Blake and Harry packed up their RV and set off on the drive north from Cedar Creek to New Meridia. The roads north of Cedar Creek were mostly cleared by Frank and his goons, so they made decent time. The scenery was breathtaking as they drove through the rolling hills and dense forests of the Rocky Mountains.
As they got closer to New Meridia, the landscape changed dramatically. The wild and untamed wilderness of the mountains gave way to the sprawling metropolis of New Meridia. One skyscraper towered right in the center of the city, with a few other taller buildings surrounding it.
The building was a marvel of engineering, rising from the normally wild and untamed area of the mountains like a beacon of civilization. It was made of gleaming steel and glass, and it seemed to be almost alive with the energy of the city below.
The walls of New Meridia rose high, dwarfing the trees that surrounded the city. They appeared to be made of solid concrete and steel, reinforced with countless steel bars and studded with sharp iron spikes along the top.
The walls were painted a gleaming white that stood out against the natural green of the surrounding forest. They stretched out as far as the eye can see, encircling the entire city.
The walls were dotted with guard towers and fortified gates, which would probably be heavily guarded at all times by soldiers armed with weapons and power cards. The gates themselves were massive, made of solid steel and adorned with intricate metalwork.
“I’ve never seen anything like that in all my life,” Harry said as he leaned forward over the dashboard to get a better look at New Meridia.
“This whole place was wilderness a few days ago. There’s no way that a city like that could have just appeared out of nowhere. Not unless there really was some super rare power card behind all of this.”
“Do you think they built those walls that high to keep people out, or to keep something in?”
Blake shrugged. “If New Meridia is going to be the hub of activity for Challengers out here from now on, it makes sense they’d want to protect their citizens. Frank was telling me that if you are the Lord of the city or leader of a settlement or something like that you also accumulate a portion of the resources that your citizens collect. The more powerful your citizens are, the more powerful your city is, and by extension, how powerful you are.”
Harry scoffed. “So the new world is pretty much just like the old one then. The rich and the powerful keep being the rich and the powerful, leeching off all of us who are willing to get our hands dirty. Check out the new world, same as the old world!”
Blake remembered something his AI assistant had said about the destabilization of the status quo this system would do after it arrived. He wasn't sure that repeating it to Harry was a good idea, but he did it anyway.
If they were going to be working together for a little while, then Blake didn't want any secrets between them. Well, no secrets aside from the fact that his cards didn't work like they should, of course.
“So, if this system is actively trying to destabilize things, why is it letting power consolidate in one particular area?” Harry asked.
Blake didn't have a good answer, but he could speculate. “I can't speak for the system, but absolutely anyone could have gotten their hands on a City Card. This Clay Atlas guy could just be some random guy like us who stumbled across it in the wild. Once you pick a card up, it gets bound to you. Did you know that once a card is bound, you can't actually get rid of it without either trading it or losing it in a duel?”
“I didn't know that,” Harry said. “And the system never shows you what a card is until you actually pick it up. I mean, you can kind of tell what it will be if it's a monster you defeat because those abilities align to whatever the monster can do. If you find it randomly in the wild though, you have to pick it up before you figure out what it is. You could end up having some messed up card bound to you with nothing you can do.”
“Lots to think about, and yes, you could end up put in a bad position by the system,” Blake said. “Anyway, I want to listen to that radio station my parents mentioned.”
Blake tuned the radio into the right station, and a smooth feminine voice came in on the airwaves.
“Good morning, New Meridia! This is your morning show, The Daily Grind, with your favorite host, Felicity Dandridge! We’re coming to you live from the beating heart of our new city, and I’ve got the latest news, weather, and entertainment for you all! This is also a quick reminder that if you’re a Challenger, New Meridia is the place to be! We offer sanctuary to all, but Challengers will have a great chance to grow their power, rank, and influence in the city!”
An upbeat jingle played, breaking up Felicity’s speech.
