The New World

I glanced at Torix who met my eye. Torix shrugged, so I turned back towards the overseer,

"Uh, it"s good to meet you too, overseer."

The overseer turned towards Kessiah, "You have a remnant among your ranks as well? You have quite the collection of tools at your disposal then Torix. Breaking the areas down shouldn"t be a problem."

Althea unformed her rifle as she pursed her lips, "What is it doing here?"

Torix turned a palm towards us, "The overseer and I have constructed a deal of sorts. You, Daniel, and Kessiah shall clear out infected areas. The steel legion will then go behind you and move up the quarantine zone past the cleansed areas."

I raised an eyebrow, "How the f.u.c.k are we going to cleanse the infected areas?"

Kessiah leaned onto my head, "That aura of yours kills the plants. You can just walk past a.s.signed sections everyday, letting the steel legion walk behind us."

I glanced up at her, "Don"t you think that"s a bit risky to rely on my power like that?"

Kessiah rolled her eyes, "You guys are killing any living zombies and I don"t know, like 99% of all the infected stuff. It"s about as good an opportunity for the legion as they can get."

The overseer turned back towards me, "I will organize the legion"s efforts for cleaning up behind you team." The overseer lifted a ma.s.sive arm and pointed a finger at us, "You three will act as a vanguard. Torix will support you at a distance. Simple enough?"

I nodded, "h.e.l.l yeah. Not that different from what we had planned anyway. What"re we getting from the steel legion in return?"

The overseer lowered its hand, "Torix and I discussed an exchange of several goods, including several technologies and books. It should be a suitable compensation for the deed."

As it stood, I identified it,

It was pretty d.a.m.n obvious there was some bias in the voice, though levels didn"t lie. The overseer turned towards Torix and mouthed,

"If all parties agree, then we shouldn"t waste anymore time here."

I frowned as Torix stood and spread his arms, "We would be delighted to leave."

One of the arms of the overseer glowed, and he rose one of his arms. Arcs of blue lightning shot out of his palm before the giant clicked his fingers. Nothing changed. If I"d been in the other room, I wouldn"t have even noticed anything unusual. Besides all the sound of course.

There was drilling, engines revving, even gunshots off in the distance. As I glanced around, Althea looked just as confused as I was. Torix and Kessiah seemed at ease though, so I mimicked them. I turned towards Torix,

"Uh, are we there now?"

He nodded, "Indeed we are. Overseers have many of the same rights as Schema, being his most loyal paragons of destruction."

I turned towards the overseer, "Were you made by Schema then?"

"No. I earned my own strength, climbed through his system, and was rewarded for my own accomplishments. Schema did reward me with my own cybernetic enhancements." The overseer raised his hand, energy rippling the air like a rock tossed into a pond, "They are very potent."

I nodded my head before Althea turned towards Kessiah, "How did Yawm ever kill a sentinel with someone like this walking around?"

The overseer waved his hand, dematerializing the ground above us. He revealed the inside of a warehouse I remember from running outside of the steel legion"s base. The only reason I could was because of the weird, red roof. It made the whole building stick out like a sore thumb.

The overseer clicked his other hand, creating a hologram of stars above us. The overseer raised a hand towards it,

"I do relish in an opportunity to teach a little history."

The hologram honed onto a dense cl.u.s.ter of asteroids floating near a red dwarf. They looked like dirty metal. The overseer sighed,

"This was Woak, a planet that sustained a population of sentient life much like earth."

The overseer waved its hand, reversing the flow of time in the hologram. The bits of planet came together into a monumental detonation. The very tiniest blip of a glowing spec flowed out of the planet.

"Interesting, isn"t it? A chunk of iron lobbed at high enough speeds will crack a planet with ease. Most planets are like giant, molten marbles floating in s.p.a.ce. Yours happens to be covered in dirt. If you send a large block of iron at it, the molten metal that composes the planet will split in all directions. I digress-"

He opened his hand, moving us closer towards the planet, "This is where Yawm was born. This is also where he should have died. He had left his planet and served Etorhma before coming back. It was only after he had been touched by Etorhma that be began spewing nonsense."

