Dialogue and descriptions from The Longest Journey by Funcom - Transcript compiled by Bluejay, slightly modified by me
This time, she appeared at the studio in the Academy.
April:
Saved by the bell. I'm like the incredible Hulk, except my powers only work when I'm scared silly. That's the second time I've opened a Shift by instinct alone when I've been in mortal danger. The frustrating thing is, I still don't know how to do it when I'm not scared. Wait...didn't the old lady say I should use what I do best to focus my talents? Is running away really what I do best? Come to think of it, why did the Shift dump me here? I wasn't even thinking about the studio.
Again with the last minute Shifting! What's up with that? Who's doing this? Am I really opening a Shift on my own without realizing it? And can I only do this when I'm scared out of my mind? That's not particularly convenient.
But now I'm just thinking about myself, which I have a nasty habit of doing. What about Minstrum Yerin, and Brian, and all the other people left in Marcuria? They're facing an army with nothing but their courage. How are they going to cope? I have it easy. I can always run away. They can't. They have too much fight for.
I'll just have to help them out the only way I know how, by finishing what I started. I still need to go back to Arcadia one last time, to retrieve the second Dragon's Eye jewel. And I think I know where to find it, where all this started. The only question is, how do I get there? Lady Alvane said to use my talent to focus my powers. And my only talent...is art.
She stared at her unfinished painting before moving to pick up a palete and brush. The old woman, the Lady Alvane had said something about using her craft to focus her powers, to learn how to open a Shift at will. She guessed it was certainly worth a try. As she settled down into a state of concentration, the canvas wavered like the ripple of waves and a portal opened. She found herself on the ledge of the mountainside where the White Dragon's nest was.
April:
I did it! On my own...I did it.
White Dragon:
April.
She was shocked to see the White Dragon lying panting beside the nest with the egg between her fore legs.
April:
Oh...Mother.... what's wrong with you?
White Dragon:
Touch me, April...
She gently caressed the White Dragon.
White Dragon:
(sighed contendedly)
April:
What's happening to you, Mother?
White Dragon:
I am dying, April.
April:
But you can't die! You're the...the Mother, the WHite Dragon. You're eternal...aren't you?
White Dragon:
The Mother is, April. But I am not. It is time for the new to replace the old, for the seed to grow into a flower, and for the withered and the grey to return to dust and pass on into the ages.
April:
Help me to understand. Please.
White Dragon:
Take my blue eye, the crystal. You need it.
April:
But I can't ---
White Dragon:
Take it. Quickly.
April:
Thank you.
White Dragon:
(breatheed heavily)
April:
Please don't go.
White Dragon:
I am tired. The war with Chaos has taken its toll on me. I wish I could have seen my children grow up...
April:
When will the egg hatch?
White Dragon:
When I die and turn to dust. Be here, then, to witness the new Mother.
April:
I promise.
White Dragon:
Be...who you are...April. Do not be afraid of...that.
April:
What am I?
White Dragon:
My daughter. My...own daughter...
The White Dragon emitted a cry and her heavy breathing stopped. The body of the White Dragon incandesced and vanished as April sobbed. After a while, the egg began to pulsate and then, an arrow of silver sparkling light shot out from it. A small White Dragon hovered in the sky and then vanished into the horizon.
April:
(gazing after it, wondering if she had heard right) Be what you are...sister. Sister?
It was time to go. There was no longer any point remaining in Arcadia so the most logical place to go to ... she focused her thoughts. A Shift opened and she stepped through to emerge in the Hope Street Cathedral.
April:
I...I can do it, now. I can Shift. It's not easy, but...I can do it. Ironic as it may be though, I think I've done all I can do in Arcadia. I have the two Arcadian Dragon's Eye jewels, the disc and the starmap. Now I need to find the Guardian, the two missing jewels, and somebody who can help me decipher the starmap. And I have to look for those things here, in Stark.
Sunday, late afternoon.
The White Dragon is dead, but she lives on in her daughter, in the White Dragon reborn. But to know now that she was my mother, my real mother...I don't know how to feel anymore. Is it true? It is, because I FEEL that it is, and because that would explain so much. My journey did begin with an answer, like the old dragon told me, and it's only now that I know the question; who am I? I'm the daughter of the White of the Draic Kin, which makes me one of the Kin...whatever THAT means. So am I still April Ryan? Am I still myself? I don't even know that. I've always known I was adopted, but this...to know that I'm not even really human, that I was put on this Earth for a purpose, and that everything happens for a reason. Scary. Suddenly the prospect of becoming Guardian doesn't seem so impossible after all. At least it would put an end to all my problems, for the time being. Kinda like checking out of the world for a time. One thousand years.
Right, so here's the plan.
