Chapter 8

Mary couldn’t believe how comfortable the bed she had been given was considering that she had slept on the ground the night before. The room apparently had belonged to a female officer of the Avalon over ten thousand years ago. It felt great to have taken a shower and be given a comfortable bed to sleep in.

It had been late when Merlin showed her the room. There had been a small circle that flew about the room cleaning. The room smelled wonderful to her as well. There were no windows, but there were screens that showed various images of a past that no one besides Merlin remembered.

A city appeared a lot with a vast fortress with metallic spirals around the fortresses. A giant circle of stones surrounded the city- it appeared to be a bit like the stones around Stonehenge. There were hills around the city as well along with paved roads.

In the city, there were ships floating by the city, and it appeared to be something from the future or a fantasy novel. That being said- Mary wanted to learn about the city. However, she smiled as it was late, and she started to close her eyes.

The next morning- she awoke had another shower which refreshed her. Sleeping outside and wearing the bodysuit that Circe had provided took a toll on her. She was given a new uniform. The little robot gave her a bar which it said to eat.

“Thank you.”

After eating the bar, she felt like she ate a full lumberjack breakfast. Walking out of the room, Mary walked down the hallway towards the area where the simulator was.

Walking into the area, Ashton already was in one of the simulators with Merlin standing there watching the simulated battle. The man who looked young but with eyes that felt old and wise tapped his foot along. He looked at Mary.

“You have no idea how often; he has tried to use the transformation sequence on the machine knight. If I had the expertise, I’d disable that infernal dragon mode on the machine knight,” said Merlin.

“Twice?” stated Mary.

Merlin chuckled. “That’s not far from the truth. I am already do a lot to just keep the political situation in area from going out of control. What do you know of Tlaxcala, child?”

Mary shrugged her shoulders and shook her head. “Not much,” she said, “I am not even sure that I know who the Tlaxcalans are.”

Merlin shook his head. “All your friend Ashton knew was that they allied with someone in the future to take down the Aztec. However, I really have no desire to hear the future. All I want to do is really get back to my hundred-year nap. And the leaders of this republic created a situation that I am still trying to figure out how it got as bad as this.”

Mary looked at Merlin. “So, I guess the Tlaxcalans are one of the tribes that the Aztecs raided for slaves and sacrifices.”

The last man of Murau laughed. “Every year, the Aztecs raid the other civilizations of this area, and the Tlaxcalans found something that would allow them to escape the yearly fight with the Aztecs. Murau worker machine men found in a part of the jungle along with something that I believed had totally been lost to time: a machine knight. The funniest aspect is that none of those machines should be here.”

Mary looked confused. “Why? I thought you said that Murau had a globe spanning Empire.”

Merlin nodded. “We had colonies across the world from Ys to a city that had Athens built over the ruins of the colony. Our great capital of Avalon on the continent of Murau where it stood triumphant was the crown jewel of the Empire. A city of the great Temple of the One Creator next to the Imperial Castle where the Murau Emperor sat next to the Houses of Nobles and Men. But the thing is that Murau didn’t have ability to leave our best equipment in this area. I will admit that we had facilities in the North and Southern continents of this hemisphere, but this area of the world was dominated by Atlantis. All six machines were in pristine condition as well.”

“Maybe someone put them in a spot where they could be found?” asked Mary.

Merlin nodded. “Once you told me that Circe is involved in this whole situation that indicated to me that a lot of the pieces of this mystery including the murder of Frank by Juan. None of Juan’s associates should have had a means of talking to the Aztec.”

Mary looked at Mary. “What was your plan before the betrayal? Was this Frank better than Ashton as a pilot?”

“Frank,” said stroking his beard. “Ah yes, Francis. He had a natural inclination towards piloting, but unlike Ashton, he didn’t have the noble genes from Murau which I don’t even have.”

Mary looked shocked with her mouth opened after that admission. “You aren’t a noble from Moo.”

Merlin laughed. “It’s Muuraaau, or just Murau. However, I was born the son of a sheep rancher, and I was found to have an aptitude towards magic. Thus, I took a duty as an apprentice in the Church of the One Creator. That was also where all diplomats of the Empire came from, and I was found to be a better diplomat for the Murau. That’s how I met Circe. She came from what was left of the Atlantean religious order which is why she is a witch, but she was probably the first woman that I truly loved. We were young. . .”

