To Change the Past
Date: 2023-01-03 05:00:00+00:00
Description: Space is a dangerous place. Here, you're either a predator or soon to fall prey to a ruthless neighbor. And if you aren't tough enough to make it on your own, you'll need the backing of a formidable power to keep you safe from bigger fish. Earth used to have such protection – the great Geckho race. But unfortunately, the Geckho fell to an enemy onslaught, leaving planet Earth to fend for itself. And now, Earth humanity has precious little time to prove to their galactic neighbors that they are not to be trifled with. Thankfully though, they have not only the mighty Army of Earth and a capable
Publisher: Magic Dome Books

To Change the Past (Reality Benders Book #10): LitRPG Series

Reality Benders, Volume 10

Michael Atamanov

Published by Magic Dome Books, 2023.

Table of Contents

Title Page

To Change the Past (Reality Benders Book #10): LitRPG Series

Introduction. The Birth of a New Power

Chapter 1. Springboard

Chapter 2. The Emperor’s Mysterious Past

Chapter 3. War as Means of Survival

Chapter 4. Abducting a Princess

Chapter 5. What the Camouflage Fields Hide

Chapter 6. Witness to a Bygone War

Chapter 7. Time is Not on Our Side

Chapter 8. Blockade or War

Chapter 9. Relicts and the Void

Chapter 10. Legends Reborn

Chapter 11. Desert Landing

Chapter 12. A Time of Difficult Decisions

Chapter 13. Oasis in a Scorching Desert

Chapter 14. Administrator’s Workstation

Chapter 15. Hard to Be a God

Chapter 16. Everything Comes at a Cost

Chapter 17. Solution Found, But...

Chapter 18. Escaping a Scorched Planet

Chapter 19. Negotiations in Orbit

Chapter 20. Forming a Psionic Group

Chapter 21. Cart Blanche from the Emperor

Chapter 22. The Red Queen’s Legacy

Chapter 23. Those Who Pull at Threads

Chapter 24. Weak Positions. Or are They?

Chapter 25. Professional Vivisector and Ancient Horror

Chapter 26. Tough Negotiations (part one)

Chapter 27. Tough Negotiations (part two)

Chapter 28. Rifling Through Pockets

Chapter 29. Castaway and Forgotten

Chapter 30. Green House Cannibals

Chapter 31. Reinforcements for Earth’s Fleet

Chapter 32. Chronostream End Point

Chapter 33. Artist and Artistry

Chapter 34. War Declared!!!

Chapter 35. We Will Prevail!!!

Addendum. Crew list of the assault cruiser Di-Pal-Yu 781

About the Author

To Change the Past

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a novel
by Michael Atamanov

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Reality Benders

Book#10

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Magic Dome Books

Reality Benders

Book #10: To Change the Past

Copyright © Michael Atamanov 2023

Cover Art © Vladimir Manyukhin 2023

English translation copyright © Andrew Schmitt 2023

Published by Magic Dome Books, 2023

All Rights Reserved

This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

This book is entirely a work of fiction. Any correlation with real people or events is coincidental.

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Introduction. The Birth of a New Power

Virtual Earth, Spaceport node.

Official Residence of the Geckho viceroy on Earth

GERD MAC-PEU UN-ROI THE MAGE DIVINER stood at the huge window and, hands folded behind his back, stared out at the road leading to the spaceport. The usually reserved and even somewhat phlegmatic mage diviner was having a very hard time maintaining his composure. The Kung of Earth had announced a general assembly of faction heads from both the magocratic world and the magically depleted one, which was supposed to have started forty minutes ago. But now, Kung Gnat La-Fin was late and holding up his own event!

That was very odd, because the leader of the Relict Faction was known for his punctuality and strict adherence to his word, while his Di-Pal-Yu 781 flagship cruiser could travel instantly to any point in the Universe. That meant Kung Gnat must have been delayed by some important piece of business. And it had to have been so important that the Kung of Earth was in fact willing to be extremely late and test the nerves of all Earth’s faction leaders. The Mage Diviner tried to figure out the reason by delving into the lines of the probable future and frowned even deeper. Something was happening in the galaxy. Inexplicable processes were breaking down the world as he knew it and creating new lines of the future. And he had no doubt his master Kung Gnat was somehow involved in the sweeping changes.

At first, he was able to keep a lid on the friction caused by the delayed start. The faction leaders took advantage of the rare opportunity to both converse among themselves and with the suzerains’ Viceroy of Earth, Gerd Kosta Dykhsh. The large black Geckho was in fine form today and serving as the center of attention. Towering a full two heads over the Humans, the huge Geckho welcomed guest after guest to his opulent residence with a quart glass of wine in his paw, joining them in laudatory and often obsequious toasts to the almighty Geckho race while joking and rumbling happily. He was completely on top of the situation. Only the most sophisticated observers such as Gerd Mac-Peu Un-Roi could see the bewilderment and anxiety through his artfully constructed facade. An experienced Diplomat, Kosta Dykhsh had the sense something out of the ordinary was going on but couldn’t yet put his finger on it.

The Kung of Earth’s wife, the gorgeous Minn-O La-Fin, was also getting a lot of attention from the rulers, her feminine beauty in no way marred by her huge belly. Because she was six months pregnant, under different circumstances, the Chief Advisor would have forbidden the ruler’s wife from risking her health and that of her unborn child by attending. But Kung Gnat had given a clear order that she should be there, so the Mage Diviner had no choice but to indulge him.

Though it was hard for the Mage Diviner to admit, before the general assembly, he was somewhat worried that the magocratic world princess’ attendance might be perceived negatively by the other faction heads — after all, Gerd Minn-O La-Fin neither led a faction nor served as an official Diplomat, instead representing the First Directory, a mere component of the Relict Faction. But all the Chief Advisor’s concerns proved unfounded. None of the guests so far had experienced even the slightest doubt that the ruler of the largest directory of the magocratic world had the right to attend the highly important event. Gerd Minn-O meanwhile looked happy to be there, conversing, laughing, joking, and overall just giving off an air that the many long months secluded in the medical center had made her miss big events like this one.

Gerd Mac-Peu didn’t stay on the sidelines either and was all too eager to engage in conversation with all those who approached him. As Chief Advisor, he had the authority to conduct negotiations in the name of the entire Relict faction and to ink official treaties but, for some reason, there were very few who wanted to speak with him, most opting instead to wait for Kung Gnat La-Fin. But things could not go on like this for much longer. All the esteemed faction heads in the large hall were growing steadily more impatient with the kung’s absence.

And Viceroy Gerd Kosta Dykhsh could sense that. The important Geckho had already dipped out of the big room several times to ask his assistants about it, but they just threw up their paws because there had not been any news about the Kung of Earth. Finally, when yet another transmission came into his headset, the furry viceroy lit up and made an announcement for all to hear. In the Geckho man’s words, the frigate Tamara the Paladin, and a Relict faction corvette escort group had just touched down in the nearby spaceport, and Kung Gnat would be making his overdue appearance any minute.

Gerd Kosta Dykhsh pointed his clawed paw at a huge round table in the middle of the room and told the guests to take their seats. And that was where the first problems started. Representatives of the hostile Fourth and Eighth Directories of the magocratic world refused to sit next to one another. The heads of the large Human-3 and Human-12 Factions from the other world meanwhile hissed at each other and nearly got into a fistfight before the viceroy’s security broke them up. Gerd Mac-Peu the Mage Diviner had seen a report that in their alternate world there was tension between their two large states which threatened to spill over into a large-scale war. Earth’s very existence was on the line! This was no time for petty squabbles!

“Hey, why does the Relict Faction get a whole four representatives at the assembly while all the other Earth factions only get two? It isn’t fair!” the peevish voice belonged to a balding level-28 Diplomat from the Human-27 Faction named Arjan Meulenbelt, who had just then realized that four seats had been allocated to the Relict Faction delegation.

The Chief Advisor even had to bring up the invitation list on his tablet so he could remember who the man was. Ah, yes. H27, a small commercial faction from Europe providing extremely well-heeled citizens the chance to cure any illness through the game that bends reality. The faction had existed in the game for just two months and controlled three nodes in the southern part of the large continent of the virtual Earth, two of which it had purchased from neighboring states. That meant they must have had funds in the game as well. On the other hand, the Human-27 Faction was considered very young and weak, so they weren’t subject to the Army of Earth’s military draft. While Gerd Mac-Peu tried to figure out if it was even worth responding to such an insignificant faction, Princess Minn-O La-Fin stepped in.

“Perhaps because the Relict Faction has members from both alternate worlds? One expert from each version of Earth to cover all our bases. Plus a Diplomat. Plus the faction head. That makes four.”

But the European diplomat was not satisfied by that answer and continued to press, seemingly intent on provoking a conflict.

“After my talks with your Chief Advisor, I came to the conclusion that Gerd Mac-Peu is not particularly familiar with events in my homeworld. He must be your delegation’s magocratic world specialist. So, Princess Minn-O, which one of your faction’s four representatives does that make you? You are certainly no diplomat, and obviously not faction head.”

The people representing magocratic world factions started buzzing in dismay because the European diplomat’s conduct had crossed the line. Commoners without magic abilities had no right to treat a mage ruler so brutishly! The huge head of the Second Directory Leng Ui-Taka even jumped out of his seat, preparing to intercede on the princess’ behalf. But the accomplished general’s assistance proved unnecessary.

“Minn-O is my wife, and that is reason enough for her to attend this assembly!!!”

All sounds and discussions in the room instantly fell silent while many attendees stood to greet the Kung of Earth with respect. Wearing his matte black Devourer armor, Kung Gnat entered the hall accompanied by Relict Faction Diplomat Leng Thomas Müller as well as his personal bodyguard Gerd Imran, and Miyelonian personal assistant Gerd... Woah! The Chief Advisor’s eyes went wide with surprise... Leng Ayni Uri-Miayuu! How could that be?

“I had a very good reason for arriving late to this assembly, and I will get to it soon. But first, we have to settle the biggest issue. Three kungs in one room is clearly too many!”

The Devourer glanced at his bodyguard... and suddenly appeared on the exact opposite end of the large hall behind a standing middle-aged woman with dark hair. He tried to seize her... but her body suddenly turned into semitransparent jelly, hissed and gave a burbling sound.

“Damn! Got away...” Gnat’s peeved blue eyes flickered with electric rage, and not just figuratively.

Gnat turned to the man standing next to where the woman just was — a gray-haired mage ruler, head of the La-Urmi Faction from the Tenth Directory. He was already gasping in fear, but the Kung of Earth just set an armored glove on his shoulder in approval.

“It pains me to say this, old man, but it seems your faction’s diplomat is deceased. Slain by a Morphian. And most likely, it happened in the real world given he was not afraid to attend this assembly in her body. Could you not sense your shared nature, Kung Eesssa the Betelgeuse Planet Devouress?”

Whereas the Chief Advisor was merely surprised up until then, now he was in complete astonishment with his jaw on the floor, because the pregnant Princess Minn-O La-Fin standing behind Kung Gnat transformed into a perfect copy of Ayni the orange Miyelonian.

“No, Human, I was not able to sense him. But Kung Maa is an ancient Morphian and highly experienced. It’s no surprise he was hard to unmask. Much less how instantly he reacted to your attempt to seize him. Even I would not have been able to kill myself so quickly.”

The Devourer shook his head in dismay and frowned.

“You are wrong, Fox. I easily could have killed Kung Maa... once and for all. It would have been one less headache for me to deal with. But you asked me not to, which was why I only tried to immobilize him.”

The normally taciturn Arbiter Gerd Imran standing behind his commander spoke up.

“Captain, most Earth faction virt pods are currently being monitored, so the Morphian will be found. And I can intercept Kung Maa as soon as he reenters the game. The Morphian committed a fatal error when he relocated his physical body to Earth, and there is no escape now. So we will get another chance.”

“That is true. We can try again next time.”

Meanwhile, Relict Faction Diplomat Leng Thomas Müller proudly took one of the four faction seats at the table. Kung Eesssa meanwhile stood up, giving her seat to the real Leng Ayni Uri-Miayuu, whispered something to the Miyelonian that made her look down in shame, and went to leave the assembly hall. That was precisely when the Chief Advisor finally mustered up the courage to ask what happened to the real Princess Minn-O La-Fin.

Kung Gnat instantly was at Gerd Mac-Peu Un-Roi’s side, his blue eyes again glowing in a way that did not bode well for the Chief Advisor.

“You know why you’re still alive right now, advisor?” in the silence that had taken hold in the big hall, the Kung of Earth’s words were heard by everyone, even those sitting on the opposite end of the round table.

“Because I am faithful to you, Archmage. And I am of use to you,” the Mage Diviner said in a calm tone, after which he gave an emphatically respectful bow to the Kung of Earth.

And although Gerd Mac-Peu was very afraid, he was able to maintain the self-control and dignity of a natural born mage ruler. On top of that, the experienced Mage Diviner was aware that a fatal outcome was not in the cards — his master was merely expressing his dismay. The Devourer spent a few seconds staring at his offending servant, then spoke.

“Yes, your usefulness is indisputable. But as for your faithfulness, I now have serious concerns. Hiding critically important information about the health of your ruler’s wife and child... that’s borderline treason, Gerd Mac-Peu! And your usefulness is not the reason you are still alive. It isn’t even the fact you rank among the top ten most powerful Diviners in the galaxy. It is because I killed you once before... and it didn’t make things any better.”

What was the Kung of Earth talking about? The Mage Diviner was completely thrown off because his magic abilities were adamant that the Devourer was speaking the pure truth. How could that be? The only possibility would be if time had “rolled back” to before the fork in possible events, and the line of the future fatal to Gerd Mac-Peu had been replaced by one where he still had a chance of surviving. The Mage Diviner got down on one knee and bowed his head low in recognition of his leader’s authority and simultaneously thanking him for giving him a second chance. The Kung of Earth spent a few seconds staring at his advisor, flagrantly reading his thoughts and wanting to make certain of their sincerity. After that, he started severely.

“I shall answer your question, Chief Advisor. Just a half hour ago, Princess Minn-O left this room and is now in a safe location. My wife’s real world exit point has also been changed already, so she will not be returning to the Pa-lin-thu medical center. I will personally be overseeing her fate now, so I FORBID you or any other mage ruler,” the Devourer looked around significantly at the now silent large hall, “from interfering in my plans! If I’ve made myself clear, I consider the matter settled. Take your seat at the round table.”

“Yes, Archmage, all clear!” Gerd Mac-Peu nodded, instantly hopping up and taking a seat at the table next to Leng Ayni.

The Devourer then summoned his bodyguard Gerd Imran and together they walked over to Geckho Viceroy Gerd Kosta Dykhsh. It was apparent that the suzerains’ Diplomat was beside himself. The mighty Geckho downed the rest of the wine in his tall glass and stood up. His Geckho security officers also tensed up and traded looks. They knew they didn’t stand a chance against the Devourer, and that the Kung of Earth could kill even outside the game.

“Kento duho, Gerd Kosta Dykhsh,” the Kung of Earth said with a respectful bow.

A sigh of relief instantly flew through the room when everyone realized the ghastly Devourer had no aggressive intent. The Kung of Earth gave a signal to his Arbiter, and an armored metal briefcase appeared in Gerd Imran’s hands.

“Kosta Dykhsh, did you receive a transmission today from Geckho Third Strike Fleet Commander Kung Waid Shishish?”

“Yes, I received a strange message consisting of just three words: ‘Charles de Gaulle,’“ the viceroy shrugged his huge furry shoulders in a very humanlike fashion, not hiding his confusion.

“Yes, that’s the one,” the Kung of Earth confirmed. Then his bodyguard opened the briefcase and started setting on the table before the viceroy a series of multifaceted reddish orange crystals the size of ripe pomegranates. “There are thirteen of them. Each worth one hundred million Geckho crystals. For a total of one billion three hundred million. That was the exact amount you said my home planet of Earth would have to pay to buy our way out of vassalage to the Geckho race.”

Gerd Kosta Dykhsh looked thoughtfully at the riches set out before him and snorted, puffing out his wide nostrils, though he was in no rush to store the crystals in his own inventory. After that, he suggested that the amount may have changed because the nodes on the virtual Earth were quickly being settled, bringing up their value. So he wasn’t at all sure the one billion three hundred million was a fair price the Geckho rulers would agree to.

The Kung of Earth winced in dismay. The suzerains’ viceroy refusing to accept the exact conditions he himself suggested clearly upset the Devourer. Nevertheless, Gnat knew precisely what he was doing.

“Viceroy, I would never believe that my business partner Gerd Uline Tar would fail to share critically important information with her husband that is directly relevant to the Geckho viceroy on Earth. She must have told you. And so you know perfectly well that eight... no, seven ummi from now, planet Earth’s value to your race will fall to zero.”

The players around the table started buzzing. Out of all the assembly attendees, the Viceroy of Earth and Relict Faction members were the only ones aware of the under-the-table arrangements between the heads of the Geckho State and the Meleyephatian Horde. Everyone else was totally in the dark about what Kung Gnat was saying.

“Yes, Uline did warn me,” he confirmed.

The Devourer nodded and continued pressing.

“In that case, hurry up and take the money while the Geckho still have the chance. And I have no idea why we’re still arguing. The issue has already been agreed on by Earth’s overlord Kung Waid Shishish, as has the specific amount of money for buying my home planet.”

“It’s all true,” the viceroy raised his huge black eyes to look at Gnat, “but there are still nodes on this planet’s satellite. The Moon, as you call it. And meanwhile, the moon nodes contain a large Geckho research facility studying the phenomenon of bifurcated worlds. And a military spaceport. And helium-3 extractors for thermonuclear generators. And they just so happen to belong to me! So I would like compensation. At least for the extractors.”

Kung Gnat spent a long time staring at the man, after which he countered:

“I get ten percent of the income, plus free helium-3 for thermonuclear power plants here on Earth and you can keep the extractors. I will buy out all remaining Geckho property.” With those words the Devourer took a huge orange-red crystal from his inventory and set it on the table. Number fourteen. Identical to the thirteen before it.

“Now that’s a different conversation,” the Geckho bared his huge yellowish teeth in a semblance of a human smile and scraped all the crystals off the table with a wide paw. “Agreed! The Earth is yours, Human. And so is the Moon. From this second, Humans are on their own and the Geckho are no longer required to defend your race.”

Chapter 1. Springboard

IT ALL WENT QUITE SMOOTHLY, though I did have to spend half of my remaining personal funds to purchase the moon nodes. But oh well. Money was just a matter of time. Particularly given the fact that my income had surpassed my expenses recently, while I was now entitled to a portion of the taxes from the virtual Earth as its overlord.

Legitimacy increased to 5%

Not bad, not bad at all! The game system had already accounted for the change and raised my status to match. I waited for the Geckho diplomat to put all the crystals into his inventory, thus technically completing the trade deal, and just in case made a clarification.

“Gerd Kosta Dykhsh, those crystals are to be delivered to Kung Waid Shishish ASAP. The commander desperately needs the funds to repair his battle-damaged fleet. You got that? Not the krong of your race, Earth’s former overlord. The commission you and your clan are entitled to will be paid by Kung Waid Shishish. We’ve already discussed it.”

“Yes, Kung of Earth. That is perfectly clear. I will personally deliver the crystals with all possible haste,” the huge black Geckho stood up from the table and headed to leave, calling his Bodyguards after him.

“One second, Gerd Kosta Dykhsh,” I stopped the rushed Diplomat. “I will allow you to retain this residence along with a half stake in the seaport in this node for you and your wife. It would be wrong to strip property and a profitable business on a safe planet from my business partner Gerd Uline Tar and her husband. I would also be happy to have such a wealthy industrialist continue operating on my planet, bolstering its economy.”

“It’s always a pleasure doing business with you, Kung Gnat!” The Diplomat gave a respectful bow and hurried to leave, leading all the Geckho security out after him. Their places at the doors and around the perimeter of the large assembly hall were immediately taken by the fearsome and taciturn Alpha Iseyek.

The coming of the severe praying-mantis-like warriors wearing their high-tech space suits was greeted with great animation because most of the Earth leaders had never seen Iseyek before. I chuckled to myself. These Earth leaders were about to have their minds blown!

“Fox, come back to the table, I’m going to need you,” I mentally called out, and the exact copy of my orange cat friend hurried to take a seat next to the original. I then took Kosta Dykhsh’s opulent armchair.

But whereas nobody objected to me taking the viceroy’s spot, the Morphian joining the big table was met with complaints, and I hurried to intervene and get ahead of the Earth faction leaders’ discontent.

“I have asked the Army of Earth’s instructor to join us at the assembly, because one of the topics we will be touching on is the formation of a unified command structure and big upcoming political changes.”

“With all due respect, Kung Gnat,” Leng Ivan Muzhik spoke up, head of the Human-23 Faction, “doesn’t the fact Earth is no longer a Geckho vassal rid us of the need to form a grand army and take part in space conflicts?”

“Can’t you see?” a bald man I’d never met before named Arjan Meulenbelt cut in with an acrid smirk despite his modest level, and not having even prominent player status. “Kung Gnat simply wishes to pursue personal ambitions at the cost of our soldiers’ lives and take the Quarantine Planet for his bug-eyed wayedda. Everyone in the galaxy is talking about it!”

Authority reduced to 174!

In silence, I turned an inquisitive eye to my Chief Advisor, and Gerd Mac-Peu Un-Roi instantly jumped in with an explanation:

“H27 Faction, their sole datacenter is located near Bruges. The faction is so young and feeble that they were not required to provide troops for the Army of Earth draft, so their representative is clearly lying when he says, ‘our soldiers.’ My Kung, before your arrival, the Diplomat was behaving brutishly and trying to cause a scene.”

I see... However, there was something more than lack of tact going on with the representative of a faction from my homeworld. It was extremely difficult to read Diplomats’ minds, nearly impossible, but I could detect a clear financial interest in the bald boor’s conduct. Someone had promised him good money if he could cause a scene at the grand assembly and bring down my Authority. Damn... Reading the Diplomat was so hard my head was starting to hurt. Okay then, he would tell me himself...

I didn’t kill the insolent man even though the rules of the game would have allowed it. Instead, following a mental order from me, the flabby bald shrimp stood to his feet, got down on all fours and started doing push-ups with strained wheezing. The Russian faction representatives were unable to hide their laughter — they had seen me use this method before to teach a lesson to a couple politicians who were flying off the handle and had lost touch with reality. The gray-haired bearded leader of the H27 Faction seated next to the Diplomat who was beet-red with strain opened his mouth to speak but, upon seeing a severe look on my face, opted to shut it again.

“Alright then, while the Belgian Diplomat improves his character’s Strength and Endurance, the rest of us can move on to more serious matters. As several of you are already aware, our former suzerains, the Geckho, suffered a crushing defeat in the war with the Composite and have requested military aid from the Meleyephatian Horde. Krong Laa promised to provide that aid, but only in exchange for the Horde receiving a portion of Geckho space and recognizing the Meleyephatians as their suzerains...”

I had to pause for nearly a minute because the news came as a true shock to everyone there, sparking emotional outbursts and animated discussion. And it wasn’t that anyone was doubting what I said, it was simply very difficult to accept the new reality where our seemingly invincible suzerains had been beaten and themselves become vassals of a more powerful race. Gerd Ivan Lozovsky’s behavior made for a striking contrast with all the stormy discussion — the Russian Human-3 Faction Diplomat put his head in his hands and, looking completely lost, struggled to digest what he’d heard. And no wonder. Lozovsky had staked his gaming career on the great spacefaring race, even serving them as a deep-cover agent on Earth, but now it had blown up in his face. I waited for the emotions to die down and continued my speech.

“The treaty between the leaders of the great spacefaring races stipulated the transfer of all Geckho vassals to new overlords appointed by the Meleyephatian Horde. And all Geckho vassals were to be reduced to enslaved nations with the corresponding loss of political and civil rights along with a significant increase in tribute. It was precisely to avoid that negative scenario for Earth that I purchased our homeworld’s freedom and immediately grant it the status of free planet. The Cyanids, Jargs, Cleopians and Geckho-vassalized Crystallids have done the same. All those races purchased their freedom from our former suzerains and, one half ummi ago, concluded a military and political alliance legally obliging them to come to one another’s defense in case of attack. And I was late to this assembly precisely because I wanted to be present at those all-important negotiations.”

I was expecting a more animated discussion, or at least questions, but my words were met with dead silence. The drastic changes in space came as a complete surprise to the Earth leaders, and they now had no idea how to react to the news. Finally, like a schoolboy at his desk, H3 Faction head Leng Igor Tarasov raised his head.

“Kung, other than the parties you already mentioned, could anyone else help strengthen the new alliance? Because...” Tarasov shook his head with unhidden doubt, “the military and space power of this new alliance seems pretty slim. Only our Earth has its own space fleet, and it’s very modest. Plus it mainly consists of ships from your Relict faction. If any more powerful neighbors such as the Meleyephatians or Miyelonians get the itch to expand their holdings in space, the first place they’ll look will be the systems no longer protected by the great Geckho race.”

“What can I say? You’ve asked an extremely important question,” I praised the leader of the Human-3 Faction, “though I should point out that the Cleopians also have their own fleet, and it is at least as powerful as our own.”

I had to take a pause because the penalized H27 Diplomat had started groaning in pain and begging for mercy. I turned an inquisitive gaze toward Fox — who better than the instructor of the Army of Earth to determine precisely whether the player had simply gotten tired so quickly or was just faking it? The Morphian’s verdict was unambiguous.

“This man is lying and trying to make you pity him. In fact, he could perform another one hundred fifty push-ups if his pain receptors were completely deactivated.”

I did just that, continuing to hold the Diplomat’s mind under control while fully deactivating his pain receptors. He would take a long time to recover if he didn’t end up going to respawn after due to shock from all the pain. But even if the insolent Belgian did die in the game one time, it would serve as a lesson for him not to grumble at “high profile” players. His body would get stronger from the physical exertion in any case both here and in the real world, so the wimpy man’s husband or wife would have no choice but to thank me.

I ordered Fox to monitor Arjan Meulenbelt’s condition and warn me when he was nearing the limits of his physical capabilities, then returned to discussing the new alliance.

“Tailax will surely be joining — my wayedda Leng Valeri-Urla is convening an assembly of the prelates on the matter as we speak, and Tailax’s docks are already hard at work building a fleet for their human-populated planet. A number of small human colonies scattered throughout the galaxy will also be joining along with several free space stations. Also, in ten ummi or so, a large chunk of Geckho State space will split off under the banner of Kung Waid Shishish, and they will also be declaring a friendly stance toward our alliance. And that means the Third Geckho Strike Fleet, numbering six hundred combat starships can stand to defend Earth if anything happens.”

I could see that the Earth leaders were listening to me carefully, but I was nevertheless unable to break through their skepticism about our alliance’s survival chances in the dangerous Universe. Oh well. I had only made it through the introduction of my speech and was just getting to the real aces up my sleeve.

“Now on to our Earth’s highly powerful and aggressive neighbors. The Trillians are hostile to us but cannot make a fully-fledged attack on our planet before the end of the reality synchronization process. The Geckho have bigger problems. We purchased our freedom fair and square, so our former suzerains would not be able to attack Earth even if they could. The Meleyephatian Horde? The Meleyephatians can get as mad as they like about Earth slipping through their greedy mandibles at the last minute. But truth is the Horde would get tripped up by a hard-won ceasefire they signed with the almighty Human Empire of George the First. Because of that, they will be unable to get bogged down in any conflicts with humans for the next five tongs whether that be Earth humanity, Tailax, the Gilvar Syndicate, or anyone else. The Miyelonians definitely won’t attack us either,” here I made a dramatic pause before continuing, “because they themselves have expressed a desire to join our alliance along with all their vassals and dependent races!”

Diplomacy skill increased to level one hundred eight!

Psionic skill increased to level two hundred fifty-two!

Yes, I added a bit of psionics to reinforce my statement. It may have been excessive, but the audience really came to life. Their faces lit up and they started smiling, some even gave a round of applause. The earthlings were familiar with the great Miyelonian race, respected them, and even feared them. And so the subsequent question from the American Human-12 Faction Diplomat was on everyone’s lips:

“Kung Gnat, given the other members of our alliance control just a few planets in total, won’t a heavyweight like the Union of Miyelonian Prides throw off the balance with their hundreds of star systems and de facto mean that, instead of obtaining freedom, we will have simply found ourselves a new suzerain?”

My tailed friend Leng Ayni fielded that question:

“I can assure you all that Earth will not be annexed or vassalized and such options are not even under consideration. I was present at the negotiations between the Kung of Earth and the sole ruler of my race Krong Keetsie Myau and, with a spirit of responsibility, can tell you that they discussed a partnership of equals or even...” the Listener glanced at me, asking for approval to reveal previously classified information, to which I nodded, “that Humans would occupy the leading role in the alliance, especially if your widely-scattered race is able to unite.”

Hearing snickers of disbelief in the crowd — some simply found her claims too outlandish — the diminutive Leng Ayni Uri-Miayuu stood up so everyone at the round table could see her more clearly and gave an in-depth explanation.

“Yes, the Miyelonians are powerful and numerous. Our great spacefaring race controls more than seven hundred star systems. But before the conflict, the Geckho had at least an equivalent population, economic potential, and military force, and we all know what that got them in the end. The Geckho have now lost a quarter of their systems and approximately one fifth of their population, and that tragic trend has yet to break. The Geckho are still on the run, surrendering system after system. The Miyelonians can see their example perfectly well and do not wish to meet the same fate. And so, joining forces with a united humanity is actually more in our interest than yours. The greatest Diviners of my race have studied all possible futures and come to the conclusion that an alliance with a united humanity is the Miyelonian race’s only chance of surviving this war of extermination against two all-powerful enemies: the Trillian Kingdom and the Composite.”

That was when the full gravity of the situation hit the Earth leaders. Their sneers melted away, as did all side conversations. I decided to seize on their attention and, though it was a bit late, introduced my orange friend and the reason she was in attendance.

“I’m sure you are all familiar with my Miyelonian companion Leng Ayni Uri-Miayuu, but today she is here in her new capacity as leader of the Relict Faction. Yes, you heard me right. In both status and position, I am Kung — ‘leader of many divisions,’ in Relict — and cannot afford to get distracted by the affairs of one single faction, even my own. And that is why one ummi ago I appointed Leng Ayni Uri-Miayuu, who has proven her absolute loyalty and ability to take on even the most difficult tasks, to lead the largest of all Earth factions. Relict Faction Diplomat Leng Thomas Müller and Chief Advisor Gerd Mac-Peu Un-Roi shall serve as Leng Ayni’s deputies. I meanwhile will take control of the similarly named Relict alliance, which will include the Relict Faction, allied Earth factions from both worlds, the huge Free Tailax Faction numbering over half a million players, several small Geckho and Miyelonian industrial factions, the Relict Pyramid, the Light Green Cleopian Faction from Serpea and its inhabited rings, several remote human colonies and... something else we are not yet ready to reveal to outsiders.”

Diplomacy skill increased to level one hundred nine!

Authority increased to 175!

Authority increased to 176!

I looked up to discover everyone staring at me with mouths agape in surprise. Even Chief Advisor Gerd Mac-Peu Un-Roi, who thought he was aware of all his boss’s affairs, had not heard even half of the things I just said. Everyone else meanwhile just stared at me like a celestial being beyond the reach of mere mortals.

It even made me feel uncomfortable. Nevertheless, I got myself together and continued my speech.

“My speech today will be split into two parts. The first will be devoted to internal politics — relations between earth factions, settling disputes and conflicts, and coordinating actions. The second part we will dedicate to foreign affairs — the environment our Earth will come to live in... Uh, yes, sir?”

I stopped my speech because a gray-haired Mage Psionic wearing ceremonial attire representing the ancient and almighty La-Shin Faction of the magocratic world, Leng Yavi-Uru La-Shin, stood up with a strained groan. The old man, shaking with feebleness, was held up by the armpit by a young redheaded healer named Gerd Lassi-Yana (“Sweet Sunshine,” in the magocratic world’s language). It was strange to see that the La-Shin Faction’s second representative at the assembly was not a Diplomat like all other factions had but a high-profile Mage Healer. The elderly faction leader clearly could not get by without his personal healer for long, which must have been why they made such an odd decision.

“Archmage Kung Gnat La-Fin,” the gray-haired mage ruler came in a dry rasping voice after which he gave a deep bow while his assistant struggled to keep him from falling. “You’ll have to forgive the impertinence, but I am much older than everyone else here, so I trust you will indulge me. My health no longer allows me to tolerate long meetings. So first listen to what I have to say before you continue. Without me.”

“He lies, I am older than him,” Kung Eesssa jumped in, but I gestured for the Morphian not to speak and ceded the floor to the head of the ancient La-Shin dynasty of mage rulers.

The old man braced himself on his staff, stood up straight and continued in a rasping, barely audible voice.

“My cousin Henri-Huvi, who helmed the La-Shin dynasty for a hundred years, made a grave error which was followed by his two short-reigned successors. They were so blinded by their pride and petty lust for power that they overlooked the fact that a great force had emerged among the mages. One capable of upending their customary world and reshaping it in its image, blotting out stars and creating new ones. A dragon among sheep. And I am not referring to you, Archmage Gnat La-Fin. You of course are powerful, there is no disputing that. The most powerful man in the magocratic world. However, you are but a speck of dust on your son’s shoe. I am not destined to witness the birth of the Magnificent One. I will not make it to that joyful moment. But I will die happy because today I was able to glimpse his power.”

The old man suddenly stumbled, but his healer kept him on his feet and handed him a strength restoring elixir. Yavi-Uru La-Shin raised his fitfully shaking hands to his lips and poured it down, clacking the bottle on his teeth. He stopped shaking straight away and began speaking in a clearer voice that could even be called majestic.

“That powerful medicine is toxic to my frail body, so I will die in just a few minutes. In the real world, too, because my servants placed me in my virt pod when I was already at death’s door. But that is of no importance. Today, I witnessed a blinding light emanating from Minn-O’s womb when it was the real Minn-O La-Fin rather than the pale imitation. A pure primordial magic, the foundation of it all. That light in the lines of the probable future was first sighted by the great Archmage Thumor-Anhu La-Fin, after which the head of the La-Fin dynasty paid his due by sacrificing his life because it was the only possible way to strengthen that line of the future and bring together the parents of the future Archmage of Archmages. And in that same magnanimous spirit, I would also like to do my duty as head of a great dynasty of mage rulers.”

With those words, the old man removed a heavy gold signet with a large, faceted emerald from his knobby finger and asked his redheaded assistant to give it to me.

“I pledge myself not to you, Archmage Gnat La-Fin, but to your unborn son. The entire La-Shin Dynasty swears its allegiance to the future ruler of a united humanity! May the Fifth and Fifteenth Directories be your son’s inheritance!”

ATTENTION!!! Leader of the La-Shin Faction Leng Yavi-Uru La-Shin proposes unification with the Relict Faction on the following terms: the La-Shin Faction shall join the Relict Faction in its entirety. Do you accept? (Yes/No)

OBVIOUSLY, LENG AYNI Uri-Miayuu saw the same message because she looked up at me in surprise.

“Say yes,” I advised her and a second later, Gerd Mac-Peu her Chief Advisor shot out:

“Kung Gnat, Leng Ayni...” the Mage Diviner bowed to them one after the other. “After all today’s changes, the Relict alliance has enough in-game hexagons for both versions of Earth to survive the synchronization of realities. With our allies, we control 50.4% of all game nodes!”

Chapter 2. The Emperor’s Mysterious Past

WHILE ALPHA ISEYEK CARRIED AWAY the old mage’s body as delicately and respectfully as possible monitored by house La-Shin representatives I decided to use the break to speak with the penalized Human-27 Faction Diplomat. Arjan Meulenbelt was now beet red and struggling to catch his breath. He had lost all his pluck and was eagerly responding to all my questions.

And my guess proved correct. The European Diplomat was indeed working to earn a generous payout for ruining the Kung of Earth’s Authority in a group comprising many Earth faction heads, ideally derailing the grand assembly altogether. But he was not on the payroll of the Gilvar Syndicate or even the Hive of Tintara like I thought. He had been tasked with sabotaging my assembly by a “fantastically wealthy woman who came from somewhere in the UK and joined the H27 Faction recently.”

I had to strain my memory to think of a rich Earth woman I might have crossed. The only one who came to mind was the head of the Moscow Oblast land relations department — one of a group of corrupt civil servants who arranged a massive scale shady land grab known as “New Moscow” to pilfer trillions of rubles. At one point, the torrent of easy money got to her son, who bought himself a starship in the game and ended up in serious danger on Poko-Poko, a situation that eventually required the Army of Earth to storm the space station.

Had that civil servant now left Russia? I was reminded of a promise made to me that a serious investigation was being launched into the whole group of suspected crooks. I called up the head of the commercial Human-23 Faction, Leng Ivan Muzhik, then the head of the UK Human-2 Faction, and the gray-haired leader of the European Human-27 Faction to investigate my theory and get answers to my remaining questions. Yes, that was right. The former Moscow Oblast civil servant had fled. First to the UK in hopes that they would accept her with open arms as they had done for so many shady Russian oligarchs before. However, the UK started rounding up and arresting Russian con artists, so she then departed for Denmark, where she bought herself a spot in the commercial Human-27 Faction. The elderly head of the European faction confirmed and retold everything in great detail.

“Kung of Earth, this woman has in fact been a member of my H27 Faction for a month, adopting the username Den Røde Dronning (the Red Queen) and has spent all that time using brand new players to bring valuables into the game such as paintings by famous artists, large emeralds and diamonds, and ancient jewelry, which she then sells to Geckho buyers here in the spaceport node or through online auctions to collectors from throughout the galaxy. I have it on good authority that two days ago, she exchanged a whole shipping container of small monetary crystals for three large ones worth twenty-five million apiece.”

That put it all in perspective, but also made me feel somewhat hurt. And here I thought I was going to uncover an agent of a hostile space government or at least a space mafia, but it was actually just a corrupt civil servant with a grudge against me for casting light on her shadowy business dealings. Now I just had to determine a fair punishment for intentionally bringing down the Kung of Earth’s Authority. I was reminded that Earth’s former overlord Kung Waid Shishish had ordered the Graveyard node levelled for a completely unintentional insult. And simply for distracting him from serious business, the H23 Faction was fined thirty million. Based on that, intentionally slandering a kung was a serious crime deserving the strictest possible punishment.

“The H27 Faction is hereby fined ninety million Geckho crystals!” I barked out, and my blue eyes glimmered with dangerous electricity.

Psionic skill increased to level Third hundred fifty-three!

Mental Fortitude skill increased to level two hundred four!

The players around me, even those totally uninvolved in the provocation, hurried to bow their heads while the Diplomat and Human-27 Faction leader fell to his knees.

“Confiscate the entitled fool’s funds and, if necessary, force her to bring even more valuables into the game. The fine must be fully paid within ten days! The money will go toward building an orbital cargo elevator for the benefit of all Earth humanity, and I will pay the remainder out of my own pocket. And tell this Røde Dronning to thank all the gods she doesn’t live in the Empire. Because there can be only one Red Queen in the game: Emperor Georg the First’s late wife, the almighty Miya, and any player in the Empire could be executed for blasphemy and sacrilege if they got caught with a username like that.”

“Yes, Kung of Earth!” the bearded old man bowed with all due respect, after which he stood to his feet, straightened up and sighed loudly. He must have been expecting a much more serious punishment.

I looked away from the head of the H27 Faction to its Diplomat Arjan Meulenbelt, who was shrunken in fear. Then he looked in silence at the gray-haired faction head.

“All clear, Kung Gnat! I promise to find my faction a new Diplomat before the day’s end!” the old man assured me, after which I considered the vexing incident settled.

The imposing Alpha Iseyek grabbed the European Diplomat by the arms as he groaned in pain and hauled him out of the room along with three now unneeded seats. I turned my attention to the overwhelmed redheaded healer from the former La-Shin Faction. The young Mage Healer was standing apart from everyone else looking lost from the exit to the one remaining seat at the round table.

I mentally asked my Chief Assistant about her, and he was ready with an answer.

“Gerd Lassi-Yana is from the ancient house Un-Leto, a historic vassal of the La-Shin dynasty of mage rulers. She is not head of her house, nor is she even very high in the Un-Leto line of succession, but Lassi-Yana is an astonishingly talented Mage Healer and, according to some, can even work miracles. Smart and modest, she went everywhere with Yavi-Uru La-Shin like a shadow. I’m certain she must know a lot of secrets the Fifth and Fifteenth Directories would rather keep out of the public eye. Lassi-Yana is currently feeling overwhelmed because she has lost her master.”

A talented and modest Mage Healer who could work miracles? Treasures like her were rare, and didn’t come around every day, especially with my wife’s life hanging by such a thin thread, threatening to snap at any moment.

“Kid, take your seat among the representatives of the Relict Faction between the two identical Miyelonians,” I said, pointing to Ayni and Fox.

I didn’t know why I called her kid. She was only a bit younger than me. But it sounded cool and protective, and most importantly was very fitting to the situation. A chair was instantly placed there by the Alpha Iseyek and my companions moved aside. Because all leaders of the Earth factions were already seated around the table and waiting only for me, I took my place and suggested we pick back up where we left off before the leader of the La-Shin Dynasty passed.

* * *

IT WOULD HAVE BEEN better in my view to start with foreign affairs — the sweeping changes to the space map, then get to internal matters — “small-town” local events, often of interest just to one or two factions. But when I suggested that my audience not only couldn’t understand — they were plain opposed. Most representatives were more interested in problems their own factions faced than the semi mythical Trillians or Composite. Oh well. For the most part, I didn’t care where I started.

For internal affairs, I had just one fundamental law for all Earth factions which I was willing to pay any price to make them obey: by the end of the countdown for our planet, factions in the Relict alliance had to control a total of at least half of the game nodes so both versions of Earth could continue to exist in the future. That condition was currently met, so I saw no need for drastic political moves. Every other part of internal politics was secondary, and I did not intend to interfere in game affairs between factions, much less the political situation in either real world.

The leaders surprisingly agreed that the present situation meant we could avoid an uncompromising war of extermination between the two alternate versions of our world, which was perfectly acceptable to both sides. Of course, there was no avoiding disputes between factions over game nodes or low-intensity conflicts, but they could not threaten the overarching principle of domination by the Kung of Earth. Just then, Leng Ayni Uri-Miayuu asked for the floor.

She stood in her dark, head-turning Listener armor suit, looked around attentively at everyone and started in a soft-spoken voice.

“Before this assembly, I heard rumors that some Earth factions were displeased with the rapid expansion of the Relict Faction and even held onto territorial claims against us. And so I would like anyone who feels that way to now openly state any problems they might have. Or forever hold their peace.”

Successful Authority check.

Successful Authority check.

The Authority checks made me start looking curiously at the leaders. They were all silent. Regardless of what schemes they may have had in mind, nobody would admit that their faction was working on plans to snatch territory away from the Kung of Earth. Alright then, all the better.

But the Miyelonian for some reason wouldn’t sit back down. In fact, Leng Ayni even put on her armor suit’s helmet and consulted with Relict Faction Diplomat Leng Thomas Müller. I looked around at the hall not understanding what had my tailed NPC friend on guard. My Danger Sense skill had nothing to say. Finally, the Miyelonian broke the silence to explain her concerns.

“My Kung, it seems I have ‘inherited’ a war with the Second Directory from the Fifteenth. A low-intensity conflict in the real world. There haven’t been any large battles for some time. But it is in full swing on the virtual planet. And as we speak, according to data I have received on my helmet screen, General Ui-Taka’s shock brigades are attacking a Relict Faction port called Kayoji on the small continent of the virtual Earth.”

Oh no... I turned to look at the ruler of the Second Directory, and Leng Ui-Taka himself looked baffled. The general stood up and stroked his bald head thoughtfully with a huge hand.

“Yeah... Whoever would have thought our opponent would suddenly change from a La-Shin garrison to Relict Faction troops?! Landing a force and taking a poorly defended coastal node is one thing. But it’s another matter entirely to inherit a lengthy war with a more powerful faction that borders you directly. With the grim prospect of orbital bombardment of all our nodes by the space battleship Bride of Chaos.”

A questionable situation. I had essentially just announced for all to hear that I was distancing myself from the Relict Faction and would concern myself only with affairs pertaining to the entire alliance. But now, two factions from that alliance were feuding, while the leader of the La-Taka faction served as commander of the entire Army of Earth. I looked to my tailed assistant, then to the celebrated general. They both looked indecisive and seemed to be expecting orders from me on how to proceed.

“Here’s what we’ll do, friends. Call off the fighting and reach an agreement. I expect a peace treaty by the end of the day.”

Diplomacy skill increased to level one hundred ten!

“Yes, Kung Gnat!” The Strategist and Listener bowed at the exact same time. Putting an end to the off-the-rails war seemed well within both of their capabilities.

The assembly continued.

For the next hour and a half, the leaders of the Earth factions gave speeches one after the other, conducted negotiations, smoothed over rough patches in their relationships, and made agreements to work together on various projects. I meanwhile stayed on the sidelines, just nodding in silence occasionally. I got bored and couldn’t shake the feeling that I should have been doing something else. My job was to establish links with allied races and reinforce Earth’s positions in space, to find solutions for problems of a galactic scale, not listen to disputes between minor factions about who owned the irrigation canals for this or that barley field.

But I couldn’t let them see how bored I was, so I tolerated it, nodding importantly and from time to time even flashing my blue eyes to scare them. But when the bulk of the issues had been settled, I was happy to announce a ten-minute break, after which I was going to speak on foreign affairs.

* * *

DURING THE BREAK, LENG Igor Tarasov approached me and, after a few perfunctory words of greeting, asked a fairly surprising question about whether I still remembered Gerd Tamara’s adoptive father Roman Pavlovich. I couldn’t believe he was asking if I had forgotten the muscular middle-aged Grenadier. Only yesterday I was talking to the staff of a recently opened memorial to Tamara’s father in the capital of the First Directory Pa-lin-thu commemorating the time when he sacrificed his own life to take down hundreds of all powerful mages from thirty directories in one fell swoop. The mage rulers voiced very strong opposition to memorializing the “terrorist,” but the people of the First Directory had a different opinion. The common nonmagical citizenry regarded Leng Tamara and her father Roman Pavlovich as symbols of the positive changes that had taken place and managed to push an idea through their new parliament to install a memorial at the site of Roman Pavlovich’s death.

“His self-sacrifice was not what I wanted to speak about,” the leader of the Human-3 Faction admitted. “This is a totally different matter. Among Tamara’s father’s personal effects, we found a dog-eared book named Perimeter Defense. Sector Eight. It was just lying around until one day a faction member picked it up to read. It wasn’t long before they ran over to me all in a lather, poking their finger into a few underlined paragraphs. I took a look... and ordered the book brought immediately to the competent authorities.”

“Was Tamara’s adoptive father reading illicit material?” I had to admit, I had no idea why Leng Tarasov was telling me these things.

“It was nothing criminal...” he took a deep sigh. “Look, I don’t want you to think I’m crazy, Gnat, but the book is about the life of Crown Prince Georg Mesfelle, the future Emperor Georg the First, along with his wife Miya during their time living on our Earth! And it was written long BEFORE we found out the Empire existed, much less Georg the First!”

Well, well! Now he really had caught my interest. Kung Georg royl Inoky ton Mesfelle had mentioned to me that he spent some time living on Earth, but he didn’t tell me any details about his stay. This information could help me gain a better understanding of the all-powerful Emperor.

“I must have that book!” I extended a hand demandingly, but the head of the Human-3 Faction just looked down guiltily at the floor.

“Kirill, I don’t have it. Like I said, it was given to a team of specialists. But I’ll try to dig up another copy ASAP and have it brought into the game that bends reality with a group of newbies.”

What a pity... I looked at the timer. The break was over. The faction heads and diplomats had already taken their seats at the round table. Oh well, time for me to take my place and explain my view of recent events and processes in the galaxy.

Chapter 3. War as Means of Survival

FOR STARTERS, I ANSWERED THE QUESTION on every last person’s mind which I was not able to respond to before because of the European Diplomat. Although Earth was no longer a Geckho vassal, and Krong Daveyesh-Pir’s order was no longer of any meaning to us, the Army of Earth draft was still in full effect! In fact, though as Kung of Earth, I could look past some factions failing to meet their draft targets and make up for their absent recruits with volunteers from other factions, now I would be enforcing the draft in the strictest possible fashion for all Earth leaders. The future of our planet, the future of our children and grandchildren now depended on Earth’s ability to stand up for itself, and a powerful army was the guarantee we needed to survive!

There was another important thing I wanted to call attention to from a psychological perspective. Space was a dangerous place. Here, you were either predator, or prey soon to be eaten by bigger neighbors. Unfortunately, there was no option three. And so our biggest priority was to make our neighbors and foes view Earth’s humanity as a dangerous predator with big sharp teeth to stop them from looking at us as prey. A strong army would be necessary to secure our neighbors’ respect. But Earth, no matter how you spun it, was just another planet. Or rather, two in the near future. And meanwhile, in the arena of space, heavyweights with hundreds of populated planets went head-to-head with fleets numbering in the thousands. Which was exactly why the idea of a “united humanity” had slipped through a few times in new Relict Faction leader Leng Ayni Uri-Miayuu’s recent speech.

I was forced to cut into my fiery sermon to call on General Leng Ui-Taka who had his hand raised like a schoolboy.

“Kung of Earth, apologies for the interruption, but I just received an urgent message from the spaceport. Observers are saying a Meleyephatian Horde landing ship has just touched down at Earth’s spaceport. And now troops are unloading by the thousands!”

The Earth leaders all started stirring as questions poured in. Many times, I heard them referring with horror to the “Meleyephatians.”

“It’s all fine, general,” Diplomat Leng Thomas Müller responded for me. “They are our allies from Tailax. The Kung of Earth invited them for a joint training session at the Army of Earth’s training grounds.”

“Yes, it is the first Free Tailax Faction starship they sent here,” I confirmed. “Over the next few ummi, another three large landing ships from Tailax will be coming to Earth bringing around a hundred ten thousand troops in total. And none of them will be Meleyephatians or any other alien race, just Humans.”

Leng Ui-Taka gave a nervous gulp, and the other faction leaders looked frankly beside themselves. Even if they weren’t the ghastly eight-legged Meleyephatians, one hundred ten thousand (!!!) foreign troops landing on Earth... was very serious! So I hurried to assuage their fears.

“The newly arrived troops will be loyal to me and for two reasons. As viceroy of their homeworld of Tailax, and as leader of the Relict alliance, which the Free Tailax faction is a part of. They comprise one hundred ten thousand fanatics willing to take on any foe, barehanded if necessary, for the freedom of their home planet. Unfortunately, other than high level characters and the fanaticism in their massive eyes, the people of their twilight planet have little to boast about. A Meleyephatian Horde slave planet, they were forbidden from raising their own army, and the foundation of Tailax’s future armed forces is only now taking shape. The Army of Earth’s instructors, above all the much-esteemed Kung Eesssa,” I pointed unfailingly to the identical Miyelonian who was a Morphian and bowed, “ will be tasked with turning these fanatics, who are willing to give their lives and fall bare-chested onto embrasures, into true professional troops in a tight timeframe.”

The Army of Earth instructor stood up and nodded to show she understood. Her identical copy, the real Miyelonian Ayni added something as well.

“The task before our shared faction’s professional troops is not to bring shame on us all during the joint training session with the peaceful Tailax civilians who just yesterday wouldn’t have even dreamt in their most intimate thoughts of holding a weapon. Because high levels and fanaticism cannot compensate for the massive gap in combat abilities between peaceful-class players and career soldiers. The Tailaxian volunteers are mere backup for our troops but will not be able to serve as the main strike force in the upcoming wars.”

The attendees needed time to digest what the Miyelonian said, and the overall news about the arrival of so many allies. After what I said, no one was worried about hostilities from the new arrivals, though many leaders were of course wondering about the purpose of having such a force on Earth. And indeed, that question was soon asked by the leader of the Chinese Human-1 Faction.

Okay, I was well prepared to answer questions about the main topic of today’s assembly.

“Friends, that was precisely what I was getting to when the news of the Tailax troops’ arrival came in. Human unification. Those are far from empty words. It is in fact the thing our neighbors in space most fear. Humanity is widely scattered throughout the Universe, and controls hundreds if not thousands of star systems. Kung Pirro Vatushi the Ninth. Kung Belli Omo. Kung Georg royl Inoky ton Mesfelle. Kung Yoji Umoro. And that is but a small sampling of the highly influential human leaders who control vast swaths of outer space. A united humanity would have colossal economic, and military might, surpassing our former Geckho suzerains by two orders of magnitude, or the Miyelonians for that matter, and could potentially surpass even the Meleyephatian Horde. That was why Leng Ayni said what she said, though it made some of you mistrustful and others of you snicker. That if the Union of Miyelonian Prides observes real steps toward such a unification and explosive expansion of Humanity’s power, given their difficult position at present, they might declare themselves vassals of humankind.”

“That is true,” Leng Ayni Uri-Miayuu stood up and confirmed. “The Great One, Krong Keetsie Myau promised just that to Kung Gnat.”

“And there’s nothing funny about that. Experienced players in the game of interstellar politics can see several moves ahead. Krong Keetsie meanwhile is beyond all doubt one of the greatest Strategists and diviners of our era. It’s up to us not to let the Miyelonian ruler down and take concrete steps in the right direction.”

Diplomacy skill increased to level one hundred eleven!

Diplomacy skill increased to level one hundred twelve!

Everyone listened to me very carefully and as shown by the system messages running before my eyes, they shared my idea about uniting with the other Human governments in order to gain support from the great Miyelonian race. Okay, now that the introduction had been received positively, it was time for the main part of my speech. I cranked up the Psionics to the max because there was too much riding on this to let it come down to pure rhetorical skill.

“Now, on to the most important part. If humanity does not unite, Earth’s more powerful neighbors will crush us without the slightest pity in no small part because they fear us and do not want to give us a chance to grow stronger. So, joining together with the other branches of the human race is a vital necessity. But Earth will be embarking upon this difficult journey from far behind both militarily and economically, so we’ll have to play catch-up against the other branches of the human race. Yes, Tailax is already with us as is Yuro-Prio, a colony. We are also conducting negotiations with another colony called Ar, and amicable relations have been established with the Empire of Georg the First. But those are just the first steps on a very long and winding road. And now standing in our way is the Gilvar Syndicate: an alliance of six industrially developed and several sparsely populated planets, a longtime vassal of the Meleyephatian Horde. The Syndicate’s ruler, Kung Yoji Umoro, is of the dangerously mistaken opinion that his branch of the human race should dominate this region of space, and I can say with one hundred percent certainty that the Gilvar Syndicate space fleet will attack our home planet immediately after the reality synchronization process is complete.”

I made an intentional pause to give everyone time to come to grips with the imminent danger, then continued.

“However, Kung Yoji Umoro committed a most crude political error when he tried to artificially hold back the quickly growing power of the Earth and Tailax alliance by declaring the Kung of Earth a criminal.”

I gave a predatory snicker and many of the leaders around the table also smiled. The faction leaders were already starting to guess that the Kung of Earth was not intending to let that insult go or just stand by and watch his enemies build up their forces to attack Earth.

“That insult gives us a formal pretext for war. It is quite weak, I must admit, although there is a weightier one to go with it: my wayedda Leng Valeri-Urla is known as ‘the Great Huntress’ by the natives of Zeta-Reaper III, better known as the Quarantine Planet, which means they regard her as their ruler. And that is one of the eight planets in the Gilvar Syndicate. Which means Earth and Tailax have the legal right to make the first strike!”

The last part I shot out emotionally, then listened both with my ears and psionics to read the audience’s mood. I was very interested in everyone’s reaction to my aggressive plans because starting a war against a highly powerful space government without sufficient support from allied factions would be a great risk, possibly even fatal. The leaders of the Earth factions listened to me very closely, even holding their breath so they wouldn’t miss a single word. None of the Earth faction leaders spoke out against, though I didn’t hear any support for the war with the powerful Gilvar Syndicate either. Frustrating. I had to admit I was expecting more success. I tried not to show how much it bothered me and continued.

“There’s already a wave of information making its way across the galactic news channels about my wayedda Leng Valeri’s claim to her rightful throne on the Quarantine Planet. All the great spacefaring races have been advised that Earth and Tailax’s war against the Gilvar Syndicate will not harm them in any way, that it will be a war to unify different branches of the Human race, and only Humans will be taking part. The Meleyephatians, Geckho, and Miyelonians are all sure not to meddle in this internal affair.”

“What about the Trillians?” came a very intelligent question from the American H12 faction leader, and I admitted it was a fair concern.

“The Trillians are a thornier issue. The Trillian Kingdom is at war with Earth and Tailax, so they might indeed attempt to intervene and stand in the way of our plans. In that case, we have some surprises in store, and all Hugo the First’s previous ventures cost him dearly. The King of the Trillians betrayed our galaxy when he changed sides to the Composite and instantly lost half of his Royal Fleet. And he still doesn’t realize how that catastrophe took place, which gives us a chance to catch him in the same trap again if circumstances allow it. Then Hugo the First committed his next act of stupidity: declared war on Earth. After that, much to his own surprise, he found himself at war with the Geckho State, the Union of Miyelonian Prides, the Empire of Georg the First and, although they are very far away, there are also rumored hostilities with the almighty Elvinians.”

Psionic skill increased to level two hundred fifty-four!

Mysticism skill increased to level one hundred sixty-nine!

I was starting to run out of mana but, with lots of effort, I was able to get my ideas across. Still, the thousand Magic Points I invested seemed to have had almost no positive effect. Perhaps that was because too many people in my audience were Diplomats with powerful mental defense. Either that or the Earth leaders wanted very badly not to go to war for my “bug-eyed wayedda,” as the European diplomat had so rudely put it, dooming my efforts to failure from the get-go.

I continued stating my case.

“Don’t let the massive distances bother you. Our powerful allies are entirely capable of providing aid to Earth if needed, including particularly destructive weaponry. And if Hugo the First cannot read the signals we are sending, the Trillian Kingdom will start losing its colonies in space one by one, and eventually densely populated planets, too. Yes, it is harsh. But if Absolute Evil can only be stopped by fear for his own hide and monstrous losses among his subjects, I can provide Hugo the First with the bone-chilling horror and unacceptable losses the Trillians need to exit the war.”

I must have overdone it. I could feel distinct feelings of fear from the earthlings in the hall. And they were not afraid of some hypothetical war with the almighty Trillians, or even the vengeance against our planet Absolute Evil might wreak. They were afraid of me. And even in the thoughts of Leng Ayni — my sweet and loyal tailed friend, who was willing to follow her captain to hell and back — I could read judgement for such unthinkable cruelty as to destroy populated planets along with their peaceful inhabitants.

I breathed a deep sigh, counted to five, and tried to reassure myself and the Earth leaders gathered there.

“I hope greatly that it will not come to such radical measures. The top Analysts and Mage Diviners I consulted were all in agreement that the Trillians are not likely to get involved in Earth’s conflict with the Gilvar Syndicate, putting the probability of them staying on the sidelines at eighty-two percent. Those are good odds, but there is still a danger of confrontation, so I wanted to be honest and keep you informed. And if Hugo the First decides in the end to escalate, our Earth will have to resort to cruel tactics because half-measures will not stop such a powerful and dangerous opponent.”

“That is an acceptable risk,” the level-114 Strategist in charge of the main American Human-12 Faction stood to his feet. “So, Kung of Earth, what are our chances of prevailing against the Gilvar Syndicate then? I’m sure your assistants have calculated all possible outcomes there, too.”

“We will come out on top in one way or another. Either our opponent will back down and give up the Quarantine Planet, or the Gilvar Syndicate will engage us in total war, but the end result of that will be them losing a long bloody war and every last one of their planets.”

A sigh of relief rolled through the audience. I even saw a few smiles. The American leng traded a couple sentences with his Diplomat, then asked his Canadian and UK colleagues a question and spoke with dignity.

“If a war of unification is the only way for Earth’s Humanity to survive, the Human-12 Faction stands ready to do its duty. Kung of Earth, nine thousand top-of-the-line American troops are at your command along with our three combat frigates. If there is any other way the American faction can be of service to the cause, please let us know.”

It didn’t come across overdramatic, instead reflecting dignity and awareness of all possible consequences the difficult decision could bring. I thanked the American leng for the support, then Igor Tarasov jumped up from his seat.

“Gnat, as you are aware, the H3 Faction is a member of the Relict alliance, and you can always count on our support. We’re with you to the end! If you need anything, we will try to provide it.”

I looked at the leaders of the two large Earth factions who were often at loggerheads in the real world, then started with a smile:

“Just make sure you two don’t get into any conflicts in the real world so I’ll have something left to fight for and people to save. I’ll take care of the rest.”

