by Kira Wilson
The first shot took Shalaron cleanly in the shoulder. The Sage staggered backward with a confused look on his face. The second tagged his hip, followed by a third shot to his leg. He stumbled and fell to the ground as the energy from the bullets disrupted his mental connection to the system.
David rode the platform to the far side of the arena and leapt off behind his fallen foe. He held the gun in front of him warily and approached Shalaron. Drawing near, he aimed at Shalaron's head.
Without warning, Shalaron's arm lashed out, now holding the burning staff, and swept David's feet out from under him. Shalaron rolled to the side and leapt to his feet, then delivered an overhand strike that smashed David's shoulder. With a cry, David dropped the gun. Shalaron thrust the staff and crushed the weapon. He moved his shoulder and leg gingerly, but it was clear that the code disruptors were largely ineffective against a being that existed entirely within the system.
David shifted to the Wraith and somersaulted away from his opponent. His shoulder ached from the strike, but it was still serviceable. He drew the Wraithblade from its sheath and pointed it at his foe. If Shalaron wanted a weapon duel, then that's exactly what he would get.
Shalaron charged toward David, who sprinted at him in turn. The initial clash of their weapons drove both combatants several steps back. David focused all of his thoughts on speed and accuracy, blocking every swing, countering every thrust, and returning ones of his own. He and Shalaron were evenly matched, and neither could gain the upper hand.
After a furious exchange of blows, Shalaron danced back several steps and swung his staff in a wide arc. A jagged line of ice circled around and darted toward David, who slashed the Wraithblade through the attack, diverting it. A momentary opening was all Shalaron needed, and he struck with a wave of force that threw David toward the edge of the arena.
David vainly tried to hold his balance, but he slipped over the edge, and the Wraithblade fell away into the void.
A gravity well beneath the platform pulled at him as he clung to the edge. Every time he tried to climb back up, another surge would try and tear him away. Shalaron stood at the center of the platform, watching the struggle, and in his grimly triumphant face David saw the end of his homeworld.
Not like this. Not now…
Another pulse racked his body, and his elbows slipped, pulling him farther beneath the platform. Only a sparse grip remained between him and total failure.
David.
A glowing figure appeared in front of him, floating against the gravitic tide. It drew closer, and a soft, warm breeze flowed over him.
My friend, you've come too far to give up now. Our companions and our world need you.
David stared in amazement as the outline of the figure solidified. His heart wrenched.
Is this real?
Jessica smiled at him and drifted nearer. She stretched her hand out and touched his cheek. The sensation was faint, but it was there.
You have the strength to overcome Shalaron. Release the barriers within your mind and become whole. What little power I have gathered, I give to you.
"Jessica, don't go," David cried out.
I'll always be a part of this world, David. Goodbye.
Her face became translucent, then transparent, and at last faded away. A quiet power filled David, and he closed his eyes. His body floated, unaffected by the turbulence around him. Releasing his grip on the platform, he rose slowly until he was level with Shalaron. As he stepped forward, he opened his eyes and leveled his gaze at his foe.
Shalaron watched him warily, as if unsure of what to make of this development.
David reached down to his wrist interface and prepared to load one of his avatars, then stopped himself.
Release the barriers within your mind…
David pulled the interface off of his arm and cast it into the vortex. He closed his eyes and opened his mind to the system. "Thank you, Jessica," he whispered, and commanded the network to load everything.
His forms, every talent and ability, every characteristic of his scattered personas… they filled David, realigning, merging, interfacing into a single program. It hovered just out of reach, waiting for him.
David shifted.
A full suit of silver platemail flowed over his skin, as powerful as Rex's shielding, but light and flexible, with an image of a great lion embossed on the breastplate. A broad-brimmed hat, more stylized than the old fedora, settled on his brow, and his mind cleared, honed by years of deduction and critical thought. A black cloak cascaded from his shoulders, rippling against the waves of gravity rising from below. As it settled into place, he could feel his reflexes sharpening, his strength and speed growing. Throwing the cloak back, David grasped his weapon: the ancient sword of his family, shining with an inner light. He drew the blade, and in his mind he heard the lion on the pommel roar its challenge.
If Shalaron was surprised by David's alteration, he masked it well. Staring into David's eyes, he gave a faint nod.
For my love, and for the salvation of Phoenix.
David charged Shalaron. The Sage responded by summoning his staff in one hand and drawing a frigid wave of energy into the other. He lashed out, and David was forced to roll aside to avoid the icy razor claws that leapt from his opponent's fist.
Springing out of the roll, David swept his blade toward Shalaron's feet and drove him into the middle of the arena. David feinted with an overhead strike then pulled the blade back and thrust, only to be blocked with a swing of Shalaron's staff.
Shalaron let the staff wink out of existence and lunged at David, striking with his hands and the leaping claws almost faster than David could deflect. It was obvious that the training from Shalaron's human host had remained in his mind. David ducked under a high kick and struck Shalaron in the waist with his shoulder.
