Oath of the Survivor

The journey to Collective space was calm, uneventful even.  Maybe it was from the stress of all the back-to-back events after the cataclysm, but he wholeheartedly expected that something would go wrong.  Instead, he’d been able to enjoy a week of company and slice of normalcy amidst the chaos. 

He and Rochelle were grabbing breakfast together, which had become part of their morning routine. There was a tension between them this time, though it was easy to understand why.  The ship would arrive today, and they both knew the conversation that was coming.  Rochelle sipped her morning tea, meeting Kyle’s eyes before she spoke.  “Have you decided what you’re going to do after we get there?”

He nodded.  “If Angela’s documents are current, I’ll be at the Hub for quite a while preparing to get my licensure.”

Rochelle closed her eyes for a moment as raised her tea to her lips, appearing to be savoring the taste.  She’d never floated the idea of him staying on with Corthian Mining.  When they arrived, she’d take a transporter to the Corthian Mining headquarters, and their paths would diverge.  They didn’t know each other – not really – though the last week had been significant for Kyle.  He relished having a chance to be a person again – not a D Grade, not a savior, not a monster. 

“So… how often do you make it to the Hub?”  Kyle asked, more than a little hopefulness in his voice.

She shrugged him; a wistful look in her eye.  “It’s not just about going to the Hub, Kyle.  You’ll see when we get there.”

“I’m sure it’s big, but how big can it realistically be?”

She finished her tea before standing, looking at him before she walked away.  “Like I said, you’ll see.”

Kyle watched her go as she left the mess hall.  Despite her words, he was confident their paths would cross again someday.  Regardless, he wasn’t going to make their parting any more painful than it had to be.  A buzz on his nav bracelet indicated a countdown until he had to clear his quarters of his belongings.  That wasn’t a difficult task, as he’d already packed.  Not bringing much onto the ship had its benefits.

With time to spare, Kyle made his way towards the flight deck.  He wouldn’t be allowed in with Chester and the navigation staff, but he could still get a look through their projectors at the space ahead.  He settled in, just as the flagship was preparing for its final jump.  Floating in the space ahead was what appeared to be a massive stone ring.  The area in the center seemed to ripple, and the stars beyond didn’t match the rest of the horizon.  This was the third such transporter they’d encountered, and it would take the flagship back to the heart of the Collective – the Hub.

He felt a mild sense of vertigo as they passed through, and it went away a moment later.  Compared to the backlash of using the Transportation Array, it was far smoother.  As he had before, Kyle marveled at the precision and power that the massive rings had to possess.  Learning more about them was definitely on his list.  He considered asking C.H.A.D.D. about it, when the vision in front of him made him lose his train of thought.

Though they were still a distance away, Kyle could make out a cluster of stars, all bound together by what looked like links in a chain.  He gazed in wonder as the flagship got closer, revealing more stars and giving him a better look at the “chain.”  What he saw was an interwoven series of platforms wrapping around the surface of each of the stars.  The sheer scale of the construction was staggering to him.

It’s one giant Dyson Sphere Kyle realized, watching as they steadily approached.  He’d heard of the theory of Dyson Spheres – an old-Earth concept for harnessing stellar energy.  It hadn’t been feasible pre-awakening, and after the Originators departed the planet there wasn’t much interest.  With enough mana and power, though…  Kyle’s thoughts continued to swirl, losing track of time until approaching footsteps snapped him back to attention.

“Quite the sight, isn’t it?”

Kyle turned to see Chester Drake approaching.  The foreman continued.  “I remember my first time approaching the Hub from space.  Teleporting to it is one thing, seeing it in its entirety is quite another.”

“Wait, are you telling me all this construction is the Hub?”

“Naturally.  It’s a construct made through collaboration of multiple A Grades.  As more planets choose to join the Collective, more star systems are added.”

“How can people survive so close to the stars?” Kyle asked, bewilderment clear in his voice.  “This doesn’t make any sense.”

Chester shrugged.  “I haven’t seen all the data behind it, though from what I understand the Hub draws and regulates the energy output.  That’s why the planets that move along with the stars are still habitable.”

