Jacob's home was silent as he turned the key, opening the door to the dark within. His studio apartment was a simple space; a single room furnished with what he could scrounge from around the city. As an Officer he should feel lucky to have a such a space at all. Most of the population squatted in abandoned warehouses and handmade tents. The studio he shared with his grandfather was in one of the few remaining housing blocks, guarded by a weary doorman and built for the sole purpose of being lived in. Still, the space weighed on him; it required constant repair and attention, and left little money after rent for much else. The electricity was intermittent and had to be rationed, and the heat almost never worked. It was better than the streets, but was still one of the worst places to live in the city.
On the couch his grandfather, Jacob Charles Olivier the first, slept swaddled in blankets. His grandfather rarely left the couch, moving only to grab food, make tea, or use the restroom. In the past his grandfather had served a long and notable life: loosing a leg fighting the first uprising, serving as one of the earliest officers of the Card Enforcement Agency, and writing a lot of the standard investigative practices still used in the present. His service had guaranteed him the space they currently lived, a space Jacob the III had shared with him since his parents died in a Card incident over 20 years ago. He was a young child then, and barely remembered them. His grandfather had done his best to raise him, and despite the many difficulties they faced always seemed to be in good spirits. Jacob saw his grandfather not just as his childhood caregiver, but his greatest friend. He could tell him anything; his grandfather listening to every worry and concern over a cup of tea, before offering jokes and sage-like advice.
Jacob put down his things on a battered bookshelf by the door, and quietly walked over to the kitchen area at the back wall of the studio. The single room was arranged plainly: a couch in the middle of the room for his grandfather to sleep on, positioned across from an ancient boxy TV with a curved glass screen. On the back wall was the kitchen and washing area, with a small curtain blocking off the wash basin and toilet from the rest of the room. A single table with two chairs was positioned in the kitchen for eating meals, while the walls were covered in bookshelves, unkept and mismatched, holding the few possessions they had been able to gather. A small dresser was at one end of the couch, holding both him and his grandfather’s clothes. The kitchen had an ancient gas stove and an oddly modern card fridge, which was powered not by electricity but by specialized GovCards. Every month the government sent a special pack of GovCards for it alongside their monthly allotment of food and goods. As a part of his service pension his grandfather also got a special allotment every two weeks of supplemental medicines and food - allotments that were never enough.
Jacob opened the fridge and reached into the dark space within. The cards that powered it kept the items inside cold, but that didn’t mean the electricity wasn’t still rationed. Jacob couldn’t afford to use the extra kilowatts to turn on the fridge light, especially as the electricity rates continued to rise. The uprising had happened nearly 45 years ago, and the city had never recovered. Its infrastructure and buildings were crumbling, and those who still lived there were left to foot the bill. Jacob grasped onto an extremely cold handle of his only pot, pulling it out to find it half full with nearly frozen cabbage soup. Cabbage was cheap and easy to grow, and had become a staple crop of government hydroponics centers. Jacob placed the pot on the stove, then grabbed a box of matches off the kitchen counter. The stove hissed as he turned on the gas, and the room brightened a bit as he lit a match and held it to the burner. The burner caught, and Jacob felt a slight warmth from the flame. He couldn’t keep it on long. Gas was significantly cheaper than electricity, but it was still an expense. The medicines and care for his grandfather cost enough; the less he spent on other things, the better off his grandfather would be.
Jacob’s grandfather stirred, and he heard the elderly man shift on his couch.
“Jacob?” The man’s voice was surprisingly strong for his age, but was still worn with time, coming out raspier than his Grandfather would care to admit “Are you home?”
“I’m home.” Jacob responded, walking back to where he had left his things by the door “I brought you your paper, and a little surprise.”
Jacob reached into the small grocery bag he was carrying to pull out a buttered bread roll wrapped in parchment paper, along with the weekly newspaper. He brought over both to his grandfather, who had sat up on the couch. His grandfather looked at him blearily for a moment as the sleep left his eyes. Jacob placed the paper and roll on his grandfather’s lap, and went to check on the soup.
“Where did you get the money for this?” his grandfather asked suspiciously. Jacob heard the man unwrap the roll, and open up the paper.
“They upped our contract again.” Jacob pulled a large soup ladle out of a cylindrical container on the counter, and used it to stir the cabbage water. The room filled with a savory smell as he did; when he made the soup earlier that week he had managed to secure a bit of garlic and onion, immensely improving the flavor. One could almost mistake the soup for having broth, though that was far more expensive than he could afford. Only the wealthiest could afford meat products, and vegetable production still hadn’t reached a high enough level to make products like vegetable stock. The population kept growing faster and faster, while the food supply grew ever slower.
Jacob’s grandfather grunted, and he heard the sounds of the elderly man slowly eating the pastry. Baked goods were a rare luxury, relying upon crops that couldn’t be reliably harvested via hydroponics. The city only had one bakery, which Jacob had stopped by on his way home. He liked surprising his grandfather whenever he could, and while his contract didn’t increase enough to make a measurable difference in their lives, it would - just this once - allow for a small splurge purchase.
