Realm Walker Omnibus

by Erik Weir

  The Blade stiffened as two sentries walked toward him. Keeping his gaze forward, the sentries walked on, one of them turning their digital display head to Victor and smiled. Without realizing, Victor gave the sentry a quick head nod. The simple digital smile grew wider before it faced forward as they both passed him. The Blade felt his lungs cry out for air as he was holding his breath. With a quick exhale and then inhale, he tried to calm his rapid heartbeat.

  The neon streets floated past him and fifteen minutes later, he reached the corner of the building holding Lily. The Blade looked up as rain fell, painting his face with clear, watery streaks. Heart heavy, he walked toward the front doors.

  “This is it,” Victor whispered to himself as he moved to the front doors.

  Unlike the doors he saw in the resistance base, these opened inward instead of sliding into the walls. Victor stepped in, water dripping from his trench coat. A desk greeted him as two blue colored drones woke from sleep mode. The vast lobby had scenes playing out of various computer games Victor had never seen before. One screen taking up most of the right wall was a battle raging with gunfire. The large screen to the left had a party of RPG characters fighting a group of ogres.

  Two digital faces lit up with small smiles as they gazed on the man wearing the wet trench coat.

  “How can we help you, Victor 181,” a blue drone asked.

  The Blade lifted an eyebrow for a moment, not sure how they knew his name. Thoughts floating to his implant, he gave the pair of drones a sickly-sweet smile.

  “I was wandering around and felt I needed to get out of the rain. Is there a place I can go and dry off before I continue home?”

  The drones kept their smiles as one spoke, “Unfortunately, this building is restricted. Only authorized personnel are allowed entry.”

  Victor nodded as he spent an Intelligence point and two Charisma points, hoping the extra influence might tip the scales. An urgent need to stay floated into his mind while heat glowed from his body.

  “I would agree, but I really need to use the bathroom too.”

  The drones kept their gaze before one of them nodded. “Our directives indicate we cannot allow anyone to enter but we cannot allow you to be in discomfort. We have a lavatory on this floor. One of us will need to accompany you.”

  Victor shook his head, “I’m sure I’ll be fine. Can you point me in the direction? I should be pretty quick.”

  “I’m afraid we can’t let you do that. Protocol demands one of us accompanies you.”

  Victor looked around, eyes on the elevators and a side door, he assumed was to a stairwell. “What kind of building is this?”

  “We are a medical facility. You can understand why we can’t let you in without an appointment or clearance.”

  Victor tried to think on his feet, “A medical facility? That’s good news. I have had a pain in my stomach for days and I should see someone.”

  The blue drones remained still for a moment before one spoke up, “Your implant indicates you’re in perfect health. Is there something else we can help you with?”

  Victor mulled over his options. If he used the bathroom and took out the drone with him, the area might still be alerted. Since they have access to scanning his implant, there wasn’t a lie in the world he could use to get through. Lily glowed in his mind and the Blade’s heart thumped in his chest. He wasn’t sure how much time he really had and each passing second only seemed hurt his chances of finding her okay. The blue drones seemed to genuinely want to help but without clearance, he was stuck.

  I don’t believe there is another way.

  “Can we help you to the lavatory, Victor 181?”

  Victor looked to the drone, calm sinking into his tense shoulders. “No, thank you. I’ll have to find another way.”

  The drones perked up as Victor turned and walked toward the double doors.

  “What do you mean ‘another way’,” a drone spoke up.

  The Blade called up his stats in his visual display. Spending a strength point, he let his right hand pull the plasma rifle from his coat as his left hand grabbed the handle of the door before it could open on its own.

  The drone stared, its serene digital face turning red. “Armed Consumer! Armed Consumer!”

  “Lily, I’m coming for you,” Victor whispered as alarms blared to life.

  Twenty One

  A sense of calm filled the Blade as his eyes closed. Senses blazing, electricity surged through his limbs as strength filled muscles and bones. Victor tasted it, feeling it flood his body as focus and purpose took hold. A small digital map appeared in the corner of his vision, showing Lily’s location. A small thought licked his mind with a chill, telling him that he might not make it to save his partner. The Blade took hold of that thought and locked it away deep, positive vibrations dancing along his soul.

