by Tony Corden
Leah stopped suddenly as the scene disappeared. Her blazing head was touching the rafters of a long rectangular building. When she realised what had happened she didn’t just release the spells, she cast them away. The AI who was controlling the scenario was designed to keep everything realistic and so when Leah took all that energy and expended it inside the building the heat and blast tore the wooden structure apart consuming the material in seconds and raining embers and ash for hundreds of metres in every direction. Leah found herself standing in a shallow crater completely drained. She checked her statistics, and she had no Mana or Ki remaining. Both her Stamina and Health were hovering around twenty-five per cent. If she’d taken another step, she would have died.
A message started to appear, but she dismissed it without reading it. More appeared but Gèng dismissed them before Leah could even notice them. Leah slowly climbed out of the crater only to find the adjutant suddenly appear and say, “Applicant, if you would please follow me, the commander is ready to see you now.”
Leah was numb. All she wanted to do was to log out. Instead, she ignored the Tigersnake and quietly walked behind him. The trail he took brought them to the commander’s office, and Leah was shown directly in. Leah stopped and looked up at him. Her eyes were dark and full of barely suppressed rage, mixed with newly reforged sorrow and a deep weariness.
He said, “Atherleah, you have been tested on the Way of Warriors. Know this. Should you claim the city of Yilinlar, then the warriors will not stand in your way but will stand with you. When you leave this room, you will see a portal to the labyrinth of Lords. Take care, Atherleah, for the Lords are jealous of their power.”
Leah nodded and turned away. She stepped through the door and saw she was in a room with a portal waiting to take her to the next level. She’d been in Dunyanin for just under four hours. She saw she had hours five remaining but instead of stepping into the portal she logged out, arriving back in the Tower, sitting on the sofa.
17
December 15, 2073 - Part 9
THE STORK TOWER
Leah hadn’t moved for over twenty minutes and just sat on her sofa, her back leaning against one of the armrests, her knees bent, and her feet hooked under the second seat cushion. Gèng had waited for ten minutes before going to Leah and the second ten without saying anything. She decided it wouldn’t be healthy to wait any longer, so she said, “Talk to me, please.”
Leah looked up and said, “About what?”
“What you’re feeling.”
“I’m not really feeling anything. I’m just numb.”
“Then what are you thinking?”
“What’s the point of everything? I don’t know even what I’m thinking right now. I’m so mad I can’t think.”
“Who are you mad at?”
“Myself, I think. I’d like to be mad at the game, but that’s all it is. It’s a game. Just a bunch of electrons which are flowing through a solid matrix of different metals and bits of melted sand in a particular way. I fell for it you know. I somehow came to believe it was real. Less than a month ago I just wanted to know the truth. I wanted to understand the mysteries that I’ve walked through all my life. I wanted to look at the stars and have some understanding of what is going on in this amazing universe and maybe to find my place in it. Now, four weeks later, I walk past Wisp being tortured, and I don’t do a thing because I know it's not real. I let Thad die because it isn’t real. Then I lose my mind and leave everything behind to save a tiny piece of code.
“I think that’s what pushed me over the edge you know. Not that I forgot what was happening in the emotion of the moment but because I suddenly realised that the little girl I’d grown to love, who’d been killed by a monster, wasn’t really gone. I realised that the small piece of code that had somehow kept a part of me within it had been resurrected, brought back and put into a new scenario, just for the purpose of killing her again. All just to entertain me. I’m so disappointed in myself.”
Gèng let Leah sit in quietness for another minute before saying, “Is it wrong to preface a statement with another statement?”
Leah didn’t say anything for a second and then looked up for the first time. She had a confused look on her face. “What? What did you say?”
“I was wondering if it is wrong to preface a statement with another statement? You see, I want to say something, something I really believe but I think I should say something unrelated first, something that is universally understood just to set the tone and I wondered if that was alright to do if what I really want to say is the second statement?”
Leah had turned to look at Gèng and said, “You’re confusing me.”
“OK, I want to tell you that you’re being foolish. I want to tell you that the only thing you did wrong was to care and to love. I wanted to say that I’m just a bunch of electrons which are flowing through a solid matrix of different metals and bits of melted sand in a particular way and was wondering if you were sorry you fell for me too? I wanted to say that in the last four weeks you have touched thousands of lives and brought healing to hundreds of families, and I wanted to know if you did that just to be entertained? But when I realised you might be hurt, or angry, when I pointed out that you were acting like a self-indulgent, self-centred child, that maybe I should preface it with something that you already know is true. Something like, ‘Leah, you know I love you.’ Or ‘Leah, you know I’d never want to hurt you.’ So, is it OK or is it wrong to preface a statement with another statement?”
Leah sheepishly looked over at Gèng, and slowly a grin appeared on her face. She said, “Really, are you sure you want to go with ‘a self-indulgent, self-centred child?’ I mean, that is such a cliché.”
