{"id":5546,"date":"2022-03-13T11:00:23","date_gmt":"2022-03-13T15:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/?p=5546"},"modified":"2022-03-13T11:00:23","modified_gmt":"2022-03-13T15:00:23","slug":"weavers-journey-8","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/weavers-journey-8\/","title":{"rendered":"Weaver&#8217;s Journey 8"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With Anansi having fled and my donor and his parents out of the way, I could continue my plans unimpeded. I had to make alliances and I knew where to start. There was a universe called N-3-W-M-0-R-D-0-R, run by Orcs, Trolls, and wicked Men. I asked to meet their Dark Lord for a meeting with another person. I then contacted 5-H-0-C-K-3-R-U-M-8-R-4 and requested to meet with their leader. We decided on holding the meeting aboard the <em>Imperium<\/em>. Sonavok, Ziddet, and I waited patiently until the Collective gave a report in our heads. \u201cTwo vessels have been detected,\u201d it said. \u201cOne <em>Ancalagon<\/em>-class vessel. One <em>Predator<\/em>-class vessel. Both on intercept course.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cLet them come within transporter range and hail them,\u201d I ordered. The <em>Ancalagon<\/em>-class vessel was shaped like the first of the flying dragons Morgoth created for his armies and the <em>Predator<\/em>-class vessel was a purple saucer. Once the vessels were close enough, I hailed them. \u201cThis is the <em>Imperium<\/em>. You are cleared to send your ambassadors aboard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis is the <em>Gorgoroth<\/em>, sending over our Dark Lord,\u201d replied the <em>Ancalagon<\/em>-class vessel. Just then, Gorshagh shimmered into view.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis is the <em>Relentless<\/em>, sending over our Great Leader,\u201d answered the <em>Predator<\/em>-class ship. Metaltron appeared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWelcome, my friends, to the <em>Imperium<\/em>!\u201d I greeted the two. \u201cMay I offer you two refreshments? Grog or some wine?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSave it,\u201d grunted Gorshagh. \u201cYou said you wanted to meet us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSo, what prompts the Borg to want to negotiate?\u201d asked Metaltron.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cStrictly speaking, they\u2019re not Borg,\u201d I corrected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAs far as I can tell, you\u2019re the only individual on this ship.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI can assure you,\u201d interjected Sonavok, \u201cwe\u2019re all individuals where it matters.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe Lords are quite different from our original Borg masters,\u201d supplied Ziddet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c\u2026Okay, you\u2019re more free thinking than I thought,\u201d muttered Metaltron.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cTell me, you both wish to command the multiverse, yes?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYeah, your point?\u201d grunted Gorshagh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhat if I were to tell you I have the means to do so? To make you lot gods of a new multiverse?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c\u2026I\u2019d back away slowly and call the nearest insane asylum.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cEven if I had, say, the Tome?\u201d Metaltron snorted in disbelief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThat thing?\u201d she asked. \u201cThat\u2019s just a myth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s no myth,\u201d explained Sonavok. \u201cWe\u2019ve been guarding it at the behest of Anansi.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cNow that\u2019s a lie!\u201d scoffed Gorshagh. \u201cAnansi doesn\u2019t exist!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHe does,\u201d replied Metaltron. Gorshagh turned to her in confusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI thought you don\u2019t believe in legends.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI don\u2019t, but Anansi is real. I saw him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAnd I was his student at one point,\u201d I supplied. \u201cAnd the Tome is real.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThen show me the proof!\u201d challenged Gorshagh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c\u2026All right. I have something in mind.\u201d I then opened the Tome up, turned the pages to a passage I wrote, and read it aloud. \u201c\u2018After the Tome snapped shut, the <em>Relentless<\/em> and the <em>Gorgoroth<\/em> reported that they had ended up hovering over a barren wasteland with a single cul-de-sac as the defining landmark.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c\u2026What?\u201d asked Gorshagh. I smirked and closed the Tome. After the Tome snapped shut, the <em>Relentless<\/em> and the <em>Gorgoroth<\/em> reported that they had ended up hovering over a barren wasteland with a single cul-de-sac as the defining landmark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWell?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c\u2026Okay, I\u2019m convinced,\u201d muttered Gorshagh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cGodhood, you say?\u201d asked Metaltron.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s going to require the resources of Shocker Umbra and New Mordor,\u201d I explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhy the negotiations?\u201d quizzed Gorshagh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou\u2019re the only one that doesn\u2019t fit with the Borg norm,\u201d observed Metaltron.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cStrictly speaking, this entire mini-Collective doesn\u2019t,\u201d I corrected. \u201cWe only assimilate those that want to be assimilated.