ALL NOVEL Chapter 191
One beautiful, unintended consequence of the Practicum was the sleep Kyle got after returning home. He’d passed out almost immediately after cleaning up and eating food, and for the first time in a while took a good look at himself in the mirror as he shaved. C.H.A.D.D. wasn’t far off when it said he looked like he was tattooed all over, with more of the gray lines becoming visible as he removed the stubble.
While the look was unsettling, Kyle wasn’t as bothered by it as he thought he would be. His body had changed a lot after he first changed to a chimera, and it felt like those changes would only become more numerous as he grew in power. Something about his spiritual parting of ways with Earth had been freeing in that regard.
He stared at his reflection as he actively suppressed the veins of grey, only to let them fill back in a moment later. If people viewed him as a freak, so be it. He was well and truly into territory that few people could enter. He wasn’t up to fighting city-sized fish yet, but compared to the average awakened he might as well be. Even with the other D Grade elites, Kyle stacked up well. Power spoke a lot louder than appearances these days.
He finished cleaning up, then heated up some food before focusing on the day’s work. More messages were waiting on the nav bracelet, and he quickly sorted through the information. The majority were personal messages from Tillienne and Jax, both asking for details of his Phase Three, as well as sharing their successes.
Tillienne finished her trial with a score of 87.4, the second-highest of any applicant in their group. Given the apparent attention on Arhades, a first-place finish was only expected. Jax also performed admirably, earning a score of 83.5 and cinching the third spot. Both of them received offers from all the major guilds, which was no surprise to Kyle.
From what he could gather, Tillienne accepted a position in the Mercenary’s Guild, as had Arhades. The resources available to them were extensive, including sparring pits, training manuals, and opportunities to be selective with the jobs they took. Kyle fully expected that Tillienne would continue to improve by leaps and bounds, adding real combat experience on top of her solid foundations as she progressed down her path.
Jax, by contrast, chose the Private Security Guild. The risks were far lower than the Mercenary’s Guild, though Kyle felt that the opportunity was perfectly suited to the affable young man. His power was the real deal, and the connections he’d make would undoubtedly benefit both him and his family for years to come.
Kyle sent messages of congratulations, and let them know he hadn’t seen his results yet. The next grouping of messages was more administrative in nature. Angela Corthus’s office let him know that the first shuttle from Earth had arrived, and that a good portion of the awakened population decided to sign on with them. She included travel itineraries, and he filtered through to see that Garth and many of his friends would be on one of the last shuttles. DeRosa’s had been bumped up, though with Thomas and Amir on board with him he hoped they’d be able to help with damage control.
The next message was from Greil, sent by Marcus Kulhavey’s assistant. The Originator was out performing upgrades on an unnamed drone fleet, and as such was unavailable. However, when things settled down after his return, he would be open to a meeting. His assistant cautioned it could be up to a year, and said they would message Kyle to coordinate logistics when things got closer.
He filtered out the passive messages – mostly to do with upcoming grocery deliveries and rent, and considered his next steps. Phase Three cost him both of his weapons and one of his bracers, and his gut reaction was to schedule time at the Emerald Armory to at least get new weaponry. He’d definitely need to get some new cloth armor to replace the pieces that got shredded.
At the same time, their products were pricey. Kyle hadn’t minded spending a little more loosely beforehand, but with his tenuous career prospects, he didn’t want to overdo it. He looked down at his hands, clenching and unclenching his fists. The fighting style he’d learned from Frank was flexible. While he’d practiced with sticks, it could translate seamlessly to both bladed and barehanded applications. Even though close combat wasn’t central to his success, Kyle didn’t want to neglect it. It had saved his life multiple times.
Right after scheduling his appointment with the Emerald Armory, a new message came through.
Applicant Mayhew,
Congratulations on completing Phase Three of the Practicum: Artifact Retrieval. A group of third-party evaluators observed your performance throughout the trial, and you have earned a score of 47.8.
This score puts you in the 4th percentile of all applicants to make it to Phase Three, and ranks you 24/24 of all applicants in your group.
Please be advised that your license to operate independently must be sponsored to be in effect, and any offers will be extended directly from the Guilds.
We thank you for your time, and congratulate you on completing the Practicum.
-Collective Institute of Independent Licensure
Kyle read the message over, numb. He knew the shards were the most valuable items he found, and Jarberry warned him that his score would be low. 47.8 out of 100 was far worse than he expected. The fact that his performance was apparently among the worst of any historical applicants only compounded his worries. A score this bad, in conjunction with a fixed job offer, meant that he had virtually no bargaining power.
Crunching the numbers, he could still make it for another 6 odd months before he would really stretch his credits. Angela’s list had other options with promise, though he’d need to figure out where to start. And do it without making waves this time.
