Static Reflections: Book 1 of The M... - Chapter 14: Chapter 14

Nick awoke the following day with a warm feeling. The kind of feeling that wraps around you and hugs you and makes you want to stay in bed all day. The sense of having gotten a good rest that night. His ear was constantly twitching, and he quickly realized that someone was rapping on his door. They would knock five times and then pause for a moment, then knock again. The hyena groaned and threw his sheets off as he quickly stepped out and walked quickly toward the door, turning the silver handle and pulling it open. "Yeah?"
"Nicholas Flynn?" a large white polar bear asked, looking down at him. He was wearing a rather strange outfit; a gray jumpsuit with quite a few pockets and no name tag. Nick was seeing a lot of gray lately.
His mouth opened wide in a yawn, and his fur was all mussy around his head. "Yep?"
"This is your wake-up call. I've been knocking for so long, dude."
The hyena immediately yawned again. "Wake-up call?"
"To make sure you don't sleep in too long and start your courses right away! You chose the Creature Hunting Sect, yeah?"
"Yeah."
"Well, order food and get started. You can keep your PJs on."
Another yawn, Nick's eyes were tearing up in the process. "Ahhhh . . . woof, sorry!" he exhaled. "I order food from this thing?" He pointed to the device with a screen to the left of the door.
The polar bear nodded. "May I come in?"
Nick stepped back. "Sure, go ahead."
The large white animal walked forward and then turned, looking at the device. "This is actually a mini Hephaestus Bot that we use in the Institute. You press this button." He used his digit to push the red button below a camera on the rectangular machine mounted to the wall.
"Hello, Victor." It had the same robotic voice as the two other Hephaestus Bots Nick experienced. The blue UI switched to green. "What can I do for you today?"
"Nothing," Victor answered. "I was just showing Nick here how to use this."
"I do detect two animals in the vicinity. Would you like to switch to the account of Nick Flynn?" the voice asked.
"Sure," Victor answered.
"Hello, Nick," the bot greeted, and the UI was now pink. "What can I do for you today?"
"One second." The hyena held up a finger.
"On standby."
Nick looked up at the polar bear, comparing his more petite frame to the animal's larger one. It was somewhat intimidating. "So what are the courses like? Do I have a teacher? Will I have homework?"
"Easy, guy," Victor held up his hand. "Most of the work is on the Digital Ocean, our version of the internet. You use the Digital Ocean Surfer we give you. Everything is self-paced, so it will be fine. You'll learn how it all works in the introduction."
Nick sighed. "Alright."
"You'll be here until you get it done, or you can always quit if you want to leave. We're not keeping you held captive."
"Quitting isn't an option, thanks," Nick smiled, knowing that it had two meanings. "So I can just order food whenever I want?"
"Yep. And it's delivered pretty quickly, but you can only order one meal at a time."
"What about leaving the room?" the hyena queried.
"You can leave the room to stretch your legs and walk the halls, but you can't leave the Institute without a staff member's access card."
"Alright, that makes sense. Thanks. I'll get on it right after breakfast," Nick said.
Victor grinned. "Since this is my section, I'll be giving you a wake-up call every morning and checking on you every night to make sure you're doing well and in good health. If you ever need anything, you can use the Hephaestus Bot." He pulled out a white card from one of his suit pockets. "This is your IID to get in your room. Don't lose it!" The giant animal walked outside of the door again. "See you later tonight."
"Okay," Nick nodded, shutting the door and then standing in front of the Hephaestus Bot's screen, holding the IID in his hand. "Okay, uh, Mr. Robot, I'm back."
"Welcome back, Nick. My identification code is HB-281987."
"Yeah, I don't wanna call you that," the lazy hyena chuckled. "How about Flip?"
"Bot nickname 'Flip' registered," the machine reported.
"Awesome," Nick brought his finger up. "I just want some healthy cereal, I guess. Something with fruit and nuts."
"Here are all your choices," Flip answered, and the square icons on the screen changed to ones showing boxes and bowls of cereal. "You can tap on each one to see the ingredients and nutrition facts."
"Nah. This strawberry and cornflakes one seems fine," the canine said, tapping on it and placing an order for one.
"Would you like to add a drink or a slice of toast, Nick?"
"Sure, why not. Just add some water for the drink."
"Added to your order," Flip stated. "Please insert your solvency card now. You will not be charged."
