NOVEL SIMPLE Book 1 – Lesson 43: “… and the pieces”
"Crapcrapcrapcrapcrap!"
Alpha dodged around a thick, black vine as it poked out from the swampy, muddy ground, attempting to ensnare the TAWP's leg. The vine missed but exploded the next instant, covering the leg in a thick, sticky, tar-like substance.
Not again!
Alpha tried to pry the sticky good off with the TAWP's nanite skin, but it was too late. The substance bubbled, then suddenly exploded with growth. Dark green-purple vines appeared on the leg's surface, the microscopic spores hidden in the tar germinating and growing at a rate that should have been physically impossible. The vines wiggled in the air for a moment before half started creeping up his leg, and the other half plunged deep into the ground.
Alpha tugged, easily breaking the new growth attempting to root him in place, and a quick burst of his RCS trusters burned away any plant life left clinging to him. The slight delay had been enough, however, as even thicker purple vines erupted from the ground and wrapped around the main body of the TAWP, pulling down. Alpha struggled against the vines, but the TAWP couldn't exert much force on this kind of terrain.
As the TAWP's underside contacted the ground, hundreds of thin, probing roots or vines poked out, attempting to pry themselves into every opening, but found none.
Alpha was a harder nut to crack than expected, though, as the ground rumbled. The surrounding swamp bulged upward to relieve that the TAWP stood at the center of the sadistic child between a venus fly trap and a gargantuan rafflesia.
The center, a gaping maw of wriggling barbed vines, pooled with muddy soil and putrid water. Dozens of enormous dark-purple spotted "petals" surrounded it. Each was covered in a mix of wiggling black vines and razor-sharp teeth as they rose out of the muddy soil.
These petals rose higher, stretching dozens of meters, then folded inward, attempting to surround the trapped AI.
{About time you showed yourself.}
Alpha thought to himself as the petals closed around him. Soon, no gaps were left between the petals, as they overlapped to further constrict their unwilling prey in an ever-tightening cocoon.
After a moment, the constriction stopped. All was silent for a brief moment until a dozen bright lasers punched through the petals, crisscrossing all along their length. The toothy rafflesia screamed, causing nearby swampy puddles to explode from its force.
Like tumbling blocks, pieces of the closed flower tumbled away, revealing the TAWP standing at its center, its hex-shield glowing bright.
Several laser turrets dotted its surface, their tips glowing, small streams of steam rising. The giant rafflesia's various vines weakly wiggled in the air for a moment before falling to the ground, limp.
Alpha shook himself free of the loose vines and stepped away, grumbling to himself.
This was the sixth time he'd fallen into the same trap in the last day, and he regretted not going around. When he'd first encountered this swampy section of the prairies, Alpha wasn't sure what to make of it.
{What kind of swamp moves?!}
He was absolutely certain he'd plotted his course to pass by it after the scouting [Wasps] reported it, but when he'd actually arrived, it had cut him off completely.
{I want to file a complaint with whoever designed this crappy place!}
Moving swamps. Sudden blizzards. Even Rolling clouds of darkness that turned him around for hours and made his head hurt. He didn't even have a head!!!
Alpha saw why everyone was making such a big deal about this time of the year. In just a few days, the prairies had gone from a relatively normal place (barring the rainbow grass and man-eating penguins) to a chaotic mishmash of roaming disasters.
{How the hell does anything survive here?!}
Unfortunately for Alpha, this swamp was a poor match for him. The loose, muddy soil forced him into walker mode, and even then, it was slow going. To top that off, the local wildlife was just as fond of him being there as he was. Alpha added more notes to his records.
{Uncategorized Floral species 443-S-3; Temporary designation - Alphatrap-: Plan A-5 for locating trip vines has been unsuccessful. The plants seem to emit subsonic vocalizations for unknown purposes, disrupting attempts via radar or other similar means. Preemptive tripping of vines has shown mixed results, as the subject appears to have some weight or size limit for prey, likely to limit energy expenditure on prey it could either not contain or would cause a net loss.
