Keep the Faith

<SNIP>
"The chamber of boridium will create an ultimate character based on your personal attributes in real life, making your in-game avatar into...a super you!"
</SNIP>

The Super-Dwarfers stood proud upon the balcony. I thought they seemed pretty cool, but couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d lost a little buddy…

Li’l Plisky’s disappearance was felt keenly by Alex - not that anyone would know it to look at him, he merely scowled beneath his bells.
Uber-Plisk was pretty awesome, though. He seemed even wiser and older than he had before and, in Al's opinion, his long white hair had something of the unicorn about it.

Alex absently mindedly twirled a lock of his own mane. It was odd adjusting back to longer hair and limbs after running around as his flop-haired kiddy avatar.
Part of him still felt a bit younger, somehow, like he still craved candy, and wanted to mess around in go-karts.
Maybe he’d just always felt like that but had forgotten.

He stopped staring at Wizard-Features, and ran his gaze over the transformed Artie, Jaxx, Evelina and Jacky, considering their unusual garb. Oh Gods, what the hell would he be transformed into? Something embarrassing or weird, most likely.
Had to be done, though. He shrugged, mumbled “my turn” and jumped into the blue glooping liquid, his mind clinging to the hope that his attire would change to something less form-fitting and cheek-colouring than his jester’s outfit-kitty-cloak-combo.

The liquid oozed, surrounding him with a pleasant warmth.
Something stirred at the centre of his being. “Mmmmff.”

After a moment or two, the burbling substance began to burn powerfully. Though painful, it felt kind of nice, almost like it was itching and scorching something away. Like scratching a scab off.

Alex’s top layer was gritty, issue-riddled, and reserved… But beneath this crust he was a kind, strong, good man.
Bidden by something within, his mind flashed back to the gerbil girl in the Roo Tunnels who had so much faith in him.

<SNIP>
Oddly touched, Solvay swallowed, privately betting there were no submachine guns on the poster.
“I’m no angel, darlin’.”
</SNIP>

“Alexandra Solvay," the computer voice chimed "... an accomplished ballerina in the…”
“Ballerina?” Alex rasped, straining now against the liquid pain, the veins in his neck bulging at the effort. "Not right." Looks like Tregard was telling the truth about the system-bugs. He hoped the computer wouldn’t reveal too much true information. He was so priv-AAAAARRGHHH-t.

The burning increased in intensity and now he did yell aloud. How could this much pain exist in a game? “YEAAArrRRGHH!” He raised his hands from the pit, clenching his fists, and smashing them deep into the blue liquid. “Oh Christ and all the Gods!” It was agony. He thrashed around, trying to find some relief. His back was throbbing like someone was holding branding irons to his shoulder blades.

“Apologies, for technical difficulties encountered," droned the computer "I will scan for accurate files.”
There were a few bleeps and beeps.
“Alexander John Solvay,” the computer corrected its earlier misinformation “an engineer aboard the mining vessel Blue Dwarf. Former Infantryman, gambler, drug addict and prostitute. Alcoholic.”

Smeg. Apparently it was getting some of the information directly from his mind now - he had just that second been thinking 'please don’t say prostitute or alcoholic'. He tried focusing, which wasn’t easy amid the roar of pain.

“Father. Husband.” The voice continued. Better.
“Ex husband” it amended. “Serial adulterer” Crap
He avoided eye contact with any of the others. He couldn't bear to see the 'lucky escape' expression which was bound to be evident on a certain doctor's features.

“Sh-Shut up…” he begged.
There was a moment's relief from the pain.

The voice, having apparently mulled his request over and thought the better of it, continued.

“You consider yourself lowly, and unworthy of-“
“Shut UP! LA LA LA.”
He sang over the rest of the sentence, not wanting anyone to hear such personal things. This situation was the opposite to anything he’d actually like to be doing. Having private emotional stuff laid bare before his crewmates wasn’t exactly Alex’s idea of a good time.

“For the most part placid. Fierce when pushed. Possibly robosexua-“
The pain was temporarily forgotten as Al got mad. “If you don’t shut up, it’s percussive maintenance time!”
The computer voice, emotionless as it was, managed to carry a note of sarcasm in its next statement. “… Believes striking machinery will cause it to function more efficiently…”
Alex squirmed under the influence of a new shot of shoulder strain. “Uuaaargh! Only sometimes!” He panted.
“... No-nonsense, often ill-tempered, difficult to get along with. Brooding. At times practically mute. More relaxed among mechanical beings than people of flesh and blood... Unfriendly...”

“Yes, yes. We know all this, get on with it.” Alex snapped, about as impressed as a chastity belted Pancake during a no-porn-pride parade.

