“Say what you want, I don’t like it.” The old man huffed, crossing his arms. Kyle smiled to himself at his grandfather’s gruff tone. He had always been a strong critic of the Central Authority’s methods, and it was no surprise to hear this kind of response.
“I’ve got a couple of great options I think, and I know they’ll pay me well for the right selection. Rowan in surgery got a fifteen percent pay bump and an extra week of vacation this past Tuesday when they finished their analysis for him. I’m at least as talented as he is, and with some extra vacation time we could go on another trip or two before…” Kyle tapered off, still adjusting to the reality that his grandfather only had two, maybe three years left.
Picking up on his grandson’s discomfort, Clark gently placed his hand on Kyle’s shoulder and met his eyes.
“Before I die. Kyle, I came to terms with death well over a century ago. I’ve fought for my life alongside the Originators more times than I can count. I have seen and done things I never could have imagined as a young man. And while an extra trip together would be an incredible blessing, the most important thing to me is that you have a secure and established future. Selling your skills for some extra benefits from a pencil pusher who’s never had to accomplish anything with their life is just… wrong.”
Some of the heat had returned to Clark’s voice, and Kyle knew it was time to shift the subject. If there’s one thing Clark could do, it was vent about the government. Kyle looked into his grandfather’s deep green eyes and smiled.
“I’ll think about it. Now enough dawdling, let’s get on with your checkup. C.H.A.D.D.?”
The Central Health Automated Diagnostic Drone, referred to as C.H.A.D.D., floated over from the corner of the room.
[YES DR. MAYHEW?]
“Pull up the chart from the December thirteenth visit. I’d like to refamiliarize myself before we jump in. C.H.A.D.D. hummed briefly before projecting a holographic model of Clark, notes appearing along the sides. Kyle had expected it, but even so the brilliance of the projection made him shield his eyes.
[CLARK MAYHEW. ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-SIX YEARS OLD. HUMAN, D GRADE. HIGH PROFICIENCY MANA PROJECTION. SEVERE SCARRING SURROUNDING LUNGS AND LIVER, HEART FUNCTION DETERIORATING. MISSING LEFT KIDNEY AND PORTION OF LARGE INTESTINE DUE TO INJURY DURING INTEGRATION. SCARRING ALONG THE SPINAL COLUMN….]
C.H.A.D.D. went on like this for some time as Kyle refamiliarized himself with his grandfather’s endless lists of injuries. He looked at the model of Clark, the scars crossing his body the reminder of the price his generation paid for the peace they now enjoy. Clark was the last remaining D Grade human on Earth, and the sheer amount of mana the projection illustrated was staggering. Clark’s body looked like that of a worn old man, but even these simple diagnostic scans showed that he was anything but.
Even so, the cost of the power had been surviving a perpetual warzone. As he looked at his leathery skin and myriad scars, Kyle came back to the same conclusion – peace and weakness was a significantly better alternative to strife and power.
Satisfied with his review, he turned to the small floating drone. “C.H.A.D.D., please run a full diagnostic.” The drone floated up past Clark’s bushy white beard to rest even with the top of his head, and slowly floated in a circle around him, the panels lighting up as they absorbed ambient mana to replace the energy being used to move and diagnose. The drone finished its tour around Clark’s body and highlighted three points in his torso.
[DIAGNOSIS COMPLETE. SMALL TEARS OPENED UP NEAR AORTA AND LEFT VENTRICLE. ADDITIONAL DAMAGE NOTED NEAR LIVER.] While Kyle knew he wouldn’t be able to fix all the accumulated damage his grandfather had taken over the years, this news at least put a smile on his face. These injuries were small and in challenging locations, but as a newly minted level 20 Healer he knew this was well within his scope.
Kyle closed his eyes and entered a brief meditative state, looking inwards towards his core. He reviewed the sight he saw earlier and the three new skills available to him, REGENERATION, BIOWEB, and MICROSUTURE. He had focused a lot on precise internal medicine over the last couple of years and it had paid off with two skills at level 20 that would let him further specialize. He considered taking MICROSUTURE there in the room to reinforce the precise healing he was going to administer, but decided to wait. While he thought that would be the preferred route, he’d still leave it to his supervisors.
Instead, Kyle allowed his mana to flow into his hand as he gently placed it on his grandfather’s chest, then manipulated it as it flowed out from him in a small regenerative wave. Slowly C.H.A.D.D.’s sensors indicated the tears had been repaired, at least for now. Satisfied that he’d at least done what he could, he looked up from the drone’s display to see Clark looking out the window with wide eyes. He turned quickly towards Kyle and wrapped his arms around him as the ground shook and the world went black.
Earlier, Clark looked on with pride as his grandson went to work analyzing the image projected by the little drone. All day he’d felt a strange sense of unease, and seeing his grandson in his element did a great deal to calm him. He could have received medical care anywhere in the world if he wanted, but he still chose this small western frontier town to visit Kyle.
