A Bad Man's Second Chance
Highway to Hell
Chapter 11: Eagles - Hotel California
Out in the far reaches of the galaxy, Ego continues his life's work.
After all this time, you'd think he'd be used to it by now.
But no matter how many eons passed, he could still feel that bitter sting. Another disappointment.
Gently, Ego pet soft downy hair before passing his palm over the wide, damp, unseeing eyes to brush them closed. Eyes no longer filled with that small spark of life, the light in them long gone. But then, the light had never been there to begin with had it.
Oh well.
Dispassionately, Ego watched as the ground gave way, the tendrils of light under his command crumbling the floor beneath the tiny corpse before lifting it up and tugging it down and out of sight. He'll tuck the little creature's bones deep within his planetary form, where he will hold it close for the rest of eternity. Another memento and grim reminder. Marking the passing of endless time, just another step in his journey towards achieving his grand purpose.
A choked sob bursts noisily behind him, and Ego's attention is quickly drawn from the already refilling hole.
"Oh, Mantis," Ego leaned down to pet the girl's dark hair, much like he'd caressed the dead child moments before. Kneeling on the floor, Mantis' young face was the picture of despair. Great tears rolling down her chubby, childish cheeks as she burbled and hiccuped shamelessly in her grief.
"Come now," He said, picking the little girl up. The child instinctively wrapping herself around him, as he pat her back soothingly, "No more of that."
He did try to avoid having his little pet see this part, but somethings just couldn't be helped.
Mantis' empathic powers were simply too useful in getting the stubborn to see things his way, and this last potential child of his had been particularly stubborn. Ego had needed her to stay close. For some reason the little thing would panic at the sight of him and wouldn't let him get close to it, let alone speak or get near enough to see if it had possessed the light. Mantis had been needed to keep it calm and with the bond they developed over the past few days, it had been inevitable that it's passing would distress her.
He'd warned her not to befriend it. Countless times, counseling her to keep her distance, but no matter how hard she tried in this one manner she seemed incapable of obedience.
Mantis always got so attached to his children and this time was no exception.
And when it came to controlling the light this time was no exception as well.
Frankly, she really should know better by now.
"Here child, no more," Ego said as he took the child's hand and placed it upon his head.
"There you go," Ego crooned to her as in his peripheral he could see her little antenna light up as he intended; her sobs instantly subsiding, "You see? Nothing to cry about. Just another disappointment, that's all. There will be others. No more tears. They're not worth it."
"Why-why couldn't," Mantis whimpered in his ear.
"Why couldn't they stay?" Ego said, and she nodded against his shoulder, "Oh Mantis, to what end? Without the light, there is no reason for them to stay. They'd have no purpose. No reason for being here."
"And I have purpose?"
"Yes. You have purpose." Ego said and disentangled the little girls arms from around his neck before setting her on the floor, "You help me, and therefor you have purpose. Are we better now?"
No longer touching him, Mantis' antenna dimmed as Ego put her down. And although her black eyes still looked weepy she nodded anyways, "I have purpose."
"Good girl," Ego said and patted her head once more, before turning her to the door and shooing her away, "Run along now, go play. But be back before dark. I'll need you-"
"To help you sleep," Mantis said, nodding determinedly even as she slowly began to make her way out of Ego's temple, "I'll remember Ego. I won't forget."
With his little charge taken care of and out of sight, Ego attempted to put her out of his mind as he turned his attention back to the restructuring of his Temple. The grand edifice was already warping and changing under his will, and at his direction all traces of his most recent failure was removed from the glittering walls.
Despite the occasional unpleasantness from the child's emotional outbursts, Ego was glad he'd convinced himself to risk keeping the little bug although he was less than proud of the circumstances that led to it.
Years ago, his journey across the stars had led him to the planet of Mantodea, where he decided to don their racial appearance and seduce a lovely mantis woman by the name of Optera. And like her people, Optera had those same emphatic abilities and powers. And one fateful day she turned those powers on him, giving him the first ever restful sleep of his existence.
