School was… school. It did serve to give him a sense of time though. He hadn't realized how much his days had blurred just hunting for cores every day. Gerri never spoke to him in school, though she did continue to sit at the table with him and the others during lunch. Yet, each day when he walked home he would find her waiting on his path. She would follow him back and would then just talk to him about Cassandra. She seemed so lively and animated telling him stories that it was almost like a different person. She didn't stay long, always leaving before his father got up for work. He also came to realize she never spoke about herself. Literally, it was always stories about Cassandra. If she was even mentioned it was as some unimportant part. He still couldn't understand her, but it seemed to help her grief. And to be honest, it helped him too. Though often it stung hearing about Cass, it helped him remember her and picture her as she was. Not as the mangled corpse in his arms. Also, until they left that weekend. There weren't any good hunting options, not that he didn't go out each night after Gerri and his dad left.
Thursday came and he walked into his house with Gerri. Only to stop short when he found his father standing in the living room. "Dad?" He asked. His dad was looking at Gerri who was again hugging her backpack and half hiding behind Jake. His father gave him a small smile, happy that his son seemed to be moving forward but also worried that he might be rushing things out of grief.
"Jake." His dad nodded to him then nodded at Gerri, the question unspoken.
"This is Gerri she is…" he started to say Cassandra's Sister. But stopped. "My friend."
"I see. Nice to meet you Gerri." His Dad looked her over trying to think if he knew who she was but came up blank. "Anyways son. I have to go out of town for a while." Only then did Jake notice the suitcase.
"Out of town?" As odd as that would have been before he knew the truth of the world. Now it really made him nervous.
"The next town over, Clover Hills. They are having some power issues and need me to come over to work on it." His Dad explained.
Jake frowned. "Power shortages, like we were having?" Jake now knew that the previous power shortages were because there hadn't been a gamer to farm for the town for a while.
"No. Actually the reverse, they are having some uncontrolled power surges. Nothing they have tried seems to work. So they had to call in the expert." Jake's Dad grinned.
"I see." Jake planned to contact the Mayer right away to find out what really was going on.
Jake's dad left shortly and he rushed Gerri out as well. She seemed sad at first then just apologized for bothering him as she left. Jake sighed feeling guilty. He still knew next to nothing about Gerri, but what little he could piece together was that she really had no friends. Cassandra had been her whole world, more than just a sister or friend. He got the feeling there was even more to it than that. But he had yet to find the courage to try and find out more. Watching her walking down the sidewalk leaving his house, her shoulders slumped he sighed while resolving to find out more about her. Later.
Once she was gone he equipped his helmet, since the day he upgraded his gear it had started coming with him. Well not his boots, but they had allowed them now. Apparently, his ability to bring in his gear without administration approval was a problem. But, like most things he realized. As long as he kept doing his part they were willing to let him get away with a lot.
"Engineer Leru?" he spoke into his mask.
"Yes?" The voice answered almost instantly. He wondered again how close they were actually watching him.
"What is going on with my Dad?" Jake asked.
There was a long pause. "Log in and Game Master Clive will have more information for you." That was not what he expected.
"Can't you just tell me?" Jake asked.
"It would be better if you logged in." She answered instantly.
"Fine." he paused. "I have something I want though."
He could feel the tension in the slight pause before Leru spoke up. "Yes?" They were always eager to give him anything he wanted, normally providing stuff before he asked as if afraid he might have to ask them. Them being so high strung always put him on edge too.
"Can you do anything about Gerri?" Jake asked.
Leru answered, her tone hesitant. "She was tested. She is after all related to… Cassandra McCillen. But, she would only be viable in the safe zone at best. Even that would be risky. She also offers no aptitudes that would be worth the risk." There was a pause. "If you are wanting to do something here…" Her tone went too neutral, trying to mask her worry. "We could arrange to handle any issues that come up, yes."
Jake blinked not sure she was saying what he thought she was. Finally, he shook his head. "I just meant help her fit in or I dunno give her more money or something?" He now knew she lived in the only apartment complex his town had. It was normally where the poorest of people lived. Her mother worked as a cook at one of the local restaurants and as a single parent things were hard.
"Yes. We can see to that." Leru didn't even bother to hide her relief. Jake frowned but didn't have time to think over the strange events.
**********
Logging in Jake wasn't too surprised when Clive nodded to him and pointed to the back room. What he was surprised by was walking in to find it already occupied. There were two people he had never met before. Plus two he had.