I got the disc, I got two of the Dragon's Eye jewels, I got the starmap and Burns Flipper should have my fake ID ready right about now. Which means I can get to Grendel Avenue where the Vanguard have their headquarters, and with luck I'll be able to find out what they know about the Guardian, if they have him. Also, I need to find somebody to decode this starmap for me, to find out where the entrance to the Guardian's Realm is located. That done, I "just" need to find the second two jewels - Cortez told me he knew where to find them, so this means I'll have to find HIM. God, my schedule is really packed, isn't it?
The Flipper, busy in the lower levels, did not seem aware she was there when she reached his garage.
April:
Sorry I'm late.
Burns Flipper:
Whoa! It's the fake-ID girl. Hold on. (He floated to the top level)
April:
You got it?
Burns Flipper:
Where you been, man? I been holding onto this for a week now. Yeah! A week!
April:
What's the trouble? I paid up front.
Burns Flipper:
What's the trouble? What's the fucking trouble? The trouble is, baby, this thing's hot! It sizzles, man. They catch me with this shit on my hands, they give me twenty. At least.
April:
Like you wouldn't get twice that for any of the stuff you have in here.
Burns Flipper:
Yeah, but that's mine, man. Mine! My problem. This here is yours. Shit, take it. I don't want it no more. (He handed over the ID) What up?
April:
That's all.
Oops, that was not all, she had almost forgotten. She took out the star map and studied it. A map of constellations and a cross marked on it. It must be where the gateway to the Guardian's Realm was located but where that was, she had no idea.
April:
Any chance of you deciphering this for me?
Burns Flipper:
(popping up readily) Hmm. Looks...old. This old? It looks old. It's gotta be old. What you do, rip off a museum or something? Cause I'm cool with that.
April:
It was a gift. Would you be able to calculate the coordinates of that...cross, based on the positions of the stars?
Burns Flipper:
Shouldn't be a problem, as long as this thing's accurate. I'll just do some chem trace tests, see when it was made, and then figure out the rotation of the constellations, and calculate the... Yeah, sure.
April:
And what's it gonna cost me?
Burns Flipper:
This time? You still got credit from the AG unit you gave me. Works like a fucking charm, I tell you. Even with two people on at the same time.
April:
I don't wanna know that. So when can I get the results?
Burns Flipper:
Can't do the chem tests here, but I'll call a friend of mine, owes me a favour. Come back later, yeah?
April:
Sure.
Burns Flipper:
And hey, don't wait a week this time.
April:
Got it.
On the train to Metro Circle, she examined the fake ID.
April:
My own mid- and upper- level ID card! A gir's best friend. I never imagined I'd one day be carrying one of these babies. Not unless I married a lawyer, a doctor, or a Screen-repairman, that is.
The elevator to the upper level was one of the smallest cross-level one she had seen. The big ones could carry up to one hundred people at a time and they went way fast. She had never been inside one though. The police officer guarding the elevator to the upper levels eyed her suspiciously but made no move to stop her as the elevator doors opened. The upper levels were a big difference from the lower. For one, it was cleaner, open-spaced with many shops. There were shuttle ports and tubes leading to other levels. Advertising posters decorated the walls.
April:
"Rapture Revisited". They're launching the original Amathin drug, uh, sorry -- stimulant... Twice as effective for half the cost. Time to usher in a whole new generation of dug addicts.
A popular clothes shop caught her attention. They got the coolest clothes in that store. The coolest and most expensive. She saved for months to buy a pair of socks there once. The coolest pair of socks she ever had. She looked down at herself. She looked like a sailor in her getup, not to mention her dirty state. Definitely, she could do with a change of clothes and so what if the store was way out of her league? After what she had been through, she deserved to splurge a little. An hour later, she emerged from the shop, spruced up. She felt good. Thank God they had a thermal shower in there. She had needed a proper disinfection and delousing. Back to business. There was no way she would be able to waltz into the Vanguard stronghold so she would need something to trick her way in. Her eyes fell on the Bingo! instant pizza machine. She had never liked those things, they tasted like artificially flavoured cardboard boiled in grease. But she could pretend to be making deliveries. However her hope was dashed when she attempted to buy a pizza.
Pizza Machine:
I am sorry, but this Bingo! instant pizza maker has been shut down by order of the Newport Department of Biological Warfare.
April:
About time.
Pizza Machine:
If you or anyone in your immediate family has enjoyed a delicious Bingo! instant pizza recently, please report to an area hospital as soon as possible. Have a nice day!
A discarded pizza box in the trash caught her attention. It would have to do. She took a quick peep into the box and shut it hastily. There was one piece of mouldy pizza left inside the box and it seemed to have chemically merged with the cardboard so she had better keep it closed. She took a shuttle transport to Grendel Avenue. Most of the buildings in the area soared dizzily into the sky with the exception of one huge tower that surpassed them. She had no idea which was the Vanguard headquarters though. A bored police officer stood nearby.
April:
Officer?
Grendel Avenue Cop:
Yes, ma'am?
April:
Can you direct me to the MTI building?
Grendel Avenue Cop:
Certainly. See that huge, massive, towering building over there?
April:
That's it?
