Secret Base
The energy among the six of them wasn't nearly as vibrant as it had been on the way in. Mostly because everyone was exhausted and trying to recharge. The atmosphere was subdued.
Now they were scattered into smaller groups while waiting for their Hyperloop slot back to base.
People bustled about the terminal. Toshi had gone off to change clothes, Mickey was somewhere nearby, and Sera had dozed off for the second time. Jody sat quietly, scrolling through her phone.
Noticing that Syd was standing alone, Jody remembered something important. She approached him and leaned casually against the wall beside him.
Syd, arms crossed, tilted his head to acknowledge her as she joined him.
"Are they taking Priya back to base?"
"They'll treat her first. Then send her back."
Syd sighed and handed Jody a bottle of water he'd just filled from a nearby dispenser.
"Water?"
"Thanks."
Jody took it and twisted the cap open.
"Priya's kinda pitiful, huh..." Syd remarked.
"Ordered to be eliminated, lost her husband... lucky that gay guy caught her in time."
Syd didn't sound too sympathetic. He was just saying it because, yeah, it was a sad situation. But Priya wasn't his problem. She wasn't his mother.
Jody closed the bottle and held it loosely in her hand.
"She made her choice, didn't she? I think she was prepared for the consequences."
"Hey... real talk, Jody."
Syd turned toward her, arms still crossed.
"What made you jump off that building?"
"Still stuck on that?"
"Not really. I just don't get it. Weren't you scared? Like—statistically speaking, the chance of your head splattering was way higher than you surviving."
"...Of course I was scared."
Jody replied simply.
"But I wasn't thinking straight at the time. I just knew... I had to get it out of our way. Otherwise, your sister might've been the one to fall."
"..."
Syd said nothing. Because, honestly, she was right.
He just hadn't expected Jody to go that far. Especially since she was technically only the 'assistant' on this mission.
"No, I mean... if you were scared... then what gave you the guts to do it?"
"Because you were down there."
"You've said that. But come on, seriously now."
"I am serious. It was because you were down there."
"Don't mess with me, you Brit."
"I'm not messing with you. I mean it."
"..."
Syd could tell she wasn't joking. Which made it all the more surprising.
"No but, like... maybe you shouldn't trust me that much? I don't know, it's hard to explain..."
"Try explaining."
Jody tilted her head, resting it on the wall.
"It's like—ugh. It all happened so damn fast, Jody. Like, next time, can you ask me first? If you'd misjudged the timing even a little bit, you'd be dead. I hate stuff that's unpredictable like that. You just—"
Syd patted her shoulder firmly.
"—chucked the gun down and jumped. It's a bit much, don't you think? I get it was a split-second decision, but at least wait for me to say I'm ready next time..."
"If I had waited, it would've been too late."
"Yeah... that's true... but... I just don't want to see you risk your life like that."
"😮"
Jody placed a hand on her chest.
Was he trying to say he cares about her?
"This job is already dangerous by nature, isn't it?"
"Yeah... but I only ever wanted you to be the assistant. You didn't get the training... I mean, it's admirable that you're this committed, but know your limits, okay? It's not that you're not capable, Jody. I picked you myself, so I know you're not some rookie. It's just—"
"Just?"
"..."
Syd turned away, his cheeks tinged with pink.
"Just... value your life a little more, alright?"
"!!!"
That hit Jody straight in the chest.
"Oh... so you do care about me?"
"If you die, my paycheck gets docked. So do me a favor and stay alive."
"Nice save. That was totally a cover joke."
"Hey!"
"Syd, if you want to say you're worried about me, just say it. If this were someone else, they might think you're trying to say, 'know your place' instead."
"...Yeah. I guess you're right."
Syd looked away sheepishly. But he knew Jody got the message he was trying to send. And it made him feel... lucky, really, that it was her.
"Actually... there was one more reason I jumped."
"Oh? What is it?"
"It's a personal belief of mine..."
"A belief? In what?"
The boy looked curious.
"I believe that whatever happens is meant to happen. Life, everything—it's all been predetermined. My decision to jump... whether I lived or died, the universe would decide. And the fact that I'm still alive means the universe still has something in store for me. Something like that."
"...Whoa. That's some real philosophy right there."
Syd raised a brow.
"So you're saying you survived because the universe destined me to catch you?"
He furrowed his brow, beginning to think maybe Jody was one of those people back home who believed in divine intervention. But Jody clarified before he could get the wrong idea.
"I never mentioned any 'god.' You're misinterpreting me, Syd."
"..."
Thinking back on what she said—yeah. She never did say 'God.' That was his own bias talking.
