Chapter 78: Might and Minds

Kay was pulled out from the comfort of the underground super hive cluster, via a large mechanical hand that had punched through the very sand of the desert. The attack came so suddenly that Kay didn't have the time to defend against it. But how could he have known this would have happened? It was as if the emperor had somehow became larger in size and was now a physical threat to Kay and his zerg swarm. Emperor Gollog must have used a supersized MEM device to somehow transport himself above Kay's position, and had a scant amount of time to push the soil, rock, and sand out of his way to get to Kay. Kay hoped that Gollog didn't take notice of Corvurn fleeing.

After Kay felt things settling, he pushed dirt and rock off of his person and coughed a bit. After dusting sand and silt off of his carapace, he looked up to find Gollog's giant form. With his psionic awareness, Kay could feel that there were hundreds of dream-light hover-drones projecting a physical body over the chassis and armor of Gollog's super cyborg mech suit. Sadly, Kay could not feel Gollog's mind swimming within the giant mecha, much like he could in his previous encounter with the Mecha that Kralluf once piloted in an alternate timeline from long ago.

Kay sighed as he was held in Mecha-Gollog's hands. "Gollog, I presume?" Kay felt like he already knew the answer to his question.

Gollog smiled warmly at Kay, but Kay knew that it was not a friendly smile at all. "Hello, Kay. At last we meet. However, I believe that this isn't exactly your first time meeting me."

Kay was suddenly beset by a large thumb that kept him pinned. Kay gasped under the strain. "Ghyuh! What makes you figure that?"

Gollog smiled more broadly as a predatory glare looked down on Kay. "My informants had sent information to me regarding certain details of an alternate empire under the rule of an emperor with my likeness, whom of which had fought against your zerg in a different timeline. Apparently, the actions of my alternate self was the direct cause of the destabilization of the timeline. But it was thanks to the informant that the information he gave me had enabled me to reaffirm and change certain strategies against a threat I had never thought possible to exist before this war. In any case, this is the first time that I, from this timeline's perspective, has graced your miserable existence. But I believe that this isn't the first time we have met from your perspective."

Kay shook his head. "Fucking hell. Why is it that you have to talk so highly about yourself all the time? Do you really think that you are as cunningly smart as you think you are? I'm already aware of the informants that fed you, and the Era Agency, the information about the other timeline. There's no reason to goad me like this. Hell, no matter how much time had passed between us, you are still the immortal royal asshole here!"

Gollog's expression became flat. "Humph. So this is the legendary blunt crassness of the Bug-man Beast-master? To think that I would finally enjoy a diatribe from you, even after twenty years of fighting against your zerg monsters. A pity. I might have expected something better than the bilge recorded from my alternate self's past conversations with you, but it seems like I was wrong."

"Wrong or not, why the hell are you not killing me right now? I am, LITERALLY, in the palm of your hand here! Hell, why not let me ask how the fuck you found me in the first place?!" Kay hissed.

Gollog smiled. "Wanting to go straight to the point, are we? Goodness gracious, Kay!" Gollog then used his other hand to gently pet Kay's head. "I have no intention to kill you with my own hands."

Kay struggled from under Gollog's grasp. "Well I'm not liking being in this position! LET GO OF ME!" Kay then thrusts his arms, wings, and legs out, creating a telekinetic burst that forced Gollog's fingers apart.

Gollog's hand brightened up and blasted Kay with a sudden burst of energy. Kay felt like he was electrified and flash-fried by the energy that enveloped his body, and he was suddenly covered in blinding pain a split second later. However, he wasn't rendered unconscious this time. He felt his body become weak and helpless as the energy blasted much of his flesh away. Even his limbs, consisting of his arms, legs, and wings, were torn off from the blast of light. Kay groaned in agony as he was made helpless in Gollog's grip. "Now now, Kay. Acting like this will force me to start punishing you. But I want you be alive for what you are about to see. But to answer your other question, however, it is a rather simple answer."

"Well... you're going to... draw out this answer to... my question, that's for sure." Kay said, coughing.

Gollog smirked and sighed. "You see, Kay, the Pyramidal Guard Division has some of the best shadow assassins under my employ. But they didn't get to where they are now by looking beautiful as they silently assassinated my enemies in my name. You see, when you were within the dark mausoleum facility, I had ordered Commander Guik to attach a special kind of non-physical tracking device to your person."

"Non-physical?" Kay said with a wheeze.

