Dark Matter Ascension

Jace felt his Dark Energy Mine fade and began to descend. Using his Soul Tether grapple, he chained together several swings until he got to the base of the mountain.

Best to use the voidlight tether from somewhere stable, Ollie advised. So use it while on the mountain here since these things do not change when the cycles shift.

Jace landed on a spur of mountain that went off like a small peninsula into the lava fields. Going to the farthest edge, he glanced at the slightly off-white and silver cord that had been following him. Literally, retracting all of his steps. "How does this work? I just tug on it?"

I activate it, Ollie replied with a chuckle. Ready to go home?

"Hit it."

Jace saw the line more clearly. It was a solid silver cord that connected to his chest. His body vibrated and he felt light. Glancing down at his forearms and hands, he saw his whole body had turned translucent.

And then he traveled. His body was ripped along the cord, traveling faster than light as he raced through every location he had previously been to – except for the Vault. That part of the tether did a simple, quick, u-turn.

He was going too fast to notice anything specific, and within a few seconds he stood in corporeal form on a large, metal platform. A huge sphere with a single aperture on the front stood in front of him, and the silvery line shifted to the subtle white-grey once more. He saw the line retract.

It is getting rid of the slack, Ollie stated. Has to stay slack while you're traveling, but next time you won't get the tour of where you've been already. It will just get you back to your departure point. The Wayfinder pulled out of Jace's head and Jace felt the wicked headache.

Dark Matter Mending (Rank 1), he thought as he headache vanished.

Ollie clapped his paws, "And we are back!" He swam in circles around Jace, leaving behind sparkling trails of nebula clouds. "I can finally stretch a bit."

Jace chuckled and looked around to take in where he was. A glass-lined aperture looked out upon Oblivion, with a small hole in it for the tether to go through. He could see the metal container around Oblivion. "She finished it?" he asked.

"I helped!" Shhiv shouted as she practically tackled Jace from the side. His helmet receded as he willed it, and she gave him her approximation of a kiss. "You're back!"

Jace grinned and lifted her up in a little spin before setting her down. It was then that he noticed the gold and silver swirls, "You got Cosmic Infusion?" he asked.

She pulled up her status screen with a grin, "I'm Tier 10 Ascendant!"

Jace felt himself filled with emotion. A gratefulness to whoever gave her all the Stardust. Sincerity, as he knew that Shhiv was doing this for them, to let them stay together forever, without needing her to jump between bodies like what Xera had set up to cheat death. He hugged her tight, and was surprised at her strength as she returned the gesture.

She pulled back and frowned, pinching her small nose-slits closed, "Bleh. You need the hygiene station."

Jace frowned, "I don't smell that bad, do I?" he asked Ollie.

As he turned, he saw that Ollie was swimming in tight circles opposite another spectral river otter. Ollie seemingly hadn't heard him. Jace looked back to Shhiv, who rapidly explained in hushed tones, "Josie is my Wayfinder! They're together forever, now, also."

Jace felt incredible happiness for Ollie in that moment. His companion who would be around for all of his immortal life would not be alone. He had an equal. Jace whispered back to Shhiv, "Let's get out of here then." He opened a Cosmic System interface and activated the subspace warp network that Xera had given him access to.

The two appeared in their apartment in Khrox. Jace quickly dismissed all of his items into the TPSB, and willed the armor to shrink down to the size of a wrist band. He quickly hopped into the hygiene station, and the second he split out Shhiv was all over him.

She grinned and those predatory black eyes fixed on his, "I can last a lot longer now," she growled as her voice became huskier and was laced with what Jace could only describe as an erotic overtone.

A whole day later the two were nestled in a blanket-pile on their couch, just enjoying the mere feeling of being together. Jace gently scratched Shhiv's back as she let out a near-constant, low-pitched purr like a cat. There was a knock at the door, and Jace groaned as he stood up and walked over, tapping the panel.

Priam and Dee were there, and Priam were all smiles. "You're back! How was the Astral Verge?"

Jace welcomed them in and Shhiv rolled off the couch to join them at the table. "Good," Jace replied. "I got a lot of Essence – I actually have four levels worth of Essence to use right now." He glanced to Shhiv, "But she's got the ability to use Essence now, so I was thinking of giving her enough for a level to expand on her Talents."

