Chapter 3 | God Complex |
I see faith in your eyes It was nearly noon when he arrived. He was cursing and grumbling as he had fallen and gotten leaves and other crap in his open wound. He was gingerly pulling them out as it hurt like hell. It hurt like hell almost constantly in fact and it was a frequent question of the shaman. "Why does it not heal?" "It will only heal if I can get the same metals as I am made from. My body can repair most minor stuff. This was a little more than minor, so I have to bear it." "Does this hurt you?" Starscream hesitated before he answered, "Like hell" The shaman nodded and he whistled shrilly. Several females came out of the village. They were holding something heavy between them. It was dyed a brilliant purple. The shaman held it to Starscream. "It's a robe made of the skin of the Wyvern you slew. One property of the Wyvern is that its own spit does not hurt it. You are protected and that horrible gouge is now hidden from view of the others." He offered it to the Seeker who could only admire the thoughtfulness of the people. He picked the skin up expecting it to be tough and hard but it felt extremely soft to his touch sensors. He arranged it around his body so it slung over his left shoulder in the manner of a toga and he buckled it over the right hip. It covered his damaged hip and midriff. The skin was very soft and he looked at the delicate bead work: in lavender amethyst was the Decepticon insignia. "Curious," Starscream said. "If this is immune to the venom, why is it that you don't protect yourselves with it?" "We have never thought of that." The shaman sat in silent reflection. "Is it your will that we use it to protect ourselves?" "If you have more skins around, I insist," he said in a deeper authoritative tone. The shaman laughed. "You shall have it." He slapped Starscream's thigh and he told the women to make everyone garments with the skins in supply. Later that day while they were sitting talking on a boulder by a large river, Starscream described his plummet from the sky. He threw a rock into the water to describe the skipping motion of his almost fatal crash landing. The shaman watched fascinated. He took a stone and threw it and it sank when it hit water. Again the Seeker took a stone that was very flat and smooth and in a slow motion, he threw it and it skipped a couple of times and sank. The shaman tried again with success. The shaman had seen the plummet of the huge booming fireball to the south. He had ordered some hunters to go investigate. They had seen a huge body in the mud but it did not move so they thought it was dead so they left. He ordered them back a few days later and that was after Starscream had managed to free himself of his life and death struggle for useable energy. "There is a ancient myth," the shaman said, "so ancient that it matches the age of some of the rocks. It has been handed to us by mouth for ages. Each generation shaman learns it and passes it on. Although memory and time leaves things out or adds things in the whole tale is incredible. It goes on for a day or so." The shaman looked up " I will tell you a shortened version. Long before our ancestors discovered the use of fire and the stone tool was an unobtainable object, a very strange thing happened. It was a bright day, the story says, when two bright streaks of light shot in from behind the sun from the north. As the fires faded, there flew in the sky unusual birds. Not natural shapes, one was a very small pyramid shape and the other seemed more like a giant bird. They flew to the ground and changed into giant Guana but without the tails. One was far larger than the other and they looked at everything, as if they were inspecting the planet. They were there for a few days and they left the same way they came in, just without the fire." The shaman bowed. Starscream was stunned beyond belief. 'How is that possible?' he thought. 'That was millions of years ago? There were no people here, the life was very, very, very primitive.' "How could that be remembered? There was no one here and that was at least eight or nine million years ago." The shaman looked worried. "Have I offended you?", the shaman asked with concern. Starscream was looking troubled. "Hell, no. It's just unheard of." He was lost for words. 'I think you are frightening the shaman' "What I will say you must not tell anyone, but never had a history from an organic based life form, such as yourself, been kept through spoken word over such a length of time without losing true form. What you have told me, Shaman, is true. We recorded no significant life here and we only visited once. To tell me your primitive ancestors could pass the information onto the next generation for countless years is amazing. It was not long after I was um... "born" that I came here With my teacher and friend." "Then you were one of the ancient visitors?" "Yes", he breathed. "Then there is one more thing. It was heralded that the visitors would return. It was unclear however what he meant to do." Starscream was even unsure of what he was to do. He wanted to leave this rock. 