by Dawn Chapman
INTERNAL TO KYLE
I would like to talk with Alek alone. Would you allow it?
The little box flashed up with a Y/N in it.
I hesitated. One computer AI wanting to talk to me was one thing, but to a creator? I wanted to listen in.
I couldn’t, though. I clicked the accept.
Place your arm near the keyboard, a voice said inside my ear. I complied. A small section of skin slid open, and a wire came out all by itself.
Alek didn’t flinch, however, when it attached to his computer, his eyes flashed, and I could see one long sequence of code being delivered, almost like my internal was uploading something to his memories.
He didn’t speak, but he did smile. Then he looked at me. “You have something none of us do.” I watched as his eyes misted over. “You have someone else with you. Always with you.”
“What do you mean?” But it already made sense to me. I didn’t need to hear it. The internal computer inside me, the AI that I thought had just been something to help was a person.
I swallowed and my stomach churned. Were you ever going to tell me?
It was like I felt the mental shrug. I have a job to do, Kyle. I run your systems, the denti. I help your nanites. I wanted to do the best I could at my job. You’re part of it. I happen to not want to talk much.
No, I happened not to be friendly enough. I’m sorry. I didn’t know there were two of you, the nanite leader and you. I’m sorry.
I wasn’t sure if the voice was male or female. Not that it mattered. But no sooner had I thought that then I felt the tone change. Don’t go getting all kinds of weird fantasies about a girl in your head. I was born a dude, if that helps. My name is irrelevant, but if you need it, it’s Hiroto.
I laughed. So, Hiroto are you why things are different in here for me?
The mental shrug that came with his words felt so strange. I have an added bonus that you can level faster than anyone else has. But as for the changes when you respawned, I believe that’s down to the denti body we were downloaded into.
Alek disturbed my train of thought as he finished what he was doing and pulled away, standing. “Think you can see enough to get around?”
I moved my arm, and the wire vanished into my skin. “I’ll try.”
I pushed myself up, my legs and arms feeling heavy. I didn’t mind that, though. I felt whole again. I moved towards the window, but he stopped me. “You might not want to see that just yet.”
“That bad?”
He motioned to the door. “Yeah, I don’t think you’re ready for public viewing just yet. You look a hell of a lot better than you did. But they’ll know what you’ve been through, so we need that—” I saw a blur as something waved towards my face that I could only assume was his hand, “—completely healed before you head back to Delta 81.”
“How long?”
“Enough time for you to come up with a story of where and what you’ve all been doing.”
I didn’t like making up stories. I sighed. “Will that work?” I asked as I wobbled towards him and out of that train car.
We walked down the carriage past a couple more trailers. I could see boxes and boxes of stuff.
“What are you doing here?” I asked him.
“This is from my last haul. When the denti are damaged, you die. They leave them for dust. It’s a fool-proof method in their eyes. The remains aren’t worth anything. They’re shells, nothing more.”
“So what are you doing with all the parts?”
“Slowly and surely I’m disconnecting them from the system. They’re fully functional on their own. They just need a brain.”
I cringed at his words, but technically that was what I was. Just the brain and memories to power the machine that was this body. As I thought that my legs gave way a little.
“You need some food and other bits. That will help you regenerate a lot quicker. Your nites are working extra hard at the moment repairing what they can for you.”
“Am glad I have them, then,” I replied, leaning on the wall.
He watched me carefully. “Do me a favour, don’t think your denti is anything normal, right?”
I nodded and had to ask the next question. “If you could make denti, could we operate totally outside Arndale and the game?”
“You don’t really understand what denti are, but yes, if I could make them, we could all operate outside their system.”
“I have a lot to learn.” I saw the look in his eye—there was more history here than I could get in one chat.
As for this denti being normal, well, all it felt at the moment was weak. I pushed off and followed him out into the next carriage. The others were all sitting, seemingly happy enough. Rytin was going over some papers, and everyone else was eating out of what looked like ration packs.
Reece smiled at me. “You look a lot better. Get what you needed out of him?”
Alek shook his head. “No, he has to go back.”
“This is my fault.” Nehi sat back, putting her food down.
“No, this just means things have moved forwards quicker than we wanted. This is on the system. It wants more from Kyle than we know or understand. We have to trust that it knows best.”
“It’s corrupt,” Rytin said. “It always has been giving favours to all the wrong people like the Jackals.”
Alek moved in and sat near Nehi. “No, I’ve never lied to you. You have done the best you could to build up everything I have here. You’ve seen it over the last few years. It may have seemed that the other teams got the best loot, the best missions. But what happened after that? You got to take most of these amazing items. Nothing in here came from misfortune. It was distraction tactics, nothing more.”
Rytin nodded. “You’re right. We need to split up, just sooner than we planned. Reece and Nehi will do as they were asked. They must move to Delta 44 start to gather support there. Derk and I are heading to command.”
I watched Derk’s face. His smile no longer seemed to drift my way, but he gritted his teeth and forced himself to look on point. “We have enough to survive on. There are many other sects and forces out there from the baseline. Just means we do need to rely on some truths passed to us.” He stared at Reece and his sister, and the animosity there was real.
