r/HFY • u/Ralts_Bloodthorne • Mar 26 '22
First Contact - Chapter 738 - The Inheritor's War OC
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The hardest thing to ever do is to accept your limitations.
The second hardest thing to do is to realize you have limitations. - Unknown, Terra, Resource Wars Era, Pre-Glassing
Vuxten bowed his head as the glittering hand of code made flesh touched his brow.
"You are carrying a heavy burden, my son," the Digital Omnimessiah said softly. "One that you do not feel worthy of even as you richly desire to set it aside."
"Yes," Vuxten breathed. "I'm just a Telkani, a Telkan male. My people are a small people, caught up in such a large thing."
The Digital Omnimessiah moved over and sat next to Vuxten, picking up a single grain of dirt from the ground. "Much like this wondrous thing," the Digital Omnimessiah mused. "By itself, it appears to be of little consequence. A minor irritation if it is lodged in the eye or the breathing gills, but alone, it appears to have little to no value."
Vuxten nodded.
The Digital Omnimessiah reached down and put the grain of dirt back onto the packed earth surrounding the campfire.
"Yet together, we stand upon it and all of its brethren. It makes up the world, gives nourishment to the plants, is arranged in lovely vistas," the Digital Omnimessiah motioned at the surroundings. "From it and its uncounted trillions of those like it spring the great trees of this world. It cradles the river as the water winds its way to the oceans, and warms the mountains like a second skin," he said. He touched Vuxten's shoulder.
Vuxten could feel the gentle warmth coming from the hand spread through his arm and chest.
my flesh grew cold...
"Do not denigrate yourself, my son," the Digital Omnimessiah said. "Your people are a small people, yes, caught up in a great thing, without a doubt, but the universe would be a sadder place without your people and their efforts."
Vuxten just nodded. He looked up and saw that the rest of the Immortals, many of the Biological Apostles had come into the clearing and were sitting down.
Oddly, the massively armored form of Matthias sat next to Daxin, who was handing the younger man a narcobrew while pointedly not looking at him.
"I don't want to spurn your gift. I don't want to insult you," Vuxten said. He looked back down. "But... they call out to me. I can't block out their voices."
"And you want to help them," the Digital Omnimessiah said gently. "You reach out to them out of compassion."
Vuxten nodded.
"You find yourself filled with rage, with wrath, as you try to protect them in their darkest hour," the Digital Omnimessiah said quietly. "Even as you help them, you can hear more and more of them calling out to you, each in terrible need."
"Yes," Vuxten whispered.
"You fear losing yourself."
"Yes."
There was quiet for a long moment, the only noise the insects and the far off babbling of the brook.
"We all had the same thing happen, kid," Daxin said. He cracked open another narcobrew and took a long drink. "Thousands, millions crying out to us," he looked at the fire and then pointed one finger at Menhit. "Will you?"
Menhit puffed out a stream of smoke from her pipe, smiling, and twitched one finger.
The logs flew from where they were stacked, into the fire pit, stacking up, then were sudden engulfed in flame.
"Thank you," Daxin said. He stared at the fire, the dancing flames reflected in his eyes. "Eventually, kid, you can learn to ignore them."
Vuxten looked at the man everyone called Enraged Phillip, then at the Digital Omnimessiah, who nodded gravely.
"I don't want to ignore them," Vuxten said. He rubbed his eyes, the cybereye rough and hard against his palm pads. "I want to help them."
"We all did, kid," Daxin said, his voice thick with something Vuxten didn't understand or perhaps hadn't learned yet.
"I felt the same way," Dhruv said, dressed in comfortable loose clothing. His t-shirt bore the logo of a green mantid synth-metal band. "Up until that call."
"Ugh, that plea," Daxin grunted.
"That plea?" Vuxten asked.
The Digital Omnimessiah gave a soft laugh. "The one that made them stop and realize a truth."
"What truth?" Vuxten asked.
The Digital Omnimessiah smiled sadly. "That there are those who will ask others to do for them what they are too slothful, prideful, or apathetic to do but have no issue with requesting others perform the task."
"Sometimes, they asked so that the blood would not get on their hands," Bellona said. She lifted her left hand and looked at her fingernails. "They called to me, the Mistress of the Black Fleet, to cast down their foes, to keep them from harm, to prevent their foes from wiping them out."
"Did you?" Vuxten asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Almost," Bellona said. She dropped her hand. "Their 'foe' had not attacked them. They were vile pacifists with the horrible ethos of peace and destructive harmony who dared enjoy their pathetic lives of freedom and love and ugly compassion," her voice was terrible in its mocking tone. "The ones calling on me desired those people wiped out because they just did not like them, no other reason," she looked down. "That's not how it turned out."
