Cid was the first to answer.
“I assume you arrived on a void-faring vessel.”
Serra laughed aloud, but quieted at Cid’s hurt look, giving the scientist a pat on the arm to show she didn’t mean to offend him. Eric noticed the interaction and filed it away for later.
“Yes, friend Cid, we came in a big vessel,” Osar took a pull from his beer bulb, stretching the moment. “A very big and capable vessel.”
Eric studied their new companion as he spun out his tale, feeling that he was getting a handle on the alien’s personality, despite having just met Osar less than three hours ago. Now, the big Urgan was enjoying himself, enjoying the attention, maybe even just enjoying the fact he had companions: Being a hunter-scout for hire, essentially a mercenary, the man must have been living a lonely life. There was also the matter of the Urgan’s offer of his Life Oath, which Eric was still not sure he wanted to accept.
“The Plunderer, as my former comrades had so charmingly named their voidship, was large enough to support a crew of twelve people, of varying species and their specific living requirements, for more than a year roaming the void, searching for riches and plunder.” Osar took another pull at his bulb, smacking his lips as he finished. “I thought Lugthal had taken off with it when he shot me, but it seems that was not the case.”
“What are you saying, worm-chin?” Serra said, winking at Eric to show she was just making conversation. “That your old boss is still lurking around here somewhere?”
Osar looked momentarily taken aback by what Serra had called him, but quickly recovered his composure. A feral gleam entered his eye as he continued.
“Maybe… He’d have to go through the series of portals that Vashanka had moved us through to enter this area from where we landed the Plunderer.”
“Wouldn’t he remember the way out, having passed through the first time?” Cid asked.
“Vashanka had us all under a spell of darkness and silence when he moved us through, a condition he insisted on quite vehemently. Lugthal did not like that at all.” Osar’s lip twisted in a grimace as he recalled the dragon’s implacable expression, and Lugthal’s rising anger. The Geludan leader had given in eventually of course, but Osar was sure that if Lugthal had been merely considering and not actually planning to betray the dragon beforehand, that situation would have pushed the volatile old pirate over the edge.
“So, your boss could have escaped back to his ship?”
“He could have,” Osar said coyly, looking at Cid sideways as he finally finished his beer. “I don’t think he did though… since I know for sure the Plunderer is still at the place we landed her.”
“Ok, so the ship hasn’t left yet.” Serra said, her mind trying to figure out what Osar was trying to say. “This is important, why?”
“Because, scar-cheeks,” Osar answered, showing his pointed teeth in a wide smile. Serra gave an amused snort at the nick-name, but waved at the big Urgan to continue. “That means everything the Geludan had taken for themselves during that entire year…”
“…Is still on that ship!” Cid butted in excitedly.
“Is still on their ship, yes, friend Cid, you are correct! Which means…”
“Loot.” Eric said, matching Osar’s grin.
“Lots and lots of loot.”
[The door to the left of the Command Center, bearing the mountain and three spears of the Ashin-Vetel Sect, will open into the teleport pad to the Confluence Chamber.]
Eric winced at the volume of Luna’s voice, which echoed through the large anteroom after Eric had asked a question into the air, trusting that the Vessel Interface would be able to hear him. Military Ship-brains had operated in a similar manner in the Union, and Eric was used to conversing with them.
After they finished their lunch, Osar had packed his things back into his ring and Eric had asked Luna about a means to get to the surface areas of the Obsidian Moon, which the Vessel Interface had called the Stage. Eric had half-heartedly suggested that they wait until the next day before trying to find the Plunderer, but it was clear the others were both excited and eager to begin the search for the Geludan vessel.
“Luna, could you please lower the volume of your voice?”
[I can, Commander.] The Virtual Interface replied, her voice now adjusted to a more pleasant decibel range. To the side, Serra thankfully gave him a thumbs-up, before setting out towards the left side of the antechamber, the polished metal of which was pierced by a large stone door carved with a triangle and three intersecting lines like the spokes of a wheel.
[Do not forget the Key, Commander.]
Eric and the rest of the team stopped and waited as the doors to the Command Center opened slightly and a flying drone appeared, the Obsidian Key clutched in two of its jointed arms. The drone flew directly to Eric, hovering in front of him.
[Take the Key with you Commander, and keep it safe. With it on your person, and a properly drawn and charged teleport circle, you may teleport to the Confluence Chamber from any location within the distance of a sector from the Obsidian Moon. You may also bring up to five companions with you when you do so.]
