Aces High (Reality Benders Book #6) LitRPG Series

by Michael Atamanov

  “And by the way, you didn’t have to pester me with this question. Your former boss Gerd Ivan Lozovsky has long been aware of everything happening on Earth ever since he and I flew together to planet Shiharsa. Ivan supports my work fully and is doing everything in his power to keep Earth in the Geckho sphere of influence. Or at least as to see it handed off to new masters with as little bloodshed as possible.”

  Gerd Kosta Dykhsh’s communicator gave a beep, he listened to the incoming message and commented:

  “The guests are starting to miss us. Time to get back to the party. As for your main question...” the Geckho Diplomat fell silent and stroked his nose in thought. “I know, Leng Gnat that you have reached out to the Trillian royal dynasty, and that you’re also in communication with the Meleyephatian Horde and the Miyelonians. Well, you can tell them unofficially that the rights to your planet in this indefinite state will cost one billion three hundred twenty million crystals. If you can find a buyer, the Geckho would be happy to be rid of this suitcase with no handles — it’s become a burden. We will then transfer all the transport portals to the new masters and even explain how to extract two planets in antiphase into the real world at the moment your space synchronizes. Although to make that precise outcome occur, your alliance, or some other one bringing together factions of both alternative Earths must be in control of more than fifty percent of the game nodes on the planet. Otherwise, only one of the worlds will remain, the one with the most representation in the game that bends reality. And another thing...” the Viceroy stopped sharply and turned to me, “even if ownership is transferred, you’ll still have to provide troops for the Geckho draft! Kung Waid Shishish is not the least bit connected to the sale of Earth. He is a military leader and unaware of all these behind-the-scenes negotiations. So the fifty thousand soldiers Krong Daveyesh-Pir promised him for the Third Strike Fleet must be received in any case. They are of principal importance for us to have any chance in this war!”

  I nodded to show him that I understood. The Viceroy sighed with relief — evidently my amenability in this issue made him happy, and even caught him off guard. And my willingness to cooperate earned me another portion of information:

  “Gnat my friend, let me tell you a little secret that could help humanity in the war with the Meleyephatian Horde. The Commander of the Third Strike Fleet plans to send the human army to the comet Un-Tau.”

  Seeing that the name said nothing to me, the Viceroy gave a detailed explanation:

  “Un-Tau is bar-none the most important pilgrimage center for Meleyephatian religious leaders. Before the ceremony conferring high office, all their priests and theologists are obliged to undergo a purification ritual there, a location sacred to the Meleyephatians. The large icy comet is basically considered the origin point of all life in the Universe, although I can’t say I know that for sure. I don’t know the Meleyephatian religion very well. In any case, for Meleyephatians, Un-Tau is like Jerusalem or Mecca for your civilization, or Pa-lin-thu for the magocratic world. And the Miyelonians left the war in no small part because they seized their enemy’s holy site in a surprise attack and threatened to blow it up. And so, the idea of copying that attack, of course, was obvious. However,” the Diplomat breathed a heavy sigh, “the Horde quickly learns from its errors and is most likely prepared for things to go that way. I suspect there are now more Meleyephatian troops on Un-Tau than ever before, and the army of Earth will have a very difficult time. But in any case, you will tie up a large part of the Meleyephatian Horde’s forces, which will allow the Geckho to make counterattacks elsewhere. And I am not even asking you to keep this information a secret. In fact, tell everyone that you will soon be making an attack on Un-Tau. Let this news spread far and wide so it reaches the Horde’s agents. The more Meleyephatian forces are tied up on Un-Tau, the more successful the Third Strike Fleet will be!”

