Chapter 31

“So, Seeker, it is your belief that this incident with the greater Psiontial was merely camouflage for this enemy’s real intentions?” Archimandrite Brnnt asked.

“It is indeed, revered Archimandrite. For six days they went about what would appear to be their normal agenda, before taking out the greater Psiontial. I believe though, that they were after one of the auxiliary neuromancy devices in order to disrupt Craachan at a later date and remove us from power.”

“A disturbing conclusion, Seeker,” Karkol stated thoughtfully. “They may well have been ... disturbed by the greater Psiontial and allowed us to think they weren’t.”

“Admittedly so, revered Archimandrite. But, it is also likely that the activities of the creature drew their attention to the base and hence the device. I am also somewhat ambivalent as to whether they triggered the earthquake or merely took advantage of it.”

“Ah, yes. Perhaps placing the creature in a secure base merely alerted them to the presence of the base,” Brnnt nodded. “It is possible to set off an earthquake via deep underground explosions, even if we did not detect one. However, we must take into account that they may indeed be able to do this undetected ... as one of the Council of Archimandrites could.”

“That is my conclusion, revered Archimandrite. Though we can always bring in another greater Psiontial to test the theory.”

“The Most High has decreed not; he will not re-inforce failure. Plans are afoot to sterilise the planet. We simply need something to attract them into a major presence in order to deal them a blow and teach them we are not to be meddled with,” Karkol replied.

“A whole planet?” Crnnch asked, somewhat shocked, despite being on very dangerous ground in questioning a decision of the Most High.

“He is the Most High. He is wise,” Brnnt replied in warning tones.

“I was not questioning his wisdom, revered Archimandrite. I was merely wondering at the cost to the regime and how it will be borne.”

“That is for the Council of Archimandrites to discuss, Seeker. Still, your insight as to the cost is understood, though it would ill behove you to discuss it outside this chamber. The Most High is always to be obeyed and never questioned. Beog speaks with him and through him. He is infallible!”

“Did not the Most High suggest the greater Psiontial be unleashed?” Crnnch asked, expecting a death blow, but needing to know as his faith was crumbling somewhat.

“He did indeed, Seeker,” Karkol replied, holding a hand up to still any more questions.

“Then I shall go back to my task, secure in the knowledge of his wisdom.”

“Do so, Seeker. Find this enemy that we may ... deal with them,” Brnnt replied by way of dismissal.

The two Archimandrites sat in silence as the Seeker left, neither of them comfortable in the way the conversation had gone.

“Do you believe he is heading for a crisis in faith?” Karkol asked eventually.

“Yes, it only remains to be seen what path it takes.”

“A shame if it leads down the path of confrontation.”

“Indeed, indeed.”

Both Archimandrites rose and moved towards their high temple where another round of meetings would start. That 24 billion of their people had been condemned to death simply to swat the equivalent of a fly mattered not at all for them. It was merely another step on the path to power.

“I can only presume the Orcs think that the greater Psiontial was a failure,” Roxanne mused during the scheduled morning meeting. “After all, they have had plenty of time to bring in another.”

“It may be so, Mage Roxanne,” Seer Melanie admitted. “Possibly because Brianna’s team nabbed that quantum neural frequency changer.”

“Ah yes. How is the study of that thing going?”

“Slowly,” Brianna admitted. “It appears to be tailored to adjust the planetary signature to specifically lock out the host Higher Powers, which is how Athena can function; the Orc frequency and the host frequency are different from hers ... same as the Nansack one. The thing is incredibly powerful and cannot be approached easily by any Power as far as we can tell, except an Orc one. Certainly Athena can’t function any too well in its immediate vicinity.”

“What of the other Higher Powers here?” I asked.

“Different frequency. They basically ignored it as far as we can tell, plus we made sure one wasn’t close when we tested it,” Brianna shrugged.

“So, what else have you learned?” Roxanne asked.

“We can switch it on and off; we can also adjust the frequencies it operates at ... which upset Athena greatly when we found the Earth one,” Brianna replied with a wry smile, as we’d all heard the mental screech when they did. “Other than that, not a lot, though the Loegrians believe they know how it’s doing it; just not quite the nuts and bolts of it yet as it doesn’t disassemble any too well.”

“This is so,” Vilton, the Loegrian observer and aide to Archon Rakona, agreed. “We are having to use micro cutting tools to remove panelling and see the circuitry they used, some of which is neural brain tissue.”

“Slow progress then?” Roxanne asked.

