Leftover Apocalypse

I told Errod and Katrin we were staying for a while, but couldn't bring myself to try and explain the details yet - especially in public. We headed back to the stables to sell the moskar, since at this point if anything went wrong it was likely I would just get snatched up by Hammersmith anyway, and then started the hike back to Mila's studio.

"It's fine. You can stop looking at me like that." The world might have ended, briefly, I don't have details. It probably won't end again. You guys were also murdered, but that probably won't happen again either. How do I know? Oh, haha, yeah it's just my paradox clone from the future or something. No big deal.

Katrin's face scrunched up. "It's just that you look sort of... stunned. Like when Errod walked in on our neighbors having sex when he was seven."

Errod shuddered. "I ran out so fast, but then kept trying to think back and count the legs and..."

"It's not that specific kind of shocking. Do you have fortune tellers here? People that look into the future?"

"Yes," Katrin said hesitantly, "but they're not particularly reliable if you ask them anything about yourself. Or if you ask about something too far in the future."

"There's certain things they seem confident on," Errod added, "and then other things they'll tell you it's impossible to know, but they're bad at explaining what the difference is between them. One was passing through Yallowsben right after I had my vision of the future and Katrin paid them to tell me I was crazy -"

"Not crazy!" she interjected, "Just... incorrect."

"...And they tried to read my future and then just handed the money back and left. So that didn't really help with our argument. Katrin took it to mean they just didn't want to hurt my feelings, and I took it to mean they saw something so important they didn't want to risk changing it by telling me."

I paused for a moment to give my legs a break - Phoenix was extremely flat, and the hills here were getting to me - and thought about how to word this part. "Okay. So. Imagine a fortune teller told you that some horrible stuff was going to happen, like had been basically certain, but now it's changed and so everything should be fine. But the stuff was extremely bad, and very specific, so you still don't feel great about it."

Errod put one hand on my shoulder and the other on his sword, brow creasing in genuine concern. "Callie, I'm so sorry. I can imagine that might be disturbing. But you're fine, we won't let anything happen to you."

As if I thought Errod could protect me from anything. "Yeah that's sweet and all, but it was actually about you guys." I started walking again. I noticed after a moment they weren't with me anymore, but just as I was about to stop I head the sound of feet on cobblestones and they caught up. It was their turn to look sort of stunned, and the rest of the trip was made in silence.

Mila seemed excited about us renting the room above her studio, although getting the details hammered out was a bit difficult. At first it seemed she had forgotten we hadn't given her any money yet - which Errod ruined for us by reminding her - and then she couldn't find the key. Eventually that was located in a bowl of nuts, but she took the whole bowl out of the studio and around to the stairs and then had to hand it off to Katrin to dig through it again. She seemed surprised to see the apartment was furnished, which made us all worried that someone was already renting it and she'd just forgotten, but after a moment she recalled taking the furniture in trade for decorating the front of someone's building.

Discussion of the rent turned into a job interview somehow, and it was agreed that until they found other work Katrin and Errod would help Mila haul her artwork to clients. When I realized she was talking about delivering via some merchant teleportation network I was extremely jealous, but I didn't believe for a moment that Hammersmith wouldn't have people watching for me - technically older me - to escape. I'd realized that while sneaking into the city in disguise had worked, sneaking out would probably require a lot more effort.

"Well that's it then," Mila chirped, "I'll get out of your way and let you settle in. Do you like pastries? I always get a dozen for breakfast, it's more than I need but I tend to put them down somewhere after only taking a bite, and it's just easier to have a whole tray. I can bring you some in the morning. Oh! I forgot to ever get lunch! I was heading out, and then forgot to bring that little stone frog I'd made for Kel, and when I came back you were in my studio and I must have just gotten distracted. I'd forget to breathe if I hadn't made such a habit of it. Don't worry though dear, I remember the plan."

"Which plan?" I asked, but Mila just winked and said "exactly!" and turned to leave. Katrin got her attention and handed her the bowl of nuts back.

"Oh! These are my favorite! Thank you dear, you shouldn't have! Oh, and I almost forgot. Here's the key! I have some extra copies in one of the floor tiles I think, but it may take me a while to find them. When I get around to it I'll bring you up two more." She handed me the key and left, and I found myself staring at it through building tears.

