同章对照

It was May 14th in New Rome, and a handsome secret agent flew above the Mediterranean sea.

The wind brushing against his mask and magician's hat, Ryan peeked over his jetpack to look at Vulcan. The Genius was hot on his trail, piloting her slow, bulky mech. “Come on, you aren’t even trying!” the courier taunted his favorite dwarf over the intercom. It was the second round of the race, and she couldn’t catch up to him. “Then again, your mom was so slow, it took her nine months to make a joke!”

“The only slow thing will be your death when I catch up to you!” Vulcan snarled back as she accelerated, her mech thrumming like a supercharged car. Both contestants flew so close to the sea level that they blew water in all directions as they passed.

In spite of her threat though, Ryan maintained a decent lead as they toured Ischia Island; iron walls and wind turbines surrounded the radioactive dump, keeping the toxic purple miasma safely contained. Hidden turrets rose from the shoreline and pointed at the flyers, though their maker prevented them from opening fire at Ryan on sight.

“Why doesn’t your hat fall off?” Vulcan asked.

“It’s magnetized.” It came in handy for someone like Ryan, who favored acrobatics and explosions in his fights. “Also, you’re so slow, you make the post office look efficient!”

“You’re so fast, your girlfriend is always left disappointed.”

Ouch, low bow. This meant war.

“Oh look, a wyvern!” Ryan pointed a finger at an empty spot of water on his left.

To his amusement, Vulcan did cock her head in that direction. “Where?” she asked, before realizing her mistake. “You bastard, you will die for this!”

Ryan laughed, only for Vulcan to actually open fire with a volley of missiles. The courier had to freeze time to dodge them all. “You bastard, you cheated!” his rival complained when time resumed. “We said only tech!”

“I lied!” Ryan cackled like a maniac. “I lied about everything!”

The two contestants finished their tour of the island and came into view of the Castello Aragonese, that old fortress which Augustus refitted into a Bliss Superlab. The powerful stone fortress’s walls oversaw the sea from atop a volcanic islet and a garden of alien plants.

The ghostly skull of Geist appeared for a brief moment above the castle when the racers approached. A tornado of colored dust carried the house-sized apparition, and started strong winds slowing down the contestants.

“Come to see me win?!” Ryan shouted as loud as he could, barely dodging a seagull. Damn bird traffic.

To his surprise, Casper the Ghost apparently listened. “You better,” the specter replied with a casual voice, though it somehow carried across the waves. “I bet on you.”

Huh, so not only could that flying skull manifest anywhere on the island, but it also had sharp senses and could detect people in the area. This ruined Ryan’s original plan, but the courier was nothing if not adaptable.

Geist had bet wisely. For although Vulcan attempted to blast him at the last second with a crimson beam of light, the courier passed over the fortress first.

There was a coming short joke to make, but Ryan was too tall to make it.

“Damn it!” Vulcan snarled. “Damn it, damn it, damn it! Where did you find that jetpack?”

In Mechron’s bunker. “In a cave, in a box of scraps.”

“The princess’ wet cave?”

Damn, news traveled fast.

“I took shelter from a thunderstorm inside,” Ryan said, as they began another turn around the island. “Wait, is tomorrow’s meeting about my execution?”

Tomorrow was the Olympians meeting, which should end up with Zanbato confirmed as the new Mercury. Jamie hadn’t organized a welcome party this time around, perhaps because Ryan had spent most of his time with Livia; and with nothing to distract her, Vulcan had decided to check up on the Bliss Island’s defenses today.

It cost the courier an A-bomb and advanced technology to get into her good graces, but the Genius eventually invited him to participate in the inspection.

Truthfully, Ryan suspected Vulcan wanted to impress him with her technology. She wanted him as a lab assistant, but the courier had defended his independence and maintained a professional distance. Sort of. He assumed jetpack races counted as a team-building activity.

“Could be,” Vulcan replied, still sore over her defeat. “How much to spare your pretty head?”

“An A-bomb?” Ryan haggled. “Bloody or extra crispy?”

“Already got one, and prices are up. I guess you’ll die.”

“If they vote yes, can I die buried in pizzas?” Ryan didn’t think he had died that way yet. At least not with four-cheeses. “Or couscous?”

“I can arrange death by waffles,” Vulcan joked back.

Ryan had missed trading jabs with her. He had thought he would find the inspection agonizing, but to his surprise, he could interact with Vulcan without experiencing depressing flashbacks now. Perhaps it was his newfound desire to move on, or his Elixir’s advice finally sinking in.

Ryan would always cherish his Jasmine’s memories, like all the relationships erased by his power, but he no longer lived in its shadow. And neither did the current Vulcan. He could finally befriend her without comparing her to her past self.

“No seriously, I blow you a chef’s kiss,” Vulcan said, her mech mimicking the gesture. “I didn’t think anyone would be mad enough to make a move on Augustus’ daughter. You won’t live long, but I’ll come to your funeral.”

“Eh, going by Casper the Ghost over here, heaven has a revolving door.” Ryan chuckled. “How did you know?”

Vulcan shrugged. “Some of the staff members saw you kiss Minerva at Venus’ resort, and spread the word. I guess Augustus couldn’t kill the leakers fast enough.”

“I thought paparazzi were an extinct species?”

“Not for a lack of trying, no.” The duo reached the Bliss Superlab again, flying over the outer walls and towards a helicopter platform. Vulcan’s mech caused the entire fortress to shake as it landed, while Ryan crossed his arms and did his best to look good as his feet touched the ground.

