The Incredubious Industrial

The content of this page is relevant to the Gamma Timeline.

*They sat there on the bench, Lyka's legs hanging over his. "Honey?" She put her head on Delinius' shoulder. "Yes, dear?"*

*"Remember when you first met me?" He grinned. "How could I ever forget?" Lyka put a hand on his chest. "You walked us around the place... and you were talking like you already knew we were going to make it our home." He softly shook his head. "Trust me, I had little idea of what I was doing."*

*"But I did. And I fell in love, really. Did you know? Right then?" He turned his head sideways and kissed her. "Knowing, no... I thought so at the time, certainly, but I was far from certain." He sighed. "And look now..." She nodded. "We're rich, huh?" Delinius laughed. "We are disgustingly rich. Silly, isn't it?"*

*"You're silly. I love that." She kissed him. "And that's why I love you."*

## Chapter One - Conferences

"Mr Langton, rumor has it that you are now one of the richest individuals of this continent. How much exactly do you possess?"

Delinius only smiled. "I'd have to ask my bank, and quite frankly, I do not believe in the relevance of such showcasing. Let us keep it at this: for someone of my position, history, and origin, you may consider me disgustingly rich. I have no noteworthy additions to this. A very good day."

They wanted more answers, of course, but Delinius calmly walked out of the circle of reporters, some of which kept walking alongside him. "But sir, what about your mansion? What were the build costs?"

Though he appeared calm, Delinius tugged the microphone out of the man's hand with a swift movement. "I warn you. When I say I have nothing noteworthy to add, it means that you are to cease your inquiries for that time being. If you choose to proceed, I cannot guarantee the wellfare of your equipment." He then dropped the microphone on the floor and walked on, shaking his head.

Jack turned off the television and picked up the newspaper article that had suddenly made him into a popular figure, with a promotion on top of that. Delinius was in fact his distant relative, almost like a piece of living family heritage and history. He'd been the cause of the unpopularity of the name at first, but he was equally responsible to bringing it back to the respect it deserved. "Jack, hun, d'ya know what the weather's gon be?" He sighed angrily.

"Why don't you check that yourself while I'm off to a meeting." She yelled something at him that he couldn't hear properly. He put on his coat. "I'll be home for dinner, Marian!" He wasn't sure if that would be true. They dined late anyhow, so he could maybe make it to this Delinius and back before then. He closed the door and got into his car. As he was now a corporate manager, his company had supplied him with a slightly 'better' car, though it wasn't exactly a luxurious business car just yet.

He drove for hours before he finally reached the desert, all the way from around Steckenberg. He lived about an hour's driving away from it, but that didn't help much to change the length he had to drive. The desert roads were fairly empty, with only a few cars and rusted pickups on the way. The sun was setting already - his promise was impossible to keep. At last, the famous structure he desperately sought emerged on the horizon, lit by the last few rays of sun that made it past the surface. It loomed over him like a benevolent giant when he drove through the gate. This was an arid area, but the garden certainly didn't show it that much. He parked and walked up to two large doors, decorated with polished metal - not gold, but certainly something expensive. He rang the doorbell and glanced around nervously. What if Delinius didn't appreciate his visit at all? Or doubted that he was really a relative?

A calm-looking woman opened the door and faced him with some confusion. "Hmm. Can I ask you why you're standing here?" He answered, trying not to hesitate too much. "I'd like to see your husband, please. He's a far relative, you see." She laughed. "Oh, we're not *married*, sir. Silly thing. Delinius isn't here right now, though. He'll be in around six or seven, probably. Might be earlier if he's impatient enough. We've been trying to find a storage space for some things that got left behind, but that's much harder than we thought at first. Come in, though."

She guided Jack through the mansion, though it was better described as a palace with all the decorations and ancient things he was sure were part of his family history in some way. They eventually stopped in an open room. It could be a dining room, or meant for parties and such. "Don't worry, we don't usually use half of this house for anything. Or mansion as Delinius calls it sometimes. Wait, I forgot to introduce myself, didn't I? My name's Lyka." Her handshake was firm for a woman's. "Jack. Or Jacques, if we have to stick to my full name, I guess. Terrible name if you ask me." Lyka pulled on a cord, and a curious creature appeared shortly after this.

This had to be what they called a pet. It was surprisingly humanoid, and Jack initially mistook it for some kind of alien at first, one that had a mostly black and white skin. "Sherman, would you offer this man a drink? He's waiting for Delinius to get home." The pet nodded, apparently understanding what she said. It then actually talked back."Of course! What would you like, sir?" He presented Jack a sheet with a list of available drinks, as if he was the waiter of a restaurant presenting the menu to a customer. "Uh... I'll go for some coffee."

Sherman nodded. "Right away! Some tea for the lady, too, I suppose?" He seemed very in is element, as if this was something he'd studied on for a while.

"So why exactly did you want a talk with him?" Lyka had a very inquiring tone, making him uncomfortable. "J- just wondering if he can tell me something about our family's history, and something about himself."

"Oh, I see. Well, I can't say much about that. Best way to know Delinius is meeting him, so you did that alright. By the way, would you stay for dinner? We've moved here to be away from the press, but we don't get many guests because of that. We'd sure love to have you as our guest."