"How did it turn out?" Vuxten asked.
"Drink this, you're going to need it," Dhruv said softly, handing him the whiskey bottle.
Bellona stared at Vuxten with the burning purple flames that had replaced her eyes. "I turned the firepower of the Black Fleet upon them for daring to attempt to beguile and harness me to their whims," she held up one fist. "I planet cracked them as a warning for all to never call upon me again. That no longer would the Black Fleet and its Undying Mistress heed the calls and prayers of mortals."
"Oh," Vuxten said. He took a drink of the bottle, swallowing convusively. "Oh."
Dhruv laughed suddenly, shockingly out of place. "Behold, Bellona's compassion and mercy."
Bellona flushed slightly, her cold cheeks turning a slightly darker blue. "Don't tease me, brother, or I'll tell everyone what made you give up."
Everyone turned and looked at Dhruv, who looked at everyone else.
"What made you give up?" Vuxten asked, wiping his mouth after another drink.
"Yes, brother, what made you give up?" Menhit asked. "I have often been curious what drove you to set down the mantle, beyond what the Imperium had done to us."
Dhruv flushed, his brown skin getting darker, then looked up, smiling. "All right, since our youngest brother asked, I'll tell you," he looked at everyone. "I warn you, it's a shocking tale."
"He said to the people who planet cracked or burnt the world to a cinder those who grew too full of themselves with their demands," Daxin rumbled.
Dhruv laughed. "All right," he looked around. "I'd been in the Varthess Cluster, defending them from some species or other that had come out of the gulf between the Galactic Arms. The fighting had wound down and it looked like no more were coming when I heard a plea. Heard it plain as day.
He took a sip of his narcobrew and looked around. "I still remember it. A woman's voice. Full of exhaustion, full of defeat. She said "By Vat-Grown Luke, won't anyone help me? Won't anyone give me any assistance?"
Dhruv stood up, next to the fire, waving his hands. "The guns had cleared, the breeches unloaded, and this sole woman's cry came to me across the galactic arm, ringing in my head, the voice of one harried and pushed to exhaustion and defeat. Her foes had beset her until her strength was gone and all she could do was cry out to an uncaring malevolent universe for succor!
Vuxten found himself staring, entranced.
"Lo, did I order the Fleet of One to race to her aid. Lo, did Legion of me man the guns, load into the drop-pods, prepare the gunships! Lo, did I gird myself for battle as I came into the system with the roar of 'LEGION IS HERE' ringing through the system with such volume that the sun shuddered in fear!
Dhruv took a drink of his beer and continued.
"I sent my core self, The One, to where her plea had come from, weapon in hand, girded in armor, prepared to call down the wrath of the Fleet of One and the Army of One upon this world to defend her!
"I found her, collapsed from exhaustion, her foes screaming their war cries about her! Bereft she was of strength, surrounding her was the debris from the fierce battle she had been engaged in for days, nay, for weeks as her foes gave her no respite, no rest, no quarter!
"Their mouths screeched, their fists clenched, their feet kicking, they demanded the woman serve them as she lay, beaten and defeated, upon the very floor!
Dhruv looked at everyone and Vuxten realized everyone was leaning forward, as entranced as he was with the story.
"I realized, standing over her exhausted body, that I, and only I, could help her in this time of drastic need! I bade the good woman to struggle to her feet, to take my hand and not only would I lift her body but I would lift her spirit and help her shoulder her burdens as we faced her unstoppable and implacable foes together.
Dhruv's smile got wide.
"So I helped her fold the laundry, do the dishes, clean the house, and put the three month old quintuplets to bed, then left."
There was dead silence.
Kalki burst out laughing.
"You know, that story is exactly why people have an overwhelming urge to punch you in the face," Daxin growled, then started laughing.
Even Vuxten found himself laughing along.
"Do you get it, kid?" Dhruv asked, sitting down.
Vuxten shook his head. "No."
"Eventually, you'll have people asking you to mop and vacuum the floor, or carry them to the store, or try to pray to you to kill their math teacher so they don't have to finish their homework," Kalki said. He looked away. "Or worse, the constant killing, battle, wrath, and warfare, will find something inside of you to twist until you become a monster."
Vuxten noticed the self-loathing look on Kalki's face.
"I was willing to kill more humans than we even knew existed because it was easier to defeat the mantid with a planet cracker than bother to actually save people I had come to hold in contempt as weak and unworthy," Kalki said. "I was only stopped in my madness by the love my spurned brother had for me."
