Chapter 131 - Duplicity

Blake shifted impatiently in his office chair as he waited for the council meeting to begin. He knew the upcoming conference was important, they all were, but it was hard for him to think about anything other than his training. Especially when he had finally made some progress. 

I need to do a LOT more testing.

The trip from Snowflake to Pinetop normally took him a little over twenty minutes, not nearly enough time to refill his energy reservoir. But, that was fine by him. Just before he reached the Dome, he used the full twenty-eight percent he had accumulated and performed another test.

Blake teleported one hundred and forty-four feet along state route two-sixty without losing his vision, and without losing his footing. 

That test used almost four times less energy than the two before, and triggered far milder symptoms. His vision only slightly blurred, he felt only a mild headache, and instead of a horrific burning sensation, his body felt like he had just worked out.

I wonder if I’ll always feel this way manually manipulating abilities, or if I’m doing something wrong.

Blake was interrupted from his thoughts as his mother, Donna, strode into the conference room, notebook in hand. He returned her smile and the hug that followed, without rising to his feet. 

“I’m so glad you’re being safe with your scenarios now,” she remarked. “Your father and I were so worried that you’d go away to another world, and we’d never see you again. I think you’re doing the right thing, only fighting against the easy monsters.”

Blake chuckled awkwardly and scratched the back of his head.

If only you knew. 

A few days before, over supper, he had explained to his mother why he completed two lower level scenarios per day instead of a single higher level one. His intention was not to downplay the danger he faced, as it was still quite high, but to list the benefits to his mastery. Yet, somehow she interpreted his statement to mean he was in almost no danger at all, something he found ridiculous. He fought monsters above his level entirely by himself. Even with his massive advantages, there was nothing safe about it.

Blake never had the heart to correct her.

“What’s so funny?” Sir Kasey Mescal, Pinetop’s head of security, asked.

Blake swiveled his chair towards the new arrival and watched as the native slowly lowered himself into his own seat across the table. A few others had already arrived, including most of the remote participants. 

“Nothing really,” he remarked. “Just thinking about how easy things are compared to the last time I went through this.”

“Well, it’s good to see you in a good mood for once,” the knight replied. “You always seemed so…” Kasey paused as he carefully considered his next word. 

“Annoyed,” Jennifer Taylor inserted herself into the conversation from her guest quarters in Phoenix. “The word you were looking for is annoyed.” 

Kasey chuckled. “Well, if the shoe fits.”

They continued their banter for the next few minutes until the last council member finally arrived.

“Gentlemen, ladies,” Corwin Taylor, their head of intelligence, nodded as he closed the door behind him. “I apologize for being late, but I received some last minute intel that I felt couldn’t wait.”

“That’s fine,” Blake waved the excuse away. “Have a seat, so we can hear the news from your daughter.” Blake scooted forward in his seat. “So Jennifer, how did negotiations go with the Cardinals?”

 All heads turned to Jennifer as she sat with her legs folded beneath her on her small twin bed. Bobby, her ex-cameraman turned bodyguard, silently stood in the background next to the closed door to her room. 

“I met with Lady Hellen Adams, the Cardinals’ faction leader, briefly yesterday, and then at greater length this morning. Today’s meeting was with her board, what she calls her own council. Evidently, before Invasion Day, she had some high up position in the company that owned the NFL team. Hence, the name of their faction. The owner died on day one to a looter, and she took charge of everyone else nearby.”

“How big of a faction are we talking about?” Blake interrupted.

“Well, it’s hard to say,” Jennifer hedged. “The entire faction is holed up in an old highrise hotel downtown, so it’s hard to get an accurate count.”

Corwin cleared his throat. “My sources claim they have close to two thousand people inside the building. However, they are still a level two faction and can only officially hold five hundred.”

Blake whistled. “Two thousand people in a single building?”

Jennifer nodded. “Yes, it’s very cramped. They are sleeping six people per room for the most part. Although, as VIPs, Bobby and I got our own room just for ourselves.”

