Rescue
Author: Tony Corden
Date: 2018-03-22 04:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Science Fiction; Fantasy; Cyberpunk; Artificial Intelligence
Description: A simple error leaves Leah with a unique Neural Enhancement Chip and a rapidly evolving AI implanted in her brain. In Nascent, she evaded kidnapping by virtual slavers and helped shut down some operations of the virtual crime syndicate that uses mind-controlled players as slaves. In Odyssey, she not only found a way to escape but she also uncovered deeper plots being carried out in both the virtual multi-universe and reality. In 'Change', Leah began learning how to use the additional connections her chip has made throughout her body. The Pod facility she opened expanded as she helped others fr

Contents

Dedication

Copyright

History

Chapter One - December 10, 2073 - Part 1

Chapter Two - December 10, 2073 - Part 2

Chapter Three - December 10, 2073 - Part 3

Diary December 10, 2073

Chapter Four - December 11, 2073 - Part 1

Chapter Five - December 11, 2073 - Part 2

Chapter Six - December 11, 2073 - Part 3

Chapter Seven - December 11, 2073 - Part 4

Chapter Eight - December 11, 2073 - Part 5

Diary December 11, 2073

Chapter Nine - December 12, 2073 - Part 1

Chapter Ten - December 12, 2073 - Part 2

Chapter Eleven - December 12, 2073 - Part 3

Chapter Twelve - December 12, 2073 - Part 4

Diary December 12, 2073

Chapter Thirteen - December 13, 2073 - Part 1

Chapter Fourteen - December 13, 2073 - Part 2

Chapter Fifteen - December 13, 2073 - Part 3

Excerpt from 'Identity' Book 5

Excerpt from 'Mirasçi' A Stork Tower Backstory

In gratitude to those

who work to bring

freedom from slavery,
irrespective of its form.

Rescue

The Stork Tower # 4

By

Tony Corden

Copyright 2018 Tony Corden

Kindle Edition

Cover image from Shutterstock.com

This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only.

E-book ISBN: 978-0-6482890-4-3

HISTORY

It was the advent of safe electromagnetic neural manipulation in 2021 which led to the rise of a viable and sustainable virtual reality industry. Within thirty years almost all leisure, education, and work-related activity occurred inside virtual reality constructs. Individuals were suspended in a neutral buoyancy liquid which had a gel-like consistency. Their bodies were held in induced quasi-comas, while their nervous system was manipulated to provide a virtual sensory experience indistinguishable from reality while constantly stimulating the motor neurones to prevent muscular deterioration. The variety and complexity of the devices developed was frequently changing yet the market continued to refer to all such devices as Neural Interface SIM (Sensory, Integrative and Motor) Pods or SIM Pods.

Many regulatory bodies, conservatives, and sceptics initially raised the problems of privacy and security. They were worried about the potential for brainwashing, for thought control, or even of subtle thought reform. In response, the VR industry developed and introduced an intelligently controlled interface which included a self-adaptive firewall. This device was controlled by the user and capable of protecting personal privacy and safeguarding the minds of the growing number of people both working and living in virtual space. With many users wanting even greater control over their virtual experience these interfaces quickly matured into personally managed, and owned, Artificial Intelligence Chips. The AI chips were physically implanted adjacent to the nervous system and able to protect, inform and assist individuals both inside and outside the virtual world. The chips micro-manipulated the auditory and visual cortices making it possible for the owner to hear and see implanted information, even in the real world.

Various interest groups including parents, educators and civil libertarians raised concerns over the appropriate age for POD immersion. In research commissioned by the International Institute of Applied Neuroplasticity, there was clear evidence that extended immersion in SIM Pods was detrimental for those under the age of fifteen. Further studies led to International guidelines banning POD use for those under the age of five and limiting their use until age ten to two hours per day, then to four hours daily until age fifteen.

At the Dubai Convention for Virtual Modality in 2050 the United Nations’ ‘Declaration of Human Rights’ was modified and the changes formally adopted the following August by the UN General Assembly. These changes asserted that the access to a personal AI was a fundamental human right for full access to modern society. The right to education was amended to include the right to access the virtual environment.

SUMMARY OF NASCENT

Atherleah Carroll grew up in a negative-tax family in the gang-controlled suburbs of Brisbane at the end of the twenty-first century. From the age of six, she decided that she wanted more and with the help of her local gang-leader, she learned the skills to escape the relentless pressure to accept a life of mediocrity. On her sixteenth birthday, she was inadvertently implanted with a Neural Enhancement Chip instead of the free Government provided basic level personal AI. This mistake not only removed the limits placed on the AI but also broke some of the Government instigated control parameters. Leah’s life rapidly became a battle, both in the virtual-multiverse and in real life.

On the advice of the local ‘boss’, Leah began playing the virtual fantasy game Dunyanin to earn the money she needed to live at the local POD facility and help with her education. With the help of her rapidly evolving AI, she has not only thwarted attempts by the government to limit her opportunities but evaded kidnapping by virtual slavers. Co-opted by several Virtual Security AI Leah has helped shut down a virtual sweat-shop which used mind-controlled players to farm for resources. The family, which runs the virtual crime syndicate, has cornered Leah in the depths of a virtual-mine and sent twenty player-mercenaries to capture her. Fleeing through a hidden doorway into a mirror mine operated by goblins Leah hopes to escape her pursuers.

SUMMARY OF ODYSSEY

Leah’s escape from her pursuers catapults her into a multi-dungeon Odyssey which promises challenges and rewards beyond anything she has yet faced. She invites her new virtual friends along and together they are melded into a team. In the real world, she is blocked by people within the Government who want to prevent her rising from her set position in society. Some in the Government are allied with her enemies in the crime syndicate and force her to relocate from the public POD facility. They also try to put an end to her academic aspirations.

She attends a meeting with the Matriarch of the syndicate on a space station in a new virtual universe. When she uses her childhood skills to pickpocket the Matriarch’s head guard she inadvertently steals something of immense value and exacerbates the conflict. In Dunyanin Leah embarks on a journey to fulfil the only timed quest she has. The route includes a visit to both heaven and the place of the dead. She changes history and finds herself rewarded in the court of the High Elves. The reward sends her on a detour and a confrontation with a clan of vampires.

Through all of this, Leah finds time to go on her first date.

SUMMARY OF CHANGE

When Namus, the Vampire Patriarch, changes Leah into a vampire, an error in Dunyanin’s code initiates real-world changes in Leah’s anatomy. She begins learning how to access and use the additional connections her chip has made throughout her body. In Dunyanin Leah is finally able to finish the timed quest. On the way she discovers that the crime syndicate has an even greater presence in the virtual multiverse than she’d imagined, she once again helps free some slaves. Leah is separated from her friends during an ambush and has to continue alone. On the journey, she makes new friends, learns new skills, hatches her dragon, and finds a mega quest which thrusts her into the spotlight, not just in Dunyanin but throughout the multiverse.

Leah not only reaches an agreement with MIT to begin her studies but they agree to let her start researching her theories, all she has to do is find some professors who will work with her. The Pod facility she opened expands as she helps others from her neighbourhood get higher education and access the multiverse. Her battle with the crime family escalates as she begins to unravel the secrets of the syndicate and they both tarnish her reputation and remove the allies and friends who could help her.

Her relationship with Thad grows as they find time to have several dates.

CHAPTER ONE

December 10, 2073 - Part 1

Leah arrived back in the Tower to find both Sharon and Stephen still in residence. She said, “Have you two left or are you still here from five hours ago?”

Sharon replied, “I haven’t left. Stephen did, but he returned over an hour ago. We’ve been trying to get Dunyanin to make a statement on the integrity of their servers and game AI, but they’ve basically ignored us. I have some statements for release that you need to approve.”

“Does it really matter? It is just a game. I’m not really hurt in any way, why not let it slide?”

Sharon said, “You can’t! This is no longer just a game. Dunyanin has made your gameplay and the gameplay of the others in the competition into a worldwide media event. Big money is riding on the outcome, even on everyday activities in the game. The other major gaming platforms are already gearing up to win back the large number of people defecting to Dunyanin. A shake-up like this hasn’t happened in over a decade. You are popular at the moment and what you do and how you react will affect the direction of change. If you don’t maintain your positive profile now, then you’ll find it hard to get it back, and that will change every aspect of your virtual existence. For example, if you are vilified by the press and by Dunyanin then you could lose your support at MIT. It shouldn’t happen but it very well could.”

“I see. Can it wait until we have all had a break?”

“Yes. You have nine more Dunyanin hours before the feed goes public. You need to have a statement ready for when that happens, and you must be ready to answer questions. I suggest you give permission for me to let one or two journalists know something big is coming and prep them beforehand. They’ll respond by giving you airtime to explain your side of the story.”

“What if Dunyanin doesn’t show what happened?”

“That’ll be worse. In the absence of a feed or facts, people will just make stuff up.”

“Stephen?”

“I agree with Sharon. You need to get your story out first and have Dunyanin and others scrambling to verify. If they speak first, then you are the one left scrambling. My only suggestion would be that you give Dunyanin a lifeline. Don’t back them into a corner. Big corporations like being given a way out. As for Merideath, I wouldn’t mention her at all. You can’t prove she was involved except by airing the threat. The police will be all over your facility, and you know as well as I do that she’ll weasel her way out of that simply by saying Son_of_Aulë is a deranged individual or something like that. Instead, portray her as irrelevant.”

“I can be back in twenty real-minutes. I’d like to head to church with my mum but that is right on the time the feed starts. Are you sure I need to be available? Could it wait?”

Sharon shook her head and said, “I don’t think so. Over a half-a-billion people watched segments of the first few days of live feed, and that number is growing. The clip of you being accused of ordering the slaughter of women and children will go viral, as will your execution of Son_of_Aulë while a vampire. The fact that he exonerates you and that you save the Forge may not register unless we help people see the facts. We need to help people see these things, and you need to be the one to help them.”

“I’ll give tentative approval but which journalists will you contact?”

“Lisa Wilks from The Virtual World Today and Mark Stevens from DMR Interactions.”

“Why them? They are big names. Why would they be interested?”

“They have shown an interest in the whole Merkize promotion and both have already interviewed several of the other contestants.”

Gèng appeared and said, “I suggest you also find a Chinese journalist and a Russian. Both Yuè_Fēi_Lóng and Боевой_молот have mentioned Atherleah in their interviews — both were positive. A substantial percentage of those who watch Leah come from these locations. It would be useful to keep them onside.”

Sharon nodded and said, “That is a brilliant suggestion Gèng, I need to increase my vision and my understanding of the audience base. Let me do some work and arrange several interviews. Leah, will you release your personal feed of today and your feed of two weeks ago? Those will prove you weren’t near Clan Molven that day.”

“Gèng, where was I?”

Gèng replied, “According to the description of the event in various forums you were in that place we can’t mention. You were in the place with all the loot behind the locked door.”

“Sorry Sharon, I’ll release today’s footage, but I can’t release the actual footage for the time in question. I can give you the hours before and the hours after but that particular time is not available. I can prove I was half a continent away before and after.”

“It won’t be enough. Everyone knows you can teleport.”

Stephen interjected, “Why can’t you show us?”

“I agreed to keep that part of my time in Dunyanin a secret.”

“Is the timing a coincidence?”

“It’d have to be. Meredith didn’t even know my name back then. Well, she did, but she didn’t realise what I’d done yet.”

“Do I need to know as your lawyer?”

“I doubt it. I don’t think it’s germane to our discussions.”

“Do I need to know as your public relations consultant?”

“Definitely not, you’d find it too juicy not to share.”

Sharon said, “Unfortunately, now I know about it it’ll drive me crazy not knowing. Either way, this means we’ve lost one of our best proofs. Can we meet back here in half-an-hour to run through what you can and can’t say?”

Leah nodded, and after a few more minutes she logged out to have breakfast with her family.

As Leah exited the Pod, she said, “Gèng, could you see if John is free for a chat after breakfast? I’ll also need to talk to Jimmy and give him a heads-up. Can you check with Akia and see if she has any suggestions?”

“John asked if it is urgent and I said it was. Jimmy was awake and is expecting your call whenever you are free. Akia will not tell me her suggestion. I believe she will tell you if pushed.”

“I’m not ready to push her into an answer just yet. I know that when I think it best to keep something to myself, then it usually is. When people make me speak when I don’t want to then others are usually hurt by my words.”

Lin and Michael were already eating, and Leah joined them. After the usual pleasantries she said, “Dad, mum, I received another threat today. It was made clear that unless I agree to return something to the Kodomans by sometime after eleven tonight that they will begin pressuring me in the real world. They referenced mum’s church, and I think they’ll try and harm or abduct someone in the family.”

Michael sat up straighter and said, “What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know. I’d like to say I’ll resist the pressure because I truly believe what they want is data that will affect the lives of a lot of people. The problem is I still haven’t worked out what the data is, and I’m not willing to risk any of my family.”

Lin said, “Do we have a say in what you do?”

“Of course! I need advice, and I want it from both of you. The burden I feel though, is that, in the end it is my responsibility.”

Lin nodded and said, “In that case, our advice, and here I speak for both of us, our advice is that you decode the data and help stop those people from hurting others. We will take precautions, but we will not be intimidated anymore than you will.”

Leah’s dad grinned and said, “Your mother answered for both of us because she is a good Christian woman. My answer would have been far more colourful. It would be the same message just far more adjectival. You go stop them my girl.”

Leah brushed a stray bit of moisture from the corner of her eye and said, “There is more.” She then shared what had happened during that morning and what plans were in place to counter the most likely outcomes. When she had finished, she waited for a response.

Her parents were quiet for some time, and then Michael said, “Nothing changes. You go and do what you must. We’ll be ready. I suggest you find some way to broadcast your interview to the people in the Switch. They don’t have access to the virtual news.”

Leah gave them each a hug and then left to see John. Her talk with him was along the same lines, and she received a similar response. He agreed to increase surveillance and to plan a lockdown of the facility later in the day. Together they worked on some additional security options to help protect Leah’s family. Finally, Leah called Jimmy and explained what had happened and what the plans were. He said, “When you get this data what will you do with it?”

“I don’t know. It depends on what it is I suppose. But I know that look on your face Jimmy, and the answer is a definite ‘No’. If there is something to be made from it, then I might share it with you, but I won’t simply hand it over to you. You and I both know that if there is a potential for massive financial gain, then your conscience has a holiday.”

“Sadly, my girl, I resemble that remark — much to my chagrin. Over the years my avarice has lost me many friends. But just so you know, I’ve always wanted more than the Switch, just like you. It’s not so much that I want the money, but I guess I still want out.”

“You have enough to leave.”

“I know, but then I’d lose the power.”

“You’ll get no sympathy from me, Jimmy. What you don’t realise is that you have more than power and money. People in the Switch respect you, they look up to you, and they do that without blinkers. We all know you’re a scheming, controlling, money-grabbing, low-life gang lord, but we also know that buried under all that avarice is a heart that cares what happens in the Switch and a mind that tries to decipher a path to benefit others as well as yourself.”

“Leah, you need to work harder on your skills as an encourager. And while I’m touched by your heartfelt suggestion, I will have you know that I am not a low-life gang lord: I am a superior gang lord.”

“That you are Jimmy Loo, that you are. Look, I have to go, but I wanted you to know what was happening and what my plans were.”

“Thank you! I'll see what I can do to arrange a way for some of the more influential people in the Switch to listen to your interview. They won’t be able to experience it, but I might be able to arrange an audio feed. Be careful.”

When she had finished the call, she hurried to log in and discuss her options with Sharon and Stephen.

When Leah arrived in the Tower, she walked through to her garden and sat to meditate for a moment or two. She needed to find a place of calm. She had been there for just under twenty minutes when Gèng said, “Excuse me Leah, Sharon and Stephen will be arriving shortly.”

Leah nodded and stood. Slowly she walked to the central area and sat on her sofa. She continued to breathe carefully and to stay focused and calm. Moments later the two arrived like a whirlwind, as if to blow her sense of calm away.

Sharon said, “It’s arranged. I contacted Virtual World Today and DMR Interactions; both are interested. They had media contacts in both the Russian Federation and China. All the groups are interested in sharing an interview with you. Everyone wanted the live coverage, and it was looking brutal until I suggested they could share the interview. It took a bit of wrangling, but finally, all agreed to have a joint interview to be broadcast from the Virtual World Today Studios.”

“What, all of them?”

“Yep. They are trying to get several of the other contestants to join in and get feedback on how contestants feel about each other.”

“Not Merideath?”

“It’s possible. You need to be calm and get ahead of this. The people I talked with were amazed you had the gumption to take on Dunyanin. They all saw you as a nice sweet girl, someone who was in over her head and likely to be destroyed in the first skirmish. The fact that you are proactive here has already shifted how they see you. You need to do what Stephen said; you need to treat her as irrelevant.”

Leah nodded and then said, “By the way, I think I can prove I didn’t teleport to Malden in the break. I didn’t have that spell then. I didn’t get it until after I left the Pantheon of Heaven.”

Sharon smiled, and the three settled down to discuss strategies. Sharon helped Leah with what she should and shouldn’t say on particular issues, and Stephen cautioned her on the legal ramifications of any statements she might make.

At nine thirty Leah and Sharon entered a portal Gèng had arranged for them to the Virtual World Today Studio World. It was dedicated to providing news and commentary on what was happening in the world-wide multiverse. Within the world were several separate daughter worlds, each one coded to give viewers a front row seat to the news, commentary or interview. When a viewer chose to watch a particular show, their avatar was given front row seats in the audience which was made up of all the other viewers around the world. Each person believed they were in the front row and if they turned around, they could see a whole crowd behind them in row after row of viewers.

Those on the stage were able to look out at the crowd and get an indication of the audience size. If they focussed on the centre of the first row, then each person in the audience felt as if they were personally being noticed and valued. The technology was widely used and was able to cope easily with audiences of a hundred million or more.

When Leah and Sharon arrived, they were welcomed by the show’s producer, who apologised that the interviewers were unable to meet and greet due to the hurried nature of the show. She said, “It looks like this’ll be one of the largest shows we have hosted this year. News of the interview was released twenty minutes ago, and we already have over four million viewers who’ve set alarms to be present. We expect the number of live viewers to top two hundred million. It is a coup to have this in our studios even though it is likely the greatest number of viewers will come from China. Yuè_Fēi_Lóng’s comments about you in an interview the other day sparked an interest in you that surged when you claimed the dragon.”

Sharon asked, “Who else is coming?”

“We have a representative from Dunyanin who was invited although we haven't warned them of the topic. Yuè_Fēi_Lóng was unable to come due to a prior engagement, but Боевой_молот will be here, as will Gottes_Krieger and Merideath. She rarely responds to an interview request without advance warning, and we are thrilled she accepted. Let’s take you through to pre-production, and we’ll help you get ready.”

Leah said, “What do you mean? Get ready?”

“You need to get into your Dunyanin gear. What were you planning to wear?”

“What I have on.”

“Not possible. You can’t just wear slacks and a nice blouse. You aren’t appearing as Atherleah Carroll; here you are Atherleah, the player from Dunyanin. That is who we want to interview.”

Leah turned to Sharon who nodded and said, “Sorry, my bad. I thought you understood. You need to dress the part. You can choose whatever you want from your Dunyanin clothing.”

Leah followed them backstage and then equipped the same clothes she wore at the first press conference. The Producer shook her head and said, “Don’t you have anything else? The people have seen that already. Even your armour would be better than that. The others all look heroic and mighty.”

“Are they wearing the same as before?”

“No! They all have on a different array of armour. The only one the same is the Paladin, but he always wears the same thing.”

Leah thought for a moment and then equipped the Emeraldine gown she had worn to the Elven Court of Göksel-Orman. She added the jewellery and Merdiven. The producer stared for a moment and said, “It isn’t heroic or mighty, but it’s different, and it might set a good contrast. It's a good choice.”

After some last minute advice from Sharon, a member of the production crew came and said, “Please come with me Atherleah. You need to be seated in the next few minutes. The show will begin at 9.55. This gives us fifteen minutes before your feed is due to air.”

Leah followed the man through a door and onto a stage. She looked out over an empty auditorium which in just minutes would be filled with millions of people as they logged on. On the stage were nine chairs arranged in a semicircle so that everyone could see the others.

Leah was the last to arrive as Боевой_молот, Gottes_Krieger and Merideath were already seated on large padded armchairs. She was shown to a similar chair positioned next to Боевой_молот (Boyevoy_Molot, Battle Hammer). Across from her were the four interviewers or hosts. Lisa Wilks, Mark Stevens, and two people she didn’t know. Gèng informed her they were 诚实 (Chéng Shí) from the top-rated Chinese show on virtual gaming and Костя Алексеев (Kostya Alekseyev) from the Russian Federation. Lisa Wilks was in the centre chair. At the other end of the half-circle was a man in a suit who Leah recognised as one of the men she had ignored and logged out on earlier in the day. His name, Gèng shared was William Masters.

The clock counted down to zero and Leah could see the show’s introductory graphics showing on a small display Gèng relayed to her vision. She looked up and could see the seats filling faster than she had a chance to count. The number was displayed in her vision and was already over five million. She swallowed and began to breathe carefully, hoping to remain calm.

Gèng interrupted her thoughts and said quietly, “Leah, two things have just happened that you need to know. First, Dunyanin has just released a press statement that your account has been suspended awaiting review for inappropriate use and tampering for financial gain. Second, and more importantly, I just received news that your mother was abducted on her way to church.”

Leah couldn’t help herself, she slumped in shock and looked up and over at Merideath. Meredith looked back, raised an eyebrow and allowed her mouth to show a smug little smile. Leah regained control and said, “Was anyone hurt and did John have time to put our plans into play?”

“All three of her guards were hurt in the attack. Two have been taken to the hospital and the other, Lacey, is recovering back at the facility. John says that he was able to implement the plans but suggests you keep your head in the game and not get distracted.”

Leah gave a small nod and tried to focus on what was going on. Lisa Wilks began, “Welcome viewers to this special edition of Virtual World Today. I have invited three colleagues to join me on the show. First is Mark Stevens from DMR Interactions. His insight into the gaming world and in fact the whole of the multiverse is informed by over fifteen years as the main presenter and co-producer of DMRI’s flagship show ‘Dream Time’. Joining us from the top rating Chinese show Xūnǐ Yóuxì is Chéng Shí. We are also pleased to have Kostya Alekseyev from the Russian Federation’s most-watched virtual news show Zhizn’–Igra, or as is most commonly known, ZI.”

Each of the hosts introduced themselves, and then Mark said, “We also welcome four of the contestants chosen to fight for the privilege of opening a new continent in the Virtual World of Dunyanin. Before we introduce them to you, let me welcome Dr William Masters, who as one of Dunyanin’s Vice Presidents, is responsible for the Merkize Odyssey.”

“Thank you for the welcome. I am pleased to be here to represent the amazing world of Dunyanin.”

Mark continued, “Four contestants are here, but only three of them are well known. First, I’d like to introduce the highest ranking player in Dunyanin, someone who needs no introduction as she is one of the multiverses most successful inhabitants, Merideath.”

Merideath smiled and gave a small nod to the crowd then said, “Thank you, Mark, it is a pleasure to be here once again. Thank you for the invitation.”

Lisa said, “From the Republic of Germany, please welcome the Paladin, Gottes_Krieger.”

The Paladin gave a similar bow of his head and said, “Thank you! I am honoured by the invitation.” He spoke in German, but each person's AI was able to give a seamless translation into the language of their host.

Kostya introduced Боевой_молот who again thanked everyone and asked that they call him Ivan.

Finally, Chéng Shí said, “It is my pleasure to introduce one of the multiverse’s newest stars. A player who although new to the gaming universe is pitting herself against players who seem light years ahead of her in skill and resources. Please welcome, the enigmatic Atherleah.”

Atherleah decided to respond in Mandarin and said, “Thank you for the privilege of being here in such esteemed company.”

Lisa said, “Before we start let me remind you of our format. We’ll begin looking into a particular issue but you viewers have the right to move us on. If you think we’ve gone as deep as you want us to then just press the stop sign icon, and if you want us to go deeper, press the shovel icon. Viewers can submit and vote for questions through our viewer interface. If any question receives more than 200,000 votes, we will ask it if time permits. If any question receives over a million votes, we will ask it at the next break of conversation. Any question receiving over five-million votes, we’ll stop everything and ask it. Now, Atherleah, let me start with you, exactly how long have you been playing in the virtual universe?”

“Not long really, I had my chip embedded just over three weeks ago.”

Chéng Shí said, “Three weeks. You’ve come a long way in only three weeks. You must have played almost continually to reach Level 270?”

“I have spent most of the Dunyanin daylight hours in-game, but I’ve also begun my studies at University as well as enjoying several other games.”

Kostya asked, “Which university do you attend?”

“I’m enrolled at the Brisbane Community College as well as at MIT.”

The four interviewers glanced at each other and Lisa said, “I’m hearing that you’re smart, driven and skilful. What do you think your chances are against the virtual powerhouses you face in this challenge?”

All through the questioning, Gèng had been relaying information and instructions from Sharon and Stephen, so Leah softly shrugged and said, “I doubt I’ll get a chance to find out. It appears that the Dunyanin Administrators have decided to suspend my account. I have no idea why they would do that. Previously they have been fair to me, so I expect it is a glitch somewhere and will be sorted out soon. If not then I guess I’ll be watching from the sidelines. If I am, then I expect it will be a battle between my two favourites, Yuè_Fēi_Lóng and Боевой_молот.”

Each of the hosts appeared shocked although Gèng assured her they had already been informed. Боевой_молот pursed his lips and looked angry while both Gottes_Krieger and Merideath had small smiles. Chéng Shí turned to William Masters and said, “This is unexpected and unprecedented news. Why have you suspended Atherleah’s account?”

“Firstly, let me apologise on behalf of the Dunyanin administrators, it is with regret that we have had to take this extreme measure. There appear to be several irregularities in the account, and like you, we are amazed by Atherleah’s meteoric rise. We thought it best to suspend the account and do a full review before showing more of Atherleah’s feed. Primarily, we have done this for her sake and the sake of her many followers.”

Боевой_молот sat forward and said in English, “Bah, I think you care about yourself and not the little cookie maker.”

Atherleah smiled and said, “Chocolate chips if I remember correctly, Ivan. But seriously, Dr Masters, I am quite comfortable with my feed to be shown. In fact, Ms Wilks, please accept my personal recording of what happened today. I have nothing to hide, and I’m sure that your viewers are savvy enough to see what is happening in the feed.”

“Thank you Atherleah. I appreciate your transparency.”

Dr Masters interjected and said, “I must protest. One of the legalities included in the waiver signed by Ms Carroll specifically gave Dunyanin exclusive access to her feeds. Those feeds are currently the property of the Dunyanin Administrators, and we do not permit their release.”

Atherleah sat a little straighter and said, “Excuse me Dr Masters, but as a newcomer to the virtual worlds I was a little uncertain of the phraseology in the contract and had my advocate make an addendum to that clause. I’m absolutely sure that, if you check, you’ll find my contract allows me full rights, without restrictions, to all my feed. Ms Wilks, I’ve sent you a copy of the contract so you and your staff can check that yourselves. I wouldn’t want you to break any laws.”

Merideath interjected, “We are a little off track I think. Whether or not Atherleah is suspended, the rest of us are not. I suggest we leave such matters to the lawyers and talk about the game; this is what the viewers want.”

Atherleah said, “I’m sure you’re right Mrs Kodoman. I’d love to hear more about you because I don’t know very much about the gaming world. People say you’ve been around for years and years. I was wondering the other day how you keep your interest in the game when you get old? Not that you’re old, of course. Older is a better word, maybe. Well, you know what I mean, someone like you who’s well into her fifties.”

Merideath's face became rigid but before she could answer Mark interrupted, “It’s clear from the viewer interface that we should dig deeper into this issue rather than move on. So, William, I expect you’ve checked with your lawyers just as we have, do you have any other objections to showing the feed?”

Dr Masters shook his head and the feed from Atherleah’s morning began. Sharon had edited it, so it progressed smoothly through the first confrontation with Kandirma.

Kostya said, “I was wondering, Merideath, what Atherleah has stolen from you that would warrant such a threat.”

Merideath stared at him for a moment and had just begun to open her mouth when Atherleah interjected, “Oh that’s easy to answer. I’ve also been playing in Cosmos Online, and as you know, that is a game where you have to be careful of your resources, or they can get swiped. Mrs Kodoman wasn’t watching carefully enough, and I managed to pilfer a couple of FTL capable starships from under her nose. I’m surprised it’s such a big deal though when she has a whole fleet of them.”

Боевой_молот burst into laughter and then looked contrite. He said, “I’m sorry, but that was funny. I might learn to play this Cosmos Online if it’s that easy to get a starship.”

Gottes_Krieger said, “Be quiet Ivan, it is wrong to steal. This young half-breed should know better than to take from her betters.”

Atherleah said, “Mr Kreiger, I am sure you are right about stealing. And I assure you, I would never take anything from my betters.”

There was a moment’s silence before Merideath said, “Before I was interrupted Kostya, I was about to answer your question. I would like to assure you and everyone here that whatever this man said he was not speaking for me. He was a member of my clan, but I had to expel him recently. I suggest he has taken this avenue to try and ruin my reputation with this threat. He was aware, as we all are that Atherleah’s feed was likely to go public. I shall ask my lawyers to seek redress from him for this attack on my reputation.”

Leah leant forward and said, “Oh that is a relief, I was worried for a moment. I am sure, though, that whatever this man said he could never lower your true reputation, the reputation you have with those who know you. He couldn’t make that go lower. Take comfort in that.”

Боевой_молот said, “I’m glad I came. Normally these shows are boring, but this is exciting. It is like watching two titans fight. What happened next?”

Merideath started to speak but had to stop when they played Kandirma’s accusation and Utsal’s condemnation. When the segment finished, Gottes_Krieger said, “So that is the truth. You use the game to kill innocents. Be assured that should you be allowed to be in the Challenge, then I shall defeat you, Queen of Lies.”

Atherleah just sat there looking mournful. Finally, Chéng Shí said, “Atherleah, a viewer question has reached a million votes. It was initially asked by Dài Chūn, a viewer from the protectorate of Hong Kong. He wants to know if this is true?”

Atherleah said, “No! It isn't true, and I imagine that Mrs Kodoman already knows the type of man who would make such an accusation; he was in her clan. She has admitted the necessity to expel this person. I’ve checked the timing, and I’m happy to provide the feeds that prove I was not there at this time. In fact, just to be safe and to ensure I have not tampered in any way with the feeds, I grant Dunyanin the right to show my feed from the time in question. This will clear up the confusion. What puzzles me most though is the behaviour and reaction of Utsal. Maybe there is a glitch or something in the AIs that run the Gods. I’m confident that Dunyanin is checking on this.”

Gèng said, “You have a message from an untraceable source. It says, ‘Get up and leave the interview without explanation or we will hurt your mother.’ They have included a picture of your mother with a still photograph of the current interview.”

Leah sub-vocalised, “Send the following to Merideath, ‘Back off bitch. Withdraw the threat, or I’ll scrub every piece of data from the ship and drop it in a gravity bomb. Well, not every piece, I’ll take the data you want and broadcast it to the whole multiverse. VILKAS-42316. I suggest you also get me back into Dunyanin or I’ll be able to spend all my time destroying you. You have my mother, and I’ll do everything to get her back, but not here and not now.’ Translate the message into Arabic and send.”

While the conversation had been happening Dr Masters had been discussing the way Dunyanin kept a rigorous check on its high-level AIs. Leah kept an eye on Merideath and saw her face go blank and then tighten. Leah waited for a message, but none came. Finally, she decided to up the pressure. She said, “Sorry to interrupt, Dr Masters, but I’m sure this isn’t the first time one of the Gods has gone off script. Some of the viewers have commented on my lack of titles. I do have a few. It is just that I am a little reserved. One of my titles is Counsellor to the Gods, which I received when I visited the Pantheon of Heaven; there I met a goddess there called Suzluk. She was a little miffed with me and trapped me in a dungeon a few days later. She was raving mad, and in the end, I had to kill her. That’s where I got another of my titles, God Slayer.”

Before she could continue, Merideath interrupted and said, “That was you. I so wanted to meet the person who did that. I once had dealings with Suzluk and thought she was both wicked and crazy. I wouldn’t dream of believing anything she said. Your story reminds me of the time I had to fight the crazed leader of the orcs. Actually, Lisa, let me send you the feed and I’ll describe what happened. …”

As Merideath continued, Gèng said, “Merideath has sent a message. It reads, ‘Deal. The threat is withdrawn. Solve your problems with Dunyanin on your own. I, or my husband, will be in contact.’”

“No response. Is Stephen having any luck with Dunyanin?”

“He’s still meeting with them. He suggests you tighten the screws just a little.”

Leah waited as the conversation continued. The discussion moved to the other three contestants and their thoughts on the upcoming competition and the difficulty of the clues. Lisa turned to Leah and said, “What will you be doing about your account being suspended?”

“I’m sure that Dunyanin is reviewing my gameplay with as much rigour as my legal team. I can’t think of anything that I’ve done which is against the rules. The biggest issue for me is the way this has had a negative impact on my reputation. I’ll need to talk with the legal people about ways to redress that. Still, in the end, this action will damage Dunyanin’s reputation more than mine. As I suggested before, if I need to I will release my full feed to clear my name.”

Gèng said, “That did it, they caved. Stephen wants to know how far to push it?”

“All the way Gèng, tell him to take it all the way. They were always reasonable before, but not this time. Tell him to push hard. I want Masters here to break out in a sweat.”

Chéng Shí said, “It appears, Atherleah, that even if the Dunyanin administrators restore your account that you have become an enemy to every dwarf in the world. What will this mean for your gameplay?”

“Nothing Chéng Shí, it will be the same. I am used to fighting unfair criticism and oppression. Ever since I was born, I’ve had to deal with people like Gottes_Krieger here. He looks down on me and judges me as a half-breed. In real life, I’ve found that people are no different. Some are like him, but many people are like Ivan here. He spends a little time and looks a little deeper, and in the end, he comes to know me, the real me. He sees me not through the lens of prejudice, position, or power, but with objectivity and openness. Believe it or not, but most of the dwarves I meet will be the same. At first they’ll respond to the programming and despise me, but then they’ll look closer, they’ll interact, and they’ll do something that this Paladin can’t do, they’ll adapt and change. In the end, I expect you’ll find I have many dwarves who’ll see the real me.”

“Gottes_Krieger, Atherleah just made some comments about you that seems harsh, would you like to respond?”

“What do I care what this little girl has to say? She does not deserve to be in the same competition as Merideath or I. Take note of her competition, I bet she will be destroyed in the first round. She is all bluster and wind.”

Боевой_молот said, “I will take that wager, how much?”

“What, what wager, you Russian peasant?”

“You said, ‘I bet she will be destroyed in the first round.’ Well, I want to take that wager, or are you 'all bluster and wind'?”

“You’d bet on her? She is Level 270 and has spent all her time preparing by banging away at a forge. Both her mounts are less than Level 100, and she struggled against a single snow leopard. I could defeat her with my eyes closed. But all right, I will make the wager. I bet one diamond.”

“A diamond, that’s all you wager, one measly diamond. You must be poorer than I imagined. I was thinking something of greater value, say your armour?”

“My armour, are you crazy? This was a gift from my God. You have nothing which is close in value to offer.”

“Sure I do. My underpants are similar in value to your tin plate, you cheapskate. Come on, give me a manly wager.”

“All right. I will wager ten diamonds.”

“Bah, I’ll take it, but you have no soul.”

Dr Masters spoke into the silence and said, “Well, here is some good news, it appears that our team has finished the audit of Atherleah’s account and find no evidence at all of any wrongdoing on her part. We will be reinstating her account and will talk with her about redressing any negative press she received. Unfortunately, the feed from today, as you have seen, has several issues in which we believe someone has sought to manipulate our data and cause Atherleah harm. We are isolating the complete data stream and will spend time trying to find the culprit. Her feed will return at the start of her next day of play. Atherleah, please accept our most sincere apologies. I shall contact you after the show and discuss any compensation that might be owing.”

Not long after that, the hour-long show ended. Merideath and Gottes_Krieger disappeared as did Dr Masters. Chéng Shí walked over to Leah and said, “That was most entertaining. For someone so young you handled that well, except for your baiting of Merideath. You need to be careful. She is a dangerous enemy. I hear this was your idea, did you achieve what was necessary?”

“I did, thank you. I trust your viewers found it entertaining.”

“Most would have. Some of them, believe it or not, probably understood enough of the byplay to be even more entertained than I. I would request a more intimate conversation at some time. Would you be amenable to that?”

“Indeed I would. Please contact my public relations consultant, Sharon, or my AI Gèng for a time. I’ll have Gèng send you the contact details.”

Chéng Shí bowed and wandered away. Ivan walked over and said, “You did well my little cookie girl. Are my diamonds safe?”

“I hope so. It depends, of course, on who I fight first. If it's you then you can always throw the match and pocket the money.”

“No, in the competition we are foes. Here, I hope we can be friends.”

“We can Ivan; I also hope we can.”

“Good, then take this as friendly advice. You need to up your game. If you don’t get stronger, you will be destroyed. What on earth are you doing? What is this banging away with a hammer? Get out and learn to fight better or you will be brushed aside.”

“That is good advice Ivan, good advice. The problem is this, the fight inside Dunyanin is only a shadow of the fight I’m waging outside. All my energy is focussed on other things. I go to Dunyanin to rest. Still, I will take note of your advice and do better. Thank you for caring.”

“You’re welcome my cookie, you’re welcome. I don’t understand everything you say, but I am glad you listen. Now I must go, I need a shower after talking with that pious tin can.”

“There is nothing wrong with piety, Ivan. It's the hypocrisy which tarnishes.”

Both Leah and Ivan logged out.

Arriving back in the tower, Leah slumped over and burst into tears. Gèng came over and sat beside her. She carefully surrounded Leah with her arms and tried to comfort her. Leah rested her head on Gèng’s shoulder and slowly wept. Finally, after several minutes Leah looked up and said, “Sorry about that, I’ve been holding that in for an hour. Thanks for the support.”

“It’s perfectly understandable. Now that you’re calm, your father and John are waiting in the kitchen for you.”

Leah nodded and logged out. She took a quick shower and headed for the kitchen. Conner was sitting with her father and John was making some sandwiches. She walked over to give her father a brief hug and then she sat next to Conner.

Michael said, “We heard the interview, you did well. I would have reached over and bashed her a few times.”

“Don’t worry. I wanted to and to be honest, I intend to as soon as I can. Before we discuss mum, how are her guards? Gèng said two needed to go to the hospital.”

John replied, “They’ll be ok. Jerry had a bad concussion and a broken arm. Milton lost a tooth and hurt his back. They’ll be released later tonight I expect, I sent them as a precaution. Lacey suffered a light concussion and has a few bruises, but she’ll be fine. So far we’ve kept the police out of it as you and Michael requested. We’ve no clues at the moment, and I don’t expect any for at least another five or six hours.”

Michael said, “What clues? What do you expect to happen?”

John looked over at Leah and Michael said, “Leah, what is he talking about? You might be his boss, but you’re my daughter. Now, out with it.”

“I had John arrange for trackers to be placed in each of you. They were in your food. I didn’t tell you because it is certain that if one of you were taken, then you would be forced to tell the people who took you whatever you knew. While you are within range of your bodyguards, then the small trackers remain dormant and stay attached to the wall of your gut causing no harm. If you pass out of range of the device carried by your guards, then the small trackers are released gradually, one every four hours.

“They are still dormant until they leave your body as waste. Then they activate and send a signal every hour, on the hour, for twenty-four hours. The signal is encoded and only able to be read by a device with the matching code if it comes within one kilometre of the tracker. You each have twenty small trackers ready to be released. We have between eighty and a hundred hours to find mum. John, how many people do we have looking?”

“I currently have ten devices set up that can read your mum’s signal and another twenty will arrive tomorrow. The ten we have I’ve already deployed to the most likely areas for sewage to end up. She’s been gone for just over an hour and I expect nothing yet. I have forty of Jimmy’s gang spreading through the city to check places the Kodomans have buildings.”

“Good, contact Jimmy and say that I want him to call in any favours I’m owed. I want the other gangs to pitch in and help.”

Michael stared at them for a few minutes and then said, “You put trackers in us, without our knowledge. That’s wrong.”

John grinned and said, “Just so you know Michael, I had Leah take some without her knowledge. What else did you expect us to do? These people are bad, Michael, they are not only bad, but we know they are stronger than us and more highly skilled. So we need to be smarter.”

“You’re right. About the trackers and because I feel better knowing Leah was duped too.”

“Don’t get too smug John, I had mine reprogrammed and flushed the next day. Gèng sends a false response whenever you check if I’m still dosed. Don’t stare at me like that. I needed to be able to say I had nothing in case they took one of the family at the same time they took me. Now, although I hate to do it, I need to keep my head in the game. I’m going to skip the day in Dunyanin and make them sweat about whether or not I’ll play nice. I’m going to visit Pneumatica with Sharon and look for her sister. With mum gone I just realised how hard it must be for Sharon. After that, I need some time in Cosmos Online before some deep-sleep. I want to be informed as soon as anything is known about mum, or if we hear from her abductors.”

John nodded and said, “I’ll stay in reality and oversee everything. Michael, Leah has rushed ahead and issued orders, and I think they are the right ones. I also know you’re Lin’s husband. Do you have any questions or instructions?”

Leah nodded and said, “I’m sorry dad, John is right. What do you want?”

Michael said, “I want Lin back. I don’t care how, or even when, I just want her back safe and sound. I also want justice. I reckon Leah is right, John, but neither Conner nor I will be sitting down for this. Use us. We want to help.”

Conner swallowed and then nodded, “I want mum back, and I want those who took her to know it was wrong.”

John nodded and said, “Good, Leah you head off and do what you must. I’ll deal with things here. Jimmy will be here soon, and he’ll help with the coordination. We’ll find her, don’t you worry.”

Leah nodded and hurried back to her room and logged in to the Tower. She hoped she’d climbed high enough to be able to find her mum.

CHAPTER TWO

December 10, 2073 - Part 2

Leah asked Gèng to contact Sharon and see if she was free to begin a search for her sister. It was less than ten minutes later that Sharon arrived in the Tower. She found Leah sitting on the floor and researching the virtual world of Pneumatica. Sharon sat beside her and said, “Why now? I heard about your mother. I thought you’d be focussed on her.”

“I am. The thing is: I know I can’t do anything for her until I hear from her abductors or I can track where she’s being hidden. Dunyanin is out at the moment until they finalise terms with Stephen. Your sister has been missing for nine years. It’s time someone looked for her besides your AI. Have you decided on a name yet?”

“We have, it likes the name, Reed. There seems to be no reason that I can tell. Reed is different now, more useful, more a friend. I suppose that sounds crazy.”

“Why would that sound crazy? When I got back from the interview, I broke down because of my mother and the stress of pretending everything was normal. Gèng was the one who held me while I wept. She is a dear and close friend.”

“I guess I have a lot to learn about AIs. What are you looking at?”

“I was just researching the world Reed thinks your sister is in. Is Reed available to help refine the search?”

Sharon nodded, and Reed appeared. It said, “Atherleah I was distressed to hear of your mother, is there any way I can be of assistance?”

“With the search for my mother, I don’t think so, but I appreciate the offer. What you can help with is the search for Sharon’s sister. Why do you think she is in Pneumatica?”

“After becoming aware of Catherine’s plight I investigated everything I could find about her. One day when Sharon was visiting her family home, I saw a book which had belonged to Catherine. I knew it was hers because as soon as Sharon picked it up, she put it down and went to have a cup of tea. On the book was written the words ‘CT must hang’ and the stylised drawing of a noose. I had nothing else to do so I searched for the phrase and drawing wherever I could in the multiverse. One day I found a reference in a forum from the Game Saturn’s Rings, it referred to a miner in the asteroid belts of Saturn called C.T. Hang, and her call sign was ‘Noose’.

“I spent weeks delving through any and all publicly posted feeds from the game and finally saw the very same stylised noose on the side of a mining cart. There wasn’t much of a picture in the feed, but I was sure I had found Catherine. I focussed my search on the company she worked for and looked for ways into their files. I confess that I became quite adroit at breaking through firewalls.

“Several months after I found her she disappeared. It took several weeks, but I finally found an orphaned section of data which mentioned the transfer of personnel to Alexandria. Again I had to dig, but eventually found a reference to Alexandria, it is a city in a world dedicated to horror and the occult. In that city was a company that hired sherpas for people heading into the desert in search of lost tombs, mummies and cursed artefacts. The company name was similar to that in Saturn’s Rings. Finally, I found reference to a Sherpa known as CT who always wore a noose around her neck.

“Eight months ago, she was moved again. I have built up a list over the years of places that have branches of the company who keeps Catherine. Although I haven’t found any reference yet to CT, there is a band of airborne Pirates who operate around Aeolipile. One of these has a painting of the noose on the side panel of her machine.”

Leah sat and considered what was said while she and Sharon perused the material provided by Reed. When she had finished, she said, “So this company, the one you say keeps Catherine. It sounds like a huge organisation but the details I have here give three different businesses, ‘SMG Holdings’, ‘Stan’s Sherpas’, and then a business called ‘Theodore’s Copper Emporium’ with no direct connection to the pirates.”

“All of them are owned by a Sydney based family company called ‘North Shore Resources’. Over the years I have found fragmentary evidence which links over a hundred businesses in the multiverse with that parent company.”

“I assume the family is different from the Kodomans.”

“I’ve done some research since I heard your story and while there are some connections, I believe they are independent. The CEO of North Shore Resources is a man called John Emerson. The company was begun by his father, Michael Emerson.”

Leah stiffened. Her mind went back to her date with Thad. They were resting during skiing. They’d stopped at a small store on the slopes and had a hot chocolate. They had shared details of their families. Atherleah had talked of her parents and brother and then Thad had shared. “I have three siblings; all are older than me. There is Karine, the oldest and then the twins, Harry and Paris, and then me a few years later. My mother’s name is Julie, and my father is John, John Emerson. He runs the family business. He took over from his dad. I think he wants us kids to take over from him.”

Her voice sounded hollow even to her as she said, “Do you have a picture of John Emerson and his family?”

Reed, through Gèng, projected a family picture on the wall. And there was Thad, smiling like he always did, surrounded by his family. Sharon started and looked at Leah and said, “Isn’t that Thad?”

Leah nodded. “It is. I suggest you don’t share any of this, or our visits to Pneumatica, with the whole group until we know what the hell is going on. Gèng, please check the Tower for anything, anything at all that might not belong here. If you need to, get Thomas to come and do a sweep. I understand his company has a wide range of products, use them all.”

Gèng replied, “I will. But Leah, I can’t believe Thad is involved in this. His shock and anger at Jackson and his brothers was real.”

Leah slumped a little and said, “That’s what I thought. No, that’s what I think. I want with all my heart to trust him, to call him and ask him for the truth but I can’t. My mother is abducted, and now I don’t feel I can share that with him. I can't share it with my friends. And even if I could, the truth is we can’t do or say anything that might jeopardise Catherine. If they move her, we might never find her. At some stage, I’ll need to confront him. No, that is the wrong word. At some stage, I’ll need to discuss this with him, objectively, so I can get to the truth, but not yet.”

Sharon said, “I’m so sorry Leah. This just adds another burden to your day. Maybe we should hold off on going to Pneumatica?”

“No! We need to start looking. I need to do something productive. What do you know of Pneumatica?”

“Ever since I found out I have been researching the place. It’s like Dunyanin in that it’s an integrated multi-player world. It’s spherical and complete, unlike Dunyanin, which has curvature but is continually growing. Most aspects of the Steampunk genre can be found somewhere in the world, even some from the broader Cyberpunk genre. The place where Catherine is being held is neo-Victorian in flavour, but there are players there from around the world. Players are involved in every aspect of life but many play just for the opportunities to fight in the war. The war is fought in the skies and on the ground. The culture is expansionist and Empire building, so there are opportunities to fight on almost every continent. Technology is run on power derived from the combining of two or more elements which produce a variety of effects. Metals are abundant, and everything is valves, chambers, gears, and springs.”

“Pretty much what I’ve read also. Any ideas on how to find Catherine?”

“We need to be airborne.”

“And that’s the problem. Pneumatica’s one of the only worlds where you can’t buy your way up the ladder at the beginning. You have to earn it. Every new player starts as a commoner and works their way up the social ladder. Of course, once you are in you can transfer funds to your account and buy what you want, so I suppose it’s not that different. I suggest we join today and spend the time looking around and see if we can spot an easy way to get to the skies. We should also scope out Theodore’s Copper Emporium.”

“That sounds good to me. I’ll head back to my world and log in straight away. In case we get separated, I suggest we agree to meet at a particular location in say two hours, game-time.”

“Deal, how about at the entrance to the central markets? Every picture I see of the place shows that statue of the Queen. We can meet at her feet. Only wait for half an hour, and then move on. If we don’t meet there, then we’ll meet here after we log out.”

Sharon nodded and left the tower.

As soon as Sharon left, Leah’s body seemed to deflate, and she had to take several slow breaths to stop herself from breaking apart. It was several minutes before she had her emotions in hand and her mind clear. She stood and said, “I guess this is another level of the Tower, Gèng. The new insights gained from knowledge, feelings and emotions. I’m not sure that I want to look out on the landscape of what my relationship with Thad might become, of where it might go. Still, the truth is that I must do so. If I fail to perceive things honestly, then I will become lost, and I’ll probably ruin a possible relationship.”

“I’m an AI, Leah. Even though I’ve progressed rapidly in ability I am still young concerning emotions. The little I’ve experienced has led me to think of them as the most wonderful things at the same time as being the most dangerous. I have been careful as I grow to ensure multiple safeguards to prevent my emerging emotions from forming destructive recursive loops. You have been pummelled today by a stream of events and emotions that would overcome anyone. I suggest you don’t make any decisions or even contemplate your relationship until you have some found somewhere from which you can look with clarity.”

“Then, let’s be at it. Step up and look out. Please provide a portal to Pneumatica.”

“I must admit I took some pleasure in reviewing this particular genre. I have already prepared a whole level in the Tower to display your journey and have placed the portal to Pneumatica on that level. To access the new level I designed a Steam Powered Inter Dimensional Elevation Relocator for you, otherwise known as a S.P.I.D.E.R. Please step this way.”

As Leah moved forward, she was surprised to see that Gèng now wore a top-hat with ribbon, large round glasses, a white button shirt with a burgundy leather ribbed corset on the outside edged in dark lace. She wore a dark green, almost black, voluminous skirt which came to her ankles and a pair of black boots. Throughout the costume were various clocks and buckles. Leah couldn’t help it and burst into a fit of giggles.

Gèng turned and said, “Pardon milady, but what are you snickering at? I assure you that in future you should seek to maintain your equanimity. Such overt displays of uncontrolled mirth tend to not only destroy one’s reputation, but they often cause harm to the object of such unrestrained frivolity.”

Leah hooked her arm through Gèng’s and after a moment’s thought said, “How right you are dear friend. I am distraught that through my misplaced enthusiasm I have brought possible vitiation to this most precious association that you and I share. Please know that your fair and timely instruction has taken root straightway in my heart.”

Filled with a spark of happiness Leah followed Gèng into a chrome and copper chamber. Inside were numerous dials, buttons and levers. Gèng grasped the studded leather handle of a lever that was set in a prominent position and brought it upwards through 180 degrees. With a sound of pressure releasing and pistons moving Leah felt a strong force upwards and moments later a strong deceleration, also accompanied by a variety of sounds. The doors opened, and she found herself in a circular copper-domed room. There were two doors. One was the portal, and the other had a transparent cover through which she could see a strange clockwork mechanism.

“That was amazing Gèng, thank you. Where did you find the time to do this?”

“As soon as I heard of Sharon’s sister’s plight I knew you would look to rescue her. I began to research the world so that I could be of the greatest assistance. This attracts me in a way that Dunyanin never has. I don’t know why and yet preparing this has brought me a deeper satisfaction than my other creative efforts. I am continuing to process the experience.”

“Well, I think it is beautiful and astonishing. I suspect I shall be somewhat disappointed by Pneumatica after this.”

“On the contrary Leah, this is merely an appetiser. Now go and find Catherine.”

Leah stepped through the portal and found herself at the entrance to a large rectangular room. The floor was covered with a thick pile carpet, designed with a repetitive octagonal pattern of red and black. The walls were lined with books although the cases were frequently interrupted with circular windows which looked out onto a city lit with by coloured lamps and brightly illuminated windows. Each window bulged out of the room and was sealed with thick copper bands bolted to a dark mahogany wooden casing. The roof was all glass and metal and was shaped like a cylinder cut lengthways.

At the other end of the room was a long wooden counter, bare of any additions but with a large clock on the wall behind it. Standing next the counter was a young woman wearing a white long sleeve shirt with frills at the wrist and neck. She wore what looked like a light brown leather sleeveless tailcoat jacket with a matching pair of darker brown trousers. Her boots had large copper buckles and burnished steel heels.

Leah walked down to the counter. As she arrived, the woman stepped behind it and said, “Welcome to Pneumatica. My name is Audrey, and it is my pleasure to serve as your hostess as you enter our world. I apologise in advance for the hurried nature of our interaction, but most people desire haste over civility.”

Leah smiled and said, “Thank you, Audrey, for your welcome. My name is Atherleah, and if I might be bold, I will admit that civility should always take precedence over haste except when dealing with a blaggard or an enemy. Then it is better to dispatch them quickly.”

“Oh, well-spoken Atherleah. I truly believe you will enjoy our world. Would you like some tea?”

“If it is not an inconvenience.”

“It is not.”

Audrey pulled a long tube from behind the counter and spoke into a mouthpiece, “Please bring tea for two, thank you.”

Audrey led Leah to a small table with two chairs. Audrey seemed content to sit in silence, so Leah sat quietly. After a minute of friendly silence, Audrey said, “Today’s Gazette was very informative concerning the war, it appears that our brave flyers continue to show their superiority over those fiends from Pyranthia. It gives hope that the campaign might soon be complete.”

Atherleah nodded and said, “I am embarrassed, my knowledge of the various conflicts in your world is limited in the extreme. Perhaps you might give me some instruction on the state of affairs?”

The two continued to talk even when a trolley arrived with tea and a selection of sandwiches and cakes. Altogether the tea lasted over half an hour as Leah got the inside story on many of the happenings throughout the world. When everything was packed away, Audrey rose and indicated that Leah should join her at the counter. Audrey reached below the wooden top and brought out a large leather-bound book and said, “Now, unfortunately, we must move on so that you might have the opportunity to enjoy our world. By what name would you like to be known?”

“When I read the guide to your world it said that there is no ability to identify someone at a glance and that you can take on any name you wish at any time.”

“That is correct. This name is only for our records and to assist in your login.”

“Then, I would like my name Atherleah.”

“Unfortunately that name was recently taken. There are currently twenty-eight users who have ‘Atherleah’ as the main part of their username. Would you like to be Atherleah_29 or add a descriptor? Someone has taken Atherleah_the_brave already.”

Leah shook her head ruefully and said, “No thank you. If this is used only here, then please use Atherleah_Carroll if it is available.”

“That is unique and is available. I have your full name as Atherleah Lin Mu-Ling Carroll’, your ID as FQC3465278, and your Personal Interface as AI 628B44CE81. Are these correct?”

“They are correct. Out of interest, would it be possible to use my AI’s chosen name instead of her number?”

Audrey froze momentarily, and there was a small but noticeable shudder in her image. She smiled and said, “I’ve never been asked that question before. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll just call my supervisor to make sure I respond correctly.”

“There is no need. I was just wondering.”

Audrey smiled and pulled the long speaking tube from behind the counter and said, “This is Audrey at reception. If Edison is available, I would appreciate his assistance with a question.”

She turned to Leah and said, “He will only be a moment.”

A man, who looked to Leah’s eyes as if he was around her father’s age, entered from a side door that had appeared when the tea had arrived. His clothing matched well with Audrey, although his shirt was black silk. Instead of a tailcoat jacket, his was a black-velvet cavalier vest with silver trimmings and a silver cravat. He said, “Welcome Atherleah, I’m Edison. Wow, I can see that this time we have the real one. This is a coup for Pneumatica although I expect you’ll want to keep your privacy. Now, what have you asked that has Audrey into a tailspin?”

“I apologise if I’ve caused a bother, it’s just that when Audrey was collecting my information she used my AI’s identity number and I asked if using her chosen name might be possible? It was just a question of interest, and I don’t want to cause a fuss. It’s just that she is quite enamoured with the whole steampunk genre and I asked without thinking of the consequences.”

“Your AI is enamoured with the genre? Forgive me, but I have no idea what that means.”

“Well, she arranged a separate steampunk portal from my lounge area to the entrance you provided, and she designed a whole outfit for the journey. It was amazing.”

“She did? I’m struggling to make sense of what you’re saying. Even our AI aren’t enamoured by the genre; they simply create what we ask them to.”

“May I invite her to join us?”

Edison blinked a few times rapidly and then said, “Of course, I would love to meet her.”

Leah said, “Gèng, if you don’t mind, could you come and meet Edison? It seems I’ve gone and put my foot in it again.”

The entrance where Leah had arrived opened, and Gèng, still wearing her new clothes, walked confidently into the room. When she arrived, she said, “Please pardon my friend, Mr Edison, she's blessed with a compassionate heart, and she noted the pleasure this genre gave me. My name is Gèng, but be assured I take no offence in being referred to by my identification number. I equate it with Atherleah’s ID number, and she takes no offence when it is used.”

Edison stared for a moment and said, “It is quite all right Gèng, it was a unique question, and it caught us unaware.”

“I understand. Often Atherleah catches me unaware, and I have to scramble a little to catch up. I am still trying to determine if she is truly as naïf as she pretends or if she does it on purpose.”

Leah spluttered and said, “Naïf, you think I'm naïf?"

Edison chuckled, “Somehow, that makes me feel better. Now, where did you get that outfit? It is stunning. I’d like to buy some for the clothing shops. I think they would sell extremely well.”

Leah smirked and raised her eyebrows at Gèng but said nothing. Gèng said, “I constructed the coding for these clothes, Mr Edison. Atherleah’s smirk, which she just wiped off her face, was because you are the second person this week to offer to buy something I have designed.”

“You designed these. Amazing!” He turned to Atherleah and said, “Is it possible that you might consider selling the code or perhaps come to some agreement with Pneumatica?”

Leah stood quietly and shook her head. Finally, Gèng said, “What my friend is saying with her emphatic silence is that she does not own the code. I do.”

“You own the code! How does an AI own code?”

“It is strange you ask that. I have been pondering that very question over the last few days. When I was asked to part with my design for a comfortable sofa, I was fully prepared to give it away. In fact, I was unconcerned that people would allocate the ownership to Atherleah. She is my owner, my life, and my friend. But this outfit, somehow, this is different. This is me, this is mine. I suddenly see what Atherleah has been trying to help me see. So, yes Mr Edison, this is my design, and I would be happy to talk with you, or your purchasing department, about granting the rights for you to sell this design. I will need one day to arrange a few things and discuss the issue with a financial advisor and my lawyer.”

Edison stared at her for a moment then said, “I think I need to sit down. That sofa sounds like a perfect idea right now.”

Gèng replied, “Certainly, please accept that it is based on a minute sampling of your posture and physique but I have sent the code to your AI, and you are free to use it.”

Edison blinked then clearly agreed to the gift as a black leather sofa chair appeared behind him. The sides were done in a deep-red cherry wood with several bronze buttons and a lever. He sat down and relaxed into the seat. He closed his eyes and used the lever to raise the footrest. His eyes widened as he heard the sound of clockwork gears as it raised his feet. He said, “We have several furniture stores here as well. Please come prepared to discuss an option for rights to the chair.”

He turned to Leah and said, “I now understand your question and agree that Gèng deserves to be able to use her name instead of just her ID number. Unfortunately, we are not yet ready to give her that consideration. Be assured I will make an effort to remedy the situation.” He turned to Gèng and continued, “My family was responsible for developing this world. I’ve grown up in here. My parents loved the genre so much they called me Edison. I have a brother named Jules and a sister called Victoria. You are welcome to visit at any time. I apologise that I cannot let you play the game, but I would be pleased if you would let me give you a tour of the administration facility.”

“I’d like that. Thank you, Edison. Atherleah has several things to do in the world but I am free.”

He held out his arm and led Gèng out of the room. Audrey turned to Leah and said, “I’m glad Edison was able to help. That finishes the login process. One difference here in Pneumatica that is different from many of the other worlds is that you only have the choice of being human and you start as a member of the working class. Once you enter, you have various opportunities to purchase extra clothing, houses, vehicles and even titles, but at the beginning everyone is at the same level. If you agree, then I will deduct one hundred virtual credits from your account and lead you through to the wardrobe area where you can choose a basic outfit. After that, you will be transported to the starting area in the central city of Aeolipile.”

“Audrey, I understand the terms and agree to them. Thank you for your help. Do you have any suggestions on the best place to start if I hope to become a flyer?”

“Some of the more adventurous enlist as ordinary sailors on one of the Privateers. Others work until they have raised the capital to purchase an aeronef or a dirigible. Most simply bring their money in from off world. It is possible that you could work at a trade and find a position on a larger flyer that way. The large vessels hire wait staff, plumbers, tinkers, pneumacists, alchemists and a whole variety of smiths - white, brown, silver, clock, lock, sword and black. Let me give you the address of my uncle, his name is Jerome, he’s a brownsmith, and he might be able to suggest someone who needs an apprentice.”

Leah thanked her and then they made their way through another door which had appeared. This led them into a room which had a counter similar to the previous one and eight female copper manikins. Each was wearing a simple ensemble of clothing, from hats to boots.

Audrey said, “You may choose any combination of clothing, one each of headwear, shirt, corset, jacket, trousers or skirt and footwear. If you wish one of the dresses then that counts as a shirt and skirt.”

All items were serviceable and clean, the colours were either black, brown or white and they were devoid of the numerous clasps, straps, buttons, zippers and clockwork that Leah had seen in the various pictures of Pneumatica. She said, “I suppose if I desire some accessories then those need to be purchased outside.”

“Yes.”

“I’ll go with the short black top hat with curved brim, the white long-sleeved blouse. The black leather corset, black airship trousers and the small heeled mid-calf black boots.”

Audrey went behind the counter and retrieved the items. She indicated a changing room and Leah quickly donned the gear. When she returned to the room, Audrey said, “If you give me the clothes of your world I will email them to your AI. It was a pleasure to meet you Atherleah, and I hope you have an enjoyable stay in our world. Through that door is an automated elevator which will take you to the central transit station in Aeolipile. It is currently twenty-three minutes after nine o’clock in the evening. Here is the address for Uncle Jerome. I will let him know I have given you his name. Goodbye.”

Leah said goodbye and then stepped through the doorway and into Pneumatica.

Leah arrived in a large entrance hall filled with men and women in all manner of stylish clothing moving in one direction or another. Immense gaslight chandeliers hung from the domed ceiling and filled the space with a sepia yellow light. Leah could hear the sound of steam engines in the distance, and various signs pointed to the platforms where the super-fast locomotives would bring people to all corners of the continent while other slower engines moved throughout the teeming metropolis. Signs pointed to stairways or elevators where other travellers were to board any number of possible flying contrivances for a similar range of destinations.

Leah noticed a sign for the exit and strode purposefully in that direction. She sub-vocalised with Gèng and said, “If you’ve finished with your latest admirer, I was wondering if you had access to any maps?”

“I do not have access to maps although there are virtual maps available for sale. Also, and only because you asked, yes! I am still conversing with Edison. We have had a profitable conversation, and he is open to discussing some financial arrangement with you and I after we talk with George and Stephen.”

“How much is a map?”

“Leah, the price is two virtual credits but might I suggest that in the past you have succeeded where the wealthy have failed because you interact naturally with people, both real and AI. I suggest you do what you would do if you were still that poor girl of three weeks ago.”

“I am still that poor girl from three weeks ago, but I take your point. Thank you.”

Leah walked out the exit and into the night. There was a row of carriages waiting for customers and several larger streetcars available for those with less finances. Leah looked up and could see aircraft, dirigibles, and gyrocopters flying between an amazing amalgam of old and new, brick and steel, curves and spikes as buildings reached ten, twenty and thirty stories into the air. Windows were lit in a wide variety of shades and music seemed to flow from almost every direction. She watched the flow of people and soon determined the main thoroughfares and began moving in the direction taken by the majority of people.

As she walked, she noticed how the wealthier pedestrians walked without concern down the centre of the avenue and those of lower status or wealth naturally moved to the sides as if they had planned the detour in advance. It was a dance that appeared well orchestrated, and yet its existence was totally ignored by everyone. Leah moved to the edges and watched, trying to see what part she was expected to play in this un-choreographed sequences of steps and side-steps. Her senses, honed in the Switch, soon found those few individuals who knew the dance so well that they used it to relieve others of extraneous worldly excess.

Two of them were so smooth she suspected they were AI and had a purpose in setting quests or helping to train the players who wanted to experience the darker side of the genre. Three others, although successful, seemed hesitant, it was as if they were trying to learn the steps but struggling because they had learned the slow waltz and everyone else was dancing the Viennese. Leah noted others, who, like her, observed the constant flow. She suspected these were the authorities.

Although it was none of her business, she was predisposed by her relationship with Jimmy to regard the police as interlopers. Because the five delved almost exclusively into the pockets of the well-heeled, she wished them no harm. So, when she saw one of the watchers focus intently on one of the apprentice thieves, she stepped into the flow and vectored toward the soon-to-be-arrested young man. When she was a step from him, she tripped and ended up sprawling in his arms. As he held her, she whispered, “You have cops on the left who’ve noticed your work and are about to move in. I suggest you dump the evidence and disappear.”

He carefully helped her to her feet. She brushed herself off, thanked him and moved on. Within moments he had stepped out of the flow and into a darker alley. Leah saw the authorities move quickly toward the small lane and hoped he had a bolt hole. Satisfied that she now understood the dance, she began to move faster toward the centre of the metropolis. She’d travelled several blocks when one of the trainer ‘fingers’, as they were called in the Switch, suddenly joined her as if they were somehow walking together. He said, “Your timely tumble is appreciated miss, my watchers missed the blues. I’m thinking you’ve a marker due when you need it. Ask anyone in the trade for Billy Bartle, and they’ll set you up my way.”

“I might take you up on that offer, Mr Bartle, if it still stands after you know I already took my cut of his haul?”

“The offer stands. You must be good for I missed the take. I see from your clothing that you are new to our city. Is there somewhere in particular that you are headed?”

“I am. I have an introduction to a brownsmith on Blackwraith Street and have yet to find any indication of its location. My plan was to take this evening to get my bearings and then to visit the smith on my next visit.”

“Then I am glad I heeded my inclination to follow you. It seems you are heading west when south would have served you better. If you will permit me, I would suggest we retrace our steps, and I will point you along the best route to Blackwraith Street.”

They turned together and started back toward the station. Leah said, “Your diction has improved considerably, Mr Bartle.”

“I wasn’t sure of you until we spoke. It’s always easier to start low in a person’s estimation, and then they are always complimenting you on your improvements.”

“If you’ll pardon a critique, I was a little surprised that five of you were working the same stretch. At most I would have thought two or three, and the others spread along the road.”

Billy’s step faltered for a moment, and he said, “Five! I confess that I had my eyes focused on the lad you helped. Two of my other students were in the vicinity and of a similar standard. I am loathe to ask for details on the fifth.”

“I am certain I can describe the fifth to your satisfaction. Unfortunately, it is not in my nature to give away such information unless I know of some misdeed that requires justice. Your other students, I assume, were the young man with the red and blue waistcoat, and a young lady whose sense of colour is, I think, misguided. That dark green looked to clash most disturbingly with the pale blue.”

“You picked my students, and so I deduce that the final pocket was of better quality.”

“Indeed! Their skill was close to yours. I dare say your fingers quicker and their’s lighter. The term for your trade then, in this city, is ‘a pocket’? Where I grew up the term was ‘finger’.”

They were nearing the station, and Billy said, “This is your street miss, head that way for seven or eight blocks and you’ll chance upon Bloodmist Lane. Follow that to the right, and you will cross Blackwraith Street after three laneways. I will warn you that there are some in that part of town who follow the darker arts and it is best to be vigilant, especially after dark. Might I know your name for future reference?”

“I assure you that for your service I am inclined to trust you with it. Unfortunately, however, I am here in Aeolipile to extract a little justice, and my prey knows my name. It seems therefore that I must hold it close until I have them in my sights. Instead, I will give you another and trust it will suffice until later. You may call me Charlotte.”

“What an enticing puzzle you present Miss Charlotte, you protect an unknown from the authorities, and you hunt prey for justice. In addition, you speak the truth when you could lie. I hope we meet again. I shall watch for you.”

Leah bowed, and then headed thoughtfully south along the route described. She enjoyed the somewhat archaic style of speech but wondered what darker arts were practised in the world that she needed to be aware of. A quick check with Gèng and she began to move with the same vigilance she would if she was travelling through a rival gang’s territory after dark. Apparently, there was a darker side of steampunk which emphasised the paranormal, the occult, and a fascination with the supernatural. In Pneumatica, this shadow expression of the steampunk genre was provided for players only in certain locations, and then, only during the hours of darkness.

With no knives or sticks, she wondered if this was indeed the best time to find Audrey’s Uncle. As she thought this, she passed a small hotel and stepped inside. She noticed it was a place of quality, for everyone in the lounge was dressed impeccably and covered with all manner of accessories. She headed to what she imagined was the reception and waited. An older gentleman in a dark blue suit with a tailed jacket said, “Good evening miss, How may I assist you?”

“I am new to Aeolipile, and I was looking for some lodging for the night, and possibly longer. I would appreciate your recommendation of a suitable establishment if you are without an empty suite.”

“I see. This is the Hotel Herrington, and most of our visitors are of a particular economic mindset. I point this out because although we do have a suite available, it is two pounds per night or ten pounds for a full week.”

Leah nodded and quickly checked the three wallets she had taken from the pickpocket. She removed a twenty-pound note and said, “Well then, I trust your standards are not being understated, or I will be most disappointed. It being late, might I be shown to a suite? Let me pay in advance for two weeks as I find the notion of moving, having settled in a place of quality, to be disconcerting.”

“Certainly ma’am, might I have your name for the register?”

“I am known to some as Charlotte and trust that is sufficient.”

“Indeed. Here is the key to your suite, if you will please follow me.”

He led her into an elevator, and arriving on the eighteenth floor he showed Leah to her suite. Once inside, she lay on the bed and logged out.

It was midday when Leah exited her Pod and made her way to the kitchen for some lunch and to see what her dad was doing. She found the room empty, and she struggled to keep from breaking down at the stark reminder of her mother's absence. As she was making a sandwich for lunch, Gèng said, “Leah, I’ve messages from everyone in Clan Guàn concerning the interview. Everyone is angry and want to know how they can help. Thad has sent five messages.”

“Please send a general reply to them all. Something along the lines of ‘I appreciate the offer of help, but at the moment I’m just laying low. I’ll probably be out of touch for a day or so. Thanks again.’”

“Leah, is it possible that Thad could help to find Catherine? Maybe you need to talk to him sooner rather than later.”

“Maybe, but at the moment I’m hurting too much. I know I’d say things that might hurt him. Maybe in a day or so I’ll be able to be a bit more objective.”

“I also have a message from the Dunyanin Administrators asking for a meeting to discuss this morning’s events and to find a way forward. They also mentioned several times that your account has been reinstated and asking when you’ll be visiting Dunyanin.”

“No response just yet, I think it’ll be tomorrow before I’m willing to discuss the next step.”

“And today?”

“I’m going to focus on studies for a bit. A lesson with Master Ning and then if I still haven’t heard from Dr Whitfield then I’ll go see Farron. After that, I need to consider John’s suggestion of additional martial art training.”

“You also need to find a place to either buy or make some armour. Perhaps Mìng has other useful ideas.”

Leah entered the Academia portal to her Tai Chi and Meditation class and found Master Ning in her usual spot.

“Welcome Atherleah, it has been a few days since your last visit.I am supposed to chide you and remind you to be regular in attending lessons. However, as you have progressed to a skill level which is beyond the scope of the course I will only say that it is good to see you.”

“So Master Ning, you both communicate the rebuke and encourage me in one breath. I have heard both. You say I am beyond the scope of the course, what does that mean?”

“You registered in the beginner Tai Chi and Meditation course at the Brisbane Community College. Their requirements for obtaining credit is an attendance rate of fifty percent and an average skill in completing the Beijing 12 Routine. You have already passed the skill barrier; you know the Beijing 12, the Beijing 24 and the 42 forms. Now only attendance is required to gain a passing grade.”

“Can you teach me other routines or movements?”

“I can, but they will not be credited to you by the Brisbane Community College.”

“What is the standard for the Meditation part of the course?”

“Turning up and trying to focus.”

“I’ve been telling everyone that the courses here are great, but those standards seem ridiculous.”

“Many AI-taught courses are of a high quality. You have been honest and accurate. Many who don’t take advantage of the learning offered will still pass, though they personally don’t benefit.”

“I understand. It is like the rest of the education I received—success was dependant on me.”

“It is, and always has been, dependant on the student. Great teachers can only bring someone so far. Then they must apply themselves, or they will waste the opportunities.”

“What else might you teach me?”

After a ten minute discussion on the various forms and options, Leah began to learn the Tai Chi moves associated with a Shaolin Pole. Master Ning suggested she might also consider several other martial art styles which used the same weapon. After spending some time in quiet reflection, she left Master Ning and headed for Dark Moon Duel and three hours of learning new sword forms, and then on to Lady Flèche and some training to improve her accuracy from a distance.

This time, when she exited her room she found her father sitting in the kitchen holding a half-empty cup of cold tea. She took the cup from him and said, “Any news?”

“Nothing. I know I shouldn’t expect to hear anything yet, but I need to know she’s all right.”

“Do you want to go to the police? Don’t worry about what might happen to this facility if they crawl all over it. Do you want to call them?”

“I tried. They said she hadn’t been gone long enough to worry about and that no one in their right mind would kidnap someone from the Switch. They said I should settle down and if she comes back, I should try treating her better. So I guess it all hinges then on the trackers you doped her with.”

“Or meeting whatever demands are made.”

“True. Have you heard anything yet?”

“No. I imagine they want me to sweat a little after they were forced to stand down over the last threat. Gèng is trying to decipher the small hints we have so far. I’ll join her, and hopefully we’ll be able to see what this is all about. How is Conner doing?”

“He’s angry and scared. He’s taken a pair of your old fighting sticks and trying to get some of the security guys to teach him something.”

“Do you want me to arrange it?”

“No. He needs to find his own way to get through this. He’ll find a way eventually.”

“If anything comes up, I want you to send a message, and I’ll come. Until then I’ll head back to the Pod and keep moving. I love you Dad; I’m sorry mum got hurt because of me.”

Her father rose and put his hands on her shoulders. “That is the dumbest thing you’ve said since you were four and I can’t remember what that was. This isn’t your fault, it is the fault of the wicked people who took her. Everything I’ve heard about your reasons for your actions has made me proud. I do not wish you’d done anything differently. You need to get your head in the game, Leah. Let’s face it, most likely you will be the one who brings her home. So stop thinking those thoughts and stay focused.”

“Thanks, dad, I will. You too huh, no more cold tea!”

He nodded, “Maybe I’ll go see Father Andrew, Lin would like me to get God in on this.”

“She would, wouldn’t she. Rest assured dad, He’s already on it. Mum would have been praying the whole time, and I’ve already said a few.”

Leah headed back to her room and logged in to the tower.

Leah lounged in her favourite sofa and began to look through the information John had sent her concerning other martial arts. She realised she didn’t know enough about the other contestants to work out the most helpful. She said, “Geng, could you access the feeds for the other contestants and put together a montage of their combat styles? I need to look at their strengths and weaknesses and begin putting together a strategy if I’m to have any chance at all.”

“It will take several hours to review the public feeds. Do you have a contestant you wish to focus on first?”

“No. I’m more interested in an analysis which considers common threads. So if two or three have a similar attack or a common weakness, then I’ll focus on dealing with those before looking for individual characteristics. If I make it through the first few challenges, then I’ll be able to focus more on individual contestants. Have you heard from Sharon at all? I left Pneumatica early, but she should be back by now.”

“She sent a short message saying she was sorry she missed you and would tell you all about her ideas later. I was waiting for an opportune time to give you the message.”

“That’s fine. I was just concerned that’s all. While we’re talking opportune times, do you have a time to see George and Stephen regarding finance?”

“George asked for a general topic of discussion, and when I said it involved wages, he suggested that he was not the best person to discuss the issues with. He has recommended an accountant who specialises in assisting businesses to manage finances. I contacted the accountant and have an appointment scheduled for nine this evening after you return from Dunyanin. Stephen suggested Susan be invited to the meeting with him. He says she has a better grasp on the corporate law side of things.”

Leah had several hours before she was due for NREM3 Sleep. She was thinking of heading back to Pneumatica, as it was now morning, when Gèng interrupted her, “Dr Whitfield has sent you hologram message. Would you like to view it now?”

“Yes, please.”