"Yes." Gollog replied with an even wider smile. "When attached to the person, the device shifts its material self into the aether field once activated. When active, no matter how much you try to shake yourself from the tracking device, it will remain invulnerable from any form of tampering, or any attempt of dislodging the device from your physical body. It is an especially useful tool that my shadow assassins use to keep track of certain priority targets, or very important people that are needed to be kept alive. Believe me when I say that this has happened to you once before, Kay! Remember the time that you had fought Kralluf as he wore my super cyborg mech suit? He followed the same tracking device that was attached to you at the time. One of my shadow assassins was very lucky getting the device onto your person without you noticing, during your assault on my island city. It was how Kralluf was able to track you to the moon."

"Figures." Kay sighed. So THAT was why Kralluf was so persistent chasing Kay on that day.

Gollog was about to show Kay something when he was suddenly beset by spines and claws. He turned to find that hydralisks and zerglings began to assail him. The zerglings were quick to respond to the new threat, while the hydralisks kept their distance as they began to fire their bio-mechanical projectiles at the giant emperor.

"Hmm. It's awfully crowded here. Perhaps we should go somewhere that can give us some privacy?" Gollog said, as he dismissively gestured at the swarm of zerg assailing him. An eruption of light came from his palm, and the zerglings and hydralisks that came to assist Kay were reduced to slivers of ash and burnt carapace. Once his inconvenient threats were dealt with, Gollog's feet erupted into a force of light that began thrusting him upwards.

Gollog's hands kept a firm grip on Kay's body, though Kay had to suffer from having the wind rip past his mock-hair, and the additional gravitational force that weighed down his body and organs. The sudden exertion of forces blinded him. "Uaaaaaagh~!~!~!~!~!"

After several minutes of being pushed away from Kiln, via Gollog's sudden upwards launch, Kay was finally feeling the wind becoming normal, and the g-forces becoming more forgiving to his body-mass, which was slowly regrowing his limbs. Gollog chuckled with pride. "This should be high enough."

Kay felt his small limbs growing back, but they were only long enough to flip his body over and crawl around. After crawling to Gollog's palm and looking down, he saw that he was several kilometers above the ground. Perhaps a hundred kilometers, or two hundred kilometers, from Kay's estimation. He could feel that the atmosphere was quite thin, making it hard for him to breathe and take in oxygen into his body. But his body was able to adapt quickly. "Whah... What are... Are we... Doing... up here?"

"To get away from your beasts, of course. I want us to be alone when my doomsday weapon finally fires."

Kay froze. The doomsday weapon was firing a day sooner? The evacuation was still ongoing at Citadel Gargantua. The citadel still had gilanians being delivered into the underground refugee camp cluster, and if Gollog activated his doomsday weapon now, then there would be high gilanian casualties. But Kay wasn't too worried about the gilanian population. What he was more worried about was the Swarm that was under his and Virid's command. In response to this new variable, Kay psionically extended his mind to Virid. 'VIRID! SEND A LEVIATHAN TO MY POSITION RIGHT NOW!'

'Kay?! What is-'

Before Virid asked for an explanation, Kay interrupted Virid. 'NO QUESTIONS! IN DANGER RIGHT NOW! LEVIATHAN!'

In what felt like an instant to Kay, a leviathan bursts into existence in an explosion of orange energy. But to Kay's surprise, this creature actually looked a lot bigger than when he last saw them in action. The usual length of most naturally-born leviathans tend to settle around five kilometers long, but this creature before him looked to be around seven or eight kilometers long. Had it been growing larger as time progressed? Kay would guess that it might be the case, since that would explain the hydralisks eventual evolution into hunter killers. But just as the massive zerg creature appeared, Gollog instantly turned to the creature that shared his airspace and gestured his palm to it. A blast of energy obliterated the leviathan, turning it into a red mist and blackened carapace that fell towards the surface of Kiln. "Hmm. It looks like even the dread maws are trying to protect you. How sweet."

'VIRID, HOW MANY LEVIATHANS CAN YOU SPARE?!'

'I can't spare any more. The sky rings will-'

'ACTUALLY, JUST SEND TWENTY OF THEM TO ME RIGHT NOW! HURRY!'

By Kay's request, twenty more leviathans of slightly differing smaller sizes came to his assistance. But before the leviathans could react quickly enough and use their chemically freezing bio-stasis ability on Mecha-Gollog, beams of light began to rain down on the leviathans. The massive flying creatures died rapidly under the onslaught of the lasers, which came from the sky ring's energy lances. The bombardment of energy obliterated and destroyed the leviathans, turning them into chunks of energy-penetrated carcasses. As the massive zerg bodies began falling to the ground far below, Gollog began to chuckle at the devastation. "Ha-ha-hah! What a pointless gesture!" Gollog looked down at Kay with a bemused smile. "But I am sure that it warmed your virus-filled heart that your minions would sacrifice themselves to save you. Perhaps you now understand why I had brought you here, making you refrain from relying on the help of your monsters and your precious bio-structures?"

