Chapter Two: Principle Tyrell
I looked around me. I was on a beach. Out of the ocean rose a giant monster that moved towards me whilst in the air, hovering over my head.
"I am a giant floating fish," it said to me.
"Giant fish," I began to say. "Are you some ghastly vision of what is to come?"
"You shall suffer," said the fish.
A giant wave over came me from the sea, washing me away...
I woke up in the dark. I looked around me. There was something obviously wrong...but what? Lady Louise! She always awakens me before I wake up on my own! I rarely sleep, to study more. When I do sleep I sleep for a long time, so to the point others think I'm dead. If I woke up on my own then there would be light pooling in from my window! And then there is the taper I always keep lit when I go to bed, so that I may read if sleep doesn't come in peace.
"Where is my taper?" I said allowed.
I fumbled around my bed for my bed side table. It was absent as well. Not only was my candle missing but I couldn't find the table where I put the candle on.
"Where is my table," I said to myself. "Where is my taper?"
Then it hit me. I wasn't in my room! I was onboard Pioneer 2...
"Lights on!" I said allowed remembering more instructions I found in my forms.
The room was illuminated instantly. It was then that I noticed a knob on the wall. I got out of bed and wandered over to it. Half way there I looked at the furry floor. It was like a giant rug that was warm and soft. A definite change from my cold wood floor. I continued to the knob on the wall. I started to move it. As I did I could change how bright the room was. I could make it dim, or bright, off, on... I began to play with it and laugh at my joy. This is perfect for reading!...
"Quit being childish Erk," I told myself. "Your not a kid anymore. Even if this is new it's nothing to act like this over."
"Sure beats those messy waxy tapers though!" I said in my mind as if I was contradicting myself...Am I becoming a kid again?
I decided to move on to the restroom to wash up. Serra would probably give me some of her precious jewels for a tube of that toothpaste! There is a definite market opportunity in Elibe for toothpaste...
The washing section of the restroom was much more efficient then boiling water and pouring it over you. It even had four different kinds of soaps that were scented...
"This soap is different from the soap in Elibe," I said to myself. "Usually its made from pig fat, but this seems... much more efficient. Everything seems so efficient."
People thought that bathing and using soap was hazardous to your health. As for me I always found that being clean and tidy was a must. You must always look presentable in order to be taken seriously. I began to remember Bartre. He was not too tidy, not very clean, not very smart. But he was one of the most noble people I'd ever seen. He had such dedication to his duty. I then looked back at the 'shower' in the bath tub. The tub wasn't metal, which I was used to when it came to the taverns I stopped at when I was a wanderer. This was a different material which I couldn't place. The shower was a metallic snake-like appendage that could hook off. Water would come out of it and there was a nozzle to adjust how hard it can down, how wide, and another nozzle for how hot the water would be. The temperature nozzle was marked with an emblem changing blue to red. I undressed and got in the shower, carefully adjusting the water temperature. Then a came upon another 'discovery.' Shampoo. Serra always played with my hair... If this makes my hair 'soft and manageable' as it says on the label...what would Serra do to me if she felt it! What would she do to me just to get a bottle of this! If it is used for washing hair in such an advance world, this must truly be a colossus in soap... After thinking about what the consequences where for this action, I decided to wash my hair with the shampoo. Afterwards I found that my hair was definitely improved.
I finished up my washing and got back into my night garments. I traveled back to my room where I dressed into my work cloths as it were. I reluctantly applied the unusual hat. I was set for work. But there was one detail that I had yet to receive.
"What am I supposed to do now?" I asked myself. As if on que there was a beeping from the central lobby. I proceeded to it, and there was the rude man's face on the screen of the PTV.
"Finally you come! What took you so long! I've seen some bad hunters but you are the worst."
"I have only just awakened no less then fifteen minutes ago," I said. "A poor excuse, but I'm not used to waking up on my own, or sleeping at all for that matter."
"I wanted an answer not a speech," said the rude man. "And I called three times in the last fifteen minutes! What were...your hair is wet. You were washing. At least you keep clean for someone from prehistoric times."
I glared at him in response.
"That look has no effect on me," said the rude man. "I have gotten it from fiercer stuff then you, including a guy on a food box I found once. Now here's what you must do. Go to your teleporter and state you would like to go to the hunter city no. 1. From there proceed down the road and you will find another teleporter. It will take you to Principle Tyrell. There Principle Tyrell will tell you of what he needs you to do. Got that?"
I nodded my head in response.
"Good, now get going!" shouted the rude man.
The PTV went blank. I proceeded out of my living quarters. While going through the front door, I was stopped by a yanking at my shoulder. I turned around and there was the MAG that I had received during registration. "Hello there," I said.
"You want to come too? Serra would eat you up you know that? I normally don't say this, but for a foreign creature to me your actually cute. You won't tell anyone I said that will you?... Good. Thank you."
I patted the floating little creature on the head and said "Let's be off then." I walked into the teleporter, the MAG on my shoulder.
I followed the coordinates as I was told by the rude man. I came to an astonishing room. There was piles of information in PTV's floating around the room. There was a walkway to where a small group of four were waiting...for me? I walked forward. There were three desks. To men in white uniforms stood at the left desk, the principle at the front desk, and Irene was at the right desk! I greeted her and she said that the meeting should begin before greetings should be properly passed. I turned to the principle to await my instructions.
"Are you Erk, the Force from the other world? I'm Principle Tyrell. We have a bad situation. We need to act quickly. Did you hear about the explosion on Ragol?"
"I saw it on a PTV when I first came to after going through the trans-dimensional portal," I answered.
