Reviews.
Joe Lawyer
He's got a whole decade in this world there's no need to rush, he has plenty of time to explore. I can expand out as time goes by. Plus there's lot of Celtic mythology to draw upon for ideas.
Jump Chain Gothic 5 - Merlin.
Part 15
The Fortress of Ismere. Albion.
Inside one of the many rooms of this fortress I sat back on a kind of divan, and typed into a data padd while two holographic naked Asari, which I had created using a combination of technologies from a few different universes, fussed over me. One projected girl was rubbing my shoulders while the other knelt ready to feed me some grapes that I had just replicated.
Neither of these alien women were biological. They only existed because I'd spent hours installing holographic generators around the fortress, not for the purpose of indulging myself, that was just an added bonus, I'd actually installed all of that equipment so I could add another layer of defence to this fortress.
Now the fortresses had a number of hard light holographic guardians which took the form of very scary looking Gargoyles, not unlike those that decorated parts of Camelot, only these weren't made of stone. Since they were just projections of solid light no weapon could harm them. Magic might be able to it depended on the type of spell used.
My knowledge was lacking in all things supernatural so I couldn't be sure that any of my defences would stop a powerful enough sorcerer. Hence why I was adding more defences as at least then I could make it hard for any warlock or witch to enter my base. Even cloaking the entire place might not be enough and I couldn't kept it out of phase all the time.
I could clone some real asari using the DNA I'd gathered, and I had cloned people in the past, but there wouldn't be place for them in this world, and they'd have all the memories of their genetic source so I imagined that they'd be pretty bored on such a primitive planet.
Perhaps when I got to the Star Wars galaxy I would clone some asari and have something useful for them to do, I had limited DNA sources, but with some genetic engineering I could make quite a few, and the asari had an interesting reproduction method so they might be able to multiply even with a limited genepool. I'd look into in the future, for matters of biology were of little interest to me.
"Why do you never tell me to serve you while naked if you enjoy it so much?" I heard someone asked.
With my near-ascended powers and a needless click of my fingers I deactivated the holograms and turned in my seat to look at my personal Terminator.
"I was just relaxing" I told her "No need to get jealous of a machine".
Cameron gave me a look that meant something, but I didn't understand it. At times even robot women could be confusing.
"I am a machine" she reminded.
Well that was true.
"But you're an artificial intelligence" I pointed out "Which means your a person, those were just projections. I much rather have you naked and feeding me grapes".
I suspected that she a bit jealous, as much as she could bem as she didn't strip and come kneel at my side. Which meant she might be mad at me, not that Cameron really got angry, but I figured that she could fake it. Or maybe she could really get jealous, she was capable to learning and growing as a person.
"Come and have a look at this" I told Cameron while patting part of the divan "I was just working on ideas for future Jumps".
She sat down next to me I showed her the padd I'd been working on.
"I know that Star Wars is the next Jump that I planned because I figured that most of the group would enjoy it" I said my cyborg protector "But I've been planning out some Jumps to magical worlds as well because I was worried about overwhelming Morgana if she joined the group".
Cameron took the padd and inspected its contents.
"You have sometimes allowed your companions to choose a Jump as an incentive to join your group" the Terminator said "Morgana seems no less deserving of this privilege, as long as she proves to be useful to you".
Cameron's reasoning could be cold, but it was always straightforward and sensible. This was of worth to me because even before becoming a near-ascended human I'd been a bit of an overthinker, and I still was now I just thought faster and could remember things much better.
Also I couldn't help noticing that my Terminator seemed to be getting even better at altering the way she spoke. Her method of speech seemed to change to suit the situation. I'd noticed it before when she went from addressing me to addressing people in the court.
"I can run it by the rest of my companions at some point" I mused "I don't want them to resent Morgana just because I think Star Wars might too much of a culture shock. I could always place her is stasis for the next Jump instead of the others if I don't Jump to another magical world".
The rest of my harem, if they could be called that, had no interest in magic or in living on a world that didn't have the technology they were used to. I'm sure that they would have suffered through if needs be, but with stasis pods that wasn't an issue. Besides the group was getting larger with every Jump so I might not be able to find a purpose for everyone in all the Jumps.
"You don't need their permission" Cameron inisted.
I didn't, but it wasn't as simple as that.
"True" I said "But an effective leader listens to the opinions of those who follow him, and takes their needs into account when making his or her choices".
In the end it was up to me, but I wanted my companions to be happy and to find enjoyment in working for me. Which was another reason why they were in stasis right now.
"You can't go to this universe" Cameron stated.