I fumbled my pouch out and dug through, finding one of the few things I'd brought with me from Earth - a little house-shaped keychain. It was a few weeks late, but I was finally getting my apartment. There was a loopy-bit at the end of the key that I could just barely get the keychain ring around, and I looked at it with pride. Mr. Bagmaw, a regular at the hardware store I'd been working at, had given it to me when he heard I was getting an apartment. He was a nice old guy, always working on some random project. I didn't know him well enough to miss him, exactly, but it was a reminder that Earth wasn't all shitty.

"God, it's going to be so nice to have a toilet. I mean, I've had to go without plenty of times but traveling on moskar for days without a good -" and then I was dragged into the middle of the apartment, presumably to be as far from windows and potential prying ears as possible. Katrin and Errod were staring at me, a little too intensely.

"Okay! Yeah, I get it. Um. So, I met my mysterious benefactor and she has... knowledge of the future. Because she's from there. The future. She's. She's me but two years older, or she's a shape-shifter playing a trick on me. I've been thinking of questions I can ask to confirm, but the thing is if she's not me she already must be a mind reader or something so it's hard. And you guys are still just staring at me.

"Uh... yeah, so she was involved in trying to stop some people from fucking around with dangerous magic during the Grand Alignment, and I guess something went wrong and the world almost ended and instead she landed back here? But she has assured me that the world won't end that way again because she killed one of the key guys - like, killed him here in our time, which is why Halenvar soldiers attacked me by the way - and so we're safe. Also, speaking of safe, there is no reason to believe you two will be... murdered in an alley. This time around. Yay?"

They started to ask questions at the same time. Did I know why they were murdered, or by who? Was time travel a thing people could do? Had she mentioned something called the Lever of Ages? That last question started a bit of a fight, because Katrin dismissed it as just a story and Errod pointed out that lacking any non-story things to go off of it couldn't hurt to ask.

"I have to agree with Errod on that one, until I met you guys I thought Brinkmar was just a story. But no, she didn't mention that. She did say she could time travel a tiny bit but we didn't get around to what that meant, and she also said the other thing wasn't technically time travel for some reason. Also, no she didn't say who killed you but I guess she suspects it was some spies of some sort? It was a lot, and I was late to the meeting, and she was really eager for me to go back to you guys and hug you and take away Errod's sword. I didn't tell her he cut off his toe, but I don't think she would be surprised."

Errod started to protest, and then stopped. "Wait. Wouldn't she know about that already? You said this was you from the future."

"Oh. Yeah, but not me-me. This one never got a letter, so she didn't do things the same way or at the same time."

Katrin raised an eyebrow. "But she still met us? You only met Errod because you went into a specific alley at a specific time, and even then you both might have died if Hugh hadn't shown up. But she wouldn't have been there, and Hugh wouldn't have been there, so... how would she have known us?"

It was a fair question. "I assume for the same reason - it wasn't the mugging that really got us together, it was me seeing the symbol on Errod's vest. It's not that crazy. Yallowsben isn't a huge city, she could have just bumped into him. Plus, it sounds like she would have been in pretty rough shape and Errod is too nice to not help people in need. Anyway, she's under some magical contract that's making it hard to go into detail, I guess she's trying to break it by convincing herself I count as her but it's still... chafing. As I was leaving she yelled at me to try meeting her at sixth bell this evening, but she may or may not be there. We can make a list of questions. If I don't see her tonight I probably won't see her tomorrow, she's... going to see a demigod?"

This turned out to be the equivalent of saying you were going to meet a billionaire on Earth. Not something most people ever do, but also not some mind-blowing event. The translation was a little questionable as there were apparently gods - I filed that away as a thing to worry about later - and demigods had nothing to do with them. They were just... ridiculously powerful people. Normally, there was a practical limit to how much you could do. You could be the magical equivalent of an Olympic athlete, but you'd still be human.

Over thousands of years, however, there had been a number of people that had done something exceedingly clever or risky and become more than human. They'd turned into a spirit thing, or a golem, or a hive mind, or just made themselves invulnerable to everything. While Katrin didn't know details, she was under the impression it always required some special circumstances that were just as likely to get you killed, which was the main reason everyone didn't just run out and become immortal. The Grand Alignment was of course going to be a prime opportunity for people that had some sort of plan.

"So are these guys in charge of everything? Why haven't I heard more about them? Unless - oh, the Clockmaker was one, right?"

Errod shook his head, but Katrin shrugged. "Probably not? The stories say he kept himself human, but with all his magical devices it wasn't a matter of power. I could be wrong, but my understanding is that there's some sort of council of demigods and once you qualify you either have to join or the Hunter eats you - although that's also what parents say will happen if you don't eat your vegetables. Either way, the Clockmaker supposedly made sure he just barely didn't qualify. They probably also like that he made the Dumineres, since having a Dumine limits what kind of magic you can use. I assume that limited the competition."

