Chapter 25 - Gazeless Stare - The Unforgettables: A ZeroYear litRPG

  Frank revisited Rocatrista's bar early in the morning, appearing in his usual chair. He noticed that the bar was closed and without customers. A few rays of light from the city heat tower struggled to pass through the grimy glass behind the old, torn curtains. It was possible to hear the urban noises of a lively city outside.

  Inside the bar, Frank observed Ramirez sleeping soundly in the chair in front of him while Tommy cleaned and organized the remnants of the previous night; he didn't take his eyes off Frank while smiling silently, noticing Frank's unease.

  "Ramirez!" Frank said in a powerful voice, but without any effect. The magic man snored deeply. Frank stood up and approached Ramirez's ear in a sung voice, almost shouting, "Good morning!"

  At that moment, Ramirez's voice seemed to speak from behind Frank. "Frank, you're such a fiasco. Do you really think I ever sleep at a bar table? I bet on you and just lost 10 Paradiso credits; what crap!" At that moment, Tommy pocketed two cash cards that were lying on the counter.

  Frank jumped and turned around, irritated. "You ain’t worth the spit on a hot skillet! I was worried about you, and you gave me a scare; I even thought it would be some kind of trap!" However, he saw nothing where the sound came from.

  "Who's going to care about an ugly drunkard and a failed ghost in a city at the end of the world, Frank? If it's a trap, even I don't know about that. But we have some cans of worms to open if you want to help," Ramirez's voice said, echoing along the sounds of the day. Frank could hear a breathing sound coming from nowhere, right in front of him.

  "Very clever, Ramirez. You become invisible, watching people curse you behind your back. Your magic illusion even snores; it's impressive!" Frank commented.

  "And if some asshole messes with sleepy Ramirez, he simply disappears while the real one escapes invisibly," Ramirez laughed, while Tommy shook his head in agreement.

  "Okay, let's get down to business. What kind of help are you talking about? Does it have anything to do with you teaching magic to humans, circumventing Biggus's rules, by any chance?" Frank asked.

  "Frank, better than the magic power of invisibility is the power of social invisibility; it would never occur to Biggus's people that someone from here could learn or teach magic. They're so bogged down in their arrogance that they can't breathe outside their bubble, and my people in Metropolis are very relaxed about us teaching magics. Actually, I'm expecting one of them today; they'll appear soon," Ramirez commented.

  "Great to know because in addition to the dirt we uncovered in Northern Valley, now we also know that the cataclysm was actually a Big Bang, and in a few years, Gate's sky will become a permanent Fourth of July," Frank commented, uneasily looking at the void where the sound was coming from.

  "What the hell are you saying, kid?" Ramirez exclaimed. "Where have you guys been wandering in Gate's Disneyland? I've never seen anyone so lucky—the Vabala, then Biggus's dirty secrets out in the open, and now this bizarre information. And what exactly is going to happen in the sky? This smells like trouble!"

  "That's right, Ramirez. You have no idea how lucky we are!" Frank said ironically. "But actually, I didn't quite understand the Big Bang stuff; we encountered astronomers along the way, and they explained that a new multiverse was born, and we'll perceive this soon enough. In the sky, it will be only light. The danger will come from Biggus's reaction because his doomsday story will fall apart," Frank said, shrugging.

  "Exactly!" Frank heard the steps of an invisible Ramirez walking quickly in front of him, impatient. "Just what we needed — keep stacking problems like pancakes!"

  "You're not really in the mood to appear for real, are you?" Frank asked, a little uncomfortable. "But no problem; anyway, we have all the data ready to send. Let's transfer it using a secure connection through the City of the Spirits’ technology network; it's better not to use your professional contact that Liora already has, right?"

  "My beauty would blind you, Frank!" Ramirez laughed in an entirely different and feminine voice that confused the nano-translator; it was impossible to know if he was joking or not. And then he returned to his usual tone. "After things cool down, I'll appear, but yes. Tommy! Please send Liora a safe contact so they can send the data." Ramirez paused to think while Tommy stopped cleaning the bar to access the terminal near the cash register. Ramirez continued speaking. "Wait a minute; did I hear correctly? City of the Spirits network? How the hell did you manage that?"

  Liora received a message from Ramirez's old contact almost immediately; she telepathically warned Frank about it while continuing to listen attentively to what was happening.

  "We helped the astronomers, and they helped us back; simple as that!" Frank replied. "But what happened the last time I was here?"

  Tommy, who had been silent until then, said while typing messages with Liora, "There was a large Metropolis delegation passing through here with some Alphas questioning people and using strange powers; they were in a big hurry and had already left."

