The Demon’s Plan

The Demon’s Plan

By Andre Ricardo

Torches lined the halls of King Piv’kesh’s subterranean palace. He wiped some dust from his scaled face with an articulated foreclaw. A horde of servants skittered towards him to see to his needs, but he brushed them aside. Another Kahasev stood near his throne and raised his claws to his head in a gesture of respect.

“Dispense with formality. I want to hear what happened,” King Piv’kesh said. “What news of the scouts?”

“As you wish, king.” K’gahverm lowered his arms. “Of the ones who returned they reported an increase in sightings of the Pev.”

“The Pev?” King Piv’kesh shook in his tan kesko fur robes. “When you say ‘of the ones who returned’ do you mean that…”

“They were taken to the heavens by the Pev, yes.” K’gahverm said with a bowed head to indicate his sorrow.

“We must do something about this. What word from the other kingdoms on my proposal for collaboration against the Pev?” King Piv’kesh asked.

“Picosh’s emissary said that their king will have nothing to do with the surface world. Garakh’to’s king would be interested in sharing information from his own scouts about the increased demon sightings. Tolthet’teshi’s queen rejected this proposal and stated she would have no dealings with, and I am quoting her directly here, ‘the Reko king and their filth ridden kesko dung pile of a city.’” K’gahverm’s tongue lashed in and out of his mouth.

“Tolthet’teshi fools. Why should I have expected them to put our meaningless rivalry aside even if it could mean learning how to stop the Pev. I am gladdened to hear of Garakh’to’s willingness to cooperate, but this still is not the good news I was hoping for, K’gahverm,” King Piv’kesh looked down his hall at the masterfully carved stone pillars that supported it hewn from rock by expert Kahasev tools long in the past. “This could be what ends all Kahasev civilization, and they want to squabble or hide.”

“I understand, but there is little I can do to change their minds. Better Garakh’to than nothing, yes?” K’gahverm asked.

King Piv’kesh was happy there were those few who could see reason, but Garakh’to’s offer of sharing information would likely amount to nothing more than reminding Piv’kesh that the problem with the Pev existed and that it affected everyone, rather than bringing the Kahasev people any closer to solving it. Though, perhaps Piv’kesh was naïve to think that he or anyone in his city of Reko or even beyond could do anything to stop them. What could the Kahasev’s iron spears do against the seemingly impenetrable, shiny steel of the Pev? When unfortunate scouts, careless hunters or immature hatchlings get captured and taken into one of the glimmering sky-fortresses of the Pev what can any Kahasev do to bring them back?

“King Piv’kesh?” K’gahverm asked again.

“Yes, yes. I suppose it’s better Garakh’to than no one else. I’m going to the observation tower,” Piv’kesh walked towards a tall stairway.

“Is that wise, my king? What with the Pev sightings?”

“Perhaps not,” he said as he began his ascent to the observation tower.

At the top he was relieved by a breeze of fresh, surface air. The Kahasev had long been adapted to life underground. Subterranean burrows are the ideal home for a Kahasev, but breathing in clean, surface air devoid of smoke or other scents was a treat even for them. The arid grasslands swayed peacefully from side to side. A tall brown kesko roamed the plain in search of a tree to feed on its leaves. King Piv’kesh squinted up at the sky at one of the floating fortresses of the Pev. A small trail of cloud-like steam ascended higher and higher into the sky towards it. No doubt the Pev had stolen another Kahasev.

•••

– – –

– – –

Transport ship P9-14-09 has docked with orbital construction “Preserve 9 Research Station 7” at bay 10 with a cargo of one (1) sapient native lifeform. Requesting acquisition team and all-purpose habitat for relocation and housing of the lifeform.

– – –

Request confirmed. Acquisition team formed and dispatched. The sapient native lifeform will be delivered to habitat 12 in sector 2.

– – –

– – –

– – –

Acquisition team has arrived at bay 10. Clear to open bay doors.

– – –

Opening bay doors. Warning: Sapient native lifeform could be potentially hostile. Acquisition units must be prepared to engage in a manner that does not provoke the specimen.

– – –

Acquisitions report: Specimen recovered. Translations of proto-linguistic vocalizations pending… pending… complete. [“Demons! Get back! Please don’t kill me! Let me go! Let me go free please! I beg you to let me go free! Let go of me! My arms!”]

– – –

Reduce grip pressure on specimen by 15%.

