Chapter 250: Freedom [Start of Book Six]

“They’re going to bring Earth over to the Realm of Crystals in its entirety.”

Suri’s statement hangs heavy in the dry, stale air of her maximum-security cell, deep down in the bowels below the Arena.

Yuna, the giant azure fox that shares Suri’s cell, picks up on the tension as well, lifting her head off her paws, but my attention is focused elsewhere.

From across the Imaginary table, I stare wide-eyed at the raven-haired human apparition Suri has conjured around her true, crystalline spiritform. For a moment, I hold on to the faint hope that I have somehow misheard or misunderstood. Then Kaitlynn speaks up.

“They’re planning to bring ‘Earth’ over to the Realm of Crystals?” she echoes incredulously. “As in... Planet Earth?”

“I’m afraid so,” Suri chimes, a note of finality in her crystal-clear voice.

My stomach drops.

“How?” I manage to croak.

“The same way the void-shifts are performed,” Suri replies. “Well, mostly. For the smaller shifts, the Voidcannon is usually calibrated to target only the creatures of interest. For a shift of this size, they’ll simply form a tunnel large enough to grab your whole planet; it’s more cost-effective.”

Suri helpfully supplies the word ‘Voidcannon’ with an impression of a free-floating octahedron of Greysteel, encircled by a single ring-shaped tube of crystal connected to four of its six points.

It also comes with a sense of size rivalling that of a moon, but I still can’t quite believe it’s capable of what Suri’s suggesting. “But, what about our planet’s momentum?” I argue. “Do you have any idea of the insane speed at which it’s hurtling through space? I mean—”

“All accounted for, I’m afraid,” Suri chimes. “The Spatial Energy keeps things from moving around too much during transit, and the stabiliser ring will create a field of overlapping Negative Momentum and Negative Inertial Energy for your planet to emerge in, capable of stopping pretty much everything in its tracks.”

My attempt to mentally pick that statement apart for fallacies quickly runs aground. The Negative Inertial Energy would make it much easier to remove the planet’s momentum... it’s basically the opposite of the combination attack Jacob and I developed.

Kaitlynn pulls on my sleeve. “Emma,” she starts, worry in her voice. “Do you remember what happened when we first arrived in the Realm of Crystals?”

Naturally, I do. In fact, it’d be hard to forget the stampede of people clawing at their throats, the little kid in the Yoda costume who got squashed, my colleague Josh...

My eyes widen when I realise what Kaitlynn’s getting at. “Suri, if this shift happens, what kind of survival rate are we talking about?”

Suri sighs. “Oh dear. Are you sure you want to—”

“Yes,” I cut in, stiffening my spine. “Give it to me straight. I need to hear it.”

She’s silent for a little while. “Estimates suggest at least a ninety-eight per cent casualty rate,” she finally chimes.

My eyes practically bug out of my skull. “What?! Why? Didn’t, like, more than ten percent survive after our shift to Hub One?!”

“Well, the most common cause of death is the transition itself,” Suri explains. “Upon entering the Realm of Crystals, our Laws of Being clash with the laws of physics of the Entropic Realm, present inside the human body. Being higher in Realmspace, the laws of the Realm of Crystals are naturally stronger, but it still takes a precious few minutes for them to fully convert everything. During that time, the human body has to transition from surviving off of oxygen and sugars to Lavi, and manage to establish functional Lavi Flows. Two-thirds will die simply from their bodies failing to do so in time.”

Kaitlynn looks at her with dawning horror. “Two-thirds... so if it hadn’t been for the Toxic Energy, another seven hundred people or so could have survived Hub One when we arrived?”

“It would have taken a bit more than just filtering the last of the Toxic Energy from the Aether,” Suri chimes. “But with better life support systems, that would have been the upper limit, yes. However, the Network wasn’t too interested in a higher survival rate.”

“They only wanted the strongest anyway,” I conclude through gritted teeth.

“Precisely.”

“Still, that doesn’t explain how you get to a ninety-eight percent mortality rate,” I state with a frown, folding my arms over my chest.

“That estimate is based on various factors. For example, areas with relatively extreme Cold and Heat are expected to quickly turn deadly during the transition.”

I nod. “So everyone around the equator or the poles is screwed.”

“Quite. Moreover, anyone around significant amounts of Electrical Energy will be in trouble.”

