//------------------------------// // Chapter 37: A Golden Opportunity // Story: The Bridge Between Worlds // by Artemis Orion //------------------------------// A/N: Apologies, but this chapter can be considered optional, but it's your decision. This is merely a progress chapter. Please ignore, if too Fillery. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A Golden Opportunity "Congratulations, Mister Conway," the middle-aged white-haired man began, he delicately placed the coin back onto the balance scale, letting it balance out with another pile of an assorted metal. "All tests have turned out positive. Weight, purity, acidity, all properties have turned up with more than satisfying results. At 18 carats per ounce, one coin could net you quite a bit of money." With a bounce in his step, the man removed his white lab coat to reveal his faded blue collared shirt, and made his way to what appeared to be a fax machine. A list of what I knew were readings, printed out in a mix of whirrs and buzzes. I, got up from where I sat in the sterile white lab, reached over the metal counter, and took the one golden bit off the scale. "Thanks, Professor-" "Please, call me Eugene." The chinese man gave a wrinkled smile. Although he looked like he was in the later half of his middle-age, his attitude refused to acknowledge it. "Right... Eugene... that's really all I needed to know. Thank you for your time..." I hastily passed the twin metal counters, supporting a variety of equipment and strange gadgets that occupied the room, and made for the door. "Hold it, young man." I only had time to take my first step towards the door before he called me again over his shoulder. "And just what do you think you're going to do with that one coin?" He ripped the printed sheet neatly from the machine, skimming over it before returning to me. "Well... for one thing... cash it in-" "Almost impossible." His eyes never lifted from the long list of measurements he held. I was taken aback by those two words. What he said could potentially spoil everything. "W...What do you mean?" "What I mean is; you can't just discover gold, walk into a bank without any experience or background in the field and expect them to give you its currency's equivalent. Not without a certificate." Looking up from his sheet, he stared me straight in the eye. A little chill ran down my spine. Before I could protest, he went on. "This coin is made of the most peculiar metal I've ever encountered. At such high purity, gold would usually be soft. But this? It's as hard as steel. Not only did every test come back positive, it came back with far higher readings than regular gold. This isn't just any gold you found, Keith." His facial expression was blank. "Do you know how much that this one coin is worth now, Mister Conway?" "No." "$1500." I almost stumbled backwards at that news. And to think these bits were commonplace in another universe. If one coin can bring in that much, think of how much both the sacks of coins could bring in! "But there lies the problem, Mister Conway." With the sheet in hand, he crossed the room to the door. He beckoned me to follow him back into his office. We left the sterile lab for a nicely furnished office, with multiple certificates and rewards that patterned one wall. He continued. "Nobody would believe you. Even if you tried. You could ask them to check it, but by then, they wouldn't even bother. You're as good as a conman." "There's gotta be something I can do. By truth or lie, real gold is still real-" I tried to reason with him, while he placed the sheet of data in a beige coloured scanner. It whirred as the owner of the machine came quick to my response. "I'm not finished." With a small smile, he produced another document. It's contents looked similar to a contract, but on closer inspection, it was quite the opposite. "Do you think people would really bother about your qualifications?" I responded with a shrug. "They couldn't care less. As long as you've got the metal, they'll do business." He raised an open palm at the chair opposite his desk. I cautiously sat down, no longer really trusting the man's words. He slid the document across the table with a pen. I didn't raise my hand to sign the piece of paper. My arms dangled from the armrests, and I directed my gaze between the document and the specialist, and for a moment didn't even respond to the request. It wasn't really necessary. I knew that he wouldn't dare to pull anything but I wanted to see what he would say to earn my trust, if there was anything to trust. It was part of the act. It didn't take him long to notice it. The old man leaned back in his chair and placed his hands behind his head. "Heh... you don't trust me do you?" "What do I have to trust? All I wanted you to do was to examine the damn thing!" "This slip is for your certificate. Without it, your little coin is worthless. If you don't want it, it's fine by me." He said it plainly and matter-of-factly, like he was dealing with day-to-day business. "And you need not worry. If I try to pull anything, your Father could drive me bankrupt almost on a whim." I had to admit, that sounded like a plausible risk he was taking. I picked up the gold-rimmed Waterman ink pen and signed the document, but not before I read over every word. He was taking a risk, but so was I. I slid both items back across the desk, and Eugene leaned forward to catch it. "Now, usually, when anyone comes to me with gold of