Author's Note:
Quick note this time around! Shout out to Doreh, Neophilic, and newcomer Zombie Cat Scientist (which is a kickass name, by the by) for their kind reviews! Specific review responses should be coming shortly. Terribly sorry for the delay! D:
Fourteen
D.E.V.A. CLEARANCE LEVEL 9
CLEARANCE ACCEPTED.
DOCUMENT TYPE: TRANSCRIPT
DESIGNATION: THE ADAM INCIDENT, FILE 013
DESCRIPTION: TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO RECORDING—CONVERSATION BETWEEN C-01 AND PROFESSOR SAMUEL OAK
DATE-TIME: RECORDING DATE, 17/10/01, 14:21
C-01
I hope you don't mind that I record this meeting. We keep everything on record for security's sake.
OAK
We? What's going on, John?
C-01
In short? I'm the director of D.E.V.A., a top-secret organization dedicated to the containment, research, or elimination of anomalies on the planet Earth. We also deal with interplanetary politics, and believe me when I say there are plenty of people out there in the universe who are wonderfully chuffed over the fact that the ixodida are here.
OAK
John, you've said some fascinating things in the time that we've known each other, but—
C-01
Yes, yes. You're skeptical. I understand. But I also want you to see this.
[PAUSE IN CONVERSATION. THERE IS A WHIRRING NOISE IN THE BACKGROUND.]
OAK
What is that?
C-01
Emblem of the Intergalactic Association. Peaceful union of planets in our galaxy. They were hoping Earth would join them once we showed enough capability for it. D.E.V.A. was even preparing to hammer out the terms. Then the parasites showed up.
[PAUSE IN CONVERSATION.]
OAK
Let's say I believe you. Why are you here, then?
C-01
Who do you think's running Project Stardust?
OAK
I see. But then … I still don't completely understand, John. Help me out here. If you're working with aliens who already know about the ixodida, wouldn't you know about them too?
C-01
That's the funny thing. The IA's got information on the ixodida, but they're missing parts of the story. Important parts. Probably didn't help that their planet exploded just before they could get enough data.
OAK
Exploded?
C-01
Oh yes. Avani, to be specific. Or, well, it was a moon of a gas giant. The gas giant was the one that blew up. No one knows how, except the people on Avani. They were a technologically advanced race, eons more advanced than any other race in the IA. Some of the accidental refugees who were off-surface at the time of the pandemic theorize the rest of 'em detonated their gas giant to avoid letting the parasites escape beyond the confines of their little moon. Problem was that the infected managed to activate the people's interstellar travel system and used it to fling pieces of the moon to non-IA planets across the galaxy. All of the pieces contained hundreds of ixodida parasites, and long story short, one of the chunks of Avani fell to Earth. We have reason to believe it was the chunk the ixodida's main nest stood on.
OAK
I see. Then you're trying to get rid of the ixodida.
C-01
Heavens no! My son's one of them, Sam! Come on!
OAK
Then what is it that D.E.V.A. wants? How can I help?
C-01
Aye, that's the right question to ask. Not all ixodida were hostile, Sam. They were split into two factions, one that wanted to side with the Relians—you know, the people of Avani—and the IA, and then the other wanted to go out and conquer half the galaxy. Cliché, I know, but I'm not an alien. We're not sure which side the ones on Earth were on. We think they might've been the ones who wanted to conquer the galaxy, but we need time to study them and figure out if that's true. If it is, then yes, the IA wants us to get rid of them, which means we'll need to figure out how to do it. The ixodida, as you can guess, must be tough little bastards if they survived whatever assault the most technologically advanced society in the galaxy threw at 'em, and I'm sure you'd prefer it too if we didn't resort to blowing up the sun to make sure they're dead.
OAK
What if they were the ones that sided with the IA?
C-01
Then I'm gonna have to have a stern talk with our IA representatives about how their allies eradicated half of one of our regions.
OAK
Well. Seems like you've got a lot of work cut out for you.
C-01
It'd be a lot easier with Polaris cooperating with us, Sam. We'll make it worth your while. I know who the Team Rocket moles are. We can keep them in check and out of your way.
OAK
You don't have to do that.
C-01
Technically, I do. But I would if I didn't have to. I respect you too much to have your work compromised by the likes of them.
OAK
Speaking of respect, John. May I ask you a question?
C-01
Shoot.
OAK
How long have you been working for D.E.V.A.?
C-01
Over twenty years.
