Monday, January 15, 2018

Taking the reins of power

"It is a terrifying fact, that once you start on the path of power you can never go back"
~Jefferson Lane Smith, PHD dissertation MIT&T (2056)

**********

I sometimes wish I had read Doctor Smith's dissertation before beginning my studies of the deeper mysteries of magic.  There are 'things' out there you will wish you never knew about.  Things that have a way of showing up in your dreams and corrupting them into the foulest nightmares your subconscious can construct.  The idea of some of these things is enough to destroy your peace of mind.  But once you start on the path, once you become an initiate, the potential you see in the next secret you uncover, the next technique you master, or the next metaplane you discover will tempt you.

So magician, be warned, if you would seek the higher mysteries, know that you can never step off the path to power.  Cherish your sleep for some entities, once known to you, will steal your peace.
~ Tommy 'the machine' Gun

***********

April 21st, 2058

I was a new man.  I had a new identity, a new apartment, and not much money left.  I wasn't going to starve, but I was going to need to raise some cash.  It was time to get back to work.

I headed down to the Brick Yard. I hadn't been down there since Valentine's Day and I wasn't sure how I would be received. I landed in the parking lot, released the invisibility spell I had used, and walked around to the front door.

Little Rickie never looked 'little'.  He was the largest person I had ever seen and was terrifyingly fast.  The hand cannon on his hip was to large for me to comfortably carry, much less to fire, and every time I saw him I felt a need to be very polite.

He saw me coming from the parking lot, gave me a subtle nod, and opened the door for me. That was the first time he ever did that. Inside, the Brick Yard was had just a few people in it.  A trio of orcs I saw around pretty often, a few new faces, and a handful of runners I had pulled jobs with, were eating lunch.  The noise of soft conversations punctuated by a random laugh was refreshingly familiar.

I made my way to the bar, and saw Sandy hustling over to me.  She had the same tusky smile I was accustomed to. She had given birth months before, but I hadn't seen her since before she delivered her triplets.   "Mr. Gun!  Where have you been?  Hungry?"

I smiled in spite of myself. "Yeah, Sandy that sounds great. Whatever Solomon has in mind is fine, a hot chocolate for me, a plate for you, and can I get a triple of the best rum for Solomon?"

Sandy kept smiling, nodded and said "It's good to see you Mr. Gun. Thank you."

"My pleasure Sandy", she hustled into the kitchen.

Solomon sent out a plate with a blackened sea bass filet, a boneless chicken breast glazed in a Jamaican jerk sauce, and a bowl of gumbo.  That dwarf can cook!  I took my time, savored every bite, and when Sandy next passed by I asked her if Sheila could see me.  "I can ask." was all Sandy could offer me.  I nodded and got to work on finishing my meal.

I met with Sheila X fifteen minutes later.
***************

Sheila X had first showed up on the shadows of the Seattle Metroplex sometime in the early '50s.  By the time I had taken my first job from her in 2056 she was someone any up and coming runner hoped they would hear from.  No one ever crossed Sheila X. Or, if they did, no one ever heard of anyone living to brag about it.  She was all business, and I have to admit that I knew nothing about her of substance.

I was walking back to her usual booth and thinking very hard about how she might react. The last time I had been here, I had loosed a powerful spirit, leveled a room full of tough guys, and shot a man in the hand.  Blood had been spilled and I had a bad feeling that kind of thing was going to seriously lower my value in Sheila's eyes.

I walked up to her booth, and sat down across from her. The curtain slid closed silently, blocking out the rest of the world.  I was alone with Sheila and I wasn't sure whether I should be afraid or not, but I was.

"Tommy" Sheila said in that same business neutral tone I had heard so often.  "You look well.  What can I do for you?"

"I'm sorry Sheila." It came out of my mouth before I realized I was even ready to speak.  I took a breath. "I'm sorry your place got shot up."

Sheila's expression might have softened just a tick, "Tommy, I thought you might have come down here to kill me.  I'm glad I was wrong."  She paused for a moment, looking me dead in the eye.  I held that gaze as she continued, "There are rules even we live by.  Mr. Johnson tried to stomp all over those rules.  I didn't know whether you would take the job or not, but the pay was sky high and you were the best magical asset I had available.  You could have done it, and all would have played out.  You came down in good faith on my offer, rejected the job, and tried to walk away.  Nothing wrong with that.  Mr. Johnson thought he could do whatever he liked. He probably got away with forcing things on people wherever he came from, but not here.  This is my place and no one, and I mean no one, tries to strong arm talent in my place."

I looked away for a moment and found my voice, "I thought you might hold a grudge."

"You don't know me Tommy, and that is just fine.  You did minimal collateral damage, none of my people got hurt, you acted in good faith, and... you took out the trash."  Sheila, took out a pocket secretary and placed it on the table.  "I offered you 50k to be here in an hour and you made it in 30 minutes.  I know you weren't hurting for cash, so that speaks well of your reliability.  When you take a job, it gets done.  I can't fault your professionalism.  Mr. Johnson made it personal, and you did him with extreme prejudice.  People will hear about that, they always do."

Sheila punched up an image from the secretary.  A holo image of a book sprung up, the title was embossed within a circle adorned with symbols of potent magical significance. "I found one of the books you asked about.  I kept that credstick and I'm putting it toward the balance on this.  I've got a job that needs done, and I want you to do it.  Finish it up and you'll have your book."

**********

I took the job Sheila offered.

I don't speak about it and I'm not going to write about it.

**********

April 26th, 2058  0900 hours

Little Rickie opened the door for me as I walked into the Brick Yard.  I was heading to the bar but Sandy pointed me toward the back, so I changed my course and headed to Sheila's booth.

I sat down across from Sheila.  She picked up something wrapped in brown paper and tied with course string.  "If you want more stuff like this, just know that it takes time, and plenty of nuyen." She set it on the table.

I grabbed the package, which was heavier than I had expected, and opened it.  The old hard cover was in good shape, the symbols on the front were intact, and it smelled faintly of old leather.  "Always a pleasure doing business with you," I said.

Sheila actually smiled at that, "same here Tommy.  I'll see you soon."

**********

1030 hours

The power was out at my place, again, so I lit a few candles and set down with my new book. The lighting was dreadful even with the candles, so I bit the bullet and called for a ball of light to hover over my head.  I fixed the spell in my mind, sat down, and pulled the book onto my lap.

My fingers took hold, and I opened my copy of "The way of the Magi".  I read through the night by spell-light. Dawn flooded through my window, and I blinked sleepy eyes that had been studying a complex diagram describing the astral intersection into the metaplanes, and describing the Dweller on the Threshold.

I look back now, and realize I left a lot behind that day.  I committed myself more fully to the pursuit of magic. Yes, I became more powerful after I studied the book and practiced it's techniques, but I wasn't a wiz-kid street mage anymore.

I spent three months studying "The way of the Magi" and practicing the techniques described within.  On July 21st, 2058 I began my first astral quest.  I had become a wizard, and I learned many things on that journey I wish I had not.  'Magi' means "the wise" or "the knowing".  I think the later is more appropriate as wise people wouldn't risk their sanity by seeing the things I have.

My magic had grown more powerful in the process of initiation.  I came out of my astral quest as a full initiate of the magical arts.  I also picked up a handy technique that allowed me to create a self-sustaining mana loop to feed a spell. It made it possible to make a spell permanent without having to focus on it and without having to use a spell lock.  Over the years, I've discovered many uses for this technique.

Let's go grab a beer and I'll tell you my thoughts on personal magical enhancements.  You would be surprised at some of the uses I've seen for a permanent spell effect.






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