  Yeesh... us humans were being sent into a meat grinder to distract our opponent. In any case I thanked the Viceroy for the important information, and we made our way back to the noisy party with its flashing lights. And we were already out of the park when Gerd Kosta Dykhsh told me:

  “By the way, Gnat my friend, you might find this interesting as well. The Terrestrial Coalition, which you have introduced a trade embargo against, has successfully made mercantile and political contacts with the Esthetes. The Esthetes are vassals of my race. They own a couple star systems a few days’ flight from Earth and have a fairly serious space fleet. And the Terrestrial Coalition is... or rather was until you cut off their connection to the spaceport, negotiating with them for a military alliance and aid for Earth. And mind you the human representative naively believed they were doing this in secret, behind the Geckhos’ backs. The Esthetes, though, are in fact loyal vassals of ours and told their suzerains immediately about the very questionable contacts. But overall, the idea of bringing the fleet of the Esthetes into the Solar System before your planet’s safety expires is a very smart one. Some friendly advice — take over these negotiations. You’ll probably have more success than the leaders of the Terrestrial Coalition, who have very little understanding of space politics and don’t have enough Authority to command respect.”

  WE WENT BACK TO JOIN the other guests. The party was still in full swing, but my thoughts were now occupied by something else and I was no longer in the right mood. The Esthetes, Un-Tau, the price of Earth... the conversation with Gerd Kosta Dykhsh just kept replaying over and over in my head. Okay, so the army of Earth was being sent into a meatgrinder. The Geckho weren’t even hiding it. But what then was I supposed to do?

  To obediently lead people who trust me into a bloodbath like a Judas goat leading a group of sheep into an abattoir? This of course was a virtual game, and no one risked real death. But nevertheless, it was a pity to serve as nothing more than human targets for the defenders of Un-Tau. Should I use the last few days to better prepare my doomed-from-the-get-go army? Just so they could hold out a bit longer? Or should I instead do the opposite — say to hell with training and buying expensive equipment, then just get the whole unpleasant procedure over with as quickly as possible? The sooner we die, the sooner we’ll resurrect back on Earth!

  Or maybe should I... the thought actually frightened me... bring the most powerful munitions I could find on the open market to the Meleyephatian holy site? Or even take advantage of my recent acquaintance with the Tar-Layneh weapons trader and buy some high-powered thermonuclear or antigravitational munitions that would be out of reach to mere mortals? And when I got to the comet, gain a foothold on the surface at any cost then send an ultimatum to the defenders, threatening to blow their holy space rock to kingdom come?

  A ruckus broke out and the cries of joy caught my attention. I turned around. The head of clan Tar-Layneh walked out onto an improvised stage, the same woman who’d nearly strangled me in her embrace when we first met. Her speech, unlike the ones that came before it, was very brief. The clan leader said the relatives of the bride had conferred and shelled out for a brand-new merchant starship fresh off the production line, a Kituvaru. Uline Tar’s gift had already arrived and was at the local spaceport.

  I shuddered in surprise. That must have been the starship that landed right before my eyes six hours ago! Back then, I actually thought it was transporting some massive gift for the newlyweds. But the idea that the huge and noisy Kituvaru itself might have been the gift for my friend Uline Tar I could never have even imagined. This thing was worth... forty-five if not a whole fifty million crystals! It was nice to know that my business partner’s relatives had finally seen her true value. On the other hand... — the unhappy thoughts that piled in after that made me breathe a heavy sigh. Once my friend Uline Tar got the starship of her dreams, she would start working on her own and become a Free Captain. With her knowledge and wealth of experience, Uline Tar would make good. I though would lose a loyal friend and experienced Trader. And another thing. If I thought about it, Uline Tar’s friends would follow her — the twin br
others Vasha and Basha Tushihh as well as Avan Toi...

  I don’t know what conclusions I might have come to, because just then someone walked up to me... Uline herself accompanied by some elegantly dressed and tipsy Geckho women I didn’t know. The bride herself had already changed out of the strange construction of lights and wires into a bright green airy dress that matched the pattern on her fur very well.

  “Congratulations!” I pinned a happy smile to my face. “Both on your wedding and the brand-new starship. Your dreams have come true, Uline!”

  “Yes, it came as a massive surprise. And a very pleasant one. I won’t hide it,” my friend made a happy rumble. “Then again, my relatives stayed true to form. Not all that long ago they wouldn’t shut up about how I had left the ‘war hero and aristocrat Uraz Tukhsh to go chasing after a mirage.’ And about how I was ‘following a reckless human who didn’t even have his own trade starship.’ And this gift is a clear hint that I’ve ‘played pirate long enough, time to start trading like all the other respectable Tar-Laynehs.’ They don’t care one bit about what I actually want.”