With that, the floodgates opened and everyone else started tripping over themselves to assure me that they also supported the idea of a war of unification. Not a single faction refused to take part in the war against the Gilvar Syndicate and that, with no exaggeration, was a grand political success!

Diplomacy skill increased to level one hundred thirteen!

Diplomacy skill increased to level one hundred fourteen!

You have reached level one hundred seventy-four!

You have received three skill points!

* * *

THE ASSEMBLY WRAPPED up, and the Earth faction leaders left Kosta Dykhsh’s residence. I walked over to the armored Sio-Mi-Dori antigrav waiting to take us away while my personal bodyguard looked cautiously side to side and the two identical orange Miyelonians had a casual conversation. I was about to board the flying vehicle when I noticed a redheaded woman standing by the residence’s gates looking lost. The deceased mage Leng Yavi-Uru La-Shin’s entire family and servant team had already left, taking the old man’s body and leaving behind the young Mage Healer, no longer of need to anyone.

And so, I took a hand in Gerd Lassi-Yana’s future. It may seem crazy to someone from our version of Earth but, in the magocratic world, mage rulers would sometimes take newcomers directly into their retinue, promising them protection, patronage, and a dignified future. But I had to take care of one little formality first... I checked her thoughts and, not finding any secrets left behind by other psionics while also making totally certain she was sincerely feeling lost and confused, I waved a hand invitingly.

“Hey, red! I told you to stick with the Miyelonians. I don’t like repeating myself! Hurry into the antigrav, you’re all we’re waiting for!”

With a fearful squeak and, holding the fringes of her overly long light blue ceremonial dress emblazoned with the Un-Leto family crest in both hands, ran over to our flying vehicle as gracefully as possible. Gerd Imran extended a hand and helped her climb up the gangway while also staying upright because the spooked redhead tried to make a full bow in front of me.

“I... it’s my fault, Archmage Kung Gnat La-Fin... I didn’t understand...”

“It’s okay,” I stopped her clumsy attempt at an apology. “Now, you’re in the crew, ‘sweet sunshine.’ I’ll introduce you to your new patient soon, who you will be looking after day and night, shadowing her in the game and the real world. That is, after all, the kind of work you’re used to, right?”

“Yes, Kung Gnat La-Fin. I... I believe I know who you’re referring to. I appreciate the trust!”

“Don’t thank me just yet. You don’t know all the details. I will be expecting miracles out of you. I’ve been told that’s something you can do. And now, get on the radio to say your goodbyes to your family and friends. You won’t be seeing them for a while. And enter your new virt pod number. That’s where you’ll be leaving the game now. And let me warn you, it’s a very strange place, and not the most comfortable. But some players would give half their life without hesitation for a single peek inside!”

Chapter 4. Abducting a Princess

THE HEAVY SIO-MI-DORI ANTIGRAV touched down on the Earth spaceport landing field not far from the glimmering twin body frigate Tamara the Paladin, which was preparing for launch. I came first down the gangway and immediately spotted or rather first heard Tamara Vujek. The new captain of my old ship, looking stunning in her Imperial space fleet officer’s uniform and short brown hair was standing by the nose fairings of the combat starship and hurrying along the lazy local mechanics along with the androids from her crew.

With a mixture of gestures, commanding voice, and harsh words, Earth’s most experienced light ship pilot was trying to hurry along the polishing of the fuselage and loading of equipment. Then she ordered fresh water pumped into the frigate’s tanks, and finally demanded (and here I didn’t understand half the words directed at the robot mechanic because Tamara had switched to Imperial with a healthy dose of Swarm vocabulary) a full systems report.

Astrolinguistics skill increased to level one hundred sixty-three!

Well, well! I got curious and walked over to the Imperial Space Fleet legend.

“Kung, ten minutes and we’ll be ready for launch!” the highly experienced officer assured me. It was a true miracle I’d managed to hire her away from Emperor Georg the First’s combat fleet to the Relict Faction. I was still amazed by my luck.

“Wonderful! But I wanted to ask something else. I tried to translate something you said to that android just now and... it’s coming back garbled. I must not have a strong enough grasp on the Imperial tongue.”

Tamara Vujek got very embarrassed, looked down and even turned red.

“Kung Gnat, don’t let that bother you. It’s... military lore. Crown Prince Georg royl Inoky ton Mesfelle’s ‘catchphrase,’ which he said many years ago in a heated moment to express his unhappiness to a group of Iseyek who did not understand an order. It makes no physiological sense because the Iseyek body lacks half of the appendages the crown prince named. But the officers were struck by their commander’s rich imagination, and many of them even memorized the phrase for just such occasions. It never fails, even on androids!”

I laughed happily, and she smiled back, her tension melting away.

“How’s the new ship?” I asked, pointing at the twinbody Tamara the Paladin.

“She’s particular and takes some getting used to but has enormous potential. Kung Gnat, I’m grateful for the honor of piloting your famous frigate and will do my best to live up to it.”

The real wonder was the fact that Gerd Tamara Vujek agreed after the battle in the Urmi star system to give up her Imperial Warhawk frigate for the modular Tolili-Ukh X twinbody frigate of Meleyephatian design. For the last eleven years, the celebrated captain had flown exclusively that Warhawk, including over one hundred fifty heated battles, never changing ship and knowing it like the back of her hand.

But after her old frigate got shot down during an exercise before the battle for the Miyelonian capital, even though Tamara was given an identical Warhawk... she admitted to the captains of my cruiser’s escort group that she had lost her emotional connection with the ship and no longer felt at home there. After that, Gerd Tamara Vujek accepted my gift and, after a few lessons from Dmitry Zheltov on the new ship, refused any further help and taught herself how to make high-speed turns, shoot moving targets with the laser cannons and quadrupolar destabilizer, as well as how to land on heavy planets with dense atmosphere.

I spent another few minutes talking to Tamara, in particular wanting her opinion on the idea of implementing a standard uniform for the Army of Earth’s troops, and space fleet crews.

“A standard uniform is a vital necessity!” she voiced her opinion very emotionally. “Without a uniform, a military fleet cannot feel like a collective and will forever remain just a collection of separate crews rather than a serious military operation.”

I thanked her for the authoritative opinion, then got back to the people waiting for me. Everyone was going into orbit with me except the Morphian, who I’d tasked with leading the Army of Earth to a large exercise ground in the desert node near the spaceport for training. The camp there was now being expanded with endless rows of tents for troops to stay in. People were also working on new obstacle courses and two big firing ranges, as well as a training area several square miles in size in the hot desert node imitating the conditions of a thick tropical forest, which was exactly how my wayedda Leng Valeri-Urla described her home planet, or at least the vast majority of it.

“Fox, you have just twenty days,” I said in parting to the instructor of the Army of Earth, who had for some reason opted to take the form of the ghastly spiny many-armed Kung Eesssa the Betelgeuse Planet Devouress. “After that, the troops will have to be ready to ship out. I won’t need all three hundred sixty thousand troops. The Quarantine Planet landing operation will require just a hundred thousand. But the trainees do not need to know that! I want everyone there to think they will soon be shipped off on a tough mission to a deadly planet where the only thing keeping them alive will be how much they learn from your exercises.”

The many-armed spider chirred out something rapid-fire, which I caught less than half of, but Leng Ayni was there to translate.

“Captain, the closest translation for what she said is a Russian colloquialism: ‘how about you teach your wife to cook cabbage soup[1]?’“

I chuckled. She was right. Who was I to be giving advice? Kung Eesssa had spent hundreds of years training troops before I got here and had extensive experience in the matter. But what the Morphian said next was quite surprising, though also good advice.

“The army has expanded. It will be tough for me to maintain so many copies of myself. So for such a large group of students, I will need a lot of human assistants. I’ll have a talk with the faction leaders to get support and more instructors. And you have Svetlana Vereshchagina on the ship — she’s a very capable and diligent physical education instructor. I’d prefer to have her with me at the training grounds. That will give Svetlana a chance to raise her Fame and, in twenty-days, you can pick her up again as a gerd.”

Okay then, I was all for it and ordered my assistant Ayni to get in touch with the cruiser up in orbit where most of my crew was still waiting.

“I would also like to train the Iseyek,” Kung Eesssa stared her constellation of spider eyes at me. “And educate myself on them, as well. The huge genetically modified insects have piqued my interest, and I wish to study their combat capabilities. And another thing, Gnat — you know about my hobby. I like to find fast and effective ways of killing members of different intelligent races. I’ve never had contact with Alpha Iseyek before, so they’re a real blind spot for me!”

It sounded ghastly, but I knew that all my “space mantises” had become players and would respawn after dying in the game that bends reality. Plus training with Fox was the best thing a soldier could ask for, because it only took a couple days of uncompromising training on the brink of death (and at times beyond it) for a character’s skills and reaction times and, most importantly, survival abilities and combat characteristics to reach dizzying new heights.

“Alright, Fox, you can have eighty Iseyek for your experiments. I’ll keep the rest on the ship just in case. But what about the runaway Morphian Kung Maa? We have tracked down his virt pod in the real world. It is now being surveilled. We will know and be able to communicate in a timely manner when and in what form the Morphian next enters the game.”

Kung Eesssa took a while to respond, and I seemed to hear notes of confusion and even possibly slight fear in the emotional background of the normally perfectly calm and confident war leader.

“What’s the point of knowing things like ‘when’ and ‘in what form,’ if we do not know where on the virtual planet Kung Maa will appear? I’m sure the cautious ancient Morphian doesn’t have her respawn point anywhere too public. It’s more likely somewhere remote, nowhere near the spaceport or training ground nodes. Kung Maa will change form, then I will not be able to recognize him. So without you, Kung of Earth, I will not even attempt to catch him. Hurry back to the training area so we can hatch a plan together.”

I gave the huge Meleyephatian female a pat on her spiny shell, then stared at Fox in surprise:

“I told you it was easy to tell a Morphian by touch. I was able to feel it before... I don’t even know what to call it... like a rubbery feeling under my fingers rather than the firm warmth of human skin, or softness of Miyelonian fur. But now you feel like a real Meleyephatian with this chitin shell.”

My changeling friend transformed into the orange Miyelonian and revealed her sharp teeth in a grin of satisfaction.

“Gnat, if Morphians were really that easy to tell by touch, we’d have been found and exterminated long ago! On the day of the attack on the Great Miyelonian Priestess, I told you that I didn’t have enough practice being a human woman, which was why I could not faithfully reproduce their skin. But now I can. However, I have spent several dozen tongs in Meleyephatian society, so I know the structure and texture of their bodies so well I am indistinguishable from a real one. I am also familiar enough now with your tailed friend’s body to feel at home in it. I do not mean to boast but touch my fur! You can’t tell it apart from the genuine article now, can you?”

I touched the fur on her front paws and furry ears with the tips of my fingers, even daring to pet her fluffy tail. The pseudo-Miyelonian very authentically looked offended and retracted her tail from my “wandering hands,” as she said in Ayni’s offended voice. I was forced to admit that Fox was now a perfect copy of my Miyelonian friend.

“I have lived among the Miyelonians, so I am also able to make convincing copies of them. I heard that you and Ayni underwent the marriage rite in the Temple of the Great First Female. Well, make sure you don’t get confused about who your real friend is now!” Fox chuckled, and I joined her.

And although Leng Ayni Uri-Miayuu was standing just a few steps away from us and frowning in dismay while she showed off her sharp teeth to her copy, she was at no risk of being replaced. I had also learned to tell apart the original from the copy by their completely dissimilar mental backgrounds, emotional echoes, and fragmentary thoughts. And although I was hiding that diligently, the longer I spoke with Fox, and the more the Morphian took the form of the Miyelonian or my other friends next to the “originals,” the more certain I became that I had stumbled upon a method of detecting Morphians.

“Hey, careful! That’s not lumber you’re hauling! The equipment in that container is very delicate!” Gerd Tamara Vujek came at a spaceport employee who had just chucked a metal container off a heavy loader next to the twinbody frigate’s cargo ramp.

The concern made her forget her place and speak Imperial, but I corrected her and translated to Geckho, which every spaceport employee understood, also adding a few notes from me personally. Meanwhile, I ran a scan and made sure the valuable cargo had not been damaged. Whew. That was a load off my mind. Gerd Minn-O La-Fin was in that container, and if she got injured or our unborn child suffered... the ham-fisted mechanic would never have been seeing the real world again!

Yes, I had to sneak Gerd Minn-O away like this, first replacing her at the reception with the Morphian in Kosta Dykhsh’s residence, then taking her out of the spaceport disguised as fragile equipment. My Analyst Gerd Jarg and the Miyelonian ruler Krong Keetsie Myau, who I asked to check the lines of the probable future were in agreement that the risk to my wife was very high. There were just too many powerful forces both on Earth and off it with an interest in making sure Earth’s most powerful mage was never born.

* * *

NO OFFENSE TO MY MAIN Starship Pilot Gerd Zheltov, but Tamara the Paladin had never once taken off so smoothly and gracefully from Earth with him at the helm. I didn’t even particularly notice the G forces. The pregnant Gerd Minn-O La-Fin, who was freed from captivity in the shipping container in the cargo hold the minute we finished loading and placed in a soft armchair in my former cabin held on very well and was even smiling. Gerd Lassi-Yana the Mage Healer was with her in the cabin and prepared to act at a moment’s notice if anything raised suspicions about her health. It was fine, even though my wife was gripping my arm hard until we got into orbit without a word, her lips moving in a silent prayer.

And only when our frigate entered the ancient Relict cruiser’s impenetrable forcefield did Gerd Minn-O La-Fin break her silence.

“I never thought I would be allowed to leave my golden cage. I thought... no, I was certain the ship would be shot down because the fetus would not survive an in-game death in the real world at this stage of the pregnancy.”

“Yes, that was a definite risk,” I admitted, which came as a clear surprise to the redheaded healer Gerd Lassi-Yana. “Behind all the fine words of assurance from the leaders of the thirty directories, as Kung of Earth, I could sense poorly concealed anger at how powerful the La-Fin dynasty has become. The majority of mage rulers detest me, though they are afraid to say so openly. Still, they are even more afraid to detest my yet unborn son. His birth will only make matters worse for them, and the La-Fins will come to dominate all other dynasties. Nowhere near all the mage rulers are prepared to follow the La-Shin leader’s example, make peace with that, and pledge their fealty. I counted at least a dozen faction heads who dream of killing my son.”

Gerd Minn-O La-Fin shouted in fear and raised her hand to her mouth.

“And there are other spacefaring races who are no great fans of Earth Humanity’s rapid rise. The Hive of Tintara. The Trillians, who are at war with us already. Influential rulers among the Geckho and Meleyephatian Horde. The Composite. Our neighbors in space are also capable of reading the lines of the probable future and have most likely already realized that the birth of our son will mean the dawning of a new era of human dominance. Many space rulers are doing everything in their power to stop that from coming to pass.”

Tamara the Paladin gave a slight shiver when the magnetic crane on Di-Pal-Yu 781 caught it. Now the crews of both starships would deploy and pressurize a passage between the ships, making it possible to enter the impenetrable Relict flagship cruiser where I could finally breathe a sigh of relief, confident in my wife’s absolute safety.

I spent a bit longer in silence, not totally certain that it was worth saying. But I decided not to hide the truth from my wife.

“I had to order the Relict Faction to send several players from magocratic world factions to respawn for lurking around the viceroy’s residence, or loitering on the way to the spaceport, as well as a few others who were acting suspicious. All players on the spaceport laser turrets and rocket installations were also neutralized along with all elements of Earth’s space defenses, which were temporarily disabled. Bride of Chaos shot down a suspicious Shiamiru shuttle, which tried to make an unscheduled landing on the planet. So there are certainly discontents. But that doesn’t matter. I will take care of every problem. Which leaves us with the minor issue of making sure both you and my son survive the birth!”

Chapter 5. What the Camouflage Fields Hide

“READY IN THREE MINUTES!” I announced to the support ships as I got a more comfortable seat at my workstation on the bridge and turned on all monitors! “Navigator, calculate a jump to the UF-98 system.”

The huge Gerd Ayukh turned his rotating seat in my direction, not hiding the surprise on his furry snout.

“Change of plans, captain? Weren’t we going to Ruvaru-Yosh Prime? That was where I calculated our jump.”

Yes, I had told my crew the day before that we had to pay another visit to the red hot Ruvaru-Yosh Prime, where a Relict facility had remained in working order beneath a quarter mile of sand and stone.

I did not explain to the crew why I was really so drawn to the scorching hot unwelcoming place where only silicon organics could survive. The truth was known only to Gerd Luana the android and my personal assistant Leng Ayni Uri-Miayuu. But no one asked any questions yesterday. Everyone was well aware of their captain’s interest in Relict artifacts and ancient civilizations, so the crew thought it made perfect sense to go to Ruvaru-Yosh Prime. Furthermore, my business partner Gerd Uline Tar had purchased a large quantity of platinum from Earth factions, and the price of that precious metal on Ruvaru-Yosh Prime had again become attractive, in fact this time trading positions and quantities for it were significant. Another few million never hurt, but it was still too early to visit Ruvaru-Yosh Prime.

“The Geckho State is on the verge of losing sovereignty. Some of its systems will go to the Horde, but the rest will break away and declare independence. Our Analyst,” I pointed to the Jarg sitting next to me, “was unable to calculate what will become of the Ruvaru-Yosh star system. But there will be chaos in Geckho space for a time, and there is a definite possibility of armed conflict breaking out on the remote desert planet. I of course trust in the abilities of Team Gnat to fend for itself, but armed Geckho will make peaceful excavation difficult. And so I think we should wait ten ummi and only then make an arrangement with the dominant force on Ruvaru-Yosh Prime, so no Geckho get in our way. But now, we’ll be paying a visit to the Mechanoids in UF-98. There’s something very interesting there hidden behind a cloaking field which has never been visited by a member of a modern race. Meanwhile, thanks to Gerd Luana’s research, we now have a full code table, so the Mechanoids should let us in this time.”

That explanation satisfied everyone. No frigate captains or cruiser crew had any questions. Paa Um-Um Paa, the cruiser’s artificial intelligence, sent the calculations on to the Navigators in the Relict coordinate system, after which the ancient cruiser relocated to UF-98.

* * *

THE GRAVITATIONAL ANOMALY was just one hundred thousand more miles away, but visually, and even using the highly advanced scanning systems aboard the Di-Pal-Yu 781, we still couldn’t detect anything. Only the gravity scanner knew it was there because it was significantly heavier than any stray asteroid, or even medium sized comet.

“Approach the gravitational anomaly at low speed. All small ships remain inside the defensive field!”

Seventy-five thousand miles to destination. Fifty. Forty...

That was when the warning message finally came in.

“ATTENTION! You are entering a no-fly zone. To approach further, submit a valid code or be destroyed!”

A long column of Relict symbols appeared on the screen in front of me, transmitted faithfully by Gerd Luana. A valid code was then calculated based on the date and time in Relict numerals, my status as Pyramid Hierarch, and the nature of our group: combat cruiser and twenty small escort ships. I sent that back to the still invisible observer, crossing my fingers for luck.

Electronics skill increased to level one hundred thirty-four!

Astrolinguistics skill increased to level one hundred sixty-four!

“Code accepted. Greetings, allied Hierarch! The long war is at an end. How can Mechanoid Army military base Twenty-Three be of service to the White-Purple Pyramid Fleet?”

“I seek a standard decoder used by the Mechanoids during the great war to exchange messages with the Pyramid. Mechanoids from reserve flotilla Forty-Three told me I could find such a device here. I would also like to request permission to visit the base. I know from the Pyramid that this was once the location of Mechanoid production facilities used to manufacture combat drones for the allied Pyramid. I would like to evaluate the production line and pick up any finished drones you might have on hand.”

I had to wait almost a minute for the response, during which time I even got a surprising Danger Sense skill up. The Mechanoids were displeased with me for some unknown reason. Fortunately, the final response was positive.

“Hierarch, you may collect the decoder. Request for the White Purple Fleet to visit military base denied. Only the Hierarch may visit. Also, please be aware that drone manufacturing was suspended eleven thousand tongs ago due to lack of components. Large Guard Drones ready to ship: six thousand three hundred eleven. The Hierarch is entitled to all drones made for the Pyramid’s order.”

Just then, a bright red message appeared on the inner faceplate of my Devourer helmet:

ATTENTION!!! Too many controlled drones!

Despite the warning message, I couldn’t hold back a scream of jubilation. When Gerd Luana the android informed me after once again making contact with the Pyramid that she had found data on the Mechanoid military base and said that this facility was used during the war to manufacture combat drones, I was of course hoping to find some finished drones left behind. But this many...

“Ready a shuttle!” I announced over the loudspeaker. “I will be taking along...” I wanted to say my assistant Ayni the Miyelonian to help me with translation but changed my decision at the last moment. They may have literally meant “only the Hierarch may visit,” and the Danger Sense warning frightened me, so I did not want to put my tailed personal assistant at risk, “Gerd Luana and the white Kirsan.”

The android could hardly be counted as a player, so the limitation most likely did not apply to her, and I was going to need a translator. The Kirsan meanwhile was itself a Mechanoid, so showing I had it on my side could only help.

* * *

I STEERED THE SHUTTLE myself. My character didn’t have any piloting skills, but I had used Machine Control to pilot flying vehicles to moderate success on a few prior occasions, so I had some experience.

Thirty thousand miles to destination. One and a half hours in the shuttle. It was, of course, pretty far. It would have made sense to come closer to the Mechanoid facility before launching the shuttle, but I didn’t want to spook the commander of the military base, who had reacted quite skittishly to the presence of combat ships near the secret facility before. But oh well. I could handle one and a half hours of drudgery cooped up in a tiny space.

“Do you have enough air?” I asked Gerd Luana sitting in the seat next to me. “Should you maybe top up your spacesuit tanks?”

Safety rules stipulated that we wear spacesuits while traveling in the unarmored shuttle even though it was pressurized and full of breathable air. I wasn’t particularly concerned because I had a reserve tank on the back slot of my Devourer Combat Armor Suit which could provide nearly twenty-four hours of worry-free breathing. But my artificial companion was wearing a light spacesuit from Tailax and, as far as I knew, it held just three and a half hours of air with the tanks completely full.

“Don’t you worry about me, Kung Gnat. Androids don’t use as much oxygen as Humans and, if necessary, I can switch to energy saving mode to minimize oxygen consumption. In any case, if my chattering starts to bore you, you can power me down,” the android smiled at her own joke.

“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that...” I was seriously nervous about negotiating with the ancient race and was in no mood for jokes. “Your mind contains unique data on the Pyramid’s knowledge base, for which the great spacefaring races would kidnap and disassemble you without a second thought. Then me and my homeworld would be eliminated to make certain humanity would never grow powerful. And if the Mechanoids are able to read information from you... I might have to do worse than power you down. I might have to fry your memory crystals with my Annihilator.”

The pretty woman instantly stopped smiling, went pale, and fell silent. I hid a smile. I didn’t really think the Mechanoids would be aggressive because Kung Georg described the cybernetic creatures as completely peaceful, saying the Empire had never once observed a confirmed attack despite centuries of contact. But I wanted Gerd Luana taking her role as translator more seriously rather than making eyes at me like she had been doing since the shuttle took off.

Machine Control skill increased to level one hundred seventy-three!

A second skill up in what was still quite a short flight? I suspected the reason it was levelling quicker had less to do with me controlling the space shuttle than it did with my serious drone overload. The next popup then confirmed that theory.

Reality Administrator skill increased to level two!

I had of course tried to take control of more drones than my limit before, but every time the game stopped me. Now though, instead of the five I was limited to, I had gotten over six thousand (!!!) combat drones, which flew in the face of game laws. The sole explanation I could see was that, as a player with the Reality Administrator skill, I could cheat a bit, bending reality to my will even when away from my workstation. Or rather, I would probably have to use a Reality Administrator console to make real changes to the rules but, as Pyramid Hierarch, I could get away with little things like exceeding the drone limit.

Machine Control skill increased to level one hundred seventy-four!

Again, the third time in half an hour! I had seemingly found a way of quickly levelling that most players could not use. Did that eat at my conscience at all? Why the hell would it?! It was like getting the faction levelling record during my first few days in the game. Anyone who knew my method could have used it and even done better than me. My achievement consisted of being the first to come up with it and put it into practice. And this was the same. Any player, in theory, could follow in my footsteps and start levelling the Machine Control skill at an accelerated rate. If of course they first became Pyramid Hierarch and got the Reality Administrator skill.

Another hour of travel... Wanting to use the time to my benefit, I opened my stat window:

Kung Gnat. Human. Relict Faction.

Level-174 Devourer

Statistics:

Strength 14

Agility 18

Intelligence 39+9

Perception 35

Constitution 19

Luck modifier +3

Controlled drones 6316 of 5 *Error!!! Too many drones

Parameters:

Hitpoints 5593 of 5593

Endurance points 2956 of 4271

Magic points 16110 of 16356

Carrying capacity 62 lbs. + 26 lbs.

Fame 172

Authority 175

Skills:

Electronics 134 * See weak points and errors in electronic systems

Scanning 127 * Find hiding spots, traps, and anomalies

Cartography 126 * See rare items

Astrolinguistics 164 * Understand written language faster, Comprehend visual messages

Rifles 82

Medium Armor 130 * +10% armor suit forcefield capacity, +10% shield restore speed

Eagle Eye 147 * +20% visual range

Sharpshooter 73

Targeting 109 * Lock on to targets quicker

Danger Sense 198 * Reduce enemy skill effectiveness, Earlier danger warnings

Psionic 254 (290) * +30% psionic attack power, Ability to form link with other mages, Mana expenditure halved against weaker opponents

Mental Fortitude 204 (233) * Control several targets at once, Increased psionic attack defense, Immunity to induced states

Machine Control 174 (195) * +1 controlled drone, +3% hack chance

Mysticism 172 (196) * +20% magic points, +20% restore speed

Telekinesis 105 * Reduced cooldown time

Training 110 * Accelerated skill growth

Disorientation 80

Tenacity 48

Athletics 46

Diplomacy 114 * + 10% chance in negotiations with equals or stronger

Teleportation 22 (25)

Frenzy 23 (43)

Time Stoppage 19 (38)

Life Suppression 4 (38)

Reality Administrator 2

Attention!!! You have 3 unspent skill points.

I took the simple route with the skill points, spending all three on Reality Administrator. Maybe it would keep levelling regardless due to my extra drones, but I had no confidence in that. Plus, I wasn’t particularly impressed with my Reality Administrator skill being at just level two after four days. And meanwhile, I was going to need the ability very soon when I finally made it to the Relict complex buried beneath the sands of Ruvaru-Yosh Prime to try and change the rules of the game that bends reality and save my wife Gerd Minn-O La-Fin.

Meanwhile, I had to do something about the drones. Unfortunately, in contrast to the Precursor symbiotes, Relict drones were not able to travel instantly, or even enter hyperspace jumps. And although every such Large Guard Drone was worth at least two symbiotes in space combat, they had to be deployed first!

If I commanded the whole army of six thousand drones to fly to Earth... I ran the calculation... they would reach my home planet in around seventeen thousand years, long after the reality synchronization completed, when we would have to defend the planet. My cruiser meanwhile could only fit twenty Large Guard Drones, and that was if I could “evict” all the symbiotes in the repair hangars first.

I was thinking through my options for solving the drone problem when I suddenly shuddered because my view changed dramatically. The shuttle was still flying through the blackness of space among billions of stars, but now it was at least clear what I was aiming at. A huge spherical object appeared in front of us. And it was no planetoid as I theorized earlier based on the mass of the object hidden behind the camouflage field. It was a giant space dock!!!

Eagle Eye skill increased to level one hundred forty-eight!

Cartography skill increased to level one hundred twenty-seven!

I saw thousands of docking bays full of combat drones. The nearest was just a few miles from my shuttle. I saw spherical Mechanoids a hundred feet in diameter flying out toward the shuttle, and each one was armed with a Spatial Cutter. But I was much more interested in the dock itself, or rather the massive black spherical starship at the center, which served as the nucleus of the whole giant space complex.

The white Kirsan suddenly slithered up from the back seat of the shuttle to the armored windshield, its many metal feet clacking on the floor.

“That is Kono, a living ship. The Mechanoid flagship, exterminator class,” Gerd Luana translated the repair bot’s fevered twitching of whiskers and appendages. “Kono did not disappear and perish in battle like the reports said. All these years, the Mechanoid race’s main ship has been hiding out here at the Army Twenty-Three base.”

Chapter 6. Witness to a Bygone War

KONO, THE LIVING MECHANOID SHIP, was truly immense. I had seen plenty of large starships in my day: Georg the First’s exterminator-class flagship God of War and the two Imperial supercarriers White Queen and Red Queen. I had also seen the exterminator-class Purto-Pino-Soyesh (Hopecrusher) and its twin brother Kibo-Poro-Toysh (Last Resort) of the Trillian Royal Fleet, as well as Krong Bubi’s flagship the exterminator-class Star Extinguisher, all of which were positively gigantic. But Kono was bigger than all of them! It was a matte-black sphere around forty miles in diameter, now half obscured by the space docks and various repair and defensive structures built around it. A true Deathstar!

I said what I’d discovered into the microphone, meanwhile asking my cruiser’s control program Paa Um-Um Paa to look into available information on the Mechanoid flagship.

“Oh, you’re so lucky, captain! I’d do anything for one glimpse of such an enormous starship...” a heavy sigh rang out in my earphones from Gerd Zheltov, who could not see the enormous spaceship due to the camouflage field. “But Kono is still a far cry from the Deathstar. The first Deathstar was seventy-five miles in diameter, while George Lucas, creator of Star Wars, named two contradictory sizes for the second death star: one hundred and six hundred miles. When Star Wars fans noticed the discrepancy, the second figure became more accepted and settled into a consensus.”

“How do you keep all that straight?” Gerd Eduard Boyko the Space Commando came in surprise over the channel, to which the pilot responded that he had been obsessed with space his entire life and sought out information about every possible starship described in literature, even putting them into tables and comparing their combat tactical and technical capabilities, as well as combat value as described by the creators.

The rest of my crew’s chatter was interrupted by a message from Paa Um-Um Paa.

“Devourer Gnat, the last record of Kono comes from the events of the Fourth Grand Battle fourteen thousand tongs ago in the Hintoalu star system, when forty-two opposing fleets clashed including six exterminators. There is no precise data on the course of the battle because, in our reality, it ended with the Hintoalu star system being cut out of this dimension. All one hundred six thousand combatants are still listed as MIA.”

Woah, the ancient races really got into it! Whole star systems vanished in that heated conflict! So Kono actually escaped the epic battle. Made it out of the trap before it slammed shut. Perhaps it was even able to retain the proper coordinates for a jump back to our reality after all these millenia.

“Captain, a direction marker has appeared!” Gerd Luana drew my attention to something.

The Mechanoids were giving us a landing vector. Not the huge space complex with Kono at its center, but a separate structure seven thousand miles from the main dock. I mentally adjusted the shuttle’s course.

Machine Control skill increased to level one hundred seventy-five!

Cartography skill increased to level one hundred twenty-eight!

You have reached level one hundred seventy-five!

You have received three skill points!

I immediately invested the three points into Reality Administrator, increasing it to level eight, after which I sat back in the seat and got ready to wait another forty minutes. Accompanied by fifty Mechanoids on high alert and several hundred combat drones, our shuttle slowly but surely lumbered toward the negotiation with the ancient cybernetic race. And something was telling me it wasn’t going to be an easy time.

* * *

THE LANDING SITE THEY selected for our shuttle was a spacious mile-long hangar, two thirds of which was occupied by Large Relict Guard Drones. Perhaps attaching the word “Relict” to them was a misnomer all along because, as I was finding out, the Mechanoids had produced them but, at any rate, tens of thousands of identical drones were stored at the big docks around Kono.

I stopped the shuttle, threw back the flying vehicle’s transparent hood and took a look around. The only object of note inside the hangar other than the stacks of inactive drones was a glimmering mirror sphere fifty feet in diameter hovering between the floor and ceiling. A scan revealed that it was a long-distance comms unit, and it was clearly where I was meant to go.

Scanning skill increased to level one hundred twenty-eight!

“Captain Gnat, my spacesuit does not contain an antigravity backpack or magnetic soles,” my synthetic companion complained, daunted by the enormous sheet-metal hangar.

There were no artificial gravity units, and Gerd Luana did not want to hover weightless and flop around impotently in midair. The Devourer Combat Armor also did not have anything for getting around in weightlessness, but that was a minor issue to me. I took the android by the wrist and, using Telekinesis, pulled us both over to the long-distance comms sphere. The white Kirsan also left the shuttle and started following us along a wall, but I pulled the metal millipede toward me, and the repair bot latched onto my armor with its many thin arms.

Telekinesis skill increased to level one hundred six!

Machine Control skill increased to level one hundred seventy-eight!

When it was just seven hundred feet away, I asked the android to hold on tight to me (which the artificial blonde was all too eager to do) and used Teleportation to get us straight to the mirror sphere.

Teleportation skill increased to level twenty-three!

So, we made it. My armored glove passed through the mirrored surface without resistance. The sphere proved to be nothing more than a hologram. The long-distance comms room inside was very dark, but inside a small area of bright light, we were awaited by... I first thought I was looking at a large Relict without a spacesuit, but the creature instantly changed to a copy of me made of liquid metal. The gaunt silvery human man was naked, hovering in midair in full anatomic detail, staring back at me with curiosity.

Kung Kono. Mechanoid. Level-870 Exterminator.

The hologram was clearly just adapted by the Mechanoid to match my species, but its level seemed authentic and of course made an impression. As did its Exterminator class, which I had never heard of before. On the other hand, Kono was not a krong but “just” a kung, which raised questions. Was there really a larger and more powerful Mechanoid somewhere in the Universe? Or did this Mechanoid, who was thought to be MIA for millenia simply not have enough Authority to become sole ruler of its race?

“Uverto yy oop vyv ygo?” the metal man asked me.

I didn’t understand, so I said nothing. The being then repeated its question in Relict.

“Devourer, is my form suitable for conducting negotiations?”

“To be honest, not particularly. I find it strange to speak with myself, and it makes me think...” I changed the end of my sentence, “that I should have shaved.”

The Mechanoid flowed into a different form, leaving a perfect copy of a naked metallic Luana hovering weightless before me. I had never seen the artificial blonde totally undressed, but the android often wore such sheer form-fitting clothing that her flawless physique was hardly a secret.

“Put on clothes, so my Translator won’t be embarrassed,” I asked.

And although the woman sitting in my arms hurried to assure me that it was “perfectly fine,” Kono put a spacesuit on its android body.

“To be honest, when the ships of the White-Purple Fleet came here led by the Devourer himself, I was expecting to meet a completely different Devourer...” notes of disappointment slipped through in the Mechanoid’s voice. “The last thing I was expecting was a descendant of the Precursors.”

Only then did I realize why Kono wanted to speak through a hologram in the long-distance comms room rather than one-on-one. The Mechanoid was afraid of the former owner of the Di-Pal-Yu 781, level-999 Devourer Kung Pin-Ish-Ish-Pin, which seemed reasonable enough to me.

Danger Sense skill increased to level one hundred ninety-nine!

Danger Sense skill increased to level two hundred!

You may choose your third specialization in the Danger Sense skill.

My human body clearly bothered the Mechanoid, and the negotiations were going down a dangerous path for me. It didn’t seem to perceive the newly arrived human seriously and was even starting to regret agreeing to contact. My heart stung with a presentiment of disaster. I had to get things back on track ASAP.

“The political situation in space is still unstable, and Kung Pin-Ish-Ish-Pin the Devourer does not wish to appear in public, instead remaining hidden in a safe temporal chamber. But I met with the Hierarch twice aboard the Di-Pal-Yu 781 and can assure you that he is in top form and as lethal as ever. Reality Administrator Kung Mogi-No-No-Mogi also has his reasons for remaining in hiding. So now I speak in the name of the Pyramid!”

Diplomacy skill increased to level one hundred fifteen!

The metal Luana listened closely and nodded. And meanwhile the real android suddenly went limp in my arms and switched off — the setting for her to immediately power down in case of unsanctioned attempts to access and read information from her memory had triggered. I turned my gaze from the inactive robot to her metal copy. I was expecting some kind of excuse or even apology from the Mechanoid, but none came.

“You speak the truth, young Hierarch, though I get the feeling there is a lot you aren’t saying. But you do indeed have the right to speak in the name of the Pyramid as confirmed by the repair bot. That’s a good thing. I was starting to regret giving the combat drones the Pyramid ordered to a descendant of the Precursors. So, why have you come to me, Hierarch? I mean the true reason, not formal ones like the drones or Decoder, which you do not need given your access to the Pyramid’s knowledge base.”

Danger Sense skill increased to level two hundred one!

Although the tension abated somewhat, it was still very strong. I could feel that I had made a big mistake asking for the Decoder — the true Pyramid Hierarch wouldn’t need such a device and asking for such a small thing had dealt a serious blow to my authority in the eyes of the Mechanoid Kung. And it had done so badly enough that I was one wrong move away from the Exterminator killing me. Now I just had to keep my composure and give the right answers. And not make that same mistake again and show weakness or ask for anything.

“You are correct, Kung Kono, the drones and Decoder were mere excuses for this visit. My true reasons are two. First of all, information — what REALLY,” I said with particular emphasis on the word, “happened at the Battle of Hintoalu? As Pyramid Hierarch I give my word that no matter how you respond, the Relicts will not become hostile to the Mechanoids or demand compensation. I would also like confirmation from you that our alliance remains in force. A new enemy has come on the scene. Very numerous and powerful. Can I count on your aid in the war with the Composite?”

Successful Authority check.

Successful Authority check.

Authority increased to 177!

Despite my slip-up, I still had enough Authority. It took a very long time to respond, three minutes minimum. But strange as it may have been, the pressing sensation went away, and Kung Kono decided against its aggressive plans. Finally, the metal figure started to speak.

“I had no choice but to kill everyone. I needed materials to repair myself after the damage I sustained in battle. Losing large parts of my body to annihilation torpedoes and gravity bombs... was painful, as a living creature with flesh might put it. Such wounds are also sensitive for cybernetic beings. I had more than enough energy available — the Precursors cut away the Hintoalu star together with all opposing ships, so all my systems were still in working order. But I needed metal for the repair. And so, I destroyed all the ships that were stuck in the spatial pocket regardless of whether they were allies or enemies and turned most of them into scrap metal. After that, I spent an eternity searching for a way out of the trap. I spent millions of tongs in that spatial pocket. Perhaps billions, it does not matter. Time works differently there, but it has no meaning to a creature like me. Finally, I found the proper jump vector and left. After that, I went into hiding here at the Army Twenty-Three military base to complete my repairs and cut off all contact with the outside world. That was the whole story. I have answered your first question, Devourer.”

I nodded slowly and spoke with dignity.

“I comprehend your difficult choice in the critical situation and, as promised, the Pyramid will not demand compensation. But what about the second question?”

The metal Luana tilted its head and started in a vaguely displeased voice.

“The Composite are but Pyramid vassals in rebellion, and I consider it the Relicts’ responsibility to take care of the problem they themselves created. The alliance treaty remains in force, but this is not our war. In addition, I have been in an information vacuum for too long and have a poor understanding of what is going on outside my camouflage field. And the ancient Pyramid hierarchs must have some reason to be in hiding, so I’m sure there is good reason to fear. I need time to get my bearings in the new world, come to grips with the balance of forces and restore contact with other Mechanoid forces. Anything else, Devourer?”

What a shame I would not be able to count on Kung Kono in the war with the Composite. But maybe that was for the best. If the Mechanoid flagship figured out just how severely the players on the modern political arena had been crushed, it was possible it would simply cast its former allies aside.

“Kung Kono, I would like the coordinates of the spatial pocket where you spent so much time, as well as the escape vector. You have taken most of the metal, but there might still be items of value to me and my allies there. I would also like to discuss relaunching drone manufacturing for the Pyramid. What would that require?”

Authority reduced to 176!

Crap... I had just made the same mistake as I did with the Decoder by requesting the “scraps” of the battlefield after the Mechanoid had taken everything of value, making it feel repulsion, and very nearly contempt.

“I will turn over the pocket’s coordinates and exit calculations. I have no need for them. But I refuse to restart manufacturing drones for the Pyramid. The Mechanoids may prove to need the combat drones for themselves. I am starting to get the impression that the parties to the ancient war were so badly beaten and depleted they do not present a serious threat. And the young races have yet to gain power. Perhaps the time has come for the Mechanoids to start their own grand game and restore their lost position in the Universe! That is all, you are dismissed. Pick up the Decoder and drones. And do not bother me for petty reasons again, young Hierarch!”

The light field went out, the metal figure disappeared. I was essentially being shown the door, and quite emphatically, rudely, and scornfully at that.

Chapter 7. Time is Not on Our Side

THE DECODER that the Mechanoids left next to the shuttle was a silvery metal ball about three feet in diameter. Its surface was extremely smooth, and I couldn’t detect any protrusions, locks, or slots for connecting external equipment. I first assumed that it was a mean joke from the Mechanoids at the expense of the young and inexperienced Devourer. But I used Scanning and confirmed that there were intricate electronics inside the metal sphere, so I was probably not being tricked and had been given exactly what I asked for.

Scanning skill increased to level one hundred twenty-nine!

Electronics skill increased to level one hundred thirty-five!

But how to get to the contents? The detailed diagram I saw after Scanning revealed no active components. The Decoder didn’t have a single node I could take control of with Machine Control. Nor did it have any latches inside I could open with Telekinesis. However, there was a superconductive solenoid in the very middle of the device containing enough energy to wipe the data off all the Decoder’s memory crystals and fry all electronics within a radius of at least three hundred feet. The ancient device was reminiscent of the black “stone” containing highly detailed information about the Meleyephatian Horde once given to me by Fourth Star Fleet Commander Kung Keetsie Myau through a Jarg intermediary. And I was not planning on making the same mistake and trying to open the Decoder without fully understanding how and risking the information inside.

The White Kirsan probed it with its arms with great interest and even slithered over its smooth surface, after which it turned its head my direction and flickered its innumerable whiskers in confusion. It looked like the repair bot didn’t understand how to open the package either.

“Kirsan, help me load the ball into the shuttle. We can crack the riddle at our leisure on the ship.”

Telekinesis skill increased to level one hundred seven!

Telekinesis skill increased to level one hundred eight!

The Decoder proved very heavy, though the only way of telling that in weightlessness was its extreme inertia. It hardly fit into the shuttle’s cargo hold as well. I placed Gerd Luana on the back seat, still inactive, while the repair bot preferred to ride in the cargo hold together with the metal sphere. It seemed to me that Kirsan was seriously hurt by not being able to solve the riddle quickly, and the mechanical millipede wanted to spend the flight studying the difficult task its creators had left us with.

I said nothing the entire way back to the cruiser, thinking over the negotiations with the Mechanoid kung which I had to admit had not been all that successful. Yes, I had gotten my precious Decoder and over six thousand Large Guard Drones, which was of course a positive outcome. However, it looked very much like I had disturbed a slumbering ancient evil, and the consequences for the spacefaring races of our galaxy were impossible to predict. If the enormous Exterminator realized that there were no opponents that could match it, it would be practically impossible to stand up against the Mechanoid, which had already revealed an unsavory taste for indiscriminate destruction.

But I didn’t want to spend the whole ride home lamenting my mistakes in the negotiations, so I kept myself busy fiddling with the Large Guard Drones. I didn’t reduce the swarm of drones under my control because the game rules weren’t stopping me but, in batches of five, I was sending them toward the fourth planet of the UF-98 star system, the farthest one from the Army Twenty-Three Base with an order to land on the planet, limit activity and try not to be seen. An army of six thousand killer ancient drones was a serious argument in any possible conflict, and I wanted to keep the trump card secret from the rest of the galaxy as long as possible.

The fourth planet in the UF-98 star system, as I was able to determine remotely using the scanning systems of my starship, was fifteen times lower mass than Earth and had a neutral atmosphere composed primarily of nitrogen, helium, and carbonic gas. Its low mass, thin noncorrosive atmosphere, and crater-pocked rocky surface made the planet a very convenient base for hiding the combat drones.

I chose one of the large craters, which was split in two by a deep crevasse, having decided the bottom of it would make a great place to secretly store my drones because it was so hard to see from space. That way, even if asteroid metal processers paid another visit to the UF-98 system (which was not likely considering the remoteness of the star system from large trading hubs and lack of particularly valuable ores) it was unlikely any passing guests would attempt a deep scouting of the planets which had already been declared worthless for colonization or exploitation, so I didn’t much have to worry about my drone army.

* * *

ONE AND A HALF HOURS flying the shuttle. Doesn’t sound like all that much, but it really took a lot out of me... I took sixteen drones straight to my cruiser — that was the number of free spots I had in my drone hangar. The other Large Guard Drones I had to ferry to the fourth planet in groups of five, giving each their mission separately and providing the coordinates while also scanning the planet for the best landing site.

The hardest part of it all was keeping the numbers straight and giving the orders without any instruments in front of me. Of course, I was saving all the long numbers and coordinates to my Devourer armor’s faceplate but still I had to keep everything straight and monitor the process, which was a titanic effort for my mind and damn tiring work. To give orders to one thousand two hundred sixty drone groups in one and a half hours! That meant I had just four seconds of attention for each one! I practically passed out or snapped several times. But I managed, which gave me a sense of pride no one could take away. I wouldn’t be so sure I could find ten more players in the galaxy capable of such a feat!

Scanning skill increased to level one hundred thirty-two!

Cartography skill increased to level one hundred twenty-nine!

Machine Control skill increased to level one hundred eighty-two!

Mental Fortitude skill increased to level two hundred six!

Mysticism skill increased to level one hundred seventy-five!

Reality Administrator skill increased to level nine!

I was still not sure about Reality Administrator. That skill seemed to be levelling because of my drone overload, but the rest I earned fair and square with hard work pushing the limits of the human psyche. And as an extra reward for a job well done, I hit level one hundred seventy-six, then filled my experience bar by almost half! Also, most importantly, I had taken an important step on the path to becoming a “true” Devourer like ancient Pyramid Hierarch Kung Pin-Ish-Ish-Pin, who had absolutely no need for instruments and monitors because he could hold all events in his mind at once and give orders mentally.

Two level ups in one day — that was something my Gnat hadn’t seen in a very long time. But I would have strangled anyone with my bare hands if they dared to say those levels came easy. Not at all. It was very, very far from easy! But no one in the crew seemed to understand that, instead thinking of their captain as a lucky guy who got showered with experience and level-ups as if they fell from the sky but only for him.

I finally reached my ancient cruiser. In the shuttle dock, I was greeted by Gerd Imran the Arbiter, Kisly the Machinegunner, and Avan Toi the grim Supercargo. I climbed out of the shuttle, opened the cargo hold and pointed my friends to the heavy metal sphere with the flat metal millipede clutching it in its feet. Even though we had already made it to the ship, the white Kirsan would not let go of the Decoder, latching onto it like a flea. It must have found something to hang onto both literally and figuratively.

“Avan Toi, the Decoder is very heavy, so call the Geckho twins away from their Na-Tikh-U game and tell them to bring the sphere to our Engineers in their workshop with the Kirsan attached. It isn’t urgent, but it might mean interesting discoveries and new rare trophies. Have Gerd Orun Va-Mart and San-Sano examine the Decoder as soon as they’re finished fixing the retransmitter from the ice comet. And Imran, you bring the android to the workshop. Have the Engineers take a look at her, too, and make sure no data was down- or uploaded. By the way, is Princess Minn-O La-Fin in my bunk?”

“No, Kirill. Your wife has spent the last half ummi in the med bay for testing. Gerd Mauu-La Mya-Ssa and the new healer woman whose name I can’t remember are working on her.”

“You can’t remember her name?” I asked in surprise and turned to my Dagestani friend. “What’s going on with you Imran, you sure you aren’t sick? Before you got married, you used to chase every skirt, linger around every pretty woman, and definitely remember all their names. Is that the effect San-Sano has on you, has she tamed the wild stallion? Or did I miss a Morphian on our ship, and the real Imran’s bones are in...” I didn’t finish and looked expectantly at the Caucasian man, but the Arbiter himself said the name of a place only the real Imran could know.

“The Syam Tro VII refuge. It’s a strange place, Captain Gnat, and I have to admit I do not like it.”

Kisly didn’t understand our talk about the Refuge, but he did crack a joke about a skilled Dagestani horseman tamed by the high heel of his wife, which finally got under the gallant man’s skin. I was even afraid he would get mad or say something, but Imran just joked back that his nature hadn’t changed in the least, he was simply not yet ready to look for a second wife because he wasn’t yet finished paying the dowry for his first one. I laughed and clued him in.

“Her name is Gerd Lassi-Yana, she comes from the Un-Leto dynasty of mage rulers. She won’t be coming out of Princess Minn-O’s cabin very often, so it’s particularly important to give her attention and show her warmth so she won’t feel too lonely around all these strangers. Kisly, looks like a job for you.”

“Why me?” the huge nearly square Machinegunner asked, confused and somewhat spooked.

“Who else could I trust with such a delicate mission? Dmitry Zheltov and Eduard Boyko are too forward. They’ll just scare the poor girl, not make friends. People from the magocratic world I won’t even consider — because of their stereotypical thinking, they will keep their distance from her because she’s from a magic dynasty. And I won’t even ask our priest Ivan Svyatodukh to flirt with a woman. So I didn’t really have much choice. It was either you or Grim Reaper. But I haven’t noticed our German taking much interest in the opposite sex. You’re a married man, so she won’t be offended, and your wife Nefertiti the Dryad isn’t the type to get mad or jealous. So you’re the perfect man to entertain our newcomer. Don’t argue, Kisly. Consider it an order! If you need to take a drink for courage, go to the canteen and tell the Chef Assassin you have my blessing.”

I suspected Kisly was surprised by his captain’s bizarre conduct. But I had a reason to act that way. Behind my put-on foolishness and silly orders, I was trying to hide how worried I was for my wife, who the medics were now examining for a third hour. Normally, a complete medical examination of a human using the most advanced equipment in the galaxy took Gerd Mauu-La Mya-Ssa much less time. As a rule, half an hour was plenty. The highly experienced Medic must have found something serious. Most likely, it was the very pregnancy complication that would require the choice of either my child or wife, making it impossible to save both.

I wanted badly to speak with Minn-O La-Fin face to face. I just had too much to tell her after our long separation. I got the sense my wife was very lonely and afraid, and it was my duty to comfort and reassure her. But above all to tell her that I was doing everything in my power to find a solution, and that there was hope for a favorable outcome.

But I had not yet gotten a chance to speak with my wife, so I kept busy elsewhere. For starters, I headed to the nose of the cruiser, to the drone hangars where the two other Kirsans were busy fixing satellites. I wanted to speak with one of the autonomous Precursor hunters.

The one I was after I found in the farthest hangar on the left side of the ship. It had just come in today for repair and was waiting its turn. The plasma field around the autonomous hunter was inactive, while its mobile camera turned straight toward me when I entered the room. I closed the door tightly and called the cruiser’s control program into the hangar because I was not confident in my ability to speak directly with the satellite without Paa Um-Um Paa to facilitate. The transparent Relict hologram appeared one step away from me and bowed respectfully.

“This will be a private conversation, and I expect confirmation that this will remain between us. No crew members, particularly repair bots, need to know about what is said here. Got that?”

“Yes sir, Devourer. The satellite also confirms that it accepts the conditions.”

“Good. There will actually be just one question. I want to know whether Mechanoids can detect camouflaged autonomous hunters. And I am not referring to the typical spherical beings of relatively small size, I mean large versions. Like the Empire’s flagship God of War, or the giant exterminator Kung Kono.”

I anxiously awaited a response from our visitor, but it was for some reason in no rush to answer. Then, around a minute later, the satellite came out and said it didn’t have enough information. And that to provide a definitive answer, it would have to query other hunters and coordination centers, but that would contradict the condition of secrecy.

“Alright, ask other satellites and your coordination centers,” I allowed.

It took three minutes to get an answer, and I did not like what I heard. Even rank-and-file Mechanoids were specially tuned to detect Precursor autonomous hunters and would know they were coming. Beyond that, there would be no way to catch large ones unawares because they had highly advanced detection systems for all kinds of things including combat ships and Precursor autonomous drones.

Astrolinguistics skill increased to level one hundred sixty-five!

“That was all I needed to know,” I thanked it and left the drone hangar.

Regrettable as it may have been, I would not be able to send the giant Mechanoid into a hyperspace pocket for another few millenia. Kung Kono would detect the threat and escape the trap before it slammed shut. After that, it would instantly realize who was behind the assassination attempt and, in its rage, the exterminator would be devastating. Too bad I would have to make peace with the existence of the threat and come up with a cleverer way of getting the Mechanoid kung out of the game.

I headed into my cabin for a rest when I suddenly saw the ship Medic in the main starship corridor pushing his levitating case of tools. I hurried over to the Miyelonian. And I didn’t even have to ask a thing. Gerd Mauu-La Mya-Ssa started the conversation all on his own.

“I imagine you’re already aware, Captain Gnat. This is a very difficult case. The allantois has attached in a very unfortunate location, inflammation in the amniotic cavity is progressing quickly, there is an Rh incompatibility, and an intense allergic reaction in the mother to the fetus’ metabolic products.”

“Cut to the chase!”

The tailed Medic lost his nerve under my intense stare but breathed in deep and rendered a verdict.

“Medicine is powerless here. Children cannot be born like this. I see no way to conduct the birth successfully in the game that bends reality. The mother would respawn, but not the child. It’s either that or have the birth in the real world. Then the mother would die in the process of extracting the fetus. We have just eight days left to decide and, if we do nothing, both will die.”

My eyes went dark. Of course, I was already aware of the danger, but it was tough to hear confirmation from an experienced Medic. She was just eight days from giving birth and, due to the schism in the Geckho State, I couldn’t even get to Ruvaru-Yosh Prime, much less make it into the impenetrable complex deep underground. And once there, I would have little chance of quickly figuring out all the unimaginably complex instruments used to change the laws of virtual reality and make the necessary changes. And that was if I got the incredible luck to reach a Reality Administrator skill level high enough to make any adjustments to the reality code at all.

But those were my personal problems, and I was not going to go filling Gerd Minn-O La-Fin’s head with them. She was in a tough enough situation as it was and needed me to be there for her, not plunge her deeper into despair. And so, when Scanning revealed the princess lying on a bed in the neighboring captain’s bunk, I made my way decisively to see Minn-O La-Fin.

Chapter 8. Blockade or War

MY POT-BELLIED WIFE was half lying half sitting on the bed wearing a light blue set of pregnancy coveralls, propped up on a huge number of pillows. The Mage Healer was fussing around next to her, looking tiny in comparison with her oversized patient, hurrying to predict the princess’ every whim. When I came in, Gerd Lassi-Yana froze and bowed low. Gerd Minn-O meanwhile just turned her head slightly.

“Sorry, husband, it is hard to move. I just found a position where my body doesn’t get too tingly. Have you spoken with the ship’s Medic?”

“Gerd Mauu-La Mya-Ssa just confirmed what we already knew...”

I turned to the healer and asked her to go to the common room where dinner would be served for the whole crew in ten minutes. I even set a direction marker so Gerd Lassi-Yana wouldn’t get lost in the big unfamiliar ship. At any rate, the Mage Healer would not have been able to get anywhere she wasn’t supposed to because the doors she lacked authorization for wouldn’t let her through.

Targeting skill increased to level one hundred ten!

The game considered that Targeting? Funny. At any rate, I held in an inappropriate happy smile and cautiously, trying not to upset my wife, sat down on the bed next to her. Minn-O looked tired, but at the same time spirited and majestic, a true noble lady of royal blood like the great masters used to paint. I spent a little while in silence admiring my gorgeous wife.

Minn-O’s face didn’t look too sad. Even in her deepest thoughts, I couldn’t detect the slightest hint of self-pity or woes about the injustice of fate. On the contrary, she was immeasurably proud to have been tasked with bringing even more glory to house La-Fin. Despite Minn-O’s imminent death (or so she thought), she was pleased. Finally she was more than a worthless nobody the mage rulers merely tolerated out of respect for her fearsome grandfather Archmage Thumor-Anhu La-Fin the Coruler of Humanity. She had become a significant figure in her own right. People valued and respected her, and she was now fated to go down in human history as the mother of Earth’s all-time greatest mage.

“You’ve really been brainwashed... I can’t even tell which thoughts are yours and which were implanted in your brain by powerful psionics.”

“What’s wrong with my thoughts?” she asked in surprise.

“It’s just that your head has a whole palisade worth of blockers. I can also see Thumor-Anhu La-Fin’s exquisite workmanship, but that’s separate. I could always sense these closed off areas in your brain when we were speaking, but this is the first time I can get through them. A feeling of guilt for inadequacy and inferiority, a desire to learn to be a magess at any cost, to earn recognition from the head of your house... all that is there and goes back practically to your earliest childhood. But a lot of other psionics have now done work on your mind beyond your grandfather. It isn’t as exquisite as the Archmage’s, at times complete hack jobs. I suppose this was done to you in the Pa-lin-thu medical center?”

“I suppose. A lot of different mages talked to me there. They were there for support, advice... But what’s the matter, my husband?” Gerd Minn-O La-Fin met eyes with me and then stared straight ahead, clearly on purpose so I could better read her thoughts.

I breathed a heavy sigh and spent a long time staring into Minn-O’s eyes, seeing a reflection of my own glowing blue irises in them. I had reached a level of Psionics where direct eye contact became unnecessary long ago, but still I didn’t look away even though my mind was elsewhere. For some time after Gerd Tamara resurrected her in the underground prison, Minn-O’s eyes glowed blue just like mine, but they eventually went back to their normal color. That was because she possessed no magic of her own, and all the sorcery she had at that time was thanks to the child in her womb. I wondered if her game class would go back to Cartographer after giving birth. Or would the game algorithms deem my wife something different? At any rate, I was getting ahead of myself, and I would first have to make sure she survived the birth, snatching her from the jaws of death and deceiving her obstinate, defiant fate.

Finally, I looked away and answered.

“Minn-O, the thought that you had to sacrifice yourself for the noble goal of making the ancient house La-Fin more powerful was implanted in your mind. They erased absolutely all doubt that killing yourself for the child is the only proper move. I won’t dispute it. The greatness of a dynasty is an important goal. But first of all, it is a decision that must be made consciously, not under anyone else’s influence. And second, I need you, and do not want to lose you...”

Successful Intelligence check!

Successful Intelligence check!

Mental Fortitude skill increased to level two hundred seven!

Mental Fortitude skill increased to level two hundred eight!

Mental Fortitude skill increased to level two hundred nine!

The psionic attack was unexpected and high powered. To put it figuratively, it was not an elegant rapier lunge in a duel, but instead a sweeping blow with a two-ton reinforced concrete column ripped out of the ground. However, it didn’t last long, and was over in less than two seconds. By some miracle, I resisted the heavy blow and didn’t crumble or go flying over the horizon. In fact, I realized immediately where the magic pummeling was coming from and, naturally, was not planning to retaliate against my unborn son.

Minn-O took my pause for the end of my speech and hurried to get a word in.

“My husband, it is of course nice that you love me and want to be with me. But my mind is made up. On my own. And whether other people helped me get there or not... Woah! Gnat, your nose is bleeding!”

I felt it with my hand and, when I pulled it away from my face, saw lots of blood. So, the powerful psionic attack did have consequences after all. A burst blood vessel in my nose was nothing to worry about, though. If my son had more experience, he could have thought up something more devastating. Stopping my heart, for instance, or bursting a blood vessel in my brain. Maybe he tried to do those things, but my defenses got in the way. No... my Danger Sense skill didn’t warn me, meaning he was not trying to kill me, just defending himself.

“I know just the person to teach you how to fight for your life, Minn-O. Our son! We’re clearly going to have a Mage Diviner, and his abilities will be striking. Victor hasn’t even seen the light of day yet, but he can already monitor the lines of the future and put a stop to any attempt to change away from one favorable to his survival. Level zero, not a lot of mana, but he really can sting! Honestly though, he still needs to learn to pick his battles. I after all have higher Intelligence due to my status as kung, and a lot more mana, but most importantly I am not an enemy! I just wanted to say that there was a third way, where both of you can survive. And that is exactly what I am working toward.”

My wife didn’t get it straight away. Minn-O spent a long time in silence, then asked, her voice hiccupping anxiously.

“W-what? Say that again, p-please.”

I did. And the dam broke, sweeping away all her put-on detachment. She sat up in bed and started weeping, not ashamed of her tears.

“My husband... Gnat... if only you knew! Other than you, nobody else cared about me! Nobody in the whole Universe, even my own child! Relatives, doctors, mage rulers... they all saw me as just a vessel that had to be kept safe until a certain point, then broken open and cast onto the waste heap. All they could speak of was my duty to the ancient La-Fin Dynasty and the First Directory, the need to sacrifice myself. You know, my husband, they very nearly convinced me I was absolutely worthless in this world, and that I should die for the common good...”