any sort, I turn them away if they don't have a certificate. But your not just any one." He pulled out a note pad from his coat pocket to scribble something down. "Now I'm going to do you a favour. A certificate of possession will be issued to you in a week's time. It will prove your gold is real if anyone gets too curious." Ripping off the little post-it, he stretched his arm over to me with the note on a finger. I pulled it off, and found a date written on it. "Come back on this date. By then you're certification would have been verified and we can further discuss your 'money problems." He raised two fingers on each hands in a comic emphasis, followed by a grin. "That's nice and all, but where in Singapore could I cash it in?" I returned the grin, but it wasn't really a genuine one. I still suspected him. "Not a problem!" He raised his legs onto the counter and leaned back in a relaxed posture. He certainly was his own boss, it seemed. "There are metal exchangers, commodity houses, private buyers that will willingly pay good money for it! I can help you on that part. I do have some influence." I got up from my seat, and headed for the door. "Thank you for your time, Prof-... Eugene." It was half sincere. "Oh, and one last thing." He called from his desk, just as I reached for the doorknob. "I don't know how or where you got it, and I won't question you. But one thing still bothers me, and in all my years, I have never seen it before." He leaned forward with his elbows on the desk, keeping his bespectacled gaze on me. "What does the 'E.Q.A' on the coin stand for?" I had totally forgotten about that. I couldn't give any real answer, but I could use that to my advantage. Without turning to respond, I mumbled just above the level of inaudibility, "Earn my trust first, you old moneyface." I slammed the door behind me and pulled up my hood, strolling back out into the world, with the hidden treasure in my pocket. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seconds after the client had left, the professor's meek and mild exterior faded. He had kept calm just for the young man, and in all professionalism, it wouldn't look very reputable if he were to jump from excitement over a coin. But it was an opportunity greater than anything he could have wanted. But he didn't need the money, he had more than he ever needed. He had enough good in him to give to the poor youngster. What he craved was knowledge. In an almost jittery fashion, his fingers danced over the sleek Blackberry. He impatiently tapped on the fine wooden table as the phone rang. Precisely after two rings, the call was answered. Barely containing his excitement, he spoke before the receiver could say a word. "Hello? It's me. I have something that might be of an interest to both of us..." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I picked up my pace, kicking up dead leaves as my footsteps trod over the untouched grass. I had memorized the location weeks ago, and I wouldn't be forgetting it anytime soon. I wore almost the exact same thing I had left in, except for the shirt, which was now grey with a black rim and three buttons. It had been a month since I returned to Earth, and in that time, I had managed to straighten out my life to a satisfying degree, or at least to my standards. With borrowed money from my parents, which I swore to pay off, I bought a new Iphone. I contacted every person that bothered to keep track of my existence during my absence to assure them that all was well, and fortunately enough, I did not find my office items in the trash, as my ex-boss had promised it would be where I would fine them. What I found most intriguing in all of this was that not many people really bothered with my explanations, and those who did never asked for an in-depth one. I guessed that the weirder you were, the less likely people questioned your doings. I entertained the thought as I stopped at one precise location in the park. I was anxious to return to Equestria. And now, I had free-passage to it, anytime. The peculiar thing was, I couldn't just teleport anywhere. In the past few weeks, I had experimented with the Medallion. It gave no response in other locations. It would not work outside of one particular place, and that was right in the center of the park. I stood in the exact same spot where everything began. I had come to several conclusions as to why it wouldn't work elsewhere yet, but none could be proven. Maybe I was at just the right distance from civilization, where humans hadn't fully overpowered nature? Maybe nature itself played a strong part? I pushed such speculations out of my mind. As many questions and theories I had, they could wait. Right now, it was time for ponies. They were still had no clue as to when I would return, and no official arrangements had been made. I quickly pulled out the hidden medallion that was hidden under my shirt. It looked like it sparkled in the sunlight, the light dispersing through the six coloured gems. The medallion itself might as well have been a precious artifact, let alone an inter-dimensional portal key. Holding the palm-sized pendant firmly in hand, I closed my eyes and concentrated, happily embracing the weightless fall into supposed Paradise. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Splashing through to the other side, I landed a little unsteadily, falling onto all fours with a grunt as my limbs absorbed the force. I took a mental note to practice landing after portals. It looked a lot easier in the video game. With my gaze directed at the ground, I noticed a puffy looking shadow overlap mine. It looked like it was buzzing and it was too close to the ground to be a cloud. Tilting my head up, I noticed the pink hooves that stood in front of me, and looking further still, the head that connected the fluffy, cloud-like shadow to its equally pink mane. An over joyous smile plastered across the Earth pony's face. It was Pinkie Pie. "WELCOME BACK KEITH!" She shrieked at the top of her lungs, even though my face was no more than a few inches from hers. "AGH! Pinkie!" I fell backward in shock of the sudden loud greeting. "Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh you're back! Oh boy, I can't believe it! It felt like forever, even though it's only been about a month and..." "Have you been waiting here this whole time?!" I attempted to rub the ringing from my ears. Her voice sure is shrill. "Pfft! Of course not, silly! My Pinkie Senses told me that something would be falling out of the sky around here!" She raised her tail and swung it for a second in a little jig. "And here you are! Man who would've thought that thing would be you!" I got back up to level with the party pony, looking beyond her and her non-stop chatter to the vibrant little village of Ponyville. "...and guess what! It's Summer, and you know what that means! It's APPLEBUCK season! All those sweet, fruity treats, yummy!" She continued her prattle in her usual bubbly attitude. "That's great, Pinkie! Anything else I missed?" I ran a hand through her cotton candy-scented mane. "Oh yeah! Thanks for reminding me!" Following her quick realization, she nipped my jacket sleeve and pulled me forward. Stumbling forward, I fell right onto the pink pony's back, and she lifted me off the ground. "Mayor Mare told us that she wanted to see you as soon as we next saw you. To the Town Hall!" With that, she zoomed off into town, with me clotheslined over her back. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Well, Mister Conway, I have good news and bad news." The Mayor looked at a letter with slight disappointment. By her side was the clerk, filling in something in a thick brown book. "Bad news first please." I inquired. Pinkie Pie was bouncing ecstatically by my side. "As you wish." The put down the rolled up scroll. "The bad news is, Princess Celestia, along with the Royal Guard, have requested that you stay in your hometown of registration for one year, thereby limiting your travels around Equestria." "Wait, what?!" I exclaimed. Pinkie stopped bouncing too. "You're basically saying that I can't go anywhere outside of Ponyville for one year? What am I, on probation?" "Calm yourself, Keith." The Mayor replied assuringly. "The royal council have their reasons. Most of Equestria still don't know of your presence in our land, apart from Ponyville and Canterlot. If we allowed you to freely travel, imagine the public uproar it might bring. The Presses would go wild. I'm afraid we'll have to release the knowledge of your presence slowly, as the Princesses' wish." Pinkie's mane had gone slightly flat, but it wasn't really noticeable. I heard her murmur something sadly about out-of-town parties, out I couldn't argue with godlike royalty. I wrapped a comforting arm around her neck. And I suppose they too had their reasons. On the bright side, there would be less distractions from training. I accepted the news with a sigh. "Well, I can't fight royalty." "And now the good news. Seeing as you are now an official citizen. You require a permanent residence. Also preferably in Ponyville." She gave this news with a warm smile. "I get a house?" I asked in amazement. "Indeed you do. You're lucky it's only the beginning of Summer! With proper work, we can have it finished before Winter, if not earlier still. The accommodation itself is free. However, you can customize it with your own expense, which I hear you have a lot of." I could have jumped with joy. As if getting a free house wasn't already good enough. No place on Earth would have such a policy! Pinkie seemed to have lost interest and had bounced over to the rows and columns of letters. The clerk politely slid the thick brown book across the table towards me. I saw that it was a list of residents, and they required my signature. Unlike the document I had signed not much less than an hour ago, I signed this one without hesitation. "Thank you, Mister Conway. We can confirm details at another date and time." The clerk spoke in a classy accent with a slight lisp. "Have a good day, Sir." He pulled the book back, and with a bow of both the Mayor's and the clerk's heads, they returned to their individual business. I turned to the exit, only to come face to face with Pinkie Pie for the second time. The same smile spread across her face. "Applejack needs help gathering apples." She said softly, but excitedly. "And...?" I asked, slightly confused "And can you kick an Apple tree?" "Well, yes, but-" "Perfect! Let's go" Grabbing me by the sleeve again, Pinkie Pie zoomed out the door, ignoring my repeated protests. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As the tall wooden door swung shut, the clerk lightly shook his head as he organized an assortment of documents. "That human's going to get us all sorts of attention!" "Huh!" The Mayor chuckled, she headed back up the stairs. "As if this town doesn't get enough attention already!"