Part 15: Interlude

I think I've missed something - Peter Gabriel, musician, did some work on Myst IV?

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This will be a mini-update, setting things up for the next one and for SPECIAL MANDATORY VOLUNTARY AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION TIME, in the next post.

15: Interlude



We rejoin the party in a bar on Shell 4.

I don't trust her! It's her fault we're stranded on Shell 4 in the first place!
She did her best!
My ship was badly wounded, but at least I got us all out of danger.
I won't work with her! She's the one responsible for the death of my family, of Layla's father!
Doskias is your enemy, not me! I want to repair the damage he's done...
I think she means it, Corgan.
Yeah, well, who put you in charge, anyways?



While Corgan, Maya and Selina are having this shouting match, however, someone else has walked up. We've seen him before, but it's been quite a while...


Who are you?
Lord Gunnar, of the Chosen.
Right hand of the Emperor Aspertine himself...
Aah, Selina. The rumours are true, then...it seems Doskias is short one general, eh?
I serve the Junker, Gunnar, if she'll have me.
Aah yes, the Junker. I have been searching for you.
Me?
Reports abound with your name...a Junker from Shell 2, struggling for peace.
I thought the Chosen didn't care what happens to the rest of us.
Usually, yes. But now the Holy Chosen Emperor, who rules over all Chosen tribes, has sent me to stop the blasphemer Doskias before he does even more damage.
Doskias will not be able to do any more damage. He can't unlock the Core without the Keys.

At least Gunnar is up front about the Chosen's attitude towards the rest of the world. I have to wonder at Selina's thinking here, though - Doskias certainly didn't need the Keys to conquer Wind City, level Armstrong, or goad Ankara and Jinam into a war of annihilation.

He has them...stolen from my protection. This is why I have come personally.
What keys?
Ancient relics that hold the secret of communicating with the Core. After we found them, the Emperor chose to wait, holding them until the time of the next Conjunction. But Doskias was not willing to hold his ambitions.
He plans to use the mining operations of Ankara and Jinam to mine the Core - to use its crystalline materials to construct a series of giant lens ships. He'll use them to focus a beam of light to the Core, creating an artificial Conjunction.
With the Keys, he will try to speak with the Core, obtaining the Gift of the Creator - the Kingdom of Heaven. The heretic must not be allowed to obtain such power!
And you want my help to stop him?
Yes. You must go to the lowest world shell, and stop the mining operations he has inherited from the nations he so recently destroyed. If you can delay him, my fleet can attack from the air, destroying his lens ships.
We're in.

Maya is always up for a chance to ruin Doskias's day.

I must return to the upper layer, and assemble my fleet.



Gunnar strides out, but at the doorway, he pauses for one last comment...

I would watch Selina if I were you, Maya...she loves Doskias, and will not let you destroy him.
That's not true...

Selina sounds like she's trying to convince herself as much as the rest of the party. Corgan seems willing to drop the matter for now, though.



And with that - she joins the party! Furthermore, when she joins, she brings with her a present...



...the Summon card. On its own, it's a powerful elementless attack spell, but it will combine with most other cards in the game to hugely amplify their effects. Over the next few updates I'll be demonstrating everything we can do with it at the moment.

For now, however, we have a lot of exploring to do. Our priority here is to find transport to Shell 7, but the World Bazaar is huge - there will be lots of people to talk to, and lots of things to find or buy, and maybe even some extraordinarily unlucky muggers. In the next update, we'll find out.