CHAPTER 33: ON NEUTRAL LAND
Daak didn't answer Theas. She turned away from him and placed her open hand against the air in front of her. Theas's eyes narrowed as a portal opened, and he looked around to see that Jensa, Mekadro, and Stormedge were all still frozen.
"Let's go," Daak said to him.
Daak disappeared through the portal, and Theas looked back at Mekadro, Jensa, and Stormedge. He gave heavy consideration towards the choice in front of him. He recalled the events that led him to this storage facility, as well as the circumstances that led to him becoming an amateur assassin. He took a deep breath, steadying his resolve, and he followed Daak through the portal.
IN THE EYES OF THE MULTIVERSE:
Theas and Falien walked through the corridors inside Mount Tovam.
"How many times have we explored through here now?" Falien asked. "There has to be something here that can give us more answers."
"I'm sure there is, but I can't imagine Seridon would ever let us find it," Theas stated.
Falien let out a heavy, exasperated breath. "I don't like being in the unknown."
"One thing I've learned that the Keepers never tell you is that we honestly don't know even half of what's out there," Theas told him.
"These Primidus are dangerous," Falien said darkly. Theas looked at him, and Falien continued, "They allegedly have this untold power. They can reshape universes. They're completely apathetic towards us and the Hunters, like we're a couple of ant colonies."
"They have the power, that doesn't mean they've used it for anything malicious," Theas countered.
Falien stared at him with an eyebrow raised. "They caused one of the biggest Anomalies the Keepers have ever seen."
"Yeah, but we don't know why," Theas stated. "There could be perfectly justifiable reasons behind it."
"Okay, but the fact that we don't know is exactly the problem," Falien stated. "And remember, that Anomaly killed Pirises the first time they met."
"They only killed that body," Theas reminded him. "And I already told you, we were in the wrong on that."
"All you were trying to do was isolate Gibbs from the other inhabitants of 6704," Falien told him. "You were doing your job."
"And that wouldn't have even begun to solve the problem," Theas replied. "And if they hadn't fought back, we never would have recruited them. You've said yourself how helpful that's been."
"Let me ask you something, Theas," Falien said, stopping in the middle of the corridor. Theas stopped as well, and Falien said, "How far is this going to go?"
"A lot further than any of us can imagine," Theas answered.
"Really?" Falien said, looking almost panicked. "How are you just okay with that?"
"It's not that I'm okay with it," Theas assured him. "But it's beyond my control to prevent. My only focus is on preventing as much damage as possible."
"But, I mean, come on," Falien said. "We're already fighting the Spatial Hunters, and you know as well as I do how not well that's going. We're losing more ground by the day. And now we've got this crap scratching at the door, spreading us even thinner."
"What's Daak got to say about it?" Theas asked.
Falien scoffed. "You want to try getting her to open up?"
"What do you think should be done?" Theas asked.
Falien looked around desperately for an answer. "I don't know," he admitted. "I don't even know what there is to be done. But the longer this Macrobreach goes on, the more of a hole we're digging for ourselves."
Theas studied Falien for a moment. "I've never known you to be this rattled."
Falien scoffed and said, "Yeah, I usually pretend to have it a lot more together. But I'm at the end of my rope here. I don't understand how you're keeping it together so well. You're deeper into this than most of us."
Theas shrugged. "Spending time with the Anomalies has given me some perspective. Seeing them all come together to stand for each other. They're a better team than the Keepers have ever been. Their primary focus is protecting each other."
Falien nodded, although he looked far from relieved.
"Maybe you should spend some time with them, too," Theas recommended. "I know we're supposed to be the most resilient beings in the Multiverse, but they've given us a run for our money."
"I can tell," Falien admitted, before he could stop it.
Theas raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"I mean you've changed, Theas. Drastically."
Theas, looking as though he wasn't sure he wanted Falien to continue, said, "Go on."
"Well, seeing you take on Nok the way you did," Falien told him. "I've rarely seen anyone fight like that, and I've gotta be honest, I had no idea you were capable of it."
"Well, I was never on the frontlines before all this," Theas stated. "The Macrobreach has given me plenty of opportunity for direct combat."
"Yeah, but it's more than that," Falien stated. "When I first met you, you were always reserved, operating in the background. You never wanted to be a team player, and you never would have been caught on a battleground. I don't think even you knew your full power. Theas, you've really come into yourself since you've been with these Anomalies. And if I'm being totally honest, it's been pretty damn incredible to see."
Theas felt bowled over; he had no idea how to respond. He wasn't completely sure if Falien was complimenting him.