Grendel Avenue Cop:
Yes, ma;am.
April:
Okay, thanks.
Grendel Avenue Cop:
You're welcome, ma'am.
The lobby of the MTI building was not what she was expecting.
April:
Wow. It's a faux-Roman palace. How very Las Vegas.
A prim prissy-looking receptionist stood behind a counter with a big X symbol and a large, stunning in a creepy neo-Fascist way, stained-glass window behind him.
April:
Scary. I believe that circle with a big "X" through it is supposed to represent the destruction of the Balance. These guys don't kid around.
(here appeared to be only one elevator in the building. She wondered what they do during rush hours.
April:
(using a broader accent) Got a pizza delivery for Mr McAllen!
Vanguard Receptionist:
Really. I have not been informed of --
April:
Guy, you know how Mr McAllen hates it when his pizza gets cold, yeah? So why don't just do us both a favour and call the elevator, yo?
Vanguard Receptionist:
I'm afraid I can't --
April:
Listen you want Mr McAllen to get in a frizzy over his pineapple and baked clam pie? If that mozarella cheese cools down...
Vanguard Receptionist:
All right, all right. Give me the pizza and I will see to it that it's delivered as soon as possible.
April:
No can do, guy. This has got to be delivered now.
Vanguard Receptionist:
(heavy sigh) I can't very well leave my...all right, all right. Step into the elevator and I will send you to Mr McAllen's office. But I want you back down here pronto, do you understand?
April:
Capisce, Jerry.
Vanguard Receptionist:
Gerold. Now, hurry, Mr McAllen likes his mozarella hot and runny.
April:
Hi there....Jerry?
Vanguard Receptionist:
Gerold. Do you have an appointment?
April:
I'm visiting a friend of mine.
Vanguard Receptionist:
Oh, really. Then your name would be in my appointment diary, yes?
April:
Uh, I dunno. I don't really have an appointment.
Vanguard Receptionist:
You don't say. And do you really have a friend in the building?
April:
...no...
Vanguard Receptionist:
Then I suggest you turn around and walk out of here...miss. This is a private building.
April:
How do I call the elevator?
Vanguard Receptionist:
You do not...miss. I call it.
April:
All right, thanks.
Vanguard Receptionist:
No, you misunderstand. I call it -- for people who work in the building, or for those with appointments with the people who work in the building. You are...how shall I put this? Street vermin. A hooligan. Scum.
April:
You were home sick the day they taught diplomacy, weren't you, Jerry?
Vanguard Receptionist:
Gerold. Please, leave the building.
April:
What floor is Jacob McAllen on?
Vanguard Receptionist:
We do not have a "Jacob McAllen" working here, miss.
April:
Do you have any McAllens at all? I'm not picky.
Vanguard Receptionist:
I am not about to divulge any private information to a ....person such as yourself.
April:
Good for you, Jerry.
Vanguard Receptionist:
Gerold.It would be so nice if you left now, miss.
April:
Can I bribe you?
Vanguard Receptionist:
I am sorry --what?
April:
Pay you to let me "slip" by you, unnoticed, into the elevator?
Vanguard Receptionist:
For goodness sake, miss, absolutely not. I am not your...common low life.
April:
I'm sure even a standup guy like you, Jerry, needs some pocket change now and then.
Vanguard Receptionist:
Gerold. And no, I do not. Now, I would like you to leave...immediately.
April:
Thank you very much...Jerry.
Vanguard Receptionist:
(sighed) Gerold. And if you do not leave, miss, I wiil be forced to call the police.
April:
(attemptes to use the elevator)
Vanguard Receptionist:
(coughed) And what pray, tell, do you think you are doing,,,miss?
April:
Me? Uh...Rodent inspection.
Vanguard Receptionist:
I see. Very original. There have never been any rodents on Grendel Avenue, miss. Well, until now.
April:
No problem, because rats are my specialty.
Vanguard Receptionist:
Very droll. This is a private building, miss, and I suggest that you leave. Now.
April:
Thank you very much...Jerry.
Vanguard Receptionist:
(sighed) Gerold. And if you do not leave, miss, I will be forced to call the police.
April:
Hi there...Jerry?
Vanguard Receptionist:
Gerold. Do you have an appointment?
April:
I really need to see your boss, Jacob McAllen.
Vanguard Receptionist:
There is no one here by that name, miss. This is a private building. I am going to have to ask you to leave. Now.
April:
Thank you very much...Jerry.
Vanguard Receptionist:
(sighed) Gerold. And if you do not leave, miss, I will be forced to call the police.
She went out the front door and came back in again, holding the pizza box this time.
April:
Got a pizza delivery for Mr McAllen!
Vanguard Receptionist:
Really. There's been no -- Wait a second, weren't you in here, before?
April:
(changing her accent) Me? Nah. Been delivering pies to the, uh, to Venice. I ain't been up here before. Nice 'hood. Clean pavements. Good air.
