“Actually, I’m going to go hit up a campus role-playing game.” I shrugged.
To this Sammy let out a loud and distracting laugh, “First week of college, and you are going to go RP with a bunch of nerds? Dude, what the fuck are you doing?!”
“Dude seriously.”
“No man, you be serious! You are fucking your own shit up; you need to get your ass over to Gamma before it’s too late. You might be a legend this week, but by Monday you will just be a has been. Gotta capitalize on that fame and goodwill man!” He shook his head.
“Whatever. I get it, I get it.” I shrugged and he got up and walked upstairs.
I had a solid hour before I had to leave for the game at Delta and I spent most of it thinking about Eve and the impossible bits and pieces she had told me. If everything she said was true it would make her around fifty five or so, older than my own mother. But she looked even younger than Tammy. None of the pieces matched, but I began to think I was trying too hard. There had to be a rational explanation for the entire set of circumstances.
It was then I saw someone walk up to Tammy and Mackayla and saw a bit of panic in Tammy’s face. He was a pretty big guy, but still obviously a student. Mackayla pointed toward me and said my name. When he turned around I recognized him as one of the three from Monday night, I stood up instantly and figured if a fight was coming the best place would be here in public.
“Shit.” I said to myself as he approached and readied myself.
“Sit down, I’m not here to fight. I’m just here with a message.” The thug grunted dismissively as he walked toward me.
“How are you not in jail, you almost killed…” I could see both Tammy and Mackayla watching our interaction closely.
“Look, just shut up and listen. Lasher says if you are really going to be the new Lord of Flame he is going to have to kill you. Little Mavin and her brothers wont be able to protect you and there is no negotiation. Back the fuck off and go back to school, you don’t want any part of this.”
“Who the hell is Lasher, who the fuck are you?” I started to get out my phone to call campus police.
“Message delivered, it’s a warning don’t mess it up. You got a few lucky hits in the other night, next time won’t be lucky for either of you.” He shook his head and walked away.
“Was that him; was that one of the guys from the alley?” Tammy demanded as the pair hurried over.
“I half expected him to shank me right here.” I replied.
“I’m sorry Simon, he just asked if we knew you and where you were. I didn’t know and I started talking before Tammy could stop me.” Mackayla said.
“It’s fine. Although death threats are a new turn of events for me.” I shook my head and sighed.
“He threatened you?” Tammy asked.
“Yea but I didn’t understand half the shit he said, none of it made any sense. But that seems to be the theme of the week.” I lowered my head and ran my fingers through my hair in frustration. “It’s been a long week.”
“You are a witness to what happened with Mavin, we should call the cops.” Mackayla offered.
“No, it’s fine. I don’t even think Delta called them when they nearly killed Eve… I mean Mavin.” I shook my head.
“You know Delta; they are all about keeping things in house.” Tammy said to Mackayla.
“Oh, are you a Delta now Simon?” Mackayla asked.
“No, I’m just some idiot that got thrown into the deep end of the pool and doesn’t know which way is up.”
“Delta doesn’t recruit anymore, you know that. They just sprout from the ground and keep to themselves.” Tammy said.
“Listen, I gotta go. I have an appointment.” I made my excuses.
“Its ok Simon, I hope you really are ok. Let me know if I can help.” Tammy offered and Mackayla nodded.
I arrived at the door to Delta right on time and rang their bell.
“Yes?” a voice cracked through the speaker.
“Simon Cauven. Please don’t put a bag over my head again?” I asked.
“Come in Simon.” The voice said and the door clicked.
Inside was pitch black and the lights didn’t come on till the door behind me closed and automatically locked.
“Empty your bag on the table and lift up your shirt.” Another speaker crackled.
I just shook my head and did as I was told, thinking I was lucky to not be dragged down the hallway with a bag over my head this time.
“Alright, down the hallway, first hallway on the right, then second door on the right. Don’t wander and leave your cell phone on the table if you have one, you can’t bring it in.” The voice crackled again and a second set of doors unlocked.
“Ok!” I said sarcastically and followed the directions through the building.
Behind the door was a certified retro quality break room. Leather arm chairs all mismatched and well worn all surrounded a central table with various gaming accoutrements and miniature figures spread across it.
“There he is!” Ross cried out and stood to shake my hand.
Gavin stood and nodded, and two other new faces gave polite waves while focusing on the game in front of them.
“Where is Eve?” I asked as I scanned the room and didn’t see her.
“Mavin is working on something; she will be here in a while.” Ross said as he offered me a seat.
“Ok as you enter the town of Rosengrand, the typical farmers, shopkeepers, laborers and your general peasant types hustle and bustle around. However you notice a figure that stands out to you that doesn’t fit in with the rest of the scene.” Ross introduced me into the session and motioned to me.
“Oh uh, Cleric… Chaotic Good…” I stumbled and Ross frowned.
The other three looked at me but said nothing. So I started again.
“A medium built man in full plate, with red hair and a chiseled ginger beard. On his hip a large mace and a shield on his back. He is clad in mostly red and gold, with a variety of religious symbolism related to local customs etched into his armor, clothing and painted across his shield.” I rattled off a basic description with more detail.