Shhiv ran a hand over his and rubbed his thumb with hers, "He's so thoughtful," she said with sincerity.

Dee made a light scoffing noise and put a bag on the table before taking a seat. "We brought you a welcome back gift," she stated bluntly.

Priam was already sitting, and he unwrapped the object within. It was a stone sphere with a flat base. "This is a memory matrix. Something that you can touch, have store a visual memory, and then it will slowly replay them!" he slid it over to Jace.

Jace grabbed it and pictured the first time he met Shhiv in the restaurant. The exterior of the sphere shifted and showed her as he had seen her on their first date. In the diner stall.

Shhiv gasped and grabbed it, "I looked so fat in that picture!"

Jace looked at her with slight amusement, "You were ripped even then."

"Ripped? Is that bad?" Shhiv asked.

Jace admonished himself mentally, "Earth term. You were muscular back then and looked quite flattering."

Shhiv blushed a little bit and focused on the orb. Jace saw himself as he looked at their first date – scraggly black hair, horribly crooked teeth that were mostly yellowed, his old, natural eyes, and slightly tan skin.

"Wow, you looked a lot different," Priam commented. "Truly a homeless bum!"

Dee cackled at the comment, "You other species and your admiration of physical characteristics."

Jace looked over at the Plorp. Makes sense, he thought, that her species doesn't put much stock in physical appearance when they are just blobs of some type of…plasma? I have no clue. He looked over at Shhiv who was still intent on the orb. A small frown forming on her face. "What's wrong?" he asked as he put a hand along her back.

She looked at him, then back at the orb, then back to him before glancing at Priam and Dee. "Can you both…leave? Sorry…"

Priam got up and nodded, "Right. Enjoy your downtime!" He left with Dee in tow.

Jace immediately turned once the door shut behind their visitors, "What's wrong?" he repeated.

Shhiv was crying just a little bit, a few scant tears falling from her eyes. "I…I…" she grabbed him tightly and clung to his shirt, ripping it a bit from her sheer grip strength. "We never talked…about why I…why I chose you."

Jace picked her up and carried her to the couch, setting her down before cuddling next to her and wrapping them in blankets. "I'm here. Talk to me," he whispered.

"I saw a chance and I took it," Shhiv said through sniffles. "An Aspirant down on his luck, someone that I could convince to like me just by being helpful. I lured you in and made you mine because I was afraid." She gripped him tight, "Afraid of my family. Of being hunted. That's why I chose you." She shook her head, "You're not the only Aspirant I helped out and was flirting with – the rest died though."

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Jace did not feel anything except for love for this woman despite the revelation that she had been playing the field and he had just happened to be the lone survivor. He rubbed her shoulder reassuringly, "It's okay. You ended up stay-"

"It's not just that," she said through the sobs. "I manipulated you. I knew Xera was manipulating you but couldn't tell you because we signed a pact. It…ended a few days ago." She buried her head in his chest, "I used you to keep myself safe."

Jace brushed her hair, "But you still chose me. You chose to marry me for fuck's sake. And that was after your whole family was wiped out by Troxanir's bombing campaign. That means you chose me even when you didn't need to have me around anymore." He lowered his voice to a gentle whisper as her sobs lessened, "I don't care that you manipulated me in the past. I love you as you are now…and we all make mistakes…you still chose to be with me, even after I killed hundreds of thousands in a rage."

She gripped him tightly, "I'm sorry-"

"And I forgive you," Jace whispered back, holding her tightly. "I forgive you for everything."

Shhiv fell asleep in his arms, and Jace accessed the Astral System on his own. First, he transferred one thousand of his Essence to Shhiv. Then he chose to level up three times – Specializing a Talent each time – and pulled up his status screen.

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Name: Jace Seren (Potency 1)

Emotion [Class Level]: Valiant [Crusader 8]

Talent [Specialization]: Astral Adaptation, Astral Translation, Valiant Crusader's Might [Burning][Vengeful], Crusader's Bastion [Retaliating], Hero's Arena [Aura], Indomitable Will [Zealous],

Essence: 0

Infusions: x2 Uncommon (Gear), Rare (Specialization)

Gear: <TPSB>, (Convergent Edge) Hero's Blade, (Medium / Snowguard / Burnguard / Repairing \\ Beacon) Reaper Armor, (Thrice Judged / Soul Tether) Anathema Arms, (Overclocked / Lightfoot) Anathema Legs, (Terrifying / Sealing) All-Seeing Dragon's Eyes, (Anathema) Primal Hide, (Flexible) Adamantine Skeleton, (Reactive) NICIF

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TPSB: survival meals (x20), enhanced canteen, (Restful) Wildercloth tent, Devilsram wool bedroll, Blood-Infused Holy Water (x3), Pheromone Container, Architect Ship Engine Core, Souls (x60)

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[Burning] – The user's offensive capabilities leave a lingering flame of Psykinetic energy that continues to harm those struck.

[Retaliating] – When blocking a Psykinetic Talent, the user retaliates with a spike of Psykinetic energy.

[Zealous] – The user's depth of emotion can affect others around them, instilling them with a deeper connection to their emotion source.

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Right, he thought, I need more survival meals, need to turn in that Architect Ship Core to Xera, and hold onto the rest. He carried Shhiv over to the bed, set her down, and then went down the elevator to check in with Quinn. Reaching her door, he knocked and waited a few moments.

She opened it and he almost let out a laugh. She was dressed in very comfortable looking pajamas – a onesie, in fact – that looked like a unicorn with the hood pulled up. "Hey Jace, welcome back."

"You look comfy," Jace said through barely restrained mirth.

Quinn nodded, "I am in my happy place. What's up?"

"How does the Stardust reserve look?" he asked.

She waved him in and pointed behind her chair at her battle station. Jace stood just behind her chair as she sat and began accessing screens and System interfaces that Jace understood immediately. She was being the equivalent of a day trader with Stardust stocks. Especially with the rise of a more cohesive Cosmic System and a very peaceful existence. "Looks like your investment portfolio is pretty high. Sitting at eighty-thousand Stardust."

"Impressive," Jace said. "I want you to start putting it toward another task."

"That being?"

"I want to have enough saved up for Chroma to instantly achieve Tier 10 once she becomes an adult and can choose Aspirant."

Quinn smirked, "Of course. Should've expected that." She turned back to the console, "I'll work on it. Anything else?"

"Shhiv said something about a surprise-"

"Ah-ah-ah!" Quinn admonished. "No telling, that would ruin the surprise."

Jace sighed, "Fine. It's good to see you're doing well."

"Mhmm."

He left the apartment and decided to visit Greg and Missy's. They were gone. "Hey, Ollie?"

Ollie popped into existence next to Jace, "Hey! Can you believe that Josie is going to be around forever?! Her and I, the best otter power couple!" he swam in tight little spirals leaving behind a glimmering blue and pink vortex of starlight.

"Where's Greg and Missy?" he asked.

"Oh." Ollie floated down in front of Jace, bobbing up and down. "They are working on purifying that death world that you killed that huge turtle-thing on. One of Xera's projects."

"Well, they're safe, right?"

"Oh yes. They have access to the subspace warp relay just like every Dark Between Stars Signer. They can warp out in a pinch with almost no energy loss. Perfectly safe."

Jace felt relief, "Well then that means I can send them a message. Can you ask what this surprise is abou-"

"Nope!" Ollie replied with a chuckle. "You are the only one who does not know."

Jace felt irritated and turned back to the elevator, entering and punching the button for his floor. "I fucking hate surprises," Jace muttered.

"You will like this one," Ollie assured him.

Jace received a notification that someone was at the entrance to their apartment complex. He opened a System screen in his vision and he felt a roiling rage in his gut as his mother, Felicity Seren, stood at the vestibule. He opened up the communication line to the door panel, "What do you want?"

Her voice was filled with regret, "I…Jace, can we talk?"

Jace thought for a moment then activated the subspace warp network, transporting right next to her with Ollie in tow. "I'm here," he stated.

She jumped and spun, "Oh…" her face was torn between regret and sorrow. "My baby…my J-"

She made to reach out to him but Jace grabbed her hand – firmly, but not hard enough to harm her – and kept her at arm's reach. "Why are you here?"

"I…I brought you something." She pulled her hand back and he let it go. She dug around inside a bag hanging from her shoulder and produced a small parcel wrapped in brown paper. Old, crinkly, brown paper. "It was your father's…can we talk? Sit down and…just talk?" she sounded full of hope.

Jace glanced at Ollie, "This wasn't the surprise, was it?"

"Nope," Ollie said as he frowned, bobbing in place and crossing his paws as he looked at Felicity. "In fact, I believe this lady was not supposed to contact you, ever, without Xera's explicit permission."

Felicity was about to say something but Jace cut her off, "I give you five minutes." He opened the door to the front entry and let his mother in. Pointing to a couch, he took a seat opposite her.

She was sitting upright, rigid, on-edge, obviously nervous. "I…I wanted to see if…how have you been? I see you've got a ring on your finger – did you get married?"

Jace nodded curtly, "Yes. I'm married."

Felicity's face was bittersweet melancholy, "That is…wonderful. Oh, I wish I could have been to your wedding."

Ollie popped out of existence as Jace replied, "It was a nice ceremony. The honeymoon was better."

Felicity shifted her blouse slightly and kept fiddling with her small, red purse. "It is good to see that you are well and healthy. Your wife, is she human?"

"No," Jace replied.

"Ah. Nothing wrong with that!" she added hastily. "I trust you're treating her right?"

Jace crossed his arms and leaned back into the couch cushions, "I treat her right. She treats me right. We love each other and will be together forever."

There was a look of pain that flashed across Felicity's face. A sort of envy that flared in her expression. "I wish your father and I had that," she whispered.

"I met him, you know. He didn't die during the corpo wars."

Felicity froze up, her body going rigid, "What?" she whispered.

"He's the one who mentored me on the streets. Badly burned, but alive. I didn't realize it until years after he died, but he was raising me."

Felicity began to tear up and reached into her purse, pulling out a kerchief and wiping her eyes. "That…I…" she stood up, "Excuse me. Thank you for letting me in to talk. I need time."

Jace stood up and walked to the door, opening it for her. "It will take a long, long time for me to trust you again…but I do appreciate you are trying to make amends."

Felicity numbly nodded as she walked down the street. Jace closed the door, and Ollie appeared with a pop. "Well, that was awkward."

Jace turned the package over in his hands before ripping the brown paper off and destroying it with Void. Inside was a solid, flat, metal pane, on top of a cloth wrap. The back read, "To my son." Flipping it over, he saw that the metal had been imprinted with a message. From his father.

Jace,

I know you are young, but one day you will be able to read this. Right now you're two, and I'm heading off to a gig. A job that will set us up nicely. To get you into a good school.

I just want you to know that your daddy loves you, and that I will do whatever I can to get back to you and your mommy. You and she are the world to me. But I have to go away for a while.

When I get back, I'm going to take you to one of those water parks. I know how much you like playing around in the tub. Well, a water park is like a giant tub with big tubes and slides you can go down. Water all over the place.

I love you, Jace. And I'll get back to you. I promise.

Your daddy,

Arthur

Jace gripped the metal plate and felt himself struggling to breathe as emotions choked him up. He could feel a small tear running down his face and wiped it away. Arthur, he thought finally able to put a name to a face. He filed through every single memory he had of his mentor, augmented by The Cosmic System within him, and pulled up twelve different memories of when his mentor was referred to by that name. It was him, he thought.

Jace sank onto the couch and felt Ollie's paw on his shoulder. "That is…I do not know what to say," Ollie said.

Jace cracked a rueful smile, "I knew the man. Just not by name. I knew my dad." Jace gripped the plate and accidentally bent it. He quickly set it down so he would not damage it. The cloth wrap that the metal pane was sitting on top of was a large kerchief that was a deep blue in color, with a faded corpo-logo for General Logistics.

Jace set that aside and examined the last item that the kerchief was wrapped with. A cred deck. Digital currency storage. As he held it, the System within him interfaced and showed a readout with the creds available.

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[25,000.]

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Jace felt anger and remorse. Anger that his mother didn't open the fucking package, which had enough money that it could have kept them in an apartment without her joining the megacorp. Remorse that he realized, and it finally struck home, that his mother was not lying or trying to manipulate him. She had been telling the truth, and the fact she held onto this package for Jace all these years showed how much she cared about him and respected what was meant to be his.

Jace gathered the few items up and used some energy to warp up to his apartment. He set the cred stick on the kitchen table, along with the kerchief, but the metal plate he affixed to the wall just above the building's interface. "I'll get you back," Jace whispered as he traced a finger along the indented metal words.

He went to the bedroom and got up next to the still-sleeping Shhiv, holding her tight and close.