Country of Champions 42

"He called it the Cooper-Cantrip Effect," Roy informed as he read through his news feed during a Reese Rover 'repairs' break.

The equipment specialist had spent the last few days, taking apart what could be, letting Orison tinker and then putting it back together. At first he was stunned and terrified that the young mage was going to break it and instantly make them poor again but then he learned that the Blood Moon maverick team WAS poor. Their fearless leader had bought it.

Roy didn't know what to say. He and Orison were independently well off by their starting standards but it wasn't much in the long run. The team funds HAD been roughly around ten times more than they individually owned. There were far more useful ways to invest it to grow a standard team into something better but he knew that each step was a means to some end and just went with the flow.

"He could have called it the Sticky Dust Effect and he'd have been better off. I heard a Wingright person who came over the other day to drop off some apology goodies say that he was going out to get a can of Fog Gorge sticky dust spray a couple of days ago. In the end, a scientist can name things what they want but it's the people that use whatever product that's produced from that research that have the last say." the young mage said offhandedly.

Roy sighed. "It was a gesture of appreciation, Orison. You know, something nice people do that actually proves that they're nice."

Orison snorted. "That nice gesture only earned ME the hatred of the Dirk family. Dr. Cooper would have been just fine but an acquisition group that spreads secrets... that's a different story. If it wasn't for my age and history, they'd probably want me dead. Their maverick team's been using that trick for years already."

The specialist asked, "Then how come that big old slice of awesome was ripe for the pickings? How come they didn't find it?"

Orison chuckled. "Who says they didn't make some attempts? Considering the size of these planes, how much do you think it would cost the Dirk family to use that trick to cover every triple skull area? They only use it on visually confirmed resource locations.

"The only reason I added it to the list of innovation reveals was because we needed a cover. Gan and I don't need that crap and the Irregular team would have suffered casualties trying to follow us without it. It won't change much of anything in the long run."

Suddenly thoughtful, Roy asked, "I've got a question for you. Why do you think that a plane's landscape visually extends past where the walls are? What is it we're really seeing?"

Orison said, "Those places are real. Continuations of where those planar pieces come from... at least at first. The wall is actually a boundary. Between one side and the other of that wall is a nearly timeless expanse of lawless space mostly. The rest depends on whether a plane possesses a will, a will shard or is just a functionally dead reject from its source.

"If the plane you're on has a will, you're seeing a piece of the past that will move slower and slower until it's not moving anymore and becomes a static picture. If your plane has a shard, then different places around the wall will show you a memory of the past that may or may not move, an actual past that also may or may not be moving or the present if the shard on the other side is active and still possesses the ability to 'share' with other shards.

"Functionally dead planes aren't much better than a memory themselves. They're like the ghosts of worlds. The dimmer that memory gets, the weaker that wall becomes until it collapses completely. Then you get to 'see' what's actually just on the other side of that wall. Mostly just an instant eternity of dark nothing but sometimes something scary. There might be a pleasant surprise every once in a next to never but that's not a lottery ticket I want to buy."

Roy stared blankly at Orison for a moment before he said, "Oh... Well, I'll be sleeping well tonight... What are we doing next? The investigation's finally done and you had me accept your medal for you. There's not a lot going on here anymore."

Orison released some of his inner weariness. "The next thing WE are doing is taking this contraption for a spin in Echo Mire. I haven't stopped DOING. There are tons of boring but scary important things I had to get on a lot faster because of the speed-up to when the worlds merge."

Roy looked at him skeptically.

"Coded messages, counter espionage, setting up some escape hatch fail-safes, the next ripple is going to be a doozy. I needed to make sure certain pieces were in place. If Mr Lacquer hadn't lost his marbles, I would have had to find a way to get back faster anyway," the young mage said, all the while looking at the parts of the Reese Rover still left to reattach.

The equipment specialist got back to work but kept talking. He asked about refilling team members, if that Trisha girl or Esme were going to be stopping back by again. The young mage didn't have any recruitment ideas and Trisha wasn't coming back because Esme's dad tried to kill him and the two were a package deal.

Esme was only a one time stop by to apologize and see what Trisha said he had for her. The moment Orison handed the young Ms Lacquer the over robe, he'd closed the book on those possibilities. Not that they had been much. Wryly, Orison had mused that he wasn't cut out for being casual with intimacy. He hadn't known the girls for long but it would be some time before even the small shadows they had cast would be completely gone from his mind and heart.

Roy said, "Oh, they aren't going to be stopping by again? I figured the way that Trish girl looked at you and how long she visited that she would definitely be coming back."

