Awaken Online: Dominion

by Travis Bagwell

  The butterflies seemed to have multiplied in number as Frank considered Vera’s idea. That meant he would need to face Alexion by himself. At least, until now, he had been able to lean on Vera for advice and guidance – her cold-hearted words of wisdom easing the burden of traveling without his friends.

  “How are you going to contact Jason after you reach the last town?” Frank offered feebly, searching for some excuse that would avoid them splitting up. As an NPC, Vera didn’t have an easy way to contact Jason without using a Dark Spire.

  Vera nodded. “As we discussed, I suspect it will be empty – which makes contacting Jason a moot point. If there are survivors, we can circle back to the west, and I can send a runner back here to send a message to Jason. That should allow us to kill two birds with one stone.”

  Frank grimaced. He didn’t have a good counter-argument for that strategy. It was a sound plan and allowed them to finish the quest while also sending reinforcements to the western border. But it still meant he would be forced to deal with Alexion on his own.

  “I realize that this spreads our forces rather thin,” Vera offered, scrutinizing Frank’s expression carefully and picking up on his hesitation. “Will you be comfortable facing this opponent by yourself?”

  Frank took a deep breath. You can handle this, he thought.

  He’d come this far on his own – although that same doubting voice kept reminding him that Vera had done a lot of the heavy lifting. Maybe this was his opportunity to prove to Jason, and to himself, that he had grown; that he was no longer that sniveling fat kid that he had been when he started playing. He was the left hand of the Regent of the Twilight Throne and a force to be reckoned with. At least, that’s what he told himself.

  Frank raised his eyes to meet Vera’s. “I’ll be fine,” he said evenly, despite the doubts that still lingered in his mind. “Let’s finish up here and then we will ride. We will need to move quickly if Alexion does plan to attack the other towns.”

  Vera simply gave him a curt nod and stepped away, barking orders at the Kin. Frank watched her leave, his thoughts troubled. Despite how much he had changed, he still wasn’t sure he was ready to face Alexion. Although, at this point, he didn’t seem to have much choice. He would just need to do his best.

  * * *

  Jason terminated the call with Frank and turned his attention back to the challenge room. At some point during the conversation, Rex had disappeared. Now only Riley stood beside him, a worried expression on her face.

  “How did it go?” she asked.

  “Frank said he’ll head toward Fastu,” he answered, his forehead pinched in thought. His friend had sounded worried – not that he could blame him. Jason should be the one facing Alexion.

  “Will he be okay on his own?” Riley asked, echoing his thoughts.

  “I hope so,” Jason replied. “Although, we don’t have much choice.”

  He sighed, rubbing at his eyes tiredly. “Either way, we might as well check out the third challenge,” Jason finally said. “We can’t afford any more delays.”

  Riley raised a skeptical eyebrow at him. “Are you kidding me right now?”

  “Uh, what?” Jason asked not-so-eloquently, glancing at her in surprise.

  “Do you have any idea what time it is in the real world? You need to take care of yourself,” she insisted. “Besides, tomorrow is Monday. Don’t you have the hearing?”

  Jason spared a glance at his clock in his peripheral vision, confirming that Riley was right. Between designing the factory with Eliza, the explosion at the crafting school, and tackling the second challenge, he had completely lost track of time. With a grimace, he also realized that he still hadn’t put up the potions on the player auction house or checked on his other bids. He needed to handle that before he logged out for the night.

  And that was all putting aside the regulatory hearing. Claire would be testifying tomorrow – which forced him to remember the way she had approached him awkwardly at the Cerillion Entertainment event. He hadn’t had time to follow up with her, and he still didn’t know whether she planned to testify against Alfred or whether they had managed to sway her by explaining the situation. Putting aside his problems in-game, he might have a much larger issue to deal with tomorrow.

  “Shit,” Jason murmured, closing his eyes and leaning back against the wall. It felt like a mountain of problems had settled on his shoulders.

  He felt slender arms suddenly wrap around his neck and a pair of lips pressed against his. He opened his eyes to find Riley looking at him from only a few inches away. “You’re going to be fine,” she told him firmly. “Just take things one step at a time.”

  “But…” he began, Riley immediately interrupting him with another kiss.

  “I can keep this up for a long time,” she said with a small smile as she withdrew again. “Any more buts?”

  Jason couldn’t help but chuckle. “This is sort of sending a mixed message. I can think of a lot of more to complain about if it earns me a kiss every time.”

  Riley rolled her eyes. “Uh huh. As though you need a reason to get all mopey?”

  “Hey! I thought girls were into the brooding bad boys,” Jason replied in mock offense.

  This earned him another eye roll. “You might take it a little far. I think we might need to buy you some eye liner to go with the rest of your edge lord look.” Then her expression sobered. “But, seriously, you have me and Frank and the rest of the Shadow Council. You’re not alone. Just focus on what’s in front of you right now.”

  “I only see a beautiful girl in front of me right now,” he replied teasingly and leaned in again, even as he pulled her closer.

