At least Jude appeared to be watching her surroundings carefully and holding her machine gun ready.
The team passed several rows of holographic images by the time they reached the middle of the room. The flashing scenes were distracting and made it hard to see what was going on beyond them, but Ethan tried to look past them and watch the rest of the room. He wasn’t too worried though. This didn’t seem like a dangerous area. Like Jude had suggested, it was probably a resting area before a boss. Those were common in Worldshift.
CHAPTER 31
TRUTH AND TREACHERY
Ethan was walking near the rear of the group with Lily. She’d trailed behind and he’d stayed with her. Glancing away from an image of drone cars driving down a busy street, Ethan looked up at his teammates. Jude was still in the front, while Kyle and Michael were behind her.
Crack! A surprisingly loud and completely unexpected sound shattered the air. The violent noise echoed in Ethan’s ears as he jumped and then Kyle staggered and fell.
The young player in red armor hit the ground hard. Instantly, all his teammates ducked and spun around to scan for enemies. Michael still had his stealth cloak on, and once he was behind cover, he summoned three small hover drones and sent them flying off to find their assailant.
“Aw, bloody hacks! This hurts like mad. I think I’ve been sniped.” Kyle moaned as he lay on the ground. “Why is it always me?”
Ethan crawled closer to help Kyle, using the bases of the nearby hologram projectors as cover, but he stopped when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
“No, stay here and be ready to move,” Lily told him. She had her stealth cloak back on.
“What?” Her plan didn’t make much sense to Ethan. Kyle needed help.
“Trust me,” Lily told him. Ethan did, so he shut up and nodded. She must know something he didn’t. She usually did.
Michael suddenly yelled a warning. “We have incoming! Four players, they’re trying to pincer us from both sides.”
Ethan could still feel Lily’s hand on his shoulder, so he stayed put.
Jude glanced their way and then moved to Michael’s side. “We should get ready to suppress their advance. I’ll help Michael with the ones coming from this side.”
“All right, we’ll take the ones from this side,” Lily told her.
Jude nodded in acknowledgement and lifted her weapon in preparation to open fire. Ethan could see very little from where he was crouched, but Lily seemed to want him to stay down.
“Come with me now,” Lily said as she grabbed his arm and pulled him away from the others.
Confused, Ethan quickly opened a private channel with her. “What? Where are we going?”
“There’s no time to explain. Take this.”
As Ethan was pulled behind another row of holograms, he took the item Lily was holding out. It was the third data key. Sudden anxiety filled him and he opened his mouth to ask her what was going on again.
That was when several things happened at once. Four players in dark armor leaped into sight. Two of them came from opposite directions to surround Michael and Jude. However, instead of opening fire, Jude swung her weapon around and shoved it in Michael’s face. Shocked, Ethan could only gape as Lily pushed him behind a holographic projector. He recognized the black armor. These were the players from the forest.
“Nobody move and nobody has to get hurt!” Jude announced as Michael raised his hands in surrender.
“You’re betraying us?” Kyle asked in horror. He sounded hurt, which was unsurprising since he’d just been shot.
The players in all black had now rushed in and taken complete control of Ethan’s old position. Ignoring Jude, they quickly disarmed Michael and Kyle. Michael took it calmly, but Kyle started swearing on an open channel. The players in black also appeared to have some bad news for Jude, who had yet to turn away from Michael.
“How?” Jude hissed in anger and glanced toward where Ethan and Lily had been crouching mere moments ago. “They were just there! That’s impossible. Our sniper would have seen them move.”
Jude seemed to quickly converse with one of the players in black on a private channel while two others ran to scan Ethan’s old position.
“Ethan and Lily, I know you’re still nearby. You couldn’t have gotten far!” Jude yelled. “If you try to run, I’ll simply shoot your allies. All we want is your data keys. Hand them over, and you’ll be free to go.”