The medical services available at Kyle’s clinic weren’t as robust as the larger cities, but it also gave him an excuse to get out and spend some time in the wilderness. He missed the days of being able to take Kyle with him on a whim, but seeing the young man engage with his patients and the excitement in his eyes when he talked about his work made it more than worth it.
That soured a bit when he thought again about Kyle discussing his next skill choices. He was still frustrated by the Central Authority’s control over these young minds – the Originators wanted peace for their loved ones, but Clark couldn’t help but think that they’d disagree with the methods currently in place as much as he did. After all, they left the planet to pursue their paths, despite the dangers and conflicts they’d encounter.
He was the only D Grade that decided to stay, and despite his misgivings he couldn’t help but admit that he too had enjoyed peace. He watched his children grow old, watched their children blossom into fine young adults, and had the opportunity to experience nature alongside them without the threat of a life-or-death struggle. He looked out the window as Kyle began his healing administrations, feeling his grandson manipulate the threads of healing mana through his torso.
The mountains in the east were easy to see beyond the small city, despite the growth Newton had experienced over the last several years. It served as a meaningful reminder of what had been accomplished despite the odds, that the resilience and adaptability of mankind is something not to be underestimated.
Suddenly, a glimmer in the sky above the mountains caught his eye. He saw what looked like small, shimmering comets appearing in the air above the city, then a series of blasts kicking up dust behind the mountains. The cloud of dust from the explosions rapidly approached the city, already beginning to cover the outskirts before his instincts kicked in.
He projected his mana around the room and activated PROUD BULWARK to provide an outer barrier of defense. He then grabbed Kyle and activated IRONSKIN to bolster his own resilience and put himself between Kyle and what would soon be a collapsing building. Lastly, he manipulated the projected mana with CLOUDFORM to soften the area around them as much as possible. The wave of destruction hit the building, and everything devolved into chaos as they fell into the rubble.
Kyle woke up with his body screaming in pain, feeling like he had just been hit by a bus. He couldn’t remember what had happened, but as he looked around pieces started to crystalize in his mind. He had been with his grandfather for a routine appointment when… when… Kyle stopped. He saw a small circle around his position that was relatively undamaged, but around him was absolute devastation.
They had been on the third floor of the clinic, and he could clearly see what remained of the seventh floor strewn about just a stone’s throw away. Kyle whipped his head around as he realized that something had gone wrong, only to instantly regret that decision as a sharp pain stabbed through the back of his head. Almost instinctively he muttered
“Damage to the skull, possible concussion? What other injuries could…” A rustling nearby broke his chain of thought as a question chimed out from under some nearby rubble.
[ATTEMPTING TO DIAGNOSE DR. MAYHEW. ERROR. UNIT HOUSING BLOCKAGE. TROUBLESHOOTING… ERROR. DISCONNECTED FROM WALL HOUSING. DIAGNOSING… ERROR. UNIT HOUSING BLOCKAGE…]
Kyle limped towards the sound as a large piece of rubble began to shift, then saw Clark moving it with his one remaining arm. Kyle went pale as he saw his grandfather. He had a long gash across his forehead that bled freely, and he appeared to be missing an eye. His beard was matted with blood, and his torso was covered in cuts and bruises.
Kyle got to his side as quickly as he could, his body moving on its own. It couldn’t be. They were supposed to have years yet. He had so many more things he wanted to learn from Clark. So many more places to go and memories to be made. But as he poured healing energy into his grandfather, he knew it was too late. This kind of healing was just too far beyond Kyle’s ability to fix. Clark looked up at him and smiled.
“I’m so glad you’re okay. The barrier held up against most of… whatever this is. But I had to throw you out of the way of the last falling pieces.” Clark seemed about to say more before a wet cough interrupted him.
“Save your energy, I’ll get us help. Just don’t move, don’t talk. We’ll figure something out.” Kyle was talking faster and faster as he grew increasingly frantic, his words broken by sobs. Surely there was something, anything he could do.
Maybe if he – a scarred, leathery hand tousled Kyle’s hair.
“We both know it’s my time. Kyle, I want you to know that I’m so, so proud of you. It’s been one of the great joys of this old man’s life to see you grow up. Know how much I love…”
Another coughing fit interrupted him briefly, but Clark continued. “I don’t know what happened, I don’t know what’s going to happen. But whatever it is the world will need bright young people like you to make sense of it. The life of an old codger past his prime for a young doctor seems like a good trade to me.”
Kyle was holding his grandfather tight, tears streaming down his face. “I know this isn’t fair of me to ask, and I hoped you’d never have to live this kind of life. Kyle, whatever is out there, whatever’s going on… survive.” With that, the hand dropped from Kyle’s head, lifeless. Clark Mayhew, the most powerful man on the planet, was gone.
~~~
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