“What is the nature of their magic?” Jason asked. “If your Cabal is old magic and this Network is new magic, where do the EOA fit in?”
“The Engineers of Ascension are largely made up of those who came to magic from outside the normal channels. I mentioned the smaller groups, fighting for scraps left by the Cabal and the Network. As far as we know, the EOA were formed by the strongest of those groups, looking for strength in numbers. As such, their magic is a hodgepodge, cobbled together from what they could beg, borrow, or steal. It might make them seem like poor cousins, and many from the Cabal and the Network see it that way.”
“You don’t agree?”
“I think that dismissing the EOA is foolish. They have been the driving force of magic innovation in modern times. New magic seems set in its forms, while the Cabal is set in its ways. The EOA are pushing boundaries. Not without consequences, but also not without results.”
“The drugged-up thugs I’ve been hearing about?”
“Magical enhancement is the core of their magical research. In that case, old school alchemy combined with modern pharmaceutical approaches. As far as I’m aware.”
“Magic steroids.”
“Something like that,” Vermillion said. “The EOA’s desire to research blood servants has caused some conflicts with my organisation. We don’t like it when someone kidnaps our people to use as research materials.”
“They’re willing to take that risk?”
“The EOA has been running behind the pack from the beginning. A large part of their ability to keep up is a willingness to go further than the rest of us.”
“Further how?”
“Magical body modification. Reanimating the dead. Nothing is off the table in the pursuit of transhumanism through magic.”
“Thus, the name,” Jason realised. “Engineers of Ascension. They’re trying to magically engineer themselves to a higher state.”
“Exactly,” Vermillion said. “The EOA knows they can’t compete with the history of the Cabal or the resources of the Network. They have to chart their own path into areas the hegemonic powers won’t touch. There’s a price to that, but they’ve proven themselves willing to pay it.”
“They want to be the next stage of humanity,” Jason said. “What does that have to do with taking control of criminal underworlds?”
“Their driving goal is to prepare for magic being revealed to the world,” Vermillion said.
“Doesn’t that put them in direct competition with the organisations trying to hide it?”
“It would, if the EOA ever made attempts to reveal magic, but they don’t. They believe that the public learning about is magic inevitable, so they’re happy to play along with keeping it a secret. They’re far more loose with it than the rest of us, but they’re careful not to cross anyone’s bottom line. They’re convinced that the truth will come out, despite what anyone might do to hide it. If anything, the longer that takes, the longer they have to prepare.”
“Are they right?” Jason asked. “Is it going to come out?”
“Yes,” Vermillion said. “I know my people are becoming increasingly concerned, and the Network has already taken drastic steps. Once the Network started involving governments, we started accelerating to the point where so many people know that it’s not really a secret anymore. Add in the progress of technology and it’s almost surprising that it hasn’t come out already. In my opinion, these terrorist readiness exercises are the last gasp of the secret world before everything comes out into the open.”
Jason sat back in his chair, letting out a slow breath. Despite mostly not breathing, habits like sighing were hard to give up.
“The world’s about to change, then. In a very big way.”
“So it would seem. Everyone is preparing, but the EOA have been from the beginning. It’s their chance to close the gap on the other major powers.”
“So what do the EOA want?” Jason asked. “How are they preparing for the truth to come out?”
“They believe that once magic is out in the open, there will be a fundamental shift in how societies function.”
“They think those with magic will be a new ruling class?”
“At the very least, that magic will be on par with money and political influence,” Vermillion confirmed. “The EOA are the poor third cousin in the magical community, but they’re still swimming in the big kids’ pool. They’re looking to position themselves for when the truth comes out. The Network had already insinuated themselves with political powers, so the EOA moved on private powers, quietly inducting influential groups and individuals to the magical world. Organised crime is only a second-tier priority, to which they’ve relegated their lesser members. The real game is the extremely wealthy.”
“I can see how it would be an easy pitch,” Jason said. “Offer the people who can buy anything the thing that can’t be bought.”
“Precisely,” Vermillion said. “The EOA have made some solid strides into longevity treatments with minimal side-effects, compared to their more radical developments in body modification. Once magic comes out, they’ll be able to market it openly.”
“The other organisations aren’t competing with them over influencing the wealthy?”
“The Network seems satisfied with political influence,” Vermillion said. “I think that will cost them, but that’s their mistake to make. They seem focused on their mission, but perhaps they could easily have hidden plans to which I am not privy. As for the Cabal, we’ve had a tight grip on old money literally since the invention of money.”
“And religion too, I’m guessing.”
“I can neither confirm nor deny,” Vermillion said, prompting a chuckle from Jason.
“The global influence pie is large enough that no one is willing to go to war over a larger slice,” Vermillion said. “Not so far anyway. So long as nothing comes along to change that balance, the revelation should be fairly smooth for the magical community. As for the world at large, that’s anyone’s guess. Who knows what kind of chaos will happen? Not to mention the dangers we’ve always been wary of. Magical power and ideology have always been highly reactive compounds.”
“There have been issues in the past?”
“There have. I’m not looking forward to when aggressive countries start weaponising magic. The Russians already keep invading people and I hesitate to even talk about North Korea or the Middle East. The US is bad enough with combat drones. Do you want to see magic combat drones?”
“Does it make me a bad person if I say yes?” Jason asked. “I mean, magic, flying death robots? You have to admit, that’s pretty awesome.”
“Not if you’re some kid in Yemen who’s learned to fear the sky,” Vermillion said.
“That’s disappointingly fair,” Jason conceded.
“Those are the basics you need to know about the secret world of magic. I still have no idea how you could possibly have reached your level of strength without knowing any of this. The Network has a tight grip on new magic. You are different to the essence magicians I know, however.”