Chapter 18: Projects and Interviews
Colombo,
Capital of Sri Lanka
The small and ravaged family of Sri Lankans huddled together beneath the massive concrete slabs that had once been their simple apartment building, each of them stick-thin and malnourished. While the structure had been little more than small rooms of bare grey concrete it had kept the rain and weather off of their heads and allowed them some small measure of comfort. Considering there were many that lived in near total poverty in ramshackle huts made from pieces of metal and other trash they were capable of combining together, this was nearly paradise. But the years had not been kind to the building and the poor materials used to construct it combined with the constant battering from the elements had made the structure all the more weaker each year. Finally, several weeks ago the structure had decided to fall down around them with a terrible crash of thunderous blocks. Fortunately for them the building was not very tall and many of the pylons had simply broken inward creating pockets of shelter instead of crushing them outright. Unfortunately this also meant that they were trapped within its confines, barely able to see outside beyond a few small gaps where the broken pieces of concrete met. They had been able to store up some food for themselves and were used to surviving on little but even their meager rations were dwindling quite quickly. The grey-haired father of five and his equally elderly wife knew that if help did not come soon they would quickly starve to death. But that was a forlorn hope as well. After the massive storm had broken down many other sections of the city the pitiful forces of the military had left the survivors to fend for themselves and from what rumors he had heard around that time, the actual Governor of the island had left some time ago along with his staff. The first few days they had cried out for help but none had come, not even to try and offer some hope.
Perhaps it was just as well considering the looting and chaos that was no doubt going on outside as everyone tried to survive, he considered glumly. At least they were protected here and no one could take their children from them as slaves or even worse, someone's next meal. If they were fated to die here then at least it would be with some dignity and respect. Holding out his hands he beckoned his children to come closer. As they crowded around him, he began to chant the prayers the Buddhist monks had taught years ago when he was a young man, the family joining him a moment later. In his heart he knew the uselessness of the chants, especially at this late hour of their lives, but the ritual and monotonous chants might provide some comfort to them at the very least.
Minutes passed and he considered ending the prayers before suddenly he heard the slight grinding of stone nearby and an unfamiliar male voice calling to them in flawless Sinhalese.
"We hear you! We're going to try and get you out! Don't move, stay where you are!"
"Who are you?!" The man asked in astonishment. "Did the Buddha send you to us? We were praying just now…!"
"The Buddha did not hear you but we did." The voice replied quickly. "We are going to send in a machine to help us see what is going on inside and how best to get you out. It will look very strange but please don't be frightened of it, it will not hurt you!"
"We understand!" The man called out.
A minute later a strange arthropod-like creature rather like a horseshoe crab made of silver and brass metal scuttled in through one of the gaps in the concrete on multiple legs, clicking as it went. Its segmented body was covered in glowing blue dots which emitted thin slices of blue light as it moved about, scanning the walls and every other inch of the interior.
"Is anyone injured?" The man on the outside called. "Are there other people nearby who might need help?"
"Aside from being hungry we are alright!" The father replied loudly. "There were other families in the building as well but we have not heard anything of them since the building collapsed!"
"We will look for them as well, thank you!" The man assured him as the machine continued to scuttle about their enclosure before coming to rest near them and curling up around itself.
"Alright, we were able to examine the structure around you with the machine. I think if we lift certain pieces carefully we can create a way out without causing it to collapse. Just stay there, it won't be long now!"
"How could you possibly lift such heavy things?" The father asked incredulously. "Do have some earth mover or other machinery?"
"No but we have something much more versatile." The man replied with a hint of amusement.
As the family watched the nearby wall that was composed of several broken plinths of concrete leaning against each other began to slowly shift with a grinding sound. As a gap slowly appeared in the wall a metallic arm of silver reached inside and appeared to help steady part of the ceiling above it. As the gap widened the arm's owner became apparent. A silvery Synthoid with glowing blue eyes carefully stepped into the gap while another two of similar design had helped to pull away the plinths. The Synthoid carefully examined the roof above him with his eyes and fingers before looking towards the family huddled several yards away.
