by Prax Venter
“No, I was a cave mapper just doing my job when I stumbled into Alt’s ship after it had been buried for a very long time. He was losing the fight. The Corruption has been eating him alive, and it trapped me, intending to eat me alive as well.”
Echoes of that sickness in his whole being came back to him, and he swallowed hard before continuing.
“I frantically searched for a way out through the damaged metal wreckage of Alt’s body as the vile stuff wormed into me. I barely reached a place where Alt had made his final stand.” Jack snorted out a laugh. “He showed me an exit sign, and I didn’t know it at the time, but it was basically an Exit Orb. When I touched it, Alt copied my mind, destroyed my real body, and I became like you and everyone in System Sana. A being of pure energy.”
“Neither of us feel like pure energy,” Lex said, grabbing his hand.
“I have become an inseparable part of this world, and I will die fighting by your side to save it… but yeah, how everything works is far beyond my understanding.” He held up his other hand and willed one of his many remaining coins to appear. The soft candlelight in the room danced on its smooth, featureless surface. “This ‘inventory space’ where objects go to is a dead giveaway that this is a virtual universe with game-like rules.”
“Jack…” she whispered, her mind trying to grasp what he was saying. He didn’t speak and just held her hand as they sat on the bed. After a while she turned to him.
“Everything about Alt not being able to affect change in my world before attaching himself to you is still true?”
“Yes, as far as I know.”
She nodded slowly.
“Then nothing really changes, does it? Now that I know.”
He gave her a tight smile. “No. I told you because it’s the truth. This world is our world, whatever it’s made of.”
“Are you planning to tell all of the Town or even the Town Leaders?”
“I hadn’t planned on it. I wanted to talk to you before anyone.”
She turned to him again. “Does Haylee know?”
“No, but you know how she is. I think she may be trying to figure it out. Apparently, my presence messes with the way everyone’s minds work or something. I know you’ve felt it, you’ve said so. What I’m learning is that being near you and the people of this Town has affected the way my mind works. You make me a better person, Lex.”
“It’s true,” she said, giving him a small smile. “You’ve become slightly more tolerable since I found you out in the rain.” Lex then scooted close to him and Jack wrapped his arm around her as they both fell back onto the bed, their legs dangling off the edge.
“This was worrying you all day,” she said. “Wasn’t it?”
He pulled her closer against him, and Lex turned to rest her head on his chest. Silence stretched over them for a minute or so before she spoke again.
“We were created to be the protectors of your universe,” she whispered, and he felt a wetness on his chest. She was crying.
“Oh, Lex…” He didn’t know what to say.
She pushed upward, her liquid golden eyes alive with joy.
“My life… everything, it all has purpose. There is a reason for me.” Tears were spilling down her face as she grabbed handfuls of the blankets around them. “Jack, I have never felt more sure of my role in this or any universe. My place. I am a Bastion.”
- 10 -
Lex rose early along with Jack, both of them yawning from the lack of sleep, yet both were more determined than ever to take this world for their own. There were still over two hours left before breakfast and the long climb in the Tower. Jack meant to dash around the Town and sort everyone as best he could into the open roles, and Lex was going to see who needed help- starting with Ryea. The freckled farmer had given him a playful earful last night about stealing her only Farmhand.
However, when they came clomping down into the common room, several people he didn’t recognize hopped up from their seats at the bar. Also, Pan the Lumberjack was standing alone by the smoldering embers from last night’s fire.
Demi spoke first from her place behind the counter.
“You’ll need to establish a waiting area, Mayor. These fine people are all here to see you.”
The blonde Bastion stood on her toes to give Jack a peck on the cheek before she left to do her own rounds of Blackmoor. Jack took a deep breath and then went to do his job. As he walked several extra steps from the stairs to the bar, it occurred to him that the whole inn had grown a few feet after the update.
“Greetings, sir!” an energetic young man with short black hair said as he stepped up to Jack. “I’m Jip! Just arrived last night, and what a Town this is!”
