In a cave only faintly illuminated by green phosphorescence a tall man's shadow is a twisted branch across the emerald rock. He waits arms crossed along with two attendants in dark granite robes. Around him plants that should not grow without the sun creep over rock with unnatural vigor, their leaves seeking the source of the green light. A lagoon of glowing ooze, it laps at island stalagmites and swirls around limestone columns. Everywhere its waters touch abounds with growing life.
At the nearest shore, slaves worked at the crank shaft of an archaic but complex machine out of place amidst all the surrounding lushness. A system of iron gears pulleys and chains, its arms spider out over the pit. Tensing chains and hydrolic cranes manipulate mass beneath the liquid-energy so none need touch it -- 'over exposure to the lazuras was death after all, even for these adapted cave organisms.'
A fountain of green foam proved it overwashing the far end of the dock and leaving ten slaves shaking the rails in their death throes as skin and muscle steamed from their bones. Beyond, the source of the spout reared into view like a sperm whale coming to the surface. Massive dark and solemn, its crash upon the water is a toll to their leader's ears. It signaled the end of this civilization of greed and the beginning of a new and sustained balance with the planet.
The straight backed man stalks forward into the lighted perimeter, showing the steel brows and scimitar nose that could belong to none other but Ra's al Ghul. His attendants follow him as he approached the lazarus pit. In the opposite direction, across the parting water of living magma came the monolith, floating featureless and geometrical as a cheap coffin. Only spouts of the rejuvinating liquid pumped up from below, break its straight profile; those and the numerous iron chains that tug it across the pit.
Ra's al Ghul, pulls a flower from his vest and smells its sweet perfume as he awaits the docking of the craft. Persuaded by the touch of the lash, task-crews of slaves vaulted down the iron dock, stepping over the still sizzling remains of their predecessors. The pier extended fifty feet out over the pit and even then only reached the center axis of the machine.
Ra's makes a smile, one he hid behind the flower -- a gift from his most recent love. Dead she was but not gone. The supervillain cast the flower like a dart, stem first into the lazarus -- it burst into green fire and bent like a spent match in seconds. 'Neither man nor woman could love her now.' He looked on as the latches along the machine's sides hissed their release with jests of steam. 'In her presence none will know anything but fear.'
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