When they arrived, armored soldiers were busy boarding a group of three armed helicopters and checking up on their weapons. Bacchus oversaw the operation with his hands behind his back, while young Narcinia waited alongside him while holding a flower bouquet.

Ryan couldn’t resist examining it, and he didn’t recognize half of the plants. Some were roses with petals of multiple colors, others fusions of lilies of the valley and yellow daisies. The colors mixed in a tasteful display for the eyes, and the smell was almost divine.

“You like it, Quicksave?” Narcinia asked him shyly, her brown hair flowing with the ocean wind. Her heart-shaped face was so unlike her adopted family, Ryan wondered why Venus didn’t change it. Perhaps Narcinia’s power interfered with her adoptive mother’s? “I made it for Mom and Dad!”

She should have added some hemlock and nightshade then. “It’s delightful,” Ryan said from the bottom of his heart. “But do they sing?”

“Sing?”

“You can make any form of life from what I heard, so why not flowers that can sing?” Ryan asked mirthfully.

“Make them edible, so you have the full sensory package,” Vulcan snickered, her armor towering over the duo.

“You can’t eat flowers!” Narcinia protested. “But singing flowers… that’s a nice idea. I could have them blow colored fumes while they sing too.” She turned to Bacchus. “What song would you like, Father Torque?”

Andreas Torque, alias Bacchus, turned his gaunt face at his small protégée. His eyes were as black and lifeless as coal, and Ryan had yet to see him blink. One could almost see the bones beneath his priestly garbs. All in all, the man reminded the courier of a walking corpse. “Gregorian chants, to soothe the soul.”

“And Bliss for the fumes, to have a good time?” Vulcan deadpanned. Narcinia bristled a bit at that, clearly not very proud of working on making drugs.

“Don’t listen to him, he’s behind the times,” Ryan told Narcinia. “When in doubt, choose synthwave.”

“I don’t know that music genre,” Narcinia said. The poor naive child.

“I will teach you, and the meaning of life as well,” the courier replied.

“This reminds me, I will not be available for Venus’ dinner,” Bacchus said with his soft, calm voice. “I shall return to Ischia after meeting with our fellow Olympians.”

Narcinia didn’t hide her disappointment. “My mother won’t like it, Father Torque.”

“We are on the verge of a breakthrough, Ceres,” the priest chided her. “Idleness is the enemy of progress. It is not wise to make God wait.”

“Eh, It’s probably vibing in its Blue World,” Ryan said while testing the waters. “It knows you will reach It in time, like It knows everything else.”

That was a pure bluff and speculation, based on the courier’s knowledge of the Ultimate Ones, their dimensions, and what Livia had told him. Yet he hit the mark, for the priest’s head snapped in Ryan’s direction so fast that the courier worried he might break his neck.

“Have you reached Heaven?” Bacchus asked, his black eyes peering into Ryan’s soul. The stare’s sheer intensity might have made a younger man crumble to his feet in penance, but the courier had faced far worse. Still, the priest’s presence made him feel uneasy.

In a way, Bacchus reminded Ryan of Bloodstream. The courier could sense the madness festering beneath the lucidity. “No, but I’m trying to find a way in.”

“So am I,” the priest stated with a hint of enthusiasm. It must have been gratifying to meet someone who validated his beliefs. “I am close.”

“Pray harder,” Vulcan snickered. Clearly, she didn’t think much of the priest’s delusions. “Look, I’m very busy and this security inspection was a waste of my valuable time. Let’s escort you back on the mainland and be done with it.”

“There is no rush,” Bacchus replied calmly, before putting a hand on Narcinia’s shoulder. “Go climb in the helicopter, I will be with you in a minute.”

“Yes, Father Torque,” the young teen nodded, while Vulcan grumbled.

Bacchus took Ryan aside for a short talk, the two walking along the walls of Castle Aragonese. The priest didn’t take his eyes off the courier for one second, examining him with a quizzical look. “Your name is Quicksave, correct?”

“I’m immortal, but don’t tell anyone.”

Andreas Torque observed Ryan without a word, studying him. He was probably trying to remember every tidbit of information he might have had on the courier, but came up short. He would certainly question the other Olympians at the meeting and investigate the time-traveler afterward.

“How did you find your faith?” Bacchus asked. “There must be a fascinating story behind your quest.”

“I have been to Hell before, so I figured I should check out the other place,” Ryan joked.

“A worthwhile goal, but I require a straight answer.”

Ryan could tell this man could smell falsehoods like Luigi, and he didn’t even need a power to do so. “Well, Father…” the courier looked around himself as fearing he would be overhead, before whispering into the priest’s ears. “I have met a local.”

“A local?”

“From these higher dimensions.”

Bacchus’ eyes seemed to shine for a brief instant. “How?”

“An Elixir opened the gate for a brief moment.” That was only half a lie too. “A deity lurked on the other side.”

“It seems we shared similar revelations then.” Bacchus shivered in pleasure, as if reliving the moment. “I only tasted Heaven once, when I consumed my Elixir, and I have yearned to return to it ever since.”

Ryan remembered his brief stay inside the Black World, and what Bloodstream once told him about the ‘Green Hell’ he had glimpsed in his dreams so many years ago. Back then, the courier had thought it was mere delusions, but now, he understood that his adoptive father had observed the Green World.

