Chereads / Rise of the Admiral / Chapter 3 - How to Gain a Follower

Chapter 3 - How to Gain a Follower

Gabe had left his apartment complex and was now walking down the busy streets, taking in the new and exciting sights.

Around him he saw various people, all about their day, some walking together in groups, while others walking by themselves, their eyes glued to their phones.

"Well at least some things haven't changed. Humans are still obsessed with their phones in this universe as they are in mine" Gabe mentally thought.

"Of course. While this is another universe and there are various differences between your people and the people of this universe, fundamentally humans will still be the same. Even across the various universes" The system responded back.

"Anyway how am I suppose to get someone to pledge their loyalty to me?" Gabe retorted.

"Gaining the loyalty of an individual means that you have got their complete trust and that they will follow you even in the most dangerous of situations" the system responded.

One of the reasons why Gabe had walked out of the apartment was to look at his new enviorment and maybe come up with a way to complete his first mission.

However even after walking the rest of the day and getting lost a time or two he was no closer to figuring out how he can get someone's loyalty. Its not like someone would jump right in front of him and beg him for help. Life just didn't work that way.

With a loud crash a young man, probably the same age as Gabe was thrown out of a building right in front of Gabe. Looking at the sign, Gabe noticed that it was a medical clinic. From the size and general condition, it was not a large or successful clinic.

"Get lost you orphan brat!" what appeared to be a security guard yelled as he turned back around and closed the doors to the clinic behind him.

"Please sir! My brother is dying! Save him please!" You young dirty youth cried in utter 0desperation.

The young boy was covered in dirt and grease. He was wearing nothing but torn and stained rags for clothing, many sections missing.

The boy was wailing in desperation, as he banged on the entrance doors of the clinic, a scene which tore at Gabe's heart.

The scene in front of him made Gabe recall old memories of his childhood at the Orphanage that he grew up in.

His parents had abandoned him at the orphanage a few weeks after he was born. Apparently they could not handle the hardships of raising a child. So they had decided to drop him off at a church run orphanage where he grew up.

There he met his new family, seven other boys and girls of various ages, each he considered his brothers and sisters.

So growing up he had one younger sister and two younger brothers as well as two older sisters and two older brothers, and even before his death he was still close to each one of them, except his younger sister.

His younger sister had a rare disease called Neuroblastoma which was rare and aggressive form of child cancer. With the orphanage being poor, there was no money for her to receive the treatment needed to help her, so Gabe spent a few years watching his sister slowly wither then pass away.

The resurfacing memories brought tears into Gabe's eyes as he looked at the young man in front of him.

"Hey, what's your name?" Gabe walked up to the young man and reached out his hand for the boy.

The dirty youth looked up with his red irritated eyes still sobbing and took his hand.

"My name is Aiden" the youth responded.

"Well Aiden, what is happening to your brother?" Gabe asked.

"My brother is dying from cancer. He has something called Neuroblastoma" Aiden replied.

Aiden's brother suffered from the same condition Gabe's younger sister did, surprising Gabe.

Aiden's brother had been receiving treatment from the clinic that has been helping to slow down and manage the progression of the disease, however, the disease suddenly became much more aggressive and the treatment was no longer working.

As a result, Aiden had gone to the clinic and begged the doctors to save his brothers. They had a way to save his brother but the treatment would be extremely expensive and there was no way the poor boys could afford the cost.

Gabe thought for a moment and made a decision.

"What are you willing to do for your brother to be saved?"

Aiden look at Gabe and without hesitation answered "Anything"

With a smile Gabe nodded at the young man and walked closer to him, putting himself right next to his ear and whispering.

"I can save your brother, but at a price" Gabe quietly whispered into Aiden's ear.

Aiden looked at the stranger before him in disbelief. He could tell the Gabe was about the same age as him and from the cloths he was wearing, he wasn't to wealthy either. However, his brother was extremely weak and he was desperate.

Aiden nodded and lead Gabe towards his house.

Saying it was a house was giving more credit then what was deserved.

After walking for another thirty minutes and making various turns, the environment changed. The futuristic buildings and fancy floating cars slowly began to disappear as they were replaced by dirty roads, broken brick buildings, and a smell of garbage.

Aiden had lead Gabe to the slums.