Jack shook his head. "My wife's expecting me for dinner, really." Lyka didn't understand this. "But she can come for dinner too! We could pick her up, if you'd like."

In the distance, the door opened and closed shortly after. "I'm home, dear!" Delinius' voice could be heard very clearly despite the distance at which he was. "We've got a guest!" Soon enough, Delinius came into the room, followed by Sherman, the latter bringing a tray with three cups, one coffee, the other two tea.

"Afternoon." He shook hands with Jack, though his eyes seemed to be searching for something familiar. "You are related, I presume?" How he could tell this was a mystery. "Yes, I am." They all took a seat again, Delinius picking an armchair. "I don't suppose you know very much about your line of descendants, hmm?"

"Actually, I've got something." He took the little family tree from his pocket and handed it to Delinius, who studied it intently. "Ah... I see. Just a moment." He vanished spontaneously, leaving a burst of flames behind. He soon returned in the same fashion, causing Jack to jump in his chair for both happenings.

This time, he held a large sheet of paper, rolled up under his arm. "I am a living piece of history, utilising more fragments of history. The point, however..." He unrolled the slightly yellowed paper onto the table in front of them. "Jacques Langton, 'Jack' for short... with the fragment of lineage you've dug up, I'm able to place your name on this paper. Oh, of course, it's incomplete, and will always be. However, I'm pleased that you've come to visit." He smiled, likely being a very strange uncle to Jack and the rest of his distant relatives.

"Thanks. It's more an honor for me, though." Delinius grinned, holding back a laugh. "You needn't show *that much* respect, Jacques. I'm little more than a man who had a very curious life path."

"He could have dinner with us tonight, but his wife's expecting him at home." Delinius nodded and rose from his seat enthusiastically. "Do join me to pick her up. After all, you know the address where you live and I do not. I'm sure she'll be more than happy to come with us, and we could arrange for someone to drive you home afterwards, perhaps." He finished his cup of tea and beckoned Jack to follow him outside. "Come, it's somewhat late by now. I'm sure you prefer travelling by daylight as much as I do." Delinius' car was far from what most would expect, especially because he could easily afford the more luxurious models. Instead of one of those, he had a pickup truck that appeared to have as many seats as an average car.

The truck started with a noisy roar and Delinius drove out. He immediately headed left onto the road, much to Jack's confusion. "Isn't this... the wrong way?" Delinius laughed, but also shook his head. "Oh, believe me, Jack, there is in fact a route through the foggy areas south of the bay. Where exactly it runs? Nobody truly knows. Attempts to map it out fail, but what's certain is that we can traverse the area. Cling onto your seatbelt, my friend. If we are to make it back in a decent time, we will have to make haste." He accelerated so abruptly that it pressed them both into their seats. Delinius grinned. "The toys of the rich - sports cars and such objects - are little more than visual beauty. This car outpaces them quite easily." A glance at the dashboard confirmed Jack's fears: they were speeding into the groves at roughly 80 miles an hour and Delinius didn't seem to be interested in slowing down at all.

They raced through the trees, occasionally turning as the road did. Jack felt slightly sick. How long were they driving through this damn forest already? "Why do we have to take this road again?" His driver shrugged. "Oh, I won't take this road while we travel back. I have no interest to give either of you a heart attack. We'll have to increase the pace, however, seeing as the northern route is considerably longer." They were finally out, but Delinius now accelerated further and passed everything that came on their path. "Steckenberg, I suppose?" Jack nodded. "A little to the east of it. Do you know that area?" He also mentioned the street where they lived. "Say, is there a large park in the vicinity there, by chance? I do not know the outskirts of Steckenberg that well, but I may very well know that area."

Narrowly avoiding a collision several times, Delinius was stalled by a traffic light. They were headed straight forward, but the line to their right was moving and Delinius inserted the truck into it with ease. "Wait... weren't we going str-" Without warning, Delinius sprinted across. "You were saying? Oh, straight forward? Entirely correct. Traffic lights, however, ought to be considered a guideline, not a rule. It is how I've learnt it on Faeric, and how it ought to be everywhere, for it would also mean that people wouldn't hurry so much as they do. Oh, "You're one to talk", of course, but that's not my fault. How can I be patient with this traffic when it refuses to move on when there's absolutely no excuse for doing so, then?" He shook his head and sighed. "You know, sometimes it's better to just go with it and adapt... at least, that's more or less what most of your family's done for a while now." Delinius merely shook his head.

They finally arrived at Jack's home. "Well, here we are, you say?" He looked at their house, which was just another house in the street. "Hmm. Well, it's certainly a lovely house on this side of the wall." They entered, and immediately encountered Jack's wife Marian.

"Jack! Where ya been? Dinner's cold! She looked pretty annoyed, but Delinius stepped forward to save his relative from more angry shouts. "Excuse me, allow me to introduce myself. Delinius Rupert Langton. It is entirely and solely my fault that your husband is this late, but I wish to make this up to you. The both of you are invited to dine at my home - I promise it shall be unlike anything you've experienced. My car is located right in front of the doorstep."