Kyle turned and looked back at the approaching star cluster.  As the flagship got closer, the full scope of the cluster was obscured by the nearest star.  The platforms of the Hub grew larger and larger, and a ping on his nav bracelet told him they would arrive in just over an hour.  

“Why are you here, Chester?” 

“To pass along a message.  Our sponsorship will open a good number of doors for you, Mr. Mayhew.  We – I – would ask that you remember that in the future.  While it’s unlikely to come to pass any time soon, if your future employer’s interests come into conflict with our own, know that it is appropriate to step away.”

Kyle suppressed his first instinct to push back on the foreman, and instead just nodded.  “I’m not going to make any promises, but I’ll remember what you’ve all done for me.”  The good and the bad.

Chester nodded, then turned to leave.  “It’s appreciated, Mr. Mayhew.  It has been… an experience, having you on this expedition.  I look forward to hearing about your future endeavors.”

[I BELIEVE HE IS FRIGHTENED BY YOU, DR. MAYHEW.]

The words took Kyle by surprise, though hearing it from the drone made him consider.  He was a random D Grade on a world about to die.  Chester wanted to use him as an asset, but lost control over him in short order.  From that perspective, he could understand.

“I think you might be right, C.H.A.D.D.”

[WHILE IT IS GENERALLY PREFERABLE FOR PHYSICIANS TO BE APPROACHABLE, I’M GLAD THAT YOU FRIGHTEN HIM.]

“Why is that?”

[IF YOU DIDN’T, I THINK I WOULD BE REDUCED TO PARTS ON THEMESTRA’S WORKBENCH.]

There was no arguing that point.  Kyle was looking forward to getting C.H.A.D.D. away from Corthian Mining’s prying eyes.  They waited and watched as the Hub grew larger in their view, until the announcement came that they were prepared to disembark. 

As Kyle and C.H.A.D.D. left the viewing room, they met Rochelle, who was carrying an almost comically large bag over her shoulder.  Together, the two began to walk towards the hangar bay. 

“How does everybody know where I am all the time?” Kyle asked, a teasing note in his voice.

“It’s not that hard.” Rochelle replied.  “You’re pretty hard to miss, Mr. ‘Onyx Warrior.’”

He groaned as he heard the name, though the smile didn’t leave his face.  “You’re never going to drop that, are you?”

Her eyes glistened.  “Nope.” 

[I THOUGHT IT WAS AN APPROPRIATE NAME, GIVEN YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS.]

That earned a chuckle from both of them.  Rochelle readjusted the bag she was carrying, and her expression grew more serious.  “I’m glad I met you on this expedition, Kyle.  You’re a good man, but I don’t want to give you the wrong idea.”

Kyle raised his hand, palm out.  He understood that their encounters had been as much about convenience and rank as anything else.  Captains didn’t have nearly as much freedom when it came to workplace relationships.  Kyle didn’t have any issues with that, and certainly wasn’t going to hold it against her.  He enjoyed her company, and more than anything else, enjoyed feeling like a person again. 

He offered her a smile, tinged with sadness.  “I know that this is it, at least for now.  If you do wind up having time for an extended stay at the Hub, let me know.”

She stopped, leaned in, and kissed his cheek.  “I’ll take you up on that.  If you ever get the itch to go and strip a planet of its resources with a soulless mining company, you know who to call.”

Soon, they were met with a steady stream of expedition members, each exiting the ship in single file.  Kyle could see the expansive platform, and recognized the logo for Corthian Mining.  Beyond it, there were countless other, similar platforms, each floating above a segment of the Hub.  As Kyle watched, the expedition members were scanned as they left the ship, walked towards a glowing ring near the center, and disappeared, ostensibly being teleported to their destination. 

Soon, it was their turn.  Rochelle left first, tossing Kyle a wink after she was scanned.  “Take care of yourself, Kyle.  And try to keep C.H.A.D.D. out of trouble.”

He smiled.  “I’ll do what I can.  You too, Rochelle.”

[GOODBYE, CAPTAIN ROCHELLE.  I WILL KEEP A LOG OF ALL IRRESPONSIBLE DECISIONS DR. MAYHEW MAKES FOR EASY REVIEW.]

