Evelin – City #792
The day the world changed Evelin had suffered loss and confusion like the rest of humanity.
As a child of Dutch and Slovenian parents, she’d been brought up to be thankful to be born in the home of the brave and land of the free, America. She’d found her partner Max in college and given up her dream of becoming a lawyer, when she fell pregnant, to stay at home and raise their daughter Felicity.
So when all she had known of suburban Wisconsin had evaporated in a flash of blue white light, she had lost part of her very identity as a young American woman. Desperately she had franticly sought her toddler and partner.
The fraught days gradually bled into morose weeks, then the morose weeks devolved into anguished months before Evelin finally succumbed to the soul destroying helplessness that permeated her ever waking moment. Bereft of any logical rhyme or reason for her abrupt loss with no avenue of recourse that her traumatized mind could glean, she ended up sitting alone in her Habitation Unit and staring at its white blank wall.
When she had been teleported from the Outpost for not having renewed her Habitation Unit lease, it had been just another abuse visited on her by a cold and detached system that had supplanted all she had once known.
Later, after she had spent two days in the arid wilderness of Alpha Zone #790 fleeing from scorpions, lizards and spiders, something within her had finally snapped. Instead of running she had turned to face the pack of Sand Skinks that hounded her and brought her [Crude Spear] to bear with a fury that she had not known was in her.
Panting and covered in scratched and cuts, with a nasty bite wound to her calf, she sat there dazedly inspecting the notifications which now occupied her vision:
You have slain Sand Skink level 2, experience awarded.
You have slain Sand Skink level 1, experience awarded.
You have slain Sand Skink level 1, experience awarded.
You have leveled up.
You have slain Sand Skink level 1, experience awarded.
You have slain Sand Skink level 1, experience awarded.
You have slain Sand Skink level 2, experience awarded.
You have slain Sand Skink level 2, experience awarded.
You have slain Sand Skink level 1, experience awarded.
You have leveled up.
As she allocated her attribute points she felt power flow into her battered frame, breathing that little bit easier. Finally feeling able to do something for the first time since her world had been taken from her.
The sensation of emancipation was short lived however when ‘they’ came for her the next day.
‘They’ were a Party of four men and one woman.
The men all stank like they had not washed in weeks and wore identical lustful grins while the woman followed behind them timidly whilst she fearfully glanced at the men from time to time.
When she had managed to stab one of them in the thigh before they captured her, they beat her into unconsciousness for daring to offer resistance. When she came too, she was sore in a way that let her know that her freedom was not the only thing they had taken from her.
The days that followed turned into a soul-crushing routine of servicing the men, being beaten for some unannounced wrong doing, eating as much leftover scraps as he broken jaw would allow, then passing out only to roused while one of her captors had their way with her while the others looked on.
But as her body healed faster than it should have and the monsters they ran into claimed one of her torturers, her listless stare at the ground hardened, consoled only with dreams of doing the same.
Evelin was uncertain exactly how long she had borne their capricious indignities. Only cognitively knowing its end date as the time another band of monsters found them in the dead of night.
This time it was a group of Goblins that had them surrounded.
At first she was happy to just watch her captors die painful deaths, but then in the middle of the chaos of the battle, her mind harked back to the feeling of power and freedom she had felt in what seemed to be another life.
When another of her jailors corpses fell in front of her with a bone knife lodged in its back, she fanned the spark of freedom that still burned within her. Scrambling to cut her twine bonds amidst the shouting and clashing of weapons, having only just managed to free her chafed and bloody wrists before one of the small green assailants was upon her.
She fell back as the monster lunged at her and brought up the bone dagger in a fraught defense, to sink into its naked green chest:
You have slain Goblin Scout level 1, experience awarded.
Grinning as its warm blood painted her filthy rags she’d once called clothes, Evelin steadied her breathing for the revenge to come.
When the dawn came, she was not alone in the clearing of corpses. The bodies of her tormentors lay amongst the strewn goblin dead in a fitting tableau.
However she was not alone in baring witness to such a gruesome and glorious sight.
The fearful and dominative woman that was part of her now dead captors Party, hung at the edge of the rocky clearing, clutching a bloody and mangled arm.
Seeing the useless woman who had done nothing to help her throughout her torment and suffering made Evelin’s becalmed blood boil anew. Even when faced with certain death she had simply run around in the maelstrom of the fight like a headless chicken as she screamed and cried ineffectually at a chasing Goblin.
Giving voice to her once hidden rage the Apprentice Spearwoman unleashed it at the stupid girl that shivered while clutching a wizened tree.
“aaaaaAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”
The girl shied away from Evelin’s outpouring of emotion, yet she did not flee.