"You're a leader, Theas," Falien finished. "You're someone for us all to look up to. You're someone I look up to."
Falien started walking, leaving Theas to stare mutely, flabbergasted by what he had just heard.
THE RECORDS OF BEFORE:
Theas staggered out of the portal, feeling as though his flesh might fall off. He panted heavily, doubled over and trying not to pass out. After he finally caught his breath, he straightened up and looked around. He froze, his face going ghostly pale as his eyes widened.
"Welcome to the Neutrality," Daak told him.
Theas had trouble comprehending what he was seeing at first. Once his depth perception finally adjusted, he took in everything around him. He and Daak stood amidst a colossal ring. The ring was silver from afar, but up close it had many detailed intricacies that left it a complicated and awe-inspiring phenomenon. The ring was comprised of many buildings in an expanse that weaved in and out of itself across a construct the size of a planet.
The ring floated in the air, suspended from nothing, and while it took Theas several minutes to wrap his brain around the ring, when he saw what laid beyond it, his airway constricted. The ring sat between two planes that spread out endlessly, parallel to each other. One plane was black with white lines crisscrossing along it to form sections that had to be tens of thousands of miles wide. The other plane was a deep blood red. It seemed to have a rocky landscape across it, but Theas couldn't make out its texture from here.
And then Theas's focus returned to what was in his immediate vicinity. There seemed to be little order to the immersive activity that took place around him. Beings of countless species intermingled, doing business, socializing, living their lives. The buildings they used to accomplish this didn't seem to have much organization to them either. Some operated like normal buildings, with walls, doors, and windows that behaved as expected. However, other buildings rose out of the ground when someone desired access. There were those that had the entire front wall swing open if someone wanted inside. This event would cause everything in the vicinity to have to readjust itself should the building in question find itself to be taller than a few stories.
"I've never even imagined a place like this," Theas said breathlessly.
"This is one small piece of the Neutrality," Daak told him.
Theas gawked at her.
"The Neutrality is as big as any universe," she explained. "Where you have planets, we have Planes. This is just one Plane of a nigh-infinite number."
"Do all Planes look like this?" Theas asked, trying to take in everything at once.
"Not at all," Daak answered. "Every last one is substantially different from the next. No two are even close to alike, just like no two planets are alike. No two species. No two beings."
Theas barely heard her as they walked slowly through the Neutrality. They had to walk slowly so Theas could take everything in that he was seeing.
"Does this structure have a name?" Theas asked, looking around at the gargantuan ring that encircled them.
"It does," Daak answered. "It's called the Rura."
"Okay," Theas said, his brain finally managing to catch up with his surroundings. "So, you never answered my question. What am I being recruited for?"
"The Universal Keepers," Daak answered.
"I…don't understand," Theas said. "What is that?"
"Are you aware that there is more than one universe?" Daak asked.
"Well, you implied it pretty heavily a few minutes ago, so I kind of assumed," Theas answered.
"The Multiverse is designed so that inhabitants of one universe stay in that universe. Cross-contamination can be deadly, if not outright catastrophic. That said, contamination does happen. We call these events, and the beings they involve, Anomalies. The Universal Keepers have tasked themselves with managing these Anomalies and making sure everyone gets back to their own universe before disaster hits."
"And so this is your headquarters?" Theas asked, astonished. "But there are, like, ten million people here."
"The population of the Rura is actually approaching four billion," Daak stated. "Only about fifteen thousand of us are Universal Keepers."
"Oh, okay. So where is your headquarters, then?" Theas asked, looking around as if searching for a neon sign designating the building in question.
"The Keepers prefer to operate outside of bureaucracy," Daak told him. "We don't actually have a central place of operations. We maintain open lines of communication that our leadership uses to deploy us where we're needed. We believe in embracing technological advances for the betterment of ourselves, each other, and the mission. It was decided that having a headquarters would serve no purpose, so there isn't one."
"Okay," Theas said, taking a moment to take this in as they walked. "So, what made you decide I was fit for this?" Theas asked.
Daak slowed to a stop, and it took her a second before she turned to face him. Theas held her eye contact. "Seriously," he said, "what makes me qualified to be a Keeper?"
IN THE EYES OF THE MULTIVERSE:
Theas and Falien returned to the Kalavign to see Seridon working at a virtual computer screen. Seridon observed the display, which appeared to show text in a language neither Keeper recognized.
"What have you got for us?" Falien asked.
