Dark Matter Ascension
Chapter 5 – It costs an arm and a leg

The Vyrknadine bucked up and almost tossed Jace off. He wrapped his legs around the monstrosity like a vice and hung on for dear life as it bucked and tried to coil back in on itself to bite him. Flattening himself against it, he felt around with his fingertips until they latched into small grooves between the chitinous plates.

But he was right on its midsection. It began yelping in an unsettling, grinding growl.

Oliver shouted as he flew above the fray, "Don't let it buck you!"

Jace could only grunt in reply as he was shaken every which way. The creature twisted in circles trying to get within bite range and Jace dug his heels in as best he could. Just as he had expected, the chitinous shell prevented some movement - and he was right on top of the largest one.

If he moved, he would die. I just have to outlast it. Get it to tire itself out. He could feel the strain on his thighs and knew he could not keep up his grip for long. It'll probably outlast me. Think, Jace. How do you get to the head without getting bit?

He tried to steady his breathing and looked for any discernible pattern to the jostling movements. Left, right, forward, spin clockwise, yelp. A pattern began to emerge. A repetitive movement that creatures at the top of the food chain would never change, because why would they? The same as the corpos that Jace knew to avoid because they would always walk the same. I just have to time it right. Just like a pickpocket.

When the creature howled, its sides contracted slightly. That gave Jace a moment to shimmy up its body and re-tighten his legs around its midsection. Then, on the clockwise spin, he moved his right hand up to another one of the segmented, chitinous plates. When it moved left, he would move his left hand up, still palming the knife to use once he got to a weak spot.

But, despite getting closer and closer to the creature's head where he was sure he could deal some damage, he felt fatigue and muscle cramps set in. His thighs were quivering from the constant pressure they were applying, and this creature continued its thrashing with boundless energy.

Just go for it! Jace thought as he felt the creature inhale for another yelp. He yanked himself forward and stabbed the blade down into the side of the creature's neck. Must've severed the windpipe, he thought as the expected yelping howl did not emerge from the creature's throat. Only the hiss of air escaped through the bloody gap he had carved. Viscous, green ichor spurted out. But the knife was stuck, and even as he tried to pull it free, the tight muscle kept it pinched in place.

"Good hit!" Oliver encouraged. "Keep it up!"

Jace's thighs gave out and he went flying off the creature, feeling himself tumble head over heels before he rolled to a painful stop. The blade was wrenched from his grip and he was defenseless with the wind knocked out of him. Pushing himself up to his elbows, he saw the creature begin to turn. Despite the injury he dealt it, the knife was keeping the creature from suffocating as the metal was squeezed in between folds of flesh. Damn it!

He scrambled over to the courier satchel and began to open it as the creature charged at him. Time seemed to slow as his palm biomarker activated the lock, and he withdrew the fluid-filled bag that sparkled with metallic flecks. Looking up with it in his hands, he saw the maw opening. The tunnel of razor-sharp teeth descended toward him.

Instinctively, he kicked up at it with his left foot. It dragged him in the dirt as the teeth crushed and ripped the metal apart. The creature jerked left and right, and Jace felt the prosthetic give way as he was left with a ripped, metal stub.

The monstrosity tried to swallow the prosthetic, but the limb got stuck in its throat. The creature began to hack and wretch, trying to dislodge the metal. The foot refused to be blended by the teeth deeper in the throat, and it did not have the bite-force of the jaws to grind it down. Jace flipped over on his stomach and was able to reach up and pull his knife free.

Air hissed out of the Vyrknadine's neck as blood bubbled out with its breath. The creature flailed left and right, trying to dislodge the limb. "Choke on it!" Jace shouted as he let out a laugh of triumph. "Choke on my foot and die!"

His elation turned to horror as the creature was able to rid its throat of the offending appendage. It turned to him with a snarl; the slit where he had carved healed over. It can regenerate? The creature growled and pounced. As the maw opened and descended upon Jace, he shoved the bag of the mysterious ferrofluid into its maw. The teeth destroyed the thin, plastic bag and the thick, metallic goop spread all over the inside of its mouth.