“First up, the news! The New Meridia city council has just announced that anyone who has a public-use facility card and uses it to improve the city will be granted their own luxury apartment, right in the center of the city! Currently the council are looking for anyone with a hospital card in particular. If you have a hospital card, you’ll be granted three exclusive luxurious apartments right in the tower in the center of the city! You can then give these to whoever you like. Pretty awesome, right?”
Blake and Harry shared a look. “You don’t have any facility cards, do you?” Harry asked.
“No. It wasn’t a facility card I got from Frank. You got that spear card from Joel, right? Then one he used in battle?” Blake asked.
“Yeah, it’s called Stone Spear. So I’ve got two different elemental abilities now, Fire and Earth, which is pretty rad. What did you get?”
“I don’t really want to talk about it,” Blake said.
“Oof. That bad, huh? Is it going to negatively impact me?”
“No. I can guarantee you that this is something that only I can deal with.”
Felicity Dandridge kept talking on the radio. “In weather news, we’re in for a beautiful day today, with sunny skies, and a temperature in the mid-70s. If you’re heading into the great outdoors to hunt monsters or look for more power cards, make sure you grab your sunscreen and hat before heading out! Now, it’s also time for our daily entertainment update. New Meridia would like to welcome a fearsome Rank 3 Challenger to the city! He’s already made a name for himself by climbing the rankings early, it’s the Master of Flame, Heath Ryder! Known for his relentless aggression and unmatched skills, and a roster of leveled up and evolved cards within days of the system coming to Earth, he’s not afraid to take on any Challenger. Will you be the one to rise to the challenge and defeat Heath in the arena? All Challengers will be accepting fight requests from 7pm tonight at the New Meridia Arena, so come on down!”
Blake shared a knowing look with Harry.
“I'm not going to be able to stop you from fighting in the arena, am I?” Blake asked.
Harry grinned. “I've got two power cards now, so it’d be silly if I didn't try to level up the ones I have and gain more. Besides, did you know that you can just have informal duels in an arena? You don't actually have to wager any of your cards if you don't want to.”
“No, actually I didn't know that. That's good to know, though.”
“Yeah, I was browsing through the info in the database earlier, and it was saying that one of the best ways to level up your cards is to go and fight informal duels at an arena. The downside is that you only gain a fraction of the experience you would in the outside world, but you don't have to wager losing your cards to have a duel. Plus, you get to practice fighting another human, which will be very different to fighting monsters and empowered animals.”
“I can see the appeal,” Blake said. “But you will need to be wary. If you're at one of those arena locations and somebody around the same rank actually challenges you to a duel, you have to accept. If you forfeit, you automatically lose one of your cards, and you've only got two. You wouldn't want someone to come in, challenge you, and have them just take your cards, right?”
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“Hmm, that's a good point that I hadn't thought of.”
“It's a bit of a double-edged sword.”
Blake and Harry drove their RV toward the towering walls of New Meridia, which were surrounded by guards. As they approached, the massive gates slowly began to open, revealing the bustling city within. People and vehicles moved further along the street, though there was a heavily armed presence of soldiers waiting right inside the walls.
"Wow," Harry breathed as he gazed up at the sight of the towering skyscraper and sleek, modern buildings that made up the city's skyline. "This is it, Blake. I’ve got a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore."
Blake nodded, his eyes taking in the throngs of people bustling about the city's streets.
"Of course we’re not in Kansas. We’re in Colorado. This city’s way bigger than I thought it would be," Blake said. "And there are a lot more people here than I expected."
A notification appeared as Blake drove the RV slowly through the gates.
NOTICE: City Lord Clay Atlas has decreed that duels can only occur in official dueling arenas in New Meridia. If you want to pick a fight with someone, take it outside the walls of New Meridia.
Penalties shall be decided on to fit the crime. Minimum sentence for fighting outside of a sanctioned duel: 5 days hard labor.
