Condition Evolution 3: A LitRPG / Gamelit Adventure

by Kevin Sinclair

  “Why do we need to spread people around?” Rufus asked, confusion clouding his face.

  “Do you have a problem already, Rufus?” I asked, a little bit of anger touching my voice.

  “No!” he replied quickly, “I just wanted to understand the thinking. We’ve built a pretty tight-knit team over here. Seems counter-productive to disrupt that.”

  “We’re trying to expand our army, Rufus, and we’re heading into a war zone. As strong as you may think your crew is, do you have any members who are naturally resistant to laser-fire? Or shoot fireballs? Or even fucking explode, doing massive area of effect damage? Do you have any members who understand all of this Galactic Empire technology in depth and can hack their systems? Oh and let’s not forget, turn invisible? Now before you answer, don’t; those were rhetorical questions. You don’t have any of those skills, and though you can survive without them, you can thrive with them.”

  Ember clapped, and Astrid and Elyek joined in. Seems my impromptu little speech was well received by them at least.

  Rufus looked suitably chagrined. “Okay. You make a very good point.”

  “Thank you. Now, I really want you to ask who’s willing to come over to the Uprising. I don’t expect masses to flock over because apparently I'm not well liked, but hopefully a few will want to.”

  “Not well liked, Shaun? You’re damn-near worshiped. We’ll be fighting them to stay,” Rufus said.

  “Oh? Genuinely, that’s surprising. If that’s the case, I’ll let you both be the judge of who’s the best to send over. We should try to balance all our numbers out in terms of supplies and fighting capabilities. If anyone has any ideas on the best way to transport people between the ships, I'm all ears. For now, keep in touch, and good luck organizing people's preferred placements.”

  “While it’s certainly going to be odd having new crew members, it will definitely shake things up a little,” Astrid said. “I’ll put the word out for people who might wish to come over to you. I’ve a feeling I’m going to lose Mick and Gus in this, and that will leave us without our best technology expert.”

  “Some of my people will be more than up to the task of filling in for Gus,” Elyek interjected.

  “I’d second that. The four who helped us with the folding drive were amazing.”

  “I look forward to having their expertise on board,” Astrid smiled.

  “I'll see if the Veiletians here with me would be happy to either stay or move over to the Seshat,” Elyek said.

  “That’s great. We’ve four Veiletians here who’ll definitely be staying, but I'll make the offer of transfer to the other seven. We want, what? Eight Veiletians on each ship? I'll speak to the Torax, too. But I won't be a dick about it.”

  “This I have got to see,” Ember added.

  “What?”

  “You not being a dick,” she grinned.

  “Thanks, Ember. Anyway, moving on. Tell me what and where this new contract is.”

  Rufus got excited now. “Yes! I’ve managed to negotiate an excellent deal. Although the job is far away, we will be paid handsomely. We are traveling to the Perseus system. There is a space station, Beler 3103, that is under attack from some sort of rebels. They were unclear on the exact details, but the long and short of it is that they’re assembling a fleet to retake the station and then defend it.”

  “Rebels? Sounds interesting. I wonder who’s rebelling?” I said.

  “It’s more than likely just a territorial dispute between two different races. The Empire must be taking a side in the conflict. It is not uncommon,” explained Elyek.

  “It’s a job at least. How much are we being paid?” Ember asked.

  “Ten thousand per fully-manned ship, per week,” Rufus replied proudly.

  “Ten thousand?” Ember said. “That’s not great.”

  “Not great! It took a lot of negotiating to bring them up to that number,” Rufus said, outraged.

  “If I may speak,” Elyek interrupted, then continued on anyway. “Considering the distance to the Perseus system and the high potential for damage to our ships, ten thousand is on the low side.”

  Rufus began to bluster. I could see his face going red with embarrassment.

  “However,” Elyek added, “as a new, unheard of mercenary group, we would never be offered a decent rate. Not until we had proven our worth and have recommendations. Luckily, we have enough senlars to cover any damages, so we can afford to do this. Nonetheless, we should be careful to protect our assets.”