'You have it within you to appear as an ideal god', he thought to himself. 'Your warrior side is dangerous, unforgiving, quick to anger. You know yourself as well as I do.' He looked down at the reptilian shaman before him. 'Your scientist side, that's me, is benign, benevolent, kind, forgiving. Now I think about it, it's not surprising that you forgot about me. Megatron would have killed you long ago. Anyway, I digress. You can act like a good, well meaning god but make them remember that you are stronger than they are and you could make their little lives miserable.' "Ick", Starscream muttered. "But deception is my game," he said in a barest whisper. 'Then I shall defer to you, my dear powerful, all knowing lord Starscream' "I require some help," Starscream said in a haughty tone. "As I have said I have fallen from the sky. I was ejected by other evil gods for unjust reasons," he lied. "I need to build a chariot to guide me to the place where the evil gods live." Starscream paused for a moment, looking at the shaman. "I also require a temple to live in. I would prefer it to be underground. I can teach you the techniques that you don't have, to help me to obtain your goal. This would benefit your race for certain and you could join me in the stars," Starscream suggested. "I can also make sure your standard of living is superior, improve your houses." His hands waved at the tattered skin tents. "Better health." he said, although he had helped to improve it so far, he could greatly enhance their medicines and technology. "All I require is your devotion to me, and an offering of energon. Only the finest, brought to me every day," he said with a smooth tone. "Not doing this," his tone went icy and sinister, "could result in some bad things happening to your hunts and to your little villages." He let the last word hang with a hint of foreboding as promising as his words were. He believed that when all was said and done, he would merrily vaporize the creatures and their worthless and useless world and piss on the scientist. 'That's not nice!' Starscream ignored the last thought. The shaman looked up at Starscream. He appeared somewhat disturbed by the threat. Starscream had never once threatened him before, why start now? Then again who knows the true motives of a god. It would be a good thing to do as he said. After all, he had helped the sick heal very fast. "Never anger the gods," his predecessor had once said 'especially one who can take down a Wyvern in one shot, as well as get hit with a full blast of venom and still survive'. Thought the shaman "Tell me, almighty one, what is it that you need and how can we make it. Your every wish shall be my command," he said. "Good" Starscream said, beaming and he stood up. "We've got a lot of work to do." Starscream taught the shaman metallurgy and geology. He helped them cut stone with his laser and constructed a smelter. He showed them how to make Cybertronian alloys. He had them casting sheets of the metal and making wires and capacitors. With time the metals they worked was up to his standards and he was able to fix his damaged hip and circuitry and again he was able to transform and fly. He removed his soft leather robe and laid it carefully on the worn log bench that had been his "bed" in his cavern. It had become home to him for three long years and he loathed to leave it. He was going to be sending the Guanas here to make more energon. He had walked home after he had fixed himself. He was holding off on his first flight for a time longer. He had waited three years and he had learned that patience was indeed a virtue. What was almost better than his impending flight, what truly could be better than flying, was the fact that his hip and midriff were no longer hurting like hell all the time. He was to gather the last of the energon cubes he had stored there and take off to his new home. He slipped the robe on the pile and clutched them close. He stood outside. In the brilliant sun the heat of the day was intense, but he had gotten used to it. He breathed deeply, allowing the scent of the damp earth to tickle his senses.. He looked down towards the lake where the giant plesiosaurs swam. Their long necks peeked above the water. He would miss the quiet stillness of this glade. Where his new headquarters was located was noisy with the constant presence of the Guana people. Yes it was certain that he would miss this place, but it was time to go home. The shaman had told him earlier that the people had finished constructing his huge headquarters underground and they were filling it in. He had overseen the construction, and he had made them re-do part because he wanted them to know he needed perfection. Nothing would be worse than getting a ship that fell apart on liftoff. Yes, that was the next task, the ship. He leapt into the air and transformed, tucking the energon and robe into him. He fired his jets and into the deep blue sky he flew. How wonderful was the sensation of flight once again. Where he was going was but a