15 [Crystal]

"It's something I found before settling here by chance, I'd all but forgot about it until those arses showed up today trying to buy it from me." James said with a sigh as he walked down the steps of the basement.

Haley listened with interest, 'What could be so valuable down here that I've not found already?' He thought to himself. He had practically made the basement his own in the last year and there was not a single part of it that he hadn't explored and adapted to suit his needs but even so apparently, he had still missed something.

After the two of them had come down the stairs James waited for him to come off the final step before kicking the bottom of the final step, the sudden jolt caused the side of the step to collapse revealing a hidden compartment Haley just stood there dumbfounded as James crouched next to it to pick up a piece of cloth within.

"Is that the only secret in this house old man?" He asked curiously, James gave him a wry smile and shook his head without answering. 'Times like these make me wonder what this guy used to do for a living.' He muttered in his heart but knowing he wouldn't get an answer anytime soon he watched as James unwrapped the cloth to reveal a glowing purple crystal.

[Warning! Heart Palpitations detected!]

He immediately received a notification the moment he laid his eyes on the crystal but even without the reminder he could feel the changes in his own body it was like a primal urge that caused him to extend his hand out to touch it.

But, James was quick to react and stepped back causing him to miss the stone by a few inches but the feeling of grabbing nothing but air was enough for Haley to come back to his senses.

"What… what is that thing?" He asked slowly with a hint of fear in his voice, the moment he laid eyes on it he felt as if his body was no longer under his control which was less than comfortable as you might imagine.

James shrugged and wrapped the crystal back up before replying, "They call it a Planar Crystal, apparently they're formed from the natural death of a life-supporting planet which is why this thing could go for fifty-billion luna let alone fifty-million." He said calmly, Haley was stunned for a second but could understand why the old man had hid it for so many years; if the government or the dark forces of civilization discovered you possessed something that was one of only a few in existence in the universe nothing needed to be said as to what actions they might take upon finding that the person who possessed it was practically defenceless.

"Luckily, those syndicate guys think it's a Psy-Crystal instead which is why they didn't take drastic measures and come with more troops they might be at the level of wanting it yet not caring if they don't get it now but if they discovered it was the invaluable Planar Crystal then they would be willing to sacrifice everything to take it for themselves which is why…" James held out the crystal wrapped in cloth towards Haley with resolute determination, "You need to take it." He said firmly.

Haley was stunned before speechlessly shaking his head, "I couldn't, I can't protect something so valuable." But the old man didn't take back his hand and instead shoved it into Haley's front pocket, "They say this crystal holds the energy equivalent to a sun when harnessed by the right person, you aren't a child that'll be held back which is exactly why you're the most deserving person to own it on this entire damn rock!" He said quietly but Haley could see the hope in his eyes – hope for what? He didn't know. But he felt a warm feeling spread across his body at the man entrusting his most valuable treasure to him, it was a feeling that he hadn't felt in a long time and one that he hadn't expected to receive again the moment he was left for dead.

Haley stood there for a moment before looking James in the eyes, "I'll repay you, maybe I'm not powerful enough for that to many anything now but one day in the future I'll be there for you whatever you need." Haley slowly lifted the crystal from his top pocket, even wrapped in the cloth he could feel the energy pulsating from it, it gave him the feeling of holding an entire star in the palm of his hand.

"Thank you." He said warmly, James shook his head.

Smack!

Haley received a blow to the side of the head, "Stupid kid, getting all sentimental on me, you think I don't know you're saying goodbye? Then just fucking say it haha! Ya don't think I already knew about those drones you were using for your own personal use? Bah! Just treat them as the final gift from this old man, I was beginning to wonder how much longer you were gonna leech off me!" He said with a hearty laugh which was slowly replaced by a soft smile as he looked at Haley, "Kid, I don't know who you are, and I don't want to know but be careful out there k'ay? This old man has been to far too many funerals in his life, now go! Get your stuff and leave already!"

Haley didn't need to be told twice, with a small grin he walked up the stairs leaving James alone in the basement by himself.

"Stupid kid…" He muttered softly as he looked at his almost unrecognisable basement, unknown to him was the small smile on his face as he saw the designs and schematics pinned to the walls everywhere, "It truly feels like that time again, you see this bro?" He muttered.

He pulled his arm up level with his face and with a soft double tap on the surface of his wristwatch, a relic from the past like most things in his home, a holo-display appeared shattering the illusion of a relic from the past that many would have upon seeing the wristwatch for the first time.

A few short minutes later after several taps and several conversations the towering figure of a man was created from the holo-display before it began to speak.

"James, what do you want?" He asked coldly, James just laughed and shrugged before replying: "Can't I just call to have a talk with an old friend?" He asked innocently.

"No."

James sighed and shook his head but seemingly having expected this he began to speak, "I hid the Planar Crystal in PcX-02A."

"Why should I believe you this time?! Last time you sent me to the edge of the known fucking universe! You expect me to believe you just because you tell me to?!" The man exploded angrily; his rage was clear as he stared daggers.

"Now now, back then we both know if he had gotten the Planar Crystal the universe would've gone to shit – I didn't feel like being the start of a war but now? I'm near my deathbed, what else do I have to lose?" He said with an eerie smile causing the man to fall into deep thought.

"I swear if you've lied to me this time, I don't care how many galaxies I have to wipe out I'll find you and rip you to shreds myself!" He said viciously before disappearing from the holo-display seemingly having disconnected their call.

Without missing a beat, he took of the watch and stomped on it, he could hear a faint cry as whoever was still listening on the other side received the feedback. "Stupid guy, do you think I don't know you've learned some new tricks?"

'This'll buy the kid a few more years to grow up, I just hope it's enough…' James opened the installed modifications section of his HUD and looked at Medical Analysis with a complicated expression, 'A talent like this is unheard of, I've given him the time to mature but only time will tell what he becomes in the end.'

With that the old man simply disappeared from the basement as if he hadn't existed in the first place, like a ghost he was gone from this world.