“You were deceived, Minn-O. There are many humans in the world... and nonhumans who wish you well. Here on the starship, we are all your friends and will do everything possible to solve this difficult issue. There isn’t much time left. The ship Medic says we have eight standard days, but we have to make it. Your job then is to keep up the faith that everything will be fine and reach an agreement with Victor so he won’t stop your friends from saving the both of you.”

Gerd Minn-O La-Fin went back to weeping, but slowly calmed down. Then she looked up at me and asked a question.

“Say, husband, did you read our son’s name from my thoughts? Because I haven’t told anyone yet. I was planning to tell Gerd Mac-Peu Un-Roi right before the birth because he is the one I most trust.”

“Not only from your thoughts. You see, Minn-O... How can I put it...? I have also looked into the lines of the future and seen a conversation with Gerd Mac-Peu in the First Directory after the birth. That line was a bust, so I decided to change it. Now, in any case, you won’t be in Pa-lin-thu for the next few days, so the story will go differently. And I hope for the better.”

* * *

WHEW, THAT CONVERSATION with Minn-O La-Fin really wiped me out... Practically more than giving instructions to the six thousand drones. I didn’t even go to dinner in the common room, instead heading straight to my bunk. And once inside, just after collapsing exhausted on my couch, I received a long-awaited message from my business partner Uline Tar, who had just come back into the game from the real world.

“Captain Gnat, it all happened just the way you said it would! The Geckho krong gave a big speech to the race of Shiharsa where he confessed the Geckho’s inability to continue the war with the Composite on our own. And so, Meleyephatian Horde starships have been permitted to enter Geckho space, and now the Meleyephatians will be responsible for our defense. Governance over all inhabited planets, space stations, and small settlements has been transferred to the Horde for ‘enhanced coordination between defenders.’ Geckho vassals are to become Horde vassals from this day forth.”

“Say, Uline, did anyone speak out against the krong’s decision?”

“You might say so! The krong surrendered our territories, making the proud Geckho into mere servants of the Meleyephatian Horde. Of course, a lot of people are upset! A huge number of messages are coming in saying various Geckho planets and settlements are seceding from central government authority. Kung Waid Shishish has gone so far as to declare open rebellion and says the Third Strike Fleet will be continuing the war against the Composite on their own without any help from what he has deemed the ‘eight-legged occupiers.’ Kung Waid Shishish has massive popular support, and many now view him as the leader of the Geckho race.”

“Find anything about Ruvaru-Yosh Prime? Have the locals submitted to the new authorities or refused to obey the Horde-appointed administrators?”

“Uhh...” before Uline continued, I had already realized that my furry companion had nothing concrete. “Gnat, I can’t be sure of anything. It seems there is a conflict in the Ruvaru-Yosh system. Either that or a blockade has been put in place because there hasn’t been a single message from Ruvaru-Yosh Prime for the last half ummi. Even the trading positions aren’t refreshing, which is very improbable.”

Blockade? But who could have put it into place? And if it was fighting then, once again, who with? Sure, the Composite was advancing on all fronts, but had they really reached the Ruvaru-Yosh system? If so... my heart nearly stopped in worry... that would spell the end of all my plans! There would simply be no way to reach the underground complex in the middle of a scorching desert with a Composite armada in the system.

At any rate, there was no reason to get too worked up, much less do anything rash due to lack of information. Maybe there was just a small conflict being fought there between local groups, or information was being suppressed so the planet’s population wouldn’t panic. I’d have to wait an ummi or two. Maybe the situation would clear up.

I even thought up a way of trying to convince one or several satellites to fly out to scout the Ruvaru-Yosh system, but quickly realized it was a bad plan. The autonomous hunters, if they didn’t refuse outright, simply were not suited for scouting operations and would not understand who was fighting who. And most importantly, plasma clusters coming to the system, particularly over the planet Ruvaru-Yosh Prime would trigger the Relict defense programs, put them into combat mode, and spark a response. A conflict between such unusual forces near the ancient ruins would draw attention to the underground Realities Control Center, which would severely complicate my group being permitted to enter.

Machine Control skill increased to level one hundred eighty-three!

Reality Administrator skill increased to level ten!

Medium Armor skill increased to level one hundred thirty-one!

Three messages popped up in quick succession. And whereas my armor skill was levelling just from wearing my armor, the other two meant that my drones had finally reached their destination and hidden themselves away in the deep crevasse on the uninhabited planet. The majority of the drones I switched into sleep mode, ordering just four groups of five to secure the hiding location and attack any outsider that came too close.

Okay, there was nothing more keeping me in the UF-98 star system. Still, it was too early to head straight to Ruvaru-Yosh before the blockade or war situation was cleared up. On top of that, I was hardly able to stand I was so tired, so I needed to get some rest before I could do anything meaningful. But idleness is a plague to any fleet. Ship crews always had to have something to work on. And so... I smiled when I imagined my subordinates reacting to their captain giving yet another bizarre order.

“Attention all escort ship captains! I order you to wipe the memories of all locators and scanning systems of the last few ummi, and also delete all data in any way connected with our visit to this star system: coordinates, crew discussions, etc. Fleet androids are to erase said data from their memory crystals independently. Zheltov and San-Doon, I need you to do the same on the cruiser. The Mechanoids that live in this asteroid belt do not appreciate visitors and could become aggressive, so let’s not provoke them. Our official position is that we were never here. Officers, I want you to tell the same to your crews and make sure they understand.”

Successful Authority check.

Not bad, not bad! The captains and ship officers would carry out my order no matter how strange it may have been. But I was giving an interesting little problem to the Trillian Kingdom intelligence workers listening in on all conversations aboard the ancient cruiser through the espionage device on Uline Tar. Now the Trillians would definitely come to have a look at what I found in the asteroid belt. They would send a scout group, which would quickly detect the gravitational anomaly. Then they would send another to investigate what took down the first. Then another...

I was sure the Trillians would not understand the warning signals from the defenders of the Army Twenty-Three Base, while the local Mechanoids were in quite a decisive mood, so they would not tolerate any intrusions, which I was keenly aware of. I wondered when the Trillians would finally realize that they could not reach the anomaly and stop their fruitless endeavors. And how many scout ships they would lose before that. Ideally — I smiled from ear to ear imagining this outcome — King Hugo the First would ask his allies from the other galaxy to come investigate the bizarre anomaly with Composite ships. That would make for an epic scene here in the UF-98 system!

I wasn’t particularly worried about my drones in any case. No one would do much poking around on the remote planet. But before any of Absolute Evil’s ships made it to this star system, my cruiser and escort ships had to scram or risk becoming unwitting participants in the clash in the UF-98 system asteroid belt.

“Paa Um-Um Paa, let’s leave this star system. Make six random jumps at quarter ummi intervals along with the escort ships inside our galaxy. Have the seventh jump take us to within one hundred miles of the surface of planet Tailax. We’re going to pick up my wayedda. Valeri-Urla has already completed her mission there. Then, we’ll be jumping straight to Ruvaru-Yosh Prime. You can get the coordinates from Gerd Ayukh. I want our two shuttles and Tamara the Paladin ready for a landing on the planet by that time!”

Chapter 9. Relicts and the Void

THE ONLY OTHER WORTHWHILE THING I did before getting undressed and falling asleep was to finally choose my third Danger Sense perk. Ideally, I should have taken care of it before but, despite having less options after my two previous choices, the ones I had left were extremely attractive and it was hard to say no to any of them.

- Increase warning trigger probability, even against opponents with skills to counteract this ability

- Act instinctively to avoid immediate threats to life

- Ignore impact of external factors and personal states that may prevent skill from triggering (sleep, illness, alcoholic or narcotic intoxication, hypnosis, etc.)

- Detect source of threat instantly

I finally made up my mind and chose the second option: to act instinctively to threats against my life because the human mind was not always capable of recognizing threats and taking the proper countermeasures. If I had that specialization before, in the real world on Poko-Poko I could have dodged the surprise attack, and Ayni would not have had to sacrifice her life to save mine.

Done. I closed the character window, took off my energy armor and shirt, then fell back into the soft bed with great relish. I essentially passed out the second my head hit the pillow. That was just how tired the action-packed day had left me. Nevertheless, through sleep I caught regular Machine Control improvement messages. And there were a lot of them.

I also didn’t wake up when Leng Ayni Uri-Miayuu tip-toed timidly into the captain’s bunk. I just ran a scan in my sleep with closed eyes and made certain that it was really Ayni, settled back down, and closed the door using Telekinesis when Ayni failed to do so. The tailed woman looked around the pitch-black room with her night vision and realized the captain’s wife was not spending the night. After that, more confidently, she got into bed and snuggled up next to me, putting my arm across her shoulder. I embraced my fluffy friend and pulled her closer, making Ayni purr in satisfaction and fall asleep very quickly. Just the perfect, happy life.

But I was awoken suddenly and turbulently. A few seconds before a discordant siren blared through the cruiser, I shot up like a spring in bed and looked around trying to figure out what was going on. My heart was beating frantically in my chest. I was breathing fast like I’d just taken a long run.

Danger Sense skill increased to level two hundred two!

And then, the siren stung my ears, confirming that something funny was happening on the cruiser. I had already put on my Devourer Combat Armor when a warning message came in from Gerd Zheltov on the bridge:

“Intruders on ship!!! Combat alert!!!”

And indeed, a moment later the siren changed to a combat alert signal. The glowing cruiser control program hologram appeared next to me. Paa Um-Um Paa was plainly afraid, and his first few words confirmed that there was good reason to be alarmed.

“Devourer Gnat, unfamiliar Relicts in the large hall! Six... or rather five now. All armed! And the Void has been set free. It immediately sucked in one of the Relicts and is now devouring our crew.”

“WHAT?”

Time Stoppage skill increased to level twenty!

Time Stoppage skill increased to level twenty-one!

Teleportation skill increased to level twenty-four!

I couldn’t say for certain how I did it but, half a second later, I was standing in the middle of the common room with time stopped for a whole nine seconds (!!!), surveying the mayhem being wrought. Five Relicts wearing combat armor and brandishing small guns were spread around the room engaged in a firefight with Gerd T’yu-Pan and Grim Reaper, who had overturned tables to make an improvised barricade next to the bar. Behind the bar, Kisly was crouching down attaching an energy battery to his pulse machine gun, his left leg bearing two gunshot wounds. On the other end of the large room, the Alpha Iseyek were already streaming in ready to fight. The nearest one was just three feet from a Relict, his razor-sharp upper appendages already poised for a strike. In the main corridor, I saw Small Guard Drones hurrying to join the fight.

But even that wasn’t the most interesting. At the wall of the large hall, not far from the seven now open temporal chambers was a mirror-silver amoeba approximately the size of a basketball sucking in our ship’s Mage-Healer!!! Half of Gerd Lassi-Yana’s back and right shoulder were covered in an iridescent silvery substance, while her face contorted in pain and horror, her mouth open in a soundless cry. All that remained was to figure out just what was attacking her.

The Void.

Honestly, it was just what I expected. Seemingly, before me now was the Di-Pal-Yu 781’s former captain’s pet, the deadly Void. And it killed permanently, making respawn or exit into the real world impossible. Given that, I needed to help the foolish Lassi-Yana, who had most likely entered the protective barricade sheltering the temporal chambers out of ignorance. All the “old-timers” knew about the danger and never went past the barricade, so she was almost certainly to blame.

I tried to grab the Void using Telekinesis and put it back in the chamber outside of spacetime, which had served as a sturdy enclosure for many long millenia. But... oops! There was nothing to grab. The Void had no flesh, body, or any other component made of matter. It was exactly as described — a void, a vacuum. Mean, hungry, and deadly. I suspected that shooting the Void would have been utterly useless regardless of weapon type. There was nothing to injure or destroy. The only thing that might be any use would have been the Mechanoid Spatial Cutter, which could simply cut the dangerous and invulnerable being out of space itself.

Okay, I would have to try something else. If I couldn’t move the Void, I could take away its victim. Obeying my mental power, Lassi-Yana’s partially eaten body flew into the far corner of the large room. Damn! I overdid it, afraid I couldn’t pull her out of the Void, so I hit a bit too hard. The very powerful burst might have injured Lassi-Yana, and the landing would definitely hurt, but that was no big deal. Most importantly, she would live.

Telekinesis skill increased to level one hundred nine!

Telekinesis skill increased to level one hundred ten!

I was also able to use Telekinesis to relocate the Relict Slider out of the path of the Alpha Iseyek’s appendage, and then time started moving again. Ray guns flashed, an explosion thundered, the bar blew to pieces after an explosive strike. Kisly groaned after yet another injury. I needed to put a stop to all the havoc on my ship.

“I AM THE PYRAMID HIERARCH!!! EVERYONE STOP!!! LOWER YOUR WEAPONS!!!”

Psionic skill increased to level two hundred fifty-five!

It worked. The combat drones, spinning like a carousel beneath the ceiling, did not attack the newcomers. The Iseyek stopped. And all the troops lowered their weapons, both mine and the Relicts. A few seconds passed. My crew slowly piled into the room, all wearing armored spacesuits and armed, but they didn’t get into a fight with the Relicts. When suddenly...

Danger Sense skill increased to level two hundred three!

I found the silvery amoeba just a few inches away from me trying to touch my armor on the right shoulder with its tentacle-like arm. The one second time delay was enough for me to get thirty feet away using Teleportation.

“Speedy...” rang out in my head, after which the dangerous beast came next to me again in some mysterious way.

I got beneath the very ceiling of the common room and hovered there, holding my hand on the light fixture. But half a second later, the Void was again next to me and trying to touch me with its tentacle or flagellum or whatever the long appendage was called. I jumped away again, using the extra seconds provided by my Combat Armor. But the creature followed after me again.

“You can’t get away...”

Such persistence! I was starting to simmer with Frenzy, but I didn’t attack the Void, again dodging a fight. I just tried to stun it with Psionics but... there was nothing to attack. the Void had no mind in the usual sense. At the last moment, I again moved into another part of the large room and launched one of the dining tables into the Void. A hole went straight through the tabletop, but the Void passed through the obstacle without the slightest difficulty.

Frenzy skill increased to level twenty-four!

Yes, I reset my full Frenzy bar to level up the skill rather than go into death machine mode. It may not have been smart because it then tried to attack the nearest Alpha Iseyek. But not on my watch! Stop time! I took the Void’s prey away before it could attack.

I sensed an upwelling of strength — it was ship priest Gerd Ivan Svyatodukh buffing all allies. At the same time, I got a request to form a magic link with Leng Soia-Tan La-Varrez. I accepted because the extra mana and magic power was just what I needed and... felt slightly confused because I found another request to join the magic link. Minn-O? No, it was Victor, my unborn son wanting to help his father in battle. I gave permission.

Danger Sense skill increased to level two hundred four!

The Void turned back to me as its victim, perhaps the most dangerous individual in the room. I had to admit, it was starting to get on my nerves. My Frenzy bar filled up again, but I was not planning to back off that time. If it didn’t want to do things the nice way, I’d have to try a mean one! But... The Void, which was just a few inches away half a second earlier, suddenly moved to the farthest corner of the room and hovered in place like a big iridescent droplet.

“You are capable of killing me? How interesting...”

“I am,” I confirmed. “But I have never encountered a creature like you before. I’d rather study you and get a better sense for what you are, not destroy you. Perhaps we can live together in peace. After all, you once lived on this ship and coexisted with Kung Pin-Ish-Ish-Pin and his crew. The Devourer did not kill you. And neither did you him.”

“You are a Devourer. I see. Too dangerous to serve as prey. I am the prey. Okay. What do you want from me?”

“Go into the empty bunk in the stern of the cruiser,” I placed a marker visible to everyone on the ship map. “And wait for me there. We can talk. Peacefully. You can tell me about yourself. What you are and where you come from. I am particularly interested in how often you need to be fed, and what you can consume.”

I wondered if it would listen. The iridescent mirror amoeba spent five seconds thinking, then a message came in about a successful Authority check, and the Void slowly floated through the air toward where I told it to go. The crew quickly made way for the dangerous creature. Leng Ayni also stepped aside, though I did not know why she had come to the scene of the deadly fight with my instruction for her to stay out of dangerous situations because her one remaining life was too precious. But it worked!

I breathed a sigh of relief and turned my attention to the five Relicts standing in the middle of the room surrounded by my troops and looking around tensely.

Ami Yavi-Yavi. Ami. Relict. Level-138 Devastator.

Asti O-O Asti. Relict. Level-168 Slider.

Gerd Veni O-O Urg. Relict. Level-159 Slider.

Sheh Sheh-Sheh Ort. Relict. Level-183 Pilot.

Kini Uma-Uma Kini. Relict. Level-205 Engineer.

Two of the Relicts — Gerd Veni and Sheh — were visually distinct from all other Relicts I had seen before. Their bodies were smaller and thinner, their abdomens longer. Their names were also formatted differently than the others. They must have been females, and one of them prominent. The fivesome also contained two Sliders and one Devastator, professions I needed to fully staff the ancient cruiser.

Okay then, now was the perfect time for me to introduce myself and explain to the members of a race believed to be extinct just how much time had passed since they went into their temporal chambers, and how drastically the world had changed.

Chapter 10. Legends Reborn

I HAD MY TALK with the living witnesses to the past in an empty bunk in the front of the cruiser. It was a large room I wanted to eventually turn into a space museum containing curiosities from remote worlds but, so far, it had nothing but a set of cushions on the floor. Five bewildered Relicts on one side, having no bearings in this reality, Paa Um-Um Paa serving as a sort of mediator in the form of a hologram of his creator, and five beings from the modern era on our side: myself as Pyramid Hierarch, Leng Ayni Uri-Miayuu the Listener standing behind me, Leng Soia-Tan La-Varrez the Investigator, and flanking the group Gerd Imran the Arbiter and Gerd Tini Wi-Gnat the Secret Master. A Devourer and his retinue in full accordance with the traditions and laws of the Relict race.

On the way to this cabin, I made sure to show our surprise visitors Trillians, Geckho, the Jarg, Miyelonians and a large number of Alpha Iseyek. I wanted the Relicts to see the diverse crew of the Di-Pal-Yu 781 with their own eyes so they would know we weren’t only Humans, who they would view as members of their sworn enemy race, the Precursors. At first, the Relicts’ open hostility to me and the other Humans could be sensed by all. The tension was so thick you could cut the air with a knife, and the only thing stopping the Relicts from running into battle was a lack of understanding of my status. I seemed to be a Human, a descendant of the Precursors, and that meant enemy. But at the same time I was Hierarch of the Relict Pyramid, meaning I was technically their ruler.

Meanwhile, my status as hierarch was confirmed by both Sliders, who independently sent requests to the Pyramid and got clear answers. Yes, Kung Gnat the Devourer was a Relict Hierarch and was entitled to speak in the name of the entire Pyramid. After the Sliders shared that information with the others, their treatment of me changed. Although the hostility didn’t go away entirely, the Relicts finally holstered their weapons, and listened to me. That was the most I could hope for at that point.

I was indeed the primary speaker. Everyone else listened. Paa Um-Um Paa just occasionally threw in a couple remarks or confirmed my words. The toughest part was telling the Relicts about the huge amount of time separating the White-Purple Fleet’s final battle from the present day. For the astronauts rescued from downed ships and given shelter in temporal chambers on the fleet flagship, the grand battle had essentially just happened. Initially, the Relicts even assumed the space battle was not yet over. I had to tell them about it, explain, and even at times apply pressure using Psionics to break through their skepticism and make them believe the past few millenia actually happened.

It was very, very difficult to make the five Relicts assimilate the fact that it had been more than twelve thousand tongs since their chambers closed and little remained of the world as they knew it. It was also tough for the time travelers to believe that the five of them were possibly the last members of their race, which once numbered in the trillions as part of a Universe-spanning civilization.

I told the Relicts honestly that until recently I had another in my crew: a Technician from a mobile laboratory lost in space and time. But then Urgeh Pu-Pu Urgeh passed when he tried to use his old virt pod to go into the real world. I purposely presented the information that way and emphasized the tragic episode to avoid any of them doing something rash, especially leaving the game. I of course did not want the Relicts, who I had worked so hard to find, to think of themselves as prisoners and kill themselves, only to have them respawn in some far-flung location if they were lucky enough to have virt pods in working order. And so, sparing no Magic Points, I drilled the idea through their thick chitin skulls that almost no refuges in the real world still existed, meaning that exiting the game would spell near-certain death.

“Yes, I am Human. In essence, a distant descendant of your enemies. So I do not fault you for your skepticism and feelings of alienation. But I have already done so much to find out about your vanished civilization and put the Pyramid back together piece by piece that I do not intend to stop now. And I do not care if you recognize me as your ruler or not. In any case, as Pyramid Hierarch, I believe it is important to bring back your long-lost civilization and will put forth every effort to do so. All of your lives are invaluable, and so I will try to keep you safe both in the game that bends reality and the real world. Whether you like it or not.”

“Devourer, may I ask what our status is then? Are we prisoners? Or are we free?” Asti O-O Asti the Slider, despite his relatively low level compared to the other Relicts, assumed a leading role and had spoken for the group now several times.

“Your status is as potential disease carriers being held in quarantine. And that is quite literal, because the Ship Medic still has to figure out how dangerous the viruses and microorganisms of the past will be to my crew, and how dangerous modern diseases might be to you. But it is also figurative because, due to lack of information about the modern world, you could end up putting yourselves in harm’s way. In twenty ummi, all restrictions will be lifted. That is my promise to you as Kung and Pyramid Hierarch. Whether you want to help me restore the Relict Pyramid or prefer a solitary life will be up to you.”

Diplomacy skill increased to level one hundred sixteen!

You have reached level one hundred eighty!

You have received fifteen skill points.

At first, I ran my eyes nonchalantly over the system messages when suddenly I shuddered and ran them back. What level now? How was I now at one hundred eighty, when yesterday I hit one hundred seventy-six?! What had I done? I flicked through the last few minutes and suddenly felt beside myself. There were a suspicious number of messages from the last six hours, most of them about Machine Control skill-ups, and more rarely Reality Administrator.

...

Machine Control skill increased to level two hundred seventy-one!

Machine Control skill increased to level two hundred seventy-two!

Reality Administrator skill increased to level thirty-four!

Machine Control skill increased to level two hundred seventy-three!

I also saw a curious message saying my controlled drones limit had gone up to seven. Amusing, considering the real number of drones under my control was practically a thousand times higher. Actually, what made that come up all of a sudden? I ran through the message archive further and found myself cringing. After hitting Machine Control skill two hundred, the game system automatically selected a third specialization for the skill without any input from me, bringing up my controlled drone limit by two. It was done to reduce the drone overload, though it of course did not remedy the error in the end. I most likely would have chosen the same specialization, but it still wasn’t nice to have such an important decision made without my awareness.

As an aside, while I slept, I also levelled up three times. Plus another just now. At this pace, in a month, I’d be caught up to Krong Keetsie Myau with her level two hundred seventy-three and Emperor Georg the First at two hundred seventy-five. At the very least, now the gulf between us seemed much less insurmountable.

“Gnat the Devourer,” Asti O-O Asti the Slider pulled me out of my pensive state, “may we know how the great war ended, and who emerged victorious?”

“Can you not read that data from the Pyramid yourself, Slider?”

“I can, Hierarch, but the signal is very poor. And the data seems mistaken. The war supposedly lasted for thousands of tongs and ended extremely recently with the signing of a peace treaty.”

“That is accurate, Asti, you have proven yourself worthy of your qualification. I personally put an end to that drawn-out war a few days ago because the participants nearly drove each other to extinction. The Precursors have been shattered. Although some colonies of theirs remained, your opponents were sent back to the stone age technologically and still have yet to recover. The Relict Pyramid lost a significant portion of its accumulated knowledge and the data links between nodes. You are perhaps the last Relicts left alive. Only the Mechanoids have retained significant forces, productive capabilities, a powerful fleet, and numbers. That is largely thanks to the fact that their leader Kung Kono the Exterminator stabbed his Relict allies in the back and destroyed their ships in the Fourth Grand Battle, which took place near the star Hintoalu. You may be unaware of the historic event because it happened nine hundred tongs after the White-Purple Fleet’s battle where your starships were destroyed. But all signs point to the Mechanoids being considered the victors of the grand war.”

“How has Kono the Exterminator been punished?” asked Gerd Veni O-O Urg. Based on her tone, the prominent Slider had no doubt that the dastardly traitor had been penalized.

I had to disappoint the Relict and undo her confidence in the inevitability of fair punishment.

“Kung Kono is alive and well. I held talks with him just yesterday long distance. His behavior is insolent, and he makes no attempt to hide the fact he is amassing forces and combat drones so the Mechanoids can begin expanding again. Perhaps in the past, the great Pyramid hierarchs could have destroyed the vile machine, but I do not know any way of killing a cybernetic entity the size of a small planet. Not to mention the fact it is powerful, extremely cautious, will not allow anyone near it, and is capable of instantly warping around the Universe. But I shall study and muster my strength. I assure you that one day, my combat abilities will equal this cruiser’s vanished former captain, the legendary Devourer Kung Pin-Ish-Ish-Pin. Then the Mechanoid traitor will not be able to escape its just deserts!”

My words were met with dead silence. I even feared I had blurted out something inappropriate. For instance, it may have been heresy to compare myself — the despicable descendant of a Precursor — to one of the most powerful hierarchs of the past. But I was wrong. After an extended pause, Asti O-O Asti the Slider tilted his head.

“Gnat the Devourer, I beg forgiveness for my initial mistrust. Now I see that the Pyramid was right to name you Relict Hierarch, and that you are leading my kind in the right direction. I ask that you put your faith in me and show me my place in formation.”

Diplomacy skill increased to level one hundred seventeen!

A few seconds later, Sheh Sheh-Sheh Ort the Pilot said approximately the same thing, though in less melodramatic terms. The three other Relicts refrained from making any statements, neither assuring me of their loyalty, nor voicing mistrust in the new Pyramid Hierarch. Oh well, even having just two Relicts of five willing to work with me was positive. I was of course expecting more from this meeting though.

“For starters, I’ll need you all to join the Relict clan. Its leader,” I pointed to the Listener looking very imposing in her dark energy armor suit with five combat drones over her head, “is my most trusted assistant and confidant, Leng Ayni Uri-Miayuu the Miyelonian. She is quite a capable speaker of Relict, so you can direct any questions you may have to her.”

Leng Ayni gave a dignified bow and demonstrated her language ability by telling them all that she had sent them an invitation to join the clan. Right after confirmation, they were assigned virt pods in a safe area where they could go into the real world in twenty ummi. After a few seconds, the descriptions over their heads changed. All five accepted the invitation. Nice. That was a win. Now it would be much easier to keep tabs on the newcomers.

The Miyelonian looked at me, seemingly expecting a decision on the virt pods. I then considered it. The Syam Tro VII refuge was obviously not an option — I was saving the ancient habitat for my family and my most trusted individuals, so I didn’t want any outsiders. The problem of the predatory invar in the refuge had been more or less handled, the water was slowly receding, groups of players from the First Directory had been brought in with seeds for hydroponic farms and all necessities, and the rooms were being cleaned out and repaired. I could already see the refuge’s colossal potential and letting any uncontrolled Relicts in there would have been a huge mistake. What about Earth then? The coming of Relicts there would be greeted with an uproar. Their every move would be studied by reporters and their every outing accompanied by crowds of onlookers. They would have the same on any planet or station with Relict Faction virt pods, whether Poko-Poko, Kasti-Utsh III, or Tailax. But would the last surviving members of a once numerous ancient race want so much exposure?

I decided to ask the Relicts themselves. Their response was unambiguous. They had a poor understanding of the modern world and wanted to stay as low profile as possible. Okay then, I had an option for that.

“Then let me suggest a free Human colony called Yuro-Prio on the edge of known space. It’s a little mining village under a dome on a planetoid. Just six hundred residents, all of whom joined my Relict Faction in the last few days. I can talk to the colony’s leadership. They won’t give you any trouble. We could even set it up so the fact there are living Relicts again will not leak outside the village. Then no one will come with questions and bother you.”

“That’s just what we need!” Asti O-O Asti answered for the other five again, and for some reason none of them argued. It didn’t seem like it was down to any clever persuasion skills, either. This Relict, who didn’t even have Gerd status truly was entitled to speak in the others’ name for a reason I was not privy to.

“Great!” I stood up to show the others that the conversation was essentially over. “Then get some rest and gather your strength. You’ll be on quarantine and break for twenty ummi, as I said before. Gerd Uline Tar will assign you bunks. She’s a huge Geckho. You can’t confuse her with anyone else. The Chef Assassin will give you food. Amati-Kuis has experience cooking for members of your kind. Any questions to Leng Ayni. And from there, if you want to aid the cause of restoring the might of the Pyramid and your race, I have jobs for the Sliders, and Engineer. Pilot and Devastator, too.”

Authority increased to 177!

That time, all five of them bowed at the exact same time, which I had to be happy about. And although the Relicts did not yet all view me as their leader, I didn’t blame them. The idea of obeying a descendant of their enemies was just too hard to swallow. But still, they were willing to heed my word and not quibble. More would come with time! When the Relicts realized that my actions were aimed at restoring the might of the Pyramid, they would recognize me as their leader and be willing to follow me to hell and back. I just had to gather my patience and not push too hard. It would also be nice to figure out why the four Relicts were allowing a low-level and not even prominent Slider to decide their fates. I couldn’t find an answer in the Relicts’ thoughts, though out of an abundance of caution I didn’t dig too deep, fearing revealing myself and worsening relations. But it seemed to me that the key to controlling all the other Relicts was hidden in that seemingly small detail.

Chapter 11. Desert Landing

“CODE ACCEPTED. We have been recognized as allies. The interceptors have been called off,” the furry Gerd Ayukh breathed a noisy sigh and reached for a can of orange juice on the table next to the console. The Geckho for some reason was a big fan of that particular juice despite totally ignoring every other Earth variety. My business partner Gerd Uline Tar was also insistent that we always have plenty of orange juice aboard the starship.

To be frank, I had no idea why my Navigator was so worried about the interceptors. Sure, a group of our ships had appeared over the lively Tailax without warning, sparking panic from the local space defense force. The ancient cruiser’s systems wailed, warning of rocket systems and plasma batteries aiming at us. In fact, Tailax’s entire recently formed space force was aiming at us: one small electronic warfare ship and a squadron of seven light Berud (Stiletto in Tailaxian) interceptors of a surface-near-space class. But the Tailaxian ships couldn’t damage my ship, and only a blind man could confuse my Relict assault cruiser with any other vessel, so we were quickly identified.

We did not know the friend-foe codes, which I told the dispatchers honestly. On our last visit, they were still using Meleyephatian identification systems, so Tailax having its own friend-foe system was news to me. I saw it as a positive sign, though, and a step toward independence from the eight-legged invaders. The dispatchers quickly issued me a code table as Horde observer, so the misunderstanding was taken care of. And then, as far as I could see on the monitor, a high-speed shuttle started off from one of the space docks in our direction. I placed a marker on it and ordered a hangar prepared for a meeting with a Prelate of Tailax, my gorgeous wayedda Leng Valeri.

I greeted her myself and helped the slender big-eyed woman down the gangway. After that, I extended a hand into thin air for the Shadow Panther to sniff and recognize me, after which I nearly fell over under the seven-hundred-pound beast overflowing with emotions and appearing out of invisibility, standing on her back paws and lunging to give me a hug and lick my face with her scratchy tongue.

“Now, now, Little Sister, you’re very heavy!” I backed away and noticed that my traveling wife was standing next to her with a happy smile.

“Little Sister really missed you, Gnat,” Leng Valeri-Urla admitted, stroking her beloved pet and shivering with delight. “She couldn’t settle down, constantly looking for you, scratching at the door and saying we should go look for you. My Shadow Panther has never missed anyone before. You’re the first. I also missed you, husband. And so let me warn you. I will be spending the night in your bunk tonight! I have big plans for you. Tell the orange Miyelonian.”

I embraced and kissed my beautiful wayedda, after which I walked Valeri unhurriedly down the main hallway.

“I’m not sure we’ll be spending the next night on the starship. Minn-O is here, and she needs help...”

The Beastmaster understood immediately, grew serious and just asked how long Gerd Minn-O La-Fin had left.

“Gerd Mauu-La Mya-Ssa gave her a screening recently and said eight days. So that means six.”

Valeri-Urla stopped short and said she needed to visit Minn-O La-Fin straight away to console her old friend and catch up after so much time apart.

“The Princess is in this cabin,” I placed a marker on the map. “But Minn-O is not alone right now. Our new Mage Healer Gerd Lassi-Yana is with her. She’s a young woman I assigned to Minn-O.”

The Tailaxian stared her huge hazel eyes at me.

“Have you lost your mind bringing a sorceress from the magocratic world aboard your ship?! Much less a Mage Healer with perfect understanding of medicine who would have a very easy time killing my future child?”

“Lassi-Yana has no such plans. I checked her mind very thoroughly. And there is no mental ‘malware’ from other mage rulers. I’d have sensed it straight away. Lassi-Yana is in no state for schemes right now, either. She got seriously injured by the Void. Her left shoulder is injured and a large segment of her back lost a lot of skin, muscle and even partial ribs.”

“The Void? Who’s that supposed to be?”

I had to go in depth about what happened, also explaining the five Relicts aboard the starship. My traveling wife was not all that interested in the Relicts, but the dangerous Void on the cruiser of course filled her with fear. I told her everything I knew. To be honest, my conversation with the Void left me very disappointed. I no longer had any doubts that it was an artificial being, but the Void did not know anything about its creators or any other beings comparable to it.

The Void’s body was basically in another dimension. What existed in our world was merely a portal or mouth for sucking in material. I had to write off the idea of pulling the pin on a grenade and tossing it into the “mouth” — time passed differently for the Void, and the body’s time diverged significantly from the mouth’s, perhaps not being linked at all. The Void did not age and could not starve to death, though it never refused the possibility of growing stronger. It could consume any material for sustenance, even solid sheet metal, though the Void did prefer tasty organic matter.

It was completely impossible to kill using standard weaponry, something its many former owners had used to great advantage. Kung Pin-Ish-Ish-Pin for instance used the Void to get rid of several political opponents and at least one important Precursor when they came for big negotiations with the Pyramid. Unfortunately, I was unable to get any details out of the Void itself — it had little interest in who it was eating and had forgotten the names of its former masters over the millenia, all of them blending together. Interestingly, after being switched back on by the ship Engineers, Gerd Luana was unable to find any data on the incidents the Void described in the Pyramid’s entire databank. But it was highly unlikely all those murders were simply made up by the dangerous interdimensional creature. Most likely, the ghastly Devourer and all the Void’s former owners kept a tight lid on their not always legal and specious activities, so the Pyramid never found out.

“Now, the Void is located in the stern section of the cruiser. It does not require food, and no one other than me has any need to go see it. If necessary, the hold could be fully jettisoned into space forever. But I am currently in no rush to get rid of the deadly creature. The Void might prove useful for several purposes. However, the Void is unable to do anything other than kill without the possibility of respawn.”

“I see. But what are your plans then, husband? I am your wayedda, and I must go wherever my husband goes. Furthermore, I must admit that I’ve had it up to here with all these Tailax proceedings and legal discussions. They are an old person’s game. I crave action.”

“Oh, you’ll get your action, I guarantee it. Now, our top priority is to save both Minn-O La-Fin and her child. But time is very short, so we are going to have to take decisive action. We will jump to the Ruvaru-Yosh system, but it is under an information blockade, so we have no idea what is going on there. From there, I have to get into the underground Relict complex on the first planet at all costs. It contains ancient reality control hardware — something like the servers that process data on everything inside the game that bends reality. The only way we will be able to save my wife is through changing her character data.”

A look of surprise and admiration appeared on Leng Valeri’s pretty face.

“You’re thinking small as always, my husband... But okay, I’m in. Minn-O means a lot to me, and I want to help her. Also, I have always wanted to take a peek at the hardware that controls this complex virtual game!”

* * *

“ATTENTION ALL SHIPS! Three seconds to jump. Two. One. Let’s go!!!”

Eagle Eye skill increased to level one hundred forty-nine!

Despite the encouraging popup, I had to quickly look away from the viewing monitor and squint because the automatic light filter failed to kick on fast enough, and the star in the new system was unbearably bright. I blinked, studied the scanning system data, and couldn’t resist a few choice words because things were looking lively. There were one hundred thirty combat ships of Meleyephatian construction orbiting Ruvaru-Yosh Prime including a whole eleven heavy cruisers. They were in stationary orbit over the spaceport and, by all appearances, had implemented a tight space blockade.

“Meleyephatian Horde Reconnaissance Flotilla Thirty-Six,” Gerd Zheltov reported after studying the signatures and information in the database. “One of many sent by Krong Laa to occupy Geckho space.”

“I see,” I said with a heavy sigh. “Let me try to figure out what the Meleyephatians are doing here.”

“Leng Kirosi Usssh. Nest Seventy-Three. Commander,” the Jarg Analyst filled me in, and I thanked him for the clue.

However... What the heck? All our comms link requests were ignored by the Horde ships. And that was very odd because it was usually the other way around — the intruding ship stalling and ignoring attempts to establish comms link. Finally, they answered after fifty or sixty attempts, but on the other line, I saw... a black screen. Whoever picked up had their camera turned off.

“Leng Kirosi Usssh, is this some kind of joke?” I asked with justified indignance, to which the unseen speaker said in Horde language that it was a reasonable precaution for conversing with the Devourer given his ability to kill players.

Astrolinguistics skill increased to level one hundred sixty-six!

Machine Control skill increased to level two hundred eighty-seven!

Reality Administrator skill increased to level thirty-seven!

I seemed to hear notes of uncertainty or even fear in the young Meleyephatian’s voice (and yes, I was already able to tell such subtle details). Given that, I could try acting assertive or even forceful.

“I don’t mean to upset you, commander, but Devourers do not need to see someone to use their killing ability. Still, you don’t need to worry. I mean you no harm and am on the same side as the Meleyephatians. I am the Meleyephatian Horde’s observer on Tailax, and even sit on the Horde’s Expanded Council.”

Despite the words of reassurance, the screen did not turn on. Still though, he didn’t forget his duty and said that my ships were intruding in a restricted area and were required to leave it at once. In response to my natural question about the reason for that restriction, he replied that the local population on Ruvaru-Yosh Prime had risen up against the Horde-appointed legal authorities, and a Meleyephatian landing team was now reestablishing order on the planet. However, stability on the planet was far from total, so visiting the surface was not allowed, and I was urged to leave the Ruvaru-Yosh star system at once.

“I’m afraid that won’t be possible, commander. It is of critical importance for me to visit Ruvaru-Yosh Prime in the next few ummi for a reason that has nothing to do with the uprising or political situation. My pregnant wife Gerd Minn-O is severely ill. And the only medicine capable of saving both her and my unborn child is located on the silicon-organic planet Ruvaru-Yosh Prime. And so, in order to save the lives of two people very dear to me, I am going to visit the blockaded planet whether you like it or not.”

I spent nearly a third of my available Magic Points on Psionics to reinforce that very short speech. I was desperate to succeed but... no dice! The Meleyephatian possessed powerful psionic abilities of his own and was well protected against mind control. Furthermore, he sensed my psionic push and got on guard.

“You never should have done that, Kung of Earth! I said no, and I meant it. Furthermore, you are in no position to be dictating terms. My fleet is more numerous and powerful than one cruiser with a group of small ships no matter how unusual and hard to destroy it may be.”

Despite the Meleyephatian’s decisive tone and assertive words, I couldn’t shake the feeling he was bluffing and actually very afraid of me. Okay then, I was not going to back down and was entirely prepared to test his nerves against mine.

“The choice is yours, commander, and all the consequences will fall squarely on your shoulders!” I switched the radio to the escort ships and told them to activate shields, check their thrusters, and ready their cannons. Then I switched to the loudspeaker. “Gerd Ukh-Meemeesh, Taik Rekh, man your cannons! Release drones! Valeri, Soia-Tan, mental battery!”

“Those really are some unusual drones,” the commander of Reconnaissance Flotilla Thirty-Six said when he saw the Large Guard Drones appearing in space. “And a whole four Symbiotes. I never knew it was possible.”

“Oh it is commander, as you can see. But that is less than a tenth of what I have in store for you,” I assured him and mentally reached out to the command program for the Pori-U-Barsh Relict complex on Ruvaru-Yosh Prime. Its reply came in almost instantly.

“Kung Gnat the Listener, I’ve been awaiting your return! I see you have acquired some war spoils. Four Symbiotes now.”

“I am also happy to hear from you! But I am no longer a Listener, I am a Devourer now. Your data was one factor that allowed me to become Pyramid Hierarch, and you have my gratitude for it. But now, you’ll have to do some work and show a group of insolent fools the true power of the Relicts. Do you have any weapons capable of damaging starships in orbit?”

“Gravity units. Death ray. Eleven combat dro...”

The mental link suddenly disappeared. What was going on? And then, I suddenly realized someone else was trying to contact me mentally, and the concentrated stream of thoughts got me out of the mood and broke the link.

“Devourer, this is Ami Yavi-Yavi Ami the Devastator. I sense a dangerous tension. Battle draws near. Hierarch, point me to my place in formation!”

The third of five Relicts had finally made up his mind after Asti O-O Asti and Sheh Sheh-Sheh Ort, recognizing Kung Gnat as his ruler. And the timing could not have been better. Devastators were masters at using weapon systems and combat drones in battle, so he would certainly be of use. Still, I was hoping as before that the situation could be resolved peacefully and the Horde reconnaissance flotilla commander would back down.

“Devastator, report to the bridge at once!” I placed a marker on the mini-map for the Relict. “You’ll be in charge of the combat drones. A whole pack of them will be taking off from the planet’s surface imminently.”

Targeting skill increased to level one hundred eleven!

By the time the Devastator came flying onto the bridge, I had already finished talking with the underground complex’s command program and arranged to have its eleven Medium Guard Drones transferred to my command. Ami Yavi-Yavi Ami the Devastator took control of the seven drones. I transferred the other four to Leng Ayni the Listener, who also wanted to take part in the battle. Beyond that, I requested urgent assistance from the Symbiotes, so I knew something no one else did. There were more than seventy autonomous Precursor hunters in the Ruvaru-Yosh system. That was more than enough Symbiotes to destroy the Meleyephatian flotilla and my opponent must have somehow been able to sense that.

“Kung of Earth, my subordinates are detecting activity from your ships and drones. You appear to be preparing to resist. I assure you that would be utterly futile. I urge you to act wisely and leave this restricted area! Oh, you have a living Relict with you?! Very interesting. I didn’t think any of them were still around.”

Fame increased to 173.

The Devastator at my side had just accidentally walked into the camera frame, so he was spotted. The Meleyephatian’s camera was still dark though, so we couldn’t see him. I had to admit, it was getting on my nerves. The Meleyephatian flotilla was far away, of course... one hundred miles. But I was in a mental link with two powerful psionics, and my effective Machine Control skill was far beyond level three hundred considering the active blessings from the Temple of the Dawn of Life. So, why not give it a shot?

Psionic skill increased to level two hundred fifty-six!

Machine Control skill increased to level two hundred eighty-eight!

The screen suddenly turned on and I saw the eight-legged “spider” of light coloration looking impossibly surprised and bewildered. Yes, I was correct. It was indeed Leng Kirosi Usssh. A diplomat by class, level two hundred and three. Now I could see why the Meleyephatian was able to deflect my mental attacks with such ease.

“I have grown tired of speaking to a dark screen. I wanted to catch a glimpse of you,” I explained in an even tone, as if turning on hardware on far-away starships was business as usual. “So then, Leng Kirosi Usssh, you still want to be stubborn and stop our allied ships from completing their mission? In that case, let me say that it will be an honor to attack you! And let me warn you now that if even one of the Imperial starships escorting my cruiser is damaged, the ceasefire with the Emperor Krong Laa fought so hard to achieve will be broken and you will unbind Georg the First’s hands.”

Before I even finished, I could already tell that my words about the Empire had not only hit fertile ground, they had completely crushed my opponent. I wasn’t sure why, but that made Leng Kirosi Usssh stop so much as thinking about resisting.

Diplomacy skill increased to level one hundred eighteen!

“KUNG GNAT, STOP!!!” the commander trilled out as loud as possible, losing all his verve and tucking his arms and legs into his carapace to admit defeat. “Please, we do not wish for confrontation. My ships will not stand in the way of you visiting Ruvaru-Yosh Prime. In response, Kung of Earth, I would very much like to know why Georg the First’s armada and the massive Elvinian fleet have come down a warp beacon chain deep into Meleyephatian space without the Horde’s permission.”

What??? So Georg the First had taken his fleet down the warp beacon chain Bride of Chaos and the escort ships travelled down before? And the mysterious Elvinians were with him? I had to honestly admit that I did not have the slightest bit of information either about that, or the reasons that had driven the emperor to launch the military campaign. I could however pay an official visit to Georg the First to try and figure it out.

He cautiously extended his limbs and slowly stood up. He spent a long time staring at me with his constellation of black spider eyes before speaking.

“As I said before, you have permission to visit Ruvaru-Yosh Prime. But I must warn you that the rebels have captured the capital and hold the spaceport. They also possess heavy weaponry and anti-space rocket arrays. Making a landing could be very dangerous.”

“I do not intend to land at the spaceport. I am interested in the silicon organic fields deep in the desert, particularly a large group of them near the ruins of the old city. I will be landing there, deep in the desert.”

“It is dangerous there, as well. The area near the dig site at the ancient Relict city is controlled by a large group of rebels under the command of Gerd Zambeh Un-Var the Archeologist. She incriminated herself by murdering Meleyephatian Horde messengers and has amassed a large gang of fanatical followers.”

I frowned at the negative memories.

“I have met her before and, to be honest, Gerd Zambeh did not leave me with the nicest impression. An egotistical, rude, and insolent fool who must have been given the game class Archaeologist by mistake. In all her time excavating, she never managed to uncover even the most basic secrets of the ancient city. At the first glimmer of hope, Gerd Zambeh chased me away even though I was the one to help her advance her research on the Relict city.”

“She has now declared herself queen of the desert and believes that the artifacts contained within the ancient ruins protect her and her fanatical followers. And that is partially true. All flying vehicles in that part of the desert disappear mysteriously after losing radio contact. Gerd Zambeh’s followers then kill all who attempt to come near the ancient ruins.”

“It’s no matter. Gerd Zambeh will remember me and my team. She won’t touch us. And if she tries,” I said with a predatory smile, showing the Meleyephatian two rows of teeth, “that will be one less thing for you to worry about, commander.”

Chapter 12. A Time of Difficult Decisions

TALKS WITH GERD ZAMBEH UN-VAR and her team got off to a rocky start. The Queen of the Desert refused in a very forthright fashion to speak to me, calling me through intermediaries a Horde toady and stooge of the invaders. Her subordinates meanwhile had no authority to allow Tamara the Paladin to land in the desert, much less guarantee safe passage to me and my group. However, some shadowy figures with unclear authority who identified themselves as the “commanders of the uprising” and “legal authorities,” contacted me several times demanding money and weapons in return for permission to land, meanwhile making no guarantees that their payment would have an effect. Naturally, I immediately told the impostors right where to stick their blackmail, even killing a particularly insolent one with Life Suppression because the elderly Geckho started threatening me and brought down my Authority by a point.

Life Suppression skill increased to level five!

For two long hours, my business partner Gerd Uline Tar and I tried to arrange for a peaceful landing in the desert next to the ruins of the ancient Relict city, but in the end were forced to admit that negotiations with the Geckho clans on Ruvaru-Yosh Prime were doomed to failure. We weren’t able to make any agreements with anyone. It was just a collection of petty warlords fighting desperate turf wars with their many neighbors and the Meleyephatians.

I was even getting the feeling that the Meleyephatian landing troops arresting Leng Vashi Wavi for refusing to submit then implementing an information blockade had only landed the Horde in deeper water. The Geckho population was not only refusing to obey the occupying authorities but had now completely lost all sight of who was the legal ruler of the planet, plunging the world into total anarchy and feudal fragmentation, which was standard for the Geckho. Every Geckho clan was now on its own, not answerable for the actions of any other.

Gerd Zambeh Un-Var the Archaeologist was leader of the largest group of Geckho rebels, numbering around sixteen thousand and hiding from the Meleyephatian landing troops in the hot, waterless desert. She had managed to bring together several desert-dwelling clans who knew the area well and were capable of surviving the harsh conditions. The professional Geckho troops guarding the dig site had also submitted to Gerd Zambeh’s authority. But that was all. The archaeologist was not capable of exerting influence on any other armed groups and was herself only technically at the head of her own clique, which resembled a gang of thugs more than anything. Some of Gerd Zambeh’s commanders ignored her completely and were primarily engaged in raiding settlements and silicon organic farmers.

My business partner Gerd Uline Tar, initially very excited at the opportunity to interact with members of her kind who had not submitted to the Horde, quickly cooled off and admitted that many of the “free clans” had become common criminals, and even attempting to bring them in for talks was a waste of valuable time. And maybe that was so, but these armed bands had dug in in the rugged desert nodes in the immediate vicinity of the Relict city ruins, were quite heavily armed, and could navigate the labyrinth of cliffs and natural cave networks crisscrossing the mountain ranges with ease. These rebels did not allow outsiders onto their lands and had successfully fought off two Meleyephatian Horde space landing groups already, which spoke to them possessing heavy weaponry and combat experience. The rebel brigades were a serious threat to my plans, so I first tried to reach an arrangement with them nicely. But when we were unable to do that, I had to move on to unkinder methods and give a clear demonstration that the Pyramid Hierarch was not to be toyed with.

“Gerd Ukh-Meemeesh, Taik Rekh, man your cannons! I need you to turn the Geckho combatants’ rocket installations, turrets, hardware, and fortifications to dust in the six nodes adjacent to the ancient Relict city.” I placed a marker on the hexagon with an iridescent energy field glowing above it. “I will be marking targets myself! All escort ships support the cruiser’s attacks from orbit on ground targets!”

* * *

MY STARSHIPS TOOK FORTY minutes to detect Geckho activity near the ancient city. We torched five AA cannons and around a dozen anti-space rocket arrays, obliterated warehouses, freshwater storage facilities, fortifications and all hardware we could detect. At a certain point, the orbital bombardment was joined by several ships from Meleyephatian Horde Recon Flotilla Thirty-Six. But that was not ideal because I was hoping to keep a healthy distance from the Geckho-Meleyephatian conflict. Still though, I did not request the alien ships to cease fire.

The real disaster for the Geckho rebels began when the pack of Large, Medium, and Small Guard Drones started systematically clearing the underground tunnels and caves of the mountain complex where most of the rebel divisions were hiding. Although I was already getting a generous drip of experience, each piece of hardware or bunker destroyed came with a gushing river. In just ten minutes, I got two level-ups, while Leng Ayni Uri-Miayuu and Ami Yavi-Yavi Ami the Devastator each got a whole three.

You have reached level one hundred eighty-two!

You have received three skill points (total points accumulated: twenty-one)

And only after that did Gerd Zambeh Un-Var deign to speak with me. However, instead of begging me to end the slaughter, the first thing the Archaeologist did was come at me with reproach and accusations of betrayal.

“Kung Gnat, I thought you were a friend of the Geckho! But you have become a toady of the Meleyephatian Horde, wiping out the noble defenders of the planet for remaining true to their oaths! You are helping an occupying power seize control of a rightful Geckho planet!”

I filled my lungs with air and was about to give a very harsh response to the wild accusations, but Gerd Uline Tar came to my aid, turning the camera on herself and joining the conversation.

“‘Noble defenders of the planet?’ Is that what you call marauders and criminals abusing the peaceful population of Ruvaru-Yosh Prime? Tell that to the farmers your brigands robbed blind and drove into the desert to die of exposure in the scorching rays of the sun. And there are dozens, even hundreds of such cases! I have only been in the Ruvaru-Yosh system for half an ummi, but already I have enough material on atrocities committed by your thugs to have all of you tried and executed! I will send this material to Shiharsa as soon as I can to be shown on every Geckho news channel! Let all Geckho in the galaxy know about the atrocities being committed here on Ruvaru-Yosh Prime!”

“You will not!” the Geckho woman came in blatant indignance and fear.

Gerd Uline Tar wanted to object, but before she could answer I turned off her microphone and camera.

“She will not. As long as your side stops coming at me with wild accusations and allows me to land on the planet at the ruins of the ancient city. We are deeply indifferent to your squabbles with the Meleyephatians. I would simply like to visit the Relict complex.”

The furry archaeologist’s face twisted into an unhappy frown, but still asked a question in a completely matter-of-fact tone.

“What is your interest in that, Kung of Earth? The ancient complex is protected by an impenetrable opaque dome. We tried to get in, but it proved impossible. I do not know any way to access the node. It’s totally cut off from the outside world.”

“Don’t let that bother you, Gerd Zambeh. Getting inside the tek field is my concern. I only need you to give an order to let my group through to the energy barrier.”

Gerd Zambeh Un-Var considered it for nearly a minute but, in the end, agreed and promised that her subordinates would not create any obstacles for my team and would let us reach the tek dome surrounding the node.

“See, was that so hard? If you’d have just said so from the beginning, we wouldn’t have had to bombard your troops...” I casted some blame on her for taking too long to decide something that could have been over half an ummi ago. “The Meleyephatians didn’t want to let me through at first, either, but their commander was smart enough to give in before it was too late. The Devourer needs to be given due consideration, particularly if he’s asking for something nicely. Because if the Devourer is asking politely, he always has... hm... alternative methods.”

Gerd Ayukh the Navigator, having heard all that, made sure the radio was off and no one could hear us before asking me with worry:

“Captain Gnat, do you think Gerd Zambeh will keep her promise? I personally got the impression she should not be trusted.”

“I don’t know...” I shrugged with doubt because I was pretty far from patting myself on the back for reaching that arrangement with the Geckho rebels. “In any other situation, I would be hesitant to trust criminals or their unreliable leader, but time is ticking, and we have to act fast. In the end, we risk only the landing group being sent to respawn and one frigate, even if it is as storied as Tamara the Paladin. To my eye, that is not too high a cost for the chance to save my wife and son.”

* * *

A GROUP OF ELEVEN TEAM Gnat members came with me to the planet’s surface aboard Tamara the Paladin. Only Humans and Geckho, no Miyelonians or Trillians so none of them would get pulled into the Geckho-Meleyephatian Horde conflict on Ruvaru-Yosh Prime. It was the “heavy” contingent, all wearing either exoskeleton or heavy armor: Gerd T’yu-Pan the Shocktroop, Gerd Vasha Tushihh and Basha Tushihh the Heavy Robot Operators, Gerd Eduard Boyko the Space Commando, Gerd Ivan Svyatodukh the Priest, Gerd Imran the Arbiter, and the Machinegunners Kisly and Timka-Vu. Including me in my Devourer Combat Armor, we had a whole nine “tanks” capable of withstanding even particularly heavy fire.

Our mission then was to safeguard the three more fragile team members we’d brought along: Leng Valeri the Beastmaster, Leng Soia-Tan La-Varrez the Investigator, and Gerd Luana the Translator. The first two were to provide the Devourer with magic support. The artificial blonde meanwhile was to help in the Pori-U-Barsh underground complex if, of course, I could get inside.

We were limited to a team of twelve because that was the maximum capacity of the two shuttles we were planning to take to the tek dome. We weren’t taking the twinbody frigate meanwhile because it couldn’t fit through the tek dome, and the rugged mountain terrain around it gave us limited options for where to land. After studying the planet’s surface, I suggested two options to frigate captain Gerd Tamara Vujek. Either send out the two shuttles with Team Gnat inside without landing on the planet and return to orbit or try to land the star frigate on a relatively smooth mountain plateau two miles from the ancient city ruins. Leaving the starship there for long would have been dangerous due to the aggressive Geckho bands roaming nearby, so we were planning to unload quickly and immediately return to orbit. During its brief time on land, the frigate would be guarded by ten Alpha Iseyek troopers, combat drones, and our starship flotilla in orbit. I was not planning to take the praying mantises along to the ancient ruins, though I was keeping it as an option just in case. It would not be particularly hard for the praying mantis landing troops to overcome the two miles through the red-hot sands and mountainous terrain. They wouldn’t even be lagging all that far behind Team Gnat in our shuttles.

At first, the descent into the atmosphere was smooth, but when we hit seven miles’ elevation, our frigate suddenly came under a hail of precision fire from the surface!!! I couldn’t say whether Gerd Zambeh’s troops had broken any promises, or if we were being attacked by another rebel group, but the situation was immediately critical. In one second, Tamara the Paladin took three hits, and the energy shield was unable to absorb all the damage. I even saw pieces of the starship hull flying off with my own eyes. The highly experienced Pilot Gerd Tamara Vujek reacted instantly, making dodging maneuvers and releasing targets to imitate the frigate all without losing speed and leaving the damage zone as quickly as possible. And it helped. Our ship took just one more hit before the enemy gunners seemed to lose us, distracted by the false targets.

I thanked Gerd Tamara Vujek for her professionalism, but she just cringed in dismay and shook her head.

“I reacted too late. My Danger Sense didn’t warn me for some reason. And it wasn’t my actions that made them lose us at all. We simply got hidden by the dust cloud. There’s a sandstorm down below,” Tamara explained, pointing at a long cloud beneath us. “But it won’t last long. The gunners will spot us again soon. So hold on tight!”

The ship dove down into the cloud of sand and dust stretching over the desert for many miles. Having lost some of its stabilizers, the starship was shaking violently. I nearly bit my tongue off. But at a certain point, we emerged from the dust cloud, leaving us vulnerable again and Gerd Tamara Vujek pointed the frigate nearly straight downward. I even felt afraid that we would slam into a cliffside. But the Empire’s greatest light ship pilot knew what she was doing. The twinbody frigate evened out right over the surface and, turning along its lengthwise axis, entered a narrow, forking mountain crevasse.

“It’s a dead end!” I warned the pilot, because I had brought up a map of the surface on my helmet screen and discovered that her chosen ravine ended in a vertical cliff face.

I saw a distinct flash of light up ahead. At first, I even thought it may have been a nuclear blast, but it was actually the Spatial Cutter — the gunners aboard my cruiser were on top of things and clearing a path for our frigate. The cliff in front of us ceased to exist along with a large chunk of space. However, the vacuum that formed in its place instantly flooded with air, carrying along tons of electrified dust and dirt. Tamara the Paladin entered the haze brought on by the explosive shockwave, and our earlier shaking immediately felt like a mere prelude to a larger test. We got spun around as if inside a giant cement mixer. The air around the ship flashed with sparks. The sound was so piercing it was as if a sanding machine was grinding down the frigate’s chassis while hundreds of circular saws cut the ship into small pieces.

But suddenly... the light show came to an end and our ship was spat out of the cloud of sand just one mile from the iridescent energy tek dome. We were almost there!

“Kung Gnat, I will come in for a landing on that platform. There are no other suitable sites around,” Gerd Tamara Vujek pointed to a flat sand dune and, hearing no objections, took the starship in for a descent. “Hold on tight, it’s gonna be a rough landing!!!”

Danger Sense skill increased to level two hundred five!

Touchdown! The front landing strut gave out and our frigate slid on her belly over the sand, spinning from hitting some large rock formation and losing pieces of her fuselage in a long series of collisions with rock. The energy shield took the brunt of the damage, saving the ship from complete destruction, but it wasn’t long before it gave out and the star frigate’s fragile chassis was no longer protected. We slid a quarter mile over the sand drift before the starship’s twin nose cones got buried.

“Not my best landing...” Gerd Tamara Vujek groaned, touching her gloves to her cracked lips and looking at the blood droplets with disgust. “A landing like that would have earned me at least a couple months’ flight ban back in the academy...”

I wasn’t at all injured myself, though given my Devourer armor that was no wonder. I used Scanning and, to my relief, discovered that the crew members and landing group were all alive and well with no serious injuries. But Tamara the Paladin had taken pretty serious damage. She lost both stabilizer wings and a large chunk of hull plating on the bottom. One maneuver thruster had been torn out “guts” and all. Two laser cannons were missing from the left fuselage. And to top it all off, the hull had countless dents and scratches all over it. It wasn’t quite critical and could easily be repaired. But not in a desert with hostile rebels lurking nearby.

“Landing troops and Iseyek — to the exit! Fan out around the starship! Prepare for battle!” I commanded, unbuckling myself as well and summoning a group of Large Guard Drones to the crash-landing site.

Troops in exoskeleton armor and chitin-clad praying mantises stood watch at the exit. I listened as Gerd T’yu Pan gave instructions to the landing group. He first assigned the Iseyek to their positions, then ordered the two gunners to occupy a nearby high point, and the twin Geckho brothers to take the mobile shield unit from the cargo hold and establish a forcefield around the crash site to ward off gunfire. A minute later, Gerd T’yu-Pan had a report for me:

“Kung Gnat, perimeter established. Detecting movement just over a mile to the southeast. A group of armed Geckho in camouflage suits up to fifteen strong. Reports from orbit indicate another group two miles to the south, and our ships are standing by for support.”