It terrified him at first. That she hold such power over him. To make him sleep... It was wonderful. It was like nothing he'd ever experienced. To finally feel what true peace could be like. It was much like how he imagined what the completion of the expansion would be like.
He'd left her immediately, abandoning her in the night. But sleep was like a drug, and once tasted he longed for it ever after. But whenever he attempted to achieve that kind of peace again, to sleep under his own power, he came to no success.
Without Optera he was incapable of sleeping.
Such attachment was dangerous, but he could no longer deny that he was powerless against is sweet siren song. Needed that blissful touch of oblivion as he needed nothing else. So against his better judgement, he broke his rules for her. Ego returned to Mantodea, returned to Optera, intent on taking her and bringing her to his true self. For the first time, he was willing to open himself to another being, lesser though she may be, where he would keep her for the rest of eternity at his side. His precious treasure, his queen of peace.
But when he returned he found things were no longer the way he had left them.
His seedling, which he had planted near where Optera had lived had died. He had hoped it would survive, but it had barely been rooted before he'd left so abruptly- snapping its tenuous bond with him long before it could become self sustaining and caused it to wither and die. A seedling could be replanted however, but without it his seedling his thrall lost its hold over his lover. And without the pull of his thrall, Optera's claims of utter devotion to him turned out to be nothing but hollow lies. She abandoned him. Betrayed him. Forgot about him . She moved on.
And in discovering this, well... Ego was ashamed to admit it but he lost his temper.
While he may not have the power necessary to carry out the fullness of his plan for expansion, the sheer force of his rage was more than sufficient for him to subsume the planet of Mantodea into himself. The energy spent was more than enough to exhaust him, and he wouldn't be able to maintain his control over the planet for long, but Mantodea as it was known was gone forever- it's people utterly destroyed.
Save for one.
Amongst the rubble, Ego held onto the child his lover had born in her betrayal. He'd hoped that the little larval thing would prove to be his in truth, but that was not the case. Mantis, as he called her after her lost people, held no trace of the light that was him. But she was also her mother's daughter, and when she grew out of her larval state her powers grew as well.
He'd come to appreciate the versatility of the little mantis' power, the child proved her usefulness time and time again. It made everything so much easier with her to smooth the way and control his more recalcitrant children in a more subtle and less invasive manner than his own methods. And he was fortunate that her own emotional outbursts could be just as easily managed. It surely did make things easier on him, and allowed him to forgive the occasional transgression.
But most of all, Ego prized her powers for one facet above all others.
At long last that brief restful peace was returned to him. Ego was able to sleep once more.
But that was for later, and right now there was still work to be done.
Looking around at his reformed temple, Ego admired his work. The walls iridescent with precious metals and jewels, an elaborate mural once more of his visage and his alone. Satisfied, Ego finally released his hold on his current form and allowed his current avatar to dissolve. Fading into nothingness as it crumbled into millions of sparkling motes of light.
And with that Ego returned to himself. His true self. The very center of everything, the massive brain that was him. Thrumming with power and light, Ego allowed himself a brief moment to revel in the sensation of being whole and singular.
And when the moment passed, with a mere flex of his thoughts, Ego scattered himself to the far reaches of the galaxy. Reaching out through the vastness of space to touch with the distant parts of him that he had left behind.
Many of his scattered seedlings have long since gone dormant. They lived still, and he could still perceive them, shining in his awareness like a dim smattering of stars dotting the endless vacuum. Some day they will be glowing again, like vibrant fiery stars swollen and and complete with light- rich with the fullness of him as he becomes everything he is destined to become. For now Ego contents himself with the knowledge that they glow still, waiting patiently for the day he has the power to reach them all once more.
A faint twinging snap draws his attention, and Ego's awareness turns to absolute focus.
A seedling once glowing has gone dormant. Concentrating deeply, Ego pulls the last threads of light connecting the now dimming seedling back to him. And as the light returns his mind is washed with the last testaments of information. The seedling is vibrant and healthy still, and will be able to stay in its dormant state for a millennia or more. It's active connection to the host mind Ego had wrapped it's light around has finally ended and can no longer leach from it that living essence.
Another of his lovers has died then.
The seedlings information sifts into his mind with the fading light and Ego remembers.
