"Before we continue, we need to leave, preferably now if you don't want to die from radiation exposure or receive cancer and horrible mutations" maybe it wasn't the smartest thing to say to someone who is aiming a gun at you. Still, Mr Price is a good house lord, which helped me when life was tough. At least I can save him from a horrible death.
He shouldn't receive a deadly dose of Tiberium yet. My anti grav shield nullified most of it, at least for now. In future, when my small Tiberium colony grows big enough, I would be forced to isolate the entire room from everyone or destroy my batch, of course, only after I gather enough crystals to start another colony in a better place unless Mr Price didn't call Protactarate or shoot me.
After few minutes, he put the gun away behind his back, but then he grabbed me by the elbow and dragged me upstairs. We enter his apartment, and he pushed me on the sofa. Quite rough, I might add, but again I wasn't surprised by that. He didn't take his gun to aim at me, but from his posture, it wouldn't take long for him to do it again in few seconds if I don't start explaining what is going on.
"So, do you want a long explanation with details or a short one?" I see no reason not to ask. Of course, I would likely take some details to the grave, like my conciseness from a different reality. Besides sound like a crazy person, it was also pointless. I have no idea what kind of world it is, so I could save myself time and headaches by avoiding this information.
"You better explain everything, kid, with as many details as possible. It might give me reasons to not call PRT." Price response was as usual to the point. In my memory, he was straight forward man, not a guy but a man. From rumours, he was an old soldier. Of course, he was just sixty years old, which is not that old, but sixty is like a hundred when you are seventeen. Too huge for you to even imagine living so long.
"So, I am a tinker. Tinker is a person who can..."
"I know who are tinkers kid when you worked for PRT ten years. You manage to remember few things" Price interruption gives me new information to think. I didn't know he worked for PRT in the past. Only I could create Tiberium in the basement of a former PRT worker.
"Now, isn't it great" I couldn't keep my sarcastic remark by myself. "So, the crystal in the basement is called Tiberium. It is the closest thing on the earth to philosophic stone, only its hundred times better and can be used for everything."
"When you say everything, what do you mean by that?" Price's pose didn't change, but his eyes were piercing me with strange attention.
"As I said, everything when I build Tiberium Refinery, I will have all resources I need for all my future tinketech. Tiberium with the right tools could be turned into anything. Metals, fabrics, fuels. Whatever I need, Tiberium can provide, so I would be very thankful if you do not mention it to anyone. Until I can protect it, at least." I hoped my little pitch convinced Price about Tiberium importance. If not, I can use plan B and bribe him with Tiberium Infusion. That magic potion could soften his Tiberium exposure and even makes him more healthy.
"What about cancer and horrible mutations?" Price asked me with a raised eyebrow.
"Refinery will get rid of most of it from post product. Whatever comes from it will be safe." my answer put him at ease. I am not sure about his experience with tinkers, so I have no idea what he was thinking before that.
"So you will build it, create weapons, costume and go there to be a hero" now Price sound like he was boring. Like it wasn't the first time he sees something like that.
This is why my answer will surprise him. "Nope, I am not some moron in a tight who thinks he can solve the problem by punching tugs in the face and jump on the roofs."
"Besides, my tinkertech exists to spread amongst a huge number of people" now comes the tricky part. I didn't notice at first, considering that I didn't sleep at least twenty four hours, and my stress level reached the stratosphere in the last couple of minutes. Mr Price was an excellent candidate to be a member. Brotherhood member.
"How many are we talking about?" now, he was intrigued.
"I don't know, civilization amount of people. We can build a new way of life with my technology and Tiberium as a foundation." this time, I was looking directly at Price's eyes and piercing him with my heavy green stare.
"We? Kid, just a few minutes ago, I thought to call Protectorate and get rid of you. There is no we" Price answer wasn't good, but he still didn't call Prtactarate.
"We, because I need someone with military experience, which you have. We because you didn't call Protectorate at the first chance, which shows you are intrigued. Last but not least, we can do much more for humanity on our own, working together, than Protectorate could ever do." the sheer belief in my voice could convert diehard atheists into godfearing Christian.
"You knows that the only thing which keeps this city in peace is Protactarate, right?" Price question trigger something in me. By sharing my body with James, I also keep some of his ideas and emotions. Part of the reason why I don't want to work with the Protectorate. James hated them. Not in the same level as ABB and E88, but they came as second most hated.
"Peace? There is no peace in this fucking city!" I raised my voice stand up. "Neo-Nazis ruling one part of the city and do whatever they wanted, without real consequence, at the same time a mad dragon control another piece with a bomber sociopath." then I aim my thinger at the window.
"Those who don't want to play a part in their madness but do not have money to live in wealthy areas exiled to live here! Under the rule of a moron and junkie!" I was breathing hard, and if someone looks closely, they will notice that my green eyes had become even brighter.
"I refuse to live under their peace! So, you can shoot me, call Protectorate or help me build something better." there, I said my part. The rest is up to Price.
"Just for a second, you manage to achieve what you want in this city and maybe beyond. There is still Endbringers. Who is going to deal with them without Protectorate?" even after my outburst, Price was calm and concentrated. He didn't even change his place in from of me.
"We can try Ion Cannon and a lot of Tiberium rockets and lasers" was my immediate answer. According to PHO, Endbringers bleed, which means we can kill them. Something in my arsenal should be able to kill them, and I refuse to believe otherwise.
This time my answer broke Price calm attitude. "You can create a weapon against Endbringer?" there was something savage in Price's voice.
'Got you' was my thought, and a small smile appears on my face.
"With your help Commander Price, we will build enough weapons to kill whatever decides to be a threat. Will you help me?" I raise my hand to give him a shake
"Commander Price, huh?" said he before shaking my hand. "Not bad for a cape name? What should I call you then, kid?"
"You can call me Kane" now I have a pleased smile on my face. "Welcome to the Brotherhood of Nod, Commander"
So, chapter 3 is here, and I hope you enjoyed it. I will try to post one chapter every week, but considering I have to study and work to support myself and my family, I can't promise anything.
Would you please leave a review about the story or put your ideas about future chapters and plot? It would be nice to read them and might give me more inspiration to write more.
Also, I posted first at SpaceBattle, there you can have a conversation with me if you want. At least we can chat there.