Radical-9

CHAPTER 19: Nephele

February 24^th, 2022

10:55 Am

“Is everyone okay? I heard a scream,” Athena asks, looking around herself.

“What...was that? Is that supposed to happen every single time?” Jen cries out.

“I don't know what happened, the floor transitions have never been like that, did you guys experience the total...”

“Surrealism of it all?” Jen finishes.

“Yeah, that. It was all so weird, like I didn't even exist for a second there,” Klein says.

“Andy, are you okay?” Athena asks. She turns to me and grabs at my arm, “Hey, are you okay?”

“Yes, of course, sorry. Must've zoned off,” I say. “It might have to do with what happened, it caught me off guard a little.”

“Yeah, it did us all,” she begins. “Well, at least we're all safe. I mean, who knows what could've happened there.”

“I don't even want to begin thinking on that,” Jen says.

“Well, it's a good thing you won't have to, because we have an address to find. Beth's message had said that they were on Twilit Crossing,” Klein says.

“Do you have any idea on where that might be?” I ask him, facing him now. We begin walking.

“Not specifically. I know it is somewhere in the residential district. It should obviously be easier finding our way around there than Novus Callus considering the size difference,” Klein says.

“Honestly, this place seems just as big, if not bigger,” Jen says. “I saw both towns from an aerial view and they seemed about the same.”

“Well, according to Oaken what we visited of Novus Callus was only one small district,” he says.

“Yeah, the market district, doesn't Novus Dandé have one of those too?” Athena asks.

“No, I mean like, all of that was a part of one small district. That market and residential area are a part of a sort of sector. Apparently in the other sectors there are other kinds of buildings and locales.”

“Why didn't I see it on that view, then? It all seemed the same,” Jen says.

“I'm just going off of rumor and word of mouth at this point, but I think the other sectors might be the future town floors,” Klein says.

“Future town floors?” I ask.

“You notice how we seem to be alternating town and then dungeon, and then town again? I'm willing to bet that the fourth floor is a dungeon, the fifth is another town, and the sixth is a dungeon,” Klein says.

“I remember taking a look at the sixth floor, it was a giant tower in the sky,” Jen says.

“That must be a dungeon,” Athena says.

“Then I put it to a guess that for the fifth floor we'll be entering another sector of Novus Callus, one with different facilities.”

“What's the point of having it be the same town, though? Why not just name it a different floor?” I ask.

“I don't know, like I said, I only heard it from Oaken,” Klein says, his hands raised.

We pass by Glory Park.

“Wow, remember back when this whole mess started?” Athena asks, nodding her head towards the park. “It feels like it has been so long.”

“It's been four days,” Jen says.

“It feels like four million,” Klein says.

“And it's going to be four million if we don't get a move on, c'mon, let's pick up the pace,” Athena says, moving to a jog.

“All right,” I say, joining her.

~...~

It turns out that the Twilit Crossing Klein had been told of is just on the edge of the residential district, which happens to be in the southern area of town. We stop in front of a large rust-colored building. Klein walks up first, knocking on the door. I hear the tumblers unlock, and then the prompt opens in front of Klein to open the door.

“Come inside, please hurry.”

Klein looks back to us and then nods head, opening the door, we head inside.

We're in a sort of foyer, a chandelier hangs high above us, and a nice red carpet stretches out past the hallway and into the corner of the guest room that I can see. Beth looks like she hasn't slept a wink.

“Hello, it is good to see you all again, I'm Beth,” she says, turning to Jen and holding her hand out.

“My name's Jen, it is nice to meet you,” she says back.

“It is good to see that you're still in good shape,” Klein says.

“It is a shame what happened with Gregor,” Athena says.

“Him, well, I don't even want to begin with that one. If I could even imagine all of the words I'd love to say to that double-crossing traitor,” she says, and then sighs. “Anyway, that's all in the past now, what I messaged you about is big. I didn't feel safe saying it over message,” she says.

“Why is that?” Athena asks.

“Because Jack Adata has surveillance on every single one of us, as GM he can see everything everybody sends to each other.”

“What don't you want him to know?” I ask.

“That I know he has a son...and that's Sam,” Beth says.

