Well would you look at that! Ashtoreth said once he’d sent her the details. If it isn’t… exactly what we expected it would be.

  If I request permission, the Pinnacle Curator is you, right? he asked. You’ll get my request?

  Hold on a sec, said Kylie. We should think about this.

  Sure! said Ashtoreth. But let’s be real for a sec: no matter the risks, he’s sending that request.

  That could alert other curators, if there are any, Kylie said.

  Yep!

  We don’t know why you were offered that advancement in the first place, said Kylie. Sure, it looks like it has something to do with you gaining humanity and being the monarch—but we don’t know if anyone who works for high command hasn’t taken it.

  Yep!

  And you’re not worried that they’re going to get a message saying ‘Hey, this Hunter Wolfhard guy wants into your clubhouse,’ and report it to the bossmen?

  Of course I am, said Ashtoreth. And I’m also worried that there could be remnant humans in this ‘Core’ place who might also be pinnacle curators.

  Hunter felt Ashtoreth give the mental equivalent of a shrug. But, what are we gonna do? she asked. It’s worth the risk of tipping them off.

  I agree with Ashtoreth, Hunter added. We can assume they haven’t gotten through to Core yet because if they tried, she’d get a request. That means—

  He paused, frowning. He was going to say that he could be the first one through, but another thought struck him.

  —That means they’re holding off on exploring it just to keep it a secret from Ashtoreth, he said. Does that make any sense? I mean, they know she’s pinnacle curator, and I understand that they don’t want her to have any more power over humanity’s destiny than she already does, but…

  It makes sense, said Frost. It’s just stupid. Incredibly, unbelievably stupid. Their paranoia has got the better of them.

  But what’s their plan, then? Hunter asked. Just… never get into these other realms?

  Nah, said Ashtoreth. I bet you that’s why I’m actually a lab goat, still. They’re not trying to figure out how to use the antithesis shard to afflict my species the way Dazel planned to, they’re trying to figure out how to hack their way past the security, here. The elves don’t know anything about abusing the shards to rewrite reality, but they know plenty about constructing artificial realms.

  Just incredibly stupid, then, said Frost.

  Ugh, Ashtoreth added. I’ve probably been wasting all this time just to help them screw us over. The shard thing at least could have been useful.

  So… I’m I sending the request? Hunter asked.

  Maybe not yet, said Ashtoreth. Here’s the plan. I’m scheduled to get out of the lab and start farming in a few hours. Normally, while I’m in the lab, I just lie or sit somewhere and watch videos on a tablet while the eggheads fuss around me. It’s honestly kind of horrible.

  If it helps, Kylie said. Most people would kill to just lie around in a lab as a day job.

  I don’t get paid, though. And you know? I think I’d actually enjoy having a normal human job.

  No, Kylie said. You wouldn’t.

  Uh, excuse me—I would love putting the fries in the bag, thank you very much.

  Maybe for three hours until you got bored.

  Ehh, we’ll call that a fair compromise. Anyway, I’ll playact like I’m slipping into depression, watch some sad videos, maybe drop some comments—then I’ll call in sick for the farming later. Take a mental health day.

  How progressive of you, Kylie said.

  I’ll say that Hunter and Sadie will be cheering me up, which should explain their absence. Frost and Kylie can stay behind, since if all five of us are conspicuously unfindable on the day I call in sick, it’ll look more suspicious.

  It’s gonna look suspicious no matter what, Kylie said. These guys are paranoid, remember? The reason they’re playing like this is definitely not because they barely ever think about Ashtoreth betraying them.

  Sure, she said. And they’ll probably have so many clever ways of checking where we’ve been that there’s no way they don’t figure us out… but I’d still like to do the basics, you know? I have nothing if not a strong sense of professionalism.

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  All right, Frost said. To be clear here—and I’m not disagreeing with any of this, mind—you fully expect them to realize that we’re up to something, and sooner rather than later.

  Sure! she said. Think about it. After we do this, we’re never going back to the elven farm, right? They’re going to figure out something is up eventually.

