Chapter 87

  Site 00 never slept.

  Travis could confidently boast that this place was quickly becoming a sight to behold. Behemoths of concrete, rebar and steel were being raised out of the earth, hiding unspeakable things beneath their peaceful fa?ade. The earth itself was a tomb of alien and magical things, only some of which would one day come out of hiding, becoming rays of hope for the human race as a whole. The rest, better to leave it there. Not forgotten, but hidden. Safe.

  It would be madness for anyone to even think that Site 00 had been achieved in just a few days. And yet, most of the things were no older than a couple of weeks. It was truly remarkable, to think what human ingenuity could achieve when coupled with unfathomable amounts of money, manpower, heavy machinery and just a sprinkle of magic. Especially unfathomable amounts of money.

  It was a non-issue. Soon, they would be printing money left and right with all their projects. And even if they weren’t, the amount they were spending was pennies compared to the wealth of a multinational corporation. It boggled the mind of the regular person, he knew from experience: the regular person did not think in terms of billions of dollars and perhaps that was for the better. If they did, they’d understand just how much power money wielded in the modern world, where certain things like distance from civilization and the need for exotic materials were no longer the same limiting factors they used to be a few decades ago.

  Travis found Maggie at her laptop in the temporary structure she and Michael called home these days. Travis wondered whether Michael even slept there anymore, considering how much time he spent in the dungeon and its dilated time. If he did, he would have to have a word with the boy. The accommodations were decent for Maggie, Travis supposed, but woefully inadequate for Michael. They lacked security, privacy and space.

  Then Travis looked around. Everything his eyes saw, every hill and building and blade of grass… it was all Site 00. And no matter how much one tried to delude himself, Site 00 was Michael’s. In a way, it could be considered his home.

  He shook his head. Having a residence was still the appropriate thing to do, even when one was at a level of power such as Michael’s. He did not dwell on the fact that he, much like the young man he was criticizing, also did not have an official residence at the site. He couldn’t even justify himself by saying that he went back at his house every night, when it was evident to everyone that he didn’t.

  “He says he always tries to make it back home for the night,” Maggie said, picking up on unvoiced complaints. “But he has conflicted feelings about it. He says he feels like he’s wasting time.”

  Travis hummed, knowing that the girl wanted to say more.

  “I don’t get it, though,” she said after a moment, her index finger on her chin. “Why is he in such a hurry? I thought… he said that he took care of the…” she shivered, “threat.”

  “He did,” Travis said, projecting confidence. “There’s nothing to worry about anymore. Nobody can hurt you here.”

  The girl nodded, but her eyes were misty. “Then why is he pushing himself so much?”

  “The world is changing,” Travis said, thinking about his own motives as well. “Nobody can hurt you here, and you know why? Because of his, no, our hard work. We can’t stop now.”

  Travis looked at Maggie, lost and scared. He wondered why did it have to be him, what made him think that he could reassure a little girl who also happened to be the sister of the most powerful man on the planet. Allegedly the most powerful man on the planet. But as he spoke about what they had to do here, about how the hard work they did at Site 00 would benefit the world, about his role in the organization as Michael’s right hand… it felt right. He understood.

  “I understand…” Maggie said. “He said I can go back if I want, but I don’t think I want to. I want to stay here.”

  “You can stay here all you want,” Travis said.

  “I thought I would go to university next year,” the girl muttered.

  “What degree did you want to get? Most of them are useless, you know?”

  She seemed to recoil as if struck. Travis realized he was speaking to a small girl, despite her age, and not a miniature version of Michael.

  She recovered after a while, but her voice was small. “Business,” she said.

  Travis shrugged. “You’re better off here. This is the future, after all. I will make sure your brother’s vision comes to life! The rest of the world will either join us, or be left in the dust. I will make sure of it.”

  “I see,” said the girl.

  “Here.” Travis handed her the badge. He explained what she could do with it, which was access pretty much whatever she wanted. “You can call me anytime, if you need anything.”

  Then he left.