Gasps arose from all his companions, and everyone stared at the Key that the drone so casually dropped into Eric’s hand. Did Luna just say that with the Key he could teleport from anywhere in the surrounding vicinity to arrive at the Moon? That seemed extremely convenient, almost like cheating in a way. Granted, he needed to learn how to draw and charge a proper teleportation circle, but how hard could that be, right?
“Hellfire!” Serra swore, enviously eyeing the Key.
“Amazing!” Cid breathed out, clutching at his hands to keep himself from reaching out. Beside him Osar just watched with wide-eyes and a bemused expression, his chin fronds moving agitatedly.
Grinning widely at the reactions of his companions, Eric hefted the heavy key in his hand, admiring the way the soft lights of the anteroom shined on the fluted rod. What incredible luck to have come across such a useful item: Who knew deciding to kill the dragon would give him such a windfall, eh?
But what would be the true price for gaining such a blessing?
The thought was sobering, and it quickly wiped away the smile from Eric’s face.
Due to having been a combat officer for so long, Eric was a realist who had survived through some of the most grueling, desperate, and soul-harrowing situations a human could be dropped into during his over eight decades of existence. He had been a veteran and a decorated officer probably longer than any of his current companions had been alive, and he knew in his bones that whatever else happens, the bill always comes through in the end: Killing the dragon, taking its treasures, claiming the Obsidian Moon, and even possibly taking control of a known pirate vessel… all of these things were bound to have consequences.
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Consequences that not only he would have to face, but everyone he was associated with, these three people who had joined him in his merry little band, all of them would be implicated by his actions. At the final reckoning, when it came, would he be able to protect them?
The weight of realized responsibility settled on Eric’s shoulders, and the Terran bowed his head.
Then his shoulders firmed and he raised his head, a fierce determination awakening in his heart. Strength of arm and body could be gained and trained, more so with the System to work with, but Eric knew that strength of mind would be the fulcrum with which he could leverage outcomes and carve his own niche in this world.
Not only for himself, but for all who allied with him.
Firm in his resolve, Eric placed the Key in his ring and strode forward.
The large stone door opened easily to Osar’s gentle push, revealing a small room with muted lighting that contained nothing but a softly glowing circle with various glyphs carved along its periphery and a dark stone plinth whose top sported a clear glass sphere.
As the team gathered around the plinth, Luna gave Eric instructions on how to proceed.
[Place your palm upon the sensor in the middle of the room, visualize who you want to accompany you and you will be teleported into the Obsidian Moon’s Confluence Chamber.]
Obediently, Eric placed his hand on top of the smooth glass sphere, fixed the locations of his companions within his mind and closed his eyes before focusing on the word teleport.
There was a sudden sharp jolt, a sensation of acute vertigo and increased pressure on his body, and then an abrupt return to normalcy. Eric gasped, staggered for a moment, then opened his eyes to look around.
The teleportation circle had worked.
Murmurs of surprise and appreciation rose from the Terrans, while Osar nodded as he recognized the chamber they were now in from memory..
In contrast to the almost unrelieved black motif of the Ark Command Center, the floor, walls, and ceiling of the very expansive Confluence Chamber was built out of a numinous white rock which exuded a pale golden glow. Lines of red-gold metal, every centimeter covered by intricately carved glyphs crossed the spacious floor in a starburst pattern. Another dome, which seemed a favorite design feature of the creatures who had built the Obsidian Moon, rose high above their heads, its underside painted a deep, beautiful blue reminiscent of a planetary sky at dusk.
The entire party had materialized in the center of the room, on golden circles arranged around a meter high and two-meter wide half-sphere of polished black stone jutting out of the beautifully decorated floor. On it, an intricate design of curved lines adorned with various esoteric sigils where they intersected formed a many-petaled flower that was carved deep into the stone’s surface and filled with glowing blue crystal.
Turning slowly to fully appreciate the view, Eric saw that twenty equidistant doors stood all along the Chamber’s wall, each with a crystal pedestal in front of it capped with a gold stand.
Only one of those pedestals seemed to be active, its stand holding a meter tall green-gold rock carved with a scene showing a ring of tall trees, alight with green and yellow glyphs that constantly moved across its surface.
Curious and intrigued, Eric and his companions walked the few meters from the teleport pad to the active pedestal to examine it.
[This is the Door to the world called Othden, a Dungeon World often visited by the old Commander.]
