“Certainly!” She seemed pleased to be included. “From what I understand, the Fystr fear to access this door. Is this correct?”
“Yes,” Ogun answered emphatically, “it is well documented that only death awaits any who enter. My mind is already running in circles with this revelation. I wonder, could it be the upper echelons of Fystr know about this? And intentionally discouraged us from using the area?”
“Perhaps, though I am not sure why. I should make it clear, the room is your subconscious,” Ialos replied to a wide-eyed Ogun. “While it is potentially dangerous, if you enter with a calm and clear mind, you should be fine. Even better if you can enter with someone who has experience navigating the area. At least until you become proficient, then it is an invaluable part of your mind to utilize.”
“How fascinating! And what do you use the room for specifically?” Ogun asked eagerly.
“Its uses are many, but in essence it allows you to access dreams. For training Shaun’s Wisdom, the plan was to have him imagine certain scenarios. In the Subconscious Room, they come to life, similarly to a dream, but you have much more control if you are mindful. Here Shaun could deal with the scenarios in a safe environment, while being encouraged to assess all his options and use good judgment to solve the problems we set. Ultimately allowing his Wisdom to develop.”
“That is astounding. I must look into this at some point!” Ogun declared and clapped his hands together with anticipation.
“I can provide support until you have developed enough awareness to navigate on your own. For now, we should allow Shaun to finish his story. I must confess, it will be of benefit to me to hear the details of what happened, as it’s been most hectic ever since.”
“Thanks, Ialos,” I said before continuing. “Okay, guys, long story short, we discovered a door in there that no one else has. It was all golden, like the energy that just surrounded me. I told the Apochros not to open it, they did anyway. They died; I got an Omni tank.”
“What do you think was beyond the door?” Ialos asked first, looking just as intense as Ember and Ogun.
“As far as I can tell, just the universe,” I replied.
Ember chuckled. “Just the bloody universe he says! Inside his bloody head!”
I sighed. “No, I don’t think the universe is in my head, Ember. I think the doorway is a link to the essence of the universe.” I explained about the future-me voice, and everything that happened in my Mindscape. “Now I have a reservoir of something called Omni Energy, that protects me from motherfuckers invading my mind!”
“You absolute jammy bastard!” Ember cried. “Only you could be mindwiped, attacked by two super-strong Apochros in your Subconscious, and be the only one to walk away with your memories intact and a new fucking superpower that no one else can have! Now, see if you can let me into your Mindscape. I need to see your stats!” She smiled, but it was an intense smile that brooked no argument.
“Sure, Ember, have a go and I’ll see if I can let you past.” Entering my Mindscape, I sought out the specific feeling from the concentration of Omni Energy. It seemed to already know Ember was going to make the attempt to enter. I moved to settle it swiftly with a mental command and it worked. Ember appeared, standing directly in front of my Cerebral Interface, staring at it silently.
“You absolute fucking wanker, Shaun,” she sighed. I grimaced as she stared at the numbers.
Name: Shaun
Age: 31 GY
Transcendence Level: 259
Strength: 364/1000
Agility: 208/1000
Speed: 206/1000
Intelligence: 241/1000?
Constitution: 480/1000
Wisdom: 35/1000?
Mental Resilience: 282/1000
Mental Clarity: 76%
Potential: 99%
Omni Saturation: 28%
“I mean, what in the actual fuck. I don’t care what torture training they did to you. You’re damn well doing it to me. I don’t care what it takes. I’ve increased one level since I last saw you! If we can replicate this on all of our human crew, we will have such a better chance.”
“It's not a pleasant experience. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.”
“When is training ever pleasant?” Ember said, hands on her hips.
“I suppose if the Apochros would be willing to gift us training equipment, we can leave it down to personal preference.”
“I wasn’t going to make people do it, Shaun, what do you think I am?”
“Okay, I’ll ask Ialos if she can arrange it. Otherwise, I’m sure she’d be happy to help us create more on Uprising.”
