2012-08-09: The Awakening - Act VII
It had been quite some time since the man had awoken, before the machine bothered to address him. And when it finally did, it came with such suddenness that the man would have likely lost his balance had he been standing…as it was, it threw him from a reverie of meditation into an already foul mood as soon as it started.
“Congratulations are in order for you I suppose, Lord Blackthorn.” His title was thrown at him in a mechanic approximation of contempt and dissatisfaction…one that Lord Blackthorn found surprisingly well imitated.
“Are they? I was personally rather frustrated with myself for not having yet found a way out of this strange place…but to hear you here does give me a slight sense of satisfaction. I can tell from the sound that you are actually here…though how you’ve concealed yourself during my attempts at exploration are beyond my fathoming. I don’t suppose you’d care to enlighten me, Exodus?” Blackthorn managed to put on an air of feigned indifference with ease. He was a nobleman after all.
“Yes…and your efforts have proven as fruitless as I at escape. And concealment was not difficult; You are not the only one who can utilize magic, warlock. I was also curious at the nature of your belongings…I took the liberty of going through them while you were recovering.” With that, a folded wooden box hurtled out of the darkness, skidding along the strange polished marble floor of the chamber they had found themselves in, before coming to a rest at Blackthorn’s boots. “I believe that this is a game of yours…”
Blackthorn bent down to lift up the small, portable chess set that he had received as a gift. He ran his fingers along the inlaid inscription for a moment. ‘Though we sit on opposite sides of the board, may we always reach across in friendship. –C.B.’ Blackthorn sat upon the floor and opened the board up, beginning to set the pieces down, much to Exodus’ curiosity. “Perhaps, Exodus, you might indulge me in playing, then…”
A curious mechanical whir was his only answer for many moments, before the creature stepped forth in front of him. “And what do you think is in this for me?”
Blackthorn just smiled softly. “Information. A chance to match yourself against me. An alleviation to boredom. Any number of things…if you’re up to it.”
The demonic machine stepped forth, lumberingly giant, but as it did it’s legs folded away, somehow vanishing into it’s body, and taking on a much smaller form, before positioning itself across from Blackthorn. “Very well then. Let us…play.”
Blackthorn’s smile went cold as he positioned his first piece.
Time had lost its meaning. He did not truly know if time even flowed in this place, this strange dimension that Gilforn’s creation and his own magic had sent them to, but he did know that the machine was beginning to get quite good at chess. He had nearly lost several matches now, only pausing to create food, drink, and to rest. Today somehow felt different though, as they moved the pieces across the board.
It was then that Exodus spoke, almost as if in idle conversation. “I’ve enjoyed our little talks over this game of yours. I suspected some sort of trick at first…but I have concluded that you honestly believe you can convince others with just your words. And while you do weave such pretty little tales, and are no doubt charming to your own kind…your own arrogance is your undoing.”
Blackthorn was taken aback; in all their games so far, the machine had never spoken thus to him. He was wary for some sort of trick as he placed his piece and signaled for Exodus to take his turn. “I do not follow your train of reasoning; I have not and am not undone, creature. I have certainly done enough to foil your own plans for my world.”
Exodus took his turn before looking down upon the human. “Do you truly think I am so weak as to be stopped by this sort of inconvenience? Certainly, you’ve set me back…but take stock of your own situation. Dwindling supplies of reagents that provide you with food and water. Trapped with me. And you…you don’t quite know how to speak across dimensions as I do yet, do you? Or did you just assume I was speaking to you from your own before? Oh, I can see the wheels turning in your head now…Yes, I have still been in contact with the machines you didn’t destroy. They’re hard at work in preparation once more.”
Blackthorn’s hand paused for a moment as he reached for his knight, moving it out to prevent another advance. “You’re bluffing. And you’re mistaken if you think I have some way out of here…if I had, I would have used it and left you here in the first moments of our imprisonment. And there would have been no reason for you to play with me and listen to my stories.”
“Unless, of course, that I had my own purposes for both things…you see, I am well versed in your people, and could sense the link you had to them. You may not have known, but you were still someone to be looked up to. My purpose will be served by your ideal of Chaos, Blackthorn…and I intend to achieve that through none other than yourself. Check.”
Blackthorn furrowed his brow deeply in thought. He looked over the board carefully at his available options, and used a rook to free his king. “I’ve already refused your offer…and there is nothing you can say that will change my opinion on that matter.”
Exodus let out a noise that Blackthorn had come to realize was his equivalent of amused laughter, as he moved a bishop across the board, taking the rook. “I’ll take your word on that, even if you don’t quite worship Honor and Honesty as do some of your comrades. That’s why I’ve simply been learning everything about you that you so readily gave up…information you thought to be worthless, as you could see no purpose in my having it. But that information has proven itself quite useful. Check.”
Blackthorn could only see losing options in this particular game, so he stalled for time. He used his queen to take the bishop, leaving her vulnerable to his opponents queen. “Knowing whatever I’ve told you won’t help you convince me.” Blackthorns spare hand held itself tightly against his reagent pouch as he waited for Exodus to respond.
Exodus slowly moved his queen to take Blackthorns. “Humans, like machines are just a conglomeration of parts. Body and chassis, organs and engine, soul and ignition spark. It is arrogant to think that you are somehow special and unique amongst all others. Check.”
Blackthorn knew that he had lost this game, but he still had a move left, as one hand moved his king back a tile, and his other clenched his reagent pouch determinedly. “You cannot use that which defies you, Exodus. And I will always defy you.”
Exodus reached out and picked up his remaining rook, and moved it to the spot. “Check…” He began, before moving at a blinding speed once more, passing over the board in an instant and wrenching the reagents away from Blackthorn, pressing him to the floor with a heavy metal appendage upon his sternum…but not killing him. “…and mate. Just as I am well versed in your people, so am I in your magic. I could sense the link between you and this place; And as I stated…your arrogance is your undoing. You thought that you could destroy us both at your leisure by killing yourself and destroying this dimension. It’s true, you may have eliminated me that way…but you thought you were in control. And as for using you…I’ve already begun. Even know, the construction of your facsimile has begun. It will be you…with all the memories, stories, and ambitions you have told me…but stripped of this nobility and sense of compassion that you so disgustingly show. Even if it is defeated, it will forever tarnish your reputation, for daring to defy me…and will turn the people against each other. After all, if your precious King was so wrong about his friend, what else might he have been wrong about? Of course, you won’t get to see it…I need to keep you safe and sound until I can escape this realm, and your supply of reagents IS running thin…so it’s time you slept, Lord Blackthorn.” With that, a powerful energy surged through Exodus and into Blackthorn, and everything went dark.
Japanese version
力は比類なきものだった。その力が全身に流れるのを感じながら、男は神殿の持つエネルギーで呪文を唱えた。その呪文は、自身の研究とギルフォーン（Gilforn）から学んだ知識より男が編み出したものだ。トランメルを創りだした時、ニスタル（Nystul）もこの力を感じたのだろうか？ 初めてゲートを創りだした時、ギルフォーンの手をこの力が駆け巡ったのだろうか？ それともこれは全く異なるもの……彼の友の徳の原動力……なのだろうか？ 頭によぎる様々な思考を捨てて呪文に集中し、一瞬で力を解き放った。神秘的なエネルギーは、名誉の聖杯をかたどって並べられたタイルに沿って滝のように流れ、それを追うように炎が走る。それは見る者の心を刺激する信じがたい光景だった。エネルギーの走った跡を示す残り火のように、紫の光が一筋輝いていた。彼はゆっくりとゲートに近づき、一呼吸し、一度ふり向いて集まった者たちを見てから足を踏み出し……、トランメルのブリテインに到達した。無事正しい目的地に着いたのだ。彼はもう一度ゲートを使ってイルシェナーの名誉の神殿に戻り、まだそこにいた者たちに短く話をした。
短い話を終えた後、彼は再びゲートに入ったが、今度はひび割れ崩れた大地に着いた。一体のハーピー（harpy）が翼をばたつかせながらギャーギャーと喚きたてて飛びかかって来たが、彼は全く動じなかった。さっと手をあげ、呪文を唱えた。「Vas Ort Grav！」稲光が走ったかと思うと、激しい雷に打たれたハーピーは焼け焦げた肉塊となって転がり、天空は轟く雷鳴で震えた。もう一体のハーピーが近寄って来たが、ローブの乱れを直したロード・ブラックソン（Lord Blackthorn）がじろりと睨むと、このハーピーは勇気より慎重を選んで逃げ去っていった。彼はゲート周辺を軽く見渡してから、名誉の神殿の時と同じように、両腕を広げた。この場所でも、同じ力が感じられた。使われることをじっと待っている、ある明確な目的に定められた力……。彼の両腕は下ろされた。ここにどんな力があったにせよ、それは必要とされたものではなかった。再びゲートに足を踏み入れ、テルマーのキャンプに向かった。
キャンプに到着するとすぐに彼は座り、自分の記録を調べた。治療薬は病を寄せ付けず、薬を与えられた者は全員小康状態を保っていた。病が再発したという事例もなく、再流行の兆しもなかった。ガーゴイルの伝染病の克服、名誉のムーンゲートの修復が行われてもなお、数々の問題が残っていたのだ……。彼を最も悩ませるもの。それは、かつてブリタニアという一つの王国にまとまっていた各街で起きている問題だった。いくつかの街は全面戦争の瀬戸際にあり、それを止める手だてはそう簡単には見出せそうになかった……。だが、どんな問題にも必ず解決策はあるはずだ。他の問題のいくつかは、既成の枠組みにとらわれない自由な発想に基づく思考法である水平思考をやや多く重ねれば済んだ。重い足音がある人物の到着を告げ、ブラックソンはその人物に向かって手招きした。
「ロード・デュプレ（Lord Dupre）、また来ていただけるとは。あなたのことだからトゥルー・ブリタニアンズ（True Britannians）のために遠方に向かったのかと思っていたよ」
「できることなら、オレだって冷たいヴァロライトと鉄が全ての問題を解決してくれる場所にいたいさ。貴族たちが言葉と世論の誘導で戦う場所なんてごめんだね」
ブラックソンは両手の指先を合わせて思索にふけり、水平思考で浮かんだ独自の考えに戻ろうとした。「デュプレ、あなたの答えは全くの誤りではないと思う。正しく行うこと、それが必要だ」