“Very, but we will get there and be able to disrupt their disruptors we believe, though we’ll use electronics, not biotronics,” he nodded.

“No doubt they are looking into that possibility of us disrupting their disruptions,” Roxanne stated thoughtfully. “How are the plans going to get us an Adept or their staff, John?”

“It will have to be at one of their bases, Mage Roxanne. There are just too many guards out in the field for us to try it without being observed,” I replied.

“Figured as much. Keep looking into it and let me know when you have a plan.”

“Yes, Roxanne.”

“We have a supersonic frequency that can stun a Crimonach now,” Xi spoke up. “Serena also has a method to remove their pheromone safeguards too.”

“Interesting, we’ll save the last for when, or if, we need it.”

“Frequency of the shields at their bases has changed; we’ll have a solution later today,” Sinnead added.

“Aye, thought they might do that,” Roxanne nodded.

“My people have come up with a way to keep the personal weapons of the Orcs in hibernation mode,” Tchac’trar buzzed.

“Interesting, is it magical and how far does the effect work?” Roxanne asked thoughtfully.

“It can be ward driven and added to your armour, though we would not advise powering it, save under attack, as the frequencies used will be highly detectable. Its range is about 300 of your metres.”

“Very good. My thanks to your people,” Roxanne replied, moving into the pose of thankful praise ... well, a two-armed version of it.

“The pleasure is ours,” he (probably, we aren’t sure and they sure as hell won’t say) buzzed. “My people have learned from yours too.”

“Very well,” Roxanne stated, once she was sure no one had anything else to add. “Alice, take your team and protect the medic Mages when they go to study these worker drones.”

“Of course, Mage Roxanne,” Alice replied with a formal bow.

“Draíochta Niamh, could your team assist Mage Alice and observe how they go about keeping the medic Mages safe?”

“Honoured, Draíochta Roxanne,” Niamh, one of our new team leaders from the Craebh Ruadh, replied.

“Ilzik, your team with them as well.”

“Yes, Roxanne.”

“John, I want you to begin scouting out this military base in the Sahara. Take Vanir Heimdor’s team with you; get them used to how the Orcs do things.”

“No problem, Mage Roxanne,” I nodded, seeing Heimdor, an Æsir, nod as well.

“Lenna, you’re with John.”

“Yes, Roxanne.”

“Choose your auxiliaries wisely, and be prepared, if necessary, to bug out if things get serious. Verenestra has promised two other Drow teams, but they aren’t due for a week yet. Lenna, Ilzik, I’ll leave their training in your capable hands. Dismissed.”

“Yes, Mage Roxanne,” we all replied before filing out.

It was very early in the morning and it was freezing cold out in the Sahara as we slipped carefully through a wadi towards the Orc base. Fortunately our armour was fully warded against heat detection as well as various other means the Orcs used to detect intruders. The wards worked in a similar manner to the Null amulets in that they transferred the unwanted by-products to an area where they would not be noticed, usually some form of volcanic flume. Unlike the Null amulets though, they only did it periodically to lessen the chances of quantum detection, which we were pretty sure the Orcs didn’t use, but at some stage probably would.

My usual team were with me, along with Vanir Heimdor, an Æsir Seiðmaðr or Mage, who had the right to bear arms in the Æsir Thingvollr or parliament. Not that he had ever been there; he just simply had the hereditary right. His team were also wearing Mage armour, though carried twin axes strapped to their backs, or a longbow and quiver of arrows.

We also had Daniel, a Nosferatu, and his team along with Adok and another wolf called Szymon, not that I could see either of them as they were scouting ahead, with the rest of the Nosferatu covering our rear. Add to the mix, two Mazdani, a Loegrian sniper and Lenna’s squad and we had a fair few people heading towards the base perimeter.

‘Perimeter is a hundred metres ahead. The wolves have crossed it with no sign of detection, ‘ Lenna sent to me telepathically as she remained under cloak.

‘Thank you. We’re moving ahead.‘

“Hold,” Tirus, our sniper requested.

“Problem?” I asked.

“Several devices buried in the ground, inactive, but possibly mines.”

‘Adok, Szymon, caution! Possible mines under you!‘ I sent out.

‘Wondered what the weird smell was, ‘ Adok sent back. ‘Traces of some form of chemicals.‘

‘Hold position. We’re moving up and want to examine one.‘

‘You got it.‘

“Some form of acid cloud sprayer,” Tirus announced. “Nasty too. Strip the flesh from your bones in seconds. Other chemicals too, though our science teams will have to examine them. There are a few other types as well; I’m going to check them.”