Likewise, attempts to force out the organism, or exterminate it outright, have been mixed. The surrounding terrain and its large size make damaging the subject impractical through conventional means. As of now, the most effective method for dealing with the creature has been outright avoidance, or when that is not possible, an internal assault after it has fully emerged.
Side Note: Investigate magic weedkiller. I don't like being eaten…}
Alpha sighed and closed his notes. Lucky for him, he was nearing the end of this swampy area, and the swamp itself seemed to head in a different direction.
It only took him an hour more to trudge his way through. When he at last stepped back on solid ground, Alpha threw his hands into the air and did a little dance. As soon as he got a proper base up and running, Alpha was building some terrain adaptors for the TAWP. They were too complicated to print using the TAWP's nanoskin, but most of them could be compacted for transport, allowing ease of use.
He didn't use them often, but if more places on this planet were like this, he'd rather be safe than sorry.
"It seems they were right. I've never quite seen a creature quite like you… tell me, 'Lord Protector, where is it you hail from?"
Alpha froze. One of his side-facing optical sensors swerved and locked onto a figure behind him. The TAWP lowered and turned in that direction, facing the figure directly.
Only a few meters away from where the spawn ended sat a younger human adult male on a larger boulder. Neither of which had been there only a few moments prior.
How the hell did people keep sneaking up on him like this?! It was getting embarrassing…
The young man only smiled up at Alpha, a sharp-tooth grin stretching from ear to ear.
—————
"What do you mean 'he'll meet with you tomorrow'?! Do not understand this is a time-sensitive matter?!"
A red-faced Kallik nearly screamed into the face of the frowning, stoic priest in front of her. Nearby, several other priests worked with prep Yutu to be brought deeper into the temple's medical wing. The rest of the Slatewalker group stood to the side, having agreed that Kallik should do most of the talking.
While the Grassreaders and Prima Temple were technically two different organizations, they shared a mutually beneficial relationship. An Elder Grassreader like Kallik should have had a far better chance of catching the right ear.
Should have…
The stoic priest frowned, pushing up the spectacles he wore.
"Grassreader Kallik, I'm afraid it's you who doesn't understand. We're merely days away from the Darkest Night. There are arrays to lie down, rites and ceremonies to prepare for, and events to organize. We're short-staffed as it is, and finding even a senior priest with the time to speak to you was frankly a miracle in and of itself, let alone the Head Priest. If any of your… outlandish claims are worth further investigating, you'll be contacted tomorrow. No sooner. Now, if you insist on making a spectacle of yourself, I'll have to kindly ask you to leave the temple grounds until further notice. Or you may find your request thrown out entirely."
Zolzaya didn't need her gift to read the emotions playing across her mentor's face, but the older woman said nothing as she tried to burn a hole through the priest's skull with her eyes.
A long moment passed in silence before Kallik turned and pushed herself through the gathered priests, making her way toward the exit. The Slatewalker group shared a look before following her.
———
Kallik paced back and forth, biting her thumb as the others found a seat in the small inn room. Inns in the Wandering Cities weren't big, more catering to the small number of foreign travelers that wandered the prairies alone or in small groups. With such a dangerous time as the Darkest Night approaching and most prairie natives preferring their home villages, the inns were essentially empty.
That worked well for them, as they could find an inn near the temple.
After booking their rooms, the group gathered in Kallik's room.
Ganbaatar was the first to speak.
"So what now? I know we didn't want to go through the Jadewalkers, but if the temple is going to turn us away at the door, do we have any other choice? Not like we yell our story from the middle of the street. We'd get thrown in a cell before the Akh'lut Rep ever heard a word of it."
Juatan answered back.
"Not much else we can do if we don't want to wait till tomorrow. Assuming they don't just push it back again. I agree; time is of the essence, though. The sooner we can contact the Akh'lut, the sooner the Lord Protector can make his move. He should be in position sometime by tomorrow if your estimates of what he can do are accurate."
Kallik stopped pacing and shook her head. When she spoke, she didn't look at anyone in particular but stared out the window toward the temple.
"Something doesn't sit right with me about this. I know Head Priest Erden. He's a stick-in-the-mud about the rules, but he's not someone to ignore something like this. As soon as I used my authority as an Elder, he should have been notified immediately."
