“Oh, not because of you. But the players involved in this situation. You see, the cosmic entity that controls your dimension is… something of a celebrity. They… “ The top page on the pile of papers flashed a yellow light on and off. The lawyer looked down and after a few seconds of reading said “Oh, Oh I see. Well, I apologize.” I felt like he was no longer talking to me, but to someone or something else. “I didn’t intend to cause more trouble, usually the existence of an entity is not in and of itself a piece of sensitive...” He trailed off for a moment. “Ah, I understand. I will need to speak with him about some basics however, in order to meet your underlying requirements.” He said this while looking at the still flashing paper. “I see, I’m happy to be of assistance, and thank you for your understanding regarding the issue.” The paper stopped flashing and the lawyer put it back on the pile.
“So Mr. Tear, the cosmic entity of your home dimension is worried about undermining the ‘free will’ of those back home, should you ever return to your home dimension or interact either directly or indirectly with anyone still there. For this reason, they or it, has asked me to withhold any information not deemed vital to your ability to choose your next course of action. So in short, don’t ask me any questions about the nature of that cosmic entity. I will not be able to answer them for you.”
I looked at him dumbfounded. “So… God doesn’t want you confirming anything that isn’t 100% needed then?”
“Exactly! Well, kind of. The entity you call ‘God’ could be anything or any number of entities working in concert with one another.”
“And I should just take the fact that there was literally a freaking angel in here earlier as no confirmation that the Judeo-Christian God isn’t the exact nature of this, cosmic entity” I asked, putting up air quotes. You would think that the confirmation that there was a God would be a massive revelation to me, but what really got me back then was how squirrely he was being. I mean, supposedly he had talked with literally hundreds of prophets in different eras and in different places around the world, but here, where his existence is being confirmed to just some joe schmoe, he refuses to even allow himself to be talked about in anything but the vaguest terms? It just seemed, a little silly to me at the time if I’m being honest.
“Oh that. Well, that's simple. Your tiny, extremely limited mind is only capable of experiencing six senses. Because of this, your surprisingly complex brain had to fill in the blanks with a familiar image to place over the infinitely complex visages of the two representatives of the cosmic beings in question. And so, your brain, again I marvel at its complexity for being so limited in its input of readable stimuli, conjured familiar images so as to spare it from what your people would call, madness.” The paper flashed once, and the lawyer looked down at it.
“Oh, it just got sadder! Only five senses? Really? Wow, I haven’t seen such a big fuss made over such a limited and mundane creature in nearly a thousand years, since my last promotion!” The paper flashed again, this time the yellow seemed tinged with a hint of red, but it could have been a figment of my imagination. The lawyer leaned over and read it, and then seemed to sober quickly.
“What did it say?” I asked, amused.
“Nothing that is meant for your consumption Mr. Tear.” The lawyer put the paperback on the pile off to the side. I smirked and let it go, these guys were really into their story and who was I to ruin it for them?
They seemed to have put in a lot of time and effort to put on this little show, might as well go along with them and see where it all ends.
“Now, long story short Mr. Tear, you were summoned by two cosmic beings from Ethria, as if that doesn’t explain everything, all so you can help them and their people get through a rough time.” He said the last as he read some details from another paper that he seemed to grab from the stack at his side at random.
“It seems that their original people were all wiped out, and the remnants of their society are attempting to find a place on Ethria where they can rebuild. A common enough issue, what made the circumstances different this time around is that you were effectively in a different enough reality that the technical rules that exempted you from such as summoning did not in fact fully apply there. This is a loophole that your current benefactor has assured me they will close immediately, but they have also heard and understand the plight of the two other lesser cosmic entities. Effectively, they feel bad for them and want to help in some small way, however, they also do not want to impose their desire to help on you. Something about allowing you to be an ‘actor, free to act and not be acted upon’ or so I am told.”
“So… what? God wants me to go and help two lesser gods, on a world named… what was it? Ether? But he doesn't want to force me, and is leaving the choice to go help, or come home up to me?” I asked.
“Essentially correct. I’m surprised by your quick acceptance of the situation. I was worried I might have had to resort to more… drastic, measures to ensure that you believed me.” He said the word ‘drastic’ with what I thought was unnecessary drama. But who was I to critique an actor acting?
“To be clear” I said interrupting him before he could move on. “I don’t believe you. But for now, for the sake of my sanity and because I, somehow, can't log out, I’m going to play along. Understand?”
“Fair enough Mr. Tear. A sensible enough approach to the admitted oddity of the situation I suppose. I have also been instructed to explain a little more about what each option will entail. If you were to choose to go home, well, there might be negative consequences that derive from the magical effects of the spell in question going unanswered. These effects could include but are not limited too…” He put the previous sheet of paper down and picked up another one before clearing his throat and reading from a list.
“Mild shock, amnesia ranging from a few seconds, to hours, to potentially days, weeks, months or even years, burns ranging from third-degree to first degree, an inability to speak either temporarily or permanent, an inability to control your personal motor functions either permanently or temporarily, an inability to control your bowels, again either permanently or temporarily, seizures ranging from the mild to grand maul in nature. The potential negative health outcomes include all of these up to and including death. Either permanent or temporary.”
“How can death be temporary?!” I said exasperatedly.
Without blinking an eye he met my gaze and said “doesn’t the cosmic being that you know as “god” have a track record of raising people from the dead on a whim?” He asked this as if I would know, as if I were some kind of expert in inter-deific norms and policy. I had no idea what to say, so I just sat there slack-jawed mouth open.
“Oh, right. I keep forgetting the entity likes to keep things, ambiguous.” He pushed his glasses up onto his face. Up until this point, I hadn’t noticed that he was even wearing glasses. “Well, let's keep moving then, shall we? Essentially, returning home while not impossible, is a dangerous prospect for you due to the shear forces involved.” I thought about it, and panic nearly gripped me. I opened my mouth to ask about Donny, but the lawyer raised a hand and spoke first. “Your brother is fine. Your concern for him speaks well of you, but you should know he is alive and well and will in no way be affected by either choice you can make here today.” I eased back into my chair the tight panic in my chest easing.
“Thank you.” I said as I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, still calming myself.
“No need to thank me. As I have said, the cosmic being from your world is obsessed with free will. In my opinion, it's probably his one and only flaw, but that’s not up for discussion here today.” He pulled out a small sheet of paper from the center of the pile, and placed it directly in front of me, the paper was titled ‘Non-disclosure Agreement.’
“Suffice it to say, that if you do choose to take the risk and return home, you will need to sign this NDA. It's a typical mortal NDA, your memory of these events is erased completely, you are returned to your homewor
ld, and should any memory of these events ever surface for any reason you will be bound not to speak of them as if they were real. You can of course as per the second page…” He flipped the paper over and there was more writing. “Use the memories as the impetus for fictional works. That's a rather common practice, and from what I understand also useful for therapeutic purposes.”
“Fictional works? Like, in books or movies?” I asked confused.
“Exactly. You don’t think that Tolkien just happened to write one of the most influential works of fiction, one that resounded with billions throughout the ages, one that had heavy religious, and moralistic, and symbolic significance and resonance with nearly every person on your world, did you?”
“Well, I thought it was because he went to war, and the horrors he saw in world war one spurred him to write an allegory about industrialism and naturalism,” I said, I was feeling defensive for some reason.
“Yes, well, that's what he always said. It was from the horrors of war I’ll give you that. But not your human wars. Though he did go through those as well. No, he had an experience similar to this one. Regardless he’s not why I’m here. You are.”
“So, if I go home I’m likely to die or be crippled for the rest of my life. On top of that, I won’t remember anything about this, and if I did ever somehow remember then I’d have agreed to this NDA, meaning I could never talk about it to anyone?”
“Precisely. I’m happy you fully understand the situation.”
“What's the other option?” I asked, frustration growing.
“You go to the world of Ethria, you assist the two cosmic entities that have forcefully requested your assistance.”
“And after that? Do I get to go home?” I asked fearful of what the man’s answer would be.
“Um…” He pulled the paper off the top of the pile and examined it for a minute. “According to this, that would be up to you.”
“I could try and find a way home?”
“Yes. Though, such transportation without direct cosmic intervention would be difficult. You would also be free to stay there, explore, and do pretty much anything else you might want to do with the remainder of your natural life. But that is not all. If you did choose to go to Ethria, you would be granted several “gifts” that would help you adjust to your new world.”
“What about my family?”
“If you went to Ethria, that would no longer be of concern to you,” the lawyer said placidly. “I have been assured that morally speaking, you would no longer have any obligation to them and they would have none to you. So if it is out of fear of not meeting an obligation or fulfilling a duty, don’t worry.”
“Ok sure, but what would happen to them? Will they know I’m gone? Will you replace me with some kind of puppet? Will any memory of me be erased? What happens?”
“Concerned about your legacy are you?” The lawyer asked, disgust tinging his voice slightly.
“No,” I said frustration growing. “I’m worried about my family you dim-witted bureaucrat.”
The lawyer sighed, before he pulled a third piece of paper off the top, and set it directly in front of him side by side with the other paper he had been reading from. Both papers flashed different colors, as if there was some kind of conversation happening. “It appears that no one can come to an agreement other than to delay the decision on this question until a future time. None of the parties involved wish to tie their hands further.”
“What is that supposed to mean.” I was officially angry at this point. “Are you saying that none of them care what happens to my family? What the hell?!” I shouted.
“Mr. Tear. Please calm yourself. No, that is not what either of them are saying. All of the parties involved fully understand your concern over familial ties, but none of them are in a position to give you a concrete answer at the moment. As you make decisions and as events unfold on Ethria, all parties have agreed to address the issue at a later date.”
“So, it's the galactic version of “we’ll see” then huh?” I asked sitting back down with a clanking of the chains that still bound me to the table.
“...Cosmic…”
“What?” I asked.
“You said it was the Galactic version, but that is far too limiting. More like Cosmic. Actually, more like Inter-Cosmic, but that's too much of a mouth full. So, cosmic. It’s the cosmic version of ‘we will see’.” He said this completely deadpan. I sighed, realizing that there was nothing I could do. I was trapped between a rock and a hard place.
“Okay, you mentioned gifts? What gifts?” I asked, trying to buy time for me to get a grip on all of this insanity.
“I’m glad you asked,” He said this but there was no smile on his face. “The cosmic entity of your current world will give you three gifts to help you adjust to your new home. First, they will grant you what has been known on your world as the “gift of tongues” essentially you will be able to speak and read and write almost any language you come into contact with on Ethria. This will allow you to hit the ground running as you humans like to say. Second, you will be able to perfectly retain and be able to recall almost all of your memories and knowledge from your old home. This is intended to allow you to keep your current skills and knowledge without losing them as you pass through several veils.”
“Veils? What do you mean veils?”
“Essentially they are magical protections that surround every world that stop very nasty things from getting in. And in some cases, getting out, but that's not important right now. Thirdly, you will be given a trait called “mysterious stranger” which will perfectly hide your true origin from anyone who you do not explicitly tell about it. Your guide will go over these things in greater detail. For now, that is all I can tell you. Now, you must choose. Return home and accept the risks associated with that? Or, go and help the two other cosmic entities that are practically begging for your assistance?” He pushed another piece of paper in front of me next to the NDA titled “Summoning Contract.” On it, I finally saw what that acronym from earlier meant. DSOCC or Detainee and Source of Cosmic Conflict. I snorted and continued to read.
I looked at and read both documents carefully. I asked several questions, but the lawyer just sat there, refusing to say any more. What he said about not being able to give me any more information must have been real. “You know.” I said, almost to myself “You could still be E-Pirates.” As I looked at the two documents, I thought it through. Why would they offer me a way home if they were pirates? That makes no sense, they wouldn’t get any money. If they got a reputation for leaving bodies behind by simply killing those who chose the “go home” option, the would be bringing down a lot of heat on their little gang. Even if these guys were just committed to their strange act, at the very least their leader here seems like a reasonable and intelligent guy. He would know better than to cripple or kill his victims unless absolutely necessary.
I got the strong feeling that the options in front of me were real. I will either be going home at great risk to myself, or I’ll be entering what? Another world? Or perhaps another virtual reality that they need testers for? This could be an attempt to get regular dive pod users to test out a new virtual world. But that didn’t track either, all a world developer would need to do was ask for beta testers on almost any of the online forums and they would have literally hundreds if not thousands of volunteers.
After having read them both, I sat back and looked at them. If this was real, and it was looking more and more like it might be, one of the options would endanger me, and potentially make me a burden to my family. Life was hard as it was right now, they didn’t need a handicapped son who they would have to feed and bathe, and take care of for the rest of their lives, that was if I even lived. The other way? Most likely would mean a lot of work, but if I was being honest with myself it was still a bit of a mystery, and I like mysteries.
“What would I be doing if I do go to Ethria?” I asked more to myself than to the Lawyer. To my surprise, he actu
ally answered me.
“The people of the two cosmic entities that attempted to summon you, named Pervolins, have been forced out of where they once called home and they are currently looking for a new place. Right now they are trekking, most of them across hundreds of miles of stoney ground, among people who would rather see them killed then so much as help them. Winter is fast approaching, and without supplies, a safe place for the winter, and perhaps a protector during the long road ahead of them as they are currently being hunted by other groups, many will die. They have few if any supplies, and in all honesty even with help most will still probably die. What the entities are asking you to do is gather supplies, build shelters, and help their people find a new home where they can make new lives. Nothing more, and nothing less. You, of course, will still have free will on Ethria, but your primary concern will be first preparing a safe winter camp for these people in…” He looked at a paper he pulled from the pile again. “...it looks like about two weeks, it will take about two weeks for the first groups to show up where you will enter Ethria. Have you made a decision?”
I shook my head and the lawyer went back to staring unblinkingly at me. I ignored him and thought it over for a while more. It sounded like this new virtual world, if that was what it was, would involve the three types of main quests that any RPG had. Fetch quests, crafting quests, and the kind I personally disliked the most, escort quests. I would probably hate this new RPG, avoiding these kinds of stereotypical RPG tropes was why I played settlement building games like Kingdoms of Ashe, I hated grinding quests for XP with a passion. That being said, I still didn’t want to endanger myself or put my family in a tough spot. With that thought, and what the lawyer had said about the Pervolins having hit a nerve for me as a Mormon, their story reminding me of the Trail of Bloody Footprints in Missouri, I made my decision.
Ethria- the Pioneer Page 5