Old Maps
Ashelin arrived at Vin's power station. She couldn't think of anyone else who might know what caused the tremor that morning.
"Hey, Vin," she greeted him as she walked inside. The man was in front of his giant screen computer with images in front of him. "What's that?"
Vin looked back at her. "Oh, this is a geological map of the city and the surrounding area. That quake this morning got me concerned. This map doesn't show anything though. These maps are so old. I need to do new scans. The harbor will be easy but I'll need to go outside the city walls… to the ocean." He looked at the commander.
Ashelin nodded. "The metal heads are vicious but I'll come with you." When his eyes widened. "What? I'm not afraid to see what's out there. I'm not afraid of metal heads or anything for that matter."
The scientist shrugged. "Alright. Let's get out there. I'll get my equipment." He began gathering his gear. "We'll need to take a ship with multi-beam sonars. And my… ROV." He found a small yellow device. "This baby is my latest creation. She's smaller than most remote vehicles but she's powered by a trash generator, using the filth polluting the ocean to run. She'll be able to give us a first hand look at what's down there."
"Do you mind if I invite Jak?" She asked. "He's fought metal heads before. He could be helpful." Asking Jak's help was risky but if she needed to fight, she wanted to fight alongside him. She imagined a spar with him would be invigorating. He could possibly give her a challenge.
Vin shook his head. "I don't mind. We'll probably be gone the rest of the day, even until tomorrow. Maybe longer. It depends on how long it takes to gather the data." He continued gathering his equipment.
Ashelin nodded. "I'll give him a call on the communicator."
——————
The Seer
On the way back to the bazaar district, from behind Jak's seat, Onin signed. "Kor, Onin asks why you did not just tell the truth?" Pecker translated. His eyes narrowed. "What truth?"
Kor looked back with no small amount of anxiety. Jak looked in the rear view mirror. "Onin, what do you think Kor is not being honest about?"
"Yeah, Onin, what do you mean?" Pecker asked. He glared at Kor. "Do you two know each other?"
Kor snapped. "It's none of your business, bird. If you must know, I wasn't ready. I could lose everything if this goes wrong. I cannot lose my family again." He told the seer.
Though she was blind, her eyes still met his and her hands signed again. "Onin asks again? Tell her everything."
"Not in front of Kaj. I do not want to distress him. Just know that everything you've heard is a lie. I will kill to protect my family. I don't want to," he glared deeply.
"Onin says if you want her help, she needs to know your side," Pecker pressed. "She asks you to trust her as you are asking her to trust you."
Kor sighed. "Come back with us to the new house. Kaj will go down for his nap and I will tell you." He acquiesced. "But you must tell no one. Pecker, I expect the same confidence from you."
"Jak! Can you hear me?" The communicator popped up out of the blond man's pocket. "It's Ashelin."
"Hey, what's up?" Jak asked. How odd that she was contacting him.
Daxter chuckled and whispered. "I think Ashelin likes Jak."
Onin grinned and signed. "Onin says even the Baron's daughter has needs."
Daxter laughed. "Oh yeah, I'd hit that! Ow!" He held the back of his head where he'd been smacked.
Kor glared. "Don't be vulgar. There's a little boy in the car."
"Oh yeah sure," Jak's voice rose. "I'll meet you at the harbor in an hour."
"Great. We'll be waiting," she promised before the communication dropped.
Jak changed course for the racing district. "Ashelin and Vin want my help on an ocean scan around and surrounding the city. To find out why we had that quake this morning. So I'll drop you guys off and head out."
"Be careful around her, Jak," Kor warned him. "She's still Praxis' daughter. Even if she does like you. It could be a trap."
Jak looked back at Onin who signed. "Onin says he'll be fine." Pecker said. "Ashelin is genuine. She just still loves her father."
Jak shrugged. "I can't fault her for that. I never knew my father or my mother. It was always Uncle Yubidish and Samos. Mrs. Toucan and Leonardo also helped but I never knew my parents. I can't blame her." He looked at Kor and then to Kaj.
The old man nodded. "Neither do I fault her. I just understand too well. Everything I was planning was for the love of my family. Familial love can be dangerous. She might not even intend to hurt you. It would just happen. Look, I'm just saying to use your head." He reminded the young man.
