Chapter 2: Golem
It stood resolutely, seemingly without any notice of the things around it.
Then it started moving.
It moved slowly, taking heavy steps which shook the stone floor beneath it for several feet in all directions. The vibrations nearly sent the rodents, especially the already precariously balanced Gadget, tumbling to the floor. As it moved, some of them could hear a faint whirring, humming sound. But one of the souls began to sense something else, a sensation she had had a few times before: a sense of... what?
A new pair of eyes gaped back at the six souls. Unlike theirs, however, these eyes did not reflect emotion, gave no indication that a spirit owned them. They stared straight ahead, showing no sign of movement characteristic of a living, thinking creature; they gave the unnerving impression of being able to see everything in their field of vision at once, much like a camera lens. The orbs glowed red like a pair of hot embers, casting a hostile glare which was visible even in the brightness of the torch-lit room.
The eyes' owner was large, easily towering over Monterey Jack, the tallest of the six souls. One could say it even dwarfed one of the oily monsters they had run from five minutes ago. It bore a head not unlike that of a mouse, but with the exception of the eyes, its features were hidden under the faceplate of a helmet crafted from a strange, silvery metal. In fact, the giant mouse appeared to be covered in armor; heavy-looking plates of the same silvery metal covered every inch of the creature's frame. What drew the most attention, though, was the very long, very sharp-looking sword which the giant held in its gauntleted right hand; its length matched Monty's height, and the strange, silvery blade reflected the glow of the torches and its wielder's eyes with an eerie, otherworldly aura.
As the metallic creature advanced towards them, the souls found themselves shuffling backwards towards the door they just entered. None of their gazes ever left the advancing giant for even a moment. That is, until they found themselves pressing against the wall the door was set in. Monty found himself with his back to the door itself. He whirled around and pulled the ring. The portal's stubborn immobility only confirmed what the click had told them earlier; they were locked in.
"No worries, mates!" he cried as he began applying his strength to the new lock. "I'll get us out in two shakes of a dingo's tail!"
Gadget wondered how such a heavily-armored creature could even move; it would have to be someone of titanic strength! she thought. The sight of Monty ripping off the iron door earlier flashed through her mind as she pondered this. But these thoughts were being eclipsed by something coming not from her brain, but from... where? It was a feeling she started experiencing soon after they began their impromptu escape. If someone were to ask her to describe it, she would say it was like a tingling; sort of like the electric shocks she was accustomed to experiencing whenever she tested some new invention. Except this was more subtle, more like the feeling she'd get in the pit of her stomach whenever Chip's eyes met with hers, or whenever he sat next to her at mealtimes, or whenever she thought about... those two terrible days. She noticed that the feeling seemed to rise whenever they passed one the mysterious lamps outside, only to fall away as it receded into the fog, only to rise again as another approached. Once they reached their hiding place, the feeling had vanished; she had attributed it to some effect of the weird lights, though with the revelation of Dale's and Monty's seemingly enhanced abilities, she had neglected to ask if anyone else had had the same weird feelings. Now, however, this feeling had returned with a vengeance; as the giant approached she felt the sensation returning like an oncoming tidal wave. If it were not for a quick steadying from Monty during their retreat, she would have fallen over from the shaking of its steps. There was little doubt in her mind, something about this place was triggering this feeling, but she had no clue what it could be....
As Monty struggled with the door, the armored brute halted. Foxglove prepared to jump onto Dale's shoulders; despite the hurting in her head, she was going to attempt to lift her 'munk o' burning love to the safety of the high ceiling above. The fact that Zipper was now resting in the chipmunk's arms was a bonus; she could save two of her friends for the price of one! Dale was not about to complain; in fact, he was too terrified to form any words at this point. Chip, for his part, positioned himself in between Gadget and the giant. Despite the immense fear he felt, he had already formed a plan to deal with this new monster. He had noticed that the door the giant had entered through was still open behind it.
He looked at the pair of rodents to his right. "Dale, Foxy, when I give the word, run or fly as hard as you can to the right. Gadget, you jump onto my back and I'll carry you. Monty, forget the door and follow me as close as you can. Maybe we can outrun it."
