Empire Builder 4: Breed, Populate, Conquer, page 23
Ben cocked his head to the side. “The war?”
Rox pursed his green lips as if he weren’t quite sure where to begin.
“I wanted to tell you about the swarm of flying machines, I really did.”
“You knew about that?”
Rox held up his hands. “Hear me out. Those machines, the attack on the tower, was the Illimitable Genius’s first shot in a war that’s been raging for the last day. All the tribes allied with the Genius attacked the borders of the independent ones. Meanwhile, that huge fleet of flying machines leaves the tower in the mountains. I knew they were headed to you, and I was certain you all were done for. Imagine my surprise when I saw you and your pals in the canoes!”
“We barely won that fight,” Ben said. “And how are you and your allies doing in the war?”
Rox shrugged. “It could go either way. I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you that you do not want the Genius to win. If he does, that means he and the goblin tribes he’s working with will have finally conquered the Wildwoods. And that means he’ll have a power base to build an army even bigger than the one he already sent. The Genius is, well, a genius. And I’m sure he planned for the event of you winning the fight. Some of the goblins got away, right?”
Ben thought back to the battle, picturing the handful of goblins that had managed to flee the battle. At the time, he hadn’t been sure where they’d gone. In hindsight, however, it was obvious that the answer was that they’d gone back to the tower.
“He knows the layout of my land,” Ben said. “And what kind of state my defenses are in.”
Rox winked and snapped his finger. “ Now, you’re thinking like the Genius. Right now, me and my allies are the only thing standing between the Genius and taking over this whole jungle. If you want to win the war, you’re going to need my help. And I’m going to need yours.”
“So, we’re negotiating.”
Rox grinned. “You got it.”
“Then as a show of good faith, how about you take these things off?” Ben shook the bindings on his wrists.
“Oh, sure, sure.” Rox hurried over and deftly flicked open a small panel on the metal handcuffs, exposing a network of tiny gears. Rox slipped a small tool from his belt into the gears, the surprisingly complex lock on the things coming apart like two puzzle pieces being separated. Ben rubbed his wrists in relief.
“Now,” Ben said, “you want to negotiate.”
Rox nodded. “Well, not so much a negotiation as it is a way for us both to save our butts.”
“Let’s hear it.”
“As much as we goblins value our independence, it’s looking like the time for that is done. Either we work with you, or we work with the Genius.”
“And why wouldn’t you work with the Genius?” Ben asked.
Despite Rox’s skin being a deep green, the color seemed to drain out of it all the same.
“Well, we wouldn’t be so much as working with him as we would be slaves . And when you’re a slave to the Genius, he gives you power, sure. But it is at a hell of a cost. He demands you give him a portion of your fighting-age goblins to… well, let me just show you. Come on.”
Rox rose, making his way toward the back of the tent, where there was another flap. He stepped out, Ben following him. They weaved through the spaces between several more tents, and Ben could see that the village was larger than it appeared. He guessed that at least a thousand goblins dwelled there.
They eventually reached a large, rectangular-shaped tent, the acrid smell of chemicals thick in the air.
“This is one of the workshops,” Rox said as he opened the flap. “Sorry for the smell.”
Ben stepped into the space to see dozens of goblins hard at work, all of them at tables covered in parts and glasses filled with chemicals. Their eyes, hidden behind big goggles, flicked up to Ben and Rox as they entered, regarding the latter with respect and the former with skepticism.
“One of the many workshops where we build our machines and mix our chemicals,” Rox said as he led Ben through. “There are hundreds and hundreds of workshops like these in our territory. We gather scrap metal we can find, as well as ancient tech in dungeons, and bring it to places like this to build.”
They soon reached a back portion of the tent.
“Here’s what I wanted to show you,” Rox said. “But be warned—it’s pretty gruesome.”
He pulled open the flap and gestured for Ben to step inside. A small team of goblins was inside, all gathered around a large craft in the middle of the room.
And Ben realized right away what Rox meant when he had said gruesome .
At first, Ben thought the six-foot-tall machine in front of him was just that—a machine. And he had good reason to think so. The thing had arms and legs, the right arm concluding in a five-fingered hand, the one to the left in what appeared to be a buzzsaw. The machine appeared to be made of steel, and it was much more fluidly shaped than the goblin crafts he’d seen around the village. It was in the shape of a mecha, one just a little shorter than Ben but plenty tall for a goblin.
But as he looked more closely, he realized the truth—it was only part machine. The machine had a pilot—a long-dead goblin. At first, Ben had thought the goblin was merely seated in the mecha. But his eyes went wide when he saw what was really going on.
“Is that goblin… fused into the machine?”
Indeed, the goblin’s arms from the bicep down and legs from the mid-thigh down were melded with the machine, totally gone and part of the mecha. And more than that, a thick band of metal had been buried in the goblin’s forehead, like some kind of brain implant.
“That’s the long and short of it,” Rox said. “These things are the backbone of the armies that have been slamming into the sides of our territory since the war started. And those goblin flyers you saw? Turns out that was just the Genius getting rid of old material. The new ones are just like this, the goblin pilots melded into the machine.”
