Monroe

Chapter Two Hundred and Fifty-Five. Dangers of Travel, and Spring in Paris.

"Honestly, with the stock market as unstable as it is, there wasn't anything we could've done, even if we had wanted to," Elania explained.

"Still, the fallout," Taylor shook her head. "I can't believe Colbert let that woman on his show in the first place."

"To be fair, she went off script, but the topic was too juicy for him to reign her in," Elania sighed.

Johnson and Johnson had tanked the next day, the stock going into freefall. With Pfizer being identified as the distributer for the cancer cure, and Johnson and Johnson being explicitly called out, on national television no less, no one had been looking to hold the stock. The FTC had stepped in, but that had only slowed it down.

It hadn't helped that a cancer survivor group had been busily identifying the largest shareholders and publishing that information. The company had tried to buyback its shares, but it was a case of too little, too late.

It wasn't often the American people agreed on something, but apparently curing cancer was a unifying movement. The entire country had seemed to come together within twenty-four hours for the express purpose of crushing Johnson and Johnson. Pfizer's public relations department had been quick on the uptake, offering lateral positions to anyone below the executive level at Johnson and Johnson. They'd leaked that fact to the media, and within hours Johnson and Johnson had lost fifty percent of its workforce. By the next day, it was eighty-percent.

Pfizer had then swept in and offered to buy Johnson and Johnson's facilities and offices, for fair market value no less. The board had taken the lifeline, allowing Pfizer to turn around and announce that everyone who was coming over from Johnson and Johnson wouldn't even have to move. Work would continue as normal while Pfizer worked to make sure that the hard-working employees, who had done nothing wrong, continued to manufacture the same high quality products they always had, but now under the umbrella of a caring, compassionate team of executives.

It had been forty-eight hours of sheer brilliance on Pfizer's part, and the value of that company had quadrupled.

"Ultimately, the market is more stable now than it was before," Elania mused.

"At least the furor over Johnson and Johnson overshadowed the Queen's interview," Taylor groused.

Elania nodded grimly. There were some things that the public needed to know. The exact details on Affinity Crystals, levels, tiers, and attributes, weren't something she'd planned on making public information until after everything had settled down.

There wasn't a congressperson or senator who wasn't being flooded with calls, asking if their government was also going to run a volunteer program, and where could they sign up?

The truth of the matter was that the King of Greenwold liked the Queen of England. He hadn't demanded that they enlist their less than useful government employees to man the British Dungeons.

She knew that she could do the same thing, as the capacity of the Dungeons significantly exceeded their current manpower, but she was hoping to fill those slots with law enforcement.

"You know you'll have to open up the Dungeon slots," Taylor echoed her own thoughts. "Not all of them, of course, we can still prioritize law enforcement, but given our total capacity compared to the Brits, as long as we don't give out hard numbers, it'll look like we've also thrown the gates wide open."

"We can also point towards the Dungeons and Dragons initiative," Elania mused thoughtfully. "We have been hands off, but the important thing is that we never made any effort to restrict their efforts, which will sound good and reinforce our commitment to individual freedom."

"I'll have the team start drafting a statement, emphasizing the dangers inherent in delving a Dungeon, absolving ourselves of any responsibility if people choose to do so, while outlining a plan to move them through to Thayland and getting them started as quickly as possible," Taylor said.

"Make sure to send it out to the house and senate just before the press secretary makes the announcement," Elania ordered, "they'll need the answers to the questions they're going to be asked, but I don't want them stealing the limelight."

Bob was bored.

He didn't mind putting in the work, but endlessly grinding the same monsters, over and over and over again for eighteen hours a day, seven days a week, for the past four months, had worn a trifle thin.

"Trebor," his mind had latched onto a thought, "how do you open a portal to another universe, if you haven't been there?"

'You layer the portal on top of itself,' Trebor replied, 'with the intent of opening a portal to another dimension. Ideally, you would then send a sight linked summons through the portal, ensuring that the other side wasn't inhosptiable.'

"I think that makes sense," Bob said slowly.

'The mechanics are somewhat more complicated, but you lack the necessary senses for further explanation to make sense,' Trebor stated.

"Limitations of tier five," Bob grunted.

'I can assure you, when you reincarnate as a tier seven being, you'll find answers to questions you don't yet know to ask,' Trebor advised.

