Jordan stirred upright from his apiary slumber shortly before midnight on the third day. Shivering against the cold metal, twisted against his legs as he shook the grogginess from his eyes.
Once freed from the frame of his bike, Jordan shook out the kinks in his legs before mounting his bicycle and taking a moment to catch his bearings and recount the results of his test.
Satisfied, he took a quick sip of water from his pack before leisurely continuing on the digital paths. Taking an additional three days and two nights of rest to cross the finish line. Where, after a bit of scanning, he spotted Gelos. Camping out near the sewage-like exit they'd emerged from a week prior.
After a long ride back to Bronio and debriefing one another over their weekly meal, they quickly fell back into their schedule of training and roaming; riding and sparring. Or lazily lounging around Bronio after their sessions. People watching or making small talk, until they rode back to their apartments to sleep.
And repeat.
Day after day. Until Zoltan inevitably called with news of the second race.
With that rhythm , they continued such a schedule throughout the course of the next several periods.
After working through an additional six races, they'd virtually travelled around the entirety of Choece's lower level. A circuit that, along with Jordan's leisurely speed, allowed him to freely admire nearly every metropolis housed within the E-Rankers realm. Civilizations that ranged from the cityscapes of arcology-style complexes; similar to the one Zoltan resided in, to a domineeringly towering, twisting structure that had branching arms slothfully reaching up towards the ceiling. Evidently growing from the center of a very large, albeit shallow lake. It's branches breaching the night with the soft, orange orbs of its windows and terraces that magically reflecting onto the inked, mirrored surface.
Before, after, and even during the individual races; whenever the lot of them would rendezvous to brief, debrief or rest, Zoltan and Tobias would begin adamantly pestering their companions to ensure they understood the largely unspoken aspects of the races- Survival.
Obviously, it was stressed that the first of their apparent priorities was water. How to find and purify it. Followed by food.
While the former was a necessity, it remained highly accessible in the vicinity of the many cities; and even in the 'wild,' acquiring sustenance hoever, was a need that was enviously unnecessary for the likes of Jordan and Gelos. Regardless of the seemingly useless knowledge, the two amateurs listened intently to absorb the free knowledge given and proceeded to learn, and put into practice, all they could about camping, foraging and navigating with unaided eyes inside of their manufactured environment.
As the time until the Field Marshal's return drew closer, the duo's regime began to multiply in intensity with each passing day. Occupying more and more of their time until it grew to a point that their sessions bled into their races.
Much to the dismayed confusion of Zoltan and Tobias, they'd immediately jump into physical training, or even sparring, before the race would start, or even after rendezvousing. Sometimes even for the entirety of their allotted rest period.
Despite their initial shock, the two Ganymedeans seemed to quickly grow numb to Jordan and Gelos' apparently ill-placed actions before that same numbness quickly evolved into the side stares and hushed comments of intrigue. Intrigue that would eventually drive them into willingly participating in the grueling sessions.
A seemingly innocuous decision, that naturally resulted in the entire group spending more and more time around one another. Learning from and get to know one another one a deeper level, on what eventually come to be a regular basis.
***
[January 336th, GPY 3. Solimoes Marsh, Ganymede. 1516. UGT.]
"You know." Tobias turned about in his seat before pausing to smack a large bug hovering near his neck. "I'm surprised you haven't campaigned since the whole, Talos thing." He grunted in both pain in satisfaction after catching his mark between his slender fingers. "Based off of what Zed told me before I got back, I assumed you were one of those campaign freaks." He laughed. Turning back towards the digital paths before them to correct his heading.
Jordan stood on his pedals and used his weight to churn through the mud up to Tobais' side and verbally paused as he neared to study the trike sitting beneath him.
The Ganymedean was smugly placed in a bucket seat, centered between what appeared to be miniature tractor wheels. Reclined back to allow his old-world style working boots to be firmly planted on the pedals along the front wheel's axle. His leathered hands raised overhead to the trike's handlebars as he lazily pulled them left and right as he pedaled to churn himself along the path.
Regardless how many times Jordan saw it, he could only wrinkle his face in disgust. It was ugly in its own right. Blatantly handcrafted from mispainted parts into a horrendously bulky profile.
And since only airplanes could aesthetically retain three wheels, it being trike only made it far uglier.
After all the time they'd spent together however, they were still barely more than friends. Not yet on such a level that Jordan could openly insult the Ganymedean's beloved work. So, Jordan brushed aside his contempt and tried his best not to look as he pulled closer to Tobias before saying. "I'm only taking the time to approach other avenues of life until Field Marshal Law gets back." He grinned around them with a wave of the hand. "Like racing. Exploring, and indulging in the finest feasts throughout the land. 'Smelling the roses.' As they say." Jordan added with a whimsical raise of the brow.
