Condition Evolution 3: A LitRPG / Gamelit Adventure

by Kevin Sinclair

  I saw the main security officer was standing next to Rufus, looking distraught but cowed. We all walked over to see how we could help, because so far, I was not hugely impressed with Rufus’s decision-making.

  “We’ll remove all the bodies,” Rufus was saying.

  “The place is ruined,” the security officer said, outraged. “I’ll get into so much trouble. This is a Galactic-Empire-sanctioned docking hanger. I’ll have to report everything that has happened, and I’ll be punished. No matter,” he whined. He was about five feet tall, with a body covered from head to toe in coarse, yellow hair, and he showed large, flat, white teeth when he grimaced.

  “What would it take to report none of this?” I asked.

  “I must report it. If anyone turns up and it's in this state, there’ll be even more trouble.”

  “We’ll fix it then,” I said, feeling a little irritation growing in me.

  “With what? My maintenance budget won't cover a fraction of this!”

  “So, how much do you need not to report it and get it fixed up?” I sighed. “For fuck’s sake, man. What I'm saying is, we give you money, you don’t report us, you don't get in trouble. You dig?”

  “Dig?”

  “Arrrggghhh!” I yelled in frustration. I was clearly on edge. “Give me a number and make it reasonable. Or, I can just kill you and deal with the next in command here.”

  “Urr… I’m not sure. It’s all a bit much today,” he stuttered. His body quivering in fear. I felt terrible, and really wished I hadn't just threatened to kill him.

  “I think 50,000 senlars will suffice for repairs,” Elyek said, helpfully.

  He stuttered again, “Urr… okay.”

  “Will that buy his silence and pay for the inconvenience, Elyek?”

  “Perhaps not. We can go to 80,000, but I wouldn't give more.”

  “How does that sound?” I asked the head security guard.

  “Y… yes…,” he stammered. “That's more than fair. Thank you, thank you. And, if you don't bring great warrior enemies along with you, come back any time. You’ll be honored guests!”

  “Sounds like a fair deal,” I said, turning away from him to talk to my friends. “I suppose now I’d better speak to the whole crew.”

  “Yes. That would be wise,” Elyek said. “I will arrange for everyone to gather.”

  “Thanks, do we have the names of who we lost yet Elyek?”

  “I will find out,” Elyek said, reaching for their comm. A few calls later, and I had the sickening list. Twenty-two people had died in total. Somehow only four from Uprising, not that it mattered which ship they were from. I recognized only one name on the list, and my stomach lurched. Janet! Poor, hopeful Janet. I’d only spoken to her the once but she appeared in my mind with crystal clarity. The bastards had killed Janet. I decided I would kill a Fystr in her honor, next time I came up against them.

  Ten minutes later, a weary crew stood in front of me, and I had to strengthen my backbone once more. “Well, everyone! That was a very unexpected visit from the Fystr. Being so far away from their territory, I honestly thought it’d be a long time before we saw them again. It appears even this far out they’re dogged in their pursuit. Hopefully, we won't be seeing them for a while.

  “The ships they’ve kindly left us look to be their finest advanced Hunter ships, which explains why they had the ability to catch up with us. But now we can use them to defend ourselves and become an even more formidable force!”

  The crowd cheered at that, and I was happy to pause for a few moments to get my words in order. Once the noise had died down, I continued. “What I want to say though, is that I’m so fucking proud of how you all handled yourselves. All that training and hard work you put in before today has really paid off. I don't think the Fystr knew what the hell to do with themselves. The combination of Torax, Veiletians and superhumans was truly amazing. I hope you all appreciate what everyone is bringing to the table. Everyone here today played their part in this victory.”

  Again, cheers and applause went up. Different races patted each other on their backs, some even hugged. It looked as though team bonding was going well. That made me even prouder than the victory. Ember moved closer and took my hand, squeezing tightly. I was feeling a little more buoyed now and forged on. “I also want you all to remember that this was 40 Fystr, and they still made it bloody hard for us. We lost nearly as many people as they did today, and I can't stand losing a single person. So we need to keep training, because one day we’ll be faced with thousands of Fystr arrayed against us”.

