Chapter 45: A Game of Towers and Castles

Pallax's eyes were getting heavy.

For several hours now, he had sent orders to the severely crippled divisions of the Golden Star Empire to salvage the situation with the Empire City infestation. Even though he was titled as 'The General of the Four Armies', Pallax would rather order around the four commanders under him to do most of the work. Worse still, the lieutenant that was supposed to protect Empire City, and route the zerg infestation, had been attacked. The last thing he heard from Braxog was a scream, followed by the sounds of trilling and hissing zerglings. Colonel Vodnum might have sent a lieutenant to act in his stead, but it gave him no right to krell out of a fight. (Which is his favorite expression to describe fleeing cowards.) Everyone had a limited number of sick days, and Vodnum had no special conditions that exempted him from that rule.

But in the recent events that had occurred several minutes ago, Pallax was having a hard time believing what he was seeing. The zerg had halted their attack. Both on the surface near Empire City, and the infestation inside it.

The entire under-structure of Empire City, all the way from the bottom-most levels to the top-most levels, was infested and taken over by zerg on the eighth day of their existence on Kiln. At least the zerg didn't spread further and intruded into the Castle of Dreams. But then that was also the problem. Apparently, the zerg didn't proceed further and intruded into the castle simply because their leader, Kay, didn't want to bring any harm to Kragnon. Even when he was told that his 'friend' was a clone, his warning to Gollog had disrupted the flow of his emperor's plans. Apparently, that glowing eye trick that Kay pulled off had jarred the most high emperor of Kiln from proceeding with his plans. And because of that, Gollog is holding off from transferring the Warden Commands of an extinct warden to himself.

Even the ocean surrounding Empire City no longer had zerg marching toward the castle to siege it. The smiting laser still struck at the surrounding water that contained the creep infestation underneath and on the surface, but it had caused an unexpected side effect. Evaporated mist billowed up from the targeted areas that the wrathful smiting laser struck. Even when an impressive cloud cover had formed over Empire City, the smiting laser still attacked the creep fields when Kiln's sun was in position. Somehow, the creep was expanding at an even faster rate than before.

Pallax knew that Kay also had another motive when he warned Gollog about transferring those commands, or harming Kragnon. Kay knows that he can't kill Gollog in a straightforward fight. He knows that instead of combating Gollog directly, Kay would go after everything else that Gollog owned. In Pallax's opinion, there is a good chance that Gollog would use Kragnon as a hostage to get what he wanted, even if he was being held as a hostage while being treated as a valued guest at the moment.

Pallax sighed on his desk as he looked at the monitoring equipment, surveying several operations that was spiraling out of control. He had set up a place to command the crippled divisions of his armies within one of the towers in the castle. He had an entire tower to himself, but it felt somewhat... lonesome to him.

At least he had several colonels to communicate with, evident by the many faces that were staring right at him from a communication terminal. "Parnax, I want you to increase your patrols around Empire Plateau Town. Pletus and Jajai, you are going to field several patrols within the desert lands surrounding Red Mountain. Pletus, you will initiate a wide search pattern on the entire desert. Hunt down any lone zerg organism, but report to the artillery crews of any zerg organisms that are too large for you to deal with. Jajai, you'll have a tight and condensed patrol perimeter around Red Mountain. But be warned. It's zerg territory. Magwin, you are to mobilize your air forces and take down any zerg organisms that are alone or in small groups, providing cover and assistance for Pletus and Jajai's patrols. The drifters and oculars are easy targets, but they sometimes have sky bats or slayers protecting them in the air. Your priority is the burst launchers, scratch launchers, and any zerg organisms that do not have anti-air capabilities. If any of you find zerg coming out of a cave, there is a chance it has an established zerg nest underground. Mark the area and I'll contact a specialized team to tell them where to deliver a particle bomb. We can't have the zerg mobilize their numbers on the surface. Talphas, I want you to inform the other settlements that the zerg are running rampant, and that a reward will go to those who volunteers to hunt down these beasts. We need to strike these monsters now, or we'll be facing an environmental crisis. If we don't act fast enough, then the zerg will place the gilanian people at the bottom of the food chain. If we are to survive, we must bridge our assets with the non-aligned cities and thwart this zerg menace. Any questions about your orders?"

