Blood and Profit: Chapter 45

Eamon woke up to a revelation. He hated his job. He had always been a do'er, most comfortable with dirty hands actively finishing jobs. He liked to see the improvements in the lives of the people he helped. Somewhere along the way he had convinced himself that running for office would be the best and most efficient way to help as many people as possible. He quickly learned that he could not have been more wrong.

In the year and a half since he had won his seat he had spent sixteen months in meetings. He barely had time to speak with his staff, much less approach a problem to solve. Eighteen months of completely wasted time, which he had to admit was largely his own fault. He had no training in governmental management, no family history of leadership or power, no useful connections and thus no place in the upper echelons of representative government.

Kepi had everything he didn't. She had appeared one morning early on and practically took over his office. She introduced him to the economy of favors, taught him the languages of double speak and empty words. Over the last eighteen months he had learned to speak sentences and make promises that meant nothing but bought everything, and he hated every minute of it. With Kepi behind him he had accomplished more in eighteen months than he could have done in a life time without her. And this morning he had realized that he was holding her back. The only thing he had that she didn't was a seat at the table and it was well within his authority to give it to her.

Lost in his thoughts Eamon got out of bed and left the shuttle without waking Mew. He wandered into the forest as he considered where his life might take him next and found himself at the clearing where the Starseeds were growing their new ship.

There was a lone Starseed tending the tiny Tree growing in the center of the clearing. It waved at Eamon as he approached. Eamon waved back and then watched silently as the Starseed poked and prodded the new growth. "If you all just share one mind, what should I call you?" He asked awkwardly.

The Starseed continued his work as he replied. "What was your name before you were born?" It asked.

Eamon raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?" he stuttered in confusion.

The Starseed pulled some fresh moss off the Bark of the tree. "You are Eamon now, with all your traits and quirks, that mind in that body, electrical impulses bound to specific pathways for a length of time yet to be determined. But everything that you are, from hair to toes and every thought in between, used to be something or someone else. The body is easy, but the mind begs the question, what was your name before 'you' were Eamon?" The Starseed looked at Eamon and flashed him a psychic smile. "You can call me Tremar." He said.

Eamon nodded and sat down to think about the idea he had just been presented with, Another part of his mind asked a question that had been bouncing around his skull. "I know you guys went out of your way to help us, but just out of curiosity, how are you going to get your mind matter, darkness stuff back safely across the barrier?" He asked.

Tremar finally stopped tending to the tree and shook his head. Sadness spread across his face. "We have never transitioned through space that way before. Transporting our conscious matter in physical space is a problem we have never had to solve. We are, worried that what has come through to this place will stay here and when the wave undoes this planet we will forget everything we have done here." Tremar sat next to Eamon. "Still it is a price worth paying to save your people." He finished.

Eamon looked at the morning sky through the gap in the tree canopy. It was getting brighter as the sun rose higher in the sky. "I will remember for you. If I have to write the books myself, your people will have a record of what you did here, of what you sacrificed, for us." He promised.

The pair sat in silence for a moment before Tremar asked. "What are books?" He said with intense curiosity.

Lidarion: Chapter 17

The group was dead silent until they had completely exited the castle. The guards left them at the front gate and returned inside. The day itself was sunny but not overly hot. It was turning into a mild summer which meant that on days like today no one was interested in staying inside and so the streets were crowded, making staying near the gates a decent place to decide what had to happen next.

Squints spun on Trent. “I’m sorry,” started.

“None of that was your fault.” Trent interrupted.

Squints exploded. “OH I KNOW THAT! ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND? That’s it isn’t it? Both of you have gone stark raving mad!” Squints paced with the little space they had as he ranted.

Trent shook his head. “I think you are over reacting.” He started.

Squints spun on him in mid pace. “YOU THINK I’M OVER REACTING?!” He shouted at the top of his lungs and then realized he was in public, so he lowered his voice. “You just got us involved in royal politics, the search for a fairy tale, and made us responsible for not only keeping ourselves alive but keeping the entirety of the only functional government this kingdom has had for the last hundred years alive! I personally think I’m dramatically under reacting you lead dense MORON!” Squints ranted and then went back to pacing.

Trent was still nothing but smiles. Lisa leaned over to whisper to Trent. “Why are you taking this so well?” She asked.

Trent shrugged. “His two best friends disappeared thirteen years ago, one went to war and the other went insane. Can’t bottle that kind of stuff up for that long and not snap at some point. He deserves to vent, let him vent.” He explained. “You feel better now buddy?” He asked Squints. Squints flipped him off while he continued pacing. “Does that mean you’re not going to help then?” He asked still smiling.

