Uncertain Future II
"Damn it Amber," Susan ran her hand down her face.
"And the music changed… This should be fun," Toth muttered dryly.
Let's skip the awkwardness and me being the boring exposition and get on with the plot, the Jackal faced Amber, What's on the tablet?
"Oh no! Like hell I'm just going to go along with whatever scheme you have planned. Find someone else to manipulate," Amber glared before she turned back towards Emeric, "Do what you want with me so long as I stay out of this bastard's plans."
"Amber," Edward placed a hand on Amber's shoulder, "Not here. Not now."
"Yes now," she threw his hand off with a glare, "If not now then when? You have no idea just how much this bastard is responsible for so don't lecture me!"
You're right. I'm responsible for a lot and a great deal of it does make me worthy of being called a "bastard," the Jackal replied in a sorrowful tone, But as your friend said this is hardly the place to shout at me.
Amber glared at the Jackal before noticing the anxious guards. While not making a move towards her, she could see their tightened grips on their spears and hardened eyes. Glancing at the other occupants in the room, she knew she was the center of attention and one misstep away from a disaster. With an angry huff, she gave the Jackal another furious look before turning away.
"I wasn't expecting you to return so soon," Emeric said as he looked at the Jackal before glancing at the fuming Amber, "Nor for your appearance to elicit such a response."
In truth I wasn't expecting to arrive back here so fast myself but I'm here nonetheless. As for causing a scene… I tend to do that with some people, the Jackal replied.
"Regardless, I believe there's something of importance that requires our attention?" Calvin questioned with a pointed look.
Emeric gave a huff, "We have several things that require our attention Calvin. We may even need to get the queen involved if this is going where I think it is."
"Generals, Lord Emeric, surely we don't need to bother her majesty for this. I'll admit this is a unique situation but-"
"We're going to need her, Susan," the Leafwing cut his friend off, "If the Jackal is involved then this is serious."
"You're asking for trouble," the drifter scoffed bitterly.
Emeric glanced between the two generals sitting next to him and the Jackal. He was very familiar with the Jackal's penchant for causing headaches and he truthfully did not want to include Mercia in this...yet. She was after all currently busy with delicate negotiations and while she was a brilliant warrior, she was still inexperienced and desperate to uphold the legacy of her father. Furthermore, Mercia had limited experience with higher beings and the Jackal was one of the more...difficult ones to work with.
"If I may, I have a few suggestions," the Europan mercenary stepped forward, "I know I do not give this impression but I am from an influential family business back under the Iceshelf. Edward Coldsteel, at your service."
What's a Coldsteel doing so far from home?, the Jackal asked.
"You're a Coldsteel?" the Vaulter mercenary blinked.
"While our initial negotiations have been...interrupted, we do have several things to discuss," Edward continued with a sidelong glance at the drifter, ignoring both questions.
"And that would be what, sir Coldsteel?" Erwin questioned.
"For the sake of this meeting, the information me and my associates had been contracted to deliver as well as what to do with that information given its nature. There is also the matter of the heavily armed and organized individuals who have attacked us as well as your own forces. Given the fact that the Jackal is involved and wants answers as well, I'm sure we can all come to an agreement that we all are involved with this unique situation that has brought us all here."
And here I wanted to avoid being the exposition, the Jackal sighed, Fine… First thing's first, the tablet?
All eyes turned to the drifter.
"You better know what you're doing Edward," she huffed before relenting, "I'll go with this, but only because I want answers myself and I trust you, not the conniving-"
"Amber please," the Moki begged, "Just give the Jackal a chance… I wouldn't be here if I didn't."
Emeric could only feel pity for the group of mercenaries that stood before him. As a major actor in a story not that long ago, he knew what it was like to be drawn into something far greater than himself alongside others with their own pasts. How unusual that a bunch of unrelated strangers from all walks of life and different lands find such commonality…
"Miss Amber was it? Please show us this troublesome tablet," he said quietly, "I believe we all want answers and have many things that need to be said."
Amber was unsure on what to think about this situation. Angry? Scared? Bitter? Understanding? She had no idea. All she knew was that the damn Jackal was here and that meant something awful was going to happen. But she trusted Edward (who for being a paranoid bastard himself apparently had his own shocking revelations) and the pleading look on Sil's face was enough for her to get a grip. And as much as she wanted to shoot the tablet, Project Memory did have her curious side begging for answers.
"What happened to 'I can behave?'" Wraith asked as they waited.
"I wasn't expecting the damn Jackal to show up," Amber crossed her arms.
"Well whatever personal history you have, keep it in the past," Toth warned as the world distorted into the rubbery flatness, "Last time this song started up we got thrown into this misadventure and I'm willing to bet we're about to get thrown into another one."
