As an answer, Boomer roared so loud that the entire bridge trembled and shook.
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
* * *
The Osiris jumped out of hyperspace a few minutes travel from Omicron at sub-light speed. The orbital space was well known for being a perfect area for pirate ambushes; the last thing Ziron and Kevin needed right now was another thing to worry about. The Osiris transporters were more than capable of beaming Kevin from that distance.
“So you’re clear on what you need to do?” asked Ziron.
“Get in, find Jared, and have him spill the beans, either voluntarily or otherwise, on where Kalliopy is.”
“Correct. Don’t take no for an answer; Jared is a bit of an eccentric, but he’s not the most courageous being out there. Boomer’s dragon form should be more than enough to scare the crap out of him.”
Kevin flashed Ziron a thumbs up.
“And remember, I’ve linked your suits. You can control both yours and Boomer’s, though he can decide on his own as well. You can override him if you feel you have to.”
Boomer growled.
“Or not,” added Ziron.
“We’re good, thank you, Zee.”
Ziron nodded. “And, of course, Mira will be with you to assist as needed.”
Kevin nodded. “Time to beam us down.”
“Very well. Good luck.”
Ziron slid his paw up on the holographic controls projected in front of him, and bright green light enveloped Kevin, and he disappeared into nothingness.
Boomer looked to each side before growling. “Why am I still here?”
Sparks flew from the console below Ziron’s hovering cushion. “Oh dear…oopsie.”
Boomer morphed into a Rottweiler, snarled and flashed some seriously yellow teeth at Ziron. “What do you mean, oopsie?”
“I think we have a problem.”
* * *
Kevin rematerialized in the middle of Omicronia, which seemed even more crowded and flashy than it did in VR training. He looked around, trying to get his bearings and find Boomer. But his best friend was nowhere to be seen.
“Boomer? Boomer? Where are you?”
People around Kevin scrambled and flattened themselves to the ground, covering their heads.
What the hell?
Once they realized they had done so in error, they got back to their feet dusting themselves off and throwing daggers at Kevin.
“Mira, where’s Boomer?”
“My sensors aren’t detecting him anywhere around. It’s possible he didn’t beam down with you.”
“Why would that be?”
“Off the top of my head? Ziron’s clunky, unverified programming. He’s a very talented inventor, but with regard to reliability, it’s not exactly his forte.”
Like Apple products after Steve Jobs’ passing, thought Kevin.
“Can we ask Ziron over subspace?”
“I’ve tried that already; the ship isn’t responding.”
“That’s not good. What if they were attacked?”
“The ship is at the farther end of my sensor range, but it’s still there. Ziron probably just overloaded something during transport. He’s probably already working on a fix. We should proceed with the mission.”
“I thought you were adamant I don’t do this alone.”
“I’m sure Ziron will send Boomer along shortly. We’re kind of on the clock here. The more time passes, the fewer chances Jared’s information will be actionable.”
Dusting himself off, the last nearby alien got back to his feet and emitted a rumbling throat noise that Kevin associated with serious frustration.
“Why the hell did you jump to the ground like that?” asked Kevin.
The tall purple-skinned alien was svelte and had big pupil-less, bulbous-green eyes that made his face look like a cross between a humanoid and a fly. The eyes almost looked fake and made of glass, and Kevin could see many lights reflecting on their shiny surface. But when his eyelids washed over their large surface and hydrated them with a quick blink, Kevin reconsidered his first assessment.
“You said Boomer, twice! You fool,” roared the alien, followed by a series of strange noises that Kevin didn’t understand.
Mira, why didn’t the translator work?
What he said there doesn’t deserve wasting CPU cycles, trust me.
Charming.
“I did say Boomer simply because it’s the name of my dog, pal—well, my friend.”
The alien cocked his head to the side. “You’re not from here, are you?”
“How can you tell?”
“Nobody on this planet would be named Boomer. Plus I’ve never seen such an ugly DNA splicing as yours. That pinkish-hued skin. Yuck.”
Kevin blinked slowly three times without saying another word, letting the comment sink in.
“Nice to meet you too, pal. Are you going to tell me why anyone wouldn’t call themselves Boomer, or do you have other nice things to say about my complexion?”
“That’s the war cry of the Crimson Dawn terrorist group. Before they blow themselves up and three city blocks along with them, they shout Boom—and it’s being posited that another syllable is supposed to come after, but we don’t know because they always explode while shouting.”
Kevin passed a hand through his hair while releasing a long sigh.
“So basically it may not be ‘Boomer’ that they cry.”
“Anything with Boom in front of it is pretty much banned from the Omicron vocabulary. You may want to ask your friend to change his name.”
Fat chance of that. I just wish he were here.
“You may also want to scramble,” said the alien.
“Why?”
“You’ve beamed into the city outside of the transport pods, that’s a serious violation, drones are probably on their way to arrest you.”
Great! Just great!
“Thanks, man.”
“How rude! I’m female,” said the alien turning away and blabbering more incomprehensible sounds as she left.
