Interlude I

???, ???, ???

World: ???, Designation: ???, Pocket Dimension

Cereus, Id: Administrator 002

Within a dark blackness, a figure crouched over a glowing pool of energy. Images flicker past and low clinging fog pours from the surface of the pool.

It taps floating boxes, pushing buttons and writing out complex languages and commands. Then it stops.

The figure peers into the pool intently, watching the many images flick past. It’s glowing amber eyes watch as a young boy starts to drain a gray, gnarled looking root.

Cereus laughs angrily and in astonishment. “The gall of him! I like him!” He says.

He, looks to the side, where a figure in pure white lounges on a ragged, glossy rock jutting from the ground. “What do you think of him, Vey?”

“He shows some promise, he has tenacity. But he’s weak and has been riding heavily on luck.”

“I think he might just make it.” Cereus says, looking back at the pool.

Vey snorts, glancing at the pool, “Maybe, but it is unlikely,” She mutters.

Both figures glance at the other side of the pool at the same time. The mist pouring out of the pool congeals, stacking on top of itself and forming a vaguely human shape.

It has no face and all details are obscured. The mist figure points at the pool. A garbled voice comes out, “Subject Ex.840K at this rate is going to get himself killed. When do you think he will be ready, if he survives?”

Cereus stands up and shrugs, the sword on his back jangling softly, “Truthfully, I don't know. I just know he has a long path ahead of him before he will be able to aid us, but I think within the allotted time he will be strong enough.”

The mist man nods, wisps flowing off him. “Why did you choose this boy? He has the lowest statistics to survive within this batch; even lower are the ones of Transcending his world.”

Cereus shrugs, “It’s because he reminded me of myself before, well, everything.”

Vey laughs, “It’s because we had an extra slot and needed to fill it, so Lost just chose someone he liked.”

Cereus nods, “There is that too.”

The figure points at the pool, “How is his Bond?”

Cereus shakes his head, the hood concealing his face swishing slightly. “We directed him to Entity Ex.232B like planned, and 232 gave him the Bond. Except it chose old bandages and a skull for the catalyst. The result is that the Bond grafted itself to Ex.840K’s flesh.” His voice is filled with bafflement. He continues, “It also appears he stole some of Energy 12990 before it was finished constructing the Source for him to use. Sol and I tried to stop him, but the connection was weak and Sol 840 was unable to ban him before he drained a portion of the Power Cell and damaged the complex mother array. It has drastically set the building of his Source back. If anything, I think he might have screwed himself over with that stunt.”

The mist man nods. “Did he attain any of the energy?”

Cereus nods grimly, “Yes, but it is a good sign that he hasn’t dropped dead yet. I think he is planning to use 12990 to supplement his Pure Katra, so I’m not sure if we should even bother to build him a Source for Energy 21278.”

The Mist man hums, buffering a minute. “Build it anyway, just in case he is unable to use the energy and survives. But keep the source blank in case he does figure out a way of using the energy. How are the other K subjects doing?”

Vey answers, “They are chugging along nicely, though they haven't done anything as interesting as 840. There are only so many times you can watch a dragon tearing apart a city or two Overlords brawling before it gets boring. I mean, come on! They are so melodramatic, one spent half a fight talking! Who does that? I don’t have much hope in batch K.”

Cereus nods, “That's really about it. We prepared the files and they should be sent to you within the hour or so. But you really don't know how long it will take when sending papers inter-dimensionally.”

The mist figure lets out a gurgly groan but nods. “Transcend the known universes and there is still paperwork! That will be all, thank you.”

“See you later, boss!” Cereus waves as the figure slowly melts back into the mist.

He lets out a breath and turns back to the floating screens, tapping buttons and changing the images shown in the pool.