The cruiser is dark and silent as dawn starts to break over the horizon. It's been a long night, and you're still at the window thinking about seeing your long lost wife again after all this time.
As you admire the beauty of Aria's sunrise, you can hear a door open and close in the hallway. Shortly afterwards, you hear Tom's voice from behind you.
" 'Morning, Donny. "
Tom says as he yawns before approaching you at the window.
" You're still standing here, huh? "
You take a deep breath before you respond to him.
" Yeah… Just thinking about Ariel. I don't know if I'm ready to see her again… What if she doesn't remember me? What if she's moved on? "
Tom gently puts his hand on your shoulder as he reassures you.
" I'm still having a hard time wrapping my head around how she ended up in Voldoor as well, but when we see her, I'm sure she'll still love you just as much as she did before. Knowing Ariel and who she was, she would never seek someone else after you, even after all this time. The love that you two shared was unlike anything that I've ever seen in all of my time within existence. Both of you would rather die alone than be with someone other than each other. "
Your eyes begin to water and Tom turns you towards him and wipes the tears from your face before giving you a hug. Your heart aches and you sob silently in Tom's embrace before he continues speaking to you.
" You're a good man, Abbadon, and when we see her again, I'm gonna be right beside you. Getting you back was a pretty big deal for me, and I'm sure getting Ariel back is going to feel the same. "
" Thank you, Tom. You're the best brother I could've ever asked for. "
You say to him as you let him go and wipe your face with your sleeve. Tom looks at you with a gentle smile before looking down the hallway towards the main area and asking you a question.
" You ready to go be with the others? "
You nod your head and you both begin to walk down the hallway into the main area of the cruiser. Once you both emerge from the hallway, you see Roary sitting on one of the couches eating a plate of pastries with sugar all over his face. You notice one of Gareth's clones standing next to him with a pink apron on pouring him some coffee and the remaining clones sitting at a table drinking coffee as well. Everyone immediately looks at both you and Tom as you enter the main room.
" GWOOD MWORNING!! "
Roary yells with his mouth full of food as he waves you. You and Tom both smile and look at each other before taking a seat on the other couches. Gareth's clone with the pink apron speaks up and asks you both a question.
" Breakfast? "
" I'm good. Thank you though. "
You respond to Gareth politely. Tom also shakes his head, refusing Gareth's offer. Tom then immediately takes note of Roary's behavior and asks him a question.
" Uhm… Roary? Aren't you supposed to be against Voldoorian cuisine and beverages because of the technology required to make them? You look like you're enjoying yourself a bit too much… "
Roary then grabs two more pastries and shoves them in his face before laughing and answering Tom with a full mouth.
" Hwey! Nwormally I'd bwe agwainst it, but after that bwig fwight, I rweally nweeded to eat swomething… "
Roary smacks his lips loudly and you try to hold back a laugh as you stare at his powder covered face while he tries to swallow all of the food that he crammed in his mouth. Finally he swallows the food and continues answering Tom.
" My options were either eat this abomination's food or starve! I needed energy so I took him up on his offer. I'm not gonna lie though, this is probably the best breakfast I've ever had… "
Gareth's clone smirks as he walks back into the kitchen and puts the pitcher of coffee back into a machine.
" Now now, Roary. Calling me an abomination might be a little uncalled for, but I'm glad that my Voldoorian cuisine was pleasurable for you. Would you like sevenths? "
" SEVENTHS?? "
You exclaim as you look at Roary flabbergasted. Tom giggles a bit under his breath as Roary's powder coated face goes red as he responds.
" Hey man! If a Champion is gonna eat breakfast, his breakfast better be fit for one, amirite? Plus, I need the extra energy in case we get into a fight once we're in Voldoor. "
You then hear Mimi speak up from the hallway entrance and you turn around and make eye contact with her as she speaks.
" Good morning, Star Faller! Can I have some breakfast too? "
" Sure thing, little one. I'll make another batch of pastries just for you. "
Gareth's clone says from the kitchen before he brings a fresh batch of pastries into the main room and sets it on the table. Mimi walks over to you and sits next to you on the couch as she munches quietly on the sweets that Gareth prepared. One of the other clones then immediately stands up from the table and makes his way into the main room to sit next to Tom, and the other clone leaves the room and walks down into the hallway. The clone sitting next to Tom addresses the room as he speaks loudly.