  "Strange powers? Even stranger than the ones I've already seen?" Frank asked, lost.

  "Yes, mental powers," Ramirez said, his invisible voice now approaching the chair where his image was sleeping soundly and immediately waking up with a start. "Or psionic powers, also called shadow powers; choose the name you like best. They are super discreet—impossible to detect—and if you're not careful, they can be quite inconvenient. That's why Tommy avoided talking to you last time. With these powers, it's possible to follow people without them noticing for a while, and they could have been using that kind of thing on the people here."

  Frank mentally asked, "Any ideas, team?" Liora: "Almost nothing. I'd heard about this a long time ago, but without paying much attention, I thought they were just rumors." Silas: "I heard about someone from one of the neighboring villages who knew how to use that kind of thing. By that time, I taught it to be some kind of physical ability."

  "But what the hell did they come here to do? And why would they follow people from here in this way?" Frank asked.

  "One of Biggus's sons is the leader of the delegation; his name is Kuj'Ememet. Those bastards came here to hunt knights. They comb the region to ensure security and also try to gather information about where the knights they're looking for might be," Ramirez commented, now apparently materialized, going to the bar to open a bottle of wine.

  "Great! So Biggus's son is coming after Seneca now?" Frank commented with irony and perplexity.

  "Maybe; that would be something to ask my contact in Metropolis, who should be arriving any minute," Ramirez said, settling into a table. "We’ve got some time, so let’s cut to it, Frank. What else do you want to talk about?"

  Frank sat down at the table and said, "There are several things. I was going to ask you what the best channels would be to eventually disseminate the Big Bang data and also to know if you could help us learn magic properly."

  Ramirez interrupted. "For the data, the best thing is to use the psynet. About magic, you guys seem to be doing well; I can share my infinite wisdom through the same contact that Tommy sent. My first classes with your Earth people are going to start heating up in 3, maybe 4 years, and then you guys can join us. People learn magic enjoying a little more time than you guys; it seems that it's good for health not to rush so much."

  "Yeah, as if we had options," Frank grumbled, changing the subject. "Psynet? Does it have anything to do with the psionics you mentioned a little while ago, by any chance? We didn't find much about it besides information noise because the name is quite common. So, what the hell is it?"

  Ramirez laughed while replying, "This time, you got it right! One way to keep something hidden is to use relatively common names. The psynet I'm referring to is a mental internet used only by psionics. However, it doesn't use technology; it's rare and complicated to enter, and the people who use it don't share any information. It's also kind of dangerous; you actually enter the psynet, and if someone kills you in the psynet, you die for real in Gate, among many other unfortunate things that can happen."

  "But how do you have access to this? You just told me that the Alphas use that kind of thing. How can this crap be a good idea?" Frank scratched his head.

  "I don't use it, but I have a friend in Paradiso who knows how," Ramirez smiled. "Because this friend of mine is an Alpha who died on a mission, and by playing dead, he managed to outsmart Biggus's people; I even accompanied him disguised at his own wake. Anyway, it's a type of power almost opposite to what you learn by rubbing yourselves against Gate's strange things like you guys are doing. In terms of essence, it must be impossible to learn that kind of thing if you're near a monolith, and almost nobody around here knows how to use it," Ramirez explained calmly, taking the first glass of wine.

  "You're friends with a traitorous Alpha? And you're using these rare powers against Biggus himself? Where could this go wrong?" Frank asked with a mix of sarcasm and surprise.

  "Biggus is a specialist in extermination magics; what do you think he would do with traitors? This friend of mine has been living peacefully in Paradiso for years. If the information leaked in any way, I think we'd know very quickly," Ramirez said, turning the glass. "But let's speak a little lower about this stuff. This contact of mine who's about to arrive doesn't know anything about this, and I think he'd never forgive an Alpha, even if it's a traitor."

  Frank mentally said, "So, team? Every time I talk to Ramirez, more people get involved in this mess." Petra: "If you go out in the rain, you get wet, Frank." Liora: "For Ramirez to get his business going in Rocatrista, he needs to know a lot of not-so-nice people." Silas: "Frank, despite the risk, I think Ramirez is right. Let's see what happens." Liora: "Frank, about the data, it's organized into two repositories. I've released access to it and noticed that Tommy just downloaded a local copy of everything. I'm going to close the connections now."

  "Ramirez, all our data is now with you. If you think the psynet is a good idea, then let's go ahead," Frank said, literally sinking a little into the chair. "Can you tell me a little more about your contact before he arrives? So I don't say anything stupid."