"Come on!" He insisted with a friendly male voice that was quite familiar to them. "This way!"
"You were the one speaking to us!" The woman exclaimed as they carefully got to their feet, the trilobite-like creature getting to its legs and quickly scuttling through the gap.
"Yes! Now come on!" The Synthoid urged with a wave of its silvery hand, its electric blue eyes staring at them in concern.
The family quickly made their way outside under an overcast sky, the light blinding them for several moments. The machine quickly guided them away from the rubble of the building while the other two continued to scout for other survivors. After a while they arrived at a collection of several large tents swarming with activity as other similar machines and people quickly moved in and around them. He brought them to a specific tent where a middle-aged man in silver and white robes sat behind a simple folding table typing quickly on a laptop with another Synthoid standing next to him impassively.
"Another family sir, from the building nearby." The Synthoid reported calmly. "They are mobile and do not appear to have significant physical injury but are in need of food and possibly a scan for internal injuries or illnesses."
"Thank you, you may return to your duties." The man replied before looking up at the family standing before them in bewilderment, the Synthoid nodding before leaving them.
"I know you have a lot of questions but they will need to wait, we have a lot of ground to cover searching for families like yourselves and any information you can provide could potentially save more than one life." He explained as the Synthoid next to him began to translate his words for them. "Now you appear healthy and are not showing any obvious symptoms but we will need to have you and your family examined. Do you understand?"
The man nodded. "Yes, whatever you need us to do we will do. If there is anything we can do to help..." His wife nodded as well as the Synthoid relayed their words back to him in English.
"I appreciate that, but the first order of business is to make sure you and your children are well and that we are not bringing any diseases into the main camp." He explained. "My immune system may be...robust enough to defend against most of them but the other refugees are rather more delicate. First let me get some information. Can I have your names, where you live, any information you might believe is relevant?"
The man and woman quickly outlined who they and their children were along with relatives, where they had lived, and where they had been recently as well as any recent sickness they or the children had. The man efficiently typed their information into the laptop before nodding.
"Considering the storms and break down of the bureaucracy finding medical records and any other documentation may prove to be impossible so we will start with this." He gestured to the Synthoid next to him. "He will take you to the medical tent where you will be examined. Depending on what they find we can go from there but at the very least we will provide you with shelter and food."
"Thank you sir thank you!" The man exclaimed.
He smiled quietly. "You may thank the Dragon Emperor for He brought us here to tend to your needs and the needs of others." The Synthoid from before peered into the tent a moment later. "More survivors from the same building sir. One appears to have a broken leg but the others are mobile so we are moving them to the medical tent."
He nodded. "Get the standard information from them and report back to me. Since you're going that way take this group as well for eval."
"Yes sir." The Synthoid nodded before gesturing to the family. "Please, follow me."
Still somewhat dazed by their unexpected saviors the family nodded before following after the man of silver.
North Saharan steppe, Southern Algeria
The silvery aircraft flew low over the harsh Saharan sand before evenly engaging its VTOL systems, slowing in midair before touching down smoothly on the shifting sands. Within the plane was a group of men and women in simple white airy robes with Prometheus's dragon sunburst symbol embossed on them. As the plane touched down and cut its engines the pilot disengaged from the control systems before stepping into the cabin to address his passengers.
"Welcome ladies and gentlemen, to one of the hottest places on Earth!" He announced with a smirk. "For the foreseeable future this will be your workplace and your home. A couple things to keep in mind before I let you out. First, keep yourselves covered up at all times. The nano-machines you were infused with as part of the Emperor's Boon given to all new priests may help protect your skin to a degree but you are not immune to sunburns or skin cancer so make sure to keep your skin covered by your robes, hoods, and work gloves at all times. Secondly, make sure you drink plenty of water. There is plenty of water on site but it does you no good if you don't drink it. Even with the specialized robes you've been given you will get dehydrated very quickly if you don't keep some with you. Thirdly, we do have medical staff and a field hospital on site but that is not the same thing as a full-fledged hospital with modern equipment so try to keep safe as much as possible. Any questions?"
