A Weapon’s Serenade

“What was that?” Focalor looked at Nemesis and Baal, who were helping her dig through the massive amounts of documentation about what technology the angels had given the FBC and all the various FBC files the library had provided her.

“I felt it too.” Baal looked visibly concerned.

“I did as well but my sensors show nothing.” Nemesis stood up. “I will take a look from the observation dome. One moment.” She vanished.

Mere seconds later, Nemesis returned. “We need an inquisitor. Now.”

Famine had joined the crew of the Nemesis in the observation dome. “No. This is beyond our means. We let this guardian pass wherever and whenever it pleases and hope it does not interfere.”

Focalor looked incredulous. “What do you mean? We can’t just let something like this sit right beside a portal to Hell.”

Nemesis piped up. “If it were our foe, I estimate that only Jolene and the high inquisitor are capable of dispatching it without significant cost. We do not know the consequences of felling or even just injuring a guardian.”

Baal held up a finger. “I am going to be the uneducated twat who has to ask. What is a guardian exactly? Besides being a massive deep-sea monster.”

Focalor sighed. “I suppose your people never ran into them. Guardians are magically powerful entities that roam this world and apparently protect it. Sometimes at least. We don’t know what they do or why. We don’t know why they exist, if they are natural things or were made by someone. Whenever we met one, we tried to communicate, they never answered. They just arrive, do something and leave again.”

“And they turn my stomach…”

“They do that for us all. It’s the weight they put on reality.”

“But that doesn’t make sense, does it? Neither Jolene nor your high inquisitor cause this feeling and they are the most powerful entities in any world.”

“Well… They are both not really in the world. They don’t exert weight on reality in the same way. Same with the avatar of finality and beings like her, they are part of the fabric of reality, they are not things leaning onto reality, they bend it from within the weave. The guardians are more like us, beings that exist upon reality and exert force on it. Just that they exert a lot more force passively. It passed by before you arrived and just left rather quickly. I think it returned because of the humans.”

“That is worrying, but it certainly explains things, thank you. Even if we just let this guardian be, the humans can see it too, right?”

Focalor slowly turned to look at Nemesis. “What is the Corpus Christi doing?”

Nemesis seemed to think for a moment. “Nothing, currently, but there is rapid movement aboard it. It is safe to assume that they will do something soon. The admiral’s fleet is readying their weapons and aircraft.”

“Get me a connection with the admiral.”

“One second. Okay, communications are active.”

“Admiral Douglas, this is executor Focalor. Respond.”

It took a few moments for the admiral to comply. “This is Douglas, what is the meaning of this?”

“I need to politely but firmly ask you to stand down your weapons. I assume you have detected the massive entity moving in the depths?”

“We have and we will not tolerate it. We cannot allow you to bring in weapons without our permission. So, we will take any action necessary to remove your new arrival.”

“This isn’t one of ours, admiral. We have no control of it. This is a native creature capable of destroying all of us here. Please, I beg you, stand down.”

“Please confirm, did you just say that it can destroy you as well?”

“Yes, it is dangerous to us all.”

There was a pause. “We will deactivate our weapons, but we will stand by to respond immediately in case this entity or you decide to act against us. Douglas out.”

“That’s one problem postponed. Can you create a projection of me on the command deck of the Corpus Christi?”

Nemesis nodded. “Easy enough. Shall I do so now?”

“Yes, please.”

“Projection established, I will project captain Pierce as well, so you can see his responses.”

A transparent image of Pierce appeared before the group.

“Captain Pierce, I am sure you have noticed the massive entity that decided to plant itself right in front of our portal?”

“Executor.” Pierce didn’t look amused. “What is that thing?”

“None of ours. We call it a guardian, a native of this world with immense magical powers. We cannot communicate with it, we do not know what it wants, we only know that it is dangerous. Admiral Douglas already agreed to stand down. I hope you follow suit. We will also not take action. The guardians are as much of a threat to us as they are to you.”

“Your weapons cannot harm it?”

“Unlikely. Not that we are willing to try.”