“What?” Jen asks.

“Sam, come down here please!” Beth calls up the stairs behind her.

“Okay!” I hear come from up the stairs. He comes tumbling out and stomps down the stairs, his head forced down so he can see where he steps, and then when he reaches the bottom he looks up and his eyes widen to about three times their original size.

“Andy! You're here!” he says, throwing up his arms.

“Hey there, buddy!” I say, walking up to him and ruffling his hair.

“He was sent a message from Jack Adata, I'll just let you look at it,” Beth says. “Hey, do you mind opening your menu again, sweetie?” Beth asks Sam.

He nods his head and swipes his hand across, opening his menu. He opens up the message, I read.

“Hello Samuel, it is time for you to say good-bye to your friends and return home. Playtime is over, Daddy misses you dearly. This next bit is for those that are in the presence of Samuel, I thank you most generously for finding my son, he had wandered away and I had been absolutely frought with worry. I hereby request you bring him to me on the Thirteenth Floor posthaste, and you shall be rewarded. Refusal to do so will be taken as an act of kidnapping, and I can guarantee that it isn't something you wish to do in this world. -Sincerely, Jack Adata, GM.”

“So, he suddenly cares? I don't buy it for one second,” Athena says.

“It sounds more like a threat than anything else,” Jen says.

“We should definitely keep Sam away from him,” I say, looking down at him.

“There's one thing about that, though. Back before I entered here Jay said that Jack had the power to shut everyone down from within his own mind, he could kill everyone just like that, including himself,” Jen begins. “What if he means that by this threat? I don't think he is stating this generally, I think he knows that we are with him and is directly challenging us to disobey him.”

“So what? We aren't going to just hand Sam over to him,” Athena says.

“Of course not, but I think that this means that Jack has eyes on us somehow, maybe eyes on everyone considering the situation in how this place is set up,” Jen says.

“What do you mean, set up?”

“Well, we're technically all being projected into Jack's subconscious, that's what the helmets are for,” she explains.

“So, I say then we take Sam with us. I mean, if he can see us he'll know if we do any different. I have no intention on letting him out of my hands, so we can work it out from there,” I say.

“Okay, that sounds like an idea we can work with.”

“If that is the plan, then I am going to return to the armory. I'm sure there are a plenty amount of players who haven't been able to move forward due to the lack of both an armorer and blacksmith here,” Beth says.

“Good idea,” Klein mentions.

“The more forward momentum we have the better,” I say.

“Well, I've just got some things to pack quickly, you don't mind waiting for me, do you?” Beth asks.

“Not at all, we can split near the pedestal. You should be safe from this point on,” Jen says.

“Okay, I've got some stuff in the back I have to get out, just stuff I need for my anvil and such,” she says, beginning to walk into the back room of the building.

“No problem, take your time,” Athena says. She walks over to me and then takes my hand in hers. She stands on her tip-toes to whisper in my ear, “Hey, can I speak with you outside about something? It's very important,” she says, letting it trail off into my eardrum. I can't stop looking at Sam, but I turn my head slightly and whisper back, “Sure.”

Athena smiles as she leads me outside, I can see the faintest of smiles cross Jen's face. As we walk out of the house I look down at the fact that we're hand in hand, it makes me smile on the inside. We walk out of the front door and I begin pacing a few steps from the building, she follows. “So, what's it that you wanted to say?” I ask.

She looks at me and breathes in and out very deeply. “Okay, this is very hard for me to say because...well, it's...Okay, I like you,” she says, looking like she just ripped a band-aid right off of a wound. “I like you a lot, I know that you said what you said, and I wanted to say that I like you like how you like me. I wanted to make it vocal, because I don't want something to happen to you and not have you know for sure...” she says. “And...that's it. That's all I had to say.”

I stand there, watching her, watching her face as it waits for a response. She looks to me like a dog begging for a treat.

“Andy?”

I guess it is time for action.

I bring back my arm as I walk closer to her, a smile crosses my face. I can see it reflect off of her face like a mirror, but what she doesn't see is my fist. It comes straighter than any arrow as it connects.

One punch. No regrets. All the action.