Keeping Me Alive
Summary: When Keira first arrives in Haven City, she is scared, lost, lonely and hurt. Luckily, the commander of the Krimzon Guard is more than happy to help her back on her feet. Erol/Keira, set during Jak II.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything except my dignity. Oh wait, scratch that, I lost my dignity when I began law school. So... I don't own anything.
Author's note: Well, it seems I lied about updating more often again last time. I guess it's best if I don't make any update-related promises anymore. Nevertheless, I do love writing this story (even if my lack of updates say otherwise) and I will finish it! With one update each year, it may take me a good twenty years, but still XD. Ahem. I would also like to take this opportunity to introduce my new beta reader for this story: Oblique Strategies, ladies and gentlemen! He has graciously agreed to check this story for flaws, faults and inconsistencies, so please give him a round of applause! Also, he has written an epic Jak and Daxter adventure story himself called 'Marooned' & 'Haven's Last Mission', as well as a sister story called Separated. I recommend everyone to go read them, because they are amazingly written and beautifully detailed. You can come back to this story later. It's not like I'll update it before next year or anything...
Chapter 4: Precursor History
I loved my job.
Even though I barely made enough money to pay my rent, even though I spent many sleepless nights fawning over some project due the next day, even though my clients were often rude and impatient, I really loved my job.
I supposed it was the familiarity of it. Haven's Zoomers came in various shapes and sizes, but they were all nearly identical to my A-Grav underneath the hood. When I was handling a wrench, tinkering with a busted carburettor, I almost felt as if I was back in my room at home, trying to fix the A-Grav after Jak and Daxter had wrecked her for the umpteenth time.
Of course, without Daxter messing with my equipment, Daddy scolding me for not spending enough time outside, or Jak silently asking what I was working on by pointing at my project and raising his eyebrows, things just weren't the same.
Still, my heart ached the least for home when I was working on a Zoomer, and so there were few times when I wasn't doing just that.
It didn't take me very long to slip into a routine once my business was officially up and running. Monday was what I came to call transaction day, when a lot of clients brought in or picked up their Zoomers. From Tuesday to Friday, I mostly worked on the Zoomers I'd gotten in on Monday. On Sunday, when the Stadium Section was closed off to the public, I caught up with forgotten paperwork and other duties. Saturday, I had decided, was my day off.
On Saturday I did most of my grocery shopping for the week, and I often also went exploring. I took my time roaming around parts of Haven City I wasn't familiar with yet, hoping to be able to navigate the humungous city without a map someday. I had discovered quite a few wonderful places this way already, like Haven's Central Library, which had quickly become one of my favourite places in the city, and the luscious Garden Section, where I had spent more than a few Saturdays just laying on the grass and petting the Yakows.
This Saturday, I planned on staying a little closer to my garage. A few days ago, I had stumbled upon a museum dedicated to the evolution of racing only just around the corner from the Stadium. Tickets weren't expensive in the least, and I figured a visit might teach me some interesting facts about my new profession.
It was because of this upcoming visit that I was very cheerful when I woke up that Saturday. I even caught myself singing while taking my morning shower, and I had to laugh at my own enthusiasm. Normally, I wasn't much of a morning person at all. Even back in Sandover, I often slept until well after noon. Daddy was never too happy about me sleeping in, but he let me be after he had tried to wake me up early a couple of times and then discovering me fast asleep at the kitchen table a few hours later.
I sighed as I dried my hair. What I would give to have Daddy wake me in the morning instead of that loud machine the people of Haven called an alarm clock. I would get up at the crack of dawn each and every day if it meant having him back.
It had been weeks since I had arrived in Haven City, but I hadn't found a single trace of my family yet. I looked out for Daddy, Jak and Daxter every time I went out the door and I asked Krew about them whenever I made a new order for tools and parts, but so far both he and I had come up with nothing. I was starting to worry about them more and more often. What if they'd landed outside the city walls, in Metal Head territory? What if they'd landed miles and miles away from Haven City? What if they'd never even landed at all, and were still stuck in that violet tunnel?
The thoughts were starting to give me nightmares of vibrant amethyst electricity and the sight of my loved ones lying broken and bruised in one of the city's many alleyways, their breathing ragged and uneven until the life left their eyes completely. Needless to say, I hadn't been getting much sleep the past few weeks.
