Summoned by Monster Girls

So it turns out that Cariad wasn’t exactly made of antimatter, but negatively charged matter. If her living tissues touched something from our world, it would start to dissolve as the energy was consumed to fuel a unique set of powers all her own. It was one reason why she was wearing the stockings and gloves, as they were made of a distinctly neutral material that would allow her to touch and interact with this universe without dissolving bits of it. Which I was thankful for, my old truck had enough problems with rust as it was.

I also learned a bit more about the entire situation as well. Apparently, they actually have a collection of agents at the DSR that were supposed to be on watch for this sort of specific event to occur. It didn’t happen often though, so the agent in charge of keeping watch was slacking and when he missed the particular event that tossed me to the other world, he’d tried to hide it so no one realized he was basically napping on watch.

Needless to say, that hadn’t worked. He might have gotten away with it, but apparently when the System decided to christen me a Traveler, it sent an alert out manually for me to be recovered. Which is why the ‘recovery team’ had been able to reverse the summon and send me back home like they had.

“So you forged a contract with two of the locals and you gave them your full name? That should be more than enough for them to be able to summon you back to complete the contract.” Cariad was explaining as we turned off the highway and onto the surface streets to get back to my apartment. It was now nearly midnight and the rain had finally let up, allowing the moonlight to glimmer off the moist road and other peoples cars.

“You make it sound so official. All I did was verbally agree to help them and then kissed their hands. Still no idea why I did that…” I muttered while focusing on the road. It had been easier to glance over at Cariad while I drove on the highway since it was mostly deserted, but despite the late hour there were still enough cars on surface streets that I wanted to pay attention.

“Words have a lot of power, though it’s something that your species may have forgotten since the olden times. But as to why you kissed their hands? That’s a good question. Such an act would also signify an oath taken, depending on the tradition it originated from.” Cariad was making a note of something in her folio, the scratch of her pen just barely audible over the quiet grumblings of Sammy Hagar about heavy metal that came from the radio.

“Makes sense. I just dunno why I did it. I just…felt like I should? They offered their hand to me and I had this feeling that a handshake wasn’t what they were after.”

“Probably a combination of instincts and a bit of a guiding hand from the System.” Cariad tucked her pen into the folder and flipped it closed. “You mentioned they had more old style clothes on right? Corsets and the like?”

“Yea, corsets and skirts. The only weapon I saw was the old lady with the metal cane, though she didn’t seem like she needed it to walk or anything.”

“Fair enough. So we’ve covered your questions about what happened and what I am. What’s next, Liam?” Cariad shifted on the bench seat and I took the opportunity of a red light to glance over. She’d drawn her hair over her shoulder and was idly combing through it with her fingers while watching me with a little smile. I turned back to the road with a cough.

“I’ll be honest, Cari. I am tired enough after the events of today that my brain isn’t exactly functioning properly. So why don’t you tell me what we need to cover next and I’ll chip in with questions when I can think of them?”

“Trusting of you. To let a stranger steer the conversation.” Cariad teased for a moment but she turned her attention back to the leather folio and began sorting through it quickly.

“A stranger who could melt me with a touch of her hand no less, that I have no real way to defend myself against after all.” I replied, attempting to sound flippant, though I wasn’t sure how successful I was.

“Oh, I wouldn’t do that. I’m your case-worker after all, assigned to help resolve this whole situation for you. Also, I couldn’t melt you with just a touch. I’d have to spend a great deal more time poking away at you, given your size.” Cariad teased without looking up.

“I’d object to being called fat, but I know reality.” I replied offhandedly and she dropped her paperwork in her lap to stare at me in surprise.

“You are not fat, Liam!” Cariad protested with surprising force.

“What do you call this?” I pinched at my middle with one hand to make a point. I wasn’t exactly fat, but I also wasn’t exactly cut either. The downside of having to rely on fast food lunches when I just didn’t have the energy to cook for work. I worked hard enough that it never got out of hand, but it was still just present enough to annoy me when I bent over. I had started doing meal prep for my lunches for work, but it was hard to keep motivated.