"Hm," Seridon said, rubbing his chin with his hand contemplatively. "Well, I've only just gotten started, but what I'm seeing so far is quite the conundrum."
"How so?" Theas asked.
"Well, let me show you something," Seridon said. "Only, when I do, try not to get too overexcited."
Theas and Falien watched with eyebrows raised as Seridon held out his hand. His hand glowed white, and so did a circle on the ground next to him. The circle was about the diameter of a truck, and a form started rising out of it. The light faded, and when Theas and Falien saw what Seridon had summoned, they both instinctively reached for their weapons.
The creature was enormous, almost as big as Seridon, standing at ten feet tall. It had hulking muscles bulged against purple skin. It had the upper body of a man but the lower body of a hairless quadruped. The creature clutched a massive sword in one hand, but its head hung low, its eyes shadowed by its forehead.
"What the hell is this?" Falien demanded.
The Keepers gazed upon Algaltha, who stood like a statue next to Seridon. Theas wondered if this was some kind of hologram, but the stench of Algaltha's sweat and the blood on his sword left the Keeper doubtful.
"This is Pirallai," Seridon explained. "It's a technique known by the Primidus and taught to their Dominion."
"So, y'all can just casually bring people back from the dead, huh?" Falien said, incensed.
"Look at this husk, you really think this is back from the dead?" Seridon demanded. "It's a shadow, or what we call a Nila. To put it very simply, it's the essence of a being that left this plane of existence when it was killed."
"I'm failing to see what this has to do with our current topic," Theas stated.
"What I'm saying is that Nilas are trackable," Seridon told them. "When someone dies, the Primidus can find their Nila in the universe. They can recall it and utilize it for their needs."
"Okay," Falien said. "We'll pretend that isn't abhorrent and terrifying, go on."
"These beings that were hit with this phenomenon, the bright flash of light that seems to wipe them from existence. If they had been killed, their Nila would be out there. We could find it and use Pirallai to recall it."
"But…but you're saying that's not the case?" Theas asked.
"That's correct," Seridon confirmed. "I've looked, and their Nila are nowhere. Not in this universe or any other."
"Is that something you've seen before?" Falien asked.
Seridon considered his response. "On very rare occasions, yes. And every last one has had direct involvement by a Primidus."
"Seridon," Falien addressed, "the more you talk, the more we become highly concerned about the Primidus. The Universal Keepers need to do an informational intake on the Primidus. We need to know exactly who they are, where they reside, and what they can do."
"As inclined as I am to sympathize with your sense of inferiority, I have no ability to provide you with those answers," Seridon stated.
"Then you're acting in defiance of laws of universal regulation," Falien declared. "If you are refusing to cooperate, then you will be considered a hostile entity."
"Yeah?" Seridon said darkly. "What are you going to do about it?"
"The Universal Keepers are authorized to detain any being who is deemed a threat to universal and spatial integrity," Falien stated. "Right now, you are included in that descriptor."
"Falien," Theas said.
"Back off," Falien ordered, taking a step towards Seridon.
"You don't want to try this," Seridon warned. "You have no idea what kind of a shitwave you're stepping into."
"Falien, knock it off," Theas ordered.
"Theas, if you're going to bitch out on me here, then you need to leave," Falien stated.
"We can't win this fight," Theas said, taking a step towards Falien.
Falien turned to face Theas while Seridon watched, silent and still. The Nila of Algaltha faded into a cloud of black before disappearing completely.
"You know as well as I do how fast we can have a battalion of Keepers here to crack this mountain wide open," Falien told Theas.
"You want to start a war with the Primidus, you go right ahead," Seridon said. "It'll be the quickest extinction anyone's ever seen."
Falien and Seridon faced each other, unwavering in their resilience. Theas looked between them, trying to decide if he should tackle Falien down.
THE RECORDS OF BEFORE:
"I can't tell you what properties you have that will allow you to succeed," Daak told Theas. "If you're asking me what led me to that storage facility to bring you with me, the answer is simple. Although, it may not be as emotionally gratifying as you're hoping."
"I'm listening," Theas persisted.
Daak paused for a brief moment, considering him, and then she said, "When we consider beings across the Multiverse to bring to the Neutrality, we look for those who have no life of their own."
"I beg your pardon?" Theas said with a raised eyebrow.
"Theas, you have no family. You have no one looking out for you. If you disappeared off the face of your planet, no one would go looking for you. Bringing people like you to the Neutrality makes it easy for you to make the choice to accompany us, it prevents you from leaving anyone to grieve your disappearance, and it maintains the secrecy of our operations," Daak explained. "Sorry if that doesn't give you the warm feeling you were looking for."