“Oh, will she now? You two seem to have become awfully close. You haven’t developed Stockholm Syndrome, have you?” she said, eyeing me.
“I might have 241 Intelligence, but I have no idea what that even means,” I said, fidgeting uncomfortably.
Her eyes never left my face. “It means you fall in love with your captors?”
“Really? That seems a bit of a weird thing to happen,” I said, trying to my best to suppress any embarrassment.
“I was just fucking with you, Shaun; it doesn’t really mean you love, just that you develop a strong bond with them. Though from your expression, I’m a little bit sus now.” She narrowed her eyes, but she had a wry smirk on her face. I should have stopped talking then.
“Look, she was with me all day every day and I didn’t know who the fuck I was. I didn’t even know my own name. They were calling me bloody Vakuna, for god’s sake! Of course we bonded, but it wasn’t that stockcubey thing you were just talking about. I didn’t even know I was a hostage!”
“Well, that’s convenient, isn’t it?” she said, smiling no longer.
“Nothing happened!” I protested.
“Did you want it to?”
I slumped; I’d fucked myself over here. She would keep going now until she was satisfied. “You know what, Ember? Vakuna, who didn’t know anything about you, did want something to happen. Shaun, who is obsessed with you, most definitely did not.”
“But technically you’re both now, right? I mean, you retained all of the information and memories pumped into you as Vakuna?”
“You know what, I’m not having this! How come I get here and you’re like, ‘oh, by the way I killed Rufus, and sorry, Astrid and a few others have also been outcast.’ And I’m like, ‘cool, they must have deserved it!’ Yet you’re giving me all this crap about something that was outside my control.”
She smirked. “You best get in control of it then, bestn’t you!” she said as she caught me in the nuts with a playful jab, then disappeared from my Mindscape.
I growled in frustration. I’d flinched from the shot, although it didn’t hurt, and I took a moment to regain my composure.
“…so he’s only bloody level 259,” Ember was saying to my relief, not even looking at me.
“My, my, that is a remarkable increase,” Ogun replied.
“It’s huge!” she answered before turning to Ialos. “Shaun was going to ask you if we could get any of those machines on the Uprising, or the new ship. I mean, we could pay for what we need.”
“I will certainly discuss it with Jezai. He should have the council's ear for some time after this debacle and payment won’t be necessary.”
“That would be amazing. We need all the help we can get,” Ember replied, then turned to me.
“Honestly, Shaun, more than doubling your level in a few weeks, and gaining a new power unique to you… if I didn’t bloody love you so much, I’d hate you.”
“Oh, thanks! It’s not my fault, you know,” I complained. “Hey Ogun, you don’t love me, and you don’t hate me, do you?”
“Oh, I most certainly do love you, Shaun! It’s why I left the Thoth and Seshat because I couldn’t live with the guilt of leaving you behind.”
“Meh, thanks. Mick? Hate me?”
“Shaun, dude! I’m seriously in love with you. You're like a hair behind Gus, man,” he laughed.
> “Ah, right, shouldn’t have gone there,”
“Ha ha! Not like that, man, you're my captain and you're a goddamn hero. You saved all our bacon on that first supply station, and seriously when you went flying through the air on Xonico, I swear ‘There Flies My Hero’ was playing in my head.”
“That just got even weirder, very quickly. But it’s good to know no one hates me.”
“You didn’t ask Ialos,” Ember said, watching me with an evil smile.
“Well…”
“Oh, believe me, I love Shaun. Even mindwiped he made me laugh more than anyone else I’ve ever met.”
I went red and so did Ember for different reasons. My face went redder as Ialos kept talking. “He was so cute trying to levitate through the obstacle course at first.”
“Cute?” Ember asked.
“Oh yes, without doubt the most inept performance I’ve witnessed a grown man produce, and he did it all with a smile on his face. I almost feel like he’s the son I never had, or maybe a little brother. As well as the Vakuna, of course.”