  Ramirez relived his memories of a happier past; his voice and style changed so much that it almost seemed like another person when he spoke. "Certainly, Frank. His name is famous: Chester Desdalla; he's a cultural polymath and a public figure; he was born in Old Metropolis and escaped the cataclysm with his entire creative team, as well as some of his viewers, because when the tragedy struck Gate, they were all performing inside a monolith south of Metropolis," Ramirez observed Frank leaning in with interest. He continued. "Chester's father was human, and his name is Salvador. If I remember correctly, he lived in the United States for a few years. Here in Gate, Salvador was one of the early Paradiso mayors, but he's retired from politics for more than a millennium. It was he who gave human names to all the things here in the Northern region that are used by the nano-translators, and this includes this legendary bar." Tommy smiled from behind the counter at the reference, now entertained with the data that Liora had just sent.

  "Look at that! I wondered if it was the nano-translators inventing these names to make me remember Texas, but now I'm realizing what happened," Frank smiled, excited. "Continue, Ramirez, please!"

  Ramirez continued, hastily speaking: "That's right. Chester creates plays, dance performances, and paintings with free and mind-blowing themes beyond the senses and the line that separates reality from dreams—a thin line in Gate. He subtly challenges the system with creative beauty. Unsurprisingly, Biggus considers Chester's art degenerate, trying in his speeches to prove the inferiority of humans, always failing and falling into contradictions and embarrassing himself before the public. When he realized it would be useless to try to prove his point with flawed arguments, Biggus stepped away from the subject and isolated Chester in a ghetto in the human district of New Metropolis. This way, he avoided disappearing with what many people see as a hero."

  "But Ramirez, from what I heard about Biggus, it's impressive that this Chester stayed alive in Metropolis! How did he manage it?" Frank exclaimed.

  "Chester's been on the road for a long time and has admirers within society, even among Biggus's supporters. He continues producing, but none of his creations are released to the public except in a closed underground circuit. He lives in Metropolis under Enforced Silence, meaning he's forbidden from expressing himself at the risk of being expelled from the city. There were several artists under this regime a few years ago; currently, there are only half a dozen of them still fighting; the others were either killed or left the city," Ramirez commented.

  "Interesting. So Chester is your contact in the human district of Metropolis?" Frank asked.

  "That's one of my contacts! When I mentioned your situation, he wanted to come here and talk to you in person," Ramirez replied, interrupted by the old bar door being pushed open.

  A bizarre figure, barely human, over eight feet tall, entered the bar, wearing what looked like a wool t-shirt and bell-bottom jeans, cowboy boots, and a slender waist. The rest of his body, otherwise, was a powerhouse of overwhelming muscular bulk. He had a youthful face, beardless, with an enormous square jaw, black circular eyebrows adorning his wide, lively eyes, and hair parted in the middle, slicked sideways with gel, forming two tufts that looked more like long, thick black strands that didn't drag on the ground because the tips were slightly curled.

  "Speaking of the devil…" Ramirez said, standing up to greet his friend with a mighty hug. Frank stood up and remained slightly behind.

  "I've missed seeing your ugly mug!" Chester replied, lifting the magic man in the air. "But let's get down to business; I have admirers on my tail; we have about 15 minutes or less." Ramirez settled on the floor, looking at Frank. "So, this is the ghost who you told me about?" He extended a hand to greet Frank.

  Frank answers Chester with an ethereal greeting. Ramirez made the introductions: "Yes, this is Frank, and the other human is listening to us via magic. Let's sit down at the table and talk quickly; I'll activate the security." Ramirez cast some magic, his eyes emitting multicolored light. He immediately said in a more serious voice, "I'm sensing two people behind you, Chester, probably Alphas. They'll be here in a couple of minutes."

  Chester sat down in a chair, cracking his neck and leaning towards Frank. "Being a star is hard. Frank, I actually want to ask you a favor. Ramirez told me you're after Seneca. He might be in a place called Cernutos Tower; it's a horn-shaped structural monolith. Only its tip should break the surface; it should appear as an isolated mountain with extremely steep sides."

  Liora mentally sent Mosh's updated map to Frank and said, "That name is listed as the next monolith on the Tempus route after the King's Mountain." Liora estimated they were about 80 days away if they maintained their current speed.

  Frank, after a brief pause for a mental conference, said, "Yes, Chester, it's one of the monoliths on the Tempus route. What's the favor?"

  "First, I'll explain what we know. These monoliths on the Tempus route have some relation to bringing people back to life. If they're open, it's possible to enter and find interesting things. I simply want to know if it's open or not. I can't go myself, or my Alphaparazis would come along," Chester said hurriedly.

