by Wolfe Locke
The Colonel stood up and walked out of the room. Niles didn’t say another word.
Chapter 25: Breakthrough
* * *
The skin on his arm had a small scar from where his skin had been exposed briefly, but overall Niles felt better. He swore he would have to ask Grisham to help him come up with a better body suit, even if they had to hire Marcus or Kubrick, as I knew him to design it. That kid’s a genius. I’m sure he could do it.
Niles walked back into his room as the door slid shut behind him. He felt refreshed. He could still taste his lunch. Once he was back in his quarters, he took off his shirt and tossed it on the bed. Since being released from the med side of the facility three days ago, he had been wanting to get back into the system. He felt better overall, but had been ordered to stay away in the meantime so his body could heal.
He started the Rig up. The machine hummed and Niles got inside. He closed his eyes and waited for the immersion gel to envelope him, though this time he sent a mental command to change the spawning location to one of the game zones called “Battle Instinct”. A game zone where those within had but one goal, kill each other as many times as possible, all while trying to stay alive.
SynaCAID Platform
You will soon spawn in play area “Battle Instinct”. Please note that this area is not suitable for young children. If you suffer from any serious heart conditions or anxiety disorders please disengage now. This area is rated M for Mature because of graphic violence.
Location: Arcadia – Battle Instinct – Apocalypse City
Niles opened his eyes and saw what looked like a war torn city. Everywhere he looked there were partially collapsed buildings, burned out cars, and debris. It’s silent here. Eerily quiet almost. The only thing Niles could hear were his own heavy footsteps as he walked down the broken road and made his way over a bridge that had snapped with part of the bridge laying in the water.
In front of him, far ahead, the city loomed menacingly all around him. He passed by the bombed out shells of long burned cars. I’ve seen worse. Niles scoffed. This is like something out of a book. I should talk to the designers behind this one and see if they’ll take me on as a creative consultant. This needs work.
Instantly, his enemy tracking ability kicked in and Niles turned around faster than the eye could see. “Hey?” Niles asked as he pulled out the Disrupter from his inventory. The man raised his hands in surrender. The man’s username was displayed above his head, “TheRealistKiller”.One of those, he’s either a 14 year old kid, or a 40-year old mane how lives in his parents’ basement.
“What the game mode today?” TheRealistKiller asked, Niles looked around. I don’t actually know.. From what he had heard in the cafeteria, the game modes rotated, sometimes capture the flag, sometimes death match. The best mode apparently was war, in which case there wasn’t a winner until one side was completely eradicated. Yeah, I don’t think that’s what they’re playing today.
“That’s a sweet looking side piece ,” TheRealistKiller said. Niles looked at the Disrupter and agreed. The actual look of the gun had changed and now resembled a 6-Shooter Pistol. Automatic cosmetic change ability. Interesting.
“Hey, do you think its zombie? That would be a blast if it was zombies.” TheRealistKiller said.
Niles shook his head. Probably not. It doesn’t fit in completely with the theme of the place, besides, I’m sure there are other servers that do the same. The NPC’s in Battle Instinct had been created using actual military data. It was as much a training tool as it was a good entertainment.
Shortly after, they saw another man as they walked through the city. He was dressed like a Marine but his rifle and vest was what caught Niles’ gaze. He was wearing a vintage Vietnam era helmet and a jungle stab. He carried an older carbine, the M16. Niles didn’t stop walking. He just nodded at the man in passing.
“You boys seen anything?” Niles shook his head. TheRealistKiller was too busy looking at the gun. The man sighed. “I guess we have to reach the city. What do you think it is then?” Niles asked. The man shook his head. He turned to Niles, gave him a hand to shake.
“George,” he offered up. Niles nodded. I guess not everyone has the ability to see names. That’s good to remember. Niles didn’t tell him his, Niles had assumed up to that point that they could all see his name over his head. They walked silently for a while. Each man scanning the game play area for possible threats. Niles kept feeling like something was off. They had been walking through nothing for a while now. Battle Instinct was an immediate action game. Something was off.
They all felt it at the same time. Then they saw it. Greg had been close to being right. It was something weird. The three of them got the notification at once.
SynaCAID Platform
Location: Arcadia – Battle Instinct – Apocalypse City
Terrorists have poisoned the water supply causing the locals to turn uncontrollably violent and attack those who are unaffected by the poison. To complete this round. you must reach the other side of the city.
Niles moved a step back. There was no time to think. No time to check if there were any weak points.
“Run,” TheRealistKiller said, but Greg didn’t. Niles didn’t either. It was easy. They just needed to get through them. He looked around for something to use and busted out the window of an older car. It looked more expensive than the rest. He hoped he’d be able to start up the vehicle, but it didn’t work.
“Hey, can any of you guys can hack a car?” Niles asked. The wolves were running to them. They were not faster than normal but Niles had a feeling they knew how to kill when they got closer.
“Are they zombies? TheRealistKiller asked. Greg was kneeling beside the car. He was using his implant to get a reading on the car’s security system and changing the code. It looked like a complex process as Niles watched it. The car opened and they all got in, Greg started the car, it was linked to his implant now.
