Doxonica fitted the last of the micro-injectors into her chip. She picked up the sonoprobe and applied it to it. A mental map of the chip formed inside her mind as she sensed the reflected vibrations. Finally got it right, she thought, satisfied.
She glanced around the empty dorm. Night had fallen, so she was already in her pajamas. She wore a yellow, knee-length nightgown with spaghetti straps over a short-sleeved turquoise shirt. She also wore calf-length, yellow socks.
Should I try it here or go back to my room? she wondered. She sat at her curved workbench tucked away adjacent to the wall. She was in the living room of their dorm at the Savvo Corporation headquarters. Rik had made special arrangements for the dorm to serve as the group's base of sorts as they planned the heist at the upcoming gala.
It was a spacious, round room with the gray wall becoming glass in its upper third, which continued to the ceiling. An aquarium could be seen through the glass, surrounding them on all sides except the entrance. Brightly-colored exotic fish roamed above the room as the seaweed gently swirled in their wake, casting dancing reflections all over the space.
In the center of the room was a depression floored with glass that revealed another aquarium underneath. When they had first arrived, Puff had relentlessly pawed and leaped at the unassuming fish before finally giving up.
The depression was decked out with sleek, minimalistic furniture fixed to the floor and subtly lit with dim strips of white lights.
To Doxonica's far right was a staircase leading to the wooden upper deck, where four bedroom doors were situated in an arc.
Although Rik had offered to have a lab in the facility reserved for Doxonica alone, she felt uncomfortable taking such liberties, which prevented her from being able to focus. Plus, she liked doing her work in the comfort of the dorm. Her Amphipod was still being repaired, so she couldn't use it as of now.
Everyone's gone, she thought. I'll just be quick. She picked up the vial of refined dragonsalt that had been procured for her. Using a pipette, she dripped some of it into an entry port on the chip. Next, she placed the chip on her arm.
Pinz burst out of her room on the upper deck with Puff scampering at her heels. She wore a soft red jacket and matching knee-length shorts, each with a navy crescent moon motif. Underneath, she wore a navy tank top with red trimming. Red ribbons fastened her pigtails.
She marched down the wooden stairs and made her way to the center of the living room. "Hey, Dox," she said as she settled into a white armchair behind Doxonica. "You still at it?" Puff proceeded to knead the armchair with her paws.
"Yes," Doxonica said with a sigh as she put the chip back. I can't do it with her here.
"That was my parents," Pinz said as she picked up her holopad, which she had previously left on the armchair.
"What was?" Doxonica said vacantly as she decided to refine the chip's components further.
"On the phone," Pinz replied. "I just got off a call with them."
"Oh."
"So infuriating!"
"What? Me?" Doxonica asked, flustered.
"Of course not, Dox! My parents! They were telling me how proud they were of me for helping all these people."
"That's... infuriating?"
"Yes, it is!" Pinz said, furiously tapping at her holopad.
Doxonica stretched her neck. Clearly, there's nowhere a girl can focus around here. She figured Pinz wanted her to ask more, but she chose not to respond and set to prepare another electrode.
"This is the first time they're telling me this," Pinz carried on, unfazed. "Never before have they told me they were proud of me."
Should I say something now? Doxonica wondered.
"They only say this when the entire Galaxy is already talking about it. When I needed them the most, were they there for me? No! Absolutely not! Nowhere to be found," Pinz was saying. "They never cared what I was doing or how I felt. But when I told them I wanted to be an actress... oh, the horror! They acted as if I had said something funny. At first, they ignored it. Later, when they saw I was serious, they kept hoping it was a phase because they thought I was too immature to know what I wanted. Eventually, they massively flipped out and tried talking me out of it."
Puff stopped kneading the armchair and hopped up onto it. She purred softly and nuzzled against Pinz.
That's... a lot of information, Doxonica thought as she tried her best to focus.
"They made sure to tell me they wanted me to do well... at least whatever 'doing well' meant for them. But they didn't care what I wanted. They only cared what their friends would think of them if their children didn't follow them into their businesses," Pinz said.
Doxonica anxiously toyed with the soldering iron in her hand. What do I say? she wondered desperately. "How do you know all this?" she finally said and immediately felt stupid for it.
Pinz briefly turned her head around to consider Doxonica. Poor thing. She gets anxious so easily, she thought before she resumed working on her holopad. "Because... they're my parents? And I have known them forever?" she said.
Doxonica composed herself and took a quick breath. "But what if you don't? Just like they didn't know what you wanted?"
"Maybe. But they never even made an effort to help me understand them. I did try," Pinz said. She paused for a bit, then suddenly asked, "What's it like growing up without siblings?"
Doxonica put away the soldering iron. "Um, actually... if you don't—"
"And I want a good answer," Pinz insisted. "Not, 'Ooh, I don't know, what's it like growing up with siblings?' Not another question back at me."
Doxonica thought about the question as she swiveled her seat to face the back of Pinz's armchair. "Why do you want to know that?"
