Chapter 66
Existential Crises and Chance Encounters
I was held just long enough to confirm my story in triplicate, and to die of boredom twice. Part of this I know was my own fault. For being too stubborn to answer the General's stupid question about Time Travel. She had meant it as a joke, or at least played it off as such, when I looked at her strangely. Still that moment of hesitation on my part had been enough to make her find reasons to keep me here longer.
Fortunately for me, I will not break that easily. That’s right, I merely played my violin and let time seem to fly on into oblivion. It is kind of odd, despite having experiences that span literally hundreds of years, I find myself getting more and more impatient when having to wait. Maybe it is my way of realizing the sheer waste of such actions. The fact that I now realize how effective this is as a punishment for most people, is not lost on me. Getting detained for any reason is both relatively trivial, and extremely impactful. Nothing says you are powerless in this universe, like having someone forcefully make you sit down and think.
The worst part is, even with so much time on my hands, I still don’t quite know what to do. There are a lot of things I can go with. I need to see the damage done to my mechanoid suit. Allegedly it had some type of contaminant on it that required both mine and Goldie’s machines to be completely incinerated. Goldie’s being the top-of-the-line diamond model is apparently fine. Mine on the other hand, well apparently, I will wish lime green was the biggest problem with it.
Then there are the images I thought I saw while using my newer power Total Recall. I don’t know if what I saw was real, or if it was just me hallucinating from brain fog brought on by too much combat stress. I was at my limit after all, killing hundreds of people does take it out of you. However, one fact remains. Now when I close my eyes, each time I can’t help but see Jenna Da’anvil with her glowing bobbles.
I’ve had dreams where I’ve seen similar bobbles. The Prolaxian Infiltrator used one such bobble to generate a doorway to this very planet. If their claims were to be believed. I wonder what happened to that monster, but then realize that was a different universe entirely, so it didn’t really matter.
Then there are more existential problems that arise. He called himself a herald. Then a more pressing matter comes, when I think back to Rayquel. Well not the real Rayquel, but to the being that had been puppeteering her from the start. Or had she? Looking back on it there was a precise moment in time when Rayquel changed. She was one way before we gained the world tree seed, and another way after. At the time, I thought the change was due to having gone on a successful mission together. Then there was the successful pair bonding. But looking back on it, she had changed before the pair bonding as well.
Then there was the way she completely froze up during combat. I believe I can safely chalk that up to another point that the Rayquel that I first met, was completely different than the final Rayquel. That first Rayquel was much like the one here, cold and calculating. Also, I am pretty sure both wanted to punch me in the face, multiple times. The second Rayquel, or puppeteer Rayquel, never wanted to punch me in the face. In fact, she was rather off-putting, in the way she was overly aggressive towards me.
Had it not been for my chance encounter with Goldie, and the way we hit things off so easily, I would have likely tried to reach out to Rayquel at least once. If only to see if there was something there between myself and the real Rayquel. I can’t help that seeing her this time being so cold and distant towards me, stirred something within me. Worse, I could feel the pang from where part of my soul was missing.
I have to say that Pair Bonding is absolutely the most stupid thing one could create. Imagine going around all your life, being perfectly fine. Then boom, you find out part of your soul, a part that basically never existed before, was now residing within someone else. Then also, part of their soul was now in you. Thus, you never felt the lack of missing your part, because you were always comforted by the soul bond of the other. Now imagine a time loop comes, and reverses that, all except you can still feel that part of your soul is still active elsewhere. Somewhere so astronomically far away, that you might just think it as being a mental mirage. The only problem, is that you can still feel their soul, also being reciprocated in your own body.
So, two things. Well two things related to Rayquel. I need to get out and talk to this universe’s Rayquel to see if there could be anything between us. I know it sounds stupid, especially as the other Rayquel is in another universe entirely. But I need to see if there could be anything between us here, then if not, I need to find a way to break the connection.
Kill off part of your soul? Why do something so stupid and reckless? Simple. I find that I am doing things that I have no intention of doing. Or normally wouldn’t have any intention of doing.
Worse, I can’t even talk about these types of things to others. I fear that even the good doctor would likely try to have me committed, if he heard me saying any of these things. No, for now I need to be logical. I need to come up with perceived problems, then come up with solutions. Or if no solution exists, I at least need a valid way to confirm the problem really exists, scientific method and all that.
So, the problems as I see them.
1) Divine Beings exists, who use baubles to control or at the very least influence events.
