by Tao Wong
“Good to know!” Mr. Sanders leaned forward. “You’ll have to speak for Sumay, since she can’t maintain audio long enough to explain what we need to know.”
I sighed, resigning myself to playing parrot as Sumay gave a summary of the Beoheva culture. “In the end, they’re only dangerous if we start it. They destroy those who attack or cheat them. If we’re useful as a business connection, client, or employee, they’ll take good care of us. The worst that will happen is being sent home. Even then, they’ll more than likely allow us to use the Shop since we have items of value to trade.”
Rachel settled back against the cushions. “They’ve taken good care of us since they told us we would be their guests until Adrian recovered. This suite is as comfortable as a four-star hotel, though you never know… Maybe it’s just the basics for them. I get the feeling everyone we meet is waiting for this Vizier of theirs to decide our status.”
Something chirped near the door. Tae Song extracted himself from the couch and retrieved three covered trays from a compartment in the wall.
Rachel accepted her tray and crossed her legs as she tried to find a comfortable position to eat. “What I can’t understand is why there are no tables. No kitchen either. Just the food delivery cabinet and these trays. I’ve been eating sitting on the floor since the sofa is too awkward.”
Sumay hovered over my head and spoke audibly so everyone could hear. “If you’re wondering how the Beoheva manage, try reclining and eating like the Romans of your history. The trays rest in front of you and you prop yourself up with cushions.”
Everyone shifted position to try her suggestion.
Mr. Sanders raised an eyebrow. “I suppose this explains why our meals have consisted of foods that are easy to pick up and eat.”
As we continued to discuss the Beoheva, the others eagerly consumed an assortment of finger foods. Most were unfamiliar, though I recognized the small empanadas. I wondered if they were trying local recipes or if the Beoheva happened to have a similar pastry in their culture.
The others finished eating and brushed their crumbs onto the trays. While setting them back inside the compartment, Tae Song found four sets of robes with a note explaining they were “appropriate attire for the occasion.”
Sumay translated. “You’re wearing rags, so let’s get you cleaned up enough to be seen in public.”
Everyone chuckled awkwardly when I shared that comment, then hurried to get changed. There was a yellow robe in the pile, perfect for my new size. I flung it on over my faux clothing, trying to get the hang of how to wrap the brown, fabric belt. Sumay ended up having to coach all of us through the belt wrap, since it wasn’t as simple as it appeared. We settled in to talk until a chime sounded at the door.
Mr. Sanders opened it. “Is everyone ready?”
We hurried to join Vaone, who offered a brief bow before turning to lead the way.
Our long-awaited meeting ended up feeling rather anticlimactic. The Vizier was seated on a raised stool and wearing elaborate gold-fringed robes. A large, round table at about counter height stood in front of him, and to either side were guards in decorative armor.
Vaone stopped halfway to the table and formally bowed toward the Vizier, then turned and gestured for us to approach. “The Vizier welcomes you! No need to be formal. Stand on this side of the table, and we’ll discuss your situation.”
It was difficult not to feel a need for formality even in this supposedly casual setting. Sumay made a quick suggestion, and I stopped before approaching the table and bowed as formally as I could without having practiced the gesture. The others caught on quickly and bowed as well.
“Greetings, Vizier. We are grateful for your hospitality. I’m sure you are very busy, so thank you for meeting with us in person.” I parroted Sumay’s words, since I’d gotten stuck on worrying whether I’d bowed correctly.
The atmosphere in the room shifted immediately as the Vizier examined me with a keen interest that seemed out of place on their otherwise cherubic face. A memory of rows of smiling, stone statues, decorated with baby garments, popped into my head. I had to fight back the urge to laugh.
Vaone smiled slightly and gestured for us to move toward the far side of the table as they stepped to stand halfway between the two groups. “Now, please allow us to become acquainted with you. Who are you, and why have you come?”
