The days before the tour were a blur, as both Jacob and his grandfather were put through the ringer by National Intelligence. As a part of his Invitation Jacob was allowed to bring one guest from his family, and Jacob had insisted his Grandfather come with him. National Intelligence allowed it begrudgingly, permitting it solely due to his Grandfather’s long service record. The time was intense, a crash course in National Intelligence procedure and operations. They were filled in on every detail of the other card winners, down to their favorite colors and coffee (with the exception of ViolaKu, who preferred tea).
Buchanan stayed with them throughout the whole process, having been assigned to the pair as their official National Intelligence Handler. Unlike the other winners Jacob was never announced publicly, his secrecy maintained as a matter of national security. The other Card agencies were informed quietly that he had found a card in order to avoid a scandal, and California had been quick to propose an intelligence sharing agreement - one which both parties knew Cascadia would never agree to. Due to his role in the raid Jacob was never allowed to discuss the tour with Veronica, though he knew both of them were being closely prepared. Twice the winners meant twice the set of eyes on the factory itself.
The time passed quickly, and before he knew it Jacob found himself at a Canadian port, shivering alongside his grandfather in the cold air. The morning was heavily overcast, with a thick layer of light grey clouds filling the skies. Jacob exhaling a small cloud into the chill, while besides him his grandfather stood bundled up in several layers of jackets.
“Damn it’s cold.” his grandfather grunted “Couldn’t they have done this in Miami?”
“In this economy?” Jacob quipped back. He held his hands close to his face and exhaled onto them, trying to warm them up. He regretted his choice not to wear gloves. They only owned one pair, and his grandfather needed them more.
“Are you two going to complain the whole tour?” Buchanan said dryly, walking up to them carrying two cups of coffee. Both Jacob and his grandfather accepted them gratefully, warming themselves on the hot bitter drinks.
“Only if the factory is kept this cold.” Jacob’s grandfather said sarcastically in response
“We have a job to do here gentlemen, try not to anger your hosts.” Buchanan had gotten used to the two’s banter over the past few days, slipping into it with his own grumpy brand of sarcasm. A sense of humor wasn’t standard issue for National Intelligence agents, but their training was flexible enough to allow for one.
“No promises.” Jacob’s grandfather grunted back. Jacob looked around to take in his surroundings, observing every detail of the port. The location Wonder Corp. had chosen was small and out of the way; an old fishing port in the northeast of the country, with no major cargo or transport facilities. When they arrived they found a small crowd of news reporters and fans, a crowd they had little time to talk to. Port authorities quickly escorted them to their dock, after a quick glance to check their entry visas. Like the rest of the world Canada had been blindsided by the invite card search, and had scrambled to produce the proper paperwork for each winner.
The private dock they had been led to was designed for medium sized fishing vessels, and seemed to be owned by a Wonder Corp. subsidiary. It was well maintained, but looked rarely used. The smell of the ocean floated through the cold air, as did the pungent smell of fish guts. Throughout the dock stood the invite card holders, each with clusters of 5-6 people who had accompanied them. Every winner seemed to have some form of government escort- hilariously, the station chief was assigned to Veronica Worth - which was easy to pick out amongst the civilians. As Jacob glanced at each group he caught the eye of one of the South Koreans, a severe looking man in a suit who was likely from their National Card Ministry. The man nodded at Jacob, who nodded back.
“Chilly morning for a tour.” The voice of Stan Wilcox carried through the air from behind Jacob, and he turned around to see the actor walking towards him. His group followed close behind, consisting of two California Republic soldiers in formal uniforms, a California Card Agency officer, and a beautiful woman that Jacob recognized vaguely from the tabloids. “I take it y’all are the Cascadian winners, good to see you.”
The actor extended a hand, which Jacob shook politely.
“This is my wife, Wilma.” Stan let go and gestured to his wife “And of course I’m Stan.”
“Pleasure to meet you both.” Jacob said politely “I’m Jacob, and this is my grandfather.”
“Yeah I figured. My handlers won’t shut up about the two of you.” Stan beamed broadly “Also that Veronica woman, where is she?”
Jacob gestured without answering, and they both glanced over to where Veronica huddled with the station chief. A small middle-aged man stood next to her, as well as two Card Enforcement Agency officers carrying arrest packs. Veronica grimaced at Jacob, and turned to talk to the smaller man.
“Man, she’s colder than the weather.” Stan’s voice remained lighthearted “Add ‘tremendous buzzkill’ to whatever list of charges she has.”
“I’ll be sure to tell the station chief when we get back.” Jacob said dryly. Stan gave him a wry look, and lowered his voice.
“Look, I’ve worked with folks like you my whole career.” Stan said “You don’t want the spotlight, and you didn’t expect to be here. I’m not trying to suss out any secrets or do any spy nonsense. I’m just an actor, I didn’t plan on getting a card either. Our nations are allies, I hope we can be too.”
Jacob studied the man for a second, then nodded.
“So.” Jacob looked towards the other winners “What’s your read on all this.”
“Well I’m not one of those spy types like you” Stan replied “But if these folks are anything like the ones I work with - and so far they look like it - all of them are going to be competing for Wonder Corp.’s attention the moment we get inside. I expect all of them are going to be sucking up to the tour guides like it’s a full time job.”