“Are they zombies, Niles?” TheRealistKiller asked. Niles shook his head. They were not. They were just people who had been programed. Their selves had been ripped away and what was left of them was the emptiness of their mind.
“No, reprogrammed. May as well be zombies though. They can’t feel and all that. They can kill though. Back in the day movies used to play with the idea of erasing people’s humanity.
“This is a sweet, sweet ride,” Greg said. Niles nodded. “Brace for impact!” he said and Niles smiled, it was such a cliché thing to say but it fit the setting. TheRealistKiller held the front seat and Niles engaged the seat security function. The belt wrapped around his stomach and legs. He wouldn’t move if the car smashed into a building. The impact though, was shockingly strong, but Greg ploughed through them.
“It will get slower, you need to clear a path,” Greg said, looking at Niles. He picked up his gun and handed it to Niles. He held it, assessing the pros and cons of the weapon. “You just have to switch engage and blow those motherfuckers away,” he said. Niles nodded, already content in the knowledge that he already knew how to shoot a M77.
He put the door down and Niles slid out a bit, worrying about those shots they got. He put the gun out and switched the engage from M16 to bomber. He squeezed the trigger and a bomb launched out. It exploded, tossing torn flesh aside. He squeezed the trigger two more times and then there was a path. Then the bullets started again and TheRealistKiller pulled him in.
“That was nice!” TheRealistKiller said as Niles groaned. He gave Greg his gun back and nodded his approval. They were in the city now. The bridge had been less of a mess, the city Looked destroyed. There were buildings that seemed to have been pushed over, like a child playing in a sandbox. They had to stop because the road was blocked. They left the main road and walked on the sidewalk. Niles scanned the area for any signs of life. Niles was about to say something but then, the city warped. It seemed to bend and fold into itself and when it righted itself, it wasn’t the city anymore.
“What just happe
ned?” TheRealistKiller asked.
“Game change, we beat the last objective, we get another,” Greg said. They were in another city, but this was a neighborhood. There were low-income houses dotting the landscape. And the streets were long.
SynaCAID Platform
The local cartel leader Martinez Ramon is supplying a new version of the psycho-active drugs. To get to him you must first get through the army he employs for his safety.
Location: Arcadia – Battle Instinct – Apocalypse City
The objective firmly in place, their marching orders. They were to recover a drug lord who was selling a new brand of psycho-active drugs. They had to go through his army of street thugs to make the mission a success. Niles groaned.
TheRealistKiller looked at him and gave a thumbs up. The direction was sent to the implants.
“I think we should split up,” Niles said. The others seemed to agree shrugged. Greg didn’t seem to care. Immediately they took the next left, ready for a hail of gunfire. “This will help us get the bastard faster. We don’t need to kill them all. Just the leader. Niles explained to the others.
They all looked at their implants and synched up directions, then they moved. The street cut into a Alley Greg cleared the way. It blew away the men waiting for them there and then they spread out. Niles could hear the sound of gunshots as he ran. It surprised him when an NPC swung a knife at him from out of nowhere. He caught the goon’s hand in hand and twisted it behind him.
The knife clattered to the ground and Niles quickly picked it up and stabbed the hostile in the side with it before running forward. The position of the drug lord was not specified. So he kept checking buildings as he walked. He shot an NPC standing sentry outside one of the buildings and lay in wait and when the others came, he sprayed them with bullets.
He checked inside, hoping to see the man, but he wasn’t there. He cursed and came out to meet a swinging machete. He blocked with his gun and pushed the man back and shot his head and moved before the body hit the ground.
He was sweating already. He gazed upon the street, it was clear. But then he saw three men come out the next house. They all had badass looking M-16s. He moved back but they had seen him, heard him actually. He turned and ran back in the house. He waited in the kitchen, when they rushed in, he dispatched them so quickly. He checked his ‘zine. He was getting low on ammo. That was dangerous. He took one of the dead NPC’s gun and left. The street was filled with armed men now. He cursed. Greg’s gun would have been a huge help. Damn limits.
He was thinking about what to do next when his implant beeped. A synch. He cursed when he saw who it was.
“This better be good, kid,” Niles said. “I’m having fun.” Kubrick apologized with a snigger..
[Transmission: Outside in the real world I might just be a kid. But in here, I’m the ruler of the Underworld. Don’t forget that. But I’ve brought you information. They’re here.]
Niles didn’t know what he meant at first. Then he cursed. He looked at the men who were now walking towards him.
“Can you pull me out of here?” he asked. Kubrick chuckled. Niles could picture the kid’s amused face. Teenagers.
[Transmission: Go, get in the house behind you and find immediate cover. You need to be fast. You don’t even understand how much firepower is about to rain down on you.”]
Niles followed the commands. He might not like Kubrick’s attitude, but the kid had good advice.
[Transmission: Now, take the back door. I just spawned one in. Go into the kitchen and you’ll see it.]
