by V Guy
Evelyn watched as the morning rose in intensity beyond the viewports and leaned against Malik’s flank, reclining next to him on the deck. “Not long now.”
“No. They’re fifteen minutes away. Some of the media is present, and drones are in the air. It’ll be a spectacle.”
“But not yet.” She released her arm from where it embraced his foreleg. “The others are ready, and all the valuables have been stowed.”
James later met him with a long clasp in the cargo deck passage, while Li gave him a rough hug and backed away in distress. Violet offered light, affectionate, sad touches. The Fates embraced him intimately, lingering as if to lay a blessing. Selena fell into his grasp and cried. Drelas made a subdued string of chirps and barks.
“They’re knocking on the door,” said Evelyn softly, stroking his side.
The hatch opened and the moment ended. Armed men, soldiers and commandos alike, flooded the vessel. On their heels was Captain Kroes. Drelas made a desperate squeak. Malik lifted her from his shoulders and presented her to Evelyn. Lallis growled a warning; he gently rebuked her.
“Malik, we need to speak privately,” said the CSA officer, poised with hands on her hips.
He accessed the sim, activated a program, and entered. A chain-linked gate appeared before them, a home and rose garden showed to the right, and an open yard of grass spread to their left. He lay down, letting his claws dig into the turf. A rustic wooden bench was available, but Kroes chose to stand.
“I need names,” she said.
A paper appeared in his right foreclaw, and he presented it to her. “There are alternatives to retribution.”
Kroes made a disbelieving snicker as she clasped it. “That’s amusing, coming from you.”
“The contents have been transmitted to your personal device,” he continued, “along with the information you need to locate them, should it be an issue.”
She froze, her eyes widened in alarm, and she withdrew her comm in confusion. “How?”
“You should also summon your commandos.”
Kroes straightened. “Why?”
“Because they have programming within them you might want removed.”
“You may not free them.”
He crooked a smile. “I’m not. They’ve been dropping information about you on a regular basis into an online account. It’s no longer necessary.”
She scowled. “You knew about Helen and copied the data-dump program.”
“You knew about me; I know about you. Seems fair.”
Kroes glanced at the paper, at her device, then back at him. “We had an agreement.”
“I don’t recall negotiations concerning spying.”
Her gaze hardened. “My family?”
“Are as safe as mine. Do you wish for me to continue receiving updates, or would you prefer summoning those men?”
Her annoyance persisted, but the five commandos soon entered to stand in a line. He attended each of them in turn, concentrating and lifting a claw to their heads.
“You had them reset. Didn’t work.” Malik paused after he finished. “It’s a shame for them to be like this. They operate better under independent thought and are more interesting.”
“I decide that,” she said, excusing them. “And I’m not interested in a council seat.”
“Not anymore,” said Malik. He lay down. “Although there will soon be seats available. You could be exceedingly rich and extraordinarily powerful. With your connections, you might even be queen; with all the medical advances available to the wealthy, you could rule for centuries.”
Kroes stared hard and her lips tightened, as if she were seriously considering the idea. “You were selective about your purge; the Salient subcommittee was eliminated.”
One corner of his maw rose. “I was generous. Every council member deserved worse.”
“I would be within my duties to prosecute you.” Her eyes narrowed. “Discovering the culprit of the poisonings has become a top priority.”
“Animals don’t get prosecuted,” said Malik. “Besides, you have no evidence. My word is meaningless.” He gazed fondly upon the home. “Those council members were bought and paid for by corporations and are the type of people who bought and paid for people like Norris, who bought and paid for the people on that list. Who would you say was ultimately guilty of their crimes?”
Kroes shook her head. “You can’t change the whole universe.”
Malik made a whimsical snort. “You never know. No loss if I didn’t.”
“You’ll be shackled for a month under round-the-clock guard until auction details are established,” she said, glancing at the blooming azaleas. “And a heavily armed complement of soldiers will stand watch on Pathfinder to ensure no rescues. The surrounding slips have been cleared for my ships—they are weapon outfitted and sensor-rich to ensure that your ship remains until the new master takes custody.”
“Seems extreme. You know I’ll cooperate.”
“Not everyone does.”
He released a sigh. “There were supposed to be hearings.”
Kroes cocked her head. “A judge examined the requests and depositions and made a judgment.”
Malik stood, reminiscing about the white home, the fruit trees, and the lilies along the fence line. A thought later and the program faded, replaced by the bare bones of the sim. “Take me away.”
***
The ship’s crew watched as Malik was escorted from the sim, shackled, and driven away. Kroes declared fresh prohibitions then exited, leaving a sizable contingent of well-armed persons to stand watch. The crew stepped to the ramp to watch.
“A month of scrutiny,” said James, frowning at the armed guests. “What now?”
Evelyn pondered the CSA vessels surrounding Pathfinder. “Apparently we can do everything except leave planet. Relax at the Curve if you wish; the ship isn’t going anywhere.”
