183 Phase 139: First

Meanwhile, Gracie was killed.

It wasn't Foxie's fault, or Kirin's. In fact, they tried to save her. It wasn't even the fault of a Wild, though there were a few who tried. Foxie and Kirin managed to save her from those.

But they couldn't save her from what killed her. There she was shrieking and kicking at them and screaming about hating Colin and she ran out onto the middle of the road without looking. She ran out right in front of an automated cargo truck and got hit before she even knew it was there.

She died on the spot and respawned in front of a big dome-like building with a small gathering of other kids and some parents.

"Ugh..." Gracie groaned, feeling sick. "Wh... what...?"

She looked around, but there was nobody she recognized there. No Colin. No fox. No swan. No Alicia. Nobody.

"Attention, new Travelers!" a woman in a red nurse uniform called. She had three other nurses in pink behind her and wore some big watch and had a red badge along with some instruments that could have come from a hospital. She pulled up a projection from her watch and started reading from it. "Welcome to Nakama World! Uh... let's see... new speech... um... Sponsored by the New Order of Gaia! For learning to care for the Environment the Fun Way! Your first mission is... huh? Talk to the Head Nurse and hear the Introduction speech? This IS the Introduction speech! What IS this?!"

A man in a green and gold suit stepped up and said, "It means the old introduction speech."

She scowled at the speech and said, "Sorry, folks. New ownership. We're in the process of implementing changes."

"It's a Live Update." The man in green and gold told everyone with a broad grin. "We're upgrading the entire system as we go along, without any downtime at all!"

This received scattered applause from the gathering who looked somewhat uncertain, but polite.

"Let me tell you what we're doing right now." The man said, and stepped up in front of the red nurse. She made a face at him, but then stepped back and let him speak. "We're basically trying to make Nakama World what it {should} be - fun, and safe!"

The four nurses at his back stared at him as if wondering what kind of creature he was. And that was saying a lot, considering how weird the creatures around here were.

"We're going to make things more playful, more relaxed, less scary. We're putting together a set-up system for new Travelers to get the hang of this place, and we're offering First Week bonuses for everyone starting within these seven days. We also want to organize how things happen around here, host regular events and arrange things so that Travelers have a better idea of which Region to go to first. As I said, overall, Nakama World should become a lot more fun to play in."

Gracie thought it sounded great. She was a bit surprised, though, when the man turned to her and pointed.

"You see how sick that poor girl looks? That's what happens when you die and respawn in Dreamworlds. Now, she is obviously new to this World, and due to the old system, she got killed without even a Comrade. That, my friends, is unfair to new Travelers. It's too hard. So we're going to make things easier, and clearer so kids can understand it better, and we're going to give them a better start so that dying is a lot less likely to happen, ever!"

More people clapped now, and louder. Some were smiling. The nurses, however, were shaking their heads as if in disbelief.

"Give out the Newbie Starter Packs, and the First Week Bonus packages." The man ordered the nurses.

They didn't like it, but they did it. Gracie and about five other kids received backpacks and loaf-sized boxes.

"Those backpacks are your Newbie Starter Packs. They will be given to all new Travelers from now on. Inside, you will find full suits of costumed gear, coupons for Comrade Food that you can redeem at whichever shop sells the type of food your Comrades need, and a 2-day Home Base ticket for the Comrade Homes, so they'll get Premium Care while you're awake during the day! It's like a free stay at a luxury hotel for them!"

Gracie peeked into the backpack, which was as much as she could manage since she was feeling more and more sick by the minute. Inside was a deep green tracksuit and zippered yellow vest with the symbol of an eye, crown and circle. There were a coupon book and the tickets slid neatly within the inner backpack pockets.

"Remember, kids, wear the yellow safety vest at all times, so that drivers can see you on the roads. This is to avoid road accidents." The man said.

"What's that picture on it?" One boy asked.

"That's the brand." The man shrugged. "Also the sponsors' logo. A lot of new Premium Items will be sold around here with that logo. That's how you know it's a high quality buy."

"Premium Items?" A girl asked. "How is that better than normal?"

"Oh, they'll be much better." The man grinned. "For example, you normally lose items when you die here, but you'll never lose those. Also, your Safety Vests have a Call For Help function, so if you're ever really in trouble, you can call a Rescue Ship to bring you to safety from anywhere in the world! It's going to cost you after the first time, though. How much depends on where you are."

"What if it's too expensive?" A dad asked.

"I wouldn't worry about that. As long as they follow the main missions line, they should have plenty of money and avoid getting into places too hard for them to handle." The man waved it away dismissively. "But just in case, we can charge it to your accounts. You won't have to worry about your kids being scared and trapped in a dangerous place, ever."

"Just how scary and dangerous a place is this?" A mom asked.

"Don't worry about that either. We're going to make it a lot safer." The man assured her. "We'll limit just how strong the Wilds can grow, even offer Support Squads for hire if they need it. We'll make sure every new Traveler gets into a good Guild led by one of our own people, so they'll have plenty of friends to play with under adult supervision."

