Animus Boxed Set 1 (Books 1-4): Initiate, Co-Op, Death Match, Advance

by Joshua Anderle

  “No, I do not believe he will fail.” Sasha leaned back in the chair. “He comes across as too fixated on what he is rather than what he could be, but he got this far on his tenacity and self-developed skills. He’ll need more polishing than I did, so better to start him early.”

  “You seem pretty sure about all this, but you’re basing all this on what? A psyche profile and two days of familiarity?”

  “Just trust me on this, Laurie,” Sasha answered. “I’ll go over a few things on my tablet then leave in a bit. Go update the systems and we can meet for dinner if you want some company.”

  “Fine by me.” Laurie acquiesced with a shrug. “I’ll see you then. Try not to get so absorbed in your work. It makes you a bit grumpy.” With that, he turned and left the room with a brisk stride.

  Sasha looked down at his tablet, picked it up again, and flipped through Kaiden’s scores.

  Kaiden Jericho

  Targets Eliminated: 55

  Accuracy: 92%

  Damage Taken: 1 Shot

  Final Score: 13,441 points (Top 1% of current year / top 10% all time)

  He looked over his survey answers. They indicated a hothead, reckless but efficient—a good attack dog was what most people would see. But it was the more personal answers that interested him—something that hinted, if only slightly, at someone who probably had cared about something at some point and perhaps had the ability to do so again.

  Sasha ran his hand along the collar of his shirt and pulled it down, and in the slight reflection of the tablet screen, he could see the fading tattoo of a skull with Peacemaker gun barrels for horns and a lone star in the right eye.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Baioh Wulfson looked out over the Nexus Academy docking bay with a steely glare.

  He had waited on a shipment for nearly two hours, and the unlucky and unconscious man lying on the floor at his feet had just informed him that it had been delayed until tomorrow evening. The string of his patience had sizzled down toward an explosive temper for some time now.

  Some relaxing violence was past due.

  He was a tall man, standing nearly seven feet, with long, dirty-blond locks tied into several lengths behind him and the top of his head hidden under a black bandanna. He wore a black muscle-shirt, grey cargo pants, and black boots, with an administrator’s badge pinned haphazardly near his left shoulder.

  A long, greying beard that fell to just above his chest swayed in the ocean breeze which did little to calm his temperament.

  The only reason he had to not really lash out was the willpower he had learned due to years of training and involuntary therapy. Also, the fact that no one had bothered to even get within thirty yards of him was probably for the best.

  “Why, if it isn’t Wulfson the Hellhound—fancy meeting you here. Why so glum?” a serene voice called, seemingly ignorant of the seething temper of the man it called to. Wulfson the Hellhound was a nickname that was bestowed upon him for reasons that would be quite unpleasant to most. Again, this person was either playing the fool or was tragically ignorant.

  Baioh looked over to see the jovial smile and wagging fingers of Professor Alexander Laurie. He scoffed and then turned to look out at the bay once again.

  “Why are you here, narhat?” he asked, his voice deep and guttural even though he spoke quietly.

  “I won’t bother getting that translated and simply assume it was a friendly greeting,” Laurie said in a dry tone.

  “It wasn’t, but keep living in your fantasy.” Baioh brushed it off with a shrug. “As long as you keep making your flashy little knick-knacks, you still have a use.”

  “You’re too kind. Keep speaking to me that way, and I’ll make sure to leave my defense drones on the next time you wish to use my lab as a gunsmith.”

  “Go ahead. I need the workout. Haven’t shot anything that fires back in a few years.” He huffed his irritation. “Maybe the next time the Board is kissing your ass, you can persuade them to reactivate the firing function of the bots at the range.”

  “I may, if only because you asked so very nicely.” Laurie all but purred the response. “However, it may not turn out as well as you think. My relationship with the board has soured slightly over the last few months. I’m not exactly the prodigy son I used to be.”

  “What a damn shame. Does that mean they aren’t giving you your weekly basket of wine and cheeses? The budget only allows for fruit baskets?” Wulfson snickered.