“Uh- Thanks,” Jack said, shaking his hand. Then, another man stepped up and thrust out his chest. He was about five feet tall and had a thick black beard framing a frowning, pasty face.
“You’re the Mayor? You should have assigned me last night. Lost time.”
“Please to meet you, I’m Jack.” He stuck out his arm and tried to start over with this direct fellow.
“Natch,” he said with a firm shake.
There was another man with broad shoulders moving from the bar as well, but he seemed less personable and waited behind the others.
Alt spoke quickly in his mind. “New buildings will remain unassigned when they spawn in and all new Townsfolk will be set to the basic Worker position. They’re probably looking for permanent jobs.”
Jack spoke out loud, “Did you all come by way of the docks yesterday?” He’d thought he saw new faces, but there was a lot going on, and it was becoming a bit much to track all these people. Yet dealing with such a fortunate problem made Jack’s welcoming smile grow wider.
“A fine guess, mayor!” the younger man named Jip shouted, causing the shorter Natch to roll his eyes.
“Enough banter,” the bearded man said, “it’s time I get to work and there is a lot to do. I’m told you’re the one who can assign me to the General Store. I require you do so immediately.”
“Aww, hey!” Jip shouted. “I came all this way to make it big, and I can’t imagine a better opportunity then Blackmoor Cove. Assign me to that store of odd items and you won’t regret it. I promise!”
“You’ll regret it,” Natch said, eyeing the energetic man next to him. “I promise.”
“Well,” Jack said, taking a deep breath. “I’m sure more opportunities will come around as we take this Town through the levels, but there is only one General Store. I’ll need to go by natural aptitude.”
Since the eager Jip was the first to ask, Jack opened his reassignment menu and selected the Merchant role. Then everyone looked at his character screen.
Jip - Townsfolk: Merchant | 61% Proficiency
[Health: 5/5]
Relationship –
[Disposition: Revered]
“I’ve seen worse, but now let’s check Natch.” Jack moved Jip back to a Worker and then assigned the other applicant. As he did so, Jack paused and wondered if this was how interviews would go back on Earth if everyone knew everyone else’s talents. Should he be asking them questions anyway? He shrugged and reassigned the abrasive bearded man.
Natch - Townsfolk: Merchant | 95% Proficiency
[Health: 5/5]
Relationship –
[Disposition: Annoyed]
“Satisfied?” Natch said. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a growing Town in desperate need of resupply.”
Jack nodded. He wasn’t wrong and at least the smaller fellow didn’t seem to be excited about taking advantage.
“Natch, before you go, I have a specific request.”
The man sighed deeply. “Yes?”
“I want you to make ink and paper a priority.”
Natch narrowed his eyes as if caught off guard. Then he nodded.
“It will be done.” With that, the new Merchant stalked out of the Inn.
“Now what?” Jip asked, his boisterous attitude deflating.
Jack crossed his arms and tried to think of all the open roles that needed filling.
“We have a new Carpenter building. I’m not sure what-”
“Jack,” Pan said as he walked up. “I was hoping I could, um talk to you about becoming the Town’s Carpenter.”
He wasn’t expecting that and assumed the quiet man who’d seemed satisfied amongst the trees was only here for breakfast. There didn’t seem to be any harm in moving people around to see where they fit, and if Pan wanted to be a Carpenter, it made a career-path kind of sense.
Before he switched the roles, Jack checked and saw that the big man’s current proficiency was 87%, then he inspected him after.
Pan - Townsfolk: Carpenter | 98% Proficiency
[Health: 10/10]
Relationship -
[Disposition: Respected]
Jip raised his eyebrows and said, “Wow. I didn’t want the job anyway, but he certainly belongs there.”
Jack smiled and patted Pan on the shoulder.
“Congratulations,” Demi said, and Jack hadn’t noticed her glide to the end of the bar where they were all standing. “Now, I’d like to place an order for new tables and a special project, when you have a free moment.”