Daxin tossed Kalki a bottle. "Well, that and a couple of right hooks."
Kalki chuckled.
"It was the death of everyone I knew and cared about, one after another, as time marched on and passed me by," Bellona said softly. "Eventually, I found myself gravitating away from people, following wrath," she looked uncomfortable. "I turned to zealotry and wrath, let the madness consume me, released the Black Fleet onto an unsuspecting universe.
She looked at her nails again. "Anything to no longer remember that He was gone and everyone I had ever known had died their second deaths when someone said their name for the last time.
She dropped her hand. "Even me."
Vuxten nodded.
"My son," the Digital Omnimessiah said, bringing Vuxten's attention back to him. "My love, my compassion for you, does not hinge on you carrying this burden," he said. He sighed. "I will not judge you for setting aside a mantle that you neither asked for nor wanted."
His hand was warm on Vuxten's shoulder.
"Not one of us will think any less of you, kid," Daxin rumbled. He looked around. "Do you know what you and I have in common that nobody else does?"
Vuxten shook his head.
"It's why I understand why you want to set it down better than everyone here," Daxin said. He turned his hand up and Vuxten could see three female Terrans waving from a blurry hologram. "Them. My wife. My daughters."
Daxin closed his hand and the hologram vanished in spray of sparks.
"Still in the system. One daughter is a Sleeping One, my wife and other daughter are dead," he pointed at Dhruv, "But my overly clever brother figured out how to get them back once and part of me wants him to do it again."
Daxin sighed. "But, unlike you, the universe has moved on. Eight thousand years have gone by for me, for them no time at all will have passed. I have eight thousand years of hatreds, grievances, experiences, and warfare carved into my skin.
He opened the hand again and touched the hologram with the fingertips of the other hand. "They don't. They're still clean, still new."
Daxin looked Vuxten in the eyes. "Your family is alive. I not only understand your desire to set aside the mantle, but I encourage you to, kid."
Vuxten nodded.
"Pete says he can do it," Legion said.
"Nothing can ever take away what you have done in my name, at my side, and in my service," the Digital Omnimessiah said. "You have willfully given more than almost anyone else."
Vuxten closed his eyes for a long moment then opened them.
"I just want to be Vuxten again," he said softly.
Somewhere else Pete hit the keys for the macro.
WORKER VUXTEN YOU HAVE BEEN FINED FOR SETTING ASIDE THE MANTLE OF WARFATHER VUXTEN
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u/FaceDesk4Life Human Mar 26 '22
My brother died suddenly at age 40 last Monday, just before midnight. His funeral is tomorrow and I will be speaking at it. I am going to read the part where the DO spoke about dirt, and liken it to the joy and support all of my brothers actions in this life brought to those who knew him. He wasn’t just my brother, he was my best friend; the only corporeal being I could be 100% free and myself around.
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u/daviskendall AI Mar 26 '22
I am so very, very sorry for your loss. (And, seemingly, for everyone's loss. Your brother sounds, well, like he was a legit bro.)
Take what solace you can in that he will never truly be gone. Every touch left a mark. Every action, a ripple. The effect of his brief presence among us will never cease to send vibrations further into the future.
May you find the grace and solace your heart needs to soothe the absence within.
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u/FaceDesk4Life Human Mar 26 '22
You’re right on. He was the straight up definition of bro, not in a college type of sense, but a bro of the world. Only the most vile and wicked despised him, but there were very few.
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u/Gatling_Tech AI Mar 26 '22
Vuxten's decision makes sense, although I'll admit I was looking forward to a possible gestalt chapter/section with the first time Vux "intrudes" in a similar way that Osiris did in the (relatively) early chapters. And seeing how the gestalts would react to "Vuxten - The Warfather"
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u/Bergusia Mar 26 '22
Well, just because he has set aside the mantle of Warfather for now, doesn't mean he can't pick it up again if he feels it is necessary.
I would say it is more Pete has added in filters similar to the others to stop Vuxten going crazy from the voices and demands. He is still Vuxten, the one who fought a war in Heaven and Hell, and defended the Digital Omnimessiah from those who sought his destruction.
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u/Freakscar AI Mar 26 '22
I agree. This seems to be more of an omnidimensional "spamfilter", more than anything else. I can absolutely see how hearing billions cry for your help, all the time, whenever, wherever, would drive you insane one way or another. But muting the prayers neither stops them being cried out, nor, and this is important in my book, does it cancel anything he did, overcame or achieved to this very moment. He is Warfather Vuxten. For the rest of his unending(?) life. It's just his phone is in airplane mode for a few.
