After the End C14
12 0 0
X
Reading Options
Font Size
A- 15px A+
Width
Reset
X
Table of Contents
Loading... please wait.

Stevo and Debbie sat in shocked silence as the detail slowly settled in their minds.   Stevo was the first to ask a question.

"Invasion?"  He pondered aloud.  "Aliens?"

"In a sense,  but not the sort you are thinking of.   I get the feeling it will be fantasy creatures and the undead,  similar to what we face in the other place."  replied Kahlil.

"There are stories of a time before monsters in the other place,  which I am convinced is real by the way, they talk of an invasion, and skirmishes that have continued ever since."

"But what about our armies,  guns,  bombs,  tanks?" Asked Debbie,  with a concerned expression clouding her face. 

"Magic." Replied Kahlil with a shrug.

"We need magic of our own!"  Stevo exclaimed.  "Apart from the glow rings,  which are cool,  and healing potions,  I don't think I have seen much else magical?" He continued.

"You guys are still low level.   Once you get your intelligence above 15 you will unlock an attribute called Mana Sense". This is the ability to feel,  store and use magical energy.   Once you get that,  you can start using simple spells.    As your Mana Sense attribute rises,  so your magical talent will improve."  Kahlil passed on this information whilst staring into space.     It was as if they only had part of his attention,  whilst the rest of his mind was elsewhere.

"Stevo,  I think in a few weeks time you should quit your job.   In the meantime take out as much credit as you can,  it's not like you are going to have to pay it back!"

"Debbie,  when your internship ends,  tell your Dad you want to go back to university.   That will get him off your back,  and give you more time to train."

"I'm going to find us a base of operations,  somewhere out of town."  Kahlil seemed far more focused as he gave out instructions. 

"If you don't mind K,  as I'm here,  I thought I might work out?   I've found it helps me to think." Asked Stevo. 

"Yeah,  I was going to take today to rest, but I could use the exercise too.   Can I borrow a T-shirt or something?"  Added Deb. 

"Sure,  go ahead guys!"  said Kahlil as he took a luminous green T-shirt off a rack and passed it to Deb.   It had "The Power Station"  in large bold print on the front, with  a stylised barbell underneath,  underlining the text. 

A few minutes later Debbie was riding a stationary bike,  pedaling steadily,  but well within her limits.   Stevo meanwhile was alternating sets of dips,  with sets of chins.   Although he'd not been training for long,  he could already comfortably do sets of five chins.   When he first started. He could only do a set of three,  and that half killed him.   He was improving fast. 

After his fourth set of chins,  he reached for his water bottle,  when he suddenly got a notification. 

Attribute Point awarded!   Strength +1!

Stevo was delighted!   It meant that his theory was correct.   He called across the empty gym to Debbie and told her the news.   She was happy for Stevo,  but also a little miffed that she hadn't been awarded a point yet.   Perhaps it was because she was in better condition when she was recruited?   It had motivated her to keep working hard though,  she now wanted to get 2 points before Stevo got another one! 

Stevo did a few sets of barbell curls next,  before climbing onto a stationary bike next to Debbie.    He had spoken to Kahlil,  and liked the idea of brief,  intense gym work,  followed by cardio to finish off.  Twenty minutes on the bike and he would be done.  Tomorrow he would pick another couple of exercises,  and maybe finish with a 1500m row on the rowing machine.

Soon they were sitting in Stevo's Mini,  and he started the engine to take Deb home. 

"Are you going to quit your job Stevo?"  Deb kicked off the conversation by jumping straight to the heart of the matter. 

"Yeah,  I think so.   I have to give a month's notice,  so in a few weeks I will do that.   We both know something bad is coming,  and if for some reason it doesn't, my qualifications  and experience will get me hired somewhere else pretty quickly.   What are you going to do?"

"Before she died,  my Mum was always trying to get me to go into teaching.   I think I will tell my Dad tonight that I have decided to apply to start back at Uni in September.   I will be getting a chunk of money from Mum's will in a few weeks,  so it's not like I need to be doing this internship.   I think Dad just set it up to stop me moping around the house."

"Sounds like you've got a plan then Deb."  Stevo was hesitant for a moment,  then continued,  "What are we going to do about family and stuff when this all kicks off?   I don't know how my Mum's going to cope.   What about your sister,  and your Dad?" 

"I have no idea!   It terrifies me Stevo.   Perhaps we can get them to whatever place K ends up getting?   I bet there will be jobs that need doing.   We need to think about this some more."

Stevo pulled over outside Debbie's house.   The flicker of the TV was visible through the net curtains,  someone was home. 

"Right,  well good luck talking with your Dad.  Message me and let me know how it goes."

"Thanks Stevo,  talk soon."  Stevo watched Debbie dissappear into the house,  then pulled away from the kerb and started heading for home.  As he saw the glow of the "Golden Arches" appear in the distance he though to himself "Sod it,  I bet a year from now I'll kill for a Big Mac and fries!"  He turned into the drive through and put in a massive order!  Two Big Macs,  9 nuggets, fries and and apple pie! 

Stevo parked near the river,  and started picking at his feast.   It was getting dark and there were few people about.   A small,  grey man,  the sort that Stevo might once have become in another 25 years,  walked past with a weary looking Labrador. 

Between fries,  Stevo pulled out his phone and opened his bank app.   His savings account had almost seven grand in it,  and there was another fifteen hundred pounds in his current account.   He'd get paid again in just over a week.   He was doing OK.   His home was paid for.   It had belonged to his mother who had been renting it out for years,  but when Stevo turned 21, she signed it over to him as a gift.   Should he sell it?   Or get a loan against it perhaps?

It was a lot to think about.  Stevo dipped a nugget into his barbecue sauce and pondered his options.  Outside the confines of the Mini,  the Grey man's dog did it's business on the footpath by the river,  looking at Stevo throughout. 

0