Quintus Crossings - Story I: Jason - Emergence Arc

Chapter 7: The Beginning

"How's this place going to send my friends and me back home?" Jason asked, an edge in his voice leftover from his anger at the lizard's death.

The captain grunted. Jason scowled. The captain had been avoiding Jason's questions for five infuriating minutes. Aside from the occasional grunt, he'd been as silent as the boulders they walked past.

"I thought you'd answer my questions if I came," Jason said.

"You going to be this insufferable the whole way?" Captain Jennsen said.

"Yes."

The captain sighed, then pulled the black cylinder from his pocket. A continual buzz emanated from it. "The closer we get to the tower, the harder the Jensmal shakes. This picked up the Transmensional residue off you and your pals and it's leading us here. That tower has to be where this all began."

"You mean the blue chick?"

"And more." The captain returned the cylinder. "So much more."

"But you don't know."

The captain groaned. "Listen, kid, this is our best shot. If you're going to be this much of a nuisance even while I'm talking, I'm going to shut it."

Jason frowned. He shouldn't let his residual anger at the lizard's death linger on the captain – despite him being the one to pull the trigger. Thrice. It was the blue chick who was to blame for its death, and the tortoise's death, and Jason, Omar, and Michael being here, and most likely for Captain Jennsen's being here.

This is for someone he loves. Jason stole a quick glance at the captain. Black beard bushy, eyes like clouds, his walk intense. Is it a woman? For family? Who?

What did the chick do to you?

Would it be ironic or coincidental if all this was for a brother? It was difficult to distinguish when to use "irony" sometimes, but Jason knew all about the love one had for a brother. And how much pain it can bring.

"Can you see the stars?" Captain Jennsen asked.

Jason abandoned the thoughts that were better left alone. The night was black as a sheet. The tower they neared was the only source of light.

"Not here!" the captain said. "On your world, can you see the stars at night?"

Where was this coming from? "Yes."

The captain's stormy eyes sparkled. "Incredible," he whispered. A large smile reached his eyes.

Seemed like Jason wasn't being "insufferable" anymore. Now that he'd gotten a few words out of the captain, maybe Jason could get him to say a few more.

"Why aren't there any stars here?" Jason asked.

"Politics," Captain Jennsen said.

"Wha–?"

"There was some war, hundreds of years ago."

"Of course."

That got a chuckle from the captain. "Completely annihilated the atmosphere. It was poison, or so history says. Our ancestors did all they could to rid themselves of it, but it was impossible. Too much of it. So someone made a contraption that pushed the gases away."

"A device that pushes gas?"

The captain shrugged. "The man was smart. The problem: the gases are heavy. Kept coming down, and the Devpun can only push so far, so the gases are trapped above and around us. Can't even see the sun without personal interference."