by C. M. Carney
Mo stripped down, the chill of the room biting into her. She sent a silent prayer into the universe, pleading that the override Brynn had built into her banner would still grant her access. It wasn’t just a job any longer. Mo loved the Realms. She understood the public rage at Sacrosanct all too well.
Despite her training she was nervous. She glanced around the city, the twinkling lights calming her. The world sat on a knife edge and she was one of the few who knew. It was not a burden she wished on anyone. She climbed into the cushioned coffin and powered up her holo transmitter. With a calming breath she activated the transmission.
*****
Doc removed his hand from the NI Rig and stumbled back. The woman appeared out of nowhere. One moment there was an empty space, the next moment there she was. She was five foot two, with raven black hair, deep brown eyes and olive skin. Despite her small stature her bearing suggested a capable woman who gave crap, but took none. She smiled and met Finn’s gaze.
“Hello Finn,” she said, eyes locking onto his.
Finn leveled his gun on her before the words were from her mouth. His heart pounded inside his chest. Doc fell over startled, a yelp of alarm escaping his lips.
“I’m Mo and I’m a friend of your sisters,” the woman said and despite his alarm Finn lowered his gun. Doc grumbled and Finn extended a hand and helped the older man to his feet.
“She’s a hologram,” Finn said.
“Smart boy,” Mo responded and ignored Doc’s angry stare. “We don’t have a lot of time, so listen up. Brynn’s in trouble. You know that already. But it's worse than you know. And you are the only one who can help her. This…” Mo placed her hand on the NI capsule, Will get you into the Realms. Once inside you must survive long enough to find her and help her escape. She wasn’t able to tell me much, but I know one thing, the Realms is much more than a game.”
Her phantom touch sent a code into the capsule and it opened with a low hiss. It resembled a comfortable coffin covered in readouts, sensors and ports. A malleable, reactive gel lined the interior. He would be comfortable.
“Strip down and get in,” Mo said.
“Excuse me?”
“Listen man, time is short. From our perspective, Brynn and the Pantheon have only been in the Realms for six months. But for them it's been nearly 200 years.”
Finn exchanged a look of doubt with Doc. “Bullshit,” he said.
“Just hear me out. When Bechard cut access to the Realms, time inside the game jumped forward.”
The looks of doubt turned to confusion.
“Look, I don’t get it either. I just know what I know.”
“You’re saying that time is moving faster inside the Realms?” Finn asked.
“No, I’m saying that there was a jump. Bechard shut down access and time jumped. For them nearly 200 years passed. For us, a single day.”
“Is that possible?” Doc asked.
“All I know the longer you wait, the worse it gets in there.”
“Why should I trust anything you say?” Finn asked.
Mo sighed, her impatience bubbling to anger. “Brynn told me you were a pain in the ass.”
Finn just stared.
“Fine. She told me to tell you that the gryphon always did what was right. Whatever the hell that means.”
Finn’s eyes went wide, and he stripped down. Mo looked him up and down in admiration, and Finn felt a rush of heat in his cheeks.
“Hmmm, nice,” she said. Finn eased himself into the NI capsule and the inert gel chilled his body. As his skin made contact the gel warmed. Mo and Doc looked down on him.
Bioreadings normal. NI rig synchronization sequence on standby. Lattice connection steady, Lex muttered in a bored tone.
“What’s so special about the Realms? Why send mercs to kill me? Why is Brynn so scared?”
"Because the Realms is not a game," Mo said, the jest in her eyes disappearing. "It is a real place. As real as Earth. And Alistair Bechard used the Betas to conquer it."
Finn stared at Mo in shock.
"Holy Shit," Doc said.
“Real, as in an alternate dimension?” Finn asked, disbelief painting his face.
“I’m no scientist, but something like that. I’ve been there, and it's real, as real as the room we are standing in. But, it has it own rules. Our universe relies upon physics. The Realms are controlled by the game mechanics.”
