Oscar Reynolds
Wielding a piece of rebar Oscar watched as a soldier he knew was Sergeant Archer slammed the hunk of metal into the dented panel on the wall. The metal screeched and groaned as the dent pushed deeper into the hollow exterior behind it. The edges popped freely, enough for the Yanky man to grip his fingers along the edges. The sergeant grunted as he tried to yank it away from the wall. The sturdy metal panel groaned but did not yield.
The human stepped back and sighed as he wiped the sweat off his forehead's dark skin. “Corporal.” He nodded towards the younger man, whom Oscar knew as Johnson. “Take the rebar there.” He motioned with his head towards the bar he just slammed the wall with. “I need you to use it like a crowbar; jam it in that gap, there will ya.”
“Aye sir.” The younger human nodded and snatched the bar up off the floor, wiggled it into the small gap they made, and began to wrench it.
Oscar stood off to the side, watching the two men work on the section of the tunnel wall. Ben had shown them through the caster that beyond this wall was a network of tunnels that even the local government wasn’t aware of. To be honest, Oscar was skeptical about that, despite Ben being adamant that Heinmarr truly didn’t know. Yet, if that were the case, how come the construction workers who built this place never found them? If this section of wall here leads to a shallow cavern, surely someone would’ve found out.
That’s when Ben blew Oscar’s mind. “Beyond that wall, it leads to an illusive field.”
“A what?” Oscar hissed under his breath as he sat beside Anne. The young girl was so overcome with emotions that she became exhausted and fell asleep. The poor girl had gone through so much in such a short time, so much so that she had barely even had the chance to process what was going on. Not just the attack, but everything; this blasted war had already taken everything from her.
The scrawling text reshaped itself on the caster as Ben explained, “A simple explanation for you would be that it’s an illusion. Underneath the city lies a large, illusive field concealing much of the remnant tunnels. To say that Heinmarr is unaware of them would be a teensy lie.”
“A teensy lie?” Oscar scowled at the device.
“Heh,” Ben wrote, and Oscar’s scowl deepened. “It’s nothing major,” the mysterious benefactor continued. “The portion that is known about is the power plant itself.”
Osar’s eyebrows rose as his scowl was replaced with surprise. Terry, who sat on the other side of Anne against the wall, peered over. “What are they saying?” Terry whispered.
Oscar held a hand up to Terry to silence him, and he continued to read what Ben wrote: “The Ewigkeit plant is a former Far Reacher facility repurposed.” The text around that word trembled, “into what you know as an arcanium powerplant.”
Oscar’s eyebrows arched high—so high, in fact, that the muscles on his forehead strained. The words of this mysterious benefactor were not something Oscar didn’t catch onto. The way they spoke seemed distant, such as how they described the illusive field they mentioned and now the power plant. “That you know as” was a phrase that just didn’t seem right.
Whoever Ben was, they didn’t seem like someone from Heinmarr or Yankston, for that matter. The way they spoke reminded Oscar of those cool science-fiction books he started to read before coming to Heinmarr, Raiders of Andoria, he recalled the book. It told the story of powerful aliens who lived on Enora’s second moon by propelling huge canisters like the Rusivites, but not with magic. Instead, they used some kind of chemical propellant the author was infatuated with. It was interesting, if not a bit far-fetched. How could something so massive fly off a rock into the void without magic?
Oscar shook his head. His mind having wandered off, he forced himself back into the present. “You’re telling me the power plant is a far-reaching ruin?” He whispered, and this made Terry’s eyebrow arch, though not with surprise like Oscar, no. It was the kind of expression someone gave you when you weren’t supposed to know something, and that made Oscar uneasy.
“It was a ruin,” Ben wrote. “The place has been gutted and tampered with; it hardly resembles the grace it once held. But that’s beside the point. All you need to know is that the local government and the Rusvites aren’t aware that the ruins beneath are quite expansive. The Illusive Field left behind by the Far Reachers is powerful; the only reason the power plant section was exposed is due to a resonance node dying out. The rest of the ruins still appear as nothing more than compact dirt and stone.”
Oscar blinked slowly. “So, if this is magic, how come no wizards or artificers noticed it?” He asked with a bit of waning skepticism.