Within the New Meridia Arena, Challengers may decline duel requests without forfeiting cards. This amendment to The System’s rules has been decided by City Lord Clay Atlas.
“Did you get that notification, too?” Harry asked.
“Sounds like the city is pretty safe, and we won’t be able to be ambushed for our cards. That’s a nice surprise.”
As they drove deeper into the city, they were awed by the sheer size and scope of the place. The buildings grew taller and more elaborate, and the streets were filled with all manner of vehicles, from sleek sports cars to massive trucks and buses.
Many of them had dents or scrapes. Others were singed black from fire. It looked like everyone who made it to New Meridia had a story to tell about their journey.
Finally, they arrived at a large, gleaming arena that dominated the center of the city. A massive crowd was gathered outside, cheering and shouting as they watched two Challengers dueling.
A young woman with long black hair held a flame whip in one hand. The other Challenger, a young man with a shaved head, had stone claws on the ends of his fingers. He dodged out of the way of a flame whip strike and closed the distance.
Blake smiled, feeling a thrill of excitement run through him. They had come a long way to get here.
Finally, he could start the search for his parents.
“Now where the hell am I going to start?” Blake asked.
“I'm assuming you are talking about your parents,” Harry replied.
Blake nodded. “Maybe they've got some kind of disaster center set up or something like that. They usually have something like that when something terrible happens right?”
“You mean those things where people can say I'm looking for my loved ones, these are their names, that kind of thing?”
“Yeah, exactly. If I know my dad, and I do, he's probably going to try and keep a low profile. But that doesn't really work when my mum's around, because she's always getting her nose into everybody else's business and trying to fix everything herself.”
Harry laughed at that. “Sounds like our mothers would get along.”
“My Mom despises anyone who is like her. She’ll never admit it, but damn if she doesn’t roast them behind their backs.”
Harry and Blake both laughed at that, deep and true.
“So if we can't find a disaster center or anything like that, maybe we can go where there are the most people in need of help. Maybe someone has heard of your mom or your dad and can point us in the right direction.”
“Maybe.”
Blake and Harry never got the chance to decide what they wanted to do next, because a group of armed soldiers stepped in front of their slowly rolling RV. The squad was dressed in a strange, futuristic looking outfit and held an assault rifle across their chest.
The nearest soldier made a winding motion with his arm, instructing Blake to wind his window down.
Eager to remain un-shot, Blake complied. He wound the window down and put on his best friendly voice and smile.
“We heard about this place on the radio. Did I hear it right that you're looking for Challengers to help out in the city?” Blake asked.
Harry gave an awkward wave, which was accompanied by an even more awkward smile.
“Are you saying that you two have power cards?” The main soldier in the center of the formation asked in a tone that made Blake feel as though revealing this information had been a very bad idea. Before Blake could say anything else the soldier whistled to a nearby soldier of lesser rank, then spoke again. “Scan them.”
The other soldier joined the leader’s side. He drew a card from his pocket and played it. Light exploded from the card and rushed straight toward Harry and Blake.
Blake wanted to run, feeling like he’d made a serious mistake coming here.
“They both have power cards,” the soldier confirmed. His eyes were covered in a milky sheen almost like he had cataracts going all the way around his eyeballs.
Blake tried to play it cool, while he worried about what was going to happen next.
“Yeah, both Harry and I have power cards. That's why we came. Your radio broadcast said you needed people with power cards to help build your city in exchange for safety and a place to live. Well, Denver was just about to fall when I left, and my hometown of Cedar Creek has been taken over by a gang of ruffians. I have nowhere else to go.”
The head soldier seemed to weigh this advice up. He nodded. “Open the back of your vehicle and prepare for inspection. Are they any weapons or items of contraband hidden aboard your vehicle?”
“No there’s not. The back’s open and you can just head back inside, we've got no one stashed away, and nothing hidden except for some supplies we found on the road. Food, some camping supplies, that kind of thing. It’s all on the shelves above the kitchenette.”