A mountain scape came into view, revealing giant beings. Things writhing without a shape or any sense to them. The overseer continued,

"It"s amazing how close Yawm came to creating what he wanted on Woak. The vitality of the eldritch on this fringe world helped sustain his experiments. It was a unique world in that regard. You see, the species of the planet was actually a plant based set of lifeforms."

The view of the hologram closed in on a wooden, hunched thing that walked on all fours. Flowing strips of wood acted as skin, and a thick layer of large, fanning leaves covered its back. Several tubes composed the mouth of the creature as it sucked up some water from a nearby pool. With no eyes and no mouth, the thing felt around with thick, elephant feet with hundreds of roots for toes.

"This is a poryte, the plant species that Yawm hails from. They had several subcla.s.ses of species, this one being a collector. Yawm was a member of the warrior species."

The overseer twisted his finger, sending the viewpoint of the hologram onto a much different creature. A creature with the same flowing strips of wood for skin, this one stood upright. It had wooden goat legs, the whole limbs bent so that it could jump at any moment. The long, wiry arms latched onto branches, letting the lean creature carry itself on trees.

Falling from its back was a main of leaves that looked like hair. The two glowing, green eyes on its face pulsed on it, sending light through several cracks in its body.

"This is what Yawm looked like before he changed himself, though not him exactly. It"s just a member of his species. Lithe and agile, they can use their own hard skin for killing any predators or herbivores trying to kill the collectors of their tribes."

The hologram moved outwards, back to a view of the entire galaxy.

"Yawm had seen the horrors in this universe. Imagine what paper must have looked like to him as he went to other worlds. Other species would be writing on the processed bodies of his brothers. I can imagine that led to his own warped views."

The s.p.a.ce hologram disappeared before a picture of two armies clashing came into view, one made of flesh and the other of leaves and wood.

"Yawm believed that his species would never be able to compromise with any other species. They were too different in his eyes. Over the next few hundred years, a hostile species, known as the  bracken, attempted taking over his homeworld. This further entrenched his polarizing beliefs. During this war, Yawm was the poryte"s mightiest warrior."

An image of a single poryte hunched over a pile of torn bodies was shown. The glowing green of the creature"s eyes webbed down its face and onto its chest. The shining lines ran down its shoulders and arms and back, ending at its hands. Every part of the creature these lines ran over was enlarged, hard and muscled. They linked together like a chain, keeping the creature"s upper body heavy and in control. The curved legs looked more like a platform than the primary movers of the poryte.

"This is the image used to strike fear into the poryte"s enemies. This was Yawm before his change. He was their symbol. The porytes won the war, destroying the bracken and enslaving them. Their species wore the bones of the bracken. They used the bracken"s skin as their own paper. They ground up their teeth, and used the powder as an abrasive."

Althea shook her head, pointing at the old Yawm, "So I"m guessing he was one of those guys who wanted that to happen?"

"Indeed he was. He wanted to show other species the horror of what had been done to them. A hundred years of this pa.s.sed before Etorhma reached out to him. It was then that Yawm realized that there was more missing than just plant and those of flesh."

An image of Etorhma appeared, causing gasps throughout the room. Kessiah spread her arms, "Don"t you think you"re telling them a bit too much?"

The overseer waved her question away, "The harbinger has been chosen as an avatar of Etorhma. You cannot tell me he has not already seen him. What matters about this image is how different Etorhma is from you mortals. He is an immortal being who can move through s.p.a.ce and time. Yawm saw him as a G.o.d and demon all in one."

On the hologram, a wave of white flashed over everything. Etorhma disappeared and the planet"s surface came back as the overseer continued,

"Schema a.s.similated their world and warned them of the eldritch as well. Now Yawm knew of many different beings. He knew that he couldn"t kill them all, no matter how strong he became. In the end, he went into hiding as he struggled to find a way to solve the problem he saw in existence."