"Who's this guy, hun? Related to you?" She smiled. "Well, you sure know how to make up for making my honey late for dinner sir, but I'm not dressed to go out like that." Delinius smiled. "Oh, you needn't think you are required to come in stylish wear - it's nothing formal. May I count on your presence?" Jack whispered into her ear. "It's fine. I guess this can give you a bit of a birthday dinner, hey?" She nodded and kissed her man. "Alright then! Just a minute and I'll be ready."

She quickly went upstairs, likely to apply the cosmetic products that were apparently a common sight in this time. "She's lovely, but she really isn't used to things like this. I'm sorry for the bother with that." His apology was completely unnecessary, Delinius thought. Of course, it was a little more effort to persuade the woman, but to call such thing a bother seemed a little much. Marian soon returned, somewhat dressed for the occasion despite Delinius' advice.

"Ah, very well! Follow me, please." He guided them both into his car and drove away. "Gee, you have a nice car, sir!" Delinius nodded. "You may say Delinius. I have little interest in formal titles where the situation is not formal. If at any point you feel slightly dizzy, it might be the relative velocity we have. Not to worry, however, as this vehicle is equipped with the appropriate devices to avoid a collision." What exactly this meant remained unclear.

The drive continued in relative silence until they had to stop right before a small van that entered their path from a side road. Delinius muttered curses as they came to a screeching halt. "Oh these *bloody* drivers!" He opened his window and leaned out of it. "Look before mindlessly driving onto a main road, you imbecile!" Although he could not see who was inside the vehicle, Delinius did notice a blue-and-white logo on the side of the van before it sped off. He sighed.

"Excuse me for my language, I do not tolerate oblivious drivers in traffic." They continued, Delinius humming a tune. Soon enough, Jack's wife began singing the associated song. "Ah, a proficient singer! How very nice." His face had relaxed after the incident with the van. "Oh, I'm no singer. But I do like to sing, that's true! They all laughed. Jack looked out of the window and saw the desert around them, much to his surprise. "Wait, we're already this far?" He looked at the man in the driving seat, who merely grinned.

"Hm? Oh, considering the time? Don't fret about it, I insist. It's a complicated trick involving several augmentations with spatial magic - something that I've spent several years on discovering. I only use it when I need to carry passengers in a rapid fashion. Speaking of which, I do not find it very hospitable if I were to not offer you to remain at my mansion for the night - there is more than enough space, and the following day is Khao - I presume you have no particular activities on that day?"

They were apparently overwhelmed.

"Normally we don't do much, no... Are you sure you have the space?" Instead of answering, Delinius pointed to his mansion, brightly lit under the night's darkness. "Is that... your house?" They drove into the large garden and stopped next to Jack's car. "I hope the travel was not too unpleasant. Again, apologies for the abrupt stop due to the van." He opened the doors and welcomed them in. Lyka and Sherman were waiting in the hall, welcoming the couple there. Delinius asked Sherman to prepare the smaller dining room that was at the back of the building, overlooking the garden. He himself lead everyone through the many corridors and large halls at a calm pace, making sure that he would be right on time for everything to be prepared - Sherman was an excellent manager, whether it be dinner, cleaning or any other task he was given. The table was set, a plate with a small cake in the middle.

"Seat yourselves, ladies and gentlemen! What may I offer you?" Delinius and Lyka ordered tea again, Jack and his wife ordered some wine. This was not enough, however, as Sherman then pulled a chart from somewhere and asked them *which* wine. After some confusion and advice, Sherman walked off to have the order prepared. "It's really nice of you to offer us to stay for tonight, Delinius. Thanks." His wife wasn't so much impressed by the kindness Delinius showed as she was by her surroundings. "This feels almost like an exclusive restaurant, yanno..." She giggled like a little girl, despite Jack's furious looks while she did.

Their dinner was indeed exclusive, Delinius knew. All of the food had specifically been prepared from an old book that had come into his hands by chance: a recipe book from his childhood, given to him by a bookshop keeper, who said that it was no use in his own hands. He and Lyka knew this food very well - the book had come into his possession around the time that he intiated Langton Incorporated. Jack and Marian were not too picky, however - they enjoyed it just as much. A clear difference was Marian's consumption of wine, however. It was clear that the two did not have many opportunities to go out to dinner often. Around 11, the four of them were enjoying a last drink when Sherman notified Delinius that there was someone who wanted to see him, at the door. Delinius excused himself and followed Sherman to the hall.

An otherwise mundane person, were it not for the clothes. Though their colour was nothing spectacular, the "I&Q" emblem on the chest of the jacket meant that Delinius now had an issue to solve regarding the van incident. "Good afternoon, sir. How may I help you?"

The man didn't respond to his kindness and merely informed Delinius. "I've come to tell you that Mr. Quint wants you to apologize for calling him "imbecile" today." Delinius shook his head. "Tell your dear Quint that he can wait for all eternity for such an apology, or come request it to me personally. Send him my kind regards nonetheless. If that'll be all, I wish you a safe return journey."

Without hearing a word of what the man might've said, he returned to the dinner, where he found a conversation on the subject of formal wear, and specifically its lack of any practical use in the present time. Although he was somewhat interested, he indicated to the others that he himself was heading to bed. "Much as I enjoy this company, I feel quite tired. I wish you a good night in advance, Jack and Marian; Sherman will guide you to your room at the time you would like to sleep." He gave Lyka a kiss and smiled at all of them. "Goodnight, everyone!" He waved and made his way up to his bedroom, a place suitably sized to act as an entire living room if it had been necessary.

