Withering World [MCSM Fanfiction]

TRANSMISSION: Chapter 22

Petra

The day has just started and not even a single mumble lets loose from my mouth when the intercom in my room bursts to life, Olivia's voice flowing through like a breath of wind. "Hey Petra, don't go up to the surface today, you're needed in Central. I'll collect you at the research wing's entrance when you're ready and Jack will cover for you."

When I sit up on my bed, I stretch and yawn, my watering eyes altering my vision a bit. My body is begging me to go back to sleep, but I wrestle out of my sheets and stumble into the bathroom to freshen up.

Every part of me yells in pain. As much as I love my job, I'm grateful that today will be different.

Briskly, I comb my hair with my fingers before unraveling my bandana from my arm. The scar on my eyebrow sticks out, taunting me as I look at my reflection in the mirror - its repulsiveness makes it easy for me to draw my focus to the golden chain around my neck. From when I was asleep, the sword pendant rolled to my back. I fix it, resting it on the center of my chest before tossing off my pajamas and stepping into the shower.

I let the cold water douse me, rinsing the sweat and grit off my shoulders and back whilst I scrub scents of coconuts, honey, and roses all over my body.

----

It isn't until I reach the research wing's entrance that I realize I picked the wrong jacket to wear - the blue and gold one tainted with Jesse's blood all over.

Olivia waits for me, her hands still gloved and goggles hanging low on her head. She wears a lab coat over her red tunic, suggesting that she just came out of a test room.

I assume they want to retest my blood. From what I've heard so far, Lukas became pretty livid at Ivor on my behalf for hiding my results, if I even am angry at Ivor (I know blondie's more desperate for that position in the research squad). Maybe that should be his nickname: Livid Lukas. He has an overthrow plot for the alchemist, I'm pretty sure.

Anyway, it's not like I can get angry at Ivor since misery for Jesse's condition has stolen a massive slice of my energy instead.

"So, who's gonna do my blood test today?"

"What?" Olivia smiles, confusingly. "We're not redoing your blood test: I thought you already tested negative."

I guess Olivia only knows just as much as Lukas too, sadly. That makes them the same ranking in the research squad's hierarchy.

"I mean, I did. Forget it. What do you need me for?"

"We need you for what you're best at," she says, her face lighting up with rapture as she commands the double doors to slide open with the flick of a lever. "I'll explain later."

All of a sudden, I turn left, following Olivia into a small chamber where Ivor and Harper chat. Upon noticing my arrival, they abruptly clear their throats, their speech and expressions suspiciously becoming louder as if they'd changed topics.

"Hey guys." I decide not to mind it. "How's it going?"

"It's all good," Harper says, nudging Ivor to prod a response.

"Yes, yes! I believe there are only good things to talk about!"

I give Olivia a 'this-better-not-waste-my-time' look, perking a brow at the three of them. The redstone engineer shrugs clueless, sauntering towards a desk with neatly organized materials strewn across it. "It's about the cure."

"The cure?" I ask, "have you found the recipe?"

"Um. Yes and no."

"What? It's been days!" I cringe at their legarthic progress, though I gingerly take back what I say when I notice the dark circles around Olivia's eyes.

"Well, we have all the ingredients," Harper intrudes with a mental list, "an oxeye daisy, a healing potion, honey, and a wither rose. But there's one more we're unsure about."

"And what's that?"

Ivor has to tiptoe by a shelf to reach a book the size of an item frame. "The wither rose could easily overcome the rest of the ingredients and make a patient sicker, so we've been searching for a more sustainable ingredient. The only item that has these properties is a special type of mycelium."

"Mycelium? As in just mushrooms?" I ask in a bold eagerness.

"It's not that simple."

He brings the book to the desk, flicking it a few times before sticking his thumb through it to keep the right page open. "No ordinary mushroom has those healing abilities. We can't just use a red or brown one."

Then, he points to the diagram on the left page above bullet-pointed facts. "A certain blue mushroom is what we need."

"But despite its miraculous effects, we don't know if it even exists," Olivia says, "well, I mean, of course it does - the encyclopedia says so."

I sigh doubtfully. Something's messing with me and obviously, the universe throws itself at me now, twisting and churning my mind as if to remind me I can't have everything I want in life. It just had to be nonexistent mycelium, didn't it? "So, have you come to tell me there's no hope for the sickness?"

"No. We summoned you because if anyone has a shot at finding that mycelium, it's you," says Harper.

"Me?"

"You're the best adventurer I know," Olivia beams, "and you can protect yourself out there. I believe you can find it."

"You literally have an Old Builder with you. Can't we locate the mycelium with the Atlas?"

"We tried. The Atlas couldn't find it." Harper scratches the back of her neck sheepishly. "I guess even our building skills are limited."

That's it. If the Atlas couldn't find it, it doesn't exist. Anything the Atlas cannot find doesn't exist.

My fists clench by my sides, and I bite my tongue to hold back an impulsive scream. Instead, I swallow it down and breathe deeply like how Jesse taught me. "That Atlas found our home in the portal network a million times faster than I ever could on my own. I don't have a clue in the universe why you'd believe in me like that," I say, face crinkling as I grind my teeth. "Let's face it, there's no cure for Wither, and there's no hope for Jesse. This blue mushroom isn't worth it."

Not a single sound is uttered for a few painful seconds. But just as I think about leaving, Harper crashes in. "You know, the Atlas couldn't direct us to the blue mycelium, but it still gave a signal. It exists. I'm 100% sure."

Ivor's the next to speak, stepping closer to place a warm hand on my shoulder. "And I know you've been to many places the Atlas doesn't know about."

If they wanna give me riddles, fine, give me riddles. This was usually Jesse's forte and I won't have her there with me on this mission.

So if this is actually set in stone, it's not about me anymore. It's about the thousands of people out there relying on me who urgently need the cure, Jesse among that heck of a number.

My mind switches in an instant, and suddenly, I feel the need to do it.

A new adventure in search of an extremely rare item that can heal the most deadly sickness - I'll find it. I won't turn back until I do.

"Okay, okay. I'll think about it for the rest of the day and I'll leave as soon as possible.

But if Jesse's dead by the time I come back,

This is all your fault."

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