Staring out from the main window of Head office, you can get a feel for the awesome, from here you can see the stormclouds gathering over the cannibal sectors, and you can see the glow from the morituri stadium as the latest victim steps up to the plate.
“This is third eye reporting on Salvation day, and on this day, we’ve been given a unique opportunity to speak to the man who’s been behind it since day one”
We pan the camera across to Mr Slayer, sitting at his desk overlooking the empire, I’ve been reporting for over thirty years, and I’ve never encountered a being like this, it’s not his appearance, lord knows, I’ve seen scarier looking things than him, it’s the eyes. He doesn’t look _at_ you, he looks _through_ you, you know that to him, you might as well be a figment of his imagination.
My train of thought gets derailed suddenly, he _is_ looking at me……..
Must get a thought, must start the interview, how to start……….can’t go with “So, how about that nose…………….”
“Good afternoon” he intones, the sound deep and majestic, like the rolling oceans far to the north, and for a second, it seems that that’s all that needs to be said. This lasts for a half second before he shifts his field of vision to the camera. “You’re all wondering why I’ve decided to speak out on this occasion” Again, it seems like all he’s doing is writing down laws for the world to live by.
He smiles, a more horrific visage can I not imagine, It’s not like what you see on the TV, you have to be there for the real effect, he looks back at me, then out of the window, rising up from his seat. I scramble to get out of the way as the camera tracks him across the room.
I stand behind the camera and look at the image, there’s a clear shot of his head, framed by the lightning from the storm above, and he turns back to the camera.
“I had a dream, that one day, there would be no fear, no pain, nothing but order in the world, and that all those who came to this world would know that there was a place in the world for them.” He pauses for a second, and when he speaks again, there is almost a tangible sadness in his voice, a terrible, painful emptiness where once hearts had sung.
“Of course, there was always the problem that other people did not share the dream, that they would try and ruin all the good things that I had prepared” he turns his back to the camera and raises one hand casually pointing at the remains of salvation tower. “I named it salvation because that was what it was to be, I put all my skill and knowledge into it, and I believed that it would be all those things to those who lived there.”
He turns back, and for a heartbeat, I thought I saw a faint glistening at the corner of his eye.
“But there were those who wanted to ruin it all”
His voice deepens, covering the slight catch in his speech.
“All the secrets that I kept secure, my enemies hunted them down and gave them to others who were my enemies, and before I could stop it, all those who would do me wrong had the means to do so”
He pauses again, and a sense of grandeur emanates from him like a beacon, faintly in the background is the sound of a chorus, like angels looking down on us. I look around for the source of it, and though I can’t see it, I know that I’m not imagining things. He spreads his arms wide, under his left arm is the ruin of salvation tower, under his right is the gleaming morituri stadium.
“What was undone” he intones, closing his left fist, “Can be remade” his right hand flourishes, taking in all the glory of uptown.
“And though my enemies still stand against me, I have those who are loyal to me, I have those who will stand at my side, and I know that those who stand against me cannot say the same.” He lowers his hands to his side, lowering his head as he does so, standing like that for a moment, and for a moment, the weight of time can be felt in the room, theirs is nothing like eternity, this man knows, he’s been there.
He looks up from beneath his eyebrows, the force of will makes me step back with its intensity
“And so I say to you, my people, do not give up hope in the future, never doubt what my plans are, for there are plans, and plans within plans, and even if none of you ever understand where it’s going, be assured, that it is going somewhere” He turns his back to the camera and spreads his arms again, his hands outstretched like claws “I made this world from the ashes of a thousand worlds, I gave people all they needed, all the things that you see every day, I built those, and never once have I asked for anything in return.” He lowers his arms, pointing out at salvation tower “Until now……………”
“This was the past, and I understand now, that history will repeat itself if I do not ask for help.” He switches hands, pointing over at Central “this is the future, but it will only be so if you all help me, I will build a new tower, a new world, where all creatures may shelter under my protection, and no one will want for anything.”
He turns back and smiles again “and all I ask in return is that all of you place one block in mynew world” he dips his head, almost bowing to the camera, and I know that the interview is terminated.
On the way down, I reflect on what he said, he mentioned the people helping, and thinking about that, I think I understand, he’s just one man, no matter how powerful, no matter how strong, he’s just one man. He built all of this by himself, he kept it alive, he defended it against all comers, and now he asks for just one block from each of us.
How can we refuse?
