The Road of Black Crystals 1

When the dust settles, they will all find themselves trekking upon Terra.

Eliza Cohen thought to herself as she sat on a café making sense of the newspaper she had spread before her. She was dressed in casual clothes of a dark jacket and pants, a pen twirling along her fingers as she looked through her sunglasses at the crossword puzzle she was trying to solve.

Though instead of solving it she found herself more daydreaming. The dust had settled and it’s settled for several weeks now. It’s been almost a year and a half since she had come to this strange and rather fantastical world which mirrored her own.

Almost a year and a half where in her own world she would have been presumed dead. The dust had settled sure, but she still refused to believe that there was no way back. She refused to believe that she was stranded in this world with no way home.

If there was a way in this world, then there must be a way out. Most unfortunate for her, the only man with an inkling of knowledge regarding this matter was dead following becoming a mutated creature born out of some B rated flicks.

Terra, that was the world she and her Team found themselves in. A year in a half within a world that wasn’t her own, filled with life and people that they were unfamiliar with at first.

However, the human mind was quick to adapt. Following their disastrous arrival, they were able to survive not only the new world but the challenges which presented themselves to them. They were skilled and trained to handle any situations that may come, and their efforts paid off in their survival.

Following the Incident in Long Spring and their temporary stay within the Land Ship of the company known as Rhodes Island, Eliza’s Team had left to wander the world and discover what it had in store for them, and quite possibly find a way back.

And they sure discovered many things in their travels.

Terra was a harsh world, ravaged by natural disasters known only as Catastrophes. These could range from fierce storms to meteor showers which would descend from the skies. They could take the shape of all manners of calamities and are one of the reasons for the strange structure of cities and countries of this world.

According to Rhodes Island in their briefing of Eliza’s Team, these Catastrophes serve as possible vectors for the spread of Originum, a mineral necessary for the daily life of Terrans as well as a hazardous material which could inflict Oripathy, a painful incurable disease.

Their stay at Rhodes Island had been instrumental to their continued lives in this world. They’ve met with a lot of people and were introduced to the many things the world had to offer. Eliza sighed wondering what would have happened had they not met such an organization.

Staying with Rhodes Island would have been for the best but it wouldn’t have felt right to her. The rest of her team agreed as well once they all have come to the decision of leaving. Even then, Rhodes Island’s resources were still open to them and they could also earn a living by performing contracts to sustain themselves.

All this effort just to get home…

Eliza’s pen came to a halt as she wrote down on the crossword the answer for a three lettered word for the solid remnants of fire.

“Distracted, Eliza?” a man’s voice asked as he took his seat on a table next to her, setting his coffee down and leaning back.

“Elias, the line took you long?” Eliza asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Oh no, just some nice ladies struck up a conversation with me, asking directions. They were quite lovely. How’s the crossword?” Elias asked as he stared out the window of the café, “Rather foggy day today, don’t you think?”

“Londinium’s always been like this, who are you kidding?” Eliza asked as she shook her head.

“I was just trying to make conversation! You’re still stiff after all this time, I see,” Elias mused with a chuckle.

“You…” Eliza spoke with a sharp tone.

“I mean, it’s reassuring. That’s one thing that hasn’t changed and I’m all for it,” Elias said with a nod before looking out the window, “But still, this country sure is dreary with its political problems.”

“You don’t have to tell me that,” Eliza replied as she looked down at the paper and noted the headlines on her paper, “Something big is happening soon and I’d prefer not to get caught in it.”

“Hear, hear!” Elias said as he held up his mug, “But even after all our searching, there’s still not much for us to garner regarding our return trip. I mean, I don’t mind coming back and the other two as well… But as we are, we’re no better than running chickens without their heads.”

“What are you proposing?” Eliza asked with a strained voice.

“A fall back. We might have to accept that we’re stranded here indefinitely. Who knows how many years it would take for our return to happen… It could happen in one year, two years even more. I’m not saying we should stop, Cohen but we shouldn’t expect to find a solution in a few months or so,” Elias replied in a rare serious note and an equally hard look in his eyes.

The woman leaned back and crossed her arms, “I can see that and this sort of life isn’t exactly sustainable… But if there’s a chance, Elias, I’ll take it. Whatever it is.”

“Sure, I wouldn’t have expected less,” Elias chuckled before he took out a piece of paper neatly folded between his fingers, “Which is good, because Tina just dug this little lead up.”

“A lead?” Eliza asked with widening eyes.

“Rhodes Island has contacted us regarding a lead to our problem. I was wondering what you thought about settling down for a bit before diving headfirst into this. I dislike matters of false hopes and dead ends, Eliza. But knowing what could come from this, you still up for taking this job?” Elias said with a raised eyebrow.

“I am. You know I am,” Eliza said as she took the paper.

“It’s an invitation to a Technology Expo,” Elias explained as he crossed his arms, “Rhodes Island will be participating in it to show off their Technology to delay the onset of Oripathy as well as their medical breakthroughs. Word has it that a certain Kazimierz Family will be holding a display of their Arts based transportation device. It might be worth looking into, don’t you think?”

“This device… Do you think it can get us home?” Eliza asked as she read the invitation alongside a report that was with the envelope.

“I don’t know… But it’s hope, Cohen. It’s hope. After several months, we might be looking at the first instance of hope,” Elias said as he held up his coffee mug and took a deep sip.

A satisfied smile filled his lips.

“I spoke with the other two already. Alexsandr and Tina are ready for it. Rhodes Island as well are ready,” Elias said with a nod as he stood up his seat, “How about we take the road back while we can, huh?”