Vanguard Receptionist:
I could've sworn... Very well, give me the pizza and I will see to it that it's delivered to Mr McAllen as soon as possible.
April:
No can do, guy. This has got to be delivered now, before it gets cold. You know how Mr McAllen gets when his mozarella is cold.
Vanguard Receptionist:
(heavy sigh) I can't very well leave my post, so... All right, all right. Step into the elevator and I will send you to Mr McAllen's office. But I want you back down here pronto, do you understand?
There was no one around when she reached the office. It was however, unlike any office she had ever been to. There were two huge glass vats, each containing what looked like a man.
April:
What is that? It looks...God, it looks human. I'd guess the Vanguard are growing these creatures for a purpose. Maybe as soldiers? That's one way I'll do my best to prevent. (There were also a couple of small glass containers) I don't know what they're growing in these tanks, but whatever it is, it's disgusting...and alive. (There was a large window opposite the desk with an amazing view. She could see clear across the city. She went to the desk. There were documents scattered all over it as she glanced at them) Papers... There's nothing here that ... That's my... that's my name! And my address. Obviously there's...God, they've been tracking me, watching me! (There could be other important information to be found, she tried one of the drawers and stopped shot as an alarm shrilled) Uh-oh.
Slow measured footsteps could be heard from the doorway and then Jacob McAllen walked in. In the flesh, he looked terrifying. He stopped short when he saw her.
Jacob McAllen:
Oh.
April:
(gasped)
Jacob McAllen:
You were the last person I'd expect to find here, Shifter. I've spent an obscene amount of money and resources tracking you down, since before we knew your name, before you even came to Newport. And then you simply...walk into my lap. Like a mouse into a great big trap. Looking for the cheese, I'd imagine? The Guardian? Well, he's not here, I'm sorry to say. He's bring held elsewhere, awaiting your directions. You do have them, yes? The directions to the Guardian's Realm?
April:
I know where the entrance is, but I'm not telling you anyting.
Jacob McAllen:
You're not? Hmmmm. That's unfortunate. I thought you were such a bright young girl, especially considering your...heritage. But apparently, I was wrong. At least you have the disc and the two jewels I'm missing in your possession. So good of you to bring them here. I thought I might have to go pick them up myself.
April:
Let me go, and I'll tell you everything.
Jacob McAllen:
You promise to give me a call then? Or at least write? I wish I could trust you, Shifter, but you've been in the habit of...disappearing on me one time too many. At least you have the disc and the two jewels I'm missing in your possession. So good of you to bring them here. I thought I might have to go pick them up myself.
April:
Sorry, but I never managed to find the entrance to the Guardian's Realm.
Jacob McAllen:
Hmmm. Pity, really. And I thought you'd done so well on your journey across Arcadia. At least you have the disc and the two jewels I'm missing in your possession. So good of you to bring them here. I thought I might have to go pick them up myself.
April:
I have friends --
Jacob McAllen:
Oh, you do. You do. The very best friends too. Don't make me laugh, girl. Did you really expect your good buddy Cortez to tell you the truth? Or to come to your rescue like a knight in shining armour? He's been using you. Tobias, Cortez, the bloody Kin... All your "friends". They've been using you for their own selfish reasons. They're no different from me, Shifter. No different at all.
April:
The difference is that they care about people.
Jacob McAllen:
Care? Care about what? I care about people. I have no intention of destroying mankind or enslaving it. I just want to open the borders, to allow mankind to fulfill its true destiny. The Sentinel, they are the ones who wish to keep the truth secret, to keep the past locked in their sacred Scriptures and behind their well-guarded door. No, you have been kept from the truth as much as everyone, Shifter. You are just a piece in a grand game of chess. You're not even a big piece. You're a pawn. Now, give me the disc and the jewels, the Dragon Eyes, and then we can wrap this game up. I'm quite certain you know more then you let on about the Guardian's Realm as well...I'll have that information, too, very soon.
April:
They've helped me. You haven't.
Jacob McAllen:
Haven't I? I could have caught you earlier, Shifter. I had my eyes and ears in Arcadia, and you made quite a spectacle of yourself from time to time. But I let you go about your business. And now you return to me with precious gifts. So don't tell me I haven't helped you, just as you're helping me now. No, you have been kept from the truth as much as everyone, Shifter. You are just a piece ina grand game of chess. You're not even a big piece. You're a pawn. Now, give me the disc and the jewels, the Dragon Eyes, and then we can wrap this game up. I'm quite certain you know more then you let on about the Guardian's Realm as well...I'll have that information, too, very soon.
April:
How have they been using me?
Jacob McAllen:
The Sentinel...they say one thing, I say another. It's all subjective, isn't it? Does the fact that I want to reunite the Worlds and allow mankind its true destiny sound like an evil deed?
