Chapter 30:

Alice was not sure how to process the turbulent set of emotions and thoughts swirling through her mind. There was too much in flux, too much confusion, too many things that had just been thrown at her out of the blue for her to really feel like she had her feet underneath her. And now, as this woman revealed herself and ran into Titus, Alice was even less sure.

The stranger hugged him while he stood there awkwardly, his arms outstretched, a spear in one hand as she squeezed the life out of him.

"I thought you were in America," the woman said in a strangely melodic accent that Alice had never heard.

"I was," Titus replied in his deep rumble.

Alice focused on the little portion of Titus bundled up in her mind, trying to pick out what was going on. He was just as complicated a mess of emotions as she was at the moment, but for entirely different reasons. He was wary, concerned, and joyful to see the stranger but surprisingly cold, as if he wished she wasn't here. It was a strange and complicated mix of emotions that Alice could only slightly untangle.

The woman pulled her head back and looked up at Titus, so far not even acknowledging Alice's presence. "What are you doing in Namibia? This is not your jurisdiction."

Alice frowned. Jurisdiction? That's a strange word. How would Namibia be someone's jurisdiction other than the Namibian government?

The woman paused for a second, but Titus only said, "Oh that's where we are?"

She just said, "Well, you know, you're always welcome," and hugged Titus tighter.

This time, Titus wrapped his one arm that wasn't holding a weapon around her. Alice frowned. She thought that his hand had been holding an ax at one point.

He gave her a half-hearted squeeze before putting his hand on her shoulder and pushing her to arm's length so he could look at her.

"What have you been about? How is your vacation going?" The woman asked, words not slowing despite Titus's cold look and lack of answers. "Did you hear about Sobek?"

That finally got a reaction from Titus, a jolt of surprise. "I haven't thought of that name in a while. What happened?"

"He died."

"Of what?" Titus asked, true surprise entering his voice. But that was nothing compared to the shock he was feeling inside. Alice didn't know how he was still standing.

The stranger continued. "Yeah, a couple of years ago. Traz and he tangled, he died."

"Huh. Good for Traz," Titus said with a smile, but there was a hint of sadness behind it. Alice wasn't sure how to understand the relief and grief that flooded out of the bond and hit her mind. These were two emotions she had never felt at the same time.

"Yeah, Traz's been torn up about that for a while. You should talk to him." The woman said with a sad smile.

"I am a little busy."

"Well, you don't have to do it now, but sometime soon. Otherwise, we might lose him for a century to Antarctica again."

Titus rolled his eyes. "He wouldn't run there again. Not after the last time I had to drag him out."

Alice was starting to feel increasingly left out. As Titus seemed to have come to terms with the situation, she scuffed her toe in the dirt. She looked away from the surprisingly intimate conversation. Clearly, these two were old friends. Very old.

Did she know?

She clearly knew more than Alice did. Did she want the stranger to know that she knew something was going on weird with Titus? Titus seemed to have been keeping whatever it was a secret from her for a reason. How would this woman react if Alice knew?

Finally, the woman turned to her as if surprised, looking Alice up and down. She spoke to Titus. "Titus, you have a friend?"

She said the word 'friend' as if it had more meaning to it, but Alice couldn't figure it out. She gave a polite smile and wave but kept her distance.

"Alice," Titus said, "this is Eliyanah. She is an old friend."

Eliyanah smacked Titus with the back of her hand. "Just call me Elaine. Everyone does. I don't tell people to call you Titulus."

Titus grumbled. "That's because it has a very different meaning than it used to. Besides, Eliyanah is a much more beautiful name."

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Elaine blushed, but her focus returned to Alice, and she took hold of the conversation. "Alice," she said, stepping forward, but Alice took a half-step back. Elaine read the mood and paused. "Alice, it's so nice to meet you. I always worry that Titus would be lonely. If left to his own devices, he won't talk to anyone for very long stretches of time. And that's not good for him. He's prone to be grumpy when he's alone. Titus hasn't been grumpy, now, has he?"

Alice shook her head, almost steamrolled by the woman's words, but Elaine still gave her a chance to respond. "No, he's rather funny, actually."

Elaine blinked. "Titus, when did you grow a sense of humor? You should have told me."

"I've always had a sense of humor, Elaine," Titus said. "Just because I don't mix it with business doesn't mean it's not there."

"So, Alice isn't business?" Elaine said with a mischievous smile. Alice didn't really like where this was heading. "So...." she drew the word out. "How do you know Titus?"

"He pulled me out of a helicopter crash two days ago," Alice said. "Or was it three?"

