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The Strange Case of the Grey Man - A Halloween Tale

Kegek

Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Happy Halloween, everybody. :) Here's an odd little ghoulish nugget for your amusement.

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The Strange Case of the Grey Man

She was already regretting it. She wished she was back in a warm room, full of vain, petty people she could be crassly impolite to. But now she was stuck in this miserable, howling desert. Which way was back? She couldn’t see over the sandstorms. Uncouth planet really, and the conference was a complete waste of time. And her valet had the gall to flirt with her! Lecherous wretch. Yes, that’s why she ran out into the desert in a huff. At the time, it seemed like a good idea.

She wasn’t so sure now. And she was beginning to feel worried when she saw the grey man. At first she thought it was stone, and then she noticed the tall, angular shape, the flesh tones of the grey. The Grey Man stood without motion or expression. Serene, with layers of windswept dust on him. Not muscular, he seemed strangely resilient. For a while, she could only stare as the winds subsided. The Grey Man still did not react.

Petulant, she cried: “Well, what are you here for?”

The Grey Man did not respond at all, did not move. She had almost convinced herself it was a statue when it, slowly, turned its face towards her. Its blank, pitiless eyes, already ancient, stared right through her.

She’d had enough. She looked into his mind.

She saw a star burning over a grey world. A dim figure, moulded like clay. A tall, gaunt man, invincible. Passionless formula for slaughter floated beneath its thoughts.

He was a weapon.

She heard a billion murdered screams. She watched an age pass on a world now young, barren of life. She saw through joyless eyes, without empathy or sympathy. And there it stood, a monster beyond boredom, staring fixatedly at nothing. Awaiting orders.

"Those thoughts are disgusting. Get rid of them this instant!” She spat, irked. His memories ebbed away, trickled away, and soon were nothing.

“There.” She said, smiling primly. “That’s better. Now lead me back to the city. You do know the way?” The thing nodded gently. They trekked over the barren wastelands. She chattered on endlessly about how terrible the planet is, how dismal the company was, and how noble her lineage had been.

“You don’t talk much, do you? What’s your name anyway?”

“Homn.”

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Oh fantastic! I guessed who she was close to the end but didn't guess who he was.

Love it :thumbsup:
 
This was very delightful indeed. I too had my suspicions at the end. What a great little back story and moody too. Good stuff!
 
Thanks all. Frankly, I've always felt that Lwaxana's taciturn valet probably had some really strange secrets. :)
 
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