I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to reform my expectations. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.”
I opened my eyes and stared at him. “We only knew each other for a few days in a game, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Why is it that you’re so concerned for me now? Why the special treatment? I can guarantee you didn’t do any of this for the others.”
His green eyes glimmered. “Once you see the galaxy, you realize that connections like this between two people are more precious than any rare gem. I’ve seen you as you really are, and I don’t want to lose that.”
“I don’t understand what you mean by how I really am.”
“Don’t worry, you will soon.”
Chapter 14 – Elio
I watched them all leave the game with pride. I knew that they would be suited well to the overarching goals, I just hoped they’d be ready for round two when they actually met the Gentorix. I was disappointed with Ariocha’s difficulty in accepting the truth about the purpose for the game which likely stemmed from her narrow understanding about the original reason for creating it the first time. I knew she’d be hard to handle and would likely end up being nothing more than a desk jockey for the regiment which was disappointing when I knew she had a much greater potential.
I wondered if my father would accept me when I left the game and if Willow was really waiting for me. It had been a shock that she’d been a part of the group trying to ready society for the changes to our abilities instead of supporting the groups that sought peace with the Gentorix. Her message had snapped me out of the fantasy I’d built over the last several years while my mind tried to heal and reconnect with my body. I’d been in the game far too long and hadn’t realized it until now. Seeing her honey colored eyes and soft pink lips reminded me of what I’d given up to be a part of my father’s experiments.
Dr. Owen Atlas was a recklessly ambitious animal that had sacrificed his children for the cause. I remembered when he’d become an Excisionist and laid out the plans for a strong future society who’s grasp extended far beyond the stars. It began with a plan to rid society of the undesirables walking among us bringing an end to genetic weaknesses that would be the eventual downfall of the entire human race. His research had led him to identify a set of SNP’s and sequences on three chromosomes that indicated nucleotide stability and thereby genetic superiority. His colleagues had developed devices that would both better society and remove those who were of no consequence. His contributions, however, would have a much greater impact on individual members than anyone else could have anticipated, and I was one of those individuals.
I remembered the tests we’d been put through to see if we were fit for battle and could lead the Excisionists to victory over all nations and people. They’d been assisted by some unseen force to rise to power in a remarkably short time, and immediately after the construction of the first compound I’d been introduced to Vidar. As the leader of the Gentorix, he was their representative that was asking for our help to rid their planet of the Eydis. The dark eyed creatures were a parasitic species that had invaded Zerkola, and this event and place was what my planet had been modeled after. Owen had taken genetic research on the inhabitants of the compounds to a new level while they lived and worked without their knowledge. He also helped identify those who were best suited for the variety of jobs which included the elite regiment soldiers and silver suited high-level analytics members.
It turned out that Owen used me and my sister to model the prototype for the Omega Wave Interceptor Device to the rest of society. He’d received accolades for his invention but after some time passed, he regretted altering my personality with it. Although it would be fine to modify the lower members of society, he missed his children’s vibrancy and vowed to get us back. Against the advice of the Excisionists who’d put him in charge of the project he removed the devices. Despite his confidence in his abilities after deep research into the removal process, a part of my brain was damaged beyond repair and my sister passed within a few days of losing her device.
Owen was deeply grieved with the loss and designed a game to hook into my brain to prevent me from suffering the same fate as my sister. My first recollection of the game was a being inside a gray sphere and allowed me to solve simple puzzles to map the active regions of my brain. When I was proficient in these simple games, I was taught to modify my environment and eventually morphed into me manipulating matter to create planets and objectives to increase my abilities. My father had visited me almost daily while I was building the game and reclaiming my personality, but one day something changed, and he abruptly left never to return.
I didn’t know whether he had become different or if it was something I’d done. I was angry and lonely by myself. At some point there were three others who were hooked into the game that I absorbed into my plan. In retaliation for being left alone, I began modifications to transform the surface of Zerkola to please myself and turned everyone into my own personal slaves including those he’d sent for me to befriend. Eventually, I lost myself in the role I’d created and would have stayed in the game indefinitely, but I realized that I kept seeing the same visitors that shifted roles which caused me to question my reality. For nearly a year, I’d begun to realize that something was wrong with my surroundings, but it wasn’t until Ariocha came that I remembered my former existence and understood myself once again.
By now I knew I’d never exist in my human form again, but with the recent developments and construction of the sheaths I now had hope of leaving this false world behind. The transition from my shadow of Zerkola inside a constructed reality into something mechanical was both exhilarating and terrifying. Ariocha had tried to keep me inside the game with her but my desire to see Willow overcame my desire to control the players and stay inside the system despite her presence there. It was she who had worked with Dr. Sonnet to design my sheath and prepare me for the transition and I didn’t know why she wouldn’t want to be there to see my liberation from this artificial construct.
