" Alright, Gareth. Why don't you tell us a little about yourself? "
Tom says with a smile as he makes himself comfortable in his seat. Gareth looks at Tom with a blank stare as he responds.
" Of course… I'll go first. "
Gareth then puts his empty glass back on the platter and relaxes as he speaks about himself proudly.
" Like I said before… I am Gareth, the Minder. I have been hired through my corporation to ensure that you Otherlanders are escorted safely to my Czar. The reason why I was chosen for the job is quite simple… I am the best Minder that NaxTech has to offer. "
" What's a Minder? "
Mimi sits up asks curiously. Gareth looks at her with a smile as he answers.
" That's a good question. Minders are special units in NaxTech's private military forces. We're tasked with watching over the most important missions that the people of Voldoor have to offer. If you want to make sure something gets done, regardless of how difficult or impossible it may seem, then you hire a Minder from NaxTech to take up the challenge. Naturally, the services of a Minder can be incredibly dangerous, but it's very expensive and in the end it's worth it when we get our payment. "
" So you're like a super mercenary, huh? "
Roary remarks in a condescending tone. Gareth and all of his clones immediately look at Roary with a piercing gaze as they all reply in unison.
" I believe that's a gross understatement. "
Roary scoffs as he looks back at Gareth unfazed before questioning him.
" Understatement, yeah… What exactly makes a Minder like you so capable? "
" Well to start, even though I was born human, I now have zero organic tissue within my bodies. NaxTech wanted the perfect asset, so through their advancements in technology, they created the perfect vessel for them… "
Gareth then stands up out of his seat and shows off his body while he continues to elaborate.
" My skeleton was replaced with the densest metals that Aria has to offer. My flesh was replaced by nanofiber tissue that hardens and softens automatically to make me practically indestructible and also allows for a better range of motion than any normal man could ever achieve. My eyes were replaced with lenses that filter the world around me through algorithms which allow me to predict the future. My ears were replaced with subsonic microphones which allow me to detect even the faintest of sounds and have a perfect understanding of my environment. I don't require food, hydration, sleep, or air in order to recharge my body because my body generates energy through physical activity. Most of all, the true beauty of the body that NaxTech gave me is what replaced my brain. The drive that replaced my brain allows me to think at a speed that rivals our most impressive AIs. I have practically infinite brain power at my disposal and my thoughts operate on a higher level than any of Moriarch's most intelligent Oracles. The best part is that I simply look like a normal man… a wolf in sheep's clothing, if you will. "
" Despite all of those fancy features that you got, I still think I could give you one hell of a fight. Who knows, I may even win."
Roary says confidently, comparing himself to Gareth. Gareth smirks with a rebuttal.
" Well, village man… even if you were to somehow destroy this vessel, it wouldn't actually kill me. As you can see, there are several clones of me just on this ship alone and even more in Voldoor waiting for us. As long as there is one of me alive, more clones can be made; and since all of our memories auto-sync, I will remember you and hunt you down. You may be able to fight one, but what about two? How about three? Five perhaps? Could you defeat ten of me? If it's you against me, the odds are in my favor considering all I have to do is kill you once and you're gone forever. "
You can tell that Roary is frustrated with Gareth but he's keeping his composure. Tom sees this, and almost as if he's taking Roary's side, Tom speaks up and asks Gareth a question in a skeptical demeanor.
" Okay, so you essentially have the physical and mental ability that a normal human would never achieve. That doesn't necessarily make you formidable though against things that are beyond human. Nahzgor has dragons the size of mountains under his command, so how would you and your clones stack up against one of those? "
" I thought you wouldn't ask… "
Gareth says with a grin as he pulls out a glowing red pistol in each hand from under his coat. The guns look incredibly advanced as if they're a hybrid of human and alien technology.
" Each Minder is supplied with a pair of NaxTech Eviscerators. These handguns have enough power to blow a hole through almost anything material… except for the body of a Minder, of course. They're about ten thousand times more powerful than a standard issue Voldoorian rifle. "
Gareth then peers back at Roary and presses him with a similar question.
" Your turn, Roary. What makes you so confident in your abilities? "
Roary glares back seriously and stands up as well, standing opposite from Gareth in the middle of the room as he answers.