Merlin tapered off, but after a smile he went back to look at Mary. “Circe has always had the gift of prophecy. And despite her reduced stature in Atlantean society- she had created or more likely engineered a way to give her and I immortality as everything went wrong.”

“What happened? Nuclear Armageddon?” asked Mary.

Merlin laughed as Ashton had his machine slice what appeared to be an Atlantean tripod with the sword. “If only it was so simple.”

Merlin looked at the girl as Ashton in the Machine Knight representation sliced through another Atlantean Tripod while blasting one with a fist blast. “What did Chronos tell you about the end of both Empires?”

“He said that Murau attacked Atlantis with a secret fleet, so Atlantis used a moon laser to reiterate against Murau.”

“Atlantis attacked first.”

That didn’t surprise Mary after seeing Chronos. “I kind of figured. There is something absolutely disgusting about the Atlanteans that I have met.”

Merlin nodded. “Atlantis had an objective at the end of that era that still disgusts me. They wanted to make themselves immortal by escaping judgement of the Creator. This ship named, for the lost capital of Murau, recorded the events. In my darker moments, I listen and relisten to the recording. When Murau was wiped out, the fleet split in two. One squadron of ships went out to the moon which destroyed the Atlantean city that housed the moon laser, and the bigger remnant of ships one destroyed Atlantis.”

Mary looked at Merlin. “So, the last of the Murau fleet destroyed Atlantis?”

Merlin shrugged. “It was a suicidal charge. The strike on Murau from the moon had already caused a worldwide disaster that caused a nuclear winter and plunged the world into another Ice Age. Ships from what you would call Greece finished off Atlantis after the bulk of the forces had been destroyed. That day onboard the Avalon as it tried to escape with important people from Murau and me. There was an Atlantean artifact provided by another occupant Circe.”

Merlin looked saddened as he held his hands against his chest. “She and it did something, and when I awoke, the ship was on autopilot after falling into the ocean and I had become like I am today.”

Mary looked at Merlin, and she noticed how sad that he was. The chuckles and laughing were a mask. The man in his silvery robes looked young, but the years of disappointment seemed to weigh on him spiritually. Merlin then smiled. “Mary, it’s time that you get in the simulator. Ashton is almost done, and for once he has not used the transformation device. Do your best. The initial set up will introduce you to the modified machine.”

The other simulator started to open and Mary realized that she was about to be fighting in there next.

Merlin added. “I need you to be ready for the fight, but you need to be also ready tonight. I have tried to avoid having to address the lords of this city, but it can no longer be avoided. And I will need to bring you along as well.”

Mary had gotten used to the controls, and the control crown felt so much better than the one that she had initially been trained with. In fact, Merlin had told her that he would personally change out the crown when the machine was tuned.

Switching sensors, she knew something was stalking her. She didn’t have the crudely made club now. Instead, she had cannons on either arm.

That’s when she saw the distortion behind with a side monitor. Willing the arm to move to the right, she pulled the trigger on her right controller.

A blast occurred.

But just as she was about to turn, a club hit her. The fake cockpit shook violently. Bursts of air and gas engulfed Mary. She screamed as well.

Then the cockpit opened.

“That was a good first attempt Mary,” said Ashton.

Mary felt her heart pounding. She looked at Ashton confused and a little exhausted. “And you do this several times in a row.”

Ashton reached and helped her out of the simulator. “The first time is the worse.”

“It gets better?” she asked a bit shocked.

Ashton shrugged his shoulders as he rubbed his red hair. “Well, it depends. I think that I just got numb to it. The graphics and sensations are amazing.”

Mary chuckled. “Well, I figured with your fascination with computers that you asked to look at the internals.”

Merlin standing there. “Actually, I did allow him to look at them, and he laughed.”

Ashton shook his head. “It’s a really good vacuum tube,” said Ashton.

“Vacuum Tube?” said Mary a bit confused as she was helped out of the open simulator. “I thought that it would something like your chips in the future. Something like Zilog 6800.”

Ashton shook his head. “Motorola actually makes a 6800. Zilog makes the Z80. Both are 8 Bit chips.”

Merlin laughed. “In some ways from the description, it seems your tech has taken an interesting path forward. Silicon based chips instead of super tubes.”

Ashton laughed as he got some water for Mary who sat down in a chair. “I’m honest. I am surprised that the CPU is built into a tube along with everything else needed.”

Merlin laughed. “I am not exactly sure what goes in the tubes, but they are easily to replace. The Avalon can replace them well enough which helps me keep everything working.”