Jak nodded. "I will, sir." It felt odd to actually have someone giving him paternal advice. Daxter quietly put a hand on his friend's shoulder. The rest of the ride was quiet. Looking in the rear view mirror, he saw Onin nodding at him. Just how blind was this soothsayer? How did she know who or what Kor was?
—————
Pulling in front of the house, Jak looked at Daxter. "You stay here with them, Dax." He instructed as the other four got out. "Help with Kaj. And no fighting with Pecker."
Daxter groaned. "Oh Jak, why do I have to stay behind? I want to go out on the boat too."
"Because I need your help here," Kor answered for Jak. "Kaj needs you here."
Daxter looked at Kaj who stared up at him with shining blue eyes. "Awww! Alright. I'll stay but next time I'm coming too! Come on kiddo. Let's go check out your new room."
Jak waved. "I'll be back eventually." He went to put the vehicle in gear.
"Wait, you're not just leaving like that? You'll freeze to death on that ship. And you'll ruin that new uniform! Go change and pack a bag!" Kor ordered.
Jak shrugged. "I don't have anything else besides the clothes I had getting out of prison." He waved his hand. "I'll be fine."
Kor frowned and his staff flashed. "Go pack a bag." The car opened its door and pushed Jak out. "Find your room. You'll have what you need."
Jak sighed and went inside. The magic had finished repairing the home. The staircase spiraled up from the first floor to the second floor. "Wow, your magic is powerful."
Kor nodded. "I think I put too much punch into it. Or the magic just had fun designing the home. Find your room. I told the magic to give you and Daxter one to share. Look for the J on the door."
Going upstairs, Jak found the right beside Kaj's room. It was a deep brown with a stylized J on the face. Inside, there was a big, full-size bed with a thick mattress with a matching ottsel-size bed beside it. But more importantly there was a dresser. Inside was all new clothes. Underwear, socks, jogging pants and pajamas. Inside the closet were more clothes. Everything Jak-size had a matching ottsel-size twin.
Daxter whistled. "Wow! We've never had rooms like these!" He ran over and leaped into his bed. "Metal head magic is powerful."
Jak nodded as he began packing the small bag he found in his closet.
Kor came in. "In my true form, I can lift objects five-thousand times my weight. But this human form is physically much weaker. So my strength manifests as this. I hadn't intended to have it so complete but it works." Kor chuckled as Daxter reveled in his new bed. "Now, Jak, if you run into any metal heads, no matter the tribe, that amulet I gave you will grant you safe passage. It means you've earned the trust of a King. Anyone with you will have the same protections granted. And it doubles as a communicator." He explained. "Though you probably won't run into any. We are metal heads. We do not swim. And the flyers rarely go over the water."
Jak nodded. "Thank you. I'll check in tonight." He promised.
—————
Jak arrived at the port at the agreed on time and found a medium size boat with a small crane and tower. Ashelin was waiting beside it, talking with a guard. He inwardly prepared for a battle as the guard saw him.
"Wait!" She commanded the guard. "I asked him to come. Jak is not the enemy."
The guard trembled. "Ma'am, your father has ordered his arrest. He's a monster!"
Ashelin glared at the man. "Jak is here at my request! You will afford the same respect that you give me. I'll handle my father." She approached Jak. "Thank you for coming. Sorry for Pete. He's just overzealous."
Jak nodded. "He's just doing his job. So is this the boat we're taking?" His question was answered when Vin popped his head out of the tower and waved. "Guess so."
Out on the open ocean, Vin proudly showed Jak the gizmo they would be using. "This is a miniature remotely operated vehicle. I can control it from the bridge and it'll take photographs and sonars of the ocean floor. We can then see if the quake we had was just a one time thing or if there's trouble brewing."
Jak examined the small robot. "Wow! So you can really do that? You can really take photographs under the ocean. Wait, what are photographs?" Both looked at him with surprise.
Vin chuckled and held up a small box. He pressed a button and a flash of light blinded him. Once Jak could see again, Vin turned the box around. "Sorry for the red eyes, I forgot to turn the red eye thingy on. But you'll see, it's like a painting or illustration but it uses light to create a life-like image."