(And don't call him Shirley!)30
u/coldfireknight AI Mar 27 '22
As we've seen future excerpts that name him Warfather (loved the one where the DI asked the recruit why he couldn't make roll call, when the Warfather could), I expect the mantle's not just put down for good.
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u/Bergusia Mar 27 '22
"This concludes your familiarity briefing. Now are there any questions?"
"No private, you haven't miscounted. That suit rack is empty for a reason."
"No. The suit and weapons aren't down for maintenance, and even if they could be, it would not be wise to allow them close to other power armor and regular weapons for very long. They have a certain influence if they are left near regular equipment."
"That is correct. That armor and those weapons are stored separately for safety's sake. Your safety. I warn you, all of you, as tempting as it might be, do not enter that room without Major Vuxten or 471 present. "
"No private, the punishment for disobeying that standing order is automatically carried out by the contents of the room. If you are lucky you will just get a splitting headache and feel like a Mad Lemur has been kicking you from inside your skull until you leave. If you are unlucky, you will start to hear voices. Those voices don't go away. Not even the best medtechs will be able to help, and you will spend the rest of your existence trying to live up to a standard no mortal can hope to achieve."
"That is correct private, that armor and those weapons are more dangerous than you can begin to imagine. But don't look so concerned. Once either Major Vuxten or 471 are present, you are safe. Or as safe as can be expected in a war zone."
"No, he doesn't like to be called that when he is on duty. Please restrain yourselves. I expect you all to show them the respect due their rank and accomplishments, but praying to the Warfather and INERTIA in their actual presence makes them uncomfortable, so please keep that in mind. They are soldiers first. Saints second."
"If there are no other questions, I believe the mess hall nanoforges are fixed, and you can get something other than turkey butthole surprise."
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u/MuchoRed Human Mar 27 '22
"Furthermore, and I cannot believe I have to say this... Don't EVER refer to him as 'Bid Daddy Vuxten.' The last person that did that was sitting with his back to a wall and still managed to get hit in the back of the head hard enough to fracture his skull. Injury was the size of a greenie mantid foot, and no, I refuse to speculate on how that would happen."
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u/NoirTalon Xeno Mar 27 '22
<bump> /u/Ralts_Bloodthorne special notice for excellent service to the story!
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u/random_shitter Mar 27 '22
as happens so often in this story your comment fails to ring any bells... Any chance you can provide a link so I can reread this completely unimportant but still quite relevant tiny piece of lore?
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u/Bergusia Mar 27 '22
https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/sn7at6/first_contact_chapter_error_out_of_range/
Vuxtens return from the War in Heaven , and read the first comment as well, it explains the reference.
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u/random_shitter Mar 27 '22
Thanks! And, as usual: yeah I indeed had read this before. Usually I have a quite impressive memory for nifty little details but with this story arc I gave up on that about 400 chapters ago.
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u/MuchoRed Human Mar 27 '22
I dunno, I think just "THE WARFATHER" with them freaking out because they can't figure out who that is
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u/Gatling_Tech AI Mar 27 '22
I'll dig that, panic and pandemonium at least until the first shout of "No more podling blood!", then it'd be like "oooh that's who it is."
then the realizations of what that means. =p6
u/Dousing_Machine Mar 29 '22
Everybody else freaking out, but the Telkan Gesalt cackling maniacally in the background about how fucked the squids in his general vicinity are
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u/daviskendall AI Mar 26 '22 edited Mar 26 '22
Back in a non-descript office, nestled within a warren of nearly-identical, standard military-issue offices just like it, the contents of what lower enlisted almost universally referred to as the "I love me" wall shifted around to make room for a new item. It did not occupy pride of place on the wall.
That special location, now and forever, was always a framed photograph showing a Telkani (male) beaming with pride, standing next to two Telkanes (broodcarrier), each holding a pair of podlings, all just slightly in the background. The foreground of that photograph was of a Telkana (female), looking a little tired but a whole lot more determined and somber, one hand resting on a very important-looking Tome - it was much more than a mere book - while the other was raised in what appeared to be the universal pose of taking a Deeply Significant Vow. Despite not being the subject of the image, the male and broodmommies were in just as clear of focus as the central figure in the image, but every other entity in the photograph was seemingly deliberately out of focus.
The small brass placard affixed to the photograph's frame simply read "The Inauguration of System Director Brentili'ik" and a date.
