Chapter Nine - Through the static
The turmoil of the darkness, deceitful selfish actions, and war brewing constantly throughout. The societies throughout the land are taking no chances, looking out for only themselves. Vampires fending for themselves. The shapeshifting wolves and lizards in the depth enslave war, acting as weapons against the undead and the consuming. The many faiths have been brought into questioning their own doctrines and what was the point of even following those who had abandoned them. Some god vessels and their followers still kneel in prayer for peace. But little comfort is possible in trying times. The main gods have too much blood shed to enjoy. Especially the gods who live in the sun, as they are the main ones who have been the cause of most strife. It is their techology impacting the world th most.
Humans have been the driver of how things will fold. As it is humans that provide wild and unpredictable things. Humans are questioning what monsters are and what creatures that could be used as tools are. They are who highlighted this was the biggest division of church, creatures of twilight whom came forwards, and the vampire race acting mediator. Negotiation of slaves being released. That looked down upon the religions who were going against their own original doctrines and reorganisation of those in charge. Trying to make more peace in truces than the ongoing destabilization. Everyone was against the consuming and that of the northern undead. So, putting the true god vessel at the top of religious leadership was a move humanity has chosen to stride for world peace. Getting rid of the greedy and unfaithful fake leaders who caused the fall of favour with the gods.
The landscape of the great flower continental shape had shifted, which has put the 'world' population into being in a favourable position. The most populated petals have been put away from sea flood danger and moved surface away for the vulnerable to attacks from the two different sources of plagues out reach. This was by readjusted moutain ridges and lifting whole plates from sea level. But this land move is only a temporary advantage against both consuming and undead. There are still unknown own pockets and corridors to these sea lock land petals containing the worst of both.
The food shortage with the south turning into the new desert. The fey spirits whom farmed beside humans in secret caused the plant life that such food harvest came from. They are breaking apart the old crops and growing new evil meat-eating crops within the western petal. Spreading panic in what was the least touched by war and hysteria - the western cities.
The desperation of the different races has become critical. Reaching secret leaders or representing faces of such factions to come together. The remains of the royal vampire families, the grandmasters, and the Red devil are all that contorl the vampires anymore. The so-called peacekeepers or Hunters of oath order have relocated their kingdom into the centre of the world, in the pit of monster forest hell. The shapeshifting wolves who once call this forest home. The wolves whom have made pact with such human Hunters. As the wolves see its survival in numbers over pity scrabbles. Other creatures of intellectual property have came forwards to humans, making their own negotiations and pacts. Even spiders and beetles have truced with both lacking safety from the humaniod ones. The new world population is now lead by four human nations, all that remains of the four major petals. The humans although differ among each other as higher or lower - are making the most of war and its unpredictable things.
The latest meeting has been called. Eight human leaders. Three ex-prince of the royal vampires with two surviving Queens acting in the beheaded Kings behalf. The hunter King. The Dragon representative from the archipelago with the renouned Butcher as mediator. The mass of insects made into a human shape, the spiders speaking as voice and mediator among themselves. The Demon Darkness King, his the only demon to have a visible shape to all humans. The still recovering Ice Queen, in wheel chair while needing oxygen feed. She also acting speaker for Fey.
But this isn't everyone that could have been here. The vessel god types have turned down the invite. Even the sun church has declined. The Duke Winchester isn't here due to the students his taken under wing aren't not society ready. But he did send five of such to take his place, they haven't arrived yet. There was the issue of their current location, the danger of travel meant many couldn't make it. Well that's the excuse the western city mayor has sent, his to busy with the collapse of manufacturing industry, attacks of plants and the increase of undead in his land to even bother a pity talk to monsters.
"I have the permission and deem them all worthy of being intellectual enough." The Arrogance of the Lord dragon was harsh, "Not that I choose this in trusting you. I choose based in how they act in the time I have been measuring them." So this clears that the butcher wasn't trusted grounds with his own race either, "I have to admit. You were right heretical Lizard." Open insulting the butcher added more grit into that open wound, "They are just misguided beings. They have uses in ways even we can't afford loosing. Loosing such smart things to the machines will be a grater lose."
The table they all sit around is made from the very materials the room was built in. The cavern was choosen for this main purpose, evidence of the turths and visual add to prevent mistranslation. Once the Butcher gave pose to the wolves, the cavern of crystal is now sealed. A hissing was heard as the air here was now being regulated and purified. The lady of Ice is now able to remover her medical mask. Humans felt it too, that it was easier to breath here. Watch devices on the wrist of a hunter indicates improving health condition.