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cEven then,\u201d supplied Ziddet, \u201cwe still pursue our individual pursuits.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cBesides,\u201d I continued, \u201cyour resources aren\u2019t exactly ones we can take like the Borg. Hence why the negotiations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI see,\u201d muttered Metaltron.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAnd these resources are?\u201d asked Gorshagh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMultiversal maps,\u201d I explained. \u201cDifferent types of starships. Soldiers. I need them to find the Sources of the Apocalypse and Flourishment, as well as the Master Wand, the Time Amethyst, and the Mirror of Reality.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cDon\u2019t you have the resources you want?\u201d asked Metaltron. \u201cThis ship isn\u2019t exactly standard Borg design, and you have Cubes, Spheres, and Probes with the necessary man-power for those ships.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cFor all the Lords\u2019 superiority,\u201d I replied, \u201cwe\u2019re not exactly the most\u2026inconspicuous of people. Even the <em>Imperium<\/em>\u2019s outer hull gives away its Borg origins. We need people who can blend in somewhat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAnd that\u2019s where we come in?\u201d asked Gorshagh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYep. Besides, you\u2019re more experienced in multiversal travel. Your mutual defense compact allows one of your two factions to succeed where the other went wrong. And the size of your armies are definitely nothing to sneeze at. So, what say you? Join me and become gods?\u201d The two sides looked to each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c\u2026I don\u2019t know about Metaltron,\u201d muttered Gorshagh, \u201cbut I say neither Yea nor Nay. I must consider this message and what it means under its fair cloak.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHe\u2019s right,\u201d remarked Metaltron, \u201cyou talk very prettily and have a lot of power, but we need to be careful. We\u2019ll tell you when we\u2019ve made our decision.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cConsider well,\u201d I said, \u201cbut not too long.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe time of my thought is my own to spend!\u201d snarled Gorshagh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cFor the present.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cLet me warn you right now,\u201d growled Metaltron, \u201crush our decision and, Tome or not, you WILL have a war on your hands. We have various anti-Borg strategies at our disposal.\u201d The two summoned their ships to beam them out and leave. Once the ships left Hell\u2019s skies, I smirked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019ve got them,\u201d I chuckled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cGot them?\u201d asked Ziddet. \u201cThey don\u2019t seem convinced.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cBut there\u2019s a chance for power,\u201d I replied. \u201cThey won\u2019t pass this up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou\u2019re sure about that?\u201d asked Sonavok.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOne is a former Dalek; the other is a Middle-Earth Orc. They\u2019re VERY good at choosing power.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c\u2026Very well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIn the meantime, I believe the denizens of Hell are currently enacting the plan. On screen.\u201d A hologram of the cul-de-sac below us then showed the Oni gathering everyone up for a field trip. For some odd reason to the Oni, everyone looked compliant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAll right, everyone!\u201d called a red Oni woman in a blue dress, Lam Kelgyt. \u201cIt\u2019s time for the wonderful castle tour!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou will see how we conduct our wonderful operations here!\u201d said a yellow Oni woman in a blue dress, Tan Kelgyt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAnd don\u2019t forget, any misbehavior will result in the removal of certain privileges!\u201d warned a yellow Oni man in a red dress, Pai Urokeh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSo follow us,\u201d called a blue Oni man in a yellow dress, Tor Mefguf, \u201cand let\u2019s have fun!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThat\u2019s it,\u201d I chuckled darkly, \u201cgo on and give them the means to free themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With Anansi having fled and my donor and his parents out of the way, I could continue my plans unimpeded. I had to make alliances and I knew where to start. There was a universe called N-3-W-M-0-R-D-0-R, run by Orcs, Trolls, and wicked Men. I asked to meet their Dark Lord for a meeting with [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4546,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[614],"tags":[617,175,753,625],"class_list":["post-5546","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-weavers-journey","tag-author","tag-borg","tag-former-dalek","tag-orc"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5546","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5546"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5546\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5547,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5546\/revisions\/5547"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4546"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5546"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5546"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5546"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}