“That can’t be good for morale,” Jessica Nguyen, Payson’s Chancellor, replied.

“It’s not,” Jennifer agreed. “But, they say it’s only temporary. Once their faction hall reaches level three, its protection will extend to the top floor, and they can start using the whole building, not just the bottom half.”

“Did they mention how soon that will occur?” Corwin asked.

Jennifer shook her head. “No, the discussion was focused around trade and mutual defense.” She ignored her father’s disapproving frown and continued her report. “Initially, she pushed for a mutual defense treaty in an effort to stave off the Sonoran Empire’s expansion. However, I quickly rejected that notion and explained to her your policy of only protecting your subfactions.”

Blake nodded. “How did she take it?”

Jennifer smiled sardonically. “Not well. Despite me repeatedly informing her it was non-negotiable, she spent almost thirty minutes in an impassioned plea to try and convince me otherwise. Eventually, she accepted that I wouldn’t budge and asked for more details on becoming a subfaction.”

“And, what did she think of that?” Blake pressed.

Jennifer frowned. “After a recess where they could talk privately among themselves, she agreed.”

“Of course she did!” Indigo Wasabi replied. “Who wouldn’t want to join up with Blake?” He grinned wildly as he sat behind his desk in Prescott. “Soon, all factions will join us!”

Blake snorted. “I doubt that.”

“I have doubts about her sincerity as well,” Jennifer replied, pointedly.

“Nonsense,” Indigo argued, “Even if she did have doubts, once she sees how great it is to be part of Blake’s faction, those doubts willl go right away.”

Jennifer ignored the subfaction leader and continued, “When I explained to her your concern about initiating a conflict with Rajesh to force your involvement, she was adamant that would never happen.”

Indigo snorted. “Of course not. Who would willingly start a war when peace is an option?”

Is this guy a moron?

Blake was beginning to regret putting the man in charge of the Black Diamonds. To date, he had nothing relevant to add and only seemed to care about brown nosing.

Why did Corwin recommend him?

He glanced over to his head of intelligence. The older man’s face was blank, as usual, but he could tell by his eyes that Corwin was furious.

Okay, maybe he’s regretting it as well. I should have a talk with him after the meeting about it.

Dismissing his concern for later, he opened his interface and messaged Jennifer privately.

Lord Blake Summers, Scion of Humanity, Ambassador to the Architect: So, I assume from your obvious emphasis she wasn’t sincere?

Jennifer momentarily glanced his way before her eyes glazed over. Indigo continued to express his love and support for the Terran Alliance, while Jennifer composed her response.

Jennifer Taylor: Not even remotely. She was so smug, thinking she could start a war, have you fight each other, and then leave the faction in the middle of it.

Lord Blake Summers, Scion of Humanity, Ambassador to the Architect: Seriously? She didn’t consider that I’d immediately come after her once I put Rajesh down?

Jennifer Taylor: She felt it was extremely unlikely. Either you’d be heavily weakened, in no condition to attack, or that you’d just let her leave without a fight. She thinks you’re weak for not conquering everyone else when you have the power to do so.

Lord Blake Summers, Scion of Humanity, Ambassador to the Architect: I think you may need to publicize the details of the Black Diamond conflict. It might change her mind about that.

Jennifer Taylor: I did that over a week ago. She probably didn’t pay attention to it. May I remind you that you look like a high schooler, not a veteran soldier. Looks matter, and your apparent age gave her the impression you were out of your depth.

Blake grumbled internally. That impression would eventually fade as they interacted with him more and learned of his exploits. However, in the short-term, it was extremely annoying. 

He closed his interface and interrupted Indigo’s grandstanding. “Thank you for your input Indigo, but I’d like to get back on track.” Blake turned to Jennifer. “Inform Lady Adams that we are rescinding our subfaction offer.”

