M.E.S.S.y Discussions

”If it’s not obvious enough, I’m Jam, the head of the R.A.M. Department. I’m also a retired member of the Order of the Void, so most of their technologies stemmed from my creations.”

“Retired?” Frein asked.

“You get tired of the Nightmare after a while, Visitor. I served under the Order for two centuries. I earned my retirement, but I’m not out of shape. So I spent my days here on Atlas Sid, trying to help with my inventions.”

“That reminds me,” Frein began while they walked through a narrow path, heading into the M.E.S.S. proper. “Your middle name is Atlas. In fact, you’re the only person I’ve met so far who has a middle name.”

“It’s my title. Jaylene ‘Atlas’ Morphinnel. I’m also the current owner of the Atlas Sid.”

Frein stopped abruptly, almost bumping on the two ladies behind him. “Not Admiral Garm?”

“He’s in-charge of operating it, but it is officially under my name. I’m serious about him retiring, but he’s still spry enough to be stubborn. I’ll force him down after a decade.”

They finally reached a threshold. A pair of large doors with a panel in front of it. The doors looked imposing. A quick scan with Mesiffera told Frein of its security measures. It looked awfully alive, akin to the doors of the Keeper’s Isolation.

He wondered…

“Did you make the Keeper’s Isolation, Jam?” he asked while the felintine manipulated the security panel.

She stopped, surprised that he also knew of that place. “I studied it. Have you been there?”

Frein contemplated for a while, using his Siffera to speed up his thoughts. He wasn’t sure how much information he wanted to share. By the looks of it, Jaylene was simply highly perceptive like he was due to her vast experience, and not because she was Blessed by Heart’s Will. As far as he knew, no one person could be Blessed twice.

Ultimately, he admitted that this felintine was an important person, and that gaining her favor would be an advantage for him and his purpose. Besides, Su’karix didn’t make him swear to secrecy anyway.

“For a while,” he said finally. “I was integrating with a meiyal-charged material. The next thing I knew I was in the Keeper’s Isolation.”

Jaylene resumed operating on the panel. “I thought Su’karix would be more subtle. I guess she would’ve probably given you some special treatment, since you’re the Visitor.”

“You knew about Su’karix?”

“One of my materials is called the Thousand-Year Storm Scale. I also met her when I integrated with it.”

“Oh, fancy that.”

“Yeah,” Jaylene smiled. She finished operating the panel, finally. Not that it was a complex series of security checks. As far as Frein could tell, the felintine simply loved taking her time.

“You know it feels a little weird,” she said. “Saying these things and receiving no challenges, I mean.”

“Why?” Frein asked.

The door behind Jaylene opened, revealing a series of interesting things spread throughout the entire room. She looked at him with an appreciative smile.

“Normal people find it hard to believe when you tell them about these things,” she replied before ushering them inside.

“Despite how important you are?” Frein turned to Kristel, implying his question in front of a government official.

“Oh, don’t take it the wrong way, Visitor,” Jaylene quickly intervened. “I don’t have any issue with Irista Nation. They technically believe my claims. I wouldn’t be here if they didn’t. And thank you. I’m not used to being called important either.”

“Well you are. And I’m surprised no one’s called you that, being ageless and all.”

“I’m just one person, Frein. Even if I live a long life, I can’t make a lot of difference.” She turned to an exhibit on her right. It was arranged like an altar of sorts with a label, ‘Prototype: M.O.B.I.L.E.’. She eyed them like a doting mother hiding her disappointment.

“These things never worked outside of our safe zones. The Nightmare disrupts its very core, let alone the signals in the atmosphere. I couldn’t make it work, so it became useless to the Order of the Void outside of novelty or entertainment.

“They turned it to T.E.A., Tour Expert Assistant. As if people frequented their Sanctums. It’s hilarious.” Jaylene tried to laugh it off, but she failed to hide her sarcasm from Frein.

“I think we can help with that,” he began, turning to Katherine.

“I meant to show this to you before I went away, Jam.” Katherine pulled Sam out of her pocket. “Sorry it took me so long.”

Jaylene carefully held it with both hands. “This is?”

“Hello, Jam,” said the sentient M.O.B.I.L.E. “I’m Sa—woah!”

The way Sam suddenly spoke caught Jaylene off guard, with her almost dropping the device out of shock. Her quick reaction, empowered by Siffera, allowed her to recover the M.O.B.I.L.E.

“I’m sorry! You’re speaking!”

Sam cleared his nonexistent throat. “Yes, I’m S.A.M. Sentient Assistant M.O.B.I.L.E. Pleased to meet you, mother.”

“Mother?”

“Technically you created me. Admittedly, I formed this consciousness thanks to Katherine over there—nice woman, but a little depraved. I mean, she’s really strong and smart and nice—please don’t disassemble me. However! Technically speaking, I came out of your imagination, innovation, genius, awesomeness, creativeness, and determination, Mom.”

Jaylene raised her eyebrows and slowly turned to Katherine. “It’s not a recording, is it?”

The Lady shook her head.

Sam’s internal meiyal whirled. “I can pre-record stuff, if you want. But the one I said before, and this one, and the one after this one, they’re not recordings.”

“Can I keep him?”

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“We tried passing ownership before,” Katherine began, gesturing over to Frein. “But we can’t. Sam can only utilize my meiyal, but until he runs out, you can borrow him and study him.”

“That’s enough for me.”

“I would also like some upgrades, Mom. If you have them?”

“What do you have in mind?”

Sam hummed while he pondered. “Meiyal efficiency? Maybe you can replicate an Exhibit internally in my system? How about some hidden weaponry? Like concentrated meiyal beams or something.”

The felintine nodded. Frein noticed she didn’t refute any of those requests.

“I wonder if we can replicate you,” she added.

“I prefer to be unique, but if that’s what mother wants. Also, this is a bit late to ask, but I’m not offending you by calling you mother, am I?”

“I can’t argue with your logic, so I accept the name. Just avoid calling me that in public.”

“I don’t show up in public.”

“We’re trying to keep it a secret,” Katherine added. “We think it’s best for you to study it first, and we don’t want any unnecessary information leaking out.”

“What do you mean?”

“We might have some problems,” Kristel replied this time. “Internally.”

“Oh.” Jaylene nodded. “Okay. If it’s okay, I’ll keep him in my private study for a while and call for you, Kat, when he runs out of meiyal. Frein calls you Kat, right?”

“Sure,” Katherine replied, “Wait, when did you—”

“The C.A.R. has a security surveillance, Kat,” Jaylene replied. “But don’t worry, I was the one on duty. I turned off the recordings.”

Frein caught the Lady of the Void using her Heart’s Will. She tried to be subtle about it, but frankly, the situation prompted her move as naturally as goading a yuma with treats.

The felintine sighed. “Would I ever lie to you?”

“So that’s why you were staring at me?”

“I thought it was your nose?” Frein asked.

“To confirm, yes,” Jaylene replied to him first. “Out of respect, I turned the surveillance off the moment I saw the signs.”

Kristel breathed in relief. “We should really get better control of ourselves.”

Jaylene shrugged. “That’s true for you,” she said, pointing at the Princess before nodding towards Frein and Katherine. “These two have different circumstances.”

The felintine frowned and turned back to Sam. “You’re suddenly awfully quiet.”

“I’ve been given strict rules against joining in this type of conversation. Not that I have nothing to say on the subject matter, but frankly, I possess too many secrets about the relationship of these two, so I advise against prodding too much. Satiate your curiosity elsewhere, Mother.”

“Oh, so you do respond when prompted.” Jaylene mused, observing the sentient M.O.B.I.L.E. “Shame. I would’ve wanted to transfer some confidential files.”

“Please don’t,” Katherine pleaded.

“I won’t. Pretty sure Sam won’t let me anyway. I know what I’m supposed to do.”

The conversation reminded Frein of something he had wanted to resolve for the longest time.

“Jam, actually, I do have a request,” he started. “I think if someone were to figure it out, it would be you.”

“Let’s hear it first,” the felintine replied. She attempted to store Sam in her Spatiera only to notice how much meiyal it required her to do so. “This is absurd!” she complained to Kat.

“My meiyal, plus his meiyal when he became sentient,” the Lady explained. “I just pocket him for convenience’s sake.”

“Right, I’m not paying for that.” Jaylene realized her clothes didn’t have any pockets.

“Here, you can have this.” Katherine opened her Spatiera and pulled out a small shoulder bag. “Brought that from Earth.”

“Oh, thank you!” Jaylene’s voice had been gradually rising since Sam rested on her hands. It reached its peak when she received her bag. It didn’t take her much to understand how to use it. “Wow, it’s pretty convenient. I like it!”

“I picked that with you in mind,” Katherine added.

“Did you seriously bring souvenirs for everyone?” Kristel asked.

“What did she get you?” Frein asked as well.

“An anklet.” The Princess candidly raised her leg, showing off an anklet with a diamond imbedding.

“You like subtle stuff,” Katherine commented. “So this is fashionable and subtle, if you wear the right combination.”

“I like it.” Kristel quickly realized they were drifting on a tangent. “You said you wanted to ask Jaylene something, right?”

“Oh, that’s right,” Jaylene said. “What is it?”

Frein opened his Spatiera and pulled a small, black device. Its screen no longer functioned, its battery long dead. He presented his mobile phone.

“We call this a mobile phone,” he explained. “It’s basically your M.O.B.I.L.E., but with a few distinct differences; mainly, it doesn’t function on meiyal.”

“Electricity,” Jaylene said. Her eyes were glued on the device. She pointed to the socket below the phone. “This attachment point, clearly you attach it to something to charge the device.”

“How did you know about electricity?” Frein asked. It was an odd yet honest question. Nothing of what he observed in Minaveil Province showcased anything that used electricity. Frankly, he believed they didn’t use that resource at all.

“Let me check,” Jaylene mumbled, disappearing into the depths of the M.E.S.S. She returned a minute after, carrying a small mechanism.

“I visited the Sky Islands a few centuries ago, trying to find signs of Su’karix. Instead I found her meiyal-charged scale, and the ancient ruins of her long lost civilization.” She found an empty table near them and placed the machinery with care.

“What do you think?” asked the felintine. She looked at Frein with expectations.

It was a small contraption with two protruding metals above it. It resembled a pocket taser, as far as Frein was concerned. But he humored Jaylene and used Mesiffera which allowed him to see the meiyal flowing within. It crackled with energy.

“How long has it been in there?” he asked.

“Since I found it.”

“What’s in there?” Kristel asked.

“Electric meiyal,” Frein answered. “This is like a perpetual charger.”

“No, it’s not,” Jaylene corrected. “The energy inside isn’t exactly meiyal. It’s natural electricity mixed with meiyal. It diminishes when you use it, but the meiyal freezes the electricity’s natural energy conversion—or depreciation, some would say—allowing the device to keep it stored, basically forever.”

“You’re saying the Sky Islands used actual electricity before?” Frein asked to clarify.

“I think so,” Jaylene agreed. “But I think I’m jumping to conclusions. What exactly do you want me to do with your mobile phone?”

“Can you transfer its data to my or anyone’s M.O.B.I.L.E.? Maybe Sam? Doesn’t matter if it ends up destroyed.”

“If you let me keep it, I’ll see what I can do.”

“All yours. You can copy the files as well if you want. There are some really good songs there that I want to share with Frill.”

Jaylene added the phone in her shoulder bag, appearing satisfied. “I’ve never been this excited for a long while.”

“We were going to come by tomorrow,” Katherine began, “but I’m glad we chose to go today instead. I missed you, Jam.”

“I missed you too, Kat. It’s been three, maybe four years? I don’t count them anymore.”

“It’s three,” Frein said, not even trying to hold himself back.

“Read the room?” Jaylene glared at him.

“I don’t see you hugging each other,” he said. “As far as I’m aware this is a normal conversation.”

“Now you’re just making it awkward.”

“Jam,” Katherine called, opening her arms wide. “I did miss you.”

Jaylene’s demeanor changed completely. Her lazy disposition, her slouched shoulders, her tired eyes, they all changed. She looked happy, alive.

She looked proud and relieved.

Frein could easily point it out. Atlas Sid was Katherine’s mode of transport in and out of Irista Nation during her training when she was growing up. The familiarity between her and Jaylene appeared faint at first, but that was simply because of the long gap between their farewells.

It was also because he felt that sense of longing, watching this felintine open her arms to accept Katherine, which made him sure of their relationship.

Jaylene—Jam—was Katherine’s adoptive mother.

“I’m back,” the Lady said, cry-laughing as she embraced the felintine.

“Welcome home. Don’t go breaking my back now.” Jaylene held Katherine’s face, admiring her. “You’ve matured so much. I was afraid you wouldn’t be coming back.”

“I almost didn’t,” Katherine replied, looking at Frein. “He told me otherwise.”

Jaylene’s hand was quick, it almost threw Frein for a loop. The next thing he knew, he was with Katherine inside the felintine’s embrace. It was a warm embrace. One full of motherly love.

“Thank you for bringing her home. It must be difficult for you.”

Frein didn’t know what to say. He melted before such sincere care and compassion. He had missed this.

He missed his own mother. He missed his parents.

“Yeah,” was the only response he could afford, trying desperately to hold back his tears.

Jaylene showered his forehead with sweet kisses. “You’re a brave man, Frein Nivan. A brave, brave man. Kat’s lucky to have you.”

In the midst of this, Katherine was just smiling towards him, enjoying every moment.

Until all three of them heard a snapping sound.

They all turned to find Kristel holding up her M.O.B.I.L.E. towards them.

“Give me some smiles,” she said.

Katherine and Frein didn’t even hesitate, wrapping Jaylene around their arms and giving Kristel their biggest, teary smile.

The felintine couldn’t hold her emotions any longer, sobbing and laughing at the same time. “Well, this tour has become a total mess.”

“Ah, I get it,” Frein said.

“Me too,” Katherine followed.

“Me three,” said Kristel.

Jaylene sniffed, trying to recover from her emotional twister. “I think we should check the firing range next. I want to show you my G.U.N.s and R.I.F.L.E.s.”

“You’re kidding?” Frein and Katherine said at the same time.

“They have those on Earth, too?” Kristel asked.

“You have no idea.”