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45. Second meeting with the Tree Goddess
🕑 Added 2023-06-12 15:52:59 +0000 UTCDay 229.
The last few nine days and the one before had been extremely productive with a total of nearly five hundred explosive arrows made, a fourth of which were done by him. Productive, maybe but not enough for Liam's comfort.
The collection of the extremely dense oil necessary for their fabrication was easy with the clan accord, even if Liam learned it wasn't so much of a problem to collect it, all was good as long as no harm was done to the Tree of Divergence.
The Na'vi weren't unfamiliar with using it as well for various rituals. Though he didn't divulge the formula as it was pointless since he could largely produce enough of it on his own and the Na'vi didn't possess the technical equipment and knowledge to begin with for them to be of any help.
The number of arrows wasn't his only worry, he had no viable answer for direct defense against artillery outside of using the environment and tricks.
He didn't hide the weapons the enemies would have, such as firearms, from sniper rifles, regular rifles, pistols, and shotguns of which all Na'vi except one were feeling from unease to fear but it only seemed to give them even more motivation to win.
They named them death sticks, you point it at something pressed the trigger, and what you pointed it at gained a new hole.
The exception was Mìruk who to put it mildly became utterly fascinated while Tutee realizes that the bang bang creatures that were around Liam's home could have killed them, and to know the Lost Child was in possession of such creatures was extremely reassuring.
The fact he knew this much earned questioning gaze from them, Akwey in particular, and as such he didn't hide he had an allied connection within the RDA but that they were weak within and could but give snippets of information.
This revelation went without a problem, his words being almost equal to that of the Tsahìk and Olo'eyktan as he was their Blood Brother and someone that time and time again proved to be trustworthy. It helped morale as well.
But even then that wasn't going to cut it for Liam, Overseer will see new future use as the programs didn't stay without updates or nasty surprises.
He didn't connect to the main and sub-systems of Hell's Gate for one reason, to stay hidden and lay low. Though he did some probing and asked questions to make sure it would somewhat work.
He was no hacker, never coded as a sous chef, and he wasn't all-knowing on that subject but still, one if not the most knowledgeable on Pandora on that subject. Either way, he knew enough to cause extensive damage.
And in the worst of worst-case scenarios having the possibility of shutting down the entire base was here, even if it will kill everyone from infants to random innocent workers, mercenaries, and even the two scientists he started to see as friends.
He wasn't one to do much in precision when it was to get rid of a threat when no other choice remained, the humans needed a perfectly controlled environment where each parameter could make the difference between life and death.
He absolutely didn't want to do this and greatly doubted he even could do it but having the option was a must.
Currently, Liam was alone, deep in the depth of the great plain.
Extending his armored left hand, a miniature crossbow appeared on the upper part, the metallic string drawing itself back that ended with a soft click when it was armed, right after reality bent and a metallic arrowhead appeared neatly within the crossbow. Attached to it was a cable that led to a coil that appeared within the closed palm of Liam.
A simple trick on how he could use his inventory, he had a small cylindrical area of which his implant was the center of around eight point ten centimeters (~3.2in) in radius and thirty-seven point ten centimeters (~14.6 in) in length.
In this designated area, except from inside him of his body and matter in a more or less solid state of being, he could summon what was inside his inventory. Their size and volume were not important as they didn't strictly follow what one might call regular physics.
The rest was simply practice, like a muscle, to gain better control and precision letting him do what he just did.
He snuffed a yawn out, his line of sight multiplied tenfold by his helmet he moved his left hand up. The sound of the string being snapped shut echoed as the bolt flew out, the cable enrolling itself between his index and middle finger as it followed it.
It planted itself deeply within a root above while three claws in the arrowhead snapped open, locking it where it was.
Tugging it with a bit of force several times to see if it held correctly Liam then entangled the cable to his left hand then put a foot behind and hunched slightly over letting gravity to the test as he fell, advancing toward a lower root.
Pressing a button on the side of the coil and the hook within the root above detached itself and the cable rapidly reeled itself back.
