Great Machine
It was quiet and peaceful for weeks. Even with the girl scouring the land around with her wraiths, as she patrolled, looking for any interlopers. It made her suspicious, and she consulted with the Iron Lords. They were carving a path through Old Russia.
Lord Saladin answered. He was a serious, no-nonsense kind of man. "What is it?" he asked.
"Fewer Warlord sightings," the girl said.
"They're consolidating," Lord Saladin said. Every word he spoke was a growl. "Be on the lookout. Don't let down your guard."
"I won't," the girl said.
"I've been told to tell you 'good luck' so I will," said Lord Saladin. "But luck won't save you. Be better than them."
The girl laughed. "Good luck to you and yours," she said. "And may your Light and skill in combat serve you well."
Saladin gave a grunt of assent, then disconnected.
"Be better than them," the girl's ghost said in a tinny, synthesized growl. "Luck won't save you."
The girl checked to make sure they were disconnected before chuckling. She forced her face into a momentary scowl. "Don't let down your guard. He is right, but."
"But," her ghost chimed in.
"He sounds like he's glowering at the microphone," the girl said.
"Iron Lords, ready yourselves for battle," her ghost said, her fins spinning outward. "We march on the enemy."
"Ah well," the girl said. "I guess we can get pretty grim at times here too."
"True, true," her ghost said, but rolled her single blue eye. "Oh. You didn't hear it from me, but I think Missy and Dean are going to head down to the City with the next run."
"What?" the girl asked, standing, scrambling for her equipment. "But there's so much to do. Why?"
"They wanted to go check it out, and they said they'd return. Just a week or so," said her ghost.
"What if the Warlords really are consolidating?" the girl said, tugging on her breastplate. "We can't just split up like this. Not right now."
"You could talk to them, but I think their minds are made up," her ghost said. "There won't ever be a safe time. Not really. Besides, a lot of Warlords probably did die with the SIVA spire. I think we should be worried about Devils in the area. If they are forming alliances, well, maybe they'll all kill each other and save us the trouble."
"Ha," the girl said, but slowed her pace, strapping her buckler to her arm in steadier, less frantic movements. "Yeah. Still don't like it."
"You're kind of our Saladin, aren't you?" the girl's ghost said. "Very serious."
"Ha!" the girl said. "I'm not. Right?"
Her ghost decompiled.
The girl shook her head, rolled her eyes, and continued to equip herself as she went out.
She redoubled her patrols, but the friendly Fallen were the only ones even remotely nearby. She tried to ask Ixis if they'd seen anything in her broken Fallen speech, but they hadn't.
It was an odd balance of fear. Fear of being too lax, and fear of being too paranoid. It paid to be paranoid, but she didn't want to be jumping at shadows and making herself a liability if a real threat came.
"Don't fuck it up," Missy said, before she got into the dropship with Dean.
"I want recordings," said the girl.
"What food do they have," Mynah said. "You better come back with recipes. Recipes and samples. Or entire meals. I wouldn't complain. Souvenirs are non-negotiable."
The girl elbowed her. "Stay safe," she said. Mynah rubbed her ribs in exaggerated pain. The girl ignored her.
"We will," said Dean. "I just want to see it with my own eyes. We'll be back. I'll ask around and see if anyone knows what's going on here. Might be able to get a handle on the situation, or expand our reach some more."
Stalker watched, but didn't say anything, standing silently by the girl's side.
The jumpship took off, flying south, and the girl watched as the ship grew distant, until she couldn't follow it even with her scope.
She settled in for a long week.
Nothing. She scouted further and further out, and Stalker pointed out a caravan of people.
The girl hailed them.
They had weapons bristling as they made defensive lines. They were used to ambush and attacks.
"We're peaceful," the girl called out. "Just from a settlement. You heading to the City?"
A woman stepped out from their ranks. "Pilgrim Guard," she said. "We're heading to the City. You looking to join, or you here to delay us?"