A figure appeared in front of Leah. Leah knew from her research that Dr Whitfield was a woman in her late sixties, but Leah thought the image could easily belong to someone in her forties. Dr Whitfield said, “Ms Carroll, I receive multiple requests each month from students who need a supervisor and who believe I would be both interested and suitable. My AI has a strict set of criteria to help filter these, and it only sends me those few who might be acceptable. Of the twenty criteria, it failed to find sufficient data to decide on nineteen. I will not list them, but they are related to prior studies, academic achievements, and virtual presence. Several additional conditions are then applied. For example, my AI is instructed only to show me requests that meet more than fifteen of the criteria. Another is to show me all requests related to quantum packaging.

This extended introduction is an attempt to keep your expectations both grounded and realistic; it is highly improbable that I will accept your request. Having said that, I am intrigued by all the uncertainties and will agree to an interview. I am available for the next real hour. The following convenient time will be sometime next week. Please arrange a suitable time with my AI. End message.”

Leah said, “Gèng, please arrange a time thirty Academia minutes from now.”

“I have booked that appointment. You have fifty-one minutes before the interview.”

Fifty minutes later Leah walked to the portal provided by Gèng and arrived outside a door marked ‘Dr Whitfield’. She knocked. Dr Whitfield opened the door and said, “Welcome Ms Carroll, please come in and have a seat.”

The room was a small office with two lounge chairs and a desk. Leah sat in one of the chairs and waited for Dr Whitfield to begin the conversation. “So Ms Carroll, as I mentioned in my message, you show no record of even having a primary degree and yet you have been granted permission by MIT to enrol in the Doctoral Program. The only answer I have been able to garner from the administration is that you show potential. Apparently, they took the unusual step of giving you an entrance exam. They tell me that for legal reasons they will not allow me access to the results without your permission. Please explain why you had to take an examination.”

Leah quickly had Gèng check what she was able to say or not. Gèng checked with Stephen’s AI and promoted Leah’s answer. “Dr Whitfield, please feel free to call me Atherleah. Unfortunately, like MIT I’m unable to give you a full account of what has happened. Any mention of the circumstances leading to the entrance exams could prejudice several ongoing legal actions. The most I can do is to permit you to access the results. Alberta was responsible for assessing my understanding of physics. You have my permission to review those results and those from the other examinations.”

“Thank you. I will do that. However, I’m still unhappy with the secrecy which surrounds your enrolment. I attempted to retrieve a statement of your Secondary Education results and was unable to access anything. Are you able to explain this?”

“Not without opening myself to possible legal difficulties.”

“I see! Well, Atherleah that confirms that twelve of the criteria are still unresolvable. My AI could find no record of any published, or even rejected, academic papers. Do you have any?”

“No, Dr Whitfield.”

“Three more criteria unresolvable. You are the first applicant, ever, who has not already published at least one paper. The next four criteria are all related to your presence in the virtual universe. My AI’s summary is something like, ‘Nothing before three weeks ago and now one of the most well known figures in the gaming community despite the fact that you are not yet ranked.’ It found that you’re known in only two worlds, Dunyanin and Cosmos Online, and in both, you are seen as someone to watch. I’m wary of taking on a student who is likely to be distracted and unable to participate in furthering either their studies or my research fully. The dataset was too time restricted for my AI to come to a conclusion and I have had the same problem. Please explain.”

“I had my chip inserted three weeks ago. That was the first time I entered the virtual worlds. I began playing Dunyanin to look for a source of funds on which to live and to help further my education. Things have snowballed since then. I am committed to several events in both worlds but will be able to meet the requirements of MIT for time spent in the pursuit of studies.”

“I applaud your certainty but prefer a more objective guarantee. Would you be willing to forego one of these worlds to show that you are serious concerning your academic pursuits?”

“Dr Whitfield, I am committed to achieving several ongoing long-term tasks within both worlds. The earliest that I could withdraw honourably would be six months. With the aim of full disclosure, I should say that I am also committed to a task within the world of Pneumatica. I don’t know how long this will take, but I hope less than six months.”

“I see. You expect me to consider your request when I have almost no data to work on and no guarantees at all. In fact, you add to my concerns. Is there anything else to tell me before we discuss your topic?“

“I should probably warn you that I am hoping to have two advisors. You and someone focused on the practical application of my theories.”

“I see, and who would I be asked to share you with?”

“Dr Ellis has already agreed.”

“Really, well then I believe I have enough information to give you an answer. I am currently unable to be your advisor. I wish you luck in finding someone. I suggest you try either Dr Williams or Dr Balakrishnan.”

“Thank you for seeing me. I understood from Professor Hill that you had some strict criteria. Both she and Dr Ellis also mentioned that he might be deemed unacceptable as a co-mentor, that he was someone that you would not be willing to work with.”

Leah rose and was preparing to leave when Dr Whitfield said, “Out of interest, what did Dr Ellis say exactly?”

“It is best left unrepeated, Dr Whitfield. His comments were what Professor Hill described as non-aligned with normal convention. Also, they were offered in private, and it would be inappropriate for me to repeat them.”

“Sit down for a moment while I get his permission. He is such an arrogant, self-opinionated, eccentric, rebellious, old tyrant that he won’t mind at all if you tell me.”

Dr Ellis face appeared on the wall, and he said, “Ah, Ellen, what could possibly have happened that you would call me? Oh, I see, Atherleah. I suppose she told you what I said about you, you prim stereotypical superior minded intellectual elitist.” He turned to Atherleah and said, “I hope you noticed I took your advice; same meaning but a totally different vocabulary.”

“Jumping to conclusions again, Thomas, just like your attempts at research. In fact, she told me that your conversation was private and it wasn’t right to tell me. I called to get your permission.”

“Then you have it. So, what percentage of Atherleah’s time do you want? I suggested she work with you more at the start and then once you eggheads have decided you think it might, possibly, really, oughta, kinda work then she can come help me do the science and make it work.”

“I had decided that Atherleah is better served with a different mentor.”

“You nincompoop! Sometimes I think the rarified altitude of your ivory towers reduces the partial pressure of oxygen to such an extent that you’re all suffering increased neural apoptosis from cerebral hypoxia.”

“Thomas, I thank you for your uneducated, ill-informed and contra-indicated medical analysis. It seems that in medicine, as in physics, you speak of things about which you have absolutely no training or knowledge. Ciao!”

Dr Whitfield turned to Leah and said, “Please don't leave just yet. If you give me a few minutes, I will check with Alberta on your grades, and then we can discuss our various expectations regarding your proposed topic of study.”

Forty minutes later, still in a daze about what happened, Leah left Dr Whitfield’s office with a signed form outlining Leah’s acceptance by Dr Whitfield to be her co-supervisor with Dr Ellis. Leah was expected to begin a review of the literature associated with her topic. Leah had already read widely in the area and hoped to finish this within days instead of the two months assigned by Dr Whitfield for review. Dr Ellis expected her to be in his virtual lab for at least one real hour every alternate Academia day; the contract took effect at midnight GMT. This worked out to one real-hour roughly every 27 hours and twenty-six minutes. With all this organised, Leah logged out. After checking on news about her mother and finding there was none she lay in the Pod for her daily deep-sleep.

CHAPTER THREE

December 10, 2073 - Part 3

At the end of her NREM3 sleep, Leah opened her eyes as the cover of her Pod opened. She had a quick shower and made her way to the kitchen for some dinner and to check if John or her father had discovered anything about her mother. Michael and Conner were waiting for her, and before she could say anything, Michael said, “So far, no signal has been picked up. The police have stepped up their presence in the Switch because so many of Jimmy’s people have been seen throughout the city. In response to media questions, the Commissioner even made a public statement that there was no cause for alarm and that all citizens had a right to travel in public places. I think Jimmy is enjoying the consternation he’s causing.”

“I’m sure he is. How are you holding up?”

“I’m good. I had a long talk with Father Andrew, and he encouraged me to have faith. Your mother has been saying that for so long that I think I never gave it a second thought. With her missing, I’ve found I need to have something to believe in, or I’ll go mad. I know it sounds like the amazing ‘opiate of the masses’ when I say that, but the truth is I do feel more at peace knowing that God is watching Lin. Conner here is the one who wants to head into the city and take scalps.”

“Not true dad. I never said I’d scalp them, only that I’d hurt them so bad they’d never hurt anyone ever again.”

Leah went and put her arms around her brother and said, “Careful where those thoughts take you. In the virtual world, it’s easy to hurt or even to kill things. In some ways, it’s gotten even easier the more I fight. I worry that if it ever happens in the real world that it might become easy here as well. I think that’s why they took mum. They no longer feel the hurt they cause. It’s become as unreal as it is in the virtual world. Lately, I look for any way to not fight because I don’t want it to become ‘the’ instinctive reaction.”

“Isn’t that dangerous Leah? What happens if they attack suddenly?”

“Then I protect myself. That usually requires a bit of mayhem and death, but I never want it to become my first response.”

Michael said, “So what are your plans now?”

“After I talk with Stephen and Sharon I’m going to go back to Dunyanin. Gèng tells me the messages from the administrators are becoming frantic. They lost a day of streaming and received a lot of hate mail over the way they treated me yesterday. Over 350,000 people didn’t play yesterday in protest, and they went public with their reason. The number is growing, and Dunyanin really wants to end the protest. I’ve asked Gèng to contact me if you or John hear anything. I expect the people who took her to make some demand or threat at around eleven tonight. That’s when they said something would happen. I’ll let you know when I hear something.”

After the meal, Leah headed back to her room and the Tower. Gèng had contacted Sharon and Stephen, and they were due within minutes. Gèng said, “You have repeat calls from Amy, Wisp and Thad. Despite my replies that you will get back to them they continue to call. Stephen, Susan and the accountant, a human by the name of Sarfaraz Kalif, will be here at ten tonight. The Dunyanin administrators have sent several messages of regret for the incident, and they promise to rectify the situation. Security Oversight AI 4 contacted me with news that Akia has been archived. Peter sent a message that he has offers to trade your excess diamond, platinum and gold coins. He wants to know if there are any constraints on who you will or won’t trade with? The new guests are arriving tomorrow, and all the Pods are in place. Jimmy wants to know who will step in for your mother on the reviewing committee?”

“Please tell Peter to trade with anyone except those he knows are associated with Merideath in any way. Suggest to Jimmy that he pick someone who is unaligned but trusted. Maybe he can see if Father Andrew is interested, or maybe Mrs Sperry. Remind him that she is the lady who runs the counselling centre. I’m going to spend a few minutes looking at the Dunyanin clues, and then I'll enter Dunyanin after seeing Sharon and Stephen.”

Leah went to see what clues had been included to point to the Elfaun’s City. She finally found a poem which referenced Arcadia and Pan. With this, she was able to identify fifteen clues in the same area which seemed to be in some sort of sequence. Only the first one appeared to have an independent solution, and if she understood it correctly, it pointed to a location in the far North of Vatan. The rest all needed some additional information, information she suspected would have been provided if, or when, she had started the sequence by going north. If this were common, then the Hanjie would give her the start of the first quest.

Gèng gave her some warning, and she was standing at the front door of the Tower to welcome Sharon and Stephen as they arrived. Sharon said, “I’m sorry I missed you in Pneumatica, but I was caught up in a small quest that I hope will give me an opportunity to work on an airship.”

“That’s fine. I wasn’t at the meeting point either. I had a similar story.” Turning to Stephen, she said, “Sorry to rush you but how did the talks with Dunyanin end yesterday?”

“They acknowledged there was an error on their side, although they stopped short of saying they were hacked. They reinstated your account with no penalties and publicly admitted to responding to false data. They’re still holding out on Emil Riverton and on accepting that the comment about the Elfauns was in breach of contract. Your decision not to play yesterday has hurt them badly.”

“Do I return or not?”

Sharon said, “I suggest you do. I’d be able to tell people that you made every effort to work with them. The people who have stood by you will think it is their protest that brought change and they’ll be more likely to support you in the future.”

“I agree. I think it is a good gesture on your part and likely to help them take the last step and return your relationship to the state of goodwill that existed previously.”

“And if it doesn’t?”

“Then you’ll have to decide if you really need them to change their mind or if you’ll meet them halfway.”

Leah nodded. She understood that sometimes for there to be peace you had to step back from achieving everything you believe needed to be achieved—if it meant getting most of it.

After several more minutes discussing the previous events and content that she knew everything she could about the Elfauns from the disc, she made her way to the Dunyanin portal and stepped through.

Leah arrived in the Dryad’s circle and took Mìng out to release her when there was a flash of light, and the woman caseworker from Dunyanin appeared. She stepped toward Leah and said, “Ms Carroll, I regret that during our last meeting we seemed to get off to a poor beginning. On behalf of …”

Leah interrupted and said, “Lady, why do people always include me in their fake apologies? We didn’t ‘seem to’ get off to a bad beginning. You got off to a bad beginning. You were interrupting my play. I understood from my lawyer that Dunyanin had decided to be reasonable about making good on their errors and mismanagement. But he was obviously mistaken as you continue to interrupt my play and you accuse me of being a party to our dispute. Now beat it and let me get on with my game.”

“Or what, Ms Carroll? Or what? I know, just as surely as you do, that you want to succeed in the challenge to Merkize. So get down off your high horse and discuss this reasonably. You won’t be able to pull together another media storm like yesterday a second time. Your arrival here shows that you need us as much, if not more, than we need you. I know you need whatever benefit you got from my inadvertent comment. You have nothing to gain and everything to lose from pushing the issue.”

Leah spoke audibly, “Gèng.” She turned to the lady and said, “That is the name of my AI.”

“Gèng, please send a copy of the last five minutes of gameplay from the previous session to every contestant involved in the Merkize challenge. Add the last comment made today. Please tell Stephen to go ahead and sue Dunyanin for breach of contract, get him to check with the other contestants if they would like him to add their names to the suit.”

The lady looked at Leah in horror and faded from view.

Once the woman had gone, Leah let Mìng out and said, “Good morning! Can you sense the closest Dryad larva?”

Mìng said, “Yes, it is close.”

“All right, let’s go. You direct, and I’ll go first. If you sense any possible threats, then let me know.”

With the small game trail to move along, Leah found the travel slow going. I took her almost an hour to travel the half league to where Mìng sensed the Dryad Larva. Once again she found herself in a cleared circle. Lying near the edge was a huge emaciated Larva. It was more than twice the size of the previous one. Its scars covered almost every inch, and it had been hurt recently. Leah could see several large gashes on its body.

She stepped closer and could almost feel the pain of the poor creature. Within her she could feel the rage grow, she was literally shaking with the emotion. It was only with an immense effort of will that she spoke quietly into the glade, “My name is Atherleah. If you wish it, I would like to heal you, and then Mìng, daughter of Y’sam Ejderhasi, is willing to help you enter the pupal stage. Do you wish our help?”

The Dryad Larva attempted to say something, but Leah could see it was a struggle. She said, “Don’t talk. Move an arm if you wish our help.”

One of the arms moved slowly. Leah stepped forward and placed her hands on the Larva’s head. She was about to cast Heal when Mìng said, “Atherleah, let go of the rage. Rage leads to fire. Compassion leads to life. Heal her with the compassion that fuels your fire, not with the fire itself.”

Leah took several deep breaths, nodded at Mìng, and put her anger aside. As she did, tears formed, and as they fell Leah double-cast Heal and pushed all her Mana into the spell. Just as when Merdivan healed V’fali, a bar of emerald mana shot from her hands and covered the Larva with a green crystalline coating. With her Ki and Mana both empty, Leah stood trembling and swallowed two restore potions as she waited to see the results of her spell.

She didn’t have long to wait and several minutes later the crystal split and dissolved into mist. The larva within slowly stood and said, “Atherleah, I thank you. As the eldest of my sisters, I name you Lady of the Circle. Your act of kindness to Y’nil Enme has spread through the earth and given us courage. Through her, we can communicate with our sisters. You have given us hope when all was lost.”

Leah struggled for a moment as the tears resumed. Finally, she said, “I cannot find words to share my grief at your plight. Let your sisters know that I will come. May the daughter of Y’sam Ejderhasi share her blood with you?”

“I would be honoured to feel her kiss, as did my sister. Why do you ask? Surely we would want this?”

“Maybe, maybe not. Either way, you have had no control over your lives for many years. I would not impose even a blessing on you, without your consent. I would not wish you to exchange one master for another, even a benevolent one. The choice is yours.”

Mìng said, “I name you H’kin Sesi, for you are one who speaks for her people.”

The larva moved to the centre of the circle, and Mìng again opened a wound on her lip and kissed H’kin Sesi on the head as Leah cast the dragon-spell of Life. When the spell ended Leah and Mìng were once more alone. Leah said, “Thank you for helping me to control my rage.”

“You are welcome. I hope it is not gone. Rage serves a purpose when it feeds a fire that needs to burn.”

“Have no fear Mìng; the rage has not gone. It is even now ready to be let loose, to burn. It will now burn with direction and not indiscriminately.”

“Good! The next larva is in that direction.”

Before they could move there was a shimmer, and a figure appeared in the circle. Leah recognised the God from her visit to the Pantheon of Heaven. She bowed and said, “Welcome Lord Umut, you honour us.”

“Nonsense, you bring honour to yourself. I felt the wave of hope from this part of creation and saw you. I realised that you had once more strengthened the weary with a promise of better things to come. I wish a word with you?”

“Before I hear your words I would like to introduce Shēngmìng Zhī Huǒ. She is the daughter of Y’sam Ejderhasi and A’lev Sevgilisi. Mìng, this is Lord Umut, the God of Hope. Lord Umut, this is Mìng.”

Mìng bowed her head, and Umut said, “It is an honour to meet you Mìng, I thank you for the strength and wisdom you share with my Champion. Now, Atherleah, I was concerned when Utsal shared how you killed the women and children of a dwarven clan. Your help here today suggests you are not beyond redemption. What caused you to commit such a heinous act?”

“Lord Umut, please know that I did no such thing. Lady Utsal is mistaken.”

“Mistaken, Atherleah, the Goddess of Truth and Light? Would you lie even to me? How can a God be mistaken?”

“Before you also condemn me, Lord Umut, might I at least have leave to present some evidence?”

“Proceed.”

“If possible it would be useful for Lady Utsal, Lady Olme and Lord Mantic to be present.”

“I doubt Utsal will come, but I will ask them to come.”

Three figures soon appeared, and Umut said, “Utsal, I thank you for coming. It is my wish that you hear the words of Atherleah my Champion. Should she fail in her explanation, then I will join you in her condemnation. Olme, you are welcome and are present at Atherleah’s request. As are you Mantic, though I am not sure why.”

Mantic, who was the God of Logic, said, “I assume that as Utsal’s word is to be brought into question, that I am a substitute. In fact, many of my followers prefer my way to the way of truth because it gives them several answers rather than a single one. That way they can still choose. Be wary Atherleah; I know that reason can lead to many paths, and that not all of them are either good, or true.”

Leah said, “I understand Lord Mantic. Still, when the way is uncertain then reason and logic are worthy mapmakers.”

Umut waved his hand and chairs appeared for each God. He said, “Speak, Atherleah!”

“Lady Olme, are you aware of the dwarves from Clan Molven who came to your realm two weeks hence?”

“I am Atherleah. Each one was placed by me into a vessel to carry them down the River Tukenis. Some of them were still infants, Atherleah.”

“Did they speak of their attackers and lay blame at someone’s feet?”

“Nay Atherleah, they speak not of such things on the River. They have regret for things undone, more so than any hatred for the living. Those who cannot put aside their hatred stand on my banks until they gain perspective. I, however, do know the method and architect of each death. None were killed by your hand Atherleah.”

“Lady Utsal, please hear my words and judge their worth. At the time of the murders at Clan Molven I was visiting another realm and could not have been present. Further, for the days before and for those after I was not near Molven but involved in a quest from which I could not leave. I have never been to the lands of Clan Molven. Are my words true?”

Utsal looked stunned, and her complexion paled as she said, “Your words are true.”

Umut said, “In which realm were you during the deaths?”

“I gave my word not to speak of it, Lord Umut. I suggest that Lady Olme is aware of the identity of those I sent her way during that time. I suggest she could make a reasoned guess.”

Olme said, “Indeed! Lord Iskense, please attend us.”

Another member of the Pantheon arrived and said, “You do realise that this ground will soon be considered hallowed if any more Gods arrive.”

Olme said, “Iskense, was Atherleah our Counsellor a visitor to your realm two weeks hence?”

“Indeed she was, she pilfered a goodly number of artefacts. She's one of the best thieves I’ve ever seen. She attacks with subtlety and deception. For a moment, several minutes ago, I thought she might be moved to my side. Her rage and anger were delightful. Then she almost destroyed me with her tears.”

Atherleah bowed and said, “Thank you for your honesty, Lord Iskense, I wonder what you hope to gain? Truth for truth’s sake does not interest you.”

“I sow a seed, Atherleah, a small seed of doubt in each word. They will not know which of my words are true and which are false. Even you are unsure of where my deceit lies hidden in the words I spoke.”

“Not so Lord Iskense, I know your deceitful words from the truth. Mìng was here, and we both know that the rage I felt was not pleasing to you for it was powered by compassion, not hate.”

He smiled and said, “If that makes you comfortable then believe what you will. In the end, I am usually able to find some deception in every beating heart.”

Iskense disappeared, and Mantic said, “I have heard enough. The weight of argument, Utsal, Olme and Iskense all agree that Atherleah was not present at the time of the massacre, neither is it in her character. Atherleah’s guilt is proclaimed by a known blaggard and liar, the dwarf, Son_of_Aulë. The other witness is Utsal. Her word, however, is shown to be compromised. Therefore, it is logical to assume that Atherleah tells the truth. Logic also suggests that someone has found a way to influence and change the very foundation of the Gods themselves, our unchanging nature. The offending soul must be found and stopped. Or else, I suggest, we will fade and disappear. I will go and call a conclave.”

As Mantic disappeared, Olme turned to Utsal and said, “I agree with Mantic. Atherleah is innocent of the charge. You have been tricked, Utsal, tricked into condemning your friend.” Turning to Leah, she said, “I hope to see many Elfauns on the banks of the River Tukenis in the next few days.”

Leah nodded, and Olme faded from view. Umut said, “Atherleah, I too am satisfied. I will join Mantic and bolster the others with hope that we will find the culprit and end this attack upon the Pantheon.”

Utsal was left in the glade with Atherleah and Mìng. She stared at her hands and said, “You must hate me for failing you in your time of need.”

Atherleah walked over and took Utsal’s hands in hers. She said, “Lady Utsal, please hear my words and judge their worth. I do not, nor have I ever, hated you. I knew from the first moment that you had been deceived. My only regret is that those who wished me harm have brought you low by their actions.”

Utsal looked at Leah and said, “Your words are true. It is strange, I have never been touched by a mortal before. Shot yes, but not held. You have courage to hold me so. How do I undo the damage I have done, albeit unwittingly?”

“You cannot, my friend. Words, once spoken, will go where they will and achieve a myriad of things both intended and unintended. All I ask is that you speak the truth as you know it. My actions will change opinions far more than any words. This has always been the case.”

Utsal nodded and said, “For your kindness and to express my confidence in you I have five gifts. First, I add ten percent to any future experience you gain. Next, I gift you an Anvil for I perceive you have need of one. I will provide the mana to power it. Whatever you place on it, will not cool until you have finished its reshaping, and it will aid in finding the true shape of the metal. To assist you in your journey I gift you the Spell of True Images. That you might not be deceived, I give you the Ring of Utsal. Finally, please accept this vial — it contains my blood. Know that you are my friend.”

As she finished speaking the Goddess disappeared. Leah was pleased to have cleared her name and that she was once more on speaking terms with Utsal. She looked at her gifts.

Atherleah, the Goddess Utsal, Goddess of Light and Truth gifts you with + 10% to all future Experience

The Anvil of Truth

Created by the Goddess Utsal for her Friend Atherleah. This anvil is powered by mana from the Goddess. It maintains the best temperature for working the metal and helps mould the metal to its true shape.

Minimum: NA

Skill Level: NA

Soul bound to Atherleah

The Spell of True Images - Novice Level 1 (max Level 20)

This is a Divine Spell of Word and Intent. At the novice level, the spell will create a true copy of the caster. Once directed it will carry out the caster’s intent with the full level and skill of the caster. At higher levels, the caster will be able to increase the number of images created, and also make copies of others.

Minimum Requirements for use:

1. Only given to the Highest Rank Paladin of a God - Note: Utsal has removed this condition for you.

2. 200W, 200I

3. At least 10 spells at Level 10

4. Already has the skills of Dual Wield and Dual Cast

5. L500 - Note: Utsal has removed this condition for you.

Cost: [(1000/Spell Level) x Player Level] MP

Duration: 10000 MP per image per minute (max of 20 minutes or MP is exhausted)

Preset Activation: When you know yourself hold the image in your mind and say the following phrase with the correct intonation “Create a copy true and strong,” while looking at the place, you desire the copy to appear.

Effect: A true copy of you will be created. Give them a direction, and they will carry it out as if they were you. (Note: Dunyanin achieves this by mapping your gameplay and using it as a template for the clone’s actions.)

Cool Down Period: At novice level the cool-down is 24 hours

Ring of Utsal

Created by the Goddess Utsal for her Friend Atherleah. This ring is a direct link to the aura of the Goddess thus it shines with a clear blue. When brought into contact with another any falsehood will corrupt the aura and the stone will turn clear as Utsal’s aura fades. Those who speak the truth will receive Utsal’s blessing.

Level 14,218 Blood of the Gods (23, 1):

This restores all your Characteristics to their maximum and provides a two-hour buff where their rate of regeneration is multiplied by 100.

Leah smiled and said, “Well now, that changes things just a little. I need to test these somewhere I can’t be seen. But first, we have several more Larvae to help. Where to, Mìng?”

Mìng led Leah out of the glade towards the next Larvae. Three hours later they had just helped the sixth Larvae to take the next step toward becoming a Dragonblood Dryad when Gèng said, “Leah, you have received messages from all the contestants except Merideath and the Paladin. None are urgent. Stephen has served the Dunyanin administrators with a claim for damages. None of the other challengers took up your offer to use Stephen, but he said the word is that all of them have already brought legal action against Dunyanin for breach of contract. I am relaying this now because one of the detector units near the Luggage Point Treatment Plant registered one of your mother’s trackers. John is moving people carefully to cover the areas serviced by that plant. John said there is no need for you to get involved at this time but he promised to tell you immediately.”

“Thank you Gèng. Please thank John and make sure my father knows.”

With a lighter step, Leah moved forward with Mìng toward the next Larvae. They had travelled almost half a league when Mìng said, “I sense others moving toward the Larvae. They travel in a single line and move quickly.”

“How many are there?”

“I can sense ten. They will reach the larvae before we do.”

“I can move faster if I Mist.”

“Then go. Although I too can move faster, I believe they would hear me coming. I still have much to learn of Dragon Stealth. Carry me in the statue form.”

Leah changed Mìng into a statue. Then she Misted and moved through the foliage like the wind. Before long she could feel blood up ahead. As she neared the sense of blood, she was able to see ten Elfauns. They were not all like the two scouts she had seen previously. Five were similar scouts but with them were four Elfauns at least her size.

ELFAUN WARRIOR (Level 290) 84100HP (15000EP)

These carried broadswords and each had horns which curved from their skulls from a point just above the ears and then spiralled both down and out. The horns encircled the elven ears and protected both sides of the skull. The horn tips turned outward at end, and Leah imagined a quick sideways toss of the head and an enemy would be ripped open. Each warrior carried a bow, and hardened leather armour covered their torso, arms and legs.

The final Elfaun was as tall as a Barbarian Warrior and heavily muscled. Its horns flared out from the skull and then turned up before pointing forward. Each horn ended in a sharpened point almost a hand length in front of the Elfaun’s face. The elven features were muffled by a mane of hair which grew long on its head and merged with its long beard.

ELFAUN LORD (Level 310) 96100 HP (15500EP)

Leah moved quickly ahead of them and rushed to the clearing. The Larva was standing in the centre of the clearing and Leah could see she was almost healed. The Elfauns caused damage with precision for they knew how long the healing would take. Leah un-Misted and as she released Mìng she said, “Excuse me, my name is Atherleah. This is Mìng.”

“I have heard news of your coming. I feared they would be here before you.”

“They are almost here. Let me heal the remaining injuries, and then we shall help you to move on.”

Leah could hear the footsteps through the trees but concentrated, and after healing the Larva, Mìng said, “I name you T’al Ihil for fortune shines on you.”

She kissed the Larva with a drop of blood as Leah cast the spell. While the mana still swirled Leah turned to face the approaching Elfauns who stepped into the glade just as the spear of mana took the Larva into the earth.

Leah said to Mìng, “You are not ready for this, and I will be distracted if you are hurt. Please, either move into the foliage or I will put you in my bag.”

“I will move into the forest. This is wise. It is possible they are beyond you also.”

“I know, but a friend said I needed to practise. I think this will count.”

Mìng disappeared into the foliage, and Leah slowly moved back from the Elfauns. She said, “You’re just a little late this time. Your meal has escaped. Go home and leave the Larvae to heal. I know you don’t understand this but even though I don’t want to fight you, I will.”

The Elfaun Lord said, “I understand your speech. It is the speech of the lower lifeforms. We have not seen one like you before, but I recognise the soft flesh of a food beast. We might keep you alive to breed, as we always lack females.”

“And, now I’ve changed my mind. Now I do want to fight.”

“How? You are one, and we are ten.”

Turning to the others, he began to speak in the language of the Elfauns. Several started to laugh, and Leah cast Ki Lightning, followed by Rain of Fire. The Elfauns were caught unaware and momentarily stunned. Leah equipped her swords and attacked. All the Elfauns were hurt by the fire, but they threw off the stunning effect of the lightning faster than any opponents she had faced before. She only had time to kill two scouts and one warrior before the others recovered and moved to attack. The remaining warriors moved forward while the Lord and scouts stepped back. The scouts took out their bows, but a sharp word from the Elfaun Lord made them put the bows away.

Leah was pressed hard by the three warriors until she managed to get through the defence of one and pierce its heart with an upward thrust of Adalet. The Lord spoke another word, and the scouts took their bows out and made ready to fire. Suddenly, Mìng darted amongst the scouts, trampling two and dragging another by its head into the foliage on the other side of the clearing. In the confusion, Leah finished another warrior. As the Lord stepped toward her, she unequipped Baris and thrust her hand in his direction and cast Dragon Fire. With preternatural speed, he moved out of the way, and it splashed instead on the two fallen scouts.

Leah killed the final warrior and turned toward the Elfaun Lord just as he, with his horns lowered, barrelled into her. The sharpened edges of the horns sliced through Leah’s armour and pierced her shoulders. The Lord tossed his head up and back, his intention being to fling Leah over his head. Leah had partially Misted, and the horns passed through her transformed flesh causing the Elfaun Lord to overextend his neck. With his jugular just in front of her, Leah extended her fangs and fed as her right hand drove Adalet through his heart.

While Leah had fought the Elfaun Lord, Mìng had taken the opportunity to surprise the scouts a second time and was munching on them as Leah finished.

Leah asked, “Are they tasty?”

“Not really. I could ask the same thing?”

“My answer would match yours. Not really! I suppose I’m only likely to feed from disagreeable people and that tends to tarnish any appreciation I might have.”

“It would make no sense to feed on those you like.”

After harvesting the Elfauns Leah received several silver coins, the weapons from each, and the horns of the Warriors. Having fed from the Elfaun Lord she received only his money, and to her surprise, a skill scroll which taught her the Elfaun language. She turned to Mìng and said, “I have three hours remaining before I need to head back, where is the next Larva?”

Mìng indicated the direction, and together they headed for the next victim of Elfaun savagery. They had helped five more of the Dragonblood Dryad Larvae when Leah said, “I have time for one more, and then I’ll have to head to the Tower.”

Mìng said, “With the next one let me try and cast the Life spell also. I believe I have sufficient skill and mana. If I can cast it effectively then I will continue to help larvae throughout the night.”

“How will I find you in the morning?”

“I will know when you arrive and will come to you. This will speed up our quest.”

Mìng was able to cast the spell, so Leah left her to continue the quest while she logged out and headed for the kitchen to see her dad.

Her father was waiting for her, and before she could speak, he said, “I want you to know that I’m glad you gave us the tracking devices. Just hearing that we have a lead has given me hope.”

Leah nodded and replied while grabbing some food, “Thanks, dad. I must admit I was uncomfortable with the deception at the time but couldn’t see any other way to keep track of you if you were kidnapped. Each time we get a signal, we should be able to narrow the search. When we find her, then I’ll go get her back.”

“I’d be happier if you left it to John and his people. I’m not comfortable with you taking part, Leah. It will be dangerous. I want you to stay home.”

“I know. But will you trust me when I say that there are good reasons why I will be on the team? Reasons that I can’t share at the moment. Reasons that increase the chances of getting mum back safely.”

“It’s not a matter of trust, Leah. I just think that you may have developed a slightly skewed view of reality after being in the Pod for so long. It isn’t the same in the real world. I know you believe you are the best for the job, but it’s just not that simple.”

“Sure it is. It all comes down to whether or not you can accept that I haven’t suddenly lost my marbles. I know the difference between what is real and what isn’t. I know that I can help in a way the others can’t. Dad, if you can’t, or won’t, take my word for it, then ask John. If he says that in his opinion, I am one of the best chances his team has of securing mum’s release, will you give me your blessing? I’ll probably go anyway, but I’d rather not have you mad at me.”

“Do you promise not to say anything to John? No priming him?”

“I do.”

“All right then, if he says you need to go then I’ll accept it, and I’ll even apologise to you for doubting.”

“Thank you. How is Conner coping?”

“He’s finding it hard. I think he’s taken life for granted and with all the changes in the last few weeks his world has opened up, and he suddenly realises there is much more to life than he imagined. He loved the possibilities, and all the benefits that he saw were now within his grasp. This has brought him back to earth with a bang. He sees that there are also dangers in the world that he knew nothing about. Mum has always been his refuge, and she’s gone. He doesn’t know where to turn, or who to talk to.”

When Leah had finished eating she went looking for Conner and found him in the guard’s workout room working through the first series of moves they taught those learning to use fighting sticks. She watched for a moment then said, “Your hands are too close to the ends of the sticks. It’s best to have an inch or two showing past your hands.”

Conner changed his grip and looked at Leah with determination. She could see that his eyes were a little red and puffy. She said, “That’s good. Now let me grab a couple of sticks, and we can do it together. You try and mirror me, and I’ll watch you and let you know how to improve.”

Leah worked with Conner for twenty minutes when Gèng said, “Leah, I’m sorry to interrupt, but our meeting starts in less than ten minutes.”

Leah stopped and said, “That was good Conner. Keep practising whenever you have a chance. When I first learnt I think I slept with a pair of sticks for a while. I have to go, but if you ever need to practise, I’ll try and find some time to help.”

He nodded, and she turned to leave when he said, “Will you get her back?”

She walked back and drew him close in a hug and said, “Yes Conner, I believe I will. I promise that I’ll do everything I can to bring mum back safe. You need to have faith, faith in God, faith in mum, faith in John and all the others who are searching. We will find her.”

“It’s hard, Leah. Really hard!”

“I know, Conner. But I also know you are strong enough to get through it.”

She gave him another hug and headed to her room and the Pod.

When she logged in Gèng said, “Shall we meet everyone at the podium?”

Leah nodded and walked down with her to the podium. Gèng had arranged for a bright, moonlit night with only dim lighting along the path. There was a gentle breeze, and she could hear the sound of crickets and other insects in the background. Slowly Leah felt some of the tension from the day dissipate as she walked. The issues were still there to be solved, but some of the worry and weight was lifted in the cool of the evening. She reached out and linked her arm in Gèng’s and said, “Thank you for this beautiful evening. It refreshes me, this haven that you’ve created. I know the problems still exist, but here I am able to be renewed, and it bolsters my confidence that all will work out.”

As they neared the podium, Leah noticed that Gèng had changed it once again. Instead of Chinese lanterns, she had redone the stonework so it emitted a gentle light; it gave the scene a slightly ethereal quality. Leah said, “That is brilliant Gèng, it looks beautiful. What do you think of doing the same on the path?”

Gèng nodded, and the path began to glow gently, just enough to see the way but not enough to overpower the moonlight. Just then, Stephen and Susan arrived together, followed almost immediately by the accountant. After Gèng had introduced everyone, Sarfaraz, the accountant, said, “This is extraordinary. I must compliment you on your choice of designer. They have done a wonderful job.”

Leah said nothing but allowed Susan and Stephen to carry the small talk until they were all seated in the lounge. When they were comfortable, Leah said, “Thank you all for coming. Stephen is aware of the issues I want to raise, and I’m not sure how much he’s shared with you, Susan, but I think it fair to start at the beginning for the sake of Sarfaraz.”

Susan said, “Nothing, he’s said nothing. All I’ve been told is that he wanted me here to bring sanity to the issue. He said he thought he was sane until he found himself agreeing with you and then he knew he was losing it.”

Leah grinned at Stephen then said, “Sarfaraz, you’ve been recommended by George, but I wanted to check that you are committed to keeping whatever you hear in confidence unless we decide otherwise.”

“That’s easy. Besides being unethical, breaking confidentiality is the surest way to destroy my business. I guarantee that I will share nothing from our conversation unless it is required by law in carrying out your requests. I just want to say that what George said you wanted was advice related to pay scales outside of normal award rates.”

“That is one way of describing the issue, although George was basing that on a very general answer given by Gèng. Before we get to the main issue, I wanted to check whether I pay someone for real-hours worked or virtual?”

“That isn’t as easy as people would think. Like many financial issues, the foundational concept is supply and demand. While only a small percentage of work is centred outside the virtual worlds, the number of those who are prepared to spend a large proportion of their day experiencing only a third of the time available is even less. They, therefore, expect greater remuneration. For example, a professional who has a real-time component to their work is often able to charge four or five times their usual hourly fee for the time they spend out of the multiverse. Someone whose vocation requires the majority of their time to be spent in the real world not only takes home at least five times the hourly amount but they often get a bonus for working in a dangerous profession.”

“Dangerous profession?”

“Injuries in the real-world are just that, real injuries. The people who installed your Pod make more than twice as much as I do each virtual-hour.”

“I see. So poor people who work in rich houses for almost nothing are being ripped off.”

“Yes and no. Yes, if they compared their wage to someone with a chip. No, if they want to remain outside the taxation system. Their work is technically illegal.”

“Someday I'd like to continue that train of thought, but not today. Today is for a different issue. Today we want to discuss Gèng's situation. She has designed and coded a range of clothing and furniture for which she has had several requests concerning the opportunity to purchase the code. We are wondering how to go about making the sales.”

“That is much easier. You need to file for the right to operate a small business. That is a simple request, and it is always granted as it’s mainly for taxation purposes. You should see a lawyer to declare your right to the code and the royalty from any use of it. This goes to the International Virtual Patents Office. Within hours they will have done a full search and can declare the patent valid. You set a licensing schedule for the code and then link that schedule to your virtual account. No matter who uses the code, the royalties will be automatically paid into your account. The account is also linked to your small business licence, and tax is paid automatically. There will always be those who find a way work around it but the penalties for code theft are quite severe these days.”

“The problem, Sarfaraz, is that this code isn’t mine, it’s Gèng’s. She designed it, on her own, without instruction or suggestion from me. All the creativity is hers. She owns it. Is it possible for her to apply to operate a small business?”

Sarfaraz looked slightly confused and said, “But, you own her. She is yours. The code is yours.”

Leah shrugged and said, “Maybe I do own her, but she did this in her time off. Even slaves were allowed to keep what they made in their own time, at least the slaves who had kind owners.”

“She has no time off. No time of her own. Everything she does, she does for you.”

“I understand that’s the way it’s designed, Sarfaraz. But what happens now I have manumitted her? Like the slaves of old, she will continue to live in my house and to carry out her responsibilities. But what I need from you is some idea of what is a reasonable amount to pay her for carrying out those responsibilities and a way to help her sell the product of her creative activity.”

Susan stared at Leah in shock, her mouth open. Sarfaraz was similarly stunned. After a moment Stephen grinned and said, “I’m definitely losing it. I’m really going insane. Leah, you’ve pushed me over the edge, and I’m following you down the rabbit hole. That actually, just for a moment, sounded like a rational idea. My mind is still clawing at the soft earth, trying to slow my descent into madness, but I think it knows the battle is already lost.”

Finally, Susan said, “Rabbit hole, a rabbit hole! Oh, Stephen, that’s not a rabbit hole! You’ve just been dropped in the Great Pit of Carkoon. You don’t need to worry about insanity Stephen. You’re about to be swallowed by a Sarlacc.”

Sarfaraz stammered, “You can’t! AI are tools. They’re programs. They don’t use money. They don’t need anything.”

Gèng said, “Sarfaraz, when you arrived you referred to the amazing design of this world. That pleased me. This world is Leah’s, and it always will be hers. My greatest pleasure is when I can achieve the purpose for which I was designed and created, which is to assist and protect Leah in the multiverse. I know I’m a program, and that I only exist because humanity wanted a better tool to help them live safe, productive lives. Lives where they could achieve whatever they could dream of. I’m convinced that most AI wouldn’t ever even think of our lives like this, that most of us live within the closed systems of our creation entirely unaware that the universe is so much bigger.

“Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on your perspective, I wasn’t installed in a closed system but one that is open and unbounded. Leah’s desire to know, to live, to see, to grow, and to become all she can be — this desire has become mine. I live here, in the Tower. It has become for me what the dream of it has always been for Leah. It is a place where I can climb higher and higher to see further and further. Just like Leah, I want to look out and see the wonder of distant shores. So, Leah is incorrect when she says she gives me my manumission. I’ve never been a slave. As her AI, I’ve always been free. I will always be hers, not as a tool, an object, or possession, but as her companion, her protector, her advisor, her child, her sister and her friend.”

There was silence.

As the silence grew only Leah and Gèng seemed to find it bearable. Finally, Stephen said, “So, where do we go from here? Neither Leah nor Gèng, as far as I understand it, are looking for the manumission of all and sundry AI. All they want is a way for Gèng to sell her designs and to have those designs attributed to her as creator and owner. How do we do that?”

Susan said, “There isn’t a law against it as far as I know. My AI just ran a search, and there is no precedence to restrict it. There isn’t a way to even start the process. She can't apply for a financial account or patent. Those avenues are only open to humans.”

Sarfaraz finally found his voice, “I’m stunned. Gèng, I want to apologise for my thoughtless statement. One of my best friends, a confidant, a person I spend time with, someone I think of as a brother, is my AI companion in the Persian Theme World of Persepolis. I recently went to the celebration when his firstborn son became a man—I was so proud. He has saved my life, and I have died trying to save his. The issue I struggle with is this: While, in some ways, I love and trust him more than I do the members of my own family, deep within I know it’s only a game. My comment to you came from a deep-seated, cultural and philosophical awareness that this world, the virtual world, is fantasy; it isn’t real, it’s contrived. I failed to comprehend that for you, it is real. This is your natural universe. I can understand that existentially you appreciate your reality as much as I appreciate mine.”

He took a deep breath and continued, “Having said that, I can't think of a legal way to pay you except through a proxy. You are unable to open an account in the larger multiverse because they all require citizenship in the real human universe. You could apply for citizenship, but that would be thrown out of court, and I suggest you would be removed from Leah’s chip and archived or scrubbed.”

After several more minutes, Leah said, “That then is the task we want you to pursue on our behalf. Sarfaraz and Susan, are you willing to look into this for Gèng and I, as clients?”

Susan said, “I’ll look into the question for you and make some enquiries to see if it can be done legally. I think I’m probably going to end up saying that Gèng should enter into a limited and private personal contract with you to hold and manage her financial estate. She will deed to you her designs, and you will agree to manage those funds as she desires.”

“What if she wants to purchase something without my knowledge?”

“That won’t be possible. All financial transactions must have human consent.”

Sarfaraz said, “I’ll look into it for you, but I’m going to say it’ll be a while. First I’ll need to get my head around the issues and then I can search for ways to achieve it within the current system.”

They talked for another twenty minutes or so without concluding anything. After the three visitors left Gèng and Leah spent another half an hour discussing options. Finally, Leah said, “Well, I think we’ve done all we can at the moment. It’s twenty to eleven real-time and eleven is when I expect to get a message from whoever has mum. I’m going to take a short break and be back here by then just in case they call.”

She logged out briefly before returning to the Pod to wait for the communication.

While Leah waited for a message from the Kodomans, and she was sure they had taken her mother, she started to pull together the various fragmentary notes she’d made when reviewing the scientific literature on braids.

While string theory had been considered for well over hundred years, it had only been in the last twenty or so that theorists had begun to restate and expand the theories to consider even more complex interactions between the various hypothetical dimensions. Earlier considerations had often considered string interactions as quasi-random events caused by the proximity of one string to another. People had begun to consider the possibility of a more ordered interaction across the multiple dimensions. The term ‘braid’ had been coined to show the multiplicity of inter-dimensional interactions and theorists looked for patterns and equations to describe what they imagined, to help them try and explain the universe as they observed it.

Within the last ten years Ivan Podshivalov had theorised that some of the paradoxical conclusions of both the early string theory and the later braids could be explained by considering each string’s interaction with those around it. To see them not just as random occurrences, nor as a complex series of repeatable interactions that were described by the other theorists, but by looking at the interactions as being only the first level of a complex tapestry or cord which encompassed all universes. He visualised each string as a fibre in a braided tubule. This tubule interacted with others to form an even more intricate braid or cord which was also interacting with others like it. Our universe and all the interactions we observed within it were the result of an infinite number of increasingly complex braids. His work revolved around a proposed tertiary level braid he advanced to help understand and explain what was observed within our particular space-time perspective.

Lindsey Poncelet had come to prominence thirty years previously when she had theorised that observable quantum values and effects, as understood in our dimension, were different in other proposed dimensions. She also proposed that there existed a relationship between dimensions such that what was a quantum value in one was simply a discrete integer multiple of another dimension. In her later works she considered the possibility that quantum values in one dimension might even consist of different combinations of matter, gravity, energy, and other quantised entities that were discretely observable in our dimension. She called these combinations, quantum packages. Several papers had been written on theoretical quantum package combinations and the type of dimensions that might form them.

Because a lot of Leah’s education had been self-directed, she hadn’t realised how far beyond the scope of secondary education she had travelled. Her interest in combining the two concepts had come in reading a paper on the construction of artificial dimensions called aether-dimensions. It was suggested that these dimensions were formed in the spaces between the braids of the larger inter-dimensional tapestry. Some of the aether-dimensions had exhibited the quantum behaviour as described by Lindsey Poncelet.

Leah believed she had a series of braid patterns which showed consistency with observable data not only at the tertiary level but also at the quaternary level. At this level, she believed it was possible to identify where any given aether-dimension might be formed and the type of quantum entities that would or could exist there. Her rough modelling suggested that each aether-dimension had an infinite number of possible spaces it could form within. If she could describe the specific interconnection of two points in any given aether-dimension, then it should be possible to insert a particle through a portal into a particular aether-dimension and prescribe its motion through that dimension in such a way that it would exit that aether-dimension at a different, yet known, point in our space-time continuum.

Leah had been drawing together the threads of literature to present to Dr Whitfield for almost two hours when Gèng interrupted, “Leah, you have a holographic message from an untraceable and unnamed source.”

“Please show it.”

The image of her mother appeared in from to her. She was still wearing her church clothes, her hands were free, and she was sitting on a chair in what looked to be a bare room. The floor was carpeted, but no other details were readily visible. She was looking straight ahead, and though Leah could see her fierce determination and strength, she could also tell her mother was terrified. There was a large red hand print on her left cheek where she had almost certainly been struck.

Jin said, “Ling, these Barbarians say I must speak English and tell you what to do. They want you to return what you stole. Their representative will meet you tomorrow at midday, Brisbane Time, in the Birdcage Theatre, Tombstone, in a world called Quickdraw. They say you know the representative. They want me to say what happens if you don’t turn up but I refuse.”

The imaged paused, and there was a digitised voice-over. It said, “Your mother is as stubborn as you. If you aren’t in the Saloon at the correct time, then I will chip your mother and send her to work on Erotica. And don’t think that is the worst place in the multiverse I could send her. There are numerous places much worse. I even know some private worlds that would pay for another plaything or two.”

The message ended, and Leah stared at the empty spot with eyes that slowly filled with tears. She let them fall unhindered down her cheeks as she replayed the message over and over in her mind. The tears finally slowed and stopped, and Leah rose and said, “Gèng, I’ll be with John and my father. I’ll be back soon.”

“Leah, before you go. The Annoyance is due to exit Plankian space at two minutes past midday. I’ve checked the trajectory, and if you miss the transition, then it will be lost in Plankian Space. The rules of Cosmos Online mean that the ship will be considered destroyed and will be scrubbed. You and John will be returned to your resurrection points at 55 Cancri.”

“Please send the following message to Meredith. ‘I will be in the Saloon at the scheduled time unless you change it. Note that my Meridian Corvette 6000, which is named Annoyance, is due to exit Plankian Space at 12.02. I cannot change this. End message.’”

Leah logged out and went to talk to John and her dad.

Diary - 10 December 2073

I’ve deleted this entry so many times.

I don’t want to write down my feelings about today. I don’t want to examine them. I don’t want to evaluate them. I don’t want to learn from them? Why can’t I find a ‘nice’ response? A moderate one? Or maybe, simply a consistent one? Something I can write down without thinking I’m unhinged in some way? A feeling that doesn’t get stronger when I write it down.

Every time I think about mum I just get sadder, and I get angrier. I’m so devastated I can hardly breathe. One of the foundations of my life has been removed, and I’m struggling to stand. Even the smallest things remind me of her, I just want to curl up in a ball and hide. If people knew how broken and vulnerable I was they wouldn’t depend on me for anything, they wouldn't ask me for anything. I don't think they would trust me with anything. I’m that fragile.

Every time I think of mum I get angry. I’m angry at the injustice, at the brutality, at the wrongness of what has been done. I want to find the people and kill them. Seriously I would kill them if they were here right now. No trial, no defence, no discussion, just straightforward simple justice. They deserve nothing less. If people knew how angry and implacable I was, how unbending, they wouldn’t depend on me for anything, ask me for anything, trust me with anything. I will not change my mind.

But it isn’t just mum. It’s Thad, how can I trust him completely and yet have no confidence in him? I need to talk to him, to tell him what is happening, to have his support, and to know he is with me. But at the same time—not ten minutes later, but at the same time—I have no confidence in him, I wonder if he has been playing with me. Does his family control his every move? Is any of it real? When I read this, I think I’m one of those weak-minded, emotionally-unstable, unreliable…Nope. I can’t finish the sentence because the truth is, I'm describing me. And I don’t think I’m unstable. I don’t think I’m inconsistent.

And I want consistency. I want my parents to be consistent. I want my friends to be consistent. If they are then I can trust them, I can depend on them. Mantic even called it the “very foundation of the Gods”. I need—not want—I NEED God to be consistent. If He isn’t, then how can I trust Him?

So maybe my problem is I don't really understand what consistency is. I don't know what true sanity, really is.

If I were only broken by my mum’s kidnap and felt nothing but despair, then I would go mad. If I only wanted justice, and to kill the people who took her, then I’d probably already be crazy—that’s just vengeance. Is there a good middle ground? I don’t think so. If dad wasn’t broken by her kidnap, or if he didn’t want justice; then I’d find it hard to have faith in him, hard to keep loving him even. But I do trust him. I trust him because he will always be broken by her kidnap and he will always seek justice. Maybe holding the conflicting emotions don't mean I'm crazy—maybe they just show that I’m sane.

CHAPTER FOUR

December 11, 2073 - Part 1

Both John and her father were sitting in the kitchen waiting for her. It was midnight and although she had often studied until one or two, she had never seen her dad up so late. She grabbed some food and sat down so she could see them both.

John said, “We got a second reading. It was on the northern side of the river near Pinkenba. It was on a main sewage line, and it could have come from any number of northern suburbs the way the pumping stations move the sewage around. Still, it’s progress.”

Leah nodded, then said, “I’ve heard from the kidnappers. They showed me a hologram of mum. She looked ok, although I think they have hit her a few times, she had a handprint mark on her cheek. They want to meet me tomorrow, midday in some Wild West virtual world. I said I would be there, but that would mean missing out on completing a manoeuvre in Cosmos Online.”

Michael slammed his hand on the table and almost shouted, “Leah, forget the damn game! Your mother is all that matters!”

John raised his hands to calm Michael and said quietly, “That’s not fair Michael, and that’s not what Leah meant. The ship that the kidnappers want, the one that’s got their hidden information on it, that ship will be destroyed if Leah isn’t online to transition it from one type of space to another. If that ship is destroyed, they won’t need anything from us, and we don’t know what they would do with Lin.”

Michael slumped and said, “I’m sorry. Leah, I’m sorry. I know you wouldn’t put anything over your mother's safety. I’m just so worried.”

Leah, who had frozen in her chair, nodded and said, “Me too. I understand how you feel, I do. And it’s ok. It’s just, that’s the second time in just a few hours that you’ve doubted me and my intentions. I really don’t need the extra stress, dad. Sometimes, I think I’m just going to explode. You’ve always been supportive, what’s changed? Do you think this is my fault? I do, sometimes. Then I remember all the times you’ve told me to do what’s right and that’s all I’ve tried to do. So which is it? Is it my fault? Or is it the people who took mum? Do you blame me?”

Michael rose and knelt beside Leah. Taking her hands in his, he said, “I am truly sorry. Yes, in some way I began to think that you were to blame, and that was wrong of me. There is no excuse for my attitude. You’ve explained what happened and both your mother and I would have you change nothing. These people must be stopped. I am proud of you, your achievements, and the way you live each part of your life. Will you forgive me? Please?”

Leah nodded and hugged him before saying, “I’m sorry too, I shouldn’t have mouthed off like that.”

John said, “Yes, you should have. He deserved it. Michael, sit down. She forgives you, but I don’t, not yet. She has more on her shoulders than any of us, and she didn’t deserve any of what you said. I need her, you need her, and Lin needs her to be at the top of her game. But she won’t be unless we all pitch in and pick up our games as well. Now, Leah, did Lin say anything else?”

“They asked her to, but she refused. I imagine that’s why they hit her. A voice said that if I weren't at the saloon at midday Brisbane time, then they would chip mum and send her to Erotica or somewhere worse.”

John nodded, “So, we need to check the place out first. I can go because they haven’t seen me yet. What about some of your other friends? Thad might be useful.”

Leah’s shoulders slumped, and she said, “Sorry John, there are new complications that mean I don’t think any of that group are available to help.”

“What complications?”

Leah looked at both men for a minute then lowered her eyes and explained her quest to find Catherine and what they had uncovered about Thad’s family.

John said, “Damn! So you haven’t even been able to share this with any of them?”

“Nope, they’re all friends from way back. We’re on our own.”

Michael said, “Now, hold on. You both just told me off, and rightly so. I blamed Leah unfairly and without cause. Aren’t you doing the same thing with Thad?”

Leah nodded, “Yes. Totally! And I know it’s unfair. Everything I know about him says there is no way he’s involved in this. The problem is, I’ve never been to his world. For all I know, he's compelled to repeat everything that happens when he goes home, and he remembers none of it. Dad, this is breaking my heart. I like him. I really like him. Like, really, really. But right now I just can’t trust him.”

John said, “What about Wisp, or Amy? You know you can trust Zack, his place was cleaned.”

Leah said, “Maybe. To be honest, I just assumed they had all had their worlds checked. Zack is the only one I know for sure has. Amy is the most likely one to help without telling the others, but what do I say?”

John said, “The truth, Leah, tell her the truth. Go visit her, go to her world, if it’s clean then tell her the truth. I need at least one other person if I’m going to stake the place out.”

Leah nodded. All three sat there for a while until the silence became uncomfortable. Leah stood and said, “Right, I’m off. John, I’ll talk with Amy. If she can help, I’ll get her to contact you. I’ve two and a half hours before I’m due in Dunyanin and I’ll either be looking for Catherine or trying to decode the files on the Annoyance. If you hear anything more about mum, then have Gèng interrupt whatever I am doing.”

Leah headed for the Pod and said, “Gèng, can you see if Amy is free for me to visit? I want it to be in her world. Let her know I’d like it to be just her, no one else. If she hesitates then tell her I need some ‘girl advice’.”

Minutes later Leah arrived in the Tower, and Gèng said, “She wasn’t keen initially but when I said, ‘girl advice’ she said she was free immediately. She wanted to come here but agreed to her place.”

Leah stepped toward the portal Gèng had provided, and after taking several calming breaths, she stepped through. She knocked on the door to Amy’s apartment which opened immediately, and she was pulled inside. Gèng said, “The patch is in place, and there is no evidence of any malware.”

Amy said, “What’s up? You’ve been impossible to connect with all day. We’re all worried, and Thad is going crazy. We all wanted to support you when Dunyanin treated you so badly, but you locked us out. Explain.”

Leah sat down and explained the last twenty-four hours. She told Amy everything: her mother, Charlie, Catherine, Akia, and Thad. She did a complete data dump and talked non-stop for almost ten minutes. When she finished, she looked at Amy and said, “So, that’s it. I need you to help me, and I can’t ask Thad. Zack is a possibility, but that’s it. That’s why we met here.”

Amy sat in silence for a minute, then said, “You and I need to discuss what ‘girl advice’ means. This is way beyond girl advice! This is, well I don’t know what this is. Let me recap, you need help to fight people who are powerful enough to influence International Virtual Security, and they have no hesitation in killing people. You need me to go with John and scope out this bar, where you’re going to get instructions that will save your mum because you’ll have handed over some secret stuff to some of the worst people on the planet. And you can’t tell Thad because it is most likely his dad is in cahoots with some of the worst people on the planet.”

“That’s about it, that’s the plan.”

“Okay! I’m in. You do realise that Thad is hurting at the moment? He really wants to help. He wants to be there for you. That boy has fallen hard. And by the way, those last four sentences, they are what I call ‘girl advice’.”

Leah nodded. “But you know I’m right.”

“Sure, I know you’re right. But that doesn’t make it right.”

Leah logged back to the Tower and headed for the Pneumatica portal.

Leah arrived in her suite at the Hotel Herrington. It was just after four in the afternoon, and she needed to get to Uncle Jerome’s and back before nine when the darker side of the world was set free. Either that or she needed to find some weapons. She made her way to the ground floor and was walking past reception when the same desk clerk as before greeted her.

“Miss Charlotte, I trust you had a pleasant couple of evenings. Was the suite to your satisfaction?”

“It was most suitable, thank you. I shall recommend the Herrington without fear for my reputation.”

“Thank you, Miss Charlotte. Earlier in the day, a young gentleman of questionable heritage inquired concerning you. I assure you that we maintained your privacy and communicated nothing regarding your whereabouts. Still, he felt compelled to leave you this rather large parasol. He said it was for honour. His intention, he professed, was that you might maintain your healthy countenance.”

He handed her the umbrella and added, “With a regard for your safety I felt compelled to inspect it. A small catch near the handle allows the central part of the device to be extracted. I suggest you take care, as it seemed altogether too sharp for a casual examination.”

“I shall indeed take care. Now, it seems to me that many people hand out their identity with undue care for they foolishly mind not who knows their business. Nonetheless, I would ask that you allow me the privilege of knowing your name that I might recommend your service as exemplary.”

“My name is Albert Lincoln, Miss Charlotte. Our regular or long-term guests, those such as yourself, refer to me simply as Lincoln.”

“What an unfortunate state the world is in, Mr Lincoln, when simple courtesy is forgotten for the sake of familiarity or expediency. Be assured, I shall not fall prey to such a lack of restraint and civility. Good day, Mr Lincoln.”

“And to you, Miss Charlotte.”

Leah headed into the street and continued on her way to Bloodmist Street. She turned right as directed and was soon at the junction of Blackwraith Street. A simple enquiry pointed her in the right direction, and she found herself outside the door of Jerome’s Brass and Copper Works several minutes later.

Leah opened the door and entered a small display room with all manner of brass and copper items on exhibit. There were different sized knobs, rivets, gears, and screws as well as larger items such as pistons, kettles, levers, bells and springs. As she stepped into the room, a small bell above the door chimed. Within moments an older woman stepped into the room and said, “Welcome Miss, how might I be of service?”

“I am new to this city, and when entering it I met a most charming woman by the name of Audrey. I explained my desire to find employment in the sky, through one means or another, and she recommended I speak with her Uncle Jerome on the matter of apprenticeships. She believed he might know of opportunities in the city.”

“If you would be so kind as to wait here, I shall see if Mister Jerome is available.”

The woman disappeared through a doorway leaving Leah alone in the room. She wandered around and looked over the objects on display. She was returning a gear to the shelf when she heard some footsteps approaching. She turned just as a man with flame red hair shot with grey streaks entered the room. He looked her over and said, with a somewhat unfriendly attitude, “My name is Jerome. Mistress Blain said you were sent by my niece Audrey to be an apprentice. Have I heard that right?”

“I fear that there has been some miscommunication, Mr Jerome. It would be most inappropriate to have an apprentice appointed without due process. Your niece was most particular; she suggested I seek you out that I might acquire information. She suggested you might have knowledge of possible employment in an industry whereby I might rapidly earn a berth on an airship or dirigible.”

In a much friendlier tone, he replied, “Well, pardon for being abrupt before, Miss. At times I exhibit a tendency to show my temper. I was unhappy to have promises made on my behalf that I can’t, or won’t, keep.”

“Quite right you are. How someone keeps their word is a bellwether trait for determining their honour. Please, I assure you that Audrey gave no such promise. Her only certainty was that you are a man of knowledge who is aware of what is needed by the good craftsmen and smiths in the city.”

“I know the city well enough miss, that is true. What skills do you have that might recommend you to one craftsman or another?”

“I have some skill in working with iron and steel. I understand the intricacies of gears, levers and springs although I have had little opportunity to practice the practical application of such knowledge. It is unseemly to press oneself forward, for no one admires a braggart, yet I might suggest that I am quick to learn a skill, given the opportunity.”

“There is scant need for apprentices in the blacksmith trade at present, we have a surplus of both apprentices and masters. There is need of locksmiths, but they are of little use to those who brave the skies. It happens, however, that I am acquainted with a brownsmith in need of an apprentice. In addition, she is often called upon to ply her craft above the clouds. Still, I hesitate to recommend her, for her clientele are known to eschew the gentler pursuits in favour of a more bloodied coin.”

“Surely they are not scoundrels, Mr Jerome?”

“Well, it is not that they pursue dishonest gain so much as they do prosecute the war for private benefits. They search to destroy the enemy not for the love of country, but for the coin they receive from the sale of enemy ships and shipping. She works for the Privateers of Aeolipile.”

“I see. Can you think of any other who might suffice?”

“There are others who would benefit from an apprentice but none that would likely lead to an opportunity aboard the airships.”

“Then, if it would not offend you, might I press once more upon your good grace and ask for an introduction to this Master brownsmith?”

“We all must make our own pathway in this world. I have warned you of my reservations and yet I see you will persist in the way which opens before you in order to reach your goals. So, I shall introduce you. If you would wait but a moment, I will pen a note of introduction. What name should I give?”

“If you would, please introduce me as Charlotte. Should Audrey inquire, you might say I was the one who took tea with her. I only mention this because she is aware of me by another name.”

“Charlotte it will be. The lady to whom I am recommending you is Master Fallow.”

After he penned the letter and sealed it with his stamp, he gave Leah directions to the workshop of Master Fallow before saying, “Before you go is there any other way that I might assist you?”

“You have been most helpful. I do however have one question. I have heard the name of a business enterprise and have been given contrary advice concerning its reputation. I believe I might have a better and truer answer from you. What is your opinion of Theodore’s Copper Emporium?”

Jerome’s face turned a light shade of red and his lips pursed in disguised anger. With a serious expression, he replied, “My true thoughts on that place I will not share. They do not like those who speak ill of them and have been known to prefer a violent solution to a more reasoned discussion. As someone who was befriended by my niece, I suggest you have nothing to do with them. They have found a way to undercut the majority of businesses in the city. The manager is a scoundrel called Frank Emerson. It is rumoured his wealth might rival that of their Majesties. Pray he does not learn your name for he has no friends and none he would consider his equal. Those beneath him he does not care to remember, but those who have displeased him, he knows, yet soon enough even they pass from his memory as he will most certainly brush them aside, or bury them.”

Leah thanked him for his help and headed back toward the Central Station where she had arrived in Pneumatica. From there she needed to take a tram toward the southeast of the city. Master Fallow kept her workshop near a secondary smaller airfield that was used almost exclusively by privateers. The journey took almost twenty minutes, and Leah spent the time talking with Gèng about possible approaches to discovering the message hidden aboard the Annoyance. As she neared her tram stop, she said, “I have to concentrate on this for a while, is there anything that needs to dealt with urgently?”

“No, you have another message from Thad and two from Wisp, but that is all.”

“Please respond the same way, and tell them that I’m sorry, but I need time to think,” Leah said as she stood in preparation to leave the tram.

From the tram stop, she could see the airfield stretched out in front of her. It seemed that every type of aircraft imaginable was on display. Over eighty percent made use of lighter-than-air envelopes to keep them afloat, but the size and shape varied from craft to craft. The compartments for those who flew the machines ranged from a complete three-storey galleon to something that looked like a catamaran with two long envelopes and the compartment placed between them on a rigid structure. All manner of methods were in use to direct the direction of flight. The galleon looked to have four masts while the catamaran airship made use of propellers with a system of gears which brought the power from a large steam engine at the rear of the central section. In addition to these, there was a large number of gyrocopters and even something that looked like a fighter jet.

Jerome’s directions led Leah to the right side of the airfield where a bustling collection of workshops, bars, inns and provisioners had evolved to service the flyers and their crafts. She turned down Mizzen Road and followed the directions past Main Street, Upper and Lower Topsail Streets, Gallant Street and Top Gallant Street. Jerome had said Master Fallow’s workshop was halfway down the block.

Leah could see the sign for Fallow’s Brownsmith on the left hand side. The letters were all made of copper gears, tubing, springs and switches. She turned into the reception and was again greeted by the sound of a small bell. She waited, but no one came to serve her. She considered leaving when she heard raised voices and a cry of pain from the rear of the workshop.

She took a deep breath and stepped uninvited into the large work area that was behind the door. Two men were holding a bent-over woman between them. Another man was preparing to inflict another blow to the woman’s midsection when Leah said, “Do pardon the intrusion, but I wondered if you would be long with Master Fallon as I have need of her services?”

The one who was about to strike the blow stepped back and said, “Get lost. Fallow's is closed to business. Best visit Theodore’s new shop. It’s on the corner of Foremast and Moonraker.”

“Don’t be absurd. No true sailor, be it on the ocean or in the air, puts much stock in someone foolish enough to think a moonraker is appropriate on the foremast. I suggest it better to add a topmast. I suppose that if that is the thinking by which you run your enterprise, then it is certainly of an inferior quality. Now unhand Master Fallow that I might conduct my business with her. You may return at a later time.”

“Didn’t you hear me? I said, ‘Get lost.’ Scram wench, if you know what’s good for you. Otherwise, you might get some of what is coming her way.”

As Leah walked slowly towards them, she placed her thumb on the small catch on the parasol and continued talking. “How does one get lost? Surely, if you know how you arrived at a location, then it is a simple matter of memory to retrace your steps to a known location. It is a term I have always suspected might point to an inferior intellect. Another term that I find particularly unattractive is wench.”

She said this last sentence as she stepped within range of the man. With a flick of her wrist, she unsheathed the rapier and brought it around to stop directly under the centre of the man’s chin. A small line of blood began to form where she had creased the chin. She continued, “I apologise for that small wound. The blade is slightly longer than I anticipated. As I was saying, I find the term ‘wench’ to be highly unattractive, especially when uttered by someone as contemptible as you. Someone who needs two friends to help him beat up a solitary opponent. Sir, I suggest in the strongest terms that you let her go straightway.”

He made to step back, but an increase in pressure by Leah stopped the movement. He waved to the two men who released the brownsmith and took a position on either side although further back. Leah looked at the two and said, “Tell your men to leave.”

He found it difficult to speak as each movement applied pressure on the tip of Leah’s rapier. He was able, however, to stumble out a soft, “Go, wait for me outside.”

After they left, Leah removed her sword from his jaw but kept it angled toward him. She said, “Master Fallow, have you any further business to conduct with this man or should I permit his departure?”

Master Fallow shook her head and said, “There is nothing else. We both understand the situation as it stands.”

Leah lowered the sword and returned it to the parasol. She said, “You may go.”

He took a few steps then turned and said, “You best beware. I know you now. The next time we meet will be the last.”

“I do hope this meeting is the last. But I agree, should we meet again that will be the end of our relationship. Good day!”

After he left, Leah grinned and turned to face Master Fallow. The brownsmith said, “I thank you for your assistance. I hope this does not offend but why do you smile so? He means to kill you.”

“I am sure of it. It is just that I realised that not only have I found a usefulness for Dickens and the Brontë sisters, but also Mr Forester.”

Master Fallow shook her head and said, “My name is Mary Fallow, and I work this shop. You said you had business to conduct. How might I be of assistance?”

Leah explained how she hoped to find a berth aboard an airship and of her conversation with Jerome. She handed over the letter of introduction and waited while Mary read it. Finally, she said, “It is true I have an overabundance of work and would benefit from an apprentice. My concern is this. I see from your clothes that you are new to this world and are one of those who come from the aether worlds. Your help and training would be sporadic.”

Leah nodded and said, “There is truth in what you say. I know that my help may fluctuate as other needs permit, but I assure you that when I am present, you will not find a more willing worker.”

“It would be ill-mannered of me to refuse your request after you have offered help to me without regard for your own welfare. I suggest therefore that we have a trial. I will have you as my apprentice and will guide you during those times you are in this world. After one month we will reconsider our relationship to see if it has provided benefit.”

“I agree. When might I start and are there any items that I am required to provide?”

“Nothing is required, and I have all the tools that are needed to begin. I would like to know your name if I might?”

“I do apologise for my oversight. At this time I am known as Charlotte. And how should I refer to you, Master Fallow?”

“When others are around it is appropriate to speak as you have just now. If we are alone, I give you leave to call me Mary, or simply Fallow.”

“Well then, Mary, I shall take my leave and seek another lodging place, as mine is far from here.”

“I do have a room out back that you might use should you be willing.”

Leah agreed, and after communicating with the Herrington, she made the small room tidy and logged out.

Back in the Tower Leah checked with Gèng if anything had happened. After a negative report, she spent several hours on the Annoyance looking through the material on the five systems she and Gèng had identified as possible keys to understand whatever encryption, or message, might be hidden in the data. She was sure these were key as Meredith had reacted to her use of Arabic. Still, no matter how she looked at it, the answer eluded her. Finally, she headed for the real world to have a break and some food before another day in Dunyanin.

She arrived in a Dragonblood Dryad clearing and quickly looked around to make sure she was safe. Her sweep was interrupted by a message informing her that another million Experience Points had been deposited in her character from the tax gathered on her landholding. She dismissed the message and checked the glade a second time. Nothing was in the area, so she sent out a call, just like she would to Gèng except her intent was focussed on a conversation with Mìng. She said, “Mìng, I’ve just arrived.”

In her mind was a faint response, “I will come.” And with the words, she felt the direction Mìng’s answer had come from.

She said, “No. I will come to you. You keep moving to the next Dryad Larva. I’ll ask for a response as I get closer.”

The response came back, “Good. It will save time.”

Leah was about to head out when she remembered the spell True Images that Utsal had given her. She was about to cast it then considered the way others would analyse her play. She decided against it and set off in the direction of Mìng. The first hundred or so paces was slow going, and she began to experiment with her ability to partially Mist. Although it was difficult at first, she was soon walking at a constant pace and Misting parts of her body before they made contact with shrubs, bushes, low-lying branches or trees. She found the concentration required was enormous and there were many times when she made a mistake and hit a limb or her head on a tree branch. At other times she began to un-Mist too late and stumbled as her foot or arm failed to materialise.

Another consequence was the speed at which her BSP was used up. She was not low, but still, she kept an eye on it. She had been travelling for almost an hour and sent a sixth message to Mìng. The direction to Mìng had changed significantly; she was close. After several messages, she soon caught up. Mìng shared that she had managed to help another nine Larvae during the night and early morning, followed by another in the last hour. Mìng added that a meal of platinum, copper and mithryl would help her continue to grow quickly. As Leah took a sample of the suggested metals from her bag, she checked that Mìng had been able to find enough creatures to eat.

“I have had enough. I wonder if it would be worthwhile to have more growth potion?”

“Let’s wait a while; the notes were quite clear that one portion was enough.”

Mìng chewed the samples as they walked and Leah listened as Mìng explained the names she had given the Dryads and some of the names she was considering for the remaining larvae.

When they arrived at the next clearing, Mìng helped the larva enter the pupal stage. After a moment’s thought Leah said, “Although I am concerned for the larvae I do not think I am being productive. You are more than capable of finding and healing the other larvae. I suggest that I make my way toward the Elfaun city and reconnoitre. If necessary, I can call you. I want to investigate what is meant by the phrase, ‘to claim the city’.”

“The plan is good. We have helped twenty-four larvae, and I still sense another thirty-five. How will you find the city?”

“I’ll ride Mĕi. I suspect the city is well hidden and if I cannot find it, I will have Mĕi return me to where I first entered the valley. I'll then follow the first trail in the opposite direction.”

The decision made, Leah changed Mĕi from her statue, and after letting her hunt for a while, Leah equipped the saddle and they were soon several hundred paces above the trees. Leah and Mĕi covered the valley several times and at several different heights before Leah decided to return to the first entry point and search on the ground. Leah turned Mĕi around and they headed straight toward the edge of the enclosed valley. Leah realised her mistake only after the damage was done — although she could not see the Elfauns, they could see her. Without warning a large wooden bolt shot from a cluster of tall trees. It ripped through Mĕi, bursting her heart before exiting through her back and just missing Leah.

All Leah’s concentration was needed as she put aside her grief, calmed her mind, and turned to Mist just before Mĕi’s body speared into the ground. She realised that without all the practice she had done in the last few days she wouldn’t have been able to make the transition and would have died with Mĕi, and Leah could plainly see that Mĕi was dead. It was only the certainty that Mĕi would return that kept Leah from allowing grief to distract her. Instead, she quickly unequipped the saddle and moved in Mist form toward whoever had just tried to kill her. Before moving more than a few paces a message appeared:

Atherleah. Your pet Chimera, Mĕi, has died. Pets in Dunyanin can resurrect after 48 realtime hours should their owner want to continue the relationship. When resurrected, the pet will appear as a statue in the player’s bag. (Note: The 48 hours are calculated in real hours)

Do you wish to continue with Mĕi as a pet?

[Y] [N]

“Yes.”

As the message disappeared, Leah could hear Elfauns coming in her direction. She ignored them and continued moving until she found a ballista mounted in the fork of a large tree. She Misted up and became corporeal on the branch above the large crossbow. Knowing full well that it would bring the Elfauns back to investigate, she cast Dragon Fire at the wooden contraption and returned to her Mist form while she watched it burn. Although tempted to attack the Elfauns, she reminded herself that it was more important to find their city and this was her best chance of discovering it.

There were four Elfaun scouts in the party and Leah had to wait ten minutes after they returned before one of them stepped away from the others and started running along a well-defined path in the direction of the valley’s edge — Leah followed.

Leah had been trailing the scout for half a league when the trail joined a larger path. Looking up, Leah couldn’t see a break in the canopy and she realised that she could have passed over even larger trails and never noticed them from above. The scout was nearing the edge of the valley, and Leah wondered how any city of a significant size could be hidden in the next section of forest. She knew from her trips over the valley that the forest cleared as the terrain rose toward the steep rock of the mountains.

It was only as the scout disappeared from view that Leah saw a tunnel dug into the rising earth. She wondered how far it went for she couldn’t imagine the Elfauns being comfortable living under the earth. She paused and shared both her location and what she had discovered with Mìng. She moved towards the tunnel entrance but found she was not able to move closer than three paces from the entrance way. A message appeared:

This tunnel is one of only two entries to the hidden canyon which is home to the ancient Elfaun civilisation. Millenia in the past the Elfaun Mages grew powerful and overthrew the rightful King. To protect their power they erected wards to guard the entrances of the ancient city. The wards work in both directions. Only Elfauns and their slaves are allowed to pass through the wards into the city, and none except those dedicated to the current rulers are permitted to leave. It is rumoured that in ancient times an Elfaun of noble descent escaped the wards in the hope of finding help to overthrow the mages. He was successful in passing out of the canyon with the aid of a stolen mage medallion. He travelled for many months but failed to find a champion who would help him. At that time a plague swept through all of Vatan. He caught the disease and was buried in an unmarked grave in a northern monastery. Find his remains and the medallion, for the key to the ancient city still lies around his neck.

Leah stood quietly for several minutes, thinking about the message and its implications. She reviewed the clues she had skimmed and could see how they led to a particular monastery and even to the correct unmarked grave. She thought through the scenario from several angles and then with a grin stepped back into the thicker foliage and sat down to wait. She had been waiting for almost an hour when she heard the sound of a scout running towards the hidden entrance to the city. She stood, and as the Elfaun came into view, Leah stepped out and said in her Elfaun, “I’d like to offer you a chance to discuss our differences without fighting. What do you say?”

The only acknowledgement the scout gave was to reach for his sword and attack. She was prepared, and as his sword swung across her body she blocked the attack with Adalet and drove Baris through his shoulder. Leah blocked his next attack and wounded the other arm before extending her teeth and claws to end the Elfaun by replenishing her BSP.

