Jace rode at the low speed through the evening, waiting on the power cells of the vehicle to charge for full speed. The predators that had once threatened his existence months prior steered clear of him. Probably because of the Tier difference, he thought. They see me as a predator to be avoided. He chuckled a bit at that idea.

  Ollie had vanished to the Starlit Sea as Jace traveled; putting together a dossier on what exactly Jace would be encountering. As the hours continued onward, Jace allowed his mind to wander.

  What would come next? After finding Chroma and bringing her back, and having Xera put his sister into a new body…what would he do? I will definitely be working for Xera still, since I’m sure that people will keep trying to break into the Astral Verge that will need stopping or convincing to stop their efforts. And in between I can visit Chroma in the Khrox education places. Living with Shhiv, of course…but am I always just going to be at Xera’s call?

  He began thinking about the fact that he was going to live forever once he became an Ascendant. Eternity…that’s a long time. Xera already took care of Shhiv getting to bypass the Civilian limitations for the System, lifespan wise, with the backup body. So that’s good; she can stick around for as long as she’ll put up with me. He smiled as he thought of the gorgeous Churkun that cared for him so deeply after a relatively short period of time.

  But then…he thought about Chroma. She will get to choose between Civilian or Aspirant when she is an adult. I’m sure if she did choose Civilian that Xera would give her the same workaround. But her being associated with me means that she would basically be a prisoner within Khrox. Maybe…her becoming an Aspirant is the way to go. She could protect herself. And…I can’t interfere with the Aspirant Trial, but I could sure as hell be near her and kill anything that threatens her.

  Ollie appeared with a pop and looked at Jace, “Only a little bit longer until the fuel cells are recharged.”

  Jace nodded and kept the vehicle going along the cracked highway – hovering a few inches above the shattered surface at the slow pace. “Ready to tell me about this place I’m heading to next?”

  “Poltor Six.” Ollie threw up his paws and a map of a world appeared before Jace. “This world was the home of the Guatch species. A quick history lesson…”

  -----

  Ollie spent the next hour explaining the events leading to the current state of the world as a rogue planet. The Guatch were a magitech society that were not very numerous but very advanced despite their relatively small numbers. To the point where they were making various facilities all around their world for a bunch of applications that were nonsensical to all but their own kind.

  The reason for this rapid advancement was due to circumstances. They had determined, via an ancient spell, that their sun would die – relatively quickly, in the cosmic sense of scale. They set to work creating all manner of technology blended with magic that would allow them to survive all around the world. Supposedly – not confirmed with scans but a supposition nonetheless – they had exposed the core of their world to one or more of their magitech devices that would enable heat transference to the surface of the world.

  Then, the sun died. The planet escaped its orbit and began drifting through space. Due to the species’ advancements, and the protocols built into The Cosmic System regarding apocalyptic scenarios beyond species’ control, the world was subjected to Cosmogenic Merging. Almost every member of the species chose Aspirant to ensure their survival as the magitech they developed was theoretically capable of keeping the planetoid warm. A handful chose Civilian, with the hope that they were close enough to wherever the portal opened to get through.

  None made it.

  -----

  “Poltor Six is now a world of ice and snow. It still has an atmosphere, but the magitech device that they supposedly built near the core of the planet did not activate.”

  Xera’s voice came over the comms, “That is where you come in. I need you to scout out the world and see if you can find a way to this center of the world. If there is a magitech machine there capable of warming the planet, then we can give the Guatch back their world. But if not, I can then go with my backup plan of bringing in a planetary engine to slowly bring it into orbit around a star. Give the world another chance.”

  Jace saw a notification on the display of the hoverbike, indicating that it had recharged its power cells. He sped up and began racing over the cracked road on his way back to The Cosmic Corridor. “You said there are lots of Complexes. That happens when Cosmogenic Merging fucks up, right?”