Before I could ask about that she placed a hand on my chest so that I had to lie back, and then she straddled my hips. Despite the layers of clothing between our sexual body parts I couldn't help feeling a little aroused. Both of us were wearing what I'd consider to be modern clothing so she was in jeans rather than her maid's outfit which flattered her bosom, but had those needless layers of skirts.
"And why not?" I asked.
I had a feeling that I knew which universe she was talking about.
"Because I won't be able to protect you in that world" Cameron said as she leaned down and took hold of the bowl of grapes "I wasn't built by humans, but I am technology I might not function at this Hogwarts".
I understood her concern. Muggle tech was suppose to cease working at that school, and while she hadn't been made in a human run factory she did run on a power cell, and have circuits. Plus it would look odd if an 11 year old boy was followed around by what seemed to be a strangely acting grown woman.
Should I find myself in that situation I might use Cameron to hunt down and kill Death Eaters, she shouldn't have too much trouble given her skills and all the tech we had at our command. Magical defences in that world worked to keep out Muggles away and sure Cameron might look human, but she was far from it.
"My thinking was that Morgana would benefit from spending time in a world that not only accepted that she had magic, but would nurture it" I said to the Terminator who had just fed me a grape "But who wants to be annoying brat".
Maybe if there was an adult option, were you could be a grown up, I'd be more enthusiastic for the possible Jump, but I could table it for now, at least until I could present this information to Morgana and find out what she desired to do. I simply felt it best to present her with a number of options that could suit the both of us.
"This Elder Scrolls universe could be a better alternative" Cameron told as she popped another grape in my mouth "Dangerous, but I would be there to protect you, and both of time periods you've listed as options have magical schools that cater for adults".
I finished chewing before answering, and this gave me a few moments in which to think. The world of the Elder Scrolls was very cool, dangerous yes, but I had my advanced tech and near ascended powers I'd be able to project myself.
On the plus side there would many cool quests to complete, and lots of awesome magical items to collect. Sure there would be a lot of fighting, but I was used to that by this point. Besides a lot of what I would have to face would be straight up monsters, which always made things simpler when it came to killing.
"Well I do like having you around" I said to cyborg.
She didn't react to hearing that. Not that I expected her to.
"No matter where we go we're going to need more storage space" I mentioned.
Cameron tilted her head as she did sometimes when in deep thought.
"You should ask Jump Chain for more storage space as a reward for finishing this Jump" she suggested.
That was a good idea.
"I'll mention it should I see her at the end of this Jump" I said "It isn't certain that I will"
At this point I was about to tell Cameron to take her top off in order to improve the view when Cortana let me know that I was time to return to my life as a knight.
"We can discuss this some more later" I said to my protector as she got off me.
And maybe we'd carry on with the feeding of grapes as well.
(Line Break)
Camelot. Albion.
Down in the lower town, a man and his son who were both hiding their faces beneath the hoods of simple robes, approached a vendor. The man who had his face hidden looked around furtively before speaking to the merchant in a soft voice.
"Do you have my supplies ready?" the hooded figure asked "We must leave the city without delay".
The vendor pulled out a small black bag and then handed it to the worried looking man.
"Everything you asked for, it's all here" the merchant said "I'm sorry"
His customer looked up in surprise upon hearing that, and soon the man saw guards approaching. The two customers ducked under the vendor's stall, and broke into a run. The man shoved another vendor's wares into the guards' path, hoping to slow them down.
Soon, the fugitives reached a gate that led outside the city, but four guards were blocking it. The man and child turned and ran back into the city, becoming separated in the process. A guard leaped down from the nearby wall, sword raised, and landed a blow on the boy's arm. It was a move Iintended to wound rather than kill.
His scream was not a physical thing, it was of the mind and could only be heard by those who were sensitive to it. Despite the ban on all thing magical there were three people who heard the scream in their minds.
(Line Break)
Camelot. Albion.
Help. Help me. Please.
The call was so loud and so desperate that it woke me up, and I sat right up in bed, which a move so unexpected that it actually startled Cameron, who was of course unable to hear the noise in her head. Even half asleep I knew that the plea for aid had come from a boy, he was very scared and in terrible pain.
Please, you have to help me. Help me.
"Cortana have you got eyes on?" I asked.
My personal AI and I had prepared for this event knowing that it was possible despite the minor changes in the timeline that I must have created by now. This didn't surprise me as certain events seemed fated to happen, Morgana meeting Mordred must be one of them.
I wished to prevent this as the meeting was very important to Morgana's future, and so it had to be prevented if I could do this while aiding the druids, who I was planning to seek out for aid in the future, then all the better. Plus it would annoy the king if they got away, and that would make me smile.
