Together, we climbed into the spaceship, which was large enough to put any mansion I had seen to shame. Inside, the ship was fitted with luxurious walls of pure californium and a floor of solid morphine. In the lobby, there was an olympic-sized swimming pool filled with raw cocaine. If I had to guess, this ship was probably more valuable than most countries where I was from.

“So, umm... nice place you have here? But where are we going?” I was impressed by the ship, sure, but it still seemed like Olivia was hiding something.

“Well, first we need to get away from Tchadd’s soldiers. He’s got a huge share in the Military Agency.”

“Of course he does! While we’re at it, why don’t we just go contract the “Winning Agency” or something.”

“Oh, they don’t work with small timers like us; we’re just going down the street. I’ve got a hideout I can bring you to - there’s a pretty big community of Tchadd escapees - since I guess I owe you now for making that escape plan work.”

“Sweet. Also, why were you so well prepared for this stuff, like, did you know it would go down like that?”

“Well, I didn’t want to mention this while Tchadd was listening, but I had already taken a loan from the Luck Bank before this whole ordeal happened, in case I needed it for an emergency. There’s no way I could’ve outmaneuvered him under normal circumstances.”

“Yeah I was wondering if you just had an IQ in the thousands or something… so are we going to this ‘Tchadd Escapees Community’ then?”

“I don’t really want to lead Tchadd there, so we’re going to have to take a detour first.”

Olivia took control of the ship and brought us through a portal off the beaten path, which closed behind us. We reappeared in the parking lot of an upscaled cafe, the right size to make our ship’s parking space appear normal.

“A coffee shop? What for?” I didn’t understand why she’d stop for coffee while we were still under pursuit.

“I’m here to see a friend.”

A friend? Who could help us in a situation like this? We were up against an actual god!

After we walked through the doors, it was a bit surprising to see that there was only one person in the room, sitting in an oversized chair, drinking from an oversized coffee cup. “So, you’re Emma Longstone?”

“Maybe. Who’s asking?”

“They call me Paige Boiley. I’m the CEO of Pyirrfehct Insurance, a legion of Tchadd’s ex-employees, and the only major competitor to his company, Ghoudd Insurance. Among other things, I’m from earth, like you, Emma.”

“Wow, I’m sure that’d be really cool if I was Emma, which shall be left ambiguous.”

“There’s no need for covert tactics here, Emma. In this business, honesty is sacred above all else. Plus, I already know who you are. That was just a greeting.”

“Well, if the gig is up, then I’ll spill it. You are correct, I am Emma.”

“I know. Well, you’ve clearly been brought here for a reason. Olivia, is there some kind of emergency?”

Olivia spoke up. “Something like that. Tchadd tried to enslave me but I managed to escape with Emma’s help. He sent his army after us, and we don’t want to get captured again. I’m asking for help because you’re the only one who can provide it.”

“In that case, I’d be glad to offer my services!”