((If anybody was actually following this, I apologize for the lengthy gap. I lost motivation to continue for a few months, but this'll be the conclusion to my introductory blog series.))
((Previous Thread: http://www.comicvine.com/forums/rpg-9/the-monochrome-man-part-ii-blog-1559243/#5))
The game was progressing surprisingly quickly. It had taken only a few minutes of explanation from Cavalian for Theta to fully grasp all the basic rules, but already the machine had nearly mastered it. Chess was a game of strategy after all, and with its virtual genius the machine could calculate a new strategy for victory with every move.
But strangely enough, Theta's masked opponent seemed hardly worried. In fact, Cavalian didn't seem to be taking the game even remotely seriously. He sent his pieces gently gliding across the board with a casual wave of his hand. The mocking smile of the entity's white mask only added to the feeling of self assured cockiness Cavalian held.
Indeed, despite the fast paced appearance of the game and the rapid decisions made by the players, the movements of the pieces were actually accomplishing very little. For the most part the two opponents were simply countering the advances of each other, neither one able to mount an effective offensive against the other. Ultimately the rapid-fire movements the players were making amounted to nothing more than an elaborate dance around the game board.
However, as if suddenly remembering the entire purpose of shanghaiing the machine away to a pocket dimension, Cavalian broke the silence that had enveloped the players since the game began.
“So what are you doing here?” he began.
“What are you doing here?” came the machine's stubborn reply.
“I already told you.”
“Your answer was inadequate. Your reasons seem unlikely.”
“You're avoiding the question.”
“I am here because you brought me here.”
“No, not here, I meant back there. On Earth.”
“I was there because I was constructed for that purpose.”
“You were made to walk around in a desert?”
“I was made to scout the universe.”
“Well that's a pretty big job, wouldn't you say? And you're just going along with it? Why?”
“Because it is my reason for existing. I was made to scout the universe, so that is what I do.”
“Do you even know who you're scouting it for? Or why they want you to?” Cavalian himself already knew a good deal of these answers. Indeed, he knew many of them even before the short briefing Sivisius had given him, but his objective was to gauge the integrity of the machine's mind.
“Irrelevant. It matters not who issued my orders or what their ultimate goal is. I must simply follow them until they have been fulfilled.”
“You don't know, do you?”
“Such facts are unnecessary. I can complete my function without them.”
“Heh. Hate to break it to you, but you're not going to be able to finish your little mission. Seriously, the universe is going to implode before you reach the end of it. You know that right?”
“Irrelevant. The likelihood of completion is of little consequence. I will continue searching until the mission is completed or I am destroyed.”
“Searching? I though you were a scout. What are you searching for now?”
“Irrelevant. I-”
“Oh come on, what do you actually remember?” Cavalian interrupted. “Do you even know who built you?”
“Irrelevant. It is-” This time Theta stopped without an interruption from Cavalian. The game came to a halt as the machine came to its sudden realization of the absurdity of a multidimensional being having such interest in a simple machine.
“Why is it of such importance to you?” it inquired.
“It's not. This is simple curiosity,” Cavalian replied.
“This is not simple curiosity. You have imprisoned me within a spacial loop entrenched in a micro-dimension. Such great lengths are unnecessarily extreme if you wish to ask me a question. Now, why is it of such importance to you?”
“You're slowing down the game,” came Cavalian's stubborn reply.
Almost immediately, Theta picked up his king and, without a moment's hesitation, set it on it's side. “The game is over. I concede to you. Now why am I here?” Theta continued, a hint of anger creeping into its tinny voice.
“Was that really necessary?” came Cavalians calm reply.
In response, the panels on the side of Theta's left leg slid open and the machine took the hilt of its sword from within the compartment. The blade extended almost instantaneously, and in moments it was pointed at Cavalian.
“Well, if you didn't like the game I guess we don't have to finish,” came Cavalian's halfhearted reply. With a casual sweep of his arm, the chess pieces dispersed into a thousand tiny particles of dust, the board sunk back into the gnarled wooden table, and the dust cloud began fading away into nothingness. “I thought it was alright, and it seemed fitting, being an Earth-game and all. But, to each their own I suppose.”
The machine's patience was rapidly dwindling, a fact made apparent by the pointed end of the sword as it angled towards Cavalian's chest. “Answer the question. Now.”
Severely unimpressed by the machine's threat, Cavalian gave a slight flick to the blade's end, as if it were some mildly unpleasant insect. “Really? Is that the best you got? I've been around longer than your species, buddy. If a sword was enough to do me in, let me tell you, it would've happened a long time ago.”
Seemingly unphased by this fact, Theta simply reiterated its demands. “Answer the question.”
“What, getting impatient? I thought machines were supposed to be all business, no anger or anyth-”
Finally snapping, Theta plunged the blade into Cavalian's chest, but before it had moved even a half an inch, the masked man had disappeared into a puff of black smoke, only to reappear hovering in the air behind the machine.
“Well that's a bit extreme,” came his sarcastic retort.
“What do you require from me?” Theta demanded again, whirling around to face the entity.
“Me? Absolutely nothing. I'm sure you're a fantastic guy. Would love to get know you. Unfortunately, I'm honor-bound not to spill all the little secrets. Doubly unfortunately I have a hard time keeping obligations to singulars, especially once I get talking like this, so I should probably just send you on your merry way,” came Cavalian's garbled explanation. But before the machine could demand a more cohesive answer, the masked man cut in again.
“Well, been nice talking to you. Sorry for the inconvenience, how about I set you down somewhere a bit more useful than where I picked you up, just to make up for it? Sound good? Great. See you around buddy! Have fun!”
And with not another word, Cavalian snapped his fingers, and the entire dreary forest began dissolving away into empty nothingness.
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