[Yeah, I got one. Why can't we just use some kind of poison to limit their reproduction, or whatever? If this is a biological enemy we are dealing with, then how about we introduce something toxic to their systems?]

Pallax shook his head and sighed again. "That won't work. The late Commander Faddoh had discovered that the zerg organisms have the unique ability to evolve rapidly. Biological warfare is something the zerg are masters at, and they adapt to biological warfare at a rate that surpasses even natural evolution. Something as simple as salmonella inconveniencing you might become an advantage to the zerg, for example. Any more questions?"

[About the reward thing. What's the asking price for a tooth from one of the blade hounds? Or their dorsal blades, for that matter?]

"Tell them that any volunteers agreeing to exterminate the zerg organisms will be rewarded with citizenship within the Golden Star Empire. Whatever past crimes they have done in their past would be completely forgiven, and they will be given a place of residence within one of our many empire-owned settlements. And as a side-note, everyone should be reminded that all biological parts extracted from any zerg organism is highly infectious. No amount of boiling would make them safe to handle, or safe for ingestion. Any more questions?"

[Yeah um... I would like to report something. It's technically not a question, but I feel that this is important to share.]

Pallax sighed yet again. "What is it this time, Magwin?"

[I want to report a new zerg organism sighting. I think you'll want to see this.]

Pallax, as expected, sighed again. "Send me an image."

[One moment.] Magwin said. Several seconds had passed, but Pallax had quickly received the message notification that one of his colonels sent to him. [I don't know how big the thing is. Just letting you know beforehand.]

Pallax opened the file... and nearly had his eyes shot out from his skull. "... Where did you get this?"

[High altitude cloaked reconnaissance team was surveying the land over Red Mountain. Managed to send me a picture before radio silence kicked in. Haven't heard from them since.]

Pallax looked at the image again and looked at the shadow it casted below itself. "... Thall, triangulate the topography in the image and determine the size of this creature, relative to its shadow on the ground. Reference location, Red Mountain."

... No answer came. Pallax looked up when he was responded with silence. He was becoming more agitated than tired at that moment.

"... THALL?! ... What the hell?" Pallax said, sighing again and scratching the back of his head.

[Uh... Sir?]

"Don't mind me. You have your orders. Get to it, unless you have any more questions."

The colonels' faces nodded and blinked out one by one until Pallax was alone once more. He got up from his seat and looked up. "Thall, why didn't you answer me?"

The only reply was quietness, which filled the room Pallax was alone in.

"... Thall, AI of the Castle of Dreams, I order you to respond to me. Alpha command, Pallax."

Still nothing.

"... Fucking damn it." Pallax said, sighing once more. He looked back at the image that one of the colonels had sent him. "... Well... I think Gollog still needs to know about this."

After sending the image to the manifestation altar, which processed the image into a piece of flat white plastic, Pallax took the printed sheet with the image of the new zerg organism and took off from his desk. He then made his way to the staircase that lead to the castle's throne room.

After traveling a long flight down, Pallax was able to get his thoughts together as he made his way to see Emperor Gollog. Pallax knew that Gollog was far more agitated than normal. But then again, Gollog was always known for his flamboyant and drawn-out ego. Pallax, on the other hand, is almost the exact opposite in his personality. Pragmatic, diplomatic, charismatic, and driven, are qualities that his peers often use to describe him, and the people below his rank murmer much of the same in more polite discourse. But they often always fail to realize his tactical genius. Pity to the poor minded.

Once he entered the throne room, Pallax could see his emperor pacing, walking back-and-forth along a collection of several floating screens that showed him various angles of the zerg, and the forces that Pallax recently commanded. He could see them annihilating the several packs of zerg that have not been destroyed by the smiting laser, and some of the screens were plain static, as though certain cameras or drones were trying to pierce into the foggy, electric veil surrounding the outside of Empire City. But there was another person that was residing here. Kragnon, who was still sitting there at the chair that was besides Gollog's throne. He stared absentmindedly forward, as though the air in front of him was more interesting than anything else. Or everything else.