The teeth chomped. Jace screamed as the creature ripped his right arm away, the limb removed elbow-down. He writhed in agony, not even noticing the now-convulsing monstrosity. He dropped his knife and cradled his maimed arm. I gotta tourniquet it, he thought as the pain was lost in the onset of shock and his survival instincts kicked in. Get away from the threat. Patch up. Survive for her.

Ignoring the flailing predator, Jace crawled back to his clothes, pushing himself through the dirt and grass with his good foot. He made sure to keep on his back to prevent the limb from touching the dirt and possibly getting infected. Reaching his pants he used his teeth and his good hand to tie off the leg of the clothes onto the stump. He tried to avoid looking at it, not wanting to trigger a panic response and be frozen in shock entirely.

"Holy crap," Oliver muttered in shock. "You did it! I cannot believe it!"

<<<<<>>>>>

[Quest Completed: Defeat the Vryknadine.]

[Time Limit: N/A.]

[Reward: Epic (Hidden Location) Boon.]

<<<<<>>>>>

Jace leaned back and let out an exhausted laugh. Oliver flew over him and looked down from above with a bemused and astonished expression. "I can't believe it. I must be dreaming."

"I…wha?" Jace muttered in response as he felt dizziness overtake him. He leaned over and retched as the pain began to spread from his severed limb. He slumped into the recovery position on his side, instinctively pulling his knee up to keep himself from falling on his face and suffocating on his own sick.

Oliver no longer had any sound of disappointment in his voice. Instead, the deep voice was filled with astonishment and wonder. "You should look at what you did."

"Mmm," he felt like he was in a fog. "Too dizzy…" The pain surged through his arm and pierced the foggy haze.

"Take a few minutes, I'll keep watch." Oliver floated up into the sky and out of Jace's vision.

Jace took shaking breaths as he looked at the severed appendage. The metallic fluid had hardened, and he untied the tourniquet with his teeth. I survived, he thought. This Boon better be worth it. Lost an arm and a foot. He knew that if he gave in to despair at this moment, he would be vulnerable. Survive.

The vertigo slowly faded, and he used his good arm to push himself up. The creature was lying still, and he dragged himself over to it, inspecting the corpse. Oliver floated above him, descending to hover above the creature.

Its face was towards him, and Jace could see the metal that had coated the inside of its mouth before hardening. "I got you," Jace whispered with satisfaction at slaying the creature. Something he had never encountered; an actual, wild predator…and he came out on top. He had killed before, but nothing like this. A primal force of nature was far different from anything he had encountered.

"You should get dressed," Oliver said.

"I need to rest a bit longer. How do I use this Boon?"

"Just ask me to use it for you."

Jace weakly nodded, "I hope it's close."

<<<<<>>>>>

[Using Boon: Epic (Hidden Location).]

[Uploading information to Wayreplaceer.]

<<<<<>>>>>

Oliver smirked as a map appeared floating above Jace. "It's only a mile away," the otter commented.

Jace nodded, "If I can rig my foot onto my stump, I can make it."

"We cannot harvest this thing. Not in your current state. Want me to break it into Stardust? You cannot use it now, but we can start saving up."

"Sure."

Oliver floated down and waved his paws over the Vyrknadine. It glowed with a bright, powder blue light that was coated in sparkles like glitter. In an instant, it vanished turning into a silvery-grey powder that flew into Oliver's paw before vanishing.

<<<<<>>>>>

[Stardust Acquired: 500.]

<<<<<>>>>>

Jace knew he was still in shock from losing his arm, and that he would have to reconcile with the loss soon enough. But survival was more important, and he needed to keep himself distracted. "Is that a lot?" Jace asked weakly as he began to look around for his spit-up foot.

"It's enough to go up a level, from 1 through 25." Oliver flew up higher before floating back down and pointing to Jace's side. "Your foot is over there."