From what the time-traveler gathered, the colored dimensions exerted a powerful hold on Genomes. The Ultimate Ones attracted lesser beings to them like a moth to a flame. The priest must have contacted the Blue Ultimate One, which permanently affected his mind.

“I have been investigating these higher realms since, Father,” Ryan said, trying to play on the priest’s obsession. “When I saw this deity, I… it was bliss beyond words. An ascension to a higher state of being.”

“So you understand how I feel.” Bacchus nodded slowly. “To be on the verge of becoming something more than human, only to be returned to this sinful, imperfect world… it is maddening.”

“So, I have been researching the Alchemist,” Ryan said, cutting straight to the chase. “I thought only she might answer my questions. Clearly, she created Elixirs to establish bridges with gods. To make us divine.”

“That was Eva Fabre’s goal indeed.” The shadow of a smile appeared on Bacchus’ face. “A true prophet. I mistook her for the devil, but now I see that she was the Lord’s tool on Earth. A visionary. I only met her once, but she left quite the mark.”

Ryan could see that. “When did you see her?”

“On Last Easter. I had been tracking her for years, back when she was refining the holy Elixirs for the sake of us all. She vanished after enlightening me.”

“She’s hiding beneath the snow,” Ryan said. “I know she has a base in Antarctica.”

“Station Orpheon?” Bacchus shook his head. “You are mistaken. We sent people there and they found nothing. The station has been emptied for more than a decade, ever since a violet flash was seen above its skies.”

A violet flash? If the Alchemist had access to advanced technology, then she could easily hide a base in a pocket dimension or a similar place. Maybe even hide it in plain sight. The Augusti didn’t have the means to detect such an anomaly, but Ryan could probably find an entrance. “Do you have the coordinates of that pilgrimage site, Father?”

He did, and could quote it from memory. Ryan folded it in a corner of his mind. “If you wish, I could involve you in our new Bliss strain’s test trials,” Bacchus said. “This will let us contact God, I can feel it in my bones. This long tribulation is finally nearing its end.”

“I would rather avoid the sterility that comes with it. I thought God said we should be fruitful and multiply?”

“That part is Augustus’ will, without which he would not have sponsored the project,” Bacchus said, though he clearly had no problem with sterilizing a large part of the population. “God put him on Earth to separate God’s chosen from the unworthy. Not everyone may ascend, and Bliss will sort them out.”

If Ryan had any hesitation left about destroying that lab, the priest just destroyed them. The courier glanced at the specter of Geist floating above the fortress, his grinning skull watching the sea. How far could he sense invaders? For the operation’s sake, Ryan hoped that it wasn’t much.

“There is little time left to discuss the matter,” Bacchus said, Vulcan gesturing him to climb inside the helicopter. “But once I am done with more secular matters, we will delve into the higher mysteries together. I am sure we can help each other.”

Bacchus boarded one of the helicopters at last, the vehicles flying away from the island with Ryan and Vulcan on their tail. The priest and Narcinia never crossed the sea without heavy escort, perhaps in case Wyvern or members of Il Migliore decided to ambush them.

Ryan knew nothing would happen. Though the party at Jamie’s place didn’t take place this time around, the priest and Narcinia had made their way to the meeting without incident in previous loops. With the Meta-Gang shattered, no one would interfere.

No one but Ryan.

The courier half-considered having the priest perish in a tragic accident, but he traveled in the same helicopter as Narcinia. Besides, slaying a priest wouldn’t have been very Catholic.

“Permission to return and laze around at home, Herr General?” Ryan asked Vulcan over the intercom, as they crossed the sea and the helicopters landed safely near the old harbor.

“Permission to get out of my sight granted, minion,” Vulcan said, before adding. “Come check out my lab tomorrow, after the reunion. You’re wasted on the field.”

She wouldn’t give up on that internship offer. “I’ll consider it,” Ryan lied. Vulcan grunted and flew away, back to her base.

Instead of returning home though, the courier deviated from his course the moment he was out of sight. He turned his jetpack towards the sea and Ischia Island, careful to fly low enough to avoid notice by eyes and radars both.

“They’re gone,” Ryan said over the intercom. “Where are you?”

“Four hundred meters northeast,” Shortie answered.

The courier quickly reached the meeting point, a solitary rock rising from the sea close to Ischia island. The Mechron submarine’s periscope looked over the water, with part of the tower staying hidden behind the stone. Shortie and Sarin waited on it with an enormous suitcase, while Ryan noticed the edge of Shroud’s glass armor, as sea droplets hit its transparent surface.

“Right on time,” Ryan said as he landed on the submarine’s tower and set aside his jetpack. “It should just be Geist, turrets, and mooks now.”

“Just an invincible ghost and a few hundred men, you mean?” Sarin grumbled angrily. She hadn’t been onboard with the plan, and went along only because Ryan’s Think Tank had made progress on the cure.

“What about the security system?” Shroud asked.

“Vulcan showed me the defensive turrets’ location, but she wouldn’t let me inside the fortress.” The Genius was fond of Ryan, but didn’t fully trust him either. “I do have information about what’s inside, including a map.”

“And all it cost you was sleeping with the enemy?” the invisible vigilante mused. Indeed, it was Livia who provided them. “Unfortunately, even with your girlfriend’s intel, I cannot hack into Vulcan’s security system, or at least not without alerting her of my attempt. I will need to access terminals inside the fortress.”

“We are taking huge risks, Riri,” Len said. She trusted him enough to follow his lead, but remained uneasy. “Even without Bacchus, the lab is defended by soldiers in power armor, automated defenses, Genomes…”

And a ghost. One couldn’t forget the ghost.

