Misbegotten Memories

Interlude: Conrad

Conrad watched the others in silence.  The window was permanently blackened, its adaptive dimming effect broken from the fierce explosion of light.  The squad from the Aes Reconquest spoke around the events they’d witnessed as if afraid to put their hopes and fears into words.  They said things like ‘the blast was cosmic energy’ as if the words explained everything.  They explained nothing.

A Dragon was dead, killed in an instant by means Conrad could not understand.  The fact that a blast of cosmic energy caused the event was less comforting than it should have been.  Did the Xian have some new technique for large scale attacks?  His home world had been saved, which was undeniably a good thing, but the Xian possessing an equivalent to antimatter munitions was almost as terrifying as a Dragon.

The Jinn had not always been a major power in the multiverse.  Long ago, the world of Terra was considered the weakest of the true worlds, ranked below even Eden.  His ancestors cowered in fear before the Xian and the Arahants.  Only centuries of technological innovation changed that dreadful status quo.  After a single strike took out a Dragon… it was an open question as to whether the Xian would dominate the entire multiverse once more.

Nearby, Darius and Riley were sitting down to cultivate the copious cosmic energy that had flooded the environment.  Riley would occasionally whisper to her friend, causing Darius to snap ‘of course it was him’.  Those two had come with him from Union Central, but they weren’t what Conrad would consider solid allies.  Darius was too hostile and self-centered to trust.  Riley’s cheerful innocent persona had enough holes in it for him to spot the cynic hiding beneath and he didn’t have a good enough read on her true motivations to judge her reliability.

True allies were unfortunately rare.  The entire multiverse was teetering on the edge while fools played their political games.  Conrad put on his professional smile as Zelda stepped up to him.  “I don’t suppose any of this makes sense to you?”

“I can’t say that it does, Zelda.  A cosmic energy bombardment appears to have killed a Dragon.  I can only hope that this is a sign of good things to come.”

Riley shot a look their direction before squeezing her eyes shut and resuming her cultivation.

Zelda looked around.  “Everyone here knows Hector.  I’m not sure what to make of that fact.”

Conrad nodded in agreement.  He would prefer if Hector was here instead of this ragtag group of strangers.  Though they’d never been particularly close, Conrad always had the impression that Hector had his priorities straight.  There had been a bit too much Xian arrogance in the man, of course, though that was easy to justify in someone who could shrug off miasma exposure.

“You said a Sage brought you here?”

“Persuasion and Conflagration.  They intimated that Foresight was behind my recruitment.  I haven’t been given anything more than that.  A Savant is not given the same consideration as a Sage.”

Conrad’s lips compressed as he recalled the personal details of this acquaintance.  She gained an insight after the death of her lover.  “My condolences on the loss of Rodrick.  He was a good man.”

“Thank you.  I don’t have a chance to speak of him often.  My community back home never knew him and I lost touch with our companions from the Coalition Army.  It sometimes feels like we never even happened.”

The detour into sentimentality had not been what Conrad hoped for when he offered the sympathies dictated by politeness.  Though, all things considered, there wasn’t any better use of his time at present.  He wasn’t someone in a position of authority whose duty it was to analyze the threat from Xian allies.  His contributions were much smaller than that.  He would stay in his lane.

“Prepare for singularity travel in five minutes.”  While the voice of Cruiser Erin still echoed through the observation lounge, Conrad found his mind racing.  Why were they leaving Terra in such a rush?  That made no sense.  Even with the threat of the Dragon removed, there was still miasma in the atmosphere and a significant contingent of foreigners present.  Mercom vessels leaving now made no sense whatsoever.

Nothing about his current circumstances made any sense.  As a cyborg special operator, Conrad was used to information being withheld from him in the interests of operational security.  Usually that meant missing details.  In his current circumstances, he couldn’t discern even the general shape of events.  That could only mean that his foundational assumptions were invalid.

There wasn’t enough information to conclude anything more than that.  Well… there was one additional piece of information.  Everyone in the lounge shared a connection with one person.  How that fit with the situation, Conrad could not imagine.

“I’d like your attention, please!”  The voice that bellowed the command phrased as a request carried enough essence of drill sergeant that Conrad found himself snapping to attention.  A Jinn Major was the source of that voice, and he was flanked by two Arahants who blazed with energy.  The woman was unknown to Conrad, but the man… Conrad owned a trading card of the Sage of Conflagration when he was a child.

The Major ensured everyone was looking his way.  “I would like to formally welcome each of you aboard Cruiser Erin.  At this time the Sage of Persuasion will be explaining why all of you have been gathered here.”

The woman passed the Major to face them.  “First, I want to assure everyone that the veil of secrecy has been lifted.  We used some degree of deception to make sure each and every one of you would be standing where you are right now.”

Darius rose to his feet, a scowl on his face.  “What do you need me for?”

Persuasion smiled.  “Because it is customary for all Xian Lords to have a retinue.  Everyone present has been selected to serve the Lord Dragonbane.”