She laughed at that, walked to the teleporter, and was gone.  That was about the time Kyle realized he had no idea where he was going.  Stepping off the ship, he felt a cool breeze, despite the proximity to the star.  Before he could be scanned, an elderly gentleman with stark-white hair and an immaculate navy-blue uniform approached him. 

“Are you Kyle Mayhew?”

“I am.  Who’s asking?”

“I’m one of Ms. Corthus’ aides, and I’ve been asked to see to it you get sent to your appropriate accommodations, as well as access to your accounts.”

One problem solved.  “That sounds great, thank you.”  The man, who was named Leonard, brought Kyle to the teleportation platform, pressed something on his nav bracelet, and the two were whisked off.  Kyle felt a small shift in the space around them, and a moment later he was standing on a raised platform in the heart of a massive city. 

Buildings towered around him as far as the eye could see, looking to be carved from stone that reminded him of marble.  The atmosphere was comfortable, and the scent reminded him of the mountains on a cool morning, despite all the hustle and bustle.  There was a steady flow of people coming and going, some walking onto other platforms and being teleported away, others simply walking.  Kyle recognized skrell, humans, and goblins, which were only three among at least a dozen different species.  Hulking creatures that looked like bipedal catfish walked alongside slender, two-meter-tall figures with pale skin and silver hair.  What could be best described as a round ball of fur trotted behind a floating mass of swirling algae. 

Kyle wanted to take a moment more to look, though he was swiftly pulled along by Leonard.  “I understand the foundation of trust we have is damaged, and the first thing Ms. Corthus wanted arranged was getting you a blank nav bracelet with access to your accounts.  I assume you don’t object?”

“Not at all.” Kyle said, still trying to take in the city. 

They walked into one building, Leonard flashed some sort of identification, and a skrell behind a counter got to work tinkering with something in a drawer.  They asked Kyle to infuse some mana, and as quick as that, he had a new nav bracelet.  A home screen was projected out of the item, and it showed a basic identification, along with his total credits.

Kyle expected to see somewhere in the ballpark of nine hundred thousand, given that there hadn’t been much of value taken after his encounter with the Storm.  He had to blink twice at the figure.  Two million credits… that’s one hell of a bonus. 

As if seeing his confusion, Leonard spoke.  “Ms. Corthus wanted to ensure that you had adequate funds to begin your life in the Collective.  She believes it would reflect poorly on the company to sponsor somebody, only to have them live in squalor.”

Kyle could only nod as they left the building.  Leonard led him through several packed streets to different businesses, where Kyle was measured for a new wardrobe, established an account with a grocer who would deliver food, and got Kyle acquainted with the teleportation system.  The Hub was immense, and was divided into districts based on which of the major Collective members was responsible for maintaining order. 

From what Kyle could gather, that was the reason life on the Hub was incredibly safe.  None of the major factions wanted to give off an impression of weakness to the others, so crime was handled swiftly and efficiently.  It surprised him to hear that, despite their relatively high population, humans didn’t have a sector that they controlled.

Teleportation within the districts was easy, but crossing districts meant teleporting to a dedicated entry and undergoing a scan.  It was still possible to travel between districts freely, but the additional hassle meant most people stayed within their home district.  That brought them to the last, and most important decision he had to make. 

Leonard had advised him that the path to licensure would be easier if he chose to live in the same district where he’d be doing the majority of his studies.  He’d thought long and hard about his choices, and met Leonard’s eyes as he affirmed his decision.  “I want to go independent and join a Guild.”

The old man simply nodded, and a list of messages appeared on Kyle’s nav bracelet. 

“Accommodations have been set up for you in District Seven, controlled by the Verdant Republic.  Directions to your lodgings are in your nav bracelet, and the grocers and tailors have been notified where to deposit their goods.  Welcome to the Collective, Mr. Mayhew.”  With that, Leonard stood and left; his business concluded. 

Kyle stood too, feeling strangely alone despite the constant crowds of people.  He closed his eyes, and remembered staring at the night sky with his grandfather.  We made it, Grandpa.  Determination filled him, and he strode towards the teleporter.  No matter what came next, Kyle was ready to carve out his place among the stars.