The Core: The First Guest

36. Sticks and tracking stones

His screams kept me laughing the entire way to the border between the convict's area and the mining guilds. I think he would take a break between my insane speed and jumping into quick time so he could calm down because there was no reason for the gaps between his screaming, he didn't need to breathe.

While we were moving I carefully looked up Ash and gave him a call.

"Hey, Ash! How are things going?" I asked when I felt the connection take hold.

"Very funny Kevin. Who is that screaming in the background?"

"Wait? No one has told you yet?" I asked, surprised that no one had notified Ash that their debt was paid.

"Told me what? Oh, you mean that my debt balance to the Core was wiped clean? Yeah, that made my day. I am still stuck here though, I don't have any cr to pay the debt to the miners."

"You have got to be kidding me!" I nearly shouted into the space around me. "So what? You got caught in their space and they locked you up even if you didn't take anything?" I asked.

"Well, I did manage to find a few raw cr, they took that when they captured me. The deal with being held and not being able to pay it back is their way of deterring any other convict who would try it again. It is all just a timed thing, they know that they won't get what they claim to be owed. No one pays other's debts here. Well, besides whatever just happened with the Core. That is still blowing everyone's minds. It was nearly 4 million CR!" Ash said in awe.

"Look, I was coming to get you to make sure that you were free since everyone got their debt to society paid all at the same time. I don't have any raw cr on me though." I said as I considered how best to do this. "Do they take normal cr currency? I have some in the system now." I said as we reached the border to the two areas.

"Yes, I am sure that they would. You would just need to speak to someone in charge like Telf to make it happen. Look, I don't know why you would want to do this for me but I will take whatever I can get. I am not above begging anymore. I just want my freedom. I promise I will pay you back if I have to work hard shifts on the outside." Ash replied.

"Meh, you won't need to do that," I said as we crossed the border at a high speed.

"So, I guess I will see you in a couple of weeks," Ash said with a bit of cheer in his voice.

"What? Why?"

"What do you mean why? That is how long it takes to get from the south to here..." Ash replied.

"Ha! I will see you in a few moments, oh, and that crazy screaming is Magus the 15th. I am giving him a ride. See you soon Ash!" I said before I disconnected.

I slowed down when I knew that I was getting close to the carrier that I had first visited back when this had all started.

"Oh, thank goodness. I thought it would never end." I heard Magus say over my shoulder as I dropped out of the sky towards the carrier. Two enforcers spotted us and rose slowly up to meet me. I was back in the octagon robot shape, and I had been the entire trip with Magus on my back, seeing as it was easier to carry him with a flat surface to strap him to. "Keep quiet Magus, I don't want to have to remove your ability to speak now do I?" I asked over my shoulder as the two enforcers drew closer.

"Look at the size of him! He must have gotten ahold of some cr someplace. He is three times the normal size!" I heard one of the enforcers whisper to the other. "Yeah, I bet he keeps the raw cr inside that case that he has strapped to his back."

"You are going to have to come with us." The enforcer on the left said while I noticed the one on the right start to make loops out of cr between his arms.