In the days that followed the young woman trailed silently behind her as she wandered the arid landscape and fought for her new freedom. She never joined her in combat, merely waiting till the fighting concluded or if targeted, employed her default defensive tactic of running and screaming.
Eventually Evelin’s hatred for the girl ebbed as she began to realize she was just a frightened child, traumatized like her, yet lacking that will to fight the new world she had been forced into.
In the weeks the pair travelled in uneasy silence, Evelin took it upon herself to give the other woman the tools necessary to survive this brutal and uncaring world.
In the beginning the girl was an unwilling participant to the endeavor, Evelin eventually having to resort to tying a dagger to her hand with some monster sinew and throwing her at a low level Sand Snake.
After the event the girl had found her voice enough to curse her out for a full ten minutes before she relented in the face of Enelin’s unrepentant grin. And so gradually and grudgingly, the young woman fought with her against the new horrors and together they became strong.
Fastidiously she stored the currency that was a staple of the new world order as they went, unsure exactly what to do with it but canny enough to collect it none the less. Oddly enough, Evelin never thought to return to the Outpost until several months after her expulsion, the traumas that haunted her and the day to day struggle an almost welcome self-flagellation. Yet once the decision solidified in her mind, she was mocked with a transparent, green arrow of guidance.
When the two walked into the Outpost clad in crude furs and sporting items clearly magical in nature the guards attempted to convince them to leave their equipment with them. Refusing to be taken advantage of ever again Evelin and the mute woman attempted to leave and were thus pursued by the avarice stricken guards.
Once the fighting had ceased, the two women stood bloody and battered, yet victorious amongst the corpses of the previously greed driven men. They had collected compensation for their efforts from the dead before returning to the now un-guarded Outpost.
Having learnt to utilize the warped and cruel system over the months that flowed into years, Evelin gathered other like her before managing to claim stewardship of the Outpost and upgrade it first to a Settlement, then eventually to a full blown City.
That was not the only thing she had succeeded in establishing however, and though she was loathed to admit, over time she’d come to realize, she’d become a bacon to the scarred and defenseless.
Claiming new herself and along with it an equally new role, she endeavored to make a place for all other women in this hellish world where they could survive in relative safety or fight for their place with their new sisters should they so choose.
Thus the The Valkyries of Gaia were formed. A shield for all earths surviving women and a family to all those unwilling or unable to take up arms.
She knew it was not a perfect solution to the predicament humanity now faced, but as the leader of the faction she could see no better solution to providing protection to the downtrodden survivors available to her.
Which led Evelin to where she sat at the head of a conference table situated in City #792’s central Administrative Hub.
She watched the Initiate Diplomats of the five other remaining major factions, humans had thus far managed to cobble together since E-Day, save for NFA and the aberration that was Benjamin, file in and take their predetermined seats.
To her immediate left sat Wang, an unassuming middle aged Chinese man with serious and penetrating hazel eyes. His hair a crew cut of short black hair as he donned a light red robe with a black stylized dragon that was the hallmark of The Asian Union.
On her far left lounged Bartosh, a pale and wiry German man of no more than 30 who represented The European Conglomerate. The man in question lazily toyed with a free strand of his blond hair that framed his angular features, the rest of which resting in a neat pony tail. The stylized hair ended before it reached the hem of his thick blue robe, and judging by his stylized and blatantly casual affectations, Evelin could tell that she thoroughly disliked the man already.
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In the center of the five, sitting opposite her was Gloria. The Initiate Diplomat of The Free Consortium. The stout New Zealand woman had a matronly demeanor as she sat in her grey robe with hands loosely clasped in front of herself. Her hair black sporting streaks of grey that managed to accent a crinkled and tanned face that could belong to just about any middle aged woman of Maori decent.
To her far right say L. Evelin was unsure if they were originally male or female, but when her own Initiate Diplomat Celeste had asked for how Initiate Diplomat of The Undefined faction wished to be addressed, they had allowed that ‘they’ was preferential. And so ‘they’ were sitting at stiff attention whilst wearing white robes that were in stark contrast to their smooth jet black hair, and if Evelin had to hazard a guess she would say they were of Italian decent, as their thick black eyebrows overshadowed brown eyes that were set in a unnervingly gender neutral face.
The final figure closest to her right was Carl, who represented The American Territorial Army. The man was dressed in [Elevant’s Essential Gear] as if to mock the other Initiate Diplomats choice of attire, while sporting short brown wavy hair that framed his tan, traditionally handsome face. He was the first to speak in a jovial almost mocking tone, whilst eschewing the typical American male bravado she’d become accustomed to growing up.
