Singing. Of course.
I sigh. I was annoyed at all the attention, but really, I had only myself to blame. I'm the one that just had to touch the directory stone. I couldn't just like, not touch it, oh no.
I stood. "I'll go out and see them. Maybe I can get them to disperse or something before security comes. I have a feeling that the people in charge here aren't going to like this, and I'd rather not have people get beat up in front of us who are trying to worship me."
Selem stared at the screen, not even turning to face me. "Yes, thank you Melody, that's... probably a good idea"
Something seemed off with her. It's like she was having a real hard time with the things that were going on. Moreso than the usual stress. Maybe I'll ask her about it later.
"Melody, are you going to don your pressure suit?" Far Reach asks.
Ugh, it was still scratched! I hadn't even gotten time to play with the "translator" let alone fix my suit. Nobody will give me a couple hours to putter. If this is what being a Living God was, I didn't want it.
Too late now though.
"No, I won't wear it this time." I said. "It's still scratched and we can breathe the air fine. Plus, I'll look less intimidating in my uniform" I gestured down. I'm in my regular ships uniform. Grey shirt, grey pants with sensible shoes. Only decoration is my rank on my shoulder, and my name tag in brass on my breast pocket.
"Are you sure Melody? Last time out they shot at you." Far Reach sounded unsure. Hah, I wish Far Reach had an avatar, maybe I could read her body language better too.
"I'll be fine Far, it's not like they'll try and kill their own god."
Omar chuckled darkly at that, and Kieran gave me a look. I wondered why.
I headed up to the airlock. It was a decent walk from the Command Deck, partly because the Command Deck was in the front of Far Reach and the airlock more towards the middle, but now that I know this ship was built during a war, I wonder if it's so far away to help repel boarders.
When I got there, Gene was there already. He had popped open a weapons locker and took out a long range rifle. Not one of mine, but I knew the model, it was decent.
"And just what do you plan on doing with that?" I ask.
"Captain said I should cover you." He replied without looking up. He was checking the rifle and examining the magazine. It's impeccable though, I was the one who cleaned and inspected it last.
"Cover me?" I said incredulously. "From what?"
This time he stopped and looked up at me. Melody, have you noticed how Captain Q'ari has been acting lately? She's completely out of sorts and is having trouble making decisions. She wants to leave. Her sense of duty and not wanting to have blood on her hands is the only thing keeping her from ordering Far Reach to blow the umbilical, and attempt a link home.
I nodded. "I did notice that, yes. I think it's something else though. She started to... act differently when she learned that the people here think we're Gods."
Gene stopped and looked at me. "I didn't notice that." Hah! It's like I had a superpower. I could read people's body language so easily now. It had always been hard for me before and now I just... knew. Gene went back to the rifle. "Well, we're not Gods. Just look at our history. I'd be more inclined to agree if they thought we were demons or something. That I can see. Anyway-" Checking complete, Gene slotted the magazine and racked the bolt." I'm going to stay on Far Reach and watch you. I think you'll be fine, but it's foolish to go out there unarmed and with no backup when they've already shown us they're willing to shoot.
I wasn't going to win this one. "Fine." I said. "But stay out of sight, and keep that targeting reticle off my back."
"I'd never aim at you Melody, you know that."
Without answering, I turned and cycled the airlock. I stepped into the inner door with Gene and we waited for it to finish. The outer door opened and Gene got down on one knee and hunched in a corner, just out of sight while I walked down the short umbilical. I was feeling that giddy nervous feeling again. I hated all this attention, but I also loved it. Have you ever felt that? Ugh. I needed a coffee.
I pressed the open button on the iris and the sound, it was breathtaking.
There were way more people here than Far Reach let on, and the mics by the airlock didn't pick up the richness of the sound. It must have been 100 people standing there, all singing and swaying in time. Even with my nanotech, I didn't understand the words until I realized it was just notes.
I stepped out and stood there watching. All at once, they noticed me and stopped. One of them, an Aviens wearing a... robe... of pure white approached me.
I struggled at the description because yes, it's a robe but the cut is... like a space suit.
With a beatific smile the Aviens said "Holy One! You heard our cries! You have come to us in this, our darkest hour! We are at your command!"
With that, he dropped to the floor, on his knees, his head scraping the floor. Everyone - and I mean everyone - followed him.
Oh no.
There they stayed, nearly shaking with joy. I mean, I guess if you were religious and God showed up, you'd be happy too? Ugh. I hate it.
"Rise please." I said "There is uh, no need to supplicate yourselves before me."
The Aviens stood up quickly, and with a rustle of clothes and a clank of pressure suits everyone followed. "Oh but Holy One, you are too kind. We know The Way. We know how you are to be treated." They said, nodding with each thing they said."
"Oookay," I said. "Why are you here then? What do you need? Oh, what's your name too?"
His feathers puffed out immediately when I asked his name. He was very proud. "I am known as The Smell of Soil after Rain and this-" he gestured behind him "-is my flock. We are more than five hundred strong here on this part of Reach of the Might of Vzzx and there are at least twenty more congregations across the the Might."
There are how many?
Oh no.
"That's... impressive to hear" I say, worriedly. "The Smell of Soil after Rain, why is it you are here?"
He nodded again. "We're here to welcome you, of course! It's not every day a Holy One comes back to the World they have wrought to Right the Wrongs that have been put upon Us."
I heard a lot of proper nouns in his speech. This was going to be more trouble.
Just when I'm about to ask for clarification on which specific wrongs I'm supposed to Right, there's a commotion from the rear of the congregation. Turning, Rain and I look. There was a group of Mariens who were wearing a dark unifo- no, I looked closer. Their skin had been colored to look like a dark uniform. That's a neat trick. More worryingly they were carrying batons and there looks to be another one of those pistol like weapons the Aviens shot me with earlier on a belt around their middle.
"Disperse! Disperse!" They shouted. "This is an illegal gathering! All religious gatherings must be approved by the council of regents, this is known!"
Rain turned back to the security officers and shouted "Your tyranny will be tolerated no longer! The Holy One is here and stands before us! She hears our pleas! She and the other Builders have returned to liberate us. You will be as dust to them and they will take back their rightful place as ruler of the Known, the Unknown and the Unknowable!"
Wide eyed, I turned and stared at Rain. Then, I turned back and stared at the security guards. They were actually faltering. They believed it too! What was going on here?
From behind them, another Mariens, this time flanked with two of the insect people - I haven't learned their name yet - approach. This Mariens' coloration was more complicated than the security guards. They were probably the supervisor. I did see that the insect people were carrying much larger weapons too. They're almost like a rifle, but the barrel on the end has no hole. I wondered if it was some kind of energy weapon.
"Enough!" They shouted. "You will all disperse or you will be made to disperse. This-" they glared at me "-person is no God. They are Not Holy."
Finally, someone speaking sense.
Rain's feathers fluffed up and down, they're upset at that. "You blaspheme! She speaks the Tongue as if it were her own, She is a Builder! They come in a mighty ship through the disabled Gates as if they made it themselves. She is Holy."
The boss wavered, but only for a split second. I thought I only noticed it because of my newfound ability to read everyone's body language. They had someone they fear more than me. "You must disperse!" He made a clicking noise -how? - and the security guards took out their batons.
Rain crossed his arms and glared at the supervisor. "Make. Us."
Oh no. No no no no.
As I realized what's about to happen, I felt something. I got this overwhelming feeling that I needed to not only stop them from fighting, but to demonstrate that Rain was right and the supervisor was wrong. I barely had any time to question the feeling when almost automatically I stepped between them.
"S̵̳̦͑́͋t̶̨͚̑o̸͎̎̂ṕ̴̹̦̚ ̵͍̜̳̔T̷̛͇̓̆ḩ̸̼̜̀̌͝ȋ̸͕̹̺s̷͚̻̬͋̿͆ ̸͓͊a̶̖̗̞̓͊͐t̶̨̜̒ ̷̝̝͎̄̒Ó̷̳͖N̶̢̬̜̕Ċ̸̱É̸͔̫̹͋̋" I shouted, and my voice had an odd timbre. Everyone - and I meant ev-ery-one - stopped and pivoted to face me as if they are compelled to obey.
What's going on?
Only a small part of my mind can wonder at what I'm doing. I'm on automatic now. With a righteous finger, I pointed at the supervisor. "Who are you that thinks they have the authority over me here? Who are you to threaten these sapients with harm over coming to sing and welcome a visitor. WHO ARE YOU to deny them their right to worship me."