A few minutes later, Lyka joined him, looking as tired as himself. "Sheesh, I love guests, but these two were a bunch to handle..." She got into their bed and wrapped her arms around Delinius. "I agree very much. We might want to host any future parties during the daytime, don't you think?" Instead of answering, Lyka wrapped her legs around his and pressed a finger against his lips. "We're the party now, silly."

Needless to say, this was quite the case.

## Chapter Two - An industrious Langton

"Well, I'm certain pollution will not be a problem. How so?" He paced back and forth in the meeting room, the eyes of various officials and representatives on him. "Quite simple, in fact. Being of the Dwinian religion, I have learnt that Ludus' star, Lux, emits a tremendous amount of energy, which, if harnessed through the right methods, can easily sustain the constant production of a manufacturing facility. Manufacturing facility? Why yes, that is why I have submitted a formal request to purchase a location currently defunct, yet formerly employed to this purpose."

A middle-aged Gridmask, donning a pair of small glasses, raised a hand. "All fine, but how exactly would solar energy fuel an entire factory? Come on, sir, you'd better give us a better plan than some wild religious fantasy." Delinius pointed his finger directly at the man. "And why is it, sir, that you would question my plan? After all, if I do not succeed, that is solely my own loss and not yours. However, seeing as some might require evidence of my plan's success, I've come quite prepared."

He waved at Lyka, who had been waiting outside for the time being and now entered with a yellow briefcase. "Allow me to introduce to you Lyka, my partner." He opened one of the windows and looked outside. Although the sun was slightly obscured by a few clouds, he was certain it would be enough for the demonstration. Lyka had opened the suitcase on the table and showed everyone present a seemingly mundane solar panel. "This looks like a pretty normal solar panel to most of you, right?" Several people nodded.

Delinius shook his head. "Of course it doesn't look like a normal one to you, you made it. Anyway, it's definitely not just a solar panel." She handed it to Delinius together with a makeshift object to hang the panel in the sunlight. "Just a moment..." He put the panel in place and took a long cable from the suitcase and connected it to a socket attached to the panel. "I state at this very moment that this panel is capable of providing power to the marvelous flatscreen television positioned on that desk there."

He pointed to the TV that was on the other end of the room and unrolled the cable to reach it. When he'd brought it there, he pulled the cord from its socket and showed it to his public. After this, he plugged it into his own cable and switched the television on. To everyone's surprise, this worked perfectly, and some applauded him. "I believe this is as much as I have to say on this subject. If there are any further inquiries, I will be pleased to hear them and provide an answer." The same spectacled man that had doubted Delinius' plans rose from his chair so abruptly it nearly sent the chair falling backwards. "Yes, one thing. Where can I buy those panels?" Delinius smiled. These were the usual opportunity seekers.

"As of this time being, they are not quite made to be marketed. This particular panel is merely a prototype model, though it does accurately represent the absorption efficiency of the panels I will utilise. Once I've established a running facility, panels like these may be optimised for sales on the market, though I cannot promise that they will with any certainty. In the case that they are, however, you will be able to purchase them from the inventor of these panels, which would be one Delinius Rupert Langton. Oh, yes, I've devised these panels myself - I admit that this was not my sole work, though the concept is indubitably my own."

Due to the public attention the meeting had gotten, Zachary attended the meeting as well, as it had been announced as 'open to those interested'. While most people were taking in the long sentences of this speech, he spoke up. "Wait a second... if you're the only one who makes these, why wouldn't you just begin a business selling these panels? Not that making lightbulbs couldn't work at all, but you'd have a great position if you made these solar panels instead." Delinius took notice of him with slight surprise.

"Oh, Mr Isles? Pleasant to see you here. Why would I not specifically manufacture these panels, you ask? It is somewhat technical in detail, but these panels do not rely solely on technology and rather on a combination thereof with some forms of magic. Seeing as I have yet to teach any individual the workings of applying said magic, it is currently not feasible to mass-produce them." He laughed. "You are right, however: producing solar panels of this efficiency on a larger scale could be quite profitable." He looked around the room. "Well, if there are no further inquiries at this time, I'd like to conclude this meeting and wish you a very good day." He made a short bow in reply to the modest applause he recieved.

While packing things into the suitcase, Zachary addressed Delinius. "Hey, do you have a moment?" Without looking up from packing, Delinius nodded. "I have countless moments. Pick the one you'd like to take." He faced the Dragonkin with a calm smile. "Not to annoy you, but you do know you've called my business partner an imbecile, right?" Delinius remained calm. "I am quite aware - I believe one of your employees was sent to my doorstep to inform me that Mr Quint would like an aplogy from me. I suppose it is reasonable, though I hope he understands that the driving conduct of the employee he was riding with was absolutely worthy of such an expression." He sighed. "Listen, Zachary, if Baxter Ethos Quint wants an apology from Delinius Rupert Langton, he must come and request it personally by word of mouth. You may find this strange, and it is - it is a requirement specific to my religion. Dwinians firmly believe that no apology is sincere unless it is made verbally and in the presence of the person to whom the aplogy is made. As you might have inferred from this notion, I am of this Dwinian religion, and it is not as uncommon as one might think." He packed the cable, now rolled into a neat coil, and closed the suitcase.

