Chapter 385

  I Believe In A Thing Called Love

  (Penelope)

  There are times in life that seem to be scripted. No, scripted is not the right word.

  In this world filled with magic, inventions, and mayhem, Penelope has begun to have a sense for the frayed edges of this world. Edges that just like decorative throw rugs can be lifted up and used to hide the discarded parts of the world.

  Oddly enough, it was by sticking around Cass that Penelope first began to feel not only the connection to this world, a beautifully Blighted planet. But recently she also felt a deeper connection to a greater power.

  The distractions were obvious, as she had to have given Cass at least two or three pilot suits, each one a minor improvement on the last. Each time, she and her Simulacrums graciously smiled and took the suits, putting them on immediately. It was clear from her actions that she would gladly wear anything Penelope gave her. An act that oddly made Penelope feel both fulfilled and lacking at the same time.

  Right now, the completely sealed space suit that Cass wore was her last model, one that had enough air to keep anyone alive for at least three hours without intervention. This was an improvement on her previous models that had only offered upwards of two and a half hours. The lesser models went to the Simulacrum, while the best went to Cass. Still, even with the change, it wasn’t good enough.

  Despite all of her bluster and antics, Cass was not meant to fight. The fact that the world, no not the world, by now Penelope felt she could almost understand the consciousness of Biprism, and it was clear that Biprism did not want these battles. Instead, these were all but forced upon their world.

  Yet, the force wasn’t seamless, just like throw rugs, they left gaps. There were slight edges where the boundaries of the world and what was being asked were laid bare. It was at these sections that Cass herself found her power.

  It was also at these points where Penelope now looked. Not with the same set of eyes, but with different once. While Cass fought for the lives and streaming rights of everyone on Biprism, Penelope used this time to see if she could cheat herself. Well not cheat, but rather look for the way the new patches try to divert your eyes away from the underlying world, Penelope has begun to feel that the creases, the folds where dirt and grime manifest are the areas that are most worth looking into. What is it that Cass said the one day? “Loose change always settles in the cracks. Wait long enough to search and you can find things greater than money if you wait long enough to check.”

  Waiting from the sidelines, Penelope felt her mind checking those very cracks, and just like Cass noted there was something marvelous there. The only problem was, it was like searching with just your fingers as eyes, letting their physical touch be enough to let you know what grabbed onto. In this case, Penelope could only reach out with her magical senses. Senses that had been enhanced and pushed to their limits and beyond thanks to Cass’s great teachings. Now she could feel not only the gap between the world and these breaks in reality, but she could also feel something deeper. A greater connection to the world at large. A connection that seemed to be awakening something within her.

  Just by reaching out and touching these different areas she thought she could feel many of the different energy types that Cass had described over the past year. Each touch let her feel the deep drop like quality of Qi, a power that was both in the world and inside her. Penelope had no care for Qi, while it was interesting to find, it meant little to her currently.

  While she waited and watched, she found her mind wondering to a new form of energy, almost dense like Qi but it was more vapory, and seemed to have a mind of its own. In a way this odd energy reminded her of Cass, for it would build up when you weren’t watching it directly, then seem to disperse once you turned your full attention on it, almost as if you caught it doing something it knew was wrong. Odder still was the fact that Penelope could notice the most while she was around Cass.

  At first, Penelope thought that the odd energy was a new way that Cass found to mess with her, but it was clear from observations that Cass was completely clueless to this form of energy. Which was odd, as Cass seemed to know and feel every kind of energy, but not this one. Then again, the energy seemed to be just like Cass, sneaking up on you when you least expect it then surrounding you completely.

  For a time Penelope tried to create detection devices that could help identify times when this energy built up, but the only problem was, when she was in the lab and focused was when the power seemed to be at its weakest. It was only once she was near other people and in particular Cass that she saw the energy increase. Which was why she now spent most of her down time working on this detector, a detector that didn’t work unless she changed the shape and contour of the device.

  What used to require her to use fierce tools was now simple manipulations in her hands, a bonus from all of her graduate programs she completed. The school being out in the middle of the hardest zones to live in was a stroke of genius. Despite life at World’s End being relatively easy, the quest completions are insane out there. The best part was that Cass likely didn’t even know she was assigning quests the entire time in class. Actually, she wasn’t the ones she assigned were glaring and apparent, quests for mid-terms, quests for final exams, but there were hidden quests related to just understanding the basic principles that Cass was trying to teach. Concepts like understanding that there were different energy types and then how to go about analyzing them, which led to her most recent creation, one that was right now going off wildly.