I tried to shake the paralyzing thoughts from my mind as I dressed in one of the outfits I had bought at the Bazaar a while ago. I wanted to find Daddy, Jak and Daxter so badly, but there was little more I could do right now. Worrying about them wouldn't do me any good.
In the meantime, I wanted to focus on my career. While Krew had his men out searching for my family, I figured it was best if I stayed put in my garage and tried to make a name for myself as a mechanic. If I couldn't find my loved ones, then I could at least make it easier for them to find me.
I exited the bathroom and headed for the kitchen, where I poured myself a bowl of cereal for breakfast. Taking the bowl with me, I walked into the living room, turned on the black box I had recently learned was called a television, and settled on the couch.
The television had taught me quite a bit since I had discovered how it worked. For example, I learned that the leader of Haven City was Baron Praxis, a tough-looking man who had lost part of his face while bravely leading an attack on the Metal Head Nest. He often appeared on the television to give the citizens important announcements and words of encouragement.
The television also taught me about the Underground, a vicious rebellious movement that wanted to overthrow Baron Praxis so the Metal Heads could take over the city. Luckily, the law enforcement of the city, the Krimzon Guard, had been able to prevent that from happening, thanks to the excellent leadership of their commander, Erol.
Erol appeared on the television a lot too; not just as the commander of the Krimzon Guard, but as the defending racing champion as well. In anticipation of the upcoming racing season, the television had showed some Class One Championship Races of the previous years, which had all been won by Erol. I sometimes had a hard time believing the images hadn't been tampered with, because even Jak wasn't as great a racer as Erol seemed to be. It made me admire the commander even more.
Today, however, the television didn't show any races. Instead, a pudgy man I hadn't seen before was displaying the betting odds for the first Class Three Race of the season. I tried to follow his words as I munched on my cereal, but the numbers shown underneath the pictures of the participating racers made little sense to me. It wasn't like I was going to gamble away any of my hard earned money anyway, but I had heard a lot of Haven's citizens did bet on the outcome of races. For some it was just a fun way of trying to earn some extra cash, but others bet a lot of their fortune and were willing to ensure they would get their winnings by any means necessary.
Sig's story about the mechanic massacre still fresh in my head, I shivered and quickly turned off the television. No way was I going anywhere near the betting. I already had enough to keep me awake at night.
When I finished breakfast, I left my empty bowl in the kitchen sink and grabbed my jacket, more than ready to spend a nice Saturday at the museum in order to get my mind off things.
As the museum was only a few blocks from the Stadium, I soon found myself purchasing a ticket from a nice lady out front. Along with my ticket, she handed me a pamphlet with information on the different exhibits and a map to help me find my way. I felt like I was about to go treasure hunting, which in a way was true. After all, knowledge is the greatest treasure. Well, that's what Daddy always said, anyway.
Inside the museum, it was cool and quiet. As most of Haven's citizens had to work on Saturdays, there were few people admiring the collection of items related to racing. There were no lines anywhere, so I could easily navigate my way through the exhibits, taking my sweet time examining Zoomer parts, 3D images of race tracks and old Grand Championship trophies.
When I checked my map to see where I wanted to go next, a familiar name sparked my interest, and it wasn't too long before I stepped into an exhibit on Erol, and Erol alone. Everywhere I looked there were photographs of him holding a trophy, or exact replicas of the Zoomers he used to win his six consecutive Grand Championship titles. It was amazing how much the commander had managed to accomplish in his short life. He truly was an astonishing individual.
Once I had thoroughly browsed the Erol exhibit, I wandered into the adjoining room, which was the last one I hadn't visited yet. According to the map, the room held an exhibit on ancient Zoomer technology. I didn't quite know what to expect from this exhibit, but I figured it couldn't hurt to take a look.
I entered the room and folded the map again, ready to explore the final pieces the museum had to offer. I had barely taken one step forward, however, when an impossible vision in the centre of the room made me stop dead in my tracks.
There she was. She was rusted, with chipped paint and a dent in her propeller, but there was no mistaking her. The centrepiece of this exhibit was my very own A-Grav.
My heart jumping joyfully at the sight of her, I carefully edged closer, not quite believing my own eyes. She was trapped in a glass case, preventing me from touching her, so I settled grudgingly for reading the information on a small stand next to it.
'This unique model was recovered from what is now known as the Sacred Site in Dead Town. The oldest model discovered to date, it is approximately three hundred years old and is widely believed to be the predecessor of all modern-day Zoomers.'