Nira's eyes burned into him the moment he entered, not literally at least. Though they did glow with a fiery light. Leah was there, in the corner of the room and he could see the relief in her face at seeing him. Jake knew she didn't get along with strangers well.
One of the strangers was a female tech type with a boxy backpack that made him think of Gadget's drone pack. She even was short like Gadget, but instead of coveralls and her mouse ear hairstyle. This woman in her late twenties wore military fatigues with a plated vest, the glowing lines in it marked it as actually crafted armor. Her shoulder length hair was wild, wavy, and only controlled by the pair of goggles pushed up into them.
There was a tall very pale late teens girl with a blonde braid draped over one shoulder. Her eyes were the most intense blue Jake had ever seen. She wore robes almost identical to what Aero had worn, only with more embroidery on them. She held a staff that looked like gossamer webs shaped into a staff. It looked like it should be crushed under her grip on it but the thing seemed solid.
Jake just stopped in the doorway looking at everyone as they did the same to him. He felt a presence at his back and stepped forward as Clive followed, shutting the door behind them.
"Glad everyone got her so quickly." Clive nodded to the two that Jake didn't know. "I appreciate you rushing over. I have a quest to issue to you five."
Nira glared at Jake even harder at these words while Leah looked to him with concern. The two strangers just nodded as if that was what they expected.
Jake swallowed. "I'm out." He started to turn to leave.
"Clover Hills, the hometown of Aero and Nira." He nodded to the girl. "Is in danger. I believe you said you would be taking care of it, did you not?" Clive asked, he didn't sound angry or accusing. Just as if he was asking a normal question.
Jake tensed before turning around to sit down at the table.
"Good. You having a vehicle will make this easier." He nodded to Leah. "Let me get you up to speed. Then we need you to leave immediately."
**********
Jake was putting a crate into the back of the hover vehicle still thinking over what Clive had told him. The quest was to investigate the Anchor for CLover Hills. That was to investigate the area where the pocket dimension was connected to reality. It also had as he understood it part of the main reactor that powered the dimension. Apparently, each Dimensional Pocket had an Anchor hidden away where they were supposed to be safe.
Clover Hills as he had heard from his father was experiencing strange power surges, but they were affecting a lot more than just the electric grid. His father was going to help them try and stabilize it. Despite not knowing the truth, the electric grid for his town was tied into the system that managed the pocket dimension. They hoped his dad could help manage the issues, at least that was the excuse. Jake wondered if it hadn't been to force him to accept the quest.
Based on what Clive told him, they had tested and checked everything on their end. Which meant the problem had to be on this side. The mission was simply to escort some repair person there. Hopefully, it was something they could fix and not anything too bad.
"So you are this D rank Demon I've heard about." Jake turned to find the short tech woman eyeing him. Her name was Nelli but went by Aoe and her accent was odd. One he couldn't place. She apparently knew the truth as did the other girl, the caster named Cara whose gamer name turned out to be Breeze. He hadn't asked how they found out, he didn't think anyone found out in a good way.
"Don't look so stiff kiddo. We got this in the bag. This one should be a cake walk." Aoe grinned.
"No quest into a perma death zone is ever a cakewalk." Breeze stepped into the vehicle, her movement unusually graceful considering it was hovering waist high off the ground. And she had taken only a single big step to enter it. It was odd to watch.
"Bah. You are a sour as always Cara." Aoe scrambled into the vehicle, her short height made it challenging but she didn't ask for any help. Pulling herself up to practically fall into the vehicle.
"There are stairs you can lower in the back." Leah spoke up from the driver's seat. When everyone looked at her she quickly turned away.
Jake hopped into the vehicle from the rear, ignoring the stairs also. He took a seat in the back, there were seats across from each other with a space in the middle for cargo. Nira showed up shortly after and started to scramble into the vehicle as well, struggling. When Jake pointed at the stairs to lower she glared at him before lowering them. Gave him another hate filled look before sitting down. Aoe shifted over and leaned close to him.
"What did you do? Pump and dump her or something?" Jake blinked at her crude question.
"No." She looked as if she was going to say something else. "I killed her cousin in a perma death zone." The smile on her face fell away and she just nodded while sitting back.
"Where is this supposed expert we are supposed to be escorting." Nira snarled.
"Right here!" The vehicle bobbed some under the weight of the newest arrival. They landed in the vehicle, the hiss of a jet pack of all things going off. They were wearing what looked like a heavy spacesuit. White overly bulky with a huge round helmet. The voice was digitized making it impossible to tell if they were male or female.
Suddenly the helmet opened. "Good to see you again!" Jon exclaimed.