He's Only Mostly Dead

Posted on Sat Jun 8, 2019 @ 1:29pm by Civilian Jason Haines & Captain Maritza Soran
Edited on on Sat Jun 8, 2019 @ 4:36pm

1,164 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Doors of Perception
Location: 'Jail'
Timeline: MD 8, 2200 hrs

[ON]

Jason woke up with a start to, “Hey, Sheriff” and the sound of metal clanging on metal. He was leaning back in a chair with his feet up on a table. He quickly took them down and looked about.

“Where the hell am I?” he asked himself out-loud.

“Looks like a jail to me”, replied a voice.

He jumped and turned around as he was not expecting a reply.

Standing there was an old man wearing the dirty garb of a prospector of earth’s gold rush era, who was in the lone cell with a tin cup in his hand.

After taking a few breaths Jason then asked, “Uhm, who are you?”

“My name is Fratalix”, the old man said, opening the door to the cell and stepping out. “but call me George. I saw the theme you were going with and thought I would play along. This old west stuff is kind of neat, from a historical point of view. Although I do like armor and swords better. Still, I can be anyone you want me to be.”

The man shifted through the forms of Alanna, Avis, River, Mayhew, Annora, Yolanthe, Commander Soran, Raymond Raddon. All people who he had interacted with on a regular basis lately. All who stirred different emotions, thoughts, and feelings.

“Nah, George the prospector works fine”, Jason replied, shaking his head at the thought of speaking with Raddon for however long this would take and he didn't want to see the take he might put on any of the others. “So, what’s going on?”

“You’re dead”, George said as he shifted back into the old man’s form.

“Dead?” Jason asked in a bit of amazement.

“Well, mostly dead”, George said. “You’re dead out there to your friends. That’s what you get for playing hero like your dad. Your dad was much better at it though. He didn’t die the first time he tried it.”

“How do you know my dad?” Jason asked.

“Long story kid, but not important right now”, George said. “Even though you aren’t quite ready to believe it, I need to tell you a few things and then you can decide if you want to stay dead or if you want to wake up in the morning.”

“That’s a no brainer”, Jason replied.

“Don’t be so sure of yourself, there are worse things than death”, George said.

“Like what?”, Jason said.

“Being stuck in a jail house with some snot-nosed kid who won't shut up long enough for me to tell him some important things”, George replied.

“Right”, Jason said skeptically.

“Everything starts with your mom”, George started, grabbing the old newspaper that was on the table Jason had been sleeping at. On the front page was a picture that looked exactly like his mom.

Jason’s focus darted between the paper and George when he brought the paper forth

“Your mom isn’t fully human”, he continued. “She’s a wechselkind, a Daughter of Shea."

“A what?” Jason asked.

“It is the child of a mortal and a fae”, George said. “they seem like regular people. Now everyone has this idea of fae being all mystical and crap. Most of its bunk. We just know how to manipulate our environment better than most mortals. That said, some have real power what mortals might call magic. Wechselkind usually don’t, but on a rare occasion it passes on to them. Normally they can’t do nothing serious with the power and many don’t even know it’s there. Your mom is one with real power.”

“You talk like she’s alive”, Jason said. “She’s dead, I was with her when she died.”

“Nah, only a fragment of her died that day”, George continued, turning the page of the newspaper where there was a picture of a man in a dark suit. “See, your other ‘dad’ or we’ll call him step-dad is a really bad dude from the ranks of higher powered fae. His name is Brellis. He knew she had power and wanted it for himself so he could try and take over things. He claimed her, for lack of better words, and took her off to his mansion. He had your mom locked away, but somehow, even though she had no real training in her power, she broke herself into what we call shards. You call them clones. Shards exist by drawing power from the person they are made from. She then sent the shards away, taking the power out of the hands of Brellis. So, as long as she stays separated from the shards, Brellis will never get his hand on the power.”

Jason looked at George warily, “You’ll pardon me if I think this story is a bit of bullshit.”

“Hey, didn’t I tell you that you weren’t ready for it”, George replied. “Still, I ain’t got no choice, we’re running out time. So, shut up and let me continue. So, one of the shards and your dad hook up and nine months later you come about. Now, that’s all fine and dandy, but somehow Brellis has found out about you.”

George turned the faded newspaper to the next page where there was a birth announcement and picture of Jason as an infant.

“So, what if he knows about me”, Jason said with a scowl on his face.

“You aren’t putting the pieces together kid”, George said. “You are your mother's kid, that makes you fae, and Brellis is going to use you to get to your mom somehow or vice-versa. We still aren’t sure if you have any power because although technically you have fae blood, it is so weak it might as well be water. That doesn’t mean much because powers have manifested in times of extreme stress and the such. One way or the other though, Brellis is coming for you and the longer you stay around Pangaea, the more likely it is he will find you. When you wake up in your bed tomorrow, I recommend packing up and leaving for someplace far away. If he gets your mom’s power, it will make him stronger and who knows what he will do after that.”

Jason looked at him confused, “What do you mean when I wake up? Hey, if you are doing something to bring me back alive, send me back with my friends, so I can help them.”

"No, can do kiddo", George replied. "You don't belong there in that universe. You go back, you will die again, guaranteed and I don't have the power to get you back a second time or the patience to listen to your questions."

Before Jason could say anything else, George reached out and poked Jason on the forehead and Jason’s world went black.

[OFF]

---
Jason Haines
Chief Intelligence Officer
DS 5

George, 'Fae guide', NPC

 

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