“Simple,” Ben wrote. “Many of this world’s wizards and artificers are not capable of understanding or even glimpsing such capabilities. What you know as magic is nothing but a little party tricks.”
“Party tricks that are capable of flattening cities and powering killer machines, sure.” Oscar rolled his eyes. Not only was Ben foreign, but he also seemed insensitive.
“Sure, let's go with that. Oh, look at that. It seems your two burly simmites have cleared the best. You all get moving!” He said referring to the soldiers as two ape-like creatures.
Looking at the two soldiers who had pried the panel off the wall, Oscar was surprised Ben could even see them despite the caster facing him. He didn’t question it, though, as the two soldiers placed the busted panel and rebar on the floor. They stuck their heads into the gaping black hole in the wall; a stale draft of air was coming from the gap.
Cpl. Johnson pulled his head out of the hole and gestured towards the magrite torch strapped to Sgt. Archer’s belt. Passing the magical light over, the corporal stuck his head back into the unknown and shone the light around.
Oscar’s attention was drawn back down the corridor to his left, where he noticed Lt. Sheffield and two other soldiers, a dwarf and an elf, whom Oscar remembered to be Jax and Coleman, approaching them. “Archer, Johnson, what’s the situation?” The lieutenant said this as she stopped before the man.
The three of them exchanged brief Yanky salutes, which were flat palms facing the floor with fingertips just before their eyes. “The way is clear, ma'am,” Sgt. Archer said, looking to the corporal. “Johnson here was just taking looksy to see what’s there.”
“Pardon, ma'am,” Johnson said, “but there isn’t shit.”
Hearing this, Oscar’s heart skipped a beat as the lieutenant turned and glared directly at him. Quickly catching his composure, Oscar shifted to his knees and got to his feet. “Ben explained that we won’t see anything at first,” he said, “He said there’s something called an illusive field, an illusion, making it appear that way.” His mind then reminded him of a critical piece of information, and he hastily said, “The draft we feel coming from that hole is a prime indicator. If there’s nothing there, we wouldn’t be feeling it.”
The corporal blinked for a second and nodded. “Aye, you got a point there,” he said slowly, smiling as the others began to nod.
“But, if that’s the case,” Sheffield looked to Oscar. “Why would there be an illusion under the city?”
Oscar explained everything Ben had told him to this point. “You’re for real?” The dwarf named Jax asked. “Far Reacher ruins, less than twenty garos beneath the surface? No way you dumi’s wouldn’t have noticed it, illusions or not.”
The elf, Coleman, rolled his eyes. “Oh, but you dumari would?” They asked using the native name for the dwarf race.
“Aye! We dumari know the underworld better than any of you sun bathers–” The young human lieutenant groaned as Sheffield made a slashing motion in the air.
“Would you two cut the species rivalry crap for two seconds?” The two soldiers immediately shut up and went to attention. “We don’t have a lot of time, and whoever Ben is, they somehow know what the hell is going on here more so than our own people. Does anyone here have a weapon?”
Most of the soldiers down in the bunker were those unloading the airships; many of those who were on duty were either stationed near the ships when they were attacked or outside along the airfield perimeter. Many of which were caught in the initial strike. Aside from her sidearm that Oscar saw, only the other two humans, Archer and Johnson, held rifles.
“Just these, ma'am,” Archer nodded to his and Johnson's slung rifles. “A couple of others have guns, but I dunno if we should leave them defenseless with the civilians.
“Agreed.” She sighed and nodded. “Alright, you two take the lead then,” she said, and Oscar couldn’t help but raise a hand like a schoolboy trying to get their teacher’s attention.
“Excuse me, but why should we be concerned?” He was unfamiliar with ancient ruins and the like.
The soldiers glanced at him with a mix of amusement and pity. “Mr. Reynolds,” Lily Sheffield spoke softly, “I take it you’ve heard the stories of old adventurers and the like?”
He has; his niece was obsessed with the Spellbound Rangers, and it was right there that he began to connect the dots. “Ancient ruins are home to monsters and other dangerous critters?” He guessed.
The soldiers nodded. “Ayuh,” they confirmed. “Most known ruins had been cleared out years ago, but if this place is untouched, we’re bound to find something ghastly down there.” She shuddered, not trying to hide her uneasiness, which Oscar knew probably wasn’t good for troop morale, but he couldn’t blame her.