  “More along the lines of my projects getting a little too fanciful and microscale for their tastes. I’ve been here so long, and I’ve yet to get them to understand the need for personal projects from time to time. I suppose I have to find a way to deal with Neanderthals.” He sniffed. “No offense to your family line.”

  Laurie soon found himself in the air, snatched by the security officer in one swift motion. “Cute little joke, fool. If you wanna cheer my spirits up so badly, then try not to thrash around for a few minutes,” the angry giant threatened.

  “I certainly do. That diet of beer and frothy saliva must leave you so empty inside, certainly in the head.” Laurie smirked in jest, a hand moving to the side of his belt. “But come now, you know how this dance between us goes.”

  A vivid flash of light followed a loud hum, and Baioh’s hand was forced open. He stumbled back a few steps, recovered, and looked up to see the professor dusting himself off. He pointed down to his belt to show a device on the buckle that now lit up and hummed with energy.

  “And you know that I like to lead,” he finished, his expression smug.

  “You and your damn gadgets.” The mountain of flesh growled as he straightened. “Feels more like I’m fighting a robot than a man.”

  “I would prefer we didn’t fight, Wulfson, but I would be lying if I said that it didn’t amuse me.”

  “I swear, one of these days, I’m going to smother you in your sleep,” Baioh threatened.

  “Just be sure the pillow is hypoallergenic. I wouldn’t want to die sneezing—I’d look awful at the funeral,” Laurie mocked, flicking the last of the invisible dust off his jacket. “Now, since I have your attention, I have something that may prove interesting to you.”

  Baioh folded his arms against his chest. “Really now? Unless it’s a new gun you want me to try or some killer robot you want me to put through its paces, I’m doubtful.”

  “I actually did have said killer robot at one time, almost complete too. Then the Board halted the development indefinitely, said there could be unforeseen consequences and that it wasn’t a proper technology for study in the Academy.”

  “Pah, Kronidiots,” Wulfson sneered.

  Laurie nodded. “Right? Although I did forget that I was able to make a copy for experimentation in the Animus System. Never got around to it—oh well, thoughts for later. I wanted to bring to your attention an initiate I have come across.”

  “What about him?”

  “Well, you see, he is a rather interesting case. Professor—although I suppose I should say Commander—Sasha found him a couple days ago, taking out a few thugs in a bar.”

  Baioh raised an eyebrow. “What? Did Sasha give this kid a ride simply because he could throw a punch?”

  Laurie shook his head. “Not entirely. He seems quite taken by the young chap. I wasn’t aware of him myself until his file came across my desk. Turns out he had the Gemini gene, a wonderful little surprise for me,” Laurie explained, his enthusiasm plain to see.

  “Yeah, yeah,” Baioh muttered, spinning his finger in a circular pattern to tell the professor to hurry up.

  “Long story short, I placed an experimental cerebral EI system in his head—I had consent, don’t worry.”

  The giant grunted. “I wasn’t.”

  “The Board took issue with it, as they are wont to do. So, I got Sasha to vouch for me and did some technical work that I won’t waste time explaining to you. It’s looking good as far as my ass being covered, but considering all the hullabaloo, I want to make sure
that my metaphorical golden goose sets a shining example and the Board allows me further time and finances to continue study and potentially develop this technology for further use.”

  By this point, Baioh was staring into the middle distance, a disinterested look glazing his eyes. “Good for you, I’m sure. What makes me care?”

  Laurie’s brow furrowed. “Well, besides allowing me to improve my cerebral EI system and allowing it to become the premiere system among all Academy faculty—and using it to potentially fix that damaged brain of yours…”

  Baioh’s eyes glared at Laurie, whose hand went back to the trigger on his belt. He held up his other hand in caution. “I would be willing to bargain with you if you would…assist this initiate in his studies for a while.”

  Wulfson leaned back a little, cocking his head. “And why do you want my help? Sasha brought the kid in by the sounds of it, and if he’s so interested in him, shouldn’t he want to train him?”

