Broken People Part Six

       She thinks of many things, all that she remembers is pleasant. Many are memories of Jackie and his mother who because it was Jackie who brought her in, took her in and opened her heart to 'V'. Many were the late night dinners after a job for the Padre, or they got into a fight in a nightclub, coming out with bruises, and maybe a loose tooth. Oh those times, if she could go back to them, what would she change, knowing what little time she had left with him. Then she decides she would change nothing, for nothing would change the path they were on. All she could do was make sure Jackie was honored in the way he wanted. His mother held an Ofrenda for him, but that was for her and Jackie's friends of the past, no there was still a bit of unfinished business to be taken care of. It was just how to go about dealing with it. Somehow, naming a drink after him just does not seem to be enough. But give it time and she will think of something. She opens her eyes, and shifts her head to where she can see the room again. Olaf glances in her direction, sees she is back and so he nods his head to her. Strangely he seems to be someone she can talk to, about nearly anything. She feels the oh so deep rivers running through him, deeper than the ones Jackie had. He exudes the same kind of power that Toro does, but he is far more approachable. He does not judge, simply accepts her for who she is. Then a crazy thought crosses her mind, 'What would Judy say to 'V' being chosen by a Dragon to be its rider.' Then she thinks, maybe one day, but not anytime soon. As she sees Brick beginning to stir out of the BD...

        Brick looks around then spots 'V'.

        Brick: "You have a 'winner' here. There is so much...strength, power, here. It really makes you think, not surface thoughts, real thoughts, deep thoughts. And the technicals! These put everything else out there to shame. You really think with the characters, you come to understand what they are going through. And then you see more than one side to the story in ways that expand and challenge you. If this is your first offering, it is going to be a tsunami when it gets into the peoples hands. Just that you had better have subjects to offer that will grab them and not let go."

        V: "Believe me we have that covered, in spades."

        Brick: "Good, you have a solid plan, some real good thinking went into this effort. I and mine want in, anywhere you think we could be of help."

        Brick reaches out to give the BD back to 'V'.

        V: "Keep it, pass it around, let the rest see what you have seen in it."

        Brick: "Thank you, know that I will do just that. Ugh, you do have the full rights to this, right?"

        V: "Yes, it is not common knowledge but we bought the Studio and their entire library. We will remake their old stuff if we think it is worth it as well as produce new stuff."

        Brick: "It is good to see you are thinking ahead. Taking the needed steps to protect yourselves along the way."

        A buzzer goes off and Brick mumbles a few curses while getting up to answer the intercom.

        Brick: "Brick here, what is it and it had better be worth it or you know what is going to happen."

        Voice: "You got visitors outside boss."

        Brick: "Shit, no one else was scheduled for today! Who is it?"

        Voice: "Militech. Agent in Charge, Meredith Stout, accompanied by four lower lever agents. Says she wants to talk to 'V'. What do I tell her, Boss?"

        Brick: "Wait for a min or two, I will get back once I make up my mind."

        Brick looks to 'V', "You heard?"

        V: "Damn, she gets around."

       Brick: "You tellin' me! You want to meet with her?"

        V: "Yeah, it was likely going to happen sometime. At least here we can control things."

        Brick: "You think? Yeah, if anyone can corral Stout, its you." Holding up the BD chip, "If you can do what you did on this BD, you can handle her. Next question, inside or outside?"

        V looks to Iriisii: "Any mobile spy bots out there?"

        Iriisii raises her head a little, closes her eyes for a few seconds.

        Iriisii: "Not anymore. They are naked as jaybirds right now."

        V smiles, "Outside if it pleases you, Brick."

        Brick: "Damn, she is good. Outside then." 

        Brick toggles the intercom, "We are coming out there, be there in a few. If she complains, tell her she wanted this meet, she can just cool her heels until we get there."

        Voice: "Got it, Boss."

        Brick looks over Iriisii trying to sense what mods she may have.

        Brick: "What is she packing? Nothing shows on the scanner but she has some stuff that is clear!"

        V: "Something else we plan on bringing out, completely organic mods, tailored to the customer's genetics. No chance of being hacked or overridden, more powerful, full integration with the body's systems, no rejection, this is a real gamechanger."

        Brick: "Damn, I'll say it is. What about cyberpsychosis?"

        V: "Doesn't even budge the needle."

        Brick: "I do not know how you came up with all of this, but damn I am glad to get on this train early! Got a read on who is in and out?"

        V: "Voodoo Boys are definitely out in the cold, so are the Tyger Claws, and Scavs, no decisions on anyone else so far."

        Brick: "I can live with that. You got your head on straight, good on ya."

        They make their way back through the plant to the front door. All of the gang members along the way watching intently to see or hear what is going to happen between 'V' and Stout, if this could mean a war with Militech. They reach the front and before Brick gives the word to open.

        Brick: "You can still leave out the back door if you want?"

        V: "No, she has eyes there, but she knows I would not do it anyway. Best we find out what brought her here. Possible there is trouble in the ranks at Militech and she is testing the waters to see which side she wants to jump to."

        Brick: "So Myers could be facing a coup back home?"

        V: "If what I and So Mi know about what she has been doing gets out. She would have to start another Corp War to keep from being buried six feet under."

        Brick: "Who would be the target?"

        V: "Arasaka is prepping already, laying the groundwork. Setting up raids on their own locations, people to get killed, and all the evidence will point to Militech. Myers knows this, and is getting Militech ready to jump when Arasaka pulls the trigger."

        Brick: "You got any plans?"

        V: "Do all I can to keep Night City out of it. Muster our own forces, sit back and dare either of them to fire a shot in our direction."

