The Portal And The Golem - Part III


by Merric Blackman
Sent to The GreyTalk List 27 February 2002
PART III - GOLEM


I trudged across the uneven landscape, following my orders.

Only one sun illuminated the landscape, unlike the interplay of the seven I was used to, and thus there were more areas without illumination of any kind, but those in sunlight were clearer than any I'd seen.

This place also had a lot of hills. I trudged up one hill, and down another. Up a hill, down another. I had been ordered to travel east until I found a settlement, and so I travelled east. My inertial guiding compass still functioned perfectly.

Up the hill. Occasionally a large humanoid figure standing some ten feet in height would appear from behind one of the numerous boulders scattered untidily about and lob a rock at me, then run away frantically when I disintegrated the rock rather than let it damage me. Perhaps my master had ordered them to test me, to see if my systems were in proper order. A wise thing to do, if it were so.

Down the hill. I modulated my rate of pacing so that I would not lose my balance. Far to the north east, an unusual bird flew by, more like a reptile in aspect. My tracking systems noted it, and for practice calculated its size, and flagged the result to me with a 'this is interesting!' tag. Indeed. The bird-reptile was over forty feet long!

Up the next hill. There must have been a reason my maker had sent me to this world, but curiousity was only a fifth-order function in my programming. First-order was obedience, and I had been ordered to head east until I found a settlement. East I went.

Down the hill. Up the hill. Down the hill. The sun went down, and I continued. Up. Down. Up. Down. Infrared and ultraviolet light is no mystery to me, so unperturbed by the lack of sun I continued. Two moons above me - one large, one smaller - confirmed the newness of this place. Up. Somewhere, a command sequence tripped, and I began more actively recording the terrain and the details of this place. Down. I was firstly created for enforcement, but my maker had given me other features.

A few more days passed before the settlement came in sight. I was now out of the hills, and some distance into a forest of the most primitive sort. It was a small settlement, of houses cleverly camouflaged by the trees, and a race of aliens with pointed ears and slender physiques, though otherwise conforming to the human norm.

They had trespassed against the Empire. The enforcement was shortly over, recorded, and I turned my steps westwards to report back to my Master.

Behind me, the smoke from the ashen remains of the village lifted into the sky. A banner of warning to those who could see.


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