“I for one would like to thank our hosts The Valkyries of Gaia, for being generous enough to host this summit.”
Not one to be outdone on flowery language, Wang swiftly followed suit in a heavy mandarin accent.
“We of the The Asian Union would also like to extend our thanks to our gracious hosts.”
Clearly disinterested in the attempted maneuvering, Bartosh blithely added with a Germanic lilt.
“Ya ya we are grateful too.”
In juxtaposition L, with barely a hint of a Mediterranean accent, confirmed.
“The Undefined would also like to convey our sincere thanks for providing this neutral setting for the summit to take place.”
Nodding her head in agreement, Gloria proffered.
“The Free Consortium, while not in agreement on many things, would like to offer our wholehearted thanks for the venue and oversight.”
Waving the Initiate Diplomats’ words off, Evelin drew a line under the pointless platitudes with a no nonsense tone as she countered.
“Thanks for the thanks people, now let’s get down to why we’re gathered here shall we? As leader of The Valkyries, our position on this Quest is a hard ‘Do not complete.’”
Sharing concerned looks, three of the five attendees paused for a moment before L spoke in monotonic delivery.
“The Undefined, also has reviewed the Quest information and have no desire to complete it at this time.”
Visibly bristling this time Wang barely beat out Carl in his bluster.
“What is the meaning of this? You do not seriously wish us to believe that your two factions want no part of this Quest’s multi-million’s worth of Manamotes REWARD!?!?”
Clearing his throat in an effort to reign in his shared disbelief and sound more equitable, Carl spoke as if measuring each of his words in his Detroit tinted accent.
“What my counterpart from The Asian Union is trying to say is that there is more than enough rewards for anyone involved in the Quest completion to benefit handsomely. Hell if you guys both only throw five or ten thousand people in, that could still reward your people enough to upgrade all of your owned Outposts to City’s and equip all your forces for their next thirty levels!”
Shaking her head in disappointment, Evelin countered.
“I’m not sure you gentlemen have read and understood the Quests information correctly, or maybe your greed has blinded you to the danger it represents.”
Bristling at her rebuke the two men’s ire was now focused upon Evelin when Gloria cleared her throat and spoke in a motherly tone.
“Now gentlemen, we are all grownups at this table, and I also think it wise to not anger our host…however I would like you to qualify what you mean by ‘the danger it represents’ please dear?”
Trying to hide her smirk at the older woman’s form of address and failing, Evelin replied.
“Just what I said, its right there in the quest information…‘Caution: Once the Phasic Boss is defeated this will initiate the planets shift to Phase 2, prepare accordingly!’“
Pausing for a moment to look to the other attendees she waited until Wang was about to speak again before she continued
“And if that wasn’t concerning enough, the last bit states ‘Warning: Engaging the Phasic Zone Boss will break its containment field and cause it to traverse Zones randomly should it not be defeated!’…Now I don’t know about you lot, but every interaction I’ve had with this system in the past eight or so years has taught me that it is anything but codling…So when I read the word ‘Caution’ closely followed by ‘Warning’ I tend to take fucking note of what’s written!”
Receiving glares for her troubles L chimed in, in monotonic enunciation.
“We must also confess that this is what has caused us to not wish to complete the Quest. Our people are simply not ready or willing to face whatever an increase in phase means, or worse yet face something that one hundred thousand or more level ninety and above individuals may potentially fail to subjugate.”
Scoffing Wang said in a dismissive yet audible whisper.
“Your ‘People’..”
A flash of anger crossed L’s face as she shot back.
“Do you have something to say chairman meow!?!?”
Sputtering, he was about to snap back at them when Carl waved a halting hand in Wang’s direction and said.
“Look…L…We didn’t come here to pick a fight, but you have to admit, it is more than a little suspicious that your two groups would choose to sit this one out, right?”
Calming themself L recollected their composure and looked at Carl before shrugging in response. Wang too having reigned in his outrage took a different tact as he supplied.
“Seeing as we are going to be short on numbers for this operation, perhaps we should try and secure Benjamin’s Co-operation?”
This time the reaction was almost unanimous as a chorus of outrage exited all but Gloria’s mouth.
Sitting upright for the first time since the meeting had begun, Bartosh’s voice cut across the protests, with an undeniable hint of iron in it.
“Don’t accuse others of playing games Wang, if you yourself also are down in the sand pit with the rest of them!...You cannot seriously be entertaining the idea of teaming up with that…that…monster…We are not even sure he is human…”
Just then a new voice spoke into the heated atmosphere, however it was not one from an individual present in the room.
“This is P1, I have just received word from runner, Harlan said ‘Is done’.”
