Jacob awoke to find the rest of the tour group crowded over him. They were quietly talking amongst themselves, muttering about the match. Jacob inhaled loudly as he bolted upwards, and several of the members of the group jumped slightly.
“Jeez, jump scare, warn us next time.” Veronica was crouched beside to him, next to a quiet man who was putting a variety of tools into a large leather bag. The man was dressed simply in a button down and slacks, with a bland beige sweater vest over his shirt. His normality was shockingly out of place in the showroom, especially after what Jacob had just been through.
“Kerl?” Jacob glanced about, looking for the pieces of the statue he had rescued from the arena.
“In medical.” The pulled a small flashlight out of his bag and flashed it over Jacob’s eyes, checking his vision “One of the strangest cases I’ve seen, but we’ll figure it out.”
Jacob nodded as he looked at the ground. He was on a patch of grassland, and a small Micro Fairy slept next to him. The fog in his head began to clear, and he looked around.
“The match-” Jacob stopped as he saw the powered down arena.
“Is over.” Rama was a few feet away from the group, standing with Cleopatra “An automatic draw.”
“I think it should have been a forfeit, he passed out.” Cleopatra replied.
“Forfeit only works when an opponent’s cards cause the knockout” Rama sighed “There’s nothing in the rules about when you pass out due to entering the match itself.”
“It should still be a forfeit, it was a knock out.” Cleopatra winked at Jacob “In more ways than one, clever boy.”
Jacob’s head started pounding and he leaned forward, putting a hand to his head as he closed his eyes. His stomach heaved, and he placed his head between his knees. He sat there for a moment cradling himself, until the nausea receded slightly. He folded his arms over his knees and rested his head on them for a moment, praying the headache would do the same.
“Take it easy, don’t move too quick” Jacob’s grandfather knelt down next to him, placing a hand on his back. The old man’s prosthetic creaked lightly as he did. “You came out of that match in rough shape, give it a second.”
“Drink this.” The quite man pressed a cup into Jacob’s hands. “It’ll help with the pain, and give you a bit of strength.”
Jacob sipped lightly. The smooth taste of Hot cocoa flowed down his throat, warming his core. He took a larger sip, and felt the headache begin to lighten. His nausea receded, and his strength slowly begin to return. Jacob looked over the quiet man - who he guessed must be some sort of ship’s doctor - taking him in. He was plain and normal, with a simple equipper on his left arm, and a bag filled with medical tools and implements. A thermos stuck out of the bag, and on the ground next to it was a mortar and pestle. It still had the light remains of a white powdery substance in it, freshly ground. Jacob glanced at the powder, then his drink.
“It’s nothing dangerous.” The doctor chuckled “Just a few herbs to bring back the strength. Cards can do a lot to heal, but you never come back 100%. Your body has to do the rest. I wouldn’t push yourself.”
“It tastes like Cocoa.” Jacob’s thoughts were still slightly muddied by brain fog. It was receding, but it wasn’t 100% gone.
“It is cocoa.” The doctor put the mortar and pestle in his bag, and closed it up “From my lunch specifically; I figured it would help the herbs go down better.”
“You figured right.” Jacob finished off the drink, savoring it. His head was clearing a lot faster, the herbs working to get him back on his feet “Who are you?”
“Adams is our ship’s surgeon.” Rama walked over and offered Jacob a hand. He took it, and she pulled him to his feet. He wobbled for a minute as he stood up, and his grandfather rose to his feet to help. Jacob waved him away, taking a deep breath to steady himself as Rama continued “Though you should also thank Veronica, she administered first aid while he was on his way. Probably saved your life, your heart stopped beating for a few seconds.”
Jacob raised an eyebrow, and Veronica shrugged non-chalantly.
“I did first aid in college.” Veronica huffed “Sorority stuff, think nothing of it.”
“Mhm.” Jacob smirked slightly; she was playing aloof, but he appreciated the brief moment where she wasn’t being an entitled pain - even if he knew it would be brief “Well tell your sorority I appreciate it, I very much like not being dead.”
“Seems to me,” The doctor stood up, having packed his things. Veronica rose as he did, and moved to rejoin her father “that you’re good to go. I’m going down to medical to deal with our German friend. Take it easy the rest of the tour. I don’t want to be called here again.”
“I’ll do my best.” Jacob took a deep breath “How are you going to deal with Kerl?”
“With lots of glue.” The doctor replied dryly “Good day.”
Adams walked off towards the entrance to the showroom. He stopped briefly to pet a Cyber Mammoth that had wandered over to investigate, then made his way up the staircase and out of the room. The hatch closed behind him, leaving the tour group alone in the space.
“That man,” Cleopatra said dryly “is a bowl of Vanilla Ice cream, in a shop full of Sorbet.”