Mr. Sanders briefly introduced each of us before explaining that we represented the remaining survivors from the school. He mentioned how we had brought what we’d hoped were the best drops from the monsters we’d fought and that we had sneaked through even higher Level zones in hope of finding a Shop so we could attempt to expand our Safe Zone and resupply.
Sumay pointed out that the Vizier seemed especially interested at the mention of the Fort and the fact that we were a boarding school before the System had arrived, even though they remained silent.
Instead, Vaone was the one to ask, “How many of the children survived?”
Even the Vizier bowed slightly in their seat on hearing that fewer than 40 students of the original 109 had survived.
I had grown numb to the grief most of the time, but their acknowledgement of our losses made them feel overwhelming once again. I shivered as the memories rushed over me. Tae Song’s shoulder pressed lightly against mine in a quiet gesture of support.
After requesting more details, Vaone turned toward the Vizier as if awaiting a decision. Sumay noted a quick hand signal, though for all we knew they were having a lively telepathic conversation. Finally, they turned to look at Mr. Sanders once again. “You may officially make your requests, Brave Ones.”
“Excellent!” Sumay fluttered her wings in excitement. “They only offer informal Titles to those who impress them in some way.”
Mr. Sanders bowed his head. “We merely hope for access to the Shop, Vizier. We appreciate your willingness to accept strangers as guests. Also, we thank you for ensuring Adrian’s survival.”
“Access to the Shop is granted.” Vaone’s eyes flickered toward the Vizier for a moment before giving a brief nod. “We would reward you further. Do not accept immediately, since the process will be distracting.” They waved a hand, and a notification popped up.
Hidden Quest Complete: You have managed to impress the Vizier with your behavior and your story of survival against all odds. You are now listed as Level 1 Commercial Partners of the Beoheva Family.
As a reward, you have received the Basic Beoheva Business Information Pack, which will be installed on confirmation of your acceptance. This Skill pack contains the Basic Trade Language; Basic Agreements, Legalities, and Terminology; and The Basics of Social Conduct. You may also request information on employment opportunities and other services from The Family representative assigned to you.
Sumay fluttered urgently on my shoulder as I finished reading. “Pay attention!”
Suddenly, I realized the entire group, including the Vizier, was now looking at me. This time, the Vizier themselves spoke. “Greetings, Rebel Within. We are honored by your visit.”
I jumped and stared at them at the mention of my Title, having forgotten it might be important. After an admonitory peck from Sumay, I managed to bow and parrot her reply. “Greetings, Vizier. The honor is mine. I am grateful for your assistance or I would not have survived to be here.” I could feel my friends’ eyes on my back and wondered whether they’d be upset that I’d kept my Title a secret from them.
“Someone will meet you within the Shop to discuss an opportunity with you, Rebel Within. You have interested us greatly. May our connection be profitable.” The Vizier rose to their feet.
We all bowed with Vaone as the Vizier left with their guards.
Vaone led us back to our door and held up a hand before we could enter. “Preparations must be made. I will return to guide you to the Shop in an hour.”
“Your suite will remain available until you are prepared to return to your Fort. If you are willing to wait, we will soon send a party do
wn the highway to assess the value of our territory near there. You may travel home with them if you wish.”
I wondered why they always sent a guide as we entered the room.
“We are not yet trusted enough to wander unsupervised.” Sumay swooped over my head and became visible, making Rachel jump in surprise. “This is a very good beginning! The information packet they gave you will be useful even outside The Family.”
Sumay suggested we sit before confirming acceptance of the Skill pack. Apparently, we wouldn’t merely be studying the information but actually downloading knowledge into our minds. I settled into the sofa and accepted the reward. My head felt the same way as it had after I’d studied all night with only a flashlight, so I closed my eyes, hoping the sensation wouldn’t last too long. I blinked slowly when the rush of information settled and the odd sensation receded.