I looked at her sharply and she hastily added, “I mean no offence, and I didn’t actually call you Vakuna.” She laughed. “But either way you are still the Vakuna, we just can’t say it in front of you anymore.”
“Please don’t, it makes me feel a certain way towards Apochros, which I’m trying extremely hard to avoid.”
“Oh, I can see that. I will not say the word again.” She looked suitably chagrined.
Thankfully, Ogun brought the conversation back on track. “Is there anything else you can do with the energy?” Ogun asked.
“Not that I know of. It's just done its own thing so far in protecting my mind, though its level drops every time. Oh shit! I did give Havok some energy too and powered him right up with ten percent. I...”
“Now you will share my love of harvesting the souls. We need all the energy!” Havok said with an evil little chuckle, causing me to laugh out loud at the mad bastard.
“Shit, man, knock it off,” I thought back.
“Shaun?” Ember said.
“Huh? Oh sorry, just talking to Havok.”
“You know you were in the middle of talking to us, right? And that you just left the room and started laughing?”
“Bet that didn’t look good, but hey you know that this means? I barely have to work on my Mental Resistance!”
“Don’t be stupid, of course you do. You’ve just said the energy depletes. What if you run out of it?” Ember snapped at me.
“Yes, Shaun, please stop continuously trying to avoid the more uninspiring tasks,” Ialos added.
Ember raised an eyebrow at her, but she seemed not to notice, and I moved the conversation on. “Okay, guys, I get it! I still need to get to 99 percent Potential, anyway. Gotta open that door. I'll be like the friggin' Lord of the Universe or something!”
Laughs greeted that statement. “What!?” I said petulantly. “I'd be a good Lord of the Universe.”
“What would you do?” Ogun asked, appearing to be genuinely interested.
“Dunno, chill mainly. Rig up some Earth tv, kick back, content in the knowledge that no one can kill me. I’d make sure all you guys were alright first though.”
“Classic Shaun,” Ember joked. The conversation slowly drifted into a less Shaun intensive mode, which was a relief.
Chapter 20
The Plan
We landed back on Accre. Despite everyone’s eagerness to get off the scruffy ship, and the seats they’d been sitting and sleeping in for the last two days, I had them all remain where they were. Only my close team came with me to find out what developments had been made in our absence. When the door descended, we were greeted by the council led by Jezai. Again.
“I’m getting déjà vu, Jezai! I hope this time goes a little better than last!”
“Well met, Shaun. I give you my word that this time our intentions towards you are both well-formed and consistent with our previous discussions. You have our friendship and support going forward,” he said, and nods of assent from those with him followed.
“That’s bloody good to hear. I hope we’ll be of benefit to each other.”
“I believe so, Shaun. The first news I have for you is that we have arranged for your new ship to be brought here. It will arrive tomorrow. We have arranged sleeping quarters for all, though you have the Uprising too.”
“I think most of our people will choose the Uprising, particularly the original crew. Give me a moment.” I turned around, my eyes fell on Acclo immediately and I didn’t even have to say anything. They merely nodded and headed back onto the ship. I turned back to the council. “Okay, I should have numbers in short order. Ember and I will stay on Uprising.”
“Are you sure about that?” Jezai asked. “We made an awful mess of the doors. It may be a bit draughty.” He laughed.
“Ah shit, yeah, it slipped my mind. Uhm, is my old place still available? I think I’d like to spend a night or two in a real house with Ember.” I looked at her to gauge her response. “If you're okay with that?”
“It’ll be a welcome change.” She smiled back at me. “What happened to our door though?”
“Havok happened.” I chuckled.
“If I had more energy, I would have cut the entire ship to shreds to get out.” Havok growled in my head. I tried to ignore him, but he wasn’t finished. “Don’t forget about the hands Shaun, you need to ask these sly shit stains, to grow me some real hands.”
I laughed out loud before speaking to Ember again. “He messed the doors up so bad that we couldn’t get them open. Jezai had to bend them right back so we could enter.”