  “Sasha is a member of the Board. He has other tasks to worry about. If he did help the boy, he could potentially jeopardize his position and, more importantly, my safety net. Plus, you know how Sasha is. He’s a bit too standoffish; doesn’t really show that he cares all that often.”

  The security officer let out a low, deep rumbling laugh and pointed to himself. “And you think I will?”

  “Your training tends to be a bit more hands-on—a little too much so, if you recall.”

  He huffed once again and rolled his shoulders. “Eh, if they wanna coddle the few kids in the foundations class, let them. They’ll wish I was still there when the real blood starts flying.”

  “Too true, which is why I think you would be perfect to develop this student for the future. I personally have little doubt that he will be exceptional with the right amount of time and training, but if we could speed it along and show some true promise quite quickly, I would get my grant that much sooner.”

  “What would I get out of this? Besides being some pet project’s nanny?”

  Laurie pursed his lips. “Well, besides actually getting to teach again, you would get your precious training hall back to the way it was. Since you would actually have visitors other than yourself, the Board would have to give you your stipend back for the upkeep and stock. Once others begin to see how much he improves, I’m sure many more will start coming to improve their skills outside of the Animus as well.”

  Baioh stroked his beard, contemplating the potential of Laurie’s words. “Perhaps…but that will take time, even to get the commission approved. What about some sort of advance?”

  “You have always been a hard man to please.” Laurie sighed. “I was prepared for that, however. I will grant you access to a personal workshop of mine to do whatever you please with. You will also have a fifty thousand credit limit monthly for supplies and materials for up to a year, even if he does not train with you for the whole year.”

  This got the battle-hungry man’s head nodding. “I see…not too bad an offer, Laurie. But before I go potentially wasting my time, how are you even sure I can make anything out of this kid? Clay that is too wet or rotten will not take even the simplest shape.”

  Laurie lifted his hand off his belt and moved it into a pocket on the inside of his jacket. “I have some wonderful little statistics to show you, actually. Sasha and I just finished running some tests on him, and I was able to discreetly transfer the scores over to my personal files.”

  “Do you ever wonder why people around you treat you with suspicion?” Baioh asked mockingly.

  “Take it from someone raised with proper manners, Wulfson, they are simply used to hide all the dark secrets of the real person,” Laurie admonished. He removed a short stick that he pinched on both sides and pulled apart, revealing a holoscreen that he tapped on a few times. “Have a look for yourself.”

  Baioh took the tablet from the professor and read the screen. His eyebrows lifted slightly, and he stroked his beard again.

  “Interesting. There might certainly be some greater potential in him…just have to carve it out with a little appliance of force.”

  “So, then, do we have a deal?”

  He tossed the tablet back to him, crossing his arms again. “I want the robot.”

  “Beg your pardon?”

  “That killer robot you said you were working on, I want it.”

  “I told you, the Board nixed it. They have it in some military base outside the Academy.”

  “Hmm.” Baioh’s forehead creased in thought. “You said you uploaded a copy to the Animus, right?”

  “I did.” Laurie nodded

  “Give me access to that. I’ll find a use for it.”

  “Very well. It was collecting dust, anyway,” Laurie said with a shrug. “Now, do we have a deal?” he asked, offering his hand.

  “We most certainly do,” Baioh agreed, squeezing down on his hand with glee.

  The professor recoiled after pulling away from the giant man’s grip. “Well, good. Finally happy to see eye-to-eye on something.”

  “Finally happy to see you offer something that makes sense,” Baioh countered. “Now, where is this initiate? I would like to get started right away.”

  “It’s almost dinner.”

  “He should start preparing for spontaneous training, just like in battle.”

  “I… Well, I suppose I’ll leave the convincing to you. I’m sure you can be suave.” Laurie sighed. “If he’s not at the Cafeteria, Sasha sent him to the supply center.”

