Serve the World Machine. The World Machine is your Friend.

From: Søren Petersen <SBP101_at_mail.tele.dk>
Date: Wed, 2 Jun 1999 23:28:04 +0200


The young dwarf peered cautiously out of the cave entrance. His first = trip to the Outside and he marvelled at the sights. His weak eyes made = out the blue sky, the yellow orb high above and a myriad of green. So = many shades of green! His senses reeling, he staggered backwards, only = to be pushed forward again by the dwarf behind him.

"Come on, you dullard", the older dwarf said. "Get a move on, we haven't =
got all daycycle. We've blown the horn, now just get out there and stand = around for a bit".

The young dwarf nodded nervously and took a few steps forward. Squinting = in the glare of the sun, he concentrated on his motionsense but quickly = numbed it again as a multitude of different air currents and pressure = variations assaulted him. He looked back at the cave entrance and saw = the other dwarfs huddling inside, their weapons armed and ready.

"Move it, Ral!", yelled Bok, the team leader, "or the Council will hear =
of your reluctance".

Ral sighed and gripped his crossbow tightly. His iron armour clanking, = he walked straight ahead until he was about 25 rods away from the cave. =
"That's far enough", came the shout from the cave, "now just stand there =
and wait. Think you can manage that?". The voice was thick with irony.

Ral muttered a horrible blasphemy under his breath and nodded. Realising = that the others were too far away to see that, he shouted back "Yes sir, = Mr. Team Leader, sir. I hear and obey". If possible, his voice was even = thicker with sarcasm.

He looked back at the cave, but it was now a blur, almost lost in the = green. He tried his motionsense again but was once more quickly forced = to shut it down. Useless, quite useless.

He could hear the wind rustling in the big green things ("Trees", Vilmak =

had called them) and the chirping of the "birds" (some sort of relative =
of the cave bat, but with feathers, he recalled from the briefing). The =
Outsiders ate them, he had heard. Ral shuddered slightly, imagining his =
mouth full of burnt feathers and crunchy bones. He dipped into a pocket =
and fished out a Red which he quickly swallowed. Then he stood still and = waited... =20

His internal clock had only reached 309.2 beats when he saw motion to = the left of him. Fighting to keep calm, he slowly turned to face the = creature approaching him. Almost two rods in height and hideously thin = and gangly, it slowly moved towards him. As it came closer, Ral could = make out more details: the beardless face, the primitive clothes and = weapons, the strange runes tattooed all over its body - and worst of = all, the stench!

The creature stopped some distance away and gave the Red Moon sign of = Peace and Trade. Ral kept one hand on the trigger of his crossbow and = slowly returned the sign. A human, he guessed. Too bulky to be an = Aldryami and too small for a troll.=20

The human said something to Ral. Pure gibberish, it sounded like gravel = caught in heavy gearworks. Fighting down the urge to put the thing out = of its misery, Ral grinned and nodded. "You are one ugly beast. I should = use your head to decorate my cubicle", he replied.=20

He glanced back towards the cave and could make out the other dwarfs = slowly emerging, the sun glinting in their armour as they approached. In = the back (as usual) came the squat outline of Bok, his face hidden by = the scowling face mask all the Iron dwarfs of this region affected.

Ral looked back at the human and saw it staring nervously at the group = of dwarfs. "It is more afraid than I am", he thought. The human gave the = peace sign again, this time directed to the other dwarfs. Ral noticed = how its hand was shaking and his confidence rose. "This is going to be = easy" he thought. "One small mission and my record will be cleared = again".

The dwarfs spread out and formed a loose circle around Ral and the = human. Bok waddled forward, one hand resting loosely on the gleaming = pistol in his belt. He nodded curtly towards Ral and motioned him away. = Ral nodded in acknowledgement and moved to his position in the circle of = watchful dwarfs.

He could hear Bok talking to the human behind him. Obviously the old = dwarf had met humans before because he seemed to know their guttural = tongue. It didn't sound like Tradetalk to Ral, but then again, he was no = linguist.=20

The talking went on for a long time. There was quite a lot of repeating = of words and pantomiming. Ral looked to his right and saw Vilmak = crouched down in the green, his rifle cocked and ready. The old veteran = looked at ease as he scanned the surrounding scenery for unseen enemies. = He noticed Ral looking at him and flashed him a gap-toothed grin and a = 'thumbs up'.

That's when it all went horribly wrong...

There was a shout from the trees and suddenly the sky was swarming with = arrows and slingstones. As he dived for cover, Ral could feel the slight = telltale vibrations in the air that signalled spell use. He felt an = arrow bounce off his shoulder plate and another embedded itself in the = ground, only inches from his nose. Squinting desperately at the forest, = he tried to make out the shapes in the distance. He aimed his crossbow = at what he hoped was a human and squeezed the trigger. The bolt sped = towards its target, humming madly with poison and magics. Ral heard a = shout of pain and grinned as he cocked the crossbow again. Another arrow = glanced off his armour and a slingstone made his head ring as it hit his = helmet.=20

The other dwarfs were prone on the ground, pointing their guns at = distant figures amongst the trees. "Why don't they shoot?", Ral = wondered. He saw Fen shaking the Burner and working the lever without = result.

Ral looked behind him and saw Bok standing over the bloody corpse of the = human, his spiky fist dripping blood. An arrow had somehow penetrated = Bok's defences and stuck out at a crazy angle from his helmet. The iron = dwarf took a Mk III cluster grenade from his belt and hurled it towards = the trees. Ral counted the 2.5 beats before it should have exploded, but = nothing happened! A dud!

"Back to the complex!", came the shout from Bok. "Orderly retreat. Move =
it!".