  The two blue drones stood up from their desk as alarms flashed. Victor took hold of the door handle as the electronic door whirled against his grip. The Blade opened his eyes and with tight muscles, ripped the door off, sparks flying as circuits pulled apart. The Blade turned his body, power surging as he whipped his arm with the door around.

  The drones prepared to move as the door spun at them. The edge slammed into thin robotic necks, severing both heads at once before crashing down onto the lobby floor behind them. Victor turned his body around, seeing the headless drones as their necks sparked and they crumpled to the smooth floor.

  The Blade moved around the desk, plasma rifle in hand. The moment he cleared the desk, the walls in the lobby slid open and black sentry drones stepped out, pulling plasma rifles and pistols from the sides of their mechanical legs. Victor gritted his teeth as he stepped to the fallen door, drones on either side of him, bringing their weapons to bear.

  Ammunition and target crosshairs appeared as the Blade was beside the fallen door. Victor took a breath before his body moved in a blur. Hand grabbing the handle of the fallen door, he lifted himself up, using it as a shield to the left side as he aimed his short rifle on the sentries. Targets lit up like a Christmas Tree and a storm erupted in an orchestra of chaotic bedlam.

  Plasma flashes flared to life. Victor moved with increased speed through the middle of the lobby, muzzle flashes lighting up the right side as plasma bolts slammed into the heavy door now turned riot shield. Drones stepped forward, plasma bolts striking metal limbs. Balance off, some shots went wild as Victor poured plasma rain. The metal door took the brunt of the left side, the metal surface heating up from each hit.

  Victor couldn’t contain his grin as he reached the elevators, turning the door and slamming it down into the floor. Holding it up, he peeked around the edge as plasma fire rattled off the door. The Blade returned fire, each time a plasma bolt blasting through a head or neck with deadly accuracy. The targeting was smooth, each pull of the trigger was a fire and forget as he moved to another sentry. A second line of drones stepped out of the walls as the first twenty were blasted to parts and debris.

  The metal door heated up, some parts beginning to melt. A plasma bolt blasted through a section, striking Victor along his right thigh. Looking down, he saw that the armored trench coat took the brunt of the blast, a scorch mark coloring it. The Blade kept calm as he pumped another point into strength. The door rapidly melting, the Blade rushed toward one line of sentries while firing at the other. Light blurred like a strobe light as the Blade gritted his teeth. The drones fired right up until the misshapen door crashed into them like a freight train. Victor pushed on while firing at the second line of drones, each shot landing true. Boots crunched on sentry parts until several drones grabbed the door and pushed back.

  With one hand, Victor lifted the door with the drones and whipped it across the lobby to the remaining sentries to his right. Metal bodies crashed, broke, and splintered from the strike. Three sentries tried to get up before plasma bolts punched holes in their smooth faces.

  Victor spun around, rifle in hand to falling sparking bodies, “Too easy.”
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  Outside, metal bodies charged toward the building. Victor took it in, seeing more sentries lifting rifles and aiming. Behind them, larger, enforcer type drones stalked forward. They were ten feet tall with what looked like mini-gun cannons on each shoulder. Their bodies were heavily armored and their digital faces were glowing red.

  “So, begins the party,” Victor smiled as he turned and ran for the elevators.

  Sentries opened fire, shattering the entrance. Victor reached the elevator doors and pushed the button. Turning around, a plasma bolt flashed next to his head, burning a small hole in the metal elevator. The Blade returned fire, reflexes magnified as he tried to dodge the incoming hail of plasma bolts. An alert appeared in his vision, indicating the elevator had been shut down when the alarms were triggered.

  That’s just great!

