3.5

Lena

The sun had set and risen again in East Karth while the Studio crew recovered from Sha'vord's actions. A part of Lena's mind that was always assessing and analyzing things noted that there was a noticeable delay between the sun's path over East Karth versus over Malta.

The people of Lotrot marked the day and the night into quarters, also called sky marks. As best as the Studio crew could determine, the sky marks, based on the position of the sun and the moon overhead, were close to the same length of time. They estimated each sky mark lasted three and a third hours. (Another interesting tidbit: the Lotrot citizens marked the change of calendar days by the setting of the sun.)

With that in mind, Lena had used a metronome set to match Jason's resting heart beat (as the most physically fit of the corporeal crew members) to divide up the smaller time portions. On Earth, Jason remembered his resting heart rate was around 60 beats per minute. That coincided well enough with the method of estimating seconds by counting "one thousand one, one thousand two, …" that she was able to create a moderately accurate clock.

One of the projects that Aaron and Candy had worked on with the computer golems got them a self calibrating time system based on the light coming through the Lotrot entrance. The sun peeked into the East Karth entrance roughly one sky mark before it graced the Lotrot entrance, and another sky mark after that, a group of Sun elves, cat kin, hemat wolves, and nagas gathered around the East Karth entrance. Among them were Sha'lanadi and the gray tabby cat kin.

Lena sent her toon to that entrance, choosing to appear in a mandarin tunic and flowing trousers, her hair pulled into a loose braid. She did not speak, merely let her toon's gaze sweep over the crowd.

Sha'lanadi stepped forward and bowed. He appeared to be unarmed, and Lena thought that was probably diplomatic of him. She really hated the sight of the staff that had ended Hessa's life. The mage bowed from the waist toward Lena and said, "Design Lead of the Studio of Capricious Dreams, the Lord of Westhill did a great harm to you by attacking your servant. His life was rightly claimed by another of your servants. What further reparations are necessary to appease your wrath that we may proceed with the calming of the core-less dungeons?"

A few of the Sun elves tensed at that blunt question, and two of the cat kin actually face palmed.

Lena let the silence draw out for a moment, more to see how the other people behind Sha'lanadi would react than anything else.

The naga curled up their snake bottoms and crouched, just a touch, just enough that with the tension in their humanoid shoulders and jaws that Lena was sure they were preparing to leap out of the way of something nasty.

The cat kin didn't take any steps, yet still somehow moved back, distancing themselves from Sha'lanadi and the Sun elves.

The Sun elves glared at Sha'lanadi while hooking their thumbs together, left hand covering the right, with both palms facing their hearts.

Using the chamber behind her to amplify her words, Lena said, "Under the laws of the Studio of Capricious Dreams, a being may only be held responsible for their own actions or inactions. Under our laws, you had neither the duty nor the opportunity to endanger your lives in defense of Roberto Garcias, nor did the actions occur within our jurisdiction. If your own laws require differently, that is upon your shoulders to uphold or ignore."

She swept her toon's gaze over the assembled individuals. The naga and cat kin relaxed a touch, not much, but enough that they did not seem ready to run at a moment's notice. The Sun elves maintained a stoic expression.

Looking back at Sha'lanadi, Lena used her force shield to extend a tiny computer golem shaped like a coin, 40 mm in diameter and 7 mm thick. "As for dealing with the dungeons whose cores have been stolen, I am no longer willing to risk anyone under my protection. Take this token into the dungeon of Priesley's Folly, and I will use it as a beacon with which to deliver the new core."

Sha'lanadi bowed once more before taking hold of the coin. He started to speak, but Lena turned the back of her toon toward him and made the barrier covering the dungeon entrance into an opaque, light-drowning darkness.

Jason probably would have handled that nicer, but Lena did not want nice. At this point, whether they wanted her intervention with the dungeons or not, she was going to step in. Just because the nobles were sour sugar sticks did not mean that everyone around them needed to be purged with monster waves.

If they helped, so be it. If they didn't, well, it wasn't like she planned to hand control over the dungeons to them anyway.

*~*~*

Rob

An elf's body felt distinctly different from a human body. As an elf, Rob felt more balanced and flexible. His hearing wasn't better, but broader might be a good way to describe it. He could hear more of the insect song of the entrance level, but it was no louder than before. He had lost some of his ability to see blues, but the reds were more vivid and more nuanced. Another difference he discovered was that his peripheral vision extended farther back than he could laterally pivot his shoulder joint behind himself. While he lost some acuity up close, his distance vision had gotten much better.

