconds, a lightness filled Green River, alongside another emotion she thought long forgotten…

“Good morning, consangs,” a familiar voice boomed inside her being. Several of the other Sang jolted in surprise as the woven shape of the Lovebringer materialized between them. The new Heaven of Love knit itself together from the threads connecting them, greeting them briefly with a yarn-shaped limb. “Glad to have you all with us this evening. So. There’s 108 of you. Nice, nice. Glad to see the No-Dragons taking this seriously.”

“What is this?” Odd Moon said, her voice rising in confusion and outrage. “What have you done to us?”

“What? This? It’s more like what I’ve just done for you. You’re on Lovenet now — Idheim’s second global thaumaturgic network. Through these Bonds, you’ll be able to commune with your Dowagers back home in no time—or even call your families. And the best of all, it’s entirely free! On the house! Just remember to thank good old Aedon Chambers.”

Chambers. Right. The ghoul’s slave turned pet degenerate. Green River stifled a shiver as she realized who was touching her right now. She did enough research into the man’s background to know that he was among the worst candidates for the Heaven of Love, but alas, the ghoul wasn’t her ideal savior for Idheim either.

We would be dead without him, the fox growled.

Green River straightened her spine and spoke aloud. “I see. You have our appreciation. Thanks, Master Chambers. We look forward to offering our greetings to you in person.”

A chuckle sounded from Chambers. “Yeah. Wow. Green River. They sent you too, huh? And you’re even polite now. Must be in a time of miracles after all.”

She did her best to stop her lip from twitching.

“You know this one?” Odd Moon said, the antennae of her bio-rig twitching with suspicion.

“A guest from back when I ran the Second Fortune.”

Odd Moon’s features contorted in disbelief and disgust. “He’s FATELESS?”

Oh, poor stupid creature. “No. He’s a Godclad. A Sphere Eight Godclad. A Sphere Eight Godclad who has the favor and ear of Chief Paladin Samir Naeko.” Green River leaned in, and used this opportunity to redefine the dynamic between her and her “minder.” “You are new to this. I can tell. But understand that if you upset either of them, things can happen, and our lives are no nearly important enough to warrant a remuneration from either the current user of the Heaven of Love, or the Sage himself. Mind yourself. Do as I do. And do not get the rest of us killed.”

Again, the child did her best impression of a goldfish. Brilliant Orchard’s pet assassin clearly didn’t anticipate this, and several of the other emissaries in their group shot her muted glares. The tension climbed further as the void-gate finally opened, only to reveal a hallway lined with glass, with only a single individual waiting to greet them.

This one Green River knew as well, and involuntarily, a smile began to crawl over her face. Without hesitation, she began pushing her way past the more “senior” members of her delegation to greet her old “friend.”

“Jelene,” Green River said. She didn’t know if this was a deliberately engineered moment—an attempt to highlight her as an esteemed guest above the other Sang—but she fully intended to take advantage of it. She used her fox’s eyes to watch her sisters. Oh, how the shadows of suspicion played across their features, but it wasn’t like her reputation wasn’t already sullied. What mattered more was how much she could leverage her new place during this conference: Her other sisters had Dowagers to answer to as well, but they were here to gather intelligence more than they were here to create a lasting peace.

And as Green River clasped Draus’s armored hand and shook her with the rigor of an obsequious servant, more than a few would soon be making her acquaintance, hoping for proper introductions.

“Green River,” Draus said. Her combat skin’s helmet was unfolded, revealing a vicious smirk. She didn’t even offer the rest of the No-Dragon delegation a glance. “See you still ain’t snuffed yet.”

“Despite the city’s best efforts,” Green River said, unable to hide a slight hint of frustration.

Draus shifted, and part of her skin glinted unnaturally. Green River’s fox-self narrowed their eyes. There was also a distinct lack of heat from the Regular as well. Was this the doing of her armor, or was Green River talking to a construct made from glass. A glimmer danced down the surrounding architecture, and sudden movement drew Green River’s attention to the reflections flanking her.

To her left and right, Stormtree and Highflame delegates were arriving as well, each of their esteemed processions greeted by another Draus. However, there were other individuals in these other scenes as well—small, malnourished-looking people who adorned their bodies with white paint and lined their flesh with artful scars.

Through these reflections, the other Guilds delegates looked to the Sang, surprised before the gleam faded and the passages closed.

“As you might’ve just seen,” Draus began, her voice booming with authority, “you ain’t the only ones coming in. Now. I know how things were done before — assassinations, poisonings, under the table bullshit… That’s not happening here. I’m watching you. Everything with a reflection is watching you. Naeko is watching you. And the Lovebringer’s got his threads in deep. You step out of line, and you’ll know pleasure—a little too much for your minds to endure, and then you won’t know much after that. Are we synced?”

“We are synced,” Green River said, nodding congenially. A lull of silence spurred her to turn and stare at her fellow sisters. She gestured slightly at them, and they all started offering their own hurried affirmations as well. Odd Moon looked lost and worried. Perfect. The less control she felt she had, the better—

+Hey, River! Been a while! Sorry about the quick greeting earlier. Got a lot I’m trying to handle right now!+ The sudden booming of Chambers’ voice again made Green River’s fox-form let out a squeal. It nipped at the air afterward. +Oh, shit. Sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you. Listen, I got you linked to a special bond. I’m still tweaking this Lovenet thing, but you’re on a special skein I’ve woven. It shouldn’t work too different from the Nether—just channel your thoughtcasts through the Bonds, and I’ll hear you. I can try connecting you to other people or places as well! Neat, huh? I can also teleport you around too, but don’t go telling the other Sang about that yet. It’s more of a hidden feature for now.”

Green River blinked and tentatively did as the Lovebringer said. A surge of ghosts passed along the Bond threaded through her chest, and as it flowed through the connection, circulating up and through the glass walls. +Quite the load of information you dropped on me, but I appreciate your candor, Master Chambers.+

The Lovebringer snorted. +Yeah, well, I’m trying to get used to things, too. Lots of shit’s happening all the time. I can barely keep up. Wait, Avo got you out from inside the Substance, right? You don’t have a shard of the Stillborn in you… Nope. Don’t feel anything.+

She barely knew what he was talking about. +That was partially the reason I came. I wish to speak to the Burning Dreamer. There are things I wish to discuss with him.+

+Sorry, consang. That’s gonna be hard — our rotlick’s off fighting a war inside the Substance. He’s going to be occupied for a while. But that’s another story and a half. Hey, listen, Naeko wants to know who’s running the show on the No-Dragon’s end—would be nova if you could start snitching.+

+How awfully blunt of you, Chambers.+

+That’s the way politics goes, yeah?+

She supposed he was right. Everyone was out for their own angles. And speaking of her own angles. +Before we do anything, I wish to confirm something with you: You said you can connect to people anywhere across Idheim.+

A beat followed on Chambers’ end. +Might be a slight exaggeration, but my coverage is pretty good. And free.+

+Can you reach the Second Fortune?+ Green River’s heart sped up slightly. It wasn’t that she missed the place, but with all that was happening, it would be a blow to see the establishment that served as the base of her exile collapse.

+Say no more. Connecting you now.+

+Connecting? Chambers, wait—-+

And suddenly, a surging feeling of romantic desire and absolute lust passed through her. Both woman and fox gasped. As the breath left their lungs, another voice was joined to them—a voice Green River knew all too well.

+Holy fuck, what the fuck was that! I just dropped my fucking dice into my tea—+ Green River sensed Bright-Wealth, and her former subordinate sensed her as well. +Fuuuucckkk. I think I’ve had a few nightmares started like this.+