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He found it deep in the desert. At the bottom of a ravine that was just damp enough to loosen the soil. Covered in muck and rust and who knows what else.
Daxter had been just as surprised when he brought it back to the car. Of all the artifacts they’d found that day, this was by far the most precious and valuable among them. Every care was taken to ensure it wasn’t damaged on the trip back to Spargus, even wrapping it in the car blanket Jak kept in the floor storage to give it a little extra protection.
A brow was raised, but no argument made to the one piece the young hero asked to keep.
Jak carried it all the way back to their home, as careful as he could for the treasure it was. He laid it out on their little table and simply stared at it for a long while, still not believing what he’d found.
Daxter was the first to lose interest, moving to prepare their meal and bemoaning the lack of space and spices. Suggesting they prepare for the next outing, or clean their weapons, or sharpen their knives. Jak would do those things later, he promised. Right now, he had something more important to focus on.
He knew just what to do.
Jak pulled out his cleaning kit, assessing the tools he had on hand and determining that, in order to properly clean the artifact, he’d probably need to get a few things to make the job easier. Sure, he could use the various brushes and tools to break up and scrub off the centuries of dirt buildup, and he could probably scrape off the larger clumps with his bare hands, but…he knew his own strength. He didn’t want to risk breaking anything.
Sig was the first person he asked for help. If anyone knew, it’d be him. ‘Tools to clean an artifact’ seemed like it should be a simple enough request. Sig raised a brow with a coy smile and asked why Jak was looking for something so far out of his normal style. When it was explained that it was for a gift, and what that gift was and who it was for, the smile dropped to a concerned frown.
“I dunno if that’s the best idea for a gift, Cherry.” Sig had said simply. “If you’re dead set on it, though, there’s a few places that might have what you’re lookin’ for.”
Ten stalls and three frustrating days later, Jak had finally managed to get ahold of an Artifact Kit from the Monks. It was an apprentice kit, so it only held brushes of various sizes and stiffness, but that was exactly needed.
He sat down that evening and started what he knew would be a painstaking process, gradually scrubbing and brushing away layers upon layers of dirt and dust. Knowing there were components inside as well, Jak was hoping he might be able to open the artifact without damaging it if he could. He hadn’t even realized how much time had passed when his father knocked politely on the doorframe asking why Jak was still up.
He showed Damas the object, and Damas saw the piles of dust and dirt that had accumulated onto the floor where it didn’t land on the table and the boy’s lap.
It wasn’t something Jak would normally be doing, so of course Damas asked about the sudden interest in archeology. Jak explained that it was a gift for someone special
Damas smiled when he said, “I will not discourage you, but I will admit, it’s an unusual choice for a gift.”
Jak was undeterred. He continued working throughout the night and well in to the next day just getting the bulk of the artifact clean. The next week or more was spent getting more supplies and smaller, more intricate tools to clear out the little nooks and crannies until the outer shell had finally been cleaned. He was surprised to find it mostly intact, though he knew it would never work again. The delicate internal machinery wasn’t meant to weather everything it likely had.
Still, it was worth the effort to try.
He’d had to get ahold of a few custom wire-framed sea glass pieces, and a domed polarized lense. Jak even bartered some parts and labor to get a smith to hammer out a specific part from precursor metal scraps. Wherever the rust had eaten fully away, he’d done his best to patch, though finding out Kleivor had the only real stockpile of any paint, he found that none of the available colours were going to work. Jak hoped that would be okay.
Extra care was taken in selecting the wrapping, making sure it wasn’t the same blanket he’d been only half-using whenever he actually slept and also that it didn’t have any holes. Jak and Daxter shared maybe three blankets between the two of them, and Daxter often hogged the whole thing to make a nest on top of his ‘extra plush gooselizard down’ pillow.
With a scheduled trip to Haven a little too close to properly clean what he had, Jak made another trip to the market, hoping against hope he’d find something that was just right. Ideally purple or blue-ish. Purple wasn’t a very common dye, so anything with it was usually pretty expensive.
He got lucky. An old weaver was selling a swatch that was lined in purples and pinks and golds in a pattern that made Jak think of those rare peaceful sunsets after a bad storm in Sandover. And it was just big enough to wrap around the artifact and cover it completely.
It was perfect!