“Why?” Ben asked.
“Because these things are advanced . Look.” Rox leaned forward and pressed a hidden button on the left hand, the one that held the buzzsaw. With a click of the button, the buzzsaw compacted and folded into the arm, a cannon-like machine replacing it.
“So, what we’ve got here is a multi-purpose hand. You’ve got a buzzsaw for cutting through the jungle, a cannon for major destruction, and”—he pressed it again, the cannon retracting, a long, sharp knife replacing it—“you don’t need to be the Illimitable Genius to know what this is for.”
“And the head,” Ben said.
“That’s advanced even for us. Somehow, he’s got the machine linked to the brain of the pilot so they can control it with their minds or something. Crazy stuff.”
Rox’s expression turned grim.
“We were hearing rumors about the tribes that allied with the Genius, that he was taking goblins from their villages into the tower to participate in his experiments . The rumor was that he was giving them great power. Well, I guess that ended up being the case in a sick sort of way.”
Ben stepped forward to get a closer look.
“He cut their arms and legs off, permanently fusing them into these things. We managed to disable a couple, hoping to get the pilots out. We learned the hard way that there’s not much to get out, if you understand what I mean.”
“What happens if you try to talk to them?”
“They’re all gone,” Rox said. “Like trying to talk to a plant. We pulled the head implant out of one, and he lasted all of two seconds before kicking the bucket. Sad.”
Rox shook his head and turned away from the machine.
“These are the stakes. The Genius wins, he gets the jungle and all the goblins in it.” He swept his hand toward the machine. “And this is what happens to us. Don’t care about a bunch of goblins? Fine. But I can bet you anything he’ll start shoving humans and kin into these messed-up things before too long.”
It was more than enough to convince Ben.
“What’re your terms?”
Rox smiled slightly. “Easy. Bring us into your empire. The Wildwoods can be yours. We’ll provide manpower, inventions, resources—all that good stuff. In return, you give us protection from anyone who might try to pull this kind of crap.” Another hand swept toward the machine. “And let us have our autonomy within the jungles. I know you’re an emperor, but I also know you’re not a slaver. I’m thinking that if you’re not into slavery, you’re also not going to be into doing… whatever the hell this is.”
“You’re right about that,” Ben said. “Experiments like this will have no place in my empire.”
Rox grinned, the rest of the goblins in the room following suit.
“Great!” he said, sticking his little green hand out. “In that case, I’m pleased to formally induct the goblin tribes into the empire! That is, as soon as we take care of the little matter of winning the war .”
Ben shook his hand, knowing it was only the beginning of what would undoubtedly be a long battle.
Chapter 22
Ben and the rest of his companions were gathered in Rox’s tent, a space that didn’t seem all that different from the rest of the tents, aside from the size and the chair made of steel and gears in the center of the space—a chair that functioned as the throne.
“Now that we’ve got this alliance worked out,” Ben said, “we’ve got to figure out how not just to get to the tower but inside of it.”
Rox grinned. “I’ve been waiting for you to ask that very question, human emperor. Come with me back to the workshop.”
Ben, knowing what likely awaited them, turned to the group.
“You all might want to hang back for this one. What Rox showed me… it was pretty rough.”
Melody shook her head. “Whatever it is, I want to see it.”
“Right,” Shrike added. “We need to know what to expect.”
Zito nodded. “Trust me, kid—when you’ve been around for as long enough as I have, you’ve seen a few things. It’d take a lot to scare this old codger.”
That was that. Rox hurried out of the throne room, Ben and the rest following. They made their way to another workshop, this one reminding Ben more of a medical tent than the other goblin workshop he’d seen. Beds were here and there, injured goblins in them being treated by others.
“Casualties from the war,” Rox said as they strode down one of the rows between the dozens and dozens of beds. “The front lines are even worse. We’ve got our gadgets, sure, but these machines… they’re like nothing we’ve ever seen before. They’re not repurposed old tech... they’re new. We’re fighting hard, but it’s only a matter of time, until…” He trailed off, his eyes on the still body of a goblin on one of the beds, the goblin attending to him shaking his head at Rox before pulling a white sheet over his patient.
“The fight’s not over yet,” Ben said. “If we can take out the Genius and conquer the tower, then we’ll win.”
“I know,” Rox said. “That’s why I’m eager to get started. The machines aren’t simple contraptions of gears and all that—they’re far more advanced. The stuff inside, they’re… square plates with green and gold and black and colored wires coming out.”
Ben stopped, his mind going right to the computers he’d worked on back on Earth.
“What?” Rox asked.
“If these machines are what you say they are, they’re almost definitely being controlled by a central source. It’s…” he trailed off, trying to figure out how to explain the idea of networks to people who were just barely out of medieval levels of invention. “…It’s hard to explain. But it only makes me more certain that if we can take out the Genius, we’ll win.”
“Excellent!” Rox said. “You’re the emperor—I’ll trust you. Now, come with me and let me show you what we have.”
The group made their way to a back room of the tent, and inside was another of the Genius’s goblins. But this one had been taken out of his mecha, his amputated arms and legs wrapped in bandages. His eyes were wide open as if he’d been startled out of sleep. The metal part that had connected his brain to the mech stuck out as if it’d been jammed into his head.
