Deathwish, Part 16: Conspiracy

Part 1: Cinderfell
Part 2: Deal With a Vorpal
Part 3: Calmsquare Cantina
Part 4: The Wailing Chamber
Part 5: Grector Smash
Part 6: Rebmauk
Part 7: Chantim
Part 8: Homesick
Part 9: Traitorous Humans
Part 10: Journalistic Integrity
Part 11: Crime and Punishment
Part 12: Breakdown
Part 13: Redeye
Part 14: Pure Evil
Part 15: Post Mortem

After her conversation with Shock, Alicia realized how hungry she was. Shock bought a meal for her in the Colossus mess hall, and waited patiently while she ate. For the first time, Alicia saw the sheer number of casters in Colossus, outnumbering by far the total population of her home town. People with all kinds of weapons and equipment were constantly streaming in and out. Some even flew through the air completely nonchalantly, as if such things were normal, and several didn’t appear to be completely human. Alicia remembered spotting at least one Giant standing at over ten feet at least, and several shorter metal beings that Shock explained were called Drones.

Once Alicia finished eating, Shock had her meet with some local Inverse experts. They took notes as she explained her entire story, though she purposefully left some things out. She was afraid they might confiscate the pacifist scarf and the Vorpal tracking compass, so she didn’t mention either. She didn’t talk about any specific Vorpals inside Rebmauk, nor did she go into great detail on any Vorpal she traveled with beyond a surface level description. Until she had control over her own research team, she didn’t want her knowledge potentially being used against the Vorpals. Especially the peaceful ones.

The experts also shared some of their own research with Alicia. Alicia learned of several other discovered cities within the Inverse, most having populations of more violent Vorpals. Frenetica, a city with constant violent upheavals among it’s own Vorpal population. Untropolis, a metropolis of ruined skyscrapers that was entirely flooded almost everyday. Even a place called Turtlestan that was built into a mountain shaped like a giant sea turtle. However, Alicia found their general knowledge of Vorpals beyond that laughable. Several times, she had to correct them.

Alicia tried not to sound disrespectful as she commented on a researcher asserting ridiculous things about the Vorpal diet. “No… most Vorpals do eat regularly, and at least some of their food is safe for human consumption.”

“How could you possibly know that?! Even assuming they do eat, all our research suggests that anything we have recovered that could be remotely construed as rations would be deathly poisonous to even a person with a highly resilient constitution. What are you basing your conclusions on??”

“Because I had some once. It’s strange, but not poisonous.”

Shock nodded. “It’s true. It was in her original story from her first expedition.”

The researcher grew flustered. “Well, I… er… it must have been a region entirely different than the ones we have explored. Clearly, Vorpal culture is not homogenous.”

Alicia considered challenging more of their comments as they continued to spout objective falsehoods as fact, but grew tired of correcting them. They clearly were working with minimal information and mostly speculating, while Alicia had experienced it first hand. Once she had control over her own lab, she would set the record straight on all of this. No longer would Vorpals be surrounded by mysticism and hearsay, but definitive facts.

After some goodbyes, Shock sent Alicia back to Cinderfell on a gravity skiff. The pilot refused to carry a conversation, apparently annoyed at having to take such a long journey with a single passenger. Alicia’s parents were relieved when she arrived back home, though they had been informed already by a newly assigned Gatekeeper named Galva of the situation.

Galva was a strange caster. While apparently an electric caster, she was never the less heavier set than most women, Shock included, while having very well defined muscles and standing at almost six feet. Her voice was commanding, and her wits sharp. Alicia was surprised at how much she enjoyed talking with her new Gatekeeper supervisor, who also seemed pleasantly surprised at the arrangement.

She laughed heartily when Alicia asked why she was so happy about receiving such a tedious assignment. “Because I finally got an easy assignment that actually interests me! I’m only a class four electric caster, so I normally get all the boring missions. Things like doing paperwork, standing guard, or even just helping with orientation for new recruits. But this? I get to hang out with one of the greatest Vorpal experts in the world, while having barely any real duties! It’s perfect!”

“Really? I’m not sure I would call myself a Vorpal expert, to be honest.”

