Chapter 13. another gamer cliche
Tiff was panicking.
“Wha… CJ, what just happened?” she said as she spun, looking for Andrew.
“Tiff, if you don’t know, then there is no way in hell that I am going to be able to offer any kind of explanation. First off, let’s calm down and think about what we saw,” CJ walked up and spoke softly as he placed a hand on each of Tiff’s shoulders.
CJ felt like he was finally getting to know the AI guardian a little better lately. He understood that her position at the beginning of all this was as precarious, if not more than his own and Andy's. She had been forced to act as a guardian, against her will, just because of the planet that she was born on. She had willingly joined a rebellion though, to try and ensure that future generations of her people wouldn’t suffer the same fate.
Unexpectedly Tiff had become Andrew’s biggest supporter and had even proven herself useful in several combat scenarios. Tiff could easily have jumped ship when Princess Danae showed up, but still, she stayed with Andrew and the crew of the Bloodhound.
On more than one occasion CJ had caught glimpses of the way Tiff watched Andrew, the way she studied him. No, study was not the right word; she watched him, but it felt more like she was doing this to reinforce her faith in him.
Andrew had proven that he was capable of great things, but he had also proven that, at times, he was a massive screw-up who probably shouldn’t have access to possibly the most advanced battle tech in the universe. Still, Tiff stuck by him, guiding him and supporting him even when he didn’t realize it.
So it was no surprise that in this moment, CJ looked into those glowing blue eyes and saw something that surprised him… he saw fear.
“Tiff, I need you to calm down and think. Have you seen this before? Could it be a new ability manifesting?” CJ asked as he tried his best to comfort Tiff and get her on track.
“We just covered his new ability and he didn’t mention anything like that. CJ, you saw him; he was not expecting that. Something is definitely up. We need to contact the others and let them know what is happening,” Tiff said as she grabbed my hands and lowered them from her shoulders, “Thanks for your concern, CJ, but I am okay; it just caught me off guard.”
“You know that he will be okay; he has already survived more than he had any right to survive. I’m gonna reach out to Matty and let him know what has happened so they can get back as soon as possible. We may need the Pup sooner than we thought,” CJ said as he put a finger up to his ear and began trying to contact Matty.
Tiff just stood there, considering what she might have just seen. It was possible that Andrew had acquired some sort of phasing ability, but he would have mentioned it; she was sure of that. She didn’t know why, but something in her told her that this was much more serious.
As CJ conveyed the message to Matty and the others to return on the double he turned to see Tiff stiffen where she stood. Her normally glowing blue eyes shifted to a stark white, and her mouth opened wide as her arms flew to the side, and she began to slowly levitate as a pulsing white glow emanated from her body.
“Kaj….Kaj… you need to get the hell over here, like now!” CJ yelled as he stumbled back away from the now floating body of Tiff.
“Wha… What the FUCK!!!” CJ shouted as he scooted backward on the dirt, trying to escape whatever was happening to Tiff.
Kaj immediately came running over from the other side of the coral, where he had been talking to Andrew’s father and some of the other men from the settlement.
“We must help her, CJ! Where is the Captain?” Kaj shouted as he raised a hand to shield his eyes from the oppressive glow that continued to brighten around Tiff as she hung in the air before the two stunned onlookers.
“Andy disappeared like 30 seconds ago! We didn’t know what happened, and just when Tiff and I started trying to figure it out… this happened!” CJ said as he pointed his right hand in Tiff’s direction emphatically.
“Grab her right hand, and I shall grab her left; we must see if we can break her from this trance,” Kaj shouted as he, along with CJ, moved forward to grab one of Tiff's wrists.
They both reached out to grab a wrist, but immediately upon making contact with Tiff, a pulse of energy shot out her body, knocking both CJ and Kaj to the ground, and then Tiff began screaming. CJ and Kaj both tensed as they realized it wasn’t a scream; it was coming from her mouth, but it wasn’t her voice… it was more… robotic.
“Friends of Andrew Dawes, calm yourselves. Your Captain and this AI are in no danger; first of all, know that. We are merely forced to use this AI as a vessel as we currently have no physical manifestation on your planet. We are what remains of the Coeus collective. We were tasked with monitoring the progress of the gift as well as setting into action events that will correct the many mistakes our collective made in the past. This vessel will see no long-term effects from this exposure. It is not an ideal circumstance that we find ourselves in, but we have been forced to use the current means of communication. We are sure you have many questions…”
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“Hell, yes, we have questions; what in the actual fuck is going on? What did you do with Andrew?” CJ shouted as he finally picked himself up off the ground to face Tiff’s still levitating body.
“Being, you must release Tiffantrimore immediately!” Kaj shouted as he too picked himself up.
“Calm yourselves; as we previously stated, this being is in no danger. We have been a part of your Captain’s journey from the beginning. We, after all, granted him the honor of bearing the gift. It is, however, now time that he repays the debt that he owes. He will be away for a time. Unfortunately the duration of his absence is currently unknown. The likelihood of his return is also unknown. We can tell you that the task he has been given is of the utmost importance, and only he is capable of completing it. Your Captain, your friend, has been tasked with planting the seed of power.”
