Interlude - Trust

Jennifer was livid.

She had attempted to contact Blake Summers for days, but each time her messages were automatically rejected. After numerous failures, she went to his mother in hope that the issue could be resolved. Unfortunately, the chancellor informed Jennifer that if her son did not wish to talk to her, she would only intervene if it were a life or death situation. She was forced to admit it was not. Blake’s father gave a similar response, and she had no desire to approach his brother.

When Blake finally did reach out to her, it was with a message in the middle of the night while she slept. When she woke at dawn within her bunkhouse, over twelve hours ago, a message stated, ‘We need to talk’. 

There was no other information.

Jennifer, of course, was immediately fully awake and messaged him back to get more details. Unlike her previous attempts, the attempt was not automatically blocked. He received her message, but did not reply.

She rushed to get dressed without waking her roommate, applied makeup so she would be ready for an interview, and then messaged Bobby to get ready as well. 

At first, she assumed he was either not yet awake or busy. However, as the hours passed, and no response came, she grew more and more irritated. She sent another communication, which was also ignored. Eventually, she began to send him a new message every thirty minutes. 

For the next five hours, Blake completely ignored her. She impatiently answered her fan mail and reapplied her lipstick.

It was not until almost noon that he finally replied. 

All he wrote to her was, ‘Busy, I’ll contact you later’. If the message had been on a phone, she would have thrown it across the room. Instead, she slumped back on her bed in annoyance. She had wasted the entire morning, unable to get anything else done, because she expected an interview at any moment.

She even delayed her daily live stream. Her followers complained loudly in her inbox.

How inconsiderate can you be?!

Around noon, she asked what time the interview would happen, and was completely ignored once more. Jennifer then sent a few more messages, which he disregarded. Eventually, he sent her a terse response which warned her not to contact him again.

The nerve!

She spent the entire rest of the day angry. It was not until six that evening, two hours ago, that he finally contacted her as promised. Blake informed her that he wanted to talk to her in person, and was about to leave the new expansion town at Eager. He would be back at The Dome within a couple of hours. 

She did not bother replying.

Why the hell didn’t he just tell me that to begin with?! 

To placate her followers, she quickly recorded a teaser video and released it.

Jennifer waited at the front gate with her bodyguard, Bobby, as her irritation rose. She tried to smooth the scowl from her face as she paced, in hope Blake would finally answer her numerous questions. The young faction leader held too many secrets for her taste. His lack of transparency made her suspicious, despite his previous actions.

“Did he get lost?” she blurted to Bobby.

“His truck probably broke down,” he suggested. “Calm down, we owe him, so be nice.”

Her frown deepened.

While he may have ‘saved’ her from the jail, she and Bobby were only there in the first place because of him. They risked everything to bring him a helicopter, and he showed almost no gratitude. Blake had not even bothered to keep in contact with her.

“I seem to remember a certain helicopter ride.” she countered.

Bobby shrugged. “He doesn’t strike me as the type that likes to talk. Maybe he’s hiding from you.”

“Ya, he prefers to just kill people he meets on the road and then disappear.”

Despite being ghosted, the recent revelation that he killed six unarmed people did not turn her against him. After all, they most likely deserved it, and she was sure he had a good reason for his actions.

If he’d just tell me what it was. 

However, when he continued to ignore her and treat her poorly, she began to suspect he truly did have something to hide. Conversations with corrupt business tycoons had conditioned her to expect dishonesty, and she was tired of being deceived. She had found her own secret weapon. 

No more lies.

Thanks to Blake’s guide, she learned there was a way to discover falsehoods and pierce through the false front everyone projected. 

And she was certain Blake’s persona was a front.

Jennifer became a level one psi user and learned to read minds.

After her latest video about Blake, her subscriptions soared.  She had made hundreds of millions already, and the nano kept pouring in. Even with her lack of live coverage today, her small teaser video brought even more subscribers. 

Initially, she was not sure how to best utilize her newfound wealth. At first, she had considered paying President Warner for an interview. If he agreed, it would be a great boost to her already high popularity and would bring in even more nano. 

As investments go, it would bring a decent return.

I NEED to get those two in the room together. Pit them against each other. Imagine the likes. They both can’t hide their tempers if goaded.