Jacob lifted the ladle out of the soup and blew on the liquid, before gently tasting it. The soup had warmed up well, but still tasted thin and watery. It could be vastly improved by more vegetables like carrots, or even an actual broth, but all of that was outside of their meager budget. Still, it was warm and edible. Jacob pulled two bowls out of a cupboard above the stove and reduced the heat to a simmer. Theoretically he should turn it off, but the small burner was adding just a tiny amount of warmth to the space - a warmth he didn’t want to lose quite yet. He could afford a few more minutes. Jacob ladled two portions of soup into each bowl, just enough to keep the two of them fed, and placed the ladle into the sink to be washed. He brought over the bowls to the couch, and handed one to his grandfather. His grandfathers eyes were wide awake now, gleaming with a soft kindness as they read the paper. The front page story was a sordid report on an underground casting ring that had been broken up two cities over, with multiple Officer and caster casualties. Jacob had read it on his walk over from the card shop, skimming through the details. he sat on the couch next to his grandfather, and sipped the soup from the bowl. Neither of them bothered to use a spoon; one less dish to wash.
“Sorry it’s a little watery.” Jacob felt the warm liquid slowly heat him up “The ice thinned it out.”
“I think it’s just fine.” his grandfather said softly “The garlic was a nice touch.”
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“It does help.” Jacob had found the garlic and the onions in a rooftop garden that had long been abandoned. Squatters had likely started it, though he had no idea where they would have gotten the seeds. The squatters had been busted or left, and the plants had started to go wild. There were other vegetables, but all but the bulbs had died off of neglect. It had been just enough to make the soup more palatable, though both of them knew once the current pot was finished they would return to their regular bland cabbage water. Food allotments weren’t for another week; they would have to make do until then.
Jacob sipped his soup, then looked over at his grandfather “When you were with the Agency, did you ever come across the Holy Order of Aman’thea.”
“Not with the Agency, no.” His grandfather grunted “But I knew of them. Every Officer did. Someone from my station was sent to infiltrate them a few months after I was assigned there. They lost contact with them two days in. One of your cases involve them?”
“Of course not.” Jacob sighed “I’m still stuck with the same murders and disappearances.”
“Then why the interest?” Jacob’s grandfather finished his soup and placed his bowl on the ground next to the couch.
"I ran into one today.” Jacob finished his own bowl and set it on the ground next to his grandfather’s. “Right across from the Wonder Corp. repository”
“That can’t be a coincidence.” His Grandfather rubbed his chin “I wouldn’t be surprised if they were keeping an eye on Wonder Corp. They were always a mysterious bunch. No one ever really knew what they were up to.”
Jacob smirked “They wouldn’t be the only ones keeping an eye.”
Jacob’s grandfather chuckled as he picked up the newspaper “The Agency has been trying to get into Wonder Corp. since it was founded. It won’t happen. No one ever goes in, no one ever comes out. It’s been that way for decades.”
Jacob picked up the bowls and walked them into the kitchen. He placed them in the sink next to the soup ladle, and flicked off the stove. Moving carefully he grasped the warm handle of the pot with one hand while opening the fridge with another. He placed the soup back into the fridge where he had got it, and leaned against the counter. He pulled the government pack out of his pocket, looking at the dull grey foil. Despite the fact that all Focus packs bore the same cards, the government still wrapped them like any corporate pack. The official rationale was that it kept the cards in better shape, but most folks had already guessed the actual reason: it gave those who couldn’t afford corporate cards a hint of the corporate card experience. The vast majority of the poor would never be able to experience the feeling of opening the shiny foil of a corporate pack, but everyone had access to government packs. It was a poor substitute, but so were most things the lower class lived with.
Jacob sighed, and ripped upon the dull foil. The pack contained it’s usual 15 cards, arranged in its usual assortment: 3 concentration cards, 4 sleep cards, 4 cards of Awakening, and 4 patience cards. The same limited equip cards he always got in his weekly allotment, each good for a limited number of uses before they crumbled into dust in the equipper. He pulled two sleep cards and set them aside on the counter for himself and his grandfather. He slid the rest into the small equip deck case that he wore on his belt, always within reach. He didn’t know how the technology worked within it, but it always dispensed the cards he wanted. No randomization, no shuffling, no variables. Just the card he needed, in the moment he needed it.
“Get anything good?” His grandfather’s voice dripped with sarcasm as he continued to read the paper. He asked the same question every time Jacob got a pack, one of their oldest in-jokes.
“Same as always.” Jacob turned to grab the sleep cards, then hesitated. He stuck a hand in his pocket, then pulled out the shadow pack. He glanced over nervously towards his Grandfather, who hadn’t looked up from the paper, then looked back at the pack. It was slightly heavier than the government pack he had just opened, despite containing less cards overall. The cards were wrapped in a simple matte black foil wrapping, which seemed to absorb the light around it. Technically there was nothing illegal about possessing a shadow pack, but opening it still felt wrong. Officers in the Agency as a matter of policy were discouraged from owning any, and being caught with any on your person while on duty put you at risk of dismissal. It was considered bad practice; owning the cards wasn’t illegal, but using them definitely was. Shadow Card use had been banned almost 40 years ago, in the reconstruction following the end of the insurrection.