“Okay,” Oscar said, looking back at Anne, who was still asleep. The two had already spoken about what was going to happen, and Anne wasn’t happy. Ben had made it crystal clear that Oscar was to go on this little trip, and he was conflicted; part of him genuinely wanted to go. To do something, and, of course, see the Far Reacher ruins. Like, seriously, untouched ancient precursor ruins? Oscar wasn’t familiar with the history of the Far Reachers, but he had seen glimpses of the old technology that had been brought to his lab and workshop for study. As an artificer refusing to go would be painful, and Ben also said he needed to.
He wanted to bring Anne, but like the soldiers just confirmed for him, it wouldn’t be safe. Anne has seen danger; she’s been in danger, and he didn’t want to drag her through more of it. Mr. Terry offered to watch over her, and as much as Oscar appreciated the gesture, the two had just met. Instead, Lieutenant Sheffield offered, or really ordered, one of her men to watch over his niece.
Unfortunately, the poor halfling Lily ordered is now stuck as a babysitter. He told himself he’d be back, though; it wouldn’t be long. At most, he’d be back in the evening. Only a small handful of hours. Right?
He looked back at the soldiers. “Promise me I won’t be eaten by an arachnai or some giant underground lizard, okay?”
Before the group of soldiers could respond, his pocket, where Ben was resting—he now referred to the caster as just Ben—vibrated. Taking out the device, he opened it and read what Ben had texted him: “Arachnoids and lizards aren’t what you should be worried about. The ruins below once housed an armory; such facilities would’ve had extensive security measures installed. Most of which are probably no longer functioning.”
“Huh?!” Oscar exclaimed as he held Ben away as if his mere presence were revolting.
“What is it?” Lt. Sheffield asked, and Oscar showed her the text.
“A blasted armory?!” Jax gasped as the others stared wide-eyed. “Far Reacher weapons?” The soldiers looked at each other animatedly and began chattering as Ben vibrated aggressively.
“Calm down, you stick wielders!” The text bounced and flared. “Many of the weapons there are most likely long past their use by dates, and even then, they are far out of our reach. Before you go running in there, thinking you’ll find some new toys to whack your enemies with, think about it. We mentioned that the place had extensive security measures; if there is anything you should be worried about wandering those labyrinthine halls, it’s autonomous shell units.”
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“Autnomous… shell units?” The lieutenant muttered, and even Oscar pursed his lips.
“Like the Rusivite machines?” he asked.
“Sort of.” Ben said, “What the Rusivite use is extremely crude and primitive.”
"Oh, sure,” Oscar rolled his eyes. “Crude and primitive; I didn’t get that when one tried to kill me and my nie–”
“I didn’t say they weren’t effective,” Ben replied slowly as the text appeared on the glass. “What most likely stalks the halls below are Far Reacher creations. The Rusivites appear to be trying to mimic what they had done; however, they haven’t fully figured out how to condense the power source down to a much more manageable size, hence their machines are big and bulky. Down below, you’ll most likely encounter humanoid defense units.”
Corporal Johnson pinched the bridge of his nose. “I think I know what they’re talking about,” he said, and the lieutenant nodded.
“Ayuh,” she said, “I heard stories about battalions back home in the east encountering smaller ruins filled with aggressors in the fae. Yet, I never heard about them being some kind of… autonomous shell.”
Ben vibrated. “As much as I would love to keep giving you all a wonderful history lesson, time is ticking, and we are running out of time.” Oscar noted that Ben referred to himself as I instead of we again.
“They’re right,” Sheffield said. “Archer, you’ll take the lead with me beside you holding the light. Johsnon, I change my mind. I want you watching our rear with that rifle. Jax, you’ll be a torchbearer for Johnson. Coleman, make sure Mr. Reynolds here doesn’t trip on his shoelaces.”
“Huh?” Oscar blinked and gazed down at his feet, and sure enough, his right boot laces were undone. Cursing under his breath, he dropped to one knee to lace them together while wondering when the hell did his laces came undone.
