Phantasy Star: Fringes of Algo

Charlie
Charlie found himself in a local restaurant ordering a milkshake. He leaned back in the farthest corner stall and looked around the room. It became a habit to do so throughout the years because he had made many enemies due to his thieving personality. CJ was wondering how he was going to find Jakob and which inn he was going to go to.

Throughout his travels, he had learned that he shouldn't go to the cheapest inn, because authorities often watch those places. He shouldn't go to the most expensive one either, because he could only afford two days at most, and that is with him stealing from two or three people and getting lucky. He needed to find a place somewhere in the middle. At least, until he finds Jakob. Until that time came, he sat back in the corner, sipping away at his milkshake.

Back in her room at the inn, Brigit took her belt off, ready to crash on the bed for a while. It felt light, though, and... where was her coin pouch? Wait...

Her eyes turned red. She'd been robbed! On a normal day she'd probably have let it go, but today she was feeling particularly vulnerable to people, and the robbery triggered some hardcore anger she had pent up.

"Who could have..." she concentrated her senses on replaying her memories of the day. Suddenly she came across an image of the cloaked man.

"It's him!" she hissed. "It has to be!"

She froze the memory in her mind as she focused her sensors to recall his smell for tracking purposes. After a few seconds a very distinct scent hit her nose, and she made her way downstairs and out the door. She stood in the city street, eyes still burning, picking up the man's trail.

She found herself wandering through the city feverishly, not caring about bumping into others or even knocking them down. The trail finally ended at a small tavern. She burst through the doors and scanned the area for her target, catching sight of him in a corner.

"YOU!!" she bellowed, looking at the man. "I believe you owe me some meseta, thief!"

Charlie
As the woman burst through the door, she looked directly at him, not even stopping to glance at the other occupants in the restaurant. He thought it rather strange. It seemed too much like Magnus. However, he could clearly tell that this was not Magnus so he simply finished off his drink without so much of a sweat. Placing 50 Meseta on the table, he turned to the waitress who was stunned at the sudden accusation and said, "Keep the change."

Calmly he stood up and walked over to his accuser looked her straight in the eye and without so much of a hint of dishonesty simply said, "I don't know what you're talking about. Now excuse me, I have somebody I must find." He then used his speed to make it seem as if he had walked right through her, opening the door and went on his way.

Brigit fumed. It wasn't like her to get upset over a few coins, but she was tired of being vulnerable to people lately. She ran out the door and immediately picked up his trail again, stepping directly in front of his path about a block from the restaurant. Her eyes were burning red, and her skin took on a silver sheen as she honed her laconian fibers to increase her strength. Her voice had a metallic tone as she spoke to the man.

"Listen up, you," she growled at the man as she grabbed his cloak and pulled him down to her face. "I've about had it with this crappy town. I have a friend (Friend? Am I really calling Jakob a friend? I wonder if he'd feel the same way.) who's in a coma after blasting through several hundred robots, because some idiot decided to build this stupid city near an android nest. If it wasn't for him, I'd be dead... or... I'd... look really strange, anyway, and this town would be in flames. I wouldn't stick around here, but I owe him big time and I need all the meseta I can get."

A spark of electricity ran down the arm she was using to hold the man's cloak. She let go and tried to regain some sensibility. She took a deep breath, and as she exhaled, her skin went back to its normal color, her eyes turned gray again.

"You'll give me my money back or you'll never lose me; I can find you behind walls 20 feet thick," she said as she crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.

Thank god I hide my real money stash inside me; one benefit of being a cyborg, I guess, she thought to herself.

"So what happened out there?" Trey asked as Celeith walked into the living quarters. He was standing near the staircase as she sat down on the couch. "Well.. I don't remember everything.. But it went like this." Celeith replied.


A few moments passed and Trey sat down next to Celeith. "Ive heard stories about this from teacher. I remember her telling me the stories of other planets. Ones she's travelled to herself. That legend came from a planet called Earth."

"But wasn't Earth destroyed thousands of years ago? Thats what my mother said her great great great ummm great or however many greats ago it was grandmother Amy told her children." she replied. Trey looked down at the ring around his finger.

"I'm not really sure how that planet was destroyed.. Or even if it really existed. But teacher knew about it.. And maybe she knows of a way to heal Jakobs coma.. Celeith, I want you to come with me to Uzo so we can find her." Trey said as he stood up.

