Soul Sparks Reclaimed: 37
You have 192 Soul Sparks available to allocate.
Would you like to allocate your Soul Sparks?
(Y/N)
I smile to myself as the warm glow of the Soul Sparks I just Reclaimed washes through me, and I take a sip of coffee then look around the cafe, called Prego. It’s a nice enough place that I decided to stay and I’ve been parked up in the corner with my laptop for a few hours. There are five deep wooden booths and a dozen well made but unfancy tables and chairs placed irregularly, with tasteful decor including lots of greenery between and around them. The surroundings feel comfortable, the bacon and eggs are great, and the wait staff are all friendly - although I’ve noticed since I bumped up my Charisma that almost everyone is friendly toward me by default.
It’s clear based on how many Soul Sparks I just reclaimed that whoever it was still had a very strong Power, even in their old age. I know from experience that within an hour or two someone from a funeral service will show up to the hospice across the street from this cafe; I’ve been sitting outside different hospices for days, scoping them out.
Part of me always feels bad about Reclaiming Soul Sparks because it means someone’s just passed away, but I’ve been thinking about it for a few days now, ever since I got to Tampa. I wondered if it’s an outcome based thing. If I use the Soul Sparks I Reclaim for the good of humanity and to achieve great things, then the Soul Sparks I Reclaim are worth it. If I go the other way, maybe the people who I Reclaim them from would object?
Except they’re dead.
So, instead of creating some construct of guilt that follows me around, I’m carving my own path. Yeah I’m going to do whatever good I can, but I’m done worrying more about what other people might think than what I think. One day I’m going to stand over defeated Galactic enemies, with them knowing every one I kill makes me stronger as I absorb their power. And walk through the world like Kaltor does.
It’s a hard thing to get used to, in a way.
I glance back down at my laptop and look at the ownership structure of this hospice and pull up some more records while I browse their website. I’ve been doing a lot of research on high end hospices for people who still have high category Powers, and this one is in the middle of the road for state of the art equipment, but it has very good reviews about the staff and service. Most importantly, it has an owner who’s a bit of a loner and is getting on herself. I dial Sharon.
“Sharon King - Chambers,” answers an enthusiastic young man this time. I turn on the video. “Oh, Mister Corvin. She’s expecting you.” A couple of seconds later I’m transferred to Sharon who’s clearly sitting in her office.
“I think this is the one,” I say to her, and send the details for Emeritus Lifecare.
“You sure you want to do this?” she asks.
“I think it’s cleaner,” I tell her, and it’s true. Also, I need a base like Kaltor said where I can Reclaim Soul Sparks and get more powerful while I decide what to do next. And somewhere to come back to that feeds my Power passively. Owning a rest home and hospice combination seems like the best option and one I’m actually a bit excited about. What kinds of characters will come here? I already found during my time at Saint Marianne’s that they can be an interesting group of people and the more powerful they are, the more stories they will have. Since Emeritus Lifecare is also a rest home, I might really get to know some of them.
“It’s my obligation to remind you that you might be giving up substantial future income, especially from the scientific research your parents were supporting.”
“I don’t know what kind of things Eddie and The Barrister might have been able to put in place while Eddie was in control of the estate and Oathbound, Sharon. There might be Oathbound people appointed to key positions everywhere. I’m ready to take on a shitload of battles, but corporate boardrooms and endless HR and legal battles are not the ones that I want to spend my life on. No offense.”
“None taken,” Sharon says, smiling. “There is definitely a lot of interest in a sale. You’ll never have to worry about Credits again.”
“That depends on the size of my ambition!” I tell her, and she laughs.
From all the calls I’ve made to people I know, I’ve found out The Barrister really only sticks to his own territory in Seattle. I’m unlikely to have to run into him down in Florida unless he decides to go after me. One day when I’m stronger I’ll return to Seattle, but in the meantime a bit of a low profile is what I want. Build up some a local reputation, build my own network of Heroes and allies. Maybe even get in touch with some of the Superheroes I used to know as a kid - although I’m not ready for that yet. It’s fraught with old memories and feelings of betrayal.
“Ok, ok. I get it. I’ll make contact to start negotiating a purchase and run a short tender for the businesses in your estate. How much are you willing to pay for… Emeritus Lifecare?”
“Whatever they want,” I say with confidence. There are so many extra benefits for me to an arrangement like this it’s worth almost any price.
“And do you have a reserve in mind for the businesses in your estate? And sale conditions?”
“Break them up and make the tender period short. My preference would be to not keep it together; it will be harder for The Barrister if he’s had time to infiltrate the companies, but if the offer is really good for everything then take it. I want Credits up front or shares in publicly traded, liquid shares only. I don’t want deferred payments. Get a high level fair value done by someone respectable for each company, and if the highest tender offer is Credits and at least 80% of fair value, sell it. If it’s longer Credit terms or shares it should be at least fair value.”
“Got it, boss.”
“If you run into troubles, let me know.”
“Oh, I won’t - this is my wheelhouse Calrik.”
“I know, that’s why we’re talking. Ring me when you find out.”
I hang up and go back to my notifications. The Soul Sparks I still have to allocate are everything I’ve Reclaimed since Csaba and I’ve been mulling over what I want to do with my ‘build’ for days. I need survivability - who knows what shit I’ll get into? And what I did to Eddie’s Oath to The Barrister has been rolling through my mind. It’s not really something I should have been able to do; it’s clear my ability to manipulate Mana in whatever way I want has a lot of potential. And then there’s my intense driving desire to be able to take Dalib or Kaltor on, toe to toe - or even Brad. It’s clear I’m still a long way physically from that. I sigh since this seems like a very first world problem, and then I allocate my Soul Sparks 50% Constitution, 35% Mana, and 15% Aura. The warmth and feeling of change flows through me, and it feels great.
