The Aether

3000 TC

A cacophony of explosions rocked the surrounding area. Beams whizzed all around me as two armies clashed. I could hear the war cries of the warriors. Oversized dung beetles pushed giant balls of what I could only presume was dung. I stood in the middle of the fray, the objective of both sides. Ironically, I managed to unite a divided planet. Just not in the way I intended. But, here I am getting ahead of myself again. Let me start back at a time where things were a little simpler, when I didn't even know what was about to become one of the hardest decisions I would ever have to make.

Several months earlier I wandered the cosmos with Yrh'danyr looking for a place that I could find solace. I was no longer welcome at Atlanta's Rest. I couldn't stay in Eh'zanko. I couldn't live in Ashe'gard. I didn't want to stay in the ruins of Haddock. I was effectively homeless.

The void welcomed me.

Yrh'danyr and I drifted through space on a small vessel she acquired that only needed one pilot but, could hold a small task force. She ironically called it a present for me, saying it wouldn't be wise for me to teleport everywhere.

As she flew the space vessel, she lectured me, "It is probably not a good idea to continue staying on Terra, considering all your innate power. The other Fractions will watch over your home world for you. However, the Great Ones will eventually sniff you out by your mana alone. They won't stay dormant forever. It is a good decision to make your roost somewhere else."

"There's a limit to the number of places I can be. The air has to be breathable." I responded. "It would probably be best if the planet is uninhabited. Mostly, I don't feel like being the center of attention nor do I want to have to worry about if a fight breaks out on the planet."

"The planet is the least of your concerns." Yrh'danyr countered. "I'm not sure why, but A'grappa could have destroyed the entire planet in one go and did not. The Great Ones have that much power."

"You sound like you have seen it happen before."

"I don't know if that is something I should divulge." Came her response. Her voice came low and sheepish. She was hiding something. "What I will say is that you need to find a place that you think the Great Ones will not come looking for you. It is imperative for you to have a place that you can train, rest, and even strengthen your bonds with those that lay dormant within you."

"What do you know about those that lay dormant within me?"

"Ban'iel's ability had always been one that divided or merged things made from mana. Souls are no different. I don't know a great deal about what goes on inside you, but I do know that whosoever is dormant in you still lives, in a way."

A sudden warning flashed across the dashboard of the vessel. There were red warning lights and sirens along with a message that read: DISTRESS.

Yrh'danyr pressed a button near the flashing message. Suddenly, a small video screen jumped to life with the image of a clockwork humanoid.

The voice came out emotionless and sounded like gears running across a tin plate as the message displayed across the screen. "Commencing message. 

Mayday Transmission: Urgent Decommission Request – Rogue Agent

Report to Aethergear Main Tower, Capital City

Geardate: 8221.71.6. 

Transmission Code: M1-A6-71.6

Subject: Immediate Action Required

Priority: Critical

Agent [Designation]: MAGNUS GEARHEAD

Model Type: Enhanced Bombardment Deployment

Last Known Location: Sector 9, The Oil Wastes

Report:

 Magnus Gearhead has been identified as a rogue element within Aethergear Society. The agent has exhibited abnormal behavioral patterns and subversive actions. Do not engage without caution. The agent is equipped with high yield neutralizing power.

Galactic Coordinates: X177BX – 89.771°

End Transmission."

"Well, it looks like that one is for me." I responded to the message. "I'll rely on you to find a suitable place for me to make my new home." Then, I was gone.

When everything once more came into view, I realized what kind of world I had teleported to. Besides the dirt and the water, there was nothing natural about the place. Each plant and animal were crafted from sprockets and plates of platinum and silver. With some, the gold inner workings were almost transparent. There were all kinds of trees and flowers that had gears for faces, or all along the trunks. Branches made from plates and telescoping poles with lights on the ends like flowers. The animals were the strangest I had ever seen. There were many small insects made solely from gears. Others that used plates of metal to act as wings to fly. The larger animals, like the plants were a mix of many of the crude pieces of clockwork that made up rudimentary hydraulics for locomotion and small gear boxes that ensured that the core moved the rest of the body. For heads, they had large lamps instead of eyes and all kinds of faces that were used to implement whatever they ingested into their body. Their mouths, if they had one, did not function the same way as mine.

"State your business, intruder." I turned around to find a group of three clockwork automata that looked like city guards. The one that had spoken looked the most human. His body was large and made from heavy plate that overlapped to form the image of muscles. His power core was visible through his chest. On his right arm was a shield with several spikes and blades protruding from it. On his left arm, replacing his hand was an axe with a long blade that connected to his upper forearm. His back plate came up and around his head, recessing it for added protection but less visibility. Instead of legs, he had what appeared to be an armored vehicle like bottom more akin to a tank with treads. Unlike the animals and plants, he was painted. Most of his body was colored red with the exception of the area around his head and his head itself, which was painted gold. There was a long stripe of black that ran down his left side of his body.

The second one was identical to the first with one exception, he carried a long spear with a light emitting from the end. I wagered that it was probably some kind of cannon. The third one however was vastly different. He was much smaller than the other two. He also had four arms. The top two ended in two similar weapons to the spear. The bottom two were free, ending in four-fingered hands. At the bottom end of his long body, he also had four legs similar to Yog's spider legs. On the left side of his chest, he had two black lines.

"Message repeat. State your business, intruder." The first one repeated himself. They trained their weapons on me.

I was sure that their weapons would not harm me. Not with all the abilities that I possessed. But, I wasn't here to make a commotion. I could feel they were on edge. "Mayday transmission M1-A6-71.6 received." I responded. "I come in peace. I seek the Aethergear Main Tower."

The guards looked at one another. I could see the uneasiness in their motions. It was very hard to tell what their emotions were on their faces. Finally, the higher ranking one motioned for me to follow. The other two took to stepping in line behind me. We walked in silence for a little while. I glanced around me at the architecture of the city. It was very boxy and efficient. The squarish shapes were compiled upon each other creating shifting building shapes that made accessing each floor redundant and easy. All the edges were polished and beveled. I could tell there was a lot of effort put into the planning of the city. Whoever the grand architect was meant for it to run with peak efficiency.

Once we reached the largest building in the center of the city, I saw the immenseness of the tower itself. It stood over everything, several stories tall. Like the rest of the architecture, it had a squarish undertone, mixed with a spiraling staircase that made its way around the outside. Doors dotted each floor. At the very top was a large clock with a glowing face and exposed gears. The numbers were placed on the outer rim of the face itself and the hands looked as though they were the most ornate of anything.

"You've noticed the Grand Clock." The leader of the guards remarked. The cold and calculated tone and wording in his voice was gone. "It has stood as a testament to our society for several hundred millenia. It was erected by the first Lord Magistrate Lucius Gearhead." Then, it returned as soon as it had left. "Come." Once more we walked in silence.