Moving as quietly as he could, Jacob slowly opened the pack. The foil was silent as he did, almost as if it knew it was being opened in secret. He glanced over again towards his Grandfather, who was still reading on the couch. Jacob quickly pulled the cards out of the pack, flipping through the 12 cards slowly. He was almost disappointed with what was inside; the cards were beautiful - just like the one in the shop - but were some of the most common shadow cards available. Net of Truth, Blinding Flash, The Golum of Aratuus, Snare Stop, two Silent Cunning, two Lamb of the Forgotten Apostles, and a Smiling Dewdrop. Two snares, four creatures, and three equips - all easily found in any street match. Jacob was about to give up when he reached the first card he had never heard of before.
Wall of Token - Spell - For the next 5 draws an impenetrable wall of token creatures is summoned to surround the caster, equal to the number of threats faced. Once a token is destroyed it is immediately replaced until the 5 draws are completed. Once the 5 draws are completed tokens are not replaced when destroyed, but will remain around the Caster until they are depleted. One use per day.
Jacob raised an eyebrow at the card. On their own tokens were treated as fairly useless. No strength or defense, completely unable to attack or complete tasks, tokens existed solely to fill space. A unlimited wall of tokens was far more useful. It would prevent any and all attack, keeping the caster fully protected to buy time for another strategy. A useful card in the right scenario, though Jacob doubted he would ever be placed in such a scenario to begin with. He pulled it away to see another card he did not recognize:
Insight of Soul - Unlimited Equip - While equipped this card gains insight into the intentions of everyone in eyesight. Unlimited use. Does not deplete.
A Deception card. A high level deception card. Jacob’s heart hammered in his chest as he looked at it; not only had he never heard of this card, he had never heard of a truly unlimited equip. Some equip cards allowed for no restrictions on use per day - what most people called an ‘unlimited equip’ - but eventually they wore down like any other equip card. This card however directly stated unlimited use, with a power that had no comparison in any other card. Jacob moved it away to look at the final card, and his breath caught in his mouth.
Ancient Dragon of the Forgotten God - Creature - SACRED type - Strength: Unknown - Defense: Limitless - This card gains strength equal to twice any threat faced, and has ultimate loyalty to its caster and the God that has been Forgotten.
The border of the card glimmered a bit in his hand, a gleaming silver that framed an image of a mysterious shadowy dragon. The card glittered with holographic effects, and seemed to almost shine. Jacob couldn’t look away from it, feeling the raw power radiate onto him. It was almost like it called to him, speaking to him without words. For a moment he could have sworn the dragon turned its head to look at him, with a glint appearing in its eyes.
“That is not a card you can buy in any store.” Jacob jumped at the sound of his grandfather’s voice directly behind him. Jacob turned, seeing his grandfather staring at him with severity “No store sells the Cards of the Gods.”
Jacob looked down at the card and realized that his grandfather was right. The deepest rumors that all Officers laughed at, the unsubstantiated stories they had heard as cadets, all of them were true. He was holding one in his hands. The mythical cards that gave the Order of Aman’thea it’s purpose. Cards that were rumored to have come directly from the portals themselves. Cards no machine could make. That shouldn’t exist. That couldn’t exist. A card more powerful than any corporate, government, or shadow pack card.
In his hand, Jacob held one of the Cards of the Gods.
God Card. One of the harder parts of writing this story has been in balancing the influence of the two card games I played as a child - Yu-Gi-Oh! and Pokemon - while also creating something that stands on its own. The cards in this universe are designed to work both as cards that can be used in games, and as cards that can be used in daily life. The cards are magic, and as such use of the cards in this world is referred to as Casting. Those who do so in one of the various games - referred to as matches - are known as a Competitive Casters. Cards are cast by sliding them into a Card Equipper, which is a piece of technology all people wear on their forearms. Dedicated facilities for Casting Tournaments will have specialized equippers built into the playing field, and those with more resources often times wear multiple card equippers of much higher quality than the basic ones. Most people carry one of two decks: An Equip Deck that carries all the necessary Equip Cards to get through a day (Such as Patience, Awakening, Concentration, etc.), and a Battle Deck for protection or use in matches. Official matches have dedicated and well known rule sets; street matches are a free for all. Managing all of this as much as possible is the Card Enforcement Agency, the federal organization responsible for managing and enforcing all Card laws. This is the Agency that our main character Jacob works at, as an entry level officer working smaller crimes. The Agency is undermanned and overworked, with far more cases than they could ever hope to handle. As the series progresses we’ll learn more about how the agency works, and the exact rule sets of the different kinds of matches. Until then, I hope you follow along. We have a bit of exposition in the next chapter, and then our first match in Chapter 5!
trust in the cards…
Did you play any card games as a kid?