He repeated this process several times, rapidly going down until he was in front of a hole in the cave's wall, purple light emitting out of it. Right where he wanted to go.
He didn't get attacked by any creature as he got the scented petroleum from the Olangi, who knew he was down there but not exactly why.
Even with explosive arrows, an entire clan backing him up, allies within the RDA, and a trump card… He wanted, no he and the Na'vi needed more, to be certain a victory was assured and the loss of life on their side was as minimal as possible.
Entering he was met with the now all too familiar but still otherworldly sight of the Tree of Divergence, the sound of his footsteps echoed as he approached. His helmet unfolded revealing his face.
Woodsprites floated all around him and towards each of the entrances and exits, creating white barriers with their small and delicate floating body. The ever presence of something greater yet not in the air focused on him with a mix of curiosity and anticipation.
Liam's upper armor, from belly to head then unclasped itself, it was stored within his inventory. This revealed the form-fitting nylon-titanium chainmail suit underneath which was then unzipped and taken off cleanly without a hurdle making him bare-chested.
'That was oddly sexual… Whatever.', Liam thought amusedly as he walked toward one of the thickest intertwined roots right below the base of the tree.
It looked almost like an armchair, even if the term throne would be more apt but that thought was dashed aside as he sat on it and a small syringe filled with a translucent blue liquid appeared within his left palm, slinger's venom. Daisy's venom to be exact.
The quantity unknown to him was enough to permanently paralyze and potentially kill a grown elephant bull and would do the same to him if his nervous system couldn't purge foreign substances and regenerate itself with extreme effectiveness.
"Let's do it.", he mumbled, gazing up he saw hundreds of woodsprites dancing in the air, he sighed softly. His heart beat faster and stronger in trepidation as he felt five dozen thin furry tendrils growing out of the roots embracing his back.
He stabbed the needle right into the most prominent vein of the crook of his right arm, injecting the venom he felt nothing for the first few seconds as the foreign substance circled through his body then a burning sensation was felt all over his body for a good minutes.
Then the unpleasant sensation suddenly vanished as if the pain was but a foreign concept, he stored the syringe in his inventory.
The feeling over his right arm was the first to go as he closed his eyes, letting himself go he felt the brunt force of all the stress and exhaustion bottled up suddenly go as more of his rapidly numbing body got covered in a blanket of woodsprites and thin roots tendrils.
The last sensation was both numb and clear, his implant was covered by the thin roots in a cradling manner, in a way his entire exposed body was. It shouldn't be comfortable by all metrics yet he found it so.
And so he fell into a mix between a coma, a sleep, and a vegetative state due to a venom-induced vegetative state.
Liam's 'eyes' opened again to a different sight, an ever-shifting skin between a human and a transparent film letting him see blue and purple veins and nerves.
He unfolded his completely nude body from its fetal position, his mind crystal clear, and structured and all emotions muted to the extreme as he gazed around.
"Still as fascinating…", he mumbled, willing the hexagonal metal structure to float above his palm, his voice as deep as in the physical world but with an inhuman echo to it and echoes, he suddenly shifted himself up as he felt a familiar presence.
"Indeed, it is. It is a fact that will never change but you… Even more so, you are different not only in form but in nature and quality. Body and Mind and Soul can be dissociative in infinitely rare cases, and have unique qualities to them be they positive, negative, or neutral in effect. But even, you… You are different from the ephemeral beings that are my children and the children from worlds of far-distant stars. But that is not to hear our words about this subject that you have come down here Liam, correct?", the unnerving and enchanting voice of the All-Mother resonated from 'below' him, even if directions as a concept held little value in such a place.
Liam looked 'down' and saw the spirit form of the Tree of Divergence gazing 'up' at him.
Then the space suddenly shifted and both were in a face-to-face position, the dissension between futuristic living technology and an untampered primeval alien forest both pulsing at different rhythms and with distinct energy. All for both of them to see.