Galva gave Alicia a playful punch on the arm. “Don’t sell yourself short! You’ve already spent more time in the Inverse total than the vast majority of Gatekeepers! Sure, you may not be able to actually fight a Vorpal, but you have fought them in your own way! You manipulated them, convinced them to actually help you! That’s a level of mastery over Vorpals I’ve never seen before.”

Alicia was not happy with the characterization. “I didn’t manipulate them. I just didn’t openly antagonize them.”

Galva gave Alicia a wry smile. “Of course you didn’t, Alicia… Of course you didn’t.”

Alicia entered her room, looking for her research journal to share with Galva. Already, Galva struck her as more trustworthy than the rest of the Gatekeepers, so she hoped that sharing some of her more interesting findings would be safe. However, she instead found a sealed envelope on her desk. It was addressed to her.

It couldn’t have been Galva, she hadn’t been in Alicia’s room. At least, that was what Alicia thought. She opened the envelope, reading a very simple handwritten note.

Don’t talk to Vorpals.

The simple message could not have felt more threatening while being so mundane. It wasn’t signed, it had no other information. When Alicia showed it to Galva, she claimed she had no idea who wrote it or how it ended up in her room. Of course, while it was impossible to say if Galva was telling the truth, Alicia still felt she seemed too trustworthy to resort to such shadowy tactics.

The next several days, as she talked with Galva more, she realized something more and more. Even Gatekeepers knew less about Vorpals than they realistically should. They fought them everyday, and yet they didn’t know some very basic things, like they had friends, ate food and even lived normal lives together in cities. Unlike the researchers, Galva was completely convinced that almost all Vorpals were just murderous savages.

The threatening note. The Gatekeepers fighting the Enlightened, possibly just for control of the Gateways. Low level casters didn’t know much about Vorpals, despite the organization they were a part of fighting them almost constantly. The lack of publicly available information about Vorpals or the Inverse, despite both being considered a threat to the very existence of humanity. It all had to be connected.

Someone didn’t want people to learn about Vorpals. While others might call her crazy, Alicia grew more certain each day that there was an active conspiracy to keep people in the dark about Vorpals by any means necessary. Alicia had seen herself that Vorpals had enormous power, and most were willing to at least tolerate a human’s presence, some even actively assisting her after a small amount of convincing. It was even possible the Vorpals themselves were being manipulated to fear humanity as well.

Alicia could hardly contain herself as she realized it. The entire conflict between casters and Vorpals could be entirely manufactured. What if it wasn’t necessary? What if, instead of needing to make Vorpals and humans better understand each other, she just needed to uncover the depths of this conspiracy?

The following years, Alicia threw herself into her studies. She was supposed to graduate when she was eighteen, but she managed to do so an entire year early. She immediately got to work using her Gatekeeper affiliation to great affect, beginning to set up her own research center until she realized she needed a name. At that point, her mind went blank.

Galva, at this point now a close personal friend, suggested many different names as they both sat at a table in her partially constructed research institute. “How about, Alicia’s Inverse Research Center?”

“Hmm… no offense, but that sounds really boring. I would prefer something iconic, dynamic…”

Galva thought for a moment. “The Inverse Explorers? The Suicide Institute?”

“What was that last one? Something about suicide? Why would you suggest something like that?”

“That is the way people talk about you and your chosen profession, Alicia. You know the nickname they came up for you, right? Alicia Deathwish.”

Alicia was more than aware. Her old bully Persephone, now one of her few close friends, had informed her of the pejorative months ago. “You know… that’s actually not a bad idea! Deathwish. A simple word for an organization with a singular goal, to research Vorpals and the Inverse. It has a certain dark mysticism to it. It certainly won’t be mistaken as representing anyone but me.”

Galva gave a sarcastic smile. “That’s one way of looking at it. And I can definitely support you using an insult made against you to your own benefit.”

“It’s settled, then. Galva, would you like to be the first official member of Deathwish?”

“Naturally! I know a few other Gatekeepers who might be interested as well. What will be our first objective?”