  “Millions,” Ember whispered behind me. What a knob.

  “And I don’t want to lose so many in the future. Now, everyone! We're going back on the ships, and I’ll make sure we respectfully mourn everyone we’ve lost. I just needed you all to know how proud I am of all of you!”

  A final, massive cheer went up again.

  I couldn’t have been prouder. We took horrible losses, but it was still a glorious victory.

  C19

  Lovers Tiff

  Once I walked away from the crowd my adrenaline must have fled me, because I went from feeling confident to feeling like a car wreck in seconds.

  As soon as I arrived on the ship, I headed straight to the shower. It was becoming my go-to hiding place when I didn't want to talk to anyone, including Ember. It was about the only place on the ship where I might not be interrupted. I needed desperately to level myself out and get my thoughts in order. No matter what I did though, I kept replaying the moment that the remaining Fystr – the ones I'd ordered Hwista to kill – dropped to the floor in pools of gushing blood. No matter what anyone said, that blood was on my hands. Don’t get me wrong, I didn't think I'd made the wrong decision, but I still felt dirtier than a tramp’s underpants from ordering the deed. I seriously hoped I’d never have to do it again – but deep down, I knew the likelihood was that I’d be in a similar position someday. Then I thought that I’d rather do it myself than put that responsibility on anyone else. After about half-an-hour of such thoughts, I realized that I was going round in circles. It wasn’t helping me at all.

  To escape, I went to my Cognition Room and began madly tackling the inventory. All the while the shower drummed into the back of my neck. Havok was uninvited, but showed up nonetheless. “Hey, Shaun. Would you like some music?”

  “No, Havok. I’d like for you to fuck off so I can be alone.”

  “What's wrong with you?” he asked, inquisitively. Though I reckoned he knew exactly why I was angry.

  “You bloody well know, Havok! You killed Heiliun when I told you not to!”

  “He needed to die, Shaun. I was happy to make that decision for you. You were too emotional, and I did tell you I'd protect you. Even from yourself.”

  “You crossed a fucking line, Havok, and I’m not happy about it. The fact that you don't see that is making me question a few things about our relationship.”

  “Well, tell me then Shaun. Explain what your problem is, because as I see it, all those Fystr are dead and would have been whether I was there or not. Only I made it easier and probably saved lives,” he said, almost smugly, and I wished he was a person so I could punch him.

  “No Havok, you shithead! I make those calls. When I told the crew not to fire on those last few Fystr, they did it. I showed mercy, and they threw it in my face. But if I have no compassion, then I am no better than a Fystr. I lead people, and they don’t want to see me losing my shit, killing everyone without remorse. A lot of these people have lived under the oppressive rule of compassionless assholes. They expect something better from me.

  “When you take control away from me like that, you make it look like I’ve no compassion. You affect how the people I’m leading see me and my choices. I can't have you do that! You’re either with me doing as I ask, or you're a fucking liability.”

  “After everything I've done for you!” Havok said, indignantly.

  “Yes, Havok. After everything you've done – and
you've done a lot, no doubt about it. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you. That doesn't mean I can have you making those calls for me. You were in my hands, and I said stop. You didn't stop.”

  “You're not getting it, Shaun, what I did…”

  “Get out, Havok. Now! I needed time to myself and you’ve interrupted that, again when I asked you not to. Just get out of my head. We’ll deal with this later when I’m not so emotionally charged.”

  He left and I sighed. Now, I couldn't even concentrate on cleaning. I punched the shelves with all my force, and they crumpled. Then I moved back into my normal state, under the drumming pressure of the shower. A piercing headache in my temple made me curse the stupid act of aggression inside my own mind. That might not have been the cause, but it probably was.

  When I came out of the shower, Ember was lying on the bed with her eyes closed. When I lay down next to her, they flew open in a flash. “Wow! You really upset Havok,” she stated. “He said you didn't want to use him anymore.”

