The Translations
I have finished the translations on the tablets you sent me. I do not know the circumstances surrounding the origin of those tablets; I can only hope them to be a rude jest on your part. If not…then I must hope that the source of the omens to be a faulty one for they portend dreadful things for both our peoples.
Still, they give you the answer you hoped for - the rise of your nation - but at what cost? Our past mistakes we will pay for in blood. Your future mistakes you will pay for with the souls of your people.
Do with this as you see fit but may the Passions have mercy on you should you let this come to pass.
The first tablet
The language appears to be primarily pictographic but with a series of complex ancillary lines indicating a kind of tonal modulation. Their alignment, thickness, coloration, etc. serve to portray a type of subtext, if you will, to the message portrayed by the pictographs. Due to the complexity of these lines, I cannot provide a direct translation but I should be able to portray the gist of the thing.
A child is born in the lands of his inheritance. He names himself in the old way. Oltek. I Am Here. He grows strong in will and might but stronger in anger. He curses the nations that have beat down his brothers. He raises a standard of red. The others gather to the standard. The nation rises. It suckles from the well of Oltek’s anger. It too grows in will and might and fury. The standard floats upon a river of blood and is carried forth until the river has grown to cover all the lands. The brothers feed triumphant on the bones of all the races. The earth chokes on the tears of its people and grows weak. It trembles and the ancient seals of the Passions are loosed.
***
I grow too old for the youthful games of cloak and dagger. I wish you had never shown me that first tablet. This shall certainly be my last. I have become old in your service and know little more that I did at the beginning. Do not tell me now. I wish to maintain the comfort of my hopes that this treasury of ancient lore you have found is nothing more than the mad ravings of a mad people.
The last tablet
Fire cannot be other than what it is. Again as before a standard is raised. Not red but the green of a slow death. Untempered by righteous passion it oozes across the lands. It leaves no blood in its wake but instead a poisoning of the soul. It’s leader untamed and unrestrained in his lusts gathers together to build in his image. The lands of his inheritance are emptied and rendered fallow. A blight of body and soul spreads across the nations. The heart of the earth sickens and produces no seed. Only the hollow remain.
The other side
There was pain. And voices. Familiar? Yes. Calling him? Yes. They wanted him to walk towards the pain. Tired. But something…? A question. A thing. What was it…? He had to know…something. Something was important. Something worth walking through the pain.
“…ever tell you about the recon jump seven years ago? Course not. We finished the mission and were on our way back when things went bad. Lost our supplies. Both of us shot up pretty good. He carried me through that slog for eight days. So don’t tell me he’s dying. I don’t buy it. He’s a fighter. Don‘t worry Ally, he‘s…”
Dying? Was that it? He’d certainly come close on several occasions. Enough that he wasn’t afraid of it. But there was something. Was it Ally? He ached for her but that wasn’t it. It wasn’t right. It wasn’t the thing.
“…not fair. Fourteen years active ops and then this? Now? After he’s retired? Danny, it’s just not fair…”
There had been a…dog. And…J.J. The dog had slipped the leash and his son had…Oh gods…the car…
“…ved my life once. We were on a jump when th -- Ok. Ok. Nevermind. Hush. It’s all right. Don’t worry, the colonel’s a tough nut, he’ll pull through. Don’t worry…”
Hard to stay. Hard to move forward. But he had to know. Had to know.
“…crushed spine in three places. They said he probably won’t wake up. If he does it won’t be to any kind of life. You know how he is General. He couldn’t stand it…”
But he would. Just long enough to know. Just that long. If he could open his eyes it would be ok. Ally would know.
“Jack! General, his eyes are open; he’s awake! Oh Jack! It’s ok. Everything’s ok. They say you’ll be…”
NO. Eyes OPEN. Stay!
“He’s back, Ally, quick he’s back!”
Her face! Her smile, gods, her smile. He had lived and died on that smile. Her eyes. Yes, they would see. They always saw.
