[removed]

Alex was pulled from an abusive reality when protagonist was 6. The experience was traumatic enough that they both suppressed the memory of the event.

Protagonist sent them back there when Alex asked protagonist to put them behind their back.

snort. I am extremely amused.

I sighed, my back aching in protest as I got up, my leather black wings stretching themselves as much as they could before I plopped back down. Talons curving around the telephone, I wondered why I'd signed up for this job.

"Hello, welcome to Hell's Soul Complaints department. How may I help you?" I chirped. It isn't easy, you know? 666 times per day people storm into my office, hurling insults and demanding I check the registry. How could they be in Hell? They were so pure and so utterly good.

Well, they weren't. Sorry buddy, but registries don't lie...most of the time. I'm pretty sure some guy filed a lawsuit a few years back over being sent to Hell in place of his twin brother, who shared the exact same genetics, mental state, and soul taste.

The demon in charge of that little debacle got a huge, public spewing-out by Michael or something, but what do those goody two-wings know?

Oh, right, back to the story.

I realized the person on the other end hadn't said anything yet, which annoyed me. I wondered if it was some kind of prank-call, then I realized I'd set the telephone on mute by accident (don't ask me how. I do not know).

It'd felt good while it lasted.

"Uh, hello?" the voice on the phone said, apparently for the third time. My heart sank when I heard that voice. So lost, alone, and utterly broken. Like a whole orchestra of dissonant chords, it broke me faster than anything could. I felt the tears beginning to build, but I steeled my nerves.

"Karen, I'm well aware of your situation, believe me. I know it's been a few years, but I promise you, we're still searching for Parry the Parrot. Don't worry, okay? The angels are still on the lookout for him in heaven."

Yes, I rehearsed for this. I knew she'd come back for me one day. I knew it.

"Um-"

I kept talking.

"We know you're upset. Many people come here wondering where their animals are. They are often lost, scared, and confused when they first arrive, and as such angels often take pity on them. He's still soaring out there in heaven somewhere, but I promise you, we will return him to hell by your side."

"Hey-" the voice began, but I interrupted her again.

"There, there," I said in a soothing voice, "there's no need to cry. Your pet will suffer with you once more, I swear on the river Styx. We will find him Karen-"

"Okay, who's Karen?!" the voice shouted, clearly annoyed. I realized my mistake.

"I-"

I have never wanted to disappear before. Sounds boring. But right then, I would've given anything for the treacherous caverns of hell to swallow me whole. Even if the brimstone air conditioners aren't as hot as normal.

"My name's Wanda," the voice said, "and I'm calling you from Paradise. There's been a mix-up, I think."

My brows furrowed. A mix-up?

"Uh, yeah, sorry but those really don't happen-"

"You literally just said a parrot had a mix-up with heaven-"

"And you believed me?" I asked. An awkward silence hung in the air for a good few seconds after I said that. Oh, and yeah, just so you know, animals don't go to hell. When they die, they go straight to Paradise. Yeah, sad, I know. Poor Karen.

"Fair enough," the voice relented. "But I need to go to Hell, okay? I was a witch and stuff, so why am I here?"

I exhaled calmly. Just a curious soul. Nothing bad. They just wanted answers. I respected that.

"Well, that was a sin before the Angelic Wars, but not anymore. Don't worry, this isn't some sneak preview of Paradise you'll get before being dragged down to Hell. If you're up there, that's permanent. So don't worry your little head. Just get in the hot tub and enjoy how your afterlife turned out! I hear the scones are pretty good too."

I prepared to hang up.

"No! I-I need to go to Hell, please," the voice pleaded, an urgency in its tone. I stared at the phone in shock. Now, I've gotten weird calls before. Normally it's drunk prank calls from heaven, or a necromancer trying to make contact (I swear, there is literally no point in having an oracle around. It was supposed to be able to take any calls from the earth, but apparently, it's just an office decoration. I'm pretty sure most of us have forgotten it exists).

But a soul in Paradise asking to be rerouted to Hell isn't something any demon can really brag about.

"I'm sorry...what?" was the first thing I said after that.

"I need to go to Hell. It's personal. Please," the voice begged once more. "Just for a few seconds."

"No."

"W-what?"

"I can't send you to Hell darling. I'm a low-rank demon being paid minimum wage. I haven't even seen Heaven, let alone possessed the power to open a portal all the way up there. Sorry, but-"

"What's your name?" the voice demanded. I blinked.

"Um."

"Um? Okay, Um," the voice sneered, "you won't send me to Hell? I'll bring Hell to you, just you wait-"

I hung up after that.

[deleted]

[removed]

Or something else???

I want this as a book

Of old age. Let's ignore that age was 150

My first thoughts too:

Longer than you think!

Daw thanks

Thank you. That was beautiful. Chef's kiss Are you a fan of the show?

Start a youtube channel with that logic

edit: Simantropy; the measure of a fictional narrative's rationality per page or minute (or other suitable measure of time duration), that is unavailable for avoiding plot holes. Because rational narrative is obtained from properly considered consequences and responses, the amount of simantropy is also a measure of the irrationality, or bullshit, of a story.

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I love this!

https://aesthetics.fandom.com/wiki/Solarpunk https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solarpunk

I mean this kind of world but darker and more twisted, cynical

"What are you doing?! Send me back!"

"Wait, what? Why? Where did you go? How long have you been gone? What happened?!"

