by Tao Wong
“Shit!” A thin, young man ducks away as the ends of his long hair catch on fire. The ends burn away as he ducks and rolls. “You assholes! That cost me a hundred Credits to get fixed!”
“Told you you should have gotten the nanoweave!” his friend, Louise, cackles as she stands in the middle of the road, beams aimed at her seeming to bend as they near her form. The twisted flares of light strike the ground, buildings, and drones as she Warps Space.
I admit, I have to grin. It’s time for me to test out a few new spells I purchased just before we left. While I’m not earning as much these days—not having that much time to go hunting has put a crimp on my looting and experience gain—I can give myself a salary as the settlement owner. I’m not particularly clear about the formula used—it has something to do with the type of government, the on-going revenue generation, tax base and tax rate amount and duration—but it’s enough to replenish my empty wallet. It’s a pity I can’t use the settlement funds directly for myself, but if I could, royalty and other settlement owners would be truly broken.
“My turn,” I whisper to myself and raise my hand. A molten bar of fire shoots from my hand, melting the steel and punching into the robot behind the shield. I swing my hand sideways, lopping the creature and its neighbor in half before the attack fades. Even as the after-images of my strike fade, I dodge aside.
“What was that?” Iris pants as she draws a breath, her own attack punching a hole in a robot next to the ones I attacked.
Ali tosses her a description, since he has little to do in this fight, his orders being to stay hidden and undetectable.
Inferno Beam
A beam of heat raised to the levels of an inferno, able to melt steel and liquefy earth on contact! The perfect spell for those looking to do a lot of damage in a short period of time.
Effect: Does 150 Points of Heat Damage
Cost: 125 Mana
“Move,” I snap without thinking, dodging forward and sweeping my hands sideways as my next spell forms. Mud Walls rise from the ground, stretching to the sky before sweeping forward in a V formation, pushing and submerging the attacking robots as the walls create a pathway for us.
Mud Walls
Unlike its more common counterpart Earthen Walls, Mud Walls deals slow, suffocating damage and restricts movement on the battlefield.
Effect: Does 20 Points of Suffocating Damage. -30% Movement Speed
Duration: 2 Minutes
Cost: 75 Mana
Reacting to the tone of my voice, the group charges alongside me. Mana Darts form in my hand to attack more mini drones that block our way. I keep the pace down, making sure the team can catch up, spinning around after a hundred meters to lash out with another Inferno Beam as some of the robots get out of the mud.
“Mana consumption, boy-o. Remember, we don’t want to look too powerful,” Ali reminds me.
I grunt, pulling the beam rifle from my shoulder. With the team caught up, we get back to running, arrows, projectiles, and spells blowing away any obstructions as we try to get back to “our” part of town.
Luckily for us, our situation has been transmitted to the other teams, and after another couple of minutes of running away, we receive an order over the tactical net.
“Drop and roll in 3. 2. 1. Now!”
Some of my new friends do exactly as the voice commands, but Louise and I take the liberty to interpret the orders, hitting the ground in a long slide. We’re both angling to see what’s coming, and the extra effort—and a few road burns—is worth the effort. Prepared spells lash out, beams of purple, green, and yellow light that cut through drones are mixed with tiny homing missiles and the deep and continuous boom of a minigun. In seconds, the air behind us is clear of drones, the last lucky few pulling back to stem losses.
I grunt, standing, road rash mostly faded away as my System-assisted healing kicks in. It’s weird that I even got it, considering how much health I have, but I’ve noticed that the System likes to make us hurt. Higher health doesn’t mean an inability to take damage—just less. A lot less. Staring at the remnants of my armored jumpsuit, I sigh, making mental note to pick up a few more sets when we get back. Sometimes, I feel like these armor sets are like what pantyhose must have been for women—better to buy cheap and disposable than expensive and nice. Because you never know when the next damn thing is going to leave a tear in it.
We run back to the safety of our lines. It doesn’t take long now that we don’t have to worry about fighting through masses of drones. A part of me wonders how much all that cost the Uvrik, but I decide against asking. I’m not sure if I’d laugh or cry at the answer.
“You’re wanted,” Iris says once we’ve made it safely back.
I nod, turning to head to see the council members. That’s the only people they could mean.
“And John? I run the team.”
My step hitches slightly from a flare of anger, but I push it down. She’s right—I might have been a fraction of a second faster, but it didn’t matter. Not at that point. I should have let her give the command rather than do it myself. Having multiple leaders could cause trouble. I wave goodbye in acknowledgement before I leave, Sabre finding me soon after.
“Did you get far enough?” Trevor asks when I walk in.
I’d be annoyed at his abruptness, but it’s not like I knocked when I entered. “Good enough for government work.” I pause, struck by a thought. “We’re the actual government now, aren’t we? Crap.”
Donna snorts before she taps a projected holographic image. Ali floats over, waving his hand over the image and updating it with our path, a red line charting our progress through the city.
“Now, we ready to chat?” I ask when I realize the three, perched over the map, won’t be saying anything soon.
“We’ve made the requests,” Donna says. “We’ve yet to hear from them.”
