Shifting Gales couldn’t tell how long she had kept her eyes closed. The boring endlessness of her predicament didn’t urge her to stay attentive. Hopefully, a cycle had passed by now, that would shorten the time till her senior would arrive at her can.
When her digital screen awakened once more, Gales could have sworn that she felt … oddly rested. Why was her body even signalling her in such a state, what was the purpose of that functionality? She never heard from her friends nor from any other broadcast forum any theories about the benefits of such an … could she call it an underclocked state? Did anybody even consider ever working below max capacity on their primary task?
How… curious. I feel as if I… how did my monks call it? Meditation? Meditation. The concept of freeing the body and mind. A technique, used by the Ancients in the Monastery to keep solidifying their current karma state, with them ever longing to achieve enlightenment. Although… some of my citizens had very… unusual contradictory practices to let go of their piled-up sins.
Would that be enough stockpiled energy to get myself out of this predicament? It won’t hurt to at least try. My oh-so-busy schedule barely allows me to attempt such a stunt.~
Here goes nothing!
Bionic muscles tensed up as she forced a brief electric surge of power through her stiff frame, animating herself like the puppet her representative body was connived to be. Gales was surprised to feel the power in her body as she managed to untangle her legs out of the cross-legged position, leaning forth in an attempt to boost herself up from the ground. Lowering her pointy feet, she tried to use the tips of these useless limbs as leverage, at the same time pushing herself away from the wall with her umbilical.
Unsurprisingly, it didn’t take long for her artificial tendons to stiffen up, her power deflating as quickly as it returned. The floor, once again, had the enjoyment of meeting her rear for the second and, hopefully, last time. Her miraculously recharged energy was already gone. Gales groaned weakly, mainly in frustration, partially in the returning hind pain as well.
If… if I can… generate enough ‘meditation’ energy… maybe. What an odd… odd… ability.
Unable to k-keep my eyes open… have to hang… hang on.
And her world went black again, devoid of everything. Not even a single thought remained inside her dome. What she described before as boredom advanced to an elevated state. Complete darkness. Darkness inside and on the outside, as, with her passing out, the lights of the corridor did as well.
…
…
A sudden stimulus! A dent in her impeccable attire. A sensation of shock jolted Shifting Gales awake, thoughts returning into her voided mind.
Mainly signals of pain, originating from her left shoulder. Her body informed her of a small dent ruining her perfect frame, located at the lower end of the offending part. Did someone find her?
I am saved! This has to be Sky… no… Overseers don’t interact physically. Oh, I know! One of Five Lives Unbound’s emergency drones! Whispy asked her senior, of course she did!
“I am awake, Lives! Did you operate nearb… nea… WHAT IS THIS MONSTROSITY!?”
Gales couldn’t believe her trembling eyes. Her undersupplied mind was surely playing tricks on her. The debating tac-tac of the butt of the massive spear that dented her shoulders, now probing the ground next to her, told her the new presence’s patience was limited. Her screaming at it surely didn’t help at all as well, considering these … things shouldn’t be able to understand her words.
Panic rose as she attempted to sit up, but only managed to pitifully lift her head, opposing face to face the bone-white horned mask of one of these primitives which lived in the mountain between her superstructure and her laboratory-ring. Estimating the creature, she was sure that it was one of the bigger exemplars of these … Lives called them Scavengers, Whisper told her that. Something about them trying to hunt and salvage her shiny drones, scavenging her efforts.
Don’t you dare touch me, vile beast! How in the world has it even reached this corridor? I am far up in my structure, only a few corridors away from the memory bus… It shouldn’t be here.
…
Never before did I see one of these up close. Grotesque … yet some resemblance to my former citizens, but only when looking at these disfigured limbs with nearly shut eyes. What a displeasing look to wake up to. … What am I supposed to do!?
Gales did her best to relax and not do any sudden movements. Not the most difficult task given her reserves, strangely somewhat recharged, however. So, her puppet did regain energy via resting as well? A curious matter to discuss with her peers on a later stage.