  “No. I didn't. I just said he can't do things I tell him not to do when he’s in my hands.” I sighed and rolled to face her. “I told him to stop when Heiliun was mourning his wife. I knew he would have had to die eventually, but that’s not how I would’ve killed him. Havok didn't listen and carried on anyway. Fuck it, Ember. I can’t trust him if he’s gonna do shit like that.”

  “He really, genuinely loves you, Shaun. You need to talk to him. He’s beside himself.”

  “I will. Goddamn it. I don't need this shit.”

  “That's what being a leader is about. You can't just enjoy the sweet captain’s privileges without all the hassle that comes with it.”

  “Why not? You do.”

  She laughed. “Yeah, I do. But we’re not talking about me, are we Captain?”

  I growled, “Right. I’m gonna talk to him again.” I closed my eyes. I could feel her nestle into me and couldn't help but smile. That one little act of affection relaxed me more than an hour in the shower did.

  I let myself drift into Havok’s Mindscape. “Alright, you damned axe. Where are you hiding?”

  His form appeared before me; he looked sad. I don't know how, perhaps duller, smaller. It was hard to put my finger on, nonetheless I definitely got that impression.

  “Okay, dude. I love you, okay. You're like a brother, or something. But you have to think about how this shit looks, or just fucking listen to me. I know it doesn’t matter to you because you're a different kind of alive, or life-force… fuck, I don’t know. That guy gave up his life to mourn his wife. Yes, he was a dick. Yes, he would’ve had to die anyway, but I have to think about the way people die sometimes. What you did made me look like a vicious, uncaring shit, and that's not who I am. As much as I do want you by my side, you have to promise to stop if I ask you to in future.”

  He let out a long, sad sigh. “Okay Shaun, I'm sorry. Though I still don’t really understand, and I just want to freely slaughter all of our enemies. I accept that you have responsibilities, and I don’t want to hurt your ability to lead. So I promise it won't happen again. I’m going to do everything else I do on my own though to make sure we're safe. Just don't ever abandon me.”

  “I won't, dude. I definitely won’t. Just try to remember, I’m not a 4000-year-old, bloodthirsty axe, and I can’t afford to think like one.”

  “Ha, ha, ha!” Havok laughed. “That position is already taken!”

  “Okay dude. And seriously, aside from that, thank you so much for everything you do for us all. You’re amazing.” With that I left his Mindscape.

  Ember was still snuggled right in. Barely awake, she asked, “How'd it go?”

  “We’re good now, thanks. How are you doing by the way? We both survived this encounter unscathed, but damn, that was crazy back there.”

  “I’m good, and proud of you. It was a tough situation. You handled it well.”

  “We were lucky again, Ember. Our people fought bravely. We're still surprising them with our strengths and abilities. That's not gonna last forever. And as you kindly reminded me during my speech, there’s millions of fuckers after us.”

  “It's a big old universe. We can just keep hitting the bastards and running.”

  “Until they finally corner us.”

  “That's why we're trying to build an army, dipshit.”

  “I know, I know. I suppose we're training as hard as we can.”

  “Yeah. We’re doing everything we can, and we still have a fuck-ton of things to learn. Don't feel demoralized. We're gonna be good. Promise.”

  “Don't listen to me. Let's just keep doing what we’re doing.”

  “Exactly. Now, rest that crazy head of yours. It's been a shit-house of a day, and it’ll feel better tomorrow.”

  “Should I be sleeping? We’ve just left what was essentially a war zone. Will our crew not need me there?”

  “They need you fresh and sane. Not whatever you are now. You did a hell of a lot of the heavy lifting back there, too. So shut your eyes and get your ass to sleep.”

  I did as Ember commanded. Thoughts ran sprints in my mind, and I could see no way of getting to sleep; then it was morning.

  I took my time getting dressed. I was much calmer than the day before. I still had contrasting feelings on everything, but I was able to deal with it now. Ember got ready alongside me, and we chatted about the smaller things. It was a nice release.

