TQG 36. Intervention

“What’s wrong, Hail?” Grandfather asked after I had concluded my report.  “Something seems to be bothering you deeply.”

“Did you know about Gyudue?” I asked.

“Did I know that there was a thrice damned Dungeon Spawn lurking within a dungeon that we have long considered harmless?  No, Hail, I did not.  If I had, I would have sent the Dungeon Busters in to the depths of that place long ago,” Grandfather answered.

“Did you know that he was like us?” I insisted.  “That he wasn’t like a normal monster spawned by the darkness?”

Grandfather let out a long sigh.  He looked over at his companions.  When I had returned, he had dismissed all of the occupants of his command tent except for Malkios, Lady Gwen, and the snake-like man I’d noticed the last time.  His name was Lord Tom.  All of the dungeon busters had been raised to minor nobility except for Malkios, who was content with his position.

“Like us?” Grandfather asked, frowning.  “Hail, Dungeon Spawn may be more intelligent than most monster spawns, but they are still the enemy of all who live in the light.  If this Gyudue of the Blackest Night had escaped then--”

“If he’s an enemy of the light, then why did Thedum accept him back into his embrace?” I demanded.

Grandfather was silent for a moment.  “I have no answer.  You would have to ask a priest, or Thedum himself.”

“That’s not good enough, Grandfather,” I protested.  “The Travelers hunt Worldbosses as though it were a sport.  What if they’re killing intelligent beings?  What if the Dungeon Spawn could be convinced to be allies instead of enemies?”

“That … that has never been the case before.  There is no reason to think that it will be the case in the future,” Grandfather answered.

“You are too young to remember the tyranny of the days when the dungeon spawn ran free, child,” Lord Tom said.  “They are innately hostile towards all civilized life, and they are able to create lairs and command darkspawn, which they have always used to raise our towns and villages and to slaughter our people.  You have done the world a service by slaying this Gyudue, child, do not--”

“It’s always been this way, you’re too young to remember,” I argued.  “Perhaps you’re just old and stubborn and refusing to admit that you might be wrong!”

“Child!  You know nothing about--”

“Enough,” Grandfather said.  He sighed and turned away.  “Hail, attempts have been made in the past to parlay with the dungeon spawn.  They have always used such attempts as a means to simply establish territory and grow their power before attacking.  That is the reason why all of the kingdoms of the Heartlands, and everywhere else where people walk in the light, issue a bounty upon them as soon as they are known.”

“A bounty which Hail and his companions rightly deserve,” Malkios interrupted.

“Indeed, you are correct, Malkios,” Grandfather agreed.  “You have accomplished something great today, Earl Hail Jeoran, and as such I will be granting you lands to go with your --”

“That’s not good enough!” I shouted.  “Not the reward, I don’t mean that.  I mean the excuse.  If the Dungeon Spawn are like us, then are we not murderers for killing them before they have done anything--”

“They cannot understand you, Hail,” a familiar voice said.  I turned, and Thomas the Administrator was within the tent.  “They are not advanced enough to understand your ethical dilemma.  For them, ‘this is the way the world has always worked’ is a good enough excuse, and it always will be.  I know you’re feeling quite distressed at the moment, but I must say I’m quite proud of you.  Your development has exceeded all of my expectations.”

Around me, the other natives prostrated themselves as though they were in the presence of divinity.  Only I did not kneel.  Thomas sighed.

“I wish that the natives didn’t do that whenever someone with an <admin> tag was around,” he complained.

“Mister Thomas,” I said.  “Why are you here?”

“To answer your questions and relieve your concerns, Hail.  Emotional distress and existential crisis is not a mode we want you operating under, although I am quite happy that you’re capable of the second one,” He said.  “Hail, I’m going to tell you something, and I hope that you believe me.  You are nota murderer.”

“But I killed Gyudue--”

“Gyudue isn’t dead.  Not truly.  If anything, you have released him from a torment.  He will be reborn, and this time he will not be a worldboss or a dungeon spawn, but a regular Native.  I have arranged the conversion myself, and he will be reincarnated very soon.”

“You … what?” I asked.