“Having body-fat is entirely different from being fat. Otherwise, all women would be considered fat because of these.” Cariad cupped her breasts pointedly through her blouse, her tone firm. I had no idea how to respond to that, though I was glad that there wasn’t anyone that I could run into nearby as my brain had to go through a hard reboot.

Silence descended and the track swapped over, a moment later Eddie Van Halen started crooning about how he was attracted to his teacher and Cariad blushed furiously.

“Sorry.” She murmured and let go of her assets to hide her face in her hands, clearly embarrassed.

“It’s fine. I would agree with your summary.” I said after a moment, doing my best to not laugh. She’d derailed one of my mental issues but now was embarrassed herself, so I decided to deflect to something more comfortable. “So what’s next then?”

“Right! Next step is a great spot to move to!” Cariad seized on the idea and snatched her folio up just as we turned into the parking lot of the dingy apartment complex I lived in.

My apartment wasn’t high class. I kept it clean but the neighborhood made it so that I was still glad I didn’t have a nice car for someone to break into. The economy was screwed enough that, even with my inheritance, I couldn’t afford a house because I wasn’t making enough to qualify for the loans. Even though the loan payments were less than my rent. The parking lot reflected the level of poverty that was high in the area. Two cars were up on cinder-blocks in the back side of the lot, a collection of parts and spare tires sitting around them and taking up another two parking spots. Only about half the spots were full and one corner had a small collection of tents that the local homeless used.

Thankfully, the lot was empty of other people, though lights were on in a few of the apartment windows of the drab building. I got us parked just as Cariad found what she was looking for.

“So, your next steps depend entirely on what you would like to do going forward. Because of what you’ve told me, it has potential to open up some options. I should have an answer to confirm my inquiry on your status as a Traveler and that will give me more information on where to go next.” Cariad looked up with a bright smile and just the faintest hint of a blush still on her cheeks from her earlier indiscretion.

“Let's continue up in my apartment, if you are okay with that? I’d rather not sit in the parking lot in my truck and talk. That’ll attract attention from folks.” I pulled the keys from the ignition and gestured at the building, which Cariad paused and blinked at before glancing around.

“This is where you live?” The surprise and disappointment in her voice was like a knife in my heart but I brushed it off. It wasn’t like I brought women home to show off my sweet digs anyway, so her tone wasn’t surprising. Still was disappointing to hear though.

“Yea, unfortunately. It’s what I can afford. The apartment is clean though, I promise.”

“Oh I’m not worried about that, Liam. I’m just…normally Travelers are already well off when they put themselves forward. It’s necessary for some of the contracts, as they are for things like material wealth or resources.” Cariad sounded concerned and she glanced over at me. “I also worry about your safety here. This doesn’t seem like a good environment for someone to live, let alone someone as important as a Traveler.”

“I’m not anyone important. Besides, everyone has to start somewhere.” I shrugged it away, but her concern was touching. “If you’d prefer, I could drive around some more though? I don’t want you to feel unsafe.”

“No! It’s fine. Let's go up to your apartment. I need to get the response to my inquiry and it won’t come while we are in motion.” She unclipped her seatbelt and popped the door of the truck open with a rather cute grunt of effort. I wanted to ask about her ‘response’ that she’d talked about, but figured it could wait. The only thing I could think of that would collect more attention than us sitting and talking in the truck would be if someone happened to see the blue-gray skinned woman standing in the parking lot. So I hopped out and guided Cariad to the stairs.

No one intercepted us before we got up to the third floor where my apartment was. I could hear the sound of Jeopardy coming from Mrs. Kowalski’s apartment across the hall, but that wasn’t really any indication of life. The dulcet tones of Alex Trebek were a constant in this hallway, since Mrs. Kowalski just kept it cranked up and would often fall asleep to it. It only took a moment to get my front door unlocked and I gestured for Cariad to proceed me into the apartment.