“Shaun and I bent them back,” Jezai corrected with a smile.
“While we’re talking about Havok, he’s just asked me, to ask if you can grow him some hands,” I chuckled. “Don’t worry, I don’t actually want you to, that would be too creepy.”
“Yes, even if we were able, I’m not sure that would be the best idea, aesthetically speaking.” Jezai replied.
“You set of bastards, it would make my life so much easier.” Havok grumbled, I had to ignore him to listen to Jezai.
“… and I must apologize for not having had the doors repaired. We have been rather preoccupied. You won’t need to stay in those quarters once your new ship arrives.”
“Nah,” I replied, “I’ll be sticking with the Uprising still, thanks.”
“Whatever you say, Shaun,” Jezai said with a knowing smile. Whatever he thought he knew, he was wrong. The Uprising was our baby. I wouldn’t be dumping her for a newer model anytime soon.
Acclo came back out from the ship, while I mused over flying in the Uprising again with my friends back by my side.
“Captain. Most had a preference to stay within the Uprising. There are 31 people we cannot fit on board,” Acclo said to me, but it was loud enough for Jezai to hear.
“If you would like to gather those in need of accommodation, Melik here will guide them to their residence.” Acclo gave a slight bow and hurried off to round everyone up. Jezai continued to talk to us. “Are you ready to meet with us? There is much we have to discuss.”
“Sure, we don’t have too many things planned at the moment, lead the way.” I gestured, and followed behind with the rest of the Alpha team. Ialos and Ogun also remained with us; I suppose they were part of the team now.
Once we were all settled in the hall, Jezai announced broadly, “To begin with, I understand that apologies will not fix what has been done to you all, however we all feel remorse over our actions and offer you our sincere apologies, nonetheless. We can only hope the knowledge that we have decided to invest our futures with yours will appease some of the residual anger you may all feel. I am sure in time we can rebuild the trust between us.”
I was pleased to see my crewmates all nodded in acceptance of his words. Despite still actually being furious myself, I did want this to work. We all listened with rapt attention to what Jezai had to say.
&n
bsp; “After much deliberation, the Apochros Council of Elders across Accre have come to an agreement. We are not willing to commit to an assault on the Fystr Empire itself at present, but we have decided to fight them at our own borders.”
“After blowing our ships up to stop them finding you?” Ember asked dubiously. “I thought you guys were supposed to be smart.”
I managed to both inwardly cringe and laugh at her words; she had hit the nail on the head.
“Intelligent or not, we had two viewpoints in direct conflict. We have settled on the more aggressive route forward now.”
“Still though, that’s a bit flaky, if you know what I mean. You sure you’re not going to change your mind again?”
Galivea spoke up next. “I understand your reticence and you are right to ask these questions. I voted for the plan to control the Vakuna, which has put us at odds, and it brings me shame. Moreover that I did it out of fear. The Vakuna heralds a change in the galaxy, and some of us sought to control that change. We have paid a grave price with the deaths of Fiekela and Kirel. There are strong forces at play around Shaun, and it has been made clear that if we wish to play a positive part in the events to come, we must support him.”
“Okaaay… That was not the answer I was expecting, but yeah, fuck it. I’ll buy that,” Ember said, hardly knowing where to put herself.
“If that is cleared up to your satisfaction, I will continue. Our preliminary plan is based on our confidence that we can successfully defeat the fleet that currently hunts for you. Our scouts have informed us that they have 2000 ships currently 300 lightyears from our borders. We also have reports of their Hunter ships scouting close to our borders. Your old ships have been destroyed, but it appears the Fystr wish to be certain of your demise. If we can show them you are alive, then they will bring their fleet forward where we are able to better inflict significant losses upon them, severely damaging their war machine. What happens after that is down to fate, but I believe this is a beginning we can all agree on?”
“How are we going to let them know we are still alive?” Ogun asked.
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