Sure there was a risk as I wouldn't be able to hide the bright light that was seen when someone was beamed about, but there was no connection to me, so no one would have any reason to suspect my involvement. The ruler of this land would simply assume that the magical folk had used their powers in order to escape.
They're searching for me.
Mordred would be talking to Merlin right now, but the young warlock's ability to help the two druids was limited. He was powerful, but he didn't have beaming tech.
"I'm tracking both the boy and the man I assume to be his father, they're both about to be caught".
This didn't worry me.
"Cortana beam them to somewhere near by other druids" I ordered.
They're going to kill me!
Then suddenly the connection was gone, with my Mystical Sensitivity Perk, I felt the boy vanish rather than see it. I could have talked back to him the same way, but there was a chance that Merlin would have heard me, so I'd not risked it. Besides I had a feeling that I'd see Mordred in good time.
For now I wanted to go back to sleep, it was still early in the day. I was just about to nod off when the alarm bells began ringing. I covered my ears with goose-feather stuffed pillows and groaned.
(Line Break)
Camelot. Albion.
Later in the day I returned to my bed and collapsed upon it face first. Even my enhanced body had muscles that could get tired and I'd been marching around the city all day looking for druids who were miles away. As such it had been very long and points search.
The king had been furious about the druids escaping, and he ordered every room in the city to be looked over in case the druids were hiding there. Apparently them vanishing in a flash of light hadn't made Uther think of teleportation, he'd imagined it was just a diversion. Which to be fair it could have been.
I'd not enjoyed leading a group of guards into people's homes. But I'd been under the prince's orders, he'd given every knight command over a squad of men to aid in the searching. Normally knights didn't go around poking about in people's houses, but Uther had ordered it and so we'd had to do it.
When it came to matters of magic the king often lost leave of his senses and commanded things to be done that he wouldn't normally happened. I was amazed that the people put with it, but given how scared everyone was on Uther I shouldn't surprised that he could get away with such things. Plus he did have a large army that was filled with well armed men who had good training.
"Long day?" Cameron asked me.
I didn't move so that I could look at her, but I did address her.
"Uther doesn't seem to know how the feudal system works" I said "The nobles are suppose to protect the peasants, and in exchange they serve the nobles, we're not suppose to terrorise them, that's the job of the bad guys".
It did not sit well with me that the king used knights like they were officers in some sort of Stormtrooper army.
"Maybe I should kill him" I mused.
I'd killed plenty of people, but I didn't think I'd ever actually planned someone's death, at least not seriously. Now I was thinking up ways to slay the king. It couldn't be anything supernatural or that look supernatural as that would harden Arthur's heart against magic.
"You asked me to tell you if your behaviour changes" Cameron said as she pulled my boots of my feet "You don't normally plan to murder people".
A while back I had asked my Terminator to keep an eye on me, just in case I somehow fell under the influence of magic.
"I'm concerned for the wellbeing of the people of this world" I said to Cameron, who was doing her best to remove my armour even though I was lying face down on the bed "That's not so strange for me".
With minimal effort my bodyguard rolled me over and began to peel off more of my clothing.
"My motivation isn't revenge or to please anyone else" I assured my protector "This is about what is best for everyone".
Cameron seemed to accept my reasoning.
"Prince Arthur will come of age soon" she reminded me "And if your files are correct a Wraith will rise up and nearly kill Uther, why not help it. Uther will die and Arthur will be crown-prince and able to take the throne".
A nice idea, and I had been intending to let things play out when the Wraith appeared so the Excalibur would be created, but the sword didn't have to end up in Uther's hands. Sure a couple of knights might die, but they would accept the Wraith's challenge and that was something I should respect as a fellow knight.
"I could do that" I said as Cameron tugged something off me "But I don't want Arthur to hate magic, which he might end up doing some undead monster kills his father".
Aside from that concern I had to consider that Arthur was inexperienced, and he was a bit of a clotpole as Merlin would put it, he might make mistakes, big ones. I could be there to help, but the prince I weren't that close, although he did seem to like spending time with me. Perhaps he would seek out my council once he was king.
I didn't really want the extra responsibility, but neither did I want magic users to be hunted, not when I had to do the hunting, and I didn't think that Arthur would hunt them, at least not to the degree his father currently did. Also I had take into account that Arthur's Uncle would likely come to court and while he wouldn't team up with Morgana he might still work to undermine his Nephew.
Making Uther vanish was also an option. I could stick him in stasis within my fortress and he'd be safely contain for thousands of years, however if Uther simply vanished then Arthur the noble fool that he was would never take the throne, or stop looking for his father.