“Can your chips have other chips placed on them?” asked Mary.

Ashton laughed. “Probably with time. I know with some of the 16 Bit chips that they had added subroutines to the chips.”

Ashton got a glass that he had already been drinking from. “I wish that I could do some test with the tubes, but I am sure that it would outpace even the fastest chip I could use. That’s a strange situation.”

Merlin laughed. “When you get home. No doubt you will be looking into making even more amazing . . .chips.”

Ashton looked at the older man who smiled a bit. Ashton figured that was because he was happy that humanity still could make unique advancements. Then Merlin looked at the two. “I need you two to clean up again. Unfortunately, as I discussed with both of you separately, the leaders of this city want something that I’d wish that they wouldn’t.”

“Genocide,” said Ashton.

Mary looked at Ashton a bit shocked. “They want us to destroy the Aztecs!”

Merlin looked at Mary and nodded. “I have been doing my best to keep that from happening, and I understand why they want to destroy the Aztecs with the machine men. The testament of a people constantly fighting against being taken by others to be sacrificed fruitlessly.”

The wizard looked at his feet. “I want to avoid unnecessary and pointless death as much as possible ever since that night millennia ago, but I want to avoid genocide as much as possible as well.”

For a moment, Merlin steadied himself. “Regardless, we must go to the raised platform and meet with the chiefs of the Tlaxcala. You two bathe and be ready in an hour. I do not look forward to meeting with that pack of peacocks. Also, I need you two to be on your best behavior”

And with that he got up and walked away.

Mary and Ashton looked at each other. The two laughed. Ashton smelled himself in his Murau warrior suit.

“Yeah, I could probably use a wash.”

Mary laughed. “Well, the problem is that I think it might cool us while we sweat, but it somehow absorbs the sweat.”

Ashton nodded. “It’s a good thing that these machines do the laundry. I wouldn’t even know how to start with these clothes. There are some of those odd small Murau vacuum tube circuits embedded in the plastic cloth.”

“Well, let’s go get ready.”

Later, the three were walking through the streets of the capital of Tlaxcala, Tizatlan. The five guards that Merlin had trained wore something that looked more like a military jumpsuit with a colorful half cape on their right side.

Merlin wore a light blue robe still with stars with an inner black jumpsuit. Mary and Ashton wore the black jumpsuit with capes of red on both. The various people of the city of Tizatlan seemed to believe that Ashton with his red hair was the embodiment of a god.

Apparently, Merlin had trained the chief guard, Huitzilopochtl, to at the least speak a bit of English. Mary tried to talk to him as he walked next to Merlin.

“Why do the people seem to cheer for Ashton as Quetzalcoatl?”

The man still wearing the nose ring nodded. “The people believe that he is the god come to finally put an end to the Aztecs that have been hard on the people.”

“He’s no god.”

Two of the guards had banners with the symbol of the Murau, that seemed to be a burning phoenix, went first up the stairs. Huitzilopochtl chuckled as he followed with Mary and Ashton. “The people know that as a human that Quetzalcoatl will have red hair. It is known. However, Merlin explained to me that many humans have red hair including a former charge of his.”

Mary didn’t ask further questions, but the shouts for joys as they came to massive stone plateau at the middle of the city. There stood around a hundred and forty men with great capes along with varies obsidian, jade, and gold.

“Welcome the great wizard! Welcome our savior!” said one of the leaders that Huitzilopochtl translated for her.

There were cheers as Merlin walked towards the middle of the forum. He spoke in the middle of the roof in the language of the people. Neither Mary or Ashton knew what was going on at the moment.

One of the older members of the councils looked at Merlin and shouted. His lined face seemed to hide his blinded and milky eyes. Mary only got the word Quetzalcoatl. Ashton didn’t seem to care about the situation.

Mary looked at Huitzilopochtl as the old man continued to hurl words at Merlin. He nodded at Mary. “Tlalocayotl demands of Merlin why he hasn’t defeated the Aztecs yet. Merlin has answered that his objective is to just bring an end to the conflict to preserve the good people of Tlaxcala, and that he does not want any further retaliation that could lead to the end of Tlaxcala.”

Merlin then made some sort of announcement. There was a cheer as he pointed to Mary and then Ashton.

“He says that we have two champions,” added Huitzilopochtl. Mary waved along with Ashton.

That upset Tlalocayotl. He continues to scream at Merlin who responds calmly. Ashton didn’t show any expression, but Mary wanted to say something as Huitzilopochtl stated something as he held out his hand to prevent Mary from speaking. “The Ancient knows that you want to speak, but like Ashton you must not speak to the elders.”