Amber gave the comment some thought. It had been weeks since she had set off from Crossroad with the others. Somehow, it felt like years ago yet just yesterday they were all just loose associates meeting in a jail cell. Amber then recalled it was only a bit longer that she had left Central Town…
Well you both wanted me to see the world, she thought as her parents came to mind, Just look at me now…
"That's my bag," Edward said dryly as a guard walked in holding the wrong bag.
"It is?" the guard looked at the bag in confusion.
You're looking for the one in the bottom left of the chest, the Jackal supplied.
Amber bit back a comment and took a deep breath. Now that both her shock and initial negative thoughts have worn off she was well aware of just how much attention she drew to herself. She had the attention of powerful people who could very easily fabricate an excuse to lock her up for the rest of her life… Not the crowd to run her mouth in front of.
"What's your issue with the Jackal anyway? Rumors have it Zolya would've never managed to take the Argosy from the Necrophages three months ago if it weren't for the Jackal," Toth said.
Amber was taken aback by the comment, "Who and what with the Necrophages?"
Opbot would've found a way to convince her one way or another. I just sped things up and ensured the Vaulters could hold themselves together without devolving into a civil war after reclaiming their ancestral home, the Jackal walked up before looking at Amber and sighing, I know Central Town despises me and rightfully so. But no one could hate me more for what happened three hundred years ago and what followed since than myself.
"Yeah right," Amber rolled her eyes, "Tell that to all the drifters you got killed."
Judgement poisoned them long before I found them and I guided them the best I could, the Jackal growled back, Tell me girl, if you were already dead and living your final weeks on borrowed time what would you have done? Blame me for my mistakes, but don't you dare disrespect those who sacrificed everything to give the world a better future.
Sil anxiously glanced at the conversation between Amber and the Jackal. On one hand, he was not blind to the Jackal being a "bastard" who often got involved in other people's business. But on the other hand… The Jackal was a guide for those who were lost. Sil could still remember meeting the higher being all those years ago by sheer chance. Looking back on that meeting, he probably owed the Jackal his life.
"What's with the look?" Edward asked.
"Hmm?" Sil turned his head in confusion.
"You look like you're trying to write a speech and got stuck on what you want to say. We don't have a lot of time so if you want to say something, make it fast," Edward gave a slight handwave towards the Cherrystone officials.
Sill closed his eyes and took a deep breath, "We won't have the time and I'm not ready to share it… I don't think I will ever be ready."
Edward gave an unreadable look but only grunted. Sil felt a stab of guilt and looked away. He should have never joined the group. He was a liar and a coward, someone who did not deserve these people. They were...strange, unique, bold, and willing to face their problems head on. Sil was none of these things…
"If we stay together we trade stories," Edward said suddenly, "Me, you, and them. Whatever stories we have we share. Fair deal?" he stuck out a hand.
"I thought you don't trust us," Sil scrunched his face in confusion.
"I'm a Europan and come from a family business as I just revealed. Of course I'm a cynic. But I like to think after being around you all I've learned to open up a bit. You surfacers are confusing and insane...but the same can be said for this mess we keep diving headfirst into. So, do we have a deal?"
Sil chuckled before accepting the handshake, "Only if we stay together."
The guard came back in with the correct bag a few minutes later. Despite looking rattled from the Jackal's scolding, Toth could tell Amber was eager to pawn the tablet off and be done with this mess. Toth was actually disappointed that everything was coming to a close really. Despite it all it had been interesting and the music variety had been nice.
"Here, Project Memory," Amber huffed as she activated the tablet and glared at the diamond, "A collection of dangerous secrets and the blueprints to build a higher being through science."
Judgement, the Jackal growled at the diamond, So this is where the story is going…
"What story?" Toth asked before a thought came to mind, "Wait… The music is changing because we're directly involved in one of those world altering events isn't it?"
"And just when I thought I finally understood you," Amber rolled her eyes.
"What kind of information are we dealing with and how do we contain it?" general Calvin asked.
"That is why we brought it here," Wraith answered, "The easy answer is to simply destroy the tablet. No more tablet, the cults lose their incentive."
"Hmm… And the complicated answer?" lord Emeric questioned.
"We don't know," Susan replied, "The cults attacked us before we could even begin a proper survey of the ruins we had been dispatched to and somehow knew exactly where to find the tablet in the middle of Crossroad. Central Town might be isolated, but if finding this much information is as easy as walking into an overgrown ruin…"
It wouldn't be that easy, but easy enough if the right method of transportation is used, the Jackal stated, Even easier if you happen to know where to look and our foes seem to know exactly that.
"So we'd be delaying the inevitable then," lord Emeric sighed, "If we had more knowledge on what we were facing I'd suggest we go on the offense."
