The Least Common Denominator

XXVII.III Parabola

"So, we are all in agreement then?"

I feel like I'm forgetting something again.

"How're you feeling, Sis?"

It's been a few days since I first woke up in this damn bed, and at this point, it's starting to feel more like a prison instead of the supposed comfort it's supposed to be as I found myself shackled to the same damn room twenty-four hours a day.

I gave Livia a brief nod of recognition as she poised the spoonful of liquid nutrition towards my mouth. Even after a few days of recovery, my throat and jaw were somehow still sore enough to prevent me from speaking. I could chew some basic stuff, but it'd aggravate my healing jaw bone enough that I'd be back to square one in terms of recovery if I did it. Couldn't do basic sign language either since my limbs were in an even worse off state than my head at this point.

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• The Least Common Denominator   XXVII.V Parabola

  "As the name suggests, there are thirteen members to the Prime Thirteen, myself formerly included."Hoo boy. The obligatory exposition chapter's here. I was honestly waiting for something like this ever since I knew about Love's existence. Although, we already knew about... four or five Primes now including her? Which would leave us with eight more Primes unaccounted for.This's gonna be a reveal and a half, assuming that Love knew every one of her colleagues."Starting from the Thirteenth and Twelveth, Arjay and Arya."I instantly felt my blood boil at the sound of those bitches' names. While they're both- Oh right, Arya's alive somehow. That's gonna be a problem."Aren't they dead already?" Bart asked, his curiosity taking note of the fact that Love spoke in a way that implied that one or

• The Least Common Denominator   XXVII.IV Parabola

  "What's that?"Was this some kind of cosmic joke? I cannot, in good conscience allow them to use that book for planning! I mean, it was true that it'd be a massive help in planning and coordinating logistics and tactical formations, but I was pretty sure that the whole collective was far from ready to conform to disciplined military doctrine!Yes! That's totally the reason! Don't think about anything else!"This, Lady Emerald, is the 'Art of War,'" I inwardly cringed as the former Prime introduced my plagiarized creation to the peanut gallery. "A guide written by Lady Crimson about the intricacies of waging wars and winning battles."Oh my fucking god..."Wait, you mean Crimson wrote that?" Bart asked incredulously. "How do we know that?"Hey now. I take offense

• The Least Common Denominator   XXVIII.I Supply and Demand

  In a world moderated by bloody evolution, power changes hands at the drop of a hat. The right kind of knowledge can make or break anyone smart enough to catch on to the schemes of the world; that one advantageous loophole that can potentially make you life-changing amounts of money and wealth to the point that a literal hundred dollars can turn into millions in a matter of days...Of course, it never happened to me personally. Cause if it did, I would probably still be living in my first life instead of limping across the room like a fucking invalid. Yes... I am temporarily an invalid as my limbs still feel like they're about to crack at the slightest amount of force exerted on them. And I died broke and in debt due to my studies.Joy, right? But then again, who isn't?"So, Sis, this is what we all came up with."

• The Least Common Denominator   XXVIII.II Supply and Demand

  "How long do we have left?"My mouth almost dried up as I asked the burning question on everyone's minds as another meeting manifested right in front of my hospital bed. It was kind of stuffy now, the weather starting to turn a bit more on the summer side as the chill draft coming from my window was replaced with a slightly less chilly, but increasingly humid gale as we all sat around waiting for stuff to happen. The peanut gallery sitting at attention, all eyes on both myself and Love as we began the discourse. It was nerve-wracking; a few drops of sweat trickling down my brow as the tension of the perspective information simmered underneath our collective knowledge."Based on my estimates, they're already marching as we speak," the former Prime nonchalantly espoused. "Approximately within the week, if I were to be correct."I felt the tension sky

• The Least Common Denominator   XXVIII.III Supply and Demand

  "The essence demand for such an array would be astronomical," Backus supplied, his hand running across his beard as he thought about my inquiry. "I honestly don't see it happening, young Crimson."Figures... but still...I stared towards the rest of the peanut gallery with the same questioning gaze, "Humor me, please.""Just from the perimeter alone, we'd need over a fifty Dens pumping in Essence over a span of a day or so," Estrin muttered, calculations visibly running through her head as she crunched the numbers. "Depending on the array's functions and the amount of material involved, it'll take at least weeks combing through every single rune to power them individually.""Not to mention the material involved in etching the runes in the first place," Bart added. "If the proposition was to inscribe the runes all over t

• The Least Common Denominator   XXIX.I Return of Investment

  Judgment day. The Day of Reckoning. The Rapture. Ragnarok.All of these things signify one thing, and that was the end of the world as we knew it. While it would be an overstatement to compare our current situation to the literal end of all life on a given planet, it was still an apt analogy to the events that will inevitably happen in the next few hours or so. Maybe even earlier if we're that unlucky."So... They're coming then?"It was only a matter of time, I guess. Everyone wished for more time on the clock, but that just isn't the way the world works. It'll sooner throw you into a trash compactor with just a crowbar and expect you to get out okay than to submit to the pleas of those that have no power over its whimsical choices."Yeah. Scouts say they'll be here in about an hour or so, I think."

• The Least Common Denominator   XXIX.II Return of Investment

  On the basic concept of humanity, one can always say that life was hard. While it's not so much for the upper elite, it was positively, heart-breakingly hard. Literally."Ow..."The unforgiving surface of the wooden floor was making my already aching body hurt even more as I waited for the inevitable to arrive. Even more so for Livia to appear with the final piece of the puzzle that would make this whole thing work in the first place."What's taking her so long, anyway..."Livia should've been here by now working on the last few touch-ups on the array with me. This whole thing wasn't even connected to the rest of the system yet. I was still waiting on my sister's go-ahead to finish the connection.*Knock Knock*"Sis?"The curt knock o

• The Least Common Denominator   XXIX.III Return of Investment

  *DING!... DING!... DING!...*My mind ground to a screeching halt. The knells of watchtower alarm bells echoed from outside my room as the rest of the village seemed to have caught on to the sight that the former Prime was seeing. All of a sudden, the peace was shattered. This was real. They were really here ahead of our estimates."Uhmm... Could you repeat and verify that, Lady Love?"I was pretty sure it hadn't even been an hour yet since Topaz broke the news to me. Unless I fell asleep on the cold, hard wood, which I wouldn't, there was absolutely no way that an hour had already passed. At best, thirty minutes had elapsed so far and-*I have visual on the Imperial Army,* Love's voice sounded completely at ease through the line. *I estimate at least a thousand strong in terms of Decimals and Numerators. I do not have e

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