VOTOMS Ep. 43: Legacy

Shako greets village elder Tedaya in Quentinese, and Chirico is granted permission to stay in the city. Chirico is taken into a small room, and a young boy is frightened when he sees Chirico. Shako gives Chirico a green substance to drink. Chirico asks if he can speak to Tedaya, and Shako tells him to sleep first. Chirico insists that he doesn’t need any sleep, but he suddenly loses consciousness due to a substance in the drink. In the air, the Schmitel twins approach in a shuttle and are annoyed by Killy’s precautions, which include entering the planet with their weapons disassembled. They don’t think the Quentians are good for anything other than mercenaries and advanced radar. As Chirico sleeps, a group of robed Quentian women perform a ritual over him. The Schmitel twins land near the edge of the crevasse of Shako’s village, but it’s a 1,000-meter journey down to the valley. Chirico wakes up and cries out Fyana’s name. He demands to know what was done to him while he slept, and Shako explains that they were examining him to see if he was modified because modified people are taboo on Quent. Chirico asks what the results were, and Shako says he’ll hear them in the morning. Able to do nothing else, Chirico returns to sleep. Elsewhere, Rochina’s Leslion ship leaves Sunsa’s atmosphere. Fyana asks Rochina where they are going, and he says they are heading for an area of space near Quent. He believes that by now Chirico will have learned something and should be planning his next move. Fyana asks Rochina what his intentions are, and he says he is guided by a higher power. He says his master is very interested in Chirico’s actions and his destiny. Fyana asks him who his master is, but Rochina answers that even he doesn’t know himself.

The next morning, Chirico and Shako walk through the village to meet with Tedaya. The Secret Society soldiers attempt to spot Chirico visually, but thick vapor in the air obscures their view. In a public arena, Chirico asks Tedaya if he knows anything about Perfect Soldiers. Tedaya tells Chirico that if by PS he means “Those Who are Changed,” there is a warning to stay away from those people and those who would create them. He believes Chirico may be One Who is Changed because the women sense something about him. Chirico wants to know more, and doesn’t understand how Quent can produce advanced radar and things with Quentium while appearing so primitive. Tedaya says an old man named Meji might be able to tell him something if he’s still alive. Chirico and Shako head into a cave which Shako explains men over the age of 200 enter to meditate in. Chirico wants to explore one of the divergent paths in the cave, but Shako says only women are allowed to go in there and get Quentium. Outside, the Schmitel twins and the Society soldiers assemble a hovercraft to travel down to the valley. Chirico and Shako head deeper into the cave and find Meji, who has no eyes. Meji explains that the Golden Age of Quent began 85,000 years ago, and all was well until 3,000 years ago. At that time, beings appeared who claimed to be the gods of Quent and said they would remake the Quentians. Fearing these beings, the Quentians sealed them away and destroyed their own civilization to prevent the beings from returning. Meji says nothing more, leaving Chirico confused. At night, Chirico is unable to sleep and thinks about all the strange things Meji said. The Schmitel twins and the Society soldiers head into the valley and spot Chirico traveling alone in his Zwerg. Shako throws a lamp at them, but they ignore him and continue their pursuit. Chirico heads into the Quentium area of the mine and is surprised to find advanced technology. He heads deeper into the cave and is attacked by the Society hovercraft. He dodges at first, but the Zwerg is hit and he is ejected because the cockpit was open. Chirico then climbs up a ladder to a higher area, and Arron nearly loses his grip during pursuit. Chirico reaches the top and is cornered in one side by Gurran and on the other by Arron. Arron fires a tranquilizer dart at Chirico, and a device activates and teleports the Schmitel twins and the Society soldiers away.