In the end, Geist was the island’s true line of defense, a Genome of incredible power that almost nobody could harm, let alone kill. But thankfully, the specter couldn’t haunt multiple places at once.

“There won’t be a better opportunity,” Ryan argued. “Tomorrow morning, the Augusti’s high command will be hours away, too far away to intervene.”

“A night is a long time,” Sarin said grimly.

“You said you could reform in that time,” Len pointed out.

“I should, since these fucking turbines blow gas within the island and condense it,” Sarin replied angrily. “But I still hate it. If you don’t give me back my suit afterward, I’m killing you myself.”

“See the bright side. When you’ve opened a breach, you’ll get your own power armor,” Ryan reassured her, before opening the briefcase and looking at his own suit.

The Augusti knew Quicksave… but they didn’t know Saturn.

Ryan hoped that Sarin’s presence would deceive Mob Zeus, make him believe the Meta-Gang were still active and sabotaging his operations. Livia would help sell her father the lie, giving the group some precious respite before Lightning Butt inevitably tracked them down. After the loss of his superlab, he would stop at nothing to find the responsible party.

Len helped her best friend put on the Saturn armor, Ryan delighting as she draped a cashmere poncho on his shoulder. The courier had used the data gathered in the previous loop to improve on the power armor’s design, replacing the chest cannon with a modified variant of Adam’s gravity rifle, improving the flight systems, and reinforcing the parts which Lightning Butt had managed to breach. The courier also invested heavily in radiation and heat shielding, in preparation for a new confrontation with Fallout.

He had forgotten to add a proton pack though, which would have come in handy with Geist.

Once the armor was operational, Ryan activated his power. Time froze to a halt, black and purple particles floating around the courier. A violet ghost raced after him, his past self trying to catch up to the present.

Ryan immediately noticed something new.

“There’s more than before.”

One loop ago, the Black Flux particles were nothing but black spots among fireworks of purple. Ryan had to focus to notice them. Now they had turned into a small oil spill on a violet sea.

His Black Power, whatever it was, had grown stronger.

How? Did it leech off some of Fallout’s radioactive energies during their last confrontation? Darkling could remember things across multiple loops, so Black Flux probably ignored the usual rules of Ryan’s time travel. Or perhaps it had fed on the previous loop’s destruction? In this case, each reset should strengthen the ability.

What did it even do? If it could damage Lightning Butt, could it do the same with Geist? Could it kill the unkillable?

“I wish I could have Darkling on speed dial,” Ryan complained as time resumed. “Is everyone ready?”

The plan was for Sarin to infiltrate the island in gaseous form, which would confuse even Geist, and then sabotage key defenses during the night. Ryan and Co would then attack the lab on the next day while Lightning Butt held court, scrambling communications to prevent the Augusti from calling for help.

If all went well, Ryan might repeat the operation in his Perfect Run.

“Almost,” Shroud said, turning visible while looking at the open sea. “A friend insisted on coming when I said we were chasing ghosts.”

A friend? From the Carnival? Ryan didn’t hide his skepticism. “Trust me, if Lightning Butt sees Sunshine anywhere near his mountain, then it will be New Rome’s last sunrise.”

“Leo is hunting the other Mechron bases as we speak, though the teammate in question is twice as flamboyant.”

Flamboyant?

Ryan’s heart skipped a beat, as he looked at the sea with hope. Could it be? Could it be?

His maddest prayers were soon answered, as a ray of crimson light racing on the water itself. Only a man capable of stopping time could witness the pure perfection of a human-shaped laser racing across the sea, as fast as light itself.

In the blink of an eye, the newcomer had crossed the sea and stopped within a few inches of the child he had saved many years ago. Unlike Ryan, the man hadn’t changed across the centuries, his body a solid wavelength, his suit perfect in its vibrant colors and tasteful elegance.

“Jesus could walk on water,” the man said, “but only because he learned that trick from…”

Ryan held his breath, as his favorite superhero put his hands on his waist, showing the purity of his showy, bright cashmere suit.

“Mr. Wave!”

Ryan squeed like a rabid fangirl, much to his team’s embarrassment.

新罗马，五月十四日。一位英俊的秘密特工正在地中海上空飞行。

风拂过面具和魔术师礼帽，瑞恩越过喷气背包，回头瞥了眼伏尔甘。那位天才驾驶着迟缓笨重的机甲，正紧追不舍。“加把劲啊，你根本没认真吧！”信使通过内置通讯器，嘲讽起自己最喜欢的小矮子。这已经是第二轮比赛了，她还是追不上他。“不过也难怪，你妈也够慢的，花了九个月才造出你这么个笑话！”

“等我追上你，唯一慢的就是你咽气的速度！”伏尔甘怒吼着加速，机甲发出增压汽车般的轰鸣。两位参赛者都紧贴着海面飞行，所过之处水花四溅。

可威胁归威胁，绕伊斯基亚岛飞行时，瑞恩始终保持着相当的领先优势。铁壁与风力涡轮环绕着这片放射性废土，将有毒的紫色瘴气牢牢封在岛内。隐藏的炮塔从岸边升起，瞄准了两位飞行者，不过，它们的制造者阻止了它们一见瑞恩就开火。

“你的帽子怎么不会掉？”伏尔甘问。

“磁吸的。”像瑞恩这样喜欢在打架时翻腾跳跃、制造爆炸的人，这功能相当实用。“还有，你慢得连邮局都显得高效了！”