With a start, I recall my cell phone exploding shortly after my arrival. “That’s not great either... still, that shouldn’t affect too many people, right?”

“It shouldn’t,” Suri agrees. “The biggest issue is actually your planet’s pollution.”

It takes a moment before that sinks in. “Are you saying... anything we consider toxic would turn into Toxic Energy?”

Suri just nods.

Kaitlynn turns pale, and it doesn’t take me long to figure out why. The more people are gathered together, the worse the air quality. Which means the smog in big cities... “Shit. Yeah, that’ll do it,” I mutter, leaning back wearily.

“Exactly. The only upside perhaps is that no one is likely to drown,” Suri jokes weakly.

“Why would they do this?” Kaitlynn asks, her voice breaking a little.

Suri looks down, not answering, so I do it for her. “Because two percent of a couple of billion is still hundreds of millions. It’s cost-frigging-effective.”

It’s silent for a bit.

Outside of the Vault’s massive door of blue glass, Yexl paces back and forth impatiently, seeming worried about us being in the presence of an insidious Peilor for so long. The half a dozen guards stationed here are all standing at alert, not even glancing at their abandoned card game.

Nothing has changed. And yet, it feels like everything has.

Finally I let out a sigh. “Suri, how sure are you that this is going to happen?”

“Quite,” Suri replies quietly. “When I left, human hosts were still the hottest commodity around, and I doubt that’s changed.”

“What about that Voidcannon?” Kaitlynn asks. “Has the technology been tested? Is it ready for such a big shift?”

Suri shoots her an apologetic look. “I’m sorry, Kaitlynn, but yours is not the first Realm from which the Peilor have abducted an entire species. In fact, humankind won’t even be the first species from your Realm that gets abducted. Take the Hoig, for example.”

I blink in surprise. “The Hoig are from the Entropic Realm?”

“They and many others,” Suri chimes. “Their entire worlds brought over, so they could be reared and used as hosts and exploited for cheap labour.”

So there really is more life in our universe. Or there was, at least.

Could this be the reason for the Fermi paradox? If so, it’s about the suckiest explanation I could’ve imagined.

And if it’s up to the Peilor, humanity is next to disappear...

I turn to Kaitlynn and she meets my gaze, her eyes red-rimmed but her jaw set in determination.

It’s enough. We don’t need words to understand what the other is thinking, is feeling right now.

The odds are definitely against us. But that’s never stopped us before.

I take a deep breath, straightening my spine as I turn back to Suri. “So. How long do we have to stop this?”

Suri looks up at me with a frown, then turns to Kaitlynn, her frown deepening at what she sees there. “Are you seri—what am I asking, of course you are. You both understand that this is a fool’s errand, right?”

“Our families are back in the Entropic Realm, Suri,” Kaitlynn answers softly. “I wouldn’t risk them even if it were a ninety-eight percent survival rate.”

“What about your survival rate?” Suri snaps. “You’re not going to help them by throwing your life away on a suicide mission!”

“Maybe, but it’s my decision to make,” Kaitlynn counters coolly. “No yours. Not anymore.”

My brows rise. Sounds like Kait is still pretty pissed about those leftover Commands...

Suri and Kaitlynn engage in a staring match for a bit, which Suri finally concedes with a sigh. “I’m just saying, you both appear to be thriving here, and you’ve finally reconnected. It seems like a waste that you would throw that all away for a pipedream.”

“I thought you knew better by now than to bet against us,” I reply.

Suri shakes her head. “I should... but you have no idea what you’re up against.”

“You’re talking about Starmother,” I surmise.

Suri glances at me. “Among other things, yes. You’ve met her, I know, but that was in the Realm of Imagination. She’s powerful there, but in the Realm of Crystals...” Suri shakes her head. “Let’s just say there’s a reason she’s called Starmother, and it’s not because of the talent show she occasionally hosts.”

I frown. “What do you mean?”

However, Kaitlynn’s eyes widen. “That’s right! I remember Kai talking about it on stream once... Emma, the Twinstar and Big Bortha, they’re—they’re artificial. Mara made them.”

A chill runs up my spine. “Okay, so she’s insanely powerful, got it,” I state tersely. “That just means she’s one of the obstacles we’ll have to work our way around, rather than through.”