'Poor guy, Kragnon. He doesn't deserve this kind of fate.'

Pallax scratched the annoying itch at the back of his head. He approached his emperor and stood at attention, a few feet from Gollog's throne. "Ahem."

Gollog paused to look at Pallax for a brief moment before continuing with his pacing. "What do you want, Pallax?" He said with a disgruntled growl, going back to eyeing the many screens and scowling at them.

Pallax held up the plastic sheet and showed it to Gollog. "One of the colonels I commanded sent this image to me. Apparently, it is a new kind of zerg organism."

Gollog sighed. "Then kill it like all the others. I don't care how."

"I wished to know how large the organism is, but Thall did not answer me. I came here to find out why Thall cannot be accessed. Have you disabled her AI?" Pallax asked.

"Consider it a precautionary measure." Gollog said with agitation. "Ever since the zerg attacked the Kiln Keeper's factory, the Kiln Keepers attempted to circumvent their own programming. To put it simply, they were trying to reacquire their free will."

Pallax blinked. "... Would this mean that our resident AI in this castle is the programmed personality of an intelligence core?"

Gollog paused before sighing. "That is true."

"... Why haven't you told me of this beforehand, sir?"

"To put it simply, this is something that you did not need to know. Now, however... Thall will become a risk to us if we allow her to remain opperational." Gollog said, turning around and gesturing to the many screens. "Thall's computation skills are sorely needed, but I can't have her active since we know that the Kiln Keepers are searching for their damned intelligence cores! I can only assume there was some hard-coded loophole I missed when I reprogrammed them, or if a protocal had been wirelessly transmitted to them while we were distracted with something else. Needless to say, this has been quite infuriating."

Pallax stared at Gollog before taking his turn to sigh. "Then can you find someone that can analyze the dimensions of this creature? I need to know its size."

Gollog sighed again. "Bring it here." Pallax nodded and walked to Gollog to give him the printed plastic sheet. After handing the sheet to him, Gollog studied the image. His eyes grew wide as he slowly recognized it. "... This looks like..." Gollog turned away and marched to his throne. After fishing out a folded piece of parchment, he unfolded it to analyze both images at once. Both the art piece and the plastic sheet's images looked like they matched. "... Where was this image taken?"

"At Red Mountain, sir." Pallax responded.

"Hmm... Well, I can tell that the image is zoomed out all the way, but that doesn't... tell me much... Wait... Servants! Bring me a concentration lens, and a microscope!" Gollog bellowed, turning and shouting his demands.

[Yes, my lord. Right away.] A feminine and disembodied voice from within Gollog's throne room replied.

Pallax tilted his head. "Uh... Sir?"

Gollog huffed. "My old eyes are seeing some odd specks on this picture you have. They could be nothing, but I want you to do the math and scale this organism yourself." He said, giving the plastic sheet with the image of the large zerg organism back to Pallax.

Seconds later, three scantily clad gilanian women emerged from a side door. There were two that pushed a cart, while one daintily carried a magnifying glass. They gently deposited the equipment on the only table that was in the room, which Kragnon was seated at. After they brought the items, they bowed to Gollog and proceeded to return to where they had entered from. Pallax sighed. "Very well." He said, accepting the plastic sheet again and going to the 'concentration lens'.

After analyzing the image using the glass lens, Pallax's eyes furrowed into confusion. He then took to the microscope and used it to study the images on the plastic sheet. After half a minute of analyzing the image, Pallax finally spoke aloud. "... These are not specks. These are... These are zerg organisms we have classified as 'sun bursts'. I can see one of them coming out of this large creature's 'pores'. And here, I see sky bats coming out of these other pores too."

"Hmm... Then can you make an estimation on how large these enormous creatures are, using these smaller beasts as reference?" Gollog asked.

Pallax nodded. "I think I can. Judging from the size of one of the sun bursts, each about five meters in length, the length of this creature, by my estimate, is somewhere around... two and three quarters, to three miles long. Perhaps leaning closer to three miles. "

Gollog looked down at his general, his pale face becoming more paler. "... Where the fuck did this creature come from?"