“Well, I’m not leaving Pathfinder with them in here,” said Li, glaring at the guards. “Might as well get my day started.”
Violet returned inside. The Fates said little as they returned for breakfast.
Selena eased next to Evelyn to watch them. “They’re quiet.”
“They said he’s exactly where he needs to be.”
Evelyn shook her head and frowned. “He needs to be here.”
***
The Grand Bazaar of Spring City, Cheonia, in Xist was as lively as ever. The defensive emplacements and mages were gone, and the festivities below the balcony proceeded at full speed. The bulk of the war was finished, most of the troops had returned home, and the capital was abuzz with the freed resources applied to every other endeavor. Evelyn strolled along the balcony’s edge, watching from above. When she sensed someone before her, she raised her head and froze. Her mouth dropped open in shock.
“Hello, Evelyn,” said Kilam, motioning her forward. “I offered you access for years, and you only show when you think I’m gone?”
A mix of emotions flooded through her. She had been reeling from the reality of his absence from her life and now, here he was. She edged forward, her emotions threatening to break. “I thought they would have blocked Xist. I’m pleased they didn’t.”
“I did, too, and they tried. I found a way around it.”
Evelyn made a slight smile, touching his arm. “I guess there’s one more thing left to finish—the great war?”
“Not so great anymore. There’s nothing to do in the enclosure and little to do in Xist. I needed an outlet; I defeated the jamming.”
“Of course.” She snickered. “At least now, if I have questions, I can come and ask them. How long until this project is finished?”
Kilam hugged her close. “Today, if I wished. I’ve reduced the Coalition to the city of Serenan and could claim it in a moment, but my preferred plans require another three weeks.”
“Seriously? You’ve done an excellent job of crushing and removing all trace of them.”
“I’m turning World One into a massiv
e, questing continent, and reducing Serenan to an outpost.”
She moved to examine the console. “What did Amal mean when she said you were where you needed to be?”
He activated a display to show the occupied territories. “Confinement and exchange are my path to unraveling the past. I was on a parallel journey before Admiral Redina attempted to kill me. When I confronted him, my course was confirmed.”
“You could still die.”
“I don’t sense that. There are many interested parties that would love to have me alive, and the bidding should be lively. Few who could afford me acquired their money by being foolish or wasteful. Killing me would be exactly that.”
Evelyn moved to the railing, looking downward but focusing on nothing. “The ship was an experience, but it wasn’t the reason I stayed. You were.” She turned to face him. “Life will seem empty from now on. This last week was torture, waiting for your removal. Now that it has happened…”
“Find Gala. Visit Salient. Finish your nursing certificate.”
She scowled. “Are you serious? Reduced to cleaning bedpans after your adventures?”
Malik grinned. “You’ve done grungier stuff. Buy a planet—you have the money. There are affluent council members who are considerably lighter in the untraceable, uninsured accounts.”
“But everything we did was for a purpose. Now?”
“They were usually my purposes.” Kilam watched along with her. “You need your own. In three weeks, Nalara outpost will be the lone bastion of civilization beyond Cheonia on World One. I’ve been at war or recovering from war for most of the last ten years, my enemies are gone, and the director won’t let me keep an entire planet. Cheonia is as good as it gets.”
“Selena tells me they won’t fight again.”
He focused on a merchant. “Four hundred eighteen out of twenty-five thousand players escaped being imp’d and might still get snared. I want them to earn the right to return. Xist was supposed to be a place of fairness.”
“More vengeance,” said Evelyn, rolling her eyes. “I thought you’d have gotten that out of your system. They’ll be banned regardless.”
Kilam growled softly. “It was written into me. I offered peace on numerous occasions during the war’s first year, but the cheating…the cheating chafes.”
“And the satisfaction?”
He frowned. “Fighting for my game life was exhilarating, but most of the war has been a test of endurance. Ending it will be a relief.”
“You’ll need to find something else to do.”
“I suppose. What about you?”
Evelyn shrugged. “We’re grounded on Evaline, and I’ll have time to ponder the matter. Everyone is concerned about your confinement. Where do they have you?”
Kilam motioned and entered the room behind him. Instead of antiques and art, a spacious chamber was revealed, with a presentation of Malik in real life appearing. His right rear claw was shackled, but the chain was long and left him mobile.
“It’s not bad,” he said. “The chain stretches to an open area outside, where I can exercise and practice flying. The water is clean, the toilet will suffice, the first meal was tolerable, and there’s privacy. Some clout was expressed to arrange this. The auction house receives a nice percentage of the winning bid, and I expect they wanted assurances of receiving it.”
“You could escape,” said Evelyn, scrutinizing the scene. “It looks flimsy.”
“They’re not depending on physical barriers.”
“Surveillance?”
Kilam nodded and pointed to his neck. “I wear a tracking collar.”
She made a crooked smile. “I’m coming back, you know that?”
