Chapter 10: On the Clock (How Does That Even Work?)
Stepping out of the research centre dedicated to the ruins that I'd been searching for, I don't know whether to sigh or smile, so I settle for a mild grumble.
We were definitely in the right area. There had been Gear Chronicle artifacts on display in the areas open to the public within the research centre, as evidenced by the clear gearpunk motif. Of course, they were dedicated to a "mysterious civilization," but I was well aware as to who that was To cap it off, there's also the pictures from the ruins themselves, which aren't even a fifteen minute walk away and the reason as to why the Colony Maker and I'd decided to head over there.
As we stroll down the quiet path, a light breeze cooling the air, the Colony Maker speaks up, "Query: Did you find what you were looking for? The artifacts, while interesting, did not seem to be of import."
"Well, I found proof that the ones I'm looking for were there, just from the artifacts alone. Now I just need to see if there's any signs of them being there recently. And, if so, if it might be possible to coax them out of hiding to help out," I shrug, considering the unlikelihood of that. Gear Chronicle didn't pop up in the normal timeline until a few years after the Star-vader Invasion, when Claret Sword Dragon decided to rebel against Blaster Dark Diablo's ascension to leader of the Shadow Paladins.
And even then, they were mostly appearing in response to more and more beings appearing in modern Cray through Interdimensional Crosstalk.
And now I'm making myself anxious over whether or not Gear Chronicle will be reachable, even if they aren't I have my back up.
…Which is equally unlikely to work out.
Hopefully I can get Alfred and them to believe me.
The Colony Maker made a humming sound before asking, "Query: You do not believe that they would lend you aid? Are they not inhabitants of Cray, would they do nothing to protect their homes?"
"Even if they are it doesn't mean that they'll show up, Gear Chronicle's fickle like that. Given their nature as temporal manipulators, it's perfectly possible that they've decided that Cray's on a proper timeline and will win without them and that they don't need to act to ensure the future that they desire," I explain, my hands going wild in absurd gestures as I try and contextualize the time based Clan for her.
The gynoid is silent for a few moments, but is more than willing to break it, "Query: Then, if they have not appeared, why seek them out? It would seem unnecessary to do so, as they would appear if there was a need for them, correct?"
"Insurance? Peace of mind? The irrefutable fact that one can never have enough dakka?" I offer all of those before clarifying, "Because I don't want to leave things to chance, I want Cray to win."
"Understood," Was the gynoid's only response to my explanation.
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The ruins themselves, were both more and less majestic than I'd expected.
They were worn down by time and the elements, and there were areas that seemed to have been damaged by either careless excavators or battle. But at the same time, there was an air of awe and mystery about them, fitting given the initial mystery that surrounded Gear Chronicle.
Still, we couldn't waste time here.
I instructed the Colony Maker to look about for things out of the ordinary, beyond the signs of people traipsing through in search of history, we're there for Gear Chronicle not fossils.
We ended up searching fruitlessly for hours, even though we did find that cool statue of that unnamed Gear Dragon.
Staring up at the statue, I'm half tempted to kick it for the amount of time I've spent in these ruins, finding not a lick of actual evidence. But then, what was I expecting? To find Chrono Dran just curled up in an alcove somewhere or wandering for food? Am I wasting my time trying to find Gear Chronicle? Would my time be better spent working in other ways to subvert the efforts of the Star-vaders?
I'm about to go off in search of the Colony Maker, to tell her that we might as well head out as we'd wasted enough time, when there's a noise.
It's like reality twisting around the "Vworping" of the TARDIS from Doctor Who, like a zipper distorted through a vuvuzela, and ending in a sharp chime like noise.
My eyes whip about the room in search of the source, and come to rest on a figure seemingly stepping from nothing.
Clad in a dark ruffled skirt, black stockings, and a cropped top, all of them studded and decorated with steampunk and gearpunk motifs, a pair of mechanical bladed wings sprouting from her back, a greatly oversized blade held at her side -all the metal shining a bronzed gold in the evening sun- and purple and green lights shining and blinking all about her form.
I recognize her, I really do, but I can't name her. She's an old Grade 3 unit from the first booster set that had Gear Chronicle, but she never really had any importance that I can think of, unlike Chronojet Dragon or Chronofang Tiger. I'm pretty sure she's a Steam Maiden, like Uluru… but that's not really helpful in this case, because I know that she's not the Heal Trigger pacifist.
She steps forward, one of her eyes glowing in a harsh lilac light, and I greet her, "Hey there, Gear Chronicle member, I'm glad I found you."
Her eyes narrow into a point; some part of her trying to figure me out, the rest just very annoyed. "You were searching for me? Irrelevant, your actions are pushing this world from its established World Line, and are endangering the fabric of space-time. What changes you've made so far aren't great enough to warrant retroactive changes to them, as such, the solution is simple, you shall be eliminated to preserve the timeline," Annnnnnd, she went full Terminator.
Inching back a bit, I suck a breath through my teeth and ask, "I can't convince you to not kill me, and instead help me kick the Star-vaders off the planet?"
"No, maintaining the stability of space-time is of the utmost importance, everything else is insignificant."
Oh boy.
Nodding my head a bit, I make a show of humming and hawing and start, "Well, you make some wonderful points, and… strong arguments. But fuck you, I'm not dying for your preferred timeline shit!" And then I turned and ran. As I duck into the next room, I find the Colony Maker examining a desk. For what, I didn't have the time to figure out. "Colony Maker! We gotta get outta here! Shake a leg! Come on, we gotta go fast!" I shout as I run, not bothering to check and see whether or not the Steam Maiden was chasing me. Because the Time Travel clan, doesn't matter if they weren't there… They can still hit you. The gynoid jogged out of a building even as I pick up speed towards the edge of the ruins, a puzzled look on her face as she joins me.
