Deathstalker 04 - Deathstalker Honor

surrender to us for the greater good. Evolution cannot be denied. Speak for us, Deathstalker. Be the herald of the future that destiny always intended.” “No,” said Owen. “You’re not Humanity’s destiny. You’re a mistake, an offshoot, a path that should never have been taken.
    Humanity lies in the heart, in the soul, in all the imponderable things that tech can never measure. You’re no better than Shub. I’ll never serve you. Never.” “You will,” said Moon. “You have no choice in the matter. You and your companions are our prisoners, as was always intended. The Hadenmen have need of the secrets within you, the power you gained from the Madness Maze. Our scientists on Haden have been trying to recreate the Maze, but so far with no success. The one being who might have told us anything, the Wolfling, cannot be found. So you and your companions are the only hope we have of understanding what the Maze did and how it did it. That’s the only reason we allowed you to enter this city. We brought you here, into the heart of our operations, so that you could be taken captive with the minimum of effort. There’s no point in fighting now, Owen. You are surrounded by hundreds of Hadenmen, and we have observed that even your miraculous powers have limits.” “Don’t be too sure of that,” said Hazel. “You’d be surprised what we can do when we have to.”
    “That’s precisely why we want you,” said Moon, unmoved by the threat in her voice. “Your abilities fascinate us. The Maze produced the original Hadenmen, but we had no idea it could produce miracle-workers. It is the nature of Hadenmen to seek perfection, and it is unacceptable that you should possess powers that we do not. So we will study you, discover the source of your miracles, and take it for ourselves. We will build a new Madness Maze, and all the Hadenmen shall pass through it. Then let Humanity tremble, for from that moment their days are numbered. And all of this because of you, Owen Deathstalker.”
    “You say you’re going to study us,” said Owen. “Would you care to be a little more specific?”
    “We will examine, test, and finally dissect you,” said Moon. “Discover all your secrets and limits, and then reduce you to your smallest components. Nothing will be overlooked. Nothing will be left undone.”
    “You’re getting ahead of yourself,” said Owen. “You have to take us first. And you’ve never seen what we can do when it comes to a fight.” “There will be no fighting,” said Moon. “You will follow our every instruction, Owen. Even turn on your friends if we find it necessary. You are ours. We own you.”
    “What the hell is he talking about, Owen?” murmured Hazel.
    “No one owns me,” said Owen.
    “You gave yourself over to us,” said Moon calmly. “When you accepted our golden hand.”
    Owen looked down at his left hand. His artificial hand. He’d lost the original fighting the Grendel alien on Haden. To save his life the Hadenmen had grafted on an artificial hand. A wondrous thing of pure gold, that obeyed his every thought. And if it always felt subtly cold, and not entirely his, that was a small price to pay for such a technological wonder. He lifted the hand before his face and flexed the golden fingers.
    Almost a work of art. He lowered the hand again and looked back at Moon. “Never trust a gift from strangers. What have you done to me, you bastards?”
    “Bound you to us. The hand has spread golden filaments throughout your body, infiltrating every part of you, including your brain. We now control you from within. You belong to us now, Owen. In truth, you always did.” “My brain?” said Owen. “You’ve been stirring your metal fingers in my brain? Interfering with my thoughts, influencing my decisions? What have you made me do? How much of what I’ve become is down to you?” “You’ll never know,” said Moon.
    It seemed to Owen that his artificial hand felt very cold. He curled the fingers into a fist, searching for any feeling of resistance on their part. He glared at Moon. “You said I was your Redeemer. When I released you from your Tomb, you swore to follow me.”
    “And so we did. For as long as it served our purpose. We are the Hadenmen. We are the destiny of Humanity. Nothing can be allowed to stand in our way.” “Damn you, Moon,” Owen whispered. “What have you done to me?”
    “I’m sorry, Owen,” said Moon. “I have no choice in this either.”