“If that is how you think, than you have nothing to fear from me.”
“You said one of your Other powers, you have more than one?”
“Indeed.”
He flicked his hand, a gun appearing in his palm. Another flick changed it to an assault rifle. Yet another morphed it into a sword. “I am a child of war. As such war is what I know best. My Other power reflects that. But I am also a child of fear and sorrow. I desire peace, though I know it cannot be obtained except through violence. Despite the harsh conditions I survived through as a child, I myself did not let it harden me into an emotionless doll. I am a walking paradox you could say. Hence, why my second Other power is the Paradoxial. I might be the only one with that unique ability.”
“That ability seems similar to mine.”
“Oh? You can create weapons too? Do you come from a war infested world as well then?”
“Well there is war, but I’m not any kind of soldier. I just read a lot of books. Joel, he is a Grand Wizard I met when I was first summoned, called my ability the Power of Imagination. Basically I create different characters based off of stories I read and store them in a small room inside my head. Then, when I activate it, I can become that character, with all their knowledge and skills at my disposal. This persona is tied to a sort of artifact that I use as a focus. Like a sword for a knight, a dagger for an assassin, a staff for a wizard.”
“Interesting. And quite a useful ability by the sounds of it. I take that it is limited by the knowledge you gain? Such as if you change into a doctor, you can’t do brain surgery unless you had read medical text on the subject.”
“Yeah.”
“I can see why your power manifested the way it did then. You seem to thrive on learning. Most in your position are afraid to ask questions.”
“Well, most aren’t in my position are they? Normally they come right from Earth and don’t know anything about what is going on.”
“True.”
Kimi watched a group of blue bubbles fly by overhead, shadowy figures spoke of people inside of them. J had a constant smile on his face, his hands clasped behind his back. The two of them stepped on a yellow pad which lifted into the air. They passed through the floor, ending up in a bright white hallway. Both walls were nothing but windows that gave her a view of the massive cityscape. Towers shot high into the sky, clouds blocking the view of the very tips. Cars flew from one destination to another while yet more people walked along on the streets below. They all wore clothes that looked like living metal and from what she saw, the city was immaculate. Not one piece of garbage littered the curbs, no smog grayed the sky from car emissions. Robots that looked like spiders washed the walls of buildings, and ones that looked like small trash cans rolled unobtrusively past citizens.
“Beautiful.”
“Yes it is. That is one of the many reason I wish to protect it.”
“You really don’t seem much like a person trying to deceive me.”
“You thought I was?”
“Well& you are the Sage of Manipulation. Manipulation is a form of deceit. But you’ve been open with me. Not to mention forthcoming with answers to my questions. I don’t think what you have told me is a lie. Well, most of it anyway.”
“You think I lied to you?”
“Of course. It would be folly to tell a complete stranger the truth in everything. Based on the fact you have a power struggle on your hands right now, and the fact you yourself are a warrior, you should know trust is a commodity you need to handle deftly. What truths you speak, and what words you omit, are a form of manipulation that can swing a battle in your favor. So I know you have lied to me about some things, and omitted information as well. Still, I think everything you have said so far is the truth. Anything you might have omitted, I can assume has to deal with things I don’t need to know right now.”
“You are a sharp one.”
“Having to think on your feet while on quest can have that affect. I still feel pretty dull though, my head is killing me from working all that out.”
“Then would you like me to show someplace you can sleep and bath? If you like, I can send an escort with you into the city tomorrow so you may explore it at your leisure. I don’t wish you to feel like you are a prisoner here, you are an honored guest. If you have any more questions, or have need of me, you can always ask a runner to seek me out.”
“That sounds nice. I feel like I haven’t had a proper bath in a hundred years.”
“Perhaps more like five hundred and ninety-five years.”
“What?”
“Nothing. Just some Atlantian humor.
“I see. I’m sure it’s a riot at parties, but I think you need better material.”
“Maybe. But right now I think the material I have on hand is just perfect.”
Chapter 32: The Weight of a Sage
“I’ve coded the phase wall to your signature. All you have to do is walk through the wall and you are back out in the hall. No one else can come in though unless you let them. Right now, only you have access to this room once I leave. Feel free to explore at your leisure. Be warned though, areas dangerous for you to access will be blocked off, so you are not entirely free here, but as I said before, you are not a prisoner either. This is only for your protection.”
“I understand. Thank you for all your help.”
“My pleasure.”
Jeremy gave subject 294 a small bow before stepping through the wall and into the hallway. When he turned, he saw Jared hiding in the shadows down the hall. The man gave him a small nod of the head which Jeremy returned. Ignoring Kimberly’s guard, Jeremy headed the other direction, taking his mask off in the process. Once again he thanked the fates he had met Marrion. She had known who he himself would have chosen to watch over his valuable asset. Jared Festrin, the bloodhound. A decorated soldier of World War II from a dead timeline that was a savant at one thing-- war. Unsatisfied with the peace he had found himself in after the fighting, Jeremy had offered him a new life. A new reason to live. To keep him from disappearing when his timeline died, Jeremy had transfused his own blood into the man. Protecting him as he was protected with his Paradoxial power.
