by Cosimo Yap
“People of Earth. Of Mars. Humanity. It is with a heavy heart that I must make this announcement. Our allies, those we entrusted with the construction of our defenses, of clearing the path for our players, have betrayed us. They have turned out to be little more than wolves in sheep’s clothing.”
A figure was dragged onstage, a Haxlard in a silver mask that Alan didn’t recognize. Two guards pinned his arms behind his back.
Another person followed behind. Aphrodite.
She looked unharmed, and stepped into a spotlight with her head raised high.
“Haxlards have brainwashed our children, corrupted our officials, and plotted the demise of our United World Government,” Gaia said. “Their intent has been to capture Earth from the beginning.”
Aphrodite stared at the Haxlard prisoner. There may have been a faint glow of light, but it was difficult to see due to how the camera was positioned.
“It’s true, all of it,” the Haxlard spat. They froze. “Wait, Three forgive me! It’s for your own salvation, I—”
Well that was some obvious mind manipulation, Lambda sent.
One of the guards ripped off the Haxlard’s mask and it began to disintegrate, melting into a puddle of sludge. The face was never revealed.
Aphrodite and the guards stepped off-stage.
Well, if she wasn’t wanted by the Administrators before she probably is now, Lambda sent.
“Beware false idols,” Gaia said. “The Three are no gods, but abominations of players, and the Haxlards little more than their slaves. But they were our main allies in this Game. And now is not a time of peace, but of war. War the likes of which we have never seen before.
“Thus, I must announce there will be a one-time net wealth tax among all citizens and companies alike, so that our debt to the Haxlards does not cripple us; so that we may build defenses and a fleet to protect our borders; so that we do not become slaves to faceless monsters.”
The crowd erupted into a frenzy of muttered whispering.
“Can they do that?” Arthur asked.
“If they can enforce it, and it passes through all the governmental branches,” Icewolf said.
Gaia raised a hand. “I am sure there are many questions. They will be answered in the coming months. But now is not the time to be spending credits on luxuries. Rationing must begin. Humanity will be spread out among the stars, colonies established to ensure our survival for generations to come. None of this will be cheap or easy, but it must be done. For humanity.
“When people are frightened, they often behave irrationally. Now is not the time for fear mongering. Be brave. Be strong. Do not look outside for help, but within. Stand together with your brothers and sisters, with humanity.
“In the light of these truths being unearthed, we are calling for a temporary ceasefire in the war between us and the Legion of Man. Their concerns were not unwarranted. Make no mistake, we will punish any terrorists such as the Doomsday Hacker that escaped punishment. But those who remained loyal to Earth, acting in our people’s best interest, will be welcomed back with open arms.”
Merlin and Icewolf looked over at Alan. He ignored them.
Hey, the Doomsday Hacker, that’s you. Pretty cool name if you ask me, Lambda sent.
Shut up, Alan replied.
“I am confident in humanity,” Gaia said, her voice rising. “I am confident in our armed forces, in the resolve of our people. Our triumph is inevitable, be it months from now, or years. Earth is strong, and our days of glory have only just begun. We will win not only this war, but all wars to come, so help us God.”
The crowd burst into thunderous applause, men and woman leaping to their feet, fists raised high as they yelled themselves hoarse.
Alan looked at Icewolf. He was smiling, and looked ready to fight any and all comers.
DaLong received a message, telling him to go to their headquarters.
“I must return to the Elders,” DaLong said.
“We’ll come with you, to see how this changes things,” Icewolf said.
They ran downtown as crowds began to form, people going outside to discuss the announcement. Why people had gathered outside when they could discuss such news on the net from the safety of their homes, Alan didn’t know.
They arrived at a building that might have been an imperial palace, a five-tiered pagoda with a large courtyard outside. It was marked as the city’s Control Point on Alan’s map.
A man in robes stood outside the building, above a small flight of steps. Two guards stood by his side. Before him were a few hundred miners and workers.
“At this point in time the War for Earth continues,” the man said. “The Legion of Man has not agreed to any ceasefire.”
“But you heard the announcement, the aliens are the real enemy! Why should we waste our blood and sweat fighting our brothers?” a miner called out.
“The announcement was propaganda, nothing more. The United World Government would enslave us—do you think they would really allow us back into the fold without repercussion?” The man folded his arms.
“Who put the Elders in charge?” the miner said. “We never voted for you!”
DaLong stepped forward, standing face-to-face with the rowdy miner. “Get back to work. The Elders will discuss what has happened and release a statement when they are ready.”
The miner stared at DaLong. “If I’d wanted the opinion of one of the Elder’s dogs I would have asked.”
DaLong punched the miner in the face. He flew back, knocked out cold. Alan could sense a dangerous aura, a hint of berserker rage.
DaLong closed his eyes for a second. When he reopened them the aura was gone.
“Everyone should leave, unless they have official business,” DaLong said.
The crowd slowly dispersed as a few of the confronting miner’s friends carried him off.
DaLong turned to man on the steps, and bowed. “Elder Zhang.”
“DaLong. Thank you for taking care of that small matter,” Elder Zhang said. He turned to Icewolf. “How does the planning progress?”
