The room fell silent as all eyes narrowed in on me. The Fleet Commander had a look of curiosity and a little anger in his blue eyes, but there was the slightest hint of…respect? I kept his attention, not moving my gaze from his eyes. I don’t know what had come over me to be so demanding. It was true I hated feeling like I was being controlled or about to be, but I was on a naval base, surrounded by marines and sailors. I was very much not in charge here. But I had to roll the dice. Needed them to understand that I had to do things my way. From what Andrews had said, we needed to move past conventional weapons and tactics if we were going to win.

  Andrews leant back in his chair, hands clasped across his stomach, eyes still watching me. “And what it is that you suggest, Champion of Earth?”. His lips curled in a slightly condescending way. I met his smile with a small, arrogant curling of my own.

  “Let me hear what the scientists have to say.”

  Professors Harris and Dawn looked at Andrews, who, without taking his gaze from me, gave a nod of his head. Was this a game of brinkmanship? I kept my eyes on him as Professor Dawn spoke.

  “We’re here to understand the System better. Everything you said. The enhancements, the abilities. We’re working with small teams from the Army, Navy and Airforce to understand the best way to utilise these powers.”

  I decided the stare down wasn’t worth it with the Fleet Commander. I preferred to look at the person I was talking to. And my mother didn’t raise me to be disrespectful. It was one thing trying to maintain the upper hand with someone who thought you were beneath them. But no need to insult others to do so and frankly, a stare down meant absolutely zilch. I turned to the professors.

  “Have you found out anything useful?”

  The professors once again turned to the Fleet Commander, who was still looking at me to the point I wondered if he was interested for other reasons. I felt a bit like an attractive lady at a bar. And if you’re wondering how I’d know how that feels, it’s because I’ve been the one staring at times. Not often, mind. I’m no pervert.

  “Tell him what he wants to know,” Andrews said.

  They turned back to me but Harris spoke this time, pushing his spectacles up to the bridge of his nose.

  “We haven’t figured out much so far. There’s not been enough time. It seems when abilities are selected, you get locked into a class…” he trailed off, seeing me nodding. “Ah, so you knew that already. Um…well, the same thing doesn’t happen with enhancements, but that also doesn’t mean you can get unlimited enhancements. We don’t know if there’s an upper limit to either enhancements or abilities. All we’ve gathered so far are that certain enhancements are better for each class, although again, we haven’t really had a chance to test it. The…uh…test subjects are still levelling, for want of a better word.”

  “How many test subjects are there?”

  “That’s classified,” Andrews cut in, “but there’s enough.”

  I looked back to the professors. “So, I guess you’re working with them to help identify optimal enhancements and abilities?” I looked off into the distance, as you do when thinking. “I’m guessing you probably had them pick the same class with different enhancements, and doing that across however many classes there are?”

  “Eleven so far,” Harris said, nodding to my question. “There are eleven classes.”

  “And you guys are going to try to figure out the optimal teams, I guess? Once the test subjects have fulfilled their use, you’ll turn your attention to the actual soldiers you want to perfect?”

  None of them said anything. I sat back. What else would I expect of scientists. Of course, they would try to figure out the system and the best way forwards. The optimal, perfect soldier. It was like a wet dream for the military folks especially. The scientists saw it as a puzzle to solve. The military saw it as the means to conquest.

  “Have you figured out anything about the optimal enhancements?”

  “Not yet. The highest rank anyone has reached so far is Common, Rank D, and there’s no discernible difference in the enhancements yet. Not enough to draw any conclusions.”

  “What was the plan for me?”

  “To study the artifact. Maybe we could glean information from it that could help us win.”

  “Trying to figure out how to turn me into the perfect soldier?” I watched Andrews, but he must’ve been a long-time poker player for all he was giving away but even saying nothing said a lot. “Or you really were hoping to figure out a way to take the artifact from me and give it to one of your soldiers?”

  “Wouldn’t that be better than leaving it in your possession? Having a combat soldier from our special forces, with the gem and the optimal builds. The perfect soldier. Wouldn’t that be better for you as well? You’d no longer be a target.”

  The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

  “I’m the Champion of Earth. The only way I’d not be a target is if I’m dead. System.”

  [“Hello, River.”] the mechanical voice said.

  I frowned. I was so used to it calling me thief that calling me by name threw me off. Maybe it’s because it was still in the process of making the title change.

  “Can you tell the present company that there’s no way of removing the artifact without killing me?”

  [“That is accurate. Once a Divine Artifact has bonded, it is one with its holder. The only way to remove the artifact is via the death of the holder.”]

  I gave Andrews a pointed look. “And if I die, Earth loses this battle, correct?”

  [“That is correct.”]

  “And what would happen to Earth in that event?”

  [“As a vassal world, Earth is entirely subject to the dictates of its sovereign world. This can be anything from no changes and life going on as normal, though Earth may be called upon in defence of the sovereign world. Or it could mean indenture and servitude for every citizen on the planet. It depends on who the victor is.”]

