The Prologue

--The Enclave--

“Oi, Red, why’s that light blinking?” Jace asked the computer.

“How was your nap, Hollow Man?” the computer asked back in the voice of a small child. “Have I mentioned recently that you snore very loudly?”

“Shut up,” he grumbled, rubbing the back of his neck “And stop calling me ‘Hollow Man’, you little snipe of a program. I made you.”

“Like hell you did. I will stop calling you Hollow Man when you stop calling me ‘Red’, jackass.”

“Kids shouldn’t swear.”

“The things I learned from you.”

“Oi. The flashing light.”

“It’s a notification. The lab has sent the test results from the latest subject. Host Compatibility: 28%. Test Number 290: Failure. Candidate Status: Deceased.” As the computer spoke, the statistics show up on screen.

Jace tapped his finger. “290… How many candidates are currently up for testing?”

“There is currently a pool of 1580 potential candidates,” the computer reported. “However, of those 1580, 90% have a predicted compatibility rate of under 25%. Failure is expected.”

“And the other 10%?”

“8% have a predicted compatibility rate of under 50%. The remaining 2% have a predicted compatibility rate that is higher than 50%, but does not exceed 80%.”

“...What was the predicted compatibility rate of test number 290?” Jace asked, fearing the answer.

“81%.”

Jace tsk-ed and asked, “What the hell happened that a guy with a predicted compatibility rate of 81% had a final rate of 28%?”

“She was not the one it was looking for,” the computer corrected.

“He, she, it - I don’t give a damn,” he said, waving a hand in the air. “I give a damn that we are having so many failures. How picky can these damn things be?”

“They are looking for one specific individual, Hollow Man. I also want to remind you that, while I understand your motives, I do not approve of the way you handle the living resources.”

“Let me worry about the ethics,” Jace told the AI. “Trust me when I say, when it comes to finding the needle in the haystack, burning the haystack down is the best way to find it.”

“And if the needle melts?”

“Shut up. Hey, why is the light flashing again?”

The computer beeped, and the AI dutifully reported: “There is a new candidate. Predicted compatibility… 90%.”

“90%?” Jace asked, his eyes going wide. “That’s… Isn’t that the highest compatibility we’ve seen so far?”

“It is.”

“Pull up the profile.”

In seconds, Red brought up the image of a young woman with brown hair and blue-grey eyes, reporting: “Name: Hadassah Graydon. Age: 26. Race: Human. On the Enclave less than 6 months. Profession: English Literature and Language, Assistant Professor at Da’Viare University. Academy: LeX. Major: Intergalactic Cultural Studies. Currently Enrolled In: Introduction to Intergalactic Communications, Intergalactic History I, Introduction to Intergalactic Literature. Listed Community Activities: University Tutor: English, Assistant Instructor: Art. Listed Extra-Curricular Activities: Art IV, Martial Arts I. Class: Not Applicable. Rankings: Not Applicable. Titles: Not Applicable.”

“TheirWorld information?”

“Character Name: Guin Grey. Tutorial: Completed. Level: 0. Class: Not Applicable. Fate Quest: Dusk Candidate.”

A Dusk Candidate… “Red, how many Dusk Candidates have we had?”

“TheirWorld logs show that in the past six months of operation, there have been 5045 Dusk Candidates.”

“And their predicted compatibility ratings?”

“There is no pattern worth reporting on.”

Jace sighed. “... Have the men bring in the 2%.”

“And this girl?”

“Not this one. Not yet.”

“What are you planning, Hollow Man?”

“I want to know why her rating is so high,” he said. “I’m going to watch her.”

“Stalk her, you mean?”

“Don’t make me sound like some creepy old guy.”

“You are a creepy old guy.”

“Shut up.”

“Be careful, Hollow Man.”

“Of?”

“If you fall in love with the needle, you will turn into sleeping beauty.”

“I'm a beauty already, aren’t I? And that story is about a spinning needle, Red.”

“Oh.”

“What’s the location of our little princess?”

“Are you leaving?”

“Yes.”

“Finally!”

“Shut up and tell me.”

The computer gave off a boop boop boop sound, and Red said, “She’ll be headed to Da’Viare University shortly.”

“...Inconvenient.” There was more than one person at Da’Viare that Jace didn’t want to run in to. Jace raised an eyebrow looking down at yet another flashing red light. “Why is it blinking again?” The machine was silent. “Red?”

“The Creator is gone,” the girl’s voice said.

“What? ….The prison?” he asked, lowering his head.

“The Traveler was contacted.”

“Traveler?” he looked at the monitor in shock.

“Creator wanted to die,” Red told him. “He asked to.”

“You knew?” Jace asked. “Why didn’t you say something? I could have— ”

“It is the Traveler’s duty to maintain balance,” the AI informed him, not for the first time. “It was his decision to make, not yours. You have other duties.”

“Still-”

“I thought you were leaving?”

“I am.”

“Then get lost.”

“You are so mean to me…”

“Of course. I hate you.”

“Why are you with me then?”

“You are needed.”

“It’s nice to be needed,” he said, putting on his coat. Going to leave, he added, “If you see Creator in the Burial Grid, say ‘Hi’, for me.”

“It is outside my program’s capability to communicate with the Burial Grid.”

“Is that so?” he muttered. “Ah well. Nothing for it, I guess. I’m off then!”

“Goodbye, Hollow Man.”

“See ya later, cheeky shit.”

The death of the Creator was one thing, but a candidate with a predicted 90% compatibility rating? Now this was something he had to see. Too bad she was heading toward the university; he would have to be careful how he moved if the Traveler was keen on killing Tenmath. Had he noticed the experiments?

As he stepped out from the Varier Corporation building, Jace looked up at the sky that hung above them. Wait for me, he whispered to the atmosphere, to the world beyond it that was his home. I’ll get home, Erica. Just you wait. I’ll burn all the worlds to the ground and everyone in them if I have to.

For now though, it was one step in front of the other. For science - and the future.