The young mage shrugged. "If she does, it'll be a back door visit and I don't think I'm alright with that. The Wingrights just got their little scion all calmed back down and friendly with me. If I start being Trisha's dirty little secret while Esme's trying to pull her his way so they can be a happy unit, I'm going to have to deal with a spoiled hot head flying off the handle at me again. Doesn't matter if it's him or Esme."

A little hesitantly, the specialist asked, "When are we going to say a few words at the memorial? His name was added to the fallen heroes list. It an Avalon tradition thing."

Orison said, "We can go now if you want. The gesture has no real meaning for me. Everything that made him... him was sacrificed to that thing he did. I didn't even get to see off his soul core. It was just gone. They linger around for a few minutes usually but... maybe it had to do with what he did.

"There's a good chance he's already living another life, waiting to be born somewhere. It seems kind of morbid and disrespectful to mourn his loss when we should be toasting to good fortune in his new life. Believe me. Dead people don't stay that way.

"In his case, maybe it's best that he left everything behind. Don't let his mindless seeming self indulgence fool you. That guy was a big ball of jaded disappointment and unprocessed pain."

Frowning a little, Roy added, "If that was all there was to it, you wouldn't be so tore up. Whether he's off having the time of his life somewhere else, you lost a friend. You get to be sad about that."

He didn't want to think about it and tried to change the subject but Roy gently brought it back around.

To stop that train of conversation, Orison said, "I plan on going to Nexus anyway. I'm going to pay a person that stays there to tell me where Stag is and I'm going to go see him if I can, pay him back somehow. That's all there is to it. We can go to the memorial whenever but that's that."

When they had first returned, Roy had crashed over at the lake house for a couple of days and they talked about a lot of different things. When the issue of 'climbing' was raised, the specialist didn't have interest. He was thankful for everything the young mage had done but didn't see himself enjoying reality jumping and mind bending adventures.

There was some information in the 'skill book' that Orison gave him that made him wake up with cold sweats and a racing heart. It had instilled a subtle dread in him. The mysteries of his own world and it's future was a little more than he could bear on some days.

"What about you and Julia. Since you're turning your back on the greatest opportunity ever offered, are you thinking about maybe settling down now that you can live long enough to enjoy it?" the young mage offered to end Roy's picking at his wounds.

While they chatted, the specialist finished his mechanic work. Orison thought about what he wanted out of his remaining time on the world he found himself on. Months, maybe around a year and if he didn't find whatever clue he was missing, not only would he not reach step and tier four, he'd die when he was forced to cross the boundary. His intuition had never been so clear on something.

Their conversation was interrupted by a call from the Second Heaven transportation hub. Babs and her paternal grandfather were requesting permission to visit. In her usual brisk style, the twelve year old girl introduced Birgir Leifson and launched right into her reason for visit but was interrupted by the more sedate pace of her grandfather.

"Call me Grandpa Booger... Ah, little girl. Why are you always in such a rush? We only just arrived. Let an old man and your host have a chat for a minute," Girgir said.

Frowning but reluctantly nodding, she walked over to the kitchen fridge and helped herself. Orison took in the weather worn skin, shock of full white hair and still rough, calloused hands of his visitor while the man spoke his own peace. After some casual conversation and warm up that was perhaps polite but not altogether necessary, the man got around to his side of their odd request.

Birgir said, "I've never saw a baby I didn't really like on sight before. It's strange but now I've met two. Little Bebba doesn't seem to be bonding well with them either. On the other hand, I've never seen Janet make eyes at her other kids like she does at those twins. It's like they brought out the mother in her."

Orison said, "It's a bloodline thing. It's that light touch of animosity that probably brought Janet to your son's attention in the first place. In her case, it was a touch of the same blood that runs much more strongly in those children. You didn't feel it from her because your son... marked her in a sense."

The old man sighed and said, "I have an extended visa to look after Little Bebba. If it's an imposition or too strange, no hard feelings. But she suggested I ask if we could stay here while I visit for a few months."

The young mage looked at Babs and said, "Fighting again? What's it over this time?"

She said, "What's it always over? Merits. Garret left me more than what's covered under the children's personal property act. So, she just scooped up the rest and threw it into the twins' funds since she couldn't claim it for herself. Not that I care but she wanted me to add some of mine to it, some kind of dedicated gift account. As soon as I turn thirteen, I can open a gift card account of up to 20,000 yearly from my personal inheritances for so many people with such and such relationships. Blah, blah, blah.