Jace nodded and dragged himself across the small battlefield, gathering his now-empty satchel, his prosthetic foot, and the rest of his strewn-about clothes. He was exhausted, but he dressed himself and was able to use a slashed-off bit of fabric from his pants to tie the chewed-off foot onto his stump. He would have to move slowly, but he could walk if he shuffled that foot forward. "Which direction?" he asked.

Oliver floated in front of him and pointed, "This way." Jace began a hobbled-walk after the floating Wayreplaceer who kept talking. "I have never seen an Aspirant defeat a top-Tier creature. That is one for the history books. You will be the talk of all the Wayreplaceers!" He let out a hearty laugh as he twirled in the air. "I finally got a winner! Well, if you survive long enough. Let us hope this Hidden Location has what you need to survive. Holing up for the full seven days would be the smart play."

Keep the conversation going. Just ignore it for now. Jace weakly replied, "Do you talk to other Wayreplaceers often?"

"When you go to sleep, I go back into The Cosmic System and can chat with other Wayreplaceers. We share stories and information. You do not have to be sleeping for me to do that."

"Can other people listen in on those conversations?"

"Well, sometimes we do talk to some of the Factions of Ascended. Keep them informed of up-and-coming Aspirants who could be recruited."

"Let me guess…you're going to brag about what I did here?"

"Damn right!" Oliver smiled, his little whiskers arcing upward accentuating the expression. "I have been the butt of so many jokes. Finally, I can shove a successful Aspirant into Jeremy's face !"

"What happens if a faction shows interest?"

"Depends. They can send you Quests, just like The Cosmic System can send Quests. If you choose to dedicate yourself to them - pledge yourself to their cause - then you are called a Signer."

Jace nodded as he slowly trudged along following his spectral companion. The night sky had fully encompassed all and there was no moon to light his path. Only the light cast by Oliver provided any illumination. Jace paused and stared around at the waving grasses, taking in the view. It was a stark contrast to the streets he knew so well. But those street skills had kept him alive.

The night was oddly peaceful. Glancing down at his arm, he grimaced knowing that life was going to be much, much harder in the next few days. The feeling of loss welled up in him, and he cried. For the first time since losing his sister and being stuck in a crappy hospital with literal rats chewing his stumps…he felt overwhelming sorrow pour over him.

…Damn it. Why? First his feet, and now this? Sure, he was alive. But the loss of a part of him, the near-death experience, the rush of adrenaline that now left him exhausted…it was too much. He collapsed to the ground and sobbed.

Oliver floated over, "Hey…come on now," he softly said. "Just, look up. See the sky? It is beautiful. Come on, we are almost there." His voice was gentle and had no trace of gruff disappointment. "Just look up…please."

Looking up, Jace saw a sea of starlight and cascading red nebula that arced in clouds across the vast expanse. The sight was…soothing. Calming. He felt a sense of peace wash over him as he was reminded for a moment of the promise he made to Chroma. To escape Earth and live out amongst the stars. It fortified his resolve. It's just an arm. You'll get a new one. A better one. Survive for her. Bring her back. Push forward.

He staggered to his feet and kept walking forward.

He kept talking to stay awake and stave off his sleep debt. "What happens if I reject a Quest?"

"Nothing. If you accept and then fail a Quest? You could be penalized or punished. It depends on who gave it. The Cosmic System will not punish or penalize you; but Factions could."

"Good to know," Jace muttered. "Mind keeping my achievement a secret?"

Oliver frowned and pouted as he crossed his little arms, "Why?"

"I don't think I want my name spreading around right now. I mean…look at me. I'm a dead man walking."

Oliver waved his paw dismissively, "If I share word of your accomplishments, then Ascendants will reach out and offer Quests. Sometimes easy ones; like walking a certain distance. It could be a straightforward way to get a lot of Common Boons. Think of it like them buttering you up to try and get you to become a Signer for them."

Jace silently contemplated Oliver's words. Having more Quests could give me a huge leg up in surviving. But this Hidden Location Boon might be good enough for me to hold out the whole week. If it is…I can get this Cosmic Power and a Class. Without having to rely on some faction who might see it as indebting myself to them. But…I need medicine. I don't want to risk an infection. "Fine. Feel free to share. But let's use a code name so they can't track me down easily in The Eternal City or back on Earth."

