Welcome to SNOWBOUND, a new interactive fiction story on Steemit.
Did you miss the first installment? Click here to find out what the hell is going on.
We return to our intrepid protagonist standing in a small room, being offered a cup of tea.
>wonder if I've been dosed with something, decline English Breakfast
It's quite possible that tobacco was laced with something funny, which makes the tea suspect, as well.
Then again, this isn't the first time today that you've seen doors seemingly appear and disappear, completely defying all known physical laws and basic common sense. If you're hallucinating now, you must have been hallucinating for a long time. In any case, why bother calling all this madness into question now? Might as well enjoy the ride.
You thank Ian for the offer, but decline if the tea is English Breakfast.
Ian gives you a curious look as he puts the kettle on, then invites you to sit at the small table.
"You're surprisingly calm, given the situation. But no, it's not English Breakfast. I actually prefer ginger tea. I find it helps clear my mind when I'm busy with work."
You casually take a seat, and your companion, looking warily between the two of you, cautiously does the same. You ask if that work would entail the shuffling off of coils, mortal or otherwise. Ian looks up at you in surprise as he squeezes lemon juice into three mugs.
"Ah, so you do recognize me. I wasn't sure if you would, other than the passing familiarity you no doubt feel for all Avatars. The Death of another universe told me you had received some of my memories from the Akashik Records, but memory is a funny thing, and it can't always be trusted. But yes, I am Ian, and I am Death."
Ian pours the tea and hands you and your companion a mug, then takes his seat at the table. You lift the mug to your lips and take a small sip, finding the flavor surprisingly refreshing. Your companion simply looks between the two of you in abject confusion.
"I haven't the foggiest London night's idea what the hell is going on here."
Ian smiles as he sips his tea.
"No, I shouldn't think you would," he says, then motions to you. "You seem to be a few steps ahead, but I can only assume that you have questions, as well. I'll do my best to sum things up so that you're both caught up to speed."
Ian takes another sip, then steeples his hands in thought.
"To begin with, I am not exactly human, though I appear to be. I was at one time, but my essence was merged with Death's. As for who I was, I was technically you. Both of you. You see, in each of the many universes exists an incarnation of us. We are not all identical, but we are each something known as an Avatar. There are three distinct Avatar states that each incarnation may assume: the Avatar of Body, the Avatar of Mind, and the Avatar of Spirit. Each Avatar state possesses a special skill that differentiates it from the others: the Avatar of Body possesses the ability to maintain a physical presence within the Akashik Records; the Avatar of Mind possesses the ability to direct itself through the Multiversal Nexus within the Records so as to travel between universes; and the Avatar of Spirit possesses the ability to absorb the essence of another individual, thereby gaining that person's knowledge and abilities. Essentially, what this means is that the Avatar of Body can travel to and from the Records, but cannot leave his own universe; the Avatar of Mind can travel between universes, but cannot stay within the Records; and the Avatar of Spirit can neither stay within the Records nor travel between universes, but can potentially do both by communing with an Avatar of Body and an Avatar of Mind."
Your companion lowers his mug and rubs his head in distress.
"This is doing nothing for me," he groans. Ian gives him a sympathetic look.
"My apologies, but it would take far too long to go into minute detail. Please, simply enjoy your tea."
"Enjoy my tea?" your companion shouts, pointing to his arm. "I've been shot by a child, trapped in a weird room, and been told that I'm sharing a table with someone who claims to be Death, and you expect me to simply sit here dumbfounded and enjoy my tea?"
The corner of Ian's mouth turns up slightly in thoughtful concern.
"You have a point," he says, reaching out and touching your companion on the hand. His head suddenly slumps over and falls onto the table. You look between your companion and Ian, alarmed.
"Don't worry," Ian says, retrieving his mug, "he's just unconscious. I thought it would be better for all concerned. The explanation is more for your benefit, in any case."
You shrug slightly and take a nervous sip of your tea.
"Now then," Ian continues, "I myself was an Avatar of Mind, though I did not know it before merging with Death. I believe that is why I was chosen as Death's companion -- as an Avatar, I was not bound to my universe, and so it was a small matter to remove me from it. That is how I am here now: I was able to use my Avatar ability to jump from my original universe to this one. Even though I lack the Avatar of Body's ability to incorporate, I am able to maintain my memories when traveling through the Nexus by keeping them with Death in our original universe. Because we are a single entity with two streams of consciousness, it is possible for us to move between universes while also maintaining a presence in our own universe. Since I always have access to the mind that is kept safely in our original universe, I never forget who I am. I know you experienced some amnesia when you first traveled between universes. That was because you lacked the power of incorporation. You do not lack that power now, as I can see that you have communed with an Avatar of Body. You have not, however, communed with an Avatar of Mind. That is why I believe you are here now. You were sent to this universe by another individual, correct?"