  Victor continued to fire back, a plasma bolt striking his shoulder and spinning him around. Dazed, he rushed toward the stairs as a new wave of plasma bolts rushed toward him. The Blade pushed through the door before explosions sent him flying to the stairwell floor. A mist of plasma smoke billowed into the stairwell as Victor struggled to get up. Taking inventory of himself, he saw that he hadn’t taken any damage but the trench coat was starting to take some wear. Ammunition check indicated he had 233 rounds out of 300 left.

  It won’t be enough.

  “Shut up,” Victor said out loud as he looked to the stairs.

  Legs moving in a blur, he reached the steps and began climbing them. Body vaulting forward, he reached the first landing as sentries entered the stairwell, aimed up and pulled triggers. Bolts lit up the stairwell as Victor ducked to the side and continued to climb the stairs. The Blade’s visual display ticked off each floor and he climbed, the sound of metal feet storming up the stair well.

  Reaching the tenth floor, a door slammed open and two sentries entered, rifles blazing. Victor’s body twisted as the visual display indicated bolt paths. It took the guesswork out of dodging as his increased speed helped him move, plasma bolts missing him by inches. Body low, the Blade burst forward, shoulder connecting with the midsection of a sentry while shoving the rifle barrel into the other and pulling the trigger. Plasma ripped one sentry to pieces. Its body fell back smoking as Victor used his free hand on the other. Fingers dug into metal, crushing electronics before he shoved the barrel into the other and fired. The sentry made a strange rattle as its eyes turned black and its body went limp.

  The Blade pulled his left hand away, blood pouring from fingers. Victor cursed himself, forgetting that he was strong and fast but not invulnerable. Ignoring the pain, he jumped to the staircase and climbed as the storm of sentries marched after him. Eyes wide, he nearly slammed his shoulder into a landing wall before proceeding to the next and the next. The coil run up the stairs pushed his body faster and faster. Floors passed one by one until he reached the 50th floor. Turning the stairwell edge, the Blade’s eyes widened as six sentries aimed down and fired.

  The Blade whipped away as plasma bolts rained down. Boots sliding to a halt, he moved to the edge of the incoming plasma, lifted up his rifle and returned fire, the stairwell blooming with flashes of light and plasma smoke. An alert filled his vision as he fired back, indicating rounds as they were used up one by one. A blast struck one sentry and then another. The remaining four unleashed streams of plasma as Victor pulled back. The moment his rifle was about to clear the line of fire, a bolt struck the barrel, sending the rifle spinning from his hand.

  Victor stumbled back, looking down where the rifle fell. A second later, several bolts slammed into it, mangling the rifle into burning, melted metal.

  “Shit,” Victor hissed as his Elemental sword slid into his hand.

  The Blade looked down at the sword, brow wrinkling. “I had to be the guy who brings a sword to a gunfight.”

  Spending a point of Wisdom, lightning curled into the sword, arcing along the length of it until the metal turned into bright energy.

  “A little lightning to burn through those electronic bodies,” Victor said as he readied to attack.

  The Blade knew if he could leap up fast enough, he could close the distance and hack them to pieces. It was risky because they had the high ground. Placing his hopes and prayers that the armored trench coat could hold together long enough to reach them, Victor gritted his teeth.

  Victor leapt once, boots hitting the wall as his body turned. The sentries adjusted their aim. Victor growled as he launched himself up the stairs toward them. Aiming paths from the sentries appeared and Victor’s sword arced with power. One sentry fired. Time slowed down as Victor saw the path of the bolt coming right toward him. The Blade didn’t even notice his arm moving, sword in hand. The distance closed and right before the bolt would hit him, Victor parried the plasma bolt with his sword.

  Eyes widening, the Blade crashed his shoulders into the remaining four sentries knocking every metal body down with him. Rolling to his feet, he closed the distance again, lightning sword flashing. One sentry was sliced through the middle like he was paper. Victor’s sword slashed true, slicing each sentry until only one stood. It aimed at his chest and pulled the trigger. Victor parried it away and then another as a stream of plasma bolts came at him. The Blade stepped calmly to the sentry as it fired until Victor bent low, spun and sliced upwards. The sentry was cleaved diagonally upwards, two halves falling into smoking, sparking electronics.