"Perhaps I can come and provide reason for my insult to your business associate personally right away." He waved to Lyka, who was leaving with the suitcase. "Uh, if you have time, I'm sure I can take you along to meet him, if he has time too." Delinius smiled. "Ah, excellent. I will be pleased to meet him, then."

They went outside and entered a waiting car with the Isles & Quint logo, as well as its colours, represented quite well on it. "I suppose the running of a company the size of Isles & Quint is quite a task, hm?" Zachary nodded. "It's more than a fulltime job, trust me. Hey, I still don't really get it. You had this refugee... organization, right?" Delinius shook his head. "Though initially an organisation for housing refugees of the infamous witch hunts, this later became an obsolete view on it. The most accurate description is likely 'a community of outcasts and refugees'." Of course, this was not the entire image: the socially close population that had amounted to a rough 2,500 was much more than simply a community, but Zachary did not need to know.

"Ah. If you were doing fine in Auzos, why did you come back here?" Delinius smiled bitterly. "Not quite of my own volition, though I'd always anticipated a possible migration since the very start. It was not so much the authority of the continent as it was the general populace that deemed me specifically undesirable. I was feared and suspected of having the entire continent under my control - theories were that I was able to apply pressure on the local officials. While my position would have allowed me to do so, I have never actively sought to affect local politics in any way. My influence, if any, was likely indirect and beyond my own knowledge. Much as with the misguided members of witch-hunting parties, I was forced to make a stand against something that I could not have ended. This is, in short, how and why I decided that it was better to return my refugee population to their home continent. Agreed, some had passed and more had offspring that only knew Auzos as their birthplace, but for the general well-being, my decision was the best given the situation." He turned to the window and gazed outside, a vague expression on his face until they arrived at the headquarters of I&Q, a building towering out over the rest of Steckenberg.

"This is certainly a sizable building to operate out of. Of course, I've seen it before, but I did not pay much attention to the sheer size of it. Well, lead the way in - after all, you are currently the superior figure." Zachary nodded and proceeded into the building with Delinius, greeting several of his coworkers as they made their way through the building. "Alright, I think Bax is here right now." He gently knocked on the door and got a response from inside, supposedly something like "come in". Baxter sat behind his desk, initially looking at some papers. "Hey, that burning guy's here." Baxter looked up, looking slightly unamused. Delinius simply nodded to greet him. "Oh, it's him."

"Yes, Mr Quint. Though I am not unwilling to apologise to you, I'd like you to hear me out over the terrible conduct of your driver on the day of the incident. I could go over a detailed historical account of proper traffic conduct - spanning several decades, but I feel it will only add complication. My point is that I find it highly ignorant of anyone to blandly drive onto a main road with little regard for any oncoming traffic, notably from their left. Unless your employee at the time had a distinct incapability of percieving anything in the colours of red and orange, I do not see why they would not have seen my vehicle approaching." He paused. "That being said, I leave it in your hands to request me to apologise in person - hence why I have spared me a little time to venture here. Although you are entirely free to find this strange, it is a matter of personal and cultural importance to me - I can only offer a genuine apology if I can directly speak to the offended." Baxter sighed. "Listen, I don't care about you much, even if you do intend to begin something in business. If you wanted to apologize anyway, just go ahead and do it."
"Yes, very well. I offer you my sincere apologies for addressing you as 'imbecile' in a situation where it was far from necessary. I hope you will excuse my acts." He gave a slight nod, shook hands with Zachary, and went away. "Wait, how're you supposed to-" He'd wanted to ask how Delinius was going to find his way out, but he instead disappeared with his signature burst of flames. "And then he disappears again. No wonder people find him hard to trust like that."

"He's quite the figure, that Langton. Don't think he'll be able to get his plans working though. You need some kind of partnership with an existing place before you get anywhere, usually, especially if you're someone as completely new like him." He sat back as he read through the little folder all the attendants had been given at the start. A blueprint of a lightbulb covered this page, and it looked pretty ordinary from a distance. Up close, however, there was some kind of complex mechanism at the base of the bulb, only labeled as 'light enhancement', a vague and seemingly random term for something that was probably going to make this lightbulb too expensive. "Nah, he won't last three weeks. Four if he's lucky and five if people feel sorry for him. Aside from that he just can't get set up like that. Doesn't understand how that works if you ask me. Unless the solar panels actually cut his electricity bill so much his prices go down. But seriously, I don't think those solar panels will actually supply him with enough energy. Sun don't shine all day, you know."

## Chapter Three - Founding

"Are we set for the opening?" Delinius muttered. He'd put on a suit for once, though he moved somewhat awkwardly in it, as if it wasn't his size. He glanced through the window, down on the area in front of the building. Ironically, this was the very same place he'd initially moved Langton Incorporated to. "Of course, the press coverage is absurdly high, as is common with all that which involves myself, hm?" Lyka brushed a bit of dust from his suit and kissed him. "Hey, you'll do great. You are much better at speeches than you pretend."