Plus if Morgana ever found that I'd helped to kill Uther she might not be so forgiving as she didn't hate him at this time. It could all come out into the open that he was her father, well then she could be pissed, and if nothing else I'd know. This kind of thing could keep me up at night, and I had enough to worry about as it was.
Add to that I had to consider the fact that I had made oaths of loyalty to the king, or at least I remembered doing so, if I betrayed Uther then I'd be breaking those oaths. Which meant that I wouldn't be a knight, not really, and I liked being a knight.
"You should rest while I prepare your bath" Cameron advised "You have plenty of time to think things over".
That was true, the prince wasn't of age yet, and other possibilities could yet present themselves. I had a powerful mind, I should utilize it and come up with an ideal solution.
(Line Break)
Camelot. Albion.
"This will do" I said as I looked at myself in the reflective surface.
I couldn't go marching into the druid camp looking like a Knight of Camelot, nor as the black knight persona as that would just send the druids I intended to seek out running about in a panic. I needed their aid not their fear if I was going to help Morgana with her nightmares by acquiring an adder stone.
Hence I was now dressed in the robes of a humble traveller, and while I intended to beam to a location near the druid camp which meant I wouldn't be doing much travelling, at least I wouldn't cause a panic. And I would of course be carrying protection in the form of kinetic barriers and an environmental shield.
My armour and sword would be safe inside the special pouch of holding which I'd gotten just before the start of this Jump. That way my sword at least would be easy to get to should I need it, although the armour would be a bit more tricky to put on in an emergency.
The only weapon that I visibly carried now was a fine dagger. Compared to my near-ascended powers it wasn't of much use, but it was nice looking dagger that I'd made myself using the molecular construction technology and Mithril that I'd gotten from Matter Furnace.
Also Cameron would be nearby while out of phase, it would be interesting to see if the druids would be able to sense her presence or not.
"It'll be dark soon" I said my bodyguard "We should go now before it gets too dark".
Cameron who had been about to light some candles put out the tinder she'd been carrying, and turned to me.
"I'm ready now" she said.
Hopefully I also was.
(Line Break)
Woods. Albion.
After appearing deep in the already dark woods I did a quick scan with my omni-tool and found a grouping of human life signs not far from here just as I had expected, along with some animals. The druids of this world were hippy nature loving types and as such they likely didn't eat meat, but they might take milk from any goats they kept and eggs from chickens.
Under my arm I carried a box of replicated supplies. Thanks to my rank it hadn't been hard for me to find out what the druids had needed so badly that they'd risked entering Camelot for it, and with the amounts I had this box no more druids would need to risk themselves for a good long while.
As I headed towards their camp I mentally went over what I knew about the druids. I knew that they worshipped nature, practiced magic for good and were generally a peaceful race. Although they just as capable of violence as any other group of people if pushed hard enough.
Uther Pendragon believed that they were secretly plotting to destroy him and wished to return magic to the kingdom. In reality the druids kept to themselves and didn't interfere with political matters. I knew that they practiced magic in its purest for, what people might call the light side of magic and while they acknowledge that magic can be bad, as Uther often proclaims, they believe it can be used for great good as well and strive to use it for good.
Druids are known to seek out those who have a natural ability or talent for magic to take as apprentices. Mordred was an example of this as he had the power of telepathy. Also I knew that highest ranking druids all seem to know something of Merlin, and are at least partially aware of his destiny.
Greetings
I sent the word to the robed figures that I saw, they were clearly guards of some sort, but they carried only simply staffs rather than spears or swords.
Welcome stranger
This was a kind of telepathy a form of magic that involves transmitting speech into a person's mind. This power allows magic users to communicate with each other without being overheard by other people. However this ability did not allow people to read anyone else's minds.
Telepathy is extremely common among the druids. In the show people like Merlin, Mordred, Morgana, Morgause, Kilgharrah the Great Dragon, and others were also capable of using this power. Using this power both the sender of the words and the receiver to be mystically sensitive, and I had a perk for that.
"Follow" one of the hooded figures instructed, using words rather than magic.
I was taken to the tent of a man called Aglain, who in the show was a gentle, kind hearted man who helped look after Morgana after she was injured by Serkets, which were nasty giant stinging bugs. He told Morgana that she could use her magic for good indicating that he believed magic was a good thing. That hadn't happened yet, and maybe it never would. Aglain seemed to be in charge of this clan, not that I imagined the druids having leaders the way most groups did.
"Thank you for seeing me" I said.
Aglain, who was a dark skinned man who wore the simple robes of one of his people, invited me to sit with him.
