Fate Points - Ch 93 (Patreon)

“This is not in humanity’s interest!” Joline said primly.

“Sorry, Joline,” Michael answered quietly, “I won’t be reduced to being a guard.”

“You’re a healer.”

“I’m more than that.”

She visibly controlled herself. “You can’t expect all of us to follow your little band. That entire group has to do what you want because twenty of you wanted to stamp your feet and dictate what the community should be doing. That’s ridiculous.”

“We’re not dictating anything!”

“Just black mailing us by declaring that you’re leaving with over half our fighting strength.”

“Joline, it’s not like—”

“But it is,” she interrupted angrily. “That’s what you’re doing. What are we supposed to do?”

“I don’t know. It’s up to you.”

“You’re a long way from stupid. What you’ve done will force us—”

“I’m not forcing anything.” Michael retorted. “You can make your own decisions. I don’t think accusations and cheap guilt making attempts are productive. Ultimately, it’s our choice and your choice.” He waved at Joline and Thumper and a large clump of healers who had all voted to stay. “Is your own. You need to own it and us crowding your space while you do so doesn’t work. Guys,” Michael waved over all of them. “Everyone who is committed to continuing to be a nomad let’s go outside. When they’ve decided whether they’re coming with us or staying, we will then decide what to do with those who don’t have an alibi, collectively.”

“Doc,” Thumper said quietly. “We’ve already decided to stay. There is nothing to discuss.”

Michael nodded seriously. “You’re probably right, but if over half the warriors are leaving, the decision of the rest of us might have changed.”

Thumper looked around and lots of the people who had previously voted to stay were not meeting his gaze. “Wait, a moment. We had a vote, and the decision was to stay. I don’t think it is right that you change the rules after the fact.”

“We’re not in a democracy and we haven’t changed the rules. Tom said quiet clearly before the vote that he would not stay here to be a guard and I think it was pretty clear he expected others to have the same decision.”

Thumper looked like he was going to explode.

“Let’s not get hasty. Tom,” Joline interceded quickly. “What’s wrong with putting down roots here? Helping support the crafters to get levels has got to be best for humanity.”

Tom checked with Michael to see if he wanted to answer but the healer wanted nothing to do with it. “There are huge bonuses that you’re not aware of for developing quickly. Titles for being first in the competition that both grant ranking points and strength. We need to get as many of them for humanity and because of my lucky start maintaining the snowball is on me.”

“Others are in the running for the titles as well, not just Tom,” Keikain immediately said in support. “We need combat.”

“Yes,” Tom continued. “In a month, a lot of these opportunities will vanish. The competition is clearly designed to reward front runners, and I wish to stay as one of them.”

Joline cleared her throat effectively interrupting what was probably going to be a rant from Thumper. “Basically, you got a lucky break with the wasps got you a few titles and you want to leverage them to get more. Maybe you are over selling your skill set and going more cautiously is better for you long term. Ninety years of growth as opposed to a blazing ten?”

Tom considered it for a moment. “Trust me very few of my titles are related to the wasps. Most are for other achievements. I’m confident that pushing myself is in humanity’s best interest.”

Thumper looked a little annoyed at the answer. “You won’t change your mind?” he snapped, ploughing straight back into the conversation.

“I’m not stupid enough to head off by myself. But providing I get a couple of teammates to support me, then I think I can beat anything in the local area. I’m not reconsidering.”

Thumper frowned. “Your team. Have you discussed this?”

Tom shook his head. “Not directly, but there’s been an unspoken assumption that it was going to happen.”

“Speak for yourself,” Sven called out. “I like walls.”

“It’s a moot point,” Michael interrupted, ignoring Sven who was clearly playing around. “Over twenty people have voted they want to be nomadic. No one is asking Tom to head off by himself.”

Thumper kicked the ground again in frustration. He did that a lot. “I reckon you guys are making a mistake.”

“Maybe, but you’re not going to argue us away from trying.” Michael told him.

“We need to discuss,” Joline said quietly. “And I think that is better done only with the people who are committed to staying.”

Michael nodded good-naturedly to his fellow committee members. “I know what you’re planning, Joline, but it’s fair enough.” He sighed. “Nomads, move out.”