April:
No, but the way you go about it --
Jacob McAllen:
The way I go about it? Then what about the damned Sentinel? They've kept the truth from most people for millennia! They've buried the past, and indoctrinated Arcadians into their own, outdated faith. No, you have been kept from the truth as much as everyone, Shifter. You are just a piece ina grand game of chess. You're not even a big piece. You're a pawn. Now, give me the disc and the jewels, the Dragon Eyes, and then we can wrap this game up. I'm quite certain you know more then you let on about the Guardian's Realm as well...I'll have that information, too, very soon.
April:
I'm not giving you anything.
Jacob McAllen:
I have an army of devoted soldiers in this building, Shifter. I run this city. What are you going to do, round up a mob of of your "friends"? Forget about Shifting as well...there are magical barriers against that in this building.
April:
All right, I give up -- here's the disc and the jewels.
She made as if to hand them over to him. Instead, she dashed for the doorway and stopped short. She retreated back into the office as a Vanguard Agent advanced towards her.
Jacob McAllen:
You see? I wasn't lying to you, unlike some of your...accomplices. You dont have a choice. You must give me what you have.
April:
Fine, Who the hell cares anyway. I'm exhausted, and I'm...I give up. Cortez has abandoned me, I've hurt my two best friends in the world, and -- And maybe you're right. Maybe you're no different from the Sentinel. Maybe they're as bad as you, and maybe you deserve each other. It doesn't matter, you've won. What are you going to do now?
Jacob McAllen:
Let me guess -- this is where the heroine coaxes a confession from the villain before the final act of the play commences? Very well, I'm all for a satisfying denouement. What now? I have the Guardian, I have the disc and the jewels -- the key to the tower. And soon, if you play along like a nice little girl, I'll know where the gateway is.
April:
So you don't need me anymore?
Jacob McAllen:
Apparently not. I thought I might, so I decided not to kill you. But now that I have the Guardian himself, your role in this game is...up. After you tell me what I need to know, of course.
April:
Then what will happen to me?
Jacob McAllen:
Nothing. I'll let you go. You can do me no harm, and I'm not a cruel man. Not unusually so, at any rate.
April:
What happened to Cortez?
Jacob McAllen:
Cortez. I had Gordon take care of him. He was just interfering too much for his own sake. There are rules, and he broke them. He brought you into..... He broke the rules.
April:
What will you do once you open the gateway to the Guardian's Realm?
Jacob McAllen:
Gordon Halloway will take the Guardian's place in the tower, and he will rule according to my plan. The Worlds will be reunited, and the Earth will be one realm, as it was, and as it should be.
April:
So this is all part of your master plan to rule the Earth?
Jacob McAllen:
When you put it like that, I guess...yes, But I'll be a fair and just ruler, my dear.
April:
What's the point? You're like what, sixty? In another sixty years you'll be dead, and then what? Leave the kingdom to your firstborn?
Jacob McAllen:
I'll be around a lot longer than sixty years. A lot longer, You really don't know me, do you? You really don't know anything about me?
April:
Apparently not. How did you get the other two jewels?
Jacob McAllen:
I've one of them for...ages. The other came into my possession only a week ago, as luck would have it. And now I have the last two. And the disc.
April:
Why didn't you go look for the jewels and the pieces of the disc yourself?
Jacob McAllen:
(sighed) I would have, but my powers over Arcadia has been...disturbingly limited. Until now. The Tyren have proved a valuable addition to my...disciples, and with their help, I've dispensed with most of my opposition in Arcadia. But still, locating the stones would have required the cooperation of the Sentinel. Now, I may be a charismatic man, but I doubt they would have told me anything. And those wretched magical races, you think they would have cooperated? No, they were waiting for their saviour, their prophecy come true. And you seemed to fit the bill. Why not take advantage of that? As for the jewels, the White and the Blue of the Draic Kin were not likely to submit to me. And that was a battle even I'd be well advised to avoid. But time is ticking, Shifter, and the Wheel of the Balance is turning. Please, enter the elevator to your right. I want to show you something.
Having little choice, she followed him. The Vanguard Agent did not get on to the elevator however. They went up a couple of floors to what looked like a laboratory.
Jacob McAllen:
What do you think?
April:
What is it?
Jacob McAllen:
This is the end result of the centuries of work and research the Vanguard have done. A breeding ground for Shifters, such as yourself. Warrior Shifters. So tell me...what do you think?
April:
I'm impressed.
Jacob McAllen:
So you should be. There's technology here that could...well, it has changed the world, in ways you could never understand. Now, give me the disc and the jewels. And don't try anything this time. I might have to hurt you myself.
April:
You are one sick man.
Jacob McAllen:
Because I create my own destiny instead of sitting around waiting for it? Because I look to the future? What's so sick about that?
April:
Because you think you have a right to do this. But you don't consider the harm you do to the Balance, and to the people both here and in Arcadia.
Jacob McAllen:
They really have gotten to you, haven't they? Too bad. You might have made a fine addition to our organization. Now, give me the disc and the jewels. And don't try anything this time. I might have to hurt you myself.
April:
Does it matter what I think?