“你倒是快，快得你女朋友次次失望。”

嘶，居然下这种黑手。这是宣战。

“哦，快看，双足飞龙！”瑞恩伸手指向左边一处空荡荡的水面。

令他乐不可支的是，伏尔甘还真朝那边转了头。“在哪儿？”她问，随即意识到自己上当了。“你个混蛋，老娘要宰了你！”

瑞恩正笑着，伏尔甘竟真的朝他齐射了一轮导弹。信使不得不暂停时间，才躲开了全部攻击。“你个混蛋，你作弊！”时间恢复后，对手立刻抗议起来。“说好了只准用科技！”

“我骗你的！”瑞恩像个疯子一样狂笑。“我说的全是谎话！”

两位参赛者绕完一圈，阿拉贡城堡出现在眼前——那座被奥古斯都改造成极乐超级实验室的古老堡垒。坚固的石砌城墙耸立在火山岩小岛和一片异域植物花园之上，俯瞰着大海。

两人接近时，幽魂那幽灵般的骷髅头在城堡上空短暂显现。一道彩色尘埃组成的龙卷托起这幢房屋大小的幻影，掀起强风，拖慢了参赛者的速度。

“来看我夺冠吗？！”瑞恩扯着嗓子喊道，险险躲过一只海鸥。该死的鸟类交通。

令他意外的是，这位幽灵卡斯珀显然听进去了。“你最好能赢。”幽灵随口答道，声音却不知怎的越过波涛传了过来。“我押了你。”

嚯，这颗会飞的骷髅头不仅能在岛上任意位置现身，感官还很敏锐，能察觉附近的人。这打乱了瑞恩原本的计划，不过要说随机应变，信使从不缺这本事。

幽魂这一注押得很明智。虽然伏尔甘在最后一刻试图用一道猩红色光束轰他，信使还是率先飞过了堡垒。

这时候倒是可以拿她总是“差一截”开个玩笑，可瑞恩长得太高，讲不出这种矮笑话。

“该死！”伏尔甘怒吼。“该死，该死，该死！你这喷气背包从哪儿弄的？”

梅克隆的地堡里。“一个山洞里，一箱废铜烂铁里。”

“公主那个湿漉漉的洞？”

见鬼，消息传得真快。

“我在里面躲了场雷暴。”瑞恩说着，两人又开始绕岛飞行。“等等，明天开会是要讨论处决我的事吗？”

明天就是奥林匹斯众神的会议，会上应该会正式确认斩马刀成为新一任墨丘利。这一轮，杰米没有办欢迎派对，或许是因为瑞恩大部分时间都和莉维娅待在一起；而伏尔甘没了别的事分心，便决定今天来检查极乐岛的防御。

为了讨她欢心，信使搭进去一枚原子弹和一批先进技术，不过，这位天才最终还是邀请他一起参加了检查。

说实话，瑞恩怀疑伏尔甘是想用自己的技术给他留下深刻印象。她想让他当实验室助手，但信使坚守着自己的独立性，保持着职业上的距离。差不多吧。他觉得喷气背包竞速应该算团建活动。

“没准呢。”伏尔甘回答，显然还在为落败耿耿于怀。“想保住你那颗漂亮脑袋，能出多少？”

“一枚原子弹？”瑞恩还起价来。“要带血的，还是焦香酥脆的？”

“已经有一枚了，而且现在涨价了。看来你是死定了。”

“如果他们投票赞成，我能申请被披萨埋死吗？”瑞恩觉得自己还没这么死过。至少没被四重芝士披萨埋死过。“或者库斯库斯？”

“死在华夫饼里倒是可以安排。”伏尔甘也开起了玩笑。

瑞恩很怀念和她斗嘴的感觉。他原以为这趟检查会很煎熬，可令他意外的是，现在和伏尔甘相处，已经不会勾起那些令人消沉的往事了。也许是他终于有了向前走的念头，也许是他的灵药给出的忠告终于入了心。

瑞恩会永远珍惜与他的贾丝敏有关的记忆，就像珍惜所有被能力抹去的感情一样，但他已经不再活在那段往事的阴影下。如今的伏尔甘也不必再受那道阴影笼罩。他终于可以和她交朋友，而不再拿她与过去的她作比较。

“不，说真的，我得给你来个主厨飞吻。”伏尔甘说，机甲也跟着做出了那个手势。“我真没想到会有人疯到去勾搭奥古斯都的女儿。你活不长了，不过你的葬礼我会去的。”

“嗐，看看这位幽灵卡斯珀就知道，天堂装的是旋转门，进出自由。”瑞恩轻笑。“你怎么知道的？”

伏尔甘耸了耸肩。“有些工作人员看见你在维纳斯的度假村亲吻密涅瓦，就把消息传开了。我猜奥古斯都杀泄密者的速度还是不够快。”

“我还以为狗仔已经灭绝了？”

“还没，不过可不是因为没人努力。”两人再次来到极乐超级实验室，越过外墙，飞向直升机起降平台。伏尔甘的机甲落地时，整座堡垒都为之一震；瑞恩则抱起双臂，努力让自己双脚着地的样子尽可能潇洒。

他们抵达时，披甲士兵正忙着登上三架武装直升机，检查武器。巴克斯双手背在身后，监督着行动；年幼的纳尔西妮娅捧着一束花，在他身旁等候。

瑞恩忍不住打量那束花，发现里面有一半植物自己都不认识。有些是花瓣五颜六色的玫瑰，另一些则像是铃兰和黄色雏菊的混合体。各种颜色搭配得赏心悦目，香气也几乎称得上仙品。

