Chapter 27: To Hydrate a Gargantuan City

Johnny was slowly getting his equipment set up. The computers were programmed to utilize the blueprint designs that he acquired from the zerg hivemind, thanks to Corvurn analyzing each and every detail in many blueprint designs and how-to documents relating to manifestation altar building. All he had to do was create the specifications of the blueprint and then make modified adjustments to make them useful.

The data compiler didn't need to be tinkered with, since it acts as a type of information compactor that divides information into easily accessed code. It was an essential piece of technology to have, and it would prove to be useful in setting up the atoms and molecule chains in the objects and tools produced from the manifestation altars. Without it, objects would not be able to retain their form and develop those advanced molecule chains. Only simple elements could be created from a manifestation altar without the data compiler, such as oxygen, hydrogen, or gold dust and the like.

The influx battery was slightly trickier. Because the manifestation altars required energy to create matter, a battery was needed to be able to provide that energy and equalize its energy intake. Manifestation altars can also recycle matter and absorb it as energy, and it was through that process that an influx battery was needed to store and collect that recycled energy. Johnny was currently investigating if the influx battery was working, by simply checking its power gauge when he provided a hot, electrified wire to its intake plug, whilst experimenting with the outtake socket by using a modified light that he turned on and off with.

Later in the day, Baroness Tak had entered into Johnny's workshop, her bodyguards carrying woven baskets containing transistors, atom manipulator equipment, and a gun of some make. Baroness tak huffed as she pointed to her bodyguards and pointed down to the floor, telling them to set the baskets onto the ground. She then turned to Johnny and smiled. "I'm back."

Johnny turned to look at Tak and smiled back, stopping his work to bow before her. "Welcome back, my ladyship. Have you gained everything I have asked for?"

Tak shook her head. "Most of everything. I will try to get the other equipment you'll need tomorrow. Namely, the atom generators, atom recyclers, and the hyper-fluid memory bag."

Johnny went to the baskets to inspect the equipment that was brought in. "Hmm... Actually, I would like to accompany you tomorrow. Would it be too much trouble if you brought me along?"

Tak smiled and shook her head. "Not at all! But I will have to warn you that being dressed in that attire will increase the chances of you getting robbed."

Johnny stared at Tak. "... I'm getting the feeling that the black market is not exactly the most... salubrious place to visit."

Tak sighed. "It's where the dregs and the scum go to barter their stolen goods. Most kinds of empire tech winds up there to be salvaged or re-purposed. Anything you want that comes from Gollog would definitely be found there. Getting the hyper-fluid memory bag, as you requested, is going to be a bit of a hassle to acquire, due to its exotic elements."

Johnny nodded and sighed. "That's a great shame then. Without that memory bag, I won't be able have it store the plethora of other blueprints, designs, and advanced materials needed to make more advanced manifestation altars." Johnny went to the weaved baskets and sifted into them, checking the tools and items brought to him. "Hmm... Looks like this might take me some time to analyze."

Tak leaned forward and rubbed Johnny on the shoulder. "You have been working so hard. I think it's about time you take a break."

Johnny looked up at Tak. "... But... My work."

"It can wait, Johnny." Tak reassured with a smile. "You deserve a little reward for yourself, after all. Please indulge in your break, Johnny. Orders from your baroness~!"

Johnny looked reluctant, but then he sighed and gently handled the EMP weapon that he fished from the baskets. He then stood up and readjusted the cuffs on his green, purple, and brown regal clothing after he deposited the EMP weapon back into its basket. "If it would please you, then I suppose I have no choice. I am a guest here, after all, and I have to respect the wishes of the host that took me into her home. As you wish, my ladyship."

Tak smiled broadly. "I think we shall start our time off with a meal, and then some entertainment in my private dining hall. My two best bodyguards, Rubij and Drotan, shall provide the entertainment. I find their synchronized fight-dancing to be very mesmerizing."

Two of her bodyguards looked at one another. "My lady, I apologize for interrupting, but should we wear the um... private fighting gear, or the fighting gear used in the parties you host?"

Tak stared at one of her four bodyguards, then gasped. "Oh, no no no no no~! You don't have to wear the um... PRIVATE fighting gear. Johnny might not be into that sort of thing, after all! Just use the other gear, deary." The two bodyguards nodded and headed away. She then gestured to one of her two remaining guards. "Parvaln. Notify the chefs that they shall be preparing food for me and my guest. We will be entertained, after all." Tak's third bodyguard, Parvaln, bowed and left, obviously traveling to the kitchen to notify the chefs. Tak then turned around to face Johnny with a wide smile. "The evening meal should be ready within twenty minutes. Shall we retreat to my personal dining room?"

