The watch’s directions weren’t wrong. I found Nox. I found him fighting a vampire with two other men in the park. But it was his smile and the feel of his fingers against my cheek that pulled me back to the reality that I was in his world — for real.
But we didn’t get a chance to catch up before this large green think barreled towards him. He shushed it and then he and the thing disappeared.
I blinked. “Where the fuck did he go?”
Tall Dark and handsome stood up, “Never seen it done like that before. He drifted it back.”
“He said he didn’t have an anchor.” The blonde said.
“What does that mean?” I asked.
“Means he won’t be able to get back. We can go get him. You saw where he went?” he asked the other guy.
“First. Names. I’m Alex. Nox disappeared. Who the fuck are you?”
Tall dark and handsome chuckled. “I like him. I’m Ant. That’s Ryan. Your friend didn’t even think about not having an anchor. How the fuck did he think he was getting back?”
“I don’t even know what the fuck you are talking about.” I said. “He talks about drifting, hunting things, but I’ve never touched him before.”
“I’m confused.”
“Me too.” I said. “So can we go after him?”
Ant sighed. “Yeah. Was a yellow.”
“And the shift?” Ryan asked.
“I have no idea. But we can follow the last shift here. If you got enough juice in you. You coming?” Ant asked me.
“Uh…”
“Yes, he’s coming.” Ryan said putting his hand on me and a strange sensation washed over me. Then A blinding light flooded my vision and when my feet touched ground again I puked.
“First time?” Ryan said putting his hand on my shoulder and squeezing.
“Second one today I think.” I said.
I hunched over and caught my breath wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. The air had changed from comfortable to scorching hot sun beating down on our skin. The gray jumpsuit shimmered in the sun and I wished for something better suited to the scorching sun.
The jumpsuit changed into a tan outfit with hat and goggles and something fitting of a Mad Max movie minus all the bones and teeth attached. I noticed then that Ant was covered from head to toe in garb that hit every inch of his skin including his face. His goggled were tinted black and he looked like a Tusken Raider in Star Wars.
Ryan’s attire had changed as well. “What the fuck?” I said.
“You’re earth isn’t really very advanced is it?”
I shook my head. “We have smart watches, but nothing like this, and we definitely don’t have thought changing clothes.” I said. “So where is he?” I asked because when I looked around I saw nothing. No foot prints in the sand, no indication of where he might have gone. We were going to die in the waste land. Why the fuck did I come.
Ryan laughed. “If you can’t drift home you head to the Nexus. From there you can get anywhere except Shift #0.”
“Why?” I asked.
“Shift #0 is under water — body crushing depths nothing can survive. And we can’t get the gear into the room in which we could portal back.”
“But I got here.” I said.
“And we have no idea how. Or even how you know your friend.” Ant said with a muffled voice.
“I’ve dreamt about him since I was a boy.”
Ryan looked at Ant and grinned. “You talked to him? Like heard his voice as an Echo?”
“Yeah. I didn’t hear his parents. Just him.”
“Mind link.” Ant said. “You’ve never met him before? Physically?”
I shook my head. “No.”
“He doesn’t seem the type of guy who aimlessly wanders around trying to haphazardly drift back home does he? He did that touch thing like he’d done it thousands of times before.”
“Yeah. He’s never reckless.” I said. “Risks yes, but not one to just pop off in hopes he’d come back. He’s never mentioned it before, at least.”
“So let’s assume, he’s drifted thousands of times. He didn’t come back this time because his anchor isn’t tethered. And the only thing that’s changed is you were in Arcadis in the flesh. You drifted. Try something.” Ryan smiled. “Close your eyes and call his name out in your head. Focus on him, his mind, his thoughts, his voice, and just call him.”
I sighed but I did as instructed. They knew a lot more about this than I did. Fuck I had no idea what any of this shit really was. I wrote about drifting and anchors and yet I knew nothing about it — not really.
I focused on the pretty boy I’d been dreaming about. Focused on the sound of his voice, the echo in his head of Nyx and found him in my mind. “Pretty Boy?”
“Alex?” He asked, his voice sounded confused. “What are you doing here?”
“Following you.”
He growled and Nyx chittered his own dismay.
“I’m not alone. Ant and Ryan, the guys in the park, they brought me. We are here to find you.”
He sighed. “I’m heading to the Nexus. In the distance you’ll see a sparkle of light, head that direction. I’ll meet you there.”
“Alright. Stay safe.”
“Always.” Nox said with a smile in his voice. “Stay safe.”
I opened my eyes and smiled. “Okay he says to head towards the spark of light in the distance. He’ll meet us there.”
Ryan laughed. “You are his anchor — no idea how, but you are. Let’s go.”
Alex Brizo is an Inquisitive Dream walking Explorer with latent talents who Commands Mental Powers and is an Anchor from Shift #0
Effort: 1
Armor: 0
Recovery:
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Damage:
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Speed:
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Intellect:(1)
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XP:
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Abilities: telepathic, hedge magic, decipher, dreamcraft, bond, mental link with drifter, create anchor
Weapons: stun stick 0, unarmed 2 – eased
Cypher System disclaimer and Open Game License
Numenera, the Cypher System, No Thank You, Evil!, Invisible Sun, and their respective logos are trademarks of Monte Cook Games, LLC in the U.S.A. and other countries. All Monte Cook Games characters and character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof, are trademarks of Monte Cook Games, LLC. Content derived from Monte Cook Games publications is © 2013-2022 Monte Cook Games, LLC.
The Mind of Nox 