  “Okay, that’s enough!” Riley said as they broke away, pushing at his shoulders. She stabbed a finger at him. “You have five minutes, and then you need to log off and go to bed. That’s an order, mister.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Jason replied with a mock salute. With that, the pair said goodnight and Riley vanished in a flash of multi-colored energy.

  Jason was left staring at the spot she had occupied only a moment before. She was right. He knew she was right, but Riley also didn’t understand the full extent of the problems he faced. Even now, his thoughts were already turning back to the hearing tomorrow. She didn’t know about Alfred or appreciate the full import of Claire’s testimony – how the future of this game and his livelihood hung in the balance. However, at least for a moment, she had helped him forget.

  That was something, and he clung to the memory of her lips pressed against his like a lifeline.

  With a sigh, Jason pushed himself away from the wall and his gaze focused on the doorway leading back into the keep. For now, he would take Riley’s advice to heart. He needed to visit the market and then log off. As much as he wished he could simply bury his head in the sand and forget, the sun would still rise tomorrow, and the hearing would still happen – with or without him. He might as well be rested and prepared.

  Chapter 41 - Traitorous

  The leather creaked as Jason shifted in his seat. Nervous energy flooded his veins, having the opposite effect of his dark mana and causing his worried thoughts to spiral endlessly. He tried to distract himself by looking out the window, watching as the other vehicles and buildings rushed past. But that only served to remind him of how quickly they were approaching their destination – the local courthouse.

  Jason shifted his gaze to the seat across from him where George sat staring at the screen projected along his arm, his forehead wrinkled in thought. Robert, Claire, and Francis had ridden together to the courthouse hours earlier, likely so that they could prepare ahead of Claire giving her testimony. Jason winced even as that thought crossed his mind. What would she do? That question kept rebounding through his skull.

  “So… um, the event was nice,” Jason offered, trying to break the heavy silence that hung in the car – and to find some way to distract himself.

  “The turnout was reasonable,” George admitted, sparing a glanc
e at Jason before turning back to his Core. “Although, a few key business partners declined to attend. Apparently, this hearing is causing some concerns about the integrity of the game system.”

  A sudden thought crossed Jason’s mind. “Speaking of which, did you discover anything at the party? I noticed the drones were well positioned to record anyone approaching me…”

  This earned him an appraising look from George, followed by a brief flash of annoyance. “Now that you mention it, no.”

  George met Jason’s gaze, swiping away the screen projected by his Core. “We even expanded the scope of our observations to include anyone that glanced in your direction or mentioned your name. While you are certainly a topic of much discussion and we obtained some interesting gossip, we gleaned little regarding the leak. A few of the guests had sufficient motive to undermine our business interests and seemed unduly interested in you, but they weren’t in a position to obtain sensitive information.”

  “Couldn’t they have hacked into the company’s network?” Jason offered. He knew the leak was Claire, but he would rather avoid disclosing that fact to George.

  The CEO shook his head. “It’s possible I suppose, but incredibly unlikely. They would have needed access to the lower levels of the building and our computer system – at a minimum. No. It is more likely that someone on the inside decided to blow the whistle.”

  “So where does that leave us?” Jason asked, continuing to feign ignorance. “Are you thinking that maybe there isn’t a leak? Maybe Gloria stumbled onto something from reviewing the game files and the logs from the original trial?”

  “Again, possible, but not likely,” George answered. “It could be that whoever is responsible for the leak is simply more cautious than I expected – or feels completely justified in their decision – which is a shame. Zealots are the worst sort of opponent. They don’t act rationally, they aren’t swayed by normal concerns, and their actions are unpredictable,” George added, his frown deepening and his fingers drumming erratically against his armrest.

  The CEO appeared worried, although the sentiment looked strange on his face. It was like seeing a T-Rex look nervous – it just didn’t happen. That realization also did nothing to make Jason feel better. If George seemed out of sorts, that was likely a terrible sign of what was to come, especially given the secrets Jason harbored.

  Jason abruptly decided that talking may have been a mistake. He just felt even more nervous than he had before.

  George sighed. “Either way, we will just have to muddle through. Hopefully, Claire’s testimony today will help alleviate some concerns. She has been a staunch supporter of the project since day one,” he explained, although Jason noted the way the rhythm of the CEO’s fingers on his armchair became briefly discordant as he hesitated.

  Does he suspect Claire? Jason wondered. Not trusting his voice, Jason just nodded in agreement, trying his best not to let his thoughts show on his face.

  George refocused his attention on Jason. “I did, however, notice an altercation between you and Alex at the event.”

  “It was nothing,” Jason said, shifting his attention to the window. Alex was a touchy subject for a number of reasons.

  “It didn’t look like nothing and security almost had to intervene,” George replied dryly. “Not that I am blaming you, of course. I listened to the recording, and I am aware that my son can be a bit abrasive at times.”

  No shit, Jason thought.

  Apparently, he hadn’t done a good job of keeping his expression neutral, earning him a chuckle from George. “I can see you that you agree. As a parent, I should be rushing to the defense of my son. However, I see something in you. Potential, I suppose is the right word. So, I’ll take a different tact here.”

