Cyber Viking Box Set

by Marcus Sloss

  “Got a moment, Eric?” Willow asked, nodding her head to the side. I set Perci down and walked a few steps to the side with Willow. When we were far enough away for a little privacy, she continued. “Sorry I died in the war game.”

  “I want to laugh, but I am biting my tongue. Willow, you don’t need to apologize. I can’t tell you how many times I died in battle simulators.” I gave her a hug. “Hell,” I snorted, “I still charge in like a rhino. So, no you’re fine. Now come on, let’s ride the tunnel train.”

  Willow nodded with relief, “Thank you for confirming that you’re not disappointed with me. I can be overly self-critical at times.”

  “Ha! That is just the human in you.” I smiled down at her. “Willow, I love you just the way you are.”

  Before she could reply, though, I kept us moving. The platform for the underway from Castle to Mansion was a small box akin to a phone booth. A soldier went in and with a ‘phunk’ sound, they were gone. A chime would sound, revealing a new booth. I was in line behind Perci who kept stroking Sammie’s ears. Yeah, Perci clearly was not holding onto any anger that her mother had joined us. Both small ladies crammed into the booth, only to vanish a moment later with a ‘phunk’.

  The chime sounded; my turn. The next opening arrived. The space was roomier than I expected. My frame fit in easily and I waved bye to Willow who was next.

  The booth dove down into the earth. The trip transitioned from a vertical drop into a horizontal ride as we accelerated. While I wished for some cool views, I understood I was flying through miles of tunneling, deep underground. The speed was incredible. Even the slight turns felt like I was on a rollercoaster. I enjoyed every moment of the thrill. I was hollering for joy when I suddenly found myself outside again, not far from the barn. I wanted to ride it again!

  My team was waiting for me on the next platform. I stepped off and my booth shot back down, ‘phunk’. Willow popped up a moment later. We waited for the last of our group before crowding into a booth the size of a small bedroom.

  “Did you enjoy the ride?” Mitchell asked with a smirk.

  “Yes!” I said eagerly, “I’m still excited for this next bit, though.”

  The dozen of us loaded up without things being too tight. The booth’s doors slid shut and we shot down. Thanks to the dampeners, there never was a point where it felt like we’d be tipped onto our side, nor was the acceleration egregious. It felt like I was in a large elevator, one that moved sideways after an initial vertical drop. A minute into the ride, bright exterior lights flickered on as our car was attached to a rail system inside a huge cavern.

  The illuminated space revealed an eerily calm pool of black water. The space was massive in its size and I was startled by the extent of the chamber.

  “I lived underground for a thousand years in a place somewhat similar to this. We hid and thrived,” Longoria said evenly, “Eventually, I was deemed replaceable and was sold again. I… I don’t know what is worse, how much I miss that peaceful darkness or that I had to live like that in the first place.”

  “Mounamine are very used to subterranean dwellings. We prefer the underground for our nests. There is a lot to be said about the protection provided by keeping hundreds of feet of dirt between you and the aggressive species that come through the portals,” Sammie mentioned. “And before you ask, my lord,” she wagged a finger at me, “Our homes are nice. If you build a base underground, then we would welcome it, but there is no need to build us a special residence underground.” She frowned, “It would segregate us from the rest of the community. While we have done that before, trust me when I say that living around those who protect you lets them empathize with your fears. Assuming they have empathy.”

  The underwater lake vanished, and the exterior lights turned off. I was shocked, first that it was down here, and second by how large it was. If we angered a Divine-ape type creature, a tunnel to a hideout deep underground was a decent last option. The thought resonated with me. Teton Fortress was under the earth. They had not even had to fight to survive. Get a bunker to hide in if things went bad. Return when the blue goes away. I guess that was a solid retreat plan.

  So much to do, so little time to do it in.

  “Perci,” I asked, “What are your plans for these additional funds?”