Niles ran to it. He saw the door!, but it didn’t fit the surroundings. It was a shiny gold door in a piss poor house. Niles opened it and walked through. He heard the gunshots erupt but the door was locked and gone already Where it had been there was only Kubrick with a big grin on his face.
“Where are they?” Niles asked, irritated that the kid was playing games with him.
“Yale Street in the C-level,” Kubrick said.
“What?” Niles asked. He didn’t know the city was leveled. Kubrick waved him away and tossed a tracker to him and then he gave him something that looked like a panic button.
“Don’t try to kill them, try to tag them,” Kubrick said. Niles understood, but he didn’t want that.
“I think you should use your extension, but I have a feeling you don’t want to,” Kubrick said. Niles considered it. He would need to ask Kubrick how he had created that portal just now.
“The bike is outside,” Kubrick said. Niles rushed out and a couple seconds later, he was racing towards them. If he had a wife, she would hate him. He realized that when he was still in the sick bed. He was like a moth. He sped it up, pushing the bike to its limits. He was probably not going to be able to save whoever they wanted to kill now, but it was going to be the last time they were going to do it.
The tracker stopped him in front of a tall skyscraper. Another wealthy person? He dismounted and walked in. There was no one in the reception. He checked the tracker and sighed. They were on the fifth floor. He walked to the elevator and when it opened, he decided not to go up. He waited for them, there was only one way out. Except if they were going to jump out the building.
He called Grisham. The synch was better and Grisham was in his office.
“I need an assist squad,” Niles said. Grisham waved them away and the synch cut. They were coming back down and judging from the speed, it was the elevator. He stood behind the reception block, poised to shoot. The elevator door opened and Niles ducked when he saw the gun facing him and then the whole place blew apart.
The gun was nothing like Niles had seen before. They had known he would come. They were waiting. They probably didn’t have any target, Niles thought. The gun was still rolling out bullets when Niles heard the explosion. The force and the shots from the gun cracked the block. Niles rolled away as it fell. Then he heard them running. That confirmed it.
He wasn’t the target, but they were prepared for him—they knew he would be coming. He cursed, they had to find that mole.
Chapter 26: Solo-Tier
* * *
“Grisham, where is that support? These guys, they are carrying a really mean piece of artillery,” Niles said as he ran out. The bike activated and accelerated; Niles almost fell off the seat. He righted himself and attached the tracker to the front platform of the bike.
He wondered if Grisham had gotten his message yet. If he had, he was not responding. How did they get a car, anyway? Whoever was assisting these guys had a crazy access in the system. He was sure he didn’t see a car in front of the building when he stopped his bike. He got a synch request and without looking, he let the call connect.
“I know how they are getting in and out now!” Kubrick screamed, Niles cringed as the kid’s voice reverberated his eardrums. “Sorry, they are using bugs. In this case, they use the bugs as shrouds. It is like being able to use a disappearing cloak, but they don’t disappear, they cover the system’s eyes and creep in like maggots.”
“Kubrick, I can’t listen to you right now, I need help, can you get that extension to me and can I work with it simultaneously?” Niles asked.
“Of course, but not for long. You know the synch is not the same as talking with your implant. It is like sharing your mind. You’d pass out if you are connected for a long time. Scar was able to stay for—”
“It doesn’t matter, send him,” Niles said. Kubrick made an irritated sound. Niles frowned. He zipped past people in the street. He could see them, he could see their car. They were about four of them in the car, the driver included. He was going to take them out and maybe take one alive. Then he would know who the fuck doing this.
“Look, man, I know you are desperate, but you have to think carefully before you do something you won’t get the hell up from. When I said you will pass out, I wasn’t talking about you in SynaCAID, do you understand me? I am talking about you in your pod. You will be half dead and entombed in medical gel and maybe you will actually
die. You sure? I know we haven’t—”
“Marcus?”
“Fuck you!” Kubrick said. “Fine, I will give him to you. You will be sharing your access with him, which means you will be sharing the three skills you are allowed. What is your ultimate load?” Kubrick asked. Niles hadn’t specified something for that. He had not been in any situation to use his special skill and he didn’t want to use it yet. It seemed like something he would need when his hands were tied and his back to the wall.
They took a left, he followed. He was not trying to catch up yet. He could remember the feeling of being shot at, the pain and the feeling of despair. He wouldn’t go through that again.
“Thanks, Kubrick,” Niles said, but the synch was already cut. He sighed and fired the bike up, getting closer. He had his eyes on them, that was all that mattered. When he felt the pricking sensation, he almost pushed it away as fear, but then he saw the reflection in the side mirror and made a deep swerve and stepped on his brakes.
The explosion shook the ground but there was no real force. It was only a minor push, the car behind him moved past. Shit! There is more? He rode past the fire and continued the pursuit. He had seen that gun before and that damn face. Greg. It made sense now. Greg was sent to keep an eye on him. He shook his head and sped further, resting his gun at the front of the bike, he pulled the trigger, shooting the car until a tire gave out and the car swerved.