“Good. What about the shuttles?”

“Commander, one shuttle has been totaled. Another can be repaired, but it is going to take some time. Forty minutes minimum,” Kisly replied.

Damn... I knew for certain that we could not afford to wait forty minutes. Things would heat up here long before that. And seeing how there were no shuttles to transport us, we would have to go on foot or use the strong and fast-moving praying mantises as mounts.

Boom! Either a missile or mine went up one hundred thirty feet from the frigate. Fortunately, no one was injured or killed, but the local Geckho once again confirmed their aggressive intent.

“Valeri-Urla, Soia-Tan, Luana, wait next to the airlock! Do not leave the ship! Imran, keep the women safe!”

I started for the shuttle hangar to get a first-hand look at the damaged vehicles and draw conclusions on how quickly we might repair them. But I stopped short when I discovered Tamara Vujek on the bridge in no hurry to leave the captain’s seat. Instead of emergency evacuating from the downed frigate, the captain had turned the fire-suppression system to manual and was putting out fires in the depressurized sections of the left fuselage where something was on fire, and flames were spreading through the ship.

“Tamara, get out of the ship! The system is automated, it can do this without you! Get the crew’s androids off, too!”

“No, Kung Gnat! I would never abandon my ship!” the celebrated captain tried to argue, but I was in no mood and stared her straight in the eye, speaking with psionic pressure and not sparing magic points.

“It’s dangerous to remain on the frigate. The first thing the Geckho bands will do is try to blow up the damaged ship!”

“I would say let them,” Gerd Boyko the Space Commando cut in. “But there’s a Quadrupolar Destabilizer installed on the frigate, and it cannot fall into the wrong hands. If I were in your place, I would order the valuable equipment removed and taken under the tek dome. Or have it all blasted to hell so our enemies can’t get it!”

He was right! But it wasn’t just the Quadrupolar Destabilizer we needed taken off, we also needed the guidance system, and navigation computers because their crystal memory drives might contain confidential information about my starship’s movements. Might it be easier to actually blow it all up to make our trek to the tek dome less arduous?

“I do not agree, Eduard,” the boarding team commander also wanted to voice his opinion. “In a few minutes, we will have a forcefield over us, so we won’t have to worry about being shot at, and our ship Gunners in orbit will turn any enemy cannons to dust. And if they try coming at us head-on...” the Shocktroop laughed happily, “I’d like to see that! We are powerful, and there are a lot of us. And we’re a coordinated team which I trained for situations just like these. Now we can see if all that sweat and grueling training was worth it! We will not be defeated!!!”

Several voices rang out in support of the boarding team leader. The troops were raring for a fight and ready to show the Kung of Earth just what they could do. And as if in confirmation of the Shocktroop’s words, the glimmering dome of a forcefield lit up over the frigate as Vasha and Basha got the mobile defenses set up. The two groups of Large and Medium drones that showed up thirty seconds later then made me start looking at the situation with a certain optimism.

“Alright, friends. I hear you, and trust in your ability to resist these local criminals. We will not detonate anything. The frigate can easily be repaired. She isn’t all that badly damaged. Sure, she’s a bit scuffed up, but she’s seen worse. Gerd T’yu-Pan, you’re in charge. You’ll pay with your head if we lose Tamara the Paladin or the valuable hardware. Find a spot for Imran and Tamara Vujek. I also put the mages at your command. Valeri-Urla and Soia-Tan La-Varrez should stay together with the rest to defend the ship. I will take only Luana with me to the ancient ruins.”

Leng Valeri-Urla reacted with utter calm. But Leng Soia-Tan La-Varrez at first couldn’t believe it and just in case asked if I was truly planning to violate the fundamental law of magocracy and put someone lacking magical abilities in a position of power over a mage.

“You heard right, Soia-Tan. It is my opinion that he has more experience conducting defense. He is a veteran after all. It will be safer this way. And if you do not agree with the nonmage’s orders, you can simply sit in the ship and look out the window as the others fight for you.”

Diplomacy skill increased to level one hundred nineteen!

“No, no. There won’t be any trouble from me. I will do as you command, Kung Gnat La-Fin.”

The huge Shocktroop listened to me talking to my ward closely, then went down on one knee and bowed his head in respect.

“I appreciate your trust, Archmage Kung Gnat La-Fin! Go forth to save your princess and child and worry not for my sake. I swear we will not let you down!”

Chapter 13. Oasis in a Scorching Desert

I WAS OF COURSE NOT PLANNING to embark on a one-mile trek on foot over scorching sands with enemies lurking behind every dune. And it wasn’t that I doubted the Devourer Combat Armor, but my android companion Luana did not possess such an impenetrable “hide” and was very vulnerable in her light spacesuit. And so, I ordered her to walk up and give me a tight hug.

“It would be my great pleasure, master! I’ve been anticipating this order for a long time!” a crafty glimmer lit up in the artificial blonde’s eyes. She grabbed me by the neck and pressed up close against my armor.

I didn’t think Gerd Luana was expecting anything serious. She was always appropriate before despite never missing an opportunity to drop a hint that she was willing to expand our relationship beyond the realm of business. I suspected that it was evidence of the basic behavior programming of her specific model of android, created for flirting and “adult” entertainment. It always took me by surprise. Gerd Luana had stated many times that she was an exact copy of the Queen of the Androids, Leng Bionica. But when I tried to picture Georg the First’s personal assistant flirting with the fearsome and always deadly serious Emperor, my imagination came up dry. It just seemed like such a stupid and impossible scene. I suspected Crown Prince Georg royl Inoky ton Mesfelle would have harshly put his robot secretary in her place if Bionica so much as hinted at flirting, threatening to deactivate her or even send her to the scrap heap, which was precisely why their working relationship had proceeded smoothly for so many years. I then was also in no mind to allow my pretty Translator any such thing.

Teleport!

I blipped to the top of the nearest rock formation with the android in my arms, and got a great view of the surrounding area, in particular the distant tek dome. It was no wonder Kisly the Machinegunner and Gerd Eduard Boyko the Space Commando had chosen this spot for their position. Kisly had already set up his massive tripod behind cover for a high-speed laser cannon and was now using a miniature drone to get a view of the neighboring cliffs. His partner was messing with a laser measuring device, establishing distance to various possible enemy firing points and entering the data into the control unit of his Avashi Assault plasma-grenade launcher.

When I showed up with the blonde draped over my neck, they weren’t the least bit surprised, as if seeing their captain come out of nowhere was an everyday occurrence, and I never showed up without a woman in my arms. Kisly placed his hand on his helmet and gave a crisp military-style report.

“Commander, firing point established. We have the western approach covered. The only problem is the sun. It is absolutely scorching up here. The thermometer reads two hundred degrees Fahrenheit, but the view is excellent. There’s an opening over there,” Kisly pointed to a cave in a mountain slope half a mile away, “where we’re detecting elevated Geckho activity. The enemy is amassing forces there for an attack, and it would be nice to send some combat drones to pay them a visit.”

I looked over and discovered a Geckho combatant lying in the shadows among the rocks in a camouflage jumpsuit holding an observation device, and another Geckho next to him with a Targeting System. I had no doubt the pair had aggressive intentions, so I attacked preemptively. I took control of the soldier with the Targeting System, and made him pick up his vibro-knife, then plunge it into the back of the other one’s head! He went to respawn before he even knew what hit him. Then, succumbing to my order, the furry Geckho stripped nude, threw all his things down from the cliff and ran into the cave holding a live grenade. Two furballs ran out of the cave to meet him, shouted something at their crazed ally and tried to stop him. I then took control of them as well, stripped them naked, and sent them down the tunnel with live grenades as well. I heard three blasts at one second intervals, then thick black smoke streamed out of the hole.

Mental Fortitude skill increased to level two hundred ten!

“That was brutal, captain...” Kisly shook his head, watching it all through the drone camera.

“Those thugs were getting in the way of my plans. They had to be taught a lesson. But it’s nothing. After respawning, they’ll think thrice before messing with the Kung of Earth again!”

I watched the seven Large Guard Drones shoot down the tunnel, clearing the underground shelter of any troops that may have remained, then pointed at the tek dome, placing a marker for the soldiers on it.

“What’s the distance there?”

“Three thousand six hundred fifty-one feet,” the Space Commando replied, using his laser measuring device.

“Pretty far... but I’ll give it a shot,” I turned on my microphone and turned it to the common group channel. “Valeri, Soia-Tan, I need magic support!”

Teleport!

Teleportation skill increased to level twenty-five!

Machine Control skill increased to level two hundred ninety!

Reality Administrator skill increased to level thirty-nine!

You have reached level one hundred eighty-three!

You have received three skill points (total points accumulated: twenty-four)

I had never teleported that far before, so I was unsure if I would make it, but I did! It might have been down to my high level in the skill, or the frenzied state I was still in after Tamara the Paladin’s crash landing. Or maybe the Reality Administrator skill had let me bend the rules of the game again. In any case, the successful Teleportation gave me a lot of hope for my next one into the Pori-U-Barsh complex, which had been otherwise impossible to enter since the gateway was destroyed.

“Get down, we’re here!” I set the android on the ground and walked over to the opaque barrier.

The Tek dome was a huge framework of energy lines, joined together into perfect pentagons and hexagons with twelve-foot sides. Something of a giant fullerene structure with thousands and thousands of glimmering facets. The space between the energy lines was filled with force barriers humming with overflowing energy. But the tek dome’s impenetrability was due not only to the force field’s huge capacity. It also seemed to be a clever technology involving time manipulation, somehow similar in nature to the defensive field around my cruiser. The tek dome essentially took no damage at all, instead sending it somewhere into the infinitely distant future. Any material object attempting to get through would again and again be pushed back in time to its former position all while gradually losing its initial momentum until finally coming to a stop. The last two or three feet was completely insurmountable for any projectile or fragment, and dangerous objects just kept flying into the shield over and over until they fell to the sand.

The barrier hummed and glinted, but nevertheless I walked straight into it with no fear, ordering Gerd Luana to stay with me, even taking her by the hand to make sure. The hexagon I went toward flickered and changed from glowing silver to black. Seemingly, the complex’s AI controlling the tek barrier recognized me as Pyramid Hierarch and let me through into the otherwise closed off node. And indeed, without the slightest resistance, I passed through the forcefield.

And stopped, shaken by how much things had changed since my last visit. There was water in the midst of a lifeless desert! A whole lake had sprung up next to the ancient city ruins and filled in the trenches of the archaeologists’ dig site. But most importantly, where once a desert had been burned out by the hot sun, everything was now covered in green and brownish-blue plant life. Not grass, something more reminiscent of moss or lichen, but it was beyond all doubt alive and had grown in just a matter of weeks!

“Hierarch Gnat, welcome to Pori-U-Barsh!” the complex command program rang out in my head. “I have expelled all outsiders as you ordered and restored the area to its initial state.”

“What can I say? You’ve done a great job!” I said with no exaggeration, truly struck by the transformation. “A real oasis in the middle of a scorched desert. And it isn’t even hot, the temperature is completely comfortable.”

“Things will only get better, Devourer! Already young invar and veyen live in the pond. I thawed out eggs from biological specimen storage. That was also where I got spores and seeds for the plant life. Soon, there will be an orchard next to the temple complex rich with edible fruits as well. Honestly though, I have not found seeds for them, but I am very close to generating genetic replicas. Restoration of the gateway is also ongoing. Passage to the underground base will be reestablished in two hundred seventy ummi so a new Reality Administrator can take their post!”

Two hundred seventy ummi... Three months in Earth reckoning. It was probably quite fast given the complex nature of the work being performed by the unknown force. And I called it an unknown force because I had yet to see a living creature, robot, or repair drone beneath the tek dome, so I had no idea how the node was actually being restored. Because the complex’s AI was nothing but software with no physical form there had to be something sowing seeds in the desert and filling the pond with living creatures! And whatever it was had to be material. An unknown creature in a node I considered mine alone?

When there was something I didn’t understand, it always bothered me very badly. So I decided to get to the bottom of just what was happening here in Pori-U-Barsh straight away. Run a scan!

Scanning skill increased to level one hundred thirty-four!

There it was... In the ruins of the ancient city I discovered a huge flock of thousands and thousands of miniature flying contraptions no larger than sparrows. They were up to something in the ruins — either clearing sand-filled buildings or sowing the area with seeds. And meanwhile, they were not robots or drones. They were some kind of artificial cybernetic organisms composed of a mixture of living flesh and a tough but light composite frame. That meant they could be controlled either with Psionics or Machine Control, which was very convenient.

I mentally called one of the miniature contraptions over and looked curiously as it came in for a landing on my palm, no larger than a big grasshopper.

“How lovely!” Gerd Luana admired, and I was in complete agreement. It really was very cute.

Four flexible orange wings each functioning simultaneously as a solar panel. A hemispherical head with mandibles for consuming food and an array of tiny little video camera eyes and various sensors. A flat body made of chitin or carbon fiber. Two arms next to the head ending in sharp hooks and a sucker “crane” for transporting cargo on the front third of the tiny little body. This was a cybernetic organism combining organic material with composite and electronic components.

“An ar-bot, Devourer,” the control program responded to my question. “The simplest design requiring minimal resources to manufacture. They obtain nourishment from plants and starlight and self-manage their own energy requirements. They are very useful, though ar-bots have limited capabilities. I simply am unable to create more complex and functional creatures at this time due to lack of components. As soon as the resources I require can be gathered, I will start manufacturing ma-bots to clear the ruins and repair the gateway.”

“Send me a list of your needs. I can try to speed the process along. But in any case, I cannot wait that long. I need to get into the underground part of the complex right now. Send me a diagram of the underground structure in the greatest possible detail.”

Two messages came into my helmet visor. The first, as requested, contained a list of materials for restoring the node, which had been destroyed by the ancient war and subsequent millenia of abandonment. I skimmed through it and my eyebrows shot up into my forehead. It was one thousand five hundred items long. My eyes were particularly stung by the lines reading, “Gh-90 heavy nuclear batteries — 18,” and “A7A foam construction concrete — minimum 15 million tons.” For the first, I wasn’t totally sure any heavy Relict batteries had survived down to our times, much less a whole eighteen of them. As for foam concrete, I was immediately asking myself how we could ever transport such a heavy, high-volume load here to Ruvaru-Yosh Prime.

But not all the command program’s requests were so hard to fulfill. I also saw some that were quite basic such as chemically pure vanadium powder in a quantity of fifteen pounds, bone-protein food mix for aquatic creatures, or two tons of high-pressure polypropylene. Nevertheless, all that was going to take quite a lot of time, particularly considering the blockade and chaos currently rocking Ruvaru-Yosh Prime. Without giving an answer, I opened the next message and found a diagram of the subterranean complex. A round structure around a quarter mile in diameter with an apparent control room at the very center. That was exactly where I needed to go. I placed a marker and compared it to my old scans from when I was still a Listener and could use the Prospector Scanner. One thousand nine hundred feet through sand, rock, an underground lake, and a concrete barricade.

A very challenging task, particularly considering the fact that I could not see my destination visually, relying only on the targeting marker to orient myself. So I was even doubtful I would succeed, and doubt was the biggest enemy of anything magic related. So I tried to calm my nerves and decided to improve my Teleportation skill with saved-up skill points to improve my chances. Ah, I wanted to save the points for later when I had a better understanding of reality administration, and every Reality Administrator skill level would count. But what good would they be if I couldn’t get to my workstation in the first place?!

So, I invested fifteen points into Teleportation, raising it to level forty. Adding the blessing from the Temple of the Dawn of Life, my Teleportation skill was now at an effective forty-six. Forty-six was getting into serious territory, when one could start to expect favorable outcomes. That calmed me down, and even made me feel a bit excited. And before my decisive mood went away again, I summoned Gerd Luana and asked her to hug me and hold on tight.

Teleport!

Chapter 14. Administrator’s Workstation

DARKNESS. PITCH BLACK. Absolute. There wasn’t even the tiniest speck of light or even shade of gray, just a lifeless inky black.

I had to admit, my first thought was that my character had died. That I must have miscalculated the highly complex jump and merged with the rock at a molecular level. But for some reason, I wasn’t seeing the usual character death screen or option to view the results of my game session. Was this real, final death? Had I missed something and made a fatal error? But then, as if the game system itself needed time to calculate and make a decision, around ten seconds later, I saw a few system message lines.

Teleportation skill increased to level forty-one!

Teleportation skill increased to level forty-two!

...

Teleportation skill increased to level sixty-three!

Time Stoppage skill increased to level twenty-two!

Reality Administrator skill increased to level forty!

You have reached level one hundred eighty-four!

You have received three skill points (total points accumulated: twelve)

What? I couldn’t even believe my eyes at first. How many Teleportation skill levels had it just given me? Twenty-three??? The game algorithms were very generous in their evaluation of my crazed jump through rocks and other obstacles! I had experienced something similar before when, as a complete day-one noob, I used the geology I learned in university to correctly identify pyrite and the game system immediately adjusted my Mineralogy skill to match. Also, based on the game message, time had stopped as well. That must have meant I stopped time myself automatically after the jump when I appeared in the dark in an unknown location.

“Why is it so dark?” Gerd Luana broke my train of thought, and I realized I was still holding her in my arms.

I set her down on the floor and turned on the light on my armored shoulder. What the...? The usually blindingly bright light just barely lit up the room. I couldn’t even see the contours of objects all that well. Had the nuclear battery really decided to spontaneously drain itself right now? That didn’t make sense. I had replaced it with a brand new one very recently, and it had enough charge to last hundreds, even thousands of years. I took a handheld flashlight from my inventory but again, instead of a bright beam, saw just a dim area of space reaching about as far as an outstretched hand. Gerd Luana’s flashlight wouldn’t even turn on. There was clearly something off about this place.

I mentally asked the control program and got a surprising answer.

“Hierarch Kung Mogi No-No Mogi always worked in complete darkness. The Reality Administrator explained to her children that light was a distraction that prevented her from concentrating on eternity and the infinite knowledge of the Pyramid. Beyond that, the reality control equipment drains energy from all available sources. Any batteries or power sources here quickly go dead, and characters lose their Endurance and Magic points, then subsequently Hitpoints as well. So special protection is required while inside to prevent energy drain, along with high-level skills to stave off death.”

Damn, couldn’t have given me a head’s up?! I glanced anxiously at my health, endurance, and mana bars. One of the three colored bars was in fact going down, and quite quickly at that. My Endurance Points were gushing out so fast I thought I heard a whistling sound. In just three minutes, my character would be unable to run or perform any heavy labor. Even walking would become a challenge. But mana was not a particular concern — my Mysticism skill was quite high level, and my Magic Points were refilling faster than they were being drained. And so long as I had mana, my health would not be going down.

Alright, I would be fine. But what about Gerd Luana? Full of trepidation, I inquired about her status and was told that she would power down in just one minute because her battery was draining very quickly.

“Plug the robot into any of the Reality Administrator assistant workstations,” the command program advised. “They contain operator charging slots, and as long as your companion is plugged in, you will not have to worry about her energy levels.”

That was an amazing idea, particularly given Gerd Luana had already plugged into an operator workstation aboard the Di-Pal-Yu 781, and the ship Engineer had already added all the necessary slots and converters she needed to hook in. But where were these “assistant workstations” exactly? It was so dark I couldn’t see a thing.

Scan!

I looked at the mini-map and studied the output. At first, I unwittingly noticed that the scan result revealed a minimum of one hundred objects designated “ancient artifacts.” This was no control room. It was a treasure trove. And these valuable objects were far from haphazardly scattered. They were neatly grouped in sixteen spots. The most abundant treasure pile was in the very middle of the room, and the other fifteen were located the exact same distance away in a circle.

Scanning skill increased to level one hundred thirty-five!

Cartography skill increased to level one hundred thirty-one!

I slightly zoomed in the map, and a thought flickered by that my guess about the source of ancient artifacts had been confirmed. In fact, I discovered fifteen hemispherical armchairs exactly like the ones on my cruiser for a Slider, Devastator, and other nonstandard crew members. The assistant spots were arranged around the main workstation, which was clearly intended for Hierarch Kung Mogi-No-No-Mogi the Reality Administrator.

“This way!” I grabbed Gerd Luana by the wrist and pulled her into the darkness, navigating by mini-map.

It wasn’t all that far, just fifty feet. The light barely revealed anything, but at least we noticed a huge hemispherical chair and didn’t run into it. In the operator’s seat, we discovered old remains: the desiccated skull of a mummified Relict body with holes for eye sockets and wearing a Listener Energy Armor Suit. Based on the map, before us were the remains of Gerd Le-A-A-Le, a level 290 Listener.

Oh! I’ve heard of her before! In the visions I received in the Temple of the Dawn of Life, before dying, Kung Mogi-No-No-Mogi thought about her surprisingly talented daughter Gerd Le-A-A-Le, who was simply not destined to become a Pyramid Hierarch.

“She was the Reality Administrator’s eldest daughter,” I explained to Gerd Luana, disconnecting the many wires from her Listener suit’s slots and setting the ancient remains on the floor with due care. “She voluntarily gave up all her energy to her mother so she could keep up the fight for the Pori-U-Barsh complex.”

Authority increased to 177!

“I didn’t think any currently living people would remember Hierarch Mogi-No-No-Mogi’s fifteenth daughter’s noble deed,” the Pori-U-Barsh control program said with admiration. “There was a blockade, no signal from the Pyramid was getting through. The Hierarch’s daughters gave their lives one after the next to feed energy to their mother. The mad Kung Mogi-No-No-Mogi fought valiantly to the very end! Before she went, the Reality Administrator detonated the star Lubaru, wiping out the entire Precursor fleet and the whole contingent that landed on the planet.”

Gerd Le-A-A-Le had a mint condition Listener armor suit, and if I dug through her remains, I would surely find quite a lot of valuable artifacts belonging to the Hierarch’s beloved daughter. But I didn’t do any looting, instead leaving the ancient hero’s body undisturbed.

“Ten seconds to shutdown...” the android warned me anxiously.

Ugh, so many wires! Hands flying, we plugged cables into the corresponding outlets. I even used Telekinesis to speed things along. And we made it! Gerd Luana sat in thoughtful silence, then told me her energy level was stable. But it wasn’t going up, either, remaining at a critically low level. Five seconds after being disconnected from the administrator’s assistant workstation, she would lose power.

“It’s no big deal. We’ll figure something out!” I promised and, hurrying before I lost all my Endurance Points, headed for the Reality Administrator’s workstation in the middle of the round room.

There it was! A significantly larger hemisphere towering above the room containing a dead creature much larger than all Relicts I had seen before except perhaps the ghastly Devourer Kung Pin-Ish-Ish-Pin. And even then I was not sure.

Mogi-No-No-Mogi’s head was completely missing. On the floor next to her desiccated corpse there laid a stray Annihilator, while her armor’s chest plate contained a hole the size of a soccer ball. The Reality Administrator chose to sacrifice herself rather than get baked alive by the solar flare she caused. Damn! The Hierarch had shot the Annihilator into her armor suit while its batteries were drained, thus ruining the invaluable Reality Administrator outfit. Now, the unique armor was suited only for a museum of antiquities. However, when I removed her heavy body from the workstation, I discovered something a bit more interesting than the Annihilator and ruined armor.

The Pyramid Hierarch’s mummified fingers were adorned with a whole four (God damned four!!!) +7 Intelligence rings! I had no clue magic items with such high characteristics even existed. And here I’d found four!!! The weighty rings were all made of some strange, dark blue metal. I didn’t even have a near appreciation of what kind of alloy or material they could have been. The setting in the rings contained large oval stones that flickered with an internal light.

Subatomically Miniaturized Galaxy Ring

Intelligence +7

Magic Points +12500

Magic Point Restore Rate + 30%

Mysticism +25

Protects against time stoppage and life suppression

Skill and characteristic requirements:

Level 150. Intelligence 50.

ATTENTION!!! No more than ten such items may exist in the Universe at any one time

Very strange name. Although the Relict were not known for their artistic output. Could it really be that each one of these rings was set with an entire shrunken galaxy? I took a closer look at one of the stones and shuddered when I did indeed see a tiny spiraliform galaxy with millions of glimmering stars! I had seen something similar in the film Men in Black, but had that idea really already been brought to life and used to make jewelry?! Also, each of the four rings seemed to contain their own distinct galaxy!

Protects against life suppression... Hmm... I had seemingly just found the antidote to the Void’s and my own permadeath skill. Naturally, that made me forget all about my moral stance against looting corpses, and I took them for myself. I would wear two of the rings and keep another two to sell or give to someone else. But these would make a gift too opulent for even the leader of a great spacefaring race. As far as I knew, in the whole galaxy, no more than ten +5 Intelligence rings had survived from ancient times. And even Meleyephatian Horde leader Krong Laa Ush-Vayzzz didn’t have one higher than +5!

My legs started to tremble in weakness. My Endurance Points finally hit zero. I had to move quick. I pulled the Hierarch’s mummified body out and sat down in the Reality Administrator workstation. I didn’t need any wires or outlets to connect to it. My Devourer armor identified all the devices around me and had already synchronized with them. All I had left to do was put on the +7 Intelligence rings.

Reality Administrator skill increased to level forty-one!

Somewhat belatedly, it occurred to me that my Gnat was slightly under the Intelligence requirement of fifty. Before, I had gotten around those restrictions with Ivan Svyatodukh’s blessings, and usually the game system gave a clear warning if a certain stat was not high enough to use an item. However, I was able to put the Subatomically Miniaturized Galaxy Ring on my finger, sidestepping the restriction thanks to my Reality Administrator skill. The second ring then was issue free. My character by then already met the requirements. In the end, Gnat’s Intelligence came up to fifty-three. An absolute crapload! Now, I could compete even with Krong Keetsie Myau or Krong Laa Ush-Vayzzz despite their higher game status!

And one last thing. I put all free skill points into Reality Administrator, bringing it up to level fifty-three.

“Let’s go!” I just barely uttered before the world sunk into an even deeper darkness lacking even the faint lights from my suit.

Chapter 15. Hard to Be a God

I HAD NO BODY. And that proved particularly hard to get used to. No heartbeat, no breath, no concept of up or down, temperature, or touch. I was completely missing all sensations connected with having a physical body. I also no longer saw any functions linked with the virtual game. The menu, mini-map, status bars, and experience progress were all gone. I was seriously perturbed by the lack of my ability icons. I was so accustomed to being able to run a scan, move instantly, or stop time that I felt more than a bit of discomfort. On top of that, I also lost the entire function set provided by the Devourer Combat Armor Suit. All that remained was blackness and a feeling of complete bewilderment.

The worst part was that I had no way out of this strange incorporeal state. I had no idea how to get back to Gnat’s virtual body seated in the underground complex at Pori-U-Barsh. I couldn’t exit to the real world via the virt pod in the Syam Tro VII refuge either. I was now a tiny amoeba in an endless ocean of space and time, whisked infinitely far from my usual habitat with no hope of return. Essentially, I had wandered into an unfamiliar place and had absolutely no idea where to go, or whether I even could “go” anywhere in this strange, bodiless state.

I did not know how long I had been there. My conception of the passage of time was completely absent. Beyond that, I was gradually getting a strange sensation that time was either at a complete standstill or could be turned backward or forward to whenever I wished it to be. Whether to the microsecond or whole historical era, there was no theoretical difference for time travel. I could go to the infinitely distant future or, on the contrary, back to the moment the Universe was created... or not. There was a boundary in the past, an impassable roadblock placed by an unimaginably powerful being. The area available to visit started with the existence of the game that bends reality. Everything before that was unavailable to view or edit.

And with that realization, I saw the first timid changes to my bewildered, helpless state. I finally saw something in the darkness surrounding me. Still, saying I “saw” it wasn’t exactly correct because what I detected had nothing to do with visual sensations. Lines. Many of them leading into the distance. To get a better understanding, I tried to follow one, but soon realized that I got the direction wrong, and the line was going out into infinity. I changed direction and reached a fork, from which five identical lines extended. Where to next? I tried to zoom out to get a better look at the overall picture and...

If I had a heart, it would have stopped in delight and fear at the same time. I saw the endless massive spiderweb of a patchwork of interwoven threads. Then, I was able to align that spiderweb with a timescale. For the past, all lines were distinct, easily visible and firm. For the present state of reality, they were unclear, wavering, and tangled. And the future lines were ghostly, in places broken, disappearing, and reappearing in totally new arrangements. Event lines! There were trillions and quadrillions of these threads leading from event to event linking together into a bewildering picture beyond human comprehension.

I spent a long time staring and admiring the striking complexity of the interwoven mass before me, after which I tried to figure out what I could do with the spiderweb. How was I to determine useful information from the quadrillions of identical converging and diverging threads forming infinite intersections with other identical threads, and constantly changing direction to form entirely new versions of the world? Obviously, there was no way to sort through them individually. A whole eternity wouldn’t have been long enough to study the constantly changing picture. But then how could one search for specific events? For example, where was I?

I sent a mental request and, much to my surprise, the nearest lines to me started to glow, sending signals out into infinity. I stopped in fear, waiting for the spiderweb to react to my meddling. At first, nothing changed. But then a cascade of vibrant visions came crashing down on me. Hundreds, thousands of real memories from the past as well as pictures of things that had never happened to me, and never could have. All that was mixed with a generous portion of discoveries of possible alternate futures or presents. The visions intersected chaotically, all creeping around and confusing things further.

Pa-lin-thu, First Directory of the magocratic world. A grand gala in honor of my marriage to Princess Minn-O La-Fin. Thousands and thousands of important guests representing the ruling mage dynasties. Unusually happy and beaming, the Coruler of Humanity Thumor-Anhu La-Fin is decked out in the traditional regalia of the head of the La-Fin dynasty. He raises a glass, then starts reciting a ceremonial toast to his beloved granddaughter and the choice she made... Suddenly, a massive explosion kills me along with my bride and a large number of attendees next to us. The ill-fated event bore the hallmarks of editing. Someone had foreseen this tragic incident in the lines of the probable future and headed off the chain of events that led to it.

...

I am taking the entrance exam to Moscow State University. The extra written math portion. In a small lecture hall, twenty prospective students are watched over by seven observers, ceaselessly pacing the rows between the desks and keeping a watchful eye out for potential copying, micro-headsets, or any other forms of cheating. And meanwhile, I desperately need a peek at a geometric formula because I am so stressed I can’t remember it. I have a crib sheet with me, but how am I supposed to get it with all these observers? Time is running out. I’ll have to turn my test in soon. I almost work up the courage and even reach my left hand down to get the crib sheet tucked behind my belt when suddenly, a girl at the opposite end of the lecture hall has her strictly forbidden cell phone start ringing. All the hellhounds turn immediately to the sound like hungry dogs having caught the scent of prey and throw themselves on the poor girl. They confiscate her test and escort the weeping girl out of the room. I meanwhile take advantage of the commotion to sneak a peek at the formula, find a solution, and get admitted to university with shining colors. Yes, that happened. I remember it. I really got lucky. I easily could have suffered the same fate as that poor girl.

...

Decked out in the ceremonial robes of a magocratic world Archmage, I am standing on the viewing deck of an opulent space yacht with two pretty Imperial princesses pressed up on either side of me. I look out at Georg the First’s massive, devastating fleet as it sets off to join the war with the Composite. Exterminators and battleships, carriers and supercarriers, thousands upon thousands of ships. Princesses Likanna royl Georg ton Mesfelle and Joan royl Georg ton Mesfelle are smiling happily and trying in full public view to flirt with the Kung of Earth. Another gorgeous princess, Natalie royl Georg ton Mesfelle whispered just a few minutes ago that she would be waiting for me in her bunk and quietly slipped away. I meanwhile am not the least bit pleased by the pretty women and look uncommonly serious. The fearsome Emperor had graciously agreed to aid me in the war against invaders from another galaxy. But his condition was that I recognize his primacy in the struggle to be sole krong of humanity, independent Earth and Tailax become vassals of the Empire, and I choose one of his three daughters to be my bride by the end of the day. By the Emperor’s grace, I am permitted to keep the former ruler of Tailax Valeri-Urla as my traveling wife with no claim to the throne. My son Victor is added to the line of succession to the Imperial throne in some infinitely remote position. Minn-O La-Fin died during childbirth. Basically, I had suffered defeat on all fronts. However, it was the most probable line of the future, and would come to pass if I did not take action.

...

The Syam Tro VII refuge. I sit wet from a swim on the rusty metal stairway fifteen feet above the water, my legs dangling as I casually chat with the Miyelonians sitting next to me. Or rather, technically only one Miyelonian. The Great and Infallible Kung Keetsie Myau, wearing a tiny pair of swim shorts. The incarnation of the Great First Female’s fur is soaked and somewhat darker after the swim in the hydrogen-sulphate rich waters. The second Miyelonian, Leng Ayni Uri-Miayuu I for some reason see as a redheaded human woman wearing a tiny green swimsuit, though I have no doubt that it is indeed my Miyelonian friend. The three of us are sitting discussing something, utterly unafraid of the predatory invar lurking in the dark water below. In fact, we are feeding them, tossing bits of bread into the water... I had to admit I didn’t understand that vision one bit. Ayni in the form of a human woman in the real world? That must have been an alternate future which could not come to pass where she had not died protecting me from assassins on Poko-Poko. But then why did I let the Miyelonian ruler into the top-secret ancient refuge? To allow such a powerful and morally flexible player entry to a place so packed with Relict artifacts would have been the same as letting a fox into a henhouse. Overall, I had no idea what the event meant, or how it could ever come to pass.

...

Centaur Plateau. The Miyelonian smuggler ship was already taking off into the cloud-covered sky. Suddenly, Dark Faction troops ambush my group and the Human-3 Faction players meeting me led by Diplomat Ivan Lozovsky. The Diplomat is killed, a million Geckho monetary crystals lost. A fast-paced and, unfortunately, losing battle for us. We lose troops one after the next. I stand to full height in the Listener armor suit to distract as much attention as possible and run over to the enemy gunmen crouching behind rocks. But I fall, taken down by a series of precise gunshots. Minn-O La-Fin the Cartographer shouts with glee and throws up her laser pistol in a victorious gesture — she finally bested me, her sworn enemy! I am mortally wounded and dying, but for some reason overhear Archmage Leng Thumor-Anhu La-Fin conversing mentally with his granddaughter. “Brainless ass!!!” the Dark Faction head is outraged and not being shy with his words. “It took me so much work to set up this meeting with Gnat, and you killed him before so much as saying a word!!! Fool!” That line of the probable future had also been edited, and the real battle on the Centaur Plateau unfolded differently.

...

There were hundreds, even thousands of similar visions. Some of them were utterly commonplace and I couldn’t see how they were deemed interesting enough for the spiderweb of events. Others were fragmentary or unclear. I must have not been specific enough. I needed to narrow the list of results. But that wasn’t even the biggest issue. What was I supposed to do with this information? And how could these visions be edited? After all, what made the Reality Administrator seated at the console different from a common Diviner? Was it not the ability to change events?

“My kung, there you are! I could scarcely find you in the Pyramid’s ocean of information.”

It was not a voice, not even a thought, just a message that suddenly visited me. There was still no one near me, just a web of endless lines.

“It’s Luana,” said the voice, though I had already guessed. “Master, this is truly an amazing place! It’s heaven for an android like me! An absolute I only could have dreamed of.”

“It is an unusual place,” I agreed cautiously and immediately asked my artificial companion if she knew how to get out of the spiderweb of information.

“Yes, of course. But we didn’t come here to leave emptyhanded. Have you already figured out how to manipulate the layers and streams of information? If not, I can show you everything I’ve learned.”

“Yes, sure, I could use a little help. So far, I’ve just been poking around like a blind kitten looking through random visions from my life.”

“That’s a lot of progress!” Gerd Luana assured me. “It took me two days of real time, and I don’t know how many thousands or millions of years in this place to learn that. But given you’re already sorting events, it will be a bit easier for you. I will show you how to concentrate and bring together information from different streams. And how to find narrow points where you can make changes. But I have yet to learn how to edit information, though I have made an endless string of attempts. It must be totally impossible without the Reality Administrator skill.”

Alright, I had that skill, which was certainly a hopeful sign. I only had to figure out how to use it in this very strange place.

“Luana, let’s get started! Show me what you’ve learned, and I’ll try to understand.”

Chapter 16. Everything Comes at a Cost

I GOT THE HANG OF the basic Reality Administrator functions quite quickly. I suspected it was because of my new Intelligence score of fifty-three making it easier to understand new material. And although it was still tough in places, and it was nowhere near always obvious how to obtain a positive outcome, I managed. I probably could have done it all on my own with time, but it certainly would have taken MUCH longer without Gerd Luana’s hints. Perhaps she was not exaggerating when she said it took her thousands and even millions of years to get down the subtleties of searching for information, and particularly discovering moments in events that were possible to edit. Time did not pass normally here in the spiderweb, so anything was possible. In any event, I was very lucky to have a teacher with a rough understanding because Gerd Luana gave me the blueprint for how to do most of what I came for, which saved a ton of time and frayed nerves.

Gerd Luana of course did not know everything, lacking the Intelligence to understand some complicated processes. There were all kinds of subtleties and challenging aspects to finding, and particularly bringing together information from various events. It seemed like there was no one-size-fits-all algorithm for how to proceed in every circumstance in the web of information. Each individual event needed to be scoured to find its impact points on other events and the necessary change vectors. But overall, it wasn’t too long before I thought I had a strong enough theoretical foundation to start putting my knowledge into practice. But what could I practice on?

I stayed away from getting straight to solving the problem of Minn-O La-Fin and my child — such a complicated task with such high stakes needed to be approached from a position of experience. But where then to start? Change my past? Win the lottery? Go back and get one hundred percent on my university entrance exams? Stop myself from wasting time chasing tail that was never going to put out anyway? Still, that was all minor and petty given the ability to work wonders and perfect history.

Something Human-3 Faction leader Leng Igor Tarasov said just after the grand faction leader assembly sprang to mind. He told me about an old book discovered among Gerd Tamara’s adoptive father’s personal effects describing Emperor Georg the First and his wife the Red Queen’s visit to our Earth. I had not yet gotten my hands on it and had no idea how I would. But meanwhile, the details about the almighty and mysterious Georg the First could come in very handy. What was that book called again? I had to scour my memory. Maybe Perimeter Defense. Sector Eight. Yes, that was it!

How about I take a look through that book?! It wasn’t such a difficult change to my own past. It shouldn’t have been too hard. The question then hinged on whether there was a point I could change to make that happen. Yes, that always had to be kept in mind. Still, nothing was free, and all changes to the spiderweb of reality came at a cost. Magic Points in my case. Mana from the man lying at the Reality Administrator seat would be spent on any change to a line of events. And the more drastic the change, the more difficult and costly it was to carry out. It also mattered how far in the past the event was, because changing the past was MUCH more difficult than the present. On top of that, the status and position of the beings whose life you wanted to change also impacted the price. Changing the fate of a gerd-status player was at least an order of magnitude more difficult than a common little-known figure.

Now I was planning to change the past, and that of a kung status player. I had serious concerns that I might not have enough mana. Still, might the game system make an exception for manipulating my own fate? I guess I would have to find out.

I looked into my past in search of moments that wouldn’t be too hard to edit. And there were plenty of them. This one for instance. I was a college freshman, excited and lovestruck who had just taken a classmate back to her place. A couple kisses at the door, but that was as far as it ever got, which that student with heart aflutter never would have guessed. But now, Kirill Ignatiev’s amorous misadventures were of no significance. What mattered was that it was a great opportunity! I walked away from her apartment, found a nearby bookstore and went inside. But this time, slovenly student Kirill Ignatiev would not be buying a worthless, boring manga I wouldn’t even finish, but something of real use. A book I would need in the future — Perimeter Defense. Sector Eight. I had just checked. The store definitely had a copy. Excellent! Kirill bought it, and even saved a bit of money. Great for a poor student. And these changes to my past weren’t all that expensive either, just three thousand six hundred Magic Points.

I immediately learned a lot, even freezing in astonishment. Wow, just what I hoped for! This Georg was not as basic as I thought! If I had a real body at that moment, my jaw would have hit the floor. I now had another topic to discuss with Georg the First. After that, I decided to make a little alteration to the present — the next newcomer to my Relict Faction was now going to bring in a little item on their first session of the game that bends reality. Changing the present, particularly in such a minor way, was very simple and “cheap.” Two hundred mana points — a pittance. I spent more on Teleportation.

By the way... I considered it seriously. I had just easily violated a well-worn time-travel trope known as, “the grandfather paradox.” According to it, any change to the past might cause changes in the future which would totally preclude the chain of events that led to the person altering the past in the first place. And because they didn’t take place, the past did not actually change... and that led to a whole infinite cycle of logical contradictions. After all, I had met Emperor Georg the First before, but knew nothing about his past during our previous meetings. Or maybe I did know, but my memory failed me. Had some sort of “idiot proofing” just triggered in the complex reality control hardware?

I felt uneasy. After all, this might end with me accidentally altering the line that put me into the game that bends reality and becoming kung of Earth in the first place! Just one minor change to the past — let’s say the investigator rushed and decided not to waste time on me — and that would be it! I would not have been offered a job under the Dome or created the character called Gnat. I’d simply have been an expelled student sent to the army or a work camp. And although nothing too bad or irreversible had seemingly happened this time, I would have to be much more careful with the past, or possibly even stop doing such things at all.

But in that case, how could I keep training? Just then, a saying from the timeless Soviet comedy Operation Y by Leonid Gaidai popped into my head, “the best thing to train on is cats.” What an idea! I was friends with two “space cats” and each of them had their own problems that needed solving.

Krong Keetsie Myau had a few dark spots on her otherwise pure white face which made her have to dye her fur with hydrogen peroxide. Now that Krong Keetsie had been declared incarnation of the Great First Female, she simply could not appear before all her subjects without that “make-up,” because she had to correspond to the canonical appearance of the legendary ancient ruler of her race. Krong Keetsie of course didn’t have a hard time dying her hair in front of a mirror, but why not help out a good friend with such a minor issue and change the color of the fur on her face to pure white? Seemed like a suitable test for a beginner. A minor change that would also serve as a gift to the ruler of the Miyelonian race.

Leng Ayni Uri-Miayuu’s problem meanwhile was quite a bit more severe. My tailed friend had died in the real world, remaining only in the form of computer code in the virtual game. As far as I could tell from the Pyramid’s spiderweb of knowledge when I looked seriously into the issue, a creature dying in the real world was not always an insurmountable obstacle for the web of events. Some dead creatures could be brought back to life, particularly if their remains still existed or, like in Ayni’s case, an active “virtual copy.” Death could be corrected in the web of events even for the Relicts who had died more than forty-five thousand years ago if their mummified corpses still existed.

Even former Reality Administrator Kung Mogi-No-No-Mogi, despite missing a head in mummified form, and the tens of thousands of tongs that had passed, could theoretically be brought back to life. But the cost of bringing back a Pyramid Hierarch was fantastically high, measured in the billions of Magic or Hitpoints. It would require sacrificing an entire densely populated planet, perhaps more than one. I of course was not going to do that. I had simply no reason to bring back a competitor. And seeing how there were no other Reality Administrators in the modern world, Kung Mogi-No-No-Mogi and her fifteen daughters were fated to remain a fearsome ancient legend known only by those who specialized in ancient extinct races. Still, just in case, so none of her distant descendants would be tempted to bring the deadly Pyramid Hierarch back to life, I was planning to get rid of the mummified bodies in the underground complex as soon as the gateway was repaired. Perhaps I could send the corpses on an automated shuttle straight into the star Lubaru or something similarly foolproof.

What about my Miyelonian friends? The only resources available to me were what Kung Gnat’s body in the game could provide. I had 35908 Magic Points left after my previous experiments. My Endurance Points were still down to very little, constantly hovering around zero. My Hitpoints meanwhile were at 5987. And that was the sum total of what I had. The fifteen Reality Administrator assistants plugged into the unit to increase my power stores and which the main Administrator required were no use to me. Fourteen of my assistants were long dead, having given all their resources to the former Administrator Kung Mogi-No-No-Mogi. Seat fifteen meanwhile was now occupied by Gerd Luana but, as an android, she never had any Magic Points in the first place, while her energy was currently practically at zero.

Recoloring Krong Keetsie Myau’s fur cost forty-two thousand seven hundred Magic Points. Bringing Leng Ayni back would cost six thousand eight hundred mana. At first glance, it seemed crazy that bringing back a dead body cost seven times less than an insignificant cosmetic operation. But that was only at first glance. Getting rid of the last thing standing between the ruler of a great spacefaring race and her complete correspondence with religious cannon down to the most minute detail, thus making her the true Great First Female would have massive consequences affecting billions of players and trillions in the real world. A “flawless” Krong Keetsie Myau would be someone the Miyelonians would follow to hell and back. On her instructions, fanatic tailed troops would go to their death without hesitation, and the word of the Great One would be equivalent to that of a god. Ayni meanwhile... sure, she may have been a leng, but was nevertheless just one of many Earth faction leaders. The vast majority of players wouldn’t care one bit whether she was alive or dead, and her having a real body would have no impact on larger game processes much less interstellar politics.

In any case, I was not planning on choosing just one and wanted to do both. Sure, maybe I didn’t have enough Magic Points just then, but my body constantly regenerated mana and Hitpoints if necessary, so I could also bring them into play. After that, when I finished with the Miyelonians, the real test would begin. This would be a no-holds-barred fight for the lives of my nearest and dearest and, if necessary, I was ready to give all I had. Including Gerd Luana’s last drops of energy and resilience, as well as every last one of my own Hitpoints.

Chapter 17. Solution Found, But...

WATER!!! I NEEDED to drink water immediately!!! That was all I could think. Removing my Devourer armor suit helmet, I placed my cracked black lips greedily to the flask. A minute later, only a few small gulps remained in the two-liter container. I wiped my lips with an armored glove and screwed the cap back on. Wheeew! Life suddenly felt much easier. That was what I’d been needing for the last few days! And there was the reason why my Hitpoints had stopped filling up, and even started plummeting. How long could a person go without water? Three days at most, I thought. I was very, very near to that limit.

A warning flickered that I had missed a lot of messages. The game system also informed me that I had levelled up and skilled up quite a few times, but I had bigger concerns. I could look through all that later in a calm setting. But now, I was gathering my strength. I turned on the flashlight and, legs wobbling, walked over to Gerd Luana’s workstation. She was no longer in the web of events and reacted to my approach by raising a hand and covering her eyes, which were not accustomed to the light. After that, she turned her head to meet eyes with me.

“How did you find it, master?” the artificial blonde smiled. Gerd Luana’s eyes meanwhile glowed fervently in the dim light. “It’s stunning, you must agree!”

“Yes, it is. It really was an incredible thing. The feeling of limitless possibilities was more intoxicating than wine. But the human body is not well suited to such work. It’s too weak and vulnerable. If you aren’t keeping track of time in the game, your character can die. Plus, one lone person’s resources are not enough to make changes with. I quickly ran out of mana and had to wait for it to come back. That or pay with my health.”

The smile crept off the pretty woman’s lips. She thought I was telling her off for not providing enough support.

“I apologize for my uselessness, Kung Gnat. I swear, I would give up my Magic or Hitpoints for you without hesitation if only I had any.”

“Don’t blame yourself, Luana, you helped me a great deal. You saved me at least a few days, which was very important considering our limited timeframe. It is in large part thanks to your hints that I now have a chance to save Minn-O and the child. But we have to hurry. Very little time remains!”

“Yes, we must make haste,” despite what I said, the android remained in the Administrator assistant seat, in no rush to disconnect the many wires leading to her spacesuit.

Why was that? Was she afraid to deactivate due to lack of energy? But I checked right before leaving the web of events. Her batteries had partially recharged. It would easily be enough for thirty seconds, even with energy being drained by the location. We would be able to teleport to the surface in thirty seconds and everything would be just fine! Not racking my brains with guesses, I asked the android directly why she was just sitting there.

“My kung, we cannot leave together. I checked the event. Master, you are too weary after three sleepless days. You can hardly concentrate, and furthermore your health is in the red. And though you risk only respawning fifteen minutes later if you mess up with Teleportation, not even losing your free skill points, I will completely die. I have a backup of my consciousness. The crystal memory is in my bunk on the cruiser, but the data there is three weeks out of date. I will lose all my knowledge about this location and become even more useless than I already am. Before three months pass, you will get rid of me, striking me from the crew list and leaving me on the Quarantine Planet to assist Leng Valeri. Don’t argue, I checked that line of events and know what I’m talking about.”

I did not doubt her words. Androids were not capable of lying to their masters. It was hardcoded in their programming. And that meant Gerd Luana really had studied the lines of the future. So, Teleportation would not work. Frustrating... But something else caught my eye: Kung Gnat’s free skill points would not burn up upon death even though it had been more than a day since I got them. Was that from the Reality Administrator skill again? Or was it my Devourer Combat Armor’s immunity to skill and level loss? My armor had not lost power despite the location and was still working as intended.

“And what do you suggest, Luana?”

“Leave by yourself. That way, you will make it to the surface. You have a chance of success at least. And leave me here. Androids can go a long time without food, subsisting only on electric power. I can last the three months until the gateway is completed, then you can come back for me, master. In those three months, I can learn the web of events better so I will be even more useful. If you need me before that, you can contact me from your workstation aboard the Di-Pal-Yu 781.”

Hmm... that really was a solid alternative. I thanked Gerd Luana and gave her all the dry rations and little water I had. After that, I morally prepared for my jump back to the surface. And although she had just assured me that my free skill points were safe even if I failed, I nevertheless decided not to risk it and invested them straight away. I opened Gnat’s stat window and, to be honest, could not believe my eyes:

Kung Gnat. Human. Relict Faction.

Level-192 Devourer

Statistics:

Strength 14

Agility 18

Intelligence 39+14

Perception 35

Constitution 19

Luck modifier +3

Controlled drones 6316 of 7 *Error!!! Too many drones

Parameters:

Hitpoints 155 of 6140

Endurance points 2 of 5331

Magic points 4108 of 49764

Carrying capacity 62 lbs. + 26 lbs.

Fame 173

Authority 176

Skills:

Electronics 148 * See weak points and errors in electronic systems

Scanning 139 * Find hiding spots, traps, and anomalies

Cartography 148 * See rare items

Astrolinguistics 167 * Understand written language faster, Comprehend visual messages

Rifles 82

Medium Armor 143 * +10% armor suit forcefield capacity, +10% shield restore speed

Eagle Eye 150 * +20% visual range. * ATTENTION!!! You may take your second specialization!

Sharpshooter 73

Targeting 114 * Lock on to targets quicker

Danger Sense 205 * Reduce enemy skill effectiveness, Earlier danger warnings, Act instinctively

Psionic 260 (298) * +30% psionic attack power, Ability to form link with other mages, Mana expenditure halved against weak opponents

Mental Fortitude 220 (251) * Control several targets at once, Increased psionic attack defense, Immunity to induced states

Machine Control 333 (380) * +1 controlled drone, +3% hack chance, +2 controlled drones

Mysticism 198 (271) * +20% magic points, +20% restore speed

Telekinesis 112 * Reduced cooldown time

Training 117 * Accelerated skill growth

Disorientation 80

Tenacity 56

Athletics 66

Diplomacy 119 * + 10% chance in negotiations with equals or stronger

Teleportation 63 (72)

Frenzy 25 (45)

Time Stoppage 26 (46)

Life Suppression 5 (22)

Reality Administrator 122 * ATTENTION!!! You may take your first specialization for this skill

Attention!!! You have 24 unspent skill points

Eight level-ups! Twenty-four skill points! When I reached the Reality Administrator line, my mouth opened in astonishment. One hundred twenty-two, holy crap!!! That was all the reality manipulation I did in the underground Pori-U-Barsh complex!

The obvious choice was to invest the points into Teleportation to increase my chances. And that was just what I did. I first invested ten points, then considered it and added another eight, taking Teleportation all the way to level eighty-one. The remaining six points I spent to bring Electronics, Cartography, and Mysticism high enough to take specializations, two points per skill.

ATTENTION!!! Selectable specializations updated for skills at level 200 and up. Extra specializations unlocked for overlapping skills at level 200 and up.

ATTENTION!!! You may change one previously chosen specialization for every skill at level 200 and up.

I spent a long time staring at the unusual pop-up messages, trying to understand with my severely sleep-deprived mind exactly what they meant. New opportunities, of course, were interesting and promising. But now I would have to take a deep dive into all my previously taken skill specializations and look for ones that better fit my current circumstances. Also, what did it mean by “extra specializations?” And now, Gnat had five skills requiring specializations to be chosen. However, I was in no state to bother with that, and just needed rest.

But sleeping here in the underground part of Pori-U-Barsh was a bad idea because Endurance Points did not regenerate, and I would not get any less tired. I could of course do something else and go into the real world for some shut eye, but then I would lose several hours of a very short timeframe and risked missing the chance to save my wife and child. On top of that, my endurance bar would again be at zero when I loaded the game back up. No, first I needed to get up to the surface, then somehow return to the starship while also talking to a few players to figure out just what to do. Only then, with everything ready for the last stage could I take a little rest before my very difficult endeavor.

I realized that I was totally calm and ready to get started, so before the confidence passed... Teleport!

Teleportation skill increased to level eighty-two!

Teleportation skill increased to level eighty-three!

Teleportation skill increased to level eighty-four!

It worked! But I appeared high in the air above the tek dome half a mile above the surface then fell very fast. No problem! I could just teleport down to the surface again, though I was afraid of making a mistake due to my lack of concentration, so I did something else. I opened my inventory and placed the antigrav backpack into the back slot of my Devourer armor. I got quite a lot of practice with one in the ancient Syam Tro VII refuge in the real world, which was just fine for using it in the game. But my wayedda Leng Valeri reached out mentally and broke my concentration, very nearly making me crash. My travelling wife, having found me “online” after three days of worrying absence wanted to know how I was doing.

“Everything is fine. I’ve made some success, but I’m tired as a dog and about to pass out. How are Tamara the Paladin and the land contingent doing?”

“We’re fine, still in control of the landing zone. We fought off all the marauders no problem. Yesterday, we were joined by Meleyephatian Horde landing troops who managed to land and take control of the nodes around the ancient city. Gerd Zambeh Un-Var has been captured along with many of her supporters. The Meleyephatians are now clearing the cave networks and mountains, finishing off the last rebels. The landing troop commander is standing right next to me and would really like a word with you. He says its urgent.”

Leng Valeri-Urla said nothing about Tamara the Paladin, which led me to conclude some complications had arisen. But the ship certainly wasn’t destroyed. My wayedda would have told me that. I laid down on the ground right next to the tek dome and took one last look at the brown and green plants covering the node. I walked through the energy barrier outside into the hot waterless desert, where my friends were waiting along with the Meleyephatian troops.

Chapter 18. Escaping a Scorched Planet

FROM THE POSITION where Kisly, Gerd Eduard Boyko, and I had surveyed the surrounding mountains three days earlier, it was clear much had changed. For one, my troops were no longer stationed at the viewpoint. Instead it was a Meleyephatian observation post. Beneath a tent to protect against the scorching heat of the star Lubaru, six eight-legged landing troops sat in comfort, cooled by solar-powered air conditioners. The Meleyephatians were monitoring the surrounding area with optical instruments and a set of cameras placed around the mountains linked to screens in the tent. When I suddenly teleported in, the huge spider-like soldiers reached for their weapons but recognized me as Kung of Earth and bowed with respect before the highly famed and authoritative Human.

“Bring me up to speed,” I said to the senior officer in his native language, and the armored “spider” pointed his four front appendages at a huge telescope with a laser distance measurer aimed at somewhere in the endless desert.

“Half an ummi ago, the last of the Geckho rebels tried to escape the blockade on high-speed levitators, but their vehicles were destroyed. Now our troops are searching for any that may have escaped into the sand drifts. All the Geckhos’ respawn points are being monitored, so they will be killed if they come back. Overall, resistance on Ruvaru-Yosh Prime has been suppressed. The capital and large settlements are now all under our control. And although some groups are still able to hide in the desert, the rebels are no longer able to put up organized resistance. Most of them have already died several times and will soon be killed for good.”

Not a word about surrender. Yes, I had heard many times from many players that the Meleyephatians never took prisoners and surrendering to them was absolutely pointless. They had no concept of mercy for the vanquished, and words like “pity” were simply absent from their lexicon, meaning all those taken captive were killed. Exceptions were made only for enemy leaders, who the Meleyephatians interrogated using very uncompromising methods involving torture and psionics to find out enemy secrets, after which they too were disposed of. In very rare cases, if a defeated and totally broken enemy leader could be of value to the Meleyephatians, they were kept alive as Horde viceroy to keep their subjects firmly under the Meleyephatian boot.

“What is going on there?” I pointed to a group of Humans and Meleyephatians swarming around Tamara the Paladin. A heavy flying tug with an antigravity crane had lifted my silvery twinbody starship onto a large cargo platform. It somehow looked like an illegally parked car being towed.

“The ship will be taken to a temporary vehicle repair base in the desert, where it will be disassembled and taken into orbit by shuttles for further repair.”

Astrolinguistics skill increased to level one hundred sixty-eight!

Any other time, I would have been happy for the chance to talk to the Meleyephatians on my own without a translator, and that they understood what I was saying despite not having my vocal cords severed. But now I was too wiped out to care about such a minor thing. So I just asked the senior officer who would assume the expense of repairing my starship.

“Our direct duty is to aid allies in the Horde, particularly given the fact that your group, Kung of Earth, helped us take this important staging ground in the desert next to a node of great interest to science. All expenses will be overtaken by Meleyephatian Horde Flotilla Thirty-Six.”

“I see...” I said, wishing the eight-legged troops a quiet shift before I went over to my frigate.

Teleportation skill increased to level eighty-five!

Team Gnat greeted their captain with elation. The huge Gerd T’yu Pan the Shocktroop waited for the storm of enthusiasm to pass, then gave a crisp military-style report saying my mission had been completed successfully. They held the position despite taking intensive fire from Gerd Zambeh and her marauders who made several attempts to capture the crashed ship. The landing team meanwhile had taken no losses.

“Things did get pretty heated here both figuratively and literally, though,” the boarding team commander lightened up by the end of his report and started smiling, removing his dented helmet and showing his sweaty bald patch with a bandage on the back of his head. “By the time the Meleyephatian landing troops touched down in the desert, we were nearly out of ammunition. And we completely ran out of plasma grenades for the Avashi Assault systems and rounds for the high-speed mobile cannons.”

“The drones were a big help,” Gerd Kisly the Machinegunner interrupted.

“Yes, we could not have done it without the drones,” Gerd T’yu Pan agreed. “And we also have to thank our mages. They did an incredible job wreaking havoc in our attackers’ ranks. I would also like to highlight our Machinegunners. Timka-Vu performed admirably. Kisly held down one flank all by himself, and when the fight came to melee, he took down three Geckho troops before backup arrived.”

Listening to my friends’ stories, I couldn’t believe my ears. Things really got heated while I was away! Just then, I realized Kisly had been made a gerd! I congratulated him for the rank-up. At the same time, I asked the troops around me where Leng Soia-Tan La-Varrez and Leng Valeri-Urla had gone. I had to admit, during the mental conversation with my wayedda, I assumed she was with the ship. But for some reason, I could not see my traveling wife anywhere, and my scans had not turned up either of the mages inside the damaged frigate or anywhere else for that matter. However, I did detect two outsiders inside Tamara the Paladin:

Zarra Yosh-Vash. Geckho. Clan Layneh-Vash. Level-39 Trader.

Varr Yosh. Geckho. Klan Yosh-Dishihh. Level-56 Gunfighter.

Two unfamiliar Geckho on my frigate? Had my troops taken prisoners? And now they weren’t giving them up to the Horde so they wouldn’t end up dead? No, they didn’t look like prisoners. They were sitting calmly on a little sofa in the common room and seemingly eating lunch, both with laser pistols in belt holsters. With them was Timka-Vu the Machinegunner, and it didn’t look like he was standing watch. I didn’t ask about the outsiders on my starship out loud because there were Meleyephatian troops nearby, but I was very surprised to see that my troops had let strangers aboard my ship.

“The mages went to the Horde landing site to get a shuttle. Gerd Imran went with them,” the boarding team commander explained. “The Meleyephatians agreed to provide us a landing shuttle so we could get back to our ship faster. As far as I can tell, some Horde bigwig wants to talk to you long-distance, captain. The Meleyephatian landing commander has been asking where the heck you went every half hour for the last two days. Your wife told the eight-legged blockheads, whose dim wit normally makes them agree with smarter individuals, that the nearest long-distance comms point is located on the Di-Pal-Yu 781, so they had to provide us a shuttle so the Kung of Earth could speak to them as quickly as possible. We removed the quadrupolar destabilizer from the frigate as well as all navigational hardware. Everything of value has been packed into containers over there. The frigate itself we will surrender to the Horde for repair. Gerd Uline Tar gave the order.”

