"This dour fellow is quite correct, as are the Plinth," Hubunker said, "though they do not know to what extent they are correct... Hmm, I fear this is where we part ways. I do not know what will happen to me once you have gone, but it is, perhaps, prudent that I do not tarry too long. A conflict has already started on the outer reaches of many of the Everworld's star nets." Hubunker sounded very happy with the announcement. "In fact it started after Mr Alatort was executed. His death, regrettably, became the trigger for my friends and their allies to begin their campaign. Jean has finally proven his worth; with the bodies I have given him, he has wiped out the Plinth’s grand fleet. The conflict may even reach this very Exchange, but not for a few hundred years, I imagine.”
Hubunker looked thoughtful for a moment, ignoring the posturing Tentacle-twelve, the belligerent Plinth, and the protective orbs above. “When you do enter the Exchange and choose your final prizes, I advise you to choose things for the betterment of your species.” Ammon nodded impatiently. “Do not focus too much on yourselves. Now that the residents of the Everworld know of your potential, it is likely that some of them may try to... manipulate you and the rest of humanity with no small amount of force. I do hope that there will be no need for such worries. The conflict may distract them for quite some time. Oh, but I do waffle on, don't I? Go my beneficiaries; enjoy your prizes. Ammon, get lost!"
Ammon smiled and bowed, "I intend to, master."
"Oh, shut up and go, you idiot."
They made their way towards the long lines of Plinth soldiers until they stood at its edge. "Let us through," Ammon said. One of the Plinth looked at each of them and snapped its large jaws. It unlinked its arms and moved to the side. The next soldier behind him did the same, as did more and more until a path appeared.
"Go," the Plinth leader growled at them in English. They stepped through the tight corridor and did their best to ignore the hot breaths at their necks. When they made it through to the other side Jessica started shaking. The whole way to the hub was now clear, not a single being stood between them and their destination.
"The Plinth cleared the way for us," Ammon said.
"To create a killing zone?" asked Jessica.
"As a sign of respect. Georgy humiliated them. They know he didn't cheat. They learned some valuable lessons these past few days. Do not dawdle lest we lose the respect they are showing us."
Jessica found she didn’t need any encouragement to go faster. If it had been up to her, they would have run the rest of the way. She still might have if her legs didn’t feel so wobbly. She kept looking over her shoulders, expecting a Plinth to be right behind her.
They couldn't have reached the Hub quickly enough. Lots of doors waited for them with blinking lights in different patterns above each of them, "this one," Ammon nodded at a door that was starting to open into the top of its ornately patterned architrave.
Inside was a well-lit room no bigger than Jessica's living room. She felt warmth caress her face and sweet perfumes calm her nerves. Blue walls complemented wooden furniture and grassy green plants. A large alien sat at a desk two sizes too small for its stick-thin figure. It had three eyes hidden in a single long groove across its forehead and a large mouth that almost extended from one side of its head to the other. "Please sit," it said. Jessica expected to hear the slightly delayed automatic translation that would let her know what the creature had said but she realised after a moment she already understood.
"You speak English?"
"Please sit," it repeated for her with a slight purr in its high-pitched voice. It gestured to three wooden chairs. Cushions with floral patterns were tied to the chairs by red ribbons. "We have much to discuss; you have been allotted a great deal of points and it is unlikely a species such as yours has had much experience with so much currency. I will attempt to aid you in your decisions."
"Just get on with it," Ammon snapped. "I've been waiting thousands of years for this moment, Earth will embrace me once more."
Jessica and Peter looked quizzically at their former teacher and shrugged at each other, strange remark...
Ammon noticed their shrugs and said, “I was meant to be a Pharaoh, a god amongst men. I will be again!”
"Very well, we'll start with your primary desires, then work on miscellaneous options based on those desires, plus a few you may not have thought of for yourselves. I will now dive into your neural pathways, hold for one moment..."
***
Jessica felt like she was lying naked on a bed of grass. Where are my clothes? She looked up at a clear blue sky. She eased herself up and looked around to find she was in her backyard. The wooden palings of her old fence were as worn as ever, but the clothesline was missing. She stood up and felt dizzy, newly-gained knowledge weighing her mind down.
She took one wobbly step towards the house and noticed discarded police-tape in the green bin down the side of the house. With a frown she stepped into the house's unlocked back door, walking into the too-neat laundry and continued to the kitchen. She tested her new infrared vision and saw heat radiating from her chrome-coloured kettle. A spoon clattered to the kitchen floor and she turned sharply to see what had moved it. She crouched into a defensive posture and felt the ends of her fingertips crackle with energy. "Jessica?" her mother said, her voice quivering. Her mother held tightly to the doorframe between the kitchen and dining room. Behind her mother, her father was sitting at the dining table, nursing a warm cup of tea. His face started to turn white.
He leapt up from the table to race past her mother and grab a towel from the laundry. Jessica abandoned her defensive posture and covered herself with her hands. She leaned heavily against one wall and started to shake with relief.
"Here," her father wrapped her in a brown towel. "Jessica, where have you been?" Tears started falling from his cheeks. Her mother, still holding the doorframe, stood in shock, eyes wide and mouth hanging.
"Mum, Dad, I... I think I need to talk to NASA."
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