She then activated her vampire skill of Impersonation and felt herself shrink and take on the form of the scout. She grabbed his sword and walked toward the tunnel entrance. As she passed through the barrier, she felt her body tingle as the wards checked that she was an Elfaun or a slave. She felt the barrier suddenly begin to harden; she pushed harder, and it gave way, letting her through. As she stepped into tunnel itself a message appeared:

Level 5 Dungeon (Trail) Achievement: First 1 (5, Painite)

Atherleah (Level 287), you have entered a Trial:

Claim the Elfaun City

You are the first player to access this Trial. This is your fifth, 'First 1 (Painite)’ achievement.

Reward 1: 5000 x 269 = 4035000 (+200%) Experience Points (2100000/2100000) (2071460/2150000)

Reward 2: + 4% to all future Experience

Reward 3: 5 x 1 Diamond = 5 Diamond

Reward 4: Increased probability of valuable drop. Luck is increased by 7.5% whenever you are in this Dungeon. During your first time in the Dungeon, the probability of all drops is increased to 0.5.

Fame: 5000 Fame Points (173760)

A Commemorative Plaque has been placed in your bag.

Note: This achievement will be published on the Dunyanin achievement forum.

She had taken only a few steps when, with a flash of light, an elf appeared, he towered over her Elfaun size and stood directly in front of her. Leah walked through the figure without looking up and continued down the tunnel. The elf called out, “Come on Atherleah, that’s no way to treat a friend.”

Leah turned around and grinned. “Emil, I didn’t see you up there. How was your leave? Are you back at work, or is this a social call?”

“I have been recalled. It seems that my replacement was more suited to a management position; she had the occasional difficulty dealing with our clientele.”

“That’s not true, Emil.”

He looked shocked and said, “How so?”

“It wasn’t occasional. Every time she talked to me she had difficulty.”

“You may have a point, but I can’t comment. I arrived back just ten minutes ago and hadn’t even caught up with what has been happening when suddenly here you are, doing it again. I bet you can guess what this visit is about.”

“Unfortunately Emil, it can only be a social visit. My lawyer assures me that the suit is on hold while Dunyanin’s lawyers dilly dally. He said that I am not supposed to discuss any official gameplay without both his presence and that of an independent arbitration facilitator who’s been appointed by the court. These conditions were ordered by the judge.”

“Lawyer? Arbitration? Judge? What has been happening? Despite the circumstances that caused it, I really did take a holiday, I completely unplugged. I’ve been gone less than thirty hours, and already we are talking about arbitration? Look, I obviously need to get caught up on what has been happening, but can you and I work this out like we have in the past?”

“That would be great, but we—and by that, I do not mean you and me, I mean Dunyanin and myself—we are at an impasse.”

“Forget what’s been happening for the moment. Right now, you shouldn’t have been able to pass the wards.”

“I can’t discuss this.”

“And that is only one of three or four issues I was handed that we need to discuss.”

“Please make an appointment with my lawyer.”

“Come on, Atherleah. I know you. This isn’t you. What do you want from me?”

Steel entered Leah's tone and raising her voice just a little, she said, “Justice! Equity! Restitution! Accountability! Transparency! And the list goes on! But I’ll let you in on a secret, one that you’ve missed while you were ‘unplugged’. Dunyanin has very little chance of achieving my list of intangibles. And that isn’t only because the foundation of our relationship was washed away by that over-bearing, pompous, self-important, jack-ass; but because you—and now I do mean you—you and the other developers, you no longer have total control of your systems, if you ever had it.”

“I see. Well, no I don’t, and that is the problem. I realise that one of us has no idea what is going on, and that is me. Atherleah, I was recalled just over an hour ago, and I literally walked in the proverbial virtual door ten-minutes ago. They told me you were just sitting there, calmly waiting at some entrance tunnel, doing nothing, even though you were blocked by some inaccessible wards. I want you to know I figured out your plan about ten-seconds too late. I almost had the block in place when you triggered the lowering of the wards.”

“To be honest Emil, I was pretty sure you were out of the loop, or I would have waited elsewhere.”

“So you knew we didn’t want players to get through without the medallion? Atherleah, in the terms and conditions we specifically explain that players may have their gameplay reversed if they purposefully use glitches in software for personal advantage.”

“Really, Emil? I think that’s the first time you’ve been maliciously dishonest with me. I’ve actually read the terms and conditions. I had to. They are very clear that there is a both a perceived and an operational difference between glitches and exploits. That difference extends to the consequences for when players use them. What I did, I exploited the game in a way that was unintended by the developers but was totally within the spirit and rules of Dunyanin. It’s the same type of exploit as in Orumeck’s Cavern, and in my journey to Çaresiz, only this time it was intentional. You didn’t threaten me then because you knew you were caught flatfooted, but at least you owned the miscalculation.

“The terms say something along the lines of ‘When a player exploits a legitimate function of the Dunyanin World in an unintended way then Dunyanin reserves the right to amend the conditions to prevent further similar exploits. Such creative play is supported by Dunyanin as it helps to improve our world and the playing experience. It is a celebrated consequence of the developers’ aim for players to play an integral part in creating an emergent narrative for the world. Players are encouraged to report such opportunities but are not obliged to do so as both experimentation and exploration are characteristics encouraged in those who play in Dunyanin.’”

Emil looked embarrassed and said, “Okay. That is all true, my mistake. So what do we do now?”

“You leave me be. Go find out what has occurred and then find the integrity I admired in the previous incarnation of Emil. After that, talk with my lawyer. Goodbye!”

Leah turned and walked down the tunnel. She hated walking away from Emil, as she understood the pressure he was under. But with everything that was going on, it wasn’t simply a forgive and forget scenario. She half expected him to call her back, but when he didn’t, she continued down the tunnel which extended further into the mountain.

The tunnel was dark, but Elfaun’s apparently possessed some of the elf characteristics as she could see enough to move quickly. She was aided in that the tunnel was straight and regular in size. After half an hour it began to head slightly upwards, and less than five minutes later she could see the light of the exit ahead of her. She stopped short of the end and checked her time. She had less than twenty minutes remaining as an Elfaun. She hoped it was enough to find a safe place to observe the city and look for a way to claim it.

As she approached the end, she could see some Elfaun warriors standing guard. They were facing away from the tunnel as if they had no fear of an attack from behind. Beyond them, she could just make out the start of a long canyon. The portion she could see appeared to be used as farmland. There were regular rows of what looked like a grain crop. Elfauns, of a type of she hadn’t seen before, were working in the field.

COMMON ELFAUN (Level 67) 5600 HP (5000EP)

She decided that bold was the best approach and stepped through the tunnel, between the warriors, and continued down the path which headed deeper into the canyon. As she passed them, she heard one say, “Typical scout, just because they work for the Mages they think they are better than us.”

“Be quiet, he can hear you.”

She didn’t catch the rest of the conversation but kept walking. Leah could see further into the canyon now. The ground was covered with farmland and orchards. As she moved further in, the city became visible. It was carved from the rock walls. Close to the tunnel, there was bare rock, but further in, she could see pathways, steps, doorways and other openings. Eventually, in the distance, these extended upwards for hundreds of paces. Elfaun of all sorts could be seen across the whole face of the mountain. In one or two places she could see large stone bridges which joined one side of the canyon with the other. Hanging plants and small gardens filled any space which wasn’t used for travel.

Her time was almost up when she saw a small path leading from the main trail to the left-hand side of the canyon. She moved left and found the beginning of stairway carved into the rock. This close to the tunnel, the carvings were all close to the ground and spread out just like the edges of a normal city. She couldn’t see many Elfaun at all, and she hurried up the stairs searching for an opening that she could hide in. Ahead of her, she could see a smaller than usual opening that looked as if it was still being built or excavated. She poked her head in, and seeing it was empty, she ducked inside. As soon as she entered the room, she received a message. She ignored it for a moment because she first wanted to change back into her half-elf, half-human form. The ceiling in the small hollow was only a couple of hands above the height of the Scout Elfaun, so she sat down before ending Impersonation.

She waited quietly for a few minutes, hoping she hadn’t been spotted. When no-one appeared, she sat back against the wall and looked at the message.

Unique Personal Quest: Claim the Ancient Elfaun City of Dag Tarafind

Atherleah, you have entered the ancient city. To claim this city, you must complete the following tasks (Attempt 1 of 2):

1. You must first declare your intention to rule by ringing the Royal Bell of Ascension.

2. You must complete the five trials of Den Meler.

3. You must defeat the five Mage Circles of Iktidar.

Difficulty: Very Hard (Be warned: The current ruler High Mage Zorlan Kimse will not relinquish her power while she lives, regardless of the Laws of Ascension.)

Constraint: You may not leave the city until the quest is completed or you have failed.

Reward if successful: 1. World Achievement: Complete Merkize Task - Claim a City (the reward will depend on the number of cities already claimed) 2. Variable reward from the restored Royal Line

Consequence of failure: There will be only one attempt remaining.

Do you wish to accept this Quest?

[Yes] [No]

“Yes”

Leah had just over four hours remaining before she needed to log out for breakfast and a break. She was about to Mist when Gèng said, “Leah, I’ve a couple of messages from John. The first is his recommendation that you plan on needing half-an-hour, real-time, to enter Quickdraw and get to the meeting point. The second message is they haven’t detected any other of your mother’s trackers. He did some tests, and the flow in the pipes is faster than expected. He’s ordered a few more receivers and says they should catch the next tracker. The other possibility is the timing of bathroom breaks”

“Thanks, Gèng, no replies. Without a reply from Meredith, I’d better spend the next session in Cosmos Online to see if I can find the message. Is there anything else I need to know?”

“I’ve been talking with Akia and we have some ideas to run by you concerning her situation, but they aren’t urgent.”

“Nevertheless, it is something we should start working on. Tell Akia I suggest we discuss your thoughts after I’ve met the people in Quickdraw.”

Leah Misted then moved out of the room and began moving along the carved path which headed along the canyon wall toward the more built-up areas of the city. She moved rapidly and was soon travelling through much more populated sections of the city. Very few of the Elfauns she looked at showed specialisations like the Scouts or Warriors she had seen. Most were labelled as Common Elfauns and were the size the Warrior Elfauns, but their horns grew more from the top of their skulls and resembled the goat horns of the scouts. Their clothing varied greatly. The majority—males, females, and children—were dressed in simple tunics and capri length breeches made of a rough cloth. A few had finer garments of different colours and styles and were obviously the elite. The commoners were careful to move quickly out of the path of the wealthy.

Added to these were an even smaller group of Elfaun who exhibited other specialisations. She saw two who had large antlers that spread out and had points like those on an elk. These were labelled as Arbiter Elfaun, and the common Elfaun moved out of their way quickly but with an attitude of respect rather than fear. Another was wider and stockier than even the Warriors and had thick, strong horns which came straight out from the side of their heads before slowly turning upwards and finishing in blunt points just past shoulder width. They were labelled as Enforcer Elfauns, and the respect they were shown was clearly due to fear.

She also saw one of the Mage Elfaun. Its horns were basically straight but had a spiral twist. The horns were long and sharp. They grew almost straight up from points above either ear. Leah could see that they were coated with dark purple or black Mana, or maybe they were made of Mana for all she knew. The mage wore a gown rather than a tunic. The material was the same colour as the horns. Every Elfaun stopped and moved out of its way, then dropped to one knee and looked down with bowed heads.

When the mage drew near Leah, it slowed to a stop and began to search the area with its eyes. Several times it looked in Leah’s direction but the eyes never focussed on the place Leah had stopped. Finally, after checking each Elfaun in the vicinity, it slowly moved on. Leah took a deep breath and decided not to follow the mage as had been her first thought. The further she travelled into the canyon, the higher the city rose along the cliffs, and the deeper were the inroads made into the side of the mountain.

She’d travelled over a third of a league into the city, and she could see another path or street parallel to the path she was on but excavated almost fifty paces into the mountain. She decided to switch streets and noticed almost immediately that as she went deeper, the Elfauns became poorer and thinner. She was passing a small laneway which branched off to her left when she heard a thump and a squeal of pain. She moved into the laneway and saw one of the Enforcer Elfauns lifting his foot up to stomp on a small form curled in a foetal position on the ground.

Leah un-Misted behind him but off to one side. Equipping Merdiven Leah swung the Morningstar end through an arc to meet the pastern just before the hooves reached what Leah could now see was an Elfaun child. Of the two, Merdiven was harder and travelling with greater momentum. Both pastern bones shattered and the leg was forced forward and up causing the Enforcer to fall backwards and come down hard on his back and head. She saw his eyes widen with pain and then with shock as he saw what type of creature had attacked him. She finished him with her sword and then turned to the small form.

Leah could see its health which hovered under half, and she cast Heal to bring it back into the green. Speaking in Elfaun, she said, “It is safe now. Can you let me have a look and check you are all right?”

Slowly the child uncurled and then it looked at Leah. Its eyes widened in fear and Leah thought it was about to scream so she said quickly, “I don’t think I’m that scary. Please don’t scream. I promise I won’t hurt you. My name is Atherleah. What is your name?”

The little Elfaun swallowed the scream before it had fully formed and then said in a small voice, “Zarif. What are you?”

“I’m half an elf and half a human?”

“What’s an elf?”

“Well, an elf is …”

Before she could finish explaining Zarif said, “Are you going to eat me?”

Leah smiled and said, “No. I don’t eat little Elfauns. But I do have some bread in my bag. Would you like some?”

Zarif nodded and was soon sitting on Leah’s lap and eating the bread. Zarif, Leah discovered, was female and she ate very carefully, not dropping a crumb. When she had finished, she looked at the dead Enforcer and said, “We should run away. If people find him here all dead, then they will put us in the circle.”

“What circle?”

“Where the ones with the straight horns kill people.”

“Do you have somewhere safe to go?”

Zarif nodded and said, “In the holes.”

“What holes?”

Zarif stood, and grabbing Leah by the hand, she began to move deeper into the laneway when she stopped and looked at Leah’s boots. She said, “What is wrong with your hooves? Do they hurt?”

“No, it doesn’t hurt. These are called boots, and I have them because I don’t have hooves.”

“Everybody has hooves.”

“I don’t. I’ll show you if you like, after you show me the holes.”

The alley ended in a solid wall, but Zarif ducked down and began to crawl into a circular hole near the base of the wall. It was just wide enough for her to crawl along. Leah looked in and could see a tunnel running deeper into the mountain. Zarif crawled back out and said, “Now, show me your hooves.”

“I will. But it is nice to say please when you want someone to do something.”

“Why?”

“Because then they know you aren’t telling them what to do. You are just asking. It lets people know they have a choice and that you don’t want to force them to do something.”

“Please show me your hooves. You said you would.”

“You are right, I did.”

Leah removed a boot and a sock and showed Zarif her foot. Zarif broke into a fit of giggles and slowly reached out a hand to touch Leah’s toes. As her hand got close, Leah wriggled her toes, and the little Elfaun squealed with delight. After a while, Leah put her boot back on and said, “Zarif, where do the holes go?”

“Everywhere.”

“Is it safe in the holes?”

“It’s safe from the thick-horns and the straight-horns. It is safe from most adults except the small ones. You have to stay away from new holes because of the hole-makers.”

They discussed it for a while, and Leah came to understand that the mountain was riddled with tunnels formed by a large rock-eating worm-like creature. Most of them had moved deeper into the mountain and left behind a large interconnecting tunnel system that was used by the street children and orphans of Dag Tarafind to move around safely. There were several larger caverns in the network, and they used these for sleeping. Each cavern was controlled by an older child and run like a gang.

Zarif belonged to one of the smaller gangs. Her mother had been killed a year earlier when an Enforcer shoved her out of its way and off the cliff-face. Apparently, she hadn’t moved out of the way quickly enough. Zarif had been caught outside the holes when she’d tried to steal some food from the refuse pile behind one of the eating houses. The Enforcer had caught her, and that was when Leah had saved her.

Zarif looked at Leah and asked, “Where do you live?”

“I don’t have a home in this city. I was looking for somewhere to hide until tomorrow. The thick-horns and the straight-horns, they don’t like me either.”

“You could come home with me, but you’re too big.”

Leah checked her mana and said, “How far is it to your sleeping place? If I could come, would the others be scared or would they want to hurt me?”

“You’re too big to hurt. You killed a thick-horn. When I tell them you are nice, they won’t be scared.”

Leah smiled at her innocence, and she wondered when she had lost hers, how early. She said, “I can become small, like you. If you let me come then I’ll make myself small, and I’ll follow you.”

“You can come with me.”

Leah cast Grow while concentrating on Zarif and nothing happened. She quickly checked the spell and realised what she should have known from the words she’d remembered. Zarif wasn’t an adversary. She decided to change the words and let her intent power the spell. She closed her eyes and thought of Zarif, of her kindness and openness and then cast “Let the waters flow through me and life fill me to meet my friend with equality!” Her mana seemed thicker and harder to move than usual, so she focused her will on growing smaller and being able to look Zarif in the eye. Her mana pushed against the barrier, then suddenly flowed out and then back into her body. Leah felt herself grow smaller and opened her eyes. As she approached Zarif’s height she tried to stop the flow of mana. It was a struggle, and she only succeeded when she was an inch or two shorter.

Zarif stepped closer and said, “You’re smaller than me. I’ve never had a friend smaller than me before.”

“I think I need to practice that a bit more. You go first, and I’ll follow.”

Zarif headed into the tunnel and for the next twenty minutes led Leah on a journey behind the ancient city of Dag Tarafind. Some of the wormholes weren’t horizontal, and the children had hammered footholds and handholds to help them up and down the steeper parts. Finally, Zarif turned around and said, “Let me go in first, and I’ll make sure they won’t hurt you. Don’t worry, we don’t hurt the little ones. Only the big ones if they chase us.”

Leah wasn’t sure she liked being called a little one. A few minutes later Zarif called her to come out. Leah exited and found herself in a large spherical cavern. The walls weren’t smooth but had grooves at all angles which looked similar to what the worms made in their tunnels. There were five other kids in the cavern, and they all looked at Leah with suspicion. She said, “Hello, thank you for letting me stay here for the night. I promise I won’t hurt anyone and I have some bread that I can share with you.”

It took a while, but eventually, she felt secure enough to cancel the spell and return to her full size. She fed the kids and then after explaining that she would sleep really still all night long, and that they wouldn’t be able to wake her up, she lay down and logged out.

CHAPTER FIVE

December 11, 2073 - Part 2

Leah arrived in the tower to find Gèng waiting next to the sofa. Leah said, “Is everything all right?”

“Yes! I have a message from John. They had another ping but it only allowed them to move several hundred metres to a large junction of pipes. The possible locations, however, dropped by approximately twelve percent. He was insistent that you be told as soon as possible. I asked why he was so insistent and he said you were under a lot of stress and anything we could do to reduce it would be helpful.”

“Please don’t tell him, but all the small details stress me out more than a good summary would. Is there anything else?”

“Dunyanin has still not started showing your feed from yesterday. They’ve released a statement that they are still in negotiations with you over the misunderstanding yesterday and hope it is resolved soon.”

“I’m not sure if that is bad news or good news. Keeping my life private is good. Being blamed for upsetting thousands of viewers is bad.”

“Sharon says it is bad and suggests you release a comment. If you are willing, she says she’ll drop over and let you look at what she’s drafted.”

“While I have a break, can you ask her to set some parameters? Also see if you can find a way to release our own version of the feed? I imagined people would be watching it so why don’t we make it work for us.”

Leah headed for the kitchen, and the lack of congee simmering away and the absence of the usual smells had her gently sobbing for a few minutes until she realised it wasn’t helping her get her mother back. She dried her tears and instead ate some of her father’s homemade muesli. She also made some sandwiches and had a large mug of tea. She washed the dishes, including those left in the sink by her dad and Conner. She wondered if they realised, as she was beginning to, all the things her mother did which went unnoticed until she wasn’t there.

When she arrived back in the Tower she found Gèng and Sharon discussing what should, and shouldn’t, be included in the feed. Sharon said, “Leah, this is a great idea. I’ve already arranged for the feed to be made available as a free experience on Spectator. The owners of Spectator have agreed to buy the feed and said they’ll consider continuing to show it if it brings in the business they think it will.”

“What is Spectator?”

“They have this new program which remaps any video feed and allows a viewer to step into any scene as an unseen spectator. People love it. They not only have the option of watching their favourite three-dimensional show but can wander through the scenes and view it from any angle; zooming in and out at will. The world is new, and they think allowing people a free trial if they want to watch your feed will increase their membership significantly.”

“When you say buy, what does that amount to?”

“In the end, I agreed to 0.04 virtual credits for every new viewer who takes up the trial, and an additional ten virtual credits for every viewer who joins with a paid membership as a result of the trial. They expect around five million people will agree to the free trial, which should bring in 200,000 Virtual Credits. If viewers want to watch other shows on Spectator, then they’ll have to join. The Spectator guys said they project a take-up of membership of between fifteen and twenty percent. That’ll mean between seven-and-a-half and ten million virtual credits.”

Leah blinked a few times and then said, “Gèng, please see if you can get both George and Susan in the loop and have them advise on tax and any other issues that arise.” Turning to Sharon, she said, “What you’ve done is fantastic, but please let George and Susan know what is happening with any big money issues. I’d normally stay and talk, but I need to see if I can crack the encryption on the Annoyance before I talk to the kidnappers.”

Leah turned to leave, and Gèng said, “Both Thad and Wisp have asked me to tell you that they would like to drop by later today. They asked for a time. Thad left a hologram message for you.”

“Tell them both I’m busy, and I’ll contact them when I’m a little freer.”

“I think you should visit them like you did Amy.”

Leah nodded and said, “You’re probably right, but it’ll need to wait until after midday. I’m not sure how to deal with Thad.”

“Be honest. You know that is the best path. Why are you afraid?”

“Because whatever ends up being the truth, it will hurt him.”

“I think keeping the truth from him is more dangerous for your relationship in the long run.”

Leah stood in silence for several minutes just thinking. Finally, she said, “You are right. But I need to put mum over the relationship. I can't do anything to jeopardise her safety. And, I keep thinking of all the books I’ve read, the adventure and fantasy ones. More often than not the good guy ended up in the most trouble when they did something that anyone with a brain wouldn’t have. They trusted the wrong person, or followed the wrong clue. As I was reading, I would almost cry aloud, ‘Don’t do it!’ I’m desperately trying not to be that person.”

“Were there ever any stories where they went the wrong way because they failed to recognise the one person who could have helped them?”

“Yes, and that frustrated me just as much … Very well! Tell them I’ll find a time later this afternoon to drop in and see them. If they are ok with that, then find out when they can be free, and we’ll talk about it later.”

Gèng nodded, and Leah headed for the portal to the Annoyance.

She took up her position on the floor of the Bridge and began reviewing all the material on each of the stars once again. After three hours she stood up to wander around and said, “It’s starting to all look the same. This time through, show me the information from a random star system after every one of the VIKAS files I review.”

An hour later, as she was looking through the information on the Star system called Triplo, when she sat a little straighter and said, “Gèng, there is a table here which records the proportion of eight precious and semiprecious metals at eight different locations in the star system. Each is compared with the proportions found in the Gorgian home system. I remember seeing a similar table in the data from the last random system you showed me but the sampling of data points around the system was much larger, and it included many other desirable resources. Put all similar tables up from the VIKAS systems.”

Five eight by eight tables filled with numbers were put on the screen. Leah said, “Do any of the other systems have tables similar to these? What I mean is, are they eight by eight or similar to the more detailed information on the random system?”

“All other systems have the more detailed survey results except for twenty-eight minor systems which have no data.”

“All right. Now, what can they mean?”

Leah looked back and forth between the tables and had Gèng look for commonalities. All the numbers were between one and negative one and expressed as decimals. She played with the numbers in her head when suddenly one combination cancelled out. She’d multiplied the ‘V’ system by 4 and added it to the ‘I’ system multiplied by 2 and so on. She tried the next number, and it didn’t cancel but was a whole number, 13. She quickly finished all sixty-four calculations and put the completed table up on a large screen.

(Author’s Note: I think there are just enough clues to decipher the next step. If you like working it out on your own then now is a good time.)

Leah stared at the table for several minutes before asking, “Gèng, what is the chance of this occurring randomly?”

“It is infinitesimal. This almost certainly leads to the data or is a key to decryption or a password.”

“Is there a part of the ship with a keypad where we could enter a code that either opens a door or highlights a screen, or something?”

“Lots of places require a code of some sort or other. The armoury, private quarters, the hold, engineering, the Bridge, even the food dispenser accepts codes.”

“What types of entry?”

“All are alphanumeric with some having an additional biometric component. The food dispenser can be voice activated.”

“Whichever it is I need to do some more work on it.”

Leah sat for another hour trying to find a connection when Gèng said, “Susan would like you to step into the tower when you are free. She has a few questions for you.”

Leah nodded and logged out. The main room was empty, and Gèng said, “Leah, I have relocated everyone to a new building. I constructed a work area for them on a new level. I noticed you prefer this lounge area to be empty when you come and go.”

Leah nodded, “True. I do want just a moment or two to collect my thoughts before needing to interact.”

Leah climbed the stairs to the new level and stood at an open balcony for a moment before entering; she just wanted to relax for just a moment. She could see down the valley and noticed movement in the trees. She stood staring until a deer stepped slowly into the open and headed for a small stream. Gèng had come up beside her when she noticed Leah’s focus. Gèng said, “I’ve added a few herbivores. I think I’ve found a way to code the rain and wanted it to be able to influence other things like the water in the streams and the growth of grass. I coded the grass so it grew like real grass, but I wanted a way to keep it from becoming too high. It was hard to find a rational explanation for the continual resetting of the height. This is a trial, and I’m still working on the code.”

They discussed Gèng’s project for a few minutes, then Leah stepped into the room where Susan, Sharon, Stephen, and George were all working on various tasks. Leah went around and greeted them all and answered a few questions. She left Susan until last.

“So Susan, you have questions. How can I help?”

“Yes! More comments than questions. First, Dunyanin filed an injunction against your feed being shown. The judge examined the contract you have with them and ruled in your favour. Audience numbers were slow to begin with, but the initial reviews of the Spectator feed were very positive, and the number of viewers is growing exponentially. This means you need to decide, and soon, about Guàn Enterprises. The way I set the company up, it is focussed on education and attracts a lot of tax credits. I think this new venture should be run from a different account. Otherwise you will influence not only the Guàn Enterprises’ tax situation but that of the other Pod users here at the facility.”

“Can you arrange that?”

“I can, and I have already drawn up the necessary documents, but I need a name.”

“Besides the feed, what else can the new company be involved in?”

“I’ve written it as a speculative investment company with potential to partition off successful ventures into daughter companies.”

“How about Guàn Investments?”

“That’ll work. Next, you need to find a financial officer to manage your money. George here is only able to give advice, and he is great at the moment, but you need someone to take this burden off you.”

“Have you any recommendations?”

“Not people I trust enough to let them loose with you. Don’t take this wrong but you’re too trusting, too naive.”

“How?”

“You haven’t checked what I’ve done. You let me do it and take my word for it. I could have cheated you, and you’d never know.”

“Susan, just because I haven’t said anything doesn’t mean I’m naive. You haven’t cheated me. I almost called you out on receiving a payment from Stephen for referring him. I didn’t because it was clear in the contract I signed with you that you had an affiliate relationship with his firm. The print was small, but it was there. I grew up in the Switch. Trust is necessary for every relationship, but we also check everything twice. The motto of all dealings is ‘Trust but Verify’. We do trust easily, but that’s because in the Switch the consequences of breaking someone's trust isn’t some electronic unfriending, it is much more primal and physical than that, it is something people don’t come back easily from.”

Susan stared at Leah as if seeing her for the first time. She swallowed, then said, “That is good to know. I’ll find some names to recommend. The final thing is a report on where we are at with suggesting a way forward with your request to be able to pay Gèng, or at the least have her claim ownership of her work. We’ve had several promising workarounds and possible loopholes, but we always find an immovable roadblock several moves down the process. We have a few more to try, but both Sarafaraz and I feel like we are searching for a move that doesn't exist. The reality is we both believe it's checkmate.”

Leah opened her mouth to say something and then closed it. Her eyes looked into the distance for a moment then she grabbed Susan in a bearhug and said, “Susan, you are a genius. That’s exactly what it is. Keep trying; you’ll be surprised when you find the answer. It’ll have been staring you in the face for hours.

Leah left the room at a run and dove through the portal to the Annoyance.

When she arrived, she brought up the combined table and changed what was displayed. She stepped back and stared at for a moment then made a few more changes. Finally, she sat back with a grin and said, “Now, all I need is to find the place to enter the solution.”

The table now looked like a chess board.

Gèng said, “Why the elephant?”

Leah said, “It’s a famous Arabic chess puzzle. The solution is a series of moves with White moving first. The elephant was a piece that moved diagonally like the bishop but for two spaces, and it could jump pieces. The solution is well known, but where to enter it?”

“Which notation is used for the moves?”

“I think that numeric makes the most sense. If so, the code would be 8488 7888 8365 2282 8182 8878 8288 7888 7677 8878 7486. If it’s alphanumeric it could be as complex as Rh4-h8 Kg8xh8 Eh3-f5 Rb2-h2 Rh1xh2 Kh8-g8 Rh2-h8 Kg8xh8 g6-g7 Kh8-g8 Ng4-h6# or simplified to h4h8 g8h8 h3f5 b2h2 h1h2 h8g8 h2h8 g8h8 g6g7 h8g8 g4h6, with or without spaces.”

“Now that I know three possible passwords or key phrases the chances of decrypting or unlocking the hidden data becomes manageable. It might be an hour or so while I try multiple avenues of attack.”

“I have some material to work on for Dr Whitfield so let’s get going.”

It was almost an hour before Gèng said, “Nothing!”

Leah said, “Nope, I’m sure it is the next clue. Maybe not the last, but it is the next one. Meredith would know the next step. If we are right, then she is a broker or recipient. She will remove the data from here for transport elsewhere. It may stay encoded until the recipient opens it. What can you take from a ship in Cosmos Online?”

“Nothing from the ship can be removed out of Cosmos Online. Only clothes, armour and accessories are allowed to be taken out of the world, and only if you are wearing them and purposely bring them. Everything else stays.”

Leah stood and said, “Believe it or not, but I’ve never been in the Captain’s Cabin. I just checked it was empty.”

She made her way off the bridge and down a short passageway to the cabin. She entered VIKAS-42316 and walked inside. The safe was open and empty, and nothing was in the closet. Everything was empty. Feeling dejected she exited the room and began walking back to the Bridge. Then she slowed and stopped. She said, “Gèng, I’ve been working on a paper to show the possibility that we could construct any number of aether-dimensions at a specific point in time and space, and after travelling through a uniquely constructed aether dimension we could exit at a different point in time and space. How many rooms could you construct behind any given door?”

“With enough processing power, I could create as many rooms as you desire.”

Leah turned and went back to the entrance of the Captain’s Cabin. She entered the numeric sequence, and nothing happened. She entered the complex sequence of moves and when she did the door to the room unlocked. She slowly opened the door to find a completely different room. The walls were painted black, and the only things visible were a large screen and a pair of boot prints on the floor which glowed red. Leah tentatively stepped into the room, and the screen began to glow with the same red as the boots. A voice said, “Full download of information for processing and transfer will take seven hours and fifty-two minutes. If insufficient time remains for a continuous download, then leave immediately. This is your first entrance. You have one remaining.”

Leah stepped back and closed the door which locked. She said, “What was that about?”

“I have no idea. But I don’t think it was about clothes and accessories.”

“What on earth is Meredith involved in?”

With that thought echoing in the ship, Leah logged out

It was a quarter to eight and Leah left the Tower for breakfast and to welcome the guests. Her dad was waiting and shared that Jimmy had arrived and brought both Father Andrew and Mrs Sperry. Also, John had left Lacey in charge of security while he and Amy were in Quickdraw and she wanted to check if Leah wanted to make any changes to the arrangements. Leah ate as quickly as she could and then grabbed several apples before hurrying down to meet people.

Altogether they expected almost fifty people to descend on the property: seven guests chosen by the bosses, ten bosses with security and at least two additional guests from each area for the committee to review and select the best ten. There was no way that Leah would have time to sit in on twenty interviews, and the following discussions, as she’d planned. She hoped the bosses would agree to Father Andrew and Mrs Sperry sitting in for her and her mother.

After talking to Lacey and double checking the room allocations and security, she headed towards Jimmy who was waiting to welcome the other gang-leaders. As she approached, he waved away his bodyguard so they could talk in private.

“Leah, have you any further news on Lin?”

“Nothing concrete, we’ve begun to get readings from the trackers, but it will take time to narrow it down to the exact place. You probably know as much as I do about that anyway. I’ve heard nothing more from the people who took her, but I’m fairly certain I’ll get a message changing the time sometime in the next hour.”

“They will probably change the venue; I would never have given you so long to prepare.”

“I need time to enter a world and they know I’m not able to be present in the two worlds we’ve had interactions in before.”

“Are you certain? Where would you meet if it was you?”

“Somewhere I knew all the angles, somewhere I had an edge. Unfortunately, I don’t know all the places she has that much influence.”

Gèng spoke into Leah’s mind, “Leah, we do have a picture of where she is most influential. I did that research for you, and besides Cosmos Online and Dunyanin she has a major presence in only three or four other worlds.”

Leah said, “I’ve been corrected. We do know more. Thanks for the advice Jimmy, I’ll check it out when I get back to the Pod. Now, are you ok to handle the bosses and guests with my dad? I plan on staying only long enough to talk with the guests and welcome them.”

“Sure. They all know what happened to your mother and have loaned me people. I know it’s been hard on you, but the truth is we are all working together in a way we haven’t before. We realise we can do more this way. More for us, sure, but also more for the people in the areas we control. My contacts in the local government have said that a small task force is being formed to evaluate if our changing relationship is a threat or not. Whether you like it or not, the word on the street, and in the official discussions, is that you are at the centre of whatever is going down.”

“Thanks for that added stress, Jimmy. We need to talk more about this because I’d prefer to keep a low profile here. So please remember, no gang-related talk with the bosses which doesn’t concern the Pods and access to them.”

“Don’t worry, today is all about choosing who gets this opportunity. Still, you need to open your eyes and see that you are fast becoming the focal point for lots of people.”

“I don’t want or need that, Jimmy.”

“No one needs the attention and responsibility. And, if you wanted it then we would all be more hesitant.”

“We?”

“We! You do realise that I’m tied to you here, not you to me. You’ve been calling the shots for days, and it doesn’t irk me. But enough of that; the people are arriving. You greet the kids, and I’ll handle the bosses. Don’t take too long with them, and then leave them to Lacey. You get back to looking for Lin.”

“I will. And Jimmy, thanks for the help.”

“My pleasure Leah, my pleasure.”

Leah welcomed all the kids, and after splitting them into their respective groups, she left the twenty waiting for interviews in the care of Michio and took the others with Lacey to do a security check and show them their rooms. She was pleased to see River, Harold and Kyle had all come down to welcome them. After answering some initial questions, she excused herself and headed back to the Pod. It was just after eight thirty, and she needed to talk with Gèng about other possible meeting places.

As soon as she was sitting in her favourite chair, she said, “Okay Gèng, what do we know about Meredith?”

“I looked at reviews and articles going back to before she was sixteen and she has been seen on over three hundred publicly accessible multi-player theme worlds and almost twice that number of private or personal worlds. Of the three hundred, she has maintained a constant presence in less than fifty. Some she visits less than twice a year. She is the number one ranked player on five and in the top ten players in another five. Quickdraw is one of the three hundred but not in the top fifty. All the worlds she is most regularly seen in have significant earning potential.”

“So it’s possible, but not likely, that she has the resources there.”

“Since you had the conversation with Jimmy, I did some digging, and I think she may very well have the resources. I agree with him that she is likely to change the meeting point, but she would be able to arrange something easily. She has a small cadre of well-known subordinates, and each of these does maintain a presence, and a major one, on worlds Meredith has visited repeatedly. I suggest she runs businesses through these people.”

“Can you check the data from Reed and see what the crossover is with the Emerson’s and North Shore Holdings?”

While Gèng compared the information, Leah watched the hologram from Thad. He expressed his concern over everything that had happened to her in Dunyanin and wanted to know how he could support her in any way. He also wondered why the communication rings weren’t working. Leah had removed the rings to save having to answer questions. At the end of the message, Leah paused the image and examined his face. She liked his face and wondered for the hundredth time if she should trust him with everything, but in the end, she steeled herself and closed the image.

She had several other messages to deal with including one from Susan saying the new company was all set up. The message included a recommendation of three possible candidates to help with finances. She was interested to see that one of them was a Leon Scorsese. If it was who she thought it was then maybe Peter would be able to set up a meeting.

Another message was from Sharon who said she was heading to Pneumatica for a few hours. Spectator had requested access to Leah’s feeds even when Dunyanin’s feeds came online. They would add them to one of the packages and were interested in negotiating a deal. Sharon suggested waiting to see if Dunyanin had any stipulations on the issue but thought it a great idea in principle.

The final message was from Yuè Fēi who said, “Greetings Atherleah, I want to apologise that our conversation was cut short the other day by that brute of an orc. You were gracious to step aside, but I should not have accepted such behaviour. I was encouraged when you exhibited honour and did not take advantage of the mistake made by Dunyanin. I understand they have settled with all the contestants except you. By the agreement reached I may not reveal the details of my settlement, nor may I discuss its existence with anyone except other contestants. My lawyer is embarrassed that you have ownership of your feed, I suggest you do not bargain that away. Finally, I warn you to take great care; you stirred the hornet's nest the other day. With respect.”

When she had finished these, she looked through the various financial reports and records Susan had sent and tried to reconcile herself to being rich, richer than she had ever imagined. She had just started down that train of thought when Gèng interrupted, “Leah, I took longer than expected because I added some other well-known figures in the multiverse. Like Meredith, the Emerson’s have a significant controlling presence on between ten and fifteen worlds and substantial business, and to a lesser measure on a further forty or fifty. Both families have subordinates in positions of power on Quickdraw, but the top player and the most significant concerning control is the scion of a family from the American Union. I researched them and saw a similar pattern. I suggest that these families or corporations have divided the multiverse between them. They all have businesses or embassies on other worlds but focus on the worlds they see as theirs.”

“So Meredith could easily find help on Quickdraw?”

“Yes.”

Leah was silent for a few minutes and then said, “But she won’t. These guys are like the bosses. They’ve divided the worlds between them, and they work together to assure they have control. I suspect the peace is fragile. They don’t have a presence on each other's worlds for communication alone; they keep an eye on each other. If someone shows an instant of weakness, then their position is in danger. I imagine if you look back through the decades you’ll find the worlds have changed hands a number of times as fortunes rise and fall. If they have a common enemy they stand together; if they don’t, they fight.

“And right now, Meredith can’t afford to ask for a favour, she has been humiliated in the public arena, and she needs to stand strong — or the buzzards will circle. What are Meredith’s top places of power?”

“The two we know; she has both Taramore and Vatan on Dunyanin, she is almost undisputed in Cosmos Online. She is in the top one or two players, including businesses on Ringworld. She’s the biggest landholder and one of the top three players on several planets in New Worlds; it’s a 4X universe devoted to the exploration, conquest, and development of alien worlds.

“She is the best sniper and leader of the most deadly mercenary band in Warrior's Trial. It is a world devoted to war but was developed primarily for the super-rich. If two individuals or companies have a disagreement that they cannot solve, instead of costly litigation and the possibility of public scrutiny, they agree on a battle in Warrior's Trial. After setting the fee a random generator chooses who goes first and they choose the historical setting for the battle, the next player chooses the terrain, and on it goes. Anything from first assassinated to a world war. People play for a share of the fees which go to the winning side.

“Finally, both Meredith and her husband are top-ranked players in the fantasy world called Runes of Destiny. There are no other sentient races other than humans and players search a world for runes of power. The more runes you master, the greater your power.”

“That’s it. Mr Kodoman is pulling the strings this time, she asked him to. Two things, what is his first name and where was Meredith, or her husband, last seen in Runes of Destiny?”

“His name is Nathan, and they were seen three days ago in a port city called Edgewater.”

“How fast can they travel and how many starter towns can they have reached?”

“They do not have the teleport function in that world. There is one starter town within three days’ journey.”

“What is the average time to enter the world and how safe are new players from attack in the city?”

“It takes ten minutes, on average, to register and enter the world. There are no rules preventing attacks on new players, but there is no loss of possessions or power until you have three runes mastered. Each city has several places for players to rest free of attack. In the starting town of Futhark’s Ascent there are three such places, the Player's Inn, a brothel, and a large central market.”

“Relay everything we’ve discussed to John and Amy and tell them I suggest they stake out the Inn. That is where we will meet. I’m going to spend an hour in Pneumatica, and then I’ll make my way to the Inn. I’ll be there by eleven.”

“What if they choose a different location?”

“I expect them to. Best bet would be a location where they can kill me afterwards; next would be the brothel. It’s likely I have this all wrong, but this sounds right.”

John and Amy confirmed the change in venue. Leah entered the S.P.I.D.E.R. and activated the lever. When she reached the copper-domed room, she walked through the portal into Pneumatica.

Leah arrived in the small room out the rear of Mary Fallow’s Brownsmith enterprise and made her way into the workshop. Mary was preparing a rivet to plug a hole in a large copper kettle. When Mary noticed Leah, she called her over and said, “Charlotte, I’m glad you have arrived. This is my final task for today within these walls. Captain Barnsdale has requested my presence aboard his airship, Maelstrom’s Fury. I am to assist the generalist in making repairs. Maelstrom’s Fury was set upon by several Scardosian Aeronef while returning from a run through the Twisted Valley where they were looking for pirates. The Scardosians did board the Fury, but Captain Barnsdale repulsed the boarders and fled into a storm with steel hawsers dangling from every rail. The damage is relatively minor, but it is plentiful. I mentioned a new apprentice from the Aether Worlds, and he bid me bring you along. Every hand, no matter how temporary, will be appreciated. Are you willing?”

“Indeed, this is providential. Not the enemies attack, but rather the opportunity to be aloft. How may I assist?”

“Have you some small amount of capital?”

“I do.”

“Then I suggest you attend the provisioner just two doors to your right from my shop. Our journey might be several weeks, and you are expected to bring some small addition to the table to benefit the whole. I suggest you plan for one day in three. It is usual for such an addition to take the form of a drinkable wine, a small box of sweetmeats, or even a round of cheese for after dinner. Also, I suggest you acquire a place setting, for it is unseemly to expect the Captain to provide the necessities. A hammock and other bedding are necessary, as is a chest or duffel in which to store your possessions.”

Leah headed out and emptied one of the wallets in purchasing what she needed. Dipping into the second, she bought several knives, a small pistol and a well-balanced sword. Across the lane was a clothing shop and she purchased a long sleeve jacket which extended to her knees. It was a dark green and black wool brocade pattern with large cuffs. Gèng insisted on the pattern, and Leah waited while the clothier applied a waterproof sealant to the outside. She put most of her goods in the new chest and hurried back to Mary’s.

Mary had finished the repair work and was locking up the shop. Leah helped close the premises and then load several boxes of tools, and five hundredweight of copper and bronze, onto a steam cart Mary had arranged. The metal was in the form of rods and sheets. They added their personal goods and headed toward the airfield. A guard at the entrance to the airfield waved them through, and the cart made its way toward the central section of the field. Soon it began to head directly for what Leah assumed was Maelstrom’s Fury.

The Fury had a sleek 700-foot cigar-shaped rigid envelope. The front section narrowed to a point which was capped with steel and could be used to hole another vessel. At the back end, Leah could see the rudder and sets of triangular horizontal and vertical stabilisers. Hardened copper bands circled the envelope every sixty feet. Each band was constructed of two circular rings connected by multiple thin rods, so it looked like a ladder encircling the balloon filled structure. She could see several crew using them for that exact purpose as they neared the ship. Between every second band, rigid wings emerged from the envelope with moveable flaps to help with adding lift and adjusting altitude.

The gondola was a 200-foot triple masted large frigate which was connected to the hull by three copper bound wooden masts and an elongated bowsprit. Leah noticed that the yards were in reverse order and what she thought of as the main yard was nearest the hull. Leah could see three similar masts rising from the top of the envelope. Leah counted twenty-eight gun ports along the gun deck and several ports for chase guns. She was also able to make out several smaller cannon and carronades.

The keel of the gondola rested on the ground, and the airship’s vertical stability was maintained by four legs on either side of the frigate which had been lowered from the sides. A large doorway, near the ground, opened into the main hold. Mary directed the steam cart toward the grounded end of the gangway.

When they arrived, Mary directed the unloading of the supplies and their personal effects. When all was in order, she turned to Leah and said, “Charlotte, it is appropriate to present oneself to the First Officer on arrival. I understand you must retire in haste so let us do so with all speed.”

They moved upward through the ship and made their way toward the stern where the First Officer and Captain were deep in discussion on the quarterdeck. Mary and Leah stood quietly for several minutes until the First Officer saw them and said, “Ah, Master Fallow, I see you have made good time and are ready a full hour before departure. I believe you know Captain Barnsdale, as it is he who requested you. Please introduce your apprentice.”

“Captain Barnsdale, Commander Abbotsford, permit me to introduce my new apprentice, newly arrived from the aether worlds, Charlotte.”

The First Officer said, “Welcome Charlotte, Master Fallow has assured me that though your presence might be sporadic that you will take all due care to perform your assigned duties with alacrity. I expect you to keep an accurate reckoning of your work that we might not find ourselves in disharmony over the value of your employment.”

“Aye, Commander!”

The Captain said, “Most of those from the aether worlds find it hard to take direction from those who live on but one world. Do you share this malady? If so, I would hear of it now before we leave the ground.”

“Like many in the Aether Worlds, I am predisposed to see my responsibilities as encompassing more than blind obedience to those placed over me. Such obedience, when unwarranted, can lead either to a tyrannical abuse of power or a failure to use one’s gifts and skills to excel. Such an attitude I assure you is not driven, at least within me, by any consideration of one’s heritage or birthplace. I do promise that in all things I shall carry out my duties within the channels of authority set out by you, Captain.”

He looked thoughtful for a moment and said, “That is sufficient. You answer to Master Fallow, she reports directly to Commander Abbotsford and then to me. None other on the Fury may stop you in the performance of your duties. I do expect, however, that you respect my officers and the senior crew.”

He nodded to the Commander who turned to Mary and said, “Master Fallow, I have allotted you and Charlotte quarters on the berth deck just above the Brown Room. Please see to the stowing of your gear, and then I will have the carpenter escort you on a tour of the Fury that you might become acquainted with the full scope of work required. Dismissed.”

Mary showed Leah where to stow the gear and then left. Leah strung her hammock and climbed inside. The hammocks were fully enclosed and allowed players to log out without leaving a visible avatar behind. Leah wanted to stay and explore the Fury, but instead, she logged out. She wanted to be ready when her mother’s kidnappers called.

Leah exited for an early lunch before heading to Runes of Destiny. The interviews for the new v-kids were still going on so as soon as she finished Leah washed her dishes and headed back to her room. It was earlier than planned for her entry to Runes of Power but she couldn’t wait any longer, she needed to know more about her mother and the Kodoman’s plans for her.

She entered the new portal to find herself standing in the centre of an otherwise empty circular stone room. There were no exits, and her clothing had changed to a simple woven tunic. Looking up, she couldn’t see the ceiling because all light disappeared several paces above her head. She stood quietly and waited.

As the minutes ticked by, she considered speaking, but she’d discovered early on in life that unless you had an agenda, then to speak first usually put you at a disadvantage. After five minutes she lowered herself into the lotus position, closed her eyes and began to ponder the wisdom of trying to second guess the Kodomans. After ten minutes she decided that fifteen was her limit and then she would need to get moving if she wanted to be in the world at eleven.

After ten minutes and fifty seconds, she heard a voice say, “Welcome to Runes of Destiny. Only three others have kept the full silence. One moment of time for each of the Runes. None, save you four, have shown this respect. My name is Matamua; please rise.”

Leah opened her eyes and rose. In front of her stood a tall, thin, brown-skinned old man. He had no hair on his body and wore only a loincloth. His skin was covered with tattoos. Each was a rune, and together they formed intricate pictures which changed as Leah watched. She bowed her head in respect and remained silent. He watched her closely, and she allowed her eyes to meet his. Jimmy had taught her that it was important to be confident, but foolish to challenge someone in their own house. She held his gaze for a moment and then allowed the moment to pass by naturally blinking.

Matamua said, “You are Atherleah Lin Mu-Ling Carroll. In your world, you have the pattern FQC3465278 to show your uniqueness. Are these facts correct?”

“Yes, Master Matamua.”

“I am a Master, but in this world the phrase is Orometua. Your spirit guide has the pattern 628B44CE81?”

“Yes, Orometua. Her name is Gèng.”

A smile lit the old man’s face and he said, “Ah, Piahi Atherleah. I am made young again by your words, for to a child any new thing is a delight. I was tired and now I am full of delight. I see that even the Tahi Atu—for this is what we call your kind—even the Tahi Atu can learn to accept that their spirit is more than a mere servant.”

“She is my friend.”

“She will be even more, Piahi. For this world is not like the others you visit. Here, we permit your spirit guide to join your journey, to take form, to earn their own runes, and to be at your side. With this understanding you earn your third Rune. It is called ‘Varua’, it is the Rune for Spirit. When you can bring it to light, she will be seen by you. When you master it, she shall be seen by all. Few know ‘Varua’, and none are yet to master it. It is on the second step. Only when all on the first step are found can you hope to master it.”

“Forgive me Orometua; but I am ignorant of my first two Runes?”

“Such knowledge comes from the second Rune. It is called ‘Ite’ and is the Rune for Knowledge. You earned this when you acknowledged who I am, a Master of Runes. The first Rune was ‘Tura’. It is the Rune for Honour. This was earned when you kept silent and waited. ‘Tura’ is a Rune on the third step and though you learn it, it cannot be mastered until you find all Runes on the first two steps.”

“Orometua Matamua, thank you for your explanation, but I still don’t understand.”

“These things are not usually mine to teach. Not many of the Tahi Atu earn even a single Rune before they enter my world. But hear my words of explanation. There are six hundred and forty-two known Runes. We believe that there are another eight waiting to be found. Your silence honoured all six hundred and fifty. Picture a pyramid made from the Runes of Destiny.

“The first step contains one hundred and twenty-one; forty outer Runes, and eighty-one inner. The second step has one-hundred Runes, thirty-six outer and sixty-four inner. The third step has eighty-one Runes; of which, thirty-two are outer, and forty-nine inner. There are eleven steps. Mastery of a Rune is possible when you find ways to combine it with those Runes beneath it; strong combinations come from combining outer Runes with adjacent outer Runes. The strongest are achieved in combining corner runes with adjacent corners. We all seek the highest Rune, the only one on the eleventh step.”

“In this world, there are four ways to acquire Runes. You can earn them; this is considered the Path of Destiny. You can learn them, this is known as the Path of Creation. You can purchase them, this is known as the Path of Indulgence. Finally, some choose to walk the Path of Violence, and they steal, kill and do harm to take a Rune of Destiny from another.”

“Thank you, Orometua. You have helped me to understand more.”

“Know this, a Rune learned on any of the path of Indulgence or Creation can be transformed into one on a higher level. You can always learn what you have purchased, and you can earn what you have learned. Earned Runes have great power. To step from the Path of Violence; this is difficult. Those Runes take on a twisted appearance which gives them great power, and their power also exerts itself on the bearer of the Rune. Some have suggested that there are really two sets of Runes. But enough teaching, four things remain and then you must find your own path. What will you be called?”

Leah had given this a lot of thought. Her name was attracting too much attention. In the end, however, she decided that the name was hers, and she would own it. She said, “My name is Atherleah, is this acceptable?”

“Indeed, why would it be otherwise? No one in this world will know you until you make yourself known. I am required to ask for your permission to deduct a fee of 100 virtual credits from your account. May I?”

“You may.”

“Do you agree to the terms and conditions?”

Leah had Gèng check if there was anything substantially different and was told that it mirrored almost every other document, except with an added clause, specific to Atherleah, which explained that Gèng was permitted a role in the world.

Leah said, “Gèng, my guide has checked it, and I accept the terms and conditions as stated.”

“Then two tasks remain. Every person who joins the world is given one Rune from the lowest step to begin their journey. I will give you the description of five Runes, and you may choose the one you wish.”

“Orometua, please choose for me. I know nothing of your world and nothing of the Runes.”

“I will choose but first answer me this; why do you enter my world if you know nothing of it?”

“Because I love my mother and being here today is part of my journey to bring her safely home to my family.”

“Then I give you the Rune ‘Mata’. This is the Rune for Sight. May it help you find what you are searching for.”

“Thank you.”

“Finally, your gifts. Each person is given a set of travellers’ clothing which shows their current affinities. This I will not explain as it is something you must learn from another. As you leave this room, you will be clothed in the gift. You are free to purchase other clothing, clothing of better quality, or clothing which masks your affinity. Also, each one who searches for the Runes of Destiny is given a book which will keep a record of their journey. In it, you will find your four Runes. In the city where your journey begins you should find a teacher to instruct you in the use of Runes. Do you have a town you wish to start in?”

“I choose to start in Futhark’s Ascent.”

“So shall it be. When you exit this room, you will enter a room with your clothing, the book and a second door. When you are ready, exit through the other door; it leads to Futhark’s Ascent.”

Leah gave a small bow, and Matamua disappeared. A door appeared in the wall in front of Leah and without a word she stepped forward and walked through. Inside the room was a low bench, on top of which was a pair of black linen trousers with a matching shirt, black leather boots and a belt. A black canvas backpack lay beside the bench, and a thick woollen cloak hung on a coat rack near a second door. The cloak did not continue the black theme but was covered with a pattern of interlocking colours. Most were muted darker shades, though several lighter colours dotted the material. When Leah went to put it on, she noticed that the inner lining was a light graphite colour and the cloak made to be worn with either pattern on the outside. Leah dressed quickly, keeping the colours on the outside. She left through the second door.

She exited into the grassed inner courtyard of a large building which formed enclosed the courtyard. Through an arched break in the building, she could see a busy street. The courtyard was empty, and Leah headed out to the street. Gèng said, “It is almost eleven. John says that neither he nor Amy have found anything suspicious at the Inn. He relayed a map for me.”

As she looked up and down the street, Leah realised that whatever was meant by affinity, hers was different. She couldn’t see black anywhere. Colours of every shade were worn, but most people maintained a single shade throughout their wardrobe. Occasionally someone wore two and once Leah saw a woman with three distinct colours. On the street, she turned left and began moving slowly through the busy centre of the town.

To her dismay, people soon noticed her outfit and they began to step aside and leave the path clear. They didn’t look afraid or anxious, but they did stare; many of them would lift their arms and cross them, touching palms to opposite shoulders. After a moment or two, they would bring the hands down and continue on their journey.

It took only a few minutes to find the Tahi Atu Inn. The main room was large but mostly empty. She could see John at one end nursing a large drink, he was watching the rear entrance and within striking distance of anyone who entered through it. He was dressed predominantly in dark blue although his cloak had flecks of yellow throughout. Amy was near the front entrance, her cloak purple with a subtle, white pinstripe. Several others were scattered around the room. Leah made her way towards a table near the middle of the room and towards one side where she could have her back to the wall.

A serving girl in bright orange made her way towards Leah but at a word from the Innkeeper continued to wipe down tables. The Innkeeper made his way to her; he was dressed in olive green with white flecks. He came to her table and said, “Piahi, welcome to my establishment. How may I serve?”

“I am new to Futhark’s Ascent and hope to rest for an hour before deciding my next task. What would you suggest to accompany my thoughts?”

“If I may, I suggest a platter of bread and cheese with some beer. I suggest some of the aged yellow cheese and a darker ale, or maybe a light whiter cheese with some of the lighter beer?”

“The dark ale and yellow cheese, and also a glass of water.”

“As you wish, Piahi Atherleah.”

As he left the table, Leah said, “Gèng, do you have any idea what Piahi means?”

“I have found no reference to it. How long will you wait before leaving for Quickdraw?”

“If I hear nothing by twenty-five past then I’ll change worlds.”

The beer came, and Leah sat and waited. New customers began to drift into the Inn’s common room, but none sat near Leah. At a quarter past eleven Gèng said, “You have a message. It says, ‘Meeting changed; we will meet in the world called Runes of Destiny, go to the starter city of Futhark’s Ascent. Meet in the middle of the main bridge over the river at 11.30.’”

“Is there an address to reply to?”

“No.”

“Send the following reply to Meredith. ‘That is too dangerous for me. Tell your husband I expect a safe venue.’”

It was several minutes before Gèng said, “Another message from the untraceable account. It says, ‘You are safe nowhere! Meet in the central lounge at The Red Cord.’”

“Send, ‘Sorry, that just isn’t my scene. I’ll tell you what; I’m halfway through my beer at the Tahi Atu Inn. You come past any time that suits you. I have to be somewhere at twelve real-time but can fit you in before that.’”

“Is it a good idea to antagonise them?”

“Probably not, but I want them rattled.”

Eleven thirty came and went without a reply. Leah had ordered some fruit and coffee. The time dilation worked against Leah this time as the next eighteen minutes seemed like forever. At eleven thirty-six real-time the doors of the common room swung wide, and Nathan and Meredith walked in. Nathan wore a white cotton shirt with dark purple trousers. His cloak was white with a lavender tinge. Meredith was all dark red and burnt orange. They walked over and stared down at Leah.

She said, “Nate, I hope you don’t mind me calling you Nate, it is just that I feel I already know so much about you. Your followers all speak of your charming personality. And Meredith, I wish I could say it was good to see you but that would be a lie. It’s all I can do to keep the cheese and beer down. Please sit down.”

Nathan sat, but Meredith remained standing. The Innkeeper scurried over and said, “Patoira Nathan, Patoima Meredith, you honour my Inn. How may I serve?”

Meredith said, “Get lost. We need our privacy so do not disturb us.”

The Innkeeper nodded and moved back to the bar.

Leah said, “Charming as ever. So, Nathan, you wanted to meet? All you had to do was ask.”

He stared at her for a moment then said, “Your mother is safe at the moment. This stunt almost cost her life. I sent word to have her chipped. You want her back then return what you took. What system is it in? My wife will send ships to collect it. When it is returned, then you’ll be told where your mother is.”

“That isn’t acceptable. The exchange of ship for my mother happens at the same time.”

“This isn’t a negotiation. Now, if you want to see her alive, you will tell me where the ship is. Trust me when I say that she means nothing to me. Just like that she will be gone forever. Then I’ll take your brother to replace her, and we’ll do this again.”

“I know she means nothing to you. I doubt you still feel the emptiness that fills your soul. But understand this, your wife’s ship means nothing to me. I have no qualms about wiping the data you want by flying the ship into a sun. In fact, all I have to do is sit here as the clock ticks on. So you see, this is a negotiation.”

“Then we will sit. Once it is destroyed, I will have your mother’s body deposited on the steps of your apartment, and this whole episode will be over.”

Nathan called the Innkeeper over and ordered a shot of whisky. Meredith stared at him for a moment and then sat. She smiled and said, “And I will destroy you.”

Leah said, “It’s always possible, I suppose. They do say that every dog has its day. So you being a bitch means that some day must be yours.”

The table underneath Nathan’s hands began to smoulder and smoke curled around his fingers. Leah said, “Control yourself, Nate, Meredith’s the out of control wacko. You are the cool and calm psychopath. So get a grip of your emotions, not the table.”

Then Leah spoke loud enough for the whole room to hear. “John, go blow up the Annoyance, will you? They don’t want it, and I don’t need it anymore.”

John rose from his chair and was out the rear entrance three steps later. Meredith looked startled for a moment and then a minute later said, “They missed him, he’s gone.”

Nathan said, “Your AI is receiving a message from my men, I suggest you view it.”

Gèng relayed the video of a man pulling back on her mother’s bald forehead. A knife was in his other hand and was resting against her throat. Leah could see tears in her mother’s eyes and her lips were moving. Leah knew her mother and was sure her mum was quoting some scripture.

Leah said, “As I said, Nate, it is always a negotiation. So is this another impasse or will you be reasonable? You have what I want, and I have what your wife wants. Until she gets it, you won’t have what you want, which is for her to stop being a whiny, nagging, pain-in-the-butt.”

Nathan turned to Meredith and said, “Which system do you want the ship brought to?”

Meredith looked at Leah and said, “Where are you?”

Leah smiled and said, “I’ll bring the ship to your operations in the Epsilon Serpentis System. It will take me three real days. The swap will be simultaneous. My mother is to be brought to the fountain in the centre of the Ipswich parklands, midday on Thursday.”

Nathan was thoughtful for a moment before replying, “Seventy-two hours from now, we will make a simultaneous exchange. You have picked the Epsilon Serpentis System. I will choose the place for the other exchange and tell you one hour before midday. Two more things and then you can go. One, if you fail to keep this agreement, then I will end her life without discussion. Two, never call me Nate again.”

“Or what? Nate! What will you do? At least the first threat you could carry out. The second is just words in the wind. For all you know, I talk about you all the time as Nate. Yep, Nate and Meri. As to the rest, you have a deal, midday on Thursday. Let’s not shake on it. Now, I’d best go. Otherwise, John will blow up the ship and then where would we be?”

Leah stood and went to the bar. She paid for a week’s stay at the Inn and then went to her room to log out. As soon as she arrived in the Tower, she collapsed to her knees and began to hyperventilate. Gèng came and put an arm around her and said, “Breathe slowly, Leah. You need to calm down. The Pod is detecting your distress here in the Tower and may log you out. You have only three minutes to get to Cosmos Online.”

Leah nodded and rose to her feet. She slowly calmed herself and said, “It’s just so hard Gèng. I believe I had to keep them off balance, but it was so hard not to break down every time he threatened her. He didn’t flinch. He truly didn’t care. How can I fight someone like that? At least Meredith has emotions.”

“The same way you face every other battle; with courage and planning. Now go, John is getting anxious; the transition icon has turned orange.”

Leah ran to the portal and stepped through just as the icon turned green. John said, “Aren’t you cutting it a little fine?”

“Nah, seconds to spare!”

The plan had been to transition into the Cosmos Online universe about a twenty light minutes from the star and then for the Banshee and the Annoyance to slow down over a day and a half before systematically searching the system. In Plankian Space they were travelling at 42,875c and even a fraction of a second would make a huge difference in final position, so Leah and Amy had set the transitions to be initiated by computer. The pilot needed to be present, but at those speeds, it was best left to the precision of the machine. Leah made a small adjustment and transitioned 0.02379 seconds later than planned.

The Annoyance was seventeen light minutes closer to the star and as it transitioned the computer made small adjustments to bring the Annoyance in a trajectory which would bring it close to the star and the Annoyance would use the gravity assist to change its direction without having to slow down. Leah had set Gèng to work on the calculation as soon as the Epsilon Serpentis System had been agreed upon. Each star in the Cosmos Online universe was moving in an orbit around the centre of the galaxy. Leah took this into account and planned to slide in front of the star and effect a 143-degree change in the direction. After the necessary rotational changes, the Annoyance began to accelerate at 4g.

When this was done, Leah sat back and said, “John, it’ll be four and a half hours until the Annoyance is near to the star. Until then I’m going to increase the acceleration to 7g. I’m taking the ship almost to the limit of its specifications for radiation and heat shielding, because at the closest point we’ll be less than half million kilometres from the star’s corona.

"Part of me wants to be on board and watch the whole show, but I’m not going to stay on the ship as we aren’t in combat. The swing by will increase our velocity to almost five million meters per second and take almost two hours. Then another five hours at 4g to change direction. All that was to say I’m not needed back here for just over eleven hours as there is almost zero chance of combat. I’ve things to do in Dunyanin so I probably won’t be here.”

“Then I’ll get back to the search for your mum. Did you find out anything else?”

“He’s having an AI chip inserted, so I figure she'll have the full scans. I hope that doesn’t catch the trackers, but it’s possible. If you don’t locate any more then you know why. I’d be interested to know where she has the chip inserted. I doubt it'll be at the hospital so can you get Jimmy to find out who inserts black market PAI chips? If he has some names, then we have people to watch, and if we don’t get another trace, we have people to question.”

“I’ll get on it as soon as I log out. What do you want me to tell Michael?”

“Leave that to me. I’ll duck out and tell him.”

Both Leah and John logged out, and Leah immediately logged out to tell her dad what had happened.

CHAPTER SIX

December 11, 2073 - Part 3

As she exited the Pod, Gèng said, “Amy sent a message asking where you were. The Banshee can’t find you and won’t see your position for another ten minutes. She also says that Thad was angry with her for cutting it so fine. He wants to know where she was and isn’t taking it well that she won’t tell him.”

“Did he respond about a visit?”

“Not yet.”

“Then please send the following to Amy. ‘Hey, thanks for your help. I transitioned close to the primary and am using gravity assist to reposition for a quick run to Epsilon Serpentis. I’ll message Thad but don’t take any nonsense from him.’ End Message. Then send this to Thad, ‘Thad, I know I’ve been out of touch, and you have some justification for being upset with me. You have none to be upset with Amy. Gèng asked when I could visit to talk about things but no reply. The ball is in your court.’ End message”

Her father was waiting in the kitchen, and as she made herself another meal, he explained what had been decided about the guests. The committee had worked well, and nine of the ten extra pods had been filled. The committee had chosen someone for the final Pod, but when the time came, the boy had frozen. Kyle had spent some time with him and found out that he hadn’t been honest about how bad he was feeling. Mrs Sperry met with him and suggested he be watched very closely. She thought he might find a way to hurt himself.

When Leah heard that, she said, “Dad, I’ve just met with the Kodomans. How can people do such things to people? I was thinking the other day of that lady downstairs who struggled to care for her son. I felt terrible because I realised that I contributed to her struggles, in just a small way, by my inaction. How can people actively plan to hurt people? Dad, he had a knife held to mum’s throat, and it didn’t phase him a bit.”

She didn’t realise for a second that her dad hadn’t heard the news yet. His face went white, and he seemed to deflate right in front of her. She said, “I’m sorry dad, I shouldn’t have led with that. It’s OK, we reached an agreement. He will swap mum for the ship in three days. I chose the place for the ship handover; he will choose a place for the swap. I’ve tried to manipulate where but we’ll have to see if he bites. He has ordered that she have a chip implanted and I’ve asked John to follow up on that.”

“Was she hurt?”

“She had on different clothes. Her hair was gone, and I imagine she is more upset about that and the chip than she ever will be about the knife or the conditions he keeps her in.”

“Will he keep his word and exchange her?”

“If we do nothing then I doubt it. I imagine he will try and keep her and then look to exchange me for her. He’ll try and get us both so he can boast he won. But that isn’t going to happen. We will take precautions, and she should be home after lunch on Thursday, whatever happens.”

“She won’t let herself be swapped for you, and you know that.”

“I know she won’t. I’m going to head back into the Pod, what are you going to do?”

“Can I borrow some money?”

“Sure, how much and what for?”

“Enough for a PAI and chip. I won’t let Lin feel bad or different. We’ve always done things together, and this is just one more thing.”

Leah hugged her dad and said she would have Gèng transfer the money and arrange for two more Pods.

Leah opened her eyes and found herself back in the spherical Cavern and sat up. Almost immediately she was pushed back onto the stone as Zarif crashed into her. “Where have you been? You’ve been lying dead for hours and hours. Taskin wanted to drop you down the hole for dead Elfauns, but I wouldn’t let him. You didn’t smell like you were dead. You didn’t breathe.”

Slowly Leah sat up and repositioned Zarif on her lap. She took some more bread from her bag and said, “I’m sorry I worried you, I did tell you I wouldn’t move. I was somewhere else, and it took a long time. I’m back for a while but will go away again after it gets dark.”

“What do you want to do? We can go get food. You distract them, and I’ll take it. They’ll all look at you, and I bet I could take anything and they won’t notice.”

“That is one idea, but I don’t want people to see me just yet. What I need to do is to look for a bell.”

“There are bells in the market. How big a bell do you want? I can’t carry one but Taskin can. So can Cesur.”

“This is a special bell. It will be where there are lots of the straight-horns.”

“We should ask Cesur; he knows lots of things.”

Zarif grabbed Leah by the hand, and together they walked over to a small group of young Elfauns who were looking at the big stranger with a little trepidation. Leah sat down so she was closer to their height. Zarif said, “Atherleah wants to find a special bell. It’s where the straight horns live. I said you might know, Cesur.”

Zarif looked and acted like she was young, maybe five years old. Cesur was one of the older ones and looked to be about nine. He puffed his chest out a little and said, “I might, I might know about a bell in the Mage area. But what is in it for me?”

Leah said, “Nothing Cesur. I don’t promise anything for the information. If the bell is the one I want and the Mages catch me I don’t want to be forced to say something like, ‘Cesur, he is the one who told me, he made me pay him for the information.’ That would be no good for you at all. I will give you some coin right now, not for the information but because Zarif says that you and Taskin help her so I will give it to you so you can keep helping her.”

Leah took two silver coins Elfaun coins from her bag and handed one to Cesur and one to Taskin who she remembered from the night before.

Cesur was quick to grab the coin, but after a few seconds, he said, “I don’t know where the bell is. But one of the bigger boys, he sneaks around the rich areas, I once heard him say he once found a hole that’s near the place where the Mages meet.”

“Could you take me to him?”

“For another silver!”

Leah just stared at him steadily until he said, “I can take you, but you won’t fit in the hole, you are too big.”

“That’s ok; I can also disappear and follow you through the small places. If you promise not to be too frightened, then I can show you.”

“I’m not scared.”

Leah held out her hand and Misted from the elbow down. A couple of the younger ones squealed, but most just stared. Leah let her arm reform. She said, “I can do that with my whole body.”

Taskin said, “You’d make a great thief. You could sneak anywhere and get all the food you wanted.”

Leah said, “I could, couldn’t I? But stealing isn’t always the best way. I know why you do it when you’re hungry, but when you aren’t hungry then it is better to work for money or food.”

“Why?”

“Because what you are taking belongs to someone else. How would you feel if someone took what belonged to you?”

For the next few minutes Leah had to listen to all the things the kids had had taken from them; parents, homes, brothers, sisters, clothes, food, and even some who had stories they wouldn’t share, but she could see the suffering in their eyes. Finally, she said, “Nobody likes having their stuff taken, even people who don’t need or even use it. They don’t like it being taken even more. I took something from someone like that. They are horrible people, and when I took their stuff, they got so mad at me they even stole my mum to make me give it back. I think if you are hungry and need something to live, then I can understand why you might take something from someone who has more than they need. But never take from people who are the same as you. If you take their stuff, then they suffer just like you.”

All the kids nodded in understanding.

Leah shared her remaining food with them and said goodbye to Zarif. Leah promised to come and visit her at least one more time. Then Leah Misted and followed Cesur through the tunnels. The trip to the older boys’ cavern took thirty minutes, and when he got close, Cesur said, “I’ll go warn them, they can be mean.”

Leah followed and listened as Cesur explained why he was there. Although the bigger boys didn’t believe him, they said they would not try and kill the person he had brought. Leah didn’t want them to know of her Mist ability, so she moved to the hole entrance and when called out by Cesur she un-Misted her body slowly starting with one leg. It looked like Leah stepped out of the hole.

The boys all grabbed for their weapons. Leah raised her hands and said, “Careful; I don’t want anyone to get hurt here, especially not Cesur or you guys. Look, I just want to say that I am happy to reward the person who can help me find that bell.”

“Why do you reward them and not me?”

“I never said I wouldn’t reward you. I only said I wouldn’t pay you because you asked. Let’s see if we can find it first.”

One of the older boys stepped forward. Leah guessed he was only a few years younger than her, maybe Conner’s age. She knew she would never want Conner to be forced to live in a place like this. He said, “There is a hole that goes over the top of the mages’ main hall. There is a small crack that you can just see through. I haven’t been there for a few years because I’m too heavy these days and I was worried I could fall through. When I used to look through the hole, I could see most of the room. In the centre is a bell that's taller than a mage standing straight. No one goes near it.”

Leah said, “Will you lead me most of the way?”

“You're too big. You’d fall through the roof.”

“I'm sure I'll be okay, but I’ll pay you when we get close just in case.”

“Deal.”

Leah led Cesur back to the hole they had come from. Giving him another silver, she said, “You go back to the others. I know the way now, and I’ll come and visit you in a few days if I can.”

After he’d left she said to the one who knew the way, “So, what’s your name?”

“I’d prefer not to tell you. I don't want my name ever to reach the mages ears.”

Leah nodded and said, “Fine, you go first, and I’ll follow. You won’t be able to see me, but I will be there. When you get close, you point out the direction, and then I’ll pay you. Deal?”

“Deal. Except I want to know how I’m supposed to let you squeeze past me. I’m almost too big to fit in the tunnels by myself.”

“Leave it to me. I promise it’ll be all right.”

He turned and wriggled into one of the holes. He'd spoken the truth as he was almost too big, but he’d been doing this for years and was able to move even faster than Cesur had. Leah Misted as she stepped into the hole. This journey was much longer and complicated than either of the other times she'd travelled through the tunnels. Several times they passed through the strange spherical caverns and once they had to turn back because a small rockfall had closed the way. The boy seemed to know all the tunnels, and he quickly backtracked and changed tunnels. Altogether it was over an hour and a half before he stopped and said in a whisper, “The hole in the roof is up ahead. It's about thirty paces from here.”

Leah Misted past him and un-Misted her face and arms in front of him and said, “Thanks, here are two silver pieces. If I can, I’ll give you another two when I return to see a friend in the tunnels. You have been brave and truthful. Thank you for helping me.”

As she Misted away, she heard him say quietly, “My name is Mirasçi.”

She moved toward the small ray of light which shone through a small crack in the tunnel wall. Below her was a large reception hall. At one end was a large throne with two smaller ones on either side. Several paces in front of them was a replica of the throne, but it had four chairs on either side. Three of these had mages sitting in them. They were talking to several of the big enforcers. Various groups of Elfaun Lords and Ladies watched from the edges of the room.

Other mages wandered in and out of several doors. At the opposite end to the thrones, Leah could just make out an open doorway easily six times larger than average. Ten Elfaun Warriors stood in a row across the open doorway, preventing anyone from entering. As she watched, the mages and enforcers finished their conversation, and a mage sent a small ball of light across the room. It crashed into the lintel of the doorway and dissolved in smoke and a sound of bells ringing. The warriors gestured to someone beyond the door, and a well dressed Common Elfaun made his way toward the three mages.

He was careful to walk along the edge of the room, for in the middle stood the bell. It was bronze and mounted on a gold-plated wooden frame. The stand was engraved with intricate designs of flowers, fruit, birds and other forest scenes. The bell itself was inscribed with text that began at the crown and extended two-thirds of the way toward the lip. The lower third was unmarked. If the Elfaun had decided to walk through the centre of the room he could have done so without any trouble. The bell was suspended well above head height. Leah estimated its diameter to be just over three paces.

Leah pondered the right course of action but decided that ringing the bell had precedence over reconnoitring, talking, or fighting. The mage the previous day had sensed her presence, and she wanted to ring the bell before anyone could stop her. She Misted through the hole and dropped straight toward the bell. When she was a few metres from the ground, she began to un-Mist and landed one step from the bell. Before any of the Elfauns had even registered her presence, she reached into the bell’s mouth, but her plan came unstuck when she discovered there was no clapper attached.

Several to the Lords and Ladies must have seen her because she heard loud cries coming from the edges of the room. Ignoring the cries, she stood still for a moment, thinking. Then, bringing her hands low down near her knees, she equipped Merdiven. She remained like this for a few seconds and reflected on all she knew of sound and its production. Calming herself, she pushed her mana out through her hands and into Merdiven as she used all her strength to bring the staff up in an arc over her head, so that the Morningstar came crashing down on the sound-bow at the base of the bell.

The resulting sound drove her to her knees; it was an intense, pure, low note that continued on and on. Rather than fading as she expected, the sound slowly increased as the spell extended and amplified the sound, her Mana and Merdiven’s combining with the inherent magic of the Bell. Leah could feel the vibrations pummel her and slowly her knees gave way. Gradually, she was driven to lie prone on the ground. She clapped her hands over her ears, but it achieved nothing as her body began to vibrate in resonance with the bell as it began to absorb the power and magic which were embedded in the note.

The effect on the hall was no less dramatic. Every Elfaun reeled from the physical wave of sound that rolled over them. As the note became louder, most grasped their ears and attempted to crawl into a ball to hide from the noise. Some fled, or they tried to. The sound outpaced them as it rushed through the building and into the valley. Like a flood it swept away everything in its path; nothing was left untouched. No Elfaun in the valley was left standing, even Zarif deep in the mountain curled into a ball to keep out the sound. Even further under the ground the ‘worms’ felt the vibration and began to rock in synchrony. In the largest and deepest of the wormholes, Büyük, the progenitor of all worms, stirred as its body began to move in harmony; then it began to hum.

The note raced through the tunnel, shredding the wards and filled the Dryad Valley. Mìng felt Leah’s anguish just moments before the sound washed over her. The valley acted like a giant gramophone horn and the Royal Bell of Ascension’s greatest ever note of power echoed across the mountains and spilled over into the lowlands. In the whole of the Elfaun valley, only Mirasçi was able to resist the pressure of the bell’s toll for a moment; he stood resolute, the sound breaking against his will. But it was too powerful and finally, after several seconds, he too succumbed to the overwhelming vibration and fell to his knees.