My apartment was much like my truck. Old, but well cared for. The formica countertops were chipped in spots, but clean. The carpet had a few balding spots, but was unstained. My couch was one of those glorious, squashy things that only got better with age rather than falling apart. Though I had a feeling that when it came time to throw the couch away, I’d have to pour it out of the apartment rather than carry it, due to how broken it was getting. The main room was a combination living room and dining room with a little kitchen off to one side. A bathroom and bedroom opened off the back of the living room space and I was just glad that I had closed the door to the bedroom. The last thing I wanted any woman to see, regardless of the color of her skin or odds of doing anything with, was my dirty clothes on the floor or the disheveled state of my bed.

Instead, Cariad walked to the sliding glass door that led out onto my splintery little patio-balcony and carefully unlatched it before stepping out. She made a motion like she was catching a bug with both hands before returning inside with her hands cupped. I made sure the front door was locked, bolted, chained, and latched properly before walking over to where she stood by the dented kitchen table.

“What'cha got there?”

“The response to my inquiry.” Cariad spared me a brief grin before opening her hands.

Sitting in her cupped palms was a folded piece of paper. The navy-blue paper was in the shape of an origami bird about the size of a sparrow. While I watched it, the folded paper shivered like it was shaking its feathers out before rapidly unfolding into a full sized sheet of paper with white type printed on it in a language I didn’t recognize.

Except, I did.

The swooping curls and shapes that made up the printed letters were as foreign to me as the inky marks on my forearm, but somehow my brain had meanings to assign to them.

“Okay, let's have a look at this.” Cariad muttered to herself and peered down at the form.

“Who is Cerebaton?” I couldn’t help the question as I stared at the letters making up what appeared to be letterhead.

Cariad froze. And I don’t mean she went quiet or stopped breathing. She literally froze in place. Not a breath, not a movement, not a glance. She embodied absolute stillness with the surety of a statue carved of stone.

“Liam…can you read this?” Cariad said after about three seconds of silence, the stillness falling away from her like a blanket being shrugged off. Her second set of eyes flicked open again, their electric-blue slits focusing on me while her normal eyes remained on the sheet of paper.

“Yea, somehow. I gotta ask, doesn’t it get disorienting looking at two different things like that?” The question came without warning for me either, the brilliant blue of her second set of eyes was utterly fascinating to see, and they blinked in surprise before locking gazes with me. It was slightly odd, having them offset like they were, but the evening was already weird enough that I just went with it.

“Sometimes, yes. But my secondary eyes can see energy signatures. The fact you can read my language is just strange. You shouldn’t be able to normally. But…” Both sets of eyes trained on the page in front of her and she skimmed it quickly. “Yup, that confirms suspicions. You are registered in the System as a ‘Traveler, Nascent’ which means that you weren’t seeing things earlier. Also, there’s a note here about an ‘entry level package’?”

That statement jogged loose another memory and I snapped my fingers in annoyance. The sharp sound made Cariad jump and I frowned at myself for startling her.

“Sorry, I just remembered that. So when I was transferred, before it reminded me about not panicking it said something about an ‘entry level package allocated’. Do you know what that means?”

Cariad set the page of paper down on the table with a sigh and slumped into her chair at the table. She still managed to make the graceless motion elegant though and her second set of eyes scanned over me once more before blinking closed.

“Yeah, and it could be good or bad depending on what you want to do. Now that I know what to look for, I can see the hints of it.” Cariad sighed, looking exhausted for the first time in the evening. I honestly didn’t think it was fair for her to look so tired, given I was the one who was ripped to another world without warning. I stuffed that thought into a dark hole. I had no idea what her situation was, for all I knew she’d been called in after hours to deal with this mess, and who liked forced overtime?

“Want some coffee?” I asked on impulse, the exhaustion in my brain finally beginning to get the better of me.

“Coffee would be grand actually.” Cariad gave me a sweet smile that wiped away any remaining irritation that I might have felt. “That is the bitter, wake-up drink that you humans enjoy, correct?”

“Yea, that’s the stuff. I have a feeling this might take a bit to go through and I need to be able to think straight.” I agreed before heading to the kitchen. “You can drink stuff, right? It’s not going to just…smoke away inside your throat?”

“I can, the reaction is contained and I get some benefits from the chemicals before they break down. It’s mostly just for fun though. Oh, don’t give me a mug you care about though.” She winced slightly as she said that, but I laughed.

