The Rime of the Ancient Flagellant
PART I
It is an ancient flagellant
And his gestures stoppeth me
“By the Omnisaiah,” I said
“Now wherefore stopp’
st me?”
“The machine halls are opened wide,
And incense been prepared,
The whine of gears - and chants of cants -
O’ the machine god fill the air.”
It holds out its neck, show’s its port,
And bids me to connect.
I watch it stand and drool a bit,
Before I acquiesce.
With my line and data spike,
Our implants did commune
And with a jolt, o' flickin’ light,
to me, its memories flew.
PART II
It stood in a palace, bathed in sun.
A towering, important man.
Quick with a smile, pure in thought,
And always in command.
That's when it first met the Inquisitor,
And though the hour was late.
A governor needs entertain,
Those who hold his fate.
The Inquisitor was suspicious,
Because there was no heresy yet,
A planet as pure as ***REDACTED***
Should surely soon be beset.
"I asked if the purges were needed,
They caused undo misery.
Which, o' course, was a mistake
For his attentions turned to me."
PART III
"So we talked, a spiral talk,
The kind that went for days.
What was said, I can't recall;
Inquisitors have their ways."
"Each time he took a little bit,
Sometimes flesh, or else my mind.
I was left a writhing wreck,
Stolen from my prime"
"Questions, questions everywhere,
E'er did he beseech.
Questions, questions everywhere,
But I could no longer speak."
"Then one day, the Inquisitor said,
Our time to talk was done.
He thanked me for all my time,
And apologized for what'd been done."
PART IV
"He could of course, not let me go,
My body too incomplete,
But 'cause he said I stayed pure,
I'd still be allowed to think."
"I'm a monster now," the flagellant said,
"Though you think me a machine.
There is no sentience left inside,
Beyond my hollow dreams"
"I'm out of time," I told the thing,
"Say your piece before I leave,"
"Then head these words," it said
"O’ else end up like me."
"Questioning inquisitors,
rarely meets a happy end.
For those who question the Inquisitions' ways,
Are in fact good candidates for them."
PART V
I made to continue on,
Still time to make the mass,
That’s when I turned ‘round to see
the Inquisitor in my path.
"Did you have a nice chat?" He asked,
"That one’s always been so nice.
I’ve a few questions to ask o’ you,
If you think it'd be alright."
I looked into his eyes,
Wary of his plans,
Know’
ng exactly of my fate,
Should I give into his demands.
Glancing toward the flagellant,
I blurted the activation word.
The inquisitor had only time to scream
Amidst the flailing blurs.
I did not escape unharmed,
From the creatures path,
And my judgement further came,
- I was installed its new acc’mplice -
We two live in silence,
Our thoughts focused ever still,
One satisfied in vengeance,
The other bent to the Omnisiah’s will.