As he stared at the diminishing flame before him, he couldn't help but feel his eyes growing heavy. His supply of snacks was running very low, not that he could eat another bite. Not much to do now as he felt himself slowly drift away into a-
-SLAP!-
"No! Keep it together, Popka! You gotta do this!"
The canine was doing everything in his power to stay awake long enough to be the lookout until his allies awoke. He was starting to regret refusing Klonoa's offer to tag out - he was bored out of his mind, which only made him sleepier.
There was a part of him that wished something would approach them. At least then there'd be something to keep him awake. But that never happened, his allies were fast asleep, and he was all alone in the dark.
"Commoan, ya lazy mutt. Fall asleep already!"
But he wasn't alone.
Little did the canine know that, hidden away within the branches and leaves of a nearby tree, a pair of eyes watched his every move. Mechanical eyes. It was through these mechanical eyes that he was being spied on by a certain four-armed cyborg, located all the way in the base of his partner in crime. Popka wasn't the only one growing bored, but at least Lidoc had a drink to keep him company.
"Any updates, professor?" Garlen asked, stepping through an automatic door.
"Nope." he replied in a huff. "Just waiting for this dolt tae doze off. Tell ye what though, ah'm learning a lot aboot the Dream Traveller."
"Anything of importance?"
"Aside from nightmares, teenage angst, an' apparently being rude to the lassie an' her dug, not really."
Lidoc gave a very mild frown.
"Tae be honest, despite everything, ah kinda feel a wee bit bad fur the lad after hearing his sob story."
Garlen raised an eyebrow.
"...Oy, don't give me that look. Ah'm just saying."
"Just stay focused, Lidoc. Don't let his outward demeanour deceive you. Remember what we're fighting for. Remember what he took from you."
"Trust me, ah haven't forgotten what the bastart did." The scientist's tone took on a more aggressive, snarling tone. "Ah intend tae make him wish fur a quick death."
"Good, good." Garlen clapped his hands together, "Now then, onto more important matters. Are you hungry?"
"A…" Lidoc wasn't expecting to be asked that at this time. "...What?"
His superior chuckled.
"We need to talk plans now that the Dream Traveller has decided to show his face. I figured we could do it over some good grub. You can eat, right?"
"...Ehhh, only smaller things like snacks an' drinks." Lidoc shrugged. "Not really got the stomach tae eat much nowadays. Ye can probably tell just by lookin' at me, heh-heh."
"More for me then! It should be ready in a moment. Come, we have much to discuss."
"Wan moment. STEVE!"
The two could hear the sounds of pitter-patter heading their way. Before long, a small, grey Nagapoko stood at their feet. It had small wings on the back of its head, and a large wind-up key on its back - much like the other Nagapokos Garlen had working for him. Although, one of the eyes on this one was completely dark, with only a small, glowing red pupil piercing the black sclera.
"Ye-e-es?" The diminutive creature stuttered.
Lidoc picked Steve up and placed them on his desk.
"Alright, Steve. Keep an eye on that screen. If that mutt falls asleep, let us know. Can ya do that fur me?"
"Yes I can, Mister Li-idoc."
"Good lad!" The scientist patted his assistant's head like he was a pet, which he seemed to like. "Ah'll not be long."
As Steve watched the feed like a hawk, Garlen and Lidoc headed for an elevator that would take the two to the former's quarters on a higher floor.
"I don't understand why you keep that defective one around." the warlord said to the scientist. "He can't even fly. We can have him replaced for you easily."
"Ah know." Lidoc replied. "But ah've grown attached tae this wee yin. He has a charm tae him."
Garlen shrugged.
"Actually, that reminds me." the avian continued. "Why do ye have so many Nagapokos in the first place? Where the hell did ye get 'em all?"
"Heh, from humble beginnings, of course. I used to be a Nagapoko breeder. It was the family business when I was younger. Even after I left to forge my own path and pursue my own dreams, I was still able to put my knowledge to good use. Now I've got hundreds of these things at my beck and call."
"That's wun way tae start yur empire, ah guess." joked Lidoc.
Before the conversation could continue, the elevator doors opened. In front of the duo was a large table, decorated with many different kinds of food; meat, fruit, drinks, the lot. Lidoc was slightly taken aback by the banquet before them, assuming Garlen must've banked on both of them being very hungry.