He chuckled. “Please do; I’m alone and have only Xist to occupy my mind. My captors have blocked communications around much of the area, but I can marginally connect to my link on the ship through the use of a breach. I’ll send coordinates. I’m certain Drelas and Jum could pierce the jamming, and I might even bring Lallis to my cage if she’s willing.”
Evelyn noticeably relaxed, and her tone lightened. “She’d probably like that; she’s been moping about all day. Violet doesn’t wish wide exposure and will stay off the network, the Fates feel no need to login, and Li deplores the idea of being helpless and dead to the world. I’m certain that Selena will watch her sister get beaten. I know James would love this, and I have tons of questions.”
She made a small smile and gave him a tight, one-armed embrace. “It seems we have a little more time together.”
67: War’s End
Day 1065: Xist
DaWolf444, or Darien in real life, exited his small shack and wore a grin as he glanced across the outpost. After the cracks of his drafty dwelling had been plugged, it was actually tolerable for inhabitation. Keeping out the rats was the biggest plus.
He stepped down the appropriately sized steps and surveyed the area. There were eleven other shacks like his along the east wall, each one the home of a diminutive resident. A blacksmith had a shop built into the northwest corner of the stockade. Stables were located to the right of the gate along the southern wall. A tavern and guest house consumed a large portion of the northern wall. A small guard barracks occupied the corner near the stables. A small mausoleum rested against the northern wall. A large portal rested in a clearing inside the gate. Two larger apartments were present, one close to the north wall and adjacent to the west one. He strode to the one to the north.
He remained an imp; the woman on the upcoming porch was full-sized and towered over him. When he reached the base of the steps, her scowl made her appear especially menacing.
“Wipe that ridiculous grin off your face,” said Serena, her lips narrowing. “I think you’ve made your pleasure more than well enough apparent.”
“I’m an imp,” said Darien, struggling to climb the steps. “Every smile I make looks ridiculous. Still, it’s nice to know you’ve shared in our humiliation—you’re more approachable.”
“Yes, and your appearance makes the real-life you look more attractive.”
“Ugh, that was low.” He tackled the second step.
“I’m obligated to get low—look at you.”
He rolled his eyes as he conquered the last step, but the effect was largely lost; his pupils were huge and the brightness meant he was always squinting. “What do you want to do? The sudden, stunning elimination of the Coalition from history has finally ended. No more waiting to watch a dragon crumble a building or two.”
Serena released a sigh. “This will be the third day in a row that Cheonian forces haven’t come calling.”
“To crush the two-bedroom empire of Nalara?” He glanced behind to her residence. “He captured and subdued the entire canton in less than a week. Simultaneously displacing populations, dismantling cantons, and turning garrisons to questing territories; it’s like he was in a hurry or something. Then he systematically pauses to decimate your nation.”
“I miss my serving girls,” she said, glancing aside. “They disappeared two weeks ago, supposedly when a dragon obliterated the palace. Every day, twice a day, for a month and a half, a portion of the city got crushed, food was stolen, fields were burned, and every defender was killed. The city shrank before my eyes. Those characters at the stockade aren’t even my defenders—they’re system generated.”
Serena looked toward the wall. “Everyone is a novice, from the blacksmith to the innkeeper. Only one person isn’t.” She pointed to the other nice home in disgust. “The village prostitute.”
As if on cue, a female stepped from the indicated residence.
“It’s ironic,” she continued. “I called some dragons, whores, we got kicked out of the negotiations, you started cheating, and now we’re here, with the only remaining, capable character being a prostitute. Maybe being a novice doesn’t affect business—not much skill is required?”
“She has a nicer house.”
Serena set her jaw. “My nation’s name graces the outpost. It’ll
be here forever.”
Darien laughed, a crackling cackle that he embraced. “She has a balcony.”
“The better to advertise.”
“She doesn’t need advertisements. This place is small and everybody knows her.” He accessed a map of the local area. “There’s a magic wall running along the old borders of Nalara, keeping out the new, powerful creatures established beyond. The rest of the Borsen canton has been converted into elite questing territory, like the rest of World One. Maybe he’s offering you a chance to rebuild?”
Serena watched the woman. “The game doesn’t matter as much anymore.”
Two of their imp brethren exited their shacks to walk toward the tavern. One fully formed, un-imp’d alliance mate teleported in and looked about in confusion.
“Will you look at that?” said Darien, leaning forward. “It’s a miracle.”
She raised an eyebrow. “It’s about to become a tragedy.”
“Maybe not. There hasn’t been a character reduction in two weeks, and Kilam’s attacks have stopped.”
“There hasn’t been anyone to reduce, and an attack would’ve been pointless.”
They watched in interest as two more, full-strength players appeared.
Serena edged forward. “We should say something.”
“Shhh!” he said, putting a finger to his lips. “They cheated the same as I did. They can reap similar rewards.”
She rolled her eyes. “Where’s your heart?”
“Shriveled, like the rest of my body.”
Another individual arrived. The four chatted then strode toward the tavern. After a brief attempt at getting their attention, the prostitute hustled home.