Ross, and the other two smiled and even Gavin looked at me with surprise.
“Ok, this is going to be fun.” Gavin said and sat up in his chair.
For the rest of the afternoon the four of us had a grand adventure. We assisted the township of Rosengrand with a variety of aliments and debacles. I was met several times with difficult moral choices and questions of conscience but played my character true to both his and my own nature. I couldn’t help but feel like my own morality and personality were being tested, but if so they wrapped it around the game so methodically it was only a passing thought and the game flowed well with the four of us interacting within Ross’s story that it was if I had played with these people for years prior, the grouping was seamless.
“Well Simon, that was awesome. I guess you have done this before?” Gavin asked.
“Hah, well, just a bit in high school.”
“You can’t get to know someone any better than dropping their imagination into a world with no consequences.” One of the two strangers spoke up.
“Simon this is Austringer, as we call him around here.” Ross introduced me to him.
“Johannes Austringer, I’m with Gavin.” He reached out his hand to shake mine. “Pleasure to meet you Simon.”
“And this beautiful woman is my wife, Audriana.” Ross said again.
“Audriana Lucazka.” She replied and instead of a hand offered a hug.
“Uh, nice to meet you.” I exchanged pleasantries with the group of people that I knew now as the mages, rogues and knights that they had played with different names for the better part of the past six hours.
“So give us a few minutes Simon? We need to go talk to Mavin.”
I looked at my watch and found it to be later than I imagined, near to seven in the evening. As the others left the room I stretched and let out a yawn.
<
br /> “Coffee in the cabinet. You are gonna wanna be awake.” Austringer said as he closed the door behind the group and I was left alone.
I sat for a few minutes, walked the room and eventually gave in and made a pot of coffee and drank a cup. The room was obviously a break room, well used. On the wall were small imaginative watercolor paintings of beautiful flowers and landscapes. Someone was very talented. In the corner of one I found a name, Gavin Lucazka, which surprised me.
When the door finally opened again it was Ross, friendly as ever.
“So, you should probably use the restroom and have another cup of coffee, tonight is either going to be really easy or really difficult. We don’t do this very often.” Ross was being vague but helpful. “When you are ready come in the next room, don’t worry we won’t jump out at you or anything. Just be ready to greet wonderland.”
I took his advice, but did so in a bit of a rush. I wanted to see Eve.
When I opened the door it was a more formal meeting room, but still heavily dated. Leather and wainscoting, hardwood beams, the sort of rundown retro luxury you saw at old hotels and in vintage movies.
Eve sat at one end, Ross sat on the other, and the only empty chair was next to Ross on the other end of the table from Eve. Austringer, Gavin and Audriana all nodded as I entered politely. Eve waved but was notably stressed and the worry showed across her face as it did early this morning.
“Simon, I’d like to formally introduce you to the leadership of Lucazka-Delta Laboratories. I believe you know everyone.” Ross started formally but not overly so.
“We have questions for you, as I am sure you have many questions as well.” Gavin said.
“We will see how deep we can get into the interview but for now we will start slow so that we all stay on the same page.” Austringer said.
“And try to breathe; when I did this I was scared out of my mind. It will be ok, just breathe.” Audriana tried to make me feel better; I guess the stress was showing.
Eve said nothing and just watched me and my interaction with the others.
“First we just want to confirm a few things Mavin has told us and that we have turned up ourselves, just getting to know you sort of details.” Ross stated.
“Was your dad really Martin Trevelyan?” Austringer blurted out.
“I guess we can start there…” Ross said.
“Yes, but I don’t like talking about him. I never met him, he was gone before I was born.” I looked at Eve wondering if anything we had talked about remained private.
“That would make your mother Samantha Jane Cauven, class of 1976?” Ross ran his pencil down the checklist in front of him.
“Yes.”
“How is your relationship with your mother?” Gavin asked.
“Oh are we going to have the Freud talk now?” I joked and Eve smiled slightly.
“It’s an easy question.” Gavin sat back in his seat and stared at me.
“Ok, Mom is great. It has always just been just her and I. She never married and I’m worried she will be lonely without me there, but I can still go home on weekends which is why UPT was such a good fit.” I stated.
Ross and Gavin looked at each other and Gavin raised an eyebrow toward Eve who sat stoically silent.
“Ok, moving on.” Ross continued, “What would you consider your greatest fault?”
“Honesty.” I said almost instantly.
“Hah! There it is, I knew he had some strategy in him!” Austringer said loudly, “Textbook answer!”
Ross shook his head and smiled, “Try again.”
“Ok, really?” I gave it moment of thought, “I guess I have a hard time seeing myself as a good person. I mean, I go out of my way to help people and do things that I guess you would call good, but it’s because I don’t want to be a bad person, not because I am a good person.”
“Good answer.” Audriana nodded. “If you were an animal, what kind would you be?”
I laughed, “Is that really a question?” I said and got no reply. “Ok, probably a fox. They are smart, don’t like fighting but will, have red hair and are kind of loners like I am.”
“How many sexual partners have you had?” Gavin poked.
“I don’t see how that…” I looked over at Eve who finally helplessly cracked a slight smile that she fought. “Ok, three.”