"Oh, speaking of!" I said, eager to share the good news, "We're for sure going to get you guys into a Duminere, and you won't even need to promise to work for the Empire or anything. She knows where one is that's been lost, so we're just going to go there."

Errod's face paled. "Callie, that's... the reason the Free States or the Coastal Alliance exist is because you can't form a nation without access to a Duminere, so they had to cooperate. The other cities get to send a certain number of citizens, and the city with the Duminere can call on them to help protect them. Because otherwise, the Empire or Erathik or Markonti - some other larger nation - would immediately swoop in and take it. This is... extremely dangerous knowledge."

"But extremely valuable, right? I don't think she's planning on trying to keep it for herself. In the letter she didn't specifically say it was a Duminere - probably didn't want to put that in writing - but she said we'd be rich. So I assume after using it we're going to sell its location to someone. Magic, and shitloads of money. We'll be set. And if it's the kind of money you're implying it will be, you guys can get a cut for coming along and you'll be rich too. We'll have won at life and just be able to relax forever... I mean, assuming she's right that the world isn't going to end."

Katrin sat down to make a list of questions I needed to ask while Errod and I went shopping. The apartment had just one bedroom with two beds, and they were fully enclosed boxes you climbed into and then slid shut. We used a little of the money left over from the moskar to get a third so nobody would need to get awkwardly close, as well as some cooking supplies and some food. After a short nap to test the new bed, it was time to try and see my doppelganger again for dinner.

The host was distracted when I entered, so I just slipped past and headed to the private dining room. It wasn't until I was in the cheese room with all the shelves, about to open the door, that I realized someone else might be in there. I hesitated, and then heard my own voice - sounding angry - coming from behind as the door I'd come through a moment before swung open. I ducked between the shelves and crouched on the bottom of one where there wasn't currently any cheese.

"We don't need to talk," my doppelganger snapped over her shoulder, "I get it. You don't want me to leave the fort more than once a day. I'll do it this time, but for the record I'm staying there as a courtesy. The contract says I can leave."

"Are you meeting someone here?" a voice asked. She sounded calm, authoritative. I couldn't get a good look, but I counted eight boots.

"I'm getting dinner. I figured going to the same place I get lunch would make you happy, since Bert and Ernie already know where it is. But fuck it, if you want to get me takeout I'll go back to the fort and sit in my cell." She sounded... petulant. It was honestly a little embarrassing.

"Your cell? Calliope," the woman sighed, "your room is quite nice. I could move you to that conference room you seem to like, but I assumed you'd prefer having windows. You could even take my room, if that's what you want, but I can't just have you.... one moment, you've got me being careless again. Rylan, will you make sure this is a private conversation?"

There was a pause, and then a man said "Nobody else in this chamber, or the private dining room beyond. I've been blocking any eavesdropping since we entered." That was interesting news. Whatever the guy was doing, he didn't seem to be able to detect me. Doppel-me had said the bracelet would keep me from being watched if we were near each other, but I wasn't clear on how it worked.

"Very good," the woman said. "Betrad, you can stand guard outside. Thank you." She paused and waited for one pair of boots to leave, and then spoke again. "I'm doing my best to keep the promises that were made to you, but they were not made by me. Not really. They were made by some other version of me that has since been utterly destroyed. Right now we still need you, and for the sake of the whole world that means limiting your freedom. I know how you hate this. I do. And I know that you have already done much for the cause. But in four and a half months Brinkmar will be in alignment and we can end this."

My older self stepped into view, and I could see her eyes were red. She was clenching her fists so tightly she had to be close to drawing blood with her fingernails. A moment later the other speaker stepped up and I almost gasped and gave myself away when I saw her metallic silver skin. Also, frankly, even without that I probably would have been a little floored by her, since she was maybe the most intimidating woman I'd ever seen. She - Hammersmith, I assumed - was broad-shouldered and had the kind of muscles I'd only seen in movies. She was wearing a uniform that was clearly tailored to her specifically, and a thin cape - both were a deep, vibrant blue fabric with silver trim. She looked like a super hero, and I suspected that she could have put Hugh through a wall just as easily as he had launched those normal soldiers.

Doppel-me turned to face her. "What do you think I'm going to do? Run away? You've made sure I'll die if I do that, since you won't let me wear the rig outside. Is holding my life over my head not enough of a threat?"

