Lu’s eyes caught on a single entry on the list. “They gave me explosives?!” And didn’t tell me what they were? I could have died!
It was right there, between the last piece of his plate armour and the one battery he hadn’t traded to Sulphur:
* Items (12) and (13): Chemical explosives contained within a cylindrical steel canister. Disassembled without issue. Mechanical trigger would detonate explosives roughly two seconds after triggering. Researcher speculation: Based on observed force of the explosives and exact dimensions of the container, this weapon is likely capable of severely injuring disciples of third realm and below. Yield is below alchemical explosives of similar size, but operates on strictly physical laws; would work equally well in either reality. Non-contaminating. Destroyed during testing.
Bull looked over from where he was sorting through records. There were hundreds of scrolls and sheets, meticulously detailing every interaction they had had with the other world, from all the artifacts that had been retrieved, to the tests they had conducted inside the closed space, to the health of every disciple who had so much as breathed the air. Presumably the information had been scrupulously organised at one point, and had gotten shuffled around as the months went on; presently, there were whole piles in seemingly random order.
“Oh? Who did?”
“Bo! Or maybe his superiors? One of the swamp dwellers, at least.”
Bull pawed through a stack of paper. “Hmm. That was the one who knew, right?”
“Right.” His eyes scanned down the rest of the list. “I had a water purification device? And a radio?” The list didn’t use the word, but that was probably what device emits and receives specific wavelengths of extremely below-red light meant. He was increasingly glad he had done a minimum of fiddling with the doodads in his sack; even discounting the grenades, a radio coming alive with a Horrible Swamp clansman on the other end would have been difficult to explain. “I suppose the equipment was so standard, he didn’t think to explain what anything was.”
Bull grunted, digging into another stack.
“What are you looking for over there, anyway?” Visual recordings had gotten Lu a patchwork understanding of the situation; the Dog/Swamp conflict had ground to a halt, so it should be reasonably safe to launch a second incursion. There had been some attempts at telepathic communication with the locals, and eventually the sect had succeeded in setting up something approaching a parley. At this point, Lu was digging through the archives more to satisfy his curiosity than anything.
“I’m looking for Ri Jo’s interview logs.”
Lu scowled. “Morbid.”
“Hmm.” Another stack was set to the side, and he started unrolling a scroll. “It could be useful, though. Ri Jo didn’t have a demon before he entered, but we don’t know if he would have developed one eventually. If I’m going back, I’d like to know if they can spring up whole cloth.”
“Mine was… Mine was real, I think.”
Bull looked up. “You don’t need to say.”
“No, no, you’re right. It could be useful.” He took a breath, comporting himself. “I don’t think it would have actually manifested,” Maybe if I somehow managed to make it to the core realms. “But it was made of real parts of me. Real contradictions in my character, small though they were.”
Bull held eye contact for a moment, before breaking off and going back to the scrolls. “Thanks. Did you find anything else interesting about your effects?”
“Not particularly.” Unless you’d count an exacting analysis of my bowel movements directly after my return. Which I do not.
A few minutes passed in silence. Lu found an account of the liminal space from one of the breachers, one Ko Lon. It was surreal, and seemed to take much longer than his own trip by orders of magnitude. My own experience was much more straightforward. The first time as well, I think, though my memories of that period are hazy.
“Hey Lu.” He startled a bit.
“Bull?”
“Are you sure you don’t want to go as well? After we’ve secured the area, of course.”
Lu chewed on the question. There’s an outside chance I meet Bo again. But… “I know it isn’t rational, but I can’t shake the feeling that if I step through, I’ll be trapped again. I don’t think I’ll be participating, no.” Bull nodded, seemingly satisfied to leave it as that. “…Do you want me to be there?”
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Bull eyed him. “I thought it would be useful to have someone with firsthand experience, that’s all. Think nothing of it.”
“Right, right.” Ah, obviously I want to be useful to the sect, but I’m not going to put myself back there. “I’m not high enough realm to cast the necessary telepathy arts, anyway.”
Bull grunted.
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The next day, Lu was summoned to the research area. More specifically, he was summoned to Research and Development Wing Room P-3; over the last several months, a new wing, the research and development wing, had grown up from around the closed space, and forced the medical wing to relocate. Forewarned by Bull, he hadn’t been startled in the middle of any explosive experiments. He thanked the messenger, locked up, and made his way to the new wing.
