None of them had my sensors. There were at least nine unusual energy readings in different parts of the city. Each, when I focused upon them, seemed to have a pull drawing upon my Powered self.
They were all located in different areas. Two were more central than the others, although in a city of such unusual design I wasn't sure that meant anything.
A central hub of command should be more interconnected, but with none of them being powered up I wasn't able to determine which that might be.
Things got a little crazier.
Without warning, the Graven broke free of the Powerhungry and started moving towards one of the points.
I checked the logs trying to see what had happened. Ophelia. Either Ophelia, or that version of myself, Amme—or the core that was inside of her—was going for what it thought was the best option.
That didn't mean it was right. The lead Wolf ship was heading for another and Sylax’s vessels were heading for various points in the city.
I felt a slightly stronger pull from one more than any of the others and changed our heading.
"You have it?" Anna asked from the command console. Doctor Batavius was kneeling next to the wounded Mechos.
"I've got something and if I don't act now we are going to miss our opportunity entirely," I said.
One of Sylax's vessels was making for the same point. It fired a weapon, the beam cannon taking a large chunk out of our armor.
I fired back. Ratticus, still hooked up to our cannon, let me drain the power of their shields and they flickered out.
"Send me over there," Anna said.
"While I do enjoy any chance to get rid of you, you don't have the best record when boarding Sylax's ships. And Ophelia appears to have turned traitor," I said.
"Actually didn't see that one coming. We don't have a choice. If you connect to the socket are you going to lose control of this ship?"
I wished I knew. If my previous experience in transferring to an airship held true, I'd be offline for several hours while trying to acclimate to the new systems.
"Probably," I said.
"We need to leave someone in command. Tara would be the most capable, but I don't trust her," Anna said.
I didn't either, so there we were in agreement.
"Ratticus. Despite being vermin who manages to be nearly as irritating as you, he has the technical know-how and he has proved himself," I said.
Anna considered this and nodded. I teleported Ratticus to the command console.
Then I moved Anna, my combat drones, and what remained of our tactical squad to the bridge of the enemy airship.
Debris was falling on the city. Fights had broken out for control of every socket I'd detected and already-battered airships didn't have much more to give.
As we drew closer to the unusual readings I felt that sense of pulling increase.
Aefwal Network
District Three control hub
Currently the hub is open to be claimed
Do you wish to transfer?
DISTRICT THREE? This wasn't the central operations hub, this wasn't the prize that we'd come so far to seek. I'd gotten it wrong. A pillar of light shot into the sky from one section of the city, joined a moment later by another.
Other hubs were being claimed. I'd gotten it wrong and I didn't have time to get it right.
I could only hope this hub would offer some possibility of success—somehow. I had no choice. I initiated the transfer and the world went black.
50
When I came to I was seeing through the eyes of Candice. I was looking at a goggled face studying me.
"She's awake and connected," Doctor Batavius said, pulling away from me.
Candice looked to be in some sort of grand hall, towers of greenish crystal and windows of colored glass that were works of art. My human drone wasn't alone.
Besides Doctor Batavius there were a few others I recognized. Ophelia was there dressed in a tee shirt and jeans. Baron Wolfson stood a step behind a stern-looking man in heavy armor who shared his son’s features. Zora was there too, the woman that Anna left behind.
Then Candice's eyes found the throne. The figure sitting upon it I knew too well, I'd done my best to kill her once. Lady Sylax didn't look any the worse for wear for my efforts. To the right of the throne a huge, crystalline spider sat like some kind of pet. To the left, Anna was on her hands and knees. She was dressed only in a shift and wore a collar about her neck. Anna's body looked to be covered with fresh bruises.
"It is about time," Sylax said, stretching out with a cruel smile. "Welcome Emma, and others."
"Duchess Sylax," said the man that must be James Wolf, giving a sweeping bow.
That was a promotion since the last time we'd met.
"This council is meeting in order to discuss what is to be done with the city of Aelfwal," Sylax declared.
What was there to decide? It appeared that she had already won.
"If anyone here were going to act against you, it would be I. However, I choose to accept matters as they stand," said Wolf.
"We agree," said Ophelia.
Sylax tilted her head at Wolf. "And you will, of course, be my champion. To explain the situation we find ourselves in to those of you unaware, we have claimed the nine sockets of the city. I claimed the Central Core and propose myself as ruler of Aefwal and a Duchess of the Scholarium. However, two of the other sockets were claimed by my agents and some by other factions which are... unavailable to me."
Wolf nodded. "The city is locked down for one week while we resolve matters amongst ourselves. Otherwise, we'd pick our war back up where it left off."
Doctor Batavius stepped up beside Candice and spoke quietly. "Right now you are technically one of her highest ranking agents, which insulates you and others from the effects her Command core."
That would explain why she needed agreement at all. She couldn't just brainwash us all into doing as she commanded.
Sylax said, "And I'm the strongest of all of you individually. If you do anything terribly stupid, I’ll rip your heads off quickly and the guts out of anyone you care about slowly—and amuse myself with their screams until the sockets open again," Sylax said.
"Oh, do give us something besides the threat of the stick," Zora said.
"I like the stick," Sylax said. "But fine. A piece of gutter trash once declared herself to be the Queen of the World to me. A royal title that filth like her was thoroughly unworthy of, but for someone worthy like myself one must wonder what you all can do? You've all proved yourself to be capable adversaries just to be standing here. Unite behind your better and serve my whims, and in time you'll have your part of it."
It was a speech that inspired no one.
I could feel my systems starting to come online elsewhere. I wasn't housed in the airship any longer. Cameras were coming alive in buildings, on streets, District Three. It had been the research corridor of the city, no wonder I felt drawn to it.
There were miles of labs and testing facilities. Workshops just waiting for my command.
"I pledge my support," James Wolf said, dropping down to a knee.
"We pledge our support," Ophelia said, doing the same.
If I didn't do the same she'd kill me quickly and kill Anna slowly.
I could play her game, for now. Then I could be District Three.
But not a person in this room thought the struggle was done. It was just beginning.
"I pledge my support," I said, dropping Candice to a knee.
COMING SOON
THE DISTRICT