I love you.
I know.
I can’t stay.
I know. It’s ok.
Please…
He’s fine, Jack. He’ll be ok. We both will.
I --
I love you.
…goodbye.
It was ok. He could let go. As long as Ally had J.J. she’d be ok. Their son would center her on the business of living and time would eventually smooth over the empty place by her side.
The pain fell back. A light in the distance. Faint. Warming. It was…good. Right. He moved towards it.
“Hello Jack.”
Pause. Another step.
“Wait. Please.”
No.
“We need you.”
I’m done.
“Many people will die.”
Pause. Damn.
“We need you to go somewhere. To be someone else. It’s complicated.”
It always is.
“We’ve tried others. Twice. I think they made things worse. Look, we made a mistake and then we tried to fix it. We can’t. We need you.”
…
“There was a tablet.”
Tablets are no good. You give them to scientists and they find things out and you end up going to crazy places. Places you never dreamed of. Places with more bloody tablets.
“There was a man who was going to grow up very angry and cause some very bad things to happen. We took him and raised him somewhere else.”
You tried to make a tool for yourself.
“Yes. We made things worse. He grew up…twisted. We didn’t realize until too late. And we can’t kill him now. Things have gone to far. He has to fix them. But he won’t.”
You sent others? To do what?
“We sent them into his mind. To become him. To fix what he won’t.”
And?
“He’s strong. There was a troubad…an artist. The best we’ve ever seen. She was everything he was not…good, kind, empathetic beyond all reasoning…”
He ate her for lunch.
“We tried another. A wiz…a very learned man. Powerful, wise, brilliant, and with more strength of will than any other I’ve yet encountered.”
So…you sent in a hippy and a scientist to take over a psycho man’s brain? And this sounded like a good idea to you?
“We need you.”
You want me to possess someone. Wasn’t this an X-Files episode?
“You’re dying.”
Twilight Zone then.
“Please.”
Why me?
“You’re a good man, Jack.”
Thought your hippy friend was, too.
“No. She was Good. You’re just…good.”
I think you’ve been reading off the wrong playbill, my friend. I am cranky and stubborn and not at all friendly.
“Please.”
Do you think if you say ’please’ enough that I’ll say yes?
“Please.”
Sigh.
* * *
Desert? Scrubland maybe. A scream. The soul-wracked, pain filled variety -- not the I’m very, very scared type. Great. Good. Yup. Now…where was he, exactly?
“Hello…you’re new.”
Hello?
“How very ill timed. I’m not even done with the last one yet. No matter. He was becoming somewhat…tiresome.”
Where am I?
“You, my ill stared friend, are in my head. There have been a few. They tried to reason with me first. Will you?”
No.
“Really? How interesting. Shall we establish the rules, then?”
I kill you, I get your body. You kill me, you keep your body. Simple.
“Practical. I like you.”
Something on the horizon. A small army. Rushing towards him on…were those rino’s? Waving…swords? How silly. Who brings a knife to a…a…some kind of…something…there should be…weapon. Had a trigger. This end towards enemy kind of thing. Never mind. It was clear he didn’t have…the thing. This certainly seemed to be an appropriate time for a strategic retreat.
* * *
“You are a clever one. How did you manage to build fortifications within my own mind?”
Played with legos a lot as a kid.
“Tell me…do you fancy yourself a hero? The others did.”
Just doing a job. Lots of perks. Medical and dental. Uniform. Girls dig that sort of thing.
“The wizard is still alive. You could save him.”
Who?
“The one before you.”
Ah. Wizard hmm? Merlin? Franklin? Please.
“I don’t understand you. What is your stake in this? Come out from your fortress. We’ll make a deal. I’ll let you take a corner of my mind for your own. You could be…useful.”
I’ve always fancied beach front property. Certainly not going to settle for this slimy place. Too many roaches.