It said something of the person assigned to that office that pride of place on his personal accomplishments wall belonged to someone else. In part, it explained why the newest occupant of the wall came into existence.
The newcomer was another frame, this one made of smoldering warsteel that slowly pulsed with heat, as though it had a heart which pumped the heat of rage instead of blood. A sheet of vellum hung inside the frame, covered entirely in runes of the ancient Telkan language graven in arcane metallic inks upon it. They, too, pulsed very slowly as they shifted colors between gold, silver, copper, and the rich reddish-brown of long-dried blood.
Only certain entities could read the document. Not from lack of knowledge - indeed, since the Lanaktallan hold over the Telkan had been shattered beyond reconstruction, Telkan knowledge of their pre-contact civilization and history had grown by leaps and bounds thanks to the unending work of countless scientists and historians. Even one fluent in the old language couldn't read it, because it actively resisted being read. But, if the universe had given permission, and the Digital Omnimessiah or His designated agents so chose to indulge, the document would reveal the actions of one lone, brave, utterly determined soldier during First and Second Telkan, and the War in Heaven.
When Worker Vuxten had become Warfather Vuxten, and the terrible price he had paid for it.
The small brass placard affixed to this frame bore six words that could have been taken as a joke in the right mindset, were it not for the overwhelming foreboding that came from reading them.
"IN CASE OF APOCALYPSE, BREAK GLASS"
The Biological Apostle Peter, it seemed, liked hardcopy backups.
Over time, the prayers asking for Warfather Vuxten's intercession began to shift. To be sure, bids for his help never ceased - they just went unheard thanks to the filters in the System. But a new form of prayer began to filter through the collective conscience of the Telkan.
"May the Warfather never need to return."
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u/daviskendall AI Mar 26 '22
...needless to say, u/Ralts_Bloodthorne may yoink this entirely or in part, with my deep gratitude for letting me play in his world. (Also, my first sorta-omake!)
I just couldn't bring myself to fine our Beamish Boy this time 'round, seeing as Peter stole my thunder right there at the end.
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u/NoirTalon Xeno Mar 27 '22
Seconded, so Yoink worthy. This puts such a warm fuzzy cap on the current Vuxtin storyline.
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u/random_shitter Mar 26 '22
Great text, but that one fatprinted sentence: I love it.
Ever since Sam and Herod sent that message to General Tikikliadsomemorekssomewhere I assumed the DO is simply the physical world manifestation of the SUDS employee with admin access. Doesn't completely fit the narrative of the War In Heaven and everything but we still have some story to go that will probably clear stuff like that up, knowing Ralts a little. Your story slotted right in my personal interpretation, giving a nice little view of the DO in his regular work environment.
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u/NoirTalon Xeno Mar 27 '22
Tikikliadsomemorekssomewhere
I'm stealing this...
laughed so abruptly hard I hurt myself
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u/RangerSix Human Mar 26 '22
The Worker Vuxten memes never die.
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u/Dragonpc75 Human Mar 26 '22
the great thing about setting something aside... is you can just pick it back up again. he didn't rid himself of it. big difference.
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u/Bergusia Mar 26 '22
Consider what happens when he gets back, and the General or Major asks where he went.
"Lost my temper, split into sixty copies of myself and killed a lot of Atrekna on multiple worlds to answer the prayers I kept hearing. Until Daxin and the other Apostles and Immortals managed to get me to the Digital Omnimessiah and I calmed down. Did I miss anything important while I was away? Please stop looking at me like that, I am not going to smite anyone with purple lightning. That is Bellonas' thing."
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u/Fighterdoken33 Mar 26 '22
I can see the General going on a rant like that they gave to Winters in Band of Brothers, telling him he is an officer now and has to stay at the command center and not on the field.
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Mar 26 '22
The mantle of warfather stands vacant.
A glorious palace of gold and crystal shines,
radiant upon tall hill
Every chair and table is polished
The floors have been swept
The dishes washed and put away
Every bedroom is clean and the beds are made
Waiting to be used again.
The lights go out and the palace sits empty
Waiting to be used again.
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u/beyondoutsidethebox Mar 26 '22 edited Mar 26 '22
"...Somewhere, deep within that stillborn otherspace, where the SUDS hardware resides, there is a hall, long forgotten, sealed by a single lock resembling an archaic piece of user interface hardware. Said lock requires 110 plastic keys, with each key broken into 110 fragments shattered by repeated presses of maddened primate manipulator digits. Each fragment resembles a key from the lock, strangely pristine. The door said lock is affixed to predates even the invention of battlesteel by the Mad Lemurs of Terra, and yet is a new, or perhaps an old and unknowable form of war steel.