  “Fair enough,” Ember said, “I suppose the main point in doing this is to build the Uprising’s profile and attract more members, so well done, Rufus.”

  “Um, thanks,” he answered with uncertainty.

  “Yeah, good job,” I added, “We have a clear plan, so all’s good.”

  “If that's everything, we should get on with sorting out our crew numbers and getting moving. We’ve sat here long enough,” Ember said, pushing things along.

  “Ah, just one more thing,” Astrid said, sheepishly.

  “Yes, Astrid?” My curiosity piqued.

  “We're in a really dangerous position out here; outnumbered and outgunned. I could do with your help.”

  “What the fuck are you talking about, Astrid?” Ember answered. “We’re helping you!”

  I noticed Rufus had perked up and was looking extremely interested in what Astrid was asking for.

  Astrid’s face clouded in anger. “I want to fucking transcend!” she shouted, taking us all by surprise. I don't think I'd ever heard her swear.

  “I don't know how you both did it, but I'm begging you to show me. I worked under Ogun for so long and never felt like I was getting any closer, like he was almost hiding the secret from me… us. But he's gone now, and our people need to become stronger. Can you teach me?”

  She was so desperate, and I could tell Rufus was begging to ask the same question too, only the intensity of the situation held him back.

  I looked at Ember, who looked at me. We both had stern expressions on our faces. She winked at me on the side that couldn't be seen by the video screen, then turned back. “I’m really sorry,” she said to the desperate Astrid, “we think it's just too much power for you.”

  “What?” Astrid said in deflated disbelief, “But…”

  “I mean, what if your head explodes?” I jumped in before she could say any more, a serious expression on my face. “It can happen you know.”

  Rufus had a downcast expression now, “Really? How?”

  “Ha, ha! Your fucking faces,” Ember laughed, “Of course we’ll help you to transcend!”

  “Ideally, we want all the humans with us to transcend, if they can,” I added, laughing along.

  “You pair of shitheads,” Astrid huffed, but she had a wry smile, too, “I'll be coming over when we ferry crew around between the ships, so prepare yourselves.”

  “Yes, sir,” I said, saluting Astrid, who just beamed.

  “I'll come as well?” Rufus said, but phrased it as a question.

  “Of course, mate. Hopefully, what I did with Ember will work for you guys. If it does, you can try to transcend the rest of the crew on your ships, if you think they’re ready.”

  “Start with those who achieved the highest level in Anatoli though, and work your way down through the ranks,” Ember added. “From what Ogun indicated to us in the past, we don't even know if someone who made it to level 21 would be able to transcend. We don't want to lose anyone by being over eager.”

  “That makes sense,” Astrid replied, regaining her usual composed demeanor.

  “Okay then guys. It’ll be nice to meet face-to-face again when you come over. See you all soon,” I said with a wave. Unfortunately, I didn't know how to turn the damn thing off. We sat there awkwardly for a few seconds longer, waiting while Elyek broke the link.

  After the meeting we went to find Acclo and Koparr. It wasn’t hard. They were both on the bridge as usual, Acclo scrolling through a data pad, Koparr o
n the shooting simulation.

  “Acclo, Koparr, a word please!” I shouted over. There was a lot of chatter on the bridge, it reminded me almost of a diner’s atmosphere, and more than a few people had a coffee with them. The Uprising even provided coffee holders at the various workstations. Now there's something you don't see in the sci-fi movies.

  “Yes, Captain!” they replied loudly, coming straight over.

  “I need you to speak to the other Torax and Veiletians onboard and offer them the opportunity to work on the other ships. We're spreading everyone around a bit, so we’ve got more multi-skilled crews on board all ships.”

  “Yes, of course. Leave it to me. I will speak to the Veiletians and I will coordinate with Elyek to arrange the transfers.”

  “Acclo, you’re a star,” I patted them on the shoulder with a small bow. They left to continue their tasks. I looked to the still silent Koparr. “Everything okay, dude?”

  “This may be difficult. We should find Calparr first. He’s training the men. He’ll be better equipped to deliver the news, or at the very least, keep them all in line should they start complaining.”