Conrad glanced towards the blackened window.  It was no longer able to serve its intended function, but he still remembered the painful flash of light followed by the suffocating tide of cosmic energy.  “I’ve never heard of that Lord,” he said.

“Yet I would bet you’re a fan of his work.”

The eye contact from the Sage seemed like a challenge.  Conrad took the bait.  “Who is this Lord that would accept a ragtag group as his closest followers?”

“Do you really not know, Conrad?  It must be obvious by now what you all have in common.  Who you have in common.”

The woman named Esther spoke next.  “Hector is only level eight.”

“He’s newly raised to level nine,” Persuasion said.  “That’s still short of Lord, though.  Hector may have taken down a Dragon, but he is incredibly vulnerable.  His realm makes him particularly potent against miasmic creatures with souls.  His advantages will be less powerful against monsters and don’t apply at all to other humans.

“The reason we’ve formed this retinue is because Hector is going to need it.  The greatest manhunt in the history of the multiverse is about to begin.  Xian Lords are going to try proving their might by killing the man who took down a Dragon.  Arahants are going to try to incarcerate him so that they will have him around to protect Maya.  Jinn are going to try taking his loved ones hostage so they can exert control over him.”

Persuasion made eye contact with every person in the room, one by one.  “Hector is the ultimate weapon in the war against the children of Tiamat.  Our job is to make sure he doesn’t die before he is strong enough to finish the fight.  So at this time, I would ask each of you to forswear previous allegiances and dedicate yourself to the survival of humanity above all else.”

The Titan Ajax did not hesitate to speak.  “I dedicate myself to the survival of humanity and pledge to follow Hector to the end of my days.”

Conrad’s eyes had gone wider with every word spoken by the Sage.  The story told was too incredible to believe.  Titans had a reputation as being gullible, but surely no one else would buy this.

Darius stepped forward.  “I will protect Hector.”

The Sage frowned.  “And humanity?”

“I will protect Hector,” Darius repeated.

Zelda spoke next.  “I dedicate myself to the survival of humanity above all else.”

The others all pledged themselves in turn, even the shy Riley, until only Conrad was left.  The Sage of Persuasion raised a brow as she turned in his direction.  “Do you object to the oath?”

Conrad stood straight, ready for whatever may come.  “I cannot forswear my oath to Mercom.”

“Why not?  Every other Jinn on this vessel has.”

The Jinn Major gave a sharp nod.  “Cruiser Erin was the first to give it.  She’ll be denied refueling and servicing as a result of the actions she takes to uphold her new oath.  A court martial will end with her cognition unit being wiped.  None of us expect a happy outcome.  Whatever our defection costs, we are willing to pay it to purchase a future for humanity.”

Conrad didn’t react to the intense attention directed at him from all around.  “And I am to trust the judgment of Sages that such actions are necessary?”

Persuasion answered in the delicate manner of a diplomat.  “You should trust your own reasoning.  The only other time humans killed a Dragon, the final blow was struck by a schism beam.  The one Hector destroyed was unaffected by a more advanced version of that very weapon.  Today should have been the end of Terra.  Instead, humanity’s greatest weapon in this unending war was forged.  The Lord Dragonbane can turn everything around.  If he lives long enough.”

“This is the claim of your Foresight?  Where is she?”

“Distracting the commanders of the Terra Defense so that we can escape.  She will be the first of us to pay the price for betraying her nation.”  Persuasion folded her arms.  “Some future version of Hector trusted you enough to say that he wished you had been at his side.  So now you must decide if you would rather be sent back to Union Central to toil away in the dungeons… or if you want to be with us when we change the fate of the multiverse.”

Even knowing the woman before him had the express power to manipulate minds, Conrad could not prevent his reaction.  Whether or not he trusted their claims, the decision laid out before him was clear as day.  The familiar path took him back to his old life, where his meager contributions would do no more than slightly reduce the mortality rate in a single dungeon, leaving him to forever lament that he couldn’t do more.  The other option might be uncertain, but how could Conrad ever be content with his old life knowing that he’d passed on this?

“Who am I to argue with a Sage?”  Conrad placed a hand over his heart.  “I hereby forsake my previous loyalties and swear to dedicate myself to the survival of humanity above all else.  I further pledge to serve as the loyal retainer of Hector Thoreaux, the Lord Dragonbane.”

Persuasion graced him with a smile.  “And now everyone has joined the cause.  What follows won’t be easy, but I have faith we can do it.  We need to stay hidden, protect Hector, and help him become a Lord in truth.”

The usually timid Riley raised a hand as if she were a school student facing a stern teacher.

“Yes?”

“What about the Tribulation?”

The Sage waved away the question.  “Over the years I have met many Lords who have utterly failed to impress me.  If they could manage, then I’m certain Hector is up to the task.”

Riley shrunk in on herself a little.  “But… Hector made a mistake with his cultivation.  He said it was impossible for him to survive a Tribulation.”

Persuasion’s eyes panned over the group, stopping on Isabel, who nodded in solemn confirmation of the claim.  The Sage’s confidence tarnished before their eyes.  “Well… fuck.  This is going to be a real problem.”