He extended his hand to his friend who gazed at him speechless for a moment. "Sure, but how are we going to get to Uzo? Its across the sea and they don't allow civillians to use the ships at the docks." she replied as she grabbed ahold of his hand.

With a simple smile he helped his friend up. "Don't worry.. We have the guilds experemental Hydrofoil.. I have access as captain to it so we're free to use it. But first we need a crew to help us with the controls."

"Maybe we could ask the girls that are staying with Jakob?" she asked.

"You go ahead and ask them, I'm going to go ahead and make preparations on the Sylvina." Trey replied.

Charlie
"That's not my problem." Charlie once again used his speed to get behind her. He was going to go on his way but he stopped. "If you really want your money back, I have only one condition. A simple question really. I'll give you your money back for answering it." He turned around. He a took a short breath, "Do you know a man named Jakob Daze?"

Jakob
Jakob was running in the forest, away from a beast with no weakness. He hopped over a rock and ducked under a branch as the beast ran right through them, barely slowing it down. He heard a river nearby and ran as fast as he could towards it. Using his head, he quickly summed up that a waterfall was nearby and ran as fast as he could towards it. He jumped, flying into a lake below.

Brigit & Bo
Of course, Brigit realized, a trap! How could I be such an idiot, letting a few coins get to me...

Without so much as flinching, Brigit shrugged her shoulders and plainly responded, "Sorry, never heard of him. I guess you win." She turned to walk away, when suddenly Bo appeared above her in the sky.

"There you are!" Bo called to her. "Hey, Brigit!"

Oh no, Brigit groaned to herself. She didn't respond to Bo and kept walking.

Bo angrily cried to her, "Hey, wait up! Nobody told me Master Jakob was comatose!"

Brigit stopped and hung her head down. Damn bird! She spun around and looked at the cloaked man.

"Different Jakob," she said to him. "It's Jakob Portanova from Aied..."

Bo interrupted, "What are you talking about? Jakob lives and owns a store here! He's not..."

"All right!" Brigit interjected. She took a deep breath. "Bo, just get down here and shut your beak, okay?" She held out her arm for the bird.

"Righty-o, Ms. Brigit!" he squawked as he landed on Brigit's arm and climbed onto her shoulder.

"Now look, you," Brigit addressed the man, getting close to him. "Bo will take us to Jakob, but I don't want my coins back, you hear? If this is a trap, I don't want it to be over petty change."

She looked at Bo and told him to use "Fly" to take them back to the inn. Bo complied, flapping his wings while hovering over Brigit and the man. A warm white light engulfed them and the trio warped to just outside the inn.

Bo landed back on Brigit's shoulder. Brigit took them to Jakob's room, eyeing the man very suspiciously as she stood next to Jakob's bed.

Charlie
Charlie staggered back when looked at the man who lie comatose on a bed in front of him. He couldn't believe it. He didn't want to believe it. He tripped over a stack of books lying carelessly on the floor and stared at the be. Was he too late? Was this what his dreams were telling him?

He stood up, without saying a word, he walked out the door. He was about ten feet out the door when he put all his anger into his fist, punching a hole through the wall big enough to stick his head in. With blood running down his knuckles, he began his descent down the stairs, wanting to get as far away as possible.

"Wow," Bo remarked as he and Brigit looked at the hole in the wall. "Were you expecting that?"

Brigit gave the owl a look of incredulity. "Of course not, Bo. Don't be daft."

"What should we do?" Bo wondered.

"Pay Celeith, of course. We're the ones who brought that scoundrel here," she answered, making her way to the lobby. "We're responsible for the hole."

"Are you going to find out what that man wants?" Bo continued with his questions.

Brigit sighed as she watched the man make his way down the stairs. She didn't know what to think of him, but it was puzzling that this person was so affected by Jakob's coma.

"Hey, you," she called to him. "I suppose you might know how to help Jakob, right?"

Charlie looked back with both rage and hate, burning in his eyes. "Leave me alone," was all he could say his teeth clenched, yet his voice strong and demanding. He clenched his fist and began walking, bumping into pink haired woman. Without even to look who it was he bumped into, he began heading towards the door.