“I have no idea what that means.”
“Damn, you really are a Noob. Don’t worry, you’ll learn. Your banner will get a patch as you enter the Realms and he’ll explain everything.”
“You’re telling me that Brynn is part of Bechard’s army? I don’t believe it. She would never be a party to such an abomination.”
“She didn’t know what the Realms were at first. Nobody did. Once she found out, she knew she had to do something, no matter the risk. So she played along, never giving Bechard any reason for suspicion.”
“She always was the bravest Caldwell.”
“Funny, she said the same thing about you,” Mo said. “There’s something else you should know. She’s one of the gods. One of the Pantheon.”
A deep rooted fear invaded Finn’s mind. “Brynn, what did you do?”
“She didn’t have a choice. Bechard has killed for this. He won’t hesitate to do so again.”
"Why me?" Finn asked. He knew he would do as this woman asked. But he needed all the intel he could gather.
Mo took a deep breath. "Brynn said you were the only one she could trust with what's to come."
"What's to come?"
Mo shrugged. "Guess you'll find out." She tapped at a non-existent watch on her wrist. "Time's up. No more dilly dallying hun."
Finn looked at Doc whose shoulders popped up in a ‘don’t look at me pal’ shrug. Finn’s heart pounded. Odd that. He’s been in serious combat situations and kept himself under control. Why did this send chills up his spine?
Your heart rate is increasing. You freaking out boss?
“Can I get a new banner first?” Finn mumbled.
Now that’s just hurtful, Lex said. Finn could almost hear the pout in the AI’s voice.
“No time for that. And Brynn said Lex was different, special.”
See, I’m special.
Not sure that was as a compliment.
“I’m sending you a map.” Mo said. “Get to your starter village, gear up and hit up the locations tagged in red. They’re dungeons and they’ll give you some easy grinding opportunities. Trust me, you’ll need the experience and the loot.”
“Grinding?”
Mo shook her head and didn’t even bother saying noob this time. She gave him one last appreciative up and down glance. “I’ll see you in game. I go by Eris.” She tapped the top of the NI rig.
Finn glanced one more time at Doc, who nodded.
“One last thing. I don’t think Brynn remembers who she is. I approached her once, and she didn’t recognize me. So, for now don’t trust her.”
“Why wouldn’t she remember who she is?”
Mo shrugged. “What better way to control someone than to take their memories and make them believe they’re a god?”
Finn sighed, worry digging deeper into him.
“This will feel a little weird,” Mo said as the top of the NI rig closed.
Finn closed his eyes and tried to relax as the micro fiber filaments wormed their way into his body and mind. His mind expanded and exploded.
7
F inn’s body was his mind and his mind was infinite.
He rushed down a tunnel of light. A wormhole connecting two universes never meant to touch. Time stretched to eons as mere moments passed. His mind and soul were catalogued. He would have screamed, but he had no body, was no longer a physical entity.
Memories and flashes of who he had been were pulled from him in iridescent strands. They coiled and bundled into a swirling mass of entwined tendrils. The mass spun and condensed and collapsed into a singularity. Just as
Finn knew that he was forever trapped in this state he was somewhere else.
He stood on a flat plane. Whiteness stretched in every direction. The sensation was both disturbing and disorientating. How could something so empty be so vast?
A tall and powerful man appeared, clad in gleaming armor of metal that absorbed and reflected light like flowing mercury. From within the intricate horned helm eyes radiated power. This man was a god.
A warm smile crossed the god’s face and Finn knew him.
“Alistair Bechard,” Finn said in a low voice.
Bechard drew a large sword from its sheath. Undulating patterns of stars and nebullaic ribbons of primal energy swirled along the length of the black blade. Finn tried to back away, but no matter how many steps he took, his distance from the unmoving god remained constant.
“Welcome Crusader,” Bechard intoned. “I am the High God Aluran, Prime of The Pantheon and I welcome you to the Realms.” He turned his sword point down and gripped the hilt with both hands. With a powerful flourish he drew the sword up and smashed it down into the nonexistent nothingness of the floor.