They quickly funnelled through to the exit from the fortifications.

“Hey,” Thumper called out. “Do you think it’s wise leaving so many crafters under protected? We’re all on the same team.”

Michael spun angrily. “We’re giving you time to construct your plans. Don’t use dumb third grade psychology to try to guilt trap us.”

“We’re using it because it’s appropriate.” A female voice proclaimed to them. “Holding a gun to our heads. It’s not right. It’s selfish.”

“It’s wrong.”

“Think about humanity.”

They kept walking as a variety of other pleas and insults were thrown at them. There was clearly a majority that wanted to stay in their fortifications and buckle down. A handful of them had reacted angrily to them leaving and the reduction in personal safety that would represent. Presumably in their heads the fighters were at fault for refusing to respect their victorious vote. All is fair when bullying the minority if the alternative is your own death.

Tom listened and bit his tongue until they were clear of the fortifications. “Don’t they understand! We don’t get anything personally by protecting them?”

“They’re not our problem.” Thor agreed.

“They sort of know.” Sven told him. “A few of them are in denial, though.”

Michael gathered everyone together. “First, any objections to what I’ve said so far.”

No one raised a complaint. It seemed all the people who wanted to get stronger were happy to set off on their own. Tom’s own inner explorer was shouting in excitement.

“Good.” Michael said. “I don’t like it, but I think we have to do it. My next question is what happens if some suspects want to follow us?”

Silence deadened at that. “Unfair to leave them and unfair to take them.” Sven observed immediately.

“To hard to bring them and supervise them,” Thor looked around the group, counting. “There’s only twenty-three of us.”

“We’ll end be closer to thirty,” Michael interrupted. “There are eight scouts on duty and I imagine most, if not all of them will join us.”

Thor grunted. “Still.”

There was a babble of conversation, but the general view was that no matter how they were describing them the suspects were prisoners and it would be better if they stayed where static defences would be built.

“Plus,” Sven said suddenly. “Imagine if there’s a titanic battle. Most of us are injured and the monsters still out their stalking us and will be for the entire night. We will not be able to watch them then.”

“That’s true.”

“They’re not convicted,” Clare interrupted. “And they’re human too.”

Tom noticed Sven making eye contact with Clare, and his eyes widened slightly.

“Letting them stagnate is almost like betraying humanity,” Keikain suggested abruptly.

“One of them is a murderer.” Thor spluttered.

“Supposedly.” Keikain shrugged.

“What do you mean supposedly, everyone else has an alibi?”Thor asked in surprise.

Keikain made an uncertain face. “Maybe the murderer’s able to fake an alibi.”

“The murderer can already do too much,” Michael interrupted. “I’m pretty sure faking an alibi is a branch too far. Tom?”

“What? This isn’t my problem.”

“You spent the longest in DEUS’s trial. Out of those suspects, were any of them in the trial for over twenty years?”

Tom felt his memory kick in. He recalled the faces of each of the people and the numbers that he had assigned. “Two were better than average. Numbers nineteen and twenty-seven.”

“Lower than me,” Michale observed. “I know I wouldn’t have been able to purchase the skills the killer has shown.”

“How about you Tom?

“What do they have? Sound cancelling, ability to knock everyone out probably the victim as well, enter a room unnoticed so stealth, that weird thing they’re doing to the earth. I’m not sure that even if I resorted to some single use purchases that I could afford all that and come through at rank seven or above. There’s not enough contribution points, let alone do all that and have a way to have got one of those alibis. You would need a fully functioning doppelgänger.”

“That’s what I think,” Michael agreed. “I reckon it might be some sort of curse. Kill regularly, get extra power type of deal with the devil, but even then I can’t see them having all the skills they’ve shown, plus a clone.”

“Or the GODS doing a sneaky trial. Maybe all human groups are affected.” One of the crafters who had joined them suggested.

“No,” Michael said definitely. “I’ve read the accounts of eight different groups and none of them mention murders or any similar sort of trial. It’s just us in this situation.”

There was a babble of surprised noise from several people.

Michael held up his hands for silence. “None of the others have reported unknown attackers. Monsters, other species, environmental challenges, but nothing like a killer stalking them.”