“Why is it the only one active?” Cid asked, even as he moved closer to examine the moving glyphs that wandered all along the surfaces of the carved rock.
[The keystones of the other Doors were taken away. Without them, or unless new keystones are crafted, the corresponding Doors will remain closed.]
“Why wasn’t this one taken then?” Eric asked.
[Because… I do not know, Commander.]
The Vessel Interface sounded distressed, sparking a twinge of concern for her in Eric’s heart. He imagined himself losing a part of his mind, having a space carved into his store of memories, and shuddered.
[This is one of the restricted parts I cannot access.]
“Don’t worry Luna, we’ll figure it out.”
Another mystery, huh? What was one more drop into an ocean of ignorance?
Looking around the large Chamber, Osar pointed out several claw marks on the floor to his companions. Surprisingly, it seemed the marks were healing over, as if the Chamber was a living thing instead of a construction of stone, precious metals, and aether.
“Luna, it seems we haven’t been the only visitors in this Chamber.”
[It was the Broodmother and her male drones that made those marks, Commander,] Luna reported drily, neither her inflection or tone changing. [The beast pack slipped through after the dragon and his companions used the Key to activate the teleport into the Confluence Chamber. They lingered here for a while but later managed to teleport into the Command Level.]
“I thought those beasts were non-sentient?” Cid asked, his question laced with healthy apprehension.
[They are, Science and Research Chief Cid.]
“Just Cid will do, Luna.”
[Affirmed Cid,] Luna replied without missing a beat.
“Then how did they...?”
[The Sesang beasts are preternaturally attuned to aether constructs and are capable of limited aether manipulation… It was one of the reasons why they were brought onto the Stage to be studied.]
“So, they got in by just following the dragon’s trail?” Eric clarified.
[Yes, Commander.]
“And can they and other beasts do so again?”
[Negative, Commander,] Luna answered, eliciting a sigh of relief from Cid and nods of approval from all the others. [The intrusion was only possible because of the depleted state of my power reserves. Now that I am within acceptable operational power levels such intrusions will not occur again.]
“So, now that you’ve been topped off you can stop just anyone from entering here?”
[Yes Commander,] Luna answered calmly. [Now that you, as Commander, have used the Key and been recognized, only personnel authorized by you may access the Confluence Chamber.]
“How do you know which people are authorized personnel?”
[I have already compiled a full System-assisted profile on you and your crew Commander. Such authorization of course can be rescinded at your command.]
“Is there any way someone can bluff or fake their way in?”
[My re-activated security protocols are very strict Commander. As long as you possess the Key and are bonded to it, nothing short of mental possession of your actual body will suffice. Even then, brainwave scans I routinely employ for monitoring purposes have a ninety percent probability of finding an imposter out.]
“And then?”
[They will be dealt with.]
The firmness and certainty of Luna’s artificial voice filled Eric with confidence. Until he remembered that all of that centered around him retaining control of the Key.
It was a good thing he never intended to lose the artifact while he still breathed.
After everyone had explored the room, the team once again gathered around the half-sphere in the middle of the chamber. Luna gestured for each of them to take their place on the golden circles around the sphere before turning to Eric.
[Each sigil on the Anchor Stone corresponds to a permanent teleport circle somewhere on the Obsidian Moon, Commander.] The Vessel Interface began, indicating the sigils at the intersection of the stone flower’s lines. [This one here is the one that represents the teleportation hub of the Stage above us.]
“And these others?” Cid asked, indicating the other sigils, which everyone saw were less bright than the one Luna was pointing to.
[They lead to areas in the Levels below, which… we cannot access yet.]
The procedure to teleport to the Stage, the surface level where Osar had said the Plunderer had been parked so to speak, was essentially the same as entering the Confluence Chamber: Eric put his hand on sigil Luna had indicated on the black sphere, fixed the people he wanted to travel with him on his mind, and willed himself onto the Stage.
The teleport ended, depositing the four companions into a massive room, domed of course, with all of them standing inside a large inscribed circle cut into the stone of the floor. The weathered glyphs on the circle’s surface still blazed with the pale light of residual aetheric particles, illuminating the darkness of the void that enveloped everything.
Beyond the circle, the aetheric glow revealed a dozen crab-like creatures with metallic bodies and a distinctly hostile look in their compound eyes as they turned to face Eric’s group.
“Shit.” Cid had just enough time to exclaim.
Then the first beast leapt towards them.