"Query: Have we been discovered, or are we running for another reason? Is something the matter?" She asked as we broke into full sprint.
Taking a steadying breath, I reply, "Found a member of Gear Chronicle, she decided I need to go in order to keep the timeline on the path they liked."
"Understood."
Ah, how lovely that she just accepts that despite how ridiculous it sounds. The sound comes again, out of the corner of my eye, the oversized blade comes swinging down. I dive out of the way, the Colony Maker following me even as the Steam Maiden follows her blade out of whatever timewarp bullshit she's pulled off, "You cannot outrun me."
Now that's just unfair, does this bitch have the World?
Scrambling to my feet and pulling the Colony Maker with me, I try and pull out even more speed as I fall right back into a sprint.
"It's futile."
The sword comes again, and we barely dodge around the Steam Maiden as she appears in our path, the telltale sound giving us warning when she decides to appear. They really should work on that if they're gonna try and assassinate people… but I'm not saying anything.
"Your fruitless actions will result in nothing, allow yourself to be removed for the good of the many."
Ducking under a slash, I can't help but retort, "Fuck that! "The good of the many? The stability of spacetime?" Timelines, World Lines, they can all be changed through one's actions and will, so I can't help but think that you just don't want to make new plans for whatever the future becomes!"
That got a flicker of emotion, something between surprise and irritation. I seem to have that effect on the women around here. "Cease and desist, allow your anomalous self to be fixed, you endanger more than you know."
That's accompanied by another slash, and I realize that she won't be swayed in the slightest by words. Ugh, those are my best weapon from what I've found so far…
We continue the deadly game of "dodge the sword" down the mountain, receiving more than a few nicks and cuts from close calls, and eventually a group comes into sight. I call out to them, waving a hand as we approach, trying to draw their attention to the woman trying to kill me.
"You are making this difficult."
And even then she continues!
Her most recent swing, even though it doesn't connect, still causes me to lose my footing and topple head over heels. Rolling to a stop, I'm about to leap to my feet when the Steam Maiden steps into my view, her oversized blade obscuring much of it.
I try and roll out of the way even as a blur slams into the Gear Chronicle clanswoman from the side, the Colony Maker tackling and knocking her away before quickly helping me to my feet so we can continue running towards the group.
My steps falter as their figures resolve, my cyberoid eyes seeing that the figures are actually Star-vader forces.
Well, hopefully we can get the Steam Maiden to fight them for us.
We're headed on a collision course for the group (which appeared to be a quartet of Grade 0s and 1s, small miracle that is), and they've taken note of us as well, seeing as they've started advancing on our position. When we're still a good ways away from the Star-vaders, the attacks stop, and I stall for a moment to see whether or not the Steam Maiden's disappeared.
She's standing a ways back a look of calculation on her visage, it fades to vague frustration, then she shakes her head and disappears in a swirl of purple and that awful noise.
…And now we have to deal with this squad of Star-vaders.
Rather than even bother to try and plough through them, I cut off the path and into the woods, dodging around or cutting through bushes. I've barely been running through the forest for a minute when a blade swings into my view, stopping my in place. It's held at my neck, and into my view steps a small girl looking cyberoid, her visage almost entirely covered by a helmet.
She's quiet for a few moments, and then declares, "Statement: You will disclose all knowledge on that being that you possess, failure to do so will be met with destruction."
Earnest Star-vader, Selenium; adorable, but sadly murderous.
"I can't really say, she was just trying to murder me and my friend, never gave her name or affiliation," A lie by omission is still a lie, but I'd rather keep the Gear Chronicle out of the hands of the Star-vaders, even if they did show off time travel during the whole Legion Mate debacle.
The gynoid seemed to study me before asking, "Query: Then why did she seek your destruction?"
"Hell if I know, but she came out swinging, that's for sure," I snort, trying to make light of the situation.
I nearly heave a sigh of relief when she withdraws her blade from my neck, only for it to catch in my throat when she drives forward in a thrust at my heart.
I dodge, sloppily and hastily, slamming into a tree even as her blades rips through my clothes and into my flesh. My arm stings, and my fist is already lashing out.
There's a harsh cracking sound, followed shortly by a thud, and my eyes can scarcely believe what I'm seeing. The Selenium is collapsed against a tree, what I can see of her face is cratered.
I just-
There's the sound of parting air above my head and I step towards it instinctually, and even though I clinically note the sword held in my attacker's hand, I reach out and take hold of their wrist, sending a sharp kick at their midsection. It's followed up with a few more steps to control the blade back into where the kidney would be on a regular human… and then wrenching it around, nearly bisecting the body. The rest slathers apart from gravity's pull.
My attacker stares blankly at me from behind his visor, his red, black, and white armour gleaming eerily in the broken light of the forest. His blue-white hair seems almost strangely pristine in the moment his image is captured in my eye, contrasting the crimson-black of his cleaver.
Prison Gate Star-vader, Palladium.
His lower half flops to the ground, even as his hand releases the cleaver and his upper half falls limp in my hand.
Electronics and pseudo organs spill out onto the forest floor.
I, I-
The Colony Maker appears from the bushes, wear and tear clear on her clothes, a questioning look on her face. "The other two are gone." She gives the Star-vaders around me a glance before asking e, "Query: Are you all ri-"
"I just, we, come on, we're going… before, before that Steam Maiden comes back," I interrupt her, taking hold of one of her hands and pulling her away.
…I just can't stop running from my problems, can I?