  George hesitated before continuing, glancing out of the window. “There will always be those that challenge you and back you into a corner – those that are more powerful and more knowledgeable. From experience, all I can say is to never back down and never show weakness. If there is something you want, take it. If your opponent is stronger than you, then wait quietly and study them until you find an opportunity to strike. Otherwise, you will always find yourself finishing last.”

  Jason tilted his head. In some ways, the CEO’s words echoed the message of the dark god inside AO. It felt strange, as though George should be ranting at him for threatening his son. Instead, he was urging Jason to be more ruthless?

  George turned his attention back to Jason, meeting his eyes once more. “Although, make no mistake, if there is a public conflict between the two of you, I will be forced to back my son. Do we understand each other?”

  “Yes, sir,” Jason said quickly.

  With that, the pair lapsed into an uncomfortable silence. The conversation hadn’t done anything to make Jason feel better. If anything, he was only left with more questions and a new worry. What was George urging him to do? Was the subtext of that conversation that he would support Jason so long as he didn’t publicly confront his son? He would need to keep that in mind. He had a feeling that his war with Alex wasn’t over – not by a longshot.

  * * *

  The courtroom was packed to the brim when Jason and George entered. Many people turned to watch their entrance. Reporters and bystanders murmured to themselves while the drones buzzing through the air pivoted to focus on their faces. Clearly, Jason was becoming something of a real-world celebrity – if only because he seemed to have an unenviable ability to attract chaos like some sort of karmic black hole.

  Jason took a seat near the front of the gallery, settling in beside Robert and Claire. The engineer had his feet propped on the wooden half wall that separated the courtroom floor from the sitting area. Meanwhile, George assumed his position beside Francis at the small table at the front of the room. Jason could see that Gloria was in attendance as well, a familiar grim expression lingering on her face as she reviewed her notes.

  Robert gave Jason a lopsided grin. “Hey there, our evil overlord. Ready for another day of exciting testimony?” He mimed air quotes with his fingers as he said the word exciting.

  “I guess,” Jason replied with a noncommittal shrug, looking at Claire. Dark circles hung under her eyes, and her hands were clenched in her lap. She looked exhausted.

  As she noticed his attention, Claire met his eyes briefly before quickly looking away. Jason wasn’t certain whether that was a good sign or not. A small part of him had at least hoped to see some sort of resolution in the woman’s expression – an indication that she had made a choice. Instead, what he saw instead was a person wracked by sleepless indecision.

  Robert let out an exaggerated sigh. “Well, aren’t you two just a bundle of laughs? I’m not sure why I seem to get straddled with a bunch of boring worriers. It’ll be fine! We went through years of testing. And now we get the pleasure of going through that entire mind-numbing process again.”

  Jason wished he had Robert’s confidence. “You’re probably right. I’m sure it will be fine,” he said in a low voice, glancing behind them at the rest of the onlookers – many of whom were looking their way. This wasn’t a good place to have this conversation, and he wondered if he should get Francis and George to tell the engineer to shut up.

  He was saved from having to take this step as Senator Lipton entered through the judge’s chambers, followed by the rest of the regulatory committee. They soon settled into their usual positions, and the senator’s gaze hovered on Gloria.

  “Alright. We are calling this hearing to order. Today we will be hearing from a witness called by Ms. Bastion. Claire Thompson, will you please take the stand?”

  Claire gave a curt nod and rose to her feet, glaring at Robert impatiently to remove his legs, which he did grudgingly, another shit-eating grin on his face. Even now, he teased Claire. As she passed Jason, Claire spared another glance at him, meeting his eyes. He didn’t see anything there to make him feel more confident.

  Claire assumed a seat on the witness stand and went through the p
rocess of being sworn in. Soon – almost too soon – Senator Lipton looked at Gloria. “Alright, Ms. Bastion. It’s your witness. Please feel free to begin.”

  Gloria rose to her feet slowly, carrying a set of crisp notes in her hand as she approached the witness stand. “Hello, Ms. Thompson. Can you please state for the record your position at Cerillion Entertainment and your role in developing AO and the game’s AI controller?”

  Claire coughed to clear her throat. “I have held several positions at Cerillion Entertainment over the years. However, regardless of my title, I have always worked as a project manager, coordinating the activities of our company’s engineers and software developers. For example, I worked on the initial development of the AI controller and participated in the internal study conducted by Cerillion Entertainment in conjunction with the CPSC’s formal review. I now head the group of system administrators that operate AO.”

  She took another deep breath before continuing. “Regarding my role in developing AO and the AI controller, I have been involved in this process since day one. Again, my responsibilities typically included managing other people’s activities and so I did not have much direct involvement in development. I left the actual programming and engineering to others.”

  “I understand,” Gloria replied with a nod. “But it is safe to say then that you are intimately familiar with how the game was developed and specifically how the game’s AI controller has interacted with the game world since the beginning of this project?”

  “That is accurate, yes,” Claire said with a nod.

  “Mr. Graham told us during his testimony that certain restrictions were placed on the AI controller during development – what he referred to as primary and secondary directives. For example, the AI controller was prohibited from accessing certain portions of the player’s mind, including their memories. To your knowledge, have those directives changed during development?”