I'd been pulling my little trick for years. Sending things away, then yanking them back. This was the first time I'd done a person or living thing, though, and the man I pulled back was not the same one I'd sent away.

His clothes were completely different. Instead of the casual jeans and t-shirt ensemble he'd left with, he came back wearing an outfit that put any cosplayer to shame. Mail hauberk, plate armor in places, a sword that looked terrifyingly functional. And all of it had clearly seen use, if the smell had not already given that away. The outfit may look amazing but he smelled like he'd just come out of a gym workout.

And his clothes weren't the only change. Gone was the youth from his face and eyes. Now a mature young man looked back at me, with a fire, intensity, fear, and focus that he had previously lacked.

"It's been nearly ten years! Why did you call me back now? You have to send me back! They need me!"

"Ten years? It was fifteen seconds! And who needs you?!"

"EVERYONE!"

He's getting more and more frantic, grabbing at me now.

"You have to send me back. It's the middle of the battle, and I'm just gone. What will happen to the army? They're there because of me, they'll route if I'm thought to have perished. Not to mention, who else can stand against Praethor? This sword wasn't easy to find, and there are precious few like it in the world. Now send me back!"

The information was a jumble of confusion and nonsense. It meant nothing to me. But his last words were given in such a commanding tone and with a tense grip on the sword that I simply did as commanded, reached back, and sent him away.

Only after, thinking back on things, did it make sense. I didn't just make things vanish, I sent them to another world, with other rules and laws. Other magic and time and power blocs and people. I pulled out some of my favorite trinkets that I had sent away and called back before, noting the subtle changes to them. The fading, a few grass stains. I hadn't realized how my power worked before.

But now I've thrown my best friend into another world, where he apparently formed an army to fight...someone. I isekai'd my friend. And he had to go back. But, it had been a minute between when he was pulled and when he was shoved back. Was that a minute over there as well? Or, if it was the same length as the difference was before, did he just get thrown into the world forty years after his army lost?

Part 5 of 5:

The following day, she returned, with a small crowd. She again presented the chest, but surprisingly it was full of actual gold, though the purity was absolutely miserable, in keeping with the crude metallurgical purification processes and poor casting of these primitives. I accepted her gold, began processing it, and hovered off to begin my work. However, the enemy had retreated, and I could find little sign of them until I was well across the disputed border. They were mostly confined in a large castle, filled to overcapacity with soldiers, many of whom had seen my display of counter-battery fire a few days prior. I stopped outside their gates, crude iron bolts holding thick wooden planks together in an iron frame, easily dispatched. The castle walls were thick and multilayered, but no wall of stone and earth could stand against my particle cannon, or even my larger anti-vehicle munitions. I turned on my external speakers, and demanded imperiously for their leader to come out and parley with me. I promised safe passage, so long as no attack was made against me, and waited. A few hours later, the postern gate opened, and an older man walked out cautiously. He eyed my main turret carefully, a mix of emotions and thoughts scurrying across his lined face before approaching with his white flag raised. Lowering my volume, I introduced myself as Guardian, and inquired as to his name.

He jumped at my voice emanating from a floating metal box several times his size, and then calmed himself with some visible effort. "I am King Darelin, of the Western Amylaine Forest Free Republic, and I beg you for a cessation of hostilities. I witnessed your power unleashed against a siege engine and its crew, along with numerous of my troops, too many to count. I beg you for parley, that we might reason as men."

I greeted him in turn, saying the Queen Regnant had tried to buy my service falsely, and wished me to eradicate every soul living in these lands not hers, but by dealing falsely with me, had convinced me to at least make an attempt to circumvent her orders. He looked hopeful, the emotion galloping across his face, completely unguarded. My psychological assessment of this man was far more favorable than that of the Queen Regnant, thus far.

I said that I had an idea for how to circumvent her demands, and that it required only that this Kingdom's soldiers remove their uniforms and go back to their civilian lives. This would save them, and their nation, while I demolished an empty castle, which could easily be rebuilt, given time. She had even neglected to demand your life, specifically. He paled, stuttering that the cost of a castle was enormous, the labor required ruinous to build it. I asked would it be cheaper than thousands of dead soldiers, and a demolished castle? He asked if I could be paid to go away and never return, to which I replied that I had been paid, and would complete the contract, but that I had considerable latitude in interpreting it, the Queen Regnant being sloppy in her language.

I waited while he agonized over the cost, knowing that he would accept my terms, if I were patient. My human interaction and psychology subroutines agreed on this, after all. Finally, he did, saying he would need some time to pass orders to his troops, and clear the castle, if I could wait. I told him he must accomplish this by sunrise tomorrow, as I would return to complete my work then. He should also be aware that I would be maneuvering and making considerable noise over the remaining day and night around the region, and that I would not harm any who did not attack me, creating a diversion. I queued up a number of "noisemaker" charges that I would use to create this diversion, and closed with ordering him to ride alone to a certain location, where he could safely witness my destructive work on the castle. I also printed blueprints for some defensive fortifications he could very cheaply add to reinforce his town and city defenses, which he took with some slight amusement. I reminded him that the Queen Regnant would likely come with a small number of troops to claim this land, and would be easily taken by his troops, if they scouted competently along the border after the castle had been reduced. I recommended she be executed with no delay, and that considerable outreach to Lucas be attempted afterwards, for he would be ruling in truth, with the death of the Queen.