  “Builders,” she shrugged, “We need builders and additional mining machines. Mitchell asked for sleds, but that is the only military request I have. We had some funds I’d saved for a last go at the contracts market, and the new infusion of metals will be fantastic.” She beamed up at me, “Eric the minerals they brought are raw bars in crates. Converting a hundred electronic devices might equal one of those bars. We can now afford a lot more than I had planned. I want to get a Sluggero, maybe, but there are only so many auctions.” She tapped her chin, “Probably try for one of those to help set up our automated production machinery and to provide a second opinion on our building plans.” Perci nodded to herself, and Longoria raised a hand. “Yes, dear?”

  “We need masonry machines, my lady,” the Fairy added, “I will get them. Although mining machinery crushes and creates rubble in the process of getting to the minerals, it does not create proper bricks. While you had the foresight to buy a few masonry machines that make small bricks, I know what we need. The time it will take to build the castle will decrease, significantly,” Longoria said. “And I want to get Master a proper sword. The best protectors always have a melee weapon.”

  “Why is that?” Willow asked.

  “There are melee weapons that are meant to push through armor. Shielding stops most damage, then armor, and then some creature’s physical exterior. A crab man,” the translator struggled and Longoria eyed the device with a sour face, “for example, can withstand a lot of firepower in their armor and with proper shielding. They see poorly, however, from above. You simply jet pack in, drop down onto their back, and use an empowered blade to carve them to pieces.”

  “You make it sound so easy,” Mitchell said with a chuckle.

  “What about more trees?” I inquired.

  “Maybe four more trees, but no more. We go to war very soon and the last thing I want is for the end of this shopping trip to turn into a frantic rush home,” Perci said.

  Everyone nodded.

  “Which is why Eric didn’t want to do any last minute shopping,” Willow said from beside me. “We’re here.”

  The tunnel cab stopped our sideways motion and lifted us to the Aspen platform. The exit was near a four-lane road with extensive bricked walkways leading in many different directions. Decorative fountains, fancy overhangs, and a veritable sea of balconies gave the area a very open feeling. A market had been set up, not far from the station, in an older area of downtown with extra wide walkways. Artfully arranged trees complemented the buildings’ earthy tones; their spring bloom brightening the area.

  Not far away rested AC1, in a nearby park. Long lines of people shifted supplies from AH1 into the behemoth transport. I was tempted to browse through the market. My curiosity was piqued over what they were using for a currency. Alas, I was tugged along by wonderful Willow. Her sour attitude from earlier was wiped away by the fancy town.

  “I love the feel of Aspen!” Willow mentioned, clinging to my arm.

  “I am taken back every time I visit to better times.” I sighed. “But my inner soldier sees all the vulnerabilities in the defenses here,” I said, gesturing to the rows of alleys and walking paths. “Funny how many people chose to live here over Mansion.”

  “Not anymore,” Sammie said with a sly smile, “if you are counting everyone as ‘people’.”

  “Yeah, things change so fast. How are the trees doing?” I asked Longoria.

  “Nancy and Seteria are hard at work. We are building essential housing before places like the castle. They are doing better since a lot of the new arrivals had their short rest and the sun is up,” Perci answered, with a smile. We neared AC1 and I paused. “Everything okay?” she asked.

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sp; “Willow, Sammie, and I part ways here. I am going to re-group with Jevon and continue with our drills and training. I mainly wanted to try the underway and to ensure our problems here are being taken care of.” I grinned at Perci and Longoria. “Shopping is not on my agenda and I will merely get in the way. Good luck securing our vital needs,” I said and received a hug in return. “Ah, there is Jevon—looks like he is about to take off. Let’s go join him.”

  “What about me, Cap?” Mitchell asked hesitantly.

  “Go with Perci and get what you need, Mitchell, to be my elite recon team and then meet me back at Mansion before the blue transition,” I ordered.

  He snapped off a quick salute and we parted ways. All I had to do now was some fun training … and some not-nearly-as-much fun, impatient waiting. I hoped for a D20 roll on the next Xgate portals. We needed a bit of luck this next go around.

