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Chapter 18 – Baring the truth and bearing poor company
🕑 Added 2024-09-21 14:00:09 +0000 UTCJace walked up many, many flights of stairs that kept doubling back on each other. This facility was buried deep to keep the arc reactor safe, he thought. It took about thirty minutes to climb up - and he did not feel any strain on his legs. His hip flexors were burning with exertion, and he had to pause a few times. Going up stairs was not something he was used to, as most buildings he did happen to go inside on Earth had elevators.
When he did arrive at the top, he found a closed and locked door. Lifting his leg, he kicked forward, and the object went clattering into a dusty, ancient room. Bunker living quarters, he was able to scavenge and find another one of the survival kits - just like what he found in the other hidden outpost. This is a little under what I’ll need to make it to the portal, he thought. He left the crate, knowing he would return to the location, and broke through more doors before arriving outside once more.
The night sky was dark, and the stars filled up the vast expanse overhead. Glancing around, he saw that this building facade was built into a small hill. The crater was ahead, and he was able to get back to his stash quickly. He climbed back up, re-entered the arc reactor building, and barricaded the front entrance. Jace made sure to clear the whole living quarters for anything useful - but all was stripped save for the one survival kit. Adding those meals to his satchel, he descended into the facility once more.
Ollie helped direct his efforts in breaking down the arc reactors, and five days passed. After the first day, the disassembly process was rote to the Aspirant, and Ollie and him chatted at length about the Wayfinder’s past charges.
He had been responsible for several hundred in his approximately 1,000-year existence. All of them died during The Aspirant Trial. Jace was his first successful case. And over the course of those several days of conversation, Jace understood more and more why Oliver was so rude and pessimistic at their first meeting. He had seen those he was responsible for dying. Over and over. Hundreds of deaths.
“Eventually,” Ollie said. “You have to make yourself numb to it.”
On the fifth day, as Jace was finishing the last arc reactor and collecting the forty critical components that Ollie said would sell for a good amount of Stardust, the otter admitted something he had kept secret.
“There’s one more thing I’ve not talked about,” Ollie said softly, but his voice was filled with trepidation.
Jace wiped his brow with the back of his sleeve and nodded, “Go ahead.”
The otter’s expression was…pensive. “When you become an Ascendant - not if, because I know you’ll make it there with your knack for surviving tough spots…you don’t have to keep your Wayfinder.” He sighed, “You could…choose to dismiss me.”
Jace frowned, “And do you think I shouldn’t? You completely doubted I would survive when I first got transported to this world. Quote, ‘I’m not expecting you to survive.’ But I did. And only then did you begin to warm up to me.”
Ollie’s face twisted into one of remorse and he floated down to the ground, curling up in a pathetic-looking, cuddle-able spiral. “I’m sorry.”
It sounded like a genuine apology. Jace had heard plenty of fake ones, but the way that Ollie said it smacked of Chroma’s apologies when she did something stupid and Jace had to teach her why what she did was dangerous. It sent the young man reeling into his memories for a moment before he shook off the recollections. “Apology accepted,” Jace said with a soft sigh.
“Wha-”
“I forgive you. For doubting me. It’s all right.” Jace turned to the stairs to begin his ascent to the surface again. “I’ve had people doubt me since I was a kid, thrown onto the streets and not expected to survive. But I did. Then, when I rescued my sister from that place, I kept myself and her alive.” He glanced back at the now-floating river otter who followed with a sorrow-filled, curious expression. “I don’t plan to discard you. We might have had a rough start, but you’ve been genuinely helpful, and I don’t think I could survive this Cosmic System without your help.”
Ollie floated in front of him, “You mean it? Really?”
“Of course,” Jace replied. I need you right now. And the past few days have shown that you’re someone I can trust. “You and me, all the way to Tier 10 Ascendant. Then, I’ll bring back Chroma.” He raised an eyebrow, “But that does bring up a question - what happens when I bring Chroma back? Will she be given the whole Civilian vs. Aspirant choice?”
Ollie shrugged, “I do not know. I would bet it is like a person being present during Cosmogenic Merging and she would get the choice.”
Jace nodded, “So if she chose Aspirant, she’d have to deal with the whole Trial. But she could work towards her own immortality.”
Ollie nodded, “Yup.”
“But I couldn’t help her, since The Cosmic System prevents Ascendants from getting involved.”
Ollie frowned, “Also a yup. She was young when she died from what you have said, so she would be in The Eternal City in one of the childcare centers.”
Jace sighed in relief. “Good to hear.” He got up to the surface and trudged across the barren landscape towards the portal that lay across the planet. “Any good stories to tell to pass the time?”
>>>---<<<
Quinn was frazzled and frantic, running around the shop. A special guest was going to be visiting - someone especially important to the Star Council. Someone who went by the name Levi.
Mizarion had been chatting idly as he helped to move some of the heavier cargo about. “Levi’s real name is Leviticus Smith. He’s a Tier 5 Ascendant. And he is an asshole.”
Quinn looked up from her feverish cleaning of the countertops, “How so?”
“He’s just…just rubs you the wrong way, you know? Speaks quickly, snaps at you if you interrupt him. Just not very pleasant.”
“Are my ears burning or are you talking about me?” A young voice called out from the doorway. Quinn looked up. The person walked in out of The Cosmic Corridor, and she gasped at his adonis-like form. Golden skin with chiseled muscle, a jawline that could cut glass, a nose that could only be described as deific, deep, sky-blue eyes, and a dashing crop of equally blue hair that was tied up in a warrior’s bun.
“Hi! Mr. Levi. I’m Qui-”
“I know who you are,” he snapped back at her. But he didn’t look at her. He looked at Mizarion and crossed his arms. Despite the more friendly Ascendant standing taller, the sheer cockiness oozing out of Levi’s every movement and syllable uttered left no doubt as to who felt they were stronger. “So, Miz.”
“Don’t call me that,” Mizarion growled.
Levi shrugged, “I’m here to pick up the package.”
Quinn raised her hand, “Umm, I have it, Mr. Levi.”
The golden-skinned man turned to her and strode over, flashing her a quick smile. “Ah, one our newest faction additions. At least, the most valuable of the newest ones.” He lightly gripped her hand, pulled it to his lips, and kissed it gently.
Quinn pulled her hand away as if a slimy tentacle had gripped it and tried to drag her into the abyss. “Ew! Sorry, um-”
Levi’s eye quivered in affront, but he just put on a dashing smile and chuckled. “Ah, I get it. You’re not into men. Totally respect that.” He smirked and looked over at Mizarion, “Miz, you her type? The brooding, not-in-shap-”
Mizarion stomped over and an ominous, crackling static charged the air as Quinn’s hair stood on end. “Back off, Levi. Just get the package and go.”
Levi smirked and looked around the countertop, “I don’t see a package.”
Quinn reached behind and under the counter and pulled the deep, orange package up to the countertop. “Here you g-”
“Thanks,” he said, cutting her off as he picked up the package. “This baby is off to Earth. Gonna try and win over some guy named the President.”
Quinn’s eyebrow shot up with curiosity, “Of where?”
Levi shrugged, “No clue. I know the flag is red, white, and blue.”
Quinn smirked, “Ah, the seppo.”
Mizarion’s demeanor shifted to one of confusion - as did Levi’s. “Sorry?” both said in tandem.
“Ah, the Americans.”
Mizarion frowned, “The people that farm these?” he asked as he produced a banana. “Some company called Dole?”
Quinn nodded, “Yup. That country has one of the strongest militaries on Earth.”
Levi nodded, “Then that’s where I’m off to. Hopefully, this will sway them to our side and away from the Nebula Alliance.” He waved and flashed Quinn a smile once more, “If you’re ever interested in the most impressive, masculine man around, give me a shout.”
Quinn just smiled her customer-service smile until he left, and then she leaned forward onto the counter and let out an exasperated groan. Why do they hit on me? She thought.
But then her mind began working; assisted by the Cybermind Mk. 4 boosting her mental faculties. If America is on the fence about factions, then that means the Nebula Alliance isn’t’ making as solid of inroads as reports have led me to believe. She knew that the Pulsar Coalition was keeping the Black Hole Conclave from getting too involved with Earth. The Planetary Independence Pact and Nebula Alliance were the two front-runners for the dominant force on Earth - with the former planning on placing an Ascendant there to run things until an Earth-born Ascendant grew strong enough to take over for them.
But the Nebula Alliance…they were very much of the same mindset as the various corporations that had begun to take over Earth before Cosmogenic Merging. Quinn knew that no matter what the Planetary Independence Pact or the Star Council did, the corporations would win out, and the Nebula Alliance would take over the world.
It would mean a megacorporation hellscape. People would be trapped there, without the chance of getting out to The Eternal City. “Can we do anything?” she asked Mizarion.
The man was mid-way through eating the banana - peel on - like it was corn-on-the-cob. She winced at the way he was eating it, and he shrugged. “Probably not. Earth seems like it’s going to go the way of the Nebula Alliance. If the Star Council can win this one, strong, military-focused country to our side though? We could stave it off for a while.” He took another bite.
“Could the Star Council team up with the Planetary Independence Pact to try and push the Nebula Alliance out?”
“I’m sure Star Dad has thought of that.” He finished munching down the banana and frowned, “But…there might be a reason why he hasn’t acted yet.”
“Why?”
“Have you heard of X?”
“...I have.”
Mizarion smirked, “Well, whoever X is may end up getting involved as well. We’ll see. Who knows? We might even get lucky and see someone from the Dark Between Stars.”
“Who?”
Mizarion grinned and leaned forward. “If you really want to learn, we should go talk to the Star Council historian. Come on! You’re due a day off anyhow. And every Aspirant should learn about The Cosmic System.”