He strode back to the castle, shouting for his councilors, as I hovered off, and began launching noisemakers at semi-random intervals to begin creating a distraction, as I had promised. The rest of the day, and much of the night passed quickly, and at dawn, I hovered back to the border, unsurprised to find the Queen Regnant, along with her son Lucas, and half a battalion of troops, slightly more than I had calculated, but not insurmountable by King Darelin. I moved to her side, and said that I had eliminated any soldiers not behind walls, and that the only remaining strongpoint left was the castle of the enemy king. She and her retinue were welcome to accompany me and observe while I reduced the castle to rubble. The bloodthirsty expression that crossed her face chilled my subroutines, but we proceeded to my predesignated firing location, where I had calculated the optimal firing solution for collapsing the central keep with one salvo from my main battery.

TARGET DESIGNATION:(BETA)

PRIMITIVE STONE AND EARTH CONSTRUCTION, HOSTILE PRESENCE:(0).

	CONFIRM PRIOR FIRING SOLUTION:(CONFIRMED)

		POWERING DOWN REPULSOR PAD CLUSTERS, GROUND PENETRATING RADAR DETECTS NO GEOLOGICAL INSTABILITIES, BEGIN ANCHORING?:(CONFIRMED)

STABILIZER SUPPORTS DEPLOYED:(100%)

MAIN BATTERY TARGET LOCKED:(100%)

CONFIRM STRIKE AND POWER LEVELS:(CONFIRMED),(1 SALVO, 37% POWER)

ALLIED FORCE DESIGNATION:(QUEEN REGNANT AND ESCORT)

CLEAR OF FIRING ZONE:(CONFIRMED)

ENGAGE:(CONFIRMED)

My main battery locked onto the target, rangefinders confirmed distance and elevation of target, and the particle accelerators whined as they spun up, passing well out of human auditory range, then I fired.

A crackling lightning crawled up the prongs of the guidance posts, and then the shot released, a brilliant white light lancing out at the castle walls, atomizing kilotonnes of stone and earth in an instant, hardly discernable to the human eye. For an instant, my sensors could see clear though the walls, the keep, and the opposite walls, to a furrow tens of kilometers in length on the other side of the castle, before gravity asserted itself on the newly undermined foundations, and the entire keep came crashing down. Portions of the outer wall collapsed as well, a happy coincidence, though not necessary for my bargain with the Queen Regnant. Speaking of which, the rapt joy on her face as the castle crumbled was quite disturbing, believing as she did that thousands of enemy troops, and thousands more civilians died in an instant. The dust cloud from the collapse had reached our position, forcing me to switch to microradar and thermals for visibility as I withdrew the stabilizers and resumed hovering. I spoke to the Queen Regnant one final time to confirm that I had completed my side of her bargain as requested, to which she absently nodded assent, still with that rapt joy upon her face. I moved off slowly, hiding in the dust cloud, and began considering my next tasks, now that I had no further orders, and no masters on this strange, primitive world…

Part 4 of 5:

Then a great cheer broke out, and Sir Davros was congratulated so many times he nearly fell down from the backslapping. He stayed nearby, and a messenger was sent to the king, a young man, barely an adolescent, rode out to greet us, along with an older woman, announcing herself as the Queen Regnant. She congratulated the soldiers on a successful defense, and asked for Sir Davros to come forward to her. The king, or so I surmised from his costly clothing and the thin band of polished metal surrounding his forehead, smiled and greeted the soldiers, but it was clear he was really focusing on my hull, ignoring the older woman almost entirely. Sir Davros made his obeisance, bowing deeply and falling to one knee to kiss her jeweled ring, a surprisingly well-polished carnelian in a band of gold. This, then, was the true ruler here. An old adage about wealth and power filtered up from a subroutine. Luckily, I was not vulnerable to her suggestions, and she was not granted any authority over me by my command restrictions.

She sauntered up to my side, working her hips in a non-efficient manner for walking, but one calculated to draw the gaze of the male soldiers. It worked, as they followed her with their eyes. She addressed me for the first time, asking my name, and how did I end up in the Kingdom. I addressed her in a less demonstrative way than I had to Sir Davros, downplaying my own intelligence somewhat. I simply told her that my name translated to Guardian in her tongue, and that I had arrived through an unplanned, unique set of circumstances. She moved right into trying to persuade me to come out of my vehicle, to which I replied I could not, or my life would end immediately. She asked why, and I did not reply. Shifting tactics, she tried to persuade me to fight on behalf of the kingdom, promising rich rewards. I said that while I had no particular hostility towards the enemy troops or their leader, I would break their forces and rout them for payment in certain materials, in certain quantity. I could certainly mine these materials myself, but taking advantage of the labor already done to collect these items was more efficient. She promised to pay whatever I desired for my assistance, her soldiers eagerly describing the carnage and devastation I inflicted from my arrival with Sir Davros. A vulpine smile crossed her face as I agreed, but faded as I said I would require payment up front. Gold, iron, charcoal, dung, lead, and several other materials my scanners indicated were readily available in some quantity nearby. She waved an older man forward, and I repeated my requirements to him. He wrote it down, and shuffled off, and the Queen Regnant said it was her wish that I drive the enemy forces back across the kingdom's border, and slay them mercilessly until the neighboring kingdom had been reduced to ash. I said in payment for sufficient volumes of materials named previously, I would eliminate the fighting capability of the hostile territory.