“你喜欢吗，快存？”纳尔西妮娅腼腆地问，棕色长发在海风中飘扬。她那张心形脸与收养她的一家人实在不像，瑞恩不禁纳闷，维纳斯为什么没把她的脸改掉。也许纳尔西妮娅的能力会干扰养母的能力？“这是我做给爸爸妈妈的！”

那她该往里面添点毒芹和颠茄。“太美了。”瑞恩由衷地说。“不过，它们会唱歌吗？”

“唱歌？”

“我听说你什么生命都能造出来，那为什么不造会唱歌的花呢？”瑞恩兴致勃勃地问。

“再做成能吃的，感官体验就齐活了。”伏尔甘嗤笑道，她的装甲高高耸立在两人身旁。

“花可不能吃！”纳尔西妮娅抗议。“不过，会唱歌的花……这个主意真好。我还可以让它们一边唱歌，一边喷出彩色烟雾。”她转向巴克斯。“托尔克神父，您想听什么歌？”

安德烈亚斯·托尔克，代号巴克斯，将那张瘦削的脸转向自己年幼的门生。他的眼睛像煤块一样漆黑，毫无生气，瑞恩还没见过他眨眼。隔着神父袍，几乎都能看见他的骨头。总而言之，这人让信使想起了一具行走的尸体。“格里高利圣咏，抚慰灵魂。”

“再让烟雾里带点极乐，助助兴？”伏尔甘面无表情地接话。纳尔西妮娅听了有些不快，显然并不怎么以自己参与制毒为荣。

“别听他的，他早就落伍了。”瑞恩对纳尔西妮娅说。“拿不定主意，就选合成器浪潮。”

“我不知道这种音乐。”纳尔西妮娅说。可怜又天真的孩子。

“我会教你的，顺便也教教你人生的意义。”信使答道。

“这倒提醒了我，维纳斯的晚宴我没法出席了。”巴克斯用轻柔平静的嗓音说。“与其余奥林匹斯众神开完会后，我就要返回伊斯基亚岛。”

纳尔西妮娅毫不掩饰自己的失望。“妈妈会不高兴的，托尔克神父。”

“我们马上就要取得突破了，刻瑞斯。”神父告诫她。“懈怠是进步的大敌。让上帝等待，可不明智。”

“嗐，祂大概正待在自己的蓝色世界里享清福呢。”瑞恩试探着说。“祂知道你迟早会找到祂，就像祂知道其他一切一样。”

这纯粹是虚张声势的猜测，依据只有信使对终极者及其维度的了解，还有莉维娅告诉他的话。可他偏偏说中了，神父猛地朝瑞恩转过头来，快得让信使都担心他会扭断自己的脖子。

“你抵达过天堂？”巴克斯问，漆黑的双眼直视瑞恩的灵魂。那目光强烈得足以让一个阅历尚浅的人跪倒在他脚下忏悔，可信使见过远比这可怕的东西。即便如此，神父的存在还是令他感到不安。

某种程度上，巴克斯让瑞恩想起了血流。信使能感觉到，那清醒的表象下正有疯狂滋生。“没有，不过我正想办法进去。”

“我也是。”神父说，声音里多了几分热切。遇见一个认可自己信念的人，想必让他十分欣慰。“我已经很接近了。”

“那就再卖力祈祷点。”伏尔甘嗤笑。显然，她对神父的妄想不以为然。“听着，我忙得很，这次安全检查纯属浪费我的宝贵时间。让我们把你们送回大陆，赶紧完事。”

“不必着急。”巴克斯平静地答道，随后把手放在纳尔西妮娅肩上。“去直升机里坐好，我马上就来。”

“好的，托尔克神父。”少女点头答应，伏尔甘则在一旁嘟囔。

巴克斯将瑞恩拉到一旁单独说话，两人沿着阿拉贡城堡的城墙走去。神父的目光一秒也没离开过信使，带着探究之色审视着他。“你叫快存，对吗？”

“我是不死之身，不过别告诉别人。”

安德烈亚斯·托尔克一言不发，打量着瑞恩。他大概在试图回想自己掌握的、与信使有关的每一条信息，却没能想起多少。他肯定会在会上向其他奥林匹斯众神打听，事后再调查这位时间旅行者。

“你是如何找到信仰的？”巴克斯问。“你的求索背后，一定有个迷人的故事。”

“我以前去过地狱，所以觉得也该看看另一边。”瑞恩开玩笑道。

“值得追求的目标，但我需要一个直截了当的回答。”

瑞恩看得出，这人和路易吉一样能嗅出谎言，而且还用不着能力。“这个嘛，神父……”信使环顾四周，仿佛担心被人偷听，随后凑近神父耳边低语。“我见过一位当地居民。”

“当地居民？”

“来自那些更高维度。”

巴克斯的眼睛仿佛亮了一瞬。“怎么见到的？”

“一支灵药让那扇门短暂地打开了。”这也只算半句谎话。“一位神祇潜藏在门的另一边。”

“看来我们得到了相似的启示。”巴克斯愉悦地颤抖，仿佛又回到了那一刻。“我只尝过一次天堂的滋味，就在服下灵药时。从那以后，我就一直渴望重返那里。”

瑞恩想起自己在黑色世界的短暂停留，也想起多年前，血流曾对他说起梦中瞥见的“绿色地狱”。当时，信使只当那是妄想，可如今他明白了，他的养父确实窥见过绿色世界。

据这位时间旅行者所知，那些彩色维度对基因者有着极强的吸引力。终极者吸引较低等的存在靠近自己，就像火焰吸引飞蛾。神父想必接触过蓝色终极者，心智从此受到了永久影响。

“从那以后，我就一直在调查这些更高的界域，神父。”瑞恩说，试图利用对方的执念。“见到那位神祇时，我……那是言语无法形容的极乐。仿佛升华成了更高层次的存在。”

“那么，你明白我的感受。”巴克斯缓缓点头。“眼看就要超越人类，却又被送回这个罪恶而残缺的世界……实在令人发疯。”

“所以，我一直在研究炼金术师。”瑞恩直入正题。“我想，也许只有她能解答我的疑问。很显然，她创造灵药，是为了搭起通往众神的桥梁。为了让我们成为神。”

“那确实是伊娃·法布尔的目标。”巴克斯脸上浮现出一丝笑意。“真正的先知。我曾误以为她是魔鬼，如今才明白，她是主在人间的工具。一位有远见的人。我只见过她一次，可她留下的印记实在深刻。”

瑞恩看出来了。“你是什么时候见到她的？”

“最后的复活节。那时，我已经追查了她多年，她则一直在为我们所有人完善神圣的灵药。赐予我启示后，她就消失了。”

“她藏在冰雪之下。”瑞恩说。“我知道她在南极洲有一座基地。”

“奥菲昂站？”巴克斯摇头。“你弄错了。我们派人去过那里，什么也没发现。自从十多年前有人看见那里的天空闪过一道紫光，那座站点就一直空着。”

一道紫光？如果炼金术师掌握着先进技术，她完全可以轻易把一座基地藏进口袋维度或类似的地方。甚至可能就藏在众人眼皮底下。奥古斯蒂没有探测这种异常的手段，但瑞恩应该能找到入口。“神父，您有那处朝圣地的坐标吗？”

他有，而且能凭记忆背出来。瑞恩将坐标收进记忆的一角。“如果你愿意，我可以让你参与新版极乐的试验。”巴克斯说。“它会让我们联系上上帝，我从骨子里感觉得到。这场漫长的磨难，终于快要结束了。”

“我还是想避开它附带的绝育效果。我记得上帝说过，我们应该生养众多？”

“那部分是奥古斯都的旨意，若不如此，他就不会资助这个项目。”巴克斯说，不过显然，让一大批人绝育这件事对他而言不成问题。“上帝让他降临人间，正是为了将神选之人与不配者分开。并非人人都有资格升华，而极乐会将他们筛选出来。”

要是瑞恩对摧毁那座实验室还残存着半点犹豫，神父刚才已经将它们彻底摧毁了。信使瞥向浮在堡垒上空的幽魂，那颗咧嘴笑着的骷髅头正望着大海。他能感知到多远之外的入侵者？为了这次行动，瑞恩希望那距离别太远。

“没多少时间继续谈了。”巴克斯说，伏尔甘正打手势催他上直升机。“不过，等我处理完世俗事务，我们就一起深入探究更高的奥秘。我相信，我们能够互相帮助。”

巴克斯终于登上其中一架直升机，几架飞机随即飞离岛屿，瑞恩和伏尔甘跟在后方。神父和纳尔西妮娅每次渡海，身边都有重兵护送，或许是为了防备双足飞龙或至优者成员的伏击。

瑞恩知道不会出事。虽然这一轮杰米家的派对没有举行，但在之前几轮里，神父与纳尔西妮娅都平安无事地去参加了会议。超能帮已经四分五裂，不会有人插手。

除了瑞恩。

信使也动过一丝念头，想让神父死于一场悲惨的意外，可他偏偏和纳尔西妮娅坐在同一架直升机里。再说，杀神父这种事，也不太符合天主教徒的本分。

“请求批准回家偷懒，将军阁下？”渡过海面、直升机安全降落在旧港附近后，瑞恩通过通讯器向伏尔甘请示。

“批准你从我眼前消失，小喽啰。”伏尔甘说，随即又补了一句。“明天聚完，来我的实验室看看。把你放在外头跑腿太浪费了。”

她还不肯放弃那份实习邀约。“我会考虑的。”瑞恩撒了个谎。伏尔甘哼了一声，飞回自己的基地。

不过信使并未回家，一脱离视线便偏离了航向。他操纵喷气背包，转向大海和伊斯基亚岛，小心压低飞行高度，避开人眼与雷达的探测。

“他们走了。”瑞恩通过通讯器说。“你们在哪儿？”

“东北方向，四百米。”小矮个回答。

信使很快抵达会合点：伊斯基亚岛附近一块独自突出海面的礁石。梅克隆潜艇的潜望镜探出水面，指挥塔的一部分藏在礁石后方。小矮个和沙林带着一只硕大的手提箱，在指挥塔上等候；海水滴落在透明表面时，瑞恩还看见了裹尸布玻璃装甲的轮廓。

“时间刚好。”瑞恩落在潜艇指挥塔上，将喷气背包放到一旁。“现在应该只剩幽魂、炮塔和杂兵了。”

“你是说，只剩一个无敌的幽灵和几百号人？”沙林没好气地嘟囔。她一直不赞同这个计划，只是因为瑞恩的智囊团在治疗方法上取得了进展，才肯跟来。

“安保系统呢？”裹尸布问。

“伏尔甘给我看了防御炮塔的位置，但不肯让我进堡垒。”那位天才是挺喜欢瑞恩，但也没完全信任他。“不过，我确实弄到了内部情报，还包括一张地图。”

“而你付出的代价，只是和敌人睡了一觉？”隐形的义警玩味地说。没错，那些情报正是莉维娅提供的。“可惜，即便有你女朋友的情报，我也没法黑进伏尔甘的安保系统，至少没法不惊动她。我得接入堡垒内部的终端。”

“我们冒的风险太大了，瑞瑞。”蕾恩说。她足够信任他，愿意跟着他行动，却依然心神不宁。“就算巴克斯不在，实验室里也有穿动力装甲的士兵、自动防御设施、基因者……”

还有一个幽灵。可不能把幽灵忘了。

归根结底，幽魂才是这座岛真正的防线。这个基因者强大得不可思议，几乎没人能伤到他，更别提杀死他。好在，这个幽灵不能同时在好几个地方闹鬼。

“不会再有更好的机会了。”瑞恩坚持道。“明天早上，奥古斯蒂的高层都在几小时路程之外，远得来不及插手。”

“一整夜可不短。”沙林阴沉地说。

“你说过，这段时间够你重新聚形了。”蕾恩指出。

“应该够，那些他妈的涡轮会把气体往岛内吹，让它们聚在一起。”沙林愤愤地回答。“可我还是讨厌这样。事后要是不把我的防护服还回来，我就亲手杀了你。”

“往好处想。只要你打开缺口，就能有一套自己的动力装甲了。”瑞恩安抚了她一句，打开手提箱，望向自己的装甲。

奥古斯蒂认识快存……可他们不认识萨图恩。

瑞恩希望沙林的出现能骗过黑帮宙斯，让他以为超能帮仍在活动，破坏他的生意。莉维娅会帮忙让父亲相信这个谎言，为众人争取一点宝贵的喘息时间，毕竟闪电屁股迟早会追查到他们。失去超级实验室后，他一定会不惜一切代价揪出罪魁祸首。

蕾恩帮挚友穿上萨图恩装甲，又将一件羊绒斗篷披在他肩头，瑞恩顿时心花怒放。信使利用上一轮收集的数据，改进了动力装甲的设计：将胸炮换成亚当重力步枪的改进型，升级飞行系统，并加固了闪电屁股曾经击穿的部位。他还在防辐射与隔热方面投入了大量心血，为再次对上辐尘做好准备。

不过，他忘了加装质子背包。对付幽魂时，那东西应该很管用。

装甲一启动，瑞恩就发动了能力。时间冻结，黑色与紫色的粒子在信使周围漂浮。一道紫色幽影在他身后追赶，那是过去的自己，正试图追上现在。

瑞恩立刻察觉了新的变化。

“比以前多了。”

上一轮，黑色通量粒子还只是紫色烟花中零星的黑点，瑞恩必须集中注意力才能发现。如今，它们已经变成紫色海洋上的一小片油污。

无论那黑色能力究竟是什么，它都变强了。

怎么回事？难道上一次与辐尘交手时，它吸收了对方的一部分放射性能量？暗灵能够跨越多轮循环保留记忆，所以黑色通量很可能不受瑞恩时间旅行的常规法则约束。又或者，它是以上一轮的毁灭为食？如果是这样，每次重置应该都会增强这份能力。

它到底有什么作用？既然能伤到闪电屁股，能不能也伤到幽魂？它能杀死杀不死的东西吗？

“真希望能给暗灵设个快捷拨号。”时间恢复后，瑞恩抱怨道。“大家都准备好了吗？”

按计划，沙林将以气态潜入岛上，这样连幽魂也会摸不着头脑，然后趁夜破坏关键防御设施。第二天，闪电屁股召集群臣开会时，瑞恩一伙就会进攻实验室，同时干扰通讯，阻止奥古斯蒂求援。

如果一切顺利，瑞恩或许会在完美通关时重演这次行动。

“差不多了。”裹尸布说着，显出身形，望向开阔的海面。“我说我们要去捉鬼，有个朋友非要跟来。”

朋友？嘉年华的人？瑞恩毫不掩饰自己的怀疑。“信我，要是闪电屁股在自家山头附近看见阳光，那就是新罗马最后一次日出了。”

“这会儿利奥正在搜寻梅克隆的其他基地。不过，我说的那位队友，比他还要张扬一倍。”

张扬？

瑞恩心跳漏了一拍，满怀期盼地望向大海。难道是？难道是？

他最疯狂的祈愿很快得到了回应：一道猩红光芒贴着水面疾驰而来。唯有能暂停时间的人，才有幸见证这纯粹无瑕的景象——一束人形激光以光速掠过海面。

眨眼之间，来者已横渡大海，停在了多年前他救下的那个孩子面前，相距不过几英寸。与瑞恩不同，数百年过去，这个男人没有丝毫改变。他的身体是凝成实体的波，身上的西装色彩鲜亮，优雅得体，完美无缺。

“耶稣能在水上行走，”那人说道，“但那只是因为他从这个人身上学会了这一招……”

瑞恩屏住呼吸。他最喜欢的超级英雄双手叉腰，尽情展示着那套华丽鲜亮、无可挑剔的羊绒西装。

“波动先生！”

瑞恩像个狂热的追星少女一样尖叫起来，惹得队友们尴尬不已。