"See anything you like?" Lidoc's superior asked.
"The wine, mostly."
"Fair enough. Help yourself, can't be strategizing on an empty stomach, after all."
The room had a large, see-through wall, behind where Garlen sat at the table. At first, Lidoc thought it was an inactive screen, but he quickly realised that it was just the night sky. Which begged the question-
"Garlen, it's the dead of night outside. Why are we eating at this hour?"
"You see, Professor." Garlen responded, already biting at a chunk of meat on a bone. "When we've achieved our goal and made this world into a technological paradise, consumables will no longer be a necessity. Machines need fuel, not food. When everything is as it should be in due time, food such as what my servants have put on the table before us will soon cease to be produced. So why not indulge ourselves, and have one last meal? We've worked for many difficult years to get where we are, let's treat ourselves!"
"Ya sure we can achieve that, the whole 'enhancing fellas with machinery so that they don't need grub tae live' thing?" Lidoc asked, sipping on his beverage.
"Well, look at me, I've achieved it. I can eat, but I don't need to in order to survive. Hell, look at yourself. You and I are much alike, y'know?"
"Ah mean…ah guess, though the circumstances behind my 'upgrades' are a wee bit different, if ya remember. Less 'enhancements' and more so 'life support'."
"Well, that's besides the point, that being that it is possible and it will be the future going forward. They may complain and resist for now, but in time their eyes will be opened to the limitless potential of technology."
"Not if Dream boy an' his posse have owt tae say aboot it." Lidoc scoffed.
Garlen didn't respond, instead choosing to just stare at Lidoc as he continued to eat; as if silently beckoning his partner to elaborate.
"Ah mean…" the avian continued, "half of yur Elites are battered, an' two of the Generators are doon. Surely, that must've put a damper on yur plans, aye?"
"Meh." Garlen replied, mouth full of grapes. "I ain't too worried at the moment. Klonoa's victories against those two weren't all that major in the grand scheme of things. Genrallas was an idiot who left the Element unguarded, and Leptock was… well, he was something alright. The closest Generator to Joilant is located in the city of Volk, so my guess is that they'll go there first. And if they do, I am confident that Dommandrius can finish those pests off."
"Ah just don't understand how that hairball is sweepin' through yur men. Ah know ya warned me of his power before we got here, boot still."
"Looks can be deceiving, professor. Whilst I'm confident that this will be where we triumph over him, he's beaten me once, and I do not intend to make the same mistakes as I did before by underestimating him."
"In that case, got any backup plans? Aside from 'you-know-what', of course."
"Of course, it's always important to have workarounds. Avoids the trap of frantically strategising on the fly. Makes you panic, and thus, your plans will be messy, unorganised, and doomed to fail. As for my little project, I'm only using her as a last resort. She ain't ready yet, and probably won't be for a while. But make no mistake, once she's all set, our victory will be absolute.
"Cheers tae that, then." Lidoc toasted, holding his glass of wine up before drinking it. "Though, ah hope this wan'll be more 'refined' than that shitshow in Joilant."
"...Shitshow?"
"Ah've bin watching what's been going on over there tae keep tabs on the Dream Traveller, as well as the clown. Ah didnae like how willing he was tae undergo the Bionic treatment."
"He was probably just eager to see the world how I… how we see it." Garlen rationalised.
"...Have ya seen the state of that place!? That sub-zero hot air balloon just wanted new, more effective ways tae torture the poor bastarts. If yur tryin' tae convince these people that yur on their side, this in't the best look, tae say the least."
"Hmm… yeah, that's a fair point you bring up. Leptock was an unhinged, loose cannon. We needed someone to guard the Joilant Generator, and him having extensive knowledge of the Kingdom would have proven beneficial; a 'home advantage', if you will. In hindsight, I should've kept the freakshow on a tighter leash."
Lidoc didn't respond, instead shooting Garlen a sarcastic look - as if to say "Ya think?".
"Regardless, Leptock's transition from monster to machine opened up a gateway of possibilities for the future. It shows that the Bionic program can and will work if given the right amount of time, dedication and resources."