“I have just the mug actually. Work used to give these company branded mugs out as Christmas gifts. I kept it since there wasn’t anything wrong with it, but I never really used it for anything. Kinda like the branded shirts, I just use them for when I want something I’m not worried about making a mess on.”

“That is fair. I know that some companies think that swag is all they need to earn loyalty or something like that.” Cariad giggled while I got the kettle and my battered, steel French-press out of the cabinet.

“Okay, so you mentioned that this affected options?” I gestured towards the sheet of blue paper on the table while filling the kettle with water.

“Yes. So before, your options were to either remember or forget what happened. There is some magic that can be done to erase memories and remove trauma, which is normally what people opt for when torn away from the safety of their homes and cast into strange situations. At least those we can recover. Again, good job on staying in the ritual circle. If you’d wandered far from it, the recovery team likely wouldn’t have been able to locate you. As long as you remained on it, the circle acted as a beacon they could use to figure out which dimension you went to.”

“Wasn’t hard. There were people there that wanted to talk and that helped ground me. If I’d been alone in the room, I probably would have wandered off trying to figure out what was happening.”

“Also fair. But yes, since you are now a registered Traveler, we aren’t allowed to use that option. Memory tampering is forbidden for Travelers, it’s part of the ‘benefits package’ that comes with being recognized by the System.”

“You mentioned this ‘System’ again like it’s somehow sitting in the room with us. Can you elaborate on that real quick? I was going to ask earlier but kept forgetting in the light of the other things you mentioned.” I carefully scooped the ‘good coffee’ out of the bag I had hidden in the pantry. I normally drank the stuff that came in the big plastic tubs, but I bought this one for the rare times one of the few friends that I liked came over.

“Sure, the System is what the DSR is based around. It was put into place by the Ancients of my kind to help monitor the dimensional membrane as well as encourage proper travel along the established routes.”

“Rather than people busting through walls like what happened to me?”

“Exactly. So the System encourages people to travel the established pathways with a benefits package. Things like being able to comprehend languages spoken and written by at least one living person on the planet. As long as it is a ‘living language’ that might be used in pursuit of their contracts. It also works kind of like a rewards program? The more work you do and the more times you ‘travel’ to another world on those established paths, the more the System grants you access to. What each Traveler selects is entirely up to them, but what is offered by the System depends on their species and genetic history, as it is relating to bits of ancient genetic code that may have gone dormant. There are certain universal benefits that are always available, the variety comes in when they become accessible.”

“So…the System offers fabulous prizes for not walking on the grass?” I couldn’t help but tease the serious looking woman as she waved her hands in the air like she was conducting an orchestra while talking. Cariad pouted at me for a moment before rolling her eyes.

“Yes, if you want to bring it down to that level. It is more like…using a bridge to cross a stream properly, instead of just splashing through the stream and upsetting everything in it. If you think of the different universes as the cells in a honeycomb, you can either burst through the wall of the comb and damage it, or climb up and out of the top before dropping down into another. That is the path the System encourages. It also is how we get the necessary mana to repair and reinforce the dimensional membrane.”

The kettle began to whistle on the stove and I was quick to move it so the shrill noise wouldn’t wake the neighbors. Some others might not care about it, but I liked to remain under the radar as much as possible. Hell, if it wasn’t for the fact that people would try to break in to squat here, I’d be happy if folks thought the apartment was abandoned. Cariad continued with her explanation as I watered the ground beans.

“Basically, each time you are summoned for a contract, whether it be an initial one or a continuing one, the System takes the mana offered up by the casters and uses it as fuel. Some mana is used to keep the System itself running, the best example would be something like a metaphysical supercomputer to get you in the right headspace. It uses the rest to bolster and heal damage to the membranes in places where irresponsible travel took place. This keeps the negatively charged existence inside the membranes safely separated from the positively charged one of the regular universes. In return, the System rewards the Traveler responsible for the mana with SP, or ‘system points’ as we call them. Those points can be redeemed for everything from material compensation all the way up to phenomenal cosmic power, if you have enough of them.”

“Okay, so sort of like when credit card companies offer reward points for using their services.”

