We gathered around the Nexus and watched as James plugged his laptop in and messed with the settings.
The Nexus looked like a big platform with whirring gears and LED lights that flashed blindingly every few seconds. In the center was a black circular object that looked a little familiar.
I frowned in thought before it struck me that I’d seen one of these before next to James’ desk. It must be the thing I’d fallen on when I had been cleaning up his wrappers. The thing that had brought me here.
Only the one at our apartment didn’t have all the lights and whirring things. I looked back at James suspiciously, wondering how much of it was added for cinematic effect.
Since I’d managed to raise my intelligence stats to a full 20/20, I’d been able to think a lot clearer, but I still couldn’t make heads or tails of the garbage James was typing into his computer.
Nightfall looked over his shoulder as well, with the same focused curiosity I’d seen him express at the university. He glanced at me and gave me a small half-smile before focusing his attention back on the screen again.
Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all if I had the help of my guys. Nightfall was a fantastic researcher, Bruiser was very in tune with the natural environment, Brick was really good at simplifying and explaining things about this world to me and… well, I wasn’t sure how Bastion and Jackal could help exactly, but they’d provide good moral support.
“Okay, I think that should do it,” James said, wiping his brow. “Took a wee bit of working, since you’re not in your original body, but it should be able to handle a succubus back to human transfer.”
“Think? Should?” I scoffed. “You don’t sound particularly certain about something I’m supposed to trust with my life.”
“It will work,” he said. “I’m 99% certain.”
Nightfall gripped James’ shoulder tightly. “What would happen should I try the machine first? Can I go ahead of the party and test its safety for Emma?”
“Nightfall!”
“I don’t know,” James ignored my outcry. “I mean, theoretically, you could follow the instructions I left on the desk for Emma and come back to tell us if it worked, but I honestly just don’t know. This isn’t even my tech. It was Dave’s. He was an expert, and I’m really just a novice.”
“If it can handle a succubus to human transfer, surely it can handle an elf to human transfer. We are not entirely different.”
“Other than the fact you don’t have a body waiting on the other side, but hey, you can be my guest and try it out and see if you die or not if you really want to. Nobody seems to care what my opinions are anymore.”
“Nightfall,” I chided. “You can’t risk your life like that. James and I are the most likely ones to succeed at using the Nexus. Don’t treat your life like it’s disposable.”
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Nightfall grasped my hands and a deep fire burned in the depths of his eyes.
“Without you, Emma, my life is nothing,” he said, his voice like velvet. “Without you, I would still be toiling away in my laboratory, looking for answers to all the wrong questions. Without you, I would not know the warmth of life, nor the burning fires of love. I do not wish for you to be alone on the other side of this contraption with nothing but this sniveling wretch of a man to support you-”
“Standing right here,” James said flatly.
“I wish to accompany you if I can, my goddess, and if I cannot, I wish to at least be certain of your safety. For that, I would gladly risk my life.”
“Suck up,” James sneered.
I shot a glare at him before responding to Nightfall. “I’ll need you alive, sweetheart. I’m going to need your help in other ways, although I don’t know what they are yet. Your safety is important to me, too.”
“Me scout?” A raspy high-pitched voice squeaked, and I realized in surprise that Bonaparte was addressing me for the first time. “Me scout. Me go ahead?”
It occurred to me that the dire-weasel could understand a lot of what was being said. Bruiser, Nightfall and I all had the ability to speak to animals, although this was the first time I’d used it, and Bonaparte had also shown signs that he could understand very simple words from other humans. He’d probably picked up at least sixty percent of the conversation.
“Me scout?” he repeated.
“No, Bonaparte. Thank you for offering, but this has to be something I do with James.”
“You stay with us, friend. We will wait here for Emma to return,” Bruiser said gruffly. “I am not happy about it either, but we must trust her and be ready to aid her in any ways she requires.”
Brick nodded grimly, looking unhappy but resigned. Jackal was staring at one of the computer screens with a blank expression on his face, and Bastion was looking at me miserably, like a rug had just been pulled out from under his feet.
“Do you have to go right away?” he asked.
“I… I don’t know,” I said, looking at James. “There’s not a rush, is there? We could stay a few more days?”
“I’m not going to delay just so you can go make out with your fictional boyfriend,” James grouched. “What do you expect me to do in the meantime? Sit around and twiddle my thumbs while a wood elf I invented when I was a teenager screws my girlfriend?”
“Ex-girlfriend,” I corrected sternly. “And as such, it shouldn’t matter what or who I do anymore, should it?”
“Uh, Emma?” Jackal touched my hand, but I wrenched it out of his reach. My anger at James had been brewing for a long time, and nothing was going to stop me now.
“You don’t seem to understand,” I seethed. “Regardless of anyone else I might be seeing, you and I are over. You’ve always taken me for granted and I’m sick of it. When we get back, you’re moving into the office and you’ll remain there until all this is sorted out and then you’re moving out for good.”
“Emma, be reasonable,” James wilted under my blazing fury. “I’ve apologized, and things are a bit crazy here, but you’ll calm down on the other side when things get back to normal.”
“Emma?” Jackal said again.
“I don’t want things to get back to normal!” I shouted. “I hated what our normal was. I’m never going back to that again!”
“Em, I know you’re mad about this place and I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you about it sooner. I know you’re upset, and you’ve had all this time to brew on how mad you are at me, but all that time I’ve been sitting here missing you like hell, just hoping you’d find my letter and come in after me. I love you, Emma, doesn’t that count for anything? You’re breaking my heart here.”
“Emma!” Jackal gripped my arm and pulled me away from James.
“What?” I snapped.
“Is that machine supposed to be doing that?” Jackal asked.
“Shit!” James swore, and grabbed his laptop, tapping furiously on some buttons.
The Nexus was whirring furiously, the lights flashing faster and faster until they became a blinding blur.
“Wh-what?” I barely had time to gasp as the machine exploded. The last thing I remembered was Jackal’s body folding protectively around me as the world turned white and then black.