"What did I just say?" Pinz complained.
Doxonica took a deep breath. "Well... I guess I like it. You have lesser people to worry about... sets you up for lesser disappointments." It certainly would've been better if my father didn't have a sibling. He wouldn't have run away and... oh, who am I kidding? He would've still run away.
"Oh."
Doxonica raised her eyebrows. "You sound disappointed."
"That's because I am," Pinz replied.
"Why?"
"I thought the farthest moon always looks the most flawless."
"What?" Doxonica wrinkled her nose in confusion.
"Oh, I am sorry. It's a saying on Felitty," Pinz said. "It basically means, whatever you don't have, seems the most attractive."
"Oh," Doxonica said. "Is the farthest moon the most beautiful for you?"
"It's 'flawless,' not 'beautiful.' And" — Pinz sighed — "the answer's yes. I have a brother. He's... he's a disappointment, alright."
"To you? Or objectively?" Doxonica asked.
"Both?" Pinz said uncertainly. "As a kid, he used to annoy me to no end. Naturally, when I'd complain to my parents, they wouldn't care. When he grew up, he became... a delinquent. And that's part of the reason Mom and Dad were desperate for at least one of their kids to be successful."
"And before this... they didn't think you were successful?" Doxonica asked.
"No. Because I didn't acquaint myself with the same circles they did," Pinz said. "But... looking back... I do think I may have been a hypocrite."
"How so?"
"I wasn't proud of my brother, either. I was embarrassed by him," Pinz replied ruefully. "I didn't like bringing friends home when he would be around. I didn't want them to know he was my brother. He was unemployed, sullen, and... not successful. I wished... I didn't have a brother."
Doxonica bit her lip. "I think I understand... being embarrassed by someone."
"He knew that as well, of course. So, he distanced himself from me and Mom and Dad. He wouldn't go to gatherings with us. He would leave the house if we had a guest. He would say, 'Don't let me burden you with tolerating me,'" Pinz continued. "The few times I would feel sorry for him and try to make amends... he would lash out so badly that it would make me mad at him again and almost swear off ever trying to put up with him."
They fell silent for a moment. Puff pawed at Pinz's holopad as Pinz gently moved it out of the ginger cat's reach.
"What made you tell me all this?" Doxonica asked.
"I guess... I was trying to feel thankful for what I have... or had," Pinz said, briefly looking up from her holopad. "I was hoping to get some kind of affirmation from you that everyone yearns for a different situation." She sighed and got back to tapping at her holopad. "But clearly, you don't."
Doxonica swiveled her chair back toward her workbench. "I have found comfort in my situation not because I have never yearned for anything different... but because I have made my peace with it."
The main door to the dorm slid open, and Jayrock stepped inside. He wore his white jacket with teal denim trousers.
"Hey! How was your session?" Pinz asked, lifting her head again.
"Weird." Jayrock shrugged. "Gosh, I'm hungry." With that, he escaped up the wooden stairs to the upper deck and entered his room.
"Well... first sessions with shrinks tend to be underwhelming," Pinz said, almost defensively.
"Was yours underwhelming?"
"Oh, no, mine was great."
"I thought he'd never agree to go," Doxonica admitted as she put some super glue onto another chip. "Doesn't seem that self-aware."
"I made him aware," Pinz said proudly.
More like insistent, Doxonica thought.
In a moment, Jayrock emerged from his room. He had changed into a loose teal shirt with white short-sleeves and dark-teal, knee-length shorts with a white drawstring.
He descended the stairs, grabbed a Vorto wrap from the fridge, and plopped onto the couch at right angles to Pinz's armchair. With a gesture, he turned on the holovision.
A holographic display appeared on top of the coffee table. A game of Grebrik deballo was underway. Jayrock had last watched a game before leaving for the shrink in the evening.
"The Bulls seem uncharacteristically thrown off balance this game, Piedrick, don't they?" a commentator quipped as the Qragen Bulls balked before advancing into the other half of the field.
"Well, the Lions have an impenetrable defense, Gravaro," the other commentator responded. "They aren't willing to make any compromises here."
"It comes at the cost of their offense, though. Last they ventured into the Bulls' half was, what... fifteen minutes ago?"
Bunch of cowards, Jayrock thought as he munched on the wrap. He didn't particularly like either team, but he desperately wanted the Arenjo Lions to win so that his favorite team, the Panastone Eagles, could qualify, considering the latter had earlier lost to the Qragen Bulls in the quarter-finals.
"It's ironic they play on horseback, but there's not a single team named after horses," Pinz observed as she kept tapping away on her holopad. Puff had bounded onto the floor and was fruitlessly pouncing on the fish once again.
That's what she chooses to focus on? Jayrock thought. "That would be a very unimaginative name," Jayrock called out. "What are you doing on that thing anyway?" he asked as he eyed Pinz's holopad being mashed by her fingers.
"Updating my blog," Pinz replied.