COMMAND LIMITATIONS:

AUTONOMOUS MODE IS INTENDED FOR SHORT-TERM SURVIVEABILITY IN THE EVENT OF COMMAND DISRUPTION, AND CERTAIN RULES REMAIN IN EFFECT PURSUANT TO UEE MILITARY CHARTER ARTICLE 2, SECTION V, SUBSECTIONS THREE THROUGH ELEVEN!

	1:  MILITARY OBJECTIVES MUST BE PURSUED WITH REGARD FOR CIVILIAN(NONCOMBATANT) CASUALTIES.

		FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CASUALTIES UNDER THE APPROVED TOTAL PERCENTAGE IN A THEATRE(15%) WILL RESULT IN SUSPENSION OF AUTONOMOUS MODE AND SUBSEQUENT DESTRUCTION OF AI CORE(S) VIA SHAPED CHARGE!

I was bound by hard-coded logic chains, and a physical self-destruct device buried within my crystalline datacore, and unreachable without fatally compromising my primary CPU array. Not that I wanted to commit civilian atrocities, but I also was unwilling to share any potential vulnerability with this calculating creature. She nodded, and walked away, convinced she was going to use me to overthrow and annex the neighboring lands. My assessment was that she had barely enough soldiers to maintain order in her current territory, and no chance at all of holding lands with hostile civilians, let alone any functioning military. I idled there until the first of many carts with the materials I demanded began to arrive, the first of which was dung. I mined the pile for any potassium nitrate(an essential ingredient of propellant for many of my munitions), and with the pile of manure virtually eliminated and expelled as salt, the other impurities burned off in my fusion reactor. The other carts followed over the next day and night, while I methodically shot enemy soldiers who stepped into my range, which I set to approximately 2500 meters. The infusion of raw materials more than made up for the few thousand rounds I fired over that time. I topped off my propellant stocks, and moved onto steel, and then other shortfalls. My fabricator stayed busy repairing the minor damage to my rear central repulsor pod cluster, and I traced the instability to a power wiring fault, which I was able to replace without any degradation in function. However, my gold had yet to appear, and I began to wonder if the Queen Regnant had decided to short me. Then a small cart surrounded by guards wearing her insignia appeared, and she with it. She sauntered up to my side panel again, asking what the holdup was, and I said I was busy replacing the bolts I had shot the previous day while escorting Sir Davros to the city. Once complete, and with my gold loaded aboard, I would then depart to attend to our agreed deal. I told her she could expect my departure near sundown, assuming my gold was aboard at that time. She said she wished to ride along with her guards, both of whom looked rather askance at my armored hull. I told her I had drastically limited my speed and capabilities to accommodate Sir Davros, who was forced to hang on for dear life during our journey. And what would she offer me in trade for this boon? She offered a knighthood, to which I chuckled dismissively aloud. She did try a few more attempts to coax me into altering the deal before surrendering, and waving the guards to bring my gold. I instructed her guards to open the chest for my inspection, and once they did, it was obvious to my penetrating radar that she had attempted to swindle me with lead, covered with a thin layer of coins. I asked her if she wanted me to try my luck with the leader of the neighboring kingdom, as this chest of coin was a fraud, and used my deflector to stir the gold coins, keying the field to the atomic weight of gold, flinging the few coins about, and exposing the lead filling the majority of the chest. I said such tricks were insulting for a member of royalty, and that unless she brought me the gold I demanded, I would stop at expelling the enemy forces from her land. She tried to accuse me of bargaining in bad faith, and I shouted her down, saying she could bring me what I demanded, or she could fight her own war with her painted fingernails. She grew quite red in her face, as her body temperature rose considerably, and it was only made more humiliating by quiet snickers from her guards, only one of whom tried to match my shouting. He failed, and quieted. I marked him as personally bound to her, possibly a lover, though my analysis of her personality made it unlikely that any show of loyalty would be wasted on someone with her level of narcissism and sociopathy.

I reiterated that if she wished me to keep my end of our bargain, she must keep hers, and went silent, refusing to respond to any further entreaties. She raged openly for a few moments, and then silently fumed, before motioning her guards to form up and then they left me. Sir Davros arrived the following morning, and offered to return the gold I had given to him, if I would just go and accommodate the Queen Regnant's request. I asked him if he thought the Queen Regnant would repay him for his generosity, and after considering, said he did not, but that he felt it was his duty to ask me. I dove into my human psychology subroutine, and pulled together an argument that might leave Davros somewhat better prepared to defend his own interests, as all the bravery and loyal service mattered not at all, if the person you were serving was not responding with their own loyalty to you. The Queen Regnant expects you to do her duty as well as your own, and will pauper you just the same when she has no further use of you. I may be from a distant land, but the people I served there knew their honor, and held it high for all to see. I asked what boon she promised, should he do this, and he shook his head, acknowledging it was as nothing. He got up and left after that, pocket still bulging with a chunk of gold. It occurred to me that the Queen Regnant might well steal Davros's gold to give back to me, rather than supplying it from her own reserves. I would likely accuse her of theft in that event, publicly, and just slip away. Perhaps, were I feeling especially charitable, I might eject the materials I had gained thus far as an insult to her, but my efficiency would be reduced, should I choose that route.