"Pffft! Excuses." Tobias spat with a shake of the head. Sending the curls draped down his back flinging over each shoulder in turn. "If that's the case, you're no different than Gaston: Keeping from promotion and holding onto your title until you think its right to give it up."
"Hmm." Jordan nodded to himself. Though he didn't necessarily agree, he also wouldn't argue.
The only difference Jordan saw between himself and Gaston, was that Biff refrained from getting promoted in order to continue his reign over Talos. To bully people, according to Zoltan's words. Or to acquire an additional perk of some sort, according to the man himself. Jordan however, refrained from getting promoted only to heed the Knight's call. He simply abided by her conditions and dedicated himself to training until her return. If going on hiatus for the sake of keeping their challenge untainted made him a hypocrite, then Jordan would accept it. Such opinions or labels weren't to be given by the likes of himself. And as such, they were irrelevant to him.
He would only follow the relevancy of his will, and the longings of his heart.
Besides.
"I tried to give away the title." Jordan shrugged with his shoulders. "Regardless, it'll all be irrelevant after I'm promoted." He dismissively commented before pedaling off towards the other two members of their party. Pedaling slowly around fifty meters to their front. Apparently having a talk of their own.
It was now the second day of the eight race in the circuit. Having encircled the entirety of Choece's residential drum, the competitions were moved to the humid, harsh environment of Choece's nature reserve. A mostly flat cylinder. Covered in a blanket of low, standing water and dense fields of thin, towering blades of grass and a relatively sparse forest filled trees standing on creeping, finger-like roots that shot into the murky depths.
By the time Jordan pulled within natural earshot, the pair ahead had arrived at a large, muddy bank that gently curved down to a shallow field of water. Bringing their fated rendezvous point in the direct vicinity of a myriad of strange, terrestrial beasts.
Mostly small creatures. Slimy or scaled things that lived both among the swarms of fish in the murky depths, or near the water's edge. Collectively, they released a sort of symphonic noise into the muggy environment that seemed to be just as annoying as it was beautiful.
A meter or two away from the waterline was an abundance of land animals either drinking or lounging about on the solid ground. Majorly centered around a brown haired, four-legged beast with a bulbous snout; the obvious socialite of the watering hole, laid indifferently in between the other animals.
Jordan slowed to a halt behind the others as he too fell into a studious trance in examining the fauna. A few meters away from what apparently was the capybara, sat a cluster of long-legged birds that began flapping their massive wings en masse to migrate near a thick log floating near a clump of grass. Where they began earnestly plucking at the fish beneath the surface. Noticeably startling a small, thick-tailed creature prodding around in the dirt that looked like a miniature knight. Covered in a tan armor of thick scales.
The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
After reading all he could about the pangolin, Jordan passed his eyes to his left just in time to see the apparent log thrash up from the water. Twisting on its side towards the closest bird with its pink, razor-lined mouth gaped wide. With an audible snap and a cloud of feathers, the beast clamped onto the birds body and began thrashing and rolling about in the water to subdue its prey.
"Oi. Gelos!" Jordan sped up to his side. Tossing away the augmented panels clouding his vision. "What's an America?" While he could easily get the answers online, Jordan knew well that getting the opinions of others was far more interesting.
"Continents." Gelos sighed impatiently, his eyes locked on the settling bubbles of where the beast once was. "There's two of them on Earth. North and South."
"Okay." Jordan nodded. "And what's an alligator?"
"An animal that finished evolving." Tobias explained from the rear. All but saving Gelos from Jordan's pestering.
With a thought, Jordan ordered his optical hardware to replay what they'd just seen on a loop while he continuously repeated what Tobias had said.
"Scary." He shuddered to himself. Before turning to resume down the paths.
"So Gelos," Tobias, riding next to Jordan turned about in his seat a few moments after passing through the watering hole. Causing Gelos to nearly swerve and pulling both the Martian and Zoltan's attention from the abundant fauna with obvious frustration. "You actually intend to follow Jordan to Europa? To join his... gang?" Tobias asked cautiously. Almost as if he couldn't find the correct word.
"Well." Gelos hesitantly chuckled. "Jordan's the first friend I've made in the Powers. And, he's an Astros. They're kinda famous where I'm from." He chuckled again as he sheepishly rubbed his head. "I figured spending time with him would prove to be fun. I was right. At this point." He shrugged. "Joining his gang would be no different than it is now."