In other words, thanks for the effort Tim, right behind you :)
Dodd
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Jared Earle's response:
Nikita Oblong pauses, taking refuge from the sweltering heat. Reality bends as she reaches into her bag for a drink. She finds a glass bottle with a yellowed label, beads of cold water dripping from the frosted glass.
"Hmm... I definitely didn't put that in here" she muses to herself, knowing better than questioning the rare, yet not unknown tears in the fabric. She opens it, raises the bottle and grabs a slip of card that brushes by her leg for a coaster, smiling at the image of the man who gave his all and was found wanting. A veneer of civilisation in an uncivilised world. She pauses to read the scrawled note and sighs to herself. "Ok, this one's for The Dodd, wherever he is."
Comments to Jared
My response: Chicks with Bricks and Blocks Come
One small man sits in the corner of the pub, the clientele unusually quiet and focused on the image on the tv. As the cat eyed individual drops his head they turn back to each other.
"So as I was saying, where can we find this gang..."He sighs and finishes his drink, leaving a moderate tip for the harassed looking waitress. As the heads for the door he reflects that it is always the way, a few people will hear and respond, even though the multitude will never hear the depth of the message. Those few people will inspire more, and built one on another, it will be enough.
She joins him as he walks through the rain, humming a tune that only they, and those like them, would recognize. Eventually her musical taunting forces a response.
"I actually I was never that fond of that album, to depressing. And it all gets destroyed at the end."
"I though it was kind of appropriate given the little pep talk your boss just gave. Bricks in the wall and all that."
He stops, turning towards her. "He was just saying we all have our parts to play." He smiles."Even you."
She turns to stare at him, surprised by his assertion. Their eyes meet. For a second she is caught there in his gaze, unable to look away. She is aware that the silence is stretching, but he seems content to let his comment hang in the air. Eventually she forces out a sound "that seems some what unlikely" but her voice falters.
"It is through the actions of my enemies that I become stronger." He quotes.
"Very biblical." She responds, gathering her strength again. and turning to walk on.
He walks beside her. "Concept is valid regardless of source. If it wasn't for your interference he would never that have excuse for such preaching. And people would not listen to his words even if he did. You see, whilst you are celebrating your minor victories we are winning the war."
"Or so you would like to think." She retaliates. "His 'salvation' is still little more than a pile of broke bricks."
"Is that what you see?" He looks confused. "Strange. I would have though his words made it clear enough. This is not about bricks and mortar. It's so much more than that."
She holds out her had to the falling water. "I wouldn't be too quick to dismiss us so lightly. Our 'little victories' are still having an effect."
"Ahhh.." His voice takes on a musical tone. "Here comes the rain again, falling on my head like a memory, falling on my head like a new emotion." He smiles at her, letting emotion come through into his words. "I want to walk in the open wind, I want to talk like lovers do. Want to dive into your ocean , is it really with you? "He loops his arm through hers as they walk side by side. "So baby talk to me, like lovers do. Walk with me, like lovers do. Talk to me, like lovers do."
She gulps. "Please don't." Removing her arm from his loose grip.
His hand swings out almost casually to tap the support beam next to him, "Seems solid enough." he shrugs.
She looks confused briefly and then realize they were thinking about completely different things. "Actually.." then she catches herself before she reveals to much.
He carries on, oblivious of her state. "One day it was, may be, but no more. You are forgetting there are people here, people who care, who matter. This creation has a life of its own. It has a direction and a force. It will take more than the likes of you and me to stop this now." he smiles and lowers his voice. "You know, some days I suspect even if old no nose himself stood up and tried to stop it, it would just run him over. But then, it is the nature of humanity to slaughter their gods. "
She swallows. Not sure how to react to the heresy he has just uttered. "Though I doubt it will ever come to that." He declares. "However, I'm certain that one day you and me will no longer be needed. The people here will be shaping and building the world for themselves, without the interference of likes of us."
"Do you really believe that?"
"Listen. He's already asking them to do it."
"It's not real." She asserts. "They are just being asked to maintain and fabricate the lie.
"How real does it need to be." He taps the wall next to them. "People live here, they are born here and they die here. We eat, we sleep, we love and cry here. Cut us do we not bleed?"
"But it's a lie."
"If this is a lie, what's the truth?"
"The truth is your saviour, Mr Slayer, is a betrayer." She warns.
"Can't you see I don't care about what went before. Its irrelevent. You are fighting a war that finished long ago. This place exists now. "
"But it's the wrong place. It shouldn't exist."
His face turns dark at her declaration. "Go home. Warn him that the lines are being redrawn. In the end its all YOU can actually do."
He turns and briskly heads off down the street, leaving her standing in the rain.
