Swan and The Augur
Chapter I: Dreams Of The Cold Deep
They sway in the wind. The bindtrees that release their lucid spores like a million shimmering stars, covering the metallic shapes of the copper plain into a shimmer of colours, reflections and dance of shapes. These memories of sights and sounds, all converging into a reality of maps and pathways. The life and joy of Warumathan explorers. Places unseen, places hidden. All of it requires unveiling, the peeling of a cosmic picture. Everything.
It's all in ancient past. In memories as old as the bindtrees, call of Sakhrekan flies and the earliest of Augurs. My consciousness lives these final moments of pleasant memories and matter. I wish not to remember what made me retreat into this. I wish my dreams remained pleasant for all eternity. It is not like this. It will never be like this. They came and they won. Maimed, tortured and killed our kin beyond recognition. Twisted, malformed. Black sap bleeds and all is ash.
"Augur... Augur?" A chirping sound of familiar warmth penetrates the bleak visage.
Visions of light and cubic shapes of familiar origin form in my mind. The beam of light penetrates my very being, cutting through me like the sharpest of spears.
"Such a ridiculous layer of blood ice! Try to hang in there!" the sounds continue.
Dreams have never spoken, neither communed. The true dark never claimed its prize. This is no dream. My consciousness is called back from it's slumber.
"Ah, i'm finally detecting all forms of ionic activity. It's time to wake up, Augur!" the voice keeps reciting.
Wake up. The feeling of haze subsides and memories that were locked in a deep morass return to my being. Eternal sleep was to be a fate, yet it's averted. The children of Great Light have found me.
"Now, now. Try not to move anything. Your servos and all major systems are going to have to through extensive testing now." the Child speaks.
"What a mess! When i regained consciousness, i found myself lying dead in the middle of a metallic trash heap in the Oilen sea. It feels like nobody even knows what to do with us anymore, such rude behaviour!" the chatty Child exclaims.
It speaks the truth. My frontal limbs, three arms and my ear antennae all feel catatonic. The child produces hums of energy and warmth. "
This should work as a pick me up!" the Child proudly states.
As my consciousness takes form, the Child keeps scanning my wrecked visage and quietly then turns it's lithe frame, as if to gaze into the darkness beyond my vision.
"Eumrethar. I knew they are drawn to energy signatures, but to acknowledge our presence so quickly... We need to hide!" the Child urgently beeps.
"Please... Where are..." my rusty vocal faculties begin to rasp my tongue of old.
The cubic Child quickly registers my attempts at communication and comes closer, almost as if attempting to whisper.
"Look. Augur, you have been defunct for 89 cycles. Me and many others scoured the surface, moons and megastructures for your kind because we might have a chance to save whatever is left of this world. Your kind are immeasurably precious."
As the breath of creation returns to me, my arms move, my legs and appendages follow my will. I stretch them all, as if to remember the first time i transcended my biological form.
"A weapon. Give me a weapon." I groan with my yet stifled voice.
"Now, i don't think that's a..." The Child intervenes. I break it's attempts at protest.
"I go into battle against the enemy with spear and claw, or I give myself to death at their hands. No honor comes in battle not fought on equal terms. My cowering is over." I exclaim. Such a display leaves the Child bewildered.
It quickly seeks its surroundings and then produces something rudimentary via the ancient technology of matter transportation.
"This is the best i can do. It's the only thing i can produce." it chirps while producing an ancient axion spear.
"Oh! and Augur. Please, call me a Ghost."
"Agreed. Let us go. The sacred rites of survival have come. Let us meet them with pride and joy."