"Very well, pay attention and listen to me. We've lost contact with Pioneer 1, we have no idea what has happened. We've sent unmanned search units, but communication seems to cut off near the surface. What happened on Ragol? What occurred on Pioneer 1? Are the people onboard alive? The council made a decision to send a manned search team. You are a skilled Force, considering what your previous occupation was in your world, and we need your help. We have no choice... We need a place to settle on."
"Our planet was tearing itself apart," began one of the researchers. "We couldn't stop it. So we started searching for a new planet, and we found Ragol with unmanned search units. A huge interstellar transport ship was sent to Ragol. That was Pioneer 1. Pioneer 1 confirmed Ragol as a suitable location to settle on. And a second ship departed. That was us... Pioneer 2."
"I've told him this already," said Irene.
"Oh," said the researcher. "Sorry. You already knew that."
I looked back at Principle Tyrell. He looked worried. I asked him what he was troubled about besides the explosion.
"Uh," he began to say. "Could you... ....... No, it's nothing. Take care and good luck."
"When our ship was led by the signal from Pioneer 1 to land on Ragol," began the second researcher. "We saw... that strange explosion! Pioneer 2 decided to orbit Ragol and collect data before landing on the surface."
Then I thought I heard Principle Tyrell say something. I turned to him and asked what he said.
"I didn't say anything," he said politely. "Go talk to my secretary. Irene will help you."
I turned to face Irene.
"Well," she began. "Let me brief you on your mission. Once you're on the surface of Ragol, check the status of the residential area. Checking the status of the Central Dome is a good idea. A transporter was launched earlier. You can go down to Ragol directly from the city. It may be a little risky, so please be careful. That's all. ....... Um, excuse me... Oh, sorry....nothing. I wish you the best of luck."
She signaled me to draw closer. She began to whisper to me.
"This is just between us okay? The principal's daughter was on Pioneer 1. After that explosion, he's been constantly worrying about her. He can't even sleep. This is a personal request. If it's possible...find out what happened to her. He isn't in a position to ask you such a personal favor. Red Ring Rico...A famous hunter and a top scientist on Pioneer 1. Rico's his only daughter. Please! Look for her!"
"Did you say something Irene?" asked Tyrell.
"Nothing sir," she replied. "Oh, Erk. I should also tell you about the Hunter's Guild. It's where hunters like you make a living most of the time. You should go there and get a part time job."
"That doesn't sound right," I said. "I've already got a mission."
"Actually Force Erk," began Tyrell. "I recommend you go there and get as many other missions as you can. I want the mission I've assigned to get done, and we aren't in the position to fund your mission. You'll have to buy the supplies yourself. You should definitely get some more jobs so you can get the supply money to carry out this mission. Further more, you may learn information that will help you on this mission by carrying out the missions of the people. Besides, if I need another task to be carried out on Ragol I have to send it to the Hunter's Guild, and I would like someone of your unique old world perspective to carry out such tasks. Go there regularly."
"It will also help you train," finished Irene.
"I have heard your reasons and they are very logical," I said. "I shall go there immediately to prepare for the mission you've assigned me."
"You must have a bad impression of us," began Tyrell. "You just got here and have much more questions to ask, but we just send you out on such a large and confidential task as this!"
"Actually it makes sense milord," I said. "Err, I mean sir. I do have questions but questions can be answered anytime, as for the mission you've assigned me is much more important. What's the sense in letting me get settled in when the very existence of your people may be on the line?"
"That is true," replied Tyrell.
"I bid you good day gentlemen and gentlewoman," I said with a polite bow and left. I proceeded through the teleporter and was once again on the small street ground section of bordering the teleporter to Ragol. There were only a few locations accessible on the street, the teleporter behind me directly to Tyrell, to the right was a bank for storing items and money...money! I don't have any money whatsoever!...I decided to worry about that later. To the left of the bank were some shops. To my left was a hospital area, the teleporter to Ragol, and the Hunter's Guild. That was all save a few people wandering around. I decided to go to the Hunter's Guild to get some Gold. Then it occurred to me. This world wouldn't use Gold as currency.
"Of course," I said to myself quietly while walking through the doors of the Hunter's Guild at the right of the teleporter to Ragol. "They gave me something they called Meseta. They gave me 500 units of it. That must be the currency."
I walked up to the receptionist. I had to bite the inside of my cheek to prevent myself from laughing at her uniform. I felt ashamed, not only because that was rude of me to even think about but... I was dressed funny as well. The hat anyway.
"Excuse me Miss." I said politely.
"Enrich your life!" she shouted. I staggered back at that comment. "This is the Hunter's Guild. Welcome! We can assist you in finding a job if your registered."
Now how did that go again? I thought of the words I was supposed to think to project what I needed. A Photon document appeared before me with my id's and the rest of my registration. I presented them to the receptionist. She nodded in agreement.
"These are our recommendations for the starting hunter, we will give you harder missions as you get stronger."
The list was three current missions. I decided to take the one labeled 'Battle Training.' It was a strange coincidence indeed.
"What is the description of this mission here?" I asked.
She presented me with a form.
Battle Training
Client: Zidd
Quest:
Please find a hunter and bring him back. He went down to Ragol for a quest.
Reward: 500 Meseta.
"I shall take this quest," I said. She typed something into a 'computer' as it was called in my forms I received during registration.
"Good luck!" she said. "We must contact your client, so you may go back home. We will call you on your PTV when it is time, so stand by it okay?"
I agreed. I then left to the teleporter in between the Guild and the hospital. Once home I went to a large and comfy couch that was in front of the PTV and began to read, sometimes looking up at the PTV.