Oliver nodded slightly, "I suppose I can do that. Any ideas?"

Jace thought back to his time as a teen when he left the orphanage. He fell in with a group of street kids who were also homeless, and the two adults who acted like their protectors. He made a name for himself. A nickname that had stuck until he sold himself for his new feet. "Flicker."

"How'd you come up with that?"

Jace smiled at the fond memory, "I was good at being seen and then getting out of sight. Made me good bait so the other kids could pull off scams and rob people."

Oliver flitted over to a rock that was well-concealed by the grass and barely poked out over the top of the stalks. "Right, well, Flicker…this is it." He let out a raucous laugh, holding his tummy with his paws. "I am sorry. Flicker? You sure?"

Jace trudged over, nodded, and gripped the edge of the rock's underside. To his surprise, the rock was extremely light, and as he lifted it, he saw a hole descending into darkness with an ancient, wooden ladder. Oliver began flying down, and Jace clambered down after his Wayreplaceer, closing the rock entrance behind him.

"I mean…really? Flicker? It sounds silly."

"Hey, screw you," Jace replied. "My sister came up with it. Show her some damned respect."

Oliver looked up at him, "How old was she when she came up with it?"

"Five," Jace replied. "She died two years later."

Oliver's expression shifted to one of regret, "Oh…sorry. I did not know."

"Well, maybe don't be an asshole before making assumptions," Jace snapped back as the Wayreplaceer went silent. He was in pain, felt exhausted, and angry. "I'm-" He stopped himself from apologizing for the outburst. He does not deserve my forgiveness. Not after doubting I'd survive.

Jace descended, gripping the rough, creaking wooden ladder. The instinct to reach out with his now-missing hand was ever-present, and he felt the phantom limb attempting to grab the object. He eventually made it to the bottom and landed awkwardly on his one good foot, and the barely-holding-on prosthetic.

Oliver floated in front of him - his guiding light - and pointed down the tunnel. "Look at the walls."

Jace did so, feeling the familiar sensation of slight electricity moving through metal. "The walls are charged. Minor electrical currents." He looked over at the otter, "How advanced were the people on this world?"

"It was at the equivalent of your world's Renaissance, but they had really potent magic." He pointed at the walls. "I would bet it is some type of way to keep this place from being found. The walls are a single sheet. See? No seams."

Jace felt where Oliver pointed and nodded, "Some type of secret base?"

"A good guess." Oliver floated down the corridor, pausing to make sure the light he shed illuminated Jace's path.

The duo turned a corner and were met by a large, metal door. It was the same material as the walls and floor. As Jace touched it with his palm, he could feel the faint tickling of electricity flowing through the substance. It had small rivets that could be pried out, but that would take time. There was a keyhole. Easier access. Perfect.

"We don't know what the species that lived here could have been doing this far out from their cities," Oliver muttered as he crossed his arms, still in information-providing mode. "Hey, what are you doing?"

Jace pulled out his knife and wedged it into the lock. "Once you've seen one piece of security tech, you've seen most of it. All I have to do…" he trailed off as he focused on prying the tumbler into an open position. "Got it!" he shouted with elation as he heard the loud click. Didn't even need a lockpick. Their security really sucks.

The door opened slightly, and the scent of dust and stale air hit Jace's lungs. He coughed as he waved away the dust. Oliver flew inside the room and began looking around the austere, square chamber. He pointed up at the ceiling, "Decontamination shower, I think. Maybe this was a research outpost."

Jace staggered in and nodded. He looked back at the door and shut it, resetting the lock. He sagged down to the floor, the feeling of safety washing over him. "I'm going to…" he felt his sight dimming. I should clear this place out first.

Oliver floated in front of him, "I am sure this place is safe. Get some rest."

Jace numbly nodded and surrendered to the darkness closing in on all sides, trusting the word of his Wayreplaceer.