“What are you going on about? Did he know about this? You can’t just take someone against their will! This is bullshit!” CJ shouted as he pointed at Tiff.
“Human, we understand that your species has yet to fully be able to suppress your emotional responses to unexpected external stimuli, but we must insist that you allow us to finish our explanation.”
CJ clenched his jaw and shot a look at Kaj from the corner of his eye. Kaj calmly put a hand out to signal CJ to stay calm as they both returned their attention to the floating Tiff.
“Andrew Dawes has knowingly accepted the mission. We felt that we needed to inform you all what his task would be as the coming days will be a test for those of you remaining on Earth. Unfortunately, it will be a test that you must pass without the assistance of Andrew Dawes. He has been transported to an alternate dimension and has been presented with a task. We will not go into the details of said task, but we can tell you that it will test him to his very core. If he succeeds, the inhabitants of the universe will be ever in his debt.”
“And if he doesn’t?” CJ growled through gritted teeth.
“If Andrew Dawes fails to complete this task, he will perish.”
CJ just stood as the weight of that statement settled. He could feel a weight in his stomach at the thought of not seeing his best friend again. He clenched his fists and looked up.
“How can you expect him to do this? The Captain has barely been initiated into the ways of the universe and can not be expected to navigate such a treacherous path on his own,” Kaj said, obviously trying to stay as calm as possible.
“Andrew Dawes will have the opportunity to seek advice and assistance as he progresses on his journey. There is an existing link between Andrew and this vessel that we are currently utilizing. There will be areas where he can establish a communications link and areas where he will be classified as safe from external threats. In these times, he will be able to communicate and seek assistance. This is the reason we come to you now. Andrew will need his friends; he will need your assistance and support. You cannot fail him and must ensure that he pushes his very limits if he is to succeed. With that, we must leave you, prepare friends of Andrew Dawes. Prepare.
With that, the glow around Tiff’s body faded, and she fell with a thud to the ground unconscious.
CJ looked at Kaj as they rushed over to make sure Tiff was okay. “Jesus man, what did Andrew get himself into.”
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I am not really sure what happened. One minute, I was standing talking to Tiff and CJ; the next, I was back in the open white expanse that I had come to know as the place where I would meet with the Coeus.
“I should have known,” I muttered, shaking my head in frustration, “What is it this time? I thought you all bounced, like left the universe to it’s own devices or whatever? Why am I here again?”
“Did you not accept the mission, Andrew Dawes?” The monotone robotic voice said from the same floating orb I had seen several times before.
“Well, yeah,” I said with a shrug, “but I didn’t know I would end up back here again. I need to get back to my friends if I am going to find this… Seed of Power, I’m going to need their help.”
“We are afraid that the mission has already started and unfortunately you will be allowed no help. This mission must be completed by you alone, Andrew. You will have opportunities to speak with your guardian, Tiffantrimore, but even then, it must be in dedicated safe zones, and there will only be one per level.”
“Safe zones? Levels? What is this?” I asked, even knowing the answer already.
“The Seed of Power is located on the tenth floor of a tower. Each floor must be cleared before you can move to the next. Once the seed is found, it can be released and merged with your universe to achieve the widespread initiation of system mechanics for all beings in the universe,” the voice said as the orb vibrated and spiked in rhythm with the words.
“Seriously, I have to clear a tower? A bit cliché, isn’t it?” I said, rolling my eyes.
“The seed of power is a tool capable of recreating the laws of physics and merging dimensions. We built this tower as a test for any that would take control of that power. None have managed to pass the fifth floor of this test. We cannot assist, and this test is yours alone, Andrew. We fully believe that the power granted to you by the gift will allow you to complete this task and retrieve the seed of power, but you must be prepared for the challenge,” the orb replied.
“So what can I expect to find in this tower?”I asked, resigning myself to the fate that I agreed to.
“Each level is a dimensional pocket. A small world created solely for the purpose of testing the challenger. The difficulty will advance as you progress. As you progress, in turn, you will get stronger. We cannot share details as the tower will acclimate to the challenger's potential. What we can tell you is to seek out safe zones and understand your opponents. Learn them quickly and understand when you are outclassed. Retreat when necessary, as there is no time limit to this challenge,” the orb replied.
“I have some rather pressing issues back on Earth to attend to. Can this possibly wait?” I asked.
“The challenge has already been initiated, Andrew. Time will pass differently for you than it does for your peers. Do not be concerned about the welfare of Earth. Focus on the challenge and prepare yourself. The journey begins now.”
With that, the orb disappeared, and in the distance, a tower sprang from the white nothingness. Grey and black stone jutted in all directions as the monstrous tower shot into the sky. It was hard to determine how big it was in the white space since there was nothing for reference but I had to crane my neck to try and see the top.
“Well, I guess I’ll get some practice with my new propulsion system,” I said, as I closed my helmet and shot up into the air toward the looming tower.