I instinctively checked the formalities of meeting the Vizier and shuddered. Sumay’s prompts to bow had allowed us to pass the lowest possible bar of civility. Thankfully, the Beoheva seemed to understand the obstacles to intercultural communication and hadn’t taken offence at our lapses. It also appeared that the Vizier wouldn’t have bothered meeting with us themselves had it not been for my Title.
I winced at the memory of receiving the ironic notification that I was now Titled Rebel Within as I had sat in a tunnel deep underground. Surrounded by the decomposing remains of the creature that had eaten me whole, it had felt like salt on my wounds. I had done my best to ignore the notification in spite of Sumay’s congratulations.
Mr. Sanders had finished absorbing his Skills as well and now sat studying me. He leaned forward and rested his chin on his hands when I met his eyes. “Just so you know, I’ve been aware of the Title since you returned. My Insight Skill allows me to see these details. However, you’ve been through a lot so I didn’t ask about it. May I ask now? How did you get a Title?”
The others turned to stare at me expectantly, and I sighed. “I was only Level 2 at the time and still trying to escape the national park beyond the mountain where I’d decided to camp out until the school stopped looking for me. The rainforest had become a Level 100 zone. Anyway, a tunneling monster with a head like a shark and the body of a snake easily swallowed me in a single gulp. I was still too low Level and inexperienced to hide properly.”
Rachel gasped. “How could anyone survive that?”
“I can still breathe when immersed in fluids and I’m immune to toxins, including digestive enzymes, as long as I’m alive.” I hesitated. “Still, I’m not entirely certain myself. The details of the experience have gone foggy. Apparently, the Polymorph race instinctively protects its sanity by reducing access to memories of traumatic experiences.
“Sumay tells me that I managed to use the creature’s own enzymes against it by clawing through the lining of the throat and using a blood thinner toxin I’d picked up earlier to prevent it from healing itself. I still don’t fully understand how I managed to not only survive but kill the creature. Apparently, the System found the unexpected success of my frantic attempts to escape worth noting, and voilà! A Title.”
Tae Song patted my knee. “Well, I’m glad you survived, Rebel Within!” He grinned. “I like it!”
Worming my way deeper into the sofa, I considered hiding behind a cushion. Being called a rebel had always been a precursor to punishment both with my parents and at school. I had hoped nobody would ever find out even though System thought I was one. Being a rebel was a terrible flaw, not a cool Title or something I wanted for a nickname.
Mr. Sanders sighed at my reaction. “I know the Mission tends to be harsh when it comes to those who think for themselves, Adrian. Keep in mind that you were dealing with a kind of system back then too. The school just wasn’t willing to blatantly explain its biases, definitions, and influences at every turn the way the current System does.”
He slipped smoothly into lecture mode. “Some people follow systems and rules because it’s easier to just do what an authority tells you to do than it is to truly process a situation. It takes time and effort to research the influences that create context and affect others’ choices. As a result, the label of a rebel has been applied to thousands throughout history. It is only later that many of those stories of rebellion were revisited and reinterpreted. We frequently call them heroes, but that’s not how they were seen by those who didn’t appreciate the way they exposed the flaws in their societies. Even the Bible was primarily written by rebels.”
Sumay became visible long enough to offer Mr. Sanders a vibrant, “Thank you! Adrian needed to receive this lecture from a teacher.”
Mr. Sanders coughed. “Er. I apologize for dropping into lecture mode. I simply hope you won’t be too hard on yourself, Adrian.”
I managed to endure the resulting awkwardness until Janet took pity on me and diverted everyone toward another topic. After closing my eyes, I pressed my face into a cushion and tried to think. I wasn’t certain what to do with the thought that being a rebel might be a good thing. It felt like I accidentally dug my way out of a cave system I’d been buried in my entire life and found myself standing in the center of a vast plain—exposed, directionless, intimidated, and, for the first time, free?