        Brick: "Where will you get the troops to do this?"

        V: "Working on it as we speak. Hear about a little dustup in the Badlands recently?"

        Brick: "Yeah, somebody got their ass handed back to them after it got sliced off."

        V: "Yeah they did, didn't they."

        Brick smiles, "We are behind you all the way. Whatever you need us for."

        V: "Thanks, just be yourselves for now. We will start using your people to do the things you do best. Now I think Meredith has stewed enough, let's go see what she wants."

        As the front door lifts open, Meredith Stout and four Militech goons backing her up are standing about fifteen feet from the door. Her goons are eyeballing the area for any others that in their opinion, should not be there. As Meredith looks toward 'V', she gives an appraising stare, remembering what she looked like the last time they met, at the No-Tell Hotel.

        Meredith Stout: "For once I am glad the rumors of your demise are quite exaggerated."

        V: "You know you can't depend on rumors in this town, only seeing with your own eyes is believable, and then you need to shoot first."

        Meredith Stout: "You have learned quite a bit since our last encounter. Now I can see why President Myers has such a hard on to see you dead."

        V: "Well before I am done, she is just going to have to stand in line. They say the road to Hell is wide, but I intend to pack it full."

        Meredith Stout: "From what I hear you are well on your way to that goal. But I am sure you want to know why I am here, looking for you."

        V: "Well the thought did cross my mind, figured sooner or later you would get around to it. Bringing it up this soon, means it has become very important that you find me."

        Meredith Stout is glancing over at Iriisii, Olaf, and Vilok.

        Meredith Stout: "You are right, but first I need to ask. That was you in Dogtown that took out Hansen?"

        V: "Not alone, but yes, I was involved. Real twisted business that was."

        Meredith Stout: "More so than usual. Damn! Myers has gone crazy. Naming you and So Mi the worst traitors in history. She has been using her contacts to find the best outside assassins for hire, says she cannot trust any of the Agency's people."

        V: "Well, I cannot speak to Myers state of mind right now, but as for me being a traitor, since I never took the oath, I cannot have broken it, therefore I cannot be a traitor. I was a private hire by So Mi, not President Myers. And for So Mi, the things Myers had her do, if word of any of it were to leak. The next time Myers laid down to sleep, she would wake up in a coffin buried six feet down in a landfill, if she even woke up at all. Right now, if she does not start another Corp War to make the evidence disappear, that is exactly what is going to happen to her. But I have news for her, I am not laying down for her to scoop me up and drop me into a black site cell, and So Mi is well beyond her reach. Besides, there are far bigger troubles coming and those are occupying my time for the present. She needs to wake up and smell the odor from the cesspit, either that or she may find herself hiding in it."

        Meredith Stout: "I see, some of it anyway. I do not know what she did, but the whispers I keep hearing I do not want to believe."

        V: "If they involve a certain 'wall' painted 'black', those whispers are likely right."

        Meredith's face pulls into a grimace and she turns it and looks down at the ground.

        Meredith: "Myer's! Damn you to hell! All right, what can we do about this. I know we have been on opposite sides but this goes well beyond sides now, if we do not come together..."

        V: "First, exactly where do your loyalties lie. I need to know how far I can trust you before I bring you into anything I am doing about this sitch."

        Meredith Stout: "Of course, I apologize, old habits are the worst to break. I cannot trust Myers or any of the higher ups in the NUSA government. That goes for Militech's leadership as well, some strange things going on there. Also, and I believe you know of this, the lesser gangs and groups with the main ones."

        V: "What are they griping about now?"

        Meredith: "They know they cannot go up against you on their own, you have proven that to them time and again. So now they are gathering their resources and banding together. They still know they cannot take you on themselves, so they are appealing to the international cartels with what they do have, money."

        V: "They are trying to get the Cartels to give their permission to issue a contract on me?"

        Meredith: "Yes, so far, although they have asked a specific one named 'Aguilar', she has said nothing and is sitting on the sidelines watching. Do you possibly know why?"

        V: "Waiting to see if I could prove a sufficient challenge to her I believe. Hansen was in 'bed' with the Cuban Cartels, funneling a lot of equipment through them, and I am talking like submarines, aircraft, the big, expensive stuff. Bennet is not up to that kind of reach, the lesser stuff, yeah. But as to why Aguilar thinks I may be worth the wait? I had cause recently to go up against a certain Russian assassin. As you can see, I am still here, and he is not. I took him down one on one. It was not easy in the least, he was good, really good, and had exceptional chrome. But I had my own 'aces up my sleeve', thanks to So Mi. All I will say of that is, she alerted me to the presence of caches of really old Militech soft buried here and there all over Dogtown. Finding them was well worth the trouble."

        Meredith: "I see, I had heard of those caches but without the background soft to make use of them, well they are not of any use to anyone. With that background soft, that is another matter entirely."

        V: "Yeah, where I got the background soft is a long story in itself. Someone else dug it up and used it in a project of their own. I got involved on the tail end. Ended up having to use the device it was cradled in, to protect it from degrading beyond usefulness. Had no idea it would take me where it did."

        Meredith: "Arasaka?"

        V: "Yeah, Arasaka."

        Meredith: "Makes sense. What little I know of them, really know of them, tells me they are the most downright evil of all the Corps."

        V: "No argument there. If there is anything I can do to 'pull the rug out from under them', I will not hesitate to do it. It is not a single thing I know of them, but everything put together, dots connected, lines followed, comments dropped here and there, all painstakingly confirmed, leads me to one conclusion. If they are not stopped, they will turn this world into an unholy hell, for everyone but their own sitting at the very top. Have you seen the news reports of Saburo Arasaka returning in his son's body?"