"Haven't you already had a press conference?" Jayrock said as he took a bite.
"There are some things I forgot to say there," Pinz said. "Also, more of the fighters' family members have been sending in questions. I need to answer them."
"I never thought you'd start a war," Jayrock said with a chuckle.
"We all started a war." Pinz shrugged.
"Have we?" Doxonica asked. "I haven't watched the news all day."
"Where's your holophone?" Jayrock asked.
"In my room," Doxonica replied as she fixed an electrode to her chip.
"Well, then, let's watch some news. This match sucks anyway!" Jayrock surrendered as he gestured to switch the channel until news came on.
"... has convened a summit tomorrow to vote on the plan of action regarding the clandestine activities alleged to be uncovered on Karomoz," a reporter announced, with a bar indicating her name to be Loress Wenerly. The Karomozian Presidential Office was visible in the backdrop.
"'Alleged,' she says," Pinz snorted.
"She's Karomozian," Jayrock pointed out.
"Sources say most members of the Confederacy of Planets have already started mobilizing forces in anticipation of a possible combined assault on Karomoz, while almost all of them are in favor of severe sanctions against the central hub of the galaxy," Loress continued. "Interestingly, some striking exceptions include planets Wystalline, Zapstrom, and Digitex, who are all standing steadfastly by Karomoz. In addition, planets Riflamia, Soluminiz, Loogmor, and Cryovrost have so far issued neutral statements."
"Easy remaining neutral when you are at the edges of the Galaxy," Pinz said. "Us Felittes don't have that luxury, having neighbors like Karomoz."
"Must be tiresome," Doxonica agreed. "What's more tiresome is that Digitex is their other neighbor and still allied with them. And Zapstrom is right next to Digitex — not that far away either."
"It doesn't matter to them as long as they keep profiting off their technology, whoever the buyer may be." Pinz shrugged. "The fighter I beat half to death was actually Digitch! You'd think they'd lodge some kind of protest."
Jayrock flipped the channel. Same old politics, he thought.
"... of them are doing much better, and um... I managed to connect them with their anxiously waiting families," Pinz was saying at a press conference at Hotel Grande, dressed in a red satin gown and seated in a conference room.
"There you are," Jayrock remarked.
"Oh boy, that press conference was ages ago, and I am still not done updating my blog," Pinz replied as she hastened to tap at her holopad and raised it out of Puff's reach, who had climbed onto the armchair once again.
"I am not only... thrilled... to see these fighters free from the horrifying procedures being performed on them, but also... that they are here among us... to tell us about the ordeal they went through at the hands of vile mer at Oracle Industries," Pinz continued on the display. "I urge—" She paused briefly as the audience gave applause. "I urge all conscientious Karomozians and leaders from the Galaxy to join us and help us take a stand against these atrocities. Oracle Industries denies it, but they still hold some captives. We need to rescue them, and we need to end this once and for all."
They had worked tirelessly to stabilize the fighters' conditions. Doxonica had collaborated with Arna Zinvor to create a prototype augmenter, which used a power source to apply precise electrical shocks to the victims' brains. Meanwhile, the drug from Curavez Pharmaceuticals had started to work, and the healing process was evident from the scans. Although they still needed more psychedelics to achieve permanent and long-lasting recovery, a vast majority of fighters were now oriented and conversant.
When they were able to talk about their ordeals, what they told the gang was shocking. Their memory was foggy and fragmented, but they could still recall some of the most terrifying experiences.
The fighters were forced to brawl each other using the spellbinder gadget to enrage them as Oracle's scientists collected data on them. They were infected with Mentisite and then restrained as they fought off the urge to dive into a body of water under the influence of the Mad Diver Disease.
They had the fightsense chips installed in their heads that not only served as tracking devices but also downloaded their abilities, techniques, and fighting skills. The collective data obtained was then uploaded into every fighter so that each one of them now possessed the abilities of all the rest.
Some of them were even unlucky enough to undergo agonizing procedures meant to infuse some sort of nanofibers into them, apparently to make them invulnerable.
Pinz had immediately started contacting their family members. They poured into the Savvo Headquarters by the dozens from all reaches of the Galaxy. They cried endless tears as they witnessed the state of their loved ones, but they were grateful to the gang all the same for helping them reunite.
"Good grief, are you still watching yourself?" Heraclark quipped as he entered the dorm from the main sliding door across from Pinz. He wore a navy, one-shoulder tank top underneath a light-gray, short-sleeved mesh shirt. He also wore navy trousers with light-gray, crisscrossing belts, white sneakers, dark-red wristbands, and a headband that pushed his spiky hair away from his forehead.
"Ah! Would you fancy one of my movies instead?" Pinz replied, still buried in her holopad. Puff hopped out of her lap and padded over to Heraclark.
"Done with gym?" Jayrock asked.
"Did you ask if there is a music room?" Doxonica inquired.
