Yet, as Van surveyed the area, he noticed that there were also a great many who didn't seem to be in a good mood at all. They were sitting in silence, eating their food and not looking up at anyone else. Perhaps they would be an ally in the struggle that was to come. But there were far too many people for Van to be able to approach them and have any sort of a long chat. Even one conversation might take far too long.
"Excuse me?" said an alien as it approached Van. He tried to relax, but couldn't help but stiffen at the sight of the creature.
"Uh, yes?" Van asked.
"The Great Emperor himself has requested that you meet with him," the thing said. Van grimaced. That wasn't good at all. Van had a sinking feeling that the dragon knew who he was, and he wasn’t sure why, but his gut told him he was caught. With a heavy sigh, Van began to walk toward the throne of the gargantuan dragon.
"Hahaha, there he is, at last!" the dragon boomed as Van approached. "After all of this time, I am finally able to meet the Great Van."
"I'm not sure what you're talking about," Van lied. "My IRL name is Byorn."
"You cannot fool me in here," the Emperor said as it leaned its massive head down to face Van. Its gigantic yellow eye was staring at him with intensity. "This place is the heart of our computer systems. All of our processors are running at full capacity in this small area and our sorters have finally found out who you are. I am impressed that you were able to infiltrate this place without getting caught. We've been searching for you and Sang for quite some time."
Van sighed. There was no way he'd be able to avoid the dragon if it decided to attack him now. "What do you want from me?" he asked.
"Ah, I don't suppose I want anything from you," the Emperor said. It spoke differently from all of the other aliens that Van had met before. They were all so emotionless and cold, dispassionate and mechanical, but this Emperor was alive and excited. He seemed cheerful, even. "I just wanted to congratulate you on finally joining our ranks. That was why you joined the tournament, wasn't it? I'm sure that you aren't planning anything cunning in here."
"Not at all," Van said through gritted teeth. The dragon chuckled again and leaned back in his seat.
"My race commends you. In all of our years of running this operation, we have never seen a race so belligerently refuse us. You have been fighting so hard to stop us, and now what? You have failed miserably. Even as we speak, our protocols are beginning to activate. Sleeper agents are being ordered to do things that will forever change the face of this planet. There is no stopping us at this point."
"Yet, here I am," Van said. "You think I'm here because I gave up?"
"Oh no," the Emperor replied. "I think you're here because you are under the delusion that your army can somehow defeat me. That you can come in here and fight against us. But let's be honest here, Van – you are fighting against a god. This world is my own creation. I labored extensively to bring it into existence. I am the lead designer and was given this task so that I could create the perfect simulation for you humans. Something that would entice you, interest you, and test your strengths. Those foolish Xevov, including your little dragon friend? Their simulations are nothing compared to this. I and I alone crafted this realm. I am the father and author of its existence. You and your team trying to defeat me is pitiful at best. You cannot kill a god."
"You really made this world?" Van asked.
The Emperor grinned. "Indeed, I did, child. I built this place by hand. I envisioned the Spires of Alderban, and I told tales of the mighty Dragon Kings and how they have shaped the land. I wrote every quest, oversaw every event. I spoke and life came into this world."
Van wasn't sure how to reply to the Emperor. That was quite an awe-inspiring thing, as even this was, to meet the mind that had created the most brilliant thing in the world… but on the other hand, this mad creature would also see the entire world burned down before him.
"I see conflict on your face. No doubt, you are travailing over this decision to save the world," the Emperor said. "That is why I sent for you. If I had wanted to, I could have devoured you and then waited until your army arrived to wipe them all out. That would be quite easy for me to do. I know you have other team members here, as well, although I don't have their names yet. But it won't be hard to time find them."
"So what, you're going to make me an offer? Tell me to join the dark side so that we can rule the universe together?" Van asked.
The Emperor chuckled. "The dark side? Nonsense. What we are doing is a good thing. Perhaps you, as a limited human, don't understand the nature of what we do, but that is fine. There is plenty of time to learn. Plenty of time, indeed. I am curious: do you know what we do with the best of the best of each race?"
"Put them in a bottle so you can add them to your collection?" Van suggested. This caused the dragon to let out a powerful laugh – one that sounded almost like roaring.
"Put them in a bottle!" the dragon wheezed. "It is so refreshing to meet a race that understands humor. I have been doing this for so long, I often forget how funny jokes can be. Most races barely even have a basic understanding of sarcasm or satire. You humans are excellent at it."
"Glad we could be of service," Van said.
"Ah, more sarcasm," the Emperor replied. "I love it. I absolutely love it. So, let's get back to what I was saying. We don't simply leave the best of the best on this planet. That would be insane, to waste such talent. Normally, we place the very best on other planets so that they may assist us with laying down the groundwork of going forward. Humans are an interesting race because of how adaptable they are, though. Unlike most of the other races we've conquered, humans are relatively good at understanding and improving on other cultures. I fear that most of my Draco brethren are rather of dull minds. Few, if any, are as sharp as I am."
"I noticed that," Van said. "You seem somewhat more… independent than the others."
"Ahhahaha," the Emperor boomed. "We are a collective race! Independence is looked down upon as a terrible plague, and a curse even! If a child is ever born with a fierce independent streak, after it is evident that they cannot be tamed or controlled, they are killed. For the good of the race, of course. The child's parents won't shed a tear, after all, as they belong to the same collective and have the same values. So the child is killed." The Emperor ceased talking for a moment, his face lit up with an expression of pure joy. "But sometimes the child is stronger than the others. Smarter even. Smart enough to play the game. To blend in. And when that child grows up? He's the strongest of all of them."
"I'm guessing one such child is you?" Van asked.
"Indeed," the Emperor replied. "I and I alone command this collective. I speak their language with ease, for all I have to do to justify actions is use lofty language about the good of the group, and use their philosophical talking points. They are fanatical about our mission." He leaned forward to whisper. "But none of them know that our mission is really just my mission."
"So you're… you're behind all of this?" Van asked. "You're the one who told them to do all of these terrible things?"
"Of course," the Emperor said. "Why not? To be stranded on that wretched planet, surrounded by fools who drone endlessly on about order and the proper nature of existence being to be unified… why wouldn't I seek something else to do? And so I led them to believe that their task was to garden this galaxy. That they were created for this purpose. To bring order to the universe – ha, but that was what I told them. And they ate it all up. And when a collective makes up its mind to do something, it does it quite well. So they created these systems, they came up with this plan, and I oversaw the whole operation. Each race we have conquered has been for some purpose. The Xevov for their administrative powers, the Elgorians for their powerful psychic healing abilities, the Shrinar for their brilliant ability to manipulate matter, and countless others. Each garden that we build, we take the best out and put them to work for me."