Pan engulfed Jack’s hand with his and gave it a firm shake before he and the innkeeper moved away from the two remaining men.
Jack puffed out his cheeks with a sigh as he turned to Jip.
“Now I need a new Lumberjack. Don’t suppose you’d want that job, would you?”
“Mmm, naw. I sold our family’s carrots back in Ivyset Crag, down south. I was hoping to become a skilled merchant in a new Town.”
Alt had mentioned before that Townsfolk proficiency could change as they learned, and a fountain of possibilities began to overflow within his mind. Jack shelved the visions of trade schools and community colleges for later and refocused on the men standing in front of him.
“What about you,” Jack said nodding toward the stoic man who had yet to speak. “What’s your name and what job were you hoping for?”
“Cabe,” he said in a low voice. “Defending against Demons.”
Jack reached out his hand and the big man gave it one solid shake. As he did so, he willed the selection interface up and then placed the straightforward man into Guard duty.
Cabe - Townsfolk: Guard | 92% Proficiency
[Health: 300/300]
Relationship -
[Disposition: Indifferent]
It was the first time Jack had seen a Townsfolk with so many HPs but remembered what Harrak had said about Guards getting higher bonuses as the Town gained Levels.
Cabe grunted, then turned to leave.
Jip grinned as he watched the new Guard go. “You’ve made some great decisions, Mayor. I can’t wait to see where I belong!”
A moment of dread gripped Jack’s heart as he imagined this upbeat kid’s proficiency turning up low for everything, but then he remembered he still needed someone to replace Sol on the Farm.
“You say you sold carrots, Jip? Did you help grow them, too?”
“Oh sure.” The young man nodded. “We were too far out from the market district for Workers to come transport our meager produce. When Pa got too gray in his beard, it fell to me to trek to the shops and Inns. Then my sister got promoted to Head Seamstress in a shop close to the Tower. She alone brought in more coin than the whole farm could produce! You’ll never find a prettier gown then what Karna makes.
“Anyhow, it was enough for Ma and Pa to sell the farm and move to a small house in the city. I could have stayed in Ivyset Crag and found something to do there, but I had an opportunity and couldn’t resist the call of travel and adventure.”
Jack’s mind tried to picture a Town so large it had suburbs.
“I’m sure there are some out there,” Alt said telepathically. “As System Sana became more overrun, it would make sense that people would start to condense into dense pockets of population for a higher chance at survival.”
“Jip,” Jack began, “stick with me and you will see things no one in System Sana has ever seen before. But, Blackmoor Cove is still growing and at this very moment, the Town is in need of a new Farmhand.”
“Oh,” he said, his toothy smile fading. “I suppose I could go back to farming again. Wait… aren’t there monsters penned up there?”
Jack shrugged. “You wanted adventure. I bet you won’t find monsters on any other farm.”
His eyes widened. “Mayor, you might have a point.”
“Besides,” Jack said, motioning toward the door. “Maybe I’ll need a traveling merchant soon. Plenty of future opportunity awaits you here in Blackmoor Cove.”
“Another good point, Mayor!”
As they both moved out into the cool morning air, Jack switched the new Townsfolk to Farmhand.
Jip - Townsfolk: Farmhand | 72% Proficiency
It wasn’t terrible.
With his attention back on the world around him, Jack saw his Level 5 home in the sunlight for the first time. Immediately to the left of the upgraded Inn was a relatively small structure made of logs. It wore a brown shingled roof, had a long porch, and a large golden bell over its dark red door. Down the wide main road, the homes that were closest had swelled to become two stories while more Townsfolk homes now filled in among them.
The black shadow of the Tower drew his eye toward the silvered Fountain and then the unignorable structure behind it. Swirling gold embellishments now danced up its sides and gems of every color glittered in the sunlight. One particular ruby near the base appeared to be bigger than him.