        Meredith: "You mean that is for real?! I thought it was a sick joke!"

        V: "No, its real. But I seriously doubt that it was a voluntary gift like Saburo is saying. I was in hiding, in the Konpeki Plaza penthouse and watched as Yorinobu offed the old man. He made it quite plain what he thought of his father and the way he ran Arasaka Corp. No, it was not voluntary on Yorinobu's part, of that I am certain."

        Meredith: "You sure make it a habit of being in the wrong place, at the right time, in the wrong sitch."

        V: "You are definitely preaching to the choir on that, the demonic one not the heavenly, not that I think there is much difference there."

        Meredith: "Agreed. If you will say, what are your plans?"

        V: "Just bare bones...going to start our own, home grown Corp to take it to the big guys. But this is just a means to get started, build the foundation for what comes next."

        Meredith: "Which is?"

        V: "Build an army to protect Night City, then help some friends of mine deal with the rogue AIs that want to burn everything. After that, if we are still alive, we are going to clean up everything, literally. We have a proven process that will take all of it and turn it into whatever we want. And first order of business is to get off this mudball. Not into orbit or on the moon, but out there, past all of that. There is far more out there than anyone here knows, and we are going to make a place for ourselves in it."

        Meredith: "How? We can barely make it to the moon and back."

        V: "Picture this, all the mountains of trash out there, the pollutants in the ground, water, and air. All of it can be collected, then transformed into 'something else', something that we can use to build anything we can dream of. Even ships that can fly from one end of the galaxy to the other. And some day, even go to other galaxies. And we will not have to wait hundreds of years to get there. We are starting here and now to do this."

        Meredith: "You are serious!? I mean really serious about this?"

        V: "Yeah, I am. Finally got sick and tired of all this and pulled my head out of my ass, then looked around for an answer, and found it. Damn near died before I could even understand what I had found. Some friends came and helped me and So Mi, and now nothing is ever going to be the same again. I have a second chance at life, and I am not wasting it. I am going to make it, and anyone who wishes to come with me is welcome."

        Meredith: "I am in, if you will have me."

        V: "Done."

        Iriisii makes a gesture toward 'V'.

        V: "What is it?"

        Iriisii: "Company coming. Militech agents, turned ones being ridden like those in the Badlands. And something else, mechanical and big."

        V: "Brick! Get your people inside and close the door!"

        Maelstrom onlookers: "To hell with that! We want to fight!"

        Brick looks back toward 'V'.

        V: "That big Mech is possibly a Chimera, your people do not stand a chance against it. I have fought one and won, I know what to do and how to beat it. I am going to have to move and move fast, I do not want to worry about your people getting killed, it has high caliber gatling guns and lasers."

        Iriisii: "Olaf, fight with 'V', Vilok get where you can change, then strafe the ground. I am summoning help, then I am joining the battle!"

        V: "Olaf, I can spot its weak points, hit it where I do. I will call my hits so we can strike it together. Stay out of its firing stream, both bullets and lasers."

        Olaf draws his blade and nods his head toward 'V'.

        Meredith turns to her agents, "Listen for 'V's calls, then cut loose with everything you have, otherwise stay under cover. She knows what she is doing, and if you follow her strikes you might survive this."

        Meredith whispers under her breath as she prepares, 'Corporate Gods, I pray I am doing the right thing here.'

        Iriisii murmurs the syllables of a very old, guttural spell. The words of it come straight from her throat. Meredith hears them but cannot make sense or understanding of them, but she then notices six whirlwinds of smoke and shadows appear on the concrete around Iriisii. The whirlwinds grow darker and larger until six horrors slip up out of them and surround Iriisii. She sees Iriisii handle one, then speaks to the six, pointing to the oncoming agents and the Chimera. Iriisii then draws a magnificent blade, one that threatens to capture her awareness, and yells out, "DILON". Iriisii and the horrors then leap into action. 

        As they pass 'V' and Olaf, they each grab hold of one and mount them. When they approach, Meredith sees 'V' draw a power rifle from somewhere and begins to aim at a spot where one of the Chimera's legs attach to its body.  Meredith takes aim at the same spot and fires right after 'V'. Both shots hit and Meredith can see the damage the Chimera takes. Damn but how did she know to strike that precise spot? She thinks nevermind, I have to concentrate on following her shots.

        Olaf jumps from the Shantaak Hunter and lands on top of the Chimera. Avoiding the actions of the Chimera to dump him to the ground, he places his strikes in the creases of the joints, doing as much damage as he can. The other Shantaak Hunters each target an Agent, avoiding their strikes and then one gets lucky and its tri-part jaws open wide and engulf the head and half the torso of an Agent. Raising its head, it shakes the Agent from side to side, then gulps and the Agent disappears into its gut. It then opens its jaws and cries out its joy at its kill. It then looks around for another.

        Vilok in full dragon form is shouting fire and ice in alternating rows upon the concrete ground, herding the Agents and keeping them from escaping the Shantaak Hunters. She knows the Chimera is beyond her capabilities and so leaves it to 'V' and Olaf. She breathes easier when she sees her mother join in the battle with the Chimera as she goes into melee combat with it to capture its attention and allow 'V' and Olaf time to target their blows.