Color and space exploded around Finn. Green grass grew from the point of Aluran's sword and spread in every direction. A low rumble built under Finn’s feet and he fell to one knee. The ground erupted beneath him. He stood atop a mountain peak as it surged towards the forming heavens. Stars and planets popped into existence above him and sped away to take their rightful place in the sky. Below him mountains, rivers, lakes, deserts and oceans burst and bubbled from the ground. He was witness to a world being born.
“This is the planet Korynn, one of many in the Realms,” Aluran said. He waved a gauntleted hand wide, somehow encompassing all that was and all that would become. “It is an ancient place of power and struggle, of good and evil. And I have brought you here because I need your help.”
As Aluran spoke, cities rose and fell around them. Massive armies of man and beast crossed the lands and battled. Destruction flared and life grew. Aluran drew a distant mountain fortress to the fore.
“This is Avernia, the Shining City, home base of the corrupt New Gods who rule this world with despotic fervor. Under their tyrannical reign the people of the Realms suffer.” Visions of men, elves and dwarves toiling under the whip of reptilian humanoids flashed.
“The New Gods know that they are unassailable. That their reign is eternal. I am here to prove them wrong. You are here to prove them wrong. Will you join me in this fight for freedom? Will you stand by my side? Will you be my Crusader?” Aluran presented a gilded scroll to Finn.
Finn had heard this speech many time. The words Aluran spouted were full of lies. Humankind had followed many a great man, god or cause into battle and death always followed. There were no noble crusades and there never had been.
If Mo had told the truth, then this world was as real as Earth. A Realm of incredible wonder, danger and intrigue. Somewhere in this world Brynn was a prisoner in her own mind. She needed him. He would find her.
Finn grasped the scroll, but Aluran held firm. Finn looked into the god’s eyes.
“Fight well for me and I will shower you with rewards. Together we can accomplish anything.” Aluran stared into Finn’s eyes and a sense of unease rose in him. Those eyes pierced to the core of his being. They were more than lines of code processed by a computer. Somehow they knew. Somehow he knew.
Finn’s heartbeat jumped, and he felt sweat trickle down his back. This was wrong. Panic rose in Finn as the shining eyes of this god bored into his soul. As Finn felt his secrets laid bare Aluran let go of the scroll. Finn stumbled back in surprise but stayed on his feet. A wry grin crossed Aluran's face, then disappeared. A doorway of light split the universe to Finn’s left. The other side showed a room that could have been at home in any coastal Irish pub. The large window looked upon a calm sea.
Aluran indicated the doorway. “Enter and choose your path. Once you have finished, I will give you a final blessing and send you on your way. Greatness awaits you Crusader.” With that Aluran disappeared.
“Well, he has a flair for the dramatic,” Lex said in a voice that Finn could now hear.
Finn jumped. He had forgotten all about the banner AI. A few rocks dislodged from under his feet and rolled off the edge of the mountain peak. The thin air bit at him.
“Jesus, don’t do that,” Finn said.
“Sorry dude,” Lex said. “Don’t wanna kill us before we even get our characters made.”
Finn gazed around the world. From this vantage point he could see for thousands of miles in every direction. The cold, thin air bit into his bones.
To the west lay a near endless desert dotted with an occasional oasis around which towns and cities thrived. Deep in the burning sands a complex of gold tipped pyramids shone like beacons along a knife thin lake. The surrounding city looked capable of holding hundreds of thousands of citizens. In the distance sprawling sands broke against a forested range of mountains. Across them lay a thin ribbon of land along a shining ocean. Large cities lined the coast, built around well protected ports.
To the north the range of mountains delved to a plain, dotted by old forests and lakes. The plains became tundra that reached to the top of the world. Glaciers and flows of ice dominated. A spider web of rivers fed the plains. It reminded Finn of the Midwestern United States. This would be the breadbasket of this world.