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Luna
Ami is a fucking asshole. I mean just a straight-up prick, a douch nozzle. Just a stinking wet towel, I’ll tell you. An absolute shit smeller and a cunt… Okay, I had to get that off my chest. I have never, ever worked with or spoken with someone I just wanted to kill but couldn’t. In my old life, I worked retail and did tech support. I knew what it was like to deal with difficult customers. I liked to think I had a tolerance meter that was at least manageable. This guy, though, if they were a guy I didn’t know, I just couldn’t stand them.
Making fun of and teasing me is one thing. I used to get it a lot. I learned how to just tone people out. But to insult my family, oh no, no, no, no. That’s crossing a line, but what stinks is that we needed them. Whoever this Ami was, they knew their shit. I mean, they knew it to a T. Pop it under a microscope, and they can point out what that shit is. They were smart. Almost too smart, it seemed.
Let me explain. Shortly after, Ami decided to pop out of nowhere and ruin all of our collective days. They told us what was happening. My aunt Saria is a dumbass. She’s a nice, lovely, and kind aunt. But a dumbass. I can agree with Ami on that. Trying to get this information out of Ami was like a dentist trying to yank the teeth out of a patient who wasn’t strapped down and had nothing to numb the pain. Constantly fighting and arguing until relenting.
It wasn’t until we finally listened to them and began to move that they started to talk or write in this case. I’m not going to recount the entire conversation because it was extremely irritating, and I want to spare anyone the suffering I had to endure during those infuriating minutes.
According to Ami, which my mother begrudgingly admitted to being correct, at least the portions she knew of my aunt. My aunt is a high-ranking employee of Automaton Wonders, which I already knew about; however, what I didn’t know was that she was working on something known as Project Eternity. Which my mother confirmed and was shocked that Ami knew of this; apparently, my mother had recently been informed about this secret project after being hired as a contractor of sorts with my aunt’s backing.
Apparently, this whole project was supposed to be a big secret that Heinmarr had been working on long before the war. A project that my mother worked on back when she was with the Cocordium. I still don’t know the full details because Ami was a prick, and we didn’t have enough time to get a full explanation. All I needed to know was that whatever was being built near the center of the city was important—so important that it could potentially shift the war in our favor—but also to stop whatever this crazy fucking cult was doing. I know they’re a “church” and an “official religion,” but so far, everything I’ve heard and seen about them sounds like a cult.
So in a way, we’re killing two birds with one stone here. Anyway, my aunt is a dumbass. That guy that my family and I all got scared by—that Arch-dip-shit, as my mother lovingly called him—apparently, according to Ami, that was supposed to happen. I dunno how, I dunno why. Ami was once again being an asshole and leaving out information since they kept acting like everything was on a need-to-know basis.
All they said was that my sensing that guy was bad news was deliberate, and that in itself scared me. I knew the Master had the power to take control of me, and that alone scared the shit out of me, but Ami made it sound like they made me scared of that guy.
Does Ami have the ability to control me too? Who else just wants to control me like a fucking puppet?!
Arch-dip-shit was not a good guy, and according to Ami, he never would be. Ami made it clear that man was my enemy, and I’m emphasizing my part. What made my aunt a dumbass was that she liked Mr. Arch-dip-shit, no, she loved that man. Not in an affair-type way; she practically worshipped the guy, trusted him with her life, and such. So much so that when she went to deliver the rest of the goods from the other morning, the two of them went on a little walk. When the attack happened, my aunt went to the arcanium plant, because that plant is connected directly to the Project Eternity construction site. Which is reasonable; she wants to make sure her work isn’t going to get blown up or have a nuclear meltdown, whatever.
What isn’t so reasonable is taking Mr. Arch-dip-shit with her. I’m not smart, and I’m not going to use my child's brain as an excuse. I was never intelligent. I was a normie. But even I, a certified normie, can realize that taking a civilian to a secret project site, a government one mind you, is not a smart idea. Prioritizing your faith over your career, while sure, in a spiritual sense, to some might seem good, is, in my opinion, just stupid.
Maybe in my past life, if god, or gods, or even if there was a god, that’d be dumb. In this world, though, where the gods are physical beings to a degree, maybe faith over career is a legit option, but at least do it if you’re going to get something out of it… What was I talking about?
Oh, yeah. That’s what Ami and I agreed upon. That whole conversation lasted nearly the entire trip. Most of it was my mother, and I wanted to scream at the little asshole in the caster; the rest of it was Ami interrupting themself to tell us when patrols were coming.
How did they know when and where patrols were coming?
I dunno. Ami wouldn’t say. I assumed it was similar to how the Master can view the world, but the Master made it clear they can only see and sense a small area around me because of them being in my head, or I dunno, using me as a TV antenna. I don’t know how magic works, and my mother was unsure as well.
Ami, to my knowledge, was not linked to me via my brain or whatever it is the Master has. To me, they just looked like a silly little toy in my hand. The point is, we were able to make it through the city unscathed. When we made it to the districts untouched by the cylinders and air raid, Ami alerted us that we were beyond the cordon and that stealth was no longer paramount; however, they urged us to go faster.
This was an issue because the streets were jampacked full of scared and curious civilians. We had to take Ruby down a series of back roads and alleyways to get to where we needed to go. I also have to say, Ruby rocks. This strider, this poor girl that we abandoned, warmed up well with us again, and she asked no questions either. With my mother being able to communicate with her, Ruby did as asked to the best of her abilities.
I hope when things ease up I can get her something delicious. As long as she doesn’t hit me with a barrel again.
“You are nearing the plant.” Ami wrote. "Incredibly, you have two minutes to spare. Do not worry about gate guards; they are dead. You should not find any resistance up ahead; just keep moving and follow the map–”
“Excuse me, what?!” My mother blurted as she pulled on Ruby’s reins to slow her as we stepped out onto a large and open cobbled road leading out of town. The road transitioned into dirt, and about a few dozen yards away, I could see a large stone wall with razor wire on top.
“Go back a bit,” My mother snapped her eyes, glaring at the caster. “What do you mean they’re dead?”
The caster vibrated, and the text aggressively reformed in an agitated-like manner. “What else would I mean, oh wise wizard? You’re supposed to be the smart one here; I mean, as I said, they’re dead. The Archbishop killed them; I told you he’s not a friendly man.”
“Shit!” My mother growled.
I was scared, though I tried to keep a straight face and took a deep breath to stop my hands from shaking. “Momma, we knew this wouldn’t be safe or easy.”
“Luna,” my mother said, “An arcanium plant has dozens, if not a hundred, soldiers. Probably even mages defending the place.”
“They did.” Ami wrote unhelpfully. “Mrs. Ashflow,” Ami added respectfully. “Putinov is a capable wizard despite his outwardly clerical appearance. I do not have time to disclose everything, so I’ll be brief. That man is far older than he looks and is blessed with power that even you may not be capable of stopping, as is Luna. She might as well be a small bug.”
“So you’re sending us to our deaths?!” It was my turn to nearly screech.
For the first time, Ami didn’t make a rude remark or joke. “That is not my intention, but if you act carelessly, you may die. Again, I cannot disclose everything because we simply lack the time. All you need to know is that the two of you won’t be alone. I am doing my best to pull as many strings as I possibly can to get you the help you’ll need. You just need to act quickly. The gate further down the road is unlocked; proceed forward towards the large vault and go down the ramp. You may need to leave Ruby behind as the interior is too small for her once you pass the airlock.”
“Why can’t you be this open all the time?” I couldn’t help but ask.
“Because seeing you get pissed off is funny to me,” Ami replied curtly.
My mother said what was on my mind: “So you’re just a dick.”
“I wouldn’t be me if I wasn’t one!” Ami replied with a smiley face.
“He’s a jerk, and he loves it,” I said, looking up at my mother. “You gotta respect that.”
With a sigh, my mother rolled her eyes. “Sure,” she said with a light chuckle, flicking Ruby’s reins. The strider grunted and began to take us down the road towards the large metal gate that was ajar.
Something didn’t feel right. Even though we were on the edge of the city, I felt like there should be people around. Sure, the attack must’ve scared them, but even in the central portions, hundreds were milling about. Yet here, it was abandoned. Or so it felt.
Approaching the metal gate Ruby used her snout to push open the heavy gate I shuddered when I felt something, like a ghost passing through me. My body felt cold, much to my surprise. I heard nothing. The sounds of the outside world vanished like the snap of a finger, or, well… No. The sounds weren’t gone, but muffled.
