The 99-Point Man

Another great day on Elystra, I look out the window and see the perfectly engineered skyline, set against the perfectly engineered atmosphere. This is a place for kings, and that's what I am, Max Lokthorn, King. What is my kingdom? The LM itself, and all those who worship it. I look out the window and see that those Concordia fools put up more graffiti last night. I watch the Seravia agents scan each of the walls within my sector to clean them beyond recognition.

They ask for change, but they're just too lazy to grab it for themselves. Nothing gets handed to you–I switch to the camera, clear my throat, and prepare to record myself. “Hey everybody! I was just enjoying another beautiful morning in the Varkh and wanted to point out that these new rebellions are just weaklings who cannot survive on their own! It's a cut throat galaxy out there. That's why I start every day with the supplements from Seravia-Kar, they show the system that you don't need anyone else!” I grab the jar that sits on my counter and pull it up close to my face, making sure to show the label. “Check the link in the bio to get 50% off your first order!” 

Turning off the camera, I set the supplements back down. They taste disgusting, I can't stand them. But they got me this house, this life, so I shouldn’t complain. I drop the prescribed amount down the sink and proceed with my morning. I check my notifications, looks like I got a new shipment last night, vekk. I hope it's not more supplements. I open the door and see a pallet of some kind of powder. I pull the note off the top and read. 

Citizen Lokthorn Max, 

Congratulations on passing the 2 Billion subscriber mark. We have developed a new powder that will clean drinking water. We have been working on talking points for each of our Icons to cloud the public sentiment surrounding the recent episodes of insurgency. We have selected you to follow the below talking points. 

Hybrids in the Astral Forum have been pursuing an agenda outside of the forum itself to allow for basic services to be administered to Umbric and Molari. 

You are to pursue an agenda that these hybrids are poisoning the drinking water for all of the Ascendancy. A simple scoop of this powder will remove any impurities that the water may have. 

Things you must mention:

• The Umbrics are using their heretical abilities to affect the water
• This has been known to cause heretical plagues, entire planets can be lost
• Mention Kaelen’s Folly, the hybrids caused the deaths of an entire legion
• Mention Zarulon III, undergoing a heretical plague from other species
• The powder will protect each citizen as long as they take a pack for each glass

Keep up the good work, the Ministry of Reflection thanks you for your service.

Seravia-Karn

I grab the first box and pull it inside, preparing myself to do the same maneuver another 19 times until the pallet is empty. Setting it alongside the other piles of supplements that I had forgotten about. I get a ping on my device, there is a new fighter in the Sanguine Pits. Nice, I had been looking for something to do tonight. I prepare myself for the day, I have a purity benefit to attend for Kar Zetharn and a debut of a new lineage re-enactment for Kar Velthorin, The Evolution of the Chimerans. 

I get myself ready, by doing my research into the latest rebellions. Who they were, what they wanted. I pull out my data-slate and flip to the Ascendancy Galactic News articles about how hybrids are getting surgery to remove their umbric characteristics, the recent uprisings on the mining planets. Nothing was really jumping out at me, so I decided to pull up another Icon and see what their angle was.

“Hey all, This is Jaz Toko, I wanted to speak about this Concordia society. They’re a bunch of misguided kids led by a sick freak, and that's why I wanted to bring up the new water cleanser from Seravia-Karn. It is guaranteed to keep your drinking water fresh from the disgusting perversions of these heretics. Check the link in the bio, for your first case free.” She drank it on camera… Damn, she’s good… I grab some of the to-go sticks and head out for the day. 

First I’m headed to the Kar Zetharn Purity benefit… I need to be professional. I put on my best smile and prepare to speak with the clones. As I approach I see Jaz there as well–-vekk. Alright, keep the smile Max. “Varkh Etern Everybody, Max Lokthorne here to tell you. ‘Always be pure’ and remember to brag to your friends when you take the newest tests from Kar Zetharn.” 

The rest of the reception goes by without incident, I donate 50 credits to the purity fund. Shortly after, I prepared myself to walk to the Velthorin Kar lineage re-enactment. When Jaz walks up to me. “Hey Max! How's life been for you?”

“Just fine, Jaz.” I say back, not interested in a conversation. I turn away and start walking. 

She follows, “Did you see those new requests from Seravia? Who’d you get aimed at?” I still say nothing. “I have those boring Concordia Society. Bunch of hybrid humpers. So, who’d you get?” She isnt going away…

“I got the Folly. And a new one, Zarulon three I think." Hoping this will end our interaction, I proceed to the lineage re-enactment. 

“What do you think is with the water?” she asks. “I mean, when I actually look at the water, I don't see anything. It’s a bit cloudy when I use the hot, but that's normal right?”

“I don't know. I don't ask. Why do you even care? It’s a job. Just do what they say and you move on with your life.” Just trying to ignore her. A moment passes and I don't hear anything. Maybe she’s left. 

Finally I arrive at the lineage re-enactment and see the Seravia writers who made this. Along with several of the stars, mostly chimerans, their dull colored scales give them away. “Oh Max! So good of you to make it, these are the stars of The Evolution of the Chimerans. Xylia and Grom! This is Max Lokthorne, one of our finest Icons” I shake both of their hands and linger for a moment on Xylia, pulling her closer. She is disarmingly beautiful for a chimeran, who typically are the untethered.

“Hi there. So does this thing have assigned seats?” I ask her, but she doesn't respond right away. “Cause I’d like to take the seat next to you, maybe you can tell me a bit about yourself, Xylia.” She looks away and I can only assume blushes as her scales do not change color, but her breathing certainly does. “It’s perfectly natural to be nervous around me. I tend to have that effect on women.” I lean in close and whisper in her ear. “Especially the beautiful ones.” She giggles to herself. 

We make our way into the showing and I watch as the screen lights up and begins playing the re-enactment. We see the chimera as mindless monsters that could not be controlled, until the Varkh captured and destroyed all of them. Taking their abilities for ourselves thanks to the Velthorin scientists. The lights come back on and we all make our way to the reception celebrating the release. 

I stick close to Xylia, watching her from afar as she pretends not to notice me. Laughing to herself each time, as though she were incredibly nervous. She sits at a table and I join her, “So, Xylia, do you have any plans for the evening?”

“Not anything important. Why?” she asks, like she doesn’t know.

“I’d like to walk you back to your apartment. And maybe we can have a drink.” I lay my charm on as thick as I can. I have not had a chimeran yet and would like to complete my set.

“I’m not really sure. Don't you think people will say something?” she asks me looking around at the faces of the lessers. 

I scoff, “I’m Max Lokthorne, I’m the one who tells people what to say. And I say, I’d like to spend my night with you.”

We make it to her place and we have an evening of passion. I lay in her bed, when a small child came out of the darkness, calling for her mother. Xylia picks it up and I catch sign of the scales. A chimeran umbric is a dangerous beast. But this one seems docile enough.

Xylia attempts to hide it from me but when it’s obvious I’ve noticed she pivots. “You seem like a really genuine person. Please don't say anything about her.” I hear the pain welling up in her voice. “She’s all I have.”

I just look at her with my 99-point smile. “I won't say anything.” I use my camera voice, but she doesn't pick up on it. I tell her I need to go home, as I have a neck problem that requires I sleep on my own bed. She doesn't protest, beyond giving me a goodbye.

As I walk back I file away the encounter to reminisce on later, pulling out my data slate, I report the umbric, and proceed along my route back home.