There was more, but I couldn't bring myself to read any further. I staggered backwards, not believing what I had just read. Three hundred years old? The predecessor of all modern-day Zoomers? How could that be possible? I had left her at my workshop at home just a few weeks ago! Could… could the Rift Rider have possibly taken me to the future? It would certainly explain a lot… But what about Daddy, Jak and Daxter? Were they taken to the future as well? More specifically, were they taken to this future? Could they be in another time somewhere?
About a million questions swarmed my brain, and I had to shake my head to focus my thoughts again. I shouldn't make any hasty conclusions about what I had just read. I would have to do some proper research to get to the bottom of all this.
I raced out of the museum at once, my new destination clear in mind: Haven's Central Library.
I spent all day at the library, and when it closed, I checked out more than a dozen books to take home with me. I read throughout the night, my head soon reeling from the information the pages provided me with.
Sandover was gone. Wiped off the map by an invasion of Metal Heads not long after Daddy, Jak, Daxter and I went through the Rift Gate. The Volcanic Crater and Rock Village had faced the same fate not long after. Haven City was built upon their ruins, a fact that brought me both terrible sadness at the loss of my home and a tiny spark of happiness for being so close to it.
The following week, I spent most of my free hours reading about the downfall of Sandover and the rise of Haven City. I read stories about a horrible war between the people and the Metal Heads. I read about the construction of a place safe from the bloodthirsty creatures, a settlement built by a great hero named Mar. I read about the descendants of Mar, who had ruled Haven City after the hero's death until Baron Praxis took over from King Damas in the best interest of the city. I read about the discovery of a strange vehicle in an old, abandoned hut at the Sacred Site which inspired mechanics to build the modern Zoomer.
I found a drawing of the Rift Rider in one of the books, and I started searching for more information on the mysterious vehicle the next time I visited the library. If it got us into the future, it should also be able to get us back to the past… back where we belonged. The Rift Rider we had travelled in was destroyed, but maybe, just maybe, I would be able to recreate it.
I roamed the library all day, but little was known about the peculiar vehicle and the gate it travelled through. I purchased every library book that so much as mentioned the Rift Rider or the Rift Ring, even though I knew the extra expenses meant I had to take on more orders this month in order to pay for rent. I didn't care, though. I just couldn't pass this opportunity to go back home.
But going back home turned out to be more difficult than I thought. The Rift Rider was made of expensive materials and a few one-of-a-kind artefacts which were beyond priceless. I knew they were nothing Krew couldn't fetch me, but with my puny earnings, I would have to save for years in order to raise enough for everything. Not to mention I still hadn't given up on repaying Erol the money he had given me to get my business started.
And then there was the issue of time. Even if I did have all the materials, I would barely have an hour a day to work on the construction of the Rift Rider. I had so many Zoomers in my garage I could barely make my way through it without bumping into one, and I could hardly just leave my work. Where would I earn the money for buying materials if I gave up my job? It was a hopeless situation.
The idea of building the Rift Rider was forced to take a backseat, especially now that the racing season was about to start. I rarely went to bed before four in the morning, and I had to give up my free Saturdays in order to get all the Zoomers out in time. On the plus side, though, my hard work provided me with some extra money, which I neatly tucked away in one of my drawers. Maybe it would one day be enough.
The first Class Three Race of the season brought me my first day off in weeks. The Mar Memorial Stadium was buzzing with people, but for once none of them took an interest in my garage. They had all come for the race.
I had wanted to go see the race myself, but I couldn't afford to spend my preciously saved money on something as pricey and unnecessary as a ticket. Instead, I made good use of my free time by sketching blueprints of the Rift Rider, using my memory and my books as guidelines. Even though it could be years before I could start construction on it, I wanted to have a clear outline of its model before my memories of the vehicle started to fade.
I was just trying to remember exactly how the control panel had looked when the unexpected sound of the doorbell made me drop my pencil. Sighing in exasperation, I got up from my spot at the kitchen table and headed for the stairs that would take me down to the garage. I was quite sure the large sign I had put outside the shop read 'Closed', and I wondered just who was thick enough not to take notice of it.
I thundered down the stairs and slalomed around the tools and vehicles scattered around my workspace to reach the iron doors separating me from my unwanted guest. With more force than necessary, I hit a button on the control panel, which made the doors slide open noiselessly.
"What do you want?" I snapped in annoyance before the doors had fully opened.
"Well, aren't we a ray of sunshine today." It was Erol.
