Ad Astra

Compared the high tech and sleek look of the elevator in Logistics HQ. The elevator in Refiners HQ was a bit older, though still functioned well enough. It lurched upward once we were all inside and I thought we would just spend it in silence like in Logistics HQ, but Naide spoke up once we were in motion.

"So…what brings you to Crucible, Mr. Zachariah?"

"Well initially I came here to mediate the feud, though I may have more work yet to do on Crucible besides that," He told her.

Despite its lack of polish, I could see Naide grimace in the metal of the elevator.

"Ah…yeah…ya know, this whole feud started so long ago—I was just a kid at the time—and I don't even remember why we're supposed to hate the Miners faction so much. I know it's not likely, but I really hope you can fix it. It feels bad being told I'm supposed to hate all these people I don't even know for something no one wants to explain from two decades ago. It just makes me feel so…so…awful. So if you can finally resolve it after all this time, I know many would be appreciative. Though, hoping for it to be resolved after all this time might just be wishful thinking."

She looked more dour now than when she had started and luckily Zachariah spoke up or I might have tried to say something.

"We will certainly do our best, Miss Naide. Sir Artorius is optimistic that we will be able to resolve this feud this time around. He's sent someone he has high hopes for after all."

I narrowed my eyes at Zachariah. He wasn't doing a good job of pretending he was the mediator. I didn't know what he was talking about either. If you asked me, Artorius thought I wasn't good enough for this mission and was just using me to hopefully deal with a thorn in his side if he got lucky.

Naide scoffed.

"If you say so. The feud has never been worse, what with Flux stirring up trouble everywhere. No one knows who they are or what they want, and they're not helping the whole everyone hating each other thing. Also, do you always talk about yourself in the third person like that?"

Zachariah chuckled.

"No, not usually. Though I would ask who this 'Flux' is."

Naide looked like she was going to respond, but before she could the elevator jerked to a stop and the doors opened, a long hallway meeting us.

"You can ask Emil about Flux. He wouldn't want me blabbing about them anyway. Sorry for venting to you all, I hope you have a wonderful time here on Crucible," Naide said as we exited the elevator. I looked back to see her smile sadly at me even as the doors of the elevator closed again, taking the sandy haired girl back down to the lobby.

We walked down the hallway and despite the possibility that someone was listening, I took a chance to whisper to Zachariah.

"I thought you were supposed to be pretending to be the mediator."

He cast a quick glance back at me, the wrinkles around his eye scrunched up.

"That is true, but I've also learned over the years the importance of hope, and giving that hope to others. Additionally, I do not believe that miss Naide suspects anything, though even if she does, my intuition is telling me she is not the reason we must keep this charade in place. Lastly, worry not, I spoke no falsehoods. Sir Artorius is looking forward to your success, lady Astra."

"I wasn't worried," I refuted.

I definitely was not worried, and didn't understand why he said that. I'd have to ask make him spit it out later. For now though, we had reached the end of the hallway and he rapped on the door a few times, eliciting a 'come in' from within the room. Zachariah opened the door and our group walked inside to find a room vastly different from Discen's.

The office Discen used in Logistics HQ felt cold and too empty, like no one really worked in there. The office our group walked into now was flush with items and furniture that made it clear the office was more than just somewhere to meet guests. If the pile of blankets and pillows on a couch against one wall was anything to go by, the office was over-used.

Compared to the harsh, stale white light Discen seemed to favor, the warm ambers of Refiner's HQ gave the well furnished office a softer, more approachable and comforting feel to it. In addition to the lighting, the cramped space ironically did a lot to make the space feel more comforting.

The wall to wall bookshelves boxing in the couch turned bed were filled with stacked cylinders nestled between books of varying sizes. The books, all of different thicknesses and myriad colored spines, were tattered and well used, the creases in their spines wide and discolored. The sleek metals common on the station were nowhere to be found in the office, with lacquered wood the primary building material bringing the whole room together in terms of design.

A handful of well worn wooden chairs surrounded a large table coated with layers upon layers of papers with various figures, graphs, and numbers on them.