Johnny nodded with a smile. "I shall be with you in a moment, my ladyship. I'll have to booby-trap my equipment first."

Tak tilted her head and looked at Johnny with a confused expression. "Excuse me?"

"It's a habit that my mom taught me. Could you allow me my privacy for a minute, please? It will be quick." Johnny asked.

Tak took a few seconds to contemplate Johnny's request. She then sighed and nodded. "Alright. I'll allow you some privacy." She said, bowing and leaving for the door. "You have EXACTLY one minute. Don't leave a lady waiting~. Come with me Golpta."

Once Tak's left the room, and her last remaining bodyguard had shut the door, Johnny had the privacy he asked for. Johnny quickly went to work booby-trapping his equipment.

After Johnny was done with booby-trapping his workplace, he soon joined with Tak and her fourth bodyguard, taking their time walking to the private dining room in Tak's palace. The dining room had several red and pink drapes that lined the wall in a floral pattern. The top of the room had a circular tower that extended to the roof, which had windows on the sides that allowed both wind and light into the room. Once they had arrived, Johnny could see an oval shaped table of intricate red designs and specially crochet-ed floral patters that lined the table's surface awaiting them. Chefs and servants filtered into the room and decorated the table with plates of food, none of which Johnny was familiar with.

"Thank you, thank you. I will send one of my bodyguards if I need anything else." Once the chefs and servants bowed and made their leave, Tak took a seat to a provided chair and sat daintily in it.

This prompted Johnny to take the seat that was next to Tak, and he took his time to settle into the dining chair. An awkward couple of seconds had passed before Johnny started fidgeting in his seat. "So uh... What would you recommend for me, my ladyship? I have never seen this kind of food in my life."

Tak giggled. "Oh! I apologize for my ignorance! You wear that apparel so well, that I had mistaken you for nobility. I keep forgetting that you once lived outside of Gargantua."

Johnny smirked and nodded. "I will admit. This is a very different lifestyle than what I am used to."

Tak leaned over and pointed a fork to a cooked bird. "Each dish has its own serving utensils. Use them to fill your plate with what you want." She then pointed to Johnny's plate. "Use the biggest utensils next to your plate to eat the meats you have chosen. The second biggest utensils are reserved for your salad, and your smallest is used for desert." She then pointed to a plate of small doughy orbs, topped with a thin layer of melted cheese. "Try these gougeres. They've been baked with skracken mushrooms and mongwedger cheese. My favorite appetizer~."

Johnny carefully picked one of the mushroom cheesy-bread balls and took a careful sniff. ... Johnny wasn't sure if it was good or not, since he never had this kind of food before. An experimental bite divided the baked cuisine, and filled his mouth with gooey cheese and sauteed bits of mushroom. After swallowing the half he bit onto, another bite followed, and Johnny was already reaching for two more of the cheesy-bread balls. "I hope you don't mind if I take two more."

"Please do! My larder won't be running out of food anytime soon." Tak said, beaming a smile toward Johnny.

Johnny smiled back. "Weulgh... *ulp* Well, you would never be able to run out of food if we get a manifestation altar running. They can create all kinds of edible and flavorful things to eat. I even heard that they can also be programmed with new recipes, creating new edibles that can't be normally grown on Kiln."

Tak took a gourgere and placed it onto her plate. "That would certainly be nice. The empire surely has a boundless limit when it comes to self-satisfied excess."

"Which reminds me." Johnny said, turning to face Baroness Tak. "I have been wondering if there are any current events relating to the gilanian empire. If I am to fight against Gollog and his empire, then I have to know what kind of past events that he and his empire were involved in."

Tak shook her head and frowned, then stared at Johnny. "Johnny~. Enough about business. We can discuss recent news later. For now, enjoy the food. ... Oh! And what timing! The entertainment is here."

Rubij and Drotan, two of Tak's best bodyguards, walked forward toward their table. The both of them seemed to be wearing leather and metal plated armor, and the both of them carried a single dagger in their holsters. One of them spoke. "I shall assume that your evening is pleasant?"

Tak nodded. "Very much so, Drotan." Tak then turned to Johnny with a smile.

Johnny paused for a second before replying. "Uh-Yes! I agree with Baroness Tak."

"Then we shall assist in making sure that your evening remains pleasant." Drotan said. "I, and Rubij, shall be sparing in the ancient dagger-and-fist martial arts, 'Kirnaa', for your viewing pleasure." He said and bowed.

Tak clapped her hands. "Good choice, Drotan." She said with a smile.

Johnny raised an eyebrow. "What is a 'Kirnaa'?"