  Xera let out a mix between a sigh and a groan, “Yes. That is correct. Here’s how it works: Cosmogenic Merging hits, the world is frozen in spacetime while integration is completed, and then it resumes. During that ‘time lock’, the world is scanned by The Cosmic System and fully integrated. But, sometimes, a strong enough creature, source of magic, magitech device, technological wonder, or another anomaly prevents the System from merging the location where it resides. The System them flags the location as a Complex and sets out a default Quest to anyone who ends up coming across it; to clear out whatever the anomaly was.”

  Jace scratched his head, “What about that System Glitch I came across on Nihilethelea? Around the Archmage’s soul thingy? I found two of them.” And one of them would have killed me if I didn’t have the World Pillar spell.

  “Glitches happen when an area was never incorporated. It can happen if something potent is blocking the System from scanning that region of the world. I would imagine in the Archmage Ascendant’s case, he had a powerful illusion or non-detection spell of some type that shrouded those locations. Strong enough to trick the System itself. Your (Information) Boon back on Nihilethelea allowed you to task the System with focusing on a specific object – so that specific program bypassed the illusion or shroud.”

  “Why does this world have so many Complexes?”

  Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

  “Lots of powerful magitech. And no one has had reason to go there – the resources just aren’t good enough. And I haven’t gone to check it out because I don’t leave Khrox.”

  “Ever?”

  “Ever,” she replied. “It’s one way to ensure I will always be safe with my backup. If I left, the technology to bring me back should something befall me might not work how it should. I’ve never tried it outside of the quasi-reality space that, in the ‘reality sandwich’, is a sort of pocket dimension ‘above’ our universe.”

  Jace went silent as he continued to race across the surface of the world, thinking about what Xera had just admitted to him. She must really trust me a lot, he thought, to share something that important. A possible weakness of hers. I wonder if she let it out intentionally?

  “No one has gone to this ice world for the Complexes?” he asked to take his mind off the idea.

  “Not particularly. Ever spent a long time in an icy hellscape? It’s not pleasant.”

  Ollie flew just above Jace and added, “The world is three times the size of Earth. Going anywhere on that world will take a long time even with a vehicle. A handful of Complexes closer to the portal leading to The Cosmic Corridor were completed – but the whole world is covered with them.”

  Xera let out a noise of assent, “Mhmm. Ollie is absolutely correct. Dozens upon dozens of Complexes. I am sure they have some amazing magitech that I would have never conceived of.”

  Jace frowned slightly, “I thought you were this amazingly smart Architect who knew everything.”

  “I’m not omniscient,” Xer a replied. “I did most of the technology, my brother focused on magic, and we merged our learning for magitech. And a person is only so inventive; ideas are not limitless. But this universe? The species that live here, think, and develop themselves? They have ideas I couldn’t have dreamed up even with thousands of years to think about it.”

  Makes sense. Not everyone can think of everything, Jace thought. The idea of plundering ancient Complexes, filled with magitech that he could look at, have Ollie examine, and maybe bring back to improve the System filled him with a sense of purpose. There was anxiety, as well, as he had experienced a few dire situations inside of Complexes. And also, a sense of excitement at all of the Boons he could acquire from the venture.

  “I’m going to drop by the Star Market to stock up,” Jace said as he accelerated the vehicle to its top speed that wouldn’t burn out the energy cells.

  Ollie gave him a thumbs up, “Smart. You are covered from the cold with your armor. But having more survival meals and a way to start a fire – like a portable stove so you can melt snow into water – is going to be even smarter.”

  Jace nodded and began working with Ollie on a list of items to purchase for the impending excursion.

  “We are being followed,” Greg muttered as he glanced behind them.

  Priam and Dee both looked back towards Greg and could see nothing of about the background crowd in Khrox. “Who?” Priam asked.

  Greg frowned and picked the two up, “Xera, we’ve got priority warping here. Why aren’t we moving?”

  Xera let out a curse over the comms network, “Give me a second; someone is jamming it with a Skill.”

  Greg felt an enormous impact on his back and went sprawling forward. The pain that set in was immediate, and he tried to suck in breath but couldn’t. His hand was trapped under him, and he felt a warm, sticky hole in the center of his torso.

