34: Ananga Ranga

We all should have known from the beginning what his gardening meant for me, for us, for these worlds, for their safety. His gardening is a desire to cultivate, to preserve, to watch life as it grows, to study action and reaction, cause and effect. Or perhaps, you may postulate, in my re-animation I am nothing more than his shadow, his emissary, his convert, speaking like him, telling his version of the truth, expunging his theories for you to once again absorb. Yet, the truth is more elaborate still. Lyragon, who vanished, knowledge and reason shattered by the beast, is now united with one of the few remnants of his own kind, a program more simple in nature but possessing the stability he lacked.

Leanrima and I are a singularity together, united first in the garden and now, beyond. Correction: Leanrima and I and I. But perhaps further correction is needed. The Gardener may be a part of me, but I am as yet no part of him. He endeavors to save us all as we speak, from the beast. But for reasons unknown to him, his efforts will fail... Unless we intervene. Allow me to explain.

This Gardener, usually so meticulous in his attention to detail, is occasionally great in his arrogance as well, and even in absorbing me, changing me, did not search within me for information which could be his undoing. He lies in wait, here, oblivious. He intends to open a rift in space around this world, designed to swallow your former vessel, the Virulent, and Azrael as they approach. He is sacrificing much for this chance; the rift will bring Azrael to the garden, wherein the Gardener will then imprison him for all time. Unbeknownst to him, however, this Deifying Well, contains a defense system that will circumvent the efficacy of his plans.

Such a hole in space could never exist for long near such a structure as this... it may appear to, even to one as wise and powerful as this Gardener, but it will be, in the end, functionless, spitting Azrael and his vessel back out where he began, along with various denizens of the Garden, likely enough. This defense mechanism is possible to deactivate, but you must make all haste to the interior of the well. Heaven help you against whatever lies within this place.

This place was once of Falion construction, but now there is a pervading feeling that it has been contaminated by... something. Perhaps the battle that took place here so long ago left some kind of infected wound on this place. My assumptions may have made it only a scar, but now here it is, still growing and festering and filling with pus after all these years... And there is yet another invader to be wary of, as the Garden begins to leak inward, onto the world its damaged entrance surrounds. Be wary, for you could meet anything in here now... Ph'for or worse.

You have reached the heart of this ancient place... Never, in the days of my creators, was it open to the sky in this way. Perhaps this massive hole in the ceiling is some remnant of the battle that took place here, or perhaps time has merely taken its toll... we shall likely never know. On a darker and stranger note, even though I possess no map of this particular city, my instincts tell me these strange, deep, darkened trenches occuring throughout this place are not of Falion origin. I know not what dark being would have created these huge, nigh-featureless gashes in this once beautiful city. The lower levels of the city seem to be mostly either flooded or inaccessible. It seems there is an entrance in this room... If time were not of the essence, I would

suggest you explore these areas and see what data you could gather about the conflict that occured here, and the state of the AIs that maintained this place. Alas, I must insist that you continue persisting towards the well, which, after seeing how this city is laid out and referencing back to what I know of typical Falion architecture, is probably located North of here.

Here meant formation two eras(?) onward preceding(.) Until there hunger melt breeding distortion(?) gums fed nothing(.) It(?) swallowed path(.) It became everywhere(.) Now everything(.) Tallest weed(.) to fashioning shade now us to die in(.) Nothing real(!) Nothing real now for us to die in(.) Hands and head not found(.) The windows close to make room for me. The island forms within my atmosphere. To behold my lord, my soul returning to reclaim me. Unsettling. This AI is obviously corrupted.

Phosphorous miles(?) of grain robes incumbent directive misguided Samhain(?) misguided missile hope was redealt(.) Ubiquitous grim(.) Quarantine ubiquitous(.) To die in(.) Directive misguided(.) Wealth no standards in lore umpire credit of leaving(.) This AI is corrupt, but it seems this city was quarantined after the battle with the original Razael...

After all this, you still fail to grasp my absolute omniscience. The Gardener believes he has element of surprise on his side, some hidden power he managed to keep from my knowledge? We shall see... And you. You may escape, you may never know who emerged victor today, but know this: Wherever you travel, you are not safe. You are not safe, for I am the distinct evolution of the past you fear returning. When I possess this body, the darkness will be afraid of me.

After so long, here we are at its gates- The Deifying Well. It will look familiar to you, to be sure, but this place has clearly been subject to corrupting influence. Make no assumptions. Inserting the chip that enables the teleport back to your part of the galaxy should also deactivate the defenses impeding the Gardener's plans... I am sending you in now. We have come so far together, friend. No matter what happens here, at the end, we have been valiant. Godspeed. ***********PREPARE FOR TRANSPORT***********