David twisted away from Shalaron's next attack and sprang away, holding his sword up in a defensive position. Shalaron lowered his hands, and the icy claws extended and shattered. He raised an open hand, and the staff returned, smoldering more intensely. The Sage closed his hand around the weapon, and blades of ice extended from the ends of the staff, igniting with white fire.
Shalaron thrust his hand forward, and a rippling wave of force hurtled forward. David stepped into it and swept his cloak around, deflecting the wave away. Turning back to his foe, he raised his blade just in time to block a lightning quick thrust.
A flurry of close strikes and parries left both fighters with minor wounds. The burning blades of Shalaron's staff were able to slice through David's armor, but David was quick enough to breach the Sage's defenses. After several minutes of combat, the two opponents backed away from each other.
Despite its power and abilities, David was quickly growing fatigued with the effort of holding the new program together, whereas Shalaron had total control over himself. If the battle stretched on for much longer, David knew that he would lose.
He thought back to the battle against Halathas. If he could maneuver Shalaron into committing to a wounding strike, perhaps he could deliver a finishing blow of his own.
Advancing on Shalaron, David launched into the same series of strikes that he had used against Halathas. Shalaron's defense was nearly identical. Slowly, the pattern of blows moved toward the stunning strike that had knocked David down and nearly cost him his life. At the critical moment, David lowered his guard and moved into the oncoming strike.
A freezing burn erupted in his side, and David raised his sword to deliver the fatal counterstroke, but Shalaron sensed the impending attack. He ripped the spear from David's body and backed out of range.
Oh hell…
David limped backward, holding a hand to his bleeding side. That hadn't turned out the way he'd planned at all. He felt the edges of his control slipping, and the program started to fray. The ancient sword darkened, and the edge dulled as it reverted to a mirror of the real weapon.
I can't just give in. I have to do something.
A plan for
med in David's mind. It was a gamble but the only option he had. Unloading the blade, he opened Rex's profile and summoned the rifle. He didn't have the power to fire anything at his foe, but Shalaron couldn't know that. The weapon materialized in David's hands, and he pointed it at Shalaron.
The Sage's eyes widened in recognition, and he rolled forward on the ground and thrust the spear at his foe, but David was no longer there. He dashed to the side when Shalaron's roll began and struck with the butt of the rifle. Shalaron took the blow in the side of the head and fell to the ground. Disoriented, he stumbled to his feet and tried to bring his staff up for a strike, but David pulled the rifle back and swung it like a club, knocking Shalaron's head back and spinning him around. He collapsed back to the ground.
David fell to his knees and coughed up blood. He felt the program fading away from him, his strength and equipment vanishing. With all the concentration he had left, he loaded his revolver. It was simple enough that he could probably fire a shot if needed. He climbed to his feet and walked over to where Shalaron lay. The Sage struggled to get up, but the last blow had clearly struck home. David knelt down beside Shalaron and pointed the pistol at his head.
Blood dripped down the side of Shalaron's face as he gazed at the weapon, and then up at David. A look of resignation crossed his face, and he laid his head back and gave a deep sigh. "I submit."
"What?" David demanded. "What did you say?"
"I… am beaten. For the first time in my life, my powers were not sufficient."
David gripped the pistol with both hands. "I don't believe you. This is some sort of trick."
Something broke in Shalaron, and David heard pain and weariness creep into his voice. "Among my people, a Sage is only ruler until he is overcome by the next challenger in line." Shalaron raised a hand to his cheek and pulled it back, staring at his blood. "Despite our enmity, you have triumphed over me in battle, and I must submit. To do otherwise would taint me as it did Etahk, the Sage I defeated. His refusal to acknowledge his passing, and the betrayal it spawned, would be my people's darkest hour. I will not see those sins repeated."
David sat back and lowered the pistol. It really was over.
With a painful grunt, Shalaron lifted himself into a sitting position. "You and your kind have won the right to rule this world. Do not… squander it. As we did." With a final nod, he vanished.
In his place, the Warden reappeared. "The prisoner has been determined and is now incarcerated. This program has fulfilled its purpose and will return to stasis soon. Please stand by, you will be returned to your body shortly."
A faint tremble ran through the Warden, and his eyes lost their glow. He collapsed to the ground, and David was shocked to notice a splash of blood on his shirt.
David crawled over to him. "Thomas, is that you?"
"David?" Thomas asked in his own voice. "Is it over?" His words were barely a whisper.
"Yes. It's time for us to go home," David replied.
"No. Just you." Thomas's eyes fluttered open, and he smiled wanly. "This is what my body looked like… out there, before I got pulled in. I'm dead either way."
The bloody stain spread across Thomas's chest. David pressed his palm over it, but he knew that it was hopeless. He locked his gaze with Thomas.
"It's over now. Everyone is safe."
"Thank you, David."
Tears stung David's eyes as he held his friend's shuddering body, and suddenly his victory felt hollow.
Thomas's eyes slipped closed again. "Tell everyone… farewell." A final gasp escaped from his lips, and he lay silent in David's arms.
"I will, my friend. I will."
The module started to collapse inward around David. His vision blurred, and he felt Thomas pulled from his grasp as he was lifted up. Light shone all around him, and the world went white.