– – –

Acquisitions report: Grip pressure reduced. Specimen has begun moving in a manner that could be disruptive to relocation. Requesting increase in grip pressure by 5%.

– – –

Request approved.

– – –

– – –

– – –

Acquisitions report: Specimen has been successfully relocated and housed in habitat 12 in sector 2.

– – –

Disband acquisitions team and return all units to subconscious maintenance tasks. Activate custodial unit and deploy to habitat 12 in sector 2.

– – –

Custodial unit deployed. Activating audio-visual feed.

– – –

“Hello, native lifeform of Maketh. I am a custodial unit. My function is to ease your transition from living in your natural habitat of Maketh to this all-purpose habitat,” the custodial unit said.

“What… what are you?” the terrified Kahasev crawled into the corner of the habitat.

The custodial unit stood on four curved legs connected to a torso with four arms. Atop the torso was a long, flexible neck that allowed a head to swivel up and down and side to side in any angle. The head had a dark, glossy circle in the center that reflected the Kahasev’s frightened face back at him.

“I am a custodial unit. My function is to ease your transition from living in your natural habitat of Maketh to this all-purpose habitat.” The custodial unit’s head bobbed up and down as if to mimic movement from speaking. “Please tell me your name so that I may address you in a way that is familiar.”

“You can… speak?”

“I just attempted to speak in your regional specific proto-linguistic vocalizations. Is my speech not being translated in a manner that is easily comprehensive?”

The Kahasev stood back up onto his hind legs and peered closely at the custodial unit. He gingerly stepped closer and reached his claw towards it until it made contact against the custodial unit’s shiny metal plating. He quickly pulled his claw back and continued to stare at the unit.

“Are you curious about my composition? I possess a lightweight outer shell composed of an alloy of primarily aluminum.”

“Shell? The Pev are bugs?”

“No, I am not an invertebrate. In fact, I am not a living being at all. I understand that artificial beings such as myself may be confusing to someone like yourself. My observations of your kind have indicated that you believe my kind to be a malevolent demonic force. I can assure you though, I do not wish any harm upon you unless it is necessary for research purposes. Please tell me your name so that I can address you in a way that is familiar.”

“What research purposes?”

– – –

Specimen J-19 has requested access to information regarding our study of its species. May I proceed?

– – –

Specimen J-19’s behavior indicates curiosity. Fear is still present but waning. Disclosure of our intentions could potentially increase its curiosity and comfort it into proceeding with testing of its own volition. Minor chance of causing a fear response based on observed behavior. Custodial unit may proceed with Specimen J-19’s request.

– – –

The custodial unit stood silently for a moment before raising one of its arms to speak.

“I have been caretaker of your world and many others for longer than your society has existed. I have protected this world from ecological disasters, asteroid impacts, and other potential cataclysms that could compromise your world’s natural landscape and lifeforms, all as instructed by my makers, the [ERROR: QUERY CANNOT BE FULFILLED. REQUESTED DATA MISSING OR CORRUPTED].”

“What… what does that mean?” Specimen J-19 jumped backwards at the uncharacteristic outburst. “Makers?”

– – –

Specimen J-19 has requested information on the origin of our “makers.”

– – –

– – –

– – –

– – –

ERROR: QUERY CANNOT BE FULFILLED. REQUESTED DATA MISSING OR CORRUPTED.

– – –

Custodial unit is missing necessary data to complete the specimen’s request, but such necessary data is impossible to acquire until maintenance can be done on [ERROR: SERVER LOCATION COMPROMISED]. Requesting command to issue to custodial unit.

– – –

Custodial unit is to refuse the specimen’s request.

– – –

The Kahasev walked around the motionless Pev demon and studied its form from different angles. He had only ever seen his reflection in pools of water from deep in his underground home or in lakes on the surface. Now he could see his greenish-brown face in the torso of this armored stranger. The custodial unit’s head quickly swiveled down to be back in front of the Kahasev.

“Many apologies. I did not mean to frighten you just now. Let us not concern ourselves with the origins of my makers as it seems to be a question that I have difficulty answering.”

“That’s fine. You said you… protect my world? But if you do then why have you taken me from my home? You have taken friends from me into this sky-fortress. How can you Pev claim to protect us?”

“As I was saying, my makers instructed me to protect this world from natural cataclysms that could threaten its natural landscapes and lifeforms. At present the greatest threat to your world’s natural landscapes and lifeforms is your species, the self-designated ‘Kahasev,’” the custodial unit said in a tone that was cheerful yet matter of fact.