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It takes me up to Level 16. My Leveling is slow due to my Mythic Power, it seems like… surely I am the most powerful Level 16 person in the world? I call up my Status.
What a huge difference compressed into such a short period of time! It feels awesome.
I close my laptop and slip it into my Inventory which is starting to be a collection of anything I might ever need, and stand up then send some Credits over to my waiter. When I step out onto the street I breathe in the humid air and feel the warmth. My new physique finds it pleasant rather than uncomfortable.
It’s a pretty decent hike to Davis Islands and I could run, but I can’t think of anything more appropriate to do than grab the HoverRide bike that’s outside the cafe. I activate it then hop on, not bothering with the helmet for the first time in my life, and dial my Perception up. With a whoop then crank the HoverRide up to maximum, taking off like a bullet. I dodge and weave through traffic at speeds I always wished I could go at, but never could, and laugh at the thrill of it.
The trip actually seems too short as I slam the HoverRide into a parking spot with ridiculous deceleration outside an establishment at the end of Riviera Drive, which loops around the small island west of the mainland. There are quite a few HoverRides here and even though it’s a rich residential neighbourhood, the key establishment here in the middle of it all is Origin. Great name in my opinion since so many teams and even Heroes and Superheroes got their start here. Less known but also part of the story is some Supervillains have passed through these doors before they took a different path.
It’s clear that Origin is heavily fortified by the look of the building. Sitting on a classic old wooden rocking chair up some stairs on a patio is an older, muscular gentleman wearing cowboy boots, jeans, a collared shirt with enough buttons undone to show a lot of gray chest hair, and a thick salt and pepper beard. He is rocking back and forth, relaxed as you could possibly be, with his attention on me and the cup he spits into. It’s clear he’s got a lipper in from the way his bottom lip bulges out.
Beside the door, ‘Origin’ is etched into a large brass plate. I approach the stairs and before I even get there scanners hit me from all sides.
“You gonna cause any trouble?” the old guy asks, rocking on his rocking chair and squinting at me. I should probably pull his Status but for some reason it feels rude to.
“I’m new to the area and looking for a team, or even just to make some connections,” I tell him as I’m walking up the stairs. He waves his hand and the door opens. My Danger Sense feels like it wants to warn me about the situation, but the danger runs under the surface instead of on top of it. I walk by him with a grin, and he gives a salute like he’s tipping a hat he’s not wearing.
Inside the room smells like polished wood and citrus. The ceiling is high but not dramatic and the lights are warm. It’s bigger than it looks from the outside and has a lot of doors leading to separate rooms, and a staircase at the back that goes up to another level that has a balcony overlooking this one. At the moment it’s roped off. Given the time of day, I’m not expecting it to be packed and it isn’t. There are a few people inside and nobody’s dressed in anything other than normal clothes, but overall there’s something about all their looks that tells you they have a significant Power. I pull a few Statuses at random and nobody is below D Rank. I wonder if that’s the criteria to get in.
The conversations around the place aren’t loud, but they aren’t secretive either. It’s more like the people in the room are comfortable with their surroundings. I’d say compared to what I’ve seen when I was young that this group is on the professional Heroic side rather than the cowboys that rocket through the world and sometimes burn out bright like shooting stars. I walk up to the bar where a grizzled old Hero is serving drinks. I blink for a second in confusion because it’s the guy from outside, or maybe his twin. Or his clone?
“First time?” he asks.
I nod and he pours me a drink then slides it across the bar to me, followed by a drink menu with no prices. A quick glance tells me I’ve never even heard of anything on it. As I sip my drink I notice that behind the bar are several notification screens with a list of current jobs and bounties, and a list of teams looking to round out their squad including preferred Powers or requirements, and a bunch of other stuff.
I sip my drink and it kicks my ass right away even despite my Constitution, although my Regeneration attacks it quickly and the fog in my brain clears. Weird. I spend some time looking at the screens and it seems like a few of them are looking for someone with my talents. Someone to play the role of tank and absorb the damage while everyone else dishes out the pain. It’s not something that appeals to me particularly, but when I’m honest with myself I know that right now, with the time I’ve had to get used to and train with my new Powers - it’s the most likely role I’ll be playing in a Hero team. On one of the screens, it scrolls repeatedly through the Hero teams in the area and their reputation, kind of like watching sports scores.
“Couldn’t help but notice your interest in the boards,” the bartender says as he polishes some glasses. Is he a doppleganger? Teleportation maybe? If I went outside would I find him there still? I decide it doesn’t really matter.
“You looking for something, Calrik?”
“Maybe a Hero team. Maybe some jobs I can take on. Not sure yet.”
“Kid,” he says - and in this case I’m not offended by it. Even though I haven’t pulled his Status it’s clear he’s been around the block. He leans forward and rests his elbows on the bar. “You can scan the boards all you like. But you got some pretty good Powers there from what I can see, and so I’d wait for Sable Marwick to get here in around an hour. She visits like clockwork, and… she backs teams, shapes careers, and opens doors that other people can’t. Just an old bartender talking, but think on it.”
With that, he leaves and walks around the bar to the other side, still polishing his glass. I take another sip of the drink he’s given me and my head swoons, then clears. I look around feeling like I belong here. There’s no imposter syndrome. I think about what I’ve done over the past few weeks and my plans for the future.
Before Sable Marwick arrives I have a long list of people to get in touch with.
Do you think this is a good place to end Book 1?