After a few moments of silence he nodded. "You'll receive further instructions at the camp. Good luck to all of you and may the Emperor's light shine on each of you!"
Nodding and thanking him the group picked up their satchels and suitcases before exiting the aircraft and stepping down the stairs, the heat from the overhead sun and clear sky hitting them like a blast furnace compared to the pleasant air conditioning in the plane. Wrapping their hoods around them to protect their faces they trudged through the sand, thankful for the thick boots that guarded their feet. Up ahead was a series of large tents as well as several prefabricated buildings with enclosed hallways interconnecting them. Nearby were a series of demarcated grids in the sand held together with spikes and tape, each section several hundred yards long. In the distance they could see the scrub brush and minimal flora that made up the edge of the steppe. As they approached the buildings they saw a figure emerge from one of the buildings dressed in a similar all-encompassing white robe who waved them on. The group trudged their way through the ankle high sand and into the building where, thankfully, the air conditioning was working at full blast. As they entered the first chamber the outer door shut before a voice came over the intercom set into the wall.
"Prepare for high pressure oxygen spray for sand removal. Please remember to keep your eyes shut and stamp your boots to remove excess sand. Stand by."
Vents opened in the nearby walls before blasting the group with powerful gusts of air, making their robes and hair flap around as they stomped about, the sand falling off their clothes before being blown back against the entryway. It ended moments later with the inner door opening.
The group made their way inside before being met by the robed figure they had seen, the room apparently set up as some sort of office space with desks and computers in various places.
"Welcome all of you." The figure said with an Arabian accent as it removed its hood, making the group jerk in surprise as the Synthoid revealed itself with a welcoming smile, it's electric blue eyes with their spinning irises revealing its true nature despite it's dark hair and swarthy tanned face. "Welcome to the Saharan steppes, or just outside them at any rate. I am Phaidros, the overseer of this project. I will show you around and answer any questions you may have. Before we begin I believe the pilot provided you with some advice, correct?"
They all nodded.
"Good. Keep them in mind as the last thing we want is to have someone fall ill from overexposure or dehydration. Some of you or possibly all of you may be wondering why you are here of all places. Follow me and I will explain."
He walked through one of the doors at the back of the room, the group following along.
"The intention behind the Saharan project, as devised by his Eminence and His advisers, is to begin long term reforestation and flora repopulation, terraforming the Sahara desert into a more habitable zone. His Eminence has negotiated with Algeria to have water pumped out to this region where it will be used to help grow the vegetation we will be planting here. It is His expectation that in time, with enough assistance the area will become livable. Of course if that fails or does not meet His projections the region will, at the very least, be a massive source of renewable energy that He and the rest of the world will be able to make use of."
"Why haven't the Algerians built solar power plants themselves?" One of the members of the group asked as they made their way into another building that housed a barracks with privacy screens and dressers between each bed.
Phaidros gestured for them to pick a bed as he continued speaking. "Several reasons. One, they do not have the resources or capital required to build such extensive power plants themselves. Secondly, investors are not willing to take a chance on such a massive construction project. Thirdly, even if they were capable of building said plants they would have difficulty storing and transmitting the power effectively across great distances."
"And you have solutions to those problems I take it?" Another asked.
"We do indeed, though of course we intend to try and reclaim the region first before turning it into a massive bank of solar arrays." He remarked in amusement as they began to unpack. "Your task will be to help the other Synthoids stationed here with the reforestation efforts as well as to train in the various skills you will be called upon in your capacity as His priests."
"Not sure how helping plant shrubs is going to help us be priests." One of them grumbled. "Machines don't need our help planting trees."
The Synthoid smiled quietly at this. "You are correct in one sense but you may wish to view it from another perspective. The other Synthoids and myself could easily continue the reforestation efforts without your help but that was not his Eminence's primary intention in bringing you here."
"Then why are we here?" The man asked in annoyance, looking up at him.