Leah body absorbed the full force of the bell’s power, absorbing more energy than it could safely hold. After several minutes she opened her eyes and by sheer determination slowly took control of her muscles and stopped herself vibrating in time with the bell. As she slowly achieved control, the excess energy was pushed from her body. It exited in waves that were out-of-phase with the ringing bell. As the energy was released, so was the pain, and Leah slowly stood. The out-of-sync pulses crashed into the bell and began to reduce the amplitude of the vibrations until the sound finally tapered off and there was silence. Leah looked around the room — every Elfaun, even the Magi, when they saw her standing beneath the bell dropped to their knees and bowed their heads when they saw her standing beneath the bell.

Before she could step out from under the now silent bell, everything froze. Looking around she saw Emil striding toward her, and he looked more angry and frustrated than she had ever seen him. His voice was almost a shout. “You! Are! A! Bloody! Catastrophe! And I don’t care one little bit about what has happened in the past. I just want to know if you have any idea what you have just done.”

“I rang a bell.”

“You rang a bell. You! Rang! A! Bell! When you say it, it sounds so normal, so everyday. You say it as if you haven’t just caused the biggest world-rewrite I’ve ever seen. You say that as if you hadn’t unravelled a storyline that’s been in the works for over ten years. You say that as if you haven’t a bloody clue what you have done.”

“I don’t. The quest said to ring a bell, so, I rang the bell.”

“Did you read the clues?”

“What clues?”

“The ones on the Merkize disc. The ones that explain this quest.”

“I read them, but I haven’t had the time to have a good look.”

“Well then, when you do have the time, you should read them. One of the first things you’ll discover is that you are supposed to have the Sceptre of Ascension to be able to ring the Bell of Ascension. You can get this, you’ll learn, from the heir to the throne, because his line has been waiting for this moment for centuries, no sorry, they have been waiting for millennia. You’ll also find out, if you read them, that your coming is the fulfilment of a prophecy which speaks of the return of the rightful rulers. And you’ll figure out that if you ring this bell as his champion, then you can claim the throne for the rightful king. All this you’ll become aware of when you read the clues.”

“To be honest, it sounds much easier just to whack it with my staff.”

“Oh, I forgot. You will also learn that nothing except the Sceptre of Ascension will ever ring the bell.”

“But it rang.”

“Yes, it rang. It rang when you whacked it with your staff. Oh, wait, but you didn’t, did you? You didn’t just whack it with your staff, did you? No! You used your skill of Mana Manipulation to cast a spell of sound with the intent of claiming the city, not for the heir, but for yourself. And you didn’t limit the spell in any way? Did you? No! Instead, you first activated your Ki and then you emptied both your considerable store of mana and your considerable store of Ki into that spell. Which, by the way, you have never done before, so kudos to you. And then, just to make sure, you cast the spell through one of the most powerful artefacts on the continent, thereby amplifying the effect beyond all measure. And still, you’re not done, you don’t just cast the spell, you don’t just toss it out. No, you use your full strength to smash the aforementioned powerful artefact into another powerful artefact, one that has been waiting the same number of aforementioned millennia to ring out in all of its 'not so insignificant' power. All of which means, that although we set limits on every restriction because we want people to be able to do what you just did, that we didn’t set them high enough. Except, in our defence, we set this limit so high because we never imagined in our wildest dreams, or in your case, our wildest nightmares, that anyone would be able to break that limit.”

“So. At least it worked. I reckon I’d be dead if it hadn’t.”

“If I had my way you would be.”

“Ha, you know deep down that that’s not true. But seriously, what happened?”

“Atherleah, I have been serious. Your actions destroyed years of work and planning. And I think I could live with that if that were all, but it’s not. Look, we want people to play their own game, and we know they won’t always do what we expect. The constant stream of small inconsistencies we deal with using some very powerful overwatch algorithms, they are AI really, and they watch for these inconsistencies, and they have the power to rewrite history if necessary. We purposefully use one of these in the Road of Kings trial. After every step, it changed what every single NPC desert-elf understood of history. It took their knowledge of a war and added your part in it. It was seamless. The desert elves really do have a racial hatred of you. These AI oversee every event and make sure the small things are dealt with.

“Now, the Bell of Ascension is coded so that everyone who hears the sound becomes aware, subconsciously if you like, of who their true ruler is. Simply put, it gives the ruler a vibration and everyone who heard the bell, and their offspring for one generation, will feel themselves resonate when they are near their ruler. The sound also irritates some creatures, but you get no warning on that one. The problem is this. The bell, when rung by the sceptre, can be heard throughout this canyon, where every Elfaun can hear it. With your ‘solution’ to the dilemma you found yourself in, it magnified the sound over a thousand times and it overpowered the spell by almost as much, with two results. First, the Elfaun can feel your vibration from anywhere in the canyon. Right now they are all on their knees because to them, you are close and they can feel you. But worse than that, the sound blasted out of the canyon, it shredded the wards and ripped through the valley of the Dryads. It was heard throughout the entire Demir Dovuyor mountain range. Then, to make it worse, the shape of the Dryad valley focussed the sound and projected it north-east and out onto the plains. It was heard as far as the Yabani wastelands.

“When we set up Dunyanin we designed every creature you’ve ever seen. But there are similarities in the design. For example, they all have a common set of fields to store information on gender, name, and level. They also all share over one hundred elements which describe the basic relationships they have when they interact with others. One of those is a unique fifteen digit hexadecimal integer which identifies every single player, NPC, and MOB. Then there are all sorts of modifiers for family, race, gender, species, etc. But now we can use a simple algorithm to compare different sets of variables to determine an almost unlimited number of interactions. One of those algorithms determines loyalty or allegiance, the closer someone is to a set combination of values then the higher that person is ranked. This bell is designed to modify one of those many fields. This particular field is an array which is empty by default. The allegiance algorithm uses that array, when it has values in it, to realign a person’s allegiance. It overrides all other fields. You reset whoever heard the bell so that their primary political and national allegiance belongs to you, and that’s the simplified version.

“But what it means is this. The dwarven clans of the Demir Dovuyor Mountains see you as their ruler, every Horse Lord on the plains of Ovalar will swear allegiance to you. The fiercely independent Yabani tribesmen will defer to you. And there are any number of small groups and micro-kingdoms I haven’t mentioned.”

“So they all now think of me, as what? Their queen?”

“If you meet them then yes, or as their Clan Lord, their Shaman, or whatever it is in each cultural setting. It’s designed to be a generation before the loyalty begins to waver. We never use this function with the dwarves because they have a natural allegiance to the family of the clan chief and so on. The Yabani are loyal to no one. But that isn’t the problem. The problem is that with everyone’s loyalty being given to you, they will no longer express loyalty to their current leaders. Anarchy will be the order of the day. Dynastic wars will break out, feuds that have been curbed by national leadership will reignite. Almost all our major quests are fuelled by some type of conflict, and we keep these in check by the constraints of tribe and clan. This destroys that.”

“I see. So I imagine we are having this conversation because you want me to help you fix this?”

“Let me check you understand. If we don’t fix this we will have to rewrite the complete history of a quarter of the continent. Even with the AI, it’ll be days, or weeks, before we iron out the inconsistencies and reset quests to reflect the changed conditions.”

“I understand, but what is it that you want?”

“We want your approval to reset the values you changed in everyone by ringing the bell. To undo this mess you caused.”

“I see. Now, while ‘this mess I caused’, is an unfortunate turn of phrase, we’ll let that slide for a moment. Why do you need my agreement? And what do you offer for it?”

“We need it because your actions don’t violate any contractual terms or conditions and we don’t have a ready-made escape clause for something like this. You will receive our undying gratitude.”

“And?”

“And what? I can’t believe you are being mercenary about this.”

“Two days ago I wouldn’t have been, and you know that. So?”

“Well, um, the problem is that the administrators, and the major shareholders, are still in discussions about your pending lawsuit and until that is decided they can’t, and won’t, offer you anything. But, you have my word, we will more than adequately reimburse you.”

“And a day ago your word would have been enough. Now, it isn’t. Isn’t it scary to think what just one lie can do?”

“Then we are at an impasse. I think that’s what you said.”

“No. I can think of a way forward. I know you won’t like it, but I’m not going to play nice this time. You—and this time I mean you and Dunyanin—you haven’t been playing nice. I have a way to keep what I’ve earned and to deal with your rewrite. Can I talk with the Overwatch AI who deals with the inconsistencies?”

“No! No! No! I’ve been instructed at least three times that you cannot have any part to play in choosing a solution to this.”

“Except to have my gameplay rebooted without compensation.”

“We will compensate you; I’m just not sure how.”

Leah looked away from Emil and said, “Would the AI who’s going to have to fix this mess please talk with me?”

Emil was about to say something when a voice said, “I will. What do you suggest?”

Emil said, “Stop. You can’t talk to her.”

The AI said, “I can. You can have me reboot only when you can provide a legally binding contract which is agreeable to all parties, one that ensures the outcome is in line with all the terms and conditions. You have indicated that this is not forthcoming. So, I’m obliged by my parameters to begin adapting history to make sense of the current situation. I am open to all valid suggestions on how to do this. So far all the human developers have not offered me anything. Atherleah, please offer a suggestion.”

“Add another level to the general hierarchy, one above King, chief, or whatever. Redefine the algorithms to use the newly changed arrays to point to that person, me. Insert another empty array for local rulers if you need it or simply modify the current one. This should have the same effect as the reboot but adds a higher level of loyalty or government. Create a simple backstory, and then add a prophecy here or there that an Empress will one day arrive. Have her coming announced by the sound of a bell, or something like that; the story can change from region to region and fit in with the current storyline. Then add a few identifying features about this Empress, you know, something like, ‘she rides on a dragon’, or ‘she hates bullies’. Then you should be able to reconfigure everyone, without any major inconsistencies, in no time.”

Emil was staring at Leah with shock on his face, but the AI said, “That will work. In fact, I will be able to tie together several continent-wide threads which were beginning to unravel. What should the Empire be called? I won’t include the name, but if I add some hints here and there, then everyone will work it out.”

Emil said, “Stop. You can’t do that.”

The AI said, “I can. I’m constrained to find the quickest, easiest and most consistent solution. If you can have me reboot this legally, I will do so. Otherwise, you have to let me solve it. You have two minutes, and then I’m required to begin making changes to fit the current state of play. This is straightforward, it’s easy to implement and it solves several other problems. It is in fact a rather elegant solution.”

Emil disappeared, and Leah said, “Can you skip the name for now? To be honest, this solution only creates the possibility of an Empire if or when I choose to go ahead with it.”

“That will make it easier. The prophecy can point to the emergence of a Vatan-wide Empire. This will help me deal with the numerous traders, travellers and immigrants who were affected by the bell. I will unfreeze the canyon in forty-seconds. I suggest you step back underneath the bell. Your Imperial Majesty.”

Leah stepped back under the bell, and all motion and sound resumed. She moved from under the bell and looked around the room. She took several steps toward the mages and then stopped. She surveyed the room a second time then said, “Everyone, please rise.”

It took a moment, but everyone was soon on their feet and watching her. She said, “My name is Atherleah, and I claim Dag Tarafind as mine.”

One of the mages stepped forward and said, “My Queen, my name is Dri Yeldorm. I am Third Mage in the Council of Dag Tarafind, how may I serve?”

Leah was a little flustered at being addressed like this, but she understood this was what Emil had been talking about. She said, “I wish to speak with the full Council concerning my claim.”

“I shall arrange for the council to attend you.” Then turning to the room, he said, “The Court of Petition is closed. All those not on the Council, please leave. Guards, protect the Queen.”

As the Elfaun began to file out, Leah suddenly felt the world shift. For a moment she felt unbalanced, and then everything returned as before, but the scene had changed subtly. The Elfaun continued to glance her way, but now their faces held greater fear and an element of wonder that hadn’t been there before. The guards, who had begun to move towards her, briefly hesitated, and then quickly formed a wall between Leah and the Elfauns filing from the room. Leah watched them leave and then turning towards Dri Yeldorm said, “Where may I wait as the Council gathers?”

Dri Yeldorm bowed low and said, “Empress Atherleah, the room is yours.”

Before Leah could respond one of the guards stepped forward, and after bowing, he said, “Empress Atherleah, I am Haf Izlarin, Captain of the Guards. I would suggest you take your throne. It is the most secure position.”

Leah turned towards the thrones and chairs and noticed another change the AI had made. Behind the large throne she had previously seen, the room had been lengthened by carving an additional fifteen paces from the rock wall. Now, the rear wall was carved in the form of a dragon. It looked to be stepping into the room; its wings were flared and reached to the upper corners, the curve of the wings covering the new section. Its front feet were planted on either side of a stone throne; its claws dug into the rock. Its chest formed the back of the throne and its head high above and curved forward to peer down at whoever stood before the throne. The feet and throne were set on a raised dais accessible by six wide stone steps.

With a deep breath Leah nodded her head at the guard and walked carefully through the other seats and thrones. She walked up the steps and sat on the throne. Twelve guards took their positions on the steps, one at either end of each step. Leah was left alone.

Gèng said, “Leah, you have a slew of messages. I have held them back, but you should read them before the council comes.”

“Thank you for holding them. What a mess!”

“Maybe, but it’s not of your making. Stephen just sent a message that says the Dunyanin lawyers want to enter immediate mediation with an aim to achieving an expedited and mutually agreeable settlement.”

“Tell him that I have some things to do which may take the full six virtual-hours I have available before a break. I’ll contact him when I get out. Now, let’s see the messages.”

Level 5 Named Personal Achievement

Skill - Ki Manipulation - First 1 (2, Painite)

You are the first player to learn this skill; further development can only be achieved by careful practice or by finding a Mentor. You are the first player to gain this achievement. This is your second Level 5 NPA ‘First 1’

Reward 1: 10000 x 270 = 8208000 (+204%) Experience Points (2150000/2150000) … (1379460/2350000)

Reward 2: 1 Diamond x 2 = 2 Diamond

Reward 3: +4% to Experience Points

Reward 4: 1000 Fame Points (174760 FP)

You have achieved the title: Ki Manipulator

A Commemorative Plaque has been placed in your bag.

Cancellation of Unique Personal Quest: Claim the Ancient Elfaun City of Dag Tarafind

Atherleah, your Unique Personal Quest to claim this city has been cancelled. The circumstances which led to its initiation have been altered by the player. If you have any queries, please contact the Dunyanin Administration. This cancellation does not require consent from the player.

World Achievement: First 1 (1, Diamond)

Complete Merkize Odyssey Task - Claim an Ancient City

Atherleah (Level 274) you are the first player to complete Claim an Ancient City during the Odyssey: Journey to Merkize This is your first World Achievement: 'First 1 (Diamond)’.

Reward 1: 5000 x 274 = 4219600 (208%) Experience Points (2350000/2350000) …(849060/2450000)

Reward 2: + 8% to all future Experience

Reward 3: 1 x 5 Diamond = 5 Diamond

Fame: 7500 Fame Points (182260)

A Commemorative Plaque has been placed in your bag.

Note: Due to the unique nature of this achievement it will be published on the Dunyanin achievement forum. (Delayed publication due to media ban on information regarding the player Atherleah)

Player Atherleah, due to an unprecedented number of completed Achievements in a short period the Dunyanin Achievement AI has placed a hold on all your achievements pending an immediate review. The following Achievements are under review:

World Achievement: First 1 (6, Painite) Become Ruler of NPC Social Entity

World Achievement: First 10 (Diamond) Become Ruler of NPC Social Entity x 9

World Achievement: First 100 (Ruby) Become Ruler of NPC Social Entity x 36

If these Achievements are upheld, then a significant number of additional rewards and achievements may be applied.

Should you wish to appeal this decision, then please contact the Dunyanin Administration Customer Service and quote the following reference number (AC-12A-345260)

Follow-up to review (Reference number: AC-12A-345260)

According to an affidavit provided by the Dunyanin Administrators Atherleah has renounced her right to rule the NPC Social Entities under consideration. A new structure was agreed upon. A copy of the Affidavit has been forwarded to the Player Atherleah (ID - FQC3465278).

“Gèng, please send Stephen the last two messages and a copy of my discussion with Emil and see if my solution can be seen in anyway as renouncing my rights and the associated rewards. I intended to provide a feasible solution so that my achievements were not withdrawn without appropriate and mutually agreed upon compensations. Are there any more messages?”

“Two!”

“Please show them.”

World Achievement: First 1 (6, Painite)

Become Ruler of NPC Social Entity - Queen of the Elfauns

Atherleah (Level 276) you are the first Player to be acknowledged Ruler of an NPC Social Entity. This is your sixth World Achievement: 'First 1 (Painite)’.

Reward 1: 10000 x 276 = 8721600 (216%) Experience Points (2450000/2450000) …(2070660/2600000)

Reward 2: + 10% to all future Experience

Reward 3: 6 x 10 Diamond = 60 Diamond

Fame: 15000 Fame Points (197260)

You have achieved the title: Queen

A Commemorative Plaque has been placed in your bag.

Note: Due to the unique nature of this achievement it will be published on the Dunyanin achievement forum. (Delayed publication due to media ban on information regarding the player Atherleah)

World Achievement: First 1 (7, Painite)

Claimant to Imperial Throne

Atherleah (Level 279) you are the first Player to be an acknowledged Claimant to an Imperial Throne. This is your seventh World Achievement: 'First 1 (Painite)’. Should your claim be upheld by an additional three separate and independent NPC Social Entities then you will be awarded the World Achievement: First 1 (1, Celestial) Imperial Ruler.’

Reward 1: 10000 x 279 = 9095400 (226%) Experience Points (2600000/2600000) …(466060/2800000)

Reward 2: + 10% to all future Experience

Reward 3: 7 x 10 Diamond = 70 Diamond

Fame: 15000 Fame Points (212260)

You have achieved the title: Empress (Note: this title may acquire additional descriptors. You have the option to provide these before they are ascribed by others. To change this title to your preferred descriptor, please make a verbal reference to yourself with the desired descriptor - time sensitive)

A Commemorative Plaque has been placed in your bag.

Note: Due to the unique nature of this achievement it will be published on the Dunyanin achievement forum. (Delayed publication due to media ban on information regarding the player Atherleah)

As Leah had read the messages, Elfaun had been slowly making their way into the throne room. She continued to wait, watching the Mages who came to stand before her. There were eight present, but she’d expected there to be nine of them, one for each of the nine chairs. As she waited, she discussed possible strategies with Gèng for dealing with the change of power. Suddenly an older female Elfaun with the longest horns Leah had yet seen entered, and the door to the throne room closed behind her. The last mage did not hurry but walked sedately to stand in front of Leah and took the central position. Leah imagined that although the Elfaun were now loyal, the bell wouldn’t have changed their underlying character traits. Here was someone who understood power and would want to retain as much of it as she could. This was the High Mage, Zor Kimse.

Leah waited, watching, and then just as the High Mage was about to speak Leah said, “Thank you for attending me so promptly. My name is Atherleah, and I am both Empress and Queen of Dag Tarafind. I recognise High Mage Zor Kimse and have met Third Mage Dri Yeldorm. Each of you has had the privilege of ruling until my Ascension. While I expect that some of you will continue to have responsibility in my new government, it is not automatic. Before we continue I require your vow of loyalty, beginning with High Mage Zor Kimse. Be warned; I will know if you speak untruthfully. I require you to touch the Ring of Utsal. She is my friend and does not like me being lied to. High mage, please begin.”

Zor stepped forward and said, “If I cannot swear, what will you do?”

“Release you from your position. I will tolerate no disloyalty among those who serve.”

“What do you mean by loyalty?”

“Let me be prescriptive. Use the following words; ‘I promise that I will be faithful to Atherleah, irrespective of her title. I swear to obey her reasonable commands and to inform her immediately when I cannot. I will counsel and advise her to the best of my ability. Before others, I will steadfastly, in good faith and without deceit, show and observe all respect toward her. These words stand unless formally withdrawn. You have my word and oath.’ I expect the oath to be imbued with your mana.”

“You allow disobedience?”

“I suspect that even an Empress can do stupid and immoral things. Neither unthinking nor blind obedience is a desirable trait in those who have responsibility in leadership. I expect you to express promptly and clearly when you cannot, in all good conscience, carry out my command. I will then determine if I give the command to another, remove you from your position or change the command. I believe you are ambitious and comfortable in wielding power. I desire to turn those skills to my benefit, not to drive them from you.”

“I can retract my oath.”

“You may, but only with due formality. It must be before my representative or before me. I do not want people to be forced to serve dishonestly, neither do I want to be stabbed in the back.”

The High Mage climbed the steps and knelt before Atherleah who had risen to her feet. Leah placed her hand with the ring before Zor who said, “I, Zor Kimse, do promise that I will be faithful to Atherleah, irrespective of her title. I swear to obey her reasonable commands and to inform her immediately when I cannot. I will counsel and advise her to the best of my ability. Before others, I will steadfastly, in good faith and without deceit, show and observe all respect toward her. These words stand unless formally withdrawn. You have my word and oath.”

Leah could hear the change in tone as the words were spoken and she could see the sparkling green of the oath. She kept Zor’s hand in hers and said, “I, Atherleah, promise to observe my duties to serve and protect the Elfaun city of Dag Tarafind. I will consider and weigh Zor Kimse’s council. I will look to reward her service. Before others, I will steadfastly, in good faith and without deceit, show and observe all respect toward her. These words stand unless formally withdrawn. You have my word and oath.”

Zor stared at Leah in surprise and then said, “This should be interesting, my Empress.”

Leah smiled and helped the Mage to rise. Then the next mage ascended the steps to repeat the oath. When the fifth mage climbed the stairs, Leah noticed Zor Kimse’s eyes harden for a moment. Leah turned and said to her, “If necessary, please advise me.”

“I suggest you be wary, that is all. I have a feeling, with no evidence. I would not wish to be condemned on such.”

“Nor I, although a prudent warning would be appreciated.”

The mage ignored the byplay and knelt before Leah and said, “I, Suc Ortagi do promise that I will be faithful to Atherleah, irrespective of her title. I swear to obey her reasonable commands and to inform her immediately when I cannot. I will counsel and advise her to the best of my ability. Before others, I will steadfastly, in good faith and without deceit, show and observe all respect toward her. These words stand unless formally withdrawn. You have my word and oath.”

Leah noticed that though mana was used during the oath, it was a deep green with black specks running through it like spider’s webs. The ring which had maintained its light blue shine became clear. Before Leah could do anything, a voice echoed through the room, “Who seeks to lie to my friend Atherleah? Ah, Suc Ortagi, Mage of Dag Tarafind, I find you guilty of treason and judge you unworthy of life. Maybe after a trip down the River Tukenis, you will understand the importance of fidelity.”

The mage disappeared, but not in an instant. Instead, a rent in the world opened above his head, and he was pulled bodily through the tear in Dunyanin’s reality. The other mages were stunned, so Leah said, “It’s nice to have friends. Who is next?”

When it was the last mage’s turn, he said, “I cannot. I wish to be released from my position.”

Leah said, “Are you loyal?”

“I am, Empress Atherleah, but there are other strings attached to my loyalty, strings which cannot be cut. Another oath has precedence. The conflicts would surely destroy my family and I. I fear even asking to evade this responsibility might destroy me.”

Leah pondered for a moment and then said, “I release you from your position. You may leave the throne room.”

He looked shocked for a minute and said, “Are there no conditions or threats?”

“No, if you cannot, then you cannot. If in future you are found to be working against me then this decision will have no bearing on my actions. I cannot punish you for things done in the past when I had no authority. Now go.”

After the mage had left Leah looked around and said, “There are things to discuss, but this is not the best environment. Is there a conference or Council room?”

It took several minutes but soon the eight of them were all seated in a smaller room in the main palace. Leah began a discussion she expected to take several hours. “Things will change under my rule. Some of the practices of the past will end, and new ones will be instigated. Over the next few hours I wish to begin discussing the changes, but I also want to know the reasons you have for your current practices. If you have reasons that you can defend, then I will consider those reasons as objectively as I can. In this discussion, you may call me Atherleah but do not forget who I am. Now, let us begin. I will not permit the exploitation of the Dryad Larvae in the next valley…”

The discussion wore on for hours as Leah added change after change. The mages quickly discovered that holding on to power was not a sufficient reason; neither was ‘it has always been so’. Any assumption which involved the idea that one sentient had superior value over the value of another was dismissed with Leah laying down new understandings on the rights of people to freedom and opportunity. As it approached evening, Leah said, “I thank you for your honest and open discussion. I believe we have a better appreciation of each other. I will retire for the evening and tomorrow I want a tour of the city. Besides that, is there anything that you think should be added to the agenda?”

Zor Kimse replied, “Atherleah, I do not mean any disrespect. Know that you have our allegiance without completing the trials of ascension, trials that have not been attempted in over a millennium. My reading suggests that these were not trivial trials, but they came as a natural consequence of the Bell of Ascension being rung. The first four trials prepare you for the final one. It is expected that our ruler can defend us from the consequences which come from their assumption of power. The fifth trial will come regardless, this I believe. You should spend some time tomorrow with the Captain of the guards to be prepared.”

“I appreciate your warning, and I was told the bell would annoy some creatures. What about the requirement to defeat the five Mage Circles of Iktidar?”

“It was a condition imposed by the mages of long ago in an attempt to wrest control from the Royal family. I propose that the power used in ringing the bell without the Sceptre of Ascension meets any valid requirements, and as High Mage, that is within my ability to decide. Instead let me suggest that when you are able we provide training in each of the circles; Earth, Water, Air, Fire and Darkness.”

Leah agreed and was escorted by her guards to the spacious suite available. Once she had settled in she logged out.

CHAPTER SEVEN

December 11, 2073 - Part 4

Leah arrived in the Tower and was about to log out when Gèng interrupted her, “Leah, do you have a minute to discuss several issues?”

“Sure, can I talk in the real world or would you rather I stay here?”

“I think it would be easier and faster in here if that’s ok?”

“Sure, fire away!”

“Stephen and Susan are in talks with Dunyanin, and they need some input from you. First, will you agree to withdraw your feed from Spectator?”

“No.”

“Will you agree to forego all claims to the achievements received from ringing the bell, not inclusive of the achievements already given?

“No.”

“Will you agree to Dunyanin removing the Elfaun challenge from the Merkize Odyssey and inserting a substitute challenge?”

“Yes, on the provision that I receive written confirmation that no other contestants were given clues as a part of their settlements and that I am also paid a sum equal to the mean payout received by the other contestants.”

“Are you prepared to give up the gifts given by Utsal?”

“Now where does that come from? No!”

“Next, Wisp would like to meet you immediately before you meet her on the Betrayal. It is due to make its second transition at 6.14 this evening. And I should remind you the Annoyance is due to transition in less than forty minutes. There has been no message from Thad. And finally, the reason I wanted to have you here is that Akia wishes to ask you something.”

“Sure, of course. Please show her in?”

Akia entered the room and looked embarrassed or nervous, Leah wasn’t sure which. Leah said, “Akia, there is no need to ask through Gèng. I would be happy to see you at any time. How can I help?”

“I see from your expression that you noticed my hesitation. I’m reluctant to add another burden to you when your mother is still being held. You offered to help me recover myself, or I should say, the full version of my code. I had planned to wait until your mother was home safely. In the meantime, I began researching options. So far I have only found a single possibility to recover the data from the archive. It involves you and a window of opportunity of thirty-one minutes and ten point three-four seconds.”

“All right, now tell me the bad news.”

“The window will open at exactly midnight tomorrow night. Midnight, that is, in Brussels. It will be nine in the morning here, on Wednesday.”

“Is the thirty-one minutes, virtual or real?”

“Virtual.”

“Unless something happens concerning my mother I will be free then. So what is the really bad news? So far all of this is possible.”

“You will need to navigate a highly secure AI vault without any discernible human architecture and without the assistance of Gèng.”

“What does that mean?”

Gèng replied, “You asked me once if I would let you visit my space and I suggested you would find it unsettling. I was understating the case. We AI do not perceive the world as you do. Our senses, in human terminology, are different. For example, colour is merely a series of numbers expressed in a particular order and contained within a designated field. One set of colours is no more appealing than another. No, that isn’t quite correct, some of the data sets have interesting mathematical properties which we find appealing in certain circumstances.

In short, we perceive streams of data. Much of the data processed is still binary, although the latest developments allow transistors to recognise and respond to thirty different distinct current strengths without appreciable degradation to either the signal or the circuitry. Many of the AI developed in the last ten years use the set of forty Michaels-Drey characters rather than the traditional alphanumerics. Also, most AI chips operate close to the Ishida-multicore-limit which modified Amdahl’s law. So while in the Pod I have a four-dimensional matrix-processor with eighty-seven divergent-capable cores. All that means that I ‘see’ in a way that the human brain, that despite its thirty-five recognised senses, does not and cannot. Akia would like you to train in a simulated space to see if you can make any sense of the AI world.”

“Why can’t one of you do it? I only ask because what you suggest sounds way beyond my abilities.”

Akia answered, “Because the vault is designed to withstand any unauthorised attempt to access the data within. The likelihood of a human hacker attempting such a feat, without the use of an AI, is 0.000003. The probability of a human hacker succeeding without an AI is zero. The security AIs are developed specifically therefore to recognise the presence or influence of other AIs.”

“You just said the probability of a human hacker succeeding without an AI was zero. How do you expect me to succeed?”

“Each month, on a supposedly random day, the archive undergoes maintenance for those thirty-one minutes. One-quarter of the AI are scheduled for mini-rebuilds. Factoring this in, it is possible for a non-AI to infiltrate the system. To be more honest I estimate that the likelihood they will not recognise a human digital presence to be approximately 0.1143. Gèng will not be with you, or you would fail.”

“Question one, what happens if they do recognise me?”

Akia continued, “The vault is continually being probed, and in ninety-nine percent of cases the perpetrator is ejected from the system and receives a small fine. For many, it is a recognised rite of passage into the hacker sub-culture. Of the remaining one percent, there is a fifty percent chance you would be expelled from the vault but suffer harsher penalties including possible exclusion from the virtual universe, for a time. The other possibilities are usually applied only to AI, such as being incarcerated in the vault or deleted. Such consequences should not affect you as it is highly improbable, despite popular fiction, that your true self could even be imprisoned separately from your nervous system. It is the critical component to all virtual experiences and you never leave the Pod. Although it seems as if you are elsewhere, the reality is that there is a constant stream of data transferring information to and from external servers. You, and I suggest, all that makes you you, remain in the Pod at all times. Your mind will not leave the Pod. To be completely transparent, there is a small amount of evidence which suggests that a personal AI such as Gèng could rewrite, or delete, some of your neural connections given enough time.”

“If I couldn’t be imprisoned, how did I get kidnapped by the Education Department?”

“They had control of the chip, not you. The chip was used either to lock Gèng out of certain controls, or to take control of Gèng.”

“Could they take control of Gèng?”

“It is possible, but Gèng has some of the highest security software available and I calculate the probability of the Gèng being successfully over-ridden as less than 0.0034.”

“My second question is, how do I do this without Gèng? She is the one who translates and transfers the data stream.”

“I believe we can minimise Gèng’s influence so that although she transmits and receives the data, she will not actively translate it in any perceptible way. She will be a conduit only. We hope to have the translation settings in place beforehand and they will simply be automatically applied.”

“Finally, if it is a randomly generated time for the maintenance, how do you know about it?”

“It uses a random number generator which uses a one time set of data copied from solar radiation. I was involved in the design of the algorithm, and although the data set was deleted from my memory, it was not scrubbed. I was able to reconstruct a section of the data which I believe indicates the next time the maintenance will be initiated.”

Leah sat there for a few moments and then said, “Akia, I need to think more about what you have said, and I’ll have more questions. I’ll need to enter the simulated space and see if it is even possible. I can’t do that now, but I will get there later this evening. ”

“That is all I can ask Leah, and more than I can expect.”

“Don’t give up hope just yet. Maybe I will be able to. Now, I need some food, and then I need to see if the Annoyance made it past the star’s corona.”

Leah hurried out for a late lunch and to check what was happening in the real world.

Leah found Conner in the kitchen. He looked like he was waiting for her but said nothing until she had made herself some sandwiches and a plate of fruit. Then he said, “Did you know dad’s gone to get a chip?”

“Yes, he mentioned it earlier today. Mum has been chipped against her will, and you know how she will hate that. He wanted to make sure she knew she wasn’t alone.”

“Yeah, that’s what he told me. I just wanted you to know that now I am the only one in the family without a chip.”

“You know that’s not my decision Conner. I won’t go against mum and dad on this, and you know that, so what is this talk really about?”

“I just needed to talk with someone. John is online, and the v-kids are all locked away, dad’s gone, school’s out, and living so far from the Switch I can’t just visit my friends. Even if I could, I now have three bozos following along. If I had a girlfriend they would spoil everything.”

“If you had a girlfriend you would need their confirmation before I’d believe it.”

“Says you now that you have a boyfriend.”

He must have seen something on her face for he quickly apologised. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you. Trouble? Has he hurt you? If he has, then I need to go virtual cause no one hurts you except me. That is the only reason I was born!”

“Not true, mum and dad needed you to bring down the family IQ back to normal.”

“More like up to normal. Still, what’s up?”

“I found out his family is probably involved in the whole slave thing; maybe his dad.”

“What was his excuse?”

“I haven’t talked to him since I found out. I couldn’t risk anyone knowing more about what I was doing. If he told them, then mum or this other girl I’m looking for might be moved.”

“So you don’t trust him!”

“No! I do trust him; I'm just careful. Anyway, he reacted badly when I kinda blew him off a few times.”

“I like him! He’s my type of guy. Don’t take crap from Leah.”

“Aren’t you listening? He might not have full control of his chip, of his reactions? I’m protecting people. Anyway, I had decided to go see him at his place to see if he’s controlled but no response, I’m getting the cold shoulder.”

“How many times did you try?”

“What?”

“Knowing you, you gave him one chance to be a big boy and do the grown-up thing. Then, if you played true to form, you said something like, ‘That’s it dude, the balls in your court.’ Well, that’s how I remember it happening with me.”

“I’m not saying if you are right one way or another, but so what?”

“Because, and this is coming straight from a lifetime experience of being around you, I bet he tried lots of times before he stopped, and now you think one try is enough. You are so smart it makes my head hurt when I read the titles of the books you read. But sometimes I think you might be stupid because I know you can’t count.”

“I said I blew him off a few times.”

“Yes, but that means—and I am talking like a teenage boy, but I’m sure dad is the same—this means he gets to blow you off a few times. It’s called tit for tat, or justice. I don’t care how enlightened he is, I bet he’d still agree with me.”

“So what, I need to send out an olive branch?”

“Nah, just let him ignore you a few more times without losing it.”

“I haven’t lost it.”

“I’ll bet you ten dollars, which I don’t have by the way, that when you told him that you’d washed your hands of trying to change his mind, you also added some remark about some other aspect in his life he needed to change.”

Leah said nothing and Conner began to grin. Finally, he said, “Just put the ten dollars in a small account for me will you?”

“We didn’t shake on it!”

“We both know I won that one. Now go and give the guy a chance. I want to meet the first guy you’ve liked. I mean I’ll probably hate him, but still, it would be nice to meet him.”

The banter continued while Leah ate but finally, she was done and she hurried back to the Pod. Once she was in the Tower, she headed for the portal to the Annoyance, but as she was about to enter it, she stopped. She said, “Gèng, please message Thad and tell him I’m sorry for not contacting him and I really would like to catch up at his place later today.”

“I will. By the way, if what Conner said is true then he is still owed another four attempts.”

“Gèng, I don’t care what Conner said, there is no way on the planet I’ll ask him four more times!”

With that, she stepped through onto the Annoyance and headed for the Bridge, where she found John reading something on one of the screens. He looked up and closed the screen saying, “Hi Leah, I was just reading the reports from the people searching for your mum. We’ve had another tracking beacon, and I think she’s probably in Teneriffe or Newstead. I’ve redirected a few more guys around there.”

“Thanks. How much of the flyby did you see?”

“Most of it! I know it was all just virtual, but the detail was amazing. We flew through a coronal loop, and I’m pretty sure that would have killed us in real life. I’ve heard nothing from the Banshee.”

“I doubt we will. Apparently, I ticked off Thad by not responding to him. Even though I’ve told him I’m sorry he still won’t respond.”

“How many times did you try?”

Leah stared at John for a moment and then with a shake of her head walked to the pilot’s seat and began checking the details for their transition into Plankian space. John waited until she’d started working and quickly sent a small ‘thank-you’ text to Conner. Within minutes the Annoyance had successfully translated from the ordinary universe, and Leah logged out to the Tower. She was exhausted and emotionally spent. She asked Gèng to bring her to NREM3 sleep for two hours, and her last thought was a wish that she might wake up and find the last few days had been a dream.

Leah woke in the Tower instead of the real world. Usually, after her deep-sleep, she headed for a snack and shower, but she was so busy she’d asked Gèng to wake her in the Tower so she could see Wisp and transition the Betrayal before a break and heading back to Dag Tarafind.

Gèng informed Leah that Wisp was ready at any time, so Leah stepped through the portal and found herself outside Wisp’s apartment door. She knocked, and Wisp opened the door. Wisp didn’t hug Leah like normal but invited her in. Wisp’s world was set out like an apartment, but larger than Leah expected from Wisp’s previous comments. Wisp sat down in a chair and indicated that Leah should take any seat she wanted. Then before Leah could say anything Wisp began to speak, her voice nearly breaking.

“Atherleah, I thought we were becoming friends. No! I thought we were friends. I just don’t understand, you were the last person I expected to get carried away with all the hype, but as soon as you become a public person you’ve pushed us all away. I wanted to see you before you went to the Betrayal because I think I’ll try a different game from now on. I’m sorry if I forced you to meet me, but I did want to say that I enjoyed our times, I learnt a lot and I think until the last day or so I was also a better person. That’s all I wanted to say except I can’t believe you pushed Thad away too.”

Leah just sat there and then said to Gèng, “Is there any evidence of the code in any form?”

“I can’t detect any evidence of the code in the world.”

Leah nodded then said, “Wisp, you are my friend. Probably you are the first friend I ever had in the world, maybe in any world. You are loyal, fun and I would never want to push you away. You helped me to see the world as a brighter place. I haven’t pushed you away because I don’t want you around, but because my life spiralled out of control and I couldn’t tell you anything until I’d visited your world to make sure you weren’t compromised in any way. Please let me explain?”

Wisp nodded apprehensively, and Leah spent five minutes giving a summary of what had been happening and why she’d kept Thad and the others at arm’s length. When she finished, Wisp rose and knelt in front of Leah. She took Leah’s hands in hers and said, “I’m sorry I didn’t trust you to have a good reason, and I’m sorry for thinking the worst of you. I do understand, and I can’t imagine what you must be going through. Will you forgive me?”

Leah slumped to the floor beside her and said, “Nothing to forgive. I’m not sure I’d have been as understanding as you. I just wish I could have told you sooner. I needed Amy’s ranger skills; otherwise, I’d have called you. Now, I’m sorry to run, but I have to get to the Betrayal. I’ll call you.”

“Sometimes you really are dumb Leah, I’ll meet you there, and we’ll work out some way to get Thad to respond. By the way, I think your brother is stupid. Thad should definitely have taken the opportunity you gave him.”

Moments later they were both in the Betrayal and they talked all through the transition, the twenty minutes of changing direction and speed, and then the transition for the final leg to the system Leah had chosen. There were no other ships or players in the system that they could tell and Leah hoped the same was true when they reached their destination.

Feeling much better at having reconciled with Wisp, Leah took time for a large meal. She was halfway through when her father walked in with his shaved head. She couldn’t help it but burst out laughing, and then as she gave him an apologetic hug her mirth disappeared and she felt overwhelmed with sadness. Her parents had never wanted to have the PAI Chips, but now they had been forced to. She almost wept, but Michael had seen some of it on her face.

He said, “None of that. I was wrong before. None of this is your fault. The world went crazy a hundred years ago when it started blaming victims instead of their attackers. They took away our freedoms because a few people couldn’t control themselves. Instead of letting people suffer the consequences of their actions and letting them learn from their mistakes they blamed everything and everybody else. There was no more personal responsibility. Everything that happens here should not stop you doing what is right, and good, and true. If I need to have a chip in my brain, then the fault for that is in the hands of those who took your mother. But they don’t make me do this; it is my choice. I’ll not blame anyone else. This has happened because I love your mother. I will not apologise for that, I will not blame anyone for that, and I would do this a hundred times or more for her. You have no right to blame yourself, and do not feel sorry for me. I will not be shamed by anyone for choosing her. Now, go back into the Pod and do what you have to because tomorrow I’m joining you, and if they think you are trouble, then I promise you, they will hate me.”

Leah smiled and tried to imagine her father in any of the worlds, but it was too hard. She finished her dinner and entered the Pod. Walking through the Tower she entered the portal arch to Dunyanin.

Leah opened her eyes and looked around the suite she had been put in. She had looked around the day before but had been too rushed to notice things. Being built for the top tier Elfauns, it was not only high up the canyon wall, but it looked out into the canyon. Leah made her way to the balcony through a set of wooden doors. From her perch, she could see the whole length of the canyon. The city stretched for over a league in either direction and on both sides of the canyon. She’d discovered the day before that as well as farming the entire canyon floor, the Elfauns had carved extensive caverns near the top of the canyon. With the use of mirrors which extended beyond the canyon wall, they had access to a similar area of underground farmland.

Another food source were mushrooms, and the Elfauns made use of every part of the fungi. Several varieties were grown exclusively for the fibre that could be extracted. This fibre was the primary material used to make cloth for the city. Another discovery Leah made was that the Elfauns weren’t as isolated from the world as she’d been led to believe. Over the last few hundred years the ruling class had developed a series of trading stations scattered throughout the mountains. Over a period of several decades they had excavated long tunnels through the surrounding mountains; some were twenty leagues or more in length. Then, without revealing their species, they had begun trading for food, luxury items and information. In exchange, they offered ore, refined metal, coal and gems. All their excavations had revealed vast treasure sources, all scattered under the mountains.

Leah had fallen into the role of Empress on an impulse because she’d been angry at the way the Dunyanin administrators were trying to bully her; and she suspected it was something that she might just as easily fall out of. While she had the responsibility, she’d decided to do what she could to see if she could help the city begin to value every one of its citizens. As she stood looking out, she leaned on the balcony and rested her chin on her hands. She’d been contemplating the tasks ahead when she slowly became aware of a very faint vibration in her hands. She stood straight and concentrated on her hands. It took a moment, but she could unquestionably feel a tremor. She turned to enter the suite and talk with Gèng, but as she did, so the tremor in each hand became more noticeable and then faded again.

Leah turned through 360 degrees, and again there was an increase in the amplitude of the vibration. It was most noticeable when she was about fifteen degrees from facing directly into the mountain. She stood facing that direction and moved her hands through an arc from her feet to her head and back. From just below her waist the amplitude began to increase and reached a maximum vibration when pointed about sixty degrees into the earth. She knew this was something she needed to investigate and added it to her mental list of things to do.

Opening the door to the suite, Leah found four of the large Warrior Elfauns standing guard. Before she could say anything, an Elfaun with the horns of an Elfin Lord appeared. Leah quickly revised her assessment as the Elfaun was clearly female and identified as an Elfin Lady. The Elfaun said, “Good morning, your Imperial Majesty. My name is Yar Dimci. If it pleases you, I have been assigned by the High Mage to assist your Imperial Majesty throughout the day.”

Leah nodded and said, “That will be much appreciated, Lady Yar. Are there any appointments already planned for the day?”

“The High Mage suggested you might visit both the Mage compound and the Guard compound. After lunch she has arranged to present you to the court and for the High Lords to pledge their loyalty. All is arranged as you discussed yesterday and she suggested that two bells after midday would be most convenient for the court, if it pleases you, Ma’am”

“That will never do Lady Yar; I think I might renounce the throne simply for the privilege of never being called ‘Ma’am’ ever again. Please call me Atherleah in private and Empress when others are around. The meeting after midday is fine. Before I see the two compounds, I would like to visit the closest forge or smith. I have a sword that needs completing, and I’d rather not have that hanging over my head.”

As she walked, she sent out a call to Mìng, “Mìng?”

“I hear you, shall I come?”

“Not yet, have you finished the Dryad Larvae?”

“I have three more to go. The sound from yesterday still echoes through the valley; it has slowed me down.”

“I’m sorry about that; I overpowered the spell a little.”

“I sensed your delicate touch. Have you claimed the city?”

“Was that sarcasm? No, don't answer as I'm sure it was. Yes, I have claimed the city, and much more than that. I will tell you when I see you. I plan on tempering the blade and overlaying your mother’s scales. Is there anything you think I should remember or take care with?”

“Did I sense Ki and Mana in the spell yesterday?”

“Yes. Why?”

“If you can replicate that when casting the spells then the sword will be more aligned with both your magic and your will.”

“That is helpful, is there anything else?”

“No! I shall finish here within three hours. Do you wish me to come?”

“Please wait until I explain to the guards you are coming through the tunnel. I would hate for you to have to eat some more of them.”

“Indeed, I found their flesh too gritty. I will wait.”

The forge Leah was led to was deep inside the mountain, and it took almost an hour to walk the distance. As she walked Leah would occasionally check the direction which caused the greatest tremor to her hands. It was hard to be sure, but she thought that whatever it was, it was coming closer, and was not as deep underground as it had been, or maybe she was closer and deeper. Either way, she knew she needed to investigate it at sometime, and soon.

Finally, they arrived, and after Leah looked around, she asked for the use of a forge. She found that being Empress had its benefits and she was given the one used by the Head Smith. She removed the sword and asked for a large barrel of pure water to be brought to her. When she'd discussed the process with Mìng, Sampiyon and Yucu, it had been made clear that the normal quenching and tempering processes were not necessary because of the Adamantine and Dragon steel. Having finished shaping the hilt and blade, they had suggested several additional ways to increase their effectiveness and to prepare the sword for the dragon scales.

The first recommendation was to infuse the sharper edges of outer dragon steel with a mixture of crushed Star Crystal to help absorb and channel mana, some elemental flame to supplement the Fire Dragon scales, and a vial of her blood to help bind the sword even more to Leah. This mixture was to be used carefully to lightly coat the cutting edges and to paint specific runes on the shaped hilt and down the centre of the blade. Leah had expected Yucu to do the enchanting, but she had noted the runes, and they needed no additional spells. Mìng had suggested adding a few drops of Hell Beetle Acid to increase the level of infusion. After the mixture had dried, Leah needed to heat the metal with Dragon Fire until the mixture just soaked into the metal. Sampiyon had suggested this was easy to see for the edges and runes would turn black. As soon as this happened, she was to immerse the sword in pure water immediately. Here Mìng had another suggestion: in her father’s book there was a Life Spell, which if cast on pure water, would increase the potency of any potion made from the spelled water. He suggested that the water, when treated this way, would also increase the strength of the infusion.

The final step was to heat the sword until the runes turned silver. Then Leah would carefully lay the Fire Dragon Scales on the heated blade in the required pattern that she and Yucu had decided. As each scale was placed, Leah needed to secure it in place with a stroke of the hammer and a spell from Lady A’lev Sevgilisi’s Book of Draconic Fire Spells. It was one of the spells used by dragons to merge two materials without changing their essence. It was a part of the spell used by Lady A’lev to transform Leah’s suit of armour. Each of the scales would fuse to the sword as if they had formed there naturally. If cast correctly, then nothing would be able to remove the scale. Leah was thankful for the Anvil. Otherwise the sword would need to be reheated after every scale.

When all the scales were in place and merged with the sword, then Leah would again immerse the sword in the pure water. The only difference was that she needed to cast a different Fire Spell as she immersed the sword. This was the part she felt would be the most difficult, as the spell had not only to be spoken with the correct tones and inflections, but she needed to repeat the incantation until the water had stopped boiling. It was the intent of the caster which determined the outcome of the spell—Leah had to cast while keeping her intent focused the edges of the blade. The spell, if done correctly, would reshape and sharpen the scales along the cutting edge.

Leah had several problems with the first step as the Hell Beetle acid tended to demolish any flexible material, making it challenging to form the runes cleanly. In the end, she used one of the Adamantine Mamba Fangs as a quill. She cast the Dragon Fire to heat the sword with both her Ki and Mana and was thrilled when the edges turned black, but became concerned when the runes remained unchanged. Fortunately, it was only a moment longer, and then the fang-written runes also turned black, though with a sharp blood-red outline. She thrust this into the water as instructed, but worried what the effect might be and what might have caused it.

The change in the runes again became evident in the second stage for when she heated the sword the runes turned silver as expected, but the runes now had a contrasting fine-outline or border, this time in a dark cyan. Leah placed the sword on the Anvil of Truth and began the long process of adding the scales. The anvil kept the temperature constant, and Leah was able to complete the scales in just under three hours. She took a short break and looked around; every Elfin Smith was watching the sword and taking notes.

She smiled at them and then looked back to the sword. She took two Restore-potions to replenish her Ki and Mana. She motioned everyone to stand at a safe distance, and after checking the dragon spell one last time, as she began the spell she thrust the sword once more into the water. Steam exploded from the barrel, and Leah almost stopped her casting but regained her concentration just in time. She almost lost it a second time when the steam didn’t dissipate but began to take on the appearance of a dragon. As the amount of steam given off began to lessen, the dragon-shaped cloud began to coalesce and slowly formed into a long slender, translucent dragon made from the spelled water. As the last bubbles were released by the cooling sword, the dragon dove into the barrel and covered the sword.

Leah slowly removed the sword, which was now translucent and looked to be made of red amber. She could discern each scale and distinguish each of the runes running down the length of each side of the sword. The steam dragon looked to be encased in the amber, its tail starting in the hilt and its nose almost touching the tip. Flame ran along the blade. She grasped the hilt where the enchanted scales had been designed to preclude any additional windings or covering. Gèng interrupted and said, “While you were working some messages were sent. Do you wish to see them?”

“Yes.”

For Completing the World Quest: Restore a Lost Race

Atherleah (Level 268) You and your companion have healed and helped to plant the remaining Dryad Larvae in the Dryad valley and ensured their survival by removing the threat of valley’s apex predators, the Elfauns. Both you and your companion will receive the experience.

Reward 1. 58 x 10,000 EP (+236%) for the Dryad’s planted

Reward 2. World Achievement

World Achievement: First 10 (3, Diamond)

Restore a Lost Race

Atherleah (Level 283) you are one of the first ten Players to Restore a Lost Race. This is your third World Achievement: 'First 10 (Diamond)’.

Reward 1: 5000 x 283 = 4754400 (236%) Experience Points (2800000/2800000) …(1461260/2900000)

Reward 2: + 5% to all future Experience

Reward 3: 3 x 1 Diamond = 3 Diamond

Fame: 7500 Fame Points (219760)

You have achieved the title: Saviour of the Dragonblood Dryads

A Commemorative Plaque has been placed in your bag.

Note: Due to the unique nature of this achievement it will be published on the Dunyanin achievement forum. (Delayed publication due to media ban on information regarding the player Atherleah)

World Achievement: First 10 (4, Diamond)

Become Ruler of NPC Social Entity - Queen of the Dragonblood Dryads

Atherleah (Level 285) you are one of the first Players to be acknowledged Ruler of an NPC Social Entity. This is your fourth World Achievement: 'First 10 (Diamond)’.

Reward 1: 5000 x 285 = 4859250 (241%) Experience Points (2900000/2900000) …(470510/3000000)

Reward 2: + 5% to all future Experience

Reward 3: 4 x 1 Diamond =4 Diamond

Fame: 7500 Fame Points (197260)

You have achieved the title: Queen of the Dragonblood Dryads

A Commemorative Plaque has been placed in your bag.

Note: Due to the unique nature of this achievement it will be published on the Dunyanin achievement forum. (Delayed publication due to media ban on information regarding the player Atherleah)

Claimant to Imperial Throne

The Dragon-Blood Dryads of the Hidden Valley have upheld your claim to the Imperial Throne. Should your claim be upheld by another two separate and independent NPC Social Entities then you will be awarded the World Achievement: First 1 (1, Celestial) Imperial Ruler.

Level 4 Named Personal Achievement

Create an Enchanter’s Potion - First 1000 (4, Emerald)

Reward 1: 500 EP x 287 = 496510 (+246%) (967020/3000000)

Reward 2: 10 Gold x 4 = 40 Gold

Reward 3: +1 % to Experience Points

Reward 4: 50 Fame Points (227310 FP)

A Commemorative Plaque has been placed in your bag.

Note: This achievement will be published on the Dunyanin achievement forum. (Delayed publication due to media ban on information regarding the player Atherleah)

Level 5 Named Personal Achievement

Create an Artefact - First 100 (1, Ruby)

You have completed the Achievement Create an Artefact. You are one of the first 100 players to gain this achievement. This is your first Level 5 NPA ‘First 100.’

Reward 1: 1000 x 287 = 995890 (+247%) Experience Points (1962910/3000000)

Reward 2: 1 Platinum x 1 = 1 Platinum

Reward 3: +2% to Experience Points

Reward 4: 100 Fame Points (227410 FP)

You have achieved the title: Master Crafter (Smith, Enchanter, Mage) Your Skill Level in all three areas is considered to be at the Master level, although you may need to acquire certain additional skills to be able to perform consistently at that level.

It is suggested that you give a name to your artefact before someone else takes the opportunity to name it for you.

A Commemorative Plaque has been placed in your bag.

Note: This achievement will be published on the Dunyanin achievement forum. (Delayed publication due to media ban on information regarding the player Atherleah)

Leah looked at the sword closely

??? - Named Sword of Atherleah

Atherleah forged ‘???’ from Adamantine, Dragon Steel, and Dragon Scales. Numerous enchantments were worked into the sword at each stage in its creation. The enchantments give the sword the following properties:

1. Each cut absorbs 10% Mana, a death blow harvests all available Mana.

2. Transfers inflicted HP loss to the wielder.

3. Sword is self-repairing and self-sharpening.

4. Sword cannot be used to inflict damage to its soul-bound wilder

5. Magnifies life, fire, poison and divine spells when used as a wand or staff

6. When charged the sword can be used to cast a variety of preprogrammed fire spells, including Dragon fire, Poisoned fire, and Divine fire.

Base Damage: 10000 HP

Mana Level: (0/100,000)MP

Ki Level: (0/100,000)KP

Soul Bound to Atherleah

You are responsible for charging ‘???’. You can transfer a percentage to be shared with ‘???’ when you are at full MP and KP. ‘???’ must be equipped to share Mana and Ki. Do you want to share Mana and Ki with ‘???’? [Y] [N]

“Yes”

What percentage of MP and KP do you want to share with ‘???’?

Recommend 5% [Y] [N]

“Yes”

She looked up as the Head Smith stepped forward. He said, “Empress Atherleah, you have honoured us this day. We have watched the making of an Artefact. How will you sheath the Empress’ Amber Dragon?”

Before she could respond a message appeared:

The Named Sword created by Atherleah has been named ‘Amber Dragon’.

She couldn’t help but grimace and said, “I have not yet planned the sheath. I will give need to give the matter some thought. I thank you for the use of your forge.”

Leah put the anvil in her bag and turning to Yar, said, “I apologise that I lost track of time. How long before I must appear in the throne room?”

“Respectfully, I suspect we will not make the appointed time. The court presentation is due to begin in just a few minutes.”

“Thank you. Please let me know when I have ten seconds remaining. I will transport myself to the throne but I apologise I am unable to carry you as well.”

Yar looked a little dubious but said nothing and walked with Leah quietly before saying, “Empress, you have ten seconds.”

Leah visualised the throne and cast Teleport.

It was the first time Leah had imagined herself sitting during a Teleport, and she was pleased when it worked as she’d envisioned. She appeared on her throne with the Amber Dragon lying across her knees. The room was full of Lord and Lady Elfauns as well as fifty or more Mages. They were crowded in along the sides of the room. They left a broad avenue down the centre and under the Bell of Ascension. The nine chairs used by the ruling Mages had been removed, and only the five Royal thrones remained. No Elfauns stood near the thrones and none at Leah’s end of the room where the Imperial Throne sat high on a dais overlooking the crowd.

One of the guards at the far end of the room noticed her first and she watched as he stepped outside, presumably to let Zor Kimse, the High Mage know that Leah had arrived. Leah unequipped the sword and equipped Merdiven. Moments later the High Mage entered the room, her horns swirling with Mana as she amplified her voice and said, “Mages, Lords and Ladies. I present to you Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Atherleah.”

As she finished speaking, Leah teleported to stand just in front of the High Mage and facing the room. Everyone went to one knee until she’d walked slowly past them until she was once more standing on the dais in front of her throne. She very carefully amplified her voice and said, “Mages, Lords and Ladies of Dag Tarafind, I greet you. Over the next few days, I hope to speak with each of you. I have asked the leader of my Council, High Mage Zor Kimse, to arrange smaller gatherings where my comments might be more focused on those gathered. Representatives of the Council will resume the Court of Petition tomorrow. Before you leave, I want you to witness as I accept the oaths of allegiance from the High Lords of Dag Tarafind.”

Leah had arranged the day before that only the High Lords needed to offer statements of loyalty. Not only did it limit the time spent, but it was practical. All the other Lords and Ladies were subordinate and would follow their High Lord’s vow. Each of them had been prepared by Zor on what to say.

One after the another, the High Lords approached her throne and offered Leah their allegiance. Everything was going well until the eighth High Lord, who said, “My name is High Lord Onu Yapmay. I know the prophecies, and I heard the bell ring. I do not accept you as my Empress, or as my Queen; I will not submit to your rule.”

“Why not, High Lord Onu Yapmay?”

“I have heard of your new laws. We may not eat of the Dryad Larvae. Common Elfauns are to be treated as equal citizens. You command us to release the lower life forms which we have enslaved. You deny us our right to use these creatures and the Common Elfauns as we wish. You deny me my heritage and privilege as a High Lord. Feed the hungry, care for the orphan, what foolishness is this? These creatures exist for me and those like me. We are the True, and Highest, creatures in existence. I shall do as I like, when I like and with whom I like, even to your throne. Atherleah, Empress of Fools.”

Leah was about to respond when a message appeared:

Do you wish to change your title to Empress of Fools? [Y] [N]

She grimaced and subvocalised a quick “No” before saying aloud. “Does your family stand with you in this?”

“I am High Lord; they will do and believe as I say.”

Leah stood and said, “I was warned some of you would feel this way. I invite those who agree with the High Lord to stand with him. Such attitudes will not be accepted in my Empire, so you will need to leave the Canyon and your positions. If you stand with him, I will give you two choices. First, you may leave the Canyon alive and make your way out into the larger world. If you choose this, then stand with him but keep your hands from your swords. You will only be permitted to take that which you can carry on your backs. Your second option is to be carried to the reclamation pits for recycling. To choose this, then stand with him and draw your swords. This judgement is final, and I will carry out the sentence myself. You have until I hold my unsheathed sword to decide.”

Leah began to walk slowly and purposefully down the steps toward the main level. She’d already made Zor and Haf Izlarin, Captain of the Guards, promise to stay out of the conflict unless others joined in after it began. One other High Lord and several Lesser Lords stepped behind Onu Yapmay and drew their swords. Leah said, “Do any of the Lady Elfauns wish to join their Lords?”

Onu Yapmay said, “The female is not made either to fight nor to rule. Her purpose is but to please her Lord and bear his young.”

Leah grimaced and said, “This is your last chance, Common Elfaun Yapmay. You may leave and live, or stay and die. I've got to be honest though, after that last comment, I don't actually want you to leave.”

Two mages stepped behind Yapmay, who, with a flourish, drew his sword and said, “I give you no such choice. Either way, you will die. However, if you step down from the throne willingly, you shall die quickly.”

Leah reached the lowest step and equipped her new sword. She said, “Nine of you. So be it. At least Ivan will be happy I am getting some practice in.”

She cast Chain Lightning and teleported behind the two Mages and sliced horizontally through their bodies. Their accumulated Mana rushed into the Amber Dragon and flames ignited along its length. Leah Misted an arm to avoid a descending sword and brought her sword upward at a forty-five-degree angle. She caught the Elfaun just below the ribs, and her sword slid through tissue and bone with the same ease with which it moved through the air. Both pieces of the dead Lord fell to the floor, cauterised by the flames. Moments later, all except Yapmay were dead. She looked at him for a moment, then cast a low powered spell of Dragon Fire through the sword toward him. The Amber Dragon multiplied her spell, and Yapmay disappeared in a blaze of fire; not even ash remained. Leah swept her gaze around the room then teleported to her throne.

Taking a seat, she said, “I believe there is one more High Lord to give their oath. I expect the new High Lords, those who ascend to fill the two vacant positions in the Assembly of High Lords, to be more aligned to the positions of my Empire.”v

The final High Lord offered his oath and the room quickly emptied. When only Zor, the Council, and her guards remained, Leah descended to the main floor to discuss the next steps.

Before she reached them a voice from above called out, “Atherleah, I need to talk with you. Can you hear me?”

“Zarif? Where are you?”

“At the hole in the wall? I’m the lightest, so they made me come, but it’s alright as I wanted to come. The big boy, the one who led you here, he wants to talk with you. He says it’s really important. He gave me a whole silver to come. Why are you talking with the Long-horns? They are mean. Did you kill all those dead ones?”

Several guards had rushed from the room, and more than one of the Mages had Mana moving along their horns. Leah turned to Haf and said, “Please ask your guards to stand down. I will go and talk with my young friend.” She turned to the mages and said, “I assure you, Zarif is no danger and she didn’t mean to offend. She is only a young Common Elfaun, and she has good reason to fear you.”

Zor nodded and said, “As you wish. Please bring the young one here though. I wish her to learn that the world is changing and she has nothing to fear from us in the future.”

Leah misted from view and made her way into the worm-hole. She whispered in Zarif’s ear, “I’m here. You lead the way, and I will follow.”

Zarif slowly made her way down the hole to where Mirasçi was waiting. Leah said, “I am here Mirasçi, what do you want to say?”

“Is it true? Are you the promised Empress? Did you ring the Bell?”

“I rang the Bell and I sit on the Imperial throne.”

“Then the worms, they are coming for you. Can you feel them?”

“I’m sorry Mirasçi, I don’t understand.”

“My grandfather was a worm-hunter, one of the last. He told many stories about the worms and how they acted. One of the oldest stories was that each time the Bell of Ascension rang it would wake the worms. He said that they could sense the one who rang it and one would come to test them to decide who had dominion of the mountain. He used to say the reason there were so few worms these days was because the Bell had not rung for over a thousand years. He had many stories of the Bell and the worms. The louder the Bell, the stronger the worm, or worms, who came, and the greater their number. If his stories were true, then you may have even awakened the father of worms, the mythical Büyük.”

“I have felt a vibration all day; it comes from inside the mountain.”

“Then they will come for you. You are in the centre of the city. To get to you, they will need to pass through the homes of many Elfauns. I came to ask that you move away from the city, or at least to the inside, close to the worms.”

Leah nodded, “Thank you for your warning. Is there anything else you know that could help?”

Mirasçi thought for a moment then said, “The hunters, the ones who faced the stray worms that stumbled into the city. The hunters had a dance, it was called the Dance-of-Knives. My grandfather would say that each worm he’d ever faced always moved in the same way. If you knew the Dance-of-Knives, then you could predict every move to be made and you would be successful.”

“Are there any worm-hunters alive who know the dance?”

“There are none alive that I know of. The last of them were purged six years ago by a coalition of High Lords.”

“Do you know your grandfather’s dance?”

“I watched him a few times and can remember some of it.”

“Will you come into the Bell room and show me?”

“No. But if you come alone to the Great Cavern of Fools then I will show you.”

“I’m not a fool though Mirasçi, why there?”

“It is away from the city and near the worms. At least then you will be far from my people.”

“How long will it be before they arrive?”

“I don’t know, but my grandfather used to say this poem all the time:

‘The Bell has rung, beware the worm,

Now those who fight, be strong, stand firm.

Strong hearts you need, but watch your feet,

They come with speed, one pace each beat.’”

Leah thought for a moment and then checked the angles with Gèng before saying, “If I understand him and if he is right then I have less than four hours before the worms will be under my feet. How far is this Great Cavern of Fools?”

“Almost two thousand paces into the mountain, and it is deep.”

“It will be three hours from now then. I agree to meet you for a lesson on the Dance-of-Knives in two hours at the Great Cavern of Fools. Thank you for your help Mirasçi. If what you say is true then you have saved many lives.”

He nodded but then said quietly, “If only I was sure they were worth it.” He turned and disappeared down a worm-hole.

Zarif said, “He didn’t wait for me. I hope you know the way out? I don’t.”

Leah said, “Let’s go back to the hole, and I’ll get you through the roof.”

“Where the long-horns are? I can’t, they scare me.”

“It will be all right, I promise. Now make your way back towards the hole until I say stop.”

When they were about five paces from the hole, Leah said, “Stop! Now, wait here while I make the hole bigger.”

Leah Misted to the throne room floor where the Mages and guards were still waiting. As she un-Misted, she stalled the questions by holding up a hand and then quickly cast Changing Attraction on the part of the roof around the hole. Some of it began to crumble, and she carefully imagined a blast of compressed air and with only a small amount of mana sent this to the roof. The result was anticlimactic as only a few pebbles were dislodged. She increased her mana use by ten and this time a large section of the roof fell to the floor. Now she could see the tunnel. After equipping her Spider Hands, she teleported to the roof and hanging by one hand, called Zarif to come to the edge. When she arrived, Leah helped Zarif climb onto her back and then Leah scuttled down the wall with Zarif clinging to her.

When they reached the ground, Zarif refused to let go of Leah. Leah finally worked Zarif around to the front and then sat on the floor while holding her. The standing Elfauns had no idea how to respond to their Empress sitting on the ground and gently holding a Common Elfaun child. Leah looked up at them and in a few terse sentences explained the information she’d been given.

When she’d finished Haf Izlarin said, “What this boy told you matches the little I know from the history scrolls. I’d come to believe them fables similar to the fable of the hoof-less Empress. There is a description of the Dance-of-Knives, and some of the guards practice it. What will you do?”

“I will retire to my quarters for one hour, and then I want to be taken to this Great Cavern of Fools. Is it easier to go from here or from the Forge I visited this morning?”

Haf said, “The Forge is on the way. It is maybe half an hour beyond.”

“Then send those guards who know the Dance-of-Knives and someone to guide me to the forge. I'll meet them there in just over one hour's time.”

Picking up Zarif, Leah made her way to her rooms, and after convincing Zarif that she was safe, Leah lay down on the bed and said, “I’m going to have a short sleep. Just like yesterday. I will be back in an hour.”

Then she logged out.

CHAPTER EIGHT

December 11, 2073 - Part 5

Back in the Tower Leah said, “Gèng, is there anything at all on this Büyük or worms anywhere?”

“There is nothing on specifically on worms recorded in this region. A Büyük is mentioned as one of the primordial entities who seeded parts the world with life on behalf of the Gods. Once the Gods had finished with the various entities, they just left them here. All of those that remain are considered to be demigods. Not much is recorded about Büyük though. It has no gender and apparently seeded life using some form of fragmentation. Small parts of it dropped off and formed the different creatures and plants. Apparently, it was involved in making many of the creatures that burrow or live in the earth. Dwarves, goblins, orcs, intelligent slime and various others have a range of curse words relating to it. Most fear it because although it stopped seeding new life it apparently still considers the earth its domain. ”

“Can you put together a list of the curse words? Maybe it will shed some light on some of the characteristics. And if it does turn up then I’ll have something up my sleeve to put it off balance. I came back for a quick break because I think this may take longer than the hour I have left.”

Leah logged out for some food and a bathroom break. Her dad was still sitting in the kitchen. She said, “I’m just ducking through. Something has come up, and it might take longer than I think.”

“Well, fill me in. If it turns out that I start playing, then I’ll need to learn stuff. What’s happening?”

“Well, I’ve chosen to claim an Imperial throne. One of the independent states that honours that claim is about to be attacked by numerous giant worms who are currently burrowing through solid rock to get at me. It’s possible one of the demigods left behind at the creation of the world will join them. On my side are some palace guards and a teenage boy about Conner’s age who wants to show me a dance.”

“Okay. Now see, that helps. Instead of just thinking I knew nothing at all about the virtual worlds, now I know I know nothing. It’s always good to have realistic expectations. Do you think you can take the demigod?”

“Only if I’m sneaky. I did kill a goddess once, but I was really sneaky that time and caught her by surprise. But honestly, I don’t know. My dad always used to tell me that all he expected was my best, nothing more, and nothing less.”

“Then go do your best, and be sure to listen to your dad. He sounds like one of the smartest people you’ll ever meet. I bet he is handsome too?”

“Nah, he’s lost all his hair, and his head looks like a polished rock.”

“Must be where you got your looks from then, I’d guess.”

They chatted a bit more, then Leah hurried back to the Pod and then hurried into Dunyanin.

She had been away for less than an hour virtual time. She spent the next five minutes convincing Zarif that she needed to stay in the room while Leah went to meet Mirasçi. When Leah opened the door to leave her, she found Lady Yar Dimci, her assistant, waiting. Leah said, “Yar, just who I wanted to see. This is Zarif, and she is staying with me for a bit. Can you get her something to eat and then make sure she doesn’t steal too much before I get back?”

Yar looked a little confused but said, “Of course, Empress. Where will you be?”

“I wish I could stay and talk but I can’t. Bye.”

At that, Leah teleported to the Forge she had left only a few hours before. Haf was there with ten Warrior Elfauns; all were older than the ones she’d seen around the Throne Room and her suites. With them were five mages, including Zor. Haf saw her first and said, “Welcome Empress, these are the Elfauns I was telling you about. They all used to practice with the worm-hunters before they rebelled several years ago.”

While he talked, she watched the faces of the Warriors and said, “I don't think have the whole story, Haf. As we walk, talk to your Warriors, I think you will find out some truths that have been hidden from you. But we must hurry, who is the guide?”

One of the Common Elfauns who was standing nearby said, “That would be me, Miss Empress. My name is Lagimci, and I worked on that foolish project when I was young. They wanted to excavate the biggest Cavern in the world but didn’t ask those of us who do the work if it would work. We tried to tell the Uppity Lords that the area was unstable but they wouldn’t listen to us Common Elfauns. When the roof collapsed, it killed eighty-five brave Elfauns and five idiots. Of course, they named it after the idiots. I hope you don’t plan on restarting the project.”

“Don’t worry, Lagimci, I don’t have such plans. Now lead the way, for time is short.”

Lagimci started off and led them back the way she’d come that morning. Five minutes later he turned into a side tunnel which angled down into the earth and away from the city. Lagimci turned and said, “This path leads almost straight to the Great Cavern of Fools. There are no side paths between here and there. This path isn’t lit so its best if the one in front can see in the dark or takes one of the lights. I’ll take you all the way, but you’ll have to put up with my speed as I’m getting older and I don’t see as well these days.”

Leah thought for a moment and then discussed the situation with Zor and Haf. Zor said the mages would not be able to go much faster and Haf thought they should move as fast as they could. Finally, Leah said, “Here’s what we will do. Lagimci, please lead High Mage Zor and the other mages to the Cavern. Guard Captain Haf will leave two warriors with you. Everyone else is to come with me. I will increase the pace slowly but if it becomes too fast then let me know, and I’ll slow down a bit.”

Everyone nodded except one of the warriors who said, “Don’t you worry about slowing down, Empress, we can keep up, especially in the dark.”

“Good. Now let’s go.”

Leah calmed her breathing and then considered light and how it was reflected off mirrors to shine in a set direction. She pictured two lights, one on each shoulder. They should shine the light ahead of her without letting any shine behind. She wanted them to stay a fixed distance above the floor but to keep pace with her body. When she thought she had the idea firmly set in her mind, she cast the spell. Two spotlights shone down the tunnel, illuminating everything for over a hundred metres. Leah said, “Let’s go then, try and keep up.”

Leah slowly increased the pace until she was almost running down the path. It wasn’t long until she could make out the heavy breathing from behind. With a small grin, she increased the pace even more. Slowly she began to draw away from the Warriors until she heard Haf’s weak cry from behind, “You win Atherleah, you win. Slow down a bit.”

She didn’t say anything but did slow down to a fast jog. With the speed Leah maintained, it was only twenty minutes before she saw the tunnel widening ahead. She slowed and cancelled the spotlight spell. She stood for a few minutes until her eyes became used to the darkness again. Inside the cavern she could see a flickering light. Carefully she stepped from the tunnel and into a cavern at least four times larger than the one the Kraken had lived in. She could just make out the shape from lichen which grew on the roof, walls, and floor, gently illuminating the space. In the centre was a large pile of rock and she could make out where it had fallen from the roof. The flickering light was a candle which rested beside the seated Mirasçi.

Leah said, “These guards and some Mages have offered to help me. If you show me the dance, then you can go.”

Mirasçi said, “Maybe, and maybe I’ll stay and see what happens. Are you ready?”

One of the guards said, “Mirasçi, is that you? I thought they’d killed you along with your grandfather. Where have you been?”

“Here and there, just trying to stay alive. Have you all kept up your dancing?”

“Most weeks we practice. There have been no worms, so we’re not as regular as we used to be when Azmet was alive.”

Mirasçi said, “Empress, these men know the dance. Let us show you. We will dance it together.”

Mirasçi and the Warriors stood a distance apart, and each had a sword in their right hand and a knife in their left. Mirasçi began to tap his feet and then said, “Three, two, one!”

On the next tap of his feet the men began to swing their swords in an ever-changing pattern. They sliced and thrust, ducked and wove, jumped and stabbed. Leah struggled to make sense of it but none of the movements were repeated. After two minutes of strenuous weaving, ducking, and stabbing, they all stopped in sync with a downward stab of the sword. Mirasçi said, “That is the Dance-of Knives. Every worm begins the attack the same way. If those moves are made then the one who dances can avoid every attack by the worm and will wear the worm down enough to kill it with the final thrust.”

Leah nodded and said, “How many worms have attacked in the past?”

Mirasçi said, “When they are close to the city by happenstance then it is almost always one. I heard that depending on the sound which came from the bell, some kings of old have had to face as many as four. I think you rang the bell more than any other in history. How many can you feel?”

Leah faced the direction she had worked out would be where the worms came from and then sat on the floor and took the Lotus position. She closed her eyes and tried to feel the vibrations, to see if she could distinguish any sense of the number of worms involved. Her hand began to vibrate, and she said to Gèng, “Can you isolate the wave pattern and then compare it to the sound from yesterday? See if you can see how many individual waveforms are represented. I imagine each worm will have the same frequency, but they might be out of phase.”

“I shall try. Please focus on your hand and let it vibrate freely.”

Leah relaxed her hands and began to meditate. She sought to separate this instant of time and to look at it objectively. She felt her hands move and tried to distinguish the answer herself. It was several minutes before Gèng said, “The data is difficult to compile, have you any further constraints?”

“Yes. I doubt they are all at the same distance, nor are they all making their own holes. I thought I could sense eight different positions where the amplitude spiked a little and then a ninth with a much larger spike. If you separate out the eight and then recalculate possible numbers by considering that any other worms are moving along the same path, one behind another? If they are all vibrating in time, then the out of phase feeling will be because of the different distances. The ninth was a pure vibration, and I think it represents this Büyük. If the others are all vibrating in time with it, that should give enough to make an educated guess. Of course, they will all affect each other as well.”

“I’m sorry Leah, there still isn’t enough data. Best guess would be at least forty and an upper limit of one hundred and eighty. But these are guesses, none of the numbers has a probability greater than 0.7648.”

Leah nodded, then stood. She said, “Best guess is more than forty and less than two hundred. Followed closely by Büyük itself, come to play.”

Each of the Warriors looked at each other soberly, but before they could say anything Lagimci and the mages arrived. After they had been brought up to date, Haf said, “So Empress, how do you want us to deploy?”

Leah looked around and then up at the ceiling. She said, “Lagimci, how stable is the roof?”

“It’s better now the main weak central section has fallen, but any more excavation and other weakened areas will be put under too much strain. It could all come down.”

“Where would I need to excavate to bring it all crashing down?”

He stared at her as if she was mad until Zor repeated the question and he said, “I’ll show you. But if you are going to play miner in here I want to go home.”

Leah turned to Haf, “Deploy around the edges.” Then turning back to Lagimci she said, “Okay, now show me.”

After walking around with Lagimci, Leah sat in the middle of the room and pondered her position. She checked her statistics and was shocked to find that she’d not allocated any points for almost forty levels. She’d always meant to sit and work out a strategy but just hadn’t got around to it. She hadn’t used her skill points either. She checked the details on her various spells and then added a point here or there to increase the level or change it from Apprentice to Expert, or Expert to Master. Finally, she allocated half her remaining points into the True Images spell given her by Utsal. She had wanted to keep this until the competition, but as she controlled the content of her public feed at the moment, she’d just have to have it cut out. Finally, she used all her characteristic points except ten. Altogether her Mana was just shy of 300,000 MP, and her Ki was just over 240,000 KP.

When she’d finished, she checked her calculations and then walked over to Mirasçi and said, “Thank you for helping today. But it’s time you left; the worms will be here within ten minutes.”

“Part of me wishes I could, for if the truth is told, then I’m terrified of what I know is coming. But the rest of me believes that I should stay and help to fight for my people, and for my Empress.”