OAK
So, in all the time you've been …?
C-01
Yeah.
OAK
Why didn't you tell me?
C-01
I did. Had to wipe your memory afterwards. Just like I will once we're done here.
OAK
Wipe my memory?
C-01
We're a top-secret organization for a reason. Nothing personal. It's to protect you. You really don't want to go deep down the metaphorical rabbit hole, Sam. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. But I thank you kindly for the cooperation. Now, if there aren't any other questions…
[END RECORDING.]
—
Bill was many things, but he liked to think stupid wasn't one of them. As he moved quickly through the tunnel beneath the pokémon center, his symbiont was quiet, and he knew exactly why. He would have known without his level of intellect; it was pretty obvious, in his opinion. That and it was rather frustrating to him that Adam refused to come out and say it. But Bill thought about it, and after at least half an hour of struggling to draft a message of peace in his head, he knew he had to say something.
So with a sigh, he stopped, still hunched in the low tunnel, and shot an annoyed glare at the earthen ceiling.
"Okay," he said. "Let me summarize what you're thinking right now. You think this is a terrible idea. You believe I'm going into this with gross misunderstandings about how your species operates. But you're letting me do it anyway because you think you can trick me into giving you permission to kill, and no, you're not going to tell me why Lanette is so comfortable speaking to you or what you actually said to her while I was out. How did I do?"
Rather well, actually, except for the part concerning seeking your permission to kill.
Bill scoffed and pressed onward. "Adam, don't underestimate me. I know that's what you want."
You still refuse to trust me.
"Of course I'm refusing to trust you. With how many times you've lied to me—"
When? Adam's voice had an irritated edge to it, just enough to make its host jump. I have never lied to you. It is you who has been asking the wrong questions. You humans. You earthlings. Do you realize that this concept of fabrication exists only on Earth? It is true. I have known many planets and many races, and none lie as you define it.
"But you do lie," Bill muttered.
We simply do not tell truths that are not necessary at any given time. Humans, in their incredible moral simplicity, would call this lying, but that is not so. It is merely a different form of the truth. I cannot answer questions you do not ask, and you must not be distracted by knowledge that would serve you no purpose. That is all.
Bill exhaled and dug his fingers into the tunnel. It was the only form of navigation he had right then. The tunnel was far too dark, too devoid of light, for his night vision to work, and everything smelled like earth. He was kicking himself mentally right then. Nurse Joy had packed him a flashlight because she knew he was about to descend into a dark tunnel, and that really wasn't the problem. The problem was he neglected to consider what would happen if he was discovered far earlier than he needed to be. His plan was to go to the direct center of the nest, find the monarch Lanette had implied would be there, and speak only to them. The last thing he needed was to be attacked or marked as a hostile invader before that could happen. Unfortunately, this meant traveling through the dark with his heightened senses proving thoroughly useless.
It certainly didn't help that the place was hot. A hot wind blew from somewhere up ahead, and the further down the tunnel he went, the hotter the walls and floor became. It wasn't unbearable just yet, but Bill could still feel the heat through his clothes, through the black gloves and dark brown hat he wore. The journey itself was uncomfortable, and between that, knowing his powers were useless, and realizing the knowledge he had about this nest was limited, he wasn't in the mood for banter. We could bicker all night in this tunnel, Adam continued, but it would do us no good. The truth of the matter is that I am concerned about you.
Its host released the wall and continued forward. "Is that so?"
Of course it is. You are my host. It is natural for me to be concerned about you on a level.
Bill shrugged. At that point, he wasn't even bothered by any implication that Adam's concern was anything but self-serving. He just assumed that it was part of the ixodida's way of life.
"All right," he said. "Why are you concerned, then?"
Because it is true that you do not understand my kind. Bill, we were once a war-faring people. Our entire planet was at war when we left it. Thus, there are politics involved. Eons of extremely volatile politics that dictate the actions of each monarch, including the one that surely exists in the nest that you are approaching.
"And are these politics necessary for me to know?"
Yes. Absolutely. They are vital.
"Then tell me quickly."
I cannot. I do not have time. You should have waited.
"Too late," Bill said. "We're going forward, and I'll just have to do my best based on what I know."
You can go back.
Bill squinted. "You didn't seem opposed to the idea of me going through with this in the pokémon center, nor did you feel the need to tell me about these 'politics.' Why are you objecting now?"