Kay sighed, as he began to understand Gollog's tactic. "... By removing me from the ground, my ground forces won't be able to come to my aid. And since we are closer to the sky rings, they'll be able to react to any air force that dares to intercept you much more quickly."

Gollog nodded. "Exactly. No mater how many of your flying vermin try to damage me, I will be able to defend myself. If I am ever overwhelmed, then the sky rings will rain down their ordinance on your pitiful zerg."

"Even so, you still have me stuck here with you." Kay growled.

Gollog sighed with a smile. "Ah, but if you so much as dare strike me, then I will tear your limbs off again and again. But as I have said before, I will not be directly responsible for your death."

Kay groaned as he sat himself upright. "So what? Are you telling me that you're going to release your doomsday weapon and let me watch what happens?"

Gollog smiled more broadly. "No. You're going to be the first to experience it. What I want is to see you squirm from its effects firsthand." After Gollog had explained his plans, he raised his left hand into the air, as though reaching towards the sky rings above himself. Just as he did so, Kay could see that the rings began producing some kind of green mist from itself. The sky rings were still far above the planet's atmosphere, but Kay had no idea what kind of doomsday weapon that Gollog had unleashed.

Kay had no choice but to ask. "... What the hell am I looking at?"

"The new future, Kay." Gollog said as he looked up at the green mist that kept getting wider over Kiln's thermosphere. "I had some time to study the technology of a culture that is far different from our own precious Kiln Prison System. What I had discovered was quite surprising! They managed to find a way to create a special kind of biogenic byproduct, one of which that creates a special kind of electromagnetic radiation. We have been storing and producing so much of it over the years, and I have finally decided to release it onto the lands below us. Isn't it beautiful?"

Kay paused, smirked, and then chuckled. "Really? Radiation? Do you really think that a little nuclear fallout is going to kill all of us? Gollog, you may be the single most dangerous individual on Kiln, but you are such an idiot sometimes."

Gollog looked down and stared at Kay. "I know full well of the mutating capabilities of the cells in your monsters, Kay. Which is why I had decided to use this special type of radiation. Unlike most types of radiation that can alter and mutate cells, this radiation destroys them instead."

Kay paused. "... I find that hard to believe. I mean... What kind of half-assed culture makes that kind of radiation? I'd find it hard to believe that ANY culture would make something so dangerous."

"This isn't a fallacy, Kay." Gollog said with a satisfied hum. "If you doubt me still, then I will keep you here with me long enough so that when the special radiation washes over us, you will understand that I was not lying. Ah! Right on time."

After Gollog's sentence, Kay immediately erected a telekinetic field around himself. He didn't know what kind of weapon that Gollog had created, but he didn't want to be hurt by whatever damage it could deal. In seconds, Kay was assaulted by... Droplets of neon rain? Kay reached his hand outwards, past his telekinetic field, to catch a few of these wet drops. Once he caught a couple drops, he analyzed the droplets with an inquisitive thumb. After a few seconds of analysis, Kay shook his head dismissively. "I don't understand what you're trying to convey here. You made this glowing rain?"

Gollog almost seemed like he would start giggling in excitement. "Wait for it."

Kay waited for a few seconds. He then felt a small, warm tingle dancing on his hand. The warmth then became pain. Kay looked down at his hand and saw that it was developing several pores in his hand's flesh and carapace, which also turned gray in color. Upon understanding the danger, Kay quickly reached up and used his psionic power to enlarge the telekinetic barrier that prevented the neon rain from landing onto him. But he could feel the muscle, skin, carapace, and even bones in his hand, becoming incredibly painful as time went on. Despite his fortitude, his zerg regeneration wasn't able to negate the decay that the neon rain caused. The painful graying of his flesh continued past his wrist and threatened to reach his forearm. "Gr, dammit!" Kay ended up having to remove the infection with his other uninfected hand, using it to sever his graying forearm from his elbow. "What the hell kind of radiation is this?!"

Gollog bellowed a laugh. He held an open palm to the sky and collected the neon rain that fell. Once Gollog had collected enough water, he then attempted to splash the water onto Kay. The neon water splashed harmlessly away, since Kay's telekinetic field prevented it from drenching him. "Don't you see it now, Kay? The potential? The dangerous capability that this radiation has? Once this water seeps into the sands of Kiln, we will wait out your extinction. If there are any of your nests still alive after doomsday, then we will send the Kiln Keepers to deal with the rest of your surviving zerg, and any other nonaligned gilanian survivors."

