by Dasrim Hasik
He noticed one chair was larger than all of the others, designed to perhaps be for the leader of any group to speak and actually be heard by everyone. Jack leaned against a chair and saw the group arriving.
Alara rushed forward, hugging a man tightly around the neck. "Father! He has returned!" Instead of getting a hug in return, the man roughly pushed Alara aside, seeming to not care when his daughter crashed into the back of a meeting chair. "Goodness, child, try to act of your station at least once, yes?" How cold could one guy get?
The sight of Alara being pushed away so roughly was enough to make Jack see red, but he wasn't sure what to do. He had stepped into a different world, had been attacked with futuristic weapons the other day, and at this point he wasn’t sure what he was honestly capable of. But the guy in front of him that had shoved Alara away still had about a hundred pounds on him, and that meant that fighting just wasn't going to be in the cards. So he decided to use words, instead. "Gosh, what a nice family reunion. Is anyone around here friendly?"
The man looked down at Jack, pushing back his thin glasses and giving the younger man a scowl. "What I do with my daughter is none of your concern — if you ruled properly, you wouldn't have to deal with my unhappiness — nor of anyone else's here in the City."
Great, a showdown already. All he needed was some Western music...and maybe a six-shooter. Shutting his inner movie buff aside, he decided to address the man bluntly. Fire meeting fire style, as it were. Jack waved a hand. "I'm here now, and I want what's best not just for the City at large, but for our Planet as well. Surely you can accept that, even if you seem to have a problem with Alara being with me."
The man's voice still crackled with anger. "You disappear, leaving my daughter completely alone and unprotected — knowing full well the rebels could take over and hurt her, and you expect me to just get on my knees and rejoice at your return. I'm sorry, Your Highness, but that just doesn't work for me."
For a moment, Jack didn't know what to say. He didn't remember even coming here, but he didn't expect that he was the type of guy to leave and not say anything to anyone. He had never wanted to hurt Alara. Could that be why she was so angry with me when I came to Quiet River? I gotta make that right too. He focused on the battlefield before him in the present.
"Okay. So let's get back to a neutral ground then. The City first. I am not aware of any rebels. Surely you are a reasonable and logical man, are you not? I am asking for your counsel and that of your allies during this delicate time. The more information I have, the easier time I will have to make it all right and proper from here."
Dead silence filled the group. No one dared to speak, not even to grunt or mutter or poke each other in the ribs in a secret code that Jack didn't really understand. He was expecting to get a lot more commentary than this.
The man smiled. "You speak well enough, and it sounds like you've grown some since your departure. Perhaps we will finally have a king worth serving."
He extended his hand. "If you have forgotten me, then I will reintroduce myself. I am Alarius Reversio, head of the Reversio clan. I am of the First Council Family, and lead the Founding Council through our City's rebuilding. While you have been gone, I have been attempting to keep all of us bound together but alas, many will only bow and serve the king. Hence why I am glad you have returned — perhaps we can get things sorted finally."
Alarius pointed to the men behind him. "These are the other heads of the Council Families. Delto Deletrone of the Deletrone Clan, Galper Galaxay of the Galaxay Clan, Legorrio Leguin of the Leguin Clan, and Hazalay Hazee of the Hazee Clan." The men nodded their heads in respect, but said nothing more.
"We are the Five Council Families of Reversia, appointed to provide the best counsel to the king that we can. We also pride ourselves on controlling and directing the social heartbeat of the City. The art and culture that you see? Our families have worked very hard to bring that to the lower classes when they only wanted chaos and disorder."
Jack listened, taking it all in. This showdown was more than meets the eye, and he didn't need to see the chessboard to know that he was standing on top of one. The decisions he would make at this point would honestly change everything, and he knew better than to let his guard down. It was high school all over again, except these fools actually had real power, the type of power that could do more than just change someone's life — it could end it.
He also knew he needed to tread carefully. Even if he could manifest everything, he knew that some things you just couldn't change. Even if he replaced these fools with new people, there was no guarantee that the devil he didn't know would be better than the ones he was looking at right now. He also realized that the woman at his side was linked to these people no matter what, so taking care of her became even more important.
He didn't need to rely on his brilliant mind to understand that an angry father would do anything and everything in his power to the man that hurt his little girl. Biology and social norms dictated far more of life than people gave those two concepts credit for, which was even more reason to walk carefully. He felt like he was on thin ice that was quickly melting over a rolling tongue of hot lava, and he didn't want to fall into that trap if he could help it.
"Gentlemen, if you would take your seats then? I'm sure that we can work on getting the City righted faster if we worked together than if we were to simply be a loose confederation." Jack wasn't really sure what he was honestly saying. He wasn't one for speeches, wasn't one for leadership. But standing in front of these men was bringing out something deeper in him, something that needed to come out. He began to move and then a flash of memory came over him, consuming all of his senses. He shivered, remembering...
"Now, now, there's no need to rush, boy king." The tone was guarded yet there was warm affection hiding between those gruff tones. Jack had squeezed Alara's hand.