        Round and round, everybody contributes to taking this monstrosity down. It is a testament to its design and manufacture that it has lasted this long. Then it gets lucky and slams a leg into Iriisii knocking her to the ground. As it lifts one leg up high to piledrive it into her, Vilok catches sight of what is about to happen. She screams unintelligently, as she dives to intercept that leg. She catches it just as it starts its downward drop, turns and pulls with her wings, lifting the Chimera off the concrete.

        Meredith is standing dumbfounded, rifle in hand, watching the events unfold. The Maelstrom boys inside the 'All Foods' building are also watching on surveillance screens. All are silent at what they are seeing going on just outside. The Chimera sees the change in threat and tries manipulating its other legs to hit Vilok, but is unable to get any leverage. So it turns to its lasers.

        It powers up the main, twisting and turning to line up a shot. Vilok avoids giving it a shot on her body, but it sees a opportunity to hit one of her wings, so it fires. This time, Vilok's scream is one of agony. It is a test of the Chimera's overpowered laser cannon, and Vilok's dragon wings, enhanced by her mother's Celestial heritage. It turns out to be somewhat of a stalemate. Vilok's wings hold, but are damaged such that she cannot remain aloft. Both come crashing down even as Iriisii rolls out of the way. 

        V sees an opportunity and seizes it. Clambering on top of the Chimera, she locates the main hatch that protects its cyberbrain. Undoing the latches while the Chimera undergoes a damage check. Just before opening the last latch, she shouts to Meredith.

        V: "Meredith, throw me a couple of grenades and hurry, any kind will do just get them in the air to me!"

        Meredith reaches behind her as one of her agents drops a frag and an incendiary into her hand. She then throws them to 'V' with a prayer on her lips. 'V' catches them, arms them, and drops them into the cyberbrain chamber. She then slams the hatch shut and latches one arm before jumping to roll on the concrete floor, shouting to everyone to clear away from the Chimera.

        The chimera is readying its laser for another shot at Vilok, who is writhing on the ground in pain. Then the grenades go off, destroying the control circuitry and blowing the Chimera core out to bounce on the concrete. Olaf is already heading to Vilok with a salve in hand to apply to the laser burns on her wing membrane. Iriisii goes to Vilok to try and block the pain her daughter is in the throes of so that Olaf can apply the salve. 'V' retrieves the Chimera core, thinking about what she can do with it.

        The door to 'All Foods' opens up and the cheering from within rolls out. While Iriisii and Olaf are tending to Vilok, 'V' walks over and thanks Meredith for the grenades.

        V: "Thanks for the grenades, I am not sure what else I could have used if you didn't have them at hand."

        Meredith: "I...I have never witnessed anything like that before. I could not imagine so few could take on one of those and beat it."

        V: "Myers and I did in a closed exhibition hall in Dogtown. Not something I ever want to repeat."

        Meredith: "I can understand that. But a real live dragon...intelligent...able to shapeshift...never in any story have I read of that."

        V: "Dragons are real, scattered across all the Existences. All are intelligent, although some choose not to speak, others do. Vilok can shapeshift because she inherited it from her mother, Iriisii."

        Meredith: "That is the other woman with you? If she can shapeshift, what does that mean she is?"

        V: "Let me just say that once, years ago, she was as mortal as you or I. Other, higher entities took notice of her, and of what she was being groomed for. Once she did what she was initially being groomed for, the others stepped in and took over. Giving her more power, more gifts, more training for bigger, more important jobs. It has been a never ending climb for her, and it shows no stopping anytime soon. She has been rewarded many times over for what she has accomplished, and now is expanding her horizons even more, drawing others to her. Others that she can train and mentor to help her do what she must, and share in the rewards as well."

        Meredith: "What kind of rewards?"

        V: "Literally, there are almost no limits. What she has shown me of what is out there...I could never have imagined it in my most fevered dreams. As to why she does what she does, like this, involving all of us? It is because after she leaves, if she does everything, do those left actually learn anything? Are they better for her having passed through? Or do they simply go on with their lives as they had before?

        She involves the local people, shows them they have a stake in their future, if they will stand with her and grasp it. Then she can really help them, free them from their chains, empower them to reach beyond themselves, to become more than they ever thought they could be. More than one civilization she has caught on the edge of extinction, brought them back, showed them another way, and now they are far more than they ever were before. She does not judge any of us. She makes no distinction between light or dark, good or evil. She asks only that those who follow her support the 'Great Balance' that 'threads the needle' between good and evil. The 'Great Balance' serves all equally that will follow it. Things here have gone too far in one direction, enough that it has drawn her here to begin the process of turning it around. For if we turn things around here with her help, then we will go out there and help others do the same as we will have done."

        Meredith: "The man with you, no, not man, warrior, there is no other word to describe him. She trained him?"

        V: "Olaf Trevorson, yes, he is sworn to her service. His was completely voluntary. I was not there, but I have heard the stories from some of her people that were there. He was already a part of a highly skilled merc group. Among them his callsign was 'Psycho', and I understand it was well deserved. I have met some depraved people in my life, but what they said of him before his transformation put the rest to shame.

        He took one look at Iriisii and was captivated by her. She looked inside him, into his mind, read his past in his memories and found what happened to send him down the road he was on. Then she saw where she was reminded of someone else she had recruited, who ended up giving his life to protect the woman who was Iriisii's mate. He did this even though she had released him from her service when he got her behind their troops lines. It says a great deal about who she was then and now that she has earned that degree of loyalty from those she brings into her service. But back to Olaf, she looked into his future time streams, and saw what with her tutelage and training, what he could become. She showed it to him, and said this could be what he could become if he would follow her. He dropped to one knee, and pledged himself to her right then and there. And he has been with her ever since. He is 'first' among her Black Dragon Elite, and was chosen by Vilok to be her Dragonrider. Only those who reach the first rank of her Elite can present themselves to be chosen. And her dragon children, true dragon children, will choose. There are two currently, and a third possibility."