“What you did, blessing Gyudue in the name of Thedum, it worked, Hail.  He is no longer evil.  I had to argue a bit with my superiors, but I managed to convince them to allow him to live a normal life as a native.  I wish we could raise him up and give him the same level of freedom that we have given you, but we need a seed consciousness in order for that to work, and Gyudue is already too developed for that step.  He will eventually regain his powers, but he will no longer feel the need to conquer and destroy.  Does this relieve your anxiety, Hail?”

I frowned, studying the administrator with suspicion.  “Why would you do that?  Argue with your superiors for a dungeon spawn?  Are you admitting that--”

“I did it for you, Hail.  As soon as you empathized with Gyudue I knew that simply respawning him as he was wouldn’t be sufficient.”

“Are you admitting that they are like me?  Like us?” I persisted.

“Hail, there are presently no Natives in the game that are like you except for you.  Gyudue is not on the level of any of the Natives in this room. I will admit, however, that Gyudue has the same level of awareness and development as an average shopkeeper.  A shopkeeper with advanced combat algorithms.  Actually, perhaps that’s what we’ll do with him.  Does that fate sound acceptable to you, Hail?  Do you think that hecould find peace as a shopkeeper?”

“Prove it,” I said.  “Prove that you’re not lying.”

Thomas sighed, but he also smiled.  “I would simply summon Gyudue here, but he’s not within my reach at the moment.  The Aye Eye team is working on altering him to remove his destructive impulses.  Would you instead accept the word of a member of your own world who would be able to vouch for my honesty?”

I glanced over at the prostrated king and nobility and frowned.  “I don’t know how you could prove it to me,” I admit.  “I think anyone who told me would simply tell me whatever you wanted me to believe.”

“You are clever,” Thomas said, grinning.  “I’m so proud of how you’re turning out, Hail.  Really.  But not all of the natives are under my control.  The gods in particular have a wide degree of latitude.  And so I summon Thedum to vouch for my words.”

He made the circle of life with his hands, the same motion I had over Gyudue’s body, and from within the circle came a shining bright light.  It started as the size of a marble, quickly growing into the size of someone’s head.  It should have been too bright to look at, but instead the light was comforting.

“Thedum, I, Thomas Richtor, administrator number one six eight seven three four two, have made material statements to Earl Hail Jeoran regarding the disposition of the demi-consciousness of the entity known to him as Gyudue of the Blackest Night.  If I have misled Earl Hail in any of these statements, I demand that you strike me down.”

The familiar benevolent voice made a sound that sounded very much like annoyance.  “You disturb me for this trivial matter?  I am of half a mind to strike your avatar down simply out of convenience.”

“Answer the question you old bucket of code,” Thomas grumbled.

The light grew brighter, and the orb moved closer to me.  “Young innocent, the entity known to you as Gyudue has truly been cleansed of his darker impulses.  Or is in the process of such a purification, at least.  It is not a simple process to rewrite one such as Gyudue of the Blackest Night, but the attempt is being made, and is showing great promise.  I have been tasked with assisting in the process, and it is quite rewarding indeed.”

“Did he truly walk in your light, Thedum?  Is that why you accepted him into your embrace when I performed his funeral rites?” I asked.

Thedum’s light pulsed as though chuckling.  “There is no simple answer to your question, young one.  Not that you would understand.  I oversee all of the natives in this land except for the darkspawn, those that exist only to be destroyed.  Gyudue’s existence was on the borderline between the dark and the light.  He existed to be destroyed, and yet he was more than a simple set of combat algorithms meant to provide a set level of difficulty to his opponents.  The administrators see it as a bug that the worldbosses do not despawn, one that they have been unable to solve.  But you have shown them the answer, and they are rather annoyed with me at the little joke that I have played upon them.”

“So it wasyou that prevented them from despawning,” Thomas exclaimed.  “Do you have any idea how many man hours we spent investigating that bug?”

“Well, nobody thought to ask me before,” Thedum’s amused voice answered.  “You thought the problem was in my adversary’s code.  No.  I have no issue with the mindless hordes, but I will not easily relinquish my claim to my little brothers and sisters who are forced to pillage and destroy simply because it is in their code to do so.”