  Pulsing.

  In her pocket the tool that she had spent so long developing to detect this new form of energy began shaking and vibrating wildly. This time the model seemed to be going haywire due to it detecting multiple energy sources. For a second, her mind blanked on why so many sources were present and seeming to feed into this unknown energy source. A source of energy that had been baffling her for a while.

  Only now, being this close to so many other people all gathered around Susan Whittle, all in attempt to read her newest teen drama, did Penelope begin to understand the true form of this swell in energy. Penelope now found herself at ground zero for where the energy began to culminate, and finally after having analyzed the energy that even Cass couldn’t seem to fully comprehend, Penelope understood the power and felt that it could be described in just two words. Words that she felt would scatter the gathering energy if she but uttered them to the wind. An energy so fragile that sometimes by merely stating its name, you could cause it to vanish completely. An energy so pure that she could swear that it was a living breathing form, just waiting to be spoken into existence.

  The more she looked, the more she realized that everything happening around her was a deep ritual, designed to culminate as much of this odd energy. A ritual that required multiple people to activate. Actually, multiple people are not required for this form of energy to be crated. Rather the number of people present seem to amplify the creation process, allowing more of this unique energy to be created.

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Chills, Penelope felt shivers of wonder race down her spine as she felt she was witnessing something amazing. She was witnessing the creation of energy, not only was her device going wild letting her know that a surge of this alien energy was being created, but now it was almost like she could see it. No seeing is not the right word, maybe feel would be better? Again, like using your fingers to find odd objects in the couch cushions it was there and her mind could almost tell the difference between this and other types of energy. Reaching into her pocket, she felt the instinct crafted device in her hand. A device that got her a skill by the same name.

  That was the Skill she got, when she finally managed to meld and form metal to capture and amplify the energy she was attempting to understand and track. The device was relatively simple, once Penelope worked away the rough edges and extra parts. In the end all that was required was an upside down curly ‘w’ that resting on top of a wide-bottomed ‘v’ shape. Reaching into her pocket, she flipped the top around, separating the upside down ‘w’ from the ‘v’ causing the angrily pulsing object to go dormant in her pocket.

  Still, it was here and Penelope could feel the energy, and it is an amazing experience. With this energy’s creation, she realizes that she can finally begin to understand how Cass feels. This experience right here, right now, is something that even Cass herself hasn’t been able to grasp, but she can. In her mind she can feel her senses evolving and expanding to take in this new form of energy.

  In a way, this process helps Penelope feel a deeper connection to Cass. A connection that goes beyond the mortal real and seems to hit on a deeper spiritual connection. A state of nirvana that can only be shared by people who have experienced similar world changing events. In this case, it is finding, identifying, and even going so far as to cultivate a new form of energy.

  Yet, Penelope isn’t alone, as the world itself seems to be guiding her to help unlock this power. Again, all the comments that Cass has made over the past year come back to Penelope. All the times when Cass swore that she felt the world was guiding her, directing her to discover something greater. That was how Penelope felt right now as she could feel the final parts of the ritual playing out around her.

  The first act is performed by Cass.

  “It’s a lie, as I could never love Rahul,” Cass replies, as she speaks, Penelope tingles knowing for a fact that every word that pixie says is the truth. Better still, every word she utters only increases the surge of power that Penelope feels. A surge of power that starts at her stomach and grips her diaphragm, holding her lungs hostage as she feels that even breathing is a challenge right now.

  “Really? That’s not what—” Susan Whittle, the author of GrimDark, and the wildly contentious but oddly riveting GlitterBright series, replies. A series that feels both like sacrilege to Penelope as it clearly shows Cass love falling in love with someone else. But the fact that it is causing such a reaction from the pixie to take her time right now and to set things straight, it only adds fuel to the fire. The fire of this growing energy that is waiting to erupt forth, particularly as Cass continues.

  “It’s a lie and I can prove it.” The pixie declares, and as she speaks, Penelope feels an even greater surge in my chest as she realizes that it is almost here. The sensation in her chest feels like a flower bud ready to sprout and show itself to the world. Forced to stand and watch as this odd power culminates and beads together like fresh morning, there is no real moment when the dew appears. You can watch it for hours, but it is only once you turn you attention away and look back that the beads are there, just like this ephemeral energy has been for so long. Only now, Penelope can see it pooling together, its density so thick that even glancing at it doesn’t cause it to scatter away. Instead, it just stays and waits. What it is waiting for, she doesn’t quite know, a moment? A gesture? It is there just waiting, and more importantly Penelope can feel herself becoming close to the catalyst that can unleash this power.