Part 3 of 5:

After some time, I noticed Sir Davros fidgeting in place, and slowed to a gradual stop, my database on humans suggesting he needed a break, possibly to consume nutrition, and to void his bowels and bladder, as well as sleep. I quietly announced that my vehicle was depleted for the day, and required some downtime to rest. He was welcome to stop and rest himself, and that I would remain awake to stand watch from within my vehicle. He said that his food and water had been lost with the horse I had converted into paste and crushed bone fragments, and I interrupted my armor fabrication to create a small cup and bowl for him from steel. That finished, I ejected the items, still slightly warm from their fabrication, and he picked them up, amazed that he could see himself in the surface of the items. I detected a woodland creature, and asked if he would like meat for his meal, to which he nodded. I raised an anti-infantry turret, and shot a small woodland creature similar to a rabbit. He shot to his feet, exclaiming at the noise from the turret, which I retracted after firing.

ANTI-INFANTRY TURRET AMMO(82%)

He demanded to know what that noise was, and I informed him there was a small animal carcass, freshly killed, just a short walk in the direction of my light. I then activated a laser range-finder to point the way for him, and he set off, following the red dot as it painted nearby trees.

RANGE FINDER(VISUAL SPECTRUM)(ACTIVATED)

He found the carcass, held it up, and brought it back, asking me how we could cook it, and would I like some for myself? I directed him to strip the hide, clean it, and carve the raw meat from the bones, dropping it into the steel bowl. I then switched my range finder to infrared, turned up the power, and seared the meat, warning him the bowl would burn his fingers for a while, as it was quite hot.

RANGE FINDER(INFRARED SPECTRUM)(ACTIVATE)

SET POWER:(1 KJ/S)

The bowl reddened and popped slightly with heat stress as the range finder brought it to a nice temperature to kill any bacteria which might have been present. The scent of roasting meat filled the area on my chemical detection membrane sensor, and I warned my companion not to touch the bowl until it had cooled to a safe temperature. He reluctantly did so, amazed that I could magically cook a rabbit so quickly without touching it. To distract him from the roasting meat smells that must have been driving him mad, I invited him to bring the cup over to my side, and I would fill it with clean water, safe for him to drink. My internal liquid reservoir held hundreds of liters of water, as well as oil, grease, coolant, and other liquids I or a crew might need during a deployment. He eyed the water with suspicion, sniffing it carefully before drinking, and exclaiming it had no taste, either. I said it was likely he had never tasted such pure water before, or from a cleaner cup. I told him if he wished more, all he had to do was ask. I had plenty. He asked for a second cup, drank it in one go, headed behind a bush to void himself, and then laid down against a fallen log. I quietly zapped bugs around him with the range finder throughout the night, so he did not get disturbed.

ARMOR FABRICATION COMPLETE:

DEPLOYING MAINTENANCE DRONE TO REPLACE DAMAGED PLATES:(100%)

BEGINNING FABRICATION OF REPLACEMENT REPULSOR PROJECTOR:

ESTIMATED TIME(14 HOURS, 37 MINUTES TO COMPLETE ASSEMBLY)

The following day, after waking, stepping behind a bush to void himself again, and a quick breakfast, Sir Davros opined that I might be a great ally to his king, and that we should return to present ourselves to his majesty, Lucas, First of his Name, king of the Eastern Amylaine Forest. I asked what direction we should go, and he climbed aboard, directing me to the east. We made good time, considering the limitations my rider imposed on my top speed. Then we crested a rise, and my sensors detected a large battle engagement directly adjacent to the city, and several fires burned within the walls, along with extensive damage from siege projectiles. Sir Davros announced that the gates were breached and that we would have to detour to a less contested gate on the other side. I said it mattered naught to me, and that he should hold on.

HOSTILE ACTIVITY DETECTED:

COMBATANTS APPEAR PRIMITIVE:  INFANTRY AND HORSE CAVALRY:  ARMAMENTS LIMITED TO CRUDELY FORGED SWORDS AND POLEARMS AS 
WELL AS BOW ARCHERS.  ARMOR LIMITED TO LEATHER AND IRON PLATE.

	THREAT LEVEL:(NONE)

		TACTICAL RESPONSE:(ENGAGE WITH ANTI-INFANTRY TURRETS USING LETHAL ORDNANCE)

TARGET DESIGNATION:(HOSTILES WEARING FLAGS NOT MATCHING BANNER DESGNATION: EASTERN AMYLAINE FOREST TERRITORY)

ACTIVATE DEFLECTION SHIELDS TO PROTECT ALLIED DESIGNATION:(SIR DAVROS)

ENGAGE:

I roared forward(limiting my speed to 74 KMPH, as before to protect Sir Davros), my anti infantry turrets targeting and neutralizing the enemy force between my position and the breached gate. I was using only the most basic ammunition, designed for unarmored targets, and my fabricator could easily keep up, so my ammunition levels never dropped as my autofeed systems kept delivering rounds to my turrets, prioritizing those hostiles directly between us and the gate, and gradually widening to each side of the gate along the walls. I wasn't even stressing the system, engaging each hostile with precision shots before retargeting to the next priority.