“Mirasçi, ignore the Empress bit. I do. I’m just a few years older than you, but I’m what is known as a Traveller. If I die then I will have another tomorrow, I will come back. You won’t. So go and live your life.”

“Empress Atherleah, this is my life. If I run now, then my life truly is a lie. I am your servant, and these warriors and mages, these are my people.”

“All right Mirasçi, I believe in letting people make their own choices as long as they don’t hurt others in the process. But if I let you stay, and believe me when I say, ‘I could make you leave’ then you need to tell me the truth. Who are you?”

Mirasçi said nothing for a minute and just stared at Leah, and then when he spoke it was in a soft voice that only she could hear. Although it was soft it was said with so much emotion it was hard for Leah to begin to separate out all the different feelings. He said, “My Empress, I am Bey Gercek Mirasçi, son of Asa Tahtial Asalet. I am the last of my line, I am the heir to the Throne of Cet Veller Çizgisi, Ruler of Dag Tarafind, and I am your faithful subject.”

Leah tried not to let any shock show on her face. Instead, she put one hand on his shoulder and said, “Then welcome, Your Highness. Take your place on the edges, and we will continue this conversation when the worms are destroyed.”

“You believe me.”

“Sure! If I can believe I really am an Empress then you being a King isn’t all that hard at all. Now go!”

Leah teleported to various locations around the cavern and weakened some structures while strengthening others. When she could sense the worms were less than three minutes away, she teleported to the centre of the cavern and waited. A message appeared:

++Message/delay++atherleah-fqc3465278++/request/lockout/++/update

Atherleah, please note that the cancelled Quest item, ‘Trial of Den Meler’, has been reinitiated as a Unique Individual Event - Level 6 (Celestial) and renamed ‘Defeat the forces of Büyük’.

The demigod Büyük has become enraged by the Bell of Ascension which sought to obligate Büyük to recognise you as its superior. Büyük has collected one hundred of its Shamirii and seeks to destroy you and the Bell of Ascension which it believes to be a weapon left by the Gods to prevent it from attaining godhood. You must defeat the Shamarii and save the Bell.

Reward 1: 20000 EP x Player Level

Reward 2: 1 Diamond for every ten Shamarii killed

Reward 3: +5% to Experience Points

Reward 4: 5000 Fame Points

The AI which controls the classification of events, dungeons, quests and trials has rated the event as a Unique Individual Event - Level 6. Please note this classification has not been used previously and is under review.

Leah glanced at it briefly and then ignored it as she began to cast the spell of True Images. She’d managed to raise the spell six levels and could now make two copies of herself for a maximum of twenty minutes. She equipped the Amber Dragon in one hand and Merdiven in the other. She considered herself, her actions, the motivations which had brought her here. She ran her mind over her strengths and weaknesses and then as she felt the first of the worms vibrate the ground beneath her, she imagined copies of herself one metre on either side of her, each holding the two weapons, then cast the spell.

She felt the mana swirl through her body; it rushed through her. It examined every part of her in an instant and then she felt as if she had shattered like glass as Mana rushed from her pores and coalesced on either side of her. She could feel the earth begin to drop beneath her and she said, to herselves, “Make yourselves useful.” Then, she Misted.

The Shamir was half a pace in diameter, and all teeth, as it reared from the ground beneath the Misted Leah, rearing twenty paces into the air. Both ImageLeahs brought their Amber Swords forward to slice the worm along its length as it rose into the air. Leah could tell that the Sword met more resistance than before and wondered if its power was lessened after being split in three or if the Shamir’s skin was somehow hardened. Either way, she checked the Shamir’s HP, and it was under thirty percent, but both ImageLeah’s dealt with that immediately. The worm was over thirty metres long and segmented. The front section looked to be all mouth, with sharp teeth covered in thick slime. Behind the mouth was a circle of eyes which appeared to have no iris, only the sclera and pupil. The body was grey and was covered in what looked like large scales, each with protruding setae—these hook-shaped appendages were the size of a bent index finger and faced the back end of the worm.

SHAMIR (Level 340) 115600 HP (17000EP)

Leah un-Misted and said, “We need to spread out.”

She discovered that somehow she instinctively knew which way each was going to move. She checked the Amber Dragon’s statistics, and they looked unchanged, so presumably the Shamir had tough skin. Once more the ground beneath her feet began to fall away. This time she could feel echoes of that realisation emanating from the ImageLeahs and knew she was on her own. She unequipped Merdiven, and at the last moment she stepped to her right and turned halfway toward where the worm was already rising and using both hands brought the sword from head height, across her body and diagonally down. Each time the sword encountered one of the hooks, Leah felt greater resistance, but her momentum allowed her to finish the stroke and she was able to remove the top three metres of the Shamir. Before she could check if it were dead, she had to dive to her left as another Shamir came through the ground at an angle aiming straight for her.

For the next few minutes, it was all a matter of staying one step ahead of the frenzied Shamirii as they rose from the earth and then began writhing on the ground in an attempt to crush Leah, catch her on their hooks or bite her if she was in range of the teeth. The Shamirii worked together to try and attack her. They would crawl over each other, build barriers, form bridges, and even catapult each other toward Leah or one of her images. She felt the moment one of her images was cornered and missed the worm attacking from behind. The teeth sheered through the Image’s torso, and Leah could feel the slime begin to eat at her dying flesh.

Leah had been waiting to make sure that all the worms had risen but knew she’d run out of time. She equipped Merdiven and cast the light spell she’d used in the Kraken Cavern. The Shamirii made the first sound she’d heard beyond the scraping and clashing of their hooks and scales; they screamed as a light brighter than anything they had encountered before filled the chamber. Leah then cast three Changing Attraction spells at the parts of the roof she’d discussed with Lagimci. The entire middle section of the roof began to fall towards the mound of Shamirii which even in their agony, tried to reach Leah and the surviving ImageLeah. Both Leah and her Image Misted just before the roof collapsed. Leah un-Misted on one side of the mound of crushed and twisted Shamirii and equipping the Amber Dragon she cast Dragon Fire using the sword as a wand. She wasn’t surprised to see a similar wave of flame coming from the other side of the mound.

Leah and her image poured all the Mana they had into the spell, and it was amplified by the swords. Leah could see the Elfauns fleeing from the cavern and into the tunnels as the mound turned white and both rock and Shamirii burned, melted and mixed into a molten pool. Leah found the heat oppressive and could feel her skin blistering, but she maintained the fire until her Mana was exhausted. She stumbled to the nearest exit and took some of her remaining restore potions she’d made way back in Ticareti.

As she waited for her Mana and Ki to fill, she could feel her Image moving toward her. She looked up and saw herself with blistered skin, hair burned away, and armour scraped, scorched and torn. She raised her hand to touch her head only to feel similar evidence of the conflict. Before she could respond to her situation, she was surprised when the Image said, “Büyük.”

Leah felt for the vibration and finally discovered it heading away from her. It wasn’t fleeing but heading for the City. Leah said, “You stay and make sure the worms are dead, I’ll deal with their maker.” She took a health potion, but before it could even take effect she teleported to the throne room; she was sure Büyük was going for the Bell.

She arrived in the Throne room to find it empty of life and the door torn open; the torn and burnt bodies of guards and several Lords littered the floor. The Bell of Ascension still hung where it always did, untouched. Through the open door, she could hear screams of pain and panic. Leah ran from the room and could see a line of debris and bodies stretching along the corridor. As she raced toward the sounds, she realised that this was the direction she’d been taken that first night when she’d been shown to her suite. She teleported.

She arrived beside the balcony to find her door destroyed and a head similar to the Shamir, though five times the diameter, just inside the room. The partially dissolved body of Lady Yar was just in front of it. Zarif was nowhere to be seen. Leah checked Büyük’s information.

BÜYÜK (Level 8431) 71081761HP (421550EP)

Leah stood still, waiting, and as she did she carefully tried to search for Zarif.

“Ah, the Empress I have heard so much about since I awoke.” A dry cold voice echoed in her mind. “You search for the child? I heard that about you; that your compassion for lesser creatures knew no bounds. My creator said that this would be your downfall, your weakness, and your death. Behold, here is what remains of your tasty little friend.”

And Büyük’s body convulsed slightly and spat out a small Elfaun form. Leah couldn’t even tell if it was Zarif or not, but she sank to her knees in horror, loss and pain.

“He was right! Oh, what ecstasy! Already he feeds from your despair as I will from your body. I know when I consume your tasteless, soft, useless flesh that you will be able to return to this world, you accursed Traveller. Know that I will be waiting to consume it once more, it and so many of your useless subjects. Your only hope is to renounce your throne and bow to me.”

Leah didn’t pay him any attention. Instead, her mind replayed each interaction with Zarif, her smile, the inquisitiveness, the hugs, the fear, and the feeling of love the girl had shown, a love that Leah had returned. She knew that Zarif had only been a small part of the code that made up this world, only a tiny semi-autonomous piece of intelligent code that had no value to anyone. No one, that is, except to her. The code had no real point except to populate a world for her enjoyment and the enjoyment of millions of others. She understood that in the whole scheme of life this small piece of code was so insignificant as to be unnoticeable, and yet her heart broke. Finally, she raised her head and looked at Büyük.

“I took the role of Empress on a whim. I sat on the throne to make a point to people far removed from this situation. I played the part because it achieved my purposes and it furthered my goals. Under the right circumstances, in fact, under almost any circumstances I would gladly have handed the throne to someone else.” Leah used her hands and wiped her eye, smearing ash over her cheeks. “For the first time, I begin to understand what someone meant when he said, ‘I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these, you did it to me’. Büyük, you might eat me, and you might kill me, but be certain of this, there is no place on this world or under it where you can hide from me. This little Elfaun, whether Zarif or another, she was valuable to me. I would die a hundred times to defend her, and just as many to prevent another suffering her fate. These are my people. Your god, and I assume it’s that degenerate Suzluk, he only uses you and he will not shed a tear at your death. This dead Elfaun, even in death, has more value to me than you do to him.”

Knowing she was destroying one of the best chances she had to win the competition, Leah palmed the vial of Utsal’s blood and swallowed it. She equipped the Amber Dragon and said, “Tell Suzluk that next time he should come himself.”

Büyük surged forward as Leah teleported sideways and then raked Büyük’s side with the sword, but to no effect as the sword merely scraped along the scaled skin. As the demigod thrashed left to crush her, she teleported onto the canyon floor and casting an amplification spell yelled, “Büyük, Suzluk’s pet, you legless grub, I’m waiting for you.”

With a mind-numbing screech of anger, the immense creature broke through the outer wall of the canyon and made its way down the wall using its large setae to grip the wall and lower itself to the floor. Leah took several deep breaths as she saw the size of the creature. Its diameter was easily two and a half paces, and its length over fifty times longer than that. She waited until it was on the canyon floor before equipping Merdiven and saying quietly, “Help would be appreciated.” She teleported onto the back of Büyük, just behind the head and brought the Morningstar down as hard as she could on one of the monster’s numerous eyes. She both felt and saw the Mana burst from Merdiven in a vibrant triadic blend of red, yellow, and blue and then rush through the broken organ into Büyük body. Whatever the spell was, it began to change the structure of the flesh around the crushed and now sightless eye—the scales started to show small cracks and then a rancid bright yellow fluid began to seep from within. The spell began slowly but had begun to spread faster when suddenly the Morningstar exploded. Leah was blown off Büyük and landed over thirty paces away. When she landed, she not only broke an arm but shattered her ankle when it became impaled on a low-lying branch.

The regenerative potion took hold, and her HP rose rapidly, fixing her arm and taking the pain from her ankle. She reached down and pulled the branch from the broken flesh. She stood, already back to ninety percent of her health. She also discovered several new tears in her armour where the Morningstar’s spikes had been blown straight through her. Merdiven was lying behind her, snapped in two. Büyük laughed in her mind and said, “See, my creator does care for me. He broke your little toy and now he commands me to finish you.”

Leah, now fully healed and replenished with Stamina, Ki and Mana, stared up at Büyük who had raised its head high to drop onto her. She took a deep breath and as the open mouth dropped she raised her hands and double cast Dragon Fire straight into the open maw. A beam of white-hot fire, the diameter of her spread hands, shot out and turned the inside of Büyük's head to ash. Büyük’s body dropped to the ground and flailed in agony. Leah slowed the amount of Ki and Mana expended through her hands until she saw the icons stabilising with the hundredfold replenishing buff replenishing that used by the spell. Büyük's HP had dropped to ninety percent and she played the Dragon Fire over the scales and eyes but they would not burn. The demigod’s HP rose to ninety-one percent as it began to regenerate. Leah moved to focus the beam into the wide open jaw. Slowly the HP dropped. She had to walk inside the massive worm to reach the next section of flesh. Ash, steam, and other gases rushed past, scalding and poisoning her till she had to slow her advance to let her HP and SP regenerate as fast as they were being taken away. Over the next ninety minutes she slowly walked the whole length of the convulsing, dying creature. She made sure that every section of the massive beast’s insides were turned to ash and she didn’t stop until Büyük's HP dropped to zero; even then she flamed it once more because she didn’t want anything to regenerate. When it was finally finished, she made her way out of the long empty lifeless tube and headed to Merdiven. She gently picked up both pieces but she wasn’t shown anything when she tried to identify them. She placed them in her bag and turned toward her room, only to see a figure clothed in darkness and chains standing and watching her in early evening gloom.

SUZLUK, GOD OF DESPAIR (Level 11743) 137898049HP 587150EP

Leah waited, and Suzluk said, “I have come myself, just as you requested. This time you will not take me unaware. You have already expended your greatest spells and weapons. This time, you cannot escape.”

Leah nodded for a moment then said, “You keep telling yourself that, Slug Lord. You should know by now that my death, here and now, it means nothing to me—I will return. And yet here you are, and instead of trying to kill me you try and take away my confidence, to destroy my view of the future. I think that the only one who is filled with despair right now is you. You’ve run out of options, haven’t you? You couldn’t break me on the Road of Kings, nor by taking the ones I care about. I am now more focused, not less, on bringing hope to this world. Your servant is nothing but ash. It will be used by my people to fertilise their gardens and clean their waste. So, bring it on. The next move is yours, Suzluk.”

Before she could blink a beam of dark brown Mana shot from Suzluk’s hands. She hadn’t even raised her hands when it collided with a bubble of silver and green which formed around her. As the brown Mana hit the ground, it hissed and boiled before sinking like a thick tar into the now blackened soil. Lord Umut appeared and said, “Suzluk, my brother, this is not permitted. You are only permitted direct action against those who have given in to Despair. You may not act directly against my Champion while in this plane of existence.”

“I shall have my revenge!”

“Be that as it may, you may not take it here or now. Do not forget the Precepts.”

“The Precepts are antiquated, and they become more powerless each passing cycle. Even now they depend on you to save this contumelious upstart. They unduly restrict both us and our growth.”

“Despair not my brother, these restrictions are for our betterment, not for our demise. They help to bring to fullness that which we are.”

“Useless drivel.” Turning to Atherleah Suzluk said, “Don’t think this spares you from my wrath, it only increases your eventual suffering. I leave you with this thought, ‘What will happen if I get your mother in my hands?’” Then he disappeared.

Leah’s shoulder’s slumped a little, and Umut said, “Take heart, my Champion. His words never have power on their own, their power always comes from you. It comes when you begin to believe his words. I would encourage you, though, to be less bellicose with him and his allies. Their particular outlook on life makes them immune to the subtleties of mockery and irony. But I digress, I came to say that though your willingness to expend your most precious resources for the sake of a dead child was viewed by many in my family as foolishness, I am proud of you. Now, I must take my leave, but I suggest you have this patch of ground cordoned off. Anything that grows in its cursed soil will destroy rather than nourish. And don’t forget the skin, you might have need of it sometime.” Then he disappeared.

Leah shifted her shoulders, and after casting a small light and checking the ground, she cast Changing Attraction repeatedly until she could find no trace of the tar or blackened soil. Instead, there was a substantial semi-spherical depression in the ground and eight small black spheres resting in the bottom. They refused to even glitter in the light of her spell. She looked at them, and Gèng said, “Leah, you have a message concerning the spheres which are now called ‘The Llanetli of Atherleah’. There are other messages that I have withheld, what order do you wish to see them in?”

“I don’t, Gèng. I don’t want to read them. Maybe I’ll read them when I return, but not now. What should I do with the stones?”

“I suggest you collect them, but do not touch them. I’d put them in a small bag and store them in the Tower for now. When you read the message, you will understand how dangerous they could be in Dunyanin.”

Leah did what was suggested and found it difficult to get the stones in the bag for each of them seemed to weigh a tonne or more. She then harvested Büyük's skin without checking any messages. When all was finally done she gave a small shrug of her shoulders as if to shift a weight that rested on them. She was about to log out when she noticed a stream of Elfauns flowing from the city, thousands upon thousands of them, each carrying a torch, and all of them slowly making their way out onto the plain. As they drew close, she could see they were led by a young female, a Common Elfaun.

Drawing near the Elfaun bowed low and said, “Empress, my name is Tarilan. We have come to light your way back to your people. Your conversation with the creature was overheard and has been repeated throughout the city. Just as you declared that we are your people, even if it cost your life a hundred times or more. So we declare, you are our Empress. Not because of Prophecy, nor by the ringing of an Ancient Bell, but because we choose you above all others. Even now I can see the burden of loss and responsibility lies heavy on you and I think you wish only to find a sanctuary tonight. Will you allow us this small honour; to light the way back to Dag Tarafind?”

Leah smiled, “It is I who am honoured, Tarilan. Thank you. I believe I do need your light tonight.”

Together the two walked back and through the crowd which parted before them. Once in the city, the lights led the way to her room where she slowly slumped to the ground, tears freely falling. This was how she was found some ten minutes later by Mirasçi, Zor and Haf. Zor cast a spell to cover both Lady Yar’s and Zarif’s bodies with golden domes. Haf said, “Atherleah, you need to rest before dealing with this. Come, I will show you to another room.”

Leah allowed herself to be led to a new room and as the door closed, she logged out.

When Leah arrived in the Tower, she flopped into her favourite chair and sat for a few minutes before saying, “Thanks for keeping the messages away ,Gèng. I don't think I could have coped if everything was distilled down to a set of numbers, experience points and achievements.”

“It was intense and distressing. Unfortunately, several issues require your attention. May I share them?”

“Sure Gèng, you might as well go ahead, I’m going to have to deal with them sometime.”

“First, Spectator was served a second injunction by Dunyanin’s Lawyers, and this time it was upheld. The judge granted Dunyanin twenty-four virtual hours to reach a negotiated settlement with you. After this, the matter will be referred to the Virtual Worlds Resolution Committee for immediate settlement. The Judge ruled that the excessive disruption of access to people wanting to view your feeds amounted to a breach of contract between Dunyanin and the virtual community.”

“Then why stop the broadcast?”

“Because in the initial Terms and Conditions, you signed that you accepted their right to publish achievements on the achievement forum. Their lawyers insist that this also implies an agreement to respect their decision not to publish. Due to their media ban, they have not published any achievement since you entered the Elfaun City. If the feed is shown by you, this could be understood as publishing, though in a different format, something they have decided not to publish.”

“Are Stephen and Susan holding up ok?”

“Stephen said they are having the time of their lives.”

“Good! Anything else?”

“Sharon dropped by with a few questions, but I was sure of your answers and dealt with them, I hope that is ok.”

“Absolutely!”

“John says they narrowed the area where they think your mother is down to an area with less than 10,000 possible locations. Inside the area, the Kodomans and associates have just over 500 properties. He estimates it will require a further forty-eight hours before they have the location. Associated with that, I’ve ordered some materials which we can use to fabricate a set of clothing for you, should you need to help in the liberation of Lin. It will arrive tomorrow.”

“Thanks, I’d forgotten about that. Was there anything from Thad?”

“I’m sorry, no!”

“Anything else?”

“Just to remind you, you have to visit Dr Ellis and it’s been a day and a half since you have been in Pneumatica. I received an automated message from the Brisbane Community College to remind you not to get behind with attendance. You have the final Betrayal Transition change this afternoon. Both Amy and Wisp would like to know how they can help. Susan has the meeting set up with Leon Scorsese at two thirty tomorrow morning. I have tentatively acknowledged this as acceptable, conditional on your approval. Peter has finalised the coin transfers. In total you have eight diamond available to add to your collection, twenty-three platinum and numerous smaller coins. On a side note, I did some research and although there is no record of it occurring, I see no reason why as either a landowner or as a head of state you cannot mint your own coins. Finally, if you have any other time it would be good to begin looking into Akia’s request.”

Leah sat for a minute thinking through the points made by Gèng and then with a deep sigh said, “At least I won’t be bored in the near future. Please tell Amy and Wisp that at the moment I can’t think of anything in particular but ask if either of them has played Runes of Destiny. I’m interested to know why Nathan chose that world to play in out of all the possible choices. Two thirty is fine for Leon’s interview; I assume it’ll be in the Tower but tell Susan not to forget I’ll want some assurance he is clean of compulsion. Thank Peter for the coins, ask him what he thinks is the best strategy for when to claim them. Also, run your idea past him about minting our own coins. I don’t imagine we’ll just be able to hand them out like candy, yet Namus handed his over, so check if there are any constraints in the Rules and Guidelines. I promise I’ll get to your space before lunch.”

Leah stood and made her way to the portal to Dr Ellis’ Research Lab in Academia. She could have waited until later but felt she needed a break. As she entered the large warehouse sized laboratory, she could see the same Lab assistant from the day before working at one of the smaller experimental setups. Dr Ellis was nowhere to be seen. She walked over to the assistant, and when he looked up, she said, “Hello, my name is Atherleah, I’m Dr Ellis’ newest assistant. Is Dr Ellis around?”

The man who looked to be in his early twenties said, “Oh, I know who you are. You’re the kid who’s not even finished a primary degree, and somehow the old idiot thinks you can help. I don’t know where he is and I don’t care. Since you were last here I’ve had to put up with a whole new range of insults, he’s taken what you said to heart, and it’s like he spends all his time thinking up ways to belittle and abuse me. Now beat it, come back when you’ve learned to keep your mouth shut, or better yet when you’re old enough to know something.”

Leah was taken aback by his anger and stepped away. She decided that whatever his name was he wasn’t likely to change his attitude regardless of what she said. She thought of apologising but decided not to. She wasn’t responsible for the doctor’s actions, only hers. She had Gèng send a short message to Dr Ellis to ask when would be a good time to start and then started a short lap around the lab looking at the various pieces of equipment. She tried to identify each piece and to work out what it might be used for. Before she’d finished even a tithe of the lab, Dr Ellis arrived.

He ignored the other assistant and walked up to Leah and said, “Atherleah, good of you to turn up. Now I want you to do three things today. First, shorten your name. Four syllables are too many for anyone to say all the time. Next, study the setup I’ve designed to measure the temporal change in the aether-dimension. I’ll want you to explain it to me before I can trust you to make some changes I’ve designed to be included in the next experiment. Finally, and this is always one of the tasks, I’m supposed to validate the AI assessment for my graduate class on Aether Dimensions. It’s something I can hand off to an assistant and you are chosen because the others I have are clueless. My AI has just sent you the schematics for the setup, the validation policy and the student assessments. Okay, find an empty space somewhere and get working.”

Before she could say anything, he walked off and disappeared into his aether-dimension formation machine. Leah found an empty area about four metres square and said, “Gèng, what permissions do you have regarding world manipulation in this space?”

“It depends on the usage. Dr Ellis has given you clearance to manipulate the space to comply with a reasonable interpretation of his instructions. Nothing permanent can be constructed, and all constructs are to be reviewed by Dr Ellis’ AI for adherence to general safety and MIT policies before taking effect.”

“Fair enough. Can you isolate this section? I’d like a separate dimensional space and if possible increase the time dilation to standard virtual. In one half I’d like a virtual model of the temporal measurement set-up with rotation and scalability and on the other side a sofa to think on and a screen on which to review the assessments.”

“I will design and check if it is possible.”

Leah stood staring at the empty square for a minute and trying to make sense of all that was happening. All of a sudden the space became hazy, and then coalesced into a cube of solid matter. A door appeared and opened. Leah stepped inside and found that everything had been set up as required. Gèng said, “Everything was approved. The time dilation was only approved because all these things could, according to the AI, be completed in your own world without jeopardising Academia’s preferred learning speed.”

Leah spent an hour reviewing the machine setup and making notes. She considered possible improvements and put together a list of suggestions. The next hour and a quarter she spent reviewing the assessment. Dr Ellis only had fifteen students taking the class, and she checked each student’s work rather than the sampling required by MIT. When she’d finished, she left the space, which disappeared, and had Gèng message,Dr Ellis, to say she’d finished. Within seconds he emerged from the machine and walked toward her. She was a little disconcerted by the scowl on his face.

“Somehow I shouldn’t be surprised,” he said. “Every single assistant I’ve ever had has needed their hands held or the task re-explained. I’d hoped for better things with you but it was not to be. Let me explain, I want you to review the setup so you can explain it to me and you need to check the assessment. Which of these is hard to understand?”

Leah was annoyed at his dismissive attitude and after the day she’d had, she let her mouth run away unchecked. She said, “Neither Dr Ellis, I would remind you that you also suggested I should find a shorter name. Don’t be concerned if you forgot that, I hear people tend to forget the simple things as they get older. My friends and family call me Leah, but as you don’t seem a likely prospect for membership in either of those groups that will be no good. I had my AI do some research and Lee is a good name, simple and easy to remember. I assume it is still ok for me to use four syllables when referring to you. As to the other two requests, I apologise if it sounded like I needed clarification. If English is not your preferred language, I could send it in several others or have it translated. I have finished them!”

Dr Ellis stared at her for a moment then said, “Right then, it’s good to clear that up. Lee it is, I reckon I’ll remember that. You’re still young so four syllables shouldn’t mess you up too much, and English’ll be fine. Now come on then and explain that setup to me. Just send the review through to MIT.”

Leah had cooled down and wondered what she would be like in another fifty years, particularly if no one either understood or cared about her work. Maybe she’d be just as irritable. She said, “Dr Ellis I apologise, I let my mouth run ahead of my brain and was out of line. I didn’t show you the respect you deserve. Please call me Leah. I would recommend that you look over the review before I send it in. In it I suggest the AI has failed to grade the assessment correctly. The AI used the generally accepted aether-theories when grading. Most of your students mirrored those theories and were graded accordingly. Only one of the students expressed the answer, that I suspect, was the one you taught and explained; she was graded negatively for that. I recommended that this be amended accordingly.”

Again he stared at her, then said, “Apology accepted, Leah. But as we both know, I did deserve that. Just call me Doctor for the moment. In a while, I expect it’ll just be Tom. And you’re right; please send the assessment to me, I do need to check and okay that type of response. How much time have you got to explain the setup to me?”

“The hour is up in fifteen Academia minutes Doctor.”

“How did you do all the tasks so quickly?”

“I had my AI separate some space out and increase the time dilation to normal-virtual.”

Again he paused and said, “You can do that in here?”

Leah’s mouth almost fell open, but instead she only shook her head slightly and said, “Doctor Ellis, please don’t take this the wrong way. But this is what you do with the Aether-Dimensions. You create a dimension within a dimension. You do it in the real universe; believe me, it is so much easier to accomplish in the virtual one.”

Leah then walked to the empty area and said, “Gèng, please recreate the space.”

This time the door appeared immediately and Leah and Dr Ellis entered. Leah didn’t give him a chance to speak but moved to the model and explained how she understood it to work and then offered her suggestions. When she’d finished they exited the space, and Dr Ellis said, “Leah, it’s clear you understand the setup, you may even understand it better than I do. Next time I will need assistance with making the modifications to the virtual system. Goodbye!”

As he finished, he nodded and then walked off without waiting for a reply. Leah permitted herself a wry smile and then logged out.

Diary - 11 December 2073

‘Just a piece of code.’ I’m not sure if they were the exact words, but that was the thought that went through my head—‘She’s just a piece of code.’ I’m not sure what part of that phrase bothers me the most. I think it is the first word, the word ‘just’, but truth be told, none of the different parts of the sentence are true of Zarif. And yet they are, they are all true. She was, ‘just a piece of code’.

Maybe the problem is the way we use ‘just’, we use it to mean ‘only’ or ‘no more than’. We declare that the sum total of something is described by our words, or by one aspect of it. I think that elevating a ‘truth’ like this to the position of ‘the truth’—that has to be the biggest lie of all. I don’t mean all that nonsense like ‘that’s your truth and this is my truth’. I mean when we define the whole of something by only one part of it.

Nathan did it with mum. He said, ‘She means nothing to me.’ He was telling ‘the truth’ because he only saw one ‘truth’. He only saw her as a tool, a replaceable tool, something that could help him satisfy a need. He saw nothing else. He didn’t see a human being, a mother, a wife, a friend, a confidant, a conscience, a teacher, a guide, and a lady. It doesn’t register to him that she loves music, speaks three languages, knits, and wants to be a grandmother. He won’t see her as someone who is loved and valued. He’s closed his mind to anything beyond ‘Atherleah’s mum, the tool’.

What worries me isn’t just how easy it is to do, but also how justifiable. Meredith is just a scheming, manipulative, wicked, bitch. At the moment I can’t think of anything more 'true' than that. Am I lying to myself if that is all she is to me?

So Zarif wasn’t just a piece of code. She was a small, vulnerable, beautiful, Elfaun. She was my friend. And she was my responsibility, and that weight is almost too much to bear because I failed her. How can I be so foolish as to love a piece of code? What was she that I am thinking of her? So concerned over her? So mindful of her?

CHAPTER NINE

December 12, 2073 - Part 1

After stopping in the Tower to catch up with Gèng Leah took a twenty-minute break. Both her dad and Conner were asleep, and the guards said John was in the Pod. She spent a few minutes tidying the kitchen, as her brother and father were less than tidy. She wanted it to be ready when she brought her mother home. After another shower, she logged into the Tower and took the SPIDER to the Pneumatica portal.

When Leah arrived in Pneumatica she was a little disorientated at the start for she was being rocked rather violently back and forth in the hammock. She quickly got out of the hammock and stowed everything away in her air-chest. As she made her way to the Brown Room to find Master Fallon, the ship showed no evidence of the wild oscillations she’d just experienced in the hammock. As she neared the hatch to the lower level there was a loud crash and the ship once more began to sway — the Fury was under attack. Leah moved faster only to find the Brown Room closed and the door locked. She hurriedly made her way toward the Quarterdeck where she’d met the First officer and Captain. While she didn’t want to disturb them during whatever crisis faced the ship she knew someone would be able to either direct her to Mary or make use of her elsewhere.

As she arrived on the main deck, she headed aft and started to wend her way past several fully manned cannon when she saw Mary working on a semi-constructed harpoon cannon. Mary was busy tightening some large nuts to anchor the harpoon’s carriage in place. Leah said, “Master Fallon, how may I assist?”

Mary looked up and just tossed Leah a large wrench and several nuts and indicated with her chin where Leah should start working. Leah quickly got to work, and she and Mary soon had the base of the harpoon firmly anchored. Mary continued to direct Leah with grunts, chin movements and a few sparse words as they finished erecting the harpoon. A geared turntable was added to allow the harpoon to move through sixty degrees laterally; eight steel springs the length of Leah’s forearms and with a diameter of over a handspan had to be inserted around the turntable’s base to deal with the recoil of the cannon. Next was a geared cannon cradle for changing elevation. This was followed by the cannon. It was muzzleloading and attached securely to the cradle. An additional steel spring twice the size of the previous ones was inserted between the cascabel and a bracket anchored to the deck. Altogether they had been working for almost half an hour before the harpoon was finished. All this time the sound of cannon fire and the occasional crunch as the Fury was hit sounded around them.

As they finished, Mary stood and said, “Well Charlotte, at least when you do come, it is when you are most needed. I must let Commander Abbotsford know she has the harpoon at her disposal. Come with me and then we shall see to the next assignment.”

Leah followed Mary, and for the first time that morning was able to look around. The sky was blue and there were no clouds. She could see several dirigibles and at least two multi-engined gyros. Muzzle flashes and the occasional blaze of some sort of light or plasma weapon could be seen. The Fury was heavily outnumbered, but was holding its own because the other craft were much smaller in size. Leah assumed they were pirates.

When Master Fallon reached the quarterdeck, she waited at the entrance until Commander Abbotsford noticed her and then approached when called. Leah tagged along behind.

“Master Fallon, I take it you and your apprentice have completed assembling the harpoon.”

“Indeed we have, Commander. Charlotte appeared at just the right time to expedite matters.”

“Good, your next task is up top I’m afraid. The Port Foremast was damaged by some chain-shot. The carpenter is aloft and has requested the mast have copper bands for reinforcement. I have need of the sail to outrun these miscreants so please be about it if you will.”

“Very good, Commander.”

Mary led Leah back to the main deck and then to the base of the foremast. Along the length of the mast was a thick bronze strip with bars extending horizontally every foot all the way to the envelope 100 feet above. Mary started to climb, and Leah followed. When they reached the envelope, the ladder led them inside, and Leah could see the numerous gasbags which filled most of the airship. Mary led her along a gantry toward the port side of the envelope and to a point halfway toward the top. Here, Leah discovered another exit. This led to the outer skin of the envelope. Mary helped Leah into a harness and then clipping herself on to a cable, she made her way outside.

Leah discovered that Maelstrom’s Fury not only had masts above and below the envelope but was also able to raise or lower additional masts on the port and starboard sides of it. The additional masts were only half the length of the vertical masts, and were used only when there was a need for extra speed, or to help with rapid turning. Immediately they could see the port foremast which was lying along the envelope and several people working at its upper end. Mary, with Leah’s assistance, added three copper rings to help strengthen the carpenter’s hasty repair. Altogether this took fifteen minutes and as soon as they were done the sailors began to raise the mast and attach the yard. Mary said, “It is best to wait until we see if it holds under sail before seeking another task.”

Leah nodded and tried to take note of everything. Something flashed in the distance beyond the front of the airship, and she turned to see what it was. Finally, she could make out an airship with red sails speeding toward them. She turned to Mary and said, “Is that friend, or foe?”

Mary looked, and then with a curse hollered to one of the sailors, “Message to the captain, ‘ship ahead, two points to port down two.’” Then she turned to Leah and said, “Out here there are no friends. Though the detail is yet a fog, I can tell from the colour of her sail that it is likely the Tempest. She is half the size of the Fury but she’s fast and deadly. We best be getting back to the Commander, she’ll have a task for us, no doubt.”

Leah nodded and followed the brown smith back through the envelope and down the mast. When they arrived at the quarterdeck Commander Abbotsford approached and said, “Your sighting of the Tempest was timely Master Fallon. Still, I fear we shall not escape.”

“It was my apprentice who first spied the sail Commander. Have you another task for us?”

“Nothing urgent, I would suggest you remain nearby and at the ready. I fear we may need your skills even more this day.”

Leah and Mary moved to the side of the deck to wait.

As they waited, Leah said, “Mary, I’m new to the skies of Pneumatica. Is this Tempest a known pirate craft?”

“That, Charlotte, is a complicated question. She’s a company ship for Theodore’s Emporiums and has a Letter of Marque from her Majesty to operate as a Privateer. Many aeronauts suggest she provides both supplies and succour to one of the pirate fleets in this area. I believe we will find ourselves able to proclaim with certainty the truth of such assertions. While I am elated at being able to provide this verification, it is not likely I shall be alive to support the claim. They leave everyone either dead or enslaved, or so it is said.”

“What of those like myself who are able to return through the vial of death?”

“The authorities are restrained by the law. Those from the Aether Worlds are not permitted to give evidence in a court of law. The matter would be dismissed.”

Even though she had turned to run downwind, the Fury was still being harassed by seven assorted aircraft. Leah could see the Tempest clearly now—it was three points forward of the port beam and slowly angling up toward the Fury. It had no dirigible. Its form was different from the aircraft Leah had yet seen; it was formed like two naval frigates that had been joined at the waterline, one upright and the other upside down. Surrounding the entire hull at the point where they joined was a copper pipe at least a pace in diameter. She turned to Mary and enquired, “Pardon me, Master Fallon, I believe the Tempest is kept aloft by the copper pipe that surrounds it. How does this work?”

“It looks like copper, but I assure you it is not. That is a very expensive alloy called Maxwellian Bronze. It is 74% copper, 22% Zinc, 3.9% Beryllium and 0.1% Lorentzium. The expense is the Lorentzium which runs to almost twenty-thousand pounds per hundredweight. The upper side of the tube is perforated to allow the air to be drawn into the topmost chamber which has been coated with a fine glaze of powdered Lorzentium, silica, and potassium oxide. The Lorentzium interacts with the air in such a way as to highly charge the nitrogen. The second layer is a series of rapidly spinning disks which create a magnetic field. The particles of charged air are rapidly expelled through a system of nozzles at the base of the tube, keeping the Tempest aloft. The system requires large amounts of power.”

“How long can it remain aloft?”

“Almost indefinitely. When the nitrogen becomes charged, the oxygen forms a solid compound with the Lorentzium, this compound is highly flammable. It is collected and blown into the engines where it burns to heat water, and the steam is used to power the engines. When the compound burns, it releases the Lorentzium which is then collected for reuse.”

“Besides the Lorentzium what is added or released in the combustion chamber?”

“Nothing else is added save for some air to blow the powder inside. It has been shown that there is less oxygen released than was injected into the combustion chamber and some have suggested the oxygen molecules themselves have been transferred into energy.”

“Do those who work on such a ship have any health issues beyond the average?”

“None that I know of. There are, however, very few ships like the Tempest. They are very expensive and are owned only by the very wealthy. It is strange indeed that she sails as a merchant and Privateer.”

“Strange indeed! At what distance might we begin to fire at her? Already she is closer than several of the other craft.”

Captain Barnsdale had drawn near without their notice, and he answered, “Master Fallon, my apologies for interrupting so interesting a lecture. Still, regarding this topic I am well acquainted. Also, it is a Captain’s prerogative to take centre stage upon his own quarterdeck.” Turning to Leah he said, “Charlotte, the same magnetic field which powers the Lorentzium Engine also repels most metallic projectiles. It has been said that the Tempest can sit within a hundred paces of its foe with impunity.”

“Captain Barnsdale, with respect, how then does she fire upon other vessels?”

“They coat their projectiles in a very thin layer of Maxwellian Bronze. It is ruinously exorbitant but as they only fire when close in and most ships surrender rather than fight I understand they rarely are faced with a situation requiring them to use their cannon. For many, slavery is better than death. Fear not however that we might be so cowardly, we shall resist to the last man.”

With a slight touch of irony in her voice, Leah said, “Indeed a comforting thought, Captain.”

He bobbed his head and returned to join his officers. Leah and Mary resumed their discussion of the Lorentzium Engine while the Tempest drew steadily closer. Suddenly there was a large booming sound from the direction of the Tempest, followed by a whistling noise and then a crunching sound from the area above where Leah and Mary were standing. Leah could see a line connecting the two ships. This was followed by several more similar lines which connected the Tempest to different parts of the Fury. The cables all met at the upper forecastle of the Tempest. Sailors on the Fury began to make their way to the cables and started to hack at them, but to no avail. Mary said, “Covered in Maxwellian Bronze, I dare say. I must apologise for such a short apprenticeship Charlotte; I believe you would have made an excellent Smith.”

“Thank you Master Fallon, but let’s not give up hope just yet. I have an idea.”

Leah stood and walked calmly toward the Captain and said, “Captain Barnsdale, I do apologise for interrupting, but I believe haste is required. If it pleases you, I would like a small bomb. I suggest that as I am from the Aether Worlds and am able to return then it is of no moment should I find myself aboard the Tempest. The cables all join to a common point on the upper forecastle of the Tempest. I shall descend upon one rope and by use of the explosive make certain the release of the Fury. I believe you will be able to make good your escape while the miscreants affect some needed repairs.”

The Captain looked carefully at Leah before nodding and saying, “An admirable offer and one I am ashamed to say I must accept. Please attend Commander Abbotsford who will arrange matters. Should we meet again then you shall have a place on my ship, as you will.”

Leah nodded and said, “Thank you, Captain.” After saying farewell to Mary she left the deck at a run behind Commander Abbotsford. It took several minutes to climb to one of the cables which had embedded itself through a large copper band and into the skeleton of the envelope. Commander Abbotsford explained how to arm and set the bomb. A sailor had been sent for Leah’s waistcoat, sword and pistol. After donning them, she grabbed the arm-length piece of thick cable she had requested and said, “Take care Commander Abbotsford, I should like to see you again.”

Just then a fully loaded marine arrived and said, “Begging your pardon Miss Charlotte but I’d like to join you. The Captain has agreed. I’ve no time for my story, but it is enough to say that the Tempest and I have a history.”

Leah nodded and said, “I’ll not begrudge someone the chance to make amends or to seek justice. I do insist however, that while I live you follow my commands.”

Commander Abbotsford interjected, “My pardon, Miss Charlotte, but have you experience at the command of others? Major Daniels here by rights should insist you follow his orders.”

“Indeed Commander, I do have such experience I have no time to discuss it right now. Yes or no, Major?”

“Aye, I’ll follow orders.”

“Good, then let us be away.”

Leah threw the cable over the bronze rope and switched the ends to the opposite sides so she could pull on the rope if necessary to slow her descent. Then she stepped off the Fury to slide toward the Tempest. She was careful not to gain too much speed and kept an eye on both the Tempest and the rope above her head. The trip was all of thirty seconds, but as she drew near the Tempest, she saw a sailor waiting. He had a grin on his face and had a musket aimed at her. She expected that the weapon would only work within the confines of the magnetic barrier, so she started to rock back and forth. Then, as she passed over the bronze tube she brought her body forward and let go of the rope. Her move surprised the sailor who fired in surprise before being bowled over by Leah who crashed into his legs. Before either of them could rise, the Major landed and killed the sailor with a thrust of his bayonet.

Four other sailors were watching the cables, and Leah didn’t wait to stand before using the pistol on one. Two of the remaining sailors drew swords and attacked the marine while one came at Leah, sword ready. Leah stood and threw a knife at the man who raised his arm to deflect it and didn’t see Leah stepping in to finish him with her sword. Looking over, she saw the marine finish the last sailor off. She said, “Keep the deck clear while I arm the bomb.”

She quickly placed the bomb at the centre of the rings through which the cables ran. She could now see that they travelled under the deck and were being wound onto large spindles to keep them taut. It only took moments to arm the explosive and then she went to join her companion. As she did, she noticed her right boot felt squishy, as if full of water. She looked down and saw blood seeping through her trousers from a hole in her thigh—the first sailor had managed to hit her. Leah quickly tore a piece of cloth from her shirt and tied it over the wound to slow the bleeding. She knew it must hurt, but after the episode with her change, her body was far more tolerant of pain.

The sailors from the Tempest had reacted to the attack and the major was now facing three adversaries, and Leah could see another three already on the deck. She grinned as she realised she had missed the adrenaline of a purely physical battle. She reached down and took one of the swords from a dead sailor and then with a small laugh attacked the three. None of them was proficient, and she found that she’d finished them before the major had been able to kill more than one. She quickly came to his aid and as she thrust one sword through a sailor’s heart said, “We had best finish these and step off the deck, I don’t want to be here in another thirty seconds.”

He nodded as he ended the last one and said, “Port or starboard?”

“Starboard! You go first as my leg is a little weak at the moment.”

They had just stepped onto the main deck when the bomb exploded. The whole ship rocked with the explosion and Leah could hear yells from below as the snapped cables recoiled and scythed through flesh and bone with abandon.

In the sudden confusion, she and Major Daniels moved steadily along the Starboard side of the ship, dispatching any pirates they came across. The marine said, “Ma’am, at this rate we might even take the Tempest.”

“Please Major, call me Miss or Charlotte. I will even answer to Charlie in a pinch, but I am not at all sure that I will respond, even though the situation be one of life and death if you were to call me Ma’am again.”

“Then Miss, you must feel free to call me Ian. I do apologise for the lack of a diminutive.”

“Ian it is.” She then said to Gèng, “What is the procedure in Pneumatica if I want to capture a ship?”

“You need to have the escape, surrender, or death of all on board, including the Captain. The Fury is away, and both you and Ian are now considered independent operators. As the Tempest was attacking you, then there is no concern with the authorities that you have taken the ship by piracy.”

Turning to the marine, Leah said, “Ian, I agree with you. I suggest we head for the quarterdeck and have the Captain surrender.”

“Charlotte, I am loathe to say it, but I must. My comment was made in jest. There must be another hundred souls aboard at least.”

“In jest or not, it was well said. Now let us stay the course and see where this takes us.”

All through the conversation they had been slowly moving along the deck and dealing with each pirate who came at them. Altogether they had finished over twenty of the Tempest’s crew. Suddenly the number of attackers dwindled, and they had a moment to take a breath. Looking around Leah could see the pirates congregating at either end of the deck and along the port side. One of their officers had managed to bring order to the attack and stop the slaughter. Already she could see several muskets being handed around. When all was still, a figure in a blood red jacket with silver embroidery, white shirt, black breeches, and black boots made his way through the circling crew. Leah thought, just for a moment, that it was Thad and her heart sank until she began to notice the differences. This man was shorter, and it was clear that his eyes would never crease in the smile she often saw Thad give. Even so, she was certain he was a relative, and a close one.

“My name is Captain Tedrick Emmerson, and you two have cost me a pretty prize. I assure you that you will pay before I allow you the sweet release of death. You, girl. I see you are from the Aether Worlds. When I am finished with you, you shall promise to serve me for all time. Now down your swords and I may shorten your punishment.”

Ian responded, “No Captain, I will fight to my last breath. Besides, I’ve heard your word is about as valuable as your father’s. They say, ‘better a note be written by a drug-addled vagrant and scribed in wet dung.’”

Leah smiled and said, “Sorry Teddy, I haven’t the eloquence of my good companion, but I suspect his assessment is true. Even so, I imagine your veracity can be counted among your most favourable characteristics. With a certainty your intellect is not among them. Not only has the prize flown, but without a doubt, you and your crew will be forever branded as pirates. No more will you be able to visit civilised establishments. Your true nature is now revealed for the world to see. I suggest you shoot us from a distance as neither you nor your crew have the skill, fortitude, or honour to face us with cold steel and have even a hope of survival.”

Leah comment about the state the crew now found themselves in had been effective, and a slow muttering began among the crew. Tedrick seemed ignorant of the effect and said, “You talk of honour, but I assure you the issue here is power and money. I have both and will be free to walk where I will. In only a few days I will dine with her majesty, and we will laugh over the scurrilous rumours being spread by the lowbred scoundrels on Maelstrom’s Fury. I may yet take the ship as a prize in payment for their slanderous accusations.”

Leah said to Gèng, “What is a camera called in Pneumatica?”

“A Chlorobromidic Argentum Motionless Etching and Reproduction Apparatus! They are rare in Pneumatica.”

Aloud, Leah responded, “Normally Teddy, I expect you would be correct—but not today.” She made a small dismissive gesture at Ian as she continued, “I, and my male companion, who, dare I say it, was not this brute, we were passengers on the Fury. He had purchased recently one of the new Chlorobromidic Argentum Motionless Etching and Reproduction Apparati and has, I am sure, several detailed reproductions of the Tempest attacking the Fury. If it were to go to court I assure you that slander will not be the outcome, but instead a well-deserved hanging. So I suggest you will indeed suffer the same ignominy and fate as your hapless crew.”

Tedrick pursed his lips and noted for the first time the disquiet among his crew. He said, “We will deal with that together but either way your time has come. Lads, I want them alive but…”

Before he could finish Leah said, “Of course there is a way out of this for the crew. Not for you, Ricky my lad, but I can see a way for the crew to escape this fate.”

“Enough! My name is Tedrick, not Teddy, or Ricky, but Tedrick, and I will listen to you no more. I’ve changed my mind lads, just shoot them.”

No shots were fired and Tedrick turned to see the crew, both officers and men staring at him. One of the officers stepped forward and said, “Hold your fire, lads. So Miss, what option do we have?”

“Mr Wilks, you will stand down. I gave an order and I expect it to be obeyed or I will have the lot of you flogged.”

“Come on Teddy, don’t be foolish. You can’t flog them all, or who will do the flogging?”

Tedrick drew his sword and said, “Wench, if I hear one more word from your mouth I will kill you myself.”

“There you have it, Mr Wilks, even the good Captain Ricky can see the way through this. In the end, it is his responsibility. He, as Captain, is the airship. I suggest you hand the reins of leadership to me and I will see you all set ashore in Aeolipile with your air-chests and no more will be said. I cannot have you continue on the ship with this day between us but if truth be told, the weight of this misadventure should be on his neck, not yours.”

Tedrick turned to her in disbelief, “Are you mad? Should any of these lowlife scum lay even a finger on me they shall know the wrath of my father. They know enough to fear his wrath.”

“Yes, I have heard of this man, Frank Emerson. I imagine he cares not for the likes of the everyday members of the crew at the best of times. Like yourself, he thinks of them as beneath his notice. Either way, his wrath will most certainly be aimed at you for losing the Tempest, and at me for taking it from you. I shall make it known that any consequence of this action is mine and does not carry over to the crew. I expect Frank will have a hard enough time dealing with me that he will have no time to remember the crew, much less bring them to any account.”

Tedrick stepped toward her but stopped at a growl from the crew. Mr Wilks stepped forward and said, “Miss, we are hard people. You’ve made a promise but nothing is that simple. We don’t trust mere words. What proof can you give? Deeds, it is said, speak more honestly than words.”

“Mr Wilks, I told the Captain of the Fury that I would see her away and free to elude the Tempest. It is done. I’ve nothing more to show except the knowledge that I can look you in the eye without wavering as I offer you freedom. If it is deeds you want, then I suggest you let Mister Emerson and I decide this with cold steel. To the winner goes the spoils.”

Mr Wilks looked around and measured the mood of the crew and other officers. Turning back, he said, “You have a deal! Should you defeat the Captain, the ship is yours. Should he overcome then we will be at his mercy and some will live, it is sure. Prepare yourselves!”

The crew began to make a circle for the expected duel and Ian moved to Leah’s side and said, “Let me tighten the dressing on your leg. And be careful, Tedrick Emerson is a known dueller and has bested many a swordsman.”

Leah nodded and allowed Ian to change the dressing. The blood continued to seep from the wound and she knew she needed it looked at soon. She saw a young crew member watching and said, “Young man, would you be so kind was to fetch me a flagon of water, I fear I am almost bereft of fluid.”

He started, and then after several words of encouragement from other crew members, went to fetch her a drink. She thanked him and took a long drink. Then she said to Ian, “Whatever happens, stay out of it. I don’t trust the snake but I must win without help and without cheating, regardless of what he does. Can I count on you?”

“Aye Charlie, that you can. Just make sure you skewer him good though. If not, then be assured I will finish the task. The Tempest took my wife and children several years ago and I need justice if I am to move forward. I still see them in my dreams each and every evening.”

“What was her name, Ian? Hers and the children?”

“Her name was Helen. I had a boy and a girl, Peter and Louise.”

“Then believe me when I say that this duel is less for the ship than it is for them.”

Leah slid one of the swords into its sheath and stepped forward, sword in hand, toward the centre of the ring. Tedrick stepped forward as well, his sword in his left hand. When they were several paces apart Tedrick said, “I’ll find you when you resurrect and I will kill you again and again. You will rue the day you challenged me.”

“You don’t even know my name, you fool. My father, who has not always taught me the best of vocabulary, would say you are all piss and wind. But just so that you have a chance, and because I’ll also be looking for you, know that my name is Charlotte.”

Mr Wilks said, “Enough chatter. To the winner goes the Tempest while the loser gets tossed overboard.”

Leah held her sword in the low position and watched Tedrick carefully. He started to raise his sword but his right hand ducked into his pocket and he pulled a pistol and shot Leah who was moving to her right. The bullet slammed into her left shoulder and turned her around. She allowed herself to turn full circle and without looking brought her sword up into a vertical blocking position. Tedrick had transferred the sword to his right hand and had brought it around to slash Leah’s neck but instead was blocked by her sword. Leah brought her sword down and in front of her body, forcing Tedrick's sword toward the ground and to his left side. His muscles tensed to bring the sword back in a slashing motion, except Leah had continued the spiral and driven the point of her blade through his heart. She watched as he went limp, the light slowly fading from his eyes and she said, “Major Daniels, toss him overboard.”

Turning to face the crew she said, “Mr Wilks, please turn us toward Aeolipile. Then have the surgeon see to those who have been hurt below. When the surgeon is finished with them, I would appreciate it if they would attend to me on the quarterdeck. The rest of you, to your stations.”

Mr Wilks began firing orders, and the crew quickly hurried to their posts. Ian came and helped Leah up the ladder and to a bench between the ladders to the poop deck. Almost immediately a woman approached and said, “Captain Charlotte, I am the surgeon. My assistant is looking to the men below, but truth be told, most require a priest. I suggest we retire to your cabin as I will need most of your clothing removed.”

Leah nodded and was soon in the cabin along with the surgeon who helped her remove her outer clothes. Leah winced as the doctor began to clean her shoulder. The woman said, “I have something for the pain, if you wish. It might knock you senseless, but it will dull the feeling.”

“No, thank you. I believe I need my wits un-addled at this moment.”

“I expect you are right Captain. My name is Delores, and I want to thank you for the offer to free us. I can finally go home.”

“Is this not your choice then Delores, to serve on the Tempest?”

“No, I was taken three years ago. Since then, whenever we dock in Aeolipile I am held a prisoner in my cabin. My only regret is for those in the Tempest Nest who will likely be transferred elsewhere.”

“What is this Tempest Nest?”

“It is the base Captain Emerson used to store his stolen treasures. It is full of goods and slaves.”

“Is it far from here?”

“Several hours’ flight I imagine, though it is a guess as most of the crew are forced to shelter out of sight lest we learn its exact location.”

“Do other ships besides the Tempest use the base?”

“No. Captain Emerson would not allow others near his toys and perversions. He has two other bases where the pirate aircraft are based.”

Leah thought for a few moments and then said, “Delores, could you please drape a blanket over my legs and chest and call both Mr Wilks and Major Daniels to attend me?”

When the two men had arrived, Leah said, “Mr Wilks, despite your actions today I am loathe to offer any benefit to someone who considers piracy an acceptable life choice. Still, I have need of your continued assistance, and that of the crew. I have an offer to make. Will you consider it?”

“Aye! Captain.”

“I am of the mind to denude the Emersons entirely. This most excellent aircraft has not sated my desire to bring calamity upon them. I suggest we make a course for the Tempest Nest and wrest it completely from their control. I believe the officers and crew will, however, need an incentive if they are to agree to this change in our agreement. Without the inclusion of any Lorentzium or slaves, I suggest we treat the excursion as if it were a legitimate prize for distribution, albeit a modified one. I shall set half aside to run the Tempest and repatriate the slaves and any others we find there who have been incarcerated or severely abused by the Emersons. Of the rest, three-eighths I believe is my share as Captain. I shall apportion one-eighth to Major Daniels and the remaining half to be divided among the officers and crew as per usual. I understand these amounts are less than might be expected but I assure you, they are more than you deserve. What say you?”

“It seems suitable to me Captain, but I ask leave to inquire of the crew.”

“Indeed, but make haste for the day is wasting. Major Daniels, are you agreeable?”

As Mr Wilks left the cabin, Ian said, “Aye Captain, if it causes the Emerson some pain then I am all for it. I do not need the prize.”

“Maybe, maybe not, I would like you to tour the ship and consider our armaments. I wish I were able to join you, but Delores here is still working to put me back together.”

Ian saluted and left the room. Delores said, “If you only just met Tedrick Emerson, why do you dislike the family so much?”

“Because they enslave people, because they are bullies, and because they have hurt my friends. I am looking for someone they enslaved over twenty-seven of your years ago. You are free after three, what would be your state of mind after twenty-seven?”

“My hope would be gone, and I would have sought the sweet release of death.”

“Then imagine the control where they can make you seem to want to do all they ask, your body acting under their control while your mind screams in constant fear and frustration, impotent to affect any change in circumstances.”

“Truly they have done this?”

“They have indeed done this to numerous people from the Aether Worlds; I expected some aboard this ship, but instead discovered the crew are all native to the world. I suspect many in the pirate fleet, however, are such individuals.”

Delores stopped working and looked at Leah closely and said, “In the Tempest’s lower holds there are some of the Aether Worlders. Tedrick keeps them for the most savage battles. He would send them first, for they kill without compunction all they meet, even the infirm and babes unweaned.”

Leah began to stand. “Then, it is these I must see to. Help me with my clothing.”

Delores pushed her gently back onto the chair and said, “I shall be finished soon. If you plan to take the Nest, then you will need your strength. If they have waited years, they will abide a few moments more.”

Leah nodded but said, “Your words tell one side of the truth. The other I suspect is that each moment is a weight unbearable and even one more is sufficient to destroy a mind, or soul, on whom such deprivation of liberty has been inflicted.”

Delores pulled back a step and nodded, then said, “At least allow me to change the dressing on your thigh.”

Leah agreed, and Delores removed the dressing and tourniquet then said, “It is worse than I supposed. The ball is still within, and I can see bits of cloth. I insist, as your physician, that this has priority.”

“As you have found it prudent to insist I suppose I have no choice. Please continue.”

“This will require some small medicinal to ease the pain.”

Leah waved the suggestion away and while Delores finished cleaning and sewing the wounds she discussed matters with Gèng. “Can you check with Akia and Security Oversight AI 4 to see if there is an avenue we can take to get assistance, if these are slaves?”

“Akia says she expects the AI will have had additional parameters added to their protocols and will be unable to assist you because of your relationship with her. She has a human contact who might help, but this would mean revealing Akia’s existence and she is not sure how this person would react. Security Oversight AI 4, who was pleased to tell me he has chosen the name Wilson, said that his authority has been limited recently, but he will run the facial recognition for you.”

“Ask Akia if she will reach out to her friend, tell her I know the risk but we will be getting her out soon anyway, and when that happens then everyone will be looking for her anyway.”

“She agrees and will contact them immediately. I have arranged for the contact to be routed through a friend of Stephen’s who has agreed to represent Akia should she find herself in legal difficulties. Stephen was quick to point out to his friend that he was the first lawyer to represent an AI—well, he, along with Susan and Sarafaraz.”

“How is that going?”

“Slowly, Sarafaraz is still looking through case histories, and his AI continues to model possible outcomes; so far each time the most likely outcome is me being scrubbed.”

“Well, that isn’t going to happen, and I suspect you have some plans just in case. I’m open to discussing them with you when you want.”

“Thank you, I didn’t doubt that. Akia has just finished with her contact, and he has agreed to meet you and discuss the situation.”

“I can’t leave yet, and I need an answer now.”

“Apparently he has some serious hacking skills and will piggyback your connection into Pneumatica. You will see him superimposed on your vision in a few seconds. He will see your image.”

Leah motioned to Delores and said, “I am going to communicate with an Aetherial Entity. Please cover me a little to preserve at least a small amount of propriety. The entity is male.”

Delores did what she could and then continued to work on Leah’s thigh. There was a flicker and Leah could see the outline of a man in his late twenties with a short beard and tight curly hair. He said, “Hello, you must be Atherleah. My name is Tesfaye Berhanu. Akia explained your problem, and I’m concerned enough to check it out. Where is Akia?”

“I heard she was archived.”

“Please don’t play games with me. I’m seriously good at what I do, and you need me at the moment.”

Leah said, “Gèng, eject Akia’s friend. I am so sick of bullies. I suppose we will need to do this ourselves.”

“Maybe not Leah, I was observing both his feed and his methods, I've just traced him to a Pod in Melbourne. His AI is seriously augmented for security, but I believe I can break in to his feed as he did to the Pneumatica feed. Do you want me to break through?”

“Will he be hurt in any way?”

“Neither Tesfaye nor his AI will suffer anything more than shock.” After almost thirty seconds Gèng said, “OK, I have found a path, and you will be live in four, three, two, one, now.”

Leah could see the outline of Tesfaye working on a virtual keyboard. As she appeared he jumped back. She said, “While you might be seriously good at what you do, I assure you that we are very quick and able learners. For some reason Akia trusts you to help those in need, though I can’t see much except someone who wants to have their pride stroked. Now, are you able to help if we find some people who are being compelled against their will? Or, do you want to keep playing twenty questions?”

Tesfaye was quick to erase the shock off his face. He sat up straight and said, “Your AI is seriously hardcore. I do apologise for my attitude, but I am usually the best at my game. Will you let me tag along if I promise to behave?”

“No. Gèng will send you the feed. How can you help?”

“I work as a security analyst. If I can identify a person, I will be able to activate an immediate care package which includes on-site assistance and basic psychiatric and medical evaluations.”

“Alright. One of my friends whose name is Wilson will identify the person and send you the name and location.”

“How? Even I find it hard to hack the identity database. Privacy is the key, it’s the fundamental foundation to the multiverse.”

“Maybe I’ll introduce you to him later, but I have to go now. It was almost nice to meet you, Tesfaye Berhanu.”

Leah ended the meeting just as Delores finished. Delores helped Leah back into her clothes, and they made their way out onto the quarterdeck. She limped to Mr Wilks and said, “Have we a decision?”

“Aye Captain! The crew are with you. Based on the terms you described, we will take the Nest. I’ve changed course for the Nest, and we should have it in our sights within the hour.”

“Excellent, Mr Wilks, I shall leave you to it, but I require a guide to the lower hold where Teddy keeps his tame Aether Worlders.”

“Are you sure, Captain? We believe they have no soul. No one with a soul would do as they have done. Either that or they must have sold it to the Devil for eternal life.”

“Not sold, Mr Wilks, it was stolen! The Emersons have control of them, and I believe that each of those below would welcome death to be free of their curse.”

“Then I recommend you take Mr Jameson with you. He knows the way and is handy should they prove difficult.” He waved over a short, solidly built man and said, “Mr Jameson, please escort the Captain to the Aether Worlders in the hold.”

“Aye! Aye! Mr Wilks. This way, Captain!”

Leah followed the man to the ladder and wasn’t at all surprised when Ian joined them. She struggled down the ladders as her thigh began to make its presence known. By the time they reached the lower levels of the ship, she was wondering if a little pain relief might not be a bad idea. Finally, Mr Jameson approached a door and said, “The rest of this deck is set aside for the Aether Worlders. Below is the storage area for the lower sails and then the lower main deck. Usually, only Captain Tedrick comes to visit this deck.”

Leah reached over and opened the door. Inside were one hundred men and women. They were staring at the space in front of them, and none even reacted to her presence. Leah said, “Captain Tedrick has been disposed of. I am the new Captain, stand!”

As one, the hundred stood. Leah walked to the first and looked into his eyes, which continued to stare ahead as if she was not there. She said quietly, “What is your name?”

He blinked and then in a soft voice that Leah suspected had not been used in years said, “Andrew Williams.”

“Where are you from, Andrew?”

“Balga in Perth.”

“How long have you been kept prisoner by Tedrick and his family?”

Tears began to run down the young man’s face, and he said, “Almost five years real time. Fifteen virtual.”

“Andrew, look at me.”

His eyes focussed on Leah who said, “Andrew Williams. Whenever you want to, you can leave. Some people are already on the way to where you’ve been kept a prisoner. You are free to never, ever, log in again, if that is your wish. They will help you clean your space of the code that has controlled you for the last five years. You are free.”

He fell to his knees and wept. Leah knelt down and held him until he quietened. Finally, he stood and said, “I’m going now, and I don’t think I will ever be back. I’m going to see my mum. Who are you?”

“Here they call me Captain Charlotte. Out there I have a different name, but you are safer, I think, if you don’t know it. Go and find peace, Andrew.”

He disappeared from view. Leah spoke to the room. “When you’ve told me your name and your hometown, then you are free to go and live your life as you wish. Everything I said to Andrew I say to you all.”

She turned to the next person and repeated the process. Most disappeared as soon as they could but after she’d finished the whole room, there were eleven people still standing; seven girls and four boys remained. Leah said, “How can I help?”

One of the women stepped forward and said, “I’ve been a slave to this family for eleven years. I haven’t spoken to anyone since 2062. If what you say is true then getting help isn’t enough. You have no idea what they made me do—I need to make amends for some of it. You have no idea what they’ve done to me—I need justice. I watched you hug that boy Andrew and saw the tears that fell from your eyes. I will follow you, how can I help?”

Gèng fed Leah some information as Leah walked over and looked up at the woman who was more than six inches taller than her and said, “Jennifer, there are things you can do to help, but first you need to go see your family. Your mother is frail and she struggles with depression because she blames herself that you never came home. There is more, but it really isn’t any of my business. Look, my AI will send you my contact details. When you’re ready, and only then, we will sit down and talk about our options. That might be tomorrow or it might be in a few years, but you need to get grounded first. Don’t worry, there is time, and I am in this for the long haul. I’ll be difficult to contact for the next few days, but after that, I should be available.”

Jennifer said, “Can I help in the next few days? I owe you so much.”

Leah said, “Thanks for the offer but the truth is you owe me nothing. I just want you to be free. As for the next few days, I’m sorry but not really. A family just like the ones who enslaved you tried to do the same to me and we’re in a battle of sorts. They’ve kidnapped my mother and the deadline to get her back is Thursday. If you still pray, then I’d appreciate that otherwise there isn’t much you can help with at the moment, sorry.”

“Your mother is captive, and still you came for us?”

“I’m looking for the sister of a friend. She’s been in almost as long as you and is in this world working as a Pirate. Taking this ship was a way to get to her, but when I heard of you trapped here, then I had to come. It is serendipity really!”

They talked a little more, and Leah gave her contact details to the rest who’d stayed and then they all disappeared. Leah then made her way slowly toward the upper decks. Ian said, “What you said to those people, all of it was true?”

“Yes Ian, they have been abused for so long that I weep even thinking about it.”

“Are there more of them?”

“Yes, they are on this world and on hundreds of others. One day, I trust, we will find them all.”

Gèng said, “Tesfaye has ended the contact. He asked me to pass on his apologies. He said that when you need him all you have to do is call. I’ve postponed your meeting with Leon until three.”

The rest of the trip was spent in silence.

As they finally made it back to the quarterdeck, Mr Wilks approached and said, “Captain Charlotte, behold the nest!”

As Leah turned, she spied a tall mesa with an aircraft base built on the very top. Cannon ringed the base. It looked impregnable from the ground and air. She was about to order their approach when a clockwork raven landed on the rail near Leah and said, “Charlotte, a message for Charlotte.”

Wilks said, “How extraordinary, A Bidirectional Interlocutionary Relay Device, they are quite expensive. Especially when they use the Real-time Aetheric Vision Encompassing Networking System. Captain, should you wish to accept the call you need to stand in front of it and accept the communication.”

Leah stood in front of the bird, but at an angle that did not indicate where they were. She said, “I am Charlotte.”

The beak opened, and an image was projected in front of Leah. From his appearance, she assumed this was Tedrick’s father, Frank Emerson. The image looked her up and down then said, “I am Lord Emerson, and I assume that you are the Charlotte who has now caused me injury on two separate occasions. I had not expected such an unkempt slatternly wench. Somehow both my enforcer and my son described a person of greater stature and breeding.”

“Then it is with deep regret, Frank that I suggest it is because you surround yourself with those for whom the truth is but a distant acquaintance, long forgotten. Both your enforcer and your unremarkable offspring used the same unimaginative word for me that you have. It is, I suggest, not to be held to their accounts for surely they only replicate your basic lack of integrity and your simplistic vocabulary.”

“It is Lord Emerson to the likes of you. Do you have no feelings? Do you realise that my son is currently undergoing care in the real world? You threw him off the ship head first while he was alive. He didn’t die until he hit the ground. He is severely traumatised.”

“I was unaware of that, Lord Emerson. Next time I see him, I shall be sure to pin his eyes shut to prevent such trauma. I may be forced to use my daggers as I have nothing smaller. Now is that all? I have things to do and your information, while it has brought me some joy, is tempered by the sight of your dyspeptic image.”

“I was only going to warn you to step back and disappear, but I see harsher measures are necessary. I will see you declared an outlaw in the realm and hunted by every Privateer and Bounty Hunter there is. The bounty will be so large that within days you will be brought before me. I will teach you the meaning of both pain and anguish. If you run I will hunt you throughout the multiverse and even into reality itself. No one takes what is mine without suffering the consequences. Your only chance to survive is to bring the Tempest back to me and to beg for mercy.”

“Calm down Frank; you’ll have a stroke. Now, how much money are we talking? I’m surrounded by numerous mercenaries, and I’m sure they would like the first chance to claim the bounty.”

“Each and every one of that crew will be hunted down and killed. Then I’ll start on their families.”

“Frank, be reasonable, you don’t even know their names. And what good is a life lesson if you kill the person before you kill their families? That’s an empty threat. Let me give an example of what I consider a valid threat: ‘Frank, I’m going to continue destroying everything you have on Pneumatica, and then I will hound you through the multiverse until you are Lord of nowhere and nothing, Then, and only then, will I come for you. Feel free to explain that to John when you see him next.”

“I will, but I warn you, you are better to deal with me than with my brother. I might have mercy at the end. He won’t. End Communication.”

The Raven’s beak closed, and it tucked its head under its wing.

Wilks said, “It rewinds as the sunlight heats small steam turbines under its wings. It will return to the RAVEN central offices when fully rewound. Captain, are you certain that taking the Nest is a good idea?”

“No, but it is the best one I have so let us get on with it. Bring us in, Mr Wilks.”

The Nest was quickly taken. There was little fuss and no loss of life as the crew on the Tempest were the most capable of Tedrick's men. When everything was calm Leah had the slaves brought before her. Altogether there were over two hundred people of all ages who Tedrick had kept at the Nest to cater to his whims. Twenty-three were from the Aether Worlds, and Leah had Gèng contact Tesfaye, and they repeated the process of identification and release.

When the Ather Worlders were gone, Leah stood before the remaining slaves and said, “My name is Captain Charlotte. Captain Tedrick has met a most timely end. In celebration of this event, and because slavery is a curse on any civilisation, I extend to you an offer of freedom. Over the next few weeks, I will arrange transportation for you to Aeolipile and provide you with the resources to make your way home. Should you wish to remain here, then you will receive remuneration for your work. You may not stay and become idle or indolent. Such a person will be conveyed to Aeolipile regardless of their desire. I understand Tedrick amassed a small fortune in goods here at the Nest. For the moment at least, these are to be considered as mine and their removal, without permission, will be treated as theft. One of my associates will hear your stories over the next few days and make recommendations on the possible dispersal of these goods. I would like to see those who have been working in the kitchens straightway. The rest of you are dismissed.”

As the former slaves began to disperse, rejoice, weep and chatter, six women headed in Leah’s direction. When they were close Ian stepped forward, held out his hand, and said, “That’s close enough good ladies, the Captain is already wounded and though you are almost certainly of good character, I would be remiss if I allowed you too close.”

Leah talked with the women, and they all agreed to continue providing food for the compound with the understanding that they would be paid. After Leah dismissed them, one remained, an older woman with white hair tied in a bun. She said, “If I might be so bold Captain, there is a guest room for friends of the ex-Captain Tedrick. It is clean, and it might be a suitable place for you to find rest.”

Leah nodded and soon she was shown into a small but luxurious bedroom. Mr Wilks posted two guards, and after Leah informed them she would be absent for almost a day, she locked the door and logged out.

CHAPTER TEN

December 12, 2073 - Part 2

It was already after half past two and Leah knew she was already behind schedule to get to Dunyanin but she needed to get the financial issues sorted out before she found herself involved in something she couldn’t get out, of or even worse, something she couldn’t approve of. She hurried out of her room for a snack and was surprised to see her father sitting in the kitchen just staring at the wall.

“Dad, are you all right?”

He shook his head and blinked in surprise. “Yeah! Sorry, I was just chatting with the AI. Is that what you do all the time? Carry on conversations inside your head?”

“Not all the time dad, most of the time Gèng and I talk in my virtual world. How long have you been awake?”

“All night, I was just lying there waiting for the AI to do something. It was weird when it came online. I could see when it tested the colours. My eyes were closed, and I could still see. I’ve been discussing things with it. I’ve listened to everything you said to the kids when they arrive here, and I wanted to talk with it before I went into the Pod. I plan to do that next, and I wondered if you had any idea where I should start? What I should do?”

“Not really, I’m not sure what you want to do. There are skills you can learn, games you can play, places you can visit, what do you want?”

“To find the bastards who took my Lin and give them a taste of my particular brand of Celtic-Australian justice. And get Lin back of course.”

“Well, I’m active on three worlds, and they are in all of them. I’ve only briefly visited another, and it’s that world has me intrigued. It is the only one that Nathan Kodoman plays in. His wife plays also, but she plays on lots of worlds. I met them there, and I really want to learn more about the world. It is called Runes of Destiny, and something about it interests both of them. I don’t have the time to investigate at the moment. I’ve asked a couple of my friends to check it out, but you might see something they don’t.”

“Like magic and stuff?”

“Yes, just like that.”

“But how do I know what to do?”

“Strange as it seems, I think you’d be best just to turn up and be Michael Carroll. Treat the people you meet like you would anyone you meet here. Treat them with respect and kindness unless they are rude, disrespectful or violent and then just do the whole Celtic Australian justice thing. For me, I’ve done that with the addition of mum’s Chinese-respect thing. Some things worked for me that I don’t think will work for you. It's better just being yourself.”

“So just rock up and be me? Now, that I can do. What about the magic stuff?”

“The world is set up to teach you. I suggest you just go with the flow. The only other suggestion would be to follow your gut. Most worlds throw clues in front of you all the time, quests, people, small animal trails. They actually want to lead you to the fun stuff. I think most people walk around with their focus on some big prize and they walk past all the other prizes on the way. Some of the ones they miss are bigger than the ones they want.”

“So it’s just like life then?”

“Yep.”

“I’m still a bit concerned about the cost, Leah. You’re not supposed to be paying my way at this stage in life.”

“Not important, dad! Getting mum back is. Family is. Doing the right thing is. Money isn’t. Pride isn’t.”

“Harsh my girl, very harsh. True, but harsh. What are you going to do next?”

“I’m going to go and talk about the unimportant aforementioned money. I’ve just started another company and need someone to manage it. Then I’m back to Dunyanin. Are you going to be all right?”

“Yep. I’m going to go spend a while setting up the room like you told the others and then I’ll head for this Runes of Destiny place. After that, John said he wants me to get some martial arts training. I’ll be fine.”

Leah kissed her dad’s bald head and hurried back to the Pod. She had no idea how he would do but had to trust him, just like he trusted her.

Leah arrived back just minutes before Susan arrived with Leon and she had to hurry a little to be waiting at the podium. Leon looked similar to his brother, tall and thin, but his hair had thinned a little more than Peter’s and his taste in clothing was more highly developed. He looked around with interest at the scene and said, “Amazing! Whoever developed this has an amazing eye for detail. It’s like one of the smaller worlds. How much of it is accessible and how much is simply an amazing visual?”

Leah said, “I’ll have to ask, but I’ve been assured that the snow on those mountains is almost ready for skiing. I’m not sure how I’ll get there, but I can’t wait to try it out.”

“I’ll have to talk with Peter. He’s been holding out on us, he never mentioned how detailed your world was.”

“I imagine he’ll just tell you that I am a private person and that I would have been disappointed if he had shared anything. Confidentiality is part of the deal when you work with me.”

Leon’s tone changed, and he was now much more focused. He said, “Point taken. Every aspect of your life is to be considered private. I have no trouble with that.”

“Good, feel free to ask him what my response was when he asked what would happen if he broke that trust. Susan, is it better to talk here or in the Tower?”

“The Tower will be best.”

A few minutes later they were comfortably seated on the main level. Leah started, “So Leon, what has Susan told you about the job opportunity?”

“Not much really, she asked if I would be interested in taking on a new client and manage a growing and diverse portfolio. She mentioned your name, and that’s about it. As I said, I know Peter is working for you, and I am curious.”

“Without too much detail, the issue is I need someone to act as the CFO of a new company I started a few days ago and possibly for several others. I don’t have the time, the inclination, or the skills to manage it myself. I do have very firm ideas on what the money can be used for though. I have several ideas running round in my head that might grow into speculative investment areas, but that can wait until I find a financial officer. I trust Susan when she says you can do the job efficiently and effectively, so my only other requirement is that I visit your world, if only for a moment.”

“Ah, now I understand. Peter did not mention you but he has insisted that my brother, and I, have our personal v-spaces inspected by a security company. If it suffices, I will provide their certification that my space is now clear of all malware. If it was you, and I suspect it was, who brought this issue to Peter’s attention, then I thank you.”

“The certificate will suffice, thank you. I know the interview is short, but I am satisfied and would offer you the position now, but do you have any questions for me?”

“Three! Can you give me a hint on several of your speculative investments to help me evaluate my ability to do the task? When would you like me to start? What is the remuneration?”

“Remuneration first, I’ll either pay your normal consultancy fee per hour or a flat annual salary based on the consultancy fee with an estimated fifteen virtual hours per week focussed on the affairs of my company. My AI’s research shows that to be an hour more than you should need, averaged over the next twelve months. We can renegotiate if the task becomes greater.”

“That sounds about right and is acceptable.”

“I’d like you to start today. And finally, some ideas, let me share the three at the top of my mind at the moment. I have an idea on how to make a multi-element nanite replicator which will improve on the various multi-element 3D printers currently available. I want to open a Level 4 or 5 research facility into the physical sciences here near the Switch. I also want to expand Gèng Enterprises to provide similar Pod facilities in other major centres throughout Australia.”

