Misbegotten Memories

He returned to Stronghold Gamma in the morning, which due to the time difference caused him to arrive before dawn. That was something he would need to keep in mind for his commuting. Since he had nothing else to do, Hector climbed up to the top of the wall and stretched out his domain to take a sip of miasma.

The hateful twist of chaos bounced around his soul, trying to make contact with the walls as he opposed its existence on a fundamental level. Though he knew the quantities of miasma he could handle didn't convert into much cosmic energy, Hector felt there had to be a benefit to the conceptual battles. It was willpower training. Maybe. Or it could be that he was refining his understanding of his insight. There definitely was a reason this was training and not foolish risk-seeking.

He took two more sips of miasma before the light of dawn brought about shift change. The Titan closest to his position on the wall followed him down the ladder. "I heard you are a special asset now. You and Purification are burning miasma."

"That's somewhat accurate," he agreed.

"What does that get us?"

Hector turned to make eye contact with the Titan. He could tell the question was genuine. "I honestly don't know. Maybe nothing. We need to test it out."

The Titan's features remained still as stone. "I hate to put pressure on you like this, but we need a miracle. Multiple miracles, if you can manage it."

"I'll try my best." That was the best promise Hector could make and actually mean. From everything he'd experienced, Aes was on borrowed time. He would certainly try to help while he could, but it seemed like he wouldn't be able to move the needle much on this one. His best bet was to use the Stronghold environment to advance as much as possible before Aes was truly lost.

He found Purification at breakfast. She was so excited she was bouncing in her seat. "We have approval to walk outside the perimeter today. Just to warn you, we're going to have an audience."

"That's fine. I've never been prone to performance anxiety."

"Transit is going to be there."

Hector nodded. "Cool."

"Do you realize how big of a deal Transit is?"

"Sure. But I personally know Conflagration, Persuasion, and Foresight."

Purification's energetic bouncing stopped. "The new Foresight?"

"Yeah."

"Is what they say about her true?"

"What is it they say?"

The Sage of Purification stared at Hector with a desperate intensity. "That she's more powerful than the original. A lot of people are saying it. It sounds like propaganda to me. They say Persuasion is talking her up to improve public morale. There's even a theory that the new Foresight doesn't have the insight and her performance is just a show."

"I'm from the same world as Evelyn. I guarantee she has the insight. Whether it's stronger than Levinia's I couldn't tell you. I'm not a Sage."

"Technically, neither am I," Purification said.

Hector leaned forward. "Yet everyone treats you like one. Aren't you from Maya?"

"A new Sage is supposed to be recognized by a hundred peers of the College before their title is official. I never went through that process. Transit says I'm a Sage, though, so the Reconquest treats me as one. I think the College of Sages would agree, but at this point there's nothing for me to gain by seeking their recognition."

The two of them went to the command center after breakfast and waited on their full escort to assemble. It was all heavy hitters. The base commander, sergeant major, an elderly Arahant whose presence radiated a palpable sense of cutting, two level seven Titans who barely fit inside the expansive room, and a fully mechanical Jinn in human form. When Transit arrived, they departed for the gate.

The Sage studied Hector briefly before speaking to Leah. "You have expressed a lot of faith in this Xian, Purification."

"It might be rare around here, but sometimes good things happen, Transit."

The man who was the face of the Reconquest responded with only a wordless grunt. The noise didn't sound optimistic to Hector. A tense atmosphere descended upon the group. No one spoke as they advanced on the gate. Beside him, Leah flashed him an encouraging smile.

The Stronghold commander, Colonel Quinn, had them pause before they exited. "This exercise is over the moment we detect a threat. I'm not letting this many critical personnel to put themselves in danger, no matter how much firepower we have. I say so and we retreat behind the rune wall. No objections, no questions."

When no one pressed Colonel Quinn, the commander gestured for the procession to continue. The robotic Jinn went first, raising a complex tool as he emerged. "Miasma levels are at point five parts per million before experimentation."

Transit nodded to Leah. "Let's see this supposed miracle in action."

Hector didn't wait for a signal. He stretched out his domain and began the conversion of the ambient miasma. For a moment, it was as impossible as jumping into orbit. Then Leah threw the weight of her realm behind his effort.

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A flash of light made everyone flinch. Unlike when they were on the wall, it didn't fade away to nothing. The leading edge of their combined area of influence continued to glow at a lesser degree as fresh miasma diffused closer to their position. Hector stole a glance towards their witnesses. Transit's eyes had gone wide as he took in the specter around them. The Jinn was staring at the sensor in his hands.

Colonel Quinn whistled. "You have my full attention. Tim, what's the miasma reading?"

"It's below detectable levels," the fully mechanical Jinn said.

"There is none," Transit said as he turned in a slow circle. "What are the limits of this? Can your range extend further?"

"This is it. We're limited by the footprint of my domain," Hector said.

"So a twenty-five meter radius, more or less. Is it tiring?"

"Honestly, I don't feel like I'm doing much. I think Purification is doing most of the work."

"It's just resonance on my end," she said. "I could do this all day."

Transit faced Colonel Quinn. "We need more thorough testing."

"This wasn't supposed to take us more than one step outside the rune wall."