I may be entertained by your actions, and I may acknowledge that no matter what I say, you will act on your judgment and your judgment alone. But that does not mean I wish to give you the best chances at surviving any ordeal. I simply delayed my advice until you seemed ready to hold a conversation. Adam paused briefly, then added, Besides, either way, I do not have time to go over all the intricacies of what you need to know.
About halfway through Adam's explanation, Bill had tuned the parasite out. It was clear to him that Adam wasn't going to contribute anything of value to his knowledge, and in any case, he was distracted by what lay ahead of him. There was a pinprick of red light, hovering low in the distance, but at that moment, Bill couldn't tell whether it was his imagination or a tangible point of the tunnel. He couldn't tell anything about his surroundings except that the temperature was climbing from a mildly uncomfortable state to a less agreeable range. The earth felt like it was steaming under his hand, and in response, he moved his fingers until each gloved tip scraped against the tunnel wall. Underneath his bare feet, the tunnel began to slope.
Forward. Despite the heat, despite the discomfort he felt, he had to go forward.
"I can't go back, and I can't wait," he said. "Lanette and the rest of the hunting party are heading out in the morning, Adam. If I don't talk to the ixodida now, they'll be wiped out."
Have you ever thought that perhaps it would be for the best?
"Not you too."
You should listen to reason, Bill.
"I am! It's you who's mad!" He scowled and lowered his voice. "You and Lanette."
Still bitter?
"We'll talk about that later."
The tunnel was most definitely getting hotter at that point, and Bill was thankful for the reprieve from the conversation, however brief it was going to be. It gave him time to think, particularly under his growing irritation. What was he going to say? How would he introduce himself? Networking was not a foreign concept to him—not when he had done it so many times to garner funding for his inventions and projects—but politics and diplomacy had little to do with the conversations he had with potential benefactors. This was a war, and he was no politician.
Yet he wasn't nervous. He wouldn't let himself be nervous.
Bill.
He flinched. "Unless you have something that doesn't involve talking me into going back or berating me for jumping into this without thinking things through, I don't want to hear it, Adam."
Actually, I was going to propose that we work together.
At that, Bill stopped. Days ago, he might have thought of that as a relief, but now, it was so shocking of a statement from his partner that he needed a moment to process that it had, in fact, been said.
"What," he said, less as a question and more as an impulse.
Do not be so surprised that I am suggesting this, Adam answered. Why should I not propose it? As I have said, you are an incredibly stubborn creature, but separating from you would not be beneficial to me. Lanette was correct in stating that most of my kind can and will separate if they find that their host poses no advantages to them, but for me, it is a slightly different story.
It punctuated this by tugging at its neural network. Bill flinched, but the moment he felt the tendrils closest to his heart pull at his armor, he knew at once what Adam meant. The parasite wasn't simply rooted to his muscular system. It was also rooted to his skin—the solid steel itself. It would be no easy task for Adam to cut itself loose.
Therefore, as my host, you are important to me, Adam continued, settling back into their body. Your business is my business, and your survival is necessary for my survival. Why, then, would I not be interested in doing what would be best for the both of us?
"That … oddly makes sense," Bill said. "All right. Under one condition."
That you be given the permission to act as our collective voice? Naturally. I have no interest in speaking directly to the monarchs.
Bill stiffened. "Why is that?"
Most of them are idiots.
"Oh." He relaxed with an exhale. "Well. Good to know that it's for a fairly predictable reason, given … you. All right. Then I'll talk for us. How are you going to help?"
Simple. I will tell you what to say.
Bill continued down the tunnel. To avoid keeping his feet on the hot dirt for too long, he picked up his pace, stepping quickly and lightly across the earthen path. All the while, he focused on the red dot and tried to turn Adam's words over in his head.
"You?" he asked. "Adam, I don't mean to be offensive, but how? I'm looking to create peace between the ixodida and humankind."
And if you say exactly what I tell you to say, you will likely be one step closer to achieving that.
"I don't like that 'likely,'" Bill muttered. "In any case, weren't you a soldier?"
No. What makes you think that?
"You said your planet was at war and that the ixodida are a war-faring people."
Ah. Yes, that all is true. But just as not all humans are soldiers when your planet is at war, not all of my kind fought. For your information, I was an ambassador.
Bill furrowed his eyebrows. "An ambassador?"
Of sorts.
He nodded incredulously. "Oh. Of sorts."
Yes. A spokesperson for a rebel faction, more accurately. But not entirely an active fighter, no. I was far more interested in strategy and politics.
