Magical Engineering

Chapter 70: Fan & Shit, a Romance

“Dad, you up yet?” I heard as my groggy mind came awake. John was standing in front of me carrying two plates of eggs.“I am now, what’s up?” I asked, thinking I already knew the answer.

“I figured it was long past time for a breakfast together, so I made your favorite and kind of just wanted to talk,” he said. I pulled myself out from the blankets and found a couple of chairs and a crate for a makeshift table.

“Your cooking is much better than the first time,” I said, smiling after eating an egg. It was quite good, even if I had gotten used to my own breakfasts, but just the idea of having eggs in my house again was a nice feeling.

“That tends to happen with years of practice, but I need to talk to you about something I haven’t told Alex yet. I don’t think we are going to find Mom. I mean, it’s possible, I guess, but she was at the UN when the attack started, and from what I’ve seen and heard, basically every government or leadership type of installation was the first targeted. I mean, the White House is just gone. There was some footage of that before everything really went down,” John explained. Even after all this time, that news felt like a gut punch; Laura was likely dead, and John had been keeping that whole burden to himself. I did my best to push down what I felt. Right now, John needed me to be clear-headed.. We can’t have this soon-to-be incorporated world without a leader, after all,” Korl said smugly.

“And just what happens to everyone already on this planet when ya take possession of it?” Mel asked, a bit of anger seeping back into his voice.

“I’m feeling generous, so I’ll give everyone here, except Sanquar over there, one chance to board that bus there and head back to where you came from. From there, make whatever you want of yourselves,” Korl said, smiling.

“Correct me if I’m wrong here, Korl, not much of a legal guy myself, but seeing as how no faction actually ever took this world, wouldn’t that mean that anyone who just happens to be a resident of this here world and is on the System’s path has a right to challenge that there order?” Mel said. There was only one person he could mean, and I had no idea how to challenge a legal order within the Spiral. I opened my mouth and immediately shut it before a word could escape at the sudden death glare from Mel.

“That’s a pretty archaic concept there. Has that ever actually happened? When was the last time there was even someone with a developed core before Spiral incorporation? And seeing as how I have the court order, I’m not really sure what you intend to do anyway,” Korl said. Out of nowhere, a large bubble suddenly appeared in between where Mel and Korl were standing and the bus was parked. Then it looked like reality itself popped for a split second, and the bubble was gone. In its place were what looked like three black bowling balls stacked on top of each other, and standing next to them were Elody and Pryte.

“And as you can see, your honor, the paperwork I filed is entirely accurate, yet for some reason, this man is here trying to seize a world that is already possessed by a faction,” Elody said. I thought I caught Mel smiling for a fraction of a second as she said this.

“Hrm, her paperwork does appear to be in order,” the three balls said. I had no idea where their mouth or voice had come from, but they had certainly said it somehow.

“Even if that is true, why is a former librarian filing paperwork as though she is their legal representative? As far as I know she has gone back to her former paladin career and does not have a license to practice law,” Korl said, sounding just slightly caught off guard for the first time.

“Korl is correct, your honor. I do not possess a legal license. I am, though, a member of the Arena team: The More Heads, the Better. Pryte is here willing to testify to that as well as that Dave is fully registered for the Arena within that same team and therefore has the right to allow a member of his team to represent that team in all legal matters, license or not,” Elody said. This time, I was sure I saw Mel smile.

“She’s got you there, Korl. You sure you want to go up against a paladin of knowledge here? The world’s mana-barren, do you want to take the time needed to change that? And before you say it, even if Sanquar is here, who cares? There isn’t anything he can really do anymore,” the three balls said.

“I demand to know what faction has taken possession of this world. Considering who I represent, I find it very hard to believe anyone would be willing,” Korl said, the anger now rising in his voice.

“The Empire of Dave, a newly registered faction. What, ya haven’t heard of them yet, Korl?” Mel said, this time not even dropping his smirk after he finished speaking. On the other hand, I just frowned. Had he just said the Empire of Dave? As I opened my mouth to question it, both Elody and Mel glared at me this time. And for the third time since this started, I shut myself up. Had they just made me emperor of Earth? Fuck, I really didn’t want to rule a planet…

Systems of Change, A Book Not Yet Written by a Man Not Yet Born.