There was a moments silence as everyone attempted to interpret the meaning of the transmission and the blossoming smile on Gloria’s face.
Chalking it up to an unrelated matter, Evelin ignored the interruption of the voice from The Freedom Consortium’s representatives [Communication Necklace], and added her own voice of caution, saying.
“Look…Wang… When you and Shakti were duking it out, I know he took out some of their cities and gave you some breathing room. But every source I know tells me the guys an unstable murderous asshole…So please…for the love of whatever passes for god these days… don’t think that anything but death comes from dealing with that abomination…”
Smirking as if he is a cat amongst the pigeons, Wang countered.
“This is a new world, and I think you can all agree that cautious and methodical measures are things of the past, yes?”
L shoot a concerned look to Evelin and Bartosh looked like he was about to speak, when the still unfazed and slightly smirking Gloria, finally interceded.
“I would not be counting on any assistance from Benjamin for quite some time if I were you Wang…”
All sound died as every eye in the room tracked to the unthreatening and motherly representative of The Free Consortium.
Narrowing his eyes in annoyed suspicion, Wang queried.
“What makes an old woman like yourself, so certain of such a thing?”
Chortling at his petty attempt to get under her skin Gloria countered.
“Oh Wang my dear…If your people spent half as much time networking and forging alliances as you do conducting senseless wars you would share my…certainty…”
Thoroughly outraged now, the Initiate Diplomat for The Asian Union lectured angrily.
“It was not like any one present today were doing anything about the Shakti’s expansionist agenda! There was no reasoning with them! It even took the Americans losing two Settlements before they eventually developed enough of a backbone, to help us push the domineering maniacs back!”
Glowering at the room he hesitated, visibly reigning in his annoyance before continuing in a much more measured tone.
“The Asian Union deeply regrets the necessity of forcefully disbanding The Shakti... We found no joy in the lives lost on both sides by the utterly avoidable conflict. Our people too paid a terrible price with the deaths of many great warriors to achieve the noble victory!”
Pausing once more to allow his words to hopefully sway those present he finished with an inclination of his head to Carl.
“We would also like to acknowledge the sacrifices made by The American Territorial Army and their citizens that helped ensure the success of this campaign.”
Speaking into the now silent room, the Initiate Diplomat of The European Conglomerate scoffed.
“Ya ya, you are all terribly noble and reluctant genocidal bastards. We applaud your humility and restraint while oppressing the subsumed nationalities of Korea, Japanese, Taiwan, Malaysia, etcetera, etcetera…”
This caused the recent becalmed Wang to turn red once more as he snapped back.
“I will not be lectured by some Russian oligarchs Puppet!”
Eyes transforming into slits of anger, Bartosh was about to retort when Evelin had finally had enough of their childish point scoring and cut in.
“Would you all just quit bickering for one DAMN SECOND!?”
Receiving amused looks from some and even a raised eyebrow from the interrupted German man, she cleared her throat and continued.
“Ahem…Now what is it you are not telling us Gloria?”
Beaming in a self-satisfied manner the New Zealand lady answered.
“Well seeing as you asked so…politely…I have been informed that an individual is currently undertaking a plan that will have the monster that is Benjamin, out of action for a sizeable amount of time...”
Sharing confused and surprised glances Bartosh blithely responded.
“Oh sure sure, some freedom fantasist is going to manage to do what whole regiments of level 60 and higher Indians could not…”
Shaking his head, the Initiate Diplomat of The American Territorial Army added.
“I never thought I would say this, but I’m in agreement with my European college…If someone had a way to take that nuttjob off the board they woulda done it by now!”
Smile having never wavered, the Initiate Diplomat of The Freedom Consortium replied.
“I would agree with you too, if this individual was not a tried and true ally and a dual Uncommon classer at level 99.”
Evelin felt her jaw slacken and her eyes bulge involuntarily, at the woman’s reserved declaration. Shaking herself from her moment of shock, she saw the others around the table having similar looks of shock and disbelief briefly navigate their own faces.
This time the disbelieving L, saw fit to question the quietly confident woman.
“That too must be a fabrication, t-there are no individuals verified to be above the level of 94?”
Genuinely surprised this time, it was Gloria’s turn to sound quietly incredulous.
“Certainly your mighty factions have multiple individuals at level cap by now?
The shock rippled through the others once more as they took a moment to digest this fresh bombshell.
Coughing into his closed fist Carl asked, unable to completely scour the tremor from his voice.
“H-hold on a moment there Gloria, what do you mean by multiple? For that matter what the hell do you mean by ‘level cap’!?”
Chortling jovially, the Initiate Diplomat of The Freedom Consortium replied.