The Synthoid regarded him calmly. "The life of a tech-priest is not one of luxury and ease." He explained. "Our priests do not preside like kings over the populace in massive cathedrals or close themselves off to the outside world in monasteries or other centers of learning. They go where they are needed regardless of the environment, regardless of the status of the people in that environment, and regardless of their personal preferences regarding their placement. In time his Eminence hopes that humanity will reside under his wings in faith but until then you, I, and all others who follow Him shall face difficulty, persecution, and hardship. Most of you have lived lives of relative ease and comfort compared to the rest of the world. That is not to say you have not endured your own hardships and griefs in your lives, all have done so, but you must understand that the commitment you have undertaken is not going to be a smooth or easy road. You are here to gain hard experience in that understanding. Our first group of new priests aided the refugees in the Middle East with medical treatments, simple tasks, and aiding the higher-ranking priests in their duty to help the refugees resettle. Sri Lanka is a rather more severe crisis in terms of the aid they require and we did not believe you had the training for such an undertaking, hence a more...simple assignment to ease you into the priesthood and its workings."
"You still haven't said how planting trees is going to help us become better priests." The man replied flatly.
"The manual labor and harsh conditions will help prepare you for the road ahead." Phaidros replied. "But you will also be learning as you work. The other Synthoids will be able to instruct you on the various areas of knowledge you must be familiar with while they work alongside you. In return, they will learn about you, about life here on Earth, and any other questions they may have that they have not been able to find answers for. The internet is a wonderful tool but even Google is not the omniscient oracle many claim it to be." He joked, making the group chuckle a bit. "Of course they have been around our own people for many years but every civilization and culture is different, having its own nuances. As they learn they will be able to interact more naturally with this world's inhabitants and you will in turn come to understand them."
'There will be water and rest breaks throughout the day as even we can overheat if we are out in the sun too long," he continued, "and we shall be switching between night shifts and day shifts occasionally to help keep everyone out of the sun as well as adjusting to working at night should it be required. Rest assured," he said with a teasing smile, "by the end of your tenure here you will be able to fall asleep or work at any time day or night."
"Wonderful." The man sighed.
"Once you have finished unpacking and have a light meal I shall introduce you to the others and we shall begin."
Atzinger's Restaurant,
Near Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany
The older German professor exited the taxi, paying his fare before stepping up near the doorway of Atzinger's, one of the well-loved eateries near the University where he worked in the Department of Neuroscience and Human Consciousness. The missive from the Office of the Emperor had requested his presence at the restaurant this afternoon at 3pm. It was a bit late for lunch and a bit early for dinner but since the Emperor was apparently paying the bill he certainly had no qualms enjoying an extra meal. As he entered the restaurant he found it to be strangely empty, even for this time of day between the usual meal times. Walking further inside the maitre-d stepped over to him with a smile.
"Dr. Von Strauss?"
"Ya." The man nodded.
"Please follow me. Your table is ready."
Unused to the surprising deference in the man's tone he followed the head waiter through the main room of the restaurant and up the stairs into a private dining area. As they approached the doors he noticed two large men dressed in black suits standing on either side of the door.
Bodyguards? He wondered. Just who am I meeting?
He had expected perhaps a low level flunky or messenger to meet with him when the Emperor's Office had requested a face to face meeting but from the look of things, whomever was within was much more important. The doors were opened and the manager gestured. "He awaits you inside."
A bit unsettled by the entire process the aging professor walked into the room with the doors shutting firmly behind him. At the far end of the room seated at the rear table was a humanoid creature with canine-like features reminiscent of a hyena's dressed in a simple shirt and pants.
"Please sit down Professor." Beowulf said in his gravelly voice with a smile. "We have business to discuss and I'm sure you are a busy man. I would hate to waste your time."
Waste my time? The man thought a bit incredulously as he made his way to the table. The High Priest of the Dragon Emperor is worried about wasting MY time?
He carefully sat down in the chair opposite the Gnoll, peering at him carefully through his glasses. He had seen the figure on television and on the internet multiple times of course, but sitting across from him was an entirely different experience. Though calm and collected the creature had a predatory air about him that clung to him like a cloak, his brilliant golden eyes cool and calculating as he gazed at the old man. His body was firm and wiry with little to no fat like that of an athlete's and the chrome-like metallic arm with its filigree engraving on the side was eye-catching to say the least.