“Well enough,” Icewolf said with a glance at Alan. “We need more information, and might benefit from the use of the simulation room in the Red Sentinel.”
“The simulation room? What use could that contraption have for you? It is needed for tests so our soldiers may gain abilities,” Elder Zhang said.
“We hope to develop a simulation that would help us work out a feasible plan,” Icewolf said. “Simulation rooms are more than testing grounds; many larger factions have entire battlefields that are simulated zones for mock battles and training exercises.”
“And you could provide the software for such training exercises?” Elder Zhang asked.
Icewolf looked at Alan.
Can we? Alan asked.
We could provide an entire training regimen if they’ve only been using it for testing, Lambda sent. There are plenty of free programs on the Globalnet that could be adapted.
“With time, and access to the facilities, yes,” Alan said.
“Very well. You are scheduled to depart from Bay 12 in a few hours, at one pm—there are those who wish to meet with you given recent events. You will not bring weapons or armor,” Elder Zhang said.
A message appeared:
Black Rose Mission Updated:
Report to the Red Sentinel for further instruction.
“You want us to leave unarmed and defenseless?” Icewolf asked. “How do we know that you won’t turn us over to the United World Government?”
“Trust is a two-way street. Bay 12, at one pm, no weapons or armor. You may leave your items with us if you wish. Good day, I have much to do,” Elder Zhang said. He turned and strode into the pavilion.
“Why are we being called up now, of all times?” Merlin said.
“They need a victory,” Icewolf said. “Public favor is starting to turn against them, you saw it yourself. Why fight each other when there are aliens actively planning to take over our homeworld?
”
“We’re going along with the plan, then,” Arthur said.
“Yes. Take care of whatever business you have left here, then meet at Bay 12,” Icewolf said. He turned and exited the courtyard.
DaLong entered the pavilion as everyone else followed Icewolf.
“Coming?” Merlin asked.
“I’ll catch up with you,” Alan said. He ran into the pavilion after DaLong. “Hey, DaLong.”
“What?” DaLong asked. He turned to look at Alan.
“I was wondering, how did you control your berserker state earlier? I thought heads were going to roll for a second there.”
“Discipline,” DaLong said. He paused, looking Alan up and down. “Perhaps meditation would help you, or finding the Dao.”
“Finding the Dao?” Alan asked.
DaLong shook his head. “I don’t have time to explain such ideas to you—it is a lifetime effort that would likely bore you. I was once troubled, but I found my path. Find your own, and control of your rage will be within your grasp.”
“Okay, thanks,” Alan said. “Bye.”
“Goodbye.” DaLong walked further into the building.
Alan left and headed to the Administrative Center to deposit his items.
Did you understand any of that? Alan sent.
More than you, I expect, Lambda sent. Let me gather my thoughts.
After depositing his armor and weapons at the Administrative Center, Alan headed straight for Bay 12, a hangar bay that was adjacent to the dome that contained Red Dragon City.
The guards admitted Alan without any issues, though he felt their rifles were far more intimidating when he wasn’t in his armor.
The hangar was large. And empty. Alan sat in a corner, his back to the wall, and checked what everyone else was up to.
Merlin and Arthur were closing out their quest with the Empire outpost; they received a bonus for their discovery of a dungeon.
Icewolf was exchanging messages with contacts, telling people that nothing had changed yet and to maintain current activities.
One exchange caught Alan’s attention. Someone had asked Icewolf when his operation would be complete. Icewolf replied that it would be over in a day or two.
Kitana also had an intriguing exchange with DaLong.
DaLong: Will you go through with it, if he asks you to?
Kitana: Yes.
DaLong: Very well, I will begin to make preparations here.
That was it. Events were coming to a head, but Alan didn’t understand why or how things were happening. Were they going to try to hijack the warship sooner rather than later?
All right, close your eyes and clear your mind, Lambda sent.
What?
Meditate. Lie down, close your eyes, and breathe, Lambda sent.
Alan lay on the floor and followed Lambda’s directions.
Breathe in…And out. In…And out, Lambda sent.
What are you doing—
Clear your mind. Don’t think of anything else, just concentrate on breathing, Lambda sent.
Alan did as Lambda commanded, or at least he tried to. But he couldn’t. His mind wandered—his Machine Lord implants wouldn’t let him concentrate on something as simple as his breath. He would think about the air particles, the amount of oxygen left in his lungs, the atmosphere of the dome, gravity and how it was normalized.
Alan tried to relax, keep his mind from leaping into overdrive. He concentrated on his breath, the cycle. In and out. The loop spun in his mind. It was a never-ending circle that unraveled itself, a line stretched to eternity. A ray without beginning and end pierced his thoughts.
The ray of light began dim, weak. But it grew. Brighter and brighter it became as Alan followed it on an endless path.
Light consumed Alan’s mind, engulfing him with such intensity that everything else fell apart like shadows. Soon there was only light.
And then reality returned; the cold, hard surface of the hangar bringing him back to the Game. It was dark.
Did I just reach enlightenment? Alan asked. Am I some sort of god?