The man sitting at the table with a complicated look on his face pushed the gray and white mop of hair out of his bespectacled eyes and sighed deeply before pushing his glasses up, rubbing his eyes with his fists roughly.

His glasses clinked back into place as he pushed them up his nose again, looking toward our group as we all stopped once inside the office.

"Hello, Sir Emil," Zachariah said, eliciting a wry smile from the man.

"It seems you've caught my at a disadvantage here, stranger. You seem to know who I am, but I'm fairly certain I've never met you or your friends before."

Zachariah nodded.

"My apologies. I am Zachariah and these are my guards. I was under the impression that Crucible's council, while it may be fractured, was to be informed of my trip here by those in charge of receiving our travel doissier."

Emil frowned and sighed.

"Discen must have…forgotten to let me know, and I expect that Rory isn't aware of your arrival on crucible either. I assume you're from Beltigo? The last envoy wasn't all that long ago, so I'm a little surprised to see another mediator sent out here so soon. Though, I suppose with recent happenings, and with the 20th anniversary—for lack of a better term for this interminable feud—coming this year, I shouldn't be surprised that the Corporation would want to see it finally resolved."

He sighed deeper this time, leaning back in his chair and once again rubbing his eyes.

Zachariah stepped forward and took a seat at the table.

"Indeed. The feud is the main purpose for my visit, though I've been informed of worrying news of a drug epidemic and a violent group causing issues here on Crucible. If a group is actively engaging in violence on Crucible, it's my duty as an envoy of the Beltigo Corporation to intervene and assist in apprehending them. Can you tell me more about them? Discen's information on the group was limited at best."

Emil sighed again—people were sighing around me A LOT lately…which was weird?—and closed his eyes for a few moments.

"Right. They call themselves Flux. They have vowed to remove the corruption and evil—as they see it—from Crucible, by any means necessary. While that sentiment is valorous, their methods are anything but. With property damage, vandalism, and minor thefts to name a few of their known crimes, they've been escalating their violence since they initially made themselves known a few months ago. Honestly, we thought them no more than a nuisance in the beginning, with whisperings of an insurgent group recruiting across the station coming to my attention early on. But since that day their crimes have only increased in frequency and severity. Worst is that there is some popularity for their actions among the factionless and even some within the factions. Some see the current power structure on Crucible as flush with corruption and would see it changed, even through violent means.

Most recently, a handful of guards in the warehouse district were attacked by a group of masked assailants in front of a Refined Vitalite depot. They were luckily able to fend them off with some help from guards coming to relieve them on their night shift, but it was a close thing. The biggest issue isn't that they attacked the guards though, it's that they knew where to attack. To protect the Refined Vitalite we change which warehouses we store it in on a daily basis and randomly. The only way they could have known where to attack was if they had someone on the inside."

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He grimaced and rubbed his eyes again before continuing.

"We don't know where they're hiding but we need to find them and stop them before they get there hands on any Viltalite, let alone the unstable, raw Vitalite.

As for the drug, that's another issue entirely. Around the time Flux started becoming active, residents of Crucible were found acting strangely. They would suddenly have wild mood swings and lash out at loved ones. They'd become erratic as time went on and break their common routines. When questioned, they avoided answering what was wrong with them, but after spending some time being watched, their erratic behaviors grew more and more severe. Eventually they lost all reason and needed to be subdued before being brought to the healers.

The healers deduced that their conditions were due to an unknown drug and we disseminated that information to Logistics and Miners, the former already knowing about this drug. We're still investigating the components of the drug, but hopefully we'll learn more about it soon.

Truth be told, considering no one has died from it yet, and Flux being so active at the same time, I do not consider the issue of this unknown drug as dire as that of Flux. In fact, considering how their appearances coincided with one another, many believe that Flux is behind the drug. I'm not sure how true that is, but the fact that Flux must be stopped and dealt with is certain, and of higher import than this drug.

I'm not prideful enough to believe I have the capability of dealing with them on my own, so I'm glad you're here to help."

Zachariah inspected some of the papers on the table as Emil spoke and finally put them down when he finished.

"That is quite the worrying report. And looking through some of the information you've collated here, I must admit I agree. While this drug running rampant through Crucible is something that needs to be resolved, the issue of 'Flux' is much more serious. After we meet with the leader of Miners, we'll begin work in earnest to root out this group. We can only hope we're able to stop them before their actions escalate any further.