He sighed. "Surely that does not mean I can't be nervous for such a thing, does it? This speech will be what sets the tone of all my future endeavours, and the very first thing that people will always remember regarding this company. It has to be right, here and now." He kissed Lyka and proceeded down, only somewhat ready to open the doors and face a crowd.

"We are here at the opening of *Sunrise Industries*, a company that will be capable of producing up to 20,000 light bulbs every year, according to its founder Delinius Rupert Langton. A whole host of people are here - government representatives, potential business partners, you name it and they're here. It looks like Mr Langton is about to give his speech." Both she and the rest of the crowd silenced down. He knew that this crowd wasn't the only audience he had - surely, reporters were broadcasting live to thousands of homes. The impact of what he was about to do would resonate across the continent.

"We have joined here, presumably to open the doors of the facility behind me for production. Either that, or they were drawn here by utter misfortune or perhaps the attraction of a free buffet." A few people laughed at this remark.
"I personally am glad that it has come this far and I wish for Sunrise Industries to become a modest manufacturer that will thrive. It will hopefully put my well-known past behind my person and help all of us focus on the present day more. I look forward to leading this business." He made a short bow with the applause that followed and opened the doors.

"I welcome all of you to watch the starting of the main power supply." He proceeded inside, a group of employees making sure the people were guided the right way, and preventing journalists from crowding the man. Everyone watched as he positioned himself under a skylight, through which the sun's rays shone on him. "I shall commence, then."

An employee flipped a lever and the four large generators behind Delinius began emitting a yellow light. This yellow light was matched by Delinius seemingly 'bundling' sunlight coming down into a similarly coloured light and diverting it towards an opening in one of the generators. The light initially shifted towards orange and red, then reversed and approached pure white.

Finally, the light was close to white and Delinius released his hands, slightly shaking. "And there we have it, dear people... the energy upon which this facility begins. It shall be a buffer for when the sun does not shine very often, to take the local weather pattern into account. With this, I declare this facility operational!"

Applause followed. Delinius didn't linger at the opening event: he retreated to his office, where he met the four people who would manage this place, even when he himself was not around: each was tasked with a particular set of related duties.

"While I am likely to be considered the face and key figure of our industry, the four of you shall be much, much more important than myself. I merely provided the required investment and the equipment required to harvest solar energy decently. I will actively engage in guiding the operations here for the coming time, until I am certain that my constant presence is not required. I think we are ready to commence, then!" He sent them off to their respective departments with a warm smile.

"Oh, I'm sure he'll be happy to talk to you in a bit - he's got to get some things running smoothly, you know. I think he won't take too long."

As a matter of fact, he took long enough for all the reporters to have left, as planned.

"Excellent. The building has begun its workings. Perform the blessing as you see fit, then. I will monitor the man's endeavours for now." He calmly dismissed his fellow Lightholders and looked at the television screen. "How very curious... Of all people, you, the final Langton of our interest, would be the one to achieve a status as high as this, more so considering your... lack of experience with commerce. You will bring us all great fortune, Inquiring Heir. In light we prosper."
Delinius had little idea what important function he and his actions had, let alone the influence he could have. Surely he would discover this at some point, would he not? Or would he remain oblivious to the subtleties at play?

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Delinius." Delinius smiled. "The pleasure is all mine. In general, I find it pleasurable that such numbers of the name Langton have turned up. Linius, your name was, right?" The man, indeed named Linius, nodded.

"Chosen as a slight reference to you, I believe. My parents and direct family tend to regard you as some kind of saint that will bring their position back up to what they're used to. To be honest, it might be the only thing they ever said that I'll believe." Needless flattering, but at least it gave a general idea of the situation.

"Excuse me." Delinius cleared his throat. The various conversations slowly halted, and he continued. "I'd like to thank every one of you for joining me on this day. Now, pleasant encounters aside, I'd like to delve into something that we all seem to have in common, besides a family name and religious habits, to whichever extent you may or may not have retained them." His last remark didn't miss - his 'loosely related kin' seemed to love it when he cracked jokes at them about their Dwinian roots, specifically their general loss of religious habits.

"Yes, there is something else. Even though we have all very different and various occupations, we do strive to be best in these, and try to combine economical value with the personal one. I should think it both advantageous ánd pleasurable, if we established a cooperative body, a network, so to say."

He waited a moment to let this idea settle with his audience.

"I would present you a logo of sorts, were it not that I have none at the moment. Nevertheless, I would like to hear your opinion on the thought of establishing something of the like under the name of 'InterLangton Network'. Now, that'll be all. I'm pleased to announce that lunch will be served shortly, with no less than a hundred and twenty-four different dishes of all kinds."

He made a little bow and went off to do some reading. Through various ways, he'd pieced together a fairly elaborate family tree, allowing him to see into the past quite well - up to and including the few of this branch he already knew the names of at the time when he first drafted the idea. With all of these names, he'd begun searching and making an inventory of sorts - as if all these people were resources, though not in the literal sense of the word. Even if only employed at modest positions, their talents were varied and their numbers great. If only he could successfully bind them together... would the network initiative catch wind?