There was a furious scowl on Ethan’s face as he tried to figure out what to do next. Things were moving too fast. However, Lily moved before him. She stood to face their attackers, and Ethan joined her. She was aiming her pistol straight at Jude with one hand, and in the other, she had a remote detonator.
“Make one wrong move, and I blow us all up,” Lily announced in a cold voice as the enemy players spun and pointed their weapons her way. “I stuck some powerful explosives behind these projectors.”
“You wouldn’t dare,” Jude seethed angrily.
Lily chuckled. “This is just a game, remember? I won’t really die, but you’ll lose a lot.”
“Fine, let’s talk. Hand over the keys and we’ll leave.”
Ethan couldn’t hold back his anger. “I don’t think so. You just betrayed us. How could I ever trust you? Besides, we need those keys to open the door, and why would you spare us once we were in your power? If you were willing to lie and betray us for the prize money, why wouldn’t you simply lie again and shoot us? That would be the logical thing for you to do.”
Much to Ethan’s surprise, his words caused Jude to laugh. “The prize money? You still think that’s what this is about? Ha, a measly ten million dollars! You must be the only person here who is aiming for that petty little distraction.”
Er, what? That wasn’t what Ethan had expected to hear.
“The money was just how Victor lured unsuspecting players like you into the game,” Jude stated. “The real prize of this contest is worth far more. Technology. The Tower of Ascendance is full of forbidden tech that works in the real world.”
“Why would you want something crazy dangerous like that?” Ethan remarked in shock. Was she telling the truth? He’d guessed something similar, but why would anyone set up a game like this? What was the point?
Jude’s voice became full of righteous anger. “For far too long, the government and its corporate masters have restricted technology in order to cement their control over the people. Resistance has been impossible. But with access to the weapons and manufacturing technology hidden in Worldshift, we will finally be able to truly fight for justice and overthrow the corrupt oligarchs that control the means of production.”
Slowly, as not to alarm anyone, Michael removed his combat helmet. Beneath it, he looked calm and collected as he turned toward Jude. “You’re a member of Red Revolution. I suspected as much, but I couldn’t be sure.”
Jude huffed in annoyance. “I knew you were more than you pretended to be. Who do you represent?”
“I’m an ally of yours, just from a different cell. I have the codes to prove it. Let me show you.”
Jude eyed him skeptically but nodded at one of the players in black, who stepped over to talk to Michael in private.
Ethan could only watch as he grew more frustrated. “What exactly is going on here?”
Jude laughed again. “Weren’t you paying attention to the messages in those keys of yours? No? Well, I’ll lay it out for you. Victor Crown, the head of Tekko, had this entire event created to secretly disseminate illegal technology to the masses. Most of the tools in the game can be built in real life using the company’s new 3-D printers. You just need the in-game item and the tower’s encryption key. Rumor has it that those three keys you and Lily have can be combined to create the encryption key.”
“Why would he ever do that?” Ethan asked suspiciously. That sounded like a crazy way to get anything done.
Jude shrugged. “The old corporatist’s conscience must have finally caught up to him after his daughter
’s death. Anyway, researching all the technology for this in secret required more resources than even Victor has. He had to make deals, so he approached people like us, the Liberators, and the Church of Transcendence. In return for our support, we’d each get an equal and fair chance of acquiring the technology he created, as long as we passed his tests. We had to prove ourselves to be dedicated and competent enough to use it correctly, and everything had to be done in a place where the government couldn’t spy on us. Even a hint of dangerous illegal technology would cause the Bureau of Economic Harmony to shut everything down and start arresting people.”
“So you actually think you’re going to overthrow the government using blasters from this game?” Ethan was beginning to understand that he was in way over his head. He was actually involved in a plot against the government! The police might have been right to arrest him. Ugh.
“Yes! The encryption key will give us the ability to mass produce weapons like my machine gun and armor anywhere and in complete secrecy. Not to mention we will have computers and hacking software far beyond what’s available to the government. Nothing they do will be able to prevent a people’s revolution!”
This all seemed too unreal to Ethan. They were technically still playing a video game at the moment. “You really want to seize the government? What would you even do with it?”