Jak nodded. "And we're going to use that gizmo to take photographs of the ocean floor?"
"Exactly. There's also this speaker. It will emit a supersonic sound, using echolocation to give us another kind of picture." Vin walked Jak over to where they were going to drop the device.
Ashelin watched Jak take it all in. How did he not know what a photograph is? She heard the splash as Vin dropped it in, attached to an umbilical cord.
"Now we're going to just go to the bridge while the ROV gets to work. Soon we'll know just what we're dealing with," Vin smiled. "The future is now! Thanks to Science!"
Ashelin laughed as Vin went to the bridge tower. "You know, when we fought together, you had an edge about you. Now, you seem to be a lot softer."
Jak shrugged. "I've had some time to heal. Do you know what your father did to me?" He asked.
"I do and I'm so sorry. My father just really wants to beat the metal heads. He wants to protect the city. He just doesn't know how," she tried to explain. "He's just lost his way."
The blond man nodded. "I can see that. I want to help as much as I can." He thought. "To protect the city, to give the people their freedom. And though I hate him he's your dad."
Ashelin sighed. "It's my fault he's like this. He always told me it was dangerous to leave the walls. But I didn't listen… and I got lost. He and Mom had to look for me and metal heads attacked me. Mom… she saved me, gave him time to get me away but…" The young woman looked down sadly. "So you see, it's because of me that he became so… such a tyrant… He wanted the king to authorize an army to hunt them down but he was denied and so Father staged a coup and took over the kingdom with the blessing of the Grand Council."
Jak's mouth fell open. "I'm so sorry. That sucks. Why did the metal heads attack you?" He asked curiously.
She shook her head. "I don't remember too much. I remember it started to rain and… there was a cave with an eerie green light."
Jak's mouth fell. "Well, whatever the reason, it's not your fault. You didn't mean any harm. You were just a kid…" He told her, inwardly promising to talk to Kor about this.
"Hey Jak!" Vin shouted. "Ashelin! Do you two feel up to going down?" He held up two scuba suits.
Ashelin laughed. "That's a great idea. Have you ever gone deep diving, Jak?"
Jak shook his head. "Not with anything like that. Sounds like fun though." He let Vin help him suit up while Ashelin got her own suit on. "How does this work?"
Vin held up the equipment. "You'll carry this air tank on your back and wear this mouthpiece. This gauge tells you how much air you have left. When you get to half a tank, it's time to come back up slow. Go down slow, come up slow. If you come up too fast, you could get very sick."
Jak listened to the man and went back out to the deck. Ashelin was waiting for him. "Watch me, Jak, and do what I do." She said as she got up on the side of the boat, as if just to sit on the side. Fixing the mouthpiece in, she fell backwards into the water.
——————
With Kaj napping and Daxter resting beside the little boy, Kor made a pot of coffee. "So, you want to know my side of the story. Are you sure about that?" He poured the coffee.
Onin nodded and sipped her cup. "Onin says she is very interested to know your side. She's been waiting to see if you would tell her of your own accord. Wait! Old woman! What are you saying? What did you know that you didn't tell me! I'm your right hand bird!" Pecker flailed excitedly.
Kor held up a hand. "Pecker, I am… the King of my people and their father, the Hora-Quan." He bowed politely. "You know them as the metal heads."
Pecker's mouth fell open and he fainted to the table. Onin and the old man chuckled.
"I didn't say who I was until now for obvious reasons. I knew the resistance hates Baron Praxis as much as I do and I needed to do some covert research," Kor explained. "But I'm sure you're wondering why." Onin nodded and gestured for him to continue. "It starts when I was just a stupid adolescent, only 160 years old. Living in the tunnels that span the planet… with my father, my grandfather, and my numerous brothers and uncles. Our tribe lived beneath the village of Sandover." He sighed. "I was foolish and often went to the surface despite my father's warnings… and I met a human… one I thought I could trust… Mar…"
—————
Jak mimicked Ashelin, falling backwards into the water. With the mask, he was able to see the reef and the rocks going around the outside of the city. Brightly colored fish with assorted tails and fins swam around the coral. Further down, he could see some artefacts lying amongst the coral. He picked up a medium sized ring. He put it in the bag Ashelin had on her side.