"It's time we about get on with some information that should have be spoken sooner. It will explain a lot in little detail." The Demon Darkness King speak clear, "The dragons aren't the only ones aware of everything." He looked down upon the whelp, "You should respect your elder. His opinions aren't without reasoning."
"Silence Orix! You are the most valued material worth here. You be good at fixing the consuming." The arrogant Dragon hissed but both are silence with the lady's Ice. She only had to point at them, threatening her cold at them both. They settle and the butcher nods at taking over the main speaking. He softly pressed the table surface, bringing light and imaging across all the room. A flex of strange patterns then the front of them was the table changing into picture. Imagines coming to life. Some are impressed by the technology before them while others knew this was just a interface of a large computer. The crystal acting as touch screen surface. The whlep Dragon looked at those who were impressed by simple technology as stupid uninvited idiots. But his opinion will have to be put aside until the end of this meeting. He hasn't determined if they be trustees of such turth to pilot ships.
"This isn't a planet. Planets orbit solar gas balls and have gravity from magnetically charged metal cores. It must have been forgotten with the generations whom been imprisoned here. Or been a comfort to ignore this turth." The butcher makes dare about the real master ship this world is sitting surface of, "The very techology that makes this giant ship is lost to the universe. We are all different space invaders who came here seeking its secerts. We all became trapped by the magnetically shielding, the same sheild that prevented communication to our other ships in orbit. The same shield keeping our oxygen." He waves to a historical imaging, "The mass we called land are just many panel surface that is camouflaged this star ship as a mock planet. Its the sort of techology we wanted our hands on. The reason we dragons were sent here. I suspect other similar wish this and had sent rescue when they lost contact. Maybe some of us were blindly hoping for just anywhere to live and took the risks." He aimed this to humans and the humans nod at accepting this so far. It made sense. The proof was unimaginable but it wasn't without their own knowledge. Humans have been unsuccessful in plant growing the direct soil. So many of science test had posted this theory of this not being a real planet. Even so, determined to live even on a fake planet. To have collaborative ideas and outside source to a more accurate picture will stride humans to keep alive. The sudden sway of mass from the big mass has turn all heads in worry. The minor interrupted gestures from it soften.
"The worm race can't survive within the sterilisation zone thus you can't use the soil past such depth. It is nothing but radiation and death." The spiders translated the speech within itself, "The beetle network speaks of made cave system that non return from. There is new information currently being made and will not be reported until they submerge back to the surface." Bows made for such needed added information, that it mean even the lower things were smarter then their primitive shape. There is hope for the insects in the dragon whelps mind, but doubt they have piloting ship skills. They have uses in keeping a ship regulated. So back to the more promising future ship pilots.
"War among ourselves was always been. But now this ship is actively trying to erase us all. The consuming." The data is show to them, "Nanotechnology from all of our different races had been causing damage. Now the mainframe of this acient ship have taken it and is actively using it to attack us. This is the consuming. The turth about the consuming." Moving on fast as there a lot to get through and not to linger in discussing it yet, "The undead are a counter system attack from the ships in our sky right now." He shrinks down the image to show the full shape of this ship and the army of ships surrounding it, "This area of the universe is mapped as the ship graveyard. Many floating bits of broken ships float around. But this is only working sheild one that we managed to make life on. The sun and two moons aren't even what we assume them for." The few stand reaching to touch the floating images. The read of the drop down data. The sun is a ship full of more dragon folks. The moon ships are maybe vampire world commanders or human earth ships. But no communication has made it to identify why the two moons have stayed orbit and why they are still working running ships. For a while assumed abondoned but there is communication to suggest the sun dragon ship has been speaking to both moon ships. So there nothing they can get from the inability to communicate to them back then just receiving long sent data.
Every being here was full of discussion. They don't ask things directly but to smooth other concepts in mistranslation. The spiders working hardest to make smart words into simple for beetles and worms. Relevance was being the main issue among the humans, as they were tossing suggested comments of things. The vampires sit back, waiting and listening. The ice lady leans bored, hand playing with a from froze sheet between her open fingers. Twirling it like a knife or pen. It was distracting for a little while.
"So we need to escape off this fake planet before it consumes us all." The red devil putting the meeting on track.
"We have partnered with a secert client. We have been trafficking tools to repair star ships. Ten ships have been recovered and three are able to fly. But none are able to cross the sheild that keeping our atmosphere." This drops the penny for them all that the demons were very more ahead then even the dragons. Taking the arrogant Dragon down a peg.
"We don't have any way to make reliable food sources on these ships for long distances travels. Nor do most races wish to take chances with the moons or sun's in saving ourselves. There could be more hidden ships." The shake of disappointing worry.