I felt my face flush in embarrassment. "Oh, Erol, I'm so sorry! I didn't realize it was you."
He raised an eyebrow at me. "Ah, so those warm words of welcome were only meant for everyone else?"
"Well… yes," I admitted, scratching the back of my neck. If it had been anyone but him at the door, they would have been well on their way again by now. "I mean, I put up a sign and everything."
"That you did," Erol agreed, glancing questioningly at the sign I had less-than-neatly painted myself. "Were you doing something important?"
"Yes," I confirmed, thinking of my sketches, "but it can wait a while."
"Could it wait, let's say, two hours or so?"
"Two hours? Well, I suppose so," I said uncertainly. "Why?"
At this, Erol smirked. "Because," he said importantly, reaching for something in the breast pocket of his uniform, "I have an extra ticket for the race this afternoon."
He retrieved two rectangular pieces of paper from his pocket and held one out for me to take. "And I would like you to accompany me."
My eyes widened in surprise. Half-expecting him to pull his hand back at the last second and say 'Psych!', I took the ticket from him. "Are you… sure?" I asked hesitantly, my feelings torn between excitement at the prospect of seeing the race and guilt for accepting yet another favour from Erol.
"Yes," he said briskly, "but if you don't want to…"
"No, no, it's not that!" I hastily assured him. "It's just… well, you've already done so much for me, and I'm not sure if I feel comfortable accepting another favour from you."
Erol fixed me with an incredulous stare, his eyebrows raised so high they nearly disappeared into his fiery hair. "Really? That's what you're concerned about?"
"Well, yeah," I said uncomfortably, facing the boots I still hadn't completely gotten used to. "I mean, these tickets aren't cheap, and I could never afford them myself, and I wouldn't want to come across as some… some gold-digger or something – "
I stopped my rambling when I noticed Erol chuckling, at first softly, but soon laughing so hard his shoulders shook. I wasn't sure if I should be offended or not, so I just waited quietly for him to finish.
His laughter soon died down, leaving a wide grin that distorted his facial tattoos. "You are something else, aren't you?" he asked rhetorically, a faint chuckle still in his voice. Again not sure whether I should be offended or not, I merely shrugged.
Erol's grin softened into a smile. "Keira, as the reigning champion, I get two free tickets for every race," he told me, his tone more serious now. "More often than not, I end up throwing the second ticket away. So my offering you this ticket isn't a favour, really. After all, why should you stay in here when you could go see the race, and why should I sit through said race by myself when I could be in the company of a lovely lady?"
I felt a blush creep up my cheeks at his last words, and I purposely looked down at the ticket in my hand. "Well, if you put it that way… Yes, I'd love to go see the race with you."
"Perfect," Erol nearly purred as he carefully tucked away his own ticket into his pocket again. "I'll see you this afternoon, then."
And he walked away, leaving me standing in the doorway to my garage with my mouth slightly agape, my half-finished sketches long forgotten.
Maybe there was something to this future after all.
And that wraps up chapter four! Next chapter will obviously feature the race they'll be watching together! I'm already excited to start writing it. As for this chapter, quite a lot happened in term of plot-building, so I hope it wasn't too much information at once. I just think that Keira somehow found out she ended up in the future pretty soon after she arrived in Haven City. Otherwise I don't believe she would've had the time to set up her career and build the entire Rift Rider, because two years really isn't all that much time. Of course, there's the theory that Keira arrived in Haven City a few years before Jak and Daxter, which also explains why she is only a year younger than Jak even though young Jak was already at least two (and I personally think older) when he went to Sandover (and since Keira was born there, she can't be just a year younger than Jak). However, that would also mean that Keira was only twelve (or younger) in the first game, and I'm just not buying that. I'm a supported of another theory - that Samos isn't Keira's biological father, but adopted her after her parents died. Which means in my headcannon, Keira arrived in Haven around the same time as Jak and Daxter and was there for two years when they found her. And since she had to do a lot in those two years, I thought she'd figure out she was in the future very early on. I decided to let her discover this through her A-Grav because it's just so perfectly ironic, and also because the A-Grav isn't in Samos' hut anymore when you get to go there wearing the Titan Suit in the game - the transpad is in her room, but the A-Grav is missing. I think the citizens of Haven found it, took it away and used its design to build the Zoomers we all know and love. So yeah, a lot of thought went into this chapter. If you have some spare time, please let me know what you thought of it by leaving a review!