To the east lay a large expanse of ancient forests fed by rivers that came from the north. Where the north met east jagged mountains tore at the sky, a gaping maw biting at the world. Near their center a fiery glow of magma showed active volcanoes. Further east lay another ocean. Dozens of cities dotted the coast, built around river deltas or ports.
A range of mountains dominated the south, and the forests turned to jungle. The size of the green expanse dwarfed the Amazon rainforest of Earth. The tributaries pouring from the north merged to form a river so wide that few bridges spanned its girth. The river emptied into a gulf that was a sea unto its own. The city that guarded the river mouth made the others seen small towns. Finn knew the place was a seat of power.
“Time to get this wagon on the road,” Lex said, sensing his mood.
With a nod of assent Finn walked towards the shimmering doorway to another place.
8
F inn felt a slight pressure as he passed through the slice in reality and then hard packed earth lay beneath his sandaled feet. He looked himself up and down and realized he wore the dingiest of rags. A beggar at the whim of a god.
Finn smiled at that classic bit of psychological warfare. Bechard, or Aluran as he now called himself, knew how to play the game. So did Finn, and Aluran did not understand who he was, nor what he could do.
A fireplace warmed the room. It reminded Finn of the cozy inn he’d spent time in on the southern coast of Ireland during a pre-college trip to Europe. The fire crackling away in the hearth felt real and chased the chill from Finn’s bones. A fragment of flame leapt forward and hung in mid-air spinning. It spun and condensed into a singularity, his singularity. It pulsed and flexed, tearing dimensions. Finn stared at the vortex of unknowable potential.
The sphere flickered and calmed and expanded into a perfect glowing sphere an inch in diameter. Time was meaningless here. Finn did not know if he stood there for moments or eons, when the sphere rushed at him, penetrating his chest with tingling brilliance.
His vision exploded with prompts. Images and information appeared in a virtual display that hovered in front of his eyes. The information was semi-translucent, allowing him to see the world through a haze of words. It was nearly identical one of the functions of his banner, and Finn wondered if Lex would serve a similar function inside the Realms as he had in the real world.
You have learned the skill small BLADES –
Level(s) 1-5. - Skill Type: Active
You have shown proficiency in wielding small blades. These include knives, daggers, short swords and their variations. To Hit Bonus: +10%. Damage Bonus
: +10%. “Stab, stab, kill, kill.”
You have learned the skill STAVES/SPEARS
Level(s) 1-5. - Skill Type: Active
You have shown proficiency in wielding staves and spears. These include bo-staves, quarterstaffs, short spears and long spears. To Hit Bonus: +10%. Damage Bonus: +10%. Attack Speed: + 25%. “Longer stab, smash, kill, kill.”
You have learned the skill UNARMED
Level(s) 1-5. - Skill Type: Active
You have shown proficiency in hand to hand combat. You can cause damage, disarm and incapacitate opponents with just your hands and feet. To Hit Bonus: +10%. Damage Bonus: +10%. Chance to Disarm: 10%. Attack Speed: + 25%. “You learn quickly grasshopper. And kill, kill.”
You have learned the skill THROWN WEAPONS
Level(s) 1-5. - Skill Type: Active
You have shown proficiency in thrown weapons. These include throwing knives and axes, and any other thrown weapon. To Hit Bonus: +10%. Damage Bonus: +10%. “I see you way over there, pew, pew.”
Finn paused the prompts, shaking and nauseous. The amount of information that assaulted his mind was insane.
“Lex, what is all this information?”
“They’re skill prompts. Every game has a set of skills that measure your ability to perform certain actions. The Realms is different from the games that came before it in one totally badass area. As the NI rig integrates your mind into the game, it also extrapolates and imports your inherent real world skills.”
“That sounds like mind reading,” Finn said, concerned.
“Yeah it does, doesn’t it? So cool.”
“You and I have very different definitions of the word cool.”