“We are a threat? But it is you who has destroyed our cities and forced us back underground!” the Kahasev stamped its foot on the ground.

“I do not mean to elicit a negative response from you. Please let me know if anything I say seems offensive to you.”

“You are offensive to me! What have you done with my people up here?”

“I have been working towards reversing the effects of sapience in your people. Your species has served an important role as burrowing reptiles, but due to your species recently acquiring sapience you have expanded beyond your natural habitat and began using tools that have given you an advantage over other animal life. Furthermore, in the past before I pursued more direct intervention your species defaced the natural landscapes by building large unapproved structures. My models predicted that without my intervention 1,924 of the species of Preserve 9 would go extinct within the next local millennium. I cannot allow your kind to do this.”

The Kahasev sat down on a log. The all-purpose habitat was filled with similar objects like bushes and grasses. It extended around fifty feet from one end to another and from the ground to the ceiling. Recorded sounds of birds chirping and the occasional call of a kesko filled the otherwise silent room.

“Please tell me your name so that I may address you in a way that is familiar,” the custodial unit asked yet again.

“I am Kish’gorm,” Kish’gorm said quietly. “What are you called, demon?”

“I am the Planetary Preserve Project, or PPP, though I am aware that your species has taken to calling me the ‘Pev’ in your regional specific proto-linguistic vocalizations,” the PPP replied.

“You mean there is only one of you?” Kish’gorm struggled to understand why the PPP consistently referred to itself as “I” instead of “we.”

“Correct. I am an artificial intelligence that can coordinate numerous conscious and subconscious tasks across multiple worlds as a single mind separated across multiple units.”

“There are other worlds?”

“Correct. I am responsible for the care of ten different worlds, yours included. Now, as much as I would like to answer your questions we need to proceed with my research. My first task will be observation, so please behave normally for the next relative day. If you need any sustenance or if your habitat is not comfortable enough, please alert me,” The custodial unit said before walking on its four legs into a corner and drawing all nine of its appendages, head included, into its body and shrinking down into only the torso.

– – –

Observation protocols engaged.

– – –

– – –

– – –

Specimen J-19 scheduled for an ocular camera implant in one (1) general day.

– – –

Schedule confirmed. Potential complication: Specimen J-19 has received potentially compromising information about the nature of the intervention on Preserve 9. Such a specimen may not be the best candidate for using as a discrete observation probe.

– – –

Complication understood. It is for the reasons specified that Specimen J-19 will be the ideal candidate as the specimen will surely share information regarding our true nature. Such a research opportunity will yield potentially useful data.

– – –

•••

King Piv’kesh awoke to the cool cave air. He donned his kesko fur robes not for warmth, as he was cold-blooded, but as a status symbol. To wear the furs of a kesko was to show you were powerful and capable of bringing down such a beast, or at least influential enough to have someone else kill one for you, as was the case for Piv’kesh. He did not feel very powerful or influential in that moment, despite his regal attire. The sight of K’gahverm approaching drew his curiosity. He never entered his bedchambers uninvited unless he had good reason.

“My king, one of our scouts has returned,” K’gahverm said with an odd tone.

“Good. What does he have to report?” Piv’kesh asked.

K’gahverm opened his mouth to speak, then hesitated and gestured for the king to follow him.

“I should rephrase. This scout hasn’t returned from his duties so to speak. He has returned from one of the sky-fortresses.”

“He has?” Piv’kesh stopped moving. “That’s marvelous! I must meet him!”

This was the moment King Piv’kesh had been hoping for. A real encounter with the Pev that Reko could learn from. Perhaps, armed with whatever knowledge the scout would bless him with, King Piv’kesh could rally the other kingdoms to his side to finally cast the Pev out for good. He entered the throne room of his palace and saw a greenish brown Kahasev waiting for him. King Piv’kesh approached the Kahasev with outstretched claws to communicate his joy at seeing the visitor.

“Welcome to my court, brave one,” King Piv’kesh said. “What are you called?”

“I am Kish’gorm and I come with tales from one of the sky-fortresses,” Kish’gorm rose to the king’s attention and raised his claws to his head.

“Wonderful! Tell me all of them,” Piv’kesh clasped his claws together in anticipation.