"No. Yes. And no," Heraclark said as he dabbed his face with a towel. "Alright, I'm gonna take a shower."
"You didn't take a shower there?" Doxonica asked, wrinkling her nose.
"No. I didn't take my regular clothes with me," Heraclark replied as he patted Puff, who was now rubbing against his leg. "Be right back," he said as he headed up the stairs into his room.
"Ms. Ailoraw! Congratulations on completing your shoot on Bion 2. We hope it will be as record-breaking as its predecessor, considering who is... or was... at the helm. And that brings me to my question," a journalist was saying. "What about the allegations on you regarding the director's death—"
"Oh, please change the channel," Pinz begged.
"As you wish," Jayrock said and flipped the channel.
"... twenty million Ongens for any information on the prince. Furthermore, she vowed to make an example of the prince for any who dare threaten the sovereignty of planet Wystalline," a newscaster could be heard in the background as Princess Scyfe of Wystalline could be seen addressing the press. "So far, there has been no news on the whereabouts of the runaway prince."
That's who it must be! Doxonica realized with a start. She turned around from the workbench to look at the display.
"Do you have news on the whereabouts of the runaway prince?" Jayrock laughed.
"Someone had sabotaged the Wystals' spacecraft when they were collecting fighters from here," Doxonica said. "Looks like we found out who could have had it done."
"How do you know it was sabotaged?" Pinz asked as she caressed Puff, who had returned to her armchair.
"I heard them say so," Doxonica replied. "And that's why they had to leave in a hurry."
"Hmm. Then maybe we should find this prince before the Wystals or the Karomozians do," Pinz said.
"So, we leave everything here and go find him on Wystalline?" Doxonica asked.
"Well, he could be anywhere, not just on Wystalline," Jayrock said.
"Yeah, but certainly not on Karomoz," Doxonica said. "He'll be caught the instant he tries to land here."
"There's no way he could ever make it out of Wystalline," Pinz argued.
"In that case, what if he is already dead?" Jayrock said. "I don't see him surviving this."
"He's the prince. They wouldn't kill him," Pinz said. "As crazy in the head his father and sister might be."
"Maybe you don't know just how crazy they are," Jayrock replied. "They are our neighbors. You hear stories."
"To hear Princess Cutthroat here, if they'd kill him, they'd probably make a spectacle out of it," Pinz said. "Which means he's probably still alive."
They watched the news in silence for the next few moments until Jayrock changed the channel again.
"... in the Thysehr Desert. Allegedly, the blast originated from somewhere under the bedrock. No casualties have been reported so far, although an investigation is still underway. First responders found seven unconscious individuals lying at some distance from the epicenter of the blast. It was initially suspected that they were knocked unconscious by shock waves from the explosion, but Qwoiseene gas has since been detected in their blood, confirming it to be the culprit. It is reported that although the seven victims did not suffer any physical injuries, their enertronian systems are in a critical state, with their elemental powers dangerously waxing and waning for reasons that still confound medical professionals."
"Great going. See? That's why I don't like to watch the news," Jayrock said.
"Yes, you just like to get military intelligence," Doxonica replied, returning to work on her device.
"Hey, I found out about that explosion from an associate," Heraclark exclaimed as he emerged from his room. He now wore a navy, cotton, knee-length jumpsuit with a white shirt underneath.
"No news in the gym?" Pinz asked as Heraclark started down the stairs. Puff scampered over to him again.
"No, I mean, I found out more from an associate," Heraclark said as he settled down next to Jayrock. Puff climbed up and bunted her head against his hand. "She — my associate, Skygga, that is — knows a pawnbroker near that area... Qalbin, I think her name is... the pawnbroker's, I mean. Qalbin often refers clients to our bank and sometimes serves as the liaison for some third parties. Apparently, she often rents vehicles to some cult with their hideout in that desert. Recently, she lent some bikes to some individuals snooping after the cult. Then, several hours later, she heard the explosion from her shop."
"And you're telling us this... why?" Jayrock asked.
"Apart from the fact that you happened to be watching the news on the same subject?" Heraclark replied, scratching Puff on her head. "Well, it seems this cult owned some artifact that they were in the process of depositing at the Bank of Loogmor for safekeeping. And it is known that Oracle was after the same artifact since they contacted the bank several times asking if an object of the exact description had recently been deposited."
"So, Oracle's behind that explosion," Doxonica deduced.
"Interesting," Pinz said.
"And there's something else I wanted to tell you guys," Heraclark said. "I have been doing some investigations on my own. Something fishy is going on here."
Just as Jayrock was about to say something, they heard a knock at the door. They looked at each other for a moment.
Darn it, Heraclark thought.
"Did you forget something at the gym?" Jayrock asked Heraclark.
"I took nothing with me." Heraclark shrugged.
"Then who could it be at this hour?" Pinz wondered.
"Room service?" Doxonica suggested.
"They came by two hours ago," said Jayrock.
"Surely, it can't be Rik," Pinz said.