Ral fired his crossbow in the general direction of the trees and stood = up. Suddenly he felt like someone had punched him hard in the stomach. = He looked down at the three arrows imbedded in his belly, two of them = already fading away, leaving only the original.=20

He touched it gingerly. "A multimissile?", he thought groggily, "How = primitive". And then darkness enveloped him.

The shock of the icy cold water flung in his face woke Ral up in an = instant. He looked wildly around him. His arms and legs were tied down = somehow and he could make out a circle of humans standing around him. = One of them stood with a dripping bucket and was grinning evilly down at = him. Ral tried to get up and felt a bolt of pain surging through him. = His stomach felt as if it was on fire and his arms and legs were = bleeding freely from where the SLI armour connectors had been torn off.

"Can you understand me, little one?", the one with the bucket said. It =
was speaking passable Tradetalk. Ral tried to clear his head and nodded = slowly.

"Good", the human said, "what are you called?". It was a nasty-looking =
specimen, thought Ral, its greasy hair washed with lime, blue whorls = adorning its lanky body and a stench that would offend a cave troll a = keymile away. It was wearing a gold torc of decidedly inferior = workmanship around its grimy neck.=20

Remembering the instructions from his briefing, Ral gave only his = designation and number: "I am Mostali bronze worker, 3rd level = maintenance technician, ident RL-271064-0631-RM". He gave an = experimental tug on his restraints but they seemed solid.

His reply seemed to amuse the human. "Greetings, Mostali bronze worker. = I am Corvic, chieftain of this tribe. We thought you dead as well, but = it seems your God smiles at you."

"Where are my companions? Let me go at once or you'll soon regret it!" =
Ral's voice was taut with anger. "The entire Complex will come down on = you like a thousandweight of bricks!"

"They are all dead, little one". Corvic smiled an odd smile. Ral had =
trouble reading the expression on the long human face. He supposed this = one was a male. Most humans had male leaders, he had heard. "And I am = sure your friends believe you to be dead too", Corvic continued.

Dead? Ral was stunned. Eight dwarfs, most of them hardened iron class = soldiers, led by old Bok himself - dead?. They had been carrying the = latest in weapons and armour. Only Ral and Hadi, being lower level = bronze class, carried crossbows. The others had used rifles and pistols. = He shook his head in denial.

Corvic saw this and silently pointed to his right. Ral looked and saw to = his horror a pile of small bodies, heaped on top of each other. Despite = the terrible wounds, it was clear that they were dwarfs. Ral's eyes = widened. One dwarf was cut open from throat to groin, his innards = spilled out and the CN interface still clicking softly. Their armour and = weapons were neatly stacked next to the dead bodies. Ral could feel the = bile rising in his throat and he closed his eyes in sorrow.

"Look at me, dwarf!" Corvic had grabbed Ral's beard and turned his head =
around to face him again. "Look at me!". Ral snarled and spat at the = human. Corvic roared with anger and took a step back. He drew a sword = from his scabbard and kissed the blade before raising it high above his = head. Ral prepared to finally meet his Maker.

Just then a harsh voice rang out, the words unintelligible to Ral. = Corvic faltered and looked at the old human who had spoken. This one was = bearded, Ral noted. The man was carrying a gnarled staff and wearing a = faded grey robe.

Corvic turned to face the old man, his knuckles white from gripping the = sword. A heated discussion ensued. Ral tried to follow it, but a fresh = wave of pain washed over him and he blacked out.

As he woke again, Ral could feel that he was sitting down. He opened his = eyes and looked blearily around. He was now inside a small wooden = building, obviously built for human occupation. He found himself sitting = in a chair, his hands tied together behind him but his feet freed from = their bonds. He was wearing some sort of off white tunic and the pain in = his belly and limbs had lessened somewhat. Before him was a large table = and sitting behind it, the old bearded man, watching him intently.

"So you're finally awake. How are you feeling?". The old man spoke good =
Tradetalk, his voice deep and not unkind.=20

Ral shook his head to clear it. How he could use a Blue! "I've been = better", he replied. "Who are you?".

"I am Tolwin, Lawspeaker of Lhankhor Mhy", the old man said. Ral had =
heard of this God in Outsider Mythology class. Somehow related to hoary = Mostal, and holder of the Law rune as well. Could be worse.

"My thanks for stopping that madman," Ral said. "You should flee, before =
the Gobblers come and devour you all".=20

"I don't think we need to fear your Gobblers", replied Tolwin. "You =
really don't understand what happened, do you?".=20

Ral shook his head slowly. The old man stroked his beard and looked = searchingly at Ral.

"Maybe it's for the best that you remain ignorant then. I have persuaded =
Corvic to offer you Hospitality. He cannot harm you now".

"What is going on? Tell me!". Ral felt totally bewildered.=20

"You cannot go back to your home, young dwarf." Tolwin said after a long =
pause. "They want nothing to do with you or the others. For removing = you, we get to keep your iron armour and useless weapons. A very = profitable deal, despite our losses"

"Wha.... but the Council?", stuttered Ral. "What are you saying?".

"The Council are the ones who sent you out here, remember?". The old man =
rose from his seat. "I suggest you leave here. There are others of your = kind... outcasts, not too far from here."

Ral's head was buzzing with this information. He had heard that some of = the dwarfs in the team had trouble with minor infractions or suspicion = of independent thought. A deep anger began to burn within him. Those old = fools in the Council. This was something they could come up with all = right. Take a group of troublemakers, send them on some bogus mission = and let someone else kill them. The Council keep their noses clean and = the Complex is pure once again. Ral was sure that his name had already = been added to the Wall of Honourable but Very Dead Heroes.

He looked up at Tolwin. "Tell me where to go", he said. The Council had = not heard the last of this!


Powered by hypermail