048 – The Pheasant Railgun

Day 4

I decided to sleep on my perks before making a decision. They were both great and came with a horrible opportunity cost. And a clear scolding by the Blessing. I was going too fast.

By social arithmetics far beyond my understanding, Ash and Stephen ended up sharing the bed, while Jamie and Liz slept in sleeping bags on inflatable mattresses.

My plan had been to guard the main entrance in Angel’s shape. I couldn’t even remember the last time I had relied on it, but it felt appropriate for guarding the others. What I hadn’t accounted for was my mind’s reaction to, well, the entire apocalypse.

Without the protection of a sanctified space, sleep was only an opportunity for my mind to process a Best-of reel of the most horrifying moments of the last days.

I begrudgingly joined the others in the small room and curled up behind the door. Deep sleep captured me within seconds, and if the night held any horrors for me, I couldn’t remember them when Stephen woke me up.

He was crouching next to me, the others still asleep. He put a finger to his lips and nodded out of the room. We didn’t stop in the larger room but went over to the lounge, where he sat down.

“Before I get to why I woke you up: Why is your dog shape male? When you ate the heart of a male kobold, you turned into a female version? Sorry if that’s none of my business.”

I shifted out of Angel’s shape and sat down across from Stephen.

“Because the Blessing is weird and my three random daily shapes aren’t random. Some mimic very specific animals, and in this case my childhood pet. I fully embody those shapes as I remember them. The orca was the one from the movie, too.”

“Free Willy?”

“That’s the one. Why did you want to talk to me?”

“Yesterday you asked me if I had any resistance or even immunity potions. Today I woke up to find this in my care package. I have the odd feeling it is not meant for me.”

He pulled a bottle out of his inventory and put it on the table. It was the flared shape of a regular potion bottle, only that the silvery-white liquid inside shifted and slushed with an unseen storm. I examined the potion.

[Potion of Unstoppable Force (Legendary Unique Potion)

Effect: Complete immunity to collision damage or other damage taken as part of a momentum-based attack. Does not provide immunity against successful attacks by others during such an attack.

Duration: 90 seconds

Legendary Unique rarity: Only one potion of this kind will ever be created in this reality. Cannot be crafted, duplicated or infused. Attempts will backfire.]

My stomach dropped. I reached out for the potion but my hand was shaking too much. I didn’t dare spill it.

“I guess that look in your eyes means you have an idea for this?” Stephen asked.

The mannequin that had rested on the other side of the room walked over. Claire leaned forward and examined the potion. She turned her head to look at me.

[“The gadget is recovered. I can be ready within the hour.”]

“Yes, Stephen. One could say I was waiting for this. Don’t ask for details. I don’t dare speak about this out loud.” I was being irrational. This was Fate giving me the go-ahead. Tempting me to do as it wished.

But so many stories were full of fools who had relied on Fate only to falter when it presented its bill. And I couldn’t tell if this was Fate giving me a handout, or demanding payback for everything it had already done for me.

I braced myself and pulled the potion into my inventory. Which immediately granted a Task Completion. I opened the menu to check it out.

[Hold an item of Legendary Rarity

Reward:

First Taste (Trait)

Effect: +1 Luck attribute]

“What the fuck?” I said.

“You got that reward, too? I woke up to it. Any idea what luck means? My guide is stumped, too.”

“Nope.” I went through all my menus. There wasn’t a single mention of luck. I still had four attribute points. I tried mentally allocating them to luck. Nothing happened.

“Is this a joke? Claire? Do you want plus one to luck?”

The mannequin tilted her head. [“What is luck?”]

“I have no fucking clue.” I pulled the bottle out again and put it on the table in front of her.

She lifted the bottle, very, very carefully, and set it back down. She tilted her head the other way.

[“Curious.”]

“Start preparations. We are doing this as soon as possible.”

I stared at the potion. On the one hand, I felt more like leaving a letter or something and just sneaking out. On the other hand, we couldn’t waste the advantage of giving everyone a possibly significant buff to a stat.

Also, success or failure, they’d probably be justifiably miffed if I just snuck away. But if he knew what I was doing, Jamie would justifiably call it hubris.

“I assume you are well aware of how risky this plan of yours is,” Gabriel said. “I am not exactly sure what you are planning, but this potion is very much a double-edged sword. I would say you shouldn’t do this, but it is a unique opportunity. Let me say this much: Declining is an option. It will have consequences, but the consequences you are already facing are potentially lethal.”

“Fuck it. Do it, Eve. Put both of our lives on the line for a stunt that’ll echo for ages. Just do me a favor and give the spectators the finger before you do it,” Lucy said.

“Got it, Lucy. Sorry if I kill us.”

Stephen looked at me. “That kind of plan, hm?”

“I think I shouldn’t have said this out loud. But yes. Can you make breakfast? A plus two could make a big difference today.”

“Sure can do.”

I grabbed the potion and went to the bedroom. My abrupt entrance stirred the others to life.

I leaned over Ash while he turned to see what was going on. I put the potion in his hands, and the moment I saw his eyes flicker to the notification, I pulled it away again.

Then I repeated the process with the other two. My mistake was doing Jamie last, after he’d seen what I did with the other two. The moment the potion touched his hand, it vanished into his inventory.

“Eve. What are you doing?”

“Spreading luck.”

His eyes unfocused while he processed the Task Reward.

“The hell is luck?”

“I have no idea. Can you give me the potion back?”

The potion manifested in his hand.

“How did you get this?”

“Stephen’s care package.”

“What are you doing with it? Besides spreading luck.”

I was about to reply when he cut me off. “No, wait. Just. Let me wake up for a second. I don’t mean to interrogate you, okay? You are just acting a bit more erratic than usual, and it’s a bit scary.”

I took the potion from him.

“I am scared, too. I can’t talk about what I’m doing but… I don’t know how it will end. Your oath. What happens when the partner dies?”

“I will be notified and I can pick a new partner. Technically I can do so at any time, but then the Oath stays dormant for a week.”

“That’s good. I wouldn’t want you to have wasted a perk.”

I started processing my remaining business. I accepted the +1 Luck. I picked Exemplar Leader. I put all four points into Charisma, raising it to 6 with Certified Threat—now I’d get another +1 to Endurance from Mind over Matter.

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“Eve, what is going on?” Ash asked.

“I’m going out and I’ll execute my plan and I might not come back. I hope I do and—” I stopped myself before I gave away the secret. “It’ll be okay. Claire is in on the plan.”

“Can we help?” Liz asked.

“No. Not really. There is no friendly fire protection.”

I turned to the door. “I’ll have breakfast, then I’m heading out. Please don’t try to talk me out of it.”

Jamie followed me. In the lounge, I was welcomed by the sound of sizzling oil and the smell of frying eggs.

“Open-faced egg and ham sandwich on toasted bread?” Stephen asked.

“Damn. That does sound like a last meal.”

“Just a popular German sandwich.”

Jamie stepped into the room with us. He wordlessly sat down at one of the tables. I took the plate from Stephen and joined him.

I ate in silence. Stephen made another sandwich for Jamie.

“No speech?” I asked.