There it was... Okay, my tight-fisted business partner couldn’t resist the chance to save a bundle of cash on repair, and I overall had no issue with that. Honestly, when we got the frigate back, I would have to give it a thorough scan to remove all possible bugs the Horde repair workers might install. By the way, there was the shuttle now, appearing over the desert.

A minute later, next to the large tug, a sleek spindle-shaped Horde landing ship came down on the sand. Leng Valeri-Urla ran out of it with a delighted shriek and hung off my shoulders. But when I removed my helmet to give her a kiss, she suddenly backed away and looked at me as if seeing me for the first time. Was something wrong with me?

“Have you looked in a mirror recently, husband? Your hair is gray, especially on the temples!”

What??? I opened my character window and looked at myself from every angle. My eyes were sunken and dim, having lost their usual bright blue glow. Gnat’s shock of dark hair had gained unmistakable silvery patches, and the hair on my temples had fully gone gray! Those three days thoughtlessly spending Hitpoints to manipulate the spiderweb of events came at a high cost...

Before I could say anything back, an armored Meleyephatian emerged from the shuttle along with Gerd Imran and Leng Soia-Tan and skittered my way. Oh my. The very commander of Horde Recon Flotilla Thirty-Six Leng Kirosi Usssh! I was reminded that the cautious Meleyephatian didn’t even want to show himself on a screen before. But now he had decided to come talk to me in person.

“Kung of Earth, finally! Hurry to your ship! Meleyephatian Horde leader Krong Laa wishes to speak with you long-distance. You really shouldn’t keep my almighty master waiting any longer. It might end badly for both of us!”

Ah, so that was it. His fear of the dangerous Devourer was outweighed by his fear of the famously impatient krong, so the cautious leng found the courage to come see me in person. At any rate, the rush only played into my hand because it saved me a lot of the very limited time I had left to interfere in the lines of the future. However...

“Who are the Geckho on our frigate?” I mentally questioned my wife.

“Do you really not recognize them, Gnat?” Leng Valeri-Urla asked in surprise.

So, I was supposed to know them? I scoured my memory. Somehow, nothing was coming to mind. I honestly hadn’t done much talking here on Ruvaru-Yosh Prime on my last visit. Unless...

“Was Zarra Yosh-Vash the Geckho girl whose father was an ancient artifact trader I promised to take off Ruvaru-Yosh Prime? The second part of her name was different before. Did she get married at such a young age?”

“Precisely. Eloped, as I understand it. And the boy is her husband. You’ve met him, too. He was ringleader of the teenage gang we ran into next to the spaceport. The problem is that his father led the uprising in the Geckho capital. The Meleyephatians have already executed his father in the real world, and the kid and his young wife will meet the same fate if they are not taken off the planet. The Meleyephatians never let the close relatives of executed enemy leaders live.”

Geeze... The Kung of Earth’s word was sacred and, given my promise to the girl’s father to get her off the planet, I had no choice despite the change in circumstances. But I also did not want to risk earning the Horde’s ire or even becoming an enemy of the Meleyephatians by aiding a criminal with a death sentence.

“Are the Meleyephatians aware that we have wanted criminals aboard the ship?”

“I suspect yes,” Leng Valeri responded none too confidently. “The watchmen on the cliff most likely saw the two Geckho approaching our position during a lull between attacks. They saw that we took them in and let them aboard but haven’t said anything about it. The Meleyephatians may be testing our loyalty the Horde, particularly yours, my husband.”

Danger Sense skill increased to level two hundred six!

Even without that popup, I was getting the impression that the Meleyephatians were testing me and intentionally provoking me by allowing two wanted criminals into my team’s position and were now watching to see what I would do. I couldn’t break my word as kung and refuse to save a pregnant Geckho woman. That both ran contrary to human nature and would be a big blow to my Authority in the game that bends reality. And that meant I had no choice but to move the two furry Geckho teens from the frigate onto the landing shuttle next to it in a way that Leng Kirosi Usssh and his troops would not notice. But how?

Teleport them both one by one? No, that was no good. The race of Shiharsa were too heavy to be transported like that. Even with the extra strength from the Devourer armor, I would not be able to lift a fully-grown Geckho. Stop time and move them with Telekinesis? Now, that was more realistic. However, it would be very bad if any Meleyephatian (even Leng Kirosi Usssh standing next to me) glanced into the landing shuttle before take-off to discover two criminals condemned to die. Unless...

Continuing to talk casually with the leader of Horde Recon Flotilla Thirty-Six about his numerous race’s wide settlement throughout the galaxy, and the particularities of various renegade nests, I mentally contacted Geckho girl Zarra Yosh-Vash. It took a second, but the young woman eventually realized the voice in her head was not a mere hallucination brought on by exhaustion and toxic shock and responded. I asked Zarra whether the Meleyephatians had already captured the datacenters in the real world containing the virt pods of the Geckho who lived on this planet. She did not know but promised to exit the game and find out. Zarra came back less than a minute later.

“Not yet Kung Gnat. The datacenter is still under control of a Geckho brigade. No virt pods have been destroyed so far. But there is an intense battle underway very near the datacenter. There aren’t many defenders, and they are holding out as best they can. Human, I am very scared! Please save me!”

The virt pods hadn’t yet been captured? That made my job a lot easier. I ordered Zarra Yosh-Vash and her young husband to make absolutely certain no Meleyephatian saw them and walk toward the ship’s airlock. A minute later, the adolescents were in position.

Stop time!

The eight second window was easily enough for me to pick them up with Telekinesis and put them deep inside the landing shuttle.

Time Stoppage skill increased to level twenty-seven!

“Both of you place your respawn points on the shuttle! And make it snappy. They’ll be done loading containers into the cargo hold soon. Then my team will take their places and the shuttle will take off.”

The furry girl and her companion told me they were done. Excellent! Stop time again! And put the two Geckho back on the twinbody frigate, which the Meleyephatians were already lashing down to the tug platform for transport to the repair base.

Time Stoppage skill increased to level twenty-eight!

Telekinesis skill increased to level one hundred thirteen!

I wrapped up with the Horde commander and, when my team finished loading the Quadrupolar Destabilizer and other hardware, ordered my friends to get seated in the shuttle.

“Won’t Gerd Luana be coming with us?” the boarding team commander reminded me of the android.

I gritted my teeth. Gerd T’yu-Pan had really picked a great time to mention the fact we had landed one more player on the planet than we were taking off of it. The Meleyephatians were sure to have heard. I had to respond.

“Gerd Luana will not be coming. I left her at the Relict complex to get a handle on all the complicated equipment. Plus, we couldn’t possibly fit another person in such a cramped shuttle.”

It really was tight, but Team Gnat fit inside nevertheless. In fact, it was the cramped conditions that forced Leng Kirosi Usssh to opt for a different mode of transport. At first, he was planning to go with us into orbit.

As I assumed, the Horde landing troops gave the shuttle a thorough inspection before take-off, even scanning it with some sort of electrical device. They discovered Little Sister, who was terrified and squeezed up against her master, but Leng Kirosi Usssh intervened and confirmed that the predatory creature was allowed to be with the Beast Master.

“Kung of Earth, you have successfully completed the check demanded by the Monitoring Department,” the “prominent” armored spider admitted, after which he wished us a pleasant flight and even closed the shuttle door himself.

I breathed a sigh of relief, then sent another mental order to the Geckho teens.

“As soon as the shuttle takes off, but not one second earlier, shoot yourselves with your laser pistols. Don’t argue, it’s the only way! Otherwise the Meleyephatians will arrest you and subject you to horrific torture, then execute you. Reenter the game as soon as you are allowed to respawn. We can make room for you inside the shuttle. Got all that? Good luck!”

Chapter 19. Negotiations in Orbit

I NEVER THOUGHT that it would be possible to fall asleep in a shuttle entering orbit, unbothered by the high g-forces and heavy shaking. But I was so tired after the last three days that I somehow managed to pass out and get an hour of shuteye before being awoken by my wife Leng Valeri-Urla, telling me the automatic Meleyephatian shuttle had reached the cruiser’s forcefield and come to a stop. Safety concerns dictated that the cruiser’s command program not allow the ship inside our energy shield so, although the shuttle’s thrusters were still active, it was not moving.

“Paa Um-Um Paa made the right call!” I approved of the ship AI’s actions, gradually waking up and yawning wide, “plus it’s packed in here and we could easily stand to move onto our own shuttles.”

I said nothing more, having discovered the two furry Geckho teens with no spacesuits now here alongside Team Gnat, which had to be packed in like Tetris pieces in the first place. My troops obviously would be moving into our shuttles from the cruiser, but what to do with those two? Leng Valeri followed my eyes and realized what I was thinking.

“Gerd Ayukh has already sent out two shuttles and a pressurized gate to connect ships. My Little Sister doesn’t have a spacesuit after all, and otherwise she wouldn’t be able to survive the vacuum of space.”

Excellent! I was now completely awake, dismissed the backlog of skill-up messages and asked for a water canteen from Gerd Ivan Svyatodukh because I was still thirsty after all that time in the underground complex. I took a sip and... my eyes shot up into my forehead because the Priest’s canteen contained brandy or at least something that seemed alcoholic and very strong.

“What... is this?” I asked the Priest with reproach, struggling to catch my breath.

The huge priest screwed on the lid as if it was nothing, stashed the canteen in his exoskeleton suit and breathed a quick sigh.

“They don’t have sacramental wine up here in space, captain, so I do the best I can. I tried using an herbal cocktail with mint and valerian, but the Miyelonians in the crew started lining up to ‘take communion.’ Gerd Orun Va-Mart was on the floor doing the worm after my services. I decided to use brandy to save on liquid and keep peace on the ship. Plus, brandy is better for buffs and raising spirits. But overall, captain, the whole crew has known for a while now that I’m the guy to turn to when they have ‘spiritual’ problems. If you want regular water, you can ask Imran.”

I heeded the Priest’s advice and asked Imran for his canteen. After that, I came to my senses and made mental contact first with Gerd Ayukh about the shuttles and further travel of the ship, then with my tailed assistant Leng Ayni Uri-Miayuu.

“Ayni, I need to get on a call with the Incarnation of the Great First Female in a quarter ummi. Tell Krong Keetsie Myau it’s urgent and I’m requesting an audience.”

“Yes, sir, Captain Gnat,” the Miyelonian wasn’t the least bit surprised by my unusual request.

But the next part was able to knock my orange assistant out of her calm, sedated mood.

“And another thing, Ayni, check your game menu. Is the exit the game button active for you? Just check. Don’t press it yet.”

After two seconds of tense silence, I was swept away by a wave of emotion. Mistrust and doubt were replaced with wild, unrestrained joy, stormy delight and endless gratitude. Ayni, previously sitting in my bunk at a desk with a monitor, jumped up suddenly and knocked over her chair, bouncing off the walls of the room and rolling around on the bed, squealing and sobbing out loud from the emotional overload. Miyelonians did not cry. For them, tears were not at all linked with mood. But Ayni was now weeping like a human in extreme pain. In the end, the tailed woman fell off the bed onto the floor and froze motionless. Overexcitement could cause Miyelonians’ body temperatures to rise, which their bodies interpreted as a sign that sexual contact was imminent. Aw crap... I hoped my tailed friend would get over it quick and not forget about my request to speak with Krong Keetsie Myau.

* * *

LENG AYNI CAME TO HER senses before too long and even was able to attend my call with the Meleyephatian krong. That came in very handy because, after Gerd Luana’s departure and the orange Miyelonian’s “blackout,” I was essentially left without a Meleyephatian translator and, although I could already more or less understand the “space arachnids’“ chirring and whistling, my pronunciation of their tongue was very broken. Meleyephatians could basically tell what I was saying, but that which was suitable for a private conversation with the commander of a remote space flotilla was of course unforgiveable for important negotiations with the great Krong Laa Ush-Vayzzz. The Meleyephatian Horde leader might take my perversion of his race’s language as an insult, which might then spill over into big problems both for me and the whole of Earth.

I had to wait forty minutes for the krong. His starship must have been in a hyperspace jump. Either that or he was busy with something else. Then the room suddenly went dark and, before Ayni and me, a glowing circle of light appeared with the huge Krong Laa Ush-Vayzzz standing in the middle. The eight-legged Meleyephatian appeared before us in a high-tech bright red armored space suit, which seemed to contain Relict technology.

It must be said that until the very last moment, I was not at all confident that I would even see the leader of the Meleyephatian Horde rather than some official representative. After all, it took a certain courage to personally meet with the Devourer, knowing he could kill remotely right from in the game. The Meleyephatian leader had lived many centuries and was very cautious, so he must have never taken unjustified risks to his life. Nevertheless, he appeared in person. And although I was not at serious loggerheads with the Horde at the moment, and I would have scarcely been able to kill the almighty level-403 creature using Life Suppression because of its low level, I still found myself admiring the Horde’s greatest Strategist for his lack of fear.

“My Krong!” holding my helmet in my left hand, I got down respectfully on one knee and bowed my head. “Forgive my tardiness, I came as soon as I could.”

Leng Ayni, translating all the while, copied my body language, also getting down on one knee and removing her helmet. But meanwhile, the Miyelonian left the crown of thorns — a gift from Georg the First — on her big-eared head. He had no complaints about my tardiness, but another aspect caught his attention.

“‘My Krong?’ Kung Gnat, I didn’t know you had such allegiances. Your homeworld of Earth did not wish to join the Meleyephatian Horde and instead purchased its freedom at the very last moment. Tailax has announced a desire for independence and is slowly untangling itself from its protectorate status. And I have been getting a never-ending stream of messages from the Gilvar Syndicate — a longtime loyal Horde vassal, saying the joint forces of Earth and Tailax are going to attack them. So, Kung Gnat, is that how you truly view your role as my viceroy on Tailax and friend of the Meleyephatian Horde?”

Despite the worrying content of his words, my Danger Sense kept mum. That made me conclude that Krong Laa was just being grumpy, not planning to punish me for my arrogance. However, that may have been because he knew he couldn’t. I was after all pretty hard to catch in a ship that could teleport instantly anywhere in the Universe. And from the perspective of grand space politics, I had only improved the position of the Humans entrusted to me, and not yet done anything to directly challenge Horde policy. Also, as sole mediator in negotiations with Georg the First and someone in possession of unique knowledge, I was of value to Krong Laa alive, not as a cold dead body. So Krong Laa must have just been grouchy, not lodging any official complaints. Nevertheless, I did have to respond.

“My Krong, Earth has been on the path to independence for a long time. That was not connected with recent political changes. I paid Earth’s suzerains their price as soon as I was able. Although...” I looked up and fearlessly met eyes with the terrifying Meleyephatian leader, “I have to admit that I was privy to the Horde’s arrangement with the Geckho state before it was announced. I had also heard rumors that my home planet of Earth had been promised to Kung Yoji Umoro, the cruel and unprincipled ruler of the Gilvar Syndicate. That only strengthened my resolve to purchase independence for my home planet!”

Diplomacy skill increased to level one hundred twenty!

Mental Fortitude skill increased to level two hundred twenty-one!

Krong Laa had no response. But I felt a light touch on my mind. However, it was merely a gentle probing rather than a fully-fledged psionic attack. Once assured of the strength of my mental defenses, he immediately backed down without trying to read any information from my mind or implant any thoughts. And in view of the long pause, I took a risk and continued.

“I just wasn’t getting along well with Kung Yoji Umoro and his subjects. And the escalations were always coming from his side. The formal reason was a minor bar fight between two starship crews which was blown up to near galactic proportions by Syndicate media. I spent a long time thinking about the incident and concluded that the fight in Blue Glow on the Cleopian station was a planned provocation intended to damage my authority and reduce my status. A concentrated informational attack was committed against me. I was officially declared a pirate to complicate my life, and the ruler of the Gilvar syndicate put a price on my head, forbid me from visiting any systems under his control, and declared me a wanted man. A Syndicate representative even put a motion before the Expanded Horde Council asking whether Kung Gnat should have Tailax and Earth confiscated and transferred to a ‘more legitimate ruler.’ Because of the bureaucratic particularities of the Expanded Council, that vote will only be held in a tong, after the situation has resolved itself. But in any case, it isn’t Earth and Tailax stoking the conflict between the various branches of the Human race.”

Diplomacy skill increased to level one hundred twenty-one!

Diplomacy skill increased to level one hundred twenty-two!

Diplomacy skill increased to level one hundred twenty-three!

I assessed the popup messages as indicating a certain success and paused, waiting for commentary from the krong. But none followed, so I again continued.

“Much later, I realized the true reason behind Kung Yoji Umoro’s hostile treatment of me after being appointed Horde viceroy on Tailax, gaining a certain amount of fame and raising my Legitimacy. The ruler of the Gilvar Syndicate, and more specifically his Mage diviners saw me as a possible competitor for power over all humankind. And so he tried to snuff me out in the fetal stage...”

“Not you. Your future son, and it was indeed ‘in the fetal stage,’“ Krong Laa interrupted my allegations, and froze with mouth agape, struck by the truth he’d revealed. “A powerful leader capable of uniting a scattered humankind and becoming its krong. That line of the possible future was spotted by all spacefaring races, and many players on the political arena were unwilling to accept it. Among them was Kung Yoji Umoro. He is currently the highest Legitimacy Human ruler and is not willing to back down and submit to a competitor. And now your second wife Leng Valeri-Urla is laying claim to the Quarantine Planet, which the Gilvar Syndicate considers its rightful territory, though they have not yet been able to colonize it. So you and Kung Yoji Umoro have plenty of bad blood to go around!”

“I know a few Human leaders with higher Legitimacy than the ruler of the Gilvar Syndicate. And one of them even lives in this galaxy...” I noted cautiously, and the Horde leader immediately knew who I was referring to.

“Emperor Georg the First. Which brings us to the topic I called you to discuss, Kung of Earth. A huge fleet of one hundred ten thousand combat starships is slowly but surely making its way down the warp beacon chain through my territory, coming ever closer to the densely populated star systems at the center of the Meleyephatian Horde. They have not responded to a single request from our dispatchers or military, ignore all warnings, and just continue warping deeper into our space. Do you know anything about that, Kung of Earth?”

I just shook my head no, then answered that I was not aware of the emperor’s intentions. I did note however that I had seen Georg the First’s fleet perform training maneuvers, and it made a big impression. Still however, there were significantly less than one hundred thousand ships.

“The Imperial ships are travelling with a fleet of Elvinians, and another few races the Meleyephatians are not familiar with. It has me very alarmed. We signed a ceasefire with Georg the First but have no such arrangements with the other races. Meanwhile, an armada of combat starships like that could cause huge problems.”

“What if you simply deactivate the warp beacons to stymie the armada?”

The trill Krong Laa issued was most likely how Meleyephatians showed nervous laughter.

“You think we didn’t try, Human?! As soon as Georg the First’s fleet reached the Aysar Cluster, all warp beacons leading to the Imperial borders were deactivated. But that didn’t stop the Humans and Elvinians. Their starships just kept jumping like nothing was wrong despite lacking coordinates and active beacons! The starships travelling through my systems are not behaving aggressively, but they immediately shoot down any ship that tries to delay them or fire a shot, even as a warning.”

Geeze... I myself was curious where Georg the First was taking his ships, especially given their massive number. However, I did have a theory, and I told the krong.

“Georg the First’s Empire, as well as the Iseyek Swarm which comprises part of it, and the Humans’ Elvinian allies are at war with the Trillian Kingdom. Hugo the First declared war on them himself, while Kung Georg royl Inoky ton Mesfelle is not the kind of person to take an insult lying down or ignore a challenge. The Imperial Military has given me a psychological portrait of Georg the First. The emperor absolutely will not tolerate insults or attempts to take anything Kung Georg considers his. The emperor also has no concept of things like ‘proportionality of response.’ If someone were to innocently flick Georg the First on the nose, he would tear off their arm up to the elbow... uhh...” I noticed that Leng Ayni Uri Miayuu was having trouble translating that correctly and slightly changed the last part, “or their top appendage up to the second joint.”

Astrolinguistics skill increased to level one hundred sixty-nine!

Training skill increased to level one hundred nineteen!

You have reached level one hundred ninety-three!

You have received three skill points!

Krong Laa Ush-Vayzzz spent a long time in thoughtful silence, then asked a very off topic question about the thorny headwear my Miyelonian translator was wearing.

“A mental stream blocker, a gift from Georg the First himself,” I answered in Leng Ayni’s place, explaining that the crown was a result of Empire research into captured Composite technology.

The Miyelonian herself bowed respectfully to the almighty Meleyephatian and said that she had been present at important and confidential negotiations between the Kung of Earth and all kinds of players, including some very powerful psionics. And because no political or military leader wanted anyone else finding out their secrets, Georg the First asked or more insisted that Kung Gnat’s companion wear the mind-reading blocker for official meetings.

“Laudable precaution,” the Meleyephatian Horde leader agreed while I noted that one of Krong Laa Ush-Vayzzz’s back appendages pushed forcefully on the juncture in his armor around where the cephalothorax connected with the abdomen. I suspected that his fruitless attempts to break through Leng Ayni’s mental defenses had caused the Horde Leader pain in the chain of nerve nodes responsible for the Meleyephatians’ psionic abilities. “And I would ask that you also keep this conversation between us. I have a mission for you, Viceroy of Tailax. You must speak with the Human Emperor as soon as possible and make sure that neither Georg the First nor his allies are planning aggression toward the Meleyephatian Horde. Otherwise, I’m afraid I’ll have to withdraw my fleet from the front with the Composite, which would mean many races meeting a terrible end. Including the Geckho, Cleopians, Esthetes, and your Earth as well.”

Woah... If the Composite no longer had an opponent holding them back, it could indeed quickly eat up entire star regions, eradicating the populations of many inhabited planets. I replied to the Horde leader that I understood the assignment and would take it on with all due seriousness.

“Excellent to hear! I’ll be waiting for news, Kung of Earth. And yes, the Horde will close all its eyes to what is going on between the branches of the Human race. You can deal with Kung Yoji Umoro as you see fit. Surprised? But there’s nothing strange about my decision. The Meleyephatians stand to benefit from Human systems joining together under a common government. Then, instead of a handful of planets unable to so much as defend themselves and requiring constant protection, Humanity could become its own space government and reliable Horde ally.”

I suspected Krong Laa was being somewhat disingenuous, and the main reason had nothing to do with a desire to unite and reinforce humankind. Most likely, the Horde simply did not want to get involved in a fight between Human vassals at a time when a huge fleet of Humans and allied ships was travelling through Horde space for an unknown reason. The fearsome krong was about to sign off, but I dared to stop him.

“My krong,” I again got down respectfully on one knee. “Allow me to ask one question. For many long tongs, Kung Maa — Foreign Intelligence Chief and celebrated Morphian hunter who essentially drove that dangerous race to complete extinction — was counted among your advisors. Why was Kung Maa himself not executed by the Meleyephatians? After all, his nature as a Morphian had to have been detected at some point in that long timeframe.”

I caught the Horde leader by surprise. Krong Laa spent a long time in silence, then asked what it mattered to me.

“Kung Maa has made several attempts to join my crew, hired assassins to dispose of me, and is now on my home planet of Earth for unknown reasons which are most likely nefarious.”

“I understand, Human. And I am willing to go beyond vague words like ‘Kung Maa was of use to us’ or ‘Maa revealed the Morphian conspiracy to the Meleyephatians all on his own in exchange for a promise to let him live.’ I will tell you in depth about my arrangements with the ancient Morphian. But in response, I wish for an honest answer to how you are gaining entrance to the isolated node on planet Ruvaru-Yosh Prime, and what ACTUALLY is beneath that tek dome.”

Danger Sense skill increased to level two hundred seven!

Danger Sense skill increased to level two hundred eight!

Oh, I never should have brought up the Morphian to the Meleyephatian leader. I really should not have. The game messages were giving clear confirmation that he was now on guard and willing even to use force to get the information he wanted. But it was too late. The Horde leader wanted an answer. And I decided to skate by with a half-truth.

“I am a Hierarch of the Relict Pyramid by status, so the defenses let me through. Inside, beneath the tek dome is a node covered in greenery and suitable for habitation despite the scorching desert. It has water, a whole freshwater lake, which is a huge rarity on Ruvaru-Yosh Prime. Beyond that, beneath the tek dome is a partially ruined but also partially intact Relict city. But the most important thing is the Pori-U-Barsh temple complex, which I was able to activate together with a team of Geckho archaeologists. The complex, like the Un-Tau ice comet is a place where psionics can strengthen their abilities and receive visions revealing the mysteries of the Universe. The complex contains quite a lot of ancient Relict artifacts, and the temple crypts hold the remains of an ancient Relict Hierarch, Kung Mogi-No-No-Mogi the Reality Administrator and her fifteen daughters. Kung Mogi-No-No-Mogi was the one who detonated the star Lubaru during the ancient war, which was what turned the planet into a lifeless desert. I do not have any Mage Diviner or Truth Seeker abilities so, for me, visiting the temple complex is a rare chance to view the lines of the future and receive answers to my questions. I was looking for information about my son, and partially found it. But I had to pay for the knowledge with years of my life, because the location quickly drains lifeforce.”

I pointed at the gray patches on my temples and explained that they were very unusual for a person of my age. So the Pori-U-Barsh complex was certainly a valuable location, but it was also very tricky and getting inside was only worth doing in cases of extreme need. Fortunately, he bought my explanation and didn’t demand any more.

“Okay, Human, you’ve upheld your end of the bargain. Now I will answer your question. Many tongs ago, a Morphian named Maa contacted me and told me about a plan to decapitate the Meleyephatian Horde, replacing all its leaders with Morphians. I did not stand in the way of those plans, and at first allowed the Morphians to take down all my political competitors before the Horde struck back and destroyed the planet of the Morphians along with all its inhabitants. Meleyephatian researchers and torturers used Maa himself to study what Morphians were capable of and subjected him to a great many scientific experiments. I upheld my promise and the Morphian was not killed, but he was first ‘sterilized’ on a cellular level to make certain he would not reproduce. Maa cannot cleave himself like other Morphians and cannot create offspring in the usual way. His only chance of keeping his lineage going is to merge with the cells of young Morphian embryos, and thus ‘fertilize’ them to preserve his genes for future colonies. But the starship which evacuated their embryos was captured by Horde ships and is now being kept in a safe location. I promised Maa the embryos after he killed all other Morphians who had managed to survive. That gave me total control over a perfect hunter, who scoured the entire galaxy of nearly every last Morphian.”

Cruel... I was particularly struck by the fact the Meleyephatians had done such permanent damage to his body in the game that not even an infinite number of deaths and respawns could treat him. That made me decide that I would rather die than surrender and fall into the cruel, tenacious pincers of the Meleyephatians. However...

“All that of course is interesting and informative, but where do I fit in? Why is Kung Maa constantly coming for me?”

“A whole two Morphians were spotted in your circle, Kung of Earth — Kung Vaa and Kung Eesssa. The first the hunter has already eliminated. He just has to get the second now. But that isn’t the whole story. I suspect the Morphian sees your Relict starship and its unique technologies as a chance to obtain highly rare valuables which he can then trade for his precious embryos. My former advisor, though he left his post as Foreign Intelligence Chief voluntarily, has not given up the hunt and is keeping up his end of the bargain. I have answered your question, Human. And now, hurry off to see Georg the First and complete your mission!”

The call cut off, and I was left standing in the Pyramid Contact Hall with Leng Ayni, overwhelmed by the new information and deep in my own thoughts.

Chapter 20. Forming a Psionic Group

I WENT TO THE TALK with Krong Keetsie Myau alone, without my orange tailed assistant. I had nearly mastered Miyelonian, so I no longer needed a translator. Furthermore, the new head of the Relict faction was up to her ears in faction business and, while I was resting in my bunk between important meetings with the leaders of great spacefaring states, she was sitting at her desk with her paws constantly tracing elaborate flowery figures on the big monitor.

As Leng Ayni herself admitted, she had spent four days sorting through cargo logistics data provided by the heads of various nodes, compiling it into a table, calculating optimal supply routes between settlements and army garrisons, and ordering the construction of warehouses and laying of new roads on the virtual Earth. Gerd Mac-Peu Un-Roi my Chief Advisor was not much help to her, seemingly offended by my decision to make her faction head rather than him and “quiet quitting” — doing only the work Leng Ayni Uri-Miayuu asked for specifically and nothing more.

I promised to talk with the Mage Diviner about his childish antics, but Leng Ayni asked me not to just yet. My tailed assistant admitted that administrative work was very much not to her taste, and she wanted painfully to prove to everyone, above all me and Gerd Mac-Peu Un-Roi, that she was capable of more than simply being by the Kung of Earth’s side and serving as translator or keeping his bed warm at night without even being his travelling wife.

“Captain, one day I will retire as head of the Relict Faction and ask you to find me a replacement. But I want to leave with my head held high, not as someone who failed to complete an important mission!”

Over three days of arduous work with minimal breaks for sleeping and eating, the Miyelonian was no less exhausted than I was. I had also learned that Leng Ayni had gone to Gerd Uline Tar and Gerd Jarg the Analyst many times for consultations. The Geckho Trader shed some light on faction trade contracts, while the spiny armadillo was all too eager to help with other issues. With his cheek pouches ballooned out proudly, the Jarg pointed the Miyelonian to weak points in the supply chain, ensured supply of deficit goods, and quickly detected corrupt storage managers or cargo antigrav drivers who were wetting their beaks. Three players in the logistics field had been caught stealing from the faction and were hung on Leng Ayni’s orders then ejected from the Relict Faction. It was cruel, but I was in complete agreement with her on the matter and would have done the same myself.

When it came time to speak with the ruler of the Miyelonian race, Leng Ayni was so tired she could hardly stand, so I ordered her to get some rest.

“But how, she’s the Great One...?” my assistant tried to argue, but I used Psionics. The Miyelonian’s eyes closed, and I set her on a couch, covered her with a blanket, and set off on my own.

* * *

“YOU INTERRUPTED ME while I was choosing an outfit and discussing the details of my marriage ceremony. I hope, Kung Gnat, that this really is something important that you couldn’t put off,” the sole ruler of the Miyelonian race, although she agreed to talk with me long-distance, was clearly in no mood.

“Yes, Great One, it is an important matter, and time really is of the essence. Let me be perfectly frank. I need a group of psionics with experience working together who could provide three million Magic Points in a relatively short timeframe. Krong Keetsie Myau, do you have anyone like that?”

The white Miyelonian flicked her ears and considered it.

“Quite a tall order, Human! Three million Magic Points... That’s just incredible! Let me tell you a secret about my stats. If I gave up eighty-five thousand Magic Points, it would put me at zero. I could find three or four reliable Psionics who have my complete trust and who I would agree to work with. That would get us around another thirty-five thousand mana points. But three million... I’m afraid that won’t be possible. But it all depends on timeframe. How long do we have?”

“It’s hard to say exactly. An ummi, maybe an ummi and a half. Human birthing usually lasts about that long, but my son will be born very premature, so it all might happen much sooner.”

“Ah, so it’s for your son...” Krong Keetsie Myau’s pupils widened, and she straightened up, turning as serious as possible. “Then I see the importance of the issue and would of course agree to help. One ummi or even better one and a half would be at least enough time to refill our Magic Points one time, especially if we took the right medicines in advance. But it still won’t be enough.”

“I’ll also be working full power. My character has forty-seven thousand Magic Points and, counting mana regen, in one ummi I could put up around one hundred thousand points. Leng Soia-Tan La-Varrez and Leng Valeri-Urla will also be helping, and they’ll be able to get another twenty-five thousand or so. We’ll also have a prominent healer, but we will probably be channeling our magic power into her, not using her as part of the mental battery. If you want an explanation, read what I have learned. I have taken down my mental defenses.”

The Miyelonian’s pupils, already expanded, became huge. Her white whiskers stuck straight out. Krong Keetsie Myau spent a very long time in silence, probably three minutes. Then she gave a somewhat off-topic response.

“I just learned more about the Relicts, Precursors and Mechanoids than all Union of Miyelonian Prides scientists over the whole history of my state. Sorry, I happened upon the information in your brain and couldn’t resist. So then, Kung of Earth, you managed to make a miracle as promised. A third path now exists at the fork in the lines of the probable future where it was once either mother or son. The chances are slim and will require a massive investment of energy to complete, but the very fact it exists is a huge success. But I have a different question. I’ll set aside your crude interference into my lifeline for now, but why did you change the fur on my face only starting today, not from my birth?! After all, you could have done that! Do you have any idea, Human, how much mockery, insults and humiliation you could have spared me?!”

Keetsie really dug deep, even reaching knowledge I was in no way planning to share. But I tried not to show it bothered me in tone or body language. Why curse when I allowed a Truth Seeker unfettered access to my brain as a sign of trust?

“I probably could have, but it would have been much harder to change the lines of events like that. Also, if you had spent your life in luxury since early childhood, being pampered by nannies, then you never would have become the Great Krong Keetsie Myau, who overcame innumerable challenges to reach the very pinnacle of power in a huge space government. You’d have been like that... I can’t remember her name, but the other Incarnation of the Great First Female alongside you and the Great Priestess Leng Amiru U-Mayaoo.”

“Are you referring to the head of the Department of Finery, Leng Yava Uri-Maoo?” The Miyelonian gave a restrained smile with the very tips of her lips, but then suddenly burst out laughing. “Are you telling me even other races can tell that she is a mere puppet in the paws of the Great Priestess? Yava Uri really is an Incarnation of the Great First Female and corresponds completely with beauty cannon, but her mind is far from brilliant.”

“And you could have turned out just like her. Just as passive and obedient, a puppet in the hands of other leaders. But ever since childhood, you’ve been learning to overcome challenges, fight for power, and also use all your political and feminine wiles, which in the end made you the sole ruler of a spacefaring race with a citizenry numbering in the trillions. And another thing,” I said with a sad chuckle, “we’d never have met, and would not be talking right now because your race would have already been wiped out by the Composite and Trillians, eradicated from the political map.”

Diplomacy skill increased to level one hundred twenty-four!

Diplomacy skill increased to level one hundred twenty-five!

The smile crept off Krong Keetsie Myau’s snout. The Great One started thinking hard.

“I can only look into the future, not change the past. So it isn’t up to me how that alternate history would have unfolded. Although you may be right, Kung Gnat. In any case, you reminded me that I seriously owe you for saving the capital of the Union of Miyelonian Prides. You also reminded me about Leng Yava Uri-Maoo. And although Yava herself is very weak in terms of psionic abilities, in her circle there are three talented Truth Seekers who know how to work in a link. I will ask her to lend them to me. But even that won’t be enough...”

The snow white Miyelonian stared closely at me and made a cautious guess.

“But you already knew, Human, that I would not find enough mages. And yet you came to me for aid. Why?”

“Yes, Keetsie, I came to you because I believe that only a psionic as powerful as you can lead this group and keep the others under control for the duration of the difficult undertaking. But I found you a mental battery elsewhere.”

Keetsie could not believe me and frowned unhappily.

“It seems to me, Human, that you are underestimating the scale of the problem. We need A LOT of psionics. For a task of this complexity, even a hundred psionics may not suffice. And let me warn you now — although there are many psionics in the Universe, quite a lot of them are unable to work with others in a link. And I would not be willing to share my thoughts with all of them who can perform joint work, which is an inevitability in a job of this length.”

I nodded in silence, showing that I understood perfectly. The Miyelonian looked expectantly at me but saw that I was not joking and in fact was completely serious.

“And just where were you able to find such magic power?” Krong Keetsie Myau asked.

“The Human Empire. Before a fight to the death very nearly broke out between my traveling wife Leng Valeri and Leng Florianna ton Unatari the Truth Seeker, I detected a huge group of psionics all working together to support my wife’s opponent. At least two hundred magic-capable Beta Iseyek, all on the same mental wavelength. Would they not make the perfect mental battery? Plus the White Queen’s very sister Leng Florianna, who is head of the Imperial Psionics Faction, is herself only slightly less powerful than me. I am also counting on help from the Red Queen’s daughter, Crown Princess Leng Deianna royl Mesfelle. She... just don’t laugh, Keetsie, but that little girl honestly terrifies me because I see no limits to her power...”

“Crown Princess Deianna, yes. She could help,” the almighty Miyelonian interrupted, shamelessly reading the information from my head or studying it in the lines of the probable future. “But Leng Florianna I would be hesitant to add to the group. It is not in the interest of the White Queen and her paralyzed sister to allow your son to be born and reinforce Crown Princess Deianna’s position at a detriment to her own children.”

“You know best. After all, you’re the one who can read the lines of the probable future, not me. But we’d have quite a lot of psionics even without Leng Florianna. It is possible that there has never been a tool for magic feats like that ever before in the galaxy. And there may never be one again. It’s a minor issue now. We just have to convince Georg the First to help me, but to do that I... have a couple tricks up my sleeve. So pack your things, white kitty, we’re going to the Empire!”

The Miyelonian gave a clever smirk, and I got the impression it was not such a big surprise to her. And what Krong Keetsie Myau said after that confirmed.

“I have been preparing to pay a visit to Georg the First for some time and was certain it would be taking place soon with your mediation, though I did not know the exact departure time. I didn’t know why you needed Miyelonians with magic abilities, but the group of psionics you were after has long been assembled, trained to work in a group, and will be at the starship’s departure point very soon. One caveat. Kung of Earth, I will not fly on your Di-Pal-Yu 781 cruiser, because it is beneath my status as ruler. Also some of the creatures aboard your ancient starship frankly scare me. The Void alone is too much. So my side will be travelling with one Miyelonian diplomatic ship of a noncombat class no larger than a frigate. I hope you can find her a place beneath the cruiser’s forcefield.”

Chapter 21. Cart Blanche from the Emperor

IT WAS A GOOD THING Krong Keetsie Myau flew on a separate starship because the diplomatic yacht (and she really was not carrying any weapons, though her shields were equivalent in capacity to that of a heavy assault cruiser) carried along with the ruler seventy fully equipped elite First Pride troopers. The weakest among them, if the word weak could ever be applied to the master Miyelonian fighters, was level two hundred twenty. The commander of the bodyguard team was all the way up at the implausible level of three hundred forty! Unbelievably huge for a Miyelonian, the deadly leng-status Brawler was higher level than the Great One herself, and it only took one look at the “space tomcat” in heavy shock armor for my heart to give a painful sting, warning of a potential threat. Scanning revealed that Krong Keetsie’s bodyguard commander was carrying a few ancient artifacts, and so the dangerous Miyelonian was shown on my mini-map in gold.

He had also brought along eight high-level prominent combat mages working together in a mental link. Quite a devastating force capable of draining mana, paralyzing and subduing any player, and even I was no exception. The crew of the yacht was far from common players, as well. Add to that the ruler’s personal team of servants. At first glance, they were regular players of noncombat professions with suspiciously high levels and gerd status at the very least. Still, something was telling me that, if necessary, they could take down any member of my crew in a matter of seconds. I didn’t think Krong Keetsie Myau had any ill intent, but... I was very happy the Miyelonian ruler had opted to travel on a separate ship.

Now my cruiser and escort ships were sitting still next to the Meleyephatian warp beacon in the uninhabited Un-789 system with a dull brown-dwarf class star. There were no planets or resource-rich asteroids in the star system. But there must have been something about the unremarkable system to make it worth installing a warp beacon. A weak point in space allowing a significant reduction in energy expenditure for subspace travel and increased jump distance? Most likely. And although the local warp beacon was now powered down, it did absolutely nothing to stand in the way of the Empire’s starships traveling here from their previous stopover point, which was fifteen parsecs away.

First to arrive were the Imperial scout frigates. That happened over ten ummi ago as the alarmed warp beacon dispatchers, who regarded Kung Gnat as an ally, were all too eager to report. The foreign ships had studied the system and, without even trying to make contact with the terrified dispatchers, placed light beacons in a rough cube shape with approximately twenty-five-thousand-mile sides. After that, some of the frigates stayed to keep constant watch over the area while the other starships moved on. The few Meleyephatian starships next to the warp beacon left the star system or docked at the beacon’s space station to avoid provoking the Empire ships.

Three ummi later, the first Imperial Quasar-class carriers and massive battleships started warping in. A large second wave comprising nearly ten thousand ships came next, half of which had already traveled onward. But now, based on the large unoccupied zone inside the diligently cleared guarded area, Georg the First’s heavy ships were about to arrive, including his flagship God of War. The starships had likely already started their hyperspace jump and, based on the rate the former groups were arriving, God of War was just a matter of minutes from reaching the Un-789 system.

I had not managed to meet with Georg the First at the last stop on their route. Gerd Imran the Arbiter, who was tracking the emperor’s movements on my request, told me that both his and his constant companion Leng Bionica’s markers had started moving then vanished at the exact same time. So we had to bring the Di-Pal-Yu 781 here to the Un-789 system to meet the important figures at the next step in the warp beacon chain. But every cloud had its silver lining — the long wait gave me plenty of time to sleep off the last three days, speak with my pregnant wife after I woke up to reassure her, and instruct the Mage Healer Gerd Lassi-Yana Un-Leto on the difficult task ahead of her. Lassi-Yana felt much better, and although the injuries caused by the Void had not yet healed, she assured me that she was ready to get back to work and finish the most important mission of her life.

“They should be arriving now!” Gerd Ayukh the Navigator said, and at that very second, the Imperial fleet near us in space got a serious reinforcement.

The exterminator God of War. Two huge matte-black Queens... no, a whole three of them! A third Queen arrived three seconds later and, unlike the first two, had no name. Where had they gotten a third supercarrier??? It wasn’t at the recent Empire fleet training sessions! The four newly arrived titans overshadowed all the other ships, but the new wave also contained hundreds of battleships, four massive Mammoths, and an uncountable number of smaller ships.

Eagle Eye skill increased to level one hundred fifty-one!

My cruiser was spotted immediately. Alarms blared, warning that my ship was being scanned with all kinds of systems. They probably would have quickly recognized it — there weren’t all that many ancient Relict cruisers left in the galaxy, particularly ones with the name Di-Pal-Yu 781, which was already known to the Empire’s military. I suspected the emperor was quickly informed that the Kung of Earth was in the star system. And so...

“Ayukh, establish comms link with God of War. I hope Georg the First will not refuse to talk to me.”

Until that point, Imperial combat starships had been completely ignoring all messages sent from my ancient cruiser and escort ships. Just one time, Gerd Tamara Vujek on a standard Imperial frequency got a brief response: “Tamara, greetings, but the commander has ordered radio silence. Sorry.”

Due to the particularities of the Imperial tongue though, it was clear the mass starship movement operation was being conducted by a woman, who could be none other than Imperial Headquarters Chief Leng Nicole ton Savoia. The emperor’s own “feisty bitch,” who enjoyed immeasurable respect from her subordinates for her wealth of combat experience and brilliant tactical abilities. But she was also feared for her unstable mood. I was reminded that Leng Nicole once even threatened to hang me, although she apologized after.

“Comms link established!” second Pilot San-Doon Taki-Bu reported, and the communication screen indeed lit up.

Based on the small number of plates, mugs, and bowls on the table containing fruit, coffee, and pastries, Georg the First was eating breakfast. But crucially, he was dressed in very “homey” fashion. He was wearing a dark blue terrycloth robe, and his hair was wet from a swim. I was somehow accustomed to seeing the great Emperor in opulent ceremonial uniforms with gold epaulettes, combat regalia and his ever-present gold crown. However, one day I had been deemed worthy of a conversation with Georg in less officious circumstances in his flying palace on Tesse and, at that time, the celebrated commander and monarch was dressed even less officially.

The emperor was joined at the breakfast table by three glamorous “prominent” beauties: his legal wife the White Queen Leng Astra royl Veyerde wearing bright pink pajamas with long ears on the hood, the Queen of the Androids and his personal assistant Leng Bionica wearing similar pajamas of a light green shade, and the very Leng Nicole ton Savoia I had just been reminded of. The Headquarters Chief was the only one wearing a stuffy dark blue military uniform and all her medals, so I breathed a sigh of relief — my imagination must have failed me and refused to picture the severe Leng Nicole ton Savoia wearing such silly pajamas and fluffy slippers.

I was surprised they accepted the call at such a bad time. The emperor’s level of trust in me must have been high, and his opinion truly friendly. I bowed and greeted him and his gorgeous companions politely.

“And greetings to you, Gnat,” Georg the First nodded in approximation of a slight bow. “Apologies for my casual appearance, but I wasn’t expecting to meet you in such a remote star system. What brings the Kung of Earth to Meleyephatian space?”

I tried to bring him up to speed quickly, with little nonsense and no unnecessary emotions. My pregnant wife Minn-O La-Fin needed help, there was very little time, and it was proving difficult to find enough mage psionics in my galaxy. I also mentioned that Miyelonian Krong Keetsie Myau had agreed to help, and her ship was accompanying mine on this diplomatic trip.

Diplomacy skill increased to level one hundred twenty-six!

The emperor let me finish, but took his time to respond, seemingly mentally consulting with his ghastly Truth Seeker Leng Florianna.

“Gnat, I’d be happy to help you out but... do you really think I’d take my daughters with me to war? Crown Princess Leng Deianna stayed behind on the Throne World. My youngest daughter is still a child and has school to attend. As for the ‘Beta Iseyek mental battery’ you somehow detected the last time, most of them I also left behind in the Empire. The vast majority of Iseyek have returned to Swarm space and getting them all back in one place in two or three days would be very challenging. My Truth Seeker Florianna took just ten of them with her. Anyhow...”

Georg fell silent midsentence to listen to the White Queen, now hunched over her husband’s ear and whispering something. The emperor’s face instantly lit up.

“I have another idea for where we could find psionics. Or rather two. Number one: the giant Elvinian ship which looks similar to my two supercarriers. It is in essence a flying city with millions of inhabitants joined together into a single hive mind. The mental power of all those minds joined together is simply incredible! When I had that Queen defending me at the Throne World, my psionic abilities surpassed even the Red Queen Miya even though she was essentially an Administrator of the game.”[2]

Danger Sense skill increased to level two hundred nine!

Danger Sense skill increased to level two hundred ten!

Something felt off about the generous offer and, although Georg the First was confident it was the proper solution, it was a move fraught with serious problems. Most likely, trusting the Elvinians with such a delicate issue was a bad choice. Either that or the hive mind considered the birth of my son an existential threat and was planning to cut off that line of the probable future. Or perhaps it was all down to the mental link entailing the sharing of thoughts between the participants in the “mental battery.” With such a massive difference in psionic power, the Elvinian hive mind would be able to drain me and the Miyelonian ruler of all our knowledge and secrets. If the Elvinians found out about the ancient races and their lost technologies, their already powerful and numerous spacefaring race would become too much to handle and pose a threat not only to Georg the First’s Empire, but to the whole galaxy.

So, I asked Georg his second idea, and he was all too eager to continue.

“Nine years ago, my late wife Miya started a Truth Seeker school. Its main branch is currently located on the Throne World. And although they may not have two hundred high level psionics, there are at least one hundred fifty talented students from the entire Empire. Add to that the psionically experienced instructors, most of whom trained with the Red Queen herself. So if the Elvinian option is not to your liking, you could try the Throne World. I do not believe you would be able to find a better place to create your ‘mental battery’ in such a short span of time.”

Georg the First again fell silent and turned to his wife, listening to some new idea from Empress Astra. Seemingly, the monarch was none too fond of what she had to say. Georg the first frowned, but the nearly all-powerful Emperor did not risk arguing with his wife.

“My wife Astra has expressed a desire to go with you to the Throne World. Don’t argue. The White Queen will arrange everything to the highest standard. Our subjects will do everything required with just one word from her. Basically, Kung of Earth, consider this my carte blanche. You may use any resources available on the Throne World, both human and material, to ensure a healthy birth for my Crown Princess Deianna’s future husband! But I cannot give you Florianna. I need my Truth Seeker here along with the Beta Iseyek supporting her with magic power. Sorry.”

Georg royl Inoky ton Mesfelle did not need to apologize. On the contrary. It was like a weight was lifted when I found out the ghastly Florianna ton Unatari would not be among the mages working in our giant mental link. I suspected that the chance of my son Victor being born successfully had just risen a great deal.

“That’s exactly right, Kung Gnat. The chance of a positive outcome has just gone up six times!” Krong Keetsie Myau confirmed, still shamelessly reading my thoughts. The quarter mile between our starships was no obstacle to her.

The emperor then continued his speech, not suspecting we had an eavesdropper.

“You shall return my wife as soon as it’s all over. That will give me time to prepare for the official first meeting with the ‘top kitty’ though I do not know what she is doing here. Ah, as if things weren’t hard enough... She really chose a bad time to come visit. The Miyelonians are not yet in dire enough straits to get their queen talking. Furthermore, you are perfectly aware, Gnat, that I am no big fan of these pompous ceremonial receptions, particularly with members of other spacefaring races. It’s impossible to tell what the aliens are expecting, and far too easy to accidentally offend. If you ask me, it’s much easier and more productive to just have a friendly sit-down with a bottle or two of wine to discuss privately than all the pomp and circumstance...”

I couldn’t hold back the happy smile because the emperor seemed to have no idea what he had just proposed. Keetsie Myau just might agree to private talks but drinking with Miyelonians... was of course an unforgettable experience, but it could take a toll health wise.

“I’ll be sure to tell Krong Keetsie Myau your offer to hold more private talks without any big ceremony,” I bowed to the man on screen. “I will send a shuttle out for the brilliant White Queen straight away! And... thank you, Georg! I have a special gift to give you when I get back from the Throne World.”

Chapter 22. The Red Queen’s Legacy

OUR LANDING ON THE THRONE WORLD produced only a hazy memory — right as the shuttle was descending through the dense atmosphere, Gerd Minn-O La-Fin’s water broke and everyone around flew into mad flurry of action. Gerd Lassi-Yana Un-Leto got straight to work, and she needed a massive amount of mana, which no one in the small shuttle other than me could provide. And although I was downing Miyelonian mana-restoring cocktails nearly by the quart, I was totally drained by the time we touched down, cursing myself for the poor choice of third specialization in the Mysticism skill. Instead of a 15% mana regen speed boost, I was tempted by a specialization called Synergy available only to players with Psionics, Mental Fortitude, and Mysticism over two hundred, which boosted all psionics-related skills while working in groups.

Fortunately, Leng Soia-Tan La-Varrez and Leng Valeri-Urla landed just then to take the baton, followed quickly by the nine Miyelonian psionics headed by Krong Keetsie Myau. My legs giving out, I walked over to the ruler of the Miyelonian race and extended a Subatomically Miniaturized Galaxy Ring conferring a mana capacity bonus and +7 Intelligence.

“Keetsie, not all that long ago you gave me a rare +5 Intelligence ring. I would now like to pay you back with interest. Here you go, this ring is for you!”

Krong Keetsie Myau’s vertical pupils went wide with astonishment when she read the item’s information and realized what an incredibly rare thing I had just gifted her. But she just nodded in silence and got back to work directing energy to the Mage Healer with redoubled efforts because the situation was near critical, and Gerd Lassi-Yana was scarcely able to even keep Gerd Minn-O alive. As far as I could tell from the healer’s garbled explanation, she could sense a very strong counteraction. Krong Keetsie Myau even theorized that someone (and I suspected I knew exactly who) was stopping us from changing the event line from the one most favorable to the fetus to another meaning both mother and child could remain alive.

The second Subatomically Miniaturized Galaxy Ring I gave to Crown Princess Leng Deianna royl Inoky ton Mesfelle, who had flown there straight from her lessons at the elite school. I warned the Red Queen’s underaged daughter that I was not giving her the ring to keep, just for the duration of the emergency operation. But another ring — the same one I had earlier been given by the ruler of the Miyelonians for +5 Intelligence I gifted the crown princess outright, which brought on a storm of sincere delight in the emperor’s little daughter.

Deianna put both of the pretty rings straight on her fingers... and I picked my jaw up off the floor. I thought I would have to help the underaged girl with my Reality Administrator skills because the Subatomically Miniaturized Galaxy Ring had very stringent requirements (level over one hundred fifty, Intelligence over fifty). Deianna’s level was just fine at two hundred seven. But it was only then I realized the Red Queen’s daughter’s Intelligence was also high enough pure. The young, gifted girl really did surpass me in psionic ability, and seemingly by many times! No wonder then that Crown Princess Leng Deianna had such an easy time stopping the fight between the two powerful witches the last time...

* * *

OCCUPYING AN ENTIRE island in an ocean gulf near the Imperial capital, the Truth Seeker School looked like a huge dark-red Egyptian pyramid. It was there that we were conducting the extremely difficult operation to save both Minn-O La-Fin and my son during his birth.

Outside the isolated inner birthing room, a watchful guard team of Beta Iseyek, Humans, and Chameleons was making sure no one came inside. Even I — the mother’s husband — was not allowed to enter the room despite pleading from Minn-O, who I could distinctly sense was in pain and a lot of fear. The security team made an exception only for several of the Throne World’s top obstetricians summoned at the last minute by the White Queen and Gerd Mauu-La Mya-Ssa the Miyelonian Medic (who didn’t actually ask for permission, just pushed his floating implement case inside right past security, who surprisingly just let him in), Gerd Lassi-Yana Un-Leto the Mage Healer and... the White Queen. Yes, Leng Astra royl Veyerde wanted to be present and help out, and none of the security team had the courage to stop her.

We put the whole mental battery in a large dimly lit room outside, clearly intended for meditation or group exercises. Backed by a spotlight-lit red quartzite statue of Miya — Georg the First’s first wife, who was held in high regard at the Truth Seeker School — the Truth Seeker School instructors were seated in a semicircle on the cold stone floor facing the birthing room. Austere women of few words, they all wore identical floor-length black hooded robes and had their heads shaved bald. The instructors were still young women, no older than twenty-five or thirty, but still highly capable psionics accustomed to group work. Their wealth of experience and mastery were palpable, inspiring confidence in everyone else in the room and most importantly, providing a strong stable stream of magic energy into the “general fund.”

Leng Ayni the Miyelonian who was chosen by fate to serve as translator for the diverse team, and also to hand out +1 and +2 Intelligence rings and pendants to every participant, managed to have a chat with the instructors. I didn’t exactly know how the orange Miyelonian earned so much trust from the grim psionic women, but they were answering my tailed companion’s questions. Leng Ayni later told me that the Truth Seeker School instructors were a skeleton crew taken from an old group of students who studied under Miya the Red Queen. Between the pitched mental battles with the previous Emperor’s psionics, the intense fight against the alien hive mind, and the innumerable engagements with Truth Seekers from Empire aristocratic houses, very few had survived. Then came the Red Queen’s failed rebellion against her own husband Crown Prince Georg royl Inoky ton Mesfelle, reducing their numbers even further.[3]

All the Empire’s most senior psionics had perished in that series of conflicts. Ayni pointed me to a row of bronze plaques on the wall with names and dates of death. The Dark Mother, Krista ton Akad (who according to the plaque had lived over six hundred years), Marian Sabati, Veronica ton Taki, Doriana Uvar, Millena Mayer, Svellina ton Aaka, Ramira ton Mesfelle... There were a huge number of memorial plaques, around two hundred and all of them had died eight or nine years before. The most prominent was a large bronze plaque with the name Miya next to the huge red statue. Simply Miya and a death date, no birth date. By all appearances, the time of the Imperial schism and war between Great Houses was one of mass death for Truth Seekers, and the Red Queen was unable to avoid that same tragic fate.

But the once young contingent of the Red Queen’s students who had made it through the crucible of the great war and survived several uncompromising selection processes weeding out the insufficiently skilled or weak of spirit, had become an elite force in the Empire and were now training a new generation of psionically talented young women.

There were truly a lot of students in the room — one hundred fifty girls ranging in age from seven to eighteen, but with very different ability levels. Half had just started training and were like unmolded lumps of clay, scarcely able to control their gift. Around another half were diligent students who already had a certain experience working in groups but were good for little more than providing magic power to stronger mages. But there were also a few standout stars among the students. I was particularly struck by a freckled eight-year-old redhead with a braid poking out of the hood of her black robe. She was truly unique and would go far, with time even surpassing the instructors of her School.

Gerd Aliya ton Miro. Human. Imperial Psionics Faction. Level-79 Truth Seeker.

“Yes, Kung of Earth, I noticed her as well,” Krong Keetsie Myau cut into my thoughts. “Aliya ton Miro is a star, soon to expand into a brilliant supernova. With time, she could be among the top three mages in the Empire, behind only the Red Queen’s daughter and the White Queen’s sister. But for now, her future is unclear. Most likely, she will die in a civil war which has a seventy-four percent chance of breaking out in the Empire in the next three to four tongs.”

“There will be no such thing!” the underaged Crown Princess Deianna objected. “I will not allow a war or schism in the Empire! And though I am just fourth in line to the throne, I will not hesitate to take the crown from my father’s feeble hands when the time comes! The Swarm will stand behind me with its billions of praying mantis soldiers and huge fleet, and none of my elder sisters will be able to stand in my way! Especially with Victor by my side, Earth’s most powerful mage! As for Aliya... either she will become a loyal follower of mine, or she will die before the Empire even splits. I simply cannot allow such a talented mage to join the enemy camp!”

Bold and very daring words. They could cause serious trouble for the girl if her father or adoptive mother found out what she was saying. But Krong Keetsie managed to put up sturdy mental defenses for a select few, so the Great One, myself, Leng Soia-Tan, Leng Valeri-Urla and Crown Princess Deianna were safer than anyone else, even the school’s instructors. And so our group was discussing mentally without particular concern about our thoughts being read by any of the other psionics in the room, whose numbers were growing by the hour — Truth Seekers were coming from all over the planet, summoned by the White Queen.

“I’m nearly dry!” my wayedda warned me and I gave a signal to Gerd Ivan Svyatodukh the Priest and pointed at the Beast Master.

The muscle-bound man in exoskeleton armor, holding a smoking thurible and walking around the big room spreading Intelligence and mana regen bonuses. He took out a barrel, poured viscous red sacramental wine from it into a silver goblet and handed it to Valeri.

“Some for her, too. And her,” I placed markers on two students Krong Keetsie told me were exhausted.

The Priest made it to the first one, pouring wine at the last second into the Truth Seeker School Student’s pale lips as she lost consciousness and, putting an armored glove on her shoulder, refilled her Magic and Endurance Points. Unfortunately, he didn’t make it to the second before she fell onto her side with a groan. Still, she was nowhere near the first to pass out, and probably not the last that day. The guards ran over and carried the unconscious girl out of the room for a break, while the empty spot in the psionics’ ranks was immediately filled by an elderly psionic man from the Empire who had just arrived on the island by high-speed flying vehicle.

Yes, many mystics and psionics from the Throne World had heeded the White Queen’s call. Even subjects from nearby starships and space stations had rushed to help. I also saw Beta Iseyek. The huge creatures, which resembled hunch-backed pill bugs crawled into the room, got a feel for the situation and for some reason crawled straight over to the Miyelonians. The First Pride Troops stopped the newcomers and didn’t let them near their ruler, but the Great One ordered them to let the insects through. The Beta Iseyek provided power to Krong Keetsie’s group, standing behind the tailed Miyelonians sitting on the floor and placing their many arms on the “space cats’“ shoulders.

Krong Keetsie Myau herself was holding out remarkably well, taking white pill after white pill. When I offered the Great One some sacramental wine or Miyelonian cocktail to restore her mana, she first refused saying alcohol made for a bad combination with the more effective substances she was taking. But later, she changed her mind and took a glass.

“Alright! No, not a little goblet,” the white kitty frowned when she saw the wine the Priest poured for her. “I need a lot more than that. I’m down to a tenth of my total mana.”

The priest gave a surprised snort and looked dubiously at me as if to ask if it was alright, then extended the Miyelonian ruler his canteen of brandy. Krong Keetsie drained half of the quart-sized container in a few gulps and pointed a clawed paw at a line of sullen and clearly tired Truth Seeker School instructors.

“Pour them some of that, too and repeat your blessing. If that group gets worn out and has to take a break, the rest of us won’t be able to make up for them.”

“It’s strange, but... there’s been some relief,” I turned to the others.

“Yes, your son finally listened to his mother’s pleading and stopped hampering our work,” the Great Krong Keetsie Myau confirmed.

“Looks like it. That ought to make things easier,” my wayedda Leng Valeri-Urla promised, looking off to the side.

At first, I couldn’t tell what Valeri had in mind, but then I saw the White Queen against the far wall. Empress Astra had changed clothes, utterly unashamed to appear before hundreds of subjects in non-ruler clothing. I just couldn’t believe my eyes. Was she really going to bring out the Dancer outfit? Yes! That was it!

A minute later, the empress emerged in the center of the large hall wearing quite a skimpy partially see-through outfit made of colored ribbons with lots of tiny bells attached to it. I told Gerd Svyatodukh to pour her another goblet of wine. The White Queen’s chameleon bodyguards appeared from invisibility and dipped into the dark red sacramental wine some sort of straw-like contraption, gave simultaneous nods of approval and again disappeared. Empress Astra drained the wine goblet to the bottom and started dancing.

