Astral High - Chapter 34
#36 of Astral High
It's always fun when you have to reconstruct your plans for future chapters in a story to account for times like this when you realize the main characters are clever enough to figure things out.
"No way!" [Ted]
"Oh my god, I feel like the other groups are just gonna worship us now." [Seth]
"You know there's other uses for gold, right?" [Dante]
"Yeah, but gold's rare, so it's valuable." [Seth]
"Not here it isn't." [Titus]
"Clearly." [Gavin]
"So, aside from being the capital of resources, what uses do we have for gold?" [Ted]
"Technology, machinery, electricity. Gold is one of the most conductive metals on earth." [Me]
"Well, that and something else." [Titus]
"Shut up, we are not using that!" [Dustin]
"Why not! It's just a game." [Titus]
"... Okay, fair enough." [Dustin]
"Really? We're gonna do this?" [Dante]
"Yup." [Gavin]
"Not if we don't know what it is." [Valen]
"Okay, so you obviously havn't paid to much attention to the threats on the east side of the fort." [Gavin]
"Which would be..." [Ted]
"For example, owlbear attacks are very frequent. Ms. Ardenstal obviously inserted some heavily RPG-like elements to this." [Dante]
"Hm. So, what uses are there for gold?" [Seth]
"Well, one of the things we set up on the east side of the fort was an apothecary." [Gavin]
"And a great use for gold would be the alteration of the properties and abilities of tools, parts, items, objects, anything really." [Titus]
"Otherwise known as enchanting." [Dustin]
"That sounds awesome!" [Me]
Ms. Ardenstal came over and lowered her voice when she spoke to us, "So, you boys figured out a couple of the arcane elements to this, huh?"
"A couple- wait, there are others?" [Me]
"Well it's magic, it can't be confined to any one subject. As with science, there's multiple sects of it, and even with those sects, there's multiple variations and aspects to it all."
"Right, this game seems to big and complicated to just be a game." [Seth]
"Yeah, it's not a school thing, but it still works for these purposes. I used to have a couple friends in college who were good with coding, and we made it back then as an overhaul to pen and paper games, the scientific physics engines and more complicated resources have been adapted and changed over time, a little by me." [Ms. Ardenstal]
"Woah, cool. So it's not available outside of school, though?" [Me]
"Well, if you knew where to look, you'd be able to find it. I don't, I just locked these computers to run the code without give. Anyways, since the other groups aren't endeavoring or even considering use of magic, I recommend you guys emplore it's uses. Baffle the minds of the other groups." She walked off and I looked back at the others.
"Fuck currency, we're making a fucking enchanter's den." [Me]
"Wait, so you don't care about the geared war machines anymore?" [Valen]
"No, I think we can make a simpler version, and hook it up with enchanted, physics defying weapons that we can use to either conquer or destroy our enemies."
"Those are the same exact things." [Ted]
"No, to conquer is to force alliegence, to destroy is to remove from existence." [Me]
"You're insane!" [Titus]
"Yeah, but it's cute." [Seth]
"Heh heh, I have political power." [Me]
"Now it's terrifying." [Valen]
"It was already terrifying." [Dante]
"Imagine if he knew." [Gavin]
"Knew what?" [Ted]
"Oh my god, I wonder if there's a detector in this." [Titus]
"... Wait, that'd explain-" [Dante]
"Oh my god! It all makes sense! I bet there's not even code in these things!" [Dustin]
"Wait, I might be right?" [Titus]
"You're so right! Jesus fucking christ, we need to take advantage of this." [Gavin]
"I feel so left out of the group when this happens." [Seth]
"Me too." [Ted]
"I'm left out of the group either way." [Valen]
"Rightfully so." [Me]
"You know, judging by the context, you'd think they're talking about magic." [Ted]
"Tsk, there's no such thing as magic." [Seth]
"I know, that's why it doesn't make sense." [Ted]
"I've always personally entertained the thought that magic might be real, but early in the development of society we outlawed it. I mean, Hamurabi's code bans nertus, the magna carte bans maigc, and we burnt witches in the eighteen hundreds."
"Huh, that'd be interesting." [Seth]
"That'd also account who thought way ahead of their time like De Vinci." [Valen]
"Wow, something we can agree on." [Me]
"Yeah, well, we can also agree that Christianity's bullshit."
"Back off." [Seth]
"Am I not allowed to talk to my ex?" [Valen]
"Not when he's my boyfriend."
"Seth, I still kinda want him dead, I'm not going out with any time soon." [Me]
"Oh okay. Converse at will." [Seth]
"You know, that really does explain a lot. I mean, I've been around Tanner recently enough and seen the way he acts to know that he definitely does things a little too on par for events to turn out- not only in his favor, but against certain others. I have been butt of these strings of events more than once. And, Titus was freaking out about crap until they revealed some secret to him that- apparently Ms. Ardentstal knows about. In fact, so do Marko and Tanner and-" [Ted]
"Jesus fuck you're insane! Do you know how crazy you sound? You're making connections to things that have nothing to do with eachother!" [Dante]
"Actually, Ted's making connections that all kind of tie together, and if magic were real, in more ways than one." [Seth]
"And of course- if somebody were trying to keep magic a secret they'd say something like that!" [Valen]
"You guys are ridiculous." [Dustin]
"... Wait wait wait. Thousands of people know now. In a few weeks, millions. After that, it'll die down to ten thousand, and a few years later, spike to billions?" [Me]
"Right, because all of America would find out about magic, and then that much power would slaughter the population." [Ted]
"And then the other countries would figure it out, ... and then they'd slaughter themselves..." [Valen]
"... The end..." [Seth]
"... You guys sound crazy as fuck." [Gavin]
"I don't care, that's a lot of connections to be drawn that can't be ignored." [Me]
"And Ms. Ardenstal keeps telling us that we need to prepare for the inevitable, and the inevitable is that we all figure out what magic is!" [Ted]
"Woah. My brain seriously hurts." [Valen]
"I think we just figured it all out." [Seth]
"You guys can't be serious!" [Titus]
"But, you four are the ones keeping the secret, and you're the ones who are denying... what could very well be the truth." [Valen]
"You guys are ridiculous." [Dustin]
"I know what'll get them to fess up." [Ted]
"What?" [Seth]
"Making predictions about it that probably aren't true. I mean, I'm sure the easiest form of magic is that Avatar fire bending and stuff." I noticed Gavin squirm a little when he said this.
"Yeah, and what kind of bender you are is probably based on what species you are." Dustin joined Gavin in their nervous tick. I didn't know what they were talking about, so I couldn't contribute.
"That, or it's psionic energy. I mean, how awesome would it be to run around shooting lasers from your mind!?" [Valen]
"You incompetent fucks!" Dante slammed his fists down on the table, and the class paused for a second at the sudden sound. He lowered his voice after the rest of the class went back to talking, "It's latin, simple as that, and bending isn't of specific elements, and psionic energy doesn't even work that way!"
"... You do realize you just admitted to the existence of magic, right?" [Me]
Dante's eyes widened, and his jaw dropped, "I... I'm such an idiot!"
"... Hey guys, look what I can do." Titus raised his hands and a small burst of flame sputtered into existence, but flittered and died after a couple seconds.