Theas stared up at the Rura, wrapping around them like a chaotic vortex. He took a moment to process his feelings before looking back at Daak. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense."
Daak's expression remained stagnant, but she stayed silent.
Someone dropped down from a building nearby and landed next to them, causing Theas to jump in surprise.
"Thanks for meeting us here, Pirises," Daak said as the person straightened up.
Theas silently observed this new individual, who analyzed him in return. He was tall and stocky, with pale skin and dark hair. He wore all black including a long, black trench coat.
"Pirises, I've brought with me Theas," Daak introduced.
"Hi, Theas Fal," Theas stated.
Pirises nodded, giving Theas his own name in return.
"Just Pirises?" Theas asked. "What's your last name?"
Pirises's eyes narrowed in confusion. Daak stepped in. "Theas, when we transition out of our former lives to become Keepers, we forgo our surnames," she explained. "This finalizes our separation from existence as the rest of the Multiverse knows it. We've transcended to life greater than it was, and therefore we've released ourselves from the attachments of that former life."
Theas absorbed this information alongside everything else he was experiencing. His brain was beginning to have difficulty reconciling everything.
"Well," he said after a few seconds of silence, "I guess I have to appreciate you being so straightforward with me."
"We don't like to give falsehoods to our recruits," Daak stated. "And we also don't force anyone into anything they're not up for. Theas, if you want us to take you back, we will. We'll wipe your memories, you'll forget any of this. If you feel your life as it was is the fulfillment you need, we will honor that. We'll return you home, ensure your safety, and allow you to resume your life."
Theas looked between Pirises and Daak. He didn't know what to say, how to respond to the decision he had just been handed. It was the leap of his life. There was no telling where this road led, and Theas had no assurance it would be any better than what he left. He was just about to turn Daak down, to say that this was all insanity and that he had no place here, when his mind flashed to what he had just left behind. Selling himself out as a hitman for a corporate narcissist in Mekadro, who ultimately resolved to kill him. Daak was right; Theas had no life to return to.
Theas looked at Daak, who waited patiently for his response. Pirises observed him silently, giving no emotional reaction to the situation. Theas, finally solidifying his resolve, opened his mouth to speak.
But then he looked around. His eyes were narrowed in suspicious confusion. Daak and Pirises looked around as well. The air had shifted. Some kind of tension had besieged the Rura. People around them were scurrying, searching frantically for shelter.
"What the hell's happening?" Pirises asked.
A ground-quaking boom caused the Rura to tremble, and several screams echoed across the buildings. Pirises held out his hand, and a circle of blue light passed across it, materializing a long, slender rifle that he wielded in both hands. The rifle was dark gray, and in place of a barrel, it held a series of semi-circular braces running from stock to where the muzzle would be.
Pirises aimed his gun as he approached what seemed to be the source of the disturbance. Theas walked hesitantly after him while Daak hung back, observing the scene with an expressionless disposition. Another tremendous boom shook the area, and Theas instinctively drew his knife, activating the electric blade. A massive explosion toppled a building, sending metal shards blasting out. The building collapsed in smoke and fire, and as more wretched screams rose up, Pirises and Theas braced themselves.
The ground ruptured in a line through the Rura, sending people scattering to throw themselves out of the way. Pirises aimed his gun, and out of the ground burst a large creature. It was about twelve feet from head to tail, and it had dull purple skin, long claws, and ragged teeth. A length of black spikes ran down its back to its long, muscular tail whose end was spiked like a mace. The creature shrieked furiously, pounding the ground with its arms as it prepared to attack.
"What the hell is that thing!?" Theas asked, startled.
"She's a Spatial Hunter," Daak answered, maintaining her distance from the brewing conflict. "I believe her name is Itylica."
"Okay, and what's got her so pissed off?" Theas asked.
"I'd love to do storytime right now, but I don't think we're gonna get the chance," Pirises said, "so the short version is we've been at war with the Hunters for about forty-three hundred years. I guess they sent her to try and weaken our defenses for a larger attack. We have to take her down now."
Itylica roared with enough force to cause the ground under Theas to quiver, and Theas was left feeling quite unprepared for this conflict. Pirises, meanwhile, aimed his weapons and built a bolt of blue, electrical energy inside the braces. Itylica braced herself, and her body lit up with purple energy. She focused all of the energy into her mouth and fired it directly at the ground. This resulted in a powerful shockwave that tore the ground apart in a line directly at Pirises.