Blessing received. Immunity to exhaustion. Immunity to fear. Regeneration speed for Magic Points increased by 33% (???) Undefined effect (???) Undefined effect. Blessing duration — 1 hour.

The Beast Master was not wrong. Things really had gotten easier, and it felt like the critical part of the operation was behind us. My mana, and that of the Miyelonians who were bearing most of the burden slowly started to regenerate. In addition, more and more fresh faces were joining the psionics in the room all the time, getting straight to work replacing those who needed a break, which gradually became evident.

Leng Ayni finished handing out all the magic jewelry we’d brought along, sat down on the floor next to me and set her big-eared head on my lap. The Listener was very worried for me and my son and, although she had a mana supply, she was missing the group work skill, so there was no way for her to help other than be present and give moral support.

It continued in much the same way for around another half hour when suddenly... It felt like a blindingly bright spotlight shining straight into my eyes in pitch darkness, or the blaring of a train whistle straight into my ear. Only those with a gift for magic could sense it though. And although the effect lasted just a fraction of a second, many sensed it, and started looking around in surprise. Leng Ayni also shuddered, raised her head and was the first person in the hall to say barely audibly:

“The child has been born! You are a father, Kung Gnat! And the mother is alive as well. She’s taken the child into the real world already!”

Half a minute later, the good news was confirmed by Gerd Lassi-Yana and Gerd Mauu-La Mya-Ssa, who emerged from the previously locked room looking completely drained but very proud. Everyone immediately started celebrating — Humans, Miyelonians and Iseyek all hugged and looked sincerely jubilant. The White Queen walked up and congratulated me, even kissed me right on the lips in a burst of pure emotion, which caused a certain bewilderment in my traveling wife Leng Valeri and her personal bodyguards. I suspected the emperor would get a report on the episode and I would have to justify myself, though I could not have been less worried about that at the time.

The head of the Truth Seeker School approached me with warm words. A tall woman of thirty years with a shaved head walked up holding Crown Princess Deianna by the hand and, pointing at the wall and big statue of the Red Queen, told her that the founder of the school would be pleased to see that her students had helped her daughter and facilitated the birth of the man who fate had ordained to be Deianna’s husband.

“Is Miya buried here in the School?” I asked and was told that the Red Queen’s body had been frozen on an order from Georg the First and was being stored intact in the underground labyrinth of the Silver Palace, which was strictly forbidden to outsiders.

The fact Miya’s body still existed was important. Although the potential for someone held in such high esteem by Imperial psionics to come back to life was better kept from her fanatic followers, at least for the time being. I diligently concealed those thoughts even from my companions and Krong Keetsie Myau.

Meanwhile, I received congratulations from Humans, Chameleons and even several kinds of Iseyek I had never met before, responding to all of them with a happy glow. Gerd Mauu-La the ship’s Medic also approached me. He was seemingly about to tell me about the difficult birth and masterful work performed by the obstetricians but found me surrounded by happy crewmembers holding full glasses of wine and asked for a glass.

“Give me a splash, too!” the tired but satisfied Krong Keetsie Myau demanded, and her request was immediately honored.

Keetsie made a toast to the mighty newborn sorcerer and his parents. Then she finished her glass, tried to come closer to me, but found her feet not listening and even asked for help staying on her feet.

“You worked your miracle as promised, Kung of Earth. I have not forgotten my promise either, and will keep my word,” the ruler of the Miyelonian race walked over despite her wobbly state and met eyes with me. “Although the official vassalage announcement will not be made today, and not even any time soon. My people must first be made ready for the political changes. For now, while the buzzing in our heads quiets down and there are still strangers around, there was a question I wanted to ask you. How are you levelling up so unnaturally quickly? I also want to know the nature of the Syam Tro VII refuge where you sent your wife Minn-O with Earth’s most powerful mage in her arms.”

Chapter 23. Those Who Pull at Threads

I DID NOT ANSWER the ruler of the Union of Miyelonian Prides’ question right away. Krong Keetsie Myau was loopy and stumbling from all the drinking — the brandy and sweet sacramental wine made for a very bad combination with the strong Magic Point restoring medicines she had taken earlier. Still, there was no serious risk. Her speedy Miyelonian metabolism, bolstered by her high Constitution score, made her able to process worse than that, so I wasn’t the least bit concerned about my tailed friend’s health. A little sleep and she’d be fresh as a daisy. But now the Great One felt unwell and opted to go back to the shuttle with First Pride troops and return to her diplomatic starship in Throne World orbit.

I also wasn’t too worried about how to answer her questions. How was I levelling so fast? Indeed, just during the time we were in the Truth Seeker School, I had levelled up twice, which seemingly had not been noticed by anyone else. But given the question had come up, she must not have dug deep enough to find out about the six thousand heavy drones under my control. All the better. I would not have been able to lie to such a capable Truth Seeker, but now I could easily skate by with a half-truth. I could say the Reality Administrator skill allowed me to slightly bend the game rules and reinforcing the paper-thin event line I created then directing the real course of history down it had netted me a boatload of experience. Which sounded all the more plausible by virtue of being true.

The Syam Tro VII refuge was tougher. It bothered me that the experienced Miyelonian had dug down to such confidential information in my brain. But maybe that was for the best? After all, the information would have leaked eventually. The surviving Relict base in the real world with hardware that was mostly either completely intact or at least repairable was already quickly being rehabbed. It was a whole planetoid with a huge store of fresh water and breathable atmosphere theoretically capable of traveling through space, possibly even instantly like my cruiser or mobile laboratory. A true flying star city which could sustain a population of tens or even hundreds of thousands of Humans. And that was not in the game, but in the real world! Even I, despite being the owner and sole ruler of the refuge, was not fully aware of its true significance.

Or rather, I had yet to come to grips with all the opportunities the refuge afforded — there wasn’t much to be done on the upper levels with the work terminals. The function set available was just too restricted. All I could do was bring up a map of the hallways and passages between isolated sections, turn on the lights, and start the pumps and air filtration systems. I had also launched the process of turning the stinking algae into a fertile jelly-like mass to nourish a huge hydroponic farm, though seeds and seedlings for it would have to be brought into the refuge with incoming workers. Quite a lot had already been accomplished considering the refuge’s initial state, though the repair brigades still had their work cut out for them.

I was able to establish a safe residential zone on the upper floors with the sulfur filtered out of the air, comfortable sleeping chambers, stocked kitchens and recreation zones and, most importantly, secured against attacks by predatory invar. One particularly well-guarded zone I had cordoned off for myself and my wife Minn-O. It had medical equipment, an oxygen chamber for premature babies, and everything a child could need. Even a crib and lots of toys, though Victor still had some growing up to do before he would need those.

In the process of studying the corridors and clearing them, the repair brigades had found a large amount of unexplained ancient artifacts, weapons, and Relict technology. And though some of it needed repair, some was in working order. The items were interesting on their own merit but studying them could also advance Human science by leaps and bounds. Still I suspected I would be able to find much more interesting and useful stuff in the flying vehicle hangar, which was behind a passage that was slowly being cleared while collapsed stairways were rebuilt, pressurized locked doors were unstuck, and bridges were erected to connect the giant columns of never-ending virt pods.

But even more than the large hangar, which based on data from the terminals, had been used to store Relict flying vehicles, I was interested in the refuge command center, which was deep in the center of the planetoid beneath a quarter mile of water. It would be a great challenge to reach, particularly considering the large number of dangerous invar roaming the water, but I was working on it. The water level was dropping every day, and I had managed to reach an understanding with the intelligent invar by which they would fight off their aggressive savage brethren and drive them to other flooded sectors of the refuge to make specific pools safe for human visits. Or to kill the dangerous ones not wishing to leave that sector if no other option could be found.

If there were no more predatory creatures and the depth came down to a maximum of one hundred feet, I could risk diving in an aqualung. Based on information available to me, after the water-filled area there would be another totally flooded quarter-mile-long corridor and, behind those massive doors, another door which had remained sealed, then dry corridors and stairways leading deeper into the planetoid. There was no lighting there yet, and none of the existing elevators were functioning. However, the deep center had not been flooded and although the hardware down there had powered down for some unknown reason, it all seemed to still be in a workable condition. I was also hoping I could restart the main refuge reactors and gain control over the doors and airlocks in the deep center. And most importantly, from there I could start up the planetoid’s engines and check if the Syam Tro VII refuge could still travel through the Universe.

And if I could pull all that off... Whew! The prospects that could open up took my breath away. I could fly into Earth orbit not in the virtual game, but in the real world. There I could reveal the truth to humanity, pulling back once and for all the shroud of secrets and mysteries various governments had used to conceal the game that bends reality. And even if I found myself not in my usual version of reality, but in the magocratic world, Archmage Gnat La-Fin having a huge steerable planetoid over the heads of the people below would send shockwaves through the world, raising my authority as ruler sky high.

But that would of course just be self-aggrandizement. Studying the Universe though, and the rapid colonization of inhabitable planets (a long list of which I could probably find in the Pyramid’s ocean of knowledge), the expansion of the Human race throughout the stars, and establishing contact with already existing human colonies — those were the most important and necessary steps toward strengthening humankind’s position in space. Also, bringing a massive well-defended planetoid to Composite systems in the real world with such destructive weaponry would be the exact kind of show of force that could bring even the most diehard fanatics to heel, forcing them to realize that the Composite could not possibly win a war against humanity, and their dogged persistence would lead only to total defeat and annihilation.

* * *

I WAS DREAMING TOO big, though... I even had to shake my head to get rid of the daydream and get back to reality. Leng Ayni, Leng Soia-Tan La-Varrez and I were all sitting in a roomy opulent Imperial antigrav patiently waiting for the White Queen to put back on her Empress outfit, finish talking with my wayedda Leng Valeri and finish playing with her white Shadow Panther.

I remembered Georg the First’s instruction to bring Astra back to God of War right after completing the mission to save my wife Minn-O, and I was planning to follow it to a tee. But there was one important factor the fearsome Emperor didn’t consider: his gorgeous young wife was in no rush to get back to her husband on the starship. In fact, the White Queen was happy to have the chance to enjoy herself, show off the beauty of the Throne World to such infrequent guests, and chat with Valeri who she seemed to have made friends with.

A diminutive Elvinian woman Gerd Maoya served as translator for the talks between the Tailaxian and the Empress. She looked like a cute little doll with a human face and body, but just a foot tall and wearing a fancy dark blue dress. If I didn’t know that Elvinians were amorphous shapeless beings capable of assuming different physical forms, I might have thought the Universe had given birth to a civilization of creatures very similar to Humans, or that the Elvinians’ ancestors were somehow related to us. But no, the Elvinian race was closer in nature to Morphians, though they did differ in cell structure.

Also, unlike the individualist Morphians, the Elvinians were a collective species. They constantly maintained mental contact with their compatriots, always coordinating their actions with one another. Anything one of them learned became an asset to the entire race, which made it much easier for Elvinians to learn languages and adapt to Human society. The Elvinians then viewed as the height of progress becoming one with their race’s hive mind — the unified consciousness of millions and millions of individuals inhabiting the third Queen — a huge disk-shaped black starship which was now flying alongside Georg the First’s fleet.

The Elvinians’ ability to maintain mental contact with other members of their kind even at great distances was both a plus and serious minus. As far as I’d heard, quite a few Elvinians lived in Imperial space numbering into the thousands or possibly even millions. Meanwhile, with every passing year, there were more and more Elvinians. They worked as psionic advisors in various corporations and were capable of exposing unscrupulous employees or unreliable partners. They also worked in science laboratories and show business, but the vast majority of Elvinians preferred to serve as nannies to Human children. As living dolls capable of taking whatever form pleased the child, playing games, and teaching, children simply adored them. In all the years they’d been doing it, not a single instance of aggression or inappropriate behavior had been reported, so even the Imperial citizens who were initially skeptical of the arrangement gradually came around.

But those in the Imperial Military or high ranks of government were forbidden from keeping Elvinians in order to avoid espionage and leaks of secret information. But either an exception was made for the White Queen in Imperial law, or Astra had no clearance for state secrets, but her cute little “doll” went with her everywhere and none of the empress’ numerous and watchful security staff tried to stop it.

When I asked the high-level prominent Chameleon assigned to guard me about that, he first looked confused because he was invisible and didn’t expect me to know he was there, but then responded.

“Kung Gnat, Gerd Maoya the Elvinian is not only her race’s emissary, she is also a close friend of the White Queen who she trusts completely. Maoya is a legendary figure. She is the Elvinian who eight years ago helped secure peace between the Empire and her kind, putting an end to many years of bloodshed. Maoya served as nanny to the emperor’s two sons, and both crown princes are very fond of her. She is an assistant and trusted advisor, nearly a member of the emperor’s family, and would not so easily sacrifice her high position and good relationship with the emperor’s wife and children for the sake of espionage. Anyhow, the Empire’s Elvinian residents are subject to regular checks, including by Truth Seekers. Yes, some Elvinians have been caught spying on Humans, but not Maoya. She is above that and values the trust placed in her.”

Woah... That made me look at the cute little doll completely differently and a lot more closely. Just then, the White Queen walked up to the antigrav with her in her hands, having finished changing clothes. I even tried to cautiously probe Maoya’s thoughts. And although I thought my attention would go unnoticed because the little doll’s gerd status implied the defenses wouldn’t be too serious, the Elvinian reacted instantly, unfailingly determining where the attack came from and turned her tiny doll head toward me.

Danger Sense skill increased to level two hundred eleven!

Apparently, Gerd Maoya was not only equipped with a high Mental Defense level, she also had the “Detect source of threat instantly” perk to Danger Sense like my character. I also heard a voice in my head like the peal of silver bells.

“You shouldn’t do that, Human! Fighting with the Elvinians is dangerous, particularly in your case. Kung of Earth, you are on very shaky ground. The emperor has not yet made up his mind about what to do with you and your planet. And in many ways, what the White Queen tells her husband will depend on me, and Georg the First tends to agree with his wife.”

“So the Empire’s foreign policy is to a large extent controlled by the Elvinians?” I risked asking the unusual woman directly.

“Yes, and it doesn’t end there. We determine internal politics, as well. I’m exaggerating of course, but there is a certain share of truth in it. The Elvinians have enough influence to have your delegation expelled from Empire space or even have your planet destroyed. However, we are not enemies of Earth or Tailax, and have no aggressive plans for humankind. We are merely watching to make sure such a fearsome military force will not turn against our race. So relax, have fun, and enjoy all the sights the Throne World has to offer. You can even hit on the emperor’s older daughters. I assure you they will not be opposed. You could even risk flirting with Astra, though that could lead to trouble. But let me repeat, you should stay out of the Elvinians’ business, Kung Gnat! Its more trouble than its worth!”

Chapter 24. Weak Positions. Or are They?

ON ADVICE FROM MAGE DIVINER Mac-Peu Un-Roi, I decided to announce the birth of my son and heir to the ancient La-Fin Dynasty to the citizens of the First Directory myself along with a three-day holiday to honor the occasion. My Chief Advisor was being abnormally quiet today and when we talked long-distance, I detected surprise and respect in his voice and eyes. In fact, it was more than respect. It was a mixture of elation, admiration, and subservience. For the first time in our relationship, Mac-Peu saw Gnat as more than a lucky daredevil who would constitute a “link in the chain” of the ancient La-Fin dynasty, a placeholder until his TRUE master could be born and come of age. The Mage Diviner saw something that seriously frightened him and simultaneously inspired admiration. Most importantly, it forced him to drastically reconsider his opinion on the Kung of Earth. I suspected he now saw a chance to change the lines of the probable future and create completely new events in situations he had studied in great depth and written off completely.

We decided to make the broadcast direct from the game that bends reality from virtual Earth orbit in the still unfinished orbital complex. For that, we brought the Di-Pal-Yu 781 from the Empire to my homeworld along with all escort ships. And although my face was looking a bit tired after the previous day’s challenging work, alcohol consumption and the exhausting eight-hour tour of the Throne World’s Silver Palace, professional make-up artists gave me a three-layer “spackling,” styled my hair and selected my backdrop and lighting carefully.

My Chief Advisor and I discussed the Kung of Earth making a joint broadcast with the almighty ruler of the Union of Miyelonian Prides, and the gorgeous Empress Astra. But Krong Keetsie Myau exited the game and had not yet reappeared. The White Queen meanwhile was tired from dancing and showing us the beauty of the Throne World, so she was sleeping in a bunk on the ancient cruiser protected by her bodyguards. Five invisible Chameleons, three Humans in heavy shock armor and a high-level prominent transparent Alpha Iseyek were maintaining a perimeter outside their master’s bunk, not letting anyone through. So I made my speech to the magocratic citizens alone.

Decked out in the regalia of a La-Fin Dynasty Archmage, I held a magic staff in my right hand and stood at a half-turn to a huge wall-length window. I looked out at the blue and white cloud-covered planet, the large number of space shuttles zooming around outside, and the Fleet of Earth behind, headed by the massive battleship Bride of Chaos. In a calm, confident voice, I told the people of the First Directory of the magocratic world that my son had been born, his mother was in good health, and the almighty ancient La-Fin Dynasty would continue before detailing my accomplishments over the last few days and my grand plans for the future.

The people were eager to hear my speech. My Authority went up a whole three points over the twenty-minute speech, taking it to one hundred seventy-nine. My Diplomacy, Mental Fortitude, and even Astrolinguistics skills also went up. My Fame though did not change — there was no one left on the virtual planet who had not heard of the Kung of Earth.

Before I could finish the speech, the first reactions started coming in. First to congratulate me was Second Directory ruler Leng Ui-Taka. The celebrated strategist told me that naming the child Victor, meaning “winner,” corresponded with the name of his dynasty of career soldiers, Ui-Taka, and he saw that as a sign from destiny. The huge muscular military man went down on one knee with dignity and, clenching his right fist to his chest near his heart, swore allegiance to my newborn son. Not to me — the general considered me just a good friend and technically his boss — but to a tiny newborn child not even two days old. Leng Ui-Taka said the Second Directory had followed the First in announcing a three-day celebration of the Kung of Earth’s newborn son. The celebrated general also promised a special gift for my son, though he didn’t elaborate.

Before I could finish talking with Leng Ui-Taka, congratulations came in from the Quantum of Mathematicians — the official name of the Jarg planet’s government. My speech to the magocratic world, it turned out, was being watched in the hotel at Earth’s spaceport by the crews of ten or so starships who had flown in from far away, as well as the ambassadors of several space governments who lived on Earth. Some hurried to inform their homeworlds that the Kung of Earth’s son had been born, and so my space neighbors were already aware of my family celebration.

I was congratulated by a brand new Cleopian ruler, who had come to power one day before by killing the last ruler, who I was just warming up to and had negotiated the alliance with. The ruler of Serpea and its Inhabited Rings congratulated me on the birth of my heir, promised to maintain the alliance with Earth and told me he regarded his “friend the Kung of Earth” with all due respect. He also wanted me to know that his predecessor’s brain cells had been scooped out, and his body added to the garden of living figures.

Then came messages from the Crystallids, deputies from my new magocratic world parliament, and directory rulers... The one who went farthest was the young ruler of the Ninth Directory, the eight-year-old magess Gerd Vari-E La-Myata, who sent a marriage proposal for my newborn son in exchange for all her territory both in the real and virtual worlds, also offering up the Ninth Directory to the First, and asking if the La-Myata Faction could join the Relict. It sounded great, of course, but I had other political plans. And the Red Queen’s daughter Crown Princess Deianna royl Georg ton Mesfelle would not have understood me deviating from them. So I summoned Relict Faction diplomat Leng Thomas Müller, who was already on the space station.

“Find out what’s going on in the Ninth Directory. An eight-year-old child cannot possibly have the right to make such serious political decisions. She must have an adult caretaker or even a fully-fledged regency council. Find out if they know what their underaged ward has been up to. But if the issue is already agreed upon with them...” I spent a few seconds considering it, then made a decision. “It would be foolish not to accept such a serious boost to the Relict Faction. But let’s say instead of official wife status, offer the underage ruler the role of Victor’s wayedda with all accompanying privileges and obligations. I would agree to take her on as a round-the-clock nanny for the baby. Have her care for and raise her master. Then Victor can decide what to do with his ‘travelling wife’ when he gets older.”

“What if the Ninth Directory refuses?” the Diplomat clarified. “There is after all a huge difference in status between that of wife, travelling wife, and nanny to a baby.”

“I see a subtext in their proposal. The little-known house La-Myata wishes to marry into the La-Fin dynasty, which is rapidly gaining power and, in exchange for territory, receive patronage and protection while also raising their profile among the dynasties of the magocratic world. If that is so, we will find another groom for their princess from my wife Minn-O’s numerous family or vassal houses. Or, as another option...” I turned to my faction Diplomat and gave a clever smile. “Your son is around that age, isn’t he Thomas?”

“I have two sons, Kung Gnat. The older one is ten, and the younger is four.”

“The younger one is too little, but I think the older one would make a fine candidate. Introduce him to the Ninth Directory princess. Maybe they’ll be interested in one another. Us adults then can iron out the details. The regency council will convince the princess to abide by tradition and marry someone from outside a house of mage rulers. Your son would be well positioned.”

I could see that Leng Thomas Müller was hesitating. Was he not sure his son would want to bind his fate to a princess from the parallel magocratic world? I asked directly and found that the problem was something else entirely. My Diplomat thought that the ancient La-Myata dynasty of mage rulers would have no interest in a common German from another world who worked for a long time as an unremarkable translator in an embassy and his little son.

“What the heck, Thomas?! You are a famous and respected person in the Kung of Earth’s inner circle. Your position and status make you easily equivalent to a Directory leader. Five developed nodes on the big continent of the virtual planet in gratitude for loyal service from the Kung of Earth will add political weight to your family. You also have as many crystals as almost the entire La-Myata Faction. Your son is a great match for the underage princess from every angle. Her regents or caretakers will not refuse. In the end, the Ninth Directory will join the First and become your hereditary lands. House La-Myata will gain the patronage of the Kung of Earth like they want, along with a fame boost and an extra seat on the Council of Mage Rulers.”

“Thank you, my kung!” the German diplomat said with a low bow. “I will immediately inform the La-Myatas of this proposal and try to convince the underage princess’ regents of its benefits.”

The rest of my conversation with the Diplomat was interrupted by a call from the cruiser. Starship Pilot Gerd Zheltov wanted to tell me that Miyelonian ruler Krong Keetsie Myau had entered the game and was very upset to find her diplomatic yacht transported without Miyelonian permission from Georg the First’s Empire to an entirely different sector of the galaxy at planet Earth.

“Problems with the Miyelonians?” the Diplomat asked, alarmed by what he’d heard. But I reassured Leng Thomas Müller, saying Earth’s relationship with Krong Keetsie Myau and her tailed kind had never been better.

I asked for a message to be sent to the Miyelonian diplomatic ship saying we did it because we were waiting for the Great One to come back into the game before returning to Georg the First because it would be improper to hold the highly important talks without her. But we were ready to warp and, as soon as I came back to the cruiser, all ships would be continuing to the next point in the Meleyephatian warp beacon chain where we would cross paths with Georg the First. Krong Keetsie Myau then I asked to make up her mind before we set off. Did the Great One want to have this meeting with the emperor officially, opulently, and pompously to demonstrate to the Humans of the Empire a large flashy Miyelonian delegation, boosting her Fame and Authority as ruler? Or did Keetsie wish to hold an informal meeting with a select group, making it easier to discuss possible issues and make for a more productive conversation.

She sent her response a minute later:

“Gnat, I have already risen to krong rank, so more Authority and Fame are worth nothing to me. I expect specific steps and political decisions from the meeting with the almighty Georg toward the defense of my race, so pomp is entirely useless here. I need nothing but the end result. So it’s best to hold an informal meeting with a select group. I say we limit it to two representatives each from the Empire, the Miyelonians, and Earth. However, I would also agree to any other format. You can tell Georg the First just that. I’ll send details in my second message.”

After that came an encrypted message that could only be opened by me.

“I never told you this before, Gnat my friend, but the situation in space is coming together disastrously for the Miyelonians. The Trillian Kingdom is capturing Union of Miyelonian Prides systems without resistance, and we simply have nothing that can stand up to their combat fleet. The few starships we have left after the recent slaughter are all in the Urmi capital system, and our recon data suggests the Composite is preparing to strike there again. The Miyelonians have plenty of experienced crews, we just don’t have enough ships. Our docks are working at top speed to repair damaged vessels and build new ones, but it still won’t be enough. The Union of Miyelonian Prides desperately needs starships of any kind if we are to survive, and I am prepared to purchase everything currently in stock and soon to be produced at the Empires docks for essentially any price. If I can obtain from the emperor a promise to defend my kind, I would be willing to consider any possibility even if it requires us to give up core Miyelonian territory or put up my tail as a guarantee.

“There, now you know my extremely weak position before the highly important negotiations. And Kung of Earth, it would be in your best interest to support me in the talks with Georg the First in order to help the Union of Miyelonian Prides keep as much of its territory as possible because we will eventually become your vassal.”

As soon as I read the second message, it self-destructed, leaving me completely bewildered and in a deep state of thought. Was Krong Keetsie Myau really in such a desperate position or was she exaggerating for some reason? Even if the danger was real, why would the Great One admit to being powerless and weaken her position before important negotiations? Or had the highly experienced politician found exactly which of my heartstrings to pluck, and was now masterfully playing them to gain support from the Kung of Earth in the talks with the emperor? Or was the clever kitty perhaps wanting me to butt heads with Georg and create a split between us so we wouldn’t form a united front during the talks by telling me that each Human kung was essentially promised Miyelonian territory, and now we were going to see which one had more to offer them?

Chapter 25. Professional Vivisector and Ancient Horror

REALITY MADE SOME ROUGH ADJUSTMENTS to our plans. The Di-Pal-Yu 781 appeared in the Meleyephatian Anu-88 star system and the combat alert immediately sounded. I hurried to the captain’s bridge and, along with the crewmembers on shift, saw a debris field, hundreds of thousands of drones darting around in space and the fearsome Imperial fleet getting into combat formation. The background radiation in space was also severely elevated, which meant either nuclear or antimatter munitions had recently been used. The biggest surprise was that there was no warp beacon in the system, and the twisted metal wreckage of the Meleyephatian space station was drifting through space just where it once was. My first thought was that the Empire for some reason had broken the peace treaty and gotten into a fight with the Meleyephatians. But we ran a scan with the ship systems and determined that some of the ships and wreckage were of Composite origin. Another side must have been involved.

Eagle Eye skill increased to level one hundred fifty-three!

Scanning skill increased to level one hundred forty-two!

My ship immediately drew attention away from the Imperial interceptors. No less than three hundred nimble small ships came dashing our direction. But they quickly turned away, clearly having received an order to that effect from an Empire tactics officer or perhaps even Georg the First himself. At the very least, the emperor reached out personally just a minute later.

“Kung of Earth, you missed out on all the fun. It was over too soon.”

“What even happened here?” I said, unable to hide my surprise.

“We’re lost in guesses ourselves. But it looks very much like the Composite was trying to halt my ships’ progress. Small interceptors in three chains of forty starships attacked and destroyed the beacon even though it was inactive. After that, they tried to approach my fleet, but our well-practiced ‘flyswatter’ tactic splatted all the enemy Deros and Sighis in just a few seconds. They tried launching bombs at us from invisibility, but we had a suspicious area covered with a destabilization field and revealed several cloakers. I ordered the pilots taken alive. If you want to join me for the interrogation, hurry to the Mammoth-11. That’s where the prisoners from the ships were brought. After that, I will be waiting on God of War. Have the ruler of the kitties join us, too. We have issues to discuss.”

So, the Humans and Meleyephatians were not at war. I breathed a sigh of relief. Just then, reinforcements arrived in space — another portion of the huge Imperial armada had just arrived, as well as the gigantic Elvinian supercarrier accompanied by several thousand starships of various classes. Kung Georg immediately signed off. He must have needed to speak with his allies. I meanwhile turned on the ship’s loudspeaker.

“We have been given an opportunity to help interrogate Composite pilots. It would be foolish to refuse. We might learn a lot about our enemies. The shuttle will be piloted by Gerd Imran. I will also take one of the Relicts. I want the Composite to see their creators with their own eyes and see how serious this really is. Maybe we’ll find new things to discuss. I’ll also be bringing Leng Soia-Tan La-Varrez the Investigator. This is just her kind of thing... Uhh... Where is our little sorceress?”

I actually couldn’t see my ward’s marker on the mini-map. Had she exited the game in a yellow zone next to the unfinished station in Earth orbit because her body disappeared? By the way, I also didn’t see Gerd Tini’s marker. And no one in the crew had any idea if the two adolescents were even aboard when we left Earth orbit, as if some delusion came over all of them at the same time. Not even the ship’s AI could answer despite the fact that Paa Um-Um Paa normally knew everything that happened on the cruiser.

Usually, before taking off, I ran a monitoring scan to make sure all crew members were aboard and no stowaways had snuck on, which was particularly relevant now that I had a Morphian after me. But this time, I had for some reason skipped the procedure. Did I forget? Or was forgetfulness not part of it, and some experienced psionic was making very slight adjustments to my behavior? And meanwhile, it had to be someone very close who had worked in a mental link with me multiple times so my defenses wouldn’t stop them from digging around.

My heart stung with a presentiment of trouble. No, my Danger Sense skill had not kicked in. It was just life experience crying out that something was going on. Accompanied by Gerd Uline-Tar and Leng Ayni, I rushed to my wards’ bunk and unlocked the door with the captain’s key-crystal.

Nothing. Beds made neatly. Clothing dresser empty. Backpacks and light spacesuits missing. On the table, which was normally a complete mess, I saw only Tini’s tablet with the screen on and a message written in sweeping Miyelonian handwriting:

“Master Gnat, I am going after my childhood friend. She is in trouble. Sister Soia-Tan agreed to help and go with me to Gilvar Syndicate space, which we cannot visit on our ship. So we will try to stay anonymous and discreet.”

* * *

“THOSE UNDERAGE IDIOTS! But... They pulled it off with such skill!”

My feelings were actually quite mixed. I was mad at their blatant stupidity, which had probably sent them head-first into a trap. I just couldn’t believe it was random chance that my youngest and most trusting crew members had been summoned to enemy space just before my war with the Gilvar Syndicate. But along with that, I found myself admiring Tini and Soia-Tan for deceiving all the video cameras and intricate security sensors at the ship exit while also distracting security staff and crew, including the captain himself.

“Uline, get on a long-distance call with Earth’s spaceport dispatchers. Find out which passenger liners took off recently from the spaceport or space station, and where they were headed. I also need a list of every starship that took off in the last quarter hour, including transporters and automated shuttles.”

“Captain, do you think Tini and Soia-Tan were able to leave Earth already?” Uline asked with doubt in her voice.

“I will be very disappointed if both of them are currently seated in the spaceport’s waiting room working out how to get tickets. No, they must have thought this all through in advance. When my wards left that message,” I pointed to the tablet on the table, “they were absolutely certain I would no longer be able to stop them from leaving the Solar System.”

Gerd Uline Tar nodded and went to carry out the order. I meanwhile thought about the fourth crew member I could take along on the small shuttle to the Mammoth-11. My tailed translator Leng Ayni and wayedda Leng Valeri-Urla volunteered, but I turned them both down. The procedure I was going to was most likely going to be cruel and bloody, involving torture of an opponent who would not be too eager to give up information. And although the Miyelonian didn’t argue, the Tailaxian tried to assure me that interrogations didn’t scare her at all, and the Kung of Earth might end up needing additional magic support.

“Valeri, I have a more important mission only you can take on. The White Queen has been resting for a long time and might wake up at any moment. Knowing her childish nature firsthand, Astra will want to fly off to join her husband regardless of the battle going on in the star system and the obvious danger. We cannot restrain her by force. That would spill over into a conflict with the Empress’ bodyguards and lead to unpredictable consequences. So figure out some ways to distract the White Queen and keep her from doing anything rash. Best of all would be to suggest you paint something together. Astra loves that. Or think up something else fun.”

The Beast Master puffed her lips in dismay and looked at me dubiously as if making up her mind about whether I was mocking her or not. I had to convince my traveling wife she had been given a critical task.

“Look, here on the impenetrable ancient cruiser, Astra is safe. Also, Georg the First will have us drawn and quartered if so much as a hair on his beloved wife’s head gets hurt. Plus, you’re friendly with the White Queen and Leng Astra will be happy to spend time with you. Do some painting, chat, or play with your panther. You could even take the White Queen on a little tour of our cruiser. After the incident with Gerd Lassi-Yana, I set the automatic doors to make it so you can’t get into the dangerous sectors, and you won’t accidentally stumble upon the Void, guard drones, or Relicts. I’d bet anything that the White Queen would not say no to that. Or rather, Astra probably will not be interested at all, but her Elvinian doll will find the words to make her master agree to a tour.”

Diplomacy skill increased to level one hundred twenty-nine!

Leng Valeri-Urla instantly tensed up like a predator that just caught scent of prey.

“Do you think we have a spy on the ship? I am sure you are mistaken, husband. I spent a long time speaking with Maoya the tiny little woman. She is a good friend of the White Queen, but nothing more. By the way, Maoya said I could have a little Elvinian friend to go with me everywhere and keep me entertained, as well...”

“No! Over my dead body!” I threw out sharply, and Valeri turned serious.

“You’re scaring me, my husband. Okay, I’ll try to talk with the doll and give her a thorough mental probing...”

“Absolutely not! Maoya is very well protected mentally. Even I was unable to break through her defenses. And now that there’s a huge Elvinian supercarrier in the star system carrying their unified hive mind, it’s pointless to even try. Just offer to take the White Queen on a tour, and we’ll see how her doll reacts.”

“Alright, husband, I’ll do just that. But still I think you’re wrong to assume the worst about the Elvinians. And so, given you said you would bet ‘anything’ that Maoya would demand a tour of the ship, how about we bet one wish? If I’m right, you have to let me have an Elvinian companion. If you’re right... you can think of a wish from me. Men always want ‘a little something-something’ from women, and I will fulfill your every desire.”

Leng Ayni gave an unhappy frown but said nothing. She took a principled stand against getting in between her captain and his wayedda, and always left my cabin delicately as soon as Valeri came in at night. Our conversation was interrupted by a message from the Miyelonian diplomatic ship. Krong Keetsie Myau wanted to know what was happening and why there was Composite ship wreckage in the system. I gave a detailed response about the destruction of the warp beacon and invitation from Georg the First to negotiate. At the same time, I didn’t hide the imprisoned Composite pilots and the chance to take part in their questioning. A new message came in almost instantly:

“It would be a big favor, Gnat my friend, if you could take a Truth Seeker from my group along to the questioning, Leng Tioo Otee-Paw. And on the contrary, I would be very angry if you refuse me that favor. You have seen her before in the Truth Seeker School, she’s a highly experienced Miyelonian psionic and will not let you down.”

Yes, I remembered the Miyelonian from when we formed a mental battery together. Small, unremarkable and gray, she had just one lone white spot on her snout. Inexpressive light eyes, and no piercings in her ears, which was very strange for Miyelonians. She was sickly thin and somehow always sad, as if she hadn’t been fed or shown affection in a very long time. She was special? I turned to the orange Ayni standing next to me and asked what she thought about Tioo Otee-Paw, who the leader of the Miyelonian race was advising me to take along to the Mammoth-11. Leng Ayni gave a predatory smirk, showing her sharp little teeth and gave a detailed response that her captain still knew very little of Miyelonian society despite having a young, pretty Miyelonian woman living in his very bunk who was eager to answer any and all questions with complete honesty. And who would give him “a little something-something” and fulfill his every wish without a second thought.

“Can you tell me straight without all the padding?” I interrupted my orange friend, ignoring the last part on principle.

“To put it straight, Leng Tioo Otee-Paw is the Great Priestess Leng Amiru U-Mayaoo’s in-house executioner. She is also an investigator who cannot be escaped by exiting the game, and from whom nothing can be hidden!”

* * *

THINGS HAD NOT YET totally quieted down in space. There were still cloaked Composite frigates darting around nearby, one even tried to launch a gravity bomb at my cruiser, which was separated from the rest of the fleet. But it got shot down together with the bomb by my escort ships, Gunners Gerd Ukh-Meemeesh and Taik Rekh, and Ami Yavi-Yavi Ami the Devastator. Nevertheless, the four of us on the shuttle made it to the huge Mammoth-11 mothership without incident, and they opened the dock to let us in.

There were three prisoners. They had all been decoupled from their small starships, pumped full of drugs and placed into electric force cages. Imperial technicians had already cut the dangerous turrets off their shells and removed the strange spines that blocked psionic control as well. Some chameleons had seriously disfigured one of the pilots before we arrived, cutting out part of its shell and sticking electrodes into the wound, which gushed with transparent slime. Still, the composite Vahe-Gukko creature’s resistance had not been broken, and the pilot was refusing to talk to his tormentors or answer any questions.

“He’s all yours, Kung Gnat,” the Chameleons and Humans wearing white rubberized robes walked away from the maimed pilot, admitting their impotence. “We were told that you have conversed with them before and gotten information.”

I told the Miyelonian to work her magic.

“Not on this one,” the Truth Seeker didn’t even approach that prisoner, instead choosing another: “The level-190 Scout-Parasite the cruel torturers haven’t gotten to yet.”

As I feared, watching the little Truth Seeker at work was a truly shocking sight to behold. The Miyelonian took a drill from her small case and quickly and professionally made a few holes in the shell, sticking a flanged needle deep into each of them with a blinking red bulb on the other end. As far as I could tell from Scanning, the Miyelonian had somehow identified the largest nerve bundles beneath the space mollusk’s shell and poked into them.

After that, it came time for caustic chemicals. And then, psionics: an induced state of terror, hopelessness, and total desperation. Finally, the Truth Seeker used a vibration cutter to slice off a large piece of shell, examined the pale blue flesh curiously, but did nothing. Instead, Leng Tioo Otee-Paw carefully packed the tools into her case and walked away.

“Kung Gnat, you may do as you like. He cannot exit the game now. His will has been broken, and he is cooperative. But move fast. He will die in a quarter ummi and... I cannot tell why, but it doesn’t seem like he will reappear in the real world.”

“Hierarch, that is a defense mechanism, a reaction to their body being separated from its ship or their dual minds being split,” the Slider replied with a respectful bow when I asked my Relict companion about it. “The Composite is just an artificially generated flesh which can be produced in any quantity, built into combat starships or ground hardware, and sent out against truly serious opponents. And if the Composite pilot is separated from his ship, or the Vahe-Gukko dual mind is split, the situation must have gone beyond what was intended, and the creature must die immediately to avoid revealing any secrets. They cannot respawn because it isn’t hard to produce more flesh, but secret information leaking could come at a high cost.”

Cruel... But such is war. The ancient conflict lasted for many long millenia and touched a large number of galaxies. Defeat in that all-out war spelled annihilation for the losing civilization, so the stakes were high as could be and no method was off limits. Still, we hadn’t come far from those ghastly times. I looked at the Imperial torturers and the unremarkable gray Miyelonian Leng Tioo Otee-Paw, who were perfectly willing to maim and inflict maximum pain. I was reminded of a few things I had done that went far beyond the bounds of what most considered moral or legal. With Earth’s very existence on the line, as well as that of several spacefaring races, I could not afford moral standards or laws. Victory at all costs, just like tens of thousands of years before.

I thanked the Slider for the useful information and tried to make mental contact with the Composite pilot. And he answered. On a backdrop of extremely intense pain and complete despair, I read fragmentary thoughts, and readiness to answer any question just to make the pain stop. On top of that... it was very strange, but the prisoner was not afraid of me, or Leng Tioo Otee-Paw. The mollusk was staring only at the Relict with all its stalk eyes. And meanwhile the Scout-Parasite’s body was trembling and pulsating in horror. Very interesting... I offered to let Slider Gerd Veni O-O Urg conduct the questioning along with me, particularly given the prisoner understood the ancient Relict tongue.

The Slider walked over eagerly and stared at the intelligent mollusk with her huge eyes.

“Do you know what I am?”

“One of the ancient creators. A master with no knowledge of mercy or pity. The great prophet Kung Var-O-O predicted that one day the Relict would return to exact their cruel punishment upon our race.”

“So, you do. And now, your answers are going to define whether the Relict Pyramid’s rage will extend only to the pilots who dared wage this war, or all the way to the extermination of the Vahe-Gukko race.”

“Yes, master. We underestimated our ancient masters. For two hundred seventeen tongs, the Vahe-Gukko have been preparing for your arrival, amassing forces, creating powerful weapons, and constructing a military fleet. But your power is still immeasurably higher. I will answer your every question honestly to save my kind.”

The surprising obedience made for a sharp contrast with the stubbornness of the pilots and their willingness to tolerate any and all torture. I guessed that this might not only have been due to the Miyelonian Truth Seeker’s mastery, drugs and shock from pain. The Relicts had genetically engineered the artificial Vahe-Gukko race to fear their creators to the point of superstition, forcing them to obey. The tens of thousands of intervening years had loosened their slave shackles, but only a bit. Fifteen hundred years ago, a descendant of the former slaves even openly declared the need to prepare to fight for independence because their ancient masters would surely return. But the Vahe-Gukko were unable to shed their shackles entirely even though they had tried all sorts of methods over the last few millenia.

I saw in the obedient pilot’s mind that he like all other Vahe-Gukko had been trained for a potential encounter with the cruel ancient creators of his race. They practiced, underwent psychological tempering, and learned to resist the pull of the “slave’s chain.” Thousands upon thousands of times they had been forced to fire upon holographic targets that looked like Relicts, then do the same at Relict starships from ship cannons until their reaction to the ancient evil became muscle memory. So under normal circumstances, the pilot would probably not have succumbed. But now, weakened by torture, he relented and could not resist.

“Hierarch Gnat, these ones are also prepared to cooperate without any of the crude preparations by the tailed vivisector,” the Slider pointed a few upper appendages at the two other prisoners, who were also looking on with horror from their energy cages.

And so it went. All three of the pilots, their willpower suppressed by drugs before we arrived, completely wimped out when they first saw a living Relict and were tripping over each other to answer her questions, so information about the once mysterious Composite invaders was now pouring in.

Chapter 26. Tough Negotiations (part one)

“SO, THEY’RE VASSALS in rebellion who want to break free from their creators’ yoke?” Georg the First, wearing an opulent blue military uniform with gold epaulettes was standing at a huge, armored window watching the starships in his armada regroup.

I was getting the impression that the news about the Composite was no surprise to the emperor, and Kung Georg’s very next words confirmed that.

“My advisors considered that. It doesn’t change a thing. But the Composite committed a grave error when they attacked the Empire. War has been declared, and although the Trillians remain the primary objective of the campaign, this fleet has enough forces to turn on them as well.”

“I assume, Emperor, that you were already aware your fleet was going to encounter the Composite,” Krong Keetsie Myau spoke up, sitting in an opulent armchair looking majestic in a shimmering pure white dress and diamond diadem. “Otherwise, you wouldn’t have brought such an overpowered force to deal with the Trillians alone.”

Leng Ayni Uri-Miayuu, who everyone had agreed could serve as the sole translator for the meeting, translated the Great One’s speech. But Georg the First’s reaction came as a surprise. The emperor turned suddenly and, staring Krong Keetsie right in the eyes, announced with reproach.

“I cannot shake the feeling that both of you,” Georg pointed at me and the ruler of the Miyelonian race, “are like blind kittens! You have no bearings in the situation, poke around at random and thus come to mistaken conclusions, often even making stupid or dangerous mistakes.”

Before the start of the private meeting, the Great One herself insisted that the negotiations be as open and honest as possible without any flattery or diplomatic maneuvering, which would be inappropriate for the now serious situation. The way she put it, we were allies in a war, so we should hide nothing. And so, Krong Keetsie Myau suggested we speak only the pure truth even if it was hard to take. It made no difference to me. Georg the First was eager to agree as well and ordered his servants take all alcohol off the negotiating table, saying we had chosen to talk seriously, not carouse. And from the very beginning, his negotiating was tough, not dancing around issues or sparing anyone’s feelings. At times, like in this instance, he even took things too far. The Great One’s eyes squinted dangerously. Krong Keetsie Myau had not yet gotten used to his near-insult outbursts.

“Explain yourself, Human!”

“Gladly! You both seriously underestimate the might of the Trillian Kingdom. Think for yourselves. The ancient spacefaring race went toe-to-toe with the Meleyephatian Horde for centuries. The expansion obsessed Meleyephatians must have seen that they could not defeat them given they opted for ‘eternal peace’ with the Trillians. Right?”

Keetsie and I traded glances and nodded in silence, not understanding what the level two-hundred seventy-seven Strategist was driving at. Georg built on his thought.

“For the last several millenia, the Meleyephatians have been expanding their holdings and subjugating dozens of spacefaring races. They created the Horde, usurping the military power of the peoples they enslaved and grew much more powerful. The Horde’s space fleet, including the remote flotillas on the frontier and many autonomous and scout groups, reserve forces and all main fleets together with their allies, comprised a force approaching one hundred thousand starships. It may have once been even larger, as well. A terrifying force. Nevertheless, over all these years, the Horde never again risked conflict with the Trillians. Why? Because of a peace treaty signed ages ago by rulers who were no longer around? Don’t make me laugh! A thousand years was plenty of time to find excuses to tear up that old treaty, arrange for some provocations along the border and spark a war. If peace with the Trillians had seemed anything other than beneficial, Krong Laa is such an uncompromising Strategist that he would have done away with it. No, the peace treaty cannot be the whole story!”

“The Trillians weren’t sitting idle that whole time either. They were expanding their power as well,” I theorized, and Georg gave a few approving claps.

“Bravo, Gnat, my friend. You’re finally thinking with your head! Of course the Trillians were expanding their power all that time. Their ideology shifted. The times called for peaceful coexistence with neighboring states, but the Trillians never stopped cranking out combat ships. They didn’t get into any big conflicts, just scuffles with opponents they already knew were weak, so they never lost their fleet in battle. And that leads straight to another question: where are all the combat starships the Trillians built over the last thousand years? Can those pitiful twenty thousand ships Hugo the First demonstrated in his capital of Un-Ri Trill for the meeting with the leader of the Composite really be the entire Trillian fleet? You have to agree, it’s preposterous! A fleet like that is for B-list states like the Miyelonians or Geckho. But a real player in the grand game openly announcing their intentions to subjugate the entire galaxy? Come on!”

Kung Georg again looked challengingly at the white Miyelonian, but Krong Keetsie looked away because it would have been stupid to argue. As aggravating as it was for the Great One to admit, her Union of Miyelonian Prides was not in the “big leagues” at the best of times, and now with their fleet in tatters, they were barely able to stay on the political leaderboard and could fall at any time if their aggressive neighbors decided to push. The truth was both that the ‘Absolute Evil’ Hugo the First had announced that the old ideology had returned to the Trillian Kingdom, and they were intending to exterminate all intelligent races in the galaxy other than the Trillians.

“So where then is the Trillian fleet?” the Miyelonian ruler asked. “Why haven’t they brought it out? After the battle in Urmi, only half of the Trillian Royal Fleet is left. If I were in Hugo the First’s place, I’d be bringing in the reserves at this point. But they’re nowhere to be seen!”

The emperor shook his head in dismay and said with reproach:

“I have seen reports that Miyelonian intelligence was unaware of the repair and modernization of the Trillian flagship Hopecrusher, and the fact a second such ship, Last Resort, was being put into formation came as a surprise to your kind. As far as I know, the Miyelonians even now have yet to uncover the docks where the exterminators are being constructed. Is that right?”

Krong Keetsie gave a barely visible nod after a one-second pause. It was clear that the Great One was not enjoying having her nose rubbed in yet another Union of Miyelonian Prides failure, but the emperor was again correct. Kung Georg asked Ayni to pour him a glass of regular uncarbonated water and continued.

“You haven’t been doing your homework, allies! I was able to find those docks fairly quickly. The Auree-Trill system, the major docks on a satellite of the fifth planet. According to my spies, that is where Hopecrusher was brought seventy tongs ago for repair after many centuries in conservation. After that, they spent approximately fifteen tongs assembling Last Resort, and then, they kept those pathways open to construct another four huge exterminator-class starships. My Analysts meanwhile studied the component and material supply lines in the Trillian Kingdom, primarily for high-capacity defensive shield condensers and concluded that the docks at Auree-Trill are far from the only ones building superheavy class ships. There must be at least two more major docks though my intelligence agents were unable to locate them.”

It was clear that the Miyelonian ruler was shocked and even somewhat crushed by the information. And I should say so! The Trillians, who were at war against the Miyelonians, apparently had more than just the one exterminator left in formation. They had at least another five! News like that could knock anyone off balance. Georg then, paying no attention to the tailed woman’s anguish continued his onslaught.

“Trillian space is very expansive, and the Trillians are not welcoming of outsiders. Many Trillian systems are completely closed to other races, and there’s almost no information about what happens in them. Meanwhile, the Trillians have several thousand star systems. That’s enough space to hide a hell of a lot more than a couple exterminators and an entire main fleet ready for large-scale war. We can only guess how many starships the Trillians have ACTUALLY built. But it’s definitely a lot if even the Composite considered them powerful enough to form a military alliance with. And this puts the Meleyephatian Horde’s cautious behavior in a new totally justified light. You said, ruler, that I have taken too much combat power for this campaign against the Trillians. Not at all! My strategists calculated that only an armada of this size, with backup from the Elvinian fleet, would be able to win this war.”

A long silence took hold. I saw Georg the First wince in pain, pressing his hand to the left side of his chest and taking a couple pills with a sip of water. Seemingly, the Emperor was not in the best condition despite trying to appear sprightly. Maybe the real reason he didn’t want to drink at the meeting was his failing health, and the seriousness of the conversation was just an excuse. Finally, Georg continued.

“I will answer your question about the Trillian fleet, white kitty. The thing is Trillian space is indeed very expansive and starships need a long time to fly anywhere, particularly given the Trillians do not seem to use warp beacons. The meeting with the Composite took place suddenly for all participants, and the Trillians seemingly were not planning on bringing in their main forces so early. But something happened to drastically change the situation. Something that prompted Hugo the First to announce his intentions to invade the galaxy.”

“The Composite shared dimensional gateway technology with their new allies,” I suggested, and I was not wrong.

“Precisely! One more point for Gnat. These gateways allow ships to instantly travel enormous distances, even to other galaxies. And the Trillians are constructing several such gateways deep in their space so they can send all their ships straight to the front at once. It’s a complex technology, untested, and constructing them takes time. But when it’s done, all the military might the Trillians amassed over the centuries will spill out on their neighbors, sowing death and destruction throughout the galaxy!”

Krong Keetsie Myau closed her eyes and spent some time thinking through what she’d heard. Then she sat up straight, looked directly at the emperor and spoke decisively.

“I propose that we discuss the Union of Miyelonian Prides purchasing combat starships from the Empire. We have enough experienced pilots but have run out of new ships. We will buy everything you have built. Cruisers, frigates, larger ships. Name your price, Human!”

“Dimwit!!!” Kung Georg barked.

Leng Ayni the Translator’s ears pressed down on her head, and she said nothing. But Keetsie seemed to have already guessed that it was an offensive word. Kung Georg meanwhile realized he had crossed the line and quickly apologized. Then he explained his lack of restraint.

“I was told Krong Keetsie Myau was a great ruler, wise and talented. The kind only born once every several centuries. But here you can hardly see past your nose. You have a huge Trillian and Composite fleet trapped in a spatial pocket in your very capital system. Forty thousand ships of various classes as far as I saw from the battle footage out of Urmi. The Trillian crews abandoned their trapped ships without even detonating them. It was even on the news. They said Hugo the First executed admirals for it. Why do you need the leftovers from the Empires docks to be brought across half the galaxy? You have a whole Trillian fleet right under your nose. Take it and use it!”

“The trapped ships aren’t so straightforward,” the Miyelonian ruler shot a quick glance at me but didn’t elaborate on the slippery topic in front of Georg. “Though I agree, it is an interesting idea.”

“I will take Hopecrusher for myself,” Georg the First hurried to announce. “Everyone knows my passion for large ships, and you can consider it payment for the Empire assuming the leading role in the war with the Trillians. I lay no claim to the rest of the Trillian ships — they are yours. The Composite pilots will have mostly all expired by now, too. So you could also take Composite ships, though it will most likely take time to refit them for Miyelonian pilots.”

The topic of ships for the Union of Miyelonian Prides ended there, and I considered it a good opportunity to ask Georg the First a question that had been festering for some time:

“I see that Imperial intelligence is advanced. Secret information about Trillian affairs, an awareness of processes underway in other spacefaring societies. Are the Arite Iseyek[4] back in formation? I thought they were all gone.”

Georg the First gave a start as if struck with a lash and looked at me like a new man. He even mentally consulted with his Truth Seeker Leng Florianna. I considered that a good opportunity to bring out the first gift I’d prepared for the meeting.

“Georg, I brought you some unfiltered Russian beer,” I pushed a small but fairly heavy box from beneath my seat. “I have seen reports that this was the favorite beer of a certain young man who was once obsessed with space video games and trained other players in fleet coordination.”

Kung Georg royl Inoky ton Mesfelle raised a brow in surprise after which he bent down and tore open the carboard packaging. He looked at one of the bottles, gave a smirk and a snort, then put it back in the box. It didn’t take an experienced face reader to see how much my gift caught the emperor off guard. Seemingly, Georg the First had no idea uncovering his past would even be possible.

Authority increased to 180!

Authority increased to 181!

Diplomacy skill increased to level one hundred thirty!

“You’ve taken me by surprise, Gnat my friend,” the fearsome Emperor didn’t hide his astonishment. “If we get the chance, I’d love to hear what you dug up about my past back on Earth.”

“Oh, a lot. Almost everything. Perimeter Defense, Miya, the Dark Mother, Georg Innokentievich. But let me ask you another question. Your fleet used to require a mobile portal unit or Mechanoid help to get into star systems without a beacon. Now though, despite the Meleyephatian warp beacon chain being destroyed and the only Mechanoid available to you, God of War, still being in the system, your fleet is already moving out,” I pointed at the window outside of which yet another large group of ships was starting off for a hyperspace jump.

“I do not understand how you got your hands on that confidential information. All the rest, too...” Kung Georg was completely bewildered and was seemingly again consulting with his Truth Seeker. I meanwhile just laughed happily.

“You see, Georg, your allies can catch you by surprise, too. And although we are blind kittens unable to navigate the situation, sometimes we do our homework. I have another gift for you as well. It’s from both me and Krong Keetsie Myau. You can have it in a bit. I promise you’re going to like it!”

Chapter 27. Tough Negotiations (part two)

AFTER THAT, THE NEGOTIATIONS TOOK an unscheduled pause when the emperor’s personal physician came into the room. If I understood correctly, the medical sensor on Georg the First’s body was saying that his blood pressure and pulse were dangerously out of whack. Keetsie and I even suggested we set the conversation aside for a better time, but Georg didn’t let us go.

“Fifteen minutes for medical procedures and I’ll be right as rain. It’s just my damned ticker acting up...”

Kung Georg left the room looking pale with his Healer, leaving me alone with the two Miyelonians. I ran a scan of the small cabin and was unable to uncover any invisible creatures, hidden cameras or listening devices, which I told the ruler of the Union of Miyelonian Prides. Krong Keetsie Myau breathed an immediate sigh of relief, pulled off her tight shoes and brought her paws up on the seat with a pained grimace on her snout. She undid the top buttons of her tight dress collar, asked Ayni to pour her a glass of water and sat back relaxed in the seat.

“I haven’t had my snout rubbed in dirt like that for a long time...” the white Miyelonian gave a tortured smile. “Last time, my tutor Leng Amiru U-Mayaoo taught me a lesson at a psionics exam, bringing down my inflated ego and demonstrating my total worthlessness. I underestimated the emperor as a negotiator...”

“Georg is always like that,” I “reassured” Krong Keetsie. “He hits hard straight away, trying to immediately ratchet up pressure and stun to give an impression of dominance. And you just played into the emperor’s hands when you suggested having the negotiations be open and honest without the bounds of diplomatic politeness.”

“I know. But maybe it’s better to rid ourselves of our naive illusions and see him for who he really is. Georg is a monster who would step on anyone, even allies, to achieve his goals. In his eyes, my kind and I are just dirt beneath his innumerable soldiers’ armored boots. And if that dirt does not bow to the emperor’s will, agreeing to even the most humiliating conditions and begging only for mercy, it isn’t worth slowing progress toward his goal.”

“You’re being a bit extreme...” I tried to argue, but Krong Keetsie interrupted.

“No, Gnat, I know what I’m talking about. In his plans, the emperor has already written off the Miyelonians, so he won’t even raise a finger to help us. Furthermore, if Georg the First really is right that there is a hidden Trillian fleet preparing to attack, how can he prevent the looming catastrophe? His fleet is too far away. The Empire’s starships need at least forty standard days to reach Miyelonian space, and that’s if Georg the First drastically reconsiders the objectives of his military campaign and reroutes his ships. I’m afraid the Miyelonians don’t have forty days. The Trillian armada will reach our space before that and start to destroy planet after planet. Unless...”

Keetsie didn’t finish and looked at me, putting a lot of effort into either calculating something or analyzing the lines of the probable future.

“What do you think, Gnat? Would it really be possible to pull the Trillian ships out of the spatial pocket? The answer to that question is extremely important to me. If it isn’t possible or it’s too dangerous, just say so and we won’t waste valuable time on an unworkable idea.”

I shrugged and honestly admitted that I had no clue. After all, first we would have to find a way back to the small pocket, which was hard enough on its own. We didn’t even have the proper coordinates and vectors for a jump there, only out. My experienced Navigator had once done something similar, though, so I figured we could find a path to the isolated region of space.

But I couldn’t say what we would find when we got there. Maybe the Trillians really had abandoned all their ships like they said on the news. But maybe it was disinformation being spread on purpose. Perhaps the Composite small ship pilots had all expired, but large ships had lots of crew including service staff, so those Composite starships most likely still had personnel aboard. And something was telling me our enemies would not stand idly by and watch us steal their ships.

“In any case, we should go check it out. And another thing...” I cast an unwitting glance at the doors the emperor had gone through, “my people have a saying about counting chickens before they hatch but let me be frank: I am not a fan of the split. Why do we need to give Georg the First the most valuable Trillian ship in the trap?”

“Because neither the Miyelonians, nor Earth factions have the players to staff such a giant starship,” Keetsie replied after considering it for a few seconds, giving a frustrated wince and shaking her head no. “It’s not possible. It would take tens or even hundreds of thousands of crew members. The emperor was right when he pointed out the fundamental difference in our positions.”

Yes, I also found myself recalling Georg the First’s opening salvo. The Miyelonian ruler and I were immortal and could respawn if we died. That was of course a definite plus. But meanwhile, our factions were constrained by the need to build virt pods, bring players into the VR world and level them from scratch, leave the game with strict regularity, and our much smaller armies. He and his Empire lived in this world alone and were not bound by any such strictures. The Empire could easily field another million soldiers. Even a billion, or ten billion. The population of the Empire, including the Swarm was over two and a half trillion, while its economic might was at least two orders of magnitude above everything us “immortals” had managed to build in our game nodes.

It was hard not to agree with the Strategist’s conclusions, and I first then realized that playing an NPC in the game that bends reality was far from always a downside. Sure, it was playing the game on hardcore mode with just one life to lose and no chance to make mistakes, but the opportunities NPC factions could provide were astonishing. At any rate, if I was given the chance to play an NPC, I’d refuse. With my swashbuckling gameplay style and tendency to go where I shouldn’t, I would die too fast.

“Alright, Keetsie. You’ve convinced me. The exterminator is beyond our capabilities. At the very least for now, so let’s let the emperor have the giant vessel. But I must say first that Earth also needs ships, and I would lay claim to at least a couple battleships and ideally five carriers. I can find crews and combat drones for them.”

“No problem, Gnat my friend. Question number two — can I count on your help to destroy the Trillians’ dimensional gateways before they are completed if Union of Miyelonian Prides intelligence finds their coordinates? I can dig up high-power explosives to blow the gateways, and a squadron of cloaked frigates to carry out the attack crewed by volunteers who do not fear Trillian imprisonment. But without your cruiser, the ships will not be able to reach the gateways, particularly if they are scattered through the expanses of Trillian Kingdom space.”

“Of course I’ll help because destroying the enemy dimensional gateway would benefit Earth as well. And in the present military operation, I’m certain I will be able to count on Georg the First’s aid — the Empire also does not want the enemy fleet instantly traveling around space, unable to be pinned down by normal methods. Perhaps Georg the First’s celebrated mimic spies have already located the Trillian gateways and would be willing to share their coordinates. And by the way...”