" I'm confident in my abilities because I've fought armies of Voldoorians like you before and their technology still wasn't enough to stop me. "
Gareth grins as he provokes Roary.
" You think that just because you were able to push back invasions that means you could defeat me? Voldoorian soldiers aren't anything like me. You shouldn't brag about defeating regular humans because regular humans are weaklings. I am beyond such a comparison to mere men. You yourself are just a man and I don't think that you could hurt me even if you tried. "
" There's only one way to find out. "
Roary says as he clenches his fist and gets in Gareth's face. Gareth's clones immediately drop their platters and pull out their Eviscerators as the glass shatters on the floor. They both aim at Roary and Gareth smiles amusedly before Tom speaks up to break the tension.
" Both of you need to sit the fuck down and calm yourselves. The fact that you guys are arguing about who's stronger is ridiculous. I know you guys don't like each other, but we have the same objective. That's why we need to work together. "
Roary looks at Tom with an irritated demeanor and barks back at Tom.
" Sit down? Why don't you make us? Everyone seems to think that you Otherlanders are so powerful but I've only heard stories and rumors that sound too incredible to be true. Like seriously, splitting a planet in half with a single kick? The only thing you've shown so far is your gimmick to make things disappear. I don't even know why the King put you in charge of me when I've done everything I have for him and proven that I'm the most capable. "
Mimi shrinks down in her seat in fear from the aggression and the room goes awkwardly silent as Tom stares at Roary. You can tell that Tom is mulling something over in his head as he sits there quietly. Seeing that Tom's interjection didn't defuse the situation, you attempt to help by backing him up.
" I was there. I saw him destroy the planet when he kicked the Valghul that we were fighting. "
" Valghul? "
Gareth asks in an intrigued voice. Tom immediately speaks up to change the topic.
" Gareth, land the cruiser in a place that's far away from any civilization. "
Gareth smiles and nods before his clones leave the room. Curious, you ask Tom a question telepathically.
" What are we doing? Why are we landing? "
Tom looks at you with a bothered glare and responds telepathically as he stands up from his seat.
" Roary doubts us and Gareth wants more information about Otherlanders. I'm sure Gareth challenged Roary's ego in order to get what he wants. We're not going to be able to work together until both of them are satisfied, so I'm going to show them just enough in order to get things back on track. "
" You're not going to actually fight them, are you? "
You reply telepathically in a concerned tone. Tom smiles as he responds.
" What do you take me for, Donny? Of course not- "
Gareth interrupts your telepathic conversation by talking to Tom.
" We're getting ready to land an abandoned village that's been left in ruins from a major battle in the war. "
Tom walks over to the window and looks outside as he responds.
" Alright. Donny, I'm gonna need you to stay on the cruiser with Mimi. This shouldn't take but a moment. "
Roary cracks his neck and speaks up excitedly to Tom.
" Geez, finally some fun. Who's gonna fight me first? You or Gareth? "
" Nobody will be fighting. It's going to be you two against me and it's going to be a contest. This will give us all an opportunity to demonstrate our abilities, but just know that I'll be holding back. "
Tom says as he turns his head and looks over his shoulder at Roary.
" A contest? "
Roary exclaims confusedly.
" Yes, a contest. "
Tom says as he turns back around and walks over to one of the metal platters that was dropped on the ground and picks it up. He inspects it carefully, then he crumples it into a ball like it's paper before gently tossing it to Mimi. Mimi catches it with a flabbergasted look on her face before Tom walks over to the other platter on the floor and picks that one up as well. He holds it up to Gareth and Roary and smiles as he speaks to them.
" All you guys have to do is either damage this platter somehow or make me lose possession of it in order to win. Whichever one of you does it first gets to be in charge and make all of the decisions from here on out. However, if either of you can't seem to damage a simple platter that's in my possession or make me lose it, I win the contest and you both have to respect my authority as the person who's in charge of this mission. Does that sound fair? "
Gareth smiles eagerly as he accepts.
" That sounds more than fair to me... "
Roary crosses his arms and nods his head.
" Sure. No take backs though after I win. "