Krylor, his lover Tanja Wit. His red skinned sweetheart. His sunset plum. Ever only devoted to him.
The wasting sickness he'd fed into her blood had finally taken her from the world then. His connection to the seedling may be broken now, but the thrall he'd left with it had stayed strong- ensuring that Tanja was his and only his for the rest of eternity. She'd remarried a year ago, but the man was no threat to her affections. Tanja would never do anything that would cause him anger, his seedlings thrall had seen to that. She'd remarried for the security, for her ailing health. She'd done it so there would be someone to take care of her child until Ego required her...
Her child, Mira. Such a young little thing, nearly ten. So alone now. Left to her bitter step-father's care. Perhaps this one would hold the light.
Perhaps this one would truly be his ...
Soon. He'd already sent envoys to collect this child, as he'd been anticipating Tanja's passing for a long while. She would be delivered to him with the others and he would know soon enough.
In the meantime, Ego pulled away from the dimming seedling and spread out his attention over the other half of himself. His Avatars.
It was not easy to split one's consciousness into as many parts as he had. But over the course of a millennia, Ego had learned his limits and perfected the technique. Now he had a dozen or so at any given time, scouring the cosmos in search of a more perfect match to his genetic composition.
They were a much more sophisticated construct than his seedlings, requiring far more attention and maintenance to sustain them. The connection he had with them was much greater, while also allowing the avatars a measure of independence and autonomy. Essentially, his avatar was him. Or rather, a him that was carefully and painstakingly crafted to suit the temperament and personal preferences of his chosen lovers.
Obviously such an undertaking lent for some trial and error. The need for flexibility and active adaptation was vital in the pursuit to proper wooing. But seduction was just another form of manipulation in the end, and Ego had had a very very long time to practise this particular art.
While he found his thrall to be a required necessity in his absence, Ego very rarely found the need to visit a lover more than once to win them over to his side. And rarer still for him to have to rely on the thrall of his light to open his chosen lover's eyes to his greatness.
There were always a few that tried to resist him. But they always came to see things his way in the end. It was only a matter of finding the exact pattern that his lover would find most pleasing. The aesthetics of his physical form, the behavior he presented, using just the right words...
He could manipulate any and every part of himself to be exactly what they desired. And in return, all he asked was their undying devotion. For if they were going to love a god, should they not love him forever? To love him and only him for the rest of their small tiny speck of existence.
And what better proof of love could they provide but to give him the chance to achieve his purpose?
Some day he would find the one. The one he was truly compatible with. Who would possess that sublime sequence of genetic code that would allow him to truly propagate. Destined to bare him a child that would be his entirely. Able to hold light and wield power with a thought, and together they would face eternity and command that everything be HIS-
Ego was abruptly jolted back to himself. Something had disturbed his atmosphere.
With a thought Ego willed himself back into existence upon the surface of his planet. Light and radiance pouring off of him as he searched for the anomaly. He'd only just laid his latest mistake to rest, and Ego had not been expecting another visitor so soon. He kept any and all visits to his planet under his careful and absolute control. This was where he truly was after all, and Ego would not risk anything damaging the source of him or the source of the light within him without taking any and every precaution.
There should be nothing for light years around. That was the way Ego liked it, and he was determined to keep it that way.
Tall grass rasping at his knees, Ego lifted a hand as he squinted into the hazy distance.
A ship... it was a ship of some sort, too large to be a shuttle, but definitely a space faring craft appeared over the horizon between the wafting heatwaves of the late afternoon sunlight. Ego frowned as he tried to identify it's make. It could be another delivery, although if it was he would be having words with whomever was in charge of this particular vessel. Ego did not appreciate surprises, and he would make that very clear that this would not happen again- with Mantis' help if necessary.
No- no, Ego did not recognize this ship. Which meant that it was not one of his usual suppliers- which meant that this ship had no business being here. Lifting his hand, Ego gathered light into his fist- before a sudden thought gave him pause.
It could still be a delivery. His ravager captain had never made the trip to Ego before, perhaps this ship was him.