  Priam’s contingent healing Skill kicked in, fixing the enormous hole that had been blown through the center of his torso. Greg tried to shout out a warning, but his newly-formed lungs were still taking in their first gulps of air.

  Priam quickly threw up his barrier around the trio, and Dee wheeled around with her hands glowing with green, acidic fury. But she did not attack. “I don’t see anyone,” Dee said.

  Greg glanced back and saw the Civilian-filled crowd had cleared the area – running off in either direction or ducking into the various store fronts along the road. “I don’t see the shooter,” he managed to wheeze out.

  Priam’s barrier cracked, and he let out a scared yelp. “Sniper! Rooftop!” he shouted as he pointed up.

  Greg cursed his lack of a firearm, but glanced sideways as Dee readjusted her aim. Whispering something under her breath in an angry tone, a gout of green ichor shot up towards the sniper’s perch – splashing against the building face. Greg could not tell if the target was injured, but he did not plan on sticking around. “Let’s go!” he shouted as he grabbed both Priam and Dee’s wrists and dragged them down into an alleyway.

  “Warping reactivated!” Xera said triumphantly as the world altered around the trio and they were on the first floor of their apartment building. Xera sounded annoyed, “A Skill I had not expected because it didn’t exist until recently was developed for the sole purpose of thwarting my warp network.”

  “…It shows that people still want the bounty on us,” Priam softly uttered.

  Greg nodded, “Yeah. We’ll have to be extra aware and careful.” Despite his voice filling his allies with reassurance, on the inside, Greg was freaking out. I nearly died! Numbly, he walked to the elevator with his two allies, punched the floor for the recreation level, and emerged as his two allies went up to their floors.

  He went over to where a few weight bags were hanging up and took off his armor. Slipping down to his casual clothes he wore underneath, he let out a scream of frustration, fear, and anxiety as he slammed his fists into the punching bag. Over and over, he shouted against the death that he had just faced.

  If Priam’s Skill wasn’t active, I would have fucking died! I shouldn’t be that weak! I’m supposed to be the hardest one to kill. He kept punching over and over until his fists began to grow numb; the calloused knuckles hitting the familiar surface as he vented his anger at his own weakness. What kind of fucking rifle did they use? What caliber ammunition? It punched through everything I had! Armor, my defensive enhancements. What Tier were they? Who are they? Fuck!

  He only stopped when he was fully out of breath and was sucking in air. And he almost jumped when he felt a hand on his back, but the soothing voice that accompanied it set all concerns to rest. Missy’s voice. “It’s okay, Greg.”

  He turned to her and nodded, “I promise I won’t die on you. Not now-not ever.” Greg glanced over at Darrin, who was watching from his armor. “Can Xera set me up with one of those backup body things?”

  “No,” Darrin replied. “The technology for mind backup does not function with anyone who is an Aspirant or Ascendant.”

  Damnit. Greg turned back to Missy. She was calm, sincere, had a look of concern…but seemed resolute. “You spend however long you need showing that punching bag who is boss.” She went on her tip toes, gave him a kiss, and then headed to the elevator.

  Greg turned back to the punching back and continued his frustration-fueled display of anger and hatred for his own weakness. I will get stronger. So strong that no one can stop me. Ever. I’ll survive no matter what happens. Nothing will keep us apart.

  A thought struck him. The fuck am I doing? I don’t have to be Xera’s Signer. But as soon as that thought went through his head, he discarded it. No. She has Missy’s backup which is the only thing letting her bypass the requirements. And it won’t stop the bounty on my head.

  Greg felt helpless. He had no way to remove the bounty and doubted he could convince Deckard to drop it. Xera had leverage as well with Missy’s body backup and the apartment building that kept her safe.

  Xera…she’s a manipulative person, Greg thought as he sat down. She did something that was nice and caring on the surface, but she also used that to secure my support for her faction.

  Another thought jolted through Greg like a bolt of lightning. If she’s manipulating me…what the fuck could she be doing to the rest of them? He pulled up his System interface and began sending a message off to Jace.