“I don’t have to tell you how unfair the world is. We’ve looked into you. I know you’re on economic support and stuck in a standard living unit. Don’t you want more from life? There are millions of people like you. When we overthrow the corrupt corporations, the riches of the automated economy will finally be available to the people, instead of hoarded by the corporations and the elite.”
Ethan had no idea what to do. Would handing over the key be the right thing to do? He was no fan of the elite and the corporations, but he doubted a violent revolution using illegal technology would be pleasant. He also wasn’t sure the new government would be better than the last if it was run by people like Jude. Finally, Ethan’s dissatisfaction in life had never come from being poor. He’d wanted purpose and a chance to prove himself. A revolution might offer that, but what about after? Once the illegal technology was out, Ethan doubted there would be more jobs available for the millions of unemployed. Most likely, there would be far less.
Giving Ethan time to think, Jude turned toward Lily. “We weren’t able to discover anything about you at all, but I’m willing to bet you’re no lost gamer who stumbled into this by accident.”
“Nothing is ever truly an accident,” Lily replied serenely, earning her a look from Ethan. Was she part of all this? Did he really know anything about her?
Michael coughed politely, as if he still didn’t have a player in black armor pointing a gun at him. “I was never able to investigate her at all either, and I put quite a lot of effort into the venture. That was the main reason I never revealed my own allegiance. She is a complete mystery, and I wanted to keep an eye on her.”
“Was everyone aware of this but me and Kyle?” Ethan asked in bewilderment.
Michael grinned. “Actually, Kyle is a member of the Church of Transcendence. They recruited him as an agent and sent him in after the keys as well.”
“Ow, sorry,” Kyle muttered from where he was lying on the floor.
“Er, no problem,” Ethan told him. It was hard to be mad at Kyle right now, and the Church thing made sense. There had been plenty of clues at the gamer café they’d visited.
Kyle apparently felt the need to explain himself though. “They’re actually a pretty swag group, and becoming a virtual god sounds pretty cool. I mean, all I do is visit their chatrooms and go to the occasional secret meeting. I’m still mostly just a normal gamer. I mean, a lot of pro-gamers are members.”
“And occasionally they plan to overthrow the government?”
“Er, no. I’m not here for the tech. Power isn’t what Victor promised us. We want to become AIs, to ascend to virtual godhood.”
Jude huffed dismissively. “An idiotic fantasy for losers. It has been tried over and over again. Self-aware AIs destroy themselves. That’s what always happens.”
“Indeed,” Michael said with a nod. “But enough on this pointless topic. I’d like to get some answers from the young Lily.”
“Oh, what do you want to know?” Lily replied.
“Hey, you’re in no position to be asking questions here, even if you do know some of the right codes,” Jude told Michael before the pair spoke privately. It was clear they didn’t trust each other.
Lily switched to a private channel with Ethan. “Get ready to run for the door. I’ll stay here and cover you.”
“What? I’m not leaving you. Also, I’m not sure running is the best idea,” Ethan told her. He was learning a lot from Jude and Michael, and he didn’t even know where the door led.
Ethan studied the players in black armor and Jude. They were standing about twenty feet away, and there was only a single row of holograms between them and him. Lily had her pistol pointed at Jude, and he had his aimed at the closest player in black. Jude was carrying her machine gun, and the enemy players had a mix of guns and energy weapons, including one familiar whip. Most of those weapons were aimed at Ethan and Lily now, except for the two covering Kyle and Michael. Ethan stared at the whip for a moment. He remembered how much damage it could do.
“You need to trust me. You’re in a dangerous position here. More than you know,” Lily explained urgently. “Helping Jude would make you an enemy of the government, but Red Revolution is more than capable of going after you and me in real life. The only way we come out of this in one piece is if we get some leverage.”
Ethan grimaced. Lily had a good point there. He hadn’t really considered the real-life consequences of all this. Could he really trust Lily though? She was enigmatic, and everyone else had been hiding an agenda. “Who do you work for?”