[DR. MAYHEW, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?]
Kyle sighed, running his hand through his hair. “Sorry, C.H.A.D.D. The score was a lot worse than I thought, and I’m trying to get a backup plan together. I don’t want to feel backed into a corner if the offer is too predatory.”
[DO YOU BELIEVE THAT IS LIKELY AFTER THE CONVERSATION YESTERDAY?]
“I can’t dismiss it. This whole situation took a lot of our agency away, and we’d be foolish not to at least think about other avenues.”
“Now that’s just hurtful. Smart, but hurtful.” Jarberry said.
Kyle jumped, looking around his apartment. Nothing was there. As before, he activated Ignition and Identify, allowing tendrils of Parasitic Resonance to flow around him. He didn’t think the Guild Liaison was out to harm him, but caution was warranted.
Jarberry appeared, lounging on a nearby chair with a broad smile on his face. “No need to get all worked up. I couldn’t hurt you if I wanted to, and there’s not much you can do to me. It’s a good instinct to develop, just a little wasted on me.”
“How do you keep getting in here?” Kyle asked, nerves turning into exasperation. “I was told these apartments are secure.”
“Oh, they’re definitely secure. Most C Grades would at least get noticed and announced. I’m just special in that regard.”
Kyle sighed as he deactivated his skills and sat down. He didn’t believe that the purple intruder was out to hurt him, and recognized that there wasn’t much he could do about it if he was. The little guy had means that Kyle just didn’t understand. “You’re something alright. The question stands; why are you here?”
[AS A POINT OF FACT, DR. MAYHEW, YOU ASKED ‘HOW HE GOT IN,’ NOT ‘WHY. HE’S HERE.’]
“Not helping, C.H.A.D.D.”
Jarberry barked out a laugh, hands on his stomach. It took him a moment to calm down, and he leaned forward, making eye contact with Kyle. “I knew I liked the two of you. I’m feeling generous, so I’ll answer both. I got in because I’m the best damn infiltrator in the Courier’s Guild, and I’m here because I have a job offer for you.”
The moment Jarberry finished speaking, an alert popped up on Kyle’s nav bracelet. Kyle glanced toward his wrist, then back at the purple figure. “Go ahead, check it.”
Kyle opened the message warily, the words appearing in the air before him.
Applicant Kyle Mayhew,
The Courier’s Guild would like to extend you an invitation to work as a licensed Courier. Should you accept, you’ll be allowed to take jobs from the public notice board for which you’re qualified, as well as special jobs where you’ve been requested by name.
If you choose to accept the offer, further details will be provided.
We look forward to hearing from you soon.
-Collective Courier’s Guild
Kyle read the message over. It was vague, which made him suspicious. He tried his best to hide it, though beneath Jarberry’s appraising eyes he might as well have been an open book. “I can tell you’re not convinced, and I get it. You feel like you don’t have options, and you don’t want to get stuck with a deal you don’t like. Believe me, if anybody out there understands, it’s me.”
Kyle raised an eyebrow. “Forgive me if I’m not going to take that at face value.”
Jarberry nodded, his jovial smile gone. “And that’s why I’m here, in person. Tell me, kid, what do you know about imps?”
Kyle considered for a moment, then shook his head. “On a universal scale, nothing. I don’t think I’ve heard about you before. I take it you are one?”
“Yep. There were never a lot of us, but you could almost always see a few of us out and about. Let’s just say that my people made a bad deal a few centuries back. A really bad deal. And now I’m it, as far as I know. I wouldn’t want anybody else put into a position like that.”
Jarberry paused a moment, seeming to contemplate something before continuing. “I’ve got an eye for people, and I can tell your path is a unique one. You’ve got potential, and I want to see you realize it. If you do, I think you’ll be able to help me with a… side project once you’ve grown. Both of you.
“So, if you’re looking for the catch, it’s that I’m gambling on you getting strong enough to matter. At the same time, I’m confident the Courier’s Guild will give you the opportunities you need to get there. With eyes like mine looking out for you, I can guarantee you’ll find them.”
Kyle regarded the imp for a moment, looking for any sign of deceit. Jarberry was apparently a C Grade with centuries of experience, and Kyle knew that he wouldn’t win this game of mental chess. Ultimately, he wanted to work with the Courier’s Guild to begin with. If the fit was as good as Jarberry hinted, then it was a relationship that could be beneficial. If not, he could find a way to untangle himself down the line.
The worst outcome for him right now would be to get stuck – unable to find work in the factions, unable to retest, and with an openly antagonistic force working against him. That wasn’t something Kyle could accept. Kyle let out a breath, set his jaw, and nodded. “Then I’m in.”