Hammersmith said, a bit condescendingly, "That device is dangerous and you know it, especially since you've insisted on modifying it. We don't keep it in the fortress to control you, we keep it there so there's no risk of you killing everyone in this restaurant by mistake. And we keep you in the fortress so you're not assassinated. We captured the tracker Halenvar sent after you, and according to the report I received another died after almost killing your... sister... but we know there was a third that's unaccounted for. For all we know they've since captured and killed your twin, since we can't seem to locate her. Are you not worried about that?"

"You don't give a shit about her, don't pretend that you do. And you know that Halenvar is already fucked. You just want into Brinkmar so you can take its treasures for yourself, maybe control the crossroads, maybe get your hands on whatever it is Halenvar is after that he thinks will let him take over the continent."

"You seem certain the threat has passed, but with the world on the line I don't think we can afford to take chances. Is there pressure to secure Brinkmar for the Empire? Of course there is."

There was a tiny squeak from the other person - Rylan, she'd said - who clearly didn't expect her to admit that part.

"But my priority has nothing to do with that," she continued, "I'm going there to stop Halenvar and make sure whatever old devices the Clockmaker left behind are securely locked up. If I hear so much as an idle musing from the other two Counselors about using the things in those vaults I'll destroy every gateway into Brinkmar myself. I might do that anyway, just to be safe."

Doppel-me just glared at her, fists still clenched.

"Oh Calliope," Hammersmith said, "I can read your thoughts, they're plastered all over your face. So paranoid. I'm not going to have you killed. It's unlikely you would be able to open the gateway if you were being coerced, and I know you would never do it willingly after your obligation was fulfilled. I'll destroy the gateways if I think that's best, but even if I don't then at most I would ask for a binding promise from you not to go back to Brinkmar. I know you hate being told what to do, but I've been more than fair. You wanted me to emergency transport a specific High Guardsman of Erathik to the middle of nowhere, and I did it. You wanted to be allowed to stay in Theramas and be able to wander the streets with limited supervision, I did it. You wanted compensation for a job that - at the time - I had no reason to believe ever happened, and which required me to believe some ridiculous claims, and I paid you.

"We restored you to health when your organs repeatedly failed. We agreed to honor a contract some other version of me made in a past that has been undone. We took a risk and moved troops based on intelligence you provided that could have easily been some sort of trap implanted by Halenvar. I've even made promises about keeping all of this secret, including where you're from. And you have been an immature, spiteful, selfish child about it. Why did you even help the first time around, if you care so little?"

"Because I had to," came the reply. "I joined your stupid task force and studied and argued until you'd let me go in the Duminere so I could prove I wasn't crazy about Ulren, and I had to fight you every step of the way even though I was fucking right! And I could care less about you or your shitty country, pretending you're still the same empire the Clockmaker founded just like Halenvar and Markonti and all the others do. I only did it because I was going to die too. But this time there's not going to be a planar collapse, we're not all going to be sucked into Azaraze."

"I'm glad you're so confident," Hammersmith said. "What do you want to do, just run off and hope Halenvar isn't coming after you? Hope they don't find some other way to trigger the end of the world?"

The other me was looking downright rabid. "What I want right now is to cut your throat."

"You can surely try," Hammersmith said, and in a flash a dagger was swinging at her. I hadn't even seen my double pull it out. The blade slammed into her neck, and barely caused her metallic skin to indent - it certainly didn't look like it was in any danger of cutting her. "Do you feel better now? Did that help? I need you to keep it together. Four and half months isn't that long. Come on."

Hammersmith walked away, and doppel-me picked up a wheel of cheese and threw it. I heard a calm "Kel, make sure we pay the proprietor for that cheese" as they left, totally unconcerned by the tantrum. And it was a tantrum. I've always been basically immune to second-hand embarrassment, but nothing is quite the same as watching yourself flip out. The worst part is, I didn't even agree with myself.

I knew I would hate having to be under Hammersmith's control. And I knew I was almost incapable of being stuck in one place for that long - not just the four months or whatever, but the time she'd been with them in the old timeline. Probably all told it was well over a year, I hadn't been one place for that long since I was seven - between being abandoned places, foster care, group homes, and running away repeatedly. So yeah, it wasn't shocking that I was losing my shit. Still, it was painful to watch because... if the whole world ended didn't we need to play it safe?

But then, I had my whole life ahead of me. And it sounded like that might not be the case for my double.