I frown, considering if they’re telling the truth. In the end, I decide not to question them. Better to believe in them than not. “Anything you need from me?”
“The Kingdom’s been putting some pressure on us here,” Trevor says, pointing at a portion of the map. “They didn’t like us picking up those buildings. Our men could use some help, especially with that sensing Skill of yours.”
I grunt, nodding. While I’m still limited—as is Ali—by my Levels to pick up anything truly Skilled, that doesn’t mean we can’t be of help. Our very presence along that line will force the Kingdom to deploy more stealth-oriented teams, reducing the pressure those teams can bring elsewhere along the border. And since I’ve got nothing better to do, I head off. The only pity is that I’m limited in how much experience I can gain since killing too many of their people before we engage in “peace” talks is probably a bad idea.
Two days later, we get our first meeting. You’d think the Uvrik corporation would get on it faster, but hey, who cares about thousands of Credits destroyed, a little blood spilled, and a few worthless lives lost? It’s all part of the balance sheet of taking over a city, isn’t it?
I’m pacing in a circle, waiting for word of how the meeting went. It’s been hours since my presence was restricted to this room near the rest of the Council members. Within it are members of the fast-acting reserve team we’ve designed, ready to act if things go to hell. Most of them are lounging, reading, playing with weapons.
Hours of pacing, chewing on chocolates, and occasionally attempting to read. It’s frustrating, being stuck back here and waiting, but having me there would give away too many of our cards. I could calm myself, instill control over my emotions, suppress them so I can do something “productive,” but sometimes, it’s important to actually feel what you’re feeling, to deal with your emotions rather than suppress them. Or so I’m told.
When I’m finally called into the meeting room, I find Donna with the pair of aides who went along with her, all three relaxing over a big bottle of apocalypse ale.
“John,” Trevor greets me, his greeting followed soon after by ev
eryone else’s.
“So?” I ask.
“They’re willing to talk. But they want you there for the next meeting,” Donna says. I blink, raising an eyebrow before she shrugs. “No, I don’t know how they figured you were in town.”
“Do you think the Kingdom…?” I ask, frowning.
“They still haven’t answered any of our missives,” Charles says, shaking his head.
“What do they want with me?” I frown, not understanding the request for my presence. I’m just a helper here, an over-powered troop carrier.
“The Manager I was speaking to didn’t know. Or wouldn’t say,” Donna says before looking at the other two. “But they’ve signed a Contract binding their corporation to a ceasefire to take effect in twenty-four hours. And guaranteeing us safe passage to meet with them. In their headquarters.”
“With me?” I say, my eyes wide. That’s insane. They can’t not know of my ability if they made that call. Unless they’re planning a double-cross. Which might make some sense. Crap.
“It’s a trap! Maybe.”
Trevor leans forward. “We have to do this. Even if it’s nothing more than to get John in…”
“They can block my Skills,” I say, holding up a hand. There are Skills, Settlement Upgrades, and even spells that can block my Portal Skill. While doing it for the entire town is expensive, for a single headquarters? That’s more than reasonable. Hell, I did it for each of the City Cores under my control.
“Still, that close…”
“And if they betray us?” Charles says, shaking his head. “No. Not at their headquarters. It’s too dangerous.”
Trevor turns to Charles, beginning a loud argument about strategic necessity. All the while, I stare at Donna, who’s spinning the empty beer bottle in a circle.
“What do you think?” I ask her softly.
“I think we should go,” Donna says. “You were right.”
“I like hearing that, but about what?”
“They’re willing to talk. Almost eager.” After a moment, Donna raises her voice. “We’re going.”
That leads to another round of arguments, but it’s good enough for me. I leave it to the trio, slipping out of the room. Guarantee or not, I’ve got preparations to make.
Our initial meeting place is in a small park, just next to a pair of residential apartments and some office buildings, nearly right between the shifting borders of our settlements. Theoretically, these borders were fixed in the settlement screens and maps, but in wars and battles, locations that are tactically and strategically sound to hold don’t hold to the vagaries of the System. Even with settlement shields that regenerate, having an irritating burr of an enemy team can make a huge difference. And so here we are, standing among summer green grass, overgrown and unkempt with last fall’s withered leaves because no one has time to care for such trivialities, waiting.
“What makes you think they won’t just kill us?” Donna says again, looking around as she sweeps a hand through her hair. Nanowoven, color-shifted to a dirty blond that suits her slim, carefully dressed business-formal figure. Even now, she’s chosen something somewhat impractical—a tightly woven suit to show off her figure, combined with dark blue high heels.
“Well, we did get a Contract. And you’ve got a pair of shields on you. You should be fine,” I say, shaking my head. “I’m still curious why it’s you and not anyone else.”
“Why the woman?”
“Why the Lawyer?”
“Ah, because of my Skills. Contract, Detect Motive, Detect Truth, Confidentiality Agreement, Binding Oath,” Donna chants. “All potentially of use in a discussion like this.”
“Way I understand the way these things go, there’s rarely an agreement on the first meeting,” I counter.
She bobs her head. “True. But this is the second one. And I did volunteer.”
“Oh?” I raise an eyebrow, surprised.
