by Jeff Sproul
"I can only imagine that Melissa used the popularity of those posts against us," said Sage. "Instead of downvoting those posts, there was a noticeable upsurge, perhaps organically, but also perhaps because of her guild members. She also had her members post live-feed images of your activities. As you know, forum users are able to edit their posts after the fact. It looks like she pumped the upvotes on different messages on the forum, and then had her members edit their own posts afterward. Want to know what those edits were?"
Riley was trying to follow along the best he could. "So, each of these guilds posted on the forums and those posts got attention, because of us, but…there are responses that got a lot of attention too, which were edited? So…what were the edits?"
Laura and Chrono both looked to Sage, who then sighed. "Your face, along with images of you with other Crimson Alliance forces over the past week. It's no hidden fact that you are part of The Crimson Alliance. And then, there's footage comparing the scorpions that Golem is hunting you with, with the ones we use. Each of these popular posts has been edited to make it look as though Crimson Alliance is orchestrating a wave of attacks on outposts in the regions around us, outside the central cities."
Riley's eyes widened. "But…we discussed hiding my face. We determined that Golem wasn't going to know it was me if I kept hidden."
"Yeah, that's what we agreed on," said Sage. "But it seems as though Melissa's surveillance network is far more extensive than we anticipated. She was able to record a number of the instances of where you were at those outposts. And of course, you were physically seen by various players at each one. There were only a few times that you weren't. So each of those players were able to agree that it was you in the footage. Which means that instead of just Melissa promoting the idea that Crimson Alliance has gone on the offensive, it means that each of these guilds now believes it as well."
"But…the scorpions don't even look like ours! They look like Golem!" Riley exclaimed.
"It doesn't matter," said Sage. "They resemble ours and there's plenty of reasoning that we're the only ones in the region that could make the quantity of scorpions that people have been seeing in these attacks."
"Couldn't we say that it's another guild or alliance trying to frame us?" Riley asked. "And what about the anglers? They've been at the scene each time as well."
"It doesn't matter what we try and promote the truth to be," said Chrono. "We're seeing heavy downvotes on the messages that paint a picture of anything other than Crimson Alliance being the culprit. Melissa and her guild used this plan against us."
"Then what the hell are we going to do?" Riley asked. "We still made gains against Golem and we've kept the bulk of our low level members out in hunting fields to gain experience."
"We have sixty-seven players that are all lower level than they had been and they all have relatively new and uncertain powers," said Sage. "At least with hellions, they're able to have a unique ability right away, while that's still not the same for paragons. But…we've made a lot more enemies than we already had with this plan. It was the best plan at the time, but it backfired…just like the attack on that nest with the dragon," Sage sighed. "This leaves us only one option."
"Which is?" Riley asked.
"We attack the location of the gate, tomorrow," said Sage. "The other guild leaders have already been made aware of the plan. Gregory has filled me in on the location of the base that houses the gate. We have to attack now before our new enemies finalize any plans they might have to attack us. Unfortunately, the fact that we're now stopping our 'bait Golem' plan might just encourage those guilds out there to believe that we really were the culprits. So we have to attack and see this through. No matter the losses, we have to do this. We can always rebuild territories and outposts that we've lost. We are still an alliance to be feared and there are very few that could oppose us, even if they gather against us. The largest alliances and guilds in the main cities all have their own problems to deal with, most notably, other player guilds. We just have to manage all these smaller guilds which might align to attack us, but we should be able to hold them at bay."
Riley nodded. "So, are we even built up enough for this attack tomorrow? It's a Thursday, is that a good day?"
Sage nodded. "It's as good a day as any. There’ll be fewer players on and even though that doesn't matter to Golem, it means that we'll have a little time to prepare for any retaliation from the guilds that think we've attacked them."
"Since this is an offensive, our trap-layers are going to be staying behind to bolster Crimson City," said Laura. "Which means that members of The Vigilant will stay behind, along with any of the hellions that have the ability to lay traps."
"Makes sense," said Riley. "So, this is already settled? This plan is a go? We're hitting the gate tomorrow?"
"Correct," said Sage. "Tomorrow morning is when we strike. We're left with no other options. If we wait, then we face an even stronger Golem and a potential assault from the guilds we've pissed off. This is sadly our only viable option at saving Sigil."
"Alright," Riley nodded. "I'll do what I can to prepare."
"I've told everyone to hold nothing back," said Sage. "We either win tomorrow, or the slow downward spiral of Sigil Online will be inevitable."
Chapter 29: The Gate
Riley stood there in the dark, about a hundred feet beneath the surface of the desert. Laura was to his left, while Aaron was already in his Arbiter form to his right. Chrono's voice sounded over his arm-band.