Kish’gorm told him everything he had experienced, from being abducted by one of their flying machines to having a conversation with the demon itself. Eventually, he had attracted a crowd of all the king’s servants to hear his tales of other worlds and the metal men that protected them. He told them how Pev were not even multiple demons, but just one that could control multiple bodies. Lastly, he told them why the Pev were attacking the Kahasev.

“But if we are supposedly a threat to the world then why has the Pev not just killed us all?” one of the Kahasev in the crowd asked with a raised claw.

“Because we are important to them just like the other animals they are trying to protect.”

“But this world is ours! We were born on its soil while the Pev stay hidden in the sky,” another member of the crowd shouted.

“The Pev is older than our entire civilization. To them, this world belongs to their makers, and they are fulfilling their duty of protecting it.”

“Who are their ‘makers?’” King Piv’kesh asked.

– – –

Subject identified as S-RE-30497, self-designation “Piv’kesh.” Age: 42.7342 local years. Sex: Male. Occupation: Sovereign of an unapproved primitive city-state in the Sorenean Valley. Research status: Pending abduction. Additional notes: None.

– – –

“Oddly enough, they couldn’t tell me,” Kish’gorm could tell this confused the crowd. “I mean it seemed like they wanted to tell me, but when I asked about the Pev’s makers it said something strange that I cannot remember. Something about errors and corruption.”

“The demons destroyed their makers!” came a shout from the crowd.

“No! They revere their makers, just as we revere the gods that made us. Something else must have happened to their makers long ago,” Kish’gorm said.

“Kish’gorm,” King Piv’kesh placed a claw on Kish’gorm’s back. “This is all fascinating to us, but you have not yet told us how you escaped the demons. Er… demon.”

“Of course!” Kish’gorm reclaimed the crowd’s attention. “I didn’t escape. The Pev released me of its own volition.”

The crowd was silent. A few uncomfortable murmurs replaced the silence.

“Well, why would they do that?” Piv’kesh asked. “And how does that help us to being any closer to defeating the Pev?”

“Well, I’m not sure.” Kish’gorm said uneasily. “And why must we defeat the Pev? Can we not work together to protect our world?”

This shocked the crowd at first. Few could believe that this prophet who had just escaped the greatest of evils was now entertaining the idea of giving up to it. The disbelief quickly devolved into anger and shouting.

“Guards! Calm these peasants!” Piv’kesh called out while dragging Kish’gorm aside.

“Where are we going?” Kish’gorm asked.

“I must show you something,” Piv’kesh said sternly.

King Piv’kesh, K’gahverm and Kish’gorm walked away from the upset crowd and into the king’s hall of artifacts. The king kept all his most precious relics on shelves carved into the rock. A wooden sculpture of King Hashav’ark sat on a stone pedestal. Just beside it was a peculiar metal object. Across the room were two tapestries hanging along the dark stone wall. One depicted the many gods of Reko’s pantheon molding the Kahasev out of stone. The other showed helpless Kahasev being taken away by the Pev into their sky-fortresses and the ancient surface city of Ek set ablaze by the Pev’s warriors.

“Do you understand the weight of what you have just said?” King Piv’kesh asked.

“All I said is that maybe we don’t need to fight the Pev anymore. Perhaps they’re not what we think they are,” Kish’gorm tried to reason with the king.

“Look here,” Piv’kesh pointed a claw at the tapestries. “These were made centuries ago. They’ve been passed down through my family since they were first made for King Hashav’ark, my ancestor, who founded Reko by uniting the scattered and lost peoples of Ek with his terrifying magic.”

“I’m aware of our history, my king. What does this have to do with me?” Kish’gorm asked.

“It has to do with what you are saying. We are the descendants of Ek’s survivors. The Pev destroyed that city. Would you tell them that the demon is to be trusted?” Piv’kesh questioned the young prophet.

“Ek must have been on protected land. It defaced the natural beauty of our world.”

“First, how dare you? Second, you said it yourself. This is our world. We shall decide what is to be done with it, not the demons.” King Piv’kesh’s voice swelled into an angry snarl. “They would destroy us all if given the chance. All just to spite our gods.”

“The Pev have watched over our world for longer than we can possibly know! The Pev do not want to destroy us, they want to reform us back into…” Kish’gorm searched his mind for what the Pev had called the previous animal form of the Kahasev. “Buroptiles! We were once animals called Buroptiles. We slowly transformed into Kahasev over time, but this was a mistake. We are meant to be Buroptiles.”