He could still read. In fact, his minor astigmatism was gone, which made it easier to decipher the letters. He just found it more comfortable to read with the full extension of his arms between himself and the text rather than at elbow's length.

When he concentrated, the change in his height and the length of his limbs felt wrong, but when he stopped thinking about where he was putting his body, things flowed more naturally. He felt like he was going through puberty all over again, only without the hormone surges.

He also could not sleep. He did get very mellow and his body felt heavy the way it had when, in his human body, he woke to a wonderful weekend of lazing around the house. He just didn't nod off. And he was full of energy after only a few hours.

The weirdest thing of all was how much he wanted to move. Rob hadn't been a sedentary person before, but he also wasn't a fitness junky the way Jason was. Boredom drove Rob into the training room, where he ran a warm up lap around the 400 meter running track, stretched, and then ran ten more laps.

At the end of the run, Rob had worked up a delicate layer of sweat and his breath steamed. By the time he finished walking a cool down lap, his breathing was back to normal and the worst of his restlessness had eased up. However, moving still felt better than stillness so he picked up one of the practice spears and got to work on relearning the little bit of spear work he had picked up in the last month.

Lena's avatar popped in only moments after he got into the groove of training.

"Looks like you got the whole package of elven changes," she said, pulling a pedestal and a plate of cheeses, flat-bread crackers, and fruits from her [Storage], along with a bottle of watered down fruit juice. "These'll be ready when the hunger hits you."

"What do you mean?" Rob asked, planting the butt of the spear and leaning on it.

"They were all restless at night. As soon as there was daylight, they calmed down, but none of them slept. In fact, the closest to sleep they came to was some kind of deep meditation, and after that they were bouncing off the walls. Sha'lanadi wasn't as bad as Sha'dakai and Sha'vord, but that might have been because his restlessness translated into these fancy exercises with his mana. I copied a few of the simpler things he did and my [Mana Manipulation] skill advanced to [Mana Formations] and unlocked a [Design of Cultivation]."

"Wait, really?" Rob asked, his eyes brightening. "Can you show me?"

"I'm not sure, but I can try." So saying, she let her avatar fade away as she focused on creating a holographic projection of the exercises.

Rob studied the movements until he was sure he had them right, and when he sat down to try them, Lena superimposed the projection over him.

Several hours later, his breath steaming like a wet sauna and sweat finally doing more than misting on his skin, Rob's [Direct Mana] skill had advanced to [Mana Manipulation] level 24, but the [Design of Cultivation] had yet to unlock.

Jason, yawning, walked into the training room and started on a warm up lap. After the warm up, he stretched, then ran two more laps. From there he went to the free weights.

Aaron pushed Candy into the training room about the time Jason began doing crunches.

"I need to fix the plasma rifle," she complained.

"After you take care of your body. Peak body, peak mind, right? Besides, you haven't lapped me yet and that was our bet. Hey, guys!"

Jason sat up. "What's this about a plasma rifle?"

Candy blushed. "I got a lot pissed yesterday and ended up stress testing it to the breaking point."

"Let me rephrase that: what plasma rifle?" Jason asked.

Rob's concentration broke and the air sparked around him. A lance of pain pierced the middle of his forehead and made him nauseous. "Fuck!" he said.

Aaron crossed the distance between them in the time between Rob curling up in reaction and then straightening up, only a few breaths later. "You okay? What happened? What do you need?"

"Ease up, little man, I'm fine," Rob said, brushing his brother's hands off his shoulders. "I was trying to get the Cultivation design and my concentration slipped, that's all."

Jason and Candy had followed Aaron. Jason asked, "You sure you're good?"

"Yep. So what's this about a plasma rifle?" Rob asked as much to satisfy his own curiosity as to turn the conversation away from his health.

Candy gave Rob an intense visual inspection before the frown eased up on her face. "You've all seen it. It's- It was the rifle I brought with me to back you guys up with the Sun elves."

Rob blinked. "That was a rifle? And it shot plasma?"

She scowled at him. "Well, duh! What about that did not scream 'plasma rifle'?"

Jason grinned. "The pretty stones, fancy engraving, and the complete lack of any resemblance to any kind of modern rifle. I mean, it could have been a very straight arquebus, but honestly I thought it was a fancy pipe."