"So, now that the King has stepped up, how many people do you think will be saved?" Bob asked, idly dismissing, then re-summoning his UtahRaptor.

'Eighty to ninety percent, based on the information you have available,' Trebor said flatly. 'His intervention has doubled the likely number of survivors.'

Bob nodded. "I'm glad he stepped in. The governments on Earth weren't moving nearly quickly enough, in my opinion. I've been meaning to ask," he continued, "what are the chances of finding an Earth or Thayland equivalent planet that isn't occupied by sapient life?"

'Locating the planet will most likely be what proves the most difficult,' Trebor replied. 'Transitioning between dimensions is difficult in a way you haven't experienced yet, as your prior universe doesn't have a dimensional membrane. Part of that difficulty will translate into your arrival point being subject to the local membrane. As a rule, an inhabited solar system will tend to have a more robust membrane, due to the mana being cycled.'

"So basically you'll need a colony ship," Bob confirmed his supposition.

'Most would, although with your Arcane Depths, you'd likely be able to accomplish the task with a ship less dedicated to recycling,' Trebor agreed. 'The real issue is that you might arrive in a dimension where the habitable planets in the solar system are quite a distance away, due to when the System integrated that dimension.'

Bob nodded. 'So finding the planet and getting there will be the hard part."

'Exactly. Your scientists have correctly theorized that many civilizations rise and fall without managing to colonize another planet, thus leaving themselves vulnerable to a planetary event that wipes them out. Their have been thousands of sapient species in your dimension, however only three are currently extant, including humanity. The chances that another sapient species will be present on another version of Earth in another dimension are quite small, especially if you take into consideration how far from the center of the universe your galaxy is.'

"Why don't more people colonize other dimensions?" Bob asked. "I know the people on Thayland were refugees from the warmer planet. Wouldn't it have made more sense to cross dimensions? They were going through space anyway."

'It's a matter of resources, for the most part,' Trebor explained. 'Traveling through space is dangerous, and having a set destination that you can plan to reach in a set amount of time helps to ensure a successful journey. The random nature of reaching another dimension often means that returning is nearly impossible, as the required power to pierce two dimensional membranes with a specific destination is significantly greater than what it took to arrive. It is entirely possible to find yourself and those with you in a completely different solar system, or galaxy even. You could even appear in the vast area between galaxies. The danger of arriving some where you can't find a habitable planet is not inconsiderable. You can, of course, simply transit to yet another dimension, but how many times can you afford to do that?'

Bob winced. "I take it that this is common knowledge?" He asked.

'Common enough, certainly for anyone considering an extradimensional voyage,' Trebor replied.

"How long, on average, does it take to find a habitable planet?" Bob asked.

'On average, historically, around a thousand,' Trebor explained. 'Some travelers were prepared to spend a decade or so heading to a habitable planet. That doesn't include those who simply failed to find a planet.'

"If my friends get serious, I'll have to tell them about the Arcane Depths," Bob muttered.

'Possessing that particular resource would effectively ensure success, although it could still take a considerable amount of time,' Trebor agreed.

While he wasn't an astrophysicist, he'd spent the odd moment considering the vast nature of interstellar space. If you ended up having to travel through a thousand different dimensions to find a home, the chances of getting back to where you started became awfully damned slender.

"This is fantastic," Annisa gushed, her hand held demurely to her mouth.

Mike nodded stiffly. "French cuisine is pretty much the best on the planet, if you have the taste for it," he agreed. "I'm more of an Italian guy myself, but I can appreciate it."

"Thank you," Annisa smiled and placed her hand on his for a brief moment. "I've tried some of the dishes at the tavern in Glacier Valley, but Talima kept insisting that she was an amateur at best, and that to really experience Earth's cuisine, I needed to go to the source."

"We will visit Rome next time," Mike said, then paused. He eyed Annisa suspiciously, but she didn't appear to have the supernatural come-hither whammy going. Why had he suggested a second date? He'd only agreed to this one to get her stop asking him.

"That's where they have the famous painted ceilings?" Annisa asked.

"More than a few of them," Mike confirmed idly, still trying to figure out what had just happened.

"Perfect, you have had so many talented artists," she paused to sip her wine. "I'd love to see more of their work."

Mike had taken her through the Louvre after they'd arrived and enjoyed a light lunch. It had been an experience that made him reconsider if he might not actually like art after all.