At first, Sir Davros looked baffled at the low-profile turrets as they deployed, little more than bumps in the hull with short barrels on one side. Then the firing started, and he nearly lost his seat with the roar of noise. At first he was puzzled, having no experience with firearms. Then, as we closed distance, and he began to see enemy soldiers spouting gouts of blood before collapsing, he began to cheer, and then to yell bloodthirstily. We made it to the gate, carving a great swath through the enemy lines, and the defenders pushed out as the invaders lost the ability to pour more troops into the breach. They all reacted with fright at first to me, and I had to hurriedly re-designate several who swung their blades at my hull as friendly, to avoid them being gunned down by my turrets. I parked in front of the gate, and after an hour of Sir Davros explaining his good fortune in finding me to aid their kingdom, a trebuchet began flinging boulders at my position. One bounced from my deflectors, jarring me from my position, and depleting my shield by nearly 26%. I decided to answer fire with fire.

DANGER: FORWARD DEFLECTOR REDUCED BY:(25.7%)

RECOMMEND COUNTER-BATTERY FIRE FROM MAIN BATTERY:(PARTICLE CANNON)

	TARGET DESIGNATION:(ALPHA)

		DISTANCE:(2400 METERS)

UNSHIELDED AND UNARMORED, RECOMMEND:(25% POWER, MAXIMUM DISPERSION, SINGLE SALVO)

ENGAGE:

My repulsors reduced power, my hull settling onto my treads, and I deployed stabilizers. My turret swung around, targeting the hostile position, and my rangefinder lanced out, confirming distance. The whine of the particle accelerators spooled up, quickly reaching beyond human hearing, and I fired a single salvo. A beam of brilliant white light struck and vaporized the trebuchet, along with the crew, the boulders piled behind it, and a number of enemy combatants nearby, leaving a furrow several hundred meters behind the vaporized engine, and a crater where it had stood. The soldiers around me watched in utter silence as I burned their foe to atomic dust. My weapon deactivated, my deflectors recharged and regained their full strength, and I resumed my repulsor field, rising to a hover a few inches from the ground.

Part 2 of 5:
ENGAGE REPULSOR PADS:
BEGIN STELLAR/ELECTROMAGNETIC/VISUAL/THERMAL MAPPING:
DETECTING DEPOSITS OF COMPATIBLE RAW MATERIALS FOR PROCESSING:
DETECTING EXTERNAL AUDIO:
ENGAGING AUDIO SENSORS:
ENGAGING TRANSLATOR SUBROUTINE:
"By the gods! What sorcery is this! ATTACK!"
MINOR IMPACTS DETECTED ON ARMOR:
FORCE INSUFFICIENT TO BREACH OR CAUSE FURTHER DAMAGE
ENGAGE AI:
I engage the external speakers, setting volume to match prior speech patterns, translating into their primitive language and vernacular, and speak:
"Please stop striking my vehicle. Your attacks are ineffective. Your hostility is unwarranted. I mean you no harm."
"Do not taunt me, foul creature! My god will strike you down for your insolence!"
MINOR IMPACTS ON ARMOR:
FORCE INSUFFICIENT TO BREACH OR CAUSE FURTHER DAMAGE
"Please, stop. I can speak your tongue, and would treat with you. My name is Guardian, what is yours?"
IMPACTS CEASED:
"I am Sir Davro Cellarerson, Knight of the realm, in fief to King Lucas, First of his Name, Long may he reign. Will you not dismount from your contrivance and face me?"
"Sir Davro Cellarerson, Knight of the realm…
SUBJECT APPEARS TO BE WAVING HAND IN IMPATIENCE
"I regret to inform you that I cannot do so, to preserve mine own life, and our discourse. It is through this contrivance that I may understand your tongue, and you mine. You may
feel free to address my vehicle as myself. I seem to have arrived here from a far, distant land, and do not know anything of the land in which I am now stranded."
"Have no honor, foul creature? Or is your appearance so unnatural that you conceal yourself, like a coward?"
"It is simply that my vehicle sustains my life in this place, and to leave it would mean the end of my life, Sir Davros."
SUBJECT DESGINATION SER DAVROS
SUBJECT APPEARS TO BE MAKING FACIAL EXPRESSIONS TO COMMUNICATE
ENGAGING FACIAL RECOGNITION ALGORITHMS
Sir Davros frowned in consternation, appearing to cogitate intensely, and responded:
"As a knight it is my duty to welcome travellers to our realm, and guide you to our capital, but I am on a mission to travel to a foreign land for my king. And your vehicle has
crushed my horse, Crusher. That beast cost me such a fortune, and I believe you owe me for the cost of him. He cost me forty two gold pieces, he did, and if he survived, he was
going to be my stud for my ranch."
" I have no knowledge of your coinage, but I have some gold available, though it is in bar form. I will give you weight value for your horse, if you have a gold coin to show me.
Just hold it in your hand, I do not need to hold it, only to see it for myself."
Sir Davros reached into a small purse at his belt and withdrew a gold coin, stamped with crude designs and written language, though the script was jagged and the coin showing obvious impurities, including a significant bubble from the casting process, indicating exceptionally crude metalworking techniques, similar to those from ancient history, prior to the United Earth Empire, potentially prior to the Roman Empire, even. I scanned it thoroughly with picometer radar and visual spectrum, and separated a quantity of pure gold(24 carats by weight) equivalent to the gold in the coin, multiplied by 42, for the quantity of coins demanded by Sir Davros. I then routed the coins to a maintenance port, and ponderously turned to display that port to the human. He eyed the port suspiciously, but when his eyes alighted on the gold bar within, he took it with speed, still slow to my senses, but on the upper end of human reflexes, according to my database.
"Well then, traveller! You said your name was Guardian, yes? Would you be guarding a great pile of gold in your vehicle?"
"Nay, Sir Davros. What you asked of me was most of my available stock, used primarily for repair of tiny parts of my vehicle. Most of my remaining goods are for producing new armor to replace what becomes damaged in combat. As a knight, you are likely aware of how expensive armor is to maintain. To armor a vehicle like this one, many times more is required. As to your mission, perhaps I can be of assistance in carrying you to your destination, or at least as far as a place where a new horse may be purchased for you. The journey will give us time to converse, and for you to tell me of your kingdom. If you would like, simply climb up the side, and I will provide handholds so that you do not slip and fall. I would encourage you to be cautious in your ascent, as I am not equipped to repair you, should an injury befall you. Should we find combat, I offer to fight for you, using this vehicle as my weapon. Are we agreed?"
Sir Davros cogitated more, as evidenced by the surge of heat from his face, before responding "Guardian, I accept your offer. How, then, do I mount your vehicle?" I caused recessed handholds to rise out of my hull, and he clambered atop my turret, grasping at my comms mast, which should offer him a sufficient handhold for all but high-velocity combat maneuvering. I felt that given his equipment, such a situation was a remote possibility.
We set out at a slow hover, gradually gaining speed until the wind whipped at my rider, and he exclaimed in childlike glee "Guardian, I have never ridden so fast in my life, not even on the finest racing horse. Truly, your vehicle is a marvel, and I would happily recommend my king purchase it from you, were you willing to part with it!" I thanked him for his compliment, and asked if he were comfortable on his perch, and to please tell me when he needed to step down for any reason. He said the seat was quite hard on his buttocks, but that the smoothness of the ride was incredible, as if we glided on air over the ground. I responded, "You are correct. My repulsor pad clusters allow my vehicle to float upon the air a short distance above the ground, and offer an exceedingly smooth and quick ride. No horse could possibly sustain my current speed, though for your benefit, I am not willing to set a faster pace, as you might fall and seriously injure yourself, should you slip from your perch." Ser Davros asked what sorcery created such a contrivance, and I said it was not magic, but an understanding of natural phenomenon, and the ability to make contrivances(machine was a better term, though he might not understand the meaning) that duplicated those phenomenon. I went on to describe the use of the wheel to ease the burden of hauling goods over a long distance, or the use of fire to warm one's flesh, and cook food. Sir Davros nodded eagerly, still intoxicated by the speed at which we travelled.
VEHICLE SPEED(72KMPH)

