Ch 163
Frustration coursed through Matt as he sat by the crackling fire three days after his return to Earth, a world that felt utterly foreign and unrecognizable. In all that time, he had encountered nothing worth his attention, gaining no valuable experience to guide him. Worst of all, he hadn’t stumbled upon any clues leading to the elusive dungeon rumored to exist somewhere on the planet. The silver lining was that he and Bob hadn’t crossed paths with any other people, allowing them to enjoy a moment of solitude while he tended to the flames and Bob lounged lazily next to a weathered log, his fur catching the flickering light.
“At least one of us is enjoying themselves,” Matt remarked, shaking his head in mild disbelief. “The least the system could do is point us in the right direction.”
“You know, if you actually used Scattered Stars, we could cover much more ground,” Bob retorted telepathically, his voice laced with a hint of impatience. “Now, unless something you can’t handle comes along, I’m going to get some sleep.”
With that, the bobcat—now the size of a panther—curled up comfortably, leaving Matt alone with his swirling thoughts. He knew that despite his silence, Scattered Stars hadn’t been idle; thousands of new members had joined while he was away. Yet, he hadn’t reached out to anyone since his return, and he was certain they all assumed he had contacted someone else, biding his time until things settled before making a broadcast. This strategy might work for a little while longer, but he understood that it wouldn’t hold indefinitely, and he couldn’t shake the unease about what the long-term consequences of his inaction might be.
Thoughts like these nagged at him, and he despised the fact that a part of him felt tethered to the well-being of others, even in solitude. This was something he had meticulously avoided before his integration, and now it seemed he had unwittingly forfeited that freedom. After wrestling with his indecision, he finally resolved to act. He opened his organization leader menu and scheduled a broadcast twelve hours into the future. This decision would allow him to get it over with and stop fretting about it for at least a month, though uncertainty gnawed at him about whether that timeframe was even accurate anymore. With the drastic changes to Earth, Matt questioned if the very length of a day had been altered. He couldn’t tell if the time he had selected for the broadcast was based on old Earth time, some new Earth time, or even galactic standard time.
Regardless of these uncertainties, Matt discovered that simply scheduling the broadcast lifted a weight from his chest as he sat beside the crackling fire, watching Bob doze peacefully. That was another observation he had made over the past few days: a few hours of sleep was all either of them needed when they weren’t in the thick of danger. Instead of staying awake to keep watch, Matt conjured a puppet and a separate self to inhabit it, then closed his eyes and surrendered to slumber. When he awoke, he would reabsorb the puppet and integrate the self he had created before moving forward. At least the stars remained unchanged, he thought with a flicker of comfort as he let his puppet take over guarding them.
Emily rubbed her temples, feeling a throbbing headache as she glanced at the notice of the broadcast that Matt had scheduled. The urge to scream at him bubbled within her. It had been days since they returned to Earth, and not only had he failed to reach out, but she suspected he hadn’t allied himself with anyone either. The likelihood that he was completely oblivious to the current state of affairs gnawed at her. This meant that his upcoming broadcast would likely be a directionless mess, squandering what could have been a vital tool for establishing a gathering point or rallying their scattered group. Instead, it felt like yet another opportunity slipping through their fingers.
As she mulled over her options, frustration simmered inside her. She was acutely aware that he had been ignoring the leadership chat, where they had tirelessly attempted to elicit a response from him. Emily wasn’t alone in her worries; others shared her concerns, but as the vice leader, she felt a particular responsibility to prevent blunders like the one Matt was about to commit.
In a moment of desperation, she decided to post a message in the leadership chat, urging him to call her before the broadcast, no matter what. Yet, deep down, she harbored little hope that he would heed her request. The sinking feeling that Matt had forgotten the chat even existed weighed heavily on her, amplifying her anxiety as she awaited his response.
When Matt blinked awake, the fire crackled softly beside him, and he noted that nine hours remained until the broadcast. He stretched his limbs, feeling the stiffness of sleep dissipate, and pondered what he should say. A nagging part of him suggested reaching out to Emily or Greg for a brainstorming session, but he hesitated, reluctant to let them dictate his words. He doubted he would even fill the entire time; perhaps just a few encouraging sentences before urging everyone to do their best and wrapping it up.
Yet, Bob's voice intruded upon his thoughts, sharp and insistent in his mind. “Did you finally call someone, or are you really that clueless?”
“I’m not sure what you mean,” Matt replied, irritation creeping into his tone.
“You scheduled a broadcast, so what’s your plan?” Bob pressed, his impatience palpable.
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Matt frowned, shrugging his shoulders as he contemplated his response. “Great job making it to Earth, now hurry up and find the entrance to the dungeon and stay alive. I’m not sure there’s much more to say.”
“Call someone now, or I’m going to leave you here and track down one of the others to lead them to you,” Bob threatened.
“All you’ll do is lose me too,” Matt countered. “I could call Rudan and check in on the situation with the others; we still have a few hundred thousand members not on Earth.”
“Just call Emily and get it over with,” Bob urged, his tone brooking no argument.