Unfortunately, like Blake, the President did not respond directly to messages, and every aide she contacted gave her the run around.

Next, she considered the purchase of one of Blake’s retrofitted diesel trucks so she could visit other factions. The vehicle would give her the freedom of the open road and allow her to report from many different locations. It would of course be dangerous, and she would be required to pay numerous bodyguards to accompany her, but it sounded very appealing. 

Unfortunately, when she contacted Blake’s mother, the chancellor refused to sell, and there was no way she would ride a horse.

Jennifer had even considered a large donation to the faction. She thought the nano could be used to quickly train up soldiers who could be sent out to save others. 

However, after hours of poor treatment by Blake and his minions, Jennifer made up her mind. She decided to take matters into her own hands.

Jennifer purchased a basic class for one hundred million nano and chose psi as her energy source. After the connection to psionic energy completed, she selected Read Thoughts as her first spell. As the name suggested, once activated, the ability would allow her to read her target’s thoughts for a short time.

Blake’s guide stated that most spells grew stronger along with your Magic Power attribute. They also became more difficult to resist. With that in mind, she had spent one hundred and twenty million nano to increase her Magic Power attribute twelve times. 

An hour later, she tested it out on the first person she met, one of the Natives who acted as a guard.

It worked flawlessly.

For thirty seconds, she heard what the combatant really thought about Blake’s leadership, along with his thoughts on her chest. With access to his internal monologue, she was able to ferret out his frustration with Blake’s lack of clear direction and communication. The combatant wanted to know what Blake’s goals were for the faction, and that what he did mattered.

She filed the information away for later.

You may be a capable fighter, but you’re a horrible leader, Blake.

After Jennifer spent over two hundred million nano on herself, she then looked for her longtime cameraman, Bobby. She wanted to reward him for his loyalty, and intended to do so. However, as she searched, she could not help but feel uneasy. 

What if he did not actually care about her like she did him? What if he only used her as others had in her past? Were they truly friends?

Unable to tamp down on her doubts, she gave in. Once she located her friend, she used her new spell on him to discover the truth. 

Bobby was a true friend.

After his inner thoughts were revealed, Jennifer felt guilty for the breach of trust, and had confessed her transgression. He was, of course, upset that she used a spell on him without his consent, but eventually forgave her. 

She then gifted him two hundred million nano, the rest of her savings.

He attempted to return the large sum, but she refused. Finally, he suggested a business relationship. He would purchase a combat class and become her bodyguard, and she would pay him for the service. 

She absolutely loved the idea.

Now if only Blake would show up.

“There he is!” Bobby announced and pointed his finger down the road. “See, I bet his truck did break down.”

Jennifer strained her eyes and saw a distant figure rapidly grow larger as it ran along the street faster than most vehicles. She watched as he passed multiple horse pulled carts along with a plethora of people on their way to the outer wall still under construction.

If he can run that fast, does he even need a truck?

Before Jennifer knew it, Blake locked eyes with her and slowed to a stop before her. The first thing that she noticed was that he wore a new piece of armor across his chest. Strangely, he had ripped strips of leather strapped around his arms. 

Unlike the rest of his armor, the additions did not look as if they were crafted by an expert. The arm guards seemed makeshift, as if he had to make due with it as an alternative. She thought it was odd, as he did not seem to care about his appearance prior. It was, however, all recently cleaned.

At least that’s one improvement.

“Hello Jennifer, Bobby,” he nodded as he strode forward, not even remotely out of breath.

Is that all you’re going to say?

Jennifer scowled as Bobby returned the greeting with a grunt.

“What’s with the armbands?” she retorted as her curiosity momentarily overrode her irritation.

Blake shrugged as he walked toward the faction hall at a pace that was meant to distract. Jennifer and Bobby sprinted to catch up.

I’ve been trying to talk to you all day. Why haven’t you answered?” she demanded after she caught up.

Blake frowned. “I’ve been busy.”

“Busy?!” she replied, exasperated. “You ghosted me all day! It only takes two seconds to reply, and you couldn’t even give me that!”

The young faction leader narrowed his eyes and told her in a cold voice, “I spent the entire night fighting monsters and almost died. Please forgive me for expecting six hours of sleep afterward,” he sneered. 