  “What? You don't think I can keep them in line?”

  “Nah, Captain. You're too nice,” he replied, then added, “Except when you're not.”

  “I don't even know what that means, Koparr.”

  A smile was all I received in answer. We found Calparr training in the gym with four other Torax. “Hey, Cal,” Koparr shouted.

  He stopped what he was doing and walked over to us. “What can I do for you two?”

  I sighed inside a little, having to go through it again. “I want to spread out the Torax and Veiletians across the three ships, and I also want to bring more humans on to the Uprising. We all have vastly different skill-sets and abilities. I think we’ll work better together if we mix ourselves up a bit. Can you help out by asking anyone if they’re interested?”

  “No. I can’t help with that, but I can help with the problem.”

  Koparr laughed. “Yeah, Calparr. Whatever you think best.”

  “I don't get it?” I said, baffled. “What are we talking about here?”

  Calparr explained: “Our people will not choose to leave here, they’ve no reason to go. They’re happy, comfortable and fought in two space battles and survived. However, what you’re proposing is to spread our abilities and expertise among the ships of the Uprising. Therefore, it’s not a matter of if they want it, it is a matter of telling them they will go!”

  “Hey Calparr, I don't wanna force people to do things they don't want to do.”

  “You are not forcing anyone, Captain Shaun. You’re giving the soldiers of the Uprising an order to go and serve on another vessel for the betterment of us all. If you intend to conquer the galaxy, you must learn to make these decisions.”

  I groaned. “I don't actually want to conquer the galaxy. I just want to right the balance a little. Even so, I suppose you're right.”

  “Yes, I am,” Calparr said.

  “Yes, he is,” agreed Koparr.

  “Okay. Fuck it then! Calparr, Koparr, you pair of wankers. Will you pick balanced teams of Torax for each ship please? And I think I'm just gonna delegate this task outright, because I'm sick of you smart-arsed fuckers.”

  They both started to laugh at me. “Of course, Captain,” they said almost in unison.

  “One more thing, Captain,” Calparr added. “I’ll lead a group on one of the other ships. Koparr is more than capable of taking my place here. We’ll need training and knowledge of the command structure on both the Thoth and the Seshat.”

  “Really? But I was just getting to like you, Calparr,” I said, jokingly.

  “You can still get to like me, Captain. Give me a call if you ever need advice on leading men again.”

  “I’m sure you weren’t this much of a prick when we were on that fucking moon!”

  “I’m growing into my role, Captain,” he said with a smug expression.

  “I'll be sorry to see you go, Calparr. But I won't lie, I'll be glad to know you're looking out for our crew on whichever ship you go to.”

  “Everything will be fine, just as long as we receive the same treatment and respect we have here.”

  “Of course. You will. I’ll tell you the same thing I told Acclo: if there’s any discrimination, let me know directly as soon as you can. I’ll make sure I’ve a direct link with you, so any problems that come up can be dealt with quickly.”

  “That is enough for me. I have trust in you at least, Captain, and Ember of course. I believe with all my heart that you would protect our best interests. It is an honor to serve under you.” Then he bowed.

  I didn’t have a clue what the fuck to do, so I patted him on the back. “It’s an honor to have you with us, Calparr. I feel really blessed. Now, I’m gonna fuck off before this gets weird. I'll see you before you go, Calparr.”

  I extracted myself from the gym and went to have a shower. I didn't need one, but I could really do with the stress release before we started shipping people around.

  C15

  Sharing is Caring

  After my shower, I found Ember chilling on the bed. She was talking to Acclo and Calparr.

  I was not expecting company after my beautiful, hour-long shower. My suit was on the bed. Ember was half lying on it. By the smirk she gave me, she knew it, too. I poked my head out the bathroom door, said hello to the two guests, then said to Ember, “Hi, dear. Would you pass me my clothes, please?”

  With a wry grin, she threw my suit at me and continued talking. I quickly got dressed and went out to join them. “Ah! The hide and seek champion 2025 has finally joined us,” Ember declared. “While you’ve been hiding in there, all transport between the ships has been arranged. That crew that’ll be transferring has been finalized.”