Zolzaya frowned and asked.
"You think we're being blocked on purpose?"
Kallik growled and punched the windowsill.
"I don't know! And that's what frustrates me. Why would we? The Temple and the Akh'lut are interlocked. Most of the high-ranking officials in the Temple are Akh'lut. At least in the Radiant Sea. Why would they be hindering their own investigation?! It doesn't make any sense!"
The group went silent for a long moment before a quiet, almost whispered voice spoke.
"We… we could… I mean… we could always… maybe… sneak in?"
As one, the rest of the group turned and stared at the young Guardian sitting on the bed. The woman, Munkh, gave a soft squeak and hit behind the large metal tower shield she carried everywhere.
Ulagan raised an eyebrow, his eyes wide. That had to have been the most words he'd ever heard his fellow Guardian speak at one time. Many newer Guardians assumed the small woman was too proud or haughty to speak to them. After all, she was the kind of genius only seen once in a generation.
Those who had worked with her for a few years quickly learned the truth. For all her skills and talent, the woman was almost cripplingly shy. The Captain once joked that Munkh had picked the tower shield as her "weapon" so she had something to hide behind.
Still, sneak into the Jadewalker temple? That was quite… daring of her. Totally not something he would have expected someone like her to suggest. Still, given the security and consequence of they got caught, it was a ter—
"That's a great idea!"
Kallik's words nearly caused Ulagan to spit blood. He looked at the Grassreader, his eyes wide as she continued with a grin splitting her face from ear to ear.
"If they're stopping us from seeing Erden, then we'll just go see him ourselves. Even if they catch us, that kind of thing can't just be swept under the rug. The Head Priest will hear of it, if not the Akh'lut representative."
Ulagan held out a hand, his voice cracking as he spoke
"Hey, wait now. You can't be serious. We're talking about the temple here. We can't—"
Juatan stood and moved to look out the window. His eyes narrowed as he spoke.
"Hummm. If we're going to do this, we'll need a distraction. The Jadewalker Guardians are disciplined. They'll be on the scene moments after an alarm is raised. I still have some contacts from my time in the officer's academy, but I don't know if they'll be of much use."
Ganbaatar smiled and spoke up next.
"I'm sure I could cause some trouble with a bit of help. A lot of the taverns will be full tonight, with people getting their fill before the Darkest Night. What do you say, Zaya? I'm thinking D4, P2, and maybe a little B2 to spice things up. We've not used that one in years. Munkh can even take Yutu's role."
Zolzaya didn't bother to answer, only smiled with a dark grin that matched her mentor's.
Ulagan stood, his voice raised.
"Now, hold up, everyone!"
The group paused, staring at him as he continued.
"Look, I know we're on a time crunch here, but you can't honestly be thinking of doing this, can you? If we screw up, it's not just our flanks that get tossed in the fire."
The group only stared back. Kallik raised a brow, frowning as she crossed her arms and spoke three words.
"The woodwelder incident."
Ulagan paled, his eyes turning to moons. He tried to speak but couldn't form the words before sighing and falling back into his seat.
"Ok, Fine! Fine! Where do you need me?"
Kallik's grin returned, and she called her hands before addressing the group.
"Good! Now we just need to—"
A sudden knock at the door cut her off. She was silent for a moment before calling out,
"Yes? Who is it?"
An unfamiliar voice called from behind the door.
"Grassreader Kallik? I have news from the temple. Is now a good time?"
The Slatewalker group fell silent. Kallik turned and met Zolzaya's eyes.
The young woman had gone pale, her hands tightly gripping the end of her shirt. Zolzaya locked eyes with her mentor and slowly, almost unnoticeably, shook her head. Kallik's eyes narrowed, and she turned to look at Juatan. The older Guardian nodded and stood, slowly drawing his blade. Munkh too stood, the tower shield in her hands held at the ready.
Again, the man behind the door knocked, and the voice called out.
"Hello? Is everything alright?"
Kallik called back, her voice the picture of calm.
"Yes! Just one moment, please. I'll be right there."
She then slowly walked toward the door.