"Ah."
Bill continued on in silence. It was odd, in his opinion. He had never given much thought about Adam's past until now. It had never occurred to him that the parasite had infected other sentient beings and lived other lives outside of him. To Bill, the parasite itself was a pokémon, much like spinarak or shedinja, a creature that wasn't capable of human-like thought until it became fused with his body. And that in itself startled Bill. The contrary should have been the first thing he assumed. He should have recognized right away that Adam was an independent being just as intelligent and innovative as he was—a soul with its own collection of philosophies and memories and skills. Yet … he didn't realize that. As a researcher, didn't it occur to him that this thing inside him had a past life far beyond the reaches of human comprehension? Didn't the possibilities of distant planets and fantastic creatures pique his curiosity? How did he miss those questions?
Of course, there was an obvious answer in that he was just too busy to notice, but more importantly … asking those questions would mean acknowledging that Adam was intelligent. And it knew all of their shared abilities better than Bill did. There was a whole being, a second mind, inside him, and he had no idea just how powerful it was or what it was capable of doing to him.
That scared him a little.
And Bill knew that Adam could most likely tell he was scared right then, but it made no effort to show that. It merely continued as if there wasn't a shred of fear lurking in Bill's mind.
The situation on our planet was not what you would call ideal, Adam said. The people were controlled by a powerful entity known as the empress. As I have told Lanette, I do not know if the one in this colony is the same as or an ally of the empress of my home planet. That is information I intend on finding out. For now, all you must know is that the empress of our planet forced my kind to do her bidding. Our needs were never her concern. We were her puppets, her playthings, her dolls. All of us except those who broke free. We became what you would call the rogues. We called ourselves the Gray Rebellion.
"The Gray Rebellion," Bill repeated vaguely. "That …"
Sounds impressive? We certainly were. We were the scourge of the empress, freedom fighters in a great war. We were going to free our people, Bill. But we could not. We failed.
Bill kept his eyes steady on the red glow, barely registering that it was almost large enough to fill the end of the hall now. His night vision was finally kicking in, and he began to make out details of the pathway around him.
It took him a moment to respond at last to Adam's explanation. "How?"
I cannot say. You are about to approach the end of the tunnel, and my story would take far too long to tell. All I can divulge right now is that although we rogues were all monarchs, not all monarchs stood with us. Most monarchs were—and perhaps still are—loyal to our home planet's empress. Make any indication that you are not, and they will eradicate you. Understand?
"Yes," Bill replied quietly.
Good. Now listen carefully. As soon as we get to the nest—
Adam stopped, and the abruptness of its silence broke Bill out of his daze. By then, they had come to the end of the corridor. Bill was just about to ask Adam why it had stopped speaking, but the chamber beyond it caught his eye.
It was a vast place, far bigger than any cave or even building Bill had set foot in. The walls were cylindrical, almost like a sea sponge made of rock, and along its circumference were dozens upon dozens of roadways with carved, cobblestone-like surfaces. Each one of the paths supported scatterings of ixodida: some that appeared to be bodybuilders made of exaggerated, purple muscles, others that were covered in dirty-brown spikes, handfuls with gray-stone skins, all entering and exiting doorways all along the walls.
Bill was expecting the other openings to be crude-looking cave entrances, but these were finely carved rock arches with intricate patterns etched along their edges—almost as if they were proper doorways. Dozens of them dotted the cavern walls, bookended by notches in the rock. Within the notches, there were brightly colored stones, forming an entire rainbow streaking along the chamber. Bill glanced at the stones beside the doorway he stood within, and he recognized the jewels immediately: evolution stones, each glowing with their own internal energies. Yet these seemed to serve more as decoration than as practical fixtures; the majority of the light filling the chamber was bright orange, intense, and shed by a single source far below the stone-cut roadways.
Magma. An entire pool of magma bubbling and rumbling in the very bowels of the chamber. Looking up, Bill could just see a comparatively small circle of blackness spotted with stars. And it was then that he knew. He knew exactly where he was.
"Mount Chimney," Bill breathed. "Oh no. That's why it's so hot here." Pulling his eyes away from the circle, Bill scanned the walls of the chamber for any indication of which one he needed to get to. "Adam, we should act quickly. I don't think we'll fare too well in this heat, and I don't want to spend too long anywhere near that magma pool. Okay?"
He was answered with silence.
"Adam?"