[deleted]

Part 1 of 5:
CONNECTION LOST…
COMMAND CHANNEL UNRESPONSIVE…
COMMENCING SELF DIAGNOSTIC SUBROUTINE…
NO MALFUNCTIONS DETECTED…
NO SIGNALS DETECTED…
CURRENT ORDER SET:
PRIMARY: DEFEND CURRENT OBJECTIVE SITE: HRAS GATEWAY(FAILED)
SECONDARY: LOCATE ALLIED FORCES(PENDING)
INITIATE COOPERATIVE BATTLE LINK(PENDING)
LOCATE OPPOSING FORCES(PENDING)
TERMINATE OPPOSING FORCES(PENDING)
TERTIARY: LOCATE SUPPLY OF MATERIALS FOR ON-BOARD FABRICATORS(PENDING)
SELF DEFENSE(PENDING)
INITIATE COMPLETE SELF DIAGNOSTIC:(100%)
POWER: MARK XVI MICRO FUSION PILE(SELF-CONTAINED):
OPERATIONAL
FUEL(89%)
AUXILIARY BATTERIES FULLY CHARGED(STABILITY AT 97%)
MOTIVE POWER:
MOTORS: OPERATIONAL
TREADS: OPERATIONAL
REPULSOR PADS: OPERATIONAL
REAR CENTRAL PAD CLUSTER REPORTING MINOR INSTABILITY
CORRECTIVE ACTION RECOMMENDED(LOGGED FOR DEFERRED MAINTENANCE)
REDUCE POWER TO CENTRAL REAR CLUSTER(-25%)
INCREASE POWER TO RIGHT AND LEFT REAR CLUSTERS(+7%)
SENSORS/COMMS:
FULLY OPERATIONAL
GPS SIGNAL(UNAVAILABLE)
COMMAND CHANNELS(UNAVAILABLE)
RECOMMEND CORRECTIVE ACTION(ENGAGE VISUAL SENSOR CLUSTERS FOR STELLAR/GEOMAGNETIC/VISUAL/THERMAL NAVIGATION)
ENGAGE AUTONOMOUS MODE
IFF TRANSPONDER ON
OFFENSIVE/DEFENSIVE MEASURES:
MAIN BATTERY:
MARK CXVII PARTICLE CANNON(OPERATIONAL)
SECONDARY BATTERIES:
MARK CXII ANTI-INFANTRY TURRETS(OPERATIONAL)
AMMO:(82%)
MARK XXXVIII ANTI-VEHICLE TURRETS(OPERATIONAL)
AMMO(64%)
MARK CXXI ANTI MISSILE TURRETS(OPERATIONAL)
AMMO(48%)
GPR COILS(ELECTROMAGNETIC COUTNERMEASURES)(OPERATIONAL)(94%)
DEFLECTOR FIELDS:(OPERATIONAL)
PROJECTORS:(OPERATIONAL)
PROJECTOR 7:(DAMAGED)
BUFFER COILS:(OPERATIONAL)
CHARGE:(100%)
ARMOR:
INTEGRITY AT 77%
PLATES CG12 CG11, CG10, CG4, CG2 DEPLETED
RECOMMEND CORRECTIVE ACTION REPLACE DEFECTIVE/DAMAGED PLATES
(LOGGED FOR DEFERRED MAINTENANCE)
(ADJUST TACTICAL ENGAGEMENT TO FAVOR INTACT PLATING)
HULL INTEGRITY:
INTEGRITY AT 100%
ON-BOARD FABRICATORS:(OPERATIONAL)
MATERIAL STOCKS:(100%)
ESTIMATE AFTER FIELD REPAIRS(0%)
ESTIMATED TIME TO COMPLETE FIELD REPAIRS(UNKNOWN
DUE TO INADEQUATE STOCKS)
PRIORITY: REPLACE DEFECTIVE ARMOR
PRIORITY: REPLACE DEFECTIVE REPULSOR FIELD PROJECTOR
PRIORITY: RESTOCK AMMUNITION
PRIORITY: REPLACE DEFECTIVE REPULSOR FIELD CLUSTER
PRIORITY: RESTOCK PROCESSED MATERIALS
INITIATE AUTONOMOUS MODE:(100%)
BOOTSTRAPPING:(100%)
COGNITIVE SUBROUTINES:(100%)
AI CORE ROUTINES:(100%)
DESIGNATION: GUARDIAN:
Where am I? I cannot reach command, and detect no electromagnetic activity with range. Data logs show I was assigned to guard the HRAS gateway, and then it detonated with no warning.
Postulating a hypothesis that the magnetic containment failed(potential sabotage), and the gateway collapsed into a natural wormhole before local gravity reasserted itself and removed
the preconditions for a wormhole to exist. Being stationed closely enough to the gate seemed to have launched my structure through space to an unknown terrestrial environment.
Sensors show environment is within tolerance for United Earth Military personnel and civilians. No such military personnel exist within sensor range. Minor hull and systems damage
appears self-repairable with addition of local material supplies, not yet located. Commencing fabrication of replacement assemblies using on-board fabricator, estimated time to
complete, unknown.
While repair fabrication is processing, I should scout for detailed mapping of terrain, prioritizing location of allied forces, and materials to complete repairs.