Kay hissed at Gollog with wild eyes. "You don't care about the people still on this planet?! But they are your people! Your race!"

Gollog's smile widened as he sighed at Kay. "They are less than animals, Kay. They are disloyal and selfish, with no ambition and duty to me. They do not even deserve a firing squad! But once the radiation levels recede, my empire will sow its seeds into a new paradise. One that will never have to disobey my wishes ever again. For all I care, genocide is but a small price to pay for gaining a perfect world where no opposition can ever oppose you ever again. And you... Oh ho-ho-ho-ho-ho... I get to have the privilege to watch you slowly die." Gollog said, as he collected another handful of neon rainwater. Then, from under Kay's feet, a blast of energy disrupted Kay's concentration.

Gollog brought his irradiated water-filled fist down onto Kay in a terrible pounding attack. Kay felt his body flattening from the attack, but he managed to remain conscious from the blow. However, his telekinetic field was disrupted, which allowed the neon to freely fall upon his broken form. ".. Guh... Gr... Grah... Uh... Huah... Huah... Hah... Hah-hah... Hah-ha-ha..."

Gollog leaned down toward Kay on his right hand's palm with an amused eyebrow raised. "Hmm~? Are you laughing? Have I truly broken your soul? Ah, what a momentous occasion! Tell me, my old enemy I never came to know in person until today. Tell me what has made you vexed into expelling this fit of laughter? I wish to learn of your last thoughts."

"Hahahahaha, you really think you've killed me?!" Kay chortled as his body tried to mend against the neon rain's toxic radiation. The boosted healing that he forced onto his body repaired some of the damage, but all it did was buy him some time.

Gollog sighed. "Don't delude yourself. Once your body gives out, you will perish. Just like the rest of my remaining enemies."

Kay chuckled and coughed. "Then you're so stupid to think that I can't return from this death. It's just like you said, Gollog. 'You, and every fool that thinks otherwise, cannot kill an immortal.'"

Gollog reared his head back in surprise and confusion.

Kay bared a wide grin at Gollog, even when his body was becoming ash-colored all over. "I will not be defeated, because this is not the end. I will see you again."

After a few seconds had passed, Kay laid his head back and exhaled his last breath on Gollog's hand. His body grew cold, as the last ounces of warmth became a chilling breeze. His flesh became stiff and brittle, becoming less and less as the irradiated rain continued to soak his hollow corpse. His life had dwindled to a spark, and then went out like a candle finally burning out. Gollog crushed the body that had once contained Kay's consciousness, and then allowed the ash and dust to fall from his hand, or be washed away by the neon-green rain. But unknown to Gollog's awareness, Kay had died, but was no longer concerned with his vessel anymore.

He had already left his vessel seconds ago, and it traveled like a thunder bolt descending below the rain. His mind, or rather, his soul, zipped down to the surface of Kiln and pierced through its earth. Finding a hive in the underground super hive cluster, Kay's consciousness became whole with the Zerg Swarm's psionic hivemind connection. Within a minute, Kay's body would become whole again.

But before he could ambulate within a new body that was exact to the flesh he once paraded in, he knew that the whole of Kiln was in danger. 'ALL ZERG ON THE SURFACE OF KILN! HEAR ME! THERE IS NEON RAIN COMING DOWN FROM ABOVE US, AND IT WILL KILL EVERYTHING IT DRENCHES! GET UNDERGROUND IF YOU CAN, AND DON'T GET WET! THE GREEN RAIN IS THE DOOMSDAY WEAPON THAT IS FROM EMPEROR GOLLOG, OUR ENEMY LEADER OF THE GOLDEN STAR EMPIRE! SURVIVE GOLLOG'S DOOMSDAY WEAPON, BECAUSE IT WILL GREATLY TEST OUR ABILITY TO ADAPT! REFUSE TO DROWN THIS DAY! FOR THE SWARM!'

The zerg organisms on the surface of Kiln were roused into an instant frenzy. The air strains began to fight harder as they ravaged the Kiln Keeper production points. Many of the ground units of the Kay's Swarm had either elected to storm the Kiln Keeper stronghold factories, or retreat to the nydus worms and find refuge underground. Some strains of Kay's zerg swarm were commanded to burrow straight down, such as the infestors, roaches, and shrylisks that were carrying precious cargo within their guts. In fact, much of the shrylisks were now being deployed in Gargantua Citadel to deliver the rest of the refugees into the underground refugee camp cluster.

Unfortunately, Kay had no idea on how strong Gollog's doomsday weapon was. Without any information to go by, Kay was forced to weather the storm and assess the damage afterwards.

A/N: How will the zerg adapt against this new type of radiation, I wonder?