“Simple. Establish our base of operations, right here in Cinderfell. We have most of the building already, now we need everything else. To start, I need to get a stock of sacred energy Gateway Keys, possibly some weaponry for self defense… and more members for an expedition team. But before all that, it’s time I give you this...”

Alicia came back to Galva’s questioning look, eyeing a massive stack of papers Alicia carried. “What is this?”

Alicia set the massive stack down. “This is everything you need to know. Full descriptions for all known Vorpals, including names, behavior, and physical appearance. All of it is organized into my initial classification system for Vorpals to better represent what they can actually do. And finally, several theories on Inverse navigational concepts and Vorpal psychology, biology, and spirituality.”

“Spirituality? What do you mean by that?”

“Some researchers believe Vorpals don’t have souls, and that is why they can’t cast. I don’t buy that, because I’ve seen several with abilities that extend beyond shapeshifting. I think they just have a different kind of soul.”

Galva was feeling overwhelmed at the sheer magnitude of reading she was now assigned. “I thought I had a good grasp of everything you knew of Vorpals but… I had no idea there was so much more. This is truly impressive.”

“Yes, but that’s just the beginning. You forget that this is the whole point of my new organization. Once you and a group of capable individuals are properly educated on everything I currently know, we will begin exploration campaigns. I hope to even establish a kind of foreign relations with some Vorpal cities.”

Galva was intrigued. “That’s an interesting idea… though I haven’t the slightest idea how that could work. Don’t Vorpals have a limited memory?”

“We have options… but we can discuss that later. I need to go interview some new recruits. Get reading, there is no time to-”

The table was flipped over, knocking Alicia backwards. As she stood up, feeling dazed and confused, she saw the perpetrator. A Vorpal she had never seen before, having long striped arms and three horns. Its long lizard like snout opened, roaring as it revealed two sets of razor sharp teeth. Alicia took only a moment to stand back up and run for her life.

The Vorpal scurried along the walls on all fours, legs identical to the long arms. It hissed at Alicia as clung to the wall above the only exit not blocked by construction materials, slowly climbing back down to the floor and towards Alicia.

Galva cried out. “Alicia! Duck!”

Alicia hit the ground as electricity arced overhead, hitting the Vorpal as Galva shouted. “Static Cling!”

The monster was launched backwards, sticking to the wall as it struggled to move. It’s legs tried to pry themselves off the walls, but their natural cling combined with the new static charge kept the monster firmly stuck. Galva walked forward with a spear, an aura of electricity surrounding it, and stabbed it in the stomach, turning the monster to ash as it vanished completely. However, a small metal bar clattered to the ground.

Galva walked over, picking up the artifact. “Alicia? I thought Vorpals held onto anything that belonged to them, even when they were killed?”

Alicia was equally surprised. “Vorpals don’t exactly have the same ideas about personal property that humans do, but you are right… this wasn’t made by a Vorpal. What is it?”

Galva flipped it over, observing it. “Well, I can tell just by holding it that it conducts electricity quite well, but… it’s not just solid metal, either. I don’t want to jump to conclusions, but I suspect the Gatekeepers will confiscate this if we let them get wind that we have it.”

“What? Why? What do you think it does?”

Galva gave Alicia a worried look. “This looks like brain hijacking technology. It works by manipulating the signals in the brain to cause delusions or modify state of mind. Exceedingly illegal to have, and… again, just speculation… this one was modified to work on Vorpals.”

All doubt had been removed. “Galva… tell no one of this attack. Period. Someone just conscripted a Vorpal to go after us, so I have no idea who we can trust. Do you think the Enlightened made this? Or…”

Galva put the bar into a bag, carefully stowing it in a nearby empty safe that was part of the ongoing construction, as she finished Alicia’s thought for her. “The Gatekeepers? I don’t know. But… be careful who you let join Deathwish, Alicia. Your paranoia about someone trying to stop you is no longer unwarranted.”

With a hasty farewell, Alicia walked out, purpose behind every step. She no longer had to wait or ask permission, she was in charge. That meant nothing was going to stop her from unraveling the mysteries behind Vorpals.

Not even someone who already had.

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