We have gotten all four into my car, even though my essence ability hasn’t finished fixing it.
L: Is there a special reason you wanted to be in this car?
Z: Yes. I want to rule out people listening in. We may need to keep any answers we may get secret.
P: Fair enough, let’s ask.
M: Let’s start with how we can find all anomalies.
Z: We want the power to tranform ourselves back, too.
M: Yes, but we may get only one answer.
She has a point.
M: You start.
I take the electronic device out of my storage space and start typing:
How do we eliminate all anomalies and claim a territority?
(1) Eliminate the majority of all anomalies in an environment
(2) Perform ritual of attraction
(3) Defeat chief anomality then forming
(4) Perform ritual of claiming
The device generates hard copies upon hitting the print key
Z: This is doable. Nevertheless, go on.
Maria frowns.
How do we abandon this transformation zone?
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Alternatives:
A – use dimensional vessel
B – trigger an outworlder effect
C – create a dimensional tunnel
D – walk over the edge
WARNING: Alternate D leads to annihilation of user
How do we execute alternative A?
INSUFFICIENT RESOURCES
How do we execute alternative B?
INSUFFICIENT AFFINITY AT THIS TIME
How do we execute alternative C?
INSUFFICIENT RESOURCES, NO COUNTERSTATION
P: That decides it, doesn’t it? I would like to avoid going on, frankly. There may be a nummerical limit. It need not be one question.
L: Just to be clear, are we going to perform that ritual now?
P: No, I am not going to perform that ritual without having enough sleep. And I want all my abilities off cooldown before we invite monsters. We need to be as strong as possible. That reminds me …
I produce the two Awakening Stones I’ve looted in town.
P: It would be Lidija’s turn. However, they are stones of the Sacrifice. That sounds a bit scary.
L: Scary is good. I want people to be afraid of me for a good reason.
M: We still may come out of this looking normal again.
L: What will be in twenty years? I am going to give orders, not take them.
--
Breakfast is excellent. We have broken down in groups on the terrace, though. It is beautiful and sunny, as always. Which raises a question. We are getting over 50% more sun. Why aren’t we cooking? And whence do the lush green plants get water?
The kids are a bit subdued.
S: Will we ever get out of here?
Z: Don’t you like it.
S: No, too many monsters. And …
He points at the cooled buffet in the background.
S: … where is the food supposed to come from next week?
He has a very good point.
Z: We have discovered a way out. We just need to unblock it.
P: That reminds me. I’ve looked at the rituals. I can do the first. It will take a day, or so, though. Maybe a bit longer.
M: I thought you are a ritualist.
P: I am. But not a ritualist with years of practical experience.
Z: I know what you are thinking. I don’t like it. We cannot trust him.
L: Do you think he is here by accident?
Z: You mean they knew?
L: No, we did not see the forces they always amass at the zones. But the „glitches“ he spoke about. Did our employers fake them?
M: What makes you think they didn’t cause the zones? This is their fault!
The accusation that I led them to the others is in her facial expression. Does she not voice it because she fears what will happen then?
Zora sighs.
Z: Yes, we need to consider it. In fact I want to believe it. But we must not invent danger. The location and the timing say otherwise. There was no point in chasing us all the way to Slovakia if they could have placed it at will. And the timing was too close. We were one accident away from missing it under the current road conditions still messed up from the emergency.
P: So we involve him?
Z: I don’t like it. How can we be sure of him?
L: Let’s test him. He can do my rituals. That at least shows us whether he is a competent ritualist.