Teylon: Signing away his (Earth bound) life, and starting his adventure


    Hey, my leg is no longer aching. Not even the slightest. I hadn''t realised that death had such health benefits!


    I''ve just died and been reincarnated, but for only a limited amount of time. And I''m perfectly sane. Not even the slightest bit panicked. Amazing.


    Teylon’s Soul Reading of: The Old Couple


    Teylon:


    Bloody hell, that must be the soul reading. I''d forgotten about that bit. This really is amazing.


    Let''s try that again!


    Huh? Is it a once off thingy... No, wait, think about it. I''m supposed to fix some great evil on Mars. But if I can read every soul I meet down here on Earth, then, then, well, I will be bound to find the occasional evilness right here, right? And, apparently, the angels are not allowed to intervene in every case. I suppose it''s like they have a quota. And the proportion of that quota that is allocated to me is only to do with the Mars situation.


    Hmm, so the souls that I can read now are going to be purely for practice?


    OK, if it''s for practice only, what say I make an act of will and peek at that boy''s soul? Hopefully he''s not planning any great evil...


    Teylon’s Soul Reading of: The Teenage Boy


    Teylon:


    Oh shucks, the great teenage romance, starting soon at a park near you.


    Teylon’s Soul Reading of: The Teenage Boy


    Teylon:


    So that''s how a mere mortal like me can comprehend a soul. A short series of images, complete with audio track, is given. Presumably carefully selected by Esmeralda to convey whatever information she wants to convey.


    Gee, Both choices look equally attractive, I wonder which one I should go for?


    Well, how about we try the Mars option? No waiting required!


    What if Esmeralda dislikes my levity... Nyah, be sensible, she said it herself, she''s only interested in my actions and my moral choices.


    Yeah, I sure do. But I don''t think they will appreciate them.


    Teylon’s Soul Reading of: The Recruitment Lady


    Teylon:


    So, she is paid a commission as well as a probably meagre wage? Looks like I''ve made her day!


    Oh. That soon. But, well, considering.


    Five? Only five?


    He''s running a racket of some sort. Keeping the last paid amount in his hand until all of the customers have left, then pocketing it himself. But apparently, it''s none of my business.


    Gods above! That much for a mere three-day course! Ah, I see, it''s sponsored by the government, who pays 80%. So, the company is ripping off the tax payers, and that youth is ripping of the company. The company deserves to be scammed.


    I don''t like that kid''s chances.


    <hr>


    Teylon: Thinking about Narrative Causality


    Sigh. No point in getting up, I''ll just get in the road of the people who are normally awake on this shift.


    That''s right, I saw her at the boarding induction. She looked to be only about fifteen years old; your typical skinny teenager with, for some reason, hair dyed bright green. The other four pilots are only a little older.


    kids to get him safely to Mars took some getting used to. But, apparently, they were good at what they did. Which was to push the multi thousand-ton space ship along, without using anything more than the power of their minds.


    Esp powers are amazing. When they first appeared twenty or so years ago, they certainly revolutionised space travel.


    Sigh. So how the hell did I get to be in this situation in the first place. Oh yeah, I remember...


    At least I''m not motion sick.


    Sure wasn''t particularly difficult terminating my old life.


    Just goes to show the virtue of not tying oneself down with relationships. I was able to pack up and leave without any fuss at all.


    This came at a good time, too. Just after I finished my most recent job. The best one I have ever done.


    And now I have to somehow make connections and gather around me a group of people and lead them to, what, conqueror the evilness at the heart of Mars society?


    How do I do that!?


    And, Narrative Causality?


    That''s what Esmeralda had said.


    Narrative Causality.


    Ah yes, I remember.


    So, as I randomly stumble around in my new life - Every time someone says hello to me, there is a good chance that they will be important?


    Hmm.


    But what about where I live? So far, there has been no accidental but significant indication of where I should go...


    On the other hand, Esmeralda definitely implied it was related to esp powers.


    Yep, that''s right. Verdant City, the dome with all of their higher education institutes, and half of their schools. The place with the highest concentration of espers, and, what''s more, the place where expectant mothers go to get their embryos implanted with an esp power.


    Certainly sounds like a possibility.


    Hello Esmeralda? Is this choice OK?


    OK, Verdant it is.


    Hmm, and nobody knows what, exactly, the implantation involves. Or even where it is preformed.


    Blegh.


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.<hr>


    Teylon: Judging (with a capital J) his first subject


    Please, would everyone remain in your seat! Otherwise I will never be able to get through to serve your food."


    While we consume our breakfast from a squeezy bottle, how about I get in some more soul reading practice?


    OK, how about letting me read the soul of this bloke?


    Teylon’s Soul Reading of: The Bloke


    Teylon:


    Completely cold. Completely indifferent to the kids, and the man, that he killed. Not an ounce of empathy. My God, I feel nauseous.


    Strange. Maybe this is also Esmeralda''s doing? Give me some time to get my act together?


    Well, it''s blindingly clear what I''m supposed to do in this case, isn''t it?


    If I''m going to Judge him, at least look him in the eye.


    This is difficult.


    Gulp.


    Esmeralda, ah, on my own free will I request


    Judgement...


    Oh shit, that was Esmeralda, wasn''t it? A very angry Esmeralda. So that''s what she looks like when she is really angry.


    Memo to self. Never, ever, piss off an Angel of Death.


    An assassin. Hired by someone on Mars. Looks like this shit is real, and getting realer.


    There is no way I will be able to casually waltz into Verdant and set up shop unnoticed. I am well and truly on the radar of anyone in power. They might not have a clue as to what, if anything, I actually represent, but they will know that they should keep me in sight.


    Furthermore, this can only be by Esmeralda''s design.


    <hr>


    Teylon: Getting off his backside


    Huh. I don''t need to wear a trainee helmet, like some kid learning to ride a scooter! I''m sure I can avoid slamming my head into door sills. I''m an adult, after all!


    It''s only supposed to be for a month or so, until one''s reflexes get used to things.


    But why bother? I''m here for a set task. And when it''s finished...


    Hmm, OK, let''s do some more reading about the Mars, shall we? The immigration system sounds as good a place as any.


    So, the indentured immigrants work under a starting debt. With compound interest. Regular interest and capital payments are extracted via the normal taxation system.


    At least the interest rate isn''t too high. So what happens if you get behind, I wonder?


    Hmm, you''re expected not to get behind.


    So, what if you die?


    Huh? If you are part of a family unit, your family is burdened with the remaining debt.


    That sounds a bit harsh. So if some poor kid''s parents are killed in an accident, that kid has to work off all the debt?


    I''m sure they have some method of wiping the slate clean. Whatever.


    With my financial resources, I don''t have to do a lick of work for the rest of my life here.


    Even if it is probably going to be very short.


    But if I don''t get out and do something Esmeralda will get impatient and make it even shorter.


    Well, humans are humans. And with light speed communications between the two planets, it is inevitable that we will continue to share major components of our cultures.


    It is the educational city, after all.


    Hello, there''s dark lane ways between the factories. With security cameras, but there are ways and means of negating them...


    No, no, I''m not here to do another job.


    Wait, actually, I''m sort of here precisely to do another job, aren''t I?


    Another job to benefit society by bringing down the high and mighty who have become corrupt, to level the playing field for the normal folks who have been taken advantage off...


    Hey, I''m not speaking to anyone, so I don''t need to go into my spiel. Not that it''s not true, of course.


    I suppose I''m fair game at the moment. Now, where am I?


    Let''s see, I''m still in the boundary between the city centre and the industrial area, and, ah, I''m right in front of the ''Neighbour Watch Centre #77.


    Right, so you can walk in the door, or just tap on the window, and the counter person can open it to have a chat.


    The hourly rate is pretty pathetic. I can only see students or retired people being interested...


    And what am I, if not retired?


    Narrative Causality


    It''s a big emphatic hint.