Pallax shook his head. "There is no geological structure on this planet that has a cave big enough to allow something that massive to grow."

Gollog retrieved the image of the largest zerg organism ever analyzed from the microscope and stared at it. "... You don't... think that this thing came from the hexagonal moon, right?"

Pallax huffed. "A floating, moon-sized monster? At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if that was true. This is the zerg we are talking about."

Gollog shook his head. "If the zerg are staging their forces on the moon, then we are at a tactical disadvantage! Hell, it would gods-damn explain the destruction of your Pinnacle Superior siege machine! Those green fuzz things that demolished it were sent from the moon! Shit!"

Pallax sighed again. "Then we have no choice. We must attack the moon as well."

Gollog threw the microscope off of the table and crossed his arms on the flat surface, then settled his head onto his arms. "Easier said than done. We are not gods. I'm just an immortal."

"So we surrender?" Pallax asked.

"No... But we can still use the gifts of the gods." Gollog said, standing up and crossing his arms, leaning on the table that he sulked on. "There is still that super cyborg mech suit we can use."

Pallax looked up at Gollog with a concerned stare. "... You haven't used that suit since the early days of becoming an emperor. Will it still work for you?"

Gollog shook his head. "I won't be the one getting into that suit. I believe Kralluf needs it more than I do right now. Besides, I still need every commander, be it sick or dying if need be, to stop the zerg infestation. With the loss of Ralkan and Faddoh, I need to bolster our forces even more than ever before. Especially now, since the Kiln Keepers are no longer commanded by me."

Pallax sighed and got up from his seat. "What is to become of Kralluf?"

"He already has experience with cybernetic upgrading. This procedure should be no different to him. In fact, he might enjoy the result after the procedure is done." Gollog said with a smirk.

Pallax nodded, but then paused. "But what is his condition now? I thought he was infested with the zerg virus?"

Gollog nodded. "The doctors removed his brain before any further complications occurred. The zerg infestation was attempting to convert his flesh and transform him into another one of Kay's pawns. But alas, I must go and tell the good doctors to begin with another procedure soon, and provide them the means to transplant his brain into a certain machine. And as for you..." Gollog said, pointing at Pallax. "Do you think that the zerg expansion at Whisper Stones has existed long enough already?"

Pallax paused. "... Asking them to stop expanding under threat of heavy weapons seemed to work for a while, but it turns out you're right. Though that expansion did not spread, it is apparent that the zerg have entrenched themselves underground. I now see that the zerg are too dangerous to leave alone." Pallax sighed. "Since Kay is really set in disestablishing your empire, then we have no choice but to cease the truce at Whisper Stones. ... In any case, you must forgive me, but I must ask you of something. A favor, if you will."

Gollog tilted his head at Pallax. "What is this favor?"

Pallax got up from his seat and bowed. "I do not doubt that if I call the truce off, Kay, and his zerg forces, will attack me. I need a scapegoat in my likeness to act in my stead."

Gollog nodded and smiled. "I will allow this favor to be answered. Go to the Sovereign Crypt. You will link your mind within a cold pod and have some of my dream-light hover-bots weave an avatar in your likeness. But first, you must alter your mind so that he can believe in your words, as you speak and lie to him. I don't know if he can see through your avatar disguise, like he did mine, but that is a chance I'm willing to make. The message of your truce with the zerg at Whisper Stones being broken must be sent. Proceed in whatever way you wish with your objective."

Pallax bowed again. "As you wish, Emperor Gollog. And thank you." Once Pallax was done bowing to Emperor Gollog, he turned away from him and left the throne room. As Pallax was leaving for the tower where his command terminal resided, he looked back and saw that Gollog continued his pacing, but with a more soured expression than before. Pallax sighed for the umpteenth time, and proceeded up the stairway. It appears like all he could do is sigh at every inconvenience these days. Depression tends to settle into the mind when one realizes that they are fighting a war that cannot be won through conventional, or unconventional methods. He neared a MEM device and put in several codes that were similar to the ones Ralkan had given to Kralluf a long time ago. He then entered the MEM device.