"Oh, shit, where was--" Nick threw the IID down on the small table and reached into his soft pajama pockets, and then went back to the bathroom, picking his pants up off the floor and pulling out the card he had left in there. Once he got what he was looking for, he dropped the jeans back on the tile and left the bathroom, returning to Flip. "Where's the slot?"
"On the bottom of the machine," Flip answered, and Nick bent down, seeing the black card reader device, and pushed his card up into it.
"Your order has been placed. It will be delivered shortly," Flip said, and a cute smiley face appeared on the screen. "Have a great day!"
Nick grinned. "Oh, thanks." He moved back to the couch and glanced at the Digital Ocean Surfer perched on it, the hyena pulling it onto his lap and flipping open the lid. It looked just like something he would see back at home. There was a regular keyboard, trackpad, and screen. It was all here. He wiggled his digit on the trackpad, and the screen lit up, a three-dimensional shield logo containing the letters "MG" spinning in the center. He rubbed his hand over the smooth top and looked at the logo, the same shield symbol above the Creature Hunting Sect's entrance replacing what a typical laptop would have for a logo in the Mortal Realm.
Discovering that it used the same info as his phone, he was able to log into his Digital Ocean Account and open to a desktop with that same logo from before, no longer three-dimensional or spinning. He clicked on an icon with books that said "Courses," and immediately, the device pulled up a page that listed all the types of courses he would take. Interested in how much work he had to do, he scrolled down the page, and there seemed to be an endless amount of lessons, and every single one of them made him think he was in one of those funny summer camps where you roleplay as if you were really in a popular YA novel. Going back to the top of the page, he clicked on the first lesson, A General History of the Mortal Guard, and another window popped open, showing a document. Nick began reading.
A long time ago, when all continents were still one, there were mortals and creatures. Though they lived side by side, they did not live in harmony. The creatures shed much blood, and mortals were not yet capable of fighting back due to the vast array of magic and abilities the creatures wielded.
As time went on, walking mammals' numbers dwindled, and they wondered: Why had their Gods created them and left them abandoned to be devoured and destroyed by these monsters, also presumed to have been created by the same Gods. Was it just a sick game? A test?
The small population of mortals, who had set up a way of life they wanted to protect but constantly had to fight for, became angry at the Gods, wanting to prove to them that they could do more than just lie down and take it. And all of this was brought on by one man, who we call Sir Xander. Xander felt that the Gods were testing them and convinced the rest of the population of this revelation.
Before he got further, there was a dinging sound from the direction of Flip, and suddenly the screen moved up, revealing a compartment inside the wall that held everything Nick had ordered, including a silver spoon for the cereal. The hyena set the DOS to the side and walked over, taking the tray out. He brought it back to the little table in front of the couch.
He sat back down and lifted the bowl, getting a good spoonful and wrapping his lips around it. The coldness of the milk, the sweet strawberries, followed by the crunchiness of the flakes-- another good batch of food. He used one hand to scroll as he kept reading and eating.
Xander banded the mortals together and drove back the creatures from their homes, though it cost many lives. During this time, the Mortal Guard discovered the creatures that let the mortals use their magic against them, using their blood. Xander knew that these discoveries were gifts from the Gods to congratulate the mortals on fighting back against the supernatural and their success. Now, they had even more of a chance. The separation of mortals and creatures came to be known as the Great Divide.
The battle against the creatures continued, but it soon came to light that many of the mortals were unhappy in their creature hunting lifestyle, wanting a normal life to prosper and grow. A deal was struck that the mortals, themselves, would split. Half of the mortals became the organization known as the Mortal Guard and sunk into secrecy using the knowledge of a creature that let them erase and replace memories. In contrast, the other half agreed to have their memories erased of the supernatural so they could live their lives the way the Gods intended now that their test was over. The world of the supernatural was deemed the Other Side.
The Mortal Guard agreed to protect the mortals should any supernatural beings cause trouble. Unfortunately, unlike the Mortal Guard today, they had no plans or organization as the Sects were still not created. And yet, it would still be a long time before they would come. The Mortal Guard tried to balance everything at once but lost many innocent lives in the chaos.
Generations passed, and the jobs of the Mortal Guard were passed down through the bloodlines. As time went on, the Mortal Guard discovered more and more magic and advanced technology from the Other Side and the Mortal Realm. As the population of Earth grew more prominent, so did the Mortal Guard. The world separated into continents over time, and the Mortal Guard was in each one.
Yet, they still had no place to call home, having to live in the shadows of mortals. One day, a great architect named Hephaestus discovered that pocket dimensions could be created using elements from the Other Side. He decided to make a home where every Mortal Guard member could live and operate, but it would take years of work. His hard work was unyielding, and he endlessly planned and created buildings and technology for the organization. Hephaestus developed the Prostasias, as well as weapons and technology for the Mortal Guard.