"And what about his... obsession?" Tobias asked. Gaining a deprecating glare from Jordan in turn.
"I thought he was crazy, at first." Gelos laughed. And laughed even harder after noticing Jordan's glare being redirected to himself. "But, we've been training at rates that'd kill a base-level human for almost half a month now. I'm starting to think he can do it."
"Starting to?" Jordan snorted incredulously.
"So, you and the rest of your followers jump ship to Europa?" Tobias continued uninterrupted. Turning back to Jordan. "We all just agree to come and that's it? We're a part of your clan?"
"That's not quite how it works, no." Jordan shook his head, laughing. "I plan to recruit one other person, besides Zoltan and yourself. Recruit meaning- I ask and you either accept, or you don't. Either is fine. I won't force anyone." He paused to shrug before continuing. "Two days from now will be a month since Field Marshal Law departed. I'm expecting to hear from her any day now. We'll be returning to Europa sometime after I defeat her. To the Ganglands. So, you all have until then to decide."
"And then?" Zoltan asked. "What happens after we get there?"
"Well, since even I had to do one to join the Clan, you all will have to complete a trial before you're officially inducted into the Clan. A position referred to as Dogs. You can think of the trial as a test, of sorts. Or rather, a meeting." Jordan cryptically explained with a grin. "Once complete, you'll have one or more of your appendages augmented and etched with my version of the Astros Crest. And after that." He shrugged with his hands. "You'll retain full autonomy of your lives."
"So long as we live in your shadow?" Tobias scoffed. "Follow your orders? Live by your rules?"
Jordan could only chuckle deflatedly and throw a respectful grin towards Tobias. Despite still not being that close, Jordan had grown to like his character. Specifically, his candid demeanor and inquisitive nature. While Gelos, and eventually Zoltan, took time to grow on him as friends, Jordan noticed an air of mutual respect that'd aired between the two shortly after their first race.
In terms of words, he punches were never pulled. He was honest to his core. A trait more valuable than all the secrets to the universe.
That isn't to say the respect Jordan has is one sided, however.
"Bah!" Tobias dismissively threw his hands up after a moment's pause. Passively hiding the smirk curling up on the corners of his mouth behind his hands. "Who am I kidding? Mentally, you're the laziest person I know." He chuckled.
"Fair enough." Jordan snorted.
Zoltan however, only shook his head in silence before sighing heavily. "You're really serious about this, aren't you?" He asked incredulously.
Jordan shook his head in confusion. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"Uh. Because Saturnian Knights are said to be ridiculously strong!" Tobias exclaimed. "Just seeing your campaign against her is enough to know it's true."
"You're wasting your breath." Gelos sighed from the rear. "He's never even reconsidered it. Probably never will."
"Why?" Tobias asked.
"Well." Jordan sighed. Letting his eyes wander, as if to peruse the sky for an applicable answer. "They are strong." He admitted. "Law is, at least. Honorable. Noble. Cunning and wise. More so than almost any Galilean I've met. Save my father and a few others, honestly." He snorted in disbelief. "She acknowledged my strength and seeks to challenge me on even ground. She did openly admit to be using me. For what I don't know. But, my gut tells me her intentions are honorable. So." He paused to sigh heavily through his nose. "Maybe that's why I do it. For the challenge. Or perhaps to not disappoint her. Or to see what her plans are. Truthfully, I don't know." Jordan shrugged. Finally returning his gaze to the mixed faces of shock and stupor. "If that makes me crazy, or stupid even. Then so be it."
After a few seconds of nothing but the mud churning beneath their wheels and feet, Zoltan keeled his face forward onto his palms and began maniacally chuckling to himself. "Both." He gasped. Shaking his palmed face. "Definitely both."
For the few remaining hours until nightfall, they continued on their brisk pace until they came to a small, relatively dry clearing a little ways off the path where they agreed to camp for the night. After erecting tents and lean-tos with tarps and nearby sticks, Jordan and Gelos began to build a fire while the other two began preparing their meals.
"So, you two have been residents of Choece for over a month now." Tobias commented. His face eerily shadowed by the glowing embers beneath him as he tended to the captured rodent carcass. "What's your opinion?"
After hearing the question, Gelos immediately perched up in his seat and slowly turned towards Jordan. Squinting suspiciously. "That reminds me." He slowly said. "Your birthday. We must've certainly passed it over the last few periods. When is it?"
"To answer your question." Jordan leaned over towards Tobias. Then subsequently leaned back with a grimace as the crisp carcass was waved between them. "It's too peaceful."