## Chapter Four - Mean no Harm

*Three weeks into production. Although part of the distribution process seems to be hampered significantly by the current season, most stores will have their supply of lights within this week. Surprisingly, only the largest of the stores in the sector of electronics has shown a marked disinterest in Sunrise.*

*Dear, dear. Although I would hope for their own sake that they are right in doing so, my personal interest dictates otherwise. Speaking of dictating, it seems I have few tasks left to my own hands - those being overseeing maintenance and overseeing the well-being of Sunrise in general. Towards the latter, may I run into less resistance than seems to be standard whenever I aspire to make a difference.*
- Journal of Delinius Rupert Langton, Septimus 28

"We are proud to present the first batch of lighting elements, more commonly known as lightbulbs. These will be distributed to shops and stores in Steckenberg, where you'll be able to test their quality. Sunrise lightbulbs are meant to last long and give off a pleasant light that self-adapts to the time of day."

He paused briefly to let this description settle.

"In addition, the first 1000 units come with a chance to win prizes, varying from discount on an exclusive dinner to 9-day all-inclusive trips!" This was an expensive publicity stunt - paid at his own expense, too - but it would be more than worth its investment. After a noisy applause and a ceremonial procedure, the train was waved off, sending lightbulbs to Steckenberg and further.

After finding Lyka a short distance away, they both quietly walked a little, close together in the cold streets.

"Quite a chilling day for events like this..."

"At least you're not being bombarded by snowballs, though."

He smiled, knowing which exact bombardment of snowballs she meant.

"Oh yes, that is true, I suppose. Heavens, time passes quickly for us who do not feel it."

- "Your path to tyranny ends here, Langton!"

A young man appeared from an alley and blew a stream of chilling ice at Delinius.

"We'll see about tyranny when your cold heart has been warmed up." Delinius blasted flames forwards, producing large amounts of steam between the two.

"Down with you!" Another appeared and began firing cold projectiles. He could hold the both of them back with some effort, but it would exhaust him at some point. A glowing orange nonagram appeared on the pavement under his feet - a measure to fortify his position in hopes of outlasting these young fellows.

"Oh, come on, this is a joke!" A third antagonist approached from the other side and attempted to hit Delinius from behind. Instead, Lyka produced a cushion of air currents that turned the attack into powdery snow that flew up into the air. "We can't hold this out!" Delinius shook his head, despite the incredible effort he had to invest in keeping waves of ice and snow at bay. "Surely we can, my love, but do not let go of my hand."

Despite the confident tone of his words, they couldn't. A blast of cold air blew them apart; Lyka was soon tied up and held by one of the figures. Another figure appeared, though he was clearly older than the three people that had opposed Delinius and Lyka.

"So, Delinius. You cannot be allowed to proceed, I'm afraid. It ends here."

Delinius rose to his feet, his axe appearing in his hands.

"If your will was reality, perhaps, but it shall not be."

His adversary merely smiled and drew out a sword.

"Very well then. Begin, if you dare."

Delinius stepped forward and swung, but was blocked by the steel blade. The man retaliated with a series of strikes, which Delinius parried - the handle of his axe could withstand sharp edges quite well. Before he could launch another attack, however, the man landed a kick on his stomach, and Delinius stumbled back.

"Not so brave and valiant now, hm?" Delinius charged forward, nearly missing this cold-hearted man as he handily dodged.

"Fortunately, your sword is no sharper than your senses; was it not, I should believe you were dead." Without so much as a trace of anger, Delinius launched a series of swift motions with his axe, pushing the sword wielder back several steps before said wielder managed to sweep his feet from under him, causing Delinius to fall flat on his face. Though he did rise up to his knees, he did not get any further, exhausted as he was.

"Face it: *this is your death*. Any last words?"

Delinius remained quiet.

"None? Saves me time, then."

An ominous glow radiated from Delinius' eyes.

"Oh, something I said?"

A second later, a burst of flames liberated Lyka from her captor and pushed himself away from Delinius. The angry Delinius managed to smash the side of the axehead against his head and subsequently inflicted a cut on his leg. "Die in your arrogance!"

Lyka had gotten up and was brushing off the snow on her coat. "Like you say, good riddance. Sheesh... were you hated *this* much back then?"

"Not quite, though the deadly wishes were usually part of attacks in some way. It'd be best if we leave; I suspect we'll see more of these figures."

They kept a calm but steady pace, straight to Delinius' motorcycle. Right as they were seated, several more chilling figures approached, one wielding some kind of sling and a snowball in her other hand.

"Off we go!" He kickstarted and charged into them, forcing them to jump aside as he sped onto the main road and set course at a high speed. "You should... I think we're getting a convoy." Indeed, there was a pair of motorcyclers that seemed oddly intent on coming their way.

"An unrequested convoy? How flattering." He flew past the stagnant traffic and took a sharp turn to avoid crashing into an oncoming van. One of his pursuers attempted the same, only to run into a second vehicle on the crossing. The second one managed to catch up and opened fire on them with a pistol. "Armed convoy, actually!"

"Is that a firearm? Curious." Several seconds later, said firearm malfunctioned and blew up, removing the second motorcycler.

"Three dead and you in this mess."

"Mistake on my part. Shouldn't have underestimated him. We sent some bikes after him, but their comms haven't given so much as a whisper since. Guess that's two more lost."

They were both aware of the misconception under which they'd been operating - Delinius was in fact more than a rich eccentric who recently founded a business, as they'd expected him to be.