  CHAPTER 13

  The Xgate flared to life right on time; the construct picked itself off the ground and into a hover before moving. Well damn, I was hoping for a delay. I glanced out the tower of AC1 high above my combined forces, four thousand soldiers spread between Mansion and Aspen. We were not far from the middle point, grouped to present a combined force, yet ready to split up if need be.

  Our TP63 light tanks held our flanks, with our center secured by their bigger TG99 brethren. AH1 and AH2 hovered over their commanders’ respective brigades, with AC1 in the back. Octosuits were mounted behind the tanks, gleaming in the afternoon sun. My army had grown exponentially, both in size and capability, compared to the last blue rotation.

  The million-dollar question was, of course, would it be enough? Could we weather whatever storm those blue portals spawned?

  There was a tension in the tower room, I paced behind the clear, crystalline window.

  Longoria piloted AC1, her body encased in black acrium, with a power plant tucked into the small of her back. She wore a power sword clipped to her left hip and a long pistol on her right. Her wings fluttered and smile tugged at the corner of her lips when she caught me admiring her fine figure.

  To my left was Sammie, serving as my radio operator and call screener. The little Mounamine wore a serious expression and tried to hide her fright. She carried a tiny pistol clipped to her hip and her acrium armor was a copy of her maid outfit.

  On my right side, stood Willow. She had requested a TG99 company command over her previous TP63 command, but there were none currently open. I wanted her to see the bigger picture and get a feel for the battle from up here, if she wasn’t going to be in the thick of it. I needed more talented people in the command rooms, and I trusted Willow. She was suited up for war in a combat loadout of acrium, sleeves, and shielding. She bantered back and forth with Longoria while managing a power output control station.

  Douglas, our drone operator sank into a bean bag chair over in the corner. A trio of Crixxi guards took up positions near the exit, ensuring the command room was secure. They were ready to deal with any unwelcome visitors. I had ordered my army into black acrium armor with night fast approaching—no sense showing off our capabilities just yet. All of us were eager, though, nervous to see what came next.

  That same feeling of trepidation washed over the rest of my army—the tank operators, infantry, scouts, and aviators.

  I had the best man on the job, coordinating our eyes on the ground and feeding us the intelligence as it came in. Mitchell had four scouts on anti-gravity bikes detailed to watch each portal once the construct shifted. The next five minutes, we waited with baited breath as the gray behemoth of an Xgate drifted peacefully.

  When the portals finally flared blue, what I saw left me hopeful, yet concerned.

  The western portal displayed a desert biome. Nothing, besides brownish flecks of dirt that swirled in a fierce blowing wind, seemed to be waiting on the other side of that portal. For a moment I wondered if I was looking at an image of Mars. Then, in the distance, an electrical ball with arms slowly rotated into view. The being performed a quick inspection of Earth and then moved on to gaze at the next portal. Huh, I grunted, not sure what this meant, but it was better than an aggressive assault.

  In the southern portal, we could see snow … a whole lot of snow. I rationalized that not every planet would in the same season, spring, as we were in what used to be Colorado, but I would never know from here whether what I was seeing was a seasonal thing like our winters, or simply an ice planet. I ordered the southern scout to cross into the portal, knowing it would take the Crixxi a minute or two to plant the data reader and return.

  Seeing the scout racing forward I shifted my gaze to the next portal.

  In the western portal, an army waited in a clearing, a tropical jungle beyond them, with distant waves visible on the far horizon. The waiting forces were masked humanoids with thick tendrils for hair cascading down their back. They stood at least ten feet tall and must have been at least twice our mass. Blue swirling patterns danced across their skin. Shit, that meant they were lexium infused. Behind the massed infantry, waited large tracked forts. Hmm, maybe layered tanks worked. These were fifty feet tall, thirty feet wide, and from their gun ports protruded a variety of weapons. The construction was crude, the vehicle most closely resembled the side of an old pirate ship. I didn’t want to aggravate them, so I held that scout in place.

  From the northern portal, a little creature hopped out of a dense jungle and onto Earth. The being had huge puffy cheeks, tiny slanted eyes, and it stood at three feet tall and planted an object on the rocky terrain. The fluffy cat creature ran to the eastern portal and saw the lexium beings poised for war. The moment its eyes caught sight of the alien army it fled for home.