"Alright, we're all in position. We should be just outside their scan range, as far as what the paragon base above ground should be capable of. If Golem is actively scanning the surroundings, we can't detect it. Also, be advised that if a behemoth is in the area, it'll block our outside communications back to Crimson City, just like in our last fight with Golem. Golem's forces should be limited, due to the engagements we've forced it into, but there's no telling how much it might have to defend this key location. Just to reiterate, the smaller guilds in Crimson Alliance will join The Thrashers and a squadron of sky guards. They'll assault the surface while we tunnel into where Golem and the gate actually are. It's likely that Golem has some control over the above ground base due to its infestation abilities. The surface forces will push their way onto the surface areas of the base and if they can, they'll descend to join us. Otherwise, they'll just act as a diversion if they can't get through. The rest of our forces will spearhead into the caverns below. Now, due to Golem having access to portals, it's likely that it can pour a large number of troops into this site at a moment's notice. If we see a portal, we have to kill it if we can. Our mission is to seize the gate for ourselves. If it gets destroyed, then we have no method of reaching Mage World for a future offensive on the gate Golem is using in that game. We have to clear out all of Golem from this site. All the sludge, all its troops, anything we can find. Our scorpions will be held in reserve between The Pale Ones and where The Vigilant and Brawlers are located. They will be used to clean up the sludge once we get a foothold. Now, we've detected some activity going on underground but it's likely that we're not seeing all of it. So be prepared for anything. I'm sure you all know just how important this mission is. It's going to be hard but we have the element of surprise on Golem this time."
Chrono went silent for a few seconds, then finished with, "That's it. You all know what to do. Keep an eye on your scanner readouts to determine the progress of the battle below and above ground. Activate your buffs, your abilities, whatever you have. We'll commence the operation in sixty seconds. Good luck."
Riley and Arbiter exchanged a look. Riley smirked. "Thanks again for showing up," he said to his best friend.
"Just wish I could've done more," said Aaron.
"You're already doing plenty. We need all the high level players we can get," said Riley. He reached over and enabled his arm-band to show a small readout of the surrounding area. They had deployed several scanner minions around the vicinity. They were bulkier s
corpions that had implants that could scan the area. Anyone in Crimson Alliance would be able to use them.
"I guess Warcry isn't coming then?" asked Aaron. "You remembered to message her, right?"
"Yeah, I sent her a message right when I got offline last night," said Riley. "I would've gone to see her in person, but with that massive shield around her alliance, I don't actually know how I'd be able to do that. But yeah, she responded. She said that it was too short notice. She asked around and not enough of her guild leaders thought that it was a good idea to join a large-scale offensive on Golem."
"She didn't tell them that it was Crimson Alliance, right?" Aaron asked.
"No, she merely said that she'd done the recon herself and research. She found out what Golem was doing and where and that they had an immense opportunity to change things. So she left me and Crimson Alliance out of the discussion. She also didn't mention that there was going to be an offensive whether they agreed or not. But her alliance was still against the idea. They know that Golem is a threat but they are under the impression that they can weather it, or at least build up enough so that they can fight it more easily. So they keep pumping more money into research and development. So…yeah. She wants to help but her hands are tied."
"I guess that's what it's like to run a large alliance as a democracy," Aaron chuckled. "It's weird to think that Sage's style nets better results, even though it's more tyrannical. Your words, not mine."
"Sage does not have the better leader style," Laura spoke up from the left of them. "Not to mention, things aren't exactly going well for us right now, you know? Whereas Warcry's alliance is safe and sound behind their own shield. That must be nice."
"You're not wrong," said Riley. "But when it comes to Golem, it feels like we're the only ones doing anything about it. Everyone is either against us, or staying out of the fight entirely."
Laura looked down at the holographic imagery of the area emanating from her band. "Looks like Thrasher and the coalition are moving. We need to wait for Golem to engage before pushing forward."
Riley checked his own band and watched numerous green dots move above them. He then glanced back to Aaron. "Any update on…those things I gave you?"
Aaron looked back. He didn't say anything at first, and Riley could practically see the quizzical look on his 'real' face, since his Arbiter form was almost hellion-like and didn't display any sort of emotions. "Oh, right…um, nope. Nothing yet."
Riley nodded. "Oh well. Just thought I'd ask."
"Yep." Aaron nodded. "We hitting the cafe after this?"
"Sure. Once everything wraps up. You know, if we're not dead."
"Well, if we are dead, that's all the more reason to celebrate a new character, right?"
Riley lifted a brow. "Uh huh. Sure. Fine. Live or die, we'll hit the cafe."
"I can't tell if you're being pessimistic, or realistic," said Laura with her arms crossed.
"You wanna join us? Riley asked with a smirk.
Laura lifted a brow at him. "We're not even in the same country, you know that."
"Your loss," Riley said with a shrug. "It's a nice place. Aaron says they have the best ice cream around."
Laura looked back at her map readout and shook her head.
"You shouldn't eat so many sweets," Chase said from about five or so feet behind them.
Aaron and Riley turned their heads.
Chase was standing there with four smaller spider bots. "Don't give me that look. You should all eat healthier. Gotta eat healthy when you're young, or you'll suffer for it later in life."
Riley and Aaron exchanged looks.
"Speaking of healthy eating," Carla spoke up from a few feet to the left of Chase. "Are you offering to let us come over so we can get a proper meal?"
"No, I'm absolutely not offering that," Chase said in a monotone. "You need to stop inviting yourself over to our apartment for free food."
"But your wife never seems to mind," said Carla. "You're the one who's stingy about it."