"Taxi fees. Squad fees. Premium Items. This is going to get expensive." The first dad grumbled.

"Ah, but it'll be fun and safe." The man countered. "You'll never have to worry about your kids."

Gracie decided she liked that man. Fun and safe was good. Getting sick when you died was bad.

Meanwhile, the kids were getting restless. One girl in a flowery dress asked, "What's in the box? Can I open it?"

"Sure!" the man exclaimed.

Gracie opened hers as quickly as the other kids did. Inside was a stylish white visor and a few vouchers. One glance saw vouchers for hair saloons, three clothing stores and a jewelry shop. She grinned. {Shopping!}

"We want to make sure you get to look exactly as you like here." The man said with the biggest smile yet. "Have a blast by looking good! On us!"

The red nurse cleared her throat. "We'll now call out the names on the registry..."

"Forget that." The man turned around and walked toward the dome. "Everyone follow me! Parents, come see what your kids are going to be Traveling with!"

Gracie stumbled along after them, completely ignoring the fact that she wasn't actually registered as a new Traveler.

***

Colin, at the time, had no idea what Gracie was doing. He had, earlier that night, thought of asking Dad to register her properly, and then give her Foxie... or barring that, buy back some of his old Comrades to offer her, as and when her First Comrade reached their levels.

But that was all before he met her at the airport and she threw a hissing fit over wanting to become the Forest Princess and usurping Lynn without knowing the first thing about Nakama World.

And, of course, before he began to get a better idea of what the Gaians buying over Nakama World really meant.

***

"Leviathan is {gone}?!" Colin stared at Sora at the landing platform of Ocean Tower. Seeing Sora there instead of Philip and Katrin was a surprise enough (though it shouldn't be, Colin guessed, since he was there himself), but to hear that Leviathan had completely vanished from Nakama World...

"Was he deleted?" Alicia asked.

"We weren't sure at first." Sora paused. "But then we got a report from Techon that said some enormous sea serpent appeared in their Southern Sea and was wreaking havoc on their shipping."

"Exported, then." Satrox concluded.

"Techon?" Colin wasn't sure what that meant.

"It's another Dreamworld. Kind of like Adventura but much, much more advanced. Dreamers there use Mecha." Sora explained. "Giant robots."

Colin's eyes went wide. But he said nothing. Nothing at all.

Satrox grunted. "I guess even Techon Dreamers would have trouble with something like Leviathan. What about Grand Kraken? And Landho? And your Mountain Wilds? Are they all disappearing?"

"Not yet, but all of them are feeling weird. I think it's just a matter of time." Sora turned to Colin. "What about Fenria? And the other Frenzied Lords?"

"I don't know." Colin admitted. "Sanctuary would protect them from being bonded by humans, but Exportation? I have no idea."

"Fenrix has been barred." Lynn told Colin straight out. "I'm just glad Nightwind is still around for now. But I think Sora is right. It's just a matter of time. The Gaians are serious about that new level cap."

"What do they think they're doing?" Alicia wondered.

"The company line is that they're making things 'fun and safe'. But generally... they're changing the very nature of Nakama World." Sora told her. He took some time to explain what new Travelers now received and then said, "Think about that for a bit. What do you think is going to happen to Dreamers here?"

"Well, they would definitely feel safer. And things would have been much easier if we had a main mission line to follow." Alicia mentioned. "But... I don't know... does it seem... {too} easy?"

"Keep going." Sora suggested. "You're getting there."

"I mean... food vouchers? We had to earn every Clira to buy food for our Comrades from the very first night. If you get more than enough money from the main mission line... if they give you everything they need... then there's no point in doing anything that's not in that mission line." Alicia figured.

"You can kiss independence and initiative goodbye." Lynn agreed. "No need to think for yourself. Forget exploration, forget about discovery. You just do what you're told and you get rewarded for it. That's it. You've turned a world of limitless possibilities into a railway ride."

"I kind of understand the attraction, though." Alicia mentioned. "Think about it. Vouchers for a hair saloon... clothes and jewelry..."

"And from the get-go, new Travelers become more concerned about what they wear than about raising their Comrades. They become self-interested rather than responsible." Lynn's mouth twisted. "The Gaians are raising Consumers. They're teaching kids from young to spend on trivialities. And to spend on getting rescued and getting help and getting premium items."

Satrox coughed. "Well, you gotta admit, it'll be a lot more profitable. Looking at it from a business viewpoint, it makes sense. They spent a lot buying up all those shares. Now they want to make money from it. It's sound economics."

Alicia was still looking at Sora's list of 'Upgrades' posted by the Gaians. "Oh. It looks like high level Wilds aren't the only ones being barred from Nakama World. People are too. They're imposing a maximum age limit of 16 except for licensed professionals."

"In other words, the only adults left here would be Gaians." Satrox said grimly. "Is that even possible?"

"Also, private businesses are banned." Alicia mentioned, still studying the list. "They're organizing all businesses under three Mega Corporations."

