Chapter Four

“Everyone has a purpose; it’s up to each individual to discover it.” E.B.

Earth – Reno, Nevada

Penny

“Where do you want this, boss?” A large man asked as he dropped off a box filled with wires, remotes, and what looked like battery packs.

“Boss?” Penny’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Yes?” The man furrowed his brows in confusion. “Aren’t you the one setting all this up?” He glanced back at the entryway, searching for a nametag or reference point to ensure he was in the right room.

“Well, yes…” Penny adjusted her glasses, still processing the situation.

“And aren’t you also the one whose voice projects over the radio daily?”

“Yes?” Penny, now wearing a dusty top, blue jogging pants, and an Eagles band shirt that looked like it was made in the '70s, replied again.

“I believe that makes you the boss…” The man continued to hold the heavier box but grew tired of just standing there, staring at Penny, who seemed lost in thought. “Look, I’m just going to put this down here…”

“Wait. Sorry. That’s Tech’s stuff. Can you deliver that to the, uh, tech room?”

The man grunted as he stopped lowering the box to his feet and slowly brought it back up. Penny noticed a weave of energy flowing around the man’s hands and the box as her energy pushed outward, examining the man further.

“What room?” the man asked after standing straight.

“Oh, just put it in the old Brew Brothers bar and grill. Tech has set up shop there. We do the broadcasting on the stage.”

“Roger that, boss.” The man smiled and winked, now having received proper guidance.

“Penny.” She returned a smile. “My name is Penny…”

“Of course. Name’s Gerald, but everyone calls me Ger.”

“Nice to meet you, Ger. Make sure you show up to the training later; it looks like you have a bit of talent.”

“Really?” Ger responded.

“Yes, really, and seems to be fairly strong. Level 2, at least. What did you do before you headed to the Silver Legacy?”

“Level 2?" Ger wiped the sweat off below the brim of his cap as he stood now looking puzzled but chose just to answer Penny. "I ain’t from around here. I run a local moving company and don’t have much family. I was in the middle of a large move for a rich family coming in from California. Things sort of went haywire, and I’ve been living in my truck. There's nothing to go back to in California, so I guess you could say it was a calling when your voice came over the radio. Drove straight here and just wanted to help out.”

Penny looked closer at Ger, who appeared to be in his early 30s but worn down with time more than others that age. He wore a faded black Giants cap with an SF orange logo. His battered white shirt, beer belly, and blue jeans initially hid the tree-trunk arms and large muscular legs.

“We’re glad to have you, Ger. Make your way to one of the rooms and freshen up. I think we should have some food around here. The training starts at 5 p.m. in the Grand Exposition Hall.”

“I wouldn’t miss it!” Ger’s face lit up, seeming to take some of the years off his face. “And that’s very kind. I will do that, but first, I want to continue helping downstairs. Lots of rubble and junk to clear out. Wouldn’t feel right leaving right now.”

“Of course,” Penny responded. “Thank you.”

As the man left, Penny stood there, transfixed by the moment. Three days ago, she assisted Will and the team remove the Organism from the city. Now, she found herself in her makeshift “office” in a side room of one of the upstairs restaurants.

Once Will and his team had disappeared from downtown Reno, Penny, Mr. Reynold, Luck, and Tech immediately set off to find a base. Initially, they considered the Silver Legacy a suitable location, but the need to broadcast led them to a nearby radio station. Tech mentioned he could rig the Silver Legacy for future use, but it would take time, so after the broadcast, the four returned to the casino to explore and establish a base.

Over the course of three days, Luck and Mr. Reynold managed most of the moving and clearing of the casino floor. While Luck handled the heavy lifting, Mr. Reynold worked hard, often panting and chastising his endurance. Fortunately, the broadcast quickly spread, and soon, people began to emerge through the front doors, drawn by a makeshift sign near the Reno Arch indicating the team’s location. Eager to help, they cleaned, brought food, and tended to the wounded, with a doctor and a few nurses showing up.

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Without a sterile environment, the larger party was fortunate that Will had passed a mental energy projection of Nadia’s Vitalize skill to Penny at the end of the 4th Level. While she left most bruises and cuts to heal on their own, she supported those with more severe injuries. Word of a healer on site spread, and soon, they had gathered as many as 50 people in the building, all trying to help in any way they could.

As the party expanded, Tech forged his own path. Initially, he scouted and established the new broadcasting center. The final location was conveniently close to one of the Organism’s original hubs, nestled between the Silver Legacy and Eldorado. Once a restaurant but renowned in the community as the best late-night live music bar, the venue swiftly transformed into the new broadcasting space. With existing microphones and cables from local bands, Tech only needed to connect and set up a broadcasting radio unit. Although the task was straightforward, it required parts that teams of people diligently searched for. Soon, Tech shifted his focus, unnoticed by anyone except perhaps Luck, who likely didn’t grasp the significance. The quiet man discovered the central power hub for the two merged casinos and tinkered away day and night.

Lastly, Penny took on a role in management, planning, and intense personal training. Within the first hour of investigating the casino, she discovered a downtown blueprint from the early 2000s, displayed as an art piece in one of the restaurants. She took it down and placed it on a table, designating the space as the head boss’s office. Over the next three days, the area became cluttered with other maps, notes on new arrivals, and various trinkets. Despite her efforts to help and support everyone, Penny maintained a strict regimen for learning, attempting to replicate every flow Will had shared with her. Although her talent made the skill less impactful, she still accurately mimicked everything Will had taught her, except for Nadia’s Body Manipulation skill and most of Emy’s abilities—though she could manage the fireball, which proved helpful. Everyone had to start somewhere, and Penny was in her element when she was learning.

Based on the intel from those now residing in the large casino, the world outside was one of chaos and fear. Many smaller void breaks had erupted throughout the city. Although none were as close as the ones the heroes needed to support, hordes of smaller creatures soon scattered around the area, driving fear and anxiety into anyone who dared to leave their homes. Many communities were starting to create bases, but most lacked any protection beyond a single household firearm and the occasional resident with a military background. Sad stories abounded, tales of lost loved ones and those stuck in hiding, unable to help. These tales weighed heavily on Luck and Penny, who had promised to protect those close to the team. They knew they needed to secure what they had saved before venturing out. The worst-case scenario was bringing loved ones back to a place of unsafety and unrest.

“I think you may have found your place in this world, boss,” Luck said. “That man was absolutely beaming as he walked out of here.” Luck still wore his orange jumper and black socks, though the top was now tied around his waist, revealing a white tank top soaked in sweat.

“He has talent. And from the looks of it, some sort of density transmutation. It was almost as if he was using the weight of the box to his advantage.”

“Good. We need more talent. I think our count is up to 11, but we just got two new additions downstairs who claim to know Emy and Will. They’re helping now, but I told them to come talk to you later.”

“Are they from the school?”

“I don’t think so. Well, maybe? They seemed athletic but didn’t mention the school, and Mr. Reynold didn’t recognize them.

“See, I told you that Eagles shirt would fit!” Mr. Reynolds approached and commented on the random Eagles band t-shirt he happened to have in his quickly assembled luggage in his car.

“It sure does smell like it’s forty years old,” Penny said, smirking into a smile.

“Enough of that. It’s only like ten years old. It’s retro and my favorite logo!”

“A retro version of a retro shirt just may be a bit too retro for me. You know what, never mind. Thank you. Are you bringing the updated report of our, uh, community?”

“The Crow’s Nest. Come on, Penny, these people need to believe in us…” Mr. Reynold said with a goofy smile. “As for the numbers, we have one doctor, two nurses, and three cooks—though one claims he’s only good at making burritos.” Mr. Reynold chuckled but continued, “Fortunately, we have several people from the casino’s hospitality department to assist us. We also have a handful of muscle guys, including Ger, whom you just met, and a couple of police officers—one of whom recognized me from the bridge,” he added, smirking at Penny due to their earlier run-in with the police. He then glanced at Luck’s jumpsuit and said, “That reminds me, Luck, we might need to forget about your past for a bit. Just a little white lie…” He turned back and continued, “Lastly, we have the two newbies Luck mentioned and the surprising addition of a charming man named Kepler. He’s quite the morale booster and knows his way around metals.”

“Great start, but we still need more. Many more. More protection and more trades. We need to make this place a sanctuary, and right now, it looks like a bomb shelter,” Penny said.

“Well, I hate to break this to you, but it sort of is… The world is worse than we once thought. It’s just a matter of time before the creatures hit us. I expect those Singularity void breaks in the city's center bought us some time, but I don’t think it will last.”

“Well, it’s only up from here,” Luck tried to inject some optimism, but his voice betrayed him. He kept a strong face, but the three of them had quickly grown tight over the last three days, and they all knew that Tuck’s mom’s safety was weighing heavily on him.

“So, what type of talents are you seeing in everyone?” Mr. Reynold asked, looking at their new leader.

“Outside of Ger, whom I was fairly impressed by, we have some promising talents. I need to truly assess and watch them ‘build’ to get a grasp, but I think it’s fair to say that those who excel at their profession may have always had a little extra support,” Penny said, smiling at the implication that could mean to the broader community, or what was left of it. “Sort of makes you think… Does our internal energy guide us more than we have ever realized?”

“I’ll let you scholars figure that out. I just know that I can punch harder,” Luck joked. “But, sensei, are you ready for your first training?”