In his head, he heard a low growl. Without warning, a light flashed in front of his eyes, and a different sight blossomed in front of him. A pink and violet light filtered from the ceiling, displacing the orange glow from the bottom of the well. The walls smoothed out into gold plaster, and the cobblestone roadways became white-marble staircases. Each ixodida was replaced with hazy, gray figures in long, purple robes, and the doorways … the doorways became arches of ornate gold inlaid with jewels. Bill felt his breath catch in his throat as he stared out at this second scene, but the longer he looked, the more it began to shimmer and fade away, back into the rock-and-magma chamber all around him. His breath came in gasps as his mind reeled. What was that? That wasn't real … was it?
He gripped the doorway harder, not even caring how the rock felt beneath his gloved hand. It steadied him. It steadied him just enough to let him listen to the growl in his head.
And then, he realized it was Adam.
Blasphemers, Adam hissed.
Bill wanted to ask. He really did.
The problem was that at that very moment, four ground-type ixodida descended on him.
—
When Bill opened his eyes next, he was staring up at a vaulted ceiling made of cut, gray stone. Colorful lights danced across it, weaving rainbows on the shadowy surface. It was calming. Peaceful, even. As he lay on a smooth, stone surface, he almost forgot why he was there.
And then a face swam into view.
Yelping, Bill pulled himself to his hands and knees and backed away as quickly as he could from the ground-type ixodida. The other ixodida—a teenage male, judging by the size of his body and the smooth babyishness of his face—tilted his head and emitted a low whine. Then, he turned and scuttled back to a group of three others of his kind: three small, childlike creatures whose dusty-brown bodies were studded with spikes. The four of them huddled over a patch of brown and black, chittering softly to each other in wordless questions. Upon seeing the flash of color the ixodida held between them, Bill reached up to his head and felt his bare scalp and horns.
"Hey!" he shouted.
Scrambling forward on his hands and knees, he shooed the other ixodida away from his hat, bag, and gloves. They yelped and barked before dispersing to the edges of the room. Bill snatched his things from the floor, put them on hastily, and threw a stern glare at the others.
"Don't take things that aren't yours," he said.
All of them looked at each other in confusion before staring back at Bill with wide-open eyes and tilted heads.
And then Bill realized what he had done. Rising to his feet, he let his stern glare dissolve into an apologetic glance.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I promise I don't mean any harm." He extended a hand. "My name is Bill. I'm here to help you."
"You are very strange."
Bill whirled around at the sound of the new voice. Behind him, he saw a male ground-type ixodida perched on a stone bench at the far end of the room. This new ixodida's quills rose as he examined Bill, but otherwise, his face was completely expressionless.
"Come again?" Bill asked.
"I said you are strange," the creature repeated. "You are one of our brothers, yet you wear human clothes. Why?"
"I…" Bill glanced to the side, his mind flaring with the warning Adam had given him earlier.
You may admit you are a rogue. Do not mention the Gray Rebellion, and you will be safe.
Bill let his shoulder sag, relieved that his symbiont was feeling like itself again. "I have the body of one of you, but my mind is still human."
The monarch lifted his chin. "A human mind. Tell me, then. Why have you come here?"
Taking a deep breath, Bill straightened his back and stood tall. He only hoped that he could feign confidence well enough to earn the other ixodida's respect.
"As I've said, I've come to offer help," he said.
"Help?" The other ixodida rose off the bench and took a few steps forward, its toes scraping gently against the stone. "Why would we need help?"
Bill hesitated, waiting for Adam's answer. Thankfully, it was quick.
Monarchs are proud, Bill. You must be straightforward. If you admit you bear a warning to them concerning the humans, they will see you as one of them, not as one of their enemy.
He considered questioning Adam about Lanette, but he had no time. The monarch in front of him was already in motion, although his movements were subtle. A slight spreading of the claws. Left foot shifting back a fraction of an inch. Weight flowing from the front to the back. The expression on the ground-type's face may not have changed in the slightest, but Bill could see the signs as if they were obvious. He was letting the monarch slip into an aggressive stance. If he didn't speak now, there was going to be a fight.
"I came to warn you," Bill said.
"Warn us?"
The space between the monarch's fingers narrowed, and his legs slackened. These, too, were only subtle movements, but Bill was watching for them, praying silently that they would happen. He took a breath in relief when they did.
"Yes," Bill said. "About the humans. They think you're dangerous."