Lena asked, "What made it a plasma rifle? You were shooting out fiery laser things."

Candy rubbed her forehead, looking defeated. "That's plasma."

"Oh-kay," Lena said.

Jason and Aaron joined Rob in nodding agreement, with Jason adding, "The kind we're talking about is star stuff, last discovered state of matter, and not the same as blood plasma or platelets or whatever."

"Okay," she said again, this time with more belief.

A few moments later, Aaron and Candy were on the track and Jason called Rob over to act as his spotter for bench presses.

*~*~*

Lena

«DING!»

Lena grinned. «Report MPP current versus MPP total,» she ordered.

The computer golem acting as her beacon reported, «48,759 current. 35,850 total.»

That was, according to their "Tapestry divinations" as Sha'lanadi had called it, about right for the age and expanse of the dungeon of Priesley's Folly. Lena preferred the skill name that Candy possessed, [Tapestry Synchronization], to the general category of divinations.

Lena shifted her attention to the Karth dungeon portal room and pulled up the shape of a new archway right next to the entrance portal. She focused on connecting her portal to the oldest part of the zone that the golem occupied.

*** *** ***

Requesting authorization from Zone Arbiter …

No arbiter identified. Redirecting to controlling Zone Core …

No Zone Core identified.

Establishing portal.

Portal location links similar Zone types. Creation cost and maintenance as listed.

Portal established.

Warning! High mana concentrations venting into the [Studio of Capricious Dreams] from new portal!

*** *** ***

The Zone Core broadcast over the G.C., «ALERT! Severe influx of mana occurring! Emergency building protocols engaged! Currently affecting [Physics Lab]! Next level to be affected: [Aaron's Room]. Remove guests from [Aaron's Room] level as soon as possible!»

«Evacuating the harpies!» Ouliel responded in a broadcast.

«Mana influx upgraded to Extreme!» the Zone Core warned. «New levels and level cores being created. Portals for the new levels are linking to the Entrance Hall level.»

The mana rushing into her dungeon nearly overwhelmed Lena into a frenzy of creation. She held the image of Jason's grief-worn face firmly before her mind's eye, a shield against the soul searing pain of inaction in the face of that tsunami of mana, waiting for the last notice she needed.

*** *** ***

Zone [Dungeon of Priesley's Folly] is without guidance. Will you assume control of this zone? Y/N

*** *** ***

«Yes.»

*** *** ***

The Zone [Dungeon of Priesley's Folly] is a simple zone. It will be added to the [Studio of Capricious Dreams] as a new level.

*** *** ***

*** *** ***

Congratulations! By assimilating an existing zone, the [Studio of Capricious Dreams] has advanced from a "Level" dungeon to a "Master" dungeon!

Zone MPP +150%, Zone MPR +50%.

You have unlocked spawn points within your dungeons.

*** *** ***

*Now* Lena could give into the creative fury.

*~*~*

*** *** ***

Zone Designation: Studio of Capricious Dreams

Zone Arbiter Title: Design Lead

Zone Nature: Master

MPP: 89,158 / 105,412

MPR: 16,530

MPC: 16,549

*** *** ***

With a sense of gratitude and accomplishment, Lena reviewed the updated [Zone Management] screen.

In the way of levels, they now had the [Hall of Portals] (formerly the Entrance Hall), which led to the [Lotrot Training Floor], [Hall of Crafting], [Forest of Plenty], [Sea of Grains], [Aviary], [Prison], [Priesley's Folly] and the [Commons]. The [Commons] led to the private floors for each of the crew members (including a new one for Ouliel and Wisp, who did not want to be separated). The new and expanded levels translated to a change in total area within the Studio from 2 square km to 27 square km.

Lena had been forced to spawn research cores by topic and sub topic several levels down to handle the influx of new patterns from the acquisition of [Priesley's Folly]. As they formed, the random spawning of monsters within [Priesley's Folly] decreased. She wasn't sure, but Lena thought that without being controlled by a research core the patterns were fighting to become. It was almost as if they had a tangible will to exist.

With all the creatures roaming [Priesley's Folly], Lena had to repeat the trick of creating contract cores by species to handle the sheer numbers. Left unbound, they were hostile to everyone. She hadn't had to face the ethical question of forcing a contract on an Aware sapient, but she now held the contracts for two tribes of goblins, a herd of unicorns, nine sirens together leading a flock of harpies, a school of naiads and their riverbank turtle companions, as well as a pack of hemat wolves. The monsters ranged from pixie dragons (a mere 4 cm in length) to rock trolls that resembled nothing so much as a stony hill.