“I won’t let you down again,” Nehi begged. “I promise. I’ll do anything I can to make it up to you guys.”
“Make it up to Kyle. He was the one who had to have his face cut off,” Reece said.
She looked at me, lowering her eyes. “Will you ever forgive me, trust me again?”
I considered what I would tell her, and I pointed to some of her weapons. “If you make my life a little easier by giving me those, I may learn to forgive you.” I tapped the side of my head.
“What?” Rytin asked as Nehi took off her shield, pistol, and dagger.
She slid them across the table to me.
“Hey, you worked damned hard for that!” Reece said to her as I picked up the shield.
FORCE 22 SHIELD CAN WITHSTAND MOST ASSAULT BLASTERS AT 50% AND ABOVE.
THEY WON’T EVEN KNOW YOU HAVE IT ON. SO THEY CAN TARGET YOU FIRST, SHOOT YOU, REALISE THEY CAN’T HURT YOU, AND YOU CAN RETALIATE BEFORE THEY EVEN KNOW IT!
LIGHTNING PISTOL – LEVEL 12!
YOU DO NOT HAVE THE REQUIRED LEVEL TO OPERATE THIS WEAPON. ERROR.
I laughed. My skill levels were higher than anything, but I still wasn’t a level where I could use a lot of things. Damn, this sucked. Cheater, but not. I sighed. I could sell it if I needed.
The dagger was nice too, light. I tested it in my hand before strapping it to my belt.
MOLAL DAGGER QUALITY – HIGH
WEIGHT – 2.1LB
STRAIGHT CUT AND SLIPPERY. WITH THIS IN YOUR HANDS, EXPECT TO CUT DEEP. + 10% CHANCE OF A HIT CUTTING THROUGH ARMOUR UP TO LEVEL 10.
I wasn’t following the bonuses very well. I just wanted her shield, really. That was some nice bit of kit she’d used out there.
; “What’s your real mission?” Rytin asked.
Once I pocketed them, I simply said, “My main quest is to watch Borix and Delta 81. To curb Tyto and Team Twenty-Four.”
I lied.
Rytin frowned. “The truth please, Kyle.”
“I’m trusting my gut,” Alek said. “But I am also telling you this, I saw it in the code on my computer.”
“You saw something else?” I asked raising an eyebrow. “The truth please,” Rytin repeated.
I recalled the words and the name of who had put them there and spoke them out. “Your death was a lie. Long- term storage is real. Brain in a box.”
Rytin’s fists balled. “Everything they ever said was a lie to us?”
I nodded. “They’ve been tricking people for years. They’ve been forcing people into servitude under false pretences, taking prisoners, killers, mindless people to feed the system. Those people, their memories, they are what’s been its backbone. They are what we hate. Now they’ve run out of fodder, they need more. That’s why they turned to the military, the forces, and sign ups. Do your friends and family a service, protect them now.” I looked to Nehi and Reece. “I am right, right?”
They both looked sick; I didn’t want to tell them the rest of it. But they needed to know. “Now they’re forcing kids into the program who have no future. Kids who fail core exams in society. That worked for a while, too. Until there was no one left at all. Only so many people can go missing in freak accidents. So they turned to faking exam results. Those like me. I’m not just an average kid, or gamer. I was top of my class in tech, engineering, and sciences. This system is more flawed than anyone knows, and I have to bring it down.”
“How did they know you were going to be forced into Arndale’s servitude?”
“I think they planned it right from the start.” I banged my fist on the wall, the wall vibrating on my hand. “Maybe my exam results tripped them up, something. I don’t know.”
“I would think so. This is staged.” Rytin moved away from me to lean on the wall. “All of it. I would go as much to say that you being here is pretty well-planned in general.”
I looked into myself, all the things that had happened in the last few years. Mom getting sick, dad out at all hours day and night, working as hard as he could to support us.
As the memories spun through me, I saw them slowly. All the pain, the heartache around us. Paul and Craig by my side, making sure that I got through it. The games, the fun. The funeral.
I’m sorry, man. Hiroto’s voice came through to me. I had no idea.
I wiped the tear away. I looked right at Nehi when I said it. “They’re going to pay, all of them.” Nehi flinched at my words, but she nodded. “It may take me a while to get to the levels I need. But you are all going to be integral to that, to my survival, and to everyone back home.”
Rytin coughed. “You have whatever you need from us, now and in the future. I’m sorry we can’t go back with you.”
Alek tapped the table before him and brought up a 3D computer screen. “This is my system. I’ll give you all access to it. It’s not been used for communication, but I think with some programming we can get it distributed through Arndale’s main communication line.”
I moved towards it and placed my hand on the table, the tiny wires snaking out once more.
HUMAN/MACHINE INTERFACE RANK 7 ACHIEVED!
I’ll take this, Hiroto said. You don’t need to worry. We’ll have the access we need. Everywhere.
It was the everywhere that got me thinking more. I wondered what kind of person he was to do all this. I couldn’t see him, feel his emotions. But he obviously saw everything that I was.
I kind of felt violated. Weird, but I actually needed friends right now.
Feeling suddenly so far from home with a huge mission to do.