  Victor looked down, lightning sword in hand. “Eat your heart out Jedi Academy.”

  The Blade turned and bounded to the stairs, hope pushing him further.

  ***

  Lily looked up as alarms sounded off. The women in their cells stood up, looking around with fear filling their eyes. The entire building shook and Lily moved to the cell door. The other three women moved to the transparent walls, also searching and listening to understand what exactly was happening.

  A door at the end of the cell block opened and several blue drones stepped into the main hall. They moved with purpose down the middle, toward the four prisoners.

  “What’s happening,” Lily shouted to them.

  The blue drones stopped in front of her cell and the door slid into the ceiling.

  “You are being moved to a transport tube. Come with me before…,” the blue drone didn’t get a chance to finish.

  A staff sprang into Lily’s hand, spinning up and coming down on the drone’s smooth face. It cracked open like an egg. The drone fell away as the three behind it rushed the succubus. Lily took a stance as electricity surged from her neck collar. The demoness gritted her teeth, using her own power to stave off the shock long enough to take down the drones. Staff spinning, the succubus roared as she smashed in another metal skull, followed by another. The last drone rushed her, grabbing the staff sideways and pushing. Lily grunted as energy fried her nerves. With one giant push, she fought through the pain and planted her foot into the drone’s midsection. The drone barely moved from the blow but the demoness used him as leverage to spin her entire body. The staff broke free as she spun in midair. Landing on her purple feet, she swiped the drone’s legs from under it.

  The drone fell on its side. Before it could push itself back to its feet, the end of Lily’s staff came down on the smooth face, impaling it with her staff. With one final cry, fingers curled around the collar and she tried to break it off. The collar held fast as the succubus cried out in anguish. Pushing her own influence, she increased her strength again and with a mighty heave, the collar shattered into pieces as the main chunk of it hit a transparent wall.

  Lily fell to her knees, breathing hard and mind filled with a confused haze. Struggling, she made it back up onto shaky legs and tried to walk to the other cells. The women shouted and pointed at the hand of a downed drone. Lily cut through the mental fog, reached down and picked it up. The hand sparked and twitched as she moved to a cell and slammed the robot hand on the scan pad. The door slid up and the woman rushed out to grab the falling succubus.

  The prisoner helpe
d Lily to the floor before grabbing the twitching metal hand. She raced to one cell, touching the scan pad and then raced to the other. Doors opened and the three women rushed to the fallen demon.

  “What is happening out there,” one of the women said with a concerned edge.

  Lily managed a small smirk, “A friend is coming.”

  ***

  Victor raced along the 98th floor landing when two sentries rushed him from a doorway. Sword arcing, the Blade spun, slashed across metal legs before parrying a blast from a pistol. A sentry fell as the other one fired its pistol again and again. Victor closed the distance, parrying each blow until his sword sank into the sentry’s chest. Sparks flashed as its body trembled and then went dark.

  The Blade has just pulled his sword out of the drone’s chest when a plasma bolt struck him dead center on his back. Victor was thrown forward into a wall. The Blade’s visual display flashed in and out, digital lines distorting. Victor pushed off the wall and turned as another blast hit him in the shoulder. The sentry with its legs cut off, lifted its pistol, aiming for Victor’s face. The Blade spent a point of Constitution, ignoring the numbness. Sword up, he parried two more blasts before spinning his sword and stabbing it into the sentry’s chest. Black smoke puffed as the light died in the drone’s face. It slumped down and became still.

  Victor let out a grunt as his visual HUD came back online. Glancing down, he saw that the trench coat had soaked some of the damage, but he had burns and bruises where he was struck. Knowing time was running out, he pushed through to the stairs and began to climb again. Exhaustion bled into tired muscles. Breath heavy, he reached the 99th floor.

  Sword up, Victor stepped cautiously into a hallway. Following the map line, he followed it until he reached a secured door. With a growl, Victor stabbed his sword through the door and sliced upwards. Pulling the sword back and stabbing again, he finished slicing downward, the metal door falling in two pieces.