A huff from the beast. Clouds appeared at the edges of its mask. It did look impatient, yet, in some way, curious, set back by the fact she reacted to the bump. Fiery red eyes observed her body, scanning her defenceless frame for anything, probably something of value. Scavengers were notorious for stealing items, especially the pearls her kin, and, before, their parents, used to store information. Pretty items, some coloured ones even decorating the braids of the animal observing her.
Then, its hand reached down to her, long and spindly fingers spreading apart like the legs of a spider, ready to grab hold of her skull. A tap. Her screen face glitched, she felt the pixels screaming up and briefly glowing in response, leaving the beast’s fingerprint where her nose would be on a normal face. An imprint that would vanish in a few moments. Gales narrowed her eyes, signalling disapproval of that gesture to the beast. A signal it curiously understood, met with it retreating the finger, grabbing its mask instead, performing a gesture she could clearly interpret as thinking. It then pointed at her, not touching her this time, and shrugged its massive shoulders.
“What am… I doing here, you ask? At least, that is what I think you would want to say, if I didn’t know any better. The Ancients always described you to me as rejects, unworthy of interaction. The Ancients… are gone. Feel free to prove me otherwise.”
Gales summoned a digital eyebrow on her screen, just to elevate it, simulating a facial gesture. While it was clear that the beast didn’t understand the content of her words, it certainly did notice the devaluating tone of them. Its patience grew slim. More gestures followed, this time pointed towards the umbilical of hers, trailing the motion down to her body. Did … it ask if she was part of the building? She wordlessly nodded, not thinking much of the implications of it. Apparently, grave implications, as a low growl raised in the Scavenger's throat, it grabbing its spear noticeably firmer. It looked … pissed?
Did… it really perform such a complex thought? Or am I just reading too much into senseless motions? Did it really accomplish an advanced chain of action? I am my can. My Can now produces acid rain. I am responsible for it… I can only guess.
But… given it is already here… should I maybe?... My options are thin. Even if Sky’s Overseer finds me, it will be useless in repairing the damage to my guide rail. I could, however…
…
I shouldn’t. But… Gales… you are crazy. And without options… Fine.
She raised her functioning arm, attempting to dictate the beast into doing a certain action. She pointed to its masked head, then back at hers, finishing the directions by touching her face. The Scavenger lowered its weapon again and nodded, apparently having understood the request of the struggling Iterator.
As it lowered its head, Gales outstretched her own neck, reacting accordingly to the motion.
This… will mark the first Scavenger I will give my mark of communication. Only some of my dearest experiments have received this honour before. Just a bit closer…
Let me mind-blast your surprisingly advanced brain.
Gales didn’t give the Scavenger even a fraction of a second as it touched her forehead with its mask. A strong mental impact, originating from the remaining resources in her weakened frame, danced along the mask, past the unfeeling accessory, seeking the gate to the beast’s brain. Its red glowing eyes. Eyes widened in surprise and panic as its mind got overwhelmed with untamed information, opening more eyes than the Scavenger physically possessed. It leered back in shock and hastily rose its spear, pointing it at Gales’ throat. One chance. She had one chance to speak, and every word had to be chosen correctly. It could understand her now, thanks to the mark she inflicted on the beast.
“Do… not panic, you can now understand me.”
Gales talked slow and silky to not find out if she could survive without a head. The Scavenger lowered its spear, looking confused, slowly nodding, signalling her to go on, allowing her to speak out her words.
“You have entered my domain, Scavenger. Welcome to… Shifting Gales… me.” Her eyes flickered, she had not much time left. “I… I am pleased to get to know my neighbours, finally. I will keep this… short. I have an offer for you, a trade. You like… trading?”
Now, she had the giant primitive’s full attention. It began speaking in a tongue Gales couldn’t possibly understand in her current state, a tongue of gestures and few snarling words. It looked excited.
“Afraid… I can’t understand you. But you seem on board with the suggestion. I… require your assistance, Scavenger.” Gales slowly reached into her robe and pulled out the glowing broadcast pearl, reluctantly showing it to the Scavenger. “I… currently have only this pearl on my frame. I will entrust you with it as… a deposit. I need it back… it is important to me. I will pay you handsomely once you help me out, three shiny pearls to get this one back into my possession. Deal?”