Before we leave to speak with Rory, I'd ask that you tell us about the feud. That was the primary purpose in my trip here to Crucible and I would see it resolved before I leave."

One of Emil's drooped eyebrow raised slightly.

"Surely the previous mediators explained the situation as they knew it to you?"

Zachariah nodded.

"Indeed, but please, humor me. Sometimes second and third hand accounts are lacking in detail or valuable information. It would be best to hear it from both you and Rory yourselves, lest I work off of incorrect information."

Emil chuckled dryly.

"Two decades of explaining this over and over ad nauseam had worn me weary, Mr. Zachariah. Especially since I have no clue why this feud even started, truly."

"I appreciate that this is a sensitive topic for you, Mr. Emil. But your perspective will be invaluable to me."

Emil looked to Zachariah for a few moments before all the energy seemed to leave him as he sighed deeply and slouched back into his chair.

"Fine. There's not much to tell anyway. I don't even know what happened exactly, only the results. Rory and I grew up together here on Crucible as the only sons of the previous faction leaders of Miners and Refiners. We were always close growing up and even into our adolescence and adulthood we stayed close as we learned the ins and outs of the functions of each of our factions.

Then, Rimara came into our lives. She was a young Miners girl around our age and was already well into training to go down to Lattice when we met her by chance. Despite being the son of the head of Miners, Rimara didn't give Rory a second of her attention at first—content as she was to study at the academy and focus on becoming a Miner—but their shared passion for the trade naturally drew them closer to one another.

Over time they went from study partners, to friends, to something more. Everyone could see how they felt about one another and everyone was happy for them. Well…everyone except for Rory's father, Everett. He was a man obsessed with status, not unlike how Discen acts now. He only approved of Rory and I's friendship because of my pedigree. When he learned of Rimara and Rory's budding relationship, he forbade Rory from meeting with her and went so far as to keep his own son under tight guard for years to prevent them from meeting.

Save for the scarce few times I was able to help Rory get out for a time to meet her, the pair remained separated for years. It wasn't until they both coincidentally got sent down to Lattice on their first expeditions that they were able to reunite and, from what I hear, the time apart did nothing to quench the fiery passion they had for one another. They quickly rekindled their love while working together and hiding their relationship from Everett.

Despite hiding his relationship, Rory was being groomed by Everett to take over as the head of Miners, and everything looked to be going well. Rory was going to take over, and then he and Rimara could finally be together out in the open. At least that was the plan, until twenty years ago next week. That night, a fire broke out in a secluded part of the residential district where Rimara and Rory spent their time together, away from his father's influence.

I do not know what happened that night for sure, but by the time I heard the news and rushed to their home with some of my closest aides, it was already a charred husk of its former self, and Rimara was gone. Her life, like that of their shared home, was reduced to ash. I rushed to Rory's side to try and comfort him, but he lashed out at me. I couldn't understand what he was going through, but it was clear he was hurting. I couldn't leave him there alone, with no one to support him so I tried again, but he fought back. He accused me of…vile things, blamed me for her death, and threw everything I thought I knew about our friendship away in his anger before storming off.

Ever since that day, Rory and I have never spoken. We communicated only as much as was necessary to maintain the functions of our factions and all of the mediators sent from Beltigo, despite having heard this story, have been unable to resolve this issue. The events of that night have left a deep scar on both Miners and Refiners and now Crucible as a whole has suffered for it. At this point. It might be best to request that Beltigo interfere and give Crucible a new start."

He held one of his arms over his eyes now, his glasses down by his side as the story clearly took its toll on him.

It was an incredibly sad story and my heart tugged at the loss Rory must have felt that night. I looked to Wei Lin and Alice to see an equally dour look on the boy's face, and an expectedly placid look on Alice's, though maybe there was something there? I couldn't be sure, and I was probably just seeing things though.

I expected Zachariah to say something, but before he did, a short knock on the door preceded Naide coming in, carrying a set of fresh blankets and a small cup of a steaming liquid. As Zachariah spoke, I watched the girl move around the room.