Chase grumbled and shook his head. "I'm not getting into this with you right now."
"You started it with that healthy talk," said Carla with a smirk. "You gotta like…be the change you want to see in the world or whatever."
"Alright everyone, put on your serious faces. We're moving soon," said Laura over their comm bands. Her voice softly echoed through the cavern that their scorpions had dug out ahead of time. The muffled voices of The Vigilant could also be heard as Aegis advised her guild of the same.
"You think Aegis ever thought she'd be a guild leader? She never mentioned the desire to lead," came Red Shotgun's almost whispered voice from up ahead.
Green Melter turned her head and shrugged, speaking just as quietly in return. "She's got a knack for it. But yeah, in all the times we grouped with her prior to Bastions, she was never interested in it, even as far as leading the group was concerned."
"Well, I think she's doing a good job. Especially after their guild leader kinda up and abandoned them after the previous Golem fight." Red shook her head. "What a bastard."
"When are we moving up? Riley asked, glancing over to Laura.
She pointed at a spot ahead of them in the tunnels. "Here's The Sappers and The Weavers. They'll push first. Once they start moving, The Crimsons and The Royals will tunnel around them and then we push up to reinforce The Sappers and Weavers. Then, the scorpions follow in behind us and reinforce all of us from behind, as The Pale Ones back us up from there, depending on casualties or resistance."
"Really wish I could see my sky guards in action," Riley murmured.
"Your sky guards?" Laura asked with a lifted brow.
"Yeah…I mean, I found the schematic for them."
"So, your sky guards from the stolen schematic that you didn't even craft yourself," Aaron spoke up.
"Hey, we wouldn't have them if it weren't for me. Is it so much to ask to want to see how cool they are?" Riley asked, glancing back and forth between them.
"I was the one who made the rover that got you to that outpost," said Aaron.
"And it was the alliance's funds that afforded it and the materials you took with you to get to the outpost. It was also the alliance, or specifically Chrono, that scanned the area to find the outpost. You just went over, walked around and pressed some buttons."
"Oh come on, are you serious?" Riley asked with a sigh. "But I took all the risk in going there by myself."
Aaron chuckled.
Laura smirked. "I'm just screwing with you, Riley."
"Same here," Aaron added.
Riley rolled his eyes. "I should just leave. My abilities are obviously not appreciated enough."
"Yeah, go back to Crimson HQ and sit around with Sage while we do all the work," said Laura. "That'll be a grand use of your abilities."
Riley sighed again and looked at the rendered map coming from his band. "Whatever," he murmured. "Looks like they're moving ahead."
"Yep, that's our cue," said Laura. Riley then noticed her fingers move in a specific way. It was a gesture to trigger different channels of communication when she spoke. "Alright, start running, Brawlers. Keep an eye on your map and your allies."
With that, The Bunker Brawlers started running ahead.
Red Shotgun and Green Melter were at the front of The Brawlers. The Vigilant players were located to the left in the same tunnel, with some of their skirmishers in the lead, one of which was Ice Block. Riley just hoped that the guy's power and internet held out. This would be a terrible time to get disconnected. In fact, he hoped the same for everyone in the fight. How agonizing would it be, to be in a fight like this, only to get logged out because you lost service? Your character would just drop to the ground, still in the game and vulnerable. Not only would your comrades lose your capabilities, but then you'd be a liability that they'd need to defend until you returned. If you returned.
Riley spotted orange icons appearing on the map. They were located within the base area above ground, where th
e coalition guilds and The Thrashers were heading. There were more orange dots underground, right where The Sappers and Weavers were heading. Both of their guilds were almost entirely comprised of remade characters since the last Golem confrontation. The Thrashers and Pale Ones had reduced numbers, along with The Royals and Crimsons, but they all still had more members than The Vigilant and The Brawlers. But the fact that the paragon players hadn't lost many in the last conflict hadn't been overlooked. Sage and Chrono had positioned them as the driving force of the spearhead-pincer maneuver.
The Royals and The Crimsons had already broken off and were tunneling around to hit the underground area from the four-o'clock position and the eight o'clock position, respectively.
This left the six o'clock position to The Sappers and Weavers, who would push as well as they could before the paragon players could back them up for the actual spearhead. They'd been able to force themselves through Golem's forces in the last conflict, so the hope was that they'd be able to do the same again to bring down any unique Golem creations such as portal spiders, or more individual monsters like the frog and eel they'd seen in the caves of Death's Chasm.
At first, The Brawlers and Vigilant moved at a walk. They were relatively close to the base in question, as its scan range wasn't especially far in comparison to previous bases they'd been up against.
Their walk soon became a jog as they sought to keep up with the flow of their assault, as The Crimsons and Royals all spread out ahead of them, going their opposite directions for the pincer maneuver.
Riley kept a close eye on his map. There were various lights in the tunnel, thanks to whatever lighting players had brought with them. Glow sticks, lanterns, floating orbs, flashlights. For him, he still had his goggles.
Their jog became a run. The minutes were ticking by in what felt like seconds. The Crimson coalition forces, along with The Thrashers, were smashing into the assembled orange dots up above. Dull booms were muffled by the dirt between them.