You could’ve told me you’d sleep till noon!

“The second I woke up, I replied to the dozens of messages you left me. At the time, I had no clue how long it was going to take before the town was safe, but that wasn’t good enough for you, was it?” Blake asked rhetorically. “No, you had to keep distracting me while I was busy killing more monsters that almost overwhelmed the guards.”

Is that really true, or is he making this all up?

“Not much of a multitasker, I see.” she quipped.

He shook his head and continued to walk.

Jennifer had purchased her class and chose her spell for a situation exactly like this. Excited to finally get some answers, she activated Read Thoughts.  

Jennifer expected to reveal a stream of thoughts so she could ascertain whether he was telling them the truth. Instead, all she received was a headache and a strange look from Blake. The disinterested young faction head stopped and tilted his head in confusion momentarily before his eyes narrowed.

Why isn’t it working?

Suddenly, the young faction leader’s eyes widened. “What the hell?! You’re level one?” His eyes darted to Bobby for just a moment before he blurted, “You too? Where did you guys get the nano?”

“My fans,” she replied.

“Do your fans know you plan to go around and use spells on them without their permission?”

“Oh, so suddenly the Murderer of Payson is so high and mighty.” Jennifer said sardonically. She felt a twinge of guilt at his accusation, but shoved it down as fury instead rose. “Maybe if you actually told people what’s going on, I wouldn’t have to!”

“Are you serious?” his jaw dropped. “Do they have to have a name for everything? And stop complaining! I literally wrote a guide! I’ve told people everything they need to know to survive this invasion!”

Jennifer was about to shout back at him when Bobby placed a steady hand on her shoulder. “Maybe here isn’t the best place for this conversation,” he advised her.

She glanced around her and saw that all activity had paused while people gawked at the spectacle. Carts had halted in the middle of the road, and dozens of eyes focused on them.

Probably not. But why didn’t it work! Does he have some anti-mind spell?

With a sigh, she asked, “Is there someplace private we can talk?”

For a moment, she thought she saw a flash in his eyes. She was slightly concerned he would retaliate against her and nervously stepped back beside Bobby. However, she then remembered her stream. The threat of exposing any hostile action against her to the world would protect her and Bobby. She straightened.

Although, being recorded didn’t stop him from murdering those people.

Blake nodded. “Sure, let’s head to the faction hall, it’s where I was taking you.”

They walked in silence toward the large, three story structure in the center of town at a slower pace. After a few minutes, when people had returned to their own tasks, she asked, “Why didn’t it work?”

“Hmm?” Blake glanced at her in confusion.

“The spell,” she clarified. “It didn’t work.”

“Oh, that,” he sneered. “Probably because your Magic Power isn’t high enough.”

“But I upgraded it twelve times!” she complained.

Blake shook his head. “Still not high enough. Your Magic Power has to be higher than the other person’s Magic Resistance, or it just won’t work. What spell was it anyway?”

“You don’t know?”

The young faction leader stopped once more and stared at her. “Did you even read the guide? My Analyze isn’t high enough yet. I can see you put a lot of points in Magic Power and that you’re a level one psi user, but that’s it.”

“Then how did you know I used a spell on you?”

In a deadpan voice, he replied, “Experience.”

After a lengthy pause where she considered the information, she finally answered, “Read Thoughts.” 

Blake nodded and continued with their journey. “That makes sense. If all you care about is stealing secrets, it’s a good choice.”

Is he serious or being sarcastic?

Jennifer did not know the teenager well enough to interpret his tone. 

“I didn’t take it to steal secrets,” Jennifer argued as she trailed after him.

“I did it to expose lies.”

Blake snorted and shook his head. “Uh huh.”

Screw you!

He opened the large door to the faction hall, and they trailed after him.

Jennifer and Bobby followed behind the faction leader as he led them through the lobby and down a hallway toward the rear of the building. Blake stopped before a heavy, metal door, opened it, and revealed a dim stone staircase beyond. Without a glance behind him, he started down the steps.

“Hold up,” Bobby placed another hand on her shoulder. He turned to Blake. “Where are you taking us?”