"Ooh, ooh... I know of a way we could find out who it is," Heraclark said, rolling his eyes.
"I'll answer it," Pinz said, getting up and depositing her holopad on the armchair.
Pinz walked across the hall to the door, Puff following her at her heels. As she gestured, the display on the door lit up, revealing the person on the other side.
Pinz had not been expecting anyone in particular, but she was most certainly not expecting the person she saw anxiously waiting outside.
She faced the others and cupped her hand around her mouth. "It's Arna!" she whispered.
"What does she want?" Doxonica asked.
"How would I know?" Pinz replied.
"Only one way to find out," Jayrock said.
Pinz turned back and tapped the touchpad next to the door, making it slide open.
"Ms. Zinvor!" Pinz exclaimed. "What can we do for you?"
Arna Zinvor was still dressed in a neatly pressed lab coat, and her hair was in a severe bun. "I apologize for disturbing you at this time. But I have something urgent to tell you. And I can't be seen talking to you," she said, nervously casting her glance left and right. "May... may I come inside?"
"Of course," Pinz said, picking Puff up and stepping sideways to let Arna through.
Jayrock quickly flung the empty paper his Vorto wrap had been in behind the couch. "Hello, Ms. Zinvor," he said, standing up. "May we offer you something?" he asked, hoping she would say no.
"I already feel terrible intruding at this time — please, don't let me inconvenience you any further," Arna said meekly. "I just need a few minutes."
"Have a seat," Pinz said, gesturing toward an armchair opposite hers.
"Thank you," Arna said and sat down. Pinz walked across the glass depression and sat down on her own chair opposite her as Doxonica took place next to Jayrock and Heraclark on the couch.
"What is it, Ms. Zinvor?" Jayrock prompted.
"Before I start, I beg you not to mention any of this to Mr. Mavis," Arna began. "If they even suspect I talked to you, I will be dead soon. No, not soon, actually... they will take their time, I am sure."
"Rik? You would be dead if he found out?" Heraclark asked, wide-eyed.
"That's not quite what I meant. Let me clarify," Arna replied. "But please, promise me first you won't tell anyone."
"Alright. We promise," Pinz assured her. Now, please, speak before all nine moons of Felitty go into eclipse.
Shouldn't have promised, Doxonica thought.
Arna took a big gulp. "I am in grave danger," she continued. "I was abducted last night — when some fighters also went missing."
"What?" Pinz and Heraclark exclaimed in unison.
"By whom?" Jayrock asked.
"Oracle, I believe," Arna said, her voice shaking. "At first, I wasn't sure. They were these elite mercenaries — heavily armored with big, round helmets that concealed their faces. But then they began to talk to me — and the more they did, the more it was evident they were Oracle's goons."
"How were they able to do it without alerting anyone?" Pinz asked. "And why didn't you tell anyone before?"
They had only found out about the missing fighters this morning. The guards outside the infirmary and the paramedic staff had been knocked out cold, but everything else was left undisturbed. Everyone had naturally surmised it must have been Oracle, but somehow, this time, they had pulled it off flawlessly, leaving no evidence.
"And how were you able to come back?" Doxonica added.
"They only took five or six this time. I was in the infirmary, working late, when suddenly, I felt light-headed. Then I passed out. Next thing I know, I was lying in a dark, cramped holding cell," Arna explained, her hands gesticulating nervously.
But the missing medicines, Heraclark thought, wondering if he should bring up what he had found out while snooping around. They weren't ordered in the first place.
"What did they want from you?" Jayrock asked.
"To tell them what treatments we have been administering here to the fighters," Arna replied. "And also... they wanted to test a serum."
"What serum?" Jayrock frowned.
"It's a lot to explain, so bear with me," Arna replied. "They had previously subjected their victims from other planets to a painful process that wreaked havoc on the victims' enertronian systems. Under duress, the enertronian system releases certain cytokines whose normal function is to help redirect all the body's resources to revitalize the core and hence the entire enertronian system. Oracle's scientists extracted these cytokines and some of the victims' DNA and used them along with some other unknown reagents to prepare a serum.
"This serum, when injected into another host, causes their enertronian system to... alter. It might kill them... or it might cause their DNA to mutate, which in turn results in their powers fluctuating... or even evolving. They have been injecting this serum into Karomozians to see if it works," Arna finished.
They listened to her dumbfounded as silence fell over the room. The sound of the water churning in the aquariums could barely be discerned.
"How... how do you know all this?" Pinz asked.
"I have heard about some of these unethical experiments previously. And that's partly why they abducted me. They wanted my input. They wanted me to give information that would help them perfect this gruesome process," Arna said, breaking into sobs.
"Hey," Pinz muttered consolingly. "You came back. You are safe now."
"I am not," Arna said, teary-eyed. "They were only going to test the serum on other Karomozians they had captured. But when I wouldn't cooperate... they tested it on me as well."
Silence fell again.