"The mainframe of what is this world isn't going to leave us without parting gifts." A shaman among the wolves working the systems around this room in constant study. They are the command of wolves in shared leadership, "The same client working with the Orix has been a busy child. Negotiation through them has been successful, through them, we have precured 30 working ships. The now new southern desert has released them for us. That's a head start to cobble our ships as one mass and drift the stars as our own nation. Inviting only those tolerable to such ideas and law." Narrowing on those trouble beings that aren't invited. Especially humans and vampires. All others are welcomed. It seems this talk of using the girl as Negotiation chip made the spiders mad. The mass of bugs burst and divided ad their own factions. Legs pointing at different warring races and the hissing by the rubbing of back feet. The tempers are ease with the ice lady slapping the table, her hand left a frozen glitching print of malfunction screen. Once the table heated again, this was no longer a problem. Remindering her of her flame husbands replenishing nature. She posed dazed as bickering of bugs aligned.
"Don't assume that I would stand back and have no play in this game you play. I have been watching the longest. I know who came to this place first and who are pure bloods." From within the carven, the steps sounded solid and yet a limp. There is also a terrible smell while the wolves backed off and growled low, "This puppet will have to do. It is the best we can scrap on short notice in this ship." Doesn't approach but stays stood in that corridor at the back, "I commend the tenacious nature each of you that have held to cling on to this sterile hostile surface. That it certainly earns you all my respect to release you from here. Yet if you wish to parish in ashes, we aren't going to get in the away of such wishes. Although in order to have all 100 ships at launch, you will have to eliminate some unnecessary stress. There is a few of you that wish to see your worlds burn and thus you are better off being cast to the ash before that. If they change thier ways, which will never likely happen, maybe they should be allowed." It hung limbs to shurg at them and the metal fleshy nature makes for a nightmares worse life, "There is no way in this current way of affairs that all 100 ships will be ready for when we cast away the sheild that keeps the air you breath. You have a time limit as breaches of this sheild has already decayed and lost air. There is only about 84 percent of what was left. The drop rate is faster than your abilities to adapt. Entire villages have already expired from oxygen deprivation." It lowered, "You wolves are to idealistic in the survival rate. My partner estimated only 12 ships which was quite damning. I say in the middle. 49 ships, but mix races and not going to survive the distance." it lifts at posed knife sharp finger met to tap in pattern from inspection of its crowd. A smile melted down to a frown, "Although," flat thin frown and narrows sight as small body language gestures the felsh beings do, "I can also see how my partner looks disappointed in you all. The qualities that will need to be addressed if you are to make do in confined small space across the many cosmos. I have doubts and hopes. I wish to be proven wrong in a better outcome." Crossed its arms now, "The sheild will fall, I have no estimate of time for when. But sooner then you wish it. Until then, you all better survive and make do with scraps. Run rabbits." The from of flesh, metal and unknown goop collapsed form and left staining into the floor. Deep into this ships mainframe. The screen table ahead flickered signal of sounds and mutters in static. The wolves move instruments and tune in. Awaking god voices. Hazed images of an ongoing conversation was already at heated tension across the network. As it seems the current star ship has suddenly latched a stable connection to speak with the sun and twin moons.
The wolves had to further dial in a universal language translator, although imperfections were clear. It had sparked the tensions in the three ships into stunned silence watching the faces of this table assembly.
"About time that a singal made is way to you lot." The butcher taking the lead to speak up on what is long stunned arkward silence. The wolves know they are on limited time, "There are many races barely surviving on the surface of this ships outer shell. We are preparing to find way to evacuate as this ship will soon evaporate all whom are intruders. Either you help us or leave. preferably if you come back, bring aid. I am sure you be interested in the vast data that accumulated over duration of us being imprisoned inside the shielding. We have measured everything we could reach. We don't have a lot of time before the mainframe of this mother ship makes more protocol actions to wipe us out." The signal is fuzz here as the sense of acknowledgement and a form of reply is lost to the static. The wolves make worried whimpers and stomps on the touch screens. The whole area turned red. Everyone knows that's not a good thing, as soon the air vents turned off which put the ice lady back to wearing the medical air mask. Everyone able helps those who couldn't and getting out of this strange crystal stone cavern was paramount. There hasn't been a lot of time to pass for everyone to think over and argue the Butcher's demands. As the last person slips past the cavern door mechanism, which in a deeper look was a space ships landing pod door. The move out of any blast radius was preferential and everyone was happy to accept some more hospitality with the wolves until proper deals and new pacts were crossed.
