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Quidel teleports into Lycander’s office. He must have somehow gathered
momentum during transit, because he immediately falls into the guest chair,
breaking one leg off of it completely, and leaving another holding on by a
thread. “Sorry, I don’t know what happened.”
Lycander shakes his head. “You can’t jump to just anywhere you want. If you
select an off-limits destination, it will reroute you to the nearest
authorized space. This time, it was my office. I don’t know why you fell.
You might just need to take up yoga to learn balance.”
“I was trying to go to a remote island in Polar Tropica. There wouldn’t have
been anyone there to spot me.”
Lycander shakes his head at this. “The whole dome is a no-go zone. Take the
train. You have an express pass now too.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. This is more fun,” Quidel contends. “Wouldn’t you agree?”
“Look, we’re in the inner circle now; the Executive Administrative
Authority. Hrockas is trusting us to be smart, be responsible, and behave.
He gave you that snazzy new body of yours, he can take it away. And the guy
who gave the technology to him? Well, I imagine he can take it away too.”
“All right, I get it, I’ll be careful.” He looks down at the destruction he
cause. “Hey, why is this made of wood?”
Lycander shrugs. “I like antiques.”
“Right. Well, I still want my beach getaway, so I guess I’m gonna go find a
train. Ugh, it’s so tedious. I can’t believe I used to think the vactrain
network was the fastest way to travel.”
“Hey, wait. I’m glad you’re here anyway,” Lycander says. “I have some news,
which you may have already heard. After nine months of auditing and
diagnostics, they’re reopening the Spydome Network. They’re restarting the
story from the moment Renata shut it down. Anyone in-sim at the time will be
able to go back and pick up right where they left off. If you don’t sign up
by the end of the week, though, they’ll replace your character with an
Exemplar. I think Demo’s gonna do it.”
Quidel clears his throat uncomfortably. “It’s like you said, we have real
jobs now; we don’t play games.”
“I always had a real job,” Lycander reminds him.
“Does that mean you’re going back?”
“Not a chance.”
Quidel nods. “I suppose we’re on the same page then.”
“I suppose.”
Both of their devices beep at once. They look at them. “We’re in the same
group chat too. What do you think Hrockas wants?”
Lycander stands, and starts to walk around the desk. “He was probably
alerted to your illegal teleportation attempt.” He taps his wristband to
Quidel’s watch to sync up. “Let’s go together so it doesn’t accidentally
happen again.” He spirits them both away.
They land in Hrockas’ office. Another guy is there, who Quidel recognizes,
but hasn’t spoken to yet. “Thank you for coming,” Hrockas says. “First off,
let me officially introduce you both to Dominus Azad Petit of the
Castlebourne Charter Contingency.”
Azad is sitting on the edge of Hrockas’ back counter. He clicks his tongue,
and waves two fingers at them as a greeting, but doesn’t say anything.
“Dominus Petit will lead one regiment of soldiers to war, should it come to
that. You’ll recall, I informed you of the outside threat that we face?”
“I remember it, yes,” Lycander confirms.
“Yeah,” Quidel replies at the same time.
“Yes, well, we’re having trouble with that,” Hrockas goes on. “The original
plan was to run and hide, but not everyone agrees with that tactic, so we’re
currently at a standstill. As a major proponent of the original plan, I have
become a threat to that internal opposition. Dominus Petit has assigned
himself as my personal bodyguard....” He gives Azad the side eye.
“...despite the fact that we are all immortal.”
“It is not impossible to kill an immortal,” Azad argues.
“Whenever you’re in my presence, sir, you can count on me to protect your
life as well, and your substrate,” Lycander promises, like he’s pledging his
fealty to the king. Perhaps it’s just the spirit of the environment. This
is, after all, Castledome.
“Uh, same here,” Quidel agrees.
Hrockas smiles and laughs. “That’s very kind of you, but that’s not where I
was going with this. No, I was leading you down a path to the real topic of
the day.” He gestures in the general direction of their wrists. “Please
remove your devices, so your location can’t be tracked.
They do as they’re asked.
Azad stands up. “Needless to say, this area is top secret, as is what you’re
about to see. I’m sure you won’t want to break confidence at any rate.
Huddle up.” The other three lean over under his arms when he raises them up.
He alone activates his teleporter, and brings them all along.
They land in a lab. A man who Quidel recognizes is working on some sort of
sciency stuff on a table nearby. “Custodian Number One!” Quidel
acknowledges. “I didn’t know I would ever see you again.”
“Likewise sir, but per your advice, I go by Telman now.”
“I’m glad to hear it, Telman.”
“Room Two, Telman,” Hrockas instructs.
“Certainly, sir.” Telman spins around, and approaches a door behind him. He
uses his biometrics to unlock it, and let them in.
The room is dark and humid. Hrockas orders the lights to come on, and they
do. They hear a sort of groan coming from the only object of note in here.
It’s a...pod of some kind; translucent and shiny, hanging from the ceiling.
It’s quite majestic. As Quidel moves side-to-side, the colors morph and
shimmer. Hrockas approaches and knocks on it like it’s a door. “Miss
Granger? Are you ready to come out?”
“Five more minutes,” a muffled voice complains.
“I got an alert. The chrysalis knows when it’s time,” Hrocaks says in a
sing-songy voice. “And it’s time,” he adds.
She groans again.
“Your friends are here. They’re anxious to see you. They thought you were
dead.”
Renata lets out a protracted low whine, and then punches through the
membrane with a grunt.
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