As his superior continued to blather on about his successes and plans for the future again, Lidoc couldn't help but feel a nagging sense of contempt. Although the scientist owed a lot to Garlen for getting him to where he is now, he also believed that some of his partner's methods were teetering on the line between beneficial for the future, and borderline war crime. He had already expressed his disdain for the Bionic program. The concept of using random civilians as lab rats for experimenting with cybernetic enhancements felt immoral to him. But Garlen either shrugged it off or tried justifying it - saying things like "It's for the greater good!" or "Sometimes the right way forward can be messy, but this is the path we must take for the benefit of mankind."
Lidoc saw them as somewhat flimsy excuses, but he wouldn't press further, half because sometimes talking to Garlen felt like talking to a brick wall, and half because despite everything, he needed this man to fulfil his own aspirations. All Lidoc wanted deep down was to take down Klonoa; and if these were the cards he's dealt, he had to play them for the time being - for the sake of ending the Dream Traveller then and there, as well as to avoid Garlen getting too suspicious of him. That being said, he would often wonder if there was a better way to go around this. A better way of helping society using the power of technology. Garlen's dream had merit, Lidoc just wasn't sure of the methods used to achieve it.
"MASTER GAR-AR-ARLEN! MISTER LIDOC!"
The duo's meal was interrupted by the sound of a small, stuttery grey Nagapoko running into the room.
"Speak, Nagapoko." Garlen quickly swallowed the food he was eating in order to talk clearly.
"The mutt's asleep! The mutt's a-a-asleep!"
"Perfect!" Lidoc exclaimed. "Good job, Steve!"
"Alright! Time to mobilise!"
Garlen wiped his mouth with a napkin and got up from his chair. Lidoc shortly followed after he quickly sculled his glass of wine.
"Hah-hah! Time tae wipe the floor with Dream Boy!"
"Hang on there, professor!" Garlen placed a hand on the scientist's shoulder.
"Oh commoan! Why!? Lad's a sitting duck right now!"
"I will send a team of troops to ambush, apprehend, restrain and take them to Volk, where they will rendezvous with you and Dommandrius."
A sinister look appeared on Garlen's face.
"Then you can do what you came here to do. Show those who fight back just how weak and pathetic their 'saviour' really is. Besides, from what I've seen of Volk, our Elite may need an extra pair of helping hands. Or two pairs, if you will. HAH-HAAH!"
Lidoc rolled his eyes at Garlen's joke reminiscent of a low hanging fruit he saw the other day. At least the cyborg now knew that the Dream Traveller would be hand-delivered to him personally - perhaps tied up in a cute little bow like a nice birthday present.
"Lidoc, head down to the runway. You can use my Spiker Mech to reach Volk in time for the soldiers' arrival. It's an active warzone there, so be on your toes. Understood?"
The cyborg nodded.
"Excellent. Soon, you will have the Dream Traveller to torture, maim and dispose of as you see fit. Good luck, my friend."
With his orders given, Garlen gave him a friendly smile and a salute as Lidoc headed towards the elevator to depart on his next mission, Steve following behind. As the elevator doors closed, the avian returned the salute to his partner. Soon after, Garlen was all alone - nobody else around but him.
After he soaked in the peace and quiet for a brief moment, he pulled up his left sleeve to reveal a set of buttons integrated into his mechanical arm. Pressing a combination in the control pad, he held his robotic hand up to his mouth.
"Come in, Nagapoko unit #141124."
"Yes, Master Garlen."
"Progress report on 'Project: Ancient'. How far away are we from completion?"
"We are 45% complete, sir. At the speed we are working, 100% completion is estimated to be in approximately 125 hours and 32 minutes. Roughly 5 days, sir."
"Excellent. Continue as you were, #141124. Garlen out."
Pouring himself a glass of wine from the food table, the warlord made his way to the large transparent wall behind his seat. He looked at the world outside. The stars in the night sky, the structures surrounding his base of operation, the ocean that surrounded the entire island his robots were taking control of.
"Soon…" he spoke to himself, taking a sip from his glass. "...Soon, the reckoning will be upon Lunatea, as well as those who fight back against the path to progress like whiny children. And from the ashes of the old, a new world will rise. A perfect world."
Garlen couldn't help but let out a chuckle. A quiet, eerie, but confident sounding chuckle.
"My perfect world."
END OF CHAPTER 4