Jacob McAllen:
No. I'm just trying to be polite. Now, give me the disc and the jewels. And don't try anything this time. I might have to hurt you myself.
She handed them over. He walked over to a console, hit a button to release a vault like containment chamber, deposited the items into it before sealing it. He turned back to her.
Jacob McAllen:
I will ask this one last time, because I am a patient man. Where is the gateway to the Guardian's Realm?
April:
And I'll say this one final time, because I'm a patient woman....go screw yourself.
Jacob McAllen:
That's all I needed to know. I'll leave you...alone here, for a while. When I come back, I'm sure you'll be a lot more cooperative.
April:
I told you I don't know.
Jacob McAllen:
And I'm sure you do, but I won't waste my time trying to get that information from you. I'll let someone else do that job for me. Good day. When we meet again...you'll be a lot more...cooperative, I'm sure.
April:
It's in Reading, England.
Jacob McAllen:
I'm sorry? What?
April:
Right by the train-station, there's a quaint little coffee shop. In the ladies' room of that coffee shop, you'll find the gateway you're looking for.
Jacob McAllen:
I see. Humour. What an unfortunate way to end this seance, I have to say. Very well. I'm leaving now, and when I come back I'm certain you'll be a lot more...cooperative.
She did not try to follow him to the elevator, she had no doubt he could easily stop her himself. Instead, once the elevator door closed behind him, she went over to the console he had used.
April:
"Elevator : locked -- Hoverpad exit closed". Hoverpad exit!
She hit the button. The large metal Hoverpad doors to her left slide open just as the sound of breaking glass broke out behind her. To her horror, one of the humanoid mutants had broken through its vat and was lurching towards her. She ran through the metal doors which snapped shut behind her. The hoverpad was empty of any vehicles and as she looked around, the doors opened behind her and the creature growled as it lumbered at her.
April:
It's still coming after me! (She ran to a ledge to her right and looked over the edge. She was trapped) Uh,this was not a good idea. (She turned to face the creature as it loomed up behind her) Hey, uh, you wanna try discussing things over a hot cup of mocha instead of all this killing April business? (It howled fiercely at her) Guess not. Well...help!
She ducked as it took a swipe at her. Suddenly, a bolt of green light struck the mutant from behind. Knocked off balance, it teetered and fell. She looked up to see a welcome sight.
April:
Cortez!
Cortez:
You been keeping some rough company, senorita. Better be more careful in the future, no?
April:
Where have you been?
Cortez:
What, you were worried?
April:
Yes! No. I mean, I was scared you were...you know... Dead.
Cortez:
So you care about me? Ave Maria purisima! What am I going to do now without you telling me to get lost?
April:
Don't joke about this, Cortez. I've been in a lot of situations these past few days where I couldn've needed your help, but you weren't there.
Cortez:
Perdoname. Forgive me, senorita. I've been indisposed. When I finally managed to escape my prison, last night, I began looking for you. You left an interesting trail, I must say.
April:
What do you mean?
Cortez:
For one, the Border House -- most of Venice, for that matter -- was under guard. There seemed to be some question as to how you managed to escape the Vanguard agents...
April:
Magic.
Cortez:
So I thought. You been picking up a few pointers in Arcadia?
April:
I'm turning into quite the girl scout. It's amazing how resourceful you can be when you're in a bind.
Cortez:
Ay, si. I've noticed.
April:
How did the Vanguard capture you?
Cortez:
With a small army. And with the help of a very dangerous man... Gordon Halloway.
April:
I met him. Not the most personable guy in the world, and he could really do with some sun.
Cortez:
Gordon is a...creature of pure logic. He was split in two halves when he was a child, one bound to Stark, the other to Arcadia. The victim of terrible Vanguard experiments, I'm afraid.
April:
The Chaos Vortex, right?
Cortez:
That's him. His magical and chaotic half, untethered. What some people would call his soul. Gordon would've been Guardian had the Vanguard not destroyed him.
April:
I head the story. Can he still be Guardian?
Cortez:
The Vanguard believe so, but if he did become the Guardian, he would twist and corrupt the Balance to his own benefit. What the consequences would be, I fear to even think.
April:
Have you told me everything I should know, Cortez?
Cortez:
About...?
April:
About this. About everything that's happened to me in the past, say, week?
Cortez:
I've told you all I can tell you.
April:
Yeah, sure. You know, I overheard a conversation between you and your friend, Father Raul, and then McAllen --
Cortez:
Jacob McAllen? He's here?
April:
He was. He released that...mutant freak on me, so that I'd tell him where the gateway to the Guardian's Realm is.
Cortez:
Ay Dios mio, we must get you away from here. He's a very dangerous --
The opening Hoverpad doors interrupted him. McAllen stalked through and paused when he saw Cortez.
Jacob McAllen:
Why, if it isn't a family reunion.
He walked over to face Cortez. The atmosphere between them crackled and April felt she was caught in a gathering storm as she looked at one then the other as they spoke.