After more bloodstained years passed with many failed attempts at protecting mortals, the members of the Mortal Guard knew they could no longer balance everything at once, so the organization was split into 9 Sects. Creature Hunting, Spellcasting, Truth, Dream, Timeline Traveling, Scribe, Disaster, Medical, and Catastrophe.
Down the line, we discovered the magical creation of clones known as Doubles, and the Mortal Guard had a sure way to protect their identity entirely by no longer erasing the existence of the animals they brought in but replacing it with a look-alike. Thus, we formed the Identity Sect. Though, this was not the last Sect that the Mortal Guard would create.
Over time, we lost countless members due to trauma, mental disorders, and issues caused by working for the Mortal Guard and dealing with the Other Side. Mental health became a more important social issue in the Mortal Realm, and the concern leaked into the organization. Unfortunately, the Catastrophe Sect, the Mortal Guard leaders that contained all the Sect Leaders and original bloodlines, did nothing to help their members.
We all received a wake-up call when a minor complication with a case spread like fire all across the world of the Mortal Guard, and many members took their own lives. We call this the Wave of Self-Immolation. This tragic event in our history caused us to reevaluate our standings on mental health. Thus, Prostasia was changed to include the Trauma Sect, where every member is to report after missions and access it at any time.
To this day, the Creature Hunting Sect contains the soul of what the original Mortal Guard was. Hunting creatures that cause trouble and protecting mortals from these beings. A Creature Hunter will be assigned missions by their Sect Leaders and can choose whether to take it or pass it on. Once they complete the assignment, we will pay that member for his/her/their/its work.
Creature Hunters must be eighteen or older, maintain healthy bodies, and learn the Memory Shift spell. They will also be required to go on Vampiric Expeditions and gain experience using a Silver Fang. Creature Hunters must do training regularly, and a mission has to be accepted within two weeks unless the case is mandatory. Hunters will also be required to work in pairs and overlap with other Sects for true success. Good social skills and teamwork are necessary.
After this lesson, you will complete each course, one by one, with a test at the end of each. If you do not pass the test, you must redo the lesson and take a different version of the test, so pay attention closely. Between some courses, we will require you to visit a physical classroom for a verbal lesson. The homework given here must be completed by the next class, which should be plenty of time.
Succeeding the completion of every course, you are to notify a staff member and thus gain access to the Last Test, which will encompass everything you know and take a few hours to complete. If you do not pass the Last Test, we will give a study guide to you that you must observe for a week, where you will then gain access to a different Last Test. You will repeat this until you pass the Last Test or quit.
After passing the Last Test, your Sect Leader will introduce you to a Mentor to begin physical training. Lessons and sessions depend on each Mentor. Once completed, you will go on a real mission with your Mentor, and, if complete, you will graduate and become a licensed member. From there, you can choose to keep your Mentor as your partner or wait until a new one is selected for you.
Finally, once licensed, you will be able to go on standard missions, be paid, and be given a regular schedule, now a faithful member of the Mortal Guard's Creature Hunting Sect. Good luck!
After he finished reading, Nick sat back and took another slow bite of his cereal. He swallowed and stared at the page for a good second, with its blinking blue arrow at the bottom, begging for him to continue the next lesson. It was a lot, and it all sounded like bullshit. Sure, he knew it was genuine. He was in another dimension, for Pete's sake! All of this was possible and yet seemed so far away like it was a dream someone else had.
The existence of Creatures, Gods, the Other Side, and how the Mortal Guard had developed as time went; there were so many questions he had, and he knew that he would be overloaded with knowledge by the end of these courses. But there was a scratching at the back of his mind, too. One that grew bigger and bigger with each passing moment he watched the arrow strobe slowly.
It was a basic mortal feeling that every animal got. Whether it was some basic information, the result of something, or that dumb horror movie trope where the characters moved toward the creepy sound, no one could deny that they all felt this in their minds at times.
Curiosity. Nick was genuinely curious about everything he could learn, and the positive side of him told him that maybe one of these lessons held more info about possession and small otter boys forced to kill for the demon inside of them. Well, perhaps not that specific, of course. There was no choice but to press forward and begin the long journey of learning ahead. A journey that would take so long here, yet so little in the Mortal Realm and Prostasia. Thank the Gods for that, as they'd probably say. He clicked the arrow.