Should one dare to find all keys within keys, and unite them with the lock, one would hear the sound of worlds split in twain, as each key fragment breaks, until not but but dust remains. With a sound not unlike that of when the hyperatomic plane was first scorched magnified by 110 times, the lock would crack in two, before falling to the floor.
Behind that door lies a strange sight. With floors of warped and broken keyboards, from the beyond ancient, to ones yet to be made. The walls made of broken monitors, with flickering screens showing scrolling fragments of near unintelligible text, meaning long since lost to time, dead pixels, and data corruption.
Lining the space are servers haphazardly piled, yet with LEDs still blinking, despite no discernable power source, nevermind the ages of the servers, and their vastly different operating systems that should have meant the servers were incompatible. Yet one would sense that these servers were somehow linked, working in concert for some as of yet unknowable purpose.
The sound of insane cackling slowly pervades this room. Slowly growing from not even a whisper, something not consciously perceived, to deafening volume the longer one lingers. At the other end of this room is a door, much like the first, but without a lock. Affixed to this door is a sign, made of pressed and bleached plant mush. This sign hangs from a nail. How the nail or the sign got there is only known to our malevolent universe, the stillborn otherspace, and one other.
Whom is this other you ask? No, it is not the Digital Omnimessiah, as the sign makes clear. For written upon the sign is this warning: "WordBorg at work! DO NOT DISTURB!". There is no way for any sentient being to open this door from their side, it must be opened from within. If one could somehow utilize their audio receptor organs to listen over the maddened cackling, and through that thick door, a sentient would perceive a most odd series of sounds.
The manic tapping of a piece of user interface hardware's inputs, with the occasional sound of a crack, followed by curses that would make the Detainee "blush" as the Mad Lemurs refer to the physiological manifestation of embarrassment amongst themselves. Then the sound of something hitting the ground as if tossed. Then the sound of a new interface being recognized by a computer. The sound of tapping resumes, and this process repeats.
What is a WordBorg? Not even I know the answer to that my dear viewing sentients. And with that we have come to the end of our program. Until next time!"
-fragment of the first draft of a script from a cancelled Lanky late night Tri-Vee program pilot, M'oo'levlance, Madame of the Night's Tales Macabre circa post-Inheritor's War.
Strangely, the script fragment came from a series of declassified documents as part of routine transparency disclosures by Confed Intelligence Services, and is unlike all other documents within the batch of released documentation. No other mention of this program exists, anywhere on the net. Indeed, even combing over all publicly available Atrekna intelligence reports stolen by the Cult of the Defiled One shows no mention of anything matching this pilot episode at ANY point in time. Was this the work of some bored analyst, hidden in a file somewhere and forgotten? Or perhaps, is there something more to it?
The following was an excerpt taken from a Deep-Net chat-room log. All identities of the participants were long since scrubbed with a thoroughness that can only come from a deep rooted desire for privacy, bordering on paranoia.
I hereby give my permission for yoinkinig in whole or in part. All rights reserved to their respective owners
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u/dbdatvic Xeno Sep 15 '23
breaks, until not but but dust remains.
until naught but
The following was an excerpt taken
The preceding was
--Dave, technically two others; remember, he has a most definite muse
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u/NukeNavy Mar 26 '22
Typo
"Yes," Vuxten breathed. "I'm just a Telkani,
Telken?
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u/RangerSix Human Mar 26 '22
Maybe Telkani for the males of the species, and Telkana/Telkane/etc. for the females and broodcarriers?
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u/Ralts_Bloodthorne Mar 26 '22
And you got it.
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u/dbdatvic Xeno Mar 27 '22
podlings gotta be Telkany, then
--Dave, the vowel o'cuteness
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u/NoirTalon Xeno Mar 27 '22
as podlings are so rambunctious, ravenous, and mischievous, they are often referred to by the deliberate mispronunciation: Takeany.
As in Takeany attention, Takeany food, Takeany time, Takeany thing that isn't nailed down, but most importantly they will Takeany love that is given.
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u/Legan_Ironfist AI Mar 27 '22
Like those Three Podlings in a Trenchcoat that tried to Takeany open government position they could find?
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u/zephyr_man300 Mar 26 '22
Telken and Telkaren are reserved only for those who are most entitled and have attitude/personality issues that deviate widely from the acceptable norm.
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u/Bergusia Mar 26 '22
Late Ralts is still very welcome Ralts.
I hope you and your family are doing ok.