  “Cool, cool. So, when’s everyone moving?”

  “We can do it straight away. We only need to anchor the ships together. If we do this, we can fire our outward-facing weapons, but otherwise we’ll be sitting ducks for an hour or so. For some weird fucking reason we decided to wait to run it by you.”

  “Oh, right. What do you guys all think? Anchor, or wait until we can land?”

  “Anchor. We’ll be more vulnerable on a planet,” Calparr said.

  “Agreed,” Acclo added.

  Ember looked up at me from the bed, “I’ll bow down to the man who had 5 out of 1000 Wisdom not so long ago for his answer. Because I know he’s got a hidden jammy-bastard stat somewhere that's at 1000.”

  “Very funny, Ember. I'll bow down to the knowledge of my trusted advisors. Let's shake this shit up.”

  Acclo spoke into a comm on their wrist. “Commence anchors!”

  And that was it. Everything went like a well-oiled machine, and I had to do sweet fuck all, other than say, ‘Yes, we’ll do anchors’. I could get used to this kind of life. I then cursed myself for even thinking that thought: Sod’s law states everything is due to go horribly wrong any second now.

  Calparr left to get his men ready, while we made our way to the bridge – more for appearances than anything else. We waited for the people to start flowing between ships before moving to the room next to the loading bay. It was going to be a bit of a fart on, in all honesty. The landing craft shuttles could only handle eight people at a time. It must have looked flippin’ mental to any ships driving by.

  I didn’t actually know which humans were coming. But two things surprised me as they arrived. The first was that they were all wearing fancy green suits with black and gold detail. I had to admit that I liked them a lot, and they set us apart from the Fystr.

  The second thing that surprised me was the arrival of Roger, formerly known as Thor, on the Uprising. My interest was insatiable, so I walked up to the big man. “I’ve just gotta know why?” I asked.

  He shrugged. “Hey man. You may not realize this, but there are only so many times someone can kick your arse and prove you wrong before you have a choice to
make. I could easily hate you for embarrassing me, repeatedly. Especially when you suddenly reappear from the fucking grave in an amazing ship full of OP aliens. Oh, and a ton of money. Or I could give in to the fact that you're actually an impressive guy. I could learn a lot from you.” He went red when he said it; nonetheless, he seemed sincere.

  “Well, I'm glad to have you here if you want to be here. It's gonna be an intense undertaking building Uprising up.”

  “We’ll do it. With you leading us, I'm sure we will. Ogun did a lot for us, but he really let us all down when he left, you know? Lucky for us, you came along when you did, 'cause we were dying on our asses out there.”

  “Thanks, dude. I hope that’s what I’ve done. Get settled into your room and get yourself some food from the FSU. It's much better than the Thoth’s: everything tastes awesome,” I nodded.

  “Really?” He beamed and wandered off.

  Gus and Mick’s arrival was a real moment: we’d bonded a lot with these two in our short time together. A massive group hug ensued with Ember, me and the two men. No one else was invited to the hug; we had been through some shit together.

  “Sorry we left you. We didn’t feel like we’d any choice at the time. Looking back on it, we were wrong. We should’ve stayed.”

  “Hey, guys. You did what you could. If I blame anyone, it’s Ogun.”

  “Don’t be too hard on him, Shaun. He took losing you both really hard. I genuinely think he may have left to go find you both, or at least confirm if you were dead,” Mick replied.

  “Let's not get into it again. I'll take your word for it, and I do feel kinda bad for talking shit about him. Plus, you did lead the Fystr away, so we were able to escape. I suppose I'll have to lessen my annoyance at being left behind.”

  “Well, you were certainly doing better than us when we met. So I think it may have been for the best that we split up for a bit, in a really fucked up kinda way,” Mick said.

  “Yeah, we did okay, I suppose,” I replied, strangely accepting his logic.

  “Shit and roses, Mick. Shit and roses! Cling on to this big, daft fucker and you’ll never go far wrong,” Ember chuckled.