Oath of the Survivor

No sooner did the words leave his mouth, did his nav bracelet indicate another notification.  Kyle opened the message.

Kyle Mayhew,

Congratulations on accepting a contract with the Courier’s Guild.  Your signing bonus of 150,000 credits will be sent directly to your account. You now have access to the ‘Quests’ menu, where you will find qualified jobs.  There are three types; public, private, and Guild-Sponsored.  A Guild Liaison will be in touch shortly to discuss next steps.

Welcome to the Courier’s Guild

Kyle’s eyes kept going back to the signing bonus, and he had to reread the short message a second time to make sure he really understood it.  150,000 credits, that feels like way too much.  His mind was already racing with the different possibilities.  A good portion would be earmarked for his standard expenses, and with the rest he could buy –

“Ahem.”

Kyle snapped back to the moment, offering a sheepish grin as Jarberry looked at him.  “Glad you’re back with us.  Now, as you know, there’s still some ripples from all the evens of your Practicum.  You need to lay low for a while, which is why I pulled some strings to get a private job held just for you.  It should come through any moment.”

Kyle opened the Quest menu that appeared in his nav bracelet, and saw that there were no jobs available for him, even the public ones.  A pit started to form in his stomach.  “Jarberry, is it normal for there to be no jobs on the board?”

“Nope.  There’s thousands of public jobs that come in every day.  Consider this an orientation of sorts.  We haven’t turned you on for them, because we don’t want to stir up trouble.  Well, any more trouble.”

A moment later, Kyle saw a private job appear.  Selecting it, a row of text appeared.

Client – Ma Enterprises

Affiliation – Gray Conglomerate

Details – A new planet was recently acquired and brought to the Ma family cluster.  Much of the planet’s surface is ravaged by fierce storms, making establishing a teleportation network difficult.  We are requesting a Courier to bring the more delicate components from Hsei-Tan to three other settlements within the storm-covered zones.

We are requesting the Courier stay on-planet until the network is established to assist with any further deliveries necessary.  Room and board will be provided in all cities, as well as a 1,000 credit per diem.  Successful completion of the task will pay an additional 80,000 credits.

Kyle looked at the job, frowning slightly.  “I’ve never heard of Ma Enterprises before.”

Jarberry shrugged.  “Can’t see why you would have, they deal in a very niche business, though they’re the best at it.  Ma’Rin and I go way back, and I called in a favor.”

“Do they really need a D Grade Courier for this?”  Kyle asked.

“Not at all.  But it’s marginally less expensive than hiring a sturdy enough vessel to make the trip from orbit, and they don’t have a major time crunch to get the work done.”

Kyle looked at the job once more.  “So, you think taking this job will buy time for most of the trouble to blow over?”

“Yep.  Well, mostly.  And unless I miss my guess, you’ll get more out of it than you’re expecting.”  Jarberry paused, then waved his hands in the air for a moment.  Looking into the blank space, he made a couple more gestures, before nodding to himself, then turning back to Kyle.  “Sorry about that, can’t be too careful.  Anyway, unless I miss my guess, your path is somehow tied to getting hurt, then recovering.  Is that right?”

Kyle just stared at the imp, his pulse quickening.  It wasn’t a completely accurate description, but it was close.  Silence hung in the air for a couple of seconds before Kyle finally responded.  “Something like that.”

Jarberry waved his hand dismissively.  “You don’t need to get into specifics, I already had a good feeling about it.  My identification skill gives me insights into all sorts of interesting things, and after reviewing your growth during Phase One and Phase Two a lot of pieces clicked into place.  And no matter what your path is, surviving an encounter with a C Grade would almost assuredly help things along.”

Kyle nodded at the explanation.  Jarberry was right; his encounter with the Igneous Glaivebeak had pushed him, and he felt that he was near the threshold for Level 60, and the upgrade to Heal.  Kyle told the imp none of those specifics.  “And you think I’ll be able to progress further by taking this job?  Will it really be that dangerous?”

The imp laughed.  “The job won’t be dangerous at all.  I just think that you’ll have some opportunities as you wait for it to get completed to consolidate some of your experiences, that’s all.”  His gaze shifted to where the C.H.A.D.D.pack sat.  “And I think you’ll find some of the different technology there pretty interesting.”

[I BELIEVE YOU SHOULD ACCEPT THE JOB, DR. MAYHEW.]

Really took C.H.A.D.D. some convincing, Kyle thought.  Still, the drone wasn’t wrong.  It’s not like he had an endless assortment of options laid out before him.  Ultimately, he trusted that this was more an opportunity than a threat.  If Jarberry wanted to do Kyle harm, there were easier methods available to him.  Kyle believed the imp was a true C Grade, even if he didn’t give off any aura whatsoever.

“Then I accept,” Kyle said.

The imp grinned.  “Great!  Then you need to get going.  You leave in an hour.”

“Wait, what?” Kyle asked.

[HE SAID WE LEAVE IN AN HOUR, DR. MAYHEW.]

“I understood that part, why so soon?  I set up appointments, I thought we’d have some time.”

“And I’ll cancel them for you,” Jarberry said.  “Right now, it’s best for you to get out of town.  Trust me on this one.”

“I don’t have any weapons, and hardly any clothing for my armor.” Kyle protested.

Jarberry rolled his eyes.  “This isn’t a combat tour, Kyle.  You’re delivering mana crystals for goodness’ sake.  And we all know that you’re plenty dangerous without your weapons.”