The door chimed, and Mr. Sanders hurried to greet Vaone as I opened my eyes. It seemed everyone had heard the news that we were now considered more than mere savages. A bustling crowd of Beoheva and other aliens moved through the hallways. One even looked similar to the Diva Plavalaguna in Fifth Element.
Because we were finally on our way to the Shop, I tried not to get too distracted by the fact that I could now understand the casual conversations of people around us. Even so, it was obvious I was missing a lot of nuance. The information packet was apparently the very basics. I already knew I wanted more.
Negotiations
After touching an orb, we found ourselves suddenly standing in a Shop that matched the building we’d been visiting in shape, decoration, and colors. The only new element was a small, raised garden with a fountain in an alcove along the wall.
Sumay, now able to remain visible somehow, offered to take charge of haggling for better prices on our loot. It was the first time I’d seen an enthusiastic Beoheva. The shop keeper gesticulated wildly as Sumay countered their initial offers.
She soon called me over to telepathically explain every transaction in detail. I tried to notice the clues that would help me know when someone was testing to see whether I was a worthy trading partner. The others retreated to a smaller variation on the circular sofa to explore possible purchases as they waited. We finally cleared even Mr. Sanders’s massive extra inventory of its last item. By that point, I managed to raise my new trade Skills by three Levels and my respect for my companion even further.
All together, we earned enough Credits to purchase the central plaza of the school and the four buildings surrounding it. This was only possible after a 50 percent discount for previous occupancy, combined with Mr. Sanders’s 10 percent off for being a school administrator. At least we could now move into two of the smaller dorms. Our dining room and kitchens were also inside the Safe Zone, along with several classrooms that could be repurposed into residences.
With the remaining Credits, Mr. Sanders dove into choosing additional purchases and comparing the cost of building upgrades. His Skills were customized around managing supplies for the school, so he was in his element. He’d already delegated a couple thousand Credits to each of our fighters, including those back at the school. He explained that it would benefit the community for us to invest in ourselves and that, in the future, he would insist on splitting the profits. Everyone would also receive notifications and know we had reached a Shop.
My inventory had long been crammed full of rare loot from my initial struggle to rejoin my friends. I hadn’t trusted anyone to remember the income wasn’t a community resource, since everyone else had donated their loot to the school. Now that it was my turn to sell, I hesitated. What if I earned e
nough for another building? Would everyone understand if I chose to spend my income on a Spell to block Watson’s influence and expose him?
Rachel and Tae Song were both immersed in figuring out what they’d buy with the Credits Mr. Sanders had given them, and I felt relieved that they wouldn’t be watching. This time, Sumay had me take the lead and only offered suggestions. In the end, I earned a tidy sum of forty thousand Credits.
It only took a moment to switch to purchasing once we were through.
Sumay swiftly sorted our options by what we knew of Watson’s Skills. “We need something that prevents or counters both Charisma influences and Spells that affect the mind.”
She flicked three choices in my direction as the Beoheva in charge of the Shop now stood back and observed with calm detachment. Here, prices were fixed by the System and nonnegotiable.
“The first two are lower impact but what we can afford. Neither Spell is guaranteed to be completely effective, but they might work, and at the very least everyone will be slightly less affected by his buffs and Spells while the Spell is active.”
Sumay pointed her beak toward the final option. “If you can persuade anyone else to contribute, this would definitely prevent him from manipulating everyone long enough to figure out how to handle him. As a bonus, it would also block certain Skills and Spells during battle.”
Advanced Con Containment: A vital Skill for law enforcement. Prevents the target from using charisma and mental-influence Skills and Spells for up to five hours.
After reading the description, I turned toward Mr. Sanders and realized he’d already been listening in on our discussion.
“I can’t contribute. I’m sorry.” He shook his head. “There is too much needed to ensure basic survival for everyone right now. Righting the terrible injustice that has been done to you is something we are capable of resolving, even without Spells. It will just take longer for everyone to understand the need for action. I promise I won’t give up until we find a way to ensure they deal with Watson.”