"Thank you for inviting me your...erm...pardon me but what title should I use to address you?" He asked in slightly faltering English.
"In this place at this moment I am merely Beowulf, Servant of the Dragon Emperor." Beowulf replied. "I have found titles to be quite tiresome so I avoid them when I can." He smiled.
"Beowulf." The man replied with slight surprise. "Are you aware-?"
Beowulf nodded. "I am named for the great warrior of antiquity from your world, yes. How I came by that name is a story that spans several years so I won't bore you with it. Suffice to say we have other matters to discuss in the limited time available to us."
"Of course. I couldn't help but notice the restaurant was strangely empty. Would that be your doing?"
Beowulf nodded. "As well-known as I am it would be unwise to have others listen in on our conversation, hence our booking the restaurant for an hour. The owner was more than happy to oblige." He said with dry amusement, showing a bit of fang.
A warrior indeed. The man thought a bit nervously at seeing the Gnoll bare his fangs slightly. I'm sweating just being near him.
The waiter approached the table, breaking the tension as he set some appetizers before both of them as well as pouring each of them a glass of wine before leaving them alone.
"Please, enjoy while I present my Lord's thoughts and wishes." Beowulf said, gesturing to the food. As the man carefully began to eat Beowulf continued. "When my Lord and I first heard of the experiment you wished to conduct regarding proof of the afterlife He offers we were initially shocked and somewhat aghast."
Seeing the man looking up at him anxiously he smiled again. "You needn't worry. After a bit more thought we could see the perspective you and your group were coming from but at the same time we realized your experiment was doomed to fail. Simply put, conversion for convenience's sake is not true conversion. You would perish and become one with the void for eternity rather than awaken in the afterlife you expected. Fortunately my Lord has another project in mind he would like for you to participate in. Once which will have great potential for humanity and possibly just as much acclaim should it prove to be a success. Plus you won't even need to die." Beowulf said with a hint of dry humor. "In fact the project would be considered a failure if you did perish due to it."
The Professor swallowed his bite before taking a sip of the fine wine. "What exactly did you have in mind with this other project of his?"
Beowulf smiled at the Professor's interest. "Allow me to explain. You can think of it as a neurological upgrade study..."
Prometheus's Temple…
Within the depths of the asteroid sat the massive group of supercomputers that housed Davis's mind. The machine was constantly at work, it's resources and parallel processor arrays split between a multitude of different tasks happening at once. One part focused on city security via the network of integrated cameras and microphones while another fine tuned the flows and fluctuations of the various power stations and other utility systems the city required to keep it running as well as ensuring the dome generated by the Infinity drive was holding at optimal levels. Others were in the process of analyzing current geopolitical and economic developments as they occurred while still more ran multiple simulations regarding the outcomes of possible future events based on the actions of Prometheus and his priesthood and the most probable reactions of various world leaders based on their psychological profiles and past actions. It was not the Psychohistory of Asimov and other futurists as even Davis could not truly predict the future but humans are creatures of habit by nature and when combined with powerful statistical analysis as well as in depth psychological studies, much could be gleaned and reasonably foretold.
A handshake request on one of his secure virtual access ports dedicated to the royal family's use suddenly appeared on the periphery of his attention, the data packet bearing access codes and other information that identified it as being from Kyprioth. A microsecond passed as Davis confirmed via his various scheduling applications that the Dragon was due for an interview around this time with the mysterious journalist known as Clarence. The data packet was swiftly analyzed before being accepted, creating an audio-visual link between him and the nanites in Kyprioth's cortex. Given the potentially sensitive nature of this discussion he allocated a few real-time processing cores to monitor the link, allowing him to converse with Kyprioth directly and coach him should the need arise. Even so, he was extremely confident that his direct intervention would not be needed; he had been training Kyprioth as an undercover agent and intelligence gathering asset for nearly twenty years. The Dragon had successfully completed his fair share of missions from simple acquisition of information relating to various royal houses across Oerth as he visited them in his role as Ambassador, to highly dangerous recon missions in the depths of a Lich's underground crypt, providing situational data for the Draconic Knights to determine their plan of attack.
