Planet Ignis | Chapter 28

When Trother first told me about Terminations I broke down crying. I was deeply moved. As a Japanese, I studied the ritual suicide that samurais used to perform, the seppuku. I have also studied the history of the Kamikaze in the World War. But these were different. The suicides in my culture were misguided sacrifices caused by war. These Terminations, as they call it, were all sacrifices born out of love for one’s neighbor, child, or spouse.

Notes on Ignian Societies, by Hitori Himura, PhD

“Are you sure, Doctor Hitori?”

“Please, Eli, just call me Hitori. And yes, Eli, I’m sure.”

The three of them sat on the grass by the river. Eli was grateful to Hitori for giving them time to acclimate to this unfamiliar environment. He could now take his eyes off the beauty around them and focus on what he was saying.

“Let me see if I understood this correctly, Hitori,” started Trother, “we’re in the Nexus, but our brain activity has been sped up. So, we have several years here, while only hours will pass out in the real world. Correct?”

“That’s correct, Trother.”

“Is this how you’ve been living before?” asked Eli.

“Yes, and no. I have been living in a virtual world powered by my mind. I had limited oxygen and no food left in the lab. I had to reduce my metabolism to the barest minimum possible. That included the speed at which my brain worked. Due to the Tardus mutagen, however, I unlocked the full potential of my brain. Even though my brain was working much slower, I was thinking with more of it. So, between the slow metabolism and the speed gained from using my subconscious, my mind was working at… let’s say ninety percent of the normal speed.”

“Why didn’t you connect to the Nexus, like we’re doing now?” asked Trother.

“A side effect of Tardus is that all sensory input and output is blocked. It’s the only way it works. I would never be able to keep in contact with Archimedes when I was in cryogenic sleep.”

“And how exactly are our minds working so fast?”

“Think of this as a fourth kind of Bursting. Faren is forcing our minds to Burst, so to speak. We’re causing terrible strain on the brain, even with the help of the Statera mutation. We can’t stay here forever. We would die after a few days passed in the real world.”

Hitori started waving his hand in front of him, operating controls of some kind. He then found the information he wanted, swept his hand to the side, and Trother and Eli could see a report on their condition.

Name: Trother

Gender: male

Age: 57

Body Longevity: 1 day 3 hours

Mind Longevity: 40 years

Name: Eli

Gender: male

Age: 24

Body Longevity: 33 years

Mind Longevity: 45 years

“As you can see, Trother, you’ve pushed yourself to the breaking point. Your body can only survive for roughly twenty-four hours. Your brain, however, is quite intact. That means you can still live for forty years inside this virtual world, even though only one day will have passed outside, in the Burrows.

“Eli, you are in good health. I think that if we let twelve years go by here, we can make your mind catch up to your body. That will be enough time to train until the Raptor arrives in roughly one day in the real world.”

Eli nodded. On the one hand, it felt good to be suddenly given back all the time he had lost Bursting. But as he looked at his teacher, Eli had mixed feelings. Out in the real world, his teacher was about to die. On the other hand, Hitori had just given Trother forty years of virtual life here. He felt both happy and sad.

“How accurate are these predictions, Hitori?” asked Trother.

“Fairly accurate. Even though we haven’t been able to make humans live longer, we have gotten rather good at figuring out how long they have left,” answered Hitori with a sad smile.

“What about you, Hitori? How long have you got left?” asked Trother sympathetically. 

Hitori swiped his hand and let them see his report.

Name: Hitori Himura

Place of Birth: Osaka

Gender: male

Occupation: geneticist, doctor, programmer, mathematician

Rank: doctor cosmonaut [granted access level 1 by Commander Byrd]

Age: 513 years [error];

Lifespan: 1 hour [error];

Time until brain death: 2 years [error].

Hitori had fooled the years by freezing himself in them. However, as soon as he broke the dam of time that kept him alive, time ran to catch up to him, and his cells were aging rapidly.

“Not long. But long enough to teach you so you’ll teach the boy.”

“Teach me what? What’s the plan?”

*

It had been several days since Eli had last seen Dr. Hitori or Trother. In their absence, Dr. Hitori had left him with homework, delivered in the form of in-game quests.

[Your Journey Begins] (Common)

Quest Description:

Hello, Eli,

These books will give you a general idea of Earth’s rich variety of life. Please pay special attention to any references to genetics and DNA. They will prove helpful later.

Have fun,

Hitori Himura

Quest Objectives:

Read A Study of Earth’s Animals by Dr. Himura

Read A Study of the Plants of Earth by Dr. Smith

Read Symbiosis of Fauna and Flora by Dr. Caldwell

Rewards:500XP, 100 silver

Eli wasn’t surprised by the assignment. He had grown accustomed to tasks and homework being presented through the in-game quest system, a feature deeply integrated into the Nexus programming. As a child, Faren had used a similar system to teach him. Some quests involved reading, others required completing quizzes or tasks, but Eli never found them a chore.

To his surprise, the creatures described in Hitori’s books captivated him. Who could have guessed that Earth, so distant in memory, had been home to such extraordinary life? The variety of animals, plants, and ecosystems fascinated Eli, drawing him deeper into the material.

