Chapter 13: Chapter V10: Morning of the Test.

INITIATING SWEEP.

 

POINT OF INTEREST FOUND….

 

INITIATING PANDORA’S BOX PROTOCOL CHECKLIST….

 

WARNING! Mana fluctuations detected! WARNING! Mana fluctuations detected!

WARNING! Mana fluctuations detected! WARNING! Mana fluctuations detected!

WARNING! Mana fluctuations detected! WARNING! Mana fluctuations detected!

WARNING! Mana fluctuations detected! WARNING! Mana fluctuations detected!

WARNING! Mana fluctuations detected! WARNING! Mana fluctuations detected!

 

Override accepted…

 

Warning Confirmed.

 

Processing…

 

Triangulating Target…

 

Identifying…

Cross-referencing with Gov-Link Database...

Results: Inconclusive.

Cross-referencing with Eden Government files…

Subject identified…

Accessing File…

Displaying Page 1 of 3

“Jack Zhe Crosby formerly Jack Zhe Knight”

Legally adopted into Crosby household in 2346 From Military institute 317. Heir to Commander Alister Knight’s fortune via Article 32 of Bloodline succession. Link Detailing ART32

Born 2335

Age:18 Bloodtype AB- Negative. Height 5’11 Weight 132 Pounds. Brown Eyes. Black Hair.

Awaken Class: TBD

Ancestry: 50% Ethnic Chinese. 20% Ethnic Japanese. 30% Percent Irish.

Link to Family Tree

 

Employed at Wong’s Greenery. (See Link for special Notes regarding Wong’s Greenery)

Elysium Massacre survivor deemed fit to function.

LINK to Psych Evaluation

Scheduled for Awakening Exam on December 7th Shelby Military facility. Scheduled by Agent 47[ID192283047].

PAGE OVER ->

 

File Entries selected…

Copying files.

Data exported to E/USC-1 Drive [Secure]

File Marked for deletion.

 

Error! Users must have administrative rights to access file log23561204.

Please Enter Security Code.

 

E–M-I-L-Y-S-H-A-W-S-P-E-N-C-E-R

 

ACCESS GRANTED...

 

File Entry selected…

 

File Marked for deletion.

Please confirm File deletion...

 

Y/N

 

Deleting file log23662021…

Chapter V10

Before Jack knew it he had fallen asleep. By the time he woke up surprisingly nothing happened. No nightmare, no hunger, or fatigue, despite only getting three hours of sleep. He was feeling oddly well rested, almost as if he hadn’t just spent the last several hours of hardcore gaming. Even the blue swirl-turned-box was nowhere in his vision, causing Jack to be alarmed at first but then happy.  

 

Today was the day, things seemed to be looking up for Jack for a change, the only bad thing was that he felt super constipated.

Cleaning up the tissues, Jack got up from his PC, his back stiff from having fallen asleep over the device. 

 

“Ugh, the first thing I’ma do is buy one of those head mount PCs.”  Jack moaned to himself, daydreaming about what he’d do with his inheritance while he left his room to go use the bathroom. 

He quickly stumbled out into the hallway, almost bumping into James who happened to be cradling Mike’s head and princess-carrying their hung-over father through the hallway. 

“Uhm ok then,” Jack said, unsure of what to make of the situation.

 

“Please shut up kiddo, and happy birthday,” Mike whined, wincing in pain from an obvious migraine. 

 

“Almost to the bedroom dad,” James assured the drunk while ushering Jack to step out of the way.

 

“See this is why I love you, James. You’re always here to take care of your old man,” the drunken middle-aged man responded teary-eyed. He leaned up and kissed James on the cheek before going slack in the black man’s arms.

 

“Is he still drunk?”  Jack asked, eyeing the duo as they moved past him and towards the master bedroom.  

“He said giving him more alcohol would help cure his hangover, obviously it did not,” 

“I just need more, that's all son,” Jack heard Mike cry as the pair entered the main room and the door shut behind them. 

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Shaking his head, Jack continued on his way to the bathroom, where he was almost smacked with the door by Angelica exiting the bathroom in her sports bra and panties. Why is everyone so ripped?! Jack thought, staring at her abs. Normally her baggy uniform hid her psychique, but now it was on full display.  

 

“The hell are you doing up so early? Your test isn’t for another seven hours,” Angelica asked, a momentary look of surprise on her face before it suddenly twisted to disdain. Jack’s ab staring was quickly interrupted by Angelica elbowing the ogling man out of the way.  From there she  beelined it towards her bedroom, not bothering to give him a chance to defend himself.

 

However, just as she was about to enter her room, Angelica suddenly paused and turned to look back at Jack. “Goodluck on your test, ok? I just want you to know that whatever you do, make good decisions. We might not get along, but Dad loves you. So.. don’t break the old man’s heart ok?”

 

Before Jack could formulate a response Angelica quickly shut the door to her room. Jack didn’t understand where that was coming from, he didn’t intend on breaking anyone’s heart let alone Mike’s he was just planning to move once he got his inheritance to get out of everyone’s hair. 

 

Jack shook his head and didn’t pay it much of any mind. With a shake of his head, he continued his adventure to the bathroom,  turning on the fan to dispel the lingering steam Angelica had left behind. 

 

A good deal of time had passed before Jack left the bathroom, feeling famished and smelling smoke. Heading downstairs he was greeted by the sight of James standing over the stove removing the mana cells from the smoke detector.

 

“How... How do you burn a Ramen cup?” Jack asked, looking at the contents inside the smoking Microwave.

 

“What do you mean, it’s totally edible,” James replied as he grabbed the half-melted cup of charred noodles. “Did you know in the Japanese cultural area they serve a dish called burnt ramen?” 