She placed the drink down on the table in front of Emil before she moved over to the couch, setting the folded blankets down, removing the old set and then setting the new blankets up on the temporary bed as Zachariah spoke.

"I am truly sorry to hear what happened to Miss Rimara. It's clear that you cared deeply about both of them, and I'm sorry to hear about your friendship with Rory deteriorating. I know all attempts thus far at mediation have failed, but I'm confident that this time you'll see a different outcome."

Naide finished making the bed and she shook somewhat unsteadily as she stood back up and walked to the door. Before she reached it, Emil chuckled dryly and she stopped.

"Emil…You need to get some rest. You've stayed up too late for the last week."

He didn't lift his arm from over his eyes when he answered her.

"I'm fine, Naide. I just need to rest my eyes for a few moments. There's too much work to do for me to rest at the moment."

"But you—"

"GO! Naide…just leave me, please…I'll try to sleep earlier tonight. I promise," he interjected. Naide flinched at his shout and after he finished I watched her fist ball up tightly before it slowly relaxed and she left the office.

We stood in an awkward silence for a few moments before Emil finally answered Zachariah.

"I apologize for my outburst. I haven't been sleeping much lately and it has frayed my already stressed nerves. I won't hold out hope for a positive outcome on the feud, but if you could help root out Flux, and stop the flood of this mysterious drug from taking over my home, I would be grateful. I wish I could speak with you longer, but I need to return to my work. I assume you'll be going to speak with Rory next, he should be returning from his mining expedition shortly. Don't hesitate to reach out if we can help in any way."

Zachariah nodded and stood.

"I give you my guarantee that we'll figure out this feud in due time. And while I appreciate your apology, I think you and I both know it is not I who deserves your apology, Emil. Thank you for humoring me. I will reach out if I require your, or Refiner's, assistance in my investigation."

Zachariah turned and moved to the door, our trio following him as Emil frowned and sighed again, dragging his hands across his face before returning to the papers on the desk.

We left the office and walked into the hallway, Naide waiting halfway to the elevator, sitting on the ground, knees pulled up to her chest. She stood hastily when she noticed us approaching and rapidly discarded the tears at the corner of her eyes.

"F-finished with your meeting, sir Zachariah?"

He nodded.

"Indeed I am, miss Naide. I believe that Emil will work a little longer but retire earlier than has been his habit lately. I believe he sees the sense in your worry for him."

Naide tried to school her face, but couldn't hide the look of relief and warmth she got at the news. Zachariah gestured toward the elevator and the girl happily led us back down to the lobby where we met up with the very impatient looking Clisto resting uncomfortably in a shabby chair in the lobby.

Zachariah paid his displeasure no mind and beckoned him to lead us onward toward Miners to meet Rory.

With a harumph he led us out of Refiners HQ and down one of the large circular hallways on the left toward where Miners HQ would inevitably be. As we walked, the scenery once again changed from the relatively bright gray metals and grates to a darker metal. The residents walking the halls also changed, though slightly less than going from Logistics to Refiners. The thin body protections they wore were switched out for thicker fare, though the residents also seemed to have a more broad range of clothing they tended to wear with various different styles of protective clothes being represented.

Closer to Refiner HQ, there was a fair amount of chatter and socializing from those traveling through or loitering around, but near what I estimated was the halfway point in the major thoroughfare all discussions ceased and an uneasy tension hung in the air. One side of the large artery housed the moving Refiners and the other the moving Miners as they went about their days but the two groups never mixed.

Clisto, content with the lack of noise during our tour took full advantage of the new silence to boast about Logistics and how great the mood there always was.

His mood improved as we traveled and he eventually returned completely to his original attitude from the beginning of the tour, though his disdain for those who lived outside of Logistics was pretty annoying to listen to. He could have tried a little harder to seem like he wasn't totally biased, but I supposed I couldn't blame him too much for being prideful in his faction.

He was in the middle of explaining that many residents who work in the warehouse district live nearby in the residential sections of the area to Zachariah—who somehow always seemed to look interested in what the man had to say—when our group stopped abruptly at the sound of screams and a loud explosion coming from somewhere not too far away.