Checking her time golem, Lena discovered that the process of assimilating [Priesley's Folly] had taken eight days.

«Jason?» she asked, reaching through the G.C. when she didn't find him in the Studio. «What's happened with Lotrot and the town of the Folly?»

She got the sense of his acknowledgment, but no answer. Candy and Aaron had been helping her as much as their flesh and blood bodies would allow and were currently sleeping. Rob, too, had left the Studio, and Ouliel was helping the new mon-saps get settled.

«Jason? Rob?» she asked again.

Rob responded. «You're aware again! Great! Lotrot's on the brink of civil war and Jason's doing his best to talk us out of taking sides.»

«What!?»

*~*~*

Kargerran

"Ever wish we could just go back in time and do things differently?" Stylard asked, his claws tapping against his thighs.

"No," Kargerran said. Feeling that might be a bit harsh, he added, "If times past were alterable, you can bet your tail we wouldn't be here, and a lot of Rhofhir with us. Ruing the past doesn't help us through the present. Besides, if it wasn't the Dreamers, it'd be the next Shift or the next toll increase or freight tax. The grief between the Artisans and the Merchants has been brewing since Zarabelkami beat Torhammer for Guild Master."

The sound of a gavel repeatedly meeting its base came muffled through the thick, closed doors of the Lotrot General Assembly, followed by a lull in the roaring of the Assemblymen.

Stylard glanced at the doors and Kargerran followed his gaze. They were plain wood, solid and thick. Grey scaled Guardsmen flanked either side and stared forward with seemingly impassive facades.

"Why are we here again?" Stylard asked.

"To share our insight into the capabilities of the Dreamers," Kargerran answered, nearly quoting Commander Faulkin word for word.

"Okay, and why am *I* here again?"

Kargerran shook his head. "Medic, breathe."

The reminder of his military rank calmed the younger soldier, or at least made him stop fussing in public.

The doors opened, revealing one of the pages serving in the council room. "The General Assembly is ready to hear your report," he said.

Kargerran gave a polite salute and led the way into the manticore's den. He really hated politics.

This wasn't the first time Kargerran had been in the council room, nor his first time reporting in front of the General Assembly. The City Council, representing the major factions within Lotrot, may have the final say on the way the city ran, but the General Assembly, representing the populations and less prominent factions, was not to be dismissed.

Even if they were about as effective in enacting changes in the city as an over cooked noodle used to restrain a dire cat.

Part of the reason for the grid lock came from the number of Assemblymen present. Lotrot had a total population of roughly sixty thousand, of which half were arassi, a quarter were beast kin, another six thousand gnomes, perhaps as much as a thousand elves, and the rest a melange of races. Even the gidataurs had a representative on the Assembly. Stepping into the room after the Assembly had been in session for an hour already was like stepping into a heat wave.

They followed the page to the witness podium in the center of the semi circular amphitheater. The City Council sat at the focal point behind a stately table while the Assembly occupied row upon row of dainty, individual desks, each row slightly more elevated than the one before it. As it were, there were some Assemblymen standing in the aisles.

After the formalities of introductions, Commander Faulkin moved quickly to establish her reasons for selecting Kargerran and Stylard for this particular session of information gleaning. "Sergeant, you and your Medic have been on escort duty for Corporal Ignemrot, the military liaison to the Studio of Capricious Dreams, is that correct?"

"Yes, Commander." Kargerran knew to keep his answers concise.

"You are also the leader of the patrol that first discovered the new dungeon." Though the Commander stated that, she gave Kargerran a pointed look.

"Yes, Commander," he said.

"You served in the Delver Talons at the start of your career. How many dungeon delves have you participated in?"

"Without records before me, I estimate near thirty delves."

"I checked the records and the number is thirty-four delves. Of those thirty-four, you led the last sixteen delves you participated in. Further, you held the top ranking for delver claws during that time, as you have done as a Patroller since transferring between Talons. In fact, you earned the Kar portion of your name for the distinction of your service." Another pointed glance.

Kargerran simply said, "Yes, Commander."

"Describe for the Assembly the events you and Medic Stylard witnessed eight days prior."