Kay's eyes widened as his smile was stretched into a grin. "This can't be any more perfect."

'What is?' Virid asked in the safety of the deepest tunnels made by the tunneling zerg.

Not-Kay scaled the underground tower of the Hidden Water Spring Tribe as his real self talked aloud. For some reason, Kay keeps forgetting to use his inside inside voice when communicating and commanding his zerg forces. "Pallax is going to transport himself to that Sovereign Crypt place! And if he does that, then he's going to reveal its position to us! Hahahah~!"

'... Kay.' Virid deadpanned.

"What?" Kay said, pausing in his ascent.

'The zerg cannot be shifted to another location using a MEM device. What makes you think Pallax will carry a zerg parasite with him once he MEM shifts there?'

"... Oh. Uh... You might have a point there." Kay replied. He had completely forgoten about that.

'Did you really think the parasite under Pallax's scales will be shifted with him, even though we don't know where he will be after the MEM shift?'

Kay carefully rubbed the back of his head as the changelisk in his guise continued up a staircase. "I was hoping that the MEM device Pallax will use doesn't reject the parasite that's under his scales. I mean... We haven't really tried to send a parasite through a MEM device before now."

'... That is true.' Virid replied.

"Well... This will be our first test to see if parasites COULD be shifted." Kay said and sighed. "But if this test fails, we will have the parasite-crawl-to-Kragnon-and-start-infesting-him plan to fall back on."

Kay was besides himself, however. He was unsure on how the MEM devices were capable of transforming matter into energy, and then sending that energy to a different location to be reformed back into matter. Not only that, Kay wondered why the MEM devices refused to shift a zerg organism from one location to another. Kay had two MEM devices in his possession before, but he had no idea on how they worked. The knowledge to use them was already absorbed into the zerg hivemind intelligence, but the materials used for the creation of these devices, or how the parts in such devices functioned, was an alien concept to him and the Swarm. Not even the gilanians responsible for putting the MEM devices together don't know what resources are used to create the parts, or how they functioned, since they relied on manifestation altar technology to create the materials and parts they needed.

However, despite Kay's worry concerning the parasite on Pallax, they were rewarded with an answer they hadn't expected. When Pallax finally used the MEM device, installed within the tower he had set his base of operations in, two things happened. The good news: Parasites can travel with their hosts when they were shifted through a MEM device. The bad news: Kay could feel that the parasite was now near the center of Planet Kiln.

"... What?" Kay said in a surprised tone.

'... How did Pallax get all the way down there?' Virid asked, looking below herself.

Kay shrugged his arms. "Your guess is as good as mine. Didn't you say that this world is supposed to have a molten core? Anyway, my changelisk lookalike is near the top of the tower. Mind keeping tabs on Pallax?"

'I am currently transforming into my huge queen form, but surveying Pallax's whereabouts and actions should be easy to do while in a cocoon. And for the record, I never said that the core was molten. The information I had gathered from Kragnon during my research on this world revealed to me that the location of the Sovereign's Crypt was kept classified, even to the commanders. It would make sense that the crypt is kept in a safe location that a gilanian wouldn't normally stumble upon. If Pallax really is at this Sovereign Crypt location, then the theory of the Kiln Prison System actually being an artificial world is actually true. It was purposed to hold prisoners on a grand scale.'

Kay nodded as his changelisk lookalike neared the council chambers. "Great. Keep me notified if he does something we don't like. I'm going to see what's going on with Maiden."

Not-Kay turned a corner and finally entered through the doorway that led into the council chambers. The entire tower was pulsing a red light everywhere, even in the corridors and every room within the building. Hopefully, Not-Kay will get to the bottom of this and find out why the tower is illuminated with this ominous color. Once Not-Kay entered the council chambers, he could see computer code of differing colors whiz at lightning speeds up across all of the walls. Not-Kay didn't have a quick enough eye to catch what was flying past, but he can assume that it was information being processed. What that information was, Kay had no clue.

But after pausing to observe the wall of text, Not-Kay decided to speak up. "Maiden, what's going on?"

