Chapter 50:
Connecting the dots
Ray:
It is strange, that we didn’t figure out that the thief came, until Constantine and Daniel came to our room, and told us. Last time, the alarms activated. There are the same shields on their room, as it was on the trap room. What if the thief knows a way to go around the shields? That is a worrying thought.
“We traded all the potions we got in here as bait, so we can keep Daniel’s beige one,” Constantine finishes his retailing.
“So, they can see pictures, when they use the potions?” I ask. We must get the reasoning behind the theft, so we can lay a better trap.
“That is what the thief said. Also, the oldest Caltea is his home,” Daniel tells us. “When we send Nahndor over there, we must have angered him.”
“I have a plan,” Ferenc butts in. We all turn to stare at him. He gives me a small glare, as usual, which only serves to make Fred wrap an arm around me. Ah, how I missed my red-haired teddy bear.
“What if, we supply the thief with emotion potions, until we create one that we can use as bait, once Daniel gets the hang of the whole transformation thing,” he asks. “That will stop the thefts, and give us some breathing space, no?”
“We shouldn’t negotiate with thieves,” Robin says, frowning.
“Well, this is your problem, Mr. Policeman,” Ferenc says, in the snarkiest tone I have ever heard him use. “My brother and I are employees of Manacom. Your two consultants, are employees of Manacom, without whom we can’t do any research.”
I see Daniel and Constantine wince at that. They haven’t been working for Manacom for long, or, at least, that is what their files say about them. Yet, they are vital for the company’s development. I mean, they might be on the verge of discovering a way into a whole new dimension.
A way the thief already knows of.
I blink at that. Wait a second. This is it!
“Why try to find a new way to create hot water, when there is a perfectly reasonable way to boil yourself some?” I ask. All eyes turn towards me. “I mean, once you get the way of travel from the shadow creatures, then you won’t need to reinvent it, do you?”
“What are the chances that we will be able to use it? I mean, they probably use magic on such a scale that...” Ferenc argues, but then his eyes go wide. “The Cosmos hasn’t had a major scientific advancement since Atlantis collapsed.”
“See? They might still have all they need, to get in here. Perhaps even their own teleports,” Frederik says. “Still, what of the fact that the dimensions appeared desolate?”
“Maybe that is because of shields?” Constantine asks. “I mean, back before the inhabitants on the planets in the Sun’s solar system moved out, they had shields around their planets. Then, the humans broke through them, and the planets had to be made uninhabitable.”
“So, we are not seeing the real Dimension Beta?” Daniel asks.
“Well, if the shadow creatures are alive, and them seeing pictures in the potions and having a sense of the mana is to be considered,” I say, and Robin nods along. Already knowing what I am going to say next. “Then they might be hiding their planets from us. What appears like jutting crystals and ores from a rocky planet might be a Caltea forest, in truth.”
“What nonsense,” Ferenc snaps. I glare at him.
“Do you have a problem with me?” I ask him. The way he behaves is unprofessional, and I have enough of this.
“Yes, you brother stealing...” Ferenc begins, but Robin takes a hold of him, and forces him on his feet.
“You and I need to talk, Ferenc,” my twin says. I can see that Frederik is twitching in his seat. Whatever it is because someone is manhandling his brother, or because he is finally sick of the clingy attitude that his brother has towards him, is beyond me.
“I will not!” Ferenc begins to struggle, and I can see that his fangs extend.
“Fer!” Frederik yells, and his brother turns to him. “You have to work this out. With both Robin and Ray. We did our time in jail already. We were reprogrammed. But, do you know what? They nearly died!”
That seems to snap Ferenc out of his tantrum. With a bowed head, he follows Robin out of the room.
“Now, that they are out of here,” Frederik says, addressing Constantine and Daniel. “You both need the emotion potion deal for your own safety.”
“Yes, that is true,” Daniel says. “I mean, until I figure out how to transform into one of those shadowy beings, there is no one that can even touch them.”
“Don’t take too big of a risk,” both Frederik and I say at the same time. We share a smile, and then we are all business again. “I think you should have a couple of normal days, to stock up on emotion potions. What sort of potion did the thief go for, most of the time?”
“Happiness,” Constantine says, then, he wavers. “I think that different sources are with a different value to him. When I offered him, the potion bottled by a child that got his heart’s wish, he gave up on stealing Daniel’s beige potion of pure content.”
“Well, the only potions we will be able to offer the being are going to be ones made by the two of you. We are forbidden from bottling our emotions while working on a case,” I say, and the two nod. “Still, if you word it correctly, I think you can get clearance for bottling the emotions of some of the tourists. For that, you will need to do some sort of campaign.”
“Rodger Deltona said he will help,” Daniel says. I wince at that.
“You really should refer to him as Mr. Prime Minister, Daniel,” I tell him. He rubs the back of his head.
“Sorry, it is just that, he didn’t make a big deal out of his station,” I mean, I get that. Rodger Deltona is known to be pretty lax about that. Still, we are technically depending on him for funding...
“If he gives you official leave to call him by his name, do so. Just, try not to insult him,” I tell him, and he nods.