"Sir, when you know who you want to be with, you know. There's just no getting around it. And Alara is lovely."
"If this is merely a matter of satisfying a young man's fleeting fantasies, there are alternative tracks to take. Mating is serious. Permanent."
"You can count on me, Alarius Reversio. I plan to take your daughter's hand and have her stand by my side as the queen she deserves to be."
"Good job. That's the type of response that I definitely want to hear. But must you two live out at that compound? Surely we could have you move into the palace proper, as a good king should be close to his subjects. And the queen should live amongst her subjects as well. They will love her."
He kissed Alara on the sly, making her gasp and laugh.
"They love her already. Everything is perfect. More than I expected, and probably a little more than I deserve but hey, that's life right?"
Jack's focus snapped back on the older man's face, tight and cautious, as he shrugged off the remains of the memories he figured had to be at least somewhat real, and mostly true. If he could trust these strange memories rushing back at him, the older man in front of him had a lot of reasons to be angry with him. Time to make things right. He wouldn't give into his emotions and begin throwing things around or trying to start a lot of problems.
He would, however, make sure that he gave it his best effort to defend the new City that he would have to make his home. There was just no other way around it — he didn't have time to run and hide. He would prove to this Council that he had what it takes. It just felt right, sitting before these powerful men, with Alara at his right and Bridget recording things on his left.
"Gentlemen, I am aware that I have departed and left us with a large mess to clean up. It is my greatest desire to come back and not only make things right, but take this city to higher and higher heights. What I would like to know is why the City seems so quiet and lifeless, and what I can do to help."
There was more silence, and then Alarius spoke quickly. "We are willing to give you another chance — in spite of your lengthy departure. We will need to ensure that you truly mean what you s
ay. We cannot afford another departure, as it would simply crack our world apart. It also goes without saying my daughter cannot take another departure of her betrothed, either."
The older man stood and smoothed out his tunic. Jack noticed the man was in incredible shape, with muscles that made an appearance without even trying. It wasn't just the muscle tone that threw Jack for a loop. The man was wearing a big green sash with a large pin on his chest. The pin was in the shape of a large dragon, who looked like it was in the process of breathing a whole lot of fire onto an unseen enemy.
As Jack studied the other men, he noticed that Alarius wasn't the only one that had a sash on. There was a red sash with a matching red snake, a gold sash with a golden eagle pin, a silver sash with a silver bear accompanying it, and a purple sash with a purple lion along for the ride on the man's chest.
Absentmindedly, Jack felt it was odd that there were no women present other than his two adventurous companions. He felt like things were off balance, and that wasn't something that he liked either. On Earth, men and women had their physical differences, but he had always thought that women brought a different perspective that could teach him things.
Maybe it was because so many of his ongoing discussions about science and life were handled by women. Sure, there were some airheads at school but that didn't mean all women were like that. He avoided trying to make judgment calls about people, because far too many people judged him on Earth. He wouldn't take the role of bully just because he was on a completely different planet and he got to call the shots.
Alarius smiled. "We appreciate your commitment. By the way, if you have not registered your presence with the Silent Sages, you will wish to do that. They are located in Remembrance Hall, and will most likely be expecting you. As far as your questions...well. It is best that they answer you for the best information, but the short answer is simple. Many split from the main leadership and turned themselves into a rebel faction. They attacked the citizens and created a whirlwind of trouble. We gathered what army we could and beat them back, but many lives were lost. We made a fragile truce between those that wanted to separate and those that wanted to stay here and wait for you to return. The rebels live in another city completely. There is only minimal trade between the two Cities... Schaler is a very dangerous city. You must not venture there on your own. For any reason."
Alarius stood up and shook Jack's hand. "You have a very busy day, if you wish to speak with the Silent Sages. They have a tendency to take their time. In addition, you will want to explore your city again. Nothing wrong with that, of course." He shot Alara a parting glance that still held no warmth. "You and I will speak alone eventually. Make sure you do not ignore this."
The men stood up and vanished, completely dematerializing right before Jack's eyes. They had only briefly touched their family pins before doing so, but that didn't give Jack many clues to why it had happened. Nothing on the Planet Rubicon really made sense to him, but he was pretty much used to that. All that mattered at this point was getting into a better holding pattern with what he could figure out in order to save the City.
Despite wanting to know everything, he knew already that information overload would eat him alive, and he really needed to stop getting so worked up about anything and everything. He wanted to ask Alara about her father, but he knew that now wasn't the time.
Come on, Stonewell. Time to show this city and your woman that you've got some balls — and not just the kind that demonstrate Newton's Laws of Motion, either.
Chapter 11: Silent Sages
Getting back into JANE's comfy leather driver's seat was heaven. The sentient car seemed deeply concerned for him.
“Refreshments, Jack? Anything you want.” Trays popped up, and he could tell that the others were hungry. "Take us to somewhere a bit...quieter, and we'll eat and rest."
“No problem, Jack. What will you have?”
Jack "ordered" a soda, a burger, and some French fries. He was pretty surprised to see those items completely represented right in front of him as if JANE had any idea what any of it really was. Sensing his confusion, the onboard computer screen's speaker chirped;
"We have been together long enough that you described how these things are made. I am not sure of the appeal of these items, but I studied Earth culture through your recorded observations to me, and came up with a modest formula for the foods that you are familiar with."
Alara and Bridget ordered simple soups, with a strange cluster of salad. It looked almost normal, except the food seemed larger than life piled into the bowl. "Many plants grow very fast in the City. It makes for a delicious and very creamy soup and the salad isn't too bad."
Jack settled back in his chair, pleased that the small tray wasn't in the way of the driving experience. Not that he really needed to drive. JANE would take him to Remembrance Hall where the Silent Sages were, and they would all have something to eat on the way. He reflected on the Council members, and wondered if they were really on his team, or just waiting to get back at him for the departure business.
He also recalled that flash of memory. It bothered him that there were so many gaps and holes in his memory, and nobody really was trying to fill them in on his behalf. That made him feel like he honestly couldn't trust anyone. His brain vividly recalled the early morning hours with Alara, doing things he had honestly never done with anyone. Sure, every boy had his fantasies, but getting to actually make it with a woman was something you didn't brag about — even if you wanted to.
Everyone could tell, and on Earth everyone knew that Jack wasn't getting any attention from the women. Here he was, on a completely different planet getting plenty of attention from one particular woman. He wanted to honestly believe that Alara was into him, but something just didn't seem right. Alara and Bridget still weren't talking to each other. He could see in the rearview mirror that Bridget was still shooting Alara dirty looks, and Alara's attitude towards the other woman wasn't any better.
It was a standoff, with neither side giving in for any reason. He wanted to believe that things would honestly get better, but he didn't have high hopes for that. He was going to leave the situation alone, because he had bigger problems to worry about.
This chessboard he had landed on wasn't like anything he had played on earth. He was not one for political intrigue, but he had to admit he was holding his own pretty well. He had only crashed through the gateway a day or so ago.
That didn't give him a lot of time to get his bearings, and in this den of wolves, he knew he was going to have to either eat or be eaten regardless of who he was taking to bed every night. If he didn't keep his wits about him, he would get left behind.
He thought about Alarius's warning about the city of Schaler. Why were the rebels so dangerous? If he returned, couldn't they work out an agreement? He wasn't going to just go out to Schaler with just the three of them.
He would need to build up an army and really go at this full throttle, so to speak. It wasn't going to do him any good to think that he could just be the big hero and go swooping in. He didn't even have a way to protect himself or the women in his group. Sometimes brain power only got you so far. Sometimes you really do need some fire power. Man, I gotta get some weapons.He sighed to himself and finished his plate. JANE vanished it for him, and he wondered how she could do that. "How does all of that work, JANE?"
"It is the power of your mind working over everything, Jack. You wished to not see the plate, so you wanted it gone. I merely acted on that desire. You are very powerful, remember?"
Jack nodded. "Are there limits to what I can do?"
The answer was cryptic; “Jack, you are only limited by your mental capacities.”
He reflected on that all the way to Remembrance Hall. Arriving was quiet: there wasn't anyone parked in front of the massive structure known as Remembrance Hall. It was a huge building that was all polished glass and heavy steel and just plain big. There was no other way to describe it. When you pulled up to the structure, i
ts size was the only thing you could think about.
There were seven tall black columns, each with a red capstone. He wondered if there was some sort of significance to the color scheme, but he figured he was about to find out. Jack almost felt a sense of dread going into the building, but it was Bridget's hand that sought out his shoulder.
"Just breathe, Jack. Breathe and believe. If you can do that, you can do anything."
"Jack doesn't need any cheerleading, do you baby?"
Quicksand. This is what being stuck in quicksand feels like. Of course, he knew from extensive research into such things that quicksand didn't really work like the movies suggested it did. He could free himself out of the real life version of quicksand but it didn't feel that way all the time, not now at least. Fine, skip the quicksand. I'm in a tar pit. A very large tar pit that I don't know if I can get out of... He smiled at them both. "I always appreciate your support."
He cringed at his voice. The old Missouri boy was coming out in his speech, but he didn't really mind it. The word made him think of home, though his thoughts became more fantasy than reality. Back to the present. There's no point in marinating myself with memories of the past. You just couldn't do anything with the past, anyway. Ah, but the future...the future could always change for the better.
He had to tell himself that. He had to tell himself that everything he wanted and needed would be there for him in good time. He just needed to keep his wits about him or lose the battle before it even began for him. From here, he noticed the doors welcoming him in even though he felt more like a stranger in a truly strange land. He figured that he would just play everything by ear and see what else would come of his decisions. The three of them walked into the large hall, looking for where the Silent Sages would be.
A receptionist looked up from her computer screen and smiled at them. "Your Highness, the Silent Sages have told me to expect you. If you are seeking an audience today, I have no problem taking you to where you can be heard."