  “Are you kidding me? I have to fill out a request form in triplicate for a training gun with rubber bullets?” Kaiden growled his frustration. “I’m from Texas. They provide guns at the shooting range and the first hour is free.”

  “Well, this is Nexus Academy, and if you want to shoot things so bad, then just go in the Animus,” the supply clerk responded, barely looking away from her console.

  “We can just use those?” Kaiden wondered.

  “First years can’t, but classes start in, like, thirty hours. Simply make sure to sign up for plenty of firing and soldier courses, and you can get your fill until next year where you can enroll to be considered for Animus passes.”

  “That’s my point. If I can’t get into the Animus on my own time, then I’ll need a little extra on the side if I wanna catch up to some of the preps. I’m showing some initiative here. Give me a break, bob-cut.”

  “Stellar cut down, cock-bite,” Chief jeered.

  The clerk simply frowned. “Just fill out the damn forms if it’s so important to you. Then I can process them while you apply for access to the firing range and a permit to carry, and you should have everything ready to go in about a month.”

  “Good God with the rules—isn’t this a military academy?”

  She glanced at him, a tiny smirk on her face. “Only mostly.”

  Kaiden seethed, heated breath escaping through clenched teeth, “You people will give me an ulcer.”

  “If you keep up the melodramatics, I’ll have to call Reggie,” she warned.

  Kaiden shook his head, “Who the hell is Reggie?”

  “The supply division’s personal…defense droid. At least, that’s what they call him. I’m not sure what you call a repaired and rewired kill-bot.”

  “You’re bluffing.” He tried to stare her down.

  She rolled her eyes and turned to her left, looking over her shoulder to throw her voice. “Hey, Reg! Got someone who doesn’t wanna follow the rules.”

  Though he couldn’t see him, he heard the loud boom of an engine powering on, followed by the whir of gears and parts shifting into place. Then Kaiden saw two red lights in the darkness of the supply room behind the clerk.

  “Reggie online, give kill orders and level of pain,” a clickity, robotic voice requested.

  Kaiden paled. “So where can I find these forms, exactly?”

  She smiled and looked up, pointing behind him. Then her eyes widened as she noticed something and quickly scooted back from her station on h
er rolling chair.

  Kaiden turned and stared at long strands of hair on black cloth. He looked up slightly to see it was attached to a Goliath of a man with dirty-blond and greying hair. He looked Kaiden up and down as if sizing him up.

  For once, he was a little hesitant to ask if he wanted someone to fight.

  “You Kaiden Jericho?” the man-beast asked in a deep, heavy voice.

  Kaiden remained silent as he contemplated fight or flight.

  “Hey, I know I usually like to give you shit and mock your pain, but uh…remember, if you die, I technically die too.”

  “Noted,” Kaiden whispered. He really wished he had a weapon right now—hell, he would take a prison shank or even a jagged spork.

  “This is Initiate Jericho, yes, sir,” the clerk answered and disappeared rapidly into the supply room.

  Kaiden whipped around, wide-eyed before his eyes narrowed at her and he muttered, “Evil bitch.”

  “Good, I found you.” The giant grabbed Kaiden’s collar and began to drag him away. He called over his shoulder, “Hey, clerk! Send all his supplies to his dorm pod. On my authority.”

  “Yes, sir, Officer Wulfson,” she called.

  “Officer Wulfson? At least we know the name of your murderer,” Chief noted, actually somber for once. His caution wasn’t encouraging. “Honestly, you should hope all he wants to do is kill you, though there’s not much you could probably do if he had other plans.”

  Kaiden tried to wrest himself out of the man’s grasp but to no avail. He’d even grabbed onto the sides of the doorframe as they left the room, but with one seemingly effortless tug, he was ripped away and was surprised he didn’t take chunks of wall with him.

  He never really considered himself a religious person, but he found himself making deals with every god he had ever heard of as he was pulled out of the building and into the night.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chiyo Kana sat alone in the academy library.

  It was a large space with wide windows, several staircases, multiple information stations and computers, and clinical-white flooring and walls.