Gales was surprised by the Scavenger's reactions. As she mentioned wanting the pearl back, its spindly fingers cracked, tendons tensed up. But once she mentioned triple the payment after doing what she required, its expression relaxed and it placed one hand on its chest, holding it flat upwards, performing a pose like a … vow? Gales interpreted that as accepting the conditions.
The Iterator weakly lifted the pearl closer to the Scavenger, it retorting by lowering its free hand again in an attempt to grab it, before it stopped and looked her into her eyes. She clearly was able to read the unspoken question of it.
You haven’t stated your request.
Gales nodded as an answer and looked upwards, guiding the scavenger to follow her glance.
“I… need you to move me. Look at the connection of my umbilical to the wall. You will find a … ma-maint-maintenance b-button. Press it. The claw will open, and I will be disconnected. Don’t panic, I will only appear deceased. Carry… me. Down the hall past the damaged section. Place the claw against the rail. Press… press the b-but-button. I will return. And then, I will pay you the real reward… Take it.”
Gales could have sworn that the Scavenger grew a bit more skittish after she mentioned her ‘dying’ in the process. Luckily, however, she was not one of the usual Iterators. The Ancients built her on a set of countless rails to be able to interact more directly with her citizens and guests. They also added this functionality to maintain or relocate her in case the guide rail should break. A maintenance button her biological signature forbade her to press on her own accord. It took quite a bit of willpower even to mention that functionality. A taboo, woven into her very ability to speak.
The Scavenger finally nodded and, once again, showed her the gesture that could mean ‘vow’. It took her precious, suddenly oddly bright glowing, pearl and carefully fastened it to its bomb-belt. Then, it reached up.
The corridor was tall, tall for her. For the Scavenger, however, the ceiling hung low. Unable to stand up straight, would it even walk upright, it only took it a slight readjustment of its posture to get into the reach of her guide rail. She felt scraping fingers observing the connector, a shiver running through her body, alarm signatures popping up in her digital mind. Then, the oddly sensitive and warning feeling of the Scavenger having found the button, swirling around it.
What’s with the hol-?
Gales was not even able to process the last thought as her claw opened in response to the button, severing her from her suffering can. No warning, only instant darkness.
Only a few corridors away, Approaching Sky’s overseer suddenly startled, noticing the sudden … absence of the Iterator it was currently in. It immediately sent a distress signal to its Iterator, the Overseer's single eye nervously looking up. Then, it zipped back into the wall, wandering, to reappear right above the unspeakable situation unfolding itself, observing the events for its master.
[LIVE BROADCAST] – PRIVATE - [1694.512]
Approaching Sky, Far Whisper
FW: Approaching Sky! Do you have time?
FW: If not, MAKE TIME! Emergency!!!
AS: Salutations, Far Whisper. How may I help?
FW: … You haven’t noticed it yet!? Shifting Gales went silent!
FW: We discussed the acids in her system when she suddenly … broke off. Mid-communication.
FW: I fear the worst … >.<
AS: …
AS: That is very concerning. Wait, I will put you on the main screen.
Approaching Sky acted swiftly. Brushing aside the security record, which was currently observing the Slugcat he was in the process of purposing, he sized up the holographic screen featuring Whisper, giving her his full attention. A quick toggle of the visual presentation, and the textual overlay vanished, now showing Far Whisper’s concerned face, her glowing antennas flickering in distress.
“You do have an Overseer near Gales, don't you? You always do. Can you check on her, and make sure she is alright? Please tell me you do!”
Sky hovered together with the screen to a corner of his small physical realm, summoning the live feeds of all his many Overseers on the wall he was facing. The screen of Whisper frantically tilted and turned to catch a glimpse at the live reports, not finding any near Gales' Superstructure. Approaching Sky scratched his chin in thought, eventually pulling up one feed after dismissing every other screen, pulling it closer, so that Whisper and he could look at it.
“Afraid my closest Overseer is located in the railway tunnel on the way to Gales. I had to recall the rest of them for repairs, as none were impervious to the new acid rain situation. Calculating the speed of an Overseer, I can get an image in two cycles at its earliest. Frustrating.”