  “And what is it that you actually want, Uline?”

  The Geckho woman gave another satisfied rumble and, after turning around, pointed her companions to me:

  “This is the guy I was telling you about. This is the main thing that differentiates my captain from everyone else. Gnat is interested in my wishes, my aspirations. My relatives, on the other hand, only make me do what they want. But I want to keep having adventures with Team Gnat. Something is telling me there will be plenty more interesting events and chances to earn monetary crystals to come. And the starship I got as a present...”

  Uline considered it for a second, then made an unexpected offer:

  “Kung Gnat, what say you charter my new starship?! It’ll be way faster and more profitable for you to transport parts for the forcefield generator with my Kituvaru than using a bunch of little Shiamiru shuttles. A cargo ship like that could haul all the essential equipment at once, and it could land wherever needed. You wouldn’t have to pack everything into containers and ferry it over from the spaceport. It will only require the minimum preparation to smooth out a landing site for the Kituvaru, and there you go — unload and get building! Then my relatives will be happy that their gift is going to good use and that I got my act together. Plus you’ll be saving millions on delivery.”

  I knew Uline Tar wouldn’t price gouge me, and the offer really was advantageous because it would allow us to bring down overhead costs significantly. Out of the seventy-five million I was expecting to pay for each planetary shield generator, at least thirty million was in delivery and transportation costs from Kasti-Utsh III and other space stations to Earth’s spaceport and subsequent transportation via cargo ship to the building site. Instead of answering, I walked up to the huge furry woman, who towered over me by a whole two heads, and gave her a fiery embrace.

  “Uline, you’re simply amazing!”

  “I know,” she answered, visibly embarrassed. But now she was still my business partner and a member of Team Gnat. “And given I’m so amazing, and we agreed on you chartering the Kituvaru, would you please do me one personal favor. Girls, give us a minute, I need to have a whisper with my business partner.”

  Uline waited for all her friends to walk away, then continued at half volume:

  “Gnat, I’m sure you remember my would-be groom Uraz Tukhsh — the quarrelsome captain of that Shiamiru. Well now he’s taken a flight to Earth and come to crash my wedding! And although Gerd Uraz Tukhsh is a war hero with a purple ribbon of honor, security is keeping him off the grounds of the Viceroy’s palace. I insisted. I just know his vile character all too well — he came to stir up trouble and ruin my party. Now that aristocrat is sitting outside the gates just hammered, hurling insults at nearby guests and demanding to talk with me. And the last thing in the universe I want on my wedding day is to talk with that loser, make myself a nervous wreck and hear him sniveling again. Make him leave and stop embarrassing me in front of my guests! Use psionics or persuasion, or just pop him one to the snout. Do whatever it takes; I don’t want to see him here! Unfortunately, I can’t ask any Geckho for such a delicate favor — Gerd Uraz Tukhsh is a respected and high-profile player, and most importantly holds the highest military decoration of my race, given straight from the paws of our ruler Krong Daveyesh-Pir. But you aren’t a Geckho, so you can pretend you didn’t know. In short, Kung Gnat, if his face takes a hit, I won’t be too bothered!”

  “It would be my greatest pleasure, Uline! I myself have lots of questions for that aristocrat. I just never found the time to ask them!”

  I FOUND MY FORMER CAPTAIN Uraz Tukhsh right where Uline said — sitting just outside the gates on the dirty ground, which was wet after a recent rainstorm. The badly intoxicated Geckho was holding an open bottle of the H3 beverage “produced by time-honored techniques” in one hand and, in the other, a sloppy and shabby bouquet of some odd white and orange flowers, seemingly not even from Earth. Two empty bottles of vodka were lying at my former captain’s feet. Meanwhile the Aristocrat’s clothes were... I was actually disturbed. Not quite in tatters yet and, by the cut, I could even guess they had once been a spaceman’s jumpsuit. But even the super-resilient thread and resistant dyes couldn’t withstand the harsh treatment they’d been subjected to. Had Uraz Tukhsh fallen into a barrel of solvent or something? Or did he stow away on a ship to Earth by hiding next to the reactor?