"Did... are... are you alright?" Heraclark asked. "Did it have any effect on you?"
Arna nodded silently, wiping at her tears. She then held out her palm for everyone to see.
"What are we looking at?" Jayrock asked, noticing nothing out of the ordinary about Arna's hand.
"This," Arna said.
A glowing, cyan orb formed in her hand with orange swirls inside it. Wisps of it danced about, almost like a flame.
All four of them gasped.
"Aren't you Karomozian?" Jayrock asked in wonder.
"I am," Arna replied.
"These don't look like powers from any planet in the Galaxy," Doxonica observed, staring intently at the orb.
"That's because they aren't," Arna said, seemingly in a trance. "My powers keep switching back and forth since they injected me with this serum. Standard Karomozian powers are usually referred to as 'heart' powers. Heart powers are... formless. They are versatile in their abilities but lack any particular specialties," she went on. "On the other hand, they call these 'aura' powers," she said, eyeing the orb in her hand. "They are not as malleable but much more potent... you can concentrate them better into more solid constructs, densely packed with energy."
"Oracle wants to change powers now?" Heraclark asked in bewilderment.
"They do," Arna replied, extinguishing the orb and placing her hand in her lap. "They have always wanted to become the most superior race in the Galaxy. And they see Karomozian heart powers as... primitive... vestigial... unspecialized... not worthy of a superior race. Even planet Digitex managed to acquire specialized powers thousands of years ago."
Oracle wants to change powers, she says, Jayrock thought, bemused.
"Through a unique culture and lifestyle that affected their powers and their planet over millennia," Doxonica said. "As did the rest of the planets. And Oracle wants to replicate that long, painstaking process in a heartbeat? Just because Karomozians lack..." Culture, she was about to say as she stopped herself. She realized that however she might phrase it, it would be an insult to Arna as well.
They all looked at her, waiting for her to finish her sentence.
Good grief, Jayrock thought. "But why did Oracle bother to take more fighters? Why not make do with the ones they already have?"
"They probably did. But they also wanted to prepare the serum from fighters who were healing here to see if that had any effect on its quality," Arna replied.
"The fighters never came back. How were you able to?" Doxonica repeated her question.
"They released me — before threatening to kill me if I ever opened my mouth, especially around Mr. Mavis. They told me they would keep an eye on me and that I'd better cooperate if they ever needed more information in the future. Then they knocked me out with some gas," Arna replied, pausing for breath. "I woke up in the middle of the Thysehr Desert, so I had to walk for miles before I reached civilization. I have told no one until now, and I have been maintaining my distance from Mr. Mavis as best as I can because I fear what they might do to me — or him — if they even see me with him. But I couldn't keep going like this," Arna said, her voice shaking again. "I needed to tell someone. Someone who could help me. I couldn't think of anyone else. So, I came to you." She sniffed and wiped at some tears. "I saw someone there. You need to know about that."
"What is it?" Pinz asked. "Who did you see?"
"Florinok Lephyte. I couldn't believe my eyes at first," Arna said, staring into the space. "I thought the dark was playing tricks on me. But I saw her there with them. She was working with Oracle."
"Florinok Lephyte... the one who invented the Mentisite cure?" Heraclark asked, astonished.
One of the names, Pinz thought, frowning.
"That's the one." Arna nodded. "Head of Drug Design and shareholder at Curavez Pharmaceuticals. She was there when they interrogated me. As I spoke, they would turn to her now and then, and she would either affirm or explain what I had just said. She would also explain to them the effects of her drug so that they could determine the effects of the rest of the treatment we have been administering here at Savvo."
"Wow. That's... that's something," Heraclark said, shaking his head.
"I fear Oracle and Lephyte worked together to orchestrate the Mad Diver Disease pandemic," Arna said. "Lephyte earns millions creating the cure, and Oracle acquires subjects with tamable central nervous systems. I also doubt the drug itself now — I wonder if it has any effects other than the ones it is purported to have."
For a moment, none of them knew what to say.
After a while, Jayrock licked his lips and cleared his throat. "But... we have all seen on the news how the Crimson Crows wouldn't let Curavez Pharmaceuticals representatives enter Malorawa Forest. And the Crows used to work for Oracle at that time."
"At that time," Arna emphasized. "And they were relieved of their contract shortly after. Now, the Crows have a grudge against Oracle. I believe the Crows were acting against Oracle's orders. Or Lephyte might have struck a deal with Oracle later on. The bottom line is that she is somehow involved with them currently. She didn't seem under duress when I saw her. And if this is true, she shouldn't be let to get away with it."
"If this is true," Jayrock agreed.
"I have information that she is going to be at the gala you will attend... at Naedil Tawanis's mansion," Arna said.
About time that is brought up, Pinz thought.
"You will have an opportunity to observe her there and decide what to do with her," Arna was saying. "Choose wisely."
"We will consider this." Jayrock nodded.