"Wait… Delaying the inevitable… Susan, didn't that raving maniac scream something along those lines before he poisoned himself?" Toth asked as the memory of the forest battle came back to mind.
"What are you… Oh, that," Susan said sheepishly.
"What is it, corporal?" general Calvin asked.
"While crossing the border, we were ambushed by a group of cultists. They had Decayed and automaton support as well as automatic firearms. Before killing himself, the only survivor screamed about us only having a few extra moments to live."
Were these automatons based off of Dust technology? The same that attacked the Second?, the Jackal asked.
"You were there?" Wraith asked in shock that quickly morphed into anger.
"Uh everyone? Music just got louder," Toth called out, "And somehow...more mournful?"
Toth understood the music in her head very well. She may not completely understand how she knew exactly what song was "playing" or why she immediately understood who the composer was, but she always understood the importance of the music. Toth had little doubt the others in the group would have assumed the music was nonsensical, fickle and aimless.
Toth knew better. When the music truly wanted to it could act with deliberate action that rivaled a military officer. Even with the world being a confusing flat mess she could easily see the effects of the music as everyone exchanged glances. The most apparent being the Jackal who looked at the images of the tablet.
"You're figuring it out… Aren't you?" Toth asked the Jackal.
Edward looked at the Jackal and saw that something had changed. The Jackal appeared to be almost mournful and accepting.
"What kind of thresher nest are we in?" he asked.
A hungry one… Buried deep beneath layers of rock but there nonetheless and growing, the Jackal answered.
"It has to do with the Immortal Cell doesn't it? Of course it does," Amber muttered.
"That doesn't explain the Decay though," Sil said, "Cults of Decay don't usually make sense but this just seems to be the most confusing of them all."
"Which is why instead of continuing to dive straight into the Abyss completely blind we assess the situation," Edward said.
And now it's the part of the story where I become exposition, the Jackal sighed before facing the Cherrystone officers, I'll give a proper summary to the queen and the other members of the delegation.
"Very well, proceed," lord Emeric nodded.
I'll be brief to avoid boring all parties involved, the Jackal said, The Immortal Cell was supposed to be the crowning achievement of decades of science and progress. Biology, engineering, mystical studies, and so on. It was a success...far too much of one. One moment the creation of a new higher being was seen as a success, the next the Immortal Cell became the nightmare known as Judgement. Lashing out, Judgement unleashed devastation not seen since the Endless fell into their civil war.
"The Titan War right?" Edward interrupted and looked at Amber.
"Sounds about right. No one really knew what happened," she glanced back at the Jackal, "Well, no one besides present company."
Judgement was a megalomaniac, believing higher beings were the true rulers of the world. Of course, we all know what such mentality leads to and after three centuries of being entrapped the nightmare was finally put to rest, the Jackal continued, However, Judgement has not been the only force that sought to destroy everything and like it or not, there will be others in the future. Present events are proof of this. Who or what is involved is cut from the same cloth as Judgement, Sigurd, the more radical members of the Church, and countless other petty tyrants.
From what I've observed, our enemy is seeking information and energy sources similar to the information on Project Memory. Technologies and magics from every dark corner of the world, all being sought and gathered. As for what is the big question, the Jackal continued.
"So they're pulling an Institute of Archeology and trying to study things to replicate them," Edward said.
It made sense even if it was simplistic. Power hungry individuals are easy enough to understand even if their methods are obscured. Edward honestly would not have seen himself caught up in a "rule the world" scheme, but after everything he was not surprised at this point.
"Wait… What's this?" Sil pointed at a static filled image.
"Don't know. Never got that one to work due to the corruption," Amber confessed.
"Those look like Dust alchemy formulas. My parents had entire chalkboards with those scribbles," Toth squinted.
"You said this...Judgement was the result of multiple types of magic and science, correct?" general Erwin asked the Jackal, receiving a nod, "If there's Dust based magic, then what if other magics and technologies are involved? It seems to me that someone else is trying to recreate a higher being."
I don't think so or at least not entirely. Our enemies are strong enough to launch multiple offensives everywhere at once but are holding back to dig in the dirt… Why?, the Jackal questioned while looking at the projected images.
Edward looked at the images and thought the situation over. As ridiculous as it sounded, he felt as if he was plunged straight into the plot of Three Klicks Depp .
"Well, we have somewhat of an idea on what they're doing and a means of putting their own scheme together ourselves," he pointed at the diamond as the world distorted back to normal, "It's our best lead at the moment. We find what they're looking for, we'll likely be able to trace them back to their nest… Unless there are any other theories, I assume we are to go out into the world and try to fill in the gaps ourselves to track this group?"
Everyone in the room looked at him incredulously. It was within this moment he felt rather foolish for forgetting one important detail…
He and the others were still technically under arrest.