When Indigo opened his mouth to object, Blake raised his palm. “My decision is not open for discussion. Trade, however, is. What goods do you think they’d be interested in, Jennifer?”

She smirked at his handling of Indigo. “They were extremely interested in our alchemy, especially that scent wash.” Her nose scrunched. “The plumbing doesn’t work anymore, and buckets of urine and feces smell awful. Honestly, I can’t wait to leave and go home.”

The trade discussion continued for a while before they moved on to other topics. Blake’s mind began to wander back to his experimentation with ability modification, when Corwin brought up their expedition to Flagstaff.

“My agents have been in contact with the two faction leaders located in Flagstaff. Both have secured scenario portals within their territories, and are unwilling to share access to the resource. Unfortunately, the next closest discovered portal is in Sedona near their regional airport.”

What is it with portals and airports? Did the Architect place them there purposefully, or was it just happenstance?

“The Sedona portal is unsecured, and no known factions currently claim it. I suggest we place our next expansion town next to it and use it as a staging ground.”

“Staging for what?” Blake asked.

“For a large force to take over the Flagstaff factions,” he stated as if it were obvious.

Blake shook his head. “I told you, we won’t make the first move”

Corwin took a deep breath through his nose. “I believe you are making a mistake. One of the factions is still loyal to President Warner, and the other is led by a local biker gang. Are these the neighbors you want?”

Blake smiled. “Trust me, they won’t be a problem.”

Corwin frowned.

“I do, however, agree with you about moving a force into the region.” Blake continued. “I want the Sedona chancellor to focus on building bunkhouses the moment their faction hall reaches level two. Once they can house a couple hundred people in a few weeks, I want to form an expedition force and house it there.”

“You expect them to attack?” Corwin asked.

Blake shook his head. “No, I expect them to beg us for help, and I want a force stationed nearby to provide it.”

“Why would they do that?” Donna asked, confused. “Corwin made it sound like they have everything under control.”

“I believe something big is going to happen in the next few weeks,” Blake replied, cryptically.

“Is this future knowledge?” Corwin pressed.

Blake nodded. “Something like that.”

In his past life, what they called a Raid Boss appeared in Flagstaff about a month or so after Invasion day. Within a week, it had wiped out every faction in Flagstaff and rampaged toward Phoenix before a shaky alliance finally defeated it.

Blake intended to single-handedly defeat it and earn yet another feat for his trouble. Of course, the Raid Boss would not appear alone. It had an army of monsters at its command that would need to be dealt with. That was something he could not do while he simultaneously battled the behemoth.

His expeditionary force would handle the weaker monsters while he focused on the greater threat. He also wanted quite a few combat classers to remain, people he could trust. Blake intended Jennifer to accompany him for the negotiations to ensure they were sincere in their desire to join him. If they weren’t, he intended to make an example of them after they defected, and place his own people in charge. It would also help if she publicized the fight against the behemoth, along with the leaders’ commitments to place their factions under his care.

That way, if I need to take them out, I look like someone punishing a traitor, not a power hungry dictator.

“Care to share the details with us?” Indigo replied.

He shook his head. “Not until I’m certain it’ll still happen. A lot of things have changed since I talked to the Architect. I don’t want to jinx it.”

Corwin cleared his throat. “I believe that is wise.”

Odd. I thought he’d want to know every detail.

Once the particulars of the expedition were fleshed out, they moved on to other topics, where his mind once again began to wander.

Will Dampen Sound affect an even larger area if I feed it more aether?

He was tempted to test out his new theory immediately. Fortunately, good sense overcame his desire to test out his new toy. It would be difficult to explain why he suddenly face-planted into the desk in the middle of the meeting.

Note to self, make sure I’m alone when I test that one out.

When the meeting finally ended, Blake asked Corwin to remain behind. Once the room was emptied, and the remote attendees had closed their holo-chat, Blake rounded on his intelligence advisor, “So, what’s up with Indigo?”