"Ooh," Elaine said. "Tell me more. Were you both in there? Was he flying? It wouldn't be the first helicopter crash of his I've heard of."

Alice looked over to Titus. "Those weren't helicopters. Those were gliders. Besides, they didn't work," Titus said, waving off her complaints. "It wasn't my fault."

"So spill," Elaine insisted as she ignored Titus's complaints.

"No, I was flying it, and he was on the ground. It was right when the System came." Alice

"The System?" Elaine asked. "Yes, we'll talk about that, but later," she waved off Titus's objection before he could even voice it. "So, were you hurt, and he nursed you back to health?"

"He's—---," Alice said but stopped. "He's good with healing,"

Only now did Alice think to scan her. [Elaine - Human - Level 9].

Well, she wasn't the second person to rank up, then. Alice frowned. What had Elaine been up to?

Whatever it was, the woman had survived for this long. That was impressive. Alice was not sure she could survive it alone, but she was also put into a rather dangerous situation.

Elaine continued to question her on her interactions with Titus, and Alice did her best to deflect and not reveal anything she shouldn't. Alice couldn't really sense anything like jealousy coming from the woman. Still, there was a certain amount of suspicion, as if she were wary rather than hostile.

"Wait, so you found Titus because of the GPS on his phone?" Elaine cut in.

Alice nodded. "Yes, when I was looking for other people. I located Titus and 18 others still moving. At least, in a was that didn't seem automated"

"Titus, have you been looking for them?" Elaine turned to him.

He shook his head. "No. We have our own mission."

"Why not? If we get back together, imagine we could have all of us in one space. It hasn't happened for..." She looked at Alice "...a very long time. Besides, if we all teamed up together, who knows what we could accomplish? The world is ours. Well, are there more like you, Alice?"

Alice was taken aback slightly. She knew that Alice wasn't one of them, then? One of those 19 others.

Alice shook her head. "I don't know what you're talking about. What do you mean like me?"

Elaine seemed taken aback for a second, confused. "Is there anyone else besides the 19 other people you found?"

"No," Alice said, shaking her head.

"So just 20," Elaine said. "Is she a replacement? Do we get replacements?" she asked Titus.

Titus shrugged. "I have no idea, but I don't think so. I don't think we get replacements. I'm pretty sure when there were more of us, we never got replacements then. It wouldn't make sense why we would get some now."

Alice felt that these two were not very good at maintaining a secret, but clearly, they had managed to do it for some while. Maybe it's just that Titus wasn't even trying.

"Hmm," Elaine mused. "Well, could you look for them again?"

Alice nodded. "I think so. It depends on how long the satellites stay operational. Already, a lot of the infrastructure is breaking."

Elaine nodded. "Yes, power is already out all over the country, at least everywhere I've visited.But that could just be the area."

"Have you not noticed the shuffling?" Alice asked.

"Shuffling?" Eliane said, confused, turning to Titus.

"The world seems to be shuffled. We drove here from Montserrat," he explained.

"Eh?" Elaine blinked. "But that's not possible. If you go far enough that way, you'll find the ocean."

Titus pointed the way they had come as if that answered anything.

"We're maybe an hour's drive away. A couple of hours. Depends on how fast you're going." Alice jumped in.

"Hmm." Elaine rubbed her cheek. "Well, could you find them again? The other 17? If so, could you give me a way to find them? Even if Titus isn't interested, I am."

"Be careful, Elaine. They might not all be as happy to see you as I am," he warned.

"I know," she said, waving her hand. "But come on, it's me."

"I know," Titus echoed her own words. "That's why I'm worried."

Alice couldn't wait to get Titus alone and grill him on every single detail.

The conversation was slightly awkward, as Elaine pestered Alice with all sorts of questions, and Alice barely had a chance to ask anything in return. Whenever she did ask something that touched on the secrets, despite Elaine's carelessness about talking to Titus in front of her, she was an expert at deflecting. Anytime Alice tried to get any information about who she was beyond someone living in Namibia, it was deflected, and Alice found herself pulled into a different part of the conversation.

Alice talked more than she had talked in the last week, just in the hour or so it took Titus to set up a camp stove that he had scavenged and start cooking dinner.It was slightly awkward as Elaine joined them for the fire and for food. Still, the woman's effortless charisma drew Alice and Titus into a casual conversation. However, Titus was far more wary of everything he said than he had ever been around Alice. He didn't seem like it, but Alice could feel it through the bond. As much as he liked and cared for Elaine, he didn't trust her. Not one bit.

"So, Elaine, how do you know Titus?" Alice eventually forced the question into the flow of the conversation.