Pirises fired his energy bolt before diving out of the way, and Theas shielded himself from the debris of the exchange. Pirises straightened back up, aiming his weapon, and Itylica dove into the ground and out of sight.
"Theas, stay steady!" Pirises advised. "Don't let her sneak up on you, be ready to move!"
Theas nodded, but his legs feeling like melted glue didn't improve his confidence towards the situation. The seconds seemed to take hours as he waited for Itylica to reappear, and his eyes then widened as he jumped up. The ground ripped open under him as she ascended, and he landed on her back before driving his electrified knife into her shoulder. The Hunter screeched in pain as she flailed, and Theas was thrown off her and sent rumbling across the ground.
Daak's eyes narrowed as she witnessed this, but she continued to avoid the fight as Theas came to his knees. Itylica looked around savagely, ready to rip Theas apart, but a bolt of electric energy slammed into her sternum and knocked her down. She hissed in pain and anger, and Pirises closed in before unleashing a second shot. This one hit her directly in the head, stupefying her as she fell limp on the ground.
Theas rose to his feet, looking astonished, and Pirises closed in while preparing to fire the final shot. Itylica came to her senses, looked around to see her situation, and collapsed into ash before fading away.
It took Theas several seconds before the tension in his body eased. He took a deep breath and looked around. Pirises lowered his weapon, and he and Daak walked casually towards Theas. Pirises viewed him with a much more favorable eye, and he nodded in acknowledgement.
"You ever been in combat?" Pirises asked.
Theas shook his head. "Nothing serious, no."
Pirises nodded again. "That was damn impressive. You've got plenty to learn, but I think you'll have a place here."
Theas looked between Pirises and Daak, the events of the last few hours hurtling through his mind as he came to his final decision. He chuckled, almost incredulously, and he nodded, unable to speak.
IN THE EYES OF THE MULTIVERSE:
"Falien, back the hell off!" Theas demanded.
"Why?" Falien asked. "Why shouldn't we know what kind of threat we could be up against?"
"Do you really think we can afford to have Seridon as an enemy?" Theas asked.
"You should listen to him," Seridon stated, somewhat gently.
"We're already losing the war against the Hunters," Theas reasoned. "We're sacrificing manpower and resources daily, and the Hunters are just getting more powerful. If you want to add a front of battle against the Primidus, we'll be slaughtered. You know it."
"I understand the fear of the unknown, and the hysteria that it causes," Seridon assured him. "But I need you to believe me when I say Indyctus is not your enemy."
"But that's just one Primidus," Falien stated. "Can you speak for the rest of them?"
"No," Seridon answered. "Unfortunately, I can't."
"Okay, well if you really want us to believe that Indyctus isn't a threat, we need you to orchestrate a meeting. We need to know exactly what it is we're dealing with," Falien told Seridon.
Theas let out a small sigh of relief.
"I told you, I haven't been able to get ahold of him," Seridon reminded them.
"But that's not true," Theas stated. "You said he cleared you to tell us about the Kalavign."
"Yeah, six hundred years ago," Seridon stated.
"I'm…I'm confused," Falien said.
"Indyctus knew, as soon as he built the Kalavign, that it would never stay secret forever. He knew, especially if it ever activated, that someone would be able to track it down. He told me that when that time came, I would need to make a decision on whether you were worthy of the information. If so, I had clearance to tell you about the Kalavign," Seridon explained.
"Well, that's not as helpful as I was hoping for," Falien said.
"Neither is trying to pick a fight with the Primidus, that's not helpful either," Seridon reminded him.
Falien glared at him like he wanted to retort, but he kept his mouth shut.
Storms raged across Superias, and thunder caused the ground to quake. Nok looked upon Mount Tovam from a distance, set against dark storm clouds as it rose over the horizon. He looked around as Alkor trotted over, snorting and shaking his head.
"Remember what we talked about," Nok said, patting Alkor near the ribs. "I know you hate using your full power, but I need you here. This is where we make our final offensive."
Alkor huffed, patting the ground with his hoof as he glared at Mount Tovam.
Nok nodded, and he took a step back while turning to face his target. He held his arm straight out to his side, and a black cloud appeared in his hand that solidified into his sword. "Alright, tear that rock in half."
Alkor took several steps forward as his entire body glowed bright blue. Streams of energy appeared, flowing in around Alkor like a vortex as his body steadily built power. The environment around them began to rupture, the rocky landscape breaking down and flowing inward. The outpouring of power enveloped Alkor as the planet bent to his will.