This is part of a larger on going story. Click here for the full story!
Our story begins on a large bio-mechanical ship. The large circular ship moves through space on a mission to learn everything it can about the universe. It is within its metal walls where it all begins. The mothership is life. From the outside, the ship looks alone and almost abandoned as it journeys through space but inside it is alive. Inside you find the endless rows of pods of dormant warforges. Smaller versions of the mothership, designed and manufactured to carry out the ultimate mission. Each one is meticulously created for the greater purpose. In the darkness, large arms move franticly, checking vitals, making repairs, and birthing those ready to be awaken.
Today is B.U.D.’s birthday. A long arm connects to his pod. Slowly it checks for vitals as it begins the awakening protocols. It begins to upload the history of the mothership and feelings of fondness towards the her. It uploads important objectives and protocols and any pertinent to the mission. He is also imbued with an unrivaled curiosity. Aside from that, B.U.D. is a blank slate, eager to learn.
The arm detaches from the pod. B.U.D.’s eyes open slowly. He is blinded by the light. He blinks wildly as his eyes become accustomed to the light. The shadows come first, slowly creeping up against the corners. Slowly the colors start to fill in, erasing the white that blinds him. Details are made clearer until he sits in his pod staring at an empty metal corridor. Hot steam blows out from a nearby vent. He is mesmerized by the beauty of the mothership and stands there motionless.
A voice in his head directs him to his first objective, get to the pod. Prepare for departure.
A strip of light on red light illuminates a path that turns down a corridor, leading him away from his ship. He follows it past the rows of dormant pods. Past arms in a frenzy with pre-programmed instructions. Past the pipes that leak hot steam at almost random intervals. As he walks, he takes it all in. Every curve, pipe, sound that fills his head with wonder and amazement. He commits everything to memory and moves in silence. He follows the lights until he comes to a pair of doors that slide open revealing an area just big enough for him to stand snuggly. He fits himself in and watches as the hatch closes. There is a small window for him to see out of. A large console wraps around him full of monitors, buttons, switches, dials, and blinking light. A moment of silence goes by as he sits in darkness. He feels a rumbling coming from somewhere in his new pod as he is spit out into space.
In his amazement, he looks onto the Mothership. He analyses every feature he continues to float away slowly from the massive ship. Another strange rumbling from within and he watches as the pod adjusts itself, aiming towards an unknown direction The rockets fire and he watches as the Mothership disappears into the darkness. Time passes. He spends his waking hours looking out the window and listening some of the data that was left for him to learn.
Eventually the ship enters the orbit. B.U.D. watches the bright blue mass grow in front of him. Around him, the air heats up turning red as it falls through the atmosphere towards the continent of Wild Mount. The pod lands in a massive explosion that shakes the whole continent. Large chunks of earth and trees give way as it nestles itself into a giant burning crater. A large cloud of dust and smoke hide him from the rest of the world. The hatch pops off and a mixture of hot and cool air hit B.U.D. instantly. It takes him a moment to get out, mostly because he is distracted by the smoke and the dust and the fire. He takes his first step. His feat lands on soft chard earth. He feels bits of gravel scratch at the souls of his feet. With increasing confidence, he takes more steps until he is out of the massive crater.
He watches the crater as the smoke and dust continue to do their dance in the north blowing wind. But he also makes out the nature he has disrupted. The green of the trees that sit somewhat skewed away from him. He is overwhelmed by this new influx of color that he stands there motionless for a long lingering moment. He takes more slow steps towards nature as he stops constantly to collect new data. Rocks, sticks, flowers, anything new to send to the mothership. He pops them in his mouth, his body digests it. Analyzing everything in it’s composition and saves as data that he will later send out to the mothership in the form of what he calls prayer.
He is distracted when the army comes. Guards armed in shinning new armor. Weapons are drawn with fingers tightly laced around their hilts. He is distracted by the world so he doesn’t here the archers knot their bows and take cautious aim at this strange creature. He is so distracted that he doesn’t hear them advance slowly behind him. Studying him. Judging him. Trying to decide whether he be friend of foe.
Captain Trainer leads his men silently. His armor freshly polished, his sword sharpened, his heart beating furiously in his chest he moves forward. When he is at earshot he lets out in feigned confidence
“State your business. Are you friend or foe?”
B.U.D. hears the new sound and begins to process it. He turns around and sees for the first time humanoids slowly moving towards him. Data for the mothership he thinks to himself. He opens his mouth and parrots the words that greeted him.
“What the fuck is that?” a guard whispers nervously to his group. They move forward with caution as B.U.D puts another flower in his mouth. When he turns around, he spots a few soldiers inching forward. Unsure at what to do he waves his arms wildly. The soldiers tense up. The captain of the troop is the first to speak
“Where are you from? What are you doing here? Did you cause that racket?” Bud repeats the words, not quite understanding the common.
“Do you understand me?” no real response. Captain Trainer sighs and in his growing frustration and confusion he asks “Are you a fucking Kenku?”
B.U.D keeps repeating the new sounds, stringing them in random order. Confused by this response, Captain Trainer tightens his grip on his sword. His men tense up as he inches closer and closer to the creature who stands, watches, and spouts nonsense in common. “My name is John Trainer. I am captain of the royal army military guard. We are here investigating a strange explosion. Did you cause that explosion?”
Still no answer, instead B.U.D. takes a flower he holds in his hand and pops it in his mouth.
Captain Trainer sees his and says “I’m going to get close to you and give you this flower, yum” Captain Trainer begins to mime with his hands, hoping the creature understands gestures. B.U.D. sees this and begins to mime as well. Captain Trainer reaches out his hand with the flower. B.U.D. moves to accept making all the soldiers tense up, ready to pounce at a moment’s notice. Captain Trainer uses his free hand to motion his men to continue holding. His heart races and a thick dirty beads of sweat run down his temple. He can see the detail etched into B.U.D.’s armor. It isn’t armor he realizes almost instantly, it is his skin. The metal beast moves his hands to accept the flower “Kenku Trainer Army” he spits out as he grabs the flower. Trainer feels the cold metal on his skin. He sees the unnatural mechanics that allow this creature to move. For a moment the world is still as they continue to decide on whether or not this beast is friend of foe.
It takes a bit of a coaxing and a lot of frustration but captain trainer is able to get B.U.D and back to a nearby barracks. For four years he remains the country’s most well-kept secret. For four years he was constantly watched as he learned everything he could learn about the new world he fell into.
Now B.U.D walks freely with a group of adventures he is growing fond of. Now he is free to continue his mission.