Matt recognized that Bob wasn’t going to relent. He weighed his options carefully; if he called Rudan, it might provide an opportunity to clarify his recent decisions. However, deep down, Matt felt that reaching out to Emily was the more prudent choice. That was, of course, if his intention was to see Scattered Stars expand, but the thought of growth was the last thing he desired at this moment. In truth, he secretly hoped that after the broadcast, many of its members would choose to leave, thereby relieving him of some of the heavy burden of responsibility he felt for them.
“Stop thinking about just yourself,” Bob’s voice cut through Matt’s internal debate, firm and unyielding. “Scattered Stars isn’t only about what you want. You know they made you the leader to ensure you couldn’t just run away from your obligations.”
“Fine!” Matt snapped back, frustration bubbling to the surface. He quickly accessed his call feature and selected Emily’s contact. When her face appeared on the screen, she looked visibly relieved, her expression brightening as she answered.
“Finally! I take it you checked the leadership chat?”
“The what?” Matt replied, blinking in confusion.
“Really? You forgot about the chat where all those in leadership can post three messages a day and you can post five?”
“Oh, right. We did have something like that, didn’t we?”
Emily shot a glare at Matt, her frustration simmering just beneath the surface as she struggled to reign in her thoughts while he continued speaking. “Anyways, is there anything I really need to say in the broadcast besides that our current top priority is finding the dungeon?”
“How about we focus on establishing a way to communicate before we worry about locating the dungeon?” Emily retorted, her voice edged with exasperation. “What good does it do if someone discovers the dungeon but has no means to inform anyone else in Scattered Stars?”
“Unless someone possesses a skill for long-distance communication, I’m not sure what you expect us to do,” Matt replied, shrugging slightly.
“Identify a location where you think your fort would fit well and where resources for building it are plentiful—ideally somewhere close to your current position. That way, you can at least declare its existence to some degree because I’m sure you have some sense of where you are.”
“Not really,” Matt sighed, his shoulders dropping in defeat. “I know the stars haven’t shifted, but all I can tell you is that I’m somewhere around 45 to 50 degrees north, and who knows how much the continents have changed since then.”
“That’s still something,” Emily pressed, her brow furrowing with determination. “How do you know that?”
“Just look for the North Star and see what angle it is above the horizon. If I had an actual tool to measure it, I could be more precise, but I don’t.”
“I see. That’s actually simple enough that most people would be able to do it,” Emily remarked, a hint of relief creeping into her tone. “All right, here’s what I need you to say…”
The rest of the call consisted of Emily dictating a series of points for Matt to convey during the broadcast. It was so overwhelming that by the time it wrapped up, he felt a wave of relief wash over him, grateful for the imposed time limit. He began to move about, scanning the area for a suitable location to establish the fort. Unfortunately, he didn’t spot anything promising before he had to pause and prepare for the upcoming broadcast. Meanwhile, Bob curled up at the edge of the space, offering Matt a half-hearted nod of encouragement as the countdown to start ticked down.
“Greetings to all of you out there, both new and old members, and those here on Earth and beyond. Before I delve into the focus of today’s broadcast, I want to address those of you not on Earth. Stay alive and do whatever you must to survive, even if that means making tough choices. While difficult paths can make us stronger, none of that matters if you’re dead. I sincerely hope that the chaos I stirred up before my departure hasn’t placed too heavy a burden on you all, as it was intended to compel Godfrey Enterprises to leave your world in peace.
“Now, let’s focus on all of you here on Earth with me. There’s so much to discuss and not nearly enough time or information to cover it all. I never anticipated the landscape around my home would shift so dramatically. Consequently, I am actively searching for a location to establish Scattered Stars’ primary base of operations. At present, I find myself approximately 50 degrees north of the equator, assuming the general shape of our world has remained intact. I’m convinced that the landmasses of Earth have all realigned, and there might even be new land at the North Pole. Who knows? Perhaps that will become our organization’s headquarters.
“Yes, you heard that correctly. Even if it means setting up in the frigid, inhospitable heights of Earth, I would choose that location without hesitation. After all, only those willing to endure such harsh conditions—and far worse—are truly suited for Scattered Stars. We are a group that aspires to climb to the pinnacle through our own efforts. The notion of doing this independently is crucial right now, especially since I suspect many of you are isolated from other Scattered Stars members. That isolation is no excuse to falter; moreover, there’s no need to recruit those around you who are merely seeking safety or personal gain. Even if joining us offers both, those motivations should not be the reasons for someone to align with our cause. By becoming part of Scattered Stars, they are signing up for significant challenges that they may not fully understand or need in their lives.
“If you feel that you fall into either of these categories, I won’t kick you out today, but those who can’t find a way to stand on their own will have no place in Scattered Stars in the long run. Even if that’s difficult to hear, I’d rather you see me as honest and cruel than as a lying bastard like most politicians. With that said, if you want to figure out how far north you are…”
The remainder of the broadcast was dedicated to explaining how to determine their geographical position, emphasizing that while he wanted everyone to become self-reliant, they urgently needed information—information that was critical for their survival. By the time Matt finished, he felt mentally drained, grappling to recall everything Emily had instructed him to say and do. Yet, he couldn’t muster much concern; all he anticipated was dealing with her inevitable complaints later on.