“I want to try the arena.” The group turned in surprise as the soft voice of Ku Do-Yeon broke the silence. Her accent was light, and Jacob had almost forgotten she was there. It was the first time he had heard either of the South Koreans speak; they had blended into the background thus far, sticking to themselves “Same settings, but with Cleopatra picking her deck.”
“Unfortunately, we must move on.” Rama turned to the group “This isn’t the only room on the Ceasarion to visit, but you’ll get to duel later, I promise. So little to see, and so much time.”
Rama began to walk off towards the entry hatch, then stopped. She looked back at the group “Reverse those. Lots to see, little time. On with the tour!”
Rama turned and began walking towards the main hatch, flicking her coat dramatically. She patted the Cyber Mammoth , before passing through the Candy Land to make her way up the stairs.
“Be careful.” Cleopatra walked up behind Jacob, startling him slightly “We have some unfinished business that I look forward to settling.”
Cleopatra winked, then walked towards the Cyber city.
“Aw.” His grandfather’s said sarcastically “You made a friend.”
“That woman is going to be the death of me.” Jacob replied.
“I think she’s into you.” His grandfather smirked.
“She’s a card.”
“I’m not gonna judge what you’re into, you’re a grown man. No shame.”
The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Jacob rolled his eyes, and walked towards the hatch. He had had enough of the showroom.
*****
The tour’s next stop wasn’t far from the showroom, down a few corridors and up a few levels. It took them less than 10 minutes to reach it, weaving through corridors as Rama explained more about the design of the submersible. According to Rama Wonder Corp had five submarines, all designed to work alongside a fleet of twenty cargo ships to deliver cards. While they walked, card-powered machines hovered about. Rama also bragged about them; They used standard Power equip cards, and were programmed by Vocal Commands to do almost anything. The Card-bots responded only to Rama, a fact that immensely disappointed Veronica when she asked one to get her a double iced mocha with extra sweetener from the submarine’s galley.
Before the group knew it, they had reached a plain looking hatchway similar to the ones on their cabins. Rama paused in front of it, and looked at the group mischievously.
“If the last room you saw was the heart of the Ceasarion,” she said “this room would be the brain. The Ceasarion’s course is charted here, her operations are planned here, every decision is made here. This vessel only has four people stationed on it at any given time; you’re about to meet two of them.”
“That can’t be right, you couldn’t possibly run a ship this size with just four people.” Veronica always found the most obnoxious times to pipe in, and this was no different
“I manufacture cards, not cars Ms. Worth.” Rama’s replied “I have resources at my disposal, and the best minds figuring out how to use them.”
“So the this is where you drive the sub?” Stan cut in cheerfully. Veronica glowered at him, but he ignored it “Like the cockpit, or the bridge?”
“Exactly correct.” Rama’s smile returned, before shifting into an expression of severity “Which is why I must warn all of you: do not touch anything unless it is absolutely necessary. What happens in this room affects the entire Ceasarion.”
The bridge was almost as impressive as the showroom, for entirely different reasons. The room was four levels tall, linked by spiraling metal staircases and catwalks. Across from the entrance was a massive arch of windows, which glowed slightly from the force fields cast by the cards to protect them. The level they were on was mostly bare - a blank grey deck that ran across the bottom of the bridge. The walls had pipes and wiring running along them, with several casting receptacles placed throughout. A small casting platform just big enough for a single card stood in the middle of the room. Jacob glanced up in awe, and saw the top three levels were open in the center, allowing someone to see the bottom deck from any level. The second level had a small platformed deck close to the glass archway that showed the ocean beyond, while the third level had its platform against the back wall. The final floor was a ring around the bridge space itself, with no significant platform space.
“Step into the middle please, around the casting platform” Rama shut the hatch behind her and quickly moved through the group. “Much to see, much to see.”
“Does this woman do anything small?” Jacob’s grandfather spoke quietly. Jacob shrugged.
Jacob moved towards the center alongside the rest of the group, gathering around the platform. They looked at it, and were startled when Rama called upwards.
“McGuire! Johansson!” Rama looked to the upper levels as she yelled, her voice bouncing against the walls.
“Aye madame!” two voices responded, and a man and woman looked downwards from the third and second levels respectively.
“Come down here and meet our guests.” Rama smiled knowingly at the group as the two began making their way down the spiral staircases. “Four decks, four purposes. The deck we are standing on is the navigation deck. Above us is the operations deck, then the Captain’s deck, and finally at the very top the observation deck. My favorite part of the vessel. What makes this deck special is the small casting platform we are all standing around, which I will show all of you after you have met our intrepid crew.”
McGuire and Johansson both reached the bottom level as Rama finished her explanation. Rama gestured, and the group turned to look at them. They wore simple naval uniforms consisting of dark blue trousers and button downs, with their last names sewn over the breast. They were otherwise unadorned, though both had multiple deck boxes at their waists. It was a simple ensemble, which stood out in its normality almost as much as the ship’s doctor’s did.