There was silence for a minute, then Leah said, “I’m sorry Gèng. I count knowing you and loving you as one of the greatest things to ever happen to me. You’re not a ‘just’ anything. You’re Gèng. Friend! Sister! And all around amazingly accurate backside-kicker. You’re right. It’s not for entertainment, even if it is sometimes fun. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“I should probably head back and finish the levels, but I need a break first. I’m going to log out and have a warm shower and get a bite to eat.”
COSMOS ONLINE
Leah logged out and was about to get out of the Pod when Gèng said, “Leah, John just sent a message. He’s in Cosmos Online, and the Annoyance is about to be boarded. He wants to know if you want to watch?”
Leah lay back down and was soon stepping through her first Cosmos Online portal and found herself in the seat of her Pulsar Class Fighter. She’d powered it down and now she carefully powered up the minimal passive and internal systems. Her port screen slowly showed her John in the Quasar Quad fighter travelling along a parallel ballistic course. He initiated a whisper-thin directed connection to Leah’s fighter and said, “Look at ten o’clock and down about 25 degrees. They’ve brought two ships alongside and matched the rotations. They’re almost in position to send someone across. I don’t expect them to have any problems, but I thought you might like to see it.”
Leah found the three ships with the Annoyance in the centre. She increased the magnification, and she could see someone leave the vessel closest to the main hatch. Whoever they were, they were using their suit thrusters to manoeuvre. Leah said, “I appreciate the invitation. I was all out of sorts, and this is kinda fun to watch.”
The suit slowed until it was right alongside the door. The person in the suit attached their safety harness to the ship and then whoever it was reached down beside their leg and pulled loose a long strip of something and pressed it against the side of the hatch. Leah said, “What is that, John? I gave her the Owner’s Chip.”
“Maybe it’s a sensor strip?”
The spacer pulled another three strips and pressed them around the edges of the hatch.
Leah said, “This is not good John, not good at all.”
“What?”
“We’re talki
ng about Mahigan here. What would she do if that ship was for me?”
“She'd make sure it blew you to hell and back.”
“Yep, but how would she make sure it was me?”
“She couldn’t. Anyone could use the chip.”
“True, if we’re talking about me. I’d have no trouble giving you the chip. How many people do you think Mahigan trusts in the whole wide world?”
“Ah. She’s going to make sure she’s safe by letting someone else take the risk. They’ll burn through the door, and when she knows it’s safe, then she’ll go over.”
“Yup, but they didn’t figure on good old John. John who had to do some really quick and hasty rewiring. He who, if I remember right, used a small conduit that ran right past the main hatch to hide one of the undetectable wires he installed.”
John chuckled, “Yep that he did. Damn that John. You know, I’m kind of glad I get to watch this.”
“In some weird way so am I. I’m already recording it and saving it for posterity. But John, you know and I know, that the fault here is hers. Well, not really, because we did really plan to blow her up. But, who do you think she will blame?”
Whatever John was planning to say was instantly forgotten as the explosives and missiles that John had so carefully prepared and hidden blew the Annoyance, and both of Mahigan’s ships, into atomic-sized particles. The brief flash of light caused both of them to turn away. By the time their watering eyes had recovered enough to focus on their screens, there was nothing visible but empty space.
John said, “I’m sorry, Leah.”
“What for?”
“Well, I just blew up your first ever spaceship.”
“That’s OK John, I haven’t told you yet, but I have new toys to play with.”
“Well good, great, then I don’t feel so bad.”
“Me neither, but I do have a question?”
“What?”
“Do you think she was waiting in one of the other ships until it was safe?”
John didn’t stop laughing while they both shut down their fighters. Finally, he said, “Meet you in the common room for a cup of coffee, and maybe you can tell me about your new toys?”
“I’ll be there in five minutes.”
With that, they both logged out, and Leah also exited her Pod. After a quick shower she headed out to meet John.
REAL LIFE
John wasn't in the common room when Leah arrived, so she got herself a cup of coffee and made a second for him, just the way he liked it. She’d just sat down when John walked in. He noticed the two cups but headed to the refrigerator and a minute later sat down next to Leah with two large slices of chocolate cake.
He said, “This is left over from afternoon tea, and it is the best thing to celebrate my skillset.”
Leah leant over and grabbed the piece that was slightly larger and said, “While I agree with the sentiment, I am a bit concerned at the sheer extravagance of having chocolate cake for no special reason except afternoon tea. Who’s the sucker footing the bill for all this?”
“Some rich eccentric. She’s all beauty and no brains. Spends all her time at the salon, so I’m sure we won’t get caught.”
“She sounds like a real B.”
“Don’t ever say that when she’s around. She hates that word, goes ballistic every time. She has no sense of humour.”
“Ha, I do too have a sense of humour. Besides, Gèng called me worse than that tonight.”
“What? Gèng is the nicest and most polite person I know. What could she possibly have said that’s worse? Whatever it was I’d have to say you must have deserved it.”
“She said I was acting like a self-indulgent and self-centred child.”
“You threw a tantrum.”
