Contemplating the Abyss

12:58PM
Brighton Dungeon

Moira had left. A pair of Hospitalers, dismayed at the puddles of John’s seed and the need to put his Vow Keeper back on, had finished their toil and left as well. They brought in what looked like four glorified car batteries to swap them out of the machinery beyond John’s field of vision; the whirring of whatever was drinking his mana sputtered briefly as they swapped out the black plastic squares and walked away with four, slightly glowing equivalents.

All the while, John had shouted at them, demanding they remove the helmet, loosen the restraints, or at least bring him some water. They did none of these things; thankfully, John was barely thirsty. But I have to wonder if they’re going to test how long until I wish I had something to eat or drink...

John now stood alone in the absolute darkness of the cell. He still couldn’t budge an inch; the only thing to keep his eyes engaged were the menus of his interface, and he cursed having to use them so awkwardly. He appeared to be unguarded, possibly even unmonitored. The mana-drinking machinery aside, no sound interrupted his thoughts.

<... Are you quite done grumbling about it?>

The sound of a certain halfling’s voice was jarring in the silence, but John shot back, I’m not grumbling.

<You forget you put me in the room with this unique little toy.> Her own voice entered a mutter. <Strange that I could somehow operate it on first seeing it... a side-effect of my predicament, perhaps? But that was just the basics... with my insight and genius, I’ve even learned how to plumb your thoughts without your request or attention! And you are->

Shut up.

Silence.

John sighed as the bleak alternative ate away at him for seconds. ... Fine, you can talk... but try not to aggravate me.

<Well...> Juniluny was suddenly at a loss for words.

... Fine, just speak freely.

<You’re being an idiot is the point,> she grumpily declared, <and about the opportunity that’s landed on your lap like a privilege, no less!>

What the fuck are you even talking about? What about this situation, John mentally yelled as he surged against his restraints, proving the futility, screams opportunity?

<Your Golden Opportunity, you fat-headed foppish fool, and literally one at that! This Warden has apparently usurped power and offered you a seat at the table... and you shoved it right up her backdoor, along with the whole length of your->

You wouldn’t understand, John interrupted. She... no, they’re all being mind-slaved or something like it by this “Lady,” and that means three things: first, they’ll want me to drink the Kool-Aid, second, they’ll want you, and third, I’d need to just... forgive what they’ve done already... and are probably still going to do whenever they can justify it.

<You know what? You’re right, Master, being a tied up fucktoy for the Order’s torturers is far better.>

There was enough sarcasm that it didn’t constitute a lie.

She continued, unbidden, <Mind you, I don’t want to be bumped by the blessed brutes, either. But you could at least pretend until you got out of this no-portal zone... or found its source and snuffed it out. You've doomed yourself, sticking to this boring path.>

In the darkness, John could almost see Juniluny's smug face as she spoke. He grimaced at the illusion. By now you understand why I wouldn't take your lectures seriously, right? The shit you did in that Maze...

<What is your plan, Master?>

John tsked in the echoing chamber. Wait for them to let their guard down-

Her voice lost its sarcastic bite. <I mean in life, you tit. You're an insane prodigy with an oddly... lustful streak, and you've got power to spare, but I don't get it: what are you trying to do with it all?>

Trying to do...? I'm... John paused as he found himself at a loss. What had he done with this week-long sprint through learning about the Abyss, about the secret world he now inhabited, that had ever been motivated by anything except... surviving.

<What?>

I'm just surviving... I mean I love to learn and gain new powers, allies, and relationships, but... I'm just trying to get a solid hand on all this and... well, just live a nice, comfortable life… but with badass magic attached.

<... You can't be serious.> But she knew his thoughts; he was. <The obvious way to live like that, save the “badass magic,” is to keep your head down, shut up, and forget you ever even heard of the Abyss... and you've done so much in the opposite direction that even we heard about it, in a sense. There’s no way that’s your goal in reality!>

The Gamer scoffed in the dark. Who the Hell would do that once they found out magic was real?!