  Michael was putting a lot of trust in his sister, barely a couple of days after rescuing her. Compared to how he had talked about her before, it was as if she was a whole other person in his mind after the incident. Handing her the all-pass. What was Michael thinking?

  Fortunately, Travis had already put contingencies in place in case Maggie decided to do things she wasn’t supposed to do. This was his turf, after all, and no all-pass could change things.

  Michael’s turf, he corrected himself. But then again, another part of his mind supplied, he was the one getting his hands dirty day in and day out, wasn’t he? This was as much his turf as it was Michael’s. He was the one handing his sister the all-pass and listening to her whining, he was the one whipping the operators into shape, he was the one handling the shittier parts of Candle Light nobody else wanted to get involved with.

  “Mister Travis?”

  Travis stopped in his tracks, turned around and saw the girl clutching the plastic rectangle in her hands, muttering a weak thanks. “Do you know when he’ll be back?” she asked.

  “Michael? He went to the dungeon a while ago. Should be on the way back,” Travis said.

  Even though, he thought, it was very probable Michael spent several days in the Valley. Will he even remember he has a sister to take care of when he emerges from there?

  “Thanks,” Maggie said. “This is all very strange. I feel like I’m in a dream, surrounded by things that don’t make sense. At least I’m not alone.”

  Travis nodded. “Right,” he said. Even he could feel how lame that was.

  Maggie didn’t seem to mind, smiling at him instead. “I can see I’m making you uncomfortable,” she giggled. “You’re all tough and powerful all the time, but I know you care. Thank you for being at my brother’s side. He talks about you sometimes. He is very grateful.”

  Travis coughed. “Well,” he said awkwardly, “that’s the least I can do. On that matter, I better get going. Good night.”

  “Good night!”

  As he left, Travis thought about many things. He realized that there was a smile on his face.

  “Am I… happy for her? Damn. Never thought this would happen. You know what? This feels right. Building something, a safe space, protecting people. I’ll be the shield and the spear so that they won’t have to ever see the shit of the world. Perhaps this is the first step towards being able to find love again.”

  The streets were dark. The sun had long set, plunging the site into darkness. Lights, both electrical and magical, banished the darkness in many places, but the nature of the unfinished construction site made for many places where shadows could lurk.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  There, in the dark pits in the earth, between the unfinished concrete beams and the rugged rebar, Travis imagined monstrous things prowling and lurking. The things Michael had claimed to be able to see in the mana in the air. Those strange ripples that even he sometimes thought he saw, at the edge of his vision. Tricks of the light, perhaps, or hungry ghosts.

  He then imagined himself fighting them and vanquishing them, banishing all threats from Site 00 and beyond. Then the monsters were back to being shadows, and he—even though he was a magical knight indeed—was back to being the head of Candle Light. Far from being a white knight, he was the shadow that stalks the night.

  “And it suits me just fine. I’m not cut to be the knight in shiny armor. Let Michael take on that role, and all the limitations that come with it. I’ll be the one free to act in the shadows. Speaking of, things are moving quickly, but not quickly enough. Some,” he thought as he looked at the dwindling piles of gravel being used to pave the road, “less quickly than others.”

  The road had been a real pain. Bringing all the gravel, making the foundations, the drainage, keeping Johanne happy by not cutting too many trees. Hell, keeping Michael himself happy by not cutting too many trees… the damn road was going to cost more than some of the buildings they were constructing.

  “Yep,” he nodded to himself, “I’m not cut to be Michael.”

  A flaming bullet appeared in his hand, summoned by his Elemental Weapon card. With a flick of his fingers, it tore the air apart as it impacted a nearby boulder.

  Back at his own repurposed shipping container, Travis poured himself some whiskey. Another flaming bullet appeared in his palm, and this time he dipped it in the half-filled glass. It disappeared into motes of mana with a hiss, leaving behind a slightly singed aftertaste in the alcohol.

  He began counting. One: the day after tomorrow, Michael and he were going to meet with a representative of the Occult Affairs.

  Two: there was a city at the edge of the expanding area around the dungeon that was about to be swallowed up in the ever-growing cloud of mana, and there was no knowing what could happen. Given all the anomalies that were popping up left and right in Site 00 and in the forest nearby, there was no way they would be able to keep magic a secret for much longer.

  Thankfully, being the paranoid man that he was, Travis had already set plans in motion to deal with that. The place was full of Operators and Unity personnel, posing as volunteers. Helping out in the city, making themselves seen and known so that when it was time for Candle Light to come in guns blazing, the city would trust them.

  Then, third, there was the whole deal with Area 51. Trevor was on it. Travis personally hoped nothing would come out of the investigation, that Trevor would come to him and tell him that Area 51 was a scam, a conspiracy theory. That it was just a normal black site like many others.

  Four: he had to keep an eye on at least three individuals who were posting videos on social media about feats they were able to do that were borderline superhuman.

  And, of course, a five: if there were other powered individuals, then there had to be other dungeon entrances.

  The list went on and on. Find sources of ancestral magic. Finalize the first-response task forces for Candle Light. Prepare the first teams to be sent into the dungeon. Review the files on Theobond, perhaps even meeting the King of the Castle himself.

  Then there was the matter of reviewing the background information on the many scientists, workers, operators and personnel coming to work at the site. Then there was the matter of handling the construction of the other sites. Of the auxiliary activities. Of the charity works. Of the more normal investments, activities, and the acquisition of startups and factories to act as a front for the more magical innovations. There was the matter of handling the PR side, although thankfully Travis had already found a skilled person to do most of the work, which meant that he only had to read the documents and approve what the PR specialist proposed.

  “Deadlines, deadlines, deadlines. They hang over us like invisible Damocles’ swords. Just because you can’t see the incoming problems doesn’t mean they aren’t there.”

  Soon, Travis had gone through enough things to do that he had given himself a headache, and the whisky was all gone. More and more ideas popped into his mind the more he thought about it. Talk to Michael about using Jennifer’s power to make toxic waste disappear. Talk to Michael about using Trevor’s skill. Talk to Michael this, talk to Michael that. Why couldn’t he just do things without the need for permission? He was not the new intern they just hired, fresh out of school. He was Travis Tyrell, damn it all.

  And yet. He had to come to terms with the fact that the unbendable, unbreakable Travis Tyrell who had never one day in his life worked under someone else, was now working under and for Michael. Had his powers given to him by Michael. Had his whole fucking life dictated by the damned brat.

  …

  Travis looked at the empty glass, and at the equally empty bottle next to it. He shook his head, sighed, absorbed a mana coin just for the kick of it. He would sleep tonight, think about things tomorrow with a clear head. Talking to Maggie had destabilized him. Clearly.

  He woke up with a headache and the sensation of lost time.

  “Fuck,” he muttered, realizing that he could have slept in the Valley. Now, he was behind of so many projects he wanted to punch a wall. He brushed a lock of dark hair from his face. He should get it cut soon, but he did not have time. Time!

  Normally, it would be impossible to impose such strict time frames. Days rather than weeks or months to get things done. But with the dungeon? One could go in, and ten minutes later come out as a disaster for the whole human race.

  That’s what Candle Light and Unity as a whole are competing against.

  That’s why I spend so much time in the Valley, assholes, he thought back to Jennifer and Trevor, who were blessed with the luxury of not being the ones in charge. It’s not that I like it in there. The amenities, the good air, the bountiful nature… they cannot hide the sense of dread that emanates from the dungeon. Only Michael actually likes it in there.

  Me… I have to go there. I don’t get a choice. Otherwise this whole ship will sink faster than the fucking Titanic.

  ***

  Later that morning, much calmer after another couple of mana coins, he was at the edge of the property together with Johanne, David and Trevor. Trevor was there since it was a part of his own skill that was about to be witnessed in action. Michael had gone home to spend some time with his sister after several days in the valley.

  “Did he get the masking skill?” Travis asked as the trio waited for the silhouette of the truck to become big enough to make out more details about it.

  “He did.” Johanne offered no other information.

  Travis shrugged. Michael would fill him in on the details soon enough. “Naoshida industries will deliver the first batch of equipment today,” he said to the woman.

  This seemed to get a reaction out of her. She looked up from the strange instrument she was using to study the incoming truck for long enough to lift an eyebrow, “good,” she said, “I will check whether the equipment is up to standard. You smell of alcohol.”

  Travis opened his mouth.

  “Since we are chitchatting,” David inserted himself in the conversation, “I’m meeting with a Saudi prince today. He liked our selection of gems and proposed a partnership.”

  Travis chuckled, but the laugh was fake. He eyed David, looking for smugness on the man’s face. “The days of you managing a pawn shop, bored out of your mind, are long gone, aren’t they?”

  “That they are,” the old man mused. “It’s here.”

  The truck parked at the side of the road. There were no markings visible on its exterior. In fact, it was so generic it drew the eye to itself rather than the opposite. A generic man greeted them, dressed in a generic work uniform. He handed them an unmarked package, nodded to them, and drove off.

  “So that’s how [Ghost Market] works,” Trevor said. “Interesting.”

  Travis hummed, thoughtful. He made a quick call before frowning.

  “Come on,” David urged him on, “don’t leave us hanging. What do you have?”

  The head of Candle Light shook his head. “Nothing.”

  “What do you mean nothing?”

  “Facial recognition did not even think that the mailman had a face. The rest of the truck is unmarked, and it’s impossible to discern a manufacturer based on its looks. The whole truck itself… we placed cameras on the road, and it appeared in all of them.”

  “Alright. Then what’s the problem?”

  “There’s a traffic camera down the road, several miles away. No truck passed there, and there are no forks in the road between there and the last known location where we know the truck was still real, for lack of a better term.”

  “Are you saying it vanished somewhere between the two cameras? Somewhere nobody could see it disappear?”

  “That’s what I’m saying. Same thing when it came into being.”

  “It can’t be.”

  “On the contrary,” Johanne interrupted David, “it can very well be. I tried to analyze all signatures that we know of. Magical, elemental, Qi as well as the more mundane ones like heat, radio, and even brain waves which you all surely know have a presence in the electromagnetic spectrum. What I found when I looked at the truck and the man, was nothing. Nothing but visible light, that is. We should try to measure gravity next, but I doubt we have instruments that are sensitive enough for that.”

  “But the package…”

  “The only real thing there. What was it again?”

  “Our first test object,” said Trevor as he opened it, “as per Candle Light protocol. Just a stone from the forest.”

  “I shall study it,” Johanne said before glancing at Travis, “according to protocol, I need to test it before declaring it safe. Then I shall verify if it’s the same stone we picked up from the forest or not.”

  “No need to be disrespectful, y’all. Protocol exists for a reason.”

  “Sure it does. I don’t have to like it,” said Trevor.

  “I thought you would appreciate its value.”

  “I do, that’s why I’m not arguing against it. Let me enjoy not being the boss, alright boss man?”

  “Alright, I’ve seen enough.” Travis said. “Next delivery should be all the bullshit from the car ambush, right?”

  “It’s being delivered later today,” said Trevor.

  Travis nodded. “Candle Light will handle it. Jennifer will have to be present, of course. We need her magic.”

  “I shall tell her myself,” said Johanne, “I have questions to ask her about her magic. Do not worry, Tyrell, I will fill out one of your dossiers and send it over once I have enough data. By the way, are we a go with Dr Kavins?”

  “The vitality drug?” Travis asked. It had been mentioned to him in passing.

  Johanne nodded. “I presented the request in the form you instructed me to use. Did you not review it? If so, please do.”

  A deep sigh made its way out of Travis’ respiratory system, impossible to suppress. “Of course. I’m going to the Valley next, I’ve got a lot of stuff to sort through.”