“Let me introduce you to Ryea,” Jack said with a smile. He had a good feeling their boisterous personalities would work well together. “She runs the Farm.”
As they rounded the corner, he noticed the Town Hall had also grown longer along the road. He was interested to see what happened to the interior, and if he’d lost his cave paintings, but put it low on his priorities.
The “Our World” letters above the glossy black arcade still stood out in the daylight, and he sent Alt another wave of appreciation for what he’d created. The digital entity connected to his scabbard replied with a humble telepathic nod.
Jack saw Lex working out among the wheat fields, but since he didn’t see Ryea there, he led Jip past the farmhouse toward the barn. Everything about the Farm had a too-big quality, and Jack knew it must be because of the upgrade, but it felt like he’d shrunk somehow.
When he entered the Barn, he saw both Ryea and Sol here, and better yet, a few of the pens on the right held some new calves.
“Cows and monsters!” Jip said loudly and the young cow Sol was trying to feed skittered to the back of his straw-filled enclosure.
The new Game Master’s eyebrows came down into an angry ‘V’, and his glance was enough to convey the message.
“Oh! Hi, Jack,” Ryea said with a loud whisper as she dusted orb pheasant feed off her hands. He noticed a hint of red in her cheeks as she walked over.
“Morning, Farmer Ryea, I bring you this experienced carrot farmer named Jip. Use him how you see fit.”
The freckled woman’s eyes went wide. “Use him as I- well, maybe not right away. Come on string bean. Time to feed the monsters.”
Jip gave Ryea a not-so-shy grin back and said, “Yes, M’am.”
“He’s got manners,” she said. “I can work with that.”
Sol shook his head and left the barn with Jack to give the new Farmhand a chance to learn his job.
Jack raised an eyebrow at the tall robed man. “Not at the Arcade?”
“Harrak and I have worked out an agreement that the entertainment machines are shut down during the day, and he has free use of the larger arena. They come on again for use an hour before Exit. There isn’t much for me to do, so I figure I’ll move around and do what needs doing, for now.”
“Awesome,” Jack said. “I’m proud of you. Did you notice that both you and Lex are helping out the Farm and neither of yo
u are assigned to do that role?”
Sol grunted. “Hmm, I didn’t even think about it.”
Jack waved it off as if it were nothing.
“While you are moving around Town today, I’d like you to check in on the new Merchant running the General Store. His name’s Natch, and I have a feeling he’ll be good, but I’ll trust your opinion more.”
Sol nodded. “You’d need to tie me to a chair to keep me from poking my nose in that shop- and now we can buy rope to do it.”
“I’m planning on trying to hit the place before breakfast. I still don’t really know what they sell or how it works.”
Sol shrugged and split away from the road to do more work in the fields. “You’ll find some items you need, and some you don’t.”
Lex caught the movement, and she gave Jack a big wave over the rich golden wheat. Her “Causal Lex” forest-green tunic really stood out against the plump grains, and he couldn’t wait until he could replace the itchy cotton shirt he’d had since day-one.
Alt filled him in as Jack waved back.
“Now that it’s up and running, I believe the General Store is dependent on trade agreements with other Towns established with the Dock Master, for now. Not sure how it’s all connected, but in general, more connections mean more options.”
Jack was alone so he spoke out loud. “So, if we get Emberstone going, we can’t set up a trade agreement with them? It has to be by boat?”
“Again, I’m not sure. We will know more if and when we take it back.”
“Oh, we’re taking it back.” Jack said.
Alt was quiet, but Jack could tell the AI was thinking deeply about something. He left him to it it as he peeked into the new Arcade, its monumental scope and dramatic design still making Jack’s jaw hang open.
It was mostly empty, but there were two rows of three guards about to square off in the arena. Harrak stood in the aisle on one of the slopes and was yelling something about watching for center of mass changes in the foe and predicting direction.
Everything was being handled here so Jack turned to leave. He began the long walk to the Wall and made it a few steps before his eyes shot back over to the Arcade.