I listened closely and, with my high Perception, heard footsteps approaching through the closed door. I ran a scan, made certain I was right, and warned the Miyelonians that Georg the First was ready to restart negotiations.

* * *

GEORG CAME BACK LOOKING perky and happy, immediately asking the question Krong Keetsie Myau had told me she was most afraid of. How was the Union of Miyelonian Prides planning to pay for being spared total annihilation? Territory? Resources? Or would they cede their independence and become Empire vassals?

That time, the ruler of the Miyelonian race was ready for the psychological attack and replied with a slight smirk that the emperor was promising something he couldn’t actually provide. Because the Empire’s researchers had yet to crack dimensional gateway technology, and Georg the First did not have any fleet transport portals like the Composite, or the Trillian Kingdom. The emperor laughed, shook his head and admitted she was right. He wanted to explain his fairly tactless offer, but the Miyelonian seized the initiative.

“At any rate, Kung Georg, we can help each other with this issue. The Kung of Earth can help us get ships to the unfinished or finished gateways so Imperial researchers can study them first-hand and bring back specimens so you can study the technology faster in your laboratories. But, Emperor, your landing troops will have to be very efficient and pull it all off before our enemies can figure out what’s going on. After that, for the safe of Earth and Miyelonian space, all dimensional gateways in Trillian Kingdom systems will be destroyed.”

“Good move, and reasonable precaution,” the emperor agreed, getting seated in his chair.

Georg the First dug into the cardboard box on the floor and took out a chilled bottle of beer. He patted down his pockets in search of something he could use as an opener and finally decided on a ceremonial admiral’s dirk hanging off his belt laden with decorative gemstones. Using the handle deftly to pop the top, he placed the chilled water-beaded bottle to his lips with clear satisfaction. He offered us one as well, but Krong Keetsie and I refused. Miyelonians were not big fans of beer, preferring light wines and herbal cocktails. I meanwhile thought it unethical to deprive the influential man of such a rare treat. The emperor loved this unfiltered beer, but considering every bottle had to be brought into the game, then transported over twenty-three thousand parsecs, they were each worth as much as a whole starship.

Diplomacy skill increased to level one hundred thirty-one!

Authority increased to 182!

“Amazing! Tastes just like I remember!” Georg said, giving me an approving nod. “Well, friends, I will give you landing troops to take out the gateways in Trillian space. I am willing to provide starships to carry out the attacks with the finest crews and Chameleon pilots. That operation will only delay the Trillian attack on Miyelonian space though, not stop it entirely.”

“What matters is that it will give the Union of Miyelonian Prides time — the most valuable of resources for a species in such dire straits. Every day the invasion can be put off means two or three hundred more starships joining my fleet. If the operation with the trapped Trillian fleet works out, our ship count will multiply as well. But still time is critically short, so I am trying to stall as much as possible for my people’s sake. I will kill Hugo the First even if it costs me my life!”

Leng Ayni shrieked in fear, but quickly covered her mouth with a paw. Georg and I traded surprised glances and looked at the majestic Krong Keetsie Myau, totally baffled as to what the ruler had just thought up. The Miyelonian eagerly explained.

“King Hugo is famed as a bloodthirsty maniac and sadist, who prefers to torture his victims himself. Now Hugo the First is scared and hiding, constantly changing location and only rarely leaving his cloaked ship travelling through Trillian space. But all it would take to draw him out of his safe refuge is a simple lure. One like me! I could ‘accidentally’ allow Trillian intelligence to know my travel route and go to a dangerous location without sufficient security...” Keetsie suddenly turned her head and looked at me. “I unfortunately do not have any instant killing abilities, so I won’t be able to eliminate Hugo the First in the game so he can’t respawn. But Gnat, my friend, could you lend me the Void?”

I finally figured out the Great One’s plan and realized that, despite how risky it was, it might actually work. Absolute Evil would definitely bite on a lure like that in hopes of a personal meeting with the imprisoned ruler. Hiding the Void meanwhile was no challenge — it was after all just the “mouth” of a creature located in another dimension, so it could shrink down to the size of a single point. The hardest part would be convincing the Void not to devour the Miyelonian and to activate upon her verbal or mental command. Still, the dangerous creature could be negotiated with. Despite its insatiable hunger, the interdimensional sack did have a germ of intelligence. Though I had no idea how to collect the Void again after completing the mission. Still that was a purely technical issue and could be solved.

“NOOOOO!!!” the tailed orange translator suddenly intervened despite her lower standing. “Great One, I will not allow you to take such a risk. You are worth too much to Miyelonian kind! I am a better candidate to serve as bait! First of all, I have the Absolute Evil’s fangs,” Leng Ayni showed her famed magic blades, “and the only way the Trillian King can overcome that shame is by getting back his missing teeth. Second, while still a prince, Hugo swore in front of a large group of players that he would capture and torture me. A cruel maniac like him doesn’t forget promises like that. However, Hugo is very limited in means because he thinks I am an NPC with just one life. The Trillians do not know that I have again become immortal and can respawn after dying. And that means I can simply die to escape captivity after getting rid of Absolute Evil!”

I was very opposed to what she was suggesting. I found it somehow believable that Krong Keetsie Myau could get rid of the malicious crocodile then flee by suicide, but Leng Ayni was a less sophisticated player. She was much softer by nature, and more emotional, trying to avoid violence wherever possible. There was also a colossal mental defense difference between the level 274 Krong and the level 170 Leng. We wouldn’t have to worry about Krong Keetsie Myau’s hidden thoughts, but any somewhat powerful Psionic Mage could read Leng Ayni’s plans, and Hugo the First probably had at least one in his circle. Still, I was unable to use Psionics to convince Leng Ayni Uri-Miayuu not to go through with her plan. Damn that spiny crown on my orange assistant’s head! Georg then spent some time listening to our squabbles and voiced his opinion.

“My wonderful, tailed guests, you have both just raised my opinion of you considerably. Orange cat, I am simply in awe of you! No, it’s true! Such loyalty and readiness to self-sacrifice for the sake of your kind are very rare traits! And as for you, white kitty, I finally see what makes you the Great Krong Keetsie Myau I’ve heard so much about. And I am prepared to apologize for my recent tactless question about the value of friendly aid. I will assist the Miyelonians in the war. No payment necessary. Furthermore... based on a few things you seemed to say to Gnat... have Miyelonian territories already been promised to my Earth friend, or has he already received them officially? Did I misread that?”

“You are correct, Emperor!” Krong Keetsie Myau admitted after a one-second pause. “So far, the territories have only been promised, but I make a habit of keeping my word. Thank you for the understanding and willingness to help, although that help will most likely come too late. But if, Georg the First, you do decide to send a portion of your ships to Urmi to take Hopecrusher for the Empire fleet or capture the flagship Star Extinguisher, I as ruler of the Miyelonian race would be happy to receive your visit and will supply your friendly fleet with everything it needs.”

“Dastardly kitty! Although...” Georg the First shook his head and chuckled, “why not? I cannot send all that many, but seven thousand ships commanded by Leng Nicole ton Savoia will be sent to the Urmi system today. The ships will have a long way to go, and I’m not sure if the Trillians will attack before they arrive, but it would be enough to fight off the attack on your capital. Furthermore, in twenty-five or thirty days, the Trillians will have bigger concerns than attacking your fluffy-tailed race. All their forces will be redirected to defend their own territories. And now another important question...” the emperor looked unexpectedly at me, “Kung Gnat, do you need support in your conflict with the Gilvar Syndicate?”

Danger Sense skill increased to level two hundred twelve!

Danger Sense skill increased to level two hundred thirteen!

No, no. I’d seen this before in the conversation with the Mechanoid kung when I asked for the Decoder or coordinates to the long-ago battle so I could pick through the scraps. Agreeing to the Empire’s support now would mean admitting I was unable to solve this fairly minor conflict on my own against quite a feeble opponent. Confessing to my own weakness like that would mean saying goodbye to even dreaming about equal or just respectful treatment from Georg the First. Of course, I rejected the offer of help. And with a deep breath and mentally crossing my fingers for luck, I went on the verbal assault against the almighty Emperor.

“I would rather discuss the huge Empire, and the problems it faces, which are at least as grand in scale.”

“Problems? My government?” Georg the First tried to joke, but I didn’t take the bait.

“In the lines of the possible future, I saw a fierce struggle for the throne between your heirs, which grows into a very bloody civil war that lasts years, ending with the Swarm splitting off from the Empire. The probability of it happening in the next ten Earth years is seventy-five percent. That raises to one hundred if you increase the timeframe to fifteen years. Leng Florianna ton Unatari has probably made her master aware of the problem, but if not, she can confirm.”

Kung Georg royl Inoky ton Mesfelle stopped smiling and listened with an unflappable face, making me realize the emperor had long been aware of his impending death and the succession issues it would cause.

“Georg, you have already outlived your brother Roben, who you were very similar to not only physically and genetically, but also in terms of physique and physical capabilities. Furthermore, unlike your brother, while an official Mystic, you were a regular consumer of the narcotic substance crystalloquasimetal-cis-isomer valiarimic acid, which had a disastrous effect on your health. It is inevitable. And what will happen after that?”

Even Krong Keetsie Myau pressed her furry ears against her head in fear. Leng Ayni looked worse. The topic really was frightening. Nevertheless, I continued hammering the nail into the influential man’s coffin with my every word.

“Imperial law is on the side of your daughter Crown Princess Likanna, so many civil servants and military figures will support her claim to the throne. But despite all her kindness and good nature, Likanna has no interest in government affairs, so the real power in the Empire will go to whoever she chooses.”

Georg shuddered and remembered that he had offered me his daughter’s hand on several occasions, in fact any of his three eldest daughters’ hands, and had no plans of rescinding that mutually beneficial offer.

“In that case, the civil war will be one-hundred percent certain because your other children have their own plans. Crown Princess Deianna has already openly announced her intention to claim the Imperial throne. And the almighty Truth Seekers and full military power of the Swarm will side with the Red Queen’s daughter. I’m not sure humanity can withstand such a stab in the back from the Iseyek, particularly given the insects’ experienced admirals, who have now learned modern space warfare tactics and the fact there are enough Alpha Iseyek landing teams to take every planet you have. Only the Elvinians could stand in their way, long having woven their intrigues under your very nose. In fact they already fully control the Empire’s foreign and domestic politics. They will advance their candidate, as well: the White Queen’s son Crown Prince Georg Junior. A law has recently been debated in the Throne World senate saying that, according to historical tradition, only male-line heirs should rule. I’m sure it’s the handiwork of those tiny little puppet masters. The Elvinians prefer to act secretly through their ‘friends’ but, if necessary, their military power would suffice to establish complete control over the Empire.”

I made a pause, giving the emperor time to think through what I’d said, then moved on to the main part.

“Neither Earth, or the Miyelonians want to see fighting in our good ally’s camp, much less a schism or your Empire falling to an invasion by the Swarm or Elvinians. So Krong Keetsie Myau and I discussed, and the Great One pulled some strings to scare up a super rare forbidden Precursor artifact. The three of us and the dainty Miyelonians were unable to bring it into the negotiating room because it came in a heavy metal chest, however our gift is already aboard God of War. It’s a tiny stone which, upon dethawing, will begin to glow. Then you have to move quick! Swallow it, if you trust your allies, and you will have the opportunity to edit your age. Roll back the years and have a long reign ahead of you, Georg my friend! With you young and full of strength, none of your six children will even think of rising up. The Swarm and Elvinians meanwhile will remain obedient, loyal friends of humanity.”

After that, I declared the negotiations complete, stood up and told the Miyelonians to follow me to the shuttle.

Chapter 28. Rifling Through Pockets

KRONG KEETSIE MYAU STARTED feeling unwell on the way to the shuttle. The white Miyelonian’s gait suddenly became uneven and winding, then her paws crossed, and she tripped, very nearly falling if not for Ayni’s timely catch. When questions barraged her from either side after, she opened her eyes, gave a tortured smile and admitted that she had simply run out of Endurance Points.

“I spent too much time looking through the lines of the probable future. It’s very difficult work. A very tangled web, almost every political or military move will lead the Miyelonians closer to disaster. I’ve practically untangled it, but not exactly the way I was hoping. I’ll be honest, without you I’d have failed one of the most important missions of my life. But you, Kung Gnat, in the end were able to pull the situation back the right way and give the Miyelonians a chance.”

I had no response. Instead of empty words, I picked Krong Keetsie Myau up in my arms and carried her. I was worried the proud Miyelonian might protest, but Krong Keetsie made no demands for me to put her down. On the contrary, she smiled and even put her whiskered head on my shoulder.

“Thank you, Gnat my friend! You’ve been sharp today. I have to admire how confidently you kept the difficult negotiations on track, and the way you played your trump cards at just the right time. But I do not understand why you told Georg the forbidden Precursor artifact was a gift from both of us. I gave you that stone as payment for my visit to the Meleyephatian Temple of the Dawn of Life. It was a gift from you, not both of us!”

“Why? We came to the negotiations together, and you got the stone in the first place, so the gift is from both of us. And really, why are you filling your head with all this nonsense?”

“It isn’t nonsense!” Krong Keetsie Myau disagreed. “Your decision raised my profile in the emperor’s eyes and Georg the First and I left on a positive note. That was important. A positive conclusion to the negotiations was a necessary milestone for my species to achieve a favorable line of the probable future. As was my earlier visit to the Temple of the Dawn of Life — the visions I received there gave me several clues.”

Krong Keetsie finally came to her senses and asked to be set on the floor — the Imperial guards walking in front of and behind our group were clearly making her feel embarrassed. The Great One quickly fixed her hair and dress, then gave a heavy sigh and started speaking with pity.

“If only you could imagine, Human, just what a heavy burden it is to be ruler! I cannot afford to make mistakes in such critical situations and have a desperate need for wise counsel. But when I look at my subjects, I see only toadies who treat me obsequiously, and approve of my every decision, even if I ordered them to cut off their own tails and jump into a bonfire. And I don’t see anyone who could possibly help! Except perhaps the Great Priestess Leng Amiru, but I have already outlevelled her and see farther past the horizon of events than my more senior teacher. Ah, if only the Great First Female were alive right now... Infallible, all-knowing, she could definitely help me! But every time I think about the Great First Female, I see a strange phrase in the lines of the probable future — the Syam Tro VII refuge. The clues must be there somewhere...”

“Not possible! The refuge was closed off from the outside world fifteen thousand tongs ago, long before the birth of the legendary ruler of your race. It couldn’t possibly have any clues, recordings of the Great First Female, or items belonging to her.”

“I know, Human. But I cannot interpret my vision any other way. Something of extreme importance which could help the Miyelonians and is in some way connected with the Great First Female is located in our real world in the Syam Tro VII refuge. But you won’t let anyone go there except for a few trusted Humans from your home planet of Earth.”

“Not exactly. There are also Humans from the magocratic world there, and a group of Tailaxian technicians. There are even two Miyelonians with access to the ancient Refuge. Gerd Mauu-La Mya-Ssa is caring for the premature baby. I entrusted the experienced and tested Medic with my most prized possession: the life of my firstborn son. Leng Ayni could also theoretically reach the Refuge,” I pointed to the orange Miyelonian walking beside us, “but she has not tested it yet and we do not know what she will look like in the real world. Ayni may need first aid, or to return immediately to her virt pod to save her life.”

Diplomacy skill increased to level one hundred thirty-two!

Keetsie turned more serious. The mention of her friend’s death, then miraculous rebirth made the Great One think again. The dangerous conversation about the Syam Tro VII refuge meanwhile stopped there. To be honest, I breathed a sigh of relief because I thought letting Krong Keetsie Myau enter such an unusual location would be akin to letting a fox into a henhouse and could not possibly end well. If the Great One decided to do something nasty, I could not compete with such a clever and dangerous “visitor.” Soon enough, the Refuge would come under Keetsie’s complete control while the ever-hungry invar in the dark waters below fed greedily on my remains. Krong Keetsie was partially to blame for my misgivings, too because she taught me that Miyelonians were not to be trusted under any circumstances and none of her tailed kind would hesitate to stab friends in the back if they thought they stood to benefit, and she was no exception.

On the way back to the ancient cruiser in a shuttle, the ruler of the Miyelonian race broke her long silence and pointed at a big group of starships splitting off from the rest of the armada.

“Those ships will go to Urmi,” Krong Keetsie announced with inexplicable confidence, “but note their composition. Don’t you find it strange, Kung of Earth?”

Eagle Eye skill increased to level one hundred fifty-four!

I had to admit, I was still very bad at recognizing ships by their shape, and the shuttle had no scanning equipment aboard. So I had no idea what had the Miyelonian ruler so surprised and was not ashamed to ask.

“Not a heavy ship among them! Not one! No battleships, no carriers, no siege dreadnaughts, no heavy cannons to speak of. Obviously, I was not expecting an exterminator or supercarrier to defend Urmi, but at least ten battleships seemed reasonable. The fleet the emperor has selected looks more like a long-distance pirate raiding squad. But look. A whole fifty-three large landing ships! What is Georg planning to do, capture planets in Miyelonian space?”

“Not planets,” I corrected Krong Keetsie. “The landing parties are there to take control over the abandoned large Trillian ships, first and foremost Purto-Pino-Soyesh (Hopecrusher), which Georg the First claimed as his own. However, the emperor really did send quite a lot of troops for such an operation.”

Just then, it was like a lightbulb lit up over my head. I had read in Perimeter Defense about Crown Prince Georg royl Inoky ton Mesfelle boarding large enemy ships and taking them practically undamaged for his fleet. He would send a mass landing party of Alpha Iseyek to tear through the hull plating and get inside the starship! Trias — large Swarm landing ships — could carry over three hundred thousand genetically engineered lightning fast and merciless Alpha Iseyek troopers. And here there were fifty-three such ships! Almost sixteen million landing troops!!!

Keetsie must have also realized that because we both looked at one another at the same time and said practically in unison:

“They’re going to storm the Star Extinguisher!!!”

* * *

I RETURNED THE WHITE Queen Leng Astra royl Veyerde as well as the Empress’ entire delegation unharmed to God of War. Astra was in an excellent mood, praised my wayedda Valeri for her hospitality and entertaining conversation, and boasted about a new painting they made together. She also made several mentions in elated tones about the “excellent six-legged chef” who had plied our visitor with exotic delicacies. That part I had to admit made me somewhat tense. Amati-Kuis Ursssh the Chef Assassin was not a Trillian secret agent (I had personally checked her mind several times and found nothing suspicious other than adoration of my archnemesis Hugo the First), but if I was wrong about that, the Trillian Kingdom had a prime chance to poison the emperor’s wife and spark a conflict between two Human kungs. Fortunately, my concerns were unfounded. Amati-Kuis did an A-plus job in the kitchen earning praise from her influential guest, for which I paid her a triple salary as a bonus.

As an aside, it was somewhat odd that Leng Astra managed to meet the six-legged chef on my cruiser because the area I marked off limits to the White Queen included both the galley and crew quarters. But based on the way Beast Master Leng Valeri Urla was no longer demanding an Elvinian doll, and her surprisingly obliging demeanor, I had seemingly won the bet with my wayedda. Gerd Maoya the Elvinian really had talked the White Queen into taking a tour of the former flagship of the Pyramid’s White-Purple Fleet, even veering it into areas that were supposed to be off limits. Leng Ayni Uri-Miayuu also realized that, quietly saying that she would spend the next few days in Gerd Uline Tar’s cabin until the “captain and his travelling wife settled their debts.”

As an aside, my business partner Gerd Uline Tar was also impatiently awaiting her captain’s return because she had important information to share. The Trader had figured out that Tini and Soia-Tan left the cruiser while we were in Earth orbit. While we were saying goodbye to the two young Geckho we rescued from Ruvaru-Yosh Prime who wanted to join relatives living on Earth, the airlock was open. We still didn’t know how my wards snuck past the entry post and security sensors, but the video cameras at the space station had spotted both of them. Tini and Soia-Tan did not use scheduled passenger starships or cargo vessels for their journey though. Instead, they had rented a small private yacht before even getting off the cruiser. The route of the starship indicated that it was headed for Poko-Poko station, but that was false, and the yacht had never gone there. So my wards could have been anywhere and finding them would be no simple task.

Nevertheless, I didn’t throw up my hands and asked Gerd Imran to try and track the runaways with markers and distance, but something was telling me that method was unlikely to succeed. My wards were all too aware of Gerd Imran the Arbiter’s ability and had probably taken countermeasures: for example, exited the game to the real world in a green zone to make it impossible to track their game avatars. Either that or asked the yacht captain to set a course to Gilvar Syndicate space in such a way that it would not pass through any intermediate stations where it could be intercepted, and where energy before the next jump could be recharged very quickly before setting off for yet another uninhabited star system.

* * *

I BROUGHT THE ESCORT ships to Earth, leaving behind the majority of the frigates and destroyers. The Miyelonian ruler’s diplomatic yacht I took to the Urmi system, capital of the Union of Miyelonian Prides, where I said farewell to Krong Keetsie Myau. Actually, I first tried on the Great One’s request to jump into the subspace pocket using the Di-Pal-Yu 781 where the Composite and Trillian fleets got trapped after the battle for the capital. However, that was a failure — my cruiser just made it a few hundred thousand miles but stayed in the Urmi system.

Gerd Ayukh the Navigator, Gerd Jarg the Analyst, and even Paa Um-Um Paa the AI all assured me that it was “nothing to be afraid of” and they could find the coordinates necessary to make the jump, but it would take time. The Navigator compared it to an inflated balloon with a pump tube already attached. While inside the balloon, one needed to know precisely where the pump was attached and how it was configured in fifteen-dimensional space to fly out to freedom. We had done that successfully, leaving the enemy ships inside and escaping the trap. But now we had to do the opposite: get inside an inflated balloon and, although we had some of the necessary data, not only had the configuration of the “kinked tube” changed a bit, but the “escape point” had also shifted (to jump inside we would need an entry point to reach the isolated dimension).

“And how much time will it take to solve the problem?” I immediately asked a clarifying question and was told, “from half an ummi to seventeen ummi, most likely not more, though it also might require a few test jumps.”

Seventeen ummi was four Earth days. It would be too big a waste of time to wait around at the Miyelonian capital until then, so I gave the Navigator another problem. Because outside of the hyperspace pocket in Urmi, we also had other places where we could secure ourselves some abandoned ships. First of all, the coordinates Mechanoid flagship Kung Kono had shared with me. There was unlikely to be anything of particular value at the site of the ancient grand battle, but even a few surviving Precursor or Relict frigates or interceptors would be a major success, particularly considering the ancients’ advanced technology, which modern spacefaring races had yet to even approach.

We made a jump to the coordinates Kono provided and very much seemed to have travelled to another galaxy in a spatial-gravity pocket with a red-dwarf class star in immediate proximity. The cruiser’s forcefield powered up to maximum, deflecting a powerful stream of photons and radioactive particles. The energy units howled. The navigation computer also froze up and rebooted, which made it hard to jump back. But that wasn’t even the biggest thing. There was nothing there! Kono the Mechanoid made off with everything of value in the trap. We saw just a never-ending field of small ship debris and garbage. Nothing intact remained, not even the tiniest starship.

Eagle Eye skill increased to level one hundred fifty-five!

Cartography skill increased to level one hundred fifty-one!

Scanning skill increased to level one hundred forty-four!

Not long after the navigation computer rebooted, I ordered us to jump back from the unwelcoming location. After that, I asked the Navigator to open the Imperial star map, which he had downloaded and add it to our map.

“Search for a star system by the name of Forepost-10. Find it? It has no warp beacon, and neither do any nearby systems? Thought so.”

Seeing that the crew on the bridge didn’t understand me one bit, I gave a happy laugh and, spinning my chair around three full times, addressed my team.

“Friends, let me tell you a captivating tale that happened approximately nine or ten years ago. Crown Prince Georg royl Inoky ton Mesfelle... yes, yes, back then he was just a crown prince not emperor. Anyway, he heroically fought off hordes of what they were calling ‘Aliens’ invading the Empire to exterminate humankind. At the same time, the crown prince was at war with the aristocrats of the Great Houses, who were irked by the popular commander’s steep rise, and wanted to squeeze out a competitor in their struggle for the throne. However, Crown Prince Georg’s fleet always prevailed no matter how terrible the initial balance of forces. But one day, in the Forepost-10 system, the commander encountered an enemy fleet with unbelievable numbers and, most surprisingly, it contained both alien and aristocratic starships. His staunch enemies joined forces to inflict defeat upon the unconquerable commander. Victory was out of reach, but Crown Prince Georg ordered all neighboring warp beacons destroyed, thus sealing the enemy fleet for all eternity in the empty Forepost-10 star system. His ships, however, were able to escape the death trap.”[5]

“The Empire, as far as we know, still has yet to achieve high-speed space flight technology. But we can easily visit the Forepost-10 system. Our cruiser has no need for warp beacons. And so, I say we go right now to see what is left of the grand battle which once inspired fear in even future Emperor Georg the First!”

Chapter 29. Castaway and Forgotten

WE MADE IT TO THE FOREPOST-10 SYSTEM without the slightest problem and the first thing I saw after scanning was that my guesses were completely right. There were a lot of starships in the system. In fact, there were A TON. The tactical map showed more than seven thousand vessels of various classes ranging from small interceptors and frigates to massive battleships and colossal supercarriers. Also, there was a veritable ocean of wreckage next to the second planet where the warp beacon clearly had been blown up by Crown Prince Georg together with the enemy ships docked at it to recharge.

According to Perimeter Defense, nine years ago Crown Prince Georg royl Inoky ton Mesfelle trapped a united fleet of humans and “Aliens” in the Forepost-10 system numbering around eleven thousand ships. Well, that more or less correlated with what I was now seeing though the starship numbers had fallen slightly. Maybe some of them blew up with the warp beacon. That would explain the cloud of wreckage and space debris next to the second planet. But some starships also seemed to have been destroyed much later in conflicts between the stranded captains because we also discovered quite a lot of wreckage elsewhere in the system: near the asteroid belt, the first planet, and a particularly large amount next to the fourth planet’s satellite and on its surface — the trapped crews seemed to have fought a pitched battle over the heavenly body.

Scanning skill increased to level one hundred forty-five!

Electronics skill increased to level one hundred fifty-two!

Cartography skill increased to level one hundred fifty-three!

I winced in annoyance because the messages reminded me yet again that I still hadn’t taken a second specialization for the Electronics and Cartography skills. I just couldn’t make up my mind, but none of the options on offer were particularly urgent or necessary either. Especially Electronics. It was a skill perhaps better suited to Engineers, Mechanics, or Constructors. Devourers had no use for it. Although... I squinted in surprise and blinked because I was seeing a specialization I definitely had not been shown before:

Second Chance. Warns player about mistaken actions with electronic devices or blueprints that could lead to tragic consequences. Available to players with Reality Administrator 100+ and Danger Sense 200+.

Apparently, this very rare specialization was only available to me and most likely no other living player. It would be a great ability for Sappers, ridding them of the torturous choice between red wire and blue when disarming a bomb. Okay, I’ll take it! As for the other specializations, I decided not to choose just yet because Gerd Zheltov had just started reading off the list of abandoned ships and couldn’t hide the delight in his voice.

“Nine Elvinian Mammoth supercarriers. Two hundred seven (!!!),” Dmitry even whistled in surprise, “Behemoth battleships also of Elvinian origin, plus seventy Imperial type Tyrant battleships. Under one thousand cruisers: a mixture of human Katanas and Elvinian Sledgehammers. The rest of the ships are frigates, destroyers, and small interceptors. I’m not certain about the cruisers, but we can definitely take small fry with the cruiser’s gravity crane, hitch it up and take it with us!”

“That’s exactly right, Dmitry. Looks like we’ve hit the jackpot and actually found something worth taking,” I agreed with a happy smile. “However, it wasn’t the Elvinians who built those ships,” I aimed an electronic pointer at the main fleet on the big screen next to the third planet. “These ships belonged to the Ehoki: technologically advanced jellyfish-like creatures. They took part together with the Elvinians and Fetkhi in the ‘alien’ attacks on the Human Empire. The former Ehoki flagship was captured by the Humans and now travels with Georg the First’s fleet under the name White Queen. As far as I’ve heard, after signing the peace treaty, the Ehoki demanded he return their supercarrier, but the emperor responded rudely which led to them never establishing diplomatic ties. Anyway, it doesn’t matter. Ayukh, take us to the second planet!”

“Captain!” the furry Navigator was for some reason in no hurry to carry out my order, and even dropped the huge earphones in panic. “Radio signal received! It’s coming from the small group of ships next to the fourth planet’s satellite!”

“What?!” I couldn’t believe my ears. “There are survivors now after two and a half tongs with no food or water?”

That was beyond strange. But the frequency matched those used by Imperial ships, and the encoding did too. I ordered the signal put through. The screen lit up. Looking back at me was a nearly pitch black middle-aged man with a bald head. Based on the patches on his old uniform, he was a space major in the Green House fleet. Quite a high rank, equivalent to deputy fleet commander or admiral’s assistant.

Gerd Sylian ton Lavaelle. Human. Castaway Faction. Level-159 Navigator.

“Who are you?” asked the man, no less surprised than us to see a visitor of kung rank wearing strange armor, a huge shaggy Geckho behind me, and a spiny Jarg sitting at my side puffing out his throat sacks with an air of importance.

Astrolinguistics skill increased to level one hundred seventy-two!

He was speaking the language of the Empire, but he had a sort of drawling accent I had not encountered before. I answered with my decent knowledge of his tongue, though just in case I used the loudspeaker to call Leng Ayni the Miyelonian to the bridge, who was much better than me at the language and could help translate things I did not understand.

He did not seem to believe me, because he asked with an unhappy squint whether I’d been sent to the system by the Grand Duchy, a member of the ruling Triumvirate, or Emperor August royl Akad himself.

“You’ve missed out on a lot here in this system...” I couldn’t resist an unwitting smirk. “The Grand Duchy has been off the scene for a long time, as has the Triumvirate. And there’s been a new Emperor for nine years now! The new Emperor is...”

“That’s not possible! You’re lying!” the space major declared without even letting me finish, then immediately hung up.

“Now that was a nice little chat...” I said with surprise, turning to the crew. “After all those years abandoned in a cut-off system, these completely forgotten people finally have a visitor, and they won’t even hear him out! Are they really not interested in being rescued, or at least hearing news?”

“If I were in your place, I’d be thinking about something else,” the Analyst called my attention, placing the Universal Translator on his short neck. “There is water in the system. Ice on the poles of the satellite of planet four. But how are these people still alive after two tongs with no provisions? For Humans, such long fasts are not standard. Unless they practiced cannibalism.”

“Why jump straight to cannibalism?” Copilot San-Doon Taki-Bu winced in disgust. “Maybe they have plenty of stock!”

“Unlikely. After all, this is a combat fleet which was sent on what was supposed to be a short mission given their lack of repair barge or support ships,” Dmitry Zheltov noted.

“We’re about to find out! Ayukh, jump to the satellite of the fourth planet. Let’s try to get them talking!”

* * *

THERE WEREN’T A LOT of ships there, but what ships they were! Three battleships, a pair of heavy assault cruisers, and one giant Quasar-class carrier which seemed to be in a damaged or inactive state and for some reason had no name. But the flotilla was clearly hostile to my ship. A battleship called Purple Future immediately opened fire on my cruiser without warning, soon joined by a second battleship called Lavaelle Dynasty. The huge carrier, previously inactive, also came to life. It turned on its forcefield and maneuver drives, beginning a very sluggish about-face. And although they were unable to damage the Relict flagship with their weapons, I decided to put an immediate end to their outrageous behavior and show them who was boss.

“Gunners and Devastator, man your weapons! Ukh-Meemeesh, Taik-Rekh, Ami Yavi-Yavi Ami, blow up that battleship without shields. I’ve placed a marker on it just in case! We won’t be able to take it with us anyhow, and the experience of destroying such a giant ship couldn’t hurt. Tamara Vujek, God damn it, where are you going?!”

The celebrated captain had just turned her Warhawk (entrusted to her while Tamara the Paladin was in for repair) to face the enemy. If she had merely fired her cannons, it would have been fine. She was also behind the impenetrable ancient cruiser shield. But then she flew out to face them, turning on her thrusters and heading toward her opponent.

“They’re enemies, captain! Traitors to the Empire and all humankind! I took part in the battle when Crown Prince Georg defeated three Grand Duchy fleets at once in the neighboring Hnelle system and drove the armada here into this trap! I have old scores to settle with these Grand Duchy traitors to humankind!”

Gerd Tamara Vujek had no intention of listening to my admonishments. I had to hack in with Psionics, take control of her mind and put her ship back inside the impenetrable shield. And then my gunners showed what they were made of! Either with a coordinated cannon blast from the main guns, or the Quadrupolar Destabilizer which my tailed Mechanic Gerd Orun Va-Mart had installed on the cruiser, they made a strangely named enemy battleship Sad Old Man go up with a bang. Then they also took a bite out of the giant burning ship’s nearly quarter-mile-long chassis with the Spatial Cutter, splitting the “old man” into two flaming halves.

Targeting skill increased to level one hundred sixteen!

Targeting skill increased to level one hundred seventeen!

Psionic skill increased to level two hundred sixty-one!

You have reached level one hundred ninety-six!

You have received three skill points!

I used those three points along with the nine I’d saved up over the previous day to level my Reality Administrator skill, taking it up to one hundred thirty-five. Something was telling me that I was going to have to work with the spiderweb of events more in the future, so the investment would pay off.

“Captain, both battleships have ceased fire!” Gerd Zheltov said, and indeed the cruiser’s forcefield stopped taking hits and flashing.

The show of force worked as intended, and Sad Old Man’s rapid explosion made a strong impression on our opponents.

“Ayukh, try to make contact with the Humans on the same frequency. I think now that we’ve shown who’s boss, the men left here to die nine years ago will no longer refuse to negotiate!”

I was not mistaken. The same space major came on screen, but now his behavior was much less hubristic and seemed to indicate that he was willing to talk. He again asked who we were and why we’d come to Forepost-10, but that time listened carefully and invited me to the unnamed carrier that seemed to serve as the surviving people’s main base. All three and a half thousand of them from a total of seven hundred forty thousand crew staffing the Grand Duchy fleet before it got caught in the trap.

Chapter 30. Green House Cannibals

WE ENTERED DOCK at the mothership on a Warhawk with our enhanced negotiating group. I took along the beefy Geckho brothers Gerd Vasha and Basha Tushihh, Gerd Eduard Boyko the Space Commando, Gerd Ivan Svyatodukh the Priest, the twins Grim Reaper and Gerd Destroying Angel, plus my bodyguard Gerd Imran, Leng Ayni Uri-Miayuu as an experienced translator, and Leng Valeri for magic support. I had no trust in the “forced natives” of the system, so I didn’t just take three companions on a tiny shuttle. I took a fully-fledged ten-troop Team Gnat delegation and a whole fifteen Alpha Iseyek. Plus Gerd Tamara Vujek who piloted us there didn’t want to stay on the frigate and decided to come along with the group. I cautiously agreed and very quickly came to regret it.

“I am not a big fan of this cold reception... Why are they standing in the distance and looking away? Mark my words, this will not end well!” Gerd Tamara Vujek looked at the large number of armed soldiers in formation along the wall in the gloomy hangar, shuddered at their every movement and was practically clattering her teeth in fear.

Surprisingly, although she was absolutely fearless and even hotheaded in space combat, in person meetings with foes really made her squirm. The same thing happened on Ruvaru-Yosh Prime. Several members of the land group told me she was acting strangely. At the time, I chalked it up to shock at damaging a starship entrusted to her by the Kung of Earth himself and possible injuries sustained in the emergency landing. And though there was no emergency this time, the celebrated pilot was constantly stopping and holding up the whole big group. But most importantly, she would not stop whining about her bad feeling.

Tamara Vujek did indeed have a high-level Danger Sense skill, which partially explained her brilliant work as a frigate pilot in space battle reacting to threats before they appeared. Furthermore, her fears now were far from unfounded. I also sensed tension in the air, and even knew what was causing it. We came on an unusual starship capable of reaching the isolated Forepost-10 system and also leaving it. The few survivors, driven to desperation, saw our cruiser as a chance to save themselves and leave the death trap, so they were not planning to let us escape with our lives if the negotiations failed.

To test my theory, I tried reading the thoughts of one of the common soldiers wearing a wrinkled uniform of the long nonexistent Green House — once the largest of the Empire’s great ducal houses which died out in the whirlwind of the civil war. I was able to read the common NPC soldier’s thoughts without the slightest effort, but I immediately regretted it...

Yes, I was not wrong about the cruiser — the soldiers who ended up trapped in this uninhabited star system ten years ago were willing to stop at nothing to finally escape this hell. In the next hall of the huge starship, they wanted to disarm and imprison my group to use as blackmail against the security left on the cruiser, get onto my ship at any cost and escape the hateful star system.

But there was something else in the soldier’s thoughts that struck me even more than the planned skullduggery. He saw us as a tasty meal and could hardly hold back the saliva pooling in his mouth. It had been about half a year since the last time he’d tasted human flesh, even though they used to have such “feasts” practically every day because, after the fleet ran out of provisions and before they could get the hydroponic farms up and running on the satellite of the fourth planet, there simply was no other food. At first, they were merely finding a use for the bodies of those who perished in the warp beacon explosion, then the dead from the many internal conflicts. But with time, it devolved into ritual killings determined by a grim lottery system. After that, a balance was more or less established and the last remaining soldiers had survived for two years now on broth made of seaweed grown at the hydroponic farms and the very occasional fresh vegetable.

All of them were fed up with the bland fare, so their man-eating habits were still firmly entrenched. And thus strange murders were secretly happening both on ships and among the farm workers. As a rule, no one investigated the incidents, and the extremely scarce meat was naturally not allowed to go to waste. All that caused a serious shift in psyche, so now he saw outsider visitors as no more than food and was having a hard time resisting his urges. The maneater had never before seen Miyelonians or Geckho, much less eaten them, but he was eager to sample a new food source. Even the Alpha Iseyek, which the utterly insane cannibal knew perfectly well were lethal, he viewed as a source of high-calorie sustenance.

That was frightening. Was everyone here like him?! I read the thoughts of a few more troops and was forced to admit that they were all thinking the same thing with the exception of some perverse fantasies about the three human women. They were planning to kill and eat us!!! One of the soldiers did recognize Gerd Tamara Vujek and was considering somehow warning and saving the celebrated pilot who he respected and even felt a certain sympathy for, but the other new arrivals he had already sentenced to becoming a particularly tasty meal. Another “native” nearly choked on drool when he sighted the delegation, staring with trepidation at the ten small round drones circling silently over our heads and suspecting the flying contraptions might be dangerous. Oh yes! The insidious NPC had no idea just HOW dangerous the Small Relict Guard Drones could be. The seven drones would be able to cut down all one hundred and fifty troops in the hall in two or three seconds. But I wasn’t going to tell my opponents that.

Okay, I had no more doubts that we would not be having negotiations as such. They would simply be attempting to disarm us. I also saw flickers of information in their minds about heavy combat robots in the next room. So, without skipping a beat, I started in an even tone in Geckho.

“Our enemies are openly aggressive in their intent. They will be attacking us in the next room.”

“Like I said!” Tamara Vujek started whining with renewed force. I was preparing to stop her again, but the huge Space Commando Gerd Eduard Boyko reassured her. The exoskeleton armor-equipped fighter grabbed the short but buxom woman by the waist, picked her up and turned her to face him.

“Kid, you remember what I promised you in the hot desert of Ruvaru-Yosh Prime when we came under attack for three whole days, ran out of bullets, and you started freaking out? I can protect you. I kept my word then. And now let me say it again: kid, I can protect you! Trust me!”

“I’m not a kid! And put me down, Eddy!” Tamara Vujek said with outrage, turning red. However, it was clear that she wasn’t seriously angry.

And that was confirmed a few seconds later when she bent down and gave the huge Space Commando a kiss. Gerd Eduard Boyko smiled happily from ear to ear and set her on the floor. After that, he shook his arms to check the shoulder joints of his exoskeleton armor and lowered his faceplate.

“I love times like this! It’s just too bad our group never gets attacked. Good thing these losers have never heard of Kung Gnat or his crew, so they don’t know not to mess with us!”

The German siblings walking next to him confirmed, saying they hadn’t had a good fight in a long time, and it would be nice to finally use the guns they were constantly maintaining and oiling for times just like this. Basha Tushihh said about the same, though the way he put it was too inappropriate to pass censorship. And even the normally taciturn prominent Alpha Iseyek, leader of the praying mantis squad chirred out something, but Leng Ayni looked very embarrassed by it and refused to translate.

Oh well. I had heard enough to see that there was no panic in Team Gnat whatsoever and everyone was keen to prove themselves. Things became painfully clear about our opponents, as well. They were utterly insane dangerous cannibals who needed to be wiped out like rabid dogs. When we got near the automatic doors into the next hall, I started issuing commands.

“Tamara, get into the middle of the group! Everyone else: formation number three. Tanks link shields and hold the perimeter. Valeri, you get in the mental link and have Little Sister go invisible. Alpha Iseyek, split up into two groups as soon as you enter the hall and go different ways. From there, act on your own discretion. Ayni, stay next to me and direct drones at targets...”

Before I could finish, a bell rang, and a young woman walked out of an elevator door thirty feet in front of me wearing a neatly ironed Green House sergeant uniform. She was leading by the hand two three- or four-year-old girls in fancy clothing, and her rotund belly indicated she was about to have a third. She stopped short upon seeing tense strangers and aliens, then turned toward the barrels aimed at her and hurried to pull her daughters back into the elevator.

“We can go to the playground later,” I heard her say before the metal doors closed.

That brief encounter was enough to make my bloodlust go up in smoke. So, there were children here! Even in these ghastly inhuman conditions, a society had taken shape, a civilization. I tried to look at the situation from another perspective. A group of soldiers who fought against Crown Prince Georg and were defeated, then abandoned to die in an uninhabited star system with everyone ordered to forget they ever existed. They ran out of food. If they’d even started building the hydroponic farms, the first crop was still far off and wouldn’t be enough to feed hundreds of thousands of hungry mouths. What would I do in a situation like that?

I admitted to myself that I couldn’t say for sure. Most likely, I’d have tried to negotiate with the Ehoki, who were in a similar predicament. Maybe together we could have thought something up. I also would have tried to make contact with the “outside world” even if the signal retransmitters in neighboring systems had been deactivated. With the game that bends reality’s entry into this world, methods of contacting other factions could be found, so they would be able to get their message out even from such an isolated system. Flight time between star systems had also been reduced many times, meaning help could have arrived six or seven years ago. So why hadn’t they done any of that?

But oh well. I’d try to figure it out during the negotiations if of course they ever took place.

“Fire only on my command!” I warned my companions. “We’ll try to reach an agreement without bloodshed. Or at the very least, without slaughtering everyone indiscriminately. Still, I won’t hide the fact that we could easily do so. Plus, unlike us they are NPCs and will not respawn.”

I breathed a heavy sigh and pressed the button on the door, opening the next hall where our foes were waiting to ambush us.

* * *

IN THE CENTER OF THE grand brightly lit hall, inside a glimmering force dome, the same senior House Lavaelle officer I talked to before was waiting for me. One step to his right stood an aged, wrinkled woman wearing the dark attire of a Truth Seeker. So, she was covering her master against psionic attack. A reasonable precaution. And they were the only people in the hall. Behind them, however, were three huge robots with snarling cannon barrels, dimly reminiscent of Imperial chicken walkers from Star Wars. They thought that could scare me? Funny!

Scanning skill increased to level one hundred forty-six!

Machine Control skill increased to level three hundred thirty-five!

I could take control of all three robots, but I had no need for such primitive and clunky technology, particularly given it would not be possible to take them with me on a frigate. And so, I simply broke all three of the titans so our opponents could not use them against us. I did the same with the four six-barreled laser turrets hidden beneath ceiling tiles as well — I simply melted their control chips, rendering them inoperable. Now we could talk!

I stepped fearlessly forward, ordering my team to keep an eye on the door we had just come through — apparently our opponents had no forces apart from the one hundred fifty troops we’d just walked past. The thundering boom of the many-ton giants crashing to the ground made the officer turn in fear. His companion didn’t even raise an eyebrow though, still observing me as I came over.

“Dramatic and unexpected move, Kung Gnat!” the woman said in a satisfied voice, for some reason even smiling. “I warned Sylian not to underestimate you.”

Only then did I turn my attention on her and read her character sheet.

Gerd Lydia royl Amelius ton Lavaelle. Human. Castaway Faction. Level-180 Truth Seeker.

Well, well! Based on my understanding of Empire aristocratic naming conventions, the “royl” suffix after her name identified her as having a claim to the throne. So she was a crown princess holding an official position in the line of succession, though most likely very far down. The combination of names Amelius and Lavaelle meanwhile were very familiar — Duke Amelius ton Lavaelle was the last head of the Green House and in his time was one of future Emperor Georg the First’s biggest opponents. So she was a daughter of the duke. Well, well. My first impression of the situation must have been mistaken and the old woman was in charge of the Castaways.

Meanwhile, the old Truth Seeker just kept up the kindhearted smile, slowly extending a hand with outstretched pointer finger before quietly uttering a single word: “Die!”

Chapter 31. Reinforcements for Earth’s Fleet

I SAW A FLASH and surge of fire. I felt the two Subatomically Miniaturized Galaxy Rings on my fingers heat up. Apparently, the sneak attack had not triggered my character’s mental defenses, but the Truth Seeker’s killing curse still did nothing because it was deflected by the ancient rings. A second later, I got a message saying the ancient rings had a feature conferring immunity to instakill skills. But most importantly if not for the two rings, I could have died in the game and possibly never come back in the real world! Seemingly, I was now the second person in history after Crown Prince Georg royl Inoky ton Mesfelle to survive death magic! But where the crown prince had a still young Florianna protecting him, I was now saved only by my possession of the unique artifacts. What if I didn’t have the extremely rare rings?! That dark-robed monster tried to kill me with her ult without even letting me speak!!!

Frenzy skill increased to level twenty-six!

Time Stoppage skill increased to level thirty!

My Frenzy bar, despite the reset, instantly filled up again. The pent-up anger was burning me from the inside and demanding to be let out. I could not forgive her attack on the Kung of Earth!

“Didn’t work?” I asked mockingly, staring straight into the eyes of the failed murderer standing stock still opposite. She most likely couldn’t hear me by then, though. “Watch how it’s done!”

Life Suppression skill increased to level six!

Gerd Lydia royl Amelius ton Lavaelle didn’t even get a scream out before falling to the floor like a ragdoll. I stopped time, too, so everyone else perceived it as an instant reaction. Both my companions and Gerd Sylian ton Lavaelle were staring with astonishment at the Truth Seeker, unable to comprehend why she had suddenly expired. The space major figured it out quickly enough and stared at me with unconcealed horror.

“What have you done, Kung Gnat?! She is a crown princess, afforded protection by Imperial law! Heirs to the Imperial throne cannot even be touched with a finger, much less killed! Guards, get in here!! Exterminate all outsiders with no mercy!!!”

Free Captain Kung Gnat’s danger rating has risen to five!

ATTENTION!!! Kung Gnat has been declared a criminal in all Empire space. Any Empire ship is now entitled to attack your starship!

Fame increased to 174.

Fame increased to 175.

Authority reduced to 181!

Authority reduced to 180!

I realized far too late that I had in fact read that crown princes and princesses were protected by a separate set of Empire law that defined all violence against them as absolutely forbidden. And even though Crown Princess Lydia and the other members of the Green House had changed sides over nine years ago to the Grand Duchy — the Empire’s archnemesis — Duke Amelius ton Lavaelle’s daughter must have still been counted among the official crown princesses and was thus protected by law. Damn! The worst part was that, despite the fact Crown Princess Lydia’s death had taken part in a remote star system, it was impossible to hide because the game system instantly informed all interested parties about any changes to the line of succession to the Imperial throne. So all the many crown princes and princesses as well as Georg the First and the White Queen were already aware of what happened and even knew the name of the murderer who violated Imperial law.

ATTENTION!!! Kung Gnat has been declared a criminal in all Elvinian space. Any Elvinian ship is now entitled to attack your starship!

Fame increased to 176.

Authority reduced to 179!

Authority reduced to 178!

Now that was a surprise... I could not see what the Elvinians had to do with this or Imperial law at all. Perhaps because the Elvinians were in a military and political alliance with the Empire, they simply copied all political moves their allies made? Or maybe the devious puppetmasters thought the time was ripe to make trouble for the Kung of Earth, who they had realized posed a threat to their far-reaching secret plans? In any case, my being declared a criminal by two great spacefaring states at once threatened serious trouble.

Also, the window for possible negotiations here on the carrier had slammed shut for good. There was no longer any way we could solve things peacefully. I spent some time standing there staring blankly as my troops engaged in battle with the huge number of Castaway Faction cannibals pouring through the open doorway. I quickly realized that, despite being outnumbered six to one, I did not need to worry about the outcome of the battle. My team was a head and shoulders above our enemies in preparation, equipment, firepower, and their formation was optimized for defense: the heavy tanks in exoskeleton armor closed ranks, linked shields, and blocked off the less defended group members. High-speed Avashi Assault cannon installations thundered, blowing away our attackers. The drones were just raining down death. The Alpha Iseyek meanwhile were like death on wheels rolling down the attacking ranks leaving behind nothing but disfigured bodies. A few seconds later, it was all over. But one opponent remained beyond my troops’ reach...

Teleportation skill increased to level eighty-six!

I went beneath the energy dome. Paying no attention to Gerd Sylian’s scream of fear and stepping back, I crouched down next to the dead old woman. I raised her black hood and removed a thin golden crown from the crown princess’ gray hair and closed her eyes. After that, I slowly stood up and turned toward my final enemy. I took out my Annihilator and aimed it at the space major’s head. He stumbled back, tripped, fell on his butt and put his hands over his face as if that could stop such a destructive weapon.

But I didn’t fire. I stuck the Annihilator in my holster and started speaking, driving every word into my vanquished foe’s mind like a red-hot nail into a stick of butter.

“I wanted to save all you Castaways, but now I will not. Your minds grew too twisted over your long years of cannibalism to let you out into the wider world. But I would be willing to bring the children out and place them under trustworthy care if of course their parents accept. I will also be taking all the small ships I can get out of the star system and let me warn you now: do not stand in my way! Any starship that tries to come near my cruiser will be shot down immediately! In return, we will bring you everything a human colony could need: food, medicine, vitamins, fabric, and clothing. But most importantly, edible plant seeds and fertilizer in sufficient quantity to cultivate food for all Castaways on the satellite of the fourth planet.”

Gerd Sylian ton Lavaelle finally realized that I was not going to kill him and moved his hands away from his face. He looked at me, then at the Truth Seeker’s body. I couldn’t say what he might have been thinking, but I got out in front of the new leader of the Castaways.

“We will be taking the body of Crown Princess Lydia from the ancient house Lavaelle with us. Our Priest Gerd Ivan Svyatodukh has sufficient experience to perform last rites for humans and members of other races. We will send a video of the funeral and the crown princess’ gold crown to the Empire.”

The officer nodded in silence, accepting my conditions. I meanwhile ran a scan and discovered the defensive field generator in the floor then powered it down without even using the remote in the space major’s pocket. I took a few steps toward my crew, but turned and said:

“Ah yes, one last question. Has it been long since you made contact with the Ehoki?”

“Uhh... who now?” Gerd Sylian didn’t understand.

I first thought he was messing with me. But no, the space major genuinely didn’t understand the question. I had to explain:

“The Aliens you got trapped in this star system with.”

“Ah... them. The Aliens simply are not making contact. The code table our admiral was using stopped working almost right away. We sent a few ships out to their fleet, but the Aliens blew them up. At first, we were even worried the Aliens would annihilate us. But so far, they’ve stayed passive. For the first six months, they flew around sending encoded signals and exploring the star system. They even tried landing on a few planets. But then they packed up their unfinished colony, got all their ships under the shields of the nine huge Mammoths and haven’t moved since. But they are still alive. Very occasionally, we detect activity. Sometimes, they turn on signal lights on a ship, or move starships from one Mammoth’s shield to another’s. We think they’re trying to conserve energy and waiting for something.”

“I see.”

I had no further questions and took my team, which hadn’t lost a single fighter to the cannibals, back to the Warhawk.

* * *

MY MOOD COULD NOT HAVE been worse. I blamed myself for lacking the restraint not to counterattack, which had seriously damaged my reputation in the eyes of Georg the First and the whole huge and almighty Empire. Danger level five was also no joke. As a rule, Free Captains like me were not allowed to dock at decent stations. Sure, maybe pirate stations like Medu-Ro IV would turn a blind eye as long as the captain was bringing money and goods, but even Kasti-Utsh III was now off limits.

The very fact that the Kung of Earth was in Imperial space in the inaccessible Forepost-10 star system was now no longer a secret as well. The level-277 Strategist would instantly realize that I had come for the long-abandoned ships and was unlikely to have a positive opinion of that. I suspected Georg the First viewed the abandoned ships as a personal resource he could come back to at any time. And so my actions would probably be viewed as theft. The emperor’s psychological portrait sprang to mind with its clear statement that Georg always responded very harshly to attempts to take what he considered his.

How could I now discuss him sending Imperial landing troops to the unfinished Trillian dimensional gateway if the Di-Pal-Yu 781 coming to the Empire would spark a hail of cannon fire? Obviously, they would not be able to destroy my ship, but still there was little to like about it. No one from the Empire was likely to listen to my excuses either, so I had absolutely no idea how to get myself out of the difficult situation.

On the other hand... I tried to look for the good in what happened. It was over now and couldn’t be remedied, so now I could simply act without thinking about the fearsome Emperor, considering only the interests of Earth and my personal benefit. My subordinates had already run the calculations and told me that we could use our gravity ray to take with us seven hundred twenty frigates and no less than four hundred Imperial interceptors. As for the nearly one hundred and fifty Imperial cruisers drifting through space, there were differences of opinion. Maybe we would be able to take along the heavy assault cruisers one by one, but there was no consensus. Light cruisers were more likely, but we also needed to experiment before we could say for certain. The Alien ships meanwhile were all beneath the energy shields of the nine giant Mammoths and could not be extracted from the forcefield.

Okay then. Even if the cruisers didn’t work out, I could come away with a haul of one thousand one hundred small class ships, most of them in perfect condition. Twenty-five to thirty small ships could easily be taken every trip so, in forty jumps, we would have all my spoils. Meanwhile the issue of where to take it all had not even occurred to me. Earth and Tailax of course! The Miyelonians had no claim to these ships because my promise to help Krong Keetsie Myau reinforce her fleet was not about these small vessels. Furthermore, as they say, charity begins at home, and the safety of my home planet was of course more important to me than my allies’ peace of mind. Also, both Earth and Tailax had already established their own production facilities for both Warhawk and Pyro Imperial frigates, so lots of light ship crews were already being trained and one thousand more of them for free would come in very handy.

I should have been celebrating, but I couldn’t shake the feeling I was missing something very important. I looked again and again at the tactical map, seeing the huge and fearsome Ehoki fleet hovering in orbit around the third planet. In comparison to that armada with nine Mammoths and more than two hundred battleships, one thousand small class ships were essentially pocket change. And although Gerd Sylian ton Lavaelle claimed there had been no ongoing contact with the Aliens, and no communication had taken place with the fearsome armada for the last nine and a half years, I honestly had a hard time believing the Ehoki would simply agree to throw up their hands and die in a remote system. They must have done a bad job trying to reach out or offered the wrong things.

As the saying goes, it never hurt to try. I ordered Paa Um-Um Paa to make a jump inside the star system and bring the cruiser closer to the Ehoki ships. No more than twenty miles from the nearest Mammoth. A second later, I was seeing with my own eyes the fleet which had once struck fear in the heart of the unbeatable Crown Prince Georg.

Cartography skill increased to level one hundred fifty-four!

Eagle Eye skill increased to level one hundred fifty-six!

Each of the nine supercarriers was surrounded by a thick cloud of smaller-class ships and seemed like a giant beehive. Though the bees were large, some one or two miles at their longest, still even they seemed small compared to the hulking Mammoths. Each of the nine ship clusters seemed devoid of life, but I could sense the Aliens watching me. One made a very superficial attempt to touch my mind. Despite the years that had passed since their abandonment, a certain number of the Ehoki crew were still alive.

“Captain, detecting antimatter at a quantity that could present a threat to the Di-Pal-Yu 781,” the ship’s AI warned me.

“Yes, I know. Those Behemoth battleships fire anti-iron balls from huge rail cannons. They can one-shot any starship up to carrier size. But the Relict flagship’s shield could stand up to a projectile like that. The time control system would stop it. So let’s try to talk. If the Ehoki act hostile, we’ll just leave.”

I tried to send a mental message to the Alien ships, doubling it over Imperial radio channels because I had no doubt the Ehoki were capable of receiving and understanding those signals.

I told them I was Kung Gnat from a far-away planet called Earth. And although I was a Human by race, I had no relationship with the Humans the Ehoki were at war with. I said that the great war ended long ago and if they needed help returning to their home territory, I could provide it. If they had a mobile warp beacon system in the fleet, I could take it to another system, activate it and let them use it. Honestly though, first I needed a promise from the Ehoki that they would not attack the Humans whose territory they would have to pass through to get back home.

No response followed, but the armada also displayed no hostility. No antimatter got fired at us, no ship even locked on to my cruiser. I repeated my message. Then again. After that, I warned them that the next attempt to contact the Ehoki would be my last and, if I got no response, I would be leaving forever. I also added that I was aware of the arrangements between the Ehoki, Elvinians, and Fetkhi and their Gold House paymasters, who forbid them from making contact with Humans outside a very limited circle. But that war ended a long time ago, the old arrangements were no longer valid, Ehoki outside of here had relations with the Humans, and the Elvinians had even come to reside in Human space. So if the Ehoki were refusing to talk because they’d promised to keep silent, they no longer had anything to worry about.

I repeated myself a fourth time and...

Diplomacy skill increased to level one hundred thirty-three!

Diplomacy skill increased to level one hundred thirty-four!

Diplomacy skill increased to level one hundred thirty-five!

I heard a faint barely audible voice in my head, apparently from a psionic on the opposing ship. It sounded very frail possibly due to illness, though also possibly due to exhaustion.

“Human... Such important decisions... must be made by the unified hive mind of our race... We have a... special message for it. Accept coordinates... and our message. Now go... find out the hive mind’s decision. And return here with the answer...”

That was followed by a long row of digits, then coordinates for a location in Georg the First’s Empire. I compared them with the star map. I had seemingly just been told to go to the very farthest “spatial weakness point” in the network known to my navigators. The location where the Alien invasion of the Empire started fifteen years earlier.

Chapter 32. Chronostream End Point

JUMPING TO THE REMOTE SYSTEM that the Ehoki directed me to brought nothing. We discovered only a spherical automatic beacon around five feet in diameter floating in space. It looked like a naval mine from the time of the Second World War. The object was giving off short pulses of light and radio waves at a rate of approximately eight per half second and, based on what I saw from the scanned blueprint of it, served as a long-distance signal retransmitter. I sent the message from the trapped crew through it as well as an offer to conduct negotiations with the Ehoki hive mind. No response came for three ummi. I did not want to go farther into alien space in search of trouble, either.

So the Di-Pal-Yu 781 returned to its primary mission in the Forepost-10 system. I meanwhile sent the Meleyephatians a preemptive message with a brief summary of my diplomatic mission, assuring Krong Laa Ush-Vayzzz that the Empire did not have aggressive intent toward the Horde, then exited the game.

And spent the next three (!!!) days in the real world at the Syam Tro VII refuge, a big personal record. Ferrying the captured ships from Forepost-10 to Tailax and Earth did not require my personal presence. I got no urgent messages from Krong Keetsie Myau or any other leaders. The process of seeking a way to enter the isolated dimension in the Urmi system was still ongoing. My Engineers, repair bots and their Relict assistant Kini Uma-Uma Kini had not yet fixed the chronoparticle stream retransmitter from Un-Tau — the fault in the fragile piece of hardware proved more serious than it first seemed.

So there was nothing urgent for me to do in the game, and I spent my time instead in the real world, conversing with my wife Minn-O La-Fin and watching tiny Victor sleep on a soft heated blanket in a transparent oxygen hood with an unhappy look on his face. He was born severely premature, and access to him was restricted even for his mother. I meanwhile was only allowed to see my son from a distance and even then for a limited time. But Miyelonian Medic Gerd Mauu-La Mya-Ssa and Mage Healer Gerd Lassi-Yana Un-Leto were keeping a round-the-clock watch on him and assured me the prognosis was positive and, although Victor was weak, he was overall healthy and starting to put on weight.