A simple interview with a journalist of questionable motives would be child's play.
"Thank you for taking the time to meet with me Reynard." The man said pleasantly, every nuance of tone and language being recorded and analyzed by Davis's processors a split second later.
"The pleasure is mine, I assure you." Kyprioth replied smoothly with a hint of smugness. "Tell me, how long have you been in the news business?"
"Oh nearly twenty years now." Clarence replied easily as they sat in chairs facing each other, the room comfortably furnished without being opulent.
"Really?" Kyprioth replied with a hint of interest. "You must have covered some impressive stories in your time."
"Unfortunately yes, the last few decades have been rife with unpleasant ones." Clarence replied somewhat regretfully.
~~He has optical implants allowing him limited telescopic vision and possibly visual recording capability.~~ Kyprioth informed him over the dedicated mental link. ~~It's subtle but it's there. If he has those he's likely to have auditory assistance of a similar nature as well.~~
~~Not surprising for a journalist to have.~~ Davis mused. ~~Still, that sort of subtle setup suggests he's used to working on undercover exposes or other similar types of investigation.~~
"Of course we aren't here to discuss my career." Clarence remarked with a smile. "As much as I would love to talk about myself I'm rather more interested in you. Why don't we start with a few simple questions? Tell me something about yourself and your background. From what I've been able to gather the public has seen very little of you and I'm sure they are dying to know about everyone who works closely with the Emperor."
~~A predictable question to start with but now we know the thread the conversation will follow.~~ Davis remarked.
~~Quite.~~ Kyprioth replied as he began to discuss some general details about himself that could easily be learned elsewhere from other sources.
The interview continued with Clarence asking questions about Prometheus's personal life and the personal life of the Empress as well. Did they have children? How long had the two been together? What was their marriage like behind closed doors. What role did Reynard play in the court and what were some memorable events he had witnessed or been a part of? Reynard smoothly answered the man's questions, more often than not giving him answers that were easily a decade or more old relating to inconsequential events from Oerth.
~~Slight tightening of the facial muscles and eyebrows. He's starting to become frustrated with my answers.~~ Kyprioth reported a little while later. ~~He's obviously fishing for something more intriguing. I think a red herring is in order. When I first discovered him in the cap of the pyramid I made mention that the crystal there was potentially important. I'd like to add a bit more sparkle to that rumor.~~
~~Approved.~~ Davis replied after a split second analysis.
"...Of course when we were building the pyramid everything had to be to His exact specifications, from the floor tiles and how they were positioned to the type of metals used in the floors!" Kyprioth exclaimed, seemingly in exasperation. "Even the power crystal at the top of...well anyway suffice to say it was quite the herculean task and his Eminence was rather picky about how his temple was to be constructed."
The Dragon saw the man's eyes narrow for a split second before they retracted into their usual position but it had been enough for him to confirm that the bait had been taken.
Several more inane questions were asked before Clarence stood. "Well I think I have enough here for a few good pieces. I appreciate you taking the time to meet with me." He said as he gripped Kyprioth's hand. "Hopefully we can schedule more such interviews in the future."
"I look forward to it." Kyprioth replied with a smile as he shook the man's hand, clapping his shoulder with the other before Clarence brushed past him, leaving the room a moment later.
Kyprioth watched him leave before his eyes narrowed in thought, glancing at the jacket pocket the man's hand had brushed against as he had left. Reaching carefully into the pocket he withdrew his hand a moment later, examining the small transmitter Clarence had slid into it on his way by.
~~How amusing. The man's a pickpocket as well. Possibly a con artist.~~ He reported.
~~Bring it with you. We can use it for counter-intelligence.~~ Davis replied.
~~And the nanites I applied to the shoulder of his jacket?~~ Kyprioth asked.
~~Active and transmitting.~~ Davis confirmed. ~~We should know quite soon who he really works for.~~