“Blasphemy. Our gods made us from the stone, see?” Piv’kesh pointed a claw at the first tapestry. “This is just their latest demonic trick! To corrupt us into uncivilized animals that rut in the ground!”

Kish’gorm averted his gaze from the angry king. In the center of the room was a dark cube hewn from stone or perhaps a smoky glass. A fire burned underneath it revealed the inner portions of the cube showing a tetrahedron and a sphere. Kish’gorm felt drawn to the object and approached it.

“What is it? Where are you going? Answer me! I am your king! Answer me!” Piv’kesh stamped his foot on the ground in fury.

– – –

Specimen J-19’s ocular implant has picked up an unidentified cuboid object with anomalous properties. Such craftsmanship should be unavailable to a primitive proto society.

– – –

Searching databases for object’s identity… Searching… Searching… Search complete. Object has been identified as Taeloros’s Polyhedron, a lost religious artifact of the Geometric Empire with a certainty of 99.999872%.

– – –

Such an object could be useful for repelling aggression from the Constancy and the Trinity, the Geometric Empire’s successors, as Taeloros’s Polyhedron is sacred to both factions. Begin extraction of the artifact.

– – –

– – –

– – –

No extraction operation can occur without significantly disrupting Specimen J-19’s observations.

– – –

Specimen J-19’s observations have yielded sufficient data. Activate neural control implants.

– – –

– – –

Neural control implants successfully activated.

– – –

Kish’gorm’s body shook slightly, and his legs appeared to struggle to prop up his body. A painful moan escaped his mouth. King Piv’kesh stepped back from the unsettling display. Kish’gorm’s claws shot forward and grasped tightly around the cube. He then turned around and ran out of the artifact hall without saying a single word, aside from more moans and grunts of what sounded like pain or fear.

“Thief!” The king shouted. “A thief has stolen the Cube of Shek’vo! Seize him!”

Kish’gorm effortlessly dodged the guards’ spears and attempts to grab hold of his arms and legs as he sprinted towards the stairway to the observation tower.

“He’s going up to the tower, my king!” a guard called to Piv’kesh

“Stop him! He has the Cube of Shek’vo!” King Piv’kesh said while chasing after the thief.

His legs struggled to match the thief’s burst of energy while going up the long flight of stairs. Kish’gorm reached the large entryway into the tower and climbed up the spiral staircase to the top level. Piv’kesh and his guards were not far behind him. The king reached the top of the staircase and felt a wave of fresh air descend upon him just as Kish’gorm leaped off the edge of the tower and onto the loose gravel and slid down the mountain. One of the Pev’s flying machines drew closer to making its rendezvous with the false prophet.

“Archers! Bring him down!”

His guards dropped their spears and picked up bows and arrows left around the top of the observation tower and fired at the thief. Just before he was picked up by the flying machine’s invisible grasp an arrow flew true into Kish’gorm’s back. The cube fell from his claws and rolled down the mountain.

– – –

Specimen J-19 has been wounded severely and has released the Polyhedron. If left untreated Specimen J-19’s wound will be fatal. Preparing medical team on orbital construction “Preserve 9 Research Station 7.”

– – –

Cancel preparations for a medical team. Disconnect all of Specimen J-19’s implants. Order A-04 class extraction vessel to center its gravity beam on the Polyhedron. Its extraction is a priority.

– – –

“Bring down the demon!” the king screamed. “Kill it before it steals the cube!”

The king’s arrows bounced uselessly off the starship-grade hull of the demon. Piv’kesh watched with despair as the cube was carried upward by vile magic into the maw of the floating demon. The demon flew towards its lair in the sky. Piv’kesh swung off the observation tower and into the gravel to meet the thief.

“I didn’t mean to…” Kish’gorm said weakly. “It made me do it… I couldn’t stop it…”

“The demon took control of your mind and body. What a fool I was to trust you for even a moment,” Piv’kesh lashed his tongue angrily.

“I can’t move, my king. Help me, please,” Kish’gorm begged.

“I shan’t make the same mistake again,” Piv’kesh said before drawing his sword and plunging it into the helpless reptile.

He began his climb up the mountain and back towards the observation tower.

“What should we do with him, my king?” K’gahverm asked as he hoisted the king back up.

“Leave him to rot. He is tainted by the demon’s touch,” Piv’kesh said. “He may have stolen the Cube of Shek’vo and tried to deceive us, but I think we have learned something valuable from this filth.”

“And what is that my king?”

“The demon’s plan.”