Alexandre walked towards his room. With everything he had learned yesterday, he needed to tell the others what he had found out in Antarctica. He reached his room and grabbed his scanner, ready to port into Perim. It was early in the morning and he couldn't believe he forgot to port in earlier. He grabbed it and was about to press the button when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Alexandre turned around and saw his father, "Dad. What is it?"
"You're going to Chaotic to tell your friends about what you discover here?" Joseph asked.
"Yeah. I need to share this with them. They're the ones in this mess and they deserve to know what is going on." Alexandre replied firmly.
His father nodded, "I don't have a problem with it. While you are doing that, I'll try to convince my superior to leave the kids alone, or get them involved with everything that is going on. We can't just hide everything from them if they're seeking answers. They know what is going on and everything is around them. In Chaotic, the creatures are interested in them for something."
"Thanks dad. Anything else you want me to tell them before I port in?" Alexandre showed him his scanner.
"No. It'll be too late if I think of something anyway." Joseph chuckled.
"Fine." Alexandre pressed the button and sent his code in.
Chapter 49: Sharing Knowledge
Alexandre was waiting for his friend, her son and her son's friends. After everything he had learned in Antarctica, he had a lot to share with them. However, given everything it might not have been the best idea to tell them in Chaotic. Either way though, while it might not have been the best idea, he needed to tell them everything he'd discovered.
He looked around and saw the creatures either eyeing each other or gazing at the Messenger Of The Cothica, AKA him. He hoped they would be here soon. He had sent them a message earlier telling them that he wanted to share his discovery.
Tom and Kaz were the first to arrive. They waved hello and moved to join him. Once they sat down, they greeted each other with a small smile.
"How's it going?" Kaz asked him first.
"It's going alright. It's still as cold as hell in Antarctica. Thankfully, this time I didn't forget to not have my coat on me. I don't have to leave it somewhere I'd forget about." Responded Alexandre, raising his shoulders with a nervous smile.
They chuckled lightly. Tom pointed at his friend and explained, "Kaz's mom is gonna be here soon. She had to change herself before porting in. She overslept a little. She's busy with her two jobs."
"She told me about that. She's exhausting herself. It's good that you don't make it harder on her."
"She's doing so much for me." Kaz replied by way of answering. Alexandre simply nodded, understanding.
Not a moment later Cassandra joined them with Peyton in tow, surprising them. Cassandra gave her son a knowing smile, letting them know she had overheard them, "Don't worry. I have time to enjoy many things now." Cassandra said, letting out a large smile. Her son smiled in return.
"Heya bros! How's it going?" Peyton asked, segueing away from the family moment.
"Good." They all replied.
As if fate was willing things to speed up, Sarah soon joined them and it was the same greetings again. Once they finished with that, they all went right to business. Fortunately, the creatures were far enough not to overhear them.
"So, what did you find in Antarctica?" Sarah asked as she rested her arms on the table.
Alexandre sat down his hands on the table and began with what he had discovered, "I found out a few things at a large safe on the base. They'd brought in a lot of things that came out of the hole and let me tell you, you might not like the answer."
They all could guess at what Alexandre had found out there.
"Dad showed it to me yesterday and we stayed in there for a while. Since it was late and you probably ported out, I decided to wait. Anyway, no more waiting now."
Cassandra let out a small smirk.
Alexandre ignored it as he crossed his arms and gazed at the side. Looking around discreetly he made sure no creatures around could overhear him. He whispered, "Okay. What I found out was that there were Mugics in that room."
"M-." Peyton was quickly silenced by his three friends.
"Yeah. Don't say it. They were in the room and not just one. There were quite a few of them. I didn't see if the Mugic we offered when I was a teenager was there. It was way too far in the past. I can confirm to you though that the Eye of the Maelstrom is connected with our world in southern Antarctica."
The others paled. That was one less thing to deny that their world was the Cothica.
"However, I still think it's not the Cothica." Alexandre continued as he tapped the table with his finger, "I can't believe that our world can be it. Not only that, but it is simply what they are believing. Faith doesn't always assume that it is true. I'm mostly certain that the creatures wouldn't believe our world to be the Cothica if they really saw it." Alexandre rested his back against the chair.
"I think you're right Alex." Cassandra said, noticing that the teenagers were nervous about that revelation. Tom seemed even more upset for some reason and she couldn't figure it out, "What they believe isn't true. I mean, we are kinda a walking catastrophe." Casssandra joked lightly.
"I saw those kinds of catastrophe at school." Sarah added, letting out a small smile.
That did reassure them a little.
"They're just believing it," Kaz said, scratching his cheek, "but how could something like that even happen. Our world connected that way."
"I don't know. That is big science and even my dad can't grasp a lot of it. It's some big sciency stuff that we should leave to the big brains or those who won't have their brains exploded at the vast knowledge and complexity of all that stuff." Alexandre concluded.
"Okay." everyone agreed, except Tom.
The black-haired boy was in his head now. He thought a lot about everything they had learned. He checked on his scanner and remembered the file that Codemaster Crellan had given him. He was barely listening to them as he wondered if now should be the time to tell them about it. It was something important that he had to share eventually, but he would put everyone in trouble if he told them about it.
It wasn't only that though, the other Codemasters and the creatures were watching. Codemaster Crellan wouldn't help him in any way if he was to show it and would probably deny everything. The Codemaster had surely done something illegal in sharing the file and would be in trouble if anybody found it. Tom looked at his friends and made up his mind. He would tell them, if they wanted to hear it. Though he would warn them first, before he spoke about it.