“Oh deary me, I seem to need to take my own advice and spend more time information gathering now don’t I?”
Pausing to shake her head in bemusement she continued.
“Well it seems our efforts to foster a free and welcoming society in the world we now find ourselves, has paid for its self hasn’t it?....My apologies, I don’t mean to gloat and I’m honestly surprised by this revelation myself…now where was I?”
“Ahh yes, we have at least three people that we know of, whose main classes have been at level cap for a while now. We sadly would have had three more, but there was an unfortunate incident involving an Alien Emissary….There’s also another Party of five that are approaching 98 I believe, and though some of them only have one Uncommon class, it is still quite an achievement…”
Looking around the room to confirm the stunned silent representatives still had nothing to add, she furthered.
“The term level cap came from one of the level 99 individuals I believe…he used to dabble in video games or some such, but that bit is irrelevant I suppose…The point is, it seems that unless we progress towards Phase 2, the highest we can reach is level 99.”
“Now before you call me a liar again, I will remind you all that this individual has been proven trustworthy time and again and is considered a pillar of our ‘Adventurers’. Furthermore, I would take his word over any of yours in a heartbeat…”
Crossing her arms as she finished, the rest were still digesting the new information when Wang commanded.
“The Asian Union demands to meet this individual and verify this information immediately!”
While she scoffed at the man’s demand, Carl spoke in a more conciliatory tone.
“Gloria, if what you say is true and this person does indeed have a way to remove that abomination from play, then The American Territorial Army respectfully requests that you share the method used to detain Benjamin. Furthermore we request you share the identity and whereabouts of those level 99 individual’s with the rest of us!”
Openly snickering now, Gloria retorted.
“You boys don’t honestly believe The Freedom Consortium would be dumb enough to hand over the information on some of the strongest people in existence, just because you asked, right?”
Taking a moment to laugh some more, Evelin entreated the smug Initiate Diplomat.
“I hope you can see that withholding vital information from everyone in this room does no one any good Gloria?”
Then turning to the other representatives in turn she continued.
“We have already lost so many and I fear if we continue in our infantile yammering, we will likely lose many more as a result!”
As the mirth on the New Zealand woman’s face evaporated, she nodded somberly at her genuine plea and conceded.
“Sorry deary…you are right of course…I’m too old to be getting caught up in these charades…I stand by my sentiment however of protecting my people from enticements, blackmail or threats...”
As the others were about to protest again she held up a silencing hand that was accompanied by a serious expression, as she continued.
“What I can offer everyone here at this table though, is an iron clad guarantee that all of the high leveled individuals I mentioned will be participating in the upcoming quest.”
Breaking from her serious tone and reverting back to her motherly façade she finished.
“Although to be fair, if I told them not to at this point, the tenacious little buggers would probably cut me down to do it anyway!”
This earned her a round of chuckles as the tension in the room eased slightly.
Thinking for a moment on what had been said, Evelin came to a decision that she hoped would not be a terrible mistake, and offered.
“While I personally think this Quest is a fool’s errand…In light of The Freedom Consortium’s guarantee that Benjamin is not a threat whilst we undertake it in a timely manner, I will make an announcement across all my habitations. It will state that should anyone wish to participate in the Quest, they shall do so with my blessing…I will not order them mind you…But I will also not stand in their way.”
After she felt she had dispensed her role as The Valkyries of Gaia’s head, she added with a regretful smile.
“Lord knows I would like to take to the field with them, but someone has to keep things in working order!”
Smiles and nods of approval were displayed in response as The Undefined’s representative cleared their throat self-consciously, before speaking to the already pleasantly surprised attendee’s.
“Ehem…In light of Gloria’s promise and The Valkyries new stance on the Quest, I can tentatively commit to some of our people being interested in participating of their own accord. I cannot guarantee numbers but a conservative estimate of five thousand would not be unrealistic in this instance.”
Letting out a whoop, Carl said.
“Now that’s what I’m talking about people! Some good old fashioned cooperation!”
Wang smiled as if previous conversation had not occurred as he added.
“The Asian Union is pleased that we have been able to find a workable solution.”
Chuckling good naturedly, Bartosh furthered resignedly.
“Very well…The European Conglomerate will probably take part in the Quest in light of these new developments…”
Chortling at the outcome Gloria announced.
“Well that settles that then! Now who do I have to murder to get a good cup of tea and some scones in this place?”
As the attendees chuckled and an approximation of tea and scones were procured, the summit finished in a much more relaxed manner than how it had begun.
Looking from a window of the central hub of City #792, Evelin watched the departing figures of the representatives while she tried to quell the nagging worry that they were walking towards the final days of the human race.