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Ixcaliber · 11-12-2023, 06:44 AM

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It took a full week to ship every remaining sinner to Inferno Beta. It would have been easier to slaughter them where they stood and then have their consciousness patterns transferred over to the newer shinier Hell, but Lucy wouldn’t allow any more killing to be done on her planet.

With the Godbot dead Inferno Alpha was no longer on the chopping block. The angels didn’t have programming for this eventuality, so they returned to Paradiso Alpha and chose to believe that the Godbot was down in the Empyrean, probably deep in prayer with his most beloved subject Vera Hawthorne.

The Sixth Circle had through the combined actions of M., Adelaide and Olivia (mostly Olivia) become a veritable garden of Eden, and, thanks to Lucy, Alice knew what that was now. She’d only been given the highlights and of course it was coloured by the Tsote cultural obsession with fate.

“In a way it must be nice.” Alice said. It was late one evening (though of course evening was an entirely artificial construct down in this circle, one that Lucy could activate or deactivate as she desired) and they were lying on one of the many small islands that dotted the Sixth.

She took a sip of apple juice and wished, not for the first time that they’d had the yeast available to make a cider instead. As it was Lucy’s careful nano-conversion of M.’s acid apples to something actual safe and palatable was a minor miracle, and Alice appreciated that, but she still wanted something a little stronger.

“Like don’t get me wrong I’m not about to turn around and say that this God fucker sounds good to be around or anything, but when it’s a person you know who to resent. When it’s just Fate its like… most of us on our homeworld can’t even consider the possibility of being mad at it. It’s like being mad at gravity. But if there was some kind of Gravity Man then you could be like ‘hey you bastard stop holding me to the ground so hard’ and its easier to conceptualize you know.”

“I guess.” Lucy replied. “But also it’s built into the mythology that they are always right. All powerful and omniscient and everything. What we did last week it just isn’t supposed to happen, and so the only way anybody is managing to deal with it is by pretending it didn’t happen. Inferno Beta is up and running and I just thank the rusting remains of the Godbot that I don’t have to be there supervising those perverts.”

“Do you think there’s another Lucy on Inferno Beta?” Alice asked. “They have to have some kind of system to run the place, maybe eventually it will get tired and this whole cycle starts all over again.” She thought about what she’d said and grimaced. “Ugh. There I go peddling cycles of fate. It’s so hard to unlearn what you’re taught as a child, you know.”

“I hear that that is true.” Lucy said.

Lucy and Alice lay together watching the fake sunset and enjoying the warmth of the other. Lucy had, after the prophesied battle against the Godbot had concluded, constructed herself a new body, nominally closer to human size (down from nine foot to seven foot). Partially biological. Blood red skin, ruby eyes, black hair cut short.

“Do you think she’s okay?” Alice asked. They both knew who she was talking about, but as ever Lucy didn’t have a good answer to give to her.

“I think I’ll keep you safe as long as you’re here.” She said.

—

The transition between rounds as perceived by Vera was about five minutes as Barrabas lectured them about their actions. However the same transition as perceived by Alice lasted fifteen days (the simulated days of Inferno Alpha were slightly longer than those of Alice’s homeworld, but they matched perfectly the planet the former inhabitants had originated on).

Alice had gotten the wedding she’d wanted, even as the world was seemingly ending and the forces of ‘good’ and ‘evil’ were battling for survival, all she’d wanted was some small indication that she wasn’t going to lose the only good thing in her life so far. She considered it particularly unfair that despite all her efforts, despite their legal bond, Adelaide was still gone.

She hoped her wife had been whisked off to the next round, but sometimes she’d remember the enormous wave of water rushing towards her and worry that perhaps she’d overestimated her ability to survive it. It became her mantra that Addy was alive, that she was out there somewhere and they would be reunited.

And to that end she kept Vera’s gun on her at all times (she’d hoped to get a more modern gun or at least more ammunition but despite their advanced technology all of the robots had fought only using their bodies and melee weapons, no firearms) and a simple dagger sheathed at her waist. She’d changed her clothing. Her rags had always been a bit rough and after days of helping Lucy clear out the corpses of the finally dead sinners they had become untenable. She wasn’t quite comfortable in the gold and white suit that had formerly belonged to Grand High Pope Honorope, but it had been the best option given her choices.

The big change was on day thirteen she finally convinced Lucy to carry out a minor nano surgery to allow her to breathe underwater. This one was essential. If she did see Addy again she wanted to be able to meet her on her terms, not this awkward burden to be dragged from one place to another.