Tak smiled. "It was developed by a fighter named Kirnaa a long time ago. He was a slave once, and he taught the fighting style to many slaves that was heavily mistreated by their slave-master. They broke out of their chains one day, and killed their masters with the help of the knowledge and techniques that were passed to them, via Kirnaa's martial arts training. This also happens to be a fighting style that came before Gollog's reign. A good choice of martial art to entertain us, if I must share my opinion openly."

Johnny nodded, and then payed attention to the two sparring fighters. They bowed to their audience, consisting of Tak and Johnny, then they turned to bow towards each other. After paying their respects, they pointed their knives at one another and started circling each other.

"Sound system activate." Tak said. "Play 'Night of the Violet Moon'."

Snares, drum beats, twangs of some guitar, and a flute seemed to play from an unseen orchestra that was coming from all around. Once the music picked up, Rubij and Drotan engaged in a quick flurry of attacks to each other. Johnny acted amazed as he saw the speed that the two sparring bodyguards displayed, able to attack and counterattack one another in blurring motions that would be hard for untrained eyes to track.

This martial art seems to focus on quick, fatal strikes, and even quicker counter-attacks. The fight flowed eloquently from one strike to another, each quickly dodged with careful motions and quick side-stepping. After a minute of fighting with their daggers, they managed to disarm each other and resorted to spinning kicks and punches, as well as elbow strikes, knee strikes, jabs, and fast frontal kicks.

Another two minutes of close-quarters fighting, the song slowed in tempo and the two fighters backed away from one another. They breathed heavily for several seconds. Once the song played its outro, the two sparring fighters stood straight up and bowed to each other. Once the song was over, Tak clapped her hands, while Johnny followed Tak's example and clapped along with her. It was a very impressive fighting style. At least that is what Kay thought. Johnny was indifferent to the matter, even when he learned a new thing or two about countering melee attacks.

Tak took a bite of her gourgere and then reached for the other plates to serve her own. Johnny couldn't help but ask questions that have spurred up during the recent display of martial arts. "That was amazing!" He exclaimed, acting amazed.

Tak smiled. "It's good that you liked Rubij and Drotan's bout with each other. However, they need to practice in front of an audience more often. I keep telling them to keep themselves in shape. Otherwise, they would be no better than some of the higher officials in my city."

"And I liked the music too. Do you know who composed it?" Johnny asked.

Tak sighed. "I'm afraid I don't. It's an ancient relic of my people's past."

Johnny cocked his head. "Uh... How so?"

Tak took a bite of a piece of roasted krell bird, chewed, swallowed, and then continued. "It was a song that came to be in our distant past, before our ancestors were sentenced to live out their lives as prisoners in our new home. It is believed this was before the Kiln prison system was created. I believe the legends, tales, or myths, behind this song speaks about the moon of our people's homeworld."

Johnny leaned toward Tak, listening intently. "What are some of the tales and myths of that moon?"

Tak smiled and patted Johnny on the shoulder. "I believe it has something to do with a superstitious, but sad, story that surrounds the violet moon. Once upon a time ago, two warlords used slave-masters to hunt down slaves to turn into sacrificial soldiers. The two warlords fought for a long time, and they eventually got mixed up into a major battle that resulted in the deaths of all of their slaves. The warlords ended up using their own slave-masters to fight in their battles. Eventually, all that was left was the two warlords, facing each other on a field of a bloody battle. All they had was the armor on their backs, and a single knife in their hands. These two warlords fought with everything they had, and they fought for so long that the duel lasted for three straight nights. It was during the third night that they have eventually realized that the two warlords were equal in strength. Both of them hesitated, knowing that if they continued, they would both die of exhaustion. But miraculously, they stopped fighting and threw down their weapons. After that, they embraced each other as though they were long lost brothers. It was during that time, on the last night, that they noticed that the moon was glowing a violet color on a blood-stained battlefield.

"From then on, should the moon glow a baleful violet in the sky, it is considered an omen. During peaceful times, it would symbolize that a great war would occur in the weeks and months to follow. During very turbulent times, it would instead symbolize an age of peace between all warring leaders in their respective wars. Or both, in some cases." Tak said.

Johnny nodded intently. "Sounds pretty impressive to me."

Tak shook her head. "Boys will be boys. They love to shove each other around when they don't get what they want. And when they do, they will often seek the next petty thing to bully, steal, partake, or fight over."

Johnny nodded. "And Gollog is one of those people that enjoys driving a schism in everyone's lives."

Tak nodded. "True. Sadly, our own moon is artificial, and could never give a violet colored omen to its people. Heavens know that we need something to symbolize our solidarity against harsh, imperial laws. Gollog simply doesn't care about the people of Kiln. All he cares about is loyalty."

Johnny took a long breath before sighing. "Man. I really hope ]I can amount to some kind of difference and fight back at that emperor one day."