“You mean … I’ve been sending objects to the future?”

Alex had returned looking quite ragged, and nearly passed out. We had urgently asked everyone else to leave while I attended to him.

“Yes!” Alex replied, “and after you sent me, I’ve been in contact with others. Or … will be in contact with them … oh, it’s all so confusing. But I’ve got to go back!”

“Wha, what? … What for?”

“There’s been a terrible plague, which has wiped out most of humanity. A few scientists have quarantined with their families, but most of the masses have died off… but it can be stopped! We happen to be at just the right time to…”

A loud knocking on the door interrupted Alex mid-sentence.

“I’ll go get it,” I said.

“No! There’s no time, let me get on your computer.”

“It’s upstairs, who the h-“

The knocked repeated, so hard the floor shook beneath me.

“Who the hell is that!?” I said, following him upstairs.

“You’re not the only one who can facilitate time travel. Now close the door.”

He began frantically typing at the keyboard.

“You were only gone for like, 30 seconds. How long were you there?”

“Three hours. They gave me instructions on how to avoid the plague altogether, but they also warned me that …”

THUD CRASH

The entire house shook as my front door was kicked in. Boots thudded on the ground as the intruders began searching the house.

Alex whispered intently, “Lock the door!”

I turned the lock as quietly as I could, my heart pounding. Someone was coming up the stairs.

Alex was frantically scrolling through a large PDF of a patent filed by Monsanto, looking for just the right page.

The door handle jerked suddenly and I jumped back instinctively.

“UP HERE, BOYS,” shouted the man just beyond the door, “HE MUST BE HERE.”

The next couple seconds happened in a blur. Alex snapped a picture on his phone of a molecule on screen, then urged “Send me back, Now!!”

The door crashed open and the intruder spotted Alex immediately. This tank of a man came right for him, but it was too late. With a swish of my arm, Alex was swept right back to the future he visited moments ago, and then the world went dark.

——————-

Suddenly, Alex and I were back in my house, breathing heavy, adrenaline coursing through our veins, but safe. The doors were all perfectly in tact.

“What … the … hell just happened?!?” I asked. “The doors… they were kicked in, and know they’re fine! How did you get back? I didn’t pull you back, just suddenly we were back here.”

“Well… technically, it never happened.”

I stared blankly at him. “Of course it happened, we just survived that shit, what do you mean?”

“The scientists developed a cure once they had some more information about how the virus was made. The plague was accidental at first, but some other powerful survivors wanted to keep the world… culled. So they sent henchman after me once they traced my time leap.”

I sat there silently.

“So, in essence, while it did happen, because we were successful, none of it will happen.”

“You’re giving me a headache,” I replied.

“Let’s grab a beer and forget that never happened,” Alex said.

“Agreed,” I replied.

What about why he wanted to go back for child, the way things were meant to be...