"Chip, maybe we should--" Gadget began in protest; something about this was not right....
From over his shoulder, Chip gave his team, and especially his beloved Gadget, "the look"--that stern expression which indicated that the chipmunk was now in full-fledged command mode. No words needed to be spoken when he gave that look; his decision was made and it was final. Of course, in their current crisis, no one would argue the validity of his plan. Almost no one, anyway....
The armored giant's targets had run as far as they could; now it would do what it was created to do. It raised its sword high into the air as it prepared to make a massive swing. From inside the metal frame, Dale and Foxglove heard... grinding?
Chip had expected this, he was just about to give the signal to his companions to start running for it. He crouched down, ready to spring into a run the instant he felt Gadget leap onto his back. Monty ceased fiddling with the door (accompanied by a grunt of resignation) and made ready to run. Chip had correctly guessed that the brute would make a long, horizontal swing; he figured that if he and Monty ran toward the giant as it began its swing, while Foxglove, holding Dale, flew up to the right, they would all, with luck, avoid the blade.
The giant's sword reached the top of its windup. Its long, curved blade was indeed about to make a wide, horizontal swipe at its foes at about the level of their waists. Chip was about to give his signal.
If fate had allowed these events to transpire, Chip would have been in for a rude awakening, as the giant would have altered its massive swing into a shorter, crisper slice; a slice which would have left Chip, Monty, and Gadget quite literally beside themselves....
But fate had something else in mind for them....
"STOP!"
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It seemed as if the entire universe had stopped. The scream seemed to echo off the floors and walls of the room for several seconds. The six souls stood motionless, as if something had locked their muscles in place. It wasn't that they were paralyzed; they were all startled by the sudden outburst. None of them had noticed that the even the metallic mouse had stopped as well, its weapon seemingly frozen at the apex of its swing. Its eyes, as well as those of five of the six souls, were trained on the blonde mouse who had made this most unexpected plea.
Leaning on the plank of wood which served as a most uncomfortable crutch, in a dirty and somewhat well-worn lavender jumpsuit, Gadget Hackwrench looked like some kind of monument to desperation. Her left arm was extended into the air, with her hand held palm out in a "stop" gesture. As her companions stared agape at her, she stared straight into the glowing red orbs of the giant.
However, desperation was the farthest thing from Gadget's mind at this point. A moment ago, she was not still certain what was causing the weird feeling, the strange, knotting tingle, she had been experiencing. But then she realized, to her amazement, that it seemed to be "flowing" from specific sources, namely the weird lamps which lit the outside and were now lighting the chamber. And the feeling seemed to be flowing out of the titan before her. A moment of epiphany suddenly occured, and she understood....
Why the lamps outside burned with no obvious power source. Why they burned without giving off smoke. It was some kind of force which was heretofore unknown to her. Her vast intellect searched for some word to describe it, but could only come up with one: a word that was anathema to people of her ilk. It seemed she was "attuned" to this force somehow; she could "feel" it like one can feel moisture in the air. And now she felt this new force pouring from the torches above her and the titan in front of her.
But she felt something else as well, something which disturbed her. She felt... connected to this thing, this creature. It was for this reason that she expressed reservations to Chip when he outlined his escape plan. When he gave her "the look," as she and everyone except Chip called it, she hestitated, knowing that his mind was set. But as the moment of truth neared, she became more certain that this creature, which she had never seen before in her life, somehow... belonged to her, like it was some kind of minion or pet.
The rational, scientific part of her wanted to know how and why she felt this force, why she felt so connected to this monster. But when lives hang in the balance, even a genius knows when to trust her instincts. If this thing is "connected" to me, she thought, maybe I can control it. I'll just tell it to....
And it worked.
It turned out her command not only worked on the giant, but also on her friends. She could feel their stares coming from all around, especially the one coming from Chip directly in front of her. But there was no time for that now; she had apparently stumbled onto something--something incredible. She could think of only one course of action now; she, like her fellow travelers, was sick of fleeing.