“Meet Ship’s Captain Marcus Johansson, and Ship’s Navigator Ophelia McGuire.” Rama gestured to the two as she spoke “Alongside our ship’s doctor and the ship’s engineer, these two make up the rest of the crew.”
“What, no ship’s cook?” Stan joked
“We pack a bag lunch.” The Ship Navigator Ophelia spoke with a heavy Quebecois accent “Today I had Tuna.”
“Don’t remind me, I can still smell it.” the Ship’s Captain Marcus on the other hand had a mid-western American accent, which seemed to hover in the thin range between baritone and bass. He looked over the tour group with a sharp eye “Welcome aboard the WCS Ceasarion.”
“All my crews are fantastic.” Rama said “But the Ceasarion managed to get the finest and most experienced of the fleet. Captain Johannson served 15 years as an submarine officer in the American Navy, and Navigator McGuire spent seventeen years in special operations and navigation with the Marine Quebecois. Truly a fine crew, the ship would never run as well as it does without them.”
"You flatter us, Madame.” Ophelia’s tone was flat and professional, and both the crew members seemed uncomfortable with the attention. Entertaining tour groups and flattery was likely not in their job description - something Jacob understood. He had struggled through a presentation to his own coworkers; anything more and he might have passed out on the spot.
“Navigator, would you please demonstrate the purpose of this platform?” Rama gestured towards the casting platform, and Ophelia nodded.
“Of course, Madame.” The Ship’s Navigator moved through the tour group to the small platform. The group made a small gap for her to enter, clustering as they turned their attention to the small Casting surface. “It is well known the cards are magic. This submarine uses that to navigate like no other vessel in the world.”
Ophelia reached a hand inside her uniform shirt and pulled out a copper colored card, attached to her neck via a small chain. The card was in a thick plastic protective case similar to the ones collectors used for especially valuable cards. Ophelia yanked lightly and the chain around her neck unclasped itself, allowing her to place the card onto the casting surface. Immediately the deck below them became partially transparent, and several members of the group gasped. A map of the ocean floor appeared below, with a small holographic dot moving across it. It appeared to be just above the twilight zone of the open ocean, where the bright surface waters turned into the pitch black expanses of the abyss. A small dashed line extended past the dot, leading towards a spot on the wall of a massive chasm. Jacob suspected that was where they were headed, though he noted the location had all noticeable features erased. There was no way to know exactly where they were.
Above the platform the submarine appeared in miniature, hovering above the card Ophelia had placed down.
“The navigation deck shows us two images.” Ophelia pointed first towards the hovering submarine, before pointing at the ocean map below “The first shows us our immediate surroundings. We’re in the open ocean right now, so there’s nothing to show. If we were near the bottom, it would show us that. The map below shows our locations in the larger ocean; the scale of the map is bigger, and shows our destination. Using these two images the Ceasarion is able to navigate some of the most dangerous and complex ocean depths; thanks to the cards the ship is strong enough that there is nowhere on Earth she cannot go.”
“What’s the deepest it’s been"?” Stan asked
“Bottom of the Mariana trench, in testing.” Ophelia replied “I was not yet on the crew. A Canadian was serving in this posting.”
“What happened to them?” Stan asked
“They were transferred to a cargo barge for taking the submarine into the trench before she was ready.” Ophelia’s tone was bitter “She survived, as you can tell.”
“We try not to dive too deep without extensive preparation.” Ship Captain Marcus cut in suddenly from the side of the group “She can handle it without cards, but we like to play it safe.”
“Indeed. Thank you two, you're dismissed.” Rama gestured at them and the two crew members nodded. Ophelia removed her copper card from the small casting platform, and the holograms disappeared. Ophelia and Marcus both moved quickly, crossing the navigation deck to reach the entry hatch. The Ship Captain opened the hatch for the navigator, who stepped through quickly. The captain followed her out of the space without a word, shutting the entry hatch behind him. There was a clicking hand as the hatch locked.
“Um.” Stan pointed nervously at the locked hatch “Shouldn't they be returning to their posts?”
“Why would they do that?” Rama adopted a tone of faux innocence. “I dismissed them.”
Jacob felt his heart fill with dread, his breaths quickly becoming shallow. When Rama adopted a whimsical tone, the tour was guaranteed to become anything but. There was a sound of metal scraping, and the submarine jolted. It listed slightly in the water, and the lights overhead flickered. The tour group huddled together sas the deck below them shook, and the view in front of them grew darker. Outside the window they could see the submarine begin to tip downwards at a diagonal angle, slowly moving to face the deep. The Lights flickered once more before plunging the group into darkness. Red emergency lamp flooded the space, giving everything an ominous blood colored glow.
“Hold on tight everyone.” Rama said “This ride is going to get bumpy.”
There was a jolt as the submarine engines powered on, and the vessel plunged into the depths of the abyss.
trust in the cards…
What continent are you from?