"Sonny, she's going to MAKE me do it... He might come back. We've seen the video. She's acting like he's dead and I want to make sure that he has something if he does come back... Can I become one of those... Is it okay to say things in front of Grandpa Booger? I trust him always and everything!"

Orison looked speculatively at the rough but kindly looking old man and nodded hesitantly.

She said, "I want to be a climber so I can go get my brother or go wherever he's going. I hate it here. I hate mom and I HATE GURRUT!"

The girl's calm and composed demeanor completely cracked and she cried like the heartbroken child she was. He had a hard time outright denying the girl but what she was asking for would be an added complication and dangerous on top. She was very young and Orison didn't feel up to being responsible for a life at that age, especially with decisions of that great a magnitude.

In the ensuing silence, he rolled it around in his mind and finally said, "Get the gaming system and take your brother's room. In all of his stuff, I'm sure you can find things to keep your interest while I talk to your grandpa. If you want me to take your request seriously, you'll listen to mine and your grandpa's instructions just as seriously.

Within a few seconds, she packed up and forced down all her dark and sad feelings. In almost the same amount of time she silently did as she was told with a cold face that didn't quite manage to cover the grief she just tried to bury. It was a good thing in Orison's eyes. If she could flip the switch like he could, he'd not really be able to fully trust her, as contradictory and hypocritical as that was.

Looking around, he noticed that at some point, Roy had slipped out to be about his own business, having an allergy to family drama. The young mage was slightly disappointed, however. He was going to have the man check his house for 'bugs'. There were some things that could be played off as heritage secrets but there were things that Orison was going to have to share with the old man that no one could hear.

"There's a boat down at the dock. Feel like doing some light fishing, Grandpa Booger?" the young mage said a little awkwardly.

Such a nickname was going to take some time to get used to.

"Only if you have a touch of something to take the edge off. I ache from neck to kneecap. Trust me on this. Take care of what the maker gave you. You'll pay for every ding and scratch when you get my age," Birgir said, chuckling.

Smiling faintly, the young mage replied, "If I didn't have enforced privacy out here, I'd have a line of older folks from here to the transport building asking for 'something to take the edge off'. I think I can find something to do the trick."

Once they were out near a decent fishing spot, away from areas that might see some light trespassing from the dolphin siblings or their visitors, Orison laid out the abridged version of what a climber was while they sipped on a lightly medicinal brew.

Done with that, he addressed her request and it's difficulties with the old man. "The best opportunity I had to do so is past. I have maybe one or two ways to still do it but they aren't as assured or guaranteed to be the best fit. The reason she has is emotionally valid enough for me but you know her better than I do. Does she have the fortitude and persistence to follow through when things get hard, dangerous or scary?"

The old man looked out onto the water and said with a slow, almost mesmerizing quality to his voice, "There's a lot of maybe to it that would give any reasonable adult pause. The best opportunities are always filled with maybe. I get the feeling that you're dumping all this in my lap because if I agree that she should, I'm agreeing to a whole lot more than that. Am I wrong?"

Orison smiled and said, "Nope. If she's going to become a climber, it's because you're climbing beside her."

The man smiled sadly. "An old relic like me? Gods, Lars. Look what your daughter's dragging me into now... Young man, the spirit is willing but I'm past the expiration date. How can I not see what you're getting at but if you don't feel confident in keeping her safe while you do what you need to do, how do you expect me to?"

The young mage said, "Oh, that's not a problem. If you had the skill, I can get you the tools to use them again. That includes a body hearty and healthy enough to use those skills. What I'm trying to do, is justify the resources I'll have to use to make that happen.

"I'm not that angry at Gurrut. Hell, if Garret had decided to jump in himself I'd only feel a little put out. I hope this doesn't come across the wrong way but what Babs is asking for isn't as simple as a tutorial. It's resources and knowledge. It's bargains and responsibilities, even if I am trying to limit that last one by throwing some resources at you."

The old man's gaze over the water took on a hint of weariness. He was no stranger to the deals of the powerful. If someone wanted the best there was to be had, there was almost always an equally frightening price tag. The man had thrown everything he had into giving his son the best advantages and opportunities he could but fortune hadn't favored his son.

Birgir didn't know if he had enough fire left in him to carry that little girl safely to her golden chance. He had some surety that Orison was quite a bit different from the man who had struck a devil's style bargain with him, that cost him everything he had cared about in exchange for nothing more than a baby girl who he was almost powerless to help. But under all the polite words, a hint of another Faustian deal tickled his fears.

The old man said, "I don't really care what you want from me. I have so little of value left that it's almost laughable you'd want anything at all. But what do you want from her?"