System Break

Chapter 166: Exoskeleton

There was no convincing required for me to suck on the gas which knocked me out. If Jake, previously known as Pieter, wanted me dead he could have dropped the container in the sea. Hell, he could have left me at the Huan Estate. 

Hours past and I woke in a haze of delirium. Mechanical whirring sounds reached my ears, and I could not focus my eyes; everything was a blur. 

There was a garbled sound and only one word was clear, "Under." And then everything went black again.

One of the things about anaesthesia is the patient usually remembers nothing. Something about it stuffs around with your neural mechanisms which is intentional on the drugs part. 

But not me.

I saw the ancient Chinese dude floating on a cloud again but just as he recognised me I was pulled away. He had the hide to smile and wave at me as I was sucked into another space.

A frog jumped and splashed - I was sitting next to a pond. I looked around and there was moss, rocks, mushrooms, and fungus all over the place. Then I saw her standing there staring at me in surprise. It was Mother.

"You are here," she said, and her eyes twinkled with amusement.

"I guess I am. Where is here?"

She pointed and said, "Look out in the distance what do you see?"

There was a green translucent film at the edge of the garden, but I could see past it and I recognised the grassy area and tree line immediately. It was the glade.

"I'm here?"

"I am just as surprised as you are." She smiled and approached me. "But I think I know how you came here. I added your core to the sacred willow this morning. It is now part of the land core."

I stared at the pond. It only now hit me that I really died in the game. There was no coming back to my old body; I died, and they held a funeral for me.

"Do not worry," she said softly. "I think all will be well. And I have the pleasure of your company."

I stood and looked down at myself. I was naked but it wasn't the Svartalfar me, it was the real me with one exception; I was translucent too. I was a ghost. 

"How did you recognise me?" I asked.

"I know how you feel and who else could do this? You are one of a kind."

"One of two don't you mean?"

"Maybe."

My feet dangled in the pond. I could feel the cool waters or at least I think I could. I missed the carefree days when I stayed near the glade. There were always urgent matters taking us away but when I was here I was happiest. We'd train, run, eat, sleep, and of course bang like nymphomaniac rabbits. 

"I miss it here," I said.

She sat beside me and whispered softly to the tiny fish. "Do no be afraid; no harm will come to you."

I looked up at her and then across the rock pool. "How is it so big in here? The tree is only a few feet wide."

Her melodic laughed filled my ears. "This is my domain. It is not as it seems."

"This is where you disappear to. Do you sleep on the rocks?"

She shook her head. "I watch and think. I do not need sleep; it is enough I am here."

There was a light in the depths of the pond. "Where does that go?"

"A meeting place for the Mothers."

I peered at it "Can I go through it?"

"You can go where you please Benzhi. I will not deny you. Whether you can or will is up to you."

I smiled at her. "I like it here. I don't need to meet more Mothers. You're enough."

"Tell me when you will be back. Gisael and the others would love to hear from you even if they cannot see you."

I sighed. "I'm working on it. I have someone helping me, but it will not be easy my path is not clear. I need to do something about the Chancellor in Loctris and the gatekeepers. Otherwise it will be years before I can forge my own path as the Shaman did. I am a complete novice in the ways of the Ancients."

"You will find a way," she said with supreme confidence in me.

I smiled. "Thanks." It felt good that she believed in me. It all stemmed from the Qi Sage who came before, but I didn't care.

"The forest is patient. I am patient. Do what you need to and come back to us when you can. Do not worry, the mystical beasts and the guardians can protect us. Although their training with you was short they learned enough to grow themselves."

At the mention of Guardians I was overcome with sadness. "Ailen, he will not be back. Neither will Sakaala. Send the new ones to the Reach to train with Kysandre and Peppin. Do not let them stay here."

"Ailen's body is here asleep in his home."

"He will not be back." I sighed. "I saw him die - dispose of the body in case another tries to occupy it." There was a chance that I could take it depending on many factors, but it was uncertain at best. And there was something wrong about it. Even if I could - I would reject taking his body.

I thought I would do anything to return, but there were limits.

She stared at the pond. "Very well. We will add him to the land core."

"Tell Gisael I love her and miss her dearly." I stared at Mother. "I love everyone even Dark Bear."

She smiled weakly. "You can reconnect with him when you return."

I felt myself being pulled. "I will return, or I will die trying."

"Goodbye for now Benzhi" her words trailed off and I began to spin. I was six foot six and it felt like I was sucked through a tiny straw and then dumped back on my body in the old world. The real world. But they both were real; one was almost too good to be true.

I gasped for breath.

"He's alive," the technician said. He sounded like he was ordering a burger because there was zero concern in his tone.

"Good Pedro. You would owe me quite a few favours if you let him die in such a simple procedure."

The technician frowned and hefted his robotic arm with and inbuilt screwdriver. "If its so simple find someone else who can do this."

Jake laughed. "But you owed me a favour."

"And this big bastard will be able to walk. Assuming he can work the exo."

Jake nodded. "I'm sure he can, he's quite capable." He bent over me. "How do you feel?"

"I think it's the first time in my life I was glad I had no feeling in my legs." My throat was dry, and I cleared it. "My shoulders hurt like hell, I guess I have some feeling up here."

"Try and get up," Jake said. "Use the interface in your cybernetic implant."

The servo motors were surprisingly quiet I could barely hear them whir as I sat up. "Whoa. This is awesome."

Jake smiled. "We're just getting started comrade." And then he laughed at our private joke.

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