"We don't turn away those who come to us in need" the man replied.
I laid down the box I was carrying.
"A gift for your people" I stated.
Aglain inspected the box for a moment and then closed it.
"A generous gift" he commented "If that is what this is".
His people were peaceful, but these were dangerous times so he'd be a fool to trust a stranger.
"It's a token of friendship" I said "And as you have already guessed I do need your help".
Aglain nodded and took that to mean he would listen to my plea for aid.
"Someone I care about is affiliated with terrible nightmares" I explained "She can't sleep most nights and the dreams are affecting her health".
I could just keep healing her, but that wouldn't solve the actual problem, and while Morgana's visions could be useful right now they were more a burden than anything else. Plus there was the danger of the king discovering his powers, and while that might not be an issue for much longer depending on how things played out, that was no reason to allow Morgana to keep suffering when I could do something about it.
"And why do you think we can help?" Aglain asked me.
"I've searched for something to aid my friend, and my research led me something called an adder stone" I said.
Aglain's reaction let me know that he knew exactly what he was talking about.
"Such things are rare and powerful" he said.
The druids could be generous, but they wouldn't long survive if they gave away such important things.
"If you have one I'll gladly pay for it" I said "My friend's wellbeing is very important to me".
The druid considered my request.
"I don't think you care for gold, but there must be something your people need" I was now saying "I can get it for you".
While I was sure that we'd be able to make a deal I had to wonder what this was going to cost me.
(Line Break)
Camelot. Albion.
There was a knock at the door and while her maidservant normally answered she was gone for the night. Morgana considered not getting up and seeing who was at the door, but she was motivated by her curiosity, and even the cold stone floor of her room didn't deter her from finding out who was knocking at such an hour.
When she opened the door she found a serving girl standing there, the woman was holding a box, and Morgana only needed a moment to realise that this was the maid of Sir Gothic. They'd met before during a ceremony to honour the knights who'd taken part in the recent tournament.
"Cameron" said Morgana "What do you want at this late hour?".
Before replying the serving woman handed the small box over to her ladyship.
"To help with your bad dreams" the servant said "Don't tell anyone who gave it to you, and don't let the king see you wearing it".
With that Cameron left and Morgana carefully closed the door before looking inside the box. Within it was a small and smooth stone that hung off a fancy chain. Morgana wondered how this was supposed to help with nightmares, yet she couldn't help feeling that the trinket was important somehow. Her sense of this went beyond merely knowing that Sir Gothic had sent this to her secretly.
Morgana hadn't misunderstood when she'd been told not to let her guardian see the gift that must have come from Sir Gothic. Given Uther's hatred for anything magical then it was possible that this stone was enchanted or at least people might think it was if they saw it.
Knowing this Morgana wisely decided that she would only wear the gift when she tried to sleep, starting this very night, just to see if it made a difference or not. With a smile on her face her ladyship got back into bed and soon closed her eyes. Before long she was falling into a dreamless sleep.
(Line Break)
Camelot. Albion.
I smiled when Cameron returned to my room.
"She took your gift" the cyborg reported.
I'd known that she would. It should help with her nightmares, and it all it had cost me was some supplies. The druids needed certain things that they couldn't get form the woods, but I could gathered them easily enough. They'd even given the adder stone in advance and as a sign of trust, a gesture that I would not forgot.
"If the kings finds out about it, and discovers what the stone actually is" Cameron said "You'll be in danger".
This didn't concern me too much.
"That's why we went to all that trouble to set up a base of operations we can fall back to" I reminded "Any trouble, such as guards kicking down my door and I get beamed away".
This was something we had discussed before.
"Not many people would know an adder stone if they saw one, and I doubt any of them would accuse the Lady Morgana of having an enchanted item" I said.
The risk was minimal, and the possible benefits great. I would have Morgana's heart sooner or later, and then I would have her as a companion. A fact that pleased me greatly.
"This is for you" Cameron told me as she handed over a vail.
I could see that the small tube contained a few black hairs.
"From the druid boy you mentioned" Cameron explained before I could ask "I took it from his bedroll while you had your meeting with their leader. He was sleeping so he never knew I was there".
I was very happy right now.
"Well done" I said to the cyborg "It will be interesting to compare to this samples we already have".
Cameron had collected many samples for me already, including the DNA of Merlin and Morgana, so if there was a gene that was connected to magical abilities I should be able to find it. Also Merlin inherited his Dragonlord powers from his father, which meant they might also be genetic. One day I'd find out, but I was in no rush.
Right now all I wanted to do was get some sleep and hope that when I woke up I might have some solution about to do about the king.