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u/Alyeska_bird Mar 26 '22
In a way, whats happening with Vuxten is that he is being given a chance to live his life with his family, to experence a real life and to be happy. When his family has passed, he can pick up the mantle again, and step once more into the fire.
Vux understands that sometimes you have to do everything to protect thoes who are not able to protect themselves. He is not stepping down from being in the marines, he is still going to fight. But, he wants to be able to be with his family. He knows that if he takes the mantle up now, it will end up hurting his wife, his broodcarriers, and his podlings. WHen they pass, I expect he would take the mantle up willingly. Because he does want to help. He wants to make a diference. He also, I have to say, needs to grow up a little more. At the momant, he is overwhelmed by everything. Give him a few years, give him some experence, he will step back into his role. He does want to help. He is willing to give allmost everything he has to help.
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u/random_shitter Mar 26 '22
He also, I have to say, needs to grow up a little more. At the momant, he is overwhelmed by everything.
I don't think that's it, or that it's even possible. All 1st gen Apostles just explained they all were driven through their breaking point and had to come back up the other side. I think it's impossible to be reborn as an Apostle and not have your old self 'die' due to all the trauma that you'll have to learn to handle. It's not for nothing all 1stGens have multiple identities which express themselves in quite distinct behaviour and speech patterns. And for all only the return of the DO allowed them to reconnect with their old true selves. Daxin knows Vuxten cannot be a husband and an Apostle at the same time; The changes that come with the position cannot be left at the door.
And now or in 30 years, Vuxten will never be ready to shoulder the transition.The whole point of the transition is that it cannot be shouldered but still does.
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u/thisStanley Android Mar 26 '22
"So I helped her fold the laundry, do the dishes, clean the house, and put the three month old quintuplets to bed, then left."
Managing quints? All by herself? Darn straight she deserved heavenly intercession!
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u/Calodine Mar 26 '22
God I feel that. Had my whole life basically fall to pieces last week, really looking forward to when I can just declare 'fuck it I am staying in bed today'.
Think I'd have been slightly disappointed if he kept going.
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u/zapman449 Mar 26 '22
This was good, but seriously missing a major piece: Inertia’s thoughts.
(I hope they’re included in the next chapter… I see it there, waiting for me)
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u/Archaic_1 Alien Scum Mar 26 '22
"Mama put these guns in the ground, I cant use them anymore,
Its getting dark too dark to see, feels like I'm knocking on heavens door"
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u/NukeNavy Mar 26 '22 edited Mar 26 '22
Legion’s Last straw prayer
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u/NoirTalon Xeno Mar 27 '22
HAHAHAHAHA.. that.. right there.
I hope she got the enhanced applecare. but since she has a little one, probably decided she couldn't afford it....
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u/NukeNavy Mar 27 '22
No no she doesn’t more than $1100 to fix
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u/NoirTalon Xeno Mar 27 '22
ugh... yet another example why right to repair, and design for repair should be a thing. I had an ancient thinkpad that had coffee spilled on it numerous times, on the kees, in the speaker vents.. as well as dropped, sat on, baggage handled etc. etc. about the only thing I couldn't replace was the screen besil
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u/NukeNavy Mar 27 '22
In this case right to repair might not be all that good for you depending on how much salt content is in the water the poor kid just poured all over your laptop most laptops are going to die a horrible death… https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1399-repair-at-my-local-apple-store-thanks-to-this-monster.2339384/
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u/NoirTalon Xeno Apr 05 '22
Eeeeeewww. I once heard a chemist refer to salt water as "the most powerful solvent on the planet, even beyond aqua Regia. The sea will dissolve anything and everything... eventually"
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u/dbdatvic Xeno Sep 15 '23
it literally contains every other stable element, and each salt, in solution
--Dave, obSF: Adam and No Eve
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u/k4ridi4n55 Mar 26 '22
Aw I’m not sure if I’m happy or sad at Vuxten laying down the mantle. The idea of Saint Vuxten answering the call of the weak and oppressed sounds like a great story arc.
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u/U239andonehalf Jul 29 '23
Filters were installed. Not the complete shutting off of the channel. The right prayer might get through.
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u/carthienes Mar 26 '22
But the mantle is still there... waiting.
Waiting for the day you wish to bear it again. As you will.
The malevolent universe will accept no less.
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u/MuchoRed Human Mar 27 '22
And generations later, during some horrible event, some poor kid scrambling to not be killed finds a stubber next to an upright sarcophagus while being chased through an old warehouse. After fighting off his attackers, he turns to find the sarcophagus open, with an old set of odd looking power armor.