Tak smiled and patted Johnny on the knee. "We all do, Johnny. We all do."

Johnny nodded, then got back to eating the meal that was present.

The day slowly turned, shifting into the evening. The dull eyes of the oppressed, and the few remaining that believed in freedom, or chaos without restraint, noticed the tint of the world becoming a very different hue than what was normally expected. It became something of a heated discussion among both nobility and the peasantry. When they noticed that the moon itself was no longer the white that they all had seen for several generations, the people either panicked, or rejoiced.

The moon was turning violet.

The astronomical phenomenon confounded everyone to no end, since the artificial moon, in the history of Kiln, had never became purple before! Swarthy patches of magenta coloration was appearing all over the surface of the hexagon in the night sky, and they continued to grow in size by the hour.

When Gollog heard of this news, he stormed out of the command tent, located far from the hole in the ground known as Entrance 1, and looked up. He grumbled something under his breath.

Commander Ralkan followed after Emperor Gollog, exiting the tent and coming to a stop behind him. "Uh, sir? Can you tell me why you hurried out of the tent in such a... manner?"

Ralkan looked around, noting that everything seemed darker than normal. Gollog pointed up toward the sky. "I'll give you one guess. There has been reports of strange astrological phenomenon that has been occurring over several cities."

Commander Ralkan looked up at the rising moon. "... Is... Is it a violet moon?"

Gollog shook his head. "I do not pay you to be one of those superstitious bumpkins, Ralkan. I want you to alert Kralluf and Faddoh to this event. Immediately."

There was a long and pregnant pause before Ralkan spoke again. "Uh! Yes sir! Right away!"

Once Commander Ralkan scurried off, Gollog crossed his arms and stared at the moon with great judgement. He looked like he was trying to solve a puzzle, but had no idea what the key to solving the puzzle involved. "... Old myths and omens. This sort of thing is below an immortal like me. I think it's time I consult with Pallax about this matter." Gollog said, pouting and angrily staring at the fake celestial object.

Kay was able to listen in on this particular conversation because of the changelisks he had ordered to sneak into the encampment and assume the guise of patrol officers. The solution did not involve risking an overseer to deposit a changeling in the enemy's territory, where everyone would witness the overseers ability to create a changelisk. If they saw, then they would adapt to the overseers and the changelisks. Rather, an overseer from outside the gilanian empire perimeter would deposit a changelisk that would infiltrate inside the bases that were established outside of the perimeter.

It was only a matter of time till Kay had a better understanding of how Gollog's imperial soldiers patrolled the large encampment, as more and more changelisks were pouring into the encampment that was containing the zerg on the surface. It wouldn't be long until the empire soldiers realized that they had more people here than normal. But before that day could come, Kay would have already sprung his trap.

The zerglings still tried clawing at the invisible walls that contained the zerg and prevented them from expanding their territory, but other activity could be seen beyond the wall of savage zerglings.

A few hatcheries had been morphed, and a few queens tended to each of these hatcheries. Various zerg organisms frolicked around, but they seemed to try and enjoy their time on the surface of the world, despite being forced from expanding their territory any further. A new nydus network had sprung up next to the hatcheries, whilst several spine crawlers and spore crawlers defended the hatcheries and nydus network. Sadly, the room inside the contained zerg territory was very much contained and constrained. The ground-based zerg organisms were moderately safe, but the flying zerg organisms couldn't fly too close to the invisible walls or fly to high, or they would risk becoming targeted by anti-air fire. Additionally, any ultralisk that would come out of either the ruined cave, the nydus network, or spawned from a hatchery, would be instantly beset by suffocating and destructive artillery fire.

There were no recent emergence of ultralisks, or the zerg's attempt to emerge from under the surface and breach the perimeter defenses within that moment. They simply proved to be nothing more but artillery practice in their attempts to attack their intruders and drive them away. As such, the ultralisks stopped coming to the surface, or spawned from the hatcheries. It was a waste of resources to create and hatch more ultralisks if they were going to die anyway. Though it provided the Golden Star antagonists a distraction they couldn't ignore, ultralisks were still spawned sparingly. However, Gollog had accounted for the lack of a sun, and had several artillery installations deployed just for countering any more ultralisks that would dare reveal their ugly faces to everyone assembled at Red Mountain. Gollog was a clever emperor. Kay would agree to that by some degree.

But Kay was a patient man. He could wait to initiate his counterattack. All he needed to do was to wait for the carrier behemoth to fill its folds and sacks with thousands of zerg organisms before it could initiate its attack. A new surge of zerg will come.

And the carrier behemoth was almost full.

A/N: Everyone prepared for the fight coming in the next chapter? :3