Chapter 52
Clyde wandered aimlessly around the darkened chamber. Several hours had passed since David defeated Shalaron and saved Phoenix. The others had all left, but Clyde couldn't bring himself to log out. This room was the last remnant of the network that he'd spent his entire life mastering.
A sigh escaped before he could stop it. There was so much that needed to be done now. A basic intelligence program had to be written to govern humanity's necessities, and it would need to be done before the automated systems around the planet began to fail.
Clyde took a final look around the chamber. He couldn't afford to spend any more time wallowing in self-pity. He prepared to log out, when a peculiar sight drew his attention.
A link chair stood in a corner of the chamber, lit by a soft blue glow. Clyde shook his head. It didn't make any sense to have a link chair inside the network. He knew that it might be foolish, but he gave into his curiosity, and sat down in the chair.
As Clyde leaned back against the headrest, he felt a burst of energy within his mind. His thoughts grew and expanded, and his senses were pulled in every direction. He watched the network rebuild itself all around him. Every connection, every pathway, every module returned to their original states.
The sensation overflowed and began to burn. Clyde tried to break away, but he could barely control his limbs. The data poured out of him, and the fire in his veins continued to blaze.
Finally, the stream slowed, and Clyde pulled himself free of the chair, collapsing to his knees. He gasped for air as the smoldering within slowly faded away.
A soft touch on his forehead caused him to flinch. Someone was in the room with him, stroking his temples gently. "I'm sorry the process was so painful," a distant voice whispered in his mind.
In one motion, Clyde stood and turned to face the visitor. As his eyes took in the sight before him, he stepped back in shock. Mierva smiled at him.
"How is it even possible?" Clyde asked incredulously. "Your mainframe was destroyed, all of your backups erased."
Mierva's smile became a mischievous grin. "When Shalaron broke through the gateway, I feared that he would seek to attack me, as Totarakh did. So I found a safe place to store a backup of myself."
Clyde gaped at her in disbelief. "But there's nowhere inside the system where you would be undetectable."
"Ah, dear, you forget yourself. I used our link to copy myself into your mainframe. It's the least accessible and safest computer on the planet."
With an engulfing smile, Clyde threw his arms around Mierva and held her close. She ran her fingers through his hair and whispered into his ear. "Now tell me, my love. What have I missed?"
***
The Assembly Hall of New Terra was jammed with news crews, security drones and regular citizens. David stood to the side and watched it all unfold around him, feeling like some kind of spectacle. Analara waited beside him, looking about as cheerful as he felt, but when she caught his glance, she took his hand and squeezed it.
For her, David found a smile.
On the other side of the room, Clyde typed into his wrist computer, and the lights dimmed. Slowly the room quieted.
Everyone shifted their focus to the massive holographic screens at the front of the room. They flickered to life, and VERA stepped into view. Cameras and V-scene projectors captured her image and displayed it across every screen and module on the planet. Inside the hall, there was a sense of barely contained anticipation.
VERA nodded a greeting and began her speech. "Less than a week has passed since the human race stood once again upon the verge of extinction. As many of you may know, for the last three months, there have been a series of attacks, acts of sabotage, and tragedies that have befallen our world. Many innocent people have died, and even more lives have been touched by the events that have unfolded. Today, I will share with you the truth behind the hidden conflict."
Hundreds of voices murmured astonished words to one another, rising in volume like an incoming tide until VERA raised a hand. "Over three months ago, we made contact with an alien race. They are called the Anrath, and it is they, not we, who were the original caretakers of the planet
we now call Phoenix. Many thousands of years ago, they fled into a simulated world of their own making to escape the destruction of the surface of their planet. Over time, they forgot the true nature of their new home and learned to live without the trappings of technology that we rely upon."
A stunned silence filled the gap left by VERA's pause. "The events of the past months have all stemmed from contact between our two existences. Neither of our races knew the true nature of the other, so this contact fostered fear. That fear spawned war, and that war caused grief." She closed her eyes momentarily. "So much grief." When she opened her eyes again, it looked like tears were glistening down her cheeks. "Through brave actions and heroic deeds, the conflict between our worlds has come to a close. I can assure each and every citizen of humanity that the war has ended."
VERA turned to David and the others and motioned for them to step forward. David obeyed, still clutching Analara's hand as he climbed the steps to the raised platform at the front of the room. The eyes of humanity rested on them.
"These are your heroes," VERA said. "They are the saviors of Phoenix. I present to you Lucas Smith, whose skills as a programmer enabled us to trap the greatest threat our world has ever known." Lucas gave a stiff bow and waved to the crowd.
"Clyde Verell, the chief architect of V-Net. During the final battle of the war, I sustained heavy damage and was nearly destroyed. It was due to Clyde's ingenuity and skills that I survived to continue my duty to you all." Clyde blushed as everyone focused on him, and he fidgeted uncomfortably.
"Analara, child of Analath. Though she appears human, she is an Anrathian refugee who fought at our side against her own people because she believed that we could learn to co-exist." This news caused a considerable stir. Cameras and lights flashed around Analara, and though she gripped David's hand tightly, she did not shy away. David had never felt more proud of her.