Whisper’s video feed fidgeted in panic, her frustrated glance hitting him in his very core. She was displeased … no. Anxious? Emotions were not his forte, and never have been. He felt an urge to change the subject, but was unsure if Whisper would interpret that as rude. So, he swallowed his pride and let her embrace those emotions.
The pink bug-like Iterator glanced at her friend’s senior, barely able to hold back her emotions.
“Why does this all happen, Sky!? Tell me! The last 100 cycles were a struggle party, barely bearable to me. Gales is so … frustrating to deal with when she doesn’t want us to worry about her. But I do worry, I worry greatly. I want to hold her and tell her everything will be ok. But … they won’t. Without contact, I can’t send her any blueprints to shield her memory array, to protect her heart. Sky…” She looked to the side, breaking eye contact. “She will turn out to be alright, will she?”
“I… we work on it. It pains me to say that, but we need help from your senior, from Five Lives Unbound. All we two can do is soothe her pain. Develop methods to weaken the acid, to shield her from danger. But I can’t see any logical way to undo the damage.” He sighed, his crooked antennas vibrating in dismay. “We need a definitive solution, something that neutralizes the threat paining my protégé.”
Whisper sniffled, but nodded at his words, agreeing with the fact that Lives will be necessary. The Superstructures of Far Whisper and Five Lives Unbound were, however, sadly, in a different perimeter of the landmass, forcing him to be the executive force for whatever they will be up to. Taking that into consideration, his current pressing request shouldn't be considered rude anymore.
“Speaking of. You are aware of the fact, that I am currently purposing a messenger in case the loss of contact with Gales could become of a permanent nature. She was, after all, experiencing smaller outages in the past cycles as well. Have you created what I urged you to prepare for that project?”
Sky was unable to estimate if Whisper felt offended by the sudden, yet meaningful, change of topic. Aggravated by him not showing much visual concern regarding Gales’ situation, maintaining his noble and calm stance at all times. He, however, felt his inner self screaming up in worry, as he overclocked his entire facility to work even more efficiently than it already did. Working tirelessly on countless issued commands, including the Slugcat that might become crucial in saving his friend.
The green iterator looked at his peer and narrowed his optical sensors, observing what she did in response to his question. The camera was abandoned, but he could see her zooming around in her quadratic room, preparing the package he required. Her labcoat-like cape fluttered inertly behind her, barely moving due to the antigravity they require to float around. Glowing chemical symbols got written in the sky, bundled together and pressed into a pearl Whisper was frantically inscribing. A few moments later, she returned to the screen, holding up said marble, now glowing in a pinkish hue.
“There, the serum you require. Also, all further experiments I conducted with Gales’ acid signature. They could prove to be useful when granting your messenger the necessary abilities to survive her state. Please, Sky. Promise me that we will succeed!”
“Estimating your emotional state, I will say yes. We will succeed… Realistically speaking, it all will depend on whether we find a definitive solution to Gales’ predicament. We will contact Lives the moment I can estimate the situation with the Overseer. Do you copy?”
“As charming as ever. Yes… ‘I copy’. I will perform further tests with the acid signature. It, after all, holds traces of the Void fluid element, which I have been researching for quite a while already. Maybe… I can brute force a neutralizer?… Wishful thinking. Whisper out. Greet the little messenger from me!”
With that said, the connection got cut on Whisper’s side, leaving Sky alone in his can. He tilted his green head at her last words, unsure how to fulfil that request.
Greet it? I … can order my caretaker bots to issue a few petting sessions, I guess. But, with the serum, I can finally spike its rations with the necessary RNA commands to rewrite its genomes to become immune. Enough of getting used to acidic food. It is time for the next phase.
Stop grabbing me, you vile handplants! I don’t like this! I… this feels… oddly good. Yesss, scratch that itch in my neck.
Don’t look at me like that, floating eye! I won’t falter to pleasantries.
…
The issued petting sessions quickly became the favourite time of the cycle for her. Finally, some additional care from her weird… parent? And, even her food tasted better this evening. Still green and sludge-like in texture, but with new flavours that made her tummy tingle. Someone finally learned how to use seasoning.
