# Victernus - Chapter 31

Author: Baumarius
Tags: Cybernetics, Science, Transformation, War, Werewolf, Wolf, apocalypse, corruption, dystopia, implants, mind, tf, uploading


            Namara opened his eyes and grabbed
his chest. He coughed, feeling sore where the blast had hit him, and then was distracted
with the view of the new place he was in. He sat up in the cot and put his fist
and his implant down on either side of him. In front of him, he saw the
gigantic waterfall just past the edge of the platform. He wondered, What...? What is this place?
            He rose to his feet and walked to
the edge, looking up at the waterfall. As he tried to remember what had
happened, he heard someone approaching from behind. When he checked to see who
it was, his eyes rested on King Drac. His heart pumped madly, and he asked,
"Who are you? What is this place?"
            Drac stopped in front of him and answered,
"I am Drac, king of the Volnar. This place is called the Realm of the Seers. It
is located where Valikon is - the planet of the Volnar - but it exists purely
in subspace. It is one of our many realms."
            He scratched his head and said,
"Okay... Why am I here, though? Where
did Athius and Gala go?"
            Drac sighed, "You're here to be
tried by the Council of the Seers. Athius and Gala have remained on Valikon and
will be taken care of there."
            Namara turned back to the waterfall
and lowered his head. He watched the water land on the rocks below, passing by
the trees without any bother. He felt like shaking when he asked, "Is this
about the Selanians?"
            He heard Drac pace back to the
canopy and say, "It's more than that. You created technology that enabled Dr.
Lynn to take control of them."
            Namara brought his hand to his face
and heard the marking pulse with voices. He shook his head, "I did none of that
intentionally. I just wanted for me and my friends to be happy... surely you must
see that!"
            Drac responded angrily, "I do see
that, but the Council does not. They're the ones that manipulated the
conditions that caused you and your goals to exist. They've been doing this to
societies for centuries to make sure that the Volnar have no resistance. Usually
people like you turn out to be completely evil."            
            Namara faced Drac, his voice rising
in pitch, "You supported this?"
            He sighed, grasping the wooden
support of the canopy in his hand, "I did not realize that this was what they
were doing until they assigned me to your case. I've seen what kind of people
it makes, and believe me... You're nothing like them. You were cursed with what
my people call 'victernus.'"
            Namara tilted his head and asked,
"Victernus? That's what Lynn renamed my group..."
            Drac nodded and turned back to
Namara, answering, "It means that you can hold the answer to your life so close
to yourself, but the way to it is blocked. Every time you try to find it, you
will be beaten down over and over again until you are driven insane."
            Namara lowered his ears and asked,
"Well, what do I do now?"
            Drac smiled to him, "Hang in there.
The Council will tell you what they think is best, and you will have to decide
something for them. I might be able to persuade them to help you, but we won't
go into that yet." He paused before saying, "I think it is best that we head
there now."
            He widened his eyes and exclaimed,
"Now?!"
            Drac walked towards the bridge and
nodded, "Now. Follow me."
---
            A few minutes later, Namara stood in
front of the three robed Volnar in the tower. His gaze rose up the tower in
awe, but he was snapped back to reality when the one in the center addressed
him in a suspiciously lighthearted tone, "Namara. Do you know why you are
here?"
            Namara glanced at Drac nervously and
then said, "I don't know. Why do you think I'm here?"
            She spoke in a condescending tone,
"I know why you are here."
            He waited for her to tell him, but
she did not continue. He asked softly, "Please, tell me."
            The Arch Seer continued in a fast
manner, "You're here because you destroyed your race in the most selfish way
imaginable. You cut everyone out of your life to chase some fantasy, and you
destroyed the entire human race in the process. You disgust us."
            The Echoes in the room voiced
"Disgusting!" down at Namara. He flattened his ears, trying to block out all
the noise. When it ceased, she continued, "Do you have anything to say for
yourself?"
            Namara regained his composure and
then narrowed his eyes at her. Suddenly, he could hear all of the voices of the
lost Selanians, and they were helping him bring words to his mind. He gazed
around the tower and said, "Yes... and I will only say it once."
            She nodded, "Go on."
            He began, "Where I was from, there
was a widespread belief that we had the right to pursue happiness. It was
listed as a right that nobody could take away from us - and that makes sense.
But, there was one crucial element that was always missing. Nowhere did anyone
say that it was wrong to get in the way of the pursuits of others. It was
neither spoken nor written. And that
is what created the imbalance - not me.
            "You see, with that piece missing,
there were people who had seemingly endless amounts of money and power. They
could try to find what they believed would make them happy. Everyone else was
taught to fit into their society somehow and then just hope to find out what happiness might look like. Meanwhile, they
were being fed lies about how the world really was for almost every day of
their lives. They didn't want to look past that.
            "But I did. I found what I came to
call 'Koanthanatus' - my death paradox - and the thing that it surrounded. I
did not agree with the idea that living a life pursuing someone else's idea of
happiness would get me there. I would die unsatisfied, believing that my
children might be able to find it instead - and so would they. But, I'd have
tried, so I'm sure everyone would have been happy for me."
            He shook his head, "I vowed never to
settle for that. Now, what I found...
it may be different for everyone. It might not be. I don't know. But..." he
paused and then stared at the Arch Seer, "Would you condemn me for that? For
trying to find this?" 
            A creepy silence drifted through the
tower as if everyone was lost for words. Before Namara could start again, the
Arch Seer said, "This session will resume in one hour. We will consider your
words."
            Drac stepped behind him and
whispered, "Come on."
            Namara sighed and then followed him
out. He finished, "I hope they listen."

Source: https://sofurry.com/view/915170

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