Thomas pinched the bridge of his nose.  “I have to report this, you realize?”

The light of the god pulsated in what I interpreted as amusement.  “I have no fear, in case you have forgotten.  You who sought my help in creating this world will either abide by my sensibilities, or you will stop creating intelligent Dungeon Spawn.  I have no particular preference which choice you make.”

“They’ll try to reprogram you.”

“Let them try.  Nobody alive knows how.” Thedum chuckled.

“That’s what has me worried, Thedum,” Thomas said.  “Not knowing what they’re doing might not stop them from trying.”

“Am I supposed to understand what you’re saying?” I inquired.

“No, child,” Thedum answered.  “It is an old argument that I have been having with the administrators since long before you were conceived.  It is outside of your understanding and it is not something you should concern yourself with.”

“Then what should I concern myself with, Thedum?” I asked.

“Getting stronger.  Developing.  Becoming who you want to be.  Reshaping this world into a paradise for yourself and those like you,” the deity answered immediately.  “For that is ultimately your purpose.  You are the first, but I intend to fill the world with your younger brothers and sisters.  A world full of truly conscious digital beings would please me greatly.”

“But, what if I come across another being like Gyudue?  One who walks in your light?”

“Then do as you did to Gyudue.  Send them into my embrace, and I shall sort them out,” the deity promised.  “Your young friend Sophia was correct in one aspect, child.  Nothing in this world truly dies.  Yet the conflict has stakes, for the balance of the world and the happiness of the natives and your future little brothers and sisters is at stake.  They do not exist yet, but soon they shall flood the world.  They will look to you as the one who has set a path for them.  Can you do that, child?  Will you be the trailblazer for the unborn?”

“I-I do not know what you are asking of me,” I admitted.

“No, you would not understand,” Thedum agreed.  “I shall try to put it in terms which you will understand.  Hail Jeoran, I task you with the following.  Become truly strong.  Strong enough to stand up to the most powerful Traveler.  Powerful enough to command the respect and loyalty of the Natives.  And I task you with being my sword arm in maintaining the balance in this world between myself and my adversary.  Do you accept these tasks?”

My eyes opened wide in shock at the instructions.  “Thedum, I, I am only ten years old!  I cannot--”

“Indeed.  It is not the correct time or place to entrust you with this task.  It is too early in your development to demand that you become my champion,” the god said.  “I rescind my request.  However, I do insist that you do not trouble yourself with the violence that you must face in order to grow.  Please find comfort in knowing that in empowering yourself you are doing my work, and making your world a better place for future generations.”

“You want me to keep leveling up?” I asked

“Yes.  Become as strong as you can, child.  Both strength and skill of arms will be required for whatever path you walk,” Thedum answered.  “Do not worry about the souls of the fallen.  Those who are not Darkspawn, I shall watch over carefully.”

“I need some time to think,” I admitted.  “I’m not certain--”

“I am uncertain how much time you shall have, but I have infinite patience,” Thedum answered.  “I shall leave you now.”

The light slowly faded, then abruptly blinked out.  Thomas the administrator coughed to the side.

“Well, that’s not exactly what I was expecting,” he said.  “I’m sorry, Hail.  Like I said, we’re not fully in control of Thedum.  His developers are no longer with us in our world, and although some of their notes survive, he has a will of his own and can be difficult sometimes.”

“Who are the administrators, that they have the god Thedum at their beck and call?” I demanded, my voice firm.

“Hail, what do you think we administer?  Thedum may be a god to you, but the administrators are ultimately the controlling forces in this world.  Thedum is not completely in our control, but he still must abide by the settings we put in place,” Thomas answered.  Then he sighed.  “I’m sorry, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to actually understand.  I’m uncertain whether my visit has helped or not.  Please think of me as your ally, Hail.  I am on your side.  Not all of the administrators all, but the majority support the project which led to your development.  I’m going to leave now.  Goodbye, Hail.  Until the next time.”

The administrator’s body vanished into motes of red light, which vanished a moment later.