Now as for ways to test this hypothesis.
Confront Jenna Da’anvil about the party from the night of the transition.
2) Prolaxian Infiltrators hide among us and use baubles? Can they give those bobbles to minions who will then act on their behalf?
Again, see conclusion one. Confront Jenna Da’anvil about the baubles used during the night of the transition.
3) Try to avoid future conversations about time travel.
Rationale: Well, this is tough, but really there are so many things to don’t make sense about my life, that I will likely miss half if I create a list. Still, I need to mark the most glaring holes and problems.
First, my overgrowing feelings for Goldie. I have only felt this deep of a connection one time prior. The fact that I just had this feeling break for a period of roughly two weeks, only to restart almost immediately again is concerning. See, I have a problem. I don’t like people, so despite how cool the Goldhammer was as a mentor and source to buy a mechanoid suit, I should still have reservations about getting into a relationship so quickly. Especially after Mel just died. I had wanted to take more time, well more than three or so weeks to get over her. But then I find myself madly drawn to her, without any clear reason.
This recent infatuation with Goldie, has also caused me to look at my previous relationship with Mel. There I was struck by her charm and beauty all at once. While falling quickly for one random girl is not unheard of, falling just as hard for two in the same way is. Worse, this time I can almost feel how wrong the emotions are. How they are being forced upon my mind. At first, I thought my Mind Shield would be more than enough to block such efforts, but what if I am wrong? What if these baubles are more powerful than they first appear?
In a way, being detained longer by the human military, while waiting for my next interrogation is a good thing. I would not be able to have had time to understand everything that was happening around me. Or at least come up with a to test my hypothesis.
Making a mental note, I check my current To Do items.
To Do:
Confront Jenna Da’anvil. See if she still has these odd baubles on her and get her to undo anything she has done.
Confront Rayquel. See if we do in fact have chemistry.
After reading my list, I realize why I will never write that down. As it looks like I am just trying to get a date with other women. Well women other than Goldie, which is wrong.
This brings me back to a point I made earlier. Avoid comments about time travel.
I pause.
As I pause, I can feel the tiny twinge of energy pulsing in my mind. The one telling me I am doing something wrong by focusing on women other than Goldie. Again, the only reason I even notice it, is that this same impulse had previously been reminding me of Mel. Even when I was multiple universes away. Even when I hadn’t seen her months. Even when the amount of time we had spent together, was three times less than the time that had gone by. Yes, there is something odd.
Puppy love is one thing.
Being a romantic idiot is one thing.
But falling for not one, but two women so quickly. God, I feel so stupid for missing it. But again, it is not until I felt the same type of controlling impulses in my mind, that I even realized the problem.
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I am about to go down an endless spiral when suddenly I am pulled from my endless cycle of musing.
Knock. Knock.
With that knock, the door opens, revealing two familiar military personnel. These are the two guards who have been escorting me to and from my various interrogations. That is why I am expecting to be taken to my next set of interrogations. What I am not expecting, however, is the news they offer me next.
“You are free to go.”
Hearing that, I pack my violin and am standing within seconds. From there we begin going out, I get my personal gear and effects from the different offices. I wonder why they let me keep the violin if they take everything else? Part of me knows that there is likely a channel of my music being recorded and streamed, earning the guards a bit of side cryptos. A part of me doesn’t care, as it meant I could keep my violin on hand.
While the violin was originally made from completely dormant particles of the Endarian world tree, I have felt some of the pieces coming to life recently. It seems the more I play, and the longer the branches stay near me, the more resonance they seem to absorb. I have also noticed that a lot of the problems I have had with being imbalanced are gone as well. Most of this is likely due to my recent increases in Magical abilities. These have helped me become mostly even in my approach to magic and psychic resonance again. But I can’t help that think some of my newfound balance is from the residual energy being absorbed by my the previously dormant wood of my violin. Just some final odd thoughts that flood my mind as I begin making my way out.
Now that the end of my incarceration is at hand, I find myself appreciating the time. Or at least, I realize I was able to use the time effectively.
I had a plan, the first of which I could do almost immediately.
However, there was a problem. When I get out, I don’t see Goldie, or her entourage.
Looking around, I realize the reception area is completely empty.
“Is Goldie going to be dismissed soon?” I ask.
The guard looks at me confused for a moment, then realization fills his features. “You mean the Goldhammer? Yeah, she’s been released. She was here so long that her visa expired, and she had to go back.”