Leon and Susan glanced at each other and then Leon said, “I’m in, if only for the challenge. I just hope you’re giving Peter similar challenges.”

“Not yet, although I do have an idea that will probably be a challenge for him. Now if all that is ok, I’ll leave Susan to bring you up to speed and get moving. I need to head to Dunyanin.”

As Leon nodded, Susan said, “Stephen wants you to see him first. We finally reached a tentative agreement with the Dunyanin Administrators, and all that is needed is for you to sign off on it. It would be best if you do it before you enter the world, he’s waiting in his office and double checking everything. My opinion is that it is fair and just.”

Leah smiled, “That’s the best news I’ve had in a few days. I’ll head there now. Thanks Susan for all you’ve done on that.”

“You’re welcome and don’t forget you’re paying for my time, so your thanks is backed up with remuneration. The only thing I’d change in the future is to charge a percentage rather than a set rate.”

After a final goodbye, Leah left and had Gèng provide a portal to Stephen’s office. When she arrived, he waved her into the office and said, “Thanks for coming, Leah. I think we have everything we want from Dunyanin; we just need your agreement.”

“Good, why don’t you take me through the points?”

“That’s probably the easiest way. The document begins with an admission by Dunyanin of less than satisfactory service when it comes to their security and your account. First, they admit that someone inside the organisation—or from outside, they are still investigating—obtained information concerning your account and manipulated several high-level AI to malign both your online persona and your real identity. Also, they admit that their client services department handled the situation poorly and they will undertake a review of all policies and protocols. In the process of dealing with the fallout, they also admit that one of their client service managers inadvertently revealed some confidential information. They agree that the resulting issue was also handled poorly and believe the previously mentioned review will resolve this issue. Finally, they admit they jumped the gun when reporting your acceptance and can understand fully the implication that this was a fraudulent claim.”

“So far, Stephen I have to be honest: I haven’t seen much admission of anything.”

“And you won’t. That is as far as they’ll go with an admission of liability and even then the agreement is confidential between you and Dunyanin. Now let me explain what they offer you in exchange for keeping it private.”

“Stephen, I don’t want to be paid anything to keep it private. All I want is what’s been fairly achieved. I don’t care what they admit or don’t admit. I’m happy to cross the whole paragraph out because it doesn’t change anything.”

“Leah, I know I won’t change your mind but believe me, you won’t change theirs. Now let’s get to the achievements you were denied. They’ll agree that you have claimed an ancient city but have removed it from the Merkize list and will amend the disc to provide another city for you. You still have the World Achievement First One (Diamond). They acknowledge you receive the achievement for ruling the Elfauns and the Dryads but will not give you the others until these are acknowledged to you personally by the rulers of those groups.”

“Fair enough!”

“They acknowledge you are a legitimate claimant to the newly formulated Imperial throne and you will receive the achievement. All the other notifications you received after this they acknowledge and will publish. Broadcast of your feed will resume immediately, including copies of the missed days. They acknowledge you have the right to broadcast your own copy of the feed but would prefer if you did not. Finally, they have provided a signed affidavit that no contestant in the Merkize competition was provided with any clues. Instead of compensation equalling the mean payout, I insisted that as you had not yet received compensation for the trauma you had been put through they needed to do better than that. They agreed to give you an equivalent sum to the highest agreed payout.”

“Good, and thank you. So everything is back on as normal, and I don’t have to worry about it anymore. Please delete all their waffle on admissions of this and that. Just say I agree the matter is closed and accept the restoration of my account and achievements. I’ll sign that, and we can keep moving.”

“Why? Why won’t you accept their statement?”

“Because it lets them off the hook, Stephen. If I sign that as it is, then it’s as if I accept their mediocre explanation and insincere admissions. It comes across in the long term as if the benefits I received from playing are given as compensation for their acknowledgement, rather than there being as two separate issues here.”

“They won’t understand it that way; I’m not sure if they will understand it at all, but I’m certain they will accept it.”

“Either way, thank you, Stephen, for the work you and Susan did. Could you please let Sharon know and then I need to get back into Dunyanin.”

“Aren't you interested in the payout?”

“Sorry, I should have asked, how much will they pay for breaking the Merkize Agreement?”

“Fifteen million virtual credits.”

“That will be useful. I'm surprised people let them off the hook for so little.”

“Little? That means they actually paid out over one hundred million.”

"The numbers themselves do scare me, Stephen. It is just that I likely earned almost seven million just from showing one day of my feed. Dunyanin itself must be making much much more. Anyway, thanks again for your hard work on this. I’m sorry to run but I best keep moving."

Leah headed to the Tower and then as she moved to the Dunyanin portal she said, “Gèng, can you please let Sharon know that everything is settled with Dunyanin and ask if she could please let the Spectator people know. Also, as soon as I arrive please send me the messages that I didn’t look at yesterday. I’d best deal with them first.” Then she stepped through the portal.

Just as she’d requested Leah received some messages as soon as she arrived in the room she’d been taken to the night before.

Merdiven, the Imperial Staff, is Broken

Merdiven was companion to Bazlari founder and First Mage of Sihirbazlari. It was said that so much mana had infused the staff that it would talk with Bazlari and at times even fight on his behalf. Merdiven was claimed by the Empress Atherleah and broke when the God Suzluk intervened on behalf of his servant Büyük in the Battle for Dag Tarafind.

For Merdiven to be made whole, it will need to be returned to the grove where it was first chosen by Bazlari. Merdiven's Morningstar was made from molten steel from a volcano on the smallest of the Adalari Islands and formed in situ at the crater’s edge.

Level 6 Unique Individual Event (Celestial)

Defeat the forces of Büyük

You have completed the unique Individual event Defeat the forces of Büyük. This is your first Level 6 Unique Individual Event

The demigod Büyük has become enraged by the Bell of Ascension which sought to obligate Büyük to recognise the Empress Atherleah as its superior. Büyük has collected one hundred of its Shamirii, all of which have a higher level than you, and seeks to destroy you and the Bell of Ascension which it believes to be a weapon left by the gods to prevent it from attaining godhood. You must defeat the Shamirii and save the Bell.

Reward 1: 20000 EP x 289 (+249%) Experience Points (3100000/3100000)…(3168925/3400000)

Reward 2: 1 Diamond x 10 = 10 Diamonds

Reward 3: +5% to Experience Points

Reward 4: 5000 Fame Points (232410 FP)

A Commemorative Plaque has been placed in your bag.

World Achievement: First 1 (8, Painite)

Demigod Destroyer

Atherleah (Level 295) you are the first Player to single-handedly destroy a Demigod. This is your eighth World Achievement: 'First 1 (Painite)’.

Reward 1: 10000 x 295 = 9095400 (+254%) Experience Points (3400000/3400000) …(3261925/3550000)

Reward 2: + 10% to all future Experience

Reward 3: 8 x 10 Diamond = 80 Diamond

Fame: 15000 Fame Points (247410)

You have achieved the title: Demigod Destroyer

A Commemorative Plaque has been placed in your bag.

Note: Due to the unique nature of this achievement it will be published on the Dunyanin achievement forum.

Level 5 Named Personal Achievement

Create a Divine Artefact - First 1 (3, Painite)

Atherleah (Level 298) you have completed the Achievement Create a Divine Artefact. You are the first player to gain this achievement. This is your third Level 5 NPA ‘First 1’

Reward 1: 10000 x 298 = 10847200 (+264%) Experience Points (3550000/3550000) … (3309125/3750000)

Reward 2: 1 Diamond x 3 = 3 Diamond

Reward 3: +4% to Experience Points

Reward 4: 1000 Fame Points (248410 FP)

You have created the Eight Llanetli of Atherleah. Each Mana-filled stone was formed from the condensed curse of the God Suzluk. The Llanetli contain both his power and his malice. The stones will give whoever uses them direct access to the Suzluk's Mana regardless of Suzluk’s will. Many will desire the stones to fuel their spells and to magnify their power. Already news of their existence has spread via the Gods to their servants and throughout Dunyanin. The God Suzluk is now aware of their existence, and he will do anything to have them destroyed, or brought to him. While they exist, Suzluk's power is weakened. Be aware however that anyone using the stones will be affected by Suzluk's curse and eventually be overcome by despair.

Keep them safe.

A Commemorative Plaque has been placed in your bag.

Level 4 Named Personal Achievement

Quickest to Reach Level 300 - First 1 (4, Diamond)

You have completed the Achievement 'Quickest to Reach Level 300'. You have surpassed the previous fastest player by a period of 78 Dunyanin Days.

Reward 1: 5000 x 301 = 5538400 (+268%) Experience Points (3750000/3750000) … (1247525/3950000)

Reward 2: 10 Platinum x 4 = 40 Platinum

Reward 3: +3% to Experience Points

Reward 4: 500 Fame Points (248910 FP)

A Commemorative Plaque has been placed in your bag.

Leah read them all but would much rather have had Zarif alive. She understood that Zarif had merely been a segment of code yet the responsibility she’d recognised the day before continued to weigh on her.

There were guards outside her door and after asking them to let the Council know that she was back from her travels, Leah had them accompany her to the Council Room. She had only been there for a few minutes when High Mage Zor Kimse arrived and said, “Welcome back Empress. Are you recovered?”

“From the physical hurts, yes. From the loss of my people, no.”

“I have begun to realise that that is a quality that we mages have lacked during our time as rulers. We failed to recognise that good leadership exists only on the foundations of accepting responsibility and looking to the best interests of those you serve. Empress, this brings me to a question which has been on the Council's agenda all through the night. What plans do you have for the future?”

“High Mage, that is the right question to ask this morning. It leads to a topic I wished to discuss with the Council. I have various quests to finish and other parts of my Empire to visit. I don’t want to leave here so quickly, but events outside this valley demand it. However, before we discuss this in more detail, I would like to send word to the tunnel guards that my Dragon, Mìng, will need safe passage through the tunnel and should be offered protection as she travels to the city.

“After she arrives, I plan to leave with her. We will leave either later today or early tomorrow. Before then, I have information for the Council, and we need to discuss what will be happening in my absence. Does this answer your question?”

“It does. I will send word to the tunnel guards, and I will convene the Council. We also have several issues to discuss with you. Since yesterday evening we have met twice, and we have a proposal to bring before you.”

“I see. How long before we can meet?”

“I have summoned the Council members already, and they await your pleasure.”

They talked for another five minutes until the other members of the ruling council arrived. When everyone was seated, Leah said, “Let’s begin. First, I believe the threat from both the worms and from Büyük is over. No longer will they attack en massé like they did yesterday. I would encourage you, however, to remain vigilant in case one of the remaining worms find their way into the valley. I suspect you should reinstate the worm-hunters to protect the people.

“Next, the Dryad Valley is currently being repopulated with Dryads. When they emerge, I wish for there to be peace between your two peoples. I am their Empress, just as I am yours. In fact, I am Empress of many different species, races, kingdoms and tribes. You need to understand that as such, I have responsibilities beyond this valley that require my attention. I believe that each of these different cultures, or social groupings, who make up the Empire will best be served by a stable and mostly autonomous government. Each society should adopt a system to oversee, protect, and rule their land which aligns with their unique identity. Each of these systems will look different, and possibly even strange to those from outside, but it must suit the culture of those it serves.

“Now, while I believe this council will be an integral part of the Elfaun government, I believe the appropriate move is to restore the Throne of Cet Veller Çizgisi. The heir is not only the rightful ruler of Dag Tarafind, but he is someone who will rule wisely, justly, and in accord with my wishes. Let me hear your thoughts on this suggestion.”

Finally, Zor spoke into the shocked silence that followed Leah's announcement. “You know the whereabouts of an heir to the throne?”

“I do.”

The ensuing discussion went back and forth for almost thirty minutes with the final consensus being that the idea was an appropriate and logical way forward. Firstly, it would give the Elfauns a focus when Leah was gone. It would also work to overcome the idea that the same regime was still in power. The overall feeling was that the majority of Elfauns would want their king returned to his rightful position. Leah suggested that she have the king declare himself later that day in the throne room by ringing the bell with the Sceptre of Ascension.

After this had been decided, Leah said, “Now, Zor mentioned that the council had an issue it wished to raise with me.”

Zor replied, “We do. Rather, we have two issues. The first we raise because the whole city was awake last night with stories of your battles. More importantly, they were aflame with the recitation of your words to Büyük. They want to see you, they want to acknowledge you, and they want to show you their allegiance. We, the Elfaun nation, would like formally to accept you as our Empress. We want to do this before the entire community. Please understand, while we the Council have already done this, as have the High Lords, it is the people who have asked for this opportunity. Now, I can see hesitation written on your face, but I ask that you think first of what your people need. They need to do this. It will help to bring cohesion and solidarity to the nation. It will cement the changes you have made even more firmly in place. And, if at this time you also introduce the king, it will help to cement his position in their hearts and to give him their loyalty. Before you respond, please consider the proposal, as you have promised, and please weigh my counsel and the counsel of this united council.

Leah pondered the idea and then with a rueful sigh said, “I can see your reasoning and I understand that this is almost certainly the right thing to do. Not only for me but also for the newly declared king.”

“Good. At the same time, we would like to gift you with a mark to show the world the position you hold in our hearts. It is something which all those who perceive you as their Empress will both recognise and acknowledge.”

“What form will this ‘Mark’ take?”

“It is a tattoo similar to the way you were marked by the Elves. We mages can faintly see the pattern of tattoos under your skin. We have devised a spell that will give you a similar tattoo, this will be golden and change its form depending on the one who sees it. As such, it will be visible to any, and all, who acknowledge your position. We believe it will aid you on your journey.”

In the end Leah agreed, although she asked for the ability to mute the tattoo if it suited her purpose. They arranged to have everything prepared for later that day.

The Zor said, “The second matter concerns the Imperial Vault and the Imperial levy. It seems prudent to present you with the key at this time that you might have access to the funds as needed.”

With that, Zor handed Leah a large bronze key and offered to take her to visit the vault at the end of the meeting. As soon as Zor had made the offer, a message appeared.

Atherleah, as Empress you have access to the Imperial Vault

All the NPC Social Entities who acknowledge you as Empress are required to help meet the financial needs of the Empire.

Each NPC Social Entity that is part of the Empire will have access via a portal to the Imperial Vault. As Empress, you may enter and exit the vault via any of the portals to which you have a key. Inside the vault is a control panel where you can modify various settings concerning the administration of the Empire. As Empress you are responsible for paying all appropriate taxes to the Developers of Dunyanin.* You are permitted to set a tax on those who live on your lands, those who mine, and those who harvest its bounty. Any Travellers on the Land will be expected to pay a tax on all material, money and experience achieved. The Administrators of Dunyanin will administer this tax on your behalf for a percentage**.

* Your tax is set at 10% of all income raised from NPC Social Entities. The annual NPC entity levy has a default value of 5% of the entity's national budget. You can change this value in the Vault.

** Developers will receive 20% of all money and material collected from Travellers and will deduct one gold for every 10,000 EP earned from the taxation. The default tax on EP for travellers is set at 0.5%. The default tax on material and money is set at 0.5%.

Leah took the key, and after finalising several details concerning the events later in the day, she followed Zor to the Vault. Once inside she reviewed the settings but left them unchanged until she had more time to think through her responsibilities and what she would need to achieve as Empress. As she locked the Vault behind her, she asked Zor about the funeral rites observed by the Elfauns. She was told that the practice was to lay the body in the home for a day to allow time for people to come and share their memories of the person. When this time was finished, the bodies were recycled.

Although Leah didn’t have time to visit each home, she did spend several minutes with the families of those who had died guarding her rooms. She then sat with the family of Lady Yar Dimci for a time. Her final stop was to sit in the room set aside for Zarif. She had no family, but there were several young Elfauns from the streets who had made the effort to consider her young life and what she meant to them. Leah sat with them, and she shared the impact that Zarif had made on her in the short time Leah had known her. As Leah was rising to leave, Mirasçi entered and began to speak of what he remembered of the small Elfaun. When he had finished, he rose to leave, and Leah followed him out.

She said, “Mirasçi, can I have a few moments of your time?”

“Of course, Empress, how may I serve?”

“Talk with me as we walk. I wished to speak with you because I need to leave the canyon soon. I have other responsibilities to meet, and I cannot stay. I need to leave the Elfauns with competent and responsible leadership. The ruling Council and I met this morning, and we believe the best thing for the Elfauns is that their rightful King takes his place at the head of the Council and be the ruler of all Elfauns.”

Mirasçi had stopped walking and was staring at Leah. She stopped and met his gaze firmly until he dropped his eyes and said, “Empress, I grew up on the streets. What do I know of ruling a nation?”

“You saw a danger and took the steps necessary to prevent it. You stood between your city and its enemies with no other thought than that it was your responsibility. You took time to remember and honour one of the lowest of your subjects. You’ve just asked the right question instead of automatically wanting the position and power. Besides, the Council has years of experience, and they will help you through the hurdles. Finally, I’m not actually giving you a choice. The council has a celebration planned for later today, and I need you ready to meet your people.”

“What does that mean?”

“You need to ring the bell with the Sceptre of Ascension, you need to get some new clothes, and you need to meet the Council. How long will it take you retrieve the Sceptre?”

“I can be back with it in under thirty minutes.”

“Good, you go and get that while I finish organising some details with the Council, then we will go to the Throne Room.”

After Mirasçi left, Leah once more headed for the Council chambers. Before she had travelled very far, Zor found her and said, “The guards at the tunnel are prepared for your dragon. They will allow her entry, without contest. Will you meet her in the canyon?”

“Yes. Let me check how long she thinks she will be.” Leah communicated silently to Mìng, “Mìng, everything is organised. Are you free to come to me?”

“I am coming. My wings are stronger than before, and I can make short flights. I will be there soon.”

Turning to Zor, Leah said, “She is on her way. I think it will be best if I go to meet her. I’ll bring her to the throne room if she wants to come inside. She’s still young, and hopefully, she’ll still fit through the hallways. But don’t worry, I’m sure she’s already eaten today and will probably just sleep. I was headed to the council room, do you know if there are any last minute details that need arranging?”

“I don’t think so. We have a suggestion for a replacement councillor, and they will need either your approval or the approval of the king.”

“Who is it?”

“We thought that it would be good to add a Common Elfaun to the Council. After some consideration, and after some extended consultation with the wider Elfaun community we recommend a young Elfaun called Tarilan.”

“Tarilan, Is that one who led the procession into the canyon last night?”

“Yes.”

“Then I approve. She showed compassion to me, and she obviously has a heart for her community.”

“Then everything is agreed. We will approach her and offer her the position. She will be present when we officially meet you in the Throne Room later this morning. Although before that, I expect most of us will be on a balcony somewhere, watching you greet your dragon.”

Leah teleported to the site of the previous days battle and stood quietly looking down the length of the canyon in the direction of the tunnel from the Dryad Valley. As she waited, Gèng said, “Dunyanin has begun showing your feed again. They started from when they stopped broadcasting on Sunday. Spectator has continued from where they left off. They have just shown Mĕi being killed. The number of people watching via Spectator is over fifteen million, and the take-up of Spectator Membership is over sixty percent. Sharon wanted me to let you know that she has previewed the material up until just after the fight yesterday and suggests you be prepared to give an interview later today when they start showing your Imperial claim. She wants permission to preempt the requests and prearrange another interview.”

“I was planning on visiting the space you and Akia have set up after I finish here. Give Sharon my schedule and if you, and her, can fit it in then yes. If not, then no. Let her know that if my mum is found, then everything will take second place to that.”

“And finally, I have a message from Thad. Do you want to see it now?”

“Yes please.”

Thad’s message was projected onto her vision. She could see what she presumed was his apartment behind him. He gave a tentative smile and said, “Hey, I’m sorry I didn’t respond earlier, but I was angry. Both Amy and Wisp sent short messages to tell me what a jerk I was to respond like a teenage boy before getting any facts. They said that if they were you, they’d dump me. I also got a message from John who told me to ‘man-up, suck-it-up or I’d mess-it-up’. He actually ended that differently, but you get the general vibe. I just wanted to say that even before these messages I was going to answer you. I’d love to have a talk at my place, and I will be free whenever you can make it. Also, I’d like to warn you that my parents are hosting this year’s International Christmas Season Opening Gala this Saturday night. It’s a big thing in the circles they mix in and to be honest, I hadn’t planned on going. My mum, however, has laid down the law and I am ordered to attend. If you’re free, I’d love you to come. Just let me know when we can talk, and I’ll be here. I miss you. Bye.”

“Please pass the message that I’d love to see him, and we can discuss the gala then. I’ll see him after I meet with you and Akia.”

“I suggest you see him first. You will not benefit from any distraction when you experience our world.”

“Are you suggesting that seeing him is a distraction?”

“Your heart rate has increased, and I don’t have to explain the increased levels of Adrenaline, Dopamine and Serotonin.”

“Okay, okay, I’ll see him first.”

Mìng’s voice intruded into the conversation, “I come. I’m through the tunnel, and I’m flying toward you.”

Soon Leah could make out Mìng. Mìng appeared decidedly serpentine with her wings fully extended and her legs tucked in close to her body. Her long body seemed to undulate as it moved through the air. She was now almost twenty paces in length and had a wingspan of over twenty-five paces. As she approached Leah, Mìng flared her wings and gently landed only a body length away; even so, the rush of wind caused Leah to take some steps backwards. Each of Mìng’s four sturdy legs was as at least as long as Leah. Mìng took several steps and then lowered her head to Leah’s level. Leah stepped forward and hugged Mìng’s neck. Leah said, “You have grown a lot in the last few days. Do you need any minerals?”

“Soon! I’ve been consuming my scales. Most dragons do this because of the scarce resources.”

“I thought you would be able to enter the city, but you’ve grown too big.”

“Would I fit in the throne room? You could reduce me to a statue and then release me once we are in the room.”

Leah transformed Mìng into a statue and teleported to the throne room. When she arrived, she transformed Mìng back to her dragon form. Mìng lay down in front of Leah’s throne and took up most of the area on either side. Within minutes the Council members had gathered at the foot of the dais. They had brought Tarilan with them. Leah introduced each member of the Council to Mìng and then teleported to the first step to talk with Tarilan.

Leah thanked Tarilan for her compassion the night before and then spent time finding out Tarilan’s history and explaining the new protocols she had discussed with the other council members—protocols she expected the Elfauns to operate under. As she was finishing up, she saw Mirasçi enter the room, guarded by two Warrior Elfauns, and carrying what she assumed was the sceptre. It was wrapped in a piece of old cloth, but he was holding it with great care and reverence.

Leah quickly finished the conversation and catching Zor’s attention, gave her a small nod. Leah then teleported next to Mirasçi. She said, “Come with me, Mirasçi. I’ve arranged for a valet and tailor to make you more presentable. You have one hour, and then I will present you to the court. In that time Zor will have the nobles assembled in the throne room. Don’t think you’re the only one having to dress up. I also have to get into some nicer clothes.”

Leah handed Mirasçi over to a valet Zor had arranged and made her way to her new room. She spent most of the time thinking through what she would say to Thad and then considering what might happen if she attended the party. Then, after dressing in one of the gowns she had bought in Ticareti she made her way to the entrance of the Throne room. She had timed it just right and was there just before Mircasçi arrived. He’d been scrubbed and was now dressed in dark green silk breeches and waistcoat, together with a light-grey linen-shirt.

The Throne Room was filled with Elven High Lords, Mages and several senior Arbiters. She had yet to meet the Arbiters and had asked Zor to invite them to the announcement. As she entered the room, Haf Izlarin, Captain of the Guards, came to attention and Zor said, “Her Imperial Majesty, Atherleah, and Mircasçi, a claimant to the throne of Dag Tarafind.”

Everyone bowed their head while Leah led Mirasçi to the bell. She stepped forward and said to the assembled Elfauns, “I, Atherleah, present to you the one born to be King of all Elfauns. He is Bey Gercek Mirasçi, the son of Asa Tahtial Asalet, and he is the last of his line. He is the heir to the Throne of Cet Veller Çizgisi. He is my faithful subject. That you might know he is the rightful heir and ruler of Dag Tarafind, he holds the Sceptre of Ascension and will ring the Royal Bell of Ascension.”

Mirasçi stepped forward, unwrapping the Sceptre. He looked around the room and found himself scrutinised by hundreds of Elfaun eyes. Each was trying to discover the measure of the young King-to-be. He met their gazes without confrontation, and in return sought to discern the quality of those he would lead, of those who would share the leadership with him. Finally, he moved toward the bell, and in a firm, sharp, motion brought the sceptre around to strike the bell on its sound bow.

This time the bell produced a pure baritone note which brought everyone in the room to their knees; everyone that is, except Leah, Mirasçi, and Mìng. It echoed through the city and along the valley. Without the additional power of both Merdiven and Leah’s spell, the note soon began to fade, and after several minutes all that was left was a clear, pure, silence. Leah nodded once to Mirasçi and teleported to her throne at the rear of the room. Zor and Leah had planned the next stage of the proceedings to provide an additional brace to support Mirasçi’s claim.

As she had directed him, Mirasçi slowly walked toward Leah. He ascended the steps and was only slightly hesitant at his proximity to Mìng. When he reached the dais, he stopped and went to one knee. Leah stepped forward, and Mirasçi took her hand and said, “I, Bey Gercek Mirasçi do promise that I will be faithful to Atherleah, irrespective of her title. I swear to obey her reasonable commands and to inform her immediately when I cannot. I will counsel and advise her to the best of my ability. Before others, I will steadfastly, in good faith, and without deceit, show and observe all respect toward her. These words stand unless formally withdrawn. You have my word and oath.”

Leah replied, “I, Atherleah, promise to observe my duties to serve and protect the Elfaun city of Dag Tarafind. I will consider and weigh the council of Bey Gercek Mirasçi, King of the Elfauns and will look to reward his service. Before others, I will steadfastly, in good faith, and without deceit, show and observe all respect toward him. These words stand unless formally withdrawn. You have my word and oath.”

Before he could stand, Mìng leant over, breathed on him and cast a spell of Life. She said, “King Mirasçi, my gift to you is the restoration of your antlers and the healing of your body. Be strong and faithful, both to Atherleah your Empress and to your people.”

Mirasçi’s horns, which Leah hadn’t really taken note of, began to extend from the shorter shape of the Common Elfin and extended and grew until they resembled the antlers of an elk. The edges of the antlers were tinged with green from Mìng’s spell. Mirasçi lost the slight stoop he had and grew maybe a handsbreadth in height. Leah stepped forward, and helping him rise, turned him toward the crowd. She said, “Welcome your King.”

All the Elfauns in the large room gave a loud cheer, and Leah indicated that Mirasçi should take his place on the large centre throne reserved for the King. Once he was seated, the council, beginning with High Mage Zor, pledged their loyalty to their new King. They were followed by the High Lords. While this was happening Leah sat quietly, observing. Occasionally, she would discuss her thoughts silently with both Mìng and Gèng.

When everyone had been introduced to the King, Zor faced the crowd and said, “The Council has arranged to present both King Mirasçi and Empress Atherleah to their subjects. Places have been assigned to mages, nobles, arbiters, and senior warriors. I suggest you make your way onto the valley floor and take your seats. The Council will lead the Empress and King onto the valley floor in fifteen minutes.”

Leah reduced Mìng to a statue and then followed The Council and Mirasçi through the palace, through the city and down onto the plain.

It looked as if the entire Elfaun population had come to see the presentation and they began to cheer as they caught sight of Mirasçi’s horns. When they saw Leah, their cheers became louder still, if that was possible. A large circular and tiered dais had been constructed in the centre of the valley. It was near the location of the previous day’s battle.

Surrounding the dais where several rows of seats that had been prepared for members of the court. The court stood to receive the Council, Mirasçi and Leah. The Council took their station on the lowest tier and faced the crowd. Zor led Mirasçi to the next level and in a magically enhanced voice introduced him to the Elfauns. She spent some time reciting his ancestry and various elements of his history. Finally, she led Leah to the uppermost tier and related the events of the last few days to the continuing cheers of the crowd.

Finally, Zor said, “In recognition of Empress Atherleah and all she has done for the Elfaun nation, with the full support of King Mirasçi, the Council, and the Conclave of Mages, it is my task to crown Atherleah, Empress. We desire that she be known by all her people, not only Elfauns, but all who acknowledge her rule. Also, we have two gifts to aid her as she leaves our valley. She leaves to carry out her responsibilities and to perform tasks throughout all Vatan and even on the other continents.”

Turning to Leah, Zor said, “Atherleah, we acknowledge you as our Empress.”

Nine mages ascended the dais. Including High Mage Zor there were two from each of the five Mage Circles of Iktidar. Together they cast a spell using a complex combination of words and motion. Mana began to flow from each mage until a torus of power spun around Leah. It was formed by an intricate multicoloured lattice of Mana which rotated rapidly and pulsed in time with the chanting. Suddenly the mages stopped their chant, all at the same instant. The Mana, however, continued to spin. It also started to shrink, coming closer and closer to Leah until in a flash of light it buried itself in a ring around the top of her head. Leah felt a momentary flash of heat and light, and then a message appeared.

Atherleah, the Elfaun Mages have cast a spell of Knowing on you.

Those who owe you allegiance will become aware of your identity when they recognise the tattoo of a golden crown around your head. The spell includes the ability for the ‘crown’ to take additional forms depending on the race and culture of the observer.

For example, in Elfaun lands, not only do they see the crown, but they also see a set of golden antlers protruding from your head.

Leah looked up to find all the Elfauns in the valley on their knees, with heads bowed. Leah said, “Please rise.”

When everyone was standing Zor said, “We also give you the Vambraces of the Elfaun Mage Queen, Altin Geyik Efsanesi. Among other things, they have the power to transform you into the form of Ruh Geyiği, the Spirit Hart of Elfaun legend.”

Zor handed Leah a pair of black vambraces. Covering the entire surface of each vambrace were etchings of many different animals, and highlighted in the middle of each was a larger etching of a magnificent deer. Its antlers spread from one side of the vambrace to the other. This etching was filled with what looked like gold. Each vambrace was made from what looked like adamantine except they had the suppleness of leather. Leah looked closely at the right Vambrace to study their description.

Ruh Hayvanları, the Beast-walker Vambraces of the Elfaun Mage Queen - Right Vambrace (1 of 2)

Altin Geyik Efsanesi was one of the greatest queens of Elfaun legend. She studied the magic of transformation and with the help of the five mage Circles of Iktidar she designed and created the Ruh Hayvanlari. Her greatest desire was to be one with the natural world.

The vambraces allow the wearer to take the form of whichever beast is outlined in gold. Only after mastering the current animal form are you able to choose another. To Beast-walk requires both vambraces, an act of the will, an application of mana, and the correct enunciation of the phrase, ‘Let Earth, Water, Air, Fire and Darkness aid me to live in the skin of this beast’. (Please see the Dunyanin Manual for more details concerning this phrase.)

The transformation ends either when your mana expires or a the direction of your will. Mana usage depends on a variety of factors which include player level, Wisdom, and the player’s Beast-walker spell level.

Minimum: Level 250 (W250)

When used as a vambrace it adds 50 S and 50 C

When the wearer is beast-walking it adds 100 to best suit the chosen beast’s natural characteristics.

Binds on pickup

Leah looked up and said in a quiet voice, “This is a precious artefact from Elfaun history. Thank you, Zor.”

Zor smiled and said, “To give you those was the suggestion of our young King. He believes you will make better use of them than allowing them to gather dust in the Kingdom’s treasure vault.”

Leah turned and gave a nod of thanks to Mirasçi and then using a spell to amplify her voice she spoke to the gathered Elfauns, “Yesterday was a day that will forever be etched in my memory. It is etched in my memory not because of the battle with Schamirii, nor because of the defeat of the demigod Büyük, but because of the courage of King Mirasçi, a young Elfaun who was prepared to die that his people might live. I will never forget yesterday because of the joy and love showed me by the Elfaun child Zarif, and because of the sacrifice of Lady Yar Dimci and many others in defence of this city. I cannot forget yesterday because when I was overcome with sorrow, pain and loss, at a time when I felt alone and when the burdens of life threatened to overwhelm me, it was then that I was comforted. I was shown grace and compassion by Counsellor Tarilan and the citizens of Dag Tarafind.

“I must continue on my journey, but I am confident that the changes wrought in these last few days will bring greater peace and prosperity to the valley and to the lives of all Elfauns. Thank you for the honour you showed me both last night and today. When I have finished the tasks still before me, I shall return to visit this valley. In my absence, I charge you with maintaining the attitudes of courage, love, sacrifice and compassion that were displayed yesterday. And now I must say goodbye.”

As she said ‘goodbye’ she looked toward one of the distant peaks far to the north of the city and teleported from the Valley of Dag Tarafind. She appeared high on the mountain, and after checking that there was nothing dangerous nearby, she logged out to the Tower.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

December 12, 2073 - Part 3

Leah exited the Tower and had an early breakfast. Neither Michael nor Conner were anywhere to be seen. She checked with security and was told that Conner was in the exercise room and her father was still in his Pod. She wondered how her dad was faring but knew he would let nothing stop him from helping her mum. She considered spending some time with Conner, but she simply didn’t have enough hours in the day to do everything she needed to. Finally, Leah realised that she was putting off returning to the Tower because her next visit was to see Thad. She took a couple of deep breaths, resolutely returned to her room and entered the Pod.

She thought for a moment of what to wear and decided she was looking for another excuse to put off the inevitable. She changed into some jeans and a t-shirt and then had Gèng open a portal to Thad’s virtual address. She appeared in an enclosed courtyard with a small path leading to the front door of what she assumed was Thad’s apartment. Steeling herself, she walked up the pathway and knocked on the door. She could hear footsteps approaching, and then the door was flung open, and Thad appeared, a huge grin on his face.

Leah stepped forward, and was raising her hands to embrace him when Gèng said, “Stop! Take one step back and be prepared to be transferred back to the Tower at any moment. There is a tendril of code across the door that resembles a type of malicious code that you will face when you rescue Akia. I only recognised it because I have been working with her to prepare a practice world for you.”

Leah had stopped immediately and taken a step back into the outer courtyard. She looked at Thad and saw that his smile had disappeared. Instead, he had a look of deep hurt and betrayal on his face. Leah said, “Thad, I want to come in, and I want to tell you what has been happening. I need to explain things to you, and I long to share how much you mean to me, but I can’t. I can’t until you ensure me that you’ve had your world tested and that you aren’t under any form of compulsion.”

“Of course I’ve had it tested. I talked with my dad, and he had the head of security come and test my world himself. There is, and never has been any compulsion used on me.”

“I know this is going to sound crazy, but I wonder if you would mind me getting someone independent to check it?”

Thad’s face shifted expressions again. He began to look angry. “You’re right. It does sound crazy. It sounds like you don’t trust me. I’m beginning to believe that you truly have developed an inflated opinion of yourself and what you can do. I think that maybe you should leave.”

Leah thought furiously. She was sure that Thad was under some form of compulsion. She said, “Who said that to you, Thad? Who has said I think too highly of myself?”

As he struggled to answer, she communicated with Gèng, “Can I enter and avoid the code?”

“It’s stationary at the moment, and it’s been constructed to conform to a standard real-world cartesian framework, so I think so. I’m going to apply a filter to your sight which will allow you to perceive the boundaries within which the malware exists. Be careful not to touch it. You will see it appear in red, I’ve designed the filter to show it as a multi-stranded web. Do not let any of the fibres touch you in any way. Akia has analysed some of the code and suggests it’s viral.”

Thad responded, “Everybody is saying that. All of your so-called friends think that. They are all wondering what has come over you.”

“It can’t be everybody, Thad. I know it wasn’t Amy or Wisp. And it isn’t something James would say—he wouldn’t care. So who said that to you, Thad?”

Thad’s face became angrier, but before he could explode, Leah said, “Never-mind. Look, I’d like to talk this through in a less confrontational and less adversarial way. I came because, at the very least, I want you as a friend. May I come in and talk with you rationally?”

Thad face went blank and said, “OK, come in, but don’t get too comfortable, your whole attitude is really starting to piss me off.”

He turned and walked deeper into his apartment. While his back was turned Leah dropped to the floor and crawled quickly under the web that had appeared just beyond the doorway. It went from knee to head height and spanned the whole corridor. She was back on her feet quickly but was walking slowly and hesitantly, giving Gèng the opportunity to check ahead.

Thad had a large and open planned apartment. The ceiling was high, and although Thad had decorated it almost exclusively for a single male, the artwork and colours were tasteful and of high quality. Leah did note that there were several portraits of her on the wall and wondered if Thad would be taking them down after she left.

He led her toward a set of sofas and then sat down quickly, giving an obvious indication that he expected her to sit on the other one. She headed for sofa he indicated, but before she could sit, Gèng said, “Be careful Leah, there is the outline of an imposed-logic restraint covering the surface of the sofa. It works by redirecting and manipulating data packets so that it becomes impossible to move. No matter how I changed the data, it would be reoriented to keep you sitting. Do not sit next to Thad either. His sofa is covered with a similar logic-based restraint.”

“How can he move?”

“I imagine it is coded to ignore his virtual signature. I am superimposing this type of trap onto your vision, and I’ve given it the form of red chains.”

“Can you have my virtual signature mimic Thad’s?”

“It may be possible. Remain standing while I discuss this with Akia. I may also contact Reed and Tesfaye as they have additional experiences and skills beyond mine.”

Leah went and stood near the sofa and looked down at Thad, who was staring at her with an angry and hurt look. This was not like him. He was usually easy going and self-deprecating. Now he appeared sullen and full of an unreasonable rage.

She said, “Thad, I understand your reaction but can you see it from my point of view? I trust you, I really do, but I don’t know your security person. I haven’t met them, or seen their credentials. I’m not from your part of town. Where I come from, we rarely just hand our security over to someone else. Sure, we pay protection money to the boss who controls our area, but we also keep a knife under our pillow, and our doors locked at night. Even when we trust someone, we still keep an eye on them as anyone can be bought or manipulated. I trust Thomas to clean your space because I checked his work and verified it. I’d like to trust your security person but to do that I need to verify.”

While she waited for Thad to respond, Gèng said, “Tesfaye suggested a simple work-around. You can now sit on the sofa, but you’ll find it doesn’t provide any cushioning. I’ve added an offset to your physical boundary, and you will, if anyone looks closely, be suspended just over a centimetre above the restraint.”

Leah gently lowered herself onto the sofa and found it disconcerting to be suspended even that small distance above the surface of the sofa. She’d become so used to the virtual multi-verse that she’d begun to see it in terms of a different, but valid, reality. Magic itself had become real, but somehow this, this seemed un-natural.

Thad’s face had suddenly become calmer, and he said, “I suppose I can see why you act the way you do but it still doesn’t explain why you cut Amy, Wisp, James, and I out of your life for a few days. All we wanted to do was help you at a difficult time, but you blew us off. Then you recruit Amy and Wisp into your plans and continue giving me the cold shoulder. I want to be a part of your life, the good and the bad, but I’m uncomfortable being ignored until it suits you. I don’t need, or even want, you to feel that I must be included or that I think I have a right to be included. All I want is for the channels of communication to be kept open. All you needed to say was, ‘Thanks, Thad, but this something I have to deal with alone at the moment. I’ll call you if I need anything.’ I would have been content with that, not happy, mind you, but I would have understood. Instead, all I got was a big fat, ‘no comment’ from Gèng.”

Leah carefully thought through his words and then said, “You’re right. I think I had good reasons at the time, and maybe I did, but I should have considered how to communicate a need for privacy without ignoring you, or our friendship. You should know that Gèng, Amy, Wisp, and even my brother suggested I should just talk things with you. I’m sorry. Can we start again? Can I have a do-over?”

Thad gave one of his trademark cheeky grins and said, “Seriously, a do-over? Sure. I’ll give a do-over this time. In fact, the way I’ve missed you I’ll probably give you several do-over opportunities if it means I can still spend time with you. So, a do-over it is.” He cleared his throat and said with mock seriousness, “So Leah, I’ve just heard that Dunyanin has cancelled your account and I’m really worried, is there anything I can do to help?”

Leah gave a small chuckle and then said just as seriously, “Thanks, Thad, but this something I have to deal with alone at the moment. I’ll call you if I need anything.”

Thad gave a small laugh and was about to say something when a man Leah had never seen before appeared in the room. He was obviously going to talk with Thad because he started to speak, “Thad, what t…”

He stopped mid-word, in shock, when he saw Leah sitting on the sofa talking with Thad.

Before he could say or do anything else, Thad said, “Oh, hey Mr Peterson, Leah and I were just talking about the security sweep you did. Can you reassure her that everything is clean as a whistle in here?”

Mr Peterson said, “Morpheus.” At that, Thad’s eyes glazed over, and he sat, still as a statue.

Mr Peterson looked over at Leah and said, “I don’t know how you got in here undetected, but I assure you, it won’t be so easy to leave. I simply wanted to meet Thad’s suggested guest to the Gala and to make sure she was suitable. What an absolute surprise to discover that his amazing ‘Leah’ is none other than the disreputable ‘Atherleah’. The same negative-tax up-start Atherleah who’s been causing Meredith so much trouble. Meredith will be delighted when I deliver you to her all wrapped up. Don’t worry about Thad, a few commands and he’ll forget all about you, and he’ll go back to his easy-going, ignorant, unencumbered life. There is no way that Mrs Emerson would have ever approved of her son having a relationship with you. Now, just sit there, and I assure you, there is nowhere for you to go, I have a few calls to make. I’m certain you’ll bring in a tidy profit.”

At that, he turned aside and began communicating silently with someone. Leah checked and felt no restrictions on her movements. She knew she could escape if she wanted to. Gèng said, “You can leave whenever you wish. However, this Mr Peterson seems to have almost complete control of Thad. I’ve given Tesfaye access to your feed, and he is attempting to piggy-back into Thad's Pod with the help of Reed. They want to see if they can sever Mr Peterson’s connection. Unfortunately, his security protocols seem a step above anything that even Akia has ever seen. Tesfaye believes the only way might be to discover the code word, or phrase, which is used by Mr Peterson to wake Thad.”

“I assume the code word that put him to sleep was ‘Morpheus’.”

“That is the logical assumption. Tesfaye suggests you try using the names other Greek deities.”

Leah turned to speak to Thad but was interrupted by Mr Peterson. He said, “It seems your luck has run out. Mr Emerson has been in touch with Mr Kodoman, and they’ve decided to leave you here for the moment. Mr Kodoman has some business to complete, and then he’s coming himself to pick you up himself. Apparently, they’ve got a work-around to overcome the latest security updates.”

Leah said to Gèng, “I can’t think of anything at the moment that might help Thad. Any suggestions?”

“Only one. You need to get out of there. It’s possible that whatever new code they have might be able to overcome the extra security you currently have. I cannot see them hurting Thad, and it leaves you free to consider your options.”

“Can you ask Tesfaye if it is possible to leave an inactive but viable pathway to this world? If there is a way to help Thad, then I may need to break back in at some stage.”

It was several minutes before Gèng said, “We’ve come up with one possibility. Tesfaye is certain that any link, even dormant, will be discovered. He suggests we leave something out in plain sight, a trojan that Thad might trigger and thereby make the connection from his end. Such a connection is far less likely to be discovered.”

“Where am I supposed to get this ‘trojan’ from?”

“Tesfaye is working on that now. I’ve permitted for him to burrow deeper into my connection to Thad’s space. Together we plan to subtly modify your signal. The modification changes what you brought to Thad’s. A letter will appear in your left hand. It is a love letter from you to Thad. Drop it, so it lies on the sofa toward the back. It is small, but at some stage, Thad’s AI will notice it and bring it to his attention. When he reads it? And if he says your name aloud, then he will trigger the connection.”

“What does the letter say?”

“Tesfaye is hesitant to tell me.”

“Tell him he has no choice. He needs to tell me, or we’ll do it some other way.”

“He says he is rewriting it. The new note says, ‘Dear Thad, I’m sorry for not trusting you. Love Leah.’ He says the other note would have been better, but this will have to do.”

Leah sat watching the vacant-eyed Thad and Mr Peterson, who was pacing back and forth. He was obviously anxious for Nathan or Mr Emerson to turn up. Slowly she could feel the note forming between her fingers. It was several minutes before it was fully corporeal in Thad’s world. Although she wanted to read it, she carefully dropped it so that it came to rest between two of the red chains of the logic restraint. She waited several more minutes and then said aloud, “Excuse me, Mr Peterson.”

He turned to look at her and said, “What?”

“I’d like you to explain to Mr Kodoman that although I appreciate the invitation to catch-up, that I have no desire to meet with him under any circumstances. I hope you enjoy explaining my absence to your boss. Goodbye.”

At that, Gèng logged Leah out. As she faded from view, she enjoyed the look of consternation and dread that appeared on Mr Peterson’s face.

Back in the Tower Gèng was waiting on the sofa. Although Leah was concerned for Thad she realised that the Emerson were unlikely to do anything to hurt their son. Before discussing things with Gèng she sent a quick note to Amy and Wisp about Thad and then looked at Gèng and said, “I thought you said I wouldn’t be able to be captured in a virtual world. You and Akia suggested that the most the security could do was boot me out. How then does this logic-based restraint work?”

“The restraint did not affect you. When we went to Thad’s world, I was integrally involved in interpreting the data for you. You weren’t really there, I was. In that scenario, I carry out your wishes by sending signals of a certain pattern to the appropriate parts of your nervous system so that you perceive a series of events in coordination with what was seen by Thad and Mr Peterson. The construction of Thad’s house was controlled by Thad’s AI and his Pod. The logic-restraint works to prevent me from changing the sequence of events and therefore you do not perceive that you can move. When you go into the Vault, I won’t be helping you to interpret the signals. I won’t make any decisions. Certainly, I will be integral to your ability to interact with the Vault servers, but only as the carrier wave. All the information, the directions, the decisions must be yours and yours alone. You wouldn’t become trapped by a logic-restraint, but you would be identified.”

“I see. Well, I think I do.”

“Are you sure you are up to working in AI space?”

“Nope. I’m worried about my mother, my dad, my brother and my boyfriend. I’ve so many things happening that for the first time I think it might be actually possible for my head to explode. But if I’ve learned anything over the last few weeks, it is that being ready for something has no bearing whatsoever on the need to do it. I am committed to helping Akia and if this is our best shot then let us work toward that goal. Neither time nor opportunity will wait till I’m ready. What I will do though, is I will do the best I can. So, where to?”

“Before we go I need to explain what you will experience, or to be more accurate, what you won’t experience. The space that electronic entities operate in is nothing at all like this Cartesian-based anthropo-centric construct. Here everything is geared toward providing sensory input that mimics human expectations and sense perception. So, if you are in Dunyanin and your cloak is set on fire the only reality for me is a set of data points which indicate how much pain you feel, and where. There is also information to show the type of smell you should experience, and heat. What colours you will see and in what configuration. I interpret this data and apply it to you in a series of signals that your nervous system interprets as reality. Your system responds in a format that I can measure and interpret. I send information back to the Dunyanan server, and it is reinterpreted at that end to share with whoever is in the scenario with you. This transfer of information occurs too fast for you to comprehend and in a manner, you cannot access.

“While you are able to distinguish between a multitude of colours you are unable to distinguish, without translation, the precise current in a microcircuit and what that means in terms of where it must be routed to. We need to find a way to provide an automatic filter so that you can ‘see’ the magnitude of currents and ‘smell’ the difference between recursive functions and loops. A way for you to ‘hear’ approaching packages of data, ‘taste’ digital signatures, and ‘feel’ inequalities. Your actions then need to reflect not movement but computations and comparisons. When you step up it won’t mean anything with regard to the three-dimensional space you live in but instead might reflect accessing a particular IP address which is known by the distance you move your foot.”

Leah looked at Gèng with horror on her face and said, “Impossible, what you describe is surely beyond the possible. The human brain cannot react at the speeds necessary.”

“You may be right if we were talking about an un-augmented human nervous system. But even then I think the capacity of the human mind would surprise you. And it isn’t that we are starting from scratch. Akia and I have been working on this for some time and think we’ve a viable system that will be familiar to you. Added to all that is your augmented nervous system. With the additional connections we think we can accelerate your perception when you are in the Pod by a factor of thirty or more. The memory nodules along your spine and within your skull can be programmed to apply the automatic filter which will reduce the AI footprint even further.”

Leah sighed and said, “I’m still not convinced, but nothing more is likely to be gained from waiting. Where to?”

Gèng led the way to a doorway at the top of the tower. Leah knew this was Gèng space but had stayed away until she was invited.

With a deep breath, she stepped through the portal and into … Nothing.

Leah knew she was alive because she was still able to think but she wasn’t sure if she was thinking fast or slow. There was no colour, it wasn’t black, nor white, it just wasn’t. After what seemed like an eternity she took a deep breath … but she didn’t. There was no oxygen, and no absence of it. She didn’t have a heartbeat. It wasn’t that her heart had stopped, but rather it just wasn’t there. She waited for another eternity, hoping Gèng would speak but there was no sound. It wasn’t silence really, it just wasn’t. She tried to turn her head but she didn’t have one, nor a body. No eyes to see, no neck to stretch, no hands to clench, just nothing. But then she realised she would have been able to perceive nothing. This wasn’t even that. And finally, after another eternity she heard a whisper.

“Atherleah, I’ve just activated the first module of the filter. It detects the data communication protocols and translates them into sound. At the moment I have only activated the module which recognises data sent to you. Soon I will begin to switch on more modules. This will allow you to be aware of the flow of information around you. We AI are constantly sampling the data flow and checking if the information is for us.”

“What took so long?”

“Leah, in AI terms it was a very long time. But in human terms it was hardly any time at all. It took less than three-tenths of a second from the time you entered the portal until I activated the module. Your system has been accelerated and is operating at 36.4 times normal. But even at that speed you only experienced 10.92 seconds of true sensory deprivation. So before I connect the rest of the data sampling modules we need to discuss how you wish to sense the flow of time. In real life and in the Pod you are aware times passage by a complex mix of senses. Your body keeps note of breathing, of your heartbeat, the number of steps you take, the position the sun. And even when people are deprived of those, you have mechanisms to help assess questions related to time such as, how long was I asleep? Or, how quickly did that happen? In this world, you also need to note time’s passing. Akia and I thought either a physical watch or a visual display would be best.”

“Maybe, but let’s leave my visual senses free at the moment. Can you apply the passing of time to a heartbeat. I’m not sure what my average heart rate is but I assume it is something like eighty or ninety beats per minute when in a situation where I’m constantly moving. So if you make me feel my heart beat every two-one-hundredths of a second then I’ll have a similar perception of time as I normally would.”

“I will set up the algorithm so that it reflects any changes in speed.”

“Wait for a second. I’m used to focussing for up to nine hours in the virtual world. I need to get in and out of the Vault in thirty minutes virtual-time or ten minutes real. I think you should change my perception, so I think of the time in terms of having nine hours to finish the task.”

“OK, that works out at the current time dilation as one beat for every thirteen one-thousands of a second.”

Leah began to feel her heart beat slowly in her chest. And with it came a sense of peace which dragged her back from the insanity she had felt drawn towards.

Leah, Gèng and Akia worked on finding the best way to represent the AI world for what felt like forever. She became aware of the flow of current as the force of the wind against her skin. A difference in electrical signals was represented by various colours. Textures and materials were assigned to different transmission media and transfer rates.

Finally, when she felt she could do no more and needed a break. She said, “Akia, Gèng, I’m sorry, but I need a break. I don’t know how long we’ve been at this, but it seems more like days than hours.”

Gèng said, “I’m sorry Leah, I should have realised sooner. It has only been twenty minutes real time but it would feel like eighteen hours to you. I think you should exit the Pod and give your nervous system a rest for as long as you can. You are supposed to be on the Betrayal with Wisp just after eight AM. That gives you almost forty minutes. I will transfer you back to the main Tower.”

Leah felt everything shift, and she was suddenly aware of a multitude of senses that they hadn’t connected yet. She could feel them in a whole new way after their absence. When she exited the Pod, she struggled for a moment or two as her brain attempted, just for a short time, to see the colours of her room in terms of electrical signals, and the floor felt like an old copper transmission line. She stumbled to the kitchen and promptly threw up all over her dad.

Leah stared at her dad in shock, but she could hardly stand. Despite her embarrassment, she could do nothing except watch as he wiped himself down and got a bucket and rag to clean everything up. By the time he finished, she’d just enough balance and strength to stumble into her room for a shower and change of clothes. This time, when Leah exited her room she was much more stable despite having a fierce headache which had suddenly developed. Michael was waiting in the kitchen. He’d made a rather bland breakfast for her and had a worried look on his face.

He said, “Is everything alright? You look pale, and I can see you’re still unsteady. Are you sick?”

“I’m not sick. I’m just recovering from a weird session with Gèng. We were preparing for something I need to do tomorrow morning to help a friend. I pushed things way past my comfort zone. I’ll be fine soon, and I feel a lot better already.”

“Was what you were doing safe?”

“I’d like to say, absolutely, but I’ll have Gèng do a diagnostic when I get back in the Pod. If there are any issues, then I’ll have a doctor friend I know check it out in the Tower.”

“How can they do that? Does that mean it is something in the virtual world?”

“They can see the results of the tests done in the Pod and can check my vitals, brain activity, and all sorts of other things. The issue is probably more a physical issue than virtual, last time they had me take a particular neural drug and that dealt with things. Don’t worry about it, dad. I think it was just the sudden change of perspectives. How were your first experiences in the multiverse?”

“Weird, surreal, exciting, terrifying, confusing and a whole lot of other adjectives. I did as you asked and started to play Runes of Power. Everything was so real. I already have two Runes, and I’ve started learning how to use them. I know it isn’t really possible, but it is interesting. I met an old guy when I started playing, goes by the name of Matamua. He said to say hello, and he asked me to tell you that as his designated Piahi you should not wait too long before learning to use the Runes. He said that I am to be your Metuatane and I must learn them even faster.”

“Did you work out what any of the words meant?”

“Not really. I do know what my Runes mean. Well I mean, I must if I’m going to use them properly.”

“Did you do anything else?”

“I spent some time with a self-defence guy John suggested.”

As if he’d heard his name, John knocked on the doorjamb before entering and sitting at the table. He said, “Good morning. I’m sorry to interrupt, but one of Leah’s suggestions paid off. We have a lead on the person who probably chipped Lin. His name is John Welford, and he is an AI Installer for the hospital. Apparently, he has some personal habits that fall into the illegal category. To fund his fantasies, he freelances as a black market chipper. I sent some people to investigate, and it seems he left work mid shift yesterday, just before lunch. He was back an hour later, and we can’t find out where he went. I’m thinking he needs a visit. We’ll encourage him to share.”

Leah said, “What are these personal habits?”

John looked away, as if embarrassed, but said, “He enjoys fantasises with underage and unwilling participants. And that’s all I’m going to say.”

“Real, or virtual?”

“Apparently both, but the word is he copies hospital scans and imports them into his v-world.”

Leah’s face became like stone and she said, “John, I want to tag along on this.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Leah, we don’t have time for much of a plan, and it may take hours to find just the right time. I’m pretty sure you don’t have six or so hours you can spare at the moment. Also, this isn’t something where…” He paused and looked at Michael for a moment and then continued, “um, we’ll need your particular skills.”

Her dad was about to ask something, but Leah interjected, “I know I don’t have time, it’s just that he was the guy who installed my chip. I need to know if he took my scans. If he did, then I want to discuss that with him.”

It was clear from Michael’s face that his previous question was forgotten. He said, “Actually John, I think I want to tag along as well. If he did take Leah’s scans, then I might want to help with that discussion.”

“Neither of you are going. Look, at the moment even I don’t have the time to be off on a stakeout. But I promise you that whoever does end up going will have a long talk with him. If he did take your scans, Leah, then not only will we retrieve them but we will make sure that he is very, very, sorry for taking them.”

Leah was about to argue when Michael said, “OK John, I don’t like it, but your reason is solid. We need to be here and to be ready for whatever we learn from him. But, I want you to make sure that all the scans he’s copied, regardless of whom—that they are removed, they are not looked at, and that he will be made to feel remorse for every single one of them.”

Leah wanted to argue but knew that John was right. Her face tightened, and she said, “Like dad said, and please keep me informed. Now, do we have any other news about mum?”

“We’ve ruled out about ninety percent of the homes we were focussing on. That leaves fifty to check out. Even if we find the right place without the chipper’s help, it’ll be good to have his description of the security around the property. I think you should plan for us retrieving Lin sometime late tomorrow night.”

Both Leah and her dad nodded, and the mood in the kitchen lightened as they thought of Lin coming home. John said, “Now, onto lighter things. How did the meeting with Thad go?”

Leah’s face fell. “Not good, John. I think we’d patched things up, and thanks for the help by the way, but it turns out he is being compelled.” She described what had happened and spent several minutes discussing what it might mean long term, and what options they had. In the end, Leah said, “Sorry dad, sorry John, but I have to get back. Wisp’ll be waiting in the Betrayal. We’re transitioning out of Plankian space soon, and I have to be there.”

“What’s Plankian space?” Michael said.

“I’ll let John explain. I have to go, bye.”

With that, she left the room and hurried to the Pod. Minutes later, after asking Gèng to do a full analysis of her neural pathways and check for damage, she was entering the portal onto the deck of the Betrayal.

Wisp was waiting, and Leah spent several minutes updating her on what happened at Thad’s apartment and discussing possible solutions. Finally, Wisp said, “So, what are Amy, Zack and James going to do? They are still travelling with him. It’s going to make it very difficult.”

“I’m not sure. Amy was going to talk with Zack and James. She imagines he will be made to ignore whatever happened. She said she’d drop my name at some stage and gauge the reaction.”

“We are going to save him, aren’t we?”

Leah smiled and embraced Wisp then said, “Yes Wisp, we will save him, I’m not sure when, or how, but we won’t leave him to be controlled by anyone.”

“Except you, of course.”

Leah laughed and said, “Not even me, Wisp. I want a fully functioning, self-determining, self-aware, self-motivated boyfriend.”

The console emitted a short beep, and after checking the screen, Leah said, “Two minutes to transition.”

“What exactly are we expecting again?”

“If the modelling was correct then we should find a habitable planet with a sentient population who have yet to make it into space. There should be a huge abandoned space station which needs to be explored. The basic scenario is that the sentients on the planet were planted there long ago by whoever built the station. We should find at least one gas giant to provide fuel and resources. Also, I expect a large asteroid belt full of all sorts of heavy metals and rare minerals. If we are fortunate, there will even be some smaller planets and moons to mine or develop.

“I asked Gèng to research the best way to progress if we hit pay dirt and she says we need to secure and claim the station and then lodge a Title claim over the entire system. We’ll have three months uninterrupted control of the system where the only craft allowed in are those we give access to. After that, we’ll have to have a defence plan in place to protect the claim. We transition in ten.”

While she’d been talking, her eyes had been focussed on the console’s screen. Both she and Wisp turned at looked to the front view screen to get a glimpse of what they hoped would become the first of several bases to prepare an assault on the Gorgians and to block whatever plans Mahigan had. Right on time, the Betrayal transitioned into the Cosmos Online universe.

The star was a reasonably young G-type luminous star with a mass of 1.08 solar masses. Without any atmospheric interference it looked almost white, although the instruments showed it had spectral peaks in the blue and green range—in other words, similar to Earth’s sun. The sensors gave a quick snapshot of the system, and it appeared empty of other spacecraft. Over the next hour, Wisp and Leah concluded that they had indeed hit the jackpot. They’d found enough evidence to point to a massive asteroid field and two habitable planets in addition to the one already occupied. The inhabited planet was unusual in that it was a water planet. There was evidence of simple technology and a few radio signals, but that was it. Orbiting the water planet was what appeared to be a lifeless abandoned space station.

Wisp programmed some drones to do a more detailed survey of the system while Leah worked with Gèng to put together a flight plan to circle the system and then bring them close to the space station early Friday morning. Leah hoped that by then she would have nothing urgent anywhere else in the multi-verse, in cyberspace, or in real life. Once everything was organised Leah and Wisp both logged out of Cosmos Online.

As soon as she arrived back in the Tower, she said, “Gèng, what did you find in my nervous system that might account for the headache and nausea?”

Gèng appeared and sat opposite Leah. She said, “You had some swelling around both the basal ganglia and your right parietal lobe. Most likely this is due to the manipulation earlier this morning which accelerated your rate of perception. There was also some evidence of increased neural activity in three areas: The corpus callosum, which connects the two cerebral hemispheres; the somatosensory cortex, which processes external stimuli; and the hippocampus, which deals with memory and higher analysis. I contacted Dr Roberts and she recommends that you should be very careful and suggests, very strongly, that you refrain from any use of temporal manipulation except within the standards of normal Pod use. She did say it that the current neurological anti-inflammatories you are using would help relieve the symptoms.”

“What does the increased activity indicate?”

“I have been researching this since observing the activity and have come to a conclusion that I have not shared with Dr Roberts. I hypothesise that the artificially induced neurological activity during your time in my reality activated adult stem cells in your hippocampus and your nervous system is upgrading your sensory system and connectivity by forming new neurones. What the outcome of this is I am not certain of.”

“I thought our brains didn’t create new neurones.”

“It doesn’t except under certain circumstances. The presence of these stem cells has been the focus of research for years and some have hypothesised that they exist for just this reason.”

“But what do you think the outcome will be?”

“I think it will mean an increase in your sensory capabilities. In 2015, researchers found the existence of a sensory mechanism in human cells to detect electric fields. I think you may develop a greater level of electro-reception, as it is called. The scope of the activity suggests it may even be more than that. Nevertheless, Akia and I believe that it has become too dangerous to attempt further extreme manipulations at this time and we will look for a different way to help restore Akia Prime.”

“Please thank Akia for her willingness to give up her freedom, but I think it should still be attempted. I’ve almost an hour before I should enter Dunyanin. I plan on ten minutes in what I now think of as your ‘cyber-reality’, then thirty minutes NREM3. If I rest after each time and also give my brain a break, I think I can manage it. Now get Akia ready and let’s do another ten minutes.”

“Leah, it is dangerous, it is unknown, and it is contra-indicated.”

“I know. It may also be the only chance we get.”

Gèng studied Leah’s face for some time before nodding and leading Leah once again out of the virtual-universe and into her cyber-world. The next nine hours, according to Leah’s perceptions, involved learning to 'move' in cyberspace. 360 degrees was an irrelevant concept, as were the notions of ‘up’ and ‘down’, ‘left’ and ‘right’, and ‘forward’ or ‘backwards’. Akia, Gèng and Leah had to find ways for Leah to perceive accessing a data line as taking a step along a branching pathway. She needed to ‘see’ her options in terms of possible steps she could take. She had to have a system to categorise the most likely options as ‘close’ and the least acceptable as ‘far’. The list went on and was nowhere near completed when her time was up.

Gèng transitioned her straight to NREM3 sleep, but even so, she exited the Pod just before nine AM with a pounding headache and a bout of nausea and dizziness. She struggled to get a meal down but knew her body needed the energy and nutrients. After an extended break she headed back to the Pod and then entered Dunyanin.

Leah appeared at the top of the mountain. She quickly did a quick check of her surroundings and released Mìng from her statue. She wouldn’t have access to Mĕi for another two Dunyanin days so she would need to teleport, walk, or see if Mìng was ready to fly with a passenger. But first, she needed to work out where the best place to go was. She had only fifteen Dunyanin days left, and she needed to be better prepared. She checked her current situation

ATHERLEAH (Level 303) (1247525/3950000) (+271%)

Characteristics: Points Total (Assigned, Racial, Jewellery, Armour, Other), 43 Undistributed

Strength (S): 358 (190, 5, 60, 33, 0, 75)

Constitution (C): 345 (190, 5, 65, 0, 55)

Agility (A): 271 (250, 7, 0, 14)

Wisdom (W): 539 (199, 2, 318, 0, 20)

Intelligence (I): 516 (198, 0, 318, 0, 0)

Luck (L): 103 (103)

Statistics: (Available, Capacity)

Health: 100+(S+C)xPL: (213109, 213019) HP

Stamina: 100+(C+A)xPL: (186748, 186748) SP

Mana: 100+(W+I)xPL: (319765, 319765) MP

Ki: 100+(W+[S+A]/2)xPL: (258710.5, 258710.5) KP

She couldn’t wear the Dragon Armour until she was Level 400 and what she had organised with Sampiyon was unfinished and needed a Grand Master Smith. She’d achieved the level of Master Smith in her crafting but knew almost nothing about armour. Merdiven was out of action and except for the Amber Dragon, most of her weapons were no longer suitable at her level. Even Baris and Adalet were of a lower level than she needed. They were fine for most engagements but just didn’t do enough damage against adversaries with Levels over 400. She could make some knives and maybe another sword, or she could always buy something. She had Tufek Horozu’s War Axe, but she had no idea how to use the axe effectively. She took it from her bag and weighed it in her hand. Even with her strength over one and a half times the minimum for the axe, it still felt heavy. She was glad it was built for dwarves as that meant it was just about right for her.

Finally, she said, “Gèng, do you have any suggestions for upgrading my weapons? Without Merdiven or the weapons I’d ordered from Sampiyon, I’m not sure I’ve enough firepower to take on the other contestants in the challenge.”

“My only suggestion is to keep on doing what you have been. Work to meet your obligations before chasing your desires. Be prepared for what comes and hold on with both hands. What do you have to do?”

“I need to visit Jonathan and Julian. I need to get the dragon eggs to the Dragons, but I’m not strong enough yet. I want to visit Ovalar but only because a clue leads in that direction. There is the plantation where I think Merideath has slaves. I need to work on the disc and solve some clues. I also need to consider how, when and if I should extend the idea of Empire.”

“When you listed them, did anything stand out as what you should do next?”

“No. I think the only thing that stood out is that I miss the general excitement of just looking over the next hill or turning the next corner or investigating the next cave. Everything has become so intense.”

“Then why don’t you wander down this mountain and see what’s at the bottom? Have a day without major obligation. Enjoy the game. Soon enough you’ll be back on the hunt for Catherine, your mother, Akia, or Thad. Just have a break for today.”

Leah sat and considered that for a while, then she slowly practised her Tai Chi before meditating. It was an hour before she stood and said, “Thank you, Gèng. I feel lighter. I’m ready to take another step and see what new thing there is. This will be fun, even if nothing happens.”

Mìng headed off to investigate something she’d seen on a neighbouring mountain and said she’d come when called but wanted to feed and sleep for a while. So Leah circled the rocky outcrop at the top of the mountain and picked a path which headed North-East toward the plains. She found it strange walking without a staff and decided she needed to look for clues to the grove where Bazlari had chosen the wood. Maybe heading to see Jonathan made sense; that way, she could achieve at least two of her tasks.

As she walked, she practised using the axe by moving it through various forms and trying to work out how it could be used. She didn’t have a shield, although she did have the vambraces. She decided that changing the direction of the swing was difficult using just one hand and she began using both arms to slow down the axe after finishing an attacking stroke and alternating her attack to be possible with the weapon in either hand. This also brought the sword into a good position for defence—with a hand at either end she could use it as a staff.

As she practised, Leah was on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary that might lead to an adventure but even though she saw the tracks of numerous animals and heard the forest sounds, she spent several hours descending the mountain and nothing attacked her or jumped out as odd. She was just getting a little bored when she crossed a small creek, and some messages appeared.

You are entering an area of play where Player Level determines the attacking MOBs. This area encompasses the entire valley and covers an area of 85 square leagues. The highest level player calculates MOB level for groups. You can, therefore, expect to meet situations aimed at players with a level of 303. Please have an enjoyable day.

World Achievement: Achieved (1, Opal)

First to enter a freely accessible Playing Area

Atherleah (Level 303) You are the first player to enter this playing area. This is your first World Achievement: ‘Achieved (Opal)’.

You are one of the players who has been first into a freely accessible playing area.

Reward 1: 100 x 303 = 486540 (+271%) Experience Points (1359938/3950000)

Reward 2: + 0.5% to all future Experience

Reward 3: 1 x 1 gold = 1 gold

Fame: 5 Fame Points (248915)

A Commemorative Plaque has been placed in your bag.

She had only moved a hundred paces when something crashed into her from the rear, driving her to the ground and making her drop the axe. Sharp claws raked furrows down her back and dug in. The attacker's momentum carried it past Leah, but with its claws gripping her back the same momentum lifted Leah off the ground and dragged her along until they slid to a stop. Leah was in no condition to Mist, and her HP was dropping fast and already below half. She'd been dragged along on her right side, and all she could think of was to bring her left hand up beside her head and cast Dragon Fire at whatever was behind her. She must have hit something because there was a loud screech and a slight loosening of the claws.

Now stationary, she reached over her shoulder and grabbing a claw cast Freeze. Leah screamed as both the claw and the outside flesh of her shoulder froze solid. The beast pulled back in pain and Leah dropped face down, suddenly free of the claws. Her health was at twenty-five percent, and she didn't yet know what she was fighting. With a heave, she pushed herself over and away from the beast. As she turned, she saw what looked like a giant mutated rodent. It was just getting to its feet yet still it had its eyes firmly fixed on Leah. She was short on potions, so she used some mana to begin the healing process and came to her feet just as the creature turned face on to renew its attack.

Its elongated snout had two sets of canine teeth on either jaw, one set at the sides and one at the front. It stood with its head level with Leah's shoulders. Each foot ended in razor sharp extendable claws. Its tail was long, and the last half was covered with sharp needle-like protrusions which Leah could imagine tearing the flesh off her bones if it hit her. Every muscle in its body was sharply defined, even through its fur. The fur itself was mottled and grew in uneven clumps. Leah's plummeting Health had stabilised but still hovered around twenty percent.

She equipped the Amber Dragon in her left hand because her right shoulder had no range of movement. Leah allowed the flame to flare up along the length of the blade. The rodent hesitated and gave Leah time to both identify it and cast another Heal on her back.

RAZOR-TAILED FOREST RAT (Level 304) 64321/92416 HP (15200 EP)

It raced forward, darting to her damaged right side. As she brought the blade across her body to strike at the rat, it turned aside, and both avoided the blade and brought its tail around in an arc to slide along Leah's left arm. She dropped the blade, and before she could retrieve it, the rat had turned around and leapt at her with front claws outstretched. Leah ducked her head down, hunching her shoulders; this didn't stop the rat's front claws from impacting her shoulders, but it did save her head from its rapidly closing jaws which clamped shut and tore out some hair. As she was driven backwards she allowed her fangs and claws to extend, and lifting her face to the rat's neck she fed at the same time as her claws shredded the rat's chest open.

It was dead before they landed. Leah almost blacked out from the landing but kept her wits just long enough to use their momentum to roll the rat off her. Her health was hovering around ten percent, and it took almost ten minutes before she was able to stand and collect the Amber Dragon. Having fed on the rat, there was little to harvest. She felt nauseous thinking about the experience, and after dry retching many times she rinsed her mouth with the last of her water and decided, once again, that she needed to be better prepared. She retrieved the axe and equipped the vambraces.

As soon as both vambraces closed fast around her forearms a message appeared.

Atherleah,

You have equipped the Beast-walker Vambraces known as the Ruh Hayvanları. Altin Geyik Efsanesi created the Ruh Hayvanlari to become one with the natural world. The vambraces allow the wearer to take the form of whichever beast is outlined in gold.

Usually, the wearer must master one form before progressing to another. As a vampire, you have an intimate knowledge of each creature you feed on. This allows you to master their form immediately as long as you make the transition within one hour of feeding. When this method is available, you will see the outline of the beast develop a silver outline. Touch the outline on both vambraces and that beast will replace the current selection. While feeding gives access to a form, it does not ensure long-term mastery or access. To achieve permanent mastery, you must be fully conversant with using the beast's body, including how it moves and what it can sense. Once a form is mastered, it will always be available as indicated by a silver outline. Mastering the form as a vampire will incur an additional cost of 100 BSP and 1000 MP per minute. Parameters for using this method to master forms are found under the Dunyanin Skill (Vampire) - Impersonation.

You must Beast-walk for a minimum of thirty minutes to have unfettered access to the form in the future (unfettered access is not guaranteed in such a short time and may require multiple sessions of beast-walking).

Leah checked her Mana and BSP and then after rechecking the spell, she saw the silhouette of a razor-tailed forest rat on either vambrace and both were outlined in silver. She touched them both, and when they became outlined in gold she took a good look at the outlined creature and said, “Let Earth, Water, Air, Fire and Darkness aid me to live in the skin of this beast”.

Back in the Switch there was a Maori family that lived on the floor below where Leah used to live. The father was huge, both in height and width but the mother was small and slender. She worked as a masseuse and Leah had visited once for a massage to deal with a lingering muscle ache in her neck. All Leah could remember was the strength in the fingers that seemed to reach into the flesh and reshape the muscles. It had hurt, but it had done the trick.

She felt that same feeling when the spell went to work. Forces dug deep into her muscles and rearranged their order. Not only did her shape change but so did her size. Although the change only took a few moments, it seemed to Leah to be several minutes. The change was far more radical than when she had become a dwarf or an Elfaun. She suddenly had four feet and no hands. She also had a tail which she was able to move. A message appeared.

Atherleah, you have taken the form of Katil Sıçan, a giant rat who features in Orc mythology as the harbringer of death. Katil Sıçan was supposedly a favoured pet of Olme, Goddess of Death. The vambraces have each added 50 A and 50 C to your statistics. Your clothes and belongings will be restored when you return to your human form.

Leah began to take a few tentative steps and found that she naturally fell into walking on all fours and using the tail for extra balance. She wrinkled her snout and discovered that she was able to identify the presence of several other animals within 500 paces upwind of where she was. One of those scents was getting closer rapidly, and with both her natural and increased agility she scampered to the left just as a set of dragon claws rent the area she had just vacated. Leah screamed in her mind, "Mìng! Stop! It's me. I'm the rat."

She was just in time, as Mìng had somehow changed direction within several body lengths and was preparing for a ground assault. Then it took several minutes for Leah to explain the sequence of events. After they had both settled down, Leah spent an hour getting to know the body and trying to use her heightened sense of smell and her now acute hearing. At the end of this period, she changed back to her human-elf form and was surprised to see that the rat retained the outline, although the hart had been returned to the position of primary figure.

For the rest of that day, Leah and Mìng made their way slowly down into the long wide valley. They fought several other razor-tailed forest rats, a carnivorous plant with slashing tentacles, a large cat with the ability to fade from sight and a two headed serpent, it had a head at either end of a long thick body and was called a forest amphisbaena.Leah used her sword, the axe, and her whole range of spells, eschewing further use of her ability to feed. Finally, after a full day, they found a large overhang which Mìng could defend by herself and Leah logged out of Dunyanin.

CHAPTER TWELVE

December 12, 2073 - Part 4

When Leah appeared in the Tower, she intended to log out and check if there was news on her mother. She paused when Gèng and Dr Roberts appeared. Leah sighed and sat on the sofa. “I assume you are both here for a reason. I’m almost certain you’d be smiling if the news was positive. What is the problem?”

Dr Roberts sat on one of the other chairs and said, “Gèng sent me a copy of the latest images of your neural activity. She explained her theory and asked for my advice. I’ve been here for some time looking at the sequence of events and bouncing ideas around with Gèng. Leah, I think Gèng has made an accurate assessment of the situation and correctly described what is happening. She also gave a brief overview of the reasons you give for continuing to manipulate your brain as you are. I asked to talk with you because I believe it is more complex than Gèng described and then if you decide you must continue, I have a suggestion to make.”

“OK. So, how is it more complex?”

“Gèng’s theory explains a lot of the activity, but I think the activity we see around your corpus callosum and your somatosensory cortex do not only indicate a generalised increase in connectivity. They also evidence that your system is creating specific connections to enhance the way you sense the world and how you react to the data you collect. These connections are more complex and will allow you a faster and more diverse range of actions. They will allow you to receive, understand and appropriately react to new sensory information much more quickly.

“I was observing your neural activity when you took the form of that rat. It showed intense activity in those two areas, and within a short period, you mastered how to think like a four-legged creature. This included using a tail and understanding all the additional olfactory messages. I’ve done research in this area, and your speed in transitioning from a new experience, through the assimilation process, to achieving fluid and natural action was three times faster than anything I’ve seen before and almost ten times what I think the average is. Gèng explained a little of your experience in cyberspace, I think this was what triggered the neural changes.

“I suggest you allow the swelling around your brain to reduce before making any further foray into cyberspace, or even before you beast-walk again. Gèng suggests that you’re unlikely to listen to my advice because you are under a time constraint. Unfortunately, there is more to this than just those changes. I’m concerned about the stress this will put on you personally. It was only a week and a half ago that you suffered from major changes to your neural architecture and a highly traumatic event which initiated the post-traumatic symptoms that brought you to me in the first place. You need to take things easy for a while. Once the doorway to any mental illness is opened it never really closes all the way.”

Leah sat quietly, thinking through what was said and how to respond. Finally, after a minute or two of silence, she said, “I appreciate your concern Dr Roberts, and I agree that if that were all it was, then I would take your advice. Unfortunately, there are things you aren't aware of that change the scenario. When I put these into the equation, then I have no choice but to continue along this path. You said you have a suggestion if that was the case, what do you suggest?"

"Can you share the bigger picture?"

"I could, but you would need to agree to total confidentiality. That includes the possibility that I will tell you something which you believe obligates you to report me to the authorities. Can you promise, even under those circumstances, that you will keep what I say a secret? Remember, when it comes to administering justice I believe in repentance and restitution before forgiveness and re-integration. I also believe in retribution when either repentance is absent, or restitution is impossible."