“Mhm.” Jacob said, “And how are we different?”
“We’re not.” Stan chuckled “But hopefully we can have a good time while doing it. Unlike the ice queen over there; I don’t know how y’all brought her in, she looks like a handful.”
“It took about 50 of us, and even then it was difficult.” Jacob cracked a smile as they both looked over at Veronica. She was in the middle of scolding the smaller man, who shrunk away from her. She seemed oblivious of the fact that she was making a scene, focused fully on herself.
Jacob continued to glance over the others. The Germans were fairly quiet, as were the South Koreans. Both groups stood quietly talking amongst themselves, politely waiting for the Wonder Corp. representatives to appear. Standing separate was the small group from Paraguay, which consisted of the businessman and two tense government handlers. There was the light sound of laughter and Jacob glanced back to the German group. They seemed light hearted and happy, enjoying the cold morning by the sea.
There was the blare of a fog horn, and Jacob turned to see a simple fishing boat approaching the dock. It looked rough and worn, with rust staining the hull. The ship flew no flag, and appeared to have no visible crew on board. No fish or cargo was on deck, and it almost looked like an abandoned derelict. Smoke still poured out of its stack as it moved slowly towards the dock, and the horn sounded once more. The ocean around it was foggy, shrouded in a morning mist that obscured where the ship had come from. The swirling grey seemed to appear alongside it, rolling in with the ship itself. It was dramatic and eerie, matching the drama and mystery of Wonder Corp. itself.
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
The ship pulled in slowly to its berth, though nothing moved on board. They heard the engine shut off as the fog rolled in to cover the port in a thick layer of mist. The groups of winners gathered closer to the vessel, moving in from where they had stoof. Jacob gazed through the fog and spotted a single news camera; somehow one of the reporters had managed to sneak in. Jacob shook his head, but didn’t say anything.
A group of dock workers approached the boat, and a series of ropes was tossed overboard. Workers grabbed the lines and lashed them to large cleats along the concrete portions of the dock. The ship came to a halt, the front gently resting against the large rubber buoys that floated against the concrete. Dock workers rolled over an aluminum ramp and hooked it to the side, providing a boarding point. The workers stepped away, and the ship fell silent.
“So do we board, or…?” Stan’s voice was quiet and light as he asked. Jacob shrugged.
A light breeze kicked up, and some of the fog around the boat parted. A dark figure on the boat appeared in the mist, a silhouette in thick clothes holding a long walking stick. They walked to the ramp, and paused for a moment. The entire port fell silent in the suspense, letting it build as the figure stood in the fog. Suddenly theyleapt upwards, jumping 10 feet into the air with an inhuman grace. They twisted while doing a front flip, before landing in a dramatic crouch on the dock. They rested on the balls of their feet in the pose, their walking stick held behind them dramatically. They wore a heavy woolen coat, with a thick hood hiding their features. Slowly the figure rose and pulled the hood back, revealing their face as they leaned on their walking stick slightly.
The mysterious figure was a middle eastern woman in her thirties, wearing thick woolen clothing that Jacob couldn’t help but envy. She looked incredibly warm; he should have dressed better for the weather.
The walking stick they held was smooth and white, with the emblem of a bird on the top in gold. It matched the gold rings the woman wore around her neck, which were barely visible under the thick mass of curly black hair that flowed down to her shoulders. Her woolen clothes were a deep Navy blue, with a lighter blue sash wrapped around her waist. Her dramatic cloak appeared to be a large hooded sea-coat, which she wore over her outfit like a cape. She wore large boots, which had thick woolen wraps around the tops. Her outfit was unusual, but incredibly practical. On her forehead a gold circlet glinted, with an identical bird symbol on it to her staff.
“Now that is how you make an entrance.” Stan said, shaking his head as he smiled broadly.
“Thank you, Mr. Wilcox.” The woman’s voice was soft, with a slight accent Jacob couldn’t place “I hope my factory impresses you just as much as my entrance.”
“Oh I have no doubt it will.” Stan beamed back at the woman. She smiled lightly, and looked at the groups assembled.
“Strange. I sent out five invitations, but six have appeared.” The woman paused for a moment, then turned to address everyone “Thank you all for coming. I am Rama, the owner and founder of Wonder Corp. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you, I have something truly special planned. To reach the promised land though, we must first begin our journey. To start our journey, we need to check your invitations. You have each been allowed one guest from your families, but no one else may board.”
Each of the invite winners moved towards the ramp, with Veronica rushing to get there before the others. The middle aged man struggled to keep up with her. She presented her card to Rama, who nodded gracefully. The woman took the card and a holographic image of a snake slithered around her elegantly. It let out a hiss, then slithered into the fog. Rama gestured to the ramp, and Veronica started moving towards it. She hesitated before stepping onto the boat, and looked back at Rama.
“We’re traveling to your factory in that?” The voice of Veronica Worth carried over from where she was sounding. Almost as loud as the complaint was the sound of at least a dozen eyes rolling.
“Our quest has many stops, and many treasures to find.” Rama replied gracefully “This ship takes us to our first.”