Kevin blinked a couple more times before turning around and running toward the imposing building.
11
Boomer kept barking and growling at Ziron. In his oversized Rottweiler form, he was scary and imposing, especially next to a svelte and medium-sized Sphynx. Boomer drooled and glared as if would swallow the cute kitty cat with just one bite if he felt like it.
“That won’t make me fix the problem any faster,” Ziron protested.
“I beg to differ. Fear is a great motivator.”
“Maybe on your planet.”
“What if I served you lightly salted for my next meal?” barked Boomer.
“Savage!”
“When my master and best friend’s life hangs in the balance, you bet your furry ass. Now shut up and fix this, Kevin needs me!”
Ziron hissed and almost immediately regretted it. Boomer opened his mouth wide, displaying yellow canines and white-foaming spittle.
“On second thought—” Ziron added.
Boomer waited until Ziron returned to quickly entering commands on his holo-console to crack a smile. However, it didn’t last long. He was worried for Kevin and worried that without backup, Kevin might put himself into a situation where he would be unable to escape on his own. The fact that Ziron had temporarily lost connection with Mira didn’t help either.
* * *
Everything was going fine until the twenty-seventh floor. There had been far less engagement for Kevin than in his simulation, even though the elevator had refused to let him climb as high as it did in the simulation, which Kevin didn’t anticipate. Upon arrival to the floor, bullets and blaster fire started ringing near his ears the moment he exited the stairway. It definitely was bad luck for Kevin to walk into a gang war, two factions living in the building trying to destroy each other. And, still, he needed to get to the upper floors, and no one seemed interested in letting him go on his merry way.
Unlike in the s
imulation, elevator access began at the hundredth-floor level, which didn’t make any sense but was an efficient way of separating the higher class from the rest of the peons.
Kevin made a mental note to kick Ziron’s ass for the lack of so-called realism he had sold him on in the simulation. Clearly, the rules were different here.
Mira had failed in hacking the elevator, no matter how many times she tried; there seemed to be an army of skilled hackers always defeating her attempts at every turn. Kevin had exhausted less than five percent of his power reserve, which was about what he expected, but he hoped to find a charging port that he could hack to give him a boost, should his suit need additional juice.
What bothered him the most was the fact that there was no sign of Boomer. Ziron would definitely get an earful if Kevin survived the day. But he had to, as Kalliopy’s life was in his hands.
Rogue blaster fire bounced off his head, his armor shield deflecting it away and bringing his mind back to the present.
Damn!
Nothing to worry about, your shield is still strong, corrected Mira in his mind.
Well, at least there’s that.
May I ask why you are lost in your thoughts? This hardly seems like the optimum time to do so.
I’m worried about Boomer, and Kalliopy, though I must admit worrying for someone I barely know is strange. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed meeting her, but…
But you wonder if this is your fight?
While he wouldn’t have put it exactly this way, that was the correct sentiment. After all, why was an outsider doing this? Wouldn’t a highly trained Arcadian military veteran have better chances of helping the princess?
I can sense your emotions, said Mira. I think it’s mighty brave of you, putting yourself in danger. It speaks volumes about your character.
Thanks, I guess. Truth be told, I’ve barely had time for a breather since that assassin came to Earth for me. I guess I just went along for the ride, but now that you mention it, I do have my doubts.
That’s perfectly normal. But you’re probably safer with the right tech here than you and your family would have been back on Earth with the Kregan sending more operatives to finish the job.
My family? Please tell me they’re not going to hurt them while I’m away?
It’s always a possibility, but Ziron sent enough sentries to your world to guard them. Eventually, the Kregan will get the message that you’re not there and will leave.
That did nothing to reassure Kevin about his family. Granted, he wasn’t fond of his father, but losing his mother or his sister was an entirely different story.
And how certain are you of this?
I estimate there is a seventy-two percent chance your family won’t be caught in the crossfire.
That still left a twenty-eight percent chance they might. All of a sudden, Kevin’s mind raced to places it shouldn’t go, especially not in the middle of a gang war with blaster fire flying about in all directions. Kevin became lightheaded as his heart raced stronger than he thought was possible. The sensation against his ribcage compressing on itself also made him feel uneasy.
I can’t do this! I need to get back to Earth. My parents must be worried that I haven’t been home for more than a day.
Kevin, I sense you’re in distress right now, but understand this: the robotic sentries have already dispatched two Kregan incursions to Earth with no danger to your loved ones. They’re still operational, and I have real-time data on your family as well.
You should have started with that piece of information. Show me!
Mira superimposed some holographic footage of his family having dinner back on Earth. Everyone seemed happy, even Kevin. Wait! What?
Why am I looking at myself? How is that even possible?
One of the sentries is using a holographic projection to impersonate you.
And my parents, and even my sister haven’t noticed it’s not me? Bullshit!
As a matter of fact, they haven’t shown any signs of doubt.
Great, a dumb robot can pretend to be me.
You seem to forget that we have your neuronal footprint. I can assure you that the sentry depiction of you is quite accurate, down to the things you usually do at night when you’re alone in your bed.