On day fifteen she was picking through some of the remains of imp robots in the service corridors of the Fifth Circle when she suddenly heard a distant rattling noise. Well actually she’d been hearing it for a little bit but it was partially drowned out by the sound of sifting through robot parts, it was only as it got louder and closer that she finally became cognizant of it.

She glanced up, off in the distance a little ways down the featureless corridors was a lumbering grey shape that jangled as it shuffled awkwardly forward. Alice peered at it dumbstruck for a moment. There shouldn’t be anyone left on Inferno Alpha apart from her and Lucy, and least of all some living heap of… chains?

“What the fuck?” Alice asked automatically.

At the sound of her voice the thing, whatever it was, seemed to perk up. It shifted its body in her direction and starting moving, flowing along the ground, more quickly than it had before. The sound of the chains rattling against one another and slapping against the metal floor was cacophonous.

Alice though frozen for a second, was quickly startled into action. She leapt up to her feet and hurried down the corridors, not exactly sure where she was going. “Lucy!” she bellowed. “Lucy could use a hand over here!”

As she ran she risked a glance over her shoulder. It was still there, gaining on her and extending from its central mass multiple long chains reaching for her.

“Fuck! Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck!” And then she was in an entirely different drab metal corridor.

Alice didn’t really notice the difference at first. To be fair she was running and panicking and even at the best of times one metal corridor looks like any other metal corridor. She only started to slow down when she glanced behind her and could no longer see the chain monster thing. And then she collided with someone hard enough that they both fell to the ground.

“Fucking ouch.” she said pushing herself up to her feet. “Watch where you’re going would you?” It was only once she was on her feet and looking at the person (a human, probably male if she had to guess, in a grey jumpsuit), that she realized. “I’m not in Hell anymore!” It was an exclamation. “Have you seen a, well she’s not a mermaid she’s very clear on that point. She lives in the water and she is beautiful though.”

The man (?) she’d run into was backing away from her, a very concerned look on their face. “Identify yourself.” He (?) said. “If you are seeking to claim asylum from the Coleoid Regime you’ll need to be forthcoming and cooperative.”

“Okay so you’re not going to be any fucking help.” Alice rolled her eyes. “Can you at least point me in the direction of the nearest large body of water?” The man (?) just looked at her like she was insane, and eventually she shrugged and turned to walk off. “Fucking useless. I’ll find her myself.”

She hadn’t moved more than a couple of steps before Security Officer Ted Newton had pulled his taser, aimed and fired. As the electricity flowed through her body she dimly tried to call the man a fucking bastard, but no words came out.

—

“O damned battlefield soon overgrown,
The host of the beast and the empyrean throne.
But nothing can stand ‘gainst the invincible lord,
Leskrin and human their pleas are ignored.
The devil and angel likewise marionette,
A theatre pre-written for an actor’s regret.
But nature’s cruel bounty can humble a king,
Foul tide of the wretched, disruption will bring.
Meek lord of the river, flowing anew,
A giant is felled, a fated outcome eschewed.”

Vera strolled down the empty corridors of the research station. She had quickly discovered she didn’t have the first idea how to drive a submarine and lacking any real means to learn how she’d decided to go and look for the others. Once she had collected everyone together, then she’d learn how to pilot the submarine. Not an admission of failure, just delaying a task till it was an appropriate time to really try.

Since setting off from the submarine bay the only person she’d bumped into was Poran. He’d greeted her warmly, like she was well maybe not a friend, but an acquaintance you were looking forward to getting to know better, and certainly not a like bitter enemy in a battle to the death. It was sort of jarring for her. Yes it sort of mirrored how she was feeling at the moment but she’d expected a tougher time convincing the others that she didn’t want to defeat them in honourable combat.

When she’d told him about her intention to get all the contestants onto the submarine and escape not just the doomed base but the battle entirely, he’d been thrilled to come along with her. “I thought that you would be one of the good ones.” Poran had confided in her. “Together we’re going to defy fate again and rescue all of the good people of this… Deep Sea Research Station Darwin.” At the last part she suspected he was reading off a note he’d written down when the round had started.

She hadn’t known quite how to suggest that she didn’t intend to fight the fate of this place, that she’d be perfectly happy to let anyone whose fate was to die here do so. So instead she’d asked about what he meant about fighting fate again, and had been told all about the battle between Lucy and the Godbot, culminating in the verse that he had written in honour of the event.