“… But is in fact a decent, good, kind, man who believes in doing the right thing.”
That was almost worse.
“Liar! You shut your bloody speakers.”
The computer took no notice and droned on.

“... Cannot abide cruelty.”

That was true enough. Al’s dad’s words echoed around his buzzing head.
“Keep fighting the good fight, son.”

"... Smokes 'like a chimney'..."

Alex groaned, no longer in pain, just annoyance and embarrassment.

The computer finished its assault with a single chilling word.
“... Murderer.” Jacob.

And then, all was calm. For a moment. Until he was dragged beneath the lung-filling liquid by some unknown force which had grabbed his ankle.
He was held below the surface for a few moments before he kicked away and emerged, spluttering and sputtering, wiping the slime from his hair and face.

Then the orb appeared.
"Alex Solvay," intoned Treguard "you are The Angel."

As Alex rose from the gunge, the remainder of the slop dissolved from his body. He looked at the others’ faces which were displaying a mixture of emotions. “Hmm?”

The Jacob-related word the computer had spoken was horrible, but it was almost forgotten now. Since emerging from the liquid Alex felt a lot better. Pretty darn good in fact - light, tight and strong. Graceful, even. He lifted his arms and yawned, giving his wings a pleasant stretch.

Wait. What? His wings? With mild startlement he realised that the tall things in his peripheral vision that he’d assumed were part of the orb, were in fact part of him. He spun around, trying to take in the corporeal additions, the wings span with him. It was a bit like a dog trying to catch its tail.

Plisken the White chuckled. “Stand very still, and turn your head.” Al did as the wise one suggested, and managed to get a proper look. The wings were long, clean, white and feathery. Something about them made his heart sing. As soon as he stepped on to the balcony he gave an experimental flap.

“Careful!” Jacky said, as a gust of wind blasted the super-dwarfers. The King gave a stylish flap of his own, dark, wings in response.
“Accept my apologies, brother” said Al, his tone surprisingly serene and peaceful - the aural equivalent of the taste of honey in Greek yogurt.
“Uh... That’s all right.”
“It was these lovely new wings of mine...”
Shark Boy and the Ubermensch exchanged a glance.

Solvay caught sight of his reflection in a panel of mirrored wall which was almost directly opposite the balcony. He gasped.
“I’m… Beautiful.”

“Yeah all right, big 'ead.” Jay shouted up from the pit's edge.
“You misunderstand! I speak not from vanity, brother priest, but from humble truth.”
And truth it was - the signs and scars of wear and heartache had gone, replaced with a smooth youthful countenance and glowing, literally glowing, skin. His hair was verging on blond, and he was dressed in a light cloth which wrapped about his loins like a sarong. However, it wasn’t actually his appearance which made him beautiful - pleasing though that was - but the fact that he radiated calm, loving warmth. The ever-near scowl lost to the virtual ether, his face was left smiling and tranquil.

The creatures and succubi which sprawled sleazily about the chamber, all gazed up at him, drawn to him, and the others' usual feeling of 'oh, it's just grumpy Solvay' was outweighed. They felt they wanted to be near to him, like they could trust him with all their secrets. He would never judge, he would never break a promise, he would never let them down. He would love and forgive them unconditionally, with a true and tender heart.

Plisken The White was regarding his angelic comrade with shrewd interest. "Tenderness and kindness are not signs of weakness and despair, but manifestations of strength and resolution..." he muttered. An angel-creature could be a powerful ally indeed...

Treguard shook his head, he'd been almost falling under The Angel's influence, himself. He cleared his throat.
"Your very touch will bring about joy," he informed the white-wing "and to gaze into your eyes, one will no longer encounter hurt, guilt, and mistrust, but will see the goodness within, and will themselves be overcome with a sense of deep, loving, peace."

The Angel nodded, humble, gracious.

I am fortified.

"Failing that, you can slice your enemies' heads off with your boomerang halo."

The Angel looked at the circular glowing weapon that hung from his sarong.

"I thank you for the information brother Dungeon Master, but I hope to avoid violence unless absolutely necessary."

"Just like real life" the previously irritating computer interjected, a touch of smug evident to everyone but The Angel who heard only earnest tones. "I did a very good job on you."
Al dipped his head politely in the direction he imagined the computer's being existed.
"That you did, fair programme, that you did."

Tregard tried not to run his eyes over Alex's wings too much, in case it seemed rude. "You also have super strength," he informed him "... Oh, and you can fly."

Alex nodded again. "Of course."

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<TAG>What Super-version does the game create from your character?</TAG>
<Btw Jacky, not copying you with the wings, hope you don't mind someone else with wings. I was already gonna do them ‘cause of making him an angel type creature, which I knew I wanted to do since Artie's Uber post. Just a cool coincidence :-)>
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