  “How?” Susan pushes, though the look of surprise in her eyes makes Penelope wonder if she can feel this growing power too. If she can somehow sense the odd culmination of energy that is building up and manifesting around them. Then the pixie does the ultimate move, she declares right then and there, before the Gods and everyone her true feelings.

  “For my heart already belongs to—” she begins, but then pauses as she turns and pivots to face Penelope. Realization striking the pixie full on, as her expressive face seems to finally reveal her true thoughts. The expression on her face is priceless, as she looks just like a perfect porcelain doll caught in the moment of wonder. Even though she doesn’t need to turn to look at Penelope, she does, turning not just her, but her giant mechanoid suit she is in, all in order to face Penelope. Once there, their eyes meet and that power growing between them surges and intensifies.

  Surges of energy run down Penelope’s spine as she realizes this is it, if this were a combat move then they would have reached the maximum threshold, where she would be able to unleash her finishing move. A move so powerful that it would unleash the growing surge of energy all around them and direct it to one distinct point. Yet, she is stuck.

  Badump, badump, badump.

  Penelope’s heart beats faster, which only strengthens the hold of the energy sprouting from her chest and moving through her body. Physically she is a prisoner of her own body, as every muscle and fiber in her being is being held tight, as her body in a vice grip that forces her to stand still and bear witness to the event unfolding before her eyes.

  Seeing the moment, Penelope could only stare at Cass’s eyes. Eyes that everyone knows are dead, but still show so much life and energy that it was hard to think of them as anything other than living. Especially the way she knew how to point them directly at you, as if you were the only person in the world. As if you were the only person that mattered.

  Penelope had seen her acting skills on full display, but by now Penelope felt she could tell the difference between her normal stares and the glances shared solely for her. Right now, she could feel her actual gaze. Penelope could see their connection, their bond, growing with intensity. Better still the surge of energy that was binding them together seemed to ebb and surge forth right then and there, reinforcing this notion that the way Cass stared at her was different. That their bond was unique.

  Staring forward, she paused as she waited for Cass to say the truth.

  “I, I lo—love. . .”

  It was there, the power, the sudden surge, the culmination. Everything was there, just waiting for Cass to state her last word, to invoke and release the barely contained power between them. A release that would allow this constraining energy to surge forth and be made part of the world. That or maybe it had always been part of the world, and it was only now that Penelope was able to sense it, only now could she feel its powerful embrace.

  As she watched, a prisoner of her own body, Penelope felt that this must have been how Dr. Watson felt when he solved a case instead of the great Sherlock Holmes. Yes, that was a Stephen King short story, but it counted as it seemed to accurately summarize the surge of emotions that were rising in Penelope right now. A surge brought on by the fact that Penelope both knew of a new form of energy that she herself could almost reach out and control if she just focused her mind a bit more.

  “I love—” Cass repeated, something she almost never does. As she speaks, Penelope feels a slight relaxing of the power gripping her tightly and preventing her from saying or doing anything. While her chest is still being held tight in a vice like grip, preventing her from speaking, she feels the rest of the energy leaving her body ever so slightly. That is why she manages to take one small but powerful step forward. Her right foot feeling like it is coated in cement rises, only to crash violently into the ground. Simultaneously she manages to nod her head slightly. A nod where she somehow manages to keep eye contact with Cass throughout. Her entire gesture positive, as if trying to lure out a scared cat from the woods to accept a warm saucer of milk. There is a pause, a slight moment where it almost seems that things will happen.

  Then just before anything can happen, the system cuts in at the worst possible time and delivers an immediate message. Almost as if the entire server would crash if it didn’t perform this action immediately.

  The entire world began to warp and twist, as the counter and abrupt system message came from nowhere. It was not time; this was not fair. This was not how things were supposed to go!

  Suddenly the surge of energy that had been building within her began to loosen as if it too realized that it would miss its moment if it didn’t act now. Without even thinking about her actions, or their long-term ramifications, Penelope found herself acting.

  Using the foreign energy that had been swelling up inside her, she acted, using her Willpower and emotions to guide her just as she saw Cass do hundreds of times. Each time she did, she managed to work a miracle into existence. This time, it was no different. The only difference was that this time, Penelope would be able to prove to Cass that even if she wasn’t her equal, she would be able to do the impossible herself.

  The timer hit one, and using every ounce of foreign energy she had available to her, she shouted out with defiance.

  “WAIT!”

  And the world waited.