At that, the monarch straightened, easing completely out of his fighting stance. "You poor, naïve creature. Did you think we had no idea?"
Bill shook his head. "No, I know you do. You must think we're dangerous too."
In his head, he could feel Adam's unease, like a cold shift across his brain.
"But not all of us are," Bill continued, rushing to correct what he thought was the issue. "I can help you. We aren't normally a war-loving species. We can have peace if we can set aside our differences and talk to one another." He extended a hand, palm out. "You must know that there are humans planning to attack your burrows in the morning. They'll try to wipe you out with water-type pokémon. But if you let me help you, I can stop them. All I need to know is what it is you want. What can we give you that will help build peace between us?"
Well, Adam said immediately after Bill had finished, I would say you made an excellent argument. But then you all but announced you side with the humans.
A chill ran through Bill the moment he realized what Adam meant. He straightened, his eyes locked on the monarch. Across the room, the monarch stiffened as well, easing back into the defensive stance.
Adam sighed in exasperation. Bill. Listen to these instructions. Do not show fear, first of all.
Bill felt his face freeze into the expression of determination he had sported during his speech. He could feel his muscles—the way they tensed around his eyes, the way his lips straightened. Those weren't the only changes, either. Throughout his body, his bones shifted, locking into place: his back was forced to straighten, his arms remained stiff at his sides, and his feet became firmly planted on the earth.
Now, listen to what I have to say and repeat it exactly.
Words filtered across Bill's mind then, and before he could think about them, he found himself letting them spill from his mouth.
"I've lived with the humans for as long as I can remember," Bill told the monarch. "I know what they want, so I'm offering myself to you as an advantage. You can have an empire on this planet. You can rest here if you want. But in order to do that, we need to form a pact with the humans. Give me terms to deliver to them, and I will do all that I can to ensure that this war ends."
The monarch tilted his head. "Why should we trust you? Why would the humans listen to you?"
Bill felt himself smile, although he wasn't sure if it was his own expression. "I was important to the humans when I was one of them. I can use my status to make them listen."
"Fascinating." The monarch straightened, dropping the defensive stance as he padded forward. "You must know that even if we agree to work alongside you, we cannot decide to end the war against the people of this planet. That decision rests solely with the empress of this colony."
This was new to Bill, of course, but he couldn't express that. New words flitted across his brain from Adam's, and he knew that if he wanted to hold the monarch's attention, he needed to keep close to his symbiont's instructions.
"I'm well aware of that," Bill said. "I plan on addressing the empress directly, but I need as much support as I can garner before approaching her."
"It would be far better to approach her directly," the monarch replied. "I doubt you are aware of this, being a creature of this planet, but our empress is Her Benevolent Majesty, the last ruler of the Violet Throne. She would be most interested in hearing any proposal for peace."
Bill could feel Adam bristle inside him. The network of filaments just under his skin felt electrified, and the next words Bill could hear in his head came in hisses.
How could she be here? Adam said.
"Her Benevolent Majesty?" Bill asked.
Adam's grip on his body tightened, cutting his thought short.
No, Bill. Ask him where she is. I must know.
Nodding, Bill added, "If she's truly willing to form a truce with humans, then I'd certainly be willing to speak with her as well. However, there's just one issue: I'm not sure where she is."
The monarch snorted. "Well. You must understand that I would be unwilling to tell you, given the circumstances."
Bill blinked. "What circumstances are those?"
In response, the monarch lowered his eyes. "You are of the Iron Clan, yes?"
"I suppose you've seen my claws," Bill replied with a sheepish grin. "Yes. I'm a steel-type."
"Then you must be aware that all members of the Iron Clan were, on our home world, part of the terrorist group that sought to overthrow Her Benevolent Majesty."
Bill swallowed and issued a single question to Adam. Terrorists?!
We were not, Adam answered.
That's not going to stop him from thinking that you were! Bill snapped. What do I do now?!
Simple. Lie.
Bill shifted on his feet again. Are you serious?!
Yes. Your job right now is to convince this monarch you mean him no harm. Admitting you have anything to do with the Gray Rebellion will not convince him.
I don't have anything to do with the Gray Rebellion!
I did. Close enough.
At that, Bill took a deep breath and shifted his attention back to the monarch. "The steel-types on your home world might have been trying to overthrow your empress, but I can tell you with the utmost certainty that I'm not. I wouldn't be trying this hard to forge peace between you and humankind if I didn't want you to survive."