She tapped him on the shoulder and pointed. Just below them, a large fish swam, completely uninterested in them. He gaped in wonder as they followed it to see what it was doing. Ashelin used an underwater camera to record the footage.
—————
Kor drank his coffee. "And that's what happened. I trusted Mar and he took advantage of my adolescent naïvetée. My home was ransacked. My grandfather, my father, my brothers... My uncles and my children… only I survived. By will alone. I was too stubborn to give in." He looked down at the table, the pain of the betrayal evident in his aged eyes. "I had to start over from scratch, all alone. And I swore revenge while he was hailed as a hero by the people. Those gullible morons." He clenched his fists. "And he took…. something very important to me. I have to find it."
Pecker, who had come around in the middle of the old man's woeful tale, wept loudly. "That is so sad! It is such a shock to hear that Mar was the bad guy. He's always painted as the hero of the story."
Kor shook his head. "He did do great things. He was the founder of Haven and he had goodness in him. But he exaggerated the role of the metal heads. What he took he thought to be some great source of power and value. But the only value it has to anyone is to me and my tribe."
"You are referring to the precursor stone, correct?" Pecker asked with Onin's sign language. "Legend says it has the power to destroy the very planet. It belongs to you?"
Kor laughed. "Oh no. That just shows how rumors spread and grow. It has no such power. He took it to hurt me." He explained. "To doom my tribe."
Pecker and Onin regarded each other. "But if it has no power, how does taking it doom your tribe?"
The old man looked at the moncaw and the old woman. "Alright… but you must promise to tell no one."
—————-
Back on the ship, Jak and Ashelin laughed together as they changed out of their wetsuits. "That was amazing! I've never seen a whale shark up close!" She said with a wide smile.
"Yeah!" Jak called from his stall. "This was great today. The last time I had this much fun was when my girlfriend and I raced each other on our zoomers. On the Precursor Basin. Right before we came to Haven."
Ashelin stepped out of the changing room. "You have a girlfriend?" She asked.
"We'll sort of. There was an accident and we were separated. I was arrested and I don't know what happened to her or my teacher," he explained before he joined her. "For all I know… she's… dead…"
She nodded soberly. "I'm sorry but… don't lose hope. Maybe I can help. What's her name? Maybe I've met her. Or if nothing else, I might be able to use the database." Jak had a girlfriend. She didn't know how she felt about that. She didn't know why she didn't know. They had only just met. It wasn't like she liked him or anything. Not in that way. At least she didn't think so.
"Keira, Keira Hagai. She was one of my best friends growing up and… you know how that goes…" Jak explained. "My teacher was a jerk most of the time but she was always there for me. Daxter too."
Ashelin nodded again. "If she's in Haven City, I'll find her." She promised. "How's your little brother?" She asked, changing the subject.
The young man chuckled. "I'm guessing you know exactly who he is?" When she nodded, he grinned. "He's doing well. It's good that Kor found him. Said he was just wandering the streets all alone."
Green eyes glittered in the setting sunlight. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. I won't let my father harm a child. Kor, that's the old man. And that's why he was so protective. He seemed to think I was going to try and take him away."
Jak sighed. "He's old and he's had a very hard life. I think Kaj gives him a little light at the end of the tunnel. Baron Praxis would feel no guilt in snuffing that light."
"He's a light for all of Haven City. If the council knew he'd been found and he was alive… they would unseat my father in a millisecond," she said softly. "Well… if not for the metal heads. He's the only one who can beat them."
Blue eyes glinted for just a second before Jak turned his head down. "So if… say… the metal heads simply stopped attacking the city, if their leader… For giggles, let's say their leader decided he was done fighting. If all he wanted was for the attacks on his own kind to stop…"
Ashelin frowned. "That'll never happen but I don't know that I could forgive my mother's murderers. They're the bane of our city. They hate us as much as we hate them. So, that'll never happen."
Jak looked up. "But for the sake of argument, if the leader contacted you and offered peace, would you take it? For the good of the city? Think about it. For fun."