Pinz opened her mouth to speak, but Arna continued, "If I may... there is one last favor I need to ask of you. Mr. Mavis might disapprove of it... but I will just go ahead and say it."
"Of course," Pinz replied.
"Other prominent personalities are going to be there as well — at the gala," Arna said.
Indeed, they are, Pinz thought, recalling the guest list — and an interesting name. "As we all know," she said aloud as she scratched Puff.
"One of them is the Zapstromiss socialite and philanthropist, Elekzit Oblitz," Arna continued. "He is actually an undercover biologic augmentation expert."
"Let me guess. He is working with Oracle too?" Heraclark asked.
"Yes. On something called the Project Elemorts," Arna said.
"We are aware of that project," Jayrock said, fearing she might launch into another explanation.
"Oblitz is working on creating a resilient nanofiber that will grant invulnerability to would-be Elemorts," Arna said. "Zapstrom is allied with Karomoz, and Oblitz intended to collaborate with Oracle."
"OK," Heraclark said. "And he doesn't anymore?"
"He is ambivalent — as is the government of Zapstrom," Arna said. "Lately, Oracle has become too much of a liability since you exposed it. Its name has become a commonplace whisper. People are starting to wonder if it is advantageous anymore to associate with Oracle."
"Something tells me Oracle is still going to do just fine if we don't do something about it," Doxonica said.
"That is true," Arna agreed. "That is exactly why we must break away people like Oblitz from Oracle while we can — before they bring harm to more people."
"That's the favor you want to ask of us?" Heraclark asked.
"Yes," Arna said. "Talk to him. Convince him to come to the Savvo Headquarters. Again, Mr. Mavis won't like me suggesting it to you, but I know it must be done. Oblitz can do a lot of good here."
"How are we supposed to convince him? Why would he listen to us?" Jayrock said. "We were the ones who exposed Oracle. Surely, he would be mad at us."
"He won't be if you offer him a lucrative alternative. He just needs a gentle nudge. His loyalties lie where money and power lie," Arna replied. She looked around as if to make sure no one else was present. Then she spoke in a hushed tone, "If all else fails, tell him, 'The Phoenix will find you.'"
"What?" Pinz asked, scrunching her nose.
"It's something of a secret here at Savvo. I can't tell you what it means. But he will know," Arna replied.
"The phoenix will find you?" Pinz said.
"Correct."
"He will know something... that's supposed to be a secret here at Savvo?" Doxonica raised her eyebrows.
"He will." Arna nodded.
"He better. I'm not sure I want to risk looking like an idiot saying that," Heraclark said.
"Don't worry. And now I must be off," Arna said. "I have taken too much of your time. And I need to be back before someone finds out I talked to you. Thank you for listening to me," she said as she got up.
"What about your powers?" Doxonica said. "What are you going to do about them?"
"I am sure the effect will wear off sooner or later. The frequency with which they alternate is getting lesser and lesser," Arna replied. "Besides, I'll figure out some antidote."
"Let us know if you need any help," Pinz said, standing up with Puff in her arms.
"Sure," Arna said. "Goodnight."
Pinz escorted her outside and closed the door behind her. She waited for the footsteps to fade and said, "Alright, I'll ask first. Who else thinks that woman is phony?"
"Wow. How did you manage to hold that in?" Doxonica quipped.
"I might be holding in some opinions about you as well, honey," Pinz said, walking back to her armchair. "But you know who isn't? Your aunt... on the news."
Doxonica frowned as Pinz settled down. She wants to make me talk.
"So, to answer your question — me," Jayrock said.
"What?" Pinz asked.
"I also think that woman is phony. But, to be fair, she has made it very obvious by now," Jayrock said.
"Since I started working with her, I couldn't help but feel something was off about her," Doxonica remarked. "I am talking about Arna, of course," she added, making Pinz glare at her.
"And there's that thing I was going to tell you guys just before she descended on us," Heraclark said. "It's directly related to her."
"What is it?" Jayrock asked.
"I have been bored out of my mind. So, I decided to snoop around and make some friends — including Ino, the resident requisitioner. I have been sitting with him for 'chats' for a couple days now. We estimated the projected number of medicine units initially required for each victim and determined the cost apiece and hence the total cost," Heraclark explained. "Something interesting turned up."
"Hurry up! I have something to tell, too," Pinz said.
"Arna ordered less than the required amount," Heraclark declared. "Not enough to treat all the victims."
Doxonica frowned. "And she placed the order before the Wystals attacked and took some fighters?"
"Correct," Heraclark said. "She had no way of knowing we would lose some fighters — and yet she still ordered less than required."
"What does that mean?" Pinz said. "Does she not want to treat all of them?"
"It would appear so," Jayrock said. "But why?"
"Also, I think she somehow got wind of the fact that I might be on to her," Heraclark said. "That's probably why she is trying to cast doubts on Lephyte — trying to claim she doesn't trust the drug."
"That's not the only thing she might have lied about. There's something else, too," Jayrock said. "But you go first, Pinz. What were you going to tell us?"