“I hope there’s a first class.” Veronica grumbled, stepping on board. The small man followed her.
Rama looked towards the second person to walk up, Kerl Klein, who was accompanied by a middle aged woman clutching a large purse.
“Class is session.” Rama said cryptically “And all will learn. I assume you’re Kerl Klein.”
“Yes Ma’am.” the German seemed sheepish, quietly presenting the invite card to the woman “And this is my mother. She’s never left Germany, I thought it would be fun for her.”
“Hopefully it will be fun for us all.” Rama replied smoothly, taking the card. This time as she touched it the hologram of a small mouse ran around the woman. She smiled at it as it squeaked, running into the fog after the snake “Welcome aboard, Mr. Klein.”
“Thank you.” Kerl blushed as he accepted the card. He spoke softly to his mother in German, and the two of them crossed the ramp onto the boat. He helped his mother down the steps, before they disappeared below decks.
Rama turned back to the groups, and was met by Ku Do-Yeon and a woman who appeared to be around the same age as her. Jacob looked closely, and nodded in recognition. ViolaKu had brought her sister, a well known South Korean singer who went by the stage name “Amaryllis”. Rama nodded at the two politely, as they presented their invite card silently. The woman took the card, and the hologram of an elegant fox danced around her. It laughed as it ran, the embodiment of pure joy. It disappeared into the fog, and Rama gestured at the boat. The two south Koreans boarded the ship, not saying a word.
“Guess that makes it my turn.” Stan said goodheartedly, moving forwards with his wife. He beamed at Rama, who smiled back at him.
“Are we guessing or are we knowing?” Rama said, taking the card. The hologram of a coyote appeared as she touched it, and Stan smiled at the creature. The Coyote danced and leapt through the air, and Stan reached out a hand to graze it as it passed. It yipped happily, then ran off into the mist “Can we know anything, or are we always guessing?”
“If even a quarter of what we see is like that, then I know Ill have fun.” Stan winked at the woman, and she gestured towards the boat. Stan gestured for his wife to lead, placing a hand on the small of her back as he escorted her onboard.
“Which leaves two.” Rama said, looking directly at Jacob. “You did not make the news Mr. Olivier. I’m glad you and your grandfather could make my tour.”
“You know who I am?” Jacob replied. There was something in Rama’s gaze that was piercing, like he was staring into a well of ancient knowledge. Something old and unknowable sat behind them, studying him with chocolate irises.
“I made the cards.” Rama reached her hand out “I know all who have held them.”
Jacob handed her his invite, and a small dragon rose from it. It looked identical to the Ancient Dragon of the Forgotten God, the Sacred card he had pulled weeks ago from his shadow pack. The representation of the Card of the Gods didn’t dance or fly around, but instead looked at Jacob with sorrowful eyes. The dragon leaned forward and the hologram lightly touched his forehead. There was a slight crackle, then the dragon moved back. It bowed its head at Jacob, then flew off into the mist.
“I know the cards.” Rama said softly, looking after the dragon “And the cards know you.”
Rama looked after the dragon, then gestured to the ship “I hope you come to know my factory. Welcome aboard.”
“Thank you.” Jacob took back his invite card, and slid it into his deck box. He looked at his Grandfather, and the two of them walked onto the ship. They stepped onboard, and turned to look as Harmon Mentiro approached the woman. He said something too quiet to hear in Spanish, then handed over his invite. Rama didn’t reply, but stared directly at Harmon as she took the card from him. No creature or hologram’s appeared, and Harmon appeared to argue with his handlers. Suddenly, one of the Paraguayan agents pulled a gun and pointed it at Rama. Harmon and the other government agent started shouting in Spanish, and Jacob heard a few gasps behind him as the others on the ship noticed the altercation. Out of the corner of his eye Jacob could see several other government agents had drawn guns of their own, pointing them at the representatives from Paraguay. There was a loud bang, and sudden cloud enveloped them. There was a scream, and the cloud dissipated. The coalition from Paraguay was frozeninto a block of ice, a bullet stopped just outside the barrel it had been fired from. Rama was nowhere to be found.
“There is a special circle for liars and thieves.” Everyone on board jumped as the sound of Rama’s voice came from behind them. Jacob looked up at the small cockpit just above the main deck. Rama was standing inside, with one hand on the wheel. “Those men are paying that circle a visit; it is up to them if they return.”
Rama gestured at the dock, and workers cast off the lines. Another group pulled the ramp away. As they did Jacob glanced back at Buchanan and the Station chief, both of whom were standing next to each other watching the ship. The engine switched on with a massive noise, and the chief raised a hand in farewell. Jacob raised a hand back as the ship pulled away from the dock, watching as the port was swallowed by the fog. Jacob turned to look out to sea, as the boat slowly began to pick up speed.
They were on their way to the factory.
are coming, and I’m hoping in a few to reach the biggest of the first few duels of the book. That match should take 2-3 chapters to complete, as it will be our first depiction of an official tournament rules match. I hope you all stick around for it, and that the match is everything you hope it to be.
trust in the cards…
How do you think Harmon Mentiro got his forged Invite Card?