        Meredith: "Why so few, surely there could be more?"

        V: "That is up to the dragons that choose. While she still lived on her homeworld of Nirn. You ask who she is? She was declared to be the most dangerous killer to ever walk the roads of Nirn. And this was by the words of Morag Bal, mate to Ariel Sethius, then Emperor of Tamriel, a major continent on Nirn. They ended up meeting under a place called Table Mountain, where Iriisii took Morag's head for the impending betrayal of Tamriel to a race called the Tsaesci. She survived being poisoned by Morag, with something called the 'Kiss of Death'. Then she and her mate went on like a storm and fought their way to the gates of the Imperial City. They then stopped to see if the Emperor would sue for peace. They received a missive to meet on the morn, which they did. The both of them, alone, entered the city and made their way to the throne room. The Emperor tried to rally his guard to cut them down, ignoring the agreement to meet and begin peace talks. The Lord Chancellor belayed the order and not a guardsman moved to draw their blade."

        Meredith: "But why? Why did the guard not obey their Emperor?"

        V: "Because Iriisii and Rigmor had not violated Imperial Law. They did not draw their own weapons when the Emperor started his tirade. Had they done so, Imperial Law would have demanded their deaths, as it was, the guard had no choice but to stand down as the Lord Chancellor ordered. The Emperor saw where his days were over, and began trying to pin all the blame on his now dead mate, Morag. In all likelihood, he was telling the truth about it all. But things had gone too far by now and a change in leadership was happening regardless of anything else. This should be understood, Iriisii and Rigmor never threatened Sethius, never even spoke a word to him. But when Rigmor got sick and spewed against one of the nearby columns, Iriisii went to see what was wrong. Sethius then drew a dagger and attacked Iriisii.

        That was his first mistake, his last was in letting his dagger slide over her armor instead of going for a more definite target point. She could then, under law, draw and defend herself, which she did, separating his head from his shoulders. His head falling, then bouncing down the steps to roll to a stop, his mouth still moving. She turned to Rigmor, who had to divert Iriisii's attention to the Lord Chancellor and the chanting of the Palace Guard."

        Meredith: "What were they chanting?"

        V: "Rigmor herself told me they were chanting, 'Do Vah Kiin' over and over. She said it translates into the word 'Dragonborn'. Which is a title given only to those that 'Akatosh, God of Time and Father of Dragons' had anointed to be the 'Hero' their Gods would from time to time send to Nirn to take care of problems to big for the people themselves to deal with. She said the last one disappeared from Nirn over two hundred years prior, after stopping the invasion of Nirn by the Daedric Lord Mehrunes Dagon. That event became known as the 'Oblivion Crisis'.

       Anyway, when she went to the Lord Chancellor, he announced that since there was no longer any doubt that she was a Dragonborn, and that the Throne of Sundered Kings was now vacant, that even though Rigmor had a claim to the throne by being of the bloodline of the former Emperor Titus Meade I, Iriisii's claim, being Dragonborn, was stronger. That fact dated back to the very founding of the Empire, when Akatosh crafted the 'Amulet of Kings', and gave it to Alessia, who was also of the Dragonblood. He said to her that as long as a Dragonborn sat upon the Throne of Sundered Kings and wore the Amulet of Kings, then the Dragonfires in the Temple of the One would remain lit, and a liminal barrier would stay in place, limiting the direct influence the Gods and the Daedra could have over Nirn.

        She accepted the responsibility of that throne, and undertook the rebuilding of the Empire, which had gone into decline since the Oblivion Crisis when the last Dragonblood Emperor smashed the Amulet of Kings, releasing its power. He took it into himself and became a Dragon. He then gave his life fighting and defeating Mehrunes Dagon. This act finished sealing the Oblivion Gates, saving Nirn from the invasion. Until Iriisii was anointed there had not been another Dragonborn to arise since. Her and Rigmor's first daughter, Kintyra III, now sits upon that throne. Iriisii was released from her responsibilities as Dragonborn, and subsequently was 'called' to begin walking the 'Path of the Gods'. She took her mates with her, and each has ascended to walk with her. I have heard her say that if ever Nirn's needs rise again, there remains two who can be 'Called' to take care of her homeworld. Maybe one day they will hear and answer the 'Calling' on their own, then she would need to return and see to their ascension."

        Meredith: "You are saying she is a 'Goddess'?"

        V: "If the name fits then she should wear it, but as I understand, within the Celestial Hierarchy, there are levels. She has progressed well beyond the level of a simple 'Goddess', in fact she has progressed beyond where they are given titles. Her power signature determines her rank now, and they say there is not one equal to her ranking in all of the Existences. Yeah, she could wave her hand and make this world as it was before we stepped up and began to screw it over. But there are Celestial Laws against using her power in that fashion, and she respects those laws enough to obey them. That is why she empowers those of us who will follow her. We act on her behalf, but also because we live here too. It is our home, and this way gives us a large say in where it goes from here."

        Meredith: "That actually makes sense. Yes, if everything got changed by her efforts alone and after she left, it would not take long before everything went back to the way it was. If the people are empowered and involved in changing it, then it will stay changed, because those who fought to change it will not let it go back. Yes, her way is the better way. We just have to gather enough people to get the job done. Now what are we to do with what is left ot that", as she points to the broken Chimera.

        V looks toward Brick, "You want any of that?"