" Alright, everyone! We're ahead of schedule and we're set to arrive in Voldoor this evening. As per the arrangement, I've had outfits prepared for each of you so that you don't attract any unwanted attention within the city- "
" How are we almost there? It should've taken at least a couple more days for us to arrive. "
Tom says as he interrupts Gareth in a surprised demeanor. Gareth turns and looks at Tom patiently as he answers.
" We were set to arrive in Voldoor in a few days if we were to abide by the laws of travel between Moriarch and Voldoor. Since this matter is of the utmost importance, I thought it was acceptable to travel faster than the agreed upon speed for cruisers in Aria's atmosphere. I bought you more time. You're welcome. "
" It's not the law that I'm concerned with. The speed that we'd have to travel in order to reach Voldoor in a day would be more than fifty times the speed of sound. Even the most impressive cruisers can barely reach speeds that fast, and it's incredibly risky because the ones that can reach those speeds can barely handle it. Are you saying that you just risked everyone's life on board in order to simply save us time? "
Tom says to Gareth in a skeptical demeanor as he stands up. Gareth looks at Tom with a cold stare and answers with a rebuttal.
" Like I said before, this cruiser is the best that NaxTech has to offer. It's so good, in fact, that it blows every other cruiser out of the water and it's not even available for public use. Yes, there was a risk involved; but by my calculations, we only had about a four percent chance of this cruiser seriously malfunctioning from traveling at such a speed. I made the calculated decision before we left that a 96% chance of success was worth the two days of extra time that we'd have in the city. "
" Four percent is still an unacceptable risk that we shouldn't have taken. This cruiser could've exploded. From this moment forward, don't make any more calculated decisions regarding our mission without consulting me first. "
Tom says in a serious tone. Gareth nods with a smirk before you remember what Gareth said last night and bring it up.
" Last night you said that the Czar would be unavailable until our scheduled time. Why would you have us reach Voldoor early when you knew that we'd still have to wait regardless? "
Gareth then peers at you out of the corner of his eye as he answers you.
" Speaking to the Czar isn't our only objective. I thought that I'd make it possible for you to handle your secondary objective first, that way once you complete your primary objective, there would be no further business for you in the city and you can leave immediately afterwards. "
Tom then speaks to you telepathically without breaking eye contact with Gareth.
" He wants to observe us, Donny. He's been infatuated with us and our abilities since meeting us and I'm sure this is a way for him to buy more time with us. He wants to be there when we investigate The Devil's Den. "
In order to test Tom's theory, you propose something to Gareth.
" Well Gareth, since we'll be in the city for a couple days before we meet with the Czar, how about Tom and I go on with our investigation regarding The Devil's Den alone and we'll regroup with you right before the meeting? "
Gareth turns to you and answers with a determined glare.
" I'm afraid that won't be possible. I am contracted to ensure that you remain safe until the time of your meeting with the Czar. I will be staying with you at all times in order to ensure that my contract is fulfilled to the letter. "
You and Tom both look at each other in acknowledgment for a moment as Tom sits back down on the couch. Then the clone that walked into the hallway reemerges with several changes of clothes and begins laying them out onto everyone's lap as the other Gareth clears his throat and goes back to addressing the room.
" Naturally, Voldoor's society is very classist. These clothes are some of the finest and most expensive outfits that the Voldoorian marketplace has to offer. If you're seen in the city wearing these, you're bound to be pegged as a member of the High Temple and therefore you'll command respect from the city's inhabitants. "
You see Gareth's clone put a change of clothes on Mimi's lap as well, so you speak up curiously and ask Gareth a question.
" Why does Mimi get an outfit? Wasn't she supposed to be staying on the cruiser until Tom and I are finished in the city? "
Tom then glares at Gareth suspiciously as Gareth answers calmly.
" Due to the cruiser traveling at such high speeds, we'll be handing it off to a NaxTech maintenance technician once we arrive. That means we'll be exiting the cruiser and leaving it in their hands for the duration of your stay. Not to worry though, I've already made reservations at a luxury suite right next to the High Temple Tower so Mimi can stay in the suite while you and Tom are in the city. "