“More like a profit-share cut really, since the System really wants to encourage people to follow the rules. The dimensional membrane can heal itself naturally, but that can cause a lot of damage on both sides. Buffering it with mana helps keep the two forms of reality separate in a safer method and furnishes that mana via the Travelers. But this brings us back around to your entry level package.” Cariad patted the bit of paper as I carried the sealed up French-press over to the table and set two mugs next to it.

“Sugar? Milk?” I asked, pausing while still standing.

“Sugar would be good, no milk though please.” She responded with another of her bright smiles. I could barely see the thin lines that marked her second set of eyelids, but her normal eyes had slight dark spots under them that made me think of sleep-bags. I shouldn’t be keeping her, poor girl needs sleep. I thought to myself while digging through the cabinets for the jar of sugar.

Setting the reused jam-jar on the table, I plopped a spoon down on top of it and settled into my chair with a groan.

“Sorry to keep you up like this, Liam. I should be letting you sleep but I’m heaping all this new information on you right now.” Cariad frowned in concern after having unintentionally echoing my own thoughts. She reached across the table to pat my wrist lightly with her gloved hand. The soft silk of the glove was pleasant against my skin and her touch felt electric.

“It’s fine. I couldn’t sleep even if I wanted to, there were too many questions at this point. So this package?”

“Well it relates to your next steps. At the moment, you have the choice to just go back to your regular life. The DSR will deposit a settlement of local funds into your account, and the case will be closed. At that point your name will be removed from the registry in the System and you won’t hear from us again. This is because the mana used to set up the package will be refunded to the System. You’ll still retain the linguist power, as that change has already been made, which makes the financial compensation a bit smaller.” Cariad tapped the sheet of paper in front of her.

I thought about what she said while I poured the coffee out. The rich scent of the hot drink filled the air and helped my brain focus, since it knew that caffeine was on the way now. Cariad took a moment to unscrew the jam jar and toss several spoonfuls of sugar into her drink before taking a quick sip and smiling happily.

“And the other option?” I asked after taking my own first sip of coffee. The hot drink hitting my throat was a blessing and I hadn’t realized how much I needed a drink until then.

“You open the package. You still have the choice to take contracts when they come up, but you are no longer able to be removed from the registry. Also, there is no financial compensation from the DSR at that point. One thing to keep in mind, SP is something that only the System can award. It can be manifested as physical currency, but can only be traded to another Traveler or one aspiring to become a Traveler. It’s honestly how a lot of Travelers get their start. Either they apprentice with another Traveler and are gifted their first SP token, or it’s inherited down a family line. Helps them get a leg up on their situation.”

“So I have to open a mystery box to see if it has a dead rat or magical powers in it?” I couldn’t help the surprise in my voice and Cariad frowned at me, her nose wrinkling cutely.

“The System would never give you a dead rat, Liam. Regardless of what it offers you, the power will have potential and be tied into natural abilities of your species. It could awaken latent magic in your genetic structure, or give you superhuman strength. It might give you access to the ability to summon creatures from other planes to do your bidding, or bolster your allies and enhance their abilities with your own. It’s impossible to say really.”

“Have there been human Travelers in the past?” I took another sip of my drink and waited. Cariad tapped her mug to her lips lightly while she thought and I watched as a portion of the porcelain rim began to slowly melt away under the touch of those soft pillows of flesh. She rotated the cup unconsciously to keep the hot liquid from spilling but continued to do it.

“It’s been awhile, I’d have to look at the records to be sure. But if there are any legendary heroes in human history, there are good odds that they got their power from the System. And when I say legendary, I mean like…real legends. Not the ‘she could make rats dance’ or ‘he’s able to lick his own elbow’ type stuff.”

“Merlin? Ancient and powerful magician who helped a king found a legendary kingdom that vanished into the mists of time?” I suggested, remembering one of my favorite legends. Cariad nodded rapidly, a broad smile crossing her lips.

“Exactly! While the entry-level package won’t give you that kind of power out the gate, it will set your feet on the pathway. Naturally, I’m biased in that I want you to accept the mantle of a Traveler, as it would benefit the DSR and help out a lot. It’s ultimately your choice, Liam.”