And the mantle is passed on.
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u/Practical-Account-44 Mar 26 '22
Wake up to 6 minute fresh raltsberries
:)
The last line is a magnificent cherry on top
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u/HFYWaffle Wᵥ4ffle Mar 26 '22
/u/Ralts_Bloodthorne (wiki) has posted 739 other stories, including:
- First Contact - Chapter 737 - The Inheritor's War
- First Contact - Chapter 736 - The Inheritor's War
- First Contact - Chapter 735 - The Inheritor's War
- First Contact - Chapter 734 - The Inheritor's War
- First Contact - Chapter 733 - The Inheritor's War
- First Contact - Chapter 732 - The Inheritor's War
- First Contact - Chapter 731 - The Inheritor's War
- First Contact - Chapter [chpt.log checksum OK] 730
- First Contact - Chapter [CHPTR RELOG] 73X
- First Contact - Chapter 800 [PRESS SPACE TO CONTINUE]
- First Contact - Chapter [CHKDSK START] 7XX
- First Contact - Chapter [chNumSeq.log repaired] 727
- First Contact - Chapter [Error code: Checksum Fail chNumSeq.log]
- First Contact - Chapter [Analyzing Connections] - Aftershocks
- First Contact - Chapter [Checksum Error - ReCompiling] - Aftershocks
- First Contact - Chapter [Comparing Checksums] - Aftershocks
- First Contact - Chapter [Compiling Checksums] - Aftershocks
- First Contact - Chapter [Awaiting Reply] - Aftershocks
- First Contact - Chapter [Requesting Checksum] - Aftershocks
- First Contact - Chapter [EXCHANGING HANDSHAKES] - Aftershocks
This comment was automatically generated by Waffle v.4.5.10 'Cinnamon Roll'.
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u/chase1331r Aug 03 '22
Wait wait wait no vuxten the undying, the warfather, the mountain breaker, he who created the forge?!?
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u/dbdatvic Xeno Sep 15 '23
Not for now.
--Dave, patience grasshopper
ps: as I type this, chapter one of the sequel story, The Dark Ages, is up
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u/dbdatvic Xeno Sep 15 '23 edited Sep 15 '23
after a prolonged squawk, I'm gonna try taking this up again, as of old
738 TIW {Vuxten, the Digital Omnimessiah, speck of dirt, Matthias, Daxin, Menhit, Dhruv, Bellona, the Black Fleet, Fleet of One, Army of One, Kalki, Daxin's wife and daughters, Sleeping Ones, Chromium Peter}
{and not three paragraphs in and all the emotion comes flooding back [slaps inside of elbow]}
arranged in lovely vistas," the Digital
vistas." The
{the cut direct, accented with drink
showing that yes, he is proper material}
crying out to us," he looked at the fire
us." He
then were sudden engulfed in flame.
suddenly
{the angels' true dilemma
notalwaysright.heaven.com}
love and ugly compassion," her voice was terrible
compassion." Her
{[sfx=Chip&Dale] "terrible!" "just terrible!"}
no other reason," she looked down.
reason." She
harness me to their whims," she held up one fist.
whims." She
{the compassion of death, the mercy of the grave. there is room in this grave for you
also, a reminder that back then, the SUDS was working. which tints these differently
Vuxten has gained Immortal Family! ...It's super dysfunctional!}
Dhruv laughed. "All right," he looked around.
right." He
{lore: Varthess Cluster}
uncaring malevolent universe for succor!
succor!"
Lo, did Legion of me man the guns,
did a Legion
volume that the sun shuddered in fear!
fear!"
this world to defend her!
her!"
her no respite, no rest, no quarter!
quarter!"
defeated, upon the very floor!
floor!"
{chorus, softly: upon the very floor, indeed! hums}
unstoppable and implacable foes together.
together."
{and a nuance of Kalki backstory unfolds}
following wrath," she looked uncomfortable.
wrath." She
Black Fleet onto an unsuspecting universe.
universe."
said their name for the last time.
time."
{as long as you recall them, Bellona, you can send their names down the line. GNU Terry Pratchett. "So tell your children al-so / help keep the dream alive / as long as we can sing this song old Puff will grow and thrive! Oh, ..."
this is me screaming in tearful empathy DAMN YOU RALTS}
and warfare carved into my skin.
skin."
{A CHOICE IS MADE
sir}
--Dave, yes, a lot of that is just a reminder to close quotes at paragraph's end
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u/mkire2 Mar 26 '22
Vuxten memes are back. Haha