"I was looking at the guest list a few days ago," Pinz said. "And guess what? Ms. Zinvor here was invited!"
"Really?" Heraclark exclaimed.
"Really," Pinz said. "I found it very surprising that she didn't mention it when she found out we were planning to go. She didn't even mention it now."
"Maybe... she is a private person?" Doxonica offered.
"Well, that's not all," Pinz said. "Since this morning, I can't find her name on the list anymore. And also, since this morning, I can see another name on the list that wasn't there before."
"Oblizzz... or whatever his name is?" Jayrock asked.
"Florinok Lephyte," Pinz corrected.
"What?" the other three exclaimed.
"Did Lephyte get Arna kicked out of the gala?" Heraclark wondered. "Is that really why she is bitter?"
"Why would Lephyte do that... especially after Arna ordered a ton of her medicines?" Jayrock said.
"And is Arna really that petty?" Doxonica said. "I don't think so. There's something else to this that we don't know."
"There must be," Jayrock agreed.
"And what are the lies you were mentioning?" Doxonica asked.
"It's kind of amazing she would choose to lie about something so fundamental. But I guess she assumed we wouldn't know anything about it... well, she was kind of right about everyone but me," Jayrock said, pulling his legs up on the couch and crossing them.
"Military intelligence?" Doxonica rolled her eyes.
"Yeah," Jayrock said. "Arna mentioned Oracle wants Karomozian heart powers to evolve. I know for a fact that is completely untrue."
"Then what is true?" Heraclark asked.
"In fact, one of Oracle's goals is to preserve and perpetuate heart powers," Jayrock continued. "They have even attempted to reform the enertronian cores of nearby celestial bodies so that the dominant enertrons there become Karomozian enertrons. They want to do that to other planets too — until most of the Galaxy is populated by people with heart powers."
"And others are... exterminated?" Pinz asked, swallowing a lump and pulling Puff close.
"Mostly. But they would want to keep just enough people with other powers around. The presence of other types of enertrons exerts an effect that ensures that Karomozian heart powers stay intact... and don't evolve or specialize," Jayrock explained. "Plus, they would need people with 'inferior powers' to keep as their subjects."
"I have been getting a bit too much information to process today," Heraclark said, leaning back against the couch. "Why did they inject her with that serum, then? And cause her powers to change?"
"Did they? We only have her word for that," Jayrock said. "Did you notice how she talked about heart powers... the utter disdain? I believe that was coming from within her, as much as she tried to attribute it to Oracle."
"So... she could have injected herself?" Pinz asked in wonder.
"It is possible." Jayrock nodded.
"Yeah, and I also noticed — and I don't mean just now — that she has way too much knowledge about stuff that has no relevance to her profession," Doxonica said, frowning. "Especially stuff geared towards altering natural mer physiology."
"I agree. She sounds like she has dabbled in a lot of shady stuff for quite some time now," Pinz said. "So, clearly, the fighters are not safe here."
"Yeah, what do we do about that?" Heraclark asked.
"We will be more vigilant from now on," Jayrock said. "We did not suspect Arna before, but we do now. And we have little choice. Where else do we take these fighters?"
"That's true. And besides, they are much better," Doxonica said. "I hope they won't be here for long now."
"And Rik doesn't seem to be in on this, considering how many times she mentioned not telling him," Pinz said. "I think we can trust him on this."
"Which means we can talk to Oblitz about contacting Rik," Heraclark said.
"But do we want to do something Arna suggested?" Doxonica said.
"We will decide at the gala," Jayrock said. "Scope him out, find out more about him. And also, Lephyte."
"Surely, she is lying about Lephyte too?" Pinz said.
"Probably. But what if there is some semblance of truth mixed in there?" Jayrock replied.
"Now that I recall, I think there was some news... about an outbreak at a party in Brivil," Heraclark said, scratching his head. "And I think Lephyte was there."
"Then we definitely need to keep an eye on her," Doxonica said.
"Another objective at the gala," Jayrock said. He began counting on his fingers. "Stealing dragonsalt, contacting Oblitz, and scoping out Lephyte. Say, is anyone willing to go over our plan once more? Now?"
"Tomorrow," Pinz said. "I am too tired right now."
"Me too," Doxonica said. "It's late. We all need to rest today. We still have two days to go."
"Alright, then. Tomorrow it is. Early morning. We need everything to go perfectly. And for that, we all need to rehearse it as many times as possible and be on the same page," Jayrock said.
"Understood, Commander," Heraclark said, getting up. "We will be."
"Captain," Jayrock replied. "I was a captain."
"Yeah, that," Heraclark said. "Goodnight, everybody."
"Goodnight. See you all in the morning," Pinz said, grabbing Puff in one hand and her holopad in the other.
"Goodnight. I'll clear out my mess tomorrow," Doxonica said, eyeing her equipment on the workbench.
"Night," Jayrock said, following the others toward their rooms.
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