“What do their experiences look like?” Sven asked.

“There is good engagement, but less than a fifth of the human groups have been involved. Eight hundred thousand of us might be dead or more likely haven’t explored the auction house enough to find the loophole. In terms of progress, very few of those in active contact have lost large numbers of people, but there is survivor bias there. If they’ve been wiped out, they can’t send anything on the auction house.”

“We wouldn’t even know.” Sven muttered.

“Um, yes and no. We have a buddy system. We monitor ten groups, a similar number watch us. If entire teams are being eliminated, that will let us know. So far, there has been no wholesale slaughter. Overall, I think we’re going okay. Three quarters were thrown into the wilderness like us, but a quarter was closer to civilisation. Most ran away as quickly as possible. A few groups stayed close. Some of those have been captured and put to work, one lost about a third of their number to a single farmer. Others are free and hiding, raiding chicken coup equivalents. Very mixed for those close to other species and all of them with less development and ranking points. Better to stay well clear till we’re stronger.”

Sven cleared his throat. “We’re being side tracked but back to Clare’s point the suspects are all human. We need them out earning ranking points.”

“To dangerous.”

“Let them come if they want.” Sven continued. “If there’s another murder we can force the remaining suspects to leave. Hopefully, by then, they would have a couple more ranks and have a chance of survival.”

“I’ll back that.” Michael said.

There was movement near the entrance that they had left.

Joline stood there and waved them back in.

“They’re going to have voted to stay.” Michael said with a frown.

“Why do you say that?” Tom asked curiously.

“Human nature. That since we built the walls, we’ve defended them. People are getting experience. There is unlimited food and people don’t like change. Finally, the fact Joline came out. She would only do that if she feels like she is winning.”

“I don’t get it,” Tom complained. “We’re all in the top million. None of us are the type to sit on our bums.”

Michael gestured. “Human nature is to support stability. Back on Earth would forty percent of people would have voted to go out in the wilderness where they’re likely to die?”

“I’m not–”

Michael interrupted his response with a wave. “Scrap that question. I sometimes forget how young you were. Most people won’t willingly abandon comfort and safety. It takes a certain type. The tutorial biased us toward that type of risk taking, but numbers means lots of people got through even through their instinct is to turtle up.”

“Was that you?”

Michael arched an eyebrow at that. “Yeah, I’m the first group. I used to go hunting monthly.”

When they entered the fortifications, the setup had changed. Most people had backed away to leave four spokespeople to greet them. A secondary council, so to speak had been formed. Joline, of course, was at its head, Bob, Seong and Thumper as the new inclusion. “We’ve voted to stay.” Joline said simply. “We would like to discuss roles and responsibility of those who leaving.”

“What?”

“We’re staying. We’re going to form a base for you adventures to fall back to. That has value to you, and we want concessions for it.”

She said it with a straight face like it was the most obvious bit in the world.

“And what if we don’t agree?” Sven asked immediately.

“Wait.” Michael interrupted with a hand toward Sven. “Are definitely going to stay?”

“Well,” Seong said doubtfully.

Joline glared at her. “Yes, we’re going to create a town here. Isn’t that right Seong?”

Seong hesitated once more. “I’m—”

“You know you want to.” Joline interrupted. “We’ve got the numbers we need.”

“Yes.” Seong admitted finally. “We’re building a town here.”

“How about you all?” Joline had turned to face the others. “Are there any circumstances where you will change your vote?”

Tom grimaced where he saw some expression hardening, and the bobbing of heads. It felt like despite their being a tentative agreement in place that there had been no firm decision made, more of an intention. This little spat between Seong on Joline had changed that. The larger group had made what looked like almost a unanimous decision. Tom knew there was no way they were going to change the larger group’s mind even if they tried. Maybe them splitting and creating a home base was, for the best at the very least it was inevitable.

It sounded like trumpets went off in his head.

Instantly, Tom’s spear was in his hands. It was impossible to ignore the noise. They had all been conditioned for this. The GOD’s announcing an event and he and from the expressions of everyone around were all caught within it.

Then entire fortifications were abruptly encased in a translucent blue dome.

Tom waited for the announcement that he knew was coming.