Their waiter was unobtrusively refilling their glasses, and murmured quietly, "If Mademoiselle wishes to experience beauty, Monsieur would do well to walk with her to the Eiffel Tower after their meal," his smile was demur, "you cannot have experienced Paris without doing so."

"Oh, I've seen pictures of that tower," Annisa's smile was radiant. "You'll take me to see it won't you?"

"Of course," Mike agreed, because really, what else could he say?

It wasn't that spending time with Annisa was a chore. She was quite brilliant, and had a wickedly sharp sense of humor that could dig into the gutter with the coarsest Marine, which was surprising given that she was a priestess.

She'd repeatedly explained to him that the clergy on Thayland shared nothing save for faith with the religions of Earth, but it still threw him a bit.

No, he had to admit that spending a day with her in Paris had been amazing.

"You're stuck in your head again," Annisa teased, drawing him out of his thoughts.

"Sorry," Mike replied.

They finished their meal, chatting lightly about what they'd seen in the Louvre, as well as the fashions worn by those around them. Annisa rather wistfully expressed a desire to spend an afternoon shopping.

As they went to leave, their waiter paused to inquire if they'd enjoyed their experience, and both Mike and Annisa were quick to assure them that they had. In a move that didn't seem very french at all, the waiter shook his hand.

Mike was even surprised when he realized the man was palming him something. As they exited the restaurant, he took a moment to glance down, and realized it was a business card. Stealing another look as Annisa took in city, which after dark sparkled with lights, he realized the card was for a hotel, and the waiter had scribbled a message on the back. 'They have rooms that overlook the tower, one of the most romantic views in the city.'

He shook his head, as the waiters actions throughout and after the meal suddenly made sense. In stereotypical French fashion, he had been attempting to help them embrace the romantic atmosphere of Paris in the spring.

He slid the card into his pocket as Annisa took his arm, and they walked down the street in the direction of the Eiffel Tower. They could clearly see the upper portion of it outlined in soft white lights.

Mike paused to appreciate the moment. The streets were lined with blossoming trees, and couples strolled leisurely down the boulevard, talking quietly, laughing, and a pair had even stopped to share a languid kiss.

Annisa looked stunning. She was wearing a simple white sun dress that constructed nicely against her golden skin and honey-gold hair. She was almost ephemeral in her beauty, and more than a few others had paused momentarily to appreciate her.

He swallowed and shook his head. Thoughts like those were a path best not travelled.

Eddi looked out over the Endless Council. It had fragmented somewhat, as was to be expected. The council members had split up, small groups of them overseeing the new towers as they were constructed.

"We have twenty-eight towers completed," Anni reported, her quiet voice carrying throughout the chamber. "All following the design inspired by He Who Walks Before. Out membership boasts nearly a thousand followers of the Endless Path who have reached the peak of tier five."

Eddi repressed his grimace and nodded. He was pretty sure that Bob was going to freak out when he found out about the whole He Who Walks Before thing, but Anni had not only failed to give up on it, but had slowly and steadily gained more and more followers.

"The King hasn't announced it yet, but we suspect that Tide is coming soon," Eddi said. "Historically, the King awakens roughly a year before the Tide, and we have already passed that point. I've spoken to the Seneschal, and she has confirmed that this Tide will be somewhat average. We can expect to face nine days of monsters, each around level forty to level fifty, with the occasional level sixty. For anyone who hasn't faced a Tide before, of which I include myself, I've been told that they work just like Waves, just bigger monsters, and they last a lot longer."

"It's going to be a lot more difficult due to the sheer numbers of higher level monsters," Sereh stepped in. "As well as the duration. We're going to need more of us at each town to hold them off, and we'll need even more to be able to rotate people in and out of combat for food and rest."

Eddi nodded his agreement. "Realistically, we think we can cover a town with twenty-five tier capped Endless. That means we'll actually need fifty. At the moment, including the council, we have the ability to protect twenty-three towns. If the Tide holds off for another month, that number will push up to twenty-seven, but that will be everyone we can reasonably expect to be ready."

"We are suggesting that the remaining towns seek shelter either with us, or in Harbordeep," Sereh added.

"What about Glacier Valley?" Jerrick asked. "They have thousands of soldiers, won't they help?"

"There is something weird going on there," Eddi replied with a shake of his head. "The King is having them placed into stasis. I don't know if we can't count on them."