“If I am forced to come in after you…things will not go well for you.”
Come get me.
* * *
At last! Consciousness. A bedroom. Gaudy colors. A lot of lace. And several…devices.
A stocky, earth toned creature with tusks entered the room carying a covered tray. “Kir a ulek, tezat?” Jack continued to stare. He was dressed in formal attire. A butler? “Kir a ulek, tezat?”
“Umm…yes?”
The creature turned to face him with what Jack guessed was a puzzled expression. It would have been on a human, at least. “Rogh et dorz untak?”
Keep it simple then. He nodded. The creature set the tray on a garish table in a corner of the room, bowed, and left. Jack breathed a sigh. He hadn’t counted on a language issue. Languages weren’t his thing. There were other people for that. Scientists, for instance. They loved that kind of thing.
First things first. He got up from the excessively large bed and froze. He was green. That was surprising. Not what you would call a Kermit shade, more of an earthy almost brown tone but certainly unexpected.
Holes in his head. The man had said the process would be rough and that he would loose memories. Still…you think he’d have remembered being told that he would be green. Human had seemed like a fair assumption - the man had said it was far in the past. Apparently he had not meant Earth’s past. Some days it’s the little things…
The door to the room opened and a small human child was ushered in by a pleasant if somewhat frightened looking female human. She pushed the child forward, gave a hasty bow, and fled the room. Jack turned to the boy and raised his eyebrows. He assumed he had eyebrows. He would have to check on that.
The child bit his lip and stared at the floor. He reached shaking hands to the fastenings on his clothing and began to disrobe.
“Whoa!” Jack jumped from the bad and reached out to stop the child. The boy flinched from his touch. Jack could see large purple welts beneath some of the clothing. “Who did this?” He stopped. It was probably him. Well…not him obviously but the original. “You had breakfast yet?” He gestured towards the tray left by what he chose to call the butler. The boy made no motion towards the table but continued to stare at the floor. At least he wasn’t trying to undress himself anymore. “Look. We’ll share, ok? And then you can show me how to get out of here.” Wherever here was. He took a step towards the table and…
…was forced back.
“You are good. None of the others managed that. It won’t happen again, I assure you.”
You say.
“I do. Look around. I took the opportunity to destroy your fortress. You have nowhere to run. You are mine.”
Oh. Rats.
* * *
He landed hard. Had he died again? Or was it finally? He wasn’t sure anymore.
“They sent another one? Fools. I told them that would push Oltek over the edge. I was to be the last.”
Good. I’ll just take my ball and go home.
“What foolishness is this? Are you even an adept?”
Adept at what?
“What’s wrong with you? Surely the torture hasn’t addled you this early.”
Oh no, I come pre-addled. For your convenience. You must be the scientist they sent in before me.
“What?”
The man said you were a nerd. I figured scientist. They sent an artist, and then a scientist, and then me.
“And what are you?”
Confused.
“This is serious business.”
Yes. You’re right. My apologies; we should, of course, look pensive and pace back and forth. That is clearly the thing to do.
“What is wrong with you? Can’t you see that we’re both likely to die here?”
Now there is a question for the ages. And I certainly don’t intend to die here. Look. I need some information. What planet are we on?
“What?”
No you’re right. Location doesn’t really matter. I do need a quick political breakdown. All I was told was to take over this guy and destroy his credibility with his followers. Keep him from doing anything foolish.
“I don’t understand their thinking. Why you? You’re certainly no adept…”
You keep saying that.
“Although I sense the potential in you. How is it that you are untrained at your age?”
School’s not really my thing.
“What, exactly do you do?”
Air Force.
“What?”
Military.
“A warrior then.”
You did hear me say Air Force, yes?
“Look. It is obvious you have the potential. I can train you.”
To do what?
“To be a warrior, man, a warrior! In my youth I trained a few circles before I found my true calling.”
Which is…?
“An adept! A magic user.”
Oh. What?