Now it was time to stand and face what confronted them.
The inventor started to limp past her leader toward the giant. "Gadget, what are you doing?" Chip cried, attempting to once again interpose himself between his beloved and the newly perceived threat. "It's trying to--"
"Chip," Gadget began without taking her eyes off the creature. "Don't ask me how, but I think I can... communicate with this...."
As she struggled to find the right word, Chip, Dale, and Monty were all moving to stop what they considered a foolhardy endeavour. Dale and Monty moved toward their friend, advising her about "not knowin' what yer doin'" or "shouldn't you think this over?". It was all the field mouse could stand; she was absolutely certain what she was doing was right, though was still not certain why.
She hopped forward a step in front of Chip and spun on her heel to face her companions. For once, Chip felt what it was like to be on the receiving end of "the look." The intensity of her glare startled them; it almost matched the glow of the monster's eyes. "I am going to try to talk to it," she reiterated with uncharacteristic authority. "Please do not try to stop me."
Dale sheepishly retreated back to Foxglove's side. Without really realizing it, he and the bat clutched an arm (or wing, as it were) around each other, much like they did whenever they watched late-night horror flicks together. Even Foxglove was aware of how Gadget became when angered; Dale's fear was well founded. Chip and Monty simply remained in place, watching with bated breath, ready to spring into action at a moment's notice.
But it seemed that taking action would be unnecessary, for they noticed the creature had lowered its weapon. They suddenly realized that the titan could have easily attacked them while they were distracted; the fact they were still alive seemed to justify the aviator's actions. The three male rodents made no further effort to hinder her; those who knew Gadget knew that when her mind was set on something, it was not wise to get in her way.
Gadget looked over the big monster as she approached, the "plonk" of her crutch and her pained grunting punctuating the silence. She saw her own face reflected and distorted in the lustrous surface of the giant's armor. The top of her head only came up to just below the creature's midriff; its chest looked large enough for 2.6 mice her size to fit inside by her estimation. She stopped just of its feet; from this point, she would almost have had to look straight up to see the red orbs of its eyes. That was not necessary, however, as the giant had followed her gaze, and was now looking down upon her.
It was a truly tense scene, an injured female mouse seemingly facing off with a gigantic, armored creature with a sword that looked sharp enough to cut steel. Zipper was reminded of a scene he had read in the Bible, the tale of David and Goliath; hopefully, he thought, this scene won't have to end in violence.
After a moment, a solitary voice broke the silence. "My name is Gadget. These people are my friends. We mean you no harm. We are sorry for intruding upon your property like this, but we had no choice. Do you understand me?"
For a moment, the giant seemed to show no reaction; it just continued to glare at her like one would look at some strange curiosity. And then, to the shock of everyone, especially Gadget, the giant started to perform several actions.
First, its red eyes shifted their color, changing from deep crimson to emerald green in the span of a few seconds. Second, with a faintly audible grinding, it got down on one knee before the inventor, laying its sword on the floor.
But perhaps most extraordinarily of all, the giant spoke. Or more precisely, began to speak to Gadget.
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The young mouse began to hear something, something resembling speech. It was rapid, like an auctioneer's spiel, and was making no sense to her, though she noticed some words repeated themselves, meaning it was speaking in some language, though the tongue was completely unfamiliar to her. It seemed to be saying something repeatedly, but she couldn't be certain what it was, much less what an appropriate response would be. She put her free hand up to cover her ear; the fact that the speech didn't diminish seemed to prove that the creature was speaking from inside her own head, as if it was....
"Gadget!" Chip and Monty cried as they moved forward again, ostensibly to help their beloved pilot with her apparent discomfort. Dale continued to semi-consciously clutch Foxglove, who had begun to echosound the creature. The returning echos sounded very curious to the pair; the creature was not....
"Gadget, what's wrong?" Chip asked hesitantly as he reached her side.
"I... I think it's talking, guys. But I can't understand its language. Foxy," she called, knowing the bat had a knack for understanding foreign languages, "can you make anything out of it?"