Kyle sighed in frustration, understanding full well that this conversation was going to get him nowhere.  “Is this how all the jobs will be?  Accept it, then be rushed out the door in an hour?”

“Depends on the job.  It’s generally good form to get started as soon as you accept though.  Builds a good reputation, lets the sponsors know you’re serious.  If you get into the habit of taking jobs as placeholders, you’ll find that not many factions will continue to work with you.”

That was a point Kyle hadn’t considered, and it made a lot of sense.  A good courier was a reliable courier, and Kyle could ill-afford to be known as unreliable.  “Then I’d best get ready.”  He looked down at his lounge clothes, then at Jarberry.  “Do you mind waiting outside?”

The imp snorted.  “As if you’d know if I was.  Just don’t keep me waiting.” 

With that, Jarberry vanished, leaving a couple more dirty plates behind.  Kyle got to work, finishing getting ready.  He put on the stonebloom armor over his regular street clothes, packed some extra changes in the C.H.A.D.D.pack, and was out the door in just a few minutes. 

“Took your sweet time,” Jarberry’s voice said, though Kyle couldn’t see the imp.  “Don’t bother looking for me, I’m not going to make myself visible.  As you’re walking to the teleportation platform, I’ve got some advice.  Off the record.

“The planet you’re delivering to is an E Grade world, with a few D Grade environments.  Ma’Rin’s great nephew is the regent, he’ll be your on-site point of contact.  Get to know him, train with him, and make some time to consolidate what you’ve learned.”

Kyle nodded, and opened his mouth to speak before Jarberry continued. 

“Don’t rush your return trip.  I’ve got some things to organize here before you get back, and some of it could take a while.  When you do get back, I strongly encourage you to take some low-priority public jobs.  They’ll mostly keep you in the Hub, the pay will be garbage, but it’ll keep your profile low and help build credibility.  I’ll probably be on assignment when you get back, so good luck.  When I’m back I’ll pop by and we can catch up.  Good luck out there Kyle, drone.”

With that, the voice stopped.  Kyle was tempted to ask aloud if Jarberry was still around, though he decided against it.  The imp knew that neither Kyle nor C.H.A.D.D. were able to detect him, and asking would only be an admission.  Instead, he turned his head slightly and spoke to the drone.  “I haven’t even had a chance to ask, is there anything you need before we leave?  We still have time.”

[NOTHING AT ALL, DR. MAYHEW.  IT’S A SHAME WE WON’T BE ABLE TO RECONNECT WITH THE FIRST SHUTTLES, I’M SURE AMALIA WOULD LIKE TO SEE RECORDINGS OF YOUR RECENT ADVENTURES.]

The notion brought a smile to Kyle’s face.  If he took Jarberry’s advice seriously, he’d have plenty of time when he returned from this job to pay his friends a visit.  All but the final shuttles should be set to arrive by the time he wrapped it up, and it would be good to see how the groups from Earth were settling in.

For now, however, there was work to do.  Kyle caught a few glances here and there as he walked to the nearest teleportation platform, and he paid them no mind.  He admitted he was likely a strange sight, particularly without weapons at his hip to signify that he was on official business.  He stepped onto the platform, entered the coordinates from his nav bracelet, and was warped through a dizzying number of different platforms before his final arrival. 

Kyle stood alone on a large raised platform made of a material that closely resembled marble.  The runes that powered the platform were inlaid in a sparkling, golden metal.  Looking around, only one word came to mind: opulence.  When Kyle was told he would be visiting a “new” planet, he expected he would be in the frontier, something similar to the old western films he’d seen as a child.  Instead, he was standing in the heart of a true metroplex.

A well-dressed woman in a smart business suit walked up to him and offered a shallow bow.  “You must be the courier.  Welcome to Pokke, Mr. Mayhew.”

Kyle returned the gesture.  “It’s a pleasure.  Where are the materials that need delivery?”

She offered a warm smile.  “Please, follow me.  We have prepared the materials in a warehouse near the outskirts of the city, and supplies have also been set aside for your journey.”

“How long do you think it will take?”

“That all depends on your pace, Mr. Mayhew.  The young master does not expect to receive the materials within the cycle.”

They wound through beautiful streets, and Kyle was struck with how empty the city felt.  A metroplex this size could easily support a population of hundreds of thousands, and yet people were few and far between.  Those they passed stopped and waved, and the quiet rested over the city like a blanket. 

“How many people live here?”  Kyle finally asked.

“Roughly 4,000 at present.”

“Isn’t the city a little big for that?”

Kyle’s guide turned, offering a small smile.  “It is unwise to plan only for what is, Mr. Mayhew.  The Ma family prefers to plan for what will be.”

Kyle considered the words as they approached a large warehouse.  Inside, a gruff man was checking thick leather straps on an oversized pack.  He looked up at the approaching duo and squinted, eyes focused on Kyle.  A large hand patted the bundle as he let out a huff of air.  “And here I thought the courier would be bigger.  Think you’ll be able to move with this thing?” He asked, rapping the bundle. 

Kyle simply walked up to the pack and hoisted it over his shoulder.  At 363, his Strength was beyond what most peak E Grades could bring to bear.  The bundle of supplies likely weighed at least two hundred kilograms, and it hardly bothered him.  “I think I can handle it.”