  Right, said Frost. I just want you—want everyone—to be clear about what we’re getting into. The Earth Defense Alliance is every government, every military, every surveillance and intelligence agency in the world. All put together. That’s not an enemy that you make casually.

  Yeah, Ashtoreth said. But also, they started it.

  Be serious, Frost admonished. The others here have families they could go after.

  Yeah, said Hunter. But they know what we’re capable of… and they have a lot more families than we do.

  After a moment of silence, Kylie said, Okay, do you have any idea how psycho that sounded?

  Hunter grimaced. No, I meant like—look, I’m not saying, ‘I hope they kill my mom so that I get to kill a thousand moms myself.’ Come on, Kylie.

  Well then what the hell are you saying? she asked, laughter evident in her voice.

  It’s a deterrent, he said. The greatest victory is that which requires no battle.

  So you’re saying that they’ll kidnap our families to force us to capitulate? Kylie asked.

  Would you? Hunter asked. I mean—think about it. We’re practically invincible to them unless Ashtoreth opens up Earth to the Eldunar. We can track anyone on the Earth who isn’t under protection spells and literally eat their knowledge out of their minds.

  Hunter’s got a point, Ashtoreth said. Even a command structure as wild as the cells that the Algerians used wouldn’t save the people giving the orders from us if we decided to go berserk. Worst case scenario is that they go after Raven—and then I wipe some cities off the map until they give in to every single one of our demands. They’d get to be Japan at the end of the Second World War, except without the part where we’re bluffing about how many bombs we’ve got.

  There was another pregnant silence before Frost said, Holy shit, Ashtoreth.

  What? I’m not saying I would do it, but that’s how these people think, right? You’re the one who brought this up.

  They’re afraid of us, Hunter said. And they should be.

  Otherwise they’d have just taken me out back and shot me, Ashtoreth said. And you know? I kind of get it, at least a little. I don’t like defending high command… their fears here are at least a little sensible. If Earth is a set of interlocked realms the same way that the Circles of Hell are, then the privileges of being in charge can extend a lot further than the normal monarchy.

  Best case scenario also seems most likely, said Kylie. At least to me. Once they see that we’re not going to just do whatever they say and get sidelined, they’ll have to see we have way more to lose while working at odds than what they can gain by compromising with us.

  Power isn’t given, Hunter agreed. It’s taken.

  …Right, Kylie said.

  So what’s the plan for now? Hunter asked. Am I going in?

  I think you should send the request, Ashtoreth said. We’re gonna send you in first anyway just in case you die.

  Hunter opened his mouth. Closed it.

  What? Better you than me, right?

  Yeah, makes sense.

  Just think: you’ll be the first human to set foot on a whole new world! You’re like a new Neil Armstrong!

  Hunter cocked his head. I don’t need convincing, Ashtoreth. Also, Armstrong lived to a very ripe old age.

  Yeah, but astronauts have a very high workplace mortality. So does the President. It just sort of comes comes with having a cool job.

  Hunter sighed. He could have mentioned that he’d already been the first human to set foot in a few places, given that he’d gone ahead through the Eldunari realms to get Ashtoreth’s contract to the soulweaver… but it really wasn’t the same.

  This was much more exciting.

  I’m good to send the request, then? he asked her.

  Yep! she chirped.

  He addressed the outstanding system text with a clear mental yes.

  Did that go to you? he asked a moment later.

  Yep!

  {A [Pinnacle Curator] has granted you access to Core.}

  Got it, Hunter said. I’m trying the warp spell again now. Wish me luck.

  The spell finished with a flash, and he felt the familiar surge of discombobulating energy that came with teleportation before he appeared high in the air above a place that looked like it could have been on Earth. Fields of green grass and wildflowers stretched out below him.

  Well? Ashtoreth asked. Did it work? Where are you?

  I think it worked, he said. Looking around, he saw nothing but wilderness in every direction, with distant mountains rising to his right and a winding river glittering in the distance.

  It’s nice here, he said. There’s fields. He squinted at some specks in the distance, making them out with his enhanced perception. And a lot of bison.