Kevin felt so much shame upon hearing Mira’s words that he turned redder than a ripe tomato.
I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that.
Whatever works for you.
Like that would help. He was a young man, after all, bursting with hormones. But no matter how he tried justifying it to himself, he still felt ashamed.
At that moment, a nearby explosion took him out of his self-condemnation.
I really suggest we get back to the problem at hand, said Mira.
Kevin actually wanted nothing more than to change the subject, so he scooted out of cover and started blasting anyone that stood in his way. It felt like a game of Doom all over again.
* * *
Even though she had had trouble falling asleep, Kalliopy actually slept like a baby once she finally succumbed. Being given luxurious quarters with soft satin sheets had been quite the step up from the cold and damp cell she had woken to when this all began.
She felt rested and able to think. But that alone was a double-edged sword. She knew this gesture on the prince’s part was not without reason. Surely, his apparent kindness was part of his plan. It was still surprising though as Kregans weren’t exactly known for their subtlety. They were the “fire first ask questions later” kind of people, using sheer strength and numbers to bring their enemies to their knees.
It was clear that Xonax was being nice to obtain something from her. But she wondered what that was even though it was pretty clear it had something to do with Kevin. She had no doubt that eventually he’d be making his next move and reveal a little more information. Then she could try and figure out what his endgame was.
However, for the time being, she felt less like a prisoner and more like a guest. That would change when she resisted whatever Xonax wanted from her, so she would have to try and buy some time or try to escape on her own.
But her quarters were not only sealed from the outside, guards were also stationed in front of her door.
Appearances didn’t matter, she knew she was a prisoner and that they wanted something from her. Being the leader of the Arcadian Confederate, she also intrinsically knew that whatever the Kregan wanted, it would mean bad news for her people.
The war had reached a standstill, thanks to Kevin’s incredible mind and ability to wield Ziron’s advanced neuronal prototype weapon. But the ship had been destroyed, so what could Xonax possibly want with him?
She wondered.
* * *
If Kevin thought the twenty-seventh floor had been tough, that immediately changed upon arriving at the ninety-fifth floor. The shit really hit the fan and fast, with larger enemies, including humanoid aliens piloting armored mechs, mowing through civilians and authorities alike.
Not that there seemed to be a strong presence of law-abiding people on this god-forsaken world. He did see a few people in uniform on his way up, but here, they were outgunned and, like Kevin, stayed mostly behind cover.
When one of the mechs blew Kevin’s cover with a couple of explosive projectiles, sending rocks, dust, and flames around him, he knew it was time to get a move on and engage the mechs.
With a single thought, Kevin boosted his shield and turned both his shotgun-shaped guns into more massive rail cannons. Kevin instinctively shot at both mechs, hitting the one that had fired at him previously dead-center, piercing through its armor and making a mess of the humanoid body controlling it.
The second shot was aimed at the other mechs head, which raised its arm and a red circular shield blocked it just before impact. The force of the strike still sent the mech flying backward, crushing three aliens in the process.
Nice shot! Mira cheered. The coast is clear.
Thanks. I really worry about
Boomer though.
Kevin made a run for the next stairwell. Up until now, he did not understand why the same stairwell didn’t simply go all the way up, and why he had to traverse the entire building’s length to get to the next floor. It apparently had been by design, no matter how dumb it seemed to an outsider or at the very least to a human.
Since the building was housing different people of different castes and stations that literally ascended in position as they moved to higher floors, it made sense that the floors were not accessible to just anyone willing to climb the stairs.
No, Omicronia was definitely alien in many regards. It seemed everyone was inclined to burn a hole in the center of a person’s skull to advance their own lives.
I’m not in Kansas anymore. That much is certain.
I’m confused, said Mira. Kevin, my neuronal link to your brain tells me you have never been to Kansas in your entire life.
Kevin smiled as he rushed up the stairs two at a time.
Never mind, Mira. But what about Boomer or Ziron? Any news?
I’m afraid not. Looks like we’re going to have to complete this mission on our own.
That wasn’t what Kevin wanted to hear. Finishing the mission alone didn’t bother him, he just hoped nothing had happened to his best friend. Ziron better not have put Boomer’s life in jeopardy. Even with Mira's reassurances, Kevin got angrier the more he thought about it.
I think it’s just a technical glitch, you’ll see Boomer again.
Is that a fact, or are you patronizing me?
When Mira took too long to respond, Kevin had his answer. Right now there wasn’t anything he could do about it, so he pushed the unpleasant thoughts aside and readied himself for the next level as the ninety-sixth floor’s access door swished open.
12
By the time Kevin reached the three hundredth floor, his mind felt like warm jelly. He had dispatched so many enemies on his way up that he had lost count, and his armor energy levels were down to forty-two percent. While it was all well and good blasting pixel-generated enemies from the comfort of his bedroom on a computer screen, his stomach turned inside out every time he thought about the fact that this was no longer a simulation.
Across the Galactic Pond - Box Set: The Complete FAR BEYOND Space Opera Series Page 12