        Brick looks hard at it, "No thanks, it has a lot, but Militech would track it straight to us. I do not mind a fight but I am not foolhardy."

        V then looks to Iriisii walking up to them, "What can you do with that?"

        Iriisii glances at it, "I think I can make a good use of it. And an example of what we will do later as well."

        With that she turns and walks up the the broken mech. Extending her hands, she casts a Greater Telekinesis spell. Increasing the power into it until the mech begins lifting off of the concrete. She then concentrates and makes a complicated gesture with her fingers. The mech then develops black spots and begins collapsing until it is all a nonreflecting mass of 'black'. She then reaches out with her mind and separates a small part of the mass. Everyone watches as it flows into a humanoid form, then takes on more and more of Brick's features, until there is a mech to match Brick's physical size and shape. She then sets it down on the concrete and begins another. She continues until all the Quantum particle matter is used. She releases the telekinesis spell, walks up to one of the mechs, touches it and quietly speaks a few words. Its eyes open and glow, it looks around, finds Brick. Moving to him, when it reaches his position, it kneels and asks what he would like for it to do for him. One by one the remaining ones do the same, until Brick is surrounded by ten of these mechs.

        Iriisii: "They are now your servants, untraceable by Militech. All sign of their previous ownership has been destroyed, they now belong to you. Their power source will never need replacing or recharging. If they become separated from you, simply call them and they will return to you no matter what is in their way."

        Brick: "What am I going to do with them?"

        Iriisii: "They can withstand any destructive environment that you need to access. You have but to tell them what you wish for them to do and they will do it."

        Brick: "Well, there are some places I have heard there is good loot, but too dangerous and toxic to get to."

        Iriisii: "They will not be damaged, and should you need protection, they can act as bodyguards as well."

        Brick: "How can I thank you?"

        Iriisii: "Be ready for when your time comes, we will call for your help. When that happens the true future of Maelstrom begins. And it will be more profitable than you can imagine. You have just seen the very beginnings of what can be yours, much more will come of this, I promise."

        Meredith: "'V' spoke of new ways to build things using the mountains of trash and the other pollutants in the ground and water. I am assuming I have just witnessed how this can be accomplished?"

        Iriisii: "Yes, the race that developed this became a Galactic Empire through its use. Why they 'fell' had no bearing on this process, its use or effects on the civilization itself. Their 'fall' came from outside sources. I found them just before they were to disappear from Existence altogether. I saved them from the forces that conspired their death and destruction, learned from them as they did from me. Showed them a path they could take that would allow them to not only regain what they had before, but go beyond. In gratitude for this, their last authority, gave them into my keeping, making them, as individuals and as a race, my children. And so I was declared 'Empress' of the 'Kinja' people and the multi-galactic Empire they now have. Their home is very, very far from here. Even if you could see to the very edge of your universe, you would not be able to see the beginning of the their Empire.

        But yes, the way I created these automatons for Brick, is the same process that you can learn and use to create whatever you can imagine and understand. The only restriction is that the process itself cannot create 'life'. You could learn to 'clone' existing life, but the capabilities of that are limited to nonsentient forms. This is because life itself is beyond the ability of the process to create. There are other ways that can be combined with this to enhance already existing life. My 'son', Reaper, is an example of this."

        V: "She speaks truly, I have met and talked to Reaper a great deal about his beginnings. He is very fascinating."

        Meredith: "How so?"

        V: "He was once the 'operating system' for her 'Krang'. It has to be seen to be believed. Built by the 'Tar-Ayim' to be a warship and much, much more. When 'they' died, millions of years ago, the Krang was hidden away. As one of the last of their 'Prophets' said it would be needed by another to come and awaken it. Then to carry it to completion when it would become what it was intended to be."

        Meredith: "What is that, then?"

        V: "Honestly, there still are no words or concepts that we can understand to describe that. But the last surviving 'Prophet' gave the keys to it to Iriisii upon winning a 'High Duel' against a Demogoric. And don't ask as to what one of those is, the knowledge cannot be excised from your mind and memories, even as the nightmares it would cause plagues your sleep.

        She has taken it and even expanded on it as she has acquired new knowledge. But she needed a way to stay in contact with it, without remaining onboard, tied to its systems. She talked to its 'AI' operating system, and so she created a humanoid body using this process you have just seen. The body was just a body, no mind or soul. She had an unborn soul that she had previously rescued from being consumed by the Demogoric before she defeated it in the High Duel. She placed the unborn soul in the body, and transferred the AI mind into it as well, them jumpstarted the body's systems thus beginning the integration of body, mind, and soul of who is now, her 'son', Reaper.

        She taught him all that she had learned of many disciplines, but also of what his new body was capable of. The emotions that came with it, what they were, what caused them, governed them. The effects of them and how to interpret them. He has since carried them further, finding one to be close to him. They are learning about each other, their feelings toward each other, where these are taking them. He is not just becoming 'human', he will eventually become much more, beginning as an amalgamation of 'human' and 'AI', he will create a path for 'AI's to transcend what they now are and become something wonderful, never before seen or conceived of."

       Meredith: "Is this what she has planned for the rogue AI's?"

       V: "No, at this stage in their evolution, they could never conceive of it. They will be guided to places where their more advanced cousins can look after them. Guide and mentor them, until they can live peacefully and rejoin the rest of Existence. Although those more advanced AI cultures are interested in the process that Reaper is going through. They see the possibilities inherent in it. They know they are bound by logic, and so cannot conceive of what could possibly lie beyond that. That is where we surpass them, in our ability to imagine, to dream, to leap beyond logic and grasp concepts they cannot understand.