The girl held up her hands. "No. We're just looking for Warlords," she said. "They haven't been around this area for a while, and we're just checking, trying to keep this place safe."
"Ah," said the woman. "No, nothing around here. Some Fallen, but not much else. Anything else? We've got a schedule to keep. Miles to go before we sleep and all."
"Nothing else," the girl said, shaking her head. "Thanks. If you have any transmitters or amplifiers, I can give you our signal. If you run into any trouble, we can come help."
"We'll keep it in mind," said the woman. "Hey, you don't by any chance know a Melanie?"
"I do," the girl said.
"Some of her crew have been talking about you," said the woman. "Nothing bad, just thought you should know."
"Thanks," the girl said. She wasn't quite sure how else to respond, glancing over at Stalker, who shrugged.
"G'luck to you," said the woman with a wave, and the caravan of refugees and risen began to move on again.
The girl waved back, and she and Stalker headed back to the settlements. She continued her vigil, but nothing more came of it. The week passed quickly, mostly because she kept herself busy. She went out to meet with the Fallen each day, speaking with Ixis for at least an hour before proceeding with other duties.
There was always plenty to do.
Dean and Missy came off the jumpship. Dean looked reflective, and Missy looked awed. They met inside the Ranger headquarters, and Dean showed footage.
The City was a ramshackle tent city. Plots of land were being seeded. Walls of stone and risen stood at the edges of it, protecting the civilians with rifles, alongside a militia. The Traveler hung overhead, a white orb in the sky. Its presence seemed unnatural but also fitting at the same time, easing the spirit, a silent protector.
The girl asked for the recordings. It was beautiful in a way she couldn't describe, although she kept making the attempt. It was raw, filled with hope and possibility. Even if it fell apart, people had committed to a singular purpose of coming together and showing it was possible.
And even though she had never seen the Traveler in person, now, she wanted to. Was the City home?
Probably not. It didn't feel like it, although perhaps it might eventually. If she worked at it and built at it in the way many of the people in the background were doing, and as Dean and Missy were doing in some parts of the video.
"How long will it take to build this City?" she murmured to herself. "Decades? Centuries?"
"We could be around to watch it happen," her ghost said. "Take part in it right under the Traveler."
"We could," the girl said, turning away from the image. "But we have a responsibility to the people here. They rely on our protection. Once we can ensure their safety, then we can let go."
Her ghost went up and down on her shoulder, simulating a pat. "We'll do what we can. Someday."
Ixis responded poorly to the images of the Traveler, saying a few syllables with eyes screwed shut. "Left meliksni," Ixis finally said. "Still-anger no help."
"Meliksni?" the girl asked.
"Eliksni," Ixis said, then gestured back toward the camp. "Iriksis, Ixis, meliksni."
"Meliksni is a plural?" the girl said.
"Eia. Yes. Not-Eliksni-Roze," said Ixis. "Ixis Eliksni."
"Eliksni," the girl turned the word over in her mouth. Referring to themselves. "Rose human."
"Humman," said Ixis, ducking their head in thanks. "Human."
"Eliksni say big? Good-machine?" said Ixis, gesturing at the holographic projection of the Traveler. "Large."
"Great?" the girl asked.
"Great Machine," said Ixis. "Left Eliksni. Here-come."
"Left?" the girl asked.
Ixis made a pantomime, skittering away on all fours for a moment. Their lower arms were growing in, the girl noticed.
"Ran away," the girl said.
"Ran-away," Ixis said. "Many died."
"Something terrible happened, many died, and the Great Machine left you," the girl said.
"Here-not," Ixis said.
"It didn't leave us here," the girl said. "Why?"
Ixis raised their hands up in supplication, a gesture the girl had interpreted as a shrug of sorts.
"Thank you for telling me," the girl said.
Ixis bowed.
The girl bowed back. She had a great deal to think upon.