After walking down the narrows streets, they ended up in front of an old abandoned factory surrounded by a fence.

At first Gabe thought that they were just gonna pass by the building until Aiden walked towards a section of the fence that had a decent sized opening and walked through.

Gabe followed and paused to look around after stepping through to the other side of the fence.

The building was definitely abandoned. Materials littered the floor all around, broken windows and rusty metal framing showing off the age of this unmaintained building.

Aiden was walking towards the main building and opened a rusty metal door and walked in, Gabe followed.

Inside the room was cleaner then he had expected.

Going into another door, Gabe found himself in what was probably the old workers resting area.

Inside the room he could see a kitchen with a table and chairs, sink, refrigerator, and stove. Further down the room leading into a hallway he read signs that said bathrooms, boiler room, supply room etc.

Finally Aiden had stopped in front of another door. There was no sign on the door.

As they walked in Gabe was greeted with the foul smell of sweat, urine, and decay. The smell hit him like a bolder. Gabe forced himself not to gag from the stench with much effort, though looking at Aiden it seems like he was use to the smell since there was no reaction from the young man.

In the room there was a bed and on that bed laid sickly young boy, Aiden's brother.

Gabe saw the warm smiles exchanged between the two as he watch Aiden walk up to his brother and gently held his hand. There was purse brotherly love between the two siblings.

It was obvious that the two had depend on each other. Being along in a big city and having to live in these harsh conditions, the bond that the two shared was tempered by the struggles they faced together.

Aiden looked back at Gabe giving him the que that it was his turn to walk up.

He walked towards the brothers. He had been thinking to himself how he would handle the brothers and convince them to follow him. He had decided to go down the path of the mysterious old man.

While he was not an old man, he could definitely act mysterious. Hence he straightened up and released a cold aura, looking at the two with cold glaring eyes.

"I have the power to save you young one, but what will you give me in return? Gabe said in a domineering voice.

Both brothers looked at Gabe with slight terror in their eyes. Aiden was dumbfounded. The man he brought earlier did not give off this chilling feeling. In fact it felt like this was a completely different person compared to the young man he saw in front of the clinic.

"I will give you my life it you can save my brother" Aiden responded before his brother could say anything.

"What use is your life to me? What can you do!" Gabe retorted back.

Aiden didn't know what to say. Its like like he had anything to give. He was just a poor boy with nothing except his younger brother.

"I just want my brother to be happy sir" responded the weak voice of Aiden's younger brother.

Both Aiden and Gabe looked at the younger brother, Aiden with a look of shock and worry, while Gabe had a slight smile on his face.

"Then do you not wish to be saved?" Asked Gabe.

"I just don't want to be a burden for my brother anymore. He has done so much for me already. I just wish i could do something for him." the younger brother replied.

Aiden looked at Gabe with tears in his eyes. He had apparently started crying again at some point.

"I want my brother to be healthy. I want us to have a home for ourselves, a place where we can belong." Aiden began to say before Gabe cut him off.

"Very well then"

Gabe walked up to the younger boy and pulled out the Nano-injection from his inventory. To onlookers it would appear as if the small syringe just appeared out of nowhere into his hand.

Without hesitation Gabe put the syringe into the younger brothers arm, pushing the silver like liquid into his body.

Taking a step back he looked at the younger brother as he waited for something to happen.

Suddenly Aiden's younger brother started coughing aggressively, until he started to puke out black coagulated blood. After he had finished puking, he passed out.

Aiden was in absolute horror. His brother had puked out black foul smelling blood and had passed out. He looked in anger at the instigator and screamed.

"I thought you said you would save him! He is dying!"

Gabe simply ignored Aiden and stared at the young boy. Though on the outside he looked calm and collected, on the inside he was also freaking out.

The system had told him that he had injected the Nano-serum into the boys bloodstream and that it had removed the impurities from the boys body, that is why the young boy had begun to vomit.

Now the nanomachines were fixing the damage done from the long term effects of the disease in the boys body, slowly repairing his atrophied muscles and weakened bones, strengthening his organs. The process was painful so the nanites had put the boy into a comatose state.

After the system explained it to him, Gabe explained it to Aiden.

Both stood their watching the younger brother, patiently waiting to see any changes.