“Momma, it’s quiet,” I said, looking up at her.
“We passed through a sound barrier,” she said, looking towards the large buildings and towering shafts that looked like smoke towers you’d see in a factory. “This plant probably gets a lot of activity; being so close to the city, people would get pissed about the noise. So it doesn’t surprise me that the artificers and mages erected a barrier to calm the whiners.” She chuckled lightly, though her face grew serious. She looked over her shoulder at me. “Luna, stay behind me, okay? Your father told me how good you were during your rescue mission, so I trust you to do your part, but…” She took a deep breath.
“I understand,” I said to her. “I won’t get in your way, and I’ll focus on keeping us safe with my bubble and healing.”
My mother smiled. “Sounds like a good plan…” She sighed. “If only your father was here, he always made for a good backup defender.” I vaguely got an idea of what she was referring to adventuring parties back in their day were composed similarly to what you’d think of as a D&D or MMO party, except they didn’t use terms like "tank,” not only due to language reasons but also because back in the day tanks did not exist. Instead, tanks were known simply as defenders. Unfortunately, with how this world has evolved, such party compositions don’t work anymore. At least in open combat.
A man with a shield who can take a few big hits from a monster can do little against a hailstorm of bolts of energy fired from a firing squad. Even with magical buffs like bubble and other spells, I’ve been on the receiving end of a rifle before, and the memory of almost losing my arm is still fresh in my mind. Yet, in a tight situation like this, a small party going into a dungeon, or in this case, a magical nuclear power plant, a party composition with a defender would be nice.
But alas, Ruby can only carry so many people.
At the center of this compound was a large, concrete-like structure that was sort of shaped like a trapezoid. Its front held a massive vault door on wheels; it was opened, and inside was dimly lit with magical blue light. Drawing nearer, we saw that the interior led directly into a massive ramp with rail lines built into it, where a tram of sorts I assumed would bring people in and out of the facility. Yet, no tram was in sight. On the left and right sides were pedestrian walkways for those who didn’t want to take the ride, and from what I could see with the light, the decline seemed to stretch for about fifteen yards or so before flattening out and going beyond my line of sight.
That’s when we heard it.
Gunshots echoed from inside, and rapid retorts from what I recognized to be Heinmaran lever actions were followed by a different gun. A gun I hadn’t heard in years. A gun that made me have flashbacks to when I died for the first time. Guns in this world are different from guns back on Earth. I’m no expert, so understand if I get some specifics wrong. All I know is that guns back on Earth rely on powder that explodes and causes the bullet to go flying. I know there’s more to it than that. Give me a break.
Guns on Enora—well, they’re more like something out of science fiction. Father explained it to me way back when he taught Varis and me how to shoot, and from my time hunting with Isa, she told me a little more. Enoran guns are magical and don’t rely on any form of black powder or any powder. Instead, each “bullet” is actually a small piece of magrite. As a refresher, magrite is a magical crystal that practically powers everything in this world, and I, unfortunately, learned the truth that they’re souls that failed to be reincarnated. The Master told me these souls are old and diluted and thus can never be saved, but the thought still kind of unnerves me.
I hope I never get turned into a bullet or a lightbulb after I die.
Anyway, whenever a gun is fired, the magrite crystal is pierced, causing it to rupture. Magrite is extremely volatile, but when broken in a controlled fashion, the energy released from it can be harnessed. In this case, the gun forces the unleashed energy down the barrel of the gun and shoots outwards in a searing bolt. If I had to describe it, it’s like plasma. The bolt of condensed energy still abides by physics, of course. The explosion of the crystal is what causes the gun to kick slightly, and the bolt of plasma, from what I’ve seen, is still affected by gravity of sorts, so there’s still ballistics involved. My point is, the weapons don’t have that satisfying, or terrifying if you’re on the receiving end, crack of a gun.
Instead, it’s like something out of a science fiction story, like I said before. There’s a sharp snap sound followed by a “choom.” The guns also leave behind a smell—the same smell that most magic leaves behind as well—ozone.
Yet, what I heard down in that tunnel. That was a gun-gun. Like one from Earth. It was sharp, it was loud, and it only fired once before I heard a woman screaming.