“Elaborate.” Gavin pushed.
“Ok, um. High school girlfriend, best friend’s sister, and girl at a party senior year.” I gave in, and just let it out.
“Any cheating or disloyalty built in to any of that?” Eve asked.
“No, none at all. I’m not…” I stopped, “If there is one thing I am a zealot about it is loyalty and faithfulness, I don’t play those kinds of games.” I confirmed and looked back to Ross.
“Fair enough.” Ross moved farther down his list.
“Any major debts, any foreign connections, investments overseas?”
“Uh, no.” I replied.
“How about your mother?” Gavin asked.
“No, not that I know of.” I replied. “Her company is an international conglomerate, but she only does domestic accounting as far as I know.”
The questioning peppered me for the better part of an hour, some flippant and seemingly sarcastic or meaningless, however some were deeply personal bordering on meanness and spite. Gavin grilled me the hardest, but I got a very strong good cop, bad cop vibe from the two of them, Ross and Gavin seemed to pair their questions in ways the played off one another. I was undaunted.
Occasionally I would look over at Eve and she would smile or give me a wink of encouragement. I imagined I was doing well.
“I don’t have any objections here, this appears to me to be exactly what she says it is. If Mavin wants him to be Lord of Flame, fucking let him.” Audriana said and stood up.
“No objections here.” Ross said.
“You know my feelings. I have my reservations, but ultimately this is Mavin’s decision.”
“No objections.” Austringer rounded out the vote.
As Eve was about to speak I interrupted. “Wait a minute, I have questions too.” I raised my voice. “I had a guy threaten to kill me today. Walked straight up to me in the dorm café saying Eve and I were gonna die together if I pursued this Lord of Flame thing, I don’t even know what the hell he is talking about.” I took a breath and everyone in the room seemed shocked by my outburst. “I get this whole Lasher this, Lasher that, like some fucking boogie man, you guys chill with me for half a day role-playing like we are old friends then pepper me with questions for the better part of an hour like it’s an interrogation. I think I’ve been infinitely fucking patient.” I took a breath and sat down, shaking my head.
“Finally.” Gavin shook his head, “Fucking finally. I just needed to see the fighter in him, this isn’t an easy job. I withdraw my objections, he has my vote.”
“Gavin was convinced you were overly passive.” Ross said.
“I believe it he called you a neutered puppy.” Austringer laughed.
“I hereby officially request this council to accept Simon Cauven as my pledge to Lord of Flame.” Eve stood and spoke loudly.
“As voted, as will be. The rest is his decision.” Ross stood and squeezed my arm.
Gavin and Austringer shook my hand and Audriana gave me another hug.
“I still have no idea what the hell is happening.” I shook my head at Eve. “This is what you were worried about?”
“No, I wasn’t worried about this part at all. Sit down it’s time for the rest of the puzzle pieces. Then you will have a decision to make.” Eve said.
Chapter Eight: Answers
The room smelled of old leather and a hint of stale beer. Just Eve, Ross and I sat at one end of the table. Ross positioned himself between Eve and I and wheeled his chair closer to her than to me.
“So, everything said here is top secret. I don’t mean fraternity Greek hush hush secret society level of classification. I mean actual top secre
t, if you repeat anything said in this room to anyone outside of Delta they will literally disappear you into a black box.” Ross stated officially.
“Woah.” I sounded my surprise as he slid a thick nondisclosure agreement packet toward me with a broad felt pen.
“Ignore the dollar amounts and civil penalties, ignore the jail time. Honestly, they will just kill you if you start running your mouth.” Ross wasn’t being reassuring.
“Who is they?” I asked.
Ross pointed to the letterhead that I had embarrassingly skipped over.
“Department of Energy.” Eve said, “Just sign it.”
“Alright…” I said and felt as if I had just signed my life away.
Ross shifted in his seat and Eve started the briefing.
“In 1957 four professors here at UPT founded Delta Laboratories. Gerald Rosen, Hugo Epperman, Heinrich Sauer-Konig and our father Albert Lucazka were all cast offs of the Manhattan Project of the 1940’s. Our father was Polish, Rosen and Sauer-Konig were German, and Epperman is Jewish-American, a motley group of men with vastly different backgrounds and political ideals that found common ground in experimental science.” Eve’s voice was comforting, but her tone was much more harsh and factual than what I had been used to so far.
“So, fast forward about fifteen years. Delta gets involved with government experimental research, has to sign on to government contracts to stay alive and keep the grant money coming in.” Ross stated.
“The access to exotic materials and radioactive elements had a lot to do with that too.” Eve chimed in.
“True enough, not everyone got to play with plutonium and uranium during the cold war. National security and all that.” Ross continued, “So, the lab had grown quite a bit by then, the building got bigger, we signed on any brilliant minds we could, and we have this whole setup where we farm out patents and everyone who works here is at the very least set for life financially. What works out to a basic income, clears up greed and makes it so everyone here is working for a piece of the prize as it were.”
“People do leave, they come and go. Some have founded companies or entered politics, some never leave and spend their whole lives working here.” Eve added.
Deltas: Delta Horizon Book One Page 7