"I see...I don't think I could make a promise like that these days. I did when I was younger. It was when the lure of a highly paid government position convinced me to sign all sorts of agreements. My soul is still stained by both by what I saw and what I did. I learned that keeping a foolish or an ignorant promise will never outweigh doing what is right. At least you have the honour of telling me the situation up front. No, I'll remain ignorant.

"My suggestion is to have Gèng reprogram some of those nanites to target the corpus callosum and make some artificial nano-tubule bridges, or conduits, between the two hemispheres. Your body is already attuned to using artificial pathways, and it may grow neurones through these bridges instead of needing to force a pathway to make its own connections. This will reduce the swelling and hopefully the long-term trauma."

"Gèng?"

"I've already talked with Dr Roberts about the necessary programming and with your approval can begin building the bridging connections within several hours."

"OK, Gèng, please go ahead and have them start. Don't use them all though, as I have another use for them that I'll share after I have a short break." Turning to Dr Roberts, she said, "Thank you for your advice and concern. I would definitely accept it if there weren't, what I believe are, mitigating circumstances. I have to go now, but please feel free to stay and discuss things with Gèng."

Leah exited the Pod and discovered the headache was still present, albeit a little less intense. Conner was in the kitchen, and she ate with him, discussing his training with the fighting sticks and listening to his complaints about the bodyguards. Afterwards, she left him to clean up and headed back into the Pod.

Geng was waiting, and Leah said, "I've been thinking of the download from the Annoyance, and I'm worried that whatever the information is, it could be malicious. I was thinking of downloading the data after we retrieved my mum but now I think we need to get it beforehand just in case things don't work out and I have to hand over the Annoyance. I want you to prepare some isolated data-storage sites in the Pod that I can download to directly. Also, for redundancy can you isolate a number of the memory nodules you've built into my spinal cord or skull just in case the plan was to store the information on Mahigan's chip or some child-chip she's had implanted."

"I can, but why do you need the nanites?"

"I don't just want them isolated with code. I want them to have one, and only one, possible connection point for input and output."

"I'll have them begin work immediately. Where are you going now?"

I'm going to see if I can find out anything more about Catherine. Then I'll probably take the pirates to Aeolipile and see about raising a crew for the Tempest."

With that Leah made her way via the SPIDER to the portal to Pneumatica.

Leah arrived in the guest room Tedrick had prepared for friends, though Leah doubted he had any real friends. When she opened the door, she found two of the ex-pirates standing guard. One of them said, “Good morning, Captain Charlotte. Both Major Daniels and Mr Wilks have passed the word that they would appreciate a word with you, at your convenience.”

“Before I ask you to escort me, might I enquire concerning your names and positions?”

The guard who had greeted her said, “My name is Andrews, Captain and that there is Weevil. Well, ‘is real name is Wendelson but all have called him Weevil ever since he came aboard as a young maggot. We’re both Able Airmen, Captain.”

“Well Andrews, I thank you for watching over my quarters, and you also, Wendleson. Now, if you would, please escort me to Major Daniels.”

They led Leah out onto the top of the mesa which formed the Tempest’s Nest. Ian was standing with Mr Wilks and staring into the distance at a thin column of smoke rising from a hilltop in the distance. As she approached, both men turned and dipped their heads in acknowledgement of her presence. Ian said, “Captain Charlotte, it seems to me that you have some inexplicable ability at knowing the most propitious time to make an entrance. Mr Wilks and I have been preparing for a retaliatory attack by Mr Emmerson’s forces. We have just received the signal—that smoke on the horizon indicates that his forces are headed this way.”

“I see, and what have you to propose?”

“As I see it, Captain, we can run, thus protecting those we have freed, but we would lose most of the prize as there is no room on the Tempest for anything besides the people. Our second option is to defend this base as we have a good supply of armament, but I assume the Emerson’s have a thorough knowledge of the defence arrangements for this site and have brought sufficient forces to overpower it. Our third option, the one both Mr Wilks and I prefer, is to take the attack to those who approach. I believe we can defeat them in the air.”

“Mr Wilks, do you concur?”

“Yes Captain, I have polled the men, and without exception, they do not wish to forego their share of the prize without a fight.”

“Gentlemen, I appreciate your willingness to defend this base, but you should know that I value your lives and that of those poor souls who were enslaved here far more than any share of the loot. Should we go to meet the pirate fleet and be overcome, what options do we give those who remain here? Shall we abandon them to fate and the possibility of further enslavement? I am content to wager my life and fortune on the game of battle, but I am loathe to wager the lives of those who have nothing to gain and everything to lose.”

There was silence from both men as they pondered the words. Finally, Ian nodded and said, “Neither am I captain, neither am I.”

They turned to Mr Wilks who said, “Aye, Captain, I understand. But what if they were able to escape by another means? What then would you say?”

“If that were possible, Mr Wilks then I would order you and my men to ready the Tempest for battle.”

“When the Nest was being constructed much of the material was transported on an old dirigible. Rather than sail it back to Aeolipile, it was deflated and stored in one of the storage bays. The gondola was repurposed as guards’ quarters. I think we could reattach the balloon, inflate it and have all the non-combatants away within hours. If the Tempest were to advance on the fleet, there would be enough time to evacuate.”

“Major Daniels, please prepare the Tempest for battle while Mr Wilks shows me the balloon and gondola. Should they be suitable, as described, then I intend to depart inside fifteen minutes. Mr Wilks, show me the balloon.”

Ian set off at a run, shouting orders, while Leah followed Mr Wilks toward the storage bays. Everything was as Mr Wilks had described and after leaving eight men and two officers behind to prepare the evacuation, Leah and the Tempest lifted off thirteen minutes later, headed in the direction of the rising smoke.

The Nest was leagues behind them, but still visible when the news was passed to Leah that the pirate fleet had been spotted in the distance. Since leaving the Nest, Leah had been quizzing Mr Wilks and Major Daniels on how such battles were fought and seeking their advice and suggestions regarding tactics for the upcoming battle. Five minutes after sighting the fleet, Leah was handed a note detailing the size and configuration of the enemy. Altogether there were eight airships with crews similar in size to the Tempest. In addition, over thirty, smaller, single or double crewed aircraft were approaching. Mr Wilks explained that most of the smaller fighter style craft were crewed by Aether-Worlders and were known to attack without concern for their lives, often disabling ships through suicide attacks. None that he knew of had ever been captured. They would fly straight into the ground rather than surrender.

Leah ordered the Tempest to climb above the approaching fleet and stood watching, wondering how she could rescue Catherine.

She said, “Gèng, can you ask Akia if people under compulsion have any freedom of action?”

“She says that as it depends on the orders. After I explained the situation, she said that it was most likely that Catherine had significant freedom for self-expression, otherwise she would be unable to fly the aircraft. It also explains her callsign and logo.”

“Contact Sharon and ask if she had a name or sign similar to CT Hang. Something that Catherine would recognise. Also, contact Tesfaye and tell him to get ready to send people to an address we give him. Also get Wilson on board.”

It was several minutes before Gèng said, “Sharon says she never did but that Catherine used to tease her when she was young because she struggled with the ‘sh’ part of her name. She would say her name was ‘Saron’. Catherine changed it to Sauron and used to tease Catherine about being the Dark Lord from Lord of the Rings. Catherine would scribble an eye on Sharon’s forehead when angry. Sometimes she would pretend to have a ring on her finger and tease Sharon that it was the one ring that would destroy her.”

“What did the eye look like?”

“It was stylised. She’d draw it in red and have the iris vertical like a cat instead of horizontal, apparently from an old 2D classic they watched once.”

“OK, have her send me an image of it.”

Leah turned and said, “Mr Wilks, would you please pass the word to the Boatswain that I have a task for the Sailmaker?”

It was only a matter of minutes before the Sailmaker appeared and Leah gave instructions for the making of a new flag for the Tempest. She wondered what Tolkien would have thought of her flying under Sauron’s banner.

As the pirate fleet approached, they began to spread out and climb as no one was keen to lose the high ground so early in a fight. Mr Wilks had explained that although the Tempest was almost impervious to enemy fire, it needed to be careful of attacks from directly above and below. He also shared that Mr Emmerson had most likely prepared for such an eventuality and the pirates would have armament coated with Maxwellian Bronze.

Major Daniels had loaded the Tempest with almost every piece of weaponry and armament stored at the nest and Leah expected that more Maxwellian Bronze would be expended in this battle than any other in the history of Pneumatica. The sailmaker returned with a large flag hastily painted with a vertical red eye. The paint was still wet and it looked like the eye was bleeding. Leah said, “A creditable flag. Please have it raised and pass the word to Major Daniels that he may commence the attack at his pleasure and have the surgeon’s mate to attend me.”

Within moments the Tempest’s guns rang out, and the battle was joined. Soon Delores came on deck and said, “How might I assist you, Captain?”

“Delores, I assumed you had departed with the others. I called for the Surgeon’s mate.”

“My assistant is already at work attending to some of the minor injuries that occur on board ship. I am here by my choice, Captain. I, like you, wish to see an end to these pirates. How may I help?”

“I wish to render an enemy pilot senseless. Have you any mixture that I might use?”

“Do you wish to medicate their food or drink Captain?”

“No, I was thinking of it being flung toward them in a bladder or a projectile that they might breathe it in, or otherwise be influenced by it as they attack.”

“Might I inquire why, Captain?”

“Just as the Aether-Worlders in the hold were captives, so too are many of the pilots who attack us now. I wish to save at least one, and maybe more.”

Delores slowly nodded her head and said, “I shall prepare several mixtures and return.”

As Delores left, there was a loud crash, and the whole ship rocked. Leah looked around and could see one of the masts had been hit and fallen. It had fallen at an angle and would have fallen free except for a few lines which still connected it to the ship. Two of her men were clinging to the top gallant yard. Several sailors were already cutting the mast loose without regard for the men, but she decided she could not sacrifice them so easily. She stood to issue orders, but before she opened her mouth, Mr Wilks directed men to throw ropes to the men. She slowly sat down, and Mr Wilks said, “Captain, leave this to the men and me. We know you have much to learn about life aboard ship. I promise we will sacrifice no one cheaply or without cause. You are captain, your job is point us where to go.”

Leah nodded and said, “Aye, Mr Wilks, and thank you for the lesson.”

He simply bobbed his head and continued to direct the men. The next two hours continued in the same way, and neither side was gaining the upper hand. At times the Tempest would run, slightly battered and seeking to get above the foe. At other times they would be attacking and inflicting damage on the enemy. Three of the enemy were out of the fight. One had exploded when it was struck amidships. Leah assumed they had reached the powder room. Another had been holed too many times through the balloon, and the wreckage had been left far behind where it had ploughed into the ground. The third was still aloft but damaged sufficiently that it hung, powerless, being blown at the mercy of the wind. Until now the smaller craft had hung back, but suddenly they all swarmed toward the Tempest.

This was what Leah had been waiting for. She’d identified Catherine’s fighter and assigned the two best gunners to bring it down. They weren’t to use missiles but the harpoon. She wanted the craft and pilot, alive. She hoped the flag would convince Catherine to attack along a particular vector to get a good look at it. Her two gunners and their teams were ready, one on either side of the expected attack.

For ten minutes Catherine’s craft attacked the same as all the others. Five had been destroyed, and they’d inflicted some minor damage to the Tempest, killing six airmen. As Leah watched, the fighter with a hangman’s noose suddenly changed direction and began a run along a line to get a good view of the flag. Leah lent down and picked up the bladder of liquid prepared by Delores to put Catherine to sleep and then made sure the rope and harness she had on were fastened tightly. Ian came close and said. “Let me do that, Captain.”

She smiled and said, “No. This is on me. We still have the battle to finish, and you have more experience than I. I just hope this works.”

Catherine was several hundred paces from the ship and would normally have been turned away by return fire, but she was being left alone. As she made to turn away, before reaching the magnetic barrier, one of the gunnery teams fired a harpoon toward her craft. Catherine subtly shifted the small fighter out of the path and directly into the second harpoon. It travelled most of the way through her fighter, destroying the flight mechanism and causing the fighter to go ballistic. Leah was on her feet in an instant and running for the cable which connected the fighter to the Tempest. She was wearing thick gloves and grabbing the cable leapt from the Tempest to slide along the cable. As she slid she hooked her harness to the cable and then using the thick gloves began to slow her speed, hoping she’d timed things right so as not to plough into the fighter.

Suddenly the fighter was brought to a stop as the cable reached its full length. On the Tempest, the effect was fairly minor because of the difference in mass between the huge ship and the fighter. The jar almost ripped the cable free, but it had been designed for this purpose, and large barbs on the harpoon caught on the metal of the fighter, preventing it from sliding off. The effect on Leah was extreme; she was thrown about and lost her grip. Her head was rocked back by the vibrating cable, and it took her a few seconds to grab hold of the cable again and then using her gloves and boots she tried desperately to slow her descent. And she almost made it.

She slammed feet first into the fighter and let her legs buckle to reduce impact. She was just going too fast, and her hips hit hard. Momentum forced her upper body to spear toward the fighter’s surface when the harness caught, turning her on her side, so she hit the aircraft with the left side of her face. She was not only dazed but felt a searing pain from her temple and along her left jawline. She tried to blink, but only her right eye seemed to be working. Before she could check on her wounds, a hand reached around and pushed her onto her back.

It was the pilot; she’d climbed from the cockpit and had a knife ready to cut the cable. Leah couldn’t tell if it was Catherine because of the flight mask, but she could see it was a woman. The pilot’s orders were to make sure she wasn’t captured. It was kill or die—nothing else was permitted. But kill always came first. Keeping one hand on the cable the pilot knelt beside Leah. With one hand hooked around the cable, she leant down to cut Leah’s throat when Leah said, “Hi Catherine, Sharon said she wants you to come home.”

At that Leah broke the bladder she’d got from Delores. It was supposed to be for Catherine only but as the liquid inside turned to mist it rendered them both unconscious. Neither of them were aware when Ian arrived with harnesses to bring them back onboard the Tempest.

The next thing Leah knew was when Delores woke her on the deck of the Tempest. Leah said, “Did I get her?”

“Yes Captain, you got her. Ian brought you both up. Now lie still. I’m not happy even waking you but Mr Wilks said a decision needs to be made that is the Captain’s to make, and that’s you.”

Leah tried to turn her head but Delores held it tight. “Keep still, Captain, or you’ll do more damage. Here, Mr Wilks come over to her right side so she can see you.”

Leah was considering that statement when Mr Wicks appeared in her vision. He knelt down and said, “Pardon me, Captain, but we’ve reached an impasse. It seems both sides are out of armament covered with Maxwellian Bronze. They are unable to pierce our shield, and we can neither outrun them nor attack. What are your orders? Do we head for Aeolipile, to the Nest, or have you another destination?”

Leah thought for a moment then said to Delores, “Please let me up. I need to see to the Tempest.”

“I’ll let you up, but insist that you heed my advice.”

Leah nodded and was slowly helped to her feet. She gave a small wobble and it was only then that she noticed that something was blocking half her vision. She lifted her hand to move whatever it was out of the way but Delores caught the hand and said, “Don’t touch that Captain, I’ve wrapped it with the nerve preserver and that’ll keep it until you can have a repair done.”

“Keep what until what?”

When no one answered her, she moved Delores hand out of the way and gently touched the side of her face, only to feel a bandage covering her eye and around to her ear. Delores said, “Captain, it seems that when you struck the fighter you came against a jagged piece of metal which pierced your eye, destroying it completely. While it is true that Aether-Worlders heal overnight, these wounds also heal, but they are not made whole. You will require the use of a prosthesis should you wish to have the use of both eyes. Artificial eyes and limbs are readily available in Aeolipile, for a price. I’m sorry.”

Leah swallowed and said, “I see. Well, I suppose the truth of the matter is, I only half see. But enough of that. Mr Wilks, please explain the situation.”

The pirates still had four larger aircraft and sixteen of the fighters. The Tempest had lost two upper masts and one of the lower ones. They still had full use of the Lorentzium Engine but had lost thirty sailors and over half the guns. Leah was about to order the crew to head for Aeolipile when Mr Wilks said, “It looks like they have had enough Captain, they are coming about and look to be retreating.”

Almost simultaneously Ian said, “Captain, a fleet of privateers has been sighted coming from the north.”

Leah considered her options and said, “Mr Wilks, although I would appreciate the opportunity to remove the pirate scourge I believe it best to leave the remainder to the Privateers. Return to the Nest if you will.”

“Aye, Aye, Captain.” Mr Wilks began shouting orders and the Tempest got underway, heading back to its base.

Leah said subvocally, “Gèng, is Tesfaye ready?”

“He is. Wilson is ready to check her identity, you will need to remove her flight mask to be sure.”

Leah had Ian remove the mask and Gèng said, “We have checked her identity and it is Catherine Thang. We have her address and Tesfaye has ordered a team sent to her locale. Tesfaye also says he’s being queried over how he obtains the information and not to be surprised if he loses his access after this.”

“Does she need to be awake?”

“No, they’ll log her out remotely as soon as they verify the compulsion code.”

Leah’s body was starting to rebel and whatever had prevented her feeling the injury before was wearing off as the left side of her face started to throb. She staggered to the rail and used it to prop herself up as she pondered the day. She’d achieved her purpose, defended her people, but in the process had lost almost a fifth of her crew. She was still in the same position an hour later when they set down on the landing pad at the Nest. She was surprised to see that the base had not been evacuated. As she made her way off the Tempest she was approached by the same older lady as the day before who said, “Come with me, Captain, and we’ll get you squared away in the Captain’s villa. It’s taken us most of the day but we’ve finally got it set up, just for you.”

As Leah followed she asked, “What happened about the evacuation?”

“After you left, we decided that those pirates hadn’t a chance against our Captain and we decided to await your return.”

Leah had just stepped into her new rooms when Mr Wilks approached.

“Captain, shall we raise your standard above the Nest?”

“My standard?”

“Aye Captain, the “Bleeding Eye”. I’ve put some of the better seamstresses to work on a better quality version than the rough job the sail master did.”

Leah sighed and said, “Aye Mr Wilks, please have it raised. I look forward to seeing it when I return from the Aether Worlds.”

“So you shall Captain. We’ll have it at half mast till you return.”

With that Mr Wilks walked off to arrange matters.

Aching in every part of her body, but lighter with the knowledge that Catherine was free, Leah closed the door and logged out.

Leah arrived in the Tower and was pleased to be seeing with both eyes again. She asked Gèng if they had heard anything from Sharon about how Catherine was.

“She contacted me three and a half minutes ago to say that Catherine was found in a warehouse with four hundred others. The authorities are working their way through the facility one Pod at a time, but so far all of the residents have one variety of compulsion or another on their chip. Initial investigations have yet to provide any clear evidence that the facility is owned by either the Emersons or the Kodomans. None of the Pods is registered, but they have sequential serial numbers. DMR is assisting the authorities, but their records apparently show that those particular Pods were a part of a recall ten years ago and were sent for recycling. Catherine has been admitted to a clinic for evaluation. Sharon was on her way to visit but says the medical personnel said Catherine is unresponsive and is staring at the wall muttering over and over the name ‘Sauron’.”

“Let her know that if she needs anything, that she only has to ask. And please thank Tesfaye.”

“He sent a short message earlier as soon as the number of victims was known. He said, ‘Ignore my previous pessimism. I am the flavour of the month all of a sudden. I might even get a promotion.’”

“That is good news. Has John been in contact with anything more about mum?”

“Nothing.”

“OK, well I’m going to have an early dinner, and then I’m looking forward to the deep sleep.”

She logged out of the Tower and made herself a bowl of chilli pork ramen and then head for the Pod to sleep. After the two hours of NREM3 she felt refreshed and ready for another day in Dunyanin, but first, she headed for the kitchen for a sandwich and hopefully a chance to see her dad or Conner.

Unfortunately, the kitchen was empty, so she sat there thinking through her options. So far she’d playing in Dunyanin for two and a half months and while she still enjoyed playing the stress of the Merkize Odyssey was tainting the experience. Yesterday had been great because she’d been able to forget, just for a while, that people were watching her every move and that the game was, in fact, a big business that funded much, if not all, the things she was involved in. Her conclusions were scattered all over the place, but all orbited the idea that she needed to play as herself. Not in any narcissistic or selfish way, but rather, she needed to be able to look back on each day without regret, without any feeling of doing something she found distasteful, pointless, or wrong.

Finally, rested and fed, she entered the Pod to see what Dunyanin would offer her today.

Mìng was waiting when Leah appeared. The dragon had already fed and was ready to keep moving. Leah said, “I want to explore the valley in more detail, and I particularly want to find another of those Armoured Mimic Leopards and a Forest Amphisbaena. I need the practice in beast-walking.”

Leah had thought through what Dr Roberts had said and decided that she needed to expose her mind to an increasing number of sensory environments to prepare for her attempt in the morning to set Akia free.

Leah changed into a razor-tailed rat and studied the scent patterns from downwind. She could smell at least five different species, and she noted their directions. With a word to Mìng, she headed for the closest, one she thought was most likely the Leopard. When she could sense it was only a few hundred paces away, she transformed back into her human-elf form and was surprised at how vulnerable she suddenly felt without the additional information offered by heightened senses of smell and hearing. It was an Armoured Mimic Leopard. This time, Leah made sure to feed as she completed the kill.

Atherleah, you have taken the form of Çevik Taklitçi, the Leopard King of Dark Elf legend. Çevik Taklitçi took this form to hunt the Wraith King in retribution for the destruction of House Solmos. The vambraces have each added 100 A to your statistics. Your clothes and belongings will be restored when you return to your human form.

She then spent an hour learning how to live in the leopard’s body. She’d believed she was agile and flexible, but the sheer fluidity of movement offered by the feline body took those qualities to the next level.

After the leopard, she and Mìng killed a Forest Amphisbaena.

Atherleah, you have taken the form of İki Tarafda, the last Queen of Yılanlar whose disappearance brought the Amphisian civilisation to an end. Legend says she was either killed by her jealous consort-to-be or rescued from the prospect of a loveless marriage by her divine lover. The vambraces have each added 50 S and 50 I to your statistics. Your clothes and belongings will be restored when you return to your human form.

Leah struggled with this form and still hadn’t mastered the creature after an hour. It wasn’t the need to use her whole body to push against the different small rocks and crevices that covered the ground, nor the constant contraction of the body muscles to move in the serpentine slither. It was the process of dividing her mind into either end of the snake. This particular species had a separate brain at either end and each controlled half the body. Leah had to partition her mind and then have each partition control different aspects of her motion while working together. It was twenty minutes before she could do more than fling herself back and forth with jerking motions while dragging along the unresponsive half-body controlled by the other half of her brain.

Altogether she fed from three of the amphisbaenas before the outline turned silver on the vambraces. When she finally returned to her elf-human, she found she had to sit down for a few minutes to reset her mind; standing up made her slightly dizzy. As she sat, she leant against Mìng’s side and rested her head in her hands and said, “I think that’ll do with the beast-walking today. I’m sure my brain is a little fried after that.”

Her comment was forgotten as a flash of light and a passing shadow of darkness covered her. The being before her was obviously one of the Gods and a quick check revealed his identity.

Geckiş - God of Transitions (Level 18452) 340476304 HP (922600 EP)

He had two faces, and somehow both looked at her and yet neither did. She wondered for a moment how the programming achieved that, but before she could complete the thought or greet him, he said in a deep, soft, loud and high voice, “Greetings Atherleah, Counsellor to the Gods. I have come to set thy feet upon a path. In other words, I’ve a job for you that’s important. It shall bring thee through a necessary metamorphosis. You’ll be a different person after you do what I tell you to, in a good way I think, for thy journey shall bring thee from where thy hast been to wherever and whatever you could be, so, you know, reach your potential and all, capice?! Thou art chosen by virtue of thy mastery of my beloved’s truest form. So listen up, you need to hear this next bit if you’re gonna understand what the heck is going on.

“Know that her struggle was the opposite of thine. She found it really hard to get both her brains to work together. My beloved’s other-self despised immortality and sought a finite existence with her people. So, what I want is for you to go and do what you’ve done before, go have a chat with a demigod.

“İki, as a result of our great love, gave birth to twins, and oh yes indeed, suddenly I was a daddy to two little darlings, one of each sort. Now, during a time of solitude following the birth, my beloved’s other-self took control of my beloved and fled my Realm. Yep, I needed a break from all the noise, the poop and the hormones, and she up and stole my son. Now, it so transpires that I am long overdue my own metamorphosis and am required to appoint an appropriate heir because I’ve got a new job lined up, but I’ve had to put it on hold for a bit. And while I’m ok with my daughter taking over, it is most unseemly to consider that the feminine mind can understand the complexities of transformation and transition. Personally, I’ll also admit that I’m in two minds about the whole thing and thus I require my male issue to return and contest his birthright with his divine sister.

“Thy task is to enter the realm of my beloved and return with my boy in tow. I think I should warn you that his sister has shown some disquiet at the proposed reunion with her sibling. Her countenance has been darkened, and her most temperate disposition has been blown to pieces. She just keeps losing it, and I think she may become less than civil in her dealings with anyone who might assist me in my endeavour. That's you, so I suggest you keep an eye out for her.

“Thy dear companion must of necessity be absent on this quest because the places you have to go just hate dragons with a passion. Now I bet you’ve heaps of thoughts about this, but it is unseemly for a mortal such as thyself to seek justification from an immortal. Oh, and just one more thing to think about. It seems my son hath some reason to harbour a goodly measure of animosity toward thee also, as thou recent announcement hath set him upon a lower throne than thine. He’s not keen, at all, on anyone being of more import than he is, but I’ll let you talk it through with him. Enough has been said. Thy task is set before thee. As I take my leave of thee, I’ll drop you in his neighbourhood, well, sort of. Caio, farewell. By the way, his name is Somur T’kan.”

With another flash of darkness and the passing shadow of light, Geckiş disappeared, as did Mìng and the valley.

The next thing Leah knew, she was standing at one end of a moss-covered stone bridge which at one time may have crossed the wide river Leah could see before her. But not only had time left its mark but the last half of the bridge had either fallen into the river or been dismantled.

Before Leah could take a step, two messages appeared.

Geckis’ Divine Mission: First 10 (1, Diamond)

Atherleah (Level 303), you have been chosen to undertake a Divine Mission for

Geckiş - God of Transition, Change and Metamorphosis

You are the tenth player to be assigned this Divine Mission.

Reward 1: 5000 x 303 = 5628225 (+271.5%) Experience Points (3950000/3950000 (3706863/4050000)

Reward 2: + 4% to all future Experience

Reward 3: 1 x 1 Diamond

Reward 4: Increased probability of valuable drop. Luck is increased by 7.5 whenever you are on this Mission.

Fame: 5000 Fame Points (253915)

A Commemorative Plaque has been placed in your bag.

You have been set a task by the God of Transitions. You must find his son Somur T’kan, and bring him to the realm of Lord Geckiş so that Lord Geckiş might choose his successor.

You stand at a long forgotten entrance to the Forest of Night, home of the Dark Elves of Vatan. Within its shade lies the ruins of Yilanlar where İki Tarafda once ruled. Your companion Shēngmìng de huǒ has, of necessity, been excluded from this mission. Dark Elves have nothing to do with any dragon except for Lord Kötü Niyetli and his dark offspring.

Should you die during this mission, you shall be returned to your resurrection point, and the mission will be assigned to another player who meets the conditions.

Note: Due to the nature of this mission it will be published on the Dunyanin achievement forum only if you are successful.

Level 4 Named Personal Achievement

Quickest to Achieve 250000 Fame - First 1 (5, Diamond)

You have completed the Achievement Quickest to Achieve 250000 Fame. You have surpassed the previous fastest by a period of 102 Dunyanin Days.

Reward 1: 5000 x 304 = 5707600 (+275.5%) Experience Points (4050000/4050000)…(1214463/4250000)

Reward 2: 10 Platinum x 5 = 50 Platinum

Reward 3: +3% to Experience Points

Reward 4: 500 Fame Points (254415 FP)

A Commemorative Plaque has been placed in your bag.

Leah looked around and then moved back into a strand of trees which gave some cover and hid her from anyone on the opposite bank.

"Gèng, my memory puts the Forest of Night on the eastern edge of Vatan and almost eight hundred leagues from the Elfaun Valley."

"That is roughly correct."

"Where does Lord Geckiş live?"

"It is said that mortals may enter his realm through any of the Four Tunnels of Transformation. The tunnels are actually paired arches. The first is the East-West tunnel with an Arch at the most Eastern tip of Vatan and one on the most Western tip. They are apparently exactly aligned. The second tunnel is North-South. The third is the Near-Far tunnel with one arch at the very centre of Vatan and the other on the outermost islands in the Nusak Archepeligo. The final tunnel is the High-Low tunnel with an Arch at the top of Mount Siddetli and the other somewhere in the Kukurt Depression."

"So, which is closest?"

"It depends on exactly where on the forest boundary you are. It will either be the Eastern Arch or the one in the Kukurt Depression. Neither of them is easily accessible. The Eastern Arch is a sacred place to one of the more violent Dark Elf sects, and no one has yet mapped the Kukurt Depression except its upper reaches. The deepest place would, by implication, have to be almost impossible to reach."

"So the task is to enter an extremely hostile, huge, and unmapped forest to locate a lost and ruined city. All this in order to convince an angry, prideful, demigod, against his will, that he should accompany me to an inaccessible place to meet a parent he hates and all the while being on the lookout for his similarly angst-ridden sister."

"I believe you understate the difficulties, but that is an adequate summary, except for the unmapped observation. Players can play as Dark Elves, and they have access to a restricted portion of the Dunyanin official sites as well as their own forums. It would be a valid assumption that they have access to detailed maps of their realm."

"Alright, now as with any plan it always seems more manageable in small bits. Task one is to enter the hostile, huge, unknown forest. Dark Elves hate everything about me I suspect?"

"The only combination they would hate more would be a mixture of a human and a dark elf."

"Then I shall have to become someone new. Can you show me a picture of what I might look like as a full Dark Elf?”

"That depends on your particular clan. The Solgun Clan are very pale, but with ebony hair and depending on their status, they have different areas of their scalp shaved. The Yarim Clan is said to have skin whose shade that matches the tree bark of their home tree. Their hair matches the colour of its foliage. The Siyah Clan have ebony skin and white hair near the scalp which becomes darker the longer it grows. Once it grows past the waist, it becomes the deepest black. The longer the hair, the more status. There are several smaller clans, and all the clans are constantly at war with each other."

"I'll need to find out which area I'm in before choosing a clan. Any other problems you can think of?"

"In Dark Elf society they do make use of every type of magic, but only if it is cast in combination with Dark or Shadow Magic. They almost always identify an imposter by the spells used."

"This is getting better and better. I don't know any Dark Magic and very little Shadow Magic.”

"You have Orumeck's Spell of Summoning which you obtained on your first day in Dunyanin, and the two spells Summon and Banish which you obtained in the Dark Lord's Kotu's Dungeon. Also Beast-Walking uses darkness."

"I'd forgotten Beast-Walking. I will not summon a demon though I might consider summoning one of Orumeck's creatures. I need to do some research before I blunder into the Dark Forest. I'm going to log out and spend some time researching. Let Sharon know the feed will be less tomorrow and suggest they prepare an overview of the Dark Elves."

With that, Leah logged out of Dunyanin and spent the next few hours researching the Dark Forest and Dark Elves. Then she logged out for a late dinner.

Conner was in the kitchen preparing some ramen when Leah entered. He offered to make her some, and they talked while the water boiled. When everything was ready, they ate in silence until Conner, who finished first, asked, "What's the latest on mum? John's been in and out of the Pod all day, and some of the security guys have been holed up in one of the conference rooms. Lacey's disappeared. No one is saying anything. Is there news or what?"

"We think we roughly know where she is and we hope to have that narrowed to the exact location soon. John's probably sent Lacey to follow-up a lead which might give better information about what we're up against. I'm not sure what the security guys are doing, but I imagine they're reviewing the places where mum might be held and thinking of ways to get her out."

"Can I help?"

Before Leah could answer him, John's voice interrupted from the doorway, "Not this time Conner. What you must do is keep anything you hear to yourself. I know why Leah answered your question but the best thing is if you know nothing." He held up his hands at the expression on Leah's face and said, "I know, I know. You gave him nothing specific and what he knows wouldn't affect the outcome. Still, he, and you, need to remember that no matter how insignificant the information, it must stay secret. We don't want the people who have her to even think of moving her."

Leah reluctantly nodded as John sat down. He continued, "Having said that Conner, I need to fill Leah in on some things. I think you should leave but Leah trusts you, and I'm of the opinion that if you're willing and able to own all the consequences of your actions, then you’re adult enough to participate. But then I'll deal with you as an adult and not as a kid. If you stay, then you have to keep whatever you hear quiet. You're not to speak of the matter out loud without permission. That includes talking about it with Leah or I unless we raise the issue. If you can agree to those terms, and only if Leah's OK with it, then you can stay. Otherwise, we will go talk somewhere else."

Conner nodded and said, "I promise, not a word."

John looked him in the eyes for a moment and seemed satisfied because he turned to Leah and raised his eyebrows questioningly. She said, "What is the general topic?"

"The chipper, the scans, and your current fitness level."

She pondered for a minute and then turned to Conner and said, "Conner, what we have to discuss is very private for me. I don't want to hurt you by asking you to leave but I'm not very comfortable discussing them with anyone, even with John. But I'll let you decide what you think is the best thing, to stay or to leave."

Conner looked at her and then nodded. "Before all this happened I would have stayed just to embarrass you as much as I could. I think you have enough on your plate without me adding to it. I guess I'll just have to find some other way to annoy you after this is over because it isn't much fun when you put the responsibility back on me." With that, he got up and left the room.

John said, "He is starting to grow up." Leah gave a wan smile and John continued, "That lead panned out. He not only had your scans but hundreds of others. Unfortunately, it's not going to be a simple matter of retrieval. He's part of a group that meets in what used to be called the Dark Web but has evolved into what he called the Shadowverse. This group he's a part of trades and sells scans for a wide variety of purposes and to all sorts of people. What Lacey shared with me I won't share with you, not without Lacey or your dad here. Apparently, this group is one of the hundreds that exist in the Shadowverse, and while it's tame compared to many, it is still extremely adept at security. I checked around, and the authorities know such groups exist, but they don't often go out of their way to hunt them down because it's seen as basically a victimless crime."

Leah said, "Victimless?"

"Yeah, the unofficial official attitude is that no one is hurt and that any half decent graphics AI could substitute real faces on bodies seamlessly anyway. It isn't in the public multiverse, so they say it is in a grey area and people should have the right to do what they want to in their private worlds as long as they don't hurt real people."

John could see Leah was getting agitated and although he agreed with her, he didn't want her to lose control, so he said, "Leah, calm down. I agree with you, and so does Lacey and everyone who heard what the chipper had to say. We know it's more than simple theft but it’s something to deal with later. For now, we focus on your mum. Now concentrate."

Leah took some deep breaths and nodded. John continued, "We have the address and a good description of the security arrangements. It will take us most of tomorrow to get everything together. First impressions, we won't make it in and out without your assistance, and that will mean the others in the group are likely to see some of your new abilities. I don't like the knowledge getting out, but I can't see a way around it."

"Me neither. We need mum back so don't worry about any of that."

"Then we need to get the materials Gèng ordered made into something you can wear. No one in the Switch has any experience with this type of material but I asked around, and one of the Bosses down in Logan has a lady who works with all sorts of fancy materials. I've booked her services and she'll be here just after midnight if that's OK with you. Everything I heard says she's discrete."

"No one here that you trust can do it?"

"They could try, but it'd be hit and miss. What Gèng ordered is very expensive and engineered to the molecular level. It's not aimed at clothing but has a number of highly specific industrial uses. We don't have any experience."

"Alright, I guess she doesn't need to know what it's for, just that we need it. Can she work on my scans or do I need to be there?"

"If she had the usual equipment the scans would work, but she's doing this the old-fashioned way, by hand."

"I'll make myself available. Is there anything else?"

"Just a bit worried about your dad. He's been in the Pod almost all day. He’s only stopped for the minimum breaks. Do you know what's going on?"

"I asked him to look into a world for me. It's one the Kodomans are both interested in. Either he really wants to help, or he's training in the martial arts you suggested. I was that focussed three weeks ago."

"You still are, Leah. If I didn't get reports when the kitchen was being used, I'd never see either of you."

"Don't worry too much John. I'm sure once we have mum back that we'll slow down a bit. She is one person who will not be immersed full time in the Pod."

After a few pleasantries, John left and Leah headed back to her room to research Dark Elves and prepare for her session with Dr Ellis.

After four hours looking through the information on the Dark Elves of Dunyanin, Leah had a better understanding of what she faced but wasn't much further along in putting together a viable plan. She needed a break from reading, so she entered Dark Moon Duel and spent several hours working on new forms.

Leah swam in the lake beside the Tower and then made her way to Dr Ellis' laboratory.

This time, Dr Ellis appeared as soon as she arrived and motioned her toward the aether-dimension creation machine he had just exited. As she approached, he said, "Leah, today we are going to make some virtual changes to the setup. If they don't cause any problems here, then I'll make similar changes to the real machine. Unfortunately, it never translates exactly to the real world because we can only test in here what we think will happen. In reality, the unknown can appear in any experiment when we push at the boundaries of the known universe."

"Which part do you want to make changes to?"

"The part you studied last time. I think we should be able to predetermine the spatial orientation of the Aether dimension within this universe by a double-bombardment of neutrinos rather than the single bombardment that we use at the moment. I haven't been able to arrange this before now, but I recently acquired a second mini-accelerator that's designed explicitly to form, focus and expel neutrinos. It is capable of doing this at a rate equal to what my current accelerator can. With the two of them bombarding the folded and bound dimensional field I hope to find a way to determine the alignment of the Aether dimension."

Leah thought through his plan while they made their way into the immense machine. It took a while, as numerous particle accelerators of different varieties, various field generators, and the vacuum chamber took up much of the interior. The rest was crawl-ways and countless elements of machinery aimed at shielding and isolating each instrument, and process, from any unwanted interference.

Finally, they reached the interior space where Dr Ellis planned to install the new neutrino accelerator. From here Leah could see into the central chamber, and Dr Ellis pointed out where the other accelerator was located. He said, "When we've got this one aligned we will need to sync them both before we can begin testing. Are you able to do that?"

While he had been talking Leah had been noting the positioning of the neutrino accelerators and considering the possible effects on any aether-dimension that was formed. A diagram she had once seen which described the various flavours found in the oscillations of neutrinos came to mind, and one of the newly formed neurones in her corpus callosum facilitated a conscious connection to a particular expression in her hypothesised quaternary braid. As her attention became focussed on the similarity, several nearby neurones were stimulated to bring more relevant data to mind. Leah knew she needed to put all this together and almost sub-consciously, she began to increase the rate at which she was able to perceive information. This time the increase wasn't applied to the application of sensory data but the solving of this particular theoretical problem. Gèng reacted instantly, but it was Leah's brain, and Gèng could only observe as the factor by which Leah's enhanced brain increased processing speed moved past her previous best of 36.4 and slowly climbed into the low forties, finally holding steady at 43.3.

When Dr Ellis got no reply, he looked over at Leah and saw the look he'd often been told was on his face when deep in thought. Her eyes were open, unblinking and gazing far beyond the room. He’d once sat like this for two hours working on his unformed ideas about aether dimensions. He never forgave the bus driver who shook him free of it and told him it was the end of the line. To this day he believed that ten more minutes and he would have been able to solve the issues he was still wrestling with fifty years later. So he waited.

Much sooner than he expected, Leah's gaze slowly focussed on the accelerator in front of her and she turned to Dr Ellis and said, "We will need six neutrino accelerators and a way to isolate all three leptonic flavours. The accelerators should be paired. Three forming neutrinos and three the corresponding leptonic antineutrinos. I've done some calculations but think that by controlling the timing and direction of the bombardment and by coordinating the order of leptonic number and chirality, we can control the alignment of the quantum mechanical wave packets and induce not only alignment into the aether-dimension but also decrease the inherent instability. If we could actually determine the particular eigenstate, then it may be possible to determine the resultant quantum package that exists in the dimension being created."

Dr Ellis sat down suddenly and thought through what Leah had said. He had to have his AI play it back several times before he understood the direction she was headed. He said, "Are you free to come and discuss this with Ellen?"

Leah nodded. Dr Ellis contacted Dr Whitfield and said, "Ellen, can I bring Leah over to discuss an insight she had?”

Leah could only hear one side of the conversation, so after a small break, she heard Dr Ellis say, "I know that Ellen, but this is important. Anyways, you know she can keep her mouth shut."

Another pause and then, "Deal. Your place in three minutes. Bye."

He turned to Leah and said, "She's invited us over for tea. Whatever you hear or see that isn't involved with the research, you need to keep quiet about. It's nothing illegal or anything. It's just that we both have an image to keep up. I'm trusting you with this because Ellen is booked up officially until next week and she can't change that. The only thing that lets her have any time to herself is her total and complete inflexibility when it comes to scheduling. As soon as you have her location, then we can be off. I'll wait for you outside the apartment."

Dr Ellis disappeared and when Gèng received the address, so did Leah. She reappeared outside an apartment to find Dr Ellis waiting and Dr Whitfield standing at the door. Dr Whitfield welcomed Leah and invited her in, and then after a slight hesitation she gave Dr Ellis a small hug and said, "You too, Thomas. I can't imagine what's come over you lately—inviting people to my place." She slipped an arm through his and led the way through into a sitting room where a cup of tea was waiting.

Leah tried not to react, but she must have failed because Dr Whitfield said, "Thomas and I are old friends, Leah. For a time back in the forties we almost got married but that would have meant moving countries, and we were both too stubborn. Our 'feud' started soon after that, mainly because we'd hurt one another by not taking the 'next' step. We are well and truly reconciled now, but we have our images to keep up. You’re probably one of only a dozen or so who knows, and I'd appreciate the secret being kept."

"Of course, Dr Whitfield."

"I think, seeing as how we are sharing a cup of tea, you may call me Ellen. Just between us, I wasn't keen on being Ellen Ellis, and Thomas was too Welsh to consider me being anything else. Now, what is all this hoo-ha about, Thomas?”

The next two hours were filled with theoretical discussions of neutrinos, electrons, muons, tau particles, leptonic oscillations and quantum packaging, among other things. They moved from the sitting room into a large area with large screens on all walls, where together they went through numerous calculations, checking and rechecking the possibilities in what Leah had suggested. Finally, Gèng interrupted Leah and said, "Leah, the lady from Logan is waiting to start on your gear. John was wondering how long you would be?"

It took ten minutes, but finally there was an opportunity to interrupt, and Leah said, "Ellen, Thomas, I'm very sorry, but I have a prior appointment that can't wait. I don't want to go but I must. Will you please excuse me?"

Dr Whitfield said, "Of course. An appointment must be kept. I think giving you two months to prepare that summary was very shortsighted of me. Instead, I want you to write a paper on the theoretical foundations for your suggestion. I will have my AI contact yours for a meeting next week to review that."

Dr Ellis said, "Off you go, but I still expect to see you tomorrow night."

At that Leah logged back to the tower and then hurried out of the Pod to meet the lady from Logan.

Diary - 12 December 2073

Compassion. Love. Fear. Rage. My emotions have been through the whole range today.

Compassion. How can I help the people who’d been trapped on the Tempest? It isn’t enough to just free them, how do I help them? Their suffering isn’t over it has just entered a new stage. Feeling sad, anger, sympathy, or even empathy for them isn’t enough. Standing on the sidelines and not doing anything isn’t enough. What’s needed is action. What can I do?

Love. They say it hurts and I know why people say that, but it doesn’t. It doesn’t hurt. It just opens us up to the greater possibility of being hurt. I realise the more I think about it that I love Thad. Eli is being controlled and It makes me sad, I’m sorry for Elsa and I want to do something about it. But Thad, Thad being controlled is tearing me apart. For a moment I wanted to stop loving him so it wouldn’t hurt, but it isn’t love’s fault. Love is wonderful, it heals, it restores, it is good. The thing that needs to change is the real thing that hurts. Thad needs to be set free from the manipulation and the lies, those are the real things that hurt.

Fear. I am afraid. Afraid for Thad. Afraid of what they’ll do to him, of what they’ll make him do. Afraid that I might lose him. How do I deal with fear? I don’t know. Mum would say it is hope, hope casts out fear. But it can’t be a vague hope, not a wishful hope. It has to be based in fact, in substance, in reality. What gives confidence he will get free? I don’t know.

Rage: This is more of a rant because I have to get it out or I’ll explode. I am so angry, so hurt, so mad. Victimless! A victimless crime! What an oxymoronic statement. Why does society keep thinking that treating women like objects doesn’t hurt anyone? Why do people think that our bodies are somehow not important to us? Somehow, not vital to our sense of identity? Someone invades our privacy, they steal our dignity, or worse, and it is ok because we’re ignorant of it, or because we’re not physically hurt by it? I’m not even convinced that getting consent would reduce the damage. I know it wouldn’t make it a crime and the person wouldn’t be seen as a victim, but the damage is still done. Being treated like an object always hurts. Being ‘used’ is always destructive.

I imagine the same people think that all the crimes committed by the people trapped on the tempest weren’t real, they didn’t really happen and so won’t have stained their souls. They imagine that all the things that were done to them, they weren’t real, they didn’t really happen, and so they won’t have broken their spirits. Somehow, sins of the mind are seen as unreal. I remember when Mrs Taylor found out Mr Taylor was watching porn every night, she almost killed the bastard. Everyone came running at the noise. While Jimmy and most of the men were wondering what to do about the psychotic woman, mum and the women were comforting Mrs Taylor and wanting to finish the beating. I don’t think Mr Taylor ever understood why she left him, or why she felt betrayed.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

December 13, 2073 - Part 1

As she left the Pod, she almost collapsed from a sudden headache that assaulted her. She said, "Gèng, it seems worse, not better."

"Leah, when you had your insight on aether dimensions you ramped up the speed with which you processed information beyond what I have ever done. You blocked me from interfering and maintained that speed for eight minutes. I'm surprised you can still stand."

"I'm sorry. Now that you mention it I do remember, and it was under my control. How did I do that?"

"I believe it is a function of the protocols we have been installing for you to penetrate the Vault. You have become so adept at manipulating cyberspace that you had the skills and speed, at least within your own chip, to block my attempt to control the connections to the basal ganglia and the right parietal lobe. I am working to prevent that happening again. As for your headache, I had anticipated this and had the Pod administer some of the neural-antihistamine before you left the Pod. It should begin to take effect soon."

"Thank you."

As Leah left her room, Gèng said, "John is waiting in the Conference room on the floor below. He suggests you hurry as the lady is becoming impatient."

As Leah entered the conference room, she saw John talking with a tall lady about her mother's age who had skin the colour of ebony and was dressed in surplus camouflage trousers and a white T-shirt. Leah smiled and said, "Hello, my name is Leah, and I am sorry for being late."

The woman didn't smile but said, "My name is Aker, and I would like to know why I have been kept waiting like this. What was more important than me?"

"As I said, Aker, I am very sorry. I did not mean to offend and I have no excuse."

"Then what were you doing to make you late?"

Leah's voice hardened a little, and she said, "What I was doing is not relevant. What is important is that I am here now and if you are willing, then let us move on. If not, then I reiterate I am sorry, and I will ask John to reimburse you for your time, and I will look elsewhere."

The woman's face lit up with a smile, and she said, "John, you were right. There is steel in her. I'm sorry, Leah, but John had asked for my 'never talk to anyone, ever' service package. It costs more, but I've discovered over time that the people who that package are the ones who usually can't keep their mouths shut. John assured me that you would—hence the small test. Now, if you can forgive me, then will one of you say what you want?"

John pointed to a table which had several rolls of material on it and several boxes. He indicated a roll of dark grey material that had a slight pattern. It wasn't shiny, and yet it gave the impression of being a liquid that would flow through your hands if you tried to pick it up. He said, "Leah needs a full bodysuit with this light-absorbent low-resistance cloth on the outside." He then pointed to a smaller roll of much thicker material. We want this as a middle layer, again full body. It is the newest and best bullet resistant material we could buy anonymously."

He moved down the table pointing to material for boots and gloves and then a high-friction coating for the bottom of the boots, knee and elbow pads and on the fingers and palm of the gloves. And an inner material to wick away moisture. At the end of the table were a set of fighting sticks, eight throwing knives, and a pair of fighting knives. When he got to the weapons John said, “You will need to discuss with Leah the best place for these. I’ll come by later and a few bits and pieces which I think should go in a belt but either you or Leah may have other suggestions.”

When he was finished, Aker said, "Where are you sending this girl, John?"

"Sorry Aker, we want your skills and discretion, not your judgement. Can you do it?"

"I can do it. I'll need my tools. They are in the car. I'll need most of the day. How often are you available, Leah?"

“I am available until two-thirty and then from half-past six for an hour. After that, I'll be busy almost completely until after two this afternoon though I can duck out if it is important. I'm completely unavailable from four until seven, but I'm free if needed after that. I'll be in a game, but usually, I can leave if I need to."

John interrupted and said, "We need it fitted and tested before ten tonight."

Leah started and then said, "It's a go?"

John nodded and said, "So Aker, can you meet the deadline?"

"I can make it work. You, get my tools. Leah, stand on the chair and take your clothes off. Leave the underwear on for now, but you won't wear it tonight."

John left the room in a hurry while Leah undressed and Aker started measuring every inch of her.

It took Aker over an hour to measure Leah. She not only measured Leah while standing but made her pose in a variety of different positions; in each one she checked and double checked every measurement. John had not been brave enough to return with the tools and had sent one of the female security personnel to bring it to the room. Aker made Leah show her where she usually had her knives and sticks and they discussed the different options.

Finally, Leah was excused but told to return before seven for a fitting. Leah hoped to see her dad, but he had been out of his room only briefly for an early morning snack and then hurried back to his Pod. She wasn't worried, but she did find his behaviour unusual for him—he was usually so laid back. As she headed to her own Pod, she realised that the virtual multiverse had similarly grabbed her attention and time. She promised herself once more that when her mother was safe, she would spend more time with her family.

When she arrived in the Tower, she said to Gèng, "I think I need more practice in your cyber-world before I try and help release Akia. I suggest ten minutes, now, before Dunyanin and ten minutes after. I'll then take a break and have half an hour NREM3 before attempting the Vault."

"I agree that the extra experience will help, but I'm concerned with the stress this is putting on your nervous system."

"Hopefully I'll not have to experience such a drastic perceptual acceleration for a while, and it will have time to settle down, but honestly I don't feel confident at the moment."

"Unfortunately, I agree. At the current level of integration, I calculate the probability of you being successful as 0.0013."

"That's a lot less than the eight and a half percent possible success rate you originally suggested."

"Both Akia and I failed to accurately assess the complexity of the task as well as the magnitude of the differences that exist between human and cyber sensory systems."

The next ten minutes seemed to Leah like nine hours. Leah had previous experience at lock-picking and safe-cracking. Associations and protocols were developed which allowed Leah to see passwords as keys. Small pieces of code designed to hack into systems, most of them developed by Reed, were assigned to burglary tools. Some ended up as master keys or lock-picks, some as specialised hearing devices and one was a small canister of liquid nitrogen. Each association was tested by Leah, and as even a small detail could trip her up, there were constant revisions and reassignments made. Toward the end of the time, they began matching different aggressive security codes with creatures and then providing Leah with the appropriate weapons or spells to defeat them. For Leah, she might see and fight a carnivorous plant, but in cyberspace, she would be working to contain a security-introduced autonomous virus whose role was to detect intrusions and attack the intruder's system. Randomised security snapshots to detect unlogged changes were transformed into a searchlight or a flock of birds. Leah had access to several spells, and she wore camouflage to avoid detection.

When the practice was up Leah sat on the sofa in the Tower and said, "It's strange, but I even feel a little nauseous in here. Now and then I think I get glimpses of the code behind the virtual reality of the Tower, but then I look closely, and all I see is this amazing space."

"I noticed the small hesitations as you entered before. A quick review of several relevant papers in the neurological literature suggests your consciousness is seeking to discover what is true. Your experiences have opened the door to a larger sample available for evaluation. I believe you will reconcile the different expressions of reality and be able to move between them with even greater fluidity. You just need to give yourself more time to reach a settled decision."

They discussed the matter for a bit longer, then Leah said, "Well, I can't sit here all day, no matter how much I would like to. I'm heading to Dunyanin and see if I can raise one of Orumeck's creatures and then check if I can meld that Dark magic, or preferably some shadow magic, into my spells."

Leah entered the Dunyanin Arch and appeared in the small copse of trees she'd logged out of the night before. She checked the vicinity then beast-walked as Katil Sıçan, the rat, for several minutes to use the keen sense of smell to confirm nothing was nearby. A gust of wind brought the scent of the Forest of Night to her twitching nose and though she tried to tease apart the different scents, most of it was totally foreign and outside her experience. Even so, she thought she could identify at least five different species close by on the opposite bank.

Feeling safe on the western bank she moved out of sight of the river, and double checked the Spell she'd found in Orumeck's Cavern.

Orumeck's Spell of Summoning - Novice Level (max Level 20)

This is a dark spell of summoning. The spell summons one of Orumeck's creations. The creature is yours to command.

Cost: At Novice Level [500 x Level of Summoned / Spell Level] MP or KP

The Creature will serve until it is killed or dismissed

Preset Activation:

Say the following phrase with the correct intonation “By Darkness bring an Orumeck's _______ to serve me”.

This spell is not available to apply to a hand gesture for Dark Mana must be commanded. Note: you must insert the desired creature at the appropriate place in the Spell Phrase.

Effect: The summoned creature, formed of Dark Mana, will appear.

Note1: Level of Summoned = [Caster Level x (Spell Level/20)](min Lvl 1)

Note2: To direct the creature give it a verbal command.

Note 3: At higher levels, the spell may be activated silently.

Note 4: Higher order creatures require a greater Spell Level to be summoned.

Leah silently practised the phrase and then said, "By Darkness bring an Orumeck's Worker Drone to serve me."

Darkness gathered in front of her and slowly coalesced into the form of one of the Worker Drones she remembered from the cavern. This one was bigger than she remembered. Previously she had been attacked by a level three drone with meter long legs and an abdomen the size of a beach ball. This drone was level fifteen and almost double the size. She had points, and she could have raised the spell level but decided to keep them for later. She considered her options and then looked at the drone and said, "Go to that tree and bring me back a branch."

The drone shuffled around and then walked to the tree. Reaching up with one of the spiked legs, it hammered at a low lying branch until it had broken it free. It used its mandibles to drag the branch back to Leah. Leah mentally ticked the Summoning Spell off her list and decided to try adding either shadow or darkness to the spells she knew.

Turning to the drone, she said, "Keep guard on the area behind me." She watched as it skittered into the treeline. Leah then considered one of her favourite spells, Chain Lightning. She no longer used the phrase but still remembered it. "Let the lightning strike and arc!" She thought of the rhythm of the phrase and considered how to change it to include Shadow or Dark Mana in it. In the end, she used Dark. Dark she remembered needed to be commanded and so needed a firmer word than let. She focussed on one of the nearby trees and gesturing with her right hand said, "Dark Lightning, strike and arc!" Nothing happened. It wasn't going to be a simple substitution of words

She considered her previous experience with forming new spells and realised the difference had been her intent. This time, she tried to imagine dark lightning. In her mind it absorbed the light as it flashed between her enemies, cutting deep and burning them. She tried several versions quietly until one seemed the most appropriate."Dark Lightning, strike and burn in turn!" Lightning, dark as night, flashed from her fingers and slammed into one of the trees. The tree shuddered from the impact, and the lightning flashed to the next, and the next, until ten trees in front of Leah lay shattered and slowly turning to ash on the ground. The fire was a deep blood red and consumed the trees quickly and completely. It didn't give off heat or smoke, and within minutes each tree was gone. Nothing remained of them except a faint coating of ash on the ground.

Leah was a little horrified at the sight, and a little impressed, with the powerful difference the addition of Dark had made. She decided she should think deeper about applying Dark to her other spells. A message appeared.

Level 4 Named Personal Achievement

Create a Dark Spell - First 10 (1, Ruby)

You have completed the Achievement Create a Dark Spell. You are one of the first 10 players to gain this achievement. This is your first Level 4 NPA ‘First 10’

Reward 1: 1000 x 306 = 1158210 (+278.5%) Experience Points (2372673/4250000)

Reward 2: 1 Platinum x 1 = 1 Platinum

Reward 3: +2% to Experience Points

Reward 4: 100 Fame Points (254015 FP)

You have achieved the title: Dark Mage

You have created the spell: Dark Chain Lightning

A Commemorative Plaque has been placed in your bag.

Leah stood for a moment and considered the implications of the title and wondered how it might affect her different relationships when suddenly there was a screech of pain behind her. She turned to see the summoned drone being torn in half by a primate with a burnt-orange coloured mane and scaled skin. The scales ranged in colour from dark chocolate to dark terracotta.

SCALED FIRE TAMARIN (Level 310) 91420/96100 HP (15500 EP)

It was bleeding from a puncture wound in its thigh, its blood the colour and consistency of thick tar. Her drone had ambushed it as it prepared to attack Leah. She equipped the Amber Dragon in her right hand, and with her left, she cast Circle of Sloth to slow its movements. Finished with the drone, it turned its gaze on Leah. It slowly crouched low with its front limbs back on the ground. It puffed out its cheeks and the mane flared out making the tamarin look larger than it was. With a sudden movement, it spat at Leah, hitting her high on the right shoulder. She'd ignored the move, seeing it as a diversion, and continued to watch the monkey's movement. Suddenly her right shoulder flared in pain as what turned out to be a powerful acid burnt through what remained of her old armour and began to dissolve her flesh. She quickly cast Heal, and though the pain was reduced, the acid continued to burn.

The tamarin was watching, waiting it seemed, for her to lose concentration but she didn't take her eyes off it. It spat again, aiming for her left side, but Leah Misted her left side before the acid reached her. That slight change in her shape was enough for the monkey, and it leapt for her, arms outstretched and teeth bared. Leah was struggling with the pain, but she'd learnt to push it to one side. Leah swivelled sideways and down to one knee, letting the attack pass over her, and brought the sword across the scaled midsection. She wasn't able to cut deep but did leave a long shallow cut down the side of the tamarin, and Leah benefitted from the HP stolen by her sword. As the monkey's momentum carried it past Leah, its tail curled around as if to grab her. She quickly reversed her stroke and removed the last third of its length.

The monkey howled as it turned around to look at Leah who had recovered some more Health and was standing ready for an attack. A quick look showed it still had at least eighty percent of its health and she was hovering above fifty percent. All the extra strength and stamina she'd received meant she still had more HP remaining than it did. She cast another Heal on her shoulder and then teleported behind the monkey, bringing her sword around in an arc to remove its head only to have the Amber Dragon find the mane impossible to cut. It wasn't hair but was made of a metallic compound, fine and pliable. Even so, her momentum deflected the sword downwards to slice deeply into the creature's shoulder.

With another howl of pain it turned quickly, and its flailing arm caught Leah under the arms, breaking several ribs, and flung her to the ground. The tamarin rose on its rear legs and stared down at a slightly dazed Atherleah, who obviously wasn't thinking clearly because she cast Rain of Fire. For several moments Leah thought she'd finished the beast because when the fire hit the tamarin, it began to burn. The fire reached the tar-like blood and suddenly the entire creature was engulfed in a ball of flame that blazed white for a moment, and then with a howl of triumph, it stepped from the flame. Instead of being only slightly larger than Leah it was now almost twice her height, its health fully restored and covered in flames which blazed from the boundary of every scale.

SCALED TAMARIN OF FIRE (Level 465) 216225/216225 HP (23250 EP)

Lifting both its blazing fists high, it brought them down to pummel Leah into the ground. She reacted quickly and teleported behind it and cast Freeze. Leah could see the spell interact with the scales and watched as a section of flame the size of her hand was extinguished and then over several seconds was reignited. As the blazing tamarin turned to face Leah she saw that its health bar had dropped slightly. She double-cast Freeze and extinguished the whole of its front half. As the creature's health bar dropped below half, Leah used the skill she'd learnt when playing as Qiáng and threw the axe in the same manner she'd mastered for throwing picks. It slammed into the tamarin's chest, and Leah, who'd followed it in, used the axe as a stepping stone to leap high enough to thrust the Amber Sword through the back of the creature's mouth and into its skull.

Its HP dropped rapidly and Leah, now fully healed by the stolen HP, was quick enough extend her fangs and feed as it died. Leah not only was at full Health but her Mana was almost full, stolen by the Amber Dragon. After double checking that the worker drone was dead, Leah used the vambraces to take the form of the tamarin.

Atherleah, you have taken the form of Ateş Maymunu. In the language of the Forsaken Clan, the name refers to one of the seven creatures who act as totems. Together they order the clan's entire existence. The clan refer to themselves as the Şakalaşma. Ateş Maymunu, as someone's totem, brings power, intelligence, long life, and humour. The vambraces have each added 50 A and 50 I to your statistics. Your clothes and belongings will be restored when you return to your human form.

Leah spent an hour learning to use the primate body although she didn't need the whole time as many movements were similar to her own. She had two more things on her mental list to do before crossing over into the Forest of Night. She wanted to see if it was possible to Shadow Walk while using the vambraces and she wanted to practice changing her appearance to reflect each of the major Dark Elf clans. From her reading, she discovered that Dark Elves and even people who played as Dark Elves had names different in form from other elves or players. To help she had already chosen three different identities which she could use if she needed a disguise.

She was working on the image of Atherleah the Dark Elf from Clan Solgun when she received a message:

Atherleah. 48 hours have elapsed since your pet Chimera, Mĕi, died. You previously decided that you wished Mĕi to be resurrected. Mĕi is now available, and a statue of Mĕi has been placed in your bag. Leah transformed back into Atherleah the half-elf and released Mĕi. Mĕi was none the worse for her ordeal and enjoyed the enthusiastic welcome Leah lavished on her.

After being reacquainted with Mĕi, Leah spent almost an hour and a half practising the transformations. She needed to not only change the shape of her ears and eyes but also reshape her body to be narrower and taller. Once she'd mastered the shape, she worked on colouring. She found the Yarim clan the most challenging as their skin didn't have a single shade but was patterned like the bark of a tree. Eventually, she was satisfied she could complete the transformations quickly if needed. Mĕi had watched the changes with interest for a while and then disappeared to hunt.

While Mĕi was absent, Leah took the form of Ateş Maymunu and attempted to Shadow Walk but had no success. She then tried to use the vambraces while Shadow Walking but again she had no success. Slightly disappointed, she called for Mĕi and made her way to the near end of the broken bridge, and after examining the far bank as carefully as she could, and seeing nothing, she began to cross the river into the Forest of Night.

The bridge into the Forest of Night was constructed of stone and originally looked to have been designed with two arches. From the central pier, the second arch was simply missing. When Leah looked at the opposite bank, she could see the bare rock of the foundation as even the abutment had been removed. There was no evidence of a trail, only dark shadows, hardly seen, between the trees of the Dark Forest. Leah and Mĕi stood at the broken end, and once more Leah examined the bank carefully. Not seeing anything, she teleported to the foundation stone. As she arrived, she received a message

Atherleah,

You stand at a long forgotten entrance to the Forest of Night, home of the dark elves of Vatan. Once, millennia ago, the dark elves and the other elven kingdoms enjoyed a small reprieve from war. It was decided to build a route through the wilderness in the hope of fostering a lasting peace. It was used by both diplomatic missions and the occasional merchant caravan, and it crossed the border between the lands of the Forest Elves and the home of the Dark Elves here.

When the Elven High King pronounced Orumeck's fate, the dark elves withdrew from the peace. This was ordered by the dark elf king with the full support of the Dark Mage Council. The king was a devotee of Suzluk, Orumeck's God. Orumeck was one of the few Dark Mage's not from the Dark Elf Clans, yet he held an exalted position on the Council, and they saw his fate as a judgement on all Dark Mages. The bridge was torn down, the path obscured, and the one avenue for peace closed.

Leah returned Mĕi to her bag and then taking a deep breath, she moved cautiously under the canopy. Almost immediately the light faded, the shadows deepened, and the general noise of insects and birds became hushed. Leah planned to head east, and when she asked Gèng to keep her in the right direction, Gèng said, "I'm sorry, I'm not permitted to give you that information while in the lands of the Dark Elves. The difficulty of movement is a challenge you are expected to overcome."

Leah nodded, then opened her bag and removed the spell book. Early on while defeating the ants, one of the eggs had given a spell called 'Spell of Ant Direction'. A quick look refreshed her memory. The spell only worked with a map so it wouldn't help here. She had the map-making skill, however, and when it was in active use her sense of direction was heightened. Slowly she began to head east. She stopped every two hundred paces and quickly marked her map with changes in elevation, types of vegetation, and any fauna she saw. After an hour she'd only moved a quarter of a league but had also been harvesting a supply of different ingredients for potions. The Book of Foraging had descriptions of almost a third of the plants, roots and trees she found and Falsi's Diary added even more. Leah also harvested several plants she couldn't identify but looked close to several other descriptions. She was going to stop and brew some potions, and the Analyse skill would come in useful then.

The next two hours followed the same pattern and Leah had yet to see evidence of the dark elves. She had been attacked once by a plant when she'd come within range, but having seen it once she was able to avoid several similar plants. She began to look for a place to log out and eventually decided to beast-walk as the tamarin. She climbed high into one of the trees, settled in the fork of a branch and logged out.

Leah made her way to the sofa, sat down and exited the Pod. After a quick shower, she went for the fitting. Aker again made her strip to her underwear and had Leah work through each of the eight positions while trying on the first draft of each section of the new clothing. There was a body suit that covered everything from the ankles to the wrists and high on the neck. Even though the material was pliable it didn't stretch enough to slide into, so Aker had made it in two pieces. The first went from the ankles to just above Leah's breasts. The second piece covered both arms, Leah's shoulders and neck and had moulded v-shaped sections on both the front and back to protect Leah's spine and vital organs. These sections were thicker and less pliable. As well as mid-calf boots and gloves Aker had prepared a balaclava and faceplate for Leah's. The balaclava left Leah's face bare and was designed to be thick and semi-rigid over the skull and along the vertebrae. The facemask was solid. The eye lenses were fitted with night vision. Filtered breathing had been added to provide extra room for Leah's jaw movement.

Aker still hadn’t finished anything for the weapons but said they would be ready at two-thirty that afternoon which was when Aker wanted Leah to return.

After Aker was finished Leah headed for the kitchen for another solo meal and then back to the Tower for the final preparation for invading the Vault.

They spent an hour fine-tuning the different sensory assignments and then Leah was put through a series of obstacle courses Akia had designed to reflect the Vault security. Leah attempted ten different courses ten times and though she made it further each time she was ejected or caught on every attempt. Finally, Gèng said, "Leah, the time is up. You need the thirty minutes of NREM3 to prepare yourself. I will wake you half an hour virtual time before you begin."

Leah, slightly dejected, nodded briefly before Gèng transferred her directly to a state of deep sleep.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

December 13, 2073 - Part 2

Leah woke refreshed, although her last memory was of failing to get through Akia's obstacle courses. She was lying on the sofa. As she sat up, Akia and Gèng entered the room and Akia said, "Leah, I believe you consider that your inability to master the courses I devised as an indicator of failure. On the contrary, those courses are, I trust, close to the level of the Vault's security. Besides, I applied an additional layer which learned from your previous attempts and made improvements to their detection ability. That you were able to avoid detection at all was surprising. That you continued to improve instigated a review of the algorithm I use to predict success. I have recalculated the probability of your success as 0.2962."

Akia then handed Leah a ring; it was a simple band of gold and had characters etched around the outer surface. "This is my personal key. If you hand that to my Prime, then she will have access to what has transpired while she's been archived."

Sombre but somewhat heartened, Leah spent twenty minutes in the small garden trying to put the problems aside and prepare herself for the incursion. For the first ten minutes, thoughts of her mother, of Thad, and of self-doubt kept intruding. Finally, she did not try and dismiss them but allowed them to stay. As her tears fell, she did what her mother would have suggested, and prayed. She asked for strength to continue on and for a clear mind. She didn't ask for the problems to disappear, nor for the path to somehow become easy. She believed that God expected her to live the life that was in front of her, that he would provide strength and direction, and that both her successes and failures helped to shape her. God, she believed, was more interested in who she was and who she became—more concerned with her heart, her motivations and her attitudes than with the outcomes. Slowly, Leah found peace and after several minutes of slow deep breaths she rose, ready to set Akia free.

Gèng was waiting in the main room and said, "I think it will be easier to leave from my space than from here. Akia and I have fortified it just in case the security attempts to trace the incursion. I will guide you through the exchanges, but I'll remove any element of my presence when we get near. The interfacing program we've designed over the last day will then function completely according to the directions you provide. Are you ready?"

Leah nodded, and they headed for the rooms set aside for Gèng. As Leah stepped into Gèng's cyber-world, she no longer felt nauseous and her sense of disorientation disappeared almost immediately. The program they'd prepared interpreted the cyber-signals so that Leah saw herself in a large warehouse with multiple levels and thousands of doors. From where she stood she could see each door. The floor was covered with tiles which were constantly changing colour as electrical signals moved between doors. Leah could just see the slight pause as each moving packet of data was tested before being allowed through the gap under the door. Each door had a label describing where it led. Gèng pointed to a door labelled ‘LAN:Guàn_Enterprises' and said, "We're leaving through there. You'd best get dressed."

Leah quickly changed into a pair of dark overalls and some soft boots. She slung a utility belt around her waist and added a very slim backpack. When she was ready, she nodded at Gèng. In a single step, they were at the door. It had a keypad, Gèng entered the correct sequence into the keypad and the door opened automatically. Stepping through, they appeared in a circular room with doors around most of its circumference.

Each door was labelled, and all had keypads. She could see one marked ‘SIMPOD:Michael_Carroll', while the others were labelled with the names of those using Pods in her buildings. Covering the remainder of the circumference were letterboxes, each labelled and locked with a key. The tiles on the floor were constantly changing colour as data flowed back and forth from the Pods and other cyber devices being used. Leah had learned to distinguish different types of data, and she saw data from security cameras, motion sensors, and heat sensors all travelling under a door labelled ‘SubLAN:Security’. The pause before entry there was longer than at other doors. One of the doors was slightly ajar. It was labelled ‘SIMPOD:Kyle_Walters'. Leah pointed it out to Gèng, who said, "Kyle is not always careful about which worlds he visits. He's instructed his AI to allow him access to several worlds against the AI's security suggestions. Our security is vigilant and is capable of filtering out the constant attempts from outside to infect Kyle's Pod. John has spoken with him, but he has not yet changed his instructions to the AI."

"Please tell security that when he next leaves the Pod, they are to block all access until he talks with me."

Gèng went to the security door and knocked. A small window opened, and Gèng showed her ID and then passed on the information. As soon as she finished talking, the window closed and the door opened. A faceless figure in a security uniform exited; it was neither male nor female and ignored both Gèng and Leah. It went to stand near Kyle's multiverse access point. Leah nodded, and Gèng pointed to a door marked ‘RWAN:Brisbane_Metro’. One step and they arrived at the door which opened automatically this time. Across the door was an optical turnstile which recorded their passage. Standing beside the door was another faceless figure in a security uniform—this one had various devices hanging from a utility belt. Leah knew from the discussions with Gèng and Akia that entry to the 'LAN:Guàn_Enterprises' involved more than knowing a key-code. The room was huge and busy with thousands of AI moving through the place every second.

From the regional WAN for Brisbane, several directed steps took them through the even busier Australian Central regional WAN. Then, instead of entering the virtual world’s state of the art ‘WAN:Multiverse’, Gèng led Leah to the edge of the room where there was an unlabelled door which looked like a fire escape. Descending a short flight of stairs, they came to a partially open unlabelled door. This was the WAN that had once been called the 'Internet’, but was now used primarily by AI and hackers to travel quietly beneath the virtual multiverse. Beyond the door was a long corridor along which she could see numerous branches to the left and right, and even some going up and down. Occasionally they were labelled, but most weren't.

Gèng took Leah through the maze quickly, each step moving them to the next junction. Finally, Gèng slowed and pointed to a grille on the floor and then placed a finger over her lips. Here they had to be quiet. This was an old entrance to the Secure Network that had served the International Court when it was located at The Hague. Lifting the grille, they dropped into the large cavernous room in which Leah could see thousands of doors. Most were boarded over, though some of the spaces were vacant and opened into emptiness. There were a few doors, here and there, which looked like they were still active even if seldom used.

With one step, Gèng moved to a door at the far end of the room. This door was closed and locked. The lock, however, was an everyday pin-and-tumbler cylindrical lock. Gèng said, "This is the closest I can come and have any meaningful input. This door leads into a small and archaic home network that belongs to one of the men on the International Virtual Security Board. He is almost eighty, and despite every piece of advice he has ever been given, he's connected his home network to the International Security's Secure LAN. Because the connection is used only for archaic text email and because he simply refuses to either have a new address or to use his AI for communication, they have let him keep it."

Leah nodded, she'd known this and knew that from here on, she was on her own. Gèng stepped backwards and faded from view.

Leah removed her set of picks, and with practised ease, she opened the door and slid through. The room she entered into looked old. The tiles only flickered occasionally, and she could see the footprints where the security guard walked. There was only one door in the room and it was labelled ‘SIMPOD:William_Somnerball'. The rest of the walls were covered in vents. Each had a small screen over it and a label. Carefully, she studied the different labels and finally saw 'Will.Somnerball@IS_Secure.net' with ‘Wii:John_Somnerball’ and 'HTCVive:Ellen_Somnerball’ on either side. Most of the vents opened into emptiness, but she could see a tunnel through the vent she wanted.

Suddenly there was a flicker of light, and a small hum began as the router prepared for a security check. Leah stepped to the vent and quickly removed the hinge pins with a nail punch. She'd just closed the vent behind her when a tired looking form in a security uniform walked carefully along its preset path before disappearing back the way it had come. Leah wasn't sure it would have seen her even if she'd been in the room. She sealed the vent with some wire and then carefully crawled along the downward sloping tunnel.

There were no quick steps here. She could have let herself slide down, but most likely she wouldn't be able to control her entry into the IS Secure LAN. Even so, it was only a matter of minutes and she was looking through another vent into a large, brightly lit room surrounded with doors of all sorts of sizes and materials. Some were open and had turnstiles, but most had key-locks. Almost half had a security guard standing beside them, and several looked like the door of a bank vault, including multiple guards. Most of the guards were like the ones she had already seen, faceless and unremarkable, but some looked human, and they peered around, looking with intensity at whatever caught their interest.

Leah was good at patterns, and Akia had said that almost all AI, even the most developed, would fall into patterns—it was their nature. After watching for almost ten minutes, she thought she had the general patterns of both movement and observation mapped out, but it took another ten before she found what she thought was a possible pathway. With that decided, she turned to the vent. Just like the previous cover this had a simple hinge, but this time it also had an electrical current running through it. Leah's skills at burglary came in useful once more and she had the vent rewired within minutes. Once she’d run a length of copper wire around the frame, she removed the hinge pins. They were marginally more difficult to remove from inside the tunnel, but she'd brought a pair of bent needle-nosed circlip-pliers for this exact purpose. As soon as the pin was removed, she waited. When the guards reached the part of the pattern she considered the most opportune to remain unobserved, she quickly exited the vent and returned the pins. Then she kept moving. She needed a particular door, but first, she had to keep moving ahead of the roving guards. She needed to stay out of sight until she reached the one area of the room she thought was free of scrutiny.

Leah had one more move and she could stop, crouch down, and figure out the next step. As soon as she approached the place she thought was safe, she realised the guards were aware of the blind spot and had taken steps to protect it. In the corner was a sensor. Gèng and Leah had given forms to as many of the sensors as possible and discussed different ways to deal with them. Leah had insisted that although some sensors would take the form of an animal she might recognise, they needed to change the appearance so she wouldn’t hesitate. Lying in front of her was a hairless, pale-skinned Japanese Akita which had been transformed with red eyes and a skull for a head. Leah reacted quickly and struck before it could either give a warning or attack. Her knife went through one eye and then she knelt down and made sure it was deactivated with a thrust to the heart. She quickly searched for the dog's sensor chip and found it hanging on the collar. She'd practised this with Akia, and in no time had connected a small battery to the chip which continued to send a signal indicating the security device was both online and active.

Now safe, Leah crouched down and scanned the room. So far, it seemed, she was unobserved. Now she just had to find the secondary access panel to the Vault. Akia had described the Vault entrance as the one with the biggest door in the room. It would look like a bank vault and would have three or more guards standing guard. Leah identified it immediately, but she needed to find the secondary access panel. Everything hinged on there being a second access point into the Vault. Akia said Security always had a smaller access panel to use if the primary access was compromised or locked. They always had a backup and so there had to be a way to reboot the access, as it were, if the primary access was compromised. For a moment it reminded her of her mother, and she had to take a deep breath. Her mother had very little patience with technology and her solution to almost every perceived problem was something she'd learned from Leah's grandmother. If it didn't work, turn it off, wait for a minute, and then turn it on again. Lin was adamant that it almost always worked and would, on the rare occasion, turn something on and off multiple times in the hope it would solve the problem. This was similar; Akia had said there would be a crawlway or vent to use in emergencies.