Then another elder who was younger spoke up wearing a lot of feathers. Huitzilopochtl spoke still whispering. “It seems that Citlalli the Young Sage is speaking in support of Merlin stating that the people do not have enough warriors to take over if Quetzalcoatl lead a charge into the Aztecs that something worse than the Aztecs would emerge.”

It was then that Tlalocayotl began yelling at Citlalli while holding his lower abdomen at the other lord. Mary tried to not look, but Ashton stood stone-faced. However, Citlalli laughed.

Merlin looked satisfied with the results as the two started to fight. He pulled back. “Ashton and Mary continue to stay as still as possible.”

Then there appeared to be a vote with Tlalocayotl getting upset. He went back into the crowd as Citlalli nodded towards Merlin. That however did not seem to relieve Mary as she realized that this would be easier with a single leader.

Merlin nodded back to Citlalli.

He simply said, “Come.” The seven members of his party walked down the steps back towards the stone building where the machine knight stood alone.

Once they were inside the amphitheater, Merlin relaxed. He let himself lean on the stick. “That went better than I expected, but that old goat Tlalocayotl got a bit of a concession. Ashton, you are going to need to do a daily patrol out of the walls of Tizatlan.”

That seemed to confuse Ashton. “What do you mean that I am going to patrol outside the walls of the city?”

Merlin laughed. “It is a concession until we can finish this fight with Juan and Circe. I don’t think that it will last long. Those various people will reveal themselves soon enough. However, to keep Tlalocayotl pacified, he demands some sign of us doing something.”

Mary nodded. “Juan wants to destroy the Tlaxcala because he thinks it will change history.”

Ashton sighed. “I guess it looks better than sitting around training.”

Merlin added with a stomp of his staff. “And no transforming within the city grounds. Maybe if you get out a little, but still no flying with that thing.”

Underneath an ancient Mayan Pyramid, Circe walked into the vast chamber that had once displayed holographic projections for the masses. She should have probably brought her drones with her, but making sure that the golden brace was on her was enough for what she had to report to Chronos.

Sitting in his floating pyramid throne, Chronos seemed to enjoy his new body as he stretched and felt it.

“Well, it looks like you are doing well, Baphomet.”

The floating pyramid throne turned towards, Circe. “I have told you to never refer to me by my original mortal name. That was shed when . . .”

“. . . When you became a true so-called god, I’ve heard it all before. However, we have a problem oh wise eternal last Archon.”

That was when the eyes of the new body of Chronos focused on her still floating in the chair. “I am already busy, witch,” he said. Trying to wave the witch away, he continued to watch the reconstruction of the Murau machine man.

A new rounded dome was placed on the damaged Murau construction machine man for a head. A backpack was being added as well. Circe was not fazed by the interaction. “Well, Chronos, the problem is that the time spell is wasting the bodies of the priests faster than I expected.”

“You told me that we had a month, Circe,” shouted the younger sounding voice of the new body.

“We would have had a month if we would have gotten you the body on the first go around of the spell, but the acceleration caused by the second spell means that they will probably all be dead within a week.”

Chronos turned the throne to examine the machine man. “You could always teach more of their priests or possible some Aztec priests the spell.”

Circe sighed. “That will take time, and Merlin will know now that he is here. He almost stopped the second use of the spell by the Tlaxcalans, but both sides got what they wanted. For now, the priests are in suspended animation.”

Chronos didn’t make much of a noise. “The Murau machine is basically ready. I had wanted to alter it to be more like an Atlantean machine, and I can press Jesse into service already now that his bio enhancements have settled.”

Circe smiled. “I will encourage the fool to attack Merlin to create another opening to get the rest of the priests.”

Chronos turned the throne and got incredibly close to Circe as he floated next to her. “You will keep me posted. Once we have the other three priests, we will go ahead and create the portal the final time. A shame, it would have been nice to be able to transport the altered machine man through the portal.”

The body that had once been Bill then made a statement. “Dr. Hell would have nothing on me in the future with a fully complete machine man. However, the objective has always been to escape this infernal time.”

Circe nodded. “And I will get what I was promised.”

Chronos nodded. “Yes, you will get that scrubber. I still have no idea why you’d want it. Your skiff doesn’t require one that big.”

Circe didn’t answer as she started to walk away. “A lady keeps her secrets, Chronos.”