"Out of what?" Foxglove replied quizzically. "I don't hear talking...."
"Gadget luv, you sure ya didn't hit your head outside or somethin'?" Monty asked. "The only ones talkin' in here is us."
This only confirmed Gadget's suspicions, which both gladdened and confused her. This thing is telepathic? she thought. How is that possible? And why is it only communicating with me?
She turned back to the creature. "Slow down, slow down," she requested, waving her free hand to underscore the statement. "I can't understand you. Are you capable of... speaking in a way I can understand?"
The chatter suddenly stopped. And then, just as suddenly, she heard words. Words she understood. Words which seemed to have no voice, yet still sounded out in her mind.
"Golly...," was the only word she could form in response to what was happening. A question was asked....
"Gadget, are you okay?" Chip asked, noticing that the object of his affection had become silent and still.
To her companions, it seemed as if the mouse had not heard his question, for she seemed to be very intently listening to something that was somehow beyond sound. Foxglove strained her large ears to hear speech, yet all she heard were those telltale grinding noises....
To Gadget, though, the creature was speaking; it spoke in short, simple sentences, like those of a small child. She thought it a bit odd that such a huge creation would communicate in such a manner. But in a way, she thought, it seems appropriate; after all, it has a simple function, and is built only for defense and service....
"GADGET!"
Startled, she turned to face the one who had just shouted her name. The worried eyes of Chip told her that he did not understand what was going on. Looking around, she saw that everyone else shared his confused, concerned stare. She realized that she was still the only one who could "hear" the creature.
But she also realized that they had no real reason to fear. For the creature's nature and purpose had now become clear to her, and apparently to her alone; she had some explaining to do.
"I-I'm okay, Chip. This... is a golem. That's what it calls itself anyway. But I think it's more like a machine than an animated construct, as I can hear gears and motors inside it. It says its 'function' is to guard this building and serve the... the disciples of Phaele," she finished with an expression of puzzlement.
There was a slight pause as her friends absorbed this revelation, all with dumbstruck expressions.
"The disciples of--" Monty slowly began to ask with a cocked eyebrow.
"I thought that was a robot!" Dale and Foxglove chimed in chorus, the bat as if her suspicions about the grinding noises were confirmed, the chipmunk like he had discovered a new toy. They looked at each other in surprise, and Dale realized how close he was to the one who adored him to the point of obsession. The loud chipmunk quickly disengaged himself, his face almost glowing red. For her part, the bat's smile and shy giggle at this too-close-for-Dale's-comfort situation indicated she was long since used to that kind of behavior. A chuckle from Zipper in Dale's arms confirmed that she wasn't the only one.
"Wait a minute," Chip interjected. "You mean to tell me that this... thing--"
"Golem, Chip," Gadget corrected. "It calls itself a golem."
Chip's legendary temper flared for a moment. "'Calls itself'? I didn't hear it say anything! Are you saying it's telepathic or some--"
"Yes," came the succinct reply. "Apparently, I'm the only one it can communicate with. Well, verbally, anyway, as ninety percent of all communication is non-verbal, so it can communicate with you guys, too, just by movement. And anyway, it seems to think I'm one of these disciples, so maybe it's choosing only to 'telepath' to me...."
"Hold on!" Chip exclaimed with his hands up. "First, who are these 'disciples' you're talking about? Second, what makes you so special that it would only 'talk' to you?" As soon as he said this, he wryly remembered that he considered the inventor "special" in his own way.
"Aww, come on Chip," Dale pleaded from behind the golem, where he and Foxglove had moved as Gadget explained its communication method. "Give her a break, huh? So what if only Gadget can talk to it? I think it's really cool!"
"'Sides," Monty added, "that's a far sight better than this thing tryin' to filet us."
"It's a golem, Monty," Dale corrected slyly, drawing a grumble from the large Aussie and a somewhat annoyed look from Gadget. Continuing his previous train of thought, he added, "Maybe it's 'cause Gadget's smarter than all the rest of us."