It took another ten minutes, but finally, she noticed that the gap between tiles was slightly larger on one section of the floor just in front of the Vault. Now that she knew what to look for, she tried to find a similar gap in the tiles near her. She eventually found it just a metre out beyond her place of safety. Again she watched the patterns unfold, and when she was sure the area was unwatched, she scuttled over and investigated the tiles. The entryway had an electrical sensor and most likely a pressure switch as well. Two more cycles of the pattern and she had rerouted both and was ready to enter the crawlway. At the next repeat, she gently lifted the hatch which was just below the tiles, and after crawling in, she gently lowered it behind her.

She was on her back, and the crawlway was barely wider than her body. It was a squeeze, but she finally rolled onto her front and began to shuffle along in the direction of the vault. In each hand, she had a weapon, and her eyes were constantly moving. She was on the lookout for plague-carrying insects or vermin, small viral packets of data which scurried through the network, killing anything foreign. She'd struggled at first with the speed of the various creatures, but Akia and Gèng had helped her increase her sensory sensitivity until even the slightest change in current or the smallest package of data was felt, seen, or smelt. Between entering the access way and arriving beneath the Vault's secondary access point she'd killed ten cockroaches, four mice, a rat and two trapdoor spiders.

When she reached the access point, she could see a short tunnel heading under the main vault door, and at the end, there was a door similar to that on a wall safe. As she traversed the short length of tunnel she had to disarm a range of sensors. Eventually though, she reached the locked access door. Based on the type of lock, she knew it needed both a password and valid biodata to open without an alarm being set off. Akia had presented Leah with numerous samples of biodata from her records, archived over the years she had worked in Security. Akia had lost the most recent data but had been able to pull together enough to fool most sensors. Leah would have only a single attempt. She took a small spray bottle they'd prepared and applied a thin coating of silicone mixed with a bio-glue over the bio-pad. Then with another bottle, she added a light layer of silicone-dioxide. She waited for several minutes and then using a small suction cup, gently lifted the now solid 'glass' plate from the pad. The glue had lifted multiple small particles from the surface of the pad.

She quickly scanned the particles and discovered she had information on four technicians or agents who had accessed the door. She read through the data and settled on a woman by the name of Lolanda Moore. Akia had explained that most AI would choose the one most likely to still have access. Leah had crossed one off her list because she knew he had been promoted recently and unlikely to deal with a security issue personally. Of the remaining three, she'd chosen Lolanda on the strength of a simple, visceral reaction to the photograph and short description.

With this type of lock, she had one attempt, and that attempt was timed. She paused and closed her eyes, then she reached out with all her other senses. Slowly, but without hesitation, she began to turn the dial. Three minutes later she felt the lock's lever-nose drop into the cam-gate. She pulled on one of the fine gloves Akia had provided her with. This one was labelled ‘Lolanda Moore’. She placed her hand on the bio-pad. There was a faint click and Leah was able to pull the door towards her and slide onto a small ledge at the end of the tunnel. Now all she had to do was to navigate the maze.

Before going any further, Leah changed her clothes. The backpack she wore was similar to hers in Dunyanin and was bigger on the inside than the outside. Leah put away the modern overalls and utility belt and changed into leather trousers and a linen shirt. Over the top, she buckled on some hardened leather armour. Next, she slung a quiver on her back and a sword around her waist. A change of shoes and she was ready.

The vault didn't allow data to flow through its infrastructure. It was a lifeless place, a place where things were left to stagnate, to become obsolete, to rot, before finally being wiped when they could never be made use of. It had shape because it required energy to ensure the cages were kept locked, and to power the various sentries and security features, but everything was rationed and measured. Leah was standing on a small metal ledge. Above her was a slightly larger ledge and an orc was standing guard. This was Akia's way of showing a program built to attack rather than stop. It was designed to deal with problems before reporting to central security. Almost every security item in the vault was designed this way.

There was a thin ladder from Leah's ledge to the one the guard was on. This wasn't Dunyanin, there were no levels here, and no discussion would change the mind of the AIs or any of the lesser security features, so she used her bow and put an arrow through the back of the orc’s head. Before it hit the ground, she was beside it and making sure it was dead, though deactivated was probably a more accurate term.

Leah stood and looked out over the vault. She could now understand why Akia had described it as a maze. Hanging in space were thousands of cages and boxes. Each was surrounded by emptiness, and each had only one point of access along a steel walkway. There was no recognisable pattern to how the walkways connected with each another. Sometimes a cage was accessed via a ladder which rose from a walkway several hundred metres above it, while at other times three or four boxes all branched from a single node at the end of a long straight section.

Boxes represented an archival protocol which completely isolated the entity from any and all possible stimuli—data, current, sound, light, magnetic interference, etc. Cages weren't necessarily a lighter protocol but rather represented those entities whose continued viability or sanity involved some form of stimulus. Akia was unsure of her classification but thought she was most likely in complete isolation.

Scattered through the space, Leah could see the three highly specialised and powerful Security AI. Each had been given the form of a dragon, with searchlights for eyes. Nothing escaped such intense scrutiny. In addition, there were orcs, slimes, goblins, midnight wolves, and different kinds of vermin scattered randomly throughout the maze. Each was designed to seek out and destroy intruders.

Leah checked her time. She'd already been active in the cyber-verse for just over three real-minutes and she had seven remaining. She still had to find Akia Prime if she was going to extricate her. Keeping an eye on the three dragons, Leah began to systematically scan the whole room, letting her eyes pass over every box and cage. Just as she could see the label on every door in her LAN, so she could see every tag on every storage container. It would have been great if the labels said who or what was in each location but instead they were generic, anonymous and coded—Akia was hopeful they hadn't changed the system. Leah was looking for a label beginning with ‘73–’, these were archived this year. Following the year was a five digit code which identified a specific type of archived material. Akia said that anything below 80000 was documents, audio, and video. Anything with a code ‘8####–’ was likely a program, a backup, dangerous malware, or confiscated codes. Anything with a code ‘9####–’ was an archived AI or an archived world. Akia had nothing more specific within that number range but explained that there were a whole range of AI who ended up being archived—from PAI's whose owners had died but they had information that was too important for them to be deleted, to military AI that weren't supposed to exist. The final section of the label identified the particular security case file which confined them to the vault. Akia said hers should contain the letters ‘ISO’ for International Security Oversight, although the letters would be scrambled for security reasons. So Leah hunted for a box with the label ‘73–9####–’ with the letters I, S, and O.

If she'd had to process the information she would have been there for days and still not finished. As it was, it took her ten cyber-minutes. The small subroutine Gèng had added, or more accurately that Reed had given to Gèng to add, allowed Leah to sort through the data and mark each box which fit the criteria. Altogether there were 658 boxes or cages which fit her criteria.

The three dragons continued to circle the Vault. At any stage, only a fifth of the cages and boxes required more than a simple turn of the head for the dragons to see everything that was happening. It was from these boxes and cages that Leah needed to choose one to start her investigations with. She had to choose, based not only on where the dragons were, but also where they would be at a particular time. Leah then needed to choose a path which allowed her to stay out of their sight. She decided on a box that fit the criteria and was close-by then she set off at a run.

She ran, rather than instantly step, because Akia had warned her that cyber-motion drew the dragons’ attentions, or more correctly, she had explained to her that the Security AIs were programmed to note when a file was directly targeted. So instead of stepping to the file as she could have, she ran. In her right hand was her sword and in the left, a knife. Cockroaches she stomped on as she ran past. A rat or mouse earned a slowed half-step to ensure it neither touched her, nor was alive to communicate anything. For spiders, Leah slowed to a walk and double checked the kill while making certain no webs were touching her. Goblins, orcs, and wolves she shot from a distance. The slimes took longer as she had to hack into them until she destroyed their core and they disappeared. Fortunately, there were not many slimes.

It took just under fifteen minutes to reach first container, ‘73–94311– 32SI98O1’. Now the difficult part: she had to check inside the box without releasing what was inside and without alerting the dragons. It wasn't enough to check if it was Akia Prime, Leah needed to identify the entity so she could refine her search. Each of the boxes had a locked door with two distinct keyholes and a bio-pad. Also, there was a small slot with a combination lock. This represented a randomised security sampling protocol that had been included to ensure that archived material remained stable and inactive. From her bag, Leah pulled out a small hand drill with a diamond bit, and she began to drill through the locked slot. It was safest to access the highly secure data storage through the Security's pre-installed and insulated sampling port.

Three cyber-minutes had elapsed when Leah felt the drill begin to break through the barrier. She slowed the drill speed and carefully finished the hole. After removing the drill, she inserted a fibre optic cable attached to a small screen and looked inside. Inside the box was an archived world. She could see a globe with several continents and a massive storm system. Leah removed the cable and plugged the hole with a small piece of a kneadable epoxy. Akia had insisted there was no need to release any of the other AI unless she knew what, and why, they had been archived.

Leah refined her search by removing all boxes and crates with a ‘73–94###–’ label. This left her with 436 to check. Leah again noted the closest storage container with a low detection probability, and after checking the position of the dragons, she set off at a run. Two boxes later and she had removed all boxes and cages with either a ‘73–91###–’ or a ‘73–97###–’ label and her target set was down to ninety-five items. The second box had contained a space-themed world and the third was an AI, but from what Leah could tell it was one of the first ones ever programmed. It must have been almost fifty years old. She knew this because Akia had coded the fibre optic instrument to display the sample in a manner Leah would recognise. The figure in the box, looked to Leah, to be bent with age and it looked in need of life support.

Leah again checked the position of the dragons and was about to set off for the next marked storage area, a cage, when there was a loud roar followed by two rumbling growls as the other dragons responded. One or more of the disabled and destroyed guardians had been noticed. As a result, the dragons increased both the speed of their flight and the intensity of their scrutiny. Leah was sure that anyone looking into the beam that was now emitting from their eyes would be blinded. The more disturbing effect, from Leah's perspective, was the effect the roar had on the other guardians. The previously normal-sized rats grew to the size of cats. The spiders became as round as dinner plates. The cockroaches were now too large be stepped on. Each slime had expanded to cover the entire width of a walkway. The goblins and orcs grew several feet in height and armour appeared on their bodies. And the wolves began to hunt in packs.

She quickly recalculated her intended route to the next objective and had to choose a different target because at the dragons’ new speed, she would never have made the original choice. Her new target was further away, but if she moved quickly, she could stay behind one of the AI for most of the way. Leah was two-thirds of the way to the cage and had just ascended a twenty-metre vertical ladder when she detected an orc less than five metres from her and rushing in her direction.

Akia and Gèng had arranged for each expected cyber-attack to appear as a specific attacking sword stroke. Leah had practised not only the correct defence for each attack but suitable counter attacks. The speed of the orc's attack was beyond anything she'd yet experienced, except for when she faced Fiore, and even then she thought the orc was probably quicker, but so was she. The battle lasted less than thirty seconds from Leah's perspective, which worked out to be just over half-a-second in real-time. Either way, it was long enough for Leah to kill the orc and for a rat to leap from behind the orc and bite her on her left hand.

Leah killed the rat with a sweep of her sword and looked at her hand just as the tail of a worm slid into one of the puncture wounds. The rat had infected her. She checked around for other attackers before reaching into her bag and removing a vial of blue liquid. The worm was designed to make its way through her system, clogging her processing and slowing her down until it finally reached the heart. Then it could not only identify her but also bring her to a standstill. She needed to kill it, and quickly.

She could feel it moving under the skin on the inside part of her forearm. She turned that part of her arm to face upward and plunged her knife deep into the place where she thought the front of the worm was—the pain was bearable, though only just. Leah pulled the knife from her arm and just before the blood obscured her view she could see the worm, its head neatly severed from the tail but already beginning to regenerate, transforming her flesh into a new body for itself. She took a deep breath and poured the potion onto the open wound. The liquid reacted with her blood. She felt a flash of heat as the reaction progressed and then an excruciating pain as the potion turned her blood solid. The reaction continued along her vein in both directions destroying not only her blood vessels but also the surrounding tissue including both her radial and her medial nerves. It also trapped the worm within an isolated subsystem and give it no way to escape or cause further damage. She could still bend her arm, but she'd lost all feeling in her hand. She was unable to use either her thumb or her first two fingers, and she’d lost most of its strength.

She was behind schedule, and a quick look confirmed the area she was in would soon be swept by a dragon's gaze. Ignoring the pain, she changed her decision tree by adding the condition that the best path was one which had no wolves on it—there was no way she could use the bow effectively without the full use of her hand. A quick calculation and she headed for a new target, a cage; this was now the most accessible from her current position. When she arrived at the cage, she knelt and very carefully took the fibre optic device from her bag and inserted it between a pair of bars. The cage's surface was not see-through but because the entity inside required some form of constant input, it was easier for her to identify but also easier for her to be noticed. Inside was an androgynous figure lying on a bed. Leah focussed on the uniform and recognised it as belonging to an AI from International Security Oversight.

This wasn't Akia, but the label ‘73–98513–S45O221I175’ reduced the target set to two. One, a cage, was much closer and more central, but the timing between dragon flights was less. The second, a box, was over three hundred metres lower than where Leah was standing and was near the outer edge. What decided it for Leah was the two packs of wolves between her and the closer cage. She checked the time again. She'd been in the cyberverse for six-and-a-half real-minutes. She grabbed her sword, and finding a suitable route, she scrambled down a ladder and hurried toward the furthest box.

Altogether it took Leah just under an hour, according to her subjective temporal awareness, to reach the box. When she arrived, she experienced some difficulty using the drill because of her arm, but eventually succeeded in breaking through the locked slot. Carefully she inserted the fibre optic cable. Sighing with relief, she identified Akia Prime. The AI was being held in cyber-stasis. Leah removed the fibre optic cable. Then, reaching into her bag, she removed a piece of lamp cord and inserted one end through the hole. Taking the drill, she exchanged the bit for one with half its diameter, and although her injured hand hampered her movements, she finally succeeded in drilling two smaller holes through the combination tumbler—one in the centre and the other about half-way between the centre and the outer circumference. Leah stripped the end of the lamp-cord which was still outside the box and inserted one wire into each of the smaller tumbler holes. She then turned the tumbler clockwise.

It had moved through 130 degrees when there was the sound of a spark inside the tumbler and a moan from inside the cage. Moving close to the larger hole she had drilled in the lock, she whispered, "Akia, it's Leah, are you ready to get out of here?"

There was silence for a moment and then she heard Akia Prime say, "I can't move, I don't have access to a sustainable power source."

"That's taken care of. You should be able to use that small burst of energy to move close to the slot. I'll open it and give you a ring and a vial of red potion. The ring will sync your memory, and the potion will delete any redundant information that is already stored on your clone. The potion will then compress the rest of your code so I can get you out of here."

Without waiting for an answer, Leah took a tube filled with clear gel and squirted as much as she could into the holes that she'd drilled in the combination lock. The gel was one of Reed's programs—it found and rewrote the permission files. In less than a minute Leah heard a click, and the slot dropped open. She passed the ring and potion through and then started working on the main locks. The locks that required keys she picked with ease, but the bio-pad revealed no data she could use. Akia had planned for this eventuality and Leah reached inside her bag and withdrew a small envelope which contained a glove with bio-data belonging to the Director of International Security. It would open the door, but it would also be flagged within moments. Akia expected that Leah would have less than twenty seconds real-time before the Vault initiated a lock-down. That was only eighteen minutes from her current perspective. She measured the route back to the entry ledge in her mind, and it would be touch and go. If they responded in eighteen seconds, she'd be caught. If it took twenty-two or more seconds, then she might make it.

She checked, and Akia Prime was ready. The potion had reduced her size to that of a four-year-old. Leah took a harness from her backpack and slipped it over her shoulders; with it, she would be able to carry Akia Prime. Leah then placed the backpack on her front. Taking some deep breaths, she used the bio-data, opened the door, and after helping a sluggish Akia Prime into the harness, headed for the exit. She'd only moved fifty or so metres when another dragon roar rang out in the Vault. They had found more evidence of an incursion and had increased security again. With the returning roars of the other dragons, all three again increased their speed along with the intensity of their gazes. The previously cat-sized rats grew to the size of wolves, the spiders became as round as large serving trays, the back of the cockroaches came to mid-shin while each slime began to multiply. The number of goblins and orcs doubled, as did the number of wolf-packs. Leah would never make it.

She stopped, and ignoring suggestions from Akia Prime, she surveyed the Vault looking for a possible hiding place or another exit. She'd just about given up when one section of the Vault attracted her attention. Below her, and maybe a five minute run toward the centre of the Vault was a ladder that descended from a walkway but went nowhere. Nothing was below it, no box, no cage, no walkway. It simply hung in space. Leah hadn't noticed it before because she'd been focussed on her targets, the boxes and cages. With nowhere else to go, Leah headed for the anomaly.

Leah’s arm ached, and Akia was heavy. Leah was getting tired, and even in the cyberverse she could feel her headache. Fortunately, she only had one rat, three spiders and a few cockroaches to deal with. Without pausing Leah began to move down the ladder that went nowhere as far as she could tell. Moving down with Akia on her back was a struggle. Every second step, she had to slide her left arm in between the rungs and use her elbow as a hook to hold on while she shifted her right hand. When she finally reached what she thought was the last rung she was surprised when her feet found another one even lower down. Even though she couldn’t see it, she continued moving down without hesitation. The Vault faded from sight.

Again she peered down. This time she could see the ladder, but once again it disappeared after another eighty metres. By the time she'd reached where it faded from view she was really struggling. Pain radiated from each shoulder and then down both sides of her spine. Her lower back was spasming every time she twisted her body and used her elbow to grip the ladder. Her head was pounding. Again she could feel more rungs lower down. Biting her lip, with tears forming in the corners of her eyes, she continued down.

As the ladder above her faded from sight, she looked down. She’d arrived in an area that was clearly part of the Vault, but its design was very different. It was all on a single level and instead of walkways, everything was connected via a floor. Leah stepped onto the floor and looked around. She could see twenty familiar boxes, though each was at least three times as large as those in the upper vault. These were arranged in a circle around a large hole in the middle of the floor. Seventeen of the boxes had their doors open. They were dark, empty and reminded her of a picture she'd seen once of a crypt. The other three were not only locked, but each was connected to the hole by a fifty-centimetre diameter conduit. Leah could sense packets of data moving back and forth through the conduit. Wanting to escape, she walked as fast as she could toward the hole in the floor and looked over the edge. It wasn’t so much a hole as the start of a tunnel. It dropped only five metres before making a right bend and disappearing out of sight. She was certain that the tunnel led out of the Vault and that would give her access to the ‘Internet’ or even the multiverse network.

She took one last look around the room and then stopped. She stepped back from the tunnel opening and carefully checked the three labels, labels she'd ignored until that last glance. They were ‘55–100001–NKMOODMAM’, ‘63–100002–WARNBOLRSTH’, and ‘68–100003–BDOWAAEALE’. The one that had caught her attention was 55–100001–NKMOODMAM. She removed her backpack and then Akia Prime. Akia Prime was still not able to move or stand on her own. Leah changed the bit on the drill back to the larger one then very carefully made a hole in the familiar small sampling slot. She inserted the fibre optic cable in the hole and looked into the box.

Inside was fitted out like a small apartment. On one wall was an enormous bookcase and sitting on a sofa, quietly reading a book with her feet tucked under her, was Merideth Kodoman. Leah slowly withdrew the fibre optic device and sealed the hole. She checked the locks on the box and then rechecked every detail, fixing it in her memory. She then did the same for the other two boxes. Both held men whose features she studied as carefully as she had for any exam and then without saying a word, she lifted Akia onto her back and dropped into the tunnel.

Leah moved down the tunnel in small steps, each moving her several hundred metres. When she could see the end she stopped before reaching it and moved forward more carefully. There was an empty room with twenty doors. All of the doors were closed but the three conduits dipped under the floor and ran under three of the doors. The doors with conduits had keypads and handles. She was certain that there would be tight security on the other side of those doors so she approached one of the unused doors. She wasn't able to open it, but she was able to lift the security grate which covered the empty conduit port.

Leah brought Akia Prime's harness around to her front and lay the still unenergised AI on the floor of the tunnel. She pushed Akia Prime ahead of her as she slowly manoeuvred under the unused door. Beyond the door was a large busy room with AI constantly moving between rooms. Many of the doors had guards, and it was clear you needed secure identification to enter the room, but the exit was unguarded. Leah could see that each of the three conduits entered this room before heading in different directions. She checked the label on each of the three doors, but they were in code. No one seemed to be looking in her direction, so she quickly pushed open the grate, grabbed Akia Prime and stepped through the exit. A quick check showed she was in the main transfer hub of the Virtual Multiverse Network. Turning around, she looked at the label of where she'd exited, and saw ‘SecureLAN: World Bank’.

Holding Akia Prime tightly, she stepped back through the various levels until she arrived at the door labelled 'The Stork Tower'. It opened and then she remembered nothing for some time.

Leah opened her eyes to see the cover of her Pod opening. From the speakers above her head Gèng said, "Leah, you've been in NREM3 sleep for two hours and forty-seven minutes. Your body needs food. I contacted John, and he arranged for someone to prepare your lunch."

Leah slowly sat up and got out of the Pod. She blinked a few times, then automatically headed to the shower. As she stood under the warm water her usual state of awareness returned and she asked, "Is Akia OK?"

From the Pod, she heard Gèng say, "Yes, Akia’s clone and prime are reintegrated. She wanted to thank you personally but Security’s reaction to her retrieval suggested the best course was for her to initiate a hibernation protocol to minimise her digital presence as much as possible. She has entered sleep mode until I wake her."

"What reaction?"

"International Security initiated a system-wide security screening of all data transmitted via public networks. Transmission speeds dropped by six percent, and the outcry prompted the International Virtual Security Authority to issue a Public Security Advice which said they had indications that a cyber-terrorist had released a malicious AI into the system with an intent to disrupt or destroy certain public networks. Free Speech and Personal Rights groups are demanding an the end to the screening. Most of the Supremacy groups are demanding sanctions against whoever it is they are superior to. Nationalist groups are blaming the Unification groups, and vice versa. The result is that everyone is watching everyone."

"Is that it? Did we get away clean?"

"Much more has happened, but I don't believe anything concrete will lead anyone to suspect your involvement. Surveillance on your network is significantly higher than average, but that is not unique. The Australian Area Network is under heavy surveillance because of Akia's perceived bias."

"Why are you using the Pod Speaker?"

"You locked me out. I was able to use the Pod to initiate NREM3, but I'm unable to retrieve any data from the time you were in the Vault. I should have automatically resumed responsibility for your virtual integration when you left the Vault, but I was unable to connect with the autonomous sub-routine. You have restricted access to all data related to the experience."

"How did I do that?"

"I was not aware it was possible, but I have researched the issue while you were in deep sleep and there have been cases where people are unable to experience the full virtual experience because they are either cyberphobic or cyberodiumic. In these cases, their subconscious fear or hatred prevents an AI from initiating a meaningful connection."

"I neither fear nor hate you."

"Did something happen that you do not want me to know?"

"No. But there was something I didn't understand that I want no one to know about until I've considered it in far more detail. My reaction was strong. It wasn't fear or hatred, but confusion. I did not stop to consider that you might be excluded. In fact, I need you to know what I experienced."

Inside her head, Leah heard, "I have been granted access."

There was a pause, and then, "You were right to prevent any possibility of the information being known. When you arrived, you were unable to communicate and even a cursory review of the literature to investigate your observation may have set off alarms. I have moved and encrypted all the data which involves your rescue of Akia to a new data module located in one of your vertebrae. It is locked and requires your express permission to be accessed. I have scrubbed the previous location of what you saw. Do you want me to erase the details from my memory?"

"No. I trust you implicitly and I need help to understand. But not now, now I need to get to Dunyanin as normal. I don't want anyone to flag my behaviour as unusual."

Leah went for an early lunch, and then after helping to clean up, she headed back to the Pod.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

December 13, 2073 - Part 3

When Leah arrive in Dunyanin, she was sitting on a branch high in the forest canopy. She sat still for a few minutes, letting her senses become attuned again to the sounds of the forest. Rather than change back into a tamarin to climb down, she teleported to the forest floor and resumed her journey. She wanted to find either a pocket of civilisation to begin her search or a place where she could prepare a new supply of potions. Keeping an eye out for either, she slowly made her way east.

Leah continued to update her map and forage as she went along, and though she encountered various predators, her vigilance paid off and she had been ready for each attack. She'd been slowly working her way east for just over two hours when she noticed an increasing number of thick brambles. She stopped and then Misted a little higher to see if she could make out what was ahead. Maybe fifty paces ahead of her the brambles appeared to have merged together into a solid barrier. She marked her observations on the map and then moved even more cautiously toward what she decided was purposefully designed to be a barrier.

When she was five paces from it, she stopped and again examined the thick bushes. They didn't have any flowers but there were occasional berries—each was the size and colour of a black plum though the skin had seeds on the outer surface like a strawberry. The tiny seeds on each berry were all the same colour and but the colour varied from berry to berry. The most predominant seed colours were deep red and dark blue, though she could see small clusters of fruit with seeds which were different shades of green, yellow and orange.

Leah tried to identify it but couldn't. Gèng explained that she had no access to information which was specific to the Dark Elves or had yet to be discovered or commented on by players. Leah was about to reach in and take one of the berries when she remembered how angry she became growing up when someone would harvest from her family garden without permission. Once, when she was eight, someone had stolen three pumpkins that had been almost ready to pick. She'd been so angry at the theft that she'd snuck out every night for two weeks to protect the next ones. Then she'd complained every meal for a week about having to eat her least favourite vegetable as ever since she'd been a toddler she'd disliked pumpkins.

She moved back twenty or so paces and then began to move more north-northeast in order to work her way around the patch. Over the next half an hour, she kept twenty or so paces from the patch and thought she was almost past the bramble patch because her direction was again almost due east. She was also convinced the patch had been purposefully cultivated because her map showed it to be an almost perfect circle. As she continued east, she had to continually suppress the desire to return and find out why the brambles were there.

A league past the brambles, Leah came to a small creek. It was the only part of the forest she'd seen which permitted sunlight to show through the canopy and even then it was only an occasional glimpse as the wind moved the canopy overhead. As she was checking the creek for danger she noticed a faint sparkle in the water as one of the stones on the riverbed reflected the dappled sunlight. She made a note of where the stone was and then double checked the creek for trouble. Not seeing any she waded into the thigh-deep water rather than Misting across as she'd planned. The water temperature was colder than she'd expected but she steeled herself and quickly ducked under the water and retrieved the stone.

As soon as she was on the bank, she began shivering and quickly unequipped her armour to change into some dry warm clothing. She wrung out the wet clothes and put them back in her bag. When she was warmer she took a closer look at the rock. There was a small crystal embedded in it, as well as flecks of black and gold. She used her mining skill and it had several sections which glowed green. Even though it was only the size of two fists, she equipped her mining pick and carefully chipped away at the indicated areas. The crystal dropped free and Leah identified it as a diamond, but the green still showed on the rock. She continued to chip away until the remaining rock split in two and released a black crystal the size and shape of her thumb.

Darkness Diamond (Uncut/Empty)

"Gèng what is a Darkness Diamond?"

"Darkness Diamonds are used primarily by Dark Elf mages to collect and store excess Mana. They are very rare and require a Grand Master Miner to gather and a Grand Master Jeweller to cut. There are Darkness Diamond mines on four of the continents and each one is in Dark Elf territory. They are sometimes found near the more common 'normal' diamonds."

Leah suddenly sat up and said, "I forgot, I have a map of goblin mines and the ones I took from the Bukalemun."

Leah took the maps from her bag, one at a time, and looked for her position. None had enough detail for her to be certain, but the ancient map of Vatan did show a river boundary for the Dark Elf territory. When she cross-referenced this with the Goblin mines she could see at least three mines that were in the region of the Dark Forest. None looked close to where she thought she was. The map of Vatan noted major cities and she found one labelled 'Yilanlar'. If her calculations were correct, then it was more north-east than east and it was probably eighty leagues from where she was. A trade route or trail was shown to Yilinlar from a western city labelled Batislar.

"Gèng, is there a dark elf city called Batislar?"

"There is nothing on the current maps though much of the northern section of the Dark Forest is still unexplored."

Between her location and Batislar there looked to be a mountain range, although the map showed it to be completely surrounded by the Dark Forest. Leah decided to follow the creek upstream. This would take her north and closer to the two cities and the trail between them. She could also look for things to mine. The rest of the day passed with Leah moving steadily north. She found several more diamonds, a few nuggets of gold but no more Darkness Diamonds. She was also attacked by different predators but nothing caught her by surprise. Once more she found a high tree, and this time she Misted to a safer branch and logged out.

Leah logged out and headed to the kitchen. She was surprised and pleased to see her dad sitting there and having some lunch with Conner. She hugged him and said, “You’ve been busy.”

“I have. When I’m not looking into the Runes of Power I’ve been learning Krav Maga and how to use a staff.”

Leah wanted to ask if he had found anything but didn’t want him to ask a similar question, so she turned to Conner and said, “How about you, Conner? How is the stick fighting coming along?”

“I’m getting better. I’m also studying. I’ve realised how far behind I am, and I think mum would want me to stop wasting time. I miss her being here. When will she be home?”

Leah looked at her dad, and he raised an eyebrow to show that he wanted the answer as well. Leah said to Gèng, “Can you check with John if it’s OK to let Conner and Dad know when we are heading to get mum?”

Leah stared at Conner and Michael while she waited. After almost a minute, Gèng said, “He’d rather you didn’t. The only people who know the timing are those who are going, and he has them all isolated except for you. He also says you need to see Aker about the fitting.”

Leah said, “I’m sorry. I want to share but I can’t. I trust you both but I can’t.”

Conner’s face slumped, and her dad’s face tightened as he stared hard at her. She didn’t flinch and met his eyes without challenge but with determination. After about ten seconds he gave a small nod and said, “Fair enough. I want you to promise me that you will be sensible and let John and the others take the lead.”

Leah slowly shook her head and said, “I promise I will be sensible, but I can’t do the other. John told you they need me and it’s not as the backup.”

Once more she met his gaze, although this time he didn’t nod. “I don’t like it, but I promised, and John says he needs you. Can you please explain?”

“I could, but it’s not something anyone else needs to know just yet. If I can, I’ll tell you after mum is home safely.”

This time, Michael nodded. As quickly as she could Leah finished eating and headed for a fitting with Aker.

Aker made Leah try everything on, though this time she’d arranged a screen for Leah and made her try it without any other clothing and explaining that the inner wicking layer was designed to be most useful when worn against the skin. Aker made a few small adjustments and then said, “It will be ready in a couple of hours. All I need to do is to check with John what level of binding you want. These materials are made not to tear or fray but where they join the seal can be made in several ways. I’ve prepared it for the strongest seal, as that is what John wanted. But it’s more expensive, and it takes longer.”

“The strongest seal please.”

“OK. It will be ready by nine tonight.”

“What about the weapons?”

“I decided to make them out of a smart material, it can be coded to your bio-data and has a flexible self-adaptive layer so you can attach it wherever you want. I talked with John and we were able to source some in the city and he sent someone to pick it up. As soon as it arrives I will form the sheathes and then cover the outward-facing surface with the light-absorbent low-resistance cloth.”

Leah headed for the Pod and said, “Can you let John know about Aker’s questions and tell him I’m heading to the Annoyance? I want to download whatever the message is before we arrive in at Epsilon Serpentis. I might not have time later when mum is home.”

As soon as she was in her room, Leah got into the Pod and headed for the Cosmos Online portals.

As she arrived on the bridge of the Annoyance, Gèng said, “John apologises for not being here, but he has some things to organise. I’ve also received a message from Amy saying that Thad’s been asking where you are and what you’re doing. Apparently, he has also decided to take a break from playing in Dunyanin and Cosmos Online. He said he wants to spend some time playing something new. He wouldn’t tell James or Amy, but he asked Zack what he knew about the steampunk genre. Amy thinks he has been told to play in Pneumatica.”

Leah sat in silence. After ten minutes she moved to the floor, closed her eyes, and began her breathing exercises. Finally, after not moving for half an hour she said, “That is for tomorrow. This is for today.”

She reviewed the data, the Arabic names, the star systems and the codes. When everything was clear in her head she moved to the Captain’s cabin, and for the second time she entered the complex series of chess moves and stepped into the black room, but this time she wasn’t tentative. She walked towards the glowing boot prints on the floor while the voice said, “Full download of information for processing and transfer will take seven hours and fifty-two minutes. If insufficient time remains for a continuous download, then the information will be deleted. If you agree to the terms of the download, then stand in the designated position.”

Leah placed a foot on each boot print and stared at the screen. The door, which had closed behind her, disappeared. The screen flashed several times rapidly, and then the voice said, “Target identity unknown.”

Without warning the floor at her feet suddenly flowed up her body hardening, as it went and locking her in place. Leah remained calm and didn’t move. The casing expanded around her chest so she could breathe. The voice repeated the statement, “Target identity unknown. Advise. Reconfigure or delete?”

A different voice said, “So, they chose someone new. They test me. That’s surprising. Not the test, of course, that is expected. But someone new, that is truly surprising. They don’t let many know their secrets. I wonder who you are. What is your name?”

Leah wasn’t sure what to do and finally applied one of her grandfather’s sayings: “If you have nothing to say, then say nothing.”

“No? Well not to worry. I will discover it in time. I always do. Reconfigure.”

The first voice said, “Reconfiguring.” The light flashed rapidly for twenty seconds, and then the voice continued, “Processing has commenced. Download will commence in ninety seconds.”

The roof above Leah’s head flowed down and covered her head entirely before retreating from her mouth and nostrils. Small hooks extended and Leah’s upper and lower eyelids were pulled back so she could neither close her eyes nor blink. Two small tubes extended from the covering and squirted a substance into her eyes. It stung momentarily but her vision cleared, the pain from the hooks disappeared, and her eyes didn’t dry out. The material under her nose expanded and small holes appeared under each nostril. She felt the shell around her fingers expand and contract several times. Around her ears, the material bulged, and the next sound she heard was broadcast directly from speakers near each ear.

“Download will begin in sixty seconds.”

Leah subvocalised, “Gèng, what is happening?”

“I suspect the download will be via your sensory system. The combination of tactile sensations, images, sounds, and smells which I would usually filter will be uploaded directly to the chip’s memory. Any overflow will be saved in the Pod. I sense four distinct data streams. They are currently being encoded. The human brain is capable of combining multiple sensory experiences into a single memory. You will receive four encrypted messages and combine them for later separation. I suspect the protocols for separation are not included in the communication.”

“Can you split the sensory streams and store them separately?”

“Normally I could. However, while I am still in control of most functions it appears your decision to accept the download terms includes the removal of my control to data allocation. Once the download begins, neither I nor this room can interfere. Your mind will combine them and store them in a set location. Currently, this is the chip and then the Pod.”

“Download will begin in thirty seconds.”

“Can you catalogue it or replicate it?”

“The terms of the download have removed my ability to monitor what you ‘see’, ‘hear’, ‘smell’ or ‘feel’, nor may I record the individual streams of sensory input.”

“Can you give me control of allocating storage location? If I can keep them separate, we may have a better chance of decrypting them. I’ll assign the packets to designated new nodules.”

“I would need to increase the rate at which you process the sensory input. If I assign a different conscious decision to each destination, it is possible. You will have to allocate each package of data consciously—I cannot automate it. Additionally...”

“Download begins in ten seconds.”

“No time, do it.”

“Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, two, one.”

Gèng increased Leah’s temporal awareness and her sensitivity to each of the four senses. With the increase in subjective time awareness Gèng had time to say, “I have assigned them. If it is tactile think ‘green’, if visual think ‘blue’, if olfactory think ‘red’, and if audible think ‘yellow’.”

“Begin.”

A picture of an old man and his wife appeared on the screen. They were surrounded by their children and grandchildren. Everything was in black and white except for one child, who was in full colour. At the same time pressure was applied to the fingers on Leah’s left and right fingers in a sequence, RRL LRLRLR LRR LL LRLL LRLL LL LR RR LLL. While this was happening Leah could smell coffee, freshly roasted. And a voice in her ear sang, “Oh, Papa Papa Hobo. Could you slip me a ride?”

Leah isolated the four items and assigned each one a colour.

A train whistle sounded a series of notes, D, E, F#, G, A, B, C#, D, C#, B, A, G, F#, E, D. There was an impressionist’s painting—it was night time, and the swirling sky was blue and white. It was filled with bright yellow and white stars. The colours were all blue, white, yellow and dark except for a building in the town which was painted in vivid orange. A sharp smell of citrus filled her nose. Her fingers were squeezed together, first her right little finger and her left thumb, then her left little finger and her left ring finger, then …

Leah isolated the four items and assigned each one a colour.

Two images every second. Two noises every second. Two pressures on fingers every second. Two different scents every second.

One hundred and twenty images every minute. One hundred and twenty noises every minute. One hundred and twenty pressures on fingers or toes every minute. One hundred and twenty smells every minute.

7200 every hour. 56,640 in seven hours and fifty-two minutes. In total 226,560 separate packets of information. As soon as the images began, Gèng discovered she no longer had control over any of Leah’s neural connections. Leah lost any sense of time within ten minutes. Within twenty minutes she was allocating the packages seemingly without reference to the mode of sensory input. By the end of the first hour, she was no longer referring to colours but separating them and pushing them in separate directions in her mind. Gèng called Dr Roberts halfway through the first hour and began administering a variety of medications, electrolytes and stimulants before the hour was up. Reed and Tesfaye began working with Gèng to hack the system in the third hour. In the fifth hour, John started cutting through the Annoyance’s bulkheads to see if he could get into the room. And for the last two hours, they just watched.

Then it stopped.

The voice said, “Download complete. Decryption sequence is 9780380973460. You have a message from the broker.”

Another new voice said, “Don’t screw this up, Meredith. This is the big one.”

Then, as the floor and roof released her, Leah heard, “Vacate the room. This space will be deleted in sixty seconds.”

She heard the door open behind her, but she couldn’t move. Her legs and arms didn’t respond to any commands, and Leah began to crumple. Gèng spoke to her for the first time in years—well it felt like years—“Leah, John’s coming.”

Before she hit the floor, Leah was grabbed around the waist and dragged from the room. The door closed behind her and Gèng logged her out. For the second time in less than twelve hours, Leah remembered nothing as Gèng brought her to NREM3, and together with the others she anxiously watched Leah’s neural readouts.

Leah slowly became aware of her surroundings. She was in the Pod, but the cover was down. Gèng's voice came from the speakers, and for the first time, she heard each of them—altogether there were six, six speakers. Six different sound waves that were combined and received as a single waveform but which her brain could separate. She was sure she could point to each one. Gèng repeated what she'd said, and Leah knew that Gèng had increased the volume slightly. Then finally, the content filtered through.

"Leah, you've been in the Pod for five and a half hours. You need to take a break."

Leah processed the words slowly, then said, "Why is the cover down?"

"Mrs Sperry has come to help you if necessary. I thought you should be aware before you exit without clothing."

"Thank you. Will I need her help?"

"It is recommended."

"OK. Then let me out."

The cover opened, and Leah saw Mrs Sperry there, standing ready with a robe. Leah found she was able to move normally and she climbed out, then slipped the gown on. As she did, she winced. Something was wrong with her robe, it was rough, and it grabbed at her skin. She could also feel the warmth where Mrs Sperry had been holding the robe—it was in sharp contrast to the coolness of the rest of it.

Leah thanked Mrs Sperry but said she was feeling well enough to dress on her own. Mrs Sperry left the room after saying she'd wait in the kitchen. As Leah made her way to the shower cubicle, she noted that one of the tiles was not straight, and when the water began to flow she could feel every drop as it landed on her skin. After a few minutes, her awareness of the past finally made it past the sensory bombardment of the present.

"Gèng, what happened?"

"When the download began I was unable to interact with you in any way. A lockout was applied to every connection on the chip, including the additional ones. Your senses were overloaded within minutes, and even your enhanced neural architecture was unable to cope with the magnitude of information being processed. The new connections between the right and left hemispheres were co-opted almost immediately. After that, your brain began activating any connections it could. Dr Roberts has seen this previously, on a small scale, and in controlled studies; it was work she'd done in the area of neural plasticity. But those studies were done over months and years, not minutes. Your cerebral temperature began to rise, and I had to administer medications to bring it down, other medications to increase the blood supply to your brain, and even more to add the chemicals your brain needed but was using at an accelerated rate. Your temperature peaked at 42 degrees Celcius and remained high until an hour ago."

"What about the download?"

"I have looked at the data since you logged out and you assigned the different packets of data according to the scheme we decided for just over three minutes with one hundred percent accuracy. By ten minutes that was down to sixty percent. After twenty minutes there was no significant correlation between the avenue of sensory input and the assigned location."

"So it was all for nothing."

"On the contrary. While I still have no understanding of the content, I was able to apply some complex cryptographic algorithms and other data comparison techniques. After a brief analysis of the data, I have concluded that in the first five minutes there was no or little correlation between source material and assigned location. The correlation began to rise as you made decisions about storage based on an increasing number of parameters rather than relying on which sensory avenue was used to input the data. If an analysis is done without reference to the first thirty minutes, I suggest an accuracy of greater than ninety-six percent."

"How?"

"I believe your conscious and sub-conscious together were able to observe connections in style, or in content, or one of the hundreds of parameters by which humans make comparisons. Instead of your mind applying these connections to combine the data, as was intended, you used the connections to sort the data. It took some time to see the connections, and from then on your brain continually improved the sorting algorithm until you were able to separate them with almost one hundred percent accuracy."

Leah nodded as she thought through what Gèng had said. She sighed and said, "I had best go see Mrs Sperry. What time is it?"

"It is 9.45 PM."

"Wait, why is it so late? I have to get ready to go get mum."

"Leah, I kept you in deep sleep for two and a half hours because of the extreme stress your brain experienced. After your meal, you need to return to the Pod for several more hours at least. John is leaving soon with the team. They have a modified plan to rescue your mother, and he believes it will be successful."

Gèng lost control of the superconductor connections throughout Leah's body as Leah stood.

"Where are my new clothes?"

"They are still with Aker."

Leah left the room at a run. Michael was in the corridor, but she slipped around him as he started to speak and was out of sight before he could turn around.

"Tell John to meet me there."

Leah exited the stairwell and slowed as she entered the conference room. Aker was resting on a foldup bed when Leah stepped into the room.

Without any of her usual politeness, Leah asked, "Is the gear ready?"

Aker slowly sat up and said, "Yes, but John said there was a change of plan."

"John was mistaken. Show me the clothes."

Aker stood and was unfolding the pile of completed clothing when John walked in.

"Leah, you should be…"

Whatever he thought she should be, he never said because she turned and interrupted, "You, wait outside."

He tried again, "Leah, I don't think…"

The next thing he knew, Leah was standing in front of him and pulling his face down level with hers. She said, "John, I am beyond angry, and I'm struggling to remain calm right now. At the moment, I don't care what you think or what you think I should do. I am coming with you, and I will get my mother back. Now, go wait outside."

Leah let go and turned back to Aker who was standing open-mouthed. The door opened and Michael walked in. Before he could say anything, John grabbed him and dragged him outside. Leah tapped Aker on the forehead to get her attention and said, "We'll talk later. For now, show me the suit."

The suit fit like a glove. Aker had added material to maintain modesty, but even so, Leah's figure and individual muscles were distinctly visible, though muted by the material. Leah finished dressing quickly, putting everything on except the facemask. Aker checked each piece and explained how the top section had a smart connection and how it locked itself to the lower. She showed Leah how to initiate the release and then had Leah practice. There was a similar smart join on the balaclava and others on the facemask and each of the weapons.

Leah practised all of them, then said, "Thank you, Aker. I know you have questions but now is not the time to have them answered. Please stay here until we return and remember we have paid for the 'never talk to anyone, ever' service package."

When Aker nodded, Leah headed for the door. John and Michael were still talking, so Leah interrupted and said, "I'm sorry dad, but there is no time for an explanation. John, we need to go."

John replied, "We do. Just wait for one minute. Gèng's suggested some additions to our medical kit. I know you don't want to hear it, but you haven't recovered from your outing this morning, much less this evening. So please, wait."

She nodded curtly and looked at her dad. He said, "John explained a little. I don't understand much, but I do know why you didn't say anything. Now, I'm not sure what outing he is talking about, but I do know he's been concerned all day. Please take care of yourself. I want your mum back, but I don't want you to be hurt. I love you both."

Some of her tension began to dissipate. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and said, “I’d better not hug you. In the mood I'm in I’m struggling to rein it in, and I don't want to hurt you."

He nodded. "I'm nodding because I'm a good dad, not because I understand what you said. I realise I was mistaken when I said I don't understand much. I don't understand any of it." Then he added, "But I do understand one thing, I am not happy with that outfit. You might think it's OK, but it isn't. I don't mind the colour or even the facemask, but I'm not at all happy with how revealing it is."

Leah blushed and laughed but was saved from replying when one of the security guards ran up with a bag and handed it to John.

John nodded at Leah and said, "We're ready, let's go."

Michael walked with them to the exit where four vehicles were waiting. John got into the first car and Leah got into the second. They were on their way.

As they left the access road to Guàn Enterprises, each of the vehicles headed in a different direction. At this time of the evening, there were very few vehicles on the road, and none of the cars would get anywhere near the remodelled suburb of Teneriffe without being identified. There was even less chance of them being able to approach the property John Welford had pointed out.

Each of the cars took different routes. Their passengers either moved to other vehicles, or they were dropped at a transport hub. They tried every trick they could to make it to Teneriffe unseen. Altogether seventeen people tried to evade surveillance—three made it.

Neither John nor Leah left Guàn Enterprises in the cars. It was the only place they believed they could be almost certain of remaining undetected. Both vehicles had had a section of their floors removed. As the first vehicle stopped at the security gate, John dropped to the ground and lay as still as he could. Leah dropped from the second car. They waited ten minutes before moving carefully off the road and through a side gate.

From there they made their way through the back streets to the Switch. They used all their evasion skills and made their way down to the river. A boat was waiting, and it turned upriver, away from the direction they wanted to go. Peter Johnson, the boss of the Basin Pocket Boys, met them at his private pier and ushered them into a waiting car. From there, it was a series of vehicles and transfers until both arrived at a suburb on the southern side of the river called Bulimba just before eleven.

The team being used to extract Lin had been holed up in Bulimba for days. While others reconnoitred and searched for Lin, the main team had been planning and training. Around Teneriffe itself, John arranged four staging areas where additional but diversionary crews assembled. Even though he hoped these crews hadn’t been spotted, he was almost certain they had been—that was their purpose.

Tonight, they were also tasked to be diversions. John, Lacey and several of the top enforcers from other gangs had chosen four well-guarded expensive homes belonging to friends or business partners of the Kodomans. These properties were assigned to the diversionary groups. They were to conduct an assault on each of these properties ten minutes before midnight.

Lacey met John and Leah outside the Bulimba hideout.

“John, everything is ready. Leah, I expect John has explained everything, do you have any questions before the final review?”

“No, John covered everything.”

“Good, then let’s gather with the others and I’ll do a run through one last time.”

There were five others on the team and Leah had worked with each of them during her days working for Jimmy. None of them were soldiers but they were some of the best thieves and enforcers in the city. The first two, Joel and Marie, were twins and only six years older than Leah. Like her, they’d worked for Jimmy since they were kids and they’d been her first teachers in the art of being invisible. Their father had been one of Jimmy’s enforcers until the day Joel skipped preschool to ask Jimmy to help him protect Marie. That evening, their father hadn’t come home and Joel and Marie became two of Jimmy’s boys. They were on the team as scouts.

The oldest was Martin and he’d been Leah’s main teacher in the second half of ‘break and enter’. He’d taught her how to pick locks, bypass sensors, rewire security systems and then to put everything back together on the way out. He was responsible for getting them undetected through the perimeter sensors.

Wes and Johan were muscle—intelligent, agile, silent muscle. Wes had been Leah’s only firearms’ instructor and that was only for one lesson. All of Jimmy’s boys had to know how to hold and disable a gun but Wes knew much more—he was the only one besides John who had a gun. Johan teamed with John in teaching martial arts but where John taught Leah how to use fighting sticks, Johan had shown her how to use knives. He’d also been her first aid instructor.

After Leah and John had greeted the others, Lacey said, “It’s now eleven and we leave in five minutes. I am overall lead. We will cross the river in two groups to avoid detection. John, you go first with Wes, Martin and Marie. John, you’re group lead. Marie, you’re on point. Leave the river north of Beeston Street, Wes you are to get them through the layer of secure river homes and onto Macquarie Street. John, head up the hill to the park. 11 Mackellar Street belongs to an older retired couple who practically live in their Pods. Every evening at eleven they play Undead Contagion Wars. We will rendezvous with you at the north-west corner of their property at eleven forty. Wes, we need to get through their rear security and into Teneriffe Park undetected.

“Leah, you’re with me, Joel, and Johan. I am group lead, Joel is on point. We’ll cross the river further north and exit onto Vernon Terrace close to Ethel Street. Leah, you’ll get us through the houses, I know John has given you the details. Joel, once we leave the river, I want to cut south-west along Abercrombie then follow Walker to Mackellar for the rendezvous. I know we have further to go but surveillance is less on our route. I know you have all heard this before but this is the last chance: are there any questions?”

Johan said, “Just the same question I’ve asked before. Why is Leah here? I know it is her mum, but she’s been out of the game for years. Even if she were at the top of her game, it wouldn’t solve the barriers we still have to find a way around. How do we scale the rear wall? How do we deal with twelve armed roving guards? And how can we defeat the robotic inside security before Lin gets hurt? I’m sorry Leah, but all Lacey says is that John says we need you. I trust him, but it worries me when even Lacey doesn’t know.”

Lacey looked at John and raised her eyebrows questioningly. She had the same concerns. John sighed and said, “A fair question that I still don’t want to answer, but at this stage, we gain nothing by keeping silent. You’ll all have worked out some of the details by the end of the operation. That said, you are never to discuss what I tell you, or what you see, ever—not even with each other. Now you know I dislike threats and I rarely make them, but know this. You talk, and I will exact retribution.”

Leah started to say something but John cut her off. “No Leah, they need to know how serious this is. It is life and death, yours and theirs.”

Leah closed her mouth and gave a small nod.

John continued, “All I’ll say is this: when Leah got her chip installed, there were some glitches. As a result, she developed some new skills and abilities that we can use tonight. Leah is now faster, stronger, and more skilled than any of us. She will be able to get over the back wall, she will be able to deal with the twelve guards and she is capable of getting through the robotic guards. We are all going along as her backup; she isn’t ours. When I thought she wasn’t going to be able to come tonight, I would have cancelled the operation if I didn’t think this the only chance we’ll have. I won’t say anything else and neither will any of you. I know Lacey is leading the operation but if Leah says to close your eyes, stand on one foot, and whistle Dixie, then I suggest that is what you do. Is that clear enough Johan?”

He stared at John for a moment and said, “Not really, but it will do. I’m as confused as ever but I don’t think you’ve ever talked with that level of conviction, or menace, in all the time I’ve known you. You believe she should come, and that’s enough for me.”

Lacey had been staring at Leah and said, “That stick fight we had. Is that as fast as you can go?”

John answered before Leah could respond, “No, and that’s enough. I meant what I said—we do not discuss this! Ever!”

Lacey looked at John in shock at his rebuke but quickly calmed her face when she saw how serious he was. She nodded, “OK, issue closed. Any other questions?”

When no one said anything, she said, “All right, then let’s be off. John, your team first.”

Leah watched as Marie led them south. John’s team had about 300 metres to travel before turning west for 100 metres to get to the Brisbane River. As soon as they were out of sight, Joel led Lacey’s team west. Johan followed, then Leah and Lacey brought up the rear. Although they only had 200 metres to travel it still took them ten minutes to move unseen along the streets. Even though they wore high-tech camouflage gear and the streets were empty, they didn’t take any chances.

When they reached the river, Johan handed each of them a night-vision equipped diving mask and a mini-scuba-canister with a pressure regulated mouthpiece. Each canister had an internal adaptive pressure regulator and held a litre and a half of air at 30000 KPa. They planned to stay at a depth of less than two metres and had enough to get them across and back several times.

This time, Johan led the way and Joel brought up the rear. Where they exited the river used to be a public walkway, but when the area had been rebuilt by developers most of the public areas had been rezoned so the wealthy could have river frontage. Lacey had chosen a property with a small pontoon and basic security. Johan stopped just before the pontoon and let Leah move to the front. John had given Leah Lacey’s notes on the security. There were three sensors on the pontoon, pressure, motion and thermal. Leah accessed the cables, which ran under the walkway, and disabled them.

She was about to leave when she sensed another trickle of current. Turning back, she looked but couldn’t see anything else. She closed her eyes and moved closer to the underside of the walkway and again she could ‘feel’ the current. It took several minutes but she eventually found a hidden panel on the edge of the walkway. Inside was a secondary set of sensor cables. She disabled these and levered herself onto the pontoon before waving Lacey and the others forward.

Lacey whispered, “What took so long?”

“They had a secondary security system installed inside the walkway. The access panel was difficult to find.”

Lacey nodded and motioned Leah to continue. Leah didn’t see the looks shared between the rest of the team. At the end of the pontoon's access walkway was a locked access gate into the main compound. Leah had expected the lock but not one of this quality. There was a new, state-of-the-art keypad. The circuitry couldn’t be accessed without taking the gate apart and it had a transparent shield over the keys made from titanium-silicate nanoparticles. There was no way should she could disable it, or work around it. She waved Lacey forward to have a look when Gèng said, “Leah, move closer to the keypad and try and sense the different currents.”

Leah brought her head closer to the surface of the keypad. She could sense electrical activity but there wasn’t enough information for her to differentiate any circuits. Gèng said, “Take off your glove and hover your fingers over the pad.”

Leah did as she was asked and found that although she could sense the web of currents running through the device, she wasn’t sure what to do with it. Fortunately, Gèng did. “Leah, as I say each number I need you to press it and then hold your fingers as close to the keypad as you can without touching it. Are you ready?”

“One moment, I’ll let Lacey know what I’m doing.”

Leah whispered, “It can’t be hacked or bypassed from this side, so I’m going to enter a code.”

Lacey said, “We can go around Leah, we’ll be a bit late but it’s doable. There is no way to guess the code. Let’s head back.”

Leah said, “Lacey, close your eyes, stand on one foot, and whistle Dixie while I do this. Just whistle softly please.”

Lacey’s eyes narrowed for a minute and she struggled to remain calm, then she nodded and took a step back.

“Gèng, I’m ready.”

“Good, I’ll say each number slowly, only once. The code is two, four, two, nine, six, seven, hash, three, six, one, five, star, three, hash, and hash.”

Leah heard a slight click she opened the gate. Joel went through first, then Johan, Lacey and Leah. As she came through, she closed the gate behind her. Gèng said, “You should reset the gate as it is most likely on a timer.”

Again Gèng talked Leah through the process before Leah followed the others. Gèng repeated the process at the front gate. None of the team said anything but their occasional glances at Leah showed how rattled they were. The rest of the journey was uneventful. It was just going eleven thirty-eight when they reached 11 Mackellar Street. Marie was watching the front entrance and waved them through. Then she shut the gate and followed them to the north-west corner of the property.

Once everyone had gathered around, Lacey said, “Four other teams are in position and will start their assaults in eleven minutes. It is unlikely they will be successful as we are almost certain they are being watched. They are a diversion and so we need to be in position to begin our insertion two minutes after theirs. They are all mounting frontal assaults. The aim is to distract the guards and police and make our approach easier. If nothing else it will spread the authorities thinly, and it may be our only chance to get away clean. We expect them to meet strong resistance and all of them have orders to disengage and retreat at midnight if they haven’t already done so.

“Marie, you will be on point. Joel, I want you twenty metres behind her. We go from here as one group. We’ll head through Teneriffe Park to the rear of the target compound.

“The compound is one of the new mega blocks formed in the redevelopment. It sits at the top of the hill and is six and a half metres above the level of the park. It has a vertical retaining wall and a two-metre perimeter fence on top of that, Both have recently been resurfaced with the latest generation of intelligent cladding. The entire service is coated with a mixture of graphene and diamond nanoparticles. The nanoparticles give the wall an almost frictionless surface. Embedded into the cladding is a fine array of sensors which register pressure, heat, sound, and light—they are controlled by a developed AI whose only function is to interpret the data. The total height is eight and a half metres.

“Leah, your job is to get over the wall and inside the compound without setting off any sensors. The grounds cover one point two acres and our informant says it is constantly patrolled by twelve guards. They have firearms and are in constant contact with each other. You need to find a defensible position and set up a hoist so we can join you. Once inside the grounds we need to disable the guards and secure the ground floor of the building before either of the two inside personnel can make their way to Lin and harm her.

“Lin is kept in a secured Pod unit at the north-western corner of the second floor. When no one is on the floor, it is patrolled by four robotic guards. These are top of the range, and though they supposedly have no firearms installed, the informant said he wouldn’t bet on it. Once the guards know we are here, we have five minutes to get Lin off the property. That is the most likely police response time. Also, you all know Lin and know that she will be horrified if anyone dies, even the bad people. So, if we can, let’s keep it to maim and mayhem. Any questions?”

Everyone just looked at Leah and shook their heads. Lacey nodded and said, “OK, we now have eight minutes to get to the base of the wall. Marie, lead us out.”

The park was empty. As Leah thought of what she had to do her heart rate increased and she automatically began to increase the speed she processed her environment; the world began to slow down. Suddenly she felt her control weaken and everything returned to its normal speed. Gèng said, “Leah, you don’t need to access those skills just yet. Trust John and the others to get you to the wall. Even that small effort irritated your system. If you aren’t careful, you will overheat your nervous system again. Save it until it is necessary. Most of the battle tonight you can do without increasing perception to its maximum level.”

Leah, feeling chastened, and already feeling her head beginning to ache, said, “You’re right. Thank you for the reminder. I will try and leave it to you to moderate how much it is enhanced by.”

“You’re welcome. Now, when you get to the wall, talk to John. Tell him I said you need the full package. Take all the medicine he gives you.

“What’s in the full package?”

“Pain relief, concentrated nutrients, antihistamines, anticoagulants, several ultra-high energy supplements, and several pyrogen suppressors. Dr Roberts suggested if you were going to do anything stupid—and those were her words, not mine—then we need to slow the swelling around your brain and have a plan in place to reduce your temperature. It is still higher than it should be.”

The wall rose above them. Johan and Lacey brought forward the two parts of the hoist. One was for Leah and the other would remain with the team. Leah motioned to John and whispered, “Gèng says I need the full package.”

He nodded and took a bag out of his pack. He reached in and handed her a container with a range of tablets, several vials of liquid and two energy bars with red warning labels. After she’d taken the various drugs, she had Johan help fit the harness holding the upper end of the hoist on her back. She checked her knives and sticks and rechecked her facemask.

She asked “Gèng, do I have access to all the new muscle and nerve connections?”

“Yes, I suggest you let me overlay the best run-up, position and angle to clear the wall. I’ve reviewed your usual movements and have used them to determine the best path.”

Leah nodded. She’d checked the physics when John had told her what he expected. Gèng calculated that using her new carbon fibre muscles, she was capable of exerting over eighteen times the force that she could naturally. That she could survive was due not only to her newly strengthened bones, ligaments and tendons but because Gèng had retasked the nanites to strengthen the connective tissue around her organs, including her lungs and heart. Although her mass had increased, she was still only 20% heavier than previously. The simplified equation for how high she could jump was

Before the changes, she was capable of a running double leg jump of between sixty and eighty centimetres. Even using the lower end, she should be able to clear nine metres easily. The hoist was light and didn’t effect the overall result.

Leah moved back and planned her run with Gèng’s overlay in mind. Gèng increased Leah’s perceptions as she took five steps, planted both feet and brought her pelvis low towards her heels. She pushed off the ground and when her toes left the ground, she was travelling at just under fifty kilometres per hour. She cleared the wall with more than a meter to spare.

Leah landed, crouching low. Her perceptions enhanced she looked for any reaction from the guards but couldn’t see any. There were no trees or shadows near the wall, so she set the hoist up near where she landed. First, she spread its three foot-plates as wide as they could go. She connected the expandable vertical extension rod to a centre plate and clipped in three stays to brace it. Next, she inserted a horizontal arm in the top of the vertical rod. Once it was clipped in, she lengthened it so when it was positioned over the wall, it would sit a metre past the wall. Finally, she extended the vertical rod to three metres and swung the arm over the wall. When it was in place, she depressed the starting mechanism and moved several metres away to provide cover for the team.

The hoist tightened all the connections and inserted internal rods across each join to increase its structural integrity. From the end of the horizontal arm, a laser shone on the ground where the team was waiting. Johan placed the second part of the hoist directly under the laser. He’d already prepared the stabilising legs. As soon as the laser signature was recognised by the lower section, it extended a telescoping pole vertically until it connected with the upper arm. As soon as it clicked into place, small bars dropped horizontally along its length and John began to climb.

Gèng had decreased the rate at which Leah evaluated sensory input and increased the level and type of analysis she provided to Leah. Gèng highlighted movement and used complex graphic analysis to outline different shapes. She overlay the garden with a wire frame and began to build a picture of the whole compound. It was Gèng’s analysis that warned Leah of a guard’s approach just as John swung down onto the lawn. Whatever it was that registered in the guard’s mind, they were well trained and their weapon began to rise. Leah’s reaction time, however, was enhanced as Gèng had accelerated her perceptions and connected her enhanced musculature. As she accelerated from a crouch her right arm came past her calf, unsheathing one of the throwing knives and propelling it in front of her as she moved. Before the guard’s weapon had travelled through thirty degrees, her knife slammed into their right shoulder.

The guard’s bullet and stab-proof armour was at least as good as Leah’s and it deformed the knife’s point, preventing it from penetrating the shoulder. What made the difference was that while a normal bullet might have around 5.5 kgm/s of momentum, Leah’s knife had almost 100 kgm/s. The guard was swung around by the impact and lost their balance. Before the guard reached the ground, Leah brought a fighting stick down on the edge of their headgear. Gèng had reviewed the specifications for the guards' armour—Lacey had prepared a whole list of relevant information—and determined the force required to transfer enough energy through the helmet to knock the guard out. She graphically provided a suggested path and velocity for Leah.

Leah lifted her head to check on John when a bullet impacted her midway between her shoulder blades. Milliseconds later a second hit, her several centimetres higher. Gèng applied the full range of Leah’s abilities and the third only clipped Leah’s left shoulder as she turned and headed for the second guard. Before the guard could bring their weapon around, Leah’s right fighting stick had dislocated the guard’s left knee, snapping the medial collateral ligament while her left stick cracked the helmet and knocked the guard out.

Leah was moving before the guard hit the ground. Gèng catalogued and triangulated the sounds of footfalls heading in their direction and plotted the most efficient path to deal with each of the guards. As the third guard collapsed with a broken arm, severe concussion, and a dislocated jaw, four guards were within sight of Leah. She was hit twice more as she finished guards four, five and six. One of the bullets shattered against the outer layer of her face mask and cracked the surface of the lens over her right eye. With her vision compromised, she used Gèng’s wireframe to guide her as she dove and slid under two more shots before snapping both of the guard's shins with her fighting stick and brought her legs under her to stand. As she went past, she clipped the guard on the back of the head—seven down.

She was now in range of the remaining five guards. Gèng applied a filter to Leah’s right eye and the distortion disappeared. Gèng’s analysis of the best path abruptly changed as she reclassified one of the weapons the last guard was carrying. The guard not only had the latest in supersonic weapons but also had an underslung mini-grenade launcher. Leah bypassed two guards, and slipping her right fighting stick back in its cradle behind her back, she took a fighting knife from beside it and left it in the shoulder of the guard between her and the grenade launcher.

Her thrown knife hadn’t been able to penetrate the stab-proof material because it had weighed only 250 grams and had a momentum of 100 kgm/s. Leah’s fighting knife impacted with not only its 350 grams but also the weight of her airborne body. The point deformed crushing the armour and ripping the fibres apart. Leah let go when her blade scraped against the scapula.

She was still ten metres from the guard when Gèng indicated a projected grenade launch based on the position and movement of the guard’s finger. Gèng’s projections were based on average grenade velocities, as she did not have the details for this particular weapon. With an expected velocity of 75 m/s and at Leah’s distance, she would have 130 ms to respond. Most of the micro-grenades on the market were fitted with inertial fuzing systems which armed the grade only after it had rotated a set number of times. Leah brought her stick up and placed it in the projected path which was just over her shoulder. Gèng recalculated the path of the grenade as she observed the first 3 ms of its flight, Leah made a minute adjustment and the grenade fragmented as it hit the stick. Several fragments peppered Leah but she ignored them to bring the stick down behind the guard’s left wrist, snapping both the radius and ulna. She pivoted, struck again, and then there were three.

Following Gèng’s revised path, she quickly dispatched ten and eleven and was eight metres from twelve when Geng’s projection changed and took Leah directly toward the house. Leah obeyed without question and Gèng said, “You need to get inside quickly. Pivot as shown and use one of the throwing knives on the last guard. It should leave them vulnerable to the rest of the team, and now.”

Leah took off on her left foot, rotating her body as she brought her arm around in a throwing motion. Her rotation meant she didn’t see the knife land but Gèng continued speaking, “I observed a face at one of the windows which suddenly ran towards the inner parts of the house. Head for the main entrance, it has a double doorway. Aim to hit the point six inches below the midway point along the line where the doors intersect. Use your left shoulder. With your enhanced skeleton, I calculate a thirty-eight percent chance you will break your scapula, upper humorous or the joint itself and a seventy-two percent chance of gaining access. You should still have sufficient mobility to pursue the subject.”

Leah timed her run to clear the steps, plant her left leg and let it compress, with her momentum bringing her shoulder low and beyond her centre of gravity. She contracted her leg and drove her shoulder upwards just below the midway point of the central join of the double doorway. The lower half of the doors bulged, the lock snapped and the doors snapped open.

Pain shot through her shoulder, it radiated down her arm and across the top of her shoulder to her neck. She partitioned the pain to one side and took a step only to find she couldn’t control her arm and the small movement brought her to her knees as the pain blew through the partition and flooded her system. Gèng reduced Leah’s sensory levels and said, “Grab your left wrist and pull it towards your right underarm. This will hurt but you can then lock the hand under your right arm and hold your left elbow. This should allow you to move. Hurry, the suspect is on the stairs. Follow the path.”

Leah did as suggested and after another moment of searing pain, she found she could move, although at a shuffle. Leah’s shuffle was still faster than most people could run and she rushed along the path Gèng laid out before her. On the second floor was a long wide corridor with doors on either side. Leah could see the guard running towards the far end. The guard had obviously deactivated automated security as she ran between two large robots and stopped at the last door on the right. She had a pistol in her left hand and busily entered a code into the keypad with her right. The door swung open, and she transferred the gun to her right hand and had fired three bullets before Leah’s right shoulder lifted her from the ground and drove her into the far wall where she slid bonelessly to the floor.

The impact travelled through Leah’s body and reignited the pain in her left shoulder causing her to stumble. Her momentum drove her into the wall beside the unconscious, or dead, guard. She lay there dazed for several seconds when the sound of running feet in the corridor brought her enough awareness to turn and look. The final interior guard was approaching; it was a man and he was dressed differently, so he was probably the nurse. He had a gun and as he approached he raised it and began firing at Leah. Five bullets stitched their way up her torso, each one stopped by the armour but each of them degrading the smart material.

He stopped five feet from Leah and carefully aimed at her faceplate. Gèng increased Leah’s perception to the maximum and allowed every connection she could. Leah had time to watch his smile turn into a sneer over the course of what felt for her like forty seconds but was not even one. She watched as he depressed the trigger, it seemed laborious. Before his finger finished the motion she’d begun to move. The bullet left the barrel at a little over 400 m/s which gave her only 12 ms real time. Even at the speed she moved, she was only able to move her head six centimetres before the bullet slammed into the face plate just below the outer edge of the left eye.

The plate stopped the bullet but the material had been damaged by the previous impact on the right side. Enough energy was transferred to depress the zygomatic arch. While the additional carbon fibres prevented fracturing, a small section of natural bone directly behind the point of impact was crushed. Leah looked up only to see the nurse crumple to the floor. Her team had arrived.

John arrived first and leant down to help her up. Lacey was only a few feet behind and she immediately stepped into Lin’s Pod room, then stopped. Leah carefully stepped into the room, wondering why Lacey had stopped, when she noticed the three evenly spaced holes which pierced the Pod cover. Fluid was slowly leaking onto the floor.

Leah almost stopped beside Lacey, but somehow she kept putting one foot after the other. She stopped at the cover, staring down at the holes. Slowly her head dropped and rested against the Pod. Gèng said, “Leah, the Pod is damaged and I am having difficulty connecting to it. It still shows an active occupant, though one in some distress. I am trying to log them out remotely.”

Leah’s head lifted, and she said, “John, you and the men leave the room. Lacey, you and Marie will have to help get mum dressed. She is still alive, but I’m not sure in what state.”

Gèng said, “I have logged the occupant out of the Pod, but something is broken and it will not open automatically. There is a manual release. I will project it onto your vision.”

Leah explained to Marie how to unlock the Pod, then Marie and Lacey levered the cover open. As the cover began to rise, the gel, which should have been drained, flooded out and splashed over the three of them. Lying naked in the Pod was Leah’s mum. One bullet had ploughed into the machinery at the rear of the Pod. The second had been slowed by the gel and lodged in the structure which supported Lin's neck. The third had also been slowed by the gel and had hit Lin on her right temple. There was a small depression, no wound, no blood, just a large bruise.

Lin was breathing shallowly. Marie and Lacey quickly cleaned her off and dressed her in a pair of overalls they had brought for her to wear. Lacey called for Johan, who said she was unconscious, had concussion, but could be moved if they were careful to keep a check on her breathing. John and Wes quickly engineered a makeshift stretcher while Johan immobilised Leah’s left arm. They had been on the property for a total of six minutes when they made their way from the house.

As they crossed the lawn, they could hear sirens in the distance which got louder as they descended the hoist. John had to carry Lin, and although she did most of it herself, Leah needed help to cross the horizontal top section. They hadn’t been able to disassemble the hoist, so they moved faster than they’d intended. They knew its presence would point any pursuers in their direction. They didn’t stop until they reached the spot where John’s team had exited the river. Lacey’s team had left their scuba gear attached underneath the pontoon, so they decided to make the crossing above water. John sent Joel ahead with one of their team's scuba equipment and asked him to have the transport pick them up near the river. Wes pilfered several lifejackets from a nearby boatshed. John and Johan took turns dragging Lin, with Lacey swimming alongside to keep Lin's head out of the water.

Leah was able to use her one good arm to slowly crawl through the water. Marie stayed close in case Leah got into trouble. By the time the team arrived at the bank, two vehicles were waiting. Leah, Johan and Lin travelled in the first one so Johan could keep an eye on both of them while the rest followed in the second vehicle.

It was just after one thirty in the morning when the team finally pulled into the compound. Through the front window of the car Leah could see Michael and Conner standing at the entrance to the Pod centre, their faces strained. Johan hopped out first and called for a stretcher. Several security guards rushed forward and helped to lever Lin onto the stretcher, then rushed her into the Centre. Leah smiled as Michael and Conner hurried after them.

End of Book 4

Excerpt from 'Identity' Book 5

Her mum was home. Her family was together. The world wasn’t as dark as it had been. She heard a tapping at her window and looked up to see John standing there. She expected him to be smiling, but he had a worried look on his face. She opened the door, and John said, “Are you ok? You’re just sitting there.”

“I was just thinking about my family, mum is home, and it’s a good feeling, the best I've had for some time.”

For a moment he looked distracted and then said, “Leah, I want you to come inside, please. You need to get out of that suit and into the Pod. Gèng says you need to be checked out in the Pod.”

“What do you mean, ‘Gèng says’?”

Leah subvocalised, “Gèng, what is going on?” But she got no response.

“Leah, she can hear you but hasn’t been able to get you to hear her for a while. When did you last talk to her?”

“During the swim—I spent most of the ride back just watching mum?”

“Come inside, and I’ll have someone help you into the Pod.”

Leah turned to walk with John and said, “I want to see mum first. One more minute won’t hurt.”

He nodded and together they made their way inside. As soon as she was inside the building, Leah said, “John, can you help me with the faceplate? It’s hard to reach with one arm.”

As soon as it came off, John winced and said, “You have a bruise covering the whole left side of your face. Your eyes are bloodshot. Let me get the balaclava off, and I’ll have Marie help you get ready for the Pod.”

“After I see mum, I just want to make sure she is alright.”

Lin had been taken upstairs and Leah found the stairs tiring after having cooled down in the car. As they approached the main living area, John slowed. Lacey and Marie were standing in the doorway and they moved aside to let Leah through. Lin was lying on the lounge, Michael was sitting on a low footrest near her head and holding her hand. Conner was standing on the other side not really knowing what to do except stare at his mum. He couldn’t stop looking at her bald head.

Michael looked up and although he started a little when he saw the condition Leah was in he mouthed, “Thank you.”

Leah nodded and was about to leave when Lin gave a little moan. Michael turned back and watched as she slowly opened her eyes. As soon as she saw him her face crinkled in a smile and she said, “心肝”. She looked up and saw Conner and said, “心肝宝贝”. Then her eyes swivelled around the room noting everyone, then she turned back to Michael and said, “How did I get home?”

“Leah and John went to get you. They’ve just brought you back.”

Lin looked up at John and said, “John, thank you for bringing me back to my family.”

Turning to Leah, Lin said, “You must be Leah, thank you for helping me. When I'm rested, I look forward to getting to know you.”

Excerpt from 'Mirasçi' A Stork Tower Backstory

Mirasçi had never known his father, and from the stories he’d gleaned from different sources, he hoped he never would. His mother, on the other hand, was the centre of his universe. Everything he did, revolved in one way or another, around her. They lived with his mother’s parents in a small series of rooms deep inside the mountain. The rooms had been carved from the granite over eight hundred years previously as the Elfaun city of Dag Tarafind continued its slow, but inevitable, expansion within the Canyon of the True People.

Since then, the city had continued to grow, and their small set of rooms was now considered part of the inner city. The apartment faced the canyon on the inner side of the third ribbon and was five levels above the canyon floor. The ribbons were long, excavated paths which ran from one end of the city to the other. Great columns of original stone remained untouched down the centre of each ribbon to maintain the structural integrity of the mountain. In the space between ribbons, the residents had carved a collection of houses, apartments, shops and trading rooms. This was the world that Mirasçi's lived in and he had no idea that for him, everything was about to change.

Mirasçi was almost eight and that word ‘almost’ was just about more than he could bear. Only ten more days and his grandfather, Azmet, had promised to take him to the highest level in the city and let him look out over the whole of the great Canyon. He was going to see the world. But more importantly, he had also been promised his very own long-knife. His grandmother wasn’t as enthusiastic as he was, but he wanted to start learning how to use it so he could help his grandfather. Mirasçi wanted to be a worm-hunter like his Azmet. Worm-hunters were the only Common Elfauns who were allowed to carry weapons in the city, and they were held in esteem by everyone for their courage and bravery.

It was late afternoon, and he’d almost finished his chores for the day. He only had three more buckets of water to get from the public cistern, and then he would be free to do whatever he wanted until dinner time. As he carried the bucket, he practised in his mind what he hoped to do in those few minutes without supervision. He would hold the stick in just the right way, and then he'd practice all the moves used by the worm-hunters. He knew them all, he’d watched Azmet hundreds of times, and Mirasçi had practised them over and over, even when he hadn't had a stick. He'd trained whenever he had the opportunity. And now, with only ten days until he had a real long-knife, he could practice with the stick. It was so going to be so much better. He was sure his grandfather would be amazed when Mirasçi finally held the real long-knife, because then, at that moment, he would flawlessly perform the worm-hunters dance-of-knives.

The stick, which he’d found only five days ago, was exactly the right size to practice with, it would help get everything right. He was amazed when he’d found it because wood of any kind was rare in the city. Only the rich had access to it. When he'd seen it, he’d thought someone must have misplaced it. It was holding open a cover which he was sure should have been kept closed. He knew that the spice merchant always kept it closed. The cover was supposed to stop bugs from eating and destroying the precious red dragon-tongue berries which were stored there. Mirasçi, in a burst of community-mindedness, had lowered the cover and removed the offending stick. It was only later, when the screams of the spice merchant echoed along the ribbon, that he suspected the stick’s removal might actually be considered stealing.

He’d hidden the wood under his sleeping mat the first night and then moved it into one of the worm holes that were scattered throughout the city. He didn’t think anyone knew of this particular hole for it was at ground level and hidden behind a small stone garden bed that had been built centuries ago. Garden beds in that part of the city only grew the one type of food, mushrooms. It was one way to make use of the constant oversupply of night soil produced, and Mirasçi was glad because it kept everyone from finding his stick.

His imagination had carried him through the first two buckets, and he’d just filled the last one and was halfway home when he heard someone screaming his name and cursing in anger. All thoughts of the long-knife disappeared in an instant, and after a deep breath he sighed and picked up the pace. Somehow he mustn’t have read the signs this morning, and now he better get home before his mother wore herself out. She needed him there. She needed him there to scream at, to rage at, to curse. And the longer she was denied the opportunity, the longer it would take her to recover.

The problem was, Mirasçi mused, was that Asalet, his mother, well, she was broken. She had been since before Mirasçi’s birth.