  "Okay, and how do we know if it's open? We get there and see if we could enter?" Frank asked.

  "Almost. You have to climb to the top and dig through the dust that's accumulated there until you reach the solid monolith. You'll find a circular hole about the size of this bar. If it's open, there will be a side passage to enter inside the wall of this hole; if it's closed, you'll find a door that looks like vines made of monolithic stone."

  "Okay, sounds good! Do you want me to use communication magic or secure connections to talk directly, Chester?" Frank asked.

  "No, that would be risky for all of us. Ramirez's advanced magic makes it much safer to talk, so use it when you get the info. There's a Metropolis delegation in the Northern region that could be a problem for you, and I also need to warn you about something important regarding Seneca," Chester said hurriedly.

  "Understood!" Frank said quickly, bowing slightly to Chester.

  "Biggus is seriously considering holding elections soon. He removed Kuj from the city to prevent issues in the campaign, as his son is the iron fist leading the Alphas behind the scenes. If Kuj successfully decapitates some knights, it will help him gain votes. The delegation is after a Vood'Gum couple from the Sixth House who've been holed up in a mountain northwest of here since the cataclysm, and it seems they're also after Beni."

  "Okay, they're not after Seneca?" Frank asked.

  "That′s the thing I want to talk to you about, Seneca. They might send someone to pressure him, but it's unlikely they'll kill him now; they probably want to check if he has recent information about the other three. When the delegation passed through Rocatrista, it split into three; two larger groups went northwest—Kuj was in one— they also sent a smaller group of one Alpha and its apprentice to the Northern Valley. Those are the ones that could be a problem for you," Chester said.

  "Yes, they'll probably encounter the Lady of Tempus there. We have access to some active city cameras to monitor what happens there," Frank said.

  Chester chuckled. "Interesting that you used the old city cameras, but I'm not sure what they're planning there."

  Frank nodded, and Chester continued.

  "Regarding Seneca's situation, Biggus sold the idea that Seneca's a traitor, using him as bait to kill some of my knight colleagues while keeping him alive. But that no longer seems to matter. However, there might be some influence on Seneca, so be cautious when you find him. Seneca tends to be solitary; we don't know if he's being probed like me, is being mentally controlled, or perhaps made a pact with Biggus." Chester said, massaging his neck and moving away from the table.

  "What the hell!" Frank exclaimed, along with mental curses from Silas and Liora.

  "On a brighter note, if Biggus sold the idea of Seneca being a traitor, it might be a lie—a way to divide his enemies. No one is sure about Seneca's endeavors after his exile." Chester warned.

  Frank mentally spoke with the group: "Just what we needed… What do you guys think?" Liora: "Biggus is enjoying blaming Seneca, that's it." Silas: "Our situation is more uncertain, but it is better to know this now. We need to think calmly." Petra: "That Chester sounds like a knight." Frank: "How so? A knight?" Liora: "From his speech and how he obtained this information, it seems that's the case."

  Ramirez interrupted: "Guys! Chester's fan club is arriving. Paranoia mode: engaged. Tommy! Shut down all network connections and destroy your terminal; I'll pay for another one later. My magic protects us, but it makes no miracles; I'll disappear, and Frank should, too. I'll contact you via network in a few days."

  Tommy smashed the terminal with his hands as Chester said urgently, "Crap, sooner than I thought. Those Alphas are getting stronger. Vanish! I'll normally leave by the door; my father's in town, and I'll see him right now; goodbye, Frank!"

  Frank said before disappearing. "Leaving… Any other info about what the Alphas near us may be seeking?"

  Chester thought quickly: "Maybe Beni; he was once a human named Benedito. He's a muemam now. He is not a fully trained knight; he joined the First House as Seneca's apprentice but abandoned it for ideological reasons. Goodbye, Frank!"

  When Frank ended his magic and returned to the bridge, he saw Silas and Liora pale; Petra was oblivious.

  Frank said, "Team, did I say something stupid?"

  Liora replied, "No, Frank, it's just that…" She paused, processing the information.

  After a while, Silas said, "Besides everything else, this Beni is trouble. A muemam is someone whose essence is completely consumed, becoming a being of pure chaos. The stories about that are all bad. And about Seneca… I am not sure what to think."

  At that moment, Amanda entered the bridge, stopped by the group's expressions of fear. She asked, "Have you seen a ghost? I think I arrived at a bad time. These doors just open themselves…"

  Petra attempted a smile. "We're just processing a lot of information and need to breathe. Don't worry, Amanda; let's have coffee!"

  Petra left with Amanda for the cafe, but the others remained on the bridge, disconnected, silently staring into space outside.

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