VeryHuman (Today:8:28AM): Is that Mark typing?
VeryHuman (Today:8:28AM): I think it is!
VeryHuman (Today:8:28AM): Come on, type faster!
MarkC (Today:8:28AM): They’re pushing you to make a permanent twin city, eh, Eliot?
VeryHuman (Today:8:29AM): MARK!
VeryHuman (Today:8:29AM): You’re okay! Yes! And I want to! Did you read the other chats?
HimePink (Today:8:29AM): You went with ‘MarkC’ for a handle, huh?
VeryHuman (Today:8:30AM): Did you read the other chats! No wait, of course you didn’t, there’s too much. LISTEN UP! They’re throwing me into an interview with Freyalan Holy Mother Julia Garin and Hearthswell Holy Father Rafael Pardo in 2 hours. I NEED TO KNOW IF YOU’RE IN MY CITY, MARK. We are fine with dealing with Addavein! But this question needs to be answered now, and for at least the next 5 years.
VeryHuman (Today:8:30AM): I’m vaguely sorry about the pressure, but not really. I’m under a lot of pressure, too. Share in the pressure with me, Mark.
VeryHuman (Today:8:30AM): Isoko already agreed to be a solid YES, and I need the same from you.
HimePink (Today:8:32AM): He’s so wound up. The majority of all of this shit isn’t even going to be us. It’s going to be, like, 10 different noble houses. We’re soldiers and pieces to be moved on a board.
MarkC (Today:8:37AM): I am pretty sure I am a ‘yes’, but I need to ask questions. What is the nature of my role in this upcoming expedition? Or, more importantly, when is this going to happen? How long before it happens?
VeryHuman (Today:8:38AM): You’ll be in the group of monster killers, working under some person who works under the general for the settlement expedition. So three layers from the top. This is one layer above most nobles in the expedition. It goes General → Seconds in Command → Forces of the Seconds (We are here) → Civilian Leaders → Civilians. You’re in third place, along with me and Isoko and most violent people. You, specifically, would be responsible for big monster kills, and you’ll probably be working under some kaiju-killing-type people, who are the Seconds in Command. You’ll be support for those bigger people; not actually tasked with killing kaiju yourself, but you’ll be expected to get experience in that direction.
VeryHuman (Today:8:38AM): What else do you need to know? I don’t know specific names yet. I think the Valen Family, which is a big noble family with interests all across Daihoon, is going to be heavily involved in this settlement, but we’re not sure yet.
VeryHuman (Today:8:39AM): This is going to happen in 2 months from now. That seems to be the timetable for organization. Could be shorter. Could be longer.
MarkC (Today:8:45AM): I’m giving you my official ‘Yes’. I’ll be in Memphi for a little while, and then be back in Citadel soonish, or something. Please keep me apprised of big events.
VeryHuman (Today:8:45AM): YES!!! WOOOOOO!!!
VeryHuman (Today:8:45AM): Awesome! Yes! I’ll keep you apprised!
HimePink (Today:8:46AM): Glad to have you, Mark! Now what’s this I hear about bandits?
VeryHuman (Today:8:46AM): Bandits?! The fuck?! You got robbed?
MarkC (Today:8:47AM): It was a thing. So you heard Addavein summoned me, yeah?
VeryHuman (Today:8:47AM): How did that happen, tho? Like. Physically, magically, how? Can you prevent it from happening again?
HimePink (Today:8:48AM): I don’t think he can, Mark?
HimePink (Today:8:48AM): Like, prevent it
HimePink (Today:8:48AM): I mean
MarkC (Today:8:52AM) I have no idea about any of that. You’ve heard more than me?
VeryHuman (Today:8:53AM): Isoko heard more than me. All I heard was rumors.
HimePink (Today:8:55AM): I heard from Grandmother and Crystal Tower that you dedicated yourself to him as his brother, which has caused a metaphysical tether which allows certain magics to function, and summoning and banishing are some of the magics he can do to you now. I think you have to sever that tie to break that connection, but don’t quote me on that. It’s all rumors, and tied behind magical learning, of which I have no connections toward. I don’t know anything about magic. Grandma says your eyes and hair color are heavy indicators that you’re tied to him, and he’s tied to you.
HimePink (Today:8:55AM): Tell us what happened!
- -
Mark lay back on his bed, staring at the ceiling, thinking.
He decided to ignore ‘summoning magic’ for now. He’d ask around about that later. Chances were that Inquisitor Willow or someone wanted to talk to him about that very thing. Lola and David wanted to talk, too, and that topic would probably come up as well.
But for now, Mark grounded himself, chatting with Isoko and Eliot about his own unexpected trip to Daihoon…
Er.
Mostly grounded himself.
- -
VeryHuman (Today:9:37AM): I still can’t believe some people would be stupid enough to attack you. There you are, floating nude on black metal, scanners going wild with ‘MONEY MONEY MONEY!’, black veins echoing out of your body and air, and you casually dropping that you have a True Healer for an uncle —I’m letting you know now that my family is going to try and hit you up for access— and they still tried to attack you. It is INSANE that they went for it.
MarkC (Today:9:38AM): I had on shorts and a backpack! I wasn’t nude!
VeryHuman (Today:9:38AM): Sure. Let’s focus on that part.
VeryHuman (Today:9:38AM): But seriously, though. I’m telling people you were nude. It’s a better story that way.
VeryHuman (Today:9:38AM): (I will not tell people this particular lie)
HimePink (Today:9:39AM): Not that insane. They already attacked him. They had no idea how Mark would have reacted outside of Mind Control. So they went for it. People sometimes come out of Mind Control all sorts of fucked up. Union helped to keep Mark on an even level, though.
HimePink (Today:9:40AM): Type with your damned hands, Eliot. I can’t keep up with your text speed.
VeryHuman (Today:9:40AM): I am typing with my hands. ;)
MarkC (Today:9:41AM): I don’t believe that for a damned second.
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
HimePink (Today:9:42AM): Anyway. Fuck those fuckers. Limb restoration is cheap magics for a tier 4 city. They probably have dedicated healers for that sort of stuff.
MarkC (Today:9:44AM): Is it cheap? Limb restoration was hard in Orange City. One of my Dad’s employees was put up on a wait list until we got upgraded to First Citizens and could get him into a limb restorer, or whatever it was. I never found out fully.
HimePink (Today:9:45AM): Tokyo is a Tier 10 city and they can deal with pretty much any medical thing, except for True Healer magics. Those people are always in demand. Tier 4 should be able to deal with limb restoration, and easily. IIRC, Orange City is Tier 2, right? So they probably do have a hard time getting healers for the more difficult magics.
HimePink (Today:9:45AM): Gods. Is Orange City really that bad off? Only tier 2? Whatever the case, Memphi is probably looking at all the known healers for limb restoration, but honestly people lose limbs all the time, so don’t expect that to pan out.
VeryHuman (Today:9:46AM): I just looked up Mind Control issues and Isoko is right. Those people probably did go all-in on the attack, and then doubled and tripled down even when they realized they should have backed off.
MarkC (Today:9:47AM): Well that’s fucking disappointing. How the fuck did they ever get to that point! I still don’t get it. Of all the things I don’t get about all this shit, that’s the most ‘I don’t get it’ part.
- -
Mark continued to talk to Eliot and Isoko for a while, and it was good. This was nice. This was great, actually. Eventually Eliot had to go into his meeting, though, so he dropped off, and Isoko said she needed to get back to Healing training, and if she could ask Mark questions about Union some time. Mark happily agreed.
When Isoko dropped out of active, Mark smiled a bit, laying there on his bed.
He had real, new friends.
He called up Sally, but she didn’t answer.
Mark ended up writing her an email on his new laptop about what he was going to do with his life, and if she was interested in being there with him, making a new settlement, wherever that might be, and whatever form that might take. It was an open-ended letter, because the question was open-ended. And then he sent it.
Mark went back downstairs to find Uncle Gabriel on a video conference call, so Mark backed away and—
“Oh, hold on,” Gabriel said, as he pressed a button on his laptop. “Yeah, Mark?”
“Love the new stuff! Thank you so much.” Mark got right into it, saying, “I want to talk to someone about the bandit stuff that happened to me. I need to know…” Mark wasn’t even sure he felt so strongly about needing to know, or what he needed to know, exactly, but he did. At the same time, he doubted he would find any sort of satisfactory answer. “I need to know why.”
Gabriel took a moment, then he said, “Okay.” And then he grabbed a slip of paper at his side and held it out. “Here. Some phone numbers of who to call.”
He had already expected that question and concern— Oh wait!
He had a Knack for Knowing People, or whatever it was.
Mark paused, smiled, and then he took the list. A quick glance showed him names like Mayor Emilia Ramirez, whom Mark knew he needed to speak with anyway, eventually, and Inquisitor Layfair, whom David had messaged him about as being ‘on the case’ with the ‘bandits’. There was a number for Inquisitor Willow, too, who was closer to Mark just by virtue of being Alexandro’s assigned Inquisitor, so Mark decided to go that direction, first. Gabriel had listed her personal number, and also the number of her ‘office’ here, which was kinda weird to think about.
Willow and her husband lived on the property, along with a pair of other people that Mark had heard about last night, but not met at all. They all lived on the other side of the house, actually. They were probably gone for the day, but if Mark called that ‘office’ number he’d probably get one of the paladins...
Over in that direction, actually. Maybe a hundred meters away, or less.
Mark said, “Thanks, Uncle Gabriel.”
Gabriel grinned. “Just call me Gabriel. And you’re very welcome. We’re glad to have you here, Mark.”
Mark felt warm again. “Glad to be here for at least… a month? Eliot is doing a lot right now. The expedition isn’t taking off for a while.”
Gabriel lit up. He got up and hugged Mark, saying, “Good! I love it! Alex is going to be thrilled, too!”
Mark hugged Gabriel back, and felt even better. “Thank you.”
Gabriel hugged him tight for a moment, then pulled away, saying, “I think Wendy is in the house today, over there. I gotta get back to work.”
Mark said, “Right! Uh— Thanks again.”
Mark skedaddled and Gabriel got right back to his conference call, apologizing for the interruption. That was all Mark heard before he was already up and away.
… He walked over to the other side of the house.
It was a surreal experience.
There was a door and Mark knocked on the door.
Mark heard some woman’s voice saying something, and then the House AI, Bert, chimed, and said something in turn. Two moments later the door opened.
A woman stood there, a little shorter than Mark. She wore a tank top and booty shorts, and she had wavy, brown hair, and a book in her hand. She was barefoot.
She easily said, “Hey, Mark. Nice to meet you. I’m Wendy.” Wendy held out her empty hand.
Mark reflexively shook Wendy’s hand, saying, “Nice to meet you, too.” He let go.
It was weird to see her in her underwear, right?
“What’s up?” Wendy asked.
“I want to know about the investigation with the… ‘bandits’, I guess? Are you, uh, a person to talk to about that?”
“Not at all, but Willow told me to help you out if you should ask. You need to go to the Collective Temple in Memphi. They’d probably want you to file a personal complaint or offload the case to the local police, since there’s not much actionable to your case. Bert can upload the directions to your phone. I am a hermit and a Hearthswellian and today is my day off, so I’m staying here. If you want an escort into the city some other day, I can accommodate that need some other day.”
“Oh! Okay. Uh. Thank you.”
“Do you have a hover license?”
“Not at all. I have a regular car license.”
“Head on down to the garage in the basement and take any plain-looking car. Bert can help sort that out.”
Mark paused. “Are there trams in Memphi?”
“Yeah. You could take the car to the tram, or you could walk down there. It’s a 20 minute walk. The car is faster in every possible way, otherwise you’re gonna be an hour and a half getting to Collective Temple. The car will take you 30 minutes.”
Mark kinda wanted to walk and take the tram. But… “Can I metal walk? Or are Power displays forbidden here?”
“… They let you shapewalk around Citadel?”
“Er… No?” Mark didn’t want to get into how he had only started ‘shapewalking’, like, yesterday. “Shapewalking is fun and I wanted to know if I could still do that around here…” Mark felt the need to get out of this conversation. “Just… Never mind.”
Wendy said, “No big Power displays anywhere inside city walls. Shapewalking is among those prohibited. Go take a car! It’ll be faster. Nice meeting you.”
She shut the door.
Mark stood there for a moment...
And then he got going. Briefly he looked in on Gabriel but he was still in his conference call, so Mark went downstairs to the garage and was kinda stunned with the options.
There were spaces for three hovercars, but only two were in the garage, while there were four regular cars sitting on the other side of the place. Mark picked out the cheapest looking ground vehicle and, thanks to Bert, he found the keys locked in a box to the side. Bert opened the box for him, and then Mark got into a car.
It was a plain four-seater, but it was nice. Powder blue, same sort of interior, white accents. It was comfortable.
As he sat down in the driver’s seat he put his phone in a slot on the dash. Quark lit up and prepared to give directions, but Mark wondered about the old truck, in Orange City. That got him wondering about the boat, then about Trace and Devon and their families. He thought about the rugby team, about Adam, Voshon, Cody.
He had left behind so many people.
Mark imagined that he had seen many of those people for the last time, and he had never realized, at the time, that it was the last time he would ever see those people. People simply went away... or maybe Mark went away. Nothing was the same. Everything was always changing.
And here he was, sitting in a really nice, plain sort of car, that was one of several owned by his Uncle. This was a part of his family that Mark just… Never knew.
It all felt so strange.
Mark pressed the button to turn on the car, and then the garage door opened, leading out to a long driveway between large trees. Mark drove down the long driveway, to a gate that opened automatically, and onto the main street of Shady Acres, with Quark giving directions on his phone.