Cortez:
I could smell your hand in this brother. (His voice became guttural) Isut aesa yen-yisss. Ss'lat! The Vanguard? Was this the extent of your originality? If you had to meddle in the affairs of mortals, would it not have been prudent to show a little sublety?
Jacob McAllen:
"He seized the dragon and bound him for a thousand years." Free at last, brother? Teeye'ssa iut ay'yin'ess?
Cortez:
Kee'ssey...I didn't picture you walking amongst men, in a man's body and with a man's name, McAllen. The Balance must not have dealt you and yours with the best of hands.
Jacob McAllen:
The Balance will cease to be, brother. The Scales will topple and the old walls will fall. The Age of Dragons is imminent, whether you join us or not.
Cortez:
Join you? You symbolize all that I despise. You hate and fear these mortals so much, you bring on chaos to destroy them. But you will only succeed in destroying yourself. Our time will come, eventually, but not by your doing.
Jacob McAllen:
Are these worlds of mortals so important to you that you forget who you are?
Cortez:
I never forgot who I am. That crime is yours alone, brother, Oaasee'yss.
Jacob McAllen:
There is still time. You are blood of my blood, kin to my kin, you are immortal Dragon, and our destinies weigh the Scales of the Universe.
Cortez:
Where do you get all those cliches? "Kin to my kin"? Doesn't it ever bother you that you sound like a badly written play?
Jacob McAllen:
Oh, well. I will not miss your sarcasm, brother. It always felt a little...strained. Tabas!
She backed away as lightning gathered between the two of them. They snarled as they leant towards each other, striving to overcome his opponent. She gasped as a stronger effort by Jacob McAllen knocked Cortez over the edge. He held on with his hands as McAllen stood over him, snarling his triumph. Cortez closed his eyes and let himself fall, a lightning whip of a tail snaked up to pull McAllen down with him. Horrified, April ran to look over the edge. Both continued to fall, midway, their human forms vanished and a green and red dragon whirled in the air as they fought. They vanished from her sight. She was stunned by the turn of events, she could hardly believe it.
April:
Cortez's watch stopped. Oh, God...his heart! That's what Brian said Cortez called it, his heart. His heart has stopped. Cortez is...dead? I can't believe that. It doesn't make sense, because...because... (deep breath) He's gone. They all die! God damn...I can't... Everybody I love dies. Everybody I...love.
Sunday, August 6th, 2209.
Early evening, just before sunset. How many more surprises is life gonna spring on me today? And how many more of my friends will have to die before this is all over? Two in one day is just...too much. Cortez. I can't believe that he's gone, just like that. And the fact that he was...one of the Kin... I didn't even think... I should have known, of course, but then again I'm not used to friends and family turning out to be dragons from other planets. At least, not until last week.
So Cortez and McAllen were the two Draic Kin in Stark. Now I have all four jewels, or I will as soon as I retrieve the disc and the jewels from McAllen's safe.
Actually, come to think of it, does a fall like that kill dragons?
The laboratory was blessedly empty when she returned to it. Using the console, she unlocked the containment chamber and retrieved the disc and jewels. Then she took the elevator down to an empty office. Quickly, she ran to the main elevator and rode it down to the lobby.
Vanguard Receptionist:
(coughed when he saw her) And what, pray tell, took you so long? (She ignored him, continuing to the door) Excuse me, I'm talking to you! Stop!
April:
Screw you, Jerry.
Vanguard Receptionist:
(gasped)
Time, she felt was pressing on her. She hoped the Flipper had the map deciphered and all ready for her.
April:
Hello? Flipper?
Burns Flipper:
(moaned)
(She came upon an unexpected and shocking sight. A seriously wounded Flipper slumped over in his hovercraft)
April:
Oh my God...what happened to you?
Burns Flipper:
(coughed) They...shot...me...they took the...fucking map.
April:
Who?
Burns Flipper:
I...I'm sorry...so sorry. I didn't mean to...but they promised me I would walk again...
April:
Who did?
Burns Flipper:
Halloway...the Vanguard...I...had a deal with...them. When...when you came back, I sent word...They...wanted...the map, the information on it... They wanted...you
April:
You sold me out to the Vanguard?
Burns Flipper:
(sobbing) I am so sorry... They...threatened me with... They said, you can walk again...or you...can fucking die. Your choice. My...choice.
April:
I understand. Just take it easy, don't move too much. I'm gonna call the cops, and then --
Burns Flipper:
No! (coughed) No...don't... I'm dying and they...would...just put me in jail... Listen to me, April... The map...I deciphered it... They took...it with them, everything...but I...I made a copy... Over...there, on the screen...
April:
(looking at the displayed constellation) What am I looking at?
Burns Flipper:
(coughed) I played with...the map...you gave me, and though...there was information...missing, I -- (coughed)
April:
Why don't you just take it easy for a while, don't say anything.