“I believe you. We will not attempt to… do anything against this guardian. Whatever that is. I cannot promise that we will not defend ourselves in case it does something against us. With luck, it cannot penetrate our stealth field and doesn’t know we are here.”

“If you are lucky, yes. We don’t know if it will let the sirens pass or if the sirens even want to attempt passage with it here. We also don’t know if it will pass into Hell on its own. Either way, even if we found a way to stop it or kill it, we don’t know what the consequences are. Beings of this magical magnitude tend to exist for a reason and removing them might cause, well, lets just call it issues.”

Pierce frowned. “For now, I believe you. I don’t think you would act this way if this was a ploy. If it is, we are equipped with nuclear weapons and will blow the guardian and your portal and whatever else is nearby to high heavens.”

“Including yourself.”

“If that becomes necessary.”

“Pierce, you will not be a martyr if there is no one to remember you. Your sacrifice will be for nothing.”

“You underestimate how far we are willing to go, executor. Revealing you and the damage things like you do to this world will finally convince everyone. Only a human world is a safe world.”

“I recommend not forcing this issue, captain Pierce.”

“We are patient.”

“As are we. Focalor out.” She gestured for Nemesis to end the projection.

“Executor, I feel the need to remind you and Baal that the portal and this observation dome are protected by emergency shielding. A nuclear blast will not damage it.” Nemesis stepped towards the window, looking at the strange ginormous fish-like guardian outside. “I cannot predict the effects of an explosion of that magnitude on the guardian.”

“I think the radiation might be more of a problem for us. Famine?”

Famine had been quietly observing the guardian outside. “It will know that we tried to protect it even if we fail. I cannot explain this assumption.”

“Okay, fair enough. Do you think it also knows what we are trying to do here?”

“Yes. That should be why it left last time it was here.”

“Hm… we need certainty for something. Even if our Nightmares can’t communicate with it, Jolene and Ara should be able to.”

“I will seek them out. I will also discuss this matter with the high inquisitor. You will warn the sirens about the guardian and question them on their knowledge.”

“Understood.”

Famine simply returned a nod and teleported away.

Baal spoke up. “It may not matter in this moment, but do you know how many guardians there are?”

Focalor shook her head. “We know of at least four. There are likely more.”

“There is much knowledge I am not privy to, so I will make an inquiry with our archives if we have anything on them.”

“I should contact the librarians again as well.”

“One thing that make me wonder about their nature is the inability of your Nightmares to contact them telepathically. I cannot even perceive it as a living being.”

“I can’t either.”

“It is marvellous in a way. If it is a construct, who would be capable of creating such an intricate thing?”

“We thought them to be of fae origin, but we were at least able to disprove that.”

“I suppose such an assumption makes sense before the fae contacted you. I was surprised to learn that they are not as powerful as we assumed.” Baal put a hand on the glass. “But what if…” He pulled his hand back. “I apologize, I am overstepping. Do not mind me.”

“You are thinking something and over the past weeks I have learned that your thoughts can quite valuable.”

“Simple musings, nothing more.”

“Baal.”

“Our intelligence assets have reported that your high inquisitor is aboard the other new chariot. She is looking for something in this world. Some form of prison predating the fae. I assume these reports are accurate but incomplete.”

“I can confirm that much, yes.”

“A prison is rarely left alone. You said these guardians appear to protect something. What if this prison is reliant on the integrity of this world, not the living beings on it but the planet itself. What if these guardians are here to make sure no one breaks out in case something happens to this world, like, let’s say… a meteor wiping out the dinosaurs, potentially also causing major geological issues. They might be guarding this prison and in doing so guarding us from whatever is inside. Anyway, simple musings, as I said. I have no proof or reasoning for any of this.”

Focalor took time to think. “Nemesis, contact Umbria, she will need to take charge here for a while. I need to head to the library myself. Baal, you will remain here for the time being, but I might send you a note to meet me at the library. Call it paranoia, but I have a very bad feeling that you might be a right.”

“I understand. Also… executor… I hope to be wrong.”

“I hope so too.”

Nemesis tilted her head slightly. “I have sent Umbria a note. I expect her to respond shortly. Right now, admiral Douglas has contacted us. Professor Broysc demands a meeting.”

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