Chip almost bristled at the idea, but he could not deny its logic. Gadget was the most intelligent of them, after all. Perhaps, he thought, her mind is more "open" to telepathy than the rest of us; but still, how come she never showed this ability before?
"No, Dale," Gadget again corrected, "it says I'm a disciple of Phaele, and it's instructed to assist any and all disciples and their companions. That's why it obeyed me and talked to me. At least that what it says. I don't know why it considers me a disciple," she continued with a shrug, "but it stands ready to do whatever I ask."
Silence again reigned as the group considered the ramifications of such a creature being essentially under their command. They also wondered how their absent-minded inventor and pilot was bestowed this privilege. Chip was about to ask what this "Order of Phaele" was.
However, he would have to wait, as their reverie would not last long....
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Bang, bang, BANG!
The sound made all except the golem jump; even Zipper jerked as he rested in Dale's arms. The six souls and their new-found ally looked at the locked door through which the six had entered. The dust falling off the door and the wall it was set in told them all they needed to know.
Someone, or something, had heard Monty rip off the outer door, and was now on the other side of the inner door.
Gadget felt the familiar knotting tingle heighten again, this time coming from the door; it seemed "muffled," as if she were hearing speech just behind the door, but it still felt quite intense. Whatever it or they were possessed the peculiar power; she began to feel it building, like something was gathering....
"They're heeee-eeere," Dale intoned, recalling a line from one of his favorite movies.
Rolling up his coatsleeves, Monty once again prepared himself for battle. "Oh, goody. Now we'll see what happens when we have the big guy backin' us up!" Chip and Monty took up position in front of the golem, with Gadget, Dale, and Foxglove to its sides. For its part, the golem picked up its sword, its eyes returning to their original crimson color.
The six souls felt that whatever came through the door, whether they be cultists, monsters, or, as Dale imagined, the wicker people, they, with the help of the golem, would be able to deal with them. Even Zipper, the most badly injured of the group, was looking forward to confronting their pursuers; he, too, was tired of running, or being run with in his case.
Except there was one problem, a problem which was underscored a moment after Monty's boast. Gadget felt the weird feeling build to a crescendo; truly a great concentration of this force was being built. It felt like a stone was being drawn all the way back in a slingshot. And then, she felt its release....
A roaring sound, followed by the sound of something striking the door with such force that the entire room shook for a moment. This time, Gadget was saved from falling by an adroit save by the golem. When the group recovered their bearings, they saw the door glowing red, like someone had just taken a flamethower to it.
But the door was still intact and still closed.
The astounded group waited for a few tense moments as the door's glow faded. More banging noises were heard, more dust fell from the walls and ceiling. But the door did not budge an inch.
"Too bad they don't have a strongman to rip it off for them," Chip remarked with a wry smile in Monty's direction.
"Yeah, too bad indeed," replied the Aussie sarcastically.
As the other souls waited for their adversaries to make their entrance, Gadget wondered how long they had to prepare. Or, more to the point, if they had to preapre at all. "Can they break down that door?" she asked the golem.
Her eyebrows shot up as the giant sent its answer into her mind.
"But Monty, the big mouse with the moustache, was able to rip off the outer door with his bare hands," she pointed out to the behemoth.
The golem looked at the strongmouse in front of him for a moment before answering. As he did so, Gadget felt the peculiar energy gather and release again; the door took another direct hit. Again, the door glowed red for a few moments, but appeared utterly undamaged and unmoved.
Gadget was quite surprised at her new friend's response; it meant that a different course of action was not only possible, but quite practical. It also meant something else, something more disturbing....
"Guys, they're not going to open that door," the inventor announced with a bit of amusement in her voice. The shocked faces of Chip and Monty as they turned to face her was enough to make her chuckle.
"What?" they asked in chorus.
"He says, I mean, the golem says that the door is made of stronger wood than the outer door, and it has stronger deadbolts. It'll take several creatures of Monty's strength to break it down, or one of several times his strength. Plus, the door is...," she paused; she did not want to say the word, "...magically sealed."