Squints stopped pacing “Of course I’m helping. I’m scared and I’m pissed off, but I’m not stupid. Without me none of you would have the first clue of where to go and what to do.” He said.

Trent shook his head in the negative. “Nah I know the first thing to do.” He said full of assurance.

Squints looked at him skeptically. “Hit me.” He said

Trent smiled. “Well first things first, we go to the library district and ask Squints for any books about the Sigils.” He got through the sentence before he started laughing.

Squints glared at him, spun around and made his way into the crowd, shouting. “I hate you.” Before he disappeared into the mob.

The XP: Chapter 17

The Plane of Judgement was made of an impossible number of tiny floating islands that stretched on as fa as the view distance would render. The sky was a wild ocean of bubbling clouds and constant lightening. Without warning a bolt of lightning came down and struck Bob. Her eyes turned a neon glowing white and she dew the sword from her Sabertar.

                          

“Come and receive your judgment!” She shouted at the others.

Trart looked at The Matriarch. “What’s going on?” He asked.

The Matriarch shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know, the last time I was here we arrived on a different island and fought a giant earth elemental.” She admitted.

Stygian Drew his gigantic sword and shield. As Bob leapt through the air and brought her sword down to meet his shield as he threw it up reflexively. “I think it’s us or her guys!” He shouted shoving her back with a heavy swing of his shield arm.

Blackout and the others drew their weapons as Bob turned into a whirling storm of destruction. None of them knew if the lightening would leave Bob or if they would have to kill her. She launched herself at Trart and before he thought about who he was really shooting he unleashed a stream of firepower from his chain gun which hit Bob hard knocking her to the ground. Her eyes went dark.

The others gathered around her and Trart grimaced. “Well I’m a dead man when she gets back.” He lamented.

The light left her eyes. And Stygian pointed it out. “She’s not possessed anymore, I think you’ll be fine.”

Trart shook his head. “I meant the actual Bob was going to kill when she resurrected ten minutes from now.” He clarified.

The lightening jumped from Bob’s body to Blackout. His eyes went electric white just as Bob’s had. He turned to face the others and smiled. “Why wait?” he said Blasting the other three back with a force wall.

Trart got to his feet to see that Blackout had put himself inside a healing bubble and begun to meditate. He crawled over to Stygian. “That bubble has about what fifteen thousand hit points with seven fifty regenerating per second? I can’t lay down that much suppressing fire, but I can get it down to the red line and you can crack the shield.” Trart said.

Stygian nodded. “That gets us through the shield what do we do once its down?” He asked.

The Matriarch appeared over his shoulder. “Leave that to me.” She said with serious determination on her face.

The trio stood and Trart leveled his weapon at Blackout’s shield and pummeled it with suppressing fire. IT turned from a neon white to a dingy yellow then to a muted dirty orange. Stygian took a short three step hop into the air and brought his giant black and blue sword down on the damaged shield shattering it into a million shards of light. Blackout looked shocked but pointed a hand at Stygian ready to attack with another spell, which he never cast as his body was impaled with what appeared to be giant knitting needles. The first two caused him to step back. The next six forced him to stumble, the final six knocked him to the ground. Stygian finished him off with a definitive chop of his blade.

“Do you think it’s over?” He asked as Blackouts eyes returned to normal and the lightening jumped to him. Light poured out from the eye slits of his helmet. “I’m just getting started.”

The Matriarch launched herself into the air and summoned a hail storm of knitting needles bringing them down in a deathly rain as they each impaled Stygian. There were hundreds of them and as the storm exhausted itself she lowered back to the ground closed her fists and watched as Stygian’s absolutely destroyed body didn’t move in the least as it was held fast by the hundreds of giant bars of metal piercing through him and into the ground. She took a few steps ahead of Trart and the lighting jumped to her. She spun around to face Trart to find him holding four active grenades, two in each hand. He smiled at her. “We win.” The grenades went off and everything went white.

When the white light faded Tart realized he and the others were floating on the island as spirits. The lightening attempted to jump from The Matriarch’s body to Trart’s but could not make it. It hovered above him as a little electrical storm and became increasingly chaotic before it dissipated completely. Their ghostly forms faded as they all returned to their bodies. Trart and the Matriarch sat up first.

“You blew me up.” The Matriarch accused.

Trart nodded. “I wanted to win.” He said without guilt.

The Matriarch shook her head. “You blew me up with grenades and sacrificed yourself.” She said.

Trart shrugged “Are you mad that I blew you up, or that you’re not the one who thought of it first?” He asked.

“Hey I’ve thought about blowing you up loads of times.” Blackout said walking over and helps The Matriarch to her feet.

“I’m more concerned that you’re crazier than a wood watch.” The Matriarch commented.

Blackout rolled his eyes. “Now she notices.

Trart made a rude gesture. “Did we or did we not win because of me?” He asked as a huge ornate treasure chest appeared. “I mean if you guys are so mad that we all died, I guess I’ll just take this treasure and –“

“Over my dead body.” Bob snapped.

“Been there done that.” Trart laughed as he opened the treasure chest and they all looked inside to check out their loot. 

University of Console Heroics: Chapter 17

Thompson and Cynthia are sitting in Thompson’s apartment having breakfast for dinner. Pancakes, eggs, toast and orange juice. Cynthia had ended up at his apartment every night in the last week and while their conversations often took them to coffee shops and all night diners they had stayed in most nights and breakfast food was all he had left.

Cynthia smiled at him as she dunked her toast into her over easy egg. “We should go shopping tomorrow.” She said. Biting her eggy toast.

Thompson raised an eyebrow. “We?” He asked.

She nodded finishing her toast. “You fed me, the least I can do is help refill your fridge.” She smiled.

“I think you severely overestimate the everyday functionality of my kitchen.” He said with a mouthful of pancakes.

Cynthia laughed. “Lemmie guess, what were eating now consists of all the actual food that was in there. Currently there is a jar with one pickle left in it, a half a bottle of ketchup and a two beers.” She counted the items off on her fingers.

Thompson scoffed. “Wrong! It’s actually three beers.” He mumbled eating more pancakes.

Cynthia got quiet all of a sudden and picked at her own pancakes. “Dean?” She asked quietly.

Dean set his fork down. “Yeah?”

She looked him in the eye. “What did you tell Foster?” She asked bluntly.

Thompson shrugged. “Just that he didn’t want my help.” He swirled the orange juice in his cup.

Cynthia nervously poked her pancakes with her fork again. “He burns like you do.”

Thompson almost spilled his glass. “Son of a bitch!”

He shot out of his chair. Shocking Cynthia. “I didn’t know how to tell you at first and then things just kept on like you never disappeared and I didn’t want to ruin it.” She admitted sadly. “I’m sorry.”

Thompson turned around and knelt at her feet grabbed her hands and looked her in the eyes. “This isn’t your fault and whatever happens between me and Foster won’t ruin this, I can promise you that.” He said.

She shook her head. “You can’t promise that. Because whatever this is, is the same thing between you and Daigo. You were different then, Foster is different now. He’s completely green but if he wasn’t he’d be scary.” She said as Foster paced the living room. “What’s wrong?” She asked.

Thompson nibbled at his thumb as he paced. “I made a huge mistake.” He said.

Cynthia shook her head. “I don’t think so, he passed his midterm with flying colors. He was the first person to sign up for my end of semester showcase. If he wasn’t such a dick, I’d say whatever you said was totally successful.” She admitted.

Thompson stopped pacing. “Cynthia you really don’t understand.”

Cynthia got up and moved closer to Thompson. “Then explain it to me.” She demanded.

Thompson looked into her eyes and nodded. He sat on the floor and she joined him. “Fine, but promise me you won’t say anything until I tell you the whole story.” He said getting situated.

Shades of Justice: Chapter 21

They worked for hours. For having next to no knowledge about the technology it turned out to be surprisingly easy to find spare parts for the components that were destroyed beyond repair and the parts that were repairable actually had instructions on them to follow. Still the damage in the control room took several hours to even get back to basic functionality.

                

The first thing they did was confirm that the system that regenerated Blinding Light was functioning. The timer showed three days to full repair. And that system was taking the entirety of the functionality they had gotten back. So anything else required more time to work through repairing even more consoles. By sunrise they had enough of the command center systems back online.

It look them several more hours of searching through file systems to figure out what did what and how. By mid-afternoon they had a three dimensional model of the Earth and the Moon projected into the center of the room. Warren looked up at the projection from his console. “From what I can tell I think this is something along the lines of a planet wide radar system.” He said.

Sonya looked at the projection. “Ok so how do we make it, radar, or whatever?” She asked.

Warren turned back to the console and scanned through the menu system. “We need to tell it what to look for, like what to track.” He confirmed.

Gordon shrugged his shoulders. “What are our options?” He asked. “can we just say ‘computer we need to find Technarious or Lumarion. Preferably both?” He asked sarcastically.

“Pinging global sphere for Technarious and Lumarion. A robotic voice filled the command center. Everyone looked around the room in surprise as a neon green sphere appeared at the center of the holographic earth and grew until it faded away past the edges of the moon. They watched as another neon green sphere appeared again and grew outward until it also faded away just past the moon. A third sphere appeared and got bigger and faded away. It was the last one. When it was gone nothing about the holographic display had changed. “Neither Technarious or Lumarion found on earth or the moon.” The voice confirmed without emotion.5555555555511

Kelly shook her head. “That can’t be, they must be somewhere this system can’t sense them.” She said to the open air.

“There is no substance on Earth or the moon capable of hiding or obscuring the capabilities of this system. Lumarion and Technarious are gone.”

The Shades all tried to hide their fear and worry from each other. Gordon kicked one of the still dead consoles. 

Blood and Profit: Chapter 44

Mew sat at the edge of the clearing until late in the evening. Rootan, the Starseed with the discolored growth on his midsection, joined her as she stared at the stars through the gap in the forest canopy. “So if you’re species shares a singular consciousness, how come you used “”I” and have a name?” She asked.

Rootan sat next to her. “The simplest explanation is that it makes races like yours more comfortable. We have seen races become very untrustworthy of us once they understood the differences between individual consciousness and shared consciousness.” Rootan explained.

Mew nodded listening to his explanation while looking at the newly growing tree that would eventually be a ship. “So when you said that you came here to save us, did you intend for us to join you on this tree ship thing? Because I honestly don’t know if our colony has enough ships to get everyone off planet.” She admitted.

Rootan looked at the stars in silence for a moment. Then back at Mew. “We would need a MUCH larger tree.”

After a while Rootan left Mew alone next to the clearing. She listened to the wind blow through the canopy above her. Birds had already begun to make the forest their home and could be heard going about their evening activities.

The light from Eamon’s communicator lit the ground in front of Eamon as he walked up beside his sister. He sat down next to her before he shut the light off. “The official representatives from the colony will be here in the morning. I was planning on sleeping in the ship. Where have you been sleeping?” He asked her.

She didn’t take her eyes off the seedling in the center of the clearing. “They, it, shaped a tree out for me to sleep in.” she replied while deep in thought.

Eamon noticed how far away she was mentally. “Mew, are you ok?” He asked.

She shook her head. “I feel like we’re going to find out that we don’t have the resources to get everyone off planet before the wave reaches us.” She replied.

Eamon looked up at the night sky. “You’re assuming everyone will want to leave.” He said sighing heavily.

Mew looked at him in shock. “You really think people are going to choose to stay here and be unmade?” She asked.

He nodded. “I think that a portion of the population will assume we are lying to them, that this wave, if it even reaches the colony can be survived. Like a natural disaster. They will be wrong, but we cannot save those who do not wish to be saved.”

Mew shook her head. “We’ll need to get as much actual data on the wave as possible. Show them that this thing is coming, and that out running it is their only option for survival. Prove it to them.” She stated with determination.

Eamon put his arm around his sister. “Mew, you know I love you, but there’s no proof you can give someone that’s going to overpower the protective shell of ignorance their ego has erected around them.” He said dryly.

Mew shook her head. “I refuse to believe that people will willingly choose their own deaths just because the other option is trusting someone who understands the intricate details of something they don’t.” Mew declared.

Eamon patted her back. “That’s why I love you sis.” He stood up. “Now come on, I can make a second bunk in my shuttle, you can sleep on a real bed tonight.” He held out his hand and she used it to get to her feet.

Lidarion: Chapter 16

Even though Brooke could have easily dispatched the guards herself Trent gave them no issues. He and his friends allowed themselves to be escorted to the castle after breakfast. Trent had not been in Lidarion in thirteen years and other than feeling a little smaller and a little less grand the castle had not changed much, and Trent reminding himself that the size and feel of the building had more to do with the changes in him rather than the building.

The guards led them by the rooms the ruling council used for their daily meetings. Which were closed and dark. “That’s strange. They’re is usually hammering out the kingdom and city budget this time of year.” Brooke commented.

They turned a corner and came to large double doors covered with red velvet and inlaid with gold. The lamps on either side of the hall were shiny with fresh polish and the doors appeared to have been intensely cleaned and polished recently. “Anyone else feeling like this is a bigger deal than we thought?” Squints asked.

The guard to their right reached up and slammed the knocker into its base. They could hears the sound echo through the throne room on the other side. There was a delay and then the doors opened from the inside, pulled by servants on command. The throne room was no longer as Brooke had described it. There were lit torches, band new tapestries, and a thick red carpet that led up to the dais where King Alfred sat on a newly polished throne.

The group approached the dais slowly, the members of the ruling council were imprisoned in large cages that lined the walls on the back half of the throne room. The men and women had clearly been detained for a while, and not treated at all well. The knots in Trent’s stomach cursed him for making such a stupid tactical error.

“Welcome, do not be shy, this is a day of celebration and generosity! Come be quick and kneel at my feet, let us get formality out of the way so that we may speak as friends. Like we used to.” The king waved his hand at the empty space at the foot of the Dais. His smile did not match the tone of his voice but they had no other choice and so sped up to kneel and swear fealty. “You may rise, loyal and true citizens of Lidarion.” The king commanded having accepted their display. “Now let us ‘catch up’ as they say. It has been an age has it not? Regale your king and his court,” He waved to the council in their cages. “With the tales of your lives since last we met.” He leaned on his elbow to await their reply.

Trent stepped forward first and knelt again. “Before we go any further I would like to offer my sincerest apologies to his royal highness and to the court for breaking my banishment. I have no excuse other than making a promise that I could never have kept. I meant no disrespect.” He waited for a moment until the king spoke.

“Rise my friend. This court takes no offense at your appearance in this time of need. It may even been what the scribes of old would call ‘fate’, am I right Squints?” The king looked to the gnome.

Squints shrugged his shoulders. “I apologize your majesty but I don’t think I know of the need you are referring to.” He answered.

The king snapped his fingers. “Of course not! How could you? If everyone knew then it wouldn’t be very fateful now would it?” He said mostly to himself. “You may rise Trent, and consider carefully the task I lay before you.” The king commanded.

Trent rose to his feet and stepped back in line. “How may I be of service to your majesty?” Trent asked.

The king smiled. “I propose a trade.” He offered without further explanation.

Trent waited an appropriate amount of time and then asked. “A Trade, your highness?”

The king nodded. “Of course. I cannot kill you. I am not a stupid man you see and I know that my sister is more loyal to you than she is to me, so if you were to die by my order it is obvious that I would die by her hand. This would plunge the kingdom into even worse chaos than it already exists in. I cannot have that. So in exchange for the lives of the council, a ravening band of opportunistic scavengers if there ever was one, I require something that will cement my legacy as the greatest king in the history of Lidarion.” His smile was genuine now.

Trent nodded. “And what could I hope to trade to you for their lives that had the power to grant you such a legacy?” Trent asked.

The king snapped again. “So glad you asked. You will bring me the Sigils of the Paragon’s.”

Squints took half a step back but the reference sailed right over Trent’s head. “The Sigils of the Paragons your highness?” He asked.

The king nodded. “I do like this echo you’ve developed but it does slow things down and it makes me wonder about your mental capabilities. The paragons are the representatives of the elemental gods on this planet, they have the power to bestow the favor of the gods they represent onto mortal men and women. I am burdened with ruling this great kingdom but you have the freedom to collect these favors in my name. Bring them to me in one year’s time and I will spare the lives of these betrayers and usurpers. Do you agree?”

Trent looked around the throne room and realized there were more guards than he could count on a quick glance. “And If I say no?” He asked.

The king sighed heavily. “The standard punishment for breaking a banishment is death and while it would pain me greatly, A king with a dead sister is still a king.”

Trent looked to Squints who was very slightly shaking his head as if to say don’t do this. Trent took one last look at the council member’s and then nodded. “I accept, on one condition.”

The kings smile got bigger and then instantly faded. “I do not believe I offered terms for bargaining.” The king replied.

Trenton nodded. “And You may deny me if you wish, but it is a small favor at best. Easy for a man of power such as yourself.” Trent explained.

The king waved his hand. “I am feeling generous today, what is this ‘condition’ of yours?” The king asked.

“keep the Council on the castle grounds, armed guard all day every day. But if they are to be dead in a year’s time, take them out of these cages. Be magnanimous and allow them a shred of joy before they are to die for my failures.” Trent requested.

The king looked at Trent like he was trying to figure out the puzzle of his intent. “So sure you will fail that you cannot even lie to them about their chances? You must have more faith my friend. The god’s have brought you here. You are going to bring me my prize and you are going to save their pathetic lives. But I would like to be known as a just and generous king, so I will do as you ask. Release them.” The king commanded, causing the nearest guards to move to the cages with their keys and set the council free. “They are to be kept to the eastern castle barracks. If they leave the barracks or the yard that surrounds it, they will die. You have one year, their lives depend on you now. The king waved his hand and the guards ushered the freed Council out the eastern doors while another set of guards escorted Trent and the others back out the doors they came through.