The overseer spread his arms, "How can things that are different coexist? Yawm found his answer in his new name, Yawm of Flesh."

The overseer closed the hologram with the wave of his hand, "He found a way of bonding plants and creatures of flesh. He turned himself into the new abomination he created. His entire world burned and his species was torn asunder by his twisted vision."

One of the overseer"s hands clamped shut, "And during the very apex of his power, he a.s.saulted one of the sentinels with an army of corrupted porytians. They warred for weeks until Yawm slayed the sentinel and stole his spear of the monolith. Now he may travel between worlds at his own leisure, bending them until they break."

The bolts on the overseer glowed bright blue. "We will crush him here, before he destroys yet another world to support his own delusions. We will crush him before he completes his goal."

Althea chimed, "Uh, what is that per say?"

The overseer lowered his hand, "To combine all beings into a single species. He believes that only by making every kind of lifeform join together can he create peace. It"s a misguided, foolish, and reckless goal. He will stop at nothing to do it, no matter how many worlds he decimates."

A long pause ebbed through the room. I sighed as I put my hands on my hips, "Well f.u.c.k man...That"s some heavy s.h.i.t."

Torix nodded, "I second your sentiments. That is why we are here to help him stop Yawm."

I nodded, "Yo overseer. Would you mind I ask a question?"

The overseer opened a palm towards me, "What would you like to know?"

"You seem real heated about the whole thing. I was wondering why?"

"Do you remember the bracken? The species that Yawm and his kind enslaved?"

"Well, yeah."

"I was one of those slaves. This is the first time Schema has let me actively work against Yawm. The other overseers have failed to stop him. I will not."

I took a step back, stunned at his honesty. Kessiah put her hands on the side of her head as she gasped, "Oh s.h.i.t."

The overseer brushed us off, "I won"t speak of those times, but I will act as the intermediary between you and the legion. I"ve spent more time than I should here already. Speaking of history catches me at times."

The overseer stepped forwards and we pa.s.sed through the warehouse as a group. The overseer pointed a single finger forward at the gated doorway. Several tiny spikes of lightning arced from his finger tip, making the door pop up and open.

We all walked through the doorway before Althea said, "Overseer, I was wondering why you have emotions. Anytime I"ve spoken with sentinels, they seemed more...muzzled."

"Overseers are given full control of their conscious. Schema tried making sentinels and overseers completely driven by AI interfaces before. They were never as successful as a sentient mind. It was mostly due to risk management. The AI"s took no risks, meaning they sacrificed many worlds."

Althea glanced forward, "Oh...Thanks for answer."

"And it will be the final one before we meet again."

We walked in front of the steel legion. The warehouse amped up the security, several turrets installed at the top of the building. Several new guards walked around other warehouses, though not ours. The overseer likely knew their schedules and whatnot. They even installed some barbed wire along the windows of the building, though it wouldn"t do them any good.

As we approached, several of the power armor wearing soldiers aimed their rifles at us. Once they identified the levels of our party though, they lowered their aim and threw themselves into a frenzy. Several even ran away when they saw the extra question mark beside the overseer"s name.

Before they could get too far, the overseer raised his hand, and everyone stopped in place. As the overseer lowered his hand, the legion was allowed to move again but none of them did. They stayed frozen in place, terrified of the giant walking with a group of high leveled unknowns.

We walked into the building before the overseer faced his hand forward with his fingers pressed together. As he pulled them apart, the walls separating us from the commanding office unfolded like wet tissue paper. The five of us didn"t even flinch though. By now, this was the least we expected out of the overseer.

At the end of the newly created hallway, a man specced out in different, blue model of the power armor was leaning over a map of Springfield. He didn"t have a helmet on, letting us see his face. With gray hair and a gray beard, he looked like an old sea captain put onto land against his will. Of course that"s if you didn"t include his blue skin and three black lines under each eye.