I had to admit though that his mother’s condition had me alarmed at first. Minn-O had spent a long time recently preparing for the birth, which was supposed to be the final chord she played in life. She had no plans for after. But now, with the child born successfully, she was emotionally drained and wanted nothing other than rest. Here in the real world, the medical consequences of the difficult birth were not apparent but nevertheless, my wife had scarcely enough strength to even walk through the room. Beyond that, she was seriously bothered to have lost her magic powers. I was the only one who knew that all Minn-O La-Fin’s magic abilities were borrowed and truly belonged to the fetus in her womb. She was utterly unprepared for it and took it very hard when she lost official mage status.

“I was a nobody my whole life. The mage rulers only tolerated me out of respect for my grandfather Archmage Thumor-Anhu La-Fin,” she complained, sitting on her bed with her head on my shoulder and wiping away tears with the back of her hand. “It was humiliating and painful. Then everything changed and people started treating me better. Respectfully even. But now I’m just a nobody again and falling from such heights makes it doubly painful. The mage rulers who once fawned over me and treated me with such respect will start kicking me twice as hard now that I’m down again.”

“I’d like to see them try!” I said with a predatory smile. “And by the way, let me tell you a secret. I liked you better when I first met you as a fidgety Cartographer. Agile, uncatchable, self-confident. No magic, just speed and reflexes. But you were an incredibly challenging opponent! Remember when you chased me around the Geckho ferry?”

She started smiling at the fond memories and hugged me harder.

“Also, Minn-O, you now have a highly important mission: to raise and educate our son. Without a mother, Victor would become an embittered egomaniac. I looked into the lines of the future and did not like what I saw. You have to soften his character, inject some kindness, and teach him to treat the less-magically-talented with respect.”

“What could soften him up is a little sister to love and care for,” she suggested with a clever smile.

“Yes, and we will get started making him one as soon as your body recovers from the birth.”

“The Miyelonian Medic said it will take three months to recover completely before we can start thinking about a second child. We could start ‘practicing’ before that, though.”

A cautious knock at the door warned me we had a guest. I thought it was the tailed Medic coming with news about Victor. Mauu-La Mya-Ssa brought detailed reports eight times a day about the child’s development, sometimes asking his mother to pump milk into a plastic bottle. But this time, it was someone else. A long-legged human woman with red hair and an insulated athletic jumpsuit took a cautious peek into the room.

“I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

“Come on, Ayni, the door is always open for you!” Strangely, it wasn’t me who said that. It was Minn-O La-Fin, who had made friends with the orange Miyelonian back before I had a starship when we were travelling around on the cramped Shiamiru shuttle as part of Uraz Tukhsh’s crew.

Unlike the saddened apathetic Princess Minn-O, Ayni was the very face of optimism and energy after being reborn in the real world. My initial concerns proved utterly unfounded. She came out of the virt pod alive and well as a human woman not needing any kind of first aid. My meddling with the line of events and the healing function of the game that bends reality had put her cloven body back together in a way that was totally unnoticeable without so much as a stitch or scar.

Ayni immediately made herself at home in the Refuge as if she had lived here her whole life. All she asked for was insulated clothing because the lack of fur on her human body and cool damp air made the hotblooded woman freeze and shiver. Once she got the warm gray suit, she ran straight off to explore the huge and mysterious Syam Tro VII Refuge. Ayni had ventured over the unstable structures to the eastern wall of the large hall where she found a set of heavy locked doors leading into another section. She also went all the way down to the water and tried to make contact with the invar, and she would later characterize her interaction with the aquatic predators as “not fruitless.” Now though, Ayni had come to see if Minn-O and I wanted to go on a walk to the northern wall which we could barely see through the shifting haze. There, just beneath the ceiling, she had found a huge silvery sphere.

“I’m out,” Minn-O refused straight away. “I’m too weak. Even taking a few steps around the room makes my head spin. I need another week before I can start wandering around the Refuge.”

I though did not refuse a little exploration to the far-off northern wall which the repair brigades had yet to reach. I suggested we use the antigrav platform for added speed, to which Ayni cringed and declared unhappily that it was “not sporting.” It was as if there was a set of rules limiting us to strong hands, powerful legs, and one tool — a thick rope with a steel grapple on the end. But those rules turned the long trek from a boring slog into a fun adventure. I agreed they made things more interesting, though I also required Ayni to put on an antigravity belt for safety.

* * *

THE TWO OF US MADE it halfway to the wall fairly quickly. In places, we used the shaky bridges between the giant virt pod columns, and in others we walked over taut rope. Ayni was surprisingly familiar with the route, and I even started to suspect that she had come this way before and in fact ventured far past the residential areas.

But suddenly, our luck ran out and we had to stop in front of an insurmountable obstacle. All the walkways were collapsed, and the ropes weren’t long enough to reach a badly damaged and even leaning column nearby, which seemed to have suffered an explosion. Ayni thought we should go down to the dark water, saying we could find a way down there, but we were unable to hook the grapple onto the next column from there even with Telekinesis.

So what next? Use the antigravity belt to fly? Or teleport? But my redheaded companion again announced that it was “not sporting, and not fun,” and suggested another way. Sitting on the edge of a metal bridge thirty feet above the water and dangling her legs down, Ayni suddenly started clicking her tongue and whistling. A minute later, several big-toothed heads were poking out of the water below. The redhead kept clicking her tongue and gesticulating when, suddenly, all the invar dove beneath the surface of the dark water.

“Those are the intelligent ones. And they promised to keep this patch of water free from their brainless aggressive brethren,” the redhead told me and started getting undressed with no shame whatsoever.

Was she seriously going to swim?! But indeed, thirty seconds later, Ayni was standing before me totally nude, then jumped with no fear off the bridge into the dark water. After a graceful swan-dive, she pushed a lock of hair away from her eye, noticed I was still hesitating fully dressed and beckoned.

“Don’t be afraid, Gnat, it’s safe! And it isn’t all that far to swim. If you’re embarrassed, you can take our clothes over using Telekinesis. Or we could just keep going to the northern wall like this. And get dressed again on the way back.”

“I’m not embarrassed... It’s just that I’ve seen this place before!” I pointed around at the towering columns, bridge segment, dark water, and invar poking up and watching us. “But in my visions, Krong Keetsie Myau was here, too.”

“I don’t know about the Great One, but you should hurry, captain! The water is pretty cold. My muscles are starting to cramp. I wouldn’t want you to have to save me!”

Ugh... Do or die! I quickly got undressed and also dove into the water, sending up a lot of spray and spooking the curious aquatic creatures. I quickly swam over to the next column and climbed up the metal ladder.

“Brr, so c-c-c-cold!” my companion’s teeth were rattling.

But when I turned toward the clothing we’d left behind to pull it over with Telekinesis, Ayni stopped me.

“F-first l-let’s d-d-d-ry out a bit so we don’t g-g-get our c-c-clothes all w-w-wet. Hug me to keep warm.”

Predictably, we did not stop at hugging, and the naked woman snuck a kiss, wrapping her long legs around my body. Then, she made a confession.

“As I’m sure you can tell, I’ve been here before. When I found this secluded spot, I spent a long time here hanging out with the invar and studying their language. I even tried to swim in the water with the predators to make sure it was safe before inviting you here for a date.”

“Date?” I caught on her last word, and she nodded.

“On the cruiser and in the Refuge living quarters, there are too many prying eyes and ears. Plus, Valeri-Urla is there and Minn-O La-Fin is here. But I am your wife by Miyelonian law, meaning I am also entitled to my share of love and affection!”

I planted a kiss on the naked woman’s lips and let my hands wander. Ayni closed her eyes, savoring the affection. When she got another chance to talk, she said:

“Minn-O said she would be back to good health in a week. And that means we won’t be able to get away like this after that. So I want to really let loose right now! But I have not been in a Human woman body for long and have little understanding of your amorous play. So do with me exactly what you do with Valeri after she loses a bet!”

* * *

AYNI AND I DID EVENTUALLY reach the silvery sphere on the northern wall, though we took the scenic route, and it was quite a while after we first got dressed. The huge glassy sphere, or hemisphere rather, stuck out of the metal wall over a quarter mile above the dark water’s surface. The mirrored surface of the sphere made it impossible to see what was inside, and I also could not find a way in. There were no computer terminals nearby, so there were no diagrams or maps to look at for clues. For some reason, there was no way to summon the station’s AI from there. Perhaps the distance signal was being shielded by the metal structures.

At any rate, my redheaded friend did not object to me summoning a hexagonal antigravity platform to take us directly to the end point of our long journey. Nothing could be seen through the thick silvery glass even from up close, so I blasted a hole in it using my Annihilator. Then I made another hole next to it, and Ayni and I went in through the over one-foot-thick glass shell. Inside the huge sphere, we discovered a many-story space clearly intended for a security team monitoring the residential sector or maintenance teams for strange mechanisms: cyclopean silvery columns or pistons running up into an unfathomable height.

“Chronoparticle stream receiver and refractor antenna № 7/12,” I read the faded inscription on the nearest metal column. Well, well! So, this currently inactive hardware served to receive and refract time particle streams. I had absolutely no idea why chronoparticle streams needed to be picked up and refracted, but inside the sphere was seemingly one of twelve antennas for focusing the particles and directing them somewhere deeper in the Refuge. They must have been concentrating the twelve streams in the center of the planetoid for some purpose. But what? I had no idea, but unwittingly recalled that the ancient chronoparticle retransmitter was currently being repaired on my cruiser. Perhaps repairing the retransmitter in the game, installing it back on the column and positioning it correctly inside the ice comet would have a positive impact on the hardware in the real world as well.

I was thinking through that and exploring the ancient complex’s utility room when suddenly the radio on my belt started squawking.

“Captain, this is Imran. I just came from the game. The Navigator asked me to find you and say he was able to solve the complex equation and find a path into the Urmi spatial pocket!”

That was amazing news. I was finally able to make good on my promise to Krong Keetsie while also possibly scoring heavy ships for Earth’s space fleet.

“Great! Tell Ayukh that I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

The redheaded Human Ayni raised her hand to object or say something. She seemed to want to ask if we could put off returning to the game for another round of “close Human contact.” But with a glum smile, she put her hand down, breathed a heavy sigh and plopped down after me onto the antigravitational platform waiting below.

Chapter 33. Artist and Artistry

THE GAME GREETED MY RETURN with a laundry list of system messages. I had to scan through several screens of text on my helmet to familiarize myself with all the changes. My fame had gone up two points, while my Authority had dropped the same amount. My Reality Administrator and Machine Control skills had gotten a serious boost. My character had levelled all the way up to one hundred ninety-nine. I opened Gnat’s stat screen and quickly ran down the lines:

Kung Gnat. Human. Relict Faction.

Level-199 Devourer

Statistics:

Strength 14

Agility 18

Intelligence 39+14

Perception 35

Constitution 19

Luck modifier +3

Controlled drones 6316 of 6 *Error!!! Too many drones

Parameters:

Hitpoints 6353 of 6353

Endurance points 5815 of 5815

Magic points 47933 of 47933

Carrying capacity 62 lbs. + 26 lbs.

Fame 178

Authority 176

Skills:

Electronics 153 * See weak points and errors in electronic systems, Second chance

Scanning 147 * Find hiding spots, traps and anomalies

Cartography 155 * See rare items ATTENTION!!! You may take your second specialization

Astrolinguistics 172 * Understand written language faster, Comprehend visual messages

Rifles 83

Medium Armor 147 * +10% armor suit forcefield capacity, +10% shield restore speed

Eagle Eye 157 * +20 % visual range ATTENTION!!! You may take your second specialization

Sharpshooter 75

Targeting 119 * Lock on to targets quicker

Danger Sense 213 * Reduce enemy skill effectiveness, Earlier danger warnings, Act instinctively

Psionic 262 (299) * +30% psionic attack power, Ability to form link with other mages, Mana expenditure halved against weak opponents

Mental Fortitude 225 (257) * Control several targets at once, Increased psionic attack defense, Immunity to induced states

Machine Control 357 (407) * +1 controlled drone, +3% hack chance, +1 additional controlled drone

Mysticism 202 (230) * +20% magic points, +20% restore speed, synergy

Telekinesis 117 * Reduced cooldown time

Training 127 * Accelerated skill growth

Disorientation 83

Tenacity 67

Athletics 75

Diplomacy 137 * + 10% chance in negotiations with equals or stronger

Teleportation 90 (103)

Frenzy 27 (47)

Time Stoppage 30 (51)

Life Suppression 6 (23)

Reality Administrator 149 ATTENTION!!! You may take your first specialization

Attention!!! You have 9 unspent skill points

Woah, I was pretty badass, particularly when it came to controlling all kinds of electronic devices. My magic was also at a level few players could boast of, and those who surpassed me were very few and far between. But magic, the ability to kill for real in the game, and my massive army of combat drones were not even my strongest suits. During my three-day stay in the real world, I had plenty of time to think over my character’s development, so I invested my skill points without hesitation into Reality Administrator, bringing it up to one hundred fifty-eight and unlocking a second specialization in the process.

I didn’t spend too much time on the skill specializations either because I’d already thought them through and made up my mind. Cartography — show potentially dangerous objects and traps on the mini-map! That specialization partially overlapped with the Scanning specialization I already had that allowed me to detect traps. But I looked at the detailed description of the skills and determined that the ability to detect traps would be reinforced, so there was a definite benefit.

Eagle Eye — detect hidden or invisible players and NPCs. Given Gnat’s already high Perception, that specialization may have been unnecessary. I could already detect the majority of “cloakers” either directly or by running a Scan. I had detected the chameleons and transparent Alpha Iseyek from Georg the First’s guard team for example. But still, improving that ability certainly couldn’t hurt!

Machine Control. My highest-level skill, which I had already taken all three specializations for. But I decided to take advantage of a recently unlocked ability and eliminated one of two overlapping perks, trading out the two +1 controlled drone perks for the previously unavailable +3 controlled drones, and +15% combat power for drones and machines.

Mysticism — I again decided to change specializations and instead of quicker Magic Point regen took a Mana Shield I could turn on and off manually. Upon activating the blue ball icon in the lower part of my visual field, I was covered with a semitransparent cocoon capable of absorbing damage at a cost of Magic Points. It was essentially an extra 47,933 hitpoints to help me out in critical situations when my seventy-two-thousand-point Devourer suit shield got taken down by some absolutely cracked “ult.”

And finally, Reality Administrator. For my first specialization, I chose reduced resource expenditure which meant using 15% less Magic, Endurance, or Health Points to make changes to the spiderweb of events. My limited experience had proven that sometimes creating a new line of the future required millions of points, so reducing that would come in very handy, possibly even defining whether I could make particularly sweeping changes at all. As for the second specialization, I took one which was possibly useless, but also possibly OP — “game menu in any layer of reality.” How would you like to activate a mini-map in the real world? Or to read information on someone to know who they were? To me it seemed useful or at the very least a neat little trick!

* * *

I OPENED MY CHARACTER window and read through the rest of the messages. Over the course of my three-day absence, a whole two earth factions, La-Myata and La-Sio had joined the Relict Faction, along with clan Toshi-Tumahh, a family of Geckho industrialists.

I wasn’t the least bit surprised to hear the Geckho had joined, either. Gerd Uline Tar the Trader had used all her inherent diligence to carry out her captain’s order and find high-potential clans and groups among the Geckho forced to flee the war and bring them to strengthen the virtual Earth. I had heard Uline talking about the Toshi-Tumahh before, so I knew it was a possibility. I was not surprised by the absorption of the La-Myata faction either. Leng Thomas Müller the German Diplomat had on my orders done some work toward that and, seemingly, his negotiations with the regency council for the underaged ruler had ended in success.

But why the La-Sio faction? If memory served, that was the name of the mage ruler dynasty from the Twelfth Directory. The ancient and once mighty dynasty formerly boasted a directory with numbers and military and economic power rivaling that of the La-Fins or La-Varrezes. However, the La-Sio family’s golden age had passed. For the last century and a half, the family had been slowly dying out and losing influence. They had also lost a lot of powerful dynasty members in the terror attack on Coruler of Humanity Archmage Thumor-Anhu La-Fin’s funeral in the Palace of the Council of Mage Rulers, then the subsequent uprising of Tamara the Paladin supporters.

I was not mistaken. One of the messages I received came from my Chief Advisor and said the First Directory had an opportunity to take the weakened Twelfth “under its wing.” He said there were too few La-Sio dynasty members left alive after all the chaos and all of them were too minor, with no standing among their own subjects, much less the other mage rulers. Leng Thomas Müller the Diplomat had approached my Chief Advisor for a consultation about accepting vassalage over the Twelfth. But both of my representatives, after a joint discussion, came to the same conclusion. Vassalage was utterly pointless because there was no momentum in either the recently formed Parliament, or the Council of Mage Rulers to stop us from fully annexing the Twelfth Directory. The majority of its population meanwhile would welcome the end of their troubles.

An offer was extended and the seventeen remaining La-Sio family members, only six of whom had magic abilities, agreed to marry into the La-Fin dynasty and thus join the larger more powerful dynasty which was universally predicted to have a bright future. Now my Diplomat and Chief Advisor had turned their attention to the Fourteenth Directory, whose mage rulers were in a similar situation to the La-Sios, though it was not quite as desperate.

At the end of his letter, the Mage Diviner suggested that the Kung of Earth consider abolishing the traditional institution of three corulers of Humanity and taking sole rulership over the magocratic world himself. As if to say the existing order was just a smokescreen because I was already in complete control of the two other corulers who had essentially ceded all their authority to Kung Gnat La-Fin. Kung Gnat’s Parliament, made up exclusively of nonmages was completely loyal to the ruler of the First Directory, supported him and would pass any law he asked them to. The Council of Mage Rulers meanwhile, after all the recent reshuffling, merging and annexation of directories, was also dominated by an absolute majority from my dynasty, meaning we could overcome any possible resistance and pass any change I wanted to the laws of the world. In my Advisor’s words, such historic chances were very rare, and I should not fail to seize on it.

But I just wasn’t sure... I closed the Mage Diviner’s message and drummed my fingers contemplatively on a tabletop in my cruiser’s captain’s cabin. Yes, the political situation was coming together favorably and would allow me to concentrate all power over the alternate version of Earth into my hands. Possible resistance meanwhile or even public discontent from other prominent rulers could be overcome by voting or handing out money, titles, and positions in the government. But despite that, the pent-up resistance of the opposition and great dynasties of the magocratic world would be pushed down for decades to come like a spring compressed to the absolute limit and would be just waiting to burst out and get back its former position. As soon as I loosened my grip, spent a long time away from Earth or lost the power advantage, the First-Directory imposed order would be wiped away and most likely with maximum bloodshed. And really, what need did I have for total domination? I was not the least bit power-hungry and saw the Coruler of Humanity position as just a tool for achieving my larger goal: to eliminate all threats to Earth and its Human population from external enemies, internal forces, and festering contradictions.

It was also not the time to be scheming about sweeping changes to the power structure of the magocratic world, getting into disputes with the great dynasties or weakening Earth’s position while Humanity itself was under threat from powerful and numerous external enemies. And so I said no. I did not need absolute power! At the very least not until Earth’s tong of safety ran out and I’d gotten rid of all external threats. With those thoughts in mind, I left my cabin and headed for the captain’s bridge where I had several crew members waiting to see me.

On the way, I checked with a scan to see if my whole crew was aboard the cruiser and even tripped when I saw it. There was one too many! And I quickly realized our visitor was female. The celebrated pilot Gerd Tamara Vujek had left her Warhawk and come aboard my cruiser. And she was not in the common room, which escort ship pilots sometimes visited for a meal or a chat with other pilots or members of Team Gnat. She was in a man’s cabin. Tamara was sleeping soundly on a single bed embracing the huge muscular Gerd Eduard Boyko, and the Shocktroop’s roommates opted not to bother them, instead spending time elsewhere on the cruiser. Unexpected...

I knew the buxom dark-haired beauty had been trying to catch the eye of Starship Pilot Gerd Dmitry Zheltov since the day she first saw him. Gerd Jarg the Analyst even prophesied that the “young Humans of opposite gender and shared interests” would develop a very close, nearly familial relationship. But the recent Space-Military Academy graduate seemed not to notice Gerd Tamara Vujek’s affections. When Dmitry and copilot San-Doon suggested a light ship race, she absolutely smoked both of them in a complete shutout, winning all three rounds confidently, then repeating her success in a flight trainer. After that, Dmitry Zheltov lost heart and spent lots of time in the flight trainer, while the celebrated Imperial captain chose another man entirely. That was the first time in my memory the spiny Analyst was ever wrong. In the end, no mind-melting mathematical formulas or highly complicated logic could predict a young woman’s romantic choices.

* * *

THE COORDINATES GERD Ayukh entered worked and the ancient cruiser warped into the isolated pocket dimension without even needing a preliminary jump to the Urmi system. I was impressed and even stood from my seat to walk over and give the furry Navigator an approving pat on the back.

“Yet again, you’ve proven that you are one of the most capable Navigators of the modern era. You just earned yourself a triple salary bonus!”

The huge Ayukh looked embarrassed and admitted that the bulk of the work was done by Gerd Jarg the Analyst and the cruiser’s AI. On his own, the complex calculations would have taken much longer.

“Then the Jarg gets a bonus, too. In one way or another, the work got done, and we are in the spatial pocket. As far as I can see, the Trillians indeed did not self-destruct their stranded ships and opted to flee.”

All the Trillian Kingdom ships, even the giant Purto-Pino-Soyesh exterminator had energy shields powered down as well as thrusters and reactors. The Composite ships on the contrary were still active though the small Dero interceptors and a significant portion of the frigates were drifting through space with no one apparently piloting them. Even the arrival of an enemy produced no reaction in the small Composite ships, which made me conclude that their several thousand pilots had most likely expired.

But the rest of the ships went into motion and started getting into combat formation. In front was the giant Star Extinguisher exterminator, flanked by battleships and cruisers. They locked on to us and scanned us with every possible system but, much to my surprise, did not fire. The enemy pilots must have learned from their previous experience and realized the absolute senselessness of trying to shoot my ship.

In that case, I could try to make contact. I sent the enemy flagship a comms link request, and a few minutes later it was accepted. Looking back at me from the comms screen was the Composite leader himself staring at me with little eyes on thin stalks, his huge, spiral shell adorned with red and yellow wavy lines. That must have meant something, but I lacked the basic knowledge about Composite culture to comprehend what.

Krong Bubi-O-O-Yula. Vahe-Gukko Composite. First Flotilla. Level-534 Artist-Parasite.

That time, I was morally prepared, so I didn’t even shudder at the sight of his level. Say what you will, that was a powerful player! There would be no way to kill someone like him using Life Suppression, much less deceive the ancient and wise being.

“Have you come to kill me, enemy of an ancient enemy?”

He started speaking Relict, which was perfectly fine by me. It was also a good sign that Krong Bubi agreed to talk at all. The Composite leader clearly had not lost all hope that he could gain something from talking and improve his position from that of a prisoner locked in a cage. To me, the best tactic was to stick to the pure truth and try to get him talking so we could find areas of common interest.

“Enemy of an ancient enemy? I’m glad to see you’ve realized your error and are no longer calling me ‘ancient evil.’ An enemy of an enemy might as well be a friend. And no, I have not come to kill you. I am making good on my promise to visit.”

“Our new allies have already shared information and enlightened us. We know who you are. You are a Human! Not a descendant of our creators, the child of another ancient race. But it doesn’t change a thing. You are dangerous. And you have only become more dangerous since our last meeting. Beasts like you cannot be allowed to inhabit our Universe!”

Authority increased to 177!

The harsh words made for a stark contrast with the Authority boost. The Composite leader seemed to hate me with a fury, but also was afraid of me and even respected me. I was even more surprised to see that Krong Bubi had agreed to talk at all despite his extremely negative attitude. I was unashamed to ask why we were even having this chat.

“What else was I doing? Why not?”

“Indeed!” I agreed with a smirk.

“I am stuck in a trap where nothing happens while my brothers in arms die one after the next. I could last a whole eternity in here, but soon I won’t have anyone to talk to, so I am even happy to a certain extent to converse with an enemy. Beyond that, on our first meeting, you asked about my art and promised to view it, so I have prepared my work for an exposition. Would you like to see my art, Human?”

Danger Sense skill increased to level two hundred fourteen!

There was definitely something wrong with that offer but still I did not refuse, hoping to see new sides of the Composite leader. And so I asked how the Artist was planning to show me his works. Remotely through a screen?

“A small shuttle will bring my artworks to your ship so you may duly appreciate them.”

Danger Sense skill increased to level two hundred fifteen!

The presentiment of disaster made my heart seize in fear. I absolutely could not allow an outside starship beneath the impenetrable shield of the Di-Pal-Yu 781! It was definitely a trap!

“Nice try, crafty Krong! However, I am now interested in your artwork. And if you are unafraid to allow a Devourer to visit your huge starship, I would agree to come visit on a small, unarmed shuttle. Alone, with no members of your ‘ancient enemy’ race. As an aside, my relationship with them is nowhere near as bad as you think. But I won’t even take a bodyguard.”

“Nice try, crafty Kung!” the cautious shellfish refused in turn. “You’re planning to capture my ship!”

I gave a completely genuine laugh at the absurdity of the very thought of me capturing a fifty cubic mile starship all on my own. With its thousands of cabins, sections, segments, and tens or even hundreds of thousands of crew.

“No, I have no need for that. But another highly powerful Human has taken a shine to your vessel. Have your new allies told you about the Human Empire and Georg the First? By the look of you, I get the sense they have. Well, Georg the First is already on his way here with a fleet big enough to snuff out your whole armada. In it are fifteen million Alpha Iseyek landing troops specialized in capturing large starships. So you will not have an eternity. Seventy ummi. Seventy-five at most. After that, the lightning-fast Alpha Iseyek, who devour everything in their path, will be cutting their way into your ship for a feast.”

“I have heard from my allies about Georg the First. A dangerous beast! A serious enemy! And you know, enemy of an enemy, I have changed my mind. I am prepared to let you visit the Star Extinguisher. You can even take companions. You have my word as krong, I will not kill you or try to take you captive! I will show you all my artworks, then we can have a talk.”

Authority increased to 178!

Diplomacy skill increased to level one hundred thirty-eight!

You have reached level two hundred!

You have received three skill points!

Congratulations!!! Less than 0.1% of players succeed at reaching level two hundred, and now you have joined their ranks!!! All base stats increased by one point.

Chapter 34. War Declared!!!

JUST THREE PEOPLE went in the shuttle: me, my personal bodyguard Gerd Imran the Arbiter, and Leng Ayni Uri-Miayuu the Listener. No weapons, I even left the Archmage staff in my bunk while the Miyelonian took off her famed pair of daggers made from the fangs of the Trillian ruler. No combat drones. I also decided against taking the Void along “just in case,” though it was tempting, and I had no doubt I would have been able to sneak the deadly entity aboard.

Most likely, I should have treated the historic moment with an appropriate level of trepidation and emotional awe. Take along a whole delegation, or even put my business partner Gerd Uline Tar on filming a special report for the news. Indeed! For the first time in ten thousand tongs, creatures from our galaxy were going on an official diplomatic visit to a starship that had come from another part of the Universe. And what a starship it was! The Star Extinguisher’s enormous size was striking and reminiscent of a giant spindle around twenty miles long and around six in width at the very center. Also, as if it was not long enough already, the exterminator’s nose section ended in a metal spike which added another five miles to the starship. I didn’t know what the metal structure was supposed to do, perhaps serve as an antenna or weapon, but it gave the Star Extinguisher the appearance of a prong or shiv with a narrow, sharpened blade.

However, on the contrary, I did not want to widely broadcast the upcoming meeting between the Kung of Earth and Composite leader. After all, no matter how the meeting ended, it would spawn a laundry list of conspiracy theories, and there would surely be discontents. Some would be angry at me for not using the opportunity to kill the leader of their highly dangerous enemies. Others would be upset by the very fact I spoke with our foes and would rashly name the Kung of Earth a traitor. Others would find the fact the Kung of Earth was not killed by the enemy krong to be suspicious.

And I had practically no doubt that Krong Bubi-O-O-Yula and his underlings would not attack us, and we would leave the Star Extinguisher entirely unharmed. I had spoken with Krong Laa Ush-Vayzzz, Krong Daveyesh-Pir, and Krong Keetsie Myau enough to realize one important truth: a ruler who goes back on their word can never become a krong! With a Fame score at the unbelievable heights needed to become sole ruler of a great spacefaring race, any underhandedness or failure to make good on a promise would instantly bring the leader’s Authority crashing down at least to leng if not gerd level. It would also mean zero chance of trust or even respectful treatment from galactic neighbors. And although my opponent had been backed into a corner, and had nothing to lose, his rank still meant something, and a krong’s word was inviolable. Also, what did my opponent stand to gain from an underhanded attack on ambassadors? We would respawn safe and sound while the chance of negotiations would be gone for good.

“Reduce speed!” I asked Imran when the shuttle came close to the exterminator’s forcefield. “Let’s wait. Either they’ll power their shields down or tell us how to get through.”

Our flying vehicle started slowing down, then came to a stop just five hundred feet away from the energy-saturated fluidlike shield. Then, everyone aboard the shuttle felt a pop as if we’d been hooked onto a taut leash, then our little ship was pulled toward the giant starship. It didn’t feel like a gravity crane. It was different technology somehow. Nevertheless, we made it through the exterminator’s forcefield, then the shuttle pulled up to the nose of the Star Extinguisher.

I ran a scan from up close and realized the five-mile metal “spike” was hollow inside and inside its inner channel, which was around one hundred feet in diameter, there was a strange set of lenses and some intricate hardware. I got the impression that the nose spike was a powerful energy weapon that worked in some mysterious way.

Scanning skill increased to level one hundred forty-eight!

A minute later, when the shuttle was very near the giant starship’s hull, I managed to read a description of the hardware on my mini-map that cleared up all my questions.

Nuclear Fission and Thermonuclear Fusion Reaction Arrester (exterminator-class weapon)

Seemingly, it had been given the name Star Extinguisher for completely reasonable, non-rhetorical reasons. The giant starship was actually capable of stopping thermonuclear processes in stars and “extinguishing” them!!! That would then lower the temperature on all planets in the system, end photosynthesis, and freeze and slowly kill every living thing in the star system. Or on the contrary would it cause a star to lose its inherent stability and collapse in a super-explosion, wiping clean all planets and eliminating every living thing in the system? This was a more devastating weapon than even the legendary Deathstar!

Meanwhile, armor plates in the giant’s hull started sliding out of the way to form a brightly lit hexagonal passage which our shuttle was pulled into by the unseen force. The passage was very short, just two hundred feet long. A few minutes later, the shuttle finally came in for a landing on the mirror-polished metal floor in a very small room approximately twenty by twenty feet. And right in front of the flying vehicle’s windshield, a glowing hologram of a Vahe-Gukko appeared hovering in midair.

“You’ll find the exhibition in the next hall. But you will have to leave your shuttle and go on foot. I have removed my entire crew to avoid unnecessary contact or misunderstandings, so no one will bother you. I unfortunately cannot personally visit with my rare visitors because I cannot leave the main hall. But I’ll be online the whole time.”

Yes, I had realized based on one of my scans that Krong Bubi-O-O-Yula would not be slithering down to meet us and shake my hand with his pseudopod. And that was not only because of the endless wires and tubes fusing him to starship hardware. I couldn’t tell from all our previous calls because I had no scale for comparison, but the Composite krong’s shell was actually gigantic! More than two hundred feet in diameter!!! The number of spikes on his shell were too many to count, so Krong Bubi was as prepared as could be to meet psionics. But the mollusk’s body... there I didn’t even doubt because it was thought that such large creatures were only capable of living in dense water environments, while being on land would cause them to explode and go flat under their own weight. But this was space, so artificial gravity generators could make all things possible. Nevertheless, I was struck!

On top of that, although Krong Bubi-O-O-Yula had removed his crew, many of them had fallen inside my scanning radius and were shown on the mini-map. I realized I knew extremely little about the Composite, if anything at all because very few of the officers were standard “snail” Vahe-Gukko, which the people of our galaxy thought comprised the entire “Composite.” My mini-map showed cybernetic creatures of several varieties, flying robots with many appendages, biological non-protein-based chimeras, and other “composites” of types not yet known to Humanity... I would have to come to grips with that at some point, as well as try and figure out what brought them all together. But now was not the time. Particularly with the lighting in the corridor to the next room starting to pulsate faster and faster. The krong was hinting that we should not be hanging around in the hangar and needed to move along.

* * *

WE LEFT THE SHUTTLE and proceeded into the next room. It was spacious, round and brightly lit. I legitimately gasped. The exhibition of the level-534 Artist’s work comprised thirty... well, for comprehension’s sake I’ll call them “pictures,” but they were layers of variously shaded thin membranes stretched over round metal frames. The overall ensemble was depicted on my mini-map as “The Kaleidoscope of Emotion,” but each work was a living breathing creature that required care. More amazing still, it had a “magic” quality!

Looking at the closest picture to the entrance conferred a powerful sense of confidence that the goddess of fortune loved you most of all, and you could not only hit the jackpot in any lottery, but also crack the most complex cyphers and codes. That picture, by the way, was called Chance and was composed of transparent carved membranes primarily in green and purple tones.

Blessing received. Luck Modifier increased to +4! Duration: 37 minutes.

Woah! Was that even possible?! Up until that moment, I was completely sure that +3 was the highest a Luck Modifier could go, and no magic jewelry or training methods could bring it any higher.

Melancholy. An oppressive image in dull gray that could put anyone in a state of despair and deep depression. It did nothing to me, but I suspected that was only down to my immunity to induced states. Happiness. Lust. Rage. Motherly Joy.

Mental Fortitude skill increased to level two hundred twenty-six!

And then the next picture neither I nor my companion Ayni were able to comprehend. It was called Tiuviru and was made up of many layers of pale-yellow membranes of various levels of transparency. Imran didn’t feel anything either and theorized that the picture was made for sense organs both Humans and Miyelonians lacked. The dark blue Danger, though, made a strong impression on all of us. Three predatory eyes arranged in a row stared back at you as if from deep underwater. It even triggered my Danger Sense skill, while Ayni got so worked up I had to calm her down. And I couldn’t use Psionics, because she had a lot of resistance from the thorny crown on her head. I just held her and squeezed her tight.

The blood red Thrill of Battle was most of all to Imran’s taste. My Dagestani friend even spent some time in front of it while Ayni and I moved along. The next work was called Great Wisdom, and we found it both incomprehensible and somehow attractive. Tenderness was a breezy image that caused an unwitting smile. Pain brought about a sense of hurt, both physically and mentally, which made me want to turn away as quickly as possible. Care. Pride. Another one we could not understand called Uzile, which just raised more questions.

Mental Fortitude skill increased to level two hundred twenty-seven!

By the end of the exhibition, Gnat had a small stack of short duration blessings. My heart was pounding in my chest from surging adrenaline, and a blissful smile was plastered on my face. Finally, I turned to the center of the hall where a shrunken hologram of Krong Bubi-O-O-Yula was observing us and waiting for our reactions to his creative output. I gave a low bow, expressing genuine appreciation for the master artist.

“Incomparable! I never thought art could be imbued with such genuine emotion! The emperor’s wife is also good at making paintings that inspire fear, grief, and other feelings. But let me be honest, the masterpieces on display here are an order of magnitude better than the White Queen’s! I am awestruck!”

Authority increased to 179!

Diplomacy skill increased to level one hundred thirty-nine!

That got me into Krong Bubi-O-O-Yula’s good graces. He was sincerely touched. And even offered to gift any of his works to the White Queen in memory of an Artist who would soon be going down in history and would be remembered only by his artistry after Georg the First’s troops reached him.

“That one!” I returned to the start of the exposition and pointed at Motherly Joy. “The Empress has two sons who she is head over heels for, and Astra will be sure to appreciate it. But you know...” the decision was spontaneous, and I had grown accustomed to trusting such emotional urges, “I think an Artist with your talent must go on living and producing masterpieces. Yes, you are an enemy of the people of our galaxy and will remain so, but I will release you from this trap. One starship may leave. Star Extinguisher or any other ship of your choice. You may place on that ship all your subjects you can possibly save. I give you twelve ummi to get them together and, after that, I will send the vector and coordinates to escape the spatial pocket. But the other Composite and Trillian ships must remain, otherwise my allies will tear me to shreds. What do you say?”

Authority increased to 180!

Diplomacy skill increased to level one hundred forty!

Diplomacy skill increased to level one hundred forty-one!

Krong Bubi-O-O-Yula considered it, but not for long. The red and yellow wavy lines on his shell disappeared, replaced by a complicated geometric pattern in shades of blue and purple.

“A generous and noble offer, my foe. And I accept. I will leave on Star Extinguisher and save my subjects. All remaining ships I will leave in pristine condition, you have my word as krong! The Composite lost the battle of Urmi, and you as victors are deserving of the spoils. The holy war will continue, and my ships will not stop. But your home planet and all your holdings no matter how our new allies incite us to join them, will be off limits until the end of Earth’s term of safety. And this piece,” the hologram pointed a few of his pseudopods at a circle in gold and rose tones, “you may take for yourself. I call it Nobility, and you may consider it a gift from me in return.”

* * *

“GEORG THE FIRST WILL not be pleased,” my tailed companion broke the silence when we got into the shuttle. “Because he was clearly counting on taking the Composite exterminator. That was why he sent so many ships and a landing party.”

“Georg laid claim to only one ship — the Trillian exterminator Purto-Pino-Soyesh (Hopecrusher), but he didn’t say a word about Star Extinguisher. He should be more clear next time. And really, why should I be helping the emperor? His administration declared me a wanted criminal and forbid me from entering Imperial space. He should have kept better track of his civil servants and line of succession to make sure none of them were long lost cannibals!”

Our verbal squabble was stopped by a call coming in from the cruiser. Gerd Uline Tar’s voice was tearing in worry as she reported that both of my wards had been taken captive in Gilvar Syndicate space. They had been charged with unlawful border crossing, resisting arrest, and subversion for the purpose of overthrowing the government. The trial was to take place in the next few days but there were no doubts that both of the adolescents would be sentenced to death. And in the real world, where experienced torturers would use pain and brainwashing to force Tini and Soia-Tan to change their virt pod exit points! Furthermore, Gilvar Syndicate ruler Kung Yoji Umoro gave an official address asking the court to come down with maximum severity on the “Kung of Earth’s extremists.” Also, before the verdict was even rendered, the Syndicate’s leader declared war on Earth and Tailax!

Chapter 35. We Will Prevail!!!

THE STRATEGY SESSION for commanders of the united army of Earth and Tailax took place on the captain’s bridge of Bride of Chaos, which was ready to ship out for the campaign. We had senior officers from the space fleet and landing teams, intelligence and counterintelligence, the heads of several Earth factions, and three prelates of Tailax who travelled specifically for the council. As for nonhumans, Leng Ayni Uri-Miayuu was practically the only one, though everyone was long accustomed to the Kung of Earth’s orange Miyelonian friend. Furthermore, she headed the second largest Human faction in the united army. The only more numerous faction was Free Tailax, commanded by the also present Leng Valeri-Urla.

The faction heads had already finished their troop readiness reports. General Ui-Taka told us all the landing ships were finished loading troops and had entered Earth orbit. And now we were listening to a report from Tailax’s senior intelligence officer — a wrinkled woman who looked to be fifty or so and had spent many years living on various Gilvar Syndicate planets disguised as a trade representative and was deeply familiar with their state. She was saying things I’d known for a long time and even seemed obvious but, as it turned out, there were a good number of people at the council who had no idea about the political situation in deep space and didn’t even have a clue about what the Gilvar Syndicate was.

Meanwhile, the Syndicate was a fairly young space government which arose on the star map around three hundred forty years ago out of an alliance of three Horde-subjugated Human planets. At present, the Syndicate had raised its political status from subject colony to Horde vassal with the right to conduct its own internal and even to a limited extent foreign policy. They were now comprised of six densely populated and industrially developed planets with a total population slightly over thirty billion. Three planets were in the Gilvar star system, known in Earth classification as Tau Reaper, which she circled with a bright marker on the star map, adding approximate travel times from Earth and Tailax.

The Syndicate’s official capital was on the planet Gilvar II, which was also the location of Kung Yoji Umoro’s palace. The state had three other inhabited planets in other star systems, but at a maximum distance of one jump from Gilvar. The maximum flight time between any of the Syndicate’s six planets was just one and a half ummi. All nice and compact. Transporting cargo and army divisions wouldn’t take much time. Meanwhile, the woman gave a brief description of current Syndicate ruler Kung Yoji Umoro — a cruel and paranoid man who never appeared in public to avoid assassinations. Recently meanwhile, he and his seven wives and eighteen sons and daughters (not counting his oldest son who two years ago was charged with conspiracy and executed) had been whisked away to Syndicate colonies for safety.

The Gilvar Syndicate claimed a planet called Oruweh IV, rich in precious metal deposits, but had no permanent settlements on it due to its corrosive fluorine-rich atmosphere and high gravitation but did have functioning autonomous mining plants. The star atlas marked the planet as “disputed” because the Geckho also claimed it and had even once founded a small mining settlement there. But due to the harsh conditions and logistical difficulties, the Geckho had abandoned Oruweh IV more than seventy years ago. Still, they had not yet renounced their official claims to the mineral-rich planet.

Also considered part of the Gilvar Syndicate, though this time with official confirmation in the star atlas, was the inhabited planet Zeta-Reaper III, which had a tropical biome covering the majority of its surface and boasted rich flora and fauna. However, the Syndicate made three attempts to colonize the planet which ended in failure due to the highly destructive animal life, after which a quarantine was declared forbidding any economic activity. The Syndicate controlled just a two-mile radius around the spaceport, several heavily fortified military bases in hard to access parts of the planet and a few islands in the ocean. The rest of the Quarantine Planet was given over completely to its lethal wildlife and Humans had scarcely even visited.

“That is not true!” my wayedda Leng Valeri-Urla interrupted, standing from her seat, herself a native of Zeta-Reaper.

The middle-aged intelligence agent instantly went pale after hearing such flagrant objection from a prelate of Tailax and fell to her knees — servility and absolute obedience to the planet’s rulers had just become too deeply ingrained in the subjugated population. I suspected that if Valeri demanded her subject’s death, she would in fact have died, unable to stand up against the will of a prelate. But my wayedda’s character was much gentler, and she just took the microphone from the woman’s hand.

“The intelligence chief is mostly right. The Syndicate has not established its authority over the majority of the Quarantine Planet. However, people do live there. And quite a few. I was one of them. The endless tropical forest contains thousands and even tens of thousands of native settlements populated by the descendants of three large waves of colonists. The people are divided and technologically in the stone age, but they learned to live in the Quarantine Planet’s uncompromising conditions and have even formed their own unique society with a rigid caste system.”[6]

“The Gilvar Syndicate estimates the native population to be seven million in total. And crucially, the natives are nearly all hostile to the Syndicate because they believe the ‘people from the sky’ to be the cause of all their woes, and not without reason. Arm the natives and they will take care of all Syndicate forces on their planet without any outside help. But then they will go to war with each other because peace is not a familiar concept on the Quarantine Planet and there has been a lot of conflict between the native settlements. That of course is all in the real world, though. As for the virtual copy of the Quarantine Planet in the game that bends reality, I have no idea because I’ve never been.”

Leng Valeri reached for the shoulder of the intelligence officer to tell her to stand and gave back the microphone. But at the last moment, she took the floor again and added.

“I almost forgot. Beyond the technologically backward natives, there are also Sylphs on the planet, or ‘winged people,’ as the natives call them. These people, whose ancestors originated from planet Tellur IV many centuries ago modified the Human genome so they could have wings and be able to fly through the air like birds. However, one hundred sixty years ago, Tellur IV joined the Gilvar Syndicate and religious fanatics, inflamed by the new authorities, stormed the Sylph research laboratories and cities. The winged humans were mostly exterminated, but the survivors took shelter in the endless forests of the Quarantine Planet. There aren’t many Sylphs left, but they are also opposed to the Syndicate and could become our allies. Importantly, that is also in the real world where our opportunities are severely limited.”

“I of course understand your personal motivations, esteemed Leng Valeri,” the American Human-12 Faction general stood, “but what sense is there in landing our troops on a deadly planet the Syndicate has practically no control over?”

“Because,” the huge Second Directory ruler Leng Ui-Taka took the floor, “ as a rule land wars are not waged on densely populated planets. If the attackers can down all the defending starships and take out the defensive infrastructure, they gain absolute space superiority, and the next step is generally an ultimatum about orbital bombardment. And then either the enemy surrenders and the landing party takes control of the cities and strategic centers with no bloodshed. Or if the enemies are stubborn and do not accept reality, the army subdivisions, nuclear facilities, factories, and even cities are reduced to ashes by bombardment from space. In those cases, the losses number in the billions, but the end result is the same: the planet is taken by the attackers. There simply is no way to stand up to a hail of thermonuclear bombs, and even the most diehard fanatics normally realize that after a few demonstrative strikes.”

“That’s exactly right!” I supported my head Strategist. “Decimating a planet’s population is no challenge. The high-power gravity and thermonuclear charges aboard Bride of Chaos could achieve that but let me note that our plans do not involve such radical measures. Our opponents are no fools and will not die senselessly for their ideas, particularly if the former ruler and his heirs have already been captured or killed by the time the orbital blockade is implemented.”

“But the Quarantine Planet is a different story,” General Ui-Taka put in his opinion again. “What’s to destroy? The spaceport? A settlement of five thousand? I’m not even sure they exist in the virtual projection’s game nodes. But as a place to hide in endless forests and continue leading troops from a secret bunker, the Quarantine Planet is really the ideal option. That is precisely why the cautious Kung Yoji Umoro, and his elder children are currently located on Zeta-Reaper III rather than their capital of Gilvar II. Meanwhile, even if we capture the six Syndicate planets, the ruler would continue squawking to the entire galaxy about how he is the ‘legal ruler.’ So the war will only end after we’ve captured the Quarantine Planet both in the game and the real world!”

There were no further objections, and everyone agreed about the landing on the dangerous planet.

“What forces will we be up against in space?” came a very intelligent question from the Chinese Human-1 Faction representative. The middle-aged Tailaxian intelligence officer gave a detailed response.

“The Gilvar Syndicate space fleet at this time comprises two hundred forty-seven starships. Nine cruisers, ninety-six frigates, one hundred interceptors and six stealth bombers. The rest are support ships, mobile repair bases, and landing barges. I’d like to go into more detail on the barges as well because my people have intel on all the enemy’s plans. Yes, the Syndicate has been preparing for an attack on Tailax and the Poko-Poko space station for a while. They have large landing ships set aside for the operation capable of carrying up to two hundred thousand troops and heavy equipment. They have yet to begin loading onto the ships, but it is just a few days’ work because the troops are already on their way to the planet’s three spaceports from their training areas and other locations.”

I nodded because my intel lined up with that and added to the Tailaxian intelligence officer’s data.

“The enemy fleet is training coordination near the first planet in the Gilvar system and waiting for landing troops. And that Syndicate space fleet will be the first target of our attack. Our foes are aware Earth is in possession of one battleship, as well as the Di-Pal-Yu 781 cruiser, but overall they severely underestimate our present space forces. Thanks to our capable counterintelligence,” I pointed across the table at Gerd Alexander Antipov the Inquisitor, “all enemy spies were detected and neutralized. We have reason to believe our enemy is only in possession of outdated information and mistakenly believes that Earth’s fleet still has no more than thirty or thirty-five ships with crews that are poorly trained for real space combat.”

Before this council, I had a chat with the Inquisitor who told me about clumsy attempts by “traders” or “travelers” from far away attempting to bribe military officers or dispatcher service workers from Poko-Poko. One instance even turned into a joke. A group of Syndicate spies with falsified documents tried to legally settle on Tailax by pretending to be locals returning from a long vacation even though the “returnees” physically differed from the large-eyed Tailaxians as much as seals in a pack of gray wolves. All the spies were interrogated using the Inquisitor’s rich arsenal of methods, then taken care of in the real world. Yes, it was cruel, but I was willing to stop at nothing to guarantee Earth’s safety.

“The united fleet really has grown a lot stronger recently,” one of the prelates of Tailax noted, pointing out the large window at the group of no less than three hundred starships preparing for a long journey. “But still, our enemy’s two hundred plus combat ships are a formidable force. Plus, in their home systems they will have support from stationary orbital cannon arrays and innumerable space defense systems on the planets’ surfaces. Good thing we have the battleship with its fearsome cannons. But in any case, we’re in for a very tough battle, and victory is far from a sure thing. The main question then is — am I correct in understanding that no one here has experience commanding a fleet in battle?”

Astrolinguistics skill increased to level one hundred seventy-three!

Leng Valeri-Urla, remaining seated, noted:

“A few of our captains have combat experience, and the Kung of Earth has taken part in a fair number of space battles and commanded ships...”

“That’s different,” I interrupted my wayedda midsentence. “It really is a reasonable question. I thank the wise prelate for raising such a difficult topic. Just a few of our pilots have experience in battle, and not a single player in our ranks has experience commanding a fleet with the full set of skills that entails. I brought this issue before the ruler of the Union of Miyelonian Prides, but the cautious Krong Keetsie Myau refused to give up a commander to the Earth and Tailax fleet. Keetsie thinks with good reason that this war is a purely Human affair and having Miyelonian military officers interfering will give other players in the game of great space politics free reign. Above all, that means the Trillian Kingdom which is our enemy but held back by a peace treaty with the Meleyephatian Horde. Currently, they cannot send any ships to Gilvar Syndicate space because Gilvar is a Horde vassal. I did not ask the Empire for help either and believe me, I have my reasons.”

I could see everyone’s faces growing sadder and sadder the more I elaborated. That then made it all the more amusing to see the whole audience shudder when I announced that I had found a commander anyway!

Leng Ayni, sitting modestly at the table, stood up and took a few steps away from her chair before... transforming into a huge and terrible matte-black eight-legged spider! Everyone staggered back, some even screaming in surprise.

Kung Eesssa. Meleyephatian. Relict Faction. Level-282 Strategist.

“Allow me to introduce the legendary Kung Eesssa, Betelgeuse Planet Devouress. Many know her as the Army of Earth’s chief instructor. Kung Eesssa is not merely an unrivaled fighter; she once commanded the largest private military company in this part of the galaxy and has a lot of experience commanding fleets and helping players choose the correct skills. She is also a free agent mercenary, so her participation in the conflict does not violate any agreements. Please give a warm round of applause to our celebrated commander!”

Diplomacy skill increased to level one hundred forty-three!

Everyone around us started clapping. The experienced warrior was known by many, and everyone there was happy to have her taking part. Kung Eesssa really did have fleet command experience and, as far as I knew, she could choose any new skill for her character depending on the situation. But how hard it was to convince Fox to accept my offer to lead the fleet into war!

The Morphian was tracking her sworn enemy Kung Maa with maniacal persistence, but he was laying low. Gerd Imran, tracking the traitor Morphian’s marker, sometimes said when he came into the game and, based on those coordinates, Kung Maa was still back on Earth. But right up until the last few days, the Morphian had just flickered in and out, disappearing after only a few seconds. All that changed when we declared war on the Gilvar Syndicate. The traitor had again appeared among the Army of Earth’s troops and, apparently, was in one of the three starships preparing to be shipped out. We had even figured out which one: the huge Syapa VI landing barge, which transported forty thousand landing troops. We didn’t look into it any further to avoid spooking the cautious fiend. But it was only after the news that her sworn enemy was leaving Earth that Kung Eesssa accepted my offer.

The black spider herself took the attention and ovations with total calm. She returned to the form of Leng Ayni the Miyelonian and sat back down in the chair, speaking in a quiet voice.

“In an uninhabited star system one hyperspace jump away from Gilvar I, we will conduct a fleet training session where I will give assignments to several captains. We have a cloaked frigate tracking the enemy fleet, so we know everything happening in the enemy camp. And as soon as the Syndicate finishes loading their army, we will strike!!!”

* * *

“WE GOT LUCKY WITH THE fleet commander, Kirill. But then where is the real Leng Ayni?” Leng Igor Tarasov asked after the council was over.

I gave him a close scan and, although I didn’t detect anything suspicious, I limited myself to ambiguous phrases about how the Miyelonian was “busy with another diplomatic assignment.”

Yes, it was a very important and worrying topic for me, which I did not want to discuss with anyone. The thing was that my Trillian friend Ussh Veesh, the magic jewelry trader I had met on the Medu-Ro IV pirate station and who I was in occasional contact with, had sent me a strange message. It said that he had found out that the mafia Hive of Tintara had bribed both of my wards out of their death sentences from the Gilvar Syndicate torturers and taken them to neutral space. I was supposed to fly to a prearranged meeting point and discuss with the Hive of Tintara representatives a buyout price for the two adolescents or, failing that, what I could do for them to secure their return.

It smelled like a trap from a mile away. The Hive of Tintara was an organization with informal ties to the Par-Poreh family and was tasked with carrying out legally dubious missions for the ruling dynasty of the Trillian Kingdom. The Trillian Kingdom and Earth were at a state of war, and the only living survivor from the Par-Poreh dynasty was King Hugo the First, my personal archnemesis.

Why had the Trillian gangsters taken an interest in my wards to help them get away from the torturers? And most importantly, Gerd Imran had been tracking Gerd Tini and Leng Soia-Tan La-Varrez the whole time, so he was sure they were still in Gilvar Syndicate Space though regularly moving from planet to planet. There were of course possible explanations for those facts, but most likely my “Trillian friend” was deceiving me, trying to capitalize on the trust he’d built up during our relationship.

I replied to Ussh Veesh saying I was too busy commanding my army in the war, so I offered to send an authorized representative, Leng Ayni Uri-Miayuu. The answer came in almost instantly, saying the “other side” was fine with that but that she had to bring her legendary daggers to confirm her authority. That was when I lost all doubts. Hugo the First, and it was most likely Absolute Evil himself behind the secret operation, wanted to take her prisoner perhaps more than the Kung of Earth.

I spoke with Ayni and got her permission, particularly given her wish to serve as live bait at the meeting with the emperor. Harder was communicating the detailed instructions to the Void and gaining the interdimensional being’s clear understanding that it was not to eat its handler under any circumstances, and not to reveal itself until it heard the command, “Attack!!!” After specifying a meeting point with Ussh Veesh and warning him that my assistant was an NPC with just one life, so she needed to be kept safe, I gave Leng Ayni an android-crewed high-speed frigate and wished her success on the difficult mission. Gerd Mac-Peu the Mage Diviner, who I asked to give me the chance of success, said the androids would die 100%, whereas Ayni’s odds were “fifty-fifty.” That of course spooked my friend but did not stop her. And now it had been two days since the Listener departed, leaving me anxious and concerned.

My conversation with Leng Tarasov was interrupted by Army of Earth commander General Leng Ui-Taka, who was talking with my big-eyed wayedda. The general came over to say the fleet was ready to depart on its first military campaign, and they were waiting only for my command. The topic of discussion was some intel my wayedda had just received saying the Gilvar Syndicate had sent an army eighty thousand strong to the Quarantine Planet, and it had already touched down at the spaceport. The leader of that army was a Bard everyone knew well by the name of Leng Vasily Andreyevich Filippov.

“A worthy foe, the battle will be heated,” Earth’s top Strategist agreed. “The way everything is coming together, the key to winning this war will be found on the Quarantine Planet!”

“What do you say, Kung Gnat, will we win?” Tarasov asked.

But before I could respond, a popup distracted me.

ATTENTION!!! Krong Keetsie Myau proposes a treaty to the Kung of Earth. The Union of Miyelonian Prides would like to become a vassal of Earth Humanity. Would you like to become suzerain of the Miyelonian race, giving you the right to command their troops, and rule Union of Miyelonian Prides space? (Yes/No)

So, the Great One was able to force the initially unthinkable proposal through the council of rulers! I suspected that her final argument to convince the other Miyelonian rulers was the fact that Composite leader Krong Bubi-O-O-Yula had sworn temporarily not to touch any space belonging to the Kung of Earth. Okay, a good sign. Of course, I chose “yes.”

Authority increased to 181!

Authority increased to 182!

Diplomacy skill increased to level one hundred forty-four!

You have reached level two hundred and one!

You have received three skill points (total points accumulated: six)

I closed the message screen and realized that Tarasov and Valeri-Urla were staring at me awaiting a response to the question.

“Friends, this war will be hard. We have no experience with space combat maneuvers, much less capturing enemy planets. But what we do have is an ardent desire to bring Earth prosperity and its rightful position in space. And we have the forces to make that a reality. So we will prevail!!!”

End of Book Ten

Addendum. Crew list of the assault cruiser Di-Pal-Yu 781

Players:

1. Kung Gnat. Human. Devourer. Captain.

2. Leng Ayni Uri-Miayuu. Miyelonian Female. Listener. Captain’s authorized representative.

3. Leng Soia-Tan La-Varrez. Human. Investigator. Ward of the captain (in enemy custody).

4. Leng Valeri-Urla. Human. Beast Master. Captain’s wayedda.

5. Gerd Ayukh. Geckho. Navigator. Senior Officer.

6. Gerd Destroying Angel. Human. Gunfighter.

7. Gerd Dmitry Zheltov. Human. Starship Pilot. Main pilot.

8. Gerd Eduard Boyko. Human. Space Commando.

9. Gerd Imran Human. Arbiter. Captain’s personal bodyguard.

10. Gerd Ivan Svyatodukh. Human. Priest.

11. Gerd Kisly. Human. Machinegunner. Husband to Nefertiti the Dryad.

12. Gerd Lassi-Yana Un-Leto. Human. Mage Healer.

13. Gerd Mauu-La Mya-Ssa. Miyelonian. Medic.

14. Gerd Orun Va-Mart. Miyelonian. Engineer. Main ship engineer.

15. Gerd Tini Wi-Gnat. Miyelonian. Secret Master. Ward of the captain (in enemy custody).

16. Gerd T’yu-Pan. Human. Shocktroop. Landing team leader.

17. Gerd Uii-Oyeye-Argh-Eeyayo. Jarg. Analyst.

18. Gerd Ukh-Meemeesh. Trillian. Gunner.

19. Gerd Uline Tar. Geckho. Trader. Captain’s business partner.

20. Gerd Vasha Tushihh Geckho. Heavy Robot Operator.

21. Amati-Kuis Ursssh. Trillian. Chef-Assassin.

22. Avan Toi. Geckho. Supercargo.

23. Basha Tushihh Geckho. Heavy Robot Operator.

24. Grim Reaper. Human. Sniper.

25. San-Doon Taki-Bu Human. Pilot. Copilot.

26. San-Sano. Human. Engineer.

27. Taik Rekh. Geckho. Gunner.

28. Timka-Vu. Human. Machinegunner.

Non players:

1. The Alpha Iseyek of the boarding team (20 individuals capable of entering the real world).

2. Kirsan (3x). Mechanoid repair bot. Differentiated by color.

3. Nefertiti. NPC Dryad. Jeweler.

4. Little Sister. Shadow Panther. Animal. Valeri’s Pet.

5. Paa Um-Um Paa. Cruiser artificial intelligence.

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About the Author

––––––––

MICHAEL ATAMANOV WAS born in 1975 in Grozny, Chechnia. He excelled at school, winning numerous national science and writing competitions. Having graduated with honors, he began to study material engineering. Soon, however, his family had to flee their house which was destroyed during the first Chechen campaign.

Michael was forced to accept whatever work was available. He moonlighted in chemical labs, loaded trucks, translated technical articles, worked as a software installer and scene shifter for local artists and events. At the same time he never stopped writing, even when squatting in seedy hostels. Writing became an urgent need for Michael. He submitted articles to science publications, penned news fillers for a variety of web sites and completed a plethora of technical and copywriting gigs.

Then one day unexpectedly for himself he started writing fairy tales and science fiction novels. For several years, his audience consisted of only one person: Michael's elder son. Then, at the end of 2014 he decided to upload one of his manuscripts to a free online writers resource. Readers liked it and demanded a sequel. Michael uploaded another book, and yet another, his audience growing as did his list. It was his readers who helped Michael hone his writing style. He finally had the breakthrough he deserved when a publishing house offered him a contract for his first and consequent books.

Michael is now the author of several bestselling LitRPG series which are already considered the classics of LitRPG.

[1] Translator’s note: referring to shchi (cabbage soup), the foremost Russian staple, this idiom roughly means, “mind your own business”, and points to the absurdity of giving someone tips about things they know better than you.

[2] These events take place in the book Game with no Rules by Michael Atamanov

[3] These events take place in the Perimeter Defense series by Michael Atamanov

[4] Information about the Arite Iseyek, masters of spycraft in the service of Georg royl Inoky ton Mesfelle found in the Perimeter Defense series by Michael Atamanov, which is where Kung Gnat learned it.

[5] The events described here take place in the novel Perimeter Defense. A Game With No Rules by Michael Atamanov, which is where Kung Gnat read about it.

[6] More detail on Zeta-Reaper III's caste system and life in its primitive settlements can be found in the book Quarantine Planet by Michael Atamanov.