Chapter 50:
Connecting the dots
Ray:
It is strange, that we didn’t figure out that the thief came, until Constantine and Daniel came to our room, and told us. Last time, the alarms activated. There are the same shields on their room, as it was on the trap room. What if the thief knows a way to go around the shields? That is a worrying thought.
“We traded all the potions we got in here as bait, so we can keep Daniel’s beige one,” Constantine finishes his retailing.
“So, they can see pictures, when they use the potions?” I ask. We must get the reasoning behind the theft, so we can lay a better trap.
“That is what the thief said. Also, the oldest Caltea is his home,” Daniel tells us. “When we send Nahndor over there, we must have angered him.”
“I have a plan,” Ferenc butts in. We all turn to stare at him. He gives me a small glare, as usual, which only serves to make Fred wrap an arm around me. Ah, how I missed my red-haired teddy bear.
“What if, we supply the thief with emotion potions, until we create one that we can use as bait, once Daniel gets the hang of the whole transformation thing,” he asks. “That will stop the thefts, and give us some breathing space, no?”
“We shouldn’t negotiate with thieves,” Robin says, frowning.
“Well, this is your problem, Mr. Policeman,” Ferenc says, in the snarkiest tone I have ever heard him use. “My brother and I are employees of Manacom. Your two consultants, are employees of Manacom, without whom we can’t do any research.”
I see Daniel and Constantine wince at that. They haven’t been working for Manacom for long, or, at least, that is what their files say about them. Yet, they are vital for the company’s development. I mean, they might be on the verge of discovering a way into a whole new dimension.
A way the thief already knows of.
I blink at that. Wait a second. This is it!
“Why try to find a new way to create hot water, when there is a perfectly reasonable way to boil yourself some?” I ask. All eyes turn towards me. “I mean, once you get the way of travel from the shadow creatures, then you won’t need to reinvent it, do you?”
“What are the chances that we will be able to use it? I mean, they probably use magic on such a scale that...” Ferenc argues, but then his eyes go wide. “The Cosmos hasn’t had a major scientific advancement since Atlantis collapsed.”
“See? They might still have all they need, to get in here. Perhaps even their own teleports,” Frederik says. “Still, what of the fact that the dimensions appeared desolate?”
“Maybe that is because of shields?” Constantine asks. “I mean, back before the inhabitants on the planets in the Sun’s solar system moved out, they had shields around their planets. Then, the humans broke through them, and the planets had to be made uninhabitable.”
“So, we are not seeing the real Dimension Beta?” Daniel asks.
“Well, if the shadow creatures are alive, and them seeing pictures in the potions and having a sense of the mana is to be considered,” I say, and Robin nods along. Already knowing what I am going to say next. “Then they might be hiding their planets from us. What appears like jutting crystals and ores from a rocky planet might be a Caltea forest, in truth.”
“What nonsense,” Ferenc snaps. I glare at him.
“Do you have a problem with me?” I ask him. The way he behaves is unprofessional, and I have enough of this.
“Yes, you brother stealing...” Ferenc begins, but Robin takes a hold of him, and forces him on his feet.
“You and I need to talk, Ferenc,” my twin says. I can see that Frederik is twitching in his seat. Whatever it is because someone is manhandling his brother, or because he is finally sick of the clingy attitude that his brother has towards him, is beyond me.
“I will not!” Ferenc begins to struggle, and I can see that his fangs extend.
“Fer!” Frederik yells, and his brother turns to him. “You have to work this out. With both Robin and Ray. We did our time in jail already. We were reprogrammed. But, do you know what? They nearly died!”
That seems to snap Ferenc out of his tantrum. With a bowed head, he follows Robin out of the room.
“Now, that they are out of here,” Frederik says, addressing Constantine and Daniel. “You both need the emotion potion deal for your own safety.”
“Yes, that is true,” Daniel says. “I mean, until I figure out how to transform into one of those shadowy beings, there is no one that can even touch them.”
“Don’t take too big of a risk,” both Frederik and I say at the same time. We share a smile, and then we are all business again. “I think you should have a couple of normal days, to stock up on emotion potions. What sort of potion did the thief go for, most of the time?”
“Happiness,” Constantine says, then, he wavers. “I think that different sources are with a different value to him. When I offered him, the potion bottled by a child that got his heart’s wish, he gave up on stealing Daniel’s beige potion of pure content.”
“Well, the only potions we will be able to offer the being are going to be ones made by the two of you. We are forbidden from bottling our emotions while working on a case,” I say, and the two nod. “Still, if you word it correctly, I think you can get clearance for bottling the emotions of some of the tourists. For that, you will need to do some sort of campaign.”
“Rodger Deltona said he will help,” Daniel says. I wince at that.
“You really should refer to him as Mr. Prime Minister, Daniel,” I tell him. He rubs the back of his head.
“Sorry, it is just that, he didn’t make a big deal out of his station,” I mean, I get that. Rodger Deltona is known to be pretty lax about that. Still, we are technically depending on him for funding...
“If he gives you official leave to call him by his name, do so. Just, try not to insult him,” I tell him, and he nods.