"Fine… if the offer was made and they meant it… I'd agree. Because I love Haven City and its people. Even if my father has lost that love," she finally said. "I'll also buy a golden and jewel encrusted saddle for my new flying pony, while we're wishing for impossible things."
Jak chuckled. "Hmm… Impossible things…. Yes… I'm going to see if Vin has any results."
—————
Kaj was up from his nap right as Kor finished the second part of his story. He supplied the child with a snack of raw vegetables and ranch dressing, putting him in his own tall chair beside him.
"You can see why I have to find it. I know the chances are slim but I'd rather find it and know for sure than wonder…" Kor carded Kaj's hair.
Pecker nodded. "Onin says that if you're telling the truth, then you have our support. If you're lying, then that's another story. And she apologizes but she needs time to determine if you are telling the truth. She wants to believe you, we both do, but she needs time."
The old man nodded solemnly. "I understand. One generation of humanity colored my judgement of all others. I will never apologize for putting my family first."
Onin reached a compassionate hand over to pat his. "We won't ask you to, only that you give us a chance to prove that we are not all the same." Pecker translated.
—————
In the bridge, Jak found Vin looking over the data he had compiled. "How's it going in here?" He asked. He looked over the man's shoulder at the information.
"Haven might have a big problem on its hands," Vin explained. "Bigger than Praxis or the metal heads." He clicked a button on the screen and a digital image appeared. "Haven City is built on a natural time bomb, a subduction zone, where two tectonic plates meet. And look…" he pointed to another image on the screen. A smoking hole could be seen on the ocean floor. "It gets worse. It's not just a subduction zone. It's a massive volcanic system and it's very active."
Jak gaped. "By the Precursors…" he cursed lightly. "What would happen if a volcano erupted?"
"If this volcano erupts… It will put out a terrible, poisonous gas and smoke that is several thousand degrees celsius," Vin explained. "Worse, the city would likely be swallowed into the ocean. In a matter of days. The sun will be cloaked, the planetary temperatures will plummet, sending the rest of the world into an ice age.
"The hell!" Ashelin ran over to the console. "What are the chances of that happening?"
Vin looked at her. "It doesn't seem to be near eruption yet. But that doesn't mean that can't change." He began typing. "I'm going to keep running scans, see if I can find anything else of interest. But, ma'am, you need to warn your father. We need to be ready."
"I'll call him now. I need to let him know I won't be home tonight," she left the bridge to make the call.
Jak nodded. "Vin, how much do you really hate the metal heads?"
Vin shook his head. "Hate is the wrong word. I don't hate them. They're no different from other animals, living on instinct. I fear them. That's different. One might even say I have a healthy respect for them and their power. Even if their leaders are sentient, they still only live by instinct."
"Then if… for some reason, the metal heads decided to help liberate the city, you'd be willing to accept it?" Jak asked.
"That's a very leading question, Jak. But I'll play, I'm a good scientist. So assuming that this did happen, and let's assume the offer is sincere… I'll put it this way. I'll take any offer that takes my name off of their menus!" Vin declared. "As long as it benefits the people. I'd never save myself at their expense."
Jak nodded. "I need to go check in. I promised Kor I would."
"Good. I'm glad Kor's taken a liking to you. He's kind of become everyone's dad," Vin said. "So many of the underground are fatherless. Some are orphans."
Jak grinned. "All I had was my uncle. Samos was supposed to look after me but he gave me to my uncle. He was too busy for me." He sighed. "I'd have been alone if not for Daxter and Keira." He looked out at the ocean.
————-
Back at the new house, Daxter paced around. The last two years had been so lonely for him. Sure, he had his pals with the bug exterminators but Jak was his best friend. Someone he shared everything with. Being without him had left him without a piece of himself. Once they were together again, they hadn't spent nearly any time apart. So with Jak away for the night, the ottsell was having difficulty getting settled. He helped Kor get Kaj fed and ready for bed but he kept looking out the window.
"I heard from him," Kor said, surprising the orange creature.
Daxter looked up from his spot on the windowsill. "You did? Is he okay? Is he on his way back?"
The man shook his head. "They're out there for the night. But he is just fine." Kor explained. He sat down next to the sleeping boy. "Thank you for helping me with this lad. In this form, I don't move as swiftly. Especially with this crick in my back."