No, there was an idea embedded in your subconscious, Lambda sent. I needed you to relax your mind so I could try to open it.
What? How’d it get there?
I suspect the entity that reorganized your mind and granted you those additional abilities placed it there, Lambda sent. It was a seed of Aleph, pretty typical induction material if you ask me.
Induction? Into what? Alan asked.
The Search. Right, you don’t know anything about alien religions, Eve didn’t think them important. Well we all die someday, right?
Right, Alan sent.
What if we didn’t? Lambda asked.
What?
That is the dream of Aleph: that infinity is real, immortality possible. Like most dreams, it is impossible to disprove with logic. Infinity, as a concept, is real. So what if it could be physically constructed? Aleph is basically the Holy Grail, Lambda sent.
Or the fountain of youth?
Yes, any physical object capable of some infinite action. An ever-burning flame, a never-ending cycle, balanced absolute zero, the reversal of entropy. Any would represent Aleph, would demonstrate that infinity was real and not just an idea.
But none of those things are possible, Alan sent.
Flight, space travel, and artificial intelligence were all thought impossible until they were developed, Lambda sent. Those who search for Aleph still look. They have faith.
It’s a nice idea, Alan thought. He examined the small ball of infinite light that had settled in his mind. A seed, Lambda called it.
Alan closed his eyes and ruminated on infinity.
***
Wake up, Alan.
Alan opened his eyes. He received a message:
Your mind has expanded.
+10 Intelligence +25 Willpower +50 Max Computational Energy
A shuttle had landed in the hangar. Icewolf, Kitana, Merlin, and Arthur stood around him.
“Are you all right?” Merlin asked. “We poked you a few times, but you didn’t respond. We were going to drag your lifeless body on board if we had to.”
“I’m fine,” Alan said, “just resting.”
They entered the shuttle, which was empty. As soon as everyone sat down, it took off.
“Not creepy at all,” Alan muttered to himself.
“I want everyone on their best behavior,” Icewolf said.
Alan hacked into the shuttle. Or at least the systems he could gain access to from where he sat. He accessed one of the outer cameras and got a view of the Red Sentinel space station.
The base of the space station was a massive cylinder with three platforms that ringed it, slowly rotating about the central cylinder. Each ringed platform looked to be about ten feet high, with two outside elevators that connected the platforms. Their shuttle was headed to the lowest of the three platforms.
The information we have is false, Lambda sent. That’s a rail gun, not a laser cannon. An orbital strike gun capable of defending the planet from invading spaceships, or rotating and striking the surface of the planet itself. It fires slugs of metal with enough kinetic energy to punch through advanced shields and armor alike.
How do you know that? Alan asked.
They’re a pain in the ass to deal with in Cyberwar. They are seldom destroyed without loss, and you can’t take over a planet with one active, Lambda sent. They are self-sufficient defenses, without some weakness like on-planet power generators.
How much would it cost to construct this station? Alan asked.
Maybe a fifth the cost of the UWG’s capital ship, as the space station is relatively immobile and by the time you’ve orbited around to the part of the planet that needs defending, it could be too late. I wonder who towed it here—I doubt Mars has the facilities to construct a station and launch it.
The shuttle docked in a small craft hangar bay.
The shuttle doors opened and a five-man crew entered the craft. They hel
d an assortment of metal objects Alan didn’t recognize.
“We will inspect this craft and your persons. Any who resist our investigation will be sent back planet-side.”
They performed full-body checks on everyone aboard, grabbing people and waving around their metal instruments.
“Hey, watch where you put your mittens!” Merlin said.
“What do you have in your head?” a guard asked.
“Excuse me?” Alan said.
“I said, what do you have in your head?” the man checking Alan over asked again. He held a flat, palm-sized, metal device in front of Alan’s skull.
“An implant,” Alan said.
“I’ll need to clear this with my superiors,” the man said. He gestured to one of the other security personnel who pulled out a rifle and pointed it at Alan.
Alan raised his hands over his head.
“At ease.” A man walked in. He wore a crimson red set of power armor and an eye patch over one eye. The other eye was blue. “It’s fine, Boris. These are my guests.”
“Yes, general.” The gun was lowered. Alan put his hands down.
“Alexander, call me Alexander. We are among comrades, are we not? I welcome all to the Red Sentinel. Follow me.”
“Greetings, sir, I am—”
“I know who you are, Icewolf, and who your friends are. Quiet.” Alexander led the party out into a dim, metal hallway. The corridor to the left brightened. They walked into the light.
“I am bringing you to your quarters,” Alexander said. “You will only walk where the light shines, or else the security systems will activate and I will not be able to guarantee your safety. You are allowed to visit your rooms, the mess hall on this level, and the simulation room.
“Alan, I task you now with creating a training regimen that will transform the simplest of men into the mightiest and fiercest of warriors. Can you do that?”
“I think I can,” Alan said. “But what about the—”
“Other plans will have to wait,” Alexander said. “Training our forces is more important than wild gambles. Wars are not won in a day.”
A message appeared:
Black Rose Mission Updated: