“What do you mean it was intentional?”
“Look Alex, I'm sorry. I thought you'd be to far away to get caught up-”
“You've never lied to me before, Captain.”
“Till…”
The Captain let out a long sigh before continuing.
“You're right. I knew the decision would impact you, and everyone else in the Faction. I… I did it anyway.”
“Why?”
“Because… because we're the strongest Faction on Earth, with the addition of you and the dragon, and you clearing that Dungeon and the Strip. Alex you have a right to know, we have a massive target on our backs now. Plus, other Factions from other Earths can challenge us now. I can only ignore so many before the System punishes us.”
“I get that, kind of, but it's above my pay grade, what I don't get is why that led to a Faction tax.”
“Everything the Faction has paid for has been my Credits. The coffers were empty. The option was there, the option to be better prepared, better armed, better everything. If you'd been here you would've known, but I couldn't contact you. Now… now we can talk about decisions like this. You are my Second. Alex, I'm sorry about the money.”
“I don't care about the money.” Alex paused and shifted slightly on the ground. “I do, but not as much as I probably should. I had more of it than most because of where… that doesn't matter. It was just a surprise. I don't like surprises.”
“I remember.”
“Other than the obvious, what does a Multiversal Communication Array do?”
“Other than allow for instant communication across the entire Multiverse?”
“Yes. Wait, the entire Multiverse?”
“As long as there is an MCA where you're contacting, which most Integrated Earths will have, then yes.”
“That could be useful, but for the Faction's immediate needs, how does it help?”
“Put simply. Alliances. We have something a lot of groups want, Lost Vegas, or more accurately, a Dungeon that can be Sponsored, which is regenerated by the System and has an Information Broker at the end. An Information Broker that is part of a Multiversal Hivemind-”
“Shellmind.”
“Yes. Factions would kill for that. Or, they'll offer a lot to ally with us for regular access to that. Last Vegas just became one of the hottest attractions in the Multiverse.”
“The Church of Morris…”
“I was going to ask you about the former Sponsor, they pulled out as soon as you cleared it, but they've applied for Sponsorship rights since.”
“No!”
“Till…”
“Don't trust the Church.”
“I've listened to those words for as long as I can remember Alex. No reason to stop now.”
“They're a front for… a group of, anyway, just, I… don't speak to them.”
“Understood. Anyone else we should avoid?”
“The Onix Trono.”
“Done. Anyone we should look for?”
“The Coricancha, that's my Pantheon. Any of my Sponsors.”
“Done and done. Now, other than the money situation, is everything ok?”
Alex got to his knees, then pushed himself up before looking down at his body and dry retching.
“Alex?”
“Mmmm.”
Alex half ran, half stumbled to the river and dove in, instantly turning the water multiple different colours as blood, pus and skin were washed away.
“Alex?”
“Yes. I had a radiation moment and my body was really fucked up.”
“Radiation moment?”
“Yea, if you, or one of the Faction, comes up against a Titanic Warbringer, just run the fuck away.”
“Noted. Radiation… that's unexpected.”
“Agreed.”
“And we're floating.”
Alex looked over when he heard the professor's voice, she was floating along the river bank as he was pulled through the river. Smiling he gave her a little wave then dived under to clean his hair. Then he pulled his regenerated clothing, minus a tshirt into his Inventory, stuck a hand out and received soap and proceeded to get clean while the Captain updated him on all the boring Faction details. Who died, who joined, who was a traitor.
“That's basically it. Thanks Alex, I can't really talk about this with anyone else, so it's good to have someone to plan with.”
“Oh, any time Captain.”
With that the call ended and Alex was left floating naked down the Colorado.
“You didn't listen to any of that did you?”
“Was it obvious?”
“No. Well, not to the Captain. That isn't an insult to him, but he doesn't know you that well.”
“Hey!”
“Yes?”
“That's probably fair.”
“Probably… you just had a bath instead of listening as your Faction Leader told you about how multiple Factions had attempted to infiltrate the Clark County Resistance and how they needed to be executed.”
“Executed?”
“Yes, Till.”
“Go Captain.”
“Till… the Trono will do anything to stop you. They've even had one of their own stripped of her Divinity, do you really think they're above destroying the Resistance just to make a point?”
“And?”
“Till! You need to pay attention to what's going on. It may save you one day. Save us. You can't be that walled off, depressed man you were before. I'm sorry, I really am, but you need to get it together. If you don't then a lot, and I mean a lot, of people are going to die. Starting with the Resistance.”
Alex looked down into the water then closed his eyes.
“You're right. I guess I hadn't thought about how far this spreads. The Trono don't just want me dead, they don't just want this Earth, they want the Multiverse and they'll burn it all down to get what they want.”
“You're in their way, if killing you is hard, which thankfully you've proven that it is, then they'll do whatever they can to make that easier. Maddy. Ben, me, the Resistance, whatever it takes. They'll do it, they'll break you to make it easier.”
Alex felt his Inner Fire react and saw the flames behind his eyes reflected in the water.
“They won't.”
Steam billowed off the surface of the Colorado as Alex emerged, dry, from the water.
“Time to fight?”
Alex looked at the professor as his clothes appeared.
“Time to destroy a Pantheon.”
Then the professor burst out laughing.
“Professor?”
“Sorry, sorry. It's been a while since you went full Batman.”
“Full Batman?”
“Time to destroy a Pantheon. I'm very scary,” said the professor in a poor imitation of Alex’s voice.
“I was trying to… forget it.”
“No, Till, come on. I'm sorry. Jason would've been proud.”
“Who?”
“Oh, Jason? He's, I forget that you don't read books-”
“I read!”
“About this stuff. Jason is, how do you describe him? Jason is the God of Chūnibyō's and Dark Broody Statements.”
“Nope.”
“What do you mean? Till?”
The professor sped up to match Alex's pace as he marched off in the direction of the next Outpost.
“Till?”
“None of that made sense.”
“It's from a book series about a situation like this.”
“So it wasn't real?”
“That's the issue I've been having. Technically no, but what if it is? The Multiverse is made up of a near infinite number of Earth's, there is nothing to say that the books I read aren't real.”
“Or, they're just made up.”
“Or that. But what if they were real? What if…?”
Alex just shook his head and sped up.
“We wasted too much time with the Warbringer.”
With that Alex started to run, keeping as close to the river as possible while trusting the professor and the System to tell him when they arrived.
“Till, there's something…”
“Helpful.”
“This is different. I've never seen anything like it.”
Alex stopped and looked around, trying to find what had thrown the professor off.
“I don't feel-”
Looking down Alex saw his new Bracer surge with an inner light which was matched by a feeling from his Inventory.
“Do you feel that, professor?”
“It's the staff, nothing should be able to… it's in your Inventory.”
“Viracocha?”
The light from his Bracer brightened momentarily while the feeling coming from his Inventory intensified.
“Guess that settles it, dad… Viracocha needs us to do som-.”
Bonus Ongoing Quest - Part 1
Alex, the Pachakama Multiversal Nexus faces a dire threat across the entirety of your planet from Kyrn Rat Invaders. Eliminate the local infestation of rats and restore harmony using Kawsay Pacha (Cosmos), my Staff.
Engage and eliminate the Kyrn Rat Invaders.
Stabilise the Nexus - Use Kawsay Pacha (Cosmos) to restore cosmic balance within this section of the local Nexus.
Time Remaining - 0:11:59
Rewards:
Success grants a Blessing from Viracocha.
This Quest works in conjunction with any other Kyrn Rat Quest. Any items looted with the Nexus will be retained when returning to Earth 0.
“Alex, complete this quest as my Champion. Rid the Matrix of Kyrn Rats, the Agents of the Trono, but most of all, restore harmony to my Creation.”
“Viracocha?”
“There is… no time. Restore…”
“Viracocha!?”
“Matrix… breaches… weaken… me…furth-”
The voice of Viracocha broke off like the power had been cut.
“Did that just happen?”
“Yes.”
“Viracocha just hijacked the System, created a Quest, one that doesn't match previous Quests, then contacted us directly.”
“Viracocha's power, albeit greatly diminished, is considerable.”
“No wonder the Trono want to get their grubby hands on his gear.”
“Grubby hands?”
“You know, because they're pricks.”
“You have an entire Multiverse to draw from and you chose ‘grubby hands’ and ‘pricks’. Till, you can do better.”
“You're trying to improve my vocabulary? Now?”
“It is never the wrong time to improve your vocabulary.”
Alex started walking then stopped and spun back to the professor.
“It was you!”
“Excuse me?”
“The Christmas before the… incident, I was given a thesaurus and Maddy got an Incan brooch.”
Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.
The professor stifled a chuckle and then tried to look serious.
“I don't know what you're-”
“Professor.”
“Fine. Maddy and I thought it would be funny. Honestly, I thought you knew.”
“Nope. Maddy knew?”
“Of course. We bought them together.”
“Really? I didn't know you went shopping together.”
“Whenever we were going on a Dig, or I was, we'd get some shopping in.”
“Where was I?”
The professor shrugged and looked out over the river.
“Probably with Ben. I don't know. Maddy didn't really have anyone, other than you and Ben obviously, and I didn't socialise with the faculty staff. Like I said, I thought you knew. It wasn't a secret.”
“I'm glad. I always knew that she was a little isolated, she just couldn't be bothered with any of the other students.”
The professor laughed again.
“Maddy didn't suffer fools.”
“She definitely didn’t.”
Alex smiled and looked around.
“Who knows why she tolerated Ben.”
“I asked her once, apparently he balanced me out, or maybe it was the other way round.”
The professor tilted her head to the side and looked off into the distance.
“That makes sense. Before… he was always more difficult when you weren't around and you-”
The professor broke off and seemed to be struggling to find the right words.
“You can say it.”
“He sanded off some of your rough edges.”
“Maddy said the same thing. Best mates help in their own ways.”
“So, seeing Other Ben in the Dungeon.”
Alex's face split into a massive smile.
“I almost feel like I have my mate back. It'll be different, but… good.”
“Good? That's what you came up with. Till… I give up.”
“Anyway, let's clear the Nexus, get some Crowns, stabilise it and keep pushing on.”
Would you like to enter Pachakama Multiversal Nexus - Operations Control Hub 17.455
Yes/No
The world dissolved around them then reformed piece by piece. They were standing in a rock chamber that had one exit.
“Faster than a Bethesda loading screen.”
“What?”
“Nothing, Till. There are 4 Multiverse Tears ahead.”
Pulling up his Map Alex could see they were in the entry area for the Hub, a small square chamber with a passage that ran to a larger stone chamber. As he studied the Map four red slashes appeared around the outside of the large chamber.
The professor released a pulse, the light flowed down the passage and disappeared.
Engage and eliminate the Kyrn Rat Invaders.
0/217
Stabilise the Nexus - Use Kawsay Pacha (Cosmos) to restore cosmic harmony within this section of the local Nexus.
0%
Bonus Quest: Collect 11 Lesser King Crowns, 17 Sub-Monarch Circlets and 3 High King Crowns
3/11
1/17
1/3
Rewards: Earth 39 Portal Device
Further rewards depending on completion
“This is going to be interesting. 217 Rats. Any suggestions?”
“Burn them all?”
“That doesn't… actually, I like your plan. Can I damage the Nexus?”
Help Unavailable
“You can damage the Nexus, but it will regenerate, on one condition.”
“Which is?”
“All the Kyrn Rats need to be dead before you completely destroy it. As long as the Nexus is clear of intruders it will regenerate.”
“Am I considered an intruder?”
“Is the Chosen of Viracocha considered an intruder in one of his Operations Control Hubs?”
“Yes?”
“No.”
Alex withdrew his axe and considered his options.
“I think I'll make this easy.”
“How so?”
“Pull everything in then kill them all.”
“How do you plan to do that?”
“Throw, jump, burn.”
The professor pulled out her chair and sat down then waved a hand in the direction of the Rats. With a nod Alex looked down the passage, opened his Map again and saw that the professor had added the Rats. There was one that was larger, several that had slightly smaller dots, a handful that were smaller again then a lot of very small dots.
“Looks like 1 High King, 4 Sub-Monarchs, 7 Lesser Kings, then 205 basic Rats and Guards.”
Looking over he saw the professor miming someone speaking with a hand, then her falling asleep from boredom. With a laugh he walked into the passage, bouncing the Volcanic Axe in his hand.
Before he emerged into the large stone chamber Alex casually threw the axe into the air, it spun, almost lazily until it landed, blade first, in the stone ground. Instantly the Rats reacted, turning as one to see what had landed before moving enmasse to assault the weapon that was slowly pumping fire onto the ground.
“Ember Walk.”
Alex appeared in the fire and extended his right hand while clenching his left fist, the axe returned to his hand. Then he looked up, burning eyes taking into the Rats bearing down on him.
“You will all burn.”
“Very edgy! That's on brand though, keep it up.”
The professor's voice came from down the passage distracting Alex for just a moment.
“Volcanic Fury, Blazing Fury, Flame Manipulation and Volcanic Eruption.”
Alex smiled as the Buffs and Abilities took effect, the heat in the chamber skyrocketed leaving him feeling fine but the Rats instantly started taking damage. That was exacerbated when Smouldering Embers increased damage taken and reduced fire resistance. The minor Rats and Guards were wrapped in fiery chains that dragged them closer, pulling them through the waves of fire and lava. With an open mouthed smile Alex locked eyes with the High King who was attempting to control the battle. With his mouth open small tendrils of fire seemed to flicker over his tongue and lips.
“Till… keep the fire under control.”
“BURN!”
“This isn't go-”
“Flame Whirlwind!”
Alex spun, the confined space meant that any fire that escaped, just like any Rat that tried to run was pulled back in due to a combination of chains, the manipulation of fire and the terrible whirlwind of fire that he was creating.
“Till…”
The Stone around him that the chamber was formed from was melting due to the concentrated heat.
“Till!”
Alex was past rational thought, he was part of the fire and it was part of him. Viracocha needed the room cleared and he would burn everything to clear it. His God needed it, needed his devotion.
“No.”
Alex paused, that voice, it wasn't the professor. Shaking his head he continued his purge.
“Never devotion, Alex. Don't lose yourself to me or the flames.”
The voice again, echoing inside his head.
“Professor, was that you?”
“No? Are you back?”
“Yes. Viracocha pulled me back from the edge.”
“You were over the edge Alex, there were flames coming out of your mouth. It was very Hinokami Kagura.”
“Very what?”
The professor pinched the bridge of her nose.
“Why is it that Ben is the only one who would've got that? Why did Maddy only get you to watch Attack on Titan?”
“It's from another anime? Which one?”
“Demon Slayer.”
“Oh, the sword guy?”
“The. Sword. Guy.”
The professor started walking away leaving Alex with a growing grin.
“Wait. Sorry professor. I've seen it, I was just messing around.”
The professor let out an angry noise then came back.
“They're all dead?”
“Yes. I don't really know what happened at the end there but there was a lot of fire.”
“The chamber was melting and you were laughing in the middle of it. Then you started talking. Viracocha?”
Alex nodded.
“Then you slowed down and the flames flowed back into you and you just stood there without moving, except for nodding slowly.
“Viracocha told me that he wouldn't accept my devotion and that I can't lose myself to him or the fire. I was so far gone I would've done either to get more powerful in that moment. He pulled me back.”
“That was all it took?”
“I guess.”
Alex looked around, taking in the complete chaos.
“Wow, stone looks weird when it melts.”
“That's where we're looking? Sure. It does… you know what else looks weird when it melts?”
“What?”
“217 Kyrn Rats.”
Alex looked down and nodded slowly.
“Agreed. Dry rat soup.”
Alex crouched and ran the tip of one finger through the oily black sludge.
Alex Till lands Killing Blows on:
Kyrn Rat Warrior (Level 83) x140
Kyrn Royal Guard (Level 88 Elite) x65
Kyrn Sub-Monarchs; Ryklor, Ryznar, Ryndor, Rylzar (Level 92 Elite)
Kyrn Lesser Kings; Rylkar, Rylkav, Ryzgar, Ruldan, Rytgar, Rynkav, Ryndur (Level 94 Elite)
Kryn High King Rytkar (Level 99 Elite) x1
439,897 experience gained.
Do you want to loot 1x High King, 4x Sub-Monarchs, 7x Lesser Kings, and 140x Rat Warriors and 65x Kryn Royal Guard
Yes/No
Loot Received
1x High King Crown
4x Sub-Monarch Circlets
7x Lesser King Crowns
1x S-Grade Credit
1x Ability Token (Locked to Pantheon)
Bonus Quest: Collect 11 Lesser King Crowns, 17 Sub-Monarch Circlets and 3 High King Crowns
10/11
5/17
2/3
Rewards: Earth 39 Portal Device
Further rewards depending on completion
“That Quest is coming along. I don't know how useful the Portal Device will be except for committing Raticide.”
“Raticide?”
“Killing all the Kryn Rats.”
The professor just nodded slowly.
“That Ability Token should be interesting, especially with Viracocha's… unexpected level of involvement.”
“Agreed. Let's finish up here and use it before we leave.”
Alex withdrew Kawsay Pacha (Cosmos) from his Inventory, ignored the reminder and looked at it.
“Till?”
“Yeah?”
“Are you going to put the Staff on the stand?”
Alex looked up, then around to where the professor was standing, walked over then looked down at the slot in the ground.
“How was I supposed to know about this?”
“It's on your Map.”
Alex pulled the Map open and zoomed in, sure enough there was a small button that, when pushed, showed Viracocha slotting the Staff into place.
“Right. Always read the Quest and check all the info.”
Alex slotted the Staff into place, then tried to pull away as the Bracer lit up then jerked his hand up to grip the Staff.
You are in a zone enriched with Kawsay (Life Energy)
This zone is regenerating
You cannot leave until the regeneration is complete
Engage and eliminate the Kyrn Rat Invaders.
217/217
Stabilise the Nexus - Use Kawsay Pacha (Cosmos) to restore cosmic harmony within this section of the local Nexus.
38%
“This isn't overly comfortable.”
“We can't do anything about that right now, so it could be a good time to activate the Token.”
Alex shrugged, a motion made far more difficult with one hand firmly stuck to the Staff. Withdrawing the Token he looked down.
Ability Token (Locked to Pantheon)
Activate Token
Yes/No
Select One Ability from the following list
Cosmic Alchemy - Embrace Viracocha's cosmic wisdom to transmute the elements. This ability enhances your crafting skills, allowing you to forge celestial artefacts infused with cosmic energy, granting unique properties or powers that resonate with the cosmic balance.
Ethereal Resonance - Attune yourself to the cosmic flow, granting insight into the Harmony of Creation. This ability provides occasional bursts of inspiration, heightening your perception and granting brief insights into enemy weaknesses or environmental interactions.
Eternal Equilibrium - Embody Viracocha's cosmic harmony, attuning yourself to the harmonious forces of creation. This passive ability grants a continuous aura of celestial balance, providing subtle enhancements to your cosmic abilities, ensuring they remain in harmony with the cosmic weave.
Inti's Radiance (Sun God Inti) - Channel the radiant power of Inti, the Sun God, to periodically unleash a blinding burst of solar energy. This Ability bathes enemies in intense sunlight, temporarily disorienting them and reducing their accuracy in combat.
Pachamama's Blessing (Earth Goddess Pachamama) - Call upon Pachamama's nurturing essence to restore vitality. This ability rejuvenates your health over time, drawing upon the earth's energies to heal wounds and provide resilience in battle.
Viracocha's Arcana - Harness the mystic arcana of Viracocha, manipulating the threads of cosmic harmony. This ability briefly distorts reality, granting you a moment of enhanced perception, allowing for precise prediction of enemy movements or abilities and the time to act before your opponents
Mama Qucha's Serenity - Embrace Mama Qucha's tranquillity to calm turbulent energies. This Ability grants a brief immunity to status ailments or disruptions caused by external forces, allowing for serene focus and uninterrupted action.
Kon's Cyclone (Wind God Kon) - Invoke the tempestuous power of Kon, the Wind God, to summon a powerful cyclone. This ability unleashes a swirling vortex that disorients and pushes back enemies, creating a brief window for strategic positioning or tactical advantage.
“That makes things harder.”
“Why?”
“Most of them sound good.”
“Want to go through them?”
Alex looked at his hand and the Staff, then checked the Quest.
Stabilise the Nexus - Use Kawsay Pacha (Cosmos) to restore cosmic harmony within this section of the local Nexus.
89%
“Cosmic Alch-”
“No.”
“Just no?”
“Let's speed this up. I'm only considering Resonance, Blessing and Arcana.”
“That cuts it down. Why Resonance?”
“Info on weaknesses. Usually I burn things till they die. Burning things in weak areas so they die faster sounds good, less fun, but I'll be more efficient.”
The professor nodded slowly then looked off to the side slightly then swiped at something Alex couldn’t see.
“Blessing?”
“A heal. That's really it. A heal would help a lot.”
The professor swiped again.
“Arcana?”
“Similar reason to Resonance. If I'm honest, Blessing edges both, but Arcana would give me the ability to act with foresight which would, depending on the cooldown, avoid the need for healing.”
“You have gotten by for this long without a heal.”
Alex nodded slowly and looked back at the list.
“What do you think?”
“Those 3 sound like your best options, at least when it comes to your current situation. I'm sure one will be something you need in another 50 or 100 levels, but right now… Blessing seems like the right option.”
“Speaking of levels, should I wait for the Staff to,” he waved his hand around, “finish, then lock in this Ability then accept the level ups? Or…”
The professor looked at the Staff then off to the side again.
“Ability, Staff, levels.”
“System, lock in Pachamama's Blessing.”
Pachamama's Blessing Chosen
Select
Yes/No
“Yes.”
Pachamama's Bles-
Error
System Override
Remote Access Granted
Viracocha Selects Eternal Equilibrium
Remote Access Ends
“What the fuck just happened?”
“Till?”
“Viracocha took control of the System and chose Eternal Equilibrium. What…?”
“Till, it's Viracocha, he must have a reason, just-”
Bonus Ongoing Quest - Part 1 Completed.
Engage and eliminate the Kyrn Rat Invaders.
217/217
Stabilise the Nexus - Use Kawsay Pacha (Cosmos) to restore cosmic balance within this section of the local Nexus.
100%
Rewards:
Success grants a Blessing from Viracocha.
Quest Rewards:
Viracocha Blessing Token
Message from Viracocha
83,000 Experience
“See, a message. That'll explain what he did, and why”
“It better. That Ability wasn't on my radar at all.”
Alex removed his hand from the Staff and stored it in his Inventory then watched the next round of messages.
Level Up
Level Up
Level Up
You are now level 63
Name: Alex Till
Level: 63
Strength: 362
Inner Fire: 238
Constitution: 208
“Only good thing here is that the info spam has reduced even further. It only shows my new level, and my added Attribute Points.”
Viracocha Blessing Token
Activate
Yes/No
Alex chose ‘Yes’ and waited, and waited.
“Till, he gave me the Blessing.”
“I guess that makes sense, what was it?”
Harmonious Intuition - Permanent Blessing of Viracocha
You are attuned to the cosmic flow of the Multiverse allowing you to see the Harmony of Creation
Access Points to the Pachakama Multiversal Nexus are now visible and will be added to the Map
“So, he won't be giving us a new Quest each time we get close to an Invaded Hub.”
“Looks that way. The message?”
Access Message from Viracocha
Yes/No
“Yes.”
Alex,
I sense your disquiet after my intervention in altering your Ability choice. Understand, Eternal Equilibrium is not merely an option; it is the linchpin for your progression. Devoid of it, the survival of your Earth hangs by a delicate llipi. This prospect, I am certain, would torment you deeply. The scars of lost Earths remain etched within me, regardless of the unrelenting march of time. The continued disharmony within the Onix Trono has drained me, disturbing the very essence of the Harmony of Creation.
Time eludes me. Though not vital to the Multiverse, my presence holds significance... no matter. You must upgrade your Class before descending into the UnderVerse. Be vigilant, once here the Onix Trono can target you directly. Varkarakos possesses the capability to end you once more, irrevocably this time. Repair the fracturing Pachakama Multiversal Nexus. To aid your growth I can amplify your Experience gains within the Operations Control Hubs, yet be warned, your fellow Adventurers within these domains shall share in this enhancement.
My captors approach. Ascend swiftly to level 100 and upgrade your Class.
Viracocha.
“At least you know he had a reason.”
“Avoiding the survival of Earth is a better reason than I was expecting.”
“He’s a God, it wasn’t going to be a trivial reason.”
“I guess. He could’ve just said something.”
“Would you have still chosen Blessing?”
“No…”
“Till?”
“Probably.”
“Exactly. It was better this way. Better than him telling you what to choose, then you still getting Blessing, then being told you had ensured the destruction of Earth.”
“Bloody hell, no pressure.”
“Nothing you can do to change it so let’s go and save the world.”
Alex looked around, then up at the sky.
“Till, everything ok?”
“Yeah. I expected trumpets or something similar. Or at least an attack.”
“Why?”
Alex shrugged.
“Seemed logical.”
“Trumpets… out here? System, is it too late to request a Companion Reassignment?”
“Rud-”
Request Denied
“I didn’t actually expect a response.”
“What if that had been approved?”
“I’m sure I would’ve been asked to confirm. Till? Where are you going? Till? I didn’t mean it. Till. You realise I’m gliding, right? I can keep up with you. What are you doing? Till, don’t throw… don’t use Ember Wa-”