 

“I don’t... I don’t think that this is what they serve, dude.” Jack grimaced while opening a window to vent the billowing smoke.

 

“You sure?” James said as he took a bite out of the blackened block of ramen. The dark-skinned man always had odd tastes, willing to eat just about anything and everything that was edible—often eating everyone’s leftovers or MREs that the household didn’t like.    

 

Still, even after all these years, it still made Jack cringe as he watched the man wolf down the entire block of ramen.

 

Jack opened a nearby cabinet and grabbed an MRE to eat. Instead of going to his room like he usually did, he stuck around to keep James company and with the two breaking out a board game to play while they ate.

 

“You first or me?” Jack asked while taking a seat across from James and fishing the magnesium heating packet out of the package.

 

“Me, Ten-A.” 

 

“Hit,” Jack replied, moving the little tab to where his boat got tagged.  “So…”

 

“So?”

“Lately, I’ve been seeing colors, and the blue swirl is now a box. Like an actual box, do you have any idea what that could be?” 

 

“A box I’m unsure about, but for colors, well… That could be a sign of you Awakening, I suppose,” James said before his guys began to glow.  

 

“What are you doing?!” Jack yelled as he felt a tingling sensation brush past him.

 

“Sorry, just calm down. I was just checking your mana levels, hold still.”

 

“I have mana?!”

“Sigh, Our education system is failing… We all have mana. Everyone does, the difference between Awaken and regular humans is that Awaken can see and manipulate it, Awaken also have a certain glow to them that we can detect.”

 

“So wait, am I an Awakened?” Jack asked, his curiosity piqued as the bag in his hands started to let off steam, cooking the contents within. “Where does mana even come from?”

 

“First, no, you aren’t an Awaken, at least not that I can tell. Secondly, no one really knows, it just sort of appeared one day. Mana Is everywhere, humans naturally draw it in, though the city has special inhibitors to siphon the energy throughout the city and on each of the floors so that things don't get…. Weird,”

 

“Weird, what do you mean by weird?”

 

“Seriously, did you not- of course, you didn't, anyway, ambient mana has a way of changing the environment or distorting things if left alone. Like forming dungeons or portals that Horrors come out of. Mana is never kept in the city at a singular position for too long. It’s like oxygen, but intangible to the naked eye. It’s also why you don’t usually see a lot of Awakened about, with how regulated it is around here.” 

 

“Wait but you’re always down here?” Jack interjected in between preparing to eat the steaming contents of his MRE. “Six-B by the way,”

 

“Miss, I’m not saying there aren’t Awaken here, I’m just saying that most don’t prefer being down here. Using mana can be…. addicting, and being in an area where mana is being pulled and scrubbed is very uncomfortable to us.” James answered, finishing off the rest of his burnt ramen. “Imagine a sucking sensation across your entire body. It’s like that but twenty-four-seven. What mana we do use comes from our own reserves or other people’s mana pools, ten-B.”

 

“Missed, Well thanks, J-seven,” Jack replied, wiggling his nose and touching the scar near his eye. “Is it possible to heal scars?” 

 

“Not at my level, nor would I try. Healing takes a lot of resources unless you’re with the church. They have a way of doing it not taught outside their walls, hit. Nine-A”

 

“Hit, shit, say what facti-” 

 

“Hey look, sorry little bro, as fun as this has been, unfortunately, I have papers to grade. Whatever questions you have, they’ll go over this stuff if you Awaken,” James interjected, excusing himself from the table as he noticed the time. “We’ll talk more later ok, oh, and happy Adult day. Good luck on your test.” 

 

“Yea sure,” Jack replied, watching him go.

 

He sat at the table for a while after the man had left, pondering what to do with his newfound information. He could admit that Awakening did have its appeals, but having to fight, or deal with Horrors and monsters was just a horrible ordeal for him. Healing was a nifty trick though. And what did James say about the church? About them being proficient healers? If he had to choose maybe he could try joining the church for his training?

 

After all, why would the church have Awakened out on the frontlines? Most games always had healers at the base, protected, or at the rear line. So whatever training he did get, it most likely wouldn’t involve him having to fight a Horror.

“Eh yea no thanks.,” Jack said aloud after thinking more about it. He had never been one to be religious and lying really wasn’t one of his greatest strengths. The Church would catch on to him very quickly and were known to be quite fanatical in their devotion to the goddess.

Jack’s thoughts were interrupted by Angelica, now in a lab coat with her officer’s bars hanging off her collar, barging into the room. 

 

“Have you seen my holster?!” Angelica yelled in a panic, scattering items in the kitchen and making a mess. 

 

“NO?!” Jack screamed in alarm as Angelica hoisted him by his shoulders and lifted him out of the chair. At his response, Angelica dropped the young man before immediately dropping to all fours and crawling around.

 

“Fuck! It has my new keycard in it! Ugh Dad was right, I shoulda just put it in my trunk,” Angelica whined to herself before crawling under the table. A moment later an “AH HA!” followed by a loud thunk could be heard as Angelica hit her head. 

 

“You ok?” Jack asked reflexively as Angelica emerged from underneath the table.. 

 

“Uh huh, later nerd! Can’t be late! Got a car picking me up :3” Angelica answered back, scurrying her way to the door.

 

“Well someone was in a good mood,” Jack said to himself. Everything seemed to be business as usual for the Crosby household, almost as if a major life changing event wasn’t about to happen to one of them.  Jack grimaced, as the anxiety began to creep up on him again. For some reason he was beginning to get a headache, and hungry again despite just eating.  

 

Taking a glanced at the time, Jack figured he could eat a few more bites and get some gaming in, after all, who knew when next he’d be able to eat.

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