Reincarnated in Quality Assurance

Kente tutored Marke in the various screens and menu’s he had discovered. Before he went to sleep, Marke was able to view his health, see his mana values, pull up a map, and write a log entry. Kente found that last one by saying “Captain’s Log” as a joke. There were several log entries that Kente had written already that all amounted to “I am bored.”

In the morning, a guard delivered a simple breakfast of bland porridge. Marke had no complaints. It was only the second thing he had eaten since agreeing to work for QuARK and it was fine. Marke discovered the hole in the floor at the back of the cell for waste disposal and took advantage of it.

“Gross.” Kente said.

“Oh come on, don’t be all superior just because you’re no longer a being of crude matter.” Marke retorted. Kente laughed.

Marke didn’t have anything better to do, so he sat crossed-legged on the cot and scrolled through the traits. Kente scrolled through the skills. Marked called up the trait box.

Traits: 3/4

True Soul – See the Truth

Eclipse Sight – See the light and the dark

Second Soul – Divide the nature of your soul

The description on ‘Second Soul’ was vague as ever, but the system had an opinion on the ‘nature’ of Marke’s soul.

Name: ineedabreak

Class: Soul Eclipse

Level: 4

‘Soul Eclipse’ or maybe ‘Soul of Eclipse’ or ‘Eclipse Soul’ or whatever. An eclipse was one object moving between the observer and a source of light, casting a shadow on the observer. If Kente was the shadow, then was Marke the object casting the shadow? What would be the source of the light? Maybe Marke was the source of light and the System put something in the way to cast the shadow Kente. Marke’s musings were interrupted by a Guard opening the door.

“Prisoner. The captain requires your presence.” The guard stared unwaveringly at Marke. Marke stood and walked out the door. There was a guard on either side of him. One led the way while the other hovered right behind Marke. Marke guessed it was to stop him from jumping the railing or some other foolish thing. The guards took him around a corner and down a hallway into the building. The forward guard knocked on a door and muttered something to a guard on the other side who unlocked the door and let them in. The door locked behind them. The forward guard knocked on a second door and the processed repeated. Kind of like a prisoner air lock. Marke thought to himself. I agree. Kente thought to Marke. Aaah! Marke stumbled as he yelped in surprise inside his head. The guard behind him roughly grabbed his arm and hauled him back upright. “Thank you.” Said Marke. The guard seemed to be surprised by this reaction and let go of Marke’s arm. Kente, you’re in here too? Marke thought-asked. Yes. It's not as fun as talking though. Pay attention where you’re going! Kente’s mental voice was the same as Marke’s but Marke was somehow completely sure which voice belonged to which Clarke.

The guards took Marke to an office and sat him in a chair in front of the Captain’s desk. The Captain, naturally, sat on the other side of the desk. The Captain spoke first. “Good morning, prisoner. I am Captain Seshi. I apologize that I have not asked your name before now, but it was clear last night that you were in no shape to undergo the regular process. We will complete that process now.” The Captain opened a large book and picked up a pen. Marke felt that this would be the perfect moment for some bit of polite something-something like ‘of course’ or ‘as you like it’ or just anything really, but he failed to think of one and just stared at the Captain. The Captain began the questions. “What is your name?”

Don’t say your real name! Kente thought. “My name is ineedabreak.” Said Marke. The captain frowned down at a glass globe on his desk.

“That is your name in your… status?” The Captain’s voice had a wobble in it as he spoke the word ‘status’.

“Yes” Said Marke. The glass globe on the desk glowed white. The captain wrote in the book. Do you think that could be a lie detector? Kente thought. Try to not lie.

“Where are you from?” The Captain asked.

Marke shifted in his seat and tried to think quickly. “The first place I remember seeing in this world is the cave I woke up in three or four days ago.” The globe didn’t glow. The Captain frowned at harder.

“Please answer the question more directly.” The Captain commanded.

“I suppose I must say that I am from that cave.” Marke desperately hoped the globe would accept this. The orb glowed a very weak white light. The Captain wrote something more in the book.

“How did you arrive in the Yeree forest?” The Captain looked at the glass globe instead of at Marke’s face.

“If that’s the forest I think it is, I walked there from the cave.” The globe shone bright white. The Captain looked confused but wrote in the book anyway.

“Which country holds your allegiance?” The Captain picked up the globe and looked through it at Marke.

“To my knowledge, no country holds my allegiance.” Marke said. The globe shone bright white again. The Captain put the globe down on the desk and sat back in his chair.

“Tell me about the cave and how you came to the forest.” The Captain commanded. Marke described the cave and recounted his travel across the plain and down into the forest. He did not mention anything about the eclipses or his class.

“…and the next thing I know, I was face down in that cart from yesterday.” Marke concluded his story. The globe had glowed white for the entire story.

The Captain was clearly at a loss about what to think about Marke. He set the globe in a drawer of the desk and looked straight at Marke. “What do you know about the Vlukzec?”

Easy question. Marke thought. “I know nothing about that.”

The Captain asked several more questions but Marke’s answers were all the same, “I know nothing about that.” With each question, Marke could see that the Captain was telling himself a story about Marke’s origins. Finally, the Captain ordered the guards to return Marke to his cell. Marke spoke up as he stood from the chair.

“Captain, I request to be moved to a cell with a view of the moon.” Marke didn’t even know which direction the moon hung in the sky or if such a cell was available.

The Captain narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Marke. “Why?”

Marke blinked in surprise before he responded. “I prefer the light.” For whatever reason, that answer put the icing on top of the story cake that the Captain had built during all the questioning. What is up with that metaphor? Kente thought. I’m hungry. Marke thought.

The captain spoke in a more formal tone than previously. “Of course, we offer our meager hospitality to our great visitor with gladness. Please think nothing of it and only remember us kindly when your leave.” He ordered the guards to return him to a different cell.

Was he making fun of us? Marke wondered. Kente took a moment to respond. I’m not sure. He didn’t look like he was making fun, but he was happy about something. Why would a preference for the light mean anything to him?

The guards took him to a cell with a perfect view of the moon between the bars on the window. That afternoon and again in the night, Marke gained a level for watching each eclipse.