Ego had worried about the wisdom of having such a large group of his children delivered at one time. Personally he preferred the one on one interaction, it allowed him greater control over the situation- and he could adapt his person to best sooth the expectations of one child instead of many. But when his ravager captain had offered, Ego had found it hard to resist- the idea of having so many of his progeny in his grasp, the greater the chance that one or more might succeed where others failed. Despite being ancient beyond measure, Ego was impatient at heart, and had succumbed to the temptation.
As far as risks, Ego found it to be a low one. If he discovered that it wasn't worth his while he could simply kill the man and his entire crew and go back to how it was before.
But if it was Udonta, Ego couldn't risk the ship's destruction until after he retrieved his children.
The man had said his ship would drop them off when they'd gathered enough for a delivery. Vague as that may be, Ego had understood that it would take the man a long time to fulfill their contract. He'd been keeping close tabs on his ravager captain just for that very reason. But his calls had been met with reassurance, the little cotati in his arms evidence that the man had been keeping his side of the bargain after all. With proof of Udonta's continued cooperation, Ego had relaxed and contented himself to exercise his patience as he awaited the greater reward.
But perhaps Ego had gotten complacent because of this. It had been awhile since he'd last contacted the pirate. It was impossible that the man had completed his list, but perhaps things had changed.
Watching the ship continue to cruise his sky, Ego debated.
It had the haphazard look of a ravager vessel, but then most ships employed in piracy all started to look the same after a while. And while his planet was remote, it was not completely unheard of for Ego to receive the occasional unlucky interloper completely oblivious to their trespass. There had been a few over the years, explorers, adventurers, colonists and miners- all looking for that new prospect of land to claim. Unfortunately for them, Ego had no intention of sharing what was his.
No, no this wasn't a delivery. Ego finally determined as he watch the vessel draw ever closer. The ship moved swiftly, showing no signs or inclination that it was looking for a landing spot. No, this slow pass had all the hallmarks of a deep scanning system. This was a scout.
Whatever it was scouting for, whatever it's goal, was irrelevant at this point. It would be destroyed.
Dissolving his avatar once more, Ego infused himself with the essence of the planet surrounding him. Permeating the earth with his will, his boiling rage roared on a tectonic level and Ego rose to attack the interloper, intent on its imminent and absolute destruction.
How dare they come here. How dare they disturb him in his solitude. How dare they come when he is grieving!
The scouting ship recoiled, narrowly dodging the sudden advent of a mountain throwing itself in it's flight path. The late afternoon day turned and shifted into a dangerous twilight as dust and earth suddenly choked the atmosphere. Cavernous rents in the earth, that had not been there seconds ago, poured thick black clouds of volcanic ash into the air. The now black sky boiling as savage bolts of electric energy split the darkness- the very planet turned against them.
Try as it might, the tiny scouting ship was no match for the sheer magnitude of the forces wielded against it. A testament to the pilot's skill, their fleeing flight lasted far longer than Ego had expected. But within three minutes, the ship was struck a fatal blow. Even wounded, the ship still flew, limping through the air like a one winged insect as it tried to escape him. But there was never a chance for that. Caught in Ego's grasp, they were but a plaything and within five minutes the nimble vessel was reduced to nothing more than a crumpled heap upon the ground.
Assuming another avatar form, Ego approached the pathetic smoldering wreckage. The tectonic rumbling echoes of Ego's abrupt wrath fading into nothing as he looked on his work with satisfaction. The ship was an utter ruin. Ruptured plasma burned unchecked as fire and smoke poured from it. The acrid scent of burning flesh mixing with the dust and falling ash as the clouds settled around him. And Ego smiled, and walked away.
Ropes of light surged from the ground to grasp the wreckage, pulling and wrenching the durasteel walls apart. The ship would be torn apart, every piece reduced to into base material and incorporated, absorbed into the elements of his planet. There would be no survivors, and even if there was some unfortunate soul still alive in that mess... well, they wouldn't stay that way long.
Putting the day behind him, Ego made his way back to the temple. Mantis would be waiting for him, ready to give him the sleep he craved.
And perhaps tomorrow he would check in on his ravager captain once more.