He noted the lack of 'little one', and wanted to learn more about what she was speaking of but she was right. He didn't come here to speak about Body, Mind, and Soul.
And by ephemeral being did she mean 'mortals'? To her scale of time, a one hundred thousand years old being will be as mortal as one who lives thirty minutes. In any case, this was a question for a less tumultuous time.
"Greeting Eywa, this is correct. I have come to request of you for your direct intervention in the incoming war.", he moved slightly forwards and said both firmly and calmly, perfectly aware of what his request entailed and how arrogant it was.
There was a long drawn-out silence before the fragment of the All-Mother spoke again, a thin, inhuman, smile forming over her elegant wooden feature.
"We do not intervene more than what is deemed necessary in those matters, the wars and conflicts of our children are not ours to solve as it impedes their growth and development. Too much death, each a life with dreams, regrets, purposes, and a part of us, all but vanished due to our past mistakes.", she said sadly, the several hundreds of tendrils that were her 'hair' flashing slightly brighter.
Liam frowned at that, it was what he had expected but he let her continue, not that he would have ever stopped her.
"We have chosen one of the dream walkers of the Sky People to be the one to ride the Last Shadow and lead the clans of my children through the incoming Time of Great Sorrow and bring peace. But that is for him to act upon this opportunity.", she added, this was important information.
Dream walkers were what the Na'vi called the Avatars' drivers, it was a he so from what he knew it was either Jake or Norm as even if there were other male drivers he seriously doubted Eywa chose someone else. It was an incredible relief to know this but again it didn't stop the individual in question from dying.
"It is not a simple conflict or war with the Na'vi, it is far, FAR greater. The nature of this war is alien in essence to any conflict the People ever faced and you have seen.", Liam paused before continuing to explain his point directly to the goddess, "Even with my help and a Toruk Makto of your choosing that will create a coalition of clans this will not be enough. This war as you have mistaken… Is not only theirs and mine, it is yours. Losing or having a truce is not an option."
"Losing will end in the total annihilation of the People against them, the enslavement of the others, my capture or death, and destruction of everything you have known, loved, and built. It is not a matter of feeling or wanting, it is a matter of survival for both of us and your children. While a truce is but a delay of the inevitable and will never happen without great, too great loss. A loss I cannot accept.", each word becomes ever so impactful on the All-Mother.
Distress could almost be felt, the cold and calculating kind as paradoxical as it was making it all the more impactful yet there was no begging.
He was direct, offensively so, speaking to her in a way none had before, like an equal speaking to another, and in a way this wouldn't be far from the truth.
He was free of fear in her presence, truthful, and respectful of his own words, those were one of the few reasons before many more he garnered her interest and more. To say he was the most fascinating existence she ever had the chance to be in contact with during the course of her VERY long life would be but the truth.
He spoke of what he believed was the truth, and it was more than a simple belief, it was reality and its potential consequences. The being in front of her was a realist that saw and knew a lot, too much for his mental health in fact as she could see.
She closed her pearly white glowing eyes before opening them again and gracefully and slowly approached toward the barrier between the two of them, gliding on the ever-shifting flora as she did so.
"We-", she froze, Liam's eyes widened to the extreme, the hexagonal particles around him orbiting faster and faster while the metal ring around him spun with such a velocity they appeared frozen in time as the 'world' trembled.
One of the tufts of 'hair' of the fragment of the All-Mother was suddenly violently ripped off with a fraction of her skull and shredded apart in a shower of crimson red blood and she screamed.
A scream that was inhuman, incomprehensible, twisted but yet Liam knew from his very being that no words were needed the emotions were clear to him in a way he couldn't have thought possible to the point he could feel them to a lesser degree.
And it was a cry full of anguish, pain, loss, despair, disappointment, sadness, regret, and… Fury. Cold and burning fury.
Comments
shadowlord0474
If I remember correctly
shadowlord0474
The hurt came from when they bulldoze the tree of voices right in order to get to the Unobtanium that they so desire to get
Spirit Stones
Nice, ty for chapter, more pls