I knew the sheath would be different than living inside a body of flesh and blood, but I’d be less vulnerable than the rest of society and the suit would have definite compensatory additions. The only organ I’d retain in the new body would be my brain which would likely be the both the greatest asset and the weakest point. I readied myself to exit the game and after watching the members of the Delphian Sect walk through the door back into reality it was finally my turn. I’d left the three members of my staff who were not NPC’s in charge and told them to watch over Ariocha until I returned to retrieve her.
My heart pounded as I stood at the sapphire door and placed my hand in the center. The once solid surface rippled into a waterfall and I stepped through it. My eyes opened to see Dr. Sonnet and another doctor hovering near me as I sat on a chair. I lifted my hand and watched with intrigue and amusement as the smoky blue fingers flexed and moved revealing black connectors with an alien blue glow. I sat up and inspected the rest of the mechanical wonder I’d call home for the rest of my life. Exhilaration with being connected to something tangible once again flooded my brain. I moved the pieces of my body in ways I’d never imagined being able to with a humanoid body I’d anticipated being in. This body was vastly different and there were dozens of configurations I could adjust my individual parts into. It was amazingly freeing to be able to change my configuration and appearance at will.
I turned to Dr. Sonnet and saw a faint smile on her face. “Hand me a mirror.”
She turned and pushed a few buttons causing the wall behind us to open and reveal a reflective surface. I stood to take in the full design. The sheath’s helmet that protected my head resembled a skull with an elongated upper jaw that was lacking the lower one. My forehead was elevated and decorated with spines protruding in symmetrical twisted shapes. I could feel every piece of the suit as if it were my own skin and bones. I use the synthetic muscles in my head to split the helmet in two and pushed
the pieces back inside my sheath. The face revealed was only semi-human. They’d successfully replicated some of my features, but the eyes were vastly different and alien. I could see countless data points as I analyzed the world around me. This body made me feel powerful and limitless.
She admired my form. “Do you like the design?”
I twisted and turned to see how it responded. “It’s awesome. I couldn’t have imagined a better one.”
“Good, because it’s your job to convince the rest of the players to upgrade themselves into something more useful. However, your sheath is unlike any other. You will have access to the individual units the others will be using. That gives you control over their positions and you can instruct them on what to do.”
I stretched and flexed to get comfortable with a variety of movements. “You mean I’m their leader?”
Her pale blue eyes sparkled with excitement. “Yes. Vidar is waiting on a ship near Sky Outpost. He will instruct you how to train the others on integrating with their systems. You will be the first influx of soldiers that will rid Zerkola of the Eydis and Oroans. Saltigue Atlas will be so proud.”
I clenched my fists and then relaxed them. “Where’s Willow?”
Her eyes shot over to the second doctor in the room. “There will be time for that later. For now, we need you to prepare for transfer to the Sky Outpost.”
“No. I will see Willow first. You also need to find a way to convince Ariocha to leave the game.”
The younger male doctor interjected. “That will be quite difficult and will take some time. You must be patient.”
Dr. Sonnet agreed. “We need to run some tests on you and then we will take you to Willow.”
I knew they were stalling. “What kinds of tests?”
“Systems checks, agility tests, personality questionnaires, neural scans…it’s a long list. We must be sure you are accepting this integration with the sheath well to prevent any unforeseen consequences.”
I did a quick systems check. “There’s nothing of concern and I’m not wasting more time here.”
She approached and put her hand on my arm. “You’re the first of your kind, there’s much to be learned about–”
I pushed her back and grabbed her by the neck. “Open the door so I don’t have to break it down.”
Her eyes widened, and the young doctor reached for something. I split my arm in two, slammed him to the floor with one piece, and picked up the item he was reaching for with the other.
I inspected the small black device. “Let me guess, this is a kill switch for me.”
Her tone wasn’t convincing. “We wouldn’t do that to you.”
An internal scan located the control device that had been implanted deep inside my brain. “What you may not have realized was just how powerful the sheath is that you gave to me.”
I analyzed the makeup of my skull and could see exactly how to remove the device without causing any tissue damage despite their best efforts to place it where it couldn’t be removed. At that moment I realized that the suit could liquify into any configuration. I opened up a tiny hole in the skullcap and slid a sliver of the suit around the pathway of cells in my brain to reach the implant. Piece by piece the chip was deconstructed and lifted from my tissue. After a short time, the entire foreign object had been removed. I crushed the remains and considered whether to keep them alive or destroy both of them. I no longer needed any of them and I could see Dr. Sonnet’s sudden realization of this same fact which filled me with glee. Fear permeated her being. I could smell it.