Blake glanced back, annoyed. “To a private room so we can talk.”

“And, what’s wrong with all the empty rooms we passed?” he asked.

“They aren’t private,” Blake replied.

Bobby turned to Jennifer. “Stay here and let me check it out first.”

Blake rolled his eyes. “Oh, for Christ’s sake.”  He shook his head and sighed, loudly. “I’m not going to hurt either of you.” After that statement, he continued on down the stairs alone.

Oh, so you just want to take us down a dark, damp stairway to the basement because you like the mood lighting?

“Prove it,” she demanded, “Open up your mind so I can read your thoughts.”

“It doesn’t work that way,” he replied dryly as he turned to them at the bottom of the stairs. “I couldn’t lower my Magic Resistance that much, even if I wanted to.”

Just how high are your attributes?

“What if I bought more Magic Power?” she pressed.

“It still wouldn’t work,” he replied blandly. “Are you coming down?”

“Even if I raised it another twelve points?” she asked in disbelief.

He nodded.

“That’s thirty Magic Power!” she exclaimed. “Are you telling me your Magic Resistance is higher?”

Blake stared at her.

Jesus! That kid is a monster.

Bobby sighed and descended the stairs. When he reached the bottom, he froze in shock and asked, “What are jail cells doing down here? Why are you taking us to them? Are we under arrest?”

“No, you aren’t under arrest,” Blake replied impatiently. “And every level three faction hall has cells in the basement. How else do you think we’re supposed to hold criminals?”

“I’m not voluntarily walking into a cell,” Jennifer told him as she stood on the top step.

Blake shrugged. “Fine, then you aren’t getting answers. I’ll just kick you out of the faction, and you’re free to leave.”

You can’t do that!

“You’re threatening us?!” she clarified.

Blake finally looked annoyed. “Look. I don’t trust you. You released that hit piece on me and ruined my reputation. Now, people are going to die because they’re afraid to come with me to safety. That’s on you,” he pointed directly at her, up the stairs.

It’s not on me!

“I tried to contact you before I posted, but you didn’t respond!” she defended herself. “Besides, the video was already out there! I just responded to it. If you actually watched it, you’d know I warned people it was only one side of the story. That's a hell of a lot more than what others did.”

Blake crossed his arms over his chest and waited, silently.

“Why does it have to be in a jail cell?” Bobby asked in an attempt to de-escalate the situation.

Good question.

“Because it’s the only place where you can’t use magic or your interface. It’s a dead zone, otherwise you couldn’t keep combat users inside it.”

“Wait, you’re worried I’ll use my spell on you again?” she asked. “I thought you said it won’t work.”

“I don’t care about your spells,” Blake uncrossed his arms. “I don’t want you recording the conversation or broadcasting it live.”

What is he afraid of?

“I already told you I won’t,” she replied. “You have my word.”

Blake snorted and shook his head. “You want me to trust you when you already stabbed me in the back? Hell, the second I got here, you tried to read my mind without my consent. I’d say I have reason not to trust you.”

A knot formed within her stomach. “You can’t use magic in the cell either, right?”

Blake smiled. “I’m the faction leader. I’m unaffected.”

Bobby pointed to his left. “If we get in there, by your own admission, you can lock us up and no one will ever hear from us again. We won’t be able to tell anyone where we are or why.”

“Please,” he sneered. “If all I cared about was putting you in jail, I could teleport you both in there before you could even react.”

He has a point. He hasn’t forced us to do anything against our will. Yet.

When she did not respond, Blake huffed and said, “I’m not going to stand down here all day. What’s it going to be? Are we going to talk, or are you going to leave town?”

Can I really trust him not to harm me or Bobby?

Jennifer closed her eyes and took a deep breath. After she let it out, she descended the final stair.

Trust has to start somewhere.

She entered a long, dim hallway, lined with jail cells on each side. Only two seemed to be empty, while the others were filled with supplies.

At least he’s not stashing all his enemies down here.

 Blake escorted them into the cell on their left. After she entered the small six by eight room, he closed the door behind them.

The bars shut with a loud clang and Blake sat down on a cot, shoved against the wall.

“Have a seat,” he gestured to the other cots. “I’ll answer any questions you have now.”

Next Chapter