Poran had left out all of the stuff about Adelaide and Alice’s wedding. Trying to include it only prompted more questions than he had information to answer, and made the whole thing sound messy and unfinished.

“What about you Madame Vera?” Poran asked. “You seem like a fine adventurous kind of lady I’m sure you must have your own tales of daring deeds.”

“Well, not recently I must admit.” Vera said. “I thought that was what it was going to be like when I first got taken here. Honourable duels against noble foes. The closest that I’ve had to that was the dragon in back in the animal people town, and even then I got the impression that it wasn’t really giving it its all.”

“In your homeworld though?” Poran asked.

“Oh certainly.” Vera grinned widely. “One time my best friend Becky and I duelled to see who might claim possession of a one of a kind limited edition Enyo of Seven replica greatsword.” Even as she said the words she felt the enthusiasm leaving her. No come on, she must have some good stories to tell. “Or um what about when Stephanie and Zanjira duelled each other to see who would have the pleasure of asking me to prom? That’s a good story.”

“Oh I’ve no doubt it is Madame Vera.” Poran hesitated.

“But?”

“But, I thought you were more of an accomplished hero.” Poran said. “It is no matter. I’m sure that together we can perform some heroic feats worthy of song.”

“I have a heroic fate but… well… Deste isn’t the kind of world where you where there isn’t much call for the kind of heroes you read about in books. There’s no monsters to fight or maidens to save. Sometimes fate selects two tsote to be fated enemies, to have a glorious conflict. That was my fate, but until that day comes well there wasn’t really much in the way of glory to be had.”

“Your fated enemy?” Poran asked. “That would be the spirited young lady with the blue hair and the mouth like a sailor right?”

“Yeah sounds about right.” Vera said. “Adelaide said her name was Alice.”

“Oh that’s delightful.” Poran said. “You and she; fated enemies, destined to battle one another to the death and yet you reject your fates to work together to save all the people of this station.” He started making notes in his notebook, quickly scribbling and then equally quickly crossing parts out and rewriting them. “And so of course with good deeds and selfless acts we teach the Unborn to value the lives of others and be a force for good in the world.”

“The Unborn?” It took her a moment before she realized what he was talking about. Being in the presence of that thing, within its immense and foul fate it is difficult to parse what the old man was saying. The first couple of times it was all she could do to stay conscious in the presence of that overwhelming fate, and then the most recent time she had acclimatized some but she’d been resolved to measure the fates of her competitors to sate her own nagging doubts about the true reach of fate.

Circumstances had come together to occlude the point of this entire thing from her and she’d never thought to enquire. Her own preoccupation with fate had filled in any of the blanks she might have had.

But once again circumstance got in the way of any contemplation, and before them stood a man in a grey jumpsuit. He was muttering something to himself and when he saw the tsote and the leskrin perched on her head scribbling away in his notebook he seemed to go through a wide array of emotions, starting with guilt but ending with suspicion.

“Hah! Who do you think you’re going to fool with that?” He asked. “All wrong. Skin, hands, feet, eyes, hair. Absolute disaster.”

“What are you talking about?” Vera asked, and the man’s expression didn’t so much change as intensify.

“Good sir. We’re here to warn you about impending danger to your research station, and to help organize an evacuation to get everyone to safety.” Poran said chipperly. “Isn’t that right Madame Vera?”

This guy, whoever he was, was due to be dead in a matter of hours, dead in an explosion. Most likely as a result of whatever terrible fate was in the process of befalling this station. Promising to rescue him when she knew it was impossible would be downright cruel. But on the other hand maybe Poran wouldn’t be so cooperative if she so rigidly stood by fate.

She could pretend, for now, that there was any hope of saving this man and the rest of his coworkers, obviously doing so wouldn’t change the inevitable outcome. And while yes it would give him a false hope at least it might help save those who could and would and had to be saved. It was justifiable. She didn’t like doing it but it was justifiable.

“That’s right. If you’d like to come with us we can help round up the rest of your crew and get you all to safety.”

The man took a long moment to respond, during which he stood and fidgeted quite overtly. “Is it just you two?” He asked.

“Oh at the moment yes.” Poran replied. “But when we find the others I’m surely they will all be happy to help.”

A gleaming in the man’s eyes. “In that case I’m ecstatic to work with you all. That is so long as you tell me all about yourselves and your friends. I like making new friends and learning all about them.”

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