“Oh no!” Melody cried. “This is horrible.”
“This Genius is a real sick guy!” Zito added. “I’m no fan of goblins—no offense—but this is something else!”
“We took this one out of his mecha,” Rox said. “This was back when we thought we’d be able to, you know, do something for the poor bastards. That didn’t happen, obviously, but something weird did with this one. Watch.”
He stepped over to the goblin and pressed on the end of the metal part. The goblin jolted to life and began speaking.
“Unit seven-five-nine-four requesting access. Inserting identification now.”
That was all he said before going still once more.
Ben put it together. “You’re thinking the goblins have some kind of built-in way of accessing the Genius’s tower.”
Rox put his hands on his hips. “We don’t think so—we know. Some of our scouts checked out the area at the base of the mountains. These huge doors are built into the rock, and we watched them for long enough to see mechas enter. They take the metal part here from the machine, stick it into some kind of device, and then say their name and number. Then the doors open.”
Shrike stepped forward. “Then you’re thinking we can use this poor soul to access the tower?”
Rox nodded. “That’s right. Well, that’s what we’re hoping, at least. These mechas are powerful, but they seem to need constant repair. So, there’s plenty of these guys going in and out of the Genius’s headquarters. None of us have actually been inside, but I’m thinking he’s got to have a whole factory down there cranking these things out.”
“ And ,” Ben added, “there’s almost certainly a way into the tower from the bottom without having to scale the mountains.”
Rox flashed him a goblin’s smile of jagged teeth. “Now, you’re being crafty like a goblin. With your party, you might be able to sneak in, get into the tower, and take out the Genius. You do that, the war ends, and you’ve got everything you want. More importantly, you stop him from the next phase of his plans—namely, conquering you and your people and turning them into brainless mecha soldiers.”
Ben didn’t need to hear another word. “Then let’s move.”
“One thing,” Rox said. “You better believe I’m coming with you.”
Chapter 23
It didn’t take long for the group to get prepared. After a quick meal and some resupplying, they loaded up and were led by a small escort group back to the river, where their canoes had been repaired by the goblins.
Ben did the grisly work of carrying the mecha goblin in on his back. The creature wasn’t all that heavy, but knowing the nature of it, what it actually was, made Ben’s stomach turn with disgust at what the Genius had done to it.
The goblins weren’t his kind, but he wanted revenge for them, nonetheless. And he knew he’d get it.
“The river leads all the way to the mountains,” Rox said. “So, all we need to do is take these down and go for a little walk. Shouldn’t be more than an hour or so. But stay close—you never know what’s out here in the jungle.”
The group made their way down the river. Fifteen or so minutes into the journey, Rox, who was seated in the canoe with Ben, lit up his face as if he’d remembered something.
“Oh! I almost forgot, Ben.” Without another word, he reached into his pack and pulled something out. It was a leather case about the size of Ben’s forearm. He handed it over to Ben, who took it. Right away, Ben was surprised at its heaviness.
“What is this?”
“Take it out; give it a look.”
Still skeptical, Ben slipped open the end flap and dumped out the contents. At first, it looked like a sword. But it wasn’t like any sword he’d ever seen. It had a handle of gray steel wrapped in what appeared to be thin strands of bark, allowing for a good grip. But the blade appeared folded over—almost like an old-fashioned razor.
“This is a sword?”
“A goblin-style sword. Now, you have to do some tricks to get it working. Hold it out and press the little button on the bottom of the hilt. But, ah, make sure it’s not near anything you don’t want to slice open.”
Ben held the blade away from Rox and Zito—who was on the canoe with them—and pressed the button on the bottom of the hilt. To his shock, the blade clicked and unfolded, three segments separating and extending out. When it was done, the blade was as long as a bastard sword, the blade itself rectangular and flat at the top, reminding Ben of a big butcher’s knife.
“That’s dozen-times-folded goblin steel, taken from the base of the Jagged Tooth Mountains back when we had access to it. I saw that you didn’t have much in the way of weaponry, so I figured you could use something like that. It’s got some other tricks, too, but finding those out will be half the fun, right?”
Ben grinned, pleased with his new weapon. And as he looked it over, he noticed that one of the hilt pieces seemed to be some sort of hinge. He placed his fingers on it and pulled it back. A click sounded out, followed by a whirring noise as if something inside were powering up. The hilt shook slightly, followed by a blue, electrical charge blasting down the length of the blade with a whomph ! sound.
“What was that?” Ben asked, stunned by what he’d just seen.
“There’s a little capacitor in there that does all kinds of cool stuff—that was one of them. You ever tangle with a baddie who needs a little something extra to take down, give that a try. Should be useful against mechanical enemies.”
“Thanks, Rox.”
The goblin nodded proudly. “Put it to good use. You help me save my people with that thing and I’ll be good and happy.”
Ben pressed the button on the bottom of the hilt and watched as the sword folded back together. He was pleased to have a new blade and eager to see what kind of damage he’d be able to do with it. Once it was back together, he slipped the compact form into the leather case and set it aside.