"That's the end of entrepreneurship." Satrox figured. "They want to control all the money."

"And Nakama World will be divided into six Kingdoms according to region... it looks like they're doing away with the Three Kingdoms, guys. Does that mean there won't be a Mountain Prince or a Forest Prince afterward?"

Sora and Colin exchanged grim looks. Being who they were wasn't just about the titles. The mountains and the forests {meant} something to them. They had a connection with the land and the Wilds that dwelt there. It was unthinkable that the Cult could just come in and cut that out from the world.

"They can't do that." Lynn shook her head. "They just {can't}."

Satrox was grim. "Who knows what they can or can't do? I mean, Leviathan just got {exported}."

"Where is Philip?" Lynn growled. "This is too much. This is all way too much. Why are they doing this? Why do they want him so badly they'd buy over Nakama World to do it?"

Sora answered. "He's at Boom City. He went there to win the All-You-Can-Eat Contest."

"Then..." Satrox paused. "Is he trying to complete the Journey?"

Colin froze.

"Isn't that obvious?" Sora said. "He wants to get away from the Cult. He can't go through the Higher Plane. The Ancient Ways are more dangerous now than they've ever been and Cass says it's extremely dangerous for him in particular to set foot in the Lower Plane, so risking his death in the Ancient Ways is totally out of the question. That leaves only one way out."

"The Silver Arch." Satrox nodded.

"What?" Colin had to ask.

Satrox glanced at him and said, "We may as well tell you. It's about the Journey's End. When they said it's a treasure out-of-this-world, they meant it literally."

"A Gate?" Colin stared. "The Journey's End is a Gate to another Dreamworld?"

"Not just any Dreamworld. A secret one. You can't get there from the Higher Plane, for example." Satrox paused. "But why would Philip go there? I mean, the warning said you can only stay there for eight hours."

"You've been there?" Colin frowned. "You've completed the Journey?!"

"Twice." Satrox said. "This is my third cycle. My third time making the Journey in Nakama World. But each time, I chose not to go through the Arch, and I opted for secondary prizes instead. The price was too high to pay."

"What sort of price?" Colin asked.

"Everything." Satrox said. "If you choose to step through that Gate, you have to give up everything you've gained here. That includes your Comrades, your ranking, even your items and money."

Sora nudged him. "Like I've told others before... don't go too prepared. Everything you gain here is lost if you go through that Arch."

"I kinda liked the secondary prizes, though." Satrox mused. "The first time I reached it, I traded my Comrades for a Breeder's License. The second time, I traded them for One Rank Up. That's the only way to get to Gray Badge ranking that I know of. If I complete the Journey and take that option again, I'll finally get to know what it means to have a Black Badge ranking."

"So... you don't actually know what's on the other side of the Silver Arch?" Colin asked.

"Nobody knows. Trust me, we've asked." Sora told him. "Nobody's willing to give up everything. It's painful enough trading your Comrades away for the really worthwhile prizes. Losing everything... even your house and money and titles and Home Points and Guild scores..."

"The more you have, the more difficult it is to pass through that Arch." Satrox told Colin. "And to have enough power to beat all the guardians of the Secret Gate, you need to have a {lot}."

"Clira here can be translated to real life money." Alicia said softly. "If I had that kind of power... Imagine if I killed Colin until I had all the bounty money. If I walk through that Arch, I'd be losing my entire college fund. And for what? Nobody has any idea what's beyond that Arch."

"Pretty much." Satrox agreed. "So you see why nobody's ever done it."

"But Philip..." Sora shook his head. "Philip's adamant about doing it. Just to get away from the Cult for a few hours. He'd give up everything."

"Even his Comrades?!" Colin protested. "Even Michi's Breedings?!"

For an answer to that, there was only silence.

"Even..." Colin choked. "Even being the Ocean Prince?"

"Even that." Sora said in a soft voice.

"For a few hours of safety. I don't get it, but..." Alicia paused. "He must have his reasons. What's so important about him that the Cult is so hell-bent on capturing him? So important he'd give up everything just to get away from them for just a few hours?"

"What..." Colin took a deep breath. "What happens to the Comrades you give up in trade there? For that license and the ranking and all?"

"That's up to you. I gave mine to my friends." Satrox told him. "Zoe's still got most of my Second Cycle bunch. But that's only for the Secondary Prizes. Going through the Arch seems like something else entirely."

"So in short... we have no idea what's going to happen." Sora summarized. "Only that Philip is determined to find out. How about it, Colin? Want to go with him? If you want to try it, now's the time."

"What do you mean?" Colin asked.

"Well, you're still Forest Prince for now. You actually have the power to get past all those boss fights. But now that the Gaians are in charge..."

"I might lose that power." Colin realized. "Even if I still had the title afterward, the Wilds left would be..."

With the others around, he did not mention the Lords of the Wilds and the extreme likelihood of them being Exported. The look on Sora's face said he was thinking the same thing.

{And without the Lords, who could organize the Wilds?}

Colin arrived at the same conclusion Sora did. "This is my only chance."