The ship repairs were critical but as everyone reflected in the brief between. To an outside perspective from not joining the meeting, they have for unknown reasons formed truce and on side for war and will be taking actions necessary to steal or find the god relics for this war. It rings in the red devil especially suddenly of reflecting on who was once his most wanted to kill. The ex vessel of that evil goddess that granted him immortality, now he knew this and seen the proof. Her real actions from what his phantom knew her for, it changed everything for just her alone. When she was puppet for the goddess, it undone most of that hard work.
"How dare you speak on our behalf, low Lizard!" Went to smack the butcher but is stopped by a unexpected source. That is another dragon who didn't enter holding back the whelp.
"We all heard the meeting. We all heard you talk to the fake gods. Speak to them in the way to make us on level to them." The elder low hissed, "We have always known the Lord of the mountain wad required for us to get off this planet. It was why we knew never to get rid of him. He set out reasonable terms that hide no pretenses and we have no clue of they will even help us. We are to be grateful of the swift move then waste time asking things at the fake gods. Glad the religious fanatics didn't spoil it. For all of us just yet." The arrogant Dragon hissed and lowered in being brought down like this. With the shaking of hands to several close and new allies, the terms of setting out to get off this planet was being scheme out. And the wild thoughts could help but to spill.
Talk of what vaults and who owned them. The demons knowing inevitably this exact knowledge to a point bit not for everything. They didn't have answer for the broken church relic peices that flag to be most useful for the still use able technology it is. When the pummel of the confessional king sword was made aware, that told everyone in the know who and how. That she played this long game so much longer then them. Even when she was a force puppet, she had her ways of 'gifted' relics to the ones in need.
This Congress of ships ended with crazed wonder if it was all a joke or real. Everyone needed sleep and time to even bother getting their heads together about the ships needing repairs. Intrusive backlash about the real master mind whom knew all along. The unknown monster of flesh, machine and gore goop. It made the whole event disbelieveable. Yet the dragons. The dragons in how they react and make action was proof evidence that there should never cast doubts. They are walking breathing examples of the so called gods and yet here they were among us all this whole time. They weren't made beleive in some book unlike the earth human religions. They were not unseen force like the spiders think there is. The impact of why things happened were backlash of other things they caused indirectly. Everyone on that meeting was reacting to reactions of such events.
"So we made contact to the other ships." The voice of those who weren't in the room at the time but speak causally of knowing it exactly. Black veils. Three women and two young men, vampires bit held the air of saints. It was clear who they are. This direct statement was agreed by several nods around the place. They all tilted inwards of themselves and then among them steps forwards one the little women. She lowered herself at the side of the ice lady. Takes the lady's hand in no fear of being turned to ice. No spoken words, simple a vowed pact that transfers part of themselves in swap. Making the little vampire saint immune to the cold. It gave the ice lady health she didn't have before.
"Lord of Orix." Another among broke off and bows taking a pact with the demons directly, "I am the price she set to pay. The life in trade for the services that her pact was based on." Lowering themselves more, "The claim over her body and likely her life has been now taken. This was always the plan, never some exchange."
"For a sister you never met. How did you come about contacting her to know that?" He asked inspecting the worth of this vampire vessel child. He twisted about a long while, accepting the pact as passed in payment. Seemingly also grateful to claim ownership over this god vessels life and contorl of this child ways forward.
"We never met her. But through the spies we contract to and that of our shared abilities. As not just vessels bur as blood vampires. We all are acutely aware of each other. She is faintest one." Nods of many sibilings agree to this.
"The misfortune nameless girl." One sighed, "She has nothing and done nothing for herself. She has nothing for herself. Only the worse and scars. The mental illness will have killed her at least by now. If she as she is predicted, dead."
"The vast deaths counted by her schemes. The deaths from taking the relics from churches. Replacing the entire slave black market. The wipe our of the entire eastern mountain." The lad shurgs these things causally, "Assasin for hire among spiders and the puppet body of the saint Jasmine that brought death in blessings of salvation. She bathed in so many innocent blood." Posed hand in mocking her even, "The red in this dawned new era is her fault."
The sibilings among themselves smashed this one guy for his turth. The words cling to the many in witness in new ways and the impacts that all faced because of her. The undead made from the saint jasmine. The Demons released from that church that harmed and killed. The thugs breaking into churches across the world as they knew it was by her pay roll. She orchestrates so many problems that stemmed by her way of her business. It was sending slave merchants carts that spread the consumption. The fey pushed out the south before the drought because of her indirectly, meaning she saved them from being slain in the lack of water. I'm thinking more... the merchant slave carts took many slaves in before the worst events came to happen. The consumption stops the undead change. She will have known all this.