More than once, Eli noticed familiar names within the text—animals he had never seen, but whose names had survived on Ignis in the form of idioms and expressions. It wasn’t without its moments of embarrassment. Eli had always thought his teacher was an “old fax,” only to realize the correct term was “old fox.” Thinking of Trother brought a pang of longing. How much longer would he have to wait to see his teacher again?

The Nexus, in its full version, was incredible. Hitori had ensured that Archimedes’ vast data storage allowed the game to retain its full features, creating an immersive and realistic world. As the quests grew increasingly complex, they often led to new locations and challenges.

[The Flight of the Hummingbirds] (Uncommon)

Quest Description:

Dear Eli,

I think you’ll enjoy this next one. Check your in-game world map and travel to the city of Ellsworth. There, you’ll find a hummingbird aviary I programmed. Observe and study these little birds. Feel free to consult my studies on this fascinating animal.
Have fun,Hitori Himura

Quest Objectives:

Travel to Ellsworth

Visit the aviary

Study the hummingbirds

Read Hummingbirds and the Celer Mutation by Dr. Himura

Reward: 2000XP, 1 gold

At first, Eli struggled to see the relevance of these studies. How would learning about Earth’s fauna and flora help him prepare to stop the Raptor? It finally clicked when he began studying hummingbirds in depth. These tiny creatures had inspired Dr. Hitori’s creation of the Celer mutagen. By understanding their adaptations, Eli realized he could better understand his own abilities.

Trother’s words echoed in his mind: “Understanding something gives you power over it.” With that wisdom, Eli threw himself into his studies, refusing to cut corners.

The quests led him on a journey through Earth’s most unique creatures. He studied electric eels, geobacters, and other organisms capable of generating powerful electrical currents. Among these, his favorite quest had been the one at the electric eel aquarium.

[I Am an Electric Grill!] (Rare)

Quest Description:

Dear Eli,

Back on Earth, biologists developed an exciting program I brought to the Phoenix. It’s designed to help humans empathize with their study animals. It’s easier if you try it than if I explain it.

Have fun,

Hitori Himura

Quest Objectives:

Travel to Hilsford

Visit the aquarium

Enter the electric eel simulator

Catch ten fish as an eel

Reward:5000XP, 5 gold

Eli had activated the simulator, and in an instant, his consciousness transferred into the body of an electric eel. At first, the experience was overwhelming. He spasmed awkwardly in the water, unaccustomed to the dense, cool liquid surrounding him. Swimming was entirely foreign to him, and panic set in as he struggled to control his movements.

Gradually, Eli calmed himself. He began experimenting, isolating individual muscles and figuring out how to coordinate them. Hours passed, and with patience, he started to swim with a semblance of control.

Eli had known eels could produce electricity to stun prey, but experiencing it firsthand was astonishing. The mental command to discharge an electric pulse felt eerily similar to the act of Bursting. This revelation made hunting the simulated fish far easier. He found himself marveling at the similarities between this alien ability and his own.

Subsequent quests focused on heterothermic animals, particularly iguanas and Arctic squirrels. Each creature demonstrated remarkable adaptations, from regulating their body temperature to surviving freezing conditions. Studying Arctic squirrels had been particularly enlightening; their ability to hibernate in subzero temperatures while preserving brain function was a clear inspiration behind the Tardus mutagen.

[Congratulations on completing the quest: Sleep Tight, Little Squirrel]

Reward:10,000XP, 20 gold

[Level Up!]

As Eli completed this final quest, he received a new notification. It wasn’t just any quest—it was from Trother.

[The Raptor Comes] (Epic)

Quest Description:

Dear Eli,

It’s been far too long, son. Please meet me at the Central Square of Greensburg. We have much to discuss.

See you soon,

Trother

Quest Objectives:

Meet Trother in Greensburg

Reward: 1,000XP, 1 gold

Eli’s heart leapt. He finally had news of his teacher. Without delay, he made his way to Greensburg, eager for their reunion.

Eli’s heart leapt at the sight of Greensburg’s square. After days of waiting, he finally had news of his teacher. Without delay, he hurried toward the central oak tree, where Trother sat, a chessboard spread before him.

“Eli, look at you! It’s so good to see you!” Trother exclaimed, standing to greet him with a wide grin. His embrace was firm and warm, but Eli couldn’t help but notice a slight tremor in his teacher’s hands.

“How have you been, boy?” Trother asked as he pulled back, his voice carrying a note of relief.

“I’m OK, master,” Eli replied. “Are you? What’s up with you? It’s been less than a week since we last saw each other.”

“Don’t mind me. Yes, yes, I am fine,” Trother said, waving the concern away. But Eli wasn’t convinced. His teacher’s face looked thinner, his movements slower than usual. Something wasn’t right.

“Where’s Hitori?” Eli asked, glancing around as if the doctor might suddenly appear.

Trother gestured to the chessboard with a grin. “Come. Sit with me. There is much we need to discuss, and little time to waste. But first, a game. Let me see how you’re doing.”

Eli hesitated, glancing at his teacher’s knowing smile, before settling into the chair across from him. The familiar sight of the chessboard stirred memories of their countless matches in the Burrows. Yet this game felt different—as though it carried stakes far greater than any they’d played before.

Trother leaned forward, moving his first piece with a deliberate hand. “There’s much you need to know, boy,” he said, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial tone. “And it’s time we prepared for what’s coming.”

Chapter 29