The head soldier climbed in the back and opened all the cupboards, lifted all of the cushions and the mattress, turning out the entire vehicle. It almost looked like he was searching for something specific.
“What's the blonde guy's story?” the head soldier asked.
“Me?” Harry asked.
“I don't see any other blonde people in this RV. Yes, you. What's your story?”
“Well I'm not sure how much you know about The System and how it likes to cause trouble, but the first thing that happened when all of this kicked off was that a bunch of power cards landed in the campground I was staying at, which turned into a free-for-all bloodbath. I managed to get a card myself and flee into the forest on the side of the mountain, and then the system decided to give me a quest which I thought was gonna kill me if I didn't do it.”
“The quest was to capture me,” Blake said. “He chased me until I found a power card of my own. We fought, he explained what had happened and… I guess I forgave him.”
The soldier focused on Blake and Harry then. Before, they had just been another annoyance that the soldier needed to check off his task list, but Blake got the distinct feeling that he'd been through something similar when all of this kicked off.
“Yeah, the system is a bastard,” the head soldier agreed, then winced. “Damn. I shouldn’t have said that out loud.”
“Why?” Blake asked.
“Some of the guys say that if you badmouth the system it gives you worse quests to do horrible things when you leave the city. The City Lord runs things inside these walls, but outside it’s still a free for all.”
“Bloodbath,” Harry said, echoing his previous comments.
“Exactly,” the head soldier agreed. “Okay, everything here looks clean, but there are some things you need to know about life in New Meridia. There’s good news and there’s bad news, but I’ll start with the good. You are both now citizens of New Meridia. You will be provided with a place to stay and enough food rations to stay alive.”
“The bad news is now that you are a citizen of New Meridia you will be issued with work orders throughout the week. If you do not complete those work orders then you will be stripped of your citizen status, and if this continues, you will be exiled from the city. Do you have any questions?”
Blake grit his teeth, but he never let that fake smile leave his face. As he’d feared, the message on the radio was too good to be true.
It was funny. His father always said that you attract more flies with honey than vinegar, and that’s just what New Meridia had done. Ironically, his father had been caught by the honey too.
But the promise of sanctuary and safety wasn’t what drew Blake here in the first place anyway.
He had to come here to find his parents.
His father had a long and storied history of managing his own successful businesses. His mother had many different talents, especially when it came to sewing and making clothes.
If there was a burgeoning populace here in New Meridia, both of their talents would be extremely sought after. He had no doubt that his parents would be here somewhere, also being assigned with work order tasks in exchange for sanctuary and food rations.
“Well, what do you have to say about that?” the head soldier asked.
A couple of the soldiers standing behind him sneered and held their guns a little tighter, almost as though they were hoping that Blake and Harry would react poorly to the revelation of the trap they’d just stumbled into.
“Like I said, we're more than happy to earn our keep. You guys are keeping people safe in a world that’s going to hell, and as far as I’m concerned we’re just helping out with a good fight,” Blake said.
The soldiers behind the leader visibly relaxed and shared confused looks, as if they’d expected this to be resolved with guns and cards.
“Well I’m glad to hear it,” the head soldier said. “Let me just add your identities here into our citizen database, and you will start to receive work orders as they are given.”
“Say, I’m looking for some more people who were at Cedar Creek but weren’t there when we arrived. They left a message for us that said they were coming to New Meridia. If you have a database of citizens, could you please check on these two people for me?”
“I can’t release any information about the whereabouts of other citizens of New Meridia,” the head soldier said firmly. “You might want to go to the Births, Deaths, and Marriages registry when they open in a few days. They’re tracking all the new arrivals.”
Blake grumbled, but there wasn’t much else he could do. “So where do we go for our housing?”
“You’ll want to head west along Central Boulevard until you see the massive apartment block. Head in there and you’ll be assigned to a dwelling. Welcome to New Meridia!”