"I believe that our lives, everything, is already written. And the universe is the one writing it. We're beings in a three-dimensional plane, moving through the mechanics of dimensions four, five, six. We're like fish in a pond. There's no 'god'—or if there is, we probably can't ever reach them. And no, I don't believe in God."
"So... you don't believe in free will?"
"Exactly."
"Sounds just like that gay guy... no wonder you two get along. Bunch of philosophers."
Syd muttered, annoyed.
"What about you? Do you not believe in anything at all?"
"I believe in what can be proven. And anything that can't? No point in arguing about it. Whether free will exists or not—so what? Life has to go on, right?"
"And to you, what is life?"
"...Probably... just experience? Following the cycle of nature. Eat, shit, screw, sleep."
"Even though, in the end, you die... and everything you've done gets forgotten?"
"...Uh... well..."
"This expanding Milky Way galaxy, the sun that shines on you each morning—it wasn't born in our time, but we know it'll die eventually. So the question is: what's the point of it all? Why are we even here if it all ends anyway?"
"...So you're saying life has no meaning?"
"..."
Jody didn't answer, just stared out at the crowd.
"...You're right, Syd. Life does go on. I'm not a hardcore nihilist or anything... but can you really live without asking why?"
"If you think life has no meaning, it's because it never had one to begin with. That's why people have to make one up."
Syd turned to her.
"And if you think everything's already written—then use the life you've been given to experience whatever the universe wrote for you."
He looked into her eyes.
"Okay, sure. Maybe life events are predetermined. I won't argue. But the feelings you experience along the way? Those aren't written in advance."
"..."
Jody looked back at him.
"Wow... you do have your moments, don't you?"
"Shut up."
"But you're right."
"Of course I am. No matter how long we debate this, there's no 'correct' answer anyway."
"And what even is 'correct'? That's a human invention too, Syd. In nature, there's no 'right' or 'wrong,' no 'good' or 'evil.'"
"My definition of correct? Something absolute. Something that's true."
Syd responded confidently.
"I agree with you. People invented right/wrong/good/evil. But I only believe in what exists naturally."
"Which is?"
"Truth... and falsehood."
"...Hmm. Interesting..."
Jody raised a brow. It seemed Syd had more philosophy in him than she thought.
"...But you seem pretty optimistic too."
"Hmph."
"You only believe in what can be proven. So you don't believe in the supernatural, huh?"
"...Supernatural stuff? Like what?"
"Like... spirits. Ghosts and all that."
"Pfft. Ghosts?"
"Yeah. What's your take?"
Jody tossed the question casually, wanting to check where Syd stood on such things.
"I think ghosts are the most stupid, idiotic concept humanity's ever come up with."
"Oof..."
Crystal clear answer.
"I'm so sick of it. Glad you asked. Let me rant for a sec. Back in my home country—still got morons worshipping spirits. Dumb as bricks, zero IQ evolution, still praying to ghosts."
Syd Paitoong Wongpoodee didn't hold back.
"I've never—never—been scared or fascinated by ghost shit. All those ghost shows? Trash. Fake. Anyone who tells me ghost stories—I cut them off. They're full of shit. All ghost stories follow the same dumb pattern. It's always sleep paralysis or scared noobs making shit up. Ever wonder why no one ever studies this properly? Next time you see a ghost, just walk toward it. Boom—solved. If ghosts were real... if magic were real... Thailand would've won World War II already."
He went on like a dam had burst.
"You've never been into ghost movies?"
"Not once. Doesn't matter how well it's made. If it says 'supernatural,' I'm out. Nonsense. Trash. Utter garbage."
"Even The Conjuring?"
"Nope. Don't care. And if you're about to say I'm just scared—pay me 5,000 and I'll livestream myself sleeping in a haunted house. I won't even flinch. Think about it—if a ghost kills you, you just become a ghost and awkwardly stand next to it. Then you can slap the hell out of it. See? Fear clouds your logic. People don't even think that far. Bunch of idiots."
"Okay okay! Whoa there!"
Jody held her hands up, amused.
"You asked."
"But why such strong opinions?"
"Just curious."
So Syd was a die-hard anti-supernatural rationalist.
Which told Jody one thing—there was no point trying to talk to him about what happened last night...
"..."
Seeing the moment was right, Syd finally brought up what he'd been waiting to say.
"Hey, Jody."
"Hm? Yeah?"
"I've got something really important to tell you. No—we do. Something we need to explain before we head back to base."
"...Important? Like what?"
"..."
Syd closed his eyes for a moment, collecting his thoughts. Then he looked her dead in the eye and said:
"Have you ever heard of the wordElementalist?"