Of Gadget's companions, only Foxglove was not surprised by that statement. "Magic?" Monty asked, again with a cocked eyebrow.
"That's what the golem said," Gadget confirmed rather hesitantly. "I know it sounds crazy, but--"
"I don't see what's so crazy about it," Foxglove said somewhat indignantly. "I saw magic being done all the time when I was with... her," she finshed with a downcast look as painful memories ran through her mind.
Dale's heart went out to his bat friend; even though he and his fellow Rangers had forgiven her, she had never quite forgiven herself....
"Be that as it may," Chip began, "how can we be sure what this... golem says is true? We've only just met him... it... whatever."
Gadget held up her free hand as the mechanized giant again "spoke" to her. "Well, he says he knows the structure and layout of this entire building; it's part of his function as a guardian. And," she added with a perfectly straight face, "he says that as our servant; lying would go against his function."
"What is this place anyway?" Monty queried as the banging outside resumed.
Another moment of silent speech. "Golly, it doesn't know what its purpose is. The building's purpose, I mean; it just knows the structure. That information is 'irrelevant to my function,' as he put it," she continued with a shrug. "The purpose part, that is. Of the building."
Chip found himself faced with a decision. If he was to believe the golem, they would be waiting a very long time for their "guests," but what else could they do? It appeared that, for whatever reason, Gadget had some kind of "kinship" with the mech, and if it was truly their servant, then....
"Is there any other way out of this building?" he asked their host.
Another moment. "He says he can guide us to the nearest exit and see us out safely."
"Can it... he guide us out of the city?"
Another moment. Gadget's face fell. "He says he can't. His function is only limited to this building. He can't leave it for any reason."
The fedora-clad chipmunk grimaced, as he was now faced with a dilemma. They could stay in the building and explore it under the protection of the golem, but how long could they survive there? Would they find anything to help them escape from their predicament? And if they left, how could he be sure they wouldn't be attacked? Would they ever find a way out of the ruins?
At this point, Dale said something, a simple statement which he made with no real forethought, as he usually did, but which somehow proved to be quite relevant to their situation. It was a weird knack of the aloha-shirted chipmunk which not even Gadget could adequately explain.
"Hmmph, magical doors and exits; I wonder if there's a 'magical door' out of this building and this city!"
The inventor's eyes again lit up as the golem said something. "Golly, Dale, he says that there is such a thing, and he can take us there!"
Chip was forced to once again marvel at his best friend's ability to say just the right thing at the right time. "Okay, we'll go there," he stated with a wink in Dale's direction.
"Good job, sweetie!" Foxglove cooed to the object of her affection. From Dale's arms, Zipper gave a thumbs-up and a chuckle to show his approval. For his part, Dale only shrugged, trying to conceal his blush.
Gadget suddenly found the golem putting its left hand on the floor in front of her. Her mind heard the creature's offer of assistance. Why not? she thought. This plank is killing my shoulder, and it should give Chip a chance to rest. With Chip and Monty's help, she sat down on the smooth, metal palm. The golem then stood and began to turn toward the door it came through, its eyes turning to an emerald hue again.
"Oh well, guess we're on our way again," Monty said rather ruefully. "Still, it would have been nice to have a punch-up with those guys!"
"I'm sure this is for the best, Monty," Chip reassured. "With our injuries, I wasn't exactly looking forward to a fight," he finished as he cast a glance at Gadget in the golem's palm and Zipper in Dale's arms.
"Well, at least lemme hold me best pally again," Monty asked Dale as they began to follow the mech. Dale eagerly complied; Zipper had been ribbing him about Foxglove ever since the chipmunk received him.
With lighter footsteps that still shook the ground around it in all directions, but not too much to prevent the grounded rodents from walking nearby, the golem made its way through the door. The six souls, one in the giant's hand and another in Monty's arms, followed closely behind. When they had all gone through, the door slid shut behind them and the torches went out, leaving only an empty, dark room with a locked door. On the other side, the attack continued.
The door glowed red again, but remained unmoved.
Standing resolutely, taking no notice....
Next Part Comming Soon