“I can assess usefulness as much as anyone. Charles is needed for the planning, administration, and running. He also has the greatest support from the Artisans,” she stumbles a little at the last word, unused to the term I’ve introduced. “And Trevor manages our defense. I fill the gaps. This. This is a gap.”
“I’d hope we are more than that,” a voice calls out before I can answer her. The voice is low and growly, holding a trembling timbre that a human voice might get after a twenty-pack-a-day habit. The speaker is just as much a surprise—a humanoid-looking foxhound walking on two feet toward us in a single-breasted tunic that extends to his knees in gold and brown.
Stafin (Level 34 Adjunct)
HP: 270/270
MP: 1080/1080
Condition: None
“Stafin,” I say, inclining my head, at the same time sending a thought to Ali while Donna makes her own introduction. “A single name?”
“Common among his people for commoners. They get another name for each notable clan that accepts them into their inner pack, or if they do something worthy among his people,” Ali explains.
“I have been requested to guide you forthwith. If you will…” Stafin gestures, big, soulful eyes fixed on us.
We glance at one another then nod, walking forward. After much discussion, we’ve kept our party small. If they do attack us, keeping Donna alive will be hard enough, never mind anyone else.
As we head deeper, I take the time to study the changes the Uvrik corporation has made to their side of the city. While their drones cluster around us, none of them seem particularly aggressive, most docked in the numerous charging stations added to buildings. In addition, I note that a number of the buildings have widened windows, glass removed and allowing the ever-present winds to blow through. Though I do note the slightest shimmer in front of those windows, which speaks of a secondary environmental shielding system to keep out rain and debris.
“Uvrik corp—are they all shifters like Stafin?” I ask Ali, realizing I never did check. Never really thought about it, since the fighters we deal with are, as usual, a wide-ranging mixture of Galactic races. And shifters are part of our culture, so they’re likely sources of bad Mana translation too.
“They aren’t shifters. They only have one form—and not all of them have the same form. The people you’ve been fighting, most of them are from the same planet. The Uvrik originate from the planet of Izu, where genetic modification is the norm. They’ve been mixing and matching genes, altering their base code such that if it wasn’t for the System, they probably couldn’t even reproduce normally,” Ali says, shaking his head. “That’s why they’ve got so many different forms.”
“Weird. What’s with the lack of glass?”
While I hold my mental conversation, Donna is engaging Stafin in a war of words, fishing for knowledge. It’s not a bad try, and listening to the pair verbally spar, I realize how damn far behind I am in some areas. But hey, I can punch out an elephant these days, so we all have our strengths.
“They’ve got all the enhanced senses and enhanced musculature that extensive gene alterations give you. Without the glass, they get to smell and hear more, giving them better awareness through the city.”
I can see that. Lana, for example, has extended senses over and above what an increase in Perception would offer. I’ve more than once noted her using those senses to spot monsters or unexpected guests early, saving us from injury or embarrassment in equal measure. Having no fixed address might seem free and easy and fun, but it also means that we catch our private time when we can.
“So how come you decided to chat with us? Thus far, the Kingdom has been a little on the slow side,” I ask in a break during the conversation between Donna and Stafin. My bluntness gets a look from Donna, but she keeps quiet.
“They will not answer,” Stafin says, shaking his head.
“Oh…?” Donna steps in, arching an eyebrow.
I’m sure she’s wondering, like me, why he’d feed us such valuable information. Or perhaps it’s a lie, but if so, it’s a stupid lie. Then again, if he�
�s right, it’s possible that that information doesn’t have any real value since we’ll learn of it soon enough.
“We attempted to speak with them concerning the city when they first arrived,” Stafin says.
“And you didn’t try to talk to us?” Donna says softly, though I can tell there’s a bit of an edge to it.
“At that time, the consensus was that it was unnecessary,” Stafin says, tilting his head toward me. “The appearance of the Redeemer in the last few days has altered the strategic environment.”
Well, that partly explains things. Not that we hadn’t figured it was something like that. Or that they’ll probably want to end up negotiating some form of access to my settlements. If they’re playing fair. On the other hand, it’s possible they’ve got other considerations. Thoughts about the potential reasons why I’m coming along and what our negotiation options are in light of this information keep me occupied till we’re led onto the roof of a parking garage.
What used to be a parking lot has been partly enclosed with force shields, all the vehicles removed, and the grey concrete cleared and replaced with white marble. What used to be dark and dingy sparkles with mana-imbued lighting that provides an open-air feeling. Only a few things—like the entrances and the sloping ramps—give a hint of what the building used to be used for.
The entirety of the roof of the parking lot has been transformed into an open air meeting area with green grass, small shrubbery, and comfortable lounging chairs. The grass itself looks familiar but subtly different, enough that I spend a moment assessing it. Seated in three of the seats are the heads of the Uvrik corporation in Calgary. The first is another dog-like variation, a weird mixture of beagle and huskie with long, drooping ears and an elegant pointed face. The second looks like one of those fish from the deep crossed with a particularly hairy caterpillar—a creature of angles, fangs, and nightmarish bristles with hands. And the third is the most “human,” if you ignored the extra pair of mammaries, the swivelling antenna, and the cascading greenish-purple hair.