I can’t believe I brought back explosive powder and didn’t know it. And nobody told me! Granted, I didn’t ask, and nobody knew I was looking for that specifically, but… Still, it’s frustrating! He put it out of his mind with a huff. The pills were better anyway, already solid and self-contained; trying to keep a fine powder from spilling everywhere in his haphazard experiments would be a nightmare. I’d have to keep it contained in its own space, like the natives did. Twice as much forge work, a whole other variable to consider – yes, better to just stick with the pills.
The new wing retained the aesthetics of its medical predecessor, though the furniture had been swapped out. As he drew near the correct room, he was joined by several other disciples – some he knew of, while others were strangers.
One of them, a young man in the third realm, approached him. “Pardon, junior brother. Do you know what this is about? You seem confident and unruffled.”
Lu was caught between being insulted at the man’s mode of address, and flattered by the compliment to his demeanour. Junior, hmm? Just because I’m first realm-! “Ah, I’m sure everything will be revealed shortly. Don’t worry, it’s nothing bad.” He put on a reassuring smile.
The young man nodded. Ah, I wonder how old he is. I don’t recognise him, so he wasn’t one of the disciples who were admitted back when I still attended lectures. Fifteen? And already he’s almost to the inner realms, huh. The thought was uncomfortable, but… No resentment revealed itself. Ah, I suppose I’m a bit more stable now. Good.
The group entered the room, finding it furnished with a long crescent-shaped table; the concave end was pointed at a raised area with a podium, and the convex end was where all the chairs were. About fifty seats. Ah, so they’re going to present to the whole group. Is that wise? He wouldn’t have thought that outer disciples – himself excluded – would be capable of the necessary discretion. Let’s not question the Elder’s decisions, Lu. I’m sure they’ve thought about this thoroughly.
The seats were already half full, most of the higher realm disciples having arrived earlier. Bull nodded to him, and he took a seat next to the man, near the centre of the table.
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Lan adjusted his robes, checking his face for blemishes with Maiden’s Handmirror. Spotless. The brief satisfaction gave way to nervousness almost immediately; he had no idea why he, a man disinclined to public speaking, had been given the task of explaining the situation to a group of disciples – some of which were completely ignorant of the Sixth Reality. He gulped, thinking of all the questions he would need to answer-
Don’t think about it! Just- just do it. You know the plan front to back, there’s nothing to worry about. Before he could psych himself out any further, he stepped out onto the stage.
“Greetings, disciples. My name is Lan, and I’m sure some of you are wondering for what purpose you’ve been summoned.” He gestured, and the lights dimmed. Behind him, a panel lit up as the engraved array activated. “As you recall, nine months ago the sect was assaulted by an unknown force. What has been kept secret, is that the culprit was found almost immediately.” He blocked out the crowd’s murmur. “Some of you have already been made aware of the details regarding that force. And I see some others have noticed the presence of the kidnapped disciple, and are making assumptions.” Some eyes went to the man in question, who gave a short bow in acknowledgement. “For the rest of you, I’ll state it outright: today, we will be revealing the details of that unknown force. Please do not share any of what you learn in this room with any person not affiliated with the sect.”
So far so good. The panel behind him flickered from white light to an image, and he moved to the side so the audience could see it in full. “As far as we are able to discern, the force that transported disciple Lu was naturalistic and undirected. It was not a specific group, but rather simple happenstance.” He paused, letting the crowd get a good look at the selection of images. “What you are looking at, are images taken from a new reality which has been discovered. A sixth reality, which the natives of that place call ‘Salt.’” More murmurings, and he had to swallow his anxiety forcefully. Luckily, the timing was such that he could play it off as a dramatic pause.
Another gesture, and the images cycled to show pictures of the local humanoids. “Like many of the other realities adjacent to our own, Salt has human-like inhabitants. Seven months ago, a mission was launched which retrieved disciple Lu, and engaged several natives in combat. Lives were lost, on both sides, and it had taken until now for the situation to stabilise.” He daubed at his forehead with a sleeve. “Everyone, you have been gathered here because you are either already involved, or because the sect believes you a good fit for a diplomatic mission. Obviously, this will be volunteers only.”
The lights came back to full strength. “The exact details of the mission will only be given to the volunteers, but l will now be accepting any other questions. One at a time, please.”