Burns Flipper:
Gotta... They took it... See the flashing...cross? That's the...destination on the map...some kinda anomally, I guess...Nothing about it in...in any databacnk... But...right next to it, there's a space port... The Morning Star... Transfer terminal to the... the colonies, luxury...hotels, casinos... If you need....to get to the position...on the map, that...that's the way to do it... Go to the Morning Star... Halloway was bringing... bringing something with him, up there...to...the station. I heard them...talking about...it... Sounded important.
April:
The Guardian. It's got to be the Guardian.
Burns Flipper:
These...these guys are bad... The worst... You gotta be careful... I'm fucking tellin' ya...
April:
I'm the only chance we got.
Burns Flipper:
I...know... Get 'em. Get up there... to the Morning Star...go to the Morning Star, do what you have to do...now!
April:
I will.
Burns Flipper:
(coughed) I'm sorry... (He flopped over limply, dead)
April:
Burns? .... Thank you.
When I went back to the Flipper to ask him about the starmap, there was another surprise waiting for me. He'd been shot and left for dead by good old Gordon, my bestest friend in the whole wide world. Flipper was still alive when I got there (barely), and it turns out he'd sold me out...not that he had a choice, unlike Zack...but at least he felt bad about it, and he managed to give me the information I needed before he... Gordon took the Guardian to a colonial transfer station called the Morning Star. The entrance, the wormhole, that leads into the Guardian's Realm is located not too far away from the station. So now I need to get THERE, somehow. I think it's time to rethink that whole colonization program. Maybe it's good for something after all.
This is turning into one hell of a long journey, from Newport, to Alais, and into outer space. Too bad I don't get frequent flyer miles.
The colonization signin booth was at the upper levels. Not surprisingly, it was empty when she got there. A display panel listed out the day's departures to the orbiting station. Most of them were bound for the Morning Star, an MTI owned station in geostationary orbit above the city. Another panel listed the day's arrivals. Shuttles inbound from most of the orbiting stations but traffic from the Morning Star dominated. She walked up to the sales representative, dressed in a garish costume akin to a bee, sitting at the booth. One of those chirpy, soulless, plastic faced sales reps specifically bred for one, single-minded purpose...to make people sign a colonization contract. Documents were placed neatly on the counter but they were just for show, to create a faux retro atmoshere and put the customer at ease. If they got paper around, they had got to be good people, right?
Colonial Respresentative:
Good morning, ma'am! How are you today?
April:
Fantastic, and you?
Colonial Representative:
I am just fine, ma'am, thanks for asking.
April:
Well, isn't that just peachy?
Colonial Representative:
I...guess. How may I help you out today, ma'am?
April:
How does it feel working for the Dark Side?
Colonial Respresentative:
Pardon me, ma'am?
April:
I mean, it's salvery, isn't it?
Colonial Respresentative:
Certainly not! That's a popular misconception. In fact, our colonists are given the best of care, a job suited to their talents, and a full salary.
April:
You tell yourself that, if that makes it easier to sleep at night.
April:
What do you care?
Colonial Respresentative:
Uh... Well, ma'am, we care about each and every one of our customers. That's our "Promise to You!"
April:
I'm not a customer. I haven't bought diddly-squat.
Colonial Respresentative:
Uh, no... How may I help you today, ma'am.
April:
Aside from the fact that the fate of two worlds rests on my shoulders?
Colonial Respresentative:
Uh.. Yes?
April:
Just peachy, thanks.
Colonial Respresentative:
That's...good. How may I help you today, ma'am?
April:
I'd like to register as a colonist.
Colonial Respresentative:
Very good, ma'am! You won't regret this decision, I can assure you of that.
April:
I'm sure I will. In fact, I already do.
Colonial Respresentative:
Uh, yes, well, we'll do our best to find the perfect colony for your tenure, after you fill out a simple, multiple choice form--
April:
Why not just call it "slavery". I mean, that's what it is, isn't it?
Colonial Respresentative:
Oh, no, ma'am. Certainly not. Our colonists are given the best of care, and a full salary to go with their assigned tenure.
April:
Whatever. I just need to get on a ship that'll take me through the Morning Star transfer station.
Colonial Respresentative:
We do have a ship leaving this evening with colonists bound for Bokamba 8 and that does stop at the Morning Star, but I'd suggest you go through our pamphlets --
April:
Sign me up for, what was it, Bokamba 8? That's where I wanna go.
Colonial Respresentative:
Uh...all right, ma'am, if if you would just hand me your Newport ID card, and place your right thumb on that black square, we can get your registered. There! That's it, ma'am, you're registered. Now, if you just take your baggage --
April:
No baggage.
Colonial Respresentative:
Nothing, ma'am? Well, you will receive everything you need when you get to the colonies, so no problem! Just head up to gate number one, and wait in our lounge. And I have to remind you that if you choose not to board your ship this evening, you will have committed a corporate offense, and you will be subject to imprisonment.
April:
And a nice day to you too. Hours later, she was aboard the Morning Star.