  By the time we made it to the bridge, I was actually feeling pretty good. I took Havok with me. I thought he could probably do with the bonding time after our tiff.

  “Good morning, Captain, Ember,” Miraek said as we took our seats. “We’re around eight hours out from the relay station.”

  “That's quick. Have we picked anything up to be concerned about?” I said, somewhat relieved that it was Miraek flying and not Hwista; I didn’t know how I could look them in the eyes after the order I had given.

  “No, Captain,” Miraek answered, “everything looks as we would expect, although we are being extremely cautious. The Hunter ships have much faster propulsion engines than any of our bigger ships, so they are out scouting in front and at the rear. I hope we will have plenty of warning should anything untoward approach.”

  “That's a great use. Good to know we have that extra layer of security now. Any news on Ogun’s condition?”

  “No. I don't believe anyone is actively trying to revive him at the moment.”

  “No, of course not. Now is probably not the time,” I replied.

  Miraek nodded and concentrated on the terminal at the pilot’s station.

  “Sounds like everything’s okay. What are we gonna do about all the bodies? They deserve some kind of funeral, and I have no clue how to even begin organizing all of this.”

  “There's a Veiletian for that,” Ember smiled.

  “They might be asleep. I’ll wait until they show.”

  “Yeah, it was a tough day for everyone yesterday,” Ember replied.

  We sat on the bridge chatting to each other and the crew around us. Koparr was manning the weapons, and it was nice to catch up a bit with him. Just over an hour later, Acclo appeared on the bridge. They smiled when they saw Ember and me and came straight over.

  “Is there anything I can do for you, Captain, Ember?”

  “Hey, Acclo. Nice to see you. And, well, yeah, although I’m sorry for putting on you all of the time.”

  “Why? This is my place, and I feel completed by the position. Life in the enclave was like a prison for my mind. This opportunity has been a dream come true! So please, give me your problems, and if I can't solve them, I have an excellent network of crew members who can,” Acclo said, beaming.

  “Alrighty then. It's about some kind of cross-ship memorial for those we’ve lost in the battle. We also need a way to dispose of the bodies respectfully and honor their bravery.” Janet popped into my head unbidden, and the image hit me hard; she now represented everyone we lost, everyone who I barely knew, but who had a full and in
tricate life all the same. I struggled to return to what Acclo was saying, even though they were answering my question.

  “… and we have the cross-ship memorial service arranged for later today, in four hours and 20 minutes. The main question is, how would we do it? There are options on all the ships for recycling of the bodies. They could feed the FSU, water supplies and even atmospheric units. However, Captain Astrid seemed aghast at this notion. I checked with a few other humans, and it seems this is a standard human response.”

  “Yup, definitely not doing that,” Ember said from my side.

  “Too close to cannibalism. Very taboo with humans, generally.”

  “That is fine. I am happy to abide by people’s customs. Nonetheless, in the interests of free beliefs, we as Veiletians would be honored to be recycled in this way. It would be fitting for us to know that we had helped sustain and even become part of that which we gave our lives for.”

  “You’re damn right too, Acclo! And I 100% agree with you. But we humans can be rigid with our views. What other options do you have for us?”

  “The Torax bury their dead, as they don’t burn very well, but we don't have burial procedures. Also, on this occasion no Torax died, so that’s a null point.”

  “Can we direct the recycling to other things? Just not the FSU or water?” Ember asked.

  “I am unsure, but I will check,” Acclo said, pulling out their comm. “Gus? It’s Acclo.”

  Gus’s voice replied: he sounded a little sleepy. “Hey Acclo, what can I do for you?”

  “Can we reroute the recycling units so our deceased don’t pass freely into the FSU or water supply?”

  “Sure. I don’t know if there’s that option, but there will be in an hour. You can count on it.”

  “Thank you, Gus. Helpful as always.”

  “No problem,” Gus replied, and his comm disconnected.

  “So Captain, everything is arranged. Is there anything else I can help with?”

  “No thanks, Acclo. You’ve done everything I could’ve hoped for.”