Daxter tried to poke fun at the idea, but he knew well enough how much Jak had put into the project. He was just as excited to see it delivered; and if Dax didn’t get to see it, he wanted to hear every detail.
“Seriously, I gotta know what happens!” Daxter egged.
Jak’s lips were safely sealed.
Tess was the first to notice Jak’s unusually good mood, because she’s Tess. She asked about it, expecting things to be going really well in Spargus, and they were. Damas was working with the agricultural leaders and warriors guild with talks of expanding Spargus’ wall to accommodate the steadily growing population now that trade had opened, legally, to Haven as well. They’d scoped out a decent area that should work for the next few generations and plans were in place to start building the next layers of wall and a few huts as early as next week.
But that wasn't why Jak was excited.
After a little more poking and prodding, Jak finally revealed the gift he just spent the last two weeks cleaning and polishing, inside and out, and explained it was really important that she Not. Tell. Anyone. What it was or who it was for until he’d given it to the intended target.
Tess pressed her lips into a thin line. “Are…are you sure that’s a good idea? I mean…you’ve already put a lot of effort into it. That’d really suck if you did all that for nothing.”
He’d never been more sure of anything in his life. The problem was that he didn’t know when he’d have an opportunity to gift it. It was just bad luck he ended up taking it with him to the bunker in the Slums. While it was once the main base of operation for the Underground, now it was just an empty basement. Jak was given free reign over it, though he never actually took the time to decorate. Daxter hung streamers a few months ago when they celebrated the summer solstice, but he’d never bothered to take them down.
Finding Torn down there was a surprise and it wasn’t. The former, now commander, of the Krimzon Guard had spent nearly every day of his life down there for about five years up to the Baron’s death; and Jak couldn’t blame the man wanting for creature comforts. Torn and Ashelin both were sharing a drink and enjoying a small moment of peace in between Metalhead attacks; so of course they noticed Jak coming down the stairs with an object wrapped in brightly coloured cloth. And of course they asked about it, since he almost never carried anything besides his old beat-up rucksack or half-empty ammo containers. Jak was less willing to reveal the gift, knowing it probably wasn’t something either leader would really care about, but they seemed genuinely curious…
He explained that he’d found it and cleaned it up, replacing a few parts to make it as close to new as he could. While he knew there was nothing he could do about the inside, Jak wanted to make sure the outer shell looked as good as possible. Maybe the recipient could use it as a container or a display item. A little tchotchke, if nothing else.
Ashelin blinked in confusion. “Something like that should be in a museum…and you’re just… giving it away?”
Yes. Yes he was.
“Weird.” Torn sniffed.
For once, the fates were kind. Jak didn’t have to be on the front lines until at least tomorrow, that was why Ashelin and Torn were enjoying the day away from work. Jak took his gift and booked it straight to the Stadium, unsure when he’d have another chance to go if he waited. He wouldn’t waste the opportunity.
Keira was at her workbench, changing filters and doing maintenance like she always does. Jak knocked as he entered, and she turned, surprised, but happy to see him. They hadn’t been able to get together as much as they’d like to, so any chance they could get, they took it.
She noticed the bright pink and gold and purple fabric right away. It wasn’t hard to miss, and Jak wasn’t exactly trying to hide it. He didn’t wait for her to ask, simply holding it out and telling her it was a present. The weight caught her by surprise, but she was thankfully able to hold it without any trouble. It was placed on a cleared surface and Keira sent Jak a wry smile while she tried to guess what it was.
She unwrapped the cloth, letting it fall gently to the workench’s surface as the gift was revealed.
Keira’s eyes lit up like the northern night sky.
“Is this one of my Scout Flies?!”
Jak nodded, barely hiding his smile as Keira’s continued to grow.
“Where did you find this?!” She asked.
“In a dry riverbed a few clicks from the rain-band border.”
“No way!!”
She held the bug-eyed robot gently in her hands, petting its features with a loving reverence.
“How did you end up so far away, little one?” She asked with a soft smile. “Did you clean it up, Jak?”
Jak nodded. “I tried. I know it’s not good as new new, but-”
“It’s perfect .” Keira turned to him, setting the Scout Fly down to take him into her arms instead. “I love it.”
Jak touched his nose to hers.
“I love you. ” He said.
“I love you, too.” She replied.
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