  Decent players would be ashamed to be seen in such tattered threads, which seemed to be decaying before my very eyes. And on top of all those torn rags was a pale purple ribbon, washed out and stained with dark spots. On closer inspection, I was able to make out embroidered aphorisms of ancient Geckho military leaders on it. By all appearances, that was the ribbon of honor he had been awarded from the very paws of the leader of the Geckho race. In pretty rough shape, of course...

  I was also embarrassed to see Uraz Tukhsh’s low level — just seventy-four. I must admit, I couldn’t remember for certain what level the loser captain was when I first met him in the spaceport on Earth. Around fifty or sixty. To me, a level-nineteen Prospector at the time, the Geckho seemed huge and fearsome. But that meant in nearly three months of playing, he had gained twenty levels at most, while my character had outgrown him long ago.

  Honestly, I came over with the firm intention to carry out Uline’s request and chase off my friend’s former admirer by force if necessary. However, the sight of Gerd Uraz Tukhsh, disgraced and inspiring nothing but pity, shocked me. All my fury just evaporated. I stopped a few steps away from my old acquaintance and greeted him in full accordance with Geckho etiquette:

  “Kento duho, Gerd Uraz Tukhsh!”

  “Uh, Gnat...” the level-74 Aristocrat said, raising his eyes, swollen from drunkenness and lack of sleep. “So they let you in, eh? And you even got a red sash... That means Uline invited you herself. But look at me, she doesn’t even want me in there. That bitch! And meanwhile I flew all the way out here... Just so you know, when I found out she was getting married, I raced halfway across the galaxy to get here. I came as fast as I could. I spent up my last dime on this trip. And now I’m sitting out in the rain like she doesn’t even know me...”

  “What happened to you, captain?” I interrupted his stream of whining with a question.

  “What happened?” I heard a tinge of poison and malice in his voice. “What happened is that life is unfair! Two guys can perform the exact same feat of heroism and one gets rewarded with a fully-crewed combat starship, while the other...” the drunk fell silent midsentence and frantically clutched his dirt-caked purple ribbon, tugging at the esteemed decoration and leaving even more smudges of dirt, “gets just this stupid ribbon! But it should have been the other way ‘round! I was the one who lost his starship in the suicidal attack on Ursa-II-II, not you! And I was supposed to get a frigate as compensation, not you!!!”

  By the end of his speech, Uraz Tukhsh was howling, lame
nting the injustice of fate. But his lamentation didn’t bother me much. Even back then I thought the cowardice and pathological greed Uraz Tukhsh displayed in the Ursa-II-II system, which very nearly caused the collapse of the Geckho Third Strike Fleet’s whole combat operation, should have earned him a hearing in a military tribunal. But instead he was portrayed as a hero and given the highest decoration of the Geckho race. Furthermore, Uraz Tukhsh didn’t even appreciate what he got.

  And so, letting all his pitiful whining go in one ear and out the other, I asked:

  “As far as I remember, that Shiamiru was just a way for you to prove yourself so your relatives would trust you enough to give you a holding. Isn’t that so?”

  “Yeah right, a holding...” the Geckho, sitting on the ground, spat in disgust. “Sounds pretty great when you say it. In reality, I got ten decrepit shellfish aquaculture farms. And fifty good-for-nothing roustabouts whose ingenuity all went into inventing newer and better ways of robbing their master blind. And restoring those farms would have taken serious money. But where was I to get that? I sold my ‘holding’ to a neighbor for peanuts the day I got it and flew back into space to try my luck again. But then...”

  Gerd Uraz Tukhsh waved his hand in frustration just like a person. Evidently, his second attempt to “prove himself” had ended just has poorly as his first. I then, after patiently listening to the captain’s story, asked a question that had long been on my mind:

  “I’ve been thinking for a long time about which Geckho could have hated me — a player almost no one knew about — badly enough to order bombs planted on my brand-new frigate. And only one name comes to mind...”