  “Thank you.”

  [“You’re welcome.”]

  I let the System go, but I would absolutely need to talk to USPSM later and find out why it was being so polite to me.

  “You didn’t think to verify whether it was possible first?” I asked Andrews.

  “How much can you trust the System?”

  “When it comes to my life, I trust it a lot. Besides, are you going to put the fate of the world at risk on your hunch? Or the governments hunch? See, that’s the problem with trusting the suits. They’re not in the field.”

  “Well, we’ve come full circle,” Andrews said, leaning forwards, arms on the desk, hands clasped together. “What it is you suggest, Champion of Earth?” All eyes turned to me again.

  “Well, I want us to work together. I need you guys on my side. I’m not leaving Britain, and I can’t give you the flag. Remember the USP instructions? The Champion has certain quests to fulfil and one of those is to keep the flag on me for thirty consecutive days, which will give me access to defensive structures that I imagine will allow me to protect an area.”

  The five military men looked intrigued by that. I leaned forwards, much like Andrews, arms on the desk, hands clasped together.

  “What I need is an area I can make my base, and from where me and my team can do what those test subjects of yours are doing. Getting stronger and figuring out the optimal way forwards. I want you to give me some soldiers to help defend us, help scout for us, and help train us. I don’t mind a scientist or two to help understand the System better and share information from your test subjects and we’ll share information too, but no research on me or the artifact. Of course, the soldiers you provide will also be using the System like us.

  “And in time, once the quest is complete and I’m strong enough, I will be going after the Champions that are on our island.”

  It would also give me the time to see which of the soldiers turned out to be the most trustworthy. I needed another five people if I hoped to tackle the mana-stone quest.

  Andrews and the military men gathered around him started to talk in whispers amongst themselves. I looked over at the professors. “Do you mind if I borrow them whilst you guys make your decision.” Andrews gave a dismissive wave of his arm.

  Harris and Dawn came over to sit next to both of us, both of them with their eyes on Kaelyn to my side, who had sat quietly throughout the discussion, her eyes firmly on the two soldiers in the corners. The two scientists reached out to shake our hands, as if to introduce themselves properly and sat down to our right. Harris glanced over at the military men before turning back to me.

  “Bold,” he said. “Very bold.”

  I smiled. “Not really. If you’d been through the last thirty-six hours that I have, you’d be just as bold. Maybe more.”

  Professor Dawn had her eyes on the turquoise gem in my forehead, tilting her head this way and that as if she was smitten by the way the gem caught the light. She looked like she was studying a diamond to be set into the ring on her middle finger.

  “You can’t study it,” I said, “and you can’t have it either.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry to stare. Does it hurt?”

  “It did, but not anymore. I can’t even feel it, if I’m honest with you.”

  “What does it do?”

  I didn’t answer and just gave her a knowing smile.

  “Of course. You’re not going to let us study it. But does it use mana?”

  “What do you know of mana?” I asked.

  “Well, we’ve been trying to understand how the abilities work. It’s only been nine or so hours since the USP began so we don’t have a lot of data, but we’re trying to understand the energy being used. Or how mana is able to do what it is doing. What natural laws are being affected?”

  I wanted to be careful how I asked questions, without giving away what I knew. “Do you…have an idea of how mana is being used or manipulated then? Are you able to see it?”

  “No. We’ve conducting experiments and we’re continuing to do so, but so far, nothing. Mana seems to something beyond the reality of our universe. Something that interacts with our reality but isn’t of our reality.”

  No useful information then. I’d need to figure things out on my own. Perhaps the scientists would come up with something, but it would take too long. Science was rarely an overnight endeavour. I was hoping they might have had some important information on how mana is being used, so it could give me an idea of how to widen my abilities with the gem.

  A cough from the other side of the table brought our attention back to Fleet Commander Andrews.

  “There are dorms on the other side of this island. You will be allowed to stay here tonight and freshen up. You will not be free to go. I need to speak with Downing Street as to your proposal, but I cannot guarantee that they will be willing to listen. You’ll have your answer tonight. Your cars and weapons will be kept for safekeeping, but your bags will be brought to your dorm.”

  “So, in the end, we’re your prisoners?”

  “Our guests.”

  I smiled coldly. “We’ll take the offer of rest, but if the answer is not what I expect, and you think you’re going to detain us further, I will not be held responsible for the consequences. You should impress that upon the Prime Minister.”

  Andrews simply nodded, with no condescension or smile. He was taking me seriously. And so he should. I wasn’t bluffing. If worst came to worst, I had the reset point set, although I’d never tested such a time difference. But I needed his help here. He looked like the kind of man who understood my position, but he wasn’t the man with the final say. Hopefully, his word held some sway with the higher-ups.

  “Let’s hope it doesn’t need to come to that.”