I considered her words and thought over what had happened in the last few hours.

I’d been in a car accident, something that changed peoples lives normally. Right after that, I’d experienced something even more life changing.

I’d traveled to another world.

There I met two polite, young women who had asked me to protect them. I’d agreed to do that, and while it had been on the spur of the moment, I had promised.

Glancing down at my right forearm, I ran my thumb over the two marks there, still as dark as spilled ink. The first mark brought to mind the mischievous smile of the part-snake girl, Kassandra. And the second gave me the vague memory of a quickly wagging tail, icy blonde except for a tip as black as if it had been dipped in ink.

Sure, this was strange. Heck, I was having coffee with a woman that dissolved the mug she was drinking out of because her very existence was antithetical to matter in this world. I have to remember to ask her what happens to the air she touches. I reminded myself, remembering that there was still matter floating about, even if I couldn’t see it.

I’d adapted to the situation rather rapidly though. Despite the fact that Cariad could easily hurt me, I was just sitting here drinking coffee with her while discussing something utterly life changing like it was just signing up for a car loan. I’d adapted to a lot of things as I became an adult and started to support myself. A crappy job, a dull boss, a boring life, ‘friends’ whom only contacted me when they needed or wanted something, and the loss of my parents. This sounded like something fun I could adapt to for once. That and I couldn’t get the saucy wink that Kassandra had sent me out of my mind, and I had promised the girls I’d help them.

“Okay, lets see what this gift box has in it then.” My statement got another glowing smile out of Cariad and she set her mug down. It looked like she’d taken several bites out of the porcelain rim at this point, but most of the coffee was gone so there was no risk of it spilling.

“Oh, I am so glad you chose to do this, Liam! Okay, I want you to focus internally. Close your eyes and think to yourself ‘System Interface, open!” The blue-skinned woman bounced happily in her chair, which made her cleavage echo the movement enticingly as well. She unbuttoned those top buttons again. I thought idly. I hadn’t noticed at first, but now I was abundantly aware of that expanse of bare, blue-grey colored skin.

Focusing myself back to what I was doing, I closed my eyes and thought about what she said while muttering it under my breath.

“System interface, open.”

The black-light words reappeared once more in the darkness of my vision

Welcome New Traveler - Entry-Level Traveler package waiting for redemption.

Redeem: Y/N?

The words sat as a banner across the upper portion of my field of view and as I waited, the ‘Y/N’ started to blink slightly.

“Okay, you should see a request to redeem the package. Just focus on the affirmative option and the System will take it from there.” Cariad said gently and I nodded before mentally pressing the ‘Y’.

The writing flared brightly before fading. A new sentence scrolled into place in the darkness of my closed eyes.

Liam Cosgrave, prepare for System integration and initial power award.

“It says to pre—,” I started to say, but my entire body locked up like someone had jabbed a taser into my spine. It was a good thing all my muscles tensed, otherwise I might have bit my tongue off. However, I couldn’t even close my mouth as everything locked up and refused to move at all.

“Easy, hang on Liam. It’s a bit jarring at first, but that’s what happens when an extra-dimensional supercomputer links to your brain. It’ll clear up in a minute.” Cariad said gently and I felt a soft touch on my arm once more.

As quickly as it started, the sensation faded and I felt a ripple of goosebumps start at the crown of my head and roll down my body to my toes. Before I could say anything, the words flared back into existence.

System integration complete.

HUD loading…

Time expected: three minutes, twenty-four seconds.

Initial Traveler power set awarded - Shape-Shifting (Minor)

Congratulations, Liam Cosgrave.

Refer to HUD after it loads for further details.

I stared at the words numbly for several seconds and the timer continued to count down. It had just swapped over to two minutes and fifty-nine seconds when Cariad spoke.

“What did the System give you? I’m curious what the first human Traveler in centuries got awarded.”

“Shape-shifting.” I muttered, still staring as the words continued to burn and glow in front of me.

“Shape-shifting?” Cariad asked, her voice full of bemused interest.

“Shape-shifting.” I repeated numbly.