“Oh yeah, I remember. We had to let her go within the first twenty-four hours of having her, lest we start an inter-galactic incident. Her being a VIP and all. They made a big deal about you too. Which is likely why you were released so early.” The Captain on duty, who oversaw the release of prisoners explained.
“Early?” I ask. I had been in at least a week.
“Yeah, they wanted to keep you longer. Oh, also I was told to give you this, when you got out.” The Captain, said as he held up a communicator of some kind.
I looked at the communicator, then out of habit I used Revelation Sight. There was a faint but bright light glowing from the communicator. Keeping my sight active, I reached out to touch the communicator.
Poof.
There was a faint hiss, as my Revelation Sight went active for a second. At which point the glowing light from within the communicator let up a stream of smoke. Then the tuft of smoke dissipated into the air.
No one else, aside from me seemed to notice the smoke. Though everyone saw the way the screen went blank upon my touching the device.
“That’s odd. I’d say there was an electrical discharge, but with crystalline batteries, that should not be the case.” The Captain says, looking at the communicator quizzically.
“That is just part of my charm with electronics.” I say, then realize something. “Speaking of which, where is my mech?”
“Right, about that.” The Captain said, as he scratched the back of his head. It was clear he was not looking forward to having to tell me what was going to come next. “I can give you a ticket that can be redeemed with your insurance agency. But the mech in question is completely gone. Also here is a thank you receipt for paying back your missing certs.”
He then hands me two receipts, that are also sent electronically.
I look at the forms. The first is for the confiscation of a mechanoid suit due to, biohazardous materials. The second is a receipt for my partial repayment of certs towards what was left as outstanding dues from my time with the Military Academy.
I look at the second receipt and first wonder where these certs came from. Then I remember my final battle with the Prolaxian Infiltrator. One that likely would have resulted in certs going to the storage pocket of the mech suit. A mech suit that was now part of the human military.
Sighing, I realize, once again the military has managed to dick me over. No ride, confiscated. No certs confiscated due to back dues that had been waived. And no one waiting for me, as they had already been forced to leave. I think about hailing a ride, but my communicator is broken. I am literally stranded, until I get off the post.
Fortunately, I know the path out of this academy well.
“So, I am just supposed to what? Walk out?” I ask.
The guards do look sad, as they know they are now expected to be the bearer of bad news. “Apparently. I am also supposed to tell you that your presence is being monitored, and that you have a little under two hours to leave the post, before you will be in violation of trespassing, again.”
“Wow.” That is all I can say about that. The military, just when you are down, they make sure that when they kick you, it is with steel toed boots, just so you know they thought about you.
With that, I have a mountain of paperwork, but I can put most of the important papers in my violin case. I also put my now broken communicator in the compartment that had been previously used to house the Endarian world-tree seed. I still don’t like the idea of having that piece of equipment pressed against my skin, at least not for the moment.
With that, I begin making my way off post. As I walk, I can see the different cameras down the street become active and seem to zoom in on me as I continue my walk out.
I could run, but that would almost be the same thing as giving in. Nope, I am going to use this time to continue going over my strategy for the future.
Honk, honk.
“Hey, do you need a ride?” A friendly female voice calls out.
I am about to tell them no when I look in and see the driver of the vehicle.
Badump.
My heart races as I see who it is. I am then reminded of the final words of the puppeteer, the one who said it was Jess, and always Jess that I was supposed to be with.
I take a step forward, then stop. This is too easy; something must be going on. With that, I use Revelation Sight, but I don’t see anything amiss.
Realizing I need to get off post quickly, and that my turning down a ride would likely raise alarms. I take in a calming breath, and smile before getting in the vehicle.
“Thank you.” I say, as I get in and my senses are overwhelmed with the relaxing scent of vanilla and honey.
“So where are you heading?” She asks.
At first, I pause, wondering why she is driving. Then I look at the dashboard clock, the one that tells the day of the week, month, and year. Friday at 17:47.
Looking at the time I realize Jess has likely just been released from her final formation for the weekend. I opt to avoid the comments about why she would be driving now, she used to hate driving. But noting this would likely cause more questions about how I know so much about her.
“Right now, I just need to get off post. Anywhere after that is a boon. So, thank you.” I say.
She nods. Then she is about to go forward, when she looks at me. “Did your boobs grow bigger?”
Hearing her ask her typical question about my muscles. I must laugh. “Oh, come on, my eyes are up here.” I say, gesturing to my heterochromia eyes.