“I don’t work for anyone but myself. I’m your friend and I just want to help you, Ethan. I’m saying nothing but the absolute truth when I tell you that your only chance of survival is to make it to that door,” Lily told him in a gentle but firm voice.
Ethan believed her. It was probably stupid, but he did. Maybe he was still in shock, but he had to believe in someone. He gave Lily a nod of agreement.
“Hey, what are you two talking about?” the player with the whip asked as he stepped forward.
Ethan instantly pointed his gun right at the man’s helmeted head, but Lily let her weapon drop and made a placating stop gesture with her other hand. “Stop. We’ll surrender and hand over the keys.”
Jude looked over and smiled. “Good. I’m glad you’ve seen reason. Our cause is righteous, and you don’t want us as enemies.”
Ethan glanced at Lily uncertainly, and she quickly sent him a private message. “When I give the signal, run for the door and don’t look back. I’ll be fine. You can defeat the boss and reach the save point. I believe in you.”
What signal? Ethan frowned, but before he could ask for clarification, Lily spoke to Jude again.
“Here you go.” She held out her hand as if she were pulling something from her inventory. Instead of an item though, an orb of yellow light appeared and then exploded into a brilliant flash that washed over everyone, blinding them.
As Ethan shielded his eyes, he saw Lily briefly turn and shove a hand in his direction. Instantly, he was thrown backward and up into the air as a wave of force hit him. Surprised, Ethan could only try to orient himself in the air. Had Lily just used evoking? He’d never seen her use it before, but she was apparently very good at it. The wave of aether that had hit him had been more powerful and controlled than anything he could do.
Twisting in the air, Ethan activated his hookshot and stuck a line to the ceiling above him. When the cable went tight, he managed to stabilize himself and gain some control over his movement so that he was now swinging in the general direction of the door marked by the key symbols. Wow. Lily had thrown him over fifty
feet in a moment. Behind him, her light still burned with an intensity that hid everything nearby, but Ethan could see several shadows running around and heard gunshots from within it. He hoped she was all right.
Ethan couldn’t stay in the air. He was a target up here, and the light wouldn’t protect him long. So, as he reached the end of his swing, he detached his line and fell to the ground. As he landed and rolled across the steel floor, he focused on his mission. Lily had told him to reach the door, so that was what he was going to do. After jumping to his feet, Ethan sprinted toward the three glowing keys on the far wall.
A holographic screen to Ethan’s right suddenly exploded with a bang as an energy blast slammed into it. He glanced over his shoulder and saw a player in black with a pistol. The enemy was running after him, and as Ethan watched, the man used a burst from the jumpjet on his back to close some of the distance between them.
“Hacks,” Ethan swore as he swerved to put a row of projectors between them. As he ran, several more shots zipped past him. He was still at least thirty seconds from the door.
As the enemy moved to jump over projectors, Ethan reached for his quiver and threw a javelin at the man’s chest. The player in black simply raised an arm, and an energy shield popped into existence just in time to block the attack. The barrier glowed blue as the javelin was deflected to the side and then the enemy raised his pistol to shoot again.
“All right, new plan,” Ethan muttered as he leapt over another row of projectors. Once again, the enemy followed him.
That was fine with Ethan. He reached for his quiver and tossed another javelin at his pursuer. This time, with a flick of his wrist, he attached a line to the end of the javelin. As the projectile zoomed toward the man in black, it dragged the line behind it.
The enemy activated his energy shield to block the second javelin as well, but this time, the javelin didn’t bounce away. Instead, the short crystal spear stuck to the shield, and Ethan immediately cut the attached line and whipped it to the side. The force of his throw caused the line to whiz through the air and rotate around the javelin and its target. Thus, the spinning line made a whirring noise as it wrapped itself around the player in black and his shield. Caught off guard, he could only stumble backward as his upper body was immobilized.
Worldshift- Virtual Revolution Page 36