<Most.>

Bullshit.

<What do you know... eh, Master? You've been at this less than two weeks; I've studied the Abyss and--for need alone, I assure you--you humans for years!>

It's bullshit because people are way too curious and fantasize all the time! It's why movies are so dumb sometimes when people disbelieve magic: do you know how many times I used to fantasize about suddenly waking up just in a world with magical shit going on, nevermind waking up with my own magical powers? Everyone has to have had that fantasy at some point... but I did wake up like that. Now you're going to convince me someone would close the character sheet and go back to bed? There's no one on Earth who'd do that!

<You've got too much faith in the myth of human curiosity... a few stand out, sure, but...> He could almost hear her shrug on the other end. <Ah! I know: I noticed you can see people's information when you look at them... and I've not wasted my time with video games or any such nonsense,> she derisively whispered, <but I've enough sense to guess that "MP" is somehow a numerical summation of their awakened magical essence. Do I have the right of it?>

John raised an eyebrow at nothing. I… think so? It stands for "mana points"... so?

<Well: have you ever seen people without "mana points"?>

Ah... I mean yeah, outside this crazy day, I’d say most people don't have MP scores… and I guess that means they don’t have mana.

<Wrong, my sweet Master,> she taunted in a sing-song voice. <Everyone has mana... but very few can access it. Everyone who can access it has it because of a lineage, an experiment, some prophecy or another, the occasional moistened bint lobbing scimitars, a rare chance...> That oddly specific example among the list almost made John interrupt. <... Or, more often than not, because that person was meticulously molested by mages or monsters.>

Molested...? What, if you interact with the Abyss enough, you end up shooting lightning out of your hands?

<No... and it's not universal; plenty can be turned inside out by magic, put back together proper, and still be none the more magicked. But some... get the spark. They get a glimpse of knowledge, of truth... a glimpse of an impossibility, of the tangible madness of reality, as one who stirs from a deep sleep into the forbidding blackness of one's bedchamber. This awakens a miniscule mote of movable mana, usually too small to even bother **** for factories or batteries, usually incapable of regenerating without days of rest... but they're there, they're stirred into the lucid dreaming of being from Earth and yet knowing the Abyss... and every single one you've seen with mana who isn't shooting lightning or crapping fire or anything else you'd expect of a mage? They went right back to sleep.>

John thought back to the many examples: the boy Juniluny had drained briefly in his class; Ophelia, a wounded warrior whose past was unknown to him; certain students at the school, including that one jock that seemed to have a brain between his ears... was this what it meant? Did those people all really encounter the Abyss outside their world... and close their eyes? It still seemed ludicrous, both for human nature and chance, that anyone would've done differently from John. He thought of ways to test it, too... but his train of thought was interrupted.

<Don't think too hard on it, Master, you'll hurt yourself, hah!> John sighed his frustration and jerked against his restraints again, still being given nothing. <Speaking of bints, what about this Fairy girl I heard you speaking to? I got impressions of her, but your mind didn’t focus too well on her or whoever else she’s with. Will they mount a rescue? Shouldn’t you at least try to communicate with them?>

John opened his mouth in the darkness... and slowly closed it. I just don’t want her to risk bringing anyone here.

<Then you’re truly happy to rot? Some of your more idiotic thoughts don’t come out too clearly, so I hoped that was an error...>

I’ll get myself out, one way or another. But it had been enough time to worry John. He had given her standing orders to not communicate with him; did he risk speaking to her now, here in the Order's clutches? If he got silence, what would it mean? His heart was not prepared for silence from his first summon.

He thought of his mother and overcame the fear. Somberly, he declared, Fairy, hear my call... speak to me...

<Baal's balls, is your timing terrible at all times except now! Master, you've made my fucking day!>

Fairy was anything but silent, as it turned out. What hap-

<Can I borrow 10,000 soul gems?>

A pause.

A long pause.

... Borrow?

<Yeah... you know, forever- look I gotta pay a guy, and we're running out of time.>