Chapter 55: Ancient Experiments
"He had no name, so I called him Steven in memory of a friend from my village. To this day, I don't know where he really came from, and I don't think he does either. He was wandering the wilderness in a daze until our paths crossed. He remembered nothing about himself, and all he could tell me was he'd been aimlessly hunting mobs for some time- he wasn't even sure how long. With nothing better to do, he joined me in my foolish quest for revenge, but I admit the decision was largely mine. I was so desperate not to be alone anymore, and he was so amazingly strong, how could I not have enlisted his help?"
Salsh'namisherad was ashamed of many things. His escape from the Land of Infinite Void, his inability to fight alongside his tribesmen, the loss of his arm, and now his plan to strike back at the Acolytes of the Violet Gaze, all of it had worked wonders against his self-esteem. The plan in particular made him disgusted in himself; it was utterly hypocritical, and if any of his kin were to learn of it he would surely be banished- deservedly so. But he could endure a lifetime of shame if it meant his tribe would be safe.
What he hadn't counted on was the intervention of his two new allies. A Walker of the Transforming Earth and a Walker of the Great Haven- a human and a villager, as their language called them- assisting him had seemed an outrageous thought. Yet there they were, perusing the ancient records and documents kept in that woodland mansion.
He kept up his end of the bargain by giving them the run of the place, though not without another layer of shame settling on him- he suspected whatever truth they uncovered, they wouldn't like it. After a while spent rummaging through chests of old data, they reconvened in the room with the vats. Alice and Matthew spread out an array of papers on the floor, around which the three gathered to inspect their findings.
"Perhaps by compiling the information we have collected here, we may uncover the knowledge you seek," Salsh said. "I will offer my own knowledge where I can."
Alice picked up one of the pages and frowned at the writing. "I don't think I know what these dates are supposed to mean… the pages definitely look old, but how old could they really be?"
Matthew adjusted his monocle and started to inspect the papers. "Most of them are well-preserved, at any rate. Let's arrange all of this chronologically and see what we've got."
They sorted the documents by what dates remained. When they were finished, Alice began to read.
Tenth Day of First Moon, Year 181 AFLI
Our allies to the north tell us the Kingdom is in turmoil. One year since the royal family's demise at the claws of these dark ones, and the structure of their territory is already in shambles. This presents us with a great opportunity to strike, but we lack the numbers for a direct assault. We must seek an alternative means of attack.
The High Evoker has posed a daring idea. Our experiments with soul energy and our new totems of undying have yielded monsters akin to the Creators' in the past, yet he believes this is but a taste of our potential. If we are to outclass and utterly destroy our enemies, there would be no greater way than to make Creators of our own.
Sixth Day of Fifth Moon, Year 181 AFLI
Progress is slow. These new beings, "constructs" of the Creators, are shallow imitations at best. What few successfully take form rarely live for more than a week, and their already brief lifespans are complicated by poor physical stability and unpredictable bouts of aggression. They are powerful, but will not serve as reliable soldiers until we can either improve their longevity or their obedience.
Eighth Day of Fifth Moon, Year 181 AFLI
We may be on the verge of a breakthrough. A scouting party has returned from the collapsing Lux Kingdom with a valuable artifact: a fragment of the one called Herobrine, broken from him in his battle with Notch. The item contains a trace amount of his essence, not quite a soul yet some form of consciousness in and of itself. Experiments to create a construct around this item are pending.
Nineteenth Day of Sixth Moon, Year 181 AFLI
Our study goes well. Fragment Construct H-01 has maintained physical and mental cohesion for over a month. It possesses great strength and agility, and quite the keen mind. Its endurance, while leagues above even the hardiest of Illagers, is still a far cry from Herobrine's own according to accounts dating back to the Incursion. This is considered for the best, as H-01 is not obedient to our commands and must be conditioned further for loyalty.
Twenty-Seventh Day of Tenth Moon, Year 181 AFLI
Attempts to locate more lost fragments have been unsuccessful. The High Evoker grows impatient; H-01 is proving difficult to tame, and its containment cell requires constant monitoring and repairs after numerous escape attempts. This project's success is being called into question.
Twenty-Eighth Day of Tenth Moon, Year 181 AFLI
H-01 demonstrated a concerning new power when it was accidentally killed during another attempt to escape. The fragment mysteriously teleported back to the cell, whereupon the construct formed around it with no signs of injury. Though security forces managed to detain it again, H-01 had not lost its memory of the incident. Extreme measures are to be taken to ensure it cannot escape again.
Second Day of Twelfth Moon, Year 181 AFLI
Sustained torture on H-01 has yielded promising results. In the weeks since its death, it appears to have mentally regressed such that it no longer recalls what happened. Further testing has revealed repeated success: if sufficiently traumatized before being executed, H-01 will have no memory of its previous life and becomes much easier to contain.
Ninth Day of Third Moon, Year 182 AFLI
H-01 escaped the mansion during a routine escort to the execution chamber. Displaying unprecedented familiarity with the compound's layout and cobbling together an endless supply of crude weapons, it wiped out two thirds of the mansion's security forces before fleeing into the forest. Whereabouts unknown.