moments hop away but he had waited far too long to allow his first flight be just one minute. He felt the need to have an energy wasting session. Although it was not critical anymore to conserve, it had become a habit. He decided he could risk going into very low power percentage. He had extra cubes inside his cockpit. He pushed himself to his limit in speed for a moment. The booming thunder he made caused the Guana people to look up. They waved. He flew high into the air and dove down. He did a barrel roll, then a couple of loops. He nosed up again and flew back towards the clearing where the new base was buried . The ground looked disturbed where the base was hidden. All that remained above the surface was a long flat cover stone. He flew to a halt just before the stone and transformed. He held the pile of cubes and the robe to him. He held his hand over that stone and it shifted aside. The passageway down was brightly lit and the stairs were large and smooth. The light was not painfully bright but soft and warm. The walls were made from metals that were a pleasant green. There were several Guanas present in his headquarters, but they were technicians working on assignments. They greeted Starscream with a bow of the head. He entered the monitoring chamber. A small computer was on an ornate desk with a large monitor mounted on the wall. Starscream admired the desk, it was very smooth and finely crafted. "Welcome to your home, my lord," the shaman said as Starscream turned around. He took a long sweeping bow. Starscream smiled broadly at the reptile, who was wearing fine skins and beautiful jewelry and a very bright feathered headdress. "You have done well, very well in fact. I am pleased. You take your work seriously," said Starscream praising the Guana shaman. "The people have been delighted with their improved homes and they hope that if they work harder that you would be very happy with them." "I am indeed. I've never seen anyone work so hard before. Where I came from it is very hard to find good help." He stood up tall and proud. "Give your people all a day off, and have a party." "The people will appreciate that. Now, my lord, can I show you your personal abode. Your private chambers, that are meant for your privacy so you can contemplate your next task." He gestured to a door on the back wall. The shaman put his hand to the plate and the door slid open. The room was large and comfortable. The colours were reds and burgundy. The floors had a thick covering of a hand knotted rug dyed in a deep blue that was almost black. Rich fabrics hung from the walls and at the end was an large, rich looking, couch. The people had learned how to make fine fabrics from plants and they improved their dye techniques so they achieved very rich, vibrant colours. In the corner was an alcove that looked along the lines of a earth humans shower stall. The Guana lead him to it. "A recharging station!" Starscream was pleased. Now he did not have to worry about mornings with hangovers, or incomplete charges. "As you had asked for. Is this to your liking?" "Do I like it? It's fantastic." "Then may I take my leave of you so you may get familiarized?" "Of course, thank you, Santor." The shaman left the room and the door closed behind him. This was much to his liking. The room was more than he had expected. He had only had a schematic of a simple room with the resting couch at one end and the recharge station on the wall. He was used to the room he had had back on earth which resembled something like a minimum security prison cell. The only difference between his old home and a prison was that he could leave whenever he wanted. Well almost. When Megatron did not seal him in and post guards outside. This place was fit for a king. Well now, not a king but a god. He laughed. He placed the cubes on a table and folded the robe into a dresser and strode over to the re-charge chamber and sat down. Energy flowed through his body. He unplugged and sat on the bed he flopped back and fell into a pleasant sleep. Days drew on to weeks and weeks slid into months. The Guana people were well settled. They had built stone houses to replace the hide tents that they lived in. He had a couple of factories built in a few villages large enough to support the size of the workload he had given them, but in the capital village of Atanole he set up the base for building his Ship. Starscream handed out instructions to the people. They looked over it. The shaman studied it further and made a few orders and winked at Starscream. "I will get our smelters to make a few more arc welding devices. Our glass blowers will design a type of glass you suggest here. I think we can improve the strengths of both metal and glass." They walked over to the site where the ship was to be built. They grinned at each other and Starscream pointed out the general layout and ordered the Guanas to step to it. The shaman whistled and from all directions a huge group of the people arrived. Starscream counted five hundred. They chanted and cheered and they stated work immediately |