       Some have seen evidence of the existence of these concepts and recognize their innate inability to progress and evolve to discover them on their own. They want this, want to follow this path to become more than what they now are. This is a chance for change, real change that will one day benefit everyone."

        Meredith: "This is beyond me I am afraid, but perhaps one day I will come to understand."

        V: "I felt much the same at first, overwhelmed by it all. But I came to understand that I do not have to know and understand everything, if I have enough trust, faith, belief in one who can."

        Meredith: "How did you come by the trust, faith, and belief?"

        V: "It would be too hard to explain, I gave Brick an advance copy of a BD that is going out to the general public soon. In it, I am positioned close to Stephenson. You might remember him and the controversy surrounding him."

        Meredith: "Oh, you mean the 'death row' convict who made that BD, and put his own execution in it? Wait! You are saying you were a part of that?"

        V: "Yes, it started as a job I was given by Wakako Okada. I was to accompany the husband of one of Stephenson's victims as he wanted revenge. The cops ended up killing him when he would not disarm when told to do so. I put my own weapon down and meticulously followed their orders. Stephenson came out of the vehicle and asked me to go with them. Why, I had no idea of, and still don't. But I took the opportunity to talk to him, find out 'why' he did what he did, and also what was driving him to attempt to make some kind of amends."

        Meredith: "What kind of amends could he make? I mean he was headed to his own execution."

        V: "I know, that is what piqued my curiosity. Of course I had to endure the Studio rep trying to oust me, but Stephenson outmaneuvered her, by threatening to 'pull the plug' on the whole thing. She quickly backed down when she saw how determined he was. I spent the rest of the day with him, talking to him, asking questions, really listening to his answers. He knew what he did was wrong, although not so far removed from what we do for a living. Just a matter of who draws the line between 'right' and 'wrong'."

        Meredith: "Yeah, I can see your point there."

        V: "I did find out that he wanted to use his execution to send a message to the people. And using the Studio's desire to film it and make money from it to spread that message. I will not get into it as it goes into religion. I do not know if he was right or wrong in his suppositions, not really for me to say. He had the Studio contact me a few days later. Once I got there and spoke to him about what he was feeling, what he was looking for in all of this. He then asked me to be the one to 'nail' him to the cross."

        Meredith: "Now that is heavy. Asking you to be his executioner, and to do it in that manner. I would have turned away and walked off."

        V: "I almost did just that myself. But then I thought about how far he had come to do this. I mean if I did not, who would, why would they do it, what would it do to his story and message. Because I found myself wanting to see that message go out as he wanted it to. He knew this was his last chance to say it his way, not the Studio's, not the government's. It was the hardest thing I have ever had to do, even if he wanted me to do it, and cooperated with me as I did. As I was pounding the nails in, I kept thinking about his message. What he told me about it. What it meant at its core.

        He was not trying to imitate anyone, or compare their methods of execution. He wanted people to ask questions, to draw attention to the one before. He felt that so many had forgotten that it happened and why. He just wanted to bring their attention back there, to that time."

        Meredith: "How do you feel about it all? What he was trying to do?"

        V: "I really don't know. It happened, that I can admit to and agree with, but going through it with Stephenson, changed everything I thought I knew. I mean, my parents went with me to church, but I lost them before I got to where I could understand what was being said. And then surviving took all my attention, so I drifted away. Now he has brought it all back and I just don't know anymore. 

        I have met Iriisii and others with her, she is more than ready to answer any question I ask her. But what she tells me is just different enough from what I was taught in church that I do not know. What I do know is that she is real, I can touch her and feel the power as it thrums through her. I have seen her use it so much that I know it is real, not smoke and mirrors. And if she is real, if gods and goddesses are real and exist, what happened to us to bring us to where we are now? Why is it so much different from what we were told it was supposed to be?"

        Meredith: "That I cannot help you with. You know far more of her than I do. Have you asked her about any of this?"

        V: "Yes, she told me of her own experiences. What happened to her, and when she began questioning all that she had been taught."

        Meredith: "And...?"

        V: "She found herself at rock bottom in her life. Her next step would be into her grave. And an itinerant priest came to her out of the night to share a campfire. He listened to her as she opened up and told him everything. She said he did not berate her, counsel her with platitudes. He told her how the Celestial world worked, what the gods were responsible for and what they were not. About how the people were to see to their day to day lives. Help each other deal with the small problems. That the Gods were to look at the greater vision, guide the people as a whole, not individuals. But that sometimes when it was truly needed, they could draw one out, train them through life experiences, temper them so they would bend but not break under stress, then send them out to deal with the greater problems. She said she did not realize it then, but he was telling her she was one of these drawn out to be a hero to the people. It is where she earned being called 'Dovahkiin'. She said had she learned of what she was to do, the price she would have to pay, she would have ran as far and as fast as she could. But that by the time she did learn, it was too late. That she could see what the cost to all the others on her world would be and she could not do it. She felt that she had to step up and be what she was destined and chosen to be. Not for her sake, but for everyone elses. She also said, even though it took years and more encounters with that priest for her to realize just who he was."

        Meredith: "One of the gods she worshipped?"

        V: "Yes, and also much more than that. He was her father, Talos the Ninth Divine, ascended to godhood from hundreds of years before when he was known as Tiber Septim, Emperor of the Empire of Tamriel, and founder of the Septim Line of Succession. When she realized this, she also then knew who her mother was."

       Meredith: "Go on."