She looks up, and then I see the moment she gets entranced by them. It is the same moment we begin sliding forward.
Panicking, I turn my head to look out. That is enough warning to Jess that she got distracted and took her foot off the brake.
“Right, driving.” She says mockingly.
With that, she blushed a bit, but then began slowly making her way off campus. She was going exceptionally slow, which I thought was odd as the Jess I knew was always a bit of a speed demon. Then again, only now did I realize, I didn’t know this Jess at all. The only thing I sort of know, is that she is interested in me. If I had any doubts, the number of side glances she is giving me, is enough to tell me.
Zip.
Just as I am thinking about Jess, I get an electrical impulse that reminds me of Goldie. My eyes bulge, as I realize how the thought was so subtle, and yet somehow forced upon me.
“You okay?” Jess asks.
I panic, wondering if she saw my reaction to outside stimuli.
“Yeah, why do you ask?” I begin.
“Oh, well it is just losing Melissa and all. I know you two were close.” Jess says a note of sympathy in her voice.
Right Mel. The girl who for all intents and purposes died right in the middle of our epic relationship. One that had been advertised across the universe as an inspirational love story to Endarians of all ages. A love story that for me had been missing for well over six months, closer to seven months currently. A relationship that I instantly abandoned and filled with Goldie if the current timeline was to be believed. Wow, I look like a jerk when put that way. No wait, I am a jerk, I just look like more of one, after all that. This is a topic that if I am not careful about will definitely show that I am either a callous jerk, or a time traveler. Honestly I'd rather not be associated with either for the moment.
“Yeah, it’s been tough.” I say, trying to come up with something.
“I saw her that day.”
“What?”
“The day she died. She died getting a lift right outside of Dr. Charleston’s office.” She paused as if recalling something. “Do you know why she was so frightened? At first, I thought you had done something to her, but then I found out you were battling the Prolaxians at that time.”
“Wait, you thought I had done something?”
“You are a guy, after all. I was going to give you a piece of my mind. But then I realized you had been locked in battle, and then detained afterward. So, I knew it wasn’t you.” She said.
Hearing that I couldn’t help but create more questions about what she was saying. She thought I would have done something to her to make her so frightened.
“Wait, she was frightened?” I ask.
“Yes, like her life was in danger frightened. I almost wonder if she had a premonition of her own impending death or something. But she was a War Wizard, right?” She asks.
“Yeah.”
“Do you think something from her past came to haunt her? I mean she was super rich, maybe she had enemies.” Jess began.
That sparked the thought of Mave. “Her aunt, or at least the lady who was taking care of her, before. She was a seer, a very powerful one if General Sharma was to be believed.” I state.
With that, I make a mental note to catch up with Mave. At the very least, I could likely gain some insights into how she uses her visions. Also, it would be good to know if Mel was always a divine being, or if her personality recently changed as well. This would mean a lot, as we might be able to start finding out who was being manipulated by the time their personality changed. Well changed without any real stimuli. I had changed a lot, but most of my changes were due to my awakening during my first Temple run.
Jess and I changed idle banter after that, and for the life of me I couldn’t tell you what we spoke about. My mind kept going back to the mention of Mel, and how she was frightened at the end. But what could have caused her, a divine being, to be frightened?
Then another more skeptical part of me thought it was still odd, how she disappeared right before I could confront her about the accusation laid down by Rayquel. The whole thing just seemed too perfect. Then there was Jess, who somehow always seemed to arrive at the right place, at the wrong time.
Looking at her causes my heart to ache slightly. I felt guilty for being attracted to her. Guilty because I was effectively two-timing or wishing to two time on Goldie. Then I realized I needed to contact Goldie, as that was likely part of my issue. My communicator broke, so I had no way of contacting her, to see how she was doing after everything.
So, I made a list of things to do.
First and foremost, get connected to my finances. Second, use finances to get a communicator. Then talk to and meet up with Goldie. Put in a claim against my insurance for a new Mechanoid suit. Then finally talk to Mave, to see if she was doing okay with everything.
Jess brought up a lot of good points, while I might be on from Mel. Others in her life might not be. So, I should do the nice thing and at least try to see if I could help.
“Thank you.” I say, as I get out of the vanilla and honey smelling vehicle and relax as I set out to do my tasks. It was going to be a long couple of hours. Fortunately, even at night, not many places slept, not anymore.