You nod, tapping your cheek in thought.
"He is a man known only as 'The Traveler'. Like you, he is an Avatar of Spirit. To my knowledge, he is the only other Avatar of Spirit to have ever existed."
Your finger thumps against your cheek with a solid thud as things begin to click into place. You retrieve the Collection of Notes from your pocket and ask Ian about them. He takes them from you and looks them over briefly.
"Yes," Ian says, returning the notes, "these were written by him."
You ask how that could be possible, given their age.
"To be honest, I'm surprised he's as young as he is, given everything he's accomplished."
You narrow your eyes and purse your lips in confusion. Ian chuckles.
"The power of incorporation allows an Avatar of Body -- or, in the case of The Traveler, someone who has co-opted the Avatar of Body's ability -- to maintain a physical presence within the Akashik Records, but only inasmuch as it resembles a human body. The body you receive within the Records is more like a projection of your original physical form. Unlike the body you have now, it does not age, and is not susceptible to death under ordinary conditions. There have been many Avatars who spent centuries within the Records, either in study of them or in fear of death, but most minds cannot handle such longevity, and it inevitably breaks them. The Traveler, however, has a singularly focused mind. I believe it was this quest for God that he speaks of in his journal that has kept him sane these last 300 years. He is utterly convinced that he will find God through the Records, and I suspect that he thinks you are the key."
You raise an eyebrow and ask how that might work.
"I'm not sure," Ian says, disappointingly. "I wish I had some idea what he was planning, but I have only been able to pick up on certain actions he has taken. You see, he was the one who originally took you to the universe with the Avatar of Body. I believe it was his intention for you to commune with him to gain his power. I believe that's why you were also brought to this universe: our unconscious friend here is an Avatar of Mind, like me. I believe The Traveler is attempting to create in you a second Triune Avatar. Unfortunately, doing so may prove disastrous, and I cannot allow it to happen."
You stiffen in shock as a door behind Ian opens and an entourage of gun-toting children files in.
"You see," Ian says, the children forming a neat rank behind him, "I have noticed a small instability in each universe as a result of its Avatar. The Traveler, essentially being three Avatars in one, has caused a significantly greater instability, threatening the very fabric of reality. I'm sure you can see that a second Triune Avatar would be disastrous. However, as I lack the power of incorporation, I cannot stay within the Records to confront The Traveler directly, and I was unable to follow where he had taken you until you were already gone. My only recourse was to prevent any possibility of a second Triune Avatar from forming by traveling between universes and systematically eliminating the Avatars there."
Ian casually sips his tea, as though everything he has just said is perfectly reasonable.
"I was faced with a certain difficulty at first, however. You see, though I possess the power of Death, my purview does not extend beyond my own universe. As such, I cannot directly cause the deaths of anyone outside it. Even after discussing the matter at length with the other Deaths, and all recognizing the Avatar threat, there was still nothing I could do. Rules are rules, you see. I suppose the other Deaths are more reluctant about breaking them than I am. However, we did ultimately arrive at a compromise: while I agreed not to directly annihilate other Avatars, I was allowed to assemble a task force to do it for me. These are the Avatar Hunters. I have put together a similar team in each universe. Their only job is to hunt down that universe's Avatar and kill him, then store the body until I can confirm his annihilation."
You stare wide-eyed at Ian, horrified at the absolute simplicity of his tone, as though he is discussing something trivial. You ask what kind of a monster would train children to be murderers.
Ian stands and paces back and forth, his hands folded behind his back.
"It was an unfortunate necessity, I'm afraid. Think about it: what sane adult would believe anything I've told you? Adults have very particular ideas about how the world ought to be. When faced with this truth, most would balk at it. Children do not have such impediments. Rather than seeing the world how they think it should be, they see it as it truly is. I regret the need to involve them, but that need will soon be over. Once I have eliminated you, the Avatar threat will be gone. I offered you this explanation by way of apology. I thought you at least deserved to know why you had to die. However, for the sake of the Multiverse, you must be annihilated."
Ian raises his hand into the air, the children behind him lifting their guns and lining you up in the sights.
"Children," he says, then suddenly begins to luminesce and disappears with a flash. The children lower their guns in confusion.
It looks like you may have a brief window in which to act!