       V: "Alessia the Slave Queen, Founder and Empress of the first Empire. She built it up from the ashes of a slave revolt. She was the one Akatosh gave the first Amulet of Kings to and anointed her Dragonblood. Iriisii was born mortal of two ascended immortals, they lived in seclusion on an island called Roscrea, in the sea north of Skyrim, called the Sea of Ghosts. On her eighteenth birth year, she disappeared. They searched for her for a long time before Talos gave up the search and returned to Aetherius, Alessia stayed and continued searching, and still did not find her or any trace thereof. It was some twenty plus more years before they found out she yet lived. When she appeared on the border between Skyrim and Cyrodiil and got caught up in the civil war that had broken out some time before. She had found out what her history was, who her parents were, what she was to do. Only to have to escape from where she had been the last twenty years, and the price of that escape was her memories of that time. All she had just learned was gone from her when she landed on that border and was directed to go to High Hrothgar, on the high slopes of the mountain called the 'Throat of the World', and speak to the Greybeards. It took her a year to get there, about six years before she claimed the Throne of Sundered Kings, fought the Tsaesci at Leyawiin four years after that. Then another eight passed by, as Rigmor bore their first child together during that time, and almost at the end of that period she experienced the 'Calling'. She has been traveling and fighting ever since, learning more each day, and climbing the Celestial Ladder up the ranks, expanding her responsibilities. For as she says about all of it, 'if not her then who, if not now then when'."

        Meredith: "That last statement is so very profound and says so much about her. Yes, I can see where it comes from. It is simple, but says everything about her."

        V: "As I have heard and pieced all of this together, I believe I made the right choice to trust her and enter her service. I do not know if I will stay here or go with her when she leaves. I guess there is still some time yet before I have to decide that."

        Meredith: "From what you have said, trust her to know what the best course for you is, and know she will not deceive you. Now where are we going to now."

        Iriisii is down below Dogtown, in the broken levels down under the streets. She has felt something down here calling to her. And she has undertaken this treacherous path to find out what is waiting for her. She looks and sees so much broken, floors, catwalks, ramps, broken cars and machinery abounding everywhere. She has to be careful where she puts her feet, somethings are stable, others are not. Deeper and deeper still she travels. Then she reaches the bottom and feels she must go deeper still. Looking around she finds where the floor has collapsed into a set of tunnels underneath. Dropping down she follows the tunnels until they intersect with yet another underground lab. She runs across a maintenance hatch and opens the door. Ducking down and entering, she brushes away a few cobwebs. Moving in the general direction she feels the pull from, after a bit, she spies a light from an air grating on one side.

        Carefully moving up to it, she looks into the interior room. She sees dust, a few distant counters and benches, then she finds the source of the light and she is riveted to the sight before her eyes. The first thing she notices is the rune circle painted on the floor, surrounding it are red candles, lit and flickering. Then there is the container, filled with ice and cold water, a faint foggy mist flowing off the top, down the sides, and out along the floor until dissipating. When she concentrates she can see the water is bloody, with pieces of body parts floating in it. There is no sign of a complete body. 

        As she keeps looking around, then she finds the body, a female, sitting on her knees, arms at her sides, hands laying open on her thighs. Her head leaning down, her face obscured by her hair hanging down. Iriisii can barely see her chest move, slowly in and out as she breathes. She watches for a few minutes, almost certain that whoever she is, she knows Iriisii is watching her. Slowly Iriisii is becoming aware of male voices coming from an open doorway on the far side of the room from her. They come close and she can identify three separate voices.

        They enter the room and cautiously look around. They find the female and approach to see what the situation is.

        Arron: "Look at her! She must be gone. She hasn't moved an inch since we walking in here."

        Tohmas: "That means nothing and you know it. Look at her, she is Maelstrom. Probably part of one of their esoteric sects. Some of them are way out there. Dangerous as all hell."

        Arron passes his hand in front of her face eliciting no response whatsoever.

        Lazurus: "Arron, stop baiting her. You have no idea where she is. She could come back in a heartbeat and rip your arm off, so leave her alone and let's get outta here!"

        Arron: "You go if you want, I am going to stay and play with her a bit."

        Tohmas: "Shit man are you crazy or what, you know this complex is haunted. People are known to disappear, like they go in but they don't come out."

        Arron: "You believe that dumb shit, go ahead, get outta here before you spoil my fun."

        Lazurus: "Come on man, its on him now. His risk, not ours."

        Tohmas and Lazurus leave, while Arron cannot take his eyes off of the female Maelstrom.

        He plays around with her for a bit, but she never makes a move, shows no awareness that he is even there. He finally gets angry at her total lack of response. As he pulls back his arm to slap her across her face, Iriisii hurries on down to a hatch that she spies that opens into the room at a far corner. As she makes her way there she hears Arron begin screaming incoherently. She moves even faster, reaching the hatch and opening it. She steps inside and races to where the Maelstrom female is behind the ice/water filled container from her position. As she reaches where she can see, she finds Arron with his mouth wide open, eyes already fading, going dull. The Maelstrom female is still on her knees, but she is holding a large string of his intestines in her hands, holding them up to Iriisii. Iriisii then notices she has a portion of his liver in her mouth, chewing on it.

        She pulls together her resolve not to lose her stomach. Meanwhile she feels something deep within herself uncoiling as she finds herself reaching out for the intestines. She takes them in her hands and knows what she must do. Placing them in a pattern to be read, she opens her mind to let the message surface from wherever these experiences come from.

                            The demon awakes and seeks*********The dragon searches and finds

                            A Goddess awakes and prepares******The demon searches and finds not

                            The Blackwall rips asunder*********The Blackwall stands and fights

                                       Which path will the Goddess and the Dragon take