Part One: "In Your Debt..."
Downtown Cleveland | Cleveland, Ohio
Friday, June 2, 2034 | 13:10 EST
When we come out of the SpiritWorld, I drop our speed down to just under 100 m/min before I bring us to a complete halt and put us in stealth and hover mode.
Then, we swivel around to face the former orc queen, and I say, "Now that we're not on any more time presses, I do believe that we should properly introduce ourselves. Everyone, unmask."
Jessie and I take off our masks, Alexa puts her fake glasses on, Rick and Asune remove their visors, Malaya wills her helmet back into her armor, and Alura takes her circlet off her forehead and stops making her eyes glow.
"My name is David Nathanael Allen, III," I say to her, "and under normal circumstances, I lead this team."
"I'm Alexandra Myshon Smith," says Alexa, "but my friends and family call me Alexa, for short."
"I'm Ricoleus James Smith," says my best friend, "but you can just call me Rick."
"My name is Jessica Maria Allen," says my sister.
"Yashimoto Asune," formally greets our speedster. "But in my culture, forenames come after surnames. So just call me Asune."
"Malaya Salvadoré," says the cherub.
"Huh," I interject to Malaya. "So, you're using Uncle Gabriel's surname, yeah?"
"Yeah," she replies. "I'm going to have it legally changed."
"Hmm, okay," I say, not wanting to push the matter any further.
"I am the SpyderBot," says my hand-sized arachnoid.
"And I believe that you are already familiar with Princess Alurathia Nightstar," I continue. "Now, let's get to the matter at hand: Why, pray tell, did you come with us back to our home? You don't know us, and we know little about you. As far as you're concerned, we could have been psychotic killers who'd set our sights on you, and you would have been powerless to prevent yourself from becoming our next victim. So, please explain yourself."
"It's really quite simple," she says. "Killers or not, you saved my life. So, I am in your debt."
"We release your debt," I say.
"It isn't that simple," she replies.
"Please elaborate, Your Highness."
"Oh, please. It's just Zaga'anra, now. As I was saying, orcs, as you know, have a culture that is bound eternally to honor. Our honor code is so strict, that when we owe a life debt to someone, the debt doesn't expire when the person we owe dies. Instead, it expires when we, as the debtors expire. And orcs, as again you already know, can live for thousands of years. You saved my life. All of you. Therefore, I will be in your debt until the day that I meet Vohn'Karoa and the other gods in the afterlife."
Vohn'Karoa and the "other gods", huh? We'll have to straighten her out on that front at a later time.
"So, let me get this straight," says Rick, "and please stop me if I misspeak in any way: You feel that you owe us something called a 'life debt' because we saved your life. And when you or one of your people owes someone a life debt, it's different than a normal debt, because instead of owing the one who did you the solid until they die, you owe them, in turn, until you die. Am I right? Did I miss anything?"
"You are correct," says Zaga'anra. "You have not missed anything."
"So, just what all comes with the territory of being owed a life debt?" I ask.
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The PulseTeam, Book Two: Evolution
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