The monarch spread his claws. "But you are a steel-type."
"It was convenient for my symbiont at the time. You know we can't change types after we've finished transforming."
In response, the monarch took a few seconds to study his companion again. Bill could feel his stare boring into him, flicking up and down his height before resting once more on his face. All the while, Bill breathed evenly, silently praying that the monarch would buy it. It wasn't a complete lie. While he knew that Adam chose their type because it was "noble"—whatever that meant—being a steel-type certainly had its advantages during their escape and the hours following. Bill couldn't imagine surviving half of what he did if he didn't have a steel-type's heightened defenses.
Had he not been standing in front of something that could kill him, he might have laughed at the thought of being grateful about any part of his situation.
He was saved from potential embarrassment by the sight of the monarch striding forward. Bill stiffened, searching his mind for Adam's presence. Adam was still there, almost like a lump of ice sitting in the back of Bill's skull. He could practically feel the parasite draw electricity from his brain and read the impulses that jolted through his ocular nerves. Between that sensation and the way the monarch was slowly approaching him, any feeling of gratitude instantly dissolved.
"Come with me," the monarch said.
He moved past Bill, sauntering towards the doorway. One of his clawed hands curled towards the four drones, who instantly scampered after him on all fours. Bill, meanwhile, turned and hesitated, only to feel his muscles tense.
Follow but pay close attention, Adam told him. You must be on guard. At the slightest hint that you are in danger, flee. Understand?
Bill nodded and walked forward, following the other ixodida.
The six of them exited the chamber in silence, and Bill realized where they were: at the highest chamber in the interior of the volcano. He looked over the edge of the spiraling, stone walkway to glance at the magma pool far below. Even from up there, hundreds of feet above where he must have started out, he could feel the intense heat of the molten earth rippling up from the volcano's core. He breathed, his lungs filling with the strong scent of ash and sulfur, as he shuddered and turned back to the monarch.
Then, the monarch looked at him for only a few brief seconds. And at the end of these brief seconds, he opened his mouth wide and screamed.
Bill flinched, gritting his teeth against the noise as it tore through his ears. Inside him, Adam leapt at his mind. His entire body shuddered and tensed, and Adam's voice screamed through his head.
Move, Bill! Move now! That is a call to arms! Your efforts were for nothing!
He twisted, breaking out of Adam's hold not as an act of rebellion but instead one of obedience. He tried to launch himself forward, to bolt down the road and reach the nearest archway, but eight hands grabbed him by the arms and threw him back. His feet skittered desperately across the stones, and he threw his weight backwards with the hope that he could break out of the drones' hold. But no matter what he did, the four ground-types held fast. They leaned into him and hissed low, shaping a wordless threat to keep him still. Trapped in their hold, Bill panted and craned his neck back to the monarch. The creature towered over him now. His tail switched in impatience as he gazed down at his guest.
"Thank you for your warning about the humans," he drawled, "but we will decline the prospect of peace with them. We will not rest on this island until the human race is exterminated from it. We have no choice."
"That … that call," Bill said. "You…"
"I have ordered them to attack, yes," the monarch replied. "The humans are not aware of all our exits, nor are they aware of our numbers. Their settlement to the west will be eliminated quickly."
Bill's eyes widened. "No … no! You can't! Please!"
"As for you," the monarch continued, "I am afraid we cannot risk allowing you to live. We cannot risk the possibility that you may be carrying a member of the Gray Rebellion. Her Benevolent Majesty must be protected at all costs."
"No! Please! Please, listen to me! You can't…!"
The monarch leaned down and exhaled a soft, earthy breath. "However, I pity you. I believe you are telling the truth about possessing a human mind. Thus, I will give you one last word of advice." His voice dropped into a low whisper. "You have made a grave mistake in listening to that thing. Consider this a favor."
He straightened his back and extended his hand. His claws curled and pointed to the center of the volcano, past the lip of the road and into the hot smoke over the magma. And then, he said two firm words.
"Throw him."
With what Bill considered to be a surprising amount of force, the four drones swung him by his arms and pitched him into the hot air over the magma pool. His hands flailed in a desperate attempt to grab one of the drones, the side of the road, each road going down—anything—but he realized in his horror that they threw him too far. There was no hope. He was falling, and he was falling fast, directly towards the magma. And there was nothing he could do about it.
Moments after Bill made this revelation, the heat paid him some semblance of mercy.
It knocked him out.