"Our hunt together began. The Endermen proved difficult to fight, but we were persistent. We braved the underground, the seas, the deserts, the Nether, and every environment the world had to offer. The journey took us everywhere, and over time word of our exploits began to spread. Steve and I never stayed in one place for long, but we knew of our growing reputation. Through it all, neither the glory nor the treasures mattered to me, and no matter how many Endermen we struck down, I was never satisfied. As our collection of pearls grew, the ordeal even began to feel tedious."
When Alice put down the final document, the room remained dead silent as the three of them stewed over what had been said. Salsh's heart sank as he observed the horrified realization dawning on both of his new allies' faces.
"It is worth noting," he said, "that the creature we battled before is identical to one of the people who came to the Infinite Void, so many years ago."
"Steve… the Legendary Hero, he was… created in this mansion?" Matthew asked, his throat sounding very dry. "He was an experiment to make a copy of Herobrine?!"
"I fear there is much I still do not know," replied Salsh. "I cannot say whether the other one- Alex- is a similar product of their dark arts. Nor do I know the identity of the 'artifact' the documents describe. What I do know is that his ability to return from death is what allowed him to defeat the Dark Oppressor." He looked down. "I know many of my kind were slain by the pair on their way to liberate us."
They went quiet again, before Alice gave Salsh a firm stare. "Something created by magic, strong enough to kill Endermen… when the evoker said he knew why you were here, is that what he meant?"
He didn't reply, but she only pressed him further. "Did you want to make your own weapon? Something that'd beat the people attacking your tribe?"
Salsh closed his eyes and sighed. "To do such a thing would be to repeat our wretched history, and I would no doubt be banished. Yet I can see no other way. My tribe cannot hold out forever; the Acolytes are relentless. If they are allowed to invade this world, they will only incur further harm on us in the Infinite Void. All I want is to minimize our casualties.
"There MUST be a better way than this!" Alice exclaimed. "Even if you could make something, who's to say you'd be able to control it? Don't you have a way to fight back?"
He growled. "Our warriors are few, our resources fewer! Were there an alternative, I would not be here! I would still have my arm, and you could have lived without this tarnished knowledge of your heroes!"
She paused, then stood up with a decisive look crossing her face. "I'm okay with the truth. I want to learn history, even if it's not always nice. What I don't want is to see mistakes repeated, Salsh. And this? This looks like a big one."
Salsh couldn't find the words to argue further. Slumping against the wall, he asked, "Then what would you do?"
"I'd help you take them on," Alice said, so matter-of-fact that he almost didn't register what she was implying.
"Us, Alice?" Matthew sounded bewildered. "We can't fight a whole tribe of Endermen, we barely even fended off one!"
She crossed her arms. "I know that; we wouldn't last ten seconds against them all. That isn't what I'm suggesting, though. Salsh and his people can fight better than us, but they need supplies. You and I aren't strong enough to go up against the Violet Gaze, but we can gather materials and build things for the Groundskeepers. See what I'm getting at?"
"You would lend us your skills?" Salsh asked. "You would put yourself at risk… for us?"
He looked at Matthew, who he'd taken for the more cautious of them, yet to Salsh's surprise he looked supportive of the idea after her explanation.
"I hate to say it, but we might be your best bets. There aren't exactly a lot of big communities nearby, and even if there were I don't think they'd be too thrilled to run off to war in the End. We're not great at fighting, but we can build tools and weapons, and I know a thing or two about golem engineering." He scratched his head. "Not to mention, you're right. The last thing either of our worlds needs is another invasion."
He couldn't believe what he was hearing. They were all but strangers to one another, yet the two were willing to help his tribe just like that. Would they alone be enough to make a difference?
"The three of us will not suffice to turn the tides against our enemies," he declared. "However, there are many tribes in the Infinite Void who have suffered under the Acolytes of the Violet Gaze. If we can assist them, they may be willing to aid in our cause."
Alice brought her fist down into her palm. "Got it! We'll collect materials and supplies, then unite the Endermen to fight off the Acolytes!" She paused, and her expression fell. "Uh, how are we gonna get to the End?"
Salsh opened his bag to show them the rest of the contents. He had brought along several items during his escape: yellow voidstone blocks common to his world, two of the pearls his people had invented, and an assortment of archaic tools passed down through the generations in his tribe.
"To directly teleport to my world is difficult even for a Walker of the Infinite Void such as I. However, the sacred art of portal construction has never left the Keepers of the Hallowed Grounds, and there remain portal frames scattered across your Land of Bright Sky and Blue Pain. I will use my materials to build another for us."
"You can do that?" Alice asked, sounding amazed.
"It will be difficult with only one arm," he admitted, "but this is our best bet. The portal I arrived through is under close watch by the Acolytes, and they have it locked down as they attempt to build their army. By constructing a brand new frame, we will evade their notice… I hope."
Matthew nervously laughed. "Wow. We're… really doing this, huh?"
"Should we succeed," Salsh told him, "I will petition my tribe to reward you both however you so desire. For now, all I can offer is my thanks."
Alice grinned. "I've always wanted to study history, and now a chance to make history has fallen into my lap. Let's get started, gentlemen, I think we've got a lot to do."