"And dad said a few things about seven others he created. He told them that the one in Antarctica was the youngest." Alexandre continued.
"Your dad is a genius dude." Peyton said, giving him an admiring look.
"Not about everything." Alexandre chose not to bring up how his parents came together. He crossed his fingers and continued, "That's pretty much what I found out. The crystals were something that we couldn't identify."
Tom decided to speak out, "Everyone. There is something I need to tell you."
"What is it dude?" Peyton asked, looking at him curiously.
"I got a few things from someone, but I can't tell you anything here. We have to go somewhere in Perim and I'll tell you." Tom told them.
The group looked at each other, a little confused and curious.
"Why Tom?" Kaz asked.
"It's best that some people hear nothing about it." Tom explained, gazing at the creatures and the machines.
They guessed it was something the creatures couldn't hear at all.
"I don't know where you got it, but okay." Sarah said, agreeing reluctantly.
"I know the perfect place." Peyton declared, eyes beaming.
After a short discussion they all agreed on Peyton's suggestion and found the perfect spot to leave from without anybody noticing.
The humans ported in the desert of Al Mipedim. They looked around and wondered if any creatures were here.
"You sure it's a good idea Peyton?" the Danian Player asked.
"I have to agree. Mipedians can be invisible all around us." Cassandra replied.
"You sure no one will spy on us Peyton?" Tom asked.
"For sure bro. This sector of the desert almost always has no Mipedians here. It's very arid here and they had no reason to develop this sector." Peyton explained, then added, "That's why I wanted us to get a scan of this place."
The others thought that their friend just had a weird idea of a scan. At the same time, the scan had a big advantage in a match.
"So, there's no problem for us. There isn't a lot of wind today and we can see any footsteps on the ground if they try to approach us." Peyton continued with a confident smile. He gave them a thumbs up.
The others looked at each other.
"Got no problem for that." Alexandre replied.
"And Alexandre is okay with it." Peyton added as he pointed at the man.
"I just checked over there while you were talking and I can still see my footsteps, even far away." Alexandre said as he pointed behind them.
They saw the traces of shoes on the ground. They could see it a somewhat fair distance away. The group wondered how he did that while they were talking. Maybe they didn't check around.
Kaz'e mother chuckled, "Okay. I think we can take the risk. If they're around, we can just wait another time."
"Not on Earth, because they're watching us," Sarah sighed as she crossed her arms a little nervously.
"Okay. Before I show it to you, I want to ask a question. Because once you hear it, there is no going back."
"No going… back?" Kaz asked, a little startled at the prospect.
"Yes. What I am going to tell you will make us more than under the gaze and observation of the government if they know about it. I'm not sure if they knew I got it. It can even be dangerous for our real selves if I tell you any of it or if they know about what I'm going to tell you. I am asking you, are you ready to take that risk?"
"You… saw what it was right?" Kaz asked nervously.
"Yeah. I read everything. I took the risk." Tom admitted to his friends.
"Then count me in. Sorry mom, but I can't let my friend down." Kaz told his mother.
"Then tell me too, because he can go somewhere in Perim without me and you will tell him anyway." Cassandra took a deep breath, "I want to know why my son and all of you are in trouble with the government."
Alexandre replied, "I'm already way too in since a teenager to back out. I don't think I even can anymore."
Peyton gave a thumbs up and replied, "You can always count on me dude. We're already under their watch and we can't just let you handle everything. I'll avoid trouble with my style." Peyton said confidently, waving his hands and lightly chuckling.
Sarah sighed, "I already put myself in this mess by accepting the Danian's proposal. I'll have to talk to the queen one day. Anyway, I'm with you." she looked at him with resolve, "I want to know everything."
Tom sighed and let out a small smile. He felt lighter just being able to share everything with them, "I've got something for a few days and I read it a while ago. I was… nervous to tell you anything." He took a deep breath and began, "I received a file from Codemaster Crellan after I asked him: Why can we go to Perim?" Tom searched for his scanner and pressed on it. He showed the message to his friends.
"Oh! My! God!" Sarah yelped as she crossed her arms and gulped nervously.
"Go on Tom." Alexandre said, giving a small sign with his hands.
Tom thanked him quickly as he didn't want to lose time, "I opened the file. It had a project called: Project Harmony." He took a deep breath and gathered his courage to resume everything, "It's a long project, but I can summarize it. We'll read it another time. Anyway, the project began just after the first Chaotic Card Game generation…the author of the projects knew many things about Antarctica, but it really began to take place when…a corpse was found near the pyramids in Egypt. The shape and solidity of the bones was beyond anything normal. They concluded it was an Underworlder."
Everyone was quiet as they looked at Tom. The introduction to the project was already destroying their mind much more than the Mugics Alexandre had found in Antarctica.
To Be Continued.
AC: This is the end of this chapter. And yes! I ended it in a huge cliff-hanger. I need more time to plan the project.
Also, I already began to prepare for the third and final Arc of the story. The biggest one as it is the result of everything planned and put in the story. We are still far from it. It will also be the more action-packed part of the story.
I'm already asking some questions about it, but I will show you what they are when we reach that point. (If I remember it. If I forgot, just PM me. That should be right at the end of the second Arc.)
Anyway, we soon reached Chapter 50.
Next Chapter: Project Harmony.
Tom told his friends what Project Harmony was, as it explained why they could port to Perim, but also gave information about why players port in Chaotic first and how the Codemasters took control of Chaotic. In the end, he told them the purpose of the project.