2017 Charity Event 2: The Tsunami of 2220


#1

Prologue

Ryuk had finished work on both Turtle City his moving submersible deep sea locale, and Coral City, where the kelp gardens were tended and a dragon’s head would part the waves for entry. Each were traditionally Kasanthian city with the youth being raised in the arts of torture, and the kasanthian devotions of the nightmare slaver. They were open to all races and species, with Ryuk personally purchasing the freedom of children to help expand the operations.

But still expansion would require more food, and I’tashi vessels were a real and present threat in the waters near Coral city. So Ryuk reached out through an advert on the Holonets, to Blackheart Security Solutions, a PMC he had faced in the past. They were skillful effective and professional. Having scrimped and saved for the past three years Ryuk had coffers full of ghaz enough to hire them, and the need.

Part 1: The Grand Magi sends his personal Band

Zee Kavaricchi of the famed Dandy Fancypants Family Performers stood on the prow of the Merchant Vessel Gonmar’s Gift as it traversed the dangerous waters around the Zombie Isle off the coast of I’tash.
Zee had read up on the Isle before setting out, and didn’t like what he had read.

The Island had been a prison for people I’tash considered criminals. They were dropped there by airship, and usually bitten by the first mob of Zombies that came across them. Back when I’tash ruled there were teams of Peacebringers sent in to kill any Zombie Lords that formed, so the horde was always managable and never left the Isle. Now…who know.,

Zee had been told little of what to expect by his master Grand Magi
There was a deep trench nearby that was filled with a bioluminescent coral reef. Too deep for the sun to ever reach, it was the perfect place for Ryuk to craft his coral city. But again it was off the coast of the Northern Kingdoms, and Zee wondered why the Grand Magi had seemed so excited about this project.

Zee Kavaricchi Fancypants (he had dropped the Dandy from the family name when he dropped out of the Academia and traveled up to Kasanth) never performed without his trusty band, and they were behind him holding their instruments and Black Parasols to keep out the sunlight. Each of the Nightmares looked like a caricature of an Earther with a mop top haircut. They were obviously not normal people, but when they stood behind Zee, he shined even more.

His band had been entertaining the guests aboard Gonmar’s Gift, when he noticed one the passengers seemed very different than the rest. The rest were members of Ryuk’s Rabble, coming back from missions across the colonies. But this one was a Cleansed Legion with an elongated neck, wearing robes of some high office that Zee vaguely remembered being part of the Quantum Gate. A unique membership of the Unity that tried to police the rest for corrupting influences and alien manipulation.

Zee struck up a conversation with the Cleansed Legion, and ascertained a few key facts. The first was that the Quantum Gate representative was named Grant. The second was that he was on leave from the Gate, and had come to visit and old friend named Gami. The third was that Gami and Grant had served aboard Kal Shek’s Obscenus Taela carrier craft in previous cloned lives as part of the General’s personal guard. Zee was a fast talker but an even better listener, as Grant shared little except the facts to each of the troubadour’s questions.

Then they witnessed the most terrifying of scenes.

The water around their vessel turned a darker blue for a moment and then the jaws of a massive nightmarish draconic monster closed around their ship. As they bounced back and forth inside the mouth on the waves, Zee felt his stomach lurch and churn. Meanwhile Grant was fine as his larva adjusted his biological chemical levels to offset any feelings of uneasy. But he was far more concerned about this method of entry.

When the boat finally settled down, there was a gulping noise as they moved into an area where there were docks. Awaiting them were Leftenant Ryuk, and at his side stood the androgenous clone Gami. They were looking quite relaxed, which made Grant think that this was their common way of greeting guests.

With a respectful nod and little else Grant excused himself and Gami to Gami’s chambers, so they could converse completely in private. Once safely upstairs, he checked Gami to make sure they were allright and had not been harmed by Ryuk or the Kasanthians. Upon finding the kill collar strapped to Gami’s thigh, Grant asked, “Did Ryuk do this to you?”

“No, it was put on me by the people at Jemison post,” said Gami with a bit of disdain.

“Jemison Post,” said Grant aloud, “These designs look Fort Lendill in origin.”

“Entirely possible, Jemison Post has only existed a year,” said Gami, “I doubt they invented their own tech.”

“They definitely do not have the oneness of Unity,” agreed Grant, and for a moment they communed through the uplink sharing data within miliseconds that would normally take hours to explain in speech.

It seemed their deaths aboard the vessel had sent them on very different trajectories. Gami only remembered a little while, being turned over to the EEF by the Unity members who revived Gami. Gami then passed through EEF prison after prison

Grant finally asked, “I see how these situations must be very challenging. I suspect the involvement of the Unity Cyborg Hunters. Their scientific experiments are one of the only things not regulated by the Concensus for the good of all. They are often the variable of chaos in our ordered plans. The Quantum Gate had to put down the first Augur of War uprising, so I can understand the threat the Unity Cyborg Hunters pose. If they are watching you…then you are in grave danger.”

“You should go then,” said Gami, “I don’t want you at threat.”