The voice was almost a whisper this time. We are in this together.
Don’t worry. I will do everything I can to keep you alive and your memories intact.
Chapter Thirteen
I pushed all the thoughts aside and stared at the image on the table, watching while Hiroto got to work. The tiny electric wires that snaked out from my skin pushed a panel open on the table and entered it. That’s when I saw Hiroto really come to life. I got to watch him work in extreme detail. Time just seemed to pass us by. I saw the clock ticking, on and on.
“That’s fascinating,” Alek said in the end. “Thank you. Saved me a ton of work.”
“Thank Hiroto,” I said, acknowledging him.
You didn’t have to.
I know, but they need to know I am not just one person. I paused. Wait. I thought you weren’t chatty?
You’re growing on me, he said. Now shush. Let me work!
“Hiroto?” Nehi asked.
“He’s my internal assistant. Not quite the AI that we’re all used to having around.”
No, I’m better because I have all the functions of an AI too.
I smiled internally. I am glad for that advantage.
I heard him chuckle, and a green box flashed up.
WELCOME TO HOPENET. COMMAND FUNCTIONS ENCRYPTED AND FULLY FUNCTIONING.
JOIN Y/N
I clicked the Y and waited while things changed over inside my mind.
Me - Everyone hear me?
Rytin - Loud and clear.
Nehi - Yes!
Reece - All sounds good.
Alek - Fantastic work. Thank you, Hiroto.
Derk - All clear.
Hiroto - It is good to hear you all. I can be reached via this network wherever you are. But use it when you are only in dire needs. Not for open chatter.
I laughed. Still trying not to come off as chatty? Not working, buddy.
Dam’s broken.
The resounding understood was good to hear, and the little box vanished.
The train stopped.
“All out,” Alek said as the door slid open behind him.
I pushed all the thoughts around my head for those brief moments the others were picking up their gear, and Alek grabbed a bag. “The others will empty the carriages. I should get you in, introduce you to the others.”
“Others?” I asked.
As they disembarked from the train, that’s when I saw. People. There were people on the platform. Denti, obviously. But as I looked closer model numbers I’d not seen. Seemingly mods and other parts for them were found and rounded up above. But looking at them they were still people, nonetheless. So was he building denti? Was that even possible?
I knew it. The human race never gives up. I could almost see his smile.
You knew they would be here?
No, but we had hope.
Who is we?
Go. Greet them. They’ve been waiting for you. I will answer any questions you like later, okay?
Okay.
I took a step off the train. The light from globes around the open cavern stung my eyes. Then I watched as all eyes turned to us, and, more importantly, to me. I could have died. I didn’t like being in the spotlight at the best of times.
Taking tentative steps, still feeling woozy, I made my way forward, hoping my face wasn’t that scary.
Someone made their way out from the crowd, a smaller figure. Child, maybe? I wasn’t sure. The sex wasn’t obvious.
They came straight over to me and held out a hand. “I’m Keedo,” the soft voice said.
I took her hand and shook it gently. “Kyle.”
“Is your face sore?” I nodded, and she squeezed my hand. “I can help. I am the healer here.”
“Oh, wow. Anything you can do would be gratefully received.” She tugged me forward, and I followed.
The crowd around the platform moved as we joined them. Rytin shook hands with those he knew, and I watched Nehi hug and then kiss someone deeply. She had a lover, and there I was thinking she was flirting with me. I never had a chance, looking at the guy. I wasn’t sure if I was just pissed, or relieved. But I felt so many different emotions. All conflicting
. It was clear they were all good friends and possibly had been through a lot together.
I felt suddenly overwhelmed with the things I was expected to do.
Like a prophesied saviour who would come in and save them all. I didn’t know if I could, and I felt down about it.
Don’t.
I can’t help it. You’ve tasked me with something I don’t know is possible.
It is, and not just you. I’ve been working on this for many years, Kyle. You’re not alone, and you have many people backing this. I am just glad that we weren’t wrong, that all my years studying and training aren’t going to be for nothing.
That’s when I felt his emotion. The huge weight that lifted from him also lifted from me, and I finally saw something I thought I could believe. The truth.
Keedo led me through the crowd and all the shoulder pats and welcomes, the overwhelming faces. Rytin and the others were busy, and I tucked my head down and left them to it, wanting a little peace.
She took me to a small door, which I had to duck to enter, and once inside, she sat me down. “Alek did a good job. But he’s not me.”
She smiled and started to pull jars and more off the side of her storage units. Then she began to work them all into a bowl, grinding them carefully.
“There’s something here that the denti can use that the system can’t stop.” She held out a hand and I watched as something appeared at the end of a finger, a tiny blue flickering flame.
“Magic?”
“For those of us used to games, yes, it can be described as nothing other. We can harness it in here. Psionics, mana, whatever you wish to call it. But we can harness real magic, not the magic you’re programmed to think you have.”
“Oh, so my mana pool?”
“Non-existent,” she grinned. “Just a way to trick you to thinking there are limits.”
“So it’s pointless. Most of it?”
“It makes others think you have limits when you’re past that.” She smiled. “Sky’s the limit, and it’s an advantage.”