Although the two believed themselves to be hunting Delinius, they were not the only hunters.

"You will not succeed, for you will not hinder that which is Dwin's will for all of us", he whispered. If it would come down to a fight, he would willingly give his life if it could save the one that had to be retained no matter what. He abandoned the two and retreated to the rented apartment he'd taken.

"This is bloody ridiculous!" He raced around the corner and into a narrow alley, bringing him to the other side of the block of houses. "I assume that will at least delay them." He slowed down and pretended to participate in traffic normally. They'd raced for at least 10 minutes by now, and it was obvious from the occasional siren that either he or his pursuers had been noticed by the police. Perhaps, he thought, it was a poorly executed plan, but nevertheless a plan that saw some structure to it. "At least it didn't last as long as that race we ended up in last year." Lyka laughed. "I think we can stop for now. You've done enough dangerous stunting for the day anyhow." They reached Steckenberg's library and Delinius parked his motorcycle. "What do you say, do we pop in and have some tea?"

"*Little has come to pass after the disappointingly chilling events of this Neuqtes - although the weather has been quite cold since. Perhaps the end of the working week today will be a better time.*"

- Journal of Delinius Rupert Langton, Septimus 31, Hai.

The day had passed without more trouble than a broken vending machine that had to be replaced. He had decided to pour free coffee for everyone. After finishing inspection of the assembly line, he left for the day, but did not head home right away. Instead, he walked off to enjoy the little remaining sunlight of that day. With the sun in his eyes, his thoughts drifted off to a warmer place, where he wouldn't need a thick winter coat.

Bonk!

Delinius was unexpectedly shaken from his daydream and fell to the pavement after colliding with two people.

"Oof. Excuse me." He calmly rose to his feet and looked at the two figures he'd bumped into, who were far from ordinary Gridmasks: one had gray skin and a pair of horns of an orange colour, while the other was somewhat familiar, much to his surprise: this was most certainly Issus, one of twelve witches who had liberated Ludus from the invasion he had experienced during his childhood. They were oddly enough alive. Both Issus and the orange-horned figure seemed awestruck, and he understood why.

"Oh, but I am not as fearsome as some have claimed throughout the past - though I will admit I did attempt to shock Steckenberg in order to give certain people a home once more."

He took a small canteen with tea out of his bag and emptied it. "Perhaps you have heard that I am incredibly grim during the cold season and burn anyone who dare oppose me, and that I am a deranged man who should never have survived the period known as the witch hunts. I assure you, though it was far from pleasant, my sanity is not at question." He also explained the origins and truth behind several other myths about himself, while walking alongside the two for a while.

"So... you aren't in fact as dangerous as some say, Mr. Langton?"

"Delinius. Indeed, I am not. However, enough about myself and my turbulent past. Surely you both have lives of your own and tales about them?"

"Uh... my name's Hankvi. Hankvi Guidza, and this is Issus, my life partner..." Though Delinius already knew this latter figure's name, he simply nodded and listened as Hankvi proceeded to tell something about himself, as well as why he travelled together with Issus. He was an Alternian troll, from a world beyond Ludus. This provoked some interest, and they talked about it for some time, until Delinius noted the time of day.

"Dear, dear, it does get late now. Would you mind sharing a meal while we converse? I know of a decent venue where they serve something more tasteful than a piece of meat wedged between two slabs of soggy bread, and I could provide you with the meal if need be."

"Oh, that's very kind of you..." Issus had seemed somewhat reserved up to now, though this was less surprising for Delinius than it was for Hankvi. "I insist, and you need not pay me back for it at any point. I can provide for the needs of many, so to say." He'd told them about Sunrise Industries and a little about the past of Langton Incorporated, and they'd listened with interest. "So... this company's only been running for a few months, right?" Delinius nodded. "Well, I could really use a job..."

"You could? Then you can, and you will have one. Let me think... I believe I have a particular task that I currently tend to myself, but it would be quite convenient to appoint it." He offered the surprised Alternian a hand, and he took it. "Hankvi Guidza, welcome to Sunrise Industries. You will be Head of Maintenance and you will do an inspection of the machinery every three weeks, for two hours. I leave it up to you to explore our basement section as you see fit yourself." He also mentioned Hank's initial salary - which seemed oddly much for such little work, but Delinius added something.

"Mind you, this salary is not only because I believe this to be right, but because our basement seems somewhat strange in nature. I would explore it myself, but I have quite a lot of other tasks on my hands that need more attention."

"... what's in there then?" Delinius shrugged. "Quite frankly, none of us know, but the poor fellow who got lost in it has yet to return and I would like to have him back, if possible. Should it not be so, I will nonetheless appreciate the fact that you will have discovered the basement's contents. Don't worry, however: I'll get you in contact with the basement supervisor, who will ensure that you have sufficient equipment to venture in. If you want, your dear partner Issus here can join you - I will see to it that you both get keycards for the buildings."

Their conversation about Sunrise and its day-to-day activities continued for some time, until Delinius noted the time on his pocketwatch a second time. "Dear, dear, look at the time! I'm afraid I must be off, but I'll give you my card so that we can keep contact. I bid you farewell for now and a pleasant evening and night." He shook hands with both of them, put a card on the table, paid the bill and subsequently left for his home.