“I came here to help you, and keep you safe,” said Grant, “As you once kept the noble Kal Shek safe. And now I will advise Ryuk to the best of my ability. He IS technically a member of the Unity despite his Kasanthian leanings, then again I guess that was the point of the TRILAT. Anything I should focus on?”

“You will need to guide him. He has many great ideas, but need honing, and the wise guidance of someone who can see and understand the effect of those consequences. You see he is more than people expect…and way more dangerous if left without guidance. You do recall the Warcrime that has him hunted by the Iron Republic for the better part of two years? Ever since the Fleet of Fate reared their head the I.R. hasn’t had the time to track him back to Refuge but…that crime and the many many lives it cost was an exemplar of what he could do the oceans of Refuge.”

Grant pondered that for a moment, “Yes I could see how some good advice at certain times might avert a catastrophe. Then I will aim to be a good adviser.”


#2

Part 2: A Blackheart sells their services to all

The band was playing, and Zee was having the time of his life. Ryuk was the least formal Kasanthian military officer that Zee had ever seen. In fact, it was such a relaxed scene that Zee could really rock out.

Meanwhile Grant, Gami, Ryuk, Professor Hharmuuz and the Succubus Leyana were meeting with the bastard owner of the PMC. Now Blackheart Security Solutions was the real deal, and its C.E.O., Childeen Blackheart, was ex-special operations, and seen his fair share of the shit both on Refuge and offworld. And it was that offworld element that Ryuk hoped to take advantage of.

“So Mr. Blackheart, now that you have had a chance to see Coral City, you can understand both my need for secrecy and my need for a steady food supply for my people,” said Ryuk, “And I need the ultimate discretion.”

“Discretion costs money, I’m not going to lie,” said Childeen, “It also means using some very proprietary artificings and obscurements will need to be produced. I could do you some discounts on costs, but I will have to station processing agents here to receive the goods. And a vessel for them to use to get out to the drop off point.”

“So what is your plan?” asked Ryuk.

“The parts I can share are simple,” said Childeen, “My vessels will drop off your goods at a spot along their normal flight plan, my boat will collect the drop off and bring the goods back to Coral City.”

“If I provide the boats that should lower your operating costs,” suggested Ryuk.

“Yes but my people have to handle to receiving to confirm product counts,” said Childeen sternly.

“Agreed,” said Ryuk, “So how much are we looking at contractually?”

“With the usual clauses for a five year plan, and discounts for that you would be looking at this amount for the first year and as your initial payment,” said Childeen.

He placed a note and passed it over to Ryuk. Childeen never expected the K’iorn to agree. But as he watched Ryuk’s pose as he reached out for the note, he noticed something. Ryuk carried himself like only one specific group of people Childeen had run into here on Refuge. He stood, walked and carried himself like a K’iorn Dra’koon. Those elite bodyguards were trained in a traditional style that imparted very specific postures, and Childeen would spot them anywhere.

It seemed this Ryuk was like an onion, the deeper you went the more layers you found.

And again Ryuk surprised Childeen, as he agreed immediately to the amount suggested. Childeen was amazed the Kasanthian even had that amount. Then he learned he would have to claim payment at Ryuk’s casino out in space. Suddenly the situational challenges Ryuk faced made more sense.

Moving resources from space to Refuge was almost impossible, but Childeen could make it happen if it was food. As for other things, they would have to negotiate separately.


#3

Part 3: A Trio of Yellow Submarines

Their negotiations done they shared a bottle of finest vintage, but their celebration was soon to be interrupted by the alert that three Hhar’na Submersibles, I’tashi combat subs, had stumbled upon their current food supply.

The food supply was a spawning bed. Thousands of species of Refugian fish and mollusc teemed in these waters, and many relied upon a single crater made by a meteorite in ancient times. This underwater crater had multiple layers of kelp grown over it to hide it from other nations.

But Ryuk and company realized they needed a long term distraction. Something to keep the ships away from the spawning pool.

They decided on a simple yet complex plan. Gathering together the members of the Rabble who were skilled in Earth Leyas and Fire Leyas, they placed them aboard the Turtle City and approached the spawning pool. They used the Rabble’s uplinks to focus their power through Grant the Quantum legion who used the Leyas to create lava flows under the sea floor. Their powers worked well except an oversurge of fire leyas caused a pressure build up that blew out the side of the crater facing shoreside.

There was a massive tidal wave that built and built, racing towards the Refugian coast unknown to Ryuk or his Rabble.


#4

Epilogue: An Academia Expedition

A sailing vessel approached the location where the tidal wave had originated, intent on finding its cause.

As it did so, it was approached by a small vessel flying the flag with the @ symbol of the Academia of Chooru.

Aboard the vessel were a variety of workers of various species, but one earther called out, “You really don’t want to stay here. We are doing an investigation into thermal vents underneath this specific area. And it has already capsized a boat. When an I’tashi Submarine tried to mess with it, it set off the tsunami. Bad luck for those I’tashis I suppose.”

Aboard the sailing vessel a merchant captain yelled back, “Bad luck? It is far worse than that! There are miles and miles of coastal devastation. Hundreds displaced, with many people missing. Its caused a panic…”