"You want to keep your Stronghold in the merger with Alpha, donn't you? That won't happen unless you close the gate that opened in your sector eleven. Given the rising miasma levels lately, these two are the only way you have to get a task force out there." Transit's lips twitched as if they wanted to smile but couldn't quite remember how that expression worked. "I see massive potential to recruit Xian with this. Does anyone know how this compares to levels on Tian?"

"It's slightly less," Hector said.

Transit nodded. "Interesting. I wonder what happens if we go…" the man pointed towards a dense patch of black mist on the horizon. "There."

Colonel Quinn raised a communication device to his face. "Get a mechanized team out here for an ad-hoc patrol. Make sure they have mounted capability. We're going on a short trip."

The group of eight Jinn who emerged from the Stronghold ten minutes later included Fred. Hector gave his friend a salute, which the rover returned with a subtle up-and-down of his antenna. He chose to believe that was a return salute and not some sort of weird sex joke. Which… hell, it was definitely a sex joke.

Purification surprised him by walked directly up to his friend. "You're looking much better than the last time I saw you. Have you had any more glitching of your cognition unit?"

"Nope, I'm all good after you purged the poison. The only defects I have now are my usual personality disorders."

She snapped her fingers and shook her head. "Damn. I thought I purified those."

"What you didn't realize was the disorders are my personality. Mwa-ha-ha!"

Leah had postured up like she was about to deliver an epic repartee when Colonel Quinn clapped his hands. She instantly assumed a demure stance, hands folded before her like she was a pious saint on her way to prayer. The Stronghold Commander's critical frown went unnoticed. "Everyone mount up. Remember we're on a mission beyond the rune wall."

Hector, Leah, and Transit climbed aboard Fred while the rest of their number chose a second rover. The two mechanized Jinn designated as troop carriers were surrounded by their peers and their trip towards the miasma patch began. "So your cognition unit was infected after our last mission?"

"Hanging out in an infirmary is the best way to pick up hot babes, Hector. I can't believe I have to explain this to you at your age."

He frowned down at the rover below him. "I'm just surprised you never mentioned it."

"I said pick up hot babes, not buff dudes. Anyway, you're the one holding out on me, mister big shot. How the hell are you involved in this ultra secret miasma mitigation project?"

"He's my loyal assistant," Leah said.

"My dear Sage, I would be ten times as loyal. Less likely to pick fights with Ogres, too."

Which led to Hector and Fred relating the tale of Misfit Squad. Leah enjoyed the story while the convoy sped forward. The lead Jinn released a drone which flew forward to enter the thick black mist. It emerged a minute later, barely functional.

Their progress slowed dramatically and then the mechanized Jinn came to a halt. Commander Quinn called for the passengers to dismount to advance on foot. "Sage Leah, Lieutenant Hector, please handle this blight."

"Lieutenant?" Hector didn't intend to make the exclamation out loud. The last time he'd heard anyone discuss his rank, he'd still been a mere 'recruit'.

"That's all the higher I'm willing to promote you unless you prove yourself."

The robot Jinn interrupted his superior. "Twenty parts per million in that patch. Be careful."

Hector raised a brow as he shared a glance with Leah. "If this doesn't work are you able to resist miasma with your realm?"

"It won't touch me. Are you able to handle it?"

He laughed. "I would consider it good aura training."

They began to walk forward, Hector's domain moving in the patterns to break the miasma apart into cosmic energy. The density of the hateful mist grew steadily as they descended into the shallow depression where it rested. Luminosity grew with every step. As did the release of cosmic energy. It required more effort than usual, but it seemed to be a linear increase. Meaning that the difficulty scaled in direct proportion to the density.

The miasma in the hollow stirred.

A familiar conceptual battle began as the black mist formed tenuous tendrils that shot towards them, accompanied by a chorus of anti-existence. Hector froze in place, his attention split between executing the dexterous transformations and exerting his will to reinforce reality. He'd never tried extending the conceptual fight beyond the confines of his soul and he was far weaker over a distance.

Despite his challenges, Leah's realm proved an unflinching ally.

Even as he squeezed his eyes shut to avoid blinding himself with the luminous side reaction, the miasmic mist fought back, raising itself instantly into a cyclone that spun forward with malicious intent. The pressure, both physical and conceptual, rose precipitously. At his side, Leah hissed in surprise. Every transformation became exponentially more difficult as the will of the miasmic particulates aligned, reinforcing each other through a fell resonance whose ultimate target was him. Accurate or not, he perceived the caustic substance's rage as directed at him specifically for daring to use his domain to fight back.

Leah seized his hand in a frantic search for support. "Fuck!"

The cyclone spun about them, eager to consume. They inhabited a shrinking bubble of light surrounded by a whirlpool of inky darkness. It was the inverse of Hector's previous battles. No longer was a small bit of miasma within him. Now he was the one encompassed by his foe.

The hateful substance squeezed their glowing globe ever smaller, burning with no concern for its own existence. The whirlwind spun fast as a drill, cutting through their protection moment by moment. Every bit of their enemy moved with a terrible conjoined purpose.

Hector, unable to accept that the tables had turned so decisively, continued to fight with everything he had. He struck out with his domain, growing increasingly more violent in his attempts to tear apart the tiny motes faster. With the mental noise of the conceptual layer drowning out everything else, he barely knew what he was doing. Other than the fact that he was not giving up.

Something caught in the grip of his domain and he shattered it with an angry wrench.

The sky turned white as fully half the miasma storm fluoresced.