“Please…”
I pulled her closer to my face and flashed my eyes to intimidate her. “Take me to Willow.”
She nodded. “Anything you wish.”
I dropped my hands and reconfigured into a more humanlike form as to not frighten Willow. I pushed her forward and watched her slide her hand against the panel on the door. It slid open and we walked out into the corridor.
“I need some clothing.”
She pointed to a doorway halfway down the hall. “We keep uniforms and other clothing there.”
She walked briskly to the door and opened it with trembling hands.
“Grab something.”
She quickly did as she was told. I threw the sable cloak around my shoulders and followed her to another area in the compound. I could see the energy signatures from every living thing inside the building and recognized the one that belonged to Willow. The door opened to reveal Willow lying on an exam table with electrodes hooked to multiple points up and down her body. I approached and stood next to her as I took her hand in mine. She was thin and pale with large dark circles under her soft honey colored eyes.
“Willow, it’s me Elio.”
She smiled weakly with pain in her eyes. “I’ve missed you.”
The cancer deep in her bones registered as dark purple and gray blotches. “I can see you are suffering. Are you ready to transition as I have?”
She nodded. “I am told I must wait until the sheath has been prepared.”
My eyes shot over to Dr. Sonnet. “What’s the holdup?”
“I was told we’re waiting for the arrival of more dysprosium and tantalum. But they should be here in the next few days.”
Based on the information on her readouts, I knew she didn’t have much time left. “What kind of transports do we have?”
She still seemed nervous. “That depends on how far you need to go.”
I narrowed my eyes to let her know I meant business. “You know just as well as I do how far I must go. What’s the fastest one that’s available?”
“I would recommend a skimmer. It can fly over water or land as well as being able to withstand underwater pressures of up to eleven thousand meters.”
“Take me to one.” I gently laid her hand back on the table. “I’ll return soon and then you can be free from this pain.”
She smiled again. “Thank you.”
We left the room and traveled briskly through the maze of hallways to get to the level where the transport devices were stored. After living in a game for so long, reality was less than ideal but at least the skimmers seemed familiar. They were rounded pods with molded wings and a silvery exterior. A doorway melted open and I seated myself inside.
Before the door closed, I made one last comment to Dr. Sonnet. “She better be alive when I return, or you won’t be for long.”
Her pale eyes filled with increasing fear and she responded only with a single nod.
The controls were fairly simple and the skimmer moved fast. I knew I’d be able to return before nightfall from both mines if I kept the pace up and made my stays short. The first mine that was nearly thirty minutes away by skimmer would have taken most of the day to get to by car. Dark earth was cast up into towering mounds and the entryway was dark. The pod barely fit inside the perfectly circular mineshaft that had been dug by worker drones. Although it had been only ten years since my entry into the game, society had made great strides toward cutting-edge ideas that were once considered unreachable. I wondered how much technology had been advanced by the introduction to the Gentorix and how long we had been cooperating with their species.
As I used my sheath to retrieve the necessary elements, I kept thinking of how many parts of the game might be based on reality. There were so many possibilities and I was somewhat nervous to meet an alien species. Did they look like the did in the game? Had I been communicating with Vidar during the game or was he really an NPC programmed by the Excisionists to normalize his presence? What was their agenda? Why would they want to interact with seemingly primitive humans?
My thoughts kept swirling along with an urgency to return to the compound with the newly mined elements. The second mine was on a different continent which meant I had more than enough time to overanalyze the situation and figure out a plan. Unlike my sweet Willow, Ariocha was so stubborn and manipulative that I didn’t know if I’d be able to get her out. I could just leave her there. Would it be so bad to
be without her again? Maybe I could reprogram the game and change her personality to make her more pleasant and compliant. Would she be loyal to me if I convinced her to merge with a sheath or would she be better off with implants and upgrades instead? Why would the Gentorix really need our help if they are superior to us? What could they possibly gain by giving us so much? What would they expect in return?
By the time I returned to the compound, it was dusk. I scanned the compound to see if they’d moved Willow or made any changes I’d have to anticipate and react to. Luckily, her energy signature, while weak, was still present in the same location. I bounded up the hallway and into the room to see how she was. They had moved her from the exam table to a soft hospital bed but hadn’t removed any of the wires. A small I.V. filled with pale pink fluid was piggybacked into a large bag of saline solution. Her eyes were closed but she was still breathing.
I held out a box containing the mined elements. “You’ve got one hour to get her transferred to her new body.”
The Excisionists: Book 1 Page 31