“Obstacles you have no knowledge of, let alone comprehend,” Suri points out. “I’m sorry, but as much as I would like to tell you otherwise, I don’t believe you can win this fight!”

“Then help us,” Kaitlynn implores.

Suri is silent for a long time, staring at her, then me. “Am I going to be afforded a choice?”

I purse my lips, not meeting Kaitlynn’s eyes when she glances over at me. “I’m not in any hurry to take your free will away, but under the circumstances, I can’t promise that. It’s up to you... for now.”

Suri looks over at Kaitlynn, who bites her lip, but doesn’t say anything.

“I see,” Suri chimes with a sigh. “I’ll... need to think about it.”

I nod. “Fair enough. For now, could you please give us your best estimate of how long we have to stop this from happening?”

“Very well. To my best estimate, I’d say you have about six months of Earth time in the Realm of Crystals. But that’s with quite a margin of error.”

“Then we better get to work,” I state firmly, getting up from my Imaginary chair. “We’ll be back for your answer later.”

I signal Yexl who perks up and quickly barks an order at the guards. As the massive glass door starts to grind open, Kaitlynn darts over to Yuna to tell her goodbye, and promise to visit again.

Finally, right before we step out, I hesitate and look back over my shoulder. “Hey, ehm, Suri?”

“Yes?”

“Thanks. For telling us.”

She nods. “You’re welcome, dear. I just wish I’d had better news to share.”

“You and me both, Suri,” I mutter as I turn around and step out alongside Kaitlynn. “You and me both.”

The tunnels leading away from Suri and Yuna’s cell are lined with glowing blue orbs. Their faint light reflects off Yexl’s normally green scales, making them look more of a dark grey. Apparently sensing our moods, he’s chosen to lead us through the underground passage at a respectable distance, which allows me to peacefully contemplate what the hell we’re supposed to do.

Kaitlynn appears to be wondering much the same thing. “So we’re really doing this?” she quietly asks as our footsteps echo the hall. If Yexl can hear it, he’s too professional to react. “We’re really going to try to save... the world?”

“We kind of have to,” I reply softly. “It seems very likely that we’re literally the only humans in a position to do anything about it.”

“What are we going to do about it?”

I sigh. “That, is an excellent question.”

“Maybe we don’t have to remain the only humans able to do something about it...” Kaitlynn muses before blowing a lock of blue hair from her bangs out of the way for a storm-grey eye. “We were going to save our friends anyway, I guess that could just still be our first move, right?”

“So, start by ‘getting the gang back together?’ ” I ask, glancing at her, one of the corners of my mouth lifting teasingly. “Rescue all of the ‘Blue Dragons?’ ”

“Yeah, why not?” she replies, her back straightening a little as she seems to grow more excited about the idea. “Dave is really good at strategy, and Alex is so creative, and Jacob is so...” She frowns, waving her hands but seeming to flounder for words for a moment.

“Dedicated,” I offer quietly, thinking back to the time Jacob stole into a Hoig stronghold with Loudmouth of all people to steal a Major Radiation Crystal for Dave. Man, that feels like a lifetime ago.

Kaitlynn glances at me, eyes softening. “Yeah, he really is.”

I swallow, fighting down the pang of melancholy. “You’re right, we can’t do this alone. In fact, we’ll need more than just them; we’ll need assistance from Goddess and the beings from the Realm of Imagination as well, at the very least. Together, we may stand a chance of stopping the Peilor.”

“I guess we don’t have to, like, solve the whole crisis in one go, either,” Kaitlynn considers. “We could stall. Sabotage the Voidcannon or something. Maybe even blow it up.”

“Can’t be easy to build something massive like that,” I agree, nodding thoughtfully. “Destroying it should set any plans to abduct our planet back a long time. Give us a chance to figure something out.”

The ball of icy dread in my stomach, that’s been there ever since Suri dropped the bomb about the plans of the Peilor, shows its first crack as a smile blossoms slowly on Kaitlynn’s face, and I can’t help but meet it with my own.

It feels a little like the first rays of sunshine after a long winter night. Like hope.

Author's note:

And we're off! ^^

Since my writer's group is still working on Book Five, these chapters have not been alpha-read. Feel free to point out any errors or logical fallacies you manage to spot. ^^