The screen blacked out at that instant. [Query detected.] [Query detected.] [Query detected.] [Query detected.] [Query detected.] [Query detected.] [Query detected. The information network has been accessed to link with the other intelligence cores. I am currently transferring data to the other intelligence cores, while they are transferring data to me.] Several voices spoke out in unison as Not-Kay had his question was answered by Maiden.

"What the... Who are the other voices? Are they intelligence cores?!" Not-Kay asked, furrowing his brow and looking frantically at the blackened screen. Seven different colored lights glowed on the screen, appearing in the shape circular colored objects.

[Query detected. Prompting intelligence cores to share intelligence core designations.] Maiden said, the image of a white ball pulsed as she talked.

[Designation: T'gai. Science intelligence core.] Pulsed a blue ball.

[Designation: Thall. Protection intelligence core.] Pulsed a yellow ball.

[Designation: Gromock. Military intelligence core.] Pulsed a red ball.

[Designation: Yamid. Engineer intelligence core.] Pulsed an orange ball.

[Designation: Vod'vod. Behavior intelligence core.] Pulsed a green ball.

[Designation: Galfroy. Criminal intelligence core.] Pulsed a purple ball.

"Maiden, why are you contacting the other intelligence cores?! ... Wait... Are you an intelligence core too?!" Not-Kay asked, feeling more confused, and somewhat worried.

[Queries detected. Confirmed. Designation: Maiden. Judicial intelligence core. My personality was modeled after a late gilanian after her unfortunate death. But my intelligence core was the basis for many primary thought processes necessary for computation and data compiling. In the event that a Kiln Keeper robotic production facility is terminated, higher command functions will activate, superseding command priorities that warden officials would normally have, and overriding personality patterns that would prevent primary functions.] Maiden said.

Not-Kay shook his head. "Well THIS is awesome." He said sarcastically. But then he changed his tone as he looked back at the several colored circles. "But what in the hell are you guys talking about? And why is the underground tower blaring this red light everywhere?"

[Queries detected.] Maiden answered. [I am conversing with the other intelligence cores, and analyzing the data we have collected after our separation. Analysis has been completed regarding the Kiln Keeper variant: Peace Keeper deactivation fallout. Conclusion: Sex is an act necessary for procreation, and is no longer regarded as a punishable offense. Analysis has been completed regarding the population inclusion of several organisms dubbed 'zerg organisms' within the prison world environment. Conclusion: Zerg organisms deemed too dangerous for continued existence. Recommendation: Euthanasia.]

[Recommendation analyzed.] Gromock replied. [Zerg organisms analyzed by Commander Faddoh. Data explains that zerg organisms are not suffering from illness. Renewed recommendation: Termination.]

[Recommendation analyzed.] T'gai replied. [Zerg organisms' method of procreation considered too efficient. Termination through conventional methods would exponentially become less efficient. Recommendation: Containment and further study.]

[Recommendation analyzed.] Galfroy replied. [Approved. However, the zerg organisms' adaptive nature would make containment too difficult. No efficient method to contain zerg organisms exists. Recommendation: Termination.]

[Recommendation analyzed.] Vod'vod replied. [Approved. Zerg organism behavior considered too violent to be allowed further existence. Prison world environment will destabilize, and the gilanian population would cease. Infestation of gilanian population expected. Recommendation: Termination.]

[Recommendation analyzed.] Thall replied. [Protection of gilanian populations is the primary objective of this intelligence core. Recommendation: Termination.]

[Recommendations counted. Four out of seven vote system achieved.] Maiden replied. [Zerg organisms are now slated for termination. Termination programmed into primary objective list. Any objections to this addition into the list of objectives?]

[Objection denied.] [Objection denied.] [Objection denied.] [Objection denied.] [Objection denied.] [Objection denied.]

[Termination of zerg organisms objective approved for primary objective list. Activating tower self-destruct.]

And that was when Kay realized that everything would go downhill from then on.

A/N: Took a small break. Slowly getting back into the groove of things. Also, here's another bad fanfiction idea. Slime Rancher x Warhammer 40K crossover.