As I yelled, the supervisor shrinked down and eventually was kneeling down, head scraping the floor, just like the congregation did when they arrived. "I-I-I am known as Gemeli H-H-Holy One" The answer was muffled by the ground.
What am I doing?
"Gemeli, you are out of your depth." I snarled.
Why am I talking like this?
My head snapped up and I looked at the crowd. As I glared at them, they all shrank from my gaze. The congregation looked like they just won the lottery. They all are smiling and nodding.
I want to stop doing this, please.
I turned to face Gemeli, but I spoke to the crowd again. "All who come before me have the right to worship. All who live here live at the pleasure of the Builders. All who work to usurp that right are known to Us as enemies. Who are you Gemeli?"
If it was even possible, he shook more. "I-I-I-I do not usurp your right, Holy One. I am not an enemy."
"Then rise Gemeli, and take your place in the congregation."
Why can't I stop?
"Holy One, m-my congregation is in the n-northwestern lobe near my home."
I said nothing and just looked at him. He squeaked and ran over to Rain's people.
I heard a noise. I don't know what it was. Probably nothing. I turned back to the crowd. "Now then, where is-"
A shot rang out from the rear of the crowd. In my fury, I can immediately pinpoint who it was. It's the Aviens from before. The one who shot at me earlier. They're far in the rear of the crowd. This time they're carrying a heavy rifle. Not an energy weapon by the looks of things, a slug thrower.
Huh.
I could see them sliding the bolt to load a new shell.
I could see one of the insect people - one of Gemili's assistants - start to fall. They were shot by the Aviens.
A shot that was meant for me.
This would not do at all.
Without knowing what I was doing, I reached my hands out and pushed.
The crowd parted, their feet sliding on the panels that made up the floor.
With a fire in my eyes, I pointed at them and said
S̷̞̓̕T̶͕̓O̵͔͠P̶̖̀̇ ̷̲̌T̷̢͎̉H̵̟̗͗̿I̴͇̓̅S̵̭͎̊͗
Oh no.
They dropped the rifle, and their knees buckled. Bright blue blood trickled from their mouth and then they're on the floor face down.
No.
I looked to the crowd and said "What are those who usurp my rights called?"
"Enemies!" The crowd shouted. Even Gemeli and the insect people with him joined in.
I want to stop.
"What happens to enemies?" I called out.
"THEY ARE NO MORE!" And the crowd descends upon the Aviens.
Please stop.
In no time at all, the Aviens was... gone.
Only a hideous blue stain remains.
What am I doing??
"MELODY!" It was my radio. "MELODY! What is happening to you?"
The spell broken, I was myself again. "What do you mean?" I said, confused.
It was Captain Q'ari, she sounded near panic. "Look at yourself Melody! LOOK DOWN"
I looked down at myself.
I'm... glowing? My uniform had been... replaced with...
Oh shit.
I was wearing a gown, like the gown Rain had on, but made up of the material of my uniform. The nanobots were doing something. Not just my brain, I had enough now that they could affect matter around me.
I looked behind me, worried. Made out of dust... and light and... matter from all around me were...
Wings?
On my head was a...
Crown?
The nanobots could do this?
Of course they can, you're a Builder. Builders build. a new Voice told me. I can feel the adrenaline in my veins as I realize that the voice in my head is the voice of who was shouting at the crowd.
Oh no, now I'm hearing voices. Was a new personality imprinted on me by the nanomachines?
Funny. Calling a part of yourself "A Voice" won't negate the fact that you were the one who controlled the crowd. Won't negate the fact that you told them to obliterate the shooter. Nicely done by the way. No half measures here. Everyone here today and everyone who will see the video feed will be one thousand percent sure you are a Builder.
Feeling faint, I turned and stumbled/ran back into the airlock. Gene saw me, and even he looks frightened.
"Why didn't you shoot?" I yelled.
"You did your... thing with your voice and the crowd descended on them before I could do anything!" He cried.
The airlock door closes and I dropped to my knees panting. Good, good. The voice - part of me? said. Never let them see you weak.
"Far Reach, we have a problem." I said, gasping.
"Gee Melody, do you THINK?" She replied, almost shouting.
"I'm a Builder now, and Far Reach? I think the Builders are the bad guys."