Page 186 of Cerulean Truth
I held up my hands as I would before a gunman, attempting to sound less terrified. "I'm no threat to you," I spoke in a shaky voice.
"We know," a lower voice than the first responded.
"I don't have anything for you," I continued, uncertain of what they wanted.
"Now that is painfully wrong," the low voice I still couldn't exactly locate replied.
I ran a quick analysis on my less-than-favorable situation: there were approximately fifteen magi, probably Radicals, ready to endanger my life, that much was obvious, so chances were I would be able to translate a considerable amount of energy without too much effort. My fighting skills were awesome, but me, by myself, against all of them? I didn't like those odds.
Closing my eyes, I desperately wished for James to come to my rescue. But before I could even process my overwhelming fear of dying, my senses were abruptly severed, plunging me into an abyss of nothingness.
I felt nothing. I saw nothing. I heard nothing. I was utterly blind, deaf, and numb. I couldn't move, I couldn't speak. I wanted to scream, I wanted to cry, but I was trapped in a void where even those desperate actions were impossible. I could only... exist.
Whatever their skills, whatever their intentions, they somehow incapacitated me completely, stripping away my ability to feel anything. Without feelings, there was no fear of death, and thus no translation.Notranslation.
I was utterly defenseless.
The realization hit me like a cold, hard slap: I was about to die, and I couldn't even muster the capacity to care.
This was the end.
FIFTY-ONE
JAMES
Once I arrived at Alliance, I moved quickly, almost sprinting through the caves until I found the office of the First Offensive, a stern-looking older man named Hawke.
Because of the time difference, I was relieved to find him still working at eight PM.
He looked up as I burst through his door. “Mister Walker, welcome to Alliance. What brings you here so urgently?”
“Where’s the Amplifier,” I said, cutting straight to the point.
Hawke’s expression darkened. “The Amplifier? It’s already been delivered to the United Chiefs.”
“What?” I asked, taken aback. “When did this happen?”
“The day they came to help you with the Board,” he replied, surprise evident in his tone. “We handed it over immediately.”
I frowned, trying to piece things together. “Who handled the communication with the Maumars then? They’ve been looking for the Amplifier since our return.”
Hawke shook his head, looking genuinely puzzled. “It wasn’t me, and none of my Offensives reported any contact with the Maumars.”
A sense of unease settled over me. “So, someone else has been communicating with them, or there has been a serious miscommunication.”
Hawke nodded slowly. “It seems that way. I suggest you start your search with the United Chiefs. They went back to the Diamond City, as far as I know, and might have more information.”
“Thank you, Hawke. I’ll head there immediately,” I said, already turning to leave.
“Good luck, James,” he called after me, his voice heavy with concern. “Be careful.”
Running back out of the caves, I attempted to nex anyone outside of Alliance to locate the United Chiefs. However, for some inexplicable reason, my Nexus refused to comply with any of my commands. Frustrated and impatient, I dashed back to Hawke, practically begging him to open a portal to Antwerp.
He refused, babbling about the risks of portal travel and how he didn’t want the responsibility of me getting lost in limbo without a working Nexus. After what felt like an eternity of arguing, he finally pointed me towards a red portal, dumping me on the border of France.
Which is how I found myself traveling by human transportation on my second day, from France to Antwerp. The city’s protection wasn’t as elaborate as the Layers of Cyclos—there was no Metasphere—but I was still grateful my clearance hadn’t been revoked.
Arriving at Antwerp Central Railway Station, I didn't take the time to appreciate my favorite structure. Instead, I hurried outside and made my way to the New Port House, where the headquarters of the United Chiefs resided. And of course, my Nexus was still dead, so I hoofed it there on foot, cursing my luck and the delay every step of the way.