Daxter chuckled. "He's a good kid. He smells weird though. Familiar weird." He shrugged. "Jak's my best friend. He's always been there for me. Then I abandoned him for two years to save myself."
Kor nodded. "Yet if you had stayed, what could you have done? You needed the skills you learned through those two years to find and rescue him." He said. "You can't blame yourself for acting selfishly. Not in that moment. Staying would only have ended with you dead. And Jak would be dead by now."
Daxter shook his head. "You don't know that. If I had stayed, Jak would have fought back. We would have stood a chance." He argued. "But no. I was just a coward. As usual. And for two years, Jak was tortured and it was my fault. Now he's alone again and if anything happens to him… if I lose him again…"
Gold eyes widened. "Hmm… does he know how you feel?" The old man asked.
The ottsell's head shot up. "What? What do you mean? How I feel?"
"Does he know that you're in love with him?" Kor clarified the question.
The orange mouth fell open. "I… I don't… I'm not in love with Jak. He's my best friend, like a brother." He denied. "I mean… I guess I do love him but not that way."
With a gruff chuckle, Kor turned his attention to the sleeping Kaj. "So you say…" He frowned as the little boy began to moan as if in pain and his eyes clenched. "Shhh, Kaj, it's alright, Papa is here." A gravelly voice began to sing softly.
——————
On the ship, Ashelin and Jak sat in the middle of the deck. "Okay so, you hold hands like this. Thumbs up." She explained. "Then we tap like this. 1, 2, 3, 4, I declare a thumb war." She guided Jak through learning the game.
The two battled playfully for dominance before settling into their sleeping bags. "Now this next game is called truth or dare but we'll stick with truth as we don't have much room." She laughed.
"So we just tell each other stuff?" He asked curiously.
"Not just stuff but our darkest secrets," she clarified. "You start."
Jak nodded. "Okay. My deepest secret? Um…. I don't remember anything about childhood." He said.
She shrugged. "That's not uncommon."
"No, I have no memories at all. From the age of five or six beyond. I don't remember my parents, any family except for my uncle. Even Daxter has memories of his mom and dad," he explained.
Ashelin nodded. "Hmm, that's terrible. I couldn't imagine not remembering my mother. Sometimes I wish I couldn't remember my father. Or at least forget the bad parts." She shrugged. "You know… he's my dad. No matter what he's done…"
Jak nodded and bit his lip. "Well, I guess it's your turn now." He attempted to get her off the sad topic.
She laughed. "Yes… well… you tell anyone and I will deny it and no one will ever believe you. I don't like being a soldier, forced to help my father keep the people under his thumb. I really wanted to be a singer."
Blue eyes lit up. "Really? You any good?" He asked curiously.
Ashelin nodded. "I've been told I'm good. But I doubt it. I mean, they probably told me that because they thought my dad would angry if they didn't." She rationalized.
Jak shrugged. "Sing something for me. I'll give you my honest opinion. I'm not afraid of your dad."
She blushed and sputtered. "Well…. Okay…" She went quiet, as if thinking. "Hello Harry. Well hello Louie. It's so nice to be back home where I belong…" She sang the sweet melody. "So bridge that gap fellas, find me an empty lap fellas. Dolly'll never go away again."
The blond man smiled. "That was great. You have a real gift. It's a shame it's being so wasted."
She blushed again. "And you're really not just saying that?"
"Not at all. Back home, there was an artist. He did mainly sculptures but he also liked music," Jak told her. "He told me that music is the universal language. Everyone understands and appreciates music even if we all appreciate different kinds. I've actually been wondering if there's a way we can use music to save the city."
Ashelin listened. "Hmmm…" Her eyes glazed over a little as she thought. "Maybe…"
"You should've sharing your gift. Not hiding it like this," he pressed. "Your gift could be inspiring and bringing hope to the people."
"That's what they need," Vin said as he came to them with bags of rehydrated rations. "Hope and inspiration. A reason to keep going. Sorry, I was listening. You do have a great voice, Ashelin. You need to use it."
Jak nodded. "I agree. We can do this. You don't like being a KG so don't be. Drop them and do what you want to do instead. You owe it to yourself." He looked into her green eyes.