  With a target in sight, the aliens flooded out of the western portal onto the field and locked down the Xgate to transition onto Earth. The little fluffy creature, however, was long gone by the time they tried to snatch him. Unfortunately, my southern scout returning from the icy portal after planting his data reader was caught out in the open. Like a pack of rabid dogs, the alien army curled south towards my scout. They brandished their weapons in the air before blasting projectile rounds at the scout.

  I didn’t need to order my scout to retreat; the Crixxi on that sled fled. The small device rapidly accelerated, the scout dodging and weaving to escape the incoming fire. The enemy hounded their target in a mad frenzy. Green laser bursts seared across the landscape. Even as the scout pulled away from them, the invaders never slowed their pursuit.

  “Order him to slow his pace,” I said to Mitchell through the command channel, “I want him to lure them into a kill zone, if they are going to act like a bunch of mindless idiots.” I turned to Sammie. “Give a warning order, army movement pending my confirmation order.”

  The scout slowed and the chase halted when a fifty-foot-tall battle platform crossed through the portal. Dam, this was not just going to be a simple lure and massacre. My inner demons, who had been flexing at the potential of an alien blood bath, frowned in disappointment. That was easily fixed.

  “Open fire, Mitchell, focus on the largest targets. Open fire now,” I ordered.

  Precise blue shots repeatedly streaked towards the same targets at head level. The first round smashed into an alien’s mask, chipping away at their protection. Okay, I realized, it wore a helmet and not a mask. The second glowing blue round, however, tore through the armor, sending an alien crashing to the ground with a gaping head wound. The ruined helmet showed a bald, freckled alien with fangs and a double-hinged bottom jaw. These were nasty looking creatures, no doubt about it; I named them Kerbians.

  A shield generator came online for the tall, boxy tank, rendering the sniper fire useless. The bodies of both dead Kerbians that Mitchell had eliminated were tossed back into their home portal. The hundred or so invading soldiers waited patiently while their leaders conferred, with the gate still locked down. After a brief debate, they headed home with the shield generator being the second to last invader to leave our side of the portal.
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  The gate holder grew nervous, knowing the shield was leaving any moment. His desperate sprint to escape back home ended when sniper fire knocked the alien down, seconds after the tank’s shields stopped protecting the Kerbian. The injured alien struggled to get back into the eastern portal, even as the Xgate lifted higher into the air and started drifting away.

  Activity from the southern gate caught my eye. A twelve-foot-tall boar faced being jumped through the portal onto Earth. The mighty tusked warrior tumbled forward with a precise roll. Without hesitation, he spun to steal Mitchell’s kill. I entered Boarzar into the naming system for this species.

  He leveled his weapon at the fleeing fanged Kerbian. The discharge from the end of what otherwise resembled a long pole was brilliant yellow and melted a hole through the fleeing target’s torso.

  Our sniper fire shifted to the new aggressor. His yellow shielding deflected the incoming fire.

  For such a large creature, the boarzar was swift. With a roll, a spin move, and a snatch of his clawed hand, he secured the dead Kerbian over his shoulder. The Boarzar warrior fled home, carrying his prize. I saw his yellow shielding finally burst, but the giant Boarzar shimmied across the portal just in time. Well, those were some intense moments; so much for my hopes of a quiet Xgate. My long exhale stirred the command room.

  “Savage, yet effective,” Willow muttered.

  “Cap,” Longoria called for my attention. “The Sluggero team, Willis and Sally are trying to reach you. They promise it is not to complain.”

  I grimaced, those Sluggeros could be infuriatingly annoying. I wanted to curse Perci for purchasing them. My displeasure, however, did not supersede my need for their input, so I motioned for Sammie to patch them through.

  “What have you got for me?” I said, knowing they were monitoring.

  “This is not a safe, floating city, they need to sell us to a decent home. This is blasphemy, we’re so exposed here—” I heard in the background.