“Kinda.”
“Someone did something terrible.”
“Yep.”
“So you had a really good reason to be angry at someone, but instead you blamed yourself.”
“Something like that.”
“So you were acting like a self-indulgent and self-centred child?”
“Yep.”
“You feeling better?”
“I think so. If Mum wasn’t as isolated in Survival as it seems she is then I’d be scared. It will mean we have to work harder to find the location of the AI. I’ll get together with Gèng and Reed. I might even think about waking up Akia.”
John paused with the last of his chocolate cake inches from his mouth and asked, “What do you think Meredith will do?”
“She’ll throw a tantrum and act like a self-indulgent and self-centred child.”
John sprayed cake everywhere as he burst into laughter. Looking up, he found Leah covered with a spray of moistened crumbs. He burst out laughing again. Leah had to use the sink to clean up while John cleaned up the table and the floor behind Leah. John said, “Thanks for the laugh, Leah. It’s good to see you without the mask of pain or the weight of the world.”
“I needed a good laugh myself, although I’ll also need to wash my hair.”
“So what are the new toys?”
Leah explained what she and Wisp had found and what it might mean. John said, “Can anyone invest?”
“Yeah, pretty much. I don’t want everyone to know because we need time to make sure we claim it properly. Why?”
“Well, Jen and I have a little saved up, and if its that good a deal then I’ll discuss it with her if you don’t mind.”
“John, regardless of what everyone says, remember, it is still a risk. Other than that, go ahead and tell Jen. I still can’t believe she’s slumming with you.”
“Neither can I Leah, neither can I.”
“Should I tell Jimmy?”
“Do you trust him?”
“With my life? Yes! With my family? Yes! With money on the table? Not so much!”
“Then I’d wait until just before you think the story will break and then give him a heads up.”
“Good idea. I’d better head back.”
“Me too. I’ll be out again in an hour. That’s when your mum gets out. Your dad and I will go through everything with her and set the group some goals for tomorrow."
Leah waved goodbye and walked to her room. She undressed and threw her clothes in the basket to be washed. She took out some clean clothes and lay them on the bed she never used. In fact, she didn’t use most of the suite. The small kitchen was empty, but if she couldn’t eat at home, maybe she’d restock the small fridge and the pantry. She had a few books, but she hadn’t read a real book for weeks. She headed for the shower and washed her hair. After her shower Leah stepped out of her small bathroom and headed toward her Pod.
Fifteen minutes earlier and just over eight-hundred meters to the west, Troy Henson had received an irate voice message screaming at him to ‘kill the bitch’. Troy had been prepared for this very thing for the last two weeks. He’d chosen his hideout because the security people from the Pod Facility only did regular patrols out to five-hundred metres from the property line and he hadn’t seen them come within a hundred metres of the old abandoned building that he’d chosen for his ‘nest’. It had previously been part of a car-wrecking business.
In addition to the human patrols, his target was protected by an effective electronic surveillance system. Others in his organisation had only managed to get a drone within two hundred metres of the property line before it was identified and attacked. Troy’s ‘nest’ was on the top level of the building and his weapon had a clear line of sight to the room where the target spent most of her time.
Troy had always wanted to be a sniper, but it was only with the newest technology that he’d even had a chance. The weapon he’d been given let him kill from a distance far in excess of his meagre skills. He’d aligned the weapon on the first day, and it was aimed at the target’s window. His employers wanted anonymity and that meant he needed to escape without detection. Because the government employed an effective weapons discharge detection system and had immediate-response sa
tellite-directed tactical units always ready for deployment, he’d set the evasion setting on the weapon to high. The target’s security might identify the weapon’s discharge, and they might record the projectile’s flight, but they couldn’t do anything to stop it, and they didn’t have the resources to catch him.
When the evasion setting was ‘high’, the weapon used a variety of acoustic, electronic and mechanical measures to remove the majority of the optical and thermal flashes produced by the exploding propellant. They also removed the associated impulse sound-wave and the initial pressure-wave produced by the projectile. Unfortunately, or so Troy believed, the pressure wave could still be detected once the projectile had travelled more than three metres. The magnitude of the pressure wave itself, however, could be reduced below official detection parameters by limiting the projectile's velocity and by streamlining its profile. With the target set at nine hundred metres, the most effective reduction was achieved in decreasing the projectile’s profile. The weapon AI chose a triple-shot three-millimetre ballistic-tip hollow-point long-range controlled-burn smart-assist thirty-millimetre needle.
This was a long, thin and pointed projectile which created a pressure-wave undetectable by most government systems. The actual ‘bullet’ or ‘needle’ was thirty millimetres long with a rear diameter of three millimetres. The front end had a diameter of one point two millimetres and was hollow with an internal scoring pattern designed so that the needle expanded on impact, thereby increasing the damage. A centimetre-long piece of sharpened plastic was inserted into the hollowed end to improve the needle’s ballistic profile; this plastic disintegrated on impact leaving behind the expanding needle.