As Monty pulled his hand away from the screen an image of a man appeared on the screen. He had sandy blonde hair and a chiselled face with a jawline stronger than steel. He appeared to be human, but from this distance the image wasn't defined enough to tell.

  A smile stretched across the man's perfectly defined face and his voice came through the speaker.

  “Montarg! My friend, how have you been? Press the button already and let me come and speak in person. It has been much too long! Ha ha ha” The voice of what Jack assumed was Overseer Brandt was deep and gravely, for some reason his accent reminded Jack of beer and sausages. Despite all of that the man sounded jolly and very friendly, which considering how Turrel and Monty had been acting triggered a hesitance in Jack.

  “Of course, Overseer; I will meet you at the warp gate in a minute,” Monty replied as he pressed a few more buttons on the screen. The picture faded and his shoulders slumped slightly as he turned back to the two men in the room with him.

  “Okay, I will be back in a second. It could be a rumour but I think it best if at all possible you avoid outright lying to him. If you don’t feel comfortable answering just say that and I will intervene. Otherwise just answer his questions to the best of your ability.” Sighing once more Monty left the room and Jack shared a look with Turrel.

  “He is fairly new to the upper ranks of the universe, Jack. These interactions are few and far between for most of the Shardlords. In this situation the Overseer is in an almost absolute position of power; as I said before, Monty prefers his problems to be something he can punch. This is not one of those so he is out of his element slightly.” Turrel replied as he pointed to a seat next to him.

  “Now sit and wait, pacing won't help anyone.”

  Jack raised his hands but stopped when he noticed he had indeed been pacing. He nodded and sat down while they waited for Monty and the Overseer to return.

  It didn’t take long until they heard the loud voice from the screen from down the hallway, the door opened as they were mid-conversation.

  “... out of my mind Montarg. At least the next short period of time is looking a little more interesting now.” Overseer Brandt said as he walked into the room.

  Jack almost had to stop himself from doing a double take as he ducked through the doorway. He was getting used to his own adjusted height and not feeling tiny around everyone else. But looking at the man that had just walked in brought those feelings back to the front of his mind. He had to be close to eight feet tall with proportions to match. He was the closest thing to a giant that Jack had ever seen.

  He was wearing a loose-fitting white silk-like material in a baggy shirt with long sleeves. His pants were normal fitting from ankle to knee but from knee to waist were ballooned out giving a distinct MC Hammer look.

  The man was built like a professional bodybuilder, bulging muscles wherever they were visible. Each of his arms being the size of Jack's entire body. Jack was sure he might have felt the floor actually shake a little as he walked.

  He turned and looked over at Jack and Turrel and as he did so Jack caught a good look at the man's eyes for the first time. They were the deepest brown he had ever seen, his eyes had the pearlescent colour replacing the whites that most people had. But his iris was a solid striking dirty brown. His eyes squinted slightly as his gaze passed over Jack.

  “Master Turrel! I almost didn’t believe Montarg when he said you were here as well. Did he finally manage to convince you to join him on his silly crusade?” Overseer Brandt said as he walked over and clamped Turrel in a massive bear hug.

  “Ahh not exactly Overseer, not yet anyway.” Turrel managed to squeak out when he was released. The large man placed an arm on Turrel’s shoulder and inclined his head slightly.

  “Well if you get bored of whatever brought you here and want to come and join my crew when I am finished my placement”—he winked at Turrel—“get in touch, I would be happy to have someone as knowledgeable as yourself around.”

  Jack felt as if all eyes in the room turned to him at the same moment; Overseer Brandt stood up to his full height and moved to stand directly in front of him. Jack slowly looked up and smiled at him, suppressing the urge to thrust his hand out for a handshake with every muscle in his body.

  “Hmmm… you must be Jack. Strange, I assumed you would be more … impressive?” he tilted his head slightly as he spoke. His voice and face seemed friendly and inviting, but his eyes never left Jack. It left Jack feeling like he was being sized up by a predator. He let his eyes dart quickly to Monty who was just behind the giant and to his right, before returning to look up at the man.

  “What is all this about then?” he said as he waved his massive hand in front of Jack's face.

  His mouth moved before his brain could stop it, the words having left the station at the same time he remembered he was meant to stay quiet.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  “That is my face, sir. If you think it is bad now, you should have seen me a few weeks ago. I’m like a new man,” Jack replied, the wind falling out of his delivery part way through. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Monty wince slightly.

  Overseer Brandt's lip twitched upward slightly and Jack's pulse sped up, the look was quickly replaced with a half smile. Jack’s mind raced as he struggled to work out exactly what he did wrong.

  “A sense of humour is a good thing… when applied in the right setting that is. Hmm although, it is funny how much you can piece together with just a speck of information. I have a feeling you don’t even know what you just did wrong?”

  As he remembered Monty's comment about lying, Jack felt a momentary panic as his brain raced for a response. He decided that it was a pretty safe topic and went with the roundabout truth.

  “Honestly, it could be a hundred different things and I have no idea, really,” Jack replied, shrugging his shoulders slightly.

  Overseer Brandt laughed loudly and motioned to one of the couches near them.

  “Come, come, sit down. Let me explain, stop looking at me like that as well you two.” He said looking between Turrel and Monty. “Do you see the way Montarg is looking at me? Like I am some sort of unhinged lunatic that might kill you because of some forgotten piece of etiquette?”

  Jack walked to the couch slowly, keeping an eye on Brandt as he spoke. He winked at Jack as he spoke.

  “Do you think I look like someone that might do something like that?” He asked with a slightly creepy rehearsed smile.

  “Sorry sir, I don’t think I am informed enough to make a statement on that. I would say no, but that seems like a bit of an extreme reaction to me personally.” Jack replied as he sat down, making sure he only told the truth.

  “Haha! Well that pretty much confirms it then.” He clapped as he collapsed down onto the couch next to Jack. The entire thing shook and Jack jumped into the air slightly.

  “I do love puzzles, Jack. Let me tell you what I think so far.” He paused as he stroked his chiselled jaw.

  “I would have to assume that you have not completed your Induction fully yet for some reason”—he waved his hand dismissively—“it is the only reason I can see for Master Turrel and Envoy Thull to both be involved. Mixed with your general lack of appreciation for the situation you find yourself in and the lack of etiquette or reverence pretty much locks that in.”

  He paused for a moment as he gathered his thoughts. Then he pointed at Monty who flinched slightly. “Montarg's involvement is a little more confusing, however... you must be valuable in some way outside of your unique situation. Not sure what that may be but I am a patient man so I can wait to find out.” He smiled.

  "Now, Jack. Look at me for a moment." Brandt’s voice dropped an octave, the jovial tone disappearing. Jack felt a tension in the air.

  "Would you like me to explain why you are still alive? And they”—he motioned at Turrel and Monty—“look like they are ready to jump in between us?"

  Jack swallowed, his throat feeling dry as sweat beaded on his forehead. "I... umm. Yes, please sir."

  "Think of this as a learning experience. A potential long-term investment on my part, in case you become someone worth knowing in the future." Brandt leaned forward, his massive elbows resting on his knees. "Do you know what it takes to become an Overseer?"

  "I don’t know, You have to be above Tier 10?" Jack guessed weakly, knowing the time for jokes had passed.

  "That is one part, yes. But it requires more than just numbers." Brandt tapped his chest. "You have to be powerful. Overwhelmingly so. When you are an Overseer, you are the apex being for an entire solar system. There is no one above you. Your word is law. Your judgment is final and unquestioned."

  He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. He emphasized each statement with an aggressive finger point at Jack.

  "But we were all human once.” He laughed quietly to himself.

  “Or close to it anyway. But to achieve this level of power — Regardless of how they might present themselves, it requires a level of Pride that refuses to accept mediocrity. Why else would they reach so far beyond what is required to live a happy and comfortable life?"

  Brandt gestured to the room around them. "Prideful people are easy to offend, Jack. And people with power who get offended... well, they tend to remove the source of the offence."

  "I understand that it might be hard to picture. Your experiences so far have been with this bleeding heart and the shut-in genius." He waved a hand at Monty and Turrel. "But the universe is a harsh place. The reality is that Power breeds Paranoia. People who survive long enough to stand where I do have walked a path paved with blood and bones."

  Brandt locked eyes with Jack, his gaze intense.

  "So when I walk into a room, and the only stranger there has mana actively flowing through their system... I get on edge. When I talk to them, and they don't stop channeling... I have to ask myself: Why? Are they preparing an attack? Are they mocking me?"

  Jack felt the blood drain from his face. The thought hadn't even occurred to him. He had stopped purging earlier but his [Prismatic Mana Skin] was still active. Right now Jack had no mana running through his system but his passive was charged and obscuring that fact, Brandt, however, had no idea that was the case. As far as Brandt knew Jack was walking around with a loaded gun and his finger on the trigger.

  "I could take a risk and assume the best," Brandt continued softly. "Or I could remove the risk entirely. I am usually a 'Remove the Risk' kind of man, Jack." Brandt paused and Jack felt a bead of sweat run down his face. Like a deer stuck in headlights he froze not even daring to wipe it away.

  "However... two things spared your life today. First, the moment I walked in, Montarg looked at you with friendly concern. That gave me pause. And second..." Brandt smiled, a sharp, predatory expression.

  "I remembered a strange message I received from Envoy Thull. He suggested—and quite strongly, I might add—that I should do everything in my power to ensure the safety of a traveler named Jack that would be traveling with Montarg."

  Brandt leaned back, the tension breaking as his jovial mask slid back into place.

  "That is why you are breathing right now, Jack."

  Jack let out a long slow breath as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Oh... ah, thanks for that, Overseer. I do enjoy breathing."

  Which I assume if you are reading along now you would prefer anyway.