Chapter 20: Visions of the Future
"I just have a couple more things to ask you," Tariel told Sister Medica. "First, do you have one of those things that you look into and it lets you see into the future?"
"What things?"
"Well, this is a temple, and a lot of temples I've been to have those pools of water – I forget what they're called. But it's just like that thing, that the elves have…"
"What do you mean. "thing that the elves have?" What thing?"
"I mean, the thing that was in the elf village, that the heroes looked into, and it showed what was going to happen if evil triumphed, or something like that. In that Tolkien book."
"Oh, those? Yes, we have one of those. And it's the latest technology too. I'll show you."
Medica led Tariel over to a tall pedestal. "This doesn't look like anything I've ever seen," thought Tariel. The top of the pedestal was a completely flat disk, so it didn't seem like there was any way it could hold water. Also, there were several quartz crystals inset into the top of the pedestal, but the tops of the crystals were perfectly flat and level with the rest of the disk. Medica took a jug of water from underneath the pedestal and poured it onto the top. Strangely, not a drop of water spilled over the side. Tariel looked at this, completely amazed.
"I told you, it's the latest technology," Medica said. "Flat-panel, liquid crystal display."
"What does this show you," asked Tariel.
Medica took out a strange handheld magical device from under the pedestal, and started explaining. "This is the Television of Light. It shows you some things that have already happened…" Medica said, and pushed a button on the remote control. The image of a strange figure appeared in the pool of water, and began talking.
Next up on the 6:00 news, we'll show you clips that should have been on the 5:00 news but we didn't have time to show them then because all our airtime was taken up by commercial breaks. Speaking of which, we'll be back after a word from our sponsors…
"Some things that are happening…" Medica said, and pushed another button. Another figure came up and started speaking.
It looks here like the Carpathia Champions are going to coast to an easy victory over the Transylvania Terminators. This just goes to show that good always wins over evil, especially when the forces of good have big-money corporate sponsors to back them up. You're watching ESGN, the worldwide leader in gladiatorial sports…
"And some things that have not yet come to pass…" Medica said, and pushed yet another button, and another figure came up.
Coming up next, the first installment of "Survivor 2: Altaria," where 16 brave evil-fighting adventurers have to survive for 39 days in a kingdom with virtually no evil to fight. Who will be best able to adapt, and who will get voted off? Find out after these brief messages…
"I don't want any of that," said Tariel. "I have lots of other questions I need answered."
"Like what?" asked Medica.
"What just happened at Themistria Heights? What's the big deal with all these respawn devices everyone's talking about? And where can we find Kalmeth? And how do we save our kingdom?"
Medica pushed some more buttons on the remote control. Tariel, Talia, and Artalax gathered around the pedestal. Another figure appeared in the pool of water, and began speaking…
Hello. I'm David Kaltharion, from Carpathia News Network. The demolition of Themistria Heights happened on schedule with no problems yesterday, marking the beginning of "Operation Modern Ruins", the largest ruin-development project in Carpathia's history. In this project, all but three of the 79 remaining romantic-interlude villages will be destroyed, replaced with fresh new ruins ideal for adventurers of 25th level and above. Although Prince Larethian decided to initiate the project at the behest of numerous adventurers who complained of a lack of high-level content in the kingdom, many princesses and other romantics, as well as monster-rights groups, are protesting outside the palace. To get the full story, let's go to our palace correspondent, Jenoria Firebright.
(At this point, the image switches to a view of Carpathia Palace. There are two main groups protesting outside: one consisting of princesses, the other consisting of monsters. The princesses are holding up signs saying "We Want Our Love Scenes!" and "Romance, Not Killing". On the other side of the palace is the monsters, who are chanting "No Blood For X.P.!" and "We're Monsters, Not Loot Factories!". The image then cuts to the palace's throne room, where Jenoria (JF) is interviewing Prince Larethian (PL)).
JF: So, Prince Larethian MCMLXL -
PL: That's MCMXC –
JF: Okay, yes, I forgot. Prince Larethian MCMXCIV, or was it VI something…
PL: Would this be easier if we just used Arabic numerals?
JF: Yes, you're right. Prince Larethian the One Thousand Nine Hundred and Ninety-Eighth, I'd like to talk about your new ruin-development program. Is it true that you gave Kalmeth Industries the no-bid contract to provide respawn devices for the new ruins?
PL: No, those allegations are completely false. There was a completely competitive bidding procedure. Of course they were the only one bidding, but really what can you expect? After all, they're pretty much the only provider of respawn devices in the market right now.
JF: That leads into the point that I want to talk about. Kalmeth Industries has been a major donor to both your campaign as well as the campaigns of your last 347 predecessors, and considering that they have to gain so much from this project, some critics have suggested the the real purpose of this project is to please your corporate donors. How do you respond to those allegations?
PL: Like I said, this has nothing to do with corporate donors. We're doing this project for the adventurers. Even in your network's public opinion survey, over 97 of adventurers say they supported Operation Modern Ruins.
JF: Yes, but there are lots of other people who oppose it. There are people protesting outside the palace right now. In particular, how do you feel about the female companions to the adventurers, who might never be able to have a romantic love scene again?
PL: Well, Jenoria, female companions aren't the ones providing our tax revenue. If some female companion doesn't like it, she can just go right back through the portal, back to Altaria or whatever backwater third-world kingdom she came from, and have romantic love scenes there all she wants. We don't mind. But the way we became the #1 kingdom for adventurers as well as the world's economic powerhouse isn't by lounging around doing weird sappy cutscenes all the time. We've been expanding since the beginning of the Larethian Dynasty, and we aren't about to stop now.
JF: But you do realize that dozens of female companions are lined up ouside the door of this throne room. And although they aren't very good at melee combat, you should realize that many female companions, especially princesses, are much better with ranged weapons than you would realize.
PL: Well, let's see, I would have to say…
(At this point, the huge doors to the throne room open to reveal whole bunch of females holding bows aimed at the Prince. They all fire their bows, sending dozens of arrows rocketing through the throne room. Several arrows hit Prince Larethian, causing him to slump over dead. One arrow, however, accidentally hits Jenoria in the head. She drops dead too. The image then becomes blurry, and is replaced with the words:
TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES – PLEASE STAND BY
A few seconds later, the image switches back to the newsroom it was in initially, with David Kaltharion speaking.)
Well, it looks like we weren't able to complete the interview as we had planned. But don't worry about Jenoria, though; we've got plenty more palace correspondents where she came from. Anyway, we've got plenty of exciting programming coming up for you later tonight. Stay tuned for "Kalmeth Industries: Good or Evil?", an investigative report, coming up tonight at 11 only on Carpathia News Network. I'm David Kaltharion, signing off. And now for a word from our sponsors…
"Good. This gives us information," Artalax said. "Let's make sure to be back here by 11. Kalmeth looks like the guy we should be looking for, and we want all the information on him we can get."
"By the way, I noticed before that you were talking about not having a lot of money," Medica said. "Do you want to make a few extra gold pieces?"
"Sure, why not?" Tariel replied.
"Okay," Medica said, giving Tariel a brown package. "Deliver this to the Heal-O-Aid Arena. It's on the other side of the city."
Tariel had done this kind of mission many times before, but Medica had one more condition. "It has to be there by 10:30 tomorrow morning."
"Oh, man, not another FedEx mission," Tariel said, as he took the package.