Carrying a look of utter confusion, he just stared at the five of us. The overseer reached up to him,

"h.e.l.lo sergeant Whitley. This group of four unknowns will a.s.sist your section of the legion with containing the infected area. They will clear out infected sectors, and your troops will lock in the containment field behind them. Do you understand?"

Sergeant Whitley shot up into a salute before shouting, "Sir yes Sir."

"Good." The overseer turned to us, "Good luck. You will need it."

At that instant, the overseer disappeared. It was so sudden, I could hear the air rush past my ears to fill the void he left behind. Everyone stood still like statues as he left, stunned at the suddenness of everything that just happened.

The first to speak was actually me,

"Well uh, sorry about the other day?"

Sergeant Whitley stepped out of his salute and shouted like a drill sergeant,

"You crippled two of my best recruits. One of them dropped out of the legion and the other one needs a whole new suit of armor."

I frowned as Torix stepped up, "Excuse me, Whitley was it? Yes, do treat us with more-"

Whitley thundered, "You want me to treat you better? Tough luck maggot-"

Torix gripped his hand as an invisible force crushed Whitley"s neck. The veins on Whitley"s neck bulged as his face purpled. His legs flailed against the ground as he tried grabbing his neck. He writhed in the air as Torix seethed,

"I am done with being spoken too in such a manner, by anyone. You will be my example and the corpse I play with."

Whitley"s struggling intensified further before Torix flicked his other hand. Whitley"s right arm bent backwards, causing a gasp of agony from Whitley. Torix turned and looked at everyone,

"Do you see your commanding officer?"

Torix flicked another finger, sending his knee bending backwards.

"This is what happens to those who speak that way to me. Allow me to reiterate."

With another flick, Whitley"s other arm and leg twisted like pretzels. The crack of bone and crumpling of steel ebbed through the room. Whitley struggled against the force for air, but Torix didn"t seem like he was in a merciful mood.

Torix tapped the edge of his robe, taking one tooth out of the man"s mouth at a time. Even Kessiah winced a bit at the sight, a trooper in the back taking of his helmet so he could vomit. Torix lifted his hand before pressing his palm towards the floor.

Whitley pressed into the floor. His broken legs moved out of the way before his hips met the ground. The man squished against the ground as Torix released his throat. His screams echoed throughout the room as Torix glanced around. 

Like an execution, all the eyes of the legion watched their commanding officer be crushed against the floor. By the time the screaming stopped, Whitley was a giant pool of liquified mush on the ground. All of the sudden, I understood why Alfred had left his father. In fact, I doubt I couldn"t understand why. Torix didn"t have much in the way of patience.

It surprised me how little it bothered me. I guess after experiencing so much horror, it left me numb to the whole thing. Torix was well past that point though. He relished in the act of domination. I didn"t want to be under his heel forever, though I doubt he enjoys equals.

Speaking of which, Torix boomed his words with charisma, "This will happen to anyone who thinks I accept insult lightly. It tires me, being spoken down to. I don"t like things that tire me."

Torix turned to me, "Keep this in mind, apostle."

I shook my head with great vigor before Torix announced, "Get me an empty room and the next officer in the chain of command. We will work out a deal while you make sure my compatriots are comfortable."

The crowd of steel legion members burst into activity, each of them obeying as if their life depended on it. Honestly, it probably did. One trooper walked up, his hands shaking inside his armor. He said through his intercom,

"Uhm...uh...we can get you Corporal Briggs. He"s the next highest member, sir."

"Then let"s go meet him."

Torix walked off with the scared s.h.i.tless trooper guiding him. The rest of our group just stood in the middle of the room. After another awkward a.s.s pause, Kessiah spread her arms,

"Well that was a gory entrance. You guys got any good food here?"

As she finished her words, an unarmored scientist down the hall vomited his lunch.

All in all, it wasn"t the worst introduction I’d ever seen. It was right on up there though.