Before long, he found himself back in the main control room where Marrion was continuing to issue commands to the Controllers. Eleven were still focusing on the rifts, tweaking the events inside as best they could-- mainly by altering the past before the timeline had needed to be warped. Him and his people couldn’t directly affect the mage-mediator groups, nor halt the opening of tears, but they could at least increase the odds of survival by even a fraction. The other three Controllers were focused on the battle raging outside the protected sections of the capitol building. Sending reinforcements where they were needed and locking down areas that had been lost. Marrion was no soldier, but her ability to link minds and absorb information from others made her the best second in command he could hope for.
Jeremy strode over to the lone female Controller monitoring Kimberly. He placed his hand on her shoulder while leaning forward to get a better look.
“What can you tell me Darla?”
“Her vitals are stable. Respiration, pulse, sugar levels, hormones, everything is all green. She is a healthy girl. Better than healthy in fact. The only blemish in her system was her eyesight, which the doctors fixed before she woke up.”
“Yes, I want a word with the doctor who did that. They had no right to alter her genetics without her consent. They know better than to fiddle with a Phaser like that.”
“But sir, it was just a small alteration. I am sure the girl is happy about it.”
“Oh really? I think you would look prettier with no arms. Does that mean I should cut them off to make you look more like what I would desire? Even within our society, some children who are incubated are born with defects such as lisps or slightly longer fingers. The process is not perfect. We are fighting against people who want everyone to be the same. Who would be well pleased if everyone looked and talked
exactly the same. Those blemishes as you call them, the lisps, the poor eyesight, the extra long fingers and ears, are what make them unique. That break them from the uniformity we fight against. How do you know she wasn’t happy wearing glasses? Perhaps she liked them.”
“I apologize for my assumptions, sir. You are of course correct. Thank you great sage for enlightening me to my errors.”
“Forgiven and forgotten. So, aside from that, anything else?”
“I’m not sure. There is something odd about her brainwave activity.”
“What do you mean?
The woman pulled up multiple recordings of the subject, some when Jeremy was with her, and others from shortly after he had left her alone. Next to each of these, brain patterns appeared. Darla pointed at them as she spoke.
“All of these are moments when she attempted to access her abilities. She is currently unable to because of how drained she is, and the barrier is preventing her from accessing the strength of her mage on Aerth. But that’s not what is so strange.”
Another brain pattern appeared with a stroke of a key. This one superimposed itself over the others. They were not identical, but even Jeremy could see there were similarities.
“So whose brain waves are those?”
“Yours. At least the ones you give off when you use your tear generation ability.”
“So you are saying she is a rift creator as well?”
“Maybe. She is an incomplete subject right? And most Phasers have two abilities. This is just a theory, but I think it is her rift creation ability that has kept her as stable and sane all this time while using her secondary ability.”
“How?”
“I don’t know. By shifting her mind to another dimension or into some sort of non-functioning body, maybe? Having two minds, even one that was a created persona would put great strain on her normally. Having all that knowledge crammed inside her head would displace her real personality. I think her rift ability subconsciously activated to protect her. After she bonded with a mage, much of that excess pressure was shunted by the bond, allowing her to retain her true identity without getting consumed by her alternate personality.”
“Is either of her abilities in any danger of going out of control?”
“Not by my estimation. There are no unexpected spikes in any of the brain waves to suggest that she is a danger.”
“But she is still not a finished product.”
“Correct, sir. With no signs of mutation as of yet, it should be safe to inject the finalizing serum into her system.”
“Maybe. Continue to observe and analyze her. We are still unsure as to how the serum will mutate her abilities. Especially now that we think she might have some time scar creation skills.”
“Yes, sir.”
Jeremy stepped back to let the girl work. On the screen he saw subject 294 step out into the hall, looking both ways furtively. He had known she would strike out on her own. After watching her grow up most of her life, and getting a feel for her character while watching her in the rift, he felt he knew her very well indeed. He had groomed her Other powers by carefully steering her towards books that would be useful to her. While he had not known exactly what form her power would manifest as, all abilities were based on knowledge. Someone who was not interested in medicine, would not gain an ability in the medical field.
Since she had expressed an interest in a variety of subjects, he had at least known her ability would manifest as a utilitarian one. One that would maximize her versatility as a weapon. When she had gravitated to the works of fiction, he had hoped she would gain the ability of magic in her arsenal. A mage not bound by the restraints of magical laws. Who had no preconceived notions of how magic worked because that was “just how it was taught”. Who’s only limit was the limits she herself imposed upon the magic. Such a mage could be unstoppable under the right circumstances.
Kimberly headed off down the hall, never noticing Jared in the shadows when she passed. Only the shimmer in the air as the invisible man moved told Jeremy where he was at as he followed after. He knew his job, and would make sure she didn’t get into anything she wasn’t supposed to. So far, everything was going according to plan.
The small button communicator on his right shoulder rumbled, the wave patterns letting him know who was calling after only a moment. With a raised eyebrow, he touched the pin, a video screen expanding out to hover in front of his face. In the viewfinder sat Shelly Menra. He squinted his eyes, seeing the fine swirl pattern under the flesh tones of the face, realizing it was a puppet.
“I am surprised to receive a call from the Sage of Life herself in such times. Or, should I say, her doll.”
The creature constructed from her abilities to manipulate plants smiled and gave a small bow of the head. When it opened it’s mouth, it spoke with her voice. “Do you blame me for being cautious? I might not be much of a combat expert, but even I know it would be foolish to speak with you in person. There are any number of ways to trace a call, and a number more you could use to find me.”
“I’m a busy man Shelly. Unless you are calling to offer your surrender, I don’t have time for you.”
“It seems you have time for me then, doesn’t it? I am not exactly offering myself up in surrender though. I wish to join you. I have grown disillusioned as of late with the state of Atlantis. D’s ideas, as you pointed out, are becoming more stifling day by day. I myself had already begun planning a coup, gathering men and women to my side and amassing money to fund it all. It seems, you beat me too it. It also seems you have been planning this much longer than I.
“As I said before, I am no combat specialist like you are, I knew an internal power struggle would be costly. As the seventh and youngest Sage on the council of seven, I believed I had no allies in the other members. I saw how they treated your proposals for reform and knew mine would be dismissed just as easily. So I held my tongue and went along with their decisions. I will admit, I did not have the strength you do, to stand up against them all. Yet, despite my inexperience, both in age and in politics, I am not so blind as to not recognize which side will win this struggle. I have no desire to die, but I do have a desire to make Atlantis a better place. I do not expect you to believe me, though. I am willing to submit to a Truthseeker so they may verify my words.”
Jeremy glanced up at the man behind the video screen, he had one hand against his temple and his eyes were closed. He nodded his head, saying her words were all true. He would make a good Sage of Lies once Vulana was dead. He was almost as powerful as she was. Returning his attention to Shelly he gave her a nod of agreement.
“You have been verified already. I will let my people know not to harm you or yours. Command them to wear yellow armbands to mark them as allies. I will send one of my captains to your current position along with a small detachment of soldiers. They will be your bodyguards and take control of your troops in my stead. You have my word I will not waste their lives needlessly. This conflict is not about vengeance, but about renewal. We are of one mind in our desires to do what is best for Atlantis. I harbor no ill will towards you, nor even to those who stand in my way. Every life is precious to me, that includes those on the council. While I disagree with D and the others, if they are willing to change and accept as you have, I would welcome them as well.”
“It seems I have much to learn from your experience Sage of Manipulation, Jeremy Vahn. I hope we can make Atlantis even greater together. I look forward to working with you in the future.”
“As do I Shelly.”
With a final small bow of the head, the connection was cut from the other end. Jeremy lost no time in calling over one of his captains and sending out the squads as he had promised. This was an unexpected and welcome turn of events. He had thought he was alone in his desires. He had expected he would need to kill all the other Sages before this was all over. Perhaps there was more hope for the council than he had first thought.
“Sir, there is an anomaly with the rifts.”
“What is it?”
“We overlooked it before, since it didn’t seem like a major issue. But after discovering subject 294’s potential as a rift creator, we went back through the time tears she helped close while on quest.”
“And? I can’t read your mind you know, spit it out.”
“1327. She closed a rift dealing with placing King Edward III on the throne. She accomplished this by using guns to kill the soldiers.”
“So? With the reset that shouldn’t matter.”
“That’s just it, sir. I think her rift ability interfered with the closing codes and altered another rift, one dealing with Leonardo Da Vinci. In that other rift, semi-automatic weapons were used, the knowledge of their creation advanced by none other than King Edward III. His memory should have been wiped out, but it wasn’t. We didn’t think anything of it, since guns were starting to be created, but it should be the Chinese who created the first gun. And in that time period it certainly would not have been clip loaded.”
“Does this change alter the future at all?”
“Not significantly until 1737. Only minor changes that don’t affect important events. But in that year, the earthquake that is supposed to kill 300,000 and destroy half of Calcutta, India destroys all of it instead.”
“When is the soonest we can create a hiccup after the Grand Quest is over?”
“1494.”
“Then set the systems up to create one at that time. Enter the logistics to alter the small changes made during quest so history returns to the way it is supposed to be.”
“Yes, sir.”
Jeremy sat in his chair when it grew out of the floor, interlocking his fingers as he watched the multitude of screens. His eyes moved from the quester’s of Aerth who continued to close rifts created by him and the rest of the Council, to Kimberly Changa still exploring the building, to the soldiers still fighting. His mind processed all the information he saw and all he had learned. Putting little bits together like a giant puzzle. Jeremy found his eyes drawn to Kimberly more than once, until finally he focused all his attention on her.
Out of Time the Grand Quest Page 37