"It's boring!" Gelos groaned. "These races are fun. But people live normal lives here! I was expecting something more…"
"Radical?" Tobias guessed.
"Eh." Gelos sighed.
"I was expecting to see more of the engineering and motor competition Ganymede is famous for." Jordan admitted. "That being said, all I've ever known was New Bran. And this place is just as tame. Ganymedeans themselves are too…" he droned on. Tracing circles in the air.
"Industrial?" Tobias muffled from behind his meal.
"I suppose." Jordan shrugged.
"Well, you know what kind of man founded this place?" Zoltan asked.
"Indulge me," Jordan said. Noticing Gelos' glimmering eyes.
"Revilla was also one of Mars' smugglers." Zoltan grunted out the beginnings of his explanation with a nod towards Jordan. "But from Earth. He was also an engineer and a pilot. Back when the empires around Saturn and the Ice Giants' Corporations were known only to the inner-worlds by their waste heat. Back when Martian society was nothing but a single colony orbiting in the vicinity of Deimos. Before that, he was a child soldier on Earth. Back when it was broken. As such, he likes ordered lawlessness and power struggles just as much as he loves machinery and adrenaline. Both of which are reflected in Oblil Station and Oscana respectively."
"I see. So, Choece is just for the regulars." Gelos nodded slowly, before apologetically turning towards the other two. "No offense."
"Since we're playing interrogation." Jordan sighed. Turning to Zoltan and Tobias. "What are your ambitions?"
Having finished his skewer, Tobias turned towards the rest of them. His bulbous eyes glimmering with anticipation. "Ever since my Ma taught me to strip down my first car, I've always had a dream of building a ship for my friends and I to explore the System in, from Mercury to the Oort Cloud." Tobias dreamily sighed. "I've been thinking about going to Gelidia Corp's Neptune Branch after reaching B-Rank. To learn from the best."
"Admirable. But, why B-Rank?" Jordan asked.
"That's when I can get all the upgrades I want." He shrugged.
"I want to open a club." Zoltan distantly answered before Jordan could follow up. "It may not seem like anything grand, but it's what I've always wanted to do. To have a place of my own where people can come to dance, eat, drink, talk, hookup or wind down. All day and all night."
"That does sound nice." Gelos chuckled to himself. Triggering Jordan to inquisitively turn towards him.
"And you." He gestured to the Martian with his chin. "What's yours?"
Gelos seemed taken aback by the question but nonetheless answered after a moment's pause. "I only want to explore each of the Powers orbiting Jupiter. To rise up the ranks and experience all there is to to experience along the way. Until I truly become assimilated into this culture."
Jordan nodded to himself for a silent moment to compartmentalize the information and became more and more aware of the expectant, impatient stares dancing around in the glow of the fire with each passing second.
'Ugh.' Jordan groaned to himself. "Well, you all know the Starfarer, right?"
"Yeah."
"Obviously."
"We're not sheltered, Jordan."
"Well." Jordan shrugged. "I want to live as he does."
Gelos tilted his head to the side before loudly scratching at his scalp. "You want to leave the Solar System?" He asked.
"No." Jordan rolled his eyes. "Well, maybe one day."
"You want to directly influence the direction of humanities progression?" Tobias rhetorically asked. "Twice?"
"No!" Jordan groaned. Slightly louder this time.
"Become both the most hated and revered being known to humanity?" Zoltan wondered aloud.
"NO!" Jordan exclaimed. Pinching the bridge of his nose a little too hard with his gilded fingers. "I want to be as free as he was. Those who were on Earth during the time of his first arrival say that he lived by no rules. That he traveled across the comparatively primitive planet on his own whims by way of his own machines. That decades prior to that, the entire Solar System had been his playground."
"That's because he was the only transhuman alive during the time." Zoltan scoffed. "He was literally the first. But anyone can do it now. Because of him."
"Not Galilean's!" Jordan's excitedly pointed out. "Not until we're ranked high enough to not only be augmented enough, but also wise enough to not succumb to the arrogance and gall that plagues all humans to use those augments to sterilize the distant worlds we travel to."
"So, you want to explore." Zoltan anticlimactically concluded. "But you don't want to as you are now, because you think